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Theo's hands were cupped together tightly, pressed against his forehead. With an altar in front of him and a cross in his hands, he muttered Latin prayers under his breath, as if daring God to come closer if He really wanted to hear. The room was large and dimly lit, of course- it would take lots of power to light up the entire cathedral, and Theo wasn't really in the mood to do such a thing.
"Angele Dei, qui custos es mei .."
It was a grand place gifted his boss- magnificent, rounded domes that depicted awe-inspiring scenes from the Bible; winding supporting pillars that stood as tall and mighty as the Lord Himself; rows of wooden benches that had been gathering dust long since due to the absence of visitors; and in the front of it all was the breathtakingly large altar, always illuminated beneath the light of the forgiving sun. It was such a marvelous cathedral- nothing like its owner. One would not expect this unambitious, 15-year-old child wearing robes too big for him to be the one in charge of such a place, but the truth was an undeniable force that paved the road despite the things it crushed in the process. Cold and calculated, like the marble of the altar. Being righteous could be so difficult sometimes.
".. me tibi commissum pietate superna .."
He didn't get why cathedrals had to be so grandiose. Despite the size, it felt almost suffocating at times. Looking up was all it took to the see stained glass images of Mary and Jesus, staring down with their everlasting eyes and unreadable expressions. It was nauseating- the fact that when one was in the cathedral, they were never quite alone. Sometimes, Theo was comforted by this fact. It was nice to know that even in the darkest times, he would never be alone when inside the cathedral. But other times, Theo was uncomfortable. Anxious. Wary. Like he might get caught committing a sin he didn't mean to do. Like he might get falsely accused of something. Like God was watching, waiting for the moment he would mess up so that he could pass judgement.
".. (Hodie, Hac nocte) illumina, custodi, rege et guberna .."
The walls shone with the pride of their sculptors. The edges shimmered with intricately gilded details. The sheer emptiness of it all felt devastatingly haunting. Why was he given this cathedral again? Honestly, it was rather stupid to hand over a full-fledged building with rich history embedded into it to a scrubby little teen priest. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why was he born into this world with a knack for purification, and not a family? Did he have to trade his talents for what should be a basic human right? Why?!
".. Amen."
Theo's eyes blinked open, glancing up at the altar as if he was just in a trance. His fingers uncupped with a sigh, stretching slightly as his cross was put away. The boy's eyes- as blue as the skies above, where the Lord lived- flickered to the door when his ears twitched like a dog. The ostentatiously large double doors creaked open, revealing a teen that was comically smaller than the aforementioned doors and everything else within the cathedral. With straight black hair and eyes that could glare at God, the teen sauntered into the building. Their face held a ferocious scowl as they stopped right in front of Theo, about two inches taller. They pierced into Theo's eye sockets, to which Theo stared right back in response. Those eyes could slit through stone, but the shorter boy was not merely stone.
A pause. Mary and Jesus watched them from above, eyes never wavering for a second. Eventually, the older teen that'd just entered the cathedral started rummaging through his pocket, pulling something out. It was an absurdly large ruby brooch that only someone from the bourgeoisie would ever think to spend money buying. The ruby, with poppy-red swirling in the center like a whirlpool, had silver highlighting its natural, deep hue. An eerie aura emanated from it. The brooch looked oddly familiar, but Theo couldn't quite place where he'd first saw it. Considering the person that was holding it, the priest concluded that the brooch was probably something he'd saw on his boss's desk by accident. That did tend to happen often. But if it was so recognizable, then why didn't he fully recognize it ..??
"Theo. Are you listening to me?!"
The boy in question flinched, raising his head slightly to meet the other teen's eyes. "H-hmm? Sorry, could you repeat that, Jasper?"
The taller teen, Jasper, smacked their forehead with a sigh. It wasn't a surprise that "Theo the Pure" would let everything go in one ear and exit out of the other- how else did he stay "pure" in such a world? Jasper held up the brooch again, fiddling with the clasps absentmindedly. "I said, the boss has another job for you. Purify this demon, will you? That's all you're good for."
Theo's jaw clenched. He would not hurt Jasper. Patience was a virtue, and he was the most virtuous 15-year-old to ever roam the Earth. Wrath and pride were two of the seven deadly sins- he would not be feeling such emotions, especially not in the prying eyes of the cathedral. He was "Theo the Pure:" a revolutionary human that had a rare knack for the purification of demons. Such a role model couldn't possibly resort to something as petty as violence ..
