"I still don't think that's a good idea," Cainan said, frowning across the table at Abelard. The white cat seemed particularly tired today, having just managed to drag himself down to breakfast minutes prior. Abelard had been up early as usual, though he still chose to wait for the younger cat, so that they could walk to church together. Everyone was eating breakfast together as they so often did. Elsa had made eggs, both fried and also scrambled – the way Bobby preferred them.
"Please, Cainan, I insist – I think it might help you fit in," Abelard simply noted, before taking a sip of his morning tea. Abelard knew that getting Cainan integrated ought to be done at his own pace, but he thought the young cat would do wisely to at least attend service. "I am not requesting that you actively partake, sit on the first pews or sing the loudest. I just believe it might be good for you, if you are to look after the church. And besides, the fact that you haven't set foot inside yet…"
Though Abelard wouldn't say he outright disapproved of this fact, he did find it rather odd. Perhaps Cainan's distaste for religion went a lot deeper than he'd initially assessed. The young cat was still hard to figure out, but Abelard realized that he probably shouldn't try too hard. He was trying to take Elsa's words to heart, even if he still thought it'd do Cainan good to get better integrated with the community. He hadn't seen Cainan at all interacting with anyone outside Wendell; Cainan didn't attend services on Sundays. Had anyone but Mr. Lang even met him since he returned?
Abelard met Elsa's eyes from across the table, and he knew what she was thinking. He knew his sister didn't think much of his attempts at getting Cainan more involved with faith, but that wasn't at all what this was about. When Abelard met Cainan's green eyes, however, the young cat looked thoughtful as he sipped his tea.
"I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for… Well, you already know. Mr. Lang didn't exactly seem pleased to see me," he half-grumbled as he put his cup down. He scratched at his left ear, the tufted tip giving a light flick. "But if I sit in the very back…"
It was a surprise to be sure, though Abelard had noticed that Cainan had seemed to act quite different around him as of late. He didn't know the cause of this sudden decision, but Abelard also didn't feel as though he should be complaining. He did watch Cainan closely, however… he didn't want to be accused of manipulating the young cat into joining them through guilt. Abelard watched him closely for a moment, once more finding himself looking for some sort of tell, like he so often did whenever Cainan said something surprising. But as usual, he saw nothing.
"On second thought," Abelard muttered when he met his sister's eyes again. He could sense her silent disapproval. He supposed the art of showing silent disapproval was something that ran in their family. "You do not have to decide this instant, Cainan. Just consider it – please – that's all I ask of you."
Although Abelard still had his own reservations about Cainan attending, he was sure it would be for the best. It wasn't for the sake of potentially reconnecting Cainan with his faith, but primarily to make sure the town was at peace. He at least intended on doing his best to let it live up to the Old Peace Church's name.
Though Abelard could understand that people might not fondly remember Cainan for what he did (and other things he supposedly did, according to rumors) he would not tolerate them ousting him or treating him poorly. He certainly hoped that if people knew he worked as Wendell's apprentice, it might make it easier to accept. People in town liked Wendell, and they knew him as someone to be trusted, someone who tirelessly took care of the grounds.
Surely some of the good will that people had towards Wendell had to eventually spill over onto Cainan. At least if Cainan did a good job – and even more so if Cainan wanted it. Abelard knew that what he wanted for the moment was simply to just work and get by. Abelard could respect that, and on top of that, if he didn't want to interact with the locals…
When the two of them eventually left for work, Abelard still had a lot on his mind, but he knew for a fact that he would have to keep those thoughts to himself. Cainan was a hard nut to crack, and he had a feeling he didn't want any help beyond shelter and pay for the work he did. The church didn't get a lot of visitors during the week – Sundays were the days when the church saw the most occupancy and those were the days Cainan wasn't around. Odds were no one had been around to see Cainan working up until this point.
Actually, Abelard found himself wondering about that. Did anyone know that Cainan worked there? He wasn't so sure, in all honesty. No one he'd met had asked about him, certainly. He did his daily rounds and the topic never seemed to shift to a stranger working around the church, whenever he got to talk to people. But perhaps it was better that way; Cainan likely didn't mind. Abelard was surprised he was so open to spending all that time outside, given what he knew, but he supposed even Cainan might enjoy the fresh air.
The walk to the church was a mostly silent affair. Even when the two of them did exchange a few words, Abelard made sure to keep it neutral, not steering the conversation back towards the prospect of Cainan joining the church service.
The congregation would likely be welcoming him into the fold, but he also wasn't entirely sure if Cainan was going to make the… best first impression. He knew that the younger cat had had his issues with his meeting with Mr. Lang, but perhaps with a change of environment, the post office worker might be more welcoming towards Cainan. He at least hoped Mr. Lang hadn't set an example for the rest of the people of the town. All Abelard could really hope for was that the people of Defiance would uphold a high standard of courtesy and hospitality when it came to Cainan.
Wendell was waiting by the church for the two of them, looking particularly tired. And yet again, Abelard had a hard time not seeing him for the tired, old man he was. Nevertheless, he greeted him as he always did.
"Well, good to see the two of you. We have a lot to do today, young man," the black and white cat grunted as they approached. He looked Cainan up and down, disapproval showing on his face. The young cat was wearing clothes that didn't exactly look fit for this type of work; a button-up shirt and a pair of slacks. At least the boots he wore – which had once been Abelard's – looked more appropriate.
"We'll get him some proper clothes eventually," Abelard grumbled under his breath, knowing exactly what Wendell was thinking – he knew that look. The older cat just shrugged. Abelard knew that Cainan's old denim pants that he had been responsible for ruining were far better suited for this. He wouldn't be at all surprised if Cainan ended the day with a torn knee.
