ϡ - Chapter TwentyFour; Hello again [action/accidental voice]

[folklorist]

[ The journal might pick up rustling and a brief intake of air before turning off.

He was alive and that was the cool ground beneath him, wasn’t it? It wasn’t saturated with his blood nor was it amidst the rain forest. Instead he was staring up at that beautiful cherry blossom tree at the top of the hill. It was a startling awareness that overtook him in that brief period of time from when he opened his green eyes to sitting up. His clothes were no longer marred with the blood he had lost and looking at them, despite the lack of blood and the shock it would have brought being missing, everything still came rushing back along with the shock. He didn’t want to remember it, those teeth and those claws tearing into him. God he never wanted to remember it and yet here he was remembering like it was only yesterday. His last dying breath was while he was looking into the faces of his two best friends as he lay dying at their feet. He looked at his arms, legs, and back, hands shaking slightly before steadying. His wings were fine as well all in one piece even and he moved them just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming…

He was fine and there was no more pain besides being alive in this place again. No he can’t think like that; he had people here he had to protect and people here he cared about. It was all so…disorienting. Like countless others Helios had been brought back from the dead, like necromancy or...immortality. It was a dream many men in his world would love having. Albeit what they make you give for such a life here…was it all truly worth it?

This was Luceti. This was the town, the same town, with those same individuals that entrusted him to put up barriers to keep away their fears and add a slightly deeper sense of protection. The barriers. Green eyes widened as he realized what his death had meant. ]

Oh no.

[ He had to go…he had to go and check on them. In his attempt at getting up he’ll turn on the voice function once more on the journal. There’s more sound of movement as Helios gets up the voice function still on as he mumbles something under his breath but he doesn't turn off the feed, absentminded as usual. He’ll be stumbling down from the hill making his way towards the appropriate buildings. He had to make sure everything was in place and functioning. He didn’t know what complications his death might have caused and it was best he make sure. He shouldn’t be wandering around like this but he doesn’t care. He does care about who sees him though, so he’ll try as much as possible to steer clear of people’s view. It obviously isn’t so easy for him since he is a derp coupled with the post-return imbalance and therefore he is stumbling and not paying much attention while he’s walking. He doesn’t know about his friend’s announcement, of course, but Helios knows one of them, Frederic or Giles, would have told people by now. God he hates that he had to force that on one of them at all. He didn’t want to see them…not yet. He put them both through so much…it-it wasn’t right. And yet he was so tired and just wanted to go home. Home, home, he didn’t even know what that meant anymore, really. Was this place a home when sent into battle and never told a single thing? Was it a home when friends were made to watch those they cared about die? It wasn’t and yet he was stuck here…they all were stuck here. And he just…had to cope that’s all they could ever do.

If anyone is nearby House 7, House 55 or the Playground or just in the vicinity walking between those places you might just find that blonde haired man with green eyes stumbling and using the trees to right himself each time he does trip. He’s not…paying much attention to anything as he’s still very much out of it. Too much thinking and he obviously needs people to snap him out of it. Or not. Just another day in Luceti though and Helios is finally back. ]

((ooc; Sorry for the tl;dr, derp. Also timeline doesn't really matter since Helios will be wandering aimlessly for a few hours. Probably until nighttime. ))

Comments

[folklorist]

It couldn't have been that bad Giles. It's rather hard to out compete bad poetry nowadays.

[ Or could it? Can you really out beat bad poetry? ]

Flowers usually did it. Flowers and chocolates I think are the standard issued items of choice. Varron forgot to mention that, let alone stay there when I went to her door.

[ A huff. ] Just left me there.

[consultmybooks]

Yes, well. Call me an overachiever, then.

[At least with bad poetry, you're successfully managing to string three words together. All that practicing to the chair hadn't done a lick of good, at the crucial moment.]

I'm sure he had only the best intentions, Helios.

[...which doesn't preclude the idea that Varron did so as an especially cruel prank, of course.]

[folklorist]

I'm sure she was understanding whatever is that happened. It's a nerve wracking situation!

[ Helios shakes his head. ]

Oh yes. Best intentions indeed. But I forgave him. After all without those intentions who knows if I'd ever work up the nerve to see her.

[consultmybooks]

Understanding enough to spare me the agony of actually forming a coherent sentence, yes.

I like to think that I managed to convey the right ideas, at least.

[Taking a cupcake for himself, now.]

You might. Or you might not have.

There's probably another universe where you met her without Varron's devious intentions, and...one where you never did.

[folklorist]

Ah so it was one of those. [ Don't mind the big, stupid, derpy smile on his face Giles. ]

I can't imagine not ever meeting her. Then again in those cases there might be someone else who fills in the gap. It might even be an entirely different person altogether.

