𝕾𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕮𝖔𝖗𝖛𝖚𝖘 :

“By Sister Imperator. She would’ve sent it herself, but the car accident has left her having to relearn to walk. As for who the letter is from…”

She scans the envelope for the umpteenth time for any clue of the source. “It doesn’t say….”

         For some untenable reason  his heart sunk,  feeling much like his innards had been scooped out.   He felt akin to a child again about to receive a firm scolding.   It’s just a letter.   It’s just a letter.   It could say anything .  .  . It could be nothing.   Right?

          Copia  ( who was nervously fidgeting )  smiled a forced smile and nodded.     ❛ Well Sister Corvus.   Since you were so kind as to deliver it to me yourself,  you should have the honour of opening & reading it to me.   Go ahead. ❜     He swatted his hand urging her to do so.   It’s better to just rip the damn bandaid off in one fell swoop.

KELSEY STARK :

S_{ensing the tone in his voice which meant that she probably shouldn’t have come in the room in the first place, the pale-faced girl became even more so, “You’re the only one I haven’t talked to Cardinal- to ask where she was. But I knew from previous conversations with her that you’re a busy man, that’s why I held off. Besides, I wanted to discuss a personal matter with her that I’ve already brought up with her last time I was here.” A part of her did want to open up, but it wasn’t the right time, nor place. Kelsey had knocked on the door and Copia said to come in, but as he kept speaking, she realized that she was most likely- in his eyes- wasting his time. “I wouldn’t want to impose on you any further than I already have…”}

_{Her thoughts of that lingered in the back of her mind as examined her, and at the offer, the teenager stumbled on the first word of what she was trying to say, “I-….Yes, that’s very kind of you.” Peering over at the bowl of grapes, her gaze went back to Cardinal’s, like she was double checking for him to confirm that it was alright to take the little morsels of fruit. “A-As long if it’s not poisoned, that is all that matters.”}

       He just STARES at her the longer she stammered on about .  .  . whatever point she’s alluding to.    Copia pulled another grape into his mouth and chewed slowly,  brow furrowed into a look of puzzled intoxication.    Having lambed into the wine,  it’s becoming increasingly APPARENT that he knocked back one too many.        ❛ Well you’re here,  so.    Might as well make the most of it I suppose. ❜        It would be an even GREATER waste of his time if she were to slip back out again after ruining his immersion.    The Cardinal put his feet up onto the arm of sofa and threw himself back onto a cushion pile.     Eurgh.    Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

        ❛ Poison?   Who the hell do you think I am?   Poisoning my own grapes .  .  . psh.    If they are,  then we’re both dead.    But hey —— they say if you don’t die alone then you’re dying in luxury. ❜        Wink.    Alright so no one ever said that but he’s coining it right now.     He nudges the tray over to Kelsey whose awkward predilection seemed to HEIGHTEN by the second.         ❛ Forget about ‘imposing’.   Come on,  come on.    Say what you gotta say! ❜        He clicked his fingers then promptly grabbed a bottle by the neck.    He’s DEFINITELY going to need some more.         ❛ It’s been a long day.   I could use the distraction.    And you could use an ear,  right? ❜

THETA :

Theta’s eyebrow raised ever so slightly as the Cardinal invited them to sit. Arrogance wasn’t unheard of in the higher clergy levels, but like sickness it breeds quickly and absolutely. But Theta sat, gracefully, all the same.

Barely installed in the highest levels and already supping at the well of pride the Third Emeritus had left in his wake.

It irked them just a bit, how easily and how quickly the church leaders could overestimate their power. Given an inch, the clergy was the sort to take a mile. But something different than the others radiated from the Cardinal—as if the pride was somewhat hollow; perhaps a veneer coating uncertainty. Something that could be prodded at and yield interesting results. It wasn’t something the public—humans, ghouls alike—could pick up on. Theta would be surprised if anyone else would notice it ever in his reign.

(So, they could feed his ego, but perhaps irritate it too.)

Theta wasn’t one to obviously poke holes in the Church’s defenses—they were gracious in keeping them here and letting them assist with work. Sometimes there were no worthwhile weaknesses to be prodded at; certainly the Second Emeritus fell into that category.

But it is terribly obvious, how hard he is trying, Theta’s mind supplied. Believing his control is absolute at such an early stage.

Theta smiled, but their polite exterior hid the slightest hint of condescension.

“If everything is in order already at such a time in this position, I am truly surprised. Already, a cunning and capable Cardinal.”

“And such a ingenious head of our beloved clergy would need an…capable advocate, as you said. Your talk of mutual beneficence intrigues me as well. Would you continue on that topic?”

