The Sacrosanct Cardinal
1 : A Vexing Omen
It was the night before the annual Ministry dinner, and Cardinal Copia's insomnia seemed worse than ever. He'd grown bored of skulking about the dimly lit corridors and his restlessness had slowly led him to the Ministry's library... again. He often snuck in during the early hours, and in his opinion, there was no better time to visit for the entire place was desolate... the towering bookshelves and the flickering candelabras kept him pleasant company and kept his mind at ease.
He'd swiftly selected a random book from the sprawl of packed bookshelves - which happened to be a hefty encyclopedia on advanced witchcraft - and settled himself in the centre of the place, sitting behind one of the many empty reading desks in a comfortable velvet-lined chair. The wintry chill of November seeped around his ankles and he shuffled his slim legs inwards, rubbing the fabric of his shins together.
The library had a noticeable absence of light - aside from the odd candelabra or glimmering emergency light - and it caused him to squint his eyes as he tried to distinguish the text on the page in front of him. He couldn't quite make any sense of the printed text and decided to scour the shining, ink-ridden illustrations instead, audibly hesitating in wonder. His leather-clad fingers stroked over the crisp pages, his bloodshot eyes trailing over each fine line with subdued fascination.
As he turned another page, a small rhythmic patter - which was reminiscent of wet slaps - echoed over the parquet floor. He froze immediately and jolted up in his seat, twisting around to glare at his vacant surroundings. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and reluctantly swivelled back around, flicking his eyes from side to side before he leaned forwards, perching his elbows on the edge of the reading table. He quietly huffed when he turned another page, blinking a few times as his eyes had started to feel uncomfortably dry.
Just as he was about to be pulled in by the contents of the book again... the pattering sound emerged once more. It was closer this time and he clenched his teeth, bolting up from his seat to confidently stand, the legs of his chair shrieking out in protest. He squinted speculatively as he slowly spun on the spot, surveying his dimly lit surroundings for the source of the pattering noise.
After simply standing and staring about the place for a good few minutes, he decided to reluctantly slump back into his seat, frowning in bewilderment. The sound wasn't present again after that, and he spent quite a while in warm silence, nonchalantly flicking through the elaborate pages. His graceful page-turns effortlessly hypnotised him and after some time, he began to relax into his seat and slouched forwards. And eventually, his eyes began to fall shut as he allowed sleep to take hold of him. His head tipped forwards as his painted eyelids covered his eyes, and his black biretta slipped to the right, very nearly falling off. A tiny snore escaped his mouth as he fell further forwards, his head forcibly turning to the left so that he could use the encyclopedia's thick pages as a pillow. His arms were docile as they gently descended, his gloved hands gently resting over the black fabric of his lap.
It had been weeks since he'd last attempted to sleep, so the abrupt slumber was welcome. He murmured into his light snores and nuzzled his cheek over the firm page, unaware that small pale grey hands were reaching for the tip of one of his polished winkle-pickers...
Before the hands could grip onto him, there was a single obnoxious snap and every light in the Ministry disappeared. Copia inhaled a snort and choked awake as a consequence, gasping into reality as he warily blinked, peering around at the looming darkness of the vacant library. It was pitch-black - even the couple of flickering candelabras had been snuffed out - and he was suddenly apprehensive. It obviously wasn't as simple as a power-outage.
The sudden blackness caused the strange rhythmic patter to emerge again and Copia quietly growled in annoyance, his mismatched eyes frantically searching the darkness surrounding his chair.
"Nekid?!" he whispered sharply, his suspicion of his wretched familiar's presence peaking due to the distinctive wet slap of impish feet over the wooden floor. "Nekid, are you in here?"
"Ekkk, I miiiiight be... " Nekid airily responded in a strange high-pitch tone, purposely exaggerating his voice to mess with his summoner... until he started to snicker with amusement.
"Is this your doing?" Copia sternly scolded, sounding like an authoritative father, rather than his usual flippant self.
"Nooooo, ratto!" the imp piped up, latching his spindly arms around one of the legs of Copia's chair to poise himself like he was about to execute a pole-dance. "I am here to - wait, I forgot why I was here - oh! Oh yes! I came in here to make sure you didn't choke on your own saliva again, eheh! I am not allowing you to die in your sleep... I even did a little prayer to Satan for you. I can't have you die on me, ratto, you are my only source of mula!"
"That does not explain why the lights are out, Nekid." Copia quipped venomously, brashly shifting his chair to ensure that the familiar didn't hump its grubby little body on the furniture.
"I uh-oh. Beats me." Nekid replied unmindfully, tilting his oval-shaped head inquisitively. "Maybe it has to do with your lady friend's wacky experiment?"
"What?!" Copia shrieked, glaring his eyes in unsettled astonishment."Aemelia? Experiment?! What? Where? Where is she?"
"Her attic, obviously. Gak, you can be so dense and senile sometimes, rat - hey! Hey! Where you going?!"
Copia hurriedly scurried through the blacked-out corridors with his arms out-stretched before him, panting hard as his cassock flowed behind him. He used his pulsing adrenaline to blindly navigate each of the murky hallways, and he was surprisingly successful despite his panicked state.
As he crossed into the threshold of the old complex, the atmosphere felt warped and lucid. It was like something was controlling such a disconcerting ambience and bending the shadows to their will. It filled him with heightened dread. His pace sped up and he nimbly fled through the twists and turns of the old complex, his alarmed eyes vividly cutting through the pitch black.
His concern became far more evident as he swiftly passed the door to the apothecary, his feet pounding the ground faster and faster as he advanced further, scrambling up the narrow staircase that led towards the alchemist's attic. The darkness seemed thicker somehow and swamped his vision, but to his relief, there finally appeared to be a light source... a thin slit of golden light flooded over the floor ahead of him and he dashed towards it, certain that the subtle warm flickers were originating from the attic room. He followed the luminous sight with heavy feet and heavily lidded eyes, it seemed that his exhaustion had finally caught up with him and his breathing was ragged as he dropped his arms down by his sides, clenching his gloved hands into concerned fists.
Without hesitation, he hastily burst into the room, and once he was inside, his back harshly landed on the cold, uneven surface of the attic door and he squeezed his eyes shut in protest. As he leaned back, it slowly thumped closed and he knitted his eyebrows together, his breathing short and erratic. Even though his eyes were closed, he could sense the warm glows of a large array of flickering candles and tea lights... he was certain that he was in the presence of Miss Vial, and he huffed out nervously, persisting to keep his eyes shut.
"You are alright? You are not hurt?" he hurriedly questioned, clenching his teeth together in frustration - he didn't want to seem pathetic in front of her, but he couldn't hide how much he cared for her in that moment.
"It's only a power-cut, Cardinal." she called back to him in an unusually soothing tone, which caused him to replace his scrunched up worry with instant relief. But he still firmly clung to the door and shuffled his back towards the comforting material of her blazer, which was hanging from a hook beside the door-frame.
"Fuckin' hell... you're shaking."
"I... I am?!" he squeaked out, swallowing thickly. He felt such familiarity in the current situation as he awkwardly trembled by the door, and he couldn't hide the sight of her any longer. He unclosed his eyes and they immediately settled on Aemelia, who was sat over the dusty floorboards in the centre of the room, her legs splayed to the side with a vivid, evenly-spaced circle of wavering tea lights surrounding her.
His breath hitched as he studied her, her obsidian eyes slicing through the thin blanket of blackness as they focused on him. Her wavy, unkempt tresses draped across her shoulders, and the odd thin plait broke up the strands of thick burgundy hair. The ends hung heavily as she leaned forwards, angling her chin down to the floor to ensure she held his stare. The warm glow of the tealights around her accentuated her pallid complexion, and forced sharp grey shadows to cling to her cheekbones.
She was clad in nothing but a baggy black vest-top that ended just above her pallid knees, and the scratched graphic on it was eye-catching - a raven that was lurking amongst a row of etched gravestones which had been crudely formed out of chalk-like lines, vividly contrasting the ominous black backdrop. The thin clothing closely clutched to her pale form and Copia swallowed, his subdued panting still present... but it was no longer because of his physical exertion.
"Ombre dell'inferno, proteggimi..." Copia muttered beneath his breath, his chest tightening as his gleaming gaze lingered upon hers. He hoped his quiet prayer had been heard by the Old One, but he knew that Lucifer's unholy intervention wouldn't hinder the mixture of pleasant things he felt for her in that moment.
"Why are you here?" she asked quietly, her voice rich with tiredness despite her alert stare.
"I... " he cut off, quickly pausing to swallow and shift his pelvis back into a slightly uncomfortable position like he was attempting to conceal something from her view. "I was i-in the library, reading this... really cool book, then the fucking lights went out. Nekid was there and of course, I thought that little shit was the cause... but then he said you were doing an... experiment or some shit, so I rushed all the way from the library and - "
"Then... it worked..." she mumbled in quiet realisation, a small smile creeping across her lips.
"What? What... worked, Miss Vial?!" he questioned, glaring at her in panic.
"I... tried something new." she confessed, her expression suddenly cautious. "I probably shouldn't have. I should have left it alone... I'm astonished that it worked, really."
"Something new? What do you mean by that, Aemelia?"
"I managed to successfully summon you, Cardinal." she said in a soft voice, her intense black irises searing into him. "I channelled as much energy as I could until I was... terrified. And when I let the fear consume me, I could feel... my friend react, and before I knew it... I was surrounded by darkness and faces that were deathly cold and eyes that were... luminous and - "
She wanted to continue by saying that the eyes belonged to three stern, skull-painted brothers, but she abruptly stopped herself. She desperately wanted to confess, but it was like there was a mysterious higher power that was stopping her from doing so. And no matter how hard she tried to continue, she found that she couldn't. She inhaled deeply and gave up trying to describe her strange supernatural experience, deciding that it was best to quickly move on.
"I've got no clue where I was... or was supposed to be. I don't even understand what the premonitions were even trying to show me... " she managed to add, huffing out deeply. "... and I was shitting it so much, I just... wanted to summon something that would snap me out of it."
Her eyes glinted as she tried her best to suppress her frustrated, confused tears and he winced, immediately darting away from the door. He gained speed, nimbly hopping over the curve of flickering flames to abruptly halt before her. He swiftly stooped down and assuredly crushed his arms around her. His firm embrace was tight and relentless, and it trapped her in place as he tucked his chin into the nook of her left shoulder.
"So... your initial intention wasn't to summon me, was it?" he breathed in realisation, closing his eyes instantly as he felt the timid, faint pressure of her fingertips tracing up the middle of his back until she softly clutched at the fabric covering his shoulder blades.
"I think my friend just wanted to... socialize? I don't know..." she murmured worriedly, knitting her eyebrows together in bewilderment.
"Please do not offer yourself to the darkness like that, Aemelia..." he pleaded in a whisper, nuzzling his nose into the warm material covering her skin. "Whatever it was that lured you into using your gift... it wasn't anything good. Perhaps it was trying to tell you that by frightening you so much. You know that some energies are incapable of being anything less than evil, Aemelia."
"I had no say in it, Cardinal." she finally admitted, causing him to squeeze his arms tighter. "Honestly... I don't even remember lighting any of these fuckin' candles..."
2 : The Unwelcome Visitors of a Fateful Dinner
Most of the Clergy had already arrived at the Ministry's assembly room ten minutes before the specified time of eight-thirty, as they were keen on making an enthusiastic impression on their superiors. Or perhaps they were truly keen on tucking into the delicious meal that would be served later on...
The assembly room was a vast expanse of intricate infernal tapestries and chequered flooring. Numerous golden chandeliers hung from the curve of the tall ceiling, and the sprawling walls were coated in sconces and extravagant rosewood panelling. The area of the room was generous, but that was simply because there was only one piece of furniture: an overly long dining table which was also fashioned out of polished rosewood and surrounded by at least fifty dining chairs. Nihil's unhallowed throne had yet again emerged from storage and had been placed at one side of the table, and it was situated in the dead centre to break up the formation of the identical dining chairs. Most assumed that the unusual layout helped him socialise with the rest of the Clergy, but in truth, Nihil loathed being perched at the end of a table. He'd always felt an unpleasant draft so he chose to be surrounded by his superiors to keep himself warm...
Cardinals, bishops, newly promoted chaplains and other formally dressed Clergy filled the vacant space of the assembly room. Each guest had a beverage clutched to their chests and most were in deep discussion, content passing the time as half a dozen masked Ghouls skittered about the dining table, hastily setting out the cutlery. Nihil and Imperator were amongst their subordinates and had drawn quite a circle of guests - it was an annual occurrence both Nihil and Imperator were used to. They were well aware that most of the crowd was fishing for a promotion or special recognition, which they would inevitably never receive... there was nothing impressive about a kiss-ass.
Copia was also present, meandering about the cluster of guests in his vivid red cassock and matching biretta. He was the only cardinal that opted to wear a red vestment and it was stark amongst the modest black attires around him - he was secretly rather glad that he stood out in the crowd. Despite how confidently he addressed each person he passed, clutching his glass of red wine to his chest, he was immensely nervous. And soon, when he was invited into an ongoing discussion, his mind became absent as he was forced into cold conversations about dull, trivial topics and he simply nodded along. And then his mind drifted off as some self-important person - that he'd already forgotten the name of - continued to talk at him. He sighed in subdued irritation, raising the rim of his glass to his lips... he hoped the dinner would start soon because the mingling was really starting to grate on him.
Aemelia Vial was one of the last guests to arrive, but she certainly wasn't late. In fact, she was dead on time. A few heads turned at the quiet sound of her footsteps - it was unusual for non-Clergy to attend the annual Ministry dinner, let alone a non-believer - and Sister Imperator visibly tensed, her sharp eyes cutting through the mass of guests to shoot the alchemist a look of warning. Even though Sister had simply caught a glimpse of Miss Vial, it was clear that she hadn't expected the younger woman's presence. And as Imperator proudly held the reins of the Ministry, Vial's unexpected presence did not sit right with her. She should have been consulted.
Aemelia was oblivious to the furious eyes of Sister and reluctantly approached the gathering of guests, nervously tugging at the lapels of her black blazer. From her expression, it was clear that she was unsettled by the situation and she decided to loiter at the outskirts, uncomfortable with straying further into the chattering mass of people. She kept quiet and simply stood there for a few minutes, peering down at the check tiling with apprehensive eyes. She was still adamant that Copia had been the one to invite her and it was the only thing encouraging her to tolerate the dinner party. She thought it was important that she showed him her support in his pursuit of Nihil's recognition, even if it meant stomaching the ordeal of another gathering of people.
She shivered, feeling confused gazes settling onto her and she persisted to stare at the floor, desperately trying to distract herself before she raised her head and plainly glared at someone with utter disdain. She was completely out of her depth and an obvious outsider to those around her - almost every guest adorned their elaborate church garments and an eye-catching rosary, and there she was, dressed in her usual outfit of a shirt, tie and blazer... admittedly she had opted to wear a shirt that was a deep shade of red to change it up a bit. But she couldn't help feeling a little under-dressed.
She began to scowl at the floor in discomfort, and it deepened when her view of the check tiling was soon blocked entirely. She quietly huffed in annoyance and trailed her eyes upwards, not bothering to lift up her head. Her gaze settled upon a slim Ghoul who was not much taller than herself. He stooped into a polite bow as he gestured a rounded tray filled with colourful aperitifs upwards, confidently supporting it with his strong splayed fingers. He silently motioned his free hand towards the tray in an inviting manner and Aemelia simply shook her head in refusal. The Ghoul shrugged in reply and swiftly turned away, approaching other guests with the same offer.
As Aemelia continued to awkwardly loiter at the edge of the gathering, Copia was still trapped amongst a cluster of rambling guests but he had tuned out of the conversation some time ago... and had started to trail his mismatched over his surroundings instead. He was grateful that the assembly room finally had some use, because Nihil had neglected its presence up until this point. The old man was oblivious to its grandeur which annoyed Copia... he would never forget about such a grandiose place in a hurry.
His eyes traced the varnished finish of the walls in wonder and he slowly regarded the entrance... and to his surprise, a familiar flash of burgundy caught his attention. His eyes immediately locked onto the colour and he narrowed his eyes in quiet consideration. Aemelia Vial had been invited to the annual dinner? The corners of his mouth twitched slightly but he suppressed the urge to smile. His eyes lingered on her dark red plaits and his heart began to pound a little faster... he'd been expecting yet another dull dinner party, but now that she was here, it was suddenly far more interesting for him.
His leather glove creaked as he gripped the stem of his glass tighter, taking a short step away from the current discussion, oblivious to the fact that the guests around him were now fully aware that he was ignoring them. Now he'd moved a little, he tipped his head backwards slightly to see a clearer view of her and sharply inhaled, his eyes gleaming as he caught a glimpse of a red shirt collar. He had grown quite fond of that particular colour on her and he licked his lips, recalling the last time she had worn such a shade... Halloween. He swallowed thickly and suddenly had the tempting urge to dart towards her... but he certainly didn't want to draw attention to himself, and he certainly didn't want Miss Vial realising that he was desperate for her company, but it would have been miles better than the tiresome guests around him. In truth, she already knew that he desired to rush towards her, because she felt the exact same way.
To his relieved surprise, Miss Vial swivelled around slightly and actually lifted her head up, searing her intense black eyes over the crowd of Clergy in front of her... and her gaze faltered slightly as it soon settled on his large, thankful mismatched eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him in confusion as he raised his brows and raised his wine glass to his lips to hide his excited smile. Then his eyes flicked down to the vivid cardinal red material covering his chest and they quickly shot back towards the collar of her shirt. She rolled her eyes in amusement, as it was clear that he was inferring they were somewhat matching and bit her cheek to stop herself from smirking at his playfulness. He took a sip of his wine but his gleaming eyes were unrelenting as he brazenly stared at her, and she found that she couldn't look away...
Her brow furrowed in silent confusion and she took a confident step forwards, deciding that she would simply approach him. But just as she took another step, her actions were interrupted as a robed figure brashly side-stepped in front of her.
"So... what do you do here?" the old man asked, and her entire body froze as she clenched her teeth in annoyance. "It is clear that you are not one of us - one of the Clergy, I mean."
The only thing distinctive about the man was his unbelievably pale complexion, his icy blue stare and the specks of silver stubble coating his chin as his black hooded robes covered him from head to toe.
"I'm an alchemist." Aemelia curtly replied, setting her jaw as he still persisted to block her path to Copia. She could have simply found another way to get to her destination but she had a feeling that it wouldn't stop the chaplain from pestering her.
"You are not the new resident alchemist, surely?" he responded in disbelief, his blue eyes wide in fascination. "You are far too young to be so... knowledgeable."
"Well I'm nearing forty, mate." she quipped, tilting her head to the side in bewilderment as she narrowed her eyes in offense. "How much older would you prefer me to be? Age has no real bearing on whether someone knows their shit... I mean, how long have you been working for the Ministry?"
"I do not think of it as work - "
"As worship, then." she pressed in annoyance, spitefully searing her narrowed eyes at him.
"For almost forty-five years."
"And when did you become... a cardinal, a bishop... or whatever the hell you are?" she questioned in a bitter tone, folding her arms over the front of her chest.
"I was promoted to Bishop two years ago." the old man replied proudly, smiling.
"Fuckin' hell."
"E-Excuse me?" the bishop spluttered, insulted by her lack of respect... it was clear that he expected his subordinates to speak with him formally. The bishop wasn't used to someone like Aemelia, who treated everyone equally, regardless of their position.
"I'm glad I'm not part of the Clergy." she admitted, her black eyes wide with relief as she took a step backwards in order to round the man entirely. "The same pay and position for forty-five years?! Fuck that."
As she hurriedly swerved around the interfering bishop, the crowd ahead of her had started to disperse, and to her disappointment, Copia was nowhere to be seen. She halted and peered over each of her shoulders, trying seek out his whereabouts as swiftly as she could... but her efforts to find him were futile. As she continued to scan her surroundings, she failed to notice the presence of the slim Ghoul that she had briefly interacted with a few minutes prior, who was quietly waiting for her to acknowledge him.
But he was one of the more impatient Ghouls, and grew sick of her ignorance. He darted forwards, firmly tapping her on her right shoulder. Her entire body flinched from the blatant contact but her black eyes were firmly on the Ghoul in front of her. She scowled at him and opened her mouth to scold him, but he gestured his hands dismissively, then motioned to the right, silently inferring that it was time for her to take a seat at the dining table. There was hardly anyone around them now, and she realised, as she glanced at the long rosewood table, that Ghouls were politely escorting guests to their allocated seats.
Aemelia huffed in defeat and dropped her annoyance, motioning a hand in the direction of the table with a grateful nod. The slim Ghoul politely placed a flat palm on his chest and bowed obediently, before beckoning her to follow him with a wave of his hand. She kept her head low as she followed his lead, nearing the dining table, which was now bustling with chattering Clergy, who filled the two never-ending rows of dining chairs. She had anticipated having to politely stand before Nihil took his seat, but there didn't appear to be any kind of formality at all, because everyone was casually sitting down like it was any other occasion. She was grateful for a bit of normality, but it didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable.
As the Ghoul guided Miss Vial down one side of the table, passing the chairs of stern, severe-looking priests and imposing, stiff-backed cardinals, she shot a cautious glance at the table, looking over the heads of various important people. The rosewood surface of the table was immaculate - short golden candelabras lined the centre, polished silverware was perfectly set out in front of every guest, black napkins bearing a white Grucifix were neatly positioned in impressive shapes and... to her horror, she realised there were even folded name-cards marking every place at the table.
Aemelia hadn't anticipated a seating plan and an unpleasant wave of anxiety flooded through her. She just hoped that she wasn't sat with anyone unbearable. She averted her gaze and focused on the Ghoul in front of her... who had advanced quite a way down the table. She let out a deep breath and quickened her pace to catch up with him, and upon her approach, the Ghoul motioned to one particular chair before he politely slid it out from the table. She clenched her teeth as she felt curious stares drilling into the back of her and hurried the rest of the way there, subduing her short breaths when she eventually rested her behind on the silk-cushioning of her designated seat. She reached her arms behind her to latch onto the back of the chair, set on pulling herself closer to the surface of the table. But to her astonishment, she was already being firmly pushed into place and she frowned in confusion, shooting her alarmed eyes over her shoulder. The slim Ghoul released the chair from his strong grip and tilted his chrome head quizzically at her shocked expression. And before she could say anything, he smoothly bowed, scampering off to complete his list of ever-growing tasks.
Aemelia held her expression of bewilderment and reluctantly swivelled over her seat, peering down at the impressive display of cutlery and black silk napkins in front of her... and then her eyes trailed upwards. Sure enough, a name-card was there - Amelia Vile had been carefully scribed over the folded piece of textured paper in flamboyant crimson ink. She silently sighed in disappointment. Ignoring the irritating misspelling of her name, she slowly and apprehensively raised her gaze towards the centre of the table, where one of the many candelabras blazed away. She studied the flickering ends of each candle and the flames reflected brightly in her dark irises.
The person sat opposite her appeared to be doing the exact same thing, and she happened to catch a shining glimpse of their distinctive irises. Her black eyes flew in the direction of the vivid reflection of candlelight, and to her surprise, she was met with a gleaming set of mismatched irises. Copia stared back at her in pleasant alarm and refrained from saying a word, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from expelling an amused chuckle of surprise.
Aemelia was certain that their allocated positions were no coincidence, and narrowed her eyes at him in silent contemplation. Although she was suddenly suspicious of Copia, she was internally thankful that she was facing someone familiar. It excused her from acknowledging the strangers sat beside her, and she was fairly confident that Copia would be able keep her amused without saying a single word. For once, she was hoping that he was willing to distract her for the entire night.
Aemelia briefly looked away from him to quickly examine the surrounding table as subtly as she could. To her surprise, it seemed that the two of them were located close to the centre of the table. Naturally, Papa Nihil was close by and situated to Copia's right, proudly sat atop his unhallowed throne with two sharp-dressed twins accompanying him by perching on the wide cushioned arms of his elaborate chair. Sister Imperator was obscured from Aemelia's view but she could just about tell that she was sat on the other side of Nihil. She was truly thankful that the woman was out of sight, because the last thing she wanted was to be the target of the woman's spiteful gaze. To Copia's left, and unfortunately, to both sides of Aemelia, were a handful of experienced - and modestly dressed - cardinals. They were all considerably older than Copia and noticeably stone-faced, though they all seemed eager to participate in the rise of excitable chatter passing from guest to guest.
And in a short space of time, that chatter quickly transformed into a jovial atmosphere. The small talk turned into deep discussion, and the deep discussion turned into Ministry-themed jokes and boisterous laughter. Laughter that was so obnoxious, it stung Aemelia's ear-drums. She clenched her teeth in irritation and finally returned her attention to the quiet cardinal sat across from her, who was still unusually silent. His eyes looked like ethereal pools due to the glow of the candlelight and he shyly rested his leather-clad hands over his stomach, calmly gazing at her as the volume of the guests around them dramatically soared in volume.
Aemelia narrowed her eyes in protest and Copia smiled at her in understanding, ensuring his actions were soft and subtle so that he didn't draw anyone else's attention. He could tell from her furrowed brow and tense shoulders that she was uncomfortable with the situation. If he was honest, so was he... he was expected to behave and interact professionally and formally considering that he was the most senior cardinal.
And like Miss Vial, he had no interest in the current conversation - all the participants were cracking jokes about dead eras, and as the dinner table mainly consisted of elderly men who had probably lived through such eras, most of them were cracking into raucous fits of laughter.
Copia decided to remain reserved and quietly entertained himself by studying the attractive features of the alchemist sat across from him. His eyes gleamed as he daringly stretched his left leg forwards, hoping the width of the table was short enough for the tip of his chelsea boot to gently brush over her shins - but sadly, she was sat a little too far away from him. He relaxed his leg and allowed it to coolly occupy the generous leg-room, shooting an apprehensive glance towards the rest of the boisterous table before he settled his gaze upon Aemelia again.
If anyone noticed Copia's expression, it would have been obvious that he was completely smitten with Miss Vial. He didn't care whether she returned his gaze, or whether anyone recognised the brazen infatuation in his eyes, for her presence captivated him to the point of insurrection. Although Aemelia was no longer returning his gaze, she could feel the intensity of his stare. She didn't comprehend why he seemed so fixated on her but she decided that she would rather have Copia stare at her than the rest of the table. She rather liked that the guests had disregarded her existence so far, and she intended to make it stay that way.
She huffed out in disappointment as another lot of droning voices joined the communal discussion around her and she leaned forwards, angling her head to peer down the length of the long dining table. Every single pair of hands motioned along to their owner's babbling mouths or forced cackles and she backed into her previous position, rolling her eyes in disinterest.
After a few minutes of staring at the surface of the table, Miss Vial decided to silently seek at least some form of entertainment before she started to sulk due to the horrendously boring topic of discussion. Once again, her black irises flicked towards Copia, and they lingered there a while before he hastily shifted his gaze to return her stare.
He seemed alarmed due to the misery in her eyes and flicked his eyes side-to-side, acting like he was afraid the two of them would be caught staring at one another whilst rudely ignoring the conversation. Once he returned his eyes to her, his playful actions appeared to earn him a reluctant smirk and he briefly raised an eyebrow - he hadn't expected to amuse her so easily. Then again, he supposed anything was preferable than the discussion coming from the elderly gentlemen surrounding them.
Aemelia rolled her eyes as another wave of wheezed laughter erupted around the table, and Copia parted his lips when she rested her gaze on his eyes again. This time, her attention seemed to cause a surge of warmth to pulse through him and he deeply exhaled, swallowing thickly. His hands began to tremble and he suddenly decided that he had to busy his hands to stop them from shaking. He considered settling them over his lap beneath the table... but that would have looked terrible, so he decided to snatch hold of the nearest piece of silver cutlery that was laid out in front of him - a dessert spoon - which he limply laid over the palm of his right glove. He continued to meet her stare with his eyes as he slowly passed the spoon from palm to palm, catching it more vigorously with every movement.
Miss Vial furrowed her brow at his sudden actions but it was clear that her mirth was present due to the way the corners of her mouth curled upwards. He was acting like a bored child, but Aemelia thought his demeanour was understandable. She was secretly grateful for his ridiculous actions, because his spoon-catching was successfully entertaining her.
As Copia continued to confidently toss the silver dessert spoon between his leathery palms, the volume of chatter noticeably lessened. There was a loud echo of a throat clearing and more and more guests stopped talking, turning their heads in the direction of the abrupt sound. Yet still, Copia continued to stare at the alchemist sat opposite him, happily passing the dessert spoon from glove to glove.
The table finally quietened into silence and all heads had now turned to the source of the echo - a hooded bishop that was sat at the very far left of table, who was sat up straight and glaring his icy blue eyes proudly now that he had everyone's attention... well, almost everyone. He tilted his head towards his superior, Papa Nihil, and wore a sincere expression, but his eyes gave away that he was basking in the attention.
"Please forgive my intrusion, your Dark Excellency but... is there any particular reason that this year's dinner is not being held in the traditional location?" the bishop confidently boomed, poorly disguising his suspicious eyes as frantic whispers started to flit about the table. "I am asking this on the behalf of all of the Clergy. We were surprised to see this venue on our invitations."
Nihil wore a stern expression and raised his chin up slightly, narrowing his eyes in consideration of the bishop's interruption. His brow furrowed and he nodded, peering towards the opposite side of the table instead of acknowledging the bishop that had decided to speak up.
"Yes, as was I, Bishop Decentius." Nihil responded coldly, pressing his mouth into a firm line. "According to Copia, the undercroft is in disarray."
Upon Nihil bitterly addressing his name, Copia's arms tensed in apprehension and he instantly lost concentration. The silver dessert spoon slid out of his leathery grip and briefly flipped up into the air. Then it plummeted towards the table's surface and landed in an unpleasant series of rhythmic clatters, speedily skipping down the length of the rosewood surface before it came to a sudden, depressing stop in front of Sister Imperator... who was searing her irritated eyes into the insolent metal spoon with all her being.
Copia reluctantly tore his wide eyes from Miss Vial to slowly trail them over the table of stern faced chaplains... and from the array of disgruntled faces, it was clear that none of them were impressed by his anxious, unprofessional demeanour. He swallowed nervously and nodded frantically, his gloves creaking as he laid his hands over the vacant surface of the table.
"Eh... yes! Yes. The undercroft is in quite the... state. It has gotten... extremely dusty and eh... "
... full of grotesque blood-sucking vampires.
"... cold. Very, veeeery cold. The heating is not so... effective down there this year, you know? Brrr!"
There was an undeniably cold silence as each guest exchanged quizzical glances... but to Copia's relief, they soon shrugged and nodded in acceptance and his presence was swiftly forgotten. He sighed loudly and tipped his head back, closing his eyes in relief as the loud volume of excited chatter returned. Miss Vial simply observed him with concerned eyes as he shielded his gloves over his face and muttered curses to himself. Then he centred his head and dropped his hands away from his face, settling them over his stomach.
His breathing was noticeably shorter and she could tell from his lack of eye contact that he was annoyed with himself, but she smiled at him, hoping it would reassure him a little. His eyes shot towards her like he had detected such a smile, and he exhaled deeply, unable to resist gazing at the sight of her small smile, and soon he was wearing one of his own.
Fortunately, the struggle of finding more ways to entertain themselves was cut short. After a few minutes, the excitable roar of the Clergy peaked in volume as a handful of Ghouls emerged from the entrance, heading towards the dining table with confident purpose. Their strong hands clutched at a significantly thick wooden board, which they effortlessly held above their heads. The clamour of the guests turned into partial applause as the Ghouls neared the surface of the table, lowering the extravagant wooden centrepiece.
As the Ghouls settled the wooden platter over the dining table, sliding it into a vacant space that had been left in the centre, the guests gasped in amazement, nudging their elbows and nodding their heads in approval of the delicious food on display. The hog roast had most of the Clergy salivating, whereas Copia and Vial were part of the few that weren't impressed at all. They exchanged confused glances as the rest of the guests licked their lips or rubbed their palms together in anticipation, and they silently shrugged at one another, amazed how easily pleased the guests were.
The Ghouls eventually trickled away from the table, skittering off to retrieve fresh dishes and an elaborate carving knife to serve up the main course. The sound of the table's excitement grew louder now that the Ghouls were absent and Aemelia scowled in bewilderment, shooting a glance towards the steaming food in the middle of the table. Copia did the same and briefly regarded Nihil... who was dead silent but beaming an excited grin.
And then, as Copia trailed his eyes towards the golden hog roast, his eyes widened in horror. The enthusiastic chatter quickly morphed into gasps and shrieks of repulsed terror as the hog's stomach began to visibly erupt. The wooden platter loudly shook over the surface of the table as minute pale grey claws burst from the meaty cadaver. Harsh demonic wheezes and unholy screams travelled across the length of the table and each guest tensed in bewildered horror.
And then it emerged, its slender fingers clawing at the crispy outer-skin of the hog as it dragged itself from the creature's cooked carcass. The wheezes and screams continued as Nekid scrambled out of the main course like the creature from Alien, and once he had successfully clambered out to the dead silence of the dining table... his wheezing and shrieking sound effects abruptly stopped. His miniature pale grey body and bleach-white mohawk was covered in twisted strands of stringy pork and thick smears of fat, and he stood upon the table's surface proudly, shaking himself like a wet dog, ensuring that he also shook his behind for good measure.
He grinned mischievously at the heavy silence his performance had caused and cat-walked the width of the table, headed towards the nearest gap in between the astonished guests.
"End scene! Roll credits!" he announced confidently, leaping towards the edge of the table as disgusted whispers travelled from person to person, each one shocked and confused by the strange creature's existence. "Sheesh, you guys are a tough crowd. I thought Alien was a great movie... I'm sure you'll cheer up once you find out that I basted it from the inside, eeeheheheh!"
And with that, Nekid jumped from the table with a hysterical "Wheeeee!" and landed on the check tiles with a wet slap...
"What in Lucifer's name was that... thing?!" Bishop Decentius bellowed in a disgusted tone, bashing a clenched fist on the surface of the table as he glared his blue eyes at his superior. Nihil was beaming an amused smile from ear to ear, and the entire table thought the old man was mad for not feeling repulsed by Nekid's actions.
"Oh, that was only Copia's bastard familiar." Nihil explained with mirth-filled eyes, motioning up a hand in jovial dismissal. "He is nothing to worry about."
"Do not bring me into this, your Dark Excellency!" Copia harshly whispered with alarmed eyes, hurriedly leaning to his right to ensure that only Nihil heard him.
"Why not?" the old man loudly responded, narrowing his pale eyes in thought as he tilted his head to regard the concerned cardinal. "He is yours. You have to learn to control your off-spring, Cardinal."
Vicious murmurs and whispers flew around the table, and Copia slumped back into his previous position, averting his worried eyes to his tensed gloves, which he had comfortably settled over his stomach.
"Konekid means us no harm... " Nihil confidently boomed, trailing his head from left to right to ensure he acknowledged his entire audience. "... the Ministry is his home as much as it ours. However, his antics often cause great disappointment. And tonight is no exception. The hog roast has been... tainted with his infernal germs, so that leaves us with only one option... the vegan alternative."
The Clergy erupted into murmurs of distaste and disappointment, and some were even enraged as the main course had been the only reason they had even attended the event. Nihil smiled as his subordinates protested amongst themselves and simply sat throughout the ordeal, glancing at the ruined hog roast in front of him.
Copia was also faintly smiling through his overwhelming embarrassment and raised his head to rest his gaze upon Miss Vial. She had her chin resting in her palm to hide her amused smirk, but Copia could see the plain mirth in her black eyes as she returned his stare. He leaned forwards a little and the slightest hint of mischief glinted in his mismatched irises.
"Eh, who cares? I prefer the vegan pasta dish anyway..." he muttered indifferently, his eyes shining with amusement as she bit the side of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
When the dishes of vegan pasta puttanesca finally arrived, the disappointment and shock of Nekid's antics had finally blown over, and the sorry sight of the demolished hog roast had been swiftly removed from the dining table. When Copia's bowl of pasta arrived, he no longer had the appetite for food... and he had a feeling it was a side-effect of his mortification from Nekid's stunt earlier. He carelessly pushed the end of his fork around the hot bowl of tomato pasta, sighing in displeasure. Unlike Copia, Miss Vial had quite an appetite and tucked into her dish of food enthusiastically, gathering up as much pasta as possible to shove it into her mouth. As the two of them continued to focus on their meals, most of the other guests began to talk religion, and before long, the entire table was heavily involved in chartering important church plans and policies. The discussion went on and on, and before long, most dishes were completely barren. Ghouls crept about the assembly room, bowing politely before they leaned over shoulders to snatch up empty pasta bowls from the surface of the table.
The more the mundane, so-called important talk droned on, the more Copia settled his eyes on Miss Vial. It was clear that he was finding it difficult to look anywhere else, and it really wasn't long at all before she realised he was staring at her again. She narrowed her charcoal eyes, trailing them away from the black paint surrounding his eyes to study the red material of his cassock. She tilted her head when her eyes rested on his Grucifix pendant and she slowly raised her gaze to peer at him thoughtfully. She wore a faint smirk and nodded in approval... she thought he looked rather sharp in his red cassock. It was a shame that he didn't wear it around the Ministry as often as his plain black vestments - the red fabric seemed to really bring out his eyes... she abruptly frowned in bewilderment. Why on Earth was she suddenly deciding whether Copia's outfit suited him? She figured that she must have been bored out of her mind to entertain such a thing.
Copia reached a hand out in front of him to grasp onto a fresh glass of wine, silently surprised that she was still content with him staring at her. He smoothly brought the glass to his chest and swiftly raised the rim to his lips, where he took a quiet sip, searching her confused expression with desirous eyes. She must have had him in a daze for quite some time, because he only seemed to shake out of his trance once a Ghoul abruptly appeared beside her. He cleared his throat and lowered his glass to the table, squinting at the Ghoul speculatively. A half-pint glass of fresh water was placed before Aemelia and the Ghoul bowed, clutching his tray of beverages to his chest before he shuffled further along the table, efficiently delivering his refreshments.
Miss Vial was oblivious to Copia's gaze and she peered down at the vacant table with a furrowed brow, reluctantly grasping a hand around her cold glass of water. As he continued to study her in silent fascination, he heard the distracting rustle of embroidered robes. Nihil had shuffled around in his throne, angling his head to stare at Copia expectantly. The old man wore a toothy grin and cleared his throat as subtly as he could, but of course, Nihil could never be subtle and Copia huffed in annoyance, reluctantly peering to his right to silently acknowledge his superior.
Now that Nihil had the cardinal's undivided attention, he motioned his blank eyes towards Aemelia's glass of water without moving his head. Then he slowly winked and simply turned his head away like nothing had ever occurred, facing whoever happened to be talking at that particular moment. Copia wore an extremely stern expression but his conflicting irises gave away his perplexion. He had no idea what Nihil was trying to tell him and he reached for his glass of wine, narrowing his eyes in thought as he took a nonchalant sip.
It wasn't long before Nihil grew bored of whoever was speaking and he lightly nudged the suit-clad twin that was perched on the left arm of his chair. They nodded in silent understanding and reached towards Copia, lightly patting his right shoulder. He anxiously jolted and clumsily set down his wine glass, glaring at Papa with unsettled eyes. Nihil leaned towards him again and he clenched his teeth in frustration.
"I thought she could use a bit of gentle persuasion." the anti-pope whispered, and it was clear from his mischievous smile that he was inferring that there was nothing normal about the water she had been given. "You'll thank me later."
Nihil simply leaned back into place as Copia abruptly turned his head to observe Miss Vial with a startled expression. He was undeniably concerned as she appeared to be in the middle of taking in a large gulp of the clear liquid and he really wasn't sure what he supposed to do... was he to stop her? He wasn't exactly sure what Nihil's comment was supposed to mean... was it something harmful? Or perhaps it was an aphrodisiac? Copia reached for his glass of wine again and decided not to question it too much, swallowing back a large amount of dark red liquid.
For ten minutes, the trivial Ministry talk droned on, and Copia had spent every second peering at Aemelia Vial with heightened concern. Nothing had been out of the ordinary at first... but after those ten minutes, her change in behaviour was instantaneous. She looked unbelievably lost and inebriated and started to quietly chuckle to herself as she blinked each of her eyes separately, incoherently staring down at the surface of the dining table.
Copia's brows knitted in deep concern when she eventually lifted her head, and instead of meeting his stare, her black eyes strayed to observe something over each of his shoulders. Her irises flicked left to right like she was acknowledging some kind of presence... and Copia narrowed his eyes, quickly peeking over each of his shoulders to see the subject of her drunken gaze... but there was nothing there.
He then considered that she was simply trying to focus on him, but whatever had been in her drink was prohibiting her eyes from settling. He winced and stared at her worriedly as her drunken state started to become more apparent. She clumsily leaned forwards a little and her eyes stumbled to the top of Copia's head... and she began to quietly snort in amusement, swaying in her seat slightly as she raised her limp right hand, idly lifting up two fingers like she was imitating bunny ears.
Copia's wince turned into a deep frown and he tilted his head in confusion, searching her features to try and understand what was amusing her so much... but of course, his efforts were pointless. As she continued to quietly giggle to herself, Copia anxiously huffed and leaned forwards, deciding that he would reach his gloves towards her wrists to steady her from swaying so much... and he was oblivious to the fact that his actions now had an audience, as the entire table's attention had fallen upon him.
