Counting bodies like sheep.

(OOC: Random title is random.)

Aurora had walked back to the rectory. She was slowly counting the demon traps. As she tried to remember where they were. Writing it down on her hand, For back up. How many would there be... Aurora shook her head.
She'd probably forget all..soon...She feared. Shaking her head again. And Thomas was no where to be found..

Frollo had barely had the time to leave the empty kithcen before he spotted a familiar blonde woman in the hallway.
"Aurora," he called gently as he walked towards her. She looked rather bewildered and lost, even if this was where she had spent her whole existence since the attack. What she could possibly look for he didn't know, but he gave her an equally confused look back.
"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked and crossed his arms over his chest. The cold and tiredness was getting to his old body.

Aurora was surprised as she shot up looking at Priest Frollo. ''O-Oh...erh..'' She stuttered..What did she have to tell him? Lying to the priest was almost something when lying to god...Aurora felt bad inside. As she noticed the cross hanging around the priests neck. She clenched her teeth. Steal something the priest. Her stomach twisted inside, ''I...I wanted to ask you something..'' She said as she took a deep breath, Was this really worth it...? Aurora bit her lower lip, Was she really going to lie to Frollo?

He cocked his head to the side in curiousity. Often had he seen lost souls in this state who came to him for confession of their sins, but somehow he doubted this was the case with Aurora. In all the years he had known her she had never struck him as a sinner, and the sins she had confessed had always been small. He let his hand slide under her chin, lifting her head gently to make her look at him.
"What is it child?" he asked, his voice filled with concern for her reactions.

Aurora widen her eyes as Frollo lifted her head. ''I-I..'' As she was almost forced to look up at him. What to say now..? Okay breath, Try to think..Why would you need his necklace...? Aurora looked down with her eyes as far as she could. ''Erhm...I felt that..I'm losing..my way..And I-I am confused...C-could you please give me advice...?'' She asked looking back up at him.
''I feel like..I'm losing my.. Connection with god..'' And now? How are you going to talk yourself out of this..?

He looked down at her, trying to catch her eye, but his attempts failed. He sighed, sharing her pain and hugged her as tight as his brittle bones could. There was nothing for him to do to help, the journey with God was a journey his people must make on their own. He just wished he could help.
"These are hard times indeed dear," he told her as he stroked her hair and let go of her. Of course this was not normal behavior of a priest, but from the years they had known each other and the insane situation this was the least he could do to help her uncertainties.
"But you must never lose faith in He who can save us all, if not on Earth then in a better place. God have mercy for you my dear, and though times are hard and hope is frail, your bravery and courage shall all be rewarded by the gates of Heaven," he said softly as he pulled away from her again, taking a step back. He had already held her for longer than what seemed appropriate. "May you never doubt that for a second dear," he told her.

Aurora widen her eyes when Frollo suddenly hugged her. Aurora felt so bad..She couldn't do this..She couldn't lie to him. It just felt wrong..As Aurora was glad he finally took a step backwards. ''T-Thank you for your kind words..'' She said as she gave him a nod.
Looking to the side. ''Do we have enough Demon traps too keep the demons outside?'' Asking with some uncertainty. Looking at the necklace of Frollo still. Not wanting to look him right in the eye as she felt rather uncomfortable.

He nodded as an answer, but overlooked the hall to make sure. No demon could enter here without being trapped in at least one of them.
"And we have many a man willing to test new entries with both holy water and salt in hand. You are safe here, child," he said and smiled at her. Obviously she was scared, he didn't know a single human who was not. Even he was, though he composed himself to calm others. However, they were safe her. If only just for now, they could hide safely behind the walls of the rectory.

Aurora bit her lower lip. She was safe here...Yeah...Sure..Aurora sighed. As she folded her arms, A shiver being sent through out her spine. She was not safe. She almost sold her soul to a demon..Well her body that was. And god wasn't there to help her. She looked at Frollo. ''S-Sir..I don't feel that..God is protecting us...'' She finally said. ''I-I mean..'' She looked down quickly. Being raped by a demon..Her virginity being taken by that demon. Her Lower lip shaking as she tried to hold back tears that were filling her lost eyes.

He smiled kindly at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"We are past the stage of calling me sir, are we not?" he asked kindly to take her mind off the more serious matters for only a second.
"Must I remind you the Lord's ways are mysterious. Though the Devil grants us pain and suffering, God shall relieve us of all of it in the time to come, either by freeing your human body, or by welcoming your soul to his Kingdom. Never may you be afraid, for you thread the path to his realm." It was something Aurora had been told too many times before, and he was afraid this time it was not sufficient, but it was all he could do to try.

