Midnight Mass

[pere_callahan]

It was Christmas again. Callahan could hardly believe that a year had gone by so quickly. He was beginning to think of this place as home, much like the way he had finally settled into life in the Calla

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[forged_hero]

There's something about winter solstice ceremonies that Moist finds undeniably attractive. It is primal. It is ancient. Many promise some anthropomorphic personification will be delivering gifts. He drifts to the church without really thinking about it. He had, in fairness, been thinking about it enough.

Before Anoia, Moist had been a devout follower of the potato-on-a-rope sect. It was a simple, straight forward devotion, which asked little of people that were, for instance, more preoccupied with how the latest litter had done at disemboweling the sawdust intruder hanging from a post in the back yard*. Needless to say, the elaborate ceremony came as something of a shock. But he stood there in the wings, humming along, and drifted outside afterwards, glinting serenely in his golden suit and waited as the preacher shook the congregations' hands.

*the Villagers had objected** to the repeat use of actual intruders, who were less intruders and more unfortunate delivery boys sent to the manor at the wrong time of the year

[dr_robchase]

This year, he had reluctantly made his own way into the church without anyone shoving him or poking or prodding. He drifted and still sat in the very last pew, hands clapsed together as he watched the service silently, mouthing the words to the carols and the rites he knew by heart, the ones he'd known from both sides.

When it was all over, he just sat there for a long while, not saying a word. He just had to sit and wait.

And listen for God.

[rebellious_lady]

When she was done with her prayer Rob was one of the only ones still sitting, only a row from her. Her rosary still in her hand she moved beside him, not speaking, simply counting the beads in her fingers, wishing faith came as easily to her as it did to many others.

[dr_robchase]

Chase took a long moment before exhaling the breath he had been holding in and glanced to his side to see Marian there. "Hi," he whispered.

[rebellious_lady]

"It still seems strange to hear a priest not speak in Latin," She says softly, her smile slightly off from its usual.

[bennet_beauty]

As always, Jane stuck to the traditions that her family had prepared in her and one such was attending Christmas mass and she dressed in her finest winter wear and bonnet, Lydia in her own finest as she made the slow walk to the church and listened contentedly to the sermon that was given, thanking God for all his blessings and asking for his enduring patience in protecting her family and all those close to her.

[playingtheenemy]

Back home, just like she'd told Shadow, she wasn't exactly much of a Christmas person. Of course when she was little, she'd done the requisite Sunday masses until they became Christmas and Easter. Somehow, she thought that this year, she ought to start attending again and maybe having a word with God to thank him for not letting her get killed during any one of the strange happenings that went on all around her.

When the mass was over, she tied her camel-coat tighter around herself and waited until the church cleared out some, looking (always looking) for familiar faces.

[abbysciuto]

It had taken a little coaxing, but Abby had managed to convince her boys to attend Mass with her. Tony wasn't hard to convince since he was a good Italian boy...or at least an Italian boy. Tim had taken a little more coaxing, but he had attended Mass with her before at home, so he wasn't totally unfamiliar with it.

She'd been a little worried that they wouldn't behave and thus had sat between them, which turned out to be justified considering she caught them poking each other during the Christmas story, but a well aimed glare had made both of them settle down.

And now the service was over. She crossed herself and then stood, putting the rosary Jack had given her in her pocket. This service had always made her feel so peaceful at home, and it really wasn't any different here.

[branbach]

"Pob bendith," Bran says, slipping up behind her and draping an arm over her shoulder in greeting. "Nadolig Llawen, Abby." He said it to her, but included Tony and Tim in the greeting, even if it was thoroughly strange seeing this Tony after having known the previous one. "That is, happy Christmas."

[abbysciuto]

"Merry Christmas, Bran," she replies cheerfully, hugging him with one arm. "I heard Will singing. You really can't miss that voice, can you?"

Tony and Tim apparently decide that it's time to go be somewhere else for some reason, and they disappear into the crowd, still poking each other.

"Some days I wonder if those two will ever grow up," she notes with fond exasperation.

[branbach]

"No, you can't," Bran agrees fondly, glancing back at where Will is talking to Paul near the entrance to the church. "His brother showed up, you know."