Chapter Text
The immense arched grey doorways greeted Sister Revenant as she walked down the stone path. The building ahead of her, her new assignment, this imposing building seemed to touch the clouds above, the stone outside gave an appearance of a Roman Catholic Church, yet more sinister. It was a chilly autumn afternoon as the newly appointed sister approached. The scent of fall leaves, wood burning stoves and sage incense filled the air and clouds began to cover the sky as she walked up the thick grand stone stairs.
The oversized door handle creaked in her hands as she turned and pushed the door open, she took a deep breath.
Inside, plush purple carpeting lined every hall and outcrop. Red velvet couches lined the interiors against the walls. Sisters, ghouls and ghoulettes darted from room to room eager to get to their next class, or to the dining hall. This grand foyer was even more imposing on the inside than it was outside. Baroque, and ancient with a touch of modernism. From the walls, crests hung proudly in brass and silver. Beside each crest were considerably sized oil paintings of 4 men in painted face with the family name "Emeritus" underneath. Sister Revenant sat down awkwardly on one of the plush couches and waited patiently. It was told a "Sister Imperator" was to meet with her upon arrival.
The halls and foyer cleared, a small framed woman, elder with long stringy ashen blond grey hair approached. The look on her face was one of doubt and unimpressed.
Sister Revenant stood and greeted Imperator politely and began.
"Greetings, I am.."
She was cut off by Imperator.
"Yes, yes I know who you are. I don't quite know why they sent you,… but you'll have to do."
Revenant began; "I am the best at what I do. In my old assignment."
Being cut off again.
"Yes I know WHY they sent you, but I didn't ask for you."
Revenant knew when to stay quiet. This was one of those times.
"Follow." Imperator barked.
With a turn on her heel she was off and up the stairs.
Sister Revenant followed behind.
She was wordlessly led up an impossibly large staircase with more vivid purple carpeting. Carvings engraved every pillar and handrail of this staircase. Imperator turned to her left and up yet another staircase, this one smaller, not as lavish, but seldom used.
Imperator stopped at a set of arched double doors and flung them open.
"This is where you'll work." Imperator motioned to the vast immense library which stood before her. Books were lined in two storey shelves from floor to ceiling. The scent of aged books and parchment filled the air, dust motes caught the small hint of light from the arched windows up high. Revenants head began to swim with the scent of sage, parchment, books and old worn wood.
"When you're finished, send a ghoul to find me and I'll give you your next orders." Imperator said this curtly, pivoted and was gone, the huge arched door slammed behind her.
Revenant sighed and began to look at what was ahead of her. She walked slowly through each aisle, sliding her hand along the elaborately carved shelves and books that were lined up with no rhyme or reason.
"Well." Revenant said aloud with a sigh
"Let's get to it."
She began to make piles of books and parchments separating by date, translation, author (if any) and tried to make some sense of the task at hand.
Picking up a pile of books from a corner, she spotted a small record player, in decent condition, with a record still on the turntable.
Reaching around the side of the stack against the wall she fumbled until she found an outlet. Plugged in the record player and pressed the arm down onto the record. The hissing sound of the record starting relaxed her. She took off her head piece, revealing ear length dyed black hair. Taking an elastic from her pocket she tied her hair up revealing an undercut.
The record hissed with sound, some gentle classical music played, strings and harpsichords filled the air.
Making piles, filling out lists, and putting a system into action, the time got away from her. Before Revenant knew it, it was 8:30, she needed a break. She decided to head out to the hall to see if a sister or ghoul could guide her to get a drink. On her way out, a door with a worn brass handle caught her eye. Making her way over, she turned the knob, pushed and pulled, nothing happened.
Revenant shrugged and opened the huge arching doors to the hallway and begun walking where Imperator had led her. The hallway was empty.
"Great." Revenant thought to herself.
"All I wanted was a damn cup of tea." Revenant began to back track where she thought Imperator had led her, but nothing looked familiar.
"Oh for fucks sake. Where the hell does this go?" She asked herself wandering, hoping to find anyone. In her hurried venture she ran right into a small framed man in a red chausible. The papers he carried were now on the floor.
"Oh Lucifer, I'm sorry. I'll get these for you!" Revenant sputtered. Bending down to get all the papers he had been carrying off the carpet, he stood without saying a word. Revenant stood up to see she had run right into a Cardinal. The blood drained from her face as she apologized.
"Is, okay." He mumbled.
