Cardinal Luxuria. @cardinalluxuria - Tumblr Blog

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“I can see them, just like the other ghosts and spirits that run around in here and the other places I’ve lived. But I’ve never gotten close enough to a wraith to do anything really, they run away from me for some reason.” She couldn’t fathom why, she was an ideal target if there was one- full of trauma and negative emotions to feed of off.

“Which means, if I want to get ahold of this one I’d have to trap it and they tend to get a little… nasty when cornered so banishment would be the most logical choice.” The Sister was confident in her choice, giving a little nod of affirmation when she finished.

You dabble in magic. He, if anyone, would certainly be able to tell. I do a little more than dabble, she wanted to say. But bragging wouldn’t serve her any good on the first day. However, Sister Cora was a prideful creature even if she didn’t want to admit it, so a little subtle bragging would do.

“A six point seal on all four walls, floor and ceiling of the hallway ought to be enough to contain it. Sage to weaken it and pull it into something flammable. Take it outside and let a little arcane fire finish the job.” Casually she held up a hand, making the devil horns with it and forming a little ball of magenta flame between the fingers. It was among her favorite magics to conjure, able to burn or purge most things supernatural.

She could see spirits, which told the cambion that she had seen death, caused death, or otherwise been involved with something of the sort. The veil between their world and the world beyond no longer existed for her for one reason or another, which would make her all the more useful to him in the long run. “Perhaps because they are not used to being seen, my dear. I find it best to just ignore them completely if you can.”

He set the papers down after leafing through them to ensure they had been done right, and to his surprise, there wasn’t a singular thing he would have to change. It would seem that her former Cardinal had in fact trained her well. Good. He wouldn’t have to babysit her, and perhaps he would finally have some more time on his hands for a little more recreational time of his own.

“Well, since you seem to know exactly how to banish one of these creatures, I will leave that task in your perfectly capable hands, Sister. But first.” He sits forward in his chair then, folding his hands on the top of his desk. His pale blue eyes settle onto her face, a small smirk playing at his full lips, as it always did. “Exactly how is it that you came to have abilities that most humans could only dream of possessing? At a first glance, there is nothing special to you. And I mean that as politely as possible, Sister. And yet… you can do things that even the most senior members of our church can only do after decades of practice.”

He could sense her little invader, feel it reaching out for him, for the demonic half of him anyways. His eyes flickered crimson as he gazed intently at her for a long moment, his darker half wanting nothing more than to expose her true nature. He knew, and he wanted her to know that he knew her little secret that she tried so hard to hide; even from those closest to her.

The Sister stiffened at the line of questioning. How much to tell up front? How much to leave for later? Cora had heard of Vassago, what he could do. No doubt his son would be able to see the events of the past that lead her to this point without her saying a word. Ira had expected honesty and promptness and made sure such things were rewarded. Luxuria on the other hand… It wouldn’t matter if she lied or not, he would find out.

“I don’t know. Odd things started happening around me when I was eighteen. Electrical phenomena, plants dying, reviving and dying again, boiling water or coffee freezing solid when I touched the cup. I don’t know where it came from, the seers and sanguimancers couldn’t find a trace of any supernatural heritage for me. I just… happened.” The universe could be strange like that.

A deep breath to steady herself and remain professional before the human continued.

“Through an ill series of events the first ‘true’ magic I performed was necromancy. It went very poorly. People died. After that I was offered a place in our church, as I had a knack for finding obscure books and tomes on magic, abandoned my previous life and here we are. Satisfactory?”

Wise of her to tell him what he could have easily found out on his own, he thought to himself as the Sister told her story of strange magically happenings occurring out of nowhere with no logical reasoning. But that was the inherent problem with magic then, wasn’t it? That it more often than not made no sense at all? Alaric had always known he was special, from his earliest childhood memories.

But this girl? She was made special for some reason that no one yet understood. He would have to keep an even closer eye on her than he thought at first, it seemed. Alaric had the gift of seeing the potential in individuals; what they could become with a little grooming. But with Cora? He could only begin to see the potential she would have.

“Our Lord has great plans for you then, no doubt. But surely even you know that, Sister.” The Cardinal lightly taps his fingertips against the hard wood of his desk. “My father reveals the future to those who ask for his help, and has a similar gift to yours in that he can reveal the location of lost treasures. Perhaps you were meant to find me.”

He locks his eyes with hers again after falling silent for a moment, deep in thought. It was no secret that Copia was special in his own right; he was the rider of the Pale Horse, the Plaguebringer. Alaric had seen firsthand the horrible things that their new Papa could do, what he would do. Perhaps this Sister was another piece of the puzzle.

“I could help you, you know. With your magic. With anything you wished to learn. I’ve been studying my whole life. I have thousands of books you could borrow, to learn from.”

All that glitters isn’t gold, though.

A good thought, but one best kept to oneself. She didn’t trust the cambion completely, not yet at least. She kept everyone at arm’s length regarding the necromancy, even the ones she loved the most. But Alaric had been groomed his entire life to be able to use magic, he knew things through experience and not just heresay.

I could help you.

But how far to let him in?

As she had told herself before: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“What do you know about necromancy?” Cora asked finally, breaking another silence. “The times that I’ve done it…” Now or never, a step into icy waters. “The times that I’ve done it, the commands were verbal. I said them aloud but never saw them written. It was like… someone speaking them to me for me to repeat. I only hear them, not see them like I do the other whispers and ghosts. And the words… I’ve never found them written anywhere, there’s no translation for them I just know what they mean. They’re not Ghoulish, High Ghoulish, Infernal or even Angelic. But they’re there. I’m sure I’d hear them now if I shut out the other spirits in here.”

“What do I know about it? In theory, a bit. In practice? Not a whole lot. I’m more the type to end a life than to try to bring one back that has been lost. I’ve talked with spirits, but do I hear them regularly? No.” Not like the demonic voices he did hear in the back of his head at times. He suspected it was because the veil between Earth and the underworld was exceptionally tattered in this building. Anywhere where there might be larger holes, rifts between the dimensions, he was more likely to hear the voices.

The Cardinal shifted forwards in his seat then, a curious look in his eyes. How curious, that some random girl would be granted these powers. Even those who were extremely advanced and in tune with the divine worlds had a hard time with necromancy, as it was one of the more difficult types of magic. And she was hearing a voice in a language, and then repeating the words, that she somehow understood despite never studying it? How curious.

“These times… Was there a purpose to what you were doing, or was it like… someone, or something was acting through you, and you were nothing but a vessel for them to use? A tool? In otherwords, did you feel in control, or did it feel like you were… possessed?”

When he called upon his father for power, his father was able to act through him, and his body became nothing more than a vessel for Vassago to use to roam the Earth. It had only happened a handful of times, but he knew how unsettling the feeling could be. To expect for one thing to happen, and to have something completely opposite happen, and without being able to control any of it. But that spirit was his father; someone he knew and trusted, someone who had his best interests at heart. They didn’t have the closest relationship by any means of course, but Alaric at least knew that the demon Prince would not harm him.

“What if it’s a language that never existed? Or one that was never recorded? The thing I understand about necromancy is that once someone passes over onto the other side, or if they are trapped between worlds, it’s almost like any laws or logic stop applying. Why would that not apply to language?”

The Sister huffed slightly, making a face. That wasn’t the answer she was after. She’d been hoping for a straightforward answer- “Yes, this is so and so and this is why you hear them.” But, as she should have guessed, things were never so simple.

