#ghost papa headcanons

[ashthewaterghoul]

I assume at one point all of the Papas had a “favorite” Ghoul to sleep with and to -sleep- with. Who’s bedding down with whom?

Oooo okay...

I'm going to go off "canon" and only use the Ghouls that each Papa had with them on stage.

First, literal sleeping with,

Primo - Earth.

They are very close, manning the greenhouses and flower beds together at any chance they get. Often they like to nap together before, during or after their work, or just sleep through the night in each other's beds. Earth also grows and makes teas that relax Primo, and help him sleep through the night. A rare occurrence since his rise to Papa-hood, because he had to spend so much time away from his beloved fratellini, and was often worried sick about them. Even more so following their rises, and their trips away.

Secondo - Omega.

Secondo is a world class insomniac. Quintessence can knock him right out and make him feel rested when he wakes up in the morning. Those treatments from the infirmary just make him feel worse, and the strength he needs poses a great risk of severe side effects. Omega gets to be privy to the lovely sight of a peaceful Secondo. He smiles in his sleep and looks about 10 years younger. Secondo always feels safe being held by the big Quint.

Terzo - Alpha.

Yes, he may be the Ministry's resident asshole like 99% of the time, but that 1% is reserved for those he loves. Terzo is one of them. Terzo always pushes himself way too much in a desperate attempt to impress the Clergy, and has a lot of chronic pain leftover from sprains and injuries he refused to sit out for long enough to heal. Alpha's natural heat helps soothe it, and it's just so fucking cozy. Terzo also feels very very very safe in the hold of his Fire Ghoul that would rip the world apart just to get him the last sandwich, and often gets some of the best nights sleep ever.

Copia - Phantom.

The little Ghoul had been through a lot in the pits and during their early days topside. Phantom often craved the protection that Copia assured them they would receive in his charge, but felt like too much of a burden to ask for it. Often, Phantom would sleep on the floor by Copia's bed so they didn't wake him up. But Copia, ever restless, would find Phantom on the floor and lift them into his bed. Phantom eventually realised it was okay to ask, and Copia gave them a spare key for the room. Phantom felt safe, and Copia loved protecting his little pipistrello, often feeling like they were the child he never had. They both sleep very well on those nights.

Okay now the other kind of sleeping with...

MDNI from this point on, obviously.

Primo - Omega.

Primo has some horrific joint pain, but with a lovely dose of Quintessence, he feels younger than his brothers all over again. He adores how Omega is oh-so-careful with how much Quintessence the Papa is receiving and how he'll give Primo anything he wants. Whether it be fast or slow, rough or soft. Anything. Primo just gets to let go of worries about how his body will react and live out all the fantasies he could ever dream of, whether he's in command or not. And Omega will always help him deal with the after-effects.

Secondo - River.

Idk, it just makes sense to me. He made the mistake of looking over to River playing the bridge of 'Stand By Him', thrusting his bass into the audience. Bro's been fixated ever since. Secondo finds River is one of the only people he can completely drop his guard around & give into whatever that graceful & strong Water Ghoul wants of him. Secondo usually tops or at least doms all his sexual encounters, it's what everyone expects of him & he finds he can't drop that front. But he can let go & be River's. Secondo only ever subs for River, and for River only. He loves when River just uses him. No respect for his rank or what he represents, he's just as good as a common whore. Also loves when River makes love to him & builds Secondo back up piece by piece.

Terzo - Omega.

Need I explain? I don't think so but I will anyway lol. Omega was the first Ghoul that Terzo saw, interacted with and slept with. You never do forget your firsts, after all. Terzo chose his colour for his robes to match Omega's eyes and magic, and if they could soul-bond and mate in the way Ghouls did, they would do it. They did try, but the magic washed over Terzo and left Omega with a half-fulfilled bond that weighed on him constantly unless he was near Terzo. So naturally they go at it like rabbits and rarely spend a lot of time apart.

Copia - Cumulus.

HEAR ME OUT!!!! Copia loves all his Ghouls, but especially Cumulus. When Copia noticed he'd gained some weight, he became incredibly self-conscious. He quite literally fell on his knees one night and begged her for how she did it. And Cumulus worshiped that man. She kissed all along his stomach, ground herself onto the gorgeous rolls of pudge and made him feel so loved that he couldn't help but love himself. He loves being in control of their encounters, but what he loves even more than that is Cumulus being the sexiest Dominatrix you ever did see (he absolutely calls her 'Mommy' btw). They can also be just as soft, and are on the regular, just like that fateful night. Copia also returns the favour on the odd day when Cumulus struggles with her own self-image. There's just an understanding there, and no one can match it.

