#Yule at the abbey

[molly-ghuleh]

Ungrumpify Your Papa: Papa Emeritus II x afab!reader

Summary: It's your first holiday season with Secondo and you're determined to make him less of a grump.

Words: 6.9k (nice)

Warnings: NSFW, MDNI!!, reader is AFAB but there are no gendered words/pronouns, smut, fluff, lingerie, light dom!Secondo, teasing, brief mentions of overstimulation, holiday feelings, discussions of religion

AO3

A/N: Happy day 2 of the XXXMas at the Ministry series! Check out day 1 with Primo by @copias-sewer-rat in the links below, and stay tuned for day 3 with Terzo by @ghulehunknown and day 4 with Copia by @bupia (who also put together these incredible graphics)!!

Day 1 (Dec 20th): Naughty Presents (AO3)

Day 2 (Dec 21st): Ungrumpify Your Papa (you are here!)

Day 3 (Dec 22nd): Mistletoe'd (AO3)

Day 4 (Dec 23rd): Treasure Hunt (AO3)

Secondo is very particular about how he curates his living quarters. His taste is distinct and refined, but not to the point of tackiness. It’s obvious that he’d spent a non-trivial amount of time picking out his furniture after he became Papa, and even more time reorganizing his space to ensure you felt welcome after he’d asked you to move in with him. Every book, every pillow, every little trinket or decoration or memory has a dedicated place somewhere, and each piece is treasured and respected like it has belonged there for all of eternity. 

So, you weren’t surprised when Secondo grumbled when you pulled out a red and gold plaid throw blanket for the holidays, but he’s gracious enough to allow it to live on the couch (so long as it is neatly folded after every use, of course). And you had to stifle your laugh when he’d come home to find a little mistletoe hanging from the threshold of his bedroom and had jumped nearly ten feet in the air thinking it was a spider. 

He came to terms with the mistletoe, though, after realizing that every time he jumped when seeing it from his periphery, you’d come over and kiss him and remind him it was only temporary. He didn’t tell you that he’d let you keep the mistletoe up all year round if it gave him an excuse to kiss you more. 

The tree you want, though… that’s another battle. 

“Please?” You ask sweetly, snuggling with him under the aforementioned red and gold blanket. 

“No, amore,” Secondo says. 

You’re tracing gentle patterns into his bare chest and can feel his heartbeat under your fingertips. You watch as the soft, dark hair dusting his skin catches on your finger. “Explain to me your reasoning.” 

Secondo chuckles—a low, deep sound that you can feel more than hear. “Must I explain myself past the fact that I simply do not want a tree?” 

“But why?” You ask him. You lift yourself up onto an elbow and look down at him. The two of you had built a little nest of sorts in front of the fireplace in his sitting room. It’s the first night that the two of you, as well as the entire Abbey, are absolved from duties in a week-long observance of the solstice and Yule, and you had decided to spend it together, alone, and very naked. 

Secondo sighs but there’s still a little smile on his face. He can’t help but adore you and your insistence. It seems to him that you’re determined to uproot his entire life. He would gladly shed his roots and the soil of comfort and routine they grow in if it meant seeing you happy, but where is the fun in that? He enjoys making you ask for what you want. He enjoys seeing you work for it. And, in some (most) instances, he enjoys pushing you until you resort to begging.

“Because,” Secondo begins, drawing you back down to lay your head on his warm chest, “there is no room for one. And we have nothing to put on it.” 

You laugh. “This room alone is bigger than my old Sibling quarters. There’s plenty of space.” 

“It could catch on fire.” 

“Secondo, you don’t put a tree directly in front of the fireplace.” 

“Well. Suppose there is an ember—“ 

“And,” you playfully cut him off. “We can find things to decorate it with. Warm lights, those red, wooden beads for a garland, little glass ornaments… It can be classy. We can make it match your taste.” 

Your lover is silent for a moment, considering. “There would be pine needles everywhere.” 

You laugh again. His tone of voice tells you that you’re close to cracking him. Oh, you’re well aware of the games he plays with you and take full part in them. The push and pull, the give and take of him letting you believe you’re in control and then showing you that this was his plan all along… even with something as mundane as a holiday tree, your heart speeds up and your face heats just slightly. 

You’re still tired from the evening’s activities, after all. 

“We can get a fake one,” you offer. “Small, too. Nothing unmanageable. And I’ll string the lights on it because it’s a pain in the ass.” 

Secondo traces lines back and forth over your shoulder, tickling your skin. “You speak like the decision is already made, amore.”

“You haven’t given me a good enough reason to back down yet.”

He chuckles again. “Sto solo scherzando. Will it make you happy?” 

You prop yourself up again and press a kiss to his lips. “It will,” you say softly. “But I don’t need a tree to make me happy. If you really don’t want one, we won’t have one.” 

“You said it yourself,” Secondo says against your mouth, “that it is temporary. I will survive.” 

You feel his mouth curl into a small smile against your own when you kiss him again. You’re sure yours must feel the same. 

~~~

You and Secondo stroll leisurely through the rows of trees. The display is pretty, and nostalgic—it’s been staged to look like a small grove of real trees, with the stands cleverly hidden by piles of snow at the bases. Some of the trees are fully decorated, and some have only lights, but most are completely bare to emulate a tree farm. Somehow the staff had managed to make the display smell like pine and a hint of cinnamon, and if you close your eyes and listen to the winter breeze and the jingling of bells on the storefront door, it feels like a real tree farm. 

“You know,” you say to Secondo as you stop in front of a tree with fake snow on it, “you never told me why you didn’t want a tree.” 

Secondo regards the tree for a moment and, seeing how easily the fake snow flakes off of the limbs with just a slight breeze, gently tugs you towards the next one. “It is not necessarily the tree that I am opposed to,” he says. “But the commercialization of what is supposed to be a holiday.” 

You’re silent for a moment as you think about his words. He does have a point. There are a fair few seasonal decorations that you find to be unbearably tacky, but the ones you do enjoy carry a warm nostalgia. “I see,” you muse. “For a while after I converted, it was hard to rationalize the holiday because it’s so ingrained in our culture to be a Jesus thing.” 

“Esattamente,” Secondo nods. “Even though most of it is taken straight from Pagan traditions.” 

You stop in front of a plain tree, not any taller than Secondo, with simple, warm white lights. “That helped me rationalize it,” you tell him. “To know that modern Christmas is an amalgam of different things, and that there’s no right way to celebrate it. It doesn’t make us bad Satanists because we have a tree, or bake cookies, or wrap gifts. There doesn’t have to be any religious undertone.” 

“You are right,” Secondo says after a brief silence. “What is that term… when people use a word incorrectly enough times that the meaning changes.” 

“Colloquialism?” you offer. 

“SÌ. Christmas has become a colloquialism. Yule, Solstice, Saturnalia, Christmas, whatever you wish to call it.” 

“Is that why you never celebrated?” 

Secondo looks at you, and he nearly loses his breath. The sun is going down so the sky is a deep blue, leaving your face to be illuminated only by the warm white lights of the tree in front of you. You look so cozy in your hat and scarf and coat. And you’re trying to understand him, understand why he is not a ‘holiday’ person. How he adores you. 

“To a degree,” he says, looking away because he’s dangerously close to swooping you into his arms and kissing you silly. “The holiday has lost all its meaning beyond materialism. That is the way it seems. Why should I need a holiday to tell me when to gift things to the people who matter?” 

“You don’t, I suppose,” you shrug. “But it’s not completely about that. It’s the thought, the warmth, the togetherness. This time of year is when people want to feel cozy and comfortable and happy. To surround themselves with the people and things they love. It’s cold, and dark, and the holiday allows us to indulge in the things we might feel guilty about at any other time of year.” 

Secondo listens to your voice, and he understands. “I feel a bit like Scrooge,” he says softly. And he does—a bitter old man, learning the true meaning of Christmas… or something.

“Which ghost am I?” You ask, laughing. 

“You are Tiny Tim,” he replies without having to think. “Not a ghost, but I think the wisest character in the whole story.” 

“Satan bless us,” you say in your best impression of a small child. “Every one.” 

In the end, Secondo chooses the tree you’d been standing in front of. He tells you that it was because he likes that it’s small and simple (which is true), but he’d seen how your eyes reflected the small bulbs and decided he couldn’t let that evening be the last time he sees that. 

You also purchase simple glass bulbs, a modest tree skirt, and a silver garland to match Secondo’s green and silver color scheme in his chambers. When you arrive back at the Abbey excited to decorate, however, you remember that you’d forgotten to choose a topper. While he has his back turned to pour the two of you some hot chocolate, you sneak to the closet which houses his papal robes, and when he turns around, he finds his mitre situated crookedly atop the tree and your smug face pretending you don’t know how it got there. 

“It is lopsided,” Secondo hums, handing you your mug. 

“It has character,” you counter. You hide your smile behind the steaming hot chocolate. 

Secondo smiles, too. 

~~~

After the tree debacle, you wonder how far into the holiday spirit you can drag Secondo. You aren’t determined to make him the embodiment of Santa Claus, but you hope to ease his grumpiness. And honestly, it isn’t just the holiday that you want him to enjoy, it’s the whole season. Winter is cold and dark and oftentimes miserable, yes, but it doesn’t have to be. Not when you have someone to come home to after years of spending it alone. 

So you suggest cookies. Because I love sugar cookies, you explain when Secondo asks. And Copia has a sweet tooth. And we need something to bring to dinner with your family. 

Not at all because watching Secondo in the kitchen gets you going like nothing else. 

You sit at the small table in his kitchen, watching him move. He’d shooed you out of the way after scolding you for suggesting you use a premade mixture of Betty Crocker sugar cookies, insisting that if you must make cookies, you will at least do it right. But how can you stay away from him when he looks like that? 

He’s wearing his apron (which is, in and of itself, an incredible turn-on). The sleeves of his button-up shirt are rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his muscular forearms. And his hands, oh, his hands, are bare and flexing, kneading the dough as he mixes flour in pinch by pinch. The veins in his arms are highlighted in the overhead kitchen lights. His shoulders stretch and move, pulling the fabric of his shirt tight against his back again and again. 

Sweet Satan, give me strength, you think. And Satan, ever the purveyor of sin and temptation, strips all the strength from your mind and whispers in your ear to go to him. 

So you do. You quietly slip out of your chair and approach Secondo, taking in his perfect form. His broad shoulders, the slight pooch to his sides, his ass which is hugged so perfectly in his trousers, his hands kneading the dough ball like they knead the flesh of your thighs, your chest, your belly, your rear. Your hands slip around his middle and you press yourself against his back. You feel him pause. 

“Amore,” Secondo says softly and you’re not exactly convinced that he’s chiding you. “You are a terrible distraction. Come faccio a cuocere questi biscotti con te che mi tenta?” 

You trace your hands up his stomach to his chest, relishing in his warmth. There’s probably flour on your hands and forearms and all over his apron, but you don’t care. “Can you blame me? You know very well what watching you in the kitchen does.” 

“SÌ, I do, my dove,” Secondo hums. His hands are still now. He closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling of your palms brushing up and down his body. Yes, he knows quite well what he’s doing to you. He’d be a liar if he said his insistence to bake the cookies from scratch was entirely innocent. But he supposes you know that. “Tell me, amore. If I were to turn around and lift you up onto this counter and spread your legs, what would I find, hm?”

Instead of answering him, you trail your hands back down from his chest, over his tummy, and down to the crux between his legs and pelvis, resting your palms there and squeezing lightly. You can already feel the stretching fabric of his trousers and know that if he turned around to make good on his promise, you would find him hard and aching. He heaves a trembling breath at your movements. It’s likely that he will punish you for this later, but is it really a punishment if it’s what you desire most? 

It’s not often that Secondo allows you to take control like this. Even if it’s just a small movement, a little caress of his arousal, he’s quick to pull your hands away and make sure you find your pleasure first. But slowly, his hands begin to work into the dough once more, and he makes no further comment. Your own hands find the button of his trousers and tug it open. 

“Amore,” Secondo hums in warning when your fingers brush along the length of him over the fabric of his pants.

In a stroke of confidence (and maybe a touch of curiosity as to what might happen if you poke the sleeping bear), you reach down his front to grasp him over his briefs. It’s only for a moment before you’re withdrawing your hand and fumbling his button closed again. You press a kiss between his shoulder blades and step away. “Sorry, love. Cookies take precedence.” 

Then, you’re pressed against the kitchen table, your wrists pinned beside your head as Secondo looms over you and presses his hips to your own. His breath is hot and his voice is low in your ear as he speaks. “You know very well that I would ravish you right now,” he growls, rutting his hips forward to spread your thighs even further. You can feel just how honest he’s being and you sigh with the contact. “If it were not for this dinner… this cena maledetta…”

There’s flour all over your clothes from his apron pressing against your front. The tip of his nose traces a path up from the sensitive skin below your ear, across your cheekbone, to rest against yours. His lips brush your own as he speaks. “Do not think I do not know what you are doing.” 

“I know you know,” you say, your voice sultry. You arch your back up off the tabletop and press your chest into his. “That’s why I do it.”

“Sei una tentazione,” Secondo whispers. “Perché devi essere così allettante quando non posso averti?”

Your jaw slacks open when he presses his hips even harder against yours. He takes the opportunity to lean in and nip at your lower lip, tracing his tongue along it and tugging. “One day,” you gasp when he pulls away, “I will understand when you say such filthy things to me in Italian.” 

“You tell me that not knowing is a thrill.”

“Oh, it is. But sometimes I wish I could understand what depraved things you’ll do.” 

“Let me put it plainly, then,” Secondo says. He takes the shell of your ear between his teeth and squeezes your wrists just a bit tighter. Your thighs lift as he presses himself against you completely. “We are going to make these cookies. We are going to Terzo’s dinner party. And we are going to stay for however long is acceptable before I take you back here and punish you for teasing me.”

“Yes, Papa.”

~~~

Oh, you hate him. 

Not for last night when he’d punished you, no. You very much do not hate him for that. You’d gone to bed with trembling legs after he had to help you to the shower. He compared you to a newborn deer but held you steady as you wobbled, and then gave you one last orgasm in the warm water before the two of you retired to bed. 

Rather, you hate him because he’d been waiting for a reason to punish you last night. He’d been searching for an excuse to make you fall off the edge of the world, more than a few times over, because he’d planned to take you and your wobbly legs surprise ice skating the next morning and thought it would be funny to watch you scramble.

“I hate you,” you grumble as you cling to his hand with a vice-like grip. “I hate you and your stupid memory.” 

Secondo laughs quietly and supports your weight. You almost lose balance when he leans down to speak lowly in your ear, but he keeps you upright. “I did not hear you saying that last night when I remembered where to touch to make you–”

“Alright, alright,” you interrupt, your face heating. “But last night I didn’t think I had to tell you to take it easy so I could stand upright today.”

“That is the fun of it, amore. Seeing you wobble, knowing I did this.” He presses a kiss to your temple. “How is your ass? Sore?” 

“From you spanking it or from falling on it four times?” You ask. 

“Either way,” Secondo stands up straight again, “I suppose the answer is the same.”

You huff. “I used to be able to do spins as a kid,” you tell him. “And now I can barely stand on skates because of you and your fingers and your tongue and your little Secondino.”

“He is not very little though, is he?” Secondo asks, and you could smack him if he wasn’t completely right. You’re wobbly because he’s not little in the slightest.

You’re grateful, though. You’d mentioned how you used to go ice skating as a child, and how you haven’t in a very long time. In previous relationships, that was that. You would mention something you miss, or an activity you used to love, and that would be the end of it. But with Secondo, dear, attentive, lovely, grumpy Secondo, it’s different. You feel heard for the first time in your life. And that might be terribly cheesy, but it’s true. He does more for you than the absolute bare minimum you’d grown to expect from partners and you feel positively spoiled. If you can give him even half of the happiness he gives you, you’re happy. You would give him the world and the sun and the moon if you could. 

Secondo notices your silence and squeezes your hand, warm and cozy in the gloves Terzo had gifted you at his dinner last night. “Where did you go, dove?” 

“Sorry,” you shake yourself from your reverie and blink away the sudden tears of gratitude and affection. “I just love you. Thank you for taking me skating.”

“You’re welcome. Anch’io ti amo.”

Eventually you find your sea legs and show him the (very basic) spins you know how to do. You manage not to fall on your ass a fifth time. And then you begin to seethe because, of course, Secondo is perfectly balanced and graceful and can skate like he was born on the ice. Your poised Papa is always so composed and you feel like, as he’d said, a newborn deer perpetually falling. 

You hate him, but that doesn’t stop the heat from building in your lower belly. Again.

