The Church and Its Orbs - Surprising Help
More possible canon for The Church and Its Orbs. Enjoy!
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“Well, if it isn’t the girl who threw a Soul Orb at a priest.”
My heart stops when I hear that voice -- it’s Officer Riley. He enters Diana’s living room like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. While he wears civilian clothes, I would recognize him anywhere. What’s he doing here? I turn to Diana, my mouth opening and closing as I try to process the officer’s presence.
She just smiles, like having one of the Morality Police in her house -- for the second time -- is nothing to worry about. “I told you I knew someone who might be able to help,” she murmurs.
Wren raises an eyebrow. “The guy whose job it was to come to your house and decide if you were a ‘sexual deviant’ or not is gonna help us?” she mutters.
Officer Riley leans against the wall, nonchalant. “Who better to help you investigate a kidnapping than a police officer?” he murmurs. “Unlike you kids, I have resources.”
“Resources you use to arrest people for complete nonsense,” Wren says, staring Officer Riley down. She’s taller than he is.
This makes no sense. I trust Diana, but...Officer Riley? It defies logic. I stand next to Wren, who stands between Brandon and myself. She holds Brandon’s hand. Diana stands off to the side, observing. With how we’ve arranged ourselves, it looks like we’re cornering Officer Riley, but he doesn’t look afraid at all.
“About that...” Officer Riley murmurs, smirking. “If you know anything about so-called ‘deviants,’ it’s blatantly obvious Diana here’s in a relationship with her ‘friend’ Jocelyn.”
If he knows or suspects, why hasn’t he arrested her? “Did you...deliberately not report her, then?” I breathe.
Officer Riley nods. “She’s a friend -- and, strange as this will seem to you, I’m not exactly fond of all our laws,” he mutters. “Let’s just say I...prefer to work from the inside.”
“You’re working against the law as a police officer?” Brandon asks, sounding confused.
“Indeed. And if you want me to investigate a kidnapping allegedly orchestrated by the Church, I will truly be working against the law,” he says, smiling like he relishes the idea. He reminds me of a cat about to chase a particularly delicious mouse. “Now, would someone care to tell me why the Church might want this young friend of yours? And I do believe some actual introductions are in order.”
“Well, I assume you know and remember me,” I say, deliberately avoiding mention of why the Church might have taken Kai.
Officer Riley smirks. “It is difficult to forget the girl who gave a priest a bloody nose with a holy object. That shows style,” he mutters.
My face flushes -- my embarrassing act of violence shows style?
Wren lets go of Brandon’s hand and offers it to Officer Riley, even though I’m sure she doesn’t want to. “I helped uncover the scandal, too. Since you’re so hung up on formal introductions, I’m Wren Vickerstaff -- yes, those Vickerstaffs,” she mutters. “They kept me out of press announcements about it.”
The official sources on that incident listed my full name, as well as Kai’s full name, but they didn’t even mention Wren by name at all.
They shake hands. “You keep...interesting company for a Vickerstaff,” Officer Riley says.
She just arches an eyebrow and smirks. Wren’s from one of the richest families in this town, though she doesn’t act like it. It’s actually a problem for her. When she gets her orb, her family will restrict her movements a whole lot more, especially if she ends up a purple orb. Her Testing Ceremony is soon -- will the Church do what they did to me and give her a defective Soul Orb? Or is it different for the wealthy, even if they do something to displease the Church?
Brandon blinks a few times -- it takes him a moment to remember to offer his hand. “I’m Brandon,” he murmurs.
They shake hands as well. “Do you have a last name?” Officer Riley murmurs.
Does Brandon have a last name? He’s not human, so he doesn’t follow the same customs we do. “Brandon” isn’t even his true name -- his true name would be impossible for a mortal to pronounce or understand. Law requires everyone in Tevaren to carry identification bearing their image, social status and full name -- such things are necessary to prevent “moral decay,” such as unmarried adults of the opposite gender spending time together. Without identification, two adults of opposite gender could claim to be underage and get away with what the Church says is “anathema to the soul.” As a no soul, they say I have no soul to corrupt, but I’m still not supposed to spend time -- or do that -- with any boys unless I’m married to them. I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t even want to.
