#i'm having Thoughts about copia this morning can you tell

[revelisms]

Copia grows up in the shadow of so much music, so much magic, so much life.

Copia, little blue-eyed ruddy-haired Copia, in shoes too big and coat too baggy and breathing in the cool, damp air of the gardens. Led by a gentle hand, bony hand: cold as death, but loving. Much as it can be, in its jadedness.

"You see these ones, here?" their eldest says, the words rasped and ashen, like he's spent a lifetime drinking down the soil his hands have tilled. "They are beautiful, no?"

Copia stares hard at those white flowers, his little fingers pinched at his palm.

They are beautiful.

Tall and beautiful and strange, like the ghoulish creature looming above him, with eyes pale as moonstone; one who is more a mother than a brother, is a beacon, a beam of light in this dark place he fears ever losing.

"You'll have to try planting some, one day," Primo continues. "Won't get a green thumb otherwise, eh?"

Copia will never get a green thumb. But he'll try.

And he'll be older. Only a little—enough to grow into gangly legs, a nose too big for his sullen face, freckles smattered across his cheeks and hair unruly. Older, but not as old as the hand burning as coals, rough as rock, squeezing slow at his shoulder.

"Not like that," his brother gristles, patient as his nonexistent patience can manage. His fingers flick off him, point sharply at the lane stretched ahead. "Eyes on the road, little rat. Now—easy. Second gear, you remember?"

Copia, white knuckled on the steering wheel, huffs. "Yes, yes, I know—"

Secondo spits a breath through his teeth. "I was driving the old bastard's Ferrari, at your age," he grouses, more to himself. "Alright. Easy, now—you've got it—Hell beneath, the clutch—"

"Sorry, sorry—"

Copia will never be a good driver. Puttering away in his go-kart of a Fiat, dingy and denim blue, that they'll tease him endlessly for. But he'll try.

And Copia will be older, still. Not quite a man, not quite a boy, not quite an Emeritus—not quite anything but a rat listening in on everything, sticking his ear where it never belongs.

(Where has he ever belonged?)

It winds him towards misplaced conversations and snarking gossip, plucked guitar strings and crashing drums—and often, so often, to the old music room on the second floor. The one with the chipped black piano Terzo favors.

Terzo, with his midnight clothes and midnight hair and midnight nails, his hand-poured coffees black as tar, books upon books of stained lyrics and notes. Terzo, hazed with the morning's gloom: paintless and beautiful and bone-tired, always, since his oath-taking.

And Copia envies him. Resents a brother who can swoon men and women and demons alike with nothing more than a crook of his finger. Who needs only to tuck the half-tamed waves of his hair behind his ears and flash a smile to look impeccable.

Whose fingers melt across the keys like a lover. A symphony of emotion that is powerful, hateful, all-encompassing.

He dances between two set of melodies: two songs at war with each other. Eventually, they will become ballads of their own. One, Copia will find the ink-scrawled pages for, years after his brother's soul has been thrown back through the Gate, and claim.

Another triplet of feather-light notes, climbing a dissonant ladder. His voice soft from his chest, haunting in its echoing, deep and light at once.

"I can feel the thunder that's breaking..."

A pause. His nose crinkling. A waterfall, slow-stroked fingers and thumb, repeated like a skipping record.

"With flesh, and blood, and bones, I...mnh...Did no one hear the distant...no, no, no—"

And he'll smack out ripples of classical adagios, crescendos: broken, jazz-chorded flails: snarling in frustration, before slumping. Slowly, sighing, tracing back to those lovely notes. An effortless bleeding of his soul over the keys, over and over and over again.

Copia will never be a good pianist. Saints, never like him. But he'll try.

He'll try—in his unevenly-spaced flowerbeds; in his father's battered, beat-up cruiser; in the white-glossed grand piano he has them drag up on stage, just to pluck out a sea of chords that are only partly his own.

That is home, for him. Where he belongs.

Glittering in those suits, grinning in the sweat of it all, flipping microphones with sightless ease and dancing circles over those checkerboard floors, as though they were meant for only him.

And, in a way, he supposes, they always were.

Metal squeezed in his palm. Armor draped off his shoulders. The paints of the dead claiming him, above all else.

His people. His stage.

His music, his magic, his life.

For all of them, in their own ways, they always were.

copia / stages

[skele-bunny]

Thinking about Aether and Dew baby...

This follows Calida's timeline!

CW - Pregnancy, Mentions of past Traumatic Pregnancy (but this is a fluff post!)

It's been a good few years, now. Calida now a rambunctious teenager, the ministry settled down while there's no tours for a good while. It's comfortable! The topic comes up one night, Dew settled in the bed with Aether on their day off together;

"Firefly?"

"Hm?"

"Promise you won't bite me if I ask something?" An eyebrow raise but Dew promises. "How would you feel about another baby?"

"Another?" Dewdrop sits up a little, resting more on the headboard as he grimaces some. "I dunno, Aeth... Calida's was rough as is. I had her early, and all the complications, and just the mental side of it? I'm not sure... Why?"

"Just been thinking, that's all. Maybe something in the air, all the babies I've been helping deliver with the siblings. I dunno either. Just thought, maybe, it would be nice to have tiny feet running through the den again."

Dewdrop just chews his lip and nods, eventually going into silence before going to the bathroom suddenly. Closes the door and stares at himself in the mirror for a bit, so many thoughts racing. He doesn't realize how long it's been until Aether knocks to check on him, Dew opening the door and looking up, holding his breath.

"Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"Let's have another. But on my conditions."

"What- Oh, okay! What's your conditions?" Aether can't help his tail wagging.

"We're gonna go talk to my therapist and double, triple, fucking quad check that this isn't just a breeding thing for you... A-and I only want you, or Phil, or- or just that really nice midwife you introduced me to at the Halloween party, Alexa... If... If I get pregnant again. No one else."

Aether just nods, taking Dewdrop's hand, leading him back to bed. "Those are all reasonable. I can call for an appointment in the morning. Sound fair?"

"Yeah... Sounds fair."

It's about two months worth of sessions, both privately and together, making sure that YES. They want this! Dew is mentally ready for this again, Aether isn't in some kink phase, etc. They even talk to Calida who's more than excited about a little sibling! Dewy gets off his testosterone and starts taking supplements, and circles his first heat for them to start trying. They keep everything quiet for a while, and even more months of failed attempts to conceive. It's about month four when Dew wakes Aether up, sitting on his lap with two positive pregnancy tests.

They're SO fucking excited but keep their expectations mellow. Dewdrop's health has much changed since Calida, plus they don't know if the egg will fully stay intact. Still, it is exciting for Aether to smell how fruity Dewdrop is. Constantly scenting him to see if there's any changes but also to cover the smell around the others. Every night Aether has his eyes full of stars and a gentle hand on Dew's stomach, whispering to Dewy what he sees, how small it is, but still so full of fluids and cells.

Two months, they agree to tell the others. It goes as they expect, excitement and extra affection, a ghoul pile that even Copia makes time to join.

"Have you started thinking about names or anything like that?" Sunny is laying her head on Dew's thigh, smiling SO wide.

"No, not just yet. Things can still change so we're waiting at least until near the end of the second trimester."

"Makes sense," Swiss chimes in. "Does Calida know?"

Aether is the one to laugh, leaning over. "That girl scared the birds away from how excited she got. She was the first to know."

Now, Dewdrop wouldn't trade Calida for the world. But he wishes he had this gentleness when he was expecting her. The kindness and a huge pack so that he doesn't have to strain and try to keep up, that he knew early, how accommodating everything's been. There's times he'll just hold his stomach and look in the mirror, so much deja vu of when he did it in hotel bathrooms while on tour. Speaking to Calida and telling her she was going to be the light of his life, and now he's doing it again. Just another piece for a puzzle he didn't know wasn't completed yet.

He's put on bed rest once more, too many high risks going on, and he starts eventually experiencing... Symptoms.

"What do you mean they're weird?"

"They're just fucking weird, Aether! Just, okay, tickle me."

He blinks. "You hate being tickled."

"I know! Just do it!"

He shrugs and does a little wiggle of his fingers before attacking Dew's sides and armpits. Listening to him squeal and laugh, grimacing and eventually - the TV turns on. Aether is staring at it while Dew catches his breath.

"See? Weird fucking shit! If I sneeze the lights turn on and off, when I get headaches my phone's battery dies, and like... It's so strange!"

Aether whistles a little, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh we're so having a quint."

"Huh?"

Aether looks him dead in the eyes, but a big goofy smile. "You're having magick surges. Little bit is reacting to you, and quintessence is a hell of a thing. Starts while still in the womb, my mother in the pit had almost the same things happening. Less technology and more of like, levitation. We're having a quint!"

Dew blinks before breaking into cries. "Woah, woah! What's wrong, my love?"

"I'm gonna look like a fucking watermelon you ass-wipe!" Hitting him softly but still crying.

Poor thing isn't even six months yet, but he looks like he's eight! Mumbling about his feet hurting, his legs more swollen than normal, cravings that are insanity to even be thought of. It's when he's in the nursery, tying ribbons on the crib when he gasps at a feeling, holding his stomach... It happens again.

He doesn't even get the full trill out before Cumulus and Mountain are RAMMING into that door.

"What's wrong?!"

But, he's smiling, beckoning them over. Takes both of their hands and puts it on his bump, shushing them every time they try to ask. There's a kick and their eyes go wide, Dew just as much. It's much softer than normal kicks, but that's to be expected from the egg sack still around them.

Then, finally, a gender reveal. Expecting a tiny little girl, Aether excited as he's always been a girl dad, adjusting some of the things in the nursery to match her.

"Teddy."

"Hm?"

Dew is playing with a tiny onesie, keeping his eyes locked on it. "What do you think of the name Starshine?"

"Starshine?"

"Yeah," his thumb going over the embroidered star on the onesie. "For our daughter."

Aether hums, thinking it over a little before he nods. "Yeah... Yeah, I like that."

He makes it to full term, after an agonizing day and a half of his water being broken and no dilation. Clutching to Aether and Mountain, Alexa between his knees to help course their daughter out. Mountain's fur is sticking up from the amount of electricity from Dew holding him, then with how hot he is. There's a bit of a power surge at the final push before the lights come back. Dewdrop sobbing as he dead weights against the two, staring at the ceiling but ears completely focused on Starshine's mad cries as she's cut from the sack.

Good god they though Mountain was furry? That poor girl is gonna need haircuts WEEKLY. Aether and Dew laughing a bit as they're holding this purple blob of fur, some soft white on her belly and in her ears. Hair blonde, just like Dewdrop's.

Mountain congratulating them and helping Alexa clean up a little while the new parents again bask in the afterglow with their new daughter :3

[madangel19]

if you're still doing writing requests

anything fluffy about the fire ghouls maybe 🙏🏼 especially alpha or dew?

my day just got progressively worse haha so I need a pick me up

thank you so much 💗 have a lovely day/night wherever you are

- cupid ghoul but asking from anon bcs I'm NOT putting main on blast here haha >:) 💗

I'm having a rough day as well after dealing with my car stuff. Hopefully some fluffy Dewdrop content will make it all better @cupid-ghoul :' )

Copia rushed through the halls, looking into any nearby room. He had been looking all over for Dewdrop, but he couldn’t find the sometimes elusive fire ghoul.

It had begun to snow outside and he wanted to check in on Dewdrop to see how he was doing, but he wasn’t in the ghoul den when he checked. The rest of the pack was outside enjoying the snow, but Dewdrop often did not go out when it was cold. The poor thing did not enjoy the cold that much.

“Where could that ghoul be?” Copia murmured, crossing his arms as he thought of all the places Dewdrop could be. He had checked multiple sitting rooms where a fireplace was roaring but he wasn’t in those rooms. Most siblings asked for his help with getting a fire going so Copia just had to check all of those rooms. He would find Dewdrop sooner or later. 

After checking several more rooms, Copia was about to give up before he noticed two siblings rushing out of a room, whispering amongst themselves.

“Didn’t know he could do that. How does that not hurt?” One questioned.

“I don’t know. Good thing he took his clothes off. The smell would be awful,” another said. 

That was a hopeful sign. 

Copia put on a smile when the siblings noticed him. They gasped and straightened themselves up, looking frightened for a moment before calming down.

“Good morning, Papa. What brings you here?” The first sibling asked.

“Ah, buongiorno. Good morning. Have you two seen Dewdrop anywhere?” Copia replied.

“He’s in that room. Go take a look,” the second sibling said, gesturing to the open door. 

Copia could already see the glow of a fire from within. His search was quickly coming to an end.

“Grazie. Thank you so much, my dears. Go get yourselves some hot chocolate or something nice and warm for helping me. Tell the siblings in the kitchen that Papa sent you,” Copia chimed, chuckling when he saw the delight on both of their faces. 

“Thank you, Papa!” They exclaimed before rushing away together. 

Copia nodded in approval before turning his attention back to the room. He stepped in and immediately saw the roaring fire in the giant fireplace. The room felt like an inferno, but Copia was unphased. If a fire was this big, it meant only one thing. 

Copia stepped closer and spotted Dewdrop lying in the fireplace, completely at peace and napping away amongst the burning logs. He held a log to his chest, purring away while nuzzling it. His clothes were strewn about the room, safely away from the fire.

Copia had heard tales of fire ghouls just napping in an open fireplace and it was quite a sight to see. Most times, he found Dewdrop laying before the fire and he never flinched when an ember flew out and hit his skin. Sometimes he was a bit too close to the fire for Copia's liking.

Dewdrop yawned loudly, inhaling embers and exhaling smoke as he opened his eyes, looking up at Copia tiredly. 

“Mm, mornin’, Papa,” he murmured, his voice barely heard over the fire. 

“Good morning. Are you comfortable in there, Dewdrop?” Copia asked, smiling as he sat in a nearby armchair.

