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polishksiezniczka · 3 years

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Camerlengo Patrick McKenna Fluff ABCs | Camerlengo x Female Reader

Il camerlengo deserves more love ❤

Notes: These take place in an AU where the Cardinal Strauss and Commander Richter are guilty of the attacks on the Vatican. 2K words.

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

There are so many things about you Patrick adores: your beautiful, soft smile; the curiosity and warmth your eyes convey; the feminine lilt of your voice. But most of all, he loves you for your heart. The kindness you show towards others makes you an angel in his eyes.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why or why not?)

Despite his vocation to the priesthood, Patrick would love nothing more than to start a family with you. He views the love you share as a gift from God, not something that should be disgraced or vilified. The arbitrary man-made rules of the Church which prevent him from realizing this longing—your own little family—frustrate him to no end.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

With the utmost care and gentleness. He holds you against him, reverently stroking your hair, face, and body with his warm fingers. He especially loves to admire the suppleness of you, softly kissing each and every glorious inch he can reach. While these moments are few, they are precious to him.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Because your relationship with Patrick is technically “forbidden,” you can’t go on dates in the normal sense. When he can, Patrick will use the secret passage between the Vatican and Castel Sant’ Angelo to discretely travel to the outside world in order to visit you. Because you really can’t be seen alone with him, you instead spend time with Patrick in your apartment, often cooking dinner, talking, and just enjoying each other’s company. Even if you can’t confess your love to the world yet, all he desires is to spend every moment he can with you.

E = Everything [“You are my ____________.” (e.g. my life, my world)]

“You are my heart.”

“You are my treasure.”

“You are my life’s greatest blessing. You are a gift from God.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

When he imagined his life without you. The pain he felt even entertaining the notion was too much for him to bear. He knew he needed to tell you before it was too late.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

This is one of the main reasons you fell in love with Patrick—he is truly the gentlest soul you have ever met. He treats you as if you were a priceless relic, practically worshipping the ground you walk on and swearing to defend you from any harm. Not that he won’t stand up for what he believes—he is a fierce defender of his faith and possesses the ability to inspire millions with his commanding oratory. But the look of love in his eyes when you catch him watching you makes your heart flutter rapidly in your chest like a schoolgirl’s.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Secretly and with all the affection he can possibly give. He especially loves to brush his thumb across the back of your hand, squeeze them lightly, or bring them to his lips when they are intertwined. When you are alone together, he always wants to maintain this type of intimate contact.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

When you first met Patrick, the always-charming young priest was left speechless. Not only was he enamored of your beauty, he was mesmerized by your intellect and eloquence. At first, he chided himself for such foolish and boy-like thoughts—he was a priest, after all! But after slowly getting to know you, he realized how much you embodied perfection to him: your poise, the uncommon kindness you showed to all those you met, your deep devotion to your Catholic faith. And you couldn’t help but feel the same strong attraction to him.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous much?)

Patrick is not the jealous type—he would never have any reason to be. Your love is built on trust and truthfulness, and he alone holds the key to your heart.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

You were the first to kiss Patrick. You had gone to him for guidance after suffering a deeply personal anguish. His words were so gentle and reassuring, you couldn’t help but softly kiss his cheek in gratitude as tears slipped silently from your eyes. You were too numb to even feel ashamed, let alone prepare for Patrick’s response: taking your hand and kissing it lovingly, a gesture meant to assure you your feelings were reciprocated.

Because of Patrick’s profession and his constant presence in the public eye, you can’t be together as often as you’d like. But when you are, you nearly die and go to heaven from his mouth’s attentions alone. Patrick’s kisses are gentle, reverent, and full of love. He is never aggressive or rough; instead, he worships you with his lips, laying them everywhere like a starving man put before a feast.

L = Love (Who says I love you first?)

Patrick did. He was running to the helicopter to dispose of the antimatter chamber, willing to sacrifice his life for the safety of the faithful gathered in the Square and his beloved St. Peter’s. As he prepared to take off, he saw you standing on the steps at the entrance to the basilica, tears in your eyes. He silently mouthed to you, “I love you. Pray for me.” You were distraught but could do nothing but nod as tears clouded your vision and watch as he ascended from the plaza into the night sky.

M = Memory (What’s their favorite memory together?)

