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ivpapaemeritusiv · 5 months ago

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Chapter 7: I'll Be the Shadow, You'll Be the Light

Summary: In this chapter, as the Re-Imperatour comes to a close, Addy must say goodbye to her own world. Papa Emeritus introduces his pregnant girlfriend to Sister Imperator, or should I say his mother. The woman is initially jealous not to be the only woman in her son's life anymore but elated to find out that she will be a grandmother. Addeline has trouble adjusting to life in the clergy, feeling judged from all angles and anxious at the fast pace in which things seem to be moving. Will she be able to adapt to life in the church of Satan? Or will she break under the pressure?

Word Count: 6,500

The Cardinal escorted his new companion back to the ministry where she would spend the rest of her days as his. Stepping into the mausoleum snatched her breath away; her astonishment was beyond words. The establishment was breathtaking. It exuded a peaceful and reverent atmosphere. The walls were embellished with detailed artwork and graceful marble. Soft lighting bestowed a warm glow throughout, fostering a tranquil ambiance. Rows of exquisitely made crypts and niches lined the space, each boasting a distinct style. The ceilings soared, rivaling the heavens, and the corridors stretched into infinity. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

“This is beautiful,” she said, her mouth agape as she continued to follow Copia down the halls.

He looked around, seeing the place again for the umpteenth time, “Yes, it is not a bad place to spend eternity.”

A dimly lit corridor started to reveal a figure. It became clear that it was a woman in her late sixties. With each step, her shoes tapped against the floor, creating a rhythmic sound. As she approached, her eyes lit up with joy as she spotted the Cardinal. She rushed to embrace him tightly. Copia graciously accepted her warm hug, "C," she greeted him affectionately, ignoring Addy. "I'm so glad you're back, dear boy. You did wonderfully on the tour!"

"Thank you, Sister," Copia replied, picking up a bag from the ground. She halted him, "No need to worry about that, Cardi; the staff will bring in your belongings."

Sister called out a name, “Sister Annaliese!” A young woman appeared in a nun’s outfit. “Sister Annaliese, will you take the Cardinal’s bags to his room?”

“Hello young Sorella,” The Cardinal stated with a wide smile, “Nice to see you,” he gave the young woman a warm embrace, earning him a sinister look from Addeline.

The girl reciprocated, squeezing him tightly as she rambled on in Italian, “Ciao Papà Emeritus. Sono così felice che tu sia tornata Papà!"

"English, please, Sorella," he requested of the young woman. He addressed Addeline as he spoke of the young sister, "Annaliese here is from Rome. We've been teaching her the native language, haven't we dolcezza?"

"Sì Papà,” she replied in a heavy Italian accent, “I am so happy you are home. I have... um, kept your things... how you say... organisé for you.”

“Why thank you,” he replied, “You are my most dependable Sister of Sin,” he added.

“Grazie, Papà Emeritus,” she giggled as he released her, and she darted over to grab his bag, her laughter filling the room with a light-hearted melody.

Addy scowled, her jealousy flaring up. It was one of her strong suits, and she definitely didn't like the girl.

Addy was left standing by herself feeling overlooked as Sister led her new companion away. She felt a bit invisible and forgotten. She looked around, wondering if anyone even noticed her presence. But just as she was starting to feel a bit disheartened, Papa Emeritus cut in, "Sister," he interjected, looking back at Addy, "this is Addeline."

Sister Imperator's cheerful demeanor turned cold. She scrutinized the young woman while looking her from head to toe and then from toe to head, "Hello..." her voice trailing off as if she had forgotten the name.

"Addeline," the young woman said, echoing the Cardinal's introduction.

Sister scoffed and averted her gaze, grasping Cardi's hand, "Cardi, there's much to prepare for the upcoming tour," she said as their voices faded into the distance down the corridor.

"Oh Sister, must we talk business? I just finished a tour.”

Addy, left in shock, surmised Sister must be an overprotective mother.

She quickly gathered her wits and hurried after them, determined not to be left behind. But in her haste, she tripped over her own feet, stumbling to the ground. The Cardinal spun around and dashed to her side.

"Are you alright, darling?" he inquired, lifting her swiftly.

"Quite the clumsy one, isn't she?" Sister commented, as if Addeline wasn’t even in the room.

The Cardinal, disregarding Sister's remark, continued to assist his mate. He tenderly stroked her abdomen and implored her to take care, "Amore, please be cautious not to harm the little one."

Sister whipped her head around at the mention, echoing, "Little one?"

"We hadn't planned on announcing it so soon," Copia confessed, clasping Addy's hand, "but Addeline is with child."

Sister's face split into a sly grin as she bounced excitedly. She hurried to Cardi, nearly sidelining Addy, exclaiming, "Marvelous, C! This is splendid news. We must inform the clergy immediately."

For the first time, Addy felt seen. Sister took her hands and commended her, "You've done well, Addeline." It struck Addy as peculiar to be lauded for her pregnancy. All she did was get knocked up, she thought.

Sister Imperator slowly released Addeline and addressed her son, “Cardi, why don't you show Addy to her room. I'll let you two settle in before this evening's proceedings.” She turned to walk away but had one last thing to say before disappearing out the doorway, “And, Addy, I should like to speak with you privately at some point.”

“Isn’t she great?” Papa asked Addy.

The woman left a bad taste in Addy’s mouth honestly, but she wasn’t going to tell the Cardinal that about his mother. Instead, she smiled slightly and followed the man to another corridor.

The Cardinal led Adeline to her room, “Hopefully, it is up to your standards, my dear.”

“Wait…” she was confused, “I’m not going to sleep in your room with you?”

“Well, you are always welcome in my room, my pet, but perhaps you will want your own space at times, eh?”

She nodded her head, “Can I see your room?”

Copia led the girl down the hall to his own den. It was very dim, absent from natural sunlight, with only a lava lamp lighting one area in a corner. She could see there were a few things that made the Cardinal even more loveable to her—a game console, posters on the wall of bands he admired and a few candles sporting pictures of the virgin Mary. Nothing like the dark, dungeon she had imagined.

She noticed a hook in the middle of the room secured to the ceiling, “What’s that?” she asked.

He glanced up at the object, “Oh… that?”

“Yea,” she said, “it’s kind of random.”

He chuckled, “This hasn’t always been my room. My predecessor, Terzo, was quite the pervert.”

“What is it?” she smiled a grin of curiosity.

“Well, Cara Mia, I can tell you or I can show you. But, if I show you then I suppose that makes me a pervert as well.”

"I don't mind," she said, a hint of intrigue in her voice as the Cardinal went to his closet to grab a few things.

“Maybe you should undress,” he said, still plundering through items.

Addeline’s heart began to pound. She looked at the man and did as she was told. She slowly lifted her shirt, taking a step toward the Cardinal as she threw it to the ground. Then, she unbuttoned her pants and slipped them down to her ankles. She sensually tiptoed out of the garment and continued walking until she was face-to-face with Copia, “Now what?”

“Turn around,” he commanded, quite turned on by her confidence.

The item he retrieved from the closet—a sash from one of his papal robes—he used to restrain the girl’s wrists behind her back. He stood on a step stool, also obtained from the wardrobe, and looped the other end of the sash through the hook in the ceiling.

“Now, Amore,” he began, “this may be very uncomfortable so if you want out, I need you to remember our safe words.”

Addy was a bit intimidated. She had never experienced anything like this before, but she was also aroused and wanted to know what the Cardinal would do to her.

“Green, yellow, red,” she recited, assuring him that she remembered.

“Good girl,” he started to lift the sash behind her until she was forced to bend over, and tied it when he was satisfied with her stance, “Are you ok, Bella Mia?”

“I’m okay,” she called out, her head dangling toward the floor—all her hair in front of her face.

Copia stepped down and removed his pants. He gripped her at the waist, rubbing his hard member against her from behind. He grabbed himself to control the loose movements and skillfully placed it between her slits. She was wet enough for him to easily slide into her.

Normally, he would ease into her, letting her grow accustomed to his massive length. This time, however, he propelled into her without any tenderness at all. She tried to move forward to escape some of his length, but her position reduced her ability to struggle.

He felt her pull away from him, “Are you alright, love?”

She couldn’t speak. Between the weight of her body pulling her down, the sash holding her up and the Cardinal pushing her forward she was fighting the forces of gravity from many directions.

Copia, being very intuitive, however, detected her struggle. Without pulling out of her, he wrapped his arms around her chest and lifted her up to give her a break from the strappado. She was breathing heavily. “Shh,” he soothed her, “I’ve got you.”

She was able to find balance in his arms and her anxiety subsided. Once he saw that she had found her bearings he slowly let her slump back over, “My love, are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said shakily.

Papa eased in and out of her more slowly this time so not to put too much resistance on the restraints that held her arms over her head. She felt increasingly exposed to his penetration. Copia wanted to make quick work of hitting the spot that would send her soaring so he could soon remove her from the bondage.

As he pounded against her, she resisted less and less. Addy’s skin felt so soft, as he let his hands snake across her waist between her thighs. His fingers found her clit causing Adeline’s breath to intensify. “Breathe, Amore,” he said to her.

He could tell right away the moment she finally lost her inhibitions and began to enjoy what was happening to her. She let out a disembodied moan as she tried to push back onto his cock as best she could. “Ah, you like that now?” He reveled in her cries.

Copia began to move much faster and at a rougher pace. He grabbed into her hips to center her, his fingers digging into her skin as he continued thrusting.

“Fuck!” Adeline whimpered, feeling herself approaching an ultimate state of bliss.

Her body was on fire with pleasure as Copia became more erratic. With one final thrust, they both reached their peaks together. Adeline’s body collapsed, yanking her shoulders up at an inhuman angle.

“Wait, wait, my darling!”

The Cardinal quickly reached for a pair of sheers and cut the sash, releasing Adeline from the binds. She fell fast but he caught her dead weight in his arms. He cradled her whole body in his arms like a baby and walked her over to the bed.

She sucked in air through clenched teeth and grabbed at her wrists to soothe the heat she felt around them, “Ow, ow, ow,” she began to cry. She hadn’t realized how much it had hurt.

“Let me see, my love.”

He took one of her wrists in his hands and studied the friction burn all the way around, like a red and purple bracelet. He brought the injury to his lips and kissed it softly, “Amore, you should have told me it was hurting you.”

She placed her head on his chest and spoke into his shirt, “I didn’t think it was hurting that badly until the very end.”

