Sermon Two

[withoutasign]

[Signless has chosen his location carefully; when he turns on the video function, there's a wall of water behind him, and a school of brightly colored tropical fish swimming past. He's very clearly in the bubble again.]

My friends, today I want to talk to you about fear.

[His voice is low and soothing, his story-telling voice.]

I have known great fear in my time. In my world, the color of my blood was a source of fear, something that drove me into hiding for a long time. Then, when I dreamed of the world that could be, rather than the world that was, I was afraid again... afraid that I would never see what I knew we were capable of come to pass. I was afraid to speak out, afraid to make a ripple in the still, stagnant waters of our society, and tried instead to live my meager little life underneath the notice of the highbloods.

But then I saw what my silence was doing, what those in similar positions were suffering, and I knew I could not stay silent. I could not sit idly by while our world rotted away from its very core, while its corruption bled away the talents and very lives of so many trolls who had done nothing beyond being hatched the wrong color. I could not wait for another to come along and demand change, or I would wait the rest of my life. I needed to cast aside my fear, to find a reserve of strength within me, and rise to what my world needed me to be.

[His voice falls, becoming hushed and soft, almost painfully honest, and he looks down, his cloak hiding his eyes.]

I was terrified. Casting off fear is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Fear is something I knew, its cold comfort as familiar to me as my guardian's face. It would have been... easy to live my entire life in fear, I thought.

[He looks up then, and his eyes are burning, his voice strong once more.]

I thought that fear was a cloak to hide me, but it was a chain I wore around my neck. When the fear was gone, when I made the decision to cast it aside, I have never felt so free in my entire life. It was how I imagine it must feel to wake up one morning with wings, and look out the window into an endless sky. When the fear was gone, I could breathe a deep breath for the first time in my life, and look to the future not as an ominous, foreboding thing, but as a path bathed in light and redemption.

I am not afraid any longer, Vatheon. This is my home now, and it is worth fighting for. I will not be driven out of my home again. I will not let fear control me.

Comments

voice;

[withoutasign]

That happens to everyone, and it's not something to be ashamed of. Later, think about your fear, and what caused you to react that way, and then try to not repeat the same mistake. We make mistakes so we can learn from them, and mistakes made out of fear are no different.

voice;

[longwinded]

It's hard not to repeat the same mistake you know. Really hard.

[John may be sulking.] My time here. We will get to talk more, right? [John might start looking up to you if you keep talking the way you do, Signless.]

voice;

[withoutasign]

I know it's hard, my friend. But it's only through difficulty and adversity that we grow and become better people.

[John can't see it, but he should be able to hear the smile in Signless' voice.]

Of course we will. I'll probably be over at your hive sometimes; Dave is going to teach me about photography.

voice;

[longwinded]

[John chuckles. He understands the point Signless is trying to get across.]

We can teach about all kinds of human things!

voice;

[withoutasign]

I'd like that a great deal!

voice; sneaks this in here late

[longwinded]

I can teach you...hm. [John has to think about this!]

Well I can teach you about piano?

voice;

[withoutasign]

Really? I was talking to Dave not long ago about learning a musical instrument. He mentioned that he was learning piano, but wasn't very comfortable with it yet. Perhaps you could help me learn the basics?

voice;

[longwinded]

Perhaps I can! I never really tried to teach someone. It's a fun thought to play with though.

[john is becoming more and more comfortable in this bubble. hm. it's like a new home?]

voice;

[withoutasign]

You've already taught me how to bake, so I'd say you're a pretty good teacher.

voice; so you don't mind backtagging right? 8D

[longwinded]

Well, I will need proof of this!

[John has no recollection. Why would he even bake? he can, but only because of his Dad. Piano is to blame on his Dad too.]

voice; nah, it's cool XD

[withoutasign]

Would you like to make some cookies with me?

voice; nepeta and john are coming to play with signless. c:

[longwinded]

I would love to do that with you! As long as it isn't cake, cakes are an enemy in my household.

[He is so serious about that.]