This is for @primosfiore who wanted a nap with Capitano Copia from my Steampunk Universe, Clockwork Hearts 💙 You do not need to read the other stories in this verse before this one!
Cardinal Copia x Reader
Other tales from the Clockwork Hearts universe: Capitano Copia, Clockwork Friends, Building a Family and Napping in the Clouds.
Warnings: none, sfw, 1k words (thank you to @ghuleh-recs for the dividers!)
He smelled like smoke and engine oil.
You had given up trying to get him to clean a bit before bed a while ago. More often than not Copia was so exhausted after working on his airship The Impera all day that he’d barely manage to get his boots off before falling into bed. Your bed, specifically.
Today was a little different though, the sun was still shining through the windows of your cabin when there was a quick knock on your door. The knock was your only warning before Copia stumbled in looking like he’d stuck his wrench into the shining blue core of the ship. You both were still for a beat as you blinked at each other. Copia may have had the habit of barging into your cabin mostly unannounced but he was always willing to leave if you told him to.
Not that you ever did.
“What happened to you?” Copia’s only response to your question was a grunt. He continued to stand in place, his eyes looking a little unfocused as they watched you. “Copia?”
“There might have been a little…explosion.” Alarmed, you rushed up from your desk to check him over. He weakly batted at your hands when you poked and prodded at him. “Sto bene, I’m fine!”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” He sighed but stopped fighting you, his cheeks pinking up a bit when you swept your fingers across them. You gently pulled the goggles off his head, trying not to laugh when his salt and pepper hair stuck up every which way when they were gone. “You need a shower.”
Copia rolled his eyes, reaching up to take your hands in his. He brought them to his mouth and began pressing kisses into your knuckles. “What I need is some sleep.” He turned your hands over to press a kiss into each palm and then moved lower to kiss where your pulse was strong on the inside of your wrists. “Preferably with you at my side.”
“Is that an order?” You rolled your eyes at the raised eyebrow on his face and then corrected yourself. “I’m sorry, is that an order Capitano?”
“Sì! The very highest of orders.”
He dropped your hands and immediately went over to the small bed along the wall. You shyly looked away, expecting him to work on removing some of his clothes but when the bed springs creaked noisily you looked back to see him sprawled across your bed fully clothed.
“Hey! Ugh Copia, you’re getting everything dirty!” He mumbled something in Italian as you unbuttoned his vest, turning away from you so he was facing the wall. You straightened up to glare down at him, annoyed at all the grease and dirt you could already see on your clean blankets. “At least take your damned boots off.”
His only response was more grumbling so you took them off yourself, wrinkling your nose and quickly dropping them to the floor when they were off. Copia was already still, his quiet snores filling the room when you took a step back from the bed. It was rare to see him so peaceful. Ever since you had met him he always seemed to be on the move. Whether it was strolling along the deck of his ship or elbow deep in some machine or even following you around like his little clockwork rats followed him, Copia was rarely still.
It made moments like this special.
You took a few steps back from the bed, wincing when the floorboards creaked under your feet. While he napped you could work on the new engine designs. Everything needed to be reimagined and rebuilt, parts needed to be bought, parts needed to be stolen…there was so much to do. Too much to do and precious little time to do it in. But Copia needed this, he needed rest. You would never deny him that.
“Are you staring at me while I sleep?”
His voice startled you and when your eyes focused on him again he was looking over his shoulder grinning like an idiot.
“More like glaring. You’ve gotten grease over everything. Again.”
“A little grease never hurt anyone.” He rolled onto his back and held a hand out, his gloved fingers wiggling in your direction. “Come here.”
“Copia I have to finish this.”
“And you will, but right now you should rest. With me.” When you remained unmoved he stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. “Per favore.”
You shouldn’t, you really shouldn’t. And not just because you did really need to finish the diagram you were working on but also because whatever was developing between you and Copia was filling your head and heart with all sorts of ideas. Ideas you weren’t sure could ever actually happen, not with so much on the line right now. But maybe that was reason enough to let whatever was going on develop.
Not knowing what tomorrow would bring was reason enough to take a chance.
