Latest Posts by coulduseprozac - Page 5

A Lack of Engagement Pt. 3: It Gets Worse

[Previous Chapter: Here. Morning regrets, and a search for dick... That's what we're working with here, expect no less.] Below the cut.

There's something uniquely mortifying about being caught jacking it, even if they are ghouls and they're all pretty open about their sexual escapades, this is a little different.

Rain can feel the building of his orgasm, much to his own horror, continue in spite of Dew standing in the doorway, staring!

He's just frozen there, eyeing Rain's dick with an expression he can't quite read, and then he opens his mouth and-

"Why is it blue...?"

-Rain gives a noise of distress, wanting to curl into himself and perish on the spot, but he can't stop himself from giving his cock one more tug, and somehow that's the one that does it.

He has to grip the counter to stop himself from toppling forward with the force of it, and Dew is definitely going to kill him for cumming in front of him like that!

Except he doesn't.

Dew doesn't make a move towards or away from him.

He lingers, and as Rain comes down from his high, he can see the other man's face growing pinker and pinker.

At some point, Dew holds his hands up, face beet red.

Rain tries to speak, but he's still reeling from his orgasm, and trying to breathe normally.

"Fuck..." he manages, "'m sorry..."

"...Your... Your..." Dew swallows, "I..."

They both stand there for a moment before Dew does something that makes Rain gape at him like a fish.

He shuts the door.

Closing them both inside the room.

Rain isn't sure what's about to happen, but the energy in the room has shifted in a strange way, and either Dew is really going to murder him or-

"...I mean, it's fine, right?" he says finally, "We're... married, so... We've probably..."

The kraken stirs.

"Dew, I don't-" Rain coughs, "-I don't think... Um... What're you doing?"

Dew has his thumbs hooked into his boxers.

"E-Eye for an eye, yeah?"

Rain wants to stop him, wants to grab his hands and stop him, but about partway through that thought, he dares a glance at Dew's crotch, and, well-

"...Oh my fucking god."

He's not sure what he expected to see Dew whip out, but this was not it.

It's about four inches long, flaccid, but wriggling with some interest as Dew takes it in hand.

"That's..."

A knock sounds on their bedroom door and Dew hastily packs himself away while Rain does similar, wiping his hands off on a nearby towel.

"Oi, lovebirds! You're gonna miss breakfast if you don't get your asses up!" Cirrus calls, then, after a pause, "...Don't hurry too fast though, Aether's teacing Aeon how to make pancakes, and I think I smell burning."

Rain and Dew share a look, considering.

Okay.

Okay, okay, okay...

"We're gonna pretend that didn't happen." Rain says finally, and Dew nods, "We've gotta... We've gotta focus up and figure out how to turn things back to normal and find the... giant metal penis."

Dew frowns, but nods his head regardless.

There it is again, that strange hesitance.

Rain wants to say something about it, but he also doesn't want to risk making Dew uncomfortable, although-

"I'm... I'm sorry you had to see my dick." Rain apologizes.

"No, no, I'm sorry I showed you mine!" Dew trills awkwardly, "Don't even... Like you said, let's pretend this all didn't happen."

"Right..."

Breakfast is... tense.

Tense, and burnt.

Aeon tried his best, but even with Aether's help, half the pancakes could be classified as briquettes, and Rain isn't sure if he can drown them in enough syrup to make them palatable.

Dew is struggling in his own way, trying to scoop up a wayward strawberry with his fork and failing miserably, until Rain jabs his fork into it and holds it up to his face.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asks the rest of the pack nonchalantly as Dew considers his angle of attack, popping the fruit into his mouth before going back to carving at one of his pancakes, which basically snaps under pressure from his knife.

"Ehn, there's a meeting going on with Copia and the rest of the clergy, something about changes to the hierarchy, but nothing that involves any of us at the moment." Aether explains, "Aside from our regular duties, our schedules are all fairly free for the next week or so until they get everything straightened out."

Rain hums and pokes at his breakfast.

"Maybe we could all watch a movie together??" Aurora suggests, the only ghoul actively crunching on the burnt pancakes, giving Aeon a thumbs up when he deposits more of his charcoal bits onto her plate, looking embarrassed, but proud, "Something scary!"

As others chime in with their assent, Dew nudges Rain under the table with his knee, prompting the water ghoul to give a little push back, the two bump each other back and forth for a bit before Rain notices their packmates looking back at them.

"What about you two?" Aurora asks, propping her head up on the back of her hands, "Unless you have other plans...?"

Dew opens his mouth, but finds himself at a loss for words, looking over at Rain, who thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

"We have a, uh," Rain rolls the word 'date' on his tongue, then eyes Dew.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise." he says finally, "He's been hounding me all morning about it, even broke into the bathroom to interrogate me about what I have planned!"

"I DID NO-" Dew balks, then remembers, flushing bright red, "...actually, yeah, I did..."

The table erupts into laughter, save for Rain, who silently thanks Dew for going along with what he said, because, well, it is the truth, albeit not all of it.

"Ohh~? Loverboy is finally making up for forgetting his hubby's birthday?" Swiss teases, pointing his fork at Rain, "Trying to win back those brownie points, huh?"

Rain blinks, sitting up straight.

"I did not forget Dew's birthday." he says, sounding very offended, "I took him t-"

He stops midsentence, slapping a hand over his mouth as he recalls how the two of them spent Dew's birthday this year.

It had been a special request from his friend that they not tell the others what they were getting up to that day, even if it wasn't anything outright embarrassing, Dew had been adamant that no one else know what their plans were for his birthday.

They'd gone to the aquarium, and had spent the entire day joking about which sea creatures they'd eat or had eaten, and at the end of the day, Rain had gifted Dew a marine biology textbook, since he'd been aching to learn more on a scientific level about the creatures they'd encountered.

Rain himself had purchased an octopus plush for himself, which was absurdly large and difficult to smuggle past the other ghouls to avoid suspicion, but worth it in the end, because it really did bring his room together...

"You took him where?" Swiss probes, watching Rain squirm under the attention.

He coughs into his fist and shrugs.

"Nothing." he says, "Just saying I didn't forget is all."

"Secrets, secrets are no fun, unless you sha-" Swiss starts to chant, but Dew shuts down the nonsense by scooting away from the table and standing up.

"Bathroom."

Rain blinks at him, "Oh, uh, alright-"

"You, too." he adds, grabbing him by the scruff.

"OOOOOOH~!" the other ghouls laugh, "Someone's in trouble~"

"...Shut up." Rain mumbles, letting himself be dragged away by the shorter man.

.

.

.

"So... *come* here often?" Dew jokes, and Rain almost chokes on his spit.

They're standing in Rain's on suite again, having decided, for whatever reason, that talking behind a door that literally does not work is better than standing directly in his -their- bedroom.

"Sorry, that was... Anyway, I wanted to discuss our game plan." he says after helping pat Rain on the back, "We have all week to work unimpeded looking for that statue, after that, it'll be difficult to find a spare moment where both of us can look for it together."

"Right... Even if we could look for it by ourselves, the magic only works if there's more than one person present... at least that's the theory we have going, yeah?" Rain concludes, and Dew nods, "That being said, so far, nothing seems out of place aside from, well, us."

"Us being a couple is a significant change, especially since, based on what I've seen on my phone, we've been together for a while now. Like, years." Dew says, slipping his phone out of his pants pocket, "...It'd be one thing if the statue bound us together with some stupid spell, but this is going too far..."

"I'm sorry." Rain apologizes, "I know being married to me is-"

"I mean, it's one thing to mess with our friends' heads and implant memories of a wedding that never happened, but, like, c'mon, let me remember this stuff, too!" Dew complains, startling Rain, who was not expecting this conclusion, "I kept looking through the pictures on my phone and I don't remember any of this, it's not fair, man!"

Rain tilts his head.

"You... want to remember... or, rather, you'd want the spell to make you think we've been married?" he tries, pursing his lips, "What?"

Dew freezes.

"I... Yeah... Maybe..." he rubs his arm, "It just feels... off... otherwise."

Rain feels an ache in his chest.

"Dew, do you... Are you saying..." he pulls back and sighs deeply, "Dew, you're my best friend. I love you, but I'm not in love with you."

"...Same... Same here." Dew replies, but he can't hide the brokenness in his voice, and Rain remembers then Dew's insistence on trying the statue again.

How he'd said they had to be serious.