"What did you think, Copia?" a loud voice piped up. Copia quickly slid back into his seat and briefly regarded the source of the question, which had come from one of the stern-looking cardinals.
"Hm?!" he highly squeaked, nervously trailing his gaze over the many serious faces looking at him before he hurriedly settled his worried gaze on Miss Vial again.
"What did you think of the Halloween celebration?" the cardinal repeated in a petulant tone.
"O-Oh ahm... it was... good. Real good." he hastily answered in a distant tone, too concerned by the state of the woman across from him to care about the Clergy around him. There was an awkward silence as they waited for him to elaborate on his response... but he was glued to Aemelia, who had suddenly stilled in her seat. Her head propped up in a mechanical fashion and Copia glared at her in realisation, for her obsidian irises had started to blot outwards, her eyes clouding over with thick swirls of energetic blackness. Her hands balled into fists and she slammed each of them onto the table, her teeth clenching in protest as the darkness obscured her eyes.
Copia's heart began to pound faster at the familiar presence of her entity and he loudly cleared his throat, ensuring that all eyes stayed upon him. And then he scraped his chair backwards, the legs shrieking over the check floor as he abruptly stood in brazen panic. He managed to suppress his fear with a mask of confident concern and outstretched his arm towards Miss Vial, gesturing towards her assuredly.
"Ahm... scusi, ah... friends." he declared confidently, shifting his eyes about the room as he placed an apologetic hand over his chest. "Miss Vial has severe... dust allergies. I will escort her out to see that she has some air, heh heh..."
The table was completely silent as he abruptly descended and ducked under the table. He clutched onto his biretta as he nimbly crawled the width of the furniture and soon, he appeared at the opposite side of the table, grunting loudly in protest as he slowly raised himself from the tiled floor. The silence was deafening as the Clergy witnessed his impulsive actions. He pulled her further away from the table and approached her left side, hooking his arms under her arm-pits. And then he hoisted her out of her seat before anyone had time to notice the disconcerting hollows of her eye-sockets. When he shuffled her towards his chest so that he could shield a protective arm around her, he turned them away from the table... and as he began to guide her stumbling form towards the exit, he shot a hostile glance towards his superior...
Nihil winked and beamed him a seemingly innocent smile, and he defensively turned his head away, clenching his teeth in annoyance as he firmly held onto Miss Vial, carefully steering her out of the assembly room.
The Ministry corridors were desolate, and Copia was immensely relieved, because he certainly didn't want anyone to see Miss Vial in such a drunken state. As soon as he'd guided them into the threshold of the older complex, the ominous presence of her mysterious entity had completely vanished and she stirred in his warm arms like she had simply been asleep. Despite her sudden realisation about her moving surroundings, her legs were still staggering uncontrollably and Copia continued to assist her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest into her, firmly navigating her forwards. She squeezed her eyes in protest and her head rolled to the right, a quiet groan of annoyance escaping her.
"I'm ssss-sorry ffor ruinin' the meal, Cardinal... " she confessed in a grumble, scrunching her face into an incoherent wince.
"Eh, eh. C'mon now, Miss Vial. Do not apologize. You did no such thing." he quietly replied in a reassuring tone, puffing out short breaths as he continued to guide them into the thick shadows of the old complex's narrow, winding corridors.
"I did! I should've m-ade more of an effffort... you were so sooo kind to invite me..." she murmured in a small voice, easing her expression into one of dazed appreciation.
"I... did not invite you, Aemelia. I have no say in who Papa invites." he hurriedly replied, his mismatched eyes briefly acknowledging the over-dramatic expression of confusion on her intoxicated features... he didn't think that her drunken state made her any less beautiful but he knew it was hardly appropriate to mention such a thing. He certainly didn't want her to get the wrong idea about his comment, and he certainly didn't want her to think he wanted to take advantage of her. Especially after he'd witnessed Nihil's suspicious behaviour regarding her alleged glass of water. He definitely wasn't thankful for the old man's actions. He just wanted to ensure she made it back to her attic room safe and sound, and the only way he could ensure that, was by escorting her there himself.
"Do you remember what you had to drink?" he asked softly, briefly taking his eyes away from her to scour the impending gloom.
"Water... I ffffink."
"Water, ah? It had a taste, no?" he worriedly questioned, slowing his pace a little as her legs had started to stumble.
"Maaaybe..."
He abruptly halted and she quietly chuckled as he readjusted his arms around her waist. He raised her arms over his so that she could grip her hands onto his forearms for extra support and he began to steer them forwards again.
"You are welcome to hold onto me, Miss Vial." he politely assured, squeezing his arms around her waist a little more firmly.
"Who do I hold onto?" she slurred, her head rolling to the right again as her eyes flashed open, her dark irises flicking to each of his sides.
Cardinal frowned in confusion, "Huh?"
"Which out of the... fffour of you?"
He immediately halted again and glared at her pallid face, waiting to see her mirth-filled eyes... but even through her inebriation, she looked utterly sincere.
"You see four of me?" he asked, his mismatched eyes wide with curiosity. She hummed in confirmation and reached up a hand before his concerned eyes, her black nail polish shining as she extended her right index finger. Then she angled her hand to the left, pointing towards something that she was certain was present, and then pointed to the right, counting each supposed presence in a series of subdued murmurs. By the time she had counted to three, she had shuffled to the side a little to point at the vacant shadows behind him. And when she finally came to four, she reluctantly pointed at him with a furrowed brow, tilting her head inquisitively as her lips parted in quiet contemplation.
Copia's worry began to spike, but he simply assumed that she was experiencing quadruple vision and didn't read into her unusual behaviour too much, gently shoving her further into the shadowed halls of the older complex...
3 : The Third Wheel
The next morning was one of the strangest Aemelia had ever experienced. She stirred from her deep slumber and groaned in discomfort as she tried to move her arms and legs, but they were unbelievably heavy. Her temples pounded and she squeezed her eyelids to stop the light from flooding her eyes. She could sense the thick rays of sunlight flooding in from the large stain-glass window at the opposite side of the attic room, and she attempted to roll over to turn her head away from the invasive daylight... but she found that she had no energy.
Her skin felt clammy and grimy due to her crumpled red shirt clutching to her form and she grumbled in annoyance, knitting her eyebrows as she nuzzled her nose into her rumpled black bedsheets. She tried to understand why she felt so washed out, but she couldn't remember an awful lot when it came to the night before. Whatever had occurred that previous night must have been eventful for she had a mind-numbing migraine and the overwhelming feeling of fatigue. Either way, she knew that the strong presence of sunlight could only mean that she was horrendously late for work and she groaned in displeasure, reluctantly shuffling herself towards the nearest edge of her bed.
She managed to raise a hand upwards and tucked some loose wisps of dark red hair around her ear, scrunching her pallid features in protest as she cracked her bloodshot eyes open. The daylight was overpowering and she quickly closed her eyes again, shuffling herself back towards her mountain of comfortable cushions so that she could prop herself up into a sitting position. Her legs felt itchy because of her slim suit pants, and she clenched her teeth in annoyance, grumbling to herself as she slowly opened her eyes again.
Now that the back of her head was resting against the cushions, she could just about tolerate the stark rays of sunlight and calmly scanned her gaze over her surroundings, hoping that she spotted something that could help her understand why she was feeling so crappy. At first, her attic room appeared to be its usual self... but when her tired black eyes settled on the end of her bed, she furrowed her brow in confusion. The rest of her clothes - including her waistcoat, jacket and tie from the night prior - were neatly folded over the creased sheets at the foot of her bed. She continued to wear her expression of puzzlement as her eyes then trailed to the floorboards down below, and sure enough, her black oxfords were present - they had been neatly placed together and were far more immaculate than she recalled them ever being...
She knew that someone must have been in her attic room the night before, and naturally, her mind ran rampant with concerning - and obscene - possibilities. She desperately hoped that she hadn't done anything too stupid to create any major consequences in the long run. The idea of unpleasant repercussions caused her to swallow as an unpleasant wave of apprehension hit her... she cursed and used her sudden burst of adrenaline to prise herself out of bed, deciding that it was best to try and get herself together as much as she could.
After hurriedly changing into a fresh set of smart clothes, she muddled her way through her delayed routine. She skulked around the dimly lit corridors towards the apothecary, thankful that she didn't have far to walk because she was sure that someone would have noticed the heavy bags under her eyes the longer she traipsed the hallways. She hoped that Sister Imperator hadn't paid the apothecary an early morning visit... the old woman wouldn't have been so content with her blatant absence. Her mind started to run through a series of uncomfortable scenarios of a scolding Sister Imperator and she quickened her pace, desperate to reach her workplace to see whether the snide woman was waiting for her...
When she reached the door to her workplace, she burst in, half-expecting to witness the hawk-eyes of Imperator... but to her astonishment, the room was completely empty. She let out an enormous sigh of relief and gently closed the door behind her, attending to her usual duties. She rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt and headed towards the small stain-glass window at the very back of the room, consulting her potion checklist for the day. Once she nodded in silent understanding, she huffed and counted up the various pots and vials she would need and efficiently set them out over the alchemy station, ensuring they were placed in an appropriate order.
The final stage of her preparation was to ignite the rounded firepit - which was embedded in the very centre of the alchemy desk - and she fumbled her hands into her waistcoat pockets, furrowing her brow in bewilderment. As she clutched onto her match-box, she poised it before her eyes and looked at it thoughtfully... the matches suddenly reminded her that she hadn't actually smoked yet and she swiftly used her opposite hand to search her pockets for her packet of cigarettes...
And then that's when she realised that she would never find her cigarettes... because they were in the pockets of her blazer, which was a piece of clothing she had forgotten to wear earlier.
"Fuckin' hell... I knew I would forget something." she murmured in annoyance, scrunching her face into a self-loathing scowl as she loudly chucked the match-box onto the cluttered surface of the alchemy station.
"Aw, hey, don't feel so bad!" a confident, ominous voice boomed, its presence and close proximity so unexpected that it caused Aemelia to gasp in alarm and she ducked down, crouching defensively behind the alchemy station. The voice was familiar somehow but she was certain that she had never heard it before. It had a strange muffled reverb to it, like it was coming from someone who was in a tank filled with water... and it only added to its eerie tone.
Aemelia stayed hidden like that for quite some time, her heart pounding with fearful confusion. She felt a little stupid for reacting in such a way, but the loud voice had startled her and she really couldn't be sure what the source of such a booming voice was. After a few minutes, she set her jaw and dropped her look of astonishment, deciding that she would have to face whatever it was... she couldn't hide behind her alchemy desk all day.
She inhaled sharply and balled her fists by his sides, tensing her thighs as she prepared to raise herself upwards. Just as she was about to emerge from her hiding place, she felt the presence of an unmistakably hot draft to her right. She scowled in puzzlement and briefly flicked her eyes towards it. Now that it had her attention, the draft seemed to get warmer and warmer and her black eyes widened into shocked saucers.
"Who are we hiding from?" the voice whispered into her right ear and she immediately shot up to her feet, clenching her teeth together to stop herself from yelping out in surprise. The sweltering draft smoothly fled from her side and she cuddled her arms around herself, scanning her bloodshot eyes over the area of the apothecary. Her breaths lengthened and she blinked her eyes a few times, hoping that she had simply imagined the strange voice... but to her dismay, the hot draft channelled its way in front of her... and the apparition began to manifest itself on the opposite side of the alchemy station.
Her mouth parted and her gaze was wide in concerned amazement as dozens and dozens of particles collected into monochromatic shards, and when they started to fuse, they built up a three dimensional image of an other-wordly man before her very eyes.
"What the flying fu - "
"I know, I know..." the man proudly sighed as his body was still being formed by shimmering light particles. "Impressive, right? I thought being a dead motherfucker would suck, but it turns out it is... pretty sexy."
Aemelia was speechless and horrified as the face of the man was siphoned into place. His features were handsome and alluring, perhaps even boyish in some ways. His hair was charcoal and flopped out from a middle parting to frame each side of his forehead. His face was painted with black and white skull markings, and the black paint around his eyes seemed to make his eye-sockets appear more hollow than they actually were. One eye stood out from the other, glowing a rich opal like it was a spectral torch-light.
She had no idea who the ghost was, but she could tell from the spectre's majestic body language and pristine white gloves, that he must have been someone important.
"I - I'm sorry, can I... help you?" she timidly asked, trailing her alarmed eyes over his unusual suit with an astonished sense of curiosity.
"Whoa... hold on there... you can actually see me?" the apparition questioned, jutting out his chin to stare at her with his intense mismatched eyes. She reluctantly nodded in response, unsettled by the ghost's fearless gaze.
"That explains a lot."
"It does?!" she cried in a shrill tone, glaring at him as he tilted his head inquisitively and gently rested his gloved hands over the edge of the alchemy desk.
"Don't let me distract you, I know you are behind already." the apparition spoke in a rich tone of voice, the briefest curl of a smile reaching his painted lips as his brows raised in amusement. "Anyways, it was fucking boring at the dinner party last night, wasn't it?"
She ignored him and huffed in exasperation, her eyes perpetually wide as she snatched hold of her match-box with trembling hands. As her hands nervously fumbled to strike a match into ignition, the spectre smirked mischievously. He seized her obliviousness and smoothly glided his monochrome form forwards, and once he was clipping through the cluttered alchemy station, his spectral form shimmered as he sprawled out over the entire table. He laid on his side like a pinup model, bending his elbow so that he could casually support his chin with the palm of a white glove.
"You... know who I am, right?" he asked in a flirtatious tone, fluttering his eyelids as he cleared his throat to attract her attention. She gritted her back teeth in irritation and the match flared into life. Her dark eyes flicked upwards to sear into the ghostly man as she dropped the lit match through his transparent form. The fire pit spat into life, lively golden flames visibly cutting through his passive existence.
"Should I?" she finally retorted in a cold, unimpressed tone which caused him to smirk at her playfully.
"I am Papa Emeritus the Third, and I am overjoyed that you can experience me fully." he announced proudly, openly leering at her with his enthralling eyes as he gestured a white glove towards himself. She huffed out in exhaustion, already irritated by the deceased anti-pope's suggestive nature and shot him an unimpressed glare.
"The third? I know very little about the Ministry, let alone you, but... shouldn't you be a... headless ghost?"
"That's fucking uncalled for..."
"It is? And you materialising isn't?"
"Wha - I did not know that you could see me... I am usually more of a heard and not seen kinda guy. And the singular sound of my voice has brought many sisters to the very brink of orgasm - "
"Then why do I see you?" she firmly questioned in a frustrated tone, ignoring the ghostly anti-pope's presence and flirtatious manner by selecting her first lot of clean vials and spatulas.
"Hm... je ne sais pas..." he murmured in a low tone, trailing his eyes down her entire body... it was likely that it wasn't the first time he'd checked her out. "You seem very tense, Aemelia. You should relax. We should cherish this unique experience for what it is. You are the first living person to see me since I passed on, we could have some real fun..."
Her shoulders visibly tensed and she turned around, loudly dropping a glass mixing pot onto the stone surface of the untidy window sill.
"Hey, heyyy, relax..." Papa attempted to reassure in a soothing tone, hoping he still had the same alluring charisma he'd had when he was alive. He remained calm as she continued to face away from him, wearing a furious sneer as her bloodshot eyes pierced into the vivid reds and opals of the stain-glass window.
"Relax? Are you fucking joking?!" she growled, viciously, swiping up another piece of equipment from the stone window sill. "I'm supposed to be an experienced member of Copia's knock-off Scooby Gang, yet here I am, shitting a brick 'cause I'm being visited by Casper, the slutty ghost!"
There was a small, icy silence before Papa's silky voice softly emerged again, "I did not intend to offend you, Aemelia."
"You didn't... I'm just... stressed." she quietly replied, squeezing her eyes shut in protest. "I feel awful and this day is getting stranger and stranger..."
She sighed in disappointment and slowly turned around to face the spectral anti-pope - who was still hovering over the alchemy station in a suggestive manner - and her look of indifference hastily turned to an expression of horror. She peered right through him and met the startled eyes of Copia, who was staring right back at her from the other side of the alchemy desk, adorning his black cassock and an equally confused expression.
"W-When did you come in?" she stuttered in a small voice, her hands clenching into nervous fists by her sides.
"Oh, ahm... you did not hear me enter?" Copia asked worriedly, clearing his throat awkwardly as his eyes shifted across her distressed features apprehensively. "I guess I should've knocked, ah?"
"No, it's fi - "
"I just wanted to check up on you. You are ok? You are not hurting anywhere, are you?" he questioned, blatantly displaying concern in his shining mismatched eyes.
"Y-Yeah, 'course. I'm fine, don't worry." she hastily replied as she averted her gaze to the floor, trying to ignore the vivid shimmer of Papa, who was smiling and listening intently, revelling in the simple fact he was laid between the two of them.
"You're sure? After what happened last night it would be understandable if you were - "
Papa's head sprang up in intrigue and he tilted his head to peer at Copia, a wicked grin crawling over his skull-coated features.
"What? What happened last night?" Aemelia hurriedly questioned, darting her black eyes between the two men, immensely uncomfortable with the situation.
"You... really don't recall?" Copia inquired, knitting his eyebrows together.
"Fuck no."
"Ah... then it is probably wise that we do not bring it up." Cardinal softly commented, swallowing thickly as he subtly trailed his eyes down her front before averting his gaze to the floor beneath his feet.
"No no no no, Copia! C'mon! What are you doing?!" Papa yelled in over-dramatic frustration, smoothly flipping his ghostly form over so that he could violently motion his irritated fists in front of Copia, who was utterly oblivious to Papa's existence, but very aware of Aemelia, who had abruptly flinched at Papa's loud voice and he raised his head instantly, wincing with concern.
"There is something bothering you, isn't there?" Copia questioned, searching her face as he frowned in bewilderment. Damn him for being so intuitive. She sighed deeply and nodded, parting her mouth to reply to him but her eyes were drawn to Papa again, who had leaned significantly closer to Copia. He cupped a white glove around his mouth and shuffled through the air a little so that he could hover his mouth next the cardinal's nearest ear...
"Just smooch her. Go on, smooch her fucking face off." Papa whispered fiercely, passionately gesturing his free hand along with words. "Do it. I fucking dare you. Smooch the fuck out of her. If I was you right now, I'd leap the fucking table!"
Aemelia's pallid face went noticeably pink due the actions of both men, and she tried her best to continue like nothing was out of the ordinary... but Copia knew that she was masking whatever was truly troubling her.
"I-I haven't had a smoke today." she explained, shifting her eyes to meet his inquiring stare. "Think I left them in my jacket... which I also forgot. My head's all over the place today."
Copia wore a small smile of understanding and nodded his head, leaning forwards to reach his arms across the alchemy station. She frowned in confusion as his gloved hands gently grasped hold of her tensed fists. He carefully raised them and squeezed them firmly, staring at her with an extremely sincere expression. Papa rolled over to face them and smiled profusely, nodding his head in approval, "Sure, that's more like it."
"I can... go get your jacket for you, if you would like?" Copia asked her, his gloves creaking as his thumbs lightly stroked the skin of her wrist. She narrowed her eyes in consideration but she eventually nodded, silently bewildered as his smile grew. His grasp on her lingered and tightened as he politely bowed his head a little, and then he gently left her, smoothly backing away until his back hit the door.
Then he turned, swung the door open and swiftly exited the apothecary... and Aemelia breathed out an enormous sigh of relief, raising up her hands to her head to claw her fingers through her taut burgundy hair.
"You'd better fuck off by the time he gets back." she stated darkly, narrowing her black eyes at the ethereal anti-pope.
"Are you kidding? It was just starting to heat up between the two of you. There is a spark there, I don't wanna miss the real epiphany moment - "
"Right, that's it. Get the fuck out of here." she grumbled, lowering her hands from her hair to viciously swipe her hands through his spectral presence.
"You want me to fuck off? How do I do that?" Papa asked with an innocent smile, his entire form shimmering again as he sat over the edge of the alchemy desk, crossing one leg over the other as he tilted his head expectantly.
"I don't know, bugger off to some other room? You're a ghost, you can pass through walls, can't you?" she snapped, clenching her teeth with frustration.
"Oh, I see how it is." he replied in a suggestive tone, shooting her a wink as he raised a white glove to his face to softly tap the tip of his nose with an index finger. "You want some alone time with the assiduous cardinal..."
"Yes I do, but not in your perverted sense, Papa."
The sides of Papa's mouth curled upwards and his eyes glinted mischievously as he stared at her wisely, "I disagree."
4 : The Confessional
The sociable apparition of the late Papa continued to pester Miss Vial throughout the day. Although she'd had countless experiences after consuming the slightest drop of alcohol before - she was always destined to see some kind of dead asshole - this ghost was being particularly clingy. Somehow, she managed to scrape through her shift at the apothecary, and she ended up finishing horrendously late to ensure that she was caught up with work for the next day. On the approach to ten in the evening, she finally stormed towards the door of her work place, feeling utterly worn out as she curtly walked out on her Papa III problem - it seemed that she was losing the will to live... she just hoped that he wouldn't glide through the thick Ministry walls to continue his mischievous tormenting.
Tired and exasperated after enduring hours of Papa's excitable tangents, flirtatious banter and constant chattering, Aemelia sped up her pace, set on heading towards the cafeteria before the spectre could catch up. She had barely eaten anything and the hunger was starting to get painful... but then so was the subtle, haunting sound of Papa's voice behind her. She growled and marched faster, quickening her steps even more once she crossed into the newer complex. Her stomach growled too and the soles of her black oxfords clattered over the floor, echoing from wall to wall.
She knew that running away was futile - it was only a matter of time before he found her again - but she persisted with it, sharply cornering into the next hallway. Hope pricked her insides as she saw the glorious entrance to the cafeteria lying ahead of her. She was grateful that the hallway was so quiet, because if it was bustling, she was sure that someone would have reported her to Imperator for frantically jogging through the corridors... again.
She continued to dash forwards, but to her dismay, she was only half-way there once the cooing, friendly tone of Papa's voice emerged again... it was far closer than before. She cursed and skidded to a halt, her frantic black irises searching for something - anything - to aid her current predicament...
And her eyes rested on something located to the left, something she had never noticed before - a confessional that was embedded into the stone wall. It was ten at night so it was unlikely that it was currently available for use, so she decided it would make a fairly decent hiding place for a little while. She could even hide in there until the effects of her hangover wore off... she was positive that Papa would never expect her to be in there.
Without much more consideration, she shrugged and impulsively entered the right entrance of the arched booth... oblivious to the fact that the left arch had an elaborate crimson curtain drawn, clearly signifying that a priest was absolutely in session.
She forcibly yanked a lavish tapestry-like curtain across a metal rail above her head to obscure her from view and eventually let out a relieved sigh, leaning back as she closed her eyes, lightly thumping the back of her head on the wooden lining of the cramped compartment. Her eyes trailed about the place and they narrowed in quiet fascination. The smell of varnish was fairly potent and she coughed a little, wearing a wince of discomfort.
"Ah... hello there, child. How can I be of assis - "
Aemelia's glaring eyes shot towards the wooden mesh in front of her and she squinted her eyes, just about managing to spot the dark silhouette of someone on the opposite side. She waited for the priest to finish their greeting... but they never did. They simply cleared their throat and their black vestments rustled loudly as they shifted awkwardly, dipping their head low to ensure their eyes were obscured by the darkness.
She hadn't anticipated the priest's presence... and although she didn't want to participate in the act of confession, she definitely didn't want to give up her hiding place. So she decided that it would be better to seem like she had intended to confess in the first place... she figured it would be an easy excuse to feign.
If she was honest, she wasn't sure how such an exchange worked and shot a skeptical glance through the ebony lattice board before her. She could still only distinguish the faintest outline of the priest, and from his emphatic silence, it was clear that he was patiently awaiting the sound of her voice. His shadowy movements caused her to swallow nervously and her entire form tensed... there was something about being forced to converse with a shadowy stranger that really unsettled her. But she couldn't stand there in silence.
"I... don't usually do this." she admitted hoarsely, settling her back against the cold wood as she crossed her tense arms over her chest. There was another rustle of fabric as the priest froze at the sound of her voice... and then a strained choke, which soon grew loud and transformed into a wheeze, and then finally ended as a single, dry cough.
"Bleedin' hell, are you alright there?" she asked in confused concern, her eyes wide as she tried to spy them through the wooden lattice.
"Yes, yes!" a raspy whisper replied, and Aemelia reluctantly nodded in understanding. She could just about make out a gloved hand through the wooden mesh, and it was gesturing for her to proceed.
"Is there a formula to this like Catholic confession... or do I just spew everything out?" she questioned, scrunching her nose up in bewildered curiosity.
"Heh. You do not know?" another rasp came, she could tell that the priest was disguising his voice for some reason... nobody's natural voice was that strained. "We do not speak of sins here. Only troubles and fears."
"Right... it's probably better that I don't say a fuckin' word, then. I honestly never intended to confess... so I'm definitely not in this box for the right reason."
She shifted slightly, feigning that she was about to leave the confessional, but the priest hurriedly darted towards the lattice in front of her, hooking his gloved fingers into the the wooden gaps. His actions caused her to slide into her previous position and she swore that she could hear heavy, apprehensive breaths... she huffed out in confusion and she squinted her eyes, trying to recognise the man on the other side, but it was still far too dark for her to make any kind of distinction.
"There is no right reason to be here." he responded in a much more controlled whisper, their true voice almost peaking over each breath. "But... you have been drawn here... which means that something must be hovering over your shoulders, Ae - child."
The priest's unusual hesitation caused her to frown deeply but she nodded in understanding - she supposed that he was completely right about that - and decided to entertain the current situation, supposing she would at least get a few things off of her chest... and she was fairly hopeful that the priest would be able to help her with her ghost problem. And considering her grumbling tummy, she hoped that he would help her sooner rather than later.
"Yeah, you're right." she confessed, sighing deeply. "I honestly only came in here to hide."
"To hide? To hide from what?" the priest's strained, wheezy voice piped up. "You have nothing to fear, Ae - eh - child."
"Ha, oh no, I think I do, father. I keep seeing this bloke." she curtly snapped, rolling her eyes in annoyance... of course the priest was going to act all-knowing.
"What?!" he hoarsely cried, his silhouette swiftly freezing. There was an obnoxious intake of breath before the shadow abruptly leaned closer, warm breath seeping through the small gaps in the wooden mesh. He cleared his throat again, preparing his vocal chords for their disguise.
"How long have you been seeing him?" he promptly questioned in an exaggerated low tone that caused her to tilt her head in confusion.
"Erm... since this morning. Are you sure that you're alright, father? Your voice is all over the place. Are you sure that you haven't got... laryngitis or something?"
He cleared his throat again, "I am fine, sister."
"Oh... no, I'm... I'm not a sister." she hastily replied in a playful tone, shaking her head in amusement.
"And this... bloke you spoke of, who is he?"
Aemelia scowled at the priest's sudden question, wondering why he'd ignored her comment but she decided to overlook it. She was incredibly tempted to admit that it was the late Papa Emeritus the Third... but she couldn't be certain how the priest would take it. He probably wouldn't believe her... so she opted to downplay it.
"I don't have a clue, don't think I even caught the name." she lied, her feet shifting about over the slabstone floor.
"But you are seeing him."
"Yeah, I am." she pressed in annoyance, clapping a nervous hand across her forehead. "And he won't stop fucking following me. Once he finds me, that's it... natter natter natter non-fucking-stop. I would boot him up the arse, but... sadly that's not possible."
"Hmph. He is obviously keen on you." the priest spat enviously, emitting an ominous sigh of frustration. "But then, if you are seeing him, it is only encouraging his eager behaviour, Miss Vial."
"Wait... what?" she cried in a shrill, bewildered tone. "No. No, you've got the wrong end of the stick here, father. I'm not seeing him in that respect. I meant that I keep seeing... a physical manifestation - a ghost of some... dead bloke. He did say his name but... I wasn't listening."
There was an enormous sigh of relief and the warmth of the priest was finally reaching her now that he'd been close to the mesh for some time. His robes rustled again and his shoulders suddenly seemed to ease.
"You are... seeing a ghost? And it... follows you around to speak to you?" he paraphrased in a curious tone of voice.
"Yep, exactly, you've got it now."
"Do you... see ghosts often?" he asked in a peaking tone. The familiar overtones in his voice caused her to narrow her eyes in suspicion and she leaned a little closer, settling in the subtle warmth of his presence.
"Only when I've had a drink." she explained in a distant tone, her eyes searching the mesh again to try and study the man speaking to her. "It only takes a drop and then... that's it. Limbo opens its doors and the dead assholes manifest... and I can't get them to fuck off until the alcohol wears off. The initial daze of intoxication makes their existence fairly tolerable... but then when the hangover sets in... it's a living hell."
Copia sharply raised his head in speechless astonishment, his mismatched eyes subtly glinting as he peered at her in alarm. He'd certainly have to make a note of that for future reference...
5 : The Emergency Response Unit
It was another dark, dismal November night at the Ministry, and another sister was visiting Copia's quarters. The heavy downpour of wintry rain lashed against each tall pane of stain-glass and it only added to the carnal atmosphere of his living space. The sister's trembling fingers cautiously clutched at Copia's mousy brown hair and in return, his leather-clad fingers firmly stroked over the tanned, tender skin of the sister's abdomen. She writhed over the soft upholstery of one of his plush velvet sofas, whimpering beneath him as he poised his head above her face, peering down at her with his profound, tempting eyes.
He persisted to gaze at her closed eyes intensely as he dipped his head lower, smoothly catching her panting mouth with his confident lips. The leather of his gloves creaked when they found themselves firmly caressing the warmth of her bare thighs and he finally allowed his eyes to shut in quiet contentment. The sister abruptly clenched her hands into his messy hair and pleasantly winced as he guided their kissing into something far more feverish. She started to whimper into his mouth when his smooth, leathery hands started to stroke her thighs relentlessly, the fabric of his red tailcoat gently brushing over her sun-kissed body.
He was seducing her skilfully and his effortless success spurred his gloved hands to lightly slide towards her inner thighs. When the sister began to moan in appreciation, he smirked into his kisses, kneading his leathery fingertips into her flushed thighs...
Three loud, obnoxious knocks came from the door, but neither Copia or the sister seemed to notice and they continued to focus on one another, a large wave of heat surging between bare skin and red fabric. After a few patient seconds, the knocks emerged again and this time, Copia noticed their existence immediately. He shuffled away from the sister slightly and slid his legs across the edge of the sofa until the soles of his winkle-pickers laid flat over the chequered floor. The sister eagerly darted to sit upwards, ensuring that his actions didn't break their kiss...
But when the knocks grew louder and more insistent, and the familiar voice of Aemelia Vial reluctantly addressed him from the other side of the door, he immediately dragged himself away from the pink-lipped sister. She whimpered and winced in disappointment as he hastily stood to his feet, shooting the aroused young woman an apologetic glance as he raised his gloves in surrender. He stooped down a little and gazed at her with an honest expression of sincerity.
"I promise this will not take long, ok, sister? You can wait for me a little longer, yes?" he hoarsely murmured, reaching a hand across to gently graze his thumb over her soft chin. The sister nodded enthusiastically, biting into a smile of anticipation. He swiftly withdrew from her and abruptly spun around, hurriedly pressing his hands over the subtle creases in his suit-jacket as he eagerly darted towards the door. Once he arrived at his destination, he cleared his throat and nervously raised a hand to his head to smooth back his unkempt hair... but it was a pointless attempt for the disobedient horn-like tufts were intent on resisting his actions. His hands trembled slightly as he fumbled with the door-handle, and eventually, he cracked the door open, peeking around its edge with wide, inquisitive eyes.
"Ah... hello." he greeted in an undeniably awkward tone of voice, thickly swallowing as his eyes trailed over the woman in front of him. Despite the fact it was nearing midnight, Aemelia was dressed in her usual smart attire and she had her right arm extended towards the bit of wall beside his door-frame, where she leaned her weight against the palm of her hand. At first, she squinted her black eyes at him, but they quickly widened when they flicked upwards to acknowledge his unkempt hair... and when she lowered her gaze to stare at him quizzically, she noticed that the black paint coating his mouth and eye sockets had smudged significantly.
"Nevermind, you're obviously busy." she bitterly grumbled, increasing the pressure on her flat palm to push herself away from him... but he swiftly jolted forwards and reached out a gloved hand, gently catching hold of the hem of her shirt's sleeve. Her charcoal irises seared into him and he swallowed again, nervously licking his lips.
"You can... come in, if you'd like." he offered with hopeful eyes, tightening his grip on her sleeve as her brow furrowed into an annoyed scowl. "You are more than welcome to join us... that is why you are here, no?"
"No, of course not. I'm here because Papa Nihil received an important call earlier... and according to him, the department's assistance is desperately needed. But I can see that you're... occupied... so I'll respond to this one alone." she explained in a stern manner, hammering her unimpressed eyes into him.
"No no no." he quietly murmured with a distressed wince, tugging her sleeve towards him for he feared that she was about to try and leave him regardless of his opinion. "The D.D.D is us. The two of us. You and me, ah? Let me come with you."
"Fine." she curtly snapped, squinting at him venomously as she snatched her sleeve away from his clutches. He abruptly leaned back and twisted himself around to peer over his shoulder, a gloved hand cupping around one side of his mouth.
"I will be back veeeery, very soon, ok, bella?" he warmly called out to the lounging sister. "It is... a Ministry emergency, but it will not take long. You just make yourself at home and ah... keep cosy for your cardinal, ok?"
Aemelia crossed her arms over her chest and sharply turned her head away at the quiet sound of a muffled chuckle, locking her jaw to stop herself from retching. Copia was oblivious to her repulsed reaction and swiftly slipped himself through the small gap in the door. After slamming it shut behind himself, he swiftly turned away from Aemelia to fish through the recesses of his coat pockets. He felt her dark eyes blazing into him and he blushed profusely, fumbling the appropriate key into his grasp. He clumsily shoved it into the lock due to his trembling hands, and as he rotated it, he tilted his head to peer over his shoulder, warily glancing at Miss Vial with his apprehensive eyes.
Although he was a little peeved that his erotic activities had been interrupted, he was immensely glad that he was going to be spending more time with Aemelia Vial instead.
The mechanical swish of the wind-screen wipers was satisfying but the sight of pitch black ahead of them was unnerving. Copia - who was still extremely dishevelled and sheepish after the prompt interruption of his steamy evening - was sat in the passenger seat of the black sedan, peering down at a heavily crumpled piece of paper that was perched on top of his lap.
Miss Vial's eyes were fixed to the road in front of them, her hands firmly gripping the steering-wheel. She sighed in irritation when Copia loudly rustled the sad-looking note, and then rolled her eyes when he brought the paper closer to his squinting eyes. He continued to turn the note around like it was a map, furrowing his brow in perplexion.
"Is there anything else you can make out... or are you just bored?" Aemelia asked in an empty tone, staring dead ahead when he huffed in annoyance and scrunched the bit of paper with a tight leathery fist.
"Papa's handwriting is fucking faint, I can't see shit." he complained in a passionate grumble, clenching his teeth in frustration as he viciously tossed the mangled ball of paper over his shoulder. "But at least I managed to make out some of the address, the important part, ah?"
He slowly turned his head to face her as he awaited her response, but she didn't utter a peep, concentrating on the disconcerting darkness. He tilted his head inquisitively and narrowed his eyes in suspicion, clearing his throat.
"So - ahem - were you a little... tempted to join me back there - "
"No." she sternly butted in, her black irises hardening with irritation.
"No? Not even a teensy weensy bit tempted?" he asked in a small voice, emitting a deep pining sigh. "It could've been pretty fun, you know. We could've just forgotten about this eh... problem, and gotten to know one another's bodies instead."
There were flickering glimmers of streetlights in the distance and Aemelia sighed in relief, thankful that they had almost arrived at their destination - if it hadn't been for Copia's terrible map-reading skills, they would probably have been there by now, but she supposed that it made a week-night a little more interesting for her.
"Fine, fine, I get it, I get it. Ignore me." Copia muttered, shuffling around in his seat to peer out of the window on his right, disgruntled disappointment evident on his features. "What are we supposed to be looking for?"
"Nihil's description was vague, but he came to the conclusion it was just the one creature. It should be simple: we find it, capture it then sling it in the trunk." she explained, dropping speed as she turned the sedan into a junction on their left. The black vehicle blended into the shadows of the deserted suburb quite well, but the overwhelming opal of the street-lamps exaggerated its impressive gloss finish. It seemed to glide over the tarmac undetected as there wasn't a single set of curious eyes peering through the windows of any of the houses they happened to pass... they were thankful that the neighbourhood was in peaceful slumber. It meant they could silently get their job done.
"You really seem to know where we are going..." Copia distantly murmured, peering his tired eyes out of the tinted passenger-window.
"I don't have a fucking clue where we're going." she snapped, slowing the car down to narrow her eyes at the nearest street-sign, hoping to spy a street-name, a direction, a diagram - anything.
The vehicle began to steadily roll again and Cardinal sighed deeply, reluctantly raising his head to peer out of the wind-shield... his mismatched eyes happened to land upon sopping pools of rainwater, which idly sat on top of the tarmac. He frowned in suspicion, trailing his gaze over the large accumulation lurking by the curb-side... the light of the street-lamps spilled over the gutters, and the more his stare lingered, the more he realised that the water appeared to be an unnatural shade of crimson.
He jolted up in his seat, his eyes wide in astonishment as they continued to follow the unsettling pools of blood. His sudden jump had caused Aemelia to briefly shoot him a glance of concern and she frowned in confusion, sharply turning her head to follow the direction of his worried eyes. The tires screeched over the tarmac as she brought the sedan to an abrupt halt and she clenched her teeth in realisation, yanking the handbrake. She threw off her seat-belt and he searched her face for an explanation.
"Hey, hey! What is it? Wait! Where are you going?! Aemelia! Aemelia - "
The driver-side door flew open and she briskly hopped out, ensuring she stretched her leg far enough onto the curb to miss the large accumulation of crimson liquid. When she slammed the door shut, Cardinal huffed in frustration and clicked off his seat-belt, promptly reaching his arm backwards to hurriedly search for the curved handle of his black umbrella. As soon as he latched onto it, he snatched it up and pulled towards him.
Then he bundled out of the vehicle, the umbrella dramatically popping up into place to shield his untidy form from the unrelenting rain as he slammed the door back into place. His winkle-pickers smacked over the thin puddles as he quickly rounded the car to reach her. She was half-way through opening the sedan's tail-gate and she shot him an ominous glance as he hastily hovered his head over her shoulder, loose droplets of water trickling down from the metallic frame of his umbrella to settle on the bristly ends of her plaits.
"Eh... what are you doing?"
"I'm getting prepared, Copia." she quipped, reaching into the trunk to locate the equipment she needed. "What are you doing?"
"Eh... I am holding this umbrella so you do not get... wet." he quietly replied with the slightest twitch of a smirk, shuffling closer to her so they could share the shade of his black parasol. She ignored his blatant innuendo and hurriedly chucked various bags and boxes about, trying to find her capture-nets as quickly as possible.
"Is there... anything else I could do for you, Miss Vial?" he asked in a curious tone, tilting his head to smoothly rake his eyes down the length of her body while she wasn't looking.
"Oh... I don't fucking know, why don't you go and wake up the whole fucking neighbourhood or something..." she fiercely whispered, her searching becoming more desperate as he simply stood there and observed her.
"Ahhh ok, you... want me to go ask around to see if anyone has any useful information?" he questioned, knitting his eyebrows together in apprehension when he realised that she hadn't heard him. "Okie dokie... I'll go do that, ah?"
He slowly swivelled around and narrowed his eyes in challenge, his glove creaking as his grasp on the umbrella tightened. His gaze landed on the nearest dwelling - which was two adjoining houses that were formed out of beige brickwork and basking in darkness - and he marched towards the closest porch, which was situated on the left. As he confidently approached the front door, the sudden presence of a bright light swamped his vision and he grumbled, squeezing his eyes in protest of the imposing security light.
With a gloved hand shielding the side of his face to block out the stark presence of light, he cleared his throat, loitering before the sandy-coloured door. Then he confidently knocked, taking a little step back to ensure that his dishevelled presence didn't startle the stranger too much. He patiently waited for a response and swayed from foot to foot. And he waited for some time, all the while glancing between the door and Miss Vial, who was still ducking head-first into the trunk of her car.
After a few minutes the door finally swung open to reveal a rather exhausted, scruffy-looking Italian gentleman, who had a thick plank of wood snugly poised in a hand that he was hiding behind his back...
"Hello... eh, ciao, we are the D.D.D. We solve problems involving the strange and supernatural. We received a... call from a house in the neighbourhood. And now that we have arrived... we plainly see you have a looooot of blood on your road-side. Not good, not good at all. Have you happened to notice... anything out of the ordinary? Anything kinda spooky? Anything that would... maybe have fangs, bat-wings... or... eh, big claws?"
The door slammed in his face.
He inhaled sharply and promptly swerved around. He immediately leapt from the porch, clenching his teeth in annoyance as he bolted straight towards the black sedan.
"Did you fucking see that?!" he shrieked, firmly gesturing a thumb towards the house he had fled, keeping his expression of disdain as he came to a sharp halt beside her.
"Shhh, sh! Keep it down, will you? People are trying to sleep round here." she scolded, furrowing her brow in annoyance.
"Who gives a shit, Miss Vial?! I was supposed to be seducing a sexy sister tonight! Instead I am out here in the dark and the rain, looking for some fucking... creature-thing while you stand there and... and berate me!"
