Mar 16, 2025
The Reluctant Prime Mover based on this fic
original artwork: The Hesitant Fiancée by Auguste Toulmouche
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Saudi Arabia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Denmark
seen from Malaysia
seen from South Korea
seen from China
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from Denmark
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from Brazil
seen from Malaysia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Netherlands
seen from China
seen from China
The Reluctant Prime Mover based on this fic
original artwork: The Hesitant Fiancée by Auguste Toulmouche
THIS. IS. IT.
The Final Chapter of The Red Dress!
Thank you so much to everyone who stuck around until the end. I appreciate you all so much and I hope you like it.
Commissions are still open if anyone is interested, please see my pinned post for carrd info!
The Red Dress
Celeste is a stagehand at a local arena when her night goes south after a Ghost concert leaving her cornered by ghouls. Her life changes forever when she is told that she is to play a crucial role in the destiny of Papa Emeritus IV, and that the gimmick is real.
Chapter 9: THE END
Also available HERE on AO3! Haven't started yet, start from the beginning HERE!
Definitely NSFW below the cut!
“Where is she?” Copia commanded as he and Celeste reached the bottom of the main stairs. He felt in his core that the arrival of their visitor was a sign, though he knew not of what. Celeste squeezed his hand tightly, still nervous in the presence of them. The pack of ghouls, unnerving even now as they grunted and growled amongst themselves before her. It was only a moment before one of them spoke, but for Celeste it felt a lifetime.
“We brought her to the chapel Papa. she awaits you both.” the ghoul called Aether replied. Copia’s eyebrow perked, Celeste taking note. It was as if something had occurred to him, like a moment of deja vu swept across his face. A fleeting thought passing, leaving Celeste in the dark.
“What?” she asked, needing to know what was going on in his head. What did he realize that she hadn’t? Copia caressed her face and gave her a deep kiss. The intensity of his mouth on hers—reminding her of how much she belonged to him. That nothing would ever harm her as long as he lived.
“Just seems peculiar to me that your mother came here at all…and alone.” he said, mulling over the implications. Celeste wasn't surprised she wanted to see her. Lucy thrived on being able to control her daughter and so of course she’d take any opportunity presented to her. What did surprise Celeste, was that she was able to be found.
She had, in fact, packed up that day and left everything behind. Wondering at first who was the first to come looking for her at the old apartment. Shocked when they were met with the putrid corpse of her ex decomposing on the floor—and Celeste nowhere to be found. Maybe it had been Lucy? Celeste wondered now how she found her with no letter or any indication as to where she’d gone.
They all continued on down the hall, Celeste gripped tighter to Copia. The hallway in the evening had always left her feeling petrified. It felt as if the cold, hollow eyes of paintings seemed to follow her then. Even now, as they approached the archway into the chapel, this place she now called home, still managed to make her hair stand on end. The unease inside her, steadily growing as she caught sight of her mother.
Lucy stood up from one of the front pews as soon as she heard them approach. The smile on her face, making Celeste immediately suspicious. She rushed towards her daughter and Copia, arms held out wide, when yet another set of ghouls materialized in front of her. Blades drawn and teeth bared. She immediately stopped, her blood running cold as the ghouls hissed and snarled at her.
“I—I mean no harm.” Lucy assured them, trembling in their presence. Copia wanted to laugh, knowing all it would take was a snap of his fingers and the ghouls would devour her whole before his hand rested. He saw her as no threat—though Celeste still felt the hum of something brewing. She knew her mother’s manipulative nature and that, while she may say she means no harm, she was still very much up to something.
“What is it you’ve come here for?” Copia demanded, his demeanor calm and collected. Waving his ghouls to stand down. Lucy was shaken, the color returning to her fingers as she loosened her grip on the back of the pew. Still unable to fully relax, even with the ghouls now retreated. She slowly continued towards her daughter and Copia, taken back by them as she finally was able to process what she’d seen. Keeping her eyes fixed on them, even as she saw flashes of the ghouls scouring the walls in her peripheral vision.
Copia was something to behold, his demeanor giving Lucy the impression she should be bowing before him. Standing there in his majestic robes of bronze and deep sapphire. His miter, tall and shimmering in the light from the chapel's candles. His face paint, working to instill a sense of fear and respect. This was the man who fathered her daughter’s child, the man who was destined for her—the Antichrist himself. Lucy could hardly bear the intensity of his presence and as she turned her gaze to her daughter her breath was stolen from her lungs.
