#papa emeritus iv x ofc

[ghuleh-witch]

And We Are Tied As One Eternally

Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: (For Future Chapters) NSFW, 18+, unprotected sex, p in v sex, oral sex, mentions of past abuse and domestic violence, references to suicide Relationships: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia x OFC Characters: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia, OFC Additional Tags: soft!dom Copia, eventual smut, developing relationship, no beta reader Chapter Word Count: 2921 Summary: Ellie Moran just wanted to make a new life for herself. Running to escape the people in her past, she ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere that happens to be home to a Satanic church. She never expected her life to change again after she started attending the public masses at said church.

Ao3

Chapters: 2/?

Tag list: @sodoswitchimage

Chapter Two

tw: references to past self-harm

The dining hall was filled with an aroma of buffet food. Siblings and clergy members spoke to one another as Copia entered the hall. His eyes scanned the people and ghouls in the room before finding their target. He spotted Ellie with Sister Gemma in a small group of Siblings. He wanted to approach Ellie and talk to her, but the vision of her down on her knees in front of him, looking up at him, well, it did things to him. He couldn’t figure out why seeing her like that affected him so much. Had it been as simple as seeing a beautiful woman on her knees before him? No, it couldn’t be it. There were many beautiful people in the ministry that dropped to their knees before him every week and they hadn’t affected him the way Ellie had. There was something about her specifically and he wanted to find out what it was. 

He was happy to see Ellie interacting with his congregation. He remembered just weeks prior how she stood alone and away from everyone. If she made friends with the Siblings she’d want to come back to visit, and if she came to visit more often there would be more chances to talk to her, he reasoned. 

“So you have your eye on the new girl too,” Terzo said as he came up next to Copia.

His eyes slid sideways to the other man. “I do not,” Copia responded a little too quickly.

Terzo chuckled. “Oh, fratello , you don’t have to lie to me. I saw how you looked at her during communion. I thought you were going to get a hard-on right then and there.”

Copia rolled his eyes at his brother. “Okay, fine, what if I do have an interest in her? What does it matter to you? Are you planning on bedding her? A new woman to add to your tally?” He felt suddenly possessive of Ellie and stomped the feeling down. He had no right to feel that way. Ellie wasn’t his. He didn’t even know her. And even if he did, that didn’t mean he was entitled to her. She probably wasn’t even interested in him. Terzo was just trying to get under his skin. 

“Calm yourself,” Terzo said. “I’m only messing with you. I was thinking about asking her out for dinner, but seeing you all up in arms over her has changed my mind. You’re not usually interested in anyone, so I’ll let you have this one.”

“How gracious of you,” Copia deadpanned. 

Terzo clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck, fratello .”

XXX

Gemma introduced Ellie to her friends: Sister Brianna, a pretty redhead with a round face, and Brother Micha a short man with dark hair and eyes in his mid-20s. The other two Siblings welcomed Ellie into their little group with open arms, asking her questions about her life and taking interest in her responses.

“Your tattoos are gorgeous by the way,” Brianna said, taking Ellie’s hand and looking at the bits that poked out from under her sleeve. “Can I see more?”

“S-sure,” Ellie said, rolling up her sleeve to show off more of the floral and vine designs that covered her arm. She hoped no one would notice the raised scar that ran up her wrist that the tattoos hid. She wasn’t up for answering questions and bringing up that part of her life. If any of them had noticed, they didn’t mention it, which Ellie was grateful for. 

“I wish I had more tattoos,” Brianna sighed dropping Ellie’s arm after admiring the colorful ink. “I only have the one. Haven’t had time to get more.”

As the conversation turned to other things, Ellie pulled the sleeve of her sweater back down and noticed Copia across the room. He was watching her as he spoke to Terzo. When Terzo patted his shoulder and walked away, Ellie excused herself from the group and walked over to Copia.

“Papa,” she greeted. “The service today was really good. I enjoyed it.”

His lips turned up into a small smile and the sight made her heart beat just a little faster. “Thank you, cara , I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was one of my better ones. I’m glad to see you’re back and that you took communion. Are you thinking about joining our little family here?”

“I don’t know yet,” Ellie said. “I don’t know a whole lot about your religion. I understand and agree with the tenants, but I have a…complicated relationship with religion.”

“Former Catholic?”

“Evangelical Baptist,” Ellie corrected. 

Copia made a face. “Even worse than Catholics, si?”

Ellie nodded. “At least the Catholics wouldn’t tell me I’m going to Hell every time I stepped into church,” she laughed. 

“I can never keep track of what the different denominations believe. Catholics believe one way, Baptists and Lutherns another it’s all confusing,” he said, waving his hand as he spoke. “At least here we are consistent in our beliefs.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Ellie smiled. “I think I need to learn more before I can decide on joining.”

“Of course!” Copia responded with a nod. “Having all the information in front of you before you make a decision is the responsible thing to do. I’m sure Sister Gemma would be happy to help you, and if she can’t, I would be glad to help.”

“Gemma–er–Sister Gemma already offered to be my sponsor,” Ellie said, glancing over at the little group of Siblings that were still chatting to one another. She looked back at Copia, feeling his mismatched eyes boring into her. “But thank you, I really appreciate the offer. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“Si, si. Well, eh, I’ll let you get back to your new friends. I hope we get to see more of you here.”

Ellie could have sworn she saw a glint of eagerness in his eye as he said that. It made her smile and nod. “I’m sure I’ll be around more,” she said before giving him a small wave and walking back to the group of Siblings. 

“Making friends with Papa?” Micha asked.

“Yea,” Ellie answered. “He came and talked to me a little the first time I was here. I just wanted to tell him that I really enjoyed the sermon today.”

“Papa Copia is alright,” Micha said. “He’s gained a lot of confidence since ascending to Papa. He was awkward as hell as a Cardinal. Should have seen him. Always had a rat with him. Rode a tricycle around the Ministry. It was weird.”

“Aw, I think that’s kind of sweet. I love rats,” Ellie smiled, glancing over her shoulder. Copia was now speaking with one of the masked figures Ellie learned were called Ghouls. After watching the Ghouls interact with other Siblings, there was something weird about them that Ellie couldn’t put her finger on. When she turned back to the three Siblings they were all looking at her with smirks on their faces. “What?”

“You like him,” Brianna said in a sing-songy voice.

“No,” Ellie said a bit too quickly. She felt her cheeks warm. “I mean, sure, as a person. He seems nice.”

“Oh yea? Then why are you blushing?” Gemma asked a grin of triumph plastered on her face.

Ellie let out a sigh. It would be useless to lie. She was always a terrible liar. “Okay, maybe I find him attractive,” she said as Gemma, Brianna, and Micha all looked at each other and nodded.

“What?” Ellie asked, unsure she wanted to know what they all just agreed on.

“We’re going to get you two together,” Micha said. “Papa needs someone. I heard he hasn’t slept with anyone since he became Papa.” 

“Woah woah woah,” Ellie said putting her hands up. “I don’t even know the man and you’re already trying to get me in his bed? I appreciate the thought, but I’m just…I’m okay with the way things are right now. He’s nice and I’d like to be friends, but anything else…” The thought of nothing more between her and Copia made her a little sad and she couldn’t figure out why. But her life was too unstable—barely just began to start it over. Ellie didn’t know him well, but she knew Copia deserved someone better than her. So friends it would be.

“So,” Ellie said turning to Gemma to change the subject. “When can I begin studying for my membership?”

XXX

Ellie left the ministry with a handful of pamphlets given to her by Gemma. They covered the history of the ministry, rules, beliefs, clergy hierarchy, and much much more. Her first task was to read through all the material and write down any questions she had. She was meeting Gemma for her first study session in a few days. 

As she looked through the pamphlets, she saw Copia’s papal portrait in one of them. It listed him as the current head of the ministry and frontman for Ghost. Ellie couldn’t help but stare at it. He looked regal in his papal skull paints and glimmering blue robes and miter. Gemma, Brianna, and Micha didn’t push her any further on their plans of getting her together with Copia, and Ellie was thankful because if she thought about Copia anymore, a permanent blush would be seared into her flesh. 

As she finished reading through the third pamphlet, her phone chimed with a text message. Ellie froze for a second. No one had her new number. She ditched her old phone back in her hometown before her journey across the country. 

“It’s not him,” Ellie told herself as she picked up the phone and opened the text from the unknown number.

Hey! It’s Gemma! I forgot to tell you that when you come here you’ll have to be buzzed in through the front gate. Just tell them you’re here to see me.

Ellie let out a huge sigh of relief. She forgot she gave Gemma her number. Ellie sent a response to Gemma before saving her number in her contacts. Ellie set her phone aside and willed her heart to stop bounding against her ribcage. 

“It wasn’t him. You’re fine,” she told herself.

But the sick and twisting feeling that was currently churning in her gut didn’t go away. 

She was hypervigilant over the next few days. Every little unexpected noise made her tense. When her boss dropped a large encyclopedia in the store that morning she nearly gave herself a heart attack. Ellie knew she should probably see a therapist and talk about her past and how it was affecting her, but she just didn’t feel ready to dive into all that just yet. She convinced herself that she was just stressed by all the recent changes in her life. Stress. That’s all it was. 

That still didn’t stop her from looking in her rearview mirror to make sure no one followed her on her drive up to the Ministry. 

She stopped outside the wrought iron gates that were normally open for public mass days. Ellie rolled down her window and pressed the call button on the box just outside the gate.

“How may I help you?” A voice crackled over the speaker.

“Hi, yes, my name’s Ellie Moran. I’m here to see Sister Gemma,” Ellie said.

“Come on through,” the voice responded as the gates began to open. 

Ellie drove the now familiar path up the gravel drive and to the small visitor’s parking lot. She sent Gemma a message informing her she arrived before walking to the front doors. Before she could even put her hand on the handle the door was opened and an extremely tall, masked ghoul was standing there. Ellie had to crane her neck to look up at him. 

“Sister Gemma will be right down,” the ghoul said ushering Ellie into the atrium of the church. 

“Thanks,” Ellie said. She stood in the atrium, looking up at the stained glass before looking at the ghoul standing by the door. “I’m Ellie,” she introduced holding her hand out to shake.

“I know,” the ghoul said, looking down at her outstretched hand. “I am called Mountain.” 

When it became obvious Mountain wasn’t going to shake her hand, Ellie let it drop and waited awkwardly for Gemma to arrive.

“I’m here!” 

Ellie turned around to see Gemma coming down a set of marble stairs. She was in the same short, black habit that Ellie saw her in at mass but instead of fishnet tights and pumps, she wore black thigh-high socks and knee-high lace-up boots. 

“I’m so glad you’re doing this,” Gemma smiled before waving at Mountain. Gemma guided Ellie up the stairs to the second floor and down the corridor. “I’m going to take you to the library first,” she said. “We’ll get an account set up for you so you can borrow books. Then I’ll give you a tour of the place if you want. After that, I’ll answer your questions and we’ll go over what we’re going to be working on.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Ellie said as she kept pace with Gemma.

The Ministry library reminded Ellie of the photos she had seen of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. The dark wooden shelves stretched toward the high arches of the ceiling and were filled with ancient-looking tomes and modern-day novels. The smell of old paper filled her nose as Ellie followed Gemma to the front desk. There was a long row of tables and chairs that ran down the middle of the library and ended at the large stained glass window. There were several siblings at the tables, either sitting alone or in pairs. All of them had their heads in their books and were taking notes on paper, tablets, or laptops. 

Ellie was handed a clipboard by an older, rather severe-looking Sister and was told to fill it out. It was a basic form asking for her name, phone number, address, and other relevant information, and when Ellie handed it back to the Sister behind the desk, she was handed a temporary card.

“Your official card will arrive in the mail next week,” the Sister said before returning to her work. 

“Cool. I’ve never had a library card before,” Ellie said staring down at the simple cardstock that bore her name and an eight-digit number. 

“Never?” Gemma asked looking surprised.

“Never,” Ellie said. “The last time I stepped foot in a library I was nine.”

Gemma’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets. “You’re kidding me.”

Ellie felt her face warm. “I…I was homeschooled and my mother…well she didn’t think public libraries were Christian.”

“Oh,” Gemma responded. “One of those 'information is danger' people. I understand. We have a few Siblings here who have similar stories.” 

Ellie relaxed at that. “I thought I was the only one.”

“Not at all,” Gemma said. “I don’t mean to pry or overstep or anything, but we have support groups here if you ever need to get anything off your chest about the way you were raised.”

“Thanks,” Ellie said, feeling a lump grow in her throat at the suggestion. “Maybe I’ll check it out.”

Gemma nodded and smiled. “Ready to continue?”

“Please.” 

From the library, Gemma showed her the administrative wing, the dormitories, the archives, and the recreational rooms that were filled with everything from video games and board games to movies and comic books. Gemma showed her a few of the classrooms and the greenhouse before stopping outside a small two-story house just outside the main abbey.

“This is the Papal house,” Gemma said. “All five of the Papas live here.” “Nihil, Primo, Secondo, Terzo, and Copia,” Ellie listed off.

Gemma grinned. “Good, you were listening. You know Papas Terzo and Copia of course. Papa Nihil doesn’t go out much anymore. Just for mass and a couple of Ministry events. Papa Primo is always in the greenhouse, and Papa Secondo…well we’re really not sure how he spends his time. He’s always coming and going. I’m sure you’ll get to meet them all at some point.”

Just as Gemma turned to lead Ellie back into the abbey, the door to the house opened and Copia stepped out. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ellie. Ellie couldn’t help but stare. He looked completely different out of his papal vestments. He was dressed in red sweatpants, a black shirt with baring VVLGARI in white across the chest, and a matching red zip-up jacket over top. His face was devoid of the black and white skill paint Ellie saw him in, and instead, he just had black around his eyes and on his upper lip. 

“Oh, eh, hello,” he said. “Am I interrupting something? Did you need to see someone?”

“No, Papa, I was just giving Ellie the tour,” Gemma said. “Sorry if we disturbed you.”

“No apologies necessary, cara ,” Copia said. “I was just going to see Sister Imperator in her office. His eyes were then once again on Ellie. “So what do you think of our little home?”

“It’s nice,” Ellie said. “Everything’s so beautiful.”

“This used to be some Catholic monastery or something before it was sold off and we bought it,” Copia explained. There was a pause before he shifted almost anxiously. “If you have time before you leave today, would you come by my office?”

“Oh? Um, sure,” Ellie said. “I don’t have anything going on this afternoon.” 

“ Perfetto ,” Copia said, a smile forming on his lips. “I’ll see you then.”

[drifting-wreckers]

See the Light, Chapter 2: Many a Mind I have Haunted

Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, drama, NSFW, 18+, MDNI, sort of doctor/patient

Evelyn sighed quietly as she dropped onto a bench near one of Papa Primo’s famous rose bushes, long legs stretched out before her, head tilted back to let her auburn-streaked hair fall behind her while her eyes closed. It was early morning, the sun’s rays just-streaking across where she sat and warming her face and bones. She had made it a routine to take some time in the sun without her mask and robes, tired of being constantly covered from head to toe. She had found a window of time between 6:30 and 7:00am was the best, as most of the Siblings were either still asleep or just starting to arouse and she had yet to encounter anyone at that particular bench off the beaten path away from the abbey. It was a quiet, soothing time for her to just unwind and enjoy the fresh air as thoughts of a certain cardinal fluttered in and out of her mind, much to her chagrin…

“…oh, ah…forgive me, Sister, I was not aware anyone would be here.”

Her eyes snapped open, immediately sitting up in a panic as her heart thundered in her chest. She cursed her thoughts for manifesting the apologetic cardinal whose head tilted curiously as the morning sun gleamed across his face.  

“…I do not believe I have seen you around before.”

Somewhat dumbfounded, Evelyn blinked. The cardinal, for his part, traced the sweet slope of her nose down to her full lips and then back up to the warm, chocolate-brown eyes that shifted uncomfortably as though she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t be. He couldn’t quite tell if her cheeks were pink or if it was just the morning sun kissing her olive skin. There was something oddly familiar about those eyes. She did not wear a habit, but a three-quarter sleeve blouse, her left arm inked in intricate, deeply colored flowers, vines and the bottom of a hand leading up to…

“Er, um…I am…I am new to the Siblings, yes, Co-…Cardinal, sir. We have…we have not met formally yet.” Her voice was familiar, but difficult to place. Luckily, she used a more professional voice in her office which also happened to help on the off chance someone did encounter her unawares.

Copia found himself fascinated by the auburn shine to the brunette’s wavy hair in the early sunrise, beautiful and unique as her petite frame rose from the bench. He lifted his palms placatingly, not given much more time to peruse the art on her skin.

“Oh, no, please do not feel obligated to leave, I can find somewhere else to sit.” She shook her head and ducked her chin away from his gaze.

“No, no, I should…I should be going, anyway. Sorry to disturb, Your Dark Eminence.”

“It is no matter, but, um, I did not catch your-…”

She had hustled her way past him before he could pin her for an answer.

+++

Copia was at the exam table once again, his excuses to see the physician – Evelyn – becoming somewhat more pathetic as the days wore on, but he did need to have the sutures removed. Having dropped formalities in favor of first names, they had propelled their comfortable friendship further which only served to heighten the cardinal’s curiosity about the physician. The impending tour that would take him away from her for some time certainly didn’t help matters. And then there was the continued, ever-cozy expansion of her self-proclaimed reading nook; she’d procured a thick, soft carpet that she would frequently lounge on to read between patients as he did, distracted by a glimpse of curves that her robes draped over as she rolled to her side to answer a question.

Lucifer help him, he had to recognize that this crush was becoming something more…

Evelyn felt a certain weight on her chest as she carefully clipped and removed each suture slowly and methodically. “You, um…” she caught the more natural tone of her voice that kept slipping around him more and more and cleared her throat. “You have a tour coming up soon, right?”

His mismatched eyes gazed down at the top of her head, her focus solely on his healed arm. “Ah, si…we leave next week for three months.” He watched as those deft fingers paused. There was a fine tremor to her hands that was only noticeable because he had become so accustomed to watching her he’d picked up on a number of her subtle tells.

“Oh…that soon, huh?”

The palpable disappointment in her tone made his heart stutter. “Si…purtroppo…”

She smiled wistfully, her voice quiet. “I’ve gotten quite used to your company lately, Cardinal. It’s certainly going to be much quieter and a bit more lonely without you here,” she admitted softly. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. Before he could gather his thoughts to respond, her scissors and pickups dropped to the metal tray with a clatter that made him flinch. “That’s done…but before you go, I did get you a little care package for the tour…”

Copia watched her rise from her chair and swiftly glide into a back room. His gloved hands flexed and relaxed several times and he slid from the exam table and straightened out his black cassock. She had gotten him something…?

