pti | The Pray-In

In the days leading up to the Pray-In, Shinji somehow managed to acquire a fairly large stack of tickets and distributed them among any Phantom Thieves, with a not-so-gentle reminder that it would be in their best interest to check it out. For those who accept the responsibility, they'll find themselves at the church Thursday afternoon awaiting the service.

The crowd wasn’t huge, but it was enough to fill an entire section, though one may have a sneaky suspicion from the amount of charter buses in the parking lot that a fair amount of the faithful aren’t even local.

Instrumental hymns are piped through the speakers as the final set up was underway, primarily gathering the children’s choir - a couple children could be seen literally having to be dragged into place, a couple prodded to keep moving, as the Reverend spoke to men with scary shiny sunglasses in low tones, his wife sitting prim in position.

Once all the children were put into position, the music cuts - there’s a moment of feedback squealing as James Poplett tests his microphone, starting with a thanks for the faithful attendants, and a reminder of how Jesus loves a generous follower, and to tip what money they could spare for the Tend the Flock to save the little children, and that after the pray-in, if anyone wishes so, the good reverend will lay hands to channel the miracle of god to allow the power of positive energy to heal them.

For the thieves who found themselves listening, it end up being mostly a blur - a call for Christian Soldiers to pray away the evils of society, and to safeguard the little children from degenerates and immorality, and that while America may fall under the sway of a perverted agenda, that it is not the time to give up, that it is the time to open one’s heart, hands, and wallets to the Lord to fight back.

Thankfully the long sermons were broken up as the children were instructed to sing relevant hymns, instructed by Tamara Poplett. As the event starts to wrap up, Reverend Poplett announces that the government will be renewing their contract with the Child Protective Services at the end of the month. As he announces it, Tamara prodded some of the older children from the choir to come forward, placing a microphone close to their face - someone with sharp ears may hear an extremely soft ‘go on, just like the rehearsal’ before the children brought forward start to talk about how the charity saved them from the foster system.

Once finally - finally the event is over, people started to mill their way out, and with a line forming for Poplett’s personal touch, and other members of the congregation gathered to discuss how the Pray-In went, this might be a good time to start snooping around.

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Asher is one of the children that needs to be coaxed to speak, looking nervous when separated from the rest of the choir. It takes some polite but pointed encouragement before he finally begins to speak, telling the audience about being taken in by the charity from an abusive family.

He speaks of a younger brother, although it is unclear how old he is, and that, before they could be separated, Poplett intervened.

"B-because of Father, Micah and I got to stay together. We can't thank him and the Flock enough."

After the ceremony, Locke goes looking for the little boy who spoke earlier.

"Hey there, you're pretty brave talking in front of everyone like that."

Asher isn't hard to find, opting to stay close to the keyboard to the side of the altar. His fingers silently ghosting over the keys, he lifts his hand quickly when he hears someone clearly speaking to him, turning his head and putting on a very quick smile.

"You really think so?" He asks, looking genuinely shocked by Locke's praise; like he doesn't quite expect it. Turning toward him, that look gives way to something more relaxed. "I just wanna help other people, like what Father's done for me and my brother, and the other children here."

"You're doing great, I'm sure 'Father' is proud of you. What's he like? He seems pretty nice, huh?"

There is a subtle shift in his countenance, as his smile becomes a little more stitched together. It's one that doesn't quite reach his eyes, and as he looks to the side in thought, Asher hesitates before speaking carefully.

"Father loves all of us, and wants to make sure that we are all deserving of the Lord's praise."

Locke notes the shift, but keeps a friendly and inquisitive tone.

"I see. What all goes into that anyway? How does someone show they deserve the 'Lord's praise'? Lots of praying?"

"There's a lot more than that," Asher answers, trying his best to be helpful. "We do a lot of praying, but we do everything that we can to be good soldiers of God. It's because He loves us that we are here today, so we need to do everything we can to show we are deserving of that."

There's something in the way the boy is prodded and coaxed to speak that makes something ugly and angry flare up in Naomi's chest. Anger, she recognizes. She feels it often. So when he's done speaking, when it's over, she goes to find him. Because why not? She chokes the anger down, the vile words she wants to scream because, as angry as she is, she can't be impulsive. Instead, she decides she wants to be there for the kid.

"...Hey. How're you doing?"

As the crowds begin to disperse and the children meander through the chapel, Asher looks much more relaxed. Even as Naomi draws near, he greets her with a small, bright smile—even if he does look a bit puzzled at her question.

"Sorry, I'm not used to talking in front of so many people," He admits, his shoulders raising as his gaze flickers between Naomi and the ground.

"I hope you enjoyed the service. Father has a way with words. I hope I can be like him someday."

The body language is interesting. She notes it.

"...Is that what you want for your future? Mm... I just want to live comfortably. Have a few nice things here or there... Not have to rely on anyone."

It's not a lie, but she's going to play her cards close to her chest. See what she can get.

Asher looks up at Naomi with a surprised look on his face. "Not being able to rely on Him when you need help sounds like it must be awfully lonely, don't you think?" Putting his hands on his chest, the boy closes his eyes, a placid smile on his face.

"The Lord can always hear you, you know. When you're happy, or when you're sad. Even when you're scared. If you pray hard enough, He can hear you."

She thinks on this a moment, looking up. Hm. How to respond.

"...It's not as lonely as it seems. Relying on someone and leaning on them when you need it are two different things. And besides... I think that God would prefer us to admit our shortcomings, but also do as much as we can on our own--not just as individuals, but as a community. If you just pray and that's it... Then nothing ever gets done. You wait for someone else to do it for you."

She doesn't believe in God. Not really. If God existed, then people like her wouldn't be born, alone and unwanted. But she won't say that.

"I'll still have friends, no matter what. But I won't have to depend on someone else to feed me or clothe me. I'll be able to pick my own meals. Things... Like that, would be ideal."

Asher continues to smile through her explanation, but it becomes clear that he isn't very comfortable with her words. His gaze flickers to the side, as if he's looking for someone or something, before he takes a small step back.

"I see," He says politely, once again briefly glancing off to the side. It's hard to say if he actually heard what she had to say, or if his attention was drawn elsewhere.

She's taking note. He's watching around, as if spooked, isn't he? Like this line of talking isn't allowed.

"...Sorry."

It's not really a sincere apology, but she's gotten good at lying about those. If anything, the idea he's not allowed to think of independence... Makes her even angrier.

The Pray-In

Asher Hayes

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