Oz and Giles Hide Out
Title: Oz and Giles Hide Out
Author: Perry
E-mail:
icemulder@hotmail.com
Characters: Mostly Oz and Giles
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy
Productions do
Summary:
Giles pulls Oz away from researching
so the two can hide out and hang out...
Author's notes: This is from Giles' POV
I've never understood what attracted people to
mindless videogames. As I sit here and watch Xander and Buffy blow hours
and brain cells away to the computer as they hypnotically play The Sims,
I wish I could share in their enjoyment of the virtual reality world. As
it is, however, whenever I attempt to play The Sims, I become vastly agitated
and impatient before they can even accomplish urinating. Best to leave those
silly games to them. I don't work well with computers, anyway.
Willow is off in a corner of the library, reading some thick book for class.
I really wish she would make Buffy and Xander vacate the computer so she
could do some needed research, but she isn't the commanding type. Or even
the requesting type. I would make them, however she might get angry if I
try to force her do research. I suppose it would be best if I left everyone
to their own devices, go away into my office and work on updating my watcher
files.
Ahh, there we go. It isn't on the computer, but Willow has taken to researching.
She's joined Buffy and Xander at the computer table. Willow has a rather
tall stack of books for all of them to go through. Perhaps their excessive
video game play was getting to her as well.
Now that everyone is indeed researching and away from that game, I really
do have sufficient free time to do the required updating my watcher diaries
are waiting for.
His small, lost face pulls me away from evacuating to my office.
The trio are working away, talking and laughing just as any group of old
friends would, but it seems that each one of them as completely forgotten
about poor Oz. He is sitting at the very end of the table, away from the
group, his hands folded in his lap, waiting for nothing in particular. Maybe
Willow told him she would be right back or she was supposed to get him something
to read. Nonetheless, he was very much alone.
I glanced at Willow, trying to make eye contact, but she was very much wrapped
up in her conversation with Buffy and Xander.
I cleared my throat audibly, "Oz, perhaps you would be as kind as to help
me with something?" I asked him quite loudly.
I try not to smile at the sudden realization on their faces as they acknowledge
their lack of knowledge that Oz was even in the room.
He nods, obviously grateful that someone knows he's there, and follows me
into the backroom.
"They aren't always like that, are they?" I ask him, and he plays confused
for a moment, but he knows what I am talking about.
I try again, "So wrapped up in their own universe that they tend to forget
about any outsiders who are in the same planet let alone room?"
He smiles slightly, "So you've noticed, too?"
I sigh, giving him an uplifting smile, "Shall we hide out in here, and see
how long it takes them to notice our departure?" I'm not entirely serious,
however I must admit to a certain curiosity in the experiment.
He shrugs, knowing I was kidding, "Depends. Did you really have something
for me to do?"
I look around my office, unsure of a two person activity we could do, "I
might have some playing cards in one of my drawers."
"That'd be great," he begins to search, and I let him, even though I am usually
very protective of the items in my desk.
After locating the cards, he frowns, and looks out into the main room, "They
really don't care, do they?"
"Heaven, no, they care! Don't think like that every time they ignore you
or else your self esteem would be around your ankles!"
We laugh privately, and I think our laughter can be heard in the next room,
for Xander calls us out.
"Whatcha doing in there?" he asks, seemingly jealous.
Willow looks carefully at Oz, trying to apologize with her eyes, but I don't
think he quite caught on.
"We were about to play cards, actually," I hold up the card pack, "But you
all can keep researching."
Oz laughs as I close the door, and I think the others get my point. I'm usually
the one trying to get them to research, but now I want some fun. And Oz is
invited to have the fun with me.
We can hear their muffled talking as we begin to play, actually, we are only
dealing and trading cards back and forth, for neither of us know of any games
to play.
I attempt to teach Oz poker, but Buffy slides into the office before I can
get my point across.
"Okay you guys, what's going on? I'm perfectly fine with you playing cards,
but shouldn't you be researching like the rest of us?"
Obviously, she didn't get my point.
"Oz and I deserve to have a little fun while you all research instead of
the other way around. You were all so giggly that Oz and I might as well
have never existed, and even though that might as well be perceived as selfish,
frankly I don't care."
"Whoa, whoa," Buffy held her hands up, "Sorry Giles, didn't mean for you
to get all huffy. Play as much cards as you want!"
As Buffy slammed the door behind her, Oz turned to me, "Should we be joining
in the research now? They could revolt."
I shrug, as much as I don't want to give in and join the researching, I know
that my little selfish tantrum isn't saving the world one little bit.
"I suppose it would be best to research," I sigh, getting up from the desk.
Oz nods, and reaches to open the office door, "But," he says, looking around
the office, "If we don't want to divulge our cover, we could research in
here, use your books."
I glance back at my private bookshelf, not something I'd share with a student,
but Oz isn't any normal student. Not only would we seem like we were having
fun, we'd also very much aid in world-saving.
For the next hour, Oz and I laugh and talk, making it seem like we're having
a grand old time. I'm not sure if Buffy and the others are jealous, and after
we realize we've been in the back office for over 2 hours, I start to wonder
if they are even still in the library.
I step out, searching for the trio. When they are nowhere to be found, I
usher Oz out of my office and we begin to call out for them.
Alas, it was past midnight and they had gone home, or so said a letter they
left on top of a pile of they're research notes.
"Think Willow's angry?" the boy asks me as he reads over the note again.
"No, I think she might be a twinge upset, but nothing she should hold against
you for a long period of time.
He smiles, and taps the computer consol, "Think they were all researching?
Seems like they've gotten a little farther in the Sims than they have in
cross-referencing.
"Buffy and Xander were quite addicted to that game," I agree, noting silently
that all the research papers seem to be in Willow's handwriting.
"I've never understood what attracted people to mindless videogames," Oz
states quite simply and honestly.
Myself, I was astounded at how perfectly he had mirrored my earlier thoughts.
I know I really have something in common with this boy.