Endearing themself to the Cardinal could be easy. Needling within his psyche, finding what thoughts laid there would be significantly more difficult.

         A strong,  unmovable leader needed equally strong and unmovable allies.    Otherwise,  what is he a leader of?    A trampled wasteland and ravaged people?   An EMPIRE needed the hands of many.   As Copia sipped his fresh cup of tea,  still too hot to take in quaffs,  he smiled ever so softly like he was choking back a grin —— It forebodingly told the many things he had in store.   With the passive and dismissive wave of his hand he nodded in thanks to the ghoul who had already been one foot out the door,  excusing himself before Copia needed to grant direction.      ❛ Oh,  you flatter me. ❜      The condescension is not lost on him,  and it ricocheted in his expression,  barely HIDDEN behind his china cup.       ❛ Benefits,  benefits .  .  . Yes.    It’s fair to assume you’re content with your place here,  mm?   I have no intention of taking that away from you.   The opposite,  actually. ❜

          Theta is another brick in his golden wall,  safeguarded by Lucifer’s decree.   Copia wasn’t the obvious tyrant in which he TOOK and took again —— He established not only trust but a love from his disciples,  even to the extent of it augmenting into something FANATICAL.    No such thing is expected from the entity however alliance is alliance no matter the shape it which it manifested.   And perhaps a segment of his many faces enjoyed being adored as much as he was respected,  even FEARED.        ❛ I’m talking about uhh .  .  . Think of it as a promotion.   My right hand so to speak.   Keep a close eye,  and ear,  regarding the going-ons of the Clergy. ❜      There’s a sense of cynicism in the manner of which he spoke insinuating his knowledge of those whom whispered scathing conjecture when his back was turned.   Not unheard of;   Rather typical,  in truth.

           ❛ Nothing is off limits to you.   Mi casa es su casa.    And if there’s anything I can do for you to make this agreement more appealing —— I’m listening. ❜      Theta is not stupid.   And they were the perfect piece to guide across his collective chessboard when needed.    A FLY on the wall could be one’s sharpest sword if used aptly.   Too,  Theta is capable of hurting him.   Such value is to be kept within an inner circle;  Keep them happy,  keep them secured,  and most of all —— NEVER give them reason to cut a better deal elsewhere.    Theta’s distrust was almost palpable which meant they could see right through him.   He knew that.   He knew that they knew.   That’s just how diplomacy worked,  and how he hoped it would work between them.        ❛ I don’t know of the extent of your involvement with the previous Emeritus brothers,   but I run things with a little less severity. ❜      He takes another sip.   His tea is tepid now.   How he LOVED hearing himself talk.

LOST LAMB :

Haydes gave a small snort at his response as she started to smile once again, a first really since they began to talk. “Well, somebody has to! Might as well be us folks who want to pick it apart and examine it all piece by piece.”

She shook her head at his question. If there was one thing Sister Haydes certainly was, she was diligent. “Finished my work long before I decided to go on this little walk and I don’t think I could read one more book today. No doubt I would go cross eyed since it is apparently common practice to print everything in the tiniest print they could possibly find.” 

What he said next stopped her dead in her tracks. Who is this Cardinal exactly? A thought then dawned on her. It would do her no good if he learned everything he could on her and yet he was still a complete mystery to her. “Cardinal, are you free?” She asked. “I’d love to continue this conversation, if you don’t mind. There’s hardly anyone here right now.” She pointed out. “Or if you prefer, we can always grab some tea and a table instead.”

          Ah,  how polite,  good manners always were a fast track  into his good books.    And if there’s two things Copia loved in this world it was tea and discussing his interests —— Namely himself —— but others would suffice.    He gave a single,  certain nod,  almost a bow,  like there’s nothing else he’d rather do leisure-wise.       ❛ Of course!   My duties for the day are well in completion.   Tea is an excellent idea;  As long as it’s on me.   Not literally.   Unless that sounds like your kind of fun. ❜      It takes a grand total of 0.2 seconds for Cardinal Copia to reveal what often blurs the line between humour and carnality.    Which most brushed off with a laugh but with others,  the UNNERVING quality of his inflections often invited the tiny hairs of their skin to stand on-end.    The latter,  the Cardinal found to be undeniably satisfying.