~~~

The next day is the Ministry’s observed holiday. Most of the Abbey’s residents choose to spend it honoring the Olde One in sin with loved ones—eating, drinking, laughing, fucking. You and Secondo are no different, having celebrated the holiday with family and friends at Terzo’s dinner two days prior. 

That was the intention of hosting a dinner two days before the holiday. So that one might be able to honor Satan and the unholy observance without having to worry about family coming. 

You are absolutely not complaining. You spend the morning sleeping in, held in Secondo’s strong, warm embrace. When you wake, there’s no rush to get out of bed. He apologizes for your sore (and slightly fall-bruised) ass by rubbing and kneading it with gentle hands, pressing kisses down your spine with no sense of urgency or implication of more. You want there to be more, but you have something planned for later. 

You aren’t sure how long you’ll be able to wait for later to arrive. 

In the weeks leading up to the holiday, he’d told you not to worry about finding a gift for him. He said that you are enough, that spending time with you and just seeing you is enough of a gift. That you’d somehow managed to soothe the harshness in his soul. In his Secondo way of saying those things, which is less sappy. But you know that the sap was there, so you found a gift for him anyway.

The gift, of course, is something practical and utilitarian. Fit for Secondo’s taste but not something he already has. Something you know for a fact he’ll enjoy. 

That’s the list of things you’d written in your head when debating whether or not to buy the expensive, green satin lingerie with silver buckles. And of course, you needed a robe to hide it with so he can unwrap his gift. 

Although neither of you want to get up from the cozy cocoon of bedsheets you’re tangled in, your stomach begins to growl for breakfast. 

“Hungry?” Secondo asks from where his face is nestled against your neck. 

“Very,” you say, and make no move to get up. Neither does he. 

Your stomach growls again. 

“Hush,” Secondo says softly. “I am comfortable.”

After the third growl, you laugh, and Secondo pushes himself off of you to sit upright. “Coffee?” 

“Please,” you nod. 

When Secondo stands to walk into the kitchen, shirtless and practically glowing in the morning sun coming through the windows, you decide that later can come whenever you like. He can spend all day and night unwrapping his gift over and over and over if he wishes to. You can’t bear to wait. 

You slip away with the box containing your robe and underthings and lock yourself in the bathroom. It takes you a few tries to align the straps correctly so you can slip your head and arms through where they’re supposed to go, but the lower portion is more straightforward. The set is simple once it’s situated correctly. There’s a strip of fabric leading up the middle of your chest and around your neck, clasped at the front with a silver buckle, not entirely unlike a collar. The thin straps accentuate your chest and shoulders while still leaving most of your skin exposed for Secondo to leave marks on. The bottoms are strappy as well, with an attached garter belt secured with two silver buckles matching the one on your neck. Observing yourself in the mirror, you feel powerful. You know exactly what this will do to Secondo, and do for him. You feel powerful in the knowledge that you are about to allow him to overpower you. 

You only hope the lingerie doesn’t get ripped in the process. 

You slip the robe over your shoulders and close it, offering only a peek of the fabric around your neck, and fix your bedhead before exiting the bathroom. You stride into the kitchen like absolutely nothing has changed and find Secondo, gathering ingredients for breakfast and still shirtless. If you hadn’t changed into the set you’re wearing already then you would turn tail and do it now. 

But, you steel yourself and enter the kitchen, making a beeline for your favorite mug which he’d filled with coffee. “Thank you, love,” you say softly. You lean against the counter and take a sip. It’s delicious but you couldn’t care less about the coffee right now. 

“Amore,” Secondo says lowly once he catches a glimpse of your new robe and the fabric peeking out underneath. “What is this?”

He raises his finger to trace along the strip of fabric running down your chest until it disappears under the robe. “You said not to get anything for you,” you tell him, trying to act like the simple touch isn’t burning your skin. “But, did you really expect me not to?”

“Sathanas, you are sent to me by the Devil himself,” Secondo groans. He takes your mug of coffee from you and places it on the counter. “How must I wait until we have eaten when you…” 

You gently take his other hand and intertwine your fingers. It’s not often that Secondo has no words. Your heart pounds in your chest and you’re sure he can feel it beneath his fingertips. “Don’t wait, then,” you say. 

Slowly, Secondo traces his hand down your chest, over your sternum and towards your navel where your robe is tied closed. He pulls on the end and the robe falls open, revealing the set of lingerie adorning your skin. You feel his hot, shaky breath fan across your face as he takes in the sight of you. As if in reverence, he gently pushes the robe off your shoulders. It falls at your heels and you’re left bare in front of him, skin hot yet somehow covered in goosebumps. “Sathanas,” he curses again, thanking his maker for you. 

Secondo places his hands on your waist and draws you towards him. Your own hands rise to his chest and you find that his heart is beating just as quickly as yours. Your lips meet somewhere in the middle, warm and desperate and passionate. He kisses you like it’s the last time, but also like you’re made of glass. Like he wants to ravage you and worship you at the same time but can’t decide. His tongue licks into your mouth, tracing your bottom lip. He tastes like coffee and Secondo. 

You nearly stumble when he begins to push you but you quickly understand his mission. His hands guide you out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom, walking you backwards while his lips never leave your own. “Sathanas,” he groans a third time. He can’t think of anything but you, the feel of you, the taste of you, the sight of you. The only word from his mouth is a prayer at your altar. 

Secondo guides you until the backs of your legs hit the mattress, and then he lifts you onto the bed, crawling over you like a predator taunting his prey. Your thighs part on instinct to welcome his body between them. The cool air of the room reaches your aching arousal and you realize that you’re already embarrassingly wet. 

His hands slide up and down your sides, to your hips, the tops of your thighs. He traces his fingers over the fabric of the garter belt, snapping the strap against your skin and smirking at the sound. “You are sin,” he growls as he leans down to latch his lips to your neck. “I need you.” 

“Take me,” you moan, and your voice comes out more desperate than you intend for it to, but you’re past the point of caring. You want him to know that you need him, too. “Please, Papa. I’m yours.”

Secondo’s mouth trails down your chest, leaving wet kisses and little marks as you’d predicted (and hoped). He finds the hard peak of your nipple through the thin satin and lathes his tongue over it, eliciting another moan from your lips. “Say it again for me, amore. Tell me who you belong to.” 

“You, Papa,” you breathe as his teeth gently bite down on your covered nipple. “I belong to you. Only you.” 

“Guisto. You are mine and mine alone.” 

His mouth moves to your other nipple and, as if to accentuate his statement, he gives it a harder nip. You gasp at the sensation and arch your back into his mouth. “Papa…”

“Hm?” Secondo hums, and the vibrations make you moan once more. “What is it, tesoro?”

You know very well that he knows what you want, but you also know that he wants to hear you say it. “Please, your mouth,” you gasp. Your hands clutch at his shoulders and give an almost imperceptible push downwards. “I want your mouth, Papa, please.”

Secondo licks a path down your midsection. “Già così disperato per me,” he mumbles against the skin just above the garter belt. His lips blaze a path along the strip of fabric, and for the first time you wish it was gone. You’ve had your fill, he’s seen it all, and seen you in it. It can go away now. But, he takes mercy on you, and kisses his way to your pubic mound, also covered by the cursed fabric. 

“Oh, amore, you are already dripping for me. I wonder if I can make you cum without taking these off, sì? They are already ruined, what is a little more?”

Secondo places a light kiss over your wetness through the fabric and your hips twitch upwards. Immediately his hands wrap around your thighs and grasp your hips, stilling you. “None of that,” he chides you, and repeats the kiss. You bite your lip to stifle your noises. That earns you a light slap on the outside of your thigh, and you gasp. “None of that either. I want to hear you.”

He licks a broad stripe up the entire length of your slit, humming as he does. Your hips twitch again but they can’t move in his firm grip. Your hands grip the bedsheets as you gasp. “Papa!”

You’re already so worked up that you feel your orgasm beginning to build in your lower belly. His tongue traces slow circles around your clit, sometimes dipping to press at your entrance but never straying for long. The fabric is practically plastered to the form of your core, but it’s not quite enough. It’s thin but it dampens the sensations of his mouth against your flesh just enough for your orgasm to elude you. 

“P-Papa, please,” you pant. Your hand finds the back of his head to press him harder to you, but it’s still not enough. “Please, I need more. I’m so close, please…”

“Look at me, dove,” Secondo commands, and you obey. His cheeks are flushed and you can just barely see the shine of your wetness on the tip of his nose. “Look at me as I help you cum.”

He snakes one hand back towards your entrance and lightly presses there, then slowly works his middle finger under the fabric to dip into you. It’s frustratingly shallow, just to the first knuckle, but he knows you’re most sensitive there. His tongue flicks faster on your clit, still covered by the satin yet completely drenched, and you cum. “Papa!” 

Your entrance clenches rhythmically around the tip of his finger. He growls and shoves the crotch of your panties to the side, latching his lips around your clit and sucking just as he pushes his finger deep into you. He finds the spot only he knows exists and you see stars as your first orgasm gives way to another, more powerful climax. You tumble down the side of a mountain of pleasure on his tongue and scream. 

Secondo works you through the intense pleasure until the aftershocks roll pleasantly up and down your limbs, and your hips twitch up from oversensitivity. He pulls away and licks his lips. “Perfezione,” he says softly, crawling back up your body until he can kiss you properly. “Così perfetto per me. Così forte quando mi vieni sulla lingua.” 

You can taste yourself on his tongue. His hands softly stroke up and down your thighs, easing the trembling there. You sling your arms around his shoulders and pull him down so that his chest rests against yours. “Do you like your gift?” you ask when you’ve finally caught your breath again. 

“Sempre,” Secondo hums. “Every time I touch you is a gift, amore.”

You lean up to kiss him again, because you don’t want to sully the heat and passion between you by crying at his sudden tenderness. “Let me make you feel good, too,” you whisper against his mouth. 

When your hands begin to wander downwards, Secondo rises onto his knees and grasps your wrists firmly. The position mirrors the one you’d found yourself in two days prior, after the cookie incident, and your core clenches around nothing. “All I want is to be inside you,” Secondo growls. The tenderness is replaced by a fiery passion behind his eyes, and his grip on your wrists leaves no room for debate on who is in charge now. You’ve ensnared him with your gift, now he gets to unwrap it. 

“Please,” you whimper. “Please, Papa.” 

Secondo hastily pulls his sleep pants off and his cock bounces up against his lower stomach. You wish so desperately that you could touch him, trace the trail of dark hair from his chest all the way down to the base of him, but he still has your hands beside your head. “Stay just like this for me, sì?” he asks, but you know it’s not a question and you nod. He hooks his fingers into the waistband of your ruined underwear and tugs. “Up.”

You lift your hips and he slides the soaked fabric down your legs and tosses it aside. Your hands, now unrestrained, itch to touch him. “Can I touch you?” you ask, your voice breathy and desperate. You’re hoping he allows it, because if he really didn’t want you to move, there are cuffs in his bedside table that he could have easily used to hold your arms above your head. 

“Not yet, amore. You are doing so well for me.”

You whine, but stay still. Secondo parts your thighs again and slots himself between them. The tip of his cock brushes against your swollen clit and you gasp, rutting your hips upward to seek more. But he doesn’t enter you, not yet. You know what he’s waiting for. 

“Please, Papa,” you say, canting your hips upward once more to accentuate your words. “I want to feel you, please.” 

“Bene,” Secondo hums. “Così buono per me.”

Secondo positions the head of his cock at your entrance, and pushes in slowly. Your back bows off the mattress and you sigh. “Oh, thank you, thank you…”

Inch by thick, delicious inch, Secondo enters you until your hips press together and you can feel the tip of him nudging at your cervix. When he’s fully inside you, he pauses, giving you time to breathe and adjust to his size. You hold his gaze as he strokes your thighs, soothing you, urging you to relax around him. “You may touch me,” he says. 

You bring your hands to the skin below his navel to trace along the strip of hair. Usually you like to kiss your way down, leaving little love bites along his happy trail, but both of you had been so desperate for this closeness that you couldn’t prolong the process. His muscles jump and twitch under your light touches. Slowly, you slide your palms up to rest on the sides of his neck and draw him down to kiss you. The shift in angle makes his cock move inside you and he brushes against the spot his middle finger had found just minutes ago, making you clench around him. He groans into your mouth at the sensation. 

“Are we going ice skating again tomorrow?” You ask. 

Secondo huffs a laugh. “No, amore. I plan to make your legs wobble without having to worry about a sore ass.”

You laugh with him and kiss him once more, then roll your hips against his. “Good.” 

He grips you by the hips and begins to thrust shallowly in and out of you. The drag of his cock is divine inside you, and yes, your legs will very much be wobbling tomorrow because you intend to spend all day like this and it is barely breakfast. Your head falls down against the mattress and exposes your neck, yet devoid of marks, to Secondo. And who is he to pass up an opportunity like that?

His lips descend on your pulse point just as he increases his pace. This angle again makes his cock brush against the tender spot on your inner walls and it rips a moan from your throat. 

“Sì, amore, let me hear you. Let me hear how I make you feel.” 

“Ah, it’s so—so good, Papa, you feel so good inside me—”

Secondo increases his speed again. His teeth gently dig into the skin of your neck and you clench around him, making him growl into your ear. “My little devil,” he rasps. “Who do you belong to? Tell me again.”

“You, Papa! I’m yours!” 

“Yes—ah, yes, you are mine. Only mine. Only I can take you like this, capisci? O-only I can make you feel this pleasure.” 

Somewhere in the back of your mind you register that Secondo is being particularly vocal this time. His eyes never stray from yours, but his hands are everywhere—your hips, your thighs, your stomach, your chest. His fingers briefly dip into your mouth and you willingly accept them, lathing your tongue over them and tasting the remnants of your juices on his skin. His hips snap against your own, over and over and over, increasing in pace until you bounce back and forth on his cock in time with his thrusts. 

With the fingers now covered in your saliva, Secondo brings his fingers directly to your oversensitive clit. Your hands clench onto any part of him you can reach, your fingernails scratching his skin and leaving red trails raised in their wake. You aren’t sure if you’re screaming or completely silent with the overwhelming pleasure. But your eyes feel magnetized to his own, like if you were to look away, the spell would break and the pleasure that’s building between you would dissipate entirely. 

“P-Papa,” You gasp, breathless. “I–I’m—”

“Sì, amore mio. Cum around my cock. Cum for me.” 

His desperate, almost animalistic command, paired with his fingers abusing your clit and his cock splitting you open so perfectly, send you hurtling over the edge of your climax and your vision goes white. Your entire being, your entire consciousness is centered between your legs and wherever he touches. The rest of you falls away into bliss as Secondo thrusts into you through your orgasm. 

You’re still riding the tidal waves of pleasure when Secondo finds his own release, spilling inside you and slowing his thrusts until eventually he stills against you. As your awareness fades back in and your orgasm ebbs away, you realize that your legs are trembling, but so are his. Your chests heave together as you catch your breath. You relish in the warm weight of him on top of you and inside of you, tracing your fingertips up and down his spine. 