...How the spell supposedly only worked if the pair before it were lovers.

But it had worked with them!

It had worked, and the statue had even called them out on it!

So...

Rain watches Dew wipe the corners of his eyes, trying to hide the hurt spilling from them.

...could it have worked because of something one-sided?

"I'm so sorry." Dew whispers, "I didn't... didn't want you finding out like this. Sorry, I... I'm sorry, this is how I feel."

"...I'm sorry, too."

.

.

.

The search for the statue is an awkward one.

Dew is still reeling from having his feelings exposed so easily, and Rain is in the midst of processing this new information, trying to figure out how he could have possibly lead the other on.

It's not that he doesn't find Dew attractive, or that they don't get along -they get along very well- and, sure, Rain did jack off to him this morn-

Rain feels a stirring inside of him again.

Goddammit, he thinks, is this part of the spell?

But...

As they browse the abbey's art collection for signs of one large dick, Rain finds himself thinking back on a lot of things.

This isn't the first time he's thought about Dew like that, but he's always managed to push those feelings down pretty well.

Somehow, it doesn't feel right that he's ONLY interested in Dew's body like that.

He likes Dew, he loves the guy, but... not romantically.

Does he very much want to fuck him though?

Yes.

And that's what has him shoving it all into the back of his mind.

Trying to at least.

It doesn't feel right that Dew LIKES him and that he just... he can't reciprocate it.

If he only wants Dew for his body, that's like a whole new level of leading him on.

Yeah, they're ghouls, they fuck around and move on, but things can get messy when feelings are involved.

Cirrus and Cumulus are a fine example of just that.

He cringes at the memories of their fights when they were together, how hard it had been for them to navigate the balance between the sexual freedom they both craved while being devoted to one another emotionally.

It was all a giant shitfest, until they stepped back and actually talked about what they wanted and realized they didn't click as well as they initially thought, and while they're happier than ever now... Rain can't put Dew through that.

But then again, who says monogamy is what the guy even wants?

They probably talked about all of this at some point, given their relationship status in this version of their reality, but it probably didn't happen over text, so fishing through his phone some more isn't going to help their situation.

He has to find that stupid fucking statue!

But...

Rain looks around the room, searching for Dew amongst the various artworks on display and comes up empty.

He feels a mild panic coming on when he sweeps his gaze over the room and, again, finds nothing.

"Dew??"

He looks left and right.

"Hey, hey, Dew, where are you??"

...He's gone.

Shit, shit, shit-

"I'm right next to you, you jerk." A familiar voice grumbles from beside him, and, upon looking down, Rain meets the disgruntled gaze of a very annoyed ghoul.

"Oh, shit, I-I didn't realize you were there-"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's just keep looking." Dew mutters, clearly unhappy, "Let's get this over with already."

"I..."

"...When we get back..." Dew says, "Don't talk to me."

"...For how long?" Rain frets.

"Forever if you want." he replies, hands in his pockets, "Since you're so tweaked out about shit, and this isn't something you get over in a day, or a week, or a year or whatever..."

"I can't just stop talking to you, you're my f-" Rain starts, but Dew cuts him off.

"Yeah, you're my friend, but you're already looking at me like I'm a freak because of how I feel, and I don't think I can come back from that, Rain." he places a hand on his chest, "Shit fucking hurts..."

"Dew..."

Idk if i’m looking for things that don’t exist or something, or if i’m really late to this realization cause i haven’t interacted with ghost content too much in like a year, but i noticed that sodo almost always gets called dewdrop in fics, but on social media and irl, he more often than not gets called sodo.

Ppl probably already came to that conclusion but i still wanted to share cause i was happy i noticed it

-🪱

Yes!! This is a THING.

Unmasked Dewdrop actually goes by "Sodo" (or Sodomizer) in real life and has for like....15 years at least.

But there are a lot of fans who don't know that, or don't care, and have heard him referred to that way and have decided that Dew is actually Sodo.

To me, personally, it's a big ick. And it makes me uncomfortable to refer to the character as Sodo. If we're talking about the musician? He's Sodo, for sure. If it's the ghoul? Dewdrop. I just need to keep that separation. They're not the same person. Sodo plays Dewdrop. But Dewdrop isn't Sodo. Like I can't even read fanfic where he's called Sodo. It makes me feel weird.

