The teams slept a little easier that night, just for having their friends back... Well, most of them did.
Ever since getting to Vacuo, some of them were having reoccurring nightmares every night.
Oscar was having some pretty bad ones, about being kidnapped and tortured--he'd dream that he didn't escape...also that he'd become Ozpin, somehow, on the sly, and it was irreversible.
He woke up yelling a few times from those, but the walls of Shade were so thick, he wasn't heard by anyone--he had his own room for some reason.
Emerald was still having her nightmares, but now the fear of Salem coming after her was added to them--she hadn't forgotten that moment--and also Cinder attacking her.
But somehow it was mixed up in the dreams that Mercury also was either right there or was dead already and they were too late, or Hazel had died too...
She would wake up either yelling or crying or just breathing hard. She felt like it was getting worse, too, the longer they went without making contact. It was maddening to just be so close but unable to do anything!
Getting up, she thought she'd go out into a different room to clear her head. But when she tried to open it, the handle wouldn't turn.
Unlike Atlas, Vacuo just had regular locks on the doors, and each room had a key that you could hang either inside it or outside it (depending on if you were using it) or keep with you. Emerald had it, but when she put it in the lock, it was like it was jammed.
She was sure it had worked fine before, even if it was a little old... She thought it must have been tampered with.
Had someone been here?
Rationally Emerald should have figured that it was probably another student playing a prank--Shade students infamously did this all the time--but she didn't know that anyway, and with all her thoughts being dominated by Salem and Cinder, her first idea was that Tyrian or someone else had found their way here and locked her in.
Starting to get frantic, she yanked at the handle more--though really that would be a dead giveaway she was in here, if she'd thought about it.
The wind blowing outside stirred up some dust, and that made her jump.
"Come on..." she muttered, rattling the handle more. "Open."
Then she heard snickering.
It was still early morning, but some students were up for patrol, and in fact it was one of them who'd jammed the door.
Hearing this, Emerald figured it wasn't Tyrian--he'd be louder--but it still freaked her out.
"This isn't funny," she muttered. "Open the d--- door."
"Maybe you should raid our school," she heard. She didn't recognize the voice.
Emerald froze.
But before anyone else could jeer at her, someone else interrupted it.
Shine and Pyrrha both had heard the noise from where their room was (Shine had kept that no co-ed room rule in place somehow, though Pyrrha was more comfortable with her team now, but everyone had gotten used to it). They were just the ones down from Emerald, and the others had purposely picked rooms farther from hers, even when there'd been plenty of space.
"I thought I heard laughing," Pyrrha said. "Could you all please be quieter? Our team is really exhausted."
"Sorry," one of the students said. They were cool with Pyrrha; most of them knew who she was.
"Why are you all outside Emerald's room?" Shine didn't miss it. "And what is that in the doorknob?"
Pause.
"A bit of fun, that's all," said one.
"Take it out." Shine's tone left no room for argument.
"Buzzkill," said the voice.
"Excuse me?" Shine's tone meant certain death. "Young man, you want to run that by me again? Because I will happily drag you to Headmaster Theodore's office and ask him why you're lurking around our doors at this hour instead of doing your jobs."
"All right already." That got them into gear. Theodore apparently scared his students. The doorknob was jiggled, and Emerald found it was loose.
She opened it, wanting to see who it was, but she didn't recognize the team very clearly. Was it one RWBY had fought?
They glared at her, but a look from Shine and they cleared off to continue their patrol.
"How beastly," Pyrrha said. "One thing I thought was nice about Atlas was the lack of bullies. I'm sorry if we woke you up."
"I was up already," Emerald said. "I was just...going to get some water."
She thought that was a better excuse.
"And they were just waiting for you to try to get out?" Shine said, in disgust. "I've half a mind to tell Theo about this anyway."
"No, don't. He'll just think I'm a wuss," Emerald said. "It's fine... It's not like it's surprising that people still don't trust me. I don't care."
"The downside of fame is not being able to hide," Pyrrha remarked to Shine.