❛ I wonder why it is we haven’t crossed paths before? ❜      His eyebrow piqued,  looking at Haydes in a sidelong glance as they walked parallel to each other,  as if he expected a response —— And something about his BURNING stare felt so utterly analytical.       ❛ You mentioned being fairly new to all this that much I know but even those mindful of their spaces don’t tend to go undetected by me.   Don’t worry,  I’m not scolding you —— My curiosity is insatiable. ❜       He laughed.   There’s that terrible air of foreshadowing again.      ❛ Also.   Tea.   Courtyard?   Yes,  no?   The cloister is your oyster. ❜       

SISTER UMBRA :

She was completely enthralled by him , every part of him called to her , no matter how many times he withdrew from her , teased her , she would always follow. Her soul was his it had been this way since time began , it had been through many a journey , many incarnations travelled through time and space - but had always been his.

When he pulled her to him she was overcome with passion and awe and adoration

She pressed her sylphlike form to his strong body and clung to him letting herself be guided by him as they danced on.

As he moved his hand towards her face her pulse quickened and her eyes searched his , that expression so solumn. “My Cardinal , whatever lies ahead , whatever is coming, my loyalty and my heart are yours ……. she intertwined her fingers with his and kissed his cheek so softly it was like a gentle breeze on his skin , “make it so”

         He says nothing.   There is no need for words in the interim.   His palm placed over her left eye socket,  he looked down at her knowingly,  and triumphantly.   She had been his from the beginning but THIS would set Sister’s word in stone.   The Cardinal’s appetite whetted he smiled an impish smile before uttering,       ❛ This is gonna hurt ❜      with about as much bedside manner as Dr Kevorkian —— The ordeal granted him PLEASURE in having her at his disposal;  But likewise,  he did not throw away his disciples’ fealty so easily.

          The thurible scent of frankincense enveloped them in soft plumes of crimson and the moon seemed to BEAM in approval of this ceremonial rite upon the belfry.   She would feel a SEARING pain in the centre of her eye,  as it turned to a pale,  opaque white just like his.   As his hand moved away to reveal the metamorphosis it was as though her former self had been wiped away —— her past,  BURIED.    Copia smiled still —— and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.       ❛ Now you truly belong to me,  Sister. ❜      The music fades,  leaving them only in eerie quiet of the night.

BLAIR :

“Cardi!” Blair shouted as he heard the honk, looking over. he rushed over and started to guide the man off the street. gazing at the sign, Blair nodded at the Cardinals statement.”yes, we are here” he chuckled. 

Blair let the higher up go through the alley first. the covered ally way dark but lead to a beautiful courtyard. ivy grew on the walls, vintage couches sat in a little alcove, and there were flowers galore. softly music played over a loudspeaker while wind chimes softly chimed. overall the aesthetic matched that of the 1920s or 30s with the old metal fire escape and the metal garden table sets to add to the look. 

Blair took the mans hand, their fingers interlacing. the leather on his hands was warm from being pressed against his skin. the young tailor was excited to experience something as gorgeous as this. he pulled Copia along, leading him through an open door. it was small, but it divided off into another section which Blair wanted to wait to should the cardinal. behind the counter on the wall was a large chalkboard with all of their drinks and foods. Blair had looked beforehand at the menu on their website, so he already knew what he wanted. 

“uh, ill have a large, whole milk lavender caramel latte and I want… a simple croissant.”

“You two together?” the woman questioned.

“yes, he still needs to look” Blair pulled out a 20 and placed it on the counter so he could easily pay once he said what he wanted

          When Blair takes him by the hand it catches him off guard,  but he’s not about to question it.    People aren’t usually so hands on with the Cardinal;  Ergo,  it was oddly nice to know SOMEBODY had a level of comfort around him,  as casual as the context was.   He blinked in befuddlement and left it at that.   His attention is quickly diverted to the serenity of their surroundings —— Realising with just once skim over as to why Blair had been quick to recommend the place.   Though he may not seem it to some,  Copia was a man of   ( occasionally )   SIMPLE-but-still-champagne taste.    To his surprise they are amongst the few that are seated —— Prices,  maybe?    Wonderful.    He’s a believer in you get what you pay for.    Copia sits in idle bedazzlement still taking in the ambience.   As Blair does the momentary talking for him,  he squints at the chalkboard,  spoiled for choice.      All that came out of his mouth was a monotonous        ❛ Uhhh, ❜      as the woman serving them turns her back with a coy smile,  prepping the coffee.