One night you begged Patrick to go for a walk around the city together, like a normal couple would. You couldn’t brush away the romantic childhood notions of strolling through Rome with your beloved. He finally acquiesced to your pleas (your doe eyes and breathy implorations being of great assistance to you) and the two of you slipped quietly out into the dusky night. You frolicked at the Trevi Fountain, gazed at the enormity of the Pantheon, and shared a sweet treat from the gelateria while nestled on a bridge overlooking the Tiber River. Although the ancient city was beautiful, the sight beside him was what truly took his breath away.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Priests are sworn to a life of poverty, so Patrick does not shower you with expensive presents (nor can he afford to). But none of that matters to you because all you care about is Patrick and your love for him. Of his few earthly possessions, Patrick gifted you his late mother’s golden crucifix necklace inlaid with emerald, despite your attempts to dissuade him. He gave you the look of utmost adoration and smiled. “Angelo mio, you are the only one worthy of wearing it.” You wear the necklace every day as a secret declaration of your love for Patrick.

O = Orange (What color reminds them of their other half?)

There are two: light pink (it is your favorite color and the color of your favorite flower, the gardenia) and white. White symbolizes purity and peace, as it is the color of the angels, and to Patrick, you are his angel on Earth.

P = Pet Names (What pet names do they use?)

Angelo mio (“my angel”); cuore mio (“my heart”); mi amore (my love); “beloved”; “dearest”; “my treasure” ; “sweetheart.”

Q = Quaint (What is their favorite non-modern thing?)

His rosary, made of olive wood grown on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was a gift from His Holiness.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Ideally, he would spend the day curled up together on the sofa with you, reading, talking, or just basking in the other’s presence. Two mugs of tea and a plate of delectable pastries you had baked for him would sit on the table but would remain uneaten because of the sustenance you provide to each other. When he cannot be with you, he enjoys spending time in his study, doing research, reading Scripture, or writing his weekly homily.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Prayer—he always turns to God and the Saints for guidance.

Naturally, being by your side and in close physical contact immediately quells even his deepest fears. He relishes listening to your soft, sweet voice, lulling him into a sense of profound comfort and eventually, sleep.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Patrick is an intellectual at heart and loved the time he spent in seminary. He is incredibly well-versed in a variety of topics, including literature, history, science, music, art, philosophy, and theology. You could listen to him for hours and never lose interest.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

You. Patrick can be himself around you, let his guard down. He knows that he can tell you anything. Sometimes when he has a lot on his mind (responsibilities, the welfare of his Church, your future together), he simply gazes at you lovingly and observes the subtle movements you make when you’re engrossed in a task like cooking, reading, or playing the piano.

When he’s anxious and you are not around, prayer provides him a deep sense of comfort. He also relishes in your sweet scent—a small vial of your perfume you gifted him.

V = Vaunt (How do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Vanity is a sin! 😉

But in secret, he loves showing off his Latin skills to you! You find it incredibly sensual when he speaks to you in that ancient tongue.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

On a dreamy spring night, Patrick led you up to a secret balcony near the base of St. Peter’s massive dome—a hidden observatory shown to him by His Holiness when he was a young boy. The view is breathtaking; you can see the whole city bathed in golden light, the inky blue darkness above cut by the silver caresses of the moon. You turn to Patrick in complete awe and could hardly articulate how beautiful the view was. He pulls you close to him and whispers that he would be happy if he could never see this view again if it meant he could spend the rest of his life with you. You turned to him, overwhelmed with love, your breath hitching at the significance of his words. He then knelt down before you, taking your hands in his.

“Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, of all the blessings God has bestowed upon me, none is more precious than you. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew that we were meant to be together, in this place and time.” His eyes were sincere and insistent, his tone earnest as he held your hands tighter and continued: “My mind told me that we could not be together, that my vows of celibacy and chastity forbid this. But my heart tells me that if a love so pure as ours exists, is it not a gift from God, meant to be treasured? And though I may not deserve to understand, all I wish to know and feel is my love for you.” His eyes shone softly with tears.

“Y/N, my love, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and spend the rest of your life with me? Will you be my wife?”

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Patrick loves the ancient hymns from the early days of the Church, their melodies hauntingly beautiful yet powerful. “Ave Maria” also has a special place in his heart after he heard you singing it softly to yourself one evening while preparing dinner.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Every day! Patrick is so torn between the duties of his priesthood and his intense longing to spend the rest of his life as your husband. He prays to God often about this personal conflict, but finally decides to propose to you before Him alone, indifferent to anyone else’s judgement.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Because Patrick is so easygoing and affectionate, he would do really well with dogs.

Tag: @lemairepstuff @seraferna

#ewan mcgregor #patrick mckenna #camerlengo #angels and demons #dan brown #il camerlengo #carlo ventresca #ewanfuckinmcgregor #forgive me father for i have sinned

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laurenborrelli · 6 years

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Allora, va bene

Ever since studying abroad in rome 4.5 years ago, I have been anxious about my next trip to Italy. Could it possibly live up to the experiences I had while living there? But it was not a matter of competition. I have graduated university, moved to Boston, worked in Architecture for 3 years, and traveled to 6 countries since. I am a different person now - so I tried to be excited to experience the same environment in a different way!

