In the name of The Queen?[Cecilia Hunt]

The Knight was kneeling down before the altar, holding his hands together, the prayers he muttered killed the silence that had taken over the Cathedral for a while. While many who visited the church exhibited preference for "Saint" Isla, Albrecht venerated traditional Saints and often prayed to God himself, the Lion just hadn't truly accepted Isla as a saint despite having telling others the contrary, "Better have them in the Lord's temple than involved in some pagan ritual", he told himself to come in terms with the situation.

The cathedral would be empty if it wasn't for Albrecht there. He'd often wait for when he is by himself to perform his prayers, that way he can dedicate all his attention to it. Being focused kept him from wandering off into painful memories or the darker corners of his mind.

Worries from earlier in the day still lingered fresh in Cecilia's mind. Though talking with Maria after the debriefing had helped ease them somewhat, it hadn't cleared her head entirely of them, nor had she expected it to. The mysterious entity that seemed to be possessing Sera, the consequences of the failure of the team dispatched to deal with Alice, the demonic attack in her home district that left a civilian torn apart and mangled in the streets... All so many problems, so many terrifying incidents and implications, all piling up and resting on her shoulders. Even so, Cecilia did not resent her newfound duty as a protector of the city; she had always strived to become a Cadet, not just for the glory of it, but to help those in need as she had failed to do before. Turning her back on this path was never an option, not before and certainly not now.

Besides, though she bore a heavy burden in knowing what lurked in the shadows of the city, she wasn't without refuge. Ever since the Divide, Cecilia had been a person of great faith, and recent events only served as fuel to those flames; she had been devout before, but now that fire of belief burned even brighter inside her soul. After all, the Cadet ritual linked her to the Goddess of Endymion in a way that few could ever dream of, for it had literally infused her with a part of the queen and a portion of her power. So when faced with the concerns that haunted her mind, it only made sense that she decided to head over to the church in Sunlake Palms and spend some time praying to the goddess for strength, not just for herself but for the city as a whole.

Coming dressed in formal attire similar to what she wore when she met Maria, Cecilia would quietly enter the cathedral and make her way to the altar, the directions to it engraved in her memory from her routine and countless visits to the church in the past. Initially, she continued on her path toward the statue in the center, but she stopped as her eyes caught notice of a young man kneeling in prayer. Being careful not to make a sound, she'd wait for him to finish just as she had done a few days before for the nun-in-training, doing her best not to make a sound for fear of interrupting him mid-communion. In the meantime, she'd admire the architecture of the building, taking a moment to appreciate the thought and effort put into its design. There were many attractions in Endymion, many dazzling shops and bewitching landmarks scattered across the city, but for her the jewel of her home would always be the church in Sunlake Palms. She only wished that the tourists and foreigners who visited the city saw it the same way...

The Knight was too focused on his prayer to take notice of the approaching cadet. Normally he wouldn't let his guard down like this, but he was in the house of the Lord, and in his mind it was one of the safest places on earth. Not that he was in any danger at the moment.

It wasn't long before Albrecht had finished his prayers. He'd carefully and slowly got up before turning around. It was only then that he noticed the pink haired girl standing behind him. The knight would be happy to see there other Christians around, but considering the situation of Endymion he had couldn't know if she was there for Jesus Christ or for the Queen. Regardless of the girl's intention, the knight would put up a smile on his face before speaking to the girl.


He'd take a moment to let the girl speak, should she want to, before continuing. "Stopping by to pray for Saint Isla, i presume?"

The boy's unassuming smile was mirrored by Cecilia who would nod graciously in agreement with him as he commented on the church. "It never loses its splendor no matter how many times I visit. Divine inspiration was clearly at work." Her gaze studied her surroundings with admiration one last time before swiftly making their way back to the knight and focusing on him. These encounters inside the church seemed to be rather frequent for her lately, but that wasn't something she minded in the slightest; after all, there was no stronger bond she could think of than one of shared faith. The people of Endymion more than anyone else knew the value of religion and the unity it brought (especially in times of strife).

While the man's reference to sainthood struck her as somewhat odd, it was something that quickly faded from her mind, and any short-lived surprise that had emerged in her likely was too minimal to have been expressed on her face. "You'd be correct. Normally I come during mornings, but I've had a lot on my mind today, so I decided to stop by again. Nothing eases my worries quite like praying to the Goddess of Endymion as I'm sure you understand."

Goddess Isla? It was hard for him to get used to the idea of the Queen as a saint but this was somehow even worse. The temple of the Lord was subverted to the use of paganism. Of course, expressing his disgust was not a wise choice, he hardly knew the local culture so he simply kept smiling. Perhaps he could slowly diverge her from her heretical beliefs?

"She is really popular among locals, no surprise there considering everything she has done for the city." He'd take a few steps away from the altar and sit in one of the benches nearby Cecilia. "I'm Albrecht Frost, by the way. I live here in the Church, so i guess we will be seeing each other a lot from now on. I'm curious though, what made you deviate from your usual routine? If you don't mind telling me that is."

