Chapter 23!
An Outing With Two Papas.
9th of May 2022 - Madrid, Spain
The Imperatour continued to be a success, the band and it's crew continued to work hard while they travelled through Europe. The Clergy were pleased with their new Papa Emeritus, his charm was enchanting thousands of fans. Copia had performed his ritual at the Palacio Vistalegre arena with his ghouls and ghoulettes, their night had been successful. Their fans adored them, the elderly Papa Nihil's saxophone solo was going down a storm. Everything was going to plan, their popularity was ever growing.
The day was sunny, the bustling city of Madrid was filled with tourists and citizens. Albany had arranged a trip to a museum called Prado Museum, it was the main Spanish national art museum of Madrid. She thought it was about time that the quarrelling Papas spent some quality time together before they travelled to Austria. She was fed up of their disagreements and arguments on the tour bus, she wanted to see if a change of scene would ease the tension between them.
Papa Nihil had possessed his body, his deceased human form had been resurrected for a few hours while they ventured across the city. They had changed his papal robes for something more causal. They had dressed him in a simple suit with a fedora, it was the only option they had without drawing any attention to themselves on their little outing. Copia was wearing his red tracksuit and some sunglasses, he was trying his best to stay unnoticed by acting like a tourist. He had a map tucked beneath his arm, he had brought himself yo-yo from a souvenir store. Albany guided her Father and lover across the city, she had mapped out their route before the had left the tour bus. They soon arrived at their destination, the sight that greeted them was delightful.
The building's structure was impressive and elegant, there were sculptures linging the length of the ground floor with arched windows between them. The columns at the enterance of the building gave it an Ancient Rome appearance, the grounds were lush and green with vegetation. The Statue of Velàzques was placed on the main pathway, he was sitting on a chair with a palette in one hand and a paint brush in the other.
Albany was admiring magnificent sculpture with her Father, but her attention was soon caught by her lover when he gently nudged her with his elbow. Copia was trying to show her one of his tricks with his yo-yo, he had already showed her Walk the Dog and The Baby in the Cradle. He was actually good with his yo-yo, his tricks caused amusement. Albany gave him a smile and watched him playing with his yo-yo, his playful nature was endearing. He completed his final trick and motioned his hand towards the statue while he stepped forward, his voice broken the silence between the trio.
" It's impressive, yes?" Copia asked.
" Extremely Impressive." Albany replied.
" I've seen bigger." Papa said.
" You know your behaviour is getting vulgar, this is meant to be a family outing." Copia said, he motioned his hand towards his lover. " Albany planned this museum visit, we don't need your potty mouth lowering the tone of our little trip."
" I'm not being vulgar, I've seen bigger statues!" Papa frowned, he leaned closer towards his only living child. " I've seen The Apennine Colossus in Tuscany, it was an impressive sculpture of stone and brick. Then again I've also visited Christ the Redeemer of Maratea, it was seventy feet tall. I do like art museums, the outside sucture and articulate of the building is magnificent."
" It really is a beautiful looking building." Albany said.
" Unlike the boy I appreciate fine art and culture." Papa said, his gaze was judgmental while his mismatched eyes focused on his prodigy. " His mind is always in the gutter, he's lowering the tone of our museum visit!"
" I like art too, it's not my fault if I thought you were I talking about penises." Copia said.
" How dare you even suggest that I..." Papa said.
" Papa, please stop!" Albany interrupted him and glanced around at their surroundings. " People are watching us, we're meant to be keeping a low profile."
" He started it!" Papa grumbled.
" Copia just got the wrong end of the stick, he just misinterpreted our conversation." Albany said with a sigh. " There's no harm done, it's a laughable mistake."
" He also called me vulgar, I'm outraged!" Papa said.
" Okay, let's go and explore the museum." Albany said, her gaze wandered between her Father and her lover. " Just one day without any arguments or disagreements, this is all I'm asking from the both of you."
" That's cool, we can do that." Copia said, his gaze focused on the elderly Papa. " Isn't that right, Pops?"
" Whatever..." Papa said.
" Come on, I'll walk with you." Albany said.
Papa Nihil grumbled to himself before he allowed his child to cup arms with him, he wasn't too pleased about what Copia had said. Albany gave her lover a reassuring smile before she began leading her Father towards the enterance of the museum, she supported him in case he stumbled on any of the steps. Her Father constantly grumbled about what had happened, he was offended with his prodigy's assumptions. Copia followed behind them, he was keeping his distance from Papa Nihil. Entering the museum Albany took a leafet from a stand and opened it, she informed her Father that there was a sculpture and pottery exhibition. This information seemed to peak his interest, he was a fan of pottery. They wandered around the museum and looked at the different exhibitions, the building alone oozed history.
Albany left her Father's side and continued to explore the art exhibition, the different artists from around Europe were intriguing. Stopping in front of one painting she looked at her leafet and read some information about it, it was a painting of a monkey painting a smaller canvas. She smiled slightly at it since it's appeal was amusing, but her attention was caught by a rolling sound. Her gaze lowering she saw a red yo-yo rolling along the floor, it was soon yanked back into a gloved hand. Her gaze was met by a familiar face, it was Copia. He waved his fingers at her and joined his lover's side, his attention was soon focused on the painting. An impressed sound escaped his lips, he seemed delighted with the painting.
