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madstronaut · 5 months ago

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WIP WRITES RIGHTS NOW! I SAID WIP WRITES RIGHTS NOW

blahblahmaster rant list link blahblah dont look at me

PSA when you only just discover a moot is a prolific writer you run to read all her writing and comment in excruciating detail cc: @gemmahale

blorbo x named oc fans, this one’s for you (it’s me, im talking about me)

please see below a random and incomprehensive ramblelist of my stream of consciousness as I sampled from gemma's works:

Feylands WIP

I find the content warning tags extremely titillating (also I have not seen such a prolifically well organized tag list AND color coordinated to boot like gemma’s blog???? putting my outlook inbox/work docs/excel sheets to shame!!!) and I don’t even read/like fae stories (yes I never read ACOTAR and I don’t plan to anytime soon, I missed that booktok ship, most likely cos im not on the tikky tokky as the children like to say, i watch the reposts on instagram like a proper mlllenial)

Josephine’s heart pitter-pattered at the compliment, heat climbing up her cheeks as she mumbled a thanks, their eyes locking again.

🥰🥰🥰NOT THE PITTER PATTER

my inquisitive ass is already like “what’s gary’s real name” and “hearing aid = soap b/c of all the damn bombs he blows up?” “but i headcanon gaz with freckles, maybe it’s gaz? gaz = gary?” “or maybe ghost = gary?” GEMMA GIVE US WIPS I MEAN HINTS PUT ME OUTTA MY MISERY

Call of the Wild WIP

I love the little note gemma included about this being inspired by @deadbranch (shoutout to branchy btw my beloved) - honestly floored at all the beautiful fic/headcanon/drabbles/askfills ive read that are the brainchilds birthed from love for other creators’ brainchildren

also equally floored at how many of writers here are like “this incredibly layered/moving/tender/spicy/nasty fic came to me in a dream”

also SUBVERTED TROPES SUBVERTED TROPES SUBVERTED TROPESSSSS

Kyle cleared his throat, shifting his stance. “She prefers to be called a wolf.”

AHAHAHAHAHAHA GODDDD THIS WAS A ZINGER

“Please!” Kyle called back, face half covered in shaving cream.

i need fanart of this right fucking now let me, i mean shannon, sorry oops but haha..unless? finishing shaving you bby

and FUCKING ROACH IS IN THIS FIC HOLD ME BACK OR YOU *WILL* GET CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE OF ME TEARING APART THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE BECAUSE MY BRIEF HYPERFIXATION ON ROACH IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE FROM THIS SMALL SNIPPET AND IN THIS 500 PG DISSERTATION I WILL-

also THAT PROLOGUE APPETIZER SLAYED ME

“The way I see it, you’re fucked either way. You don’t make it out of here, you’re fucked. You become mine, you’re fucked - but in the good way.”

this + the mention of bulge + damp cheek definitely brought a visceral IRL memory for me (affectionate/horny)

also sidenote: it’s the little things that matter and gemma i see you gurl and salute you - incorporating things like hearing aids, mentioning roach is HoH/using sign language, shannon using a shower cap for her curly hair - 😘👌

Corporal Distraction WIP

holy MOTHER OF FUCK THIS SHORT LITTLE EXCHANGE IS FUCKING HOOOOOOOOOT

The captain moved closer to her, gently lifting her chin up with his finger. “So you’re the bird that’s got my sergeant distracted.”

“Sir?”

“Been trying to figure out what’s got Gaz so twisted up lately. Figured it was a partner, didn’t think it was a Corporal under him.” He didn’t release her chin, now holding it between his thumb and finger. “Has good taste, at least,” he muttered, eyes shifting to the Lieutenant, who only huffed in response.