“No, each time I was trying to do something, I had a goal in mind.” Cora thought back, remembering the feel of it, how the whispers felt cold yet safe. “It was like… like someone looking over your shoulder while you’re doing something and giving instructions. Something like that, at least. Like they’re telling me what I need to say to accomplish what I’m trying to do. I just know I’m supposed to repeat what they say.” The more she tried to explain it the harder it seemed to be to quantify.

His comments on language gave her pause. That… actually made sense. A lot of sense. If she was repeating something that had never been recorded and was coming from an alternate plane of existence then why was she trying to apply logic from their realm to it?

“Of course… The laws of the living have no bearing on the dead. You would need to use the laws of the dead to command the dead. So, what? Am I hearing Death then? That can’t really be it, can it?”

What the Sister described was very much what it was like when the Cardinal himself was first beginning to dabble in ritual magic when he was a teenager. By that time, his mother was gone, and he had no one that was able to teach him such things. At least, no one who was willing. They feared what he would become if he realized his full potential, if he bonded with his father in Hell below. There wouldn’t be a force on Earth that could control him if that happened. And they were right. Thus far, the only ones who rivaled his ability were those of the Emeritus line, and Cardinal Copia. Could this girl be next?

Alaric watched silently as it seemed that something clicked in Cora’s mind, as she contemplated what he had said to her. Admittedly, necromancy was probably his weakest area of magic, but he was thoroughly enjoying the stimulating conversation. All the others seemed to care about was making someone fall in love with them, conjuring their own Ghoul companion, or something silly and superficial of the sort.

Most of his magic was done for his own selfish purposes as well, of course. He spoke with his father about what strategical moves he should make, how he could obtain more power. But he also did a great deal for the church; summoning powerful spirits, creating new Ghouls, connecting members of the clergy with his father so they might see their own future. There were often jokes of the Cardinal being a fortune telling witch muttered about by the humans.

“Why not, dear Sister? You said yourself that you cannot apply the laws of our world to that which is beyond us. Is it really so unreasonable that Death themself would speak to you? The Emeritus line could speak directly to Lucifer himself. I can speak to my father. Christian priests claim to speak to their God. Why not Death?”

Alaric stood then, going to a nearby cabinet and pulling out two glasses and a bottle of cognac, pouring some out into each glass. He then set one down in front of the Sister, pulling his chair around so he could sit closer to her now. She had his full attention, and intrigue. For the moment, anyways.

“Have you tried talking to the voice before? Or do you just do as it says?”

Cora took the glass absentmindedly, still sussing out what all of this could mean. Was she really hearing Death? It wasn’t like she’d ever come across any eye witness testimonies or memoirs of similar interactions.

“Why? Because who am I? I’m no one, I’m just some chick from a factory town in rural Ohio! I’m not an Emeritus, or a cambion or even a Christian zealot. I’m just… no one. Why would Death talk to me? I’m sure it… they… have much better things to do.” If she wasn’t caught up in the conversation the Sister would be struck by how quickly she’d fallen into an almost comfortable rapport with her new Cardinal whom she didn’t trust completely.

She sipped on the cognac, still lost in thought. A shame she wasn’t paying attention, it was a good vintage.

“What would I even say? ‘Hi, how’s your day going being a metaphysical entity beyond my comprehension?’ I don’t exactly call it. Or maybe I do and it’s subconscious. All I know is that when I’m working in necromancy, they’re there. Like they already know what I want and are telling me the answers? But it’s not like they’re absent when I’m not doing magic either. If I took a minute to listen I could probably hear them. I’m not sure what they would say right now but still.”

#sinful-thaumaturge #dont mind him he just never stops thinking about doing dirty things to everyone he meets #awful man

“But perhaps you were born to become someone. At any rate, Death is the one force that does not discriminate between class, age, sex, religion. Death is inevitable for any and all who walk this Earth. You’re not any less special in regards to that.”

Although, the Sister did have a good point. Why would Death talk to her? He had never heard of Death speaking to individuals who were still very much alive. Of course, there were accounts of those who died and came back that they saw Death, but nothing to this magnitude.

The Cardinal took a sip from his glass and sighed contently. Nothing like good conversation and a glass of spirits. How long had it been since he’d had such a stimulating chat? Had he even been in the same room with someone he did not bed for this long recently? His pale eyes flickered over Cora’s slender form, licking his lips. She was a pretty one, there would be no denying that. But she reeked of Ghoul, and he found himself wondering why she was wasting her time fraternizing with the lowly ranks of those sorts. Surely she deserved a Clergyman to hang off of the arm of.

“Well, your magic never just goes away. It’s a part of you always, so that would not be surprising if this presence is with you always.” Alaric stated simply, taking another deep sip. “Why would you not just get to the point and ask the pressing questions if you did speak to them? Don’t bother with the irritating pleasantries of our world if you ever do speak to this voice.”

He leaned forward slightly, an intense look in his eyes as he caught the glance of the Sister sitting before him. “You should try talking to it now. See what happens.”

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“I can see them, just like the other ghosts and spirits that run around in here and the other places I’ve lived. But I’ve never gotten close enough to a wraith to do anything really, they run away from me for some reason.” She couldn’t fathom why, she was an ideal target if there was one- full of trauma and negative emotions to feed of off.

“Which means, if I want to get ahold of this one I’d have to trap it and they tend to get a little… nasty when cornered so banishment would be the most logical choice.” The Sister was confident in her choice, giving a little nod of affirmation when she finished.

You dabble in magic. He, if anyone, would certainly be able to tell. I do a little more than dabble, she wanted to say. But bragging wouldn’t serve her any good on the first day. However, Sister Cora was a prideful creature even if she didn’t want to admit it, so a little subtle bragging would do.

“A six point seal on all four walls, floor and ceiling of the hallway ought to be enough to contain it. Sage to weaken it and pull it into something flammable. Take it outside and let a little arcane fire finish the job.” Casually she held up a hand, making the devil horns with it and forming a little ball of magenta flame between the fingers. It was among her favorite magics to conjure, able to burn or purge most things supernatural.

She could see spirits, which told the cambion that she had seen death, caused death, or otherwise been involved with something of the sort. The veil between their world and the world beyond no longer existed for her for one reason or another, which would make her all the more useful to him in the long run. “Perhaps because they are not used to being seen, my dear. I find it best to just ignore them completely if you can.”

He set the papers down after leafing through them to ensure they had been done right, and to his surprise, there wasn’t a singular thing he would have to change. It would seem that her former Cardinal had in fact trained her well. Good. He wouldn’t have to babysit her, and perhaps he would finally have some more time on his hands for a little more recreational time of his own.

“Well, since you seem to know exactly how to banish one of these creatures, I will leave that task in your perfectly capable hands, Sister. But first.” He sits forward in his chair then, folding his hands on the top of his desk. His pale blue eyes settle onto her face, a small smirk playing at his full lips, as it always did. “Exactly how is it that you came to have abilities that most humans could only dream of possessing? At a first glance, there is nothing special to you. And I mean that as politely as possible, Sister. And yet… you can do things that even the most senior members of our church can only do after decades of practice.”

He could sense her little invader, feel it reaching out for him, for the demonic half of him anyways. His eyes flickered crimson as he gazed intently at her for a long moment, his darker half wanting nothing more than to expose her true nature. He knew, and he wanted her to know that he knew her little secret that she tried so hard to hide; even from those closest to her.

