[PRP] Take Me to... Church? (Sunday & Preacher)

[The Semblance of Unity]

Mink, the little bugger, had funked his way over into bullshit land with Preacher this time. She wasn't sure how he did it, but he had certainly twined his skinny a** in-between her legs. Looked proud of his damn self, too, she thought grumpily.

"Ain't got time ta take ya back, so you're comin' with me, a*****e. No runnin' off ta participate in anymore cat tribunals, 'k?" Preacher scratched Mink's ears affectionately. He let out a soft meow. Maybe that was his agreement. Then he stretched up, putting his paws on Preacher's thigh. It was the signal that he wanted to be at least half-carried. She rolled her eyes, but picked him up, settling him half on her shoulder, half in her arms. Preacher was weak to cute cats, and Mink ********' knew it.

She stalked up to the library and knocked awkwardly on the door. Then she tried pulling the handle. "Hello? I'm here fer Sunday school."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

The door creaked open, rather slowly. Once upon a time, the space beyond had been nightmarish, a fractal edge broken across a bright blue sky. Now it was just. You know. A library lobby.

There was a door on the opposing end of the hall. It popped open slightly at Preacher's approach.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher hadn't been sure what to expect, but a regular old lobby definitely wasn't it. Bullshit land was full of weird-a** magic and to have something so normal... Well, she reminded herself, many of the buildings looked as normal as could be even if they held odd things.

She moved forwarded, her sneakers squeaking slightly on the floor. Mink, the traitor, was content to lounge in her arms half-asleep. As such, she couldn't easily knock on the door, but ********, it was partly open anyway. The thought that it could be a trap crossed her mind, but who the ******** would wanna trap Preacher Maria, useless lump with an attitude, anyway?

"'Lo? Ya door was open..." And she shouldered it open further.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunday was in the anteroom, her arms full of books. She had eyes for exactly one thing in the room: the cat in Preacher's arms. "Is that a cat," she said, "Can I pet it?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher snorted. "He's great n' yeh, he's a cat." She walked closer, attempting to dump him out of her arms. Mink refused to do. "Ya can pet Mink. If he don't like it, he'll swipe at ya, though." A soft meow sounded from somewhere before Sunday. Mink was, in fact, the best cat ever and Preacher was not surprised that Sunday had her eyes locked to him.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunday reached out to pet the cat, shifting her truly massive book-stack to one arm. "That's alright," she said. "Pain is temporary. Memories are eternal."

That was probably overstating how fond of cats she was... hopefully. She rubbed Mink gently behind his ears. "What brings you here?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Now this sentiment Preacher could get behind. Cats were important. She grinned. Mink seemed to take the pets exceedingly well, even pushing his head up into Sunday's hand insistently. Preacher let out a low whistle.

"I think... if ya can find a place ta put down ya book, ya might be able ta hold 'im. He's purrin' up a storm." Preacher shifted him slightly. "N' I'm here 'cause I was wonderin' if ya could help me find out more info 'bout a previous cycle. Ya seemed tha right person."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunday dropped her books. Well, not insofar as Preacher might recognize dropping; she released them, and they flew back to their shelves as if pulled by magnets. "You are in the right place," said Sunday, "Though I'm not sure how useful I can be." She held out her hands to take Mink for a moment, wide-eyed at the rare occasion of getting to hold a cat.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"That's a damn neat trick," she said, eyes following one of the books. Awkwardly, she detached Mink. He gave a sort of pathetic warble. For how she'd met him, Preacher never expected him to be so needily affectionate. He shot Preacher a funny look as he was handed over, but since Preacher had done it, it would be okay, right?

"D'you not get many cats in tha library? I know there's like... gangs of 'em wanderin' out." Mink wriggled in Sunday's arms, getting comfortable, probably accidentally poking her in the process. "N' Yeah I wanted ta... like... see if I would meebe watch tha charter bein' made - the one wit the noble junk - or somehow see people's motivations from back then?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunday held the cat. Sunday loved the cat. All of her attention was taken up by the cat in her arms. "The library isn't a place where one goes," she said. "I don't get many guests. Mostly none of them truly need me, so I don't bother to come out." She gave Mink scritches.

She sniffed, though, at the suggestion. "It's a bloody thing," she said, "if you mean the completion. All those screams, and the mud, and the blood. As for motivations, those things are certainly in the archives, but it's not as if I record people's thoughts. Only their deeds. The signing was done over a long period of time, you see. How long do you have?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Well, I mean, damn." That sounded kind of lonely, but maybe Sunday didn't need people either. "I kin bring this fella by sometimes if ya want, then? I ain't guarantee like a set schedule, but y'know. He likes bein' spoilt." And if his purrs were any indication, he was taking quite well to Sunday. Mink was a ho.

She tilted her head. "Mud? N' I ain't got a squeamish tum. I'll be right fine. I prob got 'bout-" Preacher did calculations in her head of how long she could be gone from her side of Ashdown. "48 hours, my side time. After that, I gotta work shift. How long did it take ta make?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sunday shrugged. "I am a construct," she said. "Sort of a personification. When there's no one here, I don't exist." She smiled at Mink, and rubbed little circles behind his ears as she thought.

"It took months to make the Charter," said Sunday. "If you do not have months to review each contributor's... contribution, I would not undertake it. You may want to focus on something smaller, to avoid becoming overwhelmed."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Well, mebbe I'll swing up and make ya pop up for cat times, anyhow." Mink butted her head against her hand, stretching up to briefly rub his face on her chin.

Preacher frowned, thinking. "What abouts if I view tha actual creation n' m'own contribution? Would that be lil 'nough? I mean I wanna see all o' it, but everybody tryna ********' rush s**t like hooligans."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I find it enjoyable," agreed Sunday. "When I record this cycle, this will be a moment I pay particular attention to."

She tipped her head side to side. "That would be doable," she said. "Do you want the moment of consent specifically? What do you want to know about your own participation? I would like to direct you to the information you most desire, rather than simply throwing an information drop at you."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Well, yeah, it ain't nothin' for me ta swing by every now n' then n' bring Mink. He's a glut for 'ttention anyhow." She shrugged, then turned her attention the exat information she wanted. In short, it was everything, but there was a time constraint.

"I wanna see that moment o' consent, yeah. N' find out if I was there, at tha time of doin'. I wanna see it." Preacher gnawed on her lips.

shibrogane