victory_road | Thirteenth Sacrament: Summer

[ The video snapped on, revealing a warm, summer garden, as the sun was setting and casting long shadows over the ground. Walter was standing, in jeans, a black tee and with a green plaid shirt left open to cover his arms, in the middle of a gathering of Pokemon who are all paying eager attention. He had evidently summoned them about something and was telling them about it...the Pokemon who turned on the camera set it down in the tree they had been hiding in, although they didn't reveal themselves. ]

-the Sun has been generous to us this year, with such a warm and bright summer. So now is our time to give thanks. To celebrate, before the September Equinox. We will need wood, for a fire to cook and dance by. Food as well. And...blood, as a sacrifice. [ Certain pokemon, an Audino and a Floette especially, look concerned about that. But others, such as the ghosts, are grinning eagerly and getting excited at the prospect of a sacrifice. Walter lifted his hands to calm them, speaking in his soft, firm voice. ] I have made plans for that already. Don't worry; there will be no death involved.

We will celebrate in two weeks, before the warmth of summer completely fades. In that time, we will prepare. [ He gestured certain Pokemon forward to give them unique jobs; gathering wood, preparing a fire pit/bonfire- when he's interrupted by Assumption, who stepped forward with a cry to get his attention. The two held their gaze, communicating without a word. Finally, Walter nodded. ] I suppose...we could invite some guests.

[ The gathered Pokemon perked up and began to shift, some roaring or cackling. A blood offering and visitors? This was definitely an occasion now! ]

(( OOC: Walter' will receive messages after his Gear has been brought down from the tree. ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Blood?

Walter c'mon.

_{[AT LEAST THERE WON'T BE ANY DEATH BUT. C'MON.]}

There are religions that use symbolic substitutes for that, you know

What could be equivalent to blood for the Holy Mother? You know what the blood itself represents.

[ Pain, suffering, looking for Salvation. But...seeing as it was Heather, who should remember the rituals and practice of the Order better than others, he decided to reveal his intentions. ]

It will be my blood. I'm not sacrificing a Pokemon for this, or seeking someone else. [ And if his team want to contribute, then they may. But he's not forcing it upon them. ]

_{[If she were more sassy, and gave way fewer fucks, she might have replied 'Well, the Holy Mother has actually developed a bit of an addiction to hard apricorn cider lately', but... yeah.]}

Catholics use wine.

Pretty sure water itself is considered holy by lots of cultures. But I'm no expert

_{[That said, she does appreciate the clarification, even if the thought still makes her grimace and shake her head.]}

That said I guess it's your blood and you can use it however you want

[ Do you really want to try and convince him you're the Holy Mother, right now? Because he has a separate crisis of faith going on regarding a moth Pokemon. ]

It's nothing I haven't given before. It will be done before the guests come.

[ There was a long pause before he sent a short message. ]
I never enjoyed the animal sacrifices when I was young. I can't think of doing it here, to Pokemon.

_{[She absolutely does not. Which is why she didn't say anything.]}

Well

good.

I'd be really worried if anyone told me they DID like the animal sacrifices

Some people did. In the orphanage.

I just got used to it.

[ Because even if he didn't like it...it was part of his upbringing. He had seen animals be sacrificed from a young age. That, and if you want to create a serial killer, you need to desensitized them to the idea of killing things. In that regard the priests had certainly done a good job, although his Pokemon's affection to him had seeded the idea of protecting them rather than cutting them open for God. ]

That doesn't surprise me

_{[Alessa had gotten something like a thrill from killing the butterflies for her collection. The one thing she had control over. Making people disappear for Mommy wasn't the same-- the butterflies were hers, she chose to take their lives so that they could be pinned under glass on her wall. ... But after that came the guilt. Even as a tiny seven-year-old lashing out the only way she had, there had been guilt.]

[She hated and loved her butterfly collection at the very same time.]}

It's just another way to hurt the world.

[ There's a pause before he sends a reply ]

I did ask the priests once. Why give the blood of the unwilling, when Her believers would suffer for Her? They didn't approve of me questioning them.

If my Pokemon give their blood, it will be their choice. I don't intend to hurt them. I know Assumption will want to give as well.

Of course they didn't.

_{[Tyrannical monsters.]}

Personally I think anything that needs you to spill your own blood to prove your love is inherently unworthy of it.

But people choosing to do it on their own without hurting anybody else is leagues different from people going out and forcing others to do it.

[ Walter's conditioning prevented him from seeing things that way Heather did. From childhood, he'd been taught that the only way he could ever be loved and protected would be to pay blood to God. Despite his Pokemon loving him regardless, he still longed to be worthy of God's love.

But at the same time, it felt like they had reached...an agreement? Him giving his own blood was okay. He wasn't going to hurt someone else; and that's good. He tapped on his knee. They were still both 'cult kids', even if Heather renounced the faith. And after everything...he had no reason to hold any special grudge against her. She had said things about him, but they had also just talked as well. People were far more complex than he had known them to be before. ]

I know you don't care for God. But I hope the Sun has smiled on you this summer.

_{[She's not exactly a fan of people cutting on themselves either, but well, it's a free country. Better oneself than others.]

[And engaging in eccentric but mostly harmless symbolic sacrifice was a far cry from terrorizing and murdering an entire apartment complex.]

[His statement gives her pause. But weirdly enough, it's one of the kinder things he's said to her.]

[It makes her think of Claudia.]}

If it smiles on me any more, I might get sunburnt.

Make sure and use sunscreen when you're making your offering.

I will. Claudia has been helping me keep cool as well.

Thank you.

[ He wouldn't invite Heather. It was obvious she wouldn't ant to come. But...she was respecting his beliefs. Which was really all he could, and would have, asked for. ]

Thirteenth Sacrament: Summer

[Text]

[Text]

[Text]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject