Io sonno Papa Emeritus...Terzo
Our specialest little lad's first public appearance
(Original video was hit with a copyright strike, rip😔)
Cementing my belief that Terzo is the *most Italian* (at least, culturally) of the Papas with this 😀
The Papas and their Italian-ness is actually kind of hilarious because:
The Papas all speak Italian pretty badly, apparently. Secondo's Italian in Papaganda seems up for debate; I've seen comments on those videos saying he's speaking it well and comments saying he's speaking badly, so who the fuck knows (Apparently the fact that the Papas consistently use personal pronouns ("io sonno" vs just "sonno") is a sign that they're not native/fluent speakers)).
Speaking as someone who grew up around a lot of little old Italian men, I think Cardi's Italian accent was...not terrible, actually? But he did lose that accent, which lends credence to the notion that they're not Italian.
(Ryan Bergara voice) That being said...
The Ministry's entire schtick is to be an inversion/parody of the Catholic Church, right? So you know why they speak Italian?
FOR THE BIT.
Which is so, so, so funny.
I have been gradually The-Papas-Aren't-Italians-pilled, but I do keep them speaking Italian in my fics because 1) sexy language, 2) they're all at least conversational so why not, and 3) I know just enough Italian (and Spanish) to figure out the grammar and stuff (usually), so it's just an easier language for me to use.
In that case his commitment to the bit is enough because ✨YAAASS SEXY✨ 😀
Personally speaking, I’m on the other side of the discourse in that I believe they are native speakers, but I chalk up their overall bad grammar/poor spoken Italian in what few videos we have up to Tobibi’s lack of linguistic knowledge.
Thus, in my mind, just because Toblerone messed up on the language, doesn’t necessarily mean the Papas can’t speak properly or aren’t native speakers per se, but rather his attempts alone (despite errors) are simply him trying to convey they are.
I view it not unlike when us fic authors attempt to incorporate other languages we don’t have a complete knowledge of in fics. There will be errors, but the intent is there.
I love playing fast and loose with canon that’s already fairly loose. So both sides are valid to me! 😌
Plus, it IS hilarious to imagine that they’re speaking Italian poorly just to subvert the Catholic church extra hard. I love that. 🤣
Yup, I agree with that!
As a native Italian speaker, I can attest that they do speak Italian pretty badly. When they speak Italian, the accent is obviously not that of a native Italian or of someone that is a little bit fluent in the language.
Let's take this clip as an example:
• First of all, as @lucifixion-pose pointed out, Terzo says "io sono" instead of just "sono" , which someone who's fluent in the language usually wouldn't do. However, I can give him the benefit of the doubt here, because the use of the personal pronoun 'io' wouldn't be too wrong if he wants to emphasize that HE is Papa Emeritus Terzo, and not anyone else. It's also his first introduction, so 'io' can be used in this case.
• Then there's the overall pronunciation, which is pretty clunky, but I appreciate the effort. He pronounces the 'z' in Terzo as an Italian would pronounce an 's', so it seems like he's saying 'Terso' instead of 'Terzo'.
I appreciate the effort! And I think that, like @gh0ul-dinner says, Tobias's intent was to make his OCs Italian. Despite the fact that he doesn't know the language he gives it his best attempt, in my opinion!
If I can give my two cents on this matter, I also believe the only reason they don’t speak good Italian is because TF isn’t Italian. This is where a sort of suspension of disbelief should help us overlook that detail and focus on the final message: the guys are Italian in this phase.
As for “io sono” vs. “sono”, I don’t really see the issue. “Io sono” is perfectly correct, especially in more formal situations. “Sono” on its own is simply more common and colloquial, and since he doesn’t say anything before introducing himself, it’s actually even more appropriate to start with “io”.
If we want to take the mispronunciations as proof that they aren’t native speakers, they could just as easily reflect the Vatican popes, who are required to speak Italian regardless of their origins.
#BringTerzoBack!
Tags: resurrection, black magic, revenge, action/adventure, romance, personal growth, religious cults, humor, sex, hurt/comfort, kazoo (and other bizarre instruments).
Characters: Papa Emeritus III, Papa Emeritus I, Papa Emeritus II, Papa Emeritus IV, Sister Imperator, various OCs.
Pairings: Terzo X OC.