The Sister stiffened at the line of questioning. How much to tell up front? How much to leave for later? Cora had heard of Vassago, what he could do. No doubt his son would be able to see the events of the past that lead her to this point without her saying a word. Ira had expected honesty and promptness and made sure such things were rewarded. Luxuria on the other hand… It wouldn’t matter if she lied or not, he would find out.

“I don’t know. Odd things started happening around me when I was eighteen. Electrical phenomena, plants dying, reviving and dying again, boiling water or coffee freezing solid when I touched the cup. I don’t know where it came from, the seers and sanguimancers couldn’t find a trace of any supernatural heritage for me. I just… happened.” The universe could be strange like that.

A deep breath to steady herself and remain professional before the human continued.

“Through an ill series of events the first ‘true’ magic I performed was necromancy. It went very poorly. People died. After that I was offered a place in our church, as I had a knack for finding obscure books and tomes on magic, abandoned my previous life and here we are. Satisfactory?”

Wise of her to tell him what he could have easily found out on his own, he thought to himself as the Sister told her story of strange magically happenings occurring out of nowhere with no logical reasoning. But that was the inherent problem with magic then, wasn’t it? That it more often than not made no sense at all? Alaric had always known he was special, from his earliest childhood memories.

But this girl? She was made special for some reason that no one yet understood. He would have to keep an even closer eye on her than he thought at first, it seemed. Alaric had the gift of seeing the potential in individuals; what they could become with a little grooming. But with Cora? He could only begin to see the potential she would have.

“Our Lord has great plans for you then, no doubt. But surely even you know that, Sister.” The Cardinal lightly taps his fingertips against the hard wood of his desk. “My father reveals the future to those who ask for his help, and has a similar gift to yours in that he can reveal the location of lost treasures. Perhaps you were meant to find me.”

He locks his eyes with hers again after falling silent for a moment, deep in thought. It was no secret that Copia was special in his own right; he was the rider of the Pale Horse, the Plaguebringer. Alaric had seen firsthand the horrible things that their new Papa could do, what he would do. Perhaps this Sister was another piece of the puzzle.

“I could help you, you know. With your magic. With anything you wished to learn. I’ve been studying my whole life. I have thousands of books you could borrow, to learn from.”

All that glitters isn’t gold, though.

A good thought, but one best kept to oneself. She didn’t trust the cambion completely, not yet at least. She kept everyone at arm’s length regarding the necromancy, even the ones she loved the most. But Alaric had been groomed his entire life to be able to use magic, he knew things through experience and not just heresay.

I could help you.

But how far to let him in?

As she had told herself before: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“What do you know about necromancy?” Cora asked finally, breaking another silence. “The times that I’ve done it…” Now or never, a step into icy waters. “The times that I’ve done it, the commands were verbal. I said them aloud but never saw them written. It was like… someone speaking them to me for me to repeat. I only hear them, not see them like I do the other whispers and ghosts. And the words… I’ve never found them written anywhere, there’s no translation for them I just know what they mean. They’re not Ghoulish, High Ghoulish, Infernal or even Angelic. But they’re there. I’m sure I’d hear them now if I shut out the other spirits in here.”

“What do I know about it? In theory, a bit. In practice? Not a whole lot. I’m more the type to end a life than to try to bring one back that has been lost. I’ve talked with spirits, but do I hear them regularly? No.” Not like the demonic voices he did hear in the back of his head at times. He suspected it was because the veil between Earth and the underworld was exceptionally tattered in this building. Anywhere where there might be larger holes, rifts between the dimensions, he was more likely to hear the voices.

The Cardinal shifted forwards in his seat then, a curious look in his eyes. How curious, that some random girl would be granted these powers. Even those who were extremely advanced and in tune with the divine worlds had a hard time with necromancy, as it was one of the more difficult types of magic. And she was hearing a voice in a language, and then repeating the words, that she somehow understood despite never studying it? How curious.

“These times… Was there a purpose to what you were doing, or was it like… someone, or something was acting through you, and you were nothing but a vessel for them to use? A tool? In otherwords, did you feel in control, or did it feel like you were… possessed?”

When he called upon his father for power, his father was able to act through him, and his body became nothing more than a vessel for Vassago to use to roam the Earth. It had only happened a handful of times, but he knew how unsettling the feeling could be. To expect for one thing to happen, and to have something completely opposite happen, and without being able to control any of it. But that spirit was his father; someone he knew and trusted, someone who had his best interests at heart. They didn’t have the closest relationship by any means of course, but Alaric at least knew that the demon Prince would not harm him.

“What if it’s a language that never existed? Or one that was never recorded? The thing I understand about necromancy is that once someone passes over onto the other side, or if they are trapped between worlds, it’s almost like any laws or logic stop applying. Why would that not apply to language?”

The Sister huffed slightly, making a face. That wasn’t the answer she was after. She’d been hoping for a straightforward answer- “Yes, this is so and so and this is why you hear them.” But, as she should have guessed, things were never so simple.

“No, each time I was trying to do something, I had a goal in mind.” Cora thought back, remembering the feel of it, how the whispers felt cold yet safe. “It was like… like someone looking over your shoulder while you’re doing something and giving instructions. Something like that, at least. Like they’re telling me what I need to say to accomplish what I’m trying to do. I just know I’m supposed to repeat what they say.” The more she tried to explain it the harder it seemed to be to quantify.

His comments on language gave her pause. That… actually made sense. A lot of sense. If she was repeating something that had never been recorded and was coming from an alternate plane of existence then why was she trying to apply logic from their realm to it?

“Of course… The laws of the living have no bearing on the dead. You would need to use the laws of the dead to command the dead. So, what? Am I hearing Death then? That can’t really be it, can it?”

What the Sister described was very much what it was like when the Cardinal himself was first beginning to dabble in ritual magic when he was a teenager. By that time, his mother was gone, and he had no one that was able to teach him such things. At least, no one who was willing. They feared what he would become if he realized his full potential, if he bonded with his father in Hell below. There wouldn’t be a force on Earth that could control him if that happened. And they were right. Thus far, the only ones who rivaled his ability were those of the Emeritus line, and Cardinal Copia. Could this girl be next?

Alaric watched silently as it seemed that something clicked in Cora’s mind, as she contemplated what he had said to her. Admittedly, necromancy was probably his weakest area of magic, but he was thoroughly enjoying the stimulating conversation. All the others seemed to care about was making someone fall in love with them, conjuring their own Ghoul companion, or something silly and superficial of the sort.

Most of his magic was done for his own selfish purposes as well, of course. He spoke with his father about what strategical moves he should make, how he could obtain more power. But he also did a great deal for the church; summoning powerful spirits, creating new Ghouls, connecting members of the clergy with his father so they might see their own future. There were often jokes of the Cardinal being a fortune telling witch muttered about by the humans.

“Why not, dear Sister? You said yourself that you cannot apply the laws of our world to that which is beyond us. Is it really so unreasonable that Death themself would speak to you? The Emeritus line could speak directly to Lucifer himself. I can speak to my father. Christian priests claim to speak to their God. Why not Death?”

Alaric stood then, going to a nearby cabinet and pulling out two glasses and a bottle of cognac, pouring some out into each glass. He then set one down in front of the Sister, pulling his chair around so he could sit closer to her now. She had his full attention, and intrigue. For the moment, anyways.

“Have you tried talking to the voice before? Or do you just do as it says?”

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“I can see them, just like the other ghosts and spirits that run around in here and the other places I’ve lived. But I’ve never gotten close enough to a wraith to do anything really, they run away from me for some reason.” She couldn’t fathom why, she was an ideal target if there was one- full of trauma and negative emotions to feed of off.

