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Today marked your first day of studies to become a Sister of Sin. You had arrived at the church the day before along with all of the others soon to be Siblings of Sin. The church was full of life as each disciple was given a tour of the building. Then they were introduced to Papa and his ghouls.
All the newcomers chatted excitedly as they watched five important looking ghouls walk onto the stage before stopping to stand on each side of the altar. There were three on one side and two on the other. You had expected the ghouls to all look the same but you soon found that not to be the case. Among the three ghouls on one side there was a really tall ghoul, a relatively small ghoul and a slim looking ghoul. The ghouls on the other side were similar in height, but one of them appeared to be a bit more muscular than the other. Then a few moments later a dozen Sisters, Brothers and Siblings of Sin entered the stage before lining up at the back of the altar and stage.
The chatter died out immediately when Papa entered the stage, the ghouls looking as stoic as ever. There he was, in full regalia at the altar, the antipope you had heard so many wonderful things about. “Welcome to my church my dear children” Papa Emeritus the Third announced, his voice booming effortlessly as he raised his arms in a welcoming gesture. “I am Papa, the third of the Emeritus brothers and the current leader of the church” Papa said with a smile as he lowered his arms and started to slowly walk around the stage, looking over the crowd to make sure he made a lasting impression on every newcomer present.
“To some of you, ghouls, Satan and prayers are daily bread for you, to others all of this is new” Papa continued. “It is our duty to ensure that every single one of you gets proper education regardless of your background and the support that you need during this journey to become a Sibling of Sin” Papa said with a smile as he continued looking over the crowd. The last person he looked over was you and as if on queue, your heart skips a beat as his eyes meet yours. All you could do was blush as you watched him turn towards the ghouls and the Siblings of Sin.
“Now, who wants to see some magic?” Papa asked and the crowd murmured excitedly. “One of the things you will be learning about here are ghouls and I am fortunate enough to be in the possession of some” Papa said, smirking as he stopped at the side of the altar where the three ghouls stood. “The first ghoul I would like to introduce you all to is Earth” Papa said as the little ghoul jumped out of his spot to hug him. “This little ghoul bears the element of the earth and nature” Papa said, wrapping his arms around him. “Earth can do many things, such as making plants grow and communicating with animals” Papa said as he let go of Earth who pointed at the crowd and a single daisy sprouted from his finger. “It does not hurt the ghoul when he removes the plants he grows from his body” Papa said as Earth tore the flower off his finger and handed it to Papa. Earth bowed slightly before returning to the front of the stage and proceed to summon a dozen rats, seemingly out of nowhere.
Small yelps came from the crowd as the rats scurried past people’s feet before climbing Earth. The crowd watched as the rats settled on Earth’s head, shoulders, arms and palms. Only a few moments passed before a flustered looking man wearing a red track suit ran towards the stage. The man had dark circles around his eyes, a mustache and a dark upper lip. “Ah, Copia” Papa said with a smile but the other man’s expressions did not change. “I think that’s enough for today Earth” Papa said and immediately the rats started descending from the ghoul. “Apologies Copia, the Sibling I had asked to inform you of this act must have forgotten to do so” Papa said quietly as the rats ran into the arms of Copia, who quickly made his way back to the shadows.
“Think nothing of him, he is a little shy, Air, would you like to be next?” Papa asked and the tall ghoul said nothing but he did make his way towards the front of the stage. “This ghoul has the power of air and wind, he can do many wonderful things, some convenient, others, quite scary” Papa said as Air raised his arm and made a fist. Suddenly, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room and everyone started coughing, even Papa, the ghouls stood there, unbothered. As soon as it happened it was over. Air quickly opened his fist and the oxygen returned to the room. “I told you all he could be scary” Papa said before coughing a bit. “Do the other thing” Papa said as he cleared his throat and gestured towards Air. The air ghoul kept his arm stretched out but turned his palm up and it was as if you were suddenly outside. Everyone’s hair started moving as the wind blew through the room. “That is enough thank you, Air” Papa said after a few moments.