My roommate (Stephanie) for my first two years in Boston had moved to Rome to live with her boyfriend. Since Kate has never been to Italy and knows Stephanie, we decided to venture together to visit her! And while Stephanie sporadically moved home just 10 days before our flight...we made the most of quickly booking two new hostels in Rome and forgetting the money we suddenly had to spend. Everything happens for a reason. And that reason made our trip even better.

Itinerary:

Thursday, April 19th 2018: My flight departed Boston at 9:30pm. Kate’s left Chicago at the same time. As I boarded the plan I got a voicemail of her panting “Lauren - I just made my flight - I ran through security - they held the door for me - see you in Dublin”. So now that I wasn’t going to end up doing this trip alone, the journey began LOL. We met in Dublin and shared a pints of Guinness and Magners in an airport with the best amenities I have experienced. 6 hrs later we flew to Rome. It’s 8pm and we plan to take the train from the airport to Termini Station. I validate my ticket in the machine - all good. Kate goes to validate her ticket - rotates the ticket the other way - and pushes her ticket all the way into the machine and gets it stuck. The train is to depart in 3 minutes and our Italian consists of “scusa me” and “mis dispiace” uhhh ticket-a-stuck? Luckily the snail speed of the ticket attendant to walk over, open the machine, get us our ticket didn’t deter us from running to barely make it on the train. WHEW giggles and sweat overwhelmed us. We capped on the night by checking-in to our hostel and headed to a spot up the street for food. The dinner consisted of with bread + nduja spread and two personal pizzas. Safe to say we went to bed with full bellies and tired minds.

Saturday: Kate survived her first night in a hostel! She talked in her sleep the whole night...which I’m sure the 3 french, 2 british, and one not sure guys were pretty thrilled about! We were the two girls in an 8 person room...bachelor pad! LOL JK they were all under 20 y/o but very polite and easy to stay in a room with! The morning walking tour began with a cornetti and cappuccini at a small cafe where I used to frequent when I had meetings for a design competition Premio Piranesi. Moving on to Santa Maria Maggiore, through Monti, around the forum before the crowds, and checked-out my old lunch nook at the Campidoglio. Then down the stairs along Via Maior Arenula to see where my Cartography classes used to take place and crossed the Ponte Vittorio to check out the Vatican all before noon! There was a choir singing and thousands of people with matching hats...then suddenly the pope comes strolling out in his glass-less mercedes! He goes zipping around and suddenly comes within 10 feet of us!!! Kate and I look at each other in awe...ok we saw the pope in our first 24 hours in Rome we can die happy now. We later found out this weekend was Rome’s birthday, so there was a plethora of activities going on this weekend! After all of this excitement we FINALLY realized how hungry we were!! Pizza al taglia at La Boccaccia in Trastevere and found my old apartment! Then around the Pantheon and the journey back uphill to rest our legs at the hostel. With sunburned noses and hungry bellies we headed in Monti to Pasta Chef. Its a casual pop-in restaurant with a 4.9 rating on trip advisor - the paper plates and plastic cups makes it not seem like a roman restaurant. But the food was SO FREAKING GOOD! Grabbed wine and a tiramisu to go and wandered to check out the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps at night. Ahhh what a perfect night cap to an amazing first day in Rome!

Sunday: Early morning at the Coliseum. My first time here since it was under renovation before! We beat (some) of the crowds and scheduled a 12am tour. We went inside anyways just to compare what it would look like during the day. As we left the crowds were in full form. Walked around circus maximus and say more bday celebrations kicking off. A huge parade of gladiators took off and we caught them at the campidoglio. Porchetta sandwich for lunch at my all-time fave Baccanale in Campo de Fiori. Espresso granita at Tazza D’oro, to Piazza Navona, then up to the Borghese Gardens. An earth day festival was happening. 75% of the sustainable crafts consisted of spray paint. Aerosols...earth day...jersey show...it all seemed too ironic. Spritz and pastries in the gardens and home for a quick nap / packing before the midnight tour! Made it all the way there despite all of the sketchy guys and cat calls and there was not one entrance point open. Of course the police barely spoke english and made inappropriate comments so we snapped a quick photo of the colosseum light up and quickly jumped in an uber. So did the ticket booth mean 12pm not midnight?...

