05-10-2022, 01:53 PM
Ah, shit. He hadn’t meant to spook the poor kid.
It was by no intention of his own that Malachi’s general state of being was an intimidating one. In the church it served him well, propped up straight and tall as a statue behind the altar. The Lord was all-powerful, frightening; there was a thought within some congregations that the priestly embodiments of him should strike fear into mortal hearts too.
He would have been happier to break the length of his legs and stand level with everyone else.
“Don’t concern yourself with that. I won’t,” but he would. It wouldn’t make that much of a difference to him that he did, either, but money meant a lot to those without free-of-charge, God-given lodgings.
Malachi turned to face the hotel. Gave a nod in response, though he didn’t want to be thanked for it.
With that, the priest went through the door and disappeared. It was late, probably later than anyone at the hotel wanted to deal with him, but there were hours still before the sun came up.
When he returned several long minutes later, he stepped back out into the night breeze with his hands hidden away in the pockets of his cassock.
“Alright,” Malachi breathed, “you have a room for as long as you need it. Nobody should bother you, but someone should be bringing some food by soon. I don’t know what. Here, where did I…”
He felt around in his pockets, and moments later pulled out a key to hand it over. Kept his other hand, lacking a few certain pieces of jewelry, in his pocket. Didn’t need Edmund worrying over that.
It was by no intention of his own that Malachi’s general state of being was an intimidating one. In the church it served him well, propped up straight and tall as a statue behind the altar. The Lord was all-powerful, frightening; there was a thought within some congregations that the priestly embodiments of him should strike fear into mortal hearts too.
He would have been happier to break the length of his legs and stand level with everyone else.
“Don’t concern yourself with that. I won’t,” but he would. It wouldn’t make that much of a difference to him that he did, either, but money meant a lot to those without free-of-charge, God-given lodgings.
Malachi turned to face the hotel. Gave a nod in response, though he didn’t want to be thanked for it.
With that, the priest went through the door and disappeared. It was late, probably later than anyone at the hotel wanted to deal with him, but there were hours still before the sun came up.
When he returned several long minutes later, he stepped back out into the night breeze with his hands hidden away in the pockets of his cassock.
“Alright,” Malachi breathed, “you have a room for as long as you need it. Nobody should bother you, but someone should be bringing some food by soon. I don’t know what. Here, where did I…”
He felt around in his pockets, and moments later pulled out a key to hand it over. Kept his other hand, lacking a few certain pieces of jewelry, in his pocket. Didn’t need Edmund worrying over that.