Summary: Risen from the death by his brothers Primo and Secondo, Terzo Emeritus is sent to live secretly out of the Ministry, with the task to plot a coup against Papa Emeritus IV’s military regime. Away from his old habits, he explores a simpler world made of washing machines, uncooked food, cheap sexual intercourses, hashtags, creaky old ladies and their hideous Pomeranians.
Will Terzo succeed in reclaiming his throne back?
Will this new experience change him?
And, most crucially… will he finally fulfill his only, last wish?
Chapter 4.
Kat.
Terzo leaned back, looking at the band playing with a strange mix of pride and grief.
They were young: sharp faces, bright eyes, nerves barely contained under their vests full of patches. They wore a bad quality corpse paint that had started to melt at the third song.
The stage was small but was their own, and the guitars were tuned almost right, but now, Terzo allowed himself to miss the weight of it.
These kids had no idea who he was. No idea that the old man sipping his drink in the corner had once stood on stages they could only dream about, wearing that same paint on his face.
>> Read on AO3.
Something I surprisingly like is, for all the flamboyancy and bluster we apply to Terzo regarding sex, he actually appears to have a pretty realistic approach to it. Specifically here, where you get the sense that he acknowledges that it won’t always be exactly perfect and you won’t always finish, let alone during the first time. Yes, he values the importance of the female orgasm, but he also knows — especially on the first go — it’s not a perfect guarantee. Not without effort and a commitment toward a common goal.
Is it amazing to read fics where mans is fiending and refuses to let up from The Netherworld until his mission is accomplished? Damn straight it is. But whenever I watch that snippet, I can’t help but feel that it’s less about making sure there’s an orgasm every single time so much as it is making an effort. After all, you’re still figuring each other out. It’s a process that takes two to figure out.
And coming from the Papa the fandom most often presents as a sex god who gets it right every single time, it’s quite nice knowing that he’s arguably more humble that that and prefers a healthier, less pressuring view of how sex can work.
Hello can I have more dad terzo
This time, how will terzo help his teen daughter through her first break up and broken heart?
Of course you can and in fact here we are ✨
The way I see it, Terzo is used to dealing with his feelings privately, and his daughter is no different. Because of that, it’s hard for him to tell when she needs comfort, or if she even needs it at all. She’s tough, and he knows she was made to endure hardships on her own terms.
He feels safe allowing this distance also because her mother is usually the one who knocks on her door when she notices she needs to talk. She’s the one who speaks and connects with her in a more explicit way. That’s fine: a bond between a mother and a daughter is something special that exists only between women. His presence, instead, is a little more indirect but constant, especially as she grows older and more independent, and the girl knows what she needs and who to choose, between her dad and her mom, in specific moments.
Sometimes he understands she needs support, but he prefers not to be intrusive, so he’ll simply play some music on his record player, like he used to do when she was little. He puts on songs about strength, courage, and fighting, something that lets her know her dad is there and knows she’s strong. That is usually enough.
But that time, though…
How would Terzo react if he found out that his son:
- had a girlfriend
- stole from a store
- wanted to change his gender?
We rarely imagine Terzo as a boy’s father, so this is a challenge.
I imagine Terzo as a boy’s father in a completely opposite way from how he is as a girl’s father, so I’m glad you brought this up!
I have this feeling that living under the shadow of such a cumbersome personality as Papa Emeritus III must be very hard for a son. Expectations are high, comparisons are brutal, and admiration can easily turn into envy, or even rejection. Not to mention every time Terzo embarrasses the poor boy with his “funny stories” about him, which he happily tells to friends and girlfriends alike.
I’m sure there will be a point in his son’s life when he starts hating him.
And imagine having to witness all your girlfriends having a crush on your father… 🙄
1. had a girlfriend
Well, the first thing I imagine Terzo saying to the boy is, “You? A girlfriend?” Then he smirks, shakes his head lightly, and says proudly, “You really are my son.”
He then proceeds to fill two glasses, placing one in front of his son on the table and keeping the other.
“So what’s this?” the son asks, after smelling the strong scent of alcohol.
“You are a man now.”
“Dad-”
“And we have reached that point in life where the man who created you has to pass down wisdom-”
“DAD. Please.” The boy stops him promptly. “I don’t need you to teach me that.”
Terzo looks at him, suspiciously. “Have you already made me proud…?”
And it’s at that point that the son simply stands up and walks away, cheeks red.
He’s the kind of dad who thinks he can act like a friend or a mentor to his son and doesn’t understand how embarrassing and pressuring it feels for the boy.
