Tom's Diner

Sep 4th, 2011 08:07 PM

Daysha tried to wrap her head around what Rory was saying. She may have been more confused by the church now than she was before.

“So the church believes they can exorcise demons. Evil spirits from hell. Right?” Thinking she may be on the right track. “So with that, they think those can be removed.” Wrapping her hands a little in a wheeling motion.

She had a puzzled look on her face. “So Jesus rising from the dead is just a common thing around the church. Vampires rising from the dead, are blasphemy? Like Angels and heaven are an acceptable afterlife?” Looking in Rory’s eyes, probably for that same guidance as the day she was at confession. “Is that what you mean? Life after death is reserved for biblical stuff?” Daysha leaned in a little, wanting to understand.

Crap, I should have paid attention in Sunday school.

**Rory** · Sep 5th, 2011 09:51 PM

"Ha, that's what Constantine said," Rory answered, laughing.

He shook his head and held up a finger.

"The difference between angels and demons is that they are of God. They were never men. So, too, must the shadow prove the darkness so that we can revere the light. So, yes, demons and exorcism are... acceptable," he began explaining.

"But of men... how can they sanction the existence of... vampires?" Rory asked the question distantly, still coming to terms with the reality -- and speaking of that reality.

"Only through God himself is the miracle of resurrection, and only through the Son can man be assured eternal life ever after," he continued, holding up the second finger.

"To admit the existence of vampires would have massive repercussions. The first being that either life after death is not the sole province of God himself or that he has blessed them as only Christ himself and Lazarus of Bethany have been." Rory spoke fervently, belief and conviction giving his natural oratory presence and ability weight.

"'I am the Resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die'," he added, quoting the Book of John.

He paused, looking at Daysha to see if she understood the significance of what he'd said.

Sep 6th, 2011 09:56 PM

Daysha shook her head with a confused face. “Constantine, the emperor?”

"But vampires were men once, weren’t they? First created in his image, so were they of god at one time?” She said trying to further understand.

"If mortals can become evil without something supernatural, why can’t they acknowledge vampires?" There was no argumentativeness tone in her voice, but questioning so she understood.

She pondered his reciting for a moment and looked at him. "Ok, so you’re quote from wherever that is in the bible. Say that at one time a vampire was mortal and believed in god, what happens if that’s just circumventing the never die part? There was an apologetic look creeping up on her face.

"So, are you basically saying that the church is power hungry and holds the patent on the life after death thing?” Looking at Rory for further guidance. “I thought vampires were just… dead?”

I’m sure half of what I just said sounded like the ramblings of an idiot. Note to self, read that bible Rory gave me.

**Rory** · Sep 7th, 2011 06:52 PM

He smiled, a little surprised, and gave Daysha a speculative look.

"Yeah, Constantine the Emperor," Rory agreed.

As she continued, the smile faded, and he nodded again, this time more slowly.

"That's... a good summary. Only through Christ can man be saved, and the clergy are the gatekeepers of that access. This is one of the major schisms. So whatever they may or may not have been, the final nail, if you will, is that they certainly didn't go through the Church to get to their current state."

Rory dipped a finger in his glass, watched rings ripple outward, then drew a wet circle on the table.

"And so here I am," he concluded with a wry smile.

Sep 7th, 2011 07:39 PM

Daysha blushed and laughed a little. “Oh, for some reason I thought you were referring to that movie with the guy from the matrix in it.” If Aaron was there, he would have filled in that blank. “Sorry, you’ve been quoting stuff from movies and elsewhere. I thought I had been lost again.”

“So with all that being said about what the church’s views are; you believe something opposite?”

She took her finger and put it in the water circle then moved the trail outside. “So now you are out here?”

Are you going to run around 'saving' vampires now?

**Rory** · Sep 8th, 2011 11:55 PM

"With Tilda Swinton as Gabriel? That was pretty awesome. I think the only thing more awesome was Christopher Walken asking that kid if he wanted to try out his trumpet in 'Prophecy'," Rory answered, becoming animated at the memory.