"I'll be fine!" Cainan said loudly in that casual tone of his, clearly not at all ignorant to what Abelard and Wendell had been talking about. "What's the worst that can happen?"
Looking over at the white cat, Abelard noticed the way he looked back. Since the previous night, he'd noticed a lot more of those looks, those peculiar looks he got from the younger man. He still didn't know what to make of them – they seemed like pity at times, but Abelard supposed it was down to knowing about of his and Elsa's parents now. It was silly, really, suddenly acting like that over something that happened a lifetime ago.
That wasn't to say Abelard found the young cat's sympathy unpleasant or intrusive. In a way, it was nice of him to show such sympathy, and the gesture of leaving flowers at his parents' grave was a beautiful one. They still had yet to really talk about it, but Abelard also got the distinct feeling that Cainan would rather leave it ambiguous, though every sign pointed to it being the young cat's doing. It really had been a sweet gesture, one Abelard wouldn't have assumed the younger cat capable of when they first met. But the longer he spent with Cainan, the more he seemed to surprise him and that was despite the bad impression he'd given Abelard at first. Not that it was unwarranted, in Abelard's opinion, but what mattered now was how Cainan acted moving forward. And so far, Abelard couldn't say that he disapproved… all that much. Wendell's new apprentice was clearly putting his best foot forward.
However, for once Abelard didn't linger too much when he made his daily rounds in town. He didn't stick around for a game of chess out by Defiance General, nor did he stop for much smalltalk anywhere else. It had to be one of the quickest morning rounds he'd ever made, at least as far as he could recall. When he arrived back by the church he saw that Wendell had put Cainan to work by the smaller grave site opposite the church.
The graves there were a mix of new and old, though generally the headstones were placed slightly more meticulously, but it didn't look too drastically different from the small cemetery behind the church. Cainan was on his knees removing the early sprouting weeds near the foot of the trees and around the lawn. The grass was still nice and short from when Cainan and Wendell had mowed it, and as Abelard approached he saw that Cainan had already managed to pull up quite a few weeds and thrown them into the wooden wheelbarrow by his side. The white cat wore a pair of large, thick gloves to prevent the sharp, stiff leaves of some of the weeds from cutting his hands. Abelard knew for a fact that they were Wendell's, the older cat standing nearby and watching while he grunted orders at Cainan.
Cainan didn't complain as he worked, though he did occasionally grunt and sigh as he moved around, rising to his feet and crouching down here and there to pluck the green plants.
"Ah, Abelard, you're back early," Wendell noted when he spotted him approaching. Abelard adjusted his hat slightly as he got closer and nodded.
"Indeed. I wanted to see how things were progressing here…" Abelard's eyes landed on Cainan once more, who seemed quite occupied with his work, though as he plucked the weeds out along with their roots, he didn't move over to the wheelbarrow to drop them inside, but rather decided to throw them into it from a distance. The clumps of earth attached to their roots seemingly added weight and helped guide their trajectory as they flew through the air, though already now Abelard saw a few had missed and had landed close by.
The young cat was working close to the spring house that Abelard knew all too well. The small brick building was almost entirely covered by vines, making it blend in quite well with the surrounding trees and greenery of the grove near the graves. That said, he wasn't too worried about Cainan being near it. After all, it was securely locked, two heavy, metallic padlocks holding the wooden door closed. The small cache of moonshine within was safe from outsiders, especially from the city. Though it was secure, Abelard still didn't need shifty types from the city snooping around – and goodness knew that Cainan fit that bill, at least somewhat.
Abelard joined Wendell in the shade of the trees as he watched Cainan work. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Cainan seemed to realize that they were both standing there, watching. He stood up and stretched each of his legs, then his arms. The white cat gave a chuckle. "Oh, if I knew I was going to have an audience, I would've done my hair more properly."
As he removed one of Wendell's heavy gloves and adjusted the fur on his forehead, Abelard simply grunted in response. He didn't feel the need to humor the young cat's attempts at being funny. Wendell likewise didn't seem to react much either.
"Alright, don't laugh too loudly, you two – someone might hear," the Turkish Angora muttered sarcastically before he resumed his work. Though Abelard could tell Cainan was taking the easier option by throwing the weeds into the wheelbarrow, rather than safely placing them inside, he supposed he couldn't complain about it for the simple fact that Cainan seemed to get the job slightly faster done than he would have otherwise.
Though Cainan might not seem at all like a good – or even likely – candidate for the job as groundskeeper in training, he did quite well for himself. And more than that, Wendell seemed pleased. That Monday came to an end rather quickly, seeing as Wendell appeared to be ready to let Cainan go as soon as he was done. The weeds had been pulled, both from around the small grove, and around the headstones. In the case of the latter, Abelard was particularly pleased with how clean and presentable his parents' resting place was, as well as the other graves. For all he knew, they may as well have been buried just days prior. Not only was the headstone that clean and pristine, but the site around the headstone was free of weeds, the grass short and neat. The bunches of flowers that still laid before the headstone certainly did add to it.
Abelard had already thanked Cainan and although the young cat hadn't directly claimed responsibility for placing the flowers there, Abelard was certain it was him, given how their little walk in the night had turned out. Though he still didn't appreciate the unprompted embrace from the younger man, Abelard did at least find some kind of comfort in knowing that Cainan respected him enough to let go when he asked him to. And at the end of the day, he supposed it was Cainan's way of showing empathy.
