(OOC: And continuing from the eventual conclusion of this thread...)
[Getting out of the apartment had been a good idea, after all.
Somewhere around the junction where House 31 is located, Robert (with Don not far behind) catches sight of Helios making his stumbling way through the village. He obviously looks completely out of it - though he visibly doesn't seem injured in any way - and Robert immediately sprints up to him with a downright desperate air.]
[ Oh that voice, he knows that voice. Helios might look up from his walking. Have an owlish blink you are so not one of the people Helios wanted to encounter Robert. Nothing bad about it, moreso for your own good and his own...but Helios manages a small smile. So much for being undercover, hm? He was never really good at it much anyway. ]
[Action] | Don can jump in whenever? Maybe? \o/semper_cogitansJune 12 2011, 19:24:07 UTC
[Robert breaks into a smile - a real smile - when he sees Helios' smile, weak and small as it is. His eyes are teary, but he remembers what Giles said, and tries to force himself to cut those tears off.
What he does instead - partially to camouflage this, and partially out of sheer love for this man - is run up to and throw his arms around Helios, pulling his little frame close to the headmaster. Gods, he missed this feeling - the familiar, paradoxically comforting feeling of Helios' coldness.]
[Action] | Yes! Whenever. C:folkloristicJune 12 2011, 19:38:08 UTC
[ He wasn't expecting it, the hug. He's never really been missed to this degree though so pardon his sharp intake of breath Robert, arms and body stiff as Robert puts his arms around him. He has half a mind to flinch and break away but it feels nice, this...comfort. ] Ah-!
I-I'm glad to be back. [ He can't help but smile a little more looking down at Robert. ]
[Giles has been more or less waiting in his temporary apartment all day, at the table, journal open and resting within quick arm's reach. Occasionally, when the waiting gets too much, he'd call for Helios just to see if a response was forthcoming. So far, however, all of his waiting has been for nothing and Giles has been driving himself slowly insane with the frustration of it all.
Then the feed turns on. Then he hears Helios' breath, and his voice, and his movement. For a few brief, shiny seconds Giles feels so happy and so alive. For a few brief, shiny seconds, everything is okay.
Except they aren't. There are so many problems remaining, so many things that need fixing and possible can't be fixed. But Giles pushes those thoughts out of his mind and instead grabs almost frantically for his journal. His voice is shaking, anxious, nervous, when he finally gets the words out.]
[ He left the journal on. Just his luck to be too out of it to work these things right. He can't even work them when he's trying to so it's not much of a shock. As if it weren't bad enough the other voice coming from it was...familiar. It causes him a pause in his wandering as he tries to steady himself and a sharp pain ripples through him. Of course he knew who it was. Of course he wanted to answer with as much anxiousness and nervousness that the other man on the other side had. Instead it fell short, but not by much.
His voice is tinged with uncertainty and tiredness. Barely above a whisper. ]
Giles. I-I'm f-fine. [ As fine as one can be post death. ]
Around. I-I've been checking around town. Barriers.
[Footsteps. The sound of a door opening and closing. No stairs, though - by rights, Giles should have a lot of stairs to go down. He doesn't.
He knows that Helios isn't all right, can't be all right. But he doesn't say anything to that effect. His friend deserves the right to lie to himself, if it helps.]
Barriers. Yes.
...we need to talk about that. We...w-we need to talk. [Giles is moving so quickly now that his careful practice and training is coming undone - he trips over a tree root, stumbles and almost falls. It's a few seconds before he catches himself.]
I-I know. I didn't...I talked to Buffy be-before the draft. [ So she knew the risks. He just..didn't think it'd happen, that he would die. But the tone in Giles' voice... ]
We do. We-we need to talk. I know. [ I'm sorry. He's so sorry for everything. He almost loses himself when he hears that spoken please. It hurts almost enough to make him breakdown right there. Instead a shaky couple of breaths. They need to talk about a lot things. ] Of course. A-Are you at the apartment?
[Frederic was taking a walk home, his expression dull and almost empty-like as if he wasn't there at all. When he spots Helios, his expression does not change nor does the tone of his slightly monotone voice.]
[ Running into people he doesn't really want to. He sometimes wishes he had a rabbit foot on hand for this place. Just stopping and looking at the source of that voice. ]
[ To a certain degree. Helios no doubt is thankful and happy that both Frederic and Giles are alive and well. It's more than he can ask for in that chaotic draft. ]
Comments 211
[Getting out of the apartment had been a good idea, after all.
Somewhere around the junction where House 31 is located, Robert (with Don not far behind) catches sight of Helios making his stumbling way through the village. He obviously looks completely out of it - though he visibly doesn't seem injured in any way - and Robert immediately sprints up to him with a downright desperate air.]
Helios!
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Ah...Robert?
Reply
What he does instead - partially to camouflage this, and partially out of sheer love for this man - is run up to and throw his arms around Helios, pulling his little frame close to the headmaster. Gods, he missed this feeling - the familiar, paradoxically comforting feeling of Helios' coldness.]
I-I... I am so glad you have returned...
W-Welcome back, Helios.
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I-I'm glad to be back. [ He can't help but smile a little more looking down at Robert. ]
Thank you.
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Then the feed turns on. Then he hears Helios' breath, and his voice, and his movement. For a few brief, shiny seconds Giles feels so happy and so alive. For a few brief, shiny seconds, everything is okay.
Except they aren't. There are so many problems remaining, so many things that need fixing and possible can't be fixed. But Giles pushes those thoughts out of his mind and instead grabs almost frantically for his journal. His voice is shaking, anxious, nervous, when he finally gets the words out.]
Helios?
Are you all right? W-Where...where are you?
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His voice is tinged with uncertainty and tiredness. Barely above a whisper. ]
Giles. I-I'm f-fine. [ As fine as one can be post death. ]
Around. I-I've been checking around town. Barriers.
Reply
He knows that Helios isn't all right, can't be all right. But he doesn't say anything to that effect. His friend deserves the right to lie to himself, if it helps.]
Barriers. Yes.
...we need to talk about that. We...w-we need to talk. [Giles is moving so quickly now that his careful practice and training is coming undone - he trips over a tree root, stumbles and almost falls. It's a few seconds before he catches himself.]
Please.
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We do. We-we need to talk. I know. [ I'm sorry. He's so sorry for everything. He almost loses himself when he hears that spoken please. It hurts almost enough to make him breakdown right there. Instead a shaky couple of breaths. They need to talk about a lot things. ] Of course. A-Are you at the apartment?
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...Helios.
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Ah...Frederic. H-Hello. [ Awkward? You bet. ]
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[ To a certain degree. Helios no doubt is thankful and happy that both Frederic and Giles are alive and well. It's more than he can ask for in that chaotic draft. ]
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