The ghoul nodded, curling up like a cat in the flames. He looked so cozy in there.

“Can you add some more logs, Papa? It’s fuckin’ cold out there,” Dewdrop said, his tail lazily thumping the floor. 

“Of course, ghoul. Are you making yourself nice and toasty for the others?” Copia chuckled while gathering some logs and tossing them into the flames, making them bigger. 

“Sure am. You want first dibs on cuddles?” Dewdrop asked, making space in the fireplace for him.

“Ah, maybe later. You get your warm rest and I’ll see you later.”

Dewdrop didn’t say anything else as he got comfortable with the new logs that hissed and sizzled around him. He was completely at peace in the fire and Copia was certain the rest of the pack would be all over him once they were done playing in the snow. Copia looked forward to joining that nice warm pile.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Waiting

[A ficlet based on this chat post from this morning. Rain reaps what he sowed.] Below the cut.

Rain will admit that he probably should have told Frater Imperator that he was busy when the man approached him about his contract renewal, that he had a time sensitive matter to attend to; Dew laying in his bed, naked, wanting, and desperately needing him to get back sooner rather than later, but he'd foolishly thought, "I just need to sign my name and then I can head back in no time at all!"

Wrong.

He had been incredibly wrong.

As it would turn out, with Sister Imperator gone, all of her contracts needed to be transferred to Copia, which meant he needed to redo both his ministry contract, his band contract, and go over two piles of other miscellaneous paperwork -TWICE- before he was released from the man's office.

In total, between trying to wheedle his way out of doing his contracts then and there, trying to speedrun them and then having reread and revise the errors he made whilst doing that, and then actually compiling and handing them back over to Copia, Rain had been gone...

An hour and a half.

Give or take.

An hour and a half.

Now, under normal circumstances, if he'd run into this situation, he would have messaged Dew and apologized right away, knowing that while he'd be disappointed, the other would have understood what happened and would have cursed Copia for dragging him away, but he'd left his phone behind thinking he'd only be gone a couple minutes...

As Rain enters his bedroom cautiously, expecting to be met with a very justifiably upset Dewdrop, he is instead met by a rather cozy looking ghoul watching something on his laptop, whose only acknowledgement of his existence is a cold, distant side eye followed by the telltale thwap of his tail against the mattress.

"Ohh, this is somehow worse..." Rain thinks, moving closer to the bed, "Hi, baby, so-"

Dew cuts him off by raising the volume on the video he is watching.

"-She cut his penis off and flushed it down the toilet." a voice says through the speakers, "Although a horrific crime to be sure, many have spoken out about the case saying the perpetrator was justified due to-"

"-Copia called me into his office and I-"

Dew closes his laptop, shifting in the bed to look at him, arms folded, which is when Rain noticed the strategically built wall of pillows lain on top of his side of the bed.

Yeah, he's fucked.

"I tried to tell him I had somewhere to be, but he was really insistent that we get my contracts done as soon as possible, because he's got to have everything ready for when the new Papa arrives, ya know, and..." Rain pauses, watching Dew's face go from neutral, to angry, to...

"You left me here alone for two hours...!" Dew shouts, red in the face and clearly on the verge of tears based on the sharp escalation of his voice at the end, "I waited for you, and you didn't come back, and we talked about how I don't like when the 'you don't get to cum until I'm back or tell you so' stuff goes on for longer than a couple minutes, because- And you- YOU'RE A JERK! GET OUT!"

Rain manages to dodge exactly two pillows on his way out the door before the third comes for his knees and nearly takes him out.

Dew throws a fourth, heavier sounding object -which Rain is about ninety percent sure is his weighted shark pillow- at the door, slamming it shut.

Taking a moment to steady himself, Rain reflects on the situation, sinking down onto the ground in order to think about what just happened, only to notice Cumulus sitting across the hallway doing the exact same thing.

"...Coffee and we talk about how we fucked up?" Rain suggests, and the ghoulette looks at the door behind her, and then to Rain.

"Coffee and we talk about how we fucked up."

[da-rulah]

Hello hello! Me again!

Just a few couple head cannons I’d love to see…

How would the Papa’s respond to their s/o being caught sneaking out to go party with the Ghouls?

How would the Papas respond to their s/o having a crisis of faith?

Ooooh interesting... Here goes nothing!

MDNI, 18+ CONTENT BELOW!

Sneaking Out

Primo

You'd thought he was asleep. He had been, at least, when you'd last seen him in his recliner chair, newspaper long forgotten on the floor where it had fallen from his hands.

But somehow, even in his old age, he beats you to the front doors of the Ministry, and is waiting for you at the door.

"Fiorellina... you think me too old to party, eh?" he teases with his hands on his hips, circling them as if pretending to dance.

"Papa the last time you danced with me, you slipped a disc..."

He shoos the mention of it and insists you bring him anyway - he still has some fire left in him!

He does, in fact, slip another disc.

'Worth it' he thinks to himself, to see the way your smile lights up the entire party.

Secondo

He'd been out all evening, and you knew he was cooped up in his office working on some kind of ritual translation.

You figured you'd be fine sneaking off with Swiss and Phantom, he'd never know! You'd be home by the time he finished working, ever the work horse...

How wrong you were. He was sat in the dark, waiting for you to return...

"Care to explain why i came home to a cold and empty bed, dolcezza?"

You panic and try to find excuses, but he stands and crowds your person space instead, inches from your face.

"I think you'd better stop talking, and come to bed with me. You will show me how sorry you are..."

Terzo

"Well, well, well... where do you think you're going, cara mio?"

He'd caught you with one leg already out of the window in your living room, Sodo waiting for you on the other side with his arms outstretched to catch you.

As soon as he heard papa's voice, he'd scarpered.

"W-well, um... there's this... thing..."

Terzo's smirking, leaning on the doorframe in his bed robe. "A party?"

You nod; you'd been caught already, why lie now?

"Ah, cara mio... there's a much better, much more exclusive party, back here..." he pointed behind him to your empty bedroom. "Won't you join me, as my VIP?"

Copia

When he woke up to find you no longer beside him, and nowhere in your apartment, he'd panicked.

The 6 missed calls and 11 unread texts on your phone had made you leave the party early, apologising to Aurora who's brought you along.

When you got home, he was pacing in the living room, going out of his mind.

"Amore! Where were you? I was so worried..." he envelopes you in a bear hug - you feel guilt setting in.

"I'm sorry, I was with Aurora... at a... party?"

He takes a step back, confused. He wonders why he wasn't invited...

"Well, you're... their boss. Maybe it's just a bit strange for them to invite their boss?" you reasoned. Copia still looked disappointed.

You promise him you'll never sneak out on him again - and instead, you'll sneak him in, so he can show his Ghouls he's the 'cool, fun boss who can still boogie!' as he says...

Crisis of Faith

Primo

Primo doesn't panic when you tell him you're questioning things. He has plenty of experience in this, during his tenure as a papa.

He stays up all night with you, talking out your insecurities in your faith.

When you'd started to cry, he'd pulled you into his lap and held you. He didn't judge you for any of this, not at all.

Together, you get to the root cause of your crisis, and he comforts you through it all.

You fall asleep on him in the early hours of the morning, feeling far better about your faith than when you'd first opened up.

Secondo

You'd expected Secondo to be angry at you, which is why you waited so long to tell him. But it came out during a heated argument with him, and you had thrown it in his face.

His angry expression fell to one of... hurt?

He doesn't say another word, simply takes you by the wrist and pulled you through the Ministry until you reach the chapel of Lilith together. He has you stand in front of her statue, presented with her beauty and her power.

"Tell her. Look her in the eye, and tell her you've lost your way..."

You can't do it. You break down instead.

But he's there, arms around you, cradling you on the floor of her Chapel.

"It's okay. We'll fix this. We'll get through this, dolcezza..."

Terzo

When you'd finally opened up to Terzo, he blamed himself immediately.

"Is it... something I did? Or said?" He panics.

He thinks he's already lost you, and that frightens him more than anything. He can't lose you...

"What can I do? Tesoro, I'll do anything. How do I help?"

You end up comforting him more than he can comfort you that night, but you don't begrudge him for it.

Strangely, seeing how he reacted gave you enough reason to keep trying. For him. Always for him...

Copia

He finds you alone during the night in the Chapel, staring up at the artwork in the ceiling of Lucifer himself. He's seen that look on your face a lot lately...

"Amore mio, tell me what the matter is. Please?"

He asks so sweetly, and you can't deny him. You tell him everything, about how you were questioning not Lucifer himself, but some of the teachings.

Your past of being told how evil you were for following him was at the forefront of your mind.

He listens intently, your hand encased in both of his. He talks to you, shows you passages in one of the unholy prayer books in the pews, reminds you that your belief in him doesn't make you a terrible person, but a free person.

"He allows us to think for ourselves, cara mio. I mean, when was the last time you saw any of us sacrifice a goat here, eh? That's not who we are..." he chuckles.

He's right; you've always known that. And you remember, you cannot let your past define you now.

[molly-ghuleh]

Camellia: Copia x f!reader - Chapter 4

Camellia: n. - A flower which symbolizes a deep desire or longing.

Summary: Sister Imperator gives you an ultimatum, and Papa helps talk you through it.

Word Count: 5.3k

A/N: Here is where it gets interesting!! I'm proud of this one hehe, I hope you all enjoy!! <3

Warnings: Religious trauma, anxiety, brief mentions of family trauma

AO3 / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

“You are telling me,” Sister Imperator eyes you sternly, “that you have only translated one word?” 

You shrink under Sister’s harsh gaze. She’d come to the restricted room just before the dinner hour, touting a poorly-masked frown of annoyance, to inform you that she’d scheduled a meeting after breakfast the next morning. There were no pleasantries whatsoever. No good afternoon, Sister, how are you? No How are you settling in? No How is the translation coming along? Simply a raised eyebrow and a request for your presence in her office at nine o’clock sharp. 

You’d tossed and turned all night, trying to figure out a way to say ‘I’ve been working for three days straight and have almost nothing to show for it’. With sleep evading you, you’d trudged back up to the restricted room in the middle of the night to stare at the diary again until dawn. 

Part of you had hoped Papa would come to the library again. A very large, very noisy part of you centered somewhere in your chest had pounded at the mere thought of seeing him. Maybe you’d get the chance to ask him what he’d been looking for the first night you met? He was poking around the romance section… 

But you stamped that feeling down. You are no use to Elizabeth if your mind and heart are preoccupied with a man you know you shouldn’t be thinking about. He is just taking care of his flock, you’d told yourself. He’s Papa, it’s his duty. 

He had been so sweet to bring you oranges.

Despite your efforts, you’d gotten nowhere this morning. You’re still stuck on Today, with no hints or prospects of figuring out what happened on that first Today of the diary. So here you stand, feeling rather like a kicked puppy in front of Sister Imperator. She’s frowning again but this time she has good reason to do so. 

“Yes, Sister,” you say, hanging your head. Your face burns hot under her scrutiny. “But you must understand, the journal is in a—”

“I don’t care if it’s written in hieroglyphs, Sister. You are here to figure it out. Are you telling me you can’t do it?” 

You shake your head. “No, Sister, I can—” 

“Then do it.” 

You’re eleven. Your mother stares down at you, holding your secret (or, what you’d thought to be secret) diary in front of your face. It’s opened to the page you’d hoped your parents would never see. The page which prompted your visit to Liège. If God loves me, you’d written, why does He make me question myself? Is it because I doubt Him that he makes me doubt myself?

“Yes, Sister,” you nod. 

Sister Imperator lifts her glasses from the chain around her neck to the tip of her nose. It’s a sign of dismissal, you know, but you are almost scared to move without her permission. 

“Come see me tomorrow. I expect progress, Sister. Otherwise I will have to look elsewhere.” 

“Yes, Sister.” 

You turn with a small bow (which she doesn’t acknowledge) and make for the door. Your heart pounds in your ears. If you don’t figure out Elizabeth’s method, you’ll be sent home. 

You’ll be sent home to Marseille.  

Perhaps you should allow her to send you home. That’s what you’ve wanted the whole time, isn’t it? Though you’re not sure which outweighs the other: your homesickness, or your curiosity about Elizabeth. 

You hadn’t exactly been given a choice when Sister Imperator summoned you to the Abbey, but that doesn’t mean you hadn’t been intrigued. You had known you’d miss home, and you were somewhat prepared for it. What you hadn’t been prepared for, however, was to discover just how badly you want to unravel the history written in the diary. Elizabeth must be a significant figure in the Ministry’s past. Why else would Sister Imperator want it translated so urgently?

It doesn’t matter. If you don’t make some sort of breakthrough in the next twenty-four hours, you’ll be on a plane back to France in forty-eight and you’ll never find out just who Elizabeth was. 

Why is that idea so abhorrent to you?  

You close your eyes and try to calm yourself down. Sister Imperator is not your mother. She is not holding your faith over your head. No one is holding your faith over your head. Your worth as a person doesn’t go away if you fail just this once, you tell yourself, breathing intentionally slowly. Lucifer will not value you any less. 

When you finally push yourself away from Sister Imperator’s closed door, you find Papa standing at the next door down the corridor, regarding you. His brows are furrowed, which carves the line between his brows a little deeper. He holds a key, slotted into the brass doorknob of what you assume is his office door. He doesn’t move, doesn’t turn the key and push the door to enter his office, just… stands there, and looks at you. 

You look back. 

He’s wearing a leather vest with intricate gold clasps over a black shirt with a high, frilly neck. His sleeves are puffy, but cinched in at the wrists. On anyone else the shirt might look overly antiquated, but Papa wears it well. The high neck frames his jaw and chin, the black contrasted with the full Papal paints he’d decided to wear this morning. His trousers are, of course, black, and tight. Tight enough to make your face flush with heat when your eyes involuntarily wander down, following the curve of his spine as he stands sideways. 

