Chapter 014 - [Video]/[Action]

[consultmybooks]

[The video feed shows one of the many identical hallways of the many identical Community Buildings. It shows Giles, sitting against the wall just a couple of feet away, and it shows him tossing something at the wall only to have it bounce back to him a second or two later. He tosses it. It bounces back. He tosses, it bounces, always hitting the opposite wall before returning unerringly to his hand.

Observant viewers will be able to identify the object of his attention as a red rubber ball. The ex-Watcher's expression is distant and far away. When a ginger paw bats at his knee to divert his attention, he looks down at Edna and smiles, sadly. He lets the ball drop in front of her, Edna promptly pounces on it for rolly polly antics. But even she seems to see that Giles' heart isn't in it, and after a few minutes she abandons her toy and lets him pick the ball up again. Then the cat curls up against Giles' side and starts to purr. He turns the red rubber ball over and over in his hands. Briefly, his expression is pained, and lost.

It might seem as though Giles is entirely unaware that his journal is transmitting, at least before he speaks.]

Did any of you ever have any pets? Funny, I'm...not sure what most people keep as pets. Certainly not on other worlds. Dogs and cats, yes. Horses, um, i-if you have the space. Most people probably don't. Or, um, didn't, a-at least back home. Fish, although I...never saw the point of fish. Knew a few in college that even kept mice or, um, god forbid, rats.

But that was my world, and that...d-doesn't really count anymore, does it?

And even if you never kept a pet...well, you must have had a favorite animal, yes? For whatever reason. Everyone has to have a favorite animal, at some point. That can't be that different, between worlds, can it?

...it's always been dogs, for me. Dogs and, um, and horses. We had the room for them, back home. Learned to ride almost before I could fit into a saddle. Took to it rather well, if, um, if I say so myself. And dogs - my family were, um, always dog people.

...I certainly was.

But it's always cats around here. Honestly, I don't understand cats. [Said even as he scratches a loudly purring Edna behind the ears.] It's not as though we don't have enough room for a few dogs. They're quite useful. It would make searching for kidnapped villagers a great deal easier, a-and, um...

[With a soft sigh, he returns the ball to his pocket. Then, tone briefly hardening, he says the words that need to be said. Even if he doesn't quite know who he needs to say them to.]

Wishbone is gone. I...n-never really got around to asking him, about his world. H-Hope it's somewhere nice, though. Lots of books.

[It's stupid to let himself be hurt by this, and he knows it. Wishbone had an owner of his own, someone who had loved and doted on the dog. And with all the rampant, senseless loss that's spreading around the village, it's stupid to have thought even for a moment that he wouldn't have been affected by it. He had been keeping a close eye on his friends, on his housemates. But Wishbone had been taken, and...

...he hadn't dared to guess then that that was the last he'd see of the little dog.

It's stupid to let himself be hurt by this. And it's true that the space left behind is less gaping and yawing than it would be for someone like Buffy, or Helios, or Ginia.

But whenever he blinks all he sees are bright eyes and a muzzle clenched carefully around a bundle of slightly wilted flowers and all he can think is that it was stupid at the time to hold on to ceremonies like dogs weren't allowed to sit at the table.

And whenever he tosses the ball at the wall he catches himself listening for Wishbone's quick, sharp bark before he goes haring off after it.

And if he goes inside now he knows the first thing he'll see will be the empty space just next to the couch where the dog bed used to sit or remember the sound of the couch being lifted bodily upright by the droids to drag Wishbone out.

Not even the library is removed enough now. He's not sure if he'll be able to wander too deeply into the stacks for a while without thinking about the night where Wishbone was one bright spark in so much darkness.

Edna, once again, nudges him out of his lost thoughts. Giles stares down at her almost as though he'd forgotten she was there entirely.]

...what are you so miserable about?

[He does an admirable job of hiding the shake in his voice.]

I know you'll just be happy to have the place to yourself again.

Comments

[herotypical]

...Giles.

[ a sad, sad voice. pain. it's been going around. it won't leave. ]

If I had scones, I'd bring'em. They're the British equivalent of ice cream, right?

[consultmybooks]

It's, um, i-it's fine, Buffy. I've never been terribly impressed with the, um, the quality of scones at the bakery, in any case.

[herotypical]

A-anything else? Anything. I'll bring you anything.

[ her voice is thick. desperate. just tell her how she can make it right. that's what she's asking. ]

[Action]

[shadedsunlight]

[Ginia doesn't even bother to write. His expression, the tone of his words is enough to send her running out of the room and up the few flights of stairs to the fifth floor. To hell with opening Cloud Nine tonight, there are more important things, more important people.

She didn't know Wishbone as well as he did. Thought he was charming and wonderful and quite the intelligent dog, spoiled him at the table, saw him being kidnapped after the fact. It never seemed fair that they'd take a dog, but what was fair and what made sense? And now that he was gone...

Her steps slow by the time she reaches the fifth floor, approaches quietly when she sees him in the hall, sits next to him, gives Edna a small rub behind the ears, takes his hand, and rests her head on his shoulder.

What a week.]

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[He gives her hand a brief squeeze before shifting very slightly to lean against her.]

...h-hello.

[Action]

[shadedsunlight]

[Ginia mouths "hello" back and offers a slight smile, hand returning the squeeze. She remains quiet, free hand reaching out to pet Edna when she comes over to investigate, but is there.

