The Garden of The Light - ADORA RP 1
May 2, 2021 22:23:37 GMT -5
CallMeRobert and OZYMANDIAS like this
Post by thewhiterose on May 2, 2021 22:23:37 GMT -5
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"Your wife must be made aware about your infidelity, my son. That is, if she hasn't already found out from a source other than yourself." My father told the disheveled middle-aged man who kneeled before him. The man wasn't a regular of the church but it was a small town so I had seen him around. Average build and average height, balding with flush cheeks, even more red than usual in his current emotional state. I watch from the corner probably unbeknownst to the distraught visitor as my father does what he always does.
Finally letting the tears roll, the man is unable to answer my father in front of, but being the empathetic soul he is my father lays a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "You've sinned my son, we can't change the past, but we can certainly use the past to influence the future. Not just for you, but for your wife and for the Lord. There's so much love for you right in front of your eyes my friend; the church loves you, the Lord loves you, and your wife loves you. Straying and giving into temptations of evil is an unfortunate fact of life, but this is the first step towards true forgiveness. The Lord has already forgiven you, my son, and if you dedicate yourself to becoming a better man in the eyes of the Lord, we can help you save your marriage. You, and your wife, are a welcome part of our family." My father smiles down at the man as he talks, but he avoids eye contact for the most part. Choking out a few deep breaths the man attempts to regain his composure, clumsily re-tucking his button-down shirt that had come lose during his emotional outburst into his jeans as he finally looks up at my father with vulnerable eyes.
"Father... can - can you truly fix my marriage? I love my wife, I love her, and I'll never stray again I swear to you." Desperation crept into the man's voice as he begins to plead with my father, and I sigh quietly, knowing by now what comes next. I stand from my seat in the corner and carefully retreat to the back room for the next part. My father smiles and helps the man to his feet.
"The church can not fix your marriage, but we can give you the tools to do so yourself, my son. You have succumb to evil but that doesn't make you an evil person."
"Tha-thank you, father. I'll tell my wife and I'll - I'll be here on Sunday." I can hear their voices echo from the next room as I wait.
"We will all be here with love in our soul and room in our hearts for you and your family." My father finishes and the man extends his hand. The two shake as the man wipes the final tears from his eyes, a smile attempting to break the barricade of despair on his face as he turns to leave. With this I grab the golden collection plate and slip out the side door, standing next to the entrance. He doesn't notice me at first, they never do, as they're usually far too busy attempting to pretend they're actually doing something good, something to fix the wrong they've done. But as he draws closer I catch his eye, and the awkward look of obligation appears on his face.
"Donations for the church, sir?" I squeak out, my ill-fitting suit constricting tightly against my chubby limbs as I extend my arms with the collection plate as close to the man as possible. He stops abruptly, his mind racing. I can see it on his face as his thoughts go from a simple "no", to pondering a way out, but knows this is just the final step of convincing himself he's done good today.
"Oh-, oh of course." With that he removes his wallet, my eyes catching his as often as possible, just as father taught me. A crumpled fifty dollar bill emerges from his wallet, clearly the only cash available and far more than he'd wish to relinquish. He looks down at the plate with assorted fives, tens and a few twenties from earlier in the day, and looks hesitant. However before he can change his mind I shift the bowl closer to his tear-soaked hands.
"The church thanks you, sir." My bulky cheeks crease into a forced smile as the man nervously runs his free hand through his thinning red hair before nodding and dropping the bill into the plate.
"Good night, young man."
"You as well, sir." And with that, he was off. I watched him for a while, get into his white Buick and take off down the road. I looked at the license plate and made a mental note. I was sure I'd never see it again, I never did, but it made for a fun search game come Sundays. Once the vehicle disappears over the hill I turn and bring the plate to father as he's blowing out the candles getting ready to leave.
"Thank you, Lesley." My father says matter-of-factly. I don't answer, just set the bowl in front of him. He doesn't wait for me to turn away for the next part.I think he wants me to see, wants me to know... as he sorts out the fives and tens and stuffs them inside the church lock box, grabbing the loose twenties and the newly received fifty and tucking them neatly into his wallet. But despite his best efforts, I pretend not to watch.
I've gotten very good at pretending not to watch.
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"Welcome home, Fallout fans, friends, and now - family." I wanted the first thing for them to see on-screen, for my official reveal, was of course to be me. I spoke to them last time on, uckkk I shutter to even think the preposterous name... but Fallout V: Gooey Raspberry Filling. However they didn't get to see me, to experience The White Rose in its full untamed glory, and that's what I wanted for this real début.
There I stand proudly for the camera, a shimmering white and silver robe that flows over my slightly exposed, glistening chest and down the rest of my body, with long tassels of all colors that catch and reflect the radiating sun. But it wasn't just my true physical body I wanted them to experience, experiencing Lesley Adora wasn't enough. I needed them to see The White Rose, and introduce them to everything they've been missing.
Green vines twist and turn over the PVC dome that surrounds me, the screen windows doing little to stop the breeze from entering and tussling my dirty brown hair, a much intended feature of going screen over glass. Glass is so... constricting. Regardless. Brothers and sisters of all gender, race, age, background; a truly diverse family of beautiful souls walk about doing various tasks. One brother waters the sunflowers that tower so tall they threaten to burst through the screen windows; one sister is building a chair out of wicker, nothing fancy but incredibly durable and easy on the eyes; a group of older brothers and sisters of the light head a class to the younger children on needle work as they sew up some white robes for future additions to our family. Nobody doing their responsibilities with a frown, nobody being told what to do or when to do it... they do it because this is how life is supposed to be lived. They do it because this... is our home.