“Which means, if I want to get ahold of this one I’d have to trap it and they tend to get a little… nasty when cornered so banishment would be the most logical choice.” The Sister was confident in her choice, giving a little nod of affirmation when she finished.

You dabble in magic. He, if anyone, would certainly be able to tell. I do a little more than dabble, she wanted to say. But bragging wouldn’t serve her any good on the first day. However, Sister Cora was a prideful creature even if she didn’t want to admit it, so a little subtle bragging would do.

“A six point seal on all four walls, floor and ceiling of the hallway ought to be enough to contain it. Sage to weaken it and pull it into something flammable. Take it outside and let a little arcane fire finish the job.” Casually she held up a hand, making the devil horns with it and forming a little ball of magenta flame between the fingers. It was among her favorite magics to conjure, able to burn or purge most things supernatural.

She could see spirits, which told the cambion that she had seen death, caused death, or otherwise been involved with something of the sort. The veil between their world and the world beyond no longer existed for her for one reason or another, which would make her all the more useful to him in the long run. “Perhaps because they are not used to being seen, my dear. I find it best to just ignore them completely if you can.”

He set the papers down after leafing through them to ensure they had been done right, and to his surprise, there wasn’t a singular thing he would have to change. It would seem that her former Cardinal had in fact trained her well. Good. He wouldn’t have to babysit her, and perhaps he would finally have some more time on his hands for a little more recreational time of his own.

“Well, since you seem to know exactly how to banish one of these creatures, I will leave that task in your perfectly capable hands, Sister. But first.” He sits forward in his chair then, folding his hands on the top of his desk. His pale blue eyes settle onto her face, a small smirk playing at his full lips, as it always did. “Exactly how is it that you came to have abilities that most humans could only dream of possessing? At a first glance, there is nothing special to you. And I mean that as politely as possible, Sister. And yet… you can do things that even the most senior members of our church can only do after decades of practice.”

He could sense her little invader, feel it reaching out for him, for the demonic half of him anyways. His eyes flickered crimson as he gazed intently at her for a long moment, his darker half wanting nothing more than to expose her true nature. He knew, and he wanted her to know that he knew her little secret that she tried so hard to hide; even from those closest to her.

The Sister stiffened at the line of questioning. How much to tell up front? How much to leave for later? Cora had heard of Vassago, what he could do. No doubt his son would be able to see the events of the past that lead her to this point without her saying a word. Ira had expected honesty and promptness and made sure such things were rewarded. Luxuria on the other hand… It wouldn’t matter if she lied or not, he would find out.

“I don’t know. Odd things started happening around me when I was eighteen. Electrical phenomena, plants dying, reviving and dying again, boiling water or coffee freezing solid when I touched the cup. I don’t know where it came from, the seers and sanguimancers couldn’t find a trace of any supernatural heritage for me. I just… happened.” The universe could be strange like that.

A deep breath to steady herself and remain professional before the human continued.

“Through an ill series of events the first ‘true’ magic I performed was necromancy. It went very poorly. People died. After that I was offered a place in our church, as I had a knack for finding obscure books and tomes on magic, abandoned my previous life and here we are. Satisfactory?”

Wise of her to tell him what he could have easily found out on his own, he thought to himself as the Sister told her story of strange magically happenings occurring out of nowhere with no logical reasoning. But that was the inherent problem with magic then, wasn’t it? That it more often than not made no sense at all? Alaric had always known he was special, from his earliest childhood memories.

But this girl? She was made special for some reason that no one yet understood. He would have to keep an even closer eye on her than he thought at first, it seemed. Alaric had the gift of seeing the potential in individuals; what they could become with a little grooming. But with Cora? He could only begin to see the potential she would have.

“Our Lord has great plans for you then, no doubt. But surely even you know that, Sister.” The Cardinal lightly taps his fingertips against the hard wood of his desk. “My father reveals the future to those who ask for his help, and has a similar gift to yours in that he can reveal the location of lost treasures. Perhaps you were meant to find me.”

He locks his eyes with hers again after falling silent for a moment, deep in thought. It was no secret that Copia was special in his own right; he was the rider of the Pale Horse, the Plaguebringer. Alaric had seen firsthand the horrible things that their new Papa could do, what he would do. Perhaps this Sister was another piece of the puzzle.

“I could help you, you know. With your magic. With anything you wished to learn. I’ve been studying my whole life. I have thousands of books you could borrow, to learn from.”

All that glitters isn’t gold, though.

A good thought, but one best kept to oneself. She didn’t trust the cambion completely, not yet at least. She kept everyone at arm’s length regarding the necromancy, even the ones she loved the most. But Alaric had been groomed his entire life to be able to use magic, he knew things through experience and not just heresay.

I could help you.

But how far to let him in?

As she had told herself before: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“What do you know about necromancy?” Cora asked finally, breaking another silence. “The times that I’ve done it…” Now or never, a step into icy waters. “The times that I’ve done it, the commands were verbal. I said them aloud but never saw them written. It was like… someone speaking them to me for me to repeat. I only hear them, not see them like I do the other whispers and ghosts. And the words… I’ve never found them written anywhere, there’s no translation for them I just know what they mean. They’re not Ghoulish, High Ghoulish, Infernal or even Angelic. But they’re there. I’m sure I’d hear them now if I shut out the other spirits in here.”

#sinful-thaumaturge #hes like yeah its cool i hear demons so whatevs

“What do I know about it? In theory, a bit. In practice? Not a whole lot. I’m more the type to end a life than to try to bring one back that has been lost. I’ve talked with spirits, but do I hear them regularly? No.” Not like the demonic voices he did hear in the back of his head at times. He suspected it was because the veil between Earth and the underworld was exceptionally tattered in this building. Anywhere where there might be larger holes, rifts between the dimensions, he was more likely to hear the voices.

The Cardinal shifted forwards in his seat then, a curious look in his eyes. How curious, that some random girl would be granted these powers. Even those who were extremely advanced and in tune with the divine worlds had a hard time with necromancy, as it was one of the more difficult types of magic. And she was hearing a voice in a language, and then repeating the words, that she somehow understood despite never studying it? How curious.

“These times... Was there a purpose to what you were doing, or was it like... someone, or something was acting through you, and you were nothing but a vessel for them to use? A tool? In otherwords, did you feel in control, or did it feel like you were... possessed?”

When he called upon his father for power, his father was able to act through him, and his body became nothing more than a vessel for Vassago to use to roam the Earth. It had only happened a handful of times, but he knew how unsettling the feeling could be. To expect for one thing to happen, and to have something completely opposite happen, and without being able to control any of it. But that spirit was his father; someone he knew and trusted, someone who had his best interests at heart. They didn’t have the closest relationship by any means of course, but Alaric at least knew that the demon Prince would not harm him.

“What if it’s a language that never existed? Or one that was never recorded? The thing I understand about necromancy is that once someone passes over onto the other side, or if they are trapped between worlds, it’s almost like any laws or logic stop applying. Why would that not apply to language?”

“What are you doing?” The Cardinal murmured softly, having crept up on the good Doctor while she was hunched over her desk, examining something through a microscope. She had stacks of files strewn about her, some open, the pages leafed apart. He chuckled softly at the way she cursed under her breath and jumped, flashing her his dazzling smile as she looked up at him. “Well hello there, lovely. Long time no see. Have you missed me then?”