When he manages to steady himself enough to hold his weight on his arms, Secondo pushes himself up just enough so he can plant soft, tender kisses against your lips. “Amore mio,” he mumbles reverently, “Sei la luce della mia vita.” 

“I love you,” you respond just as softly. Though you don’t (yet) understand what he said, you can feel the weight of his words in your heart. He isn’t the type to deliver flowery speeches or long-winded declarations of love, but you know he feels it for you, as you do for him. The two of you don’t need words. It shines through the string lights on the tree in the living room. It wafts through the air on the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies. It follows you in the sound of skates sliding in tandem atop the frozen lake, and in the pleasured cries echoing in the walls of the bedroom. 

Your stomach growls, and you feel the rumble of Secondo’s laugh deep in your chest.

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

Translations:

Amore - love

Sto solo scherzando - I'm only joking

Esattamente - exactly

Come faccio a cuocere questi biscotti con te che mi tenta? - How am I supposed to bake these cookies with you tempting me?

cena maledetta - cursed dinner

Sei una tentazione...Perché devi essere così allettante quando non posso averti? - You are a temptation...why must you be so tempting when I cannot have you?

Anch’io ti amo - I love you too

Giusto - Right

Tesoro - treasure, sweetheart

Già così disperato per me - Always so desperate for me

Perfezione - Perfection

Così perfetto per me. Così forte quando mi vieni sulla lingua - So perfect for me. So loud when you cum on my tongue

Sempre - always

Così buono per me - So good for me

Capisci - Understood

Sei la luce della mia vita - You are the light of my life

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

Taglist (from my Camellia fic, I hope that's okay!): @bonelessghoul @gbatesx @the-did-i-ask @leah-halliwell92 @archive-obsess @rosacrose @sodoswitchimage @portaltothevoid @lightbluuestars @thesoundresoundsecho @stephnthangss @enchantedbunny @jackson5611-blog @copiasprincipessa @kadedoesthings @justheretoreadleavemealone @tiedyedghoulette @honimello @deetz-ghuleh @da-rulah @nijiru

#xxxmasattheministry #merryghostmas #merryghostmas2023 #the band ghost #the band ghost fanfiction #papa emeritus ii #secondo #secondo emeritus #papa secondo #secondo smut #secondo x reader #papa emeritus smut #papa secondo x reader #secondo x afab!reader #ghost band smut

[fromthepinnacle2thepit]

𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 - 𝒚𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

pairings: copia x reader

summary: its yule! one of the biggest celebrations in the ministry. drinking, dancing, worshiping the unholy father. but of course, something else seems to be on your mind…a certain papa. maybe he has you on his mind too?

rating: mildly spicy, VERY MILDLY, otherwise pure fluff and comfort

author note: ITALIAN TRANSLATIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM BTW!!

Snow fell around the ministry, and the world was dark. It was as if the rooms inside the ministry had taken all the light from the world and stored it inside it’s deep unholy walls, filled with sin and the children of the dark.

But tonight? Tonight was a night of celebration. The world outside was a void, only filled with the noise of music and laughter from inside. Snow fell around the trees, covering it in a blanket of white and quiet. Lights from the stain glass windows left a kaleidoscope of colors upon the frosted and snowy earth. Footprints from the Siblings and those who traveled for the celebration marked and trampled some of the newly-fallen snow. In summary, the world outside was currently a wasteland of cold barren trees, but inside was a world of joy.

It was Yule.

A night where many came together, where Siblings danced and thrived under the eyes of the Dark One. A night of blissful sin and devotion, of love. And of celebrating the earth, the returning of the light and the cycle of the land.

Currently for you though, it had begun as a night of distress. You had paced around your room, searching for some kind of clothing to where. It was…irritating. For a night that’s meant to be so full of happiness, it seemed to bring much misfortune to your wardrobe. Eventually, you were able to put your complaining to a ceasing as your eyes laid upon a perfect thing to wear. Something you had purchased a long while back, that had slipped your mind and your field of vision by disappearing into the back of your closet. You thought it was very fitting for the theme of tonight and for the general spirit of things. And you looked..well let’s just say you were very satisfied with how it made you look. You had completed every other aspect of your look for the night, and decided to head on down to join the merriment.

You opened the door of the room that was your haven, and stepped out into the hallway of the ministry. A wall of what you could only describe as Yule hit you. Noise flooded your ears, filling them with the sounds of dancing, laughter, talking. Of course some shrieks of joy, singing, and running was mixed in. You inhaled and you felt the warm air which was filled of the smells of food and incense. And then of course, your eyes took in the rest. Decorations had been sprinkled all over the walls and you were sure that the center of all the festivities was absolutely drenched in them. You smiled to yourself as you began to watch, appreciating how festive they managed to make things look while still maintaining a dark-ish look, a gesture to the general beliefs in the Abbey.

As you walked through the halls, you saw strings of tinsel covering paintings, a ornament hanging off of one of the fingers of a statue of Lilith, and a upside-down star on top of a tree covered in dark red lights. As you came closer and closer to the giant room that held the main party, you were able to identify it as Frankincense. Candles flickered on the walls as you walked through the hallways, making things dimly light but still bringing you comfort. And it wasn’t too dark, as you could still see Siblings running in each and every direction as they prepared for the ongoing celebration. You were happy you were finally able to settle and go revel in the spirit of things. Well, not really settle, knowing the rowdiness of everyone from the Ghouls to even the Clergy on holidays.

As you were thinking, you had lost track of the time, and were surprised to see that you were already in the great big room that held so much excitement. The rest of the building had simply passed before your eyes before you could realize it.

Songs played on a speaker, and Siblings danced wildly. Though some danced slowly and rather…sensually. You chuckled to yourself as you walked over to a group of Siblings you’d grown fond of. Your eyes scanned over the crowd of members of the Abbey, and some of the Clergy. You watched, amused, as Dew chased Swiss by the food table. You wondered why but decided to stay out of it, though you were always entertained by their rambunctious behavior. Phantom seemed to be sneaking around with a few of the Ghoulettes, while other Ghoulettes were dancing. You saw Sister Imperator standing by the long table in the front, meant for the higher members of the clergy. Such as herself, the Cardinals, and of course…Papa. She seemed to look over the room as well, and you followed her gaze. A few small fires (all safe and meant purely for decoration) were scattered through the room, like little fire-pits. You hoped none of them had been started by Ghouls. Dark red ribbons flowed upon the walls, some green and black joining them. Other dark and gothic- and somehow Yuletide- decorations joined them. The entire room looked perfect. You looked back to Sister Imperator and watched as she turned to another member of the clergy, looking frazzled and concerned. You walked a little closer to her table, pretending to be watching what was now a wrestle between Dew and Swiss, and heard her say something along the lines of “Papa” and “where-?”

Ah. So that’s what it was. Papa. You couldn’t blame him for being late, all with Sister’s impossibly demanding schedule. You were friends with Papa. With Copia. You wished the two of you could talk more, but with the extremity of Sister’s demands, there wasn’t much time. So, you found a way. The first time you truly met was in a walk around the Abbey. Well, outside the abbey. You had been walking around with a book, the whether had been chilly and you were ready to head inside and take shelter deep within the comfort of the library. But the sudden warmth you had felt was not from the solace of inside the Ministry, but instead, Papa himself. You had talked to Copia a few times before he became Papa. You’d helped him when he’d dropped his books once, when you’d found one of his lost rats, when you’d randomly asked him how he was once or twice. He’d always been so sweet, so endearingly awkward. But when he bumped into you outside that one day, it felt as if for the first time, he truly saw you. His nose had been in a book as well, and that’s how the accident had come to happen.

“Le mie scuse, sorella! Stai bene?- Uh- Are you alright?” he had said, his face scrunched up in concern as he picked up his book, and yours as well.

“Yes Papa, thank you, I’m so sorry for the accident. Are you ok?” you asked quickly, unsure whether to smile or put on a face of worry.

“Sì, sì, grazie! No need to apologize, I’m- um, molto bene. All okie dokie.” he said, and you couldn’t help but smile at that. It was amusing that the Papa of the entire Dark Church, the leader of all the followers of the Dark One, used the saying “okie dokie”. You couldn’t help but quickly be enamored with his more than awkward charm.

You two had discovered you were both about to head to the library, and decided to accompany each other. You two had smiled as you entered the library, and he had quickly needed to disappear into a separate realm of literature and unholy works, while you had found a nice cozy corner. Since then, you two had found each other often in the library. Sooner than later, you two had begun to sit with each other. Not always talking, but sometimes just sitting them and enjoying each other’s presence. While you had spent time reading, lost in your own worlds, you quickly discovered that less of that time in your mind was lost in the worlds of the books, but more-so lost in your thoughts of him. How his mismatched eyes flitted over words, taking in all types of languages and symbols you couldn’t dream of knowing how to understand, how sometimes he sighed and tapped one of his fingers against the wooden table you two frequented when he was frustrated with some part of the scripture he was reading. How soft his gaze could be, and other times how hard. You took time remembering how when he was a cardinal, how the swish of his cassocks sounded in the hallways. Before you knew it, you were enraptured with him. With how he was as a whole, and in all the little moments when you could see all the different fragments of who he was.

Once, as you two had been sitting at your shared table, as you were looking over the words on the book that had barely held you attention until then, you wondered what he would think of what you read. You thought about all the different pieces of literature you had read in the past while you two had been doing this, and realized a number of little parts that instantly brought him to mind.

The next day, you hadn’t gone to the library at your shared usual time. But instead, you had given a book to the librarian (who had been watching the two of you and decided you were bound to fall in love) and had asked the librarian to give the book to Copia when he came in. She happily agreed and thanked you for coming in so often, and you were on your way.

He had come in, and had been confused as to where you were. He had been handed the book by the librarian, who gave him a smile. And suddenly a tradition was made. You two left books for each other all the time. Genres varied, and notes were left between the pages. You had come to know each other quite well, but you only wished it could be closer. Not just physically, but you longed for him. His presence. All those things you admired while he was reading and so so much more.

As you realized you’d been staring at Sister Imperator while thinking about Copia, you shook yourself out of your thoughts and went to get a drink. You wondered where he was. There were few windows in the huge room that weren’t decorated with stained glass, but through the few clear ones, you could see a heavy snow. It gave you a strange feeling, snow. A feeling of significance. Like loneliness mixed with an intimate comfort. You only wished that a certain Papa was here to share the feeling with you, here in the candlelight room full of both darkness and pure warmth. He always knew how to make you feel better, how to make you feel like suddenly the only people in the world who truly mattered in the moment was you two. He made you feel like your entire existence was burning with passion.

Suddenly, something caught your eye. It was moving in a part of the dark hallway outside the great big room. Seemingly hiding. You got curious and though you hoped you wouldn’t miss Copia’s grand entrance, though you doubted he was the type to really make one. You started moving towards the shape, pausing to survey the room one last time, as if Copia could suddenly pop out of the shadows- not that it would be uncharacteristic for his role in the Ministry. But as you settled upon the conclusion that he was simply not there yet, you decided to head to odd shape in the hallway. Your senses felt stripped of the delight of the party as you stepped back out into the dimly halls which felt as if you’d just been in them, even though by now, it had been a while since you’d been in them. You peered into the darkness ahead of you, not being able to tell if there were any shadows if it was simply the movement of light from the candles which lined the walls. However, as you grew closer you could see that there was in fact a shadow, and it was moving. It wavered for a moment, and you tried walking slower, so whoever it was wouldn’t be able to hear your footsteps and flee the privacy of the hallway. Though the shadow started moving away and you sped up, so did the shadow and it disappeared from sight. At last, you rounded the corner with one last burst of speed and saw..

…Copia?

Yep, it wasn’t just a trick of the eyes. Your unholy Papa was right there in front of you, standing in the hallway, hiding from the annual Yule party.

“Papa?” you called out, and he froze. His back was to you, and he was tense. Though, a second after you said it, he seemed to relax a little bit, as if hesitant to fully let himself relax. But as he turned around and saw you, his entire posture seemed to melt. His eyes softened and suddenly he looked so calm and natural in the candlelight. It flickered prettily across his face, illuminating his eyes so mesmerizingly, and shining off parts of his outfit. He looked like the flame of a candle himself, he had a quiet air of excitement and gracefulness. A slight smile took over his face as you two stood facing each other in the hallway. It had been a while since you’d had a rendezvous in the library or an exchange of a book, with all the holiday preparations and ceremonies.

“Sorella,” he said “You…sono ipnotizzato.”

You didn’t know what that meant, of course, so you simply smiled. “Yes, hello, Copia.”

He took a few steps towards you, but waited. So you took some.

“Mi dispiace, ero...I was hiding from the party. Not uh, not the most noble thing, eh?” he said,

“It’s quite understandable really,” you replied, and he gave a breath, a kind of sigh, and a emotion not unlike relief spread across his face.

“È così? Well, yes, I suppose so, sorella. What are you doing? Out here, I mean.” he replied, and you couldn’t help but smile at the way his Italian accent weaved throughout his words, and how Italian words spilled through more often than not. You found it enchanting. He was enchanting.

“In a way, I was looking for you. I mean, I was wondering where you were, and then I saw a shadow down this hall and decided to go figure out what was going on and here we are really!” you responded cheerfully. You couldn’t ignore the way it felt like your senses were on fire right now, it felt like every breath couldn’t come fast enough and it took all of your might not to practically implode with glee.

“That does make sense. Sì, vedo.” he said and you saw his eyes drift back down the hallway which was behind you, leading into the room of the party. You turned and looked back at it too. It looked so much more inviting now that your beloved Copia was here. Suddenly you had an idea. You took his hand, and decided to put all your doubts aside for a moment.

“Come with me. Back to the party, I mean. We can go together, it’ll be nicer to have you there, and we can hide from Sister Imperator together. And…it would be nice to spend some time with you. I’ve missed you. Plus I’m sure I’d make much better company than Sister Imperator would make if you were to go in there and get swept away by her.” you suggested, with a chuckle at the thought of Sister Imperator and all her flustered pestering.

“Well,” Copia said, and was lost in thought for a moment as he looked at you, then back at the party, then back down the hallway he was heading originally. “Ok, sorella. I would..er, well, yes I would like to go. With you.”

With those words, you lit up inside, a thrill going through you. Apparently, you lit up externally as well, as suddenly you felt a large smile on your face, and Copia chuckled, sharing the smile. You had let go of his hand, but you held it out again, ready to ask another question.

“Well then, Papa! Or, Copia, shall we?” and you let you hand hang out in front of you. He looked at it for a moment, and slowly, but a hand covered in a leather glove, into yours.

“Yes, sorella.” he said, looking from where your hands joined, up to your eyes. Your face lit up again, and you turned back towards the greatly lit room at the end of the hallway. With your hand in his, you begun walking towards it.

“Per te, gentile sorella. Sempre e solo per te.” he said, following you. His eyes reflected candlelight as you led him through the hallway. You only heard a little bit of his Italian words, and you didn’t understand them, but you didn’t recognize their significance. What you were focused on at the moment was the feeling of his hand in yours and the thought that you might get to spend the rest of this wonderful evening with him.

After a moment of reveling in the delight your senses took in being around him, you two were finally in the midst of the Yule celebration. Now that Copia was here, it felt as though your eyes allowed you to take in more, to experience more. You smiled as you looked over the room, trying to find a place where you and Copia could relax, away from the prying eyes of Sister Imperator. Yet your eyes stopped when they reached an ice statue you hadn’t noticed before. It was…a rat? You turned to Copia, your eyebrows raised and a smirk forming on your face. Copia looked at your face and it’s meaning registered in his mind, so he followed your gaze and a wave of realization washed over him when he understood.

“Ah! Si, the ice rat! A uh, nice touch, si? My idea, of course.” he said, and his childlike excitement sent a wave of comforting warmth through you. Oh Copia, dear sweet Copia.

You decided to lead him to the dance floor, where people were still dancing in all types of ways and styles.