Aemelia froze and quickly turned to face him with a pained frown, studying the childish sulk on his face.
"Berate you? How am I berating you, Cardinal?" she questioned sincerely, her intense black irises searching his face worriedly.
"With... with those... eyes of yours." he quietly admitted in defeat, his mismatched gaze exploring her features intently. "I can feel you mocking me."
"Well I can assure you that I'm not. It's late and I just want to get this done as quickly as possible."
"Right, right... eh... sorry." he squeaked, swallowing apprehensively as she grasped onto a flashlight, which she quickly flicked on. The opal beam cut through the darkness with ease and she rushed away from the vehicle, pointing the torch in front of her as she followed the bloodied gutter. Copia's eyes widened as the rain pelted her blazer-less form and he chased after her, firmly clutching onto his umbrella to ensure that he didn't drop it.
Raindrops clutched to the clothes covering her body, and after a minute of jogging, she was already completely drenched. Copia continued to nimbly stride after her, his worried eyes never straying from her soaked presence. He was surprised that she seemed to be fine with the heavy downpour... but incredibly concerned that she would end up getting the shivers.
He never quite caught up with her as her pace was swift and determined. She scoured the sloshing pools of blood with the beam of her flash-light, her sopping plaits swishing behind her head. And before long, the bloodied rainwater became darker and richer, soft subtle growls and loud splashing piping up from the curb-side in front of them. Her legs worked harder and soon, she came to a sudden stop which sent strong ripples through the deep puddles of scarlet liquid.
Copia skidded to a halt behind her, breathing hard as he stooped towards her, ensuring that the umbrella covered her already-soaked form. He continued to pant loudly as she flicked off the flash-light and abruptly crouched down. He furrowed his brow in bewilderment and squinted his eyes, watching her stretch her arms out towards the puddles in front of her. He sharply gazed down to try and get a better view of what she was reaching towards, but the dark was too potent. His ears pricked up at the sudden sound of splashing and his confusion grew when the quiet growls became pining whimpers.
"What is it, Aemelia?" he asked in a soft voice, tilting his head inquisitively.
"Shhh. I've almost got it."
"What?! What is it?!" he yelled in a panicked tone, his eyes wide with apprehension. His shrill voice caused the dog-sized creature to flinch and its visceral, scrawny form lurched forwards, swiping its sharp shuriken-like claws at the nearest object - which happened to be Aemelia's forearm. The claws sliced through the thin material of her shirt and gauged into the bare skin underneath and she let out a growl of irritation. The fresh series of thin gashes began to seep warm blood and she hissed in discomfort, shaking her arm vigorously to disperse the fresh droplets of her blood. The deranged, dog-like creature suddenly became far less docile and started to run in circles in front of her, eagerly chasing the fresh droplets of blood to lap them up into its salivating mouth.
Aemelia grimaced and scowled in annoyance, firmly pressing her opposite sleeve to the source of the bleeding. She set her jaw and briefly looked at the creature before her, narrowing her eyes at the wagging spines lining its spindly back - she knew that the hyena-like creatures were renowned for being blood fiends, but she had never encountered one that had been so fanatical... and considering the amount of blood lining the gutters, it had already had its fair share that evening. She inwardly wheezed in frustration and abruptly turned to face Copia, who shot his eyes towards the stark crimson tainting her white sleeves.
"I fucking told you to keep quiet, Copia." she whispered fiercely, narrowing her black eyes in annoyance. His mouth parted and he let out a single gasp, wincing at the sight of her bloodied sleeves.
"Y-You are bleeding?! I-I am so sorry, I had no idea that it would - "
She promptly closed in on him and briefly allowed her forearm to bleed, reaching forwards to forcefully tug at the buttons of his waistcoat.
"A-Aemelia, what are you doing?!" he shrieked, glaring at her in confusion as she fumbled his waistcoat open, hurriedly yanking at the sleeves of his red tailcoat. She clenched her teeth together and he winced as she successfully dragged it away from his body, and all he could do was stare at her in perplexion, holding the umbrella in place above their heads. She hurriedly bundled up the coat and pressed it over her oozing gashes, wincing as she sent him a furious scowl.
As she continued to frown and bleed into his coat, the creature let out a guttural snarl and tilted its rusty-coloured head to glare its glistening onyx eyes at the bundle of red fabric. It licked its lips in realisation and it leapt from its hind legs, its snarling peaking in volume. Its shard-like teeth clamped around the folds of the tailcoat and it eagerly gnawed, shaking its head to tear through the fabric and lap at the fresh blood.
Aemelia frowned in confusion but simply allowed the coat to tumble free, keeping a firm hold of the collar. The creature continued to latch its teeth into the material as she hoisted it upwards, narrowing her eyes in thought as it dangled over the bloodied ground, growling with all its might as it pawed at Copia's soiled tailcoat. And then she turned, tightly gripping hold of the red fabric to carry the snarling, suspended creature towards the abandoned sedan.
Copia quickly spun around and jogged to closely tail her, swallowing nervously as he eyed the hostile pup. In truth, he was more nervous about Aemelia's wrath than the fearsome creature that had attacked her. But he did think he deserved it, why hadn't he just kept quiet like she'd said?
Soon, after an incredibly silent walk to the black sedan, Aemelia marched towards the open tail-gate, forcibly slinging the tattered tailcoat and snarling hound into the muddled sprawl of the trunk. When she slammed down the door with a look of stubborn satisfaction, Copia had reached her side and winced with concern, snatching hold of her wounded arm to bring it close to his face, his mismatched eyes trying to study the claw-marks despite the evident darkness.
"It is a chupa chup, no?" he asked in a small voice, reluctantly letting go of her arm to timidly return her stare.
"A chupacabra." she sternly corrected, pressing her sleeves together again.
"Yeah that's what I said... a chupa chup." he insisted, hoping that it would lighten the mood or take her mind off her oozing wound... it didn't. She rolled her eyes, wandering around the vehicle to fling open the driver-door. Copia awkwardly cleared his throat and briskly sauntered to the passenger side, mirroring her actions. Just as he was about to dismantle his umbrella, the sad sound of the sedan's stuttering engine caused him to pause.
He dipped down a little and peered at her worriedly. She growled in annoyance and hit her fist against the steering wheel, twisting the key again in hopes of it sparking into life. He gulped and slowly turned his head, glancing towards the trunk. He could hear the chupacabra growling and could only assume that it was happily gnawing on his treasured red coat... he sighed, he would have to contact his tailor again...
The engine continued to pathetically splutter and Aemelia vigorously pounded a fist over the steering wheel - which unintentionally sounded the horn - until she growled in exasperation and slid out of her seat, hastily rounding the wing to prop up the bonnet. Her silence spoke volumes and he awkwardly shuffled his way around the car to approach her. He cleared his throat and quietly stood beside her, ensuring that his umbrella was covering them both.
As she leaned across the internals, squinting in protest, he feigned an expression of understanding, nodding his head. His actions caused her to send him a sharp glance over her shoulder and he raised his chin arrogantly, continuing to nod.
"It's a really old car, it was bound to happen some time, no?" he commented in a flippant tone, his eyes apprehensive as she stared at him coldly. "Why don't I... eh... take a look?"
She raised a brow and wore a wry smile, leaning away from the bonnet with a beckoning hand. He shuffled even closer to her as she pressed her bleeding arm against her chest, the slightest hint of pink touching his cheeks. He swallowed and felt her intense eyes on him as he stooped down, trailing his eyes over the vehicle's contents. He had no idea what he was looking at but he wore a thoughtful expression, humming in contemplation as he grasped his chin with a leather glove.
"Hm... I think it is pretty clear what the problem is, Miss Vial..." he murmured in a confident tone, narrowing his eyes. "The car is fucked. Very, veeery fucked."
6 : An Unusual Day for Cardinal Copia
Copia would always lose interest in his morning duties... and today was no exception. He arrived at his office around nine, and with a coffee to hand, he started to scribble through his first lot paperwork... when he wasn't flicking folded bits of paper across the width of the office, anyway. By ten, the caffeine finally started to hit him and he abandoned his paperwork altogether, the legs of his leather armchair scuffing over the paper-clad floor as he stood from his place at the bureau. After a short hesitation, he huffed, nodded and spontaneously bolted from his office, desperate to escape his clerical duties for a while.
So long as Copia had an excuse to be somewhere, he got away with abandoning his mundane scripture duties... so he often ended up at the Ministry library. Because no one would dare question him for being there. When he arrived, he spent a good few minutes milling about the place, happily traipsing around the sprawling aisles of reading material, which was neatly contained in soaring wooden bookcases. The top shelves were packed with mysterious, illegible spines and covered in thick layers of dust... they probably hadn't been touched in centuries, and probably for suffice reasons.
Copia always found the dim candlelight annoying as it was only just bright enough to make out the embossed book spines, but he supposed it gave the place a cosy, inviting atmosphere... and it was certainly more interesting than his office.
On this particular morning, the long stretch of varnished desks in the centre of the library were thriving with enthusiastic scribbles and the golden glow of reading lamps. Siblings of Sin kept their heads down, scrawling notes into their journals or carefully tracing phrases in encyclopedias with their fingertips. Copia was thankful for their obliviousness... and also his black cassock because he blended into the dim ambience of the library quite well. None of them seemed to notice his presence at all as he quietly crept around the central space, his mismatched eyes confidently settling on his destination - an aisle that was situated towards the very back of the place... which also had a noticeable lack of light. He knew that the darkness was intentional to deter Siblings from reading such books... but it definitely didn't deter Copia. In fact, it was probably his favourite part of the whole library.
As he approached the thick gloom of the Demonology section, a figure emerged from the darkness - which was quite unusual, as the aisle was normally desolate. The young woman was dressed in the modest attire of a sister, but she was missing the white wimple. Her almond eyes were a deep shade of grey and framed by a thin pair of brown spectacles, and upon hearing the approach of Copia's shuffling feet, her eyes latched onto him immediately. She swished her golden tresses to ensure that they weren't clutching to the tanned skin of her face and tucked her elbows into her sides, trapping a large selection of hardback books under her arms. She paused and gave him a warm smile, fluttering her eyelashes as he nodded and raised a leather glove in polite acknowledgement. His brow furrowed as they both swivelled to the side in order to pass one another.
The woman blushed as the fabric of his black cassock brushed against her vestments. She cleared her throat as he swiftly shuffled by her, oblivious to the sister's hopeful gaze as he delved deeper and deeper into the darkness. He approached the left side of the aisle and paused, tapping his chin in thought as he squinted his eyes, trying to distinguish the labels on the thick spines through the veil of blackness. He was stood there a while before he eventually sighed in defeat and stooped down a little, his leather gloves latching around the largest book he could make out. He always felt that the heavier books were more intriguing.
His leather gloves gripped around the spine and he crouched a little, grunting loudly as he slid out the hefty book as quickly as he could. He laid his palms flat over one of the hard covers and held it like a pizza box, grunting loudly again as he prised himself up to stand. He breathed in sharply to get his breath back and accidentally inhaled a thick layer of dust that happened to coat the book's cover... he coughed in protest, trying his best to keep his splutters quiet - he certainly didn't want to draw any attention to himself. When his throat settled, he clutched the heavy, tablet-like book to his chest and began to leave the shadowy aisle, quietly meandering around the central desks. He narrowed his eyes and scanned over the various study tables, and once he spotted a vacant desk, his pace quickened, his heels clacking a little over the parquet flooring.
When he arrived at the desk, he let out a sigh of relief, dropping the beast of a book onto the varnished surface. Dust puffed out from the heavily creased spine and bound pages due to his actions and he coughed again, his mismatched eyes wide as he sunk down into the velvet-lined seat. Even coughing amongst the mass of studying Siblings didn't appear to attract any attention and he wore a thankful smile, shrugging to himself.
He carefully creaked open the cover and flicked through a couple of elaborately inked illustrations until he found a helpful contents page. He hummed in consideration as he traced a leather-clad finger over the words, wondering whether he'd read the book already... but he highly doubted it and disregarded the contents page altogether, skipping over wads of pages in order to land on a random page. And from there, he began to read, skimming over each illustrated page with fascination, intrigued by the variety of creatures and entities that were depicted in elaborate black quill-flicks.
It wasn't long before he was lost in the demonic encyclopedia entirely, his mismatched eyes wide with amazement as he read detailed descriptions of feline gateways to the in-between, ritualistic behaviours of chupacabras, lingering effects of soul siphons, innate enervation of desert-dwelling vampires, prime hunting grounds for werewolves -
"Are you doing ok there, your Dark Excellency?"
The sudden presence of a woman's warm voice caused Copia to jump a little, the spindly legs of his chair shrieking in protest over the wooden flooring as he violently shifted in his seat.
"Eh... yes, yes!" he hurriedly whispered, flicking his alarmed eyes towards the woman, who was hovering her head over his shoulder, her golden tresses draping over her black habit as she tilted her head to peer her hopeful grey eyes at him.
"Anything I can assist you with?" she asked in a hushed tone, pushing her brown spectacles further up her nose. He found her faintly familiar and he couldn't understand why... his eyes continued to widen in confusion.
"Ah... no! No, no, certainly not. I am quite... content with this book. But... thank you for the thoughtful offer, sister. I appreciate it." he replied quietly, nodding in feigned appreciation... he just hoped that she would leave him alone so that he could enjoy the book in peace. The sister squinted at him thoughtfully and inched her mouth closer to his ear, fluttering her black eyelashes.
"So... you don't want me to suck you off?"
"What?!" he yelled in a screeching tone, his leather-gloves creaking loudly as he firmly clutched at the thick edges of the book. Heads sharply raised to face his direction and fingers raised to lips as harsh waves of "Shhhhh!" flooded throughout the entire library. He raised up his gloves apologetically, waving away their judgemental glances.
"No, no! I do not want... that." he added in a furious whisper, lowering his hands to settle them around the book again as he shuffled his chair to the left in order to create a larger gap between him and the sister.
"Oh! Forgive me, Cardinal!" the young woman whispered nervously, blushing profusely as she backed away, lowering her mortified gaze to the parquet floor. "I... guess I misunderstood the look you gave me..."
"That is... quite alright, sister. I am afraid that I have often made the same mistake. Countless times." he muttered, returning his gaze to the page in front of him. She sighed, nodded and smiled, glad that her superior hadn't been offended by her actions and slowly turned away, leaving him in peace. Even though she was gone, he could still sense her longing eyes on him and he swallowed, flicking a couple of pages to distract himself from what had just occurred. Finding that he had lost focus, he huffed in annoyance, turning over page after page, hoping there would be something that would capture his attention...
And there certainly was.
To his surprise, there was an entire section on the existence of familiars, particularly those that seemingly manifested out of thin air. Copia swallowed thickly - obviously he could relate to such a section - and leaned his elbows over the desk either side of the book, his worried eyes skimming over the inaccurate illustrations and walls of fine text as quickly as they could... he seemed horrified by the words on the page.
Most familiars are diverse, amicable and very little hassle. Their integration into supernatural society is natural due to their similarities with mankind.
Copia gawped in disbelief. Familiars were supposed to be amicable? Little hassle? He couldn't have disagreed more... Nekid was the opposite of everything written on the damn page. He skimmed the paragraphs faster and faster, wondering who had drafted such an inadequate description - Copia was certain that the author had never encountered a familiar before... but he couldn't have been more wrong.
Some familiars bond with human partners. This has led to the existence of hybrid-species of uniquely human familiars, who often live amongst mankind without fear or prejudice. The genes of familiars are akin to the genes of their summoners, therefore familiars always ask for their summoner's permission before they procreate.
"Procreate?! They can procreate?! Shit!"
Copia's eyes widened in alarm and he swiftly slammed the book shut. Another cloud of thick dust spewed out from the pages and he wheezed out another cough, promptly scraping back his chair to stand. He hurriedly hoisted the encyclopedia into his arms until it settled against his chest, and with some effort, waddled out from the pack of desks, oblivious to the suspicious gazes of his subordinates... and oblivious to the most important library rule... all books that leave the library must be checked out.
But then, what were rules when there could have been thousands of little Nekids wandering about the Ministry?
It was almost eleven-thirty when Copia burst into the apothecary. From the loud wheezing and the droplets of perspiration dripping from his nape, he'd probably ran across the entire Ministry to get there... and that wasn't easy, considering he'd clutched the ancient book to his chest the entire way there. The apothecary door slammed shut behind him and every shelf rattled from such a violent action. He warily hurried towards the alchemy station, grunting quietly as he raised the book upwards, obscuring his face for a few seconds.
Miss Vial was stood on the opposite side of the alchemy desk, shirt-sleeves rolled and eyebrows raised in amusement. She should have been irritated at his blatant intrusion, but she only felt amused as he dumped the cumbersome wad of pages over the free desk space... miniature spatulas and sample spoons were forcibly propelled into the air due such a curt action, and soon clattered onto the floor. Aemelia dropped one of her brows and crossed her arms over her chest, speculatively squinting her black eyes at Copia.
"Have you read this?!" the cardinal sharply questioned, his voice peaking with concern as he gestured a leather glove towards the discarded encyclopedia.
"I'm fairly sure I have, yeah. Why?" she calmly responded, keeping her voice as deadpan as possible - he already seemed panicked and she didn't want to encourage his nervousness.
"So you... have read the segment on familiars, no?!" he yelped, his mismatched eyes wide as he searched her face for an answer. She dropped her amused curiosity and frowned in deep thought, clearly trying to understand what he was actually referring too... and it really didn't take her long to realise what had him so worried. For once, Aemelia Vial looked crushed, her mouth parted and her arms gently draped by her sides. Subdued shock was apparent on her features and she shook her head in downplayed disbelief... how she had forgotten about such an important factor, she would never know.
"Fuckin' hell."
"Yes! We need to do something about this! Pronto!" Copia rushed out in a distressed tone, his gloves gesturing about wildly. "I cannot have teeny tiny spawns of myself walking around - Nekid is one unbearable little shit, imagine the things he would spawn!"
"Well... don't forget that you spawned him." Aemelia quipped coolly, furrowing her brow in thought.
"Oh, trust me, it haunts me every time I hear the clap of his flabby ass-cheeks!" he roared, his panic obvious due to his shifty eyes and the volume of his voice. Aemelia had never seen him so panicked before... but she supposed it was understandable. She also understood why he had come to her of all people, considering she had knowledge about all kinds of supernatural beings... and she suspected he wanted her to come up with a plan of action, but she decided to hear him out before she jumped to conclusions.
"So what do you intend to do about him?" she firmly questioned, intensely studying his panicked expression. "He's the loosest creature I've ever known. Are you going politely ask him to stop visiting the sisters quarters? Because I don't think that would work."
"Certainly not, Miss Vial!" he exclaimed passionately, gesturing his gloves along with each word. "I am going to have a local veterinarian visit me as soon as possible - I do not care how much it fucking costs, his little cue balls have to go!"
"Or... I could brew something that would have the same effects. It would save him the trouble of getting the snip." she offered with the slightest hint of concern in her voice.
"You can do that?!"
"Yeah, course I can. I don't usually make concoctions with infertile effects but... I can make an exception, considering it's you. I know another Nekid is the last thing you want."
"I just hope we are not too late." Copia whispered, his gloves creaking as they balled into fists by his sides.
"I think you would have noticed if anything had already happened, Cardinal. We may as well act as quickly as possible now that you've found out."
"Yes, yes..." he muttered worriedly, frantically trailing his eyes over the floor below. It seemed he was already paranoid about the sound of little footsteps.
"I have a long list of shit to make, but the potion will be ready by three, at the very latest. If you could bring him here around then, that would be the easiest way to administer it. I can ensure that it's worked too."
He raised his head and nodded at her obediently. He then turned sharply, already set on bounding out the door...
"Cardinal!"
He poised his hand over the door-handle and swiftly swivelled around to face her, his eyes dazed now that his stress was starting to take over.
"You forgot your book."
He muttered a curse and bolted across the room, stretching his arms out in front of him. Once he reached the alchemy desk again, he latched both gloves onto the book... but before he could hoist it upwards, Aemelia leaned across the surface of the table, gently placing her hands over his tensed fists to ensure that she had his undivided attention.
Despite the urgent panic he felt, it didn't stop him from studying her face now that she had neared him. A half-singed cigarette hung from the right corner of her parted mouth and it caused him let out an involuntary groan of arousal, but she was completely oblivious to the noise.
"Before you go... you might want this." she explained, taking a hand away from him to drag a modest emerald flask across the surface of the desk. "It should knock the little blighter out when you find him."
She shuffled the small flask into her free hand and held it before his distant gaze. He blinked a few times and narrowed his eyes at the dubious looking fluid that was well obscured by the green glass of the flask.
"Miss Vial! Is this... chloroform?" he whispered in amazement, his mismatched eyes gleaming in wonder.
"The fact you're guessing is comforting to be honest. I'd be worried if you were certain that it was chloroform."
"Cool, cool." he murmured, raising a brow as she forcefully shoved the flask into one of his gloved hands. "Is this on loan or - "
"Return it to me later on. I'm not saying that I don't trust you... but... I don't fucking trust you." she replied, squinting at him speculatively.
"Okie dokie, Miss Vial, I will make sure I hand it straight back to you, ok?" he assured with a teasing smirk. Her warm hand returned to the glove he had clasped around the bottle of chloroform, and the leather creaked as his fingers tensed. She easily moved his hand to gently lower the flask towards the desk and all the while he searched her face in pleasant confusion.
"And one last thing before you go... in order for this potion to work specifically for Nekid, I'm going to need the purest form of genetic material you can get."
"Ahhh, ok, ok, so like... a hair? Or... a loogie? A bit of skin?" Copia inquired, tilting his head to gaze at her in bemusement.
"Not exactly... his seed would be the most potent... but then, you wouldn't necessarily have to harvest that from... him..."
He widened his eyes at her and the bottom of the flask clattered to the table, his gloves clenching into fists as her hands continued to envelope them. She was simply doing such a thing to show her sincerity, but it was causing Copia to feel keen and apprehensive.
"You... you want me to provide the sample?!" he exclaimed in realisation, his saucer-like eyes glaring at her calm features.
"It would be a lot easier, yes. I don't think either of us fancy harvesting that from him." she responded in a reassuring tone, gently squeezing his gloves.
"Very true, very true... ahm..."
She searched his face with sincere black eyes, and it was sincerity that was unexpected. Copia had expected mirth considering what she was asking him to do...but she was utterly serious.
"I'll give you a dish to collect up your stuff, then we should be good to go." she said simply, gently withdrawing her hands from him.
"We?"
"I meant you." she quickly corrected, hammering her intense obsidian eyes into him.
"O-Oh. So... you want me to just... do it here? Or -"
"It's pretty cold in here to be honest, so I doubt that would help. Don't know." she replied in disinterest, leaning away from the surface of the alchemy station. "You'd probably be better heading somewhere where you feel more comfortable."
"Oh no no no! No need, heh heh... being in here will certainly... help." he insisted in an enthusiastic tone, chuckling awkwardly beneath his breath as she scowled in bewilderment.
"Right... well, I'd best leave you to it then - in the meantime I could return your book, if you'd like?" she offered in a sincere tone, knitting her eyebrows together.
"Ahm... honestly, I would prefer it if you'd... stay."
She glared at him. She suddenly wished she'd never said anything...
"To guard the door." he promptly added, swallowing thickly. "There is no lock - any Sibling or member of the Clergy could walk in, you know?"
"So... you want me to stay... to hold the door closed?"
"Exactly, Miss Vial! Exactly that."
She sighed in defeat, Fine. Just... don't try to get me involved, alright?"
"Ohhh no... you don't have do a thing, Miss Vial... just... turn around and... hold the door closed, ah?"
It had just passed three and Copia grimaced as he jogged around the Ministry's corridors, cradling an unconscious Nekid in his arms. The little imp's limp legs dangled over his cassock sleeves and swayed whenever the cardinal made a sharp turn. Copia's mismatched eyes darted around nervously - he was desperately hopeful that no one would witness him carrying his unconscious familiar... because he knew how suspicious it would look.
To his relief, he eventually arrived at the apothecary without seeing another soul and fumbled with the door-handle, entering the place as quickly as he could. His eyes scanned over the contents of the room and strangely, it was missing the presence of Miss Vial... but he wasn't so unsettled when his eyes spied the sight of a small palette that had been neatly placed upon the tidy surface of the alchemy station. On top of the metallic palette was a few freshly filled potion bottles and he nodded in realisation, bolting towards the alchemy desk.
He laid out Nekid's petite grey form over the cold table and the familiar let out a subdued "kaff" of incoherent discomfort. And then Copia snatched up the nearest bottle out of the two, worriedly eyeing the imp as he flipped the lid of the decorative bottle. He raised the potion bottle to his nose and took a hesitant sniff... and immediately coughed in protest. Repulsed that he had contributed to something so pungent, he clenched his teeth in irritation and used his left hand to hold Nekid's tiny mouth open. He tipped the entire contents of the bottle into the familiar, oblivious to the trickles of liquid streaming down Nekid's gaunt cheeks. He slammed the glass bottle onto the surface of the table and backed away, narrowing his eyes and smirking victoriously.
"No more happy endings for you now, heh heh." he muttered, chuckling lowly... and before he could finish his laughter fully, Nekid had already started to awaken. His large conflicting irises flashed open and his jaw was slack due to the numbing sensation of the potion. He groaned highly and raised a slender, trembling hand up to his oval face to shield his eyes.
"Ack! Wha - where am I?" he murmured in confusion, his incoherent state quickly starting to wear off. "My... my legs... where are my legs?! I can't feel my legs!"
Copia's amusement quickly disappeared and he observed Nekid's shrieks in quiet bewilderment. He was even glued to the familiar when the door swung open, fascinated with the various stages of side-effects. Aemelia eyed Cardinal in suspicion as she closed the door behind her, calmly approaching his side to witness the gargling imp.
"Have you done it?" she asked. Cardinal turned to her immediately and his eyes gleamed at her proudly as he nodded his head.
"Oh yes, yes. Look, he is much better now, ah?" he exclaimed, gesturing a leather glove towards Nekid, who had stilled over the desk's surface. He was sprawled out like a star-fish with bulging wide eyes, his forked-tongue loosely hanging out of the right side of his mouth...
"He's better? 'Cause... he looks the opposite of better from where I'm standing." Aemelia retorted, scowling at the concerning state of the small creature. Nekid gurgled out an "ehek ehek ehek!" and he suddenly sprang up from the alchemy station, leaping towards the table-edges to mischievously swipe at Copia with his slender grey hands. The cardinal swiftly hopped backwards and shifted towards Miss Vial with large, confused eyes.
Nekid began to hump his way around the room, dashing from drawer to drawer, shoe to shoe, shelf to shelf, bottle to bottle, jar to jar - all the while thrusting his crotch back and forth. He giggled maniacally, his feet slapping over the cold surface of the floor as he continued his lust-fuelled rampage, humping anything that he happened to come across. Cardinal cast a panicked glance towards Miss Vial and she returned his stare with unimpressed exhaustion.
"You gave him the wrong potion, didn't you?" she sighed out calmly, disappointed when he vigorously nodded in reply. "Grab the other bottle, I knew I should have labelled yours - "
"No, no! It is not your mistake, Aemelia!" he shrieked, knitting his eyebrows together. "It is mine. I... I should have waited for you before I picked a bottle."
She raised a brow at him, surprised that he was owning up to a mistake for once, but her attention soon shifted from his guilty expression... Nekid bellowed out something nonsensical and cackled wildly, running around their sets of legs as he prodded his crotch into the sides of their shoes. He was running rings around them like a disobedient toddler.
"Grab the bottle." she instructed softly, her black eyes hardening with concentration. "And I'll grab hold of this little fucker before he runs laps of the Ministry."
Bottles clinked, shelves rattled and drawers slammed as Aemelia chased the unruly familiar around the entire floor-plan of the apothecary. Nekid's titters echoed off of the walls and he grinned maliciously, launching himself towards one of Copia's legs. He clambered up and tightly wrapped himself around Copia's shin, chortling in accomplishment.
"Eh, eh! Get off me!" Cardinal complained in a shrill tone, flinging his leg violently in order to shake off the horny little imp. After some time, he was successful and Nekid lost grip of his suit pants. With a strained cry, Nekid flew across the room, uncomfortably landing over the floor beneath Miss Vial's portable record player. His eyes spun around in his head and he propped himself into a sitting position, his tongue idly tumbling out of his mouth.
Miss Vial seized the opportunity of his brief stun and bolted around the alchemy station, crouching down to grapple a firm hand around his bony ankles. He growled out in astonishment as she lifted him by the ankles, and he swung under her grasp as she dangled him upside down. He didn't bother struggling and crossed his thin arms over his chest, closing his eyes as he allowed his tongue to loosely hang from his mouth. It was clear that he was feigning death and Copia widened his eyes in concern.
"Remind you of anyone? Eheheheh!" Nekid suddenly blurted out, holding his vampire-like pose before his eyes flashed open, cackling enthusiastically. Aemelia rolled her eyes and shook her head in disapproval. She sharply swivelled around and Nekid began to struggle against her grasp, wiggling his arms and legs in protest. His struggles were futile because she eventually managed to pin him to the alchemy desk. She used her free hand to hold him in place by the chest... and his struggles instantly vanished. He tittered playfully at her actions and peered up at her dreamily, his limp tongue drooling as he started to pant with arousal.
"Stop panting, you little shit bag." Copia hissed as he snatched up the correct potion in annoyance. He was envious of his own spawn in that moment... he wished that Aemelia would pin him like that.
"Open your mouth." Aemelia ordered calmly, narrowing her eyes in challenge as she firmly added pressure to Nekid's chest. He instantly did as she requested, drooling pale blue saliva onto his bare belly. He gazed up at her in curious defeat but she didn't ease her grip, knowing that he would escape if he was given the chance. He continued to salivate due to her proximity and Copia gritted his teeth, flipping off the lid of the bottle, so annoyed in that moment that he didn't notice the lid clattering to the floor.
He spitefully took the opportunity of Nekid being so drawn to Miss Vial, and sloshed the entire contents onto the flat area of his forked tongue. As soon as the potion hit Nekid's taste buds, it seeped into his form. He lightly snarled and bared his teeth... until he dropped into unconsciousness, his pale grey eyelids falling shut. Aemelia continued to pin him, ensuring that he wasn't trying to fool them, and as she stood there, silently awaiting the result of the potion, she reluctantly met Copia's concerned eyes.
"Thank you..." he sighed in relief, sliding the empty potion bottle onto the desk. "You really didn't have help me out - "
"Of course I did. You couldn't manage him on your own. Well... I s'pose you could, had you picked the right potion the first time round..." she quietly replied, suppressing her urge to smirk.
"Yes... heh heh... I... I know that most of these things are confidential but... you made an aphrodisiac? Who would be in need of such a thing?" he inquired, the hint of flirtation in his tone.
"You're right, these things are confidential, Cardinal." she snapped, narrowing her eyes at his expression of subdued amusement.
"Right, right... so ahm... what do we do now?" he questioned, swiping off his biretta to nervously smooth back his hair.
Aemelia considered his question thoughtfully and finally released her grip on Nekid. The imp had been still for long enough and she raised one of his arms... then swiftly let go and it heavily dropped back to the surface of the desk. She nodded in satisfaction. He was out cold.
"We go about our usual business." she finally responded in her usual cynical tone.
"But eh... what about... Nekid?"
"He'll wake up in a couple of hours with the inability to impregnate anyone. He'll just assume he had cat-nap." she explained emptily, eyeing the droplets of Nekid's drool that had settled over the desk with disappointment.
"That is... a welcome relief. Thank you again, Miss Vial."
"You're welcome." she muttered, staring at him with sincere eyes. "This won't stop him from being horny, by the way. He'll be the same little shit he always was... this won't stop him creating havoc and picking up sisters. Just thought I'd clarify, in case that's why you truly did this."
"What? No, no. I could not care less about his... sexual escapades. Or his mischief for that matter." he assured, shooting her a quizzical frown.
"You're not even a little bit jealous?"
"Of course not, Aemelia. Why would I be jealous?" he asked, pouting his lips.
"He seems to pull women faster than you can twirl, that's why."
"I-I have no interest in pulling anyone." he lied, but it was obvious that he couldn't bring himself to leave his statement there. "I only want to work at pulling the one person, you know?"
"And how's that going for you?"
He opened his mouth in surprise and gave her a longing look. He wasn't sure how to answer her. He didn't know whether she understood how much he had grown to like her, even with all of his blatant advances... she still didn't seem to realise how much he admired her.
"I... am not so sure." he confessed in a small voice. "It is... quite hard to tell... "
7 : An Unusual Day for Aemelia Vial
Copia would often visit the apothecary on a daily basis. When he would inevitably disrupt Aemelia's work mid-afternoon, he would always bring up some convenient excuse, like an important form she had to sign - that was often never mentioned ever again - or him seeking her advice on something that was troubling him. The latter was often so trivial that it served as the perfect ice-breaker, and Miss Vial was always aware that he had simply wanted to spend some time in her company... the excuses were never needed, but Copia persisted with them, probably covering his tracks in case his superiors questioned her on his whereabouts that day.
On this particular day, however, there were no excuses whatsoever.
Miss Vial was surrounded by sizzles and simmers, and various bits of heated apparatus that were brimming with thick, bubbling liquids. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and wisps of loose burgundy hair clung to the sides of her pallid face as she leaned over the alchemy station. She steadily lifted up a thin tincture of golden sap and confidently poised a deep dish - which contained a cooling blue liquid - over the edge of the desk, her black irises intently following her careful, steady movements as she brought the tincture closer.
White smoke swirled towards the ceiling from the end of a smouldering cigarette that was perched between her lips, and she let it roll to the side of her mouth as she dipped down further, slowly pouring the gooey sap into the deep metal bowl. For this particular concoction, patience was required for success, so she added the sap in small quantities, narrowing her eyes to really focus on her actions.
The apothecary door abruptly burst open, but she didn't seem to notice such a thing and continued to concentrate on her work, even when the door loudly slammed shut. The familiar sound of Copia's shoes scuffing over the floor emerged as he swiftly advanced towards the alchemy station, the hems of his black cassock swishing. Unusually, he wasn't adorning his matching biretta and he looked undeniably flustered due to his unkempt hair and flushed cheeks. He was masking his short breaths quite well, but it was clear that he had probably sprinted from his office just to see her...
Suddenly halting by the desk, he inhaled sharply as he peered across to glare at Aemelia, who was still oblivious to his presence and deeply focused on her work. He exhaled deeply as he slammed his leathery palms onto the stingy free space of the alchemy station, but the muffled thump of his actions hadn't been enough to attract her attention.
"So, ah... about this sex tape..." Copia declared bluntly with wide, inquisitive eyes, his confident tone effortlessly cutting through the simmers and trickles. Aemelia jumped out of her skin - mostly due to his sudden presence but his words certainly hadn't helped - and flinched as a consequence, flicking the nearest edge of the dish... it quickly slipped out of her grasp and forcibly tilted, the light blue liquid spewing out from its recesses to splash over the cardinal that was stood opposite her. He squeezed his eyes shut in confusion, the tepid potion soaking him from the top of his head to the fabric covering his collarbone.
"Fuck!" Aemelia cried out apologetically, already snatching hold of an emergency cloth - which she always had to hand - that was perched over the right side of the desk. She hurriedly rounded the cluttered workstation and stood in front of him, roughly starting to dry him with the salvaged bit of towel. He winced slightly as she firmly patted down the skin of his face, cyan droplets dripping from the tip of his nose and the drenched clumps of chestnut hair, which now appeared to be dark brown due to the excess liquid. He didn't seem shocked or annoyed that he was now covered in an unknown substance... but due to the warm tingle of his face and Miss Vial's hasty reaction, he could only assume that it was only suitable for consumption and wasn't intended for external use.
"You don't feel itchy, do you?" she questioned worriedly, and he simply shook his head, frowning as he cautiously cracked his eyes open. She was ever so close to him and he inhaled deeply as she patted the left side of his face, his following exhale a lot more subdued. He blushed furiously when she knitted her eyebrows and leaned even closer, roughly drying the skin below his hairline. As she continued to concentrate on drying him, he couldn't resist how pleasant the action was and closed his eyes, humming in appreciation. Soon, his face was completely dry and she pressed the cloth to the skin of his nape instead, ensuring that she didn't miss any stray droplets. He closed his eyes at the feeling of her rubbing his damp skin and wore a small smile, stooping down a little to encourage her actions.
"Is it... available for purchase?" he suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, his smile dropping as the towel slid away from him. He felt her backing away and subtly winced, mildly saddened by the lack of proximity.
"The potion?" she swiftly responded with a quizzical frown, his mismatched eyes flashing open at her voice, his expression becoming sincere.
"The sex tape."
"The what?!" she cried in disbelief, her eyes wide as she carefully leaned forwards to abruptly ruffle his sopping hair with a dry patch of towel.
"You... have a sex tape, right?" he went on in a casual, curious tone, closing his eyes as she continued to thoroughly tousle his sodden hair. "I mean... the whole Ministry is rife with the rumours about one but ah... I thought I would ask you for myself. We are close enough to... ask that sort of thing, no?"
Her drying paused but she didn't back away this time. He opened his eyes, eagerly searching her pallid features as she shook her head in annoyance.
"I am certain that I do not have one of those."
"Oh." he said in a small voice as she shuffled a little closer, scowling deeply as she let out a huff of disappointment. "Shit... I... I have gotten carried away with the wrong ideas again... forgive me, Miss Vial."
He swallowed apprehensively when she didn't respond, but decided that she must have accepted his apology considering that she was firmly continuing to dry the right side of his head. His eyes shut as he hummed in enjoyment again and her scowl etched deeper, but she continued her actions regardless of his little noises.
"If you... ever decide you want to do one... do not be shy to ask, ah?" he murmured in a quiet, flirtatious tone, resisting the urge to smirk as he blatantly opened his eyes to stare at her. She raised a brow and poised her hand over his unkempt hair, her intense black irises searing into him.
"Now why the fuck would I want to do that?"
"Ah... some people would be willing to spend quite a bit on that kind of thing. It could... fund your sedan repairs, ah?" he suggested in a peaking voice, shifting his eyes away from her now that his cheeks were turning a shade of pink.
"I can get funds other ways." she retorted emptily, her eyes lingering on the blatant blush over his face."And nobody would pay for that anyway. "
"I would." he hastily replied as his honest eyes trailed up to her lips - he suddenly felt incredibly warm beneath his cassock. She paused for a moment and then huffed in annoyance, turning away from him to sling the damp towel over the other side of the alchemy desk.
"And I would pay more if I starred in it with you..."he whispered when she finally stepped away from him, widening his eyes as she scolded him by sharply glancing over her shoulder.
"Fuck off, would you?" she asked kindly with a wry smile, a few glass tubes and metal dishes clinking as she stooped down to tidy the cluttered desk.
"So... there is definitely no tape?"
"Absolutely." she grumbled in disinterest, keeping her back to him as he raised a glove to his head to smooth his damp hair, attempting to push it back as best as he could.
"Ah... okie dokie." he sighed in disappointment and she turned to face him, wearing a bewildered expression. "In that case, I will... leave you to the rest of your work. And ahm... I really like the scent of this potion, is it blueberry?"
She smirked, "Maybe."
"Cool, cool... I will not get any... side effects, will I?" he asked worriedly, glaring at her amused expression.
"Shouldn't do. But it's probably best that you have a shower as soon as you can."
"Right, right, got it."
He slowly - and blatantly - trailed his eyes down the length of her body as he started to swivel around, but as his gaze lingered on her chest, she narrowed her eyes and raised her hands to stop him from leering. As her wrists crossed over her chest, the glossy black of her fingernails and the shine of something metal was unmistakable... it attracted his eyes immediately. The steel band around her ring finger was subtle and immaculate... had she always worn such a thing? Because he certainly hadn't noticed it before...
"You're not married, are you?!" he blurted out with a look of horror, his gloves creaking as they tensed by his sides.
"No, of course not, Cardinal." she replied in a deadpan tone, rolling her mirthful eyes. "It absorbs any crappy feelings you might have, it's a good little relic really."
"You are feeling crappy?" he asked softly, knitting his concerned eyebrows together as he swivelled around to face her more directly. "Why, Aemelia? What is wrong?"
"It's just lady cramps, that's all." she explained calmly, shuffling around to continue tidying up the soiled equipment over the surface of the desk. "Weird how such a small ring can dampen physical pain... and rage..."
"Oh... I see. That is kinda cool... I am glad that you have found something that helps with your... eh... lady cramps." he cautiously responded, searching her features as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Ah shit... I almost forgot to ask...are we still on for tonight?"
"It's Friday already?" she questioned in bewilderment, narrowing her eyes in contemplation.
"I'm pretty sure it is, yes."
"Then yes, we are still on for tonight."
It was almost seven-thirty in the evening when Aemelia arrived by the door to Nihil's quarters. She still acquired a takeaway pizza every Friday night, and dropping a box off for Nihil was a staple part of her usual routine. Tonight, she had three wide pizza boxes snugly caged in her arms - the top box contained the usual deluxe pizza for Nihil and the bottom two contained two large pizzas for herself and Copia - and strangely, she seemed in quite a rush. She was not nearly as cautious as she normally was and firmly knocked on the door.
It promptly swung open and before the door-Ghoul could peer around the door frame to nod his head, Aemelia barged in, awkwardly skirting around him. Her shoes rustled over the floor and then the multi-coloured rug as she darted towards the living room, heading for the coffee table, which was the usual resting place for Nihil's pizzas...