Wishbone is probably better off back home, with his family, safe from all these experiments. She won't dare say it, but it is true. But it doesn't make him leaving any easier.]

/...I'll make you some tea./

[action]

[folklorist]

[ Helios returns from his training session in the woods quickly when he hears that transmission. Finding Giles sitting outside the room like that makes him give Giles a decidedly worried look.

He knew they had been close, Wishbone and him. The dog was interesting and quite the companion to be sure. He never would have guessed that it'd be him to leave out of everyone in the apartment. He walks quietly over to the other looking down at him and Edna. ] Giles?

Re: [action]

[consultmybooks]

Hello.

[Giles doesn't look up from stroking the dozing cat. It's a few seconds before he adds, almost curiously:]

Sorry, am I, um, am I in your way?

[action]

[folklorist]

Stop. You're not...you're not in my way Giles. [ A sigh and he kneels down in front of the other. His hand might hover before gently stroking Edna's soft fur. Scratching lightly behind her ears. ]

I used to take in a lot of strays you know. It gets ever so cold in Romania and I couldn't...I couldn't just leave them outside. [ He smirks at the memory. ]

Ra used to get rather annoyed about it. Do strays count...as pets, I mean?

[pugilistinpink.livejournal.com]

Naw... never had no pets. A guy I used t'know had a real nice dog, though. Daisy. She was always real jumpy whenever I came over, lickin' me like I was meltin' ice cream or somethin'.

[He has a little laugh.]

I kinda been wantin' a dog these days, but I been movin' 'round a lot with m'matches lately. Can't jus' leave the lil' guy there waitin' f' me, y'know? But yeah. Dogs... y'can come home all cheesed off about somethin', but it's hard t'stay that way when one a' those guys comes up t'you an' sticks their face in your face.

[consultmybooks]

...I always liked smaller dogs. They could, um, they could get away with stunts like that, running around and jumping up and down.

...but, well, it, it was the same for me, before I came here. Traveling too much. M-Much too dangerous.

[Video]

[boomchucka.livejournal.com]

[Selphie's sitting on her bed in a very empty apartment with one black and white tabby kitten by the name of Buttons as she shakes her head.]

We never had time for pets back home, to be honest.

[They didn't know if they'd be coming back home or not.]

Are you gonna be alright, Giles?

Re: [Video]

[consultmybooks]

Hello, Selphie.

[Throw. Bounce. Catch.]

N-Neither did I, when I got older. C-Certainly not before coming here. Back in Sunnydale, it was far too dangerous, and after, I just...m-moved too much.

[Catch.]

...I'll be all right.

[Video]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I know that isn't enough, but, I really do mean it.

[She knows, Giles. She's lost nearly everyone important to her here.]

Re: [Video]

[consultmybooks]

It is enough, Ami.

Thank you.

video;

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[......]

Hey Giles. Do you want to meet for a drink? Not alcohol, but something.

Re: video;

[consultmybooks]

[...hm. Congratulations, Paprika. That's a curious enough sort of statement for Giles to blink out of his daze a little.]

...how do you propose we do that, exactly?

[Action]

[blessedbyfarore]

[Link had caught the message almost as soon as it had gone out - hopefully, Giles will still be there as he heads up the stairs of the community house, Fuzzbug still a comforting shape in his pocket.]

[Hi, Giles. Back to his normal size again, at least?]

[Settling down next to him, he doesn't speak immediately, just pulling the toy out and turning it over in his hands.]

They might be back some day. You came back, right?

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[Back to his normal size again. It's good to see, Link.]

...they might. I did.

[But he can be happy about it, in his case. Not in anyone else's.]

I, um, always meant to ask how you were, after she left, but...[He waves a hand distractedly.] Recent events.

[ video ]

[lunas]

[ Even for someone like Usagi, who's oblivious to important things most of the time, the emotion in the message is pretty easy to spot. Maybe that's why she is actually quiet for a few moments, staring down at the journal as if she isn't sure what to say.. But then she does speak up. ]

Um.. You know, back home I had a cat.. ah, no, I don't know if you could call her a real cat, but she was like a cat to me, and a really good friend! So.. While I'm here, of course I miss her a little. [ Maybe she's telling him it so he knows at least someone out there identifies. ] But that's no reason to stay down, right? We have to keep doing our best!

Re: [ video ]

[consultmybooks]

[Oh, Usagi. Giles can suddenly see a bit of why Ami is so devoted to you.]

Thank you, Usagi. And, um, a-and I will, it will just...take a while.

...if you don't mind my asking, how is a cat n-not a real cat?

[lostinmyway]

Oh.

[The word is spoken softly. Grune doesn't know Wishbone very well--she had only been coaxed through a game of fetch with him one afternoon--but from the way Giles sounds, it seems as though Wishbone is one of his special friends.]

Why don't we go plant a flower for him so he can be happy when he comes back?

[consultmybooks]

[He smiles with mingled sadness and affection at her.]

You read my mind, Grune.

I know just the flower to plant.

[Voice]

[toujoursfluer.livejournal.com]

I've never had a pet of my own, but I think it would be incredibly interesting to have a Hellhound.

Re: [Voice]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles laughs wryly without looking up at her.]

Far too many people think that. Really, it isn't all it's cracked up to be.