The Morality Police tend to leave the no soul neighborhoods alone, even though they’re said to be filled with corrupting activity. No souls living in “better” areas get hit more harshly with Tevaren’s laws. Anybody who does that with someone of their own gender receives the worst of it -- if they’re lucky, they’ll be sent to Sexual Purification Centers. If they’re not, they’ll spend years in prison. Sometimes the Morality Police conduct raids on “areas of suspected deviant activity,” which are usually in no soul neighborhoods -- there are more “deviants” among the no souls, apparently.
Sometimes the Morality Police raid no soul neighborhoods for other things, but some of the worst raids for various illicit activities have happened in “good” communities. In many ways, the no souls have more freedom -- we can’t fall any lower, so why bother checking up on us? The exception is for “deviant” activity, because the Church seems to hate it enough to bother even the no souls.
I look over at Brandon -- the request for a last name has clearly stymied him. He fidgets with his fingers, twisting them about. I guess he doesn’t have an ID card, because if he’d made one for himself, it would have his surname on it. How has he survived for so long without one? It doesn’t matter -- Brandon needs a last name, and quick. Trying to think of one for him, I look around the room until my eyes land on a painting of a old-fashioned wagon wheel. Wheel...Wheeler -- it’ll do.
“Wheeler. His last name is Wheeler,” I say.
“Is it now?” Officer Riley mutters, an eyebrow slightly raised.
Brandon looks over at me, his eyes wide, but he collects himself enough to answer the officer. “Yes, yes it is,” he mumbles.
“Alright then,” he says. “It’s nice to meet everyone. I’m Officer Riley, in case you didn’t remember. You can call me Riley, since we are going to be working together. Now, would someone please tell me why the Church might want this Kai?” he mutters.
I’m supposed to address a police officer like he were a regular person? At least he wants us to use his last name rather than his first -- I don’t think I could call a member of the Morality Police by his first name.
Everyone remains silent after Riley speaks -- nobody wants to be the one to explain how Kai’s a real deity. The idea of it must come across as delusional and blasphemous.
Sighing, I look Riley in the eye. If nobody else will answer, I guess I must. “Kai isn’t human,” I sigh. “He’s a god.”
Will he believe me?
---------
“Well, if it isn’t the girl who threw a Soul Orb at a priest.”
My heart stops when I hear that voice -- it’s Officer Riley. He enters Diana’s living room like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. While he wears civilian clothes, I would recognize him anywhere. What’s he doing here? I turn to Diana, my mouth opening and closing as I try to process the officer’s presence.
She just smiles, like having one of the Morality Police in her house -- for the second time -- is nothing to worry about. “I told you I knew someone who might be able to help,” she murmurs.
Wren raises an eyebrow. “The guy whose job it was to come to your house and decide if you were a ‘sexual deviant’ or not is gonna help us?” she mutters.
Officer Riley leans against the wall, nonchalant. “Who better to help you investigate a kidnapping than a police officer?” he murmurs. “Unlike you kids, I have resources.”
“Resources you use to arrest people for complete nonsense,” Wren says, staring Officer Riley down. She’s taller than he is.
This makes no sense. I trust Diana, but...Officer Riley? It defies logic. I stand next to Wren, who stands between Brandon and myself. She holds Brandon’s hand. Diana stands off to the side, observing. With how we’ve arranged ourselves, it looks like we’re cornering Officer Riley, but he doesn’t look afraid at all.
“About that...” Officer Riley murmurs, smirking. “If you know anything about so-called ‘deviants,’ it’s blatantly obvious Diana here’s in a relationship with her ‘friend’ Jocelyn.”
If he knows or suspects, why hasn’t he arrested her? “Did you...deliberately not report her, then?” I breathe.
Officer Riley nods. “She’s a friend -- and, strange as this will seem to you, I’m not exactly fond of all our laws,” he mutters. “Let’s just say I...prefer to work from the inside.”
“You’re working against the law as a police officer?” Brandon asks, sounding confused.
“Indeed. And if you want me to investigate a kidnapping allegedly orchestrated by the Church, I will truly be working against the law,” he says, smiling like he relishes the idea. He reminds me of a cat about to chase a particularly delicious mouse. “Now, would someone care to tell me why the Church might want this young friend of yours? And I do believe some actual introductions are in order.”
