Chapter Text
Cracking his eyes open, Terzo finds himself in his room, the past few years simply blank in his mind. Foggy memories of someone grabbing him and sedating him make Terzo groan as he curls in on himself while in bed. Everything aches and feels sore, changing how his body lays making the aches worse. The pain radiates from his wrists and neck mainly which makes laying down even more awkward. Eventually Terzo manages to fall asleep for a little while, barely waking up at one point when he feels someone grab his wrists, feeling for something. Being left alone again, Terzo dozes off for a while, welcoming the chance to rest. After sleeping for hours on end, Terzo sits up when he smells something that dredges up a very old memory. Looking at his bedside table, Terzo sees the ravioli that Primo always made when any of the brothers were sick or just having a rough day. The bowl of food seems to stare at Terzo from where he sits in bed. Looking around, Terzo crawls over to the edge of his bed and snatches the bowl, fork and napkin. The bowl is still warm in Terzo's hands as he sits against some pillows, setting the napkin to the side. Getting a few pieces of pasta on the fork, Terzo cant help but tear up a little as he eats. He knows Primo isnt around but it tastes just like Primo was just in the kitchen making it. It sounds cliche but Terzo almost seems warmer as he eats, maybe its the food or maybe its that someone finally turned the damned heat on. A knock at the door causes Terzo to fumble with the fork, grumbling as he cleans up a piece of ravioli that had slipped off his fork when he was startled.
"Can I come in...?" a voice Terzo hasnt heard in almost ten years asks from outside of his room.
"Yeah, you can." Terzo calls, wiping down his sheets as best as possible.
Terzo is absolutely caught off guard when he sees Copia push the door open. He wasnt surpised at the remains of papa style makeup but the addition of ram like horns peeking through Copia's brown and grey hair is what catches Terzo off guard.
"Are the horns real??" Terzo blurts out as Copia sets the now soiled napkin in the bowl.
"Rude, but yeah. Sister Imperator never told you..?" Copia asks as he walks over to Terzo's dresser to grab him some clothes.
"Never told me what...?" Terzo mumbles, scooting towards the edge of his bed.
"They, being Nihil and Sister Imperator, had this huge plan for an Emeritus to be the anti-christ. It was supposted to be Nihil but we both know how he ended up and since everything happened with you, Primo and Secondo...it was left to me. So, after being Cardinal for a while I became Papa, then somewhat recently I woke up with horns and a ram like tail and absolutley freaked the fuck out and body slammed into Mountain who calmed me down and I talked to Sister. Its been about...three months since that happened? I'm mostly able to hide the horns with my hair, the tail is small enough I can hide it with my clothes."
"You just woke up and had horns??"
"Pretty much."
Terzo looks at Copia, amazed at how calm he is. Being handed some clothes, Terzo watches as Copia heads towards the bedroom door.
"Just come on out when you're done changing." Copia smiles, gently closing the door.
Looking at the clothes Copia had picked out, Terzo cant help but smile. Sure, it was sweatpants, a long sleeved shirt, boxers and some socks, but they were comfy clothes and thats exactly what Terzo needs. Changing takes a bit due to how stiff some of his joints are, but Terzo pulls the bedroom door open after slipping a pair of sneakers on. He looked like Copia when he was Cardinal and Terzo cant help but snort at the idea. Copia is leaning against the wall across from the door, putting his phone away when Terzo opens the door. Terzo walks over and grabs Copia's left hand, seeing a wedding ring.
"You're married??" Terzo asks, Copia pulling his hand away.
"Yeah, have been for about two years. I...I married Pandora. We didnt marry immedietly after the whole incident, we waited a few years. We dated while I was Cardinal and a year into me being Papa then we married." Copia explains, Terzo a little heartbroken but understands that theres no reason his ex-wife cant move on and find someone who makes her happy.
"Is she still around here?" Terzo mumbles, Copia smiling at his brother.
"She is, shes asleep right now but shes around."
Terzo nods, seeing some Christmas decorations hanging in the halls. Copia sets a hand on Terzo's back and pushes him forward a little, wanting him to start walking. The two brothers walk around for a while, stopping into new rooms that had been built or rooms that had been redone.
"How many ghouls do you have?" Terzo asks as he and Copia walk around the library.
"Fuck, uh...theres Swiss, Sodo, Rain, Mountain, Aether, Phantom, Cumulus, Cirrus, Aurora, Nimbus, Sunshine...so eleven. Granted Sunshine and Aether dont go on tour with me but are still considered my ghouls." Copia lists, looking at Terzo after listing all of the names
"Unholy fuck, why do you have so many??" Terzo whines, Copia laughing a little.
"Cirrus and Cumulus were paired, I had to take both. I needed a second multi ghoul since Swiss has some times in the set list where he cant be on stage so Aurora steps in."
"Thats still so fucking many."
"Yeah, well, you'll be able to meet them."
Terzo rolls his eyes with a small smile as Copia leads him to the living quaters of the church for the ghouls. Upon entering, Terzo is greeted by a ghoul with a broken horn getting tackled by another ghoul whos horns curl in two different directions.
"I am so ovewhelmed." Terzo whines, Copia grabbing a spray bottle before spraying the two ghouls who are fighing, both of them hissing.
A stout ghoulette with thick white and blue hair looks over at Terzo with a soft smile.
"I really hope the pasta tasted okay." the ghoulette smiles, Terzo realizing that the ghoulette whos talking to him had made him the ravioli.
"It tasted great, thank you." Terzo hums in response, a little confused when the ghoulette's hair seems to puff up a little.
"I never introduced myself, I'm Cumulus, one of Copia's air ghoulettes." Cumulus panics, offering a hand to Terzo.