“This is how we go. No crowd surfing at all at our shows. We appreciate you all having fun, and having fun together, but some of us who are here to have fun are not big guys. There are children here, there are small ladies. So please… ok? Good!”
– Papa Emeritus II looking out for the little ones. x
Oh boy! I sincerely hope this doesn’t disappoint. I’m not quite into the proper headspace to write for each Papa yet. Thank you for the wonderful idea!
***
“Get in here!” Copia demanded. “It’s time to light the candles!”
The three previous Papas shared a groan before trudging into the shared living space of the church. Papa Nihil shuffled along behind them as the four of them were ushered around a round wooden table. The table was covered in a cheery plastic tablecloth that was patterned in multicolored balloons and streamers. More balloons were tied to chair backs, gently swaying with some unseen breeze. Shiny confetti littered the floor.
“Come on, eh,” Copia said as he pulled the elastic strap of a pointy party hat under his chin. He eyed each brother expectingly, a small smile curling his lips.
Papa Nihil grabbed the hat in front of his chair and put it on. “Let’s go, boys.” He motioned at the hats in front of his three sons.
I, II, and III glanced down at their respective hats. Papa Nihil took a deep pull on his oxygen mask, a tell that signaled he was about to start shredding asses if things didn’t go his way. His sons quickly put on their hats.
The Cardinal clapped his hands excitedly. He pulled a lighter from a hidden pocket in his cassock and brought the flame to the candles lining the edges of a large sheet cake on the table. “Okay,” he said. “We sing now, eh?”
Copia knelt down to a small cage on the floor and opened its tiny door, allowing a large rat to squeeze out and scurry up the Cardinal’s arm to perch on his shoulder. Copia stood and faced the cake. The rat’s eyes gleamed in the candlelight.
“Happy birthday to you,” the Cardinal crooned, lifting a finger to scratch under the rat’s chin. “Happy birthday to you, eh?”
Papa I shook his head while Papa II yanked the party hat off his head. “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever been subjected to.”
Nihil took another deep pull on his oxygen mask. “Put the hat back on, figlio, or we’ll go play Uno downstairs.”
“Happy birthday, dear Ratvoliooooooo,” Copia continued to sing, the brothers finally joining in thanks to Nihil’s thinly veiled threat. “Happy birthday to you!”
Papa III picked a noise maker up from the table and gave a generous honk. Copia leaned down to the cake and blew out the candles before letting his beloved Ratvolio scamper over to it, his whiskers twitching as he nibbled at some icing.
softcore-genji 