Paint the Lily [Albrecht]

Breaks were a welcome respite and that was especially true of today. Finding herself lounging about Class Zero, Cecilia would lean back against her chair and idly gaze up at the ceiling of the classroom. The room was surprisingly empty today, so much so that for the moment it seemed she had it all to herself, which made it the perfect place to relax and contemplate the events of the previous day. She couldn't help but find herself wondering about the Painter, more specifically how he'd turn out after rehabilitation. Hopefully, he'd be a little less rude once they got done correcting him, but one could never know. After all, the specifics of how it was done remained unknown: all Cecilia knew about the process was that it produced reliable results and that it was sanctioned by the queen, which in truth was all that she needed to know. Still, to some extent curiosity was human nature, and she couldn't help but let her mind wander on the topic in the name of some otiose entertainment. Perhaps some among her comrades might have their own opinions on it? Heck, maybe one would just wander in right now as she considered that possibility. That'd be a funny coincidence, wouldn't it?

While Albrecht recognized the importance of a good education, it kept the mind healthy, he was hardly a fan of it. Literature, philosophy and the likes he enjoyed and could perform well but most sciences and mathematics were quite a challenge for him. As much as he hated it, he had to try to excel at it, the Black Lions always had a mentality of "Go big or go home.", although they focused mostly on physical activities some of the higher ups liked to enforce it applied to mental tasks too.

His breaks were being used mostly to eat and study in recent days. He had been attempting to solve exercises mostly, he had been told repetition is the key in such subjects, but right now he was just stuck. He would have to swallow his pride and ask for the help of a fellow cadet, there weren't many people at the moment. He decided to go for Cecilia, she seemed like she had some time to spare after all.

"Cecilia, do you have a moment?" He called out for her, trying to get her attention.


His firm tone was gone, it was actually somewhat meek. Very out of character for the Knight.

The sound of Albrecht's voice initially surprised her as suddenly she realized that "funny coincidence" actually happened. It seemed from his wording and the dire tone of his voice though that whatever his reasons for coming to her, they were definitely serious. Cecilia couldn't help but wonder exactly what it was that was troubling the star of last night's mission. After all, everything had gone alright then, hadn't it? Something so severe couldn't have happened again so quickly and he hadn't seemed to pay any mind to the nonsense the Painter had been spewing out, so she was a bit worried herself amidst her confusion, but as she turned to face him she'd put on her best reassuring smile. Whatever it was, there was no doubt in her mind that they'd be able to handle it no matter how daunting. So----


Her head jolted back into its previous position facing away from him as she stifled a snicker midway through it slipping from her lips. It wasn't that the request was amusing in and of itself, moreso that she couldn't help but find some humor in something so innocuous being the source of all that suffocating dread. It certainly didn't help that the knight's normally courageous demeanor had done a complete 180°. Whatever the case, she was glad it was nowhere near as grave as she thought it was. Turning back to face him, she'd nod her head and give a thumbs-up.


She'd motion for him to take a seat with a confident flourish. Whatever it was, she was 100% certain it'd be a piece of cake helping him out. Cecilia was pretty smart after all and he was too judging by how he chose to come to her first... well, she assumed she was his first pick anyway.

Relevant(?) Strengths/Weaknesses:

He was feeling quite relieved to hear Cecilia was willing to help, she was very enthusiastic about it too on top of it all, he wasn't quite sure how her grades were. But if she was willing to help it must mean she is good enough to aid another fellow student, right? Only a fool would offer help even though they were incapable after all. The knight would take a deep breath before speaking to Cecilia again.

"I hope so... It's mostly physics and math..." As he spoke he placed a book before her while pulling a chair to sit besides her. He'd place his finger over the exact question that he was stuck at the moment before moving it away so Cecilia could see it. It was about friction and force. "You think you can help me with this?"

He turned his gaze to Cecilia, his eyes gave it away his expectancy for an answer and he did not attempt to hide.

Staring down at the book, Cecilia's confidence didn't wane in the slightest as she studied the problem closely. While those few aware of her studying habits would likely have recognized this as an ill omen of things to come, her knowing smile and lack of concern would appear genuinely reassuring to most ignorant onlookers, though whether Albrecht shared in that sentiment was a different matter entirely. Regardless, things were off to a good start for now; she recognized that specific problem almost instantaneously and would waste no time in explaining it to her compatriot as simply as possible. "...and that leaves you with 1.08. Easy right? I think we actually went over it in class, but you probably weren't here for that since you only transferred recently." Resting her head against her arms, she looked up away from the book and leaned back against her chair with an increasingly lackadaisical expression. "So, what other problems do you need help with?"