.. but damn, did he want to. They were friends, sure, but Jasper's face was always very punch-able.
With a light, exasperated sigh, Theo set his eyes back on the brooch and spoke. "I'm guessing you're the one that trapped the demon? How annoying." He looked away, finding little to no interest in keeping the conversation going. It was just another demon that needed to be purified. Theo had, by now, turned tens of hundreds of demons back into angels. He joined the Church early, since he had no parents to argue about child labour, and had honed his skills already. Now, all that was left to do was obediently keep fulfilling his daily purifications and blessings, and he'd be set for life. A boring life, sure, but a long one. And that was all that really mattered, wasn't it?
"This one is different, Theo. I don't know what's up with him, but he doesn't act like a regular demon." Jasper's eyes darkened, before lighting back up to its usual self. "Well, not that that should be a problem for you. Plus, I wouldn't say the change is all that bad, either."
How .. suspicious. How very suspicious indeed. What could possibly be so different about this particular demon, to warrant such a reaction?
"Page 13 of 'A Guide to Angels and Demons' - Volume 1: Demons are the same, through and through. Erratic, selfish, corrupted creatures too far-gone to reason with properly. Do not be fooled by their silver tongues," Theo regurgitated, staring at Jasper as if daring the older teen to refute that.
Jasper smirked. "Page 144 of "A Guide to Angels and Demons' - Volume 3: Corruption is a slow process with many twists and turns depending on the angel. Large mutations during the first or third stages of corruption may lead to incomplete or spontaneous corruption, in which the angel may not corrupt properly and thus, cannot be purified by conventional means."
The priest's eyes widened, before he coughed and tried to look like that information didn't put the pieces together- on why Theo would be put to purify this particular demon, why the brooch looked so much more eerie than a regular possessed jewel, and why Jasper had to come and personally deliver it. Also, he might've been a bit embarrassed because he was bested by Jasper, of all people. He really hoped that this purification didn't take longer than it needed. If the demon could be so courteous and polite, letting themselves be purified easily, then Theo wouldn't have to burn through what little energy he'd gotten from the few bowls of gruel he'd had earlier this morning.
"Fine, I'll purify this demon. Hand it over, will you? Ugh; just when I thought I had a free day .."
Jasper chuckled, placing the brooch in Theo's hand. "If only your worshippers knew how much of a nuisance you were .."
The brooch was ice-cold, as were most possessed jewelry, and it felt as if it weighed the entire cathedral. Theo almost dropped it just from the weight. He knew he wasn't exactly the most fit, but there was no way that that was normal. Usually, the weight corresponded to the amount of divine power it would take to purify the demon inside- with heavier possessed jewelry taking more and lighter possessed jewelry taking less. Theo would probably be drained of his divine energy by the time he finally purified whatever weirdo demon was inside. Damn it all.
"Well, I trust that you'll get it done. Remember: boss's orders!"
And with a wave from behind, Jasper had left as quickly as they'd came, slamming the ornate cathedral doors closed. Theo huffed childishly, but said nothing. He knew better than to pick a fight with Jasper, or his boss, for that matter. All he needed to do was one purification, and he'd go right back to relaxing. How hard could it possibly be, anyway? He's handled quite a few demons before- even two at a time once. If anyone could purify, it was "Theo the Pure."
Sighing, the young teen got to work. He opened a few drawers in a cabinet off to the side, before finally finding a large container of salt. It was nice sea salt- the kind that was large but still dissolved fast- so it would be perfect for trapping irregular corruption. Theo took off his cape, throwing it onto one of the many empty benches haphazardly. It would only get in the way. The cape fluttered onto the bench as the teen priest rolled up his sleeves, kneeling close to the ground. He placed the ruby brooch in the center of a particularly large, radial mosaic on the floor, before heaving up the container of salt. He really ought to work out more.
The sea salt was poured slowly and deliberately onto the tiled floors, creating more patterns that all centered around one thing- the brooch. Lattices of salt evenly distributed itself in circles, dots, and so on. The sheer focus and attention Theo put into creating the shape properly was truly a testament to his supposed genius that helped earn him his title and status. Most of his followers would say that it's because God had blessed him, or because his faith is so undeniably strong. That's not quite true. It was conventionally easier to boil it down to luck and faith, but the hidden "genius" that truly shone was the priest's ability to be meticulous. To focus. To place his full attention into a single activity. It was a rare skill that few had, and it was intensely useful in a process as sensitive as purification.