any premise that fucks with/frustrates/sleep-deprives soap has my heart 🥰

Flowers From My Love WIP

the bit where they discuss the casserole perfectly encapsulates each of the boys imho - price grunting out a response, soap eagerly asking about the food (such youngest of the group/im baby vibes), gaz picking up on the note and name/# left, ghost grumbling and ofc he fucking HAS to bring up manchester-

and the MOODBOARD!!!! God I fucking love when writers flesh out a bit of their worldbuilding with related art, moodboards, face claims, etc etc etc i WILL lick up every crumb from the floor like a starving doggo- fun fact, one of my first interactions in cod fandom was requesting a moodboard from @the-californicationist (also shoutout to cali my beloved)

and PEPPER THE SERVICE DOG OH MY LORD PLEASE GOD IF THE 141 MEN CAN’T BE REAL LET PEPPSY BE REAL PLEASE GOD IF I HAD TO ASK FOR ONE THING FROM THIS CURSED HELLSITE-

Palace Hallways WIP

my mind blacked out at artificer soap and knight kyle and druid ghost - I also just finished a campaign with my homegroup IRL not too long ago and we’re taking a long break before the next game while our DM preps and this is making me miss playing with them ;-;

Edge Dressing WIP

KATE KATE KATE KATE KATE KATE that’s it that’s the tweet

“She did, did she?” Kate murmured, scratching at Letty’s scalp and smirking as the woman went boneless against her.

yes only natural, i too would also go boneless if laswell was scratching my scalp and giving me a massage mommy? sorry. mommy. sorry? mommy. sorry?

Embroidered Secret WIP

if someone told me a year ago when I wasn’t into regency shows/fics that reading some COD AUs - yes fucking CALL OF DUTY, the military propaganda first person shooter video game - would change my mind - well id be more shocked than if someone flashed some ankle at my victorian pearl clutching ass

also please i love every single trope listed here

141 Studios WIP

“Our sweet soft girl Samantha (plus size rep ftw!) finds her niche quickly as the resident camgirl - creating a new set of films called "Tip of The Tongue", where she (and others) commentate on the scenes being filmed in a behind the scenes way.”

fuck i would read an entire multiseries for this premise alone???

Crew scramble around to clean up the sweat and cum streaked across the couch to reset for another scene.

fun fact - i briefly interned as a PA in college and one of the producers i worked with mentioned offhand that he once rolled up to a set that was cleaning up after a porn shoot and claimed they were rolling away literal barrels of lube 👀

“You the new girl?” His voice was deep, rumbling like stones cascading down a mountain.

NEW GIRL, OLD MAN, BLUE BIRD, CLOWN WITH A BUCKET HAT, I WILL BE ANYTHING FOR YOU PS!SIMON

A Protege’s Trust WIP

The most titillating tag of all..an empty one! lol jk im just messin with ya gemmy but actually yes i don’t see any posts with this tag

Museum Muse WIP

ahem you already know my rabid thoughts on this but noticed this new post re: multiple timelines and tbh do I know what’s going on? absolutely not - do I want to dive into this museum muse multiverse regardless? absolutely yes

Brix WIP

Re: “If it’s a story about learning to be loved again after a series of devastating losses, can that story then end on another loss? (And should the epilogue soften that loss by allowing them some sort of reprieve?)”

YES! i need to be in a certain mood to read angst but GOD WHEN I AM IN THE MOOD DOES IT HIT THE SPOT/FEEL SO CATHARTIC

also re: these comments - “Also, a bit of catharsis for my shitty experience working in the orchard industry.”

“It's less of a love story and more of a healing story. It's also a bit of a middle finger to the orchard that nearly hospitalized me. 🙃 (It's healing not only for the characters lol.)”

i find these types of fics are some of the best ive read when the writers have IRL experiences bleed into their writing - just has a certain je ne sais quoi about em

also i could be knee deep in sewage sludge and if i sensed soap within a 1 mile radius i would throw myself at him, brb busy handforging a trophy for annabeth for having enough willpower to continue working while JOHN SOAP MACATAVISH WHINES ABOUT WANTING TO COP A FEEL

Squeamish Stitches WIP

✨GLITz!!!! ✨fucking love this name

“God, I’d die here a happy man,” he grumbles into your thigh as you adjust your balance.

His hands wrap around your calves, grunting as the treads dig into his shoulders. “No, between your legs.”

Ghost interrupts. “Keep it tactical, Sergeants.”