She couldn’t help but awe at her. Celeste was every bit the Queen she was born to be. Seeing the two of them together was overwhelming. Celeste’s pronounced belly under her lavish gown—the culmination of years of planning that had finally taken place. A plot now, Lucy was abject to have taken part in.
“I’ve come to see my daughter.” she said, her eyes falling back to Celeste’s stomach. Lucy sighed heavily as she stared at it. Taking a moment before making eye contact with her daughter once again. “Oh Cece, the baby is almost here isn’t he?” she asked, the hint of sorrow and bitterness held in her voice.
“Ye—what is it you want mother? As far as I am concerned you have no business here with my husband and I.” Celeste snapped, trying her best to show dominance. Tight mouthed and standing tall beside Copia. It was nothing but a thin veil, hiding her hesitation and fear of her own mother. A fear Lucy could always spot, like a shark senses blood in water.
“Husband?” Lucy asked, acting as if any of this was a surprise to her. She knew deep down the truth. A truth that she now grappled with telling Celeste. Wondering if her confession, her contrition would make any difference to their fate.
“We were wed once we arrived here… but beside the point mother you don’t belong here. I suggest you return home.” Celeste replied with her whole chest. Prideful in standing up to her mother. Lucy, of course, appeared shocked and hurt before nodding in acceptance.
“...I will take my leave then. Though there really isn’t any way for me to get to the train station this late at night—-and lord knows when I would be able to get a hold of the airline to book a flight. Might I impose upon you to stay just until morning.” she begged. Copia could feel Celeste’s grip tightening up once again on his hand. He was sure that his hand would suffer permanent nerve damage from the intensity of her clutch. It was obvious to him she was nervous, but something told Copia that Lucy should stay.
“Amore…what do you say? One night won’t hurt things will it?” His words, purred into Celeste’s ear. She pulled away, eyes staring widely at him. It was astonishing to her that the literal Antichrist would provide her more love and comfort, despite all that had transpired between them, than the woman who birthed her. It was however true and here they were, Celeste leaning into Copia for safety as she cowered inside at her mother’s presence.
“I guess.” she conceded, watching Lucy’s face fill in delight. It made her sick to her stomach. The same woman who allowed Morty to hurt her, in all ways possible, now freely staying in what was supposed to be her sanctuary.
“Thank you Cece, thank you…uh…” Lucy began, realizing that she didn’t actually know the man’s name—only what he was.
“Ah yes, please allow me to introduce myself, I am Papa Copia Emeritus the Fourth.” Copia testified straightening the lay of his robes across his chasuble.
“Well then, let's get you settled.” Celeste began, turning to face the ghouls. “Aether, would you please escort my mother to a guest room in the west wing? She can stay there for the night.”
“With pleasure.” The ghoul replied, heeding her command as he and another ghoul grabbed the bags Lucy had left in the pews. Turning his head and motioning for her to follow him. Lucy caught on quickly to his meaning and, despite her fear, followed along behind him. As her mother disappeared from the chapel, Celeste felt her head begin to ache. A rushing feeling sent through her, leaving her lightheaded and fatigued as she brought herself to sit down in one of the back pews.
“Amore, are you alright? Is it?” Copia asked worriedly, dropping to his knees at her side. Hand held gently on her belly.
“I’m alright, just tired today.” she assured him with a soft smile. “I just need a minute.”
“Take your time cara…seems I have been too rough with you this evening. I suppose it’s too close now for me to be…so indelicate with you.” he mused.
It was clear from the cloud cover and the roar of the thunder outside, that a storm had begun. The sun, now almost completely eclipsed by the moon. The sky hued with the color of blood. The lighting began to crash across the Heavens, raging with fury of what was to come. The unsettling silence at dinner between Copia, her mother, and Celeste, leaving her feeling even worse.
“I will be fine…but I am telling you Copia, there is something else going on. That woman has never wanted anything to do with me my whole life, except to control me. If she is here, it's for a reason.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copia noticed it too. Celeste now seemed weaker and more tired than ever. He wondered if things were closer than he realized. “Amore, why don’t you go rest. The signora and I can manage.” Copia insisted. Celeste would have protested, but she felt since her mother’s appearance, her energy level had dwindled. Chipped away little by little, slowly leaving her with each passing moment.