This is The Garden of The Light.
In an attempt to literally welcome every new member to our family with open arms, I extend them wide, and smile.
"This is it, brothers and sisters, The Garden of The Light. This is where I alongside my family of illuminated souls live happily, peacefully, in true genuine harmony. Hand in hand we've worked together to construct a life that is free of racism, sexism, judgment, social and economical hierarchy. This is my vision, my dream - - my destiny. But, I understand it takes time. It takes time to open your mind and more importantly, open your eyes to truly see the path of death and despair that 'our founding fathers' have so graciously left for us." I take a few steps around the corner, one of the sisters of the light offering me a bunch of grapes as I do. "Thank you, sister." I kiss her on the lips and graciously accept the offering. I pop one into my mouth as I continue.
"You see it's not even your fault that you're all the way you are. Not really, at least. Your victims of circumstances, products of your surroundings. You're told that all there is to life is pain. All there is to life is work. All there is to life is sex. But there is so, so much more. That's why I'm here, brothers and sisters of Fallout, to show you the errors that you've been perpetuating and promoting." I'm taken aback as a brother of the light comes from behind a beautiful Japanese Pieris bush with a fresh squeezed, ice-cold glass of lemonade. "Why thank you brother, I was beginning to become parched from cleansing so many new souls." I kiss him on the lips as well, and take a refreshing sip of the beverage.
"This week is my début for the Project Honor brand Fallout, and it couldn't be more fitting than to be on a show titled 'Laying Claim'. For that, my siblings is what I intend to do. I shall lay claim to my spot on this roster, and in doing so I begin the process. The process of opening your minds, your hearts, your souls and your eyes. I'll be going up against a soul who has also just arrived on the scene, and seemingly is fitting right in with the rest of the... unique individuals that Fallout attracts - a man by the name of Rapture." A shudder once more rolls down my spine, but I attempt to hide it. Don't want to belittle the lost soul, regardless of how much he's strayed from the light.
"Rapture, I want to talk to you about something. A little something known as destiny. Now, I'm not one to spew hair-brain unfounded theories, but I think it's rather fitting that my début is against a man who chose to be known by Rapture. The simplistic definition of the word is 'an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion', which were I a betting man, would be the assumed reason you've titled yourself as such, due to your... misguided apparent lust for violence. However, if you look under the surface a rapture is also the state of being overcome by an overwhelming emotion, or moreover a mystical experience where one is exalted to a knowledge of the divine. Of course there's also the Christian belief that a rapture is the second coming of Christ, and that all believers will be shipped to heaven during the rapture in the end of the days." I couldn't contain the smile that was surely plastering my face knowing I had to be getting my point across.
"That's where destiny comes I my brother, for I believe that The Light has led me to you for this very reason. This, Rapture, is your rapture. I am here to help you ascend, but not with fictitious lies of a false eternal palace, but ascend now to your truest and purist form so that you may find heaven on Earth in the grace of The Light. I understand that you are new here Rapture, and I understand that you've clearly lived a life of pain and anguish considering your unhealthy need to harm others... But it doesn't have to be that way. You lost your début match at Public Execution, but that doesn't mean that you're destined for constant failure. The Light has helped many see their true potential, and I'd be more than willing to welcome you into our family with open arms." I extend my arms once more. "I understand that I'm new here Rapture, and that you may be hesitant to take everything I say at face value. That is not only fine, but incredibly smart on your end. But, faith is faith. I wouldn't be asking you to give me your faith if it was an easy thing to do my brother. But I am The White Rose of professional wrestling Rapture. I represent everything that is pure in this life, and I oppose everything that is tainted. You've lived a tainted life, but now that I've arrived there's no need to continue down that path. Allow me to take you under my wing, my beautiful white wing as pure as that of a dove... And embrace me.
"Embrace me rapture and embrace that while you and the rest of the world may see you as a mask-wearing freak straight out of a John Carpenter film, that in the eyes of myself and the eyes of The Light you are none of that. You're just another brother and sister, one who has strayed far, far from home. And I know it's dark, especially in these days, I know it's hard.
But all you need to do is take my hand, and follow me into The Light. It's time to come home." My brothers and sisters gather behind me, the infectious smile flowing like a river down the line of beautiful, pure souls. I close my eyes for but a moment, truly soaking in the moment of my arrival, knowing that if nothing else...
Today we've done good. Today, we've attempted to rescue another lost soul. What I can't tell the family, for fear of breaking the harmony, is that not everybody can be saved. It's an unfortunate fact of life. Some people are just so stuck in their ways, so consumed by the hate and manufactured darkness of the world today that their eyes have been closed for too long. For those unfortunate souls, the only option is to rid ourselves of their dark, toxic presence. It's not a job that I enjoy, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. For if you're not strong enough to accept The Light into your life, you've dammed the rest to live in your darkness. That is unfair, and will not be tolerated. I can save them, I can save them all. But for those who can't be saved...
We are forced to move on without them here. We're forced to exclude them from our light, and exclude them we shall.
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