The cardinal coddled her and hugged her tightly, “Pleasure can make pain seem non-existent,” he said.

It was a quote from the man she’d remember for years to come.

She crawled from his arms into his bed and slipped under the covers. He, feeling quite tired now, joined her. He placed his arms around her and pulled her body into his, spooning her as they both fell asleep.

Sister Imperator sat in her office poring over the intricate plans spread across her mahogany desk, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and concerns. The heavy drapes muffled the outside world, creating a cocoon of silence that only amplified the weight of her responsibilities. Of course, her silence was interrupted by the ghostly figure of Papa Nihil when he appeared standing next to her. He had a knack for materializing whenever and wherever he pleased, and it sometimes drove Sister mad.

"Good evening, Seestor. You're looking lovely as always," Papa Nihil greeted with a sly smile.

"Good evening, Papa," Sister replied, her voice tinged with weariness.

"Did the cardinal make it home?" Nihil inquired, his tone curious.

Sister sighed deeply, "Yes, he did."

"Did he find his prime mover?"

Leaning back in her chair, Sister tried to relax, "Yes, he did. And she's already pregnant."

"I can't believe any woman would let such a fool impregnate them," Nihil scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Sister shot him a sharp look, her eyes rolling so hard they almost hurt. "Nevertheless, Papa, he did. And she is."

"You seem displeased, Seestor," Nihil observed, leaning forward with interest.

Imperator leaned forward as well, placing an elbow on her desk and resting her head upon it. "She doesn't appear to be a prime mover at all. She looks like a goddamned teenager."

Nihil's eyes lit up with excitement, "Does she? Is she pretty?"

"Oh Papa, shut it!" Sister snapped, her frustration evident.

Her mind churned with worry. This young lady, scarcely older than a teenager in appearance, did not seem capable of the monumental task ahead. Sister feared resistance from the girl and doubted her suitability for such a significant responsibility for the clergy and her son. She knew she would have to keep a close eye on the situation, ensuring everything went according to plan.

Adeline was awoken by the roar of a large bell around 6:00 that evening. She sat up, startled at how loud it was and wondered if she’d be hearing it more than just once a day. The woman stretched and let out a yawn but quickly flinched at the sensation of her sore body.

Papa woke up too. He was stirred by feelings of arousal when he glanced over to see her naked body. He grabbed her and brought her near to him.

“Be careful, Papa!” she screeched, “I’m sore as hell!”

He focused his eyes on her wrists again, “Don’t worry about that, my darling. We will put some bruise cream on it and maybe not hang you up from the ceiling anymore.”

He was ravishing her with kisses, sucking her neck, her ears, her cheeks and then her mouth. She was giggling so hard she struggled to get air.

“Papa, I can’t breathe,” she laughed.

“Mmm…” he became more ferocious.

“Papa, I think that bell was important.”

“I want you, Amore Mia! Do you want me?”

Tickled by the nibbles he was placing all around her, she struggled to answer his question. She managed to push out a giddy, “Yes.”

“Tell me then. Tell me that you want me.”

Adeline obliged, muttering the words, “I want you.”

Without breaking their kiss, the Cardinal climbed on top of his new companion. She gasped as she felt the sudden weight of him bearing down on her. His hips moved slowly against hers. Addy placed her hands on his rear and tried to move with his rhythm. His naked bulge excited her.

Copia began kissing Adeline’s chest, sucking at her breasts before continuing to move down lower. She gripped tightly to his thick salt and pepper hair and braced herself for what was to come. He placed his lips on her cunt and alternated between sucking and flicking his tongue. It was more than she could stand. She arched her pelvis, pushing his face further into her. The Cardinal smirked, proud of himself for stirring such emotions from her.

“How is that?”

“So, fucking good!” she moaned, feeling his tongue explore her insides.

“You taste amazing,” he mumbled, swirling around her clit as if it were the top of an ice cream cone.

He removed his head from between her thighs, replacing his tongue with his fingers. He slid them into Addeline, pumping them in and out. She looked down to watch the Cardinal ravish her. She too wanted to give him some pleasure and so she took his cock into her hand and began to stroke it.

“Ah, yes,” he hummed.

He removed his fingers from inside the woman and placed them into his mouth—sucking the taste of her off each one.

Adeline let go of Copia and grabbed the bottom of his shirt—attempting to pull it up over his head. She tugged it away from him and tossed it onto the floor where her clothes still lay from earlier.

“Vieni qui,” he commanded, reaching for her—'come here’ in Italian. She was still trying to translate some of the things he said aloud at times. She knew that ‘Mia’ meant ‘my’ and noticed that he put this behind most things when addressing her. There was ‘Amore Mia’ or my love. Sometimes she was ‘Cara Mia’ or his dear. At times he had called her his beautiful ‘Bella Mia.’ There was no lack of terms of endearment he had for her.

She also knew when he was angry. When he got mad that something had gone wrong at a show he’d yell, “Cazzo!” She heard him yell this in the bedroom too but only out of pleasure. Adeline herself preferred to say, “Fuck.”

At times when she would take him into her mouth, he would push her head down and say, “Suco,” which to her was immediately self-explanatory.

She reached out to him, and he grabbed her wrists to put her into his lap, “Ouch, ouch, Papa! Ow!”

Forgetting her injuries, he felt instant regret, “Oh no, my love! I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

He kissed her bruises and held them gently in his hands. Once he finished consoling her, he wrapped her legs around his waist so that her genitals were pressed up against his own. Now, both sitting upright, he lifted her just a bit to bring her back down onto his stiff shaft.

Adeline couldn’t help but moan curses as she felt him enter her from this angle, forcing her to take him all the way to his base. It filled her stomach with butterflies.

The Cardinal shifted himself under Addy and began bouncing her up and down, keeping his thrusts short, only pulling out a little before ramming back into her again. She managed to ask, hyperventilating, “Papa… the… bell?”

“It’s a mass, Amore,” he said with a grunt, “They can wait.”

Addy tilted her head back, holding onto the Cardinal’s broad shoulders for support.

“Look at me,” he commanded, his hand reaching for her face, “I want to see you. You look so fucking pretty on my cock, Tesoro.”

Adeline was blushing. Papa’s dirty talk was always enough to send her over the edge, “Papa, fuck me faster,” she moaned, lost in his eyes.

“Of course,” he obliged, speeding the pace to her liking, “Who am I, Amore?”

“Papa!” she cried as he gave one more thrust.

With that final push, they both climaxed, their juices mixing in a pool of sticky mess in between them.

“Ahh, Cara Mia,” Copia grunted, letting his head fall forward onto the girl’s shoulder.

Still connected to each other, she kissed the top of his head and rubbed his hair.

“Cazzo, Tesoro,” he remarked, still in her embrace, “We better get ready for that mass.”

“I suppose I’ll be stumbling in,” Addy said, “I can barely walk.”

“You’ll have that problem often with me,” Copia smirked, as he hurried to throw on his Papal cassock and regalia.

“So, what does mass entail, and why do I have to go?”

Papa smiled, “It’s like church but for the satanic sheep, my pet. A bit of business as well.”

“I see…” Adeline said.

“I assume you’re not big on Christianity since you agreed to sleep with the devil?” he referred to himself.

She laughed at the thought although she had felt like she sold her soul.

“I am very much agnostic, Papa. I don’t care what you guys worship.”

“Good, because our children will be brought up here in the church of Satan.”

“Great, we’ll raise demons,” she said sarcastically, “I have friends who raise some of those and they’re not even cultists. Now, what should I wear?”

“Black, Amore. Wear something dark to match your eyes.”

“You think my eyes are black?” she chuckled.

“Oh, blacker than onyx, my love,” he revealed to her, “It was one of the first things I noticed about you. Your eyes are of an evil beauty.”

She stood up smiling big. The cardinal took notice of the enormous contrast between her dark eyes and the whiteness of her teeth. He caught a glimpse of a slight bump in place of her once flat tummy, reminding him that he’d be a father by the end of the year.

“I’m starving, Papa. Will they feed us at this mass?”

“No food, my love. That will come after.”

“Not even a communion cracker?” she joked.

“Not on this evening,” he chuckled at her.

After dressing and making themselves presentable, Adeline and the Cardinal made their way to the chapel where the clergy, Sister Imperator, and other church cult followers sat waiting. Adeline was embarrassed walking in late in front of everyone.

“Ah, good of you to join us,” Sister said. “Please, Cardinal, come forward and address the church and Clergy.”

The Cardinal walked to the front as Addeline took a seat next to Sister. The elder woman shot daggers at her. Addeline tried to keep her focus on Papa, keeping her head forward no matter how hard she felt Sister staring at her.

Upon noticing her bruises, Imperator leaned over and whispered in Addy’s ear, “Having too much fun to show up on time, were you?”

The girl pulled her sleeves down over her bruises and sat on her hands.

“I see Cardi is taking very good care of you,” she continued to hassle the girl.

The Cardinal spoke for quite a while and then Sister Imperator joined him at the altar with Papa Nihil. Adeline had not heard much of what had been said but her interest peaked as soon as a wedding was mentioned.

“Addy, dear,” Sister Imperator said, “Would you mind joining us up here?”

The woman shook herself from her daze and walked to the stage, naturally wanting to stand beside Papa. He took her hand and looked at Sister Imperator.

“Papa Emeritus IV has found the woman who is to be his bride.”

Cheers erupted from the pews and Addeline could feel her head spin a bit. She wasn’t warned about any type of matrimonial announcement. She looked out into the crowd. Seeing so many strangers look at her began to make her a bit sick. Her stomach started to churn, and she could feel bile rising into her throat. Oh God she thought. She tore away from the Cardinal’s grasp and cupped her mouth with her hand. She used her free hand to grab her stomach. She saw a trash can resting behind a curtain, just out of view of everyone, and ran for it. Barely making it, Addeline leaned over the bin and threw up.

Sister looked at the Cardinal who wasted no time running to his future bride. Sister continued to speak to the congregation as Papa took Addy further back behind the curtain, free from everyone’s sight.

“Cara Mia, are you okay?”

Addy swallowed and wiped her mouth, “I don’t know. My stomach is…” she gulped, “queasy.”

“Perhaps it is nerves, my love.”