Air turned smoothly and walked back to his spot. “Water, you are next” Papa said and the slim ghoul stepped forward and walked to the front of the stage. “This is my water ghoul, he can produce water from anywhere and control any liquids” Papa said and Water raised his arm, his palm facing down. Suddenly his fingertips start dripping water. The crowd is amazed by this but suddenly the water ghoul starts flicking his fingers at the people closest to the stage. The people start laughing and Water stops after a few moments before returning to his spot.
“How great was that huh?” Papa asked, clapping softly, his leather clad hands not making much sound. “He made you a bit wet did he not?” Papa asked with a smirk and the muscular ghoul stepped forward. “Luckily, I have a personal heater” Papa said with a laugh and the ghoul raised his arm, palm up and produced a little flame. The ghoul seemed pleased with the reactions of the crowd and the flame grew bigger. “Now, now, Alpha, let us not get ahead of ourselves” Papa said gently and the fire ghoul extinguished the flame immediately. “This ghoul deals with all things fire, as you just saw he can make fire and he can control the temperature, to some extent” Papa says and suddenly the room becomes unbearably warm. “He can only increase heat and the longer he does it the longer the heat stays” Papa continues and starts flapping his gloved hand towards himself, hoping he could cool down a bit. “Do not play strip poker with this guy” Papa says with a laugh and the crowd laughs in return. The temperature drops as soon as Alpha stops using his powers.
The ghoul swiftly returns to his spot on the stage as Papa makes his way towards the last ghoul. “Now… picking favorites can be seen as unprofessional, especially when it comes to ghouls but Omega here happens to be my favorite” Papa said into the crowd as Omega grabs his gloved hand to kiss the back of it. “A real gentle ghoul too” Papa said to the crowd before making eye contact with the ghoul and smiling lovingly. “Who wants to guess what this ghoul can do?” Papa asked with a smirk, waiting long enough for the people to exchange answers, though he does not allow them to answer.
“If you guessed he was a frost ghoul you would be wrong, however if you guessed a quintessence ghoul you would be right” Papa said as he walked around the ghoul who waited patiently. “Omega’s powers are quite different from the other ghouls” Papa continued and the crowd waited patiently. “Omega is able to influence emotions and read emotions. He is also able to control time” Papa says as he stops besides the quintessence ghoul. “Controlling time is a dangerous act and he is only permitted to use it when it is an emergency” Papa said as Omega bowed before returning to his spot.
“It is difficult to showcase his powers to a room full of people but you may seek his guidance whenever you need, he is the church’s guidance counselor after all” Papa said smiling.
“Now, I think it is time for you to meet the Siblings of Sin who will be your teachers for the next three years” Papa said as the Siblings of Sin lined up at the front of the stage. Papa took the time to carefully introduce each Sister, Brother and Sibling before dismissing everyone. All students were escorted to their rooms which were identical in shape and setup. Each student had their own bathroom and a tiny kitchen along with a living room / bedroom. It was perfect.
It took some time for you to get used to the schedule soon to be Siblings of Sin had to follow. Each morning started with prayers inside the chapel. After morning prayers breakfast was served. When breakfast was over the classes started and the classes ran until noon. At noon lunch was served and afterwards the classes would resume. When the clock struck 4:00 pm classes were over for the day and everyone was allowed some free time until dinner. After dinner everyone was gathered into the chapel once more for evening prayers. Evening prayers were the last on the agenda.
Luckily the weekends were reserved for leisure and prayers.
You absolutely adored studying and learning new things. The teachers you had were amazing and your peers were great too. Early on during your studies the teachers taught about ghouls and Papa’s ghouls each made an appearance in your class, allowing each and every student to study them and their powers closely. You learned that each ghoul could “run” out of power, every once in a while they had to charge themselves. Most of them however did it more frequently because they all enjoy the act of charging. Omega liked to meditate, Earth liked to roll in the dirt, Water liked to swim, Air liked to stand outside during storms and Alpha liked to eat lava.
Papa was a rare sight for you and you could only catch a glimpse of him when he held masses and if he happened to be in the hall when you were walking to your next class. You had never talked to him but some of your peers had, or so they said. Many of them said he was extremely strict and would not hesitate to take action when someone had disobeyed him or the teachers. Others said he was mean and evil and that he sometimes tortured the Siblings of Sin. There were only a few of your peers that described Papa as a kindhearted man. In reality you did not know what to believe, since you had never talked to him you had formed an idea about his character from his interactions with others. Your conclusion was, until you would be proven otherwise, that Papa was very strict, he was after all the head of the church and he was the one who punished those who disobeyed.
