10-11-2016, 06:12 PM
Jensen was a pastor. That much was obvious. Marcus was a lamb, emotionally wounded with regret and failure. Malik smiled inside. Marcus looked into his eyes, a drowning man seeing a lifeline being thrown to him. His eyes were now slightly glassy as if he couldn't believe what he was being given. A small smile curved his lip as if in awe. "Thank you,"
he whispered. He breathed a cleansing breathe and then looked at his hands, as if contemplating the power they were capable of. Or his freshly healed skin.
He shook his head in wonder and looked back at James, smiling, in realization. "A gift. Yes,"
nodding as if relieved. He seized the Force, just a trickle, and looking at his hands wove something insubstantial, a weave of fire and earth, simple in comparison to what James had done. He looked again at James with a smile. He could feel the moisture in his eye. Appreciation for this gift. "A blessing. Do you think....Do you think you could show me how you did it? Healing? What you did for the Ascendancy....for me. There are no words. But maybe I can pay it forward. Be a blessing to others?"
He let a hint of pleading show, not much. But earnest.
Something from a preacher's sermon came to mind. It seemed appropriate. He laughed as if realizing something. "Moses said it, didn't he? That's what he meant. 'I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!' I have this gift. Help me to use it to help others."
He smiled. "You've memorized scripture. So few do these days. And from the Old Testament no less."
He was impressed. "Certainly you'd be intelligent of course to have attained such a selective position for the ascendancy."
He thought for a moment, finally sighing. "I can't really teach it. You'd have to be present the next time someone is healed. Even then, it may be difficult to track. It's like weaving four Persian rugs simultaneously while blindfolded."
Marcus made his eyes go wide with surprise and his mouth split into a reserved smile at the possibility. He nodded slowly. He didn't want to overdo it. Truth was, he was eager to learn this. The wide-eyed innocence, of course, was something else entirely. "I do understand. Hmm...."
, he said, thinking for a minute. They were in a hospital. And Jensen was atoning for his past mistakes. Healing- sharing his 'gift'- fit in with that perfectly. He'd be willing to bet that the man had visited hospitals before and surreptitiously helped patients along.
Still, he was probably tired. As much as it disappointed him, it wouldn't be today. But, that thread between them was stronger now. "Perhaps when you are rested- and if you were inclined- I might be with you when...Do you ever visit hospitals.? Of your own free will, I mean?"
he said with a smile, waving his hand to indicate that his presence here was anything but. "I could watch and try to at least learn."
He smiled, releasing the Force, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry. It's just that I never expected to have this opportunity."
Something came to mind and, almost without thinking, he added, "Jacob wanted the blessing so badly he wrestled with the Angel all night long, no matter what it cost him. He never passed up an opportunity to seize one."
For a moment, he wondered if he had gone too far. Then he decided he had not. He had said that Jensen's preaching had occupied a special place in his foster home. The implication that he had grown up religious was there- even though not true. It was hard to believe in God when Mr. VanPatton was beating you for failing to remember things properly or to Honor thy father and mother in the proper way. He had the vocabulary. It was all about speaking the language people understood. He shrugged as if embarrassed. "I guess I've always felt that way, is all. Always hungered to know more."
"There are questions to which we will never have answers, Marcus. I have my own, too. Yes, I do visit hospitals sometimes, but it has been a while. In fact, I plan on returning to Texas on the next flight. So I don't know when the next time will be."
His sound of his drawling accent grew thoughtful. "I don't intend on staying in Texas though. I need to visit --- someone."
He almost something else, but caught himself before revealing their name. If Marcus was as devout a follower of his former church as he said, he might remember the blonde haired beauty that often sat in the background of the stage.
Marcus felt some disappointment at the man's words. Still...this had not all been in vain. And who knew. If he knew politics- and he did- Mr. James might not find himself on the next flight any time soon. Opportunity would present itself, if that were the case.
It was important to keep the string alive and strong. He let himself show the genuine disappointment he felt, letting his eyes drop. "Ahh....well. Ok then. I understand. But maybe the next time you are in Moscow, we can get together. It would me a lot to me."
He barked a laugh and gave a smile. "You are my Angel, now. I don't intend to let you go until I get the blessing, my friend."
No. He would not. But his smile was friendly and unthreatening.
The door opened and the Ascendancy walked in, shirtless and with the officer from the Square. Despite knowing, Marcus was still amazed. The last time he'd seen the man he'd been on the ground screaming in agony. Now, he moved with pain or anything.
"I am very well, Ascendancy. Thanks to Mr. James here."