          A good thirty seconds passes until the familiar and all too enticing scent of millefeuille seduces him,  drawing his gaze to an array of cold pastries encased in glass and fluorescent light.      He turns to Blair,  a deadpan and awfully STERN look on his face.        ❛ .  .  . Is it weird to have dessert for lunch.   Cause those look really good.   You’re having a croissant,  right?   Okay so I’m not totally abhorrent. ❜      Not that being the black sheep ever dissuaded him from anything.        ❛ J'ai voudrais une fraise millefeuille,  avec .  .  . ❜       Ah yes.   His basic,  broken French is returning to him.        ❛ Café Americain,  si vous plais.   Oh,  et .  .  . Fuck it,  I’ll have a large Cabernet Sauvignon too,  'scuse my French. ❜      He finishes off his little joke with an overtly flirtatious glance,  half-bent over the countertop.   It got another smile from their waitress who probably thought he was a real shyster by this point.     

SISTER MORTIMER :

                  ^{Something had caught his interest? Something had caught the CARDINAL’S interest!  Trying her hardest to bite back a smile of pure excitement, the sister nodded. ❛ Yes…All three of them, indeed…I was told by their father to make sure that they are well dressed for your upcoming CRUSADE of sorts…I think…he used ritual as the word rather
than crusade… ❜}

                  ^{Hands coming up to remove her hood, Mortimer motioned for the male to follow along.   ❛ Please stay close behind me. ❜ She’d never had a living visitor down here with her before, this was going to be interesting to say the least. ❛ Most who reside down here those who are kind to unfamiliar faces, I’d hate for one of them to send you running before at least admiring the brothers and what they’ve become.❜}

         Copia bowed in respect,  smarmy grin barely disguised by a very thin veneer.   From the outside it looked neat and tidy like he’s nothing more than good manners and intentions but his heart beat black inky Machiavellianism.        ❛ Of course Sister,   I am in your territory now,   and I’ve no doubts in my mind you’ve done an excellent job —— Hence being entrusted with the task. ❜

Dark,  damp,  and smelling like Earth;  It was close,  almost humid.   Copia expected no LESS than the house of the dead to suits its grim expectations.   He makes a face as he dusts off a cobweb from his shoulder.      ❛ Oh don’t you worry about that.  I wouldn’t dream of leaving the premises before .  .  . admiring,  as you put it .  .  . my predecessors and their legacy left in my hands.   I think it’ll really put things into perspective.   Death is far from the end,  isn’t it? ❜

DEAREST MARI :

         ❝ A-ah, Yes……. ❞ Taken aback as she remembered. Her demeanor completely changed, realizing she got too caught up in her little game. The cardinal always had that effect on her and honestly she loved it.  His touch helped fade away the overwhelming tenseness and his smile…..It melted her heart. ❝ You always look ravishing my cardinal. ❞ Softly she grazed one of her hand across the side of his face ending with one finger flicking up from his chin. ❝ I think it would be best if we have a seat for this….if that’s ok with you. ❞

       And suddenly the mood comes crashing down like a pile of bricks.   How peculiar,  he could always charm his way into her pants heart.   Copia slithered away,  falling back on his heel.       ❛ Bella,  why the long face? ❜      Heh.   It’s funny because he can’t .  .  . see her face .  .  . okay,  she’s not laughing.   Must be GRAVE news indeed.   Suspicious,  the Cardinal takes his place as advised,  a cautionary eyebrow piqued.       ❛ Hardly as ravishing as you.   So,  what’s this oh-so-important thing you have to tell me huh? ❜      He takes another swig of the bottle preparing for whatever the hell is about to hit him faster than intoxication en route.

adversariie‌:

@copiac

---

It had only been a few years since she left the Coven–finding the usual day to day to be quite obnoxious. From the first day going to Robichaux only served a single purpose; to put her on the right path. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, she allowed the others to believe in the facade that she was wholesome and all loving only to tear herself away from the Coven when she finally learned her true strength. To her, now it was the time to hone it in utmost secrecy. If the Coven ever knew what her intentions were–surely she’d be burned at the stake ! The silver doe finds herself estranged from society, somewhere deep in the woods of Salem where she practices inexcusable acts in the Dark Lords name, attempting to find her own way to immortality. Urban legends surround her existence, but no one has made it back to town alive after searching for her.

“Who’s there?” She’d stand upon her rickety front porch, eyes narrowed as she stares into the vast darkness of the woods. Mallory cannot see anyone present–but she knows someone is there merely by the dramatic shift of tension in the air.

It’s important,  for a man like Cardinal Copia, a man who wanted the world and for it to fall to its knees in the very presence of his grandeur,   to know all and know how to bend it to his WHIMS.    A secret shrouded in enigma may remain as such yet word travelled fast through the grapevine,  and those tendrils are rooted in the palm of Copia’s hand —— The soil of his DECAYED morality.    If there’d been a chance that a bona fide necromancer and practicer of black magick had graced the midst of mortal beings then he would be certain to make their acquaintance.    Recruiting likeminded,  DARK individuals with his credence bolstered him substantially —— Too,  their power as his vicariously.    