For some reason, the news of the girlfriend makes him extraordinarily invested in his son’s romance, as if he’s witnessing proof that something he made has turned out right.
He’s well-meaning, intrusive, proud, and completely unaware of how overwhelming he can be.
He gives advice constantly, always unsolicited:
“Never arrive empty-handed on dates.” “Let her pick the movie.” “Lying is useless… girls can smell it.” “She must always come first.”
“DAD.”
He even slip a condom into the boy’s jacket pocket one day. Size small. Luckily, the boy found it before the girl did.
He asks questions that are far too personal and that quickly turn into a badly conceived trial.
“So,” Terzo said one afternoon, leaning back in his chair, “does this girl make you happy?”
“Yes,” his son answered carefully, but honestly.
Terzo smiled, satisfied, only to add soon after, his smile fading, “Good. Then do not ruin it.”
It got even worse when the boy invited his girlfriend home to meet him.
“Please,” the boy says to his girl, taking her hand while standing in front of the house door. His anxiety can be cut with a knife. “Anything my father says… anything, do not believe or endorse it.”
From there, the meeting is a rollercoaster that seems aimed at sabotaging the boy, but in truth is just Terzo being Terzo.
Terzo keeps calling the girl by the wrong name. Every time, his son clenches his jaw and corrects him. Terzo nods, apologizes, and says something like, “Those beautiful eyes distract me too much to focus on names,” which successfully flatters the girl and annoys the son, then forgets her name again five minutes later.
He asks the most inappropriate questions like, “So what did you find in my boy?” which may seem a standard, innocent question, if he didn’t add “I swear I’ve tried to see something interesting in him, but I haven’t succeeded so far.”
And when the girlfriend leaves, smiling, polite, clearly fond of the son - and even of the father, despite everything - Terzo pats him on the shoulder with quiet satisfaction.
“She’s cool,” he says. “I like her.”
His son exhales, exhausted. “That was never the concern.”
Terzo frowns, puzzled, obviously missing the point.
2. stole from a store
The first thing Dad Terzo would ask is, “Did you really need that?”
Terzo is definitely not the type to steal, and not because he respects laws or morals, but because, to him, there is only one way to obtain things: by earning them. And because he despises consumerism.
The only theft he can condone is that of primary goods by people who can’t afford them, or theft committed as a form of protest.
If his son isn’t able to provide a just reason for the theft that fits any of those circumstances, he will face the consequences of his actions.
“…And no, son, a new game for your Xbox is not a primary good, and it’s not a protest. Go put it back in the store and pay for it with your own money, or you won’t have it at all,” he tells him, followed by “Stealing becomes understandable only when need is ignored. Taking what you need to live is survival. Taking what you want to be entertained is laziness-”
But the boy has already left.
Better to bring the game back than listen to one of his talkfests once again.
3. wanted to change his gender?
Although he is a strong believer in the power each individual has over their own choices and bodies, it’s surprising to realize that Terzo doesn’t actually have a clear, practical understanding of how transgender identity works. He remembers Bishop Cracoviensis’ theories about the connection between architecture and the human body, about the Luciferian freedom of shaping one’s body and identity as one sees fit, like a temple built on the ashes of an old regime, but what he has are only philosophical concepts. He had never had to face the practical details in real life until this moment.
The conversation that follows is both easy and curious, full of questions rooted in genuine interest rather than judgment.
“So you feel like a woman,” he asks simply.
His tone comes out more intimidating than he intends. His child shifts in her seat, trying not to back away or stumble over the answer. “…I’m pretty sure I am a woman.”
“But I thought you had a girlfriend.”
“I do… that isn’t related…”
“…Oh.” Terzo pauses, reflecting. Whether he finds it surprising or merely unusual, she can’t quite tell. “So this makes you a lesbian.”
His daughter looks at him, intrigued and slightly amused. He seems to have grasped the concept, if only in his own way, and without much explanation. “Well, yes,” she confirms. “That would technically make me a lesbian.” She tries to smirk, but he gives little reaction. “Are you angry?” she asks.
“Why should I be?” He shrugs, unbothered, and that alone comforts her. “Anything that goes against God’s impositions in pursuit of personal fulfillment can only bring good. Have you lived under my roof for the past fifteen years?”
“Seventeen.”
“And besides,” he adds, “I really can’t blame you. Who doesn’t like women?”
He will get it wrong sometimes, he will have to be corrected and adjust, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand. Whatever the shape, his child is just his child.