He shrugged, watching Daysha's hand.

"Maybe. Maybe something more informed. Why is Resurrection such a big deal? Because men are mortal. I'm sure it's much less of a big deal to God. I mean, really, is Resurrection the ultimate expression of divinity? Not Creation? Or Souls? Or the capacity to love?" Rory went on, drawing lines on the circle, turning it into a child's sun.

"We fear death. The ultimate unknown. So mitigating that impresses us. So, yeah, maybe I'm out there. And maybe that's where He wants me, and why He has illuminated this path."

His tone shifted in intensity, moving towards something softer and more questioning as he put his thoughts into words.

"At least I'm not alone, right?"

He looked up from his trails of water and smiled; for a while, he'd resigned himself to thinking just that.

Sep 9th, 2011 07:00 PM

“Ya know, for a priest… er um.” Daysha paused and bit her lip. “Uh you sure know a lot about movies. I’ve never actually see the movie Constantine, I just had to buy it for Christmas for Aaron last year. He rambled on about it a lot.” Yup, I’m a Christmas Catholic… if that.

“So you’re saying maybe the church is teaching this backwards? That in all reality, divinity is more important than creating life? So we’re living just to die and become divine?” She thought deeply for a moment and then looked at Rory. “Maybe He is trying to teach you that there are other answers than the church.”

Daysha had dabbed a finger in her own water glass to the very first line drawn out of the circle and connected it with another. “Nope, you’re not alone.” Her hand rested on the table not far from his. “In fact, I think there are more of us outside the circle than we really are aware of.”

Their food had come to the table Rory’s burger and Daysha’s breakfast for dinner. As she cut into her omelet she spoke. “So, what would you say if I asked you to help me look for the crazy things that are out there?” She took a bite of her eggs.

**Rory** · Sep 11th, 2011 06:07 PM

"You... know we don't just sit around reading the Bible, right?" Rory asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or... that we weren't born with little white collars on?"

His eyes dropped for a second as he realized he was still including himself as a 'we' in his speech.

"Of course I watch movies, and," he continued, laughing softly, "Of course I'm interested in that genre. The First Power, Fallen, all that sort."

"As for Divinity... living is... basically the process by which we make choices to, hmmm, classify our immortal souls."

More was cut off as the food arrived. Rory inspected the burger, removing the pickles, then picked it up to take a bite. As Daysha spoke again, his eyebrows raised again again in a silent question, followed by a slow nod.

Sep 11th, 2011 09:55 PM

“Well no, that was a bad assumption of mine.” Daysha said as she took a drink of coffee and glancing at Rory. “I guess while I grew up I was under the impression that you weren’t allowed to do that stuff. It sort of fell in line with not being able to…” She stopped short of something and her cheeks blushed. Wow, you're batting 1,000 right now Daysha.

“You know, maybe with falling into this extra curricular stuff I wonder if that movie genre would give any insight. Maybe we could watch one of those together sometime.” Daysha said, not thinking anything of it.

“Honestly, I never thought religion would come into play with all of this.” Her face was puzzled as she took another bite.

Why do I feel so stupid around him?

**Rory** · Sep 12th, 2011 07:06 PM

Rory paused, wanting to ask about the blush, but didn't, chalking it up to her being embarrassed about thinking he was some sort of ascetic. He assumed she was going to say listen to secular music. Mainly because ever two to three years, some Bishop thought it was a new, important topic and that Katy Perry was leading legions of teenagers down the Candyland path to Hell in short shorts. Rory wasn't naive enough to think that it wasn't a desensitizing element, but the good Lord wanted people to make decisions for themselves.

"Maybe?" Rory answered/asked. "I've had that movie 'The Rite' on my list to watch."

He took a bite of his burger, and chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed.

"You know... the funny thing is, maybe it does. Or doesn't. There's no mention of vampires in the Bible, except a proscription against drinking blood. Almost like it's been redacted."

Tom's Diner

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