Your eyelids were heavy as you stirred awake from your sleep. Brushing away the crust from the corner of your eyes you sat up. A satisfying pop emitted from your stiff joints when you stretched your arms above your head. Looking around your room, you noticed your roommates already left for breakfast. You were glad that they were considerate enough to be quiet while they got dressed, or that you were a sound sleeper. Your old roommates were not so kind as to keep it hush hush. You can't even recall how many times they would throw a pillow at your head to scare you awake. You didn't miss that one bit.
For the short five or so months that you began to reside in the convent of this church of sin, waking up every morning never felt so good. You'd arise at eight on the dot and head to the cafeteria where you'd grab a breakfast bar and then be on your way to a class or to study. You've made lots of friends whom you could trust and laugh with. Sister Beatrice (or just Bea) and Brother Beau were like actual brother and sister to you. You spent a lot of time playing games at lunch and supper as well as communal work for the church and the surrounding town. You thoroughly enjoyed working beside them. You were able to find your laugh again. They said it suited you well.
As much as you love to spend time with your friends, you also found comfort in walking down the vast halls alone while reading a book or planning fundraisers and such. You felt like your own boss, and that's all you wanted. The amount of freedom the church gave you baffled your mind, but you didn't dare to complain. This was the happiest you've ever been. You were surrounded by like-minded people who usually just wanted the best for their community. You smiled when you passed by fellow brothers and sisters and greeted the clergy members if you happened to spot them. Sometimes you would strike up a conversation and you'd leave with a big grin on your face and a chuckle in your chest. A couple of weeks after your arrival, you were able to recall the familiar faces you passed by often, greeting everyone by their names. They seemed to like it that you always remembered.
The church didn't have a strict dress code other than to wear your necklace and be presentable in public. Modesty was not an issue here. You were given an allowance by the church to pick out some outfits that you'd be able to wear along with your upside-down cross (which you later learned was called a grucifix). You popped into some stores on the main street of the little town that was now your home, but nothing had really peaked your interest. It wasn't until you were headed home that you saw the perfect outfit in the window of a corner shop. The owner was kind and said that it was a 3 for one special on everything that had a red tag. Unfortunately the dress was not on sale but then the shop owner whipped out a red sharpie and drew a line across the bar code. You had a skip in your step as you walked back to the convent with 3 of the same dress in a bag on your arm. It was a simple black long sleeved cotton dress that came down to right above the knees. You starched and ironed the collar every wash day. It was always pristine white and you made sure to scrub the devil out of it in the bathroom if you ever stained it.
___________________________________________________________
It was another day of you patrolling up and down the halls of the church. This was your favorite part of the day. Not only did you get to catch up on your reading, but you got to move around freely and explore the grounds. There were places you weren't allowed to go like the whole top floor or the basement as well as a select few rooms and hallways. but you didn't mind. You took the same path every day, making sure you hit everywhere you can go. It takes you around an hour because of your leisurely pace. Usually it takes longer because of you sitting down on a windowsill, but it's autumn now and the church had very chilly stone walls that get even colder at night. You wear thicker stockings and a black knitted shawl and jump up and down if you get too cold. Today was no different.
Grabbing the book you were currently reading, you waved a goodbye to your roommates and headed out for your walk. Walking and reading at the same time used to make you dizzy, but with more practice you were able to keep looking down for long periods of time. You saw feet pass by in your peripheral vision and the occasional 'hello' to which you always said 'hello' back.
Time passed as you were absorbed into the pages. It's not something you would usually pick out but the title peaked your interest. It displayed an interesting plot, one that you haven't read before. As you zipped through the chapters, it was beginning to grow dark outside. The candelabras didn't help all that much to illuminate the pages as you passed under them, so you stopped in the middle of the hall so you could see the words. The yellow light provided just enough luminosity for you to continue. You stood there not for very long though.
"Ah, cara mea! Wonderful to see you here! And such convenience as well!" Exclaimed Papa from behind you.
