Dayshift 22: Chapel

[claire_ity]

Claire woke up in her room just like before, with little idea of how she actually got there. This time, though, she noticed something different about the room. There was another young woman, a blond, sleeping in a bed across from her. Before questioning that, though, she made sure to hide the items she'd gotten that night in her closet, shutting

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[grosse_sklaven]

...a surprise. Adelheid wasn't too shocked to hear this, but sheer morbid curiosity drew him to the Chapel like a moth to a flame. In his case, a very heavily bandaged moth, but a moth nevertheless. His hands were aching, like they were on fire, and the knowledge of what had transpired burned in his mind like a brand. He'd failed. Edward could have died, he'd been unable to protect those who couldn't ultimately protect themselves, and all in all... he'd been useless.

As a matter of fact, he'd barely noticed the fact that there was someone else in his room. It was just another aggravation to be dealt with, and deal with it Adelheid would, in time. But for now, he'd need to refocus himself.

Adelheid was, of course, a religious man, almost by necessity. When gods were a literal force, the best course of action was to learn about them and how to avoid drawing their attention. Especially for someone like Adelheid, the best he could hope for was an uneasy truce.

Still, some habits were easy to carry over. And in this place, with all the horrors he'd endured and the pain he'd gone through, the taller teenager couldn't squander an opportunity to regain his focus. Sitting near the front and on the outside, Adel let his crimson eyes slide shut as he directed his thoughts inward. Perhaps, things would become clearer with meditation...

[dead_draven]

"Come to pray, have you?" Eric slid onto the chapel bench beside his friend, leaning back as opposed to forward in prayer. Religion? Not exactly his cup of tea. Oh, he believed that there was a God and all of that, but not that he was merciful, or kind, or good...no, God was quite the bastard in Eric Draven's eyes. He deserved the assessment. Creating beautiful things in one hand only to crush them in the other. Where was the justice or goodness in that? He saw no plan, only madness. And a mad bastard God was not one he thought he needed. So no prayers from him today.

He'd come solely for the announcement of a possibly intriguing surprise that there was apparently going to be here. It was day, so he had to assume that it wouldn't be anything too out of the ordinary...but, still. It would be better to see now than to hear about later, and he certainly wasn't going to miss it just on account of his beliefs.

After a moment, he added, "I'm just pleased that I didn't burst into flames when my foot touched the threshold." He looked over to Adelheid and sighed a little. "Pardon me, go on with whatever you're doing, whoever you're praying to. My apologies."

[grosse_sklaven]

Despite the interruption, Adelheid felt a slight smile on his face. No matter what the 'surprise' was, having a staunch ally like Eric there with him would make it much better. The fact that Edward hadn't come in, to say nothing of the others, was a good thing; whatever the 'surprise' would be, Adel held no illusions that it was going to be good. And whatever it was, Edward in his condition and the others in theirs would have been only a hindrance.

Not that Adel was going to be much better, but he had to be certain of it for himself.

With a low chuckle, the boy softly corrected, "I've come to pray against, Eric. In my world, gods and spirits take more notice of bribes and placation than intercession. And with my bloodline, it is extremely important that I do as little to offend, and as much to obtain indulgence, as I can. That, and ki is as much an energy of mind and spirit as of body; I will need to focus if I'm going to be useful tonight."

Still... Adel glanced to the other man out of the corner of his eye, feeling a tingle of relief in the back of his mind. "I assume that you aren't here for the organ music, however."

[dead_draven]

He smirked. "I could very well be. I do like to hear some good organ, now and again. Suits my morbid sensibilities. To be honest, I wish the God I knew were as prone to listen as yours. Mine doesn't answer me when I shout blasphemies, even to smite me down. It's kind of disappointing, in a way."

He nodded. "Then go on and pray against your Gods. I didn't mean to interrupt. I've only come for the organ music and the secret surprise. It ought to be good, whether the intentions are meant to be so, and I'd just hate to miss it."