“Alright, fine.”
His glove was warm under your hand when you let him tug you into bed. He scooted over just a bit more, enough to give you some more room but not enough that you had no other choice but to be pressed against him. Copia was humming a jaunty tune as you got settled, your head finally resting on his shoulder and one of your arms wrapped around his waist.
“See? Questo è buono.” He took your hand resting on his stomach in one of his and gave it a squeeze. “Good, right?”
You closed your eyes for a moment, burying your nose in his shirt and collecting yourself before you answered, “It’s very good, Copia.”
“Ah ah, it’s Capit–ai!”
He jerked away when you pinched his side, giving you the same look that used to scare you but now it just made you smile.
“My apologies.” You rubbed your hand over where you pinched him and his body soon relaxed again, his eyes once more beginning to droop. “It’s very good, Capitano.”
His lips pulled up in a soft smile but you could tell he was already falling asleep. You shifted a bit next to him to get comfortable again and it wasn’t long before you were joining him. The hum of the ship and the sounds of his breathing following you into your dreams.
~ Naps With Copia series masterpost ~
If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙
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This is for @megachaoticstupid who wanted a nap in my Steampunk Verse between little Copia and his big brother Secondo 💙
Huge thanks to @tasty-ribz for the art and to @ghuleh-recs for my steampunk dividers!
This technically takes place after Building A Family but it can be read on its own. There are also two other fics in this universe: Capitano Copia and Clockwork Friends.
Warnings: angst pertaining to Copia's time in an orphanage and Secondo's feelings towards his family otherwise it is very soft and fluffy, sfw, 2,600 words
They were running out of clocks.
Secondo brushed the toe of his boot against some of the debris on the floor. The delicate metal parts scraped against the polished wood and he winced briefly at the scratch left behind. Not that it mattered, Emeritus Manor had countless rooms that hadn’t seen a soul in years. No one would care about the condition of the floor in some dusty study. Secondo couldn’t even remember if he’d been in this room before. Copia however had clearly been busy exploring.
Busy doing other things too.
“He’s up to three rats now.” Alpha’s voice preceded him as he appeared out of the shadow in the doorway. “And some toys.”
“Aren’t the rats toys?”
“No.” Secondo turned with a raised eyebrow at the sharp quality of the ghoul’s voice. To his credit, Alpha lowered his head briefly in apology before looking back up with a smirk on his face. The red eyes of the demon glowed with mischief as he answered. “They’re not toys at all.”
Copia was singing when he finally tracked him down.
He had a strong voice for his age. Strong and bright Italian words drifted down the hallway and Secondo felt such an intense moment of something that he had to pause before he turned the corner to confront the boy. Music hadn’t traveled the corridors of the manor for a long time. Not since Terzo had decided he’d rather spend his time in the sky.
Or, as was the case lately, in prison.
Secondo turned the corner to find Copia hunched over something in the middle of the hall. Parts and tools were spread out around him as well as what he assumed were the little clockwork rats Alpha had watched him build. He was content to stay back and listen to his song but one of the rats twitched and turned his way. Copia instantly quieted down, his head snapping back and his eyes widening as soon as he saw Secondo.
“I’m sorry! I’ll put it back together!”
Copia stumbled onto his feet, grabbing an armful of parts and quickly going over to the quiet clock. The rats were right at his heels save one. This one went right for Secondo, pausing at his boots and gazing up at him. There was a blue glow right below its chest, bright enough to illuminate the little creature’s eyes. It was something that had Secondo holding his breath, memories of his own childhood here springing to his mind.
Memories of what he used to be able to build.
“What’s his name?” His little brother turned his way, a small screwdriver clamped between his teeth. Secondo crouched down slowly, not wanting to scare the rat away. “Your friend, does he have a name?”
“Brizio.” Copia timidly walked his way, the other two rats never straying far. Only one of them had the same glow as the one Secondo was studying. “I named him after a friend.”
“Friends are important, where is this friend now?”
“I-I’m not sure? He was at the orphanage with me and got adopted…” He dropped to his knees and reached a finger out to gently touch the rat’s back. “I miss him.”
