[Orb]

[consultmybooks]

[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.))

Comments

[shadedsunlight]

/...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./

[consultmybooks]

["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.

[shadedsunlight]

[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.]

[consultmybooks]

[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.]

[shadedsunlight]

[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.]

[consultmybooks]

[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.]

[shadedsunlight]

[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.]