"That's why I'm glad I'm not famous," Shine said. "I take it I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping here... The wind howls over the desert so much, I keep thinking it's Grimm. I think I've gotten so used to them popping up when I'm awake that I expect them when I'm asleep now... It must be old for you all, but not for me."
"You're afraid of them?" Pyrrha said.
"Not afraid exactly, but when you know something wants to kill you, it's hard not to try to over prepare," Shine mused.
True that, Emerald thought.
"Since we're all up, either of you want tea?" Shine asked.
"That sounds nice," Pyrrha said.
"No thanks," Emerald said. "I don't really do the whole late night chat thing."
"You could stay here alone..." Shine said.
Emerald glanced at her room, which looked a little too dark.
"I guess I could get water in the kitchen..." she said.
Vacuo didn't have one bathroom per dorm--it had three or so per floor that each team would take turns using, and each with multiple stalls, more like cabins at a summer camp would have. Obviously they had to conserve water and space more than Vale. They also had far fewer students; many transferred out to other schools later in their training, just to see more of the world--and to become acquainted with things like laws...
That said, for how reduced the student body was currently, it was more than enough, but it did make using the bathroom late at night sufficiently more awkward. Vacuo really didn't care about things like that either.
The three of them crept downstairs, avoiding any other students who were on guard duty.
Surprisingly they ran into Oscar in the kitchen, already making tea.
He looked like they caught him stealing.
"Oh...hey..." he said.
"It's going around tonight," Shine said. "Next someone else will come in because they smelled tea."
"Couldn't sleep?" Pyrrha asked Oscar. "I'm sure you have to be tired."
"I'm not sure the last time I wasn't tired," Oscar admitted ruefully. "But yeah, it's been hard to sleep... After Atlas, I...well...I have nightmares."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Pyrrha said somberly. "I've had a few myself...about dying, and some of the other things that happened in Atlas. I dreamed that we didn't stop some of them, or that people didn't get out. Mostly I know it's a dream once I wake up, but just for a few moments, you think it's still real."
"Yeah," Oscar said.
"You too, huh?" Emerald felt better admitting it if they said it first. So even heroes had nightmares, huh?
"It's not unique." Shine glanced at her, then sat down at the counter, rather than using the dining area; it was too empty. "Nightmares happen to everyone, especially when we're vulnerable. I have some...not as much as I used to. I used to dream about my father all the time, felt like his hold on me was still tight even after I left...but now it hardly ever happens.In fact, I rarely ever have nightmares. I stopped 'em."
"How?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's all about throwing your fear in your face," Shine mused. "Can I have some tea, Oscar?"
"Oh, sure." He got her a cup.
"This jasmine tea really is good." Shine put sugar in it--more than Emerald would have.
"Anyway," she went on, "I commanded the dreams to go, and the fear behind them... After a while it's like it knew it didn't scare me anymore. I stopped fearing the dreams, because I knew they were just dreams...or, even in them, I had faith, and the dream would stop then... It's all about fear. Once you can take control, the nightmare has no purpose. They always make you feel out of control. Even knowing that then, though, I lose my footing, and it happens...still not anything like what you'd have to deal with, I'm sure... I'm sorry... You know, music really helps too. I found that almost 10/10 times when I have music on, I don't have nightmares at all. As long as it's calming music."
"I wish I could try that," Oscar said.
"Try asking before you go to sleep," Shine said. "That also helps. Then when you're asleep, you're already in the right mindset to fight it if it pops up. If you see that hell hound in your dream, though, tell it to go back to hell."
"That was so horrible." Pyrrha closed her eyes. "I still...and it was a person."
Emerald shivered.
"That does bug me, but I think being captured did more," Oscar said. "Not that...I'm not glad it worked out, but...I guess I worried about giving in to it."
"It must have been so painful," Pyrrha said. "I wish it didn't have to happen that way. But I'm sure you were very brave."
Oscar smiled weakly. "Sometimes that doesn't make me feel better. Is it wrong if I feel like I keep paying the price for something that I didn't do? But also...in a way, I feel like it is my problem, because I've been trying to do it differently than Ozpin... In a way, I wonder, if I hadn't been there, would it have worked?"
"I think we know it wouldn't have," Shine said. "Hazel only believed you. Why do you think that is?"
