Who: Gavin & Father Richard Osborne/Westin Where: St. Benedict's When: Sunday morning, 7/8 Status: Complete
Gavin hadn't been expecting much when he walked into their new church. It was beautiful and far more ritzy than the old one and Gavin was never one for glitz and glam, but the new priest took his mind off that as soon as the service began. He was passionate and inspiring and just listening to him seemed to stir up that dangerous hope Gavin had been trying so hard to ignore. He tangled his fingers with Charlie's as they listened, glancing over at where his sister sat and imagining she might be as inspired as he was. She looked the part at least, staring up at the dais with a doleful expression that reminded him of their mother. Hope could be a painful thing for people like them.
He had hesitated about going to confession, it all felt so frivolous compared to the big evil in his life, but it had been a while and he could probably do with the mental cleansing. Impure thoughts and living in sin didn't really hold a candle to what he really wanted to ask Father Osborne about and it felt almost stupid to tell him about those things. None of these things were new, he knew what he had to do to repent, there were no surprises there. He hesitated before entering the confession booth, wondered if he should get to know this new priest better before he unleashed all the insanity on him and realized that there might not be time for that. "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was..." A long time ago. He wasn't even sure when he'd last gone to church, it had been well before it burned down. "Do you believe in true evil, father?" he asked instead, his chest tight with anxiety.
Confession was one of those things that felt more like a time waster to Westin. He already knew everything he needed to know about his new flock, including Gavin Lucas. But he did the right thing, the dutiful thing, by listening to the man confess his sins, absolving him until the next time. Was he surprised when Gavin hesitated leaving the confessional? No. He was glad the other man was willing to ask such a question, because it meant Gavin wasn't instantly distrustful of Westin - or rather, Reverend Osborne. So he listened to Gavin speak, thinking silently on his answer before he spoke himself. "I do believe in true evil. We see it every day, don't we? In the news, on social media... in our backyards." Westin knew that wasn't necessarily what Gavin meant, so he continued. "But I've seen evil that's impossible to explain, at least to any rational man."
"In this town you'll probably see even more of that," Gavin said, relieved at the addendum that told him the new priest was picking up on what he was really asking. "My family is haunted. My sister and I we- there's a man who comes to us in our dreams and hurts us. The injuries... They're still there when we wake up. I don't know how to fight something like that." He knew exorcisms were frowned upon by most of the clergy and he wasn't even sure if something like that could help, but maybe if Father Osbourn blessed their homes or something... No, he couldn't even begin to imagine how he might help. Maybe the witches were a safer bet, but there was no way he was telling that to a man of the cloth.
Westin studied Gavin through the small, patterned space dividing the two of them. The fact that the man would be so open with him upon first meeting was a good sign - the man had faith. It was just a shame that he placed it in the wrong hands. That didn't mean Westin wouldn't help him. Of course, he would aid his congregation and show them the meaning of a miracle. There were evils in Point Pleasant, but Westin would not be one of them. Not to Gavin Lucas, or anyone else who put their faith in him. "Do you believe evil can be defeated on faith alone?" Westin asked after a moment of thought.
The answer should be yes, irrevocably yes if Gavin was a good catholic, but he wasn't and the answer was no. He didn't say it right away, staring blankly at the door in front of him with a heavy heart. "No," he finally said and shook his head, casting his gaze downward. "I don't. Prayer hasn't done much for me, father. Maybe my faith isn't strong enough, never has been." He remembered when his faith consumed him and he'd felt like his brain would bleed if he prayed any harder and yet his life had continued to be hard and violent and he'd slowly started wondering if God even gave a shit.
Westin was silent as Gavin came to the obvious conclusion. It was rare to get any semblance of honesty from people, especially church goers. They believed their faith in God would help them overcome anything, even when they were beaten and bloodied by life. It was all in God's plan, after all. If God wanted them to spend their short blip of existence in misery, well then, all hail the almighty! "I think that is part of the problem," Westin began after a moment. "Prayer isn't good for much, which I know coming from a man of the cloth probably sounds like blasphemy. But it's not a lifeline to the Creator. He already knows your heart, knows what you want, good and bad. I've come to find that it's up to us to make things happen, to fight against the evil lurking in the shadows. God is with us, but only as guidance." Westin paused a beat. "Perhaps God guided you into this confessional today and told you to be honest with me, no matter how crazy it sounded."
Guilt laced through Gavin at those words. A lot of the bad that had happened to him had been born from his own wishes. He'd lost both his children for a while and there had been a time he hadn't wanted them. They remained a bad connection to Ollie and they had made his life harder than it already had been. He didn't consciously want them gone, but what if his subconscious had pushed it to happen? Dabbling in magic, making Mila lose her baby. It was all bad news. "That's what I'm afraid of," he admitted. "I often want things that I shouldn't want and don't... not really. I've made bad things happen, made bad decisions, hurt people... Maybe I don't deserve God's mercy, but I'm not the only one in danger right now so I can't just let it happen."
