victory_road | 1st Sacrament [ Video ]

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1st Sacrament [ Video ]

It's in the evening when the feed comes to life. A Murkrow is taking up the frame, peering at it as if to check it's working. Once satisfied, it hops back into it's place quickly.

Walter is sitting cross-legged on the floor and hasn't noticed the Pokegear being used. He's in the middle of talking to his Pokemon. The Murkrow, Darkness, settled in to listen next to a Shuppet while a little Cubone is paying rapt attention, almost on Walter's knee.

"-offered a prayer and a snake to the sun, begging for salvation. A Woman offered a prayer and a reed to the sun, begging for joy. Seeing that the world was full of sadness and suffering, and feeling pity for the Man and Woman, God was born from them. She took away human's immortality, so they could know the freedom and peace of death and began to bring order to the world, creating day and night, creating angels to assist Her and creating Paradise. Paradise is Her ultimate gift; a place with no pain, untouched by humanity's evil or sin. But it took the last of God's strength and She collapsed. With Her last breath, She promised She would come again to bring people to the Paradise She had created before She faded to dust."

The Cubone made a soft, sad sound at the idea of God dying, hugging it's club. Walter reached down touching it's skull. "She is not lost to us. When the world's suffering becomes so great, She will descend upon us and cleanse the Nation of Sin, opening the gates to Paradise." That comforted the little Pokemon, looking up at Walter with big, wide eyes. He glanced at the others then noticed the PokeGear. He paused, then reached over to pick it up. He looked between it and his Pokemon, looking for the culprit.

"...Who turned this on?"

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Uh....

Do you really think Pokemon need religion? They...they probably got their own...

[ Oh hello Jimmy. He's still trying to pick the troublemaker out of the three Pokemon he has but doesn't seem too offended or bothered by the reveal that he was recorded. ] They don't. And if they did, they are quick to learn differently.

How do you know?

And...I mean, should you be teaching'em different? Pokemon ain't people, their gods are probably mega powerful Pokemon that actually listen. I don't think you wanna piss of Pokegod.

I mean, I got nothing against religion, I was raised some kinda Christian. But that don't mean my Pokemon gotta know about Jesus.

If they knew better, they wouldn't listen as readily. [ He looks over to Assumption, his best student. ] If 'their Gods' listen, then they can come down and show me their fury at their suffering.

Uh...I don't think it works like that....

I mean, I dunno. I didn't go to much church, but the ones I did, they were all about a loving god that forgave and stuff.

But that's the thing about religion. You can be whatever one you want.

That's not what I know. God is loving, but it's only through Her rage that She will cleanse the world in fire and open Paradise. Until Her wrath has reached fullness, we must endure our suffering.

That...some kinda Job sect or something? He was the dude that suffered, right?

There's no 'Job' in the Order. [ Who was Job? And everyone suffered in the Order's mythology and philosophy. ]

No, he was a dude in the Bible. His wife turned to sand? Salt? Or wait, was that another dude? I dunno. I honestly didn't pay much attention to the stuff that wasn't Jesus.

I don't even know if I believe in God anyway, so... maybe not the best guy to talk religion with.

[ Oh. Walter patiently shook his head. ] I'm not a Christian. The Order is a different faith.

I have seen proof of Her angels. But it doesn't matter. She will come for us all, regardless whether She is believed in or not.

Oh, sorry. I dunno about any of the other ones. I mean, I know what they are and stuff, but not anything about'em.

Um. Okay....

You're...pretty devout, huh?

[ Faith taught through torture sticks with a child. Walter didn't think of himself as devout...more dedicated. ]

I was taught young. It stays with you.

Yeah, I guess it does.

I mean, I don't got no problem with it! I known plenty of religious folks. Just as long as you don't care that I ain't!

As long as you don't question my beliefs.

[ He remembered being asked if the Devil was his friend, being questioned by some boys about the Wish House and hounded about his beliefs and the mythos of the Order. It was easy to lure two of them to the Wish House and sacrifice them. ]

_{[The emotions stirred up by hearing someone describe, to his Pokemon, the very mythology that had led to everything... well. They're complicated, to say the least.]

[Among them is rage.]

[But threaded throughout are veins of something heavy and cold.]

[Claudia had probably done the exact same thing with Warden and what few other Pokemon she had, if off-camera.]}

Claudia Wolf thought the Pokemon were angels, sent to guide us and keep us humble in Paradise.

_{[OH HEY WALTER LOOK IT'S YOUR BFF THE HERETIC!!]

[There's a pause, and then a low cough as Heather clears her throat.]}

I know who you are, now.

He paused, recognising that voice. The one who claimed to have 'known' God. And the name Claudia...he could have sworn he knew that name. Knowing who he was, within the Order, could mean many things. He had been known as the Conjurer-to-be then as the man who had murdered several priests, including the one who had taught him almost everything he knew.

"They are good creatures...but not angels." An angel couldn't be trapped in a ball, summoned and commanded like Pokemon were. They were above animals yes, above humans in their goodness, but not the powerful angels Walter had been taught of; not the angel Walter had once seen.

He waited for her to elaborate on knowing who he is. It hadn't crossed his mind that Henry might have friends in this world who would have been told about him.

"You're right, they're not."

~~BUT TELL THAT TO DAHLIA, WHO KEPT ONE IN THE FLAUROS.~~ I mean. Cough.