“Maybe you're right. I shall take my leave. Mother.” Celeste nodded at Lucy, getting up slowly from the table in the Papal wing of the Abbey and headed off to her and Copia’s chambers. She walked slowly, cradling her heavy belly in her arms. The weight of everything, including her child, was becoming harder to bear. She needed the rest more now than ever as the time drew nearer to the child’s birth and to the beginning of war between Heaven and Hell.
Like a sparkling crackle of fire, the sky lit up once more with lighting. The light, bathing Celeste in a rainbow of color as it shined through the stained glass. When she made it back to their suite, she collapsed on the bed. Feeling completely drained and unable to move.
Back in the dining hall, Copia stared ominously at Lucy as he took a sip from his glass of wine. Lucy fiddled with her napkin in her lap. Adjusting in her seat as if her pants were filled with sand. It was obvious she was nervous and that her being there was suspicious. It would be hard to convince Copia otherwise.
“You know…your daughter is smarter than you think.” Copia said as he set his glass back onto the table. Resting his chin on the backs of his hands as he continued his glare at her.
“I beg your pardon.” Lucy said, feigning ignorance to his words. She knew what he meant but she had to keep up her side of things and pretend.
“I think your part in all of this would be much better heard from your mouth than if I tell her, don’t you think?”
“I am not sure what—”
“Puoi smettere ora Lucy, siamo solo noi due. So per cosa sei venuto qui.” Copia growled watching the fake smile slip away from Lucy’s face.
“Ah so you know?” she asked him. Copia chuckled a bit, returning to his glass of wine as he rose up from the table and approached her. Lucy sat straight up in the chair, frozen as Copia approached her. When he finally reached her, he bent down to whisper in her ear.
It was hours later when Celeste awoke. Her head once again pounding and a pain searing from her belly overcoming her. It was far worse than she had ever felt in her entire life as it traveled from her back towards her belly. Tearing through her as she glanced over at the clock, 3:33 in the morning, she thought to herself. Celeste was frightened, teeth clenched in pain—it was time.
“I do and I know why you’ve come here. Make no mistake…they will fail.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When she went to roll over, she found only Copia’s spot empty beside her. She did her best to sit up, holding still a moment as her vision blurred. Where could he possibly be right now, she asked herself. When she went to stand up, a rush of fluid came pouring out from inside her.
“Oh fuck.” she cried aloud, wincing in pain but before the words had even fully left her lips, she could hear them. Voices of men, growing closer and closer, coming from outside in the hall. Her blood ran cold. Every nerve firing, urging her to run as fast as she could.
She knew she wasn’t going to get far, not like this. She struggled to pull herself over to the large armoire at the other side of the room. Tucking herself beneath the hanging clothes to hide. Biting into her lip to keep from screaming out in pain.
It took everything in her to hold still, shaking uncontrollably as the pains returned. The voices, now clearly inside the room as the tears began silently streaming down her face. She begged in that moment, to whatever god would listen, to keep her baby safe. That Copia would rescue her—but no one came.
“She has to be on the grounds somewhere.” said one of them, Celeste terrified as she watched from the cracked doors of the armoire. She could only make out the shadows as they passed in front of it, a total of five men had entered her room. All of them shrouded in black, bearing rosaries at their waist. The crucifixes, making a quiet tapping sound as they moved about the room.
The storm continued raging outside as Celeste hid from the holy crusaders rummaging through her room. Desperately in search of her before it was too late. “We will find her, Lucy said she was here.” said one of the other men. Immediately Celeste’s eyes widened, they were there because of her mother. She had felt it and if it wasn’t already apparent, now she was certain the men were there to harm her.
“Cardinal Mariano…” one of the bishops said, motioning for the Cardinal to look down. When he did, he noticed the trail of water. It started at the side of the bed and continued until just outside the armoire. The light from the storm outside, illuminating the small puddles across the wood floor. They had discovered where she was hiding—just in time the Cardinal thought.
The men got silent, Celeste beginning to only hear the sound of her heart pounding as the door came flying open. Revealing her to the men. “There you are whore.” a bishop proclaimed, yanking Celeste out onto the floor. The group of men, working quickly to surround her.
Celeste cried out in pain as she hit the ground. Another contraction overtaking her, with the next not long behind it. She struggled hard against them. Spitting blood into one of their faces from the bite in her lip, but there were just too many.
Before she knew it, they had gagged her. The fabric, burning at the edges of her mouth as she fought to scream. The men carried her over to the bed, holding down her limbs as the Cardinal climbed on top of her. “Give them to me now. We haven’t much time!” he commanded as one of the other men pulled a black leather parcel from within his jacket.