[damagedghoulette]

OH MY GOSH!!

THEY LOOK INCREDIBLE!!

[valkyrieinpink]

The V in papa V perpetua stands for virgin

[theostimelesscreations]

SecAlpha fluff because I love to see them being cuties together!! Also, my Alpha headcanon design! :D

Still learning how to draw digital art, please help me (I'm accepting tips)!

[delulluart]

Surprise, Secondo! I always see him as a bigger guy with a tummy (instead of a bodybuilder type, because this man does not cut calories)

these are the full versions, but for uniformity I also added them on AO3

All of Ghinktober 2024 here

[nastylittleghouls]

Phantom "playing" a Custom Fender Jazzmaster in the Lachryma video and it sitting so low on him had me thinking about my headcanon that he has been burrowing Aether's guitar all along (he wore his helmet the first couple of shows too after all). *

And now, that Phantom has found his place, has proven himself to the pack and the ministry, Aether gifts him the Fender.

But not just any random one. It's the one Phantom has been gushing about to him while cockwarming the big guy no less. How pretty it is and how he'd customize it to his liking.

The 'Dew plays a Fender too' and 'How much easier it would be to play for me' was left unsaid at the time. But Aether knew. Saw the ongoing need for approval. To be equal. Remembered Dew's struggle with the shape and size of the Fantomen.

So he makes it happen after the tumult of Copia's promotion and the new Papa died down, talks to the Frater and V, and secretly gets a little bat engraved on the backside of the guitar and decorates the strap with a purple banana pin. He has to stop Dew from trying to slap a sticker of himself on it several times as well.

And Aether, who gets kissed within an inch of his life when he presents the guitar to Phantom, vows to himself once again that nothing will ever happen to his bug.

*Disclaimer: I assume it's a Jazzmaster. It could be a Jaguar as well please don't come at me. My eyesight has taken a dive in the last few days and I couldn't look as closely as I'd like.

Also, I know they don't just have that ONE guitar they use during shows but Aether's gift is the one that marked the change. If there even is a change, maybe it was just for that one occasion and he simply broke the Fantomen meant for the shoot. 😂

[operazthev4mp1re]

They serve too much cunt to be cisgender

[kabukiaku]

I was reminded today of one of my favorite personal headcanons I have for Terzo: he is an absolute film slut. especially for old Hollywood + pre-code horror and drama movies. he would either have original film reels or the remastered collector's editions in DVD format. he plays them in his carefully cared-for old film projector...or for the remastered ones, a digital projector on those pull-down screens you see in classrooms. he has one installed in his room for his convivence.

Ask him about his interest, and he will go on talking someone's ear off with commentary about the movies---er excuse me--- films centric themes, motifs, plot and literally anything you'd catch in a director's commentary edition. he has a list of favorite actors/actresses from the time and will have framed photos of them in his room. (which speaking of, takes inspo from art deco)

I actually have a doodle i made a while back on what 'A Date with Papa III' would be like, and the expectations were far beyond what one would expect. oh, sure he has his suave way of words and looks, but he truly is a film nerd and will not shy away from it.

for now have this silly doodle:

His prized and restored 1930s 40s Specto 16mm Movie Projector. nicknamed 'Stella'.

No one is allowed to touch it. Not even Omega. (out of everyone though, Terzo trusts him the most. but still- NO TOUCH)

[sadistic-cardinal]

One of my favourite things is when old ladies call old (but younger than them) men "handsome young man" or some variation.

I'm not saying that is the reason Terzo always takes roses to the elderly Sisters but it is cartainly a bonus.