Oh Papa... The youngest Emeritus had taken a liking to you ever since you met that fateful day in the spring. You'd often talk about your favorite bands and some ideas for the church. You got along quite well with him, having similar interests and style. Sometimes you'd catch him coming out of the basement from rehearsal with the ghouls and you'd walk with him to his office or the clergy chambers. He always says how much he enjoys your company. Apparently he also talks about you to some other members of the church, but you don't know what about. He talks about everything. Your brothers and sisters weren't kidding when they said he doesn't stop talking.
He never.
Stops.
Talking.
You didn't mind because you were more of a listener than a talker but even you are exasperated by the endless flow of shit that comes out of him. It's endearing nonetheless. He lets you put your nickels in when he wants your opinion on something but for the most part he just talks about the detail and drama of other clergy members. He made you swear not to tell.
Your dress fluttered in the air as you turned. Your neck was a little stiff from looking down.
"Are you busy right now?"
You opened your mouth to answer, "I-", but he quickly cut you off.
"No? Good, great! Look, I am very late to a meeting right now and Miss Imperator is going to have my ass. Usually I'd gladly let her take it, but today is not the day. I need you to go deliver this note down to my ghouls. They should be practicing right now so just knock really loud."He handed you a small folded up paper. You were again about to interject but he didn't let you finish.
"You have Papa's permission to go down there. I have to go now, thank you very much, (Y/n) bye bye!" He sped away before you could even get one word in.
You were left standing under the candelabra and watching his robes flail behind him, blowing around dried leaves that had been tracked inside. You looked down at the note in your hand. It was a light beige in color and smooth on your finger tips. There was some inscription on the outside of it. A hastily written name was printed on the front. You could barely make it out.
'A-E-T-H-E-R'...
Aether. You remembered Papa briefly mentioning him before in one of your (or his) long conversations. He's spoken about his ghouls but you've never put a name to a face. They all wore the same silver mask and tailored clothing. Only different in them were height and weight, as well as their name symbol on their chest. You didn't ever really look at them at the rituals; you were there for their music.
No one in the convent was allowed in the basement. A lot of people thought it was too scary anyway, and just avoided it out of fear of the unknown. You avoided it because you were told to do so. The clergy had to give strict clearance for you to go down there, but Papa only gave you his word. You knew he would take the blow if you got caught, but despite that you were still weary. With a sigh, you started walking to your destination.
You weren't even sure where in the basement this ghoul was located. You've never been down there. Your mary janes clicked on the smooth stone flooring. The taps echoed and bounced from wall to wall. You still had your book in hand. When Papa came from behind you, you closed your book without marking where you were. You hated when that happened. You thumbed the pages, trying to find where you left off. You'd often go through nearly half a book on your walks and forget how much you've read. As your feet carried you to the basement doors, you picked up on the last few words you read before being interrupted. You didn't read for long before you arrived at the large oak entrance.
It was a dark jacobean hue with brass rivets and a large metal ring for a handle. You looked around you at your surroundings. You didn't want anyone having to ask you what you were doing. You felt nervous enough just by standing there. When you concluded that the coast was clear, you wrapped your hand around the handle. You have had experience with these heavy old doors in the church before, so you made sure to put your body weight into opening it. It was just as heavy as you expected, but opened with relative ease due to your practice. You were almost surprised it wasn't locked. It had a key hole but you guessed they had no need to lock it. The breeze generated from the opening of the door blew your dress further up your thighs. Peering past the door, you saw nothing but black. It looked like there was no lights at all. Not even a candle. You shook a chill out of your spine. No reason to be scared. It's just the dark. You swiveled your head left to right and then behind you once more, and then stepped inside the threshold.
The door closed behind you with a thunderous thud. It pressed against your back as it sealed away the hallway light. It was actually pitch black. You lifted your hands to your face and saw nothing. It was almost like being blind. You chuckled. Since you no longer have your sight, you were going to have to trust your other senses.