@cardinalluxuria

She’d been examining her latest specimen very closely, having spent the last thirty or so minutes documenting what she’d found, and somebody just had to come in and break her concentration.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Faye muttered under her breath, flinching in her seat as she finally recognized that she wasn’t alone. Pressing a hand to her chest, the doctor let out a huff, an exasperated smile coming over her lips.

“It has been a long time.” Combing a hand through her curls, she winked at him. “Course I’ve missed you.” Moving from her chair, Faye stood up and opened her arms for him, offering the Cardinal a hug. “Where have you been hiding?”

Alaric smirked ever so slightly at the way her eyes seemed to light up, and the smile that spread across her face. He stepped forward as she opened her arms, wrapping his own around her waist carefully to hold her against his chest. He hugged her tightly for a moment, then lifted one of his hands to gently brush a stray curl from out of her face.

“Oh, here and there. Visiting some of the other churches around the world. Trying to vet our new Clergymen. Cardinals and the like. Very boring.” He sighed ever so softly, gazing down into the Doctor’s soft features. How he had missed her pretty face, her sparkling eyes, and that sharp tongue of hers.

He gestured towards the mess on the table in front of her, turning his attention to the files for a brief moment. “What are you working on now? Still on a kick with the whole Ghoul biology thing, or something new?”

Her hands gently traced over the fabric covering his back, and she let out a sigh as he hugged her. Like all the tension she’d built up escaping through her lips. It was nice to have some contact with others- she was burnt out.

“That doesn’t sound boring to me. Traveling around the world is always a pleasure, and you’ve got a very important job, you know.” The doctor’s eyes lit up and she gave him a teasing smile. “At least I know now where you ran off to. Thought you’d just decided you were done with us and went on your merry way.”

Faye’s eyes flickered over to her desk, and her eyes lit up once more. Pulling her hands back, she clapped excitedly and fully gave her attention to her desk. “Well, a little bit of both, actually! You see, I’ve been giving it some thought, after reading through one of these older texts, that maybe I’m not totally equipped to treat Ghouls with just my arsenal of medical tools.” She tapped a finger against one of the pages of strewn across her desk. “It seems plausible that I could up my game, by… well, by learning some magic. I’ve been reading through some spells that seem… well, I think, easy. But… since you’re here… Maybe you could help me? Just a tad?”

Her eyes were hopeful as she looked back up to him, and the doctor sucked in a breath as she gave him her most convincing smile.

“Ah yes, but I wasn’t able to bring along a pretty woman to keep me company, and I ended up missing her so.” He smirked ever so slightly at her comment about being done with ‘us’ wondering if she meant this branch of the church as a whole, or something more specific. He didn’t think he would ever tire of her, as she was the only woman he’d ever met who didn’t instantly give into his charms. The Cardinal rather enjoyed their game of cat and mouse, if he was being honest with himself.

When the Doctor pulled away, he moved to look over her shoulder, still keeping one of his arms lightly wrapped around her waist. His fingertips brushed at her through the layers of her clothing, finding the contact between the two of them to be rather… soothing. His pale eyes flickered over the texts, recognizing a few of them as works that Cardinal Copia himself had actually translated from original Latin. Alaric hummed softky in approval at her theory, nodding slightly. It was plausible, of course. Certainly made sense enough to him.

“First lesson: never assume that any spells are easy. Magic is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, or what you’re saying. Look at the number of accidents that happen around here from stupid little girls trying to conjure spirits because they saw something about it in a book.”

Alaric looked down at her then, studying her expression. He could tell that she was genuine in her desire to want to better help the demonic inhabitants of the church, but that shouldn’t have surprised him. Faye was a genuinely good person in all of the ways that he was not. He bit his lip for a moment as he contemplated his answer, then finally, he nodded with a soft sigh.

“Very well. I’ll teach you. But you only practice with my guidance until I tell you it’s safe to try on your own. I don’t want you getting overly excited and saying the wrong thing, and conjuring some evil spirit that I’ll have to chase down and deal with.”

“Oh.”

She pressed a finger to her lips, brows furrowing as she listened to him speak. So it wasn’t necessarily easy. Perhaps she needed to rethink her approach a bit. If she was being totally honest, the whole thing… scared her, but it fascinated her all the same. In all her time here, magic had been a constant, something her skills had never been able to one up. But now? Maybe she could actually live past her own skills.

“I supposed I have seen a fair share of accidents caused by magic. There was that one girl that blew her hand off. Messy.” Shaking her head, she leaned against him, soaking in the warmth that he offered as he contemplated whether or not he’d help. Biting her lip, she raised her brows, waiting with bated breath.

Faye sucked in a breath, and let out an excited ‘Yes!’ She didn’t go any further, allowing him to explain himself. Nodding along with his words, she was already glancing over some of her notes.

“I promise, I’ll be good. No practicing alone, or doing things without you. You have my word.” Clapping her hands together, the doctor wiggled her shoulders and glanced back up at him, blue eyes wide with excitement.

“So, where do we start? How do we start? Oh, I’m a little nervous. Magic has always scared me a bit, and it’s never been something that I’ve readily tried to understand, and well…” She was rambling, and she knew it, but Faye could hardly help how she was feeling. This was big for her, and her career. A doctor that could practice magic? Healing magic even? There would be nothing she couldn’t do… or so she hoped.

#ghulehdoctor #// alaric is just like ready and go #// trial by fire lmao

“Well, for a start, how is your Latin? Surely it must be better than average because of your medical studies.” A lot of the problems that he noted in those who began to dabble in magic was being unable to pronounce the words of various spells. If she stuck with it, she would be good enough to perform magic without having to say any words.

He smiled ever so slightly to himself, admiring the way she seemed to come alive at the promise of new knowledge. It was cute to see her so happy. The Cardinal pulled away from her then, grabbing an extra chair and moving it closer to the one sat behind her desk. “Here, let me see that book over there.” He belt his hand out after pointing at one of the open tomes.

Pale eyes flickered over the words on the page, making sure that the translation had been done properly. He clicked his tongue against his teeth thoughtfully, then ran his fingers under a few words. “This one. It’s a good beginner healing spell for superficial wounds. Cuts, scrapes.” He then reached for a piece of paper and a pen, writing out the pronunciation for the Doctor to see.

“So, for this one you just need a mixture of aloe vera and thyme. Two parts aloe to one part thyme. Rub the mixture over the wound before you begin the spell.” The Cardinal pulled his ritual blade out from under his jacket, slitting his palm open. Blood trickled down his wrist and spattered lightly on the floor, watching the Doctor panic slightly. “Look, it’s fine. It doesn’t even hurt. I do this all the time for my own magic. Just get what you need and take your time.”

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“I can see them, just like the other ghosts and spirits that run around in here and the other places I’ve lived. But I’ve never gotten close enough to a wraith to do anything really, they run away from me for some reason.” She couldn’t fathom why, she was an ideal target if there was one- full of trauma and negative emotions to feed of off.

“Which means, if I want to get ahold of this one I’d have to trap it and they tend to get a little… nasty when cornered so banishment would be the most logical choice.” The Sister was confident in her choice, giving a little nod of affirmation when she finished.

You dabble in magic. He, if anyone, would certainly be able to tell. I do a little more than dabble, she wanted to say. But bragging wouldn’t serve her any good on the first day. However, Sister Cora was a prideful creature even if she didn’t want to admit it, so a little subtle bragging would do.