[dgaftilwedie]

thinking abt papa and his ghouls :((((

copia letting phantom catnap in his office when he needs somewhere quiet

copia who always lends a helping hand if cumulus needs help doing her hair

copia who's a sucker for mountain's head scratches

copia who can't help but agree when swiss invites him to the ghoul smoke sesh

copia who sits down with dewdrop in the practice room for hours just to make sure his part sounds perfect

copia who aurora will always come to when she needs someone to play pickleball with her when the other ghouls are busy

copia who tries all of rain's baked goods and even asks him to bake him treats sometimes

copia who willingly plays pranks on the previous papas with cirrus and thinks its hysterical watch their reactions

copia who comes to aether when he's having a hard day for some quality time and cuddles

copia jamming with sunshine and pretending he knows how to use a tambourine (he doesn't)

just :( copia :(( and his ghouls :((( fuxk i love them sk much im gonna cry

[ashthewaterghoul]

Something I realised is that Mountain has his vest on in the Ghovie but during like any other Ritual he doesn’t usually wear it and only puts it on for bows.

So, imagine Copia walking back stage at the Forum, and Mountain’s getting ready, warming up etc.

His vest is still on the hanger, ready to be placed behind his riser with his boots, and Copia’s like “you have to wear it tonight.”

And Mountain, big and burly Earth Ghoul Mountain, throws an absolute temper tantrum over it.

[damagedghoulette]

From Loma Vista Recordings

[pandasleepy07]

Frater Imperator Copia who can't let his ghouls go. Hangs on to every sliver he hears about them. Copia who will listen intently when he does see them. Copia who writes in a journal after so he can look back and remember what happened to feel close to them. Copia who writes them each a pile of letters before they leave on tour (it helps Phantom feel less homesick and he always keeps one of them on him at all times). Copia who squeals like a little girl when the ghouls write him letters while on tour and starts bawling when he sees a picture of them all crammed into a photo booth together.

[cumulo-ghoulll]

Feral Ghouls HCs

(hunting season pt. 5)

Copia baby talks all of his ghouls when they're feral

If any of them come up to him (and doesn't look too aggressive) he squeals "my baby!!", or "oh! a lil ghoul!!", or "look at that lil creature!!"

He leaves out food for all of them every night, it's usually a selection of their favourite snacks and whatever was left over from dinner

Copia likes to eat his lunch outside as well

He usually ends up sharing it with Dew or Swiss

Dew in particular is very vocal when he's 'found' food and ends up attracting at least seven other ghouls

By the time Primo's or Secondo's ghouls have come to see what's going on, Copia's already dropped his lunch and has ran back inside

Occasionally, Copia will spot Terzo's ghouls

They're very rarely seen but will sprint over to Copia if they see him

Alpha is usually the only one to come over

He likes being around Dew, and since Dew is usually with Copia, he'll run over to Copia

He's a pretty big ghoul, certainly bigger than Aether, so having a giant, unglamoured, feral hell beast running full speed at him always scares the shit out of Copia

Sometimes, he gets circled by Terzo's ghouls if they haven't seen him in a while

They'll all pace round him and sniff as they decide whether to maul him or not

Copia is, by this point, screaming for Terzo to do something

His brother will lean out of his window, complain that he woke him up, and tell his ghouls to leave Copia alone

They usually all go scampering back into the woods

The ghoulettes are also very rarely spotted

Cumulus is very trusting of Copia when she's feral and likes to find him on her third or fourth day of the season to have her hair brushed and plaited to keep it tidy

She'll purr the whole time and Copia pulls her curls out of her face and ties them back neatly

By the time, she's usually fallen asleep in his lap

Copia doesn't dare move in case he wakes her and has been stuck for hours before

Once Lus lets him go, he has to go and get his lint roller and roll all the hair and fluff off of him (Lus sheds like mad when she's feral)

If Rain goes to Copia, he likes to greet him by shaking pond water onto him

Everyone knows that Copia was with Rain when he comes back inside soaking wet

Rain also likes to bring him fish he's caught and tries to get him to eat it

Copia will then pull the good old "look over there!" trick and throw the fish back into the pond while Rain isn't looking

Copia's been bitten by Rain a lot too and had tiny scars on his hands because of it

Rain never bites him out of malice, it's usually when Copia's trying to get some algae or fish scales out of Rain's hair

Rain thinks it's a game and will nip at Copia's hand when it goes past his mouth

To Rain, he's only biting softly, but he forgets he has serrated teeth which hook into flesh so they'll catch and tear Copia's hand when he bites

Copia's brothers and most of the siblings of sin criticise him for still visiting his ghouls during hunting season but he pays them no mind

He did try to keep away from them once, but they all managed to break into his room and destroy the place while he was out because he wasn't giving them any attention

Copia learned his lesson that day.