Before his thoughts could spiral, she reappeared, a small bag in her hand with a black, wide-brimmed fedora with a white ribbon balanced neatly on top. He blinked, eyes searching for hers behind the mask as her chin dropped with a bashful air about her.

“I was, um...I was around town the other day and saw this and it…it felt like something that would go with your black suit and I couldn’t quite help myself. The rest are just some little things to help you unwind on those harder days.”

“Cara…” he breathed, his hands hesitated a moment before raising to pull the biretta off his head. “You…you did not have to do this.”

Evelyn chewed on her bottom lip as she watched his hands swipe his hair back before he gingerly grasped the brim of the hat and lifted it to get it seated on his head. “No, I didn’t but…I wanted to. And besides…happy birthday, Copia.”

His hands froze as he stared at her, dumbfounded. “You…”

She laughed quietly at his surprise. “I’ve treated you enough times, Copia. Your birthday is on all of my paperwork.” She looked up at him, taking in his astonishment with a gentle smile as her own hands lifted to seat the hat just off kilter. Her sleeves brushed his face and fell closer to her elbows, revealing several inches of deep, detailed color and ink of a tattoo that encompassed her left wrist and beyond. “I think I did good,” she decreed, head tilted as she rocked back onto her heels. “Very dashing.”

“Evelyn…grazie…dal profondo del mio cuore…” His tone was soft, his eyes desperately searching for hers. “This is…you did not need to do this, cara…but…thank you.”

He could feel the warmth of a smile in her words. “I know I didn’t but…I wanted to.”

He couldn’t stop himself and pulled her into a warm hug. She was startled by the contact at first, but her hands reflexively wrapped around his waist, her chin tilted up over his shoulder so the curve of her mask didn’t bump his chest. His embrace was so warm, her stomach tight with affection she didn’t dare define. Or at least tried not to though her heart fought to tell her otherwise.

There was a beat of silence between them, both vaguely aware of the trip of the other’s heart. “Copia, I-…”

A frantic knock on the door startled them both apart, flushed, as a young tearful sister threw the clinic door open. Evelyn cursed herself for not locking the door…

“Doctor, Papa-! Oh…” It was the Sister’s turn to flush, eyes immediately on the ground at the sight of the Cardinal. “Your Dark Eminence, sir, I’m so sorry! I should’ve waited, I didn’t realize anyone was here…”

He smiled weakly at the girl and cleared his throat. “Ah, no, nessun problema. I was just finishing. Ah…Thank you, Dottore…”

She nodded, face shifting away from his. “My pleasure, Cardinal. You can just use regular ointments to help the scar heal.” There was a heaviness between them, words unspoken but she turned her attention to the familiar sister…One of Terzo’s regular conquests, unsurprisingly. She had certainly had a significant uptick in these visits since the cardinal had taken over the band project. Not to mention the Papa’s own visits, many of which she would much rather have forgotten. The youngest Emeritus certainly had no qualms about dropping his trousers…ever.

Evelyn’s gaze lifted to Copia’s back as he walked towards the door, surprised to find him glance back at her before he left with a gentle nod and smile, the hand gripping his biretta lifting in a subtle wave.

…she cursed the stutter of her heart.

~

AO3 Link

[fabuloussisterofsin]

Hey Ghesties! Check out mine and my fiancés Ghost fic!! Featuring my original female character Sister Maddalena Starling and our beloved Papa Emeritus IV aka Popia aka Copia

Disclaimer this is not person fic! This is about the characters in the universe the band ghost has set up!

This fic is for 18+ minors DNI

Comments always appreciated

[fishwithtitz]

fishwithtitz masterlist

☁️ - fluff 💔- angst 🔥- smut ⭐- crowd favorite

mary goore masterlist

“The Five Times I Hooked Up with Mary Goore and the One Time I Couldn’t” (ongoing) 💔🔥- [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

papa emeritus iii / terzo masterlist

“Was It Worth It?” (hiatus) 💔🔥- [1] [2]

papa emeritus iv / copia masterlist

marked ☁️

a simple existence 🔥⭐

[nimbusghoul]

"Long Distance Phone Sex" with Copia? eheheh

This was gonna be a really fast write but then i decided to take my time with it!! it genuinely turned out a lot better than i expected…

Prompt - Copia Emeritus

FANDOM : THE BAND GHOST/GHOST BC

PAIRING : COPIA/PAPA EMERITUS IV x GN!AFAB!READER

TYPE: SMUT

WC:

STORY BELOW THE CUT

Copia was always very easy to tease, especially in public settings. So when it came to being away from him during tours, It was so easy to have him all flustered and needy because he couldn’t get to you when he needed you.

Sending him nudes and sexts, and when he had free time to look he would leave you on read for a couple minutes, most likely trying to calm down his pathetic needy brain, being away from you for so long was hard, especially for him

‘Why must you do this to me when I cannot reach you?’

‘lol’

‘May I call you, Dolcezza?’

‘Ofc, Papa<3’

In the blink of an eye, his name popped at the top of your screen with an incoming call, you picked up, laying on your back under the covers as you put the phone up to your ear

“Amore, you know what happens now that you’ve got me all hot and bothered, no?”

“Of course, it’s my favorite part. It’s why I do it in the first place.”

You heard a sigh from the other end the closing and locking of a door “I presume you are alone? I do not think you would do this to me with others around, but maybe that’s just hopeful thinking.” He said, laying down on the bed in the hotel room he had for himself, as the ghouls enjoyed cuddle piling alone.

“Of course i’m alone, you think i would put you in a situation where you’d have to handle this yourself? I’m not that cruel.” You said, rolling over on the bed just a bit “So how you wanna go about your issue, Papa?”

“Well, I-I don’t believe we’ve ever had…Phone Sex? I believe that’s what it’s called..” He said, stuttering a bit. His pathetic awkwardness was always the best part about teasing him, he was so damn easy to fluster.

“Well, you’re right, but is that what you wanna do?” You asked, trying to be sure that he was actually willing to do something so erotic with the thin walls surrounding him.

He was quiet, but only for a bit “Sí, Amore. I want to hear you touch yourself.” He said huskily, the small rasp in his voice sending a shiver down your spine

You felt your heart jump when he let out a small weak laugh “I wish I could be with you, Amore. I would want nothing more than to kiss you all over until my lips are sore, I hate to say I am glad we will be home in a couple days. You are my great temptation, any longer without you and I would lose my head. When I get home, I promise I will make up for all of the lost time, and perhaps if you push me in the right direction, lost touch as well.” He said, his small smile clear in his voice.

“Even when you’re rock hard you’re romantic, huh? You’re so cute.” You said, gently opening your bedside drawer and pulling out your wireless bullet vibe

“Ah- mmm…Dolcezza…” You heard his breath hitch a bit, a small chuckle coming from him “Is it alright if I wish to be a bit impatient?”

“Of course, Copia. I’ve been teasing you slowly for a while now. Do you still have your pants on?”

“To my dismay, yes.”

“Aww, you poor baby. If you need it that bad, you know you can always start whenever you’d like”

“I wanted to wait for you, Amore.”

“mmm that’s sweet, always so thoughtful, even when i’m teasing you to death.”

“Mmm, only for you. But I have to get these off, I do not think I can wait, scusi.(sorry)” You heard the unzipping and then a large sigh come from the other end.

“I assume you’re already leaking for me, honey?”

“Hah, very much so, I will have to make sure i put some soap on the stain to get it out when I do laundry.” He chuckled lightly, you then heard the small sigh he made as he gently slipped his pants off

“Copia~, Don’t worry about things like that right now, I wanna make this fun, tell me what to do.” You said, giggling slightly as you heard him stammer a bit

“Hmm…Well, I don’t want to punish you too much, but I do want to tease you fairly.”

“Fair enough, start with one slow finger?”

“You know me too well, it’s like you read my mind”

His statement made you giggle, you slowly inserted a finger inside, your folds overflowing with your arousal already, you let out a gentle moan, not realizing how sensitive you were already, the teasing must’ve excited you more than you thought

“You sound beautiful, Dolcezza”

“Don’t flatter me yet, we haven’t even gotten started.” You said, smiling gently, letting out hot breaths as you gently dragged the tip of your finger up and down your folds, you heard a slight groan of satisfaction, his gentle panting carrying through the phone

“Go on and add another finger, I want you to make more of those beautiful noises, I cannot get enough of the sounds you make, Dolcezza.”

“Yes, Papa.” you said, your voice shaking lightly as you put another finger in, you felt yourself tighten every time he made a noise, as if begging to squeeze around his cock.

“Give your clit some attention, Amore.” He said, panting lightly through the phone accompanied by groans and hisses of pleasure “you have no clue how hard that text got me, you are lucky that we were sitting down or i would’ve been humiliated.”

you moaned gently, fingering yourself to the sound of his voice and the images conjuring in your mind “isn’t that the fun part of it? The thrill? it’s like less taboo exhibitionism.”

“I cannot wait to get home and get to feel your beautiful body up and down, and make sure you haven’t forgotten how much you mean to me, and how much you belong to me. I am aching to finger you roughly until you orgasm over and over, mi amore. To fuck you raw until you can’t make out words. I think next time you should come with me, so i don’t have to ache for you like this. So i can punish you in ways you deserve for teasing me so much. I long to see those pretty lips of yours wrapped around me, and soon I shall get those. Just a couple more days and i will be with you. But for now, I want you to rub your clit while you finger your cunt recklessly, push yourself to the edge for me.”

You did as he told, setting the phone down on the pillow next to your ear to use both hands, moans and whimpers leaving you as you imagined your own digits were his, his pale, boney knuckles hitting just right.

You curled your fingers inside, hitting that special spot that he would tease when he got the chance. He wasn’t about speed, how fast you can reach your release, he was about making it feel as good as possible, he was a very passionate person, even now, so far away.

Hearing him stroking his cock because of something you sent him, the things you said and the memories & thoughts of you, it only made you more excited, rubbing circles around your clit while you fingered yourself to the sound of his voice

You felt yourself tighten, making you feel needy, you sped up slightly, chasing that release you’ve just barely caught a glimpse of.

“Papa…i’m getting really close, is it okay if I cum?”

“Of course, i am close as well, we shall do it together, mi amore.”

Your legs shook as you drew closer and closer to the edge, letting out a whine-like moan that was a tad louder than you had expected as you finger fucked yourself through you orgasm, listening to his slightly choked moan as his release followed quickly after yours,slowly coming down from your high, feeling a big giddy, you gently removed your fingers, going to wipe them off when you heard him speak again

“Dolcezza, Taste yourself for me.”

The request was a little sudden but you obliged

“yes, papa.”

you said as you gently slipped your digits into your mouth, doing simply as he asked, then once your fingers were licked clean you gently wiped them off on a towel, clearing the saliva to pick up your phone

“Well, did i finish what i started?”

you said, with a small giggle as the post-orgasm giddiness bubbled up inside, causing a small chuckle from your other half on the other side of the phone

“Yes, amore, you definitely satiated the hunger that you caused, but i do still miss you. I cannot wait to be home, even just to cuddle. I hope you expect me to be a bit ah…clingy.. when i return to you.”

“Maybe it’s what i’m hoping for?”

you said with another small giggle, causing another chuckle from him on the other end

“I love you so much, Tesoro.”

“I love you too. I can’t wait to see you. Get some good rest after that, okay?”

“Of course. I will call you when I find the time in the morning. Goodnight.”

“Night Night.”

The call ended and you gently put your phone on charge and slipped on some clean clothes, jumping back into bed and curling up in the covers, and gently drifted off to sleep, excited for the day in which Copia would return to the ministry.

Another one done!💚💚

so happy with this one actually

but i will get a word count on both fics!!

i’m also working on my master list rn like i’m working on SO much rn

pls send me some more asks so i can stay occupied during vacation 💚

if you liked this pls reblog and follow!! i post more like this!!💚💚

[portaltothevoid]

Masterlist

hey friends! my collection of writings lives here. under the cut you’ll find an eddie munson vampire au one shot, an eddie munson x ofc fic (multi parts and chapters and she’s a total bad ass, you’ll love her), and a fic revolving around lore from the band ghost! if you take the time to read any of my work, you’re amazing and i’m grateful that you’re here. enjoy!

and don’t be afraid to message me i’m just shy

you’re losing me — Terzo/Papa Emeritus III x reader and Copia x reader — heavy angst with a sprinkling of smut (in progress) — ao3 link

You were in a years long relationship with the leader of the Satanic church, destined for greatness at his side. Or so you thought until he became a serial cheater. However, while your relationship with the Ministry's current Papa had been tumultuous for some time, you were finally pushed to make the choice you'd been avoiding - leaving him for another senior clergy member (and Papa's half-brother). This ignited a battle to balance the scales of power which Papa Emeritus III had tipped heavily in his favor to the point of abusing it. From there, you’re set on a cataclysmic journey that reveals your true self. Your current and former relationships are put to the test when your destiny, which is far more important to the church than you could have ever imagined, is finally revealed.

part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi | part vii | part viii | part ix | part x | part xi | part xii | part xiii |

Between Breaths (An XXX Perspective) — terzo x reader smut — ao3 link

You're the Head Witch at the Ministry. Arguably at times you hold more power than the current Papa, Papa Emeritus III. You've always hated him and you assumed the feeling was mutual. But what happens when he calls you out on it?

God Called In Sick Today — copia x oc, mafia au — ao3 link

When a mission goes south, Copia is left scrambling to figure out a plan to get the mayor-to-be in favor of the Emeritus family. That’s where Arianna Diodati, the Mafia Princess of his (very Catholic) rival, comes in. He plans to use her as a bargaining chip to get what he wants. Did he place the right bet or did he take more than he bargained for?

Console the Griever — Copia x GN!Reader — one shot where Copia gives reader the comfort they need to help them as they grieve loved ones.

Love Bites — Eddie Munson x OFC — Vampire AU one shot

Foolin’ — Eddie Munson x OFC — slow burn, angst, fluff (completed)

Kat Ramsay was forced to move to Hawkins for her senior year, which she planned to get through with her head down, so she can go back to her rock’n’roll life in Los Angeles. She never expected her world to be turned upside down as she learned to open her heart, let others care about her, and accept herself with the help of the Freak of Hawkins High.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 |

A Very Kat Ramsay Christmas Special — Eddie Munson x ofc — fluff (completed)

Kat surprises Eddie with an epic Christmas gift he’ll never forget.

Part One | Part Two

For Whom the Bell Tolls — Eddie Munson x OFC — established relationship, fix it fic (completed)

Eddie and Kat’s relationship is put to the test as they join forces with everyone to take down Vecna. (It’s season four, only with Kat, and Eddie lives.)

1. Lullaby | 2. Voodoo Dolly | 3. Chains of Misery | 4. Metal Meltdown | 5. Veteran of the Psychic Wars | 6. Warning | 7. Youth Gone Wild | 8. Crazy Train | 9. Detroit Rock City | 10. Living Bad Dreams | 11. Leather and Lace | 12. Somethin’ to Hide | 13. Road to Nowhere | 14. Got the Time | 15. Renegade | 16. Symphony of Destruction | 17. Run To The Hills | 18. Friends Will Be Friends | 19. Pull Me Under | 20. The Thing That Should Not Be | 21. A Forest | 22. Demon’s Night | 23. Turn on Your Light | 24. Break On Through | 25. Everybody Wants to Rule the World | 26. The Final Countdown | 27. Breaking the Law | 28. Never Tear Us Apart | 29. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) | 30. Master of Puppets | 31. The Four Horsemen | 32. Die With Your Boots On | 33. The Last in Line Holding Out for a Hero | 34. For Who the Bell Tolls | 35. Spellbound | series playlist

[otp-i-dreamed-of-you]

I have always kept you closer than you have known, I am riding in the shadows behind you on a pale white horse.

[deansliebling]

ok so like,, me and my friend are doing this thing on discord where were like acting like the ghouls an shit,, so far its me and him. but we still need the whole squad cause yk why not. So rn were looking for a Cirrus,, Cumulus,, Emeritus or Cardinal,, Dewdrop,, Rain,, and Moutain. But who ever is Dew Rain and Moutain ,, we need to make sure your fine with the shipping cause me and them think Aether x Dew is a adorable ship,, and well i dont mind this ship but its also just a rather wholesome group,, its Moutain x Swiss x Rain,, Me as swiss ofc. and my friend is Aether,, this is basically just for fun. People we can mess around with lmoa,, hit me up if you want to join. when we get all of them ill be sure to post about it. But feel free if you have any Ghost oc's or anything hit me up and ill let you join. We are gonna have the Main Groupd as the server admins an such,, just for safty messures. anyways,, just comment or invite me to chat if you want to join. then send me your discord then ill add you and we can go from there!

We'll also have a out of convo channel to it and the such like that really anything we can think of. Also! The main Eight will discuss this together if we will have a group chat with just us to discuss things an such. or if we will make a private channel and do so,, we will also try to astablish some rules for the starting and then add some more when we get everyone. dont be shy,, just hit me up and we'll discuss who you want to be,, not that hard! and if you need to or to scared to contact me just sending me your user an such and then ill handle it from there. and if the main seven or eight if we can. want to all match together whenever dont be afraid to ask. :)

DewDrop - Taken

Aether - Taken

Swiss - Taken

Rain - Taken

Mountain - Taken

Cumulus - Available

Cirrus - Taken

Papa Nihil - Available

Sister Imperator - Available

Cardinal Copia/Papa IV - Taken.

Emeritus - Taken

[ghuleh-witch]

And We Are Tied As One Eternally

Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: (For Future Chapters) NSFW, 18+, unprotected sex, p in v sex, oral sex, mentions of past abuse and domestic violence, references to suicide Relationships: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia x OFC Characters: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia, OFC Additional Tags: soft!dom Copia, eventual smut, developing relationship, no beta reader Chapter Word Count: 3720 Summary: Ellie Moran just wanted to make a new life for herself. Running to escape the people in her past, she ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere that happens to be home to a Satanic church. She never expected her life to change again after she started attending the public masses at said church.

Ao3

Chapters: 1/?