“A six point seal on all four walls, floor and ceiling of the hallway ought to be enough to contain it. Sage to weaken it and pull it into something flammable. Take it outside and let a little arcane fire finish the job.” Casually she held up a hand, making the devil horns with it and forming a little ball of magenta flame between the fingers. It was among her favorite magics to conjure, able to burn or purge most things supernatural.

She could see spirits, which told the cambion that she had seen death, caused death, or otherwise been involved with something of the sort. The veil between their world and the world beyond no longer existed for her for one reason or another, which would make her all the more useful to him in the long run. “Perhaps because they are not used to being seen, my dear. I find it best to just ignore them completely if you can.”

He set the papers down after leafing through them to ensure they had been done right, and to his surprise, there wasn’t a singular thing he would have to change. It would seem that her former Cardinal had in fact trained her well. Good. He wouldn’t have to babysit her, and perhaps he would finally have some more time on his hands for a little more recreational time of his own.

“Well, since you seem to know exactly how to banish one of these creatures, I will leave that task in your perfectly capable hands, Sister. But first.” He sits forward in his chair then, folding his hands on the top of his desk. His pale blue eyes settle onto her face, a small smirk playing at his full lips, as it always did. “Exactly how is it that you came to have abilities that most humans could only dream of possessing? At a first glance, there is nothing special to you. And I mean that as politely as possible, Sister. And yet… you can do things that even the most senior members of our church can only do after decades of practice.”

He could sense her little invader, feel it reaching out for him, for the demonic half of him anyways. His eyes flickered crimson as he gazed intently at her for a long moment, his darker half wanting nothing more than to expose her true nature. He knew, and he wanted her to know that he knew her little secret that she tried so hard to hide; even from those closest to her.

The Sister stiffened at the line of questioning. How much to tell up front? How much to leave for later? Cora had heard of Vassago, what he could do. No doubt his son would be able to see the events of the past that lead her to this point without her saying a word. Ira had expected honesty and promptness and made sure such things were rewarded. Luxuria on the other hand… It wouldn’t matter if she lied or not, he would find out.

“I don’t know. Odd things started happening around me when I was eighteen. Electrical phenomena, plants dying, reviving and dying again, boiling water or coffee freezing solid when I touched the cup. I don’t know where it came from, the seers and sanguimancers couldn’t find a trace of any supernatural heritage for me. I just… happened.” The universe could be strange like that.

A deep breath to steady herself and remain professional before the human continued.

“Through an ill series of events the first ‘true’ magic I performed was necromancy. It went very poorly. People died. After that I was offered a place in our church, as I had a knack for finding obscure books and tomes on magic, abandoned my previous life and here we are. Satisfactory?”

Wise of her to tell him what he could have easily found out on his own, he thought to himself as the Sister told her story of strange magically happenings occurring out of nowhere with no logical reasoning. But that was the inherent problem with magic then, wasn’t it? That it more often than not made no sense at all? Alaric had always known he was special, from his earliest childhood memories.

But this girl? She was made special for some reason that no one yet understood. He would have to keep an even closer eye on her than he thought at first, it seemed. Alaric had the gift of seeing the potential in individuals; what they could become with a little grooming. But with Cora? He could only begin to see the potential she would have.

“Our Lord has great plans for you then, no doubt. But surely even you know that, Sister.” The Cardinal lightly taps his fingertips against the hard wood of his desk. “My father reveals the future to those who ask for his help, and has a similar gift to yours in that he can reveal the location of lost treasures. Perhaps you were meant to find me.”

He locks his eyes with hers again after falling silent for a moment, deep in thought. It was no secret that Copia was special in his own right; he was the rider of the Pale Horse, the Plaguebringer. Alaric had seen firsthand the horrible things that their new Papa could do, what he would do. Perhaps this Sister was another piece of the puzzle.

“I could help you, you know. With your magic. With anything you wished to learn. I’ve been studying my whole life. I have thousands of books you could borrow, to learn from.”

“What are you doing?” The Cardinal murmured softly, having crept up on the good Doctor while she was hunched over her desk, examining something through a microscope. She had stacks of files strewn about her, some open, the pages leafed apart. He chuckled softly at the way she cursed under her breath and jumped, flashing her his dazzling smile as she looked up at him. “Well hello there, lovely. Long time no see. Have you missed me then?”

@cardinalluxuria

She’d been examining her latest specimen very closely, having spent the last thirty or so minutes documenting what she’d found, and somebody just had to come in and break her concentration.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Faye muttered under her breath, flinching in her seat as she finally recognized that she wasn’t alone. Pressing a hand to her chest, the doctor let out a huff, an exasperated smile coming over her lips.

“It has been a long time.” Combing a hand through her curls, she winked at him. “Course I’ve missed you.” Moving from her chair, Faye stood up and opened her arms for him, offering the Cardinal a hug. “Where have you been hiding?”

Alaric smirked ever so slightly at the way her eyes seemed to light up, and the smile that spread across her face. He stepped forward as she opened her arms, wrapping his own around her waist carefully to hold her against his chest. He hugged her tightly for a moment, then lifted one of his hands to gently brush a stray curl from out of her face.

“Oh, here and there. Visiting some of the other churches around the world. Trying to vet our new Clergymen. Cardinals and the like. Very boring.” He sighed ever so softly, gazing down into the Doctor’s soft features. How he had missed her pretty face, her sparkling eyes, and that sharp tongue of hers.

He gestured towards the mess on the table in front of her, turning his attention to the files for a brief moment. “What are you working on now? Still on a kick with the whole Ghoul biology thing, or something new?”

Her hands gently traced over the fabric covering his back, and she let out a sigh as he hugged her. Like all the tension she’d built up escaping through her lips. It was nice to have some contact with others- she was burnt out.

“That doesn’t sound boring to me. Traveling around the world is always a pleasure, and you’ve got a very important job, you know.” The doctor’s eyes lit up and she gave him a teasing smile. “At least I know now where you ran off to. Thought you’d just decided you were done with us and went on your merry way.”

Faye’s eyes flickered over to her desk, and her eyes lit up once more. Pulling her hands back, she clapped excitedly and fully gave her attention to her desk. “Well, a little bit of both, actually! You see, I’ve been giving it some thought, after reading through one of these older texts, that maybe I’m not totally equipped to treat Ghouls with just my arsenal of medical tools.” She tapped a finger against one of the pages of strewn across her desk. “It seems plausible that I could up my game, by… well, by learning some magic. I’ve been reading through some spells that seem… well, I think, easy. But… since you’re here… Maybe you could help me? Just a tad?”

Her eyes were hopeful as she looked back up to him, and the doctor sucked in a breath as she gave him her most convincing smile.

#ghulehdoctor #alaric has no time for any fuckery #just fucking lol

“Ah yes, but I wasn’t able to bring along a pretty woman to keep me company, and I ended up missing her so.” He smirked ever so slightly at her comment about being done with ‘us’ wondering if she meant this branch of the church as a whole, or something more specific. He didn’t think he would ever tire of her, as she was the only woman he’d ever met who didn’t instantly give into his charms. The Cardinal rather enjoyed their game of cat and mouse, if he was being honest with himself.

When the Doctor pulled away, he moved to look over her shoulder, still keeping one of his arms lightly wrapped around her waist. His fingertips brushed at her through the layers of her clothing, finding the contact between the two of them to be rather... soothing. His pale eyes flickered over the texts, recognizing a few of them as works that Cardinal Copia himself had actually translated from original Latin. Alaric hummed softky in approval at her theory, nodding slightly. It was plausible, of course. Certainly made sense enough to him.

