Mariel blinks. She had pegged the priest correctly. I bet he doesn't like hitting girls, either- thinks that women need to be protected. She looks at him with a suitably miserable expression and says, Please excuse me for a moment, Father, I need to collect my emotions.
With all the contradictions present in a girl doomed to be a teenager forever, Mariel goes to the bathroom to wash her face, closes the door, and thinks...Ok, so he's not a dick...just a puss. Clearly not Sanctified leadership material.
She sighs. Guess I won't be having much fun with this one, either. Shame, really. I'd look HOT riding on the back of that bike.
She returned to the bedroom and said, Ok, so we've established that you're not interested in my charms. But I'm curious- theologically speaking, why not? I'm interested in hearing your interpretation of the Holy word. Mariel grabs a notepad and pen and lays them beside her on the bed.
From zero to crazy and back again in no time at all. Benton was starting to wonder what he was getting into with this woman. Her attitude may be unusual but time would tell if she had the conviction of the Sanctified.
"Why would I be interested in your charms?" Replied the Father. "No offense but what you have between your legs pales in comparison to what you have in your veins. Virtually every pleasure of the flesh from our mortal lives is just a shadow of a memory compared to the Blood. Not to mention the fact that we can't reproduce so a sex drive is what you might call a vestigial organ. If you want to indulge yourself that way it's fine with me, just don't let it come between you and the holy work."
He sat back down in the chair he had occupied earlier to explain his take on the Word.
"The world is full of vice and distractions that lead man from the light of God. We were created to be a terror in the night, wolves chasing the sheep back to the shepherd. I was one of those lost souls and I could have died without ever knowing the love of God. But He had other plans for me. Now I stand as a lesson to others. I try help and preach to those who want to change their ways and punish the sinners who don't. That's my vocation, my purpose. All Kindred are created by the Lord to scourge the wicked in hopes that we may live to see the day of judgment and be welcomed into the arms of God."¢ He takes a deep, though unnecessary breath as he finishes. [cülor=#aa0000]"So what about you? Whats your view on the Testament?"[/color]
Well, I've had time to study The Testament of Longinus...no offense, but perhaps for longer than you have, Father. Mariel looks at him sideways, not sure of when Father Black was brought over.
I'm sure that you're aware that our own holy book tells us that we are God's holy monsters. Mariel smiles, showing her white teeth, with fangs extended. She gets a rapturous and fanatical gleam in her eyes, and continues.
I believe that we are put here to show the rich how poor they are, the powerful how weak they are. We show the healthy how illness can rot into decay, and we show the pious how hypocritical they really are. Whether that puts humans on the right path or not is not up to us; it's in God's hands. To think otherwise is to put ourselves above God's will.
Our purpose is to show men and women the blackness and despair of the world. How better to do that than to live out all our desires? Mariel moves slowly and langorously, positioning herself with a smoldering seduction on the large bed.
You and I, and all Kindred- we're all damned, Father, and there's not one reason why we shouldn't act as if it wasn't so. There is no heaven for us, no "Well done, though good and faithful servant". We deserve to be thrown into the pits of Hell. Don't you see, Father? It's where we belong.
Mariel smiles a truly terrifying smile, and quotes from the Holy Texts: "Feed for hunger and feed for joy. Remember always you are the hunter and devourer of mankind."
She seems to come out of her revery somewhat. So....you think we can work together, or what?
Educated, motivated, and sure of what she wants. Mariel seemed perfect. The Lord had sent him just the person he an the Lancea Sanctum needed in Sacramento. Perhaps they could turn this seemingly dire situation to something good.
"Definitely. I admire your faith and your passion. We have possibly different approaches, but they serve the same ends: To scourge the kine and show them that the only security in this world is The Lord. Together, I think we can start to turn this city back on the right path."
Possibly different approaches? More like polar opposite approaches! The man is insane if he thinks we can work side by side.
Mariel is quite sure that working with Father Black will effectively reproduce the same old unpopular Lancea method of operation, but she smiles submissively, bowing her head slightly. Yes, I'm sure that this city can be turned to the true path, Father.
She decides to confront him directly, though. He really should know I'm not going to go along with his program.
I wonder...don't you think our very different approaches will cause... confusion? Perhaps we should have two branches of the Lancea? I have some ideas that will both honor the Sacred Texts and increase our membership, or at the least, the attendance at Midnight Mass. She pauses. In for a penny, in for a pound....