As she hurriedly reached the table, she bent down, shuffling off the first box in the stack as fast as she could. It was unclear why she was in such a rush and she seemed a little frustrated when it clung to the hot cardboard of the box underneath... she growled in irritation and abruptly tipped herself forwards. The top box slid onto the surface of the coffee table, loudly thumping over the spread of TV guides and puzzle-books.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
Miss Vial froze and slowly raised out of her stoop, tightly hugging the hot take-out boxes to her chest. She turned her head towards the source of the familiar voice, and sure enough, there was Papa Nihil, awake and lazing over the couch. He had a hand firmly wrapped around the TV remote like it was a weapon and he pointed it at her, scowling as he patiently awaited her response.
"I... I brought you a pizza, Papa." Aemelia stated honestly, her black eyes wide as she studied his annoyed expression... which soon turned to one of confusion.
"Pizza? Do you not know that I eat one every Friday? I cannot eat the same thing two nights in a row, Miss Vial!" Nihil complained, lowering the remote to settle it across his tummy.
"Wait... it's... Thursday?" she murmured, narrowing her eyes in contemplation. "That crafty fuckin' cardinal..."
"Have the pizza for yourself. I will wait until tomorrow for mine. Satan always leaves me one." Nihil boomed, searing his pale eyes into the cardboard box on his coffee table.
"I'm... sorry to tell you this, your Dark Excellency... but, every pizza you've been left has been from me... not Lucifer." she admitted, knitting her eyebrows together as she sighed in defeat. The old man still looked incredibly puzzled but he managed a small smile as he acknowledged her worried features.
"You leave them for me? Why, Miss Vial? Why do you do it?" he questioned in perplexion, blinking at her a couple of times.
"I don't know, I've just got into the habit of doing it. I remember Copia mentioning something about you liking fast food and - "
"He said what?! Has the boy mentioned anything else?!" Nihil bellowed, his tone and facial expression suddenly turning sour as his mouth pressed into a stern line.
"No... not that I can remember, anyway." she replied honestly, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Hmph, well that is a relief." the anti-pope murmured, his face lighting up with a beaming grin as his gaze fell upon the box on the coffee table again. "You are very thoughtful, Miss Vial. I am disappointed that Lucifer hasn't rewarded me but... I'm grateful for your kindness. I look forward to every Friday night because of your actions. Thank you."
She smiled slightly and nodded her head, clutching her arms a little tighter around the take-out boxes. She started to turn in order to leave but the old man spoke again.
"Sister won't be along for another hour... I would appreciate it if you kept me company for a little longer, unless you have errands to run?" Nihil inquired, wincing a little as she swivelled back around to face him.
"I... can't stay long." she said, gesturing her chin towards the boxes in her grasp. "These will start to go cold. But... a few minutes won't hurt."
He smiled again and nodded in understanding, resting his wise eyes on the boxes she was holding onto. The old man's observation skills were terrible, but he certainly couldn't miss the fact that there were two boxes rather than one.
"Did you enjoy the Ministry dinner last week?" he asked innocently, observing her face for a reaction. "It was quite the turn-out, but I hope it wasn't too intimidating for you. I noticed that you had to leave early... a shame but... I hope you found the rest of your evening... pleasurable, Miss Vial. I can be certain of the cardinal when it comes to pleasure, I take it he did not let you down?"
Miss Vial blushed profusely. She was mortified by his assumption and simply gawped at the old man, her black eyes wide with astonishment.
"I know my input may have seemed very extreme, but one of you had to make a move some time. It was taking so long that I had to intervene." Nihil blurted out, gesturing his hands as he shrugged defensively.
"Your input? Taking so long? What... what do you mean?"
"I recognise that look the cardinal gives you." Nihil explained with a sincere smile, sighing expectantly. "It reminds me of how I feel whenever I look at Sister. And I felt that he needed some polite encouragement to set things rolling."
"Oh."
"The cardinal does not deserve to repeat the same mistakes I made, Miss Vial. He should grasp onto every opportunity while he still can. I regret many of my past decisions, and regret that I never seized hold of some opportunities... but I suppose that wisdom comes too late."
Aemelia's shock turned to saddened admiration. She was stunned that Nihil truly wished the best for the cardinal. The old man was visibly regretful, and she wasn't sure why... after all, his legacy was the Ministry and that was still thriving. But from the forlorn heartbreak in his blank eyes, she knew that the Ministry wasn't enough.
"I am certain that the cardinal saw an opportunity when he first saw you, Miss Vial. Perhaps you also saw the same potential in him too..." he went on, giving her a warm smile. "That boy was certainly never cut out to be an investigator. I am surprised at how successful your department is... though I am sure it is no coincidence. That is why I will be observing your case tomorrow."
"Right..." she replied highly and worriedly, trailing her eyes about his colourful room as she began to form some convenient excuse. "We don't really have a case as such. We're only heading out tomorrow as a deterrent - it wouldn't really be the best demonstration of a typical investigation - "
"Bah! The contents do not matter! I want to see the dynamic between the two of y - the department. That is what I wish to assess..."
After tearing away from Nihil's quarters - and quickly pushing the strange encounter with Nihil out of her mind - Aemelia shuffled up the narrow staircase to the attic room, the two large pizza boxes snugly cradled in her arms. Upon reaching the top landing, she rushed the rest of the way down the ever vacant corridor, backing up to her door. She planned ahead whenever it was pizza night and always left the door ajar. She simply struck her elbow behind her and it loudly creaked open, prompting her to hastily duck inside. Kicking it shut behind her, she immediately surveyed the dimly lit room, quite impressed by the amount of flickering flames dotted about the place. It was an unusual sight, but not very ominous, because to the very right of the room, Copia was present. Clearly he had been waiting for her for quite some time due to the impressive array of lit candles.
He was patiently awaiting her arrival, a curious expression adorning his features as he stooped over, distracting himself by flicking through her record collection. His actions could have been misconstrued as nosy, but Miss Vial knew him well enough to know that he was probably just excited to see her... and although she preferred to keep her record collection private, she knew that he was always considerate when it came to handling her vinyls.
"I see you've already made yourself comfortable." she addressed sternly, cutting across the central section of the room to set down the hot cardboard boxes, carefully placing them side by side over the tidy surface of her writing desk. Despite her cold tone, her eyes were amused as she tilted her head over her right shoulder, glancing at him in intrigue.
She studied his freshly pressed black suit, realising that he must have had a recent shower due to how groomed he looked... and how much aftershave was clinging to the air around her. She supposed he'd at least been sensible after she had abruptly drenched him earlier that day... she was quite surprised that he had actually followed her advice.
She realised she had been staring at him for far too long and she still hadn't gotten an answer from him yet. As her mouth parted to address him again, her black eyes shot towards his left side, where a twitching pink nose and a matching set of eyes peeped over his shoulder. Thin whiskers lightly tickled the skin of Copia's neck as the creature continued to scramble up to get a good view of Aemelia. As more of the rat emerged, its pink paws clutching the fabric of Copia's jacket, she noticed that it was missing a fair few chunks of white fur due to the odd patches of pale pink over its slender body.
"You brought a friend?" she inquired softly, taking quiet steps towards them. Her actions caused Copia to turn immediately, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Ah, Aemelia! I did not see you there! Eh... yes, I hope you do not mind... this little guy is no trouble, I assure you." he replied worriedly, his gaze returning to the movements of his leather gloves as he carefully slid a vinyl out of its pristine sleeve. "He is... a little down today after a disagreement with Ass-Tits. I thought he could use some extra cuddles, you know?"
"He's more than welcome." she replied calmly, slowly starting to approach him. "And welcome to have some food too."
Copia cautiously lowered the record onto the spinning deck and pressed the play button, carefully setting down the dust cover. The vinyl began to turn and he frowned thoughtfully at the distinct lack of sound, but his attention quickly swayed towards Aemelia now that she had neared him. She arrived by his left side and he stilled, pleasantly surprised by her proximity. He swivelled slightly, subtly smiling when she reached towards his shoulder, softly stroking the patchy white fur between the rat's ears.
"I don't believe we've met..." she murmured, narrowing her eyes at the rodent who was dipping his head down low and closing his pink eyes in enjoyment.
"Oh... shit, you haven't? This is Sphincter and ah... I can already tell he likes you very much - ahem - just like his daddy does."
She raised a brow at his words and her pleasant tickles suddenly ended, prompting Sphincter to stay completely still. The rat continued to close his eyes and kept his head down like he was expecting more tickles, comfortably sprawling over the width of Copia's shoulder.
She took a step forwards and Copia's eyes noticeably flinched at her sudden closeness. He parted his lips and inhaled deeply, his eyelids lowering to shade over his drunken gaze. It was clear that he had assumed there was a chance of her kissing him because his lips slowly puckered... but she simply ignored him, leaning across the space in front of him to gently twist the volume dial on the record player.
"Type O Negative? Hm... not a bad choice."
"Y-Yes, I... was surprised to see them in your collection." Copia murmured in a distant tone as she abruptly backed away from him, sliding her arms out of the sleeves of her blazer. His eyes trailed over her as she draped the bundle of folded black fabric over one of her shoulders, nonchalantly making her way over to her bed. She considered his statement with a faint smirk, shaking her head in amusement as she stooped down to hook her jacket over one of her bed-posts.
"You are not cold in here?" he asked, reaching a glove across his front to stroke his leather-clad fingers down the length of Sphincter's spine.
"It's chilly but... the ember will warm us up, I'm sure. Oh... and the food, obviously. Feel free to help yourself by the way." she calmly replied, frowning a little when he eagerly shot across the entire right side of the room and bounded down the couple of steps, bolting towards the boxes of food on the writing desk.
He flipped open the first box he came to - which happened to be the one on the left - and deeply sniffed... and so did Sphincter. He slowly reached down and lifted the closest slice, admiring the generous helping of honey-fried chicken and stretchy mozzarella. He pulled it away from the rest of the pizza, long strings of cheese stretching out further and further before the strands eventually snapped, springing back towards the cardboard box. He closed his eyes and took one hefty bite, soon nodding and smiling as he chewed. He was enjoying the food so much that he hadn't noticed Aemelia approaching him, and when she brushed his side to flip open the box beside him, he opened his eyes, smiling to himself as he glanced towards the snuffling rat on his left shoulder.
He took one last generous bite of his slice before he lowered down into a hunch, munching loudly as he reached his arm towards the floorboards, shaking the pizza slice in encouragement. Sphincter continued to snuffle and jolted into life, wiggling down Copia's sleeve... he slid the rest of the way down and his little feet tinkled over the wooden floorboards as he sauntered towards the food his owner was offering him. He ferociously clamped his jaws around the nearest bit of thick crust and hurriedly dragged it away from Copia's leather-glove, backing away to desperately pull it into the eerie darkness beneath Aemelia's writing desk.
Copia raised himself into his usual stance and chuckled at the sound of fast-paced nibbles coming from the shadows, shaking his head in amusement. But his amusement soon fell when Aemelia brushed his side again... he quickly glanced towards her and watched as she lifted a slice - which was dripping with molten cheese - from the adjacent box, brashly shoving it into her mouth. She chewed the hot food loudly and he tilted his head, faintly smiling at her with mirth-filled eyes.
"Hungry, ah?"
"Mm-hmf."
"We have not eh... taken anything yet, you sure you are prepared for the munchies afterwards?" he inquired in a curious tone, lightly frowning as she swallowed the pizza down. She paused and as she slowly turned her head to face him with narrowed eyes, the slice she held onto flopped down sadly.
"I am fully prepared for the repercussions, alright?" she snapped, quickly raising the slice to stuff the rest of it into her mouth.
"Then... you have done ember before?" he questioned in a small voice, his eyes shining with curiosity as he watched her swallow her food down.
"Yeah, a handful of times. I've sold more ember than I've taken, to be honest with you." she answered casually, dusting off her floury hands on the black fabric of her waistcoat. He narrowed his eyes in confusion... her passing comment had clearly captured his imagination.
"Sold it? What do you mean you so - "
His voice cut short as she brashly took hold of his shoulders in order to swivel him around to face her. They locked eyes and the sound of Sphincter's nibbling suddenly gained volume, but it strangely accompanied the melodious goth metal rather well. She appeared unusually calm and confident for once, and she could tell from Copia's expression that he was plainly nervous and bewildered due to her actions.
"You've never done this before." she stated wisely, narrowing her eyes in consideration as his mismatched eyes widened in alarm. "Quite surprising really, I thought you would've tried it by now."
"Eh... potions are very difficult to find." he quickly explained, raising a brow as he glanced towards one of the warm hands that was gripping his shoulders. "Especially if your aim is to get high, ah? How did you know that I had never tried ember before?"
"Like you said... potions - and their mysterious dealers - are rarities... and the fact you brought Sphincter along wasn't just for his own little bit of comfort, it was for yours as well."
He kept quiet as her hands dropped from him but he continued to stare at her, the anticipation on his features evident as she finally returned his gaze, blindly sliding a hand into the recesses of her waistcoat. Without hesitation, she pulled out two thin tinctures - both of which heavily resembled test tubes - and poised a thumb over one of the corked lids.
"You sure you want to do this?" she firmly asked, searching his eyes for any sign of doubt.
"I am certain, Miss Vial. I believe that I am in safe hands, and... it is... reassuring to know you are doing it with me." he assured quietly, clearing his throat to conceal his true feeling of apprehension. She nodded and backed away from him, popping off the first corked lid to peer at the liquid within. The peculiar potion - appropriately named ember - looked similar to cheap artificial cherry cola and its consistency was smooth and syrup-like. She carefully handed the open tincture to him, and once it was in his grasp, she held up a finger, silently ordering him to wait.
She prised the lid away from the second tincture and nodded once to thank him for abiding her instructions. Their eyes slowly met again and she carefully raised the rim of the vial to her lips. His mismatched eyes searched hers but he silently mirrored her actions, pressing the edge of the glass tincture to his bottom lip. She closed her eyes and reluctantly, he did too. In unison, they gradually tilted their heads back as they tipped the ends of the vials into their mouths. The vivid cherry-coloured liquid trickled onto their tongues without a fuss... and to Copia's underwhelming surprise, there was a severe lack of flavour.
After swallowing down the contents, their heads centred and their eyes flashed open. Aemelia held out her hand, beckoning for him to hand over his empty vial. He furrowed his brow a little but obliged her and she pressed the lids back onto each one, tucking them both into her waistcoat. She then stepped to the side in order to pass around him, advancing towards her bed. He spun around quickly to observe her movements in bewilderment as she traipsed across the few floorboards to simply slump onto her black bedcovers. Her spine sank into the rumpled sheets and she let out a loud sigh of relief, lazily stretching out her limbs as she closed her eyes.
Copia warily crept over the protesting floorboards to approach one side of the bed, his irises raking over her sprawled form while he was certain her eyes were closed.
"I am not... feeling anything yet." he commented sadly, frowning in quiet disappointment.
"It's not instant... it takes a good few minutes. You might want to lie down before it starts to hit." she explained, cracking her eyes open to study him. Upon realising that he was stood by one side of her bed, she shuffled to sit up, tilting her head inquisitively as he awkwardly stooped downwards, clearly set on lying over the dusty floorboards below...
"Not on the fucking floor, Copia. Fuckin' hell, you'll do your back in." she scolded with knitted eyebrows, shuffling over the mattress to leave extra space beside her. "There's plenty of room here, sit next to me."
He loudly swallowed but quickly - and enthusiastically - obliged her, sliding over the bedsheets beside her. However, before he could sit down, he swivelled around, shuffling himself so that he was facing her. He outstretched his legs in front of him and his winkle-pickers settled beside one of her thighs as he finally placed his behind onto her black bedcovers. She frowned at him in confusion and he smiled at her from the opposite end of her bed, leaning his back against the wicker frame.
"I like to look at the person I am talking to..." he confessed defensively, licking his dry lips as she raised a skeptical brow. "I also like to... look at you... a lot, ok?"
"I know." she reluctantly grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as her gaze lowered to acknowledge the polished oxfords that were still clinging to her feet. He cleared his throat and decided to change the subject before he started to blush.
"Ahm... you... you are so calm today, Miss Vial. That ring does wonders for you, ah?" he smoothly diverted, his eyes resting on the partially obscured steel band that was clutching around one of her fingers.
"Yeah it's pretty effective. Just have to make sure it doesn't get too hot." she mumbled in disinterest, continuing to study her shoes like they were the most fascinating objects in the world.
"If you need any help getting rid of it... let me know." he offered sincerely, gazing at her with honest eyes as she lightly scowled and shook her head.
"I'm not going to get rid of it, I just need to expel the heat from it."
"Cool, cool... I can help with that too." he muttered in a distant tone, clearly distracted by whatever ridiculous scenarios were manifesting in his imagination at that particular moment in time. She narrowed her eyes in confusion when her gaze finally settled upon him but reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.
"How's Nekid doing?" she suddenly questioned, hoping that the change in subject would drag him out of his distracting thoughts. It seemed to do the trick because he shook his head and blinked a few times, bashfully smoothing his hair back.
"I have not seen him... so I think that is a good sign, no? He is probably getting frisky with half of the sisters in this damned place... so he definitely hasn't noticed anything different about his empty cue balls."
Aemelia let out a breathy chuckle and shuffled back to sit against the comfortable accumulation of pillows behind her. He observed her silently but drank in the sight of her as she extended her legs out, using her heels to prise off the hems of her black oxfords until they inevitably slid off. They thudded onto the floorboards below and he subtly smirked as she brashly threw her head back to rest it against the cushions behind her. She let out a deep breath that blasted a thin wisp of burgundy hair up into the air in front of her face, but it soon fell loosely over her pallid cheek once her exhale ended. Her dark eyes raised to acknowledge him and their gazes met immediately. The mirth in her gaze was unmistakable and she bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing... but it was pointless.
"What is so funny, ah?" he poked in mock offense, his smirk broadening at the continuation of her breathy giggles. "What has tickled you?"
"I just... remembered that Nekid has a more lively sex life compared to you, that's all." she teased in a serious tone, her chuckles finally fading away. He raised his brows and his mismatched eyes were swimming with mischief as he draped an arm out beside him... and firmly dragged the tips of his leather-clad fingers up the sole of one of her bare feet. Her leg flinched and she gasped, alarm sweeping over her pallid features. His glove was still poised in position to administer a second tickle and he simply continued to stare at her with a seemingly innocuous expression... but the mischievous glints in his eyes were obvious to her. She pressed her lips together tightly and narrowed her amused eyes in challenge, her cheeks trying to fight off the urge to smile.
"That's below the belt, Copia." she quipped, shaking her head in disapproval. "Striking like that when someone is vulnerable? That's just downright dirty if you ask me."
Copia smirked arrogantly and bent his legs at the knees, reaching down to pull off his winkle-pickers as he continued to return her defiant stare.
"Dirty is sometimes required, Miss Vial. But I will play fair, just this once, ah?" he taunted playfully, his shoes quietly landing over the floorboards below.
"If you fucking dare touch my feet again... I swear I will boot you across this fucking room." she scolded through gritted teeth, grinning in sarcastic amusement.
"Eh! C'maaan, I took my shoes off, so we are on equal terms now. You have as much chance to tickle me as I do you, ok?"
"Fuck-wit." she muttered bitterly in a deadpan tone.
"Bitch." he retorted playfully, smirking victoriously.
Aemelia responded by frowning in surprise, her black eyes wide as she sat up a little straighter. Although Copia was immensely amused by her reaction, all visible signs of it vanished in an instant, as his face lit up in realisation. A question had suddenly come to mind and he decided to simply say it out loud without truly thinking it over...
"What was your first time like?" he rushed out, dipping his head down which caused him to peer up at her intently... and innocently. From the expression on his face it was obvious that he hadn't quite registered his own words, and strangely, Miss Vial seemed fairly indifferent about answering his rather brazen question.
"My first time? Jeez, now you're asking a fuckin' question, Cardinal. I honestly don't think I remember it... you're referring to intercourse, right?"
"Of course I'm referring to banging, Miss Vial." he responded enthusiastically, his expression sincere but it was clear from his eyes that he was incredibly curious. "I take it that it was a long, looong time ago, ah?"
"Long enough." she curtly confirmed, narrowing her black eyes at him, suspicious of where their conversation was headed.
"Cool, cool... I remember my first time very well. It was not so... conventional, heh heh. Things were extremely... eh... complicated. I was young and - ahem - very inexperienced, but how could I resist a priest and a nun at the same time, ah?"
"Thank you for that nightmare fuel." she muttered darkly, glaring at him as he smiled at her sheepishly. It didn't take long for her shock to quickly pass over and she seemed to relax slightly, sighing in defeat.
"My first was a priest too." she quietly confessed in a murmur, her gaze lowering to study the matte black paint that neatly coated her toe-nails. He raised his brows in intrigue and leaned a little closer, parting his mouth to comment but her eyes shot towards him again so that she could glare at him intensely... he quietly - and swiftly - clamped his mouth shut.
He leaned back and sunk down a little lower, the back of his head resting against the uncomfortable wicker bed-frame. Now that his body was cushioned by the mattress, he suddenly felt a pleasant sensation rush through him - he could practically feel the flow of blood through every single one of his veins... heat flooded his insides and his head felt like it was surrounded by a comforting pocket of air. His painted eyelids fell shut and he hummed in enjoyment, his arms idly draping by his sides as he allowed the strange blissful feeling to take over. He exhaled deeply and wore a small crumpled smile, letting out a little breathy chuckle as the effect of the ember was starting to grow even stronger.
"It's hitting you now, isn't it?" Aemelia asked with a knowing smirk, amused by his silly expression.
"Whaaaat? What is hitting me? There is... something hitting me, Miss Vial?" he mumbled incoherently, squeezing his closed eyes as his brow lightly furrowed.
"I meant the high, Cardinal."
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh." he rasped out in a high-pitched breath, his eyes flashing open to complete his dazed expression. "I... I believe I am... yeeeees. It feels really... really fucking goooood, Miss Vial."
He shuffled upwards a little and trailed his disoriented eyes over her form, his eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise.
"Shiiiit, you look... fucking bellissima, Cipolletta. When did you decide to become a priestess?" he asked inquisitively, his mouth agape with amazement. "What finally convinced you that Satan was right for you? Ahhh, per favore, facciamo l'amore..."
She quietly stared at him in puzzlement as he shuffled to the side to lie across the width of the bed, bending an arm so that he could support his chin with a leathery palm. He peered at her with yearning fascination, his eyelids hooding his irises as he secretly longed for her to respond to his proposal... but of course, he had neglected the fact that she couldn't understand a word of Italian. The sight of him patiently awaiting her response amused her and she shook her head, silently astonished by his current position because it made him look like a teenage girl at a slumber party that was eagerly anticipating the next bit of gossip...
Ember affected everyone differently. And considering that it was Copia's first lot, the side effects were potent and hit him in pleasant tingling waves. Aemelia hadn't expected it to affect him so much, but she rather liked that it made him more patient and inclined to listen. What she didn't realise, was that the ember also made his imagination far more vivid... and after a few more seconds of pleasant silence, his fantasies were laid out before his very eyes... so it was no wonder that he was content being lost in the sight of her as he awaited the sound of her voice. He exhaled slowly, and deeply.
Miss Vial, however, had quite the tolerance to the substance and the effects were not nearly as overwhelming for her. She simply felt more open-minded and content than usual. Although she didn't show it, she was certainly enjoying the feeling of optimism.
Staring at his curious, fascinated expression, Aemelia decided that she would entertain whatever fantasy Copia was experiencing... after all, she didn't want to spoil his fun or ruin her own feeling of comfort.
"Me and Satan... we go way back." she confidently began with mirth-filled eyes, suppressing a smirk as he glared at her in amazement, his ears desperately hanging onto her every word. "He used to host barbecues every Sunday, his steaks were to die for."
His crow's-feet crinkled as he snickered, draping his legs back towards the edge of the bed so that he could bend them to swing them back and forth in the air.
"You are very inventive, Miss Vial, heh heh." he cheerfully praised in a wavering tone. "But... really, what was it that changed your mind? What made you believe?"
Her playful mask fell and she looked at him sternly despite the positivity welling inside of her. Even with the dazed, curious expression on his face she knew he was being completely serious.
"I don't believe, Cardinal. I don't know what you mean. Where's this idea coming from?" she firmly questioned, scowling at him with concern.
"You. You are... right here before me. And you believe in Satan, as I do. You are wearing a very nice coat too... may I feel?"
"Coat?" she whispered, searching his face in worried perplexion. He dropped his gloved hands to the bed-sheets and started to prowl towards her, his legs relaxing to limply rest over the mattress.
"Yeeees, yes, let me feel."
She reluctantly reached an arm towards him to stop him from nearing her any further, and he raised a hand up to his mouth, dragging off a glove with his teeth. He softly bit into the leather and flicked his head to the left, releasing the glove from his mouth so that it flew across the room, landing somewhere close to the writing desk - where Sphincter was still busily gnawing through the warm slice of pizza.
Copia slowly and delicately stroked his bare fingertips over the healing claw-mark on her forearm. His eyes followed his movements like he was mesmerized by the sight of it and he winced slightly as he lightly caressed more of her warm skin with his cold palm.
"Mmm, it is a very good quality coat, excellent tailoring. If I was wrapped up in that I would not take it off... but I think you should... you would be just as cosy without it on, ah?"
"But then I'd be a skeleton, Cardinal." she quipped, raising a brow as his thumb softly wriggled across her arm to gently stroke the sensitive skin of her wrist. He shuffled a little closer, his eyelids drooping as he focused on her lips.
"Baciami..." he murmured hoarsely, guiding her arm upwards to settle her relaxed hand against his chest. She allowed him to near her even more and her eyes started to widen in realisation as he swiftly closed in on her, the tip of his nose nuzzling the bridge of hers. He tilted his head slightly and his sideburns tickled the skin of her face, she scrunched her nose in slight annoyance and wriggled her free arm downwards...
Copia froze and his eyes lit up in amazement as he felt her warm hand travelling lower and lower... he subtly leaned his bottom half towards her, silently encouraging her actions... but she travelled further and further down, bypassing his crotch altogether. Her fingertips kneaded into the skin of his closest foot and she quickly swiped her digits, tickling him as firmly as she could. He chuckled loudly and immediately fell towards her, which only made it easier for her to access his bare foot.
"Gah! Che... che cazzo?!" he giggled as she persisted her tickles, little amused puffs escaping his mouth as his entire form tensed. "I should have - ahahah - guessed that you would get me back, ah, Cipolletta?"
8 : The Pit Stop
A late November chill was undeniably present as Copia confidently descended the steps of the Ministry's main entrance, adorning his snug black cassock over the clingy layers of his sharp black shirt and slim suit pants - and naturally, his matching biretta was present, perched atop his head. Despite the cold, he appeared to be in a somewhat sprightly mood, eagerly anticipating the start of another outing with Miss Vial. He was so excited about it that he hadn't even bothered to ask her for any details... he preferred the mystery, it seemed.
After hopping away from the final step, he paced across the ever vacant parking lot, gazing at the familiar sight of the glossy black Ambassador sedan with an excitable smile. It was parked diagonally and it caused it to appear incredibly majestic. He could only see the right side of the car but he could tell from the shimmer of reflected light that it was completely immaculate - clearly Miss Vial had spent some time sprucing it up since its breakdown.
Now nearing the stationary vehicle, Copia recognised the ripples of dark red wisps peeking over its polished roof... he frowned, realising that Miss Vial must have been stood by the opposite side of the car, which was unusual. She would usually wait in the warmth of the sedan's interior and idly lounge back in the driver's seat - she always insisted that she wasn't going to stand and wait for him, especially if it was cold - as he would often arrive fashionably later than their arranged start time. But there she was, leaning against the left side of the sedan, her arms crossed over her slim-fit blazer, which was tightly fastened due to the chill in the air.
Copia came to a cautious halt by the passenger side and narrowed his eyes at her, his gaze cutting across the vehicle's roof. He cleared his throat in an attempt to grab her attention... but she didn't appear to hear him and he shrugged, pouting his lips slightly as he reached a glove downwards and yanked the handle of the passenger door. It loudly snapped back into place and Aemelia instantly turned, her black eyes drawn to him as he reluctantly met her gaze. From the confusion on his face, she knew that he could tell there was something different about this particular outing...
"You're late... again." she murmured in a deadpan tone, clutching her hands around her arms.
"Eh... what is the rush? If it is evil we are about to seek... it lingers, no?" he responded confidently, refraining from showing an amused smirk.
"Well... Papa Nihil will be joining us on this particular case to see how the department is run, so I doubt he'll approve of your... lateness. I would've told you about it sooner but... I only found out yesterday so that didn't give me an awful lot of time to let you know." she said simply, lowering her eyes from his alarmed features to twist a key into her door to unlock the entire vehicle.
"W-What?! J-Joining us?!" Copia spluttered out, all of his excitement smearing over with devastated apprehension. "No no no no no no! This cannot be... a thing, Miss Vial! I... I need preparation for... him! Maybe... maybe we could just... leave before he gets here, ah?! We just say that... ahm... it was a very, veeery important emergency and we could not wait another moment. You... you think we could do that?"
Her intense obsidian irises settled on him again and she raised a brow, her features completely serious as she violently flung her door open, gesturing elaborately towards the rear of the vehicle with an undeniably sarcastic smile. Copia's eyes widened in realisation as he followed the motion of her palm - he stooped down slightly to peer through one of the smoky black windows, squinting to search the rear seats of the vehicle...
"Ah... shit."
There, casually draped over the comfy seats with a patient smile, was Papa Nihil, clad in his pristine papal robes, mitre and neatly applied skull-paint. As Copia opened his mouth to protest, Miss Vial slammed her door shut, wordlessly signifying that he was to cope with Nihil's presence, whether he wanted to or not.
They'd been on the road for almost half an hour and already, Copia and Vial were uncomfortable with the professional masks they were wearing. But due to Nihil's presence, they both insisted on behaving as sensibly and professionally as possible - they certainly didn't want to disappoint the anti-pope.
Aemelia was fairly content with the silence that filled the sedan, too busy focusing on the road ahead to truly pay attention to the company around her. Copia was wearing a great sulk, cushioning his right cheek with the back of his hand as he rested his weight onto his bent elbow. And Nihil was sat in the centre of the back seats, sprawling his legs out either side of him with a large smile on his face, excited to see what a Diabolic Disobedience Department investigation entailed.
The lack of interaction was disappointing Copia immensely, and he narrowed his eyes venomously, staring at the reflection of his grinning superior in the side-mirror. He was incredibly annoyed by Nihil's presence, but stayed quiet, deciding it was best to suffer the silence, or he would disclose something that would inevitably upset Nihil.
After another few silent minutes of driving, Aemelia dropped a few gears and pulled away from the current road. Copia frowned in confusion, but her actions were clear when they came to the end of a curved slip-road, a gas station coming into view. Soon, the sedan rolled over the vacant tarmac and pulled up at a designated gas pump. Aemelia cranked the handbrake and quietly clicked off her seat-belt, pushing her door open.
"Miss Vial... could you get me a soda?" Nihil abruptly piped up from the rear seats as she swivelled her legs out of the car. She stepped out from her seat and turned around, dipping down to acknowledge the anti-pope with her amusement-filled eyes.
"Of course, Papa."
"Make sure it has a straw!" he exclaimed cheerfully, leaning forwards to lightly pat the back of her empty driver's seat.
The door firmly shut and Nihil's robes rustled as he leaned backwards to settle over the seats. Copia was trying to preserve the silence between them and supported his chin with the back of his leather glove, leaning his elbow over the door to his right as he peered out of the tinted window at the streams of passing traffic on the main road. It was clear that the cardinal was pretending that he was completely alone, because he wasn't settled about his superior's presence whatsoever.
The fuel pump hummed monotonously as Miss Vial stood close to the left side of the vehicle, keeping her squinted eyes on the tick of increasing numbers as she firmly held the fuel hose in place. Copia inhaled sharply at the strong scent of fuel and Nihil's brow furrowed. The old man leaned forwards again, his form filling the gap between the two front seats as he waited for Copia's eyes to rest on him. To Nihil's disappointment, the cardinal was intent on ignoring him.
After a minute or so, the whirring sounds of the fuel pump vanished and Miss Vial clamped the fuel hose in place, loudly closing the door to the vehicle's fuel tank before she strode towards the pay station, which also appeared to be a convenience store. Now that Nihil was certain of her absence, he frantically patted the back of Copia's seat. The older man studied Copia suspiciously but wore a small smile as he continued his mildly irritating actions, insisting on the presence of conversation.
"I see the way you look at her." Papa boomed, continuing to pat the back of the seat as the cardinal frowned in slight annoyance and shuffled until he was sitting more upright.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Papa." Copia grumbled quietly, his mismatched gaze flicking through the wind-shield to briefly witness Miss Vial entering the automated double doors of the peaceful convenience store.
"Oh, you do, Cardinal. You give her that side eye when she isn't looking. When are you going to ask her on a date?" Nihil asked excitedly, grinning as he settled for draping his limp arm across the back of the seat. Cardinal cleared his throat and awkwardly shuffled from side-to-side like he suddenly found his seat uncomfortable, attempting to mask that he was apprehensive about the subject of the conversation.
"Eh... but your eyesight is weak, Papa, how could you have seen this look you speak of?" he asked in a calmer tone, staying still now that he was fairly confident with his response.
"Oh, I have, Cardinal. If Lucifer sees, I see." Nihil explained wisely, chuckling as he administered two loud pats to the back of Copia's chair before he slowly retreated to lazily slump over the back seats. There was a brief pause and Cardinal inhaled sharply, his mind awash with bewilderment as his gaze lingered over the closed doors of the convenience store. Copia couldn't understand why the old man was bringing up his fondness for the alchemist now... he was surprised that anyone had noticed his liking for her, let alone his oblivious superior.
"Is this why you've been upsetting so many of the sisters?" Nihil questioned simply, cutting off the cardinal's train of thought.
"Papa!" Copia yelped out in defence, raising his volume to let his superior know he was exasperated. He tensed his shoulders and sighed deeply as he snapped off his seat-belt. He swivelled towards the left and draped his free arms across the width of the front seats, holding himself in the space between them to glare at Papa with disbelief.
"I think you are confused... eh... I do not upset the sisters, ok?" he quipped bluntly, his eyes gleaming dangerously. Nihil narrowed his eyes and shook his head in distaste of the cardinal's blatant lie.
"I tried to do the same in my youth, Cardinal." the anti-pope bellowed honestly, pressing his lips into a stern line. "Sleeping around does not help. It will not make you want her any less."
"Heh, sure, sure, whatever you say, Pops." he muttered stubbornly, forcefully flinging himself backwards to slouch into his seat. "Maybe I just like sleeping around, ah?"
"You don't." Nihil sharply responded, resting his hands across the middle of his embroidered robes as his brow furrowed into a frown. "It will not make her jealous. It will only make your love for her even stronger."
Copia's cheeks began to pinken and he feigned an accusing scowl as he flung himself around to peer through the gap between the seats again, staring at his superior like he was deeply offended. He was truly concerned how the old man had recognised his adoration for Aemelia Vial so easily.
"My what for her?!"
"You heard me, boy."
As the two continued to bicker between one another - with Copia insisting that Nihil was deluded, and Nihil insisting that Copia needed to take her out on a date - Miss Vial was routing through a tall refrigerator that was filled to the brim with chilled cans. The heavy glass-panelled door pressed to her back as she bent down slightly, hesitating as she looked over each illuminated row of soft drinks. Eventually she rolled her eyes and snatched up a handful of chilled beverages - including a can of diet coke for herself, a glass bottle of grape soda for Nihil and a carton of iced coffee for Copia - and allowed the glass door to smack shut. She clutched her beverage to the crook of her chest with her elbow and held the others to her front, promptly headed towards the pay-desk. When she reached her destination, she carefully placed each drink onto the countertop.
At first, she thought there was no one present at the counter... but then, as her eyes trailed towards the large, oblong windows that overlooked the gas pumps and quaint parking lot... she caught sight of a woman. The member of staff had nothing to show she was such aside from a name-badge that was crookedly pinned to the tight peach v-neck she wore, and Aemelia narrowed her eyes with suspicion, noticing how interested the woman seemed to be in the black sedan that was parked outside. The woman looked mystified by its presence... then again, perhaps she was truly amazed by the presence of the two esteemed chaplains that were inside, partaking in a loud, heated debate.
"P-Papa?" the woman asked quietly, her olive eyes wide as she briefly shot a glance towards Aemelia, reluctantly traipsing her way to the counter as she returned her fascinated eyes to the expanse of the large windows.
Aemelia cleared her throat and it attracted the woman's attention immediately. She felt obliged to nod in reply due to the excitement lighting up the woman's features and it caused the woman to beam a hopeful smile.
"Sign?" she asked quickly, motioning a pincer movement over the palm of her hand like she was imitating an autograph. "Sign and no pay."
Aemelia raised her eyebrows in surprise and nodded in response, following the woman's line of sight now that it had shifted back towards the window. She rested her gaze on the wind-shield of her sedan and could plainly see Copia gesturing his gloves wildly like he was stressing some kind of point... or more likely, arguing with his superior. She briefly smirked and shook her head, her attention returning to the woman stood behind the counter. The woman was fishing out something from her tight, short-sleeve shirt and Aemelia glared in horror, incredibly tempted to grab the soft drinks and run... but shock had her glued to the spot and she didn't dare look away.
In one swipe, the woman yanked out a pink lacy bra from the low neck of her shirt and Aemelia's eyes only grew wider. Next, she extended her arm out in front of her, the vivid piece of lingerie suspended from its stringy loops as it swung before Aemelia's large black irises. The woman then proceeded to cup her other hand around the group of chilled beverages, scraping each one towards the other side of the counter so that Aemelia couldn't refuse her.
Miss Vial rolled her eyes and sighed, wondering how on Earth it had come to this... she adorned an expression of dismayed disgust and reluctantly pinched a thumb and forefinger around the loose strings of the bra to lift it out of the woman's grasp... it looked like Aemelia was gripping onto a used tissue, rather than the warm fabric of the woman's underwear.
She gritted her teeth and backed away, dangling the lingerie out in front of her like it was a lantern. She hurriedly exited the convenience store as fast as she could, unquestionably miffed as she made her way over the smooth tarmac, heading back to the parked sedan. As she neared, the muffled sounds of Copia and Nihil's argument became prominent and she frowned deeply, huffing out an exhausted breath.
Once she had finally arrived at the passenger door, she used her free hand to abruptly knock on the tinted glass. The argument fizzled out immediately as Copia drew away from the centre of the front seats and forcibly slumped back into his place, glancing through the window with a thankful expression. He patiently waited for her to speak and she cleared her throat, motioning for him to roll down the window.
He did as she requested and she quickly pushed her arm through the open window, thrusting the slack neon bra directly in front of his face. Cardinal's cheeks were reddening due to her actions but he acted cool, like there was nothing unusual about the situation at all.
"Ah... is that yours?" Copia asked playfully with innocuous eyes, a smile tugging at the sides of his mouth. Her expression darkened and she fluttered her lashes at him in offended disbelief. She could hear the faint wheezes of Papa Nihil as he stifled back breathy chuckles of amusement - it was like the animosity between him and the cardinal had never even occurred.
"I just - ahem - thought you were maybe... happy to see me, that's all." Copia calmly defended, ensuring he didn't acknowledge her features as he snagged the limp, spinning lingerie out of her pincer-like grip. He could feel her black eyes searing into him due to his impish comments, but he certainly wasn't going to apologise for his behaviour.
"The woman wants you both to sign it." Aemelia explained gruffly, like she had been reluctant to say anything at all.
"Both of us?!" the two of the clergymen gasped in unison, Copia's eyes widening as he firmly grasped hold of one of the elastic loops, reaching his arm up until his bent elbow grazed the soft fabric of the roof. The bra twirled nonchalantly due to his actions and both esteemed chaplains were gazing at it like it was the most hypnotic object they had ever seen. Nihil was just surprised how colourful the lingerie was, whereas Copia was simply intrigued by the situation.
"Just... do it, will you? She said we wouldn't have to pay anything if you sign it for her." Aemelia pressed, extending out her right arm to grasp a hand around the black sill of the open window. She leaned her weight against the car and sighed out with impatience, raising an unimpressed brow as Cardinal allowed the underwear to fall downwards. He caught it with a leathery palm and flipped it over, inspecting the cups like they were lost relics.
"You're acting like you've never seen a bra before... then again... that really wouldn't surprise me..." Aemelia muttered emptily, trying to hide the mirth in her eyes when Nihil began to snicker with amusement again.
"Eh... do not rush me, Miss Vial... I am deciding what to sign." Copia finally replied after a thorough inspection of the lingerie, setting it over his lap as he slid a hand beneath the cassock-fabric covering his chest. "I say we do a cup each... what do you say, Papa?"
"Sure!" Nihil exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.
Copia smirked wickedly and pulled a thick black permanent marker out of the thin gap in his cassock, holding his amusement as he shot a quick glance towards Miss Vial. She gazed at him expectantly and recognised the stubborn presence of mischief in his eyes.
"I always come prepared, ah?" he said quietly with the slightest hint of flirtation, shooting her a wink before he lowered his head and slowly focused on the bra that was sitting in the crook of his lap. He clicked off the lid of his marker and carefully scribed his signature in thick black ink, ensuring that he looped the tops of his initials and separated them with a confident dot. He shrugged after signing the outside of the cup, and decided to sign the inside too... Miss Vial rolled her eyes and he paused halfway through his second signature, briefly raising his eyes to meet hers.