It wasn't much colder than it was outside of the door, but it was noticeably more humid. The smell of wet basement and light mold wafted into your nostrils. You began to feel a slight headache push on your skull. Your hands stuck out in front of you. One of them still had the book in it, as well as the note that acted as your temporary page marker. The other felt around for the door, then trailed to the wall. Dragging your fingers across the mortar, you searched for something to grab onto or to signify where you were. You patted your hand up and down, a slapping sound permeating in the dark. Your thumb suddenly scraped against something. You pulled your hand back quickly and brought it up to your mouth. Blood could be tasted from your fresh scrape. It didn't hurt much, but it did scare the hell out of you. With the loss of one of your senses, your brain was on survival mode. You removed your finger from your mouth and gently waved it around the same area.
You made contact with a smooth surface this time. You identified it as a railing. Your finger must have caught the edge of it by accident. Your fingers grasped the wooden rod. You were glad that you'd have some sort of guide other than a wall. Now it was your feet's turn to do some sensing. You swiped your shoes along the ground and felt a dip. You lowered yourself onto the first step whilst tightly holding onto the railing. Taking one stair at a time, you slowly traversed into the basement.
You didn't care if anyone caught you now, you were more focused on not cracking your skull open, but as a bonus, you were confident no one would be able to even see you. It would be like playing marco polo.
There was no sound at the top of the steps. All you could hear was your breathing and the shuffle of your feet. Soon enough, you started to hear other things... the low tones of a bass guitar and the strike of a snare. The lower you descended, the more sounds blossomed in your ears. You still couldn't see jack squat, but some distant cussing clued you that you were getting closer. Your feet padded down the dense rock a little faster, now more familiar to the stairs. You got a little too confident in your steps though. Thinking you were still going down, your left foot went to take another step when the ground leveled. You stumbled and slipped, your butt pressing against the freezing floor and your book landing a couple feet away from you with a loud crash. You cursed under your breath and crawled towards where you thought it was. Like Velma searching for her glasses, you patted the stone some more until you felt it. You opened it and made sure the note didn't fall out. You took it in your hand and closed the book whilst standing up and brushing away the dirt that probably clung to your clothing. Your hands rubbed together and then went up to adjust your collar.
There, much better.
You dusted off your shoes for good measure. You didn't want to look like you ate shit when you meet the ghouls. Placing your hand back on the wall, you walked towards the now crashing, banging, and screaming that was once music.
It grew louder as you drew closer, and you could start to separate individual voices from one another. They were all mostly deep, but two lighter or feminine voices stuck out. You didn't even know they had female ghouls until last month. You thought that they were just more special ghouls with special masks.
Another loud crash was heard along with a couple of small thuds. Were they rough-housing? Is that what they do in their free time? It went a little quiet after that. A muffled voice was then heard counting, and then music started to be played. You immediately recognized it as a crowd favourite, 'Mummy Dust'. You didn't remember all the lyrics because most of the time when you were at a ritual, you were dancing and talking with your friends, or just shoving chips in your mouth. You couldn't hear the music over the crunching.
Still touching the wall, you felt the indentation of door frames, but you knew that you were supposed to be heading towards the ruckus. Papa did say that they were in rehearsal right now. Your ears listened to the melody and your mind filled in the lack of vocals with what you could remember. You hummed the tune along with them. The guitar became more defined as you rounded the curved corner.
Your eyes squinted at the sudden light coming from under a similar looking heavy door to the one at the top of the stairs. It was like candy to your eyes. They immediately stopped straining and relieved themselves of trying to see something in the pitch black. You placed your hand on your forehead and sighed while blinking the ache away. The music was definitely coming from behind the door, there was not doubt about it.
You fixed your dress and pulled up your tights again as well as brushing off your shoes properly since you could now see yourself. You rubbed away the dried blood on your thumb with spit, and then wiped off the scuff marks in a similar fashion. You patted the sweat off of your hands so they were nice and dry. Your legs walked you to the front of the door.
You could see shadows moving back and fourth as the music continued. You suddenly felt a jolt of anxiety in your heart as you raised your fist to knock. This was the first time you were going to meet a ghoul face to face, let alone The Ghouls. It was a little bit of an honour, if you were to be honest. It wasn't every day that someone other than the clergy got to speak to the ghouls. Or go in one of the forbidden areas of the church. It was exciting.
