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Except all the clothes in Mayfield are way outdated, and on top of that, they're knock-offs.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

[kinship]

The town only delivers packages filled with things from home after it's... done something. Usually horrific.

[thenewnancydrew]

Are you serious?

[ Look of appall is a go. ]

That's completely morbid! What is wrong with them?

[kinship]

I'm afraid so, some of the things...

[Well, he isn't going to talk about them. There's a slightly haunted look in his eyes, Mayfield is no place for children.]

[thenewnancydrew]

[ She shakes her head quickly. She doesn't want to hear them, anyway. ]

... I guess having my cat and my car and my laptop and my clothes will make this a little bit easier.

[ But only a little bit. ]

[kinship]

[He doesn't want to scare her, but it's obvious that he thinks she's an absolute fool to believe those things would help in any way.]

You're wrong, no placating gesture can make up for what they do here.

[thenewnancydrew]

They'll remind me of home. They'll be small comforts. [ She cuts him a glance. ] Maybe things from home won't make you feel any better, but they'll help me a little bit.

[ Especially since she's a girl who's so used to material items. ]

[kinship]

[He pulls his knees up towards his chest, feet on the pew despite that probably being a sin or something.]

Many of the people here have died, some more than once. Some have lost limbs only to have them reattached in a grotesque parody of how they were before, others have lost their minds, forgotten themselves and the people they loved. Do you think some clothes would make that easier to bear?

[thenewnancydrew]

Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it!

[ She puts her hands over her ears, a childish gesture but she doesn't care, and ducks her head. She doesn't want to hear all of that. She knows this place sucks and she knows that, really, all her nice things won't make up for it. But at least when she gets them back, she can hold her cat and cry, or lock herself in her car and pray, and maybe she won't feel so alone. ]

[kinship]

[He's surprised at how vehement her reaction is, and he privately thinks she's making a fool of herself for losing her cool in front of a child. But none of that shows in the concerned expression on his face, or seeps through into the gentle tone of his voice.]

It's okay... hey, I'm sorry.

[thenewnancydrew]

[ After a second, she takes her hands from her ears and sits up properly. She isn't crying or anything, but she does look mildly embarrassed. ]

No, I'm sorry. You're right, material items aren't going to make up for what's going on here.

[kinship]

But there are things that can make it more bearable.

[He smiles at her, it's time for the cheesy optimism moment.]

The friends you make.

[thenewnancydrew]

[ It seems to help, at least, because she's smiling again. ]

That's true.

[kinship]

And you've already made one for sure.