THE FUCKING BANTER? GHOST COCKBLOCKING GAZ? FUCKIGN SCREAMINNG

Useful Girl WIP

you had me at “we gonna get nast-ay kink-ay” and also got strong “secretary” with maggie gyllenhaal + james spader vibes

also i had to look up ‘brown bottle flu’ as i’ve never heard that term before! ✨i learn somethng new with fanfic daily✨

She felt the breeze as the door opened behind her, the whiff of cigar smoke and cologne causing her to shift in her seat and sit up straighter.

if you’ve ever smelled/heard someone before you saw them it is *quite* the experience

“It's the prickle of the mountain's oncoming storm. It's the flapping of the flag in the howling wind. It's the explosion of lightning hitting a tree, splitting it open, part charred and part living - two states diametrically opposed to each other. It's the sigh of relief when the clouds finally part and the rain pours out. It's the breath of fresh air when the storm dissipates and everything is left clean.

It's yearning so hard for something that it leaves one fundamentally changed when they achieve it.

...I really ought to make moodboards for this fic. 😅”

this was an incredible fucking paragraph to read, fucking poetry right here, also incredibly erotic? though that might just be leftover brainworms in my head from watching shogun and a scene where one of the main charas describes an orgasm as “clouds parting after rain”

Highland Tartans WIP

She reached her hand into his wool, petting him. “He comes from a good line and all, he’s just young.”

MacTavish laughed, sliding his hands to rest on his waist. “Aye, young and dumb. I know the type.” 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

PLEASE GOD GEMMA

I CANNOT CHOOSE FAVORITES BUT SPARE A THOUGHT FOR MY FREE TIME AND WORK HOURS WHEN YOU POST MORE OF THESE AND AT LEAST SPREAD THEM OUT SO I CAN KEEP MY JOB AND PAY MY BILLS INSTEAD OF GORGING ON YOUR WRITING

anyway to sum up i am fully convinced the multiverse lives inside of gemma’s brain because goddamn i am convinced once day some god-tier epic space opera multiseries is gonna spring out fully formed like athena from the gemmamind (yes I compared you to zeus, a mythical god, deal with it)

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copias-juicebox · 1 year ago

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It's a Sin Chapter 3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x fem! Reader Words: 5050 Genre: romance, angst, smut, fluff, hurt/comfort, SLOWBURN Warnings: in this chap: very sad and pathetic cardi, implied bullying whole fic: explicit languge, violence, abuse, age gap, smut (in the upcoming chapters blabla) Notes: we once again hit the 5000 words guys. I am kinda happy with this chapter I can feel myself improve with every sentence. Leave a heart in the comments to give Cardi a very needed hug to comfort the poor old man. And as always interactions are appreciated.

As the sun's first rays shone through your window, you slowly stirred awake. Sleepily you turned around in your soft bed until you realized where you were and you opened your eyes, your heart rate increasing with each passing second. You checked your phone on the bedside table for the time and instantly relaxed when you saw it was about 5:30 in the morning. You still had about 2 and a half hours before you were required in the infirmary to get introduced to your workplace in the ministry.

You fell back down into your pillows and took a deep breath. Today would be the first day that you were officially starting your job. It was all still quite outlandish to you. Your mind was racing once again, the same thoughts and doubts dashing through your head as last night when you desperately lied awake in your bed for countless hours before sleep finally took pity on you and took you in.

You had tried to not think about the day too much, but with yesterday's events and the information of your new boss being something like a “satanic pope” made you feel uneasy, and you were unsure what to make of it all. After all, you were going to spend the night under the devil's roof, and you hoped and prayed to God that he would protect you. The question lingered: would he actually do so? Would he not punish you for turning your back on him like this? Would he forgive you for your sins and connections to the devil? These worries plagued you all night, and unfortunately resulted in only 4 hours of sleep.

On the other hand, you felt unusually well?

