Chapter 010 - [Voice]/[Video]/[Action]

[consultmybooks]

[Filtered to Helios Sprensonne and Frederic Chopin - 75% unhackable]
I'm coming home today. Don't argue. [/Filtered]

[Broken Filter to Helios Sprensonne, Mizuno Ami, Archie Kennedy, and Alf]
Ami and I were talking[/Filter End], and we thought...

[Long, tense, horrified pause as Giles realizes that his filter just broke. He practically trips over his words when he speaks ]

...check that thought. If the four of you could just...let me know that you're, youre still here, I would greatly appreciate it. [Even though he knows that only three voices will be replying, he needs to know which three voices.]

Then we can move on to other matters with regards to our project.

[Filtered to the Residents of House 40 and House 50 - 75% unhackable]
S-So, I...was invited to come over for dinner.

Granted, I really only know two of you, so...hello. Nice to meet you.
[/Filtered]

[...right. Now that all of that is out of the way, it's time to deal with more pressing matters this morning.

Chiefly...

The video feed turns on, showing the Battle Dome clinic ward. It turns until Giles' bedside table is shown. And the floor around it. And an unused bedside table from an empty bed.

Every flat surface for five feet is covered in bright flowers of all kinds. The effect is probably a little overwhelming, which is why Giles soon switches back to voice, sounding more than a little helpless and bewildered.]

Does anyone know what I might be able to do with a...truly exorbitant amount of flowers? And would anyone be willing to assist me in getting them there?

[A slightly bemused sigh.]

And to anyone who might have visited? I appreciate it, even if I wasn't quite aware enough at the time to say as much. But I assure you, I'm fine now. Hopefully, this will be the last time I find myself seriously injured for a good long while. And to think, I thought commandeering the manual would help me understand this place. I should have known better - computers can't be trusted.

Did I really miss the New Feather cycle? I'm sorry about that, everyone. S-Still...to all the New Feathers...well, welcome to Luceti. We're sorry to have you, but with any luck things will be far less difficult than they have been this past June. I would say that they couldn't get worse, but I know better, and I hope you do, as well. But, um [damn it, Giles, Paprika told you to cheer up a bit] really, June was an...anomaly, as far as horrible occurences goes. Really, under ordinary circumstances, it's quite nice around here. Lovely weather. Thankfully you arrived before winter hit. F-Feel free to ask any questions. I haven't been here very long, but I have friends who have been.

[Catch Giles around the village today. For a while, he'll be busy relocating the flowers out of the Battle Dome. Then a stop off at Seventh Heaven for real food. Finally, home again, home again. Giles will spend the rest of the day working on The Unnamed Boat.

He'll spend most of that night patrolling. He can't spend the rest of his time here jumping at the wrong shadows. With his recent encouter with Grell hanging over his head, it's gotten a little easier to shake off his fear of Angel.]

((ooc: The PMK crew can feel free to ignore the filter if they want - this is largely Giles' attempt not to walk into a house that's filled mostly with people he doesn't know. We can handwave the introductions if you want.))

Comments

[Written || 100% unhackable] ...I'm sorry for the tl;dr

[shadedsunlight]

[ It was really through chance Ginia found out about him being in the Battle Dome clinic after taking a trip to the Battle Dome and poking and wandering around. She'd left quickly after seeing him, though it wouldn't have mattered since he was unconscious. A passing conversation with Buffy had given her an explanation for his injuries - Battle Dome accident - and she accepted it, but it still left her uneasy.

Why it left her uneasy she didn't know. The reason was sound enough, but it was in her nature to question and overthink. Maybe it was simple concern. She hated seeing people injured for any reason (ironic considering how often she injured people in her line of work) and as much as she hated admitting it, she considered Giles a friend of sorts. He'd helped her on her first few days and proved to be someone she could talk to and shower with questions and it was appreciated. She respected and liked him and whether that sentiment was returned remained to be seen, but it didn't matter that much. It was how she felt.

Hearing him awake now was a relief. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, but when pen touched paper, nothing came out.