Chapter One

“How do you even dress for mass at a Satanic church?” Ellie Moran said to herself as she stared into her closet. She wasn’t even sure why she was going to begin with. Ever since she saw a grown man in the coffee shop throw a fit over a flyer for the Ministry of Ghost, a Satantic church located on the outskirts of town, she’d been curious. The flyer was advertising public mass times for the next month. After watching the middle-aged man crinkle the flyer up and toss it in the trash, Ellie retrieved it and took it home. It was now lying on her vanity as smoothed out as she could make it. 

If the church was causing such an uproar among the locals, Ellie knew she had to see what it was all about.

It had been two months since she moved to this new town—two months since she flipped her life upside down to be herself, live how she wanted to live, and finally escape. It had been two very long and lonely months though. Besides her job at the small bookstore on the corner of her street, she didn’t leave her apartment. There wasn’t much to do in the town, and the organizations she checked out, such as the women’s club, were filled with overly chipper, old women who would sneer at the tattoos that covered her arm. Ellie never intended to move to such a small town. She only moved there because it was the last place anyone would think to look for her.

She felt pathetic. At 30 years old she was starting over completely. She had no friends, no significant other, no degree or skills, and was working at a bookstore barely making enough to get by. 

Ellie pulled a black skater dress out of her closet and looked it over, deciding if it was appropriate to wear to a church service. “It’s a satanic church, I don’t think they’re going to care what I wear,” she said to herself and shrugged, grabbing a dark green cardigan to wear over it. “Good enough” She slipped her feet into a pair of combat boots and looked in the mirror to finish her makeup and hair. She squeezed some mousse into the palm of her hand and scrunched it into her shoulder-length, dark blonde hair to help bring out her natural waves. She fixed her eyeliner and put on her favorite necklace; a pointed, wire-wrapped black tourmaline crystal before grabbing her bag and her car keys. 

Her ancient Ford Focus sat mostly unused behind her apartment building, and thankfully, after surviving the drive across the country, it got her up to the church in one piece. She parked in the visitors’ lot and walked up the stoned pathway to the entrance. The church was huge and made of stone. Ellie knew at one point it must have been a Christian church. She could see faint outlines of crosses that used to be displayed on the building that were replaced with inverted crucifixes and pentagrams. 

At the entrance there was a person, Ellie thought they might be a man but she couldn’t be sure, dressed all in black with something that looked like a modified gas mask with little horns on their head. 

“Visitor?” They asked when Ellie approached.

“Er-Yea-I saw the flyer—”

“Straight down the hall, the large black doors on the left. Can’t miss it,” they said in a bored voice.

“Thanks,” Ellie said, entering into the building. She was in awe at all the marble and stained glass. There was so much natural light in the atrium and it created a warm and welcoming environment. It was beautiful and not what she was expecting. She had a vision of walking into some stifling hot building with black drapes all around and only candlelight to see by. 

She found the door the person at the front told her to look for and went through. Inside was the sanctuary. It wasn’t as big as the ones she’d seen in Catholic churches, but it was just as beautiful. Stained glass windows lined the room and dark-stained pews sat among stone columns facing the pulpit. The room was mostly filled with men in black monk robes and women in black habits. There were less than a dozen people in street clothes like she was. 

Ellie took a seat at the end of a pew in the back of the sanctuary. She wrung her fingers nervously as she looked around at everyone talking to one another. Once the sound of an organ filled the room, everyone began to quiet down. A procession of people entered the room from a side door near the front of the space. They were dressed in red and black robes and looked like the pictures of cardinals she’d seen at the Vatican. They took seats in the front two pews.

After the cardinals, three older men in nice suits and black and white skull paint enter followed by a woman in a dark gray skirt and blazer. Behind her, an elderly man with skull paint, a walker, and an oxygen tank was escorted into the room by a woman in a habit. The five of them took seats in the chairs that lined one of the side walls and the woman took a place in a nearby pew. 

The organ music died down and another man with black and white skull paint on his face entered. He was dressed in immaculate black robes with a golden “IV” encircled in a starburst pattern on his chest. He wore a black stole with gold skulls running down its length and the mitre on his head was shaped in what looked like bat wings. His eyes, one of them a brilliant white, scanned the sanctuary, giving little nods to people he seemed to know sitting in the pews, and then his eyes settled on her. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off his. It felt like he was staring right into the dark, deep depths of her soul. It was like a wave of electricity washed over her, making her sit up straight under his gaze. She could have sworn the faintest smirk formed on his lips before he turned his attention from her and back to the crowd as a whole. 

Ellie didn’t know what was said during the sermon. She couldn’t help but stare at the man she now knew as Papa Emeritus IV after he introduced himself to the new people in the sanctuary. She stood whenever everyone else stood, kneeled when they all kneeled and attempted to sing the hymns that were sung. Then it was time for communion. Ellie stayed seated while everyone got in line. She watched as one by one people walked up to Papa, knelt in front of him as he said a few words and placed a communion wafer in their mouth, and then took a sip of wine from a goblet being held by one of the men in the nice suits before Papa made the sign of the inverted cross and they returned to their seat.

She noticed more than once his eyes flicked to her, and Ellie couldn’t help but squirm in her seat as though she had just gotten in trouble. Was she supposed to be standing in line with everyone else? She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to take communion. She wasn’t a member of the church and she wasn’t sure if she needed to do anything beforehand to be able to take communion. In the Baptist church she grew up in, one couldn’t take communion until they accepted Jesus as their savior and became a church member. Did she need to believe in Satan and be a member of the church to take communion here?

Once communion finished and the closing words said, the woman in the gray suit stood and invited everyone to join them for a potluck lunch in the refectory. Ellie wasn’t planning on staying, but when her stomach growled, she followed a group of women across the hall to the refectory. She wasn’t going to turn down free food when all she had in her apartment was a box of cereal and a few packs of ramen. While everyone mingled with their plates of food, Ellie stood along the wall finishing up a small turkey and cheese slider. She tossed her paper plate in the trash and watched as everyone talked and laughed, feeling incredibly left out.

Just go up to someone and introduce yourself , she told herself. You’ll never make friends if you’re standing here like an idiot.

“You didn’t take communion.”

Ellie jumped a little, startled by the accented voice coming from beside her. She turned and saw the Papa Emeritus IV himself standing there. He was still dressed in the same black robes he wore during the service. He was mirte-less now and she could see his mousy brown hair, peppered with the lightest touches of gray. She thought he looked handsome and wondered what he looked like without the paint on his face. 

“I didn’t know if I was allowed to,” Ellie said, feeling his eyes stare into her gray ones once more. “I-uh-I’ve never been here before.”

“ Sí , I know,” he replied, holding out a hand to her. “Papa Emeritus the fourth, head of the clergy. And for future reference, anyone can take communion here. Eh, it’s more of a mockery of the Christian communion than anything of significance. What is your name, cara ?” 

“Ellie Moran,” she said, shaking his gloved hand, the leather warm and soft against her palm. She thought she saw something in his eyes light up when she said her name.

“And what brings you to our ministry, Ellie?”

“Curiosity,” she answered honestly. “I saw someone throwing a fit over your flyer posted in the coffee shop, and well, I got curious. I’m new to the area and haven’t…found a place I fit in yet.” She thought she sounded so pathetic as she talked and wished she never said anything.

“How long have you lived here?” Papa asked with interest. 

“Only two months,” she said.

“And how do you like it?”

Ellie shrugged. “It’s fine,” she answered. “The town is boring but it’s better than where I was.”

Papa was about to say something when the woman in the gray skirt and blazer approached him. “Cardi, we need to talk,” she said, seeming to not notice Ellie. 

“Okie dokie, sister,” Papa responded before looking back to Ellie. “I’m sorry to leave you. Perhaps you will come to our next mass?”

Ellie nodded and watched him walk away with the woman and felt very alone again. Frowning, she slipped out of the dining hall and made her way back to the front entrance and her car, cursing herself that she didn’t talk to anyone else. 

As she drove back into town and to her apartment and promised herself she’d go to mass again and next time, she’d talk to someone.  XXX

Copia returned to the refectory a few minutes after Sister Imperator pulled him aside to talk to him about his sermon. His eyes scanned the room looking for Ellie. He frowned when he didn’t see her and turned to the ghoul standing near the door. “Did the woman in the green sweater leave?” He asked Aether.

“She did,” Aether answered. “A few minutes ago. She looked…sad.”

“Hmmm, thank you, Aether,” Copia said turning back to the rest of the people in the refectory. He had noticed her in the sanctuary sitting by herself in the back. His first thought was that she was striking. There was something about her that captured his attention and wanted to get to know her more. It was almost as if he was being drawn to her by an unseen force. He was a bit disappointed to find that she left already, not that he was expecting her to be waiting for him to come back. He hoped that she would come to the next mass. Next time he’d get to know her better.  XXX

A few days later, Ellie was staring at the Satanic Bible on the bookshelf at her work. She didn’t often get to stock books in the spirituality section, but today she got to and the book caught her eye. She thought back on the mass she had attended just three days prior. She couldn’t remember what Papa was speaking about, but she could remember how he looked at her and how kind he seemed to be when she spoke to him briefly afterward. 

But those eyes, she couldn’t get those eyes out of her head.

She stocked the books on Celtic Paganism in her arms and turned back to the Satanic Bible. She picked it up and flipped through it; it couldn’t hurt to learn something before she went to mass again that weekend.

“If it were my choice, I’d burn this whole section.”

Ellie turned to see her supervisor standing there with a stack of Bibles on the cart he was pushing. Charles was a larger man with a ruddy face and balding head. Ellie didn’t care for him. He constantly talked about his hunting trips and how his wife was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He could be an asshole at times and often stuck her with the shittiest tasks in the store, and because she was a people pleaser, just never complained and just did as she was told.

“Oh?” Ellie said. 

“Freedom of religion is a joke in this country. This isn’t religion. This is evil, satanic bullshit,” he said glaring at the books. “But I don’t own the store so I don’t get a say in what’s stocked here. Maybe one day.” He pushed the cart passed her into the next aisle to stock the Bibles leaving Ellie standing there with a frown on her face. 

Later that evening, she sat on her ugly burnt orange couch with her laptop open on her lap. She spent the last hour scouring the internet for information on the Ministry of Ghost. There wasn’t a whole lot. Their website looked like something that came out of the early internet in 1999, but there was a link to a YouTube channel entitled Ghost. 

There were music videos and videos from concerts on the page of a band performing metal and rock songs. Ellie fell down a rabbit hole from there and learned that Ghost was a side project of the Ministry to help spread their message. Over the years they’ve been active, they were led by a few different men, the previous Papas, and their band of ghouls. The music was good, and Ellie ended up adding a few songs to her Spotify playlist. She then saw the videos of Papa Emeritus IV when he was still just a cardinal. 

“Holy shit,” Ellie muttered as she watched him perform on stage while wearing a red cassock. The man could sing, she gave him that much, but the way he moved enthralled her. She even saw a video of his ascension from cardinal to Papa. At one point she thought she was drooling on her keyboard. There was no way that the man in the video and the one she met over the weekend were the same person. She had to snap her laptop shut because she didn’t think it was right to be lusting after what was the equivalent of the pope, even if he was satanic. 

XXX

The next public mass was two weeks later, and Ellie was the first of the visitors to get there. She was dressed in a similar outfit as before; same black dress and boots, but she switched out her green cardigan for a blue one. She nodded to the man in the modified gas mask at the door and made her way to the sanctuary. As she stood in the doorway, she scanned the room, determined to sit by someone she could talk to. When she saw a woman in a habit sitting alone near the front, Ellie made her way to her. She stood at the end of the pew and cleared her throat a little.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Ellie asked when the woman looked over to her.

The woman smiled and patted the seat next to her. “Please,” she said. She had dark brown bangs poking out from her veil and bright hazel eyes. “I’m Sister Gemma, but please, just call me Gemma. No need for formalities.”

“Ellie,” Ellie said sliding into the pew. 

“First time here?”

“Second. I came to the last public mass a couple of weeks ago.” 

“Oooo,” Gemma cooed. “You’re the first second-timer we’ve had in a while. Most visitors don’t come back after their times time. You thinking about joining?”

“I don’t know,” Ellie answered truthfully. She hadn’t really thought about it. She agreed with the tenets of santanism, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to join the church just yet. “I don’t have to become a nun, do I? Are you a nun? I’m sorry I don’t know all the terminology.” She became flustered and hoped she wasn’t making too much of a fool of herself. 

Gemma smiled kindly. “You’re fine. And yea, I’m kinda like a nun. The brothers and sisters here are called the Siblings of Din. And no, you don’t have to become a Sibling to join the church. There are a couple of non-sibling members here. Papa Terzo even had a townie for an assistant for a while.”

“Papa Terzo?” Ellie asked. She knew there were other Papas but she never heard the name before.

“Papa Emeritus the third. He was Papa Copia’s predecessor. It’s easier to say Papa and then their name instead of their whole title. It becomes a mouthful.”

Copia , Ellie thought, liking the sound of his name. She cleared her throat before speaking. “What would I have to do to join?”

“You’d need a sponsor. Everyone who is considering joining the ministry needs to be sponsored by an established member. We act as guides and teachers to help prepare you for membership here. If you consider joining, I’d love to be your sponsor. I have a good feeling about you.” 

“I’ll thank about it,” Ellie said earnestly.

Gemma grinned. “I’ll give you my number after mass and you can let me know.”

Just as Ellie was about to say something else, the organ music started once more. Ellie watched the same procession of people enter the sanctuary, and when Copia stepped into the space, she saw his eyes search the sanctuary. His eyes found hers after a moment and his lips curved upward slightly, giving her a small nod of acknowledgment. 

Ellie found herself smiling in return. She felt Gemma nudge her and saw the other woman had a look of delight on her face.

The service was very similar to the first one Ellie attended. The only difference this time was Gemma was whispering to her, explaining some of the things Copia was talking. Ellie tried to pay more attention this time, but she still found herself focused on Copia. He made her curious and she wanted to get to know who he was. She thought it was strange that she had these feelings. She never felt like this toward anyone before.

When it was once again time for communion, Gemma grabbed Ellie’s hand and pulled her into the line. Ellie remembered what Copia told her last time—that anyone could take communion, and it made her feel less nervous 

“You don’t need to commit to anything.,” Gemma told Ellie. “Papa will say a little prayer in Latin as he puts the wafer in your mouth and you’ll say nema before you eat it and he does the sign of the inverted cross. Then Papa Terzo will offer you the chalice of wine to drink from. Same thing, he’ll say a quick prayer in Latin, you drink and say nema, and he makes the sign of the inverted cross. Then you stand and go back to your seat. Easy as pie.” 

She stood behind Gemma and slowly moved as the line pushed forward. When Ellie realized she was next, she suddenly felt nervous. When she stepped up in front of Copia, he smiled.

“Glad to see you back, cara ,” he said.

She lowered herself to her kneels in front of him and tilted her head upward to look at him. She thought he suddenly looked as nervous as she felt, but then he was holding a communion wafer in his fingers and looking just as calm as before. He lowered his arm to serve her the wafer as he began saying something in Latin. 

Ellie opened her mouth and he gently placed it on her tongue. Ellie had the desire to close her lips around the leather of his gloved fingers but kept herself from doing so. She swallowed the wafer. “Nema,” she said. She watched him make an inverted cross with his hands before taking a step to the side to allow one of the men in skull paint and a suit to step up to her. 

“You’re a pretty thing,” Terzo said as he looked down at her with a smirk. He offered her the chalice and titled it for her to drink from. “That’s it, tesoro,” he cooed before saying his prayer in Latin. 

“Nema,” Ellie replied after swallowing the sip of wine.

After he made the sign of the inverted cross Ellie stood and went back to her seat. “I think he was flirting with me,” she whispered to Gemma.

“Who?” Gemma asked with interest.

“Papa Terzo,” Ellie answered. 

“Oh. He flirts with everyone. And I mean everyone,” Gemma said. “Why did it make you uncomfortable? If you tell him he won’t do it again.” 

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t mind. I just wasn’t expecting it,” Ellie shrugged.

“I’m sorry I should have warned you,” Gemma responded. “You staying for the luncheon?”

Ellie thought it over for a second. She was enjoying Gemma’s company, and if Ellie stayed she could continue getting to know Gemma and maybe meet some other people.

And also maybe she’d get to talk to Copia again.

Translations:

Sí-yes Cara-dear/darling tesoro-treasure

[drifting-wreckers]

Kaisarion Chapter 2: It's the Sound of Another Deadline Whistling Past Your Ear

Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, religious fanaticism, drama, NSFW, MDNI, fate/destiny

Copia sighed heavily as he dropped into the back seat of the ministry car followed shortly by Terzo, who gleefully nudged him to move over instead of walking around the car like a normal, decent human being. He didn’t know how he expected to make it to the library to enjoy his research in peace on a rainy day when Secondo was the one in charge of confessional and mass. It was well-known that Terzo could not be left to his own devices for any length of time, and particularly-so since he had stepped back as Papa and the miter passed to him. He had honestly hoped that Terzo would spend the rainy day in bed with either one of his favored Siblings or Omega, but…clearly no such luck. Terzo had pinned him in the kitchens and announced he would be accompanying his “less fortunate” friend, brother, and colleague…

…and then promptly followed it up with something about a dream about a “sexy librarian”.

Aether laughed to himself as he glanced at his boss in the rearview mirror, unsurprised to find Papa IV exasperated by the other, already. The two Papas did chat amicably for a while, at least until Aether parked the car and circled around with the umbrellas.

“Now, see, Copia, many do not believe so, but I think a library is the perfect place for you, in particular, to meet someone special.”

Copia’s eyes rolled. “I am not here to meet anyone. I am here to research for both my sermons and my classes. Our own library doesn’t have much for history not immediately involving the church.”

Terzo gesticulated broadly as the ghoul escorted them to the front of the library. “See, this is where you lack imagination and forethought!”

Aether snickered and Copia shot him a look. “No, this is where you and I differ: I can think without being led around by il mio cazzo.”

The slightly older Papa huffed. “I’m concerned you’re not even using ‘il tuo cazzo’,” he emphasized the phrase with air quotes that had Copia rolling his eyes again.

“Just…please be quiet. This is a real library and the best in the city, so I would very much like to not be kicked out.”

Terzo’s eyes sparkled with unfettered mischief as he brought a hand up to cover his heart. “Sul mio onore di Emeritus.”

Copia didn’t bother gracing that with a response, only ducked into the warm quiet of the library building with a quiet exhalation of relief after thanking Aether who bowed back to the car. He bypassed the front desk and followed a few well-labeled signs to non-fiction and started perusing for a particular book regarding Greek philosophers, specifically one Hypatia.