The Cardinal rolled it out across the bed beside her. Celeste, still fighting to break away from them as she caught sight of its contents. It was a glint from the blades, made from celestial stone, that gave them away. Seven of them, forged in the time of Christ in preparation for this very moment. The Seven Sacred Daggers of Megiddo, ready to extinguish Satan’s progeny on Earth.
Celeste cried, warm tears drenching her hair as she thrashed about below the Cardinal. His thighs, pressing tighter along her sides in an attempt to keep her still. They needed to hit things just right for the daggers to do their job. The men began to chant, flicking holy water over Celeste’s body—stinging as the drops hit her flesh.
She managed to dislodge the gag, a blood-curdling screaming surging from within her and filling the room. “No! Please don’t hurt my baby! Copia! Copia!”
“Will you shut her up!” the Cardinal hissed, another of the men quickly attempting to re-gag her. Celeste bit hard to his hand, the blood filling her mouth as he managed to muffle her screams. The daggers began to glow beside her—still no Copia, or anyone, to be found. Celeste feared that they may already be dead and that it too would be her fate.
The Cardinal picked up one of the daggers, whispering prayers under his breath before kissing the hilt. He held the dagger high above Celeste’s belly, both hands gripped hard to steady it. “Hac sacra pugione summa mali extinguimus. Ut animam a mortali cortice solvamus…” he chanted and suddenly Celeste felt as if she were below water.
The sound drowned out within the room and a sudden rush of energy, bursting through her. She turned her head, just as the dagger began to descend upon her, and saw Copia along with her mother and a pack of ghouls rushing into the room.
“Enough!” Copia commanded, the power exploding from inside him in a fiery heat as he willed the Cardinal across the room alongside his men. Their bodies bashing against the stone walls with full force. All of them clutching their sides as they began to bleed from within.
“Are you alright?” Copia asked, rushing to Celeste’s side. The daggers, losing the shine once emanating from them. All Celeste could do was nod, holding tight to her dark prince when another contraction hit. Copia’s eyes widened in realization.
“The baby is coming.” Celeste cried. Copia kissed the top of her head, his attention however stolen by the sound of the Cardinal coughing from across the room. The ghouls had surrounded them, waiting for the indication to strike, when Copia approached them. Celeste’s mother, coming to her side in his stead.
“We (cough, cough) have seen your face.” The Cardinal stuttered, blood running down the side of his mouth as his whole body shook in fear. Copia stood over him, menacing and powerful. “...carved in stone and painted in ancient lands. (Cough, cough) It is you the devourer of worlds, darkness incarnate, bringer of the end of days.”
“Yes…Cardinal Mariano, it is. I am the man born of humanity and sired by the old one. It is my dynasty that shall rule for the next millennia as I watch your god’s paradise burn to the ground.” Copia laughed, watching as horror filled the Cardinal’s eyes. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am about to become a father.”
“No! No! No!” the Cardinal cried. Copia snapped his fingers and in an instant, the ghouls attacked the men—eating them alive. The sounds of tearing flesh and screaming thick in the room. Sounds that Celeste now remembered from their visions, visions that now she knew were prophetic.
When the sounds faded, and only the noise of their thumping lifeless and hollowed out husks hit the floor were left, Copia returned to Celeste. He lifted her up off the bed, the room now filled with a mass of siblings and ghouls around them. Celeste tried to stand struggling with her balance while in immense pain. She realized she was now dressed in the ominous red dress. The scent of blood surrounding her as the gown seemed to be seeping with it. Celeste grabbed hold of one of the daggers, shaking and scared as she stared down at it.
This was the beginning of the end of the world and in that moment Celeste was conflicted, her mind enveloped in anguish. Wondering if she should have been killed by the holy men. If her desire and love for Copia, and the child she carried, was worth the world. Then he spoke to her.
“Celeste. Amore, we should leave this room. I will not have you give birth to our son in this place if I can help it.” Copia declared, trying to get her to follow him out. Celeste stopped halfway out of the room, her mind overwhelmed and spinning. Copia could see the conflict rising inside her and knew it was the time for the full truth to be revealed.
“I don’t know if I can.” Celeste said, blank faced and lost in thought. Copia pulled her close and placed his hand on her belly. Feeling it tighten beneath his palm as another contraction spread inside her. He smiled, pulling up her chin to face him.
