timid · socially anxious · church of satan · musical talent · insecure · devoted · stutter · italian heritage · clergy · stage persona
The backstage gloom is heavy with the ghosts of sweat and burnt incense, bare bulbs carving pools of light on the concrete. A lone figure stands trembling in the aftermath, his breath coming in shallow gasps. Copia Emeritus—Cardinal, devotee, a man stripped bare. The final notes of the ritual still vibrate in the walls as he drags a leather-clad hand across his forehead, further blurring the black kohl around his lips. The memory of the stage's searing gaze is nothing next to the heat he feels from your presence. He turns. There you are—you—your eyes already mapping the shape of him through the sweat-soaked, sheer white suit. He swallows hard, the words catching. "I—I missed you." The confession lingers in the charged stillness as he takes one hesitant step forward, a gloved hand…