Returning your focus to the task ahead of you, you raised your fist to knock again. You knew they wouldn't hear you, but Papa said to knock loudly. It was a long song and the longer you waited, the more nervous you got.
Knock knock knock knock knock knock... You kept rapping on the wood.
The music refused to stop. They would eventually hear you, so you remained knocking until the end of the song came. The last note faded out, and the melody seized. Now the only thing that was heard was your hand banging. You heard a muffled voice speak out in a questioning tone. They were probably was asking if someone else was hearing what they were hearing. Some more confused muffled speak came through the crack. You kept knocking repeatedly. You looked down at your feet and saw a shadow growing larger. Someone was finally coming the the door.
You lowered your hand, straightened your back, and crossed your wrists, one holding on to the other. You couldn't manage to look up though. Your eyes were fixed to the nearing shadow, occasionally flitting to the note in your hand. Your hands shook nervously. All of the sudden the door swung open.
Light stung your eyes and made them close shut. You quickly peaked them open. There stood two black and shiny dress shoes with tight black pants hugging the ankles of the wearer. Your eyes traveled up their legs as they continued to get used to the light. Tucked into the belt loops of the pants was a thick belt which hugged a slender waist. A plain black dress shirt that was probably ironed that morning was partially un-tucked, with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. A large silver grucifix on a chain sat in the middle of the man's chest next to the name signature embroidered on his right breast. His neck was covered with black cloth that hid under the collar that was buttoned to the top. The silver mask completed the look of the ghoul in front of you.
This ghoul was much taller than you. He stared down with green eyes similar to Papa's. He seemed taken aback at your presence. Your mouth dried up as you forgot what you were going to say. You both stared awkwardly into each other's eyes until you cleared your throat. He blinked out of his trance.
"Uh... can I help you?" He spoke in a deep tone.
You shook your thoughts away and re-centered yourself. You held up the note in front of you.
"Uhhhh..." You kept forgetting what you were going to say. "I uh... excuse me," you laughed in embarrassment, "I have a note from Papa for..." You squinted at the name. You tilted the note so some light could shine on it. "...Aether?"
The ghoul in front of you nodded with a small 'oh' and widened the door. He gestured for you to walk in. You weren't expecting to go into the room at all, but you just went with it because what else were you supposed to do? You have to face your fears sometimes.
Stepping into the room, you noticed three things; One- It had layered steps like the stage you saw at the rituals, Two- It smelled very strongly of pizza, and Three; You had seven ghouls staring at you, none of which you knew the names of.
The ghoul that greeted you closed the door shut. Silence permiated the space and filled every crevice with nervous tension. It seemed the ghouls were just as curious about you as you were about them.
You looked over to the one who let you in. He looked right back at you. Your head felt very barren with your panic. The only thing he told you to do was enter. There was no direction as to who the fuck Aether was. There was a silent conversation held between the two of you. He nodded at you thinking you knew where to go, but then you'd flit your eyes to the other ghouls, then back to him, hopefully making him realize you didn't know who to give the note to. Thankfully he quickly understood with another small 'oh' and pointed past you.
Your eyes followed his finger to another guy holding a black guitar with the grucifix logo on the pick guard. He was just as tall as the other one, and perhaps a little more muscular. His eyes pierced yours in a slightly intimidating way as you began to walk towards him. You felt everyone's eyes watch your every move.
"Um... Aether?" You barely whispered. The ghoul nodded silently.
"I believe this is for you then." You held out the note for him to take.
He removed his hand from the neck of the guitar and slipped the paper out of your hand. You took a step back and held your hands behind yourself. The book was still being firmly held in place, a little too tightly. You looked down to your feet, trying everything to not look as shy as you felt. You lifted your head to glance at the others, who were still staring you down. Sweat trickled down your neck onto your collar. Was it you or was it hot in here?
