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Friendly Conversationalist
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 Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:49 pm
❝ Patience is a Virtue ❞
▫ WHERE ▫
Helios, in the capital city of Aureola - at the sister building to Theo's home church, which overlooks the market square.
▫ WHO ▫
Miss Felicity Wickes and Mister Theodore Lucas, accompanied by a plague-ridden flower and ring. (played by X Purple--Platypus X & haliekins)
▫ WHEN ▫
The early afternoon, just past three o'clock, with the weather slightly overcast and chilly.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:18 pm
It was to be expected.
Theo's jaw ached as he clenched his teeth behind his lips, which tried to keep a placid expression. As much as he hated travel and leaving the shelter of the church he had come to call home, with this occupation it was to be expected. But he needed to succeed. To remain stagnant as an apprentice, just short of the job of priest.. that would mean a lifetime of uselessness for him, and he refused that.
He was productive, and much smarter than the others. He could do this. He would get ordained, whatever it takes, even if it meant traveling to Helios and putting in some time visiting their sister church.
Granted it wasn't as bad as going about in Imisus or Shyregoed, with its bustling middle class and poorer districts, where his atrophied arms ached at the sight of those who worked hard labor day in and day out. The handsome walls and rich residents of Aureole made him feel less inadequate. The market place crawled with servants, but the stands were also of a different caliber.. neater, very organized. Theo had to hand it to Aureole - they knew how to get things done.
So far the visit had gone rather well; sitting in on the morning Mass and looking alert, mentally noting things that they had done differently from his own church, and now he stood outside in the brisk afternoon and said farewell to the parishioners who left, and welcoming in others with kind words. His nose and cheeks were red from the sharp wind, but he kept his attitude even, despite his desire to go inside and hide from the cold among the few books the building held.
Absently he fingered the ring in his pocket in an effort of self comfort. The ring had remained with him since he had retrieved it, but the church had displayed no further interest in it (at least as far as he knew). He wondered if perhaps he could sell it while he was here; the spots on it certainly wouldn't sell to a jeweler, but it could be melted down for recasting.
"Good afternoon." He inclined his head politely at an older woman with gray streaking her hair. She smiled and nodded in return. "Do head inside. It's quite cold." The woman hustled in through the huge doors, and Theo's gaze followed her as he remained stationed where he was. His loose sleeves flapped as the wind picked up and he curled his weak fingers towards his palm.
Greeting guests for an hour's time in the cold, how bothersome. A displeased frown slipped through his mask, just for a moment. Thankfully only ten more minutes were needed.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:59 pm
She had missed morning mass! Oh good lord. She. Had. Missed. Mass! Stumbling along the cobbled street, her frail legs unable to carry her as fast as she desired, Felicity darted towards the church. She had slept in late r. It had only been the sound of the heavy metal bells chiming the end of the service that had woken her groggily from her exhausted stupor. Now it was time for the afternoon service and if she didn’t make it she would... Oh the mere prospect of missing both holy services was too terrible for her delicate mind to handle. Unfortunately the ground underfoot was not considerate to her need for speed. One moment her hobnailed booties were creating a clatter on the stones beneath them, the next she had hit a soft organic mass and was painfully lying on the floor with the breath well and truly knocked out of her.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She was doomed to miss the service! The lord would punish her for her absence! Only last week had she overheard hush comments from the clergy saying how they suspected that non-practisers were amongst the first to contract the plague... Would she be inflicted with buboes and lung destroying hacks and wheezes?! Her teary eyes burst into rivulets. No! She had to get to church.
Pulling herself together she rose from the ground and half limped half ran the remainder of the distance, a mantra of different self curses, prayers and downright random mutterings provided her with the motivation to carry on beyond and physical discomfort. Her heavy black clothing might be cooking her slowly. Her sides may well feel ready to burst. Her ankle could throb with pain all it desired.. She did not care – she was like a woman possessed! Come heaven or hell she would get to the church even if it killed her.