After a few more minutes, Theo stood up, wiping his forehead and putting the lid back onto the now-half-empty container of salt. He had created a mural atop a mosaic, with the possessed ruby brooch as the star. A few more minutes later, and the candles surrounding the salt mural were ready to go- placed and lit. Theo extinguished every other source of light he could, though it was still quite bright inside, with sunlight pouring through the never-ending supply of stained glass windows and the candles. Even so, the cathedral's mood had shifted, like Theo was now seeing the opposite side of a coin- not quite the same, and yet, exactly the same. It was more creepy. Despite the wide walls and the absurdly tall ceiling, it felt more claustrophobic and suffocating. The eyes of Mary and Jesus were as bright as the rising sun as Theo touched the icy brooch with his cross, slipping in the tiniest bit of divine power. He would need to conserve his energy if the weight of the brooch told him anything.
Just a sliver of energy was all it took.
Gusts of wind appeared seemingly out of nowhere, circling the brooch like it was the eye of a storm. A miniature tornado of sorts swirled, making Theo's white priest garb flutter frivolously around him. He himself seemed unfazed, despite the way his hair whipped every which way- he'd purified enough demons to know how the process unfolded. While some grains of salt floated in the air, unsure of whether to stay in their spot or follow the wind, most of it stayed true to its shape as a mural on the tiled floors. Somewhere in the background, the cape Theo had thrown aimlessly away on a bench got caught by stray blast of wind, unceremoniously flying elsewhere. He'd find it later.
The candles dimmed, barely shining as the indoor storm got stronger. The benches nearby groaned in protest, creaking against the floor as they, too, started to be affected by the winds. In a few moments, they wouldn't be able to stay on the ground .. but thankfully, the storm was dying as the demon within was finally released.
Floating sand fell back to the ground as the storm, which had already started slowly deteriorating, was snuffed out like a candle, flickering away in an instant. Among the debris, besides bits of stray salt, was the demon that Jasper had warned Theo about- the one that was supposedly so different. Personally, the priest didn't see anything very surprising about the demon, besides maybe those blood-red eyes.
The demon was young- probably younger than Theo. He had short, pitch black hair with streaks of white in it and sickly pale skin, as well as the aforementioned eyes that reminded Theo vaguely of autumn leaves. His clothes were that of an angel's, but black instead of white. The broken, dull halo rested at their wrist like an oversized bracelet, and tiny horns peeked out from his unruly hair. Instead of the usual obsidian-coloured wings, this demon's wings were grey- dark grey, sure, but still only grey. Theo had never seen a demon with streaks in their hair, either. And- weirdest of all- the demon wasn't trying to fly away (not that he could, since his being was still tied to the brooch), shout, or glare at him like he was a piece of dog poop.
Usually, demons tried to escape in one way or another- the corruption that controls their body knows a purification ritual when it sees one. This often came in the form of manipulation (too repetitive to work), guilt-tripping (Theo was too focused on completing the purification to care), insults (same as the one before), attacks (they couldn't stray too far from the jewelry they were trapped in, so he was fine), and lying (too obvious: angels weren't made to lie). This odd little demon, however, did neither of those things. In fact, he did something that was more unnerving, at least to Theo- he stared. He stared at the priest with his intensely saturated eyes, not moving anything other than his wings.
The silence dragged on as the demon stared and Theo got too self-conscious to purify. After a count of five, the floating demon spoke, his young voice echoing in the oversized room.
"Wow, you're hot."
-
"?!?!?!???"
What. What the f- nope, Theo wasn't allowed to say that word.
Out of sheer incredulousness or perhaps embarrassment, Theo flushed bright red, fumbling with the cross in his hands. He was confused. He was really, really confused. Maybe he'd heard wrong? Maybe only eating two bowls of porridge for breakfast was finally catching up to him? There was no way a demon, a corrupted little demon, had just called him "hot". Or maybe he misunderstood, and the demon thought that it was hot inside the cathedral- which was fair, since they were right next to a few burning candles. Surely that was what he meant. Please ..?
The demon watched Theo's reaction curiously, tilting his head like a bird. He acted more like a child than a demon, crossing his legs as his wings kept him afloat.
Theo coughed into his hand, hoping his face didn't look at hot as it felt, before gripping his cross tightly again. For all he knew, it could be some mysterious, convoluted way to get him to let his guard down. Demons were cunning. The corruption was rooted in their minds. Theo couldn't trust anything, even if the demon appeared to be friendly.
