Wendesday Evening: The graveyard

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Once again Mel is in the graveyard looking for vampires.

And finding now.

At least she has someone to gab endlessly with as the check out the graveyard yet again.

"So what exactly does 'swerval' mean anyway?"

[For... well quite a few people really. But open to anyone who hangs out in graveyards anyway.]

Comments

[swerval_zero]

"Swerval's like...cool, I guess," Zero said as she peered around at the headstones. "Awesome?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Kinda like 'Rocketship'?" Mel asked. "I get ya."

[swerval_zero]

"Rocketship, yeh, y'swoo. I like that, 'rocketship," said Zero. "So, what's the swoo here?" She gestured to indicate the graveyard at large.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Just looking for some ruttin' vampires," Mel said with a slight grumble. "Toy thing is that there usually aren't any."

[swerval_zero]

"Squalls," Zero agreed. "But most of the vampires here've been pretty rocketship." Zero liked that word. She was so using it from now on. "Professor Drusilla was pretty much a brablister, though, an' Angelus tried to bite Rory that one time but he's got a soul now an's doin' much better. Also they both scarpered."

[wannabehunter]

Sure there hadn't been any reports of hauntings on the island lately, but why take unnecessary risks of one cropping up later?

Which would be why Jo was creeping into the graveyard with a shovel and a bag full of corpse burning supplies.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel gave Jo a friendly wave. "Hey. You a slayer too?"

[wannabehunter]

Jo did not start and flail, really. "Hunter," she replied, attempting to make the shovel look inconspicuous.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Hunting vamps?" Mel asked as she hopped up on a gravestone. "Not any around here but there's always hope."

[wannabehunter]

"Ghosts," Jo said. "Sometimes demons and the like." Theoretically at least.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Looks like you got the standard Winchester kit for it," Mel said with a nod towards the bag. "I haven't seen anything supernatural here but I'm game for burning a corpse if you are."

Mel definitely had a warped sense of fun.

[wannabehunter]

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Jo grinned. "Prevention is better than cure and all."

[swerval_zero]

"Erm," said Zero when she spied yet another person in the graveyard. With a shovel. "Hi."

[wannabehunter]

"Hi!" Jo chirped, trying to hide the shovel behind her back.

[swerval_zero]

That worked very well for her. "Nice shovel you've got there." Not.

[wannabehunter]

"Thanks," Jo grinned and tried to look small, blonde, and innocent.

[swerval_zero]

"In the graveyard," Zero contined. "At night. 'M sure there's a swerval explanation for that."

[wannabehunter]

"Ghosts," Jo replied, simply.

[swerval_zero]

"You're gonna hit the ghosts with a shovel?" Zero guessed. "Won't it just go right through 'em?"

[wannabehunter]

"Well, it's iron, so it'd disrupt them at least," Jo said. "But it's for digging."

[swerval_zero]

"The ghosts are underground?" Now Zero was really confused.

[wannabehunter]

"Their bodies are."

[swerval_zero]

Zero didn't see what this had to do with the actual ghosts, but she said only, "Huh. And do we have a big ghost problem in Fandom?"

[wannabehunter]

"Not yet, but always best to nip it in the bud."

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

It was probably better not to ask why Vala was out in the cemetary under cover of darkness with a set of lockpicks, a shovel, and a small penlight.

Not that she didn't have six or eight cover stories ready, of course. Most involving a man who did her wrong.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

It probably was better not to ask, but Mel was anyway. Graveyard talk was always a good conversation starter.

"Hey Teach," Mel said with wave. "Whatcha doing?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

Vala blinked, then gave Mel a wide smile and wave back. "Looking for a lost piece of jewelry. What about you? This doesn't seem like a regular student activity."

And if it was, she'd have to time her return trips better.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel shrugged. "Just looking for vampires and demons that might have made their way into town. I go out a couple of times a week. How'd you lose your jewelry in a graveyard?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"What are vampires and demons?" She asked. "And I didn't say I lost it. Although that really would have made more sense as an explanation, would it? Hmmmm." Was she going soft already?

[swerval_zero]

"Er, Professor?" Zero asked Vala. "What're you doin' here?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Looking for night-blooming jasmine to dig up." With lockpicks. Yes. "I want to make my room smell fragrant."

[swerval_zero]

"And the night-blooming jasmine grows...in the cemetary?" Zero sounded doubtful.

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"It has the best light," Vala explained, "Since there are no trees around to block the sun. Headstones." She tapped one with the blade of her shovel.

[swerval_zero]

"Riiiiight," said Zero. She figured if this professor turned out to be a crazy grave robber mad scientist or something she stood a good chance of being well off the island before her evil creation rampaged.

She would be sad for Daisy, but still. Every man, woman, or other for hirself.

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"What are you doing out here, may I ask? And I love your hair," she commented. "It's so bright and cheerful."

[swerval_zero]

Zero patted her hair. "Er. Thanks. 'M helpin' Mel hunt vampires," she said with a gesture toward the other girl. Squall, maybe this was a vampire?

[wannabehunter]

"Evening," Jo nodded to the other shovel carrying person.

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Vala greeted Jo by waving her shovel at her in what was meant to be a non-threatening manner.

[wannabehunter]

"Hunter?" Jo asked, eyeing the shovel.

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Sure, let's go with that," she nodded once.

[wannabehunter]

"You have the salt?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to cut back. Did you know it's not good for you in large quantities?"

[wannabehunter]

"For salting the corpses?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Corpses?" Vala made an "ew" face. "Why would I want to salt those?"

[wannabehunter]

"So you can burn them?"

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Can't you just kill adorable and tasty forest creatures and roast them over a fire with some vegetables like everyone else?" She asked. "Burning corpses? Does your mother know what you're up to at this hour, young lady?"

Not that she knew Ellen at all, or even that Jo had a mother in town.

[wannabehunter]

"To get rid of the ghosts," Jo said, rolling her eyes. "If you were really a hunter, you'd know that."

"If Mom knew what I was doing, she'd support me doing this." No she wouldn't.

[spacepiratevala.livejournal.com]

"Ghosts?" Vala looked at Jo like she was out of her mind. Or was trying to figure out an angle to make funds on this. "I'm just starting out. With the hunting. And oh, I forgot my gun! How silly of me."

"Really?" Again with the look.

[wannabehunter]

"Ghosts," Jo repeated, slowly, as if talking to a particularly dim child.