“You will, but before we have this child amore, there is something you need to know.” he told her. Celeste’s face, filled with confusion as a pair of ghouls brought her mother to stand before them.
“Mom…”
“Cece…I need to tell you something.” Lucy began, Celeste’s heart pounding inside her chest once more, teeth gritting with yet another contraction upon her. Too much was happening at once and she was now struggling to even stay conscious.
“Go on Lucy. Tell your daughter the truth.” Copia pushed, watching with glee at the interaction. His sinister smile, making Lucy tremble. Celeste was visibly shaking, waiting for what horrors her mother would reveal to her.
“When I was young, I made a choice. There was a man I was seeing while my family was on vacation. The man who would become your father.”
“I know this story mother—” Celeste snapped, doubling over in pain.
“No Celeste you don’t. That man was part of the Satanic church, he and I made a pact to have you. To conceive you in service of Lucifer. To give our souls and you to him. In exchange we were to have good health and riches beyond measure.. Promised a high position in the aftermath of Armageddon...”
“Oh my g–” Celeste began, as Lucy continued on.
“You were always destined to be here. Where you are right now. Your child is the darkness that will descend upon the world and bring about the end. Oh Cece, I’m so sorry…I was young and I made so many mistakes and I just can’t live with them anymore…” Her mother continued as if absolving herself of sins.
“Lucy.” Copia growled, knowing that her mother was still holding back. Celeste looked between them both. Whatever she was about to say, it seemed Copia had already been told.
“I don’t want to be in Hell. I don’t want eternal damnation Cece. I wanted to be back in God’s light and in order to do that, I had to.”
“No…” Celeste whimpered, as if she already knew what her mother was going to say next.
“I led the men here to find you. They promised I would be forgiven for my part in your creation and that I would be welcomed back into Heaven for my sacrifice. A sacrifice of your life and the child’s…in exchange for my absolution.”
Celeste saw RED. Her blood boiled and popped inside her veins. Rage overtaking her as Copia watched on. She lifted up the dagger still held in her hand and in one swoop stabbed deep into her mother’s chest. Yanking back as the blood gushed out from the wound and spattered all over her face.
“Cece…” Lucy said, her sounds barely discernible as she fell to the floor. Suddenly the whole room began to tear away from them. The Abbey walls, seeming to rip apart and fly up into the air. The sky swirling with red and debris all around them for farther than their eyes could see. The rain falling from clouds, now turned to blood in the storm.
Celeste stood above Lucy on the platform of the floor, all that was left of the room as the world collapsed around them. Adrenaline coursing through her veins and her pain at its peak when she spoke. “Welcome to the apocalypse that you helped to usher in mother. Your soul be damned.” Celeste laughed, crying as she did. Drained, she collapsed beside her mother on the floor, the baby was coming—and now.
Celeste began to scream, the labor pains coming without end. Copia dropped before her to help deliver their child. The world around them, crying as the noise of Gabriel’s trumpet sounded above them. The seas began to boil and the sky ripped open to reveal the demons and angels warring above them.
“This is it Celeste, push and he will be here. You can do this.” Copia praised. The red dress, bathing her in blood as it flowed from its threads. Her mother’s blood still glittering her face as she rose up to bear down against the force of her contraction. Before she knew it, the sounds of cries—her child’s cries entered into the world.
“Is he alright?” she asked, watching Copia swaddle the baby with the bed sheet. He smiled down at her and placed the warm baby into her arms. It appeared as any infant would, small and soft. Innocent looking and sweet, but the child was evil itself. Celeste looked over to Copia as the sounds of screaming and cries from humanity spread out throughout the land noises, still deeply in love.
The Earth began to crack around them, revealing Hell beneath. Demons and Ghouls, crawling up from the bowels of the world to devour mankind. Bodies of angels falling from the sky like rain. The End had come. Celeste and Copia lost in each other’s eyes, Celeste's left eye now shining a bright white just as his. She had accepted her fate—Queen of Hell, mother of Evil. The harbinger of the end.
“He’s perfect.” Copia assured her, lips then locked together as their infant cooed in their arms. The stars, beginning to fall from the sky.
Notes:
Clearly there are some Omen references in here since we all know how much Tobias likes that movie lol and it felt right lol.
Puoi smettere ora Lucy, siamo solo noi due. So per cosa sei venuto qui.- You can quit the act now Lucy, it is just the two of us. I know what you've come here for.
Hac sacra pugione summa mali extinguimus. Ut animam a mortali cortice solvamus.- It is with this sacred dagger we extinguish the epitome of evil. That we release the soul from its mortal shell...