In fact, Felicity actually turned up with a while to spare... The door to the holy place was still open and the clergy were welcoming people inside! Panting and clutching her sides she stumbled up to the doorway. “I-I-I am here..” She gasped, a hand complete with prominent tendons clasping the frame as she spoke. Several locks of her mouse hair were obstructing her view but through the wispy veil an unfamiliar face was standing in her way. Who was he and why was he in the robes of one of the church officials? She prided herself on knowing all of the priests - why did she not know this fellow?! These questions and more begged to burst from her puckered lips but her wheezing prevented any form of talking... She needed to breath. Her head was hurting, she was dizzy from the shock to her frail body...
She... She... She couldn’t stand much longer... She had to go to church...
She fainted into the man's solid frame without further warning.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:32 am
As the woman shuffled inside, Theo relaxed his grimace into a neutral expression. He backed up a couple of steps and rested himself against a wall, but still remained standing upright. From the front, none could tell at all.
'Ten more minutes, just a few more.' The bells chorused loudly over his head as they sounded off the hour, and he could feel the vibration moving through the walls of the handsome church. The afternoon service wouldn't start for another hour or so, but the faithful drifted in and out as they pleased to talk privately with the priests, or just to pray without accompaniment. He himself, whenever it came to prayers (which were sadly geared towards a more selfish goal in recent months), also preferred the solitude, rather than the communal prayers that happened during the services.
However somebody seemed to be in a right hurry to get inside. Theo noticed her sprinting across the square, her hair flying out of sorts as she went and the cold and effort of the run quite evident on her face. She made good time (whatever for, he couldn't fathom.. the service wasn't set to start right away), and when he fine-tuned his neutral expression into the automatic one of pleasantness he used for churchgoers, he addressed her casually.
"Good afterno--" Which he would have finished, if she hadn't ignored him. A small flare of annoyance burned in his chest, but he kept himself in check, watching her for the moment. Her hands clutched the frame (rather shakily, he thought) as she caught her breath, but only then did she notice him.
Before promptly fainting on him.
His mask of calm crumbled momentarily in honest surprise, and he was pressed even more against the wall with her added weight on his chest. A quick glance around showed that nobody was coming up the steps at the moment, but he needed to address this issue here. Obviously he couldn't leave her here - he wouldn't leave her here, if he could help it. Theo's feeble arms pressed against her in a way that almost imitated an embrace, but with a gentle heave, a choked sigh escaped his mouth. His arms couldn't do anything, he knew that, but still.. it was worth a shot.
After a moment to articulate his thoughts, he kept his arms cinched around her. The muscles grew agitated with the effort, but if anything he wouldn't have to use them for anything other than a basic support, should her body start slipping. He took a few side steps to clear himself from the wall and backed slowly into the open gateway of the church, leaning back as he went to allow her weight to fall a little more on him. That way, she wouldn't go sliding willy-nilly. Eyes focused on the back pew, he turned slowly and moved backwards towards it, taking it one step at a time. His legs bumped against the seat of the pew but he kept moving until he could slide into it comfortably enough.
With an undignified grunt, he leaned sideways towards the pew and let gravity take her down towards the seat. It was a little unceremonious, surely, but what could he do? Call for help? He wouldn't risk looking so foolish. He was perfectly capable of dealing with this by himself.
Once he was seated and made sure the girl was lying comfortably length-wise on the seat, he turned his attentions towards the stranger. She had been in such a hurry to get here when there was plenty of time.. he briefly wondered why, but then brushed it off. It was no business of his why she was hurrying to places or not; it was his duty, however, to wake her up. It was the priestly thing to do.
"Miss, are you alright?" The words were polite but still carried a hint of effort. Dragging her in here with that awkward method had taken some effort out of him. He touched a cold hand to her face, and felt the warmth beneath his numbed fingers.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:53 am
The darkness was terrible. It was heavy on her chest, restricting her breath, oppressive. Something about the fact she couldn’t see anything made her panic and caused her fragile mind to shatter into a thousand worried and traumatic pieces. This was surely her punishment. Her faithfulness had slipped and because of that the lord was punishing her. Surely this was death... But.. Bible phrases ricocheted round her unconscious mind and she attempted to construct a response for the unfortunate situation she was now placed in.