You gave a bright and (hopefully) confident grin to the others in the room. They glanced at each other briefly, then back to you. A few nods came your way, as well as a little wave from a little ghoul in the very back. Your heart fluttered softly and a soft blush rose to your cheeks. You smiled again at her, then returned your attention to Aether.
He crumpled the note in his hand and tossed it in a small bin next to him. With a frustrated sigh, he removed the strap from around him and placed his guitar on a stand a few feet away.
"I'll be back in twenty minutes. Do not cause any chaos. I'm looking at you, Fire. Mountain, Multi, you're in charge." His long legs carried him swiftly to a coat rack that stood in the corner. He grabbed a black overcoat and started to put it on when he paused.
"Actually... you," he nodded at you. "Who are you?" His voice was gruff, but not mean. He seemed to have the confidence of a leader. Perhaps he was the leader. You straightened yourself.
"(Y/n), sir. Papa sent me." Aether continued to put on his coat.
"May I ask a huge favour of you?" You raised your eyebrows. Were you even allowed to take orders from a ghoul? I mean, they must've been part of the clergy if they were behind the scenes, right?
"Yes sir, anything you need." You nodded eagerly.
"Good, would you be able to stay here until I get back? I need to get something to Emeritus and you'll know where to find him."
"Of course sir. I can do that for you." He finished the buttons on the jacket.
"Thank you, you're really saving my behind. Everyone else, best behavior. We have a guest here and we are not to be crazy around her, understood?" He stared down one ghoul in particular. They seemed to glare back at him.
"Good. I won't be long. Play nice." With that, he squeezed through the door and left you surrounded with complete strangers. You felt a little sick.
Not even five seconds later, three ghouls bounced up to you. You stepped back in surprise, not knowing what their intentions were. You knew ghouls could be very finicky and change moods rather quick, but you wouldn't think that Papa would have put just any ghouls in the band. The two ghouls that sat behind they keyboards were the first to greet you.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you! I'm Multi, and this is Air." She nudged the smaller woman next to her. "Your name is (Y/n), right?" You gave her a shy smile.
"Uh... yes, that's correct," you stuttered, "you're the one in charge of this parade?" Multi nodded sullenly.
"Unfortunately, yes. The boys don't know how to handle themselves." Multiple voices erupted in a cacophony of disagreement.
"No, Aether said I was in charge-"
"You know damn well that he is never talking about you when he is putting someone in charge-"
"He said, and I quote, 'Multi, you're in charge-'"
"That's not what he said, numb nuts, he said-"
"Uh yeah I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he-"
"Just 'cause your name is also Multi doesn't mean jack shit!"
"I'm pretty sure he said 'Fire, you're in charge'"
"Shut up Dew!" The two ghouls who were both apparently named 'Multi' shouted back at the small ghoul by the name of 'Dew'.
You watched them bicker back and fourth and wave their hands around. You gave a concerned look to Air, who was also watching this all unfold. She didn't seem to be fazed at the slightest. This must be a daily occurrence. It was actually quite amusing. You didn't usually like to hear arguing, but this was almost adorable. You chuckled quietly to yourself. You then remembered there was another ghoul next to you.
This ghoul was the tallest of the bunch. A good head taller than everyone else at least. You looked up at him. A gentle hello fell on your ears. You gave a warm smile.
"Earth. Or Mountain... if you prefer that." His voice was very soft and relaxing. You felt a little more at ease. They must of had nicknames for each other. The ghoul named 'Dew' also referred to himself as 'Fire'. Earth's nickname was probably 'Mountain'. It seemed like they had an elemental thing going on. You looked around the room for a possible 'Water'. Right there, sitting on the stoop tuning his guitar was another little ghoul of similar build to Fire. He looked a little shy.
"That's Rain right there. He's the bassist." Earth leaned down and whispered.
Rain...
"Is that his nickname?" You asked. The big ghoul nodded.
"His real name is Water. We just call him Rain though." Oh, you were right. You mentally patted yourself on the back. If Earth was 'Mountain', and Water was 'Rain', then why was Fire 'Dew'?
"What's Fire's nickname?" You asked Earth.
"Dewdrop."