Oh, Hell.  

“Sorella? ” Papa speaks. Your eyes flick back up to meet his and you find that your heart is pounding in your ears yet again. “Are you alright?” 

You nod and attempt a smile. “Yes, Papa, thank you.” 

He doesn’t seem convinced, and if you’re honest, you wouldn’t be either. He moves his gaze from your face to the closed door of Sister Imperator’s office, and then back to you. “She can be, eh…” he searches for the right word, “...harsh. Don’t let it get to you.” 

You huff out a small laugh. “That is easier said than done.” 

“Yes, it is,” Papa smiles back. The crease between his brows fades. “Will you… come in, for a bit?” 

His invitation catches you off guard. You think it catches him off guard, too, because his eyes seem to flick back and forth between your own with an uncertainty like he’s anticipating your refusal. 

Should you refuse? You do have a deadline to meet, but… It’s very likely you won’t find the missing link in time for your meeting with Sister Imperator. If you haven’t found it by now, chances are you won’t ever find it. 

It’s not just about the deadline, though. You realize this as soon as you contemplate turning his invitation down—the thought of saying no and bidding him a good morning leaves a heavy weight in your chest. Satan, this hadn’t been part of your plan. You’d planned to keep to yourself, keep your head down. You weren’t supposed to crave connection with someone. You weren’t supposed to want to agree to invitations, to accept oranges, to hope he’d be in the library in the early hours of the morning. You weren’t supposed to want to stay, and it certainly wasn’t supposed to be for Papa. 

But you do, and it is. 

“Actually, you know what,” Papa says. Your cheeks blaze with heat again when you realize you must have been staring at him like a loon. He removes the key from his office door and pockets it. “Let’s go for a walk, eh? Have you seen the Abbey gardens yet? There’s a wonderful little path that goes all the way around the grounds. It might help you to clear your head. And then you’ll tell your Papa what’s wrong, yes?”

He extends an arm, inviting you to walk beside him. You push yourself up from where you’d been leaning on the wall and fall into step with him. “Thank you, Papa. I… I think I need fresh air.”

Papa leads you past the rest of the Clergy offices and down the staircase which leads into the main hall. The opening of the staircase had taken you longer to find than you’re willing to admit. It’s flanked on either side by large potted plants, making the doorway leading to the stairs virtually impossible to see until you’ve already passed it. You wonder how many other corridors and stairwells and secret doors you’ve missed because of conveniently-placed decorations. 

Instead of turning towards the large front doors of the Abbey, Papa guides the two of you towards the refectory. The large room is empty at this hour, save for a few Siblings who use it as a meeting place. It’s a different way than you’d expected, but you don’t question the route Papa takes—he must know the Abbey like the back of his hand. 

He leads you through the refectory and into the kitchens. Several Siblings are already working hard to prepare lunch. The large, brick-walled room is a whirlwind of smells and heat and aprons flitting about. Whatever it is that the Siblings are preparing today smells delicious, and it makes your stomach twist with hunger. Oh, Papa would be angry at you if he knew you’d skipped breakfast again. 

The two of you skirt along the walls of the kitchen, careful not to get in the way of any Siblings at work. They hardly even notice you. One Brother of Sin nods his head respectfully at Papa and gives you a smile, which you shyly return, but he misses it when he ducks his head back down to focus on not mincing his fingers into the large pile of garlic under his knife.

Despite the delicious smells swirling around the kitchens, you breathe a sigh of relief when Papa leads you through a creaky wooden door and out into the chilly morning air. It’s an overcast day but not too dark, casting the grounds in a cool glow. A thin, grassy dirt path leads from the kitchen door down a hill to the Abbey gardens. 

You understand why they’re called the gardens now, rather than the singular garden. 

Four large greenhouses and a garden shed are lined up at the bottom of the hill. Through the transparent glass, you can tell that each greenhouse is filled wall-to-wall with greenery. Several Siblings carry baskets and walk up and down the greenhouses, checking soil, pruning leaves, and harvesting ripe vegetables. A basket full of ripe red tomatoes sits outside the rightmost greenhouse. The path from the kitchen door leads directly to the greenhouses, likely a result of Siblings carrying fresh ingredients directly to the door you’ve just stepped through.  

About halfway down the gentle hill, the path forks to the left. It veers off and disappears into a labyrinth of shrubs. The only thing flowering this early in the year are the bright yellow daffodils, which flank the garden path leading into the flower bushes. 

From this vantage point atop the hill, you spot another building off in the corner of the Abbey grounds, nestled just outside the edge of the forest. You hadn’t noticed it until now. It almost looks abandoned, but the neatly trimmed garden at its front suggests otherwise. The tiny steeple with an inverted cross, made of red and yellow stained glass, tells you that it’s a small chapel.

The step from the kitchens to the worn dirt path is a large one. Papa hops down with a small oof, and before you can step down after him, he turns and holds his gloved hand out for you to take. 

The leather feels like smooth, warm butter against your palm. His fingers gently grasp your hand, and you meet his eyes as he guides you down the tall step. For a moment you understand the swell of music, the stray flower petals, the slowing of time that moments like these are described with in books. While it is a simple gesture, Papa handing you down off the step seems incredibly… intimate. You are not the type to swoon but you can see how a Lady might, while being guided down from a carriage or a grand staircase.

You almost reach down to gather expensive silk skirts, but the moment is broken when your foot lands on the ground. This isn’t a romance novel and you aren’t a Lady. Even if you were a Lady, Papa is the King and you are the third daughter of some country Baron with a tiny homestead and a measly dowry. 

“There we go,” Papa says as you land on the ground. He gives you a warm smile and squeezes your hand for a brief moment before letting it go. “Now, would you like to tell me about what happened with Sister?”

You stroll next to him down the hill, following the left fork of the path which leads into the labyrinth of flower bushes. “Well,” you sigh. “Last night she asked me to come to her office this morning to discuss progress. She was… less than pleased that I’ve only been able to translate a single word so far. I’m sure you can imagine.”

“I can,” Papa says sympathetically. “What did she say?”

A humorless laugh escapes you. “She said that if I haven’t made significant progress by tomorrow morning, she’ll send me home.”

Papa’s head, which had been slightly bowed to watch his footing as he walks beside you, shoots up. “Home? To–-to Marseille?”

Oh, no no. Copia doesn’t like that idea at all. He is just starting to know you, to figure out why he feels so drawn to you. So attracted to you. You can’t leave him. Not yet. 

You nod, but leave the conversation at that. The silence floats in the air between you like a mutual understanding. There’s something here, it says in the breeze. And there is something—regardless of how desperately you’d tried to stay detached, how adamantly you tell yourself you don’t care about him at all. There is something, and it will be gone tomorrow morning. 

“I will talk to Sister,” he says quietly. 

You shake your head. “No, Papa, it’s alright. I will—”

“Copia.”

You blink. “What?”

“Call me Copia,” he asks gently. His gaze meets yours and you notice that there’s an errant lock of hair in front of his eyes. 

He wants to hear his name leave your lips. Just once. Sweet Satan, just once.

“Copia,” you say, as if you read his very thoughts. And oh, you sound so sweet saying his name like that. He’s grateful for the full paints he’d decided to wear today, otherwise you might catch his very hot, very red face. Though, perhaps his ears give that away. He never does paint them. 

The two of you finally reach the labyrinth of flower bushes. The sounds of the Siblings working in the gardens fades away until it’s just you and Copia, together on the gravel path. 

“Let me talk to Sister,” Copia tries again.

You smile at him, grateful for his offer. “I tried. She didn’t seem to care that it’s written in a cipher. She said,” you paraphrase, “‘I don’t care if it’s in hieroglyphs, you’re here to figure it out.’”

That brings an unexpected bark of laughter from Copia. “Hieroglyphs might be easier. At least there would be some pretty pictures to look at.” 

You laugh with him, then settle into another, more comfortable silence for a few moments. “I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to just accept it and go home.”

“And the other part?” Copia asks. 

“The other part of me wants to go back up there and try like hell,” you admit. “But what can I do? I feel like I’ve tried everything. I can’t think of anything else.”

He regards you for a second, then looks forward. “Maybe you need to, eh… take your mind off it for a little while. Think of something else, yes?” 

Your stomach does a jaunty little flip. Is… is he suggesting—?

“Will you tell me about Marseille?” Copia asks. “I’ve never been.”

Oh. No, he’s not suggesting. Of course not, désespérée. 

“I will tell you about Marseille,” you agree, turning to him as you walk side-by-side, “if you tell me about where you’re from.”

Copia looks at you as well, his heart swelling with fondness at the mention of his home. He adores that you want to know about him, about his life before becoming Papa. He finds that he wants to tell you everything, if only to draw out that shine that grows in your eyes when you’re happy. Copia remembers how your eyes had shone when telling him about La génie, and when you’d finally uncovered that first word of Elizabeth’s diary.

He hates that Sister Imperator is threatening to send you home. Does she not realize that to translate one word at all from that enigma of a diary is an accomplishment in and of itself? Does she not realize how hard you’ve been working, sacrificing meals and sleep for work? It’s one of the things he admires about you, but it makes him worry to no end. He hadn’t seen you in the refectory for breakfast this morning, but can he blame you? You must have been anxious to Hell and back about the meeting with Sister. He could see that from the second you stepped out of her office door. 

Yes, he will tell you about his home. Because he wants to see you happy and distracted from the weight on your shoulders.

“Deal,” he says with a smile. “You first, cara.”

You’re happy to talk about your home. There’s a warm fluttering in your heart when you think about it, and even more so when you talk to Copia about it. You tell him more about the Marseille Abbey, about how it’s ancient and drafty but it breathes life into you. You tell him about your windowsill full of prayer books. You tell him about Bishop Beaumont, and about each Sibling who lives at the abbey, as well as the few Siblings who don’t. Then your focus shifts to the area outside your Abbey, to the hilltop it sits on as it overlooks the sea. You tell him about the wildflowers that bloom in the tall grass all through the summertime and how they must be budding this very second. 

Copia asks about the city proper, and about the area surrounding your Abbey. You tell him that your small cathedral is nestled on a grassy hillside, between steep, rocky slopes which overlook the water. Not many people in Marseille actually know it’s there—it’s hidden from the city proper, and not a short drive away. The roads leading up to the Abbey are long, winding dirt paths that are hardly roads at all. You tell him that if one was in a hurry to run an errand, they would be better off using the ancient stone steps which lead into a smaller village and are likely older than time itself. 

You tell him about Alphonse, a tomcat who lives in the village and who sometimes makes the journey up the hill for ear scratches and to sunbathe on the flat stones which surround the Abbey walls. He is scraggly and old but sweet as sugar, and yes, you spoil him whenever he visits. 

And then, Copia asks about Liège. 

“I… I was eleven,” you tell him. You find yourself wanting him to know, wanting to speak about what had happened. “I was going through a crisis of faith at the time, and my mother found my diary. She read all about how I was doubting the Catholic faith, how I was angry at God for one thing or another. I don’t even remember what I wrote at the time, but it was enough for my parents to bring me on a trip to Liège.

“They told me it was to tour Saint Paul’s Cathedral. And we did, but…” you pause and bite the inside of your cheek. “My mother said she wanted to bring me to the Cathedral so I could find the glory of God again. She said, ‘l'amour de Dieu est perdu en toi’. ‘God’s love is lost in you.’ Funny, how that was the day I found where I would eventually put my faith.” 

Copia watches you silently. The line between his brows is back now, and deeper, but it isn’t a look of pity. 

You laugh through your nose. “They told me we were touring the Cathedral. They didn’t tell me they were leaving me there.”

Copia gently takes your arm and slows the two of you to a stop. You’re somewhere in the bowels of the flower garden, far enough in that the bustle of the Abbey and the gardens has faded to a soft murmur. Somehow, despite how early it is in the year, the bushes around you aren’t dormant. No, they’re nearly bursting with color—white and pink flowers with layers upon layers of petals, so dense that you can hardly see the deep green leaves of the bushes they grow on. The chilly breeze carries their sweet scent and wisps it between you and Copia. 

A neatly handwritten sign in the soil reads Camellia. You wonder how something so beautiful can bloom so early. 

He dips his head down to meet your lowered gaze. “Tesoro,” he says so gently that you almost want to cry. The wounds you’ve just told him about are old and scarred over, but the way he coos at you in Italian… It rips open the hurt and stitches it back together at the same time. 

“They enrolled me in a Catholic school run out of the Cathedral,” you tell him. “Do you know how far Liège is from where I grew up? Quite far. In a completely different country, in fact.” 

Copia is silent. You realize that the warmth of his hand never left your arm. His thumb strokes small circles where it rests. 

You smile at him, but there’s no joy behind it. “I had to leave everything behind. Everything I knew, everything and everyone that was familiar was gone in a moment. So you know what I did?” 

He shakes his head. 

“I left God behind, too.” 

Copia wants to hug you. He wants to pull you into his arms and never let you go, even if you begged him to. He wants to whisper little reassurances in your ear. Lucifer below, he hates what happened to you. He understands now why you are so reserved. How could someone not be, after going through what you’d gone through? But… look at who you’ve become. 

He’s proud of you. Not just as your Papa, but as… something else entirely. 

“What happened after?” 

The two of you start walking again, and he removes his hand from your arm. You wish he wouldn’t. You move past the blooming camellia bushes and the air loses that slight sweetness. “Well, I spent a lot of time with La génie du mal while I was there,” you smile, this time with a bit of fondness. “And then when I was old enough to leave the school, I enrolled in a University and learned all I could.” 

Copia watches you as you speak, as he had been the whole time during your stroll in the gardens. Though now, the path leads you out of the flower grove and along the tree line at the back of the Abbey grounds. It’s even quieter here, with only the light birdsong of Spring to interrupt you. 