He started chanting the ritual he'd memorized long ago in Latin, feeling his divine power bubble up. The definitely-not-still-blushing priest closed his eyes, refusing to look lest he got pulled in by the corruption's trickery. His power slowly started draining, taking on a tangible form that swirled around the demon like fairy dust. Theo was glad that the purification was going smoothly so far- good thing the demon wasn't trying to fly away or something.
Then, the priest felt something poke his cheek.
Furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance, he cracked an eye open .. only to immediately lurch back, stopping his chant in the process. For whatever reason, the demon had been right in his face, staring intently like Theo was some undiscovered lifeform at the bottom of the ocean. He hit the ground harshly, a little disoriented from the sudden change in gravity as he glared up at the demon. The demon, in response, grinned, showing hints of teeth as he stuck out his hand.
"Nice to meet ya, priest. The name's Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt. Are you purifying me?"
Every instinct was telling Theo not to touch the demon- er, Gilbert. It was stupid. It would open him up for attacks. It had no use in helping the purification. But the young priest couldn't help taking his hand, using it as leverage to pull himself up before properly shaking it. The demon, not expecting his hand to be used as leverage, hastily flapped his wings so that he didn't fall to the floor pathetically. It was almost .. cute. Was he really going senile at 15, just because some weird demon had smiled at him?
...
No, probably not. Theo didn't think he would act this nice to any other demon he'd come across in the future. He would only possibly be semi-nice to this peculiar one, named Gilbert. He didn't even know the names of any of the other demons he'd purified.
"I'm Theo," the priest said, hoisting himself up. "And yes, I am purifying you."
Gilbert's hand was callused and warm- a stark contrast to Theo's cold, soft hands that felt as if they hadn't seen a day's work (which they hadn't- at least not since the Church took him in). The demon's grip was firm but gentle, lingering for a second longer than necessary before letting go. Theo frowned, wiggling his fingers puzzledly. The demon was still smiling as he lowered himself to the ground, folding his grey wings behind his back as his feet avoided stepping on the salt. The difference in height only became noticeable once they were standing on quite literal even ground.
Theo was about an inch taller, looking down at the young demon's invasive eyes. The priest debated on whether or not he should say something, but he didn't have to pick, because Gilbert spoke first.
"Yeah, you are pretty hot, aren't you? In a cool, powerful way. I can't wait to brag to the other angels," Gilbert muttered absentmindedly, poking Theo's cheek again. He seemed to enjoy doing that, huh? The priest took a mental note as he backed up- far enough away so that the cheeky little demon couldn't poke him. He tried sounding harsh, but the fact that he couldn't even look Gilbert in the eye lessened the effect exponentially.
"Don't poke me and stay still, or else I can't purify you properly."
The demon sighed theatrically, slumping his shoulders. Theo took this as a sign to finish the ritual he was chanting, since he was barely a sixth of the way done and he'd already wasted ten minutes extra minutes talking. At this rate, he'd probably have to skip lunch! Darn ..
The teen priest started chanting his Latin ritual again, holding the cross forward as the divine power he had previously made tangible started swirling around Gilbert the demon. Slowly, the pure, glowing divinity infused itself into the demon's body, cancelling out the corruption. Black turned to grey, and grey turned to white.
Divine power, when willed to, became visible and tangible, appearing as white light particles, whereas corruption, when it wanted, appeared as black waves of light- or rather, the absence of light. Theo was often reminded of what the unrelenting sea looked like in the dead of the night, when he occasionally snuck out to find some peace and quiet. The corruption of a demon would appear once the divine power would start sinking into them, creating a colourful, co-dominating blizzard of black and white around the demon being purified, more often than not. Gilbert's corruption was decidedly not- the colours didn't swirl together like they usually did. Instead, the corruption and divine power mixed, creating some weird, grey, particle/wave thing that surrounded the demonic entity.
It wasn't necessarily easier, but it certainly wasn't harder. Theo continued chanting, his mouth already getting tired as he felt a prodding finger poking his cheek again. The priest opened his eyes, intending to reprimand the (technically) younger being, but the scolding words, as well as the rest of the ritual, died in his mouth as he realized the proximity of the two. He could practically count Gilbert's eyelashes. Did this demon have no sense of personal space?!
The divine energy and corruption circled Gilbert aimlessly, not doing anything in particular since Theo had stopped chanting. His face set into a scowl as he decided to stand his ground, not stepping back this time. He huffed. "Could you please step aside? I'm trying to do my job."