Addy shook her head, “I think I’m just hungry. I always get sick on an empty stomach.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed herself. It could have been hunger. It could have been morning sickness. It could have been the fact that life was changing too fast. Within two months she had met a man, fell pregnant, moved to a different state and now betrothed?

“Why don’t you go rest in your room, Amore? I will come fetch you when it is dinner time.”

“Yes,” she nodded her head, “Thank you, Papa.”

The mass continued without her. Sister was quite disappointed with the way things had gone.

“Cardi, you must get that girl under control.”

“Sister,” Papa explained, “You may have scared her by talking about a wedding in front of everyone. Addeline is a… private person. She does not like the attention.”

“Private?” Sister laughed, “Private people don’t walk around wearing their sexual deviances upon their bodies like tokens.”

“That was my fault, Sister,” Papa spoke up, “I… uh… You see, I can’t help myself sometimes. And she’s so submissive I—”

“—That’s quite enough, Cardi. I don’t want to know what you do in the privacy of your bed chamber.”

Thinking about her son having sex was something Sister Imperator did not want to imagine.

“And in any case, she’s dating a rock star. Did she not think that would throw her into the spotlight?”

The Cardinal remained silent.

“Talk to her about the wedding. We can’t have your child born a bastard.”

“Of course, Sister,” Papa reassured her, “Addeline will marry me. Do not fret over that.”

Imperator gave Papa a kiss on the cheek and sent him to find the mother of his future child. He walked to her room first figuring she’d be there. Empty. Then he walked to his room. Sure, enough she was in there changing her clothes. She snapped around quickly when she heard him open the door.

“May I come in, Tesoro?”

“Of course,” she replied.

Placing one heavy foot in front of the other, he walked up to her, waiting for an explanation.

“I’m sorry, Papa. I made a fool of you.”

“No, darling,” he whispered, brushing her cheek gently with the back of his hand and placing a single strand of hair behind her ear. “You cannot possibly be blamed for an upset stomach.”

“I do want to marry you, you know?”

His eyes lit up, “Oh?”

“Well, yea. I don’t want you to think that’s why I got nervous. It’s just—”

“Amore, you need not explain yourself to me,” the Cardinal always knew how to calm Addy when she was feeling panicky. “It is a lot at once, no?”

She nodded, “Things are moving quickly but that didn’t bother me when we were together on the road. Now, that we’re

here I just feel like I have so many people to please when I really just want to please you.”

Copia took the girl in his arms, giving her a long embrace before he spoke again, “It is only important we marry before the baby is born. And you always please me, my sweet.”

She pulled away to look up at the Cardinal. He was so much taller than she was. She had to look way up to see his eyes from this angle, “Papa?”

“Yes, my love?”

“I don’t really want to get married in front of everyone. That sounds like a complete nightmare. Can’t we just… elope or something?”

He laughed, “Maybe a small ceremony in front of the clergy. Someone will need to witness it.”

“You mean your mother wants to be there?”

Addy's words hung in the air, creating a mix of concern and confusion. The Cardinal furrowed his brow, his mind trying to process what he had just heard. "My mother?" he repeated, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Addy looked at him, her eyes searching for answers. The Cardinal's blank stare mirrored his inner turmoil.

“Sister Imperator?” Addy said, concern in her voice, “Is she not your mother?”

"She is not," Papa said firmly, dispelling any lingering doubts. The revelation hit Addy like a anvil, leaving her very curious.

She looked down to the floor to hide her expression of astonishment. He doesn’t know she’s his mom she thought silently to herself. She furrowed her brow so heavily it surprised her that her face did not get stuck that way. She did not want the Cardinal to see though. They had obviously hidden it from him for a reason—protection maybe? She didn’t know how he could not see it. She’d only known the woman for a day and to her it was obvious. Who else knew? Didn’t know? Nonetheless, she wanted to confirm the secret had nothing to do with his safety before she pressed the issue further. His safety was one of her biggest concerns.

“My mistake, Papa,” she quickly redeemed herself, hoping she had not offended the man, “It’s just… she seems to care for you very much, like a mother would.”

The Cardinal nodded, “Yes, she does. I care for her too. She has been a big part of my life. She raised me, right here in this establishment when I was abandoned at birth.”

Adeline’s look of confoundment crept back across her face. Luckily, Copia was oblivious to it.

“I’m really hungry, “Papa,” she changed the subject, “I am eating for two after all.”

“Ah, yes,” he placed a hand on her stomach, “Let’s get some food into you darling.”

The couple walked hand in hand to a large dining room where only a few people sat. Of course, there was Sister Imperator, Papa Nihil, Mr. Psaltarian and the sisters of sin.

There were three sisters who acted as apprentices for the Cardinal. Two were older women, Sister Maria and Sister Christina, who had been part of the clergy for a long time. And then there was the young woman whom Addeline had met earlier upon arrival. Sister Annaliese, who had recently joined the ministry, was younger than Addy by at least five years. Not only was she young, but she was also as beautiful as Addy.

The young sister sat before them, a striking contrast to Addeline’s gothic nature. Her blonde hair peeked out from beneath her nun’s cap, framing her soft features and supple cheeks. Her captivating blue eyes sparkled with warmth and kindness, drawing attention to her serene expression. The boldness of her ruby red lips added a touch of vibrancy to her overall appearance. With her high cheekbones, she exuded an air of grace and elegance. It was a captivating sight, a beautiful blend of softness and boldness. Addeline hated her.

Sister Imperator jumped up instantly to hug the Cardinal. Addeline scoffed at this. It’s so obvious she is his mother, she thought.

“Sit my dear boy, you must be famished.”

“Oh, thank you very much, Sister,” he said, “I am. We haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I ordered your favorite!”

“Ah, how nice,” he shouted in excitement, “Rigatoni and Risotto.”

“And Gelato for dessert!” she added.

“What a wonderful gesture, Sister, thank you!”

“Well, we have missed you being home. It’s so boring here when you’re on the road.”

Addeline grumbled.

“Are you okay, darling?” asked Copia.

“I’m not a fan of Italian food, I’m sorry. It’s kind of heavy.”

“Oh, well you don’t expect to grow a healthy baby by eating air, do you?” Sister snapped, “You’re as thin as a rail.”

“It’s okay, we can find something else for you, dear,” Papa gave her leg three gentle pats and began to eat.

“I believe there’s cereal in the kitchen,” Sister announced, signaling for someone from the kitchen’s staff to grab a bowl for Addy.

Addeline shook her head and gave a look of disdain.

“So, Addeline, how far along are you now?” sister asked.

“Well, I’m not sure. Five weeks I would think,” she looked at Papa and smiled.

“So, did you climb into bed with this pompous ass the first night you met him?” Papa Nihil bellowed with comical disgust.

Addy was growing frustrated now by the personal attacks she seemed to be taking from all angles, “I… I don’t… listen! Everyone, I thought this is what you all needed? You need Papa to have a son.”

The whole table was staring at her—all but Papa who was still stuffing his face.

“Well, here I am. I’ve done that.”

“You’ve done nothing yet, girl,” sister countered, “Let’s see what comes out of you before you sing your own praises.”

Addeline’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She had not yet considered what would happen if she was pregnant with a girl. It shut her up very quickly and she felt defeated as her bowl of cereal was brought to her. Without taking a bite she threw her napkin down and pushed herself away from the table, “Excuse me,” she said.

Sister shrugged her shoulders as Addeline walked away.

The cardinal put his fork down and excused himself as well. He ran to catch up to Addy who had made it back to the long corridors.

“Darling, you must eat something.”

She sighed, “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Copia crossed his arms, “You tell me what you want, and I will see to it that you receive it.”

This restored some of the spirit stolen from her, “Really?”

“If you want something, Amore, you only need ask.”

“I would literally kill for a pizza.”

“Ah, see! No problema!”

“What’s going to happen to me if I have a girl, Papa?”

Since the cardinal had not been paying attention at dinner he was confused by the off-topic question, “Tesoro, what do you mean?”

“What will they do to me if I don’t have a boy?” She repeated the question.

Copia took her chin in his hand and forced Addy to look at him, “They will do nothing to you, Amore. We will simply try again.”

“What if they ask you to find another woman?”

“Another… what?” To him, the notion was preposterous, “Absolutely not. I would refuse. Do you think I could replace you so easily? The mother of my child?”

“What if they kill me?”

“My love. They will not kill you,” the cardinal found the idea ridiculous.

“They don’t like me.”

“They just met you. Give it some time. And anyway, Nihil is a prick. He likes no one. Psaltarian? I’m not sure about yet. But you are safe with me. Sister would not hurt me by taking you from me.”

Finally, something Addeline found solace in. She did believe Sister would travel to hell and back if it meant Copia being happy.

“Now, let’s order pizza and go back to my room, eh?”

Addeline giggled, “Papa you can’t possibly have any more stamina left.”

“Well, my darling, let us find out.”

The Cardinal noticed Nihil walking toward them now. He quickly took Addy’s hand and pulled her to his room. He did not want to be bothered by whatever nonsense took place at the dinner table—especially right now while Addy was on his to-do list. Copia opened the door to his room, making sure they made a hasty exit from the hall. The last thing Nihil saw was Papa’s bedroom door being slammed shut.

A knock on the door woke Addeline from a deep sleep. She felt a bit queasy but managed to pull herself out of bed to go investigate. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Sister standing there, “Ah, Addeline,” the woman said, “You know I went to knock on your door, but I got no answer. I knew I’d find you in here.”

“Should I not sleep with the Cardinal?”

Sister pursed her lips, “You sleep where you like, dear.”

Addy looked back at Papa, still asleep in bed and then back to Sister, “Sister, is there something I can do for you?”

“I’d like us to talk. Privately, in my office?”

“Now?” she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed but apparently Imperator had other plans.

“Of course, child,” she said, “There’s no time to waste.”

Addy nodded and excused herself for a moment so that she could put decent clothes on. After, she joined Sister out in the hall.

“You know I’ve been running this ministry for over 50 years. I’ve seen many come and go, darling.”

Addeline gulped, struggling to keep down the pizza from the night before.

Imperator, feeling someone sympathetic to the girl’s current situation began to explain, “I too had a great deal of morning sickness when I…” she stopped mid-sentence realizing she was about to reveal her secret, “Never mind.”

They reached the woman’s office where Sister invited Addy to sit.

“Now, this is a business meeting, my dear. Bear in mind that you are entering into a contract deal here not only with Cardi…” she corrected herself, “The Cardinal, but with the whole clergy.”

