caughtinanetwork | Sermon Two

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Sermon Two

[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.

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Well, the children are still upstairs, or at least a majority of them are. I do not receive many visitors...

Just for a day or two perhaps.

[Darkleer isn't looking at Summoner, but he does run his hand through his hair.]

Perhaps it would help you get used to not relying on your wings so much until they've healed properly.

[His arms lower, staring at the grass infront of him for a moment. He's not sure if he's all right with change his reliance on his wings into a reliance on Darkleer, or any one person for that matter.]

[But-]

All right. Guess that is a thing I can do.

Oh.

[The sound is kind of far-off and dazed, and Darkleer just spends a moment blinking in soft bemusement at Summoner.]

[Then, after another moment-]

Really?

Uh, yeah, sure. That is a thing I just said, I'm pretty sure.

[Closes his eyes, finishing the winding motion of his arms and hands as he nears the end of his wrapping. He quickly pins it, inspecting his chest and sides before slowly folding his wings with just a small twitch.]

You sure that's something you are okay with? [A raise of a brow, turning a little more to glance in Darkleer's direction.]

Oh, no, no- I mean, yes, I'm quite certain I am okay with it.

[He tries to look away to hide the shy smile on his face.]

I... suppose I must admit that I am quite pleased with this outcome.

[And there's that smirk, gliding over his lips, seeing Darkleer shy away like that. Summoner turns around, making sure to not thunk his horns on the other troll, or hit him with his wings, and soon he's facing him. A hand glides forward, curling finger tips around Darkleer's collar and gives it a small jerk, tugging him a little closer.]

Think I'd rebull against the idea?

Edited 2012-03-06 00:44 (UTC)

[Oh.]

Goodness.

[The word is breathed out as Summoner pulls him closer and Darkleer feels his heart flutter. And right back around again... Although Darkleer cannot say he complains much.]

Well, you can be a fickle thing, I must admit to that as well.

Fickle? Me? Of course not.

[Snickers, rubbing his nose against Darkleer's before pulling his hand away and sitting straight.]

Thanks though, I uh, I really appreciate it.

[You know what's actually really nice? The nose rubbing is nice.]

Well, I aim to please.

So... Would you like to stay here a while longer?

[Nose rubbing, just another thing he's learned from animals, whoops.]

Let's... let's do whatever you want to do. [Smile.]

Very well...

[Tentatively, he gives a very small and unsure smile back.]

Then... Here. Just for a while longer.

[A small laugh before adjusting his legs a little, hands in his lap.]

Works for me.

[Pause.]

Tell me about your lusus.

[A rather quick question, smiling bright as he looks to Darkleer with a curious expression on his face.]

What?

[Such a quick, out of the blue question surprises him, and Darkleer is silent for a brief second.]

What brought this about?

Dural mentioned it not long ago. I had been wondering. He was a hoofbeast, like mine?

Well, I doubt exactly like yours...

He was a warhorse, of sorts.

Of course he's not, heh, there are so many different kinds of ungulates.

Ohh, heh, pretty fitting then. [A wide smile.]

I see that fitting you perfectly. Your lusus did well to choose you.

I'm quite glad he did.

[Something in Darkleer's expression seems to soften with the words and he reaches up briefly to lightly tug on the ends of his hair before his hand goes down again.]

He did well for me. Others are not so fortunate.

[Summoner scoots closer, legs crossed under him and hands go to replace where Darkleer's hand was just. He starts to lightly play with his hair as he listens, fingers grinding black strands between their pads.]

As it has always been with lusii. Did you spend a great deal of your life with him?

[There's just the softest tilt of his head to let Summoner know that the gesture is welcome. So much better like this, out here in the forest with his matesprit, then in a stiff restaurant with a troll he barely knows.]

Yes, actually. Some trolls do not prefer it... But-

[A pause. He hasn't told many people this. He really hasn't spoken much about it at all.]

I... did not deal with many others when I was very young. It was hard to imagine a life without him by my side.

[...Hey now... Watch it.]

Heh, I uh, I know the feeling. [A distant look.]

A lot of times, I think, nymphs only really spend time with their lusus... It's pretty normal. [Not to the extent Summoner did it, but still..]

Quite...

Although it wasn't just with my lusus. He needed to stretch his legs, of course, and I couldn't follow him everywhere. [Darkleer gives an awkward shrug.] I doubt you'd want to listen to dull stories from then, of course.

[Doubt he what? Sorry, watching you starry eyed.]

...What?

What?

You... were staring at me.

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