Locals? Was he from outside of the city then? She had met two tourists just a bit earlier, so it wasn't too surprising to encounter another foreigner, although most didn't show up at the church that often to her admittedly limited knowledge. Perhaps he was a pilgrim? Whatever the case, she didn't intend to bombard the man with questions all at once, at least not for the moment anyway. Unless he desired to share the details then she'd respect his privacy and leave them to him and the queen alone. "If it weren't for her the city would have likely been wiped off the map. I don't know what it was like elsewhere, but having seen the aftermath of the Divide here... I can say with certainty that what the queen did for us was far beyond the scope of any miracle."

Once Albrecht began to move away Cecilia would follow, although she wouldn't take a seat herself and instead would stand in front of him. The girl would offer a handshake to him and return his introduction with the simple reply of, "I'm Cecilia Hunt," before turning her attention to his question. "I'm not sure why, but the church was closed in the morning, so I had to come back later. I try to avoid deviating from my routine too much, but I suppose it's only natural I'll have to make adjustments to my schedule every so often, now moreso than ever."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cecilia." His grasp was firm and maybe a bit too tight, he had no intention of hurting the girl however, he just didn't measure his strength when doing it.



"Ah, yeah. We had a little incident with a terrorist during the morning, he hurt a few of our brothers and sisters but got subdued and captured by a cadet... I wish i had been around to help." The Knight's head would lower as he told her about the incident, he then would shake it before turning his attention back at Cecilia. "I'm not sure if i'm allowed to share this yet, so let's keep it between us for now." He waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.

Albrecht's grip would prove tighter than she expected, but she wouldn't back out of the shake and instead would do her best to tighten her own to match it, though the knight likely wouldn't notice any difference (nor anything matching his level of strength). After it ended she'd rest her hands gently at her sides and listen intently to what he had to say with a look of pure, unbridled shock darting across her face as he revealed the reason behind the church being closed that morning. "A terrorist attack in a place like this? I swear, it's like people have lost their minds! And at morning too?" She shook her head in exasperation and let out a sigh. After seeing Sera's erratic state of mind during her mission she likely shouldn't have been surprised that a Psyche Terrorist would make this stupid of a move, but even so, she couldn't help it. Part of her wished Albrecht hadn't mentioned anything about it as the knowledge only contributed to her recent concerns, but it was a side of her that she crushed down without hesitance. Being a Cadet meant seeing a side of Endymion that you didn't like and that wasn't something she was going to shy away from.

"I'll keep quiet about it. If it helps to ease your concern, I'm currently a Cadet, so it's not as if you leaked this information to a random civilian." Cecilia would reassure him with a gentle tone, though it masked a hint of hubris in her voice as she revealed her status. "If it's any consolation, I doubt you would have been able to help much on your own. You seem rather strong, don't get me wrong, but unless you've awakened to supernatural powers of your own then there's not much that could be done. Still, I understand how you feel... and if he was idiotic enough to strike during daytime then he would have been devoid of most of the tricks up his sleeve." At least that was how she understood it anyway. Aside from what she had learned as a citizen of Endymion and more recently a student of Class Zero when it came to her own personal experience she had only been able to call her Persona at night so far.  

Relevant Weakness:

"Ah, so you are a cadet as well? Good to know i'm in the company of a battle sister. I don't have a Persona myself, but i do have Lamina Sanctus, an angel that was transformed into a blade." It was quite clear the knight took pride in having such weapon,  he also seemed to ease up after hearing the Cecilia was a cadet much like himself. In fact, she knew Maria too, considering the girl's position and that she visits the church everyday it's no surprise. "Of course i know Sister Maria, she was there when i was initiated and she also subdued the terrorist." He couldn't help but admire Maria's prowess, he didn't wish to be like her but instead he aimed to be on the same level as her on his own terms.

So he was a Cadet too then? She hadn't assumed that at first, but it made sense. Judging from how Maria performed and how physically fit he personally was, it was likely that the church was making an effort to contribute more soldiers to the Cadet ranks. It warmed her heart to see just how devoted they were to the city and how much they were willing to offer, but while she found their efforts as an organization admirable she appreciated the conviction of the individual recruits even more. "Every new face is a welcome one; I'm always happy to see new Cadets join the fold." Her voice was sincere and genuine as she expressed her joy. Assuming he was as talented as the nun-in-training then he'd no doubt be an amazing asset to Class Zero.

"I had a feeling it was her. If it weren't for what the guy had done I'd almost feel sorry for him. After all, someone like that is no match for one of Julius's finest!" She'd let out a hearty chuckle, but assuming Albrecht didn't join in the girl would cut it short and proceed to continue the discussion. "There's no real reason, I was just wondering. I met her a few days ago here and we went on a mission together last night. Needless to say, it was an easy success. She's really cool, isn't she?"

"Queen Isla needs people to fight the demons, terrorists and enforce order. I'm just glad to be a part of this." While his loyalty ultimately belonged to the church, for now his objectives aligned with the government, and would likely remain that way unless something drastic would happen. "Since you have been doing this longer than i have, maybe you could show me the ropes. Help me get used to how the cadets operate." Cecilia appeared meek and fragile at first glance, but with supernatural powers in the mix you can never be sure, Arctic and Red were small girls yet they were just as capable, if not more, as himself.