The next day saw Cainan doing work by the barn near the church. It was old, and it had stood there for quite a while, since before Abelard got to where he was now. The church had always been in need of maintenance and the barn held all the equipment and tools Wendell and Cainan used. Though Abelard wasn't entirely sure what they were doing in there, he guessed they were inspecting the tools they had at their disposal. Perhaps Wendell was even teaching his apprentice about the different tools and how to use them. Surely that was quite essential to the younger cat.
Abelard still very much doubted that Cainan had much longevity in him as far as being groundskeeper went, but he would have to do his best to keep the young cat around for as long as he could, at least until someone else could come in and take over. Then again… if Cainan really wanted to settle down in town, odds were he might need to stay the course. Abelard wasn't sure if that would be a better or a worse outcome; if Cainan got stuck doing this job and being miserable, the work would wear away at both his body and his spirit.
"Well, looks like you two might actually have something in common," Wendell told Abelard when he stopped by the barn to check in on the two of them. He found Cainan holding the scythe again, though it didn't look quite comfortable in his hands as he did a few testing swings at a safe distance.
"And what might that be?" Abelard asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. He personally didn't think they had much of anything in common. To him, Cainan had as much in common with him as a fish had with a bird.
"You're both partial to using your left hands," the tuxedo cat grunted in response, which most certainly took Abelard by surprise. Though it was true, he still looked quite scandalized when it was brought up. Wendell snorted. "Oh, come now… It really isn't something worth making a big fuzz over."
"Oh! I didn't know you were a lefty." And of course, there was Cainan, whose attention had turned to Abelard and Wendell. The white cat chuckled lightly. "Sorry, but I find that rather funny – a reverend who uses the evil hand. How scandalous…!"
"That's quite enough, Mr. Wirth," Abelard snapped at him as he felt the skin under his cheek fur flushed with warmth. It was something he'd always felt ashamed over, even if no one else seemed to treat it with the same severity that he did. His parents had always tried to urge him to use his right hand as much as he could, even if it felt wrong to him. He'd willed himself to learn several things using his right hand, seeing as he'd rather not use his evil hand to do things. What kind of reverend was left-handed?
"Oh come now, it's really nothing to fuzz over, Father Arbogast," the young cat said with a shrug, almost saying exactly what Wendell had said moments prior. He put the scythe back where it belonged, mounting it on one of the barn's walls. The building itself wasn't very large compared to many others, and even with the main doors thrown open during the day, the lighting inside remained fairly dim. The main usage for the barn was for tools and things such as the wheelbarrows and carts that rested there. Abelard also knew there to be things like rope and chains available, along with various clippers and knives.
"I quite agree. Just means I've got to get the boy a scythe he can properly use," Wendell grunted as he inspected a round-point shovel, which seemed to have a loose handle grip on the end of its shaft. Abelard's eyes turned back to the scythe, namely towards the grip that stuck out from the snatch at a 90-degree angle from the chine. The way the wooden handle stuck up, Abelard could clearly see that one was meant to grip onto it with their right hand.
He supposed getting Cainan left-handed equipment would be in their best interest, if it meant the Turkish Angora could get the job done more properly. He knew they'd more than likely need to be custom-made in some cases, but if Cainan stuck around, it just might be worth it.
Thursday saw Cainan helping Wendell with the trees in the grove around the spring house. He snipped off unhealthy or dead twigs, while making sure new ones were growing in nicely. Abelard didn't know much about trees or how to care for them, but he trusted that Wendell did. More than likely, he was teaching Cainan far more than he could imagine. Abelard barely knew how to care for flowering plants like the ones Elsa had in their garden. He had attempted to help her in the garden a few times, but for the most part she insisted on doing it all by herself. He knew it was relaxing for her, perhaps even therapeutic.
If Wendell's daily reports about Cainan were to be believed, Abelard could safely say that he could go home every day, feeling rather good about how things were going. Cainan had gone home ahead of Abelard for once that Thursday evening, leaving Abelard to discuss things with Wendell.
"He's a fast learner. Kid's not experienced, but I usually only have to show him something once, and he can do it…" Wendell trailed off slowly, frowning. The tuxedo cat grunted.
"But…?" Abelard asked, sensing there was a contradiction or caveat of some kind coming.
The older cat removed his thick work gloves and rubbed his hands together, both of those black and white mitts looking similarly weathered to the rest of his body. "But he enjoys taking breaks a little too much. He still somehow manages to get the work done, however."
"I see… I suppose neither of us should be too surprised…" Hesitating, Abelard furrowed his brow. "Should I have a talk with him about his pace of work…?"
Wendell snorted and shook his head. "No, it's fine. He takes many smaller breaks instead of one big one, I suppose that's just what his pace is like…"
Although it wasn't conventional by any means, Abelard supposed it wasn't such a bad thing after all, especially seeing as Wendell didn't seem to mind. Unusual as it was, if Cainan could get the job done properly, Abelard still felt as though the church would be left in good hands eventually, for however temporarily it might be. He hadn't actually overseen Cainan do a lot of work personally, but he trusted Wendell – outside Bobby and Elsa, he was the person in Defiance he trusted the most. Cainan too would have to earn that kind of trust, although Abelard had gotten over most of the mistrust the young cat had sown in his mind when they first met.
That said, Abelard told Wendell to take Friday off and just let him look after Cainan for a day. He wanted to inspect the young cat, perhaps scrutinize him a bit. After all was said and done, Abelard was his actual employer, even if Wendell was currently the one responsible for teaching him.
"Well, if you really want to, I ain't going to turn down a day off," the scruffy, old groundskeeper grunted, before sighing. "Just make sure he's doing something. Some of the metal bits on the headstones need some shining up. The boy will know where everything is."