From this far, the Abbey looks like a dollhouse. It sits pretty on the hilltop, with little figurines dressed in black flitting back and forth between the kitchens and the greenhouses. Everything seems so distant, so small from where you are now, that even the worries you’d had fade away into the background. The only things that matter are the birds, the trees, and Copia. Just Copia. Not Papa, not the figurehead of the Satanic Ministry, just… Copia. 

You feel as though you’ve talked his ear off. All through the flower labyrinth you’d talked, answering his questions or telling stories of your own. But now you find that he knows much more about you than you do about him. 

After a brief pause as you walk past a small cluster of stone benches, you turn to Copia. “Your turn,” you say. “I think I’ve talked enough for half a lifetime by now.”

Copia laughs. “I’ve said it before, cara. I enjoy listening to you talk. But, eh… I suppose we did have an agreement, yes? What would you like to know?” 

“Everything,” you say before you can stop yourself. And it’s true, you do want to know everything, but you weren’t supposed to say it out loud. “Uh, I-I mean, whatever you wish to tell me.”

He wishes you wouldn’t censor yourself like that, but watching you nervously flick your gaze around to everything except him makes his heart do strange flips and jumps against his ribcage. You are so honest with your emotions, even if you don’t mean to be. You might say one thing but your face betrays another, and it’s something Copia adores about you—how expressive you are. Perhaps he’s just good at reading people after having been a fly on the wall for most of his life, but you are something different. You seem to trust him past the mantle of Papa. And, well, if he’s honest, he trusts you as more than just a member of his unholy flock. Like he could tell you his secrets with full confidence that you would keep them.

Copia wonders if you’ve noticed he hasn’t called you by your title since you stepped foot in the gardens. He wonders if you’ve noticed you haven’t called him Papa, either. 

“I was born in Rome,” he begins, “but I was raised in the Florence Abbey until I was ten.”

“Away from your brothers?” You ask, hoping you’re not prying too far already. 

Copia nods. “Eh, yes. My brothers were born and raised in Rome, with my father. I was sent to Florence because my mother… Well. I believe she didn’t want my father to know about me.”

You want to take his hand and squeeze it. You don’t. 

“So I stayed in Florence, raised by the Sisters of Sin there until I was ten. Until I started to ask questions about this.” He gestures to his white eye. “And then, people started to wonder why a nameless Florentine boy had the mark of the Morningstar, like all the Papas before.”

You watch as he turns about, as if looking for someone. He tilts his head back to peer over the tall shrubs of the flower labyrinth, which you stand outside. The tops of the greenhouses are just visible, as well as the spire of the small, stone chapel far beyond. Seemingly not finding who he’s looking for, Copia turns back to you. “Primo came to the Florence Abbey after he heard about me. Word travels fast in the Ministry, sì? Until then it was common knowledge that Papa Emeritus Nihil only had three sons. But Primo took one look at me and said, 'sì, sei mio fratello', and scooped me up and took me to Rome.”

The way Copia says the last few words makes your heart warm as if the memory was your own. He seems to remember it fondly—there’s a small, warm smile on his black-painted lips. “Were you happy to leave Florence?” 

“Yes—eh, yes and no. The Sisters who took care of me were kind, and I hold them in my heart dearly, but… they were no Primo.” 

“Papa Primo raised you, when you went back to Rome?” 

“He did,” Copia tells you. “He raised all of us, you see, and very well, too. I would like to think we all turned out alright. Our father was… he was busy being Papa, I suppose. No time for three little rascals and a teenage son more responsible than him.” 

There’s an unmistakable edge of bitterness in his tone, and you can imagine why. To find out he had a father, a father who was Papa no less, but to learn that he had no regard for children as anything other than proponents of a bloodline… it must have hurt him terribly. You remember craving approval at that age, doing anything and everything you could for your parents’ praise. But you can’t imagine how it must have felt to be pushed aside by the father you didn’t know you had, who you’d craved your whole life. 

“Copia,” you whisper. “That’s… I’m so sorry. No one deserves that, especially not a child.” 

He looks at you then. His hair, slightly graying at his temples, is a little disheveled from the chilly breeze at your backs. He still holds that smile, but now it’s rueful. “It’s alright, cara mia. I had my brothers. I still do.”

Your hand is in his before you realize. His palm is warm underneath the leather. 

“And your mother?” 

Copia looks ahead but his gaze drops to his feet. “I… never found out. Not for sure.” 

You don’t want to pry any further. It’s obvious that this is a sore subject for him, and so you let it hang in the silence between you. 

You feel as if you could peacefully coexist with Copia. Both of you know that nothing more needs to be said. You let the quiet float between you, enveloping you like a warm blanket. Neither of you interrupt it with forced small talk about the weather, or your favorite books, or what might be served for dinner tonight. You can talk about those things later. 

It almost startles you when you realize that you want there to be a later. You want for there to be a tomorrow, a next week, a next month. You want for there to be stupid little chats about favorite books and food and weather, and you’re still holding his hand but you don’t want to let go of it. You want to hold his hand on walks like this, or when you’re both sitting quiet on a loveseat and reading those favorite books you might have talked about, or when he raises it up above your head to twirl you around and then pull you into him and kiss you sweetly. 

But oh, if you only knew how he felt the same. How he wishes you’d come and work in his office so the two of you could just exist in the same space, even if you don’t talk for hours. How he wants to drag you back to the Abbey to work on Elizabeth’s diary, and help you think until you both are sleep deprived and a little loopy, just so you can figure it out because he doesn’t want you to leave him. You can’t leave him so soon after he’s found you. Sweet Lucifer below, you’re the only bright spot in the lonely darkness that he’s seen in so long. You’re the flowers blooming in the early spring, beautiful and sweet and unexpected after walking through a labyrinth of routine. You’re his camellia. 

The two of you stroll on the path behind the row of greenhouses. Copia doesn’t remove his hand from yours. He doesn’t care that Siblings or ghouls or Primo might see. The two of you find comfort in each other, and holding onto that feeling is the most important thing in the world to him right now. This feeling, and you. 

A fat drop of rain lands against the side of your nose. You reach your free hand up to swipe it away, and pull your finger back to look at the offending droplet. “Oh,” you hum. “I think it’s going to rain.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List: @bonelessghoul @gbatesx @the-did-i-ask @leah-halliwell92 @archive-obsess @rosacrose @nikkyatyourservice @sodoswitchimage @portaltothevoid @lightbluuestars @thesoundresoundsecho @stephnthangss @enchantedbunny @jackson5611-blog @copiasprincipessa @kadedoesthings

[youwouldntlietopapa]

kissing prompt thingy: 44+50 for copia please, thank you very much✨

It's done! At... 1:45am. I'm going to eat dinner now and leave this here.

Enjoy!

Includes: Idiots, fluff, back seat make-outs, wee bit of sexy action but no real smut, did I mention idiots?

also available on AO3

____________________________________________________________

“No, no, that’s all right… No, I completely und-… sure. Right… Yes, we’ll be here. There isn’t really anywhere to go… Sure. Thank you… Thanks. Bye.”

Fuck. The tow truck would be at least an hour, if not more. And an added fee for being so far out. Plus whatever the repairs would be. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. But you could say, with certainty, that Sister Imperator would be demanding an explanation in the morning regardless. Wonderful.

Copia is still standing at the front of the car, with its hood open, steaming and hissing angrily. The car, not Copia. He is just making the odd noise and poking at a few things tentatively, trying to look knowledgeable. The section of highway isn’t even lit and the moonlight isn’t really cutting it. You walk over to join him, looking at the mechanical workings with all the confidence of a caveman with a cell phone.

“I think I spot the problem.”

“Really?” You look at him with a little more astonishment than was probably complimentary.

“Si,” he nods sagely. “The problem is I don’t know shit about how cars work.”

You snort. No matter how bad the day, no matter how screwed the situation might be, he never fails to make you laugh. “Perfect. I’ll call the tow company back and tell them we figured it out.”

“How long?” He nudges you gently.

“An hour. Minimum.” You tip your head sideways, resting it on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about all this.”

Copia only waves the apology away, resting his cheek against the top of your head. “Not your fault. You didn’t make the car car break down. It happens sometimes.”

“I still didn’t mean to get us stuck out in the middle of no where, in the dark, waiting for a tow.”

He only chuckles. “I can think of worse places and worse people to be stuck with.”

“Oh, well, I will take solace in not being the worst.” You tease right back.

Carefully, you pull away, walking back around to the driver’s side. The door is still hanging open and to drop into the old leather seat. If you have to wait, might as well enjoy the rare opportunity for star gazing and quiet. The car groans in protest as it usually does when you press the release for the roof.

“Sorella, I don’t know shit about cars, but I think I can say that button doesn’t fix the engine.”

“No?” You laugh. “Well, damn. And here I thought I had the answer.”

The roof needs help folding back and out of the way. It’s only a little bit of a struggle before Copia comes to his senses and rushes over to help. Between the two of you, it goes much smoother.

“eh…. Can I ask why we do this?”

You climb into the big back seat and pat the spot beside you. “Come here and I’ll show you.”

He raises a brow, but doesn’t argue, climbing in next to you. Watching curiously as you slump down in your seat a bit, tipping your head back, and staring up at the sky. Copia waits a moment before following suit, smiling when he sees the view provided without the city’s light pollution.

“È bellissimo…” His voice is soft, as if he’s afraid to disturb anything. “I don’t remember the last time I was free to… just sit and enjoy the stars. Too busy. Too much work. Grazie, cara mia.”

For a while, you’re content to sit quietly. Pointing out the few constellations you know. Listening to the distant sounds of the local wild life. But the chill of the evening creeps up before too long and you catch yourself shivering. Copia tries his best to look like he’s not looking, though it would be hard to miss it, sitting so close.

“Do you want my jacket, Sorella? You look cold.” He cracks and asks.

“Oh, no. No, no. Thank you, Papa. I wouldn’t feel right letting you catch a chill.” Papa. You’ve known him long enough and well enough that the formal title only comes out during office hours and when you’re worried about overstepping. Regardless of how familiar you might be, he’s still… him and you’re still… just another Sibling.

Copia rolls his eyes and huffs, softly. “Ah… I see.”

“See what?” You shift a little to look at him.

“We are back to Papa.”

Apparently the switch hasn’t gone unnoticed. Or the reasons why. At least, whatever reasons he assumes. “Did you leave your position and not tell me? I’m sure I would have heard about it.”

He gives you a bit of a look. One that doesn’t particularly feel good about the poorly timed attempt at humour. “Don’t play stupid, Sorella. It doesn’t suit you. You forget I know how clever you are.”

“No. I assure you, I’m an idiot.” You sigh and nudge him softly. The silent gesture that’s come to mean something more, something you can’t fully articulate. When things are shit but at least you can know someone has your back. “I’m sorry… Copia. Thank you for the offer, but I really don’t want you to be cold because I didn’t think to bring a coat. I’ll be all right.”

“I don’t really want to be cold either.” He admits, finally relaxing again and offering a small smile. “But, maybe a compromise?”

Copia shifts closer, urging you to lean forward. You have no idea what he’s up to, but you’re also not really eager to be rude twice, so you comply. When he tugs you back against the seat, he holds his hoodie open, tucking you against his side and wrapping the jacket and his arm around you. It is, you’re forced to admit, delightfully warm. Pressed up against him, with his arm holding tight. The lingering smell of his cologne and… You clear your throat, staring hard at the stars overhead.

His other hand rests on his thigh, not that you were looking or anything. It just happens to be where it was. Quite close to your own hand, which is irrelevant, really. Just two hands, relatively close together, while you platonically cuddle and look at the stars. Nothing more. Obviously. And the way his finger softly nudges yours? Why would there be anything strange about that? No stranger, certainly, than hooking your pinkie together with his finger would be. For instance.

And if, say, that single pair of fingers, hooked together were to become a single pair of hands holding each other, that too wouldn’t be so strange. Would it? Or thinking a little too hard about how soft the leather of his glove is? Or how warm his hands are? What normal person wouldn’t think about things like that in a situation like this? None you’d want to meet, that’s for sure. Those are the real weirdos.

Copia opens his mouth, seeming very much like he has something to say, right before shutting it again. A process he repeats about half a dozen times while you pretend to be focused on the cosmos and he looks a bit like a guppy. Which is very cute. In a very platonic way. Because that’s what this is. Just… good friends. Holding hands. Cuddling. Staring at the stars. Not being weird about it. And definitely not commenting on the strained, awkward noise he makes before trying to hide it with a cough. Just rub your thumb, platonically and soothingly, over his knuckles. Like a very good friend.

“… Copia?” You hear your own voice say, which is very odd because you’re sure you meant to just sit quietly.

“eh... uh… Yes, Sorella?” He freezes in place.

Shit. I’m an idiot. Why did I say that? And why was it a question? Like I had more to say??? Your head screams as your mouth betrays you again. “… are you going to kiss me?”

“Do-do-do you w-want me to?”

Do I? I mean, I’ve thought about it a… normal amount. I’m NOT saying that out loud. Satan’s tits, don’t be absurd. While you got lost in a downward spiral of wondering if Satan’s tits was an insult to Him, your mouth carried on without you.

“… only if you want to.”

For a very long, very quiet moment, you both stare into space. Literally for once. Even your own head has gone oddly quiet while you’re grateful that his leather glove is hiding how sweaty your palm has gotten.

“… now?” He blurts, immediately making a face of deep regret that you can feel in your soul.