You decided to leave the warmth of your covers and start your day with a refreshing shower. Once you stepped under the hot stream of water you felt your muscles relax. Up until now you had not realized how tense you were and how good the warm water running down your spine was. You washed your hair and body, contemplating your encounter with Papa and the Cardinal on the top of the stairs yesterday. Papa was so intriguing. He had a very intense energy that was surprisingly not off putting in any way. But you were going to tread lightly around him. Hannah had warned you about him, and you wondered if he was committed to the devil, if he had granted him clandestine powers. That would explain his extraordinary aura. Nonetheless, you could not deny deep down inside of you he was fascinating. You were sure it was not an attraction, no. You could never feel attraction towards a Satan -worshiping man. You could not allow yourself to be misguided by his sinful demeanor. And then there was the other man. He appeared to be a bit more approachable to you — clumsy even. Not nearly as intimidating as Papa was to you. Thinking about the strange man with his pencil mustache and sideburns led your thoughts to wander again. The man with his black biretta and nervous smile seemed to be the opposite of Papa. He could barely look at you when he shook your hand. Maybe he had been in a serious conversation with Papa that you two interrupted and he was intimidated by his presence. You could not tell.

When you stepped out of the shower and wrapped yourself up in a blanket, your mind was back to the day ahead. The weight of responsibility made you nervous. You wanted to prove yourself. You wanted to show them you were capable of doing your job.

You should not have been surprised, but when you opened the door to get dressed, the scrubs were not white as you were used to but pitch black.

You took them out and put them on, smoothing out the fabric as you stood in front of the mirror now. They looked good on you, too, and you decided to go with some makeup to look a little less tired. Just a bit of foundation and eyeliner with mascara. Finally, you finished your look for the day by tying up your hair in a high ponytail.

One last look into the mirror and you tried to convince yourself you were ready for the day. “You got this, don’t worry. Everything will be fine” you murmured to yourself

A knock at the door indicated that Hannah was waiting for you outside and you knew that the time had come for you to leave the safety of your room and get started on your first day now.

You walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Hannah dressed in her habit looking at you with a big smile and warm eyes. “Good morning, sunshine. You look gorgeous, sis. How are you? You must be thrilled, right?”

“Good morning, Hannah. You look gorgeous yourself. You pointed to her. “I don’t know if thrilled would be the right word for how I am feeling right now. More like hysterical, maybe.” You half joked.

“Ah, nonsense you are going to be fine, girl, I know that.” She said, wrapping her arm around your shoulder and walking down the corridor. “Let’s go get some breakfast, and after that I will bring you to the infirmary to Sister Jane. She will explain everything to you and you can get used to the outline of our hospital wing.”

Arriving down in the dining hall, Sister Hannah led you straight to a group of brothers and sisters. Watching everyone gather in the dining hall dressed in their black robes and satanic accessories was somehow less intimidating than you would have expected. It made you nervous nevertheless to meet other satanic believers. Were they all going to be as easy going as Hannah had proved to be?

“Morning, everyone. This is our beloved new nurse. Say hello,” She turned to you. The group greeted you in unison and you said your morning greetings back, introducing yourself. As you sat down, one of the Brothers asked if you wanted some coffee. You nodded your head and he asked the next table if they could hand over their carafe.

When he poured the warm, steaming liquid into your cup, you stopped him halfway. “Oh not too much please, I like to fill half of it with milk actually.” You told him, extending a hand.

“So you mean you like to drink milk with a shot of coffee?” He joked and you laughed.

“Yes I can‘t deny that. But it is the way I like my coffee best, so what can I say?” You shrugged.

As breakfast went on you got to know everyone out of the small group a little better. There were 3 other sisters besides Hannah and two brothers. They all seemed to get along well and you found them to be quite ok too. All you needed was to be accepted and respected (and not chosen to be sacrificed should they decide you were not good enough.)

You brushed those thoughts away for now and tried to just socialize with everyone normally.

Around 30 minutes later, everyone was leaving for their work and jobs in the ministry and that was your cue to grab Hannah and ask her to show you the way to the infirmary.

“Alright, alright, love, no need to rush. It’s not far away really.” She assured you, walking you down the corridor and then to the left. A huge door came into view and you were walking straight to the heavily decorated threshold and pushed it open.

As you entered the dimly lit infirmary you noted the high ceilings and ornate embellished walls. Flickering candlelight casted eerie shadows on the walls and accentuated the tapestries depicting occult symbols alongside shelves laden with ancient medical tomes and arcane ingredients. The beds stood in rows on each of the long sides of the rectangular room with crimson bedding and black curtains to ensure privacy if needed. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, an aura of quiet comfort envelops the space.