Also everyone pronounces Sodo wrong but that's another rant for another time.

Feel The Dew

Silly little thing based on a screenshot from @hypnoneghoul

Rating: M

Pairing: Mountain/Dew

Words: 648

Ao3

Dew is standing in the kitchen in the den fiddling with the grucifix zipper on his hoodie while he scrolls TikTok. There is a tray of dirty dishes he just carried down from his room on the counter in front of him and he really is going to wash them and put them away. It’s just, phone, you know? There are a few clips from their last tour circulating with various ridiculous captions and a surprising amount of edits. The thirsty ones are silly and most often way off the mark, but there are also several videos of people talking (and crying) about how their music and the rituals they perform are helping people. Papa and the ghouls are helping humans accept themselves and get through hard shit to have better lives. A guy with red teary eyes and a huge smile nestled in a thick beautiful beard tells the camera that when he feels low and needs to remember the beauty in the world he watches a clip of Dewdrop’s Respite On The Spitafields solo and it never ceases to make him cry with happiness. Dew quickly double taps the screen and comments three black hearts as the left corner of his mouth tugs upward and he can feel Lucifer’s approval in the warmth that floods his bones.

He cocks his hip and glances at the dishes before going back to his scrolling. He has his VPN set to Poland today and the ads have been something else. A new one fills his screen and he giggles as he takes a screenshot. He doesn’t particularly like the drink Mountain Dew but it is one of his absolute favourite brand names and the ads have been giving him endless joy. Siblings and ghouls alike will send him a picture anytime they see a bottle somewhere, and Phantom has been making him custom memes. Dew swipes over to his text conversation with Mountain and snickers as he sends him the screenshot. The big guy is gonna love this one. Mountain may seem like a mature and serious ghoul, but he is just as much of a little shit as Dew is.

Dew is dragging his tongue over a fang, letting the sharp tip of it catch right in the middle of the slit of the fork as he scrolls through the endless Mountain Dew memes in their chat. He barely manages to avoid biting himself as a huge hand wraps around his throat and another palms his entire crotch as he is pulled flush against a warm, soft body. Electricity dances down his spine and makes his gut clench as Mountain’s hot breath tickles his ear.

“Hmm, you want me to feel you, boy?”

Mountain strokes his thumb down the length of Dew’s neck, feeling his pulse increase with each stroke. He flexes slightly so the claw digs into soft flesh, dimpling the skin just so. Dew swallows thickly against Mountain’s palm only for the hand to squeeze a tiny bit tighter. 

Mountain curls his fingers towards Dew’s taint, cupping his rapidly hardening dick and balls through his soft lounge trousers. He rolls the balls between his fingers, feeling them move under the skin.

Dew’s lifts his tail and snakes it around Mountain’s middle. Mountain’s own tail comes up to coil around it and keep it in place as he shifts a thick thigh between Dew’s legs. 

“You want me to touch you? Feel you all over? Grope you a little in the kitchen for anyone to see?”

Dew whines and tries to simultaneously push into the hands wrapped around his throat and his genitals, while grinding his ass back and down on Mountain’s thigh. He gets a throaty chuckle and a wet tongue flicking his ear lobe in return.

“Yeah, you want your big, strong boyfriend to feel you up a little. Feel the Dew. Isn’t that cute?”

When it all burns down

When it all burns down

I will hold you close for the minute

For the minute

I really wanted to do something involving all the papas and on a whim decided it was scenery painting time featuring their respective color themes! This was really fun to work on but a LOT of work, I hope you guys all enjoy them! :)

ID in ALT text; Photo ref credits under the cut!

Photos Referenced:

"The Devil's Eclipse right above a church" by Peter Wienerroither

"Iceland Church" by Remo Daut

"Val Gardena Dolomites, Italy" via anonymous uploader to Peakpx (unfortunately, the uploader seems to have sold rights to a domain and I could not find their name)

"Villa Monastero, Italy" by sae_snaps on instagram

Tying The Knot

[Get your head out of the gutter, this one is actually a wholesome one. RainDrop.] Below the cut.

The day he met Dew, the ghoul had been a stiff breeze away from crumbling away, shaking like a leaf as he tried to remain on his feet.

