simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
edited June 2010
With a smile and a pat on the shoulder, the sister answers, "You misunderstood, young'un - those bad things happened back when I was your age. The old Steward was full of corruption, demons, and pride, so we of the Order had to remove and replace him with my now-husband. For the sake of the branch, we had to change the steward of this congregation."
She takes a sip of her own tea, nods a little at nobody in particular.
"But if you're asking about Brother McCaleb," she continues, "He did vandalise those coats. Broke into the meeting house in the middle of the night and tore them off the walls, threw them into the snow. We'd been trying to resolve the problem between the two general stores, about his stealing, but the vandalism... that needed action from the Steward, otherwise who knows where it might've led next."
Sister Johanna sighs, a little. There's weight on her, the weight of a congregation that only a steward should bear.
"What's the problem between the stores, Sister?" Abiah dumps the mailbag on a table for the townspeople to sort through.
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AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited June 2010
"Is he the only issue with the town?" Mary drops her bag of mail, then sorts through it, calling out the names of townsfolk to come and collect their mail. As they approach, she watches them and meets their gaze, looking for other signs of trouble.
Sorry, been traveling standby and trapped in an airport for the past couple days.
Brother Virgil tosses down his sack of mail with the others, and helps distribute to the people of Provenance Branch for a time. After it seems that most folk have received their letters and parcels, Virgil places his hands on the small of his back and stretches, easing the tension for his muscles.
"If you don't mind none, I think I'll head out for a spell," the Dog says before making for the door. "Too long on that nag and I get sore like all get out."
Once outside, Brother Virgil buttons his coat tightly against him, and takes a leisurely walk through the center of town. He passes by McCaleb in the stocks, though perhaps not close enough to seem as though he was approaching him, unless the boy called out. Virgil looks between each of the McAlmond and Reynolds shops, inspecting their storefronts.
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simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
edited June 2010
Whoops, sorry guys - my weekend was pretty packed, didn't have a chance to sit down and post with the focus I prefer to give it. Better late than never, though?
Also, yay, split sections!
As Brother Virgil walks out the door, Sister Johanna waits to answer the questions from the two other Dogs. She sips her tea, quietly, pondering exactly what she's being asked. The stores, what's wrong with the town overall. She catches the eyes of the Faithful who come to collect and sort out the mail, some of it meant for other branches and mixed up. There's sorting to be done, and not just with the mail delivery.
"The rivalry between the stores is a problem," she starts, "Brother Luke McAlmond has been a member of the community for a long time, comes from an old Faithful family. For a long time, he was running the only general store in town. Then Brother Noah and his sons came, all the way from Back East, looking to make a life for themselves out here in the Faithful country. Started up his own general store, dry goods and such. A source of tension in the community, that one was, but the Steward didn't see why it would be a problem to have two stores in town. Healthy competition and choice for the town."
Another sip.
"But Brother Luke always managed to have lower prices, and as times got harsher, things got more desperate, people stopped going to Noah's store. Don't know how he does it..."
There's a longer pause. She thinks, looks over the remaining two Dogs.
"Truthfully, there is another problem. My husband's sickness isn't showing any signs of improvement, and though I'm more than capable of looking after his day-to-day duties, Brother Noah thinks... otherwise. He's been preaching to members of the congregation, trying to steal them away from the rightful Stewardship of this branch. Some of them, he's been successful with. Maybe that was what caused his son, McCaleb, to steal and vandalise."
She clears her throat, finding it suddenly thicker for some reason.
"At least Thomas saw reason, came to my household for safety from his father's sin."
- - - - - - -
Outside, Brother McCaleb was still in the stocks.
That wasn't the first thing that hit Virgil, though - no, it was the cold. Unbearable coldness. Maybe it was just the transition from the warm, hospitable meeting hall to the unrelenting frost, but there was something horrible about the temperature outside, like if you stayed out here too long, your very soul would freeze. Never in his life had he experienced such a winter.
The boy didn't cry out for help, nor attention - weeping, bitterly, he held his tongue from such profanity.
The McAlmond store was your average general store, from all appearances, aside from perhaps a certain wear and tear that was out of place, among all the houses and fronts. A bit of paint here and there, cracked boards and windows that looked haphazard, shunted into place. Things that should be easily fixed, even with only a little money thrown their way.