As you were too absorbed with the room’s ambiance, you didn’t notice an older Sister coming your way, halting and asking if she could help you.

“Sister Ana, this is our new support on the medical team.” Hannah said as she introduced you to the senior nurse.

“Oh thank Satanas, finally. I am so happy you are here to help.” Sister Ana cheered, embracing you in a warm hug. You hugged her back politely and she released you beaming at you.

“Sister Ana is our only nurse here since Sister Elizabeth retired last year.” Sister Hannah informed.

“Ah, I see. You must have been super stressed then, Sister Ana.” You replied, understanding Ana’s great delight of your presence.

“Come on Sister, I will show you where everything is and introduce you to the Ghouls.” Sister Ana ushered you further into the room, eager to have you on her team now.

The older nurse spent the morning introducing you to the hospital wing of the ministry. She explained to you where to find all the necessary items, ranging from basic items to treat a patient with a simple cold, to more specialized equipment for more severe cases, from severe burns or cuts that might even require some operations to contagious diseases and other serious illness.

At one point, an older man wearing slightly worn off Papal makeup and an older woman stood in the door of the infirmary, and Sister Ana asked you to go to the back room and get her a basket she had prepared for Papa Nihil. The makeup on that man's face was indicating him to be of high status within the ministry, and you tried not to let him wait for too long. When you came back with the basket, the old man looked you up and down with curious eyes.

“My my, who is that young lady, Sister?” He asked Ana, to which she proudly answered:

“This is the newest member of my team.” She introduced you to Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator.

“What a pleasure to see our community growing, and with capable people, too.” He smiled, not even hiding his apparent liking towards you.

You were not sure, but he appeared to like you, and you were very pleased to see that a high-ranking member of the ministry seemed to be happy with you (even though you did not do anything to prove you were capable so far). You literally just carried a basket from one room to the next!

The woman next to the man appeared not as friendly as the old guy. She wore a stern expression the whole time and did not even introduce herself to you. You brushed it off for now since you did not want to judge a book by its cover, but you were feeling that she was not as gleeful to your presence as Papa Nihil was. You were glad the two left after that.

As time went on and the day was nearing noon, it got impossibly hot outside. The sun shone mercilessly and the summer heat was palpable. On one hand, you were very lucky that the infirmary was on the backside of the ministry facing away from the sun and kept the whole room at a decent temperature, but on the other hand, you were getting overrun by Sisters and Brothers suffering from dehydration and sunstrokes. By 4 pm, the infirmary was packed and all beds were occupied. Sweat was running down your forehead and Sister Ana was as equally stressed as you.

About an hour later, Ana told you to take a break and you finally had time to breathe for a few minutes as many of the Brothers and Sisters seemed to feel well enough to retire to their rooms and sleep off the rest of their exhaustion.

You decided you would walk one of the Sisters you’ve met earlier at breakfast to her room since she was still swaying from left to right when she got up and then quickly grab something to eat for you and Ana from the kitchen (as none of you had time to go to eat lunch earlier).

The Cardinal was running around the ministry from left to right for 5 hours now, pulling at the collar of his robes to let some air meet his chest. He was supposed to check in with the Ghouls this morning, making sure they were doing their soundchecks properly. When a problem with the electricity turned up, it was also his job to get it fixed somehow. The scorching heat was wearing him down as the clock struck 2 and he was still far from finishing his duties today. Terzo asked for Copia’s help in translating another Latin text for the next Sunday mass and Papa Nihil was requesting his presence in his office— the latter scaring him as Papa Nihil was relentless when it came to Copia. Whatever the Cardinal did never seemed pleasing to Nihil, making him put in more effort the next time. He felt his head pound, running his tongue over his dry lips as he walked down the corridor to Papa Nihil's Office. Once he was done with whatever Papa had planned for him, he would get a momentary break and maybe he could figure out what that new nurse was up to in her free time.

After you successfully escorted Sister Rose to her chambers, you quickly made your way to the kitchen to ask for some leftovers from lunch. You were just on your way back to the infirmary rounding the corner as you nearly bumped into another individual crossing your path. You both managed to react in time to not actually knock each other off the ground but the other person stumbled over his own feet, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink that contrasted his pale complexion. He caught himself and reluctantly looked at you, sweat apparent on his face.

