14 . winter catch-all

[necrolord]

Who: John Gaius and company.
What: As the cold sets in, the God of Necromancers gets restless.
When: Late November through December
Where: Gaze and the Sleeper Farm.

Content Warnings: Tagged in headers as needed. Note all the usual warnings of this character.

Comments

[justoscar]

Yeah.

[He said tightly, trying to put on a brave face while he squirmed internally. This needed to be done-- but he was hurting and he generally didn't like being touched.

Turning his face away, he pouted.]

Don't fuck with magic books. Destroy them on sight-- that's what my teacher said. He was just a guy, but this was one thing he was serious about.

[necrolord]

Magic books, huh.

[ Oscar turns away like a kid preparing for a shot, so John makes it simple: he reaches out, plain and gentle, and touches his arm just above the wound. The kick of healing is a bright flare of nothing, sharp and citric, and the skin knits itself cleanly shut. ]

All magic books? What's the story there?

[justoscar]

[The healing injuries itched under John's touch, and Oscar did his best not to squirm and recoil away. Not watching helped-- much like it would for a kid, indeed.]

Gerry didn't give me a lot of details,

[He explained, reaching out with his other hand to gently rub Diggs snout. The omen, now returned to its smaller form, hovered nearby and kept a watchful eye on John. Both boy and omen were alike in being careful... although, they could perhaps be a little moreso.

Oscar continued:]

All he said was to burn any book that said it belonged to the collection of Jurgen Leitner on sight. He was one of those guys who liked heavy metal, wore all black and these big, heavy boots, and always had his hair dyed black. He even helped me dye mine, once.

[Frowning at the bittersweet recollections of one of the first adults he had trusted outside of Remnant, Oscar finally looked up at John. His hazel eyes were bright and serious, even in the dim lighting.]

The book this time said it belonged to the Archivist. I don't know who that is, and I had told my friend to burn it anyway.

...Turns out they didn't.

[necrolord]

Jurgen Leitner, [ he echoes, thoughtful. It gives them something easy to say while he works and while Oscar pulls a brave face about it. ] Doesn't ring a bell. Love the style, though, I'm always more willing to listen to a guy who knows what he wants.

[ The arm is mended. John looks back down at him, matches that bright gaze with his own dark eyes. ]

Never Mind, you think? I'll confess I'm not his biggest fan.

[justoscar]

...I haven't really paid attention to that stuff.

[Oscar admitted, slowly daring to look in that direction once more. He couldn't fully read John's dark gaze, but the acknowledgement of his warning was reassuring. At least now he didn't feel like he was just throwing rocks into the ocean.]

The magic here worries me, so I haven't looked too much into it. I'm more concerned about gardening, and making sure my family has enough food for the winter.

And, after Gerry's warning? I didn't want to mess with anything that looked too weird. Especially if it looked like a book.

[necrolord]

[ Oscar looks back at him, something a little steadier in it, and John exhales. ]

Can't fault you for that.

[ He claps the kid on the arm, a sort of there, that's done, and steps away. The shirt's a loss, but at least he won't go home hurting. It's funny, remembering he's on the books here as a healer. ]

Your friend catches fire again, you can let me know. I'll be here.

[ Apparently. For all that he hates it; for all that it's more than he can bear; for all that he knows there's a boy melting down, half a town away, and that it's too broken to mend. Everything is.

But maybe, sometimes, he can still play Jesus as consolation prize. ]