#cardinal copia is not papa nihil's son

[strange-ghoul]

Copia Gains A New Toy (Copiiia)

(Gif unrelated I just love Copia and his trike)

Copia has retrieved some books from the Vatican, and Terzo can't help but laugh at him. Copia is at his last wits about him, and when Terzo comes to torment him one night, he snaps. His klutzy and awkward atmosphere about him vanishes, replaced by an energy the former Papa was not expecting.

Copia can't help but show him his place.

Word count: 7,297 Rating: Explicit || Smut

Posted on AO3

Copia stumbled into mass, giving a lopsided grin before trudging to the front. Nobody was in the pews; the former Papa’s and Papa Nihil sent him a glare and watched as he stumbled with the box in front of him. He walked the steps onto the stage that overviewed the pews and placed it down in front of Nihil.

“I apologize for my lateness, Papa,” He said, nervously laughing. He rubbed his hand at the back of his neck before looking up expectedly at Papa. Nihil only raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Sister Imperator, seated next to Nihil, let out a breath and looked away. The three brothers sat to the left of Nihil, turning and whispering to each other. Terzo pointed at Copia and did a small laugh, which sent Copia into a deep seated rage. He didn’t know why, but that simple small action was going to make the Cardinal tear off Papa III’s head and show him what gore really meant.

He kept his facade though, his face blushing slightly as he opened the box up. He fumbled with the object a bit before lifting it up. On top was a rat, scurrying up his arm and onto his shoulder. Copia hushed the rat as it chirped and walked to Nihil. , offering the book to him.

“I called you all here to report back what I had taken from the Vatican on my week-long trip. I got many ancient texts, seemingly lost to the world but not to the Church. I took them all at the dead of night, some hold ancient rituals, others hold demon calling spells,” The Cardinal explained, his mind going into a focused setting, “It wasn’t hard breaking in, but I took all that I could because I am certain things will be more difficult the next time I go.”

Sister Imperator nodded approvingly, “This is…  sufficient, Cardinal. Did you learn anything more?” Papa Nihil took the book from Copia, allowing him to back up to his place on the stage behind the box. A few more rats seem to pop their heads out of the box, before quickly hiding back in at the sight of the former Papa’s.

“No, unfortunately my time was preoccupied with talking to many of the church's Cardinals to get access to these books. However with these out of their hands, they cannot cause any more pain or destruction towards us or humanity.” He heard Terzo snicker and glared in his direction, “What?”

“Only books, eh Cardinal? You know as well as I that… well… this is not very useful. Like the Vatican would ever summon a demon. We needed insider knowledge, not more areas for dust to gather in the Abbey library.” For a brief moment, Copia forgets himself. A whole week of nonstop work and little sleep, sleezing with every official he could find, just to have some royal prince sit on his ass in his makeup tell him he didn’t do a good enough job?

He took a step towards him, growling out in warning, “Why don’t you try it next time, eh? Maybe then you’ll learn-” He stopped himself short, feeling his own demonic energy flair. He stepped back, going down one knee.

“Forgive me, Prince, I forgot myself,” He sneered. Terzo leaned back, letting out a laugh. The rat on Copia’s shoulder let out a panicked squeak before dropping off his shoulder and going back into the box.

Father Nihil grunted and Sister Imperator let out a sigh.

“You’re dismissed, Cardinal. Thank you very much dear for all this, we will let you know when it becomes available to read in the library,” The Sister said gently. Cardinal nodded and got up, bowed awkwardly, and walked away. He tripped down the stairs, but ultimately left the room unharmed. His rats followed him closely back to his room.

Once he got there whatever awkward presence he had vanished. He grabbed the closest vase to him and slammed it on the wall, letting out a shout of rage.

Constantly being walked on, forgotten, used, abused, and more by those brats that the Papa called sons. Having to act dumb, clumsy, and less than he actually was to not be perceived as a threat to Terzo. He should’ve been Papa for all that he’s done for the ministry. His vast knowledge made him the right hand man but he was nothing more. He wanted to scream.

He threw himself at the bed, feeling like an emotional angsty teen as he wrapped himself in blankets. His pet rats, which seemed to always mark his presence, gathered near him and snuggled into the blankets. He let out a breath, finding some peace within them. He wondered how the little creatures did it. Many called them stupid and pretended they were heartless plague machines, but they were so much smarter and sociallable than anyone he’s ever met.

There was a knock. Copia brought his lips to a line, he didn’t call for anyone and he wasn’t expecting any visitors. He undid the blankets around him, pushing the rats around him gently before making his way to the door. He hesitantly opened it, only for it to be shoved open by Terzo so he could invade his space.

“Hello, Cardinale, how are you?” He asked as he strutted in, taking a look around the place. He quietly noted the broken vase and looked up at Copia.

Copia wasn’t sure if he could handle the former Papa without breaking all his years of work to seem like the gentle, loving, klutzy man.

“This is… Not a good time, Terzo.” He muttered, never meeting his eye. He wandered to the corner of his room and grabbed a dust pan as he cleaned the remnants of his vase.

“It’s never a good time with you, is it Cardinal?” Copia kept silent, “Come on, I saw how you flared. Anyone could feel that energy within you, where is it now? Or are you too much of a bitch to do anything, eh?” Copia glared and got the last bit of the vase.

“What, did the rats get too rough with your stuff?” Terzo teased. The Papa watched with interest as Copia tensed his body and his movements became calculated.

“What, did dada not give you enough love so you resort to bullying?” Copia snapped as he dusted the remnants of the vase into the bin near his bathroom door, “You should really invest in a “Roasting Book: For Dummies 101:”, it might actually help you, yes? It might even say nicer things than Papa Nihil has ever told you.”

Terzo stood in a stunned silence before letting out a laugh, “Cazzo Copia! Second time today you’ve said something out of line, and the first you haven’t immediately apologized. Bravo!”

The Cardinal grinded his teeth, glaring at Terzo. Copia marched off to his door. His hands balled at his sides.

“Awwh, you’re gonna run away to tell Papa what a bad boy I’ve been?” He jeered. Copia hesitated at the knob before finally deciding on something.

He locked the door.

“No. No, I’m not.” The cardinal's voice was in a low growl and he swiveled around, stalking towards Terzo. Terzo took a few involuntary steps back, now filled with uncertainty.

“Hey.. Hey Copia, it’s all a joke, eh? Just some light fun teasing, it is what I do!” He laughed uneasily, the back of his knees hitting the bed.

“You stonza. You think this is all a game? Do you think I’m in the mood for games?” His voice was laced with pure malice. Terzo’s breath hitched as he landed his ass on the bed and tried backing up even more on the king size.

“C-Cardi, look, caro, I did not mean to anger you-”

“Anger me?” He sneered, “For years, Terzo, I have served dutifully under every single one of you brats, and all I have to show for it is my collection of rats I’ve gathered from the years I’ve been here!” He shouted. Copia got to the end of the bed, glaring down at Terzo as he stuttered.

“I am sorry! Cazzo, Cardinal If I had known how much it bothered you I’d have stopped-” His breath caught in his throat as the Cardinal grabbed at his knee, “Please don’t kill me.” He was much quieter, and now the only sounds heard was the labored breathing from both.

“Kill you?” Copia chuckled darkly, leaning over Terzo and next to his ear, “No, I would never kill you caro, just make you know who the real deity is.” This went straight to Terzo’s dick. He gasped, pulling himself back and trying his best to hide whatever the hell was happening to him with his legs.

Copia climbed on top of him and grabbed his wrists, pushing them above his head and staying on them. The cardinal watched every little move Terzo made with cold calculating eyes. Terzo looked away, trying to find something to help him get out of his situation. A rat made a squeak, watching the two of them.

