Chapter 18 - [Action] (Night) / [Video] (Following Day)

[consultmybooks]

[Good evening, Luceti. Giles hopes you're having a pleasant, peaceful, quiet night.

Giles also hopes no one was planning to use the bridge crossing the river near the clinic, because it shatters under his weight as he executes an ungainly dive into the river. It was the only alternative. It was the bridge, or another couple of broken ribs crashing into the ground at speed. And Giles has had enough of those this past week, thank you.

Note to self. Flying is not like riding a bicycle.

The Night Fury spends a few minutes half submerged in the river, occasionally letting out a few week coughs. Anyone who dares approach is advised to do so with a minimum of sudden movements. It's fairly clear that this is one dragon that's very recently had the fight of its life, shortly followed by the fight of its past life and the life before that. The battering and injuries might have had something to do with the fall.

After a while to rest, the change in the creature is marked, and as sudden as though he'd been poked with a cattle prod again. Enormous yellow eyes fly open wide, and Giles goes from collapsed to on all four paws in an apparent bound with a bit back cry of pain when he accidentally puts weight on his injured foot. But he shakes his head as though to dislodge the pain, gritting his teeth. Then, unless stopped, he'll be racing off. No flying, not yet. He doesn't want to risk making a worse impression on the place than he already has.

House 32, you're getting a visitor tonight. Actually, not just House 32. Anyone who has expressed the slightest interest or concern in Giles' condition these past weeks will find an enormous black dragon settled outside their place of residence tonight, staring at the door or the window with hopeful eyes. He's too big to fit in any building in the village, right now, but he'll be here to talk if you happen to notice he's there and feel like braving the cold. Take your time. Giles could use the rest.

Of course, the world looks different to a dragon than it does to a man. As a human, Giles can find his way to his friend's houses blindfolded, and once had to do just that. But he's tired, and his eyes aren't the right size, and it's very easy to get turned around. So, whoever you are, wherever you live, you might just look out the window or make the walk home and find a dragon looking intently if tiredly back at you, sitting outside your house or community building.

Maybe come out and see if you could give directions? Offer up a few raw fish? Or, y'know, just wait. He'll limp away eventually, looking remarkably doleful.

There will be no sign of the dragon come morning. But a video post will turn up after a while, showing Giles sitting on a boat. He appears to be working first aid on himself, and not doing a half bad job of it. Given how little attention he's apparently paying the camera, one might be forgiven for thinking he'd just turned it on accidentally.

Then, of course, he speaks.]

I see that Rydia already gave the, um, the traditional speech. And, as always, did it better than I ever could. A-Anyway. Welcome, all New Feathers. I think I've met a few of you already, although time is...a bit fuzzy, at the moment. H-How, um...how long have I been gone?

[The question seems to cost him something, certainly a great deal of emotional effort for such a simple question. Still, before anyone can answer, Giles shakes himself off.]

Um, I'm all right. For the interested. Apart from being a dragon. Were-dragon. Whatever they've done. All in all, it could be worse. I'm all right.

[He seems distracted as he finally splints his hand, before looking back at the camera. Even so, he offers whoever is looking back a friendly if wan smile.] And to those of you that aren't, my name is Giles. It's, um, i-it's nice to meet you all.

Hello. I'm going to be stopping off at Seventh Heaven for a while. I need to get the taste of fish out of my mouth. And then it's been a while since I've visited the garden. I think I'll s-spend some time there.

Sorry about the bridge.

Comments

[Action, night] Fft, changed my mind

[shadedsunlight]

[She's only been back a few days, but already Ginia is back in her usual routine. Perform and take care of Cloud Nine, run home to change, and pick up the evening shift at the Welcome Center with patrols and manning the building. She may be looking out for New Feathers, but she's also keeping an eye out for one mission boyfriend.]

Re: [Action, night] Hee, I was hoping you'd pick this one!

[consultmybooks]

[In her wanderings, Ginia might come across a very strange and possible rather worrying sight. Certainly an obstacle - the bridge to get into the plaza from next to the clinic has been smashed to splinters.

The likely culprit appears to be sprawled in the river a few feet away, a great dark motionless mass.

Until Ginia approaches a little closer, that is. Then the creature opens a pair of massive yellow eyes that focus on her like searchlights.]

[voice]

[folklorist]

Only a few days. [ A pause. He didn't leave on the best of terms, surely, but-but things were getting better. ] Welcome back, you're returning just in the middle of New feather season too.

[ Aren't you a lucky were-dragon! Speaking of... ] Were-dragon, hm? Interesting I've never heard of one of those before.

Re: [voice] - And let's hear it for lack of notifs!