"He hates Ozpin?" Oscar said.
Shine almost spat out her tea. "Don't be daft, Oscar," she said indignantly.
"I don't think that would do it," Emerald ventured cautiously. "I think Hazel was pretty sure Ozpin had control of you...so..."
"What changed his mind then?" Pyrrha looked right at her.
Pyrrha still made Emerald uncomfortable--and she was finally realizing it wasn't just the not-dead part.... Torchwick had only bothered her for a short time. It was guilt.
Trying to mask it, she swallowed. "I dunno...I guess, maybe...Ozpin never told secrets, right? Why would he tell the password? I guess Junior there seems different. Maybe Hazel just felt guilty for beating him--he's softer than the rest of us. I was never sure why he was in the biz to begin with. I guess it was for revenge, but, it's just that, what did Pine do?"
"Is that what you thought?" Shine wasn't missing a beat. "That it wasn't fair? How could you justify torturing Oscar when it's not his decision?"
"I mean, that's not why I wanted out," Emerald said sullenly. "But I guess it's like, you know, out of all the hopeless, goody two-shoes, he's the only one who's not in this for some trumped up idealism. He's just stuck."
"Except I'm not stuck." Oscar's look darkened. "I have a choice now...I just need to make it."
Pyrrha and Emerald exchanged a look of concern, and then looked at Shine.
She sipped her tea calmly enough, but she seemed a bit troubled under it.
"The goal was to give you more freedom, not less," she said slowly.
"And that made me realize that, in one way, not having freedom was easier," Oscar said. "I could say all this wasn't up to me...and I hated that, but it didn't have to be my fault either... And if I choose wrong, then it is my fault...and I kind of understand now how everyone else feels."
"How we all feel," Shine pointed to, "all humans, who really think. Welcome to the race, Oscar."
"I felt the same about the Maiden role," Pyrrha said, stirring her tea with one finger. "When it went from a simple goal to be a huntress to...well, one that could really sway things, I missed being innocent of it. You know that saying 'ignorance is bliss'? It can feel that way...but now that I know that I was, truly, more ignorant than I thought, I'm not sure it's bliss. Just that, not knowing what could happen can feel happier than knowing. But you can't go back. You can't feel less responsible."
"That was so true..." Emerald winced to herself.
"But oddly, that time in the other world helped," Pyrrha went on a bit more cheerfully. "In that, I think I got a bit more perspective, removed from all the chaos that we were going through. I realize that life is a gift, whatever choices you have to make in it. And I can't keep thinking of it as an obligation to do one thing or the other. I'm sure there are moral demands on everyone person, but outside that--or inside, really--there's more than that. I...should have let it shrink down so much."
"When it comes to the right thing, the Inside is always bigger than the Outside," Shine said. "When you are in the Right, you are free to do everything, so long as it's with pure intentions and doesn't harm innocent people. When you are in the Wrong, all your choices become selfish, and nothing is truly harmless anymore. So it's small. Often the moral choice hangs on one decision--but that always opens up endless possibilities if it goes well. Be wary of any one that would end in a dead end and you know it. Or a loop, really. The trouble with Ozpin's morals is that they hang on trying not to lose more things. Not gaining anything, really, but regaining it, at most. But our morals are towards an abundant life. We're taught (or should be) that if we live the right way, we become bigger, and things become more creative and more extensive. It's being added to, not just trying not to lose things...though keeping what we have is important. But our leader said, 'To him who has, more will be given, but to him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.' "
"How can you not have and have it taken away?" Emerald said.
"Because what you get is a semblance of the real thing," Shine said. "Things like wealth, fame, authority, worth--they're all hollow enough if you keep them just in this small context we call the world. They'll die out, usually in your lifetime, but certainly after it. And if you don't root them in something real, then it's as if you never had them. But when you do build on something worthwhile, then that will stay behind even if the other things fade. It's why true genius in art lasts for centuries, while mere talent fades within a few years. And if you have something real, you'll grow in it. It's the same with virtues, really. And love. If you have real love, it grows, but if you fake it, then even that kind of love will disappear. Same with courage, honor, wisdom, all of them."
