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[holyposition]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK

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t.laughlin

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[kobes]

yeah, always.

[unclear what that's in answer to, always alright or always seeing]

you shouldN't be awake right nOw, Tim. don't you have a seRmon EArLy in the morning tomorrow?

[holyposition]

I do.

I needed to...cleanse myself. It's hard to explain. But I took a lot of confessions, I needed to reset.

[kobes]

you don't need to explain. there's blood in every corner. you toil and suffer and sometimes die in such a remote and distant place.

no, that's not


I'm sorry, it's not time for that yet.
Do you need help?

[holyposition]

Not time for what?

You can help me move the flock into the church tomorrow. They need to hear this.

[kobes]

For that -- well, it's gone now. Everything's so out of order lately, Tim, I don't
I don't know which way's up. It's okay now, though. It's
It'll be okay for a little.

Hear what?

[holyposition]

That's okay. This has all been really confusing. But we'll be okay on the other side of it, won't we?

The sermon. People are scared. It'll give them hope.

[kobes]

Yes.

[he doesn't know; that's the one thing that hasn't come to him in bits and pieces, like a puzzle he isn't allowed to know the shape of. he sees tim in a priest's collar, tim in khaki, tim in another world. he blinks and sees nothing.]

What's it about?

[holyposition]

Unity in times of trouble. Overcoming obstacles.

[kobes]

That sounds nice. People are
Guilty? Scared. Mostly guilty.

Maybe there'll be less to see, after the sermon.

[holyposition]

I hope so. There’s a lot of sin. A lot of guilt. I don't know how much longer I










Nevermind. We keep faith.

[kobes]

It's wearing on you. I can tell. You were never very good at holding guilt, Tim.

But you also never let it hold you back. You make the right choice. The brave one. It's not your fault, what happens next.

[holyposition]

What do you mean, what happens next?

[kobes]

I'm



Not sure. I was sure, then it slipped away.

[holyposition]

Are you feeling okay? You should come by the church.

[kobes]

My head hurts.

Is it crowded, there?

[holyposition]

Nothing but quiet prayers.

[kobes]

Do you have any ink left?

[holyposition]

Any ink? Koby, you're not making sense again.

[kobes]

For writing. I need to write some things down. I'm all out of ink, I used it up last night.

[holyposition]

There's some ink in the chapel. But don't use it all. We need it for the sermons.

[kobes]

I don't need it all. Thank you. I've been scratching it out with my fingers, mostly.

[holyposition]

Scratching WHAT out?

[kobes]

What I see.

[holyposition]

Don't bust up your fingers, Koby. Go see Harry, he can fix that for you. I'll make sure you have the ink you need, okay?

[kobes]

Okay. I'm sorry.

[the apologies that usually stay caught up in his mind, held behind tight lips and careful breaths seem to spill out easier these days. not being as honest, as forthright as possible seems to burn, and koby can't keep himself from saying aloud everything in his head.]

Thank you.