Abelard simply nodded, making a mental note of it. He would make sure to oversee Cainan's work, make sure everything was done properly; he'd make sure Cainan did a good enough job so that Wendell had nothing to complain about. Perhaps this was how Wendell set about inspecting and judging Cainan's work…
However, there was still a part of Abelard's mind – perhaps a far more cynical and skeptical part of him – that continued to doubt. Even hearing from Wendell how pleased he apparently was with Cainan's pace of learning and working, Abelard still found ways to disbelieve him to some extent. Especially once he left Wendell and set course for the funeral home, he thought it might be a possibility that Wendell might be willfully overlooking some of Cainan's shortcomings. Though he didn't want to think ill of Wendell or accuse him of anything, Abelard also knew that Wendell was getting old, and whether the old groundskeeper wanted to admit it or not, he desperately wanted to retire. The old cat was primarily showing up to teach Cainan these days. If it hadn't been for that, he more than likely would have retired by now, assuming Abelard had managed to find a replacement. Maybe Wendell was just that eager to retire that he was rushing Cainan through the learning process…
No, of course he wasn't, Abelard thought to himself. Wendell had far more integrity than that, and he knew it. No, he ought to trust the older cat's judgment, and he ought to trust Cainan more. When Abelard arrived home, Cainan was of course already there. And surprising absolutely none of the other residents of the house, the young cat had taken to lounging on the couch.
And just as Abelard had said to Wendell, the next day saw just him and Cainan turning up by the church with thick clouds hanging overhead. Although Cainan seemed surprised, he didn't argue as Abelard gave him the instructions he had been left with the day before. Even as he yawned loudly and stretched, Cainan still moved straight for the barn. It was an encouraging sight, knowing that Cainan knew what he was doing – at least somewhat. For once, Abelard decided to not make his morning rounds, instead taking to waiting for the groundskeeper's apprentice to get to work.
Armed with a bucket of water, a cleaning agent and a brush, Cainan set to work behind the church where Abelard kept a close eye on him. Just as Wendell had described to him many a time, Cainan seemed to prioritize his own comfort as he worked. He sat beside the headstones, practically lounging, his legs resting sideways as he used one hand to prop himself up, the other working on shining up the metal.
When their eyes met, Cainan shot Abelard a curious glance, then he let out a soft chuckle. "Yes…?"
"What?" he snapped in response, raising an eyebrow, before he glowered down at the working cat. Abelard had taken to settle nearby, just watching in silence.
"There's something on your mind…" the young cat simply replied as looked up at him. "Is it something I said? Or is it something I did?"
For the briefest moment, Abelard's eyes turned on his parents grave nearby. Cainan was working on another headstone, but maybe… He changed his mind almost immediately, however. No, he wasn't going to bring that up now. Not yet at least. Abelard crossed his arms. "I don't recall ever seeing Wendell sitting in a manner like that whilst working…"
Once more Cainan chuckled as he resumed working. The white cat's fluffy tail gave a few swishes behind him. "Well, that's probably true. But I'd also rather not wear myself down too quickly – I like bein' comfortable."
"So I see…" Abelard noted as he watched him. Thinking back to how Wendell walked and even his raspy breathing, Abelard supposed Cainan might be onto something, even if he looked ridiculous the way he sat around like that. But even despite how it looked to Abelard, he couldn't argue with the fact that Cainan was surprisingly efficient, cleaning the metal at an admirable pace – he didn't appear to miss any spots either.
Really, it was impressive, especially seeing as Abelard had had his doubts about him, even now. The metallic components of the headstones that he took care of were left looking quite shiny and clean, much like how Cainan's recent cleaning of the headstones themselves had left them all looking pristine.
As Abelard glanced skywards for a moment, he noticed how darker clouds were rolling in above them. It was the change in natural lighting that had made him look up. The gray clouds made Cainan's off-white fur almost appear to glow, though Abelard had barely noticed before the first droplets began to fall upon them.
Cainan looked up in surprise, having seemingly not at all paid attention to the sky as he worked. Abelard supposed this was good, knowing he was focused on the work at hand. However, even then, he grunted, "Come, let us head inside."
The younger cat hesitated as he stopped cleaning, but once he gathered his things and the droplets began to fall harder and faster, he followed at a slow run behind Abelard. It wasn't a light spring shower, the raindrops falling like tiny, cold bullets, pelting the two of them as they headed towards the church. Abelard had lowered his head, the brim of his black hat mostly preventing the droplets from hitting him in the face.
Pushing the door to the church open, Abelard stepped inside and waited for Cainan. The younger cat hesitated, standing there in the pouring rain for a moment. When he didn't move, Abelard grunted, "Oh, just get inside – if you get sick, Elsa will blame me."
Although it probably wasn't the most convincing argument he could have made, Abelard was pleased to see that Cainan finally joined him. The younger man was soaking wet already, his jacket and pants clinging to him. He ran a hand through the fur on his forehead, slicking it back slightly. Once Cainan was inside, Abelard slid the door shut, while the younger cat put the cleaning supplies down near the wall.
"Lovely weather we're having, eh?" the Turkish Angora asked playfully when he removed his jacket. Using the sleeve of the shirt he had been wearing under said jacket, Cainan wiped his face the best he could.
Inside the church, they could still clearly hear the sound of the drops of water pelting the roof of the church as well as the large windows. Thankfully, Abelard had gotten inside before he could get as wet as Cainan currently was. When he gazed upon the younger cat again, he noticed him looking around curiously, and remembered that this was the first time Cainan had set foot within the church since the day he arrived back in Defiance. Even on the fateful Thursday when they had first met, Abelard distinctly remembered how the young cat had turned down the idea of them speaking within the church.