“Leave, tonight is not the night Ratto.” The rat seemed to understand, as he and some of his brethren disappeared into boxes or holes in the wall built for them. Copia turned his attention back to Terzo, with an unrelenting hunger in his eyes.

“What has gotten into you, Copia?” Terzo asked quietly, uncertain. This was not the anxious, sweating, mess of a man he was used to seeing on the daily. Copia let out a cold laugh, letting go of one of Terzo’s wrist to trail his body with it. His other hand grabbed at the other wrist, still keeping him firmly in place.

Terzo never fought back.

“What happened to me? Topolino, this is how I’ve always been. You’ve just never bothered to notice.” The Cardinal’s hand rested on Terzo’s lower stomach, making him squirm just a bit. He let out a breathy noise that could be mistaken for anything.

“What is it, Terzo?” He asked, suddenly feigning innocence. Terzo thanked the make up on him, because he was completely red. He was flustered but tried his best to continue on.

“I’m.. I’m just thinking about how dead you’re gonna be if you don’t get off me,” He muttered half heartedly. Copia gave a bright smile before pulling off him. Terzo sat up, his breathing heavy and labored.

Copia watched him. He looked up from his shoes to the growing bulge in his pants. Copia’s grin widened and his eyes darkened. He made eye contact with the younger man, making it evident that he did know and he did see what he was trying to hide. 

“Is that what you really want?” Copia asked, cocking his head. Terzo groaned, bringing a hand through his hair. His body shook a little.

Terzo was confused about his own emotions and wants. After all, this was a man that half an hour before, he would’ve said was a complete and utter virgin that wouldn’t hurt a fly. This was not the man he thought he knew. And maybe that was the point.

“Better make a decision, or else I’ll make it for you.” Copia approached him again, grabbing a fistful of hair and lightly dragging him to sit up on his legs. Terzo complied without hesitancy.

Once he was sitting up on the bed, adjusting to sitting on his knees, Copia leaned in and licked his neck possessively. Terzo shuddered and let out a quiet groan. Copia snagged his hair and kissed him lightly before pulling back. Terzo reached to Copia’s hands to make him touch more but he was batted off. The cardinal glared at him.

“You want me to touch you, yes? Then beg,” He sneered. Terzo shivered at the demand. He brought his hands shakily together, his head bowed down and into a prayer like position. Copia watched curiously and confused.

“Please, your unholiness, touch me and let me touch you. Please, please your unholiness. Un-do me,” Terzo begged. Copia’s eyes widened at this, his erection tenting his cassock.

“Get on the floor, kneeling,” He whispered huskily into Terzo’s ear. Copia took a step back as he scrambled to the floor, doing as he said. He put a hand under the other's chin, lifting it.

“Good boy,” He purred. Terzo let out a moan, before his eyes widened and he looked away embarrassed. Copia chuckled darkly, “Praise? That is good to know. Don’t worry, little dove, I’ll know everything that makes you tick soon enough.” Copia made his way to sit at the edge of  the bed and Terzo shifted himself so he was facing Copia. 

“Who’s your god?” Copia asked, a cruel smile forming. Terzo looked away, abashed. Copia grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head to look at him.

“Topolino, the time for shame is long past. Who is your god?” He snapped. He pulled on the hair, leading Terzo to gasp out. He brought his arms up to Copia’s waist line, resting them on his thighs and feeling the heat of his erection right below his arm.

“You are, Copia,” He said, his voice breathy and shaky.

“Say it fully, Terzo, let your deity hear your words.” He cooed.

“You’re my God! You’re my unholiness!” Copia let out a groan, letting his hair go.

“That’s right, good boy. Do you want my forgiveness?”

“Yes!” There was no hesitancy, only need.

“Oh Satan,” Copia hissed, his head flying up as Terzo moved his hand to his crotch. He rubbed the clothed erection, causing a quiet groan.

“You’re my God, your body is a temple to worship,” Terzo reached out with one of his hands and grabbed the grucifix that lay around Copia’s neck while the other continued the movements. Copia took Tervo’s hand into his own, gently closing it.

“Get against me, or let me rearrange you better,” He ordered. Terzo nodded and moved himself against Copia’s leg, his legs spread out and his chest and crotch leaning fully on one of Copia’s legs, “Just like that.” He petted Terzo’s hair slightly and moved his leg slowly against Terzo’s erection. This made the former papa stop anything he was doing and let in a gust of air.

“Cazzo,” He hissed. The cardinal brought Terzo’s face up with his index and middle finger. He kept a horribly slow pace with his leg, never faltering.

“I can do things that no one else will ever give you,” Copia whispered, “Or blue ball you until you can’t feel your dick. It’s really your choice here tonight, Terzo.”

“NOT that,” Terzo snapped his head up. 

Copia smiled pleasantly and hummed, “Of course not, but I can and will leave you like this if you don’t obey me, sì?” Terzo nodded eagerly, “If I had known you were this much of a troia, I would’ve done this so much earlier. Would’ve saved us pain, eh?” Terzo groaned, his head falling onto the man's knee as he continued the movements against his erection.

“Your sounds are so beautiful. I wish to hear more,” He muttered, rubbing his hair

Copia pulled his leg back and patted his thighs.

“Come, sit.” Terzo pulled back and hesitantly made his way onto Copia’s lap.

“Do you think you deserve to be punished?” He asked Terzo suddenly. Terzo winced, not used to being at the receiving end of this.

“No?” His voice was uncertain.

“No? So why do you stay here? If you have done nothing to deserve this treatment from your unholy god, why do you take it?” Copia asked, stroking his hair delicately. Terzo opened his mouth to answer, but shut it after rethinking. 

Copia grabbed Terzo’s body harshly, making Terzo straddle him and forcing him to look up at him.

“Come on, let me hear that delicious voice of yours.” He rolled his hips into him, making him moan out.

“Fuck, Copia, when did any of this happen?” He hissed.

“When did what happen, caro?”

“This dominance, where has it been?” Terzo began grinding against Copia. His breathing became stuttery, forgetting how and when to breathe.

“It’s always been there. You know how often I’ve acted dumb for your sake?” He grabbed one of Terzo’s wrists and locked it behind him, forcing his back to arch, “If I were honest, you’d be terrified of me. I’ve wanted to take you since I got my hands on you, I’ve wanted nothing more than to shove that god complex down your throat, I’ve wanted you to be taken off that high pedestal since you became Papa. Now look at you, beneath me, hypersensitive to every movement. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I wasn’t the only one fantasizing.” Copia pushed him more into his chest, making him let out a yelp from the sharp pain that brought to his wrist.

“Cazzo, Cardinale, you’re hurting me.” 

Copia leaned close to his exposed neck, a devious grin on his face, “Isn’t that the point?” He kissed from the jaw down his neck.

“This is your punishment for your behavior, and right now? I am not your cardinal. That is not my title, understand?” Terzo nodded, moaning out again as the friction was becoming enough to release on.

“What is my title?” Copia asked, bending the wrist just a bit but causing his entire body to jerk back.

“You’re.. ah.. you’re my deity. Unholy sin,” He moaned out. Copia grabbed Terzo’s hips, stopping him from rubbing against his erection.

“Sí, and you are my beautiful worshiper, no? My body is your temple and altar. You cannot cum yet, The fun has only gotten started.” He pushed Terzo off and down into the bed as he trapped his wrists above him. Copia got neatly between his legs and brought one of his hands down to Terzo’s pants. Copia leaned down and kissed Terzo lightly on the lips. It was barely there, a chaste kiss; however it had Terzo pushing against Copia’s hold and trying to get more. 