“First lesson: never assume that any spells are easy. Magic is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, or what you’re saying. Look at the number of accidents that happen around here from stupid little girls trying to conjure spirits because they saw something about it in a book.”

Alaric looked down at her then, studying her expression. He could tell that she was genuine in her desire to want to better help the demonic inhabitants of the church, but that shouldn’t have surprised him. Faye was a genuinely good person in all of the ways that he was not. He bit his lip for a moment as he contemplated his answer, then finally, he nodded with a soft sigh.

“Very well. I’ll teach you. But you only practice with my guidance until I tell you it’s safe to try on your own. I don’t want you getting overly excited and saying the wrong thing, and conjuring some evil spirit that I’ll have to chase down and deal with.”

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“I can see them, just like the other ghosts and spirits that run around in here and the other places I’ve lived. But I’ve never gotten close enough to a wraith to do anything really, they run away from me for some reason.” She couldn’t fathom why, she was an ideal target if there was one- full of trauma and negative emotions to feed of off.

“Which means, if I want to get ahold of this one I’d have to trap it and they tend to get a little… nasty when cornered so banishment would be the most logical choice.” The Sister was confident in her choice, giving a little nod of affirmation when she finished.

You dabble in magic. He, if anyone, would certainly be able to tell. I do a little more than dabble, she wanted to say. But bragging wouldn’t serve her any good on the first day. However, Sister Cora was a prideful creature even if she didn’t want to admit it, so a little subtle bragging would do.

“A six point seal on all four walls, floor and ceiling of the hallway ought to be enough to contain it. Sage to weaken it and pull it into something flammable. Take it outside and let a little arcane fire finish the job.” Casually she held up a hand, making the devil horns with it and forming a little ball of magenta flame between the fingers. It was among her favorite magics to conjure, able to burn or purge most things supernatural.

She could see spirits, which told the cambion that she had seen death, caused death, or otherwise been involved with something of the sort. The veil between their world and the world beyond no longer existed for her for one reason or another, which would make her all the more useful to him in the long run. “Perhaps because they are not used to being seen, my dear. I find it best to just ignore them completely if you can.”

He set the papers down after leafing through them to ensure they had been done right, and to his surprise, there wasn’t a singular thing he would have to change. It would seem that her former Cardinal had in fact trained her well. Good. He wouldn’t have to babysit her, and perhaps he would finally have some more time on his hands for a little more recreational time of his own.

“Well, since you seem to know exactly how to banish one of these creatures, I will leave that task in your perfectly capable hands, Sister. But first.” He sits forward in his chair then, folding his hands on the top of his desk. His pale blue eyes settle onto her face, a small smirk playing at his full lips, as it always did. “Exactly how is it that you came to have abilities that most humans could only dream of possessing? At a first glance, there is nothing special to you. And I mean that as politely as possible, Sister. And yet... you can do things that even the most senior members of our church can only do after decades of practice.”

He could sense her little invader, feel it reaching out for him, for the demonic half of him anyways. His eyes flickered crimson as he gazed intently at her for a long moment, his darker half wanting nothing more than to expose her true nature. He knew, and he wanted her to know that he knew her little secret that she tried so hard to hide; even from those closest to her.

vampiretamer

hm. need a sub sitting under my desk sucking my dick while i get work done, my hand gripping their hair tight so they dont even think of moving their head from between my legs. they dont get to touch themself or do anything other than work their mouth (in fact, bonus if their hands are tied up or shackled to the chair legs because theyve been naughty in the past), and all they get from me are quiet groans and me rocking my hips to get some extra friction against their tongue on occasion

#mood

“Good morning, Sister.” The Cardinal purred softly as he saw the pretty blonde enter his office, motioning for her to sit across from him. He leaned forward in his seat, flashing her a dazzling smile, pale blue eyes sparkling almost innocently as he gazed at her. But the lusty tone his voice always took contradicted him in that moment. “Bright and early, I see. I like that. I knew you would be a good choice... Now, let me see those papers, hm?”

@cardinalluxuria

“Good morning, Eminence.”

The Sister was still guarded as she walked back into the magnificent quarters of the Cardinal Luxuria. She could feel the brand he had placed on her tingling as they got closer and she found herself hoping it wouldn’t distract her too much.

“The Cardinal Ira had very early starting schedule that I’m still accustomed to it would seem.” She had groused about it in the past but ultimately it was quite helpful.

She placed the completed paperwork in front of Luxuria, most prominent pieces organized at the top.

“It would seem a lot of the accident reports center around one area of the Abbey. They all mention ‘unseen forces’ and if I had to guess I would say there’s a wraith that’s made it’s home there. It will have to be cleansed or banished, but the decision is yours, sir.”

The Cardinal extended a hand to take the papers, his eyes flickering over the neat scrawl signing off on the reports. He had skimmed through them, of course. He wasn’t as lazy or as arrogant as the Emeritus clan tended to be with putting off their duties. With the recent ascension of Copia to become Papa IV, Alaric was left to pick up the slack with the absence of two Cardinals within the church now.

“A wraith you say? Hmm. How could that be?” Obviously one of the magically inclined Siblings of Sin decided to do something they shouldn’t. Typical. If it wasn’t the Ghouls fighting or causing mayhem, it was the humans breaking Clergy rules. “Have you ever encountered one yourself, Sister?” He cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked upon her then.

“You dabble in magic.” It wasn’t a question; he knew. He could sense the darkness inside of her, feel it reaching out to him through the space between them. “Have you ever studied a wraith? Fascinating creatures. You can learn a lot from them if you know the right questions to ask. Perhaps you’d like to decide what to do, hm? I will support either decision, of course.”

“What are you doing?” The Cardinal murmured softly, having crept up on the good Doctor while she was hunched over her desk, examining something through a microscope. She had stacks of files strewn about her, some open, the pages leafed apart. He chuckled softly at the way she cursed under her breath and jumped, flashing her his dazzling smile as she looked up at him. “Well hello there, lovely. Long time no see. Have you missed me then?”

@cardinalluxuria

She’d been examining her latest specimen very closely, having spent the last thirty or so minutes documenting what she’d found, and somebody just had to come in and break her concentration.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Faye muttered under her breath, flinching in her seat as she finally recognized that she wasn’t alone. Pressing a hand to her chest, the doctor let out a huff, an exasperated smile coming over her lips.

“It has been a long time.” Combing a hand through her curls, she winked at him. “Course I’ve missed you.” Moving from her chair, Faye stood up and opened her arms for him, offering the Cardinal a hug. “Where have you been hiding?”

Alaric smirked ever so slightly at the way her eyes seemed to light up, and the smile that spread across her face. He stepped forward as she opened her arms, wrapping his own around her waist carefully to hold her against his chest. He hugged her tightly for a moment, then lifted one of his hands to gently brush a stray curl from out of her face.

“Oh, here and there. Visiting some of the other churches around the world. Trying to vet our new Clergymen. Cardinals and the like. Very boring.” He sighed ever so softly, gazing down into the Doctor’s soft features. How he had missed her pretty face, her sparkling eyes, and that sharp tongue of hers.

He gestured towards the mess on the table in front of her, turning his attention to the files for a brief moment. “What are you working on now? Still on a kick with the whole Ghoul biology thing, or something new?”

#ghulehdoctor

"If you're looking for an assistant, maybe I could work? Since The Cardinal Ira's departure I've had plenty of time on my hands. And if it's any kind of recommendation he seemed rather fond of me."