According to your teachers you were a remarkable student, always showed up on time, always handed in your assignments on time, were interested in anything and everything they taught. Time passed as you became more educated and closer to becoming a Sister of Sin when you suddenly fell ill. Whatever you had caught it made you very sick. You were weak, had a fever, your bones hurt and sometimes you threw up. You tried your best to keep up with your studies in your room as your peers were kind enough to deliver you food, study materials and made sure to keep you up to date with what the teachers were teaching, however, you were way too sick to do anything but lay in bed, eat, sleep and go to the bathroom.
Everyday you would check outside your door for a delivery but as the days passed you did not feel yourself getting better. It felt like an eternity before you started feeling better. It was a Friday when you felt strong enough to wash yourself. The water felt heavenly against your skin as you laid back against the bathtub and you really took the time to clean yourself properly. After the bath you dressed yourself and made your way to your desk. The desk was filled with papers and books. Picking up the most recent paper you read the date. Dropping into your chair you take in the fact that you had been absent from your classes and prayers for almost two weeks. Rummaging through the papers you find the handwritten notes from your peers that were supposed to keep you up to date and you discover that you had missed the deadlines for 2 essays, 6 papers and 2 tests.
It was all too much to take in and it was as if your body moved on its own when you turned off the light in your room and made your way towards your bed before lying down and pulling the covers over your head. You had failed yourself, your peers, your teachers and most importantly, you had failed Papa. You did not know how long you cried before you passed out and when you woke up you cried some more, then you passed out once more. This time you slept until Saturday morning. When you wake up this time you feel numb. There is no way for you to catch up with everyone now, you were fucked.
You spent the next few days in a depressive state, wrapped in blankets all cozy in your bed. You of course did not feel cozy at all.
The usuals who came by with your deliveries tried multiple times to get you to come to the door but you never did. Waiting until you were sure they were gone you opened your door to grab the food they left but not the homework before closing the door and locking it. Another week went by and you continued living in your bed, only getting off it to go to the bathroom or to get food. Your peers found it strange of you for not coming to your door anymore to receive their deliveries and when they noticed that only the food was being delivered and not the homework they notified Papa.
As your peers informed Papa of your situation you realized that since you were no longer studying at the church you would most likely be forced to leave. Uncertainty sets in and you start crying again, trying to come up with a solution but your mind gets foggy as you start switching between emotions at lightning speed. There is a knock at your door and you jump. Your tears continue to slowly run down your cheeks as your heart hammers against your chest. The door knob rattles as the person on the other side tries to enter your room. You were like a deer in headlights as you kept completely still on your bed, hoping that the person on the other side would just leave. There is another knock on your door and your heart continues to hammer against your chest. Next thing you knew a key entered the lock on the other side of the door. How could the other person have a key?
Panicking, you leap out of your bed to keep the person from entering but they were too quick. The door opens and you stop in your tracks when you make eye contact with Papa. You do not see the pained expression on Papa’s face as you drop to your knees and fall forward, grabbing a fistfull of your carpet and crying into it. Papa’s chest aches when he sees the state of you. He closes the door silently before making his way towards you and kneeling down to sit beside you, resting his back against your bed.
“Ghuleh…” Papa starts whispering softly while removing his gloves. “Ghuleh…” Papa says again before placing a warm hand over your fist. When you feel his touch you raise yourself up as you let go of the carpet but the tears continue rolling down your face. “My child, you look terrible, what happened?” Papa said as he skillfully interlaced his fingers with yours while slowly pulling you towards him, giving you the option to pull away if you wanted. That was all the convincing you needed to all but crawl into his lap as he accepted you with open arms. Sobbing into Papa’s chest, he held you close in his warm embrace, his papal robes mimicking a blanket.
