(Untitled)

[holy_oats]

Is Mightily Oats in the bar?

Why, he very well may be.

To be precise, he very-well-may-be sitting at a table, reading over certain passages of the Apocrypha.*

It's that sort of evening.

*The Apocrypha is a real page-turner, dealing as it does with the imminent destruction of the earth in various unexpected ways. Among these is the boiling of

Comments

[not_one_drop]

"That's a depressing book."

He may recognize this particular vampire, watching him from her armchair by the fire.

"I mean, it's all about death and doom and destruction and despair. The letter D."

[holy_oats]

Oats blinks and looks up.

"Oh-- Miss Maladicta."

... Yep.

He forgot about the 'Mal' thing.

"I take it you've, um, read it, then?"

[not_one_drop]

"Just Mal, thanks. I left Maladicta behind a long time ago."

And then nods, grinning.

"A bit. Seemed overly black. So I tried a couple of the speculative biographies on Leonard of Quirm instead."

[holy_oats]

"Oh, um-- right. My apologies."

Mal. Mal.

He'll remember it now.

... Probably.

Oats looks somewhat disapproving on the subject of speculative biographies on Leonard of Quirm.

"I suppose they're all right, for what they are--

"The Apocrypha's not all destruction, you know. It serves its own, ah, very valuable theological purpose."

[not_one_drop]

"Tell me?"

An invitation. She curls up a little farther, watching him curiously.

[holy_oats]

... Wow.

Most people never want to know.

Oats wonders if it's possible to convert vampires to Omnianism, reasons that all things are possible with Om, and reaches the conclusion that a Black Ribboner could get through fast months easily.

"Well, um, in the context in which it was originally published, the apocalyptic literature of the Apocrypha is speculated to have been written as a veiled allegory of the contemporary political situation. Its purpose then was to present readers with an outlet for their, um, dissatisfaction."

[not_one_drop]

Mal has really had her fill of religion. Thanks, but no thanks.

"Huh. Sounds interesting. You like it, or are you just reading it because you feel you should?"

[holy_oats]

Oats smiles ruefully.

"I fell that it has special relevance at this particular time."

[not_one_drop]

"Well, at this place, yeah. And things have been odd, of late."

Shakes her head slightly.

"Allies, not enemies, are better."

[holy_oats]

He frowns.

Has someone apprised Mal of the current situation?

"I beg your pardon?"

[not_one_drop]

"It is better to ally with those who might help you."

Calmly. Levely. She's been warned, but nothing concrete.

[holy_oats]

Oats blinks.

"Oh, well ... yes, of course."

Still with the frowning.

"Do you, ah, have anyone in mind, specifically?"

[not_one_drop]

"Not really. Odd as it might seem, the vampires of the bar. They are powerful, and generally helpful."

A look of studied calm.

"When the storm breaks, it will carry all of us with it."

[holy_oats]

Oats did not know that there were multiple vampires in the bar.

He supposes it must be good for Mal to have a support group?

"Hold on a minute," he says, confused. "Do you mean ... that is, there are certain passages within the Apocrypha that allude to sudden storms of immense magnitude--"

[not_one_drop]

Sadly, most are not reformed.

Note that she does not tell him this. She has some small form of tact, after all.

"No. I was being metaphorical. At least, I think so."

Glances out the Observation Window.

[holy_oats]

Oats follows her gaze, baffled.

"... Is the window in need of repair?"

Plz no.