You held out your hand to Copia again but he shook his head.

“No, sorella, I couldn’t. Non lo so..I don’t know how.” he quickly stated.

“That’s ok! Follow my lead!” you said, and before he could reply, you pulled him in. Into your arms, and into the mob of dancers. You couldn’t see it, but he both looked at you with immense focus, as he was trying to concentrate on what on earth to do. Yet the look of concentration wasn’t alone, it was accompanied by a look of awe. He thought you looked so beautiful.. if only you could know.

You two whirled along. You knew some people were watching, as you were dancing with Papa for Lucifer’s sake. You knew that on other nights, the feeling of all their eyes would’ve made you uncomfortable. But this time, you could barely recognize the fact that they were even on you in the first place. You were more focused on the unholy man you were absolutely enamored with. You smiled as he slowly began to get the hang of the dance. Within an instant, your feeling of happiness was overpowered by the feeling of pure thrill that was caused by the feeling of his fingers tightening comfortably against your waist, and his gloved hand meeting yours as the music carried on. He gazed at you with a look that captivated you. A smile, an intense one, but it wasn’t a smirk. You hoped for a moment, you prayed to the Fallen One, that maybe, just maybe, it was love. Out of nervousness, you began to talk.

“You know, I would’ve thought you’d have loved tonight! I was surprised when I saw you in that hallway!” you said, trying to speak louder than the music. After you said your thoughts though, you began to understand and realize more of why he might’ve preferred the quiet. You wouldn’t have minded the quiet either. As long as it was with him.

“Oh! Huh, ehehe, why do you think that, sorella?” He says, chuckling at the way the world is spinning around you two, at the joy of the moment.

“Well, because all of the partying!” you say, but quickly you realize how mistaken that statement is, and how you meant something so different.

“Huh? Cosa intendi?” he asked, very very confused, hoping you didn’t misunderstand his personality, his flirting as something different. Though he realized- to his dismay- you had not realized his flirting. It was funny though, because he had not realized yours.

“I’m sorry, that came out very wrong. I just meant that it seems like the kind of holiday celebration you’d appreciate. The closeness, the gift giving, the pretty dark decorations, snow. Oh! And the worship.” you all say, and he loves watching you talk. You watch his face as you say the words too, trying to soak up every single detail of how he processes your words.

“Oh..si, the worship, eh?” He says, quite awkwardly. Worship. Devotion. Giving your all, wishing for the all of another thing. What he felt for you.

You gave him a confused look, “Yes Pa- Copia. Worship.”

“Cara mia, the only thing I’m worshipping tonight is you.”

Your eyes grew wide with that statement, huge. You took in the man in front of you, and you felt your heart soar- did you hear him right? The music was so loud, you couldn’t tell. But the way he was looking at you, dear Satanas. You’d give yourself up at the alter if it meant feeling his soul collide with yours. A loud noise startled you, and the music shut off. The culprit of this interruption? Ah. Of course. Sister Imperator. She stood behind the very long table in the middle of it, facing everyone. She was the face of independence and organization. Oh no, she had a microphone. You felt Copia’s body way lightly next to yours and you realized your hands were still intertwined from the dancing. The thought that the two of you were still touching was seared into your mind. It burned your very existence. Should you pull away? You felt one of your fingers twitch and cursed yourself mentally. He looked over at you and you saw his eyes were also wide. Sister Imperator lifted the microphone to her mouth and the entire room held it’s breath.

“Siblings, Ghouls, Clergy, and others! Welcome to our annual Yule festivities! We thank each and every one of you for attending and giving devotion to the Dark One with us..”

Sister Imperator’s speech went on, but Copia was too focused on you to truly listen to it. Did you hear what he had said about worshipping you? Wait..no. His face burned red as he realized you might’ve taken it in a..different way. A sexual way. That you might’ve thought he wanted you that way. Did he want you that way? Well he knew the answer to that, but did you know the answer to that? Oh Lucifer. He cursed himself for how clumsy he was with his words. He felt himself grow warmer as he thought of how you might think of him now. But he hadn’t meant it in a sexual way. Well, he could mean it that way. If you wanted to- but still it was very early for that- but. All of his thoughts were a mess and jumbled together. He just meant he wanted to appreciate all of you. Give you his all, his devotion, his love. And maybe, have you return that? Though the more he thought about it, the more he realized how unlikely it was. And the sinking feeling he had begun to feel grew more until it took over his every emotion. He reluctantly let go of your hand, and you looked over at him, with a sad face. Wait, a sad face. He was so confused, highs and lows surrounded every thought in his head.

After a minute of blocking out Sister Imperator’s speech, and thinking, he decided that this was Yule, the celebration of the returning of the light, and of the Dark One. That he must have hope.

Little did he know, you were thinking the exact same thing.

You two longed for each other. Must unbeknownst to you both. And soon enough, you both had tuned back in to the speech, as you both processed it was nearing it’s end.

“May this holiday of Yule bring you many joys and connections with our Unholy Father! Nema. Let the festivities continue!” Sister Imperator said. Just as she lowered the microphone from her mouth, and was scanning across the room, her hawk-like eyes finally landed on you two.

“You.” you both saw her mouth from across the room, and your eyes grew wide. You turned to Copia and saw as his eyes widened as well, and he tensed immediately. Suddenly his eyes began to move and you looked back over, to follow them. Sister Imperator had begun to move across the room, and was heading towards you two. And she certainly did NOT look like a ray of sunshine at the moment.

You grabbed Copia’s arm and tugged on his sleeve.

“Copia, go, go!” you said, and begun to pull him along with you. You both raced out of the room, your hearts beating heart, and people parting to watch you two. You entered the hallway and heard Sister Imperator yell something behind you two, but all you could do was laugh. And laugh hard. Suddenly Copia began too. And you kept running, hearing the clacking of her heels on the stone floor a ways behind you two. In all the excitement, you hadn’t noticed that Copia had moved from your grip, and put his gloved hand in yours. You raced through the hallway, making it echo with laughter and your footsteps, running past random Siblings, the occasional pair of people who had abandoned the party to make out in the hallway, you both ran past statues and paintings, through more hallways and past many doors. Before you knew it the sound of Sister Imperator following you two had faded away but either you didn’t notice or you didn’t care. Copia didn’t seem to acknowledge either of those, he was laughing too. Suddenly, you two came to a pair of huge doors. You both slammed into one, and it opened.

A wave of cold hit you, along with a large amount of beautiful snowflakes. You stumbled into the snowy outside world, still laughing. And Copia stumbled with you, always willing to follow. You gazed around as you laughed, then suddenly turned to Copia.

“Come on!” you said, and began to pull Copia along again. He followed and you both raced in the snow, almost tripping, but feeling too free and happy to care. You stopped when you both reached a calm area. The sounds of the party were barely audible. You were by a small cemetery that was on the grounds, surrounded by trees. But you were still close to the Abbey, it was all so connected. You slowed and caught your breath. You looked over at Copia, who to your surprise, was looking at you. He looked happy and free, more carefree than you’d ever seen him. He looked hopeful, and at the same time- hungry.

Much to your surprise, he began moving towards you, the snow falling around you both made it seem all the more important and beautiful. He reached you, and for a split second, it seemed as if your souls really were colliding. Not on the alter as you’d imagined earlier, but here. In the cold snow, in a world of your own with him.

His lips quickly connected with yours as he decided to collide with you in a different way. He wanted you, in any way you would give yourself, he would take any and all of you. His hands came up to your face, as if to cradle it, cherishing every single mark on your skin, admiring how every snowflake looked upon you. He seemed to worship you. As he’d said. You felt worshipped.

This was what he had meant. He moved his lips against yours and he reveled in the way that your body was against him, making him feel warm despite the frozen world around you two. Like you had thought earlier, right now, you were surrounded by a world full of darkness and at the same time, the most comforting warmth. With his arms around you, and a unspoken promise of worship, you felt that feeling the snow had given you before. A feeling of loneliness and significance, an intimate comfort. But this time it wasn’t loneliness, it was love. It was the feeling of having the world all to yourself, with the one person that truly mattered.

So the snow fell around you two, as the world seemed to excuse itself from your minds for a while. Leaving you two to bask in the cold air of winter, on the night of Yule, and simply, wonderfully, and wholly, worship each other.

Authors note: hello! i hope you guys enjoyed this! i plan on making more copia fics very soon! take care of yourself!!

i’d like to give credit to: @gggoldfinch for all their hard work and their amazing fic: Cemetary Gates!! Some themes in this were greatly inspired by their work, and their fic is by far the best Copia x reader I have ever read!

the grucifix artwork is done by the one and only: @gothdaddyissues

————————————————————————

Italian Translations:

Le mie scuse, sorella! Stai bene? - My apologies, sister! Are you ok?

Sì, sì, grazie - Yes, yes, thank you

Molto bene - Very good

Sorella - Sister

Sono ipnotizzato - I’m hypnotized

Mi dispiace, ero - I’m sorry, I was…

È così? - Is that so?

Si, vedo - Yes, I see.

Per te, gentile sorella. Sempre e solo per te. - For you, kind sister. Always and only for you.

Non io so… - I don’t know…

Cosa intendi? - What do you mean?

Cara mia - my dear

#Spotify #ghost copia #ghost band #ghost bc #ghost #the band ghost #the band ghost fanfic #papa emeritus x reader #papa emeritus the fourth #papa emeritus iv x reader #papa x reader #papa emeritus iv #papa emeritus 4 #papa emeritus #papa copia #copia x reader #cardinal copia x reader #cardinal copia #nameless ghouls #ghost headcanons #ghost ghouls #dewdrop ghoul #swiss ghoul #copia fluff #sister imperator #yule #italian #ghost fanfic #ghost band fanfic #cardinal copia smut

[mac-and-thefox]

Okay, the Carhartt coat thing. Here we go @autumnblooms , some soft squishy thoughts for you ft. Water Dew and Mountain.

Ft. some flower language.

Red roses meaning love and passion

Cyclamen meaning lasting feelings and sincere affection

Cocoa With Chili

Dew steps out of the Abbey doors and squints into the light. It's winter, and there's a crystalline quality in the way that the sun filters through the frost dancing in the air. Dew grips the mug in his hand closer to his chest, trying to absorb a bit of its warmth and hunching his shoulders forward into his coat. Ice crunches under his boots as he makes his way to the heavy wooden door across the courtyard that leads to outside the ancient stone walls.

Dew ducks under the dormant ivy and through the door, ears twitching at the sound of an axe ringing through the air. The smell of balsam reaches his nose and he smiles, tail swishing as he walks quicker towards the source of the sound and smell coming the edge of the forest.

As he draws closer to the treeline he sees Mountain with his back turned to him. The Earth giant is crouched close to the ground, clearing snow away from a great Spruce tree. Its magnificent, the ends of its branches sparkle with diamond-like drops of ice, frost coating the pinecones dangling off the tips of its boughs, sparkling with frost like a coating of glitter. It will be a beautiful Yule tree once Mountain brings it into the Great Hall of the Abbey.

Dew trills, and Mountain turns at the sudden noise, smiling broadly at the sight of the approaching Water ghoul. He pushes the hood of his Carhartt coat back from his head and straightens, approaching Dew.

"Hi, Droplet, whatcha got there?"

Dew withdraws the mug from his jacket, offering it to the taller ghoul, "I brought you some cocoa, prepared with spices and a tiny bit of chili, just the way you like it."

Mountain takes the covered mug from Dew's tiny hand, taking a sip. Warmth and comfort blooms in his stomach, and he purrs at the taste of the spiced chocolate, his favorite. He looks down at Dew, who's trying not to show that he's shivering now with the absence of the mug's warmth. Mountain sets the mug down on a nearby stump. He unzips his jacket, opening it in offering to the Water ghoul.

Dew chirps and leaps forward, wrapping his arms around Mountain's waist and burrowing his face into the Earth ghoul's solid chest. Mountain puts his hands in the pockets of his Carhartt coat and wraps the fleece and canvas around his partner. A purr kicks up in Dew's chest and Mountain chuckles as he squeezes the Water ghoul close to his body, a rumbling purr vibrating through his chest and into Dew's body.

"Your cocoa is gonna get cold," Dew mumbles from within the cocoon of canvas and fleece.

"It's okay, Water Lilly, you're the more important priority right now," Mountain laughs, squirming a bit as Dew rubs his nose into Mountain's underlayer.

After a short time, Dew emerges from Mountain's embrace. His face scrunches and he twitches his nose at the dusting of snow flitting down from the trees around them.

"Come sit and have some of that cocoa while I finish here. It shouldn't be too much longer," Mountain shucks off his coat, spreading it canvas side down on the stump for Dew to sit on, and places the steaming mug in his hand.

A few last good thwacks of the ax brings the Yule tree down to the ground. As Mountain sets the ax down and wipes his hands off on his work pants, he glances over his shoulder and his heart stops at the sight behind him. Dew had taken his Carhartt jacket off the stump and burrowed into it, the material dwarfing his tiny body and covering his legs down past his knees. His dainty hands peek from the gargantuan sleeves as he sips from the mug of spiced cocoa.

Dew watches Mountain approaching him, eyes slipping upward to the flowers that had bloomed at the base of Mountain's antlers in the the time it had taken him to cross the clearing to the Water ghoul enveloped in his massive coat.

Mountain reaches up, plucking a red rose and a Cyclamen from his antlers, offering them to Dew. He bends down and presses a soft kiss to the smaller ghoul's lips, conveying all his love and affection for his ghoul wrapped up nice and snug in his coat.

"I love you, Bug."

"I know."

#mac writes #ghost fan fiction #dewdrop ghoul #mountain ghoul #ficlet

[copiousloverofcopia]

🎄Hey there ghesties for some late Yuletide fun here is a little something!!! 🎄

We are back again for another story featuring the adorable Sister Saccharine and her beloved Copia! A little Yuletide story for my ghestie @sistersaccharine

Thank you so much for letting me continue creating Saccharine's story with you! I hope you and everyone else enjoys!!!!

Commissions are OPEN, please see pinned post for Carrd info!

The Dysfunctional Emeritus Christmas

Sister Saccharine takes a winter stroll when her fellow Sisters of Sin invite her to her first Yule celebration with the Emeritus family since her and Copia were wed. Shenanigans ensues when the family comes together in a way only an Emeritus dysfunctional Christmas could.

Also available HERE on AO3!

Read below!

The snow was glistening over the fields that once held flowers. Icicles firmly established along the branches of all the trees. And wicked chill took hold in the wind as Sister Saccharine walked along the path sitting along the edge of the grounds. The western woods, just beyond, like bare bones in the cold. Not a leaf to speak of as she heard the crows cawing in the air and noticed the family of little ruby-eyed rabbits. Their white fur barely visible as they huddled together beneath the root of a tree.

Saccharine bent down to greet them. Lifting the smallest one up in her soft mittens. Watching them warming their little body asked the yarn like a hug. Her own breath, visible in the blistering cold as she spoke.

“Oh, my little one. This must be your first winter here…poor thing. You must be so cold.” she cooed, holding him gently in her hands. Saccharine, taking a moment to think before being struck with a brilliant idea. “Here... hopefully this will help.” she told him, placing the bunny back with its family. Now covered by her sacrificed mittens, help to insulate the heat of their bodies from the bitter cold. 

It made her smile to see them warmed by her gift. Despite the winter solstice having taken hold, Saccharine didn’t mind the cold. Managing somewhere to be warmed from within. Her heart, so full and her pink-tinted nose, kissed by winter, nestled against the fabric of her favorite coat. Saccharine contentedly took in a deep inhale. Breathing in the scent of Copia’s cologne, still lingering there from their shopping trip from the day before, as she continued her walk. 

Nothing made her happier than to think of him. Her beloved husband, for only a few short months, but already a lifetime lived between them. Her thoughts were never far from him. The dear sister, unable to control the smile that reached her lips. His voice echoing sweet nothings in the forefront of her mind. 