Monday: Delicious breakfast at a cafe before our 8am train to Como! At our connection in Milan, the second Kate stepped foot on the train it started to depart. Whew barely made it. After struggling at the grocery store in Como with our luggage / weighing every produce item (what does the check-out counter do then?) and touching produce without a glove. We made it on the bus with all of the middle school kids getting out of school...lucky us! Our airbnb was about 30 mins from Como in a tiny waterfront town called Careno. The hosts met us at the house, showed us everything, and could not have been more helpful! We basked in the sun on the beautiful balcony with some snacks and rose. Ahhh now this is the relaxing part of the vacation. It was a beautiful ten minute walk down to the rocky beach basically through people’s kitchens. The water was cold and clear with a couple friendly “buon giorno” heard as we wandered down. Finished the day with some carbonara on the balcony and Italian dancing with the stars.

Tuesday: An early bus ride to Bellagio to go kayaking! Kate’s all-time favorite kayaking tour because it was 20% paddling and 80% chilling. Just us two on a tour with the guide, Mich. We asked him any questions we could think of about Italy - even how old kids are when they start smoking. The answer was 13 btw... We then had lunch of pizza at a hidden gem he recommended called La Grotta. Wandered through the shops to buy beautiful ceramics at Magda Guaitamacchi. The owner was an older woman who spent most of her adult life practicing art in London. She was the sweetest and really made our afternoon. We then spent a couple hours hanging at the park at the point. I did a bit of watercoloring and mostly enjoying the turquoise water against the snowcapped alps. We then hopped on a ferry home and enjoyed a spritz while on board. Our airbnb hosts graciously got us a reservation for the only restaurant in the tiny town of Careno. We had the corner table as the server had grown up with our host. The meal consisted of multiple courses, each with a particular backstory. All of the fish was caught in the lake and it was a wonderful way for us to learn about the history of the area. As we ended with the best limoncello I’ve ever had and bill way too discounted, our server grabbed keys and let us into the church next store. At first it seemed a bit like a horror scene but actually turned out to be magical and show how selfless his actions were. We went to bed absolutely stunned how we could meet three incredibly kind and giving people all in one day.

Wednesday: We checked out of our airbnb and trekked down the steep walk to the ferry launch with our suitcases. After running, sweating, and some last-minute help from our server the previous night (we stumbled upon him opening the restaurant) we made it on the ferry! A leisurely but packed ride to the town of Menaggio on the Switzerland side. It was the holiday for Italy’s independence after the collapse of WWII, so transportation and store times were a bit skewed. Luckily the visitor’s center was open and held on to our luggage free of charge! We strolled through town and had a beautiful waterfront lunch with sammies and spritz. After espresso and gelato we grabbed our stuff to take the ferry all the way to the train station in Como. The town of Como was absolutely packed! Happy we didn’t spend much time there as we grabbed snacks and took the train to our next destination - Modena! We arrived and checked into our next airbnb just in time to catch sunset on the rooftop. People were out drinking and celebrating. We could hear their cheering and signing resonating form the roof it was hilarious.

Thursday: We took the train in to Parma for our day filled with food tours! For my bday, my dad had found a guide who would take us to all local producers in region. It was just Kate and I on our personal tour with her! First stop: Parmigiano Reggiano! The name comes from the rural area of Parma and Reggio Emilia (clever). We got to see every step of the process and enjoy some delicious samples too. Next stop: Lambrusco winery! A refreshing wine with vines that are very young - completely different then my experience in Tuscany. Then to the Proscuitto and Culatello! Delicious meats but the parts hanging in the butcher’s stations were a bit much. How huge these pigs must be is also quite disturbing... Then to lunch at a small restaurant along a horse race track. Pretty heavy local cuisine which actually put me to sleep on our car ride back into town...oops! Finished off the tour with balsamic vinegar. Very interesting of every age is a blend of the old with the new - different then the rigidity of some aged foods. With bellies full of very rich indulgences, we headed back to Modena and grabbed aperitivo at this awesome spot in town. Great vibes, super friendly staff, gorgeous men drinking rose and on bikes, well behaved dogs, a bit of house music, and chips with our spritz...ahhh perfect end to a day once again.

Friday: A full day in Modena and my 26th bday! Morning at cafe with beautiful, innovative interiors. Walked around town and stopped in several stores for fun shopping. Walked through the food market where the Chef Massimo Bottura shops everyday. I made reservations for us to have lunch at his more casual restaurant Francescetta 58. Once we arrived, boy oh boy was I treating myself on my bday! We had a wonderful bottle of white wine with our tasting menus. Kate got the typical 3 course option and I treated myself to the regional 4 course upgrade. The dishes were the best I have certainly ever had and we left with the largest smiles on our face. Best meal ever on my actual bday?...this seemed like a dream. We then walked off a bit of the food and noodled up to the Ferrari museum. Pretty cool space with very modern architecture and the cars were pretty sick to see. The design of each car is so immaculate and just like with any museum, its awesome to see people appreciated the design of something. Being in the design industry this is something I admire and hope I can implement more in my type of work (even if it isn’t something common in the U.S.). Ended the day with apperitivo and a late sunset on the rooftop. And gelato cake in my favorite italian flavor of Amarena. Ah what an awesome day!