Mercifully, the library was nearly empty, and nonfiction completely-so. Unfortunately, however, despite Copia being spared of having to keep Terzo on a tight leash, it meant the Emeritus was entirely too bored. And would not, for the life of him…shut up.

“…are you still not done, fratellino?”

A heavy sigh followed as Copia snapped another book shut. “Nobody told you to come with me, stronzo! If anything, I told you not to! For this very reason!”

“And stay and do what? Listen to Sister Imperator and Nihil do all the things I want- ouch!”

“Stai zitto, cazzo! This is a library!”

 Terzo whimpered pathetically but finally stayed silent for some time as he lagged further and further behind Copia. He had thought he’d heard something, but disregarded it…at least until he heard a quiet, feminine “ah-hah!” from one of the aisles. He rounded the end of a shelf and there she was: all ponytail, pencil skirt, heels and tight calves and curves. The words left his mouth almost on reflex. “Bella donna, uscita da un sogno… Bibliotecaria cattiva…where have you been all my life?”

Poor Copia had thought he had finally found a book of use to him, flipping through its pages after consulting the index and only vaguely aware that Terzo had spoken. “Che cosa, Terzo?” he asked absently…and then, as he became disappointed again by the book’s contents and set it back in its rightful place, his mind seemed to catch up with Terzo’s words as he heard more talking.

“Bibliotecaria cattiva…?” Copia’s eyes widened frantically. “Merda!” he exclaimed and scrambled around the corner to find Terzo very much on the prowl. He didn’t even give himself much of a chance to take in the full scene, only enough time to smack Terzo’s shoulder and interrupt his train of thought. “Lasciala in pace, stronzo!” He hissed before turning his eyes to the librarian at last. “I’m so sorry, signora bibliotecaria, my friend, here, is, eh…an idiot, who doesn’t know any better most of the time.”

When his gaze met crisp blue, he felt his chest tighten and his eyes widen. A stunning flush of color dusted her high cheek bones, loose tendrils of raven hair just touched her neck and he suddenly felt as if she was the reason he was in the library, after all.

There was a prolonged silence as the two stared at one another, and Terzo found himself glancing at Copia curiously with quirked brow. Copia had always been slightly more awkward and shy than himself, but to be rendered entirely speechless by a woman? That was certainly new…

Rosalyn cleared her throat, finally breaking the enchantment she found herself caught in, though her hot cheeks told her it would take her some time to fully recover. “Um…right…it’s, um…i-it’s fine.” Her heart fluttered in her chest and she took a slow breath to quiet it. Since when did anyone affect her so quickly? Or at all? She returned to what she knew best to ground herself. “…is there a book I can help you two find?”

When Copia still seemed to need a moment, Terzo grinned wickedly and opened his mouth, only for the younger Papa to grip his shoulder tightly and cut him off. “Um, s-si, actually. I am looking for a book on Hypatia, Greek philosopher and mathematician?”

The shift in conversation did what she had hoped it would, and her eyes glittered curiously. “Hypatia? The one killed by the Christians for being too secular?”

Copia nodded enthusiastically. “Si! The very one. Persecuted for her faith – or lack there-of.” He pulled a rather crumpled piece of paper out of his jeans pocket, gloved hand extending it to her. “I had done some research and was wondering if you had this book?”

She reached for it, their fingers brushing as she took it from his hand and he had to fight the sudden urge to steal her hand. He watched as she unfolded the paper and scanned his scribble, suddenly self-conscious about the hurried way it was written. If she had any trouble deciphering it, she gave no indication. Her brow furrowed slightly, head tilted and that thick ponytail followed. “I think I’ve seen this book before, though it might be in the archives,” she mused aloud. Those blue eyes met his again and he didn’t want her to look away. “Come with me to the front so I can check in the system.” With that, she turned on her heels and both sets of heterochromatic eyes dropped to the sway of her hips in that pencil skirt.

Terzo cast a smug glance at Copia as they trailed behind her, the fourth looking very much the lovesick puppy.

“Pensavo non stessi cercando di incontrare persone, fratellino?” His eyes shifted again to that damned pencil skirt. “Soprattutto non bibliotecari cattivi...”

Copia could feel himself blushing beneath his paints. “Non sono! È solo che non mi aspettavo...lei.”

Terzo snickered and patted him on the back; as much as he had a number of fantasies the sweet little librarian could certainly help him fulfill, he did not consider himself a cock block. “Ricorda: la condivisione è premurosa, fratellino.”

Copia cursed a few choice things at him before they came upon the circular desk that was the main focal point of the entrance of the library. A young blonde seeming entirely disinterested in the day as a whole was already sat there, and the librarian greeted her in passing as she took a seat at her own computer. The two brothers leaned against the counter, Terzo far more casually than Copia. Despite the librarian’s focus on her computer screen, her gaze repeatedly flickered back to his, her typing stuttering when it did.

If this encounter had shown her anything, it was that Rosalyn had never been well and truly flustered by a man before. Despite the rather eerie face paint, she could see the younger of the two had a strong chin and defined cheekbones, those mismatched eyes warm. He was not classically handsome, but she couldn’t deny how drawn to him she was in his monochromatic black: black boots, black jeans that were tight enough she questioned how he moved in them, a black button-down shirt and distressed black blazer. Whatever church he was a part of clearly did not have any rules regarding modesty…

“Ah, yes: I was right, it’s down in the archives,” she confirmed aloud at last, scribbling a note on a post-it before she reached into a drawer behind the desk. “The archive is in the basement, and you can’t check those books out, unfortunately, but you’re welcome to research from them and take notes.”

Copia’s grin was genuine. “Eccellente! I would very much appreciate the help, signora bibliotecaria.”

The accent and foreign language had finally snagged Jessica’s attention, and she stared, wide-eyed, at her blushing boss as she ducked back out from under the counter. “You both can follow me, then.”

Terzo took the opportunity to wave a hand dismissively. “Ah, cara mia, I think I’m going to sit this one out and try my, uh…luck here, si? Basements are not too good for my…sensitivities.”

Rosalyn shrugged. “As you wish. Just, um…please don’t harass my other patrons.” Copia laughed, the sound drawing her eyes back to his to find them glittering with amusement. Her chest tightened, cheeks flushing darker as Terzo graciously dismissed her concern. She cleared her throat again. “Right, so, um…just…follow me this way, please.”

Rosalyn tried to ignore Jessica as she had the decency to not openly gape at the normally poised and never-flustered librarian who led one of the two strange men back towards the door that led to the basement stairs…very decidedly flustered. The stairwell down to the basement was dark, but shortly illuminated as she flipped a switch on the side wall, the narrow path brightly lit by the shockingly modern LEDs. The silence between them was only broken by the creak of the wooden stairs beneath their shoes, and Copia found himself with a hand always free as he rather nervously watched her heel-clad feet cautiously pick their steps.

“I wanted to apologize again for my, uh…brother. He’s…he’s sort of always like that,” he finally spoke into the otherwise empty room.

She laughed slightly. “It’s alright…he wouldn’t be the first, and probably won’t be the last.”

The thought made his gut churn with jealousy he tried to ignore. “My name is Copia, by the way,” he introduced as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She turned to face him, warm smile on those full red lips that made him immediately want to lean forward and kiss her.

“Nice to meet you, Copia. I’m Rosalyn, head librarian here.” On reflex, she extended a free hand into the space between them, and this time he did take the opportunity to take it in his and first shake and then turn to bring her knuckles to his lips for a chaste, polite kiss.

“Rosalyn…Bel nome. Thank you, in advance, for all your help today despite my brother’s stupidity.”

Her fingers tingled as she tried to ignore their proximity in the otherwise barren and silent archives, the hum of the plumbing and HVAC systems the only accompaniment. She bit the inside of her lip.

“Wouldn’t be fair of me to judge you by the actions of your brother, now would it…?” He smiled warmly and nodded.

“Si…”

Reluctantly, he dropped her hand and she used it to nervously tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Should be just this way…” she finally said before turning to lead him through the dusty shelves. Unable to stand the silence and stave off her curiosity, she continued to speak. “You and your brother are…members of the Satanic Church I take it?”

Copia chuckled rather nervously. People took their presence at varying levels of acceptance, and while she had certainly given no inkling to minding it, he couldn’t help but be cautious. “Si, indeed…what gave us away?” he joked.

She smiled lightly, eyes expertly tracing spine after spine of the books. “Well, if the face paint didn’t cut it, the inverted cross kinda was a big clue.” He laughed again and she decided she would like to hear that a lot more, and the sudden tension in his shoulders suggested she would have to work to do that. “Doesn’t bother me, for the record. We get members in here quite a lot, everyone has always been respectful. As long as nothing is shoved down my throat or in my face or affecting anyone else, I don’t really care what you believe in or do.”

He tilted his head as he watched her with some relief. “You proclaim no faith, then?”

She smiled lightly as she came to a halt in front of some shelves and lifted a neatly manicured finger to more closely trace the labeled spines. “A musician said it better than I ever could: You can call me faithless, but I still cling to hope, and I believe in love, and that’s faith enough for me.”

His smile changed, softening further as she carefully withdrew an old tome from its place. “Ah…that is…Neil Peart, no? Rush?”

Her eyes widened in surprise as she whipped to face him with an incredulous nod. “Yeah…yeah it is. I think you’re the first person to ever get that reference on the first go.”

Their eyes met again, and he felt himself grow sheepish. “I…I have a, eh, eclectic taste in music.”

“I think you mean a good one,” she grinned before gesturing down the aisle as she jostled the book. “I have your book here, desks are down this way. I’ll show you.” With that she turned and continued down the path until the aisles gave way to a more open space littered with various desks, legal pads and even a stray pen or two. She gently set the old volume on a desk and pulled out the chair for him, hands resting on the back with a welcoming smile. “Have a seat, take the time you need and feel free to use any of the pens or paper. And if you need anything, I’ll be around.”

He swallowed as he stared at her for a moment, the warmth in her blue eyes stirring something deep in his chest. “Ah…eh…g-grazie mille, Rosalyn.” Her own stomach lurched at the way her name rolled off his tongue.

“Of course…there’s a computer just around the corner I’ll be working at, just holler if you need me.”

He blinked, a bit confused and flustered that she was staying in the archives…alone…with him. His cheeks warmed and he felt his palms start to sweat beneath his gloves. “I hope I am not, eh…disrupting your work, no? You do not need to stay down here for me, I can find you upstairs if I need y-…anything.”

She shrugged as her eyes darted to the floor. “It’s no trouble…It’s actually library policy that we have to stay down here anytime someone is using the archive books.” Their eyes met again and her heart stuttered in her chest. Some part of her felt like she shouldn’t stay there with him, policy be damned; she really shouldn’t when she was damn near blinded by the way his ass and thighs looked in those painted-on jeans and her mind kept wandering to what it would feel like to have his gloved hands pushing up her skirt as she bent over one of the desks…

He cleared his throat awkwardly as if he could read her mind. “Ah, si…of course…okie…okeydokey, then. I will…I will just get to it!”

Rosalyn pulled herself away from the chair and turned away to break whatever spell she was under and duck for the employee computer, somehow aware of the uncanny white eye that followed her until she disappeared from sight.

~

AO3 Link

[fabuloussisterofsin]

Love Eternal

Love Eternal

Ghost (Band) Fan Fiction

Sister Maddelena Starling is new to the Clergy. Her presence there has been long foretold in the fabric of the universe. There to create a museum for the fans of the Ghost project she finds herself in a court ships with Papa Emeritus IV or Papa Copia. Their love was written in the fabric of time and her presence is there to shake the clergy to its foundation. If she is to become Copia's Prime Mover the clergy, the ghouls, the project will never be the same. Perhaps that is a good thing, not even the great sister Imperator knows what their lord Lucifer has in mind.

Maddelena

Copia's mind whirred with everything he had to do today. The next tour was approaching quickly and he had several things to do around the abbey in addition to press for the tour. He decided to take a break to clear his head and he started to walk to the courtyard. He'd sit beneath his favorite tree and read fanfiction on his phone for a while.

Maddalena Starling, the newest sister of sin sat beneath that very tree. New to the clergy she had been hired at a rather prestigious position. She was to be archivist of the abbey and she was set to make a museum for tourists to tour. As a part of that honor, she was awarded her own cottage to stay in. Unknown to her as well, the universe had plans for her.

Outside in the courtyard, Copia stopped when he spotted someone sitting beneath the tree. He was going to find somewhere else to sit when he realized he did not recognize the sister. Was she new? He approached her. "Excuse me, Sister, are you new here? I don't believe we've met."

She looked up from Her book. She paused. “I…I am new here. Only recently hired. I’ve been hired to be the record keeper of the abbey and to create the museum for the fans to come to.” She said to him. “I’m Maddalena, sister Maddalena.” She replied. Not quite recognizing Copia without all the face paint and papal robes. “Am I in your spot?”

She was a pretty woman, curvy, with shoulders length blonde hair, and an undercut. Her blue eyes shimmered like sunny blue skies.

He was taken aback by her beauty. God, err Lucifer she was beautiful! "Maddalena. Beautiful name. I was just looking for some shade to read in."

“We’ll let me scoot over! Come sit, I packed some lunch are you hungry?” She asked him showing the picnic basket. “I think I packed too much.” She smiled at the handsome stranger. “You look familiar.”

He smoothed his jeans and sat down beside her. "You are too kind, Sister. Truthfully, I've been so busy I forgot to eat today. I'm Papa 4." He replied.

She paused and fear came over her. She bowed her head. “Il So sorry your eminence.” She acted as the imperator had instructed. “I have taken your spot.”

He waved his hand. X "No no, none of this your eminence stuff. Just call me Papa if you'd like. Everyone else does. I'm nobody important."

“Oh, papa it is then!” She asked. “Juice box? “She showed him two choices apple or fruit punch. “Also, is peanut butter and jelly okay? I have a raspberry jam.” She continued.

"You are amazing! I love PB and J’s and apple juice!" "Imperator insists everyone call me Papa except her and Nihil, they call me C. But you can call me Copia, if you like."

She smiled. “Lucky guess on my part.” She handed them over to him. She nodded. “Copia it is then.” She affirmed before she stuck her straw in the juice pouch and sipped.

He did the same and he ate contentedly. "It has been weeks since. I had a PB and j, honestly." He continued.

“Well, I hope it’s delicious and you should eat more often! It’s bad for you to go without meals.” She gently scolded him.

He snapped out of it and mouthed the straw intentionally. "Yeah, I know. Mo-Imperator always fusses at me."

She nodded. He was cute. Nothing like how Imperator made him out to be. He was funny and kind. He had a bit of jam on his lip. She reached out and gently brushed it off his face with her thumb. “She is right to fuss.”

His eyes grew wide, she had touched him. He was hit with the urge to take her hand and nuzzle his cheek into it., but he refrained. It hit him just how touch-starved he is. "Thanks."

She wiped her thumb off on a napkin and they began to eat in comfortable silence. Once his sandwich was finished, she offered him dessert. “Would you like a scone? I made them myself.”

She told him. She scooted a little closer to him as the shade began to fade from her side. "Oh! Blueberry! Delicious! I'll have one, thank you." She scooted closer to him.

He noticed her movement, was she into him? He wondered.

Not for nothing the scooting had other motives. She wanted to be closer to him. “So, tell me what does the great papa do in his spare time? When there is spare time”

"That's not often." He sighed. "I play video games. I write fanfiction. I read a lot on the road."

“You write fan fiction? What for?” She asked as she smiled. How silly this man was. “What kind of video games do you play? I like to play Mario games and have you heard of Animal Crossing? ” "I uh... I'm a big fan of What We Do in the Shadows. I love Animals Crossing! And Pokemon! “I’ve played those before! I love Pokemon!” She spoke excitedly. “Oh, we should visit each other’s islands!” She munched on her scone. “I’ve never seen that show you mentioned! Is it funny? Should I watch it?”

"Yes, you should! The main cast is all attractive and it's really funny. I'll have to clean up my island first, I haven't played in weeks!"

“It’s been a while too. I’ve been so busy with the move and today was my first day working in the archives.” She said to him. She scooted a little closer to him. They drifted into easy conversation.

Above in the Abbey, an intrigued sister imperator looked on. “Nihl come look at this.”

"What?" He asked, coming to the window. "Who is the girl he is with?"

“The young woman I hired to fix our archives and run our museum. Sister Maddalena.” Imperator smiled. “She seems to be charming him. I would not have guessed he would take to a girl like her.”

"I thought he was gay." Nihil deadpanned.

“No, he’s pansexual that means anyone really, but this girl is good you know what that means?” She spoke as she watched the couple, her mind whirring.

"What?" Nihil asked. "And wait... Pansexual? So, he likes guys too? Has he had boyfriends?"

“I don’t know much about his relationships but this one…means grandchildren Nihl.” She sighed.

Under the tree, Maddalena was giggling at a terrible joke Copia had just told.

"What do you call a pig that does karate? A pork chop!" He said, making himself laugh.

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “That one was horrible, funny, but horrible” Her shoulder was now touching his. She wiped her eyes of happy tears.

He smiled and bumped her shoulder with his own. "Everything okay?"

“Yeah, you just made me laugh so hard I cried.” She smiled at him. She looked down at her watch. “Shit! I have to go back to work but keep this extra juice box and scone.” On purpose she Dropped her ring nearby, if he was observant enough, perhaps she would get to see him again today. She wanted to. “I hope to see you around.” She commented before she left.

"I'm sure you'll see me again, Sister. Thank you for the food!"

She smiled and walked away leaving him with the ring and her intoxicating scent.

Copia's head was spinning. Jesus, she was a dream come true! He sat thinking about her when something glimmering in the sunlight caught his attention. A ring. Was this her ring?

Work felt slow to her as she perused archives taking notes for exhibits. Her mind kept getting distracted by Copia. Copia. Copia. It was the only thing she could think of.

He sat in his office twirling her ring between his glove’s fingers. He finally caught a break in his day and he decided he was going to return her ring to her. He was honestly excited he had a reason to go see her. Steeling his resolve, he left his office and headed towards the museum.

Maddalena was daydreaming as she doodles in her notebook. Drawing hearts with c’s in them. It was getting late and she was getting tired.

"Sister Maddalena?" He called out as he entered the library.

Maddalena was passed out cold on her books and notes. She looked so peaceful.

He approached her gently. "Sister?" He whispered and he gently touched her arm.