Papa was prepared to hold you for as long as you needed. After a few moments Papa starts humming and stroking your hair. It had not occurred to you how touch starved you were, Papa’s gestures were giving you much comfort. Neither you nor Papa knew how much time had gone by but at some point you had stopped crying. When you were ready you raised your head to look up at the antipope. “There we are” Papa said with a smile. “How are you feeling?” Papa asked as he gently rubbed your back. “Better” You said quietly, his gaze feeling incredibly non threatening. “Good” Papa said, smiling once more before shifting slightly and you move off his lap.
You watch as Papa stands up from the floor, dusts off his robes before offering you his hands. Papa helps you up from the floor and sits you down on your bed before going into your kitchen to grab you a glass of water. Only a few moments pass before Papa is back with the water. He hands you the glass and gives you a look and you understand that he wants you to drink. Then he grabs your blanket and drapes it over your shoulders before disappearing into your bathroom but he returns after about a minute with a damp washcloth.
When he returns you have had a noticeable amount of water and you had placed it on your nightstand and relocated on your bed to lay against the headboard all wrapped up in your blanket. You watch him closely as he joins you on the bed. “May I?” Papa asks, presenting the washcloth and you nod. “It is a bit cold” Papa said as he slowly brought it towards your face. “Now, what on earth happened to you darling?” Papa asked softly as he brought the cloth against your cheek before wiping it gently. It felt good, so good that you had to close your eyes as Papa wiped below your eyes, your cheeks, your chin and a bit of your neck.
This gesture was over way too soon for your liking and you open up your eyes at the absence of the washcloth. “Not too cold eh?” Papa said with a smile as he put the washcloth on your nightstand. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?” Papa asked you with a reassuring smile. Hesitating, you continue to look at Papa as your tears threaten to start spilling again. “We can do this at your pace, I am in no hurry, I took the day off to check up on you and it pleases me to see that you are still alive, your peers were quite worried” Papa said softly as he reached for your hand. “Alright…” You said softly as Papa took your hand in his. “You can start when you are ready” Papa said as he placed your palm on his chest and he held your hand there for a while.
Papa’s heartbeat was steady and regular, just the way it was supposed to be. When you started speaking Papa lowered your hand again but continued to hold it. “I have no idea what my peers have told you about my situation but I was sick for a while” You started and Papa nodded. “I had some knowledge of it, yes, how long were you sick?” Papa asked as his thumb started stroking your hand. “I was sick for about two weeks” You said and remembering your situation made it hurt even more. Papa was a bit surprised at your answer. “Two weeks and I was not informed?” Papa said abruptly but gently. “By my staff I mean, not by you, my staff are more than capable when it comes to these matters, I’m surprised they did not, I will have to talk to them later, please, do go on” Papa said smiling once again and squeezing your hand ever so gently.
“When I was sick I could hardly do anything, I couldn’t even wash myself” You continue. “That sounds bad, I am glad you are no longer sick” Papa said, his smile softening. “I stopped being sick on a Friday and fixed myself up before realizing that I was in deep shit” You said with a scoff. “There is no shit in here” Papa said with a serious expression and you could not help but laugh. “Ugh, you know what I mean” You say, rolling your eyes, though slightly amused. “I missed two whole weeks of classes and I couldn’t do anything to catch up on my studies, it broke me” You said, the tears threatening to spill again and Papa squeezes your hand again.
“Do you know how long it has been since you got sick?” Papa asked and you shook your head. “I was busy being depressed, so no, I haven't been keeping track of the time” You said as Papa gave you another one of those lovely smiles. “It has been three weeks Ghuleh, you have missed three weeks worth of classes” Papa said softly and this time your tears flowed freely. “I’m such a disappointment, I failed you Papa” You said sobbing as you reached for him. Papa welcomed you with open arms and he did not rush you and for that you were thankful. He just sat there as you sobbed against his chest once more. The antipope started humming again while drawing pictures with his finger on your back. When your crying had subsided Papa started speaking.
“My child” Papa started as he drew a sun on your back. “I am the head of this church. I am the one to choose who is fit to become a Sibling of Sin. I am the one who chooses the books and the study material. I am the one who decides if you have failed” Papa said as he rubbed your back, your chest aching from his words. “Know that you have not failed, you are far from failure” Papa said softly. “You have only experienced a small set back due to your physical and mental health” Papa said, stroking your back softly. “Know that your health and wellbeing is more important than your studies. You are your first priority, anything else is second priority” Papa said and the ache in your chest lessened.