He tutted, “Now now, do not rush. Get used to my touch, or this will be a much more painful process for you.” Terzo let out a confused sound, looking at him in alarm. “This is not my first rodeo, Terzo. I find my… partners respond so much better when I use what we were gifted by Satanas, yes?” His eye glimmered, “Just a little leak of energy seems to heighten one's bodily response. What, you don’t use it?”

Terzo shook his head, “Sister Imperator told me it was dangerous.” 

Copia laughed, “Maybe for you. You are young with no aspect of being able to contain yourself.” His hand trailed Terzo’s erection with a slow and light touch. He took in a shuddering breath, trying to contain himself.

“I’m not that young,” He grumbled, trying to keep himself stable.

“Immortal youth is a blessing, mio caro. And compared to me? You’re young.”

“That’s not fair, you’re a demon, aren't you? You’re probably older than Nihil!” Terzo protested. Copia laughed loudly, pulling away from him and sitting back. The papa let out a whine but otherwise stayed in position. He had a beautiful laugh, Terzo thought.

“A demon? Where did you hear that one?”

“Sister let it slip!”

“My, and here I thought you Emeritus’s were all stuck in your head.” He shook his head and watched Terzo with a gleam of amusement and lust, “She is right, in one way. I am not mortal in the way most know the definition, but neither are you. We are equal when it comes to our souls, but we are not equal in wisdom.”

“We absolutely are, you’re just egot-” He was cut off by Copia slamming back onto him, kissing him full force. He let out a shout into his mouth and the cardinal took advantage, shoving his tongue down into his mouth. Terzo squirmed and tried to get him off, but he only pressed harder. The electricity in his touch was painful; it felt like his body was being stabbed. The cardinal groped him roughly, pulling back just to bite down on his lip. Terzo let out a yelp and blood came out of the bite area. Terzo clawed at him, his body jerking subconsciously. Copia’s hand rested on his clothed erection, his dick becoming unbearably hard under the pants.

 When he finally pulled back fully, Terzo was gasping for air and trying his best not to cry out. Copia put a hand around his neck threatenly.

“Do you want to continue to take this slowly, or do you want it all at once still?” Copia sneered, pushing against his throat.

“Slowly!” He gasped out.

“Are you sure?” His other hand grabbed his pants and yanked them down, leaving the other in just his boxers. He lifted one of Terzo’s legs over his shoulders, positioning his body even closer to him, “I could easily make this a quick- yet painful- experience.”

“No! Please, please go slowly,” He begged, gasping. The energy from his body radiating near him. He could feel the sharp pains of electricity and intense pleasure going in him at waves. His eyes screwed shut.

Copia snickered, “Having the former Papa below me, begging. What a lovely view.” Terzo felt as the electric waves slowed down, becoming less painful and more manageable. Copia backed off him slightly, going back to the delicate touches he was originally doing.

“This is much more favorable, yes?” 

“Yes, Papa,” He muttered, not thinking much of it. Copia’s body tensed up and slowly Terzo opened his eyes. The cardinal was looking at him with a look he couldn’t exactly pinpoint. A portion of it was definitely a dark lust, but the rest? He felt like his soul was being looked straight through. Copia brought a hand to his cheek, caressing it.

“What did you call me?”

“Just- ah- you know, I think you heard me.” He watched as Copia shifted his weight, putting more on him as he leaned down. His breathing was shallow.

“No, say it again.” His voice was neutral but that gaze was not.

“... Papa.”

“Louder.” He leaned closer to his face.

“Papa!” Terzo dug his nails into his back.

Copia groaned and grabbed Terzo’s shirt, bringing him into a rough kiss. This time, the energy was a constant dull presence. Copia’s hands went everywhere and his body responded kindly. Terzo’s body was sensitive to him, aching for his touch. Copia eventually got off his him and sat beside him instead of on top of him. Terzo laid there, feeling just a little ridiculous as he observed his body.

“You are beautiful,” Copia muttered when he noticed his smudged make-up. He played with the hems of Terzo’s shirt, before going to his top button and slowly unbuttoning it. Once he laid with his shirt slightly open, Copia brought his gloves to Terzo’s mouth.

“Take them off,” He demanded softly. Terzo nodded, gently taking the glove between his teeth and taking it off. He did the same for the other. Copia’s warm hand then laid against the middle of Terzo’s cold chest. Instead of the sharp pains he’s been feeling, there was just a consistent wave of energy and pleasure from his touch. His hand lingered there, before going up and down his bare chest. His hand trailed around the other's nipple, making him shudder.

“Look at you, mio caro, so open. So vulnerable. All for me.” He brought his index and middle finger to his mouth, then put it in his mouth and licked it, maintaining eye contact. Terzo's breath got caught in his throat as he watched the little show Copia was putting on for him. When he thought his hand was sufficiently wet, he took it out and brought it down to his face. He placed the fingers over his lips and under his chin.

“You’re going to smell like me for days after this,” Copia said, with a bit of pride in his voice. When he went over his lips again, Terzo opened his mouth and took them in, sucking on them needily.

Copia smirked, “Practicing for something?” Terzo rolled his eyes and went to sit up. He stopped him though, placing a hand on his chest and then pushing him back down. He tutted, wagging his finger. He then pulled his finger back and moved to his belt tied securely to his cassock. He undid it as Terzo watched on, hungrily.

“Get against the backboard,” He ordered as he kept his eyes on the belt. Terzo nodded before getting up and moving himself more onto the bed and sitting in the middle. Copia got his belt and looked up.

“Place a pillow between the board and the wall- unless you want the whole clergy to hear you get pounded.” Copia smiled devilishly to himself and watched in amusement as Terzo moved quickly to find a way to mute the sounds of the bed. “Got a reputation to uphold, eh?”

Terzo sent him a glare before sitting against the backboard again. 

The backboard was elegant, with roses covered in thorns and skulls between them. There were plenty of spaces to tie his hands up.

Copia crawled his way over to him on the king sized bed. He helped take off the button up Terzo was wearing all the way before looking him sincerely in the eyes. 

“Lay down and hands up, please.” Terzo watched on, confused as he did what he was told. Then, he went red under his make-up.

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Copia kept eye contact as he tied his sash around the hands and backboard, “Is something wrong?” Terzo shook his head, gasping out a little when he tightened it.

“Never been tied up,” He muttered, inspecting what was keeping him on there.

“Ahh, always been the tie-er?” He hummed, “Well this won’t hold against your full strength, think of it as a mental barrier, yes?”

“My full strength? Why would I ever use that?” He lightly joked. He regretted it almost instantly though, seeing the look in Copia’s eyes darken and scan him.

“Well I have to leave room for imagination, don’t I? Plus, I don’t think you’d like to spoil the fun.” Copia kissed him before pulling off him and walking to a drawer across the room. Terzo took a deep breath in and then out, trying to control himself over that promise which was a thinly veiled threat. He tried to get himself under the covers due to the cool air, but it was no luck.

“What do you enjoy, Terzo?” He asked, rummaging through the drawers.

“You mean like sexually?” Copia nodded yes. “Well, I’m not… exactly sure. Well I know what I like but I’m never in this position, yeah? I don’t ever have to tell a partner, I just do, so I don’t really have it memorized…” He rambled on. Copia hummed, shutting a drawer and placing some things that Terzo couldn’t see on top of it. He shrugged off his cassock, neatly folding it and placing it on the drawer near the undisclosed items. He now wore his black long sleeved button up, along with some tight black jeans very clearly showing his erection.

“What do you have?” Terzo asked, straining himself to look.

“Just a few toys,” Copia said nonchalantly, turning to face him as if he was thinking. “Are you leading midnight mass?”

Terzo nodded, “It won’t kill if I’m a no show for… reasons. Won’t be the first time, my brothers usually take the wheel in that case.” Copia nodded.

“How much stuff do you even have? How many partners do you have?” Terzo asked.