He watched as the Ascendancy turned his attention on the Pastor, watched through hooded eyes filled with possibilities.
No. One did not let go when there was opportunity like this.
[[with Jensen James]]
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Oct 11 2016, 06:12 PM.
he whispered. He breathed a cleansing breathe and then looked at his hands, as if contemplating the power they were capable of. Or his freshly healed skin.
He shook his head in wonder and looked back at James, smiling, in realization. "A gift. Yes,"
nodding as if relieved. He seized the Force, just a trickle, and looking at his hands wove something insubstantial, a weave of fire and earth, simple in comparison to what James had done. He looked again at James with a smile. He could feel the moisture in his eye. Appreciation for this gift. "A blessing. Do you think....Do you think you could show me how you did it? Healing? What you did for the Ascendancy....for me. There are no words. But maybe I can pay it forward. Be a blessing to others?"
He let a hint of pleading show, not much. But earnest.
Something from a preacher's sermon came to mind. It seemed appropriate. He laughed as if realizing something. "Moses said it, didn't he? That's what he meant. 'I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!' I have this gift. Help me to use it to help others."
He smiled. "You've memorized scripture. So few do these days. And from the Old Testament no less."
He was impressed. "Certainly you'd be intelligent of course to have attained such a selective position for the ascendancy."
He thought for a moment, finally sighing. "I can't really teach it. You'd have to be present the next time someone is healed. Even then, it may be difficult to track. It's like weaving four Persian rugs simultaneously while blindfolded."
Marcus made his eyes go wide with surprise and his mouth split into a reserved smile at the possibility. He nodded slowly. He didn't want to overdo it. Truth was, he was eager to learn this. The wide-eyed innocence, of course, was something else entirely. "I do understand. Hmm...."
, he said, thinking for a minute. They were in a hospital. And Jensen was atoning for his past mistakes. Healing- sharing his 'gift'- fit in with that perfectly. He'd be willing to bet that the man had visited hospitals before and surreptitiously helped patients along.
Still, he was probably tired. As much as it disappointed him, it wouldn't be today. But, that thread between them was stronger now. "Perhaps when you are rested- and if you were inclined- I might be with you when...Do you ever visit hospitals.? Of your own free will, I mean?"
he said with a smile, waving his hand to indicate that his presence here was anything but. "I could watch and try to at least learn."
He smiled, releasing the Force, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry. It's just that I never expected to have this opportunity."
Something came to mind and, almost without thinking, he added, "Jacob wanted the blessing so badly he wrestled with the Angel all night long, no matter what it cost him. He never passed up an opportunity to seize one."
For a moment, he wondered if he had gone too far. Then he decided he had not. He had said that Jensen's preaching had occupied a special place in his foster home. The implication that he had grown up religious was there- even though not true. It was hard to believe in God when Mr. VanPatton was beating you for failing to remember things properly or to Honor thy father and mother in the proper way. He had the vocabulary. It was all about speaking the language people understood. He shrugged as if embarrassed. "I guess I've always felt that way, is all. Always hungered to know more."
"There are questions to which we will never have answers, Marcus. I have my own, too. Yes, I do visit hospitals sometimes, but it has been a while. In fact, I plan on returning to Texas on the next flight. So I don't know when the next time will be."
His sound of his drawling accent grew thoughtful. "I don't intend on staying in Texas though. I need to visit --- someone."
He almost something else, but caught himself before revealing their name. If Marcus was as devout a follower of his former church as he said, he might remember the blonde haired beauty that often sat in the background of the stage.
Marcus felt some disappointment at the man's words. Still...this had not all been in vain. And who knew. If he knew politics- and he did- Mr. James might not find himself on the next flight any time soon. Opportunity would present itself, if that were the case.
It was important to keep the string alive and strong. He let himself show the genuine disappointment he felt, letting his eyes drop. "Ahh....well. Ok then. I understand. But maybe the next time you are in Moscow, we can get together. It would me a lot to me."
He barked a laugh and gave a smile. "You are my Angel, now. I don't intend to let you go until I get the blessing, my friend."
No. He would not. But his smile was friendly and unthreatening.
The door opened and the Ascendancy walked in, shirtless and with the officer from the Square. Despite knowing, Marcus was still amazed. The last time he'd seen the man he'd been on the ground screaming in agony. Now, he moved with pain or anything.
"I am very well, Ascendancy. Thanks to Mr. James here."
He watched as the Ascendancy turned his attention on the Pastor, watched through hooded eyes filled with possibilities.
No. One did not let go when there was opportunity like this.
[[with Jensen James]]
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Oct 11 2016, 06:12 PM.