Papa stopped talking for a few moments and you notice a feeling somewhere far inside you. Hope. “I’m sorry for crying so much, I can’t control it” You say as Papa lets you go. “No need for apologies, crying is natural” Papa said as he raised his hand to slowly wipe away the remaining tears. “How will I be able to catch up on my studies? I have already missed so much” You say hesitantly as Papa wiped away your tears. “I have read some of your papers. You are an exceptional learner who is more than capable of becoming a Sister of Sin. With the right guidance you will have no problem resuming your studies” Papa said almost excitedly. “You read my papers?” You ask him, hardly believing what you are hearing.
Papa just nods, smiling a smile so contagious that you cannot help but to smile back. “All we have to do now is to make sure you continue to be healthy both in your body and mind, when that has been taken care of we go over what you have missed officially, tests, essays, papers, you know?” Papa said gently and your smile did not falter. “When we have discovered how much you have actually missed, I will, with the help of my ghouls and some Siblings of Sin, help you get back on track” Papa said with a wink. “Are you sure you want to go through all of that effort to help me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just make me leave?” You ask him and his smile drops. “That had never crossed my mind, you my dear have potential. I am positive you will do great things, your papers indicate something more than just understanding of the material, you know how to use it and how to add to it. I can hardly wait to see what your future has in store for you” Papa said, ending the sentence with another smile. “Though, I would understand it if you wanted to leave on your own accord, but I will not be the one asking you to leave” Papa said, his smile turning reassuring.
“No, I don’t want to leave. What day is it?” You ask after a few moments in silence. “It is a Friday” Papa said and you nod. “Lucky for you, winter break is next week which means no classes” Papa said with a smile. “We can spend the entirety of next week catching up on your studies” Papa said excitedly. “You think I can catch up on 3 weeks of material in a week?” You ask, flabbergasted. “With my help, you can do anything” Papa said, nodding. “I will also be able to bend the rules a bit for you when necessary” Papa said with another wink. “Are you sure you want to help me?” You ask him again, just in case this was some sick joke. “Yes, yes, yes, I want to help you, if you do not believe me we can start right now if you would like” Papa said waving his hands in the air, standing up and walking towards your desk. “But first” Papa says, spinning, his robes mimicking a dressing gown. “You need to take care of yourself” Papa said with a serious expression. “You need to take a bath darling, I know it may sound hard but I promise it will make you feel better” Papa said, tilting his head slightly. “I can leave your room if that makes you feel more comfortable” Papa said softly.
“It's fine, you can stay” You said as you got off your bed and made your way to your closet to grab a fresh pair of clothes before disappearing into your bathroom.
“Excellent” Papa said, clasping his hands together and looking over your room. “It is way too messy in here to study comfortably” Papa said as he made his way over to a window you had not opened in three weeks. When he has opened the window he notices Air and Earth out in the gardens. Earth was tending to the flora as usual while Air kept him company. “Air” Papa said calmly and the air ghoul made instant eye contact with the antipope. “I will need you to gather the ghouls and come up to room 13” Papa continued in his calm voice and the air ghoul nodded. “One more thing Air, bring a Sister of Sin with you and tell Earth to bring an animal” Papa said with a smile and Air nodded once more before informing Earth of the situation. Impeccable hearing was a glorious ability all of the ghouls possessed.
While Air and Earth found the other ghouls and a sister of their choice, Papa tidied up your room a bit. He was not much for cleaning, however he liked to take good care of books and papers. When the others had arrived Papa had gathered all of the loose books and placed them in a stack on your desk, along with all of the papers and notes your peers had brought you. There was a quiet knock on your door and Papa is quick to open up the door, revealing the ghouls, the sister and a cat. “I found these outside the room” Water said as he presented Papa with a stack of papers. “Thank you Water, you can place them on the desk” Papa said as he let everyone aside. “Hello my dear” Papa said, grabbing the Sister’s hands as he greeted her with a kiss on each hand. “How can I be of service Papa?” The Sister of Sin asked with a smile and a soft blush. “All I ask of you today is to tidy up this disciple’s room” Papa said, gesturing towards the mess in your room. “Of course Papa” The Sister said with a smile before going straight to work.