"You want me to sign yours too?" he teased with a tugging smirk, returning his attention to his signature once she huffed out in disgust and she pushed herself away from the vehicle, creating a larger gap between her and the cardinal.
After completing the inside of the cup, he slowly reached behind him, his left glove handing Nihil the neon lingerie whereas his right glove handed over the thick marker.
"Here you go, Papa. Sign the inside as well, we want to make sure we make the lady happy, ah?" Copia said enthusiastically, quickly swivelling around to face Aemelia again. Nihil nodded in understanding and frowned down at the bra in his left hand, unfolding it to see which side he had to sign. As he slowly began to scrawl, Copia took the old man's moment of distraction to search Aemelia's features. Now that she was further away from the vehicle, more of her figure was in view and his mismatched eyes raked down the length of her body. She was peering down at the tarmac beneath her feet and he was grateful that she was, because he could comfortably linger his eyes on her hips without her noticing.
After another minute or so, Nihil finally finished his signing and tapped Copia on the shoulder. He passed over both items and Copia immediately hung the finished bra out of the window, clicking on his pen's lid before sliding it back into the recesses of his cassock. Aemelia wordlessly snatched it out of his mitts - before he decided to say anything else - and turned on her heels, dangling it out in front of her as she swiftly jogged towards the automatic doors of the convenience store.
Upon entering, she hurriedly approached the counter. The woman was already elated at the sight of the black markings scrawled over her pink underwear and Aemelia scoffed back the urge to roll her eyes. As soon as the bra was in reaching distance, the woman smiled gleefully and seized it from Aemelia's grasp, clutching it to her chest gratefully. The woman pushed the chilled soft drinks across the surface of the counter and Aemelia scooped them up into her arms, yanking out a paper straw from a rectangular container that was brimming with fresh straws.
"Thank you! Thank you!" the woman chirped happily, still hugging the bra to her chest with shimmering olive eyes and a pleased smile that was framed by deep dimples. Aemelia nodded, but her neutral expression soon dropped when she noticed that the woman was wearing was a golden crucifix around her neck. Aemelia grimaced - though it probably seemed like a strange smile to the woman - and firmly hugged the chilled items to her chest, poising Nihil's straw between her fingers like it was a cigarette.
She fled the convenience store like she had robbed it, bolting for the sedan with her arms wrapped around the freezing cold beverages. Anticipating her arrival, Copia leaned across her seat to pull the door-handle, gently pushing it open for her. Upon reaching the driver's side, she dipped her head down and Copia retreated to his place, allowing her to reach through the gap between the front seats. She handed Papa his bottle of screw-top grape soda and his fresh straw, both of which he grasped with ease.
"Thank you, Miss Vial." he said with a smile, already licking his lips as he began to screw off the bottle's lid.
She shuffled backwards and rotated until she could manoeuvre into the driver's seat. Once she was somewhat comfortable, she rested her can of diet coke on her lap and silently handed Copia the carton of iced coffee. He winced slightly as he took it from her, taken aback at how thoughtful she was for considering him. She slammed her door shut and slid her chilled drink into the door's cup-holder, huffing out in relief as she twisted the ignition. The engine burbled into life and filled a silence that had emerged between the three of them. Copia twisted the cap of his iced coffee and raised it to lips. He tipped it towards his mouth and took a loud slurp, his eyes shining hopefully as he watched Aemelia with admiration.
"I think she thought you were someone else." she suddenly murmured, her eyes briefly flinching as a loud hiss came from the back of the sedan. Copia flicked his eyes to the rear-view mirror and spotted Nihil fishing the paper straw into his freshly opened soda. Comfortable that his superior was sufficiently occupied, he carefully leaned towards her which caught her attention immediately.
"Like who?"
"Let's just say... she probably thought we've travelled all the way from the Vatican." she said in a subdued tone. Copia chuckled with amusement, his eyes crinkling as he clutched his chilled coffee carton to his chest. Her eyes fell to acknowledge his opened beverage and she smiled slightly, before she returned his stare again. His amusement soon subsided and he was immensely pleased that he was still managing to hold her attention.
"Sorry if I offended you back there..." he gently whispered, honesty flooding out of him now that he was content that Nihil was completely distracted due to the loud slurping coming from the backseats of the sedan. She squinted at his hushed tone, and realised - due to the desire in his eyes - that he wished that the two of them were alone in that moment.
"Offended? Hardly." she breathed confidently with mirth-filled eyes, ensuring she kept her mouth in a serious line. "You'd better be willing to sign my granny knickers once we get back to the Ministry."
9 : Frank the Flagrant and Unruly
An unsettling atmosphere lurked for the next half an hour of the car journey, and it was often interrupted by intermittent slurps as all three of them sipped their way through their chilled beverages. The silence was becoming so unbearable that even Miss Vial was tempted to turn on the cassette player just to fill the void, but she merely stared through the wind-shield, her hands calmly fixed onto the steering wheel.
Copia was clutching his carton of coffee to his chest, wearing an expression of boredom as he slouched down in the passenger seat. He was sinking lower and lower with every second of silence, so much so that he would soon be able to rest his chin over the top of his coffee carton. Papa Nihil was still casually lounging over the back seats - and noticeably missing his seat-belt - his legs splayed either side of him as he leaned back, occasionally sipping the last remnants of grape soda from the bottom of the glass with his paper straw. Every time a hollow slurp cut through the silence, Copia and Vial winced, their teeth clenching to stop themselves from scolding him.
After a while, the sounds of the highway became more prominent and thankfully overwhelmed the silence. The sounds were monotonous but quite soothing, and caused the cardinal's painted eyelids to droop downwards. His head slowly lowered and his eyes eventually closed, but he insisted on raising his head in a futile attempt to resist dozing. After a few seconds, his head calmly flopped down again and he deeply exhaled in surrender, his gloves loosely cradling around the coffee carton in a poor attempt to keep hold of it... it slowly slid down his front and settled over his lap.
For quite some time, he was in a surreal, mixed state of quiet reality and the limbo that was sleep. He was content, for he could easily disassociate from the world around him and for a few minutes he was completely calm...
Until the contents of reality shifted around him, interrupting his fairly docile state. He let out a subdued groan of dismay, reluctantly cracked open his mismatched eyes. He blinked a few times to stop his eyes from stinging and peered at his surroundings in puzzlement. First, he glanced into the side-mirror, spying his superior, who was also dropping off to sleep due to the lullaby of humming engines and swipes of overtaking vehicles. He lightly frowned and leaned to the left, casually glancing towards Miss Vial... who certainly didn't appear to be content like the clergymen.
In fact, from the thick, swirling curtains of black that were obscuring her eyes and the tension in her muscles as she sunk the edges of her glossy black fingernails into the springy rubber of the steering wheel... it was clear to Copia that Aemelia Vial wasn't present at all. Her ink-blot eyes caused him to sharply lean towards her, his mouth parting as he wore an obvious look of concern. Before he could say a syllable, she mechanically shifted the gearstick and stamped the accelerator - Copia was forcibly thrown back into his seat and Nihil furrowed his brow as he snorted out of his catnap.
"Oh Sister! Sister... Sister? Wait... wha... what's going on?" the old man murmured incoherently, nonchalantly peering across each of his shoulders to idly consider the burbling rev of the sedan's engine.
The vehicle's speed was rapidly climbing and Copia's gloved-fingers curled around the edges of his seat, ensuring that the rattle of the car didn't fling him around too much. There was no longer a look of boredom over his features, for he glared at her with concern, her eyes unblinking, her knuckles whitening, her posture stiff and calculated... the entity within her had seemingly taken full control of her body, and Copia hadn't the faintest idea what to do. Considering the entity was in complete control of the vehicle he was sat in, he decided not to interfere with its actions... the last thing he wanted to cause was a retaliation, and he certainly didn't want to draw attention to its presence in front of his superior.
He had to ensure that Miss Vial's secret stayed a secret. And in his frenzied panic, he decided to act like her behaviour was normal.
As she emptily seared her hollow eye-sockets into the road ahead, her right arm stiffly reached down to fumble the gear-lever into six. Copia gritted his teeth and his head involuntarily fell back to meet the headrest. He winced slightly and his eyes shot towards her again, subtle ripples of black matter gathering into thin wisps as they escaped the orifices of her pallid face. Something was undeniably wrong but he swallowed back the questions he desperately wanted to ask, his expression of horror unmistakable.
The speed was still steadily rising and Cardinal focused on the highway before them, glaring at how quickly they were approaching a trickle of limit abiding vehicles. His eyes quickly flicked between the road and Aemelia, and he was certain that the entity was determined to cause a collision...
But it had simply wished to cut it fine, and sharply veered into the outer lane, overtaking the much slower cars with a significant amount of speed. The engine growled viciously as Aemelia continued to bore her eyes through the wind-shield, her hands claw-like as they clutched onto the steering-wheel with a great amount of insistence.
As a consequence of the blunt driving, Nihil wheezed out a gasp that immediately caught Copia's attention. The cardinal's apprehensive irises shot towards the side-mirror, where he saw Nihil's face scrunched in confusion. He licked his lips and then parted them, preparing some convoluted excuse to explain Miss Vial's concerning behaviour... but he was quick to shut his mouth when Nihil's confusion was swiftly replaced with a remarkably toothy grin.
"Yeah-heah! That's more like it!" the anti-pope exclaimed joyously, his form sliding to the right as the vehicle jolted into the next lane. Cardinal hurriedly turned and peered through the gap between the front seats, shaking his head frantically to scold his superior's approval.
"Papa!"
"Oh, Cardinal! Live a little!" he replied in an encouraging tone, casually draping each of his arms across the edge of the back seats, his papal robes extending out like exquisite wings. "This reminds me of the good old days, I used to love joyriding in the sixties. You should ask Sister."
Copia raised his gloves to hold onto the bottom of his biretta, ensuring it didn't slip off his head as he glared at his superior, horrified with the entire situation. He also realised - due to the way the old man was sliding from one side of the vehicle to the other - that Nihil wasn't wearing a seat-belt. Copia wanted to chastise him and strap the man in place, but he knew that he couldn't persuade his superior to act sensibly, so he shuffled back around to face the wind-shield, sighing out a shuddering breath.
They whizzed by car after car, Aemelia's steering becoming a little more erratic now that the lane was becoming more curvaceous and narrow. Copia eyed her in silent panic, noticing how mechanical her slight movements were, how vacant and unmoving her clouded eyes were. Although her appearance and behaviour concerned him deeply, he had to admit that the chaotic actions were under control, and certain, like the strange entity that was present within her had a clear destination in mind.
The screech of rubber yelped out as she sharply snapped the wheel to the left, drifting the speeding sedan into the left side of the road, which caused them to narrowly skirt by an oncoming vehicle. Copia clutched at his chest with saucer-like eyes at the sound of a fading horn and Nihil merely laughed out with hearty amusement, eagerly glancing through the rear window to witness the driver of the oncoming vehicle - who was cursing them in their rear-view mirror by raising an angry middle finger.
"This girl is so rock 'n' roll!" he praised delightedly as he turned his head to acknowledge the cardinal, beaming an impressed smile. "We could really use some music for the moment, don't you think?"
Cardinal ignored Nihil's hint, clamping his lips into a stern line as he focused on the fast approaching cars in front of them. He continued to ignore the old man, even as the sedan rocked side-to-side, swerving out of the way of all kinds of vehicles, which left a long trail of disgruntled drivers behind them.
"C'mon, Cardinal!"
He rolled his eyes at the old man's insistent whine and hesitantly raised his gloved hands in surrender, "Ah sheesh, fine, fine!"
Copia leaned forwards, and to his relief, there was already a cassette tape poking out of the player. He simply pushed a thumb-pad against it, and sat back in place with a stubborn huff, crossing his arms over his chest. For a few seconds there was nothing but a puny crackle through the speakers... until Judas Priest started to blare, shaking the floor beneath their feet, and the skeletons that were settled within their skins. Nihil gaped into a smile and bobbed his head in approval of the roaring guitars, scrunching his nose a little as he relaxed into an enormous grin.
"Alriiiight!" he exclaimed merrily over the music. "Can it go any louder?"
"You can't hear it well enough, old man?" Copia quipped through a tight smirk.
"What?!"
Copia leaned forwards and swivelled the volume dial, cranking up the music.
"Bastardo sordo..." he muttered darkly, relaxing into his seat with a satisfied smile, his concern seemingly non-existent now that he was getting used to the speed of the vehicle, the presence of the entity and the blaring heavy metal.
The raucous, speed-fuelled journey along the highway went on for ten minutes, and the esteemed clergymen were mostly enjoying the unprompted joyride... until Aemelia violently snagged the steering wheel to the right, sharply directing the vehicle across the other lanes of traffic. Beeping car horns and fading yells of Italian curse words accompanied them as the sedan rolled into an exit road, its pace far too fast. As the tarmac sloped down towards a rounded link of lanes, Aemelia finally dropped a few gears - to Copia's relief - but she proceeded to run every single red light in front of them. When she completed the rounded course of lanes, sat emotionless and unblinking, she abruptly turned into a junction, causing both men to hurriedly outstretch their arms in order to hold onto the car's interior for dear life.
Soon, after a long straight, the vehicle swerved to the left, heading down a steep slope that appeared to lead into some kind of underground car park. Copia frowned in confusion, peering out of the tinted window at the packed parking spaces and the large numbers of people carrying an abundance of plastic bags and heavy cardboard boxes. He hadn't a clue where the entity had taken them, and he didn't have time to think it over - Aemelia forcefully drifted to the right, the tires shrieking in protest over the oil-coated surface as she harshly pulled up into a free parking spot. The handbrake croaked as soon as the sedan came to a halt and to both of the men's bewilderment, Aemelia threw off her seat-belt to snap open her door, eerily side-stepping out of the car.
"Miss Vial! Where are you go - "
Copia's question was cut short as she slammed the door shut, leaving them in the company of the loud music and simmering engine while she bolted from the scene, jogging towards a whirring pair of metallic escalators that were situated far into the centre of the parking lot.
"Where did she go?" Papa brashly asked, sliding his hands over his belly as he stared at the cardinal with wide, pale irises. Copia appeared to ignore him for the moment and let out a deep exhale, swiftly reaching across the driver's seat. His leather glove creaked as he twisted the ignition key, persisting with his actions until everything in the vehicle shut off.
"Ahm, you just... stay here, Papa." he spoke calmly as he shuffled back into the passenger seat, holding up his hands to accentuate his point. "I'll be right back, ok?"
Before Nihil could respond, Cardinal firmly unclasped his seatbelt and threw open his door, loudly cursing as the edge of it scraped against an elaborate SUV that was present in the neighbouring parking space. He glared at the flecks black paint that had tainted the pristine white of the other car's door, clearing his throat as he climbed out, the soles of his cuban-heels clacking over the slippy surface of the parking bay.
As Nihil tapped his knuckles against the closest window to Copia, the cardinal slammed the door shut and briskly rounded the vehicle until he latched his gloves around the door to the trunk. He prised the tailgate open and it sprung into life, revealing the useful contents of various pieces of equipment and everyday supplies. Nihil swivelled around and squinted at Copia in suspicion, as he tipped off his black biretta and dropped it into the bustling expanse of the trunk.
"What are you doing, Cardinal?"
He ignored the old man and bent over slightly, shrugging off his cassock - considering he hadn't undone any of the buttons, it was taking a great deal of effort and after quite some time, he prised the tight robe over his head. With a messy head of chestnut hair, he threw the garment into the chaotic assortment of items, his hands tossing aside various vicious-looking tools and questionable items as he frantically searched for something.
Soon, he yanked a lengthy piece of black fabric out from the large assortment, letting out an irritated tongue click as he rubbed his thumbs over the large number of creases that had soiled its tails. He wore a mildly irriated scowl as he pushed each of his arms into the sleeves, tugging the lapels of his spare tailcoat to ensure it fitted to his form snugly.
"You're... going after her?" Nihil piped up again, his blank eyes peering over the edge of the rear seats as Copia hurriedly fastened his waistcoat.
"Eh... yes. Miss Vial... needs some assistance with her - ahem - her... insatiable thirst. This happens quite often... it makes her quite... irrational, you know? And after considering your words from earlier, Papa, I have decided that... you are absolutely right. I need to take her out on a date, so I should... help her out now as best I can to make sure that she says yes, no?"
Papa nodded enthusiastically and smiled in response. Cardinal leaned out of the trunk and grasped the bottom of the tailgate with his gloves, preparing to slam it shut.
"Wait!"
He dipped his head back into the trunk, peering at his superior with knitted eyebrows.
"Could you at least grab me some food while you're gone? A burger, maybe?" Nihil asked in a hopeful tone, wearing a serious expression. "By the sounds of it... I could be here a while, and... I will be hungry soon."
"Sure, sure." Copia muttered emptily, dropping his worry. He leaned back again, ready to close the tailgate...
"Oh and... could you leave the vehicle running, Cardinal? I liked the music."
Cardinal hummed highly, refraining from cursing at the old man's fickle request. He let out a little growl of frustration as he shoved the tailgate down, the whole vehicle bouncing from such a violent action. He stormed around to the driver's side with clacking heels and threw open the door, inhaling sharply as he reached over to the ignition to swiftly turn the key. The dashboard flickered into life and the cassette player instantly ticked into existence, the loud music blaring out of the speakers once again. Before Papa could respond, he backed out of the interior of the sedan and threw the door shut, the muffled sound of heavy metal adding to his building frustration. He pivoted on the spot, his tails elegantly trailing behind him as he raced in the direction of the central escalators.
The mall was bustling with swarms of civilians. The ground plaza was filled from wall to wall, the clamour of chatter rising to suffocate the sounds of overly cheesy Christmas songs that were echoing over the tannoy system. Copia seemed rather out of place, given that most people were travelling in large packs - his lack of company, unkempt hair and stylish suit seemed to draw quite a lot of attention, and most silently decided that the man was up to no good.
He confidently sauntered about the place, his alert eyes scouring over his surroundings, trying to spot a glimpse of his possessed colleague. He had no idea how big the shopping mall was, but it really didn't matter - he wasn't going to stop searching the place until he found her.
The forced festive atmosphere caused him to grit his teeth, the subtle buoyant music grating on his nerves. He passed shop window after shop window, each one littered with large posters and signs displaying an array of percentages, clearly trying to lure in customers... and to his surprise, it seemed to be working.
"It's Black Friday?" he muttered in unenthusiastic realisation, flicking his eyes towards the large number of willing consumers around him, who were carrying all kinds of packaged products - it was the only part of the festive season that actually intrigued him, but he was far from intrigued this year... he was finding it to be quite an inconvenience due to the amount of people in his way. He sighed in apprehension, shifting his gaze to survey his surroundings for Aemelia Vial again, his gloves creaking as his fingers curled into his palms. He suddenly felt like his search was pointless and urged himself to ascend to the next floor. He abruptly leaned himself forwards, barging by a large group of oblivious shoppers to scale the nearest set of stairs - he was so desperate to get away from the bustle of the ground plaza that the escalators were completely out of the question.
Ascending step after step, his breaths became more prominent, his fists clutching to his front and swaying the closer to the top of the stairs he became... and as soon as he reached his destination, he was suddenly very tempted to simply turn back around...
Catching his breath, he paused at the top of the stairs, observing the sight of the second floor with a deep frown of concern. The atmosphere was obnoxious and loathsome... it was unlike anything Copia had ever witnessed. He could practically smell the greed as it oozed from each shopper in the sprawling crowd in front of him - arms thrashed to snatch hold of items belonging to the hands of others, brawls of clawed hits and firm shoves broke out and rippled through the crowd in a violent chain of reaction. The uproar of frustration-filled yells was deafening but unfathomable as the violence spread like wildfire, limbs flailing as the mass of shoppers transformed into a frenzied mob, blind to the true reality of the impending bloodshed.
The sight sickened him. He swallowed thickly and cautiously stepped forwards, ensuring that he kept to the perimeter of the crowd. His eyes were wide as they searched the horde of frustrated shoppers - he was truly hoping to never find her in there, but he still insisted on checking. He traipsed the edge of the brawl for almost two minutes, yet there was no sign of her. The crowd was growing wrathful and the violence was starting to become more devious - had Copia not been searching for Miss Vial, he would have certainly intervened.
As peaked yells and angry roars began to rise in volume around him, he paused in his tracks, feeling an unmistakably gentle draft creeping over the tops of his winkle-pickers and blowing the tails of his suit jacket. He scowled in bewilderment and peered down at his shoes, trying to make sense of the wind's presence... he sharply gazed upwards, towards the roof of glass panes above him, and sure enough, the building appeared to be completely sealed off from the elements. There was no reason for a breeze to exist.
Now that Copia had detected such a thing, the draft seemed to gain strength. He raised his arms in front of him, pushing himself against the intense flow of unnatural air. He headed towards the source with determination, clenching his teeth as the shoulders of passing shoppers bashed his sides. The breeze only proceeded to increase in strength... so much so that even the brawlers were starting to find it difficult to stay balanced in order to throw punches.
After a few minutes, the storm-like gusts began to pelt the upper plaza, and billowing clouds of shimmering black particles were spat across the width of the level, hanging low over the mosaic flooring. Thick strands of the same darkness spewed from every orifice on Aemelia's head as she peered upwards, her veiled eyes surveying the flashing rays of sunlight that were pouring in through the vast glass ceiling.
As she stood motionless, arms draped by her sides, the oblivious, ignorant masses of greed-fuelled shoppers dispersed like panicked ants, skittering towards the nearest fire-exits to avoid the ominous spread of dark energy. The products that had been the prime cause of their violent greed were quickly discarded and forgotten over the floor-tiles - boxes filled with game consoles crashed to the ground, perfume bottles lay crushed in their own puddles of expensive odour and rags of designer clothing were trampled by the sprinting soles of the scattering mob.
Strangely, there was only fearful commotion. Despite the rapid spread of panic, there wasn't one soul that was screaming or yelling - even the most oblivious citizens had the sense to keep quiet, keeping their heads low as they darted about to the nearest fire escape.
As Aemelia continued to peer towards the glass ceiling, her mouth in a stern, focused line, Copia was fighting against the flow of terrified shoppers. He elbowed and shouldered his way against the current, turning sideways to slide through the mass of jogging bodies with more ease. His mismatched eyes settled on the foreboding presence of the black clouds and he picked up the pace, his exhales short as the breeze increased in strength again, blowing into the back of him like it was some strange kind of encouragement.
Soon, he reached the end of the terrified cluster of people and swivelled around. His eyes latched onto Aemelia immediately. She was located extremely close to the edge of a balcony, which overlooked the ground plaza. His concern peaked and he dashed towards her, cutting straight through an ominous obsidian gathering of energy.
"Aemelia!" he cried in a strained voice, skidding to a halt as he reached her side. "Aemelia, you must stop this! You are... frightening all the peoples, you know?"
For a moment her void-like eye-sockets almost seemed to expand... and then she slowly turned her head, eerily staring at him without an ounce of emotion. Her lips parted, like she was planning on saying something... but no sound came out. He struck his arms out and clutched at her shoulders, shaking her like that was somehow going to break the entity's hold on her.
"Let her go, you hear me? You have no right to act like thi - "
His scolding plea was cut off as she raised her bent arms and jabbed her elbows into his ribs. His eyebrows knitted in confusion and he toppled backwards with a wheeze, his hands falling away from her. As he panted to gain back his breath, she sharply turned away from him, staring up towards the ceiling again... only this time, there was a distinct emotion present on her pallid features. It was one of disdain and disappointment. Her arms loosely extended out by her sides and her fingers curled into her palms, her chin defiantly thrusting towards the ceiling.
"Rilasciarla, testa di cazzo!" Copia yelled in a shrill tone, his gloves balling into angry fists as he attempted to dart towards her again, fighting against the strong breeze that had noticeably altered to stop him from interfering. Soon, through sheer determination, he reached her again, and as his arms cautiously raised to grapple onto her, her arms stiffened. The dark gatherings of energy collected in a crescent behind them, drawing itself back like the taut string of long-bow.
Copia's skin turned ashen as the rays of sunlight seared brighter and brighter, unnatural, clammy warmth flooding in through the glass panes of the roof. Despite his worry for Miss Vial, he couldn't ignore the unusual, ethereal sight, as soon, the thick golden rays merged, forming a divine, towering form. The celestial apparition manifested in a crouched position, its shoulders hunched as the back of its skull grazed the glass ceiling and its large, muscular legs were bent as it knelt across the flat area of the ground plaza.
It simply sat there for a few seconds, its golden aura blinding as its cool breath calmly swept across the second floor. Its flawless skin was heavily sun-kissed, its facial features soft and cherub-like despite its toned, warrior-like body. It towered above them, its long black eyelashes fluttering over its stark golden eyes as its iridescent, bronze-feathered wings gently wavered over its back. Its sandy curls rippled over its head like it was underwater as it slowly glanced down, studying the small, insignificant mortals below...
Copia firmly latched his arms around Aemelia's waist, gripping her tightly to ensure that she was as close to him as possible. He knew exactly what the creature in front of him was, and he gripped her tighter, resting his chin over the top of her head.
"I'm sorry for ever doubting you..." he breathed nervously, his mismatched eyes warily squinting at the bright glow of the angelic titan looming over them. His apprehension was far more present than he let on, because he knew that he certainly shouldn't have been living, considering his connection to the Old One. It was clear that Miss Vial was acting as a neutral barrier between the two opposed beings, preventing the colossal angel from decimating the unholy cardinal.
The enormous winged titan appeared to smile in amusement, spectating the small mortals like they were fascinating little insects.
"You are not going to talk with me, Hell-dweller?" it boomed, its voice deep and harmonious, like it had been filtered through thick digital layers. "I have not squished you, so you could at least speak up for yourself. Or are you going to cower behind that pathetic morsel of indecision shielding you?"
Copia continued to hug Aemelia tightly, his chin settling over her burgundy hair as his mismatched eyes gleamed dangerously, the golden glow of the angel not quite reflecting in the pools of his irises.
"You should not be here." Copia stated quietly, frowning as his expression became stern and callous. "You are not so clandestine now that you have revealed your saintly form to a shit ton of simple mortals, ah? Your reckless actions will not please your... boss."
Its bronze-rimmed irises shimmered as it let out a harmonious snicker, "I simply wished to quietly observe mankind's greed, that does not go against my terms of contract, little rat."
Aemelia's hollow eyes flickered as she continued to hold the strange wall of energy behind them, engulfing them with the protective barrier of darkness. She was filtering more and more energy as the cardinal inhaled to retort, holding onto as much as she could manage.
"Your purpose is not to be a fucking... couch potato. Reality shows are forbidden for you, but at least I know of your guilty pleasure now, ah?" Copia spat spitefully, smirking confidently as the angel recoiled its head in disgust - which caused it to scrape against the metallic frames in the glass ceiling. It winced in discomfort and narrowed its enormous eyes, surging out a layered huff.
"I may witness mankind squirming in their sin, but at least I do not serve an unreliable source." it quipped, loud rustles shuddering through the entire building as it unfurled its wings like it was simply stretching. The heavenly vessel blinked down at Copia expectantly, waiting for the insignificant man to come up with some pathetic reply.
"You cannot harm me with her in the way, can you?" Cardinal questioned in a teasing tone, his mirth-filled eyes glinting as the angelic being sneered with disappointment.
"I... am afraid not. I seem to have... revealed myself without assessing the situation." it admitted in a loud mutter, breathing out a deflated sigh that caused both Copia and Vial to teeter backwards slightly. "Rather... embarrassing, to be frank."
"Well, listen here, eh... Frank, you fucked up. I can see that you are kinda... ashamed and honestly, that is fucking understandable. Now... I'm sure we both had a lotta shit to do today, but you are being one big cock-block for me, you know? I have worked my ass off to get to where I am with Miss Vial, and I had plans for today! First it was Papa Nihil, and now you?! No, no, I am not having any of this."
The angel's features crumpled into a confused scowl, its mouth agape as it tried to make sense of the tiny cardinal's passionate rant.
"So, can you please just... fuck off? I know that the sin is real cool, but... it is no TV show, especially for the likes of... floating feather dusters. So... what do you say? You fuck off back to the heavens... and I will gladly crawl back into the cosy arms of Lucifer, surrounded by the sexiest mistresses and hunks you have ever fucking seen, ok?"
The angel's confusion was still present as it deeply hummed in consideration, "Well... I suppose that I could do that. So long as you... do not inform my supervisor of my manifestation."
"We're not exactly on... speaking terms so... it's a deal." Copia quickly replied, nodding his head in agreement. The angel - now known to Copia as Frank - reluctantly bowed its head in approval and wrapped its toned arms around its bare chest, closing its eyes as it tilted its rounded chin up towards the heavens. Its wings began to flap and Copia grasped his arms around Aemelia tightly, feeling her wobbling slightly as she continued to emptily glare at the golden being before them.
As the angel began to take off, its attention swiftly averted to lie upon Copia again and its bronze-tipped teeth clenched into a sprawling, grimaced grin. It roared out in a crescendo of filtered voices and changed direction, thrusting forwards towards the small mortals below...
Its wings thrashed violently as it continued to cry in demented amusement, slowly raising a forearm to swipe at the balcony they were stood on. A barrage of rustling feathers obscured the being from view as its wing also batted towards the platform they were stood on...
Copia lightly growled and briefly snatched his right arm away from Aemelia's waist, striking a pincered glove towards the angelic shroud of feathers above him. He clutched onto the first feather he saw and forcefully yanked it downwards with the power of his sheer spite, the pointed stalk dripping with fresh droplets of molten metal. It reared its head and roared out in agony, its teeth bared as it swiped its other wing towards them...
Aemelia's stiff arms snapped into life, and she violently motioned them forwards, focusing every scrap of energy within her... in order to expel it in one devastating wave of defence. The shimmering ripples of dark energy snickered and whipped in a violent sweep, blasting the angel up towards the heavens. The ceiling shattered into a cascade of glass shards and the entire building shook as the wave of black energy dissipated.
Silence fell as rubble began to settle, thin wisps of black swimming through the air towards their preferred vessel, Aemelia Vial, who slid out of Copia's grip and slouched down to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut as she knitted her brows and panted out with exhaustion.
Copia didn't seem to realise her actions for the moment, for the angelic feather he had spitefully plucked was starting to sear through the leather palm of his glove faster than he could react. He let out a high-pitched "Eeee!" at the irritating burning sensation and shook his limp hand, the bronze feather gracefully floating through the air. The molten-blood staining the tip dried up into a globule of metal as soon as it made contact with the ground, and it came to a peaceful rest in front of Aemelia's knees.
After quickly shaking his singed glove, he swiftly stooped down to trap Aemelia in a tight, reassuring embrace. His chin rested over the top of her head as he squeezed her tightly, closing his eyes in relief.
"You are here with me?" he whispered hopefully, feeling her tense shoulders ease at the sound of his voice.
"Yeah... I... I'm here." she croaked tiredly, slowly cracking open her stinging eyes - she felt like she'd completed a marathon, she just hoped that there weren't going to be any uncomfortable aches or pains later.
Copia's arms crushed around her even more and he dipped his head down, nuzzling the bridge of his nose into her red wine hair as he emitted a warm sigh of relief. He embraced her like that for quite a while, surrounded by the chaotic debris that was left from the greedy mob, Miss Vial's defensive measures and the unruly presence of the angel.
Their casual return to the parking lot was incredibly surreal. Some citizens were still sprinting for their vehicles, desperate to distance themselves from the abnormal events that they had witnessed... or perhaps, had even participated in. Despite the hoards of panicked individuals, the pair of gloomy, dishevelled investigators managed to reach the parked sedan quite easily. From the rapidly increasing volume of muffled thumps as they approached, they knew that Nihil was still amused by the blaring cassette player and Copia sighed in disappointment - he'd somehow forgotten about Nihil's existence, it was a shame that he was forced to acknowledge superior... sadly, there was certainly no way of avoiding the old man's presence if he was trapped in a car with him... again.
Aemelia's cautious strides slowed as they neared the vehicle and she paused at the edge of the parking bay, narrowing her eyes in an accusing manner.
"You left him on his own?" she questioned, which caused him to mirror her actions.
"Well... what did you expect me to do? He would have seen everything if he had come with." Copia defended, his expression overly innocuous under her intense gaze. Although he was talking sense, she scowled at him, opening her mouth to scold him. However, her actions were abruptly cut off by Papa Nihil, who had rolled down a tinted pane of glass. He thrust a thumbs up through the open window and nodded at Cardinal, shooting a mischievous wink, "So... how'd things go?"
"Go?" she asked in confusion, her frown deepening.
Cardinal cleared his throat awkwardly. He could tell that Nihil had assumed - from their dishevelled appearance and their flushed cheeks - that something had occurred between them...
"Did you get my burger?"
"Ah... shit." Cardinal hissed, scrunching a leather glove in mock annoyance. "You know what... I was thinking we could... head for a meal together, instead."
"Excuse me... what?" Aemelia whispered harshly, siding up to him with glaring eyes. "Are you mad?"
"No..." he whispered back, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Just kinda... hungry. I bet you are too after that, ah?"
Aemelia rolled her eyes and Nihil smiled proudly - he must have heard every word of Copia's response. When Aemelia didn't reply, the cardinal let out a deep sigh and shrugged.
"Well, I guess it's settled then. A meal it is." Cardinal proclaimed loudly, smirking victoriously at her look of pessimism. Papa grinned and exclaimed an excited "Oh-hoh!" as he rubbed his hands together.
"One moment, I will assemble your walker, Papa. Just sit tight, ok?" Copia firmly insisted, confidently approaching the trunk with a determined expression. Aemelia quietly followed him, wearing a puzzled frown when she came to a halt beside him. Her brain was still slightly fried from the surges of energy that had coursed through her, and although recent events were incredibly hazy for her, she was utterly confused why she was so certain that they had encountered an angel called Frank...
The tail-gate flipped open and she blinked quite a few times as Cardinal reached in, pushing aside countless items to rifle around for Nihil's walking aid. Aemelia watched him toss around various bits and pieces with exhausted eyes, her brow subtly furrowing as he paused and raised a pointed leather-clad finger, exclaiming an "Aha!" of victory. He inhaled sharply and reached his arms out, wincing in discomfort as he hooked his forearms beneath the arm-pits of a pallid child - a child that adorned a sharp black suit and long blonde hair. He grumbled in slight disgust and hoisted the kid from their lying position, lifting them out of the trunk to nimbly drop them over the oily surface of the parking bay, grit loudly crunching beneath the soles of their polished shoes.
He swiftly turned in order to lift out the second twin, but the child had already sat up, narrowing their stubborn eyes at him as they shook their head in silent, ominous disapproval. Copia widened his eyes in concern and let out a disconcerted yelp as Aemelia tugged him backwards by the scruff of his collar. She yanked him around to face her, his apprehension clear to her intense, insulted black irises.
"There were kids in the back of the car this entire fuckin' time?!" she growled through clenched teeth, firmly dropping her hold on his jacket to cross her arms over her chest as the second child slid out from the fairly dangerous trunk.
"Eh... but they are Papa's walking aid. And we always put equipment in the trunk, no?"
10 : A Well Established Member of the Clergy
The encounter with Frank the unruly angel seemed like nothing but a dreadful nightmare. When Copia and Vial finally arrived at the ground plaza - which they fully expected to be littered with scatterings of glass shards and mountains of crumbling rubble - the entire place was completely pristine. The glass roof was intact, the mosaic flooring was spotless and the citizens around them were blatantly content... which was a stark contrast to the dilapidated interior, the fearful fleeing mob and the shattered ceiling that they vividly recalled leaving behind.
They peered upwards with intense, annoyed gazes, leading the way across the ground plaza at a nonchalant pace. Both of them were unimpressed by the mall's miraculous recovery, and mildly infuriated that the angel had slyly patched over its mistakes as soon as they had left. Apparently the heavenly creatures weren't so stingy when it came to dishing out miracles...
Although Copia was irritated by the lack of devastation, it was clear that he wasn't surprised. Heavenly manifestations were renowned for erasing mistakes, and like most that worshipped Lucifer, Copia was completely in favour of embracing them instead.
Unlike Cardinal, Miss Vial was surprised by their pristine surroundings, but her exhaustion obscured it from view. Her shoulders weakly swung by her sides as she traipsed next to him, clutching at her grumbling tummy now that a large wave of hunger was starting to hit her. Papa Nihil was close on their tail, his strides slow and elegant as the sharp-dressed twins matched his pace, accompanying him at his sides.
As the gazes of the two investigators dropped from the ceiling, Nihil's clouded eyes widened in wonder, his head snapping from left to right to excitedly acknowledge the variety of intriguing shop windows - and his eyes lingered if there happened to be any fairy lights.
Their gloomy, unholy presences astonished many of the passing shoppers. Some went completely silent, whereas others simply stopped in their tracks to clutch at the golden pendants linked around their necks. Their presence seemed dysfunctional in such a casual setting, but they were oblivious to the wide-eyed stares and gaping mouths of the public as they were set on following a warm, alluring scent of cooked food. A scent that was flooding out from the wide entrance of a food court, which was located at the end of the plaza.
Aemelia quickened her pace due to the strong scent of food and Copia frowned, briskly sauntering in order to keep up with her. Nihil was still fixated on the obnoxious shop fronts and maintained his calm shuffle, the twins staying by his sides... though they peered up at him quizzically. Apparently they weren't so pleased that they were being left with the old man, especially when the two investigators were clearly headed in the direction of the food court...
When Copia and Vial started to create quite a long distance between themselves and Nihil, the old man loudly gasped, his excitable eyes wide with amazement as he wore a surprised smile. His shock was so loud that it forced the two investigators to spin around on their heels, their expressions scrunching into ones of worry. To their confusion, Papa suddenly found a spurt of energy and bolted to the right, dashing towards the open doors of a wide shop unit, his papal robe flamboyantly rippling behind him. The twins hurriedly trundled after him, emotionless as they briefly paused to glance at the shop front in unison, contemplating something until they nodded in approval and confidently pottered inside.
Cardinal sighed in displeasure and Aemelia raised an inquisitive brow. They exchanged looks of puzzlement before they shrugged in unison and reluctantly entered the entrance - two glass doors that were being held open by a large tower of heavy, battered books and distressed record sleeves - oblivious to the rounded neon sign that buzzed over their heads... which, incidentally, had been the first thing to capture Nihil's attention.
Upon entering, it was fairly apparent from the echo of psychedelic rock music, the overwhelming fragrance of burning sandalwood and the tightly packed sprawl of aisles and bookcases, that it was an independent record store. It was dim due to the fact the only light sources were thin tubes that laced the mid-section of the unit's walls, all of which were illuminated with warm tones of orange or magenta. It was also crammed with people, who were eagerly hunched over thick lines of record sleeves, delving through them with focused expressions.
To Copia and Vial's surprise, there was no sign of Nihil or the twins, so they were forced to explore the store further. Cardinal led the way, confidently gliding into the first winding aisle with Aemelia trailing behind him. Strangely, he didn't have to ask anyone to move, as those that were flicking through the amalgamation of vinyls abruptly leaned out of the way as soon as they glanced over their shoulders, tucking themselves away from him as much as possible.
When they finally came to the end of the aisle, he rounded a tall case filled with sleeves adorning stark, gory artwork. He smiled and peered ahead, slowing his strides as he entered another winding aisle, which was a lot more vacant than the previous one. Now at a nonchalant pace, he twisted his torso to acknowledge Miss Vial over his shoulder, his mismatched eyes glinting with mischief.
"He... often does this." he said apologetically in a subdued tone, her tired black eyes settling on him as he turned his head away to face the aisle in front of him. "It is an addiction for him, you know? He cannot pass a record store... he has to have a look. This place seems pretty cool though, ah?"
When she didn't respond, he stopped completely and swivelled around. He winced in bewilderment as he looked upon nothing but thin air, his eyes widening as he searched his cramped surroundings - naturally his actions were completely futile.
"Cardinal! Can you believe this?!"
Copia's concern was immediately smeared over with annoyance at the booming sound of Nihil's voice. He spun around, and sure enough, Nihil was stood in front of him, wearing a disgruntled sulk. The old man's arms were reached out before him, his spindly fingers flicking through a large wad of sheathed vinyls.
"They do not have Seven Inches of Satanic Panic!" he roared in panicked disgust, shaking his head in disapproval as he continued to frantically browse, hoping to find his proud achievement. Copia refrained from sighing in exasperation and trailed his eyes down to acknowledge the blonde-haired twins by his superior's sides. He leaned down and motioned for them to come closer. They looked at one another in confusion but did as the cardinal requested, cautiously approaching him. He cupped a glove around his cheek as the twins stopped in front of him, his mismatched eyes shining as Nihil continued to mutter in frustration.
"I will give you... eh... ten bucks to leave without him." he murmured with a small smile, raising from his stoop to quickly flick his eyes between the two of them.
".nam dlo ,ti evohS" they eerily replied in unison, narrowing their eyes in annoyance as they backed away from him to settle into their previous positions by Nihil's side.
"Shit... I knew I should've made it twenty." he muttered in disappointment, clenching his teeth as Nihil began to rifle through another set of record sleeves, passionately ranting about the terrible selection of vinyls.
Copia sighed. He had a feeling they were going to be there for quite some time...