Meanwhile, the Reynolds store looked different. There was an energy to the place, coming out the windows, a general murmur of voices and movement. People were in there, far more than any other place in this town, aside from the meeting hall.
Strange.
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AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited June 2010
Mary bows her head in worry. "Tell me more about Brother Noah."
Brother Virgil felt a tug in his chest at the sight of McCaleb in the stocks. That poor boy must be freezing half to death. For a moment, Virgil thought as though he would fetch a blanket for Brother McCaleb and drape it over his shoulders, but the urge passed. It was not his place.
Instead, Virgil made his way towards the Reynolds mercantile, stepping inside and surveying the scene.
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She takes a sip of her own tea, nods a little at nobody in particular.
"But if you're asking about Brother McCaleb," she continues, "He did vandalise those coats. Broke into the meeting house in the middle of the night and tore them off the walls, threw them into the snow. We'd been trying to resolve the problem between the two general stores, about his stealing, but the vandalism... that needed action from the Steward, otherwise who knows where it might've led next."
Sister Johanna sighs, a little. There's weight on her, the weight of a congregation that only a steward should bear.
Brother Virgil tosses down his sack of mail with the others, and helps distribute to the people of Provenance Branch for a time. After it seems that most folk have received their letters and parcels, Virgil places his hands on the small of his back and stretches, easing the tension for his muscles.
"If you don't mind none, I think I'll head out for a spell," the Dog says before making for the door. "Too long on that nag and I get sore like all get out."
Once outside, Brother Virgil buttons his coat tightly against him, and takes a leisurely walk through the center of town. He passes by McCaleb in the stocks, though perhaps not close enough to seem as though he was approaching him, unless the boy called out. Virgil looks between each of the McAlmond and Reynolds shops, inspecting their storefronts.
Also, yay, split sections!
As Brother Virgil walks out the door, Sister Johanna waits to answer the questions from the two other Dogs. She sips her tea, quietly, pondering exactly what she's being asked. The stores, what's wrong with the town overall. She catches the eyes of the Faithful who come to collect and sort out the mail, some of it meant for other branches and mixed up. There's sorting to be done, and not just with the mail delivery.
"The rivalry between the stores is a problem," she starts, "Brother Luke McAlmond has been a member of the community for a long time, comes from an old Faithful family. For a long time, he was running the only general store in town. Then Brother Noah and his sons came, all the way from Back East, looking to make a life for themselves out here in the Faithful country. Started up his own general store, dry goods and such. A source of tension in the community, that one was, but the Steward didn't see why it would be a problem to have two stores in town. Healthy competition and choice for the town."
Another sip.
"But Brother Luke always managed to have lower prices, and as times got harsher, things got more desperate, people stopped going to Noah's store. Don't know how he does it..."
There's a longer pause. She thinks, looks over the remaining two Dogs.
"Truthfully, there is another problem. My husband's sickness isn't showing any signs of improvement, and though I'm more than capable of looking after his day-to-day duties, Brother Noah thinks... otherwise. He's been preaching to members of the congregation, trying to steal them away from the rightful Stewardship of this branch. Some of them, he's been successful with. Maybe that was what caused his son, McCaleb, to steal and vandalise."
She clears her throat, finding it suddenly thicker for some reason.
"At least Thomas saw reason, came to my household for safety from his father's sin."
Outside, Brother McCaleb was still in the stocks.
That wasn't the first thing that hit Virgil, though - no, it was the cold. Unbearable coldness. Maybe it was just the transition from the warm, hospitable meeting hall to the unrelenting frost, but there was something horrible about the temperature outside, like if you stayed out here too long, your very soul would freeze. Never in his life had he experienced such a winter.
The boy didn't cry out for help, nor attention - weeping, bitterly, he held his tongue from such profanity.
The McAlmond store was your average general store, from all appearances, aside from perhaps a certain wear and tear that was out of place, among all the houses and fronts. A bit of paint here and there, cracked boards and windows that looked haphazard, shunted into place. Things that should be easily fixed, even with only a little money thrown their way.
Meanwhile, the Reynolds store looked different. There was an energy to the place, coming out the windows, a general murmur of voices and movement. People were in there, far more than any other place in this town, aside from the meeting hall.
Strange.
Instead, Virgil made his way towards the Reynolds mercantile, stepping inside and surveying the scene.