As Papa was talking to the Sister of Sin, the ghouls gathered inside your room and looked around it. Air already knew his job and immediately started moving the stale air inside your room. The air ghoul swirled it around the room very quietly and softly so as not to disturb anything in the room before directing it out of the window, when he was done the fresh air flowed inside. “Which animal did you bring little Earth?” Papa asked while looking over the ghouls as the Sister went to tidy up. “I brought her a cat, her name is Lucy” Earth said with a big smile as he held it up in front of himself. The cat was black as night with big yellow eyes and it meows loudly at Papa. “What a beautiful feline” Papa said as he took the cat from Earth’s hands and held it up himself before raising it in the air (Lion King style) and spinning in a few circles. “Yes, I think this cat will do nicely, she is going to like this cat” Papa said after only a moment of spinning before holding it in his arms like an infant and stroking its stomach.
“Are you sure you do not want this cat for yourself?” Alpha asked with a chuckle and Omega stifled a laugh. “Yes I am sure” Papa said, not amused as he continued to pet the cat. “Now, as you all can see this room is not too messy but it could use a bit of tidying up” Papa said, gesturing around the room. “The lovely Sister you brought has already started to change the sheets on the bed and I have gathered all of her books and papers” Papa continues, gesturing towards the Sister and towards your desk. “We will have to work together to tidy it up” Papa said with a smile before putting the cat down on the floor. “Why should we do that?” Alpha asked confused as this was far from a typical ghoul job. “I will explain the situation” Papa said as the cat started nuzzling his feet.
Unaware of the situation outside your bathroom due to the thick walls you had no idea what Papa was up to. While you waited for your bathtub to fill up you brushed out your tangled hair and removed your clothes. Before stepping into the bathtub you made sure all the soaps, shampoo and conditioner were in reach. The water felt incredible and you really took the time to relax before actually washing yourself. When you finally started washing yourself the others had already tidied up your room. All of the trash had been thrown away, all clothes had been folded, the carpet had been vacuumed. Papa, the Sister and the ghouls had taken care of everything.
“Thank you all for helping me do this” Papa said with a smile and a hand on his heart as he looked over his people. “It was no trouble” The Sister said as she sat in between Alpha and Omega on your tiny couch who both just nodded at Papa. “Anytime Papa” Earth said as he walked over to Water who was sitting on the carpet next to Air and handed him a small vase before producing a pair of scissors. “I will need all of your help next week too” Papa said as he watched water stick his hand in the vase while Earth started growing roses from his fingers. “As I told you all before, she is quite far behind in her studies” Papa continued and watched as Earth started cutting the roses that were growing on his fingertips. “Sister, I will need a copy of all the tests she missed” Papa said and the Sister nodded understandingly. “Ghouls, I will need you all to take part in all of the practical teaching she missed” Papa said as Water finally took his hand out of the vase and handed it to Earth who carefully placed the roses into it before putting the scissors away.
“So we are not getting a break next week? I had plans” Alpha asked, still a little pissed that his schedule had been messed up. “Whatever you had planned next week I am sure you can either reschedule or postpone it, I will not need you to be present every second of next week, you will get your break” Papa said, slightly pissed at Alpha’s disinterest in this. “I will make it up to you all in one way or another” Papa said with a sigh. “Our policy states that all disciples will receive necessary support to complete their studies, I will hold all staff accountable that tries to prevent that” Papa said in a serious tone. “Sorry Papa, I will help however I can” Alpha said softly and Papa smiled. “Tomorrow, I will make a plan for next week and put together a time table” Papa said as he started pacing around the room. “Everyone will know what to do and at what time they are supposed to show up” Papa continued and Lucy started nuzzling his feet again. “I will of course have to shorten the material significantly, however she will be taking the same tests as her peers” Papa continued but stopped to pick up the cat. “As for the essays and papers she missed, I will most likely have her combine the themes and subjects into a single essay and a single paper, so in reality she would only need to write one essay and one paper” Papa said as he stood still, holding the cat in his arms and petting it.
