10:15A Sunday, August 12, 5082
James had enjoyed the sermon, his father was a good public speaker and tried hard to make speeches uplifting and positive. It was almost as if the mage was using his words as magic, but James knew that wasn't true. That burst of magic from the beginning of the sermon wasn't him. John just had talent, nothing else to it. It was admirable that he used his talent for the church, as many chose not to. Himself and Mary Adams were two examples of people raised in the church, but still choosing to make life elsewhere.
He looked over to Jamie and Mary then, seeing Jamie's sister Rose with them. Good, you weren't going to get far without that womans approval. It occurred to him then that getting in a relationship right before elections wasn't the best of ideas. Then again, with elections every year it was always right before elections. Besides, Mary was a respectable woman to date. Mage parents and a non-political government job? As long as she didn't get a promotion in the next week or so, there'd be no issues.
He couldn't look at Jamie forever, he had his own family to attend to. His wife was playing with all of the kids now, and heading towards him with his son, Samuel. His daughter, Jenny, was 7 years old and therefore 'had to' sit through the sermon. She was hyper, but something about her grandfather calmed her down. She was currently giggling and playing with her grandparents who were trying to talk to James' siblings. His older brother, John Jr, was in his mage uniform and avidly talking with John Sr, his father, about the sermon. John Jr, or Jr, was the most religious in the family. Not to say that they didn't all believe with all of their might, or act as a Wicciah family would, but Jr got the most excited about it. His younger brother, Michael, and his younger sister, Susan, were both talking to his mother, Heather. Michael, a tattoo artist with a sleeve on his right arm of 'tats' was wearing a pair of jeans and a button up white shirt- which for him was really cleaned up. When most people heard about the 28 year old tattoo shop owner, they assumed rebellion, but (while the man did have a mind of his own) Michael was just as devout as the others. He, like all of the other men in the family, was a spitting image of John Sr. HIs little sister, however, was an even more eerie copy of their mother. Even when Jr dressed like John Sr, he didn't look as close to the man as Susan did Heather. They wore the same clothes and had the same personality. They talked the same, and James was the only one (including his father) that could always tell their voices apart.
"Good morning," James said to Michael, Heather (his mother), and Susan. He sniggered internally, much like a 16 year old boy, when his wife got stuck talking to 'The Johns' as the two were called. They were a devout family, but sometimes the John's got a little carried away.
"You shouldn't mock Jen, you know," Michael said. "You're lucky you didn't get called."
James laughed, "You have a good point there." He looked over at his wife with a happy glace and back at Michael, "Is that a new one on your shoulder?"
Michael nodded, a big grin on his face, and pulled his shirt shoulder over. On the shoulder was a terribly drawn picture of a princess dragon, which did nothing but make James laugh, really, really loud.
"You let Jenny design your tattoo?!" He asked incredulously. "She's 7!"
"And a half!" Michael argued like a small child, "Besides, I've been telling her since she was a baby I'd let her design a tattoo, and when she cornered me last time she won."
"She's not even 4 food tall!" James said to his mammoth, about 6'7", brother.
"She's feirce, and anyway, I like it," Michael said.
"You know you're going to have to let every child in this family design you now?" James said, shaking his head in mock shame.
"Of course, I've already told Samuel," Michael said. "You just can't have Jen pop out any more kids, I've got Susan and Jr's kids too and limited skin!"