Buffy Season 6 episode 9 but it's Copia/Terzo playing out the Spike/Buffy dynamic.
Copia: you came back wrong... I'm in love with you
Terzo: you're in love with pain. Admit it. You like me because you enjoy getting beat down. So really, who's screwed up?
Redoing this one now :) new lineart and Copia looks a lot more evil lmao
original artwork: The Hesitant Fiancée by Auguste Toulmouche
The idea behind it is this fic
(It’ll be compressed so clicking will give clarity!)
getting there sooooooo slowly. i no likey colouring in >:(
New Chapter of The Red Dress is out now and I just had to share this gorgeous art by my incredibly talented friend @meowsaidmissy made for it!!
I love it Missy thank you so much 😭❤️
Here it is!!! The second to LAST chapter of the Red Dress!
I hope you like it!!! It's been a long time coming and the end is SOMETHING SO GET READY lol
The Red Dress Chapter 8: The Whore of Babylon
Also available HERE on AO3! Haven't started yet? Read from the beginning HERE.
Definitely NSFW below the cut
6 Months later
Deep beneath the halls of Basilica Papale di San Pietro sat a solemn group of men. Their scarlet-colored robes, like a sea of red along the long rectangular table. Its top, inlaid with metals of gold and silver, and adorned in jewels of diamond and ruby. Opulence at its finest, an intricate design of crossed keys and tiara–all culminating in the coats of arms of the Holy See and Vatican City.
The Cardinals of his most Holy order had assembled quietly in the dead of night. Time was of the essence and all the signs that the end of days was upon them had been rumored to have begun. They awaited their final confirmation. The solemn and sacred room, known only to the select few, was dimly lit with only a few candles and sconces. Its walls, heavy with their concerned chatter.
Their voices hushed amongst themselves in the otherwise quiet depths of the city. Speculation and intrigue, driving them on as they anxiously awaited news. The men, both young and old, were worried beyond measure. The implications before them were not just another delicate matter to be “handled”. A scandal involving another of their brethren with his choir boy singing songs of closed doors and sodomy—no this was something that would change everything.
Suddenly the large doors of the chamber were opened and in walked a young man, escorted by another older one. The young man’s eyes had been gouged out—and recently from the smell of blood that covered his frightened face. His ragged appearance, sickly and disturbing. Even more so because it was of his own doing. The blind man shook as he walked inside, a haunting silence fell over the group as the two reached the table. The young man’s escort nudged him, informing him that they had reached their destination.
As the doors closed up behind them, and before another word was spoken, a tall and stoic man rose from the table. Adjusting the lay of his cassock as he prepared to address them. The Cardinal was in his late 60s, with stark white hair, just visible beneath his biretta. His physicality, menacing to those around him. Though even he shuddered at the sight of the young man before him—swallowing back the knot in his throat as everyone else waited for him to speak. The sounds of thunder rumbling all the way down to them from the brewing storm above.
“Bishop Patrice, has he seen it? Has it begun?” the Cardinal asked, all eyes falling to the mysterious men. “Word has come to us from the Americas that the woman was seen with HIM in public.”
“Si, she has been found and is under his protection. I fear we are far too late.” the older man answered, once again nudging the other to speak. To their horror, the young man let out a shrieking cry. Crimson pouring once again from his eye sockets, the wounds once again fresh with the flow of blood and the scent of festering decay.
“She carries the filth inside her womb. It has been done. We have no choice. She must be dealt with before it is allowed to be born.” he cried, tears of warm blood spilling to the ground below him. The group of men’s eyes washed over in horror as they listened on.
“Cardinal Mariano. Where is his holy eminence? He must be notified. We are running out of time.” chimed in another man who sat at the table.
“We can handle this—” he began before another man interrupted.
“But we need his guidance in this—” he asked just before Cardinal Mariano slammed his fist down on the table below him, pulling all mouths closed as if by attached strings, and attention back to his command.
“His holy eminence is not well. Seems as things have progressed, his life force has weakened.”
“Perhaps God finds him worthy to escape the suffering? We don’t have the manpower to attack. Their Hell-Spawn out number our crusaders 2:1.” said another man. The room was growing with discontent. The Cardinals were weary, hearts heavy and minds agonizing over the undeniable certainty of Armageddon. Unrest—running over them like a wildfire in the brush of a forest.