She had often thought of him when she was alone. Even in the times when only moments had passed since they’d been together. Today was a bit different, with her thoughts occupied by the weight of Yule this year. It was to be her first Yuletide with Copia as husband and wife. Her first time as a true part of the Emeritus family, and the thought of it filled her with so much joy—and weary. 

She wanted to make a good impression on them. Hoping to consult with Ren, Secondo’s Prime Mover, and her friend for many years. She had been a great mentor to Saccharine since she first arrived at the Abbey. Surely, she would be able to empathize with her, guide Saccharine as to how she could settle the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She knew that her friend would have the exact right thing to say to calm her. It wasn’t too long after that Saccharine swore she heard her name being called. Stopping a moment to shake off her confusion before hearing it once again. 

“What are you doing out here in the cold, we’ve been looking all over for you?” Prime Mover Ren called over to her. Saccharine turned to see her friends approaching her in the snow. The lot of them, bundled up in their winter best and carrying cups of hot chocolate in their hands. The rich smell, catching Saccharine’s attention as they drew closer. She instantly perked up. Ren, quick to hand her the extra cup she was carrying as Nova and Knell sipped away from their own.

“I am sorry, I must have lost track of time.” she laughed nervously, taking her first sip from her cup. The taste of the warm chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, glorious on her tongue as it filled her mouth. 

“I’m honestly shocked you’re not frozen solid.” remarked Sister Knell. “You…ah…not own a pair of gloves?” she continued, noticing Saccharine’s bare cold scorched hands. 

“Oh I do…well did.” she laughed.

“Never mind that Saccharine, come to Yule tonight with us!” Nova beamed, so excited to be the one to invite her. The ghoulette’s tail, swishing happily from side to side as she awaited her answer.

“You mean the ministry gathering? Isn’t that tomorrow night?” she asked her.

“What she means…” Ren continued shaking her head, “that you and Copia need to come to Secondo and I’s suite this evening for Yule celebrations. You’re an Emeritus now. This time is just for the family. Plenty of Ministry celebrations for later.” 

“Oh well of course, I am sure Copia would be thrilled.”

“Indeed, now let's get you back inside before you become a snowman.” Ren laughed, wrapping her arm around Saccharine as the four of them walked back to the Abbey. 

Saccharine spent the rest of the day getting ready. Outfits tossed to every inch of her and Copia’s bedroom as she searched for the perfect thing to wear. Settling on an adorable black dress with matching shawl, similar to her husband’s former cassock. Sheer tights and the most adorable black boots with matching bows. The focus of her outfit, a new blue sapphire encrusted necklace. Carefully draped over her decolletage—-a gift that Copia couldn't resist giving her early. 

He watched her from the doorway. A smile, pulling at the corners of his mouth as she turned back to face him. Holding out her arms and twisting around so he would get the idea of the flow of her dress.  

“What do you think?” 

“You look incredible dolcezza. Most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” he replied, his words sending a blush of pink over Saccharine’s cheeks. He quickly took her in his arms, hugging her close before planting a small kiss on her forehead. 

“Think they’ll like it?” she asked him, the worry unable to be fully hidden within the tone of her voice. Copia tilted her chin up to face him. 

“Saccharine, they are our best friends and family…they will love you even if you wore a potato sack to dinner.” he laughed, his wife giving him a playful tap to the chest. 

“I know, I know. I just want to make a good impression; you know what I mean?”

“I know. This is perfect…you are perfect. I promise.” he assured her. Saccharine, hugging him once again. Gripping him so tight, never truly wanting to let him go. This lovable, silly man who always knew the right thing to say. 

Finally, hours later, they had made it. The two of them standing in wait before the door of Secondo and Ren’s Papal suite after ringing the bell.  “Are you ready amore?” Copia asked her, feeling her uneasily squeezing his hand.

“Ready.” she told him, taking a deep breath. Her nerves, on edge for what may come next. When the door opened, Saccharine was awestruck. The suite was lavishly decorated. All of the Yuletide trimmings on full display. Garland lining every surface, with bright warm lights that twinkled a delicate glow. Ornate holly wreaths, hung carefully on the walls and a sprig of mistletoe in every doorway. The beautiful glow of candles, serving to fill the room with a warm ambiance which complemented the scent of poinsettias, cinnamon, and pine.  

It was clear to Saccharine that Prime Mover Ren had spared no expense when it came to Yule. After all, an Emeritus celebration was always a bit of a show, but somehow, she had managed to make it still feel cozy and quaint. The warmth and inviting nature of it, reminding Saccharine of the Christmases she had back at home. A bittersweet smile sweeping across her face just as Ren spoke.

“You know the party's ALL the way inside, right?” She laughed, catching Saccharine’s attention before Copia and her finally breached the threshold of the door. “Would you both be a dear and put these candies in the stockings for the children. I have been meaning too, but I am swamped in the kitchen with dinner. Primo has taken over and has been shooing everyone but me and Knell out all afternoon." Ren told them, handing over the sack of candies to Saccharine.

“Oh…why yes of course.” Saccharine smiled. The two of them took to the mantle located in the main parlor, placing little chocolates and peppermints in each of the little ones' stockings as they carried on.

“They are so small.” Copia remarked, sending a sweet glance her way. They were, and charming just as everything else and the look on her husband’s face made Saccharine wonder if their own mantle would be home to small stockings someday. It was a small moment between them that made her heart soar as she filled the stockings. When she went to open the last of them her eyes widened in surprise. There, all curled up together and sleeping peacefully in the bottom was little Gnocchi and Rigatoni. Copia took a look for himself, placing a finger over his lips, hushing the both of them before waking the mice.

“Sweet Lucifer Secondo the sweater looks just fine, stop fussing about it already.” Ren said as she reappeared to check on them. Secondo huffed and crossed his arms as Ren went on, rolling her eyes as she tapped Copia’s shoulder. “Papa, do you think you can help us with reaching for something in the kitchen?”

“Oh course, I will be right back.” he told Saccharine as they headed into the kitchen. It made Saccharine a bit nervous to be left on her own, especially since Secondo. She never was quite sure how to approach him. It was moments like this Saccharine knew having Copia by her side always made everything seem more pleasant and comfortable. 

It was the first time she had been to any gathering as an official member of the Emeritus family. Trying her best to hide her anxiety behind a soft smile, she turned to face out into the belly of the room. Immediately taking note of Secondo sitting quietly in the middle of the sofa. The former Papa was serving as both a jungle gym and lion tamer for his many children as they chased each other around the room. 

All of them were brimming with excitement at the sight of their gifts, devastated that they would have to wait until after dinner to open them. It was then she noticed that Secondo and Ren wore matching sweaters, both black with sparkling holly wreaths and pentagrams. Saccharine immediately went to cover her mouth. Hiding her giggle at his grumpy, yet proud papa disposition. 

The two youngest of the children were playing with Nova on the floor beside the tree. The ghoulette tangled up in the tinsel like a kitten as little Lucian clapped away. Nova was always so good with the children. Her heart was so pure, one of the best friends Saccharine had ever had.

Maybe I can relax a bit after all, Saccharine thought to herself as she took a seat opposite the bunch. Secondo, sending her a knowing nod and a welcoming smile as they both watched Nova and the children play.  Suddenly from the corner of her eye, Saccharine caught sight of Sister Knell peering out from behind the door frame, leading from the kitchen. The sister’s eyes, shifting around as she snuck Nova and the children some cookies. 

It was amusing to see everyone together like this. The joy of the season, reminding Saccharine just how much she loved all her friends. When she felt she wouldn't be missed, she took her leave. Deciding to check on Copia as she politely dismissed herself. “I’m gonna go see how Copia is holding up.” she smiled as she headed to the kitchen.

Immediately as she walked inside, she saw Primo shooing Knell away from the counter. “Sorella go—go. I told you I can do it myself.” he respectfully snipped, stirring the gravy in the pot as Sister Ren began making the final touches to the pies. 

“Just trying to help out Peepaw…don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Knell winked. Saccharine smiled softly at her. Knell was quite the character and even though they had become fast friends, Saccharine was sometimes unsure of how to read her. Primo must have sensed this. He, better than anyone able to pick up on Saccharine’s mood. Caring for her, as her own father would have in his stead. 

“It’s alright piccola…you know she won’t bite. Well maybe?” Primo laughed as Knell shrugged, handing Nova another cookie, before the two of them disappeared into the dining room to help set up the table at Ren’s request.

“Agh…it's been like this all afternoon…” Ren began as she passed by Saccharine to grab the cinnamon, “...but at least Sec and her are no longer going at it.”

“We will celebrate small favors.” Primo laughed before taking a moment to pull the turkey from the oven. Filling the air with the most mouthwatering scent of thyme, rosemary, and sage.  

“I personally find it rather amusing myself—-ow!” Terzo howled, getting his hand swatted for swiping a bit of the gravy on his fingers. 

“Tieni le tue mani sporche fuori da quello stronzo, non è ancora finita.” Primo hissed, furrowing his brows and shaking his wooden spoon in his brother’s direction. 

“We are ready for the food!” Nova announced as she and Knell walked back into the room. Nova, taking Terzo’s hand to kiss the sore spot before he continued.

“Best part is the sweaters.” Terzo snickered under his breath, both him and Nova trying to contain their amusement. 

“Alright, alright that's enough…” Ren began, motioning for her and Primo to bring the rest of the food into the dinning room. “...I’m lucky I got him dressed at all this morning. I swear the man is determined to make his own Ministry little league.” she continued sending a playful wink to Saccharine. 

“Dinner children, fratello!” Primo called out as they all began making their way to the dining room. Saccharine watched as the family all filed in, each of them taking their seats. Happy faces and rumbling tummies ready for a delectable meal. As she watched them, she felt the familiar weight of arms around her waist. 

“While everything for dinner smells delicious…what I am most looking forward to is dessert.” Copia purred, his lips grazing the shell of her ear. Saccharine turned to face him, her cheeks flushed by his words. “Do you see what I see?” he asked her. His eyes, calling hers to follow as they both looked up above them in the archway to see the mistletoe hanging there.  

“Oh Copia, I love you so much.” She told him, waiting for him to make the first move. Her lips anticipating the sweet press of his against her. 

“Amore, there is no one I would rather kiss for the rest of my life than you. Sei la mia vita, mio mondo, mio tutto. ” he confessed, closing his eyes before kissing her passionately in the archway.

“Come on now you too, dinner is getting cold.” Laughed Terzo from across the room. Both Copia and Saccharine pulled apart, playfully smiling as they approached the table. Both of their hearts, pounding. Their hands still locked together as they took their seats.

The table was a sight to behold. Its length, filled with a delightful spread of savories and sweets. It was clear that Ren and Papa Primo had worked so very hard on it. Everything made their mouths water as they all began filling their plates with the bounty of food. Just as the last roll was passed and the rest of the turkey was carved, Primo began tapping at his glass of punch. Announcing a toast for the occasion. 

“May I have all your attention please.” He began, waiting for all eyes to be upon him. Even the children stopped their chatter to heed Primo’s request. Himself, more of a grandfather to them than Nihil ever could be. They loved him so very much and listened to his every word as if it were gospel. “I want to take this moment to thank our beloved Prime Mover…and Secondo, for hosting us this Yule. Such a fine spread and bountiful celebration we have here indeed.” 

“Oh It’s nothing.” Ren smiled coyly as the group all lifted their glasses of wine and punch in the air.

“I want you all to know that this year we have so much to be grateful for. Lucifer has bestowed upon us a multitude of dark blessings. It is at this time we remember that through him, we find what is truly the most important in life…and most of all this year he has blessed us with a new member to the Emeritus family—-Sister Saccharine.” Primo smiled, his eyes doing their best to conceal his tears, “We welcome you to this family with open arms and wish for you and Copia nothing but all the happiness the Morning Star can provide. Nema!”

“Nema!” Everyone cheered. Saccharine immediately felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. Copia, sending a squeeze of her hand before the two of them began staring into each other’s eyes. Saccharine, feeling so in love and loved by those around her. 

“Here, Here! Now let's eat.” Secondo called out. All of them holding their glasses out to cheers before taking a drink. Just as the swig entered his mouth, Primo immediately spit out the punch in a comical spray to his left. Nova and Terzo, erupting with laughter at the other end of the table. 

“Now that I think of it…maybe that second bottle was a bit too much.” Nova chuckled, knowing they had spiked the punch with a bit of Ghoulish rum. The whole of the room, even Primo, joined them in their amusement.

After dinner they had all gathered in the parlor. All of the children had unwrapped their presents so fast that the air filled with the sparkle of wrapping paper and ribbon. Terzo trying his best to assemble the dolls house he and Nova got little Marianna, only to have him snap the stairway while forcing the peg into the slot. 

“They don't make these things to last, you know?” he nervously laughed. 

“Well not when un pagliaccio such as yourself is in charge of building it.” Secondo barked, Terzo raising from the floor to meet his gaze. The two of them, quarreling like small children themselves while the real kids played, ignorant to their father and uncle’s antics, alongside them. 

The night had been filled with so much charm and love. Of course Nova had gotten everyone the best gifts. Something she had a talent for, even making Secondo get choked up by his pair of platinum and emerald cufflinks. Surprised that she had remembered he'd lost his old ones quite some time ago. 

After all the presents had been opened and everyone's stomachs settled, Prime Mover Ren and Sister Knell offered everyone a cup of hot chocolate. Ren, making sure she offered one to her husband, lest it find its way to his lap. Sister Saccharine had settled herself alongside Copia on the chaise. The two of them cuddled up as they listened to the crackling of the fire. The sound, just audible beyond the children's laughter.

Saccharine sighed. I don't believe I have ever had a Christmas as wonderful as this before, she thought. So excited that this would be the first of many wonderful Christmases spent at her husband's side. She sat quietly, her smile beginning to spread across her face without her realizing. 

Copia took note, watching her as she took in the scene before them. Now more than ever, feeling like a true part of the Emeritus family. With all its dysfunction and chaos, but also its love and compassion. Wondering to herself how she could have ever felt nervous before as they continued to watch the children gleefully playing with their gifts. Copia took her hand in his, inspiring her to glance up at him. Tears, filling her eyes once more as they desperately tried to balance themselves along her lashes.

“Is everything alright principessa?” he asked her. Saccharine smiled, nuzzling her face against his warm chest as they cuddled together on the sofa.

“Everything is perfect…just perfect.”

Notes:

Tieni le tue mani sporche fuori da quello stronzo, non è ancora finita.- You keep your filthy mitts out of it stronzo, it's not done yet.

Sei la mia vita, mio mondo, mio tutto.- You are my life, my world, my everything. 

un pagliaccio- clown

#Happy Yule!!!! #Merry Christmas a bit late lol #Copia x Saccharine #Papa Emeritus IV x Sister Saccharine #commission work #An Emeritus Christmas Story #copia #papa iv #papa emeritus iv #ren writes #ghost #the band ghost #ghost fic #ghost fanfic #ghost fanfics #ghost fanfiction #the band ghost fic #the band ghost fanfic #the band ghost fanfiction

[anotherghoul666]

This Could All Be Yours

STRIPPER!AU STRIPPER!AU GUYS IT’S HERE I FINISHED IT IT’S HERE

This is my offering to this wonderful community of horny and supportive people for the holidays. Yule blessings aplenty on you if you’re pagan like me / merry christmas if that’s something you celebrate / happy hanukkah / if you celebrate another holiday at this time of year I wish you a good one. And if it’s a weird or difficult period of the year for you then I hope this fic brightens your day and brings some positivity in! ❤️

Pairing: Swiss/Rain

Rating: Explicit

Tags / contains: stripper!AU; come discover the setting of the Ghost strip club in all its glory, possibilities and inner workings; get to know each ghoul and their jobs in the stripper!verse; Rain is not in the band / get to know everyone through his eyes; fish out of water trope; every ghoul gets a whole ass scene at least, sometimes more than one scene (yes that’s partly why it’s so big XD); sex worker appreciation; fat bodies appreciation; normal bodies appreciation; yes all the moves I name in the dance scenes are real and you can google the names to see exactly what move the strippers are doing; THE OUTFITS YOU GUYS, the outfits I put the strippers in, I had so much fun with the outfits, please come gush over the outfits with meeeeeeeee; stripper/client dynamic; light D/s vibes; dom!Rain kinda? he tries his best; sub!Swiss kinda? at least he listens; watch these two dorks simultaneously develop a crush on each other; lap dances; private dances; breaking strip club rules; grinding; nipple play; frottage / jacking off dicks together; cum play; breaking even more club rules; idiots in love.

