#copiaxoc

Haphephobia: The Fear of Touch 

Chapter 4 -- Outside

Happy Sunday! This chapter is almost 4,500 words because I got way too excited to hit some of the beats in this. One day I will write shorter chapters...

Haphephobia: The Fear of Touch 

 [Chapter 3] -- Request

description- Lauren (Luxeria) had come across the ministry by mistake, but it was just what she needed in her life. Excitement. She searches and finds herself more along the way while she struggles with her feelings for Copia. Copia struggles with her feelings as well as his own as he is working up his reputation to officially become papa, and later the great Frater Imperator.

DISCLAIMER- THIS FIC IS STRICTLY RELATED TO THE CHARACTERS DEPICTED BY TOBIAS FORGE AND THE GHOULS. THERE IS NO CORRELATION TO TOBIAS IN THIS TIMELINE.

THE PROLOGUE

Lauren woke from her sleep. Her room was but a shroud of darkness with a single stream of light breaking through a crack in the black lacey curtains hovering over her window. She found herself sitting up as if the movement had become robotic for her. She didn't have to think about it too much. She found herself getting dressed and brushing her teeth and hair. She finally zipped up her grey tattered hoodie. it was made out of what seemed to be patchwork cloth and pins.

Before she even knew it or had a thought in her head she was walking out the door, getting a hug from her mom and a kiss on the forehead from her dad. Her parents really were great, supporting her own forms of self-expression, making sure she always had help with her homework or someone to talk to, letting her stay out as late as she wanted as long as she called to update them periodically. Basically, everything an 18-year-old could want from their parents. Independance, love and trust. But, somehow this wasn't enough for her. She wanted more. She wanted arguments, and yelling. She craved some sort of chaos to break her from this cycle of waking up, going to work and coming back home to go to bed, the occasional festival here and there to break it apart.

Lauren hadn't even realized it but she was already waiting at the bus stop to go home. Her hair was messy and her glasses half fallen off. It was like she hadn't even existed during her shift, she couldn't remember a single thing that had happened. She let out a long sigh as she dug into her bag for her book, she still had an hour to wait at least before the next bus came by. that however was when she saw them. A group of people walking through the cemetery across the street. They walked and chanted as they approached the mausoleum, dressed in floor-length cloaks. The leader was a man dressed in white robes, as if he were a priest.

Lauren felt herself move her feet, one after the other, as she inched towards them, trying to stay out of eyesight. She watched as they all entered the building. She continued to watch for a couple moments before making her decision to break out of her monotonous life. Every step made her heartbeat faster as if she was doing something she shouldn't be. The nerves turned to excitement. She could feel her blood lacing with the adrenaline as she touched the stone of the mausoleum, feeling as though something sparked through her hand, up her arm, and into her heart. It felt as though she was supposed to be here, that it was fate the universe bring her here at this exact moment.

she watched as the door opened, exposing the light inside. They were green and yellow and pink and just about every color you could think of. Everyone was dressed in varying colors of Victorian dresses, their faces painted with skeletal drawings. They laughed and hugged each other, holding red liquids in fancy glasses. Lauren felt as if she was at home with these people, despite not looking anything like them. As she scanned the room her eyes landed on an older woman standing with a boy who seemed to be maybe 6-7 years older than her. He wore the same painted face as most of the room, however his left eye was a chrystal like blue while his other eye was a dark brown.

The lady standing next to him held her hair in a tight bun on top of her head, a few fly-aways curled up here and there. She seemed to be fixing his hair as he squirmed away, looking rather embarrassed. Lauren found herself giggling at the sight before her before she heard a guitar start to ring in her ear. She turned her attention to the front of the room as she witnessed another man dressed in a black suit, from the vest to the long tailed coat. His hair was slicked back tightly as he began to sing. His movements were sensual and enticing. The crowd surrounding her began to dance and party with each other, chanting along to the lyrics that flowed from his mouth.

Lauren soon found herself dancing and partying with everyone. She was having such a good time that she had hardly noticed the music stop as all eyes were on her, including the man standing on the stage. she suddenly felt herself choking on her nerves, maybe she really wasn't supposed to be here.

"And who might you be my dear?" the man called from the stage, seemingly to Lauren, as everyone turned their bodies to look at her if they weren't already looking.

"Im-Uhm-I'm lauren-" she choked out to be interupted.