“Oh Sorella I.. I am sorry I was not looking..” The Cardinal stammered, gaze falling back to his feet as if it was too much for him to actually look at you for a second too long.

“No worries, Cardinal. I was not paying attention either.” You prompted, trying to ease his obviously anxious mind.

He hurriedly tried to move past you but you both tried to get out of the way of one another and shuffled from left to right at the same time, making the situation somewhat awkward and comical until you both stopped.

You started laughing heartily and he glanced up at your bashful smile as he joined in with a shy chuckle of his own.

“Corner-collisions happen to the best of us,” you exclaimed and the still-flustered Cardinal managed a small smile of gratitude.

Your easy going demeanor put the Cardinal at ease a little as you grabbed him by the shoulders carefully and moved his body past yours as you rotated on the spot.

“There we go, Cardinal.” You flashed him a warm smile and he started to shift on the spot seemingly not knowing what to say he mumbled another barely audible apology. His face was even redder now, making you worry.

“Cardinal, forgive me if I am being nosy, but have you been drinking enough today? You look a little pale, and I am sure you have already heard, but today seems to have taken a toll on the members of the ministry. I would hate for you to suffer from dehydration as so many others have,” you pleaded with him, worry lacing your voice.

“Y..Yes Sister yes.. I have. I. I.. uh.. I just have to be in Papa Nihils office as soon as possible, yes..” he muttered, earning a raised eyebrow from you.

“You should also not overwork yourself, Cardinal. Please make sure to take a break every now and then.” You warned him, pressing the back of your hand to his forehead to feel his temperature.

“Oh dear, you are hot.” You exclaimed shocked, resulting in Copia’s face to heat up even more hearing those words said to his face by such a beautiful human being. Copia knew you were talking about his temperature, but he could not help himself as the butterflies in his stomach seemed to rampage.

The Cardinal was not used to being treated so kindly and with so much care. All his life he had been used or made fun of. So, he put all his energy into his career and his job since he was a boy. He was a very hard working man. That was what grounded him in this harsh world.

“Uh, I am sorry… I mean you are burning up.” You interrupted his thoughts and let your hands fall back to your sides. “You should probably follow me to the infirmary so I can check on you properly, Cardinal.”

He shook his head. “No no no sorella, I cannot. Papa awaits me in h..his office, yes.” He gestured to the other end of the corridor. “I am fine Sister, do not worry, no.. no I am fine, yes.” He objected, turning around but you grabbed his arm effectively turning him back to face you.

“Cardinal please. I worry for you.” You countered.

Copia blushed immensely and for the first time he stared back into your eyes. Was this real? Or was he imagining things? That beautiful thing in front of him just told him she worried for him. He was fully aware she was likely just doing her job, but it made him squeal inside. “I..I am terribly sorry, sister. I will come to the infirmary after I have spoken to Papa, sí?” With these words he turned around once more and left you staring after him with concern. You hoped he was right. That he was feeling better than he let on.

Cardinal Copia’s mind was reeling. Right now he was only acting on instinct and that meant he ran. Not physically but metaphorically he ran. He needed to breathe. The new Nurse had an effect on him he could not explain, nor understand. He was sweating and that was not just the heat outside catching up to him. He had never been the most extroverted person, that was common knowledge, but whenever he was around you he was just utterly lost and nervousness ate away at him to the point that he felt stupid. And yet he still yearned for your presence. To be as close as possible to the almost painful heat that burned inside of him in your company. It confused the Cardinal immensely until the moment he stood before Papa Nihil's office and knocked on the door twice.

Sister Ana still had not stopped praising you since you had returned to her with some lunch leftovers from the kitchen, claiming that you were the biggest blessing the ministry ever received. The slightly older woman had such a warm energy radiating off of her that you felt extremely comfortable and her kind words never failed to make you blush. The two of you sat in the backroom, now finishing up your meal and laughing as Ana divulged some gossip that had you cover your mouth with your hand.

“I tell you, sister, the other day Papa Nihil actually shit his pants during black mass.” She whispered over to you. “I sat behind him and he farted loud enough for everyone sitting around him to hear it. You could really see him shift around and hurry off with Sister Imperator behind him leaving for the restrooms.” Ana snorted, the rest of the sentence barely audible between her giggles.