Though he now knew that Cainan seemingly had a rather complicated relationship with his faith, he still couldn't help but feel concerned. The fact that Cainan had initially refused to come inside despite the heavy rainfall around him was what made Abelard worry. Did he have some kind of trauma relating to this church? Abelard knew trauma – or rather, he had seen it second-hand. No matter how many years passed, he doubted he would ever forget the first few weeks of having Elsa back home after the war.
"Looks just as I remember it," Cainan said as he stepped out from under the loft where the organ was located. As he spoke, his voice reverberating off the white walls all around as well as the rounded, blue ceiling above. Cainan glanced around curiously, and Abelard just watched him. His eyes fell on the pews. "These look new…"
"Indeed they are," Abelard told him as he walked up to him, rather impressed by the fact that Cainan remembered such a relatively minute detail after all these years. "How did you remember that?"
"I don't know," the younger cat simply said, giving a shrug as he looked around once more. Perhaps that was how he learned so fast, Abelard wondered privately.
"We had them replaced when-" Abelard hesitated. He wasn't going to tell Cainan about the case of the organ player who got shot those years ago. "Well, one of the pews ended up damaged – I decided we were better off with new ones altogether."
"Ah, must'a been quite an expensive affair, I'm guessin'," the younger cat said, and Abelard wasn't ignorant as to the loaded nature of this statement, but he didn't respond to it. He already knew for a fact that Cainan had his suspicions about how he and his family made their fortune – he didn't need him to carry that suspicion into his church.
Abelard watched Cainan moving up between the pews, taking note of how the white cat's tail swished to and fro in an uncomfortable manner. He could tell Cainan wasn't exactly feeling at home, but for now he just looked around, seemingly curious. Abelard followed him, catching up to the younger cat when he stopped to look up at the small stained-glass window that depicted a dove in flight.
"I remember that too," the young cat said quietly, though his voice still managed to reverberate off the church walls. The building was made in such a way that would let one's voice carry from the altar all the way to the very back of it. "It's from the story of… Noah, right?"
"Yes…" All things considered, Abelard was impressed once more. He supposed it wasn't so strange; just because Cainan had sworn off his faith, he likely still remembered it and the old stories from the Bible. When Cainan turned to look at him, Abelard couldn't help but give him one of those very rare smiles – at least something close to it. "That is in fact it – the dove that Noah sent out to search for land…"
Cainan turned to his right and looked up at Abelard, before he simply nodded. He turned his sights back on the round stained-glass window once more, before they settled on the big replicas of the tablets with the Ten Commandments written upon them. Abelard didn't need to ask to know what the younger cat was thinking of. They'd talked about them before and after Abelard's eyes settled on the one that had been the most relevant to Cainan, he turned his gaze away and looked at the younger cat.
"They are in fact older than this church," Abelard said, breaking up the silence between them. Even now, the rain continued to tap on the windows rather loudly, which at least made sure they weren't left in complete silence. "They had them moved here from another church that burned down. They were some of the few things that were left unscathed."
"Hmmm… I see…" the white cat said as he once more ran his fingers through his forehead fur. When their eyes met again, Cainan offered what looked like a rather condescending smile. Abelard snorted when he saw it, but he didn't say a word. He could tell Cainan didn't think much of it; more than likely, he doubted this claim. Granted, Abelard hadn't been present for the time when the tablets were moved into the Old Peace Church, but he believed the anecdote. Supposedly Wendell did remember.
Abelard moved off to the right and slid onto the pew in the left front row and gazed upon the altar. It felt strange to be sitting here, seeing as he was so used to standing up in front of the pews. In fact, he couldn't quite remember the last time he'd actually been seated on these very pews. His eyes settled upon the podium where he usually stood when he was preaching during service.
"So, what did make you want to become a reverend then?" Cainan's question surprised Abelard, who glanced over at the younger cat, watching as he moved to sit beside him on his left. The younger cat crossed his legs and rested his arm on the backrest. As usual, he looked so awfully casual, and as he so often did when Cainan acted this way, Abelard shot him a glare. Though the younger man appeared startled, he smiled, which took Abelard by surprise.
His expression softened, Abelard glanced upon Cainan once more. He still wasn't entirely sure how much the young cat already knew, as he had his suspicions about him having read his diary. The content of that old book wasn't exactly something Abelard was eager to talk about. He hadn't needed to look within its pages to refresh his memory.
"It wasn't too long after our parents passed away." Abelard had averted his eyes from the white cat and once again gazed upon the altar nearby. A flash of white briefly illuminated the church's interior and Abelard felt himself tensing up. He glanced out the nearest window in concern. "It was just Elsa and me, our faith is what got us through our loss, and I knew that, despite everything, God was watching over me. And so I devoted my life to spreading the word of the Lord."
As the rumbling of thunder followed the flash of lightning, every instinct in Abelard's body told him to hurry home, but he remained seated, though his body was on high alert. He finally turned back towards the young cat on his left side. His expression was hard to pin down, but it almost appeared to be one of concern. Neither of them spoke for a while, and thankfully no more lightning and thunder followed for a while.
"I'm sorry…" When he suddenly felt Cainan's hand on his shoulder, Abelard looked over at him once more.
"Sorry? What for?"
"Well, I didn't mean to remind you of that… You know, your parents." Cainan's hand felt so warm and quite pleasant the way it stroked his shoulder like that. Normally Abelard wouldn't have allowed him to touch him like that, but he appreciated the gesture, if nothing else.
"You needn't be sorry, Cainan, nor do you need to pity Elsa and I. It's been nearly a lifetime since we lost them, as I'm sure you already knew." The guilty look on Cainan's face told Abelard that he did indeed know, but now wasn't the time to reprimand him for reading his private thoughts from days long gone. "But that isn't to say that I did not appreciate you leaving those flowers."