It was another forty-five minutes before Copia finally managed to persuade Nihil to leave the store - which was considerably easy after the old man had found his re-released record. Copia wore a weary expression as he nimbly passed through the open double doors, his gloves firmly pressing the sides of his head when he narrowed his eyes and groaned in discomfort - his head was aching after his superior's incessant rambling. Nihil glided behind the cardinal with an enormous smile, the twins emotionless as they accompanied him.
When Copia finally slowed to a stop by the side of the store's entrance, he cracked open his eyes a little more to assess his surroundings. To his pleasant surprise, Aemelia was located there, leaning against the wall of the shop unit with a deep brown paper bag lightly hanging from her wrist. She looked focused and splayed the fingers of her right hand to steady the cover art of a crisp, wrapped record, tilting it back slightly to admire the bounce of the reflecting light.
"How... how long have you been out here?" he asked quietly with a wince, the pads of his leather-clad fingers lightly massaging the skin of his temples. She quickly raised her gaze at the sound of his voice, tipping her head inquisitively as she considered his look of discomfort.
"Not long." she said with a faint smile, carefully sliding the immaculate record sleeve into the deep paper bag, its thin straps clinging around the left sleeve of her blazer. "After all... it was quite the trove in there."
He half-smiled and dropped his gloved hands from his face, silently beckoning for her to follow him. They led grinning Nihil and the deadpan twins in the direction of the food court - both Copia and Vial were thankful they were finally heading there, because they were practically ravenous. As droves of strangers dawdled around them, Copia shuffled closer to Aemelia until his left elbow lightly nudged her side.
"Get anything good?" Copia murmured as he gazed at the bag that was swinging from her left wrist with curious eyes, keeping his voice low to ensure that neither Nihil or the twins could hear him.
"Maybe." she replied in a empty tone, unable to refrain from cracking into a smirk. "When I buy records, Cardinal, treat it like I'm buying... lingerie. Don't ask. And certainly don't peek, alright?"
Her words smoothly distracted him from the dull ache of his temples and he raised a brow, his mirth-filled eyes settling on the smirk tugging at her lips. He was inevitably intrigued by her amused tone and it persuaded his mind to run wild with obscene imaginings that caused him to blush and smile wickedly.
"Heh, heh... I would not dream of peeking, Miss Vial. Peeking always leads to - ahem - seeking, ah?"
She shook her head in mock disapproval and let out a sigh, flicking her eyes away from him to focus on the path ahead. They passed beneath the entrance to the food court and the scent of food was overwhelming. The space was vast and tunnel-like with its long, never-ending selection of diner seating and food stands. It was quite dim due to the low ceiling, where industrial cages filled with bulbs were suspended in an attempt to introduce some light. Compared to the rest of the mall, the food court was quite dingy and unfinished, but the place was packed with people ready to stuff their faces regardless.
Despite the large, chaotic presence of chattering people, they soon managed to find a table in an area where it was a little quieter - much to Copia's relief, as his headache was starting to grate on him. He carefully dragged out a wooden dining chair and slumped over the seat, his elbows bent over the surface of the table as he held the weight of his head in his hands. As Aemelia approached the chair opposite him, the twins eagerly shuffled onto the seats beside them, sitting patiently as they eyed Nihil. The old man loudly scraped a chair away from another dining table, ensuring it was snugly tucked beneath the edge of theirs instead. When Nihil finally perched over the seat, smiling at the twins who were sat either side of the table before him, Copia clenched his teeth in annoyance, his temples pulsating fiercely.
"Right... what I am getting?" Aemelia piped up, carefully placing her bag full of records over the seat of her chair as she sent Copia a look of concern.
"Oh, make it a burger for me, Miss Vial!" Papa boomed from the other side of the table, his hands settling over his tummy as she nodded in understanding, though her eyes were still on Copia, who had his head buried in his arms.
"I'll have whatever you're having, Miss Vial." he mumbled flatly, his voice muffled due to his actions. For a moment, her eyebrows knitted but she eventually nodded, and reluctantly trailed her eyes away, settling them on the two twins, who were staring at one another wisely and blithely swinging their legs beneath the table.
"And... what about you two, do you eat... or?"
".esaelp ,slaeM yppaH" they hastily replied, their glaring eyes glued to one another. To their bewilderment, Miss Vial simply nodded in complete understanding and headed off towards the long selection of food stands, content with purchasing food for the entire table - she was just glad to spend some time on her own, away from the unholy posse.
"You ok there, Cardinal?" Nihil questioned in a serious tone, his large, pale eyes blinking in confusion. The cardinal grumbled incoherently at the man's question and reluctantly unfurled his arms away from his head. His chestnut hair was even more unkept due to his actions and he leaned back, squeezing his closed, painted eyelids tightly when his spine abruptly collided with the cold, callous backing of his seat.
"Eh... just a headache, Papa, nothing to worry about." he murmured tiredly, gesturing a limp glove in dismissal of the old man's concern. Nihil pursed his lips in disapproval and shook his head, abruptly fumbling his hands beneath his robes. It went on for a minute or so, before he fished out two plastic cylinders, each one identical with rounded white caps. Copia winced when the pill bottles rattled as the old man set them down over the surface of the table, and he hesitantly cracked open his mismatched eyes.
"Hey, it's alright, have one of mine." the anti-pope offered in a humble tone, pushing the heel of his palm against one of the bottles. The cylinder fell and obnoxiously rolled towards Cardinal, the diamond shaped pills clattering against the plastic of the bottle.
"They are pretty strong, you should only need one." Nihil added and Copia sluggishly reached forwards, snatching up the bottle. He popped off the white lid and didn't even bother to study the innards as he was too desperate to dampen his headache. He tipped the cylinder until a pill sat in the centre of his partially-singed leather palm and quickly closed the bottle, confidently rolling it back towards Nihil. He parted his lips and slung the pill to the back of his throat, wincing with discomfort as he swallowed it down with his own saliva. He sighed heavily and settled over his seat a little as the identical pill bottles disappeared beneath Nihil's papal robe.
After twenty minutes - which Papa Nihil had spent trying to conjure a conversation out of the stoic twins, and Copia had spent trying to keep his eyes open as he slouched down in his seat - Miss Vial finally returned with their fast food. In her left hand, was a tray filled with two boxed kids meals and a generously-sized burger wrapped in brown paper. In her right, was a tray overloaded with three tall cardboard cups, which were brimming with steaming noodles.
She rounded the table and leaned over her seat, abruptly placing the trays over the middle of the table's surface. She then slid her bag of new records over the dip in the seat to carefully hook the handles over the rounded corners of the chair's backing. Finally, she sat down at her place as Nihil and the twins eagerly snatched up their food, delving into it with enthusiasm. She briefly trailed her dark eyes towards them and the three of them nodded in appreciation, and she could tell from Nihil's beaming grin that he was immensely thankful.
Copia shifted upwards like he had only just noticed her presence and stretched his arms above his head, arching his back as he casually settled his gaze upon her. She detected his eyes but concentrated on the tall containers of noodles, sliding two of the three cups to her side of the tray, ensuring that she left one for Cardinal. His arms abruptly dropped by his sides and his eyes widened at the number of cups she had compared to him. He leaned forwards and she continued to ignore him, opening a fresh set of chopsticks.
He seemed quite alarmed when she aptly poised the chopsticks between her fingers, swiftly pincering a generous amount of noodles from the nearest steaming cup to eagerly shove them into her mouth. The other three glanced at her warily but quickly lost interest, too content with their fast food. But Copia was fixed on her, blindly reaching for his own set of fresh chopsticks, assembling them between his gloved-fingers with ease.
He leaned forwards again and wrapped his left hand around his cup of noodles, his movements causing Miss Vial to pause. She returned his stare with confused eyes and puffed out cheeks that were full of hot noodles as he blindly pincered a modest tangle of food, leaning over to her side of the table.
"You have quite the appetite today, ah?" he whispered flirtatiously, briefly smirking before he opened his mouth and carefully raised the chopsticks to his mouth. "Two cups all for yourself?"
She narrowed her eyes in irritation as she crammed another load of noodles into her mouth. He smiled in amusement as he chewed his food, lowering his gaze to focus on his noodles. She swallowed her food down, and leaned towards him slightly, frowning with suspicion.
"I'm fucking famished, Cardinal. I could actually eat four full cups but I thought that would look a bit... odd." she admitted quietly, widening her eyes at the dwindling insides of her quarter-empty cup as Cardinal continued to slowly consume modest helpings of his noodles. "If we ever run into any more angels... remind me that I get dreadful munchies afterwards."
He nodded vigorously in reply, his mouth too occupied with food to give her a verbal answer. The entire table sat in contented silence for the next ten minutes as they enjoyed their food and the silent company. Nihil hummed in appreciation as he took his time with his burger, simply enjoying the experience of the outing - if this was what a regular case for the D.D.D was like, he was rather envious of the cardinal. The ominous twins were quietly assembling a flimsy toy that had come with their meals, they had decided to busy themselves considering that they had both finished first. Aemelia was on her second cup of noodles and hurtling through the contents, trying to make up for the large amount of energy she had expelled earlier that day.
Copia, however, had abandoned the last few noodles at the bottom of his cup and his behaviour had noticeably changed. He brashly dumped his chopsticks over the food tray and he shuffled over his seat, attempting to cross his legs to alter his sitting position. The rest of the table was oblivious to his actions as he tensed and turned a furious shade of pink, his gaze shifting to accidentally settle on Miss Vial's open mouth. She slurped up long twirls of noodles, and once she came to the end of them, her tongue emerged to lick their delectable flavour from her lips... Copia swallowed thickly. His wide eyes darted away from her so that he could sharply glance towards the edge of the table... then he abruptly raised his head, cautiously pressing his abdomen into the table's edge as he quickly leaned towards Miss Vial.
"I... eh... ahm..." he began to whisper, her intense charcoal irises burning into him as she poised her hand mid-air, her messy tangle of noodles elegantly tumbling downwards from the vicious clamp of her chopsticks. "I... need some assistance. I took a pill from Papa for my headache, and ahm... well... I think he may have given me the wrong kind of pill, you know?"
Miss Vial's chopsticks slackened and the noodles slopped into the near-empty cup. She discretely lowered the implements to rest them over the tray, clamping her mouth shut as she glared at him in horror.
"It better not have been blue."
As Copia parted his lips to answer her, she swiftly chucked one of her chopsticks onto the floor beside her. She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance and quickly rounded the side of the table, sharply ducking her head down so that she could assess the underside of the table's surface. It was clear that she was set on studying Copia's crotch to see if he was messing with her, but he darted towards her, the legs of his chair shrieking as he bent down to deter her from looking.
"Hey, hey!" he rasped hurriedly, his cheeks reddening even more as he awkwardly shuffled back onto his seat. "What are you doing? Don't look! I mean... you can if you really want to, it would be understandable if you couldn't take your eyes off it - "
"Fuckin' hell..." she muttered harshly in perturbed astonishment, finally resting her glaring eyes upon Copia's growing predicament beneath the table. She couldn't take her eyes off it and she blindly reached for her discarded chopstick. After quickly scooping it up from the floor, she popped her head over the edge of the table, glaring at him with panic.
"There's no concealing that, Cardinal. You're fucked."
"What?!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth, his mismatched eyes searching the sincerity on Aemelia's face. "No no no! You have to help me! Please, Miss Vial - "
"Excuse me?! Help you? I'm certainly not fuckin' helping with that problem of yours." she snapped hastily, backing away from the table to stand up and tower above him.
"No! No no no! I did not mean in... that way... " he hurriedly defended, blushing profusely as she threw the soiled chopstick onto the tray, her hands grasping the edge of the table as she leaned down and sighed deeply. "I-I just thought you could maybe get me a wheelchair or something, you know? So I don't have to... stand up... once we leave."
"So you want me to push you around this place... in a wheelchair?" she questioned in disbelief, scolding him with her black irises as she continued to heavily rest her weight on the palms of her hands.
"Exactly, Miss Vial!" he exclaimed quietly with a single nod, peering up at her with short breaths... though he soon found his eyes trailing downwards, and he swallowed at the rise and fall of her chest.
"Fine, I'll help you." she reluctantly agreed, sighing and frowning in slight dismay. "But it's getting added to your tab."
"My tab?! Eh... what tab is this?!"
"Well, would you look at that..." she continued in a deadpan tone, ignoring his concerned outcry. "You just surpassed five grand. Don't worry, I've been keeping good track of it."
"Ahhh, no, no, no." he swiftly squeaked, staring up at her with innocent, pleading eyes. "You see, I am part of the Ministry... which is a church, Miss Vial, as you are well aware. And as... an incredibly sexy and well established member of the Clergy, anything you spend on me is simply a... donation to the... church's cause, ah?"
"Well, I don't agree with that. But you do appear to be a well established member right at this moment. So being the kind-hearted woman I am, I'll help you out for free."
Nihil trailed behind Aemelia with a furrowed brow. He'd felt perpetually bewildered for the past half an hour... and so had everyone around them - after all, the spry, fashionable cardinal was sat in a wheelchair, whilst the old, crumbling anti-pope had been left to idly shuffle behind them. Despite the situation, the twins held their state of indifference as they accompanied his sides, glaring at any strangers that happened to stare too long.
Miss Vial wore a look of dismay as she clutched her hands around the rubber handles of the wheelchair, clenching her teeth as Copia leaned back slightly, his dishevelled tufts of mousy brown hair grazing the fabric of her blazer. The scratching sound grated on her nerves and her effort to push him increased, especially when she heard the loud crinkle of paper...
As the chair gained speed, Copia adjusted her hefty bag of records, ensuring it didn't slip away from his lap. It was obscuring his arousal quite well and he wore a small proud smile, raising a curious brow as he dipped his head down, peeping into the top of the bag to sneakily decipher its contents. Aemelia loudly cleared her throat and abruptly halted, swinging her leg back to administer a firm kick to the underside of the chair. As a consequence, Cardinal wiggled uncomfortably and hugged his arms around the bag for dear life - she smiled in relief and coolly began to push him again, her smile quickly turning into a grimace.
She was incredibly tempted to simply sprint him to the exit, but she didn't want to lose Nihil and the twins in the process... after all, it was doubtful whether Nihil had remembered where the exit was, let alone where the sedan was parked.
The pointed tips of Copia's winkle-pickers stuck out of the wheelchair's footrests like the assured needles of a compass as he relaxed into the leather seat. He looked arrogant as tipped his head back slightly, jutting his chin out as the chair began to pick up more speed. The presence of his confidence was strange, but it was probably present due to the fact Miss Vial was steering him about... their presence was drawing quite a lot of attention. He was well aware that the public would assume they were probably a couple, and that assumption pleased him immensely.
Eventually, after countless stares and furrowed brows, the exit was in sight. Aemelia slowed her pushes until the chair came to a gradual stop. Copia firmly clutched his arms around the paper bag and he deeply frowned at her actions. She quickly swivelled the chair around so that he faced her and she narrowed her eyes at his irked expression.
"Why have we stopped? Wheel me out to the sedan, Miss Vial." he ordered impatiently, elaborately gesturing a glove towards the main exit. She shook her head and stooped down. She quickly reached forwards and snatched away her - now crumpled - paper bag from him, using the side of her left shoe to subtly push the frame of the wheelchair until it lodged against the side of the nearest wall.
Clutching the bag of records to her chest, she wore an impassive expression and simply walked away from him, with Nihil and the twins hot on her heels. Copia spun around in his seat, glaring at the backs of his departing companions... before he glared down at the obvious, hefty predicament in between his legs. He gritted his teeth and lightly growled in annoyance, the fierce pink blush returning to his cheeks as he reluctantly prised himself up from the wheelchair, crossing over his wrists to subtly shield the crotch of his suit pants. He began to quickly and unusually waddle after the rest of the group, and those that happened to pass him shook their heads in disgust - assuming the cardinal had been idle and feigned a disability to be carted around the entire mall.
He dashed through the automated doors of the exit, still holding his crossed wrists over his crotch as he awkwardly weaved around trickling shoppers, desperate to reach the cluster of escalators... as Aemelia, Nihil and the twins were nowhere to be seen...
They had already reached the level of the parking lot and strangely, the twins rushed ahead, eagerly coming to a halt by the trunk of the black sedan. Nihil continued to nonchalantly glide, but Aemelia picked up the pace, rifling through her blazer pockets to find the keys to the vehicle. As the twins bounced from foot to foot excitedly - clearly waiting for the tailgate to open - Miss Vial shook her head, approaching the driver's side to unlock the car. Once unlocked, she opened the rear door and cleared her throat, silently gesturing for the twins to sit in the back. They peeped around the vehicle at her, shaking their heads in disgust... and Nihil swiftly obscured them from view, pausing as Miss Vial continued to motion towards the back seats.
"Oh, you are very kind, Miss Vial. Thank you." the old man said politely, beaming a grateful grin as he cautiously lowered himself into the vehicle, sliding over the seats until he was sat dead in the centre. With a sigh of defeat, she reluctantly closed the rear door, taking slow steps around the vehicle before she grappled onto the tailgate and released it. As soon as it had risen enough, the twins obediently hopped into the trunk, scrambling over various pieces of dangerous-looking equipment in order to settle in their preferred travelling positions - lying on their backs, apparently.
Aemelia frowned in horrified confusion, but made no fuss and simply glared at them, swiftly slamming the tailgate down to ignore the immorality of the loose children lying down in her death-trap of a trunk. When she started to hurriedly round the driver's side again, Copia finally neared the vehicle, sauntering as fast as he could across the length of the parking lot without sprinting as he tried his best to conceal the bob of his crotch with the palms of his gloves. It was starting to become quite painful for him and he winced as his strides slowed. She completely disregarded his existence and hopped into the car, carefully tucking her paper bag under the dark recesses of her seat.
He huffed out in exasperation and after expelling a few wheezes, flung the passenger door open, bundling himself in before anyone noticed his problem. He threw the door closed and simply sat catching his breath for a few seconds, quietly wincing as he squeezed his thighs together.
Aemelia shot him a worried glance and deciding that she was sick of his prolonged torture, she reached into the innards of her blazer, continuing to observe his squirms of discomfort. After some digging, she soon pulled out a familiar, disgraced bronze-feather... its stalk tarnished with a solid globule of metal. She had collected it up after it had landed in front of her earlier, angelic feathers were incredibly rare and she thought it would come in handy with her alchemy... but if it happened to help Copia too, it would be a bonus.
Her features became relaxed and neutral as she flicked the sacred feather towards him and it landed in the crook of his lap, the stalk tucking snugly between his thighs. As a consequence of the contact, he let out the loudest prolonged sigh she had ever heard and he swiftly spread his legs wide apart. His arousal vanished almost instantly, and it was the only heavenly miracle he accepted, for relief washed over him.
"Ohhhhhh, oh Lucifer, that feels gooood." he moaned with a relieved smile, knitting his eyebrows together as he tipped his head back against the headrest, rising his chin towards the wind-shield as he felt the sweltering fabric of his crotch starting to cool. "How... how did you know that it would work?"
"I didn't." she quietly confessed, twisting the ignition key which suddenly stirred the deep, burbling engine. "At least we found out that angels turn you off."
Her suggestive point made him raise his eyebrows in surprise and his eyes widened as she brashly reached over, swiping up the angelic feather from his thighs before it started to sear through the fabric of his trousers. His breaths shortened as she tucked it into her jacket and shuffled back into her seat, the redness of his cheeks making an abrupt return. He had been hoping to clutch onto the angelic feather, it could have kept the temptation of a new arousal at bay... but it would have been pointless, considering that his mismatched eyes were lingering on the attractive, amused smirk that was tugging at Miss Vial's lips...
Aemelia was starting to grow impatient. They were half-way through the journey back to the Ministry, and her expression of concern was growing. The simmering sun was swiftly sinking over the horizon and Aemelia knew she couldn't take the chance of driving in the darkness. Many creatures, apparitions and energies arose in the dark and after the previous ordeal with her unpredictable entity, she didn't want to risk being drawn in to another situation. So she kept her foot down, ensuring the black sedan maintained a steady speed, but was careful not to floor it to avoid any suspicion.
Despite the bumpy ride, Nihil was fast asleep, slumped over the right side of the back seats as he gargled out obnoxious snores... which could even be heard over the fairly loud music that was thumping out of the vehicle's speakers. The twins had sat up slightly with their backs leaning against the curve of the trunk, the tops of their blonde heads visible over the edge of the rear seats. Cardinal was examining his partially-singed glove, huffing when he realised it was beyond repair. He was thankful he had plenty of spares back at the Ministry, but he knew that he would have to replace them as soon as he returned... the feel of singed leather over his palm was starting to annoy him.
Aemelia was also starting to feel annoyed, as Papa Nihil's snoring seemed to noticeably increase in volume. She inhaled sharply and briefly took her right hand away from the steering wheel, confidently swivelling the volume dial to ensure the music blasted over the raucous pig-like snorts. Copia settled his hands over his lap and lightly smirked, nodding his head in approval of her actions. She returned her right hand to the steering wheel and pierced her steely black eyes through the wind-shield, trying her best to ignore her peripheral vision - where Copia was bobbing and tapping a leather-clad finger mid-air to the rhythm of the music and quietly humming along. She growled through clenched teeth and pressed the accelerator a little more forcefully, the engine snarling in response.
Copia persisted to hum as he flicked his mischievous mismatched eyes to the side-mirror... his smirk spread wider at the reflection and although he was undeniably amused, his expression seemed disturbingly wise as Aemelia shifted the car into six. He sneakily glanced at her and his look of wisdom lurked as she persisted to hammer her dark eyes into the road ahead. His smirk slowly dropped, but mirth was still present in his eyes as the ear-splitting shriek of a siren pursued them from behind. He observed her as she uncomfortably tensed in her seat, glaring at the flashing reflection in her rear-view mirror. The siren continued to blare and Copia raised a brow at her before returning his attention to his side-mirror. He refrained from smirking at the sight of the pulsing blue lights of a navy blue police car, which was effortlessly keeping up with the sedan.
Aemelia emitted a deep, shuddering breath and promptly eased her foot off the accelerator, skipping down a large chunk of gears as the officer's hand motioned for her to pull over.
"For fuck's sake." she murmured through gritted teeth, slowing the vehicle down even more in order to carefully veer to the right, where she eventually pulled up at the very edge of the roadside. Copia hid his amusement but studied her intently as she eyed her rear-view mirror with obvious panic, and she quickly twisted the key, shutting off the dashboard and engine. She fidgeted in her seat and glared at the approaching officer in her mirror, reluctantly dropping her trembling hands from the steering wheel.
"Relax, Aemelia." Cardinal calmly soothed, confidently reaching forwards to take hold of one her trembling hands. "It will be fine..."
"You have no fucking clue whether it will be fine." she growled, snatching her hand away from him as her eyes pierced through her tinted window, where the officer was now stood, coolly motioning for her to lower her window. She immediately rolled it down as he had requested and she lowered her gaze to her lap as the cop stooped down, peering through the open window to examine the driver.
"Bonjourno." he greeted sternly, politely tipping the peak of his black cap as he subtly adjusted the thin frames of his mirrored aviators.
Her head turned to acknowledge him but she kept her eyes low as she nodded in response. She was completely out of her comfort zone... she was well aware of her actions, and even more aware that she couldn't speak a word of Italian.
"Licenza, per favore?" the officer asked, prompting her to stiffen in confusion.
"He wants to see your license." Copia whispered, leaning over the gearstick to hover his mouth by her right ear. She didn't turn to acknowledge him and simply fumbled a hand beneath her blazer, and after a few seconds, she grasped onto her driver's license, swiftly handing it over to the speculating officer. The cop hummed in contemplation, bringing it close to his mirrored lenses, studying it with a great deal of interest. He eventually nodded and looked somewhat impressed, which caused Copia to narrow his eyes and side up to Aemelia even more, his sideburns tickling the skin of her ear. The cardinal's mismatched eyes were quietly hostile as the cop handed her license back and dipped his sunglasses to peer at her without the filter of his mirrored lenses.
"Signora, sei consapevole della tua velocità?"
"Are you aware of your speed?" Cardinal translated in a seething whisper, his hot, frustrated breaths shrouding the skin of her right ear. Her head raised and her black eyes had lost their apprehension as she stared straight ahead, peering out at the empty stretch of road in front of them. She nodded in reply to the officer's question, her irises gleaming with temptation and wonder.
The cop cleared his throat and pushed his lenses back up his nose, dipping down even more to acknowledge the rest of the vehicle's interior. He frowned deeply at the sight of the cardinal's proximity to her and continued to trail his eyes around, spying the dozing Papa Nihil - who was slouched, lightly snoring and without his seat-belt - and the unmistakably wide, curious eyes of the twins, who had turned around to peer over the edge of the rear seats.
"Guidi spericolato e la tua famiglia è nel veicolo?! I tuoi nonni avranno un attacco di cuore!"
Cardinal sharply backed away from Aemelia to dangerously narrow his eyes at the officer's words, extremely tempted to scold him.
"Dovresti rispettare i tuoi anziani! Una bella donna dovrebbe essere intelligente."
Cardinal had endured enough of the officer's words and shot forwards, reaching across Aemelia's lap. He forcefully twisted the ignition key and the sedan sparked into life, the blaring music returning which only fuelled the cardinal's lust for rebellion.
"Fuck you, dickhead." he confidently spat, tilting his head to glare at the police officer as he ever so slowly raised his middle finger in defiance. The cop backed away from the vehicle and shook his head in disapproval, shaking a pointed hand as he grappled the other around a radio that was attached to the breast-pocket of his smart blue shirt. Aemelia looked dumbfounded and completely out of her depth... but she knew that Copia had already determined where the situation was headed...
Her gaze hardened as she poised her right hand over the gear lever. Then she swiftly pressed the sole of her shoe over the accelerator, the sedan's tires screeching as she abruptly swerved away from the cop with daring ease. It wasn't long before the officer was a shrinking image in her rear-view mirror as he desperately shouted after them. His actions were hopeless, because they were already speeding off into the distance.
"Fantastic." Aemelia murmured sarcastically, shaking her head as she eyed the far off glow of the police car's blue lights, which was subtly growing over the horizon in the reflection of her rear-view mirror.
"Well... what was I supposed to do, Miss Vial? Let him berate me and tear into you as well? Pah. He can eat our fucking dust."
11 : Seizing a Moment
It was late-afternoon on the last day of November, and Miss Vial quietly passed through the bustling Ministry corridors, tightly clutching an opened envelope to the lapels of her blazer. It was clear from her expression of concern and nimble strides that she was uncomfortable. She hurriedly swerved around large clusters of hooded Siblings, desperate to reach the old complex. She had grown to like the older building the most because of how peaceful it was, and she had managed to avoid unnecessarily traipsing the crowded corridors of the new complex quite a bit over the months. Sadly, her journey to the mailboxes that day had been unavoidable... and to her dismay, as she had ripped open her only piece of mail, she'd wished that she'd never bothered checking her pigeonhole.
Soon, she crossed into the threshold of the old complex and huffed in subdued relief, tightly scrunching her fingers around the brown envelope. She clenched her teeth in silent frustration and quickened her pace now that the dim, twisting hallways were free of any other people, ensuring that she kept her head down as concerning scenarios dominated her thoughts. As she continued to worry to herself, her black eyes glaring down at the subtle shine of her black oxfords, she delved further and further into the ominous darkness of the old complex... where there was a quiet, unmistakable melody looming ahead of her. It was passionate but soft, so soft that Aemelia didn't quite register the sound at first.
However, once she did notice, she was immediately curious and all presence of her anxious demeanour vanished in an instant, her strides slowing into a calmer pace. She cautiously followed the gentle plucks and improvised flourishes, tilting her head in quiet contemplation as she advanced further and further forwards. Her brow began to furrow in confusion when she reached the hallway outside Copia's office... the plucks had considerably grown in volume and she picked up speed, jogging down the corridor in bewildered fascination. But she ensured that she kept her footsteps slow and quiet once she approached the unusually closed door of Copia's office.
The spontaneous melodies were definitely coming from inside, and she simply stood there a moment, narrowing her eyes in contemplation as she pressed her ear to the varnished wood of the door. As she listened for a little while, she sensed that there was something familiar about the improvised plucking, but she couldn't quite understand what it was. And after some time, her curiosity became overwhelming, and before she realised it, she was carefully pushing the door open, viciously clutching her crumpled mail to her chest as she silently entered. She ensured the door softly closed behind her and then spun around, amazed that Copia seemed to be unaware of her blatant intrusion. Her feet subtly scuffed over the paper-clad floor as she took a few steps forwards to stand before the bureau, her black eyes shining with admiration as she tilted her head at him.
Strangely, Copia was only adorning one of his dishevelled black shirts and smart suit pants, and the presence of an immaculate black acoustic guitar perched on top of his lap seemed even more unusual. He'd dragged his armchair quite far away from the edge of his desk, and she wore a small smile of amusement when she realised he'd placed his biretta and leather gloves onto the surface of the bureau. When her eyes settled on him again, the hand around the brown envelope seemed to tighten even more, as she observed his melancholic expression. He peered out of the small arched window, thoughtfully regarding the tarmac of the parking lot below.
And all the while, his bare fingers lightly picked the guitar strings, faint blue sparks briefly manifesting in a series of subtle clicks before they swiftly faded away, evaporating into thin air. Aemelia found the sight of him dabbling on a guitar pleasantly unexpected... she had never noticed him do such a thing before. If she'd been honest with herself, she would have visited his office far more often if she had known that it was something he often did... because his subconscious melodies were rather soothing to her ears.
He looked peaceful as he continued to gently pluck away, tipping his head back to intently stare through the window at the downpour outside. Tearing her eyes away from his dexterous hands, she furrowed her brow in intrigue, immediately noticing that his chestnut hair was darker than usual... it was sodden in fact. She quietly leaned forwards and cautiously peered over the edge of the bureau... and sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed when she spotted the black bundle of his soaked cassock scattered over the paper-clad floor. She wondered why he'd been caught in the rain, but carefully leaned back, deciding that she really didn't want to interrupt him with such a probing question.
So she simply watched him instead, her grey lips faintly curving as his melody began to change rhythm slightly... she honestly could have stood and watched him for the rest of the day. She silently sighed and slowly advanced towards the empty armchair, shifting herself onto the paper-ridden seat, which caused the floorboards to groan in alerted protest.
Copia's hands abruptly ceased to strum and his mismatched eyes glared, the insides of the sleek guitar echoing as he swiftly lowered it behind him, leaning it against the far wall. He held his alarm and cleared his throat, his expression darkening with severity. He nimbly stood from his seat and spun around to acknowledge the blatant intruder, and his features were unbelievably stern - it was clear that he wasn't too happy that his jamming had been interrupted.
"Did you not see that my door was cl - ?"
His words suddenly perished - as did his planned lecture - and a strained grunt of surprise escaped his throat. His features immediately softened and his mismatched eyes faltered, his cheeks blushing as his pleasantly alarmed eyes settled on Miss Vial, who simply wore a subtle smile and had made herself quietly comfortable in the armchair on the opposite side of the bureau.
"Yeah, I did see that your door was closed. Sorry if I was intruding, I just..." she trailed off to expel a deep sigh, her black eyes remorseful as they met his anxious stare. "... thought it sounded nice. S'pose curiosity got the better of me."
His brows raised in astonishment and he gently brought his arms down to rest his bare palms flat over the table. He leaned forwards to peer at her intensely, his eyes gleaming with wonder. His stance caused her to frown, and his form wavered slightly when she let out another deep huff.
"You... eh... liked it?" he asked inquisitively, a slight hint of melancholy in his tone... she considered that the cold rain that had partially soaked him was making him feel a little distressed, but she wasn't totally convinced. She could tell that there was something bothering him.
"Yeah I did..." she murmured in a distant tone, searching his face with suspicious eyes. He raised his chin to peer down at her arrogantly and a smirk wickedly sprawled across his mouth... he suddenly looked immensely proud of himself.
"I finally managed to lure you to me, like a rat to a pied piper, ah?" he quietly replied in a hoarse tone, amazed fascination smearing over his arrogance. He knew there was something different about her today, for he was certain that she hadn't taken her eyes away from him since he'd turned around... she blinked a few times and then finally, she averted her gaze to the brown envelope in her grasp, swallowing apprehensively.
"What?" she grumbled, frowning in confusion.
"I know that look, Miss Vial." he quietly quipped, lowering his head to stare at her with wild adoration. "Come, Aemelia, be honest with me... you were kinda turned on, no?"
"My ears were, yeah." she reluctantly admitted, setting her jaw to stop herself from saying anything.
"Mm... and your eyes too. I could feel the way you looked at me before I turned around. It was so intense that I... assumed I was in the presence of a horny Sibling..."
"Oh, thanks." she snapped, rolling her eyes as she sat up a little more stiffly.
"Where has that look gone?" he questioned, wincing into his look of desperation. "I want to see it with my own eyes, Aemelia. Tell me, how do I get that look from you again?"
"What the fuck are you on about?"
"C'maaan, Aemelia. You know what I am talking about." he wisely pressed, unable to resist raising a playful brow as an amused smirk cracked over his mouth. She flicked her gaze towards him and narrowed her eyes defiantly, the brown envelope crinkling loudly as she shuffled in her seat.
"What's gotten into you, Cardinal?" she firmly questioned, her features slightly irritated. "You were playing guitar absolutely drenched - you're literally a drowned rat - and now you're on about this... this fucking look. What are you on about? Why are you so obsessed with it?!"
"Look, I am drenched because... I was meeting a sister in the gardens." he reluctantly admitted, sighing out in defeat. "Well, I was supposed to... she never arrived. I guess I still got my dick wet, just... not in the way I was expecting."
"You were going to hook up with a sister... outside, in late November?" she slowly asked with narrowed eyes, ensuring that she had heard him correctly.
"Yes... " he confirmed, trailing off to let out a disappointed sigh. "Ah, you are right, Miss Vial. I'm a fool. I should have known that she was going to stand me up..."
"No, I'm not surprised by... that, I just thought you'd be at risk of hypothermia." she explained, knitting her eyebrows together as she cautiously rested her eyes upon him again.
"Oh... heh heh, I see, I see..." he chuckled out, tensing his arms to ensure that he continued to hold himself up over the surface of the bureau. There was a brief silence as he breathed deeply, blatantly studying her features as she awkwardly returned his stare, unable to tear her dark eyes away from him. His gaze slowly trailed towards the envelope in her grasp and he furrowed his brow, humming in thought.
"What do you have there?" he asked, pouting his lips thoughtfully.
"Hm? Oh... this? This is nothing."
"Heh, well I can tell that it is something. You don't usually carry your mail about..." he playfully teased, wearing a small smile.
"It's..." she began, pausing to clear her throat. "... it's a fine. A speeding fine and a letter about... evading the cops last week. I could have my license revoked. And... I might have to serve time."
His amusement dropped immediately and he tilted his head again, concern evident on his features. Well, he certainly couldn't allow that to happen...
"I see. Maybe we could try appeal it, ah?"
"I don't think that's how it works, Cardinal." she sighed, her grip on the brown envelope easing slightly. He winced and was unmistakably guilty. He was the one that had pushed her to commit each act, and he felt that he was entirely responsible for the crumpled bit of paper in her hands... but he certainly didn't say anything. He decided to swiftly change the subject instead, hoping that she was still a little attracted to him... it was the only time he'd ever managed to successfully capture her interest, he didn't want it to be ruined or forgotten about because of some pathetic fine or pending arrest warrant.
"Listen, Aemelia... I know that this may seem kinda sudden but... ahm..." he trailed off, blushing profusely as he swallowed thickly, her dark eyes softening due to the abrupt change of subject. "... are you free tomorrow night? 'Cause I would really appreciate it... if you could visit my quarters. I just... think we could discuss this... dilemma of yours and I've been feeling a lil' icky about some upcoming work stuff. It has been bugging the shit out of me, you know?"
"Well... I'm here now, you might as well - "
"No! No, no. I... do not think it is wise to... discuss such... important matters here." he blurted out in a blunder of persuasion. "My quarters are... soundproof. I don't want to risk any other ears hearing what we will be do - ah! I mean... eh... hearing what we have to say."
She gazed at him speculatively.
"So... shall we say... my place at eh... eight-o-clock?"
12 : Dubium
Aemelia Vial's presence at the main cathedral was strange, especially considering that she had turned up half-an-hour before she was due to visit Copia. She shuffled herself onto one of the rear pews, skeptically furrowing her brow as she peered down at her polished black oxfords, avoiding peering towards the extravagant pulpit, vivid stain-glass and infernal tapestries that were looming ahead of her.
She simply sat like that a while, enjoying the peaceful silence. She was immensely grateful that she was the only one that was present, and surprised that she felt content in such a large, imposing church all by herself. She'd felt honesty welling up inside her since accepting Copia's proposition, and she'd needed somewhere to think out her thoughts properly without being disturbed. Even if she was in the presence of Satan while she thought to herself... it didn't seem to bother her.
She didn't understand why she suddenly felt like she had to come clean to Copia about her mysterious self, after all, he'd never really asked her anything personal... that wasn't suggestive, anyway. She huffed in bewilderment and reluctantly lifted her head, raising it just enough to trail her dark eyes upwards. She glared at the panes of spectacular stain-glass with perplexed eyes. She supposed that her desire to confess certain things to him was completely natural... they'd been colleagues and friends for quite some time and she could definitely sense something different about the night ahead. She leaned forwards and closed her eyes, clenching her teeth together, oblivious to the fresh set of sharp eyes that had settled upon her...
Imperator kept a low profile and watched from the archway, narrowing her suspicious eyes at the silent alchemist, who was still focused on contemplation. Sister shook her head in disbelief and felt an unpleasant twinge in the pit of her stomach. The woman was usually pleased when a non-believer requested guidance from Satan, but the sight of Miss Vial lost in thought caused her jaw to set and her blood to boil with indignation...
13 : The Inconvenient Confessions of Copia and Vial
When it came to dates, Copia always aimed to impress. But when his date happened to be Aemelia Vial, he strived for perfection. Hosting the event in his own living quarters was a relief to him, because he had complete control of the setting... and he could ensure that they would be completely alone.
He'd spruced himself up rather well - ensuring that his chestnut hair was slicked back and his facial hair was finely groomed - and had decided on wearing his dashing red tuxedo for the night. He'd even applied fresh layers of black paint to his eyes and top lip - he wanted to make sure it was especially neat, after all, he wanted to make quite a distinct impression on the alchemist that evening.
When he was eventually content with his tidy appearance, he set to lighting every candelabra in his living quarters, placing pots of tall candles upon any surface that seemed empty - like the mantle piece or the coffee table, which he'd cleared of dirty reading material - and had been a little too eager with the incense sticks. He'd even arranged two symmetrical lines of tea-lights either side his chamber door... it was an obvious indicator of where he intended the evening to end... but he didn't care. The fragrant air clutched onto the smell of smoke due to the large number of matches he'd struck and it mixed into the faint scent of wood smoke that was coming from the fireplace, where the comforting sound of snapping and crackling accompanied voracious flames.
To complete the ambience, he'd turned off the main lights, the flickering of golds and ambers defying the dim darkness to give the elaborate room a fiery glow. He approved of how it was a blatant reminder of the pit, but for once he was glad that his date wouldn't share the same observation. Silvery moonlight still flooded in through the thin, tall windows either side of the fireplace but he didn't appear to notice for the time being.
He paused in the centre of the room, the edge of the black coffee table brushing against his right leg. He nonchalantly peered around to see if there was anything else he could add or improve as he wanted to make sure it was a comfortable atmosphere for her.
"Ahhhhhhm..." he hesitated highly as he calmly closed his eyes and inhaled the relaxing scent of smoky tones... until he clicked his bare fingers together in abrupt realisation, finite cyan sparks vividly spitting upwards before they thankfully died out. "Shit, the wine!"
After hastily raiding his drinks cabinet, he clutched an unopened bottle of red wine to his chest and tightly gripped his fingers around the rims of two immaculate glasses. He promptly shuffled towards the coffee table... but due to the impressive array of candles on its surface, he had hardly any room to place everything down. He huffed in slight annoyance but placed each glass down carefully and swiftly uncorked the bottle, not even bothering to check the label on the front for the vintage... if he had, he would have probably regretted opening it so carelessly.
He eagerly poured out the luscious dark red liquid, generously topping up both glasses... and once they were filled appropriately, he raised the lip of the bottle to his lips to take a hefty swig - he felt that he'd earned it after the effort he'd put into creating such a comforting atmosphere. After swallowing down the tepid wine, he pressed the cork back into the top of the bottle and stood it on the mantle piece, deciding it was probably best that it was out of reach... in case things happened to get out of hand. Clearly Copia was rather confident about the evening ahead. He scanned the place proudly, his hands clutching at hips as he nodded his head, smiling like he had just constructed some impressive bit of architecture.
"Yes, yes... this place shapes up pretty well... way better than my old place..." he murmured to himself, carefully stepping towards the nearest couch to readjust the location of a few velvet cushions, ensuring they were in better positions for prime comfort.
As he backed away to witness the glorious atmosphere again, his mismatched eyes narrowed and he hummed to himself thoughtfully, stroking his chin... something was definitely missing. It was then that he noticed the overwhelming silence...
He knitted his eyebrows in concern and quickly lifted up his right sleeve, glancing at his wrist-watch - it was two minutes to eight. He cursed, and scrambled out from the set of loungers, panicking as he darted towards his record player. He frantically switched it on and clumsily raised the dust cover, breathing a sigh of relief when he could hear the odd familiar, comforting crackle coming through the speakers. He then fumbled through the nearest set of records, which were neatly tucked into adjacent shelving.