He'd learn much later the reason; That he'd fought tooth and nail to keep his packmate from tearing him apart in a rage, and that the shiver, that terrible, persistent tremble of his body, was it trying to stay upright.

At the time, Rain had not seen the hand splayed across his back -a sister of sin steadying him-, had not seen the way Terzo had eyed him from across the room, the last remnant of his old pack, barely holding onto life, but alive.

More than anything, the thing Rain noticed about Dew was that he was alive.

Were it not for the raspy hiss of his breathing, it would have been easy to liken him to a corpse.

It had bothered him for so long, the idea that Dew had been forced out of bed to witness not only his summoning, but that of the others, who poured out of the pit, half feral and lost, snapping at anyone who got close, but he hadn't been.

This had been an indulgence.

Dew wanted to see them.

And when coal black eyes gazed upon them all; Rain could feel him staring through them, through him.

It was then that Rain knew Dew was a creature born of spite, of persistence...

He remembers his first approach.

Unfazed by the chatter of teeth or swipe of claws.

With his fingers dipped in a mixture of ash and blood, he aided in anointing them all, and, now, when he sees Dew in his robes during one of Copia's sermons, it's all he can think of.

Dew stands now at the head of the chapel, back to him, long white hair tied back into a careful braid, the one Rain remembers practicing late at night.

It's done in a style from the pit, the kind you have to learn from an elder, impossible to find on youtube, even if similar patterns exist.

His hands twitch, wanting to drag through the strands and tug it loose, to undo all his hard work in a single pull, because if he knew how seeing him like this would make him feel, he'd never had tied those knots in the first place.

Each cross is a promise, woven to remind the wearer they are loved.

Rain watches the little ribbon he tied to secure the braid in place peek out; A bright, joyous red that contrasts heavily against Dew's pale hair.

Bolder than he thought it would be, and now Rain can feel eyes on him from among the pews.

His packmates know they didn't tie that ribbon, and all of them know such an intricate braid could not be done by Dew's hands alone, no matter how skilled he may be with his fingers.

Rain swallows, mouth suddenly dry.

It's...

It's a little too obvious what he's saying with all of this.

He's embarrassed, yes, but more than that...

He's nervous that Dew won't understand the meaning of this gesture.

Dew may be a ghoul like the rest of them, but, much like Swiss -who was born and raised on the surface- he has no memories of the pit.

The soul inhabiting his vessel is a mix.

An even blend of demon and man, but his consciousness solely belongs to the entity that lived topside.

He doesn't understand their culture.

Let alone the niche courting habits of an oceanic subspecies of water ghoul like Rain's.

At best, Dew thinks it's just a cool hairstyle.

At worst, he thinks it's lame or weird, or-

"Rain." a shockingly gentle voice calls to him, and when he looks up...

Dew looks down at him, standing above his seated form, his expression softer than he's seen it in a long time.

"You look terribly sad for a man who's just proposed."

Rain stutters, covering his face with his hands, looking as if he's about to burst.

"...You knew?"

"I guessed based on how much you were sweating while tying my hair back." he replies teasingly, "And Mist told me, ages ago. Not about you doing this, but about the practice in general."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

Rain tucks his head between his knees.

"Are you okay??"

"...Gimme a year to recover before you tell me yes or no, I don't think my heart can take it."

Dew grins.

"If I say 'yes' will you die on the spot, or-"

"Can y'all be mushy somewhere else, it's putting me off Papa's sermon about pre-martial sex." Cirrus groans, "Congrats, but also, fuck off!"

"Boo! Boo, Cirrus! Ruining our moment..." Dew sticks his tongue out

"...The sermon was about sex? Was he for or against it??" Aeon frets, "I wasn't listening!"

Everyone turns to the other ghoul, frowning.

"W-What??"

"Do we look like Christians to you-"

The world needs more Terzo smoking weed !!! 🤠

1.1k words of terzo smoking weed AND being hot

“You are not leaving the party so soon, are you, sister?”

Your head swivels in the direction of the familiar voice only to be met with the new Cardinal, leaning against the stone wall with a joint hanging out of his mouth. He hasn’t been what you were expecting — the other Emeritus brothers were far more reserved yet driven while Terzo is… well, the exact opposite. Outgoing yet aloof. And devastatingly handsome. He seemed young despite only being three months younger than Secondo.