“Sure… or later… whenever… or not at all. I just thought… and then… because we’re… and the stars…” You come to the conclusion that Satan’s tits is, in fact, insulting to Him because your mouth is apparently possessed by a demon who both can’t shut up and can’t form a complete sentence. A problem you’re only just coming to terms with when Copia’s hand slips from yours to cup your cheek and kiss you. One single, soft kiss and you sit there staring at him like he’s the first person you’ve ever seen and attempting to copy his guppy impression. “…….. now is good too.”

There’s more than a touch of panic on his face which is, if you’re being honest, not the ideal expression from someone who just kissed you. “Mi spiace! I should… I should have warned you first or-or say more or something. I didn’t mean t-”

Oh, to hell with it. You wipe your palms quickly on your pants and cup his cheeks, kissing him again. Aiming for confident, it starts much softer than planned. Still half convinced that he was just being nice. But he doesn’t pull away. He leans into the touch and into the kiss, shifting toward you to make the angle less troublesome. His arm wrapped around you pulls you closer and his hand moves to your hip, sliding down to grip your thigh.

Copia breaks the kiss first and you almost make it to disappointment before his mouth presses to your jaw, trailing along it to just below your ear and down your neck. To the spot where your neck meets your shoulder and his mouth hits just right. Dragging a moan from the very core of your being. He pulls back and blinks at you in stunned silence for what feels like an eternity. Though it was, you’re desperate to believe, more likely less than a second.

“… Devo ricordare quel posto.” He says, just louder than a whisper.

Snapping out of his reverie, he claims your mouth again. When he leans into you, you don’t push back. You don’t want to push back. Instead, letting him guide you back down onto the cool leather of the wide bench seat. Your hands tangling in his hair, moaning into his kiss while your legs hug his sides. This is, you suppose, probably not platonic.

Copia’s hips rock against yours, moaning as shamelessly as you. By your estimation there are entirely too many layers of fabric between you, and it’s still not possible to miss how hard he is, pressed up against you. You legs hook over his hips, pulling him closer, desperate for more. So focused on the beautiful sounds that drip from his lips and feel of him so close, the rest of the world falls away.

Including the sound of crunching gravel and the squeak of an old truck door. The flashlight, on the other hand, certainly gets your attention.

Copia’s head pops up and you both squint and try to shield yourselves from the blinding brightness. Barely making out the figure of a lump of a man staring down at you.

“Hate to break up the party, kids. But if you want this antique towed, it’s now or never. I got other jobs waiting.”

“Right… uh… hi… we-we-we just need a second. Don’t leave! We need to tow. Just… one second.” You are positive you’re as red as Copia’s hoodie but, at least, the tow truck driver wanders off without a word to prep his truck.

Copia flops back down on top of you, burying his face in your shoulder, and groaning deeply. Less for pleasure and more the sound one might make when dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn after a long night out. “Are you sure we can’t just stay here tonight?” His voice is muffled by your shirt.

“Might be a little cold.” You offer as a very weak defense.

“I will keep you warm.”

You can’t help laughing, kissing his temple softly. “Sister is already going to kill me for the car. If I let Papa catch his death out here, I might as well throw myself on the mercy of the Church and hope she’ll burst into flames if she comes looking for me there.”

He snorts and sits back to look at you. “How can I condemn you to such a terrible fate, eh?” Still stealing one more kiss, leaning in close and lowering his voice. “But we are not finished. No. Only pause until we are home, si?”

“Perhaps I will make you see stars there too…”

___________________________________________________________

Devo ricordare quel posto = I need to remember that spot for later.

[sentientgolfball]

Hello 👋 I saw that your request box was open and was wondering if I could request an angst to fluff story in which reader is scared of the dark and gets night terrors (definitely not me self projecting) and is comforted by Swiss and/or copia?? I had a really bad night terror last night and didn’t sleep after despite having to go to work that morning.

If you can’t or are uncomfortable for this prompt it’s ok

Thank you :)

I’m also not sure if this is worded good sorry if it is

Hi ! I really hope you like how this turned out :>

Tags: brief and kinda vague description of a nightmare

My requests are open !

It’s too dark. 

Where is everyone? 

People were here just a second ago! 

It’s too quiet. 

What was that? 

I’m not alone. 

I’m the only one left. 

It’s…what the hell is that! 

You shoot awake with a scream bubbling in your throat. It comes out as more of a choked gasp as you pant, frantically looking around your darkened room for the thing that stalked you in your dreams. You were disoriented, not entirely convinced you had woken up because of how dark it was. Your room was never totally dark. You always had some type of small or soft light on. 

As you came down you realized you were definitely not still in your dream. You had a brief moment of relief before another wave of panic settled over you. The lamp was off. You were sitting completely alone in the middle of your dark room. In a Satanic church. 

You practically jumped out of bed, rushing over to the little lamp in the shape of a cloud sat on your desk. Unfortunately for you, you weren’t used to the space in total darkness and you ran right into your dresser causing some things to clatter to the ground. You didn’t care. You’d deal with it when the light was back. You just wanted your light. Needed your light before something not as friendly as a ghoul clawed its way into your room. 

You searched the desk in a frenzy, heart hammering the longer you went without making contact with the squishy little cloud. When you finally got a hold on you, you about cried with relief. You flipped it over, finger instinctively finding the power button. 

Nothing. 

You pressed it again and again begging for it to magically turn back on. You started crying, from panic or frustration you didn’t know. You couldn’t help it. Maybe you were still dreaming and now that creature was going to spring out while you were distracted. Maybe it was right behind you right now. Maybe it was going to sink its claws in and—

“Everything alright in here?” 

The room is sudden filled with light with the soft click of your door opening. You whip around now face to face with a ghoul. Swiss. You immediately recognized him as one of the Ghost Project ghouls. He stared at you, eyebrows raised and tail flicking side to side behind him. You wanted to answer him, wanted to do something other than stare at him looking like a deer in headlights, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t form a single thought beyond the absolute relief you felt at the light shining in from the hall. 

“I’m…sorry for comin in without an invitation. I was walkin by and heard a crash and then crying. Are you okay?” 

You had no idea how to answer that question. You realize how insane you must look. Puffy eyes, holding a cloud, with a bunch of your shit knocked onto the floor. You were tired and scared and you really weren’t prepared to have a conversation. 

“Are you real?” 

It’s the only thing you can manage. He tilts his head, eyebrows pulled together. For a brief moment his normally black and white eyes spark purple with a pop of ozone. His face relaxes into something more comfortable. 

“Of course I’m real. Wanna tell me about that dream?” He asks as he steps in, turning the light on. 

“You don’t have to, but I'm all ears” he flicks his pointed ears grinning at you. 

He starts to pick up the items that got knocked off your dresser, giving you the chance to calm down and think about it. When he’s finished he leans back against the furniture waiting to see if you want to talk or just be left alone. 

“Why’d you come in here?” 

“I told ya, I heard a crash and crying.” 

“Yeah but…why?” 

“I was worried. Don’t think I could’ve slept right if I had just walked away without making sure you weren’t hurt.” 

You nod and sit at your desk. You work on changing the batteries in the little cloud, gathering your thoughts to somehow explain to this demon from hell that you were afraid of the dark. No, not of the dark. Of the things that hide in it. Things like the creature from your dream. Things like the creature that burst into your room to see if you were alright. 

“I had a bad dream. And when I woke up the light was off and I don’t know. I was convinced there was something in here, that it was going to get me if I didn’t get the light back on.”

“Happens often?”

“Sometimes. Other times I just wake up screaming and I can’t remember why.” 

“I could stay here with ya for the night if that might help.” 

You shake your head turning to look at him “It wouldn’t help. I can never sleep when it happens” 

He goes silent for a moment, drumming his claws against the top of the dresser.

“I think you should visit Copia.”

“The Cardinal?” 

He nods 

“Why?” 

“He’ll be able to help you better. I still don’t understand how these meat suits work, but I do know sleep is good for ya.” 

“But why the Cardinal?” 

“Trust me” he flashes you a fang filled grin “come on I’ll walk with you.” 

You think it over for a moment. There’s not really a reason for you to say no. It’s not like you’d be sleeping any time soon and sunrise was still hours away. 

Why not

You and Swiss walk the halls of the Ministry. You had never seen it this empty before. The way the soft orange light made the stained glass and marble statues glow took your breath away. It was peaceful. It almost made you forget about your earlier predicament. You chatted with Swiss for a bit. You discovered he was summoned pretty recently for the Ghost Project. You were still very new to living at the Ministry. It was something you had in common. It was nice talking with him. It made you feel less alone. You asked him how he knew about the dream before you told him and he explained what a multi-ghoul was, briefly showing off a little bit of each element. 

When you arrived at the Cardinal’s door Swiss threw it open without hesitation. He beckoned you to follow insistenting it was okay. 

“Hey Cardi! I know you’re in here, I've got someone you should meet!” 

Another smaller door in the back of the little room swings open. 

“Swiss per favore keep your voice down. You will wake the rats—oh ehh hello.”

His mismatched eyes land on you. You wave, not really sure what else to do. It felt strange to be in his space. He was a Cardinal. The head of the Ghost Project. Second hand to Papa. You may not have been here for long, but you still knew he was important despite his normal behavior. You let Swiss do the talking. 

“Our friend here can’t sleep. Thought maybe you’d be able to help with that.” 

Copia nods “I see. Well caro mio I will try.”

It’s only then you notice he doesn’t have his usual makeup on. You see the dark circles under his eyes and suddenly you understand why Swiss thought bringing you to him might help you out with your issue. 

“You’re the best Cardi!” 

He snatches a candy from the bowl sitting on the desk, popping it in his mouth as he leaves. 

“Take care Sibling! I extend to you an invitation to the ghoul den if you ever wanna come down.” 

You wave as he goes “Thank you for your help.” 

He smiles sincerely at you, giving you a small wave in return before shutting the door leaving you alone with the Cardinal. 

You two stand awkwardly in the middle of the room. He fidgets slightly.

“Would you ehh care for something to drink? Tea?” 

“I don’t want to be a bother.” 

“No no no please it is not a bother. I insist.” 

He starts shuffling around the space pulling out an electric kettle and various mixes before you can try to protest. 

“So my ghoul said you were having trouble with sleep.”

You nod

“I too find it difficult. I am usually awake more than I want to be.” 

“Do you ever,” you consider your wording “feel afraid?” 

“Afraid?” 

“Of the dark” you murmur “I know it sounds silly.”

“No caro mio it is not silly if it is something you are afraid of. I cannot say that I have ever been afraid, but I also was raised in the church. If something goes bump in the night it is usually a friend.” 

He walks over to where you had sat down on a leather armchair, handing you a mug of steaming tea. It smelled sweet and herbaceous. 

“A special blend Mountain has made for me when sleep evades me. Please drink.” 

You blow on it to cool it down. 

“What if the things in the dark aren’t your friend?” 

“Well with the hellhounds and the ghouls that live here I doubt there is anything ehhh malicious lurking around. But if there ever was I can guarantee you it would not be here for long.” 

You grimace and take a sip of the tea. Copia sits in the opposite armchair, drinking his own tea. He mutters to himself before snapping as his eyebrows shoot up. 

“If it is a fear you have, I may have a remedy.”

“What do you have in mind?” 

“I could have one of our lovely fire ghouls make a flame for you. Hellfire so it will never go out.”

“That would…actually be amazing. Thank you.” 

He doesn’t hear you though, lost in the thought as he stands and starts pacing the space still muttering to himself.

“If I get Alpha to make it we can have Omega assist him so the light wards off spirits. But if we have Ifrit do it it will glow brighter. I cannot ask Dewdrop if he is still recovering.” 

You watch him pace letting him go on about this hellfire lamp. You sip the tea letting the flavor wash over you. It’s warm. It’s nice. For once in your life you don’t feel alone and terrified after having a bad night. You feel safe and content watching Copia’s sporadic movements and grand ideas. 

Coming here was the right decision. 

[fallenartistwitch]

Hiya I have a fluff/angsty request! One night the readers accidentally stayed at Dew’s room but decides to finally go back to their room even tho Dew tells them that they could just stay the night with him n when they walk back to their room they get attacked by another ghoul, somehow either Dew or another ghoul helps n Dews terrified he’s going to lose the reader (but they don’t die)

hope you like it! constructive criticism is welcome also sorry for the bad english :,)

Terrified of Death

dewdrop x reader

summary: that ghoul, he was gone, and yet he was in front of you.

Warnings: fighting, blood, wounds, mention of death

---------------------

We finished to watch a film on dew's computer and without noticing it was already late so i decided to finally go back to my room.

"you can stay here with me tonight if you want to" said dew hugging me tightly placing his head on my chest. His back was resting on the backrest of his king size bed, and i was sat on his legs, wrapping my arms around him playing with his hair.

"don't worry it's ok" i answered standing up and leading to the door." you sure?" he stood up too getting near to me, i hugged him tightly and he hugged me back.

"i'm not a child you know? i can sleep by myself" i stated in a proudly and childish tone. "i have doubts about the fist sentence but anyway, we will meet tomorrow morning then?" he said hugging me tightly .

"Of course darling" i respondend placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

---------------------

I was walking trough the empty silent corridors of the ministry, everyone was already sleeping in their own room.

Those corridors were so scary at night but what made theme even scarier was the bad feeling i had that night.

I felt like something- or someone was following me.

I finally i gathered enough courage to turn around, i stopped and turning around ready to find someone there.

No one was behind me, i let a sigh of relief , i turned around ready to keep walking towards my room.

"AAAaa-" i put my hand on my month to try to suffocating a scream.

So my bad feeling was right, there was someone , but it wasn't behind me, it was in front of me. A ghoul. But not like the ghouls i know he was dressed in black with a hood that let only visible a black mask that reminded me the plague mask.

I only saw him in a photos a founded in Copia's office, i asked who he was and he explained that it was one of Secondo's ghoul « Omega thats how he called him» But Secondo's ghouls were gone now and yet one of them was there. In front of me. Staring right into my soul.

