eswareinmal | And above all, no wishing for more wishes

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And above all, no wishing for more wishes

Characters: Rupert Giles and YOU!
Open? Oh, yes.
Where: All around Schwanheim and the surrounding farmland
When: All day 2nd of Rebirth's Decline
What: Giles is stuck in a bottle. Giles would very much like to let out of the bottle. Giles will grant you a wish should you let him out of the bottle. And if you don't want a messed up poltergeist throwing furniture around, you should probably take him up on that.
Warnings: PG - Mayhem and chaos, but probably nothing much worse.
A bottle catches your eye, as you go about your business

It might be sitting on the dresser of your room, on a windowsill as you walk down the street, or just laying in the grass as though carelessly discarded. It seems, in all aspects, to be a perfectly ordinary bottle...except, well, you probably know by now that it's never a perfectly ordinary anything. For one thing, it seems to contain something, a swirling white mist that seems to move throughout the bottle like a living thing, trapped and testing the walls of its prisons. For another, well, for those who can sense it there's an undeniable spark of power about the bottle, a sense of magic, something that just makes it stand out. And for a third, it's just quite a nice bottle.

Maybe it was left here just for you to find. How else can you explain how it wound up here, just where you happened to look at this very instant, sitting just where it needed to catch your eye?

Go on, pick it up. It will fit nicely in your pocket (even if you don't currently have any pockets) and a bottle is a useful sort of thing to have around, isn't it?

Well, once it's empty. Maybe you should uncork it and shoo that strange mist out, first. Can't tell what it might do to whatever you put inside, otherwise.

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Aside from his hands shaking a little and the dazed look in his eyes he's perfectly fine. He blinks when Giles comes over still staring at the bottle.

"Wh-what? Oh. Oh, yes. I-I'm fine." He sounds winded and out of it but only for a moment as he shakes his head. He'll rub the bridge of his nose with a forefinger and thumb.

"I-I can't break it like that. It's, it's a very powerful I'll give her that." He sounds mildly impressed.

"If you say so."

If only because Helios seems too dizzied to actually remember to lie about the state he's currently in. Otherwise, Giles knows better than to believe him when he says that. Even so, he stays sitting beside the other, even if he's in no state to do anything to assist.

"Yes, it, um, it certainly is. Never knew she, ah, had quite this much power. She, she never did, not in the story."

Helios shakes his head as get unsteadily to his feet. "I never knew her t-to have that much power either."

He'll just rub the back on his neck then. "How do you break it then?" Maybe he did have to make a wish which seemed utterly ridiculous to ask of his friend.

Oh, he did. Giles knew the script quite well. He'd had plenty of time to look it over.

...but he also knew how that was liable to go, and he didn't want to put Helios through it. Giles shakes his head. "Um, y-you can't. Not now, at least. You...y-you might as well, um, put me back in the bottle, for safe keeping."

It's a lie, of course. But Helios might be distracted from the lie by the sound of splintering wood. A glance will confirm that one of his bedposts has just splintered down the middle. His bed sheets are also twisting themselves up in a tangled mess. Giles takes this all in with a look of dismay.

"Oh gods, no, not already..."

Helios is about to reply in protest when that splintering gets his attention. Way to draw away his fire, Giles. He'll gasp and step back a little from his bed. His green eyes are filled with worry as he looks back over at Giles noting the other's look of dismay. That expression in his friends eyes does nothing to alleviate his concerns and Gile's lie about him helping goes completely out the window.

"What's wrong? What's h-happening? Giles, please, let me help you. J-Just tell me what I have to do." He almost sounds pleading as he looks back over at the bed again and the splintering bed posts. He is not going to stick you back in that bottle, no, that prison bro. So you might as well tell him or trash his room some more, either or works.

It's not like Giles wants to trash the room. It's his room as well, after all, and it's not even theirs' and he doesn't want to stick Helios for damages on top of sticking him for an impossible wish.

Giles looks around desperately for some way out of causing the property damage. He finally focuses on the wall.

"Um, meet me outside," he says, looking back at Helios. "I'll, um, I'll explain out there. Promise."

And with that, he's going to phase through the wall to the outside world. the fact that it's a second floor wall doesn't seem to cause the slightest hesitation. But, indeed, he'll be waiting for Helios outside the front door of the inn. Giles is hugging his shoulders and looks quite distressed, obviously trying to make himself look as small as possible, looking at the people around them like they're something small and breakable and he's wearing greased mitts.