Your laughing fit was interrupted when the heavy door to the infirmary was forcefully bashed open by one of the Ghouls. The loud bang resonated in the room and the two of you jumped out of your seats rushing to the main entrance of the infirmary. That’s when you spotted a Ghoul and a Sister, the Sister rushing forward to you. “Aether, put him on one of the beds. Sister Ana, please, the Cardinal needs help.” Only then did you understand the Ghoul was carrying a man. He was carrying the Cardinal in his arms. Before anyone could move, you were by the Cardinal’s side checking his temperature and preparing a bowl with fresh, cold water.

“The Cardinal was in Papa Nihil's office when he suddenly collapsed. Luckily Aether was there.” The sister explained.

“Okay, okay, calm down Sister Morgana.” Ana said, soothing the Sister’s nerves, glancing over to you as you swiftly worked around the Cardinal’s bed. She decided to step closer and have a look at the Cardinal herself.

“He likely collapsed due to exhaustion and the heat, Sister. I was afraid that was gonna happen.” You told her, the last part mostly mumbling to yourself. You knelt next to his bed and drenched a clean cloth in the bowl with cold water and started wiping it softly across his sweaty and pale face.

“I met him in the hallway on my way here and he looked sick. I felt his temperature and he was practically burning up. I asked him to follow me to the infirmary, but he refused saying he needed to speak with Papa Nihil. He showed signs of dehydration and exhaustion but he was adamant to visit Papa Nihil first.” You explained to her, your voice lightly going up as the thought of him placing his duties before his health angered you.

Sister Ana watched carefully as you gently took care of the Cardinal. “I think the Cardinal is in good hands, Morgana. You should go back to report to Papa Nihil. The Cardinal should be fine. We will find out more once he wakes up.” The older nurse pointed out, bringing the now relieved sister back to the entrance door of the infirmary.

It took about an hour for the Cardinal to regain consciousness, a sense of disorientation settling in. The first thing he noticed was the sterile smell. Fatigue weighed heavily on his body, every movement an effort. It felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach and he weakly tried to sit up on the bed. With a dry throat and parched lips, he pieced together that he must have pushed himself too far this time. His body refused him and must have collapsed. His foggy mind struggled to untangle the events that had led him here. He should have listened to you. He should have listened to his body instead of ignoring all the warning signs. Tentative thoughts of missed tasks and nearring deadlines clouded his mind. He could not afford to pass out like that. The ministry and Papa relied on him. His thoughts ate away at him and Copia tried to push himself off the bed just to stumble and sway on the spot. His hands shot up to his head as a piercing pain shot through his skull.

It took you barely three seconds to cross the room and catch the Cardinal before he could fall. Your hands wrapped around his lanky frame, securing him in place and giving him more stability while he stood.

„Cardinal, please. What are you doing? You need to sit down!“ you ordered, gently pushing him back down on the bed.

„O.. Oh Sorella.. wh.. what is all this fuss about? I‘m fine,“ he says with a wince, clutching his head.

„Oh, you are not. You can barely stand with my help.“ you scolded him.

Copia glanced at you with a sharp look of bitterness and sorrow in his eyes. He hated to be seen as weak, even though he was. When he didn‘t answer, your eyes found his and the frown on your face was replaced by a look of worry and pity. He looked so fragile as if he was about to cry. All you wanted was to hold him and tell him it was going to be alright.

„Do you remember what happened after we met in the corridor and you went to Papa Nihil's office?“ you prompted softly, not trying to sound angry and starting to feel his temperature again.

Copia struggled in thought, the events after his near crash with you in the corridor hazy and blurred. „I uh… I remember a meeting.. a meeting with Papa Nihil.. yes. After that I don‘t know. What happened, sorella?“ he asked, afraid to hear something embarrassing.

You retrieved the thermometer from him, noting that his temperature seemed to be nearly back to normal, just slightly higher than it‘s supposed to be. „Well, I am not too sure. I wasn‘t there, but you collapsed in Papa Nihil's office, apparently.“ you shrugged, gaze softening when he averted his eyes staring at his feet, looking crushed. Taking in his defeated form, you sighed.