She shifted her head and blinked awake. She smiled at him. “Papa. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He smiled back at her. "Hey Sister, you dropped this." He held out her ring to her in his gloves hand.

She scrubbed her face and her eyes lit up. It had worked. She had wanted to see him again and here he was.

“Oh thank you, papa.” She reached out to take the ring. Her fingers brushed the soft leather. “I would be remiss if I didn’t have that.” She looked so precious all doe eyes and sleepy.

"Sister, you were sleeping so well but you didn't look comfortable. You should go home and rest."

“You’re right I should.” She yawned. She then grew quiet as she looked out of the abbey. It was awfully dark.

"I'll walk you home if you like. You live in that cabin at the edge of the property, don't you?" She nodded. “Yes, I do and I would like that very much.” She grabbed her belongings. A scrap of paper stuck out from her book. A heart with a ‘C’ on it.

He noticed it. "Whose C?" He inquired.

“Ohhh Uhh nothing. A person.” She tried to cover it up. He knew who it was. “Oh uh someone I’m thinking about maybe asking out.”

“If I’m allowed to ask people out? Are the sisters of sin allowed to date? I know one of them is getting freaky with the ghouls.”

He chuckled. "Yes, dating is allowed among anyone. Why, who are you thinking of asking out?"

“Walk with me.” She said as they headed to her cottage. Her heart was racing. What’s the harm it was just a date. “Well, I really wanna watch that show you told me about so I was wondering if you wanted to make it a date?”

"A date?" He asked. "You want to go on a date with me?" He asked, pointing at his chest.

“Yeah, I wanna go on a date with you. I’ve never been the person to ask but, I’m a sister in the satanic church now, and why the fuck not. Especially when the man I want to ask makes me laugh.”

A big goofy smile spread across his face. "I'd love to go on a date with you! When do you want to watch the show?"

“Well, when do you have free?” She asked him. An owl hooted and it startled her. Without thinking she grabbed his hand and hid her face in his shoulder.

She kept her face hidden for a while. “Oh my goodness it was just an owl.” She breathed out. “Thank you for protecting me.” The clouds began to part, shining moonlight falling upon her skin like silver rain.

His eyes were wide, she was absolutely beautiful. He was in awe of her.

“Papa? Are you alright?” She asked. His glove had slipped loose and their skin met for just a moment.

He swallowed hard. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. You're just..."

“I’m just what?” She asked him. She could get herself to break their contact.

"The moonlight... It looks beautiful on you."

“Oh, thank you.” She felt heat move to her cheeks. Finally, after a moment or two, they walked to her cottage. Once she was at the door, she found herself hesitating to leave him.

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Good night, Sister."

“Goodnight papa.” She replied. “How about tomorrow night? Dinner and tv?” She asked as she gazed into his mismatched eyes.

He nodded. "That sounds great to me. When do you want to eat dinner?"

“Let’s shoot for six.” She suggested, “I get off at five.” They agreed and with another kiss of her knuckles, Copia was on his way home.

After a shower and changing into her pjs she was laying on the bed. Her heart pitter-pattering along as she lay there feeling absolutely lovesick.

Copia felt like he was floating back on his way to his chambers. When he reached his door he did a twirl, laughing as he opened the door and stepped inside. His heart felt so light.

Maddalena squealed and screamed happily into her pillow. He was so cute, so wonderful, so everything all at once amazing kicking her feet and telling secrets to her journal perfect.

[drifting-wreckers]

See the Light, Chapter 5: None Could Compare to You

Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, drama, NSFW, 18+, MDNI, sort of doctor/patient

Evelyn hummed quietly to herself as she stood patiently in Sister Imperator’s office, gaze perusing the smattering of trinkets, grucifixes, and the rare portrait of the severe woman with various members of the high clergy, including the first three Emeritus Papas and a very familiar, awkward, cassock-wearing cardinal. She smiled to herself as she reflected on all those times he had spent time amidst her books, hiding from Imperator and Terzo. Their relationship had certainly evolved since then, considering it was much more difficult for him to hide from Imperator as Papa and he was much more easily distracted from his reading by her…wits.

The door to the office opened and she turned, expecting to see Imperator and, instead, finding the Papa in question. She felt herself grinning as Copia’s gaze landed on her, equally as pleasantly surprised.

“Ah, Dottore…imagine finding you here,” he closed the door gently behind him and casually strolled in with his hands behind his back. He brushed against her as he circled her, feigning interest in the photos she had been perusing with his chest against her back. She bit her lip behind her mask as his body heat enveloped her. “What brings you to the…illustrious Sister’s office, cara mia?”

She cleared her throat. “Well, Papa…” It was his turn to shift a bit uncomfortably at the tone of her voice and the way she enunciated his title. It was not the voice she used that last night, but it certainly lured him back to the way she-… “…Sister Imperator asked to speak with me this morning.” She tilted her head, clearly seeking his gaze behind the mask. “…and yourself?”

He hummed, the noise deep in his chest and entirely not fair to her sensitivities. “Intriguing…ah…she has also told me to meet with her at this time…”

Evelyn turned to look at him, brow quirked though he couldn’t know it. A pit of anxiety and dread formed in her stomach. “…she has set this meeting…with both of us?” Without the other’s knowledge…? She swallowed nervously. Did she…? Had somebody seen him coming and going from the infirmary…? “You don’t think…” she finally voiced, an edge of anxiety to her voice.

Copia blinked, not even considering, at first, that this would have anything to do with their relationship. The thought tasted like bile on the back of his tongue. “No,” he said firmly, definitively. “There is no way. Assolutamente no.” He searched for her eyes behind that damnable mask. “And quite frankly, even if it were…” he trailed off, considering the steps he would take if Imperator would dare overstep to tell him he could not see her. He would tell her right where she could shove that old law…

Before he could voice anything to the like, the office door was thrown open and the two reflexively shifted so as not to be standing too close.

“Ah, good. Papa, Doctor. So glad you could make it. Please, sit,” she gestured to the chairs in front of her desk before briskly walking to sit in her own. The two took their seats as instructed, posture straight, though Evelyn’s hands folded tightly out of sight in her lap.

“Eh, si…I did not realize this would be a, uh…group meeting?”

Sister Imperator gazed down her nose at them both in silence before clicking her tongue. “She will be of use to us in this conversation. So as not to waste any of our times, I will cut to the chase: I am concerned about your…well…lack of certain…conquests.”

They both blinked, confused. “Eh…mi scusi?”

She sighed and ran a hand through her short hair. “Both Papa Emeritus II and III, as we all know, were far-too open with their…conquests…” The way she repeated the word was something next to acidic. “…and yet they still managed not to produce an heir. There is currently no one of the bloodline left, and even you were not directly of it.” The two were entirely taken aback by the turn of the conversation, not having expected this in the slightest. But then why was she…?

“At this point, I think the wisest course of action is to reinvoke the ancient rite.” It took Copia a moment to process her implication, and when the inevitable conclusion dawned on him his gloved hands tightened on his knees uncomfortably.

“…Sister, are you implying…implying that you want to invoke…a Prime Mover?”

Evelyn’s face whipped to look at Copia so quickly that had her mask been any more loosely secured, it might have flown off her face. The dread in her stomach churned harder. Copia with…a Prime Mover? A woman to bear him children, the most honorable position a woman could hold beside a Papa in the church…essentially his wife. Already her breath stilted, and the icy knife of jealousy dragged through her chest and stirred something much darker low in her belly, a deep, unfamiliar burn that threatened to sear through to her skin.

“…yes, Papa, in fact I am.” The silence that followed was deafening. “There is a plethora of eligible young women that I’m sure would be more-than willing to rise to the occasion, and I thought the good doctor, here, would be of some assistance to you in this decision.”

Evelyn took a moment to find her voice, slowing her quickening breaths and silencing the existential dread. “I don’t fully understand how you mean, Sister Imperator. I do not specialize in…in…” she closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself. She could do this, she could be detached and professional. He was…he was not hers. No matter what her heart felt. “…I don’t specialize in fertility.”

Imperator continued to stare down at her, nonplussed. “No, you do not. However you have within your records cycle dates, medications, labs…”

Her lips pursed, her spine rigid. “It would be a direct violation of my oath and my patient’s trust to provide that information without their knowledge.”

Copia found his temper spiking at Evelyn’s clear discomfort. He was used to Imperator’s schemes, but to drag her into this…the only person he could think of the moment that damned title was spoken into the air…

“Indeed, Sister, it is beyond any expectation to have her divest such information. Most inappropriate.” His expression was stern, a tone he used when he expected not to be questioned. It was a voice that typically made her ache with anticipation and yet now she was just…

Imperator waved her hands dismissively. “So select some candidates - Papa and Doctor - you can approach them to request they release their records of their own volition. I care not how you decide to go about it, but this is not up for negotiation. The church needs an heir, this is your responsibility as Papa. You are both dismissed.”

She left no room for discussion or argument, and quite frankly, Copia felt he needed to discuss this more with Evelyn than he did her at that point, anyway. The doctor in question pushed abruptly to her feet and glided out of Imperator’s office with Copia hot on her heels. She did not stop though she heard his bootsteps following her down the halls. She couldn’t be there, couldn’t stay there in that room where that conversation had taken place. Her skin was crawling, burning. She needed fresh air, needed to be alone, needed…

“Dottore…” he called finally, glancing around to see if they had an unintended audience. They did not, though he realized they had made it to the upper clergy’s quarters. “Dottore…” he tried again, a little additional hustle to his step in order to catch up to her before he finally grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his chest. “Evelyn, please wait a moment…” he breathed, able to feel her bounding pulse and hear her labored breaths.

Evelyn was on a mission to get back to the quiet of her clinic as quickly as possible. She needed distraction from Imperator, from Papa, from…from everything. She needed to work. She couldn’t think about him with another woman, couldn’t think about that smirk he pressed against her skin against someone else’s; the look he would get in his eyes was supposed to be for her, not some other Sister of Sin, not after he had needled his way so deeply into her heart, her soul, that she couldn’t breathe at the thought and could only think of one thing:

But I love him.

“Copia…Copia I can’t…” she whispered, feeling her shallow breaths quickening further, her free hand clutched at the robes over her chest as her vision spotted and her abdomen burned. Good god, was she having a panic attack?

He grimaced at her obvious distress, and her hand tried to tug out of his grasp to loosen the damnable mask, as well. His gaze darted around until he spotted the door to his quarters, at which point he rushed them to the door and unlocked it with more speed than he ever had in his life. He pushed her beyond the threshold before turning to the empty hallway.

“Aether,” he hissed, at which point the ghoul in question seemed to just…appear.

“Boss?”

“Please, make sure we have absolutely no interruptions, capire?”

The large ghoul nodded, tail thrashing as he brought a two-fingered salute to his forehead. “You got it, Boss,” his only response before vanishing once again.

Copia closed his door just in time to find Evelyn pacing. She immediately yanked at the buttons of her robes and nearly ripped them off before the mask followed, discarded to the floor without ceremony. “I can’t do this, Copia,” she was bordering on frantic and his brow furrowed, having never seen the level-headed physician like this. “I can’t just…I can’t just help you pick and then…and then watch and have to what, deliver-…” she couldn’t even finish the sentence as bile threatened the back of her throat and her gut burned.

His palms lifted, his tone even and smooth as though he were talking to a skittish animal. “Evelyn…Evie…la mia dolce metà, la mia anima, il mio tutto, il mio amore…please, listen to me…I don’t-…”

“I can’t,” she emphasized, throwing her hands up. “This…this…” she gestured between them to define just exactly what she meant. “…wasn’t supposed to happen…wasn’t supposed to continue to happen. I am a damned physician, Copia! A fucking scientist! And now, what? I spend too much time with and without you and now I just…I’m fucking in love with you and can’t do the job assigned to me because the thought of you with another woman makes me want to claw my heart out of my chest?! I’m not this woman, Copia!”

He froze as she ranted, clearly too caught up in her emotions to realize just what she had admitted to. She continued on, something about pride in her independence, in her ability to exist without anyone else and then he came along, oh and something about Papas not being compatible with monogamy…

“Evelyn.” His tone was the one he used when commanding a crowd as Papa, a tone that demanded to be obeyed, and one that managed to pierce through the veil of her panic and soothed the ache she felt. Her frantic wide eyes met his, chest still heaving as tears escaped from the corners. “Stop this rambling, amore…you are talking to me, here with me…not Imperator and whatever she thinks needs to be done…just…me…” He approached her, gloved hands on her cheeks as he kept eye-contact, thumbs gently brushing away the tears. “…I told you before, cara mia…I do not want anyone else but you…”

She sniffled…sniffled. “But…But Imperator-…”

“Fuck, Imperator!” he boomed, that white eye gleaming with that eerie power even as she continued to gaze into it. “I mean what I say, Evelyn. Voglio solo te. Ti amo,” he rasped and then paused, realizing he had slipped into Italian once again in the overwhelming emotion. He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath sighing onto her lips. “…it is you, Evelyn…I love you…”

The room fell silent, tears slipping steadily from her eyes as she stared into his. “Copia…” she murmured, her breathing slowing though her heart still thundered in her chest. “You…you…do?” That heat in her belly suddenly demanded attention, different from the lust she was used to and even more powerful.

“Si…” he conceded, relishing in the warmth of her hand on his wrist as his thumbs brushed the tears away.

She swallowed. “I…I love you, too…” she murmured, nerves for meaning those words so deeply for the first time in her life made her hands tingle.

He couldn’t help the chuckle. “I know, amore…you, eh…already said that,” he grinned, successfully breaking the tension in the room as she furrowed her brow.

“What are you talking about?” He laughed again, much to her irritation. “This isn’t funny.”

The affection his eyes gleamed with did ease the blow a bit, though he couldn’t help but press a kiss to her lips. “You did say it earlier, la mia dolce metà …granted, I do not think you realized you said it out loud…but I very much heard it.”

She blinked before her cheeks flamed and she groaned. “This is…mortifying.”

He kissed each trail of tears on her cheeks before once again claiming her mouth. “No,” he said decidedly. “It is not. It would be mortifying if I had even remotely considered Imperator’s bullshit Prime Mover plan, but I cannot do that when I have you right in front of me.”

Her grip on his wrists tightened. “…we have fucked this one up quite royally, Copia…”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I would have to disagree…I think this is just the way it was supposed to happen.”

They kissed once more, languid and passionate as he steered her backwards until her calves touched his mattress and she allowed herself to fall to it. He followed without breaking their kiss for more than a moment, clothes being discarded and skin contact clung to the moment they both were entirely naked. His fingers danced in her folds as they kissed, trailing her wetness to her clit to encourage those sweet mewls of pleasure he loved to hear from her and ensure that she was more than ready for his cock that quickly followed. They sighed into each other’s mouths as they joined, holding still for just a moment until her hips rolled and he found a decadent pace that suited them both. As sweat beaded on their brows, he lifted himself slightly to adjust her legs and obtain a better angle advantage, and when he gazed down at her, those auburn locks splayed out beneath her, her eyes hooded with lust and desire and love…he felt something overcome him.

Evelyn noticed a sudden gleam in his white eye, something she thought she must have imagined in the dim lighting of the room until his jaw clenched and he abruptly picked up one of her legs and tossed it over his shoulder. She gasped as he thrust deeper, harder, words tumbling past his lips in first Italian and then Latin. One hand braced himself on her lower belly and she felt a wicked heat that ripped a moan from her lips and her pleasure heightened. This woman was his, Satan damn it. He would not share her, would not take any other woman. If he was damned to bear this church an heir it would be hers or none at all!

Her back arched and her head threw back as pleasure burned through her body, vaguely aware that this heat was akin to what had been brewing in her since Imperator’s office. Her orgasm ripped through her abruptly as he thrust harder and faster, his white eye glowing as something branded itself on the skin of her belly, of her womb, beneath his palm…

He was suddenly back to himself, aware he was on the precipice and, seeing the grucifix on her flesh as she writhed in pleasure he startled and pulled himself free from her, his seed splashing across her belly as he panted and groaned. They caught their breaths, Evelyn confused as to his sudden need to pull out, particularly as they had discussed the matter long ago and repeatedly.

He kissed her deeply for a moment, slow to recover as he shook his head and let his forehead drop to her chest.

“Copia…” she murmured, letting her fingers dance in his spend, amused. “Since when?” she teased with a wiggle of her hand before his face.

There was an apology in his eyes, a certain hesitancy. “I…I don’t know what happened, I’m sorry, amore…” She giggled and quirked a brow.

“I mean, it’s not that big of a deal, just a bit more to clean up but it’s your bed, anyway…”

He shook his head as his thumb came up to brush against the grucifix branded into her skin, the sensation making her hiss in pained surprise. “He…He has branded you, amore…I realized…I realized and wasn’t sure if birth control would…would be safe against that.”

She froze and lifted on to her elbows. “Branded…?” she repeated as he sat back on his knees to give her room to look down at herself and see the mark in question. Her eyes widened exponentially.

“…He has branded you as Prime Mover.”

~

AO3 Link

[drifting-wreckers]

Kaisarion, Chapter 5: We Will Break Away Together

Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, religious fanaticism, drama, NSFW, MDNI, fate/destiny

She really should have planned an outfit in advance.

Rosalyn had tried on three different pants and two different shirts, standing before her floor length mirror and turning repeated circles in frustration. For fuck’s sake, why was it so hard to pick a simple dinner outfit? And why was it she could still hear his voice through the phone the day prior, teasing and warm and making her pine with expectation? Not like…not like she put out on the first date, no…that was certainly not in her plan, anyway. Well, maybe if he…

Rosalyn stared at her flaming cheeks in the mirror, hands slapping at her cheeks as, out loud, she exclaimed a “No! Get your shit together!” Mally picked up her head at the sound of her owner’s voice, sleepy eyes blinking their curiosity. She sighed again and pointed at her reflection. “It’s…it’s just dinner, Rosalyn…get it together. You’ve had dinner dates before. Never with a hot, intelligent Satanist…but…dinner is dinner, right?” Something in her facial expression was unconvincing. “Right.”

She jumped and whipped around at the sound of her ringtone. She chewed on her lip - the immediate concern if it was Copia calling to cancel last minute - until she spotted Jessica’s name flashing across the screen, instead. Exhaling a sigh, she answered the phone and left it on speaker as she went back to her closet.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on?”

“Can you please come save me from this torture?” The whine on the other end of the line made her laugh. “It’s not funny! It’s Michael’s party and I thought it was going to be way better than this!”

Rosalyn laughed again as she withdrew a classic-appearing little black dress that made her lift her brows. Not bad. “Didn’t it just start?”

