eswareinmal | [Orb]

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[Orb]

[The orb shows the beach - grass leading to rocks leading to sand leading to the vast expanse of ocean in the distance. It's a picteresque sort of sight, with the bonus of no dragons around to eat people. Turns out you just can't entirely trust the maps here..]

I've, um, I've found the ocean. It's not as bad as it looks, out here...I mean, um, the thorns are moving rather fast, but it turns out that we're hardly cut off.

Well...hardly cut off yet.

I did stop by the infection zone before I came out this way. The reports are certainly true. For plants, they are moving alarmingly fast. I didn't want to stay in the area. If I'd actually dared make camp there, I probably wouldn't be here now. Still. I, um, I made an effort. A couple of basic identification spells, and a bit of scrying, although s-something about them made that even harder than it normally is, for me.

If anyone has any ideas how I might, um, proceed further, or even get a bit off for further examination, I'm certainly all ears. It's not as though I'll have to walk that far to reach the border zone on my way back.

[...really, though, looking out at the beach, at the ocean and thinking of what lies beyond it, it's actually a little hard to remember that they're all in such terrible danger. The land around him brings up a feeling of nostalgia in Giles' chest that he can't ignore.]

...if worst comes to worst, I suppose we could always build a ship.

[Because, when he finds himself forgetting, now he can summon up the mental image of that great, gnarled tangle of malevolent, thorny evil. That's a familiar feeling as well - consult the books. Fight the evil. Save the world.

What happens next? Well...they'll burn that bridge when they come to it.]

((ooc: Hey, sorry for the edits, guys! Turns out I was a bit mistaken as to the positioning of the thorns. But! Things should be able to proceed from here.))

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[And Giles lets her snuggle, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding her close. He's had the romance conversation with his great aunt - really, after that, anything Schwanheim might come up with in the way of rumors doesn't seem quite so terrible.]

And, um, I'm happy to be back. [Trying to make the motion subtle, he brushes some hair back from the nape of her neck, glancing to see if he can spot the clasp of the necklace.] Helios is, um, resting, after the trip. But, um, w-we should be all together for supper tonight.

[The clasp of the gold necklace is a simple thing, one clasp connected to a gold hoop. However, there's also a simple leather cord around her neck, whatever that may be hanging on it hidden under her shirt.]

/i was thinking roast duck, potatoes, and greens would be nice. And cake for dessert./ [She looks down at her bundles and grins, remembering the thrill and rush at getting each item. She holds the longer of the bundles out to him, the contents probably obvious, but wrapped up inside is another sword.] /Go on, open it! /

[Hm...Helios had mentioned a necklace.

Let's see if fortune is kind today. Giles has his doubts but, well. First time for everything.

Of course, he's a bit distracted when Ginia presents him with the package. And when he'd been trying to ignore it, he hadn't recognized the shape, but now, presented with it...

...Giles swallows past a lump in his throat. A sword. Oh, the memories...

But he steals himself, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and undoes the gold clasp at the same time as he asks:]

W-Where did you find this?

/From the market of course,/ [Ginia replies, which is not actually a lie as she did find it in the market, but she also stole it from a stand in the market.

the clasp is undone, but the necklace shifts a little on her skin. Ginia reaches up and touches the necklace, holding onto it even, and looks at Giles.]

/...What are you doing?/

Nothing. [And, indeed, he'd moved his hand away the second he felt the catch come loose. He pretends to notice her the necklace in place.] Oh, um, d-did the catch come undone? W-We can stop by somewhere, on the way back, m-maybe get it looked at.

[Ginia frowns slightly, old instincts and a lifetime of caution creeping up on her. Her struggle with Helios earlier this morning isn't forgotten either. What had Helios said to Giles when he went to pick up the other man from the beach?

But in light of happier topics, Ginia lets the topic drop and points back at the covered sword.]

/You didn't open your present. This is for you too./

[The smaller bundle is taken off her lap and placed on his. Wrapped up is a long, hooded cloak. Dark black, very lightweight, but still warm, wonderful for traveling and a bit of dramatic effect. At the throat is a silver metal clasp, a green gem at the center.]

[No, he didn't open his present. He needs to stay resolved and focused to solve this, this curse or hex, and he needs to hunt down that magic peddler and beat him to a pulp.

The sword is a wonderfully thoughtful present, now as it was then, but he can't accept it.

Still, refusing twice would look even worse. So Giles unwraps the present, and despite himself he gasps at the contents. He's never been one for cloaks, not in this style, but when it comes to protective gear Giles has a good eye. This is a high quality piece, and the clasp at the the throat doesn't look like it will come undone for anything short of a bolt cutter.]

It's...it's lovely, Ginia. Th-Thank you.

/Try it on./

[She smiles, happy when she sees his expression. One thing never changed over the many years of her life; to give and bring happiness to others is one of life's greatest joys. And while the cloak clasp had come from the Magic Peddler, the cloak itself had been legally purchased from a vendor.

If he does try it out, he'll discovery very quickly the cloak works as an invisible cloak, rendering whatever the fabric covers invisible.]

[Giles does try it on. First, he stands up from the fountain so as not to catch the fabric in the water, and then he unclasps the clasp before swinging it over his shoulders and fixing the clasp back in place.