There's a long enough silence between them, though whether it's deliberate on Heather's part to build suspense or just. A natural product of this kind of awkward interaction. Is a little unclear. But eventually she does speak up.

"Henry is with me. Someone who the Order once used as a weapon, just like you. And I'm not the only one protecting him. We're armed, we're dangerous, and we will kill you if you try anything. So stay away from him. This is your warning."

She'd been a little worried, ahead of time, that her voice might falter. But she's been through too much, and grown too hard. It stays even and deadly serious the entire time.

Edited 2016-09-07 23:45 (UTC)

Walter sat on the floor again, head lowered. Someone else from the Order. 'Used as a weapon'...? he held his gear a little tighter, shaking his head despite Heather not being able to see him.

"I told you before. I don't intend to hurt anyone here." If she truly was part of the Order...no, she might not be. But it seemed that she knew Henry. Maybe she could impart some wisdom onto his Receiver. "The rituals for the 21 Sacraments required specific holy artifacts. They do not exist here. They also required that I die, to gain the power to awaken Mother. I'm not dead."

Both hands reached up to his neck, mirroring Henry's chokehold. He squeezed, feeling his windpipe thin, feeling the air rushing down his throat. He slowly let go. "I don't understand why...you said before, this was a second chance. I don't understand...I can't fulfil my role here...I can't awaken Her..."

He couldn't be the Conjurer here, he couldn't awaken Mother here, it was all he was good for, it was all he had been taught, 'you will suffer and you will die. Give praise, give thanks. She will hold you as Her most dear child-' He hands clenched on his neck again as he had to breathe deeply, trying to calm his thoughts. His Pokemon gathered around him, making sounds of worry at his behaviour.

Edited (typos and a CW!) 2016-09-08 00:36 (UTC)

"I want to believe you."

Those words come without hesitation. Because she does, actually! She really does!

It's the reason why, when she first called up Henry to let him know that there was another member of the Order in town, she'd told him not to worry, that she didn't think this mystery cultist would be an overt threat to them. But then that mystery cultist had turned out to be the madman who'd terrorized Henry in his apartment and murdered a bunch of his neighbors.

She could say what she wanted about Vincent and Claudia... but at least they didn't have bodycounts in the double digits.

"But you're a serial killer. Surely you can understand why I might be reluctant to take your word for it."

Not being able to see him, she of course doesn't realize what he's doing, although she hears the murmur and burble of worried Pokemon and narrows her eyes on the other end.

Walter didn't answer. Assumption clambered into his lap, tugging on his arm to try and remove his hand from his neck. His hands fell slack and he drew in a shaky breath. The Cubone tried to climb into his arm. If he was holding him, he couldn't do anything else with it, could he? Darkness and Doll hovered nearby, quietly murmuring to try and calm him down.

Oh right, the heretic was on the phone. He caught something about him being a serial killer.

"It had to be done. To awaken Her and purify the world. But it can't be done here...I don't feel anything..." He couldn't feel any of his powers. Assumption held onto his arm tighter, stopping him from reaching up again.

She waits a moment before responding. Because it's a little hard to tell if he's going to keep talking or not.

"... When I said 'second chance', I didn't mean a second chance to do what you did back home. I meant a chance to live. To life a life YOU made, instead of the one the Order chose for you. ... If it helps to think of it as redemption, then think of it like that. But either way, the Order has no power here. And every single soul here, Pokemon or human, is better off for it."

Another pause, and she takes a deep, audible breath.

"... You probably don't believe me."

It was too far from what he had been taught for him to process. A life beyond what the Order had laid out for him? After eighteen years, eighteen long, torment riddled years in their care, having faith burned into him like a brand and the heavy pressure of how he owed what little he had in life to him, how they had taken him in when nobody else would, that all they had done was to prepare him for his role and how it was all for him to be reunited with his mother...his mother who wasn't here.

"...I can't." He replied softly. "I still believe She will come." He turned his attention to Assumption, who was still looking at him worriedly. Tears began to build up in his eyes. These creatures were so good and kind. He breathed in deeply before speaking. "She's not here though...I just don't understand why I'm here. I can't do what I was meant to."

He shook his head, tears spilling from his lashes. He breathed in again, to calm himself and hide the tears before he spoke. "Henry is safe. I won't hurt him."

Edited 2016-09-10 19:26 (UTC)

There's a deep, clearly-disappointed sigh from Heather's end of the line.

Oh well. She hadn't expected much different, but... she tried.

"I guess that's the best I'm gonna get, huh. ... Well, I can tell the others what you said. But none of us trust easily. So remember what I told you... stay away."

There's another pause.

Then, with a tired note in her voice, "I don't want anybody here to die."

"There's no point in killing anyone here." Walter answered. He let his head fall onto Assumption's, curling around him as if to hide away from this confusing world. Assumption reached up, patting his cheeks. It only made Walter bite back more tears, swallowing.

"None of this has a point." He shut off his Pokegear, putting it down on the floor beside him. He let himself sink under heavy, lost thoughts, weighed down even as his Pokemon gathered around him, trying to break through with soft, affectionate touches. It only made him sink faster.

Edited 2016-09-11 20:23 (UTC)

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1st Sacrament [ Video ]

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[Audio / Locked] CW: ur...self strangling a little?

[Audio / Locked] WALTER NO ;-;

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