Summary: Rain is an abbey ghoul with a rather monotonous and repetitive life. He’d like a change, but he can’t quite seem to make it happen. It’s his lack of confidence that’s the issue, his coworkers say, and they give him all sorts of tips, tricks and challenges to help him grow. Including a dare to go spend an evening at the infamous Ghost Strip Club. The ever popular establishment, high-end provider of the most enticing and luxurious sins of the flesh, equally intimidates and fascinates Rain. Beyond the heavy cathedral doors of the club lies a whole world of temptations and pleasures with its own rules, its own codes, its own inhabitants. Rain gets a taste of the peculiar staff of the club in more ways than one, and he also gets a confidence lesson he won’t soon forget. What better way to learn how to be bold than some hands on practice?

Read it here on AO3!!

Tagging the usernames I wrote down for people who showed interest in this fic in my comments and asks, etc: @joeynihil @st-danger @reaperghoul @ghostnamelesfan @sodo-emeritus @namelessghouls-primemover (I dunno if you changed your username or deleted buddy but just in case Imma still tag it the way it used to be written in case you recognize yourself) @merginyourface @royalchachi @crimsonclergy @unholybuttholey @arsonyard @idkhowbut-art @blanchebees I'm sure there's others I missed and forgot to write down specifically, I'm sorry, consider yourself tagged if you were part of the stripper!AU hype train with us too! ❤️

#ghost #the band ghost #ghost band #ghost the band #ghost bc #ghost fanfiction #the band ghost fic #my writing #swiss/rain #rain/swiss #swiss x rain #rain x swiss #swiss ghoul #swiss army ghoul #rain ghoul #rulti #rultination #rulti supremacy #aether ghoul #dewdrop ghoul #mountain ghoul #cirrus ghoulette #cumulus ghoulette #sunshine ghoulette #stripper!au

[obscure-imaginations]

Yuletide Blessings, everyone! Been doing my best to dodge religious trauma this season. Have a Yule headcanon post.

Gift giving among Kain and his lieutenants. Tried to keep it canon-friendly but a couple modernish items slip in (it was too funny to not put!) VERY long post, SFW, cut for space.

What Kain gets...

From Raziel: Was tempted to give him nothing, but relented and got him a fruit-scented candle.

From Turel: A handcrafted metal hair pin with a bat motif.

From Dumah: A crochet sweater. (It's too small.)

From Rahab: Shiny crystals he got from the lakes.

From Zephon: Spider-themed cupcakes. (Kain is a bit afraid to eat them.)

From Melchiah: A handmade card and a box of expensive chocolates.

-

What Raziel gets...

From Kain: An extremely expensive fragrance oil, the kind the Razielim would make.

From Turel: A crystal carved into a bat. (Crystal provided by Rahab.)

From Dumah: A crochet miniskirt. (He was trying to make pants but couldn't properly account for Raziel's thighs so he gave up there.)

From Rahab: A swimming skirt from the Rahabim. Now Raziel can swim with them all!

From Zephon: A scarf made of the finest silks. (Dumah accuses him of being a ripoff.)

From Melchiah: An essential oil diffuser.

-

What Turel gets...

From Kain: Shiny crystal earrings (crystals provided by Rahab).

From Raziel: A mug that says "#1 Pit God". (It was for a heavy metal concert but it counts, right?)

From Dumah: Gave up on crochet and got him a bat plushie.

From Rahab: A stained glass window hanger. The motif is a bird.

From Zephon: An ancient copper sword found in the depths of the Cathedral.

From Melchiah: A beaded necklace to attach to his glasses (so maybe Turel will stop losing them).

-

What Dumah gets...

From Kain: Candles with woody scents.

From Raziel: A fireproof metal box. (No one laughs.)

From Turel: An obsidian dagger.

From Rahab: Tickets for an aquarium. (Dumah is very excited to ramble with Rahab about the various fishies!)

From Zephon: A giant weighted blanket.

From Melchiah: A puppy. They talked about it first so Dumah could be prepared. Now Dumah has a sweet puppy to dote on.

-

What Rahab gets...

From Kain: A giant trilobite fossil. (No one knows where he got it and they are too scared to ask.)

From Raziel: A suncatcher in the shape of a fish.

From Turel: Replacement windows for the Abbey.

From Dumah: Oil for his rotary engine in the lighthouse.

From Zephon: A waterproof pouch made from spider silk.

From Melchiah: Fossilized coral he found in his territory.

-

What Zephon gets...

From Kain: A 'Phantom of the Opera' mask.

From Raziel: A clown mask. (Zephon proceeds to use it to scare small children.)

From Turel: A small metal spider statue.

From Dumah: A crochet shawl that looks like a spider web.

From Rahab: Dried fish to feed to his spiders.

From Melchiah: A tarantula he found wandering about in his territory. (Zephon names it 'Corpse'.)

-

What Melchiah gets...

From Kain: Fancy cologne.

From Raziel: Flower essential oils.

From Turel: A beautifully crafted metal cane for when Mel is in between limbs.

From Dumah: A pair of crochet earmuffs.

From Rahab: Needles made from bone.

From Zephon: A GIANT box of mints. (Melchiah is excited to snack upon them.)

#legacy of kain #lok #lokain #legacy of kain soul reaver #soul reaver #kain #raziel #turel #dumah #rahab #zephon #melchiah #lok kain #lok raziel #lok turel #lok dumah #lok rahab #lok zephon #lok melchiah #the lieutenants

[i-fondued]

Ghost | Yule at the Abbey | A SiS Prequel

Yule at the Abbey | A Sinners in Secret Prequel Story Pairing: Cardinal Copia x Reader/Sister of Sin x [LIGHT] Papa “Terzo” Emeritus III

Rating: Mature [No Sex but we get close LOL] Warnings: Mention of death? IDK this one is pretty fluffy

A/N: Here is a belated Holiday gift to all my fellow Ghesties, thank you for all the support you've shown me in the last few months. I'm so grateful for the love and support, I have so many things planned for the new year including opening up commissions once Sinners is done.

I hope you all enjoy this story, I may end up making a sequel if people are happy with this because I did end up cutting a lot out...

The Eve of Yule

The sounds of my fellow junior siblings excited giggling was what woke me up. The three other sisters were standing at our window looking outside, faces pressed to the glass. 

"What's going on?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up. 

"Sister, look! It snowed overnight, that must be good luck right?" One of them smiled brightly as I padded over to them from my bed. 

The Abbey was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, fluffy swirls in the air as the wind blew across the grounds. I could already see the grounds keeping siblings and some ghouls shoveling paths from the various buildings and Primo's greenhouse. I smiled softly for a moment at the picturesque landscape and it was all just in time for the yule holiday. 

I heard the chime of the first bell, signaling the one hour mark till our lessons began and I stretched out lazily. Walking back to my bed and dresser I pulled out my daily uniform, thick stockings, and junior habit. 

"Let's get ready, Cardinal Copia won't appreciate us being late to class even if there's three feet of snow out there. Although, he does seem to have a soft spot for you, Sister." One sibling giggled, my cheeks flushed slightly as I tugged my nightgown over my head and pulled on my thick wool winter habit.

"Ha ha. Very funny." I said dryly, rolling my eyes despite the small smile on my face. "The Cardinal is a good man, he just likes that I have a talent for languages is all.”

“At least you’ve caught someone’s eye. Papa won’t even look at me!” One sister lamented, pretending to dramatically faint onto her bed. The other two sisters giggling and diving into a heated conversation about Papa Emeritus III and his particular prowess. I tuned them out, happy to get ready for my day. 

I’d been at the Abbey now for almost a year now, settling into a new way of life relatively quickly. I’d followed a tug in my heart I’d had for years, pulling the string as I followed the siren song and found myself at the Abbey. My family hadn’t been happy, in fact they borderline disowned me over it, I still sent letters back and forth with my parents and my grandmother. They didn’t always respond but it was mostly pleasant when they did. I’d left behind my clothes, my phone, my laptop; all of my modern possessions for the call I’d followed. It was a simple life here at the Abbey, one that felt more purposeful and more aligned with who I felt deep down I was. 

Instead of spending my days in an office, grinding myself into a more corporate appropriate version of myself with nothing to show for it, I worked in the library putting away books between my lessons. I’d struck up a friendship with Papa Emeritus I, Primo as he’d asked me to call him. He and I would trade books for flowers and company, I’d help him in the garden and he’d help me with my basic ritual herbs work. I felt at home in my life for the first time in a long time, both satisfied and almost happy about what I was doing. However there was still a part of me that longed for more, that particular tug between my collarbones sharp when I was around a particular pair of senior clergymen. 

“Sister, are you ready yet? I want to grab breakfast before we’re too late!”

I was pulled from my thoughts, shaking my head and smiling at the Sister who had waited for me to come back to earth. 

“Y-yes! Sorry, clearly I’m still half asleep.” I laughed as she and I grabbed our cloaks and scarves as we hurried from our dorm rooms to the main abbey building.

The main building was where not only all the main offices were but the library, the dining hall, kitchens, classrooms, and the church itself was located. It was also where the senior siblings and clergy members had their own rooms; they kept us junior siblings in our own space so as to not overwhelm us as we adjusted to life at the Abbey. Though, many of my sisters joked that we junior sisters were kept in our own dorm building to keep the wandering eyes of the clergymen from snatching us up in the name of the carinal sins; not that many of us would complain truth be told.

My Sisters and I chatted and laughed as we made our way quickly in the snow, almost slipping on a hidden patch of ice at one point. When we were finally inside again, I dusted my cloak off and hung it in the entryway where all the other siblings kept their cloaks in the winter time on days like today. Quickly we made our way to the crowded informal dining hall, bustling with siblings and ghouls trying to eat and get warm on the chilly December day. 

The hall itself was set up much like a cafeteria at any school or business, however there were far more options for anyone with any dietary preference. Today, with it being the day before Yule celebrations, the entire space was decked out in evergreen branches and tinsel and baubles of deep red and gold. Swags of red and gold fabric hung from the tutor style rafters, with soft glinting yellow lights bringing a glow to the space. 

“They really blew any Christmas traditions I had out of the water…” One sibling behind me in line said, eyes looking around the space. 

Another warning chime went off as I was waiting to snag french toast and I groaned, knowing I wouldn’t have enough time to have a real breakfast before classes. Instead I grabbed an english muffin with peanut butter and tea in a to-go mug. I was about to run off before stopping and snagging a second to-go mug with a small blush. I rushed towards the door, stopping only to let my roommates know I was heading right to class, I hurried off as they teased me about being the class pet. 

…

I was always the first one to lessons when my day started with Latin. 

Would I ever admit why I was the first one there, sitting with rapt attention, in the front row? No. But today, I was very happy to be the first one there. 

Cardinal Copia was sitting at his desk, birreta perched slightly askew, as he hunched over his notes for the class. I bit my lip, trying to prevent a goofy smile as I looked at his face of absolute concentration as he scribbled something. I knocked on the doorframe so as to not startle him, he looked up at me with a quirk of his lips.

“Good Morning, Cardinal.” I said, a cheery smile on my face as I walked up to his desk. “I brought you some tea, thought it might be nice on a cold morning like this.

“Thank you, Sorella. I do really appreciate it. The Abbey, she is drafty in winter.” He chuckled, an appreciative look in his eye as he took the cup from my outstretched hands. I fought the urge to blurt out ‘I could keep you warm at night if you’d let me’ and instead went with a more appropriate approach at conversation.

“I’m sure the wind and snow must not have helped either,” I watched him as leaned back in his chair, gesturing to the empty one across from his desk as was part of our morning ritual before class, I sat down before continuing. “It must be good luck for this much snow before Yule.”

“Ah, I do not know about luck on Yule. I seem to have my fair share of bad luck at this time of year.” He sighed, sipping from the mug in his hands.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Cardinal. The holidays have always been my favorite time of year, if I’m being honest, Sir.” I smiled, my mind drifting to when I was young at Christmas time. “I’ve always loved winter, even when I was little. The festive and joyous feeling in the air is just infectious to me.”

“I envy your optimism, Sorella.” Cardinal Copia chucked with a sort of sad, wry smile. “Maybe someday I can share that infectious feeling with you.”

“W-what?” I blurted, cheeks flushing at the implications of his words. Copia also sputtered, cheeks redding as he realized his wording.

“Me scusi, Sister. I meant with all of the siblings. You are not the only one who is excited by the holidays.” He backtracked, eyes unable to meet my flaming face. “Sometimes I forget a word here and there. My English is not always so good.”

“I-it's alright, Cardinal! It’s very impressive you know as many languages as you do.” I said as I tried to calm my pounding heart and flushed cheeks. “I’m sorry you don’t care for the holidays, are you at least coming to the Yule Mass and festivities tonight?”

“Si, si. I will be there, Papa Emeritus the third will need my help with some of the ritual. It will be a late night for all of us,” Cardinal Copia smiled warmly, sipping his tea at the same time as me. “Are you looking forward to it, Sorella? It is your first yule mass, yes?”

“It is and yes I’m very excited.” I laughed, crossing my legs under me as we relaxed into easy conversation as always. “I grew up catholic so we’d gone to Midnight Mass a few times, I’d never paid any attention to what was going on because the church had always been so spectacularly decorated. It was very distracting to a seven year old you know.”

“Wait till you see the space tonight, it will leave you in awe. Ie lo prometto, I promise.” He smiled wryly at me. “I know most of the siblings are more excited about Secondo’s after mass party, though I normally retire for the evening before that.”

"You won't celebrate with us, Cardinal?" I couldn't help my face falling slightly at the idea of Copia tucked away in his rooms without anyone with him. 

"Ah, probably not Sorella." He chuckled, standing to transfer his notes onto the blackboard "I think I am getting too old to keep up with the siblings at a Secondo party."

"Well I'll be thinking of you…" I said before my cheeks flushed.

"You will be thinking of me, eh?" He teased, turning back to smirk at me, wagging the white chalk in his hand at me.

"Cardinal I…" I started to say something back to try and save my dignity but I could hear the sounds of my fellow junior siblings coming to join us for class and I made the decision to not stick my foot in my mouth any more than I already had. 

…

Our Latin class passed quickly as always, though most of my fellow juniors might not have agreed with me. 

"Ah, our time has come to an end. Please all of you remember yourselves tonight, Si? The Midnight Mass tonight will be a good way to test your comprehension skills." Copia called out over the sound of the other packing up their things. 

I hung back slightly, tempted to have another little conversation, but when I saw another sibling asking for him to go over the translations again I knew I wouldn't have time before I'd be due at the library. I gave him a small wave as he caught my eye, his mismatched eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't put a name to. I snagged his mug, now empty, and dropped them off at the kitchens before heading over to the library. 

The halls were abuzz with activity, everyone excited and restless for tonight festivities. Several ghouls were helping other siblings with finalizing decor and hiding various symbols of good luck in the evergreen trees that decorated the main halls. I had a smile I couldn't seem to get rid of as I slipped inside the ancient wood doors of the library. 

"Good afternoon, Sister." I greeted the senior sister who directed the library before grabbing the cart full of books to be put back. 