Addeline nodded her head, still groggy from a lack of sleep and quite nauseated from the growing child inside of her. Sister handed her a document and encouraged her to read over it, "Now, you may not understand some of the stipulations but in a nutshell, you belong to Papa Emeritus. You will serve only him; you will need his permission to do anything within reason."

Addy squinted, thinking that this particular stipulation wasn't so bad. She and the current Papa Emeritus had a mutual respect for one another. She didn't see this being an issue.

“Next, any boys that you provide the Cardinal belong to the clergy. In the event that you," she paused, searching for the correct word, "Disappear, your children will remain here."

Addy was taken aback, "My children won't be mine?"

"No, dear. Your offspring will be the ministry's sole possession. They are crucial for its growth and future," Sister explained.

“I can’t possibly agree to this, Sister.”

Imperator clicked her tongue and glanced at the contract in Addy's hand. Gently, she began to take it away, saying, "Yes, I get it. The Cardinal will be disappointed to see you leave."

"Leave?" Addy questioned.

"Well, if you can't agree to the terms, we'll need to find someone who can," Imperator explained. Sensing Addy's concern, Sister tried to lighten the mood, "Do you plan on leaving the Cardinal?"

Addy vehemently shook her head.

"Then, dear," Sister reassured, "This won't be an issue. You stay, your children stay."

Addy nodded in understanding.

"The rest just covers marriage, your children's duties, and your commitment to the clergy and the Cardinal. Initial the highlighted lines, and you can return to your beloved Papa."

Addy's hands trembled as she realized she was surrendering her future children's rights before they were even born. Fear gripped her, questioning the true nature of this ministry. Was the band merely a cover for something darker, something sinister lurking beneath the surface? She wondered if the Cardinal himself knew. Nevertheless, for his sake, she signed the contract and handed it back to Sister Imperator.

“Marvelous, darling,” the woman said, “You may leave.”

As Addy went to stand, Sister made one more remark, “Oh, darling, how do you feel about a midwife and natural labor?”

Addy had reached her breaking point. The queasiness from signing the document overwhelmed her, and she couldn't hold it any longer, vomiting on Sister's desk. Both women stared in shock.

"I am so sorry," Addy apologized.

"That's alright," Imperator responded, visibly repulsed, "Just go."

Addy left quickly, feeling horrified by the whole ordeal. She yearned to be back sleeping next to Papa, feeling the warmth of his body, seeking comfort in his presence, longing for his reassurance that everything would be okay.

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hcrexcellency · 1 year ago

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🔐 - 1 tip for each muse!

Annaliese Hölm. You can earn her trust by inquiring about her sisters and her husband. They are the dearest thing in the world to her, and she will always ramble on sharing stories about them. It definitely helps her relax around you. If you really want her to get comfortable, compliment her husband (but do it respectfully because she does enjoy getting jealous and possessive).

Maria De La Rosa. Anyone who doesn't abide by the pleasantries and manners of the royal court are the first in line to earn her trust. She does not trust anyone easily at all, but you can start by showing her that you value her perspective as a pirate and that she does add something fun to the castle.

Joanna Stuart. Literally, just listen to her. She has so many amazing ideas and is super smart and tactical, but she feels like no one gives a damn. If you show her you're impressed by her, that you believe in her, and that you are in awe of her, she is quicker to let you in.

Victoria Windsor. She's very rosy and sees the world in bright pink literally all the time. She closes herself off to people who enjoy bursting her bubble by making fun of her or try to bring her down to reality. She appreciates people who would like to join her in her fantasy world and then gently bring her down to earth. Her eldest brother is the best at this, therefore, she trusts him the most.

#memes ; 𝒱𝒾𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒶 𝒲𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓈𝑜𝓇 #memes ; 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕒 𝔻𝕖 𝕃𝕒 ℝ𝕠𝕤𝕒 #memes ; 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭 #memes ; 𝔄𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰𝔢 ℌö𝔩𝔪 #muse ; 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕒 𝔻𝕖 𝕃𝕒 ℝ𝕠𝕤𝕒 #muse ; 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫t #muse ; 𝒱𝒾𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒶 𝒲𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓈𝑜𝓇 #muse ; 𝔄𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰𝔢 ℌö𝔩𝔪

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the-music-keeper · 5 years ago

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So Annaliese told me to look up the Rate My Professor reviews for our first-year Theory professor. When I found these gold nuggets, she asked me to screenshot them and send them to her. I thought my lovely followers might enjoy them as well!

#amy rambles #music theory #jmu school of music #music major #somebody once photoshopped his face over all the members of n sync and made t shirts out of the picture #somebody also made buttons with his face on them #i got neither a shirt nor a button #but let's be real #everybody that comes to the jmu school of music #and i do mean everybody #develops a crush on this man #annaliese had one #yawsameen had one #i had one #my classmate in the comp seminar lights up when he sees the professor in his office as we're walking into class #like just today he just peered into the doorway with the goofiest smile on his face and waved until the professor waved back #so he's got a very poorly hidden crush #and honestly it's not anything to be ashamed of #it's just that everyone in the school of music obviously has really great taste in men

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faydingrain · 2 years ago

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I’m working on the details for the maids atm, so here’s the main Hatter arc maids+butler~

#nyssa rambles #The Chronicles of Falling Rain #CFR #oh right #I have them down as 'RS' in my files for 'Raven Servant'#RS Annaliese #RS Iara #RS Elyse #RS Constance #RS Lydia #RS Izaya

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nobleburn · 1 year ago

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"Oh, I'm quite inclined to agree," Nikolette affirmed with a firm nod. "Even were I not engaged, if a man interested in my hand opened a conversation with such topics, I'd be likely to smack him upside the head!" Of course, she was only speaking metaphorically. As an upstanding, elegant lady, violence was to be used against others only as a last resort. Another reason, naturally, why she couldn't have intended what happened to poor Annaliese Richter, and that it was simply a freak accident. She was simply too tenderhearted!

And that tenderness was shared with Eira, naturally, especially when she got like this. "Yes," she agreed, smilingly softly to her friend. "I should think that's quite lovely." It was true that Nikolette had never felt especially lonely, or as though she'd missed out on something for not having a sibling, but for Eira's purposes, two sounded perfect. The thought of Eira writing a letter at a dining table, or tending to her books, while two adorable little silver-haired children scampered around nearby was one that brought a warm smile to Nikolette's face. How cute.

"Of course!" Yes, even though they lived in separate countries, and would both be busy with official duties, she had every intention of treating Eira and her family as extended family of her own. "I'm sure that even when we have families, we'll remain close. Perhaps the children can even play together on visits." To think on it, eventually she'd need to meet those brothers of hers, even if they'd have to settle to being second in all fields to their entirely exceptional little sister in Nikolette's eyes. For Eira's mother, though... well, one day, Nikolette rather intended to have words with her regarding her meddling in Eira's love life. It was one thing for an agreed-upon arranged marriage, and another entirely to offer someone the choice of a personal marriage, only to interfere at every juncture.

"Oh, don't trouble yourself over it," she said, taking Eira's hands, softly at first and then with a bit more firmness once the shaking of the ship signaled the takeoff. Nikolette swallowed, a faint shiver working its way up her spine. Surely, they would be fine. There was no further reason to dwell upon it. "It's only rambling when it's unwelcome. Other than that it's simply... eloquent, verbose oration!" Perhaps Eira wasn't exactly being eloquent with her thoughts, but Nikolette hardly minded. "You so often speak about topics I haven't the faintest idea about, though I'm happy to listen. Family and marriages, at least, are things that I have some reference for, rather than whatever you read in your books."

That Nikolette was joking on such a morbid sort of topic invites a playful scrutiny from the knight captain. Peering eyes levelled as the conversation continues. After all, Eira thought herself closer with most her siblings than other families. Well, maybe. At the very least she’d never consider harm against them past a jest at one of their less than tasteful jokes. Perhaps it was due to the presumed lineage. It was that she wasn’t in the running or consideration to inherit grand estates of her family. No, the presumption is she would marry into such a thing. And of course in defiance of both these expectations she is creating her own history through service to the kingdom and its people.

Properly noble, Eira would say. Rather than dwelling in that grand estate or fussing over numbers.

“Some men... are like that. Entering a marriage or approaching the relationship with conclusions of what they would like to have as part of their family. Which I suppose is fair. Discussions like that are important." With the obvious key word being discussion. "Though I consider it poor taste to open flirtations or conversation with it.” Her tone shifts to something lighter, an airy hum as she reflects on previous encounters. With the benefit of hindsight, the memories are easier to tolerate than they were in the moment.

“I don’t know anyone considers bantering about the count of children as an acceptable way to flirt with a woman you’ve just met. One man. Oh. This one time…” Eira smiles in disbelief. “He declared a vision of four children and said it so matter of factly it was like I was supposed to contend with it. There were other reasons I did not want to continue talking with him, but among them is I think I agree with you.” Eira sighs, a wave of that hand that had been holding Nikolette’s, letting it touch to the side of her face. “Two. Two sounds like plenty. So that they could play together.” Which could be considered wishful thinking on her part, but behind closed doors it was often noticed, perhaps, that Eira was a much softer woman than she fronted herself as. A look bats up at Nikolette. A huff of amusement.

“I look forward to seeing your children. Once you do have them. I’m already an aunt to so many, technically, but many of my nieces and nephews are almost my age if you can believe it. And. It’d be different. Just. Different. Maybe- I don’t even- I’m rambling.” A knock and shudder from the ship comes not long after, a signal that the airship was leaving port and taking to the skies after some shouts and hastened footsteps upside.

#dcviated #a queen in exile

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coxology101 · 1 month ago

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Wait… oh no… fic idea. Hell's Kitchen's pastor gets replaced under mysterious circumstances. Enter Matt Murdock, experiencing a bi and religious crisis...bloddied and bruised. Yes.