[consultmybooks]

Helios? [Giles looks up sharply from splinting his hand. For a second, he looks guilty, remembering his behavior when they'd last seen one another. Things had been getting better, but now that his head was getting clear, Giles could see that it wasn't nearly enough. It would never have been enough.

But he's better, now. That's what matters. And he'll make things better. So Giles still sounds hesitant, and is a little unwilling to meet Helios' eyes. But, all in all, the former Watcher's body language when he realizes who he's talking to is far more comfortable and relaxed than he's been in weeks, and the smile he offers Helios is genuine.]

Believe me, n-neither have I. Apparently it's, it's all to do with a new werewolf in the village. I, I-I overheard them talking. They decided they needed a bit more, um, experience. [Giles indicates himself with his good hand.] Hence, um, me.

It could be worse.

[Action, night]

[flickerflash]

[Katie might not have been using the bridge, but she's certainly going to hear that loud splintering crash as Giles comes down. Which naturally means she should investigate, because that sounded very interesting and she's a little bored, really. (Maybe it really was aliens coming down.)]

Re: [Action, night] - Notifs aren't coming in, sorry for any further slow.

[consultmybooks]

[Well, from a distance, it might just look like a UFO. But, no, on further approach, Katie might make out the appearance of wings, a long serpentine tail, a wide mouth showing gleaming fangs.

And, when she approaches quickly enough, the creature opens one large yellow eye to stare at her blearily. Comprehension dawns very, very slowly, but eventually the dragon speaks in a remarkably human and possibly familiar voice.]

...h-hello.

[lostinmyway]

[It may be quite late, but Grune is still awake. She's sitting at her desk, drawing a picture of a boy with pale blond hair. She's even less focused than usual, and, well. Being alone means she doesn't have to try so hard to pretend everything is all right. Her shoulders are slumped and she looks drained. It's been a difficult day.

At one point, she reaches for a blue crayon, her gaze drifting towards the window.]

[consultmybooks]

[Even Grune will probably notice the huge, dark shape sprawled at the edge of the porch. Especially when it looks back at her with enormous eyes that all but glow in the darkness, and all but scrambles to its feet once it notices her looking back.]

[Action]

[fleurdesel]

[It was bad enough that it took hours for Adele to scour the shops until she found clothing that was her own, or close enough to be comfortable, and longer still for her to find her attaché case. How that was here in this world and not something as useful as her revolver, Adele couldn't understand. Still here she was stalking back to the apartment she'd chosen earlier, pulling her coat tight around her shoulders at the chill. Head down, shoulders up, just fifteen, perhaps twenty feet more until she passes past the houses and is back in her apartment complex- until she runs straight into something dark and very solid. Solid enough that it sends her several steps back and into a slick patch of the path where she slips, fails to catch herself, and lands hard on her posterior.]

Merde! [Adele bites down on the curse, remembering that she was making every attempt to be more polite.] I mean- well... [She dusts the snow off her shoulders and pats her case, it was damp but undamaged. Still, the fall had stung. To hell with politesse.] Merde.

I apologize, I was not watching where I was...walk...ing...[Finally Adele looks up to who she'd run into. Or rather what. She goes pale by inches and her eyes go wide, jaw slack and the hand she'd lifted to comb her hair back frozen in mid-gesture.]

...[Please dear god let this be a hallucination.]

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[If it's any consolation, the dragon looks as embarrassed about the collision as Adele does. It's all but hunched in on itself, and even as Adele stares it backs a few hesitant steps away, staring at her warily, uncertainly, as though she's somehow dangerous. Given Luceti, for all he knows, she just might be.]

...s-sorry. I, um, I d-didn't see you. [Quite a feat, something Adele would be able to tell just by looking at him.]

[Action... at night, lol]

[semper_cogitans]

[House 55 certainly counts, doesn't it? At any rate the occupant is very interested in Giles' well-being.

But it's not Giles that Robert associates the being with, when he looks out the window and sees enormous glowing yellow eyes.

It only takes Robert a few minutes to get to the door, bundled in a rather hastily-adjusted coat, and to stare up at the dark-scaled reptile.]

Toothless...?

Re: [Action... at night]

[consultmybooks]

[House 55 most definitely qualifies, and not even because Giles gets lost.

Giles, once he's sure that Robert is properly bundled up, is content to rest patiently until the little scientist makes his way towards him. At the question, hwoever, he lets out a sigh.]

Honestly, Toothless is probably going to be incredibly annoyed with me.

[herotypical]

[ it's altogether too late at night when buffy finally comes trudging home after her session with cordelia. she loops around the house, aiming to climb into her bedroom window and not disturb her house mates when...

dragon.

a very familiar looking dragon. ]

...Welcome back.