Even he can't fail to notice that he immediately and near completely disappears. After gaping for a couple of seconds, the cloak is hastily removed and folded up.] Good lord! Where on earth did you find this?

/Around the market./ [Which isn't really a lie either since the cloak was from the market and the Magic Peddler had been in the marketplace when they met. She's deliberately ambiguous because she knows one should beware of magic items from a magic peddler in a world of magic and fairy tales, but a cloak clasp that makes any cloak into an invisible cloak! Very useful, too good to pass up.]

/Do you like it?/

[An invisibility cloak? Very useful, yes, especially with Giles' unfortunate tendency towards getting hurt.

But. It would take some impossibly powerful magic to make the cloak viable for any decent length of time. The kind of magic that, when all is said and done, still makes Giles deeply nervous.

So his words ring a bit hollow when he says:] Um, v-very much.

...is, um, is that where you found your necklace, then? Th-The market?

[Or the peddler in the market?]

[Ginia catches his hollow tone and a bit of her joy fades. She thought he would have liked it more, but maybe it's too magical. Or he's tired. Even as it nags at her mind, she tries not to worry too much.]

/This thing?/ [She looks down at the gold and ruby necklace and smiles, remembering how easy it'd been stealing it off a lady's neck.] /It was a gift. /

And what about the one you're hiding beneath your shirt?

[There's something like a physical pain in his chest, now. Giles looks tired, old and tired, but his gaze is resolute as he stares at Ginia with the cloak in his arms.]

...before you say anything, I've s-spoken with Helios.

[Whatever happiness Ginia might have had left in her smile vanishes. Her smile remains - there's always a smile - but it's a cold, still expression.]

/Did he include the part where he tied me up and locked me in the bedroom?/

[An obvious sign she's not herself if her reaction is to blame Helios.]

[An immediate sign. It dispels some of his guilt, but not much.

Even if it's for her own good, Ginia is one person he's never had to truly fight with.]

It was implied. [Talking with him over the orb, there's been a few signs that he'd been trying to restrain her, and that he'd been nervous doing so for reasons beyond it simply not going well.]

He did mention that you'd burgled most of the city, however. Ever since seeing the peddler.

/...For goodness sakes, Giles, I'm a rogue. A thief. I'm living up to my role, aren't I? Besides, it's not as if anyone actually missed anything, and I've been giving to the poor too./

[Because while she had a nice collection of shinies, it was more the thrill of getting something and getting away. After that, the coins or other baubles she lifted were traded for something useful or given away.]

/No one is getting hurt from this./

["Cutting off bits that don't fit."

Loki's little story earlier in the day suddenly doesn't seem so inane. Giles goes absolutely pale as she signs.]

Y-You don't know that. And, and for god's sake...r-running around like, like a cat burglar, y-you're better than that.

What this place says we are d-doesn't mean anything, n-not to that degree. Not like this.

[Ginia's hands clench, feeling annoyed by his words. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. He was supposed to like the presents she got her, they were supposed to be happy, and go back together and the three of them could have a nice night. Of course, she still would cook for the three of them, it was no fair ruining things for Helios and maybe selfishly she wanted some of that roast duck for herself.]

/Aren't you a killjoy./ [There was another woman who looked similar that often grew irritated or frustrated when things weren't fun. That woman isn't around anymore, but shades of her linger and mix together. Ginia stands and without another word, disappears from sight.]

[He does like the presents she got him. That just makes it worse.

And, for what it's worth, Giles makes a spirited lunge when he realizes what Ginia is doing. But he's far, far too late, and the effort only sends him into the fountain.

With a curse's talent for avoiding trouble, the cloak falls from his hands before it can get wet.]

[She's there, but invisible, and so she sees him falls into the fountain. She wants to help him and apologize because she knows he's right, knows she's better than this and though she may be a rogue, she doesn't need to play the role, but her anger and irritation at being called out makes her turn away and quietly creep off to the nearest shadow. There she's briefly visible before she jumps away, leaping further and further away.

And when she stops in an alley deep in the poor district where no one cares, Ginia hunches down in a corner, puts her head down on her knees, and has a good cry.

In the evening, she's back home, fake smile plastered on as she prepares dinner for her housemates, pretending nothing bad happened at all and all that matters is Giles is back and they're all together.]

[They are all together. If only it were under better circumstances.

And, for what it's worth, the cloak is hanging by the door, and the unwrapped sword resting beside it. He knows that there was at least something of Ginia in play when she decided to take them.

Maybe she's thinking more clearly now. Maybe she's starting to understand why he's so upset at what she's doing. Maybe she won't run away, and he won't have to catch her.

He'll try to act like nothing's wrong, but that won't stop his gaze drifting to the leather thong still around her neck, or stop him from contemplating the risks of cutting it form her neck.]

[Calmer, yes, but Ginia is still a scorned, and more dangerously, a cursed woman. Though she still smiles at Giles, lightly teases him by rubbing her foot up against his leg, kisses him when he brings the dishes in to the kitchen, she remains cautious and wary, never letting him close enough to do more than just look at the leather cord and hidden pendant.

And at night, when she can't resist the siren call of the pendant any further, she dons her darkest clothes and mask and slips out into the night to terrorize Schwanheim again.

When the sun rises over the land and the Sign Maker begins to set up a new sign of all the latest rumors, there are only two occupants in the house of three. Ginia is still at large in the city.]

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