#NOT THAT I NEED ANY MORE WIPS BUT OKAYYY #bisexual matt murdock #mattt murdock #matt murdock x male reader #annaliese rambles #also male reader is trans ftm bc reasons..#plot bunny

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kazumaple · 1 year ago

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hello all i have to finish two books before tuesday for english lit hl and i want to cry one is boring and the other is long save me

#kazumaple #annaliese's rambles

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harryforvogue · 3 years ago

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Yeah and the first time since the war he interrupts annalise with a kiss cus he can’t hold it in while she’s in the middle of talking what then hmm??��🤨 I think you owe it to us to elaborate on that I can not believe you dropped that bomb on us

maybe annaliese is super annoyed after coming back from their neighbor's house. she's just going on and on about how much she hates that woman and how irritating she is. at some point, she switches over to french and harry has absolutely no idea what she's saying, but he manages to catch some very offensive words as annaliese rambles on and on angrily. she's running her hands through her hair, undoing her collar, shoving her shoes off.

harry's come home from work before annaliese and having left the house earlier than her in the morning, it's the longest he's gone all week without seeing her. so it is really so bad if he just wants to spend time with his wife without her being so worked up?

"annaliese," he tries to interject, but she isn't having it.

"annaliese, hold on. listen to me. could we just--"

he tries a few more times, but ultimately, he sighs, reaches for her waist and firmly brings her into his chest. then he ducks his head down and kisses her. hard.

annaliese lets out a squeak of surprise, but she immediately melts into his kiss, sliding her fingers into his curls, kissing him back just as passionately. his hand roam up her back and one hand tangles in her own hair, tightening his fingers there.

he pulls away softly and whispers, "you are such a little firecracker, aren't you? wanting to fight everyone. won't even let me get a word in."

annaliese is a little stunned by the kiss and she touches his lips gently. "i spoke too much."

"you did," harry murmurs. "and i don't mind when you ramble. i love it. but i really wanted a kiss. i haven't seen you in hours, ma femme."

she nods, swallowing hard. "yeah," she whispers. "you just wanted a kiss. and...and you took your kiss."

harry smiles slightly. "do you want it back? have to come take it then."

annaliese swears softly under her breath and then kisses him, pressing herself against him. she detects his smile remaining throughout the kiss.

and when she pulls away, harry gently wipes his mouth clean of her lipstick and then tidies up the edges of her lips as well.

"alright. tell me more about alexandra."

#harry and annaliese #wtss

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hcrexcellency · 1 year ago

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Annaliese had gotten into one of her unprompted speeches, rambling about to poor Lord Pieter about all of her ideas and options for moving forward. His words had interrupted her mid-speech. "Forgive me, Lord Pieter, I'm sure we are all restlessly rambling either in our thoughts or with our words today," she held her hand to her chest as she took in a deep breath.

@francehqstarters

He was waiting to be called to the meeting where everyone would discuss and deliberate over who or what was behind these attacks. He wasn't sure but it was obviously an enemy or ally who wanted to turn enemy against the French. Or maybe not - maybe it could be a case where they were trying to attack another country.

Either way, there were people injured and he found himself not looking forward to reliving the experience. Maybe it was him lost in thought or just not aware of his surroundings but he found himself jumping slightly as a voice broke through his thought process. "Right, yes, I'm sorry," he said with a breath, "you were saying something?"

#muse ; 𝔄𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰𝔢 ℌö𝔩𝔪 #thread ; 𝔄𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔰𝔢 ℌö𝔩𝔪 #( queen annaliese & lord pieter )

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hopeshoodie · 4 years ago

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Please do share those thoughts if you want to, cuz i would love them!

BET (winx rambling under the cut)

These are just generally disorganized thoughts rather than critiques or points but

Winx was the first show that I ever got to experience the ‘magic girl’ format. I’ve never been an anime person, but I think the genre was created or controlled by Sailor Moon? Either way, from what I understand of the genre it’s very ‘find new power/girl/outfit’ oriented. So the Winx model of ‘each season follows the girls all leveling up in some way’ was novel, but simplistic enough to be compelling

The ‘heros’ academy makes me laugh so much. I get it, they need boys in the show. But... These non-magical dudes are all segregated to a ‘hero’ school where they... Drive hovercars?

I said it before and I’ll say it again- I LOVE the world building of having a fantasy world but then also just... Having sci fi existing alongside it? Like of course a future fantasy world would have technology. But the different realms being like... Planets and all the interdimensional travel? Super dope.

Mirta being turned into a pumpkin for like... A whole season... is on the same level of hilarious as when Dean and Sam Winchester left their brother in hell for over 6 seasons.

Also I don’t know if I just got the ‘Sky is a prince and Brandon is his guard but they switched places for security” reveal confused in my tiny child brain, but rewatching the series as a teen I was so confused??? I could’ve sworn Sky and Brandon were switched in like... Who they were dating and their appearances.

Enchantix is OBVIOUSLY the best powerup. The song? Slaps. The outfits?? BEAUTIFUL. Having to save someone from your home to unlock it, thus dooming Bloom to confront her tragic past and never fully get to access the power? Amazing.

Yes all the winx (except Stella) are hot as hell but the TRIX???? THE TRIX??? The trix were so sexy holy shit I could not handle them as a 8 year old child.

Valtor is like... the coolest villain. He is camp. His relationship with the trix, his spells, his voice acting.... they were just so iconic.

Dark Bloom. Need I say more.

I’ve said this before but I was so obsessed with the episode where Stella turned into a frog monster and the one that she had to give up her face to escape a labyrinth that I printed out screencaps of both of those episodes and pinned them to my childhood wall. And I’ll do it again BAP BAP.

The outfitsssssssssss. I always loved Techna and Flora’s outfits the best, but that sparkle texture had me wanting to both eat and wear it. Same with Annaliese's’ pink dress in Princess and the Pauper. I wanted to rub my face in that pink shimmery fabric and then put it in my mouth so bad.

I didn’t like the pixies as a kid and still don’t. Bloom already had Kieko we don’t need any more small comedic relief characters.

I loved Layla’s backstory as a kid but now, as an adult, it’s just kinda..... Boring. Ugh. I get it, it’s literally a kid’s show and mermaid princess is a kids show concept, but like... Stella got so many royal intrigue episodes and Layla’s all happened off screen.

Roxy is annoying and S4 sucked.

Whenever my elementary school friends and I ‘played’ winx, I wanted to be Brandon (gender issues who), but then my friends would tell me I had to be a girl so I would always play as Lucy

A lesbian icon.

Riven!!! is a male manipulator and Musa deserved so much better!!

They shouldn’t!! Have given Techna long hair!!! in her transformations!!!

Everything went downhill after S3. The reboots are shit.

But I think it was inevitable that the show would die a slow, cruel death because of its premise. A show designed around fashion and magic girls is tailor made for merchandizing- primarily dolls, where you can collect different outfits and hair styles for the different points in the story. But because it’s so marketable, artistic integrity has to go by the wayside as companies try to capitalize off of the merchandizing. You can’t have an organic conclusion to a story if your dolls are making more money than the show itself, because the show must continue marketing until it’s not profitable anymore.

Also the argument that the show is bad because it gives kids body issues? In my opinion, doubtful. In animation especially, I don’t think any of my body issues were because I was trying to look like my barbie dolls or the winx, they were because of the adults around me and the realy human celebrities in media (though I definitely experienced gender envy the first time I watched Danny Phantom so maybe there’s something to be said). Like the girls aren’t drawn realistically, they’re drawn like Parisian and Italian fashion sketches. I don’t see how that’s any more problematic than Disney reusing the same ‘massive eyeballs, no internal organs’ design for their modern princesses.

The whitewashing in the newer seasons was BAD. Layla/Aiesha and Stormy are black, and they just... Forgot that... Yikes.

#not lithegame

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haveanotherkpopblog · 4 years ago

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Truth in Music

Discography

Masterlist

This includes: the main group’s, subunits’, and solo works. Italics represent songs that have MVs.

2008

Metamorphosis- Let’s Party- The 1st Mini Album (July 28)

Dance Floor- Title Track

I Wanna Party

이동 (Move)

드림 댄스 (Dream Dance)

L.O.L.

Metamorphosis- Talk to Me- 1st Single (November 23)

2009

Metamorphosis- Like Fire- The 2nd Mini Album (August 17)

Like Fire- Title Track

Keep Dancing

여자 친구 (Girlfriend)

Just Don’t Stop

Ring Me Up

Metamorphosis- Other Kids- 2nd Single (November 13)

2010

Metamorphosis- Perfect- The 3rd Mini Album (August 19)

Perfect- Title Track

바로 군중 (Right Crowd)

Ode to Us

It’s a Holiday

Lonely Road

2011

Annaliese- 한 번 더 기회 (One More Chance) ft. Jonghyun- 1st Single (January 12)

Metamorphosis- Age of Rock- The 4th Mini Album (June 27)

Nanana- Title Track

Who Cares?

Taking my Time

Intricate

기억하고 싶지 않아 (I Don’t Want to Remember)

2012

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Running for Your Life- 1st Single (February 9)

Metamorphosis- Centuries- The 1st Album (June 6)

Legendary- Title Track

New Age

희미한 영광 (Faded Glory)

저항 (Resistance)- Annaliese & Seonmi Duet

Belly of the Beasts

All the Things You Do

불사 (Immortality)

Dumb***

Punishment

Whatcha Gonna Do?