Gilbert actually stepped back, putting his arms up in the air as if he was caught doing something that could get him excommunicated- could angels get excommunicated? The young divinity ruffled his greyish-white feathers, a sheepish chuckle leaving his lips. "Haha, sorry. I just wanted to look at your handsome face better. Not as handsome as me though."
Theo blinked. How shameless could someone be?! This was madness! That last sentence, too- how egotistically irritating!
Theo's scowl and blush deepened as he closed his eyes, about to finish his chanting when he realized that he wasn't holding his cross anymore. His fingers felt empty and cold, his eyes snapping back open as he frantically searched the room .. only for his gaze to fix onto the demon's grubby little hands. Gilbert was grinning evilly as he quickly flew up, out of reach, with his hand holding the holy cross belonging to the revered "Theo the Pure."
Many people would pay good money to touch or even see such a divine piece of metal, especially since it was owned by the rather infamous Theo. The priest doubted that anyone would want to touch it if they'd heard that a demon had snatched it out of his hands. The cross was well-made, of course, with careful etchings and detailed designs. It was the first and only gift he had ever been given in his life, from the boss of his that got him off the grimy streets. While Theo definitely had mixed feelings about his "saviour", it didn't change the fact that he treasured the cross wholeheartedly.
Which also meant that he was not about to entertain this idiot demon.
Theo's eyes darkened as he said, almost coldly, "Give that back. Right now." He immediately regretted it because it sounded way more harsh that he'd intended, but the priest also wouldn't allow a demon, of all beings, to snatch away his only prized possession. Theo cared for very few things, finding most of it disposable, but only one object, as of now, had the title of "irreplaceable." Theo knew it was stupid to get so worked up over a hunk of metal, but that was his hunk of metal.
Gilbert paused, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he observed the priest's fierce gaze. The demon's wings twitched a bit as he lowered himself down, handing the cross back. A flicker of uncertainty and hesitancy flashed across his face, before it was gone in an instant; that huge, cocky smile plastered once more. "Haha, how scary! It was just a joke! Sorry! Please, continue the purification, o mighty priest!" the demon said, overexaggerating his arms.
Theo .. was confused again. He felt like he should be more mad, but he really wasn't all that mad anymore- after all, the demon had done what he'd asked (gave the cross back) and apologized (albeit quickly). How odd. Usually, he'd be absolutely livid. He tightened his hold on the holy cross in case Gilbert tried anything, glaring with less force than he'd wanted. "Whatever. Stupid idiot."
The priest closed his eyes, breathing in deeply before automatically speaking the next lines of his incantation. It was muscle memory at this point. The demon was, interestingly enough, silent, for once. Theo was about to breathe a sigh of relief- finally, he could properly finish the stupid ritual already- but he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.
Theo already knew this demon, Gilbert, was bizarre in more ways than one. He knew this corrupted divine being had absolutely no sense of personal space, and he knew that the demon found him .. "hot." Ugh, how embarrassing .. but anyways. Theo knew all of that, but even so, he'd never expect for this young demon, with all of his idiocy, to start fiddling with his hair(?!?!?!?!??). Right underneath the scorching gazes of Mary and Jesus, too! Theo was appalled. What was he, some kind of new stuffed toy?!
"Your hair is cool. Can I have it?"
'.. oh, great heavens above, please kill me already,' Theo prayed in his head, giving up on trying to get this weirdo demon to be somewhat normal. An imaginary tear rolled down his cheek as he sighed, once again unable to focus on his ritual. It was late afternoon by now, dammit; he usually finished purifying demons in a matter of minutes! "Theo the Pure" was known for his astonishingly precise, speedy purifications, with a record of 10 minutes and 36 seconds. By now, Theo had been stuck attempting to purify Gilbert for hours. He'd long since lost track of time. The sun better still be out by the time he finished.
Gilbert continued ruffling Theo's fluffy blond hair, observing it like some funny specimen. His nose crinkled in concentration, a hint of tongue poking out as well. How cute.
"It reminds me of a bird ..," Gilbert mused out loud. The young priest didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, but nevertheless, he blushed, shuffling his feet awkwardly. He hated that he couldn't brush the comment off easily. He hated that he didn't hate it. Theo wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to dealing with someone with a personality as blunt and straightforward as Gilbert. The demon also had absolutely no sense of social awareness, which really didn't help Theo's heart. Was this love?