Certainly this wasn’t hell. Many a lecture given from the pulpit had informed her of the raging flames of the damned, the demons tasked with painfully and slowly removing her sinning organs and the everlasting pain that she would be exposed to was not happening. No, the darkness might be scary but this certainly wasn’t hell. Neither was it heaven though. There was no cherubs, no saint to meet her at the gate and God’s glorious words were not healing her Earthly wounds. Perhaps that meant that she was in limbo? Her fate could be in the process of being decided right now!
Mentally she pleaded – shouted – that her actions before the morning’s missing of church were considered. One blunder was surely not enough to plunge her into damnation?! Her internal words for compassion increased in volume as noise invaded the nothingness. A roaring of wind... Loud. Deafening even. Was this how it happened, was some ethereal motion occurring? Would she soon be deposited in her place of eternal rest... Or torture? A light was now penetrating the dark – far away but coming closure... Expanding across her field of vision!
"Miss, are you alright?"
Gasping her body convulsed into consciousness and her mouth issued an urgent; “t-thank you lord!” Wherever this was it wasn’t hell! She rose, rubbing her head where it had smacked the hard wooden pew. The lump at the back of her skull was coming up fast and throbbed painfully where she touched it... In heaven you felt pain? Blinking rapidly – her eyes adjusting to the rather dull light of the church – she realised that she had not ‘passed on’ in any shape or form and that she was lying outstretched on one of the church benches with a concerned church worker nearby.
Why did she recognise his face though? This was most certainly her local place of worship and she knew all of the priests and church wardens – right down to the little altar boys that had trouble keeping awake during the late services... Then she did recognise his face... Or atleast, remembered it from just before she had blacked out.
“Wh-who are y-you?” She demanded, her voice surprisingly snappish considering her usually nervous state and the fact that she had just woken after passing out.
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 10:25 pm
Theo was understandably startled when the woman cried out in praise and rose as though resurrected from the grave. One would think that any other normal human being would have some shred of concern for the poor girl, having just unceremoniously dropped her fainted form onto the pew and smacked her head (neither of which he had intended to do, but when one's arms had the strength of a three-year-old's, it couldn't be helped). But really, all he felt was a gladness to get out of the cold winter wind.
When she had snapped at him, however, a twinge of annoyance marred that gratefulness. A less practiced man would have let a sign of this show, but he was adept at keeping things like this to himself. Instead he tucked it behind a reassuring smile and set to work putting her at ease.
"I apologize. My name is Theo, and I am here visiting from our sister church in Colwe. I hope I haven't startled you too badly." He placed a hand on her arm gently. "I'm afraid you had started me by fainting so suddenly. You were in a terrible rush to get here, it seems. If you were afraid of missing the service, our afternoon service will be beginning in an hour's time." Again, he smiled. It wasn't like he had any other duties at the moment aside from greeting guests, and she provided a wonderful reason to delegate that duty to someone else. Theo stood up slowly, just in case he might startle the skiddish girl. "May I get anything to ease your head, Miss.. ?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 10:35 am
Now slightly adjusted to her situation the throbbing in her head was progressively getting worse. A pained expression slowly formed on her face as she listened intently to the man’s words. So he was a priest from another area? That was interesting and she wanted to inquire what other places were like.. She rarely strayed from her comfort zone and when she did, it almost always resulted in a bad outcome. He was brave for traversing the distance and coming here. Did he like it? Was the plague worse where he came from? She shuddered, suddenly regretting that mental question popping up. Was it possible that he could carry the plague from his hometown? Muttering a prayer she clasped her hands; he was a holy man... God would not allow that kind of transmission to happen. Shaking her head to dispel the thought, flinching due to the pain, she opened her mouth to respond.