Aurora looked at Frollo. As he said they were out the stage of sir. She didn't reply to that..As she listened to his words, She had heard them before. But as the days went by the seemed less and less true. ''But..What if...A demon...Took something away from you..That you can never get back..?'' She asked, Still not facing him.

Frollo looked at her intently, let it not be true. They had already lost one, he would not stand by and watch as others were lost.
"Do not tell me you dealt with a demon dear. Please say it's not true, I beg of you." His eyes were pleading as he stared for her reaction. Her words had seemed so obvious, and yet he could not make himself believe them, not so shortly after the first soul had been lost.
"Do you not realize how precious your soul truly is?" he asked in a hushed voice as he took a step closer to her, eliminating any small distance that was already between them. He ought to speak quietly about this, in case she did not wish others to know of what she had done.

Aurora shook her head. ''N-No I didn't..'' She said as she dared too look at him slightly. ''I didn't sell my soul..I would never..'' She assured him. As she looked down again. ''They just took something else..'' She said as she was getting nervous with him being so near her. She Stepped backwards slightly.

They must have killed someone close to her, he thought, though he would not know who. Never had he seen her particularly close to anyone from the church. Though friendly with everyone she had never grown close bonds. A shame he thought, and a true shame it was.
"Demons can deprive us of the most precious of things my dear," he said, the words choking him. He knew all too well the hatred and sorrow following the loss of someone. "A fire they say killed her, and a fire it was who engulfed her body, yet it was not a fire which killed my sister," he said, looking at her to make sure she realized the meaning of his words. Never had he admitted to his sister's death before this day, but at this point there was no longer any reason to keep it hidden, no one who would believe him insane if he spoke of the truth. She would understand.
"Some things are learnt the hard way, to be sure, but there are many a thing which can be ripped from our hands as easily as it has been given to us. Life is frail, and beauty, love and happiness nothing more than sand between our fingers. The more we clutch it, the more it seems to escape our grip. Much can be taken away, yes, but you must never loose heart nor soul, for that is the only thing which is truely yours. No one and nothing can deprive you of that, nor hope. Nothing kills hope my dear, the way nothing kills love. Trust me, one day this shall all be over, whichever way it shall end."

Aurora couldn't agree more with him, Though she didn't really try to continue her story, She looked up at him when he told about his sister. ''T-than we have something in common...'' She looked down again. ''F-Frollo..'' She said weakly. ''We've both lost a sister than..'' She sighed. Wrapping her arms around her. ''there are many a thing which can be ripped from our hands as easily as it has been given to us. Life is frail, and beauty, love and happiness nothing more than sand between our fingers. The more we clutch it, the more it seems to escape our grip.'' Now to mention..She hadn't seen Thomas for a while now. Maybe her deal was just foolish...As she kicked some rocks. ''I hope so..I don't want to live my whole life trapped, Fearing for those creatures out there..'' She said as she looked over her shoulder. ''Have you seen Thomas somewhere?'' She asked rather afraid of hearing the answer.

He smiled, able to give her some good news.
"I am sure I heard the sound of his voice not too long ago. Surely he must still be in the sanctuary," he said, still smiling softly down on her. There was not much he could take joy and happiness from in times like these, and so he took the chance to smile whenever it appeared before him. Even a small delight was a rare treasure now, and he clung to it with all he was.

Aurora smiled lightly. ''I'm glad..'' She looked slightly up, ''Sir...eh...Frollo..Have you ever fought against demons?'' Maybe a foolish question but she was actually pretty curious if he ever did, She hadn't seen him out his chambers allot..Maybe he was trying to guard the supplies?

He thought back to the only time he did, all those years ago, and his smile quickly disappeared.
"Once," he answered truthfully. "But I was unprepared, uneducated, and blinded by tears over my sister's death." Truth be told, he had only ever managed to hit the creature once, at the time unaware that such a thing could never hurt them. The whole thing had been ridiculous looking back at it, and it almost shamed him, but he assumed it was a normal human reaction, and he had not known then what he knew now.
"They are fearsome creatures truly, I take it you know so yourself. Those dark eyes haunts me in the night even to this day."