"I feel like that has to be true, even if I haven't seen it," Oscar said. "I mean, I can remember lifetimes now, but it's like they're gone...just stolen traits, and they fade..."
"It's like saying that my talents are only temporary," Pyrrha said, "and if I don't make them into some bigger than just talent--like true nobility--even what I can do now is going to disappear."
"Fitting, Pyrrha, because that saying was in a parable about talents," Shine said. "See? Some things I hardly even need to teach you."
Emerald had no idea what they were talking about. She could swear each of them was just as odd as the other.
"There's actually many things I want explained," Pyrrha said thoughtfully. "Jaune and I both did a lot of reading and talking while we were in that world, trying to understand... I guess we're both wondering how to go forward from here. The fall of Atlas...well, it didn't exactly boost our confidence in our own judgment. Strangely, I don't feel as bad about it as I thought--well, that's not right. I do feel bad, just not...in despair."
"Makes one person," Oscar said.
"It must have been difficult for you all," Pyrrha said. "I'm sorry we weren't here...but that's a running theme for me..." She put her hands to her temples. "Seems like I never am here when people need me."
"Even if you weren't here physically, I'm sure your influence is always in your friends' minds," Shine said. "And the rest of ours, for that matter."
"She's not wrong," Oscar said. "Ruby talked to me about you ages ago. I'm sure our team always did too."
"Really? Ruby and I barely knew each other," Pyrrha mused.
Emerald wished they'd stop talking about this in front of her.
Shine noted her expression.
"But now that you've returned," she said, "both from death, and from another world--which probably, is almost the same thing--it really is looking like you're practically invincible."
"I'm not though," Pyrrha said. "Not even close."
"Oh, not in that way," Shine said. "No one is undefeatable, except one...but, in a certain sense, we can be invincible, if we're on the right side, the right path. Even death really can't stop us."
"About that," Pyrrha said. "That was one of the things we had questions about... Of course, maybe I shouldn't wait till Jaune is here, but we read this story of God dying...or His son? But aren't they the same person?"
"They are," Shine affirmed.
"How can a son and father be the same person?" Emerald muttered.
"Is it like Ozpin and me?" Oscar asked.
"Something like that, but less creepy," Shine said. "Only there's no merging...they simply are. Some of our theologians suggest that while we all have personalities with different facets, God would have superpersonality, or metapersonality, if you like. And that is why it can only be expressed with the idea of three different persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. But they are really all One, like the forms of water are all still water, or every element we have makes up the world. Or we are ourselves--we're spirit, mind, and body. You can't find it hard to believe this, with Oscar's situation being the way it is. But every profane thing has a sacred version. Profane things only copy what's real. The idea, as I understood it, of the curse on Ozpin is that he is never alone, right?"
"Yeah," Oscar said.
"Well, that is what our God promises," Shine said, "that he will join with our own spirit also. But the difference is, He asks us to choose it willingly, and when it happens, we do become like Him, but we stay ourselves. I've walked with Him for nearly 10 years, and I'm no less myself than I was before... In fact, I'm more myself, because many of the fears and hang-ups that kept me from acting how I wanted have faded a lot. See, we're designed to run on God like a car runs on fuel. But of course, merging with another human soul would be destructive. You cannot merge with something that is like you and expect it not to hurt you... Think of it like a puzzle or machine. God is the body, and you fit in like one small part of it. That part is itself, like your nose or eyes are, but it is part of a whole. That's all right--it's natural. But if you took a different body part and tried to combine it with you, ended up with three eyes or two noses or five arms, it would only be a problem. Because it's a thing like you, and we're meant to merge with things that are unlike us. Then we are added to, not taken away from to make room for both."
"It's like you put it into words," Oscar said, wide-eyed. "That's what it's like, like I'm getting less...but Ozpin is too, in a way, to make room for us both."
"How the frick do you know this stuff?" Emerald was sure Salem would have paid a lot to hear this ages ago...and that made her feel icky.
"This is all part of our theology," Shine said. "It's been...quite scintillating to see it come to life for me, but painful also, in that I realize how fortunate I am to have known this stuff for years, and grow up somewhere where I would hear about it. What chance did all of you have without that?"
