ℭ𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔄𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔠 𝔳𝔰 ℭ𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔦𝔠 𝔱𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔨
“Qui this is James, I want you two to be together for the day and heh— show him around a bit, show him your garde-“
before Frater could continue there’s a sharp stab in the wall beside James’ head, a dangling pair of silver scissors lodged into the wood.
his eyes dart between Quintas back and the scissors, a bit spooked but at the look of her in the windows reflection she was.. angelic to him at least.
“OH MY— come dear we’ve talked about this don’t throw things at guests-!”
“I don’t know him. why should I welcome strangers into my garden without my knowledge beforehand Frater?”
she turns to face the group fully, gloved hands resting on the desk, she was scary to say the least- the spitting image of her uncle..
“come now mi vida you know we treat members of other clergy’s with respect! it’s not like you’re not apart of one too—“
“Fine.. I’ll show the boy around I suppose.”
Frater claps his hands together as she walks closer, she isn’t in her usually detailed robes, now that her and her brother are technically not on tour anymore, she can simply wear her white clergy clothes. A long white gown with a smooth, an ornate mantle with intricate silver embroidery and floral patterned, multiple clergy crosses along the front of her shoulders, she’s not wearing her cape with it, in her words it drags too much and needs to be cleaned anyway- either way she looks too much like her uncle when she wears it and it startles Seestor.
As the two walked around the Ministry after leaving Copia and James’ father in his office she started showing him around, first the confessional booth, then the chapel, then the sermon hall, and then introduced him to a couple ghouls in the studio where they usually tune their instruments.
After the tour had ended Perpetua had stayed in his room a while, she’d assumed he’d be either sleeping or just lazing around after everything, the tour was quite long.. although the ghouls didn’t seem to like James that much.
“I personally have never done confessing time, it’s usually Papa or Frater doing it.”
“I bet they hear some pretty weird stuff sometime huh?”
Quinta didn’t talk to him much the whole time.
“so um- you have any siblings-?” James asks, poor guy just wants to have some kind of small talk
“Frater Imperator is my brother, so is Papa V, the rest of my brothers and my parents aren’t with us currently.”
“o-oh- I-I’m sorry for your lo—“
“I don’t need your pity, either way they could be listening to us right now. They haunt us.” she answers, side-eying him as she walked, some of her curls gone between her eyes, in his eyes she looked angelic, but she already knew that.
“that’s mostly the tour, I should return you to your father.” She continues, starting to walk another direction, back towards Copias office
“w-wait what about outside-? I think I saw a big greenhouse somewh—“
“that a private area, it was my brothers and I am the only one allowed inside.”
“oh.. m-maybe I could come back sometime-? o-or maybe you could come over to our church?”
“I’ll think about it. I never leave the ministry”
“I- I see- I can always ask my father too and if your brothers okay with you leaving-“
she doesn’t answer the second part.
Too entranced with the painting of her parents on the nearby wall as they passed, she looked back over at him, finally deciding to answer
“You can ask Frater, if he’s drunk enough he’ll say yes too quickly, I’m going to my chambers for the night- if he wishes to allow you and your father to stay the night so be it, goodnight James.” she answers while closing the door to her room, leaving him in the hallway to go to Copias office.
“ah- y-yeah sure!-“ he practically skips away to the office, once he opened the door he found Copia and his dad giggling over something in a large book
“h-hey uh- that- girl went to bed- what’re you two looking at-?”
“ah! Quis baby pictures! she was such a cute thing years ago, she looked like my brothers- OUR brothers” he sighs “aye she looks just like Primo, except a lady with Terzitos face shape, she looks like all of us! except me though she only inherited my voice..”
“she is a lovely lady Copia, a very pretty thing, she is… around my boys age yes? has she had thoughts of marriage yet? keeping the family’s bloodline even?”
“oh nonononoo- I don’t want my sister being married off yet, she has all of us to be around! she doesn’t need a husband at the moment!”
“u-uhm— Frater-? the gi- Quinta said since it’s getting later that me and my father could stay if you were alright with it—“
Copia sets the photo book down, closing it fully
“ah my Quinta, always so helpful to me, I wanted you both to stay anyway! It could be a bonding moment for her! she never leaves the ministry and always has her own tasks, if you accompanied her in her chores and such maybe she’d be alright with leaving more often!”
“I see… how long ago has she last left the Ministry Frater?”
“oh.. not since Secondo was around, she went on tour with him for a while, but when he left she latched onto the ghouls and Terzo, oh he loved her.. they all did, it was like Primo was there when she popped out, they were all so happy to have a little sister… aye i’m rambling! let’s find you two some rooms-!”
As the night goes on Quinta soon leaves her room, snooping easily down the hallway and the stairs to the back door, the greenhouse.. she thought.
the greenhouse was a sanctuary for her during these hours, her board would be waiting and everything, surely they’ll be already waiting for her. Right?
“what— it’s like almost 3 why are you awake—?”
“going for a short walk.”
“c-can I join-? i-is it out in the garden-?”
“no. I’m going to the greenhouse alone.”
shit. Shouldn’t have said anything dumb.
“really-? b-but it’s super dark out— d-don’t you need a flashlight-?”
“I can see perfectly fine.”
“a-alright- can we at least walk around tomorrow-? maybe you could show me some spots you like to go? like quiet spots around the ministry-?”
“maybe. I’ll think about it while I walk”
“a-alright! g—goodnight Quinta—!”
She keeps walking until she does eventually reach the greenhouse, the hours pass quickly.
She didn’t like it that way.