“Feeling a little too sleepy for the rave going on in there right now. Does that make me lame?” You're half joking but also half really asking and you manage to sound somewhat flirty.

“No. That’s exactly why I’m out here. To enjoy the fresh air and quiet of the night.” Terzo plucks the joint from his lips and offers it to you, giving you a sly grin. “Do you smoke?”

You hesitate for a moment but end up taking it from his fingers, brushing his gloves ever so slightly and bringing it to your lips and taking a drag. Coughs sputter from your lips but you manage to exhale deeply.

“Not often, as you can see.” You smile weakly as you hold it out for him though he catches your hand in his. A leather thumb runs over your knuckles, using his other hand to take the joint back. Your eyes meet, his white eye sparkling with such mischief that it sends a shiver down your spine.

“Well, thank you for joining me.” He bows his head and kisses the back of your hand. So formal for the sharing of a joint. You lean against the wall beside him, growing quiet as the weed starts to hit. After what feels like a half hour (actual time: 8 minutes) you wiggle your fingers and realize he’s been holding your hand the entire time. Bashful eyes dart over to him, his own gaze settled somewhere off into the distance.

The moonlight illuminates his side profile, a heavy brow giving way to weary eyes, a strong nose and plump lips all framed with slick black hair. You become oddly fascinated with his wrinkles, starting with the laugh lines near his eyes. At that point he looks at you, then does a double take to see that you’re staring.

“U-uh… “ Your eyes widen. “I’m… I’m very high, Cardinal.” A giggle bubbles up your throat and you cover your mouth with your hands, unable to fight back a smile.

“Molto bene.” Terzo squeezes your hand, tilting his head to get a better look of you. “Your giggles, they are cute.”

Oh, no.

You’ve heard of his flirtatious nature, to which you originally scoffed at. But now his charms are directed at you and you feel it, the allure that radiates from his entire being.

“What is your name?”

You babble your name to him, unable to look away from his mismatched gaze than shines against the black paint around his eyes. Terzo repeats it, rolling off his tongue with ease. He’s giving you his undivided attention and it’s almost overwhelming, leaning further into you so that you can feel his soft breath on your cheeks. It’s so hard to focus with him this close to you now.

"You look beautiful under this moonlight," Terzo whispers, his fingers gently drifting along your jaw. The intensity of his gaze and the softness of his touch leave you breathless. You can't help but blush from his compliment and a veeeeery awkward laugh slips from your lips. He breaks out in a wide smile, eyes crinkling and it’s over.

You don’t know who made the first move but you’re now clutching onto his cassock as you moan into his mouth. Smoke clings to his tongue. Terzo’s gloved hand moves to hold the back of your head, fingers weaving into your hair. You melt against him, no thoughts in your head except how soft his lips are. Sighs and quiet moans pass between your lips, joining together as he deepens the kiss. He takes it slow, his tongue savoring your taste, opening you up gradually to him until he’s devouring you.

“Let me walk you back to your room.” Low and seductive before he nibbles on your bottom lip. You nod and he whisks you away, his fingers lacing tightly with yours. You are so high but he’s keeping you from the point of no return with the way he somehow avoids walking in a straight line, distracting you with a comfortable goofiness. You wonder if his limbs are just made of spaghetti. The walk takes a turn when he backs you up against your door and leers over you, a wicked expression on his face. But he only kisses your forehead. Tease.

You turn the knob behind you and back yourself into the room, Terzo’s arms looped around you lazily as you guide him to your bed.

“Cozy ragazza.” He purrs into your ear, his fingers slipping underneath the hem of your shirt. The backs of your knees hit the edge of your bed and he takes advantage, guiding you onto your back as he peels your shirt off. Bare back hits the bed and his warm mouth is already kissing up your stomach. You sink into the mattress, lips parted and eyes falling shut, mewling from the heat of it all. Terzo’s mouth closes around one of your nipples, teeth and tongue working it inside his mouth, sucking as his other hand squeezes your side. A moan rumbles up your chest, body aching beneath him but your eyes grow heavy.

Your thoughts wander as you run your fingers through his soft locks, thinking about nothing in particular except for how good it feels to have his hands on you. Gentle touches, warming up your body but the combination leads you to become more and more relaxed.