Metamorphosis- Out of my Mind ft. SHINee- 3rd Single (July 5)

Annaliese- Let’s Let Loose ft. Amber Liu- 2nd Single (September 29)

Annaliese- A Different Type of Love- The 1st Mini Album (December 18)

A Different Type of Love- Title Track

No Thanks

Obvious Liar

Baby Come Home

Metamorphosis- Little Red Noses- 4th Single (December 24)

2013

Metamorphosis- I Know, You Know ft. EXO-M ((Golden Disc Special Performance)) (January 15)

Metamorphosis- The Party Continues- The 2nd Album (February 5)

Downtown- Title Track

Can’t Change Us

Tomorrow’s Dreams

Shush

맛있는 (Delicious)

Push My Buttons

Midnight Whisperings

Move Right Through

Hold Your Hand

Annaliese- Bite Me ft. HyunA- 3rd Single (April 29)

SM’s Girls Of Rock- The New Age- 1st Mini Album (June 18)

Angel- Title Track

Mr. Sandman

Uproar

See You on the Other Side

Metamorphosis- Stay a While- 4th Single (July 10)

Annaliese- Rewind- The 2nd Mini Album (August 14)

Good Ol’ Days- Title Track

전투 한숨 (Battle Sigh)

In the Summertime

Amber Waves

Please, Stay

Metamorphosis- Dangerous- The 1st EP (October 31)

Evil- Title

Bad Girl

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Bullet- 2nd Single (November 2)

Metamorphosis- Little Drummer Boy- 5th Single (December 21)

2014

Metamorphosis- Party Animals- The 3rd Album (January 18)

Party Animals- Title Track

Explode

Only the Good Die Young

Rocket Scientist

Crazy Ramblings

Give Me

첫 키스 (First Kiss)

Clap Like You Mean It

Annaliese- Discourse- The 1st Album (March 22)

The Next Generation- Title Track

Sweet Publicity

승리 (Victory)

Ballerina

Own the Night

Rock

Free Woman

Just Pretend Everything’s Fine

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Animal- 3rd Single (April 15)

SM’s Girls Of Rock- All Good Things- The 2nd Mini Album (July 20)

Good Girls Gone Bad ft. Rain- Title Track

Summer Memories

Death Ring

Tick Tock

Rest in Peace

Can’t Stop

Annaliese- Space Boy ft. G-Dragon- 4th Single (December 9)

Metamorphosis- That’s Christmas to Me- 6th Single (December 24)

2015

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Why Do I Love You?- 4th Single (January 5)

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Confidential- 5th Single (January 28)

2016

Annaliese- My Dearest ft. Heechul- OST for My Dearest Love- 5th Single (January 7)

Annaliese- Stuck on You- The 3rd Mini Album (May 29)

I’m in Love with a Bad Boy- Title Tack

탐닉 (Addiction)

회상록 (Memoir)

Sinner’s Ballad

Metamorphosis- Forever- The 1st Repackaged Japanese Album (July 4)

Kyushu Island- Title Track

Dance Floor (Japanese Version

Like Fire (Japanese Version)

Perfect (Japanese Version)

Nanana (Japanese Version)

Legendary (Japanese Version)

Downtown (Japanese Version)

Party Animals (Japanese Version)

Evacuation

ただの子供 (Just a Kid)

Annaliese- Ghost ft. Eric Nam (Korean & English Versions)- 6th Single (July 24)

MM- A&J- Down by the Lake- 1st Single (September 19)

2017

Annaliese- Drunk Love ft. Yesung- 7th Single (July 26)

Metamorphosis- The Return- The 4th Album (August 23)

B-A-N-G- Title Track

Dirty Dancing

La La La

Spend a Little Time

Close the Door

Downtown Seoul

Party People

Gotta Let Go

Falling in Love One More Time

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Tears of the Damned- 3rd Mini Album (November 13)

Don’t Come Crying- Title Track

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Fresh

Blasphemy

Run and Cry

Hush, Hush

Heaven

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Rise Up- 6th Single (December 2)

2018

Jinae- Perception- 1st Single (February 8)

Metamorphosis- It’s Been a Long Day- 7th Single (April 9)

Annaliese- My Girls and Me ft. Taeyeon- 8th Single (June 21)

Metamorphosis- A.J.- For Me- The 1st Mini Album (July 8)

For Me- Title Track

Watch Me Burn

너무 가까워서 (So Close)

The World

Metamorphosis- On a Cloud- The 1st Japanese Album (August 22)

When I See You- Title Track

One Last Kiss

King of the Jungle

Monster- Jinae & Annaliese Duet

私の天使 (My Angel)

Make it Right

Still Love Me

On my Knees (I Believe)

SM’s Girls Of Rock- The Best I Could Do- 7th Single (September 24)

Annaliese- Little Monsters ft. NCT U- 9th Single (October 31)

Annaliese- Party Now ft. Jay Park- 10th Single (November 7)

Annaliese- Light it Up- The 2nd Album (December 28)

Light it Up- Title Track

Black Waters

감정 (Feelings)

Once Upon a Time

Big Girls

Let Me Go

Best Friend

What Lurks Beneath

I’m the Villain

2019

Metamorphosis- Pricey- The 5th Album (May 3)

Pricey- Title Track

I’m a Cheap Date

Pick a Side

It’s Not Easy

DJ’s Special

For a Moment

나는 아직도 너를 사랑해 (I’m Still in Love with You)

Tonight’s the Night

Annaliese- Brother ft. Suho- 11th Single (May 22)

Annaliese- Sexuality- The 3rd Album (July 3)

Girls & Boys & Girls- Title Track

Kiss Me

비 (Rain)

Future Lover

I’m in Love

For You

To Love Myself

Swing

SM’s Girls Of Rock- Calm Chaos- The 4th Mini Album (August 28)

S-P-I-R-I-T- Title Track

Take the Pain Away

All I Want

Wicked Men

Early Morning Rain

Ghost Fire

SM’s Girls Of Rock- If You Wanna- 8th Single (October 12)

Annaliese- Wonderland ft. Taemin- 12th Single (October 26)

Annaliese- Eyes On Me ft. SuJu D&E- 13th Single (October 30)

Metamorphosis- A.J.- Help Me- The 2nd Mini Album (November 10)

Help Me- Title Track

시티 라이트 (City Lights)

The Best Thing

나는 (I Am)

Wouldn’t That be Sweet

2020

Annaliese- Rumors- The 4th Mini Album (April 10)

Rumor Mill- Title Track

When it’s Said and Done

Number One Fan

What I Want

My Own World

Interlink- Stay by My Side- The 1st Mini Album (October 15)

Stay by My Side- Title Track

Young Death

Don’t Leave Me

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

Truest You

Learning to Love

Annaliese- Bad Bad Kids- Song on Vive la Revolution Soundtrack (November 14)

Annaliese- Hit Different ft. Jennie and Lisa- Song on Vive la Revolution Soundtrack (November 14)

Metamorphosis- QUEEN- The 6th Album (November 22)

Royalty- Title Track

We Live

이유 번호 1 (Reason No. 1)

Heartbreaker

My Superhero

Welcome

Wake Me

구름 9에서 떨어지다 (Fall From Cloud 9)

Annaliese- True Love ft. Harry Styles (December 3)- 14th Single

2021

Annaliese- S-T-U-P-I-D ft. HyunA (February 9)- 15th Single

Annaliese- Girl Party ft. Jessi (April 20)- 16th Single

Annaliese- Circus- The 4th Album (July 9)

Ringleader- Title Track

I’m the Boss

Don’t Flirt

Confidence

Built Different

Ms. Boss

Glorious

Metamorphosis- Believer- the 7th Album (October 28)

신자 (Believer)- Title Track

Famous

Secret Keeper

W.O.W

Get Up and Try

Now Why’d You Do That?

Love Song

SM’s Girls of Rock- Boyfriend- the 9th Single (November 6)

2022

Annaliese- I Feel- the 17th Single (July 25)

Annaliese- My Girls and Me (Steve Aoki Remix) ft. Taeyeon- 18th Single (July 27)

Metamorphosis- Butterfly- The 8th Album (September 28)

희망 해 (Hope)- Title Track

I Did It

Dirty Little Freaks

다시 한번 감사합니다 (Thanks Once Again)

Cross my Heart

Tonight

My Life

What You Do to Me

Goodbye

Annaliese- Empire- The 5th Album (November 9)

Royalty Pt 2 ft. Jackson Wang

Crown

I Can Be

Take Me Away

Danger

Obsession

See You Later

2023

Interlink- Our Moment- The 2nd Mini Album (January 10)

Our Moment- Title Track

Lazy Boy

Dance with Me

You’re a Troublemaker

Don’t Stop

12 notes · View notes

marshmallowprotection · 4 years ago

Note

Mania, or Annaliese as she prefers to be called (or just Anna, just anything BUT the literal synonym of insanity, (Kaya your naming conventions are strange indeed) (cough* she was named Mania before the Thedian language even existed (btw Thedian is basically just English cus I'm too lazy to make a language and just no) soo oof Kaya didn't know the world mania would end up as a synonym of insanity) *cough), in ECF, is the goddess of hate, but that is a purely figurative title that she was given by some humans she's long forgotten that is too far spread and widely known for her to make people stop calling her such.

She 5'0 tall and has short black hair and brown eyes as seen in the picrew above.

I'll be calling her Anna for the rest of this post by the way, since even if she's a fictional character I want to abide by her wishes.

A fun fact, I was contemplating giving Anna dissociative identity disorder originally as another one of the goddesses, Harmonia, has Bipolar Disorder (which is easier to write because it does not entail multiple personalities) and I wanted to try giving another goddess a mental illness besides depression (which most of them have), but realized I honestly didn't know enough about it nor understand it that well, and nor could I fit it into her character so scrapped it. And so I didn't want to give her it because I just didn't know how to write it or really describe it. It just didn't make sense for her either.

Also, if you couldn't tell most of my characters have something that's semi-dark about them, that's because I find most characters with darker pasts that influenced them greatly make more interesting characters for some reason, at least in my experience. Not every character has to be dark in some way for them to be good characters (I point to Jaehee who is the least dark of all the Mysme characters I think or maybe I'm wrong because I kind of forget about her a lot...sorry Baehee!) but...meh.

Anyway, Anna has a serious hatred for her body due to it being...well, more childlike in nature. Flat chest, short, not very curvy body in general...just a lot of insecurities and body hatred in general. Anna is also very childlike in personality (despite being billions of years old) but tries to force herself to act more like the adult she's meant to be. She's the shortest of all of her fellow goddess "sisters" despite Xomura being her "younger sister" and she despises that. She lashes out at everyone a lot but tries to be calm and collected most of the time but sometimes she just can't keep her anger from getting out of control. In a sense, she feels like an adult in a child's body whilst suffering from frequent regression to a childlike mindset.

Anna in a modern AU is basically the same except she is instead overall a NEET who relies on Kaya's huge fortune to like, you know, live. She has no idea what to do with her life in that AU and both her original version and modern au she honestly feels suicidal when she's at her worst.

Anna tries to act like she is super formal, calm, and collected, but she's not. She has a habit of rambling, she gets mad at people for very little things, she honestly just is something of a child in a lot of ways.

Which is partly Kaya's fault.

You see, Anna was always babied by all of her "sisters", even Xomura, who is YOUNGER than her and technically should be babied more since she is THE YOUNGEST. But due to all of her sisters growing far quicker and taller than her and overall she just always looked like a child, in general, she was babied a lot more and spoiled even.

She despises Kaya for the fact she never really taught her how to be an adult.

And Kaya honestly never wanted her to grow up.

Anna just never matured.

Anna actually has a love for writing, as it lets her just let out all her thoughts without having to say anything allowed in her childish voice (which she also hates but talking is kind of unavoidable) and she also likes to write stories where she can pretend she has a far more adult-like body. Uh...her perception of an "adult woman body" is kind of uh...skewed.