"Ah. Well… I just felt terrible after rea- learning about it," Cainan replied, gazing upon the floor momentarily. His hand let go of Abelard's shoulder, leaving him feeling surprisingly cold. Cainan put his hands together in his lap. "I suppose what I'm saying is that I also just wanted to do something nice. You, Elsa and Bobby have all been so kind to me…"
Abelard felt a stab of guilt to his heart when he heard the young cat's sincere words. How many times hadn't he wanted to assume the worst about Cainan? If anything, Bobby and Elsa had been the ones who had shown him true kindness, while he, at most, had simply just accepted his presence in the house.
"It's quite appreciated. And your hard work here is appreciated as well. Wendell has had nothing but praise for you since you started." Granted, this wasn't entirely true and Abelard knew it, but he wanted to return the favor to Cainan. The young cat could probably do with a few kind words, even if they didn't directly come from him. The small smile on Cainan's face at least made him seem quite appreciative of hearing it. "But perhaps we ought to head on home. I'm not going to let you work in this weather. I shall fetch us some umbrellas."
Just another glance out the windows told Abelard that the weather wasn't likely to clear up anytime soon. The clouds overhead were so dark, it looked as though night would fall soon. Abelard rose to his feet and made his way towards the back of the church. The small closet where candles were stored also held a few umbrellas that Abelard kept there in case of weather like this. One would likely be enough for them, but he still chose to pick up one for each-
A most horrid sound rang throughout the church and for a moment Abelard thought it might have been someone wailing, until he realized what it was. The high, dissonant organ notes echoed off the walls and Abelard dropped the umbrellas onto the floor as he hurried from the closet and rushed to the spiral staircase that led up to the loft where the organ was located.
"What in Devil's name do you think you're doing?!" he roared at Cainan, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him around away from the instrument. The white cat looked quite startled, though unsurprisingly he also looked pleased with himself, even as Abelard glared down at him.
"Uh… Sorry, I just-"
"The organ is not a toy, Mr. Wirth!" Abelard almost spat, eyes locked with the younger man's green ones. The organ needed looking after, and it needed a steady player for services… Another couple issues Abelard was left to deal with, though his focus had been on Cainan and Wendell for a while now. Seeing the look on Cainan's face, Abelard's angry glare softened into a displeased scowl at best. "Let us head on home. And don't let me catch you playing with my organ again…!"
To Abelard's surprise, Cainan snickered upon hearing this, though he hadn't the faintest idea why. He shot the young cat another disapproving look, before leading the way back downstairs.
The rain continued quite mercilessly all day. Cainan and Father Arbogast had been quite soaked when they got back to the funeral home, even despite them carrying an umbrella each. The rain only seemed to get heavier as the day carried on, and it was clear that it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. From the funeral home's windows, the rain obscured the view of the nearby fields considerably as it kept pouring down all around them.
Although Cainan wasn't going to complain about being home, rather than at work, the weather somehow did cast a somber mood over the house. Home… It felt strange to refer to the house as his home, but Cainan supposed it was the closest thing he had at the moment. And it wasn't so bad; he certainly did feel far more welcomed now than he did when he first arrived – especially after his talk with Father Arbogast in the church.
But the weather only seemed to worsen as the day progressed. Cainan had noticed that Father Arbogast had seemed rather fixated on Elsa since they returned from the church, though he wasn't sure why. She did seem perfectly fine when they got back, if not a little quieter than usual, which was saying something. Bobby got back to the house not too long after they did, completely soaked to the bone. Carrying groceries with him, he looked for all in the world as though he'd taken a dive in the river.
Once Bobby had changed into dry clothes, he settled in by the fireplace in the living room alongside Father Arbogast, Elsa and Cainan. The four of them spent a quiet day together, warming up by the fire. They even enjoyed some tea together. Even if productivity had suffered this day, Cainan wasn't going to complain about spending some relaxing time like this with the Arbogasts. Elsa was subdued as always, but on the contrary, her husband had a lot to say, as he so often did.
Even though he wasn't much of an active participant in the conversation, Cainan couldn't deny that he was enjoying himself. This feeling of warmth – both the figurative and the literal kind – was one he'd not felt in many years, if ever. There was a strange sense of belonging when he glanced around the living room, but he wasn't so sure if it was deserved or warranted on his part. It was a temporary arrangement, so although it was nice, Cainan also tried to remind himself to not get too attached to this place. But who knew, maybe once he had a place of his own, he'd come and visit.
It was a comforting thought at least. Cainan supposed it would be nice to visit these three eventually, even if he didn't continue working for Father Arbogast. The older reverend had been so kind to him, at least in his own way. When he got the chance, Cainan would quite like to repay them for all their kindness in some way. He did help out Elsa with dinner and all, but it wasn't quite the same to him; he did feel as though he could do more.
With his legs pulled up, knees resting against his chest, Cainan raised his teacup to his lips for a sip. Cainan didn't know what kind of tea it was exactly, but he'd come to expect quite good tea to be served when Bobby was the one preparing it – he sure knew how to make some excellent tea. Cainan was sharing the couch with Father Arbogast who sat with his back as straight as a board, as if he were posing for a picture, his long, slender fingers holding his teacup in such a delicate manner, as if he were afraid to crush it on accident. Elsa and Bobby had taken a chair each, the former on one from the living room, the latter on that large, comfortable armchair across the table.