After several more minutes of thought, she went with the most obvious, if not banal, question.]

Hi. How are you feeling?

Re: [Written || 100% unhackable] XD What TL;DR?

[consultmybooks]

[Giles has become quite familiar with Ginia's handwriting, if only by virtue of the fact that he's seen her write more often than possibly anyone else in the village besides Ami.

He's a little startled to see it on the page of his journal, but...well, if Giles' friendship with Grune has taught him anything, it's that it might not take a lot to make a friend.

So he smiles faintly and writes a reply.]

Still a bit sore. Much better than I was last week.

[voice]

[simplestgift]

I'm still here. What is this about, Giles?

[He sounds concerned, not annoyed, and not pissed off because he hasn't found out the real reason Giles was in the hospital.]

Re: [voice]

[consultmybooks]

[Sigh of relief. And probably misreading Kennedy's question, intentionally or not.]

When a filter breaks like that, it generally means that the person it was intended for is no longer in the village.

Since that filter was to the four of you, I wasn't certain who it might have been.

[ action ] -- placeholder while some timeline things sort themselves out! :D

[herotypical]

[ buffy looks as though she might be on patrol -- walking the stretch of path between the barracks and house seven. it's late and dark and the truth of it was that she is on her way home after being out at cullen house. and sailing. ]

Re: [ action ] -- Understood! Thread at you later X3.

[consultmybooks]

["Sometimes you just have to say something. Not every conversation can be a good conversation. Sometimes you just have to be selfish too."

Easier said than done, Paprika.

It takes a few seconds for Giles to stop himself losing his nerve before he steps onto the path just behind Buffy.]

Nice night, isn't it?

[voice]

[poorneedyand.livejournal.com]

[The temptation to reply with "Jesus, Rupert, what happened?" is pretty damned strong. This is what she gets for spending so much time shut up with a typewriter. But it doesn't seem like the greatest way to hail someone approaching a friend--she probably ought to have some idea of what did happen, huh--so there's simply a tinge of surprise in her voice.]

If it wasn't a few weeks off from the nightclub opening, I'd take 'em off your hands for you, but I think they might wilt by then.

Re: [voice]

[consultmybooks]

I'm amazed they haven't wilted already. But, um, I appreciate the offer, Kay.

voice

[folklorist]

But Giles...a-are you sure you're all right to do so? [ He sounds concerned. You've only been in the clinic for a week bro and those injuries...they probably needed more time to heal. They were rather extensive. But no arguing, right, so Helios will sigh. ]

Re: voice - filtered

[consultmybooks]

[Over a week. And that's a while, for Giles.]

We'll see. If I can manage the walk home, then I think it can be safely said that I'm out of the woods, wouldn't you agree?

[He's less worried about talking to Helios behind this filter, which explains the casual tone of his voice at least in part. Grell knows that Helios knows. No secret keeping.]

I'm...glad to see you're still here, by the way.

[lostinmyway]

Oh, my, your flowers are so beautiful! [Grune hasn't quite made the connection yet that she's responsible for 99% of them. Give her a minute or two.]

[consultmybooks]

Yes, they...certainly are. I don't have the faintest idea who might have decided to leave them. [Because he has no idea that Grune even knew that he was in the clinic.] But the, um, the thought is...appreciated.

[Voice]

[fallenambitions]

You haven't completely missed it. People are still arriving.

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

Are they?

...rather a long cycle, isn't it?

voice

[harthad.livejournal.com]

You're getting quite the habit of planting worry in me, Giles. I am a small man, there is only so many bulbs I can bear in me, you know.

Re: voice

[consultmybooks]

Oh, dear. Well, I...all I'll say is that I certainly don't mean to worry anyone, Frodo.

[Except for Helios.]

Still, with any luck, my luck will improve from here.

[Voice]

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

[Rydia's voice is rather weak when she does respond, but she needs something to do, so listening in on the journals will have to suffice.]

The cycle isn't quite over, at least not yet. I'm told there are still people arriving, though I haven't been about to see this for myself.