“Don’t worry about the items, and not many partners in a very long time.” He grabbed something that was most likely lube and made his way slowly to Terzo, as if stalking his prey, “Ever since you became Papa, actually, I haven’t had a partner. I’ve wanted to fuck nobody else but you. You were something to subdue, even if I thought it was nigh-impossible. Such a young and dominant thing. I’ll enjoy seeing you break.” He stopped for a second, as if thinking of a word, “Over these years you’ve become… the epicenter of my attention.”

“I don’t think that is a good thing,” He laughed nervously. His erection became painful and he tried to ignore what this all meant for him. 

“It got us to this point, so I beg to differ.”

“Then beg,” Terzo said, as if it was second nature. He was used to saying it to his Ghouls as a joke, so he didn’t think twice when that was his natural response. However the other did not take kindly to this. Copia crossed the room in a blink, glowering at him. He raised his hand and slapped the other’s cheek instinctively. Terzo hissed in pain and glared. Copia flicked the bit of paint on his hand.

“Speak out again like that and it won’t be as nice.” He looked him up and down, his eyes lingering on his boxers before looking to Terzo again, “You’ve been with a man, sì?” He asked, mood changing to concern. 

Terzo groaned and nodded impatiently, “Satan, you sound like a worried dad."

Copia smirked, “A worried Daddy, maybe. And if you were inexperienced, I would be careful. I don’t want to mortally damage your body. All you did was let me know you’ve been used so I can abuse.” Terzo looked away, his face turning bright pink.

“Don’t get shy now, topolino,” He hummed, bringing a hand under his chin and moving his head delicately to face him, “I do enjoy the bits of red I can see through all that smudged make-up.” Terzo gave a look of abject horror, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. He usually hid behind the paint like a shield. Nobody could see how easily he was flustered and it allowed him to come up with a quick quip.

Copia got onto the bed, straddling him. He tossed the bottle of lube to one of the sides of the bed and focused fully on him. He rocked his hips, making Terzo hiss at the rough texture and friction, before leaning and kissing him on the lips. Terzo tried to move his hands to his hair, but quite obviously couldn’t.

“Enjoy this while you can, topolino,” Copia muttered through kisses. He glided his hands over Terzo’s chest and then onto his own shirt, where he unbuttoned it and tossed it to the side. He put his bare chest onto his, feeling the heat and rapid heart beat of the other. He groaned at the skin contact. He dragged himself down, kissing and biting at spots on his neck down to his chest. He bit harder, drawing blood on certain soft areas on his chest and neck. Terzo gasped out and moaned in pleasure. He tried to grind his hips against Copia, lusting after any friction.

The cardinal's kisses went down his chest to his abdomen. He kissed right above the boxer lining, causing Terzo to shudder in response. He fought against his bindings.

“Cazzo, Copia, please. I need something, anything, please,” He pleaded, bucking his hips slightly towards the older man. Copia gave him an innocent look before licking his erection through his boxers.

“What do you mean, amore? I can get you water, since you did say anything-“

“No! Fuck please, I need to feel your mouth around my dick Papa, please.” He looked up to the cardinal, his eyes wide and his breathing labored from the teasing. His hands balled up into a fist and then released multiple times, trying to relieve the tension.

Copia snapped, he brought back the boxers and took his dick into his mouth. Terzo let out a loud moan, his fingers curling around the binding.

He licked the head and then did a long stripe from the base back to the top. Terzo felt goosebumps rise in his body as he lightly shook. Copia took his head in all the way first, then slowly went down more and more as his head bobbed up and down. Terzo’s sounds seemed to get more shrill as he was hitting his edge, he tried to move all he could but never got far. He began to buck his hips and bend his legs around Copia in an effort to be able to cum. This caused the cardinal to pull all the way off though with a self satisfied grin. 

“Cardinale!” Terzo cried out, hating the lack of warmth around his cock.

“I thought I said that wasn’t my title?” Copia pushed his legs off him and slid off the bed. 

Terzo whimpered, “Cazzo! Cosa stai facendo?”

“What am I doing? Getting rope. I can’t have my little worshiper touching my body in any way, sí?” He sounded a little too chipper as he grabbed some rope from the top of the drawers.

Right as he began to make his way back to the bed, there was a knock at the door. Terzo groaned loudly, his head falling back onto the pillow behind him. 

“Un minuto!” Copia called out, then he turned to him and whispered “This is your reputation in the line, not mine. So behave as you want to be seen.” He turned to the dresser and lightly wrapped the cassock around him. He looked into a mirror on top of the dresser, readjusting his little hat before turning to the door and opening it. 

“Ah! Sister, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Sister Imperator stood at the door, looking impatient and tired.

“Have you seen Terzo? He’s supposed to be at mass, leading the sermon. I'm afraid he’s hiding from his duties again,” she said. Her voice was slow, as if she was trying to put together something. The cardinal’s lips became a line, thinking of something good.

“Ah, well Sister I… ahem, have not yet seen him. When I do see him, I shall let him know though! But uh… no promises he’ll show,” Cardinal settled on the best response he could muster; Watching her face to see if she bought it. She definitely did not. It also did not help that Terzo took that second to let out a quiet whine which they both heard. Copia winced, blushing. 

She rolled her eyes and she brought her hand to Copia’s face before smudging white makeup off it, “Yeah well, when you see him, tell him getting his makeup everywhere is getting old. Along with missing mass because he’s screwing the clergymen.” She made a show of presenting the white makeup on her fingers, then turning and walking away. Copia let out a sigh and shut the door. 

He didn’t turn around as he dropped the cassock and hat to the floor now. He grabbed the rope which had laid forgotten on the dresser again before swiveling around. His expression was dark.

“Can’t help but call attention to yourself, you slut,” he sneered, crawling into the bed. Terzo squeaked as he roughly grabbed his legs and separated them. Copia wrapped the smooth rope around his ankles and went to the post, tying it. He did the same to the other leg, leaving Terzo naked and fully exposed. He tested these new bonds, finding that they are much tighter than what was around his wrists.

“How does that feel, eh?” Copia asked. He watched with delight as Terzo tried to undo them. 

“It feels unfair,” He muttered. Copia crawled up his body with a blasphemous look. He leaned in close to his ear, a hand resting gently on his dick. His leg went in between his.

“What else do you feel?” He murmured, his lips grazing against his ear lobe. Terzo shuddered beneath him, pulling slightly against his bonds. He moved his hand from caressing his dick to caressing his body and watched him twitch when he was touching sensitive areas.

“Like you’re a big tease,” he groaned against his shoulder. He could feel the precum leaking from his dick, and he wanted nothing more than for that build up to release.

“I could be much, much worse, topolino.” He nipped at his ear lobe, moving his hand all over his chest and arms. He lowered to his neck and bit at it. Terzo let out a moan.

“I’m going to fuck you, you understand?” Copia growled.

“With your pants and boxers on?” Terzo breathily joked, getting a low chuckle out of him. Copia pushed his clothed erection against his. Terzo groaned from the heat he could feel.

“I don’t wear underwear, Terzo.” Copia pulled back and his eyes glazed over his body, “You’re absolutely sexy. Every curve, every muscle, everything. You’re so unbelievably sexy.” Copia pulled his hand away from Terzo and tore his own pants off. His dick was painfully hard, leaking.

“Satanas,” Terzo muttered, “Lucifer, I wish you had told me sooner Copia.”

“Believe me, Terzo, you would have ran,” He hissed the last word. He took his hand and clawed at his side and waist, “I am not a gentle lover. Though I’m sure you know all about that, I like to leave my lovers in pain. Bruises, scratches,” he dug his nails into his waist for more pronunciation, “I’ve learnt self control, but you’re pushing every button I own.” Copia pulled a bit away from Terzo, licking his fingers before dragging them down his chest to his ass. He put a finger right outside his hole, leaving Terzo tense with anticipation.