Father Arbogast hardly seemed to pay attention as Bobby spoke, though Cainan did listen. Bobby could talk all their ears off all day, seemingly, but Cainan didn't mind. He did partake in the conversation from time to time, but he really did enjoy just listening to Bobby, who seemed incapable of getting tired of speaking.
Even by the time dinner came around, the rain didn't let up, the heavy droplets continuously pelting the windows and the roof of the house. It did make for a much less quiet dinner than normal, although Cainan didn't at all mind. If anything, it was a nice change of pace, although it seemed like everyone else at the dinner table appeared a lot more tense, even if Cainan couldn't imagine why.
But even so, it was another lovely dinner, even if Cainan couldn't claim much credit for it. It had been a long, long time since he'd gotten to enjoy Shepherd's Pie. As a small child, it wasn't something they'd had a lot of, but he'd gotten the chance to try it several times after running away. Add to it that he'd helped Elsa make it, and Cainan felt quite pleased with himself, even if he hadn't gotten much proper work done that day.
The subdued mood in the funeral home remained even after dinner, and no one seemed quite eager to linger around the living room. Father Arbogast was the first to leave for bed, followed by Cainan. Making his way on up to his room, Cainan did glance out the window just in time to spot Father Arbogast about to pull his curtains in front of his own. The golden-brown cat was illuminated from behind by the lights within his bedroom, though the rain that battered both windows obscured Cainan's view of him quite a bit.
It didn't seem like the ideal night to throw the windows open and talk, but as they made eye contact, Cainan just offered a smile that the rain likely blocked the view of. He waved at the older cat who seemingly just offered a nod – typical Father Arbogast, really, Cainan thought to himself.
As he climbed into bed, Cainan didn't at all mind the rain's constant drumming upon the roof and the windows. It was a nice kind of noise to drift off to, quite relaxing. It was certainly nicer than when he lived out of his car, Cainan thought to himself. He remembered how much harsher the tapping of heavy rain like this was on his car's roof; it certainly wasn't as pleasant as the way it sounded from within a house.
When Cainan awoke, he could tell it wasn't quite morning yet. Reaching for his old, battered pocket watch on the nightstand, Cainan didn't even get a chance to turn his nightlight on before a flash of bright, white light illuminated the entire room, though not long enough for him to see what time it was. Once he did turn the light on and saw that it was nearly three in the morning, a loud rumbling sounded overhead. Cainan didn't mind thunder – whenever they got these storms, it was to be expected, and he was used to it from his childhood.
Yawning, Cainan scratched at his left cheek fur, before he sat up. His throat felt very dry and as he rose to his feet, he moved across the room to glance out through the window. Unsurprisingly the lights within Father Arbogast's room were off. Lucky him, Cainan thought before leaving his bedroom, yawning yet again. Even in the dark, he still managed to find his way across the landing to the upstairs bathroom.
It wasn't very large, just a small room with a toilet, a sink and a rather small shower. Cainan squinted as he turned the lights on, the harsh light initially a bit too much for him. He moved up to the sink and looked at himself in the mirror above it, his off-gray fur looking quite ruffled. He wore a white pajamas set that had no doubt belonged to Father Arbogast, the sleeves slightly too long for him. Cainan didn't waste too much time getting a drink of water, before leaving the small bathroom behind.
As he stepped out onto the landing again, lightning once more illuminated the interior of the house. When Cainan spotted a figure framed in by the sudden flash within the nearby study, he gave a start and stared. Someone else was awake at this hour?
"Uh… hello?" he asked cautiously as he approached. The silhouette wasn't as tall as Father Arbogast, nor as wide as Bobby, which could only leave…
Elsa didn't answer as she stood quite still. Cainan didn't know what to do or say as he stood there on the landing, watching her. A particularly strong wind whipped drops of rain against the windows of the study as another flash illuminated the small room. For a moment Cainan wondered if perhaps she was sleepwalking, and he cautiously approached.
Were you supposed to wake up a sleepwalker? Cainan had only heard of it, he'd never actually been around any sleepwalkers in his life. The floor creaked beneath his bare feet as he approached her.
"Don't min-… Don't mind me," Elsa finally replied, momentarily interrupted by the rumble of thunder overhead. The fact that she responded verbally seemed to confirm that she was awake at least, but her voice didn't sound right. She sounded strained, labored, as if even speaking took a great toll on her. "Just head on back to bed, Cainan…"
"Elsa… is something wrong? Are you alright?" he asked, not moving. Something was very clearly wrong, but Cainan hadn't the faintest clue what it was. Was Elsa scared of thunder? In a gentler tone, he asked her, "Do you need anything?"
Even in the dark study, Cainan could see her as she finally turned to face him so very slowly. Her silhouette was once more shown as the study was illuminated again. Even in the brief flash of white, Cainan could unmistakably see the older female flinching, even if just for the briefest moment. She was clad in a robe, her arms crossed as if to keep herself warm.
"No… just… keep talking to me…" Elsa took a few steps away from Cainan, bracing herself on the nearby bookshelf. "It helps…"
"Oh… I don't know, hmmm… You don't like thunder? I don't really mind it… but I see how it can be a bit frightening…" Cainan didn't really know what to say, he just hoped it didn't accidentally come off as condescending. He was speaking in a gentler voice than he would normally use, watching Elsa in the dark. He couldn't see her all too well, but his eyes were getting used to the lack of light. Cainan could see the outline of Elsa shaking her head. "No?"
"It's not that thunder in itself scares me…" Once more Elsa's voice was strained. She drew a short, shuddering breath. "After the war, I don't handle it well. The flashes I can live with, but the noise…"
"Ah, I see… Should I go and wake Bobby?" Cainan offered. He tried not to outwardly show too much pity, he was sure she got that enough. And between this and what he'd recently learned about her parents, he didn't want to be too overbearing, even if he did feel sorry for her. He was sure Bobby might know how to help pacify her.