"...make a wish," he says softly, as Helios joins him.

Helios will hold up a hand about to say 'wait' but Giles is far too fast for him and has already phased through the wall. Helios will blink and sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he looks around at the room and the splintered bedposts. He'll bend down and pick up the bottle with a glare. He wasn't even strong enough to break this curse he felt oddly helpless, useless even, because of it.

And so without anything else to muse on he'll go and meet Giles outside. It's several minutes before he makes his way out and when he approaches the other Helios looks rather shocked by that statement. "A...wish? I-I mean you're serious about this?" Helios will look away clearly distressed by Giles' disposition.

"It'll be alright Giles. I don't suppose I could...wish to have you break out of that bottle, could I? O-Or maybe have something or...someone take your place?" Helios covers his mouth with his hand. Oh. Whoops. He didn't mean to say that out loud. But he would take the other's place, in a heartbeat, just because Giles looks so distressed that it's painful to watch.

Take his place? Giles stares at Helios in suspicion and outright surprise. That doesn't sound like Helios to suggest, willingly putting anyone else through this...

...unless that someone else was Helios itself. Giles delivers a perfect facepalm without even bending his glasses.

"Perhaps you could wish away your frightening tendency towards self-sacrifice."

That said, there is not a blessed thing Giles can do to stop Helios making a wish to that effect, and he knows it, and that scares him. Even so, he holds up a hand:

"Before you say anything preceded by those two words, s-stop and think. We're, um, in a fairy tale. More or less. Anything you wish is, um, going to have a tendency to go wrong.

I, um, I know how to break this curse, f-for what it's worth. So...um, rest easy on that, at least."

Edited 2012-05-18 12:44 (UTC)

Helios winces at that reprimand. He didn't mean to say that out loud! He looks entirely embarrassed and beside himself as he looks back at Giles.

"I-I didn't mean it like that. I. I just want to h-help, you know." And he knows by going this route would be a double edge sword. Having the wish backfire in who knows what manner would be just as bad as not helping at all. Helios just sighs rubbing his arm as he does so.

"You know how? I-I suppose it has to do with wishing, doesn't it?" Most stories typically with genies usually do.

"...I know you do. I, um, I never doubt that. But, Helios...um, be practical about this. The curse was, um, cast on me. We have no way of knowing whether the, um, the same conditions will carry over if you were to take it on yourself. No, it's, um, it's better if I just sort this out. If she turns out to have been lying...well, then, um, then we'll examine other avenues."

With a bit of care, Giles leans against the wall next to Helios. Here, in the shade of the inn, he looks almost tangible in doing so. Then Giles stares thoughtfully up at the sky and starts turning over possibilities.

"Yes, it does. I, um, I have to grant the wishes of a certain number of people, a-and then...well, my time in the bottle is at an end. If you make a wish, and it's within my power to grant it, I will." He has to.

"I think, um, I think her intent was to bother as many of we heroes as possible. Nothing more. She, um, she really only wants to be left alone. The words 'get off of my lawn' were actually spoken around, a-and it's not as though I can actually stand on her bloody lawn in any case."

"S-Sorry." It's just mumbled and he looks down at the ground as he says it. He knows Giles is right and has a few good points, he knows he should listen and heed the warnings. Curses made for a specific person are usually impossibly hard to break just because they focus so much on the one subject they're targeted towards. It would take him and possibly two more people to ever truly break something like the curse placed on Giles. Having himself replace him wouldn't make the curse go away of course.

Helios will shrug and run a hand through his hair. "I-I can understand her reasoning. I-I don't think putting, putting a curse on someone would be the first choice I'd take though. But, well, wishes..." a pause as he paces.

"I-I don't even know what to wish for." It's said softly and quietly. He's never had the opportunity to wish for something for himself. He doesn't even know what to ask for there's really nothing he would want...except. And then he'll look back at Giles a small smirk touching his lips.

"What do you want? M-Maybe I-I could wish for you to be corporeal or-or lots of tea so we have enough when we get you fixed." A smile. "I think the first one is better though, really. There's plenty of more chances to get tea."

Needless to say, Giles looks a bit taken aback, at this. He blinks, looking startled and, briefly, at a loss. For a second, he wants to chide Helios again...but, no. Wishes made for the sake of another...they seem to go wrong a bit less often, if he remembers his stories. And no one remembers stories like Giles does.