“Are you sure you want to continue?” The cardinal whispered, “You’ll be begging for Satan if you do.”

“You’re my God,” Terzo gasped out.

Copia looked smug, “Of course I am. Do you want a safe word, or take the risk?” 

“Oh my Satan, just fuck me!” He snapped, giving him a wild expression. Copia put a finger into him and he let out a hiss. He went slow, feeling how tight he was around his single finger. He noted how he jerked against his bonds like it was something new. He added another finger, and Terzo let out a groan. He moved slowly, easing the tension.

“I thought you gave it rough,” Terzo grunted.

“The injuries I inflict are not to be permanent. Don’t want to break a new toy, sí?” He responded lightly, “Plus, I do not believe you were totally honest with me amore.”

“What do you mean?” Copia pulled out his fingers and grabbed the bottle of lube beside him. He poured it onto himself and smeared some onto his hole. He readied himself at his entrance, before entering him slowly. Terzo took in a breath, wincing at the pain.

“I don’t think you’ve ever actually been with a man,” He pushed himself more in. Copia leaned next to his ear, “Will you relax for me, caro?” Terzo slowly nodded, trying to calm his muscles.

“I have been with men, just not the receiving end,” He muttered. 

“You give too much then.” He pushed himself until he was half way, which made Terzo groan out and tense up. Tears pricked at the side of his eyes. Copia brought a hand to his face, caressing it gently.

“Virginal as Mother Mary,” He mumbled.

“I am not a virgin Co-” Copia pushed himself in all the way, bottoming out. Terzo let out a scream and pulled at all his bonds. The ones on his hand loosened.

“I thought I told you, Terzo, I wouldn’t be nice,” He sneered, bringing a hand to his hair and pushing his head back, exposing his neck. He kissed and bit down hard, leaving marks all over his neck.

He took his hand out of his hair and brought it to the side of the bed. He snagged one of his forgotten gloves and brought it to his face.

“Open your mouth, naughty boy.” Terzo gave him an incredulous look before hesitantly following his word. Copia shoved the leather glove into his mouth.

“If you take this out, it’ll be much worse for you, do you understand?”  Terzo nodded, and Copia slowly pulled out of him before pumping back into him. Terzo shouted out, the pain becoming more pleasure and less pain. Copia’s hand drifted to his dick as he went, agonizingly starting from the bottom and dragging his hand up. Terzo cried out, bucking his hips against other man's hands to get friction. He complied and jacked him off. It started slow, just like his movements into him, but as his thrusting sped up, so did him jacking it off. Terzo’s back arched, he felt himself getting close. Copia grabbed the gloves from his mouth after feeling Terzo’s walls tense up.

“Fuck, Copia-” he moaned. He pulled on his arm binds and they released him unexpectedly. Copia pulled back, and the two shared a look. Terzo grabbed his hair and pulled him in for a deep, messy kiss. Copia returned the kiss, his actions becoming sloppy. Copia became desperate and pushed more and more into him.

“I’m going to cum- Copia!” He cried out, pulling on his hair.

“Then do so, mios amore. Be a good boy and cum for your God.” This pushed him over the edge, cumming all over Copia’s hand and his own stomach. This was followed by Copia, finishing inside him.

Terzo laid back, panting heavily. His face make-up all over Copia’s face and smudged. 

“You did such a good job. You’re a beautiful mess,” Copia purred, pulling out of him. Terzo whined at the cold but focused more on his breathing.

“Compared to you, I am but a rat,” Terzo muttered half heartedly.

Copia laughed, “You know how much I love rats, Terzo.”

The two stayed like this for a while, catching their breaths and taking the other in. Copia petted his hair, mumbling praises. Eventually Copia pulled the ropes from Terzo’s ankles and checked at the red markings.

“As long as you don’t show your ankles, you should be fine caro. And if you wear a scarf, people might not know,” The cardinal informed. He rolled off the bed and took the rope back into the drawers. Terzo sat up and rubbed at his wrists.

“If we are fast, we might make it to black mass on time,” Terzo said as he started to shuffle on his shirt. Copia nodded, following suit with his pants and shirt which lay beside the bed. Terzo got his clothes on and ran to the bathroom.

“I can still feel your cum leaking out of me,” He grimaced, going through drawers to find makeup and fix his smudging.

“And you’re not gonna clean yourself, eh?” Copia asked while he got his cassock on.

“Now why would I want my God’s blessings to be cleaned?” Terzo joked, looking over to the cardinal. The cardinal blushed and grabbed his hat.

“Since you put it like that…” He grabbed his gloves and smirked at the soggy one.

“You had a fun time biting this. I might even have to get new ones!” He chuckled as he put them on. Terzo came strolling out with a makeup wipe and began to fix Copia’s face. He got onto his tippy toes.

Somehow this moment was more intimate than their entire night, Copia thought with a smirk.

“Thank you. Are you sore, topolino?”

“I’m walking on adrenaline right now. If I sit or relax, I won’t be getting up.” Copia laughed and kissed his cheek.

“Then let's get this over with. Don’t want our Sister waiting any more than she has to. You can come back to my room after, I’ll take care of you.” Terzo turned away, his ears turning red and led the duo out of the room.

[fieldghoul]

Rite Here Rite Now, Year Zero, Watcher in the Sky -> If You Have Ghosts interlude

[lmaowhosemaddie]

Okay but Sister Imperator giggling at Copia making fun of Nihil was so cute.

[cardinalec0pia]

a thought on this gloomy morning: the emeritus bloodline predisposed the papas to losing pigment in their iris after eye trauma, but sister imperator forced a younger copia to undergo surgery to transform his eye. it won’t be the last time she asks copia to cosmetically change himself to fit his role as papa.

[certusbiscuit]

Merry Christmas I finished (-ish) baseball Copia 🌲🎅

[catboy-joyfriend]

pain and suffering (read a pretty good ghost fic and then checked op's account and they write terzo x copia)

[nekronyancer]

Been thinking some thoughts

About a Ghost AU....where Sister Imperator basically gives Copia to the ministry after he was born, instead of raising him herself until the point where he's old enough to start mentoring him into becoming Papa.

Of course she's lying about it, saying she "found him outside the gates". So he's raised by the sisters and brothers of sin.

Primo, Secondo and Terzo all knew what Sister did(it was quite obvious, one day she's very pregnant and the next day she's not but coincidentally she finds an abandoned baby who's also part of the bloodline? Not sus at all.) and they give her the side eye whenever they see her.

At this time Nihil is still in his prime, touring as Papa and Kiss The Go-Goating women so he could give two fucks about his sons or the fact that he has a new one.

The brothers don't meet him until he's around 5 because even though they're aware of his existence, there are a lot of children in the ministry and Sister made sure to keep him(and his identity) hidden, so one fateful day they bump into him with a sister and realize who he really is.

They decide from that point on to take his parenting upon themselves(well mostly Primo does, it's not his first time raising a brother of his afterall) and try to give him a better life than what he had so far.

The other brothers are all cardinals at this point, with Primo waiting to become Papa.

(It's really just me wanting to draw some emeritus brothers bonding and loving eachother so don't mind this post and the upcoming ones if that's not your cup of tea.)

It also needs a name or a tag I guess? So I can keep track of them and put them all in one #

Next

[tabathawillet]

My first post! 😹 I’m still not super tumblr savvy yet so forgive me.

‼️WARNING‼️

RHRN SPOILERS….

My theory after watching the movie.

I was never a ‘Terzo is coming back’ believer but after watching the movie three times it makes me think maybe it could be.