Eh ..
.. no, not quite yet. And he hoped to God that it would stay that way. It was annoying how embarrassed he got at the slightest thing this divine being said.
"A-a bird, you say?" Theo stuttered, holding the cross tighter. "Stop .. stop doing that!"
Gilbert fingers, which were carding through Theo's hair curiously, stopped. "Hmm? Stop what?"
Theo flushed even more, on the verge of combusting. "It's- you- just go back to your brooch already! I need to finish this purification!"
He'd wimped out, unable to bring himself to say it. What he meant to say was, "stop being so touchy and making me flustered," but he would probably explode if he admitted that Gilbert, a demon, was making him, a priest, flustered. How mortifying. The reputation he had so steady built up would crumble like a house of cards if anyone knew. Please, please, please ..
Theo was grateful, for once, that the cathedral was privately owned by him, because it meant that nobody really went inside on a daily basis. While he was usually unsettled by the vast, desolate place, it also meant that he got more privacy than ever. Nobody else, besides the priest and the demon, had heard or seen the humiliating display Theo had just shown. Most regular people weren't even allowed into his cathedral without permission, so it was safe to assume that nobody was around. No human, at least.
"Cheep!"
Huh?
Both the demon and the human turned, only to be met with the eyes of an adorable yellow chick that had somehow found its way into the cathedral. The two juxtaposed each other starkly, with Gilbert immediately perking up at the sight of a little bird and Theo paling in response, with sweat beading his forehead. The bird saw. The bird saw. When used carefully, divine power could be utilized by those adept to essentially look into the minds or memories of living beings. It was banned on humans for obvious privacy reasons, but not on animals. If someone with the skill to do so were to ever look into the bird's mind ..
"Hmm? What's wrong, Theo?"
The priest barely registered the fact that that was the first time the demon had referred to him by name. His eyes honed in on the innocent bird as he thought about what to do. Raise it? That would just bring more attention. Drive it away? Then the bird could still be found. Kill it?
.. Theo didn't have the balls to kill, even if it was the most vile, sinister person to every taint the Earth.
Gilbert's eyes flit from Theo to the bird, confusion written all over. His face was scrunched up like a wad of paper, his red eyes churning with unreadable emotions. Swiftly and silently, Gilbert flew over to the bird, cupping it with surprising tenderness. The demon gently brought the bird close to his face, looking about as undemonic as a demon could get, before whispering some things under his breath.
Theo instantly recognized it as a spell spoken in some vaguely Germanic language. While he didn't speak said language, he'd read enough spell books to know that it was a memory tampering incantation that only an Angel of God had the authority and skill to do. The priest's eyes widened as the bird blinked, looking bemused and tilting its head.
All angels were, technically speaking, "angels of God," but there was a special title reserved for few that also called themselves the "Angels of God." These angels were powerful, often tasked with protecting, and were influential in God's choices on how to better the world. In other words, they were important beings. Protecting God was certainly no easy feat, so Angels of God were constantly bettering themselves, training and whatnot. They were given many privileges, including the ability to visit Earth any time they wanted, the ability to give massive blessings if they wished without the need to consult a higher-up, and the ability to using devastating spells like the memory tampering incantation Gilbert just used. Either Gilbert used a forbidden spell and just screwed himself to death, or ..
The priest shivered slightly. There was no way. He was a kid. A kid! Angels of God were the elite of the elite. Surely not ..
The pieces in his head clicked, snapping in place like a dislocated joint.
.. but it did make sense, and Theo was the type to listen to logic. No wonder the corruption process was messed up- Gilbert probably messed it up on purpose so he wouldn't be fully corrupted. An Angel of God could easily interfere with the process. And it also explained why the brooch was so annoyingly heavy: because this childish demon was actually one of the strongest beings he'd every met.
Theo was still in a daze, trying to comprehend what the young demon being an Angel of God would mean for him. Gilbert flew back over, standing on the ground to properly face the bewildered priest. He held the yellow chick up, scratching his head awkwardly before speaking.
"Uh .. I don't know what's up, but I erased the little guy's memory if it makes you feel better ..?" Gilbert flailed his free arm around as he explained, unsure of how the other would react. It was .. childish. It was almost human.
Theo, who had finally snapped out of his daze, blinked, before smiling a rare, genuine smile. It was the first smile in a while. "Thank you, Gilbert." He didn't even register that that was his first time he referred to the demon by name. He was too busy drinking in the sight of the demon's reaction.