She sipped her tea moodily. "And with Ozpin hiding even the hint of it... maybe not entirely. I think there's some traces of it in what the schools teach. I remember what Pyrrha quoted once, about immortality and virtues, unbounded by death. That has some of our theology in it somewhere. After all, we're told that death has lost its power and its sting. That God, in fact, defeated death when he rose from the grave, and that is why all of us will rise."
"That sounds nuts," Emerald said emphatically.
"And if it's not true, we're all contemptible fools," Shine said. "That is some our teachers have said for millenia. Resurrecting is the key point of our faith, and there is no way around that. And it is also what is most disputed about it. Given what's happened here, who could doubt it?"
Pyrrha smiled. "It's nice to know I'm not alone in this...even less so now that that man is also...I'm sorry I missed it though, I want to see how it would happen."
"I'm still adjusting to the fact that you knew about it sooner," Oscar said.
"Oscar, we would have told you, but Neo is an enemy of all of yours," Shine said seriously. "And while I trust that you would have respected our privacy, there is Ozpin to think of, and that the others will keep blaming you for our actions. I'm afraid we've incriminated you enough by bringing Raven into this with your consent, perhaps it's time we just act on our own. I mean...we have to cooperate with you, but, we have plenty of allies now. I don't like hiding behind a 14 year old just to be able to do things."
"At least someone doesn't," Pyrrha muttered.
"I see why you didn't say it," Oscar said. "I'm not really mad, I just...feel like it was nicer when I was more in the loop, in Atlas."
"You've had enough to deal with without needing more," Shine said, firmly. "And not everything is something everyone needs to be involved in. I mean, I didn't even know Pyrrha had that conversation myself until today. Neo never told me that part. I did wonder how she had put it together so quickly, though."
"I don't get it, " Emerald finally spoke up. "Torchwick might be no more than an ass really but he's still an ass that tried to screw you all over. He's just as much responsible for Beacon as I am, at least. Why would you want to add to the roster of enemies? I mean you're down to just a few of them now, with Watts captured, and Hazel and I defecting, and Neo is here...so it's just 4 of 'em, that we know about anyway...maybe more, if that lady Neo found counts...but still, that's way less. Why would you want to give up that advantage?"
"One person isn't going to be that much advantage," Shine said.
"Well, it can be enough," Pyrrha said. "But I'm not going to question it. I wouldn't be here if not for you two, and it would be horridly ungrateful of me to demand you pick and choose the way I'd do it...if I even would. I actually thought it'd be nice for Neo. I could see she was in real pain over the loss...granted I never really encountered her before, even at Beacon, and I only knew her from stealing the lamp. I suppose I have less personal feeling about it than the others."
"Hey," Shine said sharply. "Never be ashamed of compassion. Or apologize for it. If they can't see it, that is their problem. Dare to be different, as they say."
Pyrrha pursed her lips and nodded. "Still...you could understand why they'd be upset."
"Does not make it less of a wrong attitude for them," Shine said.
"Maybe if we tried to understand this though," Oscar said. "We could work it out."
"And in most cases, I'd agree," Shine said. "But just what exactly would it accomplish this time? No amount of understanding their feelings will make it okay for me to deny someone a good thing. For petty reasons, especially. One thing you'd all better get used to now, is I and Wally are not on anyone's side except our Lord's. We do not work for you, we do not work for Salem. We work for what is Good. And just because it happened that your goals align with it more often, doesn't make you always right, or rule out even your enemies for wanting good things. There is no favoritism with the Above...He sends rain on the just and on the unjust alike. You are not the first to complain about it. But I have no regrets about living by that principle. I only wish I did it better."
"I'm not sure you need to worry about it," Oscar said. "Clearly you're not biased...I admit even I was surprised by that...but I don't think it was a bad thing to do. I mean, she's helping us now, if you want to look at it strategically, it makes sense. Why are they angry, really? I know they just feel like she's getting rewarded for doing bad stuff, but we kind of need to focus on the big picture."
"Small things are important too," Pyrrha reminded him. "What goes on inside our team is important. But, that said, I also think it would be petty to refuse."
