>>5642711You’re forced to pause and marshal your own thoughts before you’re lost in their intensity.
> “I’ve seen evil with my own eyes. And not just of the human variety. The knowledge that some kind of unseen evil could be lurking in the shadows to harm everyone and everything I care about? Put plainly, it terrifies me. That fear is the biggest reason as to why we’re talking; I know that it’s selfish, but I also figure that it’ll stack up as the least of my sins. And if it even gives a scrap of a chance of keeping the people I care about safe; well, then it’d have been been worth swallowing my damned pride. Uh, sorry for the cursing; it’s a bad habit of mine.”> “I did my best to stay on the straight and narrow, I really did, but life had other plans for me. And I’m not sure that I’m cut out for anything else. So, do what you gotta with me, but there are some things I need to get off my chest first. Jack is the main reason I’m not six feet under in a potters field, in lockup, or doing far worse things in the name of profit. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him my moral compass, but he’s been a light shining in the darkness. I know that suicide is a mortal sin, but I’d like for you to make an exception in his case. For starters, besides the fact that he’s already suffered his natural death, he simply wishes to be put to rest. I trust that you’re wise enough to know the difference. Lord, please, do what you can to help him. Because it’s going to happen. Not today, or next week, or next month. It will, no matter what I need to do to see it come to pass.”>” Lord, I’d owe you a solid if you could take care of my friend Gaius. He’s had a rough life, and a rougher death. He may not be a believer, but he was a good and faithful man in his own way. In the end, that’s all that truly matters. We should all strive to be so faithful to our beliefs.”You clear your throat to ward off any chances of voice beginning to choke.
> “Lord, please keep my soldiers safe. They trust me enough to fly my banner and carry out my orders, and I don’t think I could handle it if I lost them. Some of them may be bad men. But those that they’ve fought are far worse, and such acts were necessary to prevent further bloodshed from ruining innocent lives. It may fly in the face of your commandments, but standing by and doing nothing will never be an option. If I need to be the one to shoulder the burden of their misdeeds, then so be it. So please, just watch their backs.”Your tone takes on a steely edge, one tinged heavily by regret.
> “And Lord? I hope that you’re taking good care of Armstrong, Burns, Owens, Roberts, Kim, Clark, Tanner, Thompson, Young, Richards, Jimenez, and Green. Otherwise, we’re going to be having some serious words when I kick the bucket, Father of All Creation or not. They were heroes, and had better be treated as such.” 