"No, let him be… I don't want him to get up just for my sake," she almost whispered to him in response. The taller female shuddered. "It's never been the same. As a little girl, I used to like storms like these."
When lightning flashed once more, it was followed almost immediately by thunder. It was so loud that Cainan could've sworn he felt the house shake, though it was probably just his imagination. He looked at Elsa, whose form he could see shaking in the dark. He took a hesitant step towards her, but she held up a hand.
"No, don't, Cainan… Just-… Just keep talking, please." Cainan stepped back, giving her space. He didn't want to make her any more distressed than she already was.
"Alright, alright… Well, I- I never did tell you what I needed those flowers for, did I?" Cainan asked in what he thought would be a soothing tone. He did hesitate some, although somehow the idea of telling Elsa all this was less daunting than outright telling Father Arbogast. "Well… I did go to visit, uh… you and Father Arbogast's parents' grave… That's what I needed it for."
The silence that followed was only broken up by the continuous ambient noise of the rain. Cainan cleared his throat slightly. "I just found out about them… I'd seen their grave and… you, Bobby and Father Arbogast, you've all been so nice to me, I guess I just wanted to do something nice for you all. Wanted to show my appreciation."
"And I appreciate that," Elsa told him shortly. Cainan watched her closely, though even in the dark, he didn't want to seem like he was staring – that would still be rude, at least he thought so. "I don't remember them much. I was only four years old when they passed away. But Abelard told me a lot about them. They were good people."
Lightning and thunder came once more and Cainan kept paying attention to Elsa. "Maybe we should get out of here. We can't see the lightning if we head out there and close the door."
"No… No, I'd rather be able to see it, so I'm ready when the thunder…" Elsa trailed off, and she let out a shuddering gasp again. "Please continue talking."
And so he did. Cainan wasn't at all sure what to really talk about, but he decided to try to explain the intricacies of horse race betting. It wasn't something he'd ever really talked to anyone about, given its less than legal nature, but with Elsa silently listening in, Cainan didn't mind. He didn't feel as though she'd be quite as judgmental about it as her brother anyway. Cainan didn't know if it was actually interesting to listen to at all, so he didn't decide to stay on the topic for long. The lightning and thunder remained fairly frequent and Cainan hadn't a clue how long had passed when he finally changed subject.
"I grew up someplace over that-away," Cainan said after a moment's silence. It still sounded as though the thunder was right overheard, given how quickly it followed the lightning. Though he knew that might be a bit alarming, Cainan wasn't too worried – at least he tried not to seem worried. He couldn't help but imagine that Father Arbogast and possibly Elsa believed God would make sure their home was safe. He supposed that was a comforting thought in a way…
"We lived in a big house by the river. It wasn't so different from this place, well, besides not being a funeral home. I used to fish for crawfish during the summer, it was… it was fairly nice." It felt strange to talk about his childhood home in that way, in an almost pleasantly nostalgic way. It was a place that he generally thought back on bitterly, when he thought of how his parents had raised him and how running away had been the greatest day of his life, and yet… Did a small part of him miss it? "We had a garden, like yours as well. It was lined in by trees where I'd play around when I was little."
"That sounds nice…" Elsa said, her voice significantly more relaxed than previously, though as more ominous rumbling sounded overhead, Cainan saw her outline flinching in the dark. When she continued, Elsa's speech once more sounded labored. "I spent… most of my life here. Abelard raised me, more or less. For years, he was everything I had, and I was everything he had. Life was never easy for us, but it made us stronger – and our faith."
Cainan fell completely silent, hanging onto her every word. He couldn't help it, he still harbored such a curiosity for what her and her brother's lives were like in this small town. Cainan patiently waited to see if Elsa would continue, but as two more flashes of lightning came accompanied by loud crackling booms overhead, he didn't think she would.
"I used to go to church here too, but I never did see Father Arbogast there…" Cainan noted calmly. He truly couldn't recall ever seeing either him or Elsa in town, which in hindsight was very strange, given how small Defiance was. Especially if they'd never left the town much. "That is to say, my parents forced me to attend… But ah… Well, I haven't been in a church for thirteen or so years, at least not till yesterday. The church is… it's nice, looks just like I remember it."
As there hadn't been thunder or lightning for a while, Cainan hesitated, looking towards the window as if expecting to see a sign that the storm might be letting up. The rain certainly wasn't hitting the windows and the roof quite as harshly by now.
"Thank you." Hearing the relief in Elsa's voice, Cainan looked over in surprise, raising his eyebrows. As though she had seen his puzzled expression in the dark, she added, "For talking me through the storm… I think it's easing up now."
"Oh. Right… Don't you worry about that. It's the least I can do," he half-muttered, feeling suddenly embarrassed. To him, it wasn't all that noteworthy; he'd just been blabbing at Elsa for… how long had he been doing it? He didn't know. But he supposed if it really did help her, it probably meant more to her than he could imagine. He smiled in the dark.
"I appreciate it. Hopefully we'll both be able to get some sleep now," she noted calmly. As she withdrew from the bookshelf she'd been leaning on, Cainan just started to notice how tired he felt. He stifled a yawn and nodded in the dark, letting Elsa exit the small study before he followed. "Sleep well, Cainan. Sorry for keeping you up with me and my issues."
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Elsa. Hopefully you'll be able to sleep now," Cainan told her, stifling yet another yawn before he moved towards his door, stepping into his bedroom. He waited till he heard Elsa opening her and Bobby's bedroom door and closing it before he closed his own with a soft click.