Instinctively i stepped back , a shiver run trough my body when the ghoul grabs my wrist preventing me from taking further steps backwards. I was paralyzed from fear. What i was suppose to do?. You looked around. Think smart, the corridor i was in, was one of the corridor you find yourself in after crossing the garden. The only thing i could was screaming as loud as i could hoping that dew, or the other ghouls could hear the scream but their den was across the garden, maybe a sister a sin would hear the scream? but they are all in their rooms on the other side of the ministry.

You were trying to think on how to escape and yet you did something stupid. You left yourself vulnerable.

a sharp pain brought you back to the reality, you moved your gaze from the empty corridors tho the font of the pain. Your wrist. You were so immersed in your thoughts that you didn't realized the ghoul had sunk his claws into your skin. You started to feel dizzy, tears filling your eyes, drops of blood starts to drop on the floor. You looked up, those blue yes were staring at you, but they weren't sweet dew's eyes.

Those eyes were empty and yours were fill with dread.

He raised his free arm, his sharp claws were ready to sunk into the skin of your face for then moving to your neck. you were trapped , you closed your eyes and moved your face to the side ready to accept you're fate. You gasped when you heard a shattering sound. The ghoul had hit the wall. Now that might be the only possiblity you had to run away. You have freed yourself from his grip, immediately you began to run towards the garden trying to ignore the pain.You could hear the ghoul chasing after you.

You were almost at the fountain in the middle of the garden. "AAAAAAA" You let out a scream in pain when you felt his claws slash at your leg. This time, you knew you were hit. You slowly walked forward for then let yourself falling on the floor leaning on the edge of the fountain.

You felt his claws lacerating the skin of your back. "AAAAAAAAaaaaaa" You let out another loud scream that slowly turned into sobbings of pain. Your vision begin blurry .

"Y/N!" someone screamed your name, you raised your glaze , four indistinct figures had left the den now running towards you. "dew.." you mumbled weakly the pain that you felt turned into a dull ache not sure if it was a good thing. Your vision went dark, your body fell on the cold ground.

Three of the ghouls crouched next to you as they reached your numb body, dew standed in front of you, his glaze on the artificer of your wounds. The omega ghoul walked away, dew was to terrified of losing you to say or do something, he crouched in the pool of blood next to your body.

"Y/N! WAKE UP PLEASE ... say something please..." tears filled his eyes, he useless shakes your cold body.No responds. "oh no oh no.. oh no ...oh no.." Still no responds, no sign. " we have to bring them inside dew" said swiss standing up, the other two ghouls did the same thing. Dew picks you up bridal style, and they start running back to the den. Dew was behind the others.

"Don't you die on me y/n. Don't you die"

-------------------------------

Is this how death was like? Why me? What did he wanted from me? Am i dead? Really dead? but i can hear my thoughts ..... Am i a ghost..? ..... i want cookies.

You open your eyes and find yourself in a room you've never seen before. It was a sickbay? You got out of the bed you were in . "Ouch" your whole body hurts so much, you slowly walked to the door and opened it. You founded swiss in front of you. “OH you’re still alive thanks to satan” swiss came near to you and hugged you paying attention to not touch your wound, you hugged him back. "where's dew?" you asked, swiss pulled back from the hug, his hands were placed on your shoulders. "he's um in his room" swiss looked worried "swiss, is dew alright?did something happened to him? is he hurt?" "dew is um ..." there was a pause "you've been ""sleeping"" for a little while and he um..." another pause " well let's just say he went trough almost all the stages of grief you know what i mean tight?"

i've been sleeping for a little while?

"i understand it's better if i go check him up" you said "alright but please don't force yourself your wounds are still healing" "don't worry swiss i will pay attention "

you passed by him heading to dew's room. You knocked on the door "i already said that i don't want to see anyone" "not even me?" in the fraction of a second the door opened. "y/n.." his voice was low, his blue eyes were wide open staring at you, at your body, your face, your bandages , like he wasn't sure if the person he had in front of him was really you or just a ghost. "thats meee" you opened your arms, he didn't lost a second and pulled you back in a big hug closing the door behind you. "i though ..." his voice breaks " i though i would lose you..." i could hear tears falling from his eyes "you've been in coma for five days and i-" i pulled away from the hug, my hands were on his shoulder and looked at him. " I 'VE BEEN IN A WHAT FOR HOW LONG?" you're reaction made dew giggled and that made you smile , you missed his laugh. "you haven't lost your attitude uh? " he giggled wiping the tears off his face " you had doubts? you were afraid of me losing my beautiful attitude?" "i was afraid of losing you." he became serious and pulled you in a kiss. Hell how much have you missed this. You pulled away to catch your breath. "but here i aamm, now, mind carrying me to the kitchen? mi leg hurts but i want to make cookies" "you just woke up from a come, your body is full of wounds and what you want to do its making cookies?" "yes." "alright let's make cookies then"

----------------------------------------

dew went trough all the fives stages of grief denial anger bargaining depression and acceptance

but let's add one more.... revenger.

--------------------------------------

Masterlist

[cloudghoul32]

Confessions

Summary: Copia wants to ask you out, but he's nervous.

Word count: 609 words lmao, sorry this one was shorter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copia loved you. Ever since he saw you, he'd been spellbound by your presence and just wanted to pull you into a big kiss sometimes. But he'd never do that, he was way too shy. All he could do was stare at you from afar, gazing at you dreamily. His head was filled with filthy thoughts about you, but you'd never guess it by the calm, almost blank expression on his face.

"Hey, Cardi," you said, giving him a small but genuine smile. "H-hi," he stuttered. Ugh, why did I say it like that, he thought. You didn't mind, though, you thought his stuttering was cute. In fact, you thought everything he did was cute. The way he fidgeted with his gloves, his dumb jokes, and his overall awkwardness. You didn't want to admit it, but you too were in love with him.

"So how are you today?" you asked him, putting an arm on his shoulder. He shuddered, feeling the warmth of your touch. "I'm good... My rat kind of, eh, chewed a hole in my shirt this morning, but other than that, I'm really good." He looked into your shiny, bright eyes and couldn't suppress a little smile. Satanas, you were beautiful. Every little detail of your face was permanently stuck in his mind from staring at you all day.

"What about you?" Copia asked, breaking eye contact. "Well, I've been great, but, um, I've been wanting to tell you something. Something personal, too, so we should probably go somewhere-" you looked around. "-private." Copia's eyes widened. "Oh yeah? Like where?" He was getting a little nervous, you didn't usually act like this unless you had something really, really important to say.

The two of you ended up in the small kitchen, which was empty at this hour. The lights were off and there wasn't any light except for the dim glow of a black candle. But you didn't mind, you'd be leaving as soon as you told the cardinal what you needed to. "Okay, so, um..." But just as you were about to talk, Copia raised his hand as to imply he was about to say something. "Oh, haha, you can go first," you chuckled.

Copia let out a shuddery breath as he took a step closer. "So Y/N, ehh, this might be a little awkward but... ehm... I kind of, I... what I mean to say is, I like you."

There was a moment of silence before you replied. "That's what I was going to say," you said with a slight grin. Before Copia could say anything, you jumped onto him and gave him a kiss. Not on the cheek, but straight on his lips. He broke away suddenly. "But I also have something else to say" he said, straightening himself. He cleared his throat and pulled something from his pocket. It was a little wooden box, painted black and red. He opened in and inside was a small but beautiful dead flower, and in the light of the dimly lit candle, it looked like it was glowing.

"Y/N, will you go out with me?" he asked, looking down, blushing. It took you a minute before you fully comprehended what he just said, and when you did, you too were blushing. "I-I'd love to!" you said, sounding way more excited than you meant to. He grinned happily as you said those three words; this was the greatest day of his pathetic, stressful life. "Are you sure? Really??" He gasped as you pulled him in for a hug, one that lasted a long time. "Yes, really," you laughed. "So, where do you wanna go?"

______________________________________________________________

[chapel-of-rizztual]

THANK YOU IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOREVER AND NO ONE TO TELL IT TO

I'm so bashful putting this into words, but I got the thought one day about Dew FINALLY getting his knot to catch on someone 'inexperienced' and the thrill of at last experiencing the catch and living up to his nickname Copia calls him rarely, Sodo, and taking someone's anal virginity sends me and makes me feel so happy for this imaginary little demon. I dabble in xreader stories and I thought about a curious sister going to him because, well, small, and he's experienced and that absolutely snowballed into him being Aeon/Phantom and Auroras first in their new vessel on earth because the one time has him HOOKED. I literally work my job in the mornings during the routine stuff and that is where my mind wanders and I get so excited to write it but I'm not that experienced in spicy scenes lol

Added that there because I feel like it’s important

I wish you could have heard the sound I let out!!!!!

Dew 100% takes advantage of the new summonings when they arrive, quickly swooping them up into his bedroom before anyone else can get their hands of them, or before they hear any of the rumours about him and his tiny knot. He finally has the opportunity to get it to catch in someone and he’s not going to waste it by letting the other go first or by them corrupting into laughing at him like they all do.

He lets Aurora ride him, knowing it’s easier to have their weight on top of him, working with him rather then against him. It’s still a struggle, he’s a little unprepared for wet she’ll get and how vigorous she is, she bounces on him likes he’s nothing, rolling her hips down harshly to meet his desperate thrusts upwards. But he manages it. And it’s absolute ecstasy. He’s immediately addicted to the feeling of her clamping down on his tiny knot without it just slipping right back out again. The feeling makes his head spin and his belly drop so fast it makes him nauseous.

Phantom is a lot easier. He finds out within 10 seconds that the ghoul is crazy flexible so he just bends him in half so his knees are by are his ears and just jackrabbits into him. The position is much easier and he isn’t nearly as wet as Aurora is so Dews able so just go to town on him. And phantoms so desperate for his approval and his attention that he… let’s him. He lets Dew fold him up in crazy positions, hammering into him so hard and so fast his bony little hips hit against phantoms ass with each thrust. And Dew knots him. Over and over again. Sometimes he’s really sweet with it, whispering praises to him, telling him well he takes it. But other times he’s aggressive, like he’s forcing him to take it, just because he can and he doesn’t if he’ll be able to do this again once the others have got to them.

[m0rbidmacabre]

Chapter 4

Summary:

Copia wakes up with plans to spend the day reading in the library and hopes to see Celestina. He encounters the Cardinal and a strange man, Papa Emeritus 2, who observes him without saying much. Copia later meets Celestina and they decide to take a walk in the woods. They share their first kiss and discuss their future together. However, Copia is abruptly informed that he is being sent to an abbey in Europe for further studies, leaving Celestina behind. Copia packs his things, writes a letter to Celestina, and leaves the orphanage. He is escorted by a masked ghoul to the abbey, where he feels a mix of excitement and sadness about his new life.

Notes:

I'm sorry guys, this is a long and hard one. It was only inevitable that this was going to happen. please don't be sad. ILU, ILU <3 BUCKLE UP...

Ao3 link - Read Here

Chapter 4

Copia woke on what seemed like normal day. They had free time today and he was planning on spending it in the library reading books. He was also hoping to see Celestina, hoping they could share a few hours reading together.

Copia dragged himself out of bed, his eyes heavy and his brain still fuzzy from his slumber. He got himself dressed quickly, not wanting to waste his day. “Come on Ratto, let’s go to the library” he said to the small rat, picking him up with ease and placing him on his shoulder.

His little best friend was never far away from him these days, they spent all their time together and they both would not have it any other way. They were good for each other, and they both loved the companionship of the other.

Arriving at the library he found his usual spot, sitting next to his own little library of books, and sat cross-legged with his head in his book. The morning light was drifting in through the windows and he let out a sigh. He could happily spend all day here; he was happy in this space. He knew no one would bother him and he can spend it wrapped in some mystical land or reading historic texts about days gone by.

It was not long before he heard the library door open, he looked over the top of his book to see the Cardinal walk in with a strange-looking man. He was wearing green robes which made him look important and his face painted in Papel paints. Copia thought he must be one of the church heads, who was here to look around the building and checking up on the work of the siblings and Cardinal. He looked back down at his book as the two drew closer to him.

“Copia…” the Cardinal said clearing his throat to get his attention.

Copia looked up from his book, his eyes darting between the two men. Copia thought to himself that he wanted to show off his brightest student to the robed man from the church, he was out to impress him. Which made Copia roll his eyes inwardly.

“Copia, this is Papa Emeritus 2...” the Cardinal said introducing him to the stoic man stood in front of him.

Copia got to his feet and dusted himself off… the small rat running into his pocket for safety and offered his hand to Secondo.

“Papa, hi... Pleased to meet you, I am… Copia”. He smiled and offering his hand.

The man just stood looking at him as if he were observing some animal in a zoo, his face so straight and without emotion that you could not tell even for a moment what he was thinking. It was like he was studying him, and Copia had no idea why. He was no different to any of the other orphans here... Just an ordinary boy, with no family... He just existed.

It took a moment, but the man finally said Hello in return, although you could tell it took him a lot to get the words out, his voice was horse and was followed with a small cough. He never took Copias hand. A few moments later the man announced that he had seen enough, and they turned and left. It left Copia confused by the whole situation, it was just strange, and something did not feel right about it. He was beginning to wonder if something were going on that nobody was telling him, it could be that the church had heard about his fights with Marco, and he was in trouble...  but he shrugged it off all the same. Whatever it is, I am sure it will reveal itself in time and as much as he hoped he wasn’t in trouble, there was no grantees. Copia sat back down and returned to his book. His mind racing from the interaction but the safety of the book lulling him back to comfort.

It wasn’t long until the door opened again. Copia didn’t look up from his book this time, he thought if he kept his head down, no one else would bother him.

In that moment Celestina came bounding over to him.