[consultmybooks]

[Oh, Buffy. Giles knew he could count on you. It's probably a disconcerting sight, a Night Fury smiling, but it's certainly sincere as he gets to his feet and shakes himself off.]

Um, th-thank you. It's, um, it's nice to be back.

[Voice]

[unseenspy]

[When Giles returns, Jay wastes no time finishing what was started.]

Giles.

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

[It isn't as though Giles isn't expecting as much. Busily sorting through the bandages, he acknowledges Jay's voice.]

Hello, Ja.

[Action--sorry, I need to harrass your man]

[redjacketthief]

[It was a favor to Pops that drove Lupin to be a good citizen that week, because otherwise he'd have no other reason to be tromping through the woods himself looking for new kids that needed a hand. But, with the Inspector himself returned from a surprise kidnapping as what can only be described as a yeti, and worse for wear, Lupin decided to be nice. He was a nice guy, after all.

He was tired that night as he wandered back into town, intent on picking up a bite to eat and some groceries to bring back to the community house were most of his pals were staying. Unfortunately, he was planning on using that bridge. It was just bad luck that he was almost there when the dragon crashed.

Wait--dragon?]

What the hell??

[Dramatic sigh. A hand runs through his hair. This was going to be a long night.

Re: [Action--my man needed some harrassing.]

[consultmybooks]

[The dragon will eventually start to haul itself out of the water, grumbling something that can't quite be called words. Eventually, apparently exhausted, it settles down with a heavy flop on the bank and closes its eyes, apparently unaware of Lupin's presence.

It's fairly easy to see that the dragon is both injured and quite tired, however, and so might be able to do with some attention from a friendly passersby. This impression might soon prove entirely incorrect, but that's for another time.]

[Placeholder]

[mistlegacy]

[What with Ceodore and Eiko having been returned home, it hasn't been a great couple of days for Rydia. She'll bounce back eventually, but right now it's just not happening. She's heading home with a distinct air of melancholy about her, barely paying attention to her surroundings.

...of course, she can't exactly escape noticing a dragon on her house doorstep.]

Toothless? What are you doing here, instead of the roof? Is Hiccup alright?

[...if he had vanished, too, then she was just going to curl up in her room and call it a night. No more.]

Re: [Placeholder]

[consultmybooks]

[Blink, blink. The dragon opens its eyes and stares up at her, head tilted in obvious confusion.

Eventually, it stretches and gets ponderously to its feet. One front paw is obviously injured, but nevertheless the dragon limps a little nearer.]

...Ryida? Um, h-hello. Am, um, am I at the wrong house?

[Action - night]

[blessedbyfarore]

[There is a giant dragon outside his window.]

[For a moment, Link stares back, wide-eyed - and then it occurs to him that he actually recognises that dragon. The one he's seen around before, maybe? Or maybe, just maybe...]

[It may be unwise, but he's pushing open the window and sticking his head out.]

...Giles?

Re: [Action - night]

[consultmybooks]

[Ding, ding, ding! Right answer, kiddo, as evidenced by the fact that the dragon all but scrambles to its feet. Before falling flat in the snow again. Four feet take some getting used to, especially when one is broken.] Link! Yes, hello. Um, s-sorry about this.

[Action]

[most_unwanted]

[Mulder is headed from his place out to stargaze as he likes to, bundled up against the cold. He's just on his way, when...]

[WHOA DRAGON. He's sure he's seen him around here and there, but perhaps he's mistaken. So here's Mulder, being very casual about chatting with a dragon.]

Hm... You live a few houses down, don't you?

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles opens one eye to stare at Mulder, and then opens the other when he actually recognizes who he's looking at.]

That, um, that depends. Where would you consider to be "a few houses down"? I'm afraid I've, um, gotten myself a bit turned around, sad as it is to say.

[fulltimeoz]

[Were-dragon....Giles...

...really, he shouldn't be surprised]

It's not that I don't appreciate the solidarity...but you really shouldn't have.

[consultmybooks]

[...Oz. Giles can't help but smile at the sound of his voice, even if he immediately realizes how much younger the boy sounds.]

And, much as I would like to have chosen this solidarity, Oz, I must point out that this was hardly intentional in this case.

The Malnosso have a way of changing people.

[video] i'm totally not late to this party by filipino standards dammit

[i_am_not_cute]

...you...were a dragon?

[Pao-Lin kinda crashed early the night Giles returned, so she didn't see him wandering around the village.]

Re: [video] No, of course not, you wacky filipinos!

[consultmybooks]

I was a dragon, yes. I'll probably be a dragon again tonight, and maybe even the night after. I have no idea.

Hello, Pao-Lin.