02 ❀ Ｉ ＳＡＩＤ ＧＯＯＤＢＹＥ ＴＯ ＭＹ ＬＡＳＴ ＳＵＮＤＲＯＰ

[forgottenmagia]

I - [phone, afternoon]

Am I really...just a replacement? I do not feel like one. I feel much like I have ever been. [There's a lengthy pause.] Someone...believe me...

Ichirin-chan? Kyouko-chan? Mamizou-san?

....Miko-san?

II - [action - Church, evening]

[It was not her temple. No, she did not have her temple and she would not, unless Murasa suddenly

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II

[shotapope]

[He was already in the church and had been there a while. He had nowhere else to go. All he had left was to pray, pray and hope that God would hear him. He had thought no longer existing would mean nothingness, not to watch those around him think he was a fake. So while Byakuren was sitting and reciting to herself, so too was Alessandro. He recited the prayers of Rosary in Latin for fifteen decades over and over even though he did not have his rosary.]

[forgottenmagia]

[After a while, when there is a pause in both their words, Byakuren opens her eyes.]

If I may ask...are you of this Church's denomination?

[shotapope]

[He jumps having not expected anyone to approach him. Who would approach someone who was "wrong" and "fake"?]

Y-y-yes.... I-it's a little different than h-how it is at h-home though....

[forgottenmagia]

[She tries to muster up a gentle smile.]

How so, dear?

[shotapope]

Um... w-well there's more p-people and... um, the c-clothes are different and... um, m-more things are spoken in L-Latin not... [He had to pause a moment, this language was called English, though it was similar to the language of Albion.] E-English.

I guess... I g-guess things are j-just fancier.

[forgottenmagia]

Fancier and crowded...hmmm. Is Christianity really that different?

[shotapope]

I d-don't really know. I d-don't know other r-religions....

[forgottenmagia]

You don't know them, or you don't know of them?

[shotapope]

Um.... A-Albion has a different r-religion, and the E-Empire does but... b-but those are the only p-places I c-can think of that aren't C-Catholic in some way....

[forgottenmagia]

How strange. Your world is not varied at all in religious groups...

[She climbs to her feet, giving a bow.]

My apologies for failing to introduce myself. My name is Byakuren Hijiri. I'm a Buddhist monk. Or, ah, "nun" I suppose.

[shotapope]

W-well... the V-Vatican is one of the m-most powerful nations and... um, I th-think there were more before A-Armageddon.

[He gives a small nod, he should have introduced himself as well. It had been so many days since he had talked with someone normally.]

A p-pleasure miss. M-my name is Alessandro, P-Pope Alessandro XVIII.

[forgottenmagia]

Armageddon? Oh, my. Your society managed to rebuild itself even after the end of the world? That's very impressive.

Pope? Is that not the leader of the Christian church?

[shotapope]

I-it's been n-nine hundred years since.

[He nodes shyly.]

A-and the h-head of the V-Vatican....

[forgottenmagia]

[She hums in acknowledgement. That was over 3/4 of her own lifetime...]

That's very impressive, especially for a boy your age.

[shotapope]

I-I'm not sure if it's r-really as impressive as it s-seems....

[forgottenmagia]

Oh? Why not?