Chapter 1 - "I just want to help", "Then help me." - 19th of Rebirth's Height

[consultmybooks]

Is this supposed to be some sort of a joke?

[The orb shows a middle aged man standing in the shadow of the castle walls. He doesn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the persistent rain, except to glance around him at the grey landscape every so often with the look of one lost. He doesn't even seem as though he's getting wet at all.

The especially observant might notice that this is because the rain doesn't appear to be touching him.

More importantly, this man looks decidedly upset, with the stance and bearing of one who's either ready for a fight or who has just escaped one. It's true that the man who'd been there to explain things to him when he'd woken up here probably didn't find Giles a ready listener. He'll go back and apologize later, after he's calmed down. If he's calmed down. The urge to hit something is made all the sharper by the fact that he can't.]

I-I've been dragged away from my home and, and expected to save a kingdom of, of idiots who, who d-don't even know not to mess with forces they admit are beyond their comprehending! A-And to make matters so much worse, they've done so in a way to ensure that I can't help anyone!

[Giles glances back at the wall, and if looks could kill that stone would crumble. As it stands, Giles merely swipes a hand at it, and his mood is not improved when his blow merely passes through the stone, as noticeable as a breeze and even less effective. Giles massages his hand more out of reflex than anything else as he turns back to the orb.]

They, they said that only other..."heroes" [a word he says with evident distaste] have these things. If so, then, then speak up. If you're not from this place, then you might be at least marginally more helpful than the people who actually live here. And, a-and like this...you all are, um, my only way to have any idea of what's going on.

[He sighs, some of the fight leaving his body, if only from the memory of exhaustion.]

Rupert Giles. Um, nice to meet you.

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura Ryou, nice to meet you. [[smiles with a small bow of his head]]

I don't know if I can be much help in helping figuring out what's going on... the people here... they don't really seem to have much idea and none of us have really been able to figure out too much yet.

[[and since it's a little hard to tell via the orb..]]

You can go through walls? [[Not jumping to conclusions just yet.]]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles heaves a sigh. As much as he'd like to think he's not the only one who got dragged into this kingdom dead...that probably would cause questions, wouldn't it?

He answers Bakura's question by stepping back inside the wall and then stepping back out again.]

That much, at least, I have been able to gather. The, um, th-the going through walls bit. Of course, I, I gathered as much by accident, but...yes, I can. Part of the territory, I suppose.

[He shakes his head as though to clear it, before looking back at Bakura.]

Anything might help. Certainly would help me. What, um, what have you found out so far?

[shiromadoushi]

Aaaaa, that's so cool! Something new for here, since you didn't know? [[looking far too interested in this, whoops]]

[[oh right, right, being helpful]] Mmm... there's the thorns that we're here to try and stop, but they can't be affected by anything anyone's tried yet, and the spell that brought us here was their last ditch effort, only something made it go a bit wrong, I think. Everyone gets changed somehow, mostly gaining powers and a character class. There's a person who seems to be helping us, or at least that one time, who's some sort of supernatural creature, and another one who was with the thorns that looked like a bird that someone talked to... [[realizing he's starting to ramble a bit as he just tries to list off things and rubs the back of his neck a bit sheepishly]] It's sort of like a storybook good vs evil sort of thing, really!

[consultmybooks]

[Looking far too interested in this. Since Giles isn't terribly eager to discuss his dead state, he latches onto the information on the rest of his situation.]

..."character class"?

[The words ring a very faint bell.]

I, um, I haven't seen any thorns. Of course, I only got here about...[and here he pulls what appears to be a pocket watch out of his pocket to check]...twenty minutes ago, so I suppose I might have missed them.

[shiromadoushi]

They're about 2 or 3 days travel from here, thankfully. And moving pretty slowly, so we have time still to figure it out. Though there are some in the forest near by, but those only show and night and they don't seem to be related to anything.

And character class like in an RPG or video game. Like a mage or a knight or something like that. Though normally you get the outfit that matches... [[half muses to himself]]

[consultmybooks]

[...Giles actually facepalms at this last. He's standing a couple of feet back from the orb, but the words "Damn it, Andrew" might still be audible to Bakura.]

Right. Encroaching thorns. Fairy tales. I don't suppose there are any sleeping princesses around, then? That would solve the problem well enough, if, if I'm remembering all the old stories right.

[And he normally does.]

[shiromadoushi]

[[Scratches at his cheek a little.]] Aaa... not at the moment... [[If he would have arrived the day before, however... but the less time spent on that the better, as far as he was concerned.]]

It's a different sort of thorn than just that, I think. Most of the regular fairy tales seem to be sort of regular occurrences, so really, I don't think anything out of them would be what we're looking for.

[sorcerous]

A spirit. Without flesh.

They have truly bested themselves, this time.

[consultmybooks]

Well, I'm so glad to hear that at least they haven't done worse than me thus far.

[The sarcasm in Giles' voice could etch steel.]

[sorcerous]

They have called children, and ignorants, and cowards to save them. Is it any wonder they remain un-saved?

[consultmybooks]

Not in the slightest.

I assume you're disqualifying yourself from any of those categories, of course. Just how long has this been going on, then?

[consultmybooks]

Regular...

...nowhere could hold up under that sort of assault. Not, not for long. Really, considering that, it, it seems as though they've brought us in to fight against the inevitable.

[...] Perhaps they weren't quite so idiotic in choosing me, then. Better myself than Buffy, at least.

[sorcerous]

Weeks. The fight is still young.

[shiromadoushi]

I don't think most of them even notice, to be honest! It's just sort of like... [[a pause. Like tournaments back in Domino. But no one would get that...]] Like how in places that get a lot of earthquakes, the smaller ones, you don't even really notice. It's just how things are.

This something you're familiar with, then?

[consultmybooks]

I used to work in a town situated over a portal to hell.

[...] And then in a village where we were, um, periodically beset with experiments that changed the world around us.

This specific situation, no, but the general idea is something I'm, um, rather distressingly familiar with.

In other words? I've, um, seen a great many earthquakes.

[consultmybooks]

The other boy wasn't joking. Are the thorns really moving that, um, slowly, then?

[shiromadoushi]

[[a small nod]] Hopefully it'll help. Or at least help with it not being too much of a bother.

[consultmybooks]

I'm, um, I'm not entirely sure there's much that can bother me, like this.

[sorcerous]

Is that an excuse to tarry? To occupy ourselves in frivolity when there is a creature, a force that plans to destroy everything?

And another force that would like nothing better than a perfect, orderly world. One where every role is filled, and every creature is hollowed and eviscerated, leaving nothing but their role behind.

There are two hells in store for this place, Gilesson. Choose you well.

[shiromadoushi]

[[blink blink]] "Like this?" You mean being brought to this place?

[consultmybooks]

I meant being a ghost, actually.

I'm sure there are a great many spells and, um, possibly even some creatures that could certainly harm me. But I'm, um, somewhat removed from the world at large as a ghost.

...I suppose it might have some uses.

[consultmybooks]

[...]

"Giles" is fine, thanks.

And this is hell enough for me.

[sorcerous]

And I am Loki.

No more.

[1/2]

[shiromadoushi]

[[So that WAS what it looked like!]]

Aaaa, you really are one?! But you can still talk to everyone and everything? Aaaaa, that's so cool!

[consultmybooks]

[It takes a second...but then the shock is obvious in Giles' expression.

He quickly attempts to hide this by taking off his glasses to clean. Not that it matters. They're quite spotless.]

...as I said. Um, nice to meet you.