Audience: Temenos

[becomemod]

Comments

Week 5, Monday

[becomemod]

Of course. What can I do for you?

[inquired]

Actually, it's less about me.
You've had a rough few weeks - a rough competition, have you not?

[becomemod]

I guess?
I know this is a lot for some people, but this is honestly par for the course for me.

[inquired]

Hmm. Why not come chat with me about it?
Perhaps a turn at confessional might do some good.

[becomemod]

I think I'm allergic to churches.
But I'll come talk.

[inquired]

You and I may have that in common, believe it or not.
Come along. I promise not to talk your ear off with scripture.

[becomemod]

Alright.

[They will go and meet up with Temenos though. I hope he's a terrible priest like Shiro was.]

[inquired]

[ :thinking:....

when tiger arrives, temenos is at the doors of the church! he is like clearly very at home here; he nudges the heavy door open when he spots them with a polite smile. ]

There you are. Shall we? Do try not to break out in hives. [ teasing. ]

[becomemod]

[:|

But they will come in, sure.]

I have to ask, why did you want to talk here of all places?

[inquired]

There is a difference between a church and The Church, I believe. A building for faith is a building for faith - one without organization or denomination lends itself to being much more of a sanctuary.

[ so the allergic thing may just apply to some of the organizations. after all, temenos has lived his entire life in the chapels and cathedrals of...flamechurch, so this is familiar. he holds the door open for them like a polite boy! ]

It's somewhere quiet. Did you think I was kidding about confessional?

[becomemod]

[TBH Tiger isn't really allergic. They just have a negative opinion of religion.]

What do you think I should be confessing for?

[inquired]

Nothing, really. Don't think of it as giving up your sins - unless you'd like to, of course.

[ that's a little playful. he turns around and starts to lead the way back towards the confessional, hands laced behind his back. ]

Moreso, I find that no matter how used to something someone is, it still weighs heavily upon them - or other parts of it do entirely. Sometimes, it is nice to have an ear to listen to that won't judge, and it becomes easier to do that when you can't see the other person.

[becomemod]

I guess that would work to keep the thought bubbles from being seen, at the very least.

[A shame, because Tiger won't talk about most of the stuff weighing them down.

But they will humor Temenos with this at least.]

It looks kind of small...

[inquired]

[ maybe tiger should

he hums as he goes to open the priest side and praises the comment about the thought bubbles. ]

Very good, little tiger.

[ teehee.

before he steps in on his side, though, temenos looks over, amused... ] They aren't supposed to be all that comfortable, really - while I suppose confession is a nice experience for catharsis, very few things in the church ever are. If you've ever sat in a pew for longer than a few moments, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean?

[ faithful guy jokes on church ] In you get.

[becomemod]

['little tiger' :||||]

I grew up in an orphanage, this wooden furniture is familiar.

[But yes, they will go in and sit down in the tiny confessional and wait for Temenos to go in the other side. They are doing their best to ignore any sensation of claustrophobia.]

[inquired]

You can leave the door open, if you'd like.

[ he's clever enough to pick up on that, but he settles into his spot and shuts his.

after a moment's pause. ]

For similar reasons, as am I. [ temenos leans back, getting comfortable - he keeps the little side view window thing closed for now, so it's just his voice that drifts through the grate. ] I was a foundling, myself.

[becomemod]

[Ah. That instantly puts Tiger at ease. Most people just don't understand how much that affects someone growing up. But if Temenos was abandoned as a child and left to live at an orphanage or a church, then he would.]

...I honestly don't remember much of my life before age eight. But the director of the orphanage would constantly remind me of how my parents abandoned me in the garbage and how I was lucky that he even found me.

[inquired]

[ me, hitting down your door with a paper towel roll: the lore

he settles in to listen, calm and thoughtful as ever. temenos's voice is soft and sacred in the small space of the confessional, a warmth of light that he always seems to carry. ]

Lucky, hm. [ ok.jpg, is the tone there. dick. ] What an awfully cruel thing to say to a child. [ extremely. ] Did you spend your entire childhood there?

[becomemod]

No. As you said, it was a cruel place. I ran away when I was 12.

[A thought bubble will be somewhat visible on Temenos's side: The scars never did go away, even after healing.]

[inquired]

[ he takes in the thought bubble, but says nothing - this effect doesn't do much for people's dignity, and it doesn't make much of a sanctuary or a confessional to be extra invasive. instead, temenos just lets out a soft hum, understanding. ]

A life far preferable, I imagine. [ running away and getting out of there. anything is better than being stuck in a situation like that. ] Four years of clear memory, and then out to the streets. What then?

[becomemod]

I, uh. I met someone. He offered me a job.

[At 12.]

It...wasn't a very good job. Thinking on it now, I didn't like it much. Being a hero is better.

[inquired]

[ unfortunately he's a medieval so that's not that weird. one of his party mates is like twelve and another one absolutely started doing terrible work when she was twelve.

another understanding noise. ]

Mm. I'm glad that this has worked out for you, in that regard. It sounds as if despite everything, it might be a touch of a blessing?

[becomemod]

I guess so. I just...never felt very blessed.

[inquired]

I'll tell you a secret, little tiger. In my opinion as a cleric, blessings are just something that people say to make each other feel better - they are often paper thin. The gods rarely listen to the needs or whims of people, and faith is a way we prop each other up when we suffer.

[ damn temenos tell us how you really feel about the church. but he continues, a moment later. ]

Rather, it is the actions of others, and the actions we take ourselves, against the misery that life so often deals us that form a blessing. It sounds as if your life has been far, far crueler to you than it should be, but the lights you find along that path are yours to find, and yours alone. In a sense, that makes them oft sweeter. They make up for little, but they light the way forward, nonetheless.

I have the feeling that you have spent much time, perhaps rightfully so, looking into the shadows of your life. Would that be correct?

[becomemod]

...yeah. it is. I-

[My blood is mafia-black, there's no saving me.]

-it's only been eight months or so since I gave up on that kind of life. It's the others- the other team leaders- who helped me look away from the shadows.