She dreams of having the definition of a "perfect" body. Like, looking like those women with big boobs and lots of curves that you see in magazines or something.

It's a very fantastical and unattainable dream.

Anna also has a very strange love for macarons. Especially strawberry ones. She just really likes them honestly.

I'm not sure who Anna would get along with of the Mysme cast to be honest. Zen, maybe??? Yoosung??????? Hmmmmmmm- I really just don't know.

I think Yoosung might be best. Zen might a little on the nose when it comes to self image issues and while he empathizes with MCs with the same struggle; It is harder for him to help if that MC fixates so much that it's hard for even him to help them. I said Yoosung simply because that idea of him cheering on an MC who has their own passion makes me smile. I think she needs someone who is her own age and treats her with respect instead of treating her like a baby. Our boy Yoosung knows what that feels like, that's for sure.

#mod kait #ask #littleghostlyrose #oc

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kadavernagh · 5 years ago

Text

Bodies and Bites || Regan & Lydia

Lydia paced back and forth before the morgue door. She uncharacteristically wore a black dress and a black bracelet that she twisted around her wrist. She held Annie’s notebook in her other hand, reading the rambling poems that she’d written in her last week. Sometimes the words weren’t even legible, other times the sentences made no sense. There were a few lines, here and there that Lydia could possibly use, but she always knew the last couple months were worthless. A tear trickled down her cheek that wasn’t quite hers, that Lydia quickly wiped away, and held the notebook a little tighter. Her chest ached, her mind was bleary with exhaustion. It would only get harder, Lydia knew, as the days had stretched, a while before the connection faded right alongside Annie’s soul. Tonight, she’d have to feed, the first time since Sunday, a thought that only made her feel sick. As the door to the Morgue clicked open, Lydia spun and smiled weakly. “Regan. It’s wonderful to see you back at work.”

One Lydia Griffin was being sent down to her office. Regan wasn’t surprised. Her name had been on the initial scene report as the individual who called it in, and, often, those who reported deaths craved answers. Sometimes as much as the next of kin. And, perhaps, Lydia and the decedent had some relationship, something that could help the police understand how the 28 years old Annaliese Vandergroot came to be lying dead by a lighthouse, with braided hair and organs far more scencent than expected. For a moment, Regan was pulled back into the flash of confusion she saw during the autopsy -- Lydia and a live Annaliese joining lips, tender fingers running through hair. Why her brain had plucked that imagery, she’d had no idea, but she’d come to somewhat accept her slowly slipping sanity.

For once, Lydia didn’t look like her put-together self. Her eyes were slightly puffy, face not without a blotch or two, and she carried herself less proudly as she walked into the office. Regan tilted her head, but she barely had time to process this as those familiar ants started skittering up her spine, biting down between the vertebrae. She twitched and winced, but attempted to maintain professionalism. “Lydia, I -- what can I help with? Please have a seat.” She motioned to one of the two chairs. Regan grabbed a water bottle from the small fridge and handed it to her. “This is about Annaliese Vandergroot, I take it.”

Lydia’s body rang like chime bells at the sight of Regan, and along with it came a tug at her ankles. Soon. Soon meant something different to people of their lifetimes, though, and so she could ignore the tug of the promise. In this way, Annie’s death had been a blessing - another way to connect to someone who didn’t yet understand how much she was affected by and drawn to death. In another, her chest ached, her humans weren’t speaking nor creating. Annie had been a glue in her household for seven years. “Yes, thank-you darling.” She sat down in front of Regan’s desk, and gratefully accepted the water bottle. “Yes, Annie. I was hoping it might be able to see her.”

Regan had anticipated that -- Lydia wanting to see the body. All things considered, the decedent was in viewable condition. Her face had been almost peaceful in death, no rictus baring the lips back, or rigor posing the limbs in an unseemly fashion. When she heard Lydia was coming down, she’d paged a couple of the technicians to set the decedent up in the viewing room, often used to affirm identification. She nodded, her expression softening further. “Are you certain? Many people think they’d like to see, but they regret it.” Of course, Lydia had already seen the decedent while they were dead, but there was a grisly knowledge in having a Y incision hidden below the shirt, of seeing the vicious lines where the scalp and skullcap had been removed and stitched back together. “I’ll show you, if you wish to see. But I also -- Lydia, is there anything you can tell me about the decedent? About your relationship with her, if you had one?” Again, she pushed the hallucination to the back of her mind. Ridiculous. “There were some interesting autopsy findings, so anything you can tell me is valuable.”

“I’ve seen many dead individuals over the years, my dear. I don’t think the surgery you’ve done will alarm me too much,” Lydia replied smoothly, aiming for her natural charisma, but didn’t quite match it. She swallowed around the lump resting in her throat. She tilted her head at Regan’s questions, nodding. “I knew her rather well, yes.” This was where she had to tread carefully, to let Regan ask the questions and shape her answers to it. Fortunately, she was used to treading so softly that snow wouldn’t dent. “What kind of things would you like to know?”

Lydia didn’t seem to want to readily offer up information, but Regan could understand that, especially if she knew the decedent well. “Just brace yourself, okay?” Regan said softly, nudging the box of tissues toward her. “You can bring those with you to the viewing room. Many feel they’re ready, or won’t react. Most of those people are wrong.” She paused for a moment, sitting back in her chair. The marching ants were relentless, little pinpricks all over, and she wished she could peel her skin back, just for a moment, to get some relief. The wings bristled in annoyance, trapped between her spine and the chair. Regan fidgeted, but the decedent was more important. “First… I couldn’t find a medical history for her, not locally. But there were some internal abnormalities, and I wanted to ask… do you know of any history of illness? I’m also curious about her profession.” Regan’s probing eyes flicked to Lydia’s. “She has what I believe to be occupational stigmata. In her case, scarring and blistering on her hands and digits, especially the right.”

“I was aware that she was frail and feeling unwell.” Aware felt like an understatement, when in those last few days Lydia had heard every word Anneliese had thought. She’d heard the wince at every ache, every stumble. The sheer exhaustion which had settled in Anneliese’ bones had made it hard to gather her out of the house to bring her to the lighthouse. “However, we didn’t talk about any diagnosed medical conditions she had. I’m not aware of any in her family history.” Lydia’s lip twitched. It was one of the things she often asked during the so called ‘honeymoon’ period, when she turned the chemical need in her lips into a psychological neediness and loneliness. Better to reject quickly than waste her time on someone unfit. “She was a poet,” Lydia replied, gesturing to the notebook in her hand, before taking the tissues Regan had offered and standing. “She was very passionate about her work.”

Frail and feeling unwell must have been an understatement. Regan’s mind flashed back to the hairless patches on her scalp, the grey and shriveled organs where she’d expect them to be bulging and glistening, the atrophied muscles. Vandergroot had the muscle tone of someone who barely got any exercise, and her skin had been fragile and glassy. The stigmata was explained to an extent by the poetry, but she must have written with feverish intensity, to have hands so calloused at a relatively young age. Regan only nodded, her eyes flicking between Lydia and the box of tissues. “Thank you,” she said softly, “for that information. Is there anything else you can tell me, Lydia? And you can tell me. If there was, um, any kind of intimate relationship between the two of you.” Slowly, she guided Lydia toward the door and held it open for her, more ants chomping down across her skin as the woman passed by. She flinched and cut ahead, motioning toward the first door in the long hallway, with a plaque titled “viewing room”. They were all set up. Regan held this door open as well, and spoke as Lydia slipped by her. “Do you want privacy? The autopsy is complete, so it’s… she’s just going for burial. You can have a moment, if you’d like. I can wait by the door.” Watching. Just in case.

Lydia looked at Regan in surprise, a shocked giggle escaping from her lips. Of course. She must have seen what Deirdre had, without the background to understand it. “I didn’t realise I was so obvious,” she replied after a long moment. “We weren’t intimate, not like that. We were…. Very close.” Bound to each other so tightly that parting was not just sorrow but painful too. “It was complicated.” Or it was to anyone who wasn’t Leanan-Sidhe. She passed Regan, taking a deep, steadying breath before stepping into the room. “I don’t mind either way. You can join me, if you like. If you have any questions.” Regan was right… death and the autopsy hadn’t been kind. Her skin was sallow, her hair limp. In some ways she looked just as she had in life, if only because she had been dying for so long. In others, like the obvious scar carved into her scalp, she was dead. Lydia took her hand, giving it a tight squeeze. If Annie had been enough, that light touch would have been enough to ease the burning in both their chests. Her body by itself was not enough - Lydia needed the creative spirit that had once inhabited it. So her chest ached and her throat grew tight as she stifled a small sob. This part was the same regardless of whether the corpse went to a morgue, the depths of a lake or into the jaws of a fiendish werewolf. She wiped at her eyes quickly, careful not to smudge her make up. “Thank you.”

That was the thing, though, wasn’t it? It hadn’t been obvious. Not even Lydia’s puffy eyes were pathognomonic for a “very close, complicated” relationship. Regan wouldn’t have even asked in that particular way if it hadn’t been for that flicker of insight, that hallucination her brain plucked from the autopsy. That thought sat with her for a moment, heavy and uncomfortable, as she watched Lydia approach the decedent. Vandergroot had been laid down, wrapped in a surgical gown for privacy. The decedent’s skin had turned waxy, almost translucent, and the lips were as grey as graveyard dirt. It wasn’t how most people wanted to see their loved ones a final time, which is why she’d cautioned Lydia, but some people would insist anyway. Regan rarely denied them.

Regan hovered by the door, not wanting to intrude on Lydia, despite the invitation to ask more questions. There would be time for that later, if it were needed. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room, and she heard Lydia sob. Small, quiet, but there. A knot tightened in her chest. And, just like that, it was over. Lydia approached the door and met Regan’s eyes. “You’re welcome.” She replied softly, holding the door open. They could talk more in her office; the body needed to go back in the freezer, though she wasn’t about to tell Lydia that. “Was that -- are you doing alright? Considering.” Regan frowned. The dead deserved respect, but as far as she was concerned, a cadaver wasn’t a person. They never were. The brain and heart stopped, and you ceased to be a person, a cadaver taking your place. It was simple, cold, and clinical. She never understood exactly what next of kin wanted to extract from these kinds of viewings, what helped them leave fulfilled. “Was there anything else that you needed from the viewing?” She asked, just to be sure. As they brushed by each other, that itching sensation shot up her spine; this time, Regan couldn’t stifle it. The wings twitched, and she jumped slightly, nearly tripping over herself. She palmed the wall and gave Lydia a wide-eyed stare. “Um, don’t worry. Just tripped over…” Her eyes sank to the floor. Nothing there. “...maybe a tile.”

