Poison (A Ghost fanfiction) // EN

Chapter 1

The sun had barely begun to shine through the thick foliage behind her window, but Reyna was already up with a pen in her hand and a sketchbook in the other. She needed more time, she needed it to be perfect. There were only a couple of days left until the ascension and by that time, the facepaint for the new Papa had to be chosen. So she relentlessly dragged the pen on the paper, over and over again. Thank Satanas for her half-ghoul eyes. If she were human, it would still be too dark for her to see. Still, she had to squint a little bit. Her eyesight could not match that of a pureblood ghoul.

Reyna gave out a quiet sigh. Not good enough. Her eyesight or the sketch? Maybe both. Being a hybrid between a human and a ghoul, neither side had claimed her to be one of them. She herself was torn in between, not knowing if it would be better to fully accept her ghoulish side or to try to snuff it out completely. Deep down, she wanted it. To be completely human. Her eyes would be blue or green or brown, not unnaturally yellow and cat-like. Her canines wouldn't protrude so much, giving her a toothy smile resembling a shark. Her ears would be round and pretty, not slightly pointy. Her skin would have a pale greyish tint but it could be pink or brown or black, maybe she could even tan a little and would have to worry about the sun scorching her skin and covering it with blisters if she were not careful enough. At least she didn't have a tail. That way, she could at least pretend she had more in common with humans. And maybe that way she could stand by Terzo's side without shame.

But she knew Terzo didn't mind her cat eyes or sharp teeth. Hell, he would even compliment her on them, saying how much he liked them. Piccola gattina, he would call her. Reyna pretended to hate the nickname, though it made her blush. No, cardinal Terzo didn't mind that his best friend was a half-ghoul. But it won't be long until he ascends. What about then? Cardinal Terzo didn't mind, but would Papa Emeritus Terzo be the same? Reyna could only hope so. But alas, he never gave her a reason not to trust him. So she bit her lip and concentrated once more on the paper in front of her, pouring all her love and faith for Terzo into the sketch.

When he asked her to design his papal paint, she couldn't believe it. "Terzo, I am no artist. What if it gets rejected? Don't you want a professional to do it?" she panicked a little bit, but the cardinal smiled and caressed her shoulder reassuringly.

"Cara, there is no one better for the task than mia piccola gattina. You have been by my side since we were children. I want to bear the strokes of your hand on my face for the rest of my life. A constant reminder of someone I hold so dearly in my heart," he pressed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand, which made her blush. Terzo was always a little flirty with everyone and it made more than one sibling of sin fawn over the young man, but lately he toned it down a lot. A rumour was spreading about the cardinal finally choosing a partner. But it was only a rumour, right?

So there she was, sketching day and night. She designed a few facepaints, not sure which one would Terzo like. Her room was filled with silent sounds of pen scratching against the paper, occasional huffs and puffs of frustration and very faint rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The sound tore right through the quiet room and left a faint ringing in Reyna's ears.

"Gattina, it's me. I haven't seen you at breakfast, so I brought you some."

Her lips stretched into a wide smile. Of course it was him. He would always take care of her. She shot out of her chair, stretching her limbs a little on her way to the door. Behind it stood Terzo, hair neatly slicked back as always, dressed in his black cassock with an inverted cross hanging from his neck. He would look very serious, if it wasn't for the huge grin on his lips. In his hand he held something that looked like some kind of a sweet pastry. She only hoped so as she snatched it from the cardinal's hand.