1. The twins: one had light hair and one had dark, Copia had lighter hair than Terzo.

2. Sister said everything is circulation, which means things come back around.

3. There are lots of theories about him not being actually dead. In their virtual game, it said Terzo didn’t have an autopsy. His foot moved in the morgue, the scratches on the coffin, Etc. (I personally don’t believe the magazine cover with Copia holding Terzo’s head is “cannon” but even so, Tobias sometimes retcons his own lore, but i believe he does it purposely) I think if Terzo were the other twin (meaning he is imperator’s son too) she wouldn’t have killed him, besides it makes sense that COPIA was the “secret” twin because Nihil wasn’t aware of him at first, he didn’t even know Imperator was Copia’s mother, because although he’s a dickhead I’m sure he can do the math, so it makes sense that she gave him the son that looked more like him (Terzo) and kept Copia a secret. I also don’t know how she would have finally told all her truths on her deathbed to ease her mind and kept the other twin a secret.

4. Copia’s name means copy and everyone said he was a copy of Terzo. Their original hairstyles were similar. They had the same style and aesthetic. They even do some of the same moves and rifts with songs. So maybe it’s been in our face the whole time, as is often the case with Tobias hiding things in plain sight.

5. When Copia was introduced sister said someone “slightly younger” we all assumed Terzo’s age because of the “he’s three months younger than Secondo” thing, but in the movie Nihil said that he’s 80 and for now let’s consider the 4 sons he has: the Papas. In the new song, it’s based in 1969, it said 15 years was 1984 & 55 years was 2024. So Copia is 55, I could easily see Terzo as 55 too, he wasn’t graying yet when he “died” and neither was Copia at that time. In fact sometime last year the mask maker that Tobias uses posted a Copia looking mask with Terzo’s black hair.

6. The whole shoe bit in the movie seemed like a nod to Terzo’s hole in his shoe and served no other purpose that I could think of.

7. The movie is literally titled from a Terzo song, and in that video at the end there are two Terzos and that’s where Copia was introduced. If I’m not mistaken Tobias did an interview and said there was another hint in that video that no one caught yet.

8. I think Tobias is a genius and he knows Terzo was a fan favorite and he has potential, he became a favorite BEFORE Ghost really blew up from MOAC. But I don’t think he will be the one who tours. I think Terzo will be used in the chapters. The movie went out of its way to explain some lore to us that we already knew JUST so it could be pointed out that “Technically” Copia is the “5th Papa”. Copia didn’t want to stop touring, he asked “who’s in charge” and at the end it’s him, he could totally say no I’m not done and continue touring while we have some great content online of the brothers bickering especially now that I think we will do all the chapters with Alex the director now. I believe the chapters are about to massively increase in quality and production.

9. I also think the soundtrack might be the only album we get this year, if the interview with Richie is correct and he’s doing things with Ghost in November. Also there was a recent post about someone from Iron Maiden being asked if Ghost would tour with them later this year and he said no Ghost wants to do an arena tour. Copia (as Cardinal) and Terzo both did 3 years of tours so a third leg of this last album cycle isn’t out of the question especially after the issues they encountered on the last tour with venues/weather/cancelled shows.

10. Finally and this is just my hopeful thinking. I don’t think Tobias would take Copia from us when we didn’t have a fair chance to “meet” him at meet and greets as Papa. There was only the small opportunity during the 2022 tour with masks and plexiglass and it wasn’t ideal. I just don’t feel like he’s okay with that, but maybe it’s just my wishful thinking! 😹

[cityofmeliora]

the Papas' ages

there's some conflicting information due to some of the lore being outdated now, but this is the most up-to-date information we have on the Papas' ages:

Papa Nihil - in Rite Here Rite Now, he tells Cardi "I am almost 80 years old and I'm dead." if we take this to mean he was almost 80 years old when he died, Papa Nihil would have been born in 1940 or 1941 at the very oldest (assuming he died at 79 years old in 2020)

Cardinal Copia / Papa IV / Frater Imperator - we know from Kiss The Go-Goat and RHRN that Sister got pregnant in the later half of 1969, so he was born in early 1970. Nihil would have been 29-30 years old then.

Terzo - it was stated in several Meliora Era interviews, The Summoning, and Metal Myths that Terzo is 3 months younger than Secondo. they're basically the same age.

Secondo - an interview from 2013 says Secondo was around 50 years old in 2013, so he and Terzo would've been born around 1963, give or take a few years. Nihil would have been in his early to mid 20s when they were born.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE TRANSFORMATION FROM PAPA EMERITUS, WHO IS CREDITED ON OPUS, TO PAPA II? NAMELESS GHOUL: Papa I had sat his years and it was time for the succession. The major difference between the two dudes is probably the age: Papa I was in his 80s whereas Papa II is around 50. A little more mojo. Revolver (May 2013)

Primo - the above quote says Primo was in his 80s when he was the frontman of Ghost, but that's not possible since his dad wasn't even that old. (and yes, Primo is Nihil's son.) with the new information about Nihil's age, i would guess we're just supposed to assume Primo was actually younger than previously thought. no solid info here.

[the-pigeon-queen]

Collection of things from my Antichrist Copia AU

Hey, so I've never posted anything like this before, but here we go! I'm actually currently typing a proper fanfic for this AU , so if spoilers for an eventual fic don’t bother you, feel free to keep reading!

Under the read more since this'll probably be long:

Copia is still Sister Imperator’s and Nihil’s biological son – but she conceived him under some fun satanic circumstances (I imagine a scenario like the one in the Dance Macabre music video lol human sacrifice, but throw in some music and an orgy for fun).

So, while Copia isn’t the biological son of the Devil From the Bible, he was still involved in the conception, maybe through Nihil.

Copia grew up in the Clergy – it’s all he’s known, but honestly, he can’t complain! Though he was raised, technically as an orphan, he still got everything he wanted!

Except friends, because those were sort of hard to make…

But still! He’s risen through the ranks with minimal difficulty, and has never really struggled! He genuinely works hard – and he’s proud of himself for it. He’s just unaware of how fixed his path actually is. Since he’s only known success, he does have a bit of an ego.

He’s a nepobaby but he does have genuine talent, and he does work for it.

Ghost is still a band, owned and operated by the Clergy, for the purpose of spreading it’s influence and finances.

Copia, as Cardinal, still takes over as frontman, and becomes Papa when Nihil passes

And he finds out that Sister Imperator is his mom! She’s always been a good boss, how neat is it that she’s his mother, too? It makes all those times he’s accidentally called her mom funny, now, instead of embarrassing.

She had to give him up, you see – but she never let him out of her sight. Even if she never changed any diapers, she was always right there! Always proud of him! That makes it alright, right?

Life goes on at the Ministry after that tour, he grows closer to his Ghouls, he enjoys his success –

But what’s that? There’s one more special ritual that he has to complete in order to officially become Papa? Of course he’ll do it, Sister! Anything you say!

After all, the Clergy gave him a home, and a job, and a life – what’s one more little ritual?

That one little ritual turned out to be rather unpleasant

We’re talking blood sacrifices, immense pain, a forced transformation that wreaks havoc on the body, and the awakening of something, from somewhere deep within him.

He doesn’t adapt well.

As the antichrist/devil warped thing he is, now, he’s a lot more… testy. He’s quicker to anger. He’s moody. He’s horny. All the time. It’s like a second puberty – except he’s in his forties and becoming a demon.

The mental aspect, dealing with new, strong temptations and urges, is hard enough, but there’s also an emotional struggle, too.

The Clergy that raised him did this to him. His mother lied to him. And why? No one will give him straight answers.

There’s the physical side, too – he feels like a freak. He feels wrong in his own skin. His wings hurt his back, he can’t hide his horns, he keeps stepping on his own tail.

He was supposed to have been born with all his demonic features, and grow into them, but he was apparently a late bloomer. And it took a blood sacrifice to crack him open and let out his infernal side.

