Chapter Text
My mind felt blank to anything else aside from the intense gaze focused on me and the gloved hand holding mine. The sheer shock and power he seemed to have over me kept me from even wondering what was going on as he slowly led me to walk up the set of stairs up to the stage. He knelt before me, still holding gently onto my hand and looking up at me as he sang through to the end of the song. His head bowed downward as he placed the lightest kiss to the back of my hand before releasing it, looking back at someone and gesturing at them. I looked back over my shoulder to see a ghoul standing behind me, giving their leader a slight nod. He stepped in closer to me once more.
“Follow them to the wings. You may watch the rest of the performance there, I would just like to see you after it ends.” He directed me.
I nodded and took a last glance at him before following the masked ghoul to a side of the stage. Every part of the set seemed even larger than life now that I was so close to it. But as the performance went on, I wondered what I was doing standing here and waiting for it to end. Having followed along with how all of these rituals usually worked, nothing like this had ever happened to anyone before. It had been an immense shock to even have been noticed in the crowd, much more ciriced, and, further, brought onto the stage like this. Every song, every interaction between the ghouls, everything Papa did… all of it seemed even more potent from where I stood now, all of it happening right before my eyes.
My face was still heated and my heartbeat was still racing as the performance came to an end, the mystery of what was to come just making my pulse speed even faster. I nearly felt faint as final bows were taken and the audience roared, seeing everyone start to leave the stage. Papa was the last to walk off, taking slow measured steps as he came towards me and directed me to follow him with his hand offered out to me. I took it and tried to keep myself from losing balance beside him, silently walking beside him. He led me through a hallway to a separate room, dim yet as extravagantly detailed as everything else had been. With a gesture of his free hand, he offered that I sit down at one of the leather armchairs then, himself, sat at the opposite one.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I have brought you here.” He began, his gloved hands neatly folded over his lap.
I looked across to his mismatched eyes and tried to read any kind of hints as to the reason from them. But I just nodded to confirm it.
“Unfortunately, as this is a tour, we do not have all our usual amenities about us, but I had an offer for you. When I saw you, I knew it and I only hope you accept.”
“Accept what?”
“To join us.” He gestured languidly with his hand, a sinister hint of a smile over his lips. “Not in performances or anything, but to officially join our…. Congregation.”
I shook my head faintly, “I don’t think I understand.”
“You can pursue the duties of this faith and be a chosen member of the organization within my own abbey, if you choose. You would only need to undergo a baptism.” He explained. “There are many willing candidates, but I could see something in you… that you’d be suitable for it. But I won’t force your hand. Free will is what we emphasize, not guilt and control.”
I took in a deep breath and carefully answered him: “I honestly don’t think I could make a decision right now, Papa.”
He gave a restrained nod in understanding, “You may have all the time you need. We can still perform the ceremony and you can decide not to join our ranks still. But you will know ways of reaching me then, if you do decide later to join us.”
“O-Okay.”
“We can proceed in a week’s time. We will all be back at the abbey and you will be brought there for the ceremony.” He informed me, his gaze pensively cast off to the side.
“It would be an honor, Papa.” I smiled politely, knowing I would spend the next week thinking and rethinking all of this over.
“Is there anything you wish to ask of me before? Everything related to the ceremony will be taken care of for you, but I don’t want to keep you late.”
I paused, but I was too overwhelmed at his proposition to even have had time to think of a question. When I shook my head and thanked him again for the opportunity, he gave me a more genuine smile before pressing another kiss to the back of my hand then had me leave, calling one of his ghouls to walk me out. I couldn’t sleep that night, thinking over what all of this would mean for me. If I accepted, my life would be altered completely and I’d give it up to live in a place hidden away somewhere where everything would be provided for me. For the most part, I knew what rules came along with the duties I was being offered. A resistance to change, however, was still tugging my mind back into thinking I shouldn’t accept and should just stick with the life I knew.
When a week had passed, a car was waiting for me and a masked driver silently drove me to an airport. From there, the driver led me through the halls and handed me some kind of pass. The airport staff plastered on smiles to hide a hint of fear as they read it then led me through a private wing of the airport where a small plane awaited me. My mind still wasn’t really made up – every other day I would believe I was solidly, finally deciding one way then waking up the next day with a complete change of heart. When I boarded the plane and saw him – Papa – again, my answer came to me.
He stood up to greet me, “We meet again. Have you made your decision?”
“Yes.” I answered, letting out a sigh as I sat down where he gestured for me to sit beside him.
“Well, what do you wish to do?”
I gave it a moment’s pause before giving him my resolute answer: “I’ve decided to take up the duties completely.”