Albrecht stared down, silently, at the solution for some moments while comparing it to his own attempts within his mind to see where he was mistaken and how to do it right. It was quite an enlightening experience to him, he had been stuck so long at it but thanks to Cecilia efforts he can now see the way.

"Thanks Cecilia, you really saved my hide right now... There are other questions i'm having trouble, some tips would be appreciated." He'd bring up the other questions one by one, waiting for her input before going to the next. After a few minutes of going through mathematical problems, Albrecht's mind wandered off a bit. If his memory did not fail him he had noticed Cecila had not attack an enemy once during their patrol neither during the mission. It made him wonder, she clearly had distaste for the creatures, why not attack them?


He gave her a curious look as he spoke.

"No problem, don't mention it. Birds of a feather have to look out for each other." Cecilia would reply with a relaxed wave of her hand. She'd find herself mostly confident with the other problems too and would guide Albrecht through the steps as before, though as they got deeper into the book the questions started seeming a little unfamiliar... But she was able to solve them no problem despite that, so no trouble, right? She was able to convince herself of her own accuracy at least. As the minutes ticked by though, her mind started to wander somewhat until Albrecht brought up something that caught her attention. At first, she was thankful, but as he went on her smile waned ever-so-slightly and she was forced to suppress a nervous look. Why the hell was everyone asking her about this all of the sudden? Hadn't she done enough to prove her worthiness? A cold sweat ran down her spine as she forced a light laugh from her lips to meet the inquiry.

"Funny you mention that, Maria asked me the same thing not too long ago. Really the main reason is that it just seems better strategically for me to stick to my role and focus on support... But I won't lie, I don't have much in the way of combat training either. She offered to help me out with that though, so nothing to worry about."

Leaving it at that, she'd spring on a similar topic of conversation to make sure she controlled the discussion's flow enough to keep this from being a repeat of that day. It wasn't too difficult to think of one given the events of last night. "Speaking of our Cadet duties though, you did amazing on our mission. It's admirable how you're able to channel that rage of yours so effectively against the demons." The praise was genuine, if somewhat tattered with hints of unease that carried over from the former topic, but the cues were subtle enough that he probably wouldn't pick up on them. While she found Maria's stoicism and rationality to be a far more ideal mindset to aspire towards, she could still to an extent appreciate the fruits that Albrecht's style offered to him and his comrades.

"Oh." His reaction was quite plain and simple, so it isn't that she refused to it's that she didn't knew how to do it effectively. He'd nod in understanding, it was more strategically sound for her to stick to support(Which were extremely helpful and appreciated) than throwing attacks the enemies way, in a sense her role was similar to that GioGio guy although even him carried weapons on him. Even if you are not good at fighting it's good to have means of attacking should you ever find yourself alone. "Your healing and supportive abilities are quite potent, i must say. When teamed up with Athena you two never seen to run out of energy."

Much like he asked about Cecilia's "combat" style, she returned a similar question to Albrecht. It was the first time ever since his rage was brought up ever since he warned Maria of it when they first met. After staring blankly for a second, he would reply to her question.

"I live to fight the enemies of mankind, had i failed last mission i'd bring shame to myself and The Black Lions." While it had satisfied his bloodlust and his performance was just as satisfactory, he hardly thought he had done anymore than the other Cadets. "I was taught to not fear my anger but rather to embrace it. Let it turn me into a tool of righteous vengeance... Justice without passion is useless." He let out a sigh, he had gone on a tangent about his Frenzies.

"... Either way, as a weapon of the church i did what was expected from me."

"Yep, you're right about that. Athena's definitely a great asset. She didn't have that ability back during our first mission together to my knowledge, but even without it, she was more than capable of holding her own. I'm really happy for her." Cecilia knew from her initial encounter with the girl that she and her mother were going through tough times. To see her act so confidently all of the sudden was strange, suspicious even, but at the same time it was reassuring and heartwarming. It seemed like she had found a place within the Cadets -- a true rags to riches story as it were.

As Albrecht spoke of his duties, Cecilia would remain silent and expressionless, listening intently to what he had to say and nodding in understanding. "...I feel you. But there's nothing wrong with cherishing a victory, is there? You should take more pride in your abilities; there's no shame in accepting praise." That was her take on this sort of thing anyway. Yet there was one thing in particular that the knight had said, one line that stuck out to her. It expressed conviction for a righteous cause, a desire she mirrored, but...