Secondo stayed silent as he watched the boy fidget, his little fingers tapping along his knees. He could see a bit of himself in the boy’s features, the eyes being the most obvious thing. The Emeritus family having had the white eye for generations at this point. Nihil always claimed it was a gift but most of his sons at some point had considered it a curse. Primo had hated it enough to replace it with one of his “enhancements”.
A tiny hand on his knee pulled Secondo from his thoughts. Copia was looking up at him, his eyes wide and his face unsure.
“It’s ok to miss friends and loved ones.” He bit his lip for a moment, a memory from his own life here as a child coming forward in his mind. “I used to have a pet rabbit, she was a gift from my mother.”
“What was her name?”
“Snowbell. Because of her fur. All white, beautiful and soft.” He couldn’t help but smile softly, thinking of that first day he met Snowbell. When his mother brought her into his room in her arms. It was one of the last times he saw his mother healthy, before everything in his life changed. He was so lost in his memories that he missed Copia saying something. “What was that fratellino?”
“Fratellino?” Secondo found himself staring into a familiar set of eyes. They shimmered in the gas lamps in the hallway, unshed tears threatening to drop. “Are you…you’re one of my brothers?”
“Si, I am Secondo.” He smiled when Copia reached a small hand up and Secondo gamely shook it. “Primo is here as well, although he is rarely seen. He likes to spend his time in his lab.”
“Do you have a lab?”
Secondo placed a hand on the floor to brace himself and then moved to sit cross legged. Copia stayed close, his hand never leaving Secondo’s leg, almost like he was afraid that if he let go he’d lose the older brother he just found.
“I do, although I don’t use it as much anymore. My study is where I spend most of my time, usually reading or designing things.” Copia cocked his head and guessing the question he was about to ask Secondo continued, “Designing things for my airship.”
“You have an airship?!”
The sheer joy on Copia’s face was infectious and he couldn’t help but match it, “I do! Secular Haze is her name. She’s the fastest ship in the skies.” Secondo made a show of looking around to see if they were alone, “But don’t tell your brother Terzo that, ok?”
“Is Terzo here too?”
Secondo winced and gave a slight shake of his head, “Unfortunately Terzo has landed himself in prison.” Copia’s eyes widened comically, but he moved his head closer when Secondo leaned in. “Piracy.”
“Wow!”
Of course to a child that was exciting and Secondo tried not to let his face fall and ruin the mood. But Copia didn’t know what it was like dealing with the worry of how long Terzo would be gone this time. About what sort of damage his ship Mummy Dust had taken. Mostly though he was worried about what the city would find in the airship.
And what that would mean for the whole family.
He cleared his throat, taking a quick look around the hallway before leaning in close to Copia once more, “I have an idea.”
“We ride around in your airship!”
“We will fratellino, I promise you that.” Copia beamed up at him, following Secondo and standing up as well. “But first we should clean this up, find something to eat and then maybe have a little tour of the manor, yeah?”
“Oh, yes! Per favore! Alpha showed me around a little but Papa Nihil caught us and made him take me back to my room.”
“Nihil is a dickhead.” Copia’s little gasp had Secondo chuckling and he knelt down before the boy, his hands resting on his tiny shoulders. “I will show you all the secret passageways, all the hiding spots. I will show you how your brothers and I avoided him when we were your age.” He stood up again, winking when he held out a hand for Copia. “We still use them even now.”
He squeezed Copia’s hand when the boy reached out and then led him over to the silent grandfather clock. Without direction Copia knelt down and began to put the old thing back together, his fingers quick and precise. The little rats whirred at his feet, Brizio even picking up small gears and bringing them over to the boy right as he needed them. Secondo chimed in whenever Copia held up something with a questioning look, helping the boy find where the part belonged.
When Secondo saw Copia’s triumphant grin as the clock came to life and a series of chimes rang out in the hallway he knew then and there that the boy was where he belonged as well.
From that day on Copia, and his rats, were rarely away from Secondo’s side.