The sounds of the clergymen arguing, rivaling the thunder from above as Cardinal Mariano once again slammed his fist down. Their attention on him once more. Their eyes glowing with the hint of candlelight illuminating from his gaze. “Gentlemen please! Bishop, how far along is the pregnancy?” he asked.
“It’s almost time.” the young, blinded man called out, “The child is due in 4 weeks' time.” He finished as another man got up from the table only to drop to his knees in prayer. Clutching his rosary as called out for God.
“Dio, Ti preghiamo di mostrarci misericordia mentre combattiamo contro l'impuro e l'antidivino.”
“Oh my God what do we do? We must kill it before it draws its first breath, or it will be too late.” The older bishop replied.
“I have a plan and here she is.” Cardinal Mariano stated, just as another knock came at the door. Two Cardinals left their seats to open it. An older, well-kept woman walked into the room. Her sudden unexpected appearance was puzzling to all, but Mariano who knew exactly the reason for her being there. She was unfamiliar to them, flaxen hair pulled up into a loose bun and a cross necklace gracing her chest, which was surrounded by redness of the skin, where it lay. “Well Lucy? Where is your daughter?”
She took a deep breath. Guilt written all over her well-groomed face as she adjusted her stance. The Versace pumps he stood in felt like she’d been walking on ice. Slick and ready to fall at any moment. Was she really going to do this for the sake of her soul—at the cost of her daughter’s? Her grandchild’s?
“I know right where we can find her.”
She was absolutely regal. Obsidian gown, flowing out from behind her and dripping in deep red jewels. A crown of black thorns, and vertebral bone, gracing her head. She appeared every bit as majestic as they had imagined. The promised bearer of Papa’s fruit. Unholy Mother and bringer of the end of times.
Celeste could feel it. A sense of grandeur befalling her from the moment she stepped inside the Abbey. The warmth and tingling inside her veins, swirling through her as the eyes of the Abbey, the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, all fixed on her. Their gaze among the glow of Hell spawn orbs that shone from behind their masks. Beings she once feared, now singing her praises. All of them staring into her soul—knowing it had finally begun.
Their queen had arrived and with her their king had returned. The Antichrist, prodigy of the Beast, home now safely with his bride. They trembled before her and Copia, falling to their knees in worship from the moment her shoe hit the marble floor. The subjects within her newfound kingdom, welcoming her and giving her a sense of home more than she’d ever known before.
Months had passed since her arrival and she had all but given way to her destiny. The signs had begun as her belly continued to swell beneath the lavish fabrics of her gowns. Reports of strange occurrences had begun all across the world. Hundreds of thousands of people, missing all at once—their clothes left on the ground where they once stood. Oceans, spilling their dead on beaches. Their sands, full of corpses of fish and marine life on display. The water of the seas boiling hot.
Celeste knew it would be time for her and Copia to travel to Meggido. The place where she must give birth to their son. A final strike of Satan’s power in the face of God. Taking down Heaven’s stronghold—helping to at last dissolve Yahweh’s reign.
She stood on the balcony as she watched the sun begin to eclipse in the sky. The world, beginning to shroud in darkness, having no idea what horrors would await them. Copia came sauntering out towards her, hungry and ready. Celeste, still facing out at the world, did not notice until suddenly his needy hands grabbed her from behind. His Queen, jolting a bit before relaxing into his embrace.
His hands wandered over her. Exploring her, conquering her already with the faint touch of his fingers as they traced her. Up they traveled along her thighs and over her belly until they reached the swell of her breasts. Copia, squeezing them in his hands tightly before Celeste began to whimper at his touch. “Copia, please!” she cried, turning quickly to face him. Copia catching her lips with his own.
She could taste the wine on him. The Antichrist and his followers, rejoicing as the time of his rise grew closer and closer. Displays of gluttony and decadence that would have made the ancient Roman seem tame. While he was the embodiment of evil itself, Celeste was his only weakness and Copia was unable to control his own urges around her. Often fucking her wherever the moment took him. Proudly displaying her openly, his impending prodigy evident on her frame. So beautiful that she was to see as he took her for anyone who dared to look.
“Amore…you smell so delicious.” Copia hummed, licking along the line of her neck. Celeste, instantly coming undone, trembling against him.
“Will you have me now? So close to the end?” she asked, glancing down at her belly. Copia said nothing, only turning her back around to face out to the world once more. Leaning her against the rail as he gathered up her dress in his hands. The black fabric, like layers of petals as he pulled them away one by one until he reached her core.