Gilbert's face, usually full of ego, pride, and curiosity, had a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. The divine entity's mouth was twitching, as if he was desperately holding back a smile. He crossed his arms, turning his head away as he refused to look at whatever smug expression was on Theo's face. "Whatever! I only did it because I was worried!"
Theo felt a grin tugging at his mouth. He had said it before, but he'd say it again: angels weren't made to lie. And this demon was still, fundamentally speaking, an angel. He snickered, feeling something other than his divine energy bubbling up against his better judgement.
-
After many more distractions, Theo finally remembered that he was a priest with an actual job and got back to the original, long-forgotten task of purifying Gilbert. The rest of the ritual was finally chanted as the void-like colour that had seeped into the angel's body drained out like rain washing away blood from the streets. Gilbert's hair, Theo discovered with raised eyebrows, was actually white the whole time. The tiny horns melted away like candy, while the halo flickered back to life, hovering over Gilbert's head. His clothes undyed themselves, turning back into pure white.
Gilbert's eyes, however, stayed red. Absolutely nothing changed about his eyes, which made Theo squint and re-chant a part of the ritual to try again. Maybe he said it wrong? But before he could try a third time, Gilbert chuckled- the nerve!- and placed his index finger on the priest's lips. A smile played at his lips.
"My eyes are naturally red. There's nothing left to purify. Or are they just that ugly?"
Theo knew it was a trap to get him to indirectly compliment Gilbert. He'd seen traps like this before, and he had never been one to fall for them. But it felt different, at least in this situation. Sure, it had only been a day, but it had also been an entire day. The sun had, much to Theo's disappointment and annoyance, already set, bathing the cathedral in even more darkness. The candles only served to create looming, ominous figures that danced on the walls, and the stars didn't do much at all. Mary's eyes were dim and dark, but the stained glass image of Jesus on the ceiling had a two stars perfectly aligned with His eyes. How unnerving. And yet, Theo wasn't as creeped out by it today.
He wasn't alone. He was with Gilbert, after all. And he didn't want to stay scared of some semi-transparent ceiling.
"Your eyes are pretty," Theo responded quietly, twirling a strand of his hair as he glanced off to the side, looking about as calm and normal as a child hiding the fact that he broke something while his parents were gone, and was desperately stalling for time. "Like the ruby that's on the brooch," he murmured, pointing to the piece of jewelry that Gilbert had previously possessed.
But upon closer inspection, the priest realized that the brooch looked much different, now that it wasn't being possessed by a demon. The ruby was duller and desaturated. The inside was cloudier, as if a hazy smoke had somehow been trapped inside, and the silver clasps holding it turned matte. It was depressingly lifeless, despite its size and (probably high) price. Theo wanted to take back his previous comment- the ruby was far too unimpressive and mediocre in comparison. Gilbert's eyes were much more vibrant, but the priest couldn't take back his words.
Nevertheless, Gilbert grinned from ear to ear, looking positively overjoyed at Theo's words. Those ruby red eyes twinkled in cockiness as he beamed, the light of his smile too blinding for Theo's dank, depressing self.
The looming cathedral around him seemed to blurred out of view as Gilbert's mischievous, diabetes-causing smile imprinted itself in Theo's mind, burning the image into his retinas. The way the soft glow of orange and yellow from the candles illuminated Gilbert's face, adding warmth to the pure white and making him seem so much more real; the way the corners of his eyes crinkled, as if they were so used to smiling; the way a tiny bit of teeth poked out, adorably noticeable despite Gilbert not noticing; and the way Theo felt that odd feeling bubbling up in his chest like waves at the top of a waterfall, on the verge of bursting down in a glamourous splash that sprayed water particles in the air and created a mesmerizingly short-lived rainbow. Theo's face felt hot- hotter than he thought was humanly possible- as his palms involuntarily got sweaty. His blue eyes dart around, trying to find anything else to look at but always gravitating his gaze back to the stupid angel.
The infuriating smile that Theo couldn't help but relax at. The comfortable silence that skipped on, rather than dragging on like most silence did. The priest didn't want to admit anything- he was embarrassed by both his thoughts and Gilbert. This angel was young and irritatingly childish, with an ego taller than him and a smile cuter than the little yellow chick that was still in his hand. He was teasing and blunt, but furrowed his eyebrows when Theo genuinely got mad. He forgave easily, brushing the awkwardness away with a bad joke. He was powerful, but compassionate enough to hold the bird with such gentleness. Gilbert was such a contradictory mess of words and actions; it was making Theo an astounded, stupefied mess of emotions! And yet, even within the befuddled, gloopy mixture of weird feelings that had never before been felt by the priest so passionately, Theo could somehow still discern a certain emotion he would not to admit he felt.