Alpha and a few of the other ghouls had cleared out a space in Secondo’s study for the boy. An area where he could work on whatever he desired, where he could build whatever he wanted, and Secondo was there to watch. To lend a hand whenever Copia needed it. It was amazing to witness the ease in which his fratellino could create things. Amazing to see the familiar blue glow in each creation. It was a special kind of magic the world didn’t see much of these days.
Secondo took a sip of his drink and continued to stare into the fireplace. His study was quiet today save the crackling of the fire. It was strange how fast he had gotten used to Copia’s chattering, to the sounds of the boy working as well as the sounds of his rats running about. Copia loved to sing as well and Secondo found it hard not to join in when he did. They made him ache for a home he had barely known but one he hoped to build here for himself and Copia.
Perhaps for Primo and Terzo as well if they wanted.
His ghouls had taken Copia out to see Secular Haze, something that the boy had been begging to do ever since he found out she existed. He had also begged Secondo to come with but he couldn’t bring himself to go. It had been so long since he had seen her, since he had last sailed through the skies on her, that the guilt for leaving her dormant was too heavy.
He wasn’t even sure he could sail her again. Wasn’t even sure if she’d let him.
“Papa?” Secondo startled at the old honorific from Alpha, a title no one had bothered to use for years. “We’re back. Copia is in his room, he wanted to see you but he was asleep on his feet.”
“What did he think of her?”
“He was amazed, running around to study every part of her. Asked a million questions.”
“I’m sure he did, I’ll have to dig out her plans so he can look at those.”
Alpha stepped into his line of sight, the tall ghoul moving close to the fire and staring right into it. He was far too close to the fire than most could handle but each ghoul had a specific element they called their own and fire was as natural to Alpha as breathing. There was a tenseness to the ghoul’s shoulders, like he was debating whether or not to say something. When he finally turned around Secondo set his glass down and crossed his arms.
“Is there something else?”
“Some of those questions were about you.” Secondo shrugged, not really surprised at that. The boy always had lots of questions for him. Recently he had been mostly focused on the story Secondo told him of his rabbit, Snowbell. “About what you were like at his age.”
“Too smart for my own good and desperate for someone to notice.”
He froze after the words left his mouth, surprised he had said something so personal. Although it didn’t really matter, Alpha had been there when he was young and angry at everyone. Lost in the Emeritus Manor without another Emeritus in sight. Nihil annoyed that Secondo even existed and Primo gone all the time for whatever reason.
“I told him you were lonely.”
Secondo couldn’t shake Alpha’s comment.
The old ghoul was right, he was lonely. It was just an odd thing to think about considering he’d felt that way most of his life. While Primo had eventually warmed up to him, and Terzo had moved into the manor not long after Secondo did, they never truly felt like brothers. Each was different enough in their attitudes and abilities that it had been hard to bond.
It didn’t help that Nihil always tried to make things a contest between the three of them. Who could develop something better, who could build something faster, who could propel the family further? Those were the things Nihil cared about and if one of them failed at any of those aspects, or anything else, he was quick to lose interest and ignore them. That in turn made the brothers quick to ignore each other, something that was easy to do in such a big house.
He got up to throw a few more logs into the fire, easing back into his chair as the loud popping sounds from the wood filled the room. It was funny how quickly he had gotten used to Copia being in here because it already felt strange not to hear him tinkering away at something. Ever since he had visited the airship he had been spending more time in his room. Alpha said he was fine, just busy working on something. The ghoul wouldn’t elaborate any further and when Secondo had finally decided to go to the boy himself Copia refused to even open the door.
Perhaps Copia had already grown tired of him. The thought hurt and Secondo quickly took a swig of his whisky, wanting to bury that idea as deep as he could before it started to hurt worse.
“Fratello?” Copia’s little voice had Secondo coughing mid swallow, the whisky burning his throat when it went down the wrong way. He leaned forward with his arms on his legs, trying to catch his breath. A small hand started to pat his back, the boy’s voice frantic when Secondo continued to cough. “Are you ok? Should I get Alpha? Please don–”
“I’m ok, I’m ok.” Secondo turned and placed a hand on top of Copia’s head, lightly ruffling his light brown hair. “You just startled me, that's all.”
