Voice testing for luceti and maybe eswareinmal

[consultmybooks]

Right. So, we're doing this again, then, are we?

...at least you're excited. If we both don't want this, well, what's the point? I'll be gone in another month. And I refuse to put anyone else through that again.

Certainly some interesting plans in the works. No...sorry, I meant "horrific". Yes, I'm sure that's what I meant. Yes, that includes the party. Especially if one of them takes it into their heads to make it a surprise party. And depending on when Helios decides to admit what happened over Valentine's Day. To say nothing of all the people who I know fully well are hoping for a chance to shout at me or, um, smack me. Or hit me. In some cases, probably hard enough to knock me unconscious. And, with my luck, I'll probably be tossed at one or two individuals who wouldn't mind another chance at attempting to murder me, just for the flavor, and I don't just mean Drusilla.

Still. Um...it will be nice to see Willow, again. That's...something. Still as far ahead as ever, of course, but...well, you know how it is. I can at least make that work to my advantage, this time. And I most certainly intend to.

As for the other place...all right, fine, it's a shame about the train, but you do recall that having me in two places at once never works out, yes? I don't care how much the three of you are amused by it. We would not do well in a medieval setting. They stoned people like us to death, back then.

...but, we'd, we'd be able to remember one another? Helios, a-and Ginia, and I? Fine. I, um, I suppose my tastes towards weaponry, fighting style, and reading material might finally be relevant. I can only imagine how much that news might amuse Buffy.

And I hope the fact that I very strongly protest being made a ghost is assumed. In other words, I would hope you would know better than to, um, make me argue that point with you. I don't care if it sounds interesting. Things that, um, sound interesting to you rarely end well for either of us.

Comments

[lostinmyway]

Oh, my, I'd love to go fly kites with you again! The last time was so much fun!

[It really will be. Giles didn't mean to go away, after all. She's just glad he's back in Luceti again with her, safe and sound.]

[consultmybooks]

I-It was, wasn't it? [He musters up a smile at the memory. A good day. And a good week to follow.] Especially for my first time, in...[ever]...a very long while.

Well, I'll, um, I'll be sure and pick up another pair. Sooner the better, and all that. [Oh boy, does he know that better than most, now.]

...how have you been in, in the meantime, Grune?

[lostinmyway]

Oh, I've been very good. There have been lots of exciting things happening in Luceti.

[Like her first time getting kidnapped by the Malnosso and having well over a week go missing out of her memories, but she's not going to mention that.]

[consultmybooks]

There generally are. It's, um, an exciting sort of village, at least one week out of the month.

[...verbally prodding a bit.] What sorts of exciting things? [He's worried. Can you blame him? A lot of his CR seems to have gone totally Season 6 on him.]

[lostinmyway]

Well.... I got to go visit Cecil and help him at his home. It was very exciting and I got to fly on a big ship!

[Translation: She got to go fight the final boss. And then the Malnosso fucked up her memories and made her think she had always lived in Baron and that Cecil was like a son to her. She's still recovering from the loss.]

[consultmybooks]

You got to, um, help Cecil...at his home?

[What?]

...you don't, um, mean his house in the village, do you?

[Even Grune has seemed to know the difference between "house" and "home" in the past.]

[lostinmyway]

Oh, no. I got to see where he lives.

[...Well, not actually. They didn't make it back to Baron in time. But she got to go to the moon?]

[consultmybooks]

[Of course she did.]

H-How?!

[Not exactly the best person to ask, Giles.]

We, we aren't supposed to be able to leave. Not and, um, remember anything.

And, a-and you came back to the village afterwards?

[lostinmyway]

Yes, that's right. Lots of people went to visit each other. It was something special the Malnosso did for everyone.

[consultmybooks]

Grune, the Malnosso never do something "special" for anyone unless they fully intend for it to go horribly wrong.

[lostinmyway]

Do you think so?

[consultmybooks]

From my own admittedly unfortunately personal experience, yes.

[...] Do you?

[lostinmyway]

Well, I'm sure they must want to do something nice sometimes.

[consultmybooks]

It's a theoretical possibility, certainly.

Not that I can recall any such instances at the moment.

[lostinmyway]

Can't you?

[consultmybooks]

[...to his credit, Giles actually tries to think on this.]

...being given everything for free is, um, very nice.

[lostinmyway]

It's very good when you want to give someone a nice present, isn't it?

[consultmybooks]

Or, um, failing that, finding a kite.

...and, um, the fact that they aren't actually attempting to send us home. That's...th-that's very nice of them, as well.

[lostinmyway]

Hmm.... Yes, because some people want to stay here.

[consultmybooks]

That's right.

Some of us, um, don't really have anywhere else.

[He's told her the story of Sunnydale. And what happened to him, even if he's hoped more than once that she's forgotten that.]

[lostinmyway]

[Unfortunately for Giles, Grune's memory generally works better when it comes to her friends.

Her voice is a little quieter when she replies:] Yes, that's right. So it's good you can stay here with everyone.

[consultmybooks]

[It does, doesn't it?

Even Giles can't fail to miss that slight, subtle change to Grune's normally cheery tone. He ducks his head, unable to bring himself to meet her gaze.

There's an issue that's been weighing on his mind for rather a long time. And if anyone will give him an honest answer about it, she's standing right here.]

Grune?

...do you, um, do you think that, that sometimes it's acceptable to...t-to deceive someone? To, um, to lie? As...as long as you want to help them with it?

[lostinmyway]

Oh, like not telling them about a surprise birthday party?

[That's all right, because it means they'll be very happy later.]

[consultmybooks]

S-Something like that.

...n-no, um, exactly like that. [No, Giles, not exactly like that.] Something they, um, they'd be happier not knowing about. After all, um, no one likes being told about a surprise party in advance, yes?

[...except him, of course.]

[lostinmyway]

Yes, that's right. Because then it isn't a surprise anymore.

[There. She helped Giles!]