Another whine. “Well yeah, but no one’s here yet! So come save me, already! God knows you’re not doing anything, anyway…” She nibbled on her lip again, and the silence clearly lasted just long enough that the blonde realized something was up. “…wait…you’re not…are you?”

She hummed. “Well…you see…I sort of…sort of, kind of…have a date tonight?”

Pause.

Long pause. Rosalyn thought she heard movement before rushed words came through the speaker.

“HolyshitdidHotSatanManaskyououtandyousaidyes?”

Again, Rosalyn found herself smiling. “Will you stop calling him that…? But…yes…he kind of-sort of did and I kind of-sort of said yes so…we’re getting dinner tonight…”

Whether it was just Jessica or the shriek of a balloon losing air, Rosalyn couldn’t be too sure, but Jessica certainly seemed almost as thrilled as Rosalyn was.

“Oh my god, thank god…or the Devil? Lucifer? Is that how that works? I don’t know. But I’m so excited! I knew you two had the hots for each other!”

Rosalyn laughed lightly as she hung the dress from the door frame and slowly started to change. “I don’t really know either…but…I’m nervous,” she admitted hesitantly.  “There’s just…there’s something about him I can’t place…like I really know him even though I only just met him…it just…” she trailed off, having difficulty finding words. The blonde exhaled.

“…no shit, huh? He’s really making you feel all kinds of things that quickly…?”

Her stomach lurched nervously. “I know…that’s why I’m so nervous. I feel like I’m going in with rose-colored glasses which doesn’t even make any sense after Dean…but…” She shimmied the dress over her hips. “There’s just…there’s something about him. That’s the only way I can explain it.”

The two women stayed on the phone in silence for a moment as Rosalyn appraised herself in the mirror. The dress was simple, but elegant: that classic go-to little black, well-fitted dress that was just long enough to be appropriate but also flirty with a sweetheart neckline that flattered her breasts. She turned, pleased enough with how it cinched in at her waist, as well. She’d found the winner.

“Well…you know I’ve told you it’s time to move on from Dean, so…I’m excited for you. Just send me your location so I know how to find you if things get sketchy.”

She smiled. “Will do, appreciate you, Jessica.”

“…and I also promise not to judge you if you invite him back to your place cause, like…there is something insanely hot about him and I kinda wanna know if it tracks…”

Rosalyn laughed. “Thanks for that,” she deadpanned. “Now I gotta go and finish getting ready. Have fun at Mike’s.”

“Have more fun than me!”

She hung up the phone with another laugh before hustling to the bathroom to finish with her hair and makeup.

Copia stood against the car door, rather anxiously glancing at the time on his phone: 6:26. A whole two minutes had passed since he had arrived and last checked, and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander: would she be on time? Early? Late? Would she show up at all? Maybe she’d changed her mind and didn’t have the heart to tell him? But then on the other hand, what if she did show up? Would she regret it? Think he was too weird? If things went well, would she invite him to her home? Should he accept so early? He didn’t want her to think that he had only asked her to dinner to sleep with her. Satan below, he should’ve kicked Terzo out of his rooms while he was getting ready. The bastard had put all sorts of shit in his head…

Aether’s chuckle managed to pull him out of his thoughts as the large quintessence ghoul leaned against the door beside Copia casually, mask perched on top of his head so his face wasn’t obscured. “Boss, will you take a breath? You’re makin’ me nervous and I haven’t even met the chick, yet.” A casual side glance. “I’ve never actually seen you this nervous about a date…ever, I don’t think.”

Copia exhaled and resisted running a hand through his neatly swept back hair in favor of rubbing the back of his neck. “I…there’s something about her, Aether.”

Aether smirked, the glamor on his face flickering and giving only a hint of fangs and sharp teeth before vanishing. “Terzo did say she’s the hottest librarian he’s ever seen.”

Copia’s eyes rolled. “She’s probably the only librarian he’s ever seen,” he scoffed before shaking his head. “But it’s not that…I…I can’t explain it, Aether…” He exhaled a moment to try to gather his thoughts. “It’s…when I look at her, it’s like I was supposed to meet her…she’s…something else entirely.”

Aether watched his face with raised brows, surprised to find his gaze so distant and puzzled. “Well…You know the Dark One does like to meddle in these things sometimes…I’ll be interested to meet this mystery amazing librarian. Feel like I’m missin’ out.”

Copia chuckled and felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders. When he looked up again, he caught a feminine silhouette in the street lamp in front of the library door as they had discussed. Even from the parking lot, he could tell the dress fit her beautifully and seamlessly, the black waves of her hair loose but clipped out of her face on one side. She had started to fiddle with her purse by the time he pushed off of the car to Aether’s low whistle.

“That her?” Copia nodded, his smile relieved and admittedly a bit awed. “…I mean…I definitely get Terzo’s point, now.” The ghoul chuckled as he pulled his mask down and patted Copia’s shoulder. “Go get her, Tiger. I’ll be here, your ever-faithful ghoul-servant.”

Copia snorted and rolled his eyes, though never actually took his gaze off of her. He felt his phone vibrate, but didn’t bother looking down at it. Instead, he simply straightened out his blazer and set off down the sidewalk to meet her.

Rosalyn was just about to start getting antsy that she would be stood up (entirely ridiculously given she had quite literally just sent him a text), when she heard her name in that accented voice that was becoming so familiar to her. She lifted her eyes from her purse to his voice and then quickly found that warm, mismatched gaze that made her stomach flip. He wore black trousers that she swore were tailored specifically to him, tight as the jeans he frequently wore to the library and filled out by strong thighs and an ass that made her mouth go dry. Tucked into said pants was a black button-down shirt under a well-made black blazer. And of course his gloves and paints that he never seemed to be without.

“Buonasera, Rosalyn…I am glad you could make it.” Understatement of the decade, he decided quickly. He extended a gloved hand and she promptly set hers within it, allowing him the chance to bring her knuckles to his lips for the first time since they had introduced themselves. His eyes held hers, not at all oblivious to the way her chest swelled with her caught breath and the rosy blush that crept up her neck. “Not that I am in any way surprised, but you look beautiful, cara mia.”

She refrained from biting her lip lest she get any red lipstick on her teeth and embarrass herself more than she was already worried she would. Her hand tingled where his lips had lingered and it took her a moment to gather her thoughts. “You don’t look too bad, yourself…” she finally managed. “Though we’re a regular Gomez and Morticia Addams since we both decided to go with black,” she teased lightly.

He chuckled, gaze sweeping down her body once again and nearly making her squirm. “Black is classic,” he shrugged. “And besides, there are few other pop-culture couples I would rather be compared to, hm?” His eyes twinkled and she laughed, unable to help nodding her agreement.

“That’s entirely fair.”

He gestured down the sidewalk before he tucked her hand into his arm. “I have a car waiting for us. You are okay with Italian, I hope?”

She fell into step beside him, appreciative that he seemed to measure his steps carefully with the heels she wore. “Of course. And if we’re going somewhere in town that you approve of, I’m sure it will be beyond anything I’ve had before.”

He chuckled, warmth spreading down his neck and up to his ears. “Eh…it is possible, si. Italians…we are, eh, very discerning to who makes our food.”

She laughed, and was promptly surprised to find a white Mercedes awaiting them, and a large individual wearing an eerie silver mask stood at the door and opened it upon their arrival. Sensing her brief discomfort, he squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Rosalyn, this is Aether, our driver for the evening.”

Aether bowed, the open mouth area of the mask revealing his cheesy grin. “Miss Rosalyn, pleasure to finally meet you.”

Copia groaned as Rosalyn quirked a brow at him. “Finally?”

“Boss, here, has talked a lot about you.”

Copia was never more grateful for the paint that hid just how red he could feel his cheeks becoming, though inevitably it would flush down towards his chest if it got bad enough. He had hoped it would help that he caught the blush at her own cheeks…but it didn’t. He cleared his throat. “Eh, eheh…right. Remind me to dock your pay later, si?”

It was Aether’s turn to groan as Rosalyn laughed at the exchange. “Aw, c’mon, Boss! It’s a compliment! He only said good things, Miss Rosalyn, I swear.”

Copia waved a hand at him. “Yes, yes, yes…we can, eh…stop talking about this now.”

Rosalyn was still giggling through her blush as she thanked him for the help as she sat in the car. She was quite certain she heard some muttered Italian (curses, she would find out much later) directed at Aether before Copia rounded the back of the car and climbed into the back seat next to her. She couldn’t help herself.

“Only good things to say about the librarian, huh?”

His wide eyes whipped to her, mouth agape until he noticed the teasing glint in her eyes and a nervous chuckle left his lips. “Teasing me, already, eh?”

She flashed a cheeky grin. “Couldn’t help myself.”

He cleared his throat. “Well, at least, you know…you are very good about finding my research material, si?”

Aether was already in the car, glancing at the pair in his rearview mirror as he grinned and backed the car out. He was quite sure he was going to like her, already.

The ride to the restaurant was fairly brief, and Aether was quick to open her door in time for Copia to be present to offer a hand to help her step out. Ever the gentleman, he led her to the front door, where the maître d clapped and grinned brightly at the sight of him, not at all put off by his paints.

“Ah! Signor Emeritus! Benvenuto! Siamo felici di riaverti!”

Copia greeted him kindly, the two men exchanging brief conversation and shaking hands before the maître d grabbed two menus and stepped out from behind the stand.

“Signor, Signora,” he winked. “Please: follow me.”

Rosalyn fell into step beside Copia once again, a bit surprised as they wandered through the busy restaurant, bypassing table after table. She side-eyed him teasingly.

“You come here often, then, Mr. Emeritus?”

He glanced down at her with a quirk of his lips. “Eh, I haven’t been in some time actually. But I may have made some friends on my prior visits, si.”

When the smiley host opened a door at the back of the restaurant and stepped aside to hold it as they passed, she shook her head. “Awfully modest when we just got led into a private room.”

He shrugged. “I have strings to pull sometimes.”

They settled at a quaint, intimate table lit by a pair of candles in the center. When they were left alone with glasses of water and their menus that they each started to peruse, the conversation just sort of…started. She didn’t remember who spoke first or what was asked, but they just seemed to flow effortlessly and without hesitation from one topic to the next. He’d asked about her education, research she had done in the past and took genuine interest in what she said and even contributed. She was finding him just as quirky and endearing as he was intelligent, a dangerous combination, indeed.

Rosalyn twirled the stem of her wine glass slowly with her thumb and index finger as she laughed, eyes casting to the rich, red liquid as it gently jostled. “Can…can I ask an ignorant question?” Those blue eyes lifted back to his, and he was certain she could have asked him any obscure question and he’d have found an answer even if he didn’t know it.

“You can try to be ignorant all you want, tesoro, but I suspect you will have a hard time.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Challenge accepted, then.” She paused a moment to find her words, still wanting to choose them carefully lest she offend him and ruin what was turning out to be an exemplary night. “…um, the paint?” His head tilted. “I guess…what exactly does the paint mean in your church? I’ve had a number of the church members in and out of the library, and you and your brother are the only ones I’ve ever seen wearing the full face paint. A few with the black eye paint, but never full face.” His chin tilted down as he smiled softly and lifted his own glass to take a steadying sip for courage to answer the question. He suspected it would come at some point, but hoped it wouldn’t be so soon. “Is it something to do with your ranking in the church?”

He slowly and purposefully lowered his glass back to the table as he considered his answer. She had given him an out for a simple answer: hierarchy and leave it at that. He didn’t have to explain the hierarchy, didn’t have to try to explain his exact standing, and save that little tidbit for later…but when he lifted his gaze to meet her curious, shining eyes…he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Ah…si…it does have to do with the hierarchy, yes…” He trailed off and she propped her chin on her hand, ever the curious academic. He cleared his throat. “We, ah…earn the paint when we ascend from cardinal to…to Papa. And then should wear it as a point of pride.”

She processed the information, turned the words over in her mind for a moment before her head tilted. “So from cardinal to Papa,” she reiterated out loud and he nodded. “So…that’s the equivalent of…? The Pope?”

He felt those nerves settle into his stomach again. “Eh…essentially, yes. My two oldest brothers are Papa Emeritus the first and second…Terzo, the third…I…” Satanas, her eyes held him hostage. “…I am the current acting Papa…Papa Emeritus the fourth.”

And so he waited.

Rosalyn considered his words carefully, and her eyebrows gradually lifted as she realized their full meaning. She took him in again: the sharp lines of the white and black paint encompassing those bewitching heterochromatic eyes, that strong jaw and chin, the way he shifted nervously in his seat, eyes darting from hers, to the table and back. Clearly he was worried what she would think of the matter.

She should have probably found it more disturbing that it didn’t intimidate her at all.

“So what you’re telling me…” He held his breath. “…is I’m, essentially, on a date with the acting head of the Satanic Church?” He couldn’t quite find the words so just nodded, instead. “I take it the whole celibacy thing is just a Catholic thing?” He exhaled slowly, relieved to catch an impish gleam in her eye at the question.

“…si…in fact, our teachings are quite the opposite.” A quirked brow. “Lust is a cardinal sin, after all…such sins are encouraged in His name.”

Their eyes met over the candle centerpiece and what little drizzle remained on the plate now devoid of cannolis, both a bit breathless as the words settled around them. “Well…that’s good to know.” Her words were simple, to the point, and yet the weight of them was almost suffocating even as they quirked a smile at one another.

“Sei pronto per il conto, Signor Emeritus?”

The pair both flinched as the waiter arrived, apologizing as he realized he had startled them both. Rosalyn laughed as Copia answered the question in the affirmative, their bill set on the table before him. Rosalyn frowned and pulled her purse into her lap.

“Copia, here, at least let me-!”

He didn’t even give her a chance, credit card out and handed to the waiter before she could pull her wallet out. “Assolutamente no. This is my pleasure, Rosalyn.”

It’s about to be.

The thought crossed her mind in a hurry and nearly made her blush, though she managed to cover it with a pout. “The next one is on me, then! And I won’t take no for an answer!”

He met her gaze, the meaning of her words not lost on him as he grinned. “Fine…next time.”

Once the bill was taken care of, they traipsed back to the car arm-in-arm, and their quiet, easy conversation continued. Of the numerous things Rosalyn had been relieved to discover about him that evening, the things that invariably made him a “nerd” to others were the most substantial to her. She had learned that even though he was the head of the Satanic Church, himself and all the previous Papas also taught classes at the Ministry - including things like history and Latin - which was how he had come to her library in the first place. Those innate academic characteristics only seemed to feed their chemistry more.

They were in an animated conversation about his research about Hypatia by the time Aether opened the door and pointedly made eye contact with Copia with an obvious question in his mischievous eyes. Copia only smiled softly as the door closed and he walked around to the other side, which was enough of a message to Aether who grinned broadly. Things were clearly going well.

Once they had settled into the car, Copia fidgeted a bit with what to do with his hands. His itch and instinct was to continue to touch her at least in some way, though he felt it was still a bit early to do so in the intimacy of the car. He cleared his throat slightly. “Ah, tesoro, if you would like, give Aether your address and we will drop you off, si?”

A few things very quickly went through Rosalyn’s mind: she wasn’t ready for the night to end, she was enjoying their conversation too much, and if they dropped her off outside her home, she was worried the night would end far-too abruptly. With the pressure to answer without waiting an awkward amount of time, she made a reflex decision that she hoped she wouldn’t regret. It was juvenile, but in the moment seemed to be the most logical course of action, and very much in-line with the teenaged giddiness the night had given her.

“Uh, there’s actually not a great spot to park or anything outside my house, so it’s just easier to drop me off at the library and I can walk from there.”

She was taking a bit of a chance, but something told her he would react as she expected he would.

Indeed, the incredulously horrified look he turned to her was immediately reassuring. “Che cosa? Assolutamente no! What kind of person would I be if I let you walk home alone this late? I’ll walk you.”

She tried not to smile. “Copia, it’s not like I haven’t made the walk before…you really don’t have to-…”

He lifted a hand to stop her. “No arguments, cara mia. Aether, let’s go.”

At that, she smiled to herself and settled back into her seat. Her eyes lifted and unintentionally caught Aether’s in the rearview mirror. The look in his eyes was knowing and amused, and she felt her cheeks warm. Caught already, huh?

The conversation lulled on the short drive back to the library parking lot. She carefully stepped out of the car, thanking Aether again for opening the door and smiling up at him.

“Been a pleasure, Aether.”

His grin was broad and cheeky. “Entirely my pleasure, Miss Rosalyn. I’ll be seeing you around,” he winked. She laughed lightly and nodded.

“Looking forward to it.”

Copia rounded the car and extended his hand again. “Cara mia? Shall we?”

She nodded and placed her hand in his as they settled into an easy pace side by side on the sidewalk. After a moment of comfortable silence, she turned her face towards him slightly.

“Is it okay if I ask more ignorant questions about the church?”

He chuckled quietly, gaze shifting to hers and finding those blue eyes alight with the inevitable inquisitiveness that clearly made her love her job and contributed to how endearing she was. “Of course…we encourage questioning everything and anything.”

Her head tilted. “What sorts of other things do you teach and believe in?”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Things like empathy and compassion, justice, freedom to think and do as one pleases…The Olde One does not believe in judging others for who or what they love to do…essentially, He encourages us to not be…eh…assholes.” Admittedly, he wasn’t about to discuss the ghouls and various rituals; he would cross that bridge if and when they got there.

She laughed, somewhat unintentionally drifting closer to him in the chill of the night air. “Sounds… reasonable.”

It was his turn to laugh. “You sound surprised, cara mia.”

She shrugged. “I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised to know that all I hear are negative things – and extremely dramatic things, I might add – about the church from the usual Christian zealots…very tolerant individuals, you know,” she teased sarcastically.

“Ah, yes…that is entirely not a surprise,” he nodded thoughtfully.

She observed his expression for a moment, deciding it was best to divert the subject a bit.

“So…the higher clergy-types wouldn’t have any issues with you, say…seeing someone outside the church even though you’re the head of it?”

He felt his cheeks warm, bashful smile taking over his expression. “Eh…freedom of choice and all that.” He paused. “…does that imply…it doesn’t bother you to see the Papa of the Satanic Church?”

Rosalyn’s grin broadened and she put on a show of considering his question. “Hmm…are you going to try to convert me?” The question was clearly playful.

“Not unless you want me to, tesoro.”