“I d-do not think there is m-much that would he-help...” She turned her attention to sorting out her clothing. During her faint and the priest carrying her to the pue her skirt had been ruffled up to a disgraceful state... In fact, her underskirt – dusty and unclean beneath the greyish material of her over skirt – was exposed. Suddenly rendered useless by this new folly she hurriedly pulled at the material..
“P-perhaps a d-d-d-drink would be g-good... P-please...” She needed time to regain her composure. This man was a priest! A worker of god and he was seeing her in this state!
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:05 pm
This woman is quite the mouse.
The thought crossed Theo's mind as he watched her fuss, the expressions changing on her face as she paused in thought, the stutter in her words, then her hands moving to adjust her clothing. Such a nervous, scatterbrained thing.. no wonder she missed church this morning. However none of these thoughts shown through the patient smile he gave her, and he nodded sympathetically as she finally placed her request.
"Of course. Just a moment." He stood and moved briskly towards the side of the room, where a small table was obscured by one of the support beams. The table was prepared for the upcoming services with wine and communion crackers, as well as water for especially thirsty attendants. He ladled some of the water into the wooden bowls that rested nearby and quickly made his way back. "Here you are.. take care to sip slowly; I find that these bowls spill quite easily."
He hoped the mental image she might get from that would put her at ease, and in any case would only make him look all the more compassionate. The High Priest from his home church had said that he would be receiving a long report on his behavior during his short tenure with their sister church. Appearing to go the extra mile and appear the humanitarian he was trying to get people to believe he was would only sweeten the deal. He was out of the cold, and now had a viable excuse for it. He only hoped that whomever the High Priest had assigned to keep an eye on his progress was watching carefully.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:53 am
The way in which the priest smiled so considerately and went off to fetch her the drink which she had asked for pleased Felicity greatly. Not only did it give her the chance to readjust her skirts to a suitable condition – she hiked the material down with fumbling hands with such force that it nearly torn but when it was all sorted her trembling hands were soothed and clutched in her now dignified lap – but it also exhibited his good soul. She was pleased that he was so kind to her. As much as she loved the familiar church wardens, sometimes she found that they could be a little unsympathetic towards her fragile disposition... Never snappish, but sometimes she got the impression that they became a little exasperated with her.
Taking the bowl from him, noting his warning about it spilling she moved the vessel brimming with liquid up to her mouth. Sipping at it she closed her eyes, muttering in-between refreshing mouthfuls of water a quick prayer of thanks. When she had finished she moved the half emptied bowl to her lap with her veined hands and examined the man once again.
Addressing him in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb other churchgoers who might be praying silently, she said; “Th-theo..? What-t is it l-like in C-colwe? D-does the g-good lord work-k in the s-s-same man-nner as he d-does here?” Since she had about an hour or so to kill until the afternoon service she thought that she might as well strike up a conversation with her apparently saviour. Even if it was only gaining the brief outline of his personality it would reduce the time she had to wait... And when conversation dried up she would most likely pore over the holy booklet provided for each seat in the pew.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:46 pm
The girl seemed to be warming to Theo quite quickly, or so he surmised. This was good; after all, he had to do his job well if he wanted to get ahead. And if he made somebody else happy then that just happened to be a positive side-effect, right? He gave her another patient smile and listened as she stuttered out a small stream of questions, pausing to consider his answer.
"Colwe is different from here, certainly. Much colder, for one." He gave a small laugh. "But our church there does not have as many parishioners as I have seen here. There seems to be more to tend to here, a larger mission for the Lord and those who wish to spread his word, I believe." He nodded and cast a glance around the church as more people filtered in and out. It seemed the last service's crowd was thinning, thankfully, but that means that the new one would be moving in soon enough. A look towards the door showed a younger assistant had taken his station. Theo returned his attention to Felicity with a smile. "It's been quite an experience to be here, and I am happy to offer my help wherever it is needed."He opened his hands in what he hoped was a giving gesture. "Are you feeling better now, miss?"
He felt the young priest watching him from the door. So this must be who was sent to keep tabs on him. Well, enjoy the show, boy.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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