He was akin to a shadow in an already blackened grove rotted by time and lichens.   The only thing to set him apart in black garb was the PALE complexion of his sun-starved skin;  And the gentle,  chipper hum like a melodic purr at the back of his throat that cut through forested silence if one were to listen closely.    Nature ABHORRED him —— Save for the rats that were like omens of his arrival.   Right on cue,  as if willing it into being,  there he sees it.   A thatched and pokey place,  how very quaint,  in the centre of earthy nothingness.   A labyrinth of trees and rot and SQUALOR.   Strangely enticing.   There is no doubt that by his ceremonial attire he’d sprung from elsewhere —— Though he did not entirely stick out like a sore thumb.    However,  that resonated better with his demeanour than his appearance.

             Aware that he was not welcome thus far the Cardinal stepped cautiously from the thickets into better view,  seemingly manifested as one would expect of a spectral PHANTOM.   He knew of her capabilities but she knew not of his —— And anybody with an ounce of common sense would know not to undermine a witch.       ❛ Don’t fret —— ❜       He calls out from the overgrowth wearing faux-amicability.        ❛ I’m here as a friend.   Or at the very least,  an associate. ❜       Everything was just BUSINESS after all.   With a show of hands he skulked into the dimming light,  body language indicating he truly meant no harm.    He spoke quieter now,  nearing the witch in a manner he’d hoped to be his most auspicious.       ❛ —— You are .  .  . Like me. ❜      Like me.     A PARIAH amongst their own kin.

LOST LAMB :

As if on instinct, as the Cardinal leaned in, she tried to take a step away without standing too far away from him, not exactly doing much to hide her discomfort about him getting closer either.

“I mean…” She then paused, mulling over her answer. “Yeah, almost all of my research is public anyways, I’m free to answer any question you might have on both that and the topic in general.”

She shrugged, hardly surprised that he expressed an interest in the field. “Plenty of folks are. Viruses are a part of our everyday lives, whether we like it or not. Almost every great plague in humanity was caused by them and I guess we’re all curious about them. Tends to be the case with such morbid topics - we’re not supposed to be interested in them, and yet here we are.”

“I admit it’s a pretty big gamble to mess around with viruses the way we did, but anything worth knowing has a risk or a price tag to it anyways.” She then stopped. “I’m rambling, my bad.”

His questions seemed off to her. She could not help but feel that was digging for something, though she was not sure what, and that only made her more reluctant to share much more than she already had. She hardly knew this man, so she felt no need to spill her whole life’s story to him. “You can dig all you want, Cardinal, I’m afraid you’re not going to find much. It would probably just bore you to tears.”

           Copia is no stranger to putting on a listening face,  and engaging with others in a way that made it appear conceivably genuine.   Because he knew as well as any salesman that the sound of one’s name and feeling their voice was heard was a psychological tincture of euphoria.   But that’s not what’s happening here.   He engaged not disingenuously but with true intrigue,  nodding in agreement —— Then lo and behold a smile,  a sense cascading him like upon making a great discovery.   He was ALWAYS looking for more clever minds to build atop his conquests.        ❛ Morbidity is merely a word used to describe inevitabilities of life that nobody wants to dwell on. ❜        And yet,  where would the world be without those whom embrace them?

            ❛ Please,  please.   Continue. ❜      He nodded again to prove his sincerity.       ❛ Unless I’m interfering with your work ——? ❜       Noting their destination in close view he’s already meandering through the archway,  hands behind his back.   The library was on beautifully archaic grounds,  its interior to match.   Had a tranquility about it that SCARCELY existed elsewhere.   Copia pulled a tome out at random and promptly dusted it off —— Looked to be full of esoteric knowledge on herbalism.       ❛ And Haydes .  .  . ?    Try not to be so hard on yourself,  mm? ❜       It’s rhetorical and dry.   Would have sounded like a criticism had it not been a footnote for his repartee.       ❛ I enjoy learning what I can. ❜        Still he spoke indirectly,  engrossed with a spread in particular.         ❛ Nightshade is both a medicine and a toxin depending on its flower and usage.    See?     Even a plant is multifaceted. ❜      He turns and smiles blithely,  almost eerie in the wrong light.       ❛ Don’t shy away from me.   Or your own knowledge.    Because I’ll find out eventually —— About what exists beneath an unusual name and biological finesse. ❜