[Log] Day of Tribute

[kannagara_gods]

Who: EVERYONE
Status: OPEN VERY VERY OPEN
Style: ACTION, COMMENT SPAM, PARAGRAPH, WHATEVER YOU WANT
Where: The nearest shrine! For the purpose of this event somehow all of the shrines, regardless of what location, all end up at this shrine. CR galore!
When: Week 8, Day 4
OOC: This is the last day for your characters to make their tributes to take

Comments

Exorcists are complicated

[whitenighting]

Being an Exorcist of the Vatican was a strange kind of thing that had snuck up on Allen.

It wasn't even so much the idea of gods or religion that bothered him... he didn't really even think about it that much, either what it meant here or what it meant back home. Allen did what he had to do. That was being an apostle, an Exorcist, so he did that... that simple. Innocence chose its human hosts and he was a host, an apostle, and it let him do what he believed he must, so that was religion enough for him. It let him save humans and akuma alike. God... didn't enter the equation beyond being technically the provider of his power. But Allen hadn't know that until later in life, so God was nowhere in his pledge, his commitment to do everything he could, so-

Allen, as eyed the red torii marking the slow climb, wasn't actually that bothered by the idea of leaving coins for 'gods' of this world. Not as such, at least. (Really, he felt sick at the idea of owing a debt to damned near-nameless entities again. That wasn't so much a religious thing as ... REALLY? AGAIN?)  He didn't think it was fair, did bristle at the idea, loathe these entities for what they were doing to innocent people, but, well-

The religion part wasn't a problem. And unlike many other Exorcists, he hadn't really felt the same resentment, near-hatred of God. He hadn't exactly been dragged away from an otherwise happy life like many of them. It had given him purpose, really, a way to both make amends for past sins and, more importantly, try to help and save the tortured souls he couldn't help but see. When seeing what Innocence did without care, how brutal it could be to those who were merely human and tried to save themselves... at times like that Allen did resent God if God was who gave that. Not because of theological reasons, but because Allen saw people who deserved life, deserved happiness, and yet were denied it.

Allen was humanitarian, not Catholic. He cared about people even when it seemed God did not. Which... he did not like to even consider, so he just acted.

But he did have problems with both his God that supposedly gives him his weapon and with the gods here that seemed to enjoy jerking people around on puppet strings.

Always puppets. Pierrots. Clowns for entertainment.

But, and he was determined about this even if he had to remind himself as he talked with one of the priests at the shrine and laughed a bit nervously at his own lack of knowing exactly what to do, Allen would pay tribute to the so-called gods of this place because in his mind they didn't even register as such.

He'd pay a debt, kneeling at this shrine and going through the motions a bit awkwardly - a light laugh to the priest who shook his head despairingly at the awkward young man in his Christian, near-modern Templar attire - but as best he could with the instructions, because that was what he had to do. He'd had to do a lot in life he wasn't comfortable with, but he did it anyway because he had to. He had people to look after and tribute seemed to be part of that, so he'd swallow the bitter pill and do it. Get a job, protect traders on the road from monsters and bandits, collect wearily what he could even after his soul had nearly broken at realizing demons, demons here he could not exorcize.

That had... he had barely been able to keep a smile on through that as part of his soul broke. A large of his soul. But he couldn't not protect people; he'd try to just debilitate and control these beasts, but..

That didn't always work.

REALLY complicated

[whitenighting]

Allen had a lot of ryo because of that when he arrived at the shrine and he was more than happy for once to just get rid  of the money. He was a gambler of life and a cardshark at it, but this was dirty money. A bit woodenly, very soberly, and in his own mind he said his own kind of prayer for creatures he had to destroy.

Sorry. He was sorry. Please, somehow, rest in peace.

Toss a coin in.

There had been a time he'd hate himself for compromising his own beliefs and he still did, but he also lacked another answer. He did  want to protect everyone,  but how much could he do that when they tried to kill each other, when he couldn't just exorcise and save souls?

Soul death was the sneakiest kind.

Cross himself, bow, toss the last coin; 35 ryo.

A smile, a touch of his hand over his heart and the silver rose cross over it. He and everyone else would get through this regardless, and beyond religion, this world, his world, any world and any power in the universe... they'd get through this. They'd stay themselves.

He may have lost bits and pieces of himself, changed subtlety, but he was still himself and so was everyone he knew.

Allen had to believe that above all else just then.

And he always had a brighter side he'd turn to look to in order to get through, so even an Exorcist could bow his head and do this.

He disliked you, gods, but he'd bow like he did to his own if that's what let him get through and do what he has to do, because Allen was never the kind to care for gods. He was his own man and his own path.

Smile, bow, turn.

To a new day then.