Chapter One 19th of Rebirth Height

[folklorist]

[ There’s the shuffling of papers and the opening and closing of books on his end of the transmission. Through the video there’s nothing but a desk with a heaping pile of books scattered about on it but the background is clearly defined as being a library. The voice that comes over the feed is one with a slight Romanian accent but otherwise nothing too strange or particular about it. ] There's so many books to go through. I think I'll be here for several days just reading! I do realize that there’s a lot of different worlds out there...I just never thought I'd make it to one that's so very...fantastical! It's almost like I'm in the book Sleeping Beauty or, or Jack and Beanstalk, Snow White too perhaps...

[ He sounds way too excited about this guys, but that's Helios for you. A pause as he hums and a figure walks by the feed. Helios will stop then and bend down to look into the orb a smile dotting his face as he does so. He also might be wearing a wizard hat that was provided for him. He's a derp, we know, so of course he has to try on the local garments! He's never worn a wizard hat before either! Perhaps when he gets back home he'll have to give it shot, huh? He takes it off and fiddles with it before putting it back on. Nothing strange about it or the robes he was given, which he hasn't put on yet thankfully. Yet being the keyword there. He'll clear his throat before continuing. ]

Now if that man was correct I assume there's a good deal more of you out there. I-I'd like to introduce myself! Helios Sprensonne it's a please to meet you! I-I'm sure we'll, um, have lots of things to discuss about this place. It's almost like Luceti in a way...a universal hub, hm. This place is definitely the same in that regards. We were all brought here through a means of a book, correct? A rather interesting choice it certainly adds that fairytale flavor to it, doesn’t it? [ A smile and chuckle on his end. ] But I do want to ask, if it's not too much trouble...

[ And here he’ll sit down at the desk with a smile. ] Ah. Where would the best place be to g-get an alternate room? I-I don't mind living in a castle, having one b-back home, but ah...I do think I might overstay my w-welcome in a few days. [ He also doesn't want to be a bother. ]

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

I think you can get rooms in the inn.... but I don't think overstaying your welcome in the castle is anything you have to worry about. [[a bit of a sheepish smile]] I actually got a stern talking to from someone when I asked where we were supposed to be staying. People here get really hung up with things being proper at times!

[folklorist]

Oh is that so? I-I'll have to do a bit of looking around then! I-I wouldn't want to make any of the locals angry after all. But thank you for warning me.

[ At least they actually talk to you. Luceti there weren't any locals to talk to so the change is most certainly welcome. ]

[shiromadoushi]

They don't stay angry for too long, thankfully! They're just... sometimes they get ideas in their heads, is all.

[[a pause. OH RIGHT]]

Aaa-- and I'm Bakura Ryou, sorry. Nice to meet you!

[folklorist]

Ideas...oh, dear, I-I hope they're not bad ones at least. [ Though who knows. Being in Luceti for two years has made such statements sound ever so ominous to him. ]

But it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Bakura! H-Have you been here long?

[consultmybooks]

[One particular listener to Helios' transmission might go a bit overlooked for a while, in the midst of whatever other responses come in. That's because, well...Giles really can't give any sign of himself without speaking up, and somehow he can't quite bring himself to speak up.

His first reaction to Helios' appearance in the orb had been impossible happiness. It's true that they haven't been long apart, not to Giles' mind, but, well, he certainly hadn't expected to see the other man here, and despite all the problems their presence here must be causing, back in Luceti, it's a relief.

Except...look at the state Giles is in now. Helios would be upset beyond words to see him like this. And there is the matter of the people in Luceti who must be hurting now with both of them gone. It's selfish, really, to be happy that Helios is here with him. The fact that this doesn't change anything doesn't help in the slightest.

Giles finally does speak up, in a soft and almost sad voice. The orb shows him sitting out behind a shed, starkly out of place in the general environment partly by virtue of the fact that he's still wearing the clothes he was when he vanished from Luceti.]

I-I, um...I don't think I'll be very much help to you, in that regard.

[folklorist]

[ He knows that voice. He knows it because he's been wanting to hear it for a very long time. Three months, going on four, from when he was taken and dropped here.

It's not possible and yet it is. He should know by now that a lot of things tend to lend themselves to being perceived as impossible. He just...feels so incredibly happy right now to hear you Giles. But yet he too has some reservations and second thoughts about being so. Selfish, it was, wasn't it? Because he had left so many people behind back in Luceti. Adele, Robert, gods even Ginia who needed his support. And yet some of that is chipped away when he notes the others tone of voice. ] Giles?!