“Sister, would you be able to inform the other Siblings of the situation and gather the tests she has missed right now?” Papa asked and the Sister immediately stood up from the couch. “Of course Papa” The Sister said with a smile as Papa walked towards her. The Sister met him halfway and allowed him to kiss her hand once more before bowing and exiting the room. Once she was out of your room you had just finished drying your hair and dressing yourself. You are in for quite the surprise when you exit your bathroom.
“What the fuck?” You mumble as you notice Papa and the five ghouls. You are even more surprised when you look around your room and find it all tidied up. “What the hell? Did you clean my room?” You asked, confused and surprised. “Yes Ghuleh, we did indeed clean your room” Papa says turning and walking towards you with the black cat in his arms. “I found your room too messy for your well being, I also thought it could improve your concentration and your mental state” Papa said as he stopped in front of you. “Thanks I guess” You say, trying to wrap your head around everything that had happened during the last two hours. “I know all of this is quite sudden but time is key” Papa said with a smile as he watched you reach out to pet the cat. “I have talked to my ghouls and they are all willing to help you with your studies” Papa said, still smiling as the cat nuzzled your palm. “Tomorrow I will make a plan for next week” Papa said as he put his arm around your shoulder and guided you towards your bed.
Papa placed the cat on your bed and you were quick to sit down beside it. “We will be on a tight schedule but we will be taking necessary breaks, I do not want to overwork you” Papa said as he looked from you and to the ghouls.
“I think the ghouls and I should get going but we will meet again tomorrow, for now, you should relax” Papa said with a smile and the ghouls stood up, one by one. “Thanks guys” You said and the ghouls waved you goodbye, all but Omega, who decided to stay behind. “Miss Y/N, I was wondering if you would allow me to read your emotions” Omega asked as he bent down to pick up Papa's gloves before approaching you and Papa. “You are allowed to say no if you do not feel comfortable with me, all I want to do is to understand your aura, your energy and your feelings” Omega said, handing Papa the gloves and you could hear him smile behind his mask. “Sure, I’ve never had anyone read my emotions before, how do you do it?” You say as you stop petting the cat and Papa puts his gloves on. “The most effective way is through touch but I can also do it without touch, though that method may be less accurate since Papa and Lucy are also in here, we could have them leave the room if necessary” Omega said as he rolled up his sleeves. “You can touch me, does it have to be somewhere specific?” You ask as Papa had a seat beside you on the bed. “Your arm is a good place” Omega said and you stretch out your arm towards him.
Omega reaches for your arm and takes a hold of it with both hands, gently wrapping his fingers around your forearm and wrist. The quintessence ghoul closed his eyes as he concentrated and you used the opportunity to look over at Papa. You gave him a small smile which he returned before he looked down at Lucy and started petting her. You watched Papa pet Lucy as you waited for the quintessence ghoul to finish. Omega was used to reading the emotions of emotional people but he found yours to be exceptionally strong. Omega felt your emotions three weeks ago, the way you felt when you were sick, the way you felt when you had finally recovered and the way you felt a week ago, when you realized how far behind you were in your studies. Having the ability to read the emotions of others meant that Omega had to feel those emotions to recognize them, they would of course be much more vague and dull than how the person who felt them felt. Sometimes the original emotions were so strong that they made an impact on the quintessence ghoul. Grateful for the mask, you nor Papa could see the few tears roll down Omega’s face. Quickly, Omega read your most recent emotions and the tears stopped flowing immediately due to the sheer happiness Papa had brought you earlier and continued to give you. The quintessence ghoul also found that hope, excitement and longing were making their presence known, very faintly.
When Omega was done, he opened his eyes and let go of your arm. “She is ready Papa” Omega said before bowing and dismissing himself. “It is time for me to go, my dear” Papa said, looking up at you. “You need to relax and eat dinner, and I need to do some planning” Papa said as he stood up from the bed. “You can keep the cat too, it should serve as a good companion. I will have a Sibling bring up some stuff you will need to take care of it” Papa said with a smile. “What’s its name?” You ask, looking down at the cat who was purring loudly. “Her name is Lucy” Papa said, still smiling. “Can I have another hug before you leave?” You ask, almost hesitantly and immediately Papa opens up his arms. Papa wraps his arms around you as he embraces you and you cannot help but smile as you press your cheek against his chest. When you let go of each other Papa kisses the back of your hand before leaving your room. Leaving you all alone with your new companion.