Until your eyes close.

Your eyes blink open and you wipe the drool from your mouth with the back of your hand. Oh no. Oh no. You fell asleep. Limbs twitch into action but you’re stopped from jumping out of bed by a weight on your chest.

…

A black mop is lying on your breasts.

Terzo is fast asleep and snoring, his arms curled around your waist and holding you close to him. You exhale slowly and relax in his arms, worried thoughts expelled and your focus shifting back toward how tired you are. Eyes glance back down at him for one moment and just by watching his body rise and fall with each breath you are soothed to sleep once more.

Actually I'm okay with spoilers as this isn't anywhere near me. Here's to hoping there is a streaming release.

the ghost teams tips for the movie 💯

Cryptid Biology Season 2: Something Special

[Previous entry in this series: Here. The ghouls participate in a time honored tradition in celebration of the summer solstice... or Dew has an encounter with Special in the woods.] Below the cut.

Dew can feel his heart beating in his chest as he runs through the darkness, ducking and weaving to avoid branches and thorn bushes that appear just inches away from him before disappearing into the black surrounding him.

He curses, feeling his muscles scream at him to slow down, to stop, but if he does, he'll get caught.

Breathing heavily, Dew stumbles over a root, but manages to keep his footing... only to trip and fall over the next one, landing upon the ground with a heavy thud that would hurt a whole heck of a lot more if not for the bed of decaying leaves on the forest floor.

He groans and attempts to scramble to his feet, but when a boot against his back keeps him from rising right away, he relents, flopping back down with an angry huff.

"First you failed to outrun me during the Imbolc hunt, then you ran into me at the one for Ostara, and don't get me started on that pathetic attempt to hide from me during Beltane... and now here we are again." the ghoul above him chuckles, eyes glowing red, face just barely visible with Dew's lackluster night vision, "I think you're getting in my way on purpose, Tadpole."

"Stop calling me that, Special, you prick..." Dew grits out, "Maybe you're the one chasing after me, huh?"

Special hums and grinds his foot down.

"Mn, no, I don't think so." he says, crouching down, "I'm not much of a hunter, you see, I've always been more of a scavenger; I take what the others leave behind, so normally I'd wait and see who's left..."

He moves to press his knee into Dew's back, applying more pressure as he leans forward to whisper into his ear, "You're too much work, so for me to catch you, either nobody wanted you this time, or you're deliberately making it easy for me, because after our first encounter, you've been aching for more..."

Special brushes the hair from his neck and presses a kiss there, "...Haven't you?"

"Shut-" Dew starts to shout, but can't as Special's jaws lock onto his nape, it stings, both from the act itself, and from the toxin dribbling into his wounds from the ghoul's mouth, "Uh-huunh..."

"There's a good boy." Special coos, licking Dew's blood from his lips, swiping his tongue over his teeth for good measure, "Feels better than when a quint fucks your mind, doesn't it? I know it does... It's such an instant relief."

His hand comes down the massage the wound, grinning as the skin heals over from his touch, while also aiding in spreading the venom faster.

"There we go..." he says, finally lifting himself from Dew's body and flipping him over onto his back, "Well, look at you~"

Dew's whole body feels flush, and his breathing has yet to settle from his mad dash through the forest, so he has to look like a sweaty mess, but Special doesn't seem to agree, reaching down to cup his cheeks with his hands, shaking his head teasingly back and forth.

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing?" he grins, then pats his face lightly, "Hm, guess we should get this show on the road then, huh?"

Dew mumbles something and raises his arms slowly, wiggling his fingers, and Special blinks at him for a moment before snorting, "Oh, poor baby, can't take your shirt off yourself? You need me to do it for you?"

"Feeeel allll... wiggly..." Dew supplies unhelpfully, giggling as Special hooks his fingers under the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head in one fluid movement, "Umph!"

"The venom's making you a little silly, isn't it?" Special squishes Dew's face again as he wads up his shirt and tucks it under his head, "That's good, you always seem so uptight..."

He spreads his fingers over his chest, thumbs poised beneath his nipples, "You know..."

"Most people come to these hunts so they can do nasty, freaky things in the woods without consequence." he says, teasing the small bud, "But you, and pardon the joke, are something special, huh?"

