This is Sphère. Here, the French breed like bunnies.
In the rocky hills just outside the city, a monastery sits. A green dome tops it. When the sun sets, it looks gorgeous from a heli's-eye view...
The year is 1987. Laurent Fabius is premier of Seine-Saint-Denis. (That's...the administrative capital in Sphère in this day and age, just to make that clear.) Popular songs of this day and age include Los Lobos's "La Bamba," and Madonna's "Who's That Girl."
Inside this domed monastery, there are confessionals. There are at least three that're always manned; one for 7 to 15, one for 15 to 23, and one for 23 to 7.
In the 23-to-7 confessional, a boy sits. This is his rookie year as a clergy. Meet Jean. He looks great in a clergy robe. Alas, if only he could meet a pretty girl who thought so too...
The vent opens. It's Hanna Marin, one of the Six Chicks. She never tells him her name...but Jean knows her voice anywhere. How could he not? Where he comes from, the Six Chicks are the most popular girls his age.
He's thirteen.
She talks about her problems. Like all of the Six Chicks, she's more tempted to blame all of her shit on other people than she is to ever suspect herself. At this thought, Jean's tempted to scoff. One would think that if someone didn't see fault in themselves, they'd have no reason to come to confession...
Less than an hour passes. The vent opens again. It's Carol Danvers, another Six Chick. She complains about the same shit. Again, she blames everybody else for her problems. Ah, when will the youth ever evolve?
Less than an hour later, the vent opens again. It's Sophie Fletcher, another Six Chick. She's here to complain about the black kids in her hood. There's this one girl, Sam White, who keeps calling her out in the middle of the day as a "pompous Norse goddess."
Less than an hour later, Carson, another Six Chick, comes to confession. As usual, she hates her rival cheerleader squad...and she has a crush on a boy who cheers for them. Again, she blames her shit on everyone else.
Less than an hour from then, Beatrice "the Bear" Leep, another Six Chick, pays a visit. She complains about all the other soccer players on their team; how they're underevolved. The Bear really feels like she could augment their powers on the field...if only their thick skulls were more receptive to verbal advice. Otherwise, she wouldn't have to flog their asses, just to get them to feel like playing soccer with extreme prejudice...as if soccer was the most important thing in the world. At this, Jean feels like scoffing. If the Bear truly feels that way about soccer, then why is she a Six Chick?
Straggling behind them all, their queen bee comes to confession. It's Lucy Wyman...better known as Tom-Tom. She's the worst of the Six. But then, that's expected. Again, she blames everybody else for everything. She blames her parents, the economy, and the government...for a lot of things she doesn't have to care about, and a few vital things that she should.
Jean scoffs.
At this, Tom-Tom sends an icy stare into the confessional. "Father?" She sounds stern. "Do you have something to tell me?"
Jean shrugs. "No, my child. You're forgiven. Now go forth, and do better."
"I...wasn't finished."
Jean slowly nods. "Very well. Continue. Your burdens are nature's patience."
It takes Tom-Tom a while to leave...but she does. Truth be told, Jean likes having her around. This is as close as he ever gets to getting to talk to a hot chick.
Over an hour passes. There sure isn't a very big confession crowd at night. Jean's surprised. This is usually about the time of day when all the winos consider rehabilitation...
With the last hour of Jean's shift, an expected-yet-unexpected girl comes to confessional. It's Jenna Rink. Is she popular? No. Is she easy to look at? A bit. She wouldn't think so...but she doesn't know herself like guys do. And while Jean can't say he knows her, he can sure say he feels like he does.
With more earnestness than the Six Chicks, she confesses. She worries about not being popular. She talks about her dreams of growing up to edit Poise magazine. She talks about living on Fifth Avenue. She talks about getting to have a romantic moment on the dance floor with Chris Grandy, a guy she really likes...
All this makes Jean smile...and frown at the same time. The poor girl doesn't realize that she's walking right up Heartbreak Way.
She talks a lot about her fantasies of becoming BFFs with Tom-Tom. Now THIS is something that Jean would REALLY love to frown about...
"Very well, child," Jean tells her, when she's done. "You're forgiven. Go forth, now, into the world...and redeem yourself of your past wrongs."
At this Jenna smiles. He can see her precious eyes and lips through the vent grilling. "Thank you, Father. You mean a lot to me." She starts to stand...but hesitates. "Pardon me, Father, but... Don't take this the wrong way, but... You sound young enough to be my brother. Are you?"
Jean hesitates. Jenna keeps saying her age, every time she comes here. Turns out they're only three months apart.
"The human soul does not judge a person based on their body's age," he responds. "My soul is your father; not my body. You have merely confessed to my soul with yours; and that's as ageist as this interaction must be. Now if you don't mind, I do believe my shift is up. Have a blessed life."
She smiles. "Forgive me, Father. It was rude to ask. Hope to see you around...even if I don't know what you look like!" With that, she scurries off.
Deviously, Jean peeks out the confessional door, just to take a peek at her jorts-clad ass, as she scurries off. It's a VERY nice ass...
Alas, it'll never be his. And for that reason, he has not just sinned.