ic; salt inbox - guest au

[ripher]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK

USERNAME: GILES

text ❖ audio ❖ video

note: this inbox is a choose not to warn experience and may contain nsfw threads

AU INFO

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✉️ — note.

[unapparent]

[ Giles’ first day back at the manor is a strange one, at least for Alicent, chiefly because she fails to catch his arrival — waylaid by another guest — and can’t seem to find him at dinner. A butler informs her that he retired early after a lush lunch. Right. Of course.

And so, with bottled water from the Scottish Highlands and a pack of extra strength paracetamol — ]

Welcome back, Rupert.

💋 Allie.

[ripher]

[ Thank god for kind women. When he wakes up and sees the note and the painkillers, Giles knows he doesn't deserve it. But he's glad to see it anyway.

Since she'll be too busy to look at her phone during the day, he just leaves a note addressed to her on the desk in the steward's office: ]

Dearest Allie,

As ever, I am indebted to you within five minutes of arrival. You must be rushed off your feet with all of this chaos but I should very much like to see you and catch up. I'd welcome your company, any time you should like to stop by.

Yours, as always,

Rupert

📞 — ring, ring.

[unapparent]

[ alicent speaks as soon as he picks up, without so much as a hello. ]

I know I started it with all this note nonsense — [ softer, ] — but you can call me, Rupert.

[ snapped to the side, then, her hand muffling the mic. ] Christ alive, straighten that up.

[ ahem. ]

For you, dear, I’ll pick up. [ a beat. ] How are you keeping?

[ripher]

[ The smile on his face is clear in his tone. ]

Allie. I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry. [ Though he knows she will anyway. ]

You must be at your wit's end with all of this chaos. I can't remember seeing the house so busy. I hope the old stick [ That is, Silco. ] is helping you out.

[unapparent]

What better tool to beat back the dogs?

[ though she dislikes the word in her mouth, tool, so she adds, ]

Don’t be jealous. [ of? ] He dislikes everyone equally. I’m glad it’s not just me, as you say, with this crowd. Do you think it too much? We don’t want to be like Mallorca or bloody Santorini.

[ too busy. ]

text @frank farmer

[advertising]

( buffy is a handful. he'll really have to thank alicent after all this is over. he only drops updates once a week, to not only slow any repetition and redundancy, but because she runs him pretty ragged on her time. but giles knew she would, didn't she. )

Buffy trained five days this week in the morning. She's been balancing her meals. Making friends. Doing what I hope is your version of staying out of trouble, but maybe it's mine. She wants to know if I'm on duty for the casino party or if I get to "let loose." You point, I'll shoot. So-to-speak.

Also, I'm 99% sure she signed me up for the bachelor auction. So there's that.

[ripher]

Very good.

Regarding the party - I don't care what you get up to as long as you're still capable of doing your job. I hired you for your ability to keep an eye on my daughter no matter the situation. I assume you can do that?

[advertising]

Yes sir. There isn't anything she does that I won't know. Things get out of hand, I'll step in. Sort the situation.

I come highly recommended. You have nothing to worry about.

[ripher]

I should hope so, I'm paying enough.

Your room is adequate, I hope?

[advertising]

Room's great. I don't have any complaints. Thanks for asking.

( He also wouldn't complain to Giles, that would be unprofessional. If he wanted another kind of room, he actually has a few options for bedrooms to share. )

And don't worry about me or my accommodations. I'm here for Buffy, and I'm guessing, to keep one eye on your other kid?

@sstrange

[rehandle]

Would you be upset with me if I killed Jonty off before he could throw another birthday party?

[ripher]

I think Portia is the person you'd want to look out for, old man. I seem to remember she's rather a good shot with a toasting fork.

[rehandle]

Well, that'd be one way to avoid the next full house.

Welcome back.

[ripher]

Indeed. I'd rather forgotten how small a big house can become. There's children everywhere.

Where have they put you?

[rehandle]

And all convinced they're grown.

The old usual. I can't decide if they thought it would be a comfort or a kick in the teeth. You?

[bronze]

( it is lateish at night — to buffy, the perfect time to blast music from her stereo speakers, loud enough to bleed into giles' adjoining room. her door is locked. part of her is pretty sure if the door wasn't a courtesy for bathroom privacy, he dad would've taken it off its hinges by now.

in any case. she turns the volume up louder on welcome to the black parade, and waits. yes, she's doing it for attention. no, she won't admit that. )

[ripher]

[ Having been the target of 90% of Buffy's attention seeking behaviour for most of the last year, Giles is more than used to enduring the thumping and screeching of her music at ungodly hours. Usually, however, he has more house (and the additional buffer of Dawn) between him and the noise.

He endures it for three more tracks, then attempts a loud "BUFFY, FOR GOD'S SAKE" in the general direction of her room. When that doesn't work, he sighs, sets aside his glasses and the book he's reading, and walks out of his bedroom and through their adjoining bathroom. He's not amused to find the door between them locked, another flouting of his rules, so perhaps he thumps his fist against it a little harder than he needs to. ]

Buffy! Open this door at once!

text 📚 @AUBADE

[chipped]

Hello Father Pops?

Hi Dad.

Hope your flight was good!

I have a reading at the pub tomorrow night if you're not busy. Think you might like this one.

But no pressure. Obviously. If you are busy. Just wanted to extend the invite.

[ripher]

[ Giles hesitates over the message, letting it sit on read for an hour or so before he composes a reply. ]

William, it's good to hear from you. I'll absolutely come to your poetry reading. Is it a new work? Or one of the poems you've sent me?

cw light emeto mention

[chipped]

[ william spends most of that hour trying not to puke from anxiety 😔 ]

Wonderful. Can't wait to see you. How're you and Buffy settling in?

It's fresh. From the manuscript I'm polishing for Iowa.

[ripher]

As well as could be expected in this den of iniquity. [ (Affectionate.) ] Remind me to introduce you properly to Jonty before his party.

How are you faring? I hope it's not too much at once.

text, @strawberry

[wicka]

Hey
They said I have to talk to you again

[ripher]

Yes, that would be the idea.

Did something happen?

[wicka]

Did u see the "artist" at that stupid birthday party

[ripher]

Unfortunately. I don't know what Jonty was thinking.