His Ghouls comfort him and he finds comfort with them.

Eventually he cheers up. He starts making demands of the Clergy, demanding more, demanding better – he’s the antichrist, after all. The Clergy made him, and now it should serve him!

He tries flying! He breaks his legs, but he heals super fast now. So he tries flying again! And this time the only thing he breaks is a window!

He’s starting to feel more comfortable. More right. His urges are easier to handle. He’s singing again. He starts to feel happy again.

:)

The Clergy doesn't like that he's gaining a backbone, so they attempt a binding ritual to force him further under their control.

Said ritual involves crucifying his three brothers.

The Clergy is thwarted, and Copia takes off with his Ghouls and brothers to go do their own thing

And that's the outline I have so far :'] if you have any questions feel free to ask! I'd love to talk about it more lol

Right now the fic is Copia x poly ghouls just cause

[blackbird5154]

Nihil as the embodiment of the tendency to escapism

There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge.  — Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

I really dislike this character, but I will try to be impartial as much as possible. So, Nihil is an illustration of a severe escape from reality, a desire to bring back the past, to stop time. In the era of the Third, he brought back the Middle Ages as Papa Zero. In the Cardinal era, he was slipping his old records onto store shelves (so people would know about them? Or rather to create the illusion that they were for sale again?) and regretted not being allowed back on stage as a frontman. Hence his envy of Copia, his constant belittling of him, emphasizing that he hadn't achieved some results and comparing him to himself. Nihil felt that this place legitimately belonged to him, with no regard at all to his health capabilities. Eventually, he got three of his old songs performed in the era of his successor.

Escape into illusion is the main way Nihil interacts with reality. Immersing himself in his enchanting fantasies where everyone is young and beautiful again, he overlooked a fateful decision and allowed his sons to be killed. The illusions are like a membrane through which he perceives the world around him. Sister got him to appoint Cardinal as frontman because from the depths of his erotic fantasy he answered ‘yes’ to her and that became an answer to her question. In fact, he did not make any decision.

Maybe inhaling oxygen from the life support system is having that effect on his brain. Sometimes I think it's not just oxygen, but something else mixed in. He takes a breath from the tank when he sees Sister wrapped in bandages and confined to a hospital bed - and the semi-darkness of the room immediately turns to sunlight, everyone becomes beautiful and happy, and Sister flirts with him instead of wheezing. Reality becomes bearable. We also hear the sound of breathing into an oxygen mask (similar to Darth Vader's breathing) in the background of the scene in episode 7 when Nihil sees the 'ghosts' of young Sister and himself. Perhaps all that is happening is his hallucination caused by inhaling ether. 

Nihil is so incapable of accepting his current moment of existence that he always keeps his oxygen mask at the ready. He probably sees Sister as the strong, active person who will contact reality in his place while he enjoys his fantasies. We know what Sister is doing behind his back: killing his children and promoting her son, giving him as much patronage and privilege as she can.

Eventually, in the RHRN movie, Nihil seems to finally become able to make contact with reality: he is already a ghost and no longer uses a breathing support system. Sister makes him remember his paternal duties, and he gives parental guidance to Copia. Along the way, he realizes his place in life, in his family and at work. He is finally here and now, not in his fantasy world. It took him dying to do it.

Well, better late than never.

[strange-ghoul]

The Crypt

Part of the "Here He Was" AU | Masterpost Photo from/Inspired by: This & copias-girl!

Papa Copia visits the Emeritus Crypt, and somebody follows not too far behind.

Word Count: 1,296 Rating: Teen || Drabble

Posted on AO3

Copia walked through a cemetery. The snow was getting heavy, reaching nearly a foot. Many of the ground headstones were unnoticeable, which led Copia to realize where they were by stepping on them. The sky was a beautiful gray, stretching across its entirety. The graves and few mausoleum entrances stood out starkly in contrast with the snow. The black, gothic exterior gave a haunting feeling to anyone who walked those paths.

It had been one year since Copia had been able to resurrect the brothers. It felt nice to have them again, even for the holidays. They celebrated their own holiday of Demon Revels, which took place three times a year. As it reached Winter though, it felt much more festive as stores and houses dressed up for their abrahamic holiday’s. It always puts the people of the clergy into an excited mood. Everyone would be up early to help decorate the abbey with candles and wreaths. Sister Imperator would always be the one to set up feasts and little activities for the siblings to do throughout the day to ease any stress.

However, for Copia, he was still somber at this time of year. Ever since the Emeritus brothers fell from grace, he hadn’t been able to participate and help as much as he thought he should. He wasn’t sure if it was the seasonal depression, or simply he remembered the past 5 years without the brothers, but it didn’t feel right anyways. The cold made him feel alive, and it got him away from the others. He didn’t want to burden them with his feelings, especially since he should be over it after he brought the brothers back. He just couldn’t shake it off though, no matter how hard he tried.

  His feet took him to the Emeritus crypt, and as he unlocked and entered, it felt like the air had gotten even colder. He shuddered, his breath forming as a cloud and he tucked his gloved hands deeper into his pockets. The tip of his nose, ears, and cheeks were a bright red.

He walked down the stairs which immediately presented themselves at the door before entering a rather large room. The room had three caskets, empty of course, but still a reminder of what had been before. There was a hallway at the other end of the room, probably leading deeper into the crypt to the rest of the lineage.

He lingered in the doorway before stepping deeper into the room. He ran a hand along the walls as he felt the pictures and latin words engraved into the stone. It was modeled after the Egyptian pharaoh tombs; their stories on the wall and their heritage splayed for all to see. The words were carved with such passion and emotion, it’s really no surprise that nobody wanted to take this half of the crypt down after the resurrection. Nobody could imitate the despair in the carvings. Instead of taking the whole crypt down, they had barred it off to the general public to preserve it. Now, only those with the keys could go in.

Copia wasn’t paying attention to the fact somebody had followed him in. The intruder crept down, silently watching the new papa from a distance. He swayed a bit, feeling emotion claw at him before swallowing hard and settling on Copia’s form.

“It’s surreal, isn’t it?” The intruder finally commented after a while. Copia jumped, whipping around to see Terzo leaning against the door frame.

“Papa-” Copia stumbled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck instinctively. He looked down, a blush appearing on his unpainted face.

“Ah, Terzo, remember? You are Papa now, not I,” Terzo cut off softly, walking into the room fully. They could hear the branches above swaying softly in the gentle breeze. Terzo’s face was unpainted, his face red from the nipping cold. He was much more prepared however, wearing a scarf and hat to help with the snow. Along with wearing something heavier than a black cassock. Copia had worn his cassock, if nothing but for the comfort it had provided him long ago.

“Yes, but it is still a sign of respect, no?” Copia laughed nervously, “Anyways. I was just here… to make sure the crypts weren’t vandalized, that’s all. We can go back now.” He waved off. He tried to speed walk out of the room, but Terzo held an arm out to stop him. “It is cold, Papa,” Copia whined, pushing against the arm.

“Si, but lying to me doesn’t get you anywhere. Why are you here?” Terzo looked over at him curiously then glanced around the room behind him. When Terzo was resurrected, he was always curious as to who had done the stories and drawings on the wall. He had some suspects, but nobody dared to give him a definitive answer. That only solidified his beliefs more though that the man standing before him most likely did it, but not even he would confess.

“I…” Copia looked away again. “I came in here often, when you were… you know. Gone. Especially when the snow had come around; nobody else was out at the cemeteries.” Terzo nodded, putting his arm down.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Copia.”

“No! No, don’t be. We both know I’m the uh… reason. For all that. Anyways.” His wordings were awkward and he looked down. He rubbed his wrists anxiously. Copia didn’t like broaching this topic with the older one, knowing full well that the former Papa had a bit of a rage issue when it came to this.