"Sister Maria is a strong individual, it's really admirable how much she has accomplished." The Black Lion maintained a stern expression through the conversation, as opposed to Cecilia. "You seem to look up to her a lot, any reason why?"

"Any time! Just leave it to me; I'll gladly answer whatever questions you have." While truthfully she had only joined up recently, Cecilia felt for the most part that she had rather swiftly gotten the hang of things. Perhaps it was just some sort of natural talent of hers or the fact that she had capable allies to fall back on, but whatever the case she felt like Albrecht wouldn't have much trouble adjusting to Cadet life on his own, though as she had said she was always willing to lend a hand if that assessment proved incorrect. Camaraderie was an important aspect of any army even if it wasn't necessarily an integral one.

The knight's next question, however, would somewhat catch her off guard. Any reason why? "Why wouldn't I look up to her?" Cecilia would ask with a slightly raised brow. For a moment she paused to think things over in her head. There were a plethora of admirable traits in the nun-in-training that she noticed in such a short time, but as she thought it over in detail some began to stand out more than others, ones that were likely less obvious than what most would take note of. She'd think the subject over for a few more seconds before deciding on her answer. "Well, I admire her because I see what I want to be in her, if that makes any sense. But now that I mention that..." It seemed that she had more to say, but for some reason, the pink-haired girl would stop, seemingly hesitant to press on further with her answer. Her mind wandered back to the excursion at Dragon's Maw and the pain Maria had exhibited after going into Last Life, the way she pushed on through it despite just how agonizing it looked. She hadn't commented on it at the time for reasons she couldn't quite remember and hadn't thought about it since, but recalling it now made her feel a little light-headed. Pushing on ahead without concern for the self, devoting yourself wholeheartedly to your task regardless of what it cost you: that was how Cecilia strived to be. But seeing someone else doing that, seeing them in the same state of suffering that she wished upon herself, carrying the burden that she had wanted to hoist upon her own shoulders...


The tone had seemingly taken a plunge and the woman wasn't blind to this, so Cecilia would decide to press on with the discussion before things got (more) awkward. Forcing a smile back onto her face and resuming her cheerful tone from before, the Cadet would offer the same question she was asked right back to her newfound comrade. "So, why do you look up to her?" She'd ask and patiently await the answer.

The sudden change in tone and her last comment were enough to raise the knight's eyebrow. What could have triggered her to suddenly switch between a cheerful tone to the current somber one? Whatever was the case, he simply nodded in agreement before returning to the original subject.

"So she is your role model?" He lowered his head pondering on the subject for a brief second before looking to give his own answer. While Cecilia wished to be like the nun,
as for Albrecht himself... "I respect strength, and she is stronger than me. She took down one terrorist already and during my initiation she did most of the heavy lifting. I aim to be stronger than her someday." The Black Lion spoke with hunger in his eyes, the desire for martial and character strength burned intensely in his heart. It wasn't just something he wanted, he must grow stronger.

Cecilia would nod her head in confirmation at Albrecht's question. While it wasn't technically correct since her ideal had existed far before she knew Maria, it captured the basic gist of her admiration at the very least. The only thing she could think of that captured that goal of hers better was her Persona itself and even then she wasn't quite sure she had the best relationship with her Other Self. It wasn't actively struggling against her or anything like that, but she'd be lying if she tried to deny that there was some resentment present beneath that expressionless and cold exterior, and considering that Personas were an extension of the self she wasn't quite sure what that meant for her current mental or emotional state. Whatever the case though, she didn't abhor her power even if it seemed like it had some scorn for her.

"So you got your thunder stolen, huh?" The girl would giggle, but it wasn't a mocking one; she was intending to laugh with him, not at him. "Well, I know how that feels. Miss Tsurinai stole the spotlight during my induction into the Cadets." The words slipped out of her mouth and only a few seconds after did she realize what she said. She'd let out a slight chuckle, but this time it was one much more strained than the earlier one. "Sorry, you probably don't know who that is. Forget I mentioned it. But anyway, I suppose there's nothing wrong with desiring to surpass your peers. I'm heading for the top too though, so you better watch your place on the Cadet placings." The last part of that sentence would be said with a playful and friendly tone, though even so it'd be clear that she wasn't joking about her ambitions themselves.

"I simply wish had contributed to the fight more, my issue is that it felt like i was miles behind her and the other Cadets. Recognition does feel nice however..." There was nothing wrong in taking pride in your capabilities and feeling rewarded by it, if it's hard work it is well earned. The problem begins when it gets in the way of the mission and harms the Battle Brothers and Sisters. Albrecht would keep a mental note of that name Cecilia had mentioned, Shiina, it seems like this woman was strong as well.

"I'll not fall behind, Battle Sister." He stated, as if he had taken her little taunt as a challenge or competition. Nothing wrong with some rivalry among companions, as long it's not harmful, when he was still in the ranks of the Black Lions competition among Knights was encouraged. "I'll leave you be now, i got some tasks that i must attend to. Take care of yourself, Battle Sister." After that was said, Albrecht would stand up and leave the vicinity.

[Exit]