Something about his tone stirred heat low in her abdomen and she giggled to suppress it. Her feet slowed and he followed as her eyes shifted to the front door of her house. “Oh…” Breathy and disappointed. “…this is me.”

Copia’s gaze shifted from her to the house, startled that they had already arrived. Her home was quaint, settled amongst a row of other homes along the street with various plants well-tended around the stoop and front door. There were a few cars parked around the street, however he couldn’t help but notice the notably empty area in front of her own home. He was confused for a moment, until the realization dawned on him. Warmth immediately blossomed in his chest and his confidence soared.

“Ah, tesoro?”

“Hm?”

“May I, ah…ask you something?”

She was confused by the teasing quality of his tone as their eyes met, his smirk playful as he stood in front of her. “Uh, sure?”

He very pointedly looked around them at the quiet street. “It seems there is plenty of open space here for parking.”

Her brow furrowed, mouth opened to ask a question until the realization hit her and her cheeks exploded in deep color. She had absolutely not thought this through. “Um…well…uh…I mean…that wasn’t a question…” she sputtered in an attempt to spare some of the embarrassment. Her face burned more as his grin only broadened. She opened her mouth a few times as though to speak before finally groaning and dropping her chin. “Okay, okay, it was stupid and a little immature…but I wasn’t really ready for the night to end so figured you would walk me home if-!”

A gloved finger tucked under her chin and tilted her head back and his lips silenced her.

Fucking hell, was that what kissing was supposed to feel like?

Her heart slammed into her rib cage at a sprint, stomach flipped and hands fell to his chest as his own hand moved from her chin to her cheek, the leather soft against her skin. His lips were warm, her body on fire as his other arm pulled around her waist and drew her closer. Some little whisper of reason told her to pull away while she still had some control; she had told herself she wasn’t going to invite him in, but with the way heat shimmered through her core and the way every point of contact scorched her, she was definitely going to lose that battle…

…and then his tongue just brushed the seam of her lips and any sense of decency and reason she was clinging to vanished. She was totally going to invite him inside.

Copia truly hadn’t meant to do it. He had tried so hard to remind himself that he wanted to make sure she knew this wasn’t just about sex and he would just give her a chaste kiss goodnight. But then the way she melted against him, the way her hands gripped his shirt, and the way she molded into him…he didn’t even realize his tongue had touched her lips until she whimpered and parted them to allow her tongue to entangle with his. He drew in a sharp breath and pulled her more tightly against him, warmed as her arms draped around his neck.

Rosalyn was overwhelmed by sensation and a burning need. She forced herself to break contact, forehead pressed to his as they panted into the space between them. Glassy eyes met his and he took in her mussed hair, black lipstick now transferred and smudged on her lips and Satan help him, he wanted to see how much more disheveled he could make her…

She swallowed, flustered and needy. “C-Copia…um…would…would you…?”

“…Rosalyn?”

They flinched at the third voice that cut through the heavy air between them. Copia straightened, grip loosening as her own hands moved from his neck and back to his chest. Her flushed face and bruised lips turned at the familiar voice that doused the brewing heat into nothing. Her eyes met startled green that flit between hers and Copia’s faces as a small dog on a leash sniffed around her plants. She could’ve screamed her frustration.

“…Dean…? What the hell?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly and shuffled his feet as Copia’s gaze pinned him in place, the white eye making him shift even more. The couple straightened themselves out, and Rosalyn made a point to keep his hand in hers, a small gesture that kept the smile on his face.

“I was just…just walking the dog…” The two sets of eyes now staring him down made him regret reflexively calling her name and he rambled on. “Avery hasn’t been able to walk much since she’s been getting so sick with the pregnancy and all so I have to sometimes take…take the dog…out…”

Any desire she felt was squashed and her lips pursed. “Pregnancy?”

Dean realized his slip up and cleared his throat. “Oh, uh…yeah…we’re…we’re um…having a boy.”

Her lips pursed before she smirked slightly and shook her head. “Well, uh, congrats. This was nice and awkward.” Both men looked at her, and then at each other. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was an obvious question in Dean’s gaze, and she felt indignation flare up in her chest. Not like she owed him any god damn explanation. Copia warmly squeezed her hand back and she couldn’t help but smirk. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m finishing up a date that was very, very pleasant until you got here. So…nice seeing you.”

Despite the discomfort Copia had felt at the interaction, he hadn’t wanted to intrude, and it seemed she was just as content with his gesture of solidarity. She turned to face him as if completely disregarding this Dean person who hesitated a moment longer before finally shuffling on his walk. Rosalyn dropped her forehead to his chest and groaned; he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Copia, that was…ugh…”

His brows quirked at the language, his first time hearing her curse in such a way. Something about it made him smile more as his arms lifted around her waist. “Va tutto bene, tesoro,” he murmured as his lips kissed the top of her head. “It’s fine…shit happens.” Honestly, it was for the best that they had been interrupted. He had the sneaking suspicion that she had been about to invite him in, and Satan knew he didn’t have the self-control to have said anything but yes…

Her head tilted up and he smiled at the pout on her lips. “It’s not fine…I meant what I said: this was…” she trailed off a moment, that fetching blush on her cheeks once again. “…the best date I’ve been on in a very long time.”

He chuckled as his thumb gingerly lifted to wipe at the smudged black paint on her lips. “Same here, cara…we’ll fix the end part next time, hm?”

The pout morphed into a grin and she nodded agreement. “Next time, then.”

He nodded and pressed one more chaste kiss to her lips before finally bidding her goodnight.

~

AO3 Link

[drifting-wreckers]

Kaisarion, Chapter 4: Put on the Smiles

Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, religious fanaticism, drama, NSFW, MDNI, fate/destiny

Rosalyn heard her name, though faintly registered that it wasn’t her name, at least not really. She responded to it, nonetheless, turning into the warm sun and shielding her eyes to meet a sweet, familiar green. The face those eyes belonged to was blurry, though whoever it was, she could feel a vivid joy that blossomed in her chest at the sight of them. Her lips moved, and somehow she knew she wasn’t speaking English, but still understood every word.

“Antoni! Good morning!” Suddenly she was giggling as strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her up enough to spin her in a circle. The blurred features of his face started to sharpen. “Put me down!”

“Good morning to you, my dear,” he murmured into her ear, his voice like honey as he did as she so-playfully demanded, though his hands lingered on her waist for just a hint longer than was proper. The pair both blushed lightly, and the flutter of her chest suggested a young, innocent love had blossomed between them. “You’re well this morning? You certainly look it.”

She swatted playfully at his chest, adjusting the basket on her hip. “I am well, indeed, though even better now that I see you’ve escaped your books for a little while, Scholar Antoni,” she teased, though her tone held nothing short of pride. His own grin was sheepish, although something seemed to dawn on him, lips parting as he held up a finger and then promptly started digging through a satchel at his side.

“Speaking of books, the professor passed this on to me for you. She said it is an excellent book all like-minded women should read!”

Rosalyn chewed on her bottom lip slightly, blush darkening. “…you told the lady Hypatia about me?”

Antoni gripped the book in both hands between them, his own cheeks warm as he, at first, avoided her gaze, but then bashfully met it. “…of course…of course I did…I mean what I say when I tell you my first order of business upon completing my studies is to marry you…”

She couldn’t control her broadening grin though she tried, nearly embarrassed by the happiness such a simple thing brought her. Overwhelmed with emotion, she glanced around the market and discreetly took his hand and led him to a quiet side alley where she promptly tugged at his robes until he leaned down and kissed her. Between the sweet touches, she giggled. “I love you, Antoni…”

His smile was genuine and sweet, emphasizing his strong jawline as he kissed her once more, his mustache tickling against her upper lip. “I love you more everyday…” He said a name, though she couldn’t hear it as the clear image started to fade sideways as his left eye turned white…

Rosalyn sat at her computer in the library, the dream floating through her mind curiously once again. It had been a week since she had woken up from it, dazed and with the intense emotion still welled in her chest. She’d never had such a vivid dream before, never had one stir emotions in her so intensely. Much of the details had faded, though the sentimentality wouldn’t leave her: sweet, young love in its purest form. She had wanted to talk to Jessica about it, but hadn’t exactly figured out how to say anything. What was she supposed to say? She had a hyper realistic dream that she was in love? It would have been less embarrassing had it been a wet dream about…

“Buongiorno, cara. How are you doing?”

Speak of “Hot Satan Man” and he shall appear. She couldn’t help the smile that graced her lips at the sound of his accented voice. They had quickly fallen into a comfortable routine in the week or so since he had first visited the library. Notably, all of his subsequent visits were conspicuously without his brother. As he had mentioned, he seemed to have only come in during the week (had she asked her weekend employees? Maybe…), and never made any effort to seek assistance from anyone but her. She had also noticed that he had started to occasionally allow himself to touch her: a greeting on the shoulder, a guiding hand on her back, offering his hand to help her down the stairs. They also had a tendency for quiet conversation, and his research seemed to include more and more questions directed at her, more flirting…

She immediately looked up from the monitor, blue eyes meeting green and white with a grin. “Good morning to you, Copia. I’m pretty good, and yourself?”

His smile was sincere. “Good, good, thank you. You have time for me today?”

“You know I always do,” she winked, glad Jessica wasn’t the one working with her today.

Copia chuckled to himself, pleased that she had started to reciprocate some of his flirtation the more time went on. It had certainly emboldened him some as he slowly but surely felt things out. He watched her go to the drawer the archive key was kept in, unable to help admiring the fitted v-neck shirt she wore tucked into loose fitting pants. When she ducked out from under the desk as usual, he noted she wore those cursed heels again that made her hips really sway when she walked and made it damn-near impossible for him to avoid looking at her ass…

They settled in the archives as usual, and Rosalyn made herself busy tidying up instead of sitting out of sight of him at the computer. Admittedly for Copia, her more frequent presence and the sound of those damnable heels was incredibly distracting…

Rosalyn had kept one headphone in her ear, listening to an upbeat rock song as she shuffled amongst the stacks. She dusted the shelves and books, hips shimmying as she mouthed along to the lyrics. The song was a recent favorite of hers, and led her to twirl in place in time with the rhythm guitar.

…blissfully oblivious to the fact that Copia had found his way to where she was buried amongst the stacks and watched her with immense delight. He had been drawn to the aisle by the sound of her intermittent humming and was glad he had decided to investigate. She was typically quite professional around the library (ignoring the occasional flirtation), though he had gotten glimpses of her playfulness in the last week. This, though…adorable was the only thing that came to mind. Her hips wiggled a bit, those delightful lips forming lyrics to whatever she was listening to. He watched her roll up onto the balls of her heels to get leverage to reach the duster in her hand up to the top of the shelves. He watched her face scrunch as a cloud of dust followed the duster and she rocked back again and his chest warmed. The things he would give to just grab her waist and hands and spin her into his chest…

It wasn’t until she started to consistently hum to the vocal line that he slowly approached her and cleared his throat gently. “Ah…Rosalyn?”

She flinched and turned to face him, cheeks warm as she fumbled with her phone to silence the music. “Oh, um, sorry about that! Something I can help you with?”

There was a pause, the glimmer in his eyes changing just slightly and making a heat pool in her abdomen unexpectedly.

“Ah, si, actually…I think I’m done for the day but, ah…I did have…eh…” he hesitated a moment, meeting her expectant gaze and pushing forward. “…you are not working this weekend, yes?”

She blinked and nodded. “Yeah, I’m off this weekend…”

He cleared his throat, gloved hands coming together in front of him a bit nervously. “Would…would you maybe…care to get dinner with me…? On Saturday, maybe? Or, ah, Sunday would work too, if that’s better for you…I can definitely do either day if…if you are free.”

Rosalyn stared at him a moment, letting the surprise soak in first as his nervous, genuine gaze held hers. His smile seemed to start to grow, and she realized that she, herself, had started to grin without realizing it. “Yes!” she blurted to both of their surprises before she tried to tame her enthusiasm. She really did try, but found it much harder than she expected it to be. “Er, I mean, um…y-yeah…I think…I think that would…that could be nice.”

There was a pause, and they both just grinned rather stupidly at each other in the silence for a moment. “Ah…so…which day works best for you?”

She was blushing again. “Oh! Oh right! Um…yeah,” she laughed at her own foolishness. “Saturday…Saturday would be good for me.”

His chest soared with both immense relief and triumph. “Six? Seven?”

“Six-thirty?”

He chuckled and nodded. “Si, that should be fine for me.” Again, they stared rather dumbly at one another as if still in disbelief that they were in agreement. “I will be stuck in meetings tomorrow so won’t be able to, eh, come by the library…perhaps I should…get your…phone number? And we can finalize the details?”

She bobbed a nod, chewing on her bottom lip as he pulled out his phone and extended it towards her. She tucked the handle of the duster under her arm and took the initiative then to close the distance between them, keeping unexpectedly and unnecessarily close so he couldn’t help but be enveloped by the warmth and femininity of her perfume. He nearly groaned.

With his confidence climbing, he gazed down at her head as she typed into his phone. “You act as though a beautiful librarian such as you does not, eh…get asked out much.”

She nibbled on the inside of her lip as she finished inputting her contact information and then glanced up at him coyly through her eyelashes. “…very rarely do I ever get asked out by someone I want to say yes to.”

He could have kissed her then; in fact, he caught himself drifting towards her and had to catch himself when those sweet lips of hers parted in anticipation. She passed the phone back into his hands, his focus dragged from her mouth and back to her eyes and they both held their breaths for a moment. That smile that melted him shone through one more time.

“I suppose we should…head back upstairs if you’re done researching…”

He cleared his throat and nodded. “…yes, most likely…lead the way.”

There was that warm, gentle hand on her back as she turned and led him back up the stairs, hanging the duster on a hook on a wall behind the stairwell before continuing upward. She locked the door behind them and strolled casually alongside him with her hands folded behind her back. As they approached the front desk, the smile remained plastered on her face. “Well…have fun with your meetings tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be thrilling.”

He chuckled at her obvious sarcasm. “I can think of eight hundred things I would rather be doing, including being holed up here in your archives.” She giggled lightly, and he cast her a sidelong glance that had his chest tightening. “I will talk to you soon…” he leaned somewhat closer to her ear, his voice a whisper that raised goosebumps along her arms and sent a shiver down her spine. “…and I will see you Saturday.”

She blushed. “See you Saturday, Copia…”

His fingertips just brushed hers before saying his final goodbye and heading towards the door. She watched him go, cheeks still warm as she chewed on her lip, giddy like a teenager who just got asked to prom by her crush. This somehow felt like more than a crush, already…maybe because she wasn’t a damn teenager anymore? And maybe because Copia stirred something in her she hadn’t really ever felt before. Her expression started to change and her brow furrowed slightly as something dawned on her: the feeling was rather similar to the dream she’d had…

Someone cleared their throat rather irritably, successfully crushing her reverie. Her head whipped over to the older woman who stood with several books in hand, clearly displeased. Rosalyn offered the woman her professional smile. “Checking out?”

The irritable side eye the woman cast her felt incredibly condemnatory and scrutinizing. “Yes…if you’re quite finished.”

Rosalyn quirked a brow for a moment but ducked behind the counter nonetheless, fingers gliding to login quickly before scanning the books the patron had unceremoniously dropped onto the desk. “Well, this one will be due in three weeks and this one four,” she spoke, back to her customary professionalism.

The grey-haired woman hummed for a moment in response. “…you should be careful of the company you keep.”

Irritation spiked in Rosalyn’s core in a hurry as her mouth pursed into a frown. “Excuse me?”

“These filthy Satanists are ruining the town as it is, they shouldn’t be allowed to ruin the library, too.”

It took everything in the librarian’s professional demeaner not to roll her eyes. “One thing to consider, ma’am, is that this is a public library. It is not within my means to refuse service to anyone as long as they’re being respectful and breaking no rules.” The next sentence slipped past Rosalyn’s filter. “And the ironic thing is, every member of that church has been nothing but the utmost respectful and…nonjudgmental.”

Indignant, the woman scoffed at Rosalyn’s pointed stare as she swiped both books off the counter. “Unbelievable that you would allow yourself to be seduced by such a hedonistic apostate! I’ll pray for you to be guided back to His light before Satan gets to you!”

The smart-assed response on the tip of her tongue wanted to correct her that she hadn’t been seduced yet, but she quite looked forward to it. Alas, instead, she managed to reign it back to the simple eye roll she had restrained earlier. “Have the day you deserve, ma’am.”

The woman huffed, swiped the books back into her hand and stormed to the front door. Rosalyn watched her go, professional mask dropping to a discontented sneer.

Of course the “good Christian” woman made certain she had some prying, disapproving comments to make on a stranger’s life and choices. She wasn’t raised in a particularly religious household, though had been dragged to various masses and things with her grandparents. Even as a child, she remembered the sermons of love and acceptance the pastors would preach, and then remembered overhearing the whispers and gossip of the various parishioners immediately afterward. Judge lest not ye be judged, but talk all the shit about your fellow man. The hypocrisy had left a sour taste in her mouth as far as religion was concerned, and her foray into academics certainly hadn’t helped. She had never felt the comfort, camaraderie and faith others seemed to in the church setting, and so had never found herself pulled more into it. And she didn’t feel like she had missed much if those were the type of people she would be saddled with.

If the Satanists she’d encountered were representative of their group, she’d pick them every time.

~

AO3 Link

[drifting-wreckers]

See the Light, Chapter 4: And in Many a Way I Have Been

Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, drama, NSFW, 18+, MDNI, sort of doctor/patient

Copia’s role as Papa Emeritus IV kept him much more preoccupied than he wished it would, particularly as the longer he went without keeping Evelyn’s company, the more irritable he found himself becoming. Those few moments he was able to steal away to her little haven to read tended to be interrupted by patients, but at least he could steal sweet, warm kisses…

…and, Satan help him, enjoy the other things her mouth was quite gifted in…

Their physical relationship certainly was not lacking in the slightest, although both would admit to themselves that it was the pillow talk they shared before and after that kept them most enthralled with one-another. He’d even slipped and let some of his frustrations with Sister Imperator’s plans and manipulation of other members of the higher clergy through; she had provided him an outsider’s insight and additional input and solutions that were most useful…all while running her fingers through his graying hair. He was ever grateful for the plush carpet she had placed onto the floor for those soothing, affectionate moments.

It was a bit late in the evening, and Copia had procured himself a basket of goods from the kitchen ghouls who were wise enough not to ask questions. Aether, on the other hand, had caught him just outside the kitchens and smirked knowingly at him before thrifting an apple from the top of his stash. The two men stared each other down, until a distantly familiar scent drifted past the ghoul’s nostrils. His brow furrowed a moment behind his mask.