[ Oh please tell him you remember him. His stomach drops a little at this realization. But, no, he had his memories didn't he? That means...that means Giles could too as well. But it was always different for every case he knows that. He's just...being optimistic about this whole thing. And so tentatively he'll ask: ] D-Do you...do you remember me?

[consultmybooks]

[Giles looks a bit surprised at the question. Then he realizes with a slight wince that, no, it really is a question, isn't it? He left Luceti. He might very well have lost all his memories of them. The fact that he hadn't should be considered a narrow escape, more than anything else.

He gives the gentle reassurance Helios so very obviously wants to hear:]

I remember you, Helios. [It's just only been half a day or so for him. Not months. Not those experiments and all those people coming and leaving.] And, and it's, it's wonderful to see you again. Even if it is under, um, rather unfortunate circumstances.

[folklorist]

Gods Giles. It's...it's been so long. [ If you can't tell by his tone of voice than you surely can by the look on his features. A mixture of happiness, sadness, and then relief.

He looks down at one of the books on the table not reading the words at all. ] Y-You've been gone for, for three months. I-I didn't...I didn't want to assume that you, you would- [ remember him or well Luceti at all. He feels a bit sheepish at that now and he'll give the other an apologetic look. ]

Are you alright?

[ladysarmour]

Snow White?

[folklorist]

Yes! It's quite the popular fairytale back in my own world! About a princess whose evil stepmother tries to get rid of her by telling a huntsman to take her into the forest and get rid of her. He can't so and lets the princess leave wherein she comes across a cottage in the woods owned by seven dwarves. They let her live there and in that time the evil stepmother visits her, under different disguises, trying to get rid of Snow White. She gives Snow White a poisoned apple which causes her to fall into a deep slumber. The seven dwarfs put her into a glass coffin after that, but a prince finds her and kisses her, breaking the spell.

[ A smile on his end. ] Well that is one variation at least. Fairytales have many forms and many alternates throughout different countries and the like.

[ladysarmour]

And then they marry and rule graciously the rest of their days? It sounds like a lovely tale.

[folklorist]

Yes actually. Most fairytales do have those happily ever after endings. [ A smile. ] Sleeping Beauty is much the same actually.

[trappedinatower]

I usually sleep outside, after all it's such a nice place.

[folklorist]

Outside, really? [ Hm... ] I suppose the stars and sky would be rather wonderful to look at on clearer night. There isn't, um, a lot to interfere with such things as well.

[trappedinatower]

Yes, the sky really is so beautiful. I keep hoping that I'll see some beautiful stars like I would at home.

[folklorist]

It's strange but...I do wonder if any constellations from my own world would be visible. Probably not though, entirely different planet and all that. [ He laughs. ]

Perhaps charting some stars here wouldn't be such a bad idea. B-Back in the other place I was in, a world not my own, I was doing a similar thing...

[ his voice takes on a saddened edge when he says that. Good memories on the boat with Giles make him smile a little on his end though. ] I wonder if the locals have given the stars any names.

[canistricari]

[ What appears on screen seems to be a friendly looking Caucasian man with black hair. Perfectly normal, nothing to see here! ]

There's a lovely old shack where a nice man will help you find lodging if you spend enough money.

[folklorist]

[ Perfectly normal indeed. Helios doesn't see anything wrong with that, nope. He'll tap a finger on the table before him nodding. ]

That's good to know. I, ah, d-don't have any money at the moment however. [ A frown. ] I could probably find something to work in though...

[canistricari]

He might take goods. The clothes off your back...

Or maybe he'll take sexual favors!

[ He smiles helpfully! ]

[greatsquirrelhunter]

City has houses and rooms. Hawk got smithy and we live there.

[must repeat helpful things] Aralu says castle library is bad.

[folklorist]

Mm the city is rather big, isn't it? I-I'm sure I'll find a place soon enough.

[ And here Helios will pause. A library being bad? ] Bad? How so, if you don't mind my asking?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[He cocks his head to the side] She said bad. [Really, useless means bad, right? It's all that really registered.]

[brosif]

What would you consider a "fairy tale flavor"? I know little of Midgard's tales, but they all seem to involve kissing someone in no position to grant consent.


...and horses.

[folklorist]

Ah, well, typically things involving princesses that need to be saved and princes. Evil stepmothers and sometimes otherworldly creatures are involved. Faeries, dragons, things like that.

[ Helios will just stop in his explanation then. Did you say...Midgard? ] You mean one of the nine realms? The middle of Yggdrasil, that Midgard?

[ He sounds so utterly fascinated at the moment. ]

[brosif]

The heart of Yggdrasil.

[Her time here has humbled Sif a little, but some things are truths eternal.]

You are not of the world tree?