" This painting is very good." He said, his gaze met with her own. " It's got a monkey painting canvases, that's adorable."
" It's called The Monkey Painter." She said.
" That makes sense now, the name fits the scene perfectly." He said.
" Indeed." She smiled before she looked around the room. " Where's Papa?"
" The old guy is in the sculpture exhibition, he said he wanted to admire the human form." He said while leaned closer towards his lover. " I think he's checking out the lady statues boobies."
" That sounds about right for Papa." She said in an amused tone. " I better go and find him, he shouldn't really be left unsupervised due to his delicate condition."
" You mean because he's a corpse, right?" He asked.
" That and also he may get into trouble." She said.
" Why don't you stay here and enjoy this exhibition, I'll find the old guy." He said.
" Are you sure?" She asked.
" It's fine, I'll be right back." He said.
Copia left the art exhibition and entered the hallway, his footsteps soon faded away. Her gaze returning towards the painting she admired it for a moment before she began walking around the room, there were many paintings she hadn't seen yet. Paintings from around the world were on display, she was surprised to see a couple of Italian artist's works being housed at this very museum. She stopped to observe a painting of a woman draped on a Victorian chaise lounge, but her attention was caught by something solid hitting the floor. It was followed by an angry voice, it echoed down the hallway. The silence of the museum had been disturbed by Papa Nihil, he didn't sound too happy.
" Look what you did!"
" I didn't mean to do that..."
Albany glanced around the gallery before she hurried into the hallway, she could see some people exiting the sculpture exhibition. She continued to venture forward, she entered the exhibition where the voice had come from not long ago. Albany soon found her Father with Copia standing in front of a sculpture of two lovers, the atmosphere between them wasn't pleasent. Papa Nihil looked furious with his prodigy, his features were sinner. She immediately approached them, her heels clicking against the wooden floor she folded the gallery's leafet in her hands. Copia looked nervous, he backed away from statue and accidentally bumped into his lover. Papa Nihil didn't look too impressived with the situation unfolding in front of his eyes, but Albany was unsure what was going on between them.
" What's going on?!" Albany asked.
" The boy damaged this sculpture with his yo-yo!" Papa replied, his finger pointed towards the foot of the sculpture. " His clumsy behavior caused this mishap, the Clergy will be furious! The expense alone will be diabolical..."
" The expenses?" Albany asked.
" Just look at what he's done!" Papa frowned.
Albany's gaze wandered between them both before she looked down at the floor, her eyes grew wide at the sight that greeted her. At the foot of the sculpture was a stone penis, it seemed like the male statue had lost it's manhood. She looked at the stone sculpture of two lovers, she examined the damage. The situation was peculiar, nobody back at the Ministry would believe what had happened at the Prado Museum even if they told them about it. Albany was confused, her voice soon broke the silence of the room.
" How did this even happen?!" Albany asked.
" The boy was playing with his yo-yo again, his reckless behaviour damaged this magnificent sculpture!" Papa said, his features were stern. " I knew he would ruin the day, he should have stayed on the tour bus!"
" How is that even possible? It's just a plastic toy..." Albany said before she looked at her lover. " What exactly happened? Did you damage this sculpture with your yo-yo?"
" Yes, but it was an accident!" Copia replied.
" Oh Copia, the Clergy won't be pleased about your mishap this time!" Albany said with a sigh. " They'll have to pay for the damages, it could cost thousands due to it's historic value..."
" It's not too bad, right?" Copia asked before he picked the stone penis from the floor. " We can glue it back on, it's fine. Nobody will notice, it's got cracks anyway. It's got a big crack running straight through it's butt cheeks."
" Knowing the boy he would glue it upside down." Papa said.
" At least my dick isn't suck on my forehead." Copia said.
" How dare you!" Papa frowned.
Albany sighed deeply to herself when her Father and Copia began to bicker, she was mortified with their behaviour. Running her hand through her hair she looked around the exhibition, it was now empty. Her gaze was caught by an approaching museum employee with a security guard, it seemed like Copia's mishap had disturbed the peace. The the Clergy would be furious when they received an invoice for the statues damages, she would have to email Sister Imperator when they returned to the tour bus. Her planned visit to the museum had failed, she was beginning to wonder if her efforts would ever heal the rift between her Father and the newest Papa Emeritus.
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Later That Night - Madrid, Spain
The day had been eventful, the outing Albany had arranged with Papa Nihil and Copia hadn't gone to plan. She wasn't surprised that their museum visit had ended in tragedy, but the few hours before Copia had damaged the sculpture were enjoyable. Sister Imperator had been informed about the yo-yo incident by email, the Clergy weren't too pleased that they would have to foot the bill for the damages their newest Papa Emeritus had caused at the museum with his yo-yo.
