Log: Thom & Daniel Who: Thom & Daniel When: Backdated to Thursday, March 26 Where: Daniel's church's rectory What: Pizza and conversation
Ordering pizza to be delivered to the rectory was always fun. Most of the time, the pizza guy either didn't understand or thought it was a crank call. Ordering 20 pies for the church in general, especially if the youth group was meeting they understood. Ordering one for the rectory though seemed to confuse them. After nearly 15 minutes on the phone in Punjabi with the guy that owned the local pizza place, Daniel finally got his order placed and everyone one the same page. One large meat lovers pizza with extra cheese and a liter of sprite. Just in case they needed a mixer.
Now he had to wait for Thom and the pizza to arrive. Sitting there in the living area of the rectory on the couch, Daniel closed his eyes. This afternoon had been...hellish was a good descriptor he thought. He wasn't going to sit back and let them kick him out. He wasn't going to resign and make like this was his idea. He'd been reading websites and talking to priests who had chosen to leave the priesthood for various reasons during his suspension, in every case, the priests leaving had always gotten the shaft. Daniel was not going to lose what he loved over being a psychic, not without a fight. If they wanted him gone, they would need to kick him out. Period.
Didn't make it easier though. Toeing his shoes off, he wiggled his toes inside his socks. That felt better. It was funny, he was clad in black slacks, black band collared shirt, cassock and it was taking his shoes off that made him feel better. Not the collar around his neck. To some it was choking. To him it was as natural as breathing. Sighing he rubbed his hands over his face. Where was Thom? He had texted his friend...minutes ago! Possibly he should give him a few more minutes to arrive.
Daniel had been a distraction all day long. Thom had been waiting to hear what had happened, wondering if his friend was on the in again or all out. He frowned a little as he tried to explain to the police officer why he had been speeding, but the woman didn't understand sign language. He was sitting on the little pad and he didn't want to reach for his phone and end up getting sprayed in the face with pepper spray. Or electrocuted. Both would be bad news bears. Finally, giving her his most adorable face, she'd let him off with a warning and he nodded his head quickly to let her know that he would slow down.
Creeping to the rectory, Thom finally got there and got parked. He headed in, glancing around. As he was a bout to close the door, he saw the pizza guy pull up. Instead of closing it, Thom knew who had placed the order. His wallet was out and he paid, giving the guy a tip in place of his verbal greeting. It smelled good, but Thom didn't know if either of them would be hungry. Thom was always hungry, but if Daniel was in a sour mood, he probably wouldn't be shoving the food into his face.
Glancing around, the door closed behind him, Thom spotted Daniel on the sofa. Thom suddenly felt under dressed, but when it came to the priest garb, Thomas always felt that way. Old, tattered jeans and a sweatshirt kept him away from the chilly evening air. Balancing the pizza on one hand, Thom waved and slid it onto the coffee table and then planted his hands on his hips, cocking his head to the side as he waited to hear what had happened.
"They asked me to resign," Daniel said without preamble. "Which is bullshit. I looked up what happens when you transition to leave the priesthood. It's like getting a giant foot up your ass," he was definitely in a mood, though it wasn't really a bad one. He was angry at their audacity, relieved that he wasn't being kicked out this second. Opening the pizza box he grabbed a slice and motioned for Thom to sit and do the same. Father Don, the other priest that Daniel shared the rectory with was out for the evening thankfully. They could be loud and obnoxious as they wanted. Or at least, Daniel could. "I'm not going to give them the satisfaction," he added around a mouthful of pizza. Oh it was good pizza. Very good pizza. "It'd be like admitting I did something wrong. And I didn't. They want me out, they'll have to find another way. Or offer me one hell of a severance, which they won't do. Priests that leave of their own volition get shit...and priests that are defrocked get twice the shit."
Listening patiently, Thom waited until that breath had run out for his friend before sitting down. His face was stuck in a scowl. He didn't like what he was hearing, but there wasn't anything he could really do about it, either. He could draw up a strip on it, and he probably would anyway, but now was not the time for such conversation. He picked up a slice of pizza and a napkin, taking a big bite, hoping that the cheese wouldn't just slide off and scald his chin. As he chomped, Thom set the piece back down, wiping his hands before he started signing. You may want to watch your language, given where we are. But that was all Thom was going to say on that particular subject. Daniel was obviously frustrated, and that frustration, Thom knew frustration well, at least - led to foul language. I'm glad you're just not caving. Not that I expected you too.