Alaric folded his arms over his chest as his pale blue eyes flicked up to meet the gaze of the Sister standing across his desk. He let out a soft, contemplative noise as he weighed the pros and cons mentally. Pros? Less work for him, more time to study ritual magic, more time to find new partners to lure into his bed… Cons? He might get annoyed while trying to teach this one how he liked his work to be done. A small inconvenience for a short time.

“What was the Cardinal Ira paying you, Sister? Of course, you must be compensated for your time and effort.” Money was no issue, of course. He toyed with his ecclesiastical ring, which looked almost bland in comparison to the Grucifix he wore; encrusted with black diamonds that glistened softly in the dim light of his office.

@sinful-thaumaturge

“Church standard, fourteen a year.” The Sister answered, hands folded politely in front of her and back straight - so accustomed was she to the formality expected by her previous Cardinal. Assistants and the like did not make much, but when your room and board were taken care of for you one didn’t end up with many bills. She was comfortable, at the least, so long as she minded her personal spending.

It was intimidating, sitting in front of Cardinal Vassago. Handsome and opulent, certainly, but that wasn’t what made her hands squeeze in her lap or her familiar’s ears to go back as he sat at her side. The demonic aura of a high born cambion was difficult to ignore, as were the whispers of the dead that grew steadily louder the longer she was in his office.

“Are there, uh, specific duties you’d like to have done, Your Eminence?”

“Thousand, hopefully?” He scratched at his beard then, looking all too normal at the moment. At his will, he could glamour away his horns, fangs, claws, and the crimson glint of his demonic eyes. The cambion’s horns were not as large nor impressive as a Ghouls, simply poking up from his head much like the features on the metallic masks the creatures wore. His fangs were like that of a stereotypical vampire in a cheesy film, and his claws about an inch or so long. These features were more for show than anything; his true demonic nature found more so in his knack for ritual magic. He could make almost anything happen with a few drops of blood and the right words.

“I’ll pay you double. With a bonus for any extra hours you put in.” He sat forward in his chair then, meeting her gaze with an intense blue stare. “Paperwork. Arrange meetings for me. Perhaps sit with me in any important meetings to take notes. Simple clerical work, to start. Then perhaps you can assist me in my research.”

He smirked ever so slightly at the way she almost seemed to squirm in his presence, knowing all too well that he had a strong effect on those who got too close to him. It was part of what drew people in; those who were curious, and what pushed those away who knew of his true power. He was the son of Vassago, an infamous demon prince of Hell who could reveal the future, and show those who called on those where lost treasures could be found. He was as close to royalty around the church as any of the Emeritus sons.

“Yes sir.” She answered politely, struggling to keep her focus on the Cardinal and hoping she wasn’t being obvious about it.

She’s still here?

Why is she still here?

Why isn’t she running?

Leave!

Run!

He’s mad! Run!

The whispers were getting so loud it almost didn’t seem possible that he couldn’t hear them. Perhaps he could and was able to ignore them, she had no idea what his powers were like.

“D-double? With overtime? That’s- that’s incredibly generous, thank you.” The Cardinal Luxuria was known for being oppulent and he did not disappoint. “I can take paperwork home tonight to start with if you like.” The Sister was certainly determined to earn that double income.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, what sort of research are you doing, Eminence?”

#sinful-thaumaturge #he wastes no time with the creepy possessive shit #no apologies

The Cardinal smirked ever so slightly at the Sister who was seemingly squirming across the desk from him, wondering what was going on in that pretty head of hers. He could feel the spirit inside of her reaching out for him, hearing the faintest hint of a low voice in the back of his skull. He had learned long ago how to protect himself from hearing all of the demons possessing pathetic little humans. After all, there were a secret abundance of them in the abbey.

“Yes, that would do well, Sister. Thank you.” He gathers up a small pile of forms, mostly accident reports and the like, plopping them in front of her. His eyes settled on her face then, producing a long silver blade encrusted with rubies in the hilt, spinning it between his fingers. “Ritual magic.” Upon closer inspection, his hands were covered in small scars, markings that seemed to make no sense or have any purpose. If he were bare before her now, she would have been able to see the larger markings he had carved into his skin; summoning symbols, sigils of protection, etc. The family crest was carved into his left pectoral muscle, above his blackened heart.

“So, what do you say, Sister Cora?” Alaric stood slowly then, making his way around the desk with a few graceful steps. He towered over her, a darkness in his eyes now. He held out a hand, his slender fingers motioning for her to give one of her own. When she did, he gripped for her wrist, holding tightly to make sure that she could not pull away. Her flesh burned briefly for a moment, a full light seeming to come from under his palm for a second until it faded away. When he let go, she wore a small brand of his family crest; a magic symbol to mark her as someone who was under his protection. It was faint under normal light, but would glow faintly in his presence.

“Come and see me tomorrow morning. I will have found other tasks for you by then.”

"If you're looking for an assistant, maybe I could work? Since The Cardinal Ira's departure I've had plenty of time on my hands. And if it's any kind of recommendation he seemed rather fond of me."

Alaric folded his arms over his chest as his pale blue eyes flicked up to meet the gaze of the Sister standing across his desk. He let out a soft, contemplative noise as he weighed the pros and cons mentally. Pros? Less work for him, more time to study ritual magic, more time to find new partners to lure into his bed... Cons? He might get annoyed while trying to teach this one how he liked his work to be done. A small inconvenience for a short time.

“What was the Cardinal Ira paying you, Sister? Of course, you must be compensated for your time and effort.” Money was no issue, of course. He toyed with his ecclesiastical ring, which looked almost bland in comparison to the Grucifix he wore; encrusted with black diamonds that glistened softly in the dim light of his office.

@sinful-thaumaturge

“Church standard, fourteen a year.” The Sister answered, hands folded politely in front of her and back straight - so accustomed was she to the formality expected by her previous Cardinal. Assistants and the like did not make much, but when your room and board were taken care of for you one didn’t end up with many bills. She was comfortable, at the least, so long as she minded her personal spending.

It was intimidating, sitting in front of Cardinal Vassago. Handsome and opulent, certainly, but that wasn’t what made her hands squeeze in her lap or her familiar’s ears to go back as he sat at her side. The demonic aura of a high born cambion was difficult to ignore, as were the whispers of the dead that grew steadily louder the longer she was in his office.

“Are there, uh, specific duties you’d like to have done, Your Eminence?”

“Thousand, hopefully?” He scratched at his beard then, looking all too normal at the moment. At his will, he could glamour away his horns, fangs, claws, and the crimson glint of his demonic eyes. The cambion’s horns were not as large nor impressive as a Ghouls, simply poking up from his head much like the features on the metallic masks the creatures wore. His fangs were like that of a stereotypical vampire in a cheesy film, and his claws about an inch or so long. These features were more for show than anything; his true demonic nature found more so in his knack for ritual magic. He could make almost anything happen with a few drops of blood and the right words.

“I’ll pay you double. With a bonus for any extra hours you put in.” He sat forward in his chair then, meeting her gaze with an intense blue stare. “Paperwork. Arrange meetings for me. Perhaps sit with me in any important meetings to take notes. Simple clerical work, to start. Then perhaps you can assist me in my research.”

He smirked ever so slightly at the way she almost seemed to squirm in his presence, knowing all too well that he had a strong effect on those who got too close to him. It was part of what drew people in; those who were curious, and what pushed those away who knew of his true power. He was the son of Vassago, an infamous demon prince of Hell who could reveal the future, and show those who called on those where lost treasures could be found. He was as close to royalty around the church as any of the Emeritus sons.