Chapter Text
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She couldn’t even stand.
Every time she tried to get up, her legs gave out from under her. They weren’t working. She was still disoriented from being summoned up from the pit and being deposited topside, so the fact that she couldn't do so much as stand up on her own feet was making her frustrated, and also panicked.
She knew she was in some sort of chamber, so she assumed. The only light source was from candles scattered about. She knew there were others around her, aware of the scents of various ghouls. She could hear voices, hushed and whispering, but wasn’t paying attention to any of them.
After another attempt to stand ended up with her on the ground, she gave up, lacking the energy to try again. Her chest constricted and a sob caught in her throat as tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t know what to do.
Then she heard a rustle of fabric. The clinking of something metal. There was an unfamiliar scent.
She looked up, startled into baring her fangs, but soon looses all fight. She’s aware of the tears starting to run down her face, but her eyes are fixed on who she saw before her, someone that she could only describe as mystifying.
Human, if she had to guess; they didn’t smell like a ghoul. Dressed in ornate purple robes, they kneeled before her. Part of the human’s face seemed to be painted, though the upper half was covered by a silver mask that resembled part of a skull. Strange eyes watched her, studied her; one green while the other was white. An unholy eye.
She held their gaze, unsure of what to do. Her body began to shake, everything becoming way too much.
The human saw this and extended a hand, clad in a metal glove that was just as decorated as their robes and the fingers looking more like claws. They didn’t say anything but kept their hand outstretched. It was like an offering. Waiting patiently.
Not entirely sure why she even did so, she reached back and took the human’s hand. She felt the press of cold metal against her palm.
“Take a deep breath, ghoul.” They finally spoke, voice calm and quiet.
She tried. She closed her eyes, centering in on the feel of the metal glove holding her hand, and breathed in. She held it, then released it. She did it again, and a third time, before she finally felt in a more stable sense of self. Still weak, but stable.
She opened her eyes again, and there was the faintest smile on the human’s lips. They hadn’t let go of her hand.
Just who was this person?
“If you are able to speak, I would like to ask if you have a name.” The human continued.
She tried to think. She knew her own elements and yet… yet a name is becoming lost on her. She had a name before, she thinks, but it’s static now. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out and all she could do was shake her head.
The metal glove around her hand squeezed, but not harshly. “Hm. There’s been a thick fog lingering outside all day; maybe it was a sign of your arrival. How does “Haze” sound?”
She processed the word in her head, repeating it until finally she could speak.
“Ha… Haze.” Yes, that sounded good. She liked it. She gave her confirmation in a nod.
The human used their other hand to tilt her head up, mismatched eyes once again meeting her own. “Henceforth, you shall be Haze. I am Perpetua, fifth Papa of the Satanic Ministry.”
Of the… Oh. This was-
Someone else suddenly came into view, a tall ghoulette. Air, if Haze had to guess. The ghoulette’s hair was shaved on one side and she wore a black cloak over a fitted uniform. She appeared to the side of Perpetua and knelt down, wrapping something soft around Haze.
“My name’s Cirrus.” She said, silver-blue eyes shining. “Welcome to topside.”
“Cirrus.” Haze repeated, trying to blink her tears away. Cirrus put a fabric into Haze's hands and gestured to her face. She got the hint, pressing it to each eye carefully.
“You’ll learn all of our names soon enough. You’ve already met… V.” She could only assume "V" was another name for the human, but Cirrus had spoken the name with something like reluctance. “You can meet the others when you’re ready.”
“Others?” She looked to Perpetua, who was still watching her with those odd, mismatched eyes of theirs.
"Yes." They confirmed. "Though I imagine the ones that accompanied us might want to meet you now."
The two of them helped Haze to her feet, though her legs are still shaky and they nearly give out again. Her balance is shot when she tries to take a step and she stumbles as a result. Letting out an involuntary gasp, she grabbed on to the nearest body available, to prevent herself from falling over, which happened to be Perpetua. Her hand shot out to grab onto their robes as she inadvertently leaned into them.
She felt them tense up at the contact. Hesitantly, she glanced up. Their expression wasn’t the easiest to read, partially because of the mask, but they didn’t show any reaction, not outwardly anyway.
“V, I can take her if you need me to.” Cirrus says, hovering nearby. “I’m here as a favor to Cumulus. And to Copia.”
Perpetua’s eyes lingered on Haze before turning to Cirrus. “She is unwell.”
“The summoning process affects every ghoul differently. She may be in some sort of shock or her element could be disrupted as a side effect of the ritual. We can have Phantom look her over at the infirmary.”
“I will take her there then. I should at least see to that since I summoned her. Tell the others to save their greetings until then.”
“If you say so.” Cirrus touches Haze’s arm lightly before addressing her. “V is going to take you to the infirmary just to make sure the ritual didn’t mess with your body too much. I have a robe here for you too you can put on for now. We’ll get the rest sorted later.”
Cirrus helps her into a robe, black just like the air ghoulette’s cloak. Perpetua waits patiently until Haze ready and can actually take more than a single step. Haze’s legs are starting to feel a bit more stable, but there’s still a pervading sense of everything about herself being thrown out of sync. It makes her woozy trying to make sense of it.
When she is ready to leave and starts to follow Perpetua out of whatever this place is she sees a group of three ghouls that had been clustered by some candles. They were other scents she had picked up on before. She could tell one of them was a water ghoul, but the other two she was unsure about, element wise. One of them was shorter than the rest and looking at Haze with a curious expression.