"The two of you are batty," Emerald sat back, crossing her arms.
"Lucky for you," Shine just said it outright to her face.
For some reason that kind of bluntness made Oscar start chuckling nervously and Pyrrha even cracked a smile
Emerald wasn't sure how to take it. "What's so funny?"
"Sorry," Oscar said.
"It's true isn't it?" Shine seemed suddenly embarrassed. "Perhaps it was rude, but it's true."
"I was wondering if she'd still be here though," Pyrrha said. "The others were so unhappy about her joining us, and Hazel...whom I'm still not clear on who he really is... but it's good that they let them stay.
"Frankly, with Yang gone the biggest voice of dissension wasn't here," Shine said. "I'm sure we'll be revisiting that conversation many times until she learns to let it go. If she ever does...but it's not our job to make her do that. Whatever did make her fall into line earlier? Or is that too much of an impertinent question?"
"It was surprising," Oscar said. "But Winter just laid it all out how much you guys have helped us and predicted things, and basically said that if we don't keep you around, we're all fools. I didn't even think she liked you that much, I mean, I didn't think she liked anyone that much."
"I don't think it's based off liking," Pyrrha said. "I think that, Winter might like them all right, she's hard to read. But more than that, she intends to try to preserve what's left of the kingdom and she knows that it would be madness to turn aside anyone who can do these things."
"And you'd be surprised how much pure logic puts people on our side before they even know it," Shine said. "Winter is smart. Too smart to work for Ironwood, that's for sure. I'm sure he instills blind loyalty in his followers who have half a brain so that they wouldn't rise above him. But it's not hard to see who will be in charge of Atlas when this is all over."
"I suppose it's good that she's the Maiden," Pyrrha said quietly. "But...is it wrong that I almost wish...?"
She sighed.
"Well, cheer up," Shine said. "If we win this one, the Maidens will become a moot point to Salem. And if she wins, they'll be a moot point anyway."
"And we'll all die," Oscar said.
"Try to look on the plus side," Shine said. "Salem is a fool...but let's not talk about her. I'm sick of her."
"You're sick of her?" Emerald scoffed. "Try living with her."
"Your presence makes me think Salem might be the most effective at discouraging alliance with herself," Pyrrha remarked.
Oscar laughed weakly. "In one way..."
"The others will be up soon enough." Shine pulled out her special book. "I had better get my daily reading done... I must say, Remnant really makes these words come to life in a whole new way."
"Show us," Oscar said
"If you wouldn't mind," Pyrrha said. "I still understand so little."
"You understand more than you think," Shine said. "But it's always the way with new people. But if you want to join me...I've been in Psalms--Believe me, I needed them the last week." [And if you are a Christian, you get why that is just so true.]
She opened up her book.
Emerald didn't know if she was supposed to leave now, but no one said anything, so she stayed put.
She thought the book was odd looking. She'd never seen one with such thin, delicate pages with such shiny edges and print. It was huge but compact. [Anyone ever think how thick the Bible would be if we used regular pages? Imagine when it used to be written on scrolls!]
"Well, this is a good one," Shine remarked, showing it to them. Pyrrha just began to read it aloud because she'd acquired the habit with Jaune.
"Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You....
8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9 All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13 For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them...
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me."
[Psalms 86]
[I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain in short why I always use Christianity in these stories.
I assume it doesn't bother anyone who reads them, but they may think it's predictable...and it is.
But the answer is really simple: You can't really write this kind of fan fic without some contrasting worldview to the one of the story. It would be hopelessly boring, and it's why most crossover or isekai fics don't really work. It just gets old because there's nothing new you're adding.
Using Christianity makes me able to introduce new conflicts and give a fresh take to old ones in the story. And every author has to use a worldview. It just happens to be mine.
People might take issue with how open it is, but there's not much point to believing something if you are not open about it.
Of course anyone can interpret the events of the show how they want, but it's my hope at least that this angle will be interesting to people who haven't heard it before, if nothing else. It never hurts to learn about a new thing.
I might talk about it more at the end of the story in my author's notes section, but for now that should do.]