I really want to get back to the basics of scripturally-directed living. I want the Lancea to be open and welcoming to all, including our brothers and sisters in the Circle of the Crone. There, that ought to give him pause.
I think the biggest difference between us right now though, is in the way we live our lives. Do you believe that there is the slightest chance you'll be received in heaven? Or do you agree with me, that all Kindred are damned?
Mariel continues. And if we are all damned (as I believe), then why bother to push the Kine toward what their world calls Moral and Righteous? Scripture tells us that the Kine are here to slake our thirst. It's presumptuous of the Lancea to try to influence the gift of free will that God Himself has given them!
I think that most Kindred would find the Lancea et Sanctum much more interesting if they could be assured that being a monster is not just ok, it's expected of us by God. And that it's not just acceptable, it's expected that we will fulfill the wicked desires of our hearts without fear of His wrath. We are as he created us, and that can't be wrong! said Mariel with a faith both child-like and burning in its depth.
Mariel seemed to be doing her best to just piss Black off. He had always prided himself on being a somewhat laid-back priest. Somebody people, especially the young people at risk but with their whole lives ahead of them, could approach. Open, accepting, but totally committed to his cause. His purpose.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind. Where to begin?"
"I do think we should be open and welcoming. Jesus didn't send his disciples to preach to the converted, but to the pagans. I welcome your suggestions on this matter. In fact, I say we make a point to invite the Circle of the Crone's members to Midnight Mass. They are misguided and should hear the word of Longinus and of God."
Benton stood from his chair as he began to address on to the less pleasant topics Mariel had brought up.
"However, as to creating separate branches, some sort of factions, I cannot disagree with you more strongly. You would fracture a covenant of two and start a religious war in this room. I for one have no desire to preside over a covenant consisting only of myself. Besides which, we should present a unified face if we are ever to be taken seriously. Even when our numbers grow we would be weakened by your schism."
"For the rest, what I believe and how I choose to live..." Black pauses before continuing. "We are God's holy monsters. Our purpose is to put the fear of God into the hearts of man. Our purpose is to drive them to what GOD calls moral and righteous. Our purpose is to influence their free will and I will use whatever means I deem useful to make them see the light. If I can terrorize sinners into embracing the Lord, then I have done my duty. If I can convince them to turn to Christ out of love, even better. Besides that, the way I choose to live out my existence is my choice and I choose not to pay heed to the obsolete cravings of dead flesh or the inconsequential yearnings of a dead heart. I agree that the assurance that we are damned for a purpose is one of the great blessings of the Sanctified, but it's not just a free pass to wallow in our own filth. It comes with the responsibility of being the wolves to the Lord's shepherd and we mustn't let our desires, however sinfully seductive, come before God's will."
Nope. Can't agree with you there at all, Padre. Mariel tries not to sigh.
Mariel noticed that Father Black had glossed over some of her biggest questions regarding damnation and heaven. She realizes there is no swaying his point of view, and that he's beginning to look angry enough to lose his temper. And Lord knows I've taken enough abuse for one day.
All the mention of Jesus made her flesh crawl. Longinus is the prophet we should be paying attention to, not Jesus.
He's still trying to minister to a human flock, not an undead one!, she realizes.
I hardly think I'm "wallowing in my own filth" when I'm showing by example how low sin and depravity can drive someone, she settled on saying, somewhat coldly.
However, I agree that we don't have much of a choice other than working as a team. We'll have to, for the Covenant to survive. If you wouldn't mind disposing of the bodies in the All Hallows Church, I'll work on making everything else presentable, so that we can hold Midnight Mass soon. Agreeable?
This isn't a battle that's gonna be won tonight. Benton thought to himself as he listened to Mariel. Everything happened as part of God's plan and their differences were going to be something to work around for the time being, but hopefully it wouldn't get in the way of his work.
"Well at least we can reach some sort of agreement. We need to get the church cleaned up and prepared for a Mass soon. Perhaps you could talk to that Heathcliff fellow, see if he won't lend us a hand. The Prince may have his own plans for the man, but I didn't hear anybody say he couldn't act on his own from time to time."
I'll look into that...I need to figure out where he lives first, but that's doable. Here's my cell phone number in case you need to contact me, otherwise I'll plan on being at the church soon.
Good night, Father. Thank you for stopping by.
Mariel stands up to walk Black to the door. She is quite ready to be rid of him for the evening.
And she is just *itching* to call Mother Superior.
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