„You know I was not kidding when I saw you in the hallway, Cardinal. You looked.. how do I say this..?“ You tried to find the right words to not sound bitter and mean. Copia‘s eyes found yours again, afraid to hear the poisonous words you surely were going to spit into his face. How he looked like an ugly rat that was about to die soon and that it would have probably been for the best if he‘d just perish. But by now he was used to this. It hurt. It really fucking hurt each time, and it should not affect him anymore, but hearing these things from you would probably blow him off completely. You were the last person in the ministry he wanted to appear weak to. Life for sure was never going to get easier.

„Argh, you know I was so worried for you. You looked so pale that for a moment I was sure you were a ghost.“ you chuckled at the ridiculousness of your own words. „I am amazed you even made it to Nihil‘s office at all.“ you told him honestly.

Your words had an impact on him that he didn‘t expect. They were not harsh and neither were they laced with bitterness or hate. Two feelings people around him never ceased to show him throughout his entire, miserable life.

You grabbed his gloved hand into your own and held it, softly brushing your thumb over it. „You must promise me one thing, Cardinal. Please take care of yourself.“ The Cardinal was momentarily struck by lightning. At least to him it felt like that. He was completely and extremely overwhelmed by your words and actions. You held his hand, brushing his with your thumb. Oh how he wished he was not wearing his gloves today. He imagined how it felt to have your soft, delicate fingers on his own hands. Skin on skin. Your touch had his brain short circuiting. And when your words had made it into his brain, he was sure he must be levitating. You cared for his well being. The thought alone nearly made him tear up. He blinked away the wetness in his eyes so you wouldn‘t notice and cleared his throat.

The moment your hand made contact with his gloved hand you saw something. A picture of a black leather glove, wet but warm to the touch flashed through your eyes. But as fast as it had come it went and you froze for a moment.

„Sí sí, sorella, I will from now on. Thank you for your care. Can I go now? Secondo was going to send someone with a few papers to my office. I‘d like to see if they arrived, yes?“ Copia was eager to get up. His mind rushed back to the things he was supposed to finish today.

A hand on his chest pushed him back down. „You are going nowhere for now. Have you not been hearing what I just said Cardinal?“ you questioned, impatience in your voice.

„N..No I mean yes, sí sorella, I did, but I am feeling much better already, you see.“ He grabbed your hand and put it on his forehead. „No more fever, yes?“

His silly actions made you laugh out loud. This man could not be serious right now.

„You are staying here. No going anywhere, you hear me?! Nurses orders!“ you commanded with authority in your voice, successfully rendering Copia speechless.

Sister Ana called you to assist her in the backroom and you turned your back towards the Cardinal, heading to the door that connected the two rooms. As soon as the Cardinal was left alone he tried to get up and sneak his way out of the infirmary without getting caught. He nearly made it but unfortunately the heavy metal doors squeaked when he tried to push them open and you were standing behind him in an instant with a stern expression. After he‘d been brought back to his bed, you informed him that he was going to have to stay the night in the infirmary to make sure he was not suffering from any late consequences of him collapsing. He did hit his head on the floor after all, and you and Sister Ana both agreed to keep him here for the night under supervision.

As the sun set, the halls of the ministry grew increasingly quieter. Everyone was retiring to their respective quarters and the Cardinal felt he was sleepy. It took him a few minutes to fall into a deep slumber.

When he awoke again, it was in the middle of the night. The room was dark, just a candle flickered in the far end of the room. Now was his chance. He just had to be quiet and remember that the left door squeaked so he needed to open the right side.

Before he could completely sit up on the mattress, your voice startled him and he jumped up, turning around.

„Lay down!“ you insisted. „Don‘t even think about it.“ You sat coolly in a chair, flipping through an old book of ritualistic healing, from one of the shelves, not even bothering to look up at him. As fast as he sat up, he was lying down again, staring up at the ceiling, mind swirling around you and your gratefulness until eventually sleep claimed him again.

Taglist:

@hauntedlover03 @adinferix @ghostfangirlsweden @fishwithtitz @pinksweetsxtan

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