"You're fighting for a noble goal, but you aren't alone in that fight. So don't push yourself too hard, alright? You can depend on me and the rest of the Class Zero when you need it. A weapon's useless if you don't take care of it, same as any other tool."

"I do take pride in my abilities, I've trained really hard and for so long to achieve this level of expertise with the blade. I doubt many cadets could match me on a sword duel... However, I did as much as the other battle sisters and brothers, including you." He was a Lion, martial prowess and pride were their mark, but being a team player was just as part of being a Knight as slaughtering demons was. "When i do manage to slay a mighty beast, i'll brag and tell the tale to others." He had quite high standards when it came to combat, as said before, the Lions are prideful however, they hold themselves to just as high standards.

"We are a team, i recognize that..."


His tone was stern and somewhat somber. There was even a hint of grim determination, he did not fear death in combat. If he died in service of the lord he'd bring glory to the Black Lions. His crusade only ends when the last demon falls by his arm or when he is slain, before that resting was a luxury that shouldn't be abused.

"I do take good care of myself, my body is in good shape and ready for another mission. There's nothing to worry about, Cecilia. If i do actually need help, i will request it."

"..." She didn't say anything. A silence overtook the room following Albrecht's response. It wasn't one born of disapproval, or misunderstanding, or contempt. It was just... silence -- and a suffocating one at that. The atmosphere weighed down upon her shoulders alongside a sense of déjà vu that persisted as she stared into Albrecht's eyes as if they were a mirror. Mindsets this similar were irreconcilable when they were of equal conviction. For now, Cecilia could do nothing. If there came a time when she needed to intervene that was a different story, but people's hearts couldn't be changed through words alone. She knew that well, so... So all she could do was hope not everyone in the church possessed the same level of zeal as Albrecht.

Cecilia would remain mute for a bit longer and if he so chose it'd be up to him where to steer the conversation. If he returned her refusal to speak though, eventually she'd just force a smile onto her face and take charge of the conversation again, pointing to the book on the table. "So what else do you need help with?"

They were together as cadets, not so much in his quest for divine retribution against demonkind, they had civilian lives to go back, family and friends. His circle of relationships was limited to his battle brothers in Germany and the Cadets(People who he hardly knew), Maria was the only one he actually felt some kinship towards, not that he disliked them, some were more than capable warriors, but he was different from them, he didn't even have a Persona.

"Not much really, your aid is welcome." He gave the pink haired cadet a firm and friendly nod, despite the somber tone of the previous conversation, he was willing to let it in the past. He appeared to be quite confident in what Cecilia had told him... if only he knew. "Tsk.. i think i'll have a hard time accepting the Demon Painter as a cadet, he didn't even had the conviction to defend his actions..." He thought out loud, he was a bit curious to see what other thoughts of rehabilitation.

That was it then? There was at least some genuine solace in that. It was pleasing to know that she had helped Albrecht out... though that feeling of satisfaction was "perhaps" misinformed to an extent. As the subject changed yet again, Cecilia would find her interest caught by the mention of the Painter, though as the knight finished sharing his opinions she found herself merely smiling peacefully. For a second she considered using this time to tell him about Sera, about the fact that the reserved and eager recruit had been one of the many to go through the rehabilitation program, but she figured it'd be best to reserve the information to herself for now: if he didn't know already then he'd get to see the fruits of the process for himself when the Demon Painter's salvation had come to fruition. With ease having returned to her, she'd give a nonchalant wave of her hand and an aura of faith would radiate from her as she placed her hopes in the government as she always did.


Even while she harshly railed against him with contempt for his actions, her tone didn't fluctuate or shift mood much at all. She remained confident and steadfast in her initial assertion -- it'd be one that'd be proven correct soon enough, that much was certain. Shin would be salvaged thanks to their efforts and the boundless kindness of the Goddess of Endymion. As uncertainty grew and the days become less predictable, Cecilia could take comfort in that constant, a constant she was convinced of even if she had only seen it once before in person.

Now while Albrecht was quite stubborn normally, what Cecilia had said at that moment really made him think. His late sister always told him that, how deep down everyone was good and he tried to believe it but after what the two went through together and the divide, honestly he had his doubts. What the Demon Painter had done didn't help much. He wanted to believe that, deep down, but his heart had hardened to the idea.

"Humanity is a wolf to itself, Cecilia..." He let out a sigh while shaking his head, sometimes he thought humans could be just as bad as demons, forsaken by any sort of redemption or salvation. He wants to believe... "But perhaps you are right. Either way i mus go now, a Knight training never ends... and once again, thanks." After saying his farewell to the girl, he stood up to gather his belongings and left.