Aurora nodded. ''I'm unprepared very often...They seem to appear when you least expect it..'' She said as she moved her feet nervously. ''is that why you stay in your chambers so much? To fear they might attack you again..?'' She asked but foolish to ask such a thing again. She bit her lower lip as she looked down again. Feeling nervous somehow,

It was something cowardy and horrible she accused him of, but he only smiled and shook his head.
"Fear is constant, yet we can not let our actions be ruled by it," he told her. "No, I stay where my people needs me, yet even I must one day out to fear the terrors that lie beyond the walls," he said as he led his hand up to touch the silver cross around his neck.
"Once I march, I will have Him with me, and nothing can stop us, not even death."

Aurora looked up as she bit her lower lip. Hearing him talk about god being by his side broke the final piece inside her tiny body. She looked down. Trying to avoid eyecontact wich would lead to more tears as she shook slightly. Covering her face with both hands.
"I'm sorry.." She said with a shaking voice. "But how can god be at my side.. W-when there's a demon who raped me stole my virginity. Who hunts down every living human, and I made a deal with him so he wouldn't harm Thomas. And now I'm his personal slave... He promised me strength.." As she spoke she had looked up into Frollo's eyes. "And shouldn't god have protected me from this demon? Shouldn't he have told me no.. Don't do that. Or am I just too weak and stupid to even question God himself." She finally spoke breaking down in tears as she shivered. Seeming somehow she couldn't keep secrets from Frollo anymore. And she felt so lost now... "I-I am so sorry Sir...." She stuttered. "So so sorry." She shook her head, looking down.

"But I I I do u-understand if you don't want to see me again or want tto ban me from the church because I'm sure going to hell for thiiiiisss..." She cried at last. "I am so sorry for keeping something from y-you.."

He was shocked at her words, but how often had he not had to listen to the confessions of people's sins? He kept his face despite the surprise.
"Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance." He quoted the bible, which she knew so well, but he felt the story of the lost sheep felt well in this situation.
He took her in his arms, taking off the silver cross he wore and put it on her instead. It seemed she needed it far more than he did now.
"Even the brightest of suns have eclipses, that does not mean the sun is not still there. As long as you keep faith, and repent your sins, I shall promise you Hell will never have you in its grasp. You are no longer a lost sheep, for you have confessed. Look at me."
He took her chin in his hand and lifted it to make her look him in the face. Seeing her heartbroken face made his own heart break.

When Thomas reached the hall of the rectory, the last person he expected to see was Frollo.
The priest had never left his quarters before and he hoped nothing serious had happened.
It wasn't until he saw him with Aurora that a twinge of jealousy struck.
He, however, quickly pushed that away as all his worries disappeared and he ran over to hug her.
"Aurora. Thank God that you're alright! I was so worried," he smiled and kissed her cheek.
He couldn't help notice the look of despair on her face and wondered if she had been worried about him or if something more serious had occurred in his absence.
"What happened? Are you okay?" He wiped away her tears with his thumb, wanting to kiss her right there which he would have had Frollo not been standing there.
For some odd reason, the priest's presence made Thomas shy of displaying romantic affections in public.
"Hello Father. Am I interrupting something?" He asked instead.

/Ooc: That event in the banner didn't really happen right?\

Aurora bit her lip when Frollo quoted the bible, she wanted to belive the words, but somehow she couldn't. Though it gave her a little bit of hope. She was surprised that the priest didn't mind so much fysical contact. Once he hung the silver cross around her neck she let her fingers touch it gently. Before her chin was gently pushed upwards. As she looked into Frollo's eyes. She felt even more weak now.

Than suddenly Thomas appeared out of nowhere. Aurora widen her eyes when he hugged her.
"I'm happy You're safe too... I was worried about you too.." She said with a weak smile. Before looking down at the cross on her neck. She didn't answer the question if she was okay. And the other question was for Frollo.
Aurora looked up at Frollo as she gave him a weak smile. "Thank you.." She said before looking down again.

(OOC: no it didn't xDDD it's a joke xD you jelly? ;D)

He smiled at them both in turn, but his eyes lingered longer with Aurora.
"Remember He shall always be with you, as shall I," he said in an attempt at comforting her. He would never abandon the humans, he would be there for them no matter the sin they had commited, as he had learnt to do as a priest. No child was ever truly lost, he believed that with all his heart.
He laid a hand on Thomas' shoulder and gave him a look as if to say to go easy on her. Whether she wanted to confess was up to her, as a priest he could not tell anyone and neither did he want to. This was Aurora's decision on her own, and her own choice.
"I'll leave you two to talk," he said gently and made his way back up to his bedchambers.