That was even more confusing. He must have caught on because he began to explain.
"He once slipped on wet morning grass and fell down... you know... 'dew' 'drop'?" A laugh bursted from your throat.
The bickering suddenly stopped and all eyes were on you. You covered your hand with your mouth, trying to stifle the oncoming giggles. If there was one thing that could always make you laugh, it was unfortunate nicknames. Air started to laugh with you. She was listening into your conversation and also found Dewdrop's name hilarious. A deep chuckle came from behind you as well. Rain looked confused and returned to caring for his bass. Multi straightened herself.
"Excuse me, I got a little carried away. What are we giggling about?" Air whispered something into her ear. Multi snorted.
"I remember it like it was yesterday..." she breathed out.
"Remember what?" Fire and the other Multi asked.
"Oh nothing..." She dismissed them. She then gave you her full attention despite the boys trying to get her attention again.
"So (Y/n), where are you from?" She took your wrist and lead you over to sit on a step. Her fingers were cold, but to be fair, so were yours. Air and Earth followed you both and sat down when you did. Rain was a step higher than you but could now hear your conversation. Fire and Multi began to argue again over something trivial.
You didn't really know how to answer. You weren't sure what she was looking for.
"I uh, came from upstairs." You answered jokingly. Multi deadpanned you at your scarcasm. Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment and in your own amusement. She shook her head and tsked at you.
"No, like, what's your role in the church?" You answered seriously this time.
"I'm a sister of sin. I come from the convent." Fire and Multi once again stopped arguing to listen to the conversation. Rain lifted his head in interest.
"You're from the convent?" Air asked in a puzzled manor. You glanced around nervously.
"Um yeah, Papa just happened to catch me on my walk. He said he was late to a meeting and didn't have time to deliver the note so he gave it to me and ran away..." You recalled. The ghouls looked at each other.
"So you don't like, have any other roles in the church other than being a sister of sin?" You shook your head.
"Papa must really like you if he sent you down here on a whim. We thought you were a messenger... though, we would have known if there was a new messenger..." Fire chimed in. He began to elaborate after you looked at him with confusion.
"No one from the convent is usually allowed down here without Papa Nihil or Sister Imperator granting passage first. You're probably really not supposed to be here." You leaned back and put your hands on your knees.
"You don't have to tell me twice. I didn't actually have a choice. Papa just up and left. I couldn't see where the hell I was going down those stairs either, no wonder we're not allowed down here." Multi next to you scoffed.
"Ghouls can see in the dark better than humans can. Plus, we prefer it." That explains why it was pitch black.
"Did you hurt yourself on the way here?" Earth asked from beside you. You forgot about the scrape on your thumb.
"Oh, yeah, just scratched myself on the way down. I was as blind as a bat so I had my hands out in front of me. How does Papa get down here?" You asked.
"He uses the flashlight on his phone." The Multi next to Fire answered. That would have saved you some skin. You would have used your phone but you don't take it with you on walks. There's no pockets on you to keep it in.
"What's your relationship to Papa?" Multi asked. You looked at him.
"He talks mostly about drama between people in the clergy and in the convent; How he gets information from the latter, I have no idea. We also have the same interests and talk about our days. Sometimes we eat lunch outside so we can catch up." Fire and Multi looked at you with a doubtful expression.
"Mhm, sure..." Fire teased. You squinted your eyes at him. That was not a game you enjoyed playing. You decided to completely change the topic and irritate him at the same time.
"Hey Fire, where'd you get your nickname from?" You asked. All the other ghouls burst into laughter. Even though the man was masked, you could feel the heat of his glare.
"What makes you think you can ask that?" He growled. A while ago you would have never teased a stranger like this, but becoming a sister of sin turned you more confidant in yourself. You didn't respond to his question and instead gave into the laughter. If steam could come out of one's ears, Fire would be a boiling kettle. His nickname must've been a sensitive topic for him. No wonder Multi avoided it. She placed her hand on your shoulder as she wiped away a tear.