"Ah, afternoon Sister! It should be a quiet time today, between the Yule activities and the snow we were blessed with, it doesn't seem like many people are all that interested in books today." She laughed, I gave a little shrug. 

"I don't mind a quiet shift before lunch, besides it's going to be a late night tonight." 

"Very true Sister, let me know once you finish putting these away and we can get you set up to work on some small translations. You have a real skill that is rare with dead languages.'

"Yes of course, Sister. Thank you." I smiled brightly before heading to put away the old and practically crumbling leather bound books.

My work was slow but enjoyable as I scooted around the quiet library, tucking books back into their proper homes. I lost track of the time, humming to myself and not paying attention. I was up on a ladder when I felt the familiar tug, tucked deep inside my sternum. I shuddered at the feeling, like someone was dragging a single finger nail right down my spine. On my tiptoes I reached to slip a book back in its spot and the ladder wobbled slightly. I gave a little screech as I tried to hold tight to the wood, completely off balance. My foot slipped and I closed my eyes, waiting to hit the ground. Instead I felt arms coming to steady me at the waist. 

"You must be more careful, Sorella. We would not want anything to come to our newest translator, si?"

I opened my eyes and blushed bright red, Papa Emeritus the third himself had caught me. He was smirking mischievously at me, his gloved hands warm even through my wool habit. 

"Y-yes your Eminence. Of course, I'm sorry for not being more careful." I stuttered, fumbling my words as he helped me back to the ground. 

"Ah, it is okay Sister. It was an accident, yes? No harm." He chuckled. "Now, please allow me to help you."

"O-oh no, Papa it's okay. I couldn't ask you to hel-" I started, already flustered and now working to the point of almost panic. 

"Nonsense, per favor Sorella." He laughed, taking the large book from my arms and stepping up the ladder to slip it back into its place. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." 

I could feel the coil of that familiar tug deep in my chest, the familiar warmth as Papa and I worked together to quickly empty the cart. Not that I had much left when he joined me, but having some company was nice. He asked me about my budding translation work, impressed at how quickly I'd picked up Latin. I had asked him about the ghost project and when he'd be going on tour in the new year. We chatted happily, occasionally to the point of distracting each other. When the final book was tucked away he turned to me with a triumphant look on his face. 

"There, Sorella. Perfecto!" He boomed, I couldn't help but giggle. "I will see you tonight, yes? Midnight Mass?"

"Yes of course Papa," I smiled, growing flushed as he stepped close to me. "I-I wouldn't miss it for the world." 

"Good, good. Who knows what surprises await us tonight eh?"

…

Midnight Mass

Cardinal Copia hadn't been kidding when he said that the Satanic Clergy’s version of Midnight Mass on Yule would blow anything I’d seen as a child out of the water. 

The Abbey’s main lights had been turned off for the evening. Instead all the fireplaces had been stoked to blaze brightly with merry yule logs and a little help from the fire ghouls. Along with the strings of twinkling warm lights in every tree in the halls were lanterns with pillar candles of all sizes lighting the pathways between the main Abbey and various dorms and outbuildings. Inside were more paths and gathered spots of candles, giving everything a devilish glow. There were also small pots of incense burning a warm and cozy combination of cinnamon, orange, and clove. It reminded me of the simmer pots I’d have at home before joining the siblings.

From the main halls of the Abbey, filled with tired but excited siblings, we followed the sound of the light music coming from the church. There was a long hallway that connected to two spaces, decorated with candles and swags of evergreen branches and glittering gold ornaments. Once down the hall, I stepped into the vestibule, giving a small nod and an offering of holly to the statue of Baphomet in the vestibule before excitedly following my roommates to our pew. 

When I stepped into the nave my jaw fell open. 

The entire church hall was lit by an exorbitant amount of variously sized candles along the aisles on the outsides of the pews. There were swags of evergreen, holly, and tinsel strung between the massive stained glass windows. Poinsettia plants were placed everywhere on the raised dias and altar, bringing a fragrant scent to the already thick incense in the air. There was an enormous yule tree on either side of the statue depicting Lucifer’s fall in the center of the dias, decorated with soft golden lights and red baubles. 

The entire space was glowing in an otherworldly haze, between the burning pots of incense and candle glow. It really did take my breath away. I couldn’t focus on anything around me as we all settled in for Mass, hands crossed in prayer as we waited for the processional to begin. We were seated in the middle of the rows of pews, however I was right on the aisle and I couldn’t help but wonder if my sisters did it on purpose, thinking back to how the teased me about the Cardinal. The strike of the organ pulled my eyes from the front of the church to the back as all of us siblings stood and looked back. The massive, ornately carved wooden doors opened up and so began the procession of the Emeritus family.

Leading the processional was Primo, walking with a grucifix staff, he was dressed in his chasuble and miter. His painted face was stoic, serious as he looked up at the altar with reverence. When his eyes drifted to me, his eyes softened and he winked at me. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as he passed me. 

Next was Secondo, also dressed in his chasuble and miter, he was carrying the sacred book of Lucifer. His painted face always made me feel like I was in trouble and even in the act of Mass I squirmed when his eyes passed over me, trying to appear smaller than I was to not catch the man’s sharp gaze. Papa Nihil was escorting Sister Imperator, who was dressed in her finest for the holiday. Nihil was followed by the set of twins who were bringing his oxygen with them, both of them having a slightly otherworldly aura to them. 

The next person in the processional was Cardinal Copia, I felt my cheeks flush as I took him in as he slowly made his way up towards the altar. He was wearing neither of his cassocks, instead he was wearing a sinfully tight white suit. White tail coat, brocade vest, and impossibly tight pants. He still wore his black leather gloves, in them was clenched the chain of the thurible he was swinging back and forth with practiced ease. The smoke incense trailing back behind him, causing him to look ethereal and otherworldly as he made his way past me. I felt that now familiar tug behind my collarbone, deep in my chest, and I couldn’t help but squirm with my cheeks flushed. Copia’s mismatched eyes locked with mine and he gave me a small shy smile. I bit my bottom lip to hold back the grin that threatened to spill. 

I looked back at the doors and was smacked in the face with Papa Emeritus the Third in his full papal glory. It was so rare to see him in anything but his papal suit, seeing him in his papal robes took my breath away. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my throat and throw itself at his feet. Terzo stood with his arms held out, a small smirk on his face as he took in the awe on the face of all of us new siblings. He was dressed in his miter and chasuble, both embellished in threads of gold and glittering beading. The silk on the inside was a royal purple, slightly shining in the low light as he made his way up the aisle to the altar. His white gloves had been traded for black leather ones with claws on the tips like fingernails, an image of him running them down my bare back flashed in my mind before I could stop it. Like he could hear my thoughts, Terzo’s eyes locked with mine and he smirked wickedly as he winked at me. My heart tugged at him painfully, as if to tell me that I’d be saved from my troubles in life if I was to throw myself at his feet, kissing his hem and begging for forgiveness. 

I had to turn away from him as he passed, cheeks burning as I looked up at the altar as Copia tucked the thurible away in the cabinet at the front of the room. He looked deliciously sinful as he bowed his head, offering prayer to the statue of Lucifer, before moving to bow to Terzo as he made his way to the altar. 

“Good Yule Evening, my flock.” Terzo welcomed us, arms held out again in a welcoming opening of them. “Let us offer prayer to our Dark Lord on this Yule Mass.”

As the congregation mumbled their prayers, heads bowed, I couldn’t help but let my eyes drift up to the pair of men at the front of the room. Terzo in his element, leading us in prayer, and Copia working to set up the tools needed for the ritual. I felt my heart pounding and threatening to burst from my chest as I secretly watched them together, small smiles and whispered words I desperately wished I could hear. The familiar tug almost felt like it would physically tug me from my seat.

As the opening prayer finished, Terzo continued on with mass. He spoke of the Yule traditions and how they celebrated the seven sacraments of sin, he told us to remember that our ability to sin and follow our hearts was a gift from Lucifer. That we shouldn't waste that gift in the new year as the snow slowly melts away to bring on rebirth. My cheeks flushed as he spoke of following our deepest, secret desires; feeling two pairs of mismatched eyes on me as my cheeks flushed. My mind wandered as he spoke, only coming back to the moment as a familiar voice took over speaking. My eyes brightened as Cardinal Copia came to stand at the pulpit to take over for Terzo. 

“Merry Yuletides to you all.” He started, eyes scanning over the crowd as he started on his sermon. 

I couldn’t help but let my mind zone out again, watching the way he worked the crowd of us siblings and partitioners.Everyone was locked in on the Cardinal as he spoke, his passion and his emotions as he spoke of Lucifer and the value of sin in our lives. He spoke of the Book of Lucifer and read us a psalm speaking of the idea of the seven sinful commandments and how even little movements in our everyday lives could bring us the opportunity to bring glory to his Eternal Darkness below. 

Before I knew it my mind wasn’t on the sermon that was being given, instead it was distracted by how broad Cardinal Copia’s shoulders look in his white suit. I watched how his lips moved as he spoke, how his cheeks flushed as he was sucked into what he was speaking about. My eyes drifted from Copia’s spirited speech to take in Terzo, sitting in his chair on the altar. My heart tugged longingly at them both, and in all honesty I was unsure what that meant. 

…

Mass finished surprisingly quickly, though I was only half focused on the actual sermons the whole time. Watching Terzo and Copia as they spoke of sin and bringing of good luck in the new year to come, wishing us joy and laughter, was what I really focused on. My cheeks flushed when I was given the sacrament, Terzo giving me a wink as he placed the wafer on my tongue. 

After Mass most of the siblings excitedly made their way to the large hall in the abbey where the large parties were thrown, some of us lingered behind to speak with other siblings and parishioners who’d joined us. I saw Cardinal Copia standing to the side, speaking with Primo quietly, small warm smiles between them. I saw my perfect opportunity and couldn’t help the grin I tried to stifle as I made my way over to them. 

“Happy Yuletide Papa Primo, you as well Cardinal.” I said happily, trying to keep my face neutral as my heart threatened to tear itself from my sternum. “Your sermon, Cardinal, was wonderful.”

“Ah, Piccola! Happy Yuletide to you as well.” Primo grinned, pulling me into a warm hug. “I hope I will see you at il mio fratellino party, yes?”

“Of course, Papa Primo.”

“Child, I have told you before, you do not have to call me Papa. Primo is fine.” He laughed, teasingly wiggling his finger at me before turning it on Copia. “I will see you there then, si? You too, Cardinal?”

“Ah…I, well-” Cardinal Copia stuttered, cheeks flushed at being put on the spot. “Si?”

“Good, now if you will excuse me…” And with a satisfied little grin, the eldest Emeritus brother left Copia and I were left to ourselves in the almost empty church hall.

“Happy Yule to you too, Sorella. Thank you.” Copia turned to me, I prayed the low light of the candles made it harder for him to see the blush on my cheeks. “I’m glad it resonated with you.”

“I did, it was very inspirational.” It had been…at least for my absolutely filthy thoughts of what I wanted a worked up Cardinal Copia to do to me.

“Would you like to aco-” Copia started before something was dangled between us.

A gloved hand held a sprig of mistletoe with a cheery red bow holding the bundle together. Copia and I both whipped our heads in the direction of the hand holding mistletoe, my cheeks now positively on fire. 

“Papa?” Cardinal Copia’s voice was tight and hard, his eyes had a dark look that made me shiver slightly. 

“Si Cardinale?” He asked, face the picture perfect image of innocence as he stood there, now only in his papal suits and paints.

“What are you doing?”

“It seems I have caught the festive yuletide spirit and just happened upon a sprig of mistletoe.”

“And why are you holding it above Sorella and I’s head?”

“Sto solo cercando di portare un po' di spirito festivo a quelli che ne hanno più bisogno, Cardinale.” I'm just trying to bring some festive spirit to the ones who need it most, Cardinal. Terzo said, smirking while he pretended to inspect his nails through the glove of his free hand. 

“Lucifero aiutami…” Copia growled, rubbing his temples. 

“W-we don’t have to if you don’t want to Cardinal.” I spoke softly, eyes unable to look right at him as I felt that tug in my chest going absolutely feral at the idea of him kissing me or walking away.

Copia looked right at me then and I had to hold back a whimper at the intense look in his eyes, heat pooling in my belly just from the desire plain in his gaze. He stepped forward, one gloved hand coming up to cup my head softly. His fingertips cupped around my neck as his thumb settled at the corner of my jaw. My pulse was thundering in my ears as he tilted my head to look right at him, my lips parted without thinking as I tried not to pant. Slowly and deliberately he closed the distance between us, my eyes slipping closed as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. It was gentle and caring, full of unspoken moments between us. I felt that tugging urge in my chest shudder through my whole body, alight with what felt like an electric shock, and I gasped slightly into the kiss. I fought the urge to wrap my arms around him, to never let him step away, and felt the Cardinal stiffen. As quickly as it happened it was over, Copia stepped away with a hunger in his gaze. I was practically breathless, looking at him with almost reverent awe. 

“You call that a kiss, Cardinale?” Terzo teased, seemingly unaware of the unspoken movement between Copia and I. “Let me show you how to kiss Sorella under the mistletoe, si?”

Without even warning me, already dazed and unfocused from the lighting dancing in my veins at the kiss I just shared with Copia, Terzo wrapped one arm around the small of my waist. I looked away from Copia and at Terzo as he stepped so close I could feel his body heat rolling off him. 

“Papa?” I asked questioningly, looking up at the mistletoe he now held over him and I.

“This is how you kiss someone under the mistletoe, Cardinale.” He chuckled before he dropped the sprig and held the back of my head, absolutely crushing me to his lips. 

I gasped, eyes widening slightly before slipping closed, as Terzo coaxed my lips to follow his lead. My hands came to rest on his upper arms as I practically clung to him for balance as his tongue slipped into my mouth, I gasped. Despite the mostly flirty relationship I had with Papa, I’d never thought about kissing him like I had with Copia. But actually kissing him now? My god now I understood why my roommates would go on an on about him. 

I felt the same electric feeling I’d felt with Copia moments ago, tingling down to my fingertips and toes. My heart was rattling in its place in the cage of my ribs, desperate to climb into Terzo’s chest and never leave. A heat pooled in my belly at the feeling of Terzo’s hand on my waist gripping me tightly to him, the hand in my hair possessive, and when he let out a low growl I couldn’t help the whimper that slipped from my mouth to his. That was when he stepped away, I felt as if I was unmoored at sea as I opened my eyes and saw the ragged look on Terzo’s face. My cheeks were on fire as he smirked at me as I subconsciously leaned forward to go in for another kiss. 

“Ah, one kiss per mistletoe Sorella.” He chuckled before looking at Copia, who’d I’d almost forgotten was there. “That, dear Cardinale, is how you kiss someone under the mistletoe.”

I looked at Copia and almost took a step back from the pair of clergymen. Copia’s eyes were deep and dark, a curiously dangerous look on his face. He was looking at me like a starving man who found the last rabbit in the dead of winter. I felt myself grow wet under his eyes, squirming slightly with a flush to my cheeks. 

“L'hai sentito anche tu?” Copia asked Terzo who nodded yes. I wasn’t quite sure what he had said so I looked away, cheeks flushed. Copia sighed heavily as he took my hand, kissing the knuckles and side stepping Terzo and I. “Happy Yule, Sorella. Please excuse me.” 

My heart was breaking, the clenching ache causing tears to threaten to well up in my eyes. I longed to go after him, to speak with him about what had just happened here. I took one step towards his retreating form and Terzo caught my hand. 

“Not tonight, Sorella. Leave him be, si?” He sighed, a small sad look on his face. “Yule has always been his least favorite holiday.”

“O-of course Papa.” I mumbled as Terzo took my hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. 

“Come, let me escort you to la festa di mio fratello, yes?” He tried to soothe me, but I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of exchange or test had just passed between us all. 