A giddy, humiliating, fulfilling feeling that easily took hold of his brain, rendering the priest as a pile of blushing mush. Such feelings didn't match a grumpy guy like him, and he refused to admit that there was anything wrong with him. It had been one day. One day! Theo's world, his entire being, was flipped on its head, thrown into a hurricane and kicked down a rabbit hole. Originally, the cathedral was calming, if not unsettling and pretentiously grand, with holy figures watching his every move and sunlight peeking through. Memories of this cathedral were a bore, with about as much importance as remembering his breakfast everyday. That was how things always were with Theo- predictable, repetitive, and paying. That was all that was necessary. He didn't need anything else in life. But Gilbert shined, brighter than the North Star, showering Theo in undeserved light.
God, he was going crazy.
-
Gilbert's wings ruffled contently, keeping him floating a bit off the floor- just enough so that he was taller than Theo. How petty. Ordinarily, the young priest would be annoyed. But, like a boat swept off its path at a particularly strong gust of wind, he was no longer being himself. And he found that he didn't mind it.
"I know: I'm awesome," Gilbert said haughtily, puffing his chest out like a pelican. "I'm so awesome, I'll even give you my blessing!"
Theo's heart beat faster.
Blessings, only given through the sharing of divine power, had the ability to protect and heal whoever it was that's blessed. Rarely could humans give blessings, as it required a substantial amount of energy and time. A lot of nobles paid good money for someone like Theo to give them his blessing. Often, angels gave blessings to humans that had purified them, and the strength of the effects depended on how the blessing was given. Blessings were, more often than not, chanted out loud- even though that was the weakest type of blessing. If the bequeathing of a blessing involved physical touch, then the effect would be stronger. But it wasn't common for angels to only bless the bare minimum, out of obligation more than anything. Naturally, that meant that Theo had already been given more than enough blessings for one mortal body. But his anxiety pooled at the thought of not getting a blessing from Gilbert, of all angels. Stupid, annoying Gilbert.
Before Theo could think, before he could even feel, Gilbert grasped onto his hand, the rough calluses as apparent as ever. His grip was, just like before, firm but gentle- another confusing contradiction in the ever-growing pile of contrast. The angel, still floating above the ground, brought Theo's hand closer and closer, before pressing a light, almost imperceptible kiss on the priest's knuckles.
The hyper-focused sensation that Theo usually only reserved for important things, like purification rituals, kicked into overdrive. He could feel every movement. He could feel the hairs on his hand raise at the slightest breath Gilbert let out. He could feel the press of soft lips on his knuckles. He could hear his own heart, pounding loudly in his eardrums like a persuasive mantra. The blessing took effect almost immediately- obviously, since the blessing was much more powerful than the others Theo had gotten. Gilbert's divine power, unfamiliar but not unwelcomed, surged through the priest, taking root in his veins and nestling in his organs.
Gilbert smiled, letting go and making Theo's hand feel lacking. He bowed dramatically, like an actor that'd just performed the most stunning play ever.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Theo. Thank you for purifying me," the angel said, sounding surprisingly formal for once. Then, a mischievous, evil little grin appeared on his face as he added, "I'll see you soon~!"
Theo flushed as Gilbert, waving and putting the bird down, disappeared in a small puff of smoke. Only a single white feather laid in his wake. Silence filled the cathedral once more, but the thoughts running rampant in the priest's mind were more than loud enough to keep him company.
He covered his face with his hands, as if that would do anything to hide his face. He was so, so confused, but he didn't even mind it. Thoughts of emotions and feelings, all centered around the infuriating little angel, mixed and muddled together before Theo could interpret them properly. Gilbert's eyes .. oh no. Like a surging pile of autumn leaves and poppies, with each petal or leaf inscribed with a word Theo felt, billowing in his mind and threatening to spill out of his mouth hopelessly. He could barely even read the words, with how fast they weaved around him. The churning mixture of dark, bright red that had immediately made itself Theo's favourite colour against his will.
He found himself muttering something quietly, almost absentmindedly, as a flustered smile crept onto his face. His fingers had curled around the feather as he now had not one, but two prized possessions.
"Angele Dei ruber est .."