"No wonder Papa likes you, you're just like him." It was unfortunately true. You picked up on a lot of his mannerisms from the time you spent together. Bea and Beau even said that you've become quick witted like Papa, though you think Papa is still funnier than you.
"Yeah that's exactly what we need, another Emeritus in this fucking building." The male Multi said. You smiled at him.
"I'm a little nicer, don't worry. And a lot more prompt."
"So you're not a messenger then?" Earth re-directed the conversation back to where it began.
"No, is that a specific role here?"
"Well," he began, "Every once in a while we get one specific person whose sole job is to travel back and fourth between clergy members to deliver messages and fulfill duties and whatnot. We haven't had one in a long time since they all end up leaving the church and going off on their own."
"They even had little pins with a crow on it that signified that person's importance." Air budded in. "I always wanted one...they were really cute..."
"The last one... left around five or so years ago. It's been a shit show ever since." Multi finished.
"So, like a secretary?" You asked her.
"More or less." You gave a contented nod.
"Hey (Y/n), you want to play a game?" Fire asked after a brief lull in conversation.
"What kind of game-" You began to ask before you were interrupted.
"Get over here and I'll show you." You stood back up whilst flattening your dress. He hands you a guitar from behind the large amp.
"It's called copycat. You listen to me play and then you have to play it back and vice versa." He pulled the guitar strap back onto his shoulders and turned the amp on.
"Dew, you can't just intimidate our guest like that because she roasted you." Multi complained.
"It's got nothing to do with that, shut up!" He grumbled. "Well, are you gonna play?" He insisted. You looked at the guitar and then back at him. You shifted from foot to foot. You supposed it wouldn't hurt, you had nothing else to really do at the moment.
You draped the black strap around your shoulders and into the proper position. You could feel the ghoul's ego grow by the second.
"Alright, I'll start first. You gotta copy what I play." Fire then proceeded to play an insane fucking riff. His fingers flew along the neck of the guitar with ease, the sharp wail echoing from the amp. Your heart beat with anticipation as you did your best to remember the notes, knowing you'd have to make it up as you played. He must have been compensating for something. Though he was masked, you could almost see the ghoul's cocky smirk in his eyes.
You guessed the only way to win this game was to fight fire with fire... literally. It was a good thing that you were forced into instrumental lessons from a very young age. Your parents wanted to show off their talented child to their friends and neighbors, and that's exactly what they recieved.
Striking the strings, you copied Fire's riff to the best of your abilibty, even adding some additional tricks you learned solely to impress others. You were not necessarily one to show off, but you'd be lying if you said you didn't like it from time to time. Plus, Fire had challenged you, and you had no choice but to reciprocate.
You forgot how good it felt to play. You may have had no say in those lessons but you were grateful for them.
"Are you... fucking. Kidding me." Multi said to no one in particular. "Dew... she beat you at your own game... twice... fucking twice!! Hahahaha!!!" She cackled wickedly. The other Multi joined in.
"You can't touch her dude, she's more fire than you! I'd pay to fucking see that again!" Earth and Air began to snicker. Even Rain, who remained silent through your whole time here, started to shake his shoulders. You looked at him with your darkened cheeks and smiled while you laughed. Your eyes met his. He looked down quickly and pretended to tune his bass again.
Fire looked like he could rip you to shreds. It was honestly very cute. He really wasn't any taller than you and seemed light enough to pick up. You looked at him with soft eyes.
"If I can do the same riff as you, then you must be really talented. No hard feelings?" You attempted to make him feel a little better. His dagger-eyes cooled.
"Yeah, if you can keep up with me, I guess you're worth losing to." He held out his fist. You bumped it with yours. You could tell he was smiling under the metallic mask. At least he was a good sport... kind of.
A couple more minutes of chatting passed by whilst you waited for Aether to come back. You just began to talk about him when he walked back into the room.
"Speak of the devil..." you muttered.
"We were wondering if you'd ever come back." Earth teased. Aether pealed off his coat.
"Yeah yeah I know. Oh, I forgot you were here." He looked at you with his icy blue eyes. "Did they treat you well?" You grinned widely.
