Status Quo Bias

[madimpossibledreamer]

Fun thing I had to double-check for Giles: he’s also Oxford-educated, so there’s a little easter egg for you.
finished writing this at 11:57 so that's. a thing.
i think the 'paperwork's a bitch' line is a play on 'payback's a bitch' but who knows mulder's mind.

 

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/X-Files (The Truth is Out There {Stranger than Fiction})
Summary: Scully and Mulder talk to (and slightly interrogate) Giles.
Word Count: 1346
Rating: Teen

 

        “I’m Mulder; this is Scully,” he decides to introduce himself as they enter the library. He even flashes his badge. He’s pretty sure Scully’s rolling her eyes at his dramatics by now, and she has a right to do so, but he does figure it’s the fastest way.
        Unfortunately, the Englishman isn’t too impressed. He looks like one of Mulder’s professors at Oxford. “So,” he states dryly, “...you informed me earlier tonight. I’m more interested in whether either of you would have happened to gather anything to give insight on what is currently occurring outside? It sounds a sight more rowdy than it should.”
        He exchanges a glance with Scully. “The town being quiet isn’t exactly what we’ve heard. You’re Giles, right?”
        “Now, really, this isn’t the time to play games…” the man starts, and then does a double-take, eyes wider behind his glasses. “You’re prone to jokes, Alex, but—Willow wouldn’t go along with this, would she?”
        “I can’t tell you if she would, but Dana Scully would,” Scully responds dryly. “We were told that this town is dangerous. Why would you expect otherwise?”
        As if on autopilot, Giles turns around and goes to his office, and Mulder and Scully follow. It’s a little amusing to watch him grab his kettle, but then, Mulder definitely had a couple acquaintances who were of the opinion that tea could solve any problem. It’s a state of mind he can almost get behind, even if he’d prefer it iced. And then there’s someone else he knows whose stress relief ran in an entirely different direction, but...he’s trying not to think about that one.
        “It’s traditionally a day of rest for anything we’d be facing,” Giles explains a little absent-mindedly.
        Which is a fascinating concept, because it doesn’t gel with anything Mulder knows. The whole idea of dressing up in costume is usually an effort to try to ‘blend in’ with the spirits and prevent them from noticing you, a day when the veil between the human world and the spirit world thins. Then again, he’d come to the conclusion that not all folk stories hold the truth, only many of them.
        “You’re not here for my charge?” he adds anxiously. He might be a very convincing liar, but it reads as genuine.
        “Who hasn’t shot a vampire in their time?” Mulder jokes in response. “...Okay, not often. The paperwork’s a bitch.”
        “I suspect we wouldn’t have jurisdiction,” Scully adds, ever the practical one, but her tone turns harder. “That being said, we do have some questions: specifically, why are you letting teenagers fight your battles?” Mulder had honestly expected her to take the non-confrontational approach, but then, she has good reason to ask questions about that little bit of information. With the way the man sighs, he’s at least aware of the problem and agrees it’s one, even if he hasn’t actually changed it.
        “If I could help, I would. I...do what I can, in my own way, but my talents do not lie in physical arts. Which, I am sure, seems strange to you, because you likely do not know the legend of the Slayer. One girl chosen in all the world, imbued with the strength and healing necessary to stand against these beings of darkness and, for the most part, emerge unscathed.” He sounds—defensive, sure, but he believes it. Which doesn’t mean it’s true.
        Scully’s response says that she might, if she believes any of this, but that she doesn’t think it lets this man off the hook. “Why is there only one?”
        Giles blinks at that, taking a sip of the tea. It’s mostly a stalling tactic because he’s not quite sure how to respond, and he might be kicking himself for not having asked himself the question before now. Neither of them are surprised when he answers, “...I...don’t know.”
        “Maybe you should find out,” Mulder suggests gently.
        “It will be difficult. The origins are potentially lost to time…” He’s making excuses partially, Mulder would guess, to excuse himself from having gone looking in the past. If there’s nothing to find, then looking would have been a waste of time. But the light in his eyes says that a part of him sees—and likes—the challenge.
        “So you’re...logistics? An expert?” Mulder prompts, and Giles starts a little, having gotten lost in his own world trying to figure out how he’d even approach the topic.
        “Er, well, yes. I procure weapons and books with which to narrow down the latest threat.” He nods toward a few volumes in his office, one of which very definitely says ‘demonology’ on the cover. That’s honestly a little more straightforward than Mulder would have thought it would be. It’s kind of surprising, too, that some PTA hasn’t thrown a fit over this already. Or the man they’d seen leaving earlier. Who is actually...kind of relevant here, but there’s one more question before they get to that.
        “And, uh…” There’s no good way to put this, is there? “...These kids.” He gestures vaguely at himself and Scully, wincing at the awkwardness. “The Slayer is probably the one Angel went to go find, right? So why are they involved?”
        Giles takes off his glasses to clean them. He really doesn’t like thinking about any of this, does he? “I tried to dissuade them from helping, but I am not a parent myself. I have absolutely no experience in telling children not to do something and being in any way effective. And, I reasoned, it is probably better to at least have some idea of where they are and a modicum of supervision rather than have them attempt to do any of this on their own.”
        “You’re at least making sure they’re getting self-defense lessons?” Scully presses, and it seems like there’s a lot about this whole arrangement that Giles hadn’t ever thought to examine in greater detail despite being the responsible adult in the situation. Still, it looks like they’re making him think, which will hopefully help.
        “If you’re worried about them picking fights, one of the things they focus on is knowing when to fight. It won’t be just you trying to tell them.” It’s also something they’d been taught in the FBI. Still, as much as Scully wants her answers now, continuing to press for them won’t help, so Mulder just moves on, letting Giles think about that on his own. “To answer your question, everyone’s turning into their Halloween costumes. I’d say ‘except Angel’, but I don’t think he dressed up to begin with.”
        “Ah. No, he wouldn’t.” He’s a little awkward about the other man, but learned to trust him. Good to know.
        “There was a man when we arrived, though.” Scully steps in to continue the story smoothly. “Balding, somewhat short, wearing a suit and tie. He was verbally blaming the students. Would he have engineered this somehow as a punishment?”
        Given the look on Giles’ face the moment she starts describing the man says he knows exactly who they’re talking about without the need for further explanation. “That, unfortunately, was Principal Snyder, and much as I would like to blame him for these events, I doubt it. I don’t think he would even know where to begin, and would probably think this draws far too much negative attention to the students and therefore his own reputation. It is likely some kind of spell, but as for determining the source…” A sudden realization has him looking a lot more urgently worried than he had been previously. “Buffy was also wearing a costume. She may have come under the influence of the spell as well, particularly as the two of you are also affected. I vowed that I would never again do this, but seeing as the matter might be more dangerous than I first realized...how would the two of you like to participate in a ritual to get to the heart of this matter?”
        “Oh, boy, it’s not even my birthday.” Mulder might be joking, but he’s completely genuine, and at least that gets across.