He flicked through a couple of record sleeves and dragged a few out to study their covers... he huffed in annoyance and pushed them back in, his finger skimming over an array of sleeve-spines. He decided to ignore his cheesy section of records that he always relied on for setting a sensual atmosphere because he was certain that they wouldn't work on Miss Vial. And considering that he was incredibly serious about seducing the woman, he had to search for a fitting record that was sure to win her over.
For a brief moment, he did consider the fact that she liked Ghost. The thought of actually singing to her suddenly weighed on his mind... but he sneered at the idea, he didn't want to bring work or religion into their night. He wanted to be carefree and informal... and had the suspicion that if he did sing to her, he would make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
After some more flicks and checks of the partially obscured track lists, he eventually found something that would at least do. He wanted to play something that sounded sexy, something with daring lyrics, where the innuendos were not so obvious when the music was simply in the background... though he was well aware that Miss Vial always listened to music intently. He slid out the chosen record sleeve, grasping each edge with his bare hands, his mismatched eyes narrowing as he nodded his head at the cover art. He was quietly confident that Trash by Alice Cooper would have her in the desired mood in no time. He gingerly lowered the record onto the deck, ensuring the needle was stiffly poised in place before he carefully secured the dust cover. And with that, he swivelled around, taking one more sweeping glance of the place...
He cursed again, hurriedly dashing over to the two tall stain-glass windows, yanking a heavy crimson curtain over the first one he happened to come to, obscuring the invasive rays of moonlight. As he clumsily scampered over to the second window to repeat his actions, he inwardly gasped as three dense knocks rattled the ebony wood of his door. He was undeniably nervous due to the sounds and his hands trembled as he forcefully dragged the second curtain in place, the darkness far more potent now that the silvery rays of moonlight were completely shrouded from view. The second curtain was noticeably scruffy from his rushed actions and Copia gestured his hands in defeat.
"Y'know what? Fuck it." he lightly muttered, turning on his heels to head towards the door. He scooped up a fresh pair of leather gloves from the cushions on one of the loungers on the way, swallowing back his nervousness as he frantically pulled them over his bare hands. When he arrived at the door, a second lot of knocks sounded out and he anxiously smoothed his hair back. The knocking became more insistent and he wrestled the door open, deciding there was very little point in dragging out his feeling of dread. He ensured it was cracked open just enough to reveal him as he didn't want to ruin the surprise of the rather impressive room behind him.
A creased, relieved face smiled at him and his anticipation dissipated as he let out a loud sigh of disappointment, furrowing his brow in annoyance.
Sister Imperator's expression of kind warmth immediately dropped as she looked over his dapper attire with suspicious eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew that he opted for his red suit whenever he desired to impress and entertain... and it had been the last thing she had expected to see him wearing. On a habitual night, he was usually lounging about in front of the fireplace by eight-o-clock, content adorning one of his snug cassocks as he flicked through an obscene magazine he'd selected from his coffee table.
"What is the occasion, Cardinal?" she questioned in a shrill tone, shooting him an accusing gaze.
"It is nothing. Really." Copia reluctantly muttered, lowering his shifty eyes to study the immaculate tips of his red chelsea boots. Sister's gaze sharpened and she stepped forwards to blatantly peep over one of his shoulders, catching a glimpse of the bewitching display of flickering candles.
"What have you done to your room? Are you expecting someone?" she interrogated, scowling as he lightly nudged her with his shoulder, gently shoving her backwards so that she couldn't stare at the attractive lighting behind him. She gawped at his actions and he pinched the top of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut in annoyance.
"Yes, Sister. I am expecting someone. So could you please leave?" he asked politely in an undeniably deflated tone.
"No, I will not." she shrieked, scolding him with her green eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "You ought to knuckle down now instead of allowing such petty desires to distract you, Cardinal. You have barely lifted a finger since your last promotion! All those years you have slaved away... they are being washed down the drain with every day that goes by - "
She continued to criticize him and his shoulders tensed. He heard the sound of her words but he was deaf to their meanings, and he kept his eyes shut, dragging a gloved hand down the length of his face in frustration.
" - the sisters of sin will always be there to tempt you away. It is a constant test, Cardinal. A test of your willpower. You know that you are destined for unholy greatness, yet you always set aside your higher purpose. Never forget your task. Never forget your title. And do not act as anything less than important."
He groaned in dismay, casually tossing up a leathery hand as if he was flicking her words away from him.
"Ah... important? Eh... sure, sure. I'll get on to being that..." he trailed off, reaching out his hands to place them onto her shoulders to gently push her away from the threshold of the door. "... as soon as I can, ok, Sister?"
"But Cardinal - "
"Tomorrow, Sister."
"Cardinal!" she cried desperately in a scolding tone.
Copia calmly let go of her, took a smooth step backwards... and slammed the door in her face. He smirked victoriously at the wood of his door, fully confident that he was in the clear. He knew that Imperator wasn't the kind of woman that barged into a clergyman's quarters without a scrap of consideration for common courtesy, but that certainly didn't stop her from displaying her feelings of insistence.
She furiously pounded a fist against the door, her voice muffled to him due to the thick ebony wood. She persisted to anxiously babble, hoping that the cardinal would pity her enough to invite her inside... but his smirk dropped and he sighed in exasperation, promptly turning away from the old woman's squawks.
Deciding that he needed to distract himself from Imperator's pestering, he nonchalantly strode over to the mantle piece, swiping up the uncorked bottle of wine. He pushed out the loose cork and tilted his head back to down a generous swig, slamming the bottle onto the surface of the mantle piece once he swallowed the ample amount of wine. He faintly smiled when he heard the apparent sound of Sister Imperator's silence... she had finally given up on trying to bait him to the door.
But suddenly, his smile fell, his grasp around the neck of the wine bottle tightened and his expression darkened. He was only just considering that Imperator would possibly catch on to who was visiting him that night. Knowing how manipulative the conniving woman could be, he really wouldn't have been surprised if she attempted to interfere in some way... spewing out some vicious lie to deter Aemelia from seeing him. That very idea caused his blood to simmer.
As he drew his arm away from the bottle and seared his eyes into the chequered flooring beneath his feet, a thin defiant strand of chestnut hair strayed down from the middle of his hairline, coming to a natural rest by the edge of his eyebrow. Concern washed over him, and his eyes widened the longer he was stood there, endless anxious thoughts causing him a great deal of bother. What if Sister had already passed Miss Vial in the corridors? What if the old woman had already interfered earlier in the day? What if Aemelia was never going to arrive at all?
Frozen in place and lost in his troublesome thoughts, Cardinal almost failed to notice the intense sound of three firm raps coming from the door again. He blinked a few times and cleared his throat, setting his jaw. There was an enormous chance that it was Sister Imperator, and although he was used to her audacity, he felt that her actions were getting ridiculous. He decided he would just have to be blunt with her.
He marched towards the door again and frowned deeply, snatching hold of the silver-laced door-handle to forcefully swing it open. He aimed his fuming scowl at the person waiting outside and he found that he could no longer hold his tongue.
"Why don't you just fuck off, ah?!"
Copia's mismatched eyes widened in horror. He glared into a set of attractive eyes that matched the darkness of the corridor outside, and the soft, pale features of Aemelia Vial caused him to swallow thickly.
"Caught you at a bad time, Cardinal?" Aemelia asked in confusion, tilting her head inquisitively as she trailed her eyes over his immaculate red suit.
"N-No! No no no! Not at all, heh heh! Come in, come in!" he insisted in a desperate tone, trying his best not to sound nervous but he couldn't quite feign any other emotion to hide it. "Apologies for my... shouting. Sister Imperator has been up my ass tonight."
"Her first name is Enema?" she retorted playfully, flashing him a grin as she pushed by him, not that she had really needed to, he had kindly - and obediently - obliged her entering his dwelling. He chuckled impishly, but his amusement quickly fell as he darted his head out into the corridor, anxiously checking that there wasn't anyone else outside. To his relief, he didn't see anyone else and he backed away, flinging the door shut to ensure the allegedly empty hallway knew that he did not wish to be disturbed. He nervously smoothed his hair back again and swivelled around, observing her with wary eyes as she stood in the centre of his room. Considering she was facing away from him, he took the opportunity to rake his eyes up the length of her body, confidently smirking to himself.
Unlike Copia, Aemelia was wearing her habitual outfit, but it only seemed to entice him further. Her fitted blazer was loose and the tie around her neck was dishevelled and crooked, the end hidden by her buttoned waistcoat. Even her burgundy plaits were messy and slack, and with the accompaniment of worn black eyeliner smudges, it proved that she'd had an arduous day at the apothecary.
"Am I... missing something here?" she asked loudly, twisting her waist so that she could squint her speculative eyes at him. "Do you usually wind down on an evening this way?"
"Eh... what way?" he responded shortly, gesturing his gloves upwards to hide the fact he was truly aware of what she was asking.
"Well y'know... it's like a fuckin' re-enactment of the dark ages in here." she explained plainly, pointing towards the large assortments of candles that were inhabiting the place.
"Ah, yes. I can only relax in the presence of shadows and candlelight." he lied convincingly, wearing a sincere expression as he took a few steps away from the door. "I can always... turn on the light, if you would prefer?"
She turned her head away slightly in an attempt to conceal a smile, but she still gazed over her shoulder in his direction.
"Nah, it's alright. It's quite nice to be honest."
"So be it." he said in an innocent, accepting tone, shrugging overdramatically. Her attention swayed away from him entirely as she gazed up at the ceiling with shining black eyes... the clutches of darkness seemed to make the place far more fascinating and she simply stared a while. She was studying the details like it was the first time she had ever seen the place, and a smirk tugged at Copia's mouth as he took another few steps towards her.
"What did you want to talk about?" she inquired in an airy tone, her neck stretching as she tilted her head back to examine the extravagant walls and ceiling. "You seemed keen to talk about something earlier."
He inhaled sharply and nimbly strode by her, confidently headed towards the inviting lounger that was located nearest to him, which happened to be the one on the left. He perched himself over the satisfying cushions with a deep contented sigh, purposely shuffling over to ensure there was plenty of room beside him. He could sense the scrutiny of her eyes upon him, but he remained calm, finally deciding to answer her.
"I'm... concerned." he began sincerely as he sat upright, masking his casual demeanour. "Considering the... cases we have experienced so far, I do not know if it is wise to continue these investigations. The dangers only seem to heighten the more we investigate."
Aemelia's eyebrows framed her narrowed eyes as she focused on the back of his head, hoping that he would turn around to face her. She could tell he was referring to her loss of control when the entity had taken her over a few days prior. She understood his concern but she felt she had learned far more about the strange thing lurking within her after its hold on her that day... and now she had experienced such a thing, it was unlikely to happen again. Nevertheless, she went along with Copia's guise of bothersome investigations.
"What the hell is coming next to make you feel so worried?" she snapped in frustration, wishing he would stop talking around what he truly wanted to say. He tilted his head over his shoulder and knitted his eyebrows together in thought.
"Precisely my question too, Miss Vial."
He studied her reluctant expression as she took small steps towards him. It seemed like an eternity had passed once she actually arrived beside him, the couch cushions wavering as she sat down next to him. He swallowed thickly, uncomfortable with sitting so stiffly now that she was sat down. He swiftly leaned towards the low coffee table, reaching out his right hand to grasp the spindly stem of one of the glasses of wine. He then coolly sat back in place, draping his left arm over the back of the sofa. He noticed that she was narrowing her eyes at him in his peripheral vision and he relaxed over the array of cushions behind him. Finally, he seemed more at ease.
She sighed deeply, sitting up straight now that she witnessed Copia's casual, confident manner. He brought the rim of the glass up to his lips and took a slow sip of wine, his conflicting irises sharply flicking towards her. She had already averted her stare and was busily digging a hand into the inside pockets of her blazer... he masked a knowing smirk. He watched in quiet fascination as she eventually fished out a pre-rolled cigarette. She then passed it into the opposite hand so that she could use her right to feel around her pockets for her matchbox. Cardinal abruptly jolted forwards and loudly placed his glass of wine onto the surface of the coffee table. His sudden movements caused her to halt, her obsidian eyes scolding him as their gazes met. Copia's apprehension had noticeably vanished.
"Allow me." he breathed assuredly, reaching into his own coat pockets to smoothly slide out a neat box of matches. Their eyes never strayed, even when she clicked her tongue and shook her head, wearing a bewildered frown.
"Since when do you carry matches?"
She had finally smelled a rat... and it wasn't just the few that were quietly pottering about the area of his chambers. She was staring at him intensely, waiting for him to show a lie she was certain he was about to invent... but he didn't. His conscience was on display in front of her and his eyes reached out to her in the surreal situation, asking for some kind of unspoken permission.
She flinched slightly as he gracefully reached an arm forwards, his gloved fingers lightly circling around her right wrist. They were still locked onto each others gaze but his eyes had started to search hers for something, and it confused her immensely. He gently pulled her arm away from her so that it was in a better poise, softly positioning each of her fingers around the cigarette carefully. Even though his eyes never left hers, he noticed that her grey lips had started to part with anticipation. He slowly brought her arm up into place and her breathing was incredibly shallow as he gently pushed her hand so that the cigarette slotted between her lips.
He gently let her go to withdraw a match from the box perched over his lap. He struck it in one firm swipe, finally taking his attention away from her to quickly gaze at the fresh flame. He cupped around it with his free hand, concentrating on the flame as it blazed the end of her cigarette. He withdrew the match swiftly and blew it out, the pungent scent of smoke filling their nostrils. He observed her intently as she deeply inhaled her first lot of smoke, even in the dim light he could plainly see the white vapour dispersing from her nose in swirly drafts.
"Thanks." she said hoarsely, holding the lit cigarette just in front of her lips. The attractive sight of her and the hoarse sound of her voice stirred something ferocious within him, and the feeling only grew as she continued to calmly puff out foggy vapours. She looked like a smoky apparition of divine temptation in that moment... he inhaled sharply.
Concerned about the sudden restriction of his suit pants, he shot upwards to stand from the couch, smoothly catching hold of his match box to slide it into its rightful pocket. He briefly glanced down at Aemelia, and she caused his blood to pump faster. She had finally settled over the velvet cushions by slumping across the left side of the couch. She had even stretched a leg across the cushions where he had just been sat, her mouth parted to allow majestic tumbles of smoke to escape.
He exhaled loudly as he quickly averted his eyes from her, wandering over to his record player. A silence fell over the room when he finally reached his destination, and he swallowed thickly again, for the only sound that emerged was her deep exhales. He heard the rustle of sofa fabric behind him and he paused, tempted to simply turn to stare at her again.
"Are you expecting a plane to land?" she questioned with an injection of amusement. It only took a slight furrow of his brow and a swift turn for him to realise that she was referring to the runway of flickering tea-lights that he'd set out either side of his bedroom door.
"No no no, of course not..." he chuckled nervously. "It's just a bit of... symbolism to keep - ahem - " He gestured a leather-clad thumb to the ground even though he knew she wouldn't be looking at him. "Him happy, you know?"
She knew that he was hiding something from her and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion as he cleared his throat, gently pressing a button to start spinning the record. The vinyl began to smoothly turn and the sound of the first few satisfying crackles caused a small smile to grace his lips.
It was only a few more seconds before the first unmistakable bars of Poison rang out and it carried across the room extremely well. As he turned away to acknowledge Miss Vial again, he was suddenly incredibly proud of himself, for she was no longer lazily slumped over the lounger. She had sat further back, her head tilting backwards as she shot him a curious look. Her arms stretched out over the thick border of the sofa behind her, her lips clutching around the burning cigarette as wafts of white smoke travelled up to the chandelier bulbs above.
"Trash?" she asked as she raised an inquisitive eyebrow, her black eyes giving away that she was quite impressed by the music. "I hope this isn't you trying tell me that I should throw myself in with next week's recycling."
He was speechless and amused at her jovial poke but he was uncertain whether she actually appreciated the choice of music... to his relief, she chuckled and he swallowed at the sound, feeling a little more optimistic. His optimism encouraged his usual overconfidence and he was suddenly incredibly comfortable with the situation.
"A wise choice." she softly added, squinting her eyes at him in interest as she inhaled a large amount of smoke, only to exhale it out again. "A choice that leads me to believe that... you don't want to talk about investigations all night. Well, that and the uncanny resemblance to an incinerator."
"You said it was quite nice..." he murmured quietly, faintly wincing. She shrugged, poorly hiding the smirk that tugged at her lips. Cardinal rarely felt weak at the knees under anyone's gaze, but as soon as his eyes widened at her, heat flooded to his face and his legs began to tremble slightly. Thankfully, she dropped her intense amusement after a few seconds, grasping hold of her cigarette to drape her arm behind the couch, subtly flicking away the excess ash.
He cautiously returned to the set of loungers, pausing by the end of the coffee table as he decided on his actions. Noticing that she seemed fairly comfortable in her current position, he quickly shuffled himself onto the identical sofa opposite, clearing his throat to alert her to his presence. She looked at him immediately.
She exhaled a prolonged, shuddering breath of wispy fumes as he stroked his hair back into place and hunched over a little to rest his elbows on his thighs. His new sitting position caused him to look like he was about to tell the greatest ghost story in history, and the shards of fiery shadows that fell across the gaunt angles of his face only added to his mystique. Already, Aemelia was captivated.
"I... ah... took care of your arrest." he abruptly confessed with a sincere expression, his glinting eyes trailing over her relaxed form. "I know you were... concerned that you were wanted by the authorities."
"You're really not hot when you lie, Copia." she quipped in a scornful tone, swiftly slotting her cigarette between her lips.
"I am not lying, Miss Vial. I had Nihil send them a couple grand. He was more than happy to do it."
"For fuck's sake... a bribe?! What the fuck are you playing at?!" she cried out in disbelief, shaking her head in disapproval. "You really shouldn't have done that."
"Why not? I could not have you... locked away! Especially when... I encouraged your behaviour that night..." he replied defensively, wearing a remorseful wince. She hummed in reluctant consideration but her dark eyes were skeptical.
"Let's not dwell on it, Aemelia. It is a problem the Ministry has completely taken care of, and ahm... if I'm not hot when I'm lying... does that mean I'm hot to you right now because I told the truth?"
"Ha, fuck no. I bet you're stone cold under that suit."
"Ehhhh... not quite, heh heh. But I am completely... stone hard..." he flirted, the corners of his mouth curling upwards as she seared her black eyes into him.
"Hmph... so this is a date." Aemelia grumbled, wearing a disappointed expression as she peered at him sadly. "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to come here."
"I... I should have made it more clear to you, I'm - "
"Oh shut it, Copia. You knew exactly what you were doing." she snapped, glaring at him in annoyance. "You lured me here under false pretences. You're such a conniving... rat bastard."
He tensed and shuffled to sit a little more upright, swallowing nervously as he gazed his wide eyes at her. He could sense the unpleasant tension emerging and he kept quiet, not wishing to anger her any further.
"I'm not falling for it, alright? I'm not a devout Sibling that you can bewitch or manipulate. And just because you managed to get me here does not mean that I'm here to fuckin'... participate in anything. I'm certainly not here to spend the night on this fuckin' couch like all those sisters you have sinfully conquered."
Cardinal loudly breathed in, the shock in his large eyes evident. He was surprised and embarrassed that she was bringing up his occasional nightly escapades with the sisters of sin... but he calmed himself, his stare hardening as he silently yearned for her to continue.
"It's obvious why they cause you so much trouble. I honestly don't blame them - you're behaving like a twat. You really can't go on like this. Surely you're not fine with using them? Because I know you don't have an awful lot of time to court them, and you certainly don't hang out with your subordinates."
As he continued to return her venomous stare, his nervousness was replaced with an expression of ominous amusement. She could see the mischief plainly on his features as he relaxed over the couch, the ghost of a smirk present on his lips as he coolly draped his arms over the velvet cushions either side of him.
"It's a chance encounter, isn't it?" she asked wisely, reaching forwards to press out the end of her cigarette on the rim of the untouched wine-glass. He watched her intently as she flicked the butt into the dark red drink, her black eyes narrowing in annoyance when he eventually nodded in reply.
"And you never see them again after... doing whatever you do?"
He nodded again.
"So... do you just tally them up every few nights or what?" she snapped, clenching her teeth together as she leaned back to settle over the sofa again.
"No, no. I do not count or... remember the faces even. Pleasure is pleasure, Miss Vial. The sisters are well aware that it is a one-time thing. They simply allow me to practice my craft."
"Ha. It's hardly a craft." she bitterly retorted, drilling her eyes into him as she shook her head in disapproval.
"I would gladly prove you wrong... if you would allow me to demonstrate." he offered in a quiet tone of voice, deeply exhaling through his parted lips as his eyes trailed over her chest.
"No thanks. I'd just be another notch on your bed-post." she curtly replied, folding her arms over her torso.
"What? No... no. Not you. Never you, Miss Vial. You are... far more than any insignificant... notch on my bed-post..."
"Wow. I'm honoured." she drawled cynically, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"I... have not behaved like this in quite some time." he profoundly continued, ignoring her sarcastic comment. "Things have become... difficult for me... and... ahm... I cannot... come si dice... eh... understand what I feel when I... "
He let out a frustrated sigh, frowning lightly as he settled his eyes on her pursed lips. His gaze seemed a little sad as she parted them to complete her look of confusion.
"I do not want to ruin this... friendship of ours." he confessed in a small voice, his tone and features undeniably apprehensive. "I-If it... could be called that."
"Of course it's a friendship, Cardinal." she reassured softly, her hostile demeanour seemingly a distant memory. "What else would you call it? And what do you mean, what would ruin things for us?"
He dipped his head down a little and he peered at her longingly as she quietly muttered, "I highly doubt anything could."
"All the months you have been here... they have been a delight." he admitted in an unusually low voice, her black irises softening as she searched his sincere features. "Unlike most here at the Ministry... you do not feel the need to prove anything. Or... gain anything. You simply... get on with your life, regardless of any problems that arise, and you rarely complain. It... astounds me. You astound me... I... ahm..."
She was captivated by him as he confidently lifted his head up to face her more directly, his white eye glowing intensely as it reflected the golden flames of the candles between them. She could only just make out his other eye, which was slicing through the dim atmosphere like the glistening edge of a muddy blade. She wanted to ask him why he suddenly felt the need to praise her, but she decided that it was better to hear him out instead.
"You are correct, Miss Vial. I did not ask you here to discuss our work." he admitted in a grave tone, taking a long pause to admire the lines of her face. Her perplexed frown deepened but she didn't feel uncomfortable under his fascinated gaze and simply allowed him to study her. He expelled another heavy sigh and carried on.
"For months I have dreamt of you in ways that I never thought possible." he whispered loudly, the guilt on his face evident like he was a cardinal sat in a confessional rather than a cardinal sat in the comfort of his private chambers. "I know this may seem... out of the blue. But these dreams... they have hit me like a lead balloon... I cannot get them off my mind, you know? You have become a great friend and colleague to me, Miss Vial, and I do not want to spoil that. So... yes, I invited you here in hopes of a date but... if you could convince me to stop lusting after you, that would also be very helpful, no?"
There was a silence as she sat up slightly, and she calmly returned his nervous stare. He was surprised that she hadn't lost her mind over his confession - he had been anticipating her storming off or snapping at him, but she did no such things.
"I take it you don't talk to all of your subordinates this way?" she softly questioned, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Surely they're a distraction too?"
He was grateful that she was attempting to rationalize his vivid daydreams about her, but had she seen or felt a slither of his experiences, he knew that she would have realised that his feelings were far more complex than that of lust.
"I lose my mind when I am with you... I... I am sure you must have noticed."
"Well, I've lost count of the advances you've made. I assumed that it was just part of your whole... personality." she explained, concern sweeping across her features as she began to consider what he was truly saying.
"It is... but... I meant every single offer, Aemelia. They were never... a joke, you know?"
"You made it abundantly clear that your offers were genuine, Cardinal."
"But you did not know that I am not usually so... persistent." he quickly added, searching her concerned face with worried eyes. "It is abnormal for me to... pursue, Miss Vial. It is only something I did in my youth, but... with you... it is different. I have to do it. I am drawn to you, and you alone... I... I have prayed for this attraction to go away but it only grows stronger. I... felt compelled to tell you this tonight... I do not know why."
She let out a deep sigh and lowered her gaze, staring at the many candles that lit up the surface of the coffee table.
"Shit, cosa sto facendo?" he murmured in annoyance, leaning forwards to shield his face with the palms of his leather gloves.
"I'm not sure this will help you but... let's say I experienced the same dreams and felt the exact same way. I would never feel the need to act on something because a dream led me to believe it was good, no matter how authentic it was. Although, I might continue to astound you in reality, Cardinal, I can assure you that there is no reason to feel so attached to me. Then again... I suppose that I am kind of... attached to you."
Her reflective answer caused him to wince in bemusement and he sat up straight, his mismatched eyes gleaming at her hopefully. He realised that she had not dismissed his affection for her... she had instead justified it by... saying that she felt the same way? No... surely he'd heard her wrong?
"As feelings have grown between us, there's something I should admit. I was planning on telling you anyway. I felt compelled to, in fact." she confessed with a heavy reluctant sigh and he narrowed his eyes in confusion as she reached inside her blazer for another cigarette. "I never arrived here of my own volition. I was sent here."
The hope on the cardinal's face disappeared and perplexion swept over him as his mismatched eyes studied the blatant honesty in her black irises.
"I was sent here to find something. Something that was - and still is - unknown and inherently evil. The... company I work for believe that the Ministry is harbouring something devastating, and therefore, they believe your church is a direct threat to mankind. So they placed me in here after I refused to work in my previous position. I suppose they thought this would be some kind of punishment."
Copia stared at her coldly, all feelings of adoration vanishing in an instant. He jolted forwards to snatch up his wine glass, pressing the glass rim to his lips. He was irked and hostile as he took a long sip, his eyes piercing into her.
"I had to report my speculations at first." she continued as she started to remove her blazer, a scowl becoming apparent on Copia's brow. She paused as she carefully draped her jacket over the arm of the sofa and sat up properly to display her sincerity, resting her palms on her lap.
"And after a while I started to bullshit the reports. Because I couldn't understand how such a positive place could shelter something that was so inherently evil. Even with all the ties to Hell and Lucifer... it just didn't add up..."
Aemelia paused to swallow and Copia licked his dry lips, observing her with his sharp, curious eyes. Her eyes faltered as she studied his strange expression... and her mouth parted in realisation. She inhaled deeply and her wide eyes searched his face, her head slowly shaking in reluctant recognition.
"But then...you've had me exactly where you've wanted me." she whispered, her eyebrows knitting in concern.
Copia simply took another sip of his wine, the side of his mouth quivering as he resisted the urge to beam a snide smirk. He enjoyed that she was studying him intently, knowing that she was fascinated by how unusually quiet he was.
"Because if I was right by your side, it's not like I would pay attention to the evil I was supposed to seek out. You intended to distract me, didn't you? You know exactly what this evil is... I'm certain of it."
He slowly lowered the glass from his mouth, wearing a deceitful sneer. She felt her heart beat faster due to her sudden apprehension, for it was the most malignant expression she had ever seen upon his face.
"I was only supposed to stay here for three weeks." Aemelia softly admitted, his eyes shifting away from her to sear into the row of thriving flames between them. "Yet here I am, almost a year later. Prolonging this strange experience because it's honestly far more fascinating than the life I had before. I... never thought it would be like this."
She winced and bit her bottom lip, uncomfortable as she studied the reflection of the candlelight in his conflicting irises. He narrowed them in irritation as he turned his gaze on her, necking down the rest of his wine.
"So what is life to you here?" he questioned in a low, silky voice as he discarded his empty glass over the surface of the coffee table. "A game? A role? A fat pay cheque from Papa's man-purse?"
She had heard the blatant spite in his tone as he had spat out the last few words, and she wasn't sure what had truly repulsed him.
"I... don't have an answer, Cardinal."
"That's funny, bella, because you always seem to have one. Why not think a little harder, ah?"
"Why are you asking me thi - "
He shot up to his feet with a growl of frustration, kicking the nearest leg of the coffee table.
"Because your intentions were malicious when you arrived here, no? Whoever this shitty little organisation is... they knew you could harness energy. That is why they sent you here. They knew you could seriously harm the Ministry."
"Perhaps they did." she replied honestly, seemingly unsure of her corporation's motives. "But I swear to you, Copia... I had no idea I was capable of hosting such a powerful entity. I've always been a vessel for those sorts of things... but never a host."
His leather gloves mashed into fists as his arms stiffened next to his sides. He rounded the coffee table, stalking towards her slowly so that his mismatched gaze could eat away any deceitful masks she may have been trying to wear.
"I'm sorry that I never told you... and I'm sorry that the first thing I ever did was break your promise. You said that you never wished to see me again and I - "
"What?! What are you talking about?!"
His eyes had no mercy in them as he kicked backwards, the soles of his chelsea boots pushing his coffee table aside. He never took his intense, mistrustful eyes away her as he lowered himself to kneel over the checkered flooring in front of the sofa. She frowned in confusion and leaned forwards to view his actions... and she gasped as he reached his arms up to grasp hold of her head. His gloved hands clutched at her pallid cheeks as he firmly guided her downwards to face him eye to eye, her clothes rustling over the velvet cushions as her body hunched over. His eyes seared into her, and she could see his simmering rage... but she could also tell that he was deeply hurt by what she had confessed to him.
"It is lucky that I like rats, Miss Vial." Copia quipped through clenched teeth, staring into her wide, obsidian irises. "Because that is exactly what you are, ah?"
"I - "
"Prove that I can trust you, Miss Vial." he interrupted in a venomous whisper, squinting his eyes now that he felt the threat of tears. Her charcoal orbs searched his eyes for the cardinal she had grown to know so well... yet all she could find was a seemingly intimidating and deeply hurt man.
"And how do I do that, your Dark Excellency?" she curtly snapped, her eyes also narrowing as she returned his ominous stare. There was an unsettling pause, and the crackle of the log fire and the roaring guitars of Alice Cooper suddenly seemed bitter... both sounds had started to sting their ears.
"Allow me to assess the darkness within you." Copia eventually spoke, holding her head still as the end of his nose brushed against hers.
"You can do that?" she questioned with a frown, her face growing warm from the unusual presence of heat that was seeping from his gloves.
"Yes, with a spell. It is... highly dangerous but with an open, honest mind it will be no trouble at all." he reassured, easing hold of a pallid cheek to gently caress her bottom lip with his thumb. "But in order for it to work... I need us to share a moment. We must both fully consent, then we can be joined in the aether."
She blinked a few times, dumbfounded.
"Right... how do we - "
"You kiss me, Miss Vial. And then I give you my consent by doing the same, ok?"
Reluctance was plainly swimming in her eyes and she tensed her neck, forcing him to hold onto both her cheeks again in order to keep her head in place.
"Eh, c'maaan... you were perfectly willing to kiss me when it was Halloween. Don't think that I forgot, Miss Vial. Even if you were acting, your kisses set me alight that night."
"This isn't another attempt to try and spend the night with me, is it?"
"Far from it." he breathed, finally deciding to release his grip on her. "But it certainly helps the process if... you really like the other person, ah?"
Her eyes faltered as he suddenly closed in on her again, leaning towards her left shoulder. His moustache tickled the skin of her lobe as his mouth hovered by her ear.
"I must thank you for your honesty about liking me, Aemelia. It is the only thing I can be certain you are not lying about..." he whispered, every syllable warming the skin of her ear. As he reluctantly returned to his original position, he brushed a few gloved fingers across the sides of her neck, gently pushing her dark red plaits until they draped over her back, ensuring he had enough space to rest his hands over her shoulders.
His eyes raked over her pale face, and he let out a deep exhale. He had honestly never carried out such a spell before... and he failed to understand that in order to see the true darkness within Aemelia Vial, he would have to reveal his own to her.
When his eyes settled back on hers, he took a deep breath, resisting the urge to glance at her mouth. He briefly nodded in encouragement for her to proceed if she wished... and she did, defying his firm grasp to lean forwards with closed eyes. The skin of her lips brushed over his and he allowed his painted eyelids to fall shut, an unfamiliar sensation pulsing through his entire nervous system as she pressed a light, lingering kiss to his mouth... and after a few seconds, she was gone. He winced and his eyes shot open as soon as she left him - he was clearly disappointed that she had withdrawn from him so quickly.
Aemelia gazed at him expectantly and he felt his stomach churn. He licked his lips and could taste the subtle flavour of her... he was really trying to keep focused on the task but the woman in front of him was becoming a problematic distraction.
He moved his face so that it was completely level to hers, basking in the sounds of her shallow breaths as he stroked the bridge of his nose against hers. He inhaled deeply as he backed away a little, but only so he could confidently caress the skin of her lips with his own, his moustache feathering over her top lip. She knew that there was nothing practical about how they were kissing each other, but she certainly wasn't going to say anything.
He breathed out of his nose deeply as he pressed his lips into hers, their eyes instantly falling shut as he ever so subtly deepened the kiss...
Content that their consent was given, Cardinal reminded himself to focus on his task and reluctantly pulled away from her. She opened her eyes and wore a confused, disappointed expression, probably wondering why nothing had occurred yet.
"Per favore ... un momento..." he murmured. "I must feel more of you..."
He tugged each of his leather gloves off with very little effort and threw them over the floor beside him, his eyes exploring her features as she studied him in fascination. She sharply inhaled as his bare hands slid onto the base of her neck... they were abnormally warm. His thumbs began to gently rub her sensitive skin and shivers ran the length of her spine.
Due to his drunken gaze and hopeful wince, she guessed that he was lingering before her to ensure that she was ready. She nodded and he immediately launched towards her, eagerly pressing his mouth into hers. A quiet moan tumbled from her throat and it caused him to lose his composure. He parted his own lips to invite hers to follow, and to his surprise... he felt her arms reach up between them. She grabbed fistfuls of his red jacket, desperately dragging him even closer...
14 : The Unveiling Spell (I)
The effects of the strange spell were instant and lasted less than thirty seconds. But for both Copia and Vial, every second was so intricate with snippets of detail... that the seconds felt like years.
Their instances were vastly different, and for Copia, the setting around him was weaved out of a murky wasteland of black smoke and low clouds of fog that clutched at his ankles. He winced in slight annoyance as heavy droplets pelted over his shoulders and he reluctantly peered upwards, trying to understand what the source of the rain was...
He stared up into a cascade of thick crimson droplets and they beat down upon his form rhythmically. The scent of iron was pungent and he squeezed his eyes shut in discomfort, wincing as more and more splotches of blood settled on his person. He tried to understand what it was supposed to symbolise. He really hoped that it wasn't all symbolism, because that wasn't going to show him anything at all...
As the blood continued to rain on him, he huffed in irritation and reluctantly opened his eyes. The thick droplets continued to pour on him, but they no longer blurred his vision and he felt drawn to the right... he turned his head and squinted a little, searching the murky fog for at least something. He suddenly felt strange, like he was in Miss Vial's presence, but... not quite. He couldn't quite understand what he was feeling, but he assumed it was a side-effect of sharing the same aether-space with her...
And that's when the first of many glimpses arrived. His mismatched eyes widened and fascination took over as his gaze latched onto the first scenario playing out before him. There was a severe lack of context, but he didn't care, for he was instantly intrigued as soon as the first vision hit him...
Rope bristles scratched across a young girl's pallid wrists as her binds were tied tighter and tighter. A stake forcefully detained her, and instead of a trial, she was bait, silently beckoning for prowling predators to come for her youthful, potent life-force... and soon, flames seared around her... but none of them touched the accumulation of wood and metal surrounding her, they simply ate into those that spectated, those that waited for the blood-fiends to arrive, those that had detained and bound her in bristly chains. The whites of the girl's eyes were sore and bloodshot as tears sliced down her cheeks. But she made no sound, sniffling as her burgundy wisps of hair started to stick to the wet sides of her face.
Copia winced at the ominous, fiery glow that fell over the young girl's pallid features, easily ignoring the wails of agony coming from the mass of burning bodies behind him. His breaths became sharp and ruthless when his saddened eyes trailed down her bare arms. They were covered in gaping wounds and smeared in patches of thick blood... probably her own blood. He tilted his head inquisitively, but didn't lose his look of melancholy. He kept silent and the more he studied the distraught girl before him... the sooner the strange glimpse seemed to end.
It evaporated into thin air before he could understand anything more and he scowled in frustration, frantically swivelling around to see if there was any of the strange vision left... but he was only greeted with the vacant sight of the murky, smoke-ridden wasteland he had first found himself in. As he continued to swivel around, his tensed hands clutched at the closest wisps of obsidian smoke, nothing else manifested for quite some time.
But when something did, it appeared in his peripheral vision, which instantly caused him to freeze. He tensed his entire form and cautiously lowered his head, wearing an uncomfortable frown as his gaze settled on the pristine curve of porcelain... at least ten times over. The porcelain bath tubs would have been impressive and immaculate were it not for the thick congealed blood that filled their deep recesses.
Copia was undeniably bewildered, but the presence of the bathtubs suddenly sparked a small epiphany within him. And when he also began to consider the initial downpour of blood that had greeted him, and the traumatic snippet of the bound young girl with weeping wounds... he was starting to build a logical theory, and he knew that it probably seemed completely ludicrous... but the more he thought about it, the more it was completely plausible.
He was confidently sure that Aemelia Vial had some kind of connection to the infamous - and long-dead - blood countess who was often referenced in many aspects of his church... but what did that mean, exactly? He supposed that if Miss Vial was a distant descendent of Elizabeth Bathory, it certainly made her penchant for the occult and supernatural understandable...
He exhaled deeply now that he was experiencing his apprehensive realisation and widened his eyes, turning away from the neat rows of bloodbaths to squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the smoky wasteland seemed to shift around him... and a single item appeared over the murky ground. He only just caught sight of it and he reluctantly approached it with cautious, skeptical strides - after his last discovery, he felt wary.
He stooped down and scooped it up from the uneven floor, his gloves creaking as they tensed around the covers of the notebook. He narrowed his eyes as he brought Aemelia's journal closer to his face, studying the unusual symbol on the front with suspicious eyes. He recalled briefly seeing her journal some time ago, and even then, the embossed symbol - a single moth with a detached wing - had encouraged his curiosity. After what Miss Vial had recently confessed to him, he could only assume that it was related to the mysterious company she was working for... he ensured that he studied the logo for quite some time, etching every little detail into his mind. He wanted to make sure that he could investigate the unusual symbol another time, so he wanted to remember as much of it as possible...
And just like the previous vision, the journal soon evaporated into graceful scatters of black smoke. Before he had time to react, he was then thrust into yet another chilling insight...
The lurking wasteland was nowhere to be seen, and instead, as he peered around at his fuzzy surroundings... he realised that he was present in some kind of dingy subway. When his head lowered to acknowledge the faded, blood-splattered tiles below, he winced in silent realisation. The biting chill of last November swirled around his form and he let out a shudder of warm breath, white vapour spewing out from his mouth... he raised his head to the ceiling, his expression quickly becoming solemn and hurt when his gaze rested on the scene playing out above him.
Their chrome mask was half-fractured and they desperately clutched their grubby hands at it, ensuring that it preserved their identity. The spirit was impatient and seeped its shadowy existence into their bloodstream, gaining complete control of the Ghoul-puppet. They wheezed as the apparition dragged them up against the ceiling further, forcing their spine to bend... and their arms to loosen. The mask slid out of their wounded hands and descended to the tiled ground with a disheartening clatter... revealing the bloodied complexion of the person beneath. Trails of the crimson substance dripped from her nose and leaked from thin cuts that had formed over her forehead and cheeks. Her charcoal irises were stubborn but ever so sad as the spirit jolted her right shoulder downwards... but she tilted her chin upwards, resisting the spirit's wishes.
The scene seemed to jump like Copia was simply viewing an old VHS tape and he patiently waited, balling his fists next to his sides as he watched with a melancholic expression...
"You think I'm here to punish you, no?" the voice of Copia's past-self emerged. He gracefully stood before the unmasked Ghoul, tilting his head to study the spatter of blood over the floor. Aemelia nodded weakly, angling her head downwards to avoid addressing him properly as blood continued to weep from her sore wounds.
"I'm going to cut you a deal, ok? You are to leave here without a word. Do not speak of anything here that has occurred..."
Copia winced as he observed their interaction, his mismatched eyes gleaming with the threat of unexpected tears. He should have felt betrayed... but he didn't. He felt disappointed in himself... disappointed that he hadn't snatched the mask away from her to reveal her true face. The sorry sight of her sore features would have been enough for him to disregard his deal, and in hindsight, he honestly wished he hadn't established such a thing because he knew that it had caused Miss Vial to feel an awful amount of unnecessary guilt...
He still had no idea why she had disguised herself as a Ghoul... and he honestly didn't care. He was immensely thankful that she had broken the promise they had made that fateful night, because without her presence at the Ministry, his life would have been a whole lot worse...
He blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill as the vision swiftly ended, the murky blackness of his smoky surroundings somewhat comforting as his shining eyes searched the darkness. And once he decided to slowly turn... he stopped in his tracks, for there, stood behind him, was Aemelia Vial.
He spun the rest of the way around to face her as she seared the hollows of her blacked-out eyes into him. He parted his mouth, but for once, he had no words to say and simply widened his eyes, searching her expressionless face.