Shooting Thom a look, Daniel replied, "This is where I live. If I cannot have bad language here, where can I?" this was the rectory, not the sanctuary. There he would not have bad language. It was a rhetorical question though. Finishing his pizza, he looked down at himself and groaned. Getting up he went into his room, leaving the door open. He emerged a few minutes later still wearing the band collar and shirt, but without his cassock and slacks. Now he wore jeans. Rolling his sleeves up he sat back down again, setting the bottle of absinthe down that Thom had given him. "I need more pizza. And...possibly a lawyer. Advice. Something. If I'm going to get screwed, I'm going to have a say in how it happens. Thanks, man."
He shrugged - Thom didn't really know the difference. Everything was part of the church to him, so it just seemed wrong. But Daniel could do what he wanted. He hadn't dropped any GD bombs or anything, so Thomas was pretty sure, even if it was wrong, God would be forgiving. The God Thom knew, at least. Not the jealous, angry masses who had just used up his friend for his ability and were now shutting him out of His life. Or something. Thom tried to stay out of religious debates because he was grossly uninformed. He knew dragons and rams though - definitely could take anyone down in Jeopardy on that topic. He smiled when Daniel reemerged, glad to see the guy trying to relax. Absinthe is not something you probably want right now, Thom warned. A hallucinating priest ranting about God coming to talk to him wouldn't help his case any. That, he signed, is a sipper. Not a turn the bottle up and chugger.
Oh, yeah. Hallucinating would not go over well. Not at all. Taking a second slice, he stared at the bottle as if it might do something interesting if he willed it to. Or if he stopped looking at it. "Agreed. But it does give some ambiance. Pizza and absinthe in the rectory. I'm sure that's just...not at all what people expect. There's a bar over there," he gestured to a small cabinet against one wall, "Or beer in the fridge if you want. Or I have sprite with the pizza. Make yourself at home," the rectory looked just like an apartment or home might. There was a living room with a TV, a small kitchen to one side and two bedrooms with a bathroom in the middle that the two priests shared. The door to Daniel's room was open and his room was a mess with an unmade bed and books everywhere. The door to Father Don's room was closed. Photographs of the previous residents and various other things adorned the walls, but it was a fairly homey place. "Does make me think. I don't want to make this easy for them, but at the same time...do I stay with a church that doesn't want me? I've been looking at apartments and jobs and things online. Just in case. But...I'm not equipped for that Thom. Am I staying out of love or out of fear of the outside?"
Thom just shrugged his shoulders, staying where he was. He wasn't all that thirsty, and maybe getting plastered when it was bad news just wasn't as fun as doing it when there was something to celebrate. He toed off his shoes, though, since he figured they'd be staying in for the night. Honestly, when it came to the booze, he didn't know what was Don's or what was Daniel's. Did the Church provide the alcohol? Wine he could understand, but anything else seemed a little far fetched. Don't you know? Thom asked with a silent chuckle. You should never stay with someone who doesn't want you. You deserve better and they deserve to miss you. But again, it means the big bad world is out there. It's not all bad, though Daniel. It seems, to me, that you have a smaller version of the world out there, in here. Some people like you, some people hate you. God's out there too, last time I checked. Or so the rumors go. He paused to take a bite of pizza and suck some sauce from the side of his thumb. But if they don't kick you outright from here, maybe you could use the time you have here to reacquaint yourself with what's out there. Baby steps, right?
All the beer was Daniel's, the liquor and wine was mostly Don's, though he wouldn't notice it was gone. And if they did use a lot of it, then Daniel would replace it, no problem. Daniel smirked at Thom's advice, "You know divorce is a sin, right?" he asked, in the Catholic Church divorce was not recognized, only annulment. And if a couple divorced secularly, then remarried, technically they became excommunicated since the church didn't recognize the secular divorce. That was technically of course. In reality, it happened a fair bit and people just ignored it and went along their way. "I know. The world isn't bad. I didn't become a priest to escape it either...but that happened anyways it seems. I never realized how ill-equipped I was either until I started looking. Do you know that priests who leave the priesthood have to have counsellng to help them adjust? It's required, I think. Not positive...but still. Everyone talks about having counselling. That's a scary idea right there, that this life requires us to have counselling to leave it. And yet...we're supposed to be in touch with the people? We're supposed to help them? I get angry at Rome being so far removed from people in general and yet...maybe I am just as bad."