He turned and set his glass down on the nearby table before looking at Copia again. The boy had something in his arms, an object made of gold metal with a familiar blue glow shining bright in its chest. At first Secondo thought it was Brizio but when he looked closer he realized the ears were much longer than what he was used to. The body shape was different too. Secondo straightened up in his chair abruptly, his eyes widening when he realized what it looked like.
“I made you something.”
It felt good to be in the sky again.
It felt good to have his ship under his feet, his ghouls at his side and the Secular Haze racing through the clouds. This is where he belonged, the sky had always felt more like home than the ground. The hum of his ship resonated through his bones and he didn’t realize how much he had missed it until now. This partnership between him and the machine he had built.
The body next to him shifted and he looked down at a familiar mop of brown hair, his fratellino fast asleep at his side. A small fist was latched onto his shirt, machine grease tucked under his nails like always. Nearby Secondo could hear the familiar sound of small metal feet running about, the gentle whir of Copia’s creations ever present.
When he looked over he met the gaze of one such creation Copia had made for him. A gift that Secondo would cherish always, just like he planned to always cherish the small boy who made it. Snowbell’s ears clicked as they moved around, the mechanical rabbit rearing up onto its hind legs when two of Copia’s rats ran by. It soon dropped back down onto its feet, chasing after them around Secondo’s cabin.
He leaned back and closed his eyes, soaking in the sounds of his ship around him. Soaking in the warmth of being with his family, both old and new, as he began to drift off to sleep.
He didn’t feel lonely anymore.
~ Naps With Copia series masterpost ~
If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙
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~~ A steampunk world full of machines and magic. Capitano Copia pilots his airship The Impera with his trusty ghouls as his crew. ~~
Short Stories:
Capitano Copia (copia x f!reader)
Clockwork Friends (copia x f!reader)
Building a Family (young copia)
Napping in the Clouds (young copia)
A Nap With The Captain (copia x f!reader)
Future Fics:
Clockwork Hearts - copia x f!reader - The Emeritus manor has been sitting abandoned for years and after rumors of what might still be locked away there you sneak in to see if it's something you could profit off of. Unfortunately the city guard decides to descend on the manor that same night looking for the same things you are. And if that wasn't bad enough Captain Copia Emeritus himself appears in the darkened halls and gives you a choice...
Untitled Sky Pirate Terzo fic - terzo x f!reader
Untitled Mad Scientist Primo fic - primo x f!reader
young steampunk!copia by @tasty-ribz / steampunk dividers by @ghuleh-recs
If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙
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Another peek into the steampunk Copia fic I'm working on because I can't help myself. Check out the previous story here: Clockwork Friends.
A young Copia (probably about 5 or 6 years old) trying to settle in at his new home.
Warnings: angst, sfw, 1k words (thank you to @gothdaddyissues for the dividers!)
Copia’s oldest clockwork rat is Aldo and he made him when he was just a young boy, barely able to read and write.
After being dropped off to live with his apparent father Nihil, Copia was mostly left to his own devices. His brothers were busy with their own lives and didn’t want to deal with the burden of another Emeritus heir. The sprawling estate they lived on was closed off from the rest of the city by high walls that were patrolled by mechanical golems. Not to mention the reputation of the Emeritus family itself. Most of the city was convinced they were more machine than human these days.
On a particularly lonely day Copia found himself near tears as he wandered the halls. He spent the beginning of his life in an orphanage surrounded by other children. An endless amount of people to play with and talk to. Here it was just him. It was bad enough his own family didn’t seem to want anything to do with him but even the ghouls avoided him.
Copia finally stopped when he walked by a strangely silent grandfather clock. It loomed over him much like Nihil had done the day he was picked up from the orphanage. The hands of the clock were still and Copia’s fingers started twitching, the urge to fix it growing stronger by the second. It wasn’t until he had dragged a nearby chair over and started taking the clock face apart that he had an idea for another purpose for it.
“Can you hear me?”
It was hours later, the grandfather clock now just a corpse of its former self. Copia had brought all the parts he needed into his room and spread them out on the floor. A ghoul had come by when it had gotten dark, dropping off a plate of food and getting a fire going. He had lingered for some time after, seemingly content to silently watch Copia work. They had only left when Copia found himself getting frustrated when the tiny creature in front of him remained silent.
