002 ♥

[thenewnancydrew]

A. Action | The Church of Salvation

Forgive me, Lord, for I have really screwed up, and I'm not even sure how it happened.

[ The words are said softly

She's sitting on a pew near the front of the church, hands clasped tightly in her lap, her head bowed. She finishes the rest of the prayer in her head, asking for forgiveness for the past week. She doesn't know why, or what came over her, but she spent the last week not being very... Christian-like. She remembers doing a lot of swearing and a lot of inappropriate flirting. She figures it's probably one of the terrible things their captors do that she was warned about, but she still feels the need to come ask God to forgive her of all this.

So she'll just be sitting in the church for quite a while. A heart-to-heart with God will do her good. ]



B. Action | Bodine Fashion

[ Maybe a little bit of shopping will cheer her up. It usually does.

Except all the clothes in Mayfield are way outdated, and on top of that, they're knock-offs.

She's looking anyway, though, biting her lip and wincing at each article of clothing she pulls off the rack. Occasionally, she'll pause to hold a dress or a sweater up in front of her and look in the mirror. ]

Comments

A

[kinship]

[There's a little boy in the church with her, he had been thumbing through a hymn book, but he looks up when she talks out loud.]

Do you want a priest to talk to, ma'am?

[thenewnancydrew]

I don't know. [ She honestly doesn't know what she wants right now. ] Do you know any priests?

[kinship]

My brother is a priest, and two of my best friends are nuns. But... none of them seem to be here right now.

[Honestly, the church crew are so lazy.]

[thenewnancydrew]

That's real helpful. [ Rolling her eyes. ] It's okay, though. I'll be okay.

[kinship]

Can I help you at all? I may not be a priest, but I'm here enough to be honorary clergy.

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She's quiet for a moment, looking down at her lap. When she finally speaks, she does so without looking up. ]

The last week... when everyone was acting different, and it was all weird. Did it happen to you, too?

[kinship]

[He draws his knees up to his chest where he's sat on the pew, watching her seriously as she talks.]

No, but I knew people it did happen to.

[thenewnancydrew]

It happened to me.

[ She shifts a little, slouching down in the pew. ]

I did things God would not be happy about.

[kinship]

God is forgiveness, isn't he? He loves you and He knows in your heart, you want to obey Him and please Him.

[He feels a little foolish talking like this, but it's obviously what she needs to hear.]

[thenewnancydrew]

I know. [ It's more of a groan than actual speech, but whatever. She tilts her head back to look at the ceiling. ]

I just feel like God has a lot more to forgive me for than He should. Everything I did are things I wouldn't normally do.

[kinship]

God is omnipotent, right? And He never gives you more than you can handle, or so I've heard.

Maybe it seems hard now, but you've come back to Him right away to ask for forgiveness, so you should trust in Him to do just that.

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She nods. Though it's kind of an awkward nod, since her head is still tilted back. ]

I thought things were pretty messed up before I got here. I never thought I'd have to face anything worse than getting shot or getting trapped in a burning building or almost getting blown up. And now all of... this happens.

[ Now she's just complaining. ]

[kinship]

[He feels a little sorry for her, that she could think what had just happened was a test of endurance at all.]

I'm not saying your time here could be easy, but it will be easier with friends to help you through.

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She sits up straight, nodding. ]

Right. I mean, I've gotten through so much crap, it's unreal. I can do this, too. Especially if I have my friends and God at my side.

[kinship]

[He gives her a brilliant smile, warm and enthusiastic.]

That's the spirit. Just trust in the Lord, and He will never forsake you or let you down.

[It's almost like he's been listening to the clergy too much, except Mayfield clergy is fail.]

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She can't help but to smile back at that. ]

Thank you. I'm Bella, by the way.

[kinship]

Cain Knightlord, it's a pleasure. My brother Abel is the priest here.

[Why yes, he is aware of the irony of being Abel and Cain.]

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She blinks at that, but decides not to comment. ]

Nice to meet you, Cain. [ Then after a second: ] Have you been here long? In the town I mean, not the church.

[kinship]

[He appreciates that, he's heard all the jokes many times already.]

Ten months now, though sometimes it feels as though I've been here for years.

[thenewnancydrew]

Geez. I can't even imagine being here for ten months.

[kinship]

Goodness, I'm still a new resident compared to some of the people here. I don't think they class you as a veteran unless you've been here over a year, and some people have been here several.

[thenewnancydrew]

The longest record I've heard is two and a half years.

[ She looks at him with a very unhappy face. ]

What if we're all stuck here for two and a half years?

[kinship]

Try looking at it mathematically... Say your average life expectancy is mid-eighties, say eighty-five for argument's sake. Then even two and a half years is only two point twelve percent of your life, that's hardly anything in comparison to the percentage spent out of imprisonment here.

[It's sad that maths is comforting to him.]

[thenewnancydrew]

[ STARING SO HARD AT YOU RIGHT NOW. ]

Did you just do all of that in your head?

[kinship]

[Oh damn, is that not something normal ten year old's can do? He is chuckling awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.]

I guess I just like maths?