[grosse_sklaven]

A bit of a chuckle at that. Adelheid should have guessed that Eric would have liked organ music. Not that Adel was too much of a fan of it, himself- he vastly preferred the piano- but Eric looked like he belonged in a gothic sort of setting; the organ went well with the bird. "I'm afraid that's one thing I couldn't give you, even if my hands were healed. Getting a concert piano into an airship is one thing, a pipe organ is quite another."

Not that he wouldn't have tried, but... pianos were better. Much. "And I'm afraid to start an argument in a chapel of all places, but please believe me when I say that you do not want gods who can listen. Tangible deities, real demons; I can not think of anything more terrifying than those two things."

Adelheid was quiet for some time, mentally reciting an invocation of safety for himself... and after a moment he added that for those he knew. Eric, Edward, Tamaki... and it was at that point he realized just how few people he knew in the Institute. He'd have to change that, at some time. But for now? "Yes, I think that the surprise is going to be something that we shouldn't miss. Though... I must confess that I am relieved that Ed, Tamaki, and Rein aren't here. Especially after what happened last night."

[dead_draven]

He frowned slightly, inspecting his friend's hands. "Yes...on that note, how are you doing? That was quite the light show last night. I had no idea you were capable of something like that. I was nearly blinded, myself, though I'm glad to say I knew when to shut my eyes."

"I wouldn't mind tangible deities," he said, then paused. "Wait, nevermind, scratch that. It depends on what they're like. If they all nag like the bird does, I don't want a thing to do with them."

[grosse_sklaven]

"Note that I am not folding my hands to pray." A very soft, yet very derisive, sound at that; the Kronzprinz was the crowning jewel (pun intended) of Adelheid's arsenal, a move that he had taken from his father, and his father from the House of Strolheim, who had dedicated generations to learning the deadly technique.

Adel had mastered it in less than a week.

"Sadly, it didn't seem to do much more than disorient our opponent; normally that might have been enough to cause some lasting damage. Instead, it seems only to have disoriented you for a moment and lead the way for another to cause that damage... and from there to collapse." Adelheid was honestly hurt by that; that Ed had been so hurt because Adel hadn't been strong enough to do any lasting damage. And Adel himself was much the worse for wear, though he'd never admit that. He could force himself to keep going. So long as someone needed him, so long as Rose was still out there... he could keep going. Somehow.

"I have another technique, one even more powerful than that. But it's useless here; somehow, the Head Doctor can even dampen the power of a god. Such a thing isn't necessarily impossible in my world, but at the same time the implications are terrifying."

[dead_draven]

He frowned a little. "Still, you may have saved several lives with that, weakened or no. All of us owe you dearly." He smiled a little, reproachfully. "I did much less than my part, and you more than picked up the slack." There was a vague hint of bitterness there, but directed at himself, not at Adelheid.

"Who knows what the man can do?" he spread his hands. "It's not a pleasant thought, but he more than holds the upper hand, here. Just look at the church." He gestured to the vague, abstract stained windows. "Not a sign or a hint of Christ, not a whisper of a deity. If anyone is God, here, it's him. Not that it bothers me much--I'm quite fond of railing against Him."

[grosse_sklaven]

"...you don't owe me anything, Eric. Not you and not any of the others there." He flexed his fingers, his teeth gritting in pain as his hands felt like they were going to split apart. But he had to force himself through it, again. No matter how many times, he had to be strong during the night. And during the day, as well. He had to be. "I should have been stronger than that. I should have been able to damage that creature permanently. It's... a matter of pride. I, who has had my life dedicated to the acquisition of power, couldn't defend myself, let alone you and the others. It is worrisome, and I fear that the further I explore, the less useful I will become. An intolerable state."

Adelheid was just about to answer Eric's comment about the Head Doctor... when the man himself strode in.

The look of hatred that appeared on Adelheid's face was far more monstrous than human, as though the boy wished to tear the man's soul apart through the sheer ferocity of his crimson eyes. He was no Orochi... but right at that moment, it felt like his cursed blood was beginning to boil.