[ It's honestly hard to think about. The only other version of him also met Elise so he can't say he knows what type of a man he'd be without her. Or what kind of person he'd be with a different true light no less. ]

[consultmybooks]

It was one of those, yes. [Ignoring the derpy smile, Helios. Or trying to. Giles is glad you can laugh at his pain, bro.]

Well, fortunately, you don't have to. [Passing over the last donut.] Those people who didn't aren't you, Helios. They're just...who you could have been.


There, um, there is a difference.

[folklorist]

[ It's not laughing. It's sharing mutual pain! He loses the expression nodding at what Giles says. ]

Oh of course. It just...gives one something to think about. [ Munching on that donut. ] I've think I filled my sugar quota for the next few weeks.

[ Not really, but he's joking. Did they really eat all of that? Good lord. ]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles clutches at his stomach, grimacing. Because yes, yes they did.]

Good Lord, so have I.

...we should still stop by Seventh Heaven.

[folklorist]

I didn't even notice... [ Good thing his metabolism is fast. Magic it helps keep you thin! ]

We definately should. Sweets aside I would like to have a meal not entirely comprised of sugar. [ He'll blink. ] Oh...that doesn't sound like me at, does it?

[consultmybooks]

[Giles doesn't have the magic. Giles just has the daily training with a broadsword. The effect is the same.

He chuckles, at that.]

It sounds like you when we consider that you haven't had any proper food for a week. Come on. [He gets up off the fountain.]

[folklorist]

It only feels like a week when I start listening to my stomach. [ It's true. If it wasn't so obvious Helios would have thought it only a few hours at best. He'll get up then and follow Giles, brushing off the few crumbs that fell into his lap. ]

[consultmybooks]

I would advise listening to your stomach, then. Because it has been a week.

[A frown steals over Giles' face. There are less happy topics to discuss.]

The situation with Grell was, um, resolved, in your absence.

[folklorist]

[ Helios looks at Giles eyes widening a little. His gaze will return to the ground though as he follows Giles to the restaurant. ]

Resolved how, exactly? [ Meaning was anyone hurt. ]

[consultmybooks]

[Yeah, you...don't need to know about Kennedy, Helios.]

Buffy and Grell reached a, um...well, I suppose "agreement" is the best word.

She calls it a stalemate, and she is correct.

[folklorist]

[ He probably doesn't. Mainly because he'll feel horrible that his barrier was down during that interim. ]

I-I see. An, an agreement is better than more fighting. I think we've had enough of that. [ Said somewhat bitterly but it's almost undetectable. ]

[consultmybooks]

The agreements is that we leave her alone...say nothing of what she's done or what she is to anyone...and she'll leave us alone.

...Buffy doesn't intend to leave it at that.

[folklorist]

If-if that's all that's required to keep people safe then she should, shouldn't she? Even if...it's almost as if Grell will not receive and consequences for her actions.

It doesn't seem like a very fair agreement.

[consultmybooks]

That seems to be her fundamental objection, when all is said and done.

[That, and...Grell did hurt someone. Someone Giles considers a friend, someone...who thought he was safe.

That can't be let go.]

She, um, she knows you were involved, I'm afraid. That's, um, why I'm telling you all of this.

[folklorist]

It's a bit of a mess, isn't it?

[ That...that's very bad. He might swallow thickly before asking which is probably an obvious question. ]

She-she does? Does she know...that I made the barriers? Or, or I should ask, does she know how they work?

[consultmybooks]

She does, yes. Well...Buffy mentioned that Grell has been going around hacking filters for a while. That's how she wound up knowing...everything.

I put up a filter when I...told everyone what had happened, warning them that your magic wouldn't be effective while you were, um, gone. I didn't, um, didn't mention the barriers...but given the context of the message surrounding it, I suppose she might have connected the dots from there.

That's all she'll know about how the barriers work, though. A-At least from me.

...I'm sorry.

[folklorist]

[ There's a visible wince coming from him. ] She knows then...about me and the connection to my barriers.

It's e-enough to easily guess h-how to break it. [ His stomach drops a little. He's not sure what to say. This puts a new...perspective on things. ] It's not like you did it on purpose, Giles. We'll just...I'll just have to be m-more careful. We all will.

[consultmybooks]

You will.

...I have my own plans with regards to Grell, Helios. And I'd appreciate your help, but I can manage without you.

[...which is a bold faded lie, but it's a good bold faced lie.]

[folklorist]

[ Helios will turn his gaze over to Giles, uncertain. He's not sure what you're planning Giles but like hell if he's going to let you go at someone like that alone. ]

Of course. I-I don't suppose you'll tell me these plans? Whatever you're planning to do Giles...I-I'll help as much as possible. Just, even if you don't want to, to tell me. [ Just... please be careful. ]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles pauses in his walking, arms wrapped tightly around his chest.]

...it won't solve anything.

And it's probably an impossibly stupid idea, and you wouldn't be able to tell anyone else. Not even Buffy. Especially not Buffy.

But it's something I need to do.