eswareinmal | [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.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...do you mind giving it to me?

[It's not that he doesn't trust Helios. It's just that, whatever it is this peddler is selling seems to have an air about it, that draws people in against their better judgement.

Maybe, if the item wasn't meant for him, it won't affect him too badly.]

We, um, we can puzzle it out later. Once things are...settled.

[ Maybe it wasn't meant for him, or maybe it was because Helios pauses for a brief moment as he debates on the matter. ] Ah. I-I suppose...I-I can keep, you know. I-I'm going to, um, fiddle with it. Until, until I have a better understand of it.

[ It does seem like Giles doesn't trust him with it. This isn't the first time he's dealt with magical objects before. But Giles is just trying to be cautious. ] What are y-you going to do about...?

[ Ginia is the unspoken name. Helios frowns as the house comes into view, as the round the corner. ]

...Helios.

I'm sorry, but...did you hear what you just said?

Y-You're going to fiddle with an object from the same peddler that's currently got Ginia robbing most of Schwanheim?

[But then, Giles sighs - why bother? If Ginia's this far gone after only a couple of days, Helios...

...Giles suddenly feels very, very alone.]

I don't know. Try and talk to her, maybe. Hold her down and cut the necklace off, if that doesn't work. I-I don't know. I'll...have to see for myself, first.

[ Oh. He did say that...out loud. Helios blinks and stops walking for a moment. ] O-Oh. I-I didn't mean to. [ He'll close his eyes and shake his head for a moment. He'll rub his eyes with a pointer finger and thumb. ]

Y-Yes. Sorry. I-I don't know what's gotten into me. Um. M-maybe it's best if you d-did hold onto it... [ oh dear. He was not liking the effects these things were having on either him or Ginia. He looks over at Giles with a concerned expression on his face. ] I-I can...help t-too if, it you want. I-I hope everything goes s-smoothly. M-Maybe there's a way to, um, lure her into a-a binding sigil. [ It sounds terrible to think of Ginia as something to be 'lured' but binding sigils would cancel out that pesky shadow jumping and would make it easier to cut the blasted necklace off of her. ]

[Giles will be holding onto it. Even if Helios changes his mind later, Giles is holding him to this moment of clarity now. He's finding that book, and he's burying it in the yard.

Probably won't do much good, when all is said and done. But, much like the boat, at least it will buy them some time, maybe time enough to bring Ginia to bear.]

...um, how exactly would you go about s-setting one of those up, then?

[ It probably won't, no, but they have to try. Helios blinks and shakes his head. ] I just need some time, some string a piece of something belonging to Ginia, a stone and some chalk. It'll work b-better if I have something of hers. H-Hair, or-or a personal item. Anything will d-do.

[Giles looks somber, but determined all the same. It hurts to have to make these plans and calculate these risks, for Ginia of all people. But it has to be done, before the situation gets even further out of hand.]

She lives in that house just the same as us. There's bound to be some hair around the place. Unless you mentioned that such a spell was possible, I doubt even she would go to the trouble of cleaning up after herself to that degree.

[ It is painful to have to use such tactics and underhanded means against her. Ginia was like a sister to him and having to do this...

He gives Giles a solemn nod. ] I-I haven't. I-I can get everything I need for the spell easily, then. Y-You just...have to let me know if you're alright with this. [ Because he can't imagine how much pain Giles must be in right now. And he certainly won't do this unless Giles wants it done, he'll let the other man decide on that. ]

If there's no other way... [ Then this might very well be their last resort. ]

...be ready.

I, I have a few other methods I might be able to try, but...be ready.

[He won't give up on her yet. He can't. But...it might be their last resort and, if so, they can't waste it.]

What would I need to do, to draw her in?

We'll f-fix this, Giles. I-I know we can. [ Together they can probably do anything. They've beaten and overcome worse odds before. ]

Try to, um, l-lure her out by the two f-faced forest. I-I rather not cause a scene. But, um, if you can...use some things that are valuable, expensive too. That should get her a-attention.

[...

...

...almost unconsciously, Giles' hand moves into his pocket, and tightens around the old gold watch nestled safely there.]

I have something valuable.

[And if she goes for it, Giles will know that she's too far gone. If she actually steals the pocketwatch, then a binding sigil really is their only choice.]

[ Helios watches him and his movements, his green eyes ticking to the others pocket. He shakes his head. ] N-No. We-we can't use that. I-I have the mirage ring with me. Th-that'll be better.

[ He doesn't want Giles to ever give up that watch. Its significance to the both of them was well known. He frowns and then his eyebrows lift as if something dawns on him. ] I can put a tracking spell on it.

[ A smile creeps slightly over his features. ] I can put a tracking spell on it and use it like one of those...map things! [ GPS whatever. ]

[Orb]

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