“At least I know I’ll be honored when I’m gone. Come, we should go back, you look like you’re turning into an ice cube.” Terzo swiveled and led the way out as Copia followed. The papa spared one last glance into the crypts before walking up and locking the door. They were once again out in the gothic cemetery. The snow is now actively falling, but in a calm manner. It was gentle, as if the world itself was holding their hand and letting them take the world in once more, one bit at a time.

Terzo waited for him to finish locking before starting off slowly out of the gravesite. Copia walked alongside him, feeling calmed at the light breeze.

“Do you know what it’s like after death?” Copia asked, quiet and cautiously after a bit of walking.

Terzo shook his head, “Alas, I do not remember.”

“Oh.”

“Did you always go back?” Terzo asked back, with the same amount of caution.

“Whenever nobody else was out, and every winter. Just like clockwork.” Terzo nodded thoughtfully and they approached the Abbey.

“Was it always just you?”

Copia nodded, “For the most part. Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator joined me, but only once. It was right after the incident, and I think Sister Imperator was more keen on admiring the art than the…” He moved his hand around, as if trying to physically grab a word out of thin air, “... Corpses.” Terzo hummed, unsurprised.

They got to the main doors and Terzo opened it up, beckoning Copia to enter. He nodded and walked quickly through, Terzo following behind.

They undressed. Shrugging off their coats and winter gloves. They took off their snow boots and extra layers, and Terzo his hat and scarf. Terzo grinned goofily at the sight of Copia’s face- all red from the cold air.

“You look as if a tomato was thrown at you, Papa,” He chuckled.

“You’d know that look well, considering your first rituals,” Copia teased back, the tension in the air dissolving with the ice.

There was a trauma and thickness between the two, but with time, the new Papa had hoped to rebuild bridges. Even if it took a century.

I wasn't sure where I was going with this fic tbh, but I'm glad it turned out alright! Kinda just world building I guess? Idk, it was fun to write though!

[fieldghoul]

Rite Here Rite Now, Watcher in the Sky -> If You Have Ghosts interlude, Post-Encore

[tojisun]

sun u should explain the ghost band lore bc i’m interested but no nothing about them

oki oki so ani this might take a while bc i went crazy explaining and it might be too long so uhm find the tl;dr at the end 😭

i swooned when i saw u ask this bc!!! mwah mwah <333 idk it made me so giddy teehee <33 also! this is what i know so far so there might be lapses in my explanation hhh

the band ghost or ghost (or ‘ghost bc’)

- they are are theatrical rock band mostly known for their satirical approach to organized religion (roman catholicism); they have a parody of the ministry (from the papacy down to the clergymen [dubbed as brothers/sisters of sins]). there are criticism that they are satanic and, well, that is their lore.

the current singer is called papa emeritus iv

- papa iv is endearingly called popia because before being papa, he was known as cardinal copia. he succeeded the previous three papa emeritus (primo, secondo, terzo) after the three have been killed. he also inherited the ghouls (specifically terzo’s ghouls).

- primo, secondo, terzo, copia are all acted by the same guy (tobias forge)! the lore is that they’re all brothers, fathered by papa nihil, but that copia wasn’t recognized as his son until later on when the three papas were killed. the ones who organized the deaths of the previous papas is sister imperator, copia’s mom.

- the papas, in order: primo, secondo, terzo, copia (cardinal), copia (papa)

nameless ghouls

- they are the people that tobias forge (papa) hires to play live! theyre not a concrete band since these instrumentalists could be/had been replaceable :((

- when ghost debuted, there were only four ghouls: fire, water, earth, quintessence. these titles are reflections of the instruments they play! fire (lead guitar). water (bass guitar). earth (drums). quintessence (rhythm guitar). later a keyboard instrumentalist was added and they were dubbed as the air ghoul.

- as the band grew more popular and more instrumentalists came and went, the fans began naming them. at the top of my head; notable old members include: alpha (fire). omega (quintessence). mist (water). ifrit (fire). zephyr (air).

- i think it was in 2019 when the ghouls were established and no one left (until, that is, june 2023). they were: dewdrop (fire; previously water so he replaced ifrit as lead guitarist). rain (water; bass guitar). aether (quintessence; rhythm guitar). mountain (earth; drums). swiss (multi ghoul - means he is a backup vocals, acoustic guitarist, tambourine). cumulus (air; keyboard and backup vocals). cirrus (air - keyboard and keystar). sunshine (multi; backup vocals).

- nameless ghouls as of july 2023: dewdrop (fire). rain (water). phantom (quintessence - he replaced aether). mountain (earth). swiss (multi). cumulus (air). cirrus (air). aurora (multi - she replaced sunshine).

- fave: nameless ghouls aren’t all just men!! cirrus, cumulus, sunshine, and aurora are ghoulettes

- i finally know who is who when they don’t have their instruments 😭

- they all wear the same thing for anonymity, although fans know who they are unmasked!

other fun info

- a ghost concert is called ‘ritual’

- they have this episodes (??) of more lore called ‘chapters’

- there are talks that copia will be replaced by a new papa but copia’s goodbye had been too quiet and peaceful so fans speculate that tobias forge is gonna do smthn else?

- papa nihil plays the saxophone!

tl;dr - tobias forge is a huge fucking nerd who made a whole satanic ministry and band for flare!

[namelessdumbass]

I'm going insane

Found this screenshot on twitter.

Don't read if you still haven't watched the RHRN movie and don't want to be spoiled!

Another cool theory under cut

The only thing is that Terzo isn't Copia's twin brother, BUT what if Square Hammer twin theory is indeed true? What if another kid we saw wasn't Copia's twin? Because why would Sister hide him from the son she loves and supports so dearly? She had previous Papas killed, had convinced Nihil Cardinal was a better choice, everything went they way she wanted to, she had no reasons to hide another child Tobias please sit down and put Ghost lore together so that makes at least a little bit more sense.

So maybe that kid isn't Sister's child at all. Plus don't forget she was scared of Papa III. She probably saw him as a threat, maybe even expected a revenge because Terzo was dragged off the stage. It will make a perfect sense if Terzo/his twin kill Copia. Probably this is why Copia only sees Nihil's and Sister's ghosts now. Also don't forget the "Escape the Ministry" game: There. Was. No. Autopsy. Of. Papa III!

[katiecanblog]

Some Ghost theory rambles:

I read somewhere that it's never actually mentioned that Primo is a brother to Secondo and Terzo. There was a theory that he's actually Nihil's brother and that the next Papa will be Primo's son.

But will there be a next Papa? T has said that he was getting bored of Papa after Papa which is why he had Copia introduced as a Cardinal first.

They keep hinting that Copia's time is up and there's subtle (or not so subtle) hints that he's going to die. Saltarian (however you spell his name) wheeling that display coffin past his bedroom. That religious recreation photo of him with the Ghouls where people were theorizing that Swiss was going to kill him. Etcetera. But let's not forget that all of the previous Papas were ultimately killed on Imperator's orders. Would she kill her own son? I don't think she would tbh. So if not her, who? Who would be behind killing him?

Based on T saying that it was getting boring with Papa after Papa after Papa, maybe there won't be a new Papa. Maybe the Emeritus bloodline will end (by death), Imperator will be overthrown, and a new system will take over. Will it be the Ghouls who do it? Is the next leader going to be a Ghoul King? A Dark Heirophant? (Maybe not, as that stands for tradition) A High Priest? (Too similar to the ex-Ghoul's band name, Priest) A Messiah? Antichrist?

Or you know, we could just be getting Papa Emeritus V.

I have a feeling the Ghovie is going to really further the Chapters' storyline along. But I've been wrong when it came to Ghost before.