"...I'd, um, I'd like to be...corporeal, again." Even he's surprised by the sound of his own voice, soft and faraway and sad. The possibility is one Giles tries not to dwell on, but, well, Helios had asked...

"It, um, probably wouldn't make a bit of difference, t-to the curse, at least, but...well, I'd, um, I-I'd at least have a, um, a better chance of cleaning up the mess."

Helios isn't sure whether to laugh or not at the other man's expression. Was it really so strange for him to wish something like that? He would do it in a heartbeat because he knows Giles would do the same. Wishes made for the sake of another...those usually turned out well enough, didn't they?

"Well then that's what I'll wish for. I wish that you, Rupert Giles, were corporeal for as long as possibly allowed." He's not sure how long it'll be but it's better than nothing. And while he's at a lost still on how to help the other at least with this he can...actually be of some use. Because up until now he has been nothing but unhelpful.

Giles opens his mouth to say...something. Something that he never gets to say, because then the wish takes hold and he doubles over with a gasp.

Something happens, either to the world or to Giles. One slides into proper focus with the other. And for a second it hurts, having a body again. It hurts, and it's heavy, and it's far, far too loud as his lungs take in air and his heart beats and his pulse pounds and his mind races to juggle all these things, to manage a body it hadn't had ten seconds ago.

But then his mind returns to dealing with these unconscious processes, like a paperboy late on his rounds and getting back on his bicycle for the first time after a long illness. And then Giles smiles. Because they're also sweet, these signs of existence, they're sweet and they're his and Giles laughs in utter happiness.

And then he'll do what he's wanted to do for days, which is step forward and hug Helios tightly. He doesn't thank him. He knows what Helios would say. But, for once, just this once in this strange fairy tale city, actions can speak louder than words.

Helios lets out a small gasp when Giles hugs him tightly like that. He was not expecting that bro and, really, he should by now because he knows the other so well. He should learn to expect these things at times like this but he's always been hard on himself and he knows that his self esteem isn't the greatest, especially when it comes to helping his friends and the like. He is just trying to blink back that stinging in his eyes before he returns the hug. Because he has wanted to do this since the other had left all those months back in Luceti and now that he can...it's nice. It's a wish that if he could make it happen everyday even if only for a few hours he would do so.

"You don't have to th-thank me for this either." It's a mumbled reply from him because he knows Giles will try to find a way to do so or want to in the future and it's really not needed. He just wants the other to know that.

"If you say so."

But, really, it's too late. This is his thanks. This is all the love he has for Helios and all his gratitude at being given even these couple of hours to really, truly be alive again. Cold skin be damned, Giles is going to spend a few seconds more just holding the other and basking in the moment.

Finally, as the precious seconds tick away, Giles pulls back. He takes off his glasses, swipes away the beginnings of tears from hsi eyes, and replaces them before looking back at Helios, still looking so very simply happy.

"So. Um. You, y-you mentioned tea?"

"I do say so." Because it was true. This was a wish well deserved and well used in Helios' eyes and for the moment? He's glad that he was able to help Giles in someway other than what's happened before this. He doesn't honestly mind the lingering hug not like he would use to. No awkward shifting or shuffling to move away no, not with Giles, he just lets the other man basking this moment warm skin be damned.

He looks away sheepishly as he tries not to notice the other man wiping at his eyes, his attention diverted to the surrounding area.

"Tea yes. And maybe if we can find the ingredients I was thinking...steak and kidney pie too." A smirk. He knows how you love that dish bro might as well go all out, hm?

Helios should know how much Giles loves steak and kidney pie. If he didn't, the expression on Giles' face when Helios mentions it should be plenty of confirmation.

"Y-Yes, well," he says, fidgeting with his glasses. "In a place like this, I, um, I can't imagine it should be, um, terribly hard to find the right ingredients. We, um, might not have our own oven, anymore, but someone should be willing to prepare them properly."

Having share taste buds with Helios once or twice, Giles even knows a couple of chefs around town that he'd trust to do so.

Giles turns away, shading his eyes as he stares down the street, into the bustling crowds. "I...I think the market is this way, from here. Should probably be our first stop. Shall we?"