The tour bus was filled with ghoulish laughter, the ghouls and ghoulettes were busy playing card games at the kitchen table. Popcorn and potato chips had been leftout for them, they were enjoying their night off from the touring. Papa Nihil had been exorcisted from his body, he had been laid back to rest in his casket. The ghostly phantasm was taking a nap, he wouldn't raise until he was summoned for his saxophone solo at the next ritual.
Albany had already retired in her bunk for the night, she wanted to relax before she went to sleep. The curtain to her bunk was drawn and the light above her sleeping quarters was shining bright. She was nursing a coffee and reading a novel she had brought from a local book shop, she wasn't tired just yet. Approaching footsteps caught her attention, she pulled the curtain back and peered into the aisle. Copia soon walked passed the bunk, he immediately stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed his lover watching him. Their gaze soon met, she smiled at him when he turned around to face her. He was dressed in his red tracksuit, she was surprised to see that he was still awake after today's events. Closing her book Albany sat up on the bunk and crossed her legs, her voice soon broke the silence between them.
" And where are you going?" She asked.
" I'm going to make a coffee." He replied while his finger tips came together. " Would you like one?"
" I'm good." She replied.
" And what are you doing?" He asked, he peered into her bunk. " Why aren't you sleeping yet? It's getting late."
" I'm not tired yet." She said.
" I can help you sleep." He said.
" Do I dare ask how?" She asked.
" Move over and I'll show you my magic fingers." He replied.
" A foot massage?" She asked.
" I can do that too." He said.
A mischievous expression crept across Albany's features while she stuffed the book beneath her pillow, she drank the rest of her coffee and made some room in her bunk for her lover. Copia looked both ways along the aisle before he joined her, he turned off the bunk's light and drew the curtains. He immediately crawled on top of his lover, his lips met with her own. They hadn't soiled the bunk just yet with sinful deeds, the creaking of the mattress would give their passionate embrace away. A giggle escaped Albany's lips when he nibbled at her neck, his mood was playful. Copia's hands explored her curves, but he soon lay down next to his lover after he banged his elbow on the wall. Albany's lips curled into a smile when she heard his complaints, there wasn't much room for sinful acts. Soothing his aching elbow she kissed his lips more than once, she tried her best to take his mind of his little mishap.
" As Sister called you yet?" She asked.
" Not yet, but I don't want to talk about work right now." He replied, his thumb brushed against her bottom lip. " Let's talk about something else."
" Okay, no work talk." She said with smile. " Are you excited about tomorrow's ritual?"
" I'm getting excited right now, but that's another story." He said.
" Oh I can see and feel that, Copia." She said, her speaking tone was filled with amusement. " I think it's time for another one of your cold showers you enjoy so much on tour."
" I can do that, but first I want to make sure you get a good nights sleep." He said.
" Remember to keep your hands to yourself, the waist up only." She said while her fingers tips played with zip of his hoody. " No funny business, the ghouls and ghoulettes may hear us."
" I can do that, baby." He said.
Albany snuggled down next to her lover, the bunk creaked beneath their weight. His arm draping over her Copia made sure she was comfortable and cosy, he kept his promise about no funny business. Breathing in his scent she began to unwind, he tenderly kissed her forehead. Albany closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the tour bus, the odd clanking sound disturbed the peace. The ghouls and ghoulettes were still playing card games in the kitchen, she dared not think of the mess they were creating. Her attention was soon caught by her lover's voice, her gaze met with his own. Copia rested his head on his hand while he drank in her features, he traced his finger tip down her jawline before he spoke.
" It's hard seeing you sleep at night without not being able to touch you." He said.
" Have you been peeking in my bunk?" She asked.
" Only to check on you in case the ghouls try to pile on you." He said, his speaking tone was filled with amusement. " It's my job to be on top."
" And what a good topper you are." She smiled.
" I'm happy you remember that, it feels like it's been months since I've been intimate with you." He said.
" It's only been over a week." She said.
" True that, but I miss you." He said.
" I'm with you every day, it's hard to miss me when we work together." She said before her hand slipped over his wrist. " We'll get the chance to be alone together in Hungary. We're booked into an hotel in Budapest, that means we'll get a few nights together before we fly back to Los Angeles."
" But that's nine days away..." He said.
" It will be the end of the tour before you know it." She smiled, but her smile soon faded when she smelt the air. " What's that smell?"
" I can't smell anything." He said.
" I can smell burning..." She said.
" Sodo is probably trying to make toast again, it's okay." He said.
" That's not exactly a good thing." She said.
" Okay, okay! Listen, listen..." He said, his fingers entwined with her own. " I'll go and see what the ghouls are doing, it's fine. Try and get some sleep, it's going to be one hell of a ritual tomorrow night!"
" Okay, goodnight." She said.
" Goodnight." He said.
Copia leaned into kiss her, his lips met with her own. Their goodnight kiss lingered, he postponed his departure from her bunk for as long as possible. Laughter and hurried footsteps passing the bunk disturbed their tender moment, it wasn't long until Copia exited the bunk. His voice was soon heard, it seemed like the ghouls and ghoulettes were causing trouble once again on the tour bus.