…

I’d maybe had a little too much to drink.

Okay, maybe a lot too much to drink. I had been upset after the exchange in the Church hall so when Terzo had offered to bring me a cup of mulled wine, I hadn’t thought twice about it. 

After my third cup, I had a movement where I couldn’t help but think maybe this much drinking might not be a great idea. But after the fifth cup that didn’t matter anymore. I’d been dancing with my fellow sisters, giggling and drinking when one of the other Senior Siblings had started talking about a massive yule log pyre outside. When I asked them about it excitedly, they all shared a look before laughing and telling me I’d have to find it myself but that it was outside by the old abbey entrance on the south side of the compound.

“I’ve got to see this,” I laughed, stumbling slightly as I headed toward the front door. “Are you guys coming?”

“It's freezing outside, no way!” One sister laughed, cheeks flushed. 

“I feel like we would have seen the ghouls setting this up this morning if its as big as they said it would be…” Another one mumbled, but I waved her off. 

“You guys suck, I’m going out there.” I teased, darting past siblings, ghouls, and clergymen all in various groups. 

I stepped into the vestibule of the Abbey, trying to locate my cloak in the piles of others. After a few minutes I threw my hands in the air, speaking to nobody in particular. 

“I’ll just take a quick walk and look around, it can’t be that cold outside.” I grumbled, pushing open the doors and stepping out into the cold early morning of Yule. 

It had stopped snowing at some point during the day but the snow was still fresh, the entire grounds covered in a thick white blanket. The crystals of ice glinted in the light of the candles outside and the moon high in the sky. Outside I could fainly hear the sound of the music and party inside but it was mostly quiet, not even a breeze in the air on this eventful Yule. I wandered the paths, taking in the soft and quiet beauty of the wee hours of the morning. My breath came out in small little clouds of steam as I walked, a small smile on my face. 

Slowly but surely I got myself turned around, unsure of exactly where I was on the grounds. I tried to not panic, following the light of the candles, but the cold in the air was slowly slipping its tendrils under my skin. No amount of mulled wine could keep my teeth from chattering and my shoulders from shivering as I made my way back to the main building. 

“S-Sorella!?” 

I turned my face to the familiar voice and smiled drunkenly, a blush on my cheeks hidden under the flush of the alcohol.

“Ah, hello again C-Cardinal.” I chattered, walking towards him as he rushed to me. “A-are you l-looking for the Yule pyre too?”

“Yule pyre what are you-? Per amore del fottuto Lucifero…” He asked at first before snapping and rubbing his temples. “Every year I tell them to not trick the new siblings and every year they do it anyways.”

“So there is no pyre?” I asked, head fuzzy slightly as he took off his short cape from his cassock, wrapping it firmly around me as he pulled me to his side tightly trying to warm me up

“So, mi dispiace Sorella.” He sighed, walking us back inside. I could hear the party raging now, I started to walk in the direction of merriment but Copia firmly tugged me with him. 

“The party is sti-” I whined, stumbling slightly as he helped me up the stairs. 

“You need to rest and warm up, Sorella. Not to party.” He grumbled, eyes hard as he slowed slightly.

“But I want more of that mulled wine.”

“I think you are done with the wine, Stelina.” He cracked a small smile, eyes soft for a moment as I looked at him with a blush on my face. 

“S-stelina?” I stuttered, a small shy smile on my lips as his gaze flickered between my eyes and my lips. “How did I earn a pet name?”

“You are my star pupil, are you not?” He teased before scooping me up in his arms. I couldn’t help the ungraceful squeal that came out of my mouth before he shushed me. “Come on, we do not want people to get the wrong idea do we?”

“A-and what idea would that be, Cardinal?”

“That I am taking you back to my room for any other reason than to get you warmed up and send you on your way.” He teased, winking at me as we made our way to the senior clergy’s dormitories. I blushed and bit my bottom lip without being able to look him in the eye as he opened his doors and we stepped into the space. 

It was dark, only lit by the fireplace in the middle of his sitting room, but I could see shelves filled with books and trinkets. There was a large wooden desk off to the side, cluttered with all matters he’d need for writing sermons and letters. I could see a set of pocket doors left slightly ajar and beyond it in the dim light from the windows was a large ornately carved bed, the covers left open like someone had just sprung from them. 

“Sit here, Sorella.” Copia’s soothing voice brought me back to the present and I looked to the pile of blankets in front of the fireplace he’d left for me. “I will grab you some clothes to change into.”

“T-thank you, Cardinal.” I smiled, cheeks flushed as I wrapped the warm blankets around me and soaked in the feeling of the fire on my chilled skin. 

“Of course,” He smiled back at me, handing me a stack of clothes. A red track suit and a black t-shirt. “Here. I will leave you to change, would you like some tea?”

“Y-yes please, t-thank you.” I stuttered, partly still cold but also because I was flustered by him and the wine was still sliding around my system. I watched him step into another room, flick the lights on and the sounds of a tea kettle being filled.

I hid under the blanket and took my clothes off quickly, tossing aside the damp pinafore dress and blouse to the side along with my wet bra. I shivered, my blush somehow deepening as I pulled over the shirt and tracksuit jacket. I knew he’d be able to see my nipples under the jacket and I felt warmth pool deep in my belly at the idea of him seeing me like this. Once I pulled on the pants and slid back under the warm blankets, fully enveloped in the scent of him I called out to him. 

“I’m dressed, Cardinal.”

“Good timing, tea is almost ready.” He called back and after a few moments more of my eyes staring at the blazing fire in front of me I felt his hand on my shoulder. Looking up he handed me a mug. 

I reached out taking the offered cup with a smile and a thanks, blanket shifting off my shoulders. I sipped the spiced smelling tea and hummed happily. 

“Chai tea is my favorite, Cardinal. Thank you.” 

“You can call me Copia, Sorella.” He said quietly as he sat next to me in front of the fire. He was still wearing his white suit from earlier, sinfully tight and I had to fight to keep my eyes on his face and not wander over his lithe form as he lounged somewhat awkwardly on the floor with me.

“Okay, thank you then Copia.”

We sat in comfortable silence then, just the crackling of the fireplace between us and the warm spiced tea in our hands, before my mind couldn’t take it any longer and I had to ask him a question.

“Car-Copia?”

“Si?”

“Why do you not like Yule?” It was the question that had been burning in my mind for the last twenty four hours and I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“Sorella…” He started, heavy sighing as he turned to face me. 

“Y-you don’t have to tell me! I was just curious…” I blushed, stammering and unable to look at him. I felt his fingers under my chin, tilting my eyes to lock with his. The familiar tug in my chest coming on steadily as my heartbeat.

“It is quite alright, Sorella. It was a long time ago, but I lost mi familia on Yule as a young boy.”

“O-oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, no. It is nice to share, I don’t think I have felt the urge to share myself with someone like you in a very long time, Stelina.” His soft wry smile, made my heart hammer in my chest. “I was a young boy, it was a cold icy night in Italia and we were driving home. The car skid on ice, I was the only survivor. Primo had found me, he was traveling to the Monastery back when he was being prepared to ascend, and he took me in. I lived in the orphanage all my life till I felt the calling to join the Siblings, making my way up the ranks till one day I was the head of the clergy.”

“I’m sorry about your family, Copia.” I said, taking his hand in mine. I’d only then noticed he’d taken his gloves off to prepare the tea. I felt his bare hands on mine for the first time, it caused that lighting shock down my fingertips again. “I-I understand why Yule would be painful for you.”

“It is not all bad,” He whispered, I looked up as he leaned into me. I felt like a moth drawn to the flame as my eyes flickered between his face and his lips. “This year I was able to have an excuse thanks to Papa to kiss my star student, si?”

“Copia…” I whimpered, his warm hand skimming from my hip up my side. “Can I confess something to you?”

“What would you like to confess, Stelina?” His face was almost close enough to brush our lips together. 

“I think you held back on our mistletoe kiss.”

“Si? Did I?” He chucked, his other hand slipping to cup the back of my head as he slid closer to me. “Should I fix that for you?”

“Y-yes, I think so. It was my first mistletoe kiss after all.” I mumbled, eyes already half closed. 

“Ah, well I would not want to leave you with any ideas about my kissing skills being lackluster would I?”

“No I don’t think you wou-”

Copia didn’t even let me finish my thought, kissing me with such a fierce grip on my waist I couldn’t help the whimper that slipped from my lips. I slid forward, straddling his strong thighs, with my back to the fire. Blankets long forgotten in favor of his body heat, I curled my arms around his neck as Copia coaxed my lips apart, slipping his tongue to tease my own. 

I whimpered, heat burning deep in my belly, as I bucked my hips against his hardening cock. He hissed into the kiss, hands moving to grip my hips to still me, as I quaked in his lap. He nibbled on my bottom lip, pulling away slightly to catch his breath before catching my pants with his lips. I sighed happily, my fingers playing with the ends of his hair, and I melted into his tender touch. 

He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, our breath minging as we giggled together. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for the last six months, Sorella.”

“You know…I’ve wanted to kiss you since I met you at that first class.”

“Really?” He pulled back, face filled with surprise. 

“Copia…you called me a very good girl in front of the whole class.” I laughed, cheeks flushing slightly at the memory. “You could have told me to stay for detention and taken me right on your desk and I would have said thank you sir.”

“Careful, Stelina. You are giving me some ideas…” He purred darkly, pressing kisses to my jawline as I trembled in his lap. “Though I should warn you now, my tastes tend to be on the darker side…”

“So are mine.” I whimpered as he bit and lapped at the spot below my earlobe, a gasp slipping from my lips as he wrapped his arms around my waist firmly. 

“È come se fossi stato creato per me all'inferno da Lucifero in persona…” Its like you were made for me in hell by Lucifer himself...

“Maybe I was…” I mumbled, chest heaving as he teased my neck. His hand came up to cup my breast and he groaned into my skin as his thumb brushed over the pebbled peak of my nipple.

“You are mine, Sorella. Mine alone.” He hissed, punctuating his words with a pluck of my nipple. 

“I’m yours alone, Cardinal.”

He growled at me then, capturing my lips in a vicious and heated kiss, and pushed me over onto the floor. Pinning my hand high above my head, I looked up at him with a heated gaze. His hair was ruffled by me, his lips plumped by the force of our kisses, mismatched eyes dark and stormy as he looked down at me. 

“I think I need to punish you for your little adventure in the snow, Si?”

A shiver went down my spine and pooled between my legs as I nodded my head, cheeks flushed. 

“Please, Sir.” I begged, Copia groaned then, settling between my legs and grinding his cock on my cunt. Both of us gasped at the feeling. 

“You will be the death of me, Sorella.”

“It will be our little secret, Cardinal.”

“Ah, we are to be sinners in secret then?”

“For now.”

“If you wish, Sorella. Then who am I to deny you our most honored and cardinal sin, eh?”

#ghost #the band ghost #cardinal copia x reader #papa emeritus x reader #terzo x reader #sinners in secret au #cardinal copia #papa emeritus iii x reader #papa emeritus lll #my writing

[ghostincorrectinternetedition]

Terzo: Cards Against Humanity is donating 100% of their profits to The National Network of Abortion funds if the order comes from a state that is restricting abortion access. If the person ordering clicks “I didn’t agree to this” an additional $5 donation is added to their cart and they get a fun little message. Everyone in the Abbey is getting a pack of some sort for Yule this year; I’ve already made the orders. I might not be in one of those states, but I love what these guys are doing and we make a massive donation every year anyway.

#r/chaoticgood #cards against humanity #terzo would #terzo emeritus #terzo #papa 3 #papa iii #papa emeritus iii #shitghosting #taintposting #incorrect quotes #ghost #the band ghost #ghost bc

[forlorn-crows]

Your color scheme and separators just always relax me idk why but I love it haha, anyways; it’s Yule season and I’m a lil late but I thought why not drop an idea off at the work shop

Ghouls having a great rite orgy on new years 🤷🏻

thank you!! i just decided one day i needed to up the aesthetic haha. theres so many blogs that make dividers and such ♡

its not Yule season anymore but this is a GREAT idea.

i can imagine its a luxurious, decadent thing. full of ghouls from around the abbey, not just the band ghouls. there's ambiance, wine and spirits, delicious home grown and purchased food, and plenty of little nooks and arrangements for gathering and . . . activities. room heavy with incense and pheromones. music turned low, most voices hushed but none too shy.

some try to make the rounds through each group throughout the night, some stick to pairs, trios, or quads, and some just come to watch, whether to get off or simply enjoy the views. there is someone for everyone to kiss at midnight, thats for sure.

no ones required to participate, of course, but its not often a ghoul turns down these sorts of things >:)

#ask #serene-sun

[angeloftheodd]

My partner gave me an Abbey Bominable doll for Yule. 🩵 I finally opened her yesterday and I love her! 🥰 Unfortunately, I found out my aunt died shortly after I took these pictures. 😢 At least I have an emotional support monster now. 🖤

#abbey bominable #monster high #monster high dolls #dolls #dollette #dollcore #dolls of tumblr #dollblr #doll fashion #monsters #spooky babe

[riptide-kid]

Domestic December 2023 - Day 24 Singing together

Pairing: Aurora x Rain

Summary: Rain has his own special ways of flirting with Aurora.

Warnings: -

Words: ~450

Notes: -

You can also read this on Ao3!

“Lus?” Aurora sat at the kitchen table, looking up from the potato she was peeling.

“Yes, honey?” Cumulus was standing next to Aether at the kitchen counter. They were preparing Christmas dinner, which they usually had on the evening of the 24th, a beginning to the Abbey’s Yule celebrations as they didn’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense. The last couple of years it had only been Cumulus and Aether cooking, but this year Aurora had offered to help, to get the full Christmas experience in her first winter topside.

“Why does Rain not sing on stage?” Aurora asked, and watched as Aether looked over at Cumulus, grinning widely, showing his silver tooth.

“Yeah Lus, why doesn’t he?” he asked in a playful tone, and Aurora wondered if she had said something wrong as Cumulus turned around.

“Why do you ask?” she looked at the smaller ghoulette with an almost concerned expression.

Aurora looked between Aether and Cumulus, placing the potato peeler on the table and becoming more and more insecure. “...I... I don’t know, I sat next to him in mass yesterday, and his voice sounded really nice, he was just singing really softly but I could still hear him. So I was just wondering why Papa-“

“Rain SANG, in MASS?” Aether’s grin was gone from his face in an instant, looking at Aurora with his mouth hanging open.

“Yeah...? Is that not what you normally do in mass?” Aurora laughed nervously. What the heck was going on?

“Honey...” Cumulus sat down next to her, placing a hand on her upper arm. “Do you feel alright?”

Aurora looked at her, confusion apparent in her face. “Yes? What are you talking about? Of course I do! What’s going on?”

Cumulus sighed. “Okay... You know that Rain is a water ghoul, right?”

Aurora nodded.

“Well, the reason he doesn’t sing on stage... You know... Every time a water ghoul sings, everybody who hears him gets sort of...” Cumulus hesitated.

“Do you want to f—”

“Aether!!!!” she interrupted the quintessence ghoul. “Usually, water ghouls use their voice to lure somebody in or you know... flirt with them. So.. How do you feel about him?”

Aurora was beyond confused. Rain was trying to flirt with her? “I don’t feel any different...” she admitted.

“Seems like she’s immune to our little siren.” Aether stated, his grin slowly returning.

Cumulus wondered “That’s strange...”

“What’s strange?” right in that moment, Rain entered the kitchen. He came in to fetch an apple from their fruit basket, tossing it from one of his hands into the other. “Hi Rora,” he winked at the smaller ghoulette and smiled, before leaving as quickly as he had appeared.

Cumulus looked at Aether “Can you BELIEVE IT!”

#domestic december #ghost fanfiction #ao3 writer #fanfiction #fluff #writing prompts #aurora x rain #rain x aurora #phia writes