[cityofmeliora]

notes / thoughts on Terzo's characterization (Terzo is so disappointed and depressed and i love him)

a few weeks ago i saw this post from slavghoul which has snippets of TF describing the Papas. it includes this quote:

“He represents this frustrated old guy who hates everyone, especially himself. But despite his wounds and his darkness, he has a sense of humour and is endearing, like most of my heroes. The late actor Christopher Lee was an inspiration to me. In many ways, he is Papa.” (Metallian 7/2015)

i thought this quote was really interesting because i'd never seen anyone talking about that side of Terzo before. Terzo hating "everyone, especially himself" felt at odds with the charming personality he typically displayed. i wanted to know how that developed and where his "wounds and darkness" came from. so i did some digging for quotes on Terzo's history and characterization. here are my notes + thoughts:

something that came up again and again in my research is that he is actually quite antisocial when he's not performing. it seems like he didn't want people to know anything about him past his stage persona.

TOUR MANAGER: No one in the crew really gets to see or speak to Papa, ever. Only Anna and myself have access. He is not in the building and then he'll just be there, just for show time. The only thing you really need to know about Papa is what you see of him on stage. Ghost - The Devil's Hands (Documentary) (2017)

he almost never interacted with any of the nameless ghouls or the tour crew. in fact, he really went out of his way to avoid them. he traveled separately, would appear right before the start of a show, and then he would disappear as soon as it ended. in "The Devil's Hands", it showed they sometimes had trouble locating him when he was needed.

With this new era, can you introduce Papa Emeritus III? NAMELESS GHOUL: I don't know him very well yet. We haven't really done our mileage with him, so I am sure that we will find out. But he seems nice. He seems okay. Obviously, he's very close relatives with Papa number two, who was a little bit of a hmm. I'm sure that he isn't like, completely different, but we'll find out. He's a bit of a recluse, and he sort of travels on his own. And he sort of appears when we're due onstage and then he disappears when we're offstage. So yeah, I guess we have a little bit of a social disconnect there, but I don't see a big problem with that. I mean he seems to be doing well on his own, and I don't know if he has a little harem somewhere that occupies his time offstage, I guess. I'm assuming that. Loud TV (July 2015)

INTERVIEWER: How has it been working with the third Papa? How is he fitting into the group? NAMELESS GHOUL: We like him, actually. He seems to be quite nice. Obviously, we haven't really done our "miles" with him yet, so we don't know him that well. And he doesn't travel with us- he sort of goes separately everywhere, and he appears just before the show and then he just disappears. So we haven't really had the time to sort of fully get to know him. But overall, he seems quite a joyful chap. Metal Injection (September 2015)

predictably, his bandmates did not know him very well. but they always remarked that they liked him and that he seemed like a nice, chill guy. (they also assumed he had a harem that he spent time with when he wasn't performing, which is probably not true, considering how much effort he put into avoiding people whenever possible.)

NAMELESS GHOUL: We don't really socialize with Papa, so… But he seems nice! But he's very occupied in his harem. [...] He's a little bit cooler. He seems to be the nicer of the two brothers --I don't know if there are two-- but he seems to have, I don't know, a kinder mother, probably, or something that makes him slightly.. INTERVIEWER: A little different. NAMELESS GHOUL: Yeah, he's a little bit different. AMBY (October 2015)

i don't think his charming, pleasant demeanor was just an act, though. i think it did come from a genuine part of himself... he wasn't always an antisocial recluse.

before he became Papa, he was a cardinal in Krakow, Poland. Bishop Necropolitus Cracoviensis (the character representing Zbigniew Bielak, the artist who does the album art for Ghost) characterized younger Terzo as having enthusiasm in all his endeavors. he was always a very devoted member of the clergy who had big dreams of progress and modernization for the Ministry and the world. he had a strong interest in Futurist art and philosophy.