Oh he knows. Helios knows all too well especially back in Luceti when times were rough and experiments not kind to them both. He knew the other's fancy towards the dish and that's the reason why he suggested it. Helios will look out towards the mentioned market a smile as he nods and motions for the other man to lead. "I think you're right. C-Could always use a bit of magic too if need be. But I don't think anyone would really say no to cooking it for us, would they?" Helios at least has been making some money taking odd jobs here and there and actively trying to help out in the terms of this place. Even if it's just a small little fixing up of someone's house. He's trying to get on better terms with the locals see things from their perspective and whatnot.

"I think the market is a good place to start. I-I haven't really been there very much. This will at least get me out a bit more and seeing the sights." And he gets to do it with his best friend so that's a plus too.

And so Giles will lead. Just by a couple of steps, though. Do not follow behind me, I may not lead. Do not lead me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me, and be my friend.

But they do need to get as far as the market before whatever this is wears off.

"Well, um, what with one thing and another, I'm not sure you really would have had time to stop by, particularly with, um all the work you've been doing around and about the place."

Giles heaves a sigh, remembering the events of the day up until now. "Speaking of which, um, you'll probably have a bit more work by, um, the end of today."

"I-I do like to keep busy." It makes things easier for him at times. It's a bad habit to have, he knows, but it's not as if there weren't things to be done. The thorns, Giles, simply living in this place all together.

"M-More work at the end of the day?" He looks inquiringly at Giles as he eases up beside the other keeping pace and moving out of the way when the crowd gets too thick. He wonders if anyone would ever know that the man beside him wasn't truly corporeal, that this was just a small brief blessing. He wonders if there's other people like Giles out in this world.

"Yes." Giles nods, looking quite embarrassed at the admission. "Do you, um, do you remember what happened, up in your room? The mirror, the bed, all of that? That was...well, that was, um, meant to be a sort of a guarantee. The, um, the witch knew that most of us, hell, m-most of the people in this town would be just too bright to trust to a wish. So, um, she set it up..." Set him up, which had been a decidedly uncomfortable experience. "...so, um, they wouldn't have a choice. It was that or, um, gratuitous poltergeist activity. And, um..." Here giles gives a helpless half shrug. "...well, you, you weren't the first to find me."

Giles pauses in the street, the people flowing around them and occasionally bumping into them before murmuring apologies and moving on. And then he sniffs at the air once or twice, before looking to the right. There's a small booth in the shadow of a larger building, where a large steel kettle can just be seen being boiled over a roaring fire. Should Helios care to take a sniff, he'll recognize the scent of extremely strong, extremely sweet tea easily enough.

"O-oh. Right, yes, the room. It-it shouldn't be too hard to fix. M-Maybe I can try the alchemy skills here s-see how much I've retained from not using it as much as I should be." It shouldn't be too hard at any rate. Maybe he'll have to pick up an extra job or two, maybe. He looks at Giles with a sad smile and shakes his head. "It wasn't your fault Giles. Y-You really had no choice in the situation, correct? I-I'm sure people won't be t-too upset if you told them the reason for it." Still he knows how you get bro with the guilt. He's much the same in those regards, "d-don't...blame yourself for that Giles. I-I know its hard not to but, but at least no one got hurt and you're genuinely sorry, that's something too you know?" and here Helios will pause, blinking and stepping back a foot or two to realign himself with the ex-watcher. He'll sniff the air then too a smile spreading across his face.

"That's the smell I've been so fondly missing. The tea here smells absolutely delicious. Shall we get some?"

"That would be wonderful."

And, indeed, once they make it as far as the stall, the two of them will be able to purchase two flasks of piping hot sweet tea that will probably last them a while yet. It won't cost very much, and then the two of them can continue their wanderings of the market.

"Cheers," says Giles quietly, when they've moved away and out of people's way. He holds out the flash for a toast. Because this is a good moment. This is a moment where a toast is warranted.

A beaming smile as he toasts with Giles, "cheers!" And with that he'll take a nice long swig of this delicious tea.

"It's amazing. I-I've never tea that tasted quite this good before. I wish I could make mine like this." Helios will look around the bustling marketplace and then back to Giles.

"Shall we look around for a little while?" Helios loves marketplaces, it's always the best spot to get to know the locals and the things they love to eat. Not to mention news or any other stories one could perhaps overhear or come by in the process of checking out local delicacies.

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And above all, no wishing for more wishes

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