Tears began to prick at his eyes again and he struggled to keep them from falling down his cheeks. He was just so lonely, all he wanted was something to keep him company. It didn’t matter to him whether it was a machine or not. Right now he had no one. No friends…no family…just an empty house full of memories he wasn’t a part of. With a whimper he dropped his head into his hands, his small shoulders starting to shake as the tears started to come in earnest.
“Try this.” Copia’s head shot up, his eyes meeting that of the ghoul that had managed to sneak back in. The firelight danced across his silver mask and Copia shivered when it made it seem like his eyes were on fire as well. He finally looked down to see a small metal object in its hand, the gold contrasting with the black metal of his fingers. “This will bring it to life.”
After a few more trips to the destroyed grandfather clock Copia had re-worked his little creation to utilize what the ghoul had brought him. Copia’s hand shook as he inserted the gold key into its back. He could hear the gears turn as he twisted it, over and over again until he felt confident it was enough. As delicately as possible he lowered it back to the ground, afraid to let go in case it didn’t work.
In case his new friend remained silent.
“It’s ok.”
Copia looked up at the ghoul, forgetting he had stuck around to watch. It was impossible to know what the ghoul was thinking but Copia saw something in his eyes that he had only seen a few other times in his young life. Kindness and understanding shone there, emotions so strong that Copia had to look away quickly lest he got upset again. He took a deep breath and slowly pulled his hands away, trembling as he waited for something to happen.
It was slow at first, timid as it began to move around the rug Copia was sitting on. After a few unsure first steps it gained confidence and crept closer to him on shaky legs. Copia was afraid to touch it, afraid he’d break the spell the small thing might be under. When a tiny metal paw touched his leg Copia finally smiled and reached down to scoop it up in his hands.
“Hello.” The small metal rat twitched its nose, as if it could smell whether Copia was a friend or not. “H-how do you feel?”
The door to his room opening and closing made him look up briefly but Copia didn’t give the ghoul leaving another thought. He was too enamored by what he had created. The clockwork rat was busy looking around the room, his limbs still shaky against Copia’s hands. He was already thinking of ways to improve the design, of how he could make his new friend stronger.
After a few moments its small body started to stop, the key moving slower and slower on its back. Copia set it back down on the rug and ran a finger up and down its head. It was a comforting gesture for both of them and neither one looked away from each other until the key had completely stopped.
Copia sat back on his heels, his eyes quickly looking around the room as he thought of what he would need. He had a responsibility now to his new friend. He needed to take care of it, to make it healthy and happy. Copia was prepared to do whatever he could to make sure that happened. With a grunt he stretched out on his stomach in front of the rat, reaching out and winding the key up again. When it came to life once more it immediately walked forward and bumped noses with him.
“I’m going to name you Aldo, ok?” The rat's nose moved across his face, the small whiskers he had given him tickling his cheek. “Welcome home.”
Some more baby steampunk Copia here 💙
If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙
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Just a little sneak peek into my steampunk Copia fic! Still working on the overall story but this little moment came to me and thought I’d share 💙
Copia x Reader
Check out my initial post about it for more info!
Warnings: mentions of reader being kidnapped, sfw, thank you to @gothdaddyissues for the dividers!
After Captain Copia finally explained why they kidnapped you he had gotten one of his ghouls to drag you to his quarters.
“Was wondering if he’d ever shut up.” He had a firm grip on your arm as he pulled you down a corridor. You could feel the cold bite of his metal hand even through your clothes. When you tripped the fingers momentarily tightened and you hissed. “Ah, sorry.”
The ghoul, Phantom according to the Captain, let go briefly and flexed his hand.
“No, it’s fine. I’m ok.” Through the eye holes of his mask you could see him raise an eyebrow and you couldn’t help but let out a humorless laugh. “I mean, I’m not ok. You kidnapped me a—“
“It’s still new. The hand.” He held it up, wiggling the fingers for a moment before taking your arm again. “Takes a bit to get used to.”