Bp. Necropolitus Cracoviensis remembers: "...our relationship goes a long way back to the times before his papacy, that is when he was still a cardinal in my hometown, in Cracovia...(...) Although we had our share of juvenile recklessness - be it indulging his beloved cream pies - allegedly verging on six hundred sixty six portions a year but that must be a rumor I believe, or wild parties at the attic of seminary school (laughs) - even in his formative years, he remained a focused man of vision, looking far into the future, always addressing his people's needs and longings to keep our church together in those turbulent, rapidly changing times (...) there were so many temptations to syndicate among our good people (...) (...) We would sit down to studying exciting Futurist manifestos, sketched the blueprints of utopian metropoles, spiked with shiny skyscrapers stabbing at the heavens belly... Wantonly swollen zeppelins would to carry our gospel of indulgence to the farthest corners of the globe to summon and enslave. (...) Forged in nostalgia of steam and fire, this brave new world of ambition, vice, lust and greed - all so inherent to the enlightened modernity, was always with him through all these years. And it is now - when our church continues to grow stronger and wealthier under wise reign of Papa Emeritus III - that these visions may finally be witnessed and embraced in the preachings of 'Meliora' - his most contemporary and humane Encyclical." (https://www.facebook.com/thebandghost/posts/994031900615606)

those core values of ambition, vice, lust, and greed stayed with him when he became Papa. though he had a revolutionary spirit, he's actually described as "less rebellious" in Metal Myths. Terzo took his job as Papa very seriously, and he cared about being successful and achieving his goals. while he and Secondo certainly had vice, lust, and greed in common, it was Terzo's ambition that truly set him apart.

"It felt like the goal was to take Papa II's sense of modernity and remove the recklessness." Metal Myths: Ghost Pt. 2 (April 2022)

How would you describe the personality of Papa Emeritus III compared to his predecessors? NAMELESS GHOUL: "First of all, Papa Emeritus III is an entertainer! He loves projectors, he loves the public, and he loves success. The first Papa Emeritus was someone very rigid, very strict, and very solemn. A real son of a bitch! (laughs) To be honest, we don’t miss him at all! Papa Emeritus II was a pervert a little bit sadistic, and, in hindsight, I think he wasn’t very at ease on stage. He wasn’t a showman, unlike Papa Emeritus III! Him, he’s the guide we missed to rise up the quality of our shows, to reach the step above and communicate with our fans." (MyRock #44 (2017) translated from French by @ a-wandering-ghoulette)

unfortunately, his ambition eventually led him to become disillusioned and depressed.

Terzo looked forward to becoming Papa. he worked so hard for it his whole life, only to be confronted with the realization that his time as Papa --and therefore his achievements-- would be limited.

he was a nice guy, but he was also was egotistical. he was a showman and an intellectual, and he thought very highly of himself.

NAMELESS GHOUL: He's a little bit more chill. But obviously, all the Papas are definitely pompous assholes. INTERVIEWER: That's part of the job. SPECIAL GHOUL: That's one of the criterias, the prerequisites, that you have to be this sort of flamboyant diva, know-all, show-off. Metal Injection (September 2015)

his self-hatred came from his inability to be the person he wanted to be. it's not that he felt like he couldn't measure up, it's that he felt like he wasn't allowed to express his full potential. Terzo's mindset was "i know i'm good enough. and i could prove it if they would just let me." but he wasn't really in charge, and his vision was at odds with the goals of Sister Imperator.

Terzo felt so stifled, it makes sense that he became a "frustrated old guy who hates everyone, especially himself."

and i think this is the reason for the paradox of him having a kind, charming personality onstage and being unsociable offstage. he still gave it his all. he did the best he could with the time and resources he was allowed. that zealous man of the people was still in there somewhere. but he felt betrayed by the clergy, the organization he dedicated his life to. his career ended up being unfulfilling and he was ultimately really bitter about the way things turned out.

he was good. he never got to be great.

[halexxsam]

Teasing his Ghouls

hc that when they used to play at smaller venues, certain ghouls cough cough mountain, aether, & ifrit cough cough would get really possessive when papa would kneel down and get closer to the crowd, even touching some of them or kissing their hand. mountain would growl behind his kit and aether and ifrit would immediately break position and come up behind their papa, knees rubbing up against his back.

after the show, papa would be pulled into the ghoul dressing room and the three ghouls would growl and chuff while re-scenting him, saying how they hate when the fans get to touch him and that their gross scent sticks to his skin.

they would pull him to sit on the small couch in the backroom, dew placed on his lap with a pack of makeup wipes. the ghouls would demand that papa wear their clothes, papa leaving the venue donning mountains hoodie and ifrits sweatpants, aether's beanie pulled over his head.

papa, of course, knows that his ghouls are possessive. but he loves the treatment, so at the next show, he might just lean even closer, get down on the floor even lower....just too see what they will do, to see how far his ghouls will go for him.