“Hi Copia, what are you doing?” she said sitting herself down next to him, grabbing his arm and tucking it in her own.

“Oh nothing, just reading... What else is there to do?” Copia responded with boredom in his voice.

“Well, if you're that bored… We could take a walk into the woods behind the church, its lovely outside…” Celestina suggested.

Copia looked up at her and met her smiling gaze. He didn’t want to leave the library in truth, but he wanted to spend some time with her while they had free time to do what they wanted. So, he nodded in agreement. “Okay, but we take lunch… I skipped breakfast” he said holding his rumbling stomach.

Celestina smiled a bright toothy smile back at him, as if she had just won a prize at the circus. “Yay... Okay, I’ll grab us some sandwiches... Meet you by the gate in half an hour?” she said standing to her feet and rushing out the library door before Copia could even answer. It made him smile. She was so sweet that even when he was having trouble keeping his thoughts straight, she was the perfect cure for it.  His short life had been a lonely one, and she made things feel less like he was alone in the world.

He got to his feet and peeked into his pocket to check on Ratto, fast asleep. He smiled. Popped his books back into their organised piles and walked out the library door towards the gates to meet Celestina.

He reached the gate and looked around; it was quiet out today. Even the birds sounded like they were taking a break from singing. The sun was high, and it was warm. The sun illuminating his pale skin and making his eyes sparkle more than they normally would. It was nice to feel the air on his skin, maybe Celestina was right, maybe this would be good for him. it wasn’t long until she arrived, whipping Copia out of his mind and back into her.

“Let's go…” she said with excitement “I've got sandwiches...” she tapped her pocket with a smile.

Copia wrapped his arm into hers and they set off walking into the woods. It wasn’t long until she was running ahead of him, balancing on rocks and hunting for whatever treasures the woods held within. She looked happy, in her element, and that made Copia happy. They found a small tree by the river to nestle under and it wasn’t long until they were discussing all the universe had to offer. Celestina pulled the sandwiches from her pocket and tossed a bundle over to Copia. They unpacked them and sat eating, celestina resting her head on Copias chest as they sat in silence listening to the world going by.

“Do you think it’s always going to be like this Copia?” she asked...

“Like what? What do you mean?” he replied, a small smile forming on his face.

“Us, together... Like this” she said in a quiet voice, obviously embarrassed by her confession.

Copias smile widened. “If that’s what you want. I’m here” he said pushing his hands through her hair, comforting her.

She looked up at him and her eyes widened, sparkling in the sunlight and she closed the gap between them. Their lips meeting for the first time, in a soft comforting embrace. In that moment the world faded away, and all Copia could think about was how they were going to take on the world together. Celestina, Ratto and him, together forever. They sat there till dusk talking about what they could do in the future. Copia holding her in his arms, thumbing circles into her wrist as they spoke.  They both knew that they wanted to stay within the satanic church, they both knew they wanted to continue their studies and that was enough for now, their relationship could blossom as they grew together.

As dusk approached, Copia wrapped his arms around Celestina and told her that it was time they headed back to the church before anyone reported them both missing. They picked themselves up out of the comfort of the bubble they had created and walked back towards the church, arriving as it was teatime and they headed to get there evening meal. Spaghetti. Copia thanked his lucky stars that it was his favourite and piled the spaghetti high. They sat together, enjoying the last few hours of the day before a sister approached them.

“Copia, are you finished? The cardinal needs to speak with you?” she said to him.

Copia looked at her in interest... “What does he want with me? Twice in one day? That’s more than I’ve seen him all month?” he questioned.

“I'm sure it’s nothing Copia, follow me” she said.

Copia got to his feet and looked back at Celestina with a sad smile, sad that today had ended in him being called away but praying to the dark lord that he wasn’t about to be shouted at for fighting.

They arrived at the Cardinals office and the sister looked at Copia, she had a sad smile on her face. He didn’t know why she would look at him like that… but he smiled back at her as he walked through the door.

“Copia, please... Come in, sit.”

Copia took a seat across the desk from the Cardinal.

“Cardinal, have I done something wrong?” he asked.

“No, no boy. Nothing wrong at all…” he put Copia's mind at ease.

“But I do have some news, as you remember this morning you met Papa Emeritus 2, he is the head of the satanic church, as I'm sure you are aware. I have been conversing with him about your studies and your interest in learning…

He’s requested that you be moved to the main abbey in Europe, and that you continue your studies there at the abbey”. the Cardinal announced...

Copias eyes widened... His thoughts racing a million miles an hour. “But what, what about my friends? What about Celestina?” Copia gasped out a reply.

“Your pet is yours to keep... But your friend Celestina, she is in our care and will remain so”.

“I can’t leave her... I can’t leave her here alone”. He said become distressed.

“Unfortunately, Copia, you have no choice in the matter. This is for the best. You leave tomorrow morning... I suggest you go and pack your things” the Cardinal answered becoming short with him.

“But, but... What's the hurry? But... but... Why me?”  Copia cried out, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“Papa wants you there as soon as possible, so you can settle into your studies. You’re smart Copia, you should thank the dark lord that he has chosen this path for you. Now, go pack your things, I will send someone to collect you in the morning” The Cardinal answered.

“So, I don’t even get to say goodbye?” Copia asked him.

“This is a matter of urgency Copia...” he answered, ending the conversation.

Copia got to his feet and opened the door, leaving without another word... He did not think he would be able to muster another word anyway. Copia felt defeated, as though his world was collapsing around him. It appears the moment his life was starting to click into place that the universe had other ideas. It broke his heart to think that he could not say goodbye to Celestina, but the church would allow him to write to her at least. At least then he would be able to explain why after they had just shared their first kiss that he had disappeared. He did not want her to think this was his doing, he did not want her to think bad of him. He cared for her, and she was all he wanted.

He walked back to his dorm in silence, sniffling out a small cry and trying to hide his face from people he passed, he did not want them to see him like this, he didn’t want them to see him weak. He closed the dorm door behind him and stood with his back against the door. Looking around at his things and everything he had collected in his short life; it was all in this room.

He should be happy that the head of the satanic church has taken notice of him, that he was going somewhere his intelligence could be applied, where he could learn more than he ever thought possible, but he couldn’t be, he couldn’t be happy because he was leaving behind one of the only things in his life, he had grown close too.  Running his hands through his mousey brown hair he started to gather his books, his journals full of his studies and what little clothes he had. He collected Ratto’s box with his scarf inside. Laying down on his bed... Drifting into a deep slumber, complete exhaustion took over.

Copia woke in the middle of the night, dripping in sweat, the lingering nightmare he was having following him to his wake. Instead, it was not just his nightmare this time, it was his reality. What would have been a dream of a new life some months ago had now turned sour. He looked over at his clock, it had just passed mid-night. He sat up on the bed and looked across the room at his things that he had packed. The moon light casting a faint glow throughout the room, he sighed deeply and grabbed one of his journals and started to write.

C,

I am so sorry; they did not give me chance to come and say good-bye. They have moved me to the abbey in Europe to help me further my studies. Papa Emeritus has requested. I know its sudden. They would not let me stay; I did try but the cardinal would not listen. I will try to write when I get to the abbey. I promise I will not forget about you; I will come back for you, I promise.

C

He teared out the page and folding it into a small little square and wrote a big C on the front, he stood for a moment thumbing the pages as if she would somehow feel his comfort. He began digging through his books, he found the copy of Dante’s Inferno and placed it in the pages. He knew she would look for something that reminded her of                                        him, he knew she would remember when she laughed at him for reading Dante’s Inferno and right now, he could only think of the time she helped clean his wounds after a beating from Marco. She was smart enough; He was sure she would find it. He lay back down on his bed and placed the book on his chest and as he did, he drifted back off to sleep.

Morning soon came with a rough knock on the door, it did not sound like the regular sister that would normally arrive if they needed something. Copia lifted his head and brushed his hair out of his face...

“Come in…”

a tall figure walked into the room, masked... He looked at Copia as if he were examining him.

“Excuse me, I’m here to collect your things” the ghoul said to him.

“Oh… “Copia said and looked over at his things.

The ghoul nodded and picked up his things in one swoop, it looked pitiful that all he had was a bag and a box of books to his name.

Copia sighed as the ghoul looked back at him.

“Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine.” the ghoul said to him trying to smile but it wound up looking a little concerning. Like a wounded animal, more than a smile. The ghoul looked young for a ghoul, maybe he was just getting used to being earthside.

Copia looked up at him and tried to smile back.

“Are you ready??” The ghoul said to Copia as Copia straightened his clothes…

“Si, Si… Let us go” Copia said as he walked over to his desk, placing the book down. Knowing full well that one of the sisters would come in and take it back to its rightful place. He knew Celestina, He knew she would find it.

He followed the ghoul through the church and out towards a black car that looked statelier and grander than he had ever seen before. Nobody came to greet him or say goodbye. He took one last look at the church, taking in every small detail, gazing at the windows as if to see Celestina appear.

The ghoul opened the car door and Copia got inside. The ghoul got into the front of the car and looked back at Copia in the mirror, started the engine and off they set off into Copias new life. Copia had left the place he called home for all his life, he was off somewhere new… somewhere he did not know, somewhere he knew no one. His stomach churned and the thought made him feel sick.

When they arrived at the airport, Copia noticed again that the plane they were using was not a normal plane that would carry hundreds of passengers, of course he had never flown in a plane, but this was small, a private charter. They were certainly going out of their way for a small orphan boy, Copia thought to himself. He settled into his seat and after the ghoul had loaded his belongings, he sat across from Copia as the plane took off.

Copia looked at the ghoul who was eyeing him through his mask, he thought this might be a suitable time to strike up conversation.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked the ghoul.

The ghouls’ eyes narrowed, and he smiled “Oh that doesn’t matter…”

Copia felt shot down and looked down at his hands.

The ghoul noticed “Really, its ok. you do not need to know. Just call me ghoul...” He laughed.

Copia looked back up at him... “A nameless ghoul? Don’t you want your own identity?” he smiled…

The ghoul just smiled back him and Copia got the hint and pulled out his book, His small rat running out onto his knee, looking for comfort.

“Oh, what’s that, a stow away?” The ghoul said eyeing the small rodent.

“This is my friend, Ratto. He is my little travel companion” Copia said looking down at the small brown rat.

“Would he like a cracker?” The ghoul said, pulling out a packet of crackers from thin air.

“I’m sure he would love that...”  Copa smiled at the ghoul, taking the cracker from him.

Copia broke up the cracker into little pieces and placed it on his lap, where Ratto tucked into his breakfast. He picked his book back up and started to read, glancing every now and then back at the Ghoul who’s eyes where transfixed on the rat. After a few hours the plane came to a halt, they had landed. Copia looked out of the small window to see the same type of car waiting. He placed Ratto back in his pocket with the remaining crumbs of the cracker. They climbed into the black car, and they set off again.

 It was evening by the time they arrived at the abbey, it was starting to get dark. The outside of the abbey was very well lit, it looked like something you would see in a gothic painting Copia thought to himself. A high pointed window with stained glass depicting Lucifers fall from heaven, letting its colours spill out into the front court of the abbey, it looked stunning, and he was amazed. He was a far cry away from the orphanage now, and he could tell.

[copiawife]

hiii, blair! how did you and copia meet? 🖤

hi swanee!!

so it's kind of a funny story, but i actually knew him before we met!

(so my self-insert had been a part of the ministry for a few years before they meet copia, but they get these dreams sometimes that aren't like "prophetic" necessarily because they can be about the past and present too but basically dreams about events that either haven't happened or that they weren't aware happened! also other important detail is that they work as an apprentice/assistant to the abbey tailor)

and so one night i have a really vivid dream of being in the arms of this really handsome man i'd never seen before! it really catches me off-guard, but now i'm kind of waiting for whoever this mystery man is to come into my life.

not too long afterwards, there's news that a certain cardinal is transferring to the abbey i'm at, and when he arrives he makes a little speech to the people there and i'm in the crowd and i see that this cardinal copia is the mystery man from my dream! he kind of charms me without realizing.

i spend a bunch of time kind of admiring him from a distance, not sure how to approach along with feeling like he's too busy and also way out of my league. i confide about my dream and my crush to my friend joanna (my oc) and while she doesn't really get why of all people i like him so much she also sees how hopelessly i'm pining for him and tells me i have to find a way to have no choice but to just actually talk to him and for him to talk to me.

so i get an honestly insane idea. i am able to find a way into copia's quarters when he's out (honestly not sure how i pulled it off without like having a breakdown i don't like sneaking around) and i get into his wardrobe and just methodically tear apart several of his best suits.

he doesn't see this until the next morning and is just. very baffled. like he's honestly not even as pissed as much as he is just confused.

*excerpt from a wip*

so, he takes the pieces of his suit to the tailor, hopefully to get them mended while he figures out how to address this, and oh would you look at that he comes on the day that i'm alone in the shop doing paperwork (since i'm an assistant that all gets off-loaded onto me fairly frequently) and he comes face to face with me for the first time. he wouldn't admit it but he probably fell for me right then and there. it was very much love at first sight, which honestly he didn't really even believe in until he met me (like whenever he'd see in it in a movie or a book he thought it was so unrealistic and then he saw me and was like 'ohhh i get it now') i put on my best act of being just as confused as him about why somebody would do that, and probably come off very weird but i offer to instead try to get some new suits made since i can see they are getting a little worn out, regardless of getting torn at the seams. this leads to being in a very intimate position while taking measurements for him and once he leaves i need to like go and scream in the courtyard for like an hour because i finally got to talk to him and not only that but i got to touch him >///-///< and i'm honestly just baffled that that like. worked and i didn't get found out.