"Yes sir, they were all very kind to me."
"Dawww it's nothing, babe. It was a pleasure to have you!" Multi wrapped her strong arm around your neck and noogied your head. You laughed and struggled to get out of her choke hold.
"Multi." Aether said threateningly. She let go and fixed the hair that she messed up.
"Relax dude, she's our new best friend, right (Y/n)?" You looked at her with a shy smile.
"I mean I don't think I've had this much fun since I arrived in the convent."
"You're from the convent?" Aether asked flabbergasted. You forgot he wasn't here for that whole conversation.
"We'll tell you about it later." Multi dismissed.
"Aw man, I'm gonna miss you. You'll come back, right?" She asked. You grinned sadly.
"I mean I sure hope so but I think Papa was just really in a rush. It's not very likely. If you see me during a ritual, I'd love to catch up." You stood up from your seat on the step. The ghouls all followed like puppies. You walked up to Aether.
"Didn't you say you had something to give to me after you came back?" The memory popped back into his head.
"Oh, yes, thank you for reminding me. Would you be able to give this to Papa for me?" He handed you a small package.
"Yes sir, I can do that for you. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Uh, no thank you. This was enough." He held open the door for you. You then remembered that you'd have to navigate through the pitch black again.
"Don't forget your book!" A small voice exclaimed. You looked over and saw Rain holding it up. That was the first time you heard his voice. It was quiet and uncertain, but loud enough to where you heard him above the hubbub.
"Oh, I almost forgot," you trotted over to him. "Thank you so much, I would have been upset with myself if I left it here." He looked up at you with big brown eyes.
"I figured... I'm an avid reader myself, I hate it when I leave my book somewhere." You smiled brightly.
"I'd ask you about what books you like, but I think Aether is staring a hole into my back. We'll talk sometime." You smiled promisingly at him and turned away. He emitted a quite 'yeah' as you headed towards the door.
"BYE (Y/N)" Fire shouted obnoxiously from across the room.
"See ya, little guy." You waved.
"Fucking excuse me?!" You heard as the other ghouls laughed. You saw Aether's shoulders shake quietly while Fire tried to yell at you.
"Are you going to get back safely?" He asked.
"If I hug the wall I think I'll be okay." You responded.
"Oh, you actually can't see where you're going. Please, let me escort you. It's the least I can do for making you put up with... them." You both looked back at the pack who were now arguing among themselves. You nodded and waved goodbye. No one but Rain saw you. He waved back.
Aether offered his arm to you. You looped yours around his. His arm was muscular, it seemed like he worked out often. The warmth of his body was much needed in the hallways of the basement. There was already a chill creeping up your spine.
You both stepped out of the door, it closing behind you. You were left with no vision and muffled screams.
"Just walk with me." He said. You walked in step with the tall ghoul, your book and package in the other arm. You made small talk with him, mostly about who you were and why Papa sent you. He filled you in with some detail about himself and his role in the band. Aether confirmed that there was indeed much rough-housing that went on during rehersal, much to his chagrin.
Soon enough you made it to the top with only a couple of slips. He made sure to catch you every time. He pushed open the door at the top of the steps. Soft moonlight touched your eyes. It was relieving to see the surface again. You turned to Aether.
"Thank you for helping me up. I'll be sure to bring my phone next time."
"Of course. Thank you for delivering this to Emeritus. It really saves me a whole lot of time. I hope you get back safely." He said as he squeezed your shoulder. "Oh, and-" he chimed, "Did they really treat you alright? I know ghouls can be frightening the first time you meet us, and I shouldn't have left you alone with them-" You interrupted him.
"I promise you, they were nothing but a bunch of sweethearts. I'm sure they'll tell you all about it when you get back. And I was probably the best person for the job too." You both chuckled.
"As long as you're alright. Have a good night, (Y/n)."
"You too, Aether." You watched him disappear into the thick black of the basement once more.
Walking out the door, you breathed in fresh air. It was really stuffy down there. You felt bad for the ghouls. Straightening your dress, you walked off to find Papa and tell him what a wonderful time you had.