"Ghoulette of Lust" (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 10 - Phoenix

"It's a lust ghoul!" Papa proudly exclaimed. There was loud cheering as a ghoul picked me up above the crowd. I didn't recognize the ghoul, but he seemed really tall. I couldn't see anything because of the golden mask covering my face. The fabric of my loose black pants brushed against what I assumed was his mask, but he didn't seem to care very much.

I was let down on my knees again as Sister Imperator lifted the mask off my face. The handed me a silver mask. It looked like a ghoul mask, except it had longer hair and looked a but more feminine. It was smaller, so my face would fit. She also gave me a hood of some sort, it was to cover my and face hair with. It had a square "window" by my eyes which allowed me to see clearly. She helped me put on the hood and the mask, which had a strap on the back to make it easier to keep in place. I could see and breathe well, thanks to the eye holes and that the chin of the mask was cut out. I assumed that this would be a "trainee" mask, or possibly a different generation of ghouls.

All ghouls and ghoulettes had decided to start surrounding me. They were all very tall, they were definitely over 6 ft / 183cm. Even the ghoulettes and ghoulehs were over 6ft! I was probably the shortest ghoul there. Well, there was another ghoulette/ghouleh that was a bit shorter then the rest. She was about 5'10(≈179cm).

"Now you just need a ghoul name..." A fairly tall ghouleh told me, but it was directed at the whole group. "What's a ghoul name?" I asked curiously. I  always thought the name "Paradox" was strange enough.

"A ghoul name is what people in the church and humans will call you. Your legal name may be Paradox, but that's just your human name. You'll still need it, but it won't be your primary name." I hummed as a sign that I understood, leaving the ghouls to think for themselves.

The ghouls were all thinking until a tall (maybe second shortest of the ghouls?) and pretty quiet ghoul presented his idea. "What about Stardust..? Since her freckles and horns are white?" The ghouls all thought for about ten seconds before nodding in agreement. "So...Is that my new name?" I asked the group.
"Yeah. Welcome to the clowder*, Stardust." The shortest ghoulette said. She came closer and slightly rubbed her mask face on my shoulder as I instinctively did the same. She was taller then me, but it wasn't really any inconvenience. Mainly since I was sitting on the cold, stone floor.

I stood up, my legs wobbled a bit, but I quickly regained my balance. I seemed a bit..different. I couldn't feel my head or horns, but my head felt heavier. Not like having a stuffy nose or terrible head ache. No, it was simply just...added weight. Like someone had glued two small flowerpots to my forehead.

I noticed something pearly white swinging behind me. I turned around and started looking for what had made the movement. It took some work, but I eventually caught it. My tail.

I had just been chasing my own tail.

I felt the embarrassment cloud my face as I started fidgeting with the tail. It was pearly white and had a spaded tip. The tip looked like a heart. I didn't exactly know how to control my new tail, so I just let go of it. It, somehow, ended up wrapping itself around my leg.

The rest of the evening was filled with all the adults drinking and flirting with each other. I noticed some people leaving with each other, but I didn't feel like memorizing their faces. I was nervous and shy, I didn't know anyone here, so I just stayed alongside Lilli and occasionally around Omega, Swiss or Mist, but I stayed with Lilli the longest.

There was music playing. I liked it. I saw Papa Emeritus II singing earlier, he was singing "Per Aspera Ad Inferi". Infestissumam was my favorite album. It was now the third Papa who was up on the stage. He was singing something unreleased. A song he had written called "Square hammer".

I had at some point decided to separate from Lilli and go take snacks. I took some cookies and tea with milk and sugar, then I went under the table to enjoy my treats in peace.

What I ended up witnessing under the tables, hidden by the table cloth was anything but appropriate. People were groping each other left and right. I could, sadly, also hear some "dirty talk". I wasn't too disgusted or anything, I just felt kind of bad. It felt like I was was snooping in on peoples private lives.

I heard someone asking about me. Asking people "Do you know where Stardust is?" left and right. Eventually someone seemed to have told her where they last saw me, which was by the tables of treats. The person asking was a ghoulette, the shorter one who was ca 5'10. The same one who had rubbed her "face" against my shoulder. She lifted up the cloth a bit until she saw me sitting with my cookies. She sat down beside me and started up a conversation.

"Hello Stardust! I'm Sunshine! I'm also a ghoulette, but I think I might be a bit older then you."She seemed very cheerful. I liked her.
"How old are you..?" I timidly asked the cheerful ghoulette.
"I just turned 15 in August! You're 13, right? The
ghouls talk about you sometimes, they're happy to have a new ghoulette. Not happier then I am though, I used to be the only ghoulette. Not the only girl, but the only one my age! Other then us I think Mist and Rain are the youngest, but they're still adults."
"Aah, okay. Just me and you then, huh?" I responded with a  small smile. "Yup!"
"So...what instrument do you play..?" I asked her, now feeling more comfortable.
"They're training me to play tambourine and to do backup vocals. I can also play piano and guitar!" I felt myself look at her with pure adoration. I was amazed at how many instruments she could play. I wish I could some day be as amazing as her.

"Oh, I'm a fire and Air ghoulette!" Sunshine told me excitedly. "Like a Phoenix.." I accidentally said out loud. She laughed a bit and responded with saying "Yeah, kind of!".

This ghoulette. I fucking loved her. She's like a small puppy that all of a sudden made me much happier in life. Like my own little ray of sunshine. Like a gorgeous phoenix.

My phoenix.

*Clowder = A group of cats. I just sort of see the ghouls as cats for some reason.