milliways_bar | (no subject)

Gil comes across, covered plate in hand and eyes the fox with affectionate sadness.

"Hi there," he says.

The fox looked up.

"Hello, Gil," he said, purple eyes sad as well. Perhaps there were at least some cuddles forthcoming?

Gil scooped him up and sat down and put the fox on his lap.

"happy birthday," he said, uncovering the dish and displaying various nicely trimmed bits of meat and offal - the sort to gladden any canine's heart.

The fox cuddled up to Gil, glad to be in his lap, and touched a cold nose to his hand.

"Thanks," he said, quietly, and took a bit of meat from the dish. It was very tasty for him; a fox's birthday dinner.

Gil took his comb from his pocket and, as the fox ate, began to groom him very carefully.

"This colour purple really suits you, Sooty," Gil said. "Maybe we ought to have some bed-hangings made. Ready for the winter."

The fox looked up from his food.

"That feels wonderful, Gil; you are spoiling me," he said. "And bed-hangings sound good; to curl up for the winterin our large room. You think you'll get enough hair out of my fur to make one?" he joked.

"If I ever get rid of this curse. Guppy has a theory, you know."

"Has he?" Gil grins, ready to be entertained because, while he loves Guppy dearly, some of his other theories have been a bit - wild.

"Yes, one that Giles came up with, you know, the researcher from Faith's world that I let into the library? He was worth it. There are lots of people affected, and it's the Other Tim that has done it, far as we know. The one I went off to fight without talking it over with you? Guppy said there would be a new battle, even," Asar-Suti said, turning over so Gil could groom his side.

"So I should damn well think," Gil says mildly. "Where does that jerk-wad get off cursing people? Why couldn't he just stay dead like he was supposed to?"

"They never do, in here; and we're glad we got Meg back, didn't we?" Asar-Suti said. "I hope it's work. And then we make bed-hangings and properly snuggle up for winter..."

Gil snorts. "If you want a job done properly," he said, "you gotta be prepared to do it yourself. I'll go a supervise."

He grins. "Someone might need someone to hold their coat - or reload - or something."

The fox turned his head and looked at Gil, eyes glowing with purple godfire. "You'd do that?" he said. "You'd go and fight for me?"

Gil raised both eyebrows. "I never said a word about fighting," he said. "Not a word. Though if the smarmy git tries anything I'll break his arm off at the neck."

"No, you're right, you didn't," Asar-Suti said. "But I'm glad about it, nevertheless. He'll be mince meat when you're through with him. You can feed him to, erm, those that like that sort of thing..."

"Eeeww, that would be a very stringy gamey sort of meat," Gil says. "No we'll leave him to biodegrade properly. those nice little stripey beetles, Gil Grissom would know their Latin names I'm sure, need to eat like everyone else."

"And if there aren't enough stripey beetles wherever you put him down, we'll ask Gil Grissom to contribute a few," Asar-Suti said, with gusto.

"That's right Sooty," Gil agreed and continued to groom him.

The fox closed his eyes in contentment.

Pity foxes could't purr...

One Guppy, who will need to slowtime.

"Hello Sooty. I was getting worried you'd gone off and dug a hole somewhere."

"I felt like it," Asar-Suti assured him. "I feel so stupid. Did you find out anything?"

"You aren't stupid. There have been curses flying around all over the place. The victims are in double figures and range from slight discomfort to two in a coma. Giles left me a note this morning saying the Other was behind it, and that there's going to be another battle. Hopefully I'll be able to get there this time. I'm going to ask Bar to Bind me if necessary, so I can be here."

He looks tired and worried. "How are you? Any changes?"

"The Other? You mean, the one we fought for Tim, in spring? But he was dead..." Asar-Suti said. "You mean, he'd have taken revenge on me for that now? How did he do that?"

"Yes that Other. I don't know any other Others. And all I've heard is what Giles has told me. He says there's a correlation with victims. Oh, and I almost forgot."

He puts a parcel and card in front of Asar-Suti.

"I did the string so you can untie it with your teeth. Happy Birthday."

It is a King Kong mug.

The fox put his paw on the parcel, pulled with his teeth, and undid the bow - and laughed, a high, delighted bark.

"That is wonderful, Guppy - thanks ever so much. So you're confident the Other will be beaten again, an I'll get my usual shape back, as it's a mug and not a bowl?"

"Absolutely. If the worst comes to the worst and everything else fails, I'll kick him in the balls and you can rip his head off when he bends over."

[ooc: Sorry about that. When I got back from dinner some unprintable obscenities had unprintable obscenitied up the kitchen.]

The fox laughed a barking laugh. "Hey, how do they say? Way to go? Way to go, Guppy!"

Guppy grins. "Yeah, something like that."

He rubs his forehead. "I'm just glad you're still okay. When I couldn't find you the last few days I was rather worried. Is all your other magic stuck as well?"

"I was hiding," Asar-Suti admitted. "I was being sorry for myself."

"Careful Sooty. You're starting to sound like me."

He puts one hand gently on the soft fur. "Please try not to worry. Everything will be sorted out and people will be able to get back to normal."

The foxx laughed his barking laugh.

"Yes, you are right; that is normally my line!"

Guppy smiles before the worried frown reasserts it's authority as top facial expression.

"When this is sorted out, is there any chance I could look at any books on recognising magical diseases? It took me two days to even think of magic in Peter's case, and my ignorance nearly killed him. If I'd got properly organised we could have been two days ahead in finding help for him."

"Yes, you can," Asar-Suti said. "I have some basic textbook for healers I copied from the library at St. Mungo's in Gil's world, when Gil was so sick, around Easter," he added. "And as you're dealing with Milliways, magic is a fact of life for you by now, so why hide it? I can rely on your not looking in the Ihlini Grimoires or the Monster Book Of Monsters, after all."

The Monster Book had once bitten Guppy; he would remember.

"No fear! The medical one isn't going to bite my nose is it? I'd think twice before approaching any book in there, and even then it would be with a big stick."

He rubs his nose just thinking about it.

"Just some common signs would be useful. Things to look for."

"No, medical books don't bite. Not even the magical ones," Asar-Suti assured him.

"Good, because even if I learn to recognise these things, I don't think I'd be able to heal myself. Or anyone else for that matter."

"But then you sooner know when to cal for a magical healer," Asar-Suti pointed out.

"Exactly, that's the point. I was an idiot not to expect magic in here. I should have looked for a mage as soon as I couldn't find anything wrong with Peter instead of wasting all that time looking for a disease that I knew perfectly well wasn't there."