[And less than thrilled about that, from her tone.]

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

Yes, I've heard that we still have people trickling in. Quite a few, actually. As I'm sure you just heard, I haven't been in any fit state to keep track. I'm just...I don't know, I suppose I thought the stragglers would have arrived by now.

[ voice | filtered ]

[refinedmaestro.livejournal.com]

As long as you don't overexert yourself, then I won't protest to you coming back to the apartment.

Though I do believe Helios might be a little mad at me for possibly having to go to the clinic myself.

Re: [ voice | filtered ]

[consultmybooks]

[...]

What the hell have you done to put yourself back in the clinic, Frederic?!

[voice]

[ayu_nee]

Are you planning to finally come visit us?

Better that than another trip to the clinic, I'd think.

Re: [voice]

[consultmybooks]

That's the hope. I can drop by whenever is good for you.

Very few things would be worse than another trip to the clinic, at this point.

[Locked]

[i_speak_softly]

Giles?! What happened? I left town for a week and -- what happened?

[He is now officially too paranoid to respect anyone's privacy. He's hacking all your filters. If you notice, he'll be sincerely apologetic.]

Re: [Locked]

[consultmybooks]

[The hacking of the filters to House 40 and House 50 go unnoticed - they're largely formalities. The filter to the Boat crew went public on its own after three words. Giles is, however, hyperaware of his new filter to Helios, given the possibility for sensitive information to be discussed.

Therefore, Don's reply is several seconds of indignant sputtering, followed by silence while the filter is strengthened to 100% and Don is locked out again.]

Nothing but my own technological ineptitude, thank you.

...why are you hacking into private conversations, Don?

[Voice - filter upped to 100%]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

Giles? Is everything- What happened? When the Malnosso took you, what happened?

[And why these filter failures and that tone? :| She is worried, not!Papa.]

Re: [Voice - filter upped to 100%]

[consultmybooks]

W-What? The Malnosso...I wasn't kidnapped, Ami. I was just...hurt.

...and I'm glad you're still here. That's you, Helios, and Kennedy. So that means...

[A pause, as Giles does the math he does not want to do.]

...Alf.

[That is a heavy loss to deal with, injured as he still is.]

[Voice//Filtered from Legato/Yuber]

[goldenglasses]

Whoa! Look at all those flowers! Where did they come from!?

Re: [Voice//Filtered from Legato/Yuber]

[consultmybooks]

I'm...not entirely certain. I know a handful of people who might have left them, and none of them are quite this...enthusiastic. That, that I know of, of course.

[Voice] | Filtered 100% | So slow :|;;;

[semper_cogitans]

[It's... been awhile since Robert has seen Giles, but thanks to him keeping up regular correspondence with Ingrid during this rather-uncomfortable-for-everybody time, he knows what happened. Or rather, he knows what Ingrid knows about what happened. But he's glad to see Giles up.

Oh, and that filter? ... Well, let's say a certain turtle filled him in on some very important things lately...]

Giles...

... I-I... I am sorry you were injured again, so s-soon after... [Well, after what happened. But Robert isn't really sure how to finish that, so he just trails off.]

... D-Do... do you still need assistance? [Robert is worried about Giles. Very worried. Between Ingrid, Giles, and the new threats to the Hamatos, he's spending a lot of time being worried, actually.]

Re: [Voice] | Filtered 100% | Please, Naomi still takes that cake with by twenty eight days

[consultmybooks]

[...Robert.

Robert, Robert, Robert. Giles really doesn't mean to keep doing this to your already damaged mental state.]

Believe me, so am I. But, it couldn't be helped, and I'm back on my feet. [No matter how much Helios might wish he wasn't.]

...you could always help me move flowers. I think I have some donations to make to your garden.

[Voice]

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

Giles? What's going on?

[He's fully prepared with an array of insults for the Malnosso if they're to blame again.]

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

Battle Dome injury. I must have turned the safety off somehow - bound to happen eventually, really.

[For once, they're not. But Giles is always up for blaming the Malnosso.]