[cardinaldante]

Greetings Siblings of the church! It is Cardinal Dante yet again, but this time I am joined by Phantom! My punishment is over, and I can go back to work, so I have been taking advantage of that and snuck into my office early this morning to do any of the work that's piled up. Schools also started back up, but since I'm a cardinal, I'm mostly 'home schooled', meaning that I don't have to go to the traditional school that all the other underage siblings here go to. I get a packet each month that I have to work through and return to the teachers. Technically, it's supposed to last the entire month, but I usually finish it the first week and hand them back at the end of the month like normal.

Phantom came to visit me after he was finished with Band Practice. He seemed really down, and after a bit of coaxing, he told me he wasn't getting along well with the other ghouls, or siblings. I was the first sibling to actually show him kindness. Which, siblings, is so... So... Augh???? Why haven't any of you been showing him a modicrum of respect??? He says that everyone says that he's replacing his brother, or that he's taking his brothers spot, which is not true! Phantom is sweet, nice, and he hasn't been any sort of mean to me since I've known him.

Anyways, after giving him a healthy bit of reassurance, I finished all of my paperwork and decided to go on a little mission to Papa Copia's office. See, some of my paperwork needs to be signed off by Papa Copia, as he's my senior. Usually, Cardinal Mickelson does it, but as hes been swamped with work lately, I headed to Papa Copia. He seemed to be suprised Phantom was trailing me around when I got there, and even more suprised when I explained to him why Phantom came to me. Rest assured, dear siblings who have given Phantom respect, Papa Copia had told me that he'll deal with the issue!!

He was also happy I finished all of my work, but very confused when I showed him the ritual sheet. See, for those who are not in the church, usually every two weeks(Around the full moon), we do a Ritual. I know some of you think you know what it is because you've gone to the bands shows, but the rituals at the church are much, much different. I can't actually explain it, nor can I tell you what happens at them, as i've actually never went to one. The rituals are for 18 and up, and I, dear siblings, am not 18. I've unfortunately got a few more years to go before I hit it.

Anyways, Papa Copia was confused because apparently I'm not supposed to be doing the Ritual sheet things. It's only for the adults and senior Cardinals to see. I told him I'd been doing it since I became Cardinal, and he told me to leave the ritual sheet there and that he'd figure out who gave me permission to do it. After that, me and Phantom left, and ran straight into Papa Terzo.

It looked like he had gotten a bloody nose- his mouth and front of his cassock was all bloody, and I swear there was blood in his hair. He looked shocked to see me, and Phantom even looked suprised. He muttered quick appologies in what I think was Italian before fleeing into Papa Copia's office, shutting the door behind him. I asked Phantom about it, but he said he wasn't privy to what the Papa's were- which, piqued my interest. I asked him what he ment, but Phantom clammed up after that, and didn't ssy anything else about that.

Sisters and brothers, I think I have a mystery on my hands. A confusing and twisting one at that. I thought that the Papa's were human, but... From what it seems- from what Phantom's said, the Papa's are not. Did that have something to do with why the Papa's wore so much make up? Or maybe...

Phantom says I should just leave it alone, and for now, I will. He's a nice ghoul, and I like his companionship more than Swiss. I don't want to chase him away. He told me that he wanted me to come to the ghouls den so we could play video games- but since one of the ghouls was in rut(he refused to tell me what that ment and refused to look at my eyes), the ghouls den was dangerous for humans at the moment. I invited him back to my room instead, and we chatted and played video games for the rest of the day.

Siblings, my mind is full of ideas and questions about the Papa's that I fear I won't get unless I look it up. If any of you have any ideas about what the Papa's are, send me a message. I don't want to bother Phantom, and I know Phil will probably not say anything about it either.

Speaking of Phil, I still don't have my rosary, and I know I told him I wouldn't go back to the greenhouse- however we have Midnight Mass on Sunday, and I will be in attendance- as I am a Cardinal. I need my rosary. I would go back to Phil, but he's probably swamped in work, so I will go back and grab it tommorow. I'll even bring Phantom with me. Atleast, if the ghoul shows back up, Phantom could distract it with his quintessential magic. Wish me luck, siblings.

[her-satanic-wiles]

Not to out myself as a Southerner but I grew up baptist and I cannot tell you HOW many times I thought about running away to find like minded people. PLUS how sweet Copia is?? Impeccable. I read it over my coffee this morning and have genuinely been thinking about it all day.

Honestly, the Ministry sounds like such a great place to live in fan fictions, low key I can see how cults and communes get started and suck people in. Sounds pretty ideal if this is what it's like lmao.

I hope you've been able to find like minded people now, though. You deserve to feel like you belong.

Also, I love writing dark Copia so much, but there's something about sweet Copia that just makes my cold, dead heart sing, you know?

I'm so glad you enjoyed the fic, thank you so much for reading it, it truly means the world.

[muzzledrum]

"Take me slow" PRT 2

(gif credit to Rattballet on tumblr)

Copia x reader

warnings: MILD smut, fluff, fight, Terzo on his BS.

copia wants to spend the day in their room, but Y/N has work and meets up with an old lover.

The suns morning glow gleamed in reds and purples. The stained glass casted the devilish depictions across the room and glossed over their velvet comforter. Copia was already sat up and had lit a cigarette, comfortably watching the sunrise while his other hand stroked Y/N’s hair. The smoke hung in the room as the smell woke her up, her eyes opened slowly. Noticing he woke her up, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Good morning sweetheart, sleep well?” She only mumbled a response, rather than words she pushed her head up to kiss him. And she combed her hair aside to look up at him. The sun was cast behind him, an angelic halo around his body. Just enough light to see all the freckles and moles across his torso and pudge. It was hellish and beautiful. She felt up his stomach and up to his chest. “How are you so beautiful?” She asked tenderly. Copia sat for a moment and frowned. “That's what I should be saying to you” he reached across and pinned her under his body, his stare intense and cold. She worried for a moment he was going to push himself into doing what she knew he wasn't up for, until he grinned and ducked down peppering her face in small kisses. His mustache tickling her cheek making her laugh. Y/n’s hands came up and reached around to his hair tangling itself in the strands of hair. His hands were first cupping her face but he quickly swapped to holding them under her back and lifting her to his face.

“Copia! What the hell has gotten into you!” She was blushing uncontrollably as she managed to yell.

“I'm lovesick my love! I have been gone all this time and i get a whole week of you to myself, I'm not even letting you work. You're stuck with me” he emphasized the last bit with a long smooch on the forehead, purposely making her laugh at his new found energy. “I ordered breakfast already. Can we stay in bed today? Watch some movies perhaps, mmh?” He was grinning already knowing the answer. “we'll talk about it, but I am getting out of bed and brushing my teeth and brushing my hair. And ill meet you there right?” She glared at him, if she wasn't there he would never have brushed his hair or even brushed his teeth. An absolute walking disaster. She pushed him over and crawled out of the bed on his side. And obviously copia had to glare holes into her ass, absolutely delighted at the view he was given. He raised his hand and went to swing for it. “Don't even think about it” she looked back and glared at him as she stood up stretching. He looked up at her sheepishly and went to pull her back in by the waist. “There was a fly I swear! I almost had it if you’d just let me” the blush covering his face gave away his painful lie. She slipped through his grasp and headed to the bathroom as she spoke. “I can handle a fly on my own” she looked back and patted her ass grinning. He sulked at the missed opportunity but stared at her figure until she vanished behind the doorway. Now he was hard, and he wanted it.

 She picked up her brush and started her battle with the morning hair. First only a few strands came out, slowly a pile of fallen out hair was forming on the counter as she brushed away. She wasn't going to tell him, but stress was unnerving her. She didn’t understand how he could see someone who looked so ghostly and so beautiful her eyes were much more sunken, her frown creased her lip and her eyebrows furrowed. She swore she looked different before he left, he wasn't gone that long she thought to herself. She wandered and wondered in her mind until two warm hands on her hips pulled her from her thoughts. “Come back to bed, I'm hungry. My love please” he nipped down her neck while rubbing his hands down her shoulders and arms. His eyes glared at her through the mirror. That was the copia she fucked. Not the one last night

 Her frown dissipated and slacked into a relaxed bliss, pushing her head to the side Copia took advantage of the exposed space and sucked on her neck. “Also about that work thing” she spoke nonchalantly as he nipped her ear and shushed her. But she carried on “i am working today, as much as his dark excellency demands otherwise. I'm teaching a class on Dante's inferno. I have waited nearly a year to teach a class and I refuse to miss it.” She pushed him back and pulled on her head veil, nearly tucking the strands of hair in. Copia whined and held onto her back. “Y/n please! Lets talk about this let me offer you something more.” Punciating his last sentence Copia thrusted against her ass and yoinked the hair veil off. She took her Pj’s off and slipped the habit on, completely ignoring his advances with an amused smile. “My love please I'll reschedule it for you personally but today let me have you” his words growled out and he began to get more touchy with the growing seconds. “No, take today to yourself. You need to wind down and have alone time. No work, just enjoy some time to yourself. You can eat me out tonight as dessert” his face grew bright red at her bluntness but even more so baffled by her opposition. He shook his head and huffed. Gesturing his hands confusingly. Making her think she won, right as she moved away. he grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder and walked back to the bed. “I like my dessert before breakfast. What papa says papa gets” he then tossed her on the bed with a bounce, and pinned her down to the bed. His breaths shallow and his eyes growing wide in lust, his breath caught in his throat when she reached up and held him by the neck firmly. “Papas gonna listen, unless he wants to sleep on the couch tonight while I jack myself off next to him.” She raised her eyebrow wondering what his choice was going to be, he hung his head and groaned in frustration. “Why? Why! Why do you do this to me You're cruel. A cruel witch” he sulked off of her and hunched back over on the bed. She sat up and rubbed his back smiling. “Ill make it worth your time” she cooed in his ear, in which copia waved his hand and pretended to pout. “Cazzo! Eh, you hurt me cara mia. Don't touch me to make it better” but he grinned and kissed her lips before quipping out. “Tell me how the class goes, sí? I know you’re a wonderful teacher who will get her own class. You better make it worth my strain” he patted her ass. “Go on, I’ll have the ghouls drop your breakfast off at your desk so hurry up or you’ll be late” he remembered the time? She thought. She told him months ago how she was given an opportunity to teach the older kids in the church and how excited she was for it. He actually remembered it down to the time it started, with everything else that had assaulted his time and energy this is what he remembered. She smiled brightly, her eyes were so beautiful when she smiled. It was all that filled copias mind when he saw that smile, he did not even realize that remembering a small day in the year meant so much to her. But he was happy she was smiling so bright. She pecked his cheek and practically scattered off the bed grabbing her stockings and haphazardly pulling them on her legs. She grabbed her heels and stode to the door in pride. “I'll see you later tonight. I have some other work to do” she shut the door and heard the sound of copia scrambling out of bed. He cried out “wait wait no! Cara, you said you only had the class! Y/N!” When he swung the door open again, there stood a very confused ghoul holding Copia and hers breakfast. Not his lover in sight. How does she keep disappearing?! Was all he thought as he awkwardly apologized to the ghoul and took his food.

She had finished her day, and it was awfully late. If she rushed she could make it for a late night dinner with Copia. She walked briskly down the abbey. It was dark, only the candles and chandeliers guiding her in the dark hallways, only a few antique buzzing globe lights lined the hall of offices. She heard the soft thud of a walk behind her, she didn’t have to look.

It was an old lover, Terzo Emeritus. “Ahh there she is!” He called out to her grinning. “Just the lady I needed to speak with” the sound of a few rushed steps came as he walked up beside her. “Good evening, my lord” she replied pleasantly but briskly. Not really wanting or having the time to catch up with the youngest brother. “Oh please won't you spare me and call me Terzo again? I feel so old being called lord” he attempted a smile but she looked straight forward as she walked. “What do you need Terzo?” She held out her hand expecting paper work, Terzo did not interpret that way and instead held her hand. “Friendly today aren’t we? Makes me so happy you're so welcoming to your old papa” She yanked her hand back and patted it on her habit. “No, what do you want? I have plans right now”. Terzo's face twitched and he grabbed her arm and pulled her down a corridor. “Y/n, I'm trying to be nice but you're making it awful.” She straightened her back and pointed at him “I will ask one last time, what do you want, my lord” he stood back and huffed annoyed “Did you tell him?” He asked oddly soft, almost whispering. “He knows about us, he knows that it was years ago when you were a young fool and me, an even younger fool, can I leave?” He tsked softly and leaned closer “I know that, does he know what I know?” She caught on and sighed, already giving him his answer. 

“does he even know your family’s name? The history of your family? Does he have any idea of the monster that you can be?” He brought his hand up to her jaw

“No, and he never will. Because I refuse to be the monster that name has destined for me” she smacked his hand away.

“I love this little dance I do really, but he has to know. Or he will learn the same way I did. Do you remember? Do you want him to hurt? To feel betrayed? If you don’t I will!” his level glare bore into her eyes, his temper rising.

 “Why can’t you stay out of it terzo? He doesn’t need to know what won't hurt him.” She hissed out angrily. He took her hand softly “Won't you consider coming back to me? Leave him please, I know what you're capable of and I love it, I adore it please. Y/N Bàthory, daughter of the witch from hell. Ple-“ a sharp snap echoed through the hallway as she back handed him. He stood straight and clenched his fists until they turned white, a mark reddening on his face. 

“You will stay out of my affairs, you will never speak my name, and you will never discuss this again. Do you hear me? Terzo Emeritus, do. You. Hear. Me?”

He glared at her, his hair drooping over his face. “We will be discussing this later. Expect a summoning to my office tomorrow, Sister Bàthory. If you don’t come I’ll be summoning your precious Copia in your place” he raised his head and smiled at her. The candles blew out on their own, leaving only a flickering light at the end of the hall glowing. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, my lord”. Before he could reply she walked into the shadow of a corner, when the candles reignited, she was already gone.