there's nothing in the darkness now but things the good lord made

[silverguitarhero]

[Well, that certainly was a trial. John is definitely not happy that someone just got executed for killing a vampire-he'd have done the same thing if he caught her. Not to mention there's not much food left in the kitchen either. Still, he's grabbed whatever cake is leftover from the fridge, and left a note by the dining hall door asking people to bring what they have.

He himself is sitting at one of the desks, reading slowly through his copy of The Long-Lost Friend and singing softly under his breath. There's a pile of paper sitting by him, each with charms written on them, and he's apparently flipping through the book looking for more to copy down.]

Way up on Hark Mountain
I climb all alone,
Where the trail is untravelled
The top is unknown.

Comments

[toomanybaseballs]

[Leon has a slice of cake from the dining hall.]

[He was walking back to his room when he spotted John's notes. He stares at them for a bit before commenting.]

Are you... Writing a song or something?

[silverguitarhero]

[John shakes his head.] It's a country song, one I know already. I'm writing charms for our protection, air charm I can find that may help.

[toomanybaseballs]

Oh... Uh.

[How can they be magical? Leon doesn't really get this voodoo stuff.]

[silverguitarhero]

You might call them prayers as well. [He holds up a paper with a rather elaborate diagram written on it:

I.
N. I. R.
I.
SANCTUS SPIRITUS.
I.
N. I. R.
I.

All this be guarded here in time, and there in eternity. Amen.]

To guard against witchcraft and hostile magic.

[toomanybaseballs]

[Leon's not the most religious kid in the galaxy, so skepticism is to be expected.]

And how is this gonna save us from robot pirates?

[silverguitarhero]

There's also the protection against murderers and beasts. [He holds out another paper now:

Like unto the prophet Jonas, as a type of Christ, who was guarded for three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, thus shall the Almighty God, as a Father, guard and protect me from all evil. J. J. J.]

But I thought it best to write all I could find. Even the ones for protection of livestock. [He's just...really worried now, you know.]

[toomanybaseballs]

Damn...

[Nevermind. This guy has a lot more preperation going on than he thought. But... It's mostly prayer and papers.]

... How are you supposed to use these again?

[silverguitarhero]

All that's needed for these is to keep the papers on your person.

[toomanybaseballs]

... That's it?

[He expected a lot more from these.]

[silverguitarhero]

Well, many require recitation, but these are easier for me to provide to everyone.

[toomanybaseballs]

... Oookay? Thanks?

[This sounds an awful lot like Christian voodoo, sir. Leon's not trusting that they'll actually work.]

[tokencanadian]

[Pyrrha mostly just brings herself. She saw the note as she came in, which just makes her feel worse that she has nothing to give.

That's probably why, for simplicity sake, she takes half the cake that others take, finds a seat, and gingerly picks at it.]

What does this mean for us now?

[silverguitarhero]

I don't know. But I've not done all I could. I'm going to be giving these charms to airyone I can find now. [So far, everyone who died has been someone who didn't receive one...]

[tokencanadian]

And... you think that they will help?

[silverguitarhero]

[He nods.] They've helped before, against hostile magic and creatures of darkness.

[ebonyknight]

[After everyone clears out, she comes up to Pyyrha.]

I need to speak to you privately. We should go somewhere. The library, maybe, or the gym.

[tokencanadian]

What...?

[Well, if Apollo wants to do something with her, then it must be important.

Pyrrha stands up almost immediately.]

How about the gym? There shouldn't be anyone in there now.

[ebonyknight]

Yes, that will work fine.

[She's not looking for a fight. This time. However, she nods. She's in her armor again but as soon as they're in the exercise yard/gym she takes off her helmet.

And awkwardly grabs Pyyrha's hand.]

I want to thank you.

[tokencanadian]

[She follows beside Apollo closely, and by the time they reach the exercise yard, she's once again captured by how nice the stars out there look through the glass.

But even that's not as distracting as when Apollo grabs her hand. She looks down at it, then up at the older woman's face.]

Thank me? But... what for?

[ebonyknight]

[You think it's distracting? Just wait, Pyyrha.]

I know how difficult I can be. Yet, you were able to able to calm me down after that woman riled me up.

[...] Besides that, you were the only one I've been able to vent my worries about Orchis to.

[She raises Pyyrha's hand to her mouth and she gently kisses the back of it.] For that, I thank you.

[tokencanadian]

Oh, it was... [ah

o h.

Ahem. Such a gesture was unheard of to Pyrrha before now, something she'd only read about in stories, or seen at sophisticated events. This was entirely different altogether.]

...I'm... [She fumbles over her words. Is her face red?] I was only trying to help. You were in trouble, and I...

[ebonyknight]

Still, it's not often I hear those words anymore.

[She's only seen it in such places, too. Except from Drang on occasion--when Sturm wasn't around.]

Ah.

[Oh god. What did she do--she's blushing now, too.]

[tokencanadian]

Well I really do appreciate your kindness!

[What? Oh. oh dear now she's blushing. is her face red? it must be. oh nooooo]

[a-hem] It's... just that no one ever does gestures like this for me.

[It's a different world back in Remnant.]

[ebonyknight]

No one has for me either but--

[God. Apollo is blushing hard now, too. She swallows then shakes her head. She should have kept her helmet on! But then she couldn't have kissed her hand.]

I merely thought the gesture was--ah--poetic.

[tokencanadian]

[Well, she could have, but then it would have just been weird. This is fine. Right? Right.

Pyrrha nods, a bit too enthusiastically.]

Yes! I think so too. Very poetic. Definitely... [She's still holding her hand, isn't she.] charming.