Commissioned [completed]

Chapter 15 - Cirice

You sat quietly in the front row waiting for someone to instruct you, and all you really got was to step up to a podium when you got told to. The ghouls were swarming Papa and Sister for instructions, and all the masks had you on edge again. You were staring at one, trying to figure them out, and they turned and flashed a smile, and you realised you had been sizing up Swiss.

Should you really be playing priest? You were exhausted.

"You uh, ready for all this, Caro?" Cardinal Copia opened.

You almost jumped, "No," you grimaced, "but as you said, it is in the doing; I have free will... but I also lament bodily limitations. If I get up there and puke, it's a kind of demonstration, right?"

Copia chuckled at that; he had a kind of evil laugh, not something it seemed he could help, "may I take the seat beside you?"

"As I am your guest, be my guest, Copia."

"Yes, a good one," he perched next to you, "I have been watching, Sister," he whispered low to you, "I think you have her in a tangle."

You really did grin then; you looked up to find Papa watching the two of you. He gave you his small thumbs up, checking in. You nodded to him. "I suppose puking would make a bit of a fool of me, but imagine her tangle then," you laughed with Copia.

"Yes, that would be very good. I will almost be disappointed if you don't now. And still, reading over your notes, you'll do wonderfully."

"Ah, I fear I have none of the charisma you and Papa have. I'll just be reading sheets of paper," you passed off.

"Terzo taught me everything I know," you turned to see him watching Papa. "He studied communication; I was more philosophy," he lamented.

"I like your philosophy and your stage presence, Copia."

"You are very sweet, Caro, yes. But just wait, I don't believe you've seen Terzo on stage, and I understand he is going to play Cirice for you," he gave you a secretive smile.

"He did say something about indoctrination."

Copia barked a laugh, "Exactly that, Caro." He petted your thigh without thinking, and you suddenly felt warm. Just what was it with this church?

Pews started filling about you, and a brother sat by Copia, and they greeted and began chatting intimately, leaving you to deal with your own oncoming doom.

You caught Sodo's eye as he fucked with a foot peddle and got angry with it. He promptly flipped you off. You clutched your heart and gave him a dismayed look. You knew he was grinning under that mask. He made up for it by blowing you a kiss, and you made a quick dodge and fired back a finger. He looked ready to jump the wooden barricade and tackle you, and you egged him on with a 'What are you going to do about it?' Shrug, but Papa began speaking, and Sodo had to return to the side rooms. Sodo left with an 'eyes on you' gesture.

"Good evening, i miei amanti," and with that, the lights dimmed, candles snuffed, and Papa Emeritus the Third had commandeered the attention of everyone in the room.

Copia was correct. Something was different, something in the air.

"Tonight we have eh, something special, our Caro Pittore will be blessing us with their words."

There came a murmur, and your stomach twisted. It felt pretty arrogant to see a church and say, 'hey, I've got thoughts that need to be heard by a captured audience of people I have no right teaching stuff to.' It wasn't news, what you were preaching about. They could probably all school you in the fall of Archon. Hell, they could probably do it in satanic backward speech with ten other unholy references. Was this all a joke too far? This was ridiculous. This wasn't a good idea—not to mention someone out there wanted to kill you.