“I will be. It always hurts, but it also always passes,” She said softly, quickly catching the new tear that sprung to her eyes before it could even fall. Lydia stepped past Regan, brushing ever so slightly against her skin. It was the briefest, most unintentional contact, that had the bells in side her chiming melodically, a whole hymn to the comfort of being around Fae. Regan, on the other hand jumped, startling away and breaking the connection. Lydia reached out to catch Regan’s arm, eyes wide in concern. Under the glamour, her wings fluttered in anticipation. Anticipation of what, precisely, Lydia was unsure. “Are you sure?” She let go of Regan, stepping back to adjust her shirt, an easy distraction as Regan recombobulated herself.

The gentle hand around her arm came with a fresh wave of pins and needles, small, unseen bites dotting her skin and pulling at the hairs on her arms. Regan tripped again. The wings whirred to life like they could catch her from falling, which only worsened her panic, and she slid backwards into the wall in a haphazard attempt to squash the wings between it and her back. Somehow, through it all, she could only barely hear the slow hammering of her heart. Concern spread over Lydia’s face, and Regan tried to recover smoothly. “I -- sure! Right! Um, no, but it’s --” As she fumbled to explain, her eyes fell on Lydia’s neck, where there was a flash of skin, red and raw. A brief glimpse when Lydia adjusted her shirt. Regan didn’t trust her own eyes or mind, not anymore, but she needed to ask. “Your neck…” A calm curiosity washed over the panic. “Lydia, are you hurt?”

Lydia had to look away to hide the wince as Regan pressed her back so far against the wall that it had to hurt her wings. She looked back as Regan began to try to explain, a single eyebrow raised as she thought about their earlier conversations about lying. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Regan found her way out of it with a distraction, her eyes focussing in on Lydia’s neck. Now it was Lydia’s turn to frown, hesitating to answer. A deep, torn injury like that took several meals to heal, so it still hurt to move her neck, an ever looming reminder of the man who had done it. Lydia swallowed, adjusting her bracelet. “Yes. I was… assaulted a few days ago, but I heal fast. It isn’t anything to worry about.”

Assaulted. Just as someone she was very close to had died. Regan’s mind raced with possibilities. Were the two events connected? What kind of injury was it? Would Lydia let her see it? Did she report the assault to the police? “What happened?” Regan asked, not making the smallest attempt to hide her curiosity -- but there was genuine concern, too. “Has anyone taken a look at it? You’ve left it -- there isn’t a band-aid on it. Can I, um, take a look? In my office.” She guided Lydia back toward the door to her office and scanned the key. Hopefully she’d allow it, but so many people in this town were stubbornly resistant to seeing medical professionals… and reporting things to the police. She thought Lydia had more sense than that, but you never could tell. “Sorry, uh, for all the questions.” Regan rubbed the back of her neck. “I know you’ve been through a lot, and I just -- I want to make sure you’re alright, and that this doesn’t happen to others.” But one question still lingered… was it connected to the death?

“I wasn’t sufficiently careful in the bend. I found myself in a dangerous situation involving a mime which required me to place some modicum of trust in a stranger. In the end, the stranger attacked me, as well as the mime.” Lydia tried to shrug it off, but the way she sighed deeply revealed just how much the experience still shook her. “Fortunately, I don’t go far without a firearm.” She acquiesced to Regan’s request, following her into the office, and carefully sat down, unbuttoning her shirt to reveal the damage. In places the vampire bite was healing, new skin peaking out at the edge of the scabs. In other places, it remained red and raw. By Regan’s standards, it likely didn’t look the few days old that it was, but the punctures were deep, harsh against her skin. “You needn’t apologise for being curious, my dear. To be honest, it was rather frightening, but I’ve certainly learned my lesson.”

Mimes. Regan had heard so many accounts over the last week -- people who were stalked, chased, and even stabbed by the mimes. Even some of the autopsies she’d conducted pointed to their involvement. What the hell was wrong with this town? “I’m glad you’re mostly unharmed.” Regan said, sincerely, holding the door open. Lydia quickly took a seat and unbuttoned, giving Regan a good view of the wound. There were two deep, dark punctures, surrounded by some light markings, which she suspected were from teeth -- a bite mark. It was a familiar pattern, shared by the eight decedents who’d brought her to this town and a constellation of many more since. This whole time… were those strange bite marks caused by mime cultists? Lydia’s timeline didn’t quite match up with the state of the injury, but grief carried a fog with it, and she couldn’t fault Lydia for being incorrect. Or, perhaps, she really did heal faster than most. Regan stretched gloves over her hands and pulled some gauze and band-aids from the kit, cleaned the wound up. “It’s healing nice,” she said, squinting at it. As she placed her hand near it, another wave of ants bit down, much fiercer than before. Still, she worked through the discomfort. “Would you mind telling me about this, um… mime? Who did this? I’ve seen similar markings on decedents.”

“I took good care of it when it first happened. Within a week I suspect it will be almost entirely healed.” Lydia laughed softly, nervously. “I had hoped that few would notice it before then.” She tilted her neck, carefully exposing the wound to Regan, remembering with a shudder the voice out of nowhere, arms wrapping around her as tight as a vice. She tapped her knee, trying to work out just how to describe it. Regan had already blocked Deirdre, and while Lydia didn’t know the exact circumstances of that, Deirdre was a very effusive personality. Lydia didn’t think it was a trap she’d fall into, but this would take the same delicate handling. “Not the mime, the stranger, although the mime could have done the same. He was incredibly strong, and his teeth - his incisors were long and sharper than you might expect. Once he had me pinned down, he bit me. He was consuming my blood, when I shot him.”

With Lydia’s wounds tended to, Regan peeled her gloves off and discarded them. She clicked the kit shut and stowed it back on the corner of her desk, always at the ready. Maybe she really did heal faster. She recalled Kaden’s rapid healing from his stab wounds, the befuddlement of the doctors, including herself. But Lydia’s words jolted Regan, and she froze, thoughts socketing themselves into place. It wasn’t the mime who did this, then. But it was something similar to what she and Carrington and Arthur speculated. “Vampire cultists.” Regan said quietly. It sounded absurd even to her own ears, but somehow it was the most reasonable explanation she could think of. This fucking town. “I -- as I’ve said, I’ve seen these markings before. What you just said -- I think there’s a cult of people in this town, with sharpened teeth and the desire to drink blood, perhaps as some kind of ritual.” Maybe it’d be worthwhile to consult an anthropologist, but she’d certainly burned that bridge with professor Rothbard. “I’m sorry,” she gulped, “that all of this happened to you. It sounds like you had -- like it’s been a week.”

It was only a sudden pang of grief from Sammy that prevented Lydia’s lips from quirking in bemusement as Regan posited very seriously her theory. Lydia cast her gaze away for a moment, before nodding. “It didn’t seem cult like. If anything, it seemed feral. Yet, certainly something along those lines. I know I was incredibly fortunate to escape with my life, however one might describe them.” Regan offered her condolences ever so softly, that it made Lydia look up, touched by that simple honesty. “It has been a week. Thank you, darling. Hopefully, that means it can only improve from here. Anyway, my dear, how are you? I’m not the only one in the room who has had a rough go of it recently.” She’d bolted out on Kaden, and had only just returned to work, after all.

“There are many of them.” Regan explained, mind still reeling. So many. There had to be. All with a ritualistic appetite for blood and filed down teeth. “But it’s -- I’m sure the police will investigate. We’ll figure it out, okay? I’m sorry. Again.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. The marching ants weren’t getting any easier to tolerate, only growing more persistent. She hadn’t expected Lydia to ask how she was doing. Although the woman had shown a surprising amount of thoughtfulness and care given how little they knew each other, most mourners were preoccupied only with, well, mourning. “I…” For a moment, twenty statements fought to pour out of mouth. Horrible. Awful. She spent an overnight in the woods without even realizing it. Her heart burned with secrets. There were things happening that she couldn’t even begin to understand. Work had become a trial to get through, because of the hallucinations constantly pressing against her skull. There was so much to say, but Lydia didn’t deserve to be roped into all of this, especially now. She swallowed all of the words back, mouth closed tightly so they couldn’t escape. A beat. Two. “I, um… I should get back to… you know.”

“I’m sure they’ll do their best. You don’t need to apologise me. As I said, I should have known better to be in that part of town so late,” Lydia replied smoothly. For a moment, she thought Regan might reply honestly. She could practically see the secrets rattling around inside Regan’s cheeks. She tilted her head patiently, and couldn’t help the soft proud smile when Regan dismissed her. “You’re getting better at that.” Lydia took the cue, plucking another tissue from the box before returning it to hide a little sniffle. “As always, you would have my complete confidence. Either way, I still owe you that explanation. Although perhaps we should meet sometime in less… extreme circumstances. Dinner, perhaps? Once I am a little…” Lydia gestured at herself. “A little less like this.”

“No. No.” Regan shook her head. “Nothing about that situation was your fault. It’s this -- this damn town.” She sighed. But she swore she caught a hint of a smile on Lydia’s lips, which seemed misplaced. “Oh, the -- sometimes. Not enough. If I’d started to answer, it would have all -- you’d be here all evening.” Regan smiled sadly and waited for Lydia to take whatever tissues she needed. “We can do dinner. Eventually. Once things improve for you, and if they improve for me.” That, she couldn’t hold back. But now wasn’t the time to get into it -- not here, and not with Lydia. Kaden was the one who needed to know. “Take care, okay?” Regan said, with a sympathetic tilt of her head. “And if you learn anything else, please call my office.”

“Even if they don’t,” Lydia replied, the words tumbling out. She composed herself, standing and smoothing down her blouse. “We could both use the distraction.” She picked up her hand bag and set the strap on her shoulder. “You too, love.” Lydia cast one last glance to the direction of the viewing room. The person in there was empty, and had nothing left to offer her. The ache in her chest would ease in time. The next time they met, they would talk about wings and other fae like things. For now, Lydia left Regan with her secrets and worries, to be continued another time.

#wickedswriting

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