The trio followed after them and Haze caught a glimpse of Cirrus falling back to converse with them.
“Message Phantom and let them know to expect us.”
“On it. So, this one?”
“If she wants to stay. That’s between her and V.”
“At least the ritual went well. She could have freaked out like Rainy here did.”
“Can we not talk about that? I wasn’t in my right mind back then.”
“Swiss, your summoning was no picnic either.”
“Don’t remind me. First Multi they see in ages and everyone panics. They didn’t even know I was Multi until they knocked me out.”
Haze was only half listening to them, catching a few more names she was unfamiliar with, but more focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Just do that and breathe.
The sooner she got out of here and someplace with less stifling air the better.
Brought up from the ritual chamber and to the infirmary, Haze was greeted by a quintessence ghoul by the name of Phantom. They were bright eyed and eager to meet her, and more than happy to conduct a medical examination to assess her overall condition after being summoned.
Perpetua had disappeared at some point too after Phantom introduced themself, though when she asked after Perpetua she’d been told that summoning rituals could be taxing on the one conducting them as well. They- or ‘he’, as they addressed him- may have been tired and needed to rest.
Haze spaced out a couple of times while Phantom conducted their examination, but caught the gist of their findings. As it would turn out, the reason Haze had difficulty standing immediately post summoning was because of a major disruption to her element. Elements actually. Phantom was able to recognize she had more than one- air and water in her case- and said this sort of thing was not uncommon for past Multi summons, however few they may have been. Phantom recommended that Haze stay in the infirmary overnight both for observation and for stabilization of her elements. Allowing her to rest after being put through a ritual such as a summoning would be for her benefit.
Haze didn’t bother to fight it; she didn’t have the strength to. There were some questions on her mind but she was promised they would be explained the next day. She had only been half paying attention to anything that was being said anyway.
So there she stayed, her first night in this new world.
She must have slept soundly through the night, because when she next wakes, it’s morning and she thinks she hears bells ringing somewhere in the distance. Her body feels a bit stiff, but she feels calm when she breathes in. There’s light coming through the windows and it’s nice; makes her feel at ease.
Which to her is ironic considering she’d been dragged here from the Pits the day before.
For some time she lays there in her own silence, maybe close to drifting off again, when a voice calls her.
“Haze.”
Recognizing her newly given name, her eyes snapped open and she quickly turned her head to see Perpetua. His robes were of a different style, but the purple remained a theme. His face was still painted in the same pattern as before and that mask was still fixed to his face.
“When did you…” She tried to sit up in bed. She hadn’t expected them to be there. “Um, hi?”
“Hello. I did not mean to startle you.” He spoke in the same calm, measured tone as before. “I thought I would stop by here to see how you were doing before I went to mass. I was told your element- or elements, rather- was in flux after your summoning. I didn’t know if something had gone wrong. I…”
He stepped over to her and placed a hand on her head, right between her horns. Although surprised at the forwardness, she found his touch was gentle. It almost made her purr.
“I’ve never done a summoning before now.” He said softly. “You are my first.”
Drawing back, Perpetua pulled a nearby chair over to her bedside.
“You are feeling better, I hope.” He said as he sat down in the chair.
“I guess.” Haze looked around at the space she was in, too out of it the previous evening for any of it to register. “This place is not what I’m used to.”
He nodded. “That I can understand. I imagine the Pits are quite different.”
“Very.” She settled her gaze upon Perpetua, effectively her summoner. “So, let me guess, I’m here to serve? That’s how it goes with these summons, right?”
“There’s a bit more to it. I told you I am the fifth Papa of this Ministry. I have not had this position long but part of those responsibilities, as I have discovered, is to manage a certain project. A... band, to put it bluntly. We are suddenly in need of another ghoul for the project, and urgently, so I was asked to do a summoning. That is why you are here.”
“You want me to be part of this project?”
Another nod. “If you are willing. My brother said the summoning ritual would be good experience for me, but also said that this is something I cannot force. I wouldn’t blame you if you chose not to stay.”
There was something sad in those last words they spoke, something resigned. Maybe it was the in the way their eyes seemed a tad less bright.
“I can wait till after mass if you need some time to think it over.” He continued. “I realize what I am asking of you.”
“No, just… wait a minute...”
Haze thought the offer over. It was clear this human was leaving this choice in her hands and was not going to rush her. Her existence in the Pits hadn’t necessarily been a bad one, but she had more or less drifted around aimlessly. Here, everything was so new and unfamiliar, and she didn’t know what to expect from any of this, but...
She wanted to stick around.
“I can stay.” She decided. “Your first summoning won’t be for nothing.”
Her words appeared to break the melancholy that had settled over Perpetua and a relieved smile pulled at his lips.
“That is good to hear. Rest for now; I will ask one of my brother’s ghoulettes to come see you after mass. They work on the project as well. They will be able to explain everything to you and help get you settled. And Haze, if you need anything at all, you can come to me. As Papa I must look after my ghouls, and that includes you.”
“Got it, er… Papa. I guess that’s what I call you.”
“Perpetua or V works just as well.”
At this he held out his hand, just like before when she had been overwhelmed. Haze looked at his outstretched hand, noting he wore different gloves this time, before taking it. Something about the action made it feel more official this time.
“Perpetua.” Haze repeated, testing the name, letting the sound of it echo through her.
Perpetua.
Her summoner. Her Papa.