"Wanting things that you shouldn't want is called being human," Westin pointed out gently. "You're not the only one who struggles with those feelings, those thoughts. God's mercy does not extend only to the saints, but to the sinners too. Everyone, even those who don't believe. You care about the people in your life. You wouldn't be telling me all of this if you didn't. That alone tells me that you're a much better man than you think you are." Oh yes, Westin knew all about Gavin Lucas and the dark secrets he harbored. A complicated mess of a man who probably should have ended things years ago. Westin watched Gavin's profile through the barrier. "Would you like my help?"
Gavin hadn't told him about Mila, about the unborn child he'd essentially had a hand in murdering, about all the darkness that flooded their lives afterwards and how he couldn't help but think the dark magic had brought it all about. As far as he knew, this priest was just a man and he didn't know anything Gavin hadn't told him, so all those reassurances rang hollow. He didn't know what kind of help he could get from the church but the question sounded so earnest and like Father Osborne actually knew something about how to deal with things this dark so how could he not feel that treacherous spark of hope again? "Yes," he said after thinking about it for a moment. "Even if it's just a prayer, it would mean a lot."
Westin knew about the Lucas family and what they had done. Gavin's brother already owed him a favor... as did his soon-to-be sister-in-law's brother. Desperation ran thick through the family, even if they weren't aware of it. "I'll pray for you and your family," Westin said solemnly. "If you would like, I can come bless your home as well. I know there are people who probably don't believe in that kind of power, but I can tell you that I've performed more than my fair share of blessings in towns like this one. They work better than you may think."
Gavin almost asked if he condoned exorcisms, but there was nothing to get rid of from the house and Gavin wasn't possessed in any shape or form. The dark man latched onto many people, it seemed, and it was hard to even grasp what he was exactly. "I would very much like that," he said in a gravelly voice and that desperation Westin was so acutely aware of was indeed running thick through him; a heavy thing that weighed his body and soul down. "I don't think the house is the problem, I think... if anything, I brought darkness to it. But a blessing might still help. I'm more worried about my sister than myself, she could use your help too.
“I would resist placing the blame solely on your shoulders," Westin said. "A home absorbs darkness, that's true, but in this town it's more likely that darkness was built into the foundation. If more people understood that... well, I suppose it's easier for some to pretend it doesn't exist at all. That only allows it to fester. The evil," he clarified. "You're a smart man, Gavin. You're acknowledging it and asking for help. I'll come by your home, and your sister's, if you think she will be open to it." Westin chuckled softly. "You might be surprised at how many attend church on Sunday but find their true faith in the Almighty lacking."
Gavin had no idea if this man really channeled the good of the almighty enough to keep him safe, but he had to believe in it and for a moment he felt a little overwhelmed with gratitude for being heard and believed. There was no bullshit about simply having faith or praying the evil away - or even worse, suggesting it was all rooted in guilt and delusion. "You seem to know a lot about this town for someone who just arrived," he said with a pained smile. "Have you seen the evil of this place already?"
"I've heard of this place," Westin said with a warm smile, though Gavin might not have been able to see it. "I've been told my predecessors have not been so lucky in Point Pleasant. I felt a strong calling to come here and try and be of some assistance. I'm well aware that prayer is not the cure to everything. It's more like a salve to help ease the pain. I want to be able to provide the people here with real hope and real solutions to their problems. I've seen a lot of evil myself." Sighing, Westin shifted a bit in his seat. "I want to help you and your family, Gavin. I'll do whatever I can."
"Thank you," Gavin said earnestly. He hadn't had a chat in the confession booth in a long time. He'd been close enough to father Dean that their confession times usually ended up more like an exasperated father trying to gently steer his child in the right direction but with a new priest, that had all gone away. Father Osbourne didn't have that same fatherly energy or history with Gavin but it was close to the easier vibe Gavin had grown accustomed to. He was also aware that he wasn't the last person in line so after a moment of silence he muttered, "This is all I can remember, I am sorry for these and all my sins." Rituals were an essential part of his religion and even as his faith slowly crumbled, those things were like muscle memory. He took his penance and muttered the prayer of contrition, awaited the absolution and then hesitated before getting up. "Thank you. I will speak to you again soon."
Westin was far from fatherly, but he was trustworthy. At least he came across that way. He had always followed through on his promises, so he expected those he helped to do the same. Gavin would be no different. Smiling, Westin nodded. "You're welcome. I'll give you a call sometime today to set up a time to come by. The sooner the better, no doubt. Take care of yourself until then."
Gavin nodded and stepped outside the small booth, looking around for Charlie or Kat as he tried to carry himself well enough that his injuries wouldn't be visible in case he ran into his anyone who might tattle to his mother. He was set on bringing Kat along when he went to the Porch, let Caden deal with the bar so he could watch over her while she napped - if she even could. At least the new priest was a potential ally in this ridiculous war they were waging against darkness, it didn't really make him feel any better but he tried to let some of that hope seep inside. There was that doubt again, painful and guilt-ridden and he just felt so tired now, he doubted his thoughts were fully clear.
Westin let Gavin exit without another word, fully aware of the skepticism that still ran through his heart. That was okay. Westin would show him miracles could happen, just as he'd shown Gavin's youngest brother. Seeing was believing, wasn't it? Faith could only take a person so far. The entire town would come around to trusting him eventually, and if they didn't? Westin would deal with them as well.