Saturday: Took the train back to Rome and arrived at a different hostel for the final leg of the trip. We grabbed a late lunch at Pasta Imperiale - a casual spot similar to Pasta Chef and then headed to my favorite museum Museo dei Fori Imperiali. It is Trajan’s market which was accidentally found below ground in a street repair! I have never been in a building that is an artifact in itself! Great how interactive it is and puts the extensive Roman history into perspective. An evening then of apperitivo and walking around Monti with a reasonable bed time.

Sunday: Early morning visit to the Trevi and the Spanish steps before the crowds then hopped on a train to see family an hour south! It was Kate’s time visiting our extended family and seeing the town our great-grandmother (106 this year!) is from. Carlo and Paula picked us up from the train station and gave us a beautiful tour of their lush garden. It was filled with vines for wine, fig trees, strawberry planters, and a beautiful brick oven. After a delicious lunch we headed up to Ventosa where my great-grandfather is from. We saw the house my nana gave birth to our grandpa. We saw her old home that is still abandoned and looks like it was bombed just yesterday. Then went down the hill to Santi Cosma e Damiano and walked through the church that my nana got married in. She also left her diamond earrings in the palms of the saints the night before she moved to the U. S....The piazza outside is where my great-grandfather apparently saw my nana coming out of church and realized he wanted to date her. He had come back from the U.S. to find a nice Italian wife that would move with him... and then there were facebook icons graffitied in the wall next door. Oh how times have changed! LOL The views from these tall towns are stunning and the younger family members speak much better english then last time! So it was fun to converse with time about their recent European travels and what life is like form them living in the larger town of Latina. Took the train back into Rome in the late evening and grabbed dinner at a fancy food court in Termini Station that our hostel host had recommended.

Monday: Last day in Italy! We walked all through the city up the Giancolo to see the cannon launched at noon. We walked around the tempietto and hung in the Villa Doria Pamphilj park. Then down the hill to the Vatican, to find out that it was completely mobbed and would take us forever to even get inside the chapel. Next time, Kate! We grabbed lunch at the most modern restaurant I have seen in Rome called Bar del Fico. It was great and I hope more like these start to pop up! Similar type of restaurant that Modena is filled with! Then spent the afternoon bopping into a couple art stores, checking out Ara Pacis and back up to grab spritz in our fave little garden bar at Borghese Gardens. We even stumbled upon a gelato festival!!! This was an awesome surprise and while I didn’t have the appetite for it, Kate certainly did! The flavors were incredibly diverse and unique and she had the largest smile on her face the entire time! We ended the night grabbing pizza at Alle Carrette.

Changes since my last visit:

Security: This was my first experience going through a metal detector before entering a church! Man things have changed in Rome since I lived here...but for the better! Better for this precaution then to have a scary situation inside the church. To get into St. Peter’s square we even went through many check points - one including the guard making me drink my water in front of them. Ah yes just water no acid ;)

Spring flowers: This time of year there were flowers growing everywhere! The wisteria around the wedding cake building made it look a bit less...intimidating. The pink and white flowers along teh spanish steps were beautiful too.

Old apartment: It’s converted into a beautiful restaurant/hotel. Which is a relief because the place was falling apart and felt like a lost opportunity when we lived there. Pretty surreal walking around but not a sappy feeling, just happy that I got to have my time there.

What will never change:

Coffee: UGH it’s inevitable to not go a morning without a cappuccino or an afternoon without an espresso. Even kate was having a cappuccino every morning by the end of our trip! They just prepare it so perfectly well that how could anyone not resist.

Work hours: We would be in a park in the middle of the day and it would be littered with people! It was awesome to see how lively and happy everyone was, but why aren’t these people at school or work?... Our Parma tour guide had said full-time jobs aren’t prevalent in Italy now, but is it really THAT bad?

Men: SO. MANY LOOKERS! Very few people acted on it but definitely intimidating for walking around in the evening as two girls. However I did realize if you want to feel good about yourself - go to Italy. If you want to feel bad - come back to the U.S.!

I feel very blessed that the universe brought Kate and I together for this trip. The trip never felt overshadowed by my previous experiences and I could not have been happier to spend it with someone I care so deeply about.

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