"Your face isn't one I've seen before." He spoke in a languid Italian accent.
Feeling her face flush she stammered;
"I, I am Sister Revenant, I've been assigned here for the library, but I got lost looking for a spot to get some tea."
He reached a gloved hand out to take Revenants,
"I am the cardinal. I will take you to get this tea you want."
Revenant thanked him and followed at a respectable pace.
Copia suddenly stopped and turned around to face Revenant.
"You'll want to keep pace if you want your tea."
Revenant picked up the pace to walk alongside the Cardinal.
"So few sisters have visible tattoos." Copia said unexpectedly, he had noticed the heart tattoo on the back of her neck and one visible on her wrist.
"Oh, yes. These are all older, I haven't gotten anything new since taking my anti-vows." Replied Revenant sheepishly.
"Is nice to see some variety. We must see and you can tell me about them, if you have more." He sounded genuinely interested.
"Um, yes, sure."
He finally stopped at a large table in the dining hall. On the table were jars filled with various loose teas and a hot water station.
He insisted on loose leaf, cause the brewing process made him feel like a mage brewing a potion, although he never told anyone this.
"This is better than the shit in the offices." He smirked.
"If anyone tells you different, they're wrong."
Once the tea was finished he finally spoke again;
"I shall accompany you back to the library. It is part of my quarters you know."
Revenant nodded, again going red faced. Realizing in horror that the door she was trying to open was probably his quarters.
"How long is your assignment dear sister?" He asked
"For now it's for 6 months, then a revision for a possible full transfer. But I have to get the library up and going again before they decide on anything." Revenant replied.
"We will get to work then." Copia said sipping his scalding tea.
Revenant watched as the steam rose ever so slightly caressing his small pencil style moustache. His lips full and rosy, he slowly licked his lips after taking a sip. It was only now she had noticed he had one dark brown eye and one white eye, surrounded in black paint all the way around the hollows of his eyes. He had a slim solid build with shocks of dark chestnut hair peeking out from under his biretta. She couldn't figure out why he was so quick to warm up to her.
She gave her head a quick shake and said nervously:
"I should be getting back to work. I have to get as much done as I can before sister Imperator checks on me."
"Alright, I shall take you back."
Walking back to the library, Revenant now more awkward than ever. She was not used to working with another person. Usually she did her best work alone with some music in the air. She was trying to seem eager and appreciative for the help, but just found small talk and social interactions rather uncomfortable.
Down the long white marbled hallway, she spotted a tall slender man wearing skull paint and a black suit. One viridescent green eye and one white. Revenant couldn't take her eyes off of him. She silently gasped to herself, this was the painted man in the Emeritus portrait near the foyer. His face stoic as he passed Revenant and Copia. He gave a silent nod to Copia, but a cold stare to Revenant and kept walking.
The scent of musk, brandy and Incence lingered in the air as he strolled by casually, he turned the corner and was out of sight. Revenant was absolutely awe struck but kept her composure still and professional. She didn't want to make a scene on her first day.
Copia led Revenant back to the library. The record long over, crackles and hisses of a finished record filled the air. Revenant flipped it over, put the needle to the record and set back on the pile she was working previously.
Copia set his tea down on the opposite side of the mid sized table Revenant was working on and grabbed the pile of parchment and scripture, he began to sort.
Some hours later, Revenant pulled her sleeves up and stretched, her arms, back and chest ached from being hunched over book stacks. Copia glanced at her from the side of his vision. Her black ponytail rested just at the nape of her neck, watching the rise and fall of her ample breasts as she stretched and cracked all the tense parts of her body. He could feel himself gently licking and biting his lower lip, it had been such a long time since he had female company that wasn't in the form of an old nun or a ghoul wanting help with their Latin translations, but he caught himself and abashedly stacked some papers in a pile and went for the next.
It was well into 3 am before Revenant began to feel her eyes get heavy.
"You should go to your quarters." Copia said to Revenant without looking up from his book pile.
"No one told me where my quarters are." Revenant replied.
"So I'm just gonna cosy up in that big chair." She motioned to a wooden high backed chair with a large cushion.
"Up to you." He said and went back to his work.
"What about you, aren't you going to bed?" Revenant asked yawning.
"Soon." He said still not looking up from his books.
Revenant began to feel her head and eyes become heavy and weak. She made her way to the chair, cosied up and before she could say 'goodnight' she was asleep