She leaned forwards, gently sliding her hands over his shoulders as the dark pools of her eyes continued to stare at him. A breeze gently manifested and the ends of her neat burgundy plaits wavered behind her head. Her brows knitted together when she nuzzled the tip of her nose against the bridge of his, her shining entity-ridden eyes hopeful as her hands firmly clutched over the fabric of his coat.
Their eyes slowly shut when she eventually lowered her face, tilting her head to press a single, lingering kiss upon his lips. They were enamoured with one another in that fleeting moment, and it caused them to be blissfully unware that the prosperous, smoky shadows were slowly starting to engulf them entirely...
15 : The Unveiling Spell (II)
The effects of the strange spell were instant and lasted less than thirty seconds. But for both Copia and Vial, every second was so intricate with snippets of detail... that the seconds felt like years.
Their instances were vastly different, and for Miss Vial, the setting around her was dismal and dingy. She found it deeply unsettling, and considering the strange, pristine shards of glass hovering by her sides - where the glass was an unhelpful, vacuous black - it only added to her feeling of silent dread. An overwhelming warmth swarmed her entire form and she squinted her eyes, peering around at her current surroundings. Despite the immaculate glass shards, she seemed to be present in a cramped, never-ending tunnel. The walls were formed out of thick grimy greystone and the ceiling was curved, occasionally cut up by the odd barred-grate, which allowed disconcerting rays of fading scarlet to spew out over the sewer ahead of her.
The sides of the ground were raised into eroded stone platforms, and the wide central channel was set down, coated in thin puddles of rusty-coloured sewer-water. She exhaled deeply and crossed her arms over, hugging herself in an attempt to keep herself calm. Then she started to walk forwards, confused why she was in such a dismal place. It felt remarkably authentic for a simple spell... and not at all what she had expected when she had considered Copia's subconscious... then again she had no real understanding of how the current spell worked. She decided to set her curiosity aside for the time being, the soles of her black oxfords smacking over the thin surface of murky water.
As she picked up her pace, her breaths lightly escaping her mouth, she risked a glance to each of her sides, and sure enough, the glass shards were jetting through the air beside her, completely in sync with her actions. She frowned in discomfort and immediately skidded to a halt, her actions throwing up heavy water droplets behind her in a miniature tidal-wave. Now that she was completely stationary, she glared at one of the black shards closest to her... it did nothing. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, reaching a hand towards it...
A loud, high-pitched squeak caused her to jump and snatch her hand away so that she could hold onto herself. Her head turned and her alert gaze latched onto the source of the echoing shriek... a scrawny brown rat that was located only a few steps in front of her. She frowned deeply and tilted her head inquisitively, crouching down to inspect the little rodent more intently.
It was peering at her with its glossy conflicting irises, standing up on its hind legs to sniffle its pale pink nose in the air. She couldn't tell if it was greeting her or warning her... she approached the rat cautiously, and once she was close enough, lowered herself further down, gingerly extending out her right arm. The rodent gently relaxed its excitable demeanour as soon as her hand neared its back and it fell onto its four legs. As she firmly ruffled its smooth brown fur, her vision was swiftly obscured by the vacuous black of the glass shards...
She began to panic and flinched herself backwards, her right hand frantically searching the blackness for the comforting rat... but it was long gone, and for now, so was the disconcerting sewer. She blinked a few times due to the overwhelming darkness, and to her relief, the shards soon began to shatter, slimming themselves down in order to merge and create a strange, spectral vision around her...
The church was desolate... but the atmosphere was peaceful and holy. A shadowy figure bowed low before the altar, which was cluttered with luxurious offerings and flickering candles. The devout young man soon descended lower, kneeling over the stone floor in quiet prayer. His bare hands scrunched into tense fists, a crucifix rosary apprehensively wavering due to his vicious grip. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched together in frustration... and soon, the rosary chain snapped, propelling tens of little black beads up into the air. The beads - along with the holy pendant - clattered to the stone floor and as a consequence, his eyes flashed open. His head stiffly lifted like he was having some kind of realisation, and he slowly raised from his subservient stoop, his mismatched eyes glinting as he observed the flames of the flickering candles intently. And then he swiftly turned - like it was some kind of twisted reflex - eerily shooting the vacant aisle in front of him a determined, hostile sneer.
Aemelia glared at the youthful Copia stood directly in front of her, eyeing the white clerical collar around his neck. The dim glow of the golden candlelight caused sharp shadows to fall over his crease-less face, and it unsettled her. But the fact that he appeared to be staring her dead in the eyes in a vacant, devious manner unsettled her even more. He looked deranged in that moment, and she could only assume that she was witnessing him making some sort of decision. A decision involving insurrection, honesty and a tempting life of liberation... rather than the dictated, mundane life that was devoted to a silent deity. He inched even closer to her, coldly staring into her faltering black eyes. She uncomfortably shifted backwards, trying to escape his potent gaze and proximity... and once she took a few more steps back, her surroundings plummeted into darkness once again.
The church with its young - and unexpectedly pious - Copia was nowhere to be seen. And although Aemelia was concerned about what was coming next, she was relieved that she was no longer in the young man's sharp sights... his intensity had been daunting and unforgiving.
After a few dark seconds, the next short vision manifested by strobing into existence. Unlike the previous scene, Aemelia immediately recognised her surroundings. The dim electric-lighting and the marble-clad walls of the Ministry's hallways were a surprising sight, but her shoulders eased slightly. It may have been somewhere that was familiar to her, but the echoing sound of footsteps wasn't any less disconcerting. She turned around to witness the source of such a sound, frowning in confusion.
Copia traipsed towards her, ensuring that his head stayed low. He looked exhausted as his black cassock gracefully flowed behind him, and from how quiet the hallways were, it was clear that he was suffering from another bout of insomnia. He looked defeated or weighed down, like something was settling on his shoulders... and something certainly was. He wasn't aware of the three unhallowed spirits that were closely and gracefully tailing him, but he could feel their unpleasant and persistent pressure. All he knew was that he had to stay awake to busy himself, for his mind had seemingly decided that sleep was forbidden...
The transparent skull-painted brothers followed with stern expressions, and as the cardinal advanced closer and closer to her, the second brother grew impatient, passing through his ghostly siblings to dig tense, gloved fingers into Copia's left shoulder. The cardinal halted immediately and let out a hiss of annoyance, clutching a glove to the sudden barbed pain in his shoulder. The second's grip persisted when he began to wince in discomfort, and the other two spectral popes exchanged skeptical gazes. Their attempt at communicating with their youngest brother was futile, and soon, the second huffed in defeat, reluctantly easing his grip. Copia exhaled deeply in relief and dropped to his knees, scrunching his face into a wince. He held onto his shoulder and caught his breath, oblivious to the presence of his departed kin, oblivious to their expressions of desperation...
The vision fizzed out like a failing light-bulb and it left Aemelia in complete darkness again. Her breaths were staggered and short as her eyes frantically searched her surroundings. It was clear to her that the vision had been inferring that the anti-popes were related to Copia... and she found it fairly concerning. She had no clue what that truly meant, but she could only assume he was more integral to the Ministry than she had realised...
Her eyes seared into the blackness and her hands clenched into fists by her sides. She swore that she felt something tugging at the hem of one of her trousers and she sharply gazed downwards, glaring her dark eyes. The scrawny brown rat was there again, its smoothly curved claws lightly gripping into the fabric of her trousers. Its mismatched eyes gazed at her hopefully as it gently tugged at the black material. Its thin black whiskers twitched before it confidently raised up on its hind legs again to wiggle its pink nose at her.
When she stared in puzzlement, cautiously crouching down to ruffle its fur again... it shot off, pattering off into the distance ahead of her. As she trailed her eyes upwards to follow the rodent, to her dismay, the setting of the dingy sewer had quietly returned. She huffed in subdued frustration, but could just about see the rat loitering over the rusty water in the distance... it was clear that it wanted her to follow.
As soon as she set one foot towards the little rat, the sole of her shoe smacking over the thin layer of sewer water... the setting changed again. She stopped in her tracks, frustrated and suspicious that Copia was messing with her somehow, but as the dark shards of reality fell into place again, her underlying rage eased into profound realisation... as snippets of Copia's undeniable love for her flashed before her shining eyes. She froze as her heart sank, her eyes faltering as she fought away her confusion, quietly witnessing events she had overlooked, or hadn't even been aware of...
She winced as he treaded a dark, viscous lake of blood with her firmly trapped in his arms. Shimmering black particles surrounded them both as he raised her a little higher, ensuring that her head stayed above the surface of the bloodied water...
She inhaled as he settled her dishevelled, drunken form over her black bedcovers. He neatly arranged her clothes at the foot of her bed and cautiously slid over the free space beside her, keeping a concerned, watchful eye on her as she fell into a deep, intoxicated slumber...
She exhaled deeply as he quietly listened to her with creaking gloves that clenched into frustrated fists. He peered through the ebony lattice of the confessional with hopeful, gleaming eyes. And the more he listened to her voice, the more he yearned to confess his love for her...
And just as Aemelia Vial was brimming with warmth and astonishment... the vision shattered into thousands of fractured pieces, each one tinkling as they settled over the ground. A ground that she couldn't see, for the pitch-black had consumed everything again. Her teeth clenched together and she hastily spun around, frantically glancing left and right to see if there was anything left of the visions she had just witnessed, because she was certain that there must have been far more...
But there was nothing.
"Copia?" she trustfully called out, knitting her brows together when her gaze became wide and hopeful. Her breaths were noticeable as she suffered a short silence, her clammy hands aching from how tightly they were curled into fists.
Her answer came in the form of the setting changing again... but this time, it was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her breathing was ragged as her bloodshot eyes scanned over the blackened mess of destruction around her. Hot jets of steam seared from the cracks in the tarmac under her feet and she drew out her breaths, for the air was stale and unpleasantly humid. It seemed like she was present in a city's carcass after some kind of dreadful event, but from the overpowering rays of the molten sun, which bled into the crimson sky and the clinging warmth... she knew that it wasn't just the simple ruins of a city.
There was a gentle breeze but it wasn't reassuring, for hot air licked at the pallid skin of her face. She swallowed and wrinkled her nose in discomfort, hugging her arms around herself as she squeezed her eyes shut. Heat began to seep into her legs and she gritted her teeth together, unaware that the road beneath her was slowly starting to sprout spindly obsidian veins... and the sky above her was being shaded over with blots of parasitic black clouds.
She felt something brush against her right side and she gasped, tensing her form to keep herself motionless. She winced as the subtle rays of tainted light tried to crawl into the cracks of her eyelids, but to her relief, the irritating light was soon shaded over entirely. A sleeved arm snaked its way around her elbow, ensuring their arms were firmly entwined and she frowned in discomfort. The amount of heat radiating from the person beside her was enticing but unnerving and when they gently guided her arm upwards to settle against sweltering shirt fabric, where she could feel the hammering pulse of a heartbeat... she finally gave in and opened her eyes, curiosity winning her over.
She timidly glanced to her right, ignoring the shadowed, ever morphing place in front of her, for the man beside her was not at all what she had expected. His right glove tightly clutched at a black umbrella, which snugly shaded them from the itch-inducing rays of the infernal sun. His expression was proud as he gazed at the devastation ahead of them, a small arrogant smirk crawling over his face. His damned form was starting to bleed through his mortal being, for the impending sight of his fiendish realm and the close, comforting presence of the woman he loved was settling him. Spiked-fingernails threatened to tear through the smooth, leathery ends of his black gloves and he wheezed out an exhale, his left arm stiffening to ensure that Aemelia Vial remained close to him.
Copia slowly turned his head towards her and his eyes had a shine that she had never seen before. It was inhuman, terrifying... but alluring at the same time. He parted his lips, his confident mismatched irises eating into her soul as the sides of his mouth curled into a wicked smile...
"A-All of this is yours, isn't it?" she hurriedly whispered in sudden realisation, her frightened eyes glued to his intense, malevolent gaze. His fearless smile spread wider and he jolted his head towards her. She glared at him but had no time to react when his grip on her loosened... he wiggled his arm until he could raise his leathery palm to her chin, which he grasped tightly, the sharp points of his fingernails finally breaking through the ends of his gloves to lightly graze her skin. He finally responded to her apprehensive question with a slow, sly nod, his face nearing hers until their noses were brushing. His demonic fingers firmly held her chin and he gently tilted her head, raising a brow of amusement as he studied her quivering expression of fright.
"Don't be afraid, Aemelia..." he whispered, his gaze unrelenting as he gently nuzzled his nose against hers.
"But y-you're the a - "
"Yes, it is really no big deal." he hoarsely interrupted in a casual tone, his eyes finally trailing down from her startled irises to settle on her parted mouth. "Why are you so frightened, Miss Vial? You called for me, no?"
Her eyes faltered due to his observation and his smirk broadened... it seemed that he found her apprehension to be an adequate response. She inhaled sharply as he backed away slightly... and he swiftly angled his head, closing the space between them to softly brush his mouth against hers. She panted out heavily once his mouth gently pressed into her, and she seemed surprised at how careful his actions were. She winced and reluctantly allowed herself to relax, closing her eyes as their kiss soon deepened, and she was warmly oblivious to the wretched underworld around them, which was violently morphing into something beautifully catastrophic...
Copia's warm hands gently cupped Aemelia's pallid face. Their eyes were closed and their mouths were intact, but it was clear that their minds were elsewhere. He lightly tugged her closer, his body easily settling over the velvet cushions of the sofa. She hovered over him, her hands tightly clutching at the lapels of his red jacket as they continued to nonchalantly kiss. His bare hands brushed down from her jawline to caress each side of her neck, his fingertips lightly pressing until he could feel the throb of her pulsing veins.
But once reality hit, their eyes flashed open in unison and they glared at one another in astonishment. Aemelia hurriedly tore away from him with a look of horror, expelling a loud gasp as she shuffled herself off of him, hastily leaping to her feet. Copia swiftly sat up, speechless as he stared at her with anxious eyes. He gently wiped his bottom lip with the pad of his bare thumb and knitted his brows together, simply watching her as she scrambled about the sofa. Once her hands latched onto a sleeve of her blazer she frantically snatched the clothing to her chest... and then she made the mistake of shooting a glance towards him.
She panted out nervously, her expression of fright evident as he suddenly prised himself up to dart towards her, desperately trying to catch hold of her arm to stop her from leaving him... but she stepped back defensively to ensure that he couldn't quite reach.
"I have to leave." she sternly murmured, her breaths short as she tightly clutched her jacket to her chest before she promptly turned on her heels, swiftly striding towards the exit.
"Aemelia! Wait!"
She ignored Copia's pained voice and continued to briskly dash towards the door. Her pace quickened once she heard the telling clack of his shoes behind her...
"No no no! Please don't leave, Aemelia!"he exclaimed in a pleading tone. "Whatever you saw just now... it wasn't real, ok? It is nothing to fea - "
The entire room seemed to shake when the door violently slammed shut, and he exhaled heavily, sadly staring at the disappointing sight of the plain ebony wood before his eyes. He winced and simply listened to the fading sound of her hurried steps as she frantically darted through the Ministry's corridors, ensuring that she was far away from the unholy cardinal's claw-like fingernails, intense, nefarious eyes and warm, comforting arms...
16 : The Descent
The next day, they went to great lengths to avoid one another. Copia distracted himself with his endless clerical duties and Aemelia busied herself in the apothecary, scouring yet another long list of required potions that needed to be produced by the end of the day.
Their lack of interaction was so out of the ordinary, that even the rest of the Ministry sensed the tension as either one of them passed through the corridors. They would act paranoid, trailing their eyes from side to side in a thorough search of the hallways ahead of them, hoping that they wouldn't bump into one another... thankfully, no such thing happened.
Miss Vial - having finished her lunch break - was currently in the midst of traipsing her way through the narrow, poorly lit corridors to her work place. Her anxiety spiked now that she was nearing the apothecary... she knew that there was a significantly higher chance of coming across the cardinal and her pace quickened. She rounded the thick mound of rubble that still occupied quite a large amount of hallway, the back of her waistcoat scratching against the stone wall as she shuffled around it. She shook her head at the ever present destruction of the collapsed ceiling and wondered whether it would ever get fixed...
Now free of obstacles, she jogged the rest of the long, winding corridor, skidding on her heels to burst through the apothecary door. She hurriedly shut it behind her like she had been slamming it in the face of a pursuing creature, leaning against the wood with closed eyes and a string of heavy breaths. When her breathing finally calmed, she winced and cracked her eyes open, rolling up her shirt sleeves in preparation for her next round of alchemy...
But as she gazed towards the alchemy station, she inhaled sharply and slumped back to uncomfortably lean against the door, her right hand clenching around the hem of her shirt, which was now clinging to the skin above her elbow.
Sister Imperator spun around, the skirt of her black dress swaying side to side, her narrowed eyes piercing into the alchemist with disapproval. The arms that were coiled together and resting over her chest gave Sister an air of authority and Miss Vial frowned uncomfortably.
"Good afternoon, Miss Vial." Sister began confidently, taking a single clacking step towards the younger woman. "I can see that you are in the middle of working but... it is highly important that I speak with you."
Aemelia's frown deepened and she leaned away from the door, crossing her arms over her chest to grasp them around her forearms. She could hear the snide undertones in Sister's voice and she clenched her teeth, simply nodding to allow the woman to go on.
"I shall not beat around the bush, Miss Vial. Your services... are no longer required." the stern woman declared calmly, her green eyes squinting in speculation. "The Clergy is aware of your... insincere motives for filling the position of the resident alchemist. And you are to leave. Immediately."
"Sorry... what? You're... firing me?!"
Miss Vial scowled at the woman in disbelief. It was quite a coincidence that this situation arose now, just after the strange, uncomfortable events with Copia the night prior... surely he hadn't told his superior of Aemelia's original motives? Then again... she really wouldn't have blamed him, especially as she recalled the fury in his conflicting irises when she had confessed everything to him. She should have seen this coming really...
Yet Miss Vial overlooked the audible fact that Imperator's words had been spiteful and vague... the old woman was clearly assuming and speculating and acting for her own personal gain. But the woman was skilled at manipulating the world around her, and in her old age, it had become easier, far more believable... and undeniably successful.
As Miss Vial opened her mouth to bombard the room with a torrent of questions, Sister raised a hand, shaking her head in refusal. She didn't want to hear a syllable from the scarlet-haired woman.
"You have three hours to leave silently. If you do not leave by then, I will arrange for some Ghouls to firmly escort you from the premises. And if you do not leave silently, you will be publicly discredited and exposed to the entire Ministry."
Aemelia's charcoal eyes glared, "This is... to do with Copia, isn't it?"
Imperator's eyes flinched slightly and she tilted her head to the side like she was quietly dismissing the alchemist's question.
"This has nothing to do with... my intentions." Aemelia murmured in realisation, knitting her eyebrows together. "But it has everything to do with yours."
"You distract him." Sister admitted through tightly pursed lips, her squinting eyes illuminated with simmering envy. "You and this... childish department you have concocted between the two of you... it is a waste of time. The cardinal should be focusing on the task at hand, not frivolously gallivanting. His potential soars above yours, and if you care about him at all, you will allow him to thrive by leaving him be."
Aemelia stood motionless, too astonished to move, too astounded to say another word. She had always gotten the feeling that Imperator hadn't approved of her alliance with Copia... but she had never realised the extent of Imperator's feelings. She could only assume that it was more than her simply being a close friend to Copia... and it went beyond the old woman's maternal instincts.
Perhaps it was the fact she had finally discovered that Aemelia's monthly batch of poisons were essentially defunct and actually had healing properties... or the fact that Copia's adoration for Aemelia had overthrown the goals that she had wanted him to reach.
Either way, it didn't matter, because Sister had abruptly backed Aemelia into a corner... and the alchemist simply accepted her dismissal, deciding that she would depart the Ministry peacefully, just like the older woman had requested.
Aemelia sighed heavily, perching on the edge of Copia's bureau. She'd been rather surprised at his absence but she was quite grateful... it ensured that she avoided breaking Imperator's terms, and she was relieved that she would be able to leave without giving him a depressing explanation or an awkward goodbye. But due to her prompt - and forced - departure, she'd felt obliged to do something for the cardinal before she left the Ministry for good... so she had tidied his office. The creased papers and ink-stained scriptures that had always scattered the ground had been assembled into neat towers in the left corner of the small room, and she had ensured to leave the more important-looking ones in short stacks over his desk.
It was nice to actually see the floor for once and she smiled sadly, leaning herself against the edge of his bureau as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her eyebrows subtly winced as her charcoal irises trailed around the room, a shuddering breath escaping her mouth before she swallowed back the urge to allow her heavily lined eyes to spill over with sorrowful tears. She felt guilty for adhering to Sister Imperator's orders but she really didn't want to deal with the inevitable fuss if she did stay. She was certain that she was making a sensible choice by simply leaving, but that didn't make the sharp ache of her chest any less painful.
She glanced towards Copia's writing pot, admiring her work. She had arranged his quills in the order of their height and had ruffled the feathers, ensuring each one looked a little more lively. The deep inkwells were located adjacent to the pot and the entire desk looked somewhat satisfying due to the careful placement of items. She emitted another heavy sigh, blinking to resist her disheartened tears.
She lingered there a while, savouring the atmosphere of Copia's office while she could, ensuring that every little detail was engraved into her mind. The more aspects she took note of, the more she considered the cardinal's reaction to her absence...
And suddenly, she wished that she didn't have to leave.
It was late-afternoon, and Copia nonchalantly returned to his office, sighing with deflated boredom as he unenthusiastically wandered in, oblivious to the lack of mess and the tidied stacks of paper. He trundled towards his bureau with tired eyes, expecting to wiggle his way onto his leather armchair... but to his surprise, there was plenty of room. His eyes narrowed in bewilderment but he sat down regardless, amazed when he stretched his legs out before him... he suddenly had an awful lot of leg-room. He peered down at the surface of his desk, his elbows gently settling over it as he prepared himself to continue with his infinite amounts of paperwork.
The sight of his clear desk - which was completely immaculate compared to the extensive mess he had left - and the small accumulation of important documents caused him to freeze in his seat, his eyes hurriedly searching the contents of the bureau for an answer. And when his eyes recognised the existence of small, seemingly insignificant items that had been left to the side of his writing pot, he finally received one. He frowned lightly, eagerly leaning over to inspect the items more closely. The first thing that caught his mismatched eyes was a grey cassette tape that had a thin label with "Copia" etched into its surface. Beside it, was two tightly wrapped cigarettes and he could tell that they were Miss Vial's preferred brand... he cautiously reached towards them and curled two leather-clad fingers around one. He trailed his confused eyes over the cigarette and gently lowered it into its previous position, acknowledging the last item Aemelia had left for him. It was an unopened box of matches and at first, he assumed it was for the cigarettes... until he spied the faint scrawl of "Nekid" on the lid. He smiled in distant amusement but was still completely confused... he didn't quite grasp why she had felt the need to leave these things on his desk.
He frowned at the items in contemplation, until the distant stutter of a struggling engine caused his confused frown to deepen. It was so loud that it was impossible to ignore and without taking his gaze from the few items, he stood from his seat, stepping out from the bureau. He swivelled slightly to face the small arched window behind him - which happened to overlook the Ministry's vacant parking lot - and unwillingly took his eyes from the small collection of items on his desk to squint through the thin pane of glass.
The daylight was starting to fade and the sky was turning an unpleasant grey, and as his eyes settled on the parking spaces down below, his form tensed. His heart began to pound as a sharp jolt of apprehension hit him. His arms stiffened and his gloves creaked as his fingers curled into his palms. Although his mismatched eyes were wide with alarm, the melancholic yearning on his face was unmistakable. He exhaled heavily, raising his fists to the sides of his head. He unfurled his fingers and clutched at his chestnut hair, his shining eyes glaring at the familiar sight of the black Ambassador sedan. Its engine finally started and he noticed that the door to the driver's seat was open. Miss Vial - clad in her usual waistcoat, tie and white shirt, which she had rolled up to her elbows - reluctantly swivelled out from her seat and swiftly traipsed around the driver's side, letting out a depressed huff as she raised the tail-gate.
It soared above her head as she bent down slightly, grasping onto a wide cardboard box filled with some of her personal effects - such as her preferred alchemy equipment and treasured vinyls - and carefully lowered it into the trunk, which she had recently tidied to make room for her stuff. Ensuring that the box was in a secured position, she bent down again, lifting up a few more bags brimming with her belongings. The sight of her loading the trunk with a telling amount of cases and bags, the sound of the desolate hum of the sedan's engine and the subdued expression of sadness on her face plainly told him all he needed to know.
She was leaving.
His shining eyes faltered as panic set in. He shifted away from the window, tearing his gaze away from the disheartening sight of her. He darted towards the open door - still oblivious to the fact his office was completely tidy - and the side of his shoe scraped against the cumbersome rat door-stop on his way out.
He urged his legs to go faster, but he was quite restricted because of the cassock he adorned. He huffed out frantic breaths, soaring through the old complex as fast as he could, the soles of his shoes screeching as he soon crossed into the threshold of the newer complex. The corridors were fairly occupied with slow moving Siblings and he growled lightly beneath his breath, dashing in the direction of the main entrance, desperate to reach Aemelia Vial. Worries filled his head as he weaved around those that scurried about the hallways - he feared that her departure was a direct result of what she had seen during the spell the night prior.
He recalled the pure terror on her face as their lips had parted. Recalled the tremble of her hands as she had swiftly backed away. Recalled the desperation as she had quickly fled without acknowledging him. He was convinced that she had feared him, and her current departure only confirmed his assumptions for him.
As Copia gained speed, the clattering of his persistent footsteps peaked in volume. Siblings frowned and glanced over their shoulders, preparing to glare and verbally chastise the individual who was blatantly breaking the rule of no running in the corridors... but their mouths firmly snapped shut when they realised it was Cardinal Copia. Although he was clearly displaying that he was above the rules, they simply ignored him, shrinking to the sides of the corridors to allow him to pass.
He didn't care that his subordinates saw his expression of worried panic, and nor did he care if he happened to bash into their shoulders. He needed to reach her to prove that there was no reason to fear him... and hopefully, it would persuade her into staying.
The entrance lobby was in sight and he had a quick spurt of energy, rushing by the cluster of comfortable chairs and coffee tables, which were covered in an array of years-old magazines. To his relief the tall, extravagant entrance doors were hooked to the walls and he nimbly strode through the arched doorframe, descending the stone stairs as quickly as he could. He peered towards the vacant space where the sedan was usually parked, swallowing down the lump in his throat. He knew there was a high chance of him never seeing that that damn car again...
As soon as the soles of his shoes crushed the gravel of the car park, his eyes latched onto the black sedan, which was slowly rolling away from the left side of the parking lot. He had arrived too late. His pace quickened and he sprinted towards it, wincing now that he was starting to exhale heavily. He squinted and raised a glove to shield his eyes as the vehicle's headlights flicked on, great beams of golden light cutting through the fading daylight. The sedan swerved gently to ensure that it didn't acknowledge Copia's presence and slowly trickled towards the exit.
Copia tried to increase his pace, but his effort was futile. His eyebrows knitted in silent protest as the red glow of the sedan's tail-lights shrunk before his very eyes. The red lights lit up the sky as the vehicle smoothly disappeared over the horizon, and Copia's legs had started to ache painfully. He squeezed his eyes shut as he paused, doubling over to catch his breath. He cracked his eyes open, sending a forlorn, longing glance to the ethereal red glow that lingered on the horizon, hoping that it would stay there long enough for him to catch up... or for there to be the slightest flicker of white, there was still a chance that Aemelia would reverse her way back to him...
But the stark red glow soon disappeared altogether, and he leaned his torso forwards even more, clenching his teeth as he closed his eyes, tightly keeping them shut as warm droplets gathered in his tear ducts. His gloves clenched into fists and his breaths became shallow, but it wasn't just because he had been running. He was frustrated and heartbroken.
He'd failed. He hadn't done enough, he should have been faster, he should have said something... perhaps then she wouldn't have ignored him.
He swallowed again, inhaling sharply as his stomach began to sink. He stood up a little straighter and slowly opened his eyes - which were irritated due to the imminent threat of tears - and peered towards the distance desperately. In that moment, he was filled with self-loathing, and he mentally scolded himself for causing her stealthy departure. His heart began to pound in his ears and he simply stood there a while, observing the horizon with a dumbfounded expression. He was sad and undeniably lost, searching the murky sky with hard, intense irises, pleading that the world was kind to her, like how she had been kind to him. His heart was plainly breaking as he stood motionless, numb to the thin trails of tears that were mixing with the black paint around his eyes... they slithered down his cheeks and collected at his jaw, nonchalantly dripping onto the black fabric of his cassock. He could feel her presence drifting further and further away from him the longer he stood still, and it robbed him of air, leaving him to push out short exhales.
He was certain that he would never see Aemelia Vial again.
The drone of the sedan's engine was monotonous, Aemelia's black eyes settling on the reflection of the imposing sight of the Ministry, which was slowly disappearing into the opaque, murky grey clouds of impending dusk. She couldn't take her attention away from the rear-view mirror, even when it vanished from view entirely. She was already feeling regretful and was tempted to simply turn the car around... but she shook her head, ignoring the temptation as her eyes reluctantly trailed towards on the road ahead.
She gripped the steering-wheel tightly and sighed deeply, trying her best to focus on driving, but her mind was lingering on Copia. She hadn't expected him to discover her leaving, and although she'd only caught a quick glimpse of him in one of the side-mirrors... it had been obvious that her actions had caused him great distress. Her eyes briefly considered the cassette player, but she decided against the presence of music, unusually content with the suffering silence.
She was missing the Ministry already, and if she had been transparent... its most esteemed cardinal. She overlooked the events of the day prior - even though they still chilled her to her core - and instead recalled their shared experiences with a faint smile. She mulled over the strange occurrences they had investigated, the secrets they had kept - and were still keeping - the cardinal's casual manner and unfathomable over-confidence, and how she had often felt at ease whenever she was around him... and that feeling was precious to her, because it was unlikely that she would feel that comfortable with anyone else.
"I'm going to miss that bumbling fuck-wit." she murmured to herself, leaning to the left to rest her elbow on the built-in shelf of the car door. She sighed again, her hands relaxing around the steering-wheel as she numbly bored her saddened eyes through the glass wind-shield.
Allowing her thoughts to consume her, her usual observation took a back seat and she failed to notice the subtle approach of two large SUVs that were swiftly travelling along the bumpy tarmac behind her. Their presence was stark as the entire road had been deserted so far, and their bulky, matte black presence was intimidating as they bided their time, smoothly rolling behind the steady sedan. They lurked there a while, the first of the two creeping closer and closer, barely touching the sedan's rear bumper. The second vehicle was a little more sensible and dropped back, ensuring there was a thick gap in front of them.
Aemelia knitted her eyebrows together and huffed deeply, quickly fluttering her eyelashes to stop herself from tearing up. She growled out in defeat and her right hand dropped from the wheel, her thumb stubbornly pushing against the flat edge of a tape that was perching inside the cassette player. Her hand returned to the wheel as the player swallowed it up, the hesitant crackle over the vehicle's speakers causing her to clench her teeth. Soon, slow paced rock music overwhelmed the silence and she relaxed in her seat, casually glancing towards the side-mirror on her left...
Her black eyes narrowed in bewilderment at the distinctive flash of matte black, and before she could distinguish the long SUV, it loudly revved, veering its front into the right side of the sedan. It swerved towards the left, and its thick frame collided with the much lower vehicle. It continued to firmly ram, clearly trying to push the other car over the white partition line in the centre of the road, and Aemelia glared, shocked at what was transpiring. Flecks of black gloss paint shed into the air as the black SUV persisted to pressure her and she growled in frustration, deciding that she would have to act a little more unpredictable if she truly wished to escape the unprompted situation.
There was a lull in the snarl of the sedan's engine before she abruptly slammed the brakes, the tires howling in protest as they kicked up searing wisps of white dust. At the same time, she flung the steering-wheel around to the left, forcefully drifting the vehicle to a screeching halt, diagonally blocking the entire right side of the road. She blinked a few times to make sure that she was truly stationary, coughing due to the potent smell of burning rubber that was likely coming from the treads of the car's tires. Her hands were fixed tightly to the wheel and she frowned in bewilderment, realising that she couldn't hear the noise of the other vehicle...
To her frustrated disbelief, the SUVs had simply pulled up at the road-side behind her. She gritted her teeth and firmly punched the centre of the steering-wheel a few times, glaring at the first vehicle in her rear-view mirror. However, her rage swiftly turned into awe as she witnessed every door swinging open in unison, sharply dressed - and chrome masked - individuals politely stepping out from their seats. She was so taken aback by the sight of Ghouls that she simply tensed and observed, her mouth agape due to her confusion.
The doors slammed shut and the five figures nonchalantly approached the black sedan, her eyes widening as she quickly flicked her eyes towards the second vehicle... she couldn't distinguish anything due to its thick tinted windows, but the fact that its occupants weren't revealing themselves was rather telling. The five Ghouls briefly glanced towards the mysterious second car before they completely surrounded the sedan...
Aemelia sank down into her seat slightly and eased her foot over the accelerator... but the Ghouls were not allowing her to get away. They spryly leapt after the car as it jerked forwards, and Aemelia clenched her teeth together as the music suddenly cut off... the engine had stalled.
She cursed under her breath, her right hand forcefully twisting the ignition key as her left fumbled for the inside-lock on the sill of her window. The engine disobediently sputtered and she punched the inside of her door, frustrated that she couldn't find the child-lock. Her attempts of avoiding the situation were futile, for her door flew open, a tall, slim Ghoul stooping down with outstretched arms. She glared in horror as he reached over her front, pressing the release catch of her seat-belt. The belt snickered its way to settle in its holster and Aemelia silently stared at the reluctant gaze of the Ghoul hovering before her.
Before she had time to react, the Ghoul reached for her again, forcefully locking his arms around her. She growled in protest and struggled against his vice-like grip, but he was in control and dragged her out of the sedan, the tops of her black oxfords scraping against the grit of the tarmac. The other three circled around her, allocating themselves a limb each to hoist her upwards. Her growls, strikes and hits were pointless now that four Ghouls had hold of her, carrying her towards the first SUV. From how fiercely they grasped her, she could tell that they were abnormally strong and she winced into her rage, rasping out insults as it was the only thing she could do to protest.
A fifth Ghoul had trickled off in the meantime, and was patiently waiting beside the SUV's open tail-gate, a large roll of grey duct-tape hanging around his wrist like a charm-bracelet. They raised her up slightly as they approached the trunk, tilting their heads towards the tinted wind-shield of the second car like they were seeking approval. Then, they obediently nodded, their masked-heads snapping back to Miss Vial, who they carefully lowered into the back of the car. As two Ghouls let go of her legs, she thrashed them about but the two hands that remained successfully held her in place.
The duct-tape Ghoul shuffled the roll into his palm and yanked out a generous length of tape, tearing it away in one swipe before handing it to one of the other Ghouls. They held her still as they firmly smacked the tape against her mouth, their free hands extending out expectantly as they awaited more duct-tape. Soon, the tough, silvery material tightly bound her wrists and ankles together, and with a final piece stretching across her mouth - which ensured that her cries would never be heard - the tail-gate firmly shut.
The trunk was pitch-black and she squeezed her eyes shut, vigorously wriggling her arms and legs, hoping that she could loosen the grip of the tape... but it was hopeless. She let out a muffled growl of fearful frustration and simply surrendered, the side of her head thumping against the harsh fuzz of the trunk-lining. Although she had given up on protesting, she was silently terrified as the uncomfortable surface beneath her began to shake. The engine bubbled below and her short breaths were loud beneath the sticky tape, warm droplets springing from her tear-ducts to slice down her cheeks, where the pale skin was now tainted with thin streams of black eyeliner.
She laid there as the vehicle began to move, sniffling quietly as she tried to overlook her terror to try and understand what was happening... but she couldn't make sense of it. Why had these Ghouls kidnapped her? Was this related to her leaving the Ministry? Or was it for some other convoluted reason? It perplexed her deeply and it only added to her fear, her form rolling about slightly as the ride became bumpy.
After a few minutes, she attempted to contact her entity... she was in immediate danger, so why wasn't it present? Her face scrunched in discomfort as the tires skipped across an uneven surface, making the base of the trunk a hell of a lot more uncomfortable for her. She pitifully tried again, squeezing her eyelids tightly as she held the idea of summoning the entity in her mind, in desperate need of its assistance...
But it never acknowledged her request for help. And it never would.
As she continued to attempt communication with the entity that lurked within her, the vehicle came to a gentle stop, forcing her to open her eyes in surprise. Her dark irises gleamed as she studied the thick blackness and her ears pricked up at the subdued muffles of car doors shutting. She had only been in the trunk for a few minutes and she wondered what had caused the car to stop...
The tail-gate abruptly lifted and Aemelia squeezed her eyes shut due to the flood of sunlight from the outside world. She could hear a distant, indistinct voice and from its cutting tone she could tell it was someone authoritative. Two sets of arms reached for her and she grumbled in dismay, trying make herself heavier...
"No, no. You are being incompetent." the familiar, commanding voice neared, grating over the sound of rustling metal. "Brand her first. We need to ensure that Lucifer knows who this one is."
Aemelia scowled and prised her eyes open, instantly narrowing them due to the bright light again. The hands on her vanished and as she blinked a few times, trying to settle her stinging eyes... a sizzling sound became apparent. The Ghouls returned their hold and her scowl deepened as her blurry eyes continued to blink. Their vice-like hands twisted her arms around until the insides of forearms were forced to face upwards, and she yelled angrily as they insistently pinned her down. The sizzling grew closer and closer... she glared in heightened apprehension, clapping eyes on a metal pole that was carefully being lowering towards her... it had a searing hot - and remarkably intricate - Grucifix emblem fixed to the end. She clenched her teeth, shutting her eyes as she felt the approach of the heated metal. Though she had expected the action, she hadn't been prepared for the actual burning sensation...
It seared into the tender skin of her inner forearm, and she cried out, tensing her legs as she tried to struggle out of the tape-binds. The blazing emblem was held in place for a little under ten seconds and all the while she was yelling in agony. When the metal was finally lifted from her, tears began to trickle down her cheeks as the heat continued to eat through her skin...
And then it pressed against the skin of her other arm and she writhed beneath the Ghouls' hold, biting the inside of her cheek as more whines of agony escaped her. The second branding seemed to hurt even more and as the metal emblem was finally lifted after the same amount of time, she felt the relieving withdrawal of sweltering heat... but her forearms stung immensely as the burning persisted.
"You may lift her now." the chirpy voice came again, and the Ghouls obliged the woman, raising Aemelia from the dark recesses of the trunk. As the alchemist's cries of pain persisted, the older woman rolled her eyes, the dew-ridden grass rustling against her short cuffed shoes. She peered at the field - which was full of stunted wheat-grass - and struck out a confident arm, pointing at one particular patch of land. Her sharp, hawk-like gaze flicked towards the nearest Ghoul - who happened to be the thinnest of the bunch - and nodded in quiet expectation. The Ghoul was incredibly hesitant and the woman could only assume that the creature hadn't understood.
"Dig." she sternly ordered, swaying her pointed finger towards the Ghoul's bare hands. Again, the Ghoul was hesitant, tilting his head to briefly acknowledge the shrieking alchemist, who was being suspended in the air by the other four Ghouls. He huffed in reluctance, and merely nodded, tearing his eyes away from the sight. He approached the woman's desired plot of the land and sunk to his knees, curling his hands into tense claws as he began to swiftly scoop up fistfuls of anaemic wheat-grass and dried earth.
The other Ghouls slowly approached him and his hands delved through the soil more forcefully, like he was suddenly frustrated or angry. One of the others soon dropped their hold on Aemelia and scampered to his side, crouching down beside him to ferociously scrape the soil. The Ghouls simply held her in the air for a while as the other two marked out a deep oblong hole. For quite some time, it seemed that their actions were pointless but after fifteen minutes, their watchful superior smiled wisely as the grave had now reached her preferred depth.
They effortlessly carried Aemelia over and one of the digging Ghouls scrambled out of the way... but the thinner one refused to move, like he was intent on blocking the way. The other Ghouls waited, and after a few seconds, the stubborn Ghoul unwillingly shifted to avoid a dispute. They continued forwards and lowered her writhing form into the six-foot pit with a great deal of care, and once her back was settled over the moist earth, they abruptly sank to their knees, their bare hands shovelling the disturbed mounds of soil to chuck them back into the fresh grave.
Aemelia wrestled against the constraints of the tight duct-tape, angrily yelling against the double-layer that sealed her mouth as more and more heavy scraps of soil hit her. She could feel it accumulating on top of her chest and she cautiously glared upwards, spying the glistening chrome of horned masks and the immensely satisfied features of Sister Imperator, who simply peered down at Aemelia like she was simply observing the conclusion to a heart-warming movie...
Soon, the earth had gathered beside Aemelia's head, beside her legs, beneath her feet, beneath her arms, over her abdomen, over her chest... and soon, it blocked out the daylight. She closed her eyes tightly and attempted to shuffle about as she pitifully wheezed, trying to find the slightest particle of oxygen in order to breathe... but her chest could hardly move due to the weight of the soil on top of her. Her breaths became short as lethargy spread around her aching muscles. The stubborn spirit of Aemelia Vial was non-existent as she lay there, crushed and seared, quietly accepting the inevitable end to her current situation.
For the second - and final - time that day, Aemelia Vial surrendered...
... and it was the worst decision she had ever made.
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