maskormenace | ( video )

Entry tags:

( video )

[ josh appears to be seated at a bus-stop near what looks like a little church of some sort, and uh. he looks faintly shell-shocked to be honest. he shifts, propping the phone up on the bench, reaching up to tuck loose curls behind his ear. as usual, his hands are neatly bandaged, and after a moment, they begin to move, signing as he speaks. ]

I've never been in a church before. [ a beat. ] I know there are a lot of facets of Christianity, but I have to admit, I found this one a little bit scary. The people there were very.. [ he searches for a word, settles helplessly on: ] angry. I don't.. really think my template would approve much. But maybe he was different in this world, I'm not sure.

[ he glances down at his hands briefly, smoothing at one of the bandages, before glancing shyly back up at the phone. ]

But it made me think about all the other facets, and about all the other faiths people here practice, or don't practice. Has being here made you more or less faithful? And if you have a-- a faith, or a religion, what is it about? Who do you.. worship?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

A difficult question. I don't know if I would use words like faith, or worship, in my own case. It's different for me. But at the same time, I don't know what words I would use, in their place.

I suppose the simplest way to put it would be, the god that protected the dimension I'm from, it doesn't defend any other. Its "mark" in the cosmos is a star absent from this sky. Being here doesn't really change what's true elsewhere, but at the same time, absence means I don't think about it as often as I would, there.

[ it's #Complicated ]

[ despite himself, he's a little grateful for text. he's much less self-conscious when he can hide behind it. ]

less faith than just a fact of existence??

what kind of god is it? has it always been a star??

I get worshiped, actually.

[ OH HEY he knows who this is. kind of. ]

hello! youre persephone right? i saw you at dios party
tbh i still dont really understand how your pantheon works exactly
do you all sing (or throw parties)?

the astral plane where the gods live is cut off from this world, butt I still have access to my divine magic, so I still worship my deity.

His name is Pam, he's a nature god.

*but

*Pan

[ bless merle, it's impossible to feel disturbed when he's around to chat to. ]

im surprised your autocorrect changed it to pam tbh
theres a pan where im from too! stories about him anyway
and ig hes a kind of nature god

[ He has a soothing effect like that... When he's not grossing people out talking about charming plants. ]

it's always either Pam or it thinks I'm talking about a frying pan and doesn't want to put a capital P.

I've never been to one of these Christian churches before. did they worship that fat guy in the red suit?

[ Someone might have Jesus and Santa Claus confused. ]

[ hey, merle can flirt with plants all he wants and josh will just go with it. ]

i was expecting the frying pan haha

[ fat guy in a red suit? who-- ] oh you mean santa claus! no hes a seasonal thing
christianity is based on the teachings of a man whos called jesus christ
hes supposed to be the son of god
and its supposed to promote peace and tolerance
but this place was more about condemning people

I'm sorry they were angry. That's not what it's supposed to be about.

[Not everything he says makes sense to her--different worlds, clearly--but the important stuff is clear. He'd been afraid, and maybe he'd had good reasons. She falls quiet for a moment, her scarred face solemn, a blue scarf thick around her neck. ]

I'm a Christian. I don't know about being more or less faithful. It's more like... [Another pause, her brows income a little closer together. ] That's just a fact. That's where I came from. And I hope it's true, but I don't know. I don't know if I ever will.

[ a small, wan smile. ] .. No, it's not. [ it was meant to be loving, accepting, giving. but then, he supposes people will be people.

he pauses, then, straightening faintly in surprise. ] It's true. I mean, he was a real person. At least, he was where I'm from. The afterlife is a little.. different, though. Heaven's politics are a lot more complicated than most people realize.

[ more complicated than he knows, even. lucifer doesn't get into it much with him, and he doesn't ask. it's not really his place. ]

.. Still, I'm glad to see that not everyone is like those people.

[Her eyes widen. This...really isn't the answer she was expecting from some random guy hanging around in a church.]

Wait. You know there's a Heaven?

[ a beat, then a small nod. ]

.. Back home, anyway. I don't know about here, or about other versions of earth.

[Her frown only deepens with his answer, and for several long moments, she's silent. It's...something, at least, right? Somebody out there gets to go. Maybe me family--but that's a thought she can't afford to dwell on right now.

Eventually, haltingly--]

Did you die? Or...?

[ he shakes his head, hands curling into loose fists atop his thighs as he thinks of how to explain his situation. there are a few aborted attempts, fingers twitching as if about to sign, then pausing. at last, though: ]

I know an angel back home, [ he says, signing slowly as he speaks. he knows several angels, in fact, but it's probably not a good idea to mention that most of them want him dead. and he's pretty sure no christian anywhere would be happy to hear about lucifer. ] Not very well, though. His name is Raziel, the secret-keeper.

[He's got good instincts--she still feels weird about the fact that there's a Lucifer here. The name Raziel, on the other hand, is completely unfamiliar to her, having grown up with Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and the weird wheels with eyes or whatever.

She nods, belatedly glad the answer to her question wasn't yes. Even though it seems like she should be able to ask that of other people, having died herself, it's a punch to the guy as questions go. ]

You just...met an angel?

[ a slight wince. even deaf, he knows that was probably a slightly skeptical question. ]

It's a long story. [ he hesitates, then taps the center of his chest. ] I'm a clone of Yehoshua. Heaven is.. interested in that.

That's me.
It's fine, you're not supposed to know how gods work. That's the point.
And yeah, more or less.

well i get how hell works and i more or less get how heaven works but other pantheons are new

parents are and raised me catholic, but i don't subscribe to any of that bullshit. used to go to church all the time as a kid when they'd drag me

but now i think it's just a bunch of old or dead dudes telling women what to do and what their purpose should be in life and trying to control the shit out of people

ive read that catholicism is very strict!! do you think its all religion in general, or christianity as a whole, or just catholicism thats so bad?

Yehoshua?

[That's not...he's not seriously saying...is he?]

He's Jesus now. His name was Yehoshua, though. Joshua. [ a beat, tapping his chest again. ] I was called after him.

Oh, my God. [It's just a murmur, and of all things, her first thought is I wish my dad was here. A little less mumbled this time--] Oh, my God. They cloned you from Jesus? Oh, my God.

[Beth's not even sure what to do with this information. She's talking to Jesus, except cloned. For real. Her next thought is I didn't think you'd look like that. Not that it's Him, but it's basically Him. God. God. She takes a breath, shaking her head a little.

You have to say something. Do it, say something that isn't stupid.]

I'm Beth. [Maybe that counts for something, introducing herself instead of gaping like a dying fish.] Sorry, I...guess I'm just surprised.

[ Luke considered for a long moment how to respond; Josh seemed pretty upset by what it was he saw in that 'church', so he wanted to put how he felt into words properly. ]

Different people throughout the galaxy have their own beliefs, though belief in the Force is universal, more or less. Many people question it, and the Emperor has done his best to erase thousands of years of Jedi history, but largely people know it exists.

I believe what I've been taught about its use and what the Jedi believe. But this place has made me question certain aspects.

[ there's a brief, flustered moment, but then he smiles warmly, a little doe-eyed. ]

It's nice to meet you, Beth. You can call me Josh. [ just J in sign, instead of the way he'd spelled out his template's names.

his smile widens into a grin, then, eyes ducking briefly, sheepishly. ] I've been told the freckles are surprising. We are a little different, though, physically. [ he reaches up to gesture to one of his ears. ] I'm deaf, and he wasn't. I'm taller, too; something to do with better healthcare and food in this day and age.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 5

( video )

text; network ID is just a moon emoji 🌙︎

( text )

TEXT

( text )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

video. private.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[Text]

no subject