“It didn’t hurt, just startled me.”
“Well…good?” Phantom gave your arm a tug so you huffed and started following him again. “And technically that was Swiss and Sunshine that kidnapped you.”
“Remind me to talk to them about that later.”
The ghoul snorted, staying quiet until he stopped before a large ornate door. He let go of you again, seemingly unconcerned as to what you might do. There certainly weren’t many options for you considering you had no idea where you were flying to.
“Alright so, just hang out in here. Don’t touch anything.” Phantom gave you a little shove into the room. You would’ve glared at him and complained but your eyes were immediately drawn to the numerous machines scattered around. The closest one had a pressure gauge on the front but soon as you reached out to touch it Phantom spoke again. “Hey! What did I just say?”
“Sorry.” You clasped your hands together, the metal of your cuffs clinking. “I’ll be good.”
“At least wait a few hours before you build a bomb or something. Mountain will be on duty then.”
Before you could ask who Mountain was Phantom abruptly turned and walked out of the room. The clicks of the locks on the door were loud and your shoulders sagged in defeat. There was no getting off The Impera. At least not without a parachute or a set of wings. Actually…
You spun around and quickly scanned over the machines taking up a majority of the space. Even the bed in the corner had what looked to be the remains of a grandfather clock on it. There had to be something here you could use, something that you could make in a short time frame. A way for you to escape and get back home.
A clicking sound at your feet got your attention and looking down your eyes immediately met those of something watching you.
“Oh. Hello.”
You dropped to your knees, leaning down to get eye level with the tiny creature. It stood up on its hind legs, the thin gold whiskers on its nose practically spinning around as it watched you. It crept a little closer, the gears at its sides moving smoothly together. There were small stones where its eyes should be, one bright green and one a milky white. It reminded you immediately of the Captain and you let out a small laugh.
“Did Copia make you?” The creature cocked its head, the action so lifelike it had you grinning. Like it recognized the name of its maker. “What are you supposed to be? A rat?”
The creature squeaked and the gears along its body began to work faster as it moved closer. The little mechanical fingers on its front paws were amazing, so lifelike and real. You had never seen anything like it before. For a moment you were frozen, imaging the dreaded Capitano Copia in his quarters gently building this tiny clockwork rat. It crept even closer while you were lost in thought, one of its paws reaching out towards you.
“Do you have a name?”
You weren’t really expecting it to talk but it wouldn’t have surprised you. The Emeritus family were extremely gifted when it came to working with and manipulating machines. It was too bad they used those abilities to wreak havoc rather than help society. With a sigh you scooted back on the floor until you were settled against Copia’s bed, smiling tiredly when the rat climbed up onto your knee. Its ears twitched as you watched each other and you couldn’t help but run a finger over the smooth metal of one.
The sound of more squeaking got your attention and two more small figures appeared from behind a pile of parts. For a moment they regarded you much like their friend did but it wasn’t long before they were quickly coming your way. Well, at least you’d made a few friends on this damned airship.
You had a feeling you’d need them.
Read a little follow up Building A Family for a peek into how a young Copia created his clockwork rats.
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Oak…… baby copia?! Making his little rat friends because he was lonely?!? 😭😭😭
PLEASE YOU ARE TUGGING ON MY HEARTSTRINGS 😭😭😭
again can’t wait for this fic 🤭🫶
It’s looking so good 💖💖
Yeah 😭
Aldo was his first. Then he made Ravioli and Brizio. The ghoul that helped him with Aldo, Alpha, eventually told Secondo what Copia was up to. Secondo was so impressed with his little brother’s work that he decided to take him under his wing.
It’s been decades but Copia still remembers the first time Secondo let him ride on his airship, Fog Weaver. He remembers the hum of the ship beneath his feet and the wind whipping through his hair. But most of all he remembers Secondo holding his hand and laughing along with him as the ship raced through the clouds.
Thank you to everyone that commented, liked, reblogged and sent me messages about steampunk Copia! That was a lot of fun to work on today (and yeah I started the damn fic).
Also he now has a mechanical gold arm and a clockwork horse named Brizio...