“Well, I assume you know and remember me,” I say, deliberately avoiding mention of why the Church might have taken Kai.
Officer Riley smirks. “It is difficult to forget the girl who gave a priest a bloody nose with a holy object. That shows style,” he mutters.
My face flushes -- my embarrassing act of violence shows style?
Wren lets go of Brandon’s hand and offers it to Officer Riley, even though I’m sure she doesn’t want to. “I helped uncover the scandal, too. Since you’re so hung up on formal introductions, I’m Wren Vickerstaff -- yes, those Vickerstaffs,” she mutters. “They kept me out of press announcements about it.”
The official sources on that incident listed my full name, as well as Kai’s full name, but they didn’t even mention Wren by name at all.
They shake hands. “You keep...interesting company for a Vickerstaff,” Officer Riley says.
She just arches an eyebrow and smirks. Wren’s from one of the richest families in this town, though she doesn’t act like it. It’s actually a problem for her. When she gets her orb, her family will restrict her movements a whole lot more, especially if she ends up a purple orb. Her Testing Ceremony is soon -- will the Church do what they did to me and give her a defective Soul Orb? Or is it different for the wealthy, even if they do something to displease the Church?
Brandon blinks a few times -- it takes him a moment to remember to offer his hand. “I’m Brandon,” he murmurs.
They shake hands as well. “Do you have a last name?” Officer Riley murmurs.
Does Brandon have a last name? He’s not human, so he doesn’t follow the same customs we do. “Brandon” isn’t even his true name -- his true name would be impossible for a mortal to pronounce or understand. Law requires everyone in Tevaren to carry identification bearing their image, social status and full name -- such things are necessary to prevent “moral decay,” such as unmarried adults of the opposite gender spending time together. Without identification, two adults of opposite gender could claim to be underage and get away with what the Church says is “anathema to the soul.” As a no soul, they say I have no soul to corrupt, but I’m still not supposed to spend time -- or do that -- with any boys unless I’m married to them. I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t even want to.
The Morality Police tend to leave the no soul neighborhoods alone, even though they’re said to be filled with corrupting activity. No souls living in “better” areas get hit more harshly with Tevaren’s laws. Anybody who does that with someone of their own gender receives the worst of it -- if they’re lucky, they’ll be sent to Sexual Purification Centers. If they’re not, they’ll spend years in prison. Sometimes the Morality Police conduct raids on “areas of suspected deviant activity,” which are usually in no soul neighborhoods -- there are more “deviants” among the no souls, apparently.
Sometimes the Morality Police raid no soul neighborhoods for other things, but some of the worst raids for various illicit activities have happened in “good” communities. In many ways, the no souls have more freedom -- we can’t fall any lower, so why bother checking up on us? The exception is for “deviant” activity, because the Church seems to hate it enough to bother even the no souls.
I look over at Brandon -- the request for a last name has clearly stymied him. He fidgets with his fingers, twisting them about. I guess he doesn’t have an ID card, because if he’d made one for himself, it would have his surname on it. How has he survived for so long without one? It doesn’t matter -- Brandon needs a last name, and quick. Trying to think of one for him, I look around the room until my eyes land on a painting of a old-fashioned wagon wheel. Wheel...Wheeler -- it’ll do.
“Wheeler. His last name is Wheeler,” I say.
“Is it now?” Officer Riley mutters, an eyebrow slightly raised.
Brandon looks over at me, his eyes wide, but he collects himself enough to answer the officer. “Yes, yes it is,” he mumbles.
“Alright then,” he says. “It’s nice to meet everyone. I’m Officer Riley, in case you didn’t remember. You can call me Riley, since we are going to be working together. Now, would someone please tell me why the Church might want this Kai?” he mutters.
I’m supposed to address a police officer like he were a regular person? At least he wants us to use his last name rather than his first -- I don’t think I could call a member of the Morality Police by his first name.
Everyone remains silent after Riley speaks -- nobody wants to be the one to explain how Kai’s a real deity. The idea of it must come across as delusional and blasphemous.
Sighing, I look Riley in the eye. If nobody else will answer, I guess I must. “Kai isn’t human,” I sigh. “He’s a god.”
Will he believe me?