Wouldn't you say seminary was sort of counseling, too? It seemed that way to Thom, but he hadn't gone to it or been any sort fly-on-the-wall way. It's learning things again that were probably replaced with things that you learned here. Not some sort of brainwashing, so don't go there, but the differences are so great that you had to go to a special school to learn them. Don't think of counseling because you're a crackpot or something. It could just be seen as another sort of school. Daniel seemed to me full of all kinds of excuses, but Thom knew that was probably the fear talking. And no matter which way Thom spun it, it was going to be a huge adjustment, either way. You're not in some ivory tower, looking down on the people and waving to them from behind bullet proof glass, Daniel. I think the counseling may just help you realize that you can't trust the people out there like you could in here. But you probably see it for what it is. Can't trust nobody, no how. He grinned sheepishly and reached into the pocket of his sweat shirt. He tossed the DVD case onto the table beside the pizza box and gave Daniel a moment to drink it in. So I thought I'd help you get a little desensitized before you got taken for a ride. The box cover was for Zombie Strippers. Thom grinned.
The look on Daniel's face at the DVD was priceless and probably exactly what Thom had intended. "Are you crazy!?" he finally asked, touching the case like it was hot or diseased. Possibly both. Of course, this was Thom so it was probably a joke. Opening the case tentatively, revealed Harry and the Hendersons. A very G rated movie. Groaning, Daniel sat back on the couch, "That is terrible Thom," he said, but he was smiling. It had been a good joke. And what he needed. This was why he and Thom were friends. "But yes, movie. And away from these topics. Distraction is good! Do you really want to watch Harry or do you want to see what's on TV?" Daniel had some DVDs too, but nothing spectacular. "Or we can rent something."
TV's fine, Thom signed after a few moments laughing silently. Laughing so hard, in fact, his hand was pressed against his stomach. Sometimes it was nice to pull one over on the priest. No need to rent something. I've been working pretty hard on the strip lately - no time for television. He paused and looked a little glum, but it only lasted a fraction of a second. I may have to move back to my apartment sooner than I thought. I don't need to be named in any of the shenanigans that the FBI officer may be writing up. And that's not to say I'm ashamed of being a psychic, or having people know about it, but I would like to be the one to tell them, not have them find out and think I've been lying to them on purpose. He thought for a moment, tapping his chin. And if you decide to leave, then maybe you'd be roommate material. I already know how quiet I am, but I may need to see some references. And no, you can't use God as a reference. That's just not fair.
"FBI agent?" this was the first Daniel had heard of that. "What is the FBI doing at Zener?" it made sense that there may have been one at the school because of the kidnappings a few months backm but now? That didn't make any sense to Daniel at all. Zener had nothing to do with the bombings at New Years or the airports! "Maybe I'd be roommate material?" he looked at the mess beyond the open door to his room. Okay, fine, so he wasn't the neatest person when left on his own. He wasn't dirty though! He just had a lot of books. A LOT of books. "So long as you don't mind books that breed like rabbits then we'd be fine," he wouldn't mind living with Thom if the need arose. They would get along well. Picking up the remote, he turned the TV to the guide channel to see what was on. They only has the basic cable and couldn't get pay per view.
Because of the bombings. Stargate. Psychics. It's not like the school has anything to hide, and neither do I, but it may just be getting a little too crowded there. Besides, if I stay and let the guy interrogate me, I'd probably need a translator or write everything out, and that would be a pain. Then I'd get frustrated and Cinder would come out large and in charge and scare the guy. I don't need to get shot.. He was being as humorous as possible, but it was the God's honest truth. Thoom looked into the messy bedroom. As long as you kept your mess in your room and didn't let it creep out over everything, you shouldn't be too hard to manage. But I really wouldn't like a place to smell like a musky old library. We're not even in our thirties yet, OK? Thom turned his attention to the television, snaking another piece of pizza out of the box, nimble fingers plucking the toppings off, slowly dismantaling the slice.
"Says you!" Daniel replied, "I'm 31 you whippersnapper. And you're getting up there too," hanging out with Thom was always a good way for him to relax and refocus. The guy just knew how to make Daniel feel like he was 17 again. "Next thing you know, we're going to get the seniors discount at restaurants and nose hair." Just like his father. Ew. Following Thom's gaze to his room he shrugged unrepentant, "At the last rectory we had a maid. Made my life much better. Here...it's just us. I try to keep it neat..." but he didn't try too hard. Daniel didn't comment on the FBI presence, but it was good to know, to watch what he said. He'd be more worried, except that he knew Zener wasn't doing anything they shouldn't except perhaps a few underage kids smoking and drinking. In the grand scheme of things, not what the FBI was looking for.
"Let's watch this," he said, flipping to FX. They were having a Terminator marathon, that was always fun.