“Hey, Boss have you been, uh…” Copia quirked a brow until the ghoul dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. There was no way, it hadn’t happened in centuries. He was just smelling something familiar. “Eh, nevermind. Go get your…prescription.” Copia said a few choice words back with a roll of his eyes before continuing on his way. Dewdrop appeared next to Aether shortly thereafter.

“You noticed it too, huh?”

Aether glanced down at the shorter ghoul and rubbed the back of his neck. “Be pretty wild if we were right, wouldn’t it?”

Aether could feel Dew’s maniacal grin behind the mask. “Imperator’s reaction’d be priceless if we were.”

Copia quickly disregarded the somewhat odd interaction with Aether. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Evelyn had shared a meal together and he was hell-bent on rectifying that. He was cautious in his trek towards the infirmary after hours, not wanting to be spotted and questioned by anyone that may – intentionally or otherwise – let any of what they saw slip to Imperator. The woman was insufferable when it came to his every move and the fact that this was still their delightful secret was nothing less than a Lucifer-given miracle.

As he approached the ever-familiar door, his hand hesitated over the handle as he heard music coming from the other side. His lips quirked upward as the guitar riff of Witch Image reached his ears, and then, instead of his own voice, hers drifted through. He stopped, his heart pounding in his ears as his cock twitched in response. He wasn’t sure how, but the sweet lilt of her voice as she sang along to his music had him reaching half-mast in a hurry. He tested the door handle, pleased to find she had forgotten to lock it quite yet and, silently as he could, eased it open. When he had just enough space to lean through the door, he found her organizing one of the cabinets, her hips swaying to the chorus as she shamelessly belted along. It probably shouldn’t have been sexy, and yet somehow it was incredibly so. His grin was devious, silently setting the basket down as he closed the door behind him and turned the deadbolt. She still wore her mask, but the hood of her robe was off her head, revealing the restrained, tidy bun she kept her hair in beneath it.

Copia smirked as he crept closer behind her for the next verse. It wasn’t until the line started that he quickly pinned his hands around her waist, pulled her hips back to his and swayed them to the music. He brought his lips to her ear before she could do more than flinch.

“I…I am riding in the shadows behind you on a pale white horse…”

She gasped and flushed bright red as heat licked low in her abdomen at the warm breath on the shell of her ear. His singing voice was effortless even at a whisper. He freed one hand to both allow her to turn but also simultaneously yank the obstructing mask from her face; he was getting quite good at removing it.

“Copia!” she hissed, masking her embarrassment with weak anger. “You scared the Hell o-out of me!” She stuttered as his groin pressed to hers.

“Mi dispiace tanto, amore mio,” he chuckled darkly before boldly swiping a kiss from her lips, very much not sorry at all. “I saw your ass wiggling like that and couldn’t help myself…perdonami?”

She huffed, very clearly distracted by the warmth of his still-gloved hands and the rest of his body pressed against her. She could have whimpered.

“Have you eaten yet, amore…?” he murmured, innocently gesturing towards the covered basket he left on the floor by the door though his eyes never left her face. “I have acquired a stash from the kitchen since we have not been able to share a meal in some time…”

Her gaze followed his hand to the basket and then back to the warmth of his heterochromatic stare, that white eye of his glowing with both mirth and an unexpected amount of affection. Her full lips quirked upward as she let her arms drape around his neck and her fingers played with the hairs at his nape. His eyelids hooded and he sighed quietly; he did love it when she did that…

“In fact…I haven’t eaten yet.” He melted against her, fingers gripping her hips gently. “I could certainly use a meal…” Karma, she decided, as she rolled to the balls of her feet to close the distance between their lips once more and her tongue teased the seam of his lips. He groaned as the kiss deepened, their chests heaving between them.

“Cuore mio…” he breathed, trying his best to stave off his body’s immediate reaction to her…and failing quite miserably. “This was not my intention-…” She quirked a brow, fingertips dancing along the skin between his sweatpants and t-shirt. When did she even-? “…okay…cazzo…not my only intention, I just thought you might want to eat first, at least…”

Her grin was wicked, her hands fast as she loosened his pants and freed his erection before he could think. “In fact…I do.” And then she was on her knees before him as a hissed string of curses tumbled past his lips with the first swipe of her tongue and her mouth that followed shortly thereafter. He stumbled, one hand on the counter and one burying in her hair as she bobbed painfully slowly along his length. She knew she’d struck a nerve when his hand tightened, forcing her faster and deeper. His utterances were unknown to her, no doubt as filthy as the things he would growl in English when buried in her sex. Her thighs clenched at the thought, arousal heightened as she balanced herself and considered sneaking a hand to the apex of her thighs…

Copia refused to give her the chance. His grip on her hair tightened as he felt his balls lift and he abruptly pulled her off his dick with a salacious cacophony of suction and saliva. She reeled a moment, the sting of his grip only serving to add to the arousal pooled between her thighs. That same hand coaxed her upward, and his body pinned her to the counter as he dominated her mouth, his erection prodding at her belly between them. She whimpered as he gripped her thighs and hoisted them around his waist in order to carry her to their reading room; that plush carpet served soft-enough as he crouched and carefully laid her back, following only after he had managed to divest her of those god-forsaken robes and the remainder of her underclothes. The gleam in the white of his left eye was absolutely wicked, a look she had seen enough times before that sometimes she swore it was Lucifer, himself.

He slid to her thighs, wet kisses and nips trailing along them until his fingers danced at her slit and he inhaled sharply. “Così caldo, così bagnato per me…cazzo.” Her hips squirmed and he did her the favor of dragging his tongue along her heat, tongue and lips clamping around and dancing with her clit as he made no hesitation about slipping two fingers inside to curl upwards. Her back arched, a moan torn from her throat at the sudden assault, unclear when he had even managed to remove his gloves. She panted, her own hands buried in his hair until she was abruptly bereft of him on a whimper.

Copia smirked darkly, not one to leave her wanting for long as he gripped her hips and flipped her onto her stomach. He pulled her back up to her knees. She blinked but adapted quickly, more-than eager to have her ass in the air before him and rewarded with a sharp slap to each cheek. “Squisita, meravigliosa. Tutto per me…e solo per me.” He kissed each mark his hand had left, then trailed kisses up her back before he straightened, one hand guiding the tip of his cock to her entrance. He groaned as her ass shimmied and she tried to take him further, but his hands gripped her hips to still her. He pushed forward, painfully slowly, her voice a moan as she gripped the carpet beneath her. “Cosi perfetto, eri fatto per il mio cazzo,” he growled. He pulled his hips back then pushed forward again, faster and firmer, until his pelvis met her ass and he found his rhythm.

“Fuck, Copia,” she moaned, leaning back on her elbows to meet each of his thrusts. Lucifer help him, he loved the sound of her voice in the throes of passion.

He fisted a hand into her hair once more, this time pulling her upright to her delighted gasp as his angle changed and he somehow managed to bury himself deeper, glancing across the center of her pleasure with each thrust. Her hand scrambled behind her, finding the back of his neck as he continued his renewed pace. He could feel her flutter around him, teeth grazing her shoulder at the telltale give that she was fast-approaching her end.

“That’s it, cara, cum, I can feel you…cum on my cock, tell me, tell me your pleasure…” he growled, that grip in her hair as his other hand reached around to find purchase on her clit, her moans reaching fever pitch as he swelled within her.

“Papa, fuck…I’m cumming!” She keened, mouth open as she gripped his cock and convulsed. His pace stuttered, overcome by her own pleasure.

“Ecco, amore mio, vieni per tuo Papa. Prendi tutto quell oche ho da darti!” His teeth fell to her shoulder again as he groaned his release, cock kicking within her as he came, his own essence mixing with her slick and starting to drip down her thigh as their movements slowed and their chests rose and fell in panted breath. She was entirely breathless as his hand left her hair and his arm moved around her shoulders instead, pulling her back against his chest as he peppered tender kisses along the curve of her neck.

“Unholy shit, Copia,” she breathed when her mind had finally cleared enough to process words. She could feel the smirk against her skin as he slipped from her heat. “Every time I think it can’t get better,” she laughed lightly.

He chuckled, aware that there was a bit of a mess that would inevitably start to drip onto the rug if he did not move soon. He turned her head with the gentle guidance of a hand under her chin and kissed her sweetly. “Let me go get you something to clean up, do not move, cuore mio.” She blinked at him as he laid her gingerly back onto the carpet with a few more kisses before making his trek to her bathroom. She couldn’t help but watch, amused, as he had managed to do all of this with his pants below his ass and the rest of his clothes now disheveled but otherwise in place. She bit her bottom lip and tilted her head; she certainly had never thought she would end up an ass-and-thighs kind of girl but…he had proven her wrong.

He returned shortly thereafter with a damp rag, pants still untied but pulled back up to his waist with his penis tucked away. He knelt at her feet as she sat up, ready to take the rag from him and startled when he gently and warmly took the liberty of cleaning their mess from her thighs. She blushed at the unexpected intimacy, something she reflected on as being ridiculous considering how many times they’d had one-another in the most lascivious of ways. The chill of the room settled onto her damp, naked skin despite the fireplace in the corner of the room. With one more kiss to her lips he grinned and wrapped her robes around her shoulders; she found herself gazing into those familiar eyes that ensnared her so. She kept trying to tell herself that this…thing between them was purely physical but the tenderness of his touch, the dinner…

“I go get the food, si? Do not move,” he chuckled as she settled the robes more around her naked body and smiled at him as she watched him momentarily leave the room. There was something about him that was such a dichotomy. He could go from so shy, so unsure of himself, to commanding the attention of the entire clergy, thrusting his hips and telling an entire crowd to go fuck themselves, and then dominating between her thighs. And then he would be right back to that bashful Cardinal she remembered coming into her clinic for the very first time. She’d also long-since noticed how he fell into speaking Italian both when a bit more nervous and when fully overcome by passion. She regularly meant to ask him what he said but never seemed to remember or find the time.

He was quickly back in the room and settled beside her on the carpet as he began to set about unpacking the spoils of his raid of the kitchen. They had moved somewhat closer to the fire, laughing as they talked and teased and…

…Evelyn smiled quietly to herself as he rose to go to the bathroom, eyes soft as she pulled apart a bread roll and her stomach fluttered. No…this was not just about sex, she should’ve known better. She was becoming increasingly concerned about what this could mean for them both…

~

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[drifting-wreckers]

See the Light, Chapter 1: Many a Rat I've Befriended

Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV x OFC: romance, drama, NSFW, 18+, MDNI, sort of doctor/patient

The sound of his boots echoed around him as he walked the familiar stone halls of the abbey. His right hand gripped a towel that held pressure to a laceration on his arm as he muttered curses at himself. The red cassock swayed around him as he approached the door to the infirmary and awkwardly knocked with his elbow. He could hear some rustling behind the closed door and caught sight of a shadow through the frosted glass which proclaimed “Infirmary” in a gothic font. He winced as the hooded and robed figure opened the door, the eerie, traditional plague doctor mask greeting him not for the first time. Despite the complete obstruction of her face, he knew she was smiling as she spoke.

“Cardinal…what can I do for you?” Even as he sighed and lifted his arms, her chin tilted down to take in the bloodied towel.

“Eh, I’m so sorry Signora Dottore, I know you are closing for the day, si? But I, uh…find myself in a bit of a…predicament.”

Immediately her slim, gloved hands reached out, deft fingers gently prying his hand away from the bleeding wound to get a quick glimpse before guiding his hand back to hold pressure with a cluck of her tongue. The look she gave him through the mask felt very pointed and his chin dropped slightly in shame as he exhaled. The church’s mysterious physician successfully painted the faintest flush across his cheeks once again.

“Do I even want to know, Cardinal?” she chuckled before opening the door fully and guiding him in as he laughed awkwardly. “Come on in, you know by now I will never turn you away.”

Indeed, it was not his first venture to the infirmary since she had started as the physician for the clergy. Sister Imperator had announced the filling of the position and presented this petite but somehow imposing figure who quickly had more-than enough business given the antics of the Siblings of Sin and their leaders. No one knew her identity, and Imperator had made it painfully clear that no one was to push and she was not to see patients without her mask as tradition dictated. Copia had been intrigued at first, indeed finding some old law within the tomes of the library about the church physician initially wearing the masks for their own protection but then maintaining anonymity due to the secrets they were to keep. The old punishments for the physician giving up their identity or any information regarding their patients were certainly as antiquated and brutal as the regulation, itself.

…of course, he had only spent time researching this out of pure clerical curiosity and absolutely not because there was something about the polite physician with the soothing voice that had intrigued him since her arrival.

Copia would not say his visits were frequent, but regular enough that Papa III – Terzo – had started to give him grief about it. She provided him some assistance with sleep and the occasional injury from some clumsy thing he managed to do, like this time. Each visit was littered with pleasant conversation and a growing, easy familiarity. He might consider them friends at that point, and it seemed she may have felt the same. The soothing greens of her growing collection of plants and the warm sunlight through the perfectly placed windows had created a pleasant experience that had led her to offer her little reading nook to him, which he had started to take up more and more. No one looked for him there; he could actually find peace as she busied herself either reading, as well, or tidying up and reorganizing the clinic space.

“Please take a seat, Cardinal. I’ll get some things to clean and stitch you up.”

He did as instructed and slid onto the paper-covered exam table as he watched the black-robed doctor glide to a cabinet across the way. “I’ve told you, Dottore, you are more than welcome to just call me Copia.”

There was something about her laugh that made him squirm. “Oh, of course…Copia. I’ve seen you injured enough I do think we should be on a first name basis,” she teased. He chuckled awkwardly and shrugged.

“È quello che è.”

The robes tightened about her waist as she muttered a curse and leaned farther forward into the cabinet and he swore he got a glimpse of a feminine curve that made his brow raise.

She spun, victorious in her search for a packaged tray and sterile gloves and Copia couldn’t help but feel like he’d been caught being a lech even though he hadn’t exactly seen anything obvious…

Did he really need to get laid that badly…?

She grabbed her tray table with her equipment set neatly on top, rolled it closer to her patient and then grabbed her chair with the toe of her boot to bring it close enough to take a seat and settle. She pulled off the leather gloves she wore and set them aside, revealing slender fingers and tidy fingernails that flit to open the packaging. He swallowed drily, something about that glimpse of smooth skin of her hands just felt illicit, somehow.

Behind the mask, Evelyn glanced up from her work to quietly observe the cardinal she had found herself becoming quite fond of. He was confident in his sermons, confident in his stage presence when he performed with the band project in his form-fitting suits…and yet somehow, in private, this awkward man lost that confidence. Admittedly, she had noticed that confidence steadily improve the more he performed with the band project; she would also admit to herself that watching him perform was a treat in a…number of ways. He was always so polite, apologetic, and yet seemingly genuinely curious about her though he managed to tread that line carefully lest Imperator find out he dare ask her questions that may reveal any sliver of her identity. Why the elder insisted on keeping so tight-lipped and strict to some ancient rule was far-beyond her scope.

She gazed up at him through the dark lenses of her mask, and suddenly that heterochromatic gaze met hers and her breath caught unexpectedly, though she couldn’t know that the angle from which he saw her actually gave him a glimpse through to her almond-shaped eyes that seemed to be…brown?

It was her turn to blush. Copia had always seemed to come in at the end of the day, leaving her unhurried to finish his appointments and with plenty of time to just…chit chat. She enjoyed that time more than he would ever know, happy to discuss any manner of things with the quirky cardinal, particularly as not many people wanted to actually spend time with their masked doctor. Not to mention all the times she watched from the corner of her eye as he studied his various tomes, muttering to himself in Latin as he would occasionally take notes. It was that habit that had convinced her to buy an end table at the perfect height to add to that little nook by the window. He was endearing, to say the least.

Their conversation picked up as she drew up some lidocaine before cleaning up his wound. She apologized as he hissed a string of presumed curses in Italian when the needle first bit into his skin. Conversation resumed shortly after that, his hand occasionally flexing in discomfort.

She was giggling quietly at something he’d said and there was a certain aura of pride in the cardinal’s smile as she finished the last suture and cleaned his arm one last time.

“Well, then, Copia, all cleaned up,” she announced, carefully wrapping the sutures with a clean dressing. “Just clean gently with soap and water, and come back in around a week and I’ll remove them. And let me get you a goodie bag so you can keep it dressed, too.” Evelyn pulled off her gloves and rose from the stool to go back to the cabinets once again.

“Grazie ancora, cara,” he said on reflex and found himself pinned by that masked stare as her head tilted and she asked an otherwise innocent question.

“I’m sorry, my Italian isn’t exactly great,” she admitted with a laugh as she approached him once more. “I got the thank you part, but what is the rest?”

Suddenly, he was a bit flustered again as she approached. “Oh, uh, perdonami, is, uh…term of endearment, si? Thank you again…uh…I believe direct translation is…dear?”

Evelyn quietly cursed the warmth in her chest that shouldn’t have blossomed over something so simple, so innocent. There was a pause as they stared at one another and she glanced downward. Copia was worried he had overstepped, apologies for being disrespectful on his lips before her bare hand raised in the space between them with the bag of supplies.

“…Evelyn.”

He blinked. “Che cosa?”

“If you insist on my calling you Copia, then you should call me Evelyn…” It was Copia’s turn to warm. “…just don’t tell Sister Imperator. She is…quite obsessed with my anonymity…but it would be nice for someone to at least know my name.”

He couldn’t help but catch her hand after taking the bag, the warmth of her skin on his spurring him to draw her knuckles to his lips. “Il tuo segreto è al sicuro con me…Thank you…Dottore Evelyn.” That white eye of his pierced through hers, her cheeks flushed as the skin of her hand burned with the warmth of his lips.

…Evelyn knew she was playing a dangerous game. Copia, however, was polite and a high-ranking member of the clergy, so clearly was trustworthy to a significant extent. He was also one of the only high-ranking members not to have come to her for certain little blue pills, some assistance with a Sister “problem”, or with a “suspicious rash”. Perhaps it was that combined with their frequent visits and conversations and a growing need for somebody, anyone to know who she was and see her as more than just the doctor. It was…lonely, even for someone who had grown accustomed to and took pride in appreciating solitude.

She had wanted a friend, but as he straightened from her hand with that slightly flustered, awkward smile and she stared at those green and white eyes, too-aware of the lingering sensation of his lips on her knuckles, she was struck by the unsettling feeling that she would be in over her head.

~

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