It did not take Papa long to gather the necessary materials for you to be able to catch up with your peers. When Papa had created a time table and a proper schedule, he made sure to distribute the plan to the necessary ghouls. Papa made sure to give you a copy of the plan so you would know what was going on. It was 6:00 am on a Monday when there was a knock on your door. You had woken up sometime before, giving you just enough time to get yourself ready for the day. Like you expected, Papa was at your door along with a Sibling of Sin. “Good morning darling” Papa said happily as you invited him inside and the Sibling followed behind him, bringing inside a utility cart packed with things. “I brought you breakfast, or, err… they brought you breakfast” Papa said in a silly tone as he gestured towards the Sibling and the two of you watched as they pushed the cart towards your desk before bowing, receiving a kiss on their hand from Papa and then leaving. “I thought it would be a good idea for me to give you a short lecture about the material we are covering today while you eat, what do you think?” Papa asked as you walked towards your desk. “I like that idea, though, aren’t you hungry?” You asked as you reached for the coffee. “I ate before I came to see you” Papa said with a smile.
While you ate, Papa used the time to give you a lecture. When you finished eating you started reading a collection of selected texts Papa had provided you with. While you read, Papa used the time to have some lunch. When it was lunchtime for you, Papa picked up the text you had not finished reading and started reading it out loud for you. This went on until dinnertime came around and this time you ate together. Afterwards, the two of you discussed today’s material before calling it a day. There was a similar schedule on Tuesday. The only difference being the presence of the ghouls. All of them came at different times throughout the day. Papa had you study each ghoul and their powers carefully. To save time, Papa acted as a second pair of hands and wrote down all of your discoveries as you had to use yours to examine their horns, tails, fangs and physical powers.
Wednesday was reserved for more reading and revision. Papa made sure you read the rest of the texts he provided while giving you small lectures and reading out loud for you while you ate. When the texts had been read Papa helped you revise the material as Thursday and Friday were reserved for the essay, the paper and the tests. Thursday was perhaps the most time consuming day out of the week as you spent almost the entire day writing. You could hardly describe your happiness when Papa came over with his own personal typewriter for you to use so you would not have to write everything by hand. By the end of the day you had written a long paper and a long essay. Tomorrow would be the last day of this extreme study bootcamp you were going through.
As a reward for your exceptional performance, Papa allowed you to sleep in on Friday and woke you up by bringing you pancakes. When you had eaten the most delicious pancakes you had eaten in your life Papa helped you revise for each test by revising a subject and then having you fill out the test. After filling out 10 tests you were finally done. Papa was lounging on your couch, reading a new book with Lucy laying on his stomach when you had finally answered the last question of the test. You made sure to look over your answers just in case you had missed something, you had not missed anything. It felt surreal when you put your pen down and stood up. “I did it” You said quietly as you turned to walk towards Papa. “Are you done?” Papa asked gently as to not disturb the sleeping Lucy as he looked up at you. You nodded and Papa smiled.
“I would get up and congratulate you but you know the rules” Papa said nodding at Lucy, making you giggle. “I know the rules” You said smiling while reaching over to pet Lucy who meows loudly, annoyed at being awoken. “Sorry Lucy, normally I would’ve waited for you to wake up on your own but this time I just had to wake you, if Earth were here he would be able to make you understand” You said as Lucy stood up and stretched before jumping off the couch. Papa wastes no time putting his book away and standing up to hug you tightly. Papa had you giggling at his enthusiasm and you hugged him back. “Thank you for helping me achieve this Papa, I owe you everything” You said as you let go of each other. “You owe me nothing darling, I am simply doing my job and following the policy of the church” Papa said with a chuckle as he held onto your hands. “Thank you anyway Papa” You said and Papa squeezed your hands. “I am happy to help” Papa said, kissing your hands before lowering them and letting them go.
Luckily for you everything went back to normal. You were able to show up for classes and to continue your studies. Your peers were very happy to see you and everywhere you went you had people congratulate you. As days and weeks went by you started seeing less and less of Papa. Things had indeed gone back to normal. Apparently Papa had to go on a business trip only a few days after your accomplishments and when he came back he was just as rare of a sight as before.