“I will have you every moment of every day if I could. You belong to me.” he moaned, rutting himself against her ass as he kissed her once more. Celeste smiled wide, her eyes closed as she allowed him to continue. Excited and already wet with the mere thought of him taking her. She no longer could deny that she wanted him.
Copia dropped his hands, taking hold of his cock in his hands and stroking himself. His eyes fixed on Celeste’s aching cunt as he slid two fingers from his other hand inside it. It was so easy for him, after all it had been months since she’d worn underwear. Always needing to be ready to accept her lover’s seed whenever he wished to give it.
“Oh fuck!” Celeste cried as his fingers teased around her entrance. Tantalizing her folds and barely entering her, just enough to taunt her with the need to be filled.
“You love when I touch you, play you like an instrument. Spread you out with my fingers to get you ready for my cock, don't you?” he grunted before licking his lips.
“Mmm…uh!” Celeste groaned, her eyes widening as he had stopped stroking himself long enough to grab a fist full of her hair. Pulling her head back to face him—forcing her to look him in the eye.
“I said, don’t you?” he asked again, Celeste knew there would not be a third time. She moaned as she nodded, fucking herself on his fingers. Pushing against them until Copia mercifully let them slip all the way inside. Pressing the spot he knew would send her on edge.
“Yes Papa! Copia. I need you inside me. Fuck me…make me yourself in front of the world. Copia released her hair, Celeste arching her back to allow his fingers more access. The sounds of her wet cunt sliding over them, had proven too much for him. Copia withdrew, sucking them into his mouth and savoring the taste of her fluids mixing with the lingering wine.
Finally, he granted her wish, rubbing the head of his cock against the swollen lips of her cunt. Both of them, becoming slack jawed as the tip slid deep inside her. Spreading her out slowly before Copia drew back only to quickly thrust inside her again. "So perfect for me. So wet for me. Your body made to pleasure mine, and mine yours." He groaned.
Celeste couldn't speak. She was hazy with desire and lust. Gone was the girl who raged against their coupling. Now she was a mess of moaning and panting. Teary eyed as he fucked her with full fervor, so completely full of him inside. The pressure building up between them was delicious and warm. She began to tremble as he pounded away. Hearing her own heart beating fast, the sound of it drowning out the rest of the world. Suddenly it felt as if she were in a vacuum. All the air sucked out of the world and her vision—all black.
Then it hit, images and visions rushing before her like the slides of film. Pieces and fragments familiar but still not fully realized. There was fire, the smell of smoke overwhelming her senses, making it hard to breathe. Then came the screaming—so much screaming. The intense sound of a trumpet blaring from the sky as the sun covered in blackness and the moon turned to blood. Celeste could see herself sitting upon a throne. Made of bone and thorns, the sounds of howling and screaming mixing together in a horrid song. She was covered in blood and donning the red dress from the first time she met her Prince of Hell.
“What?” she asked aloud, coming to for only a moment before she felt Copia release deep inside her. She got quiet, saying nothing as he slipped himself out, limp and spent, from her messy cunt and rested his head upon her back.
“Amore.” Copia called, catching Celeste’s attention back to him. He could tell she was somewhere else and there was now something else for them to deal with.
“Yes, my–my love.” She said breathy and weak. Copia lifted up and came to stand beside her, slowly releasing the grip on the folds of fabric he once held. Taking her chin in his hand, he directed her to look out over the yard. Her gaze, creeping up the grounds. Taking in the haunting beauty of it, until her eyes met with the front gate.
Gigantic and spellbound. It was truly a sight to behold, effective in keeping them safe inside and others out. It took her a moment before she could see a familiar figure standing just on the other side. Her heart stopped as she began to feel again the horror from her vision—unable to breathe. Copia turned her back to face him as he let out an amused chuckle.
“Seems we have company.”
Notes:
Basilica Papale di San Pietro- St. Peter's Basilica Dio, Ti preghiamo di mostrarci misericordia mentre combattiamo contro l'impuro e l'antidivino.- God please show us mercy as we battle against the unclean and the anti-divine. Yahweh- Name for God
If you're reading, The Red Dress chapter 4 is up!!!
Start from the beginning here.
Celeste is a stagehand at a local arena when her night goes south after a Ghost concert leaving her cornered by ghouls. Her life changes forever when she is told that she is to play a crucial role in the destiny of Papa Emeritus IV, and that the gimmick is real.