He smiled sincerely, “I am pleased to hear it, future sibling. Do you know what will be expected of you?”
“What would I be charged with?”
“For now, something simple. You would have a few weeks to adapt to life at the abbey, receive your uniforms, and meet everyone. Then, you’ll receive a loose schedule and be given an easy thing to do based on what skills you already have. As you learn more, you may progress. You’ll find that we don’t have very many rules or strict dogma to enforce, unlike our counterparts.” He offered with a light smirk.
“There aren’t? As an abbey, I would’ve thought- ”
“If the central principle is free will, there is only so much we can do to guide silly things like people’s behavior. Anyone who joined the clergy or ranks have all done so because they desired it. They only do the things they do because they desire it. So, you will be permitted to do things as you desire.” He explained.
I nodded and felt a smile come to me, “You know, I think I’m starting to like the idea of living this way even more the more I’m hearing about it.”
He returned my smile and placed his gloved hand over mine, “Good. I hope our way of life suits you.”
The plane took off and I took the opportunity to ask him more questions about the roles people had, who the other people were, his experiences, anything and everything I could think of about the life I’d be walking into. Papa seemed more than happy to discuss it, pleased with my eagerness with it. If he was particularly enthused by a particular subject he was speaking of, his accent seemed to grow thicker and his hands would gesticulate more. I took note of the way my heartbeat was making itself known. Having his attention entirely focused on me for a second time felt too good to be true and I knew it was a rare honor to be receiving such a privilege.
He explained the process of the baptizing ceremony to me vaguely, mostly just telling me what I was expected to do as the plane landed and another masked driver drove us to the abbey. It all seemed simple enough and he would be the one carrying out the ceremony, so there wasn’t much for me to remember to do. As we came through the gates of the abbey in some distant, rural place, I stared out of the windows in curiosity and took in all of the ornate detail of the buildings that lay within. Overstated grandeur unlike what I pictured of standard religious monastery-type places. Though, after all, this was meant to be the opposite of all those things.
Every building looked like a palace with stained glass, gold, glittering gems, intricate carvings, statues, and finery across every inch of it. I must’ve looked like I was in a trance as I took it in, since Papa had come around to my door and opened it for me, an amused smile on his face as he offered me his hand again. I stood up, still agog as I looked around, but froze as he leaned in closer to me.
“You’ll catch flies.” He warned in a sing-song tone, then led the way to where I’d be staying.
Loose, crimson vestments were laid out across the small, silk-laden bed in the dormitory-like room. I thanked him profusely as the masked driver set my packed things inside. A sibling living in the room beside mine was called to guide me around the grounds and help me learn the way things were here. The last thing Papa said to me was to be ready by eleven in the evening – the ceremony would take place promptly at midnight and everyone living in the abbey would be in attendance. My heart felt heavy in my chest as I realized it was all happening already, ambivalent anticipation filling my chest while I started following the sibling through the living quarters.
At five minutes to midnight I stood outside of the doors of the central space of the church, draped in crimson linen and awkwardly shuffling my bare feet over the polished stone floor. The doors were opened before me to reveal a mass of people in their religious garbs and a section of ghouls, all turning to watch me enter. Beautiful paintings of the underworld lined the walls and hellish sculptures stood along the perimeters of the room, an expansive pool of clear, steaming water rippling under a lifted part of the floor just before the steps of the altar.
Papa stood at the front and center of it all, reciting the Latin rite and giving me a subtle gesture to come forward. I stepped down the aisle and stood before the edge of the water. He continued reading out the rest of the prefacing rite before carefully stepping into the water, looking up at me expectantly. Watching my step down the little marble stairs under the water, I made my way into the water and felt its warmth against my skin as the loose linen billowed around my form or stuck to my skin. Taking my hands, he stared intensely at me as he continued reciting the rest of the prayer. It ended with his gloved hand crossing me, starting between the collarbones then out to the left side of my hip and the right side – an inverse to the Catholic way.
He placed his hands gently over my shoulders, maneuvering me around to his side with one hand still perched on my shoulder while the other pressed over my sternum. Slowly, he guided me to lay back in the water and brought me back up with the recitation of a Latin phrase. I kept my eyes on him as he gently let me down into the water again. Another phrase in Latin. Last drop into the water. The final cross over my now drenched frame and him offering me his hand to help me step up out of the water with him. I let myself smile slightly as the rest of the people congregated inside spoke the final word of the ceremony, Papa stepping a fraction of a step closer to say something in my ear.
“Congratulations, sibling, you’re one of us now.”
I could’ve sworn I saw the faintest hint of a proud expression on his painted face.