"You just wanna be loved.... adored, taken care of..."

Dew mewls as Special descends to nibble at his neck again, fingers rolling his nipples around in soft, slow motions.

"Are they not treating you right, sweet thing? Hm?" Special asks, "Should I talk to that water ghoul you like so much and tell him he doesn't need to be rough?"

"I like... I like rough..." Dew replies meekly, eyes shutting, "S'okay..."

Special makes a disappointed little noise and pulls back.

"You know I don't like liars, Dewdrop." he chastises, "But if that's what you want-"

Dew's eyes widen as Special's hand begins to wrap around his neck.

"Do you want this?" he asks, applying pressure to his throat, "Or do you want me to treat you like you really want?"

Dew groans and kicks his legs slightly, squirming under his grasp.

"Want-"

"Yes?"

"...Don't wanna say it..."

Special pouts.

"But I want to hear it, c'mon, baby, when you're with me, what's your name, huh? How do I treat you?"

"Pri..."

"Yes~?"

"You're a prick." Dew cackles, and Special sits back, rolling his eyes.

"You may be easy to catch, but you're hard to break, I'll give you that." He sighs, "But I'll be damned again if I don't love picking you apart."

"Hehe~"

The multi-ghoul slides down and begins undoing Dew's pants, but the zipper refuses to open and he gives a frustrated noise.

"Just pull 'em off..." Dew says, struggling to move his legs around from under Special's body.

"I have a better idea-" The ghoul tugs Dew's pants down to about mid thigh and leaves them like that, the dense, folded over fabric restricting his movements, "-that's much better."

Dew wriggles, trying to slide them down further, but he can't get the leverage and gives a defeated hiss.

"I could just..." Special pushes his legs back towards his chest, "Yeah, I can work with this."

"H-Hey now-"

Special cranes his neck at him, "What? Suddenly you're embarr-Oh. Oh-ho-ho-ho~"

Dew's ears have flicked back, the tips almost as red as his face.

"What do you think? Should I take you like this, or perhaps I should lay you on your side? What is my princess thinking now, hm~?"

"Just-"

A stick snaps and Dew goes stone stiff, whereas Special lowers himself over his body, territorial, a growl emanating from his throat, wholly unexpected from such a usually jovial, prankster type like him.

What or whoever was approaching seems to get the hint and approaches no further, but the ghoul above him remains locked in his protective stance, glaring out into the darkness.

After a minute passes, Dew can finally hear the sound of retreating footsteps, and not even a second later, he feels something prodding at his entrance, causing him to tense and squeak.

"How annoying..." Special mutters, hastily working Dew open, not giving him any time to adjust, forcing a series of involuntary chatters and chirps to escape his mouth, "We'll have to rush things a bit now, I'm sorry."

"Who was-" Dew tries to lift himself up to look around, but Special pushes him back down, "Hey-"

Special clicks his tongue.

"Humans."

Dew furrows his brow.

"The siblings-"

"Not them." Special hisses, then tilts his head back, letting out an annoyed groan, "Dammit..."

"Then who? The gardener-"

"Outsiders."

Dew forces himself up onto his elbows, wobbling as Special helps him tug his pants back up.

"Careful now, don't want you falling down again..." Special chides, wrapping his arm around his waist as they stand, "...Fucking, of course, those bastards would sneak around on a night like this... I bet they're running back to the other side of the lake now."

"We should go after them-" Dew starts, but the second he tries to pull away from Special, his head starts swimming, "-Fuck, Phil, how much venom did you give me??"

"I wasn't expecting our little rendezvous to be interrupted by a pack of mortal morons, so I gave you a little more than last time..." he pinches his brow, "We'll have to inform the other-"

A loud cracking sound startles them both, making Dew stumble, but he is quickly captured by Special, who narrows his eyes in the direction of the noise.

"Do you think that was the trespassers or..."

A second, louder crack echoes through the woods followed by a chorus of human screams.

Dew cringes and Special begins to make a clicking sound, a common distress noise among ghouls, neither of them is sure what's going on at this point, and the lack of any other sound once a third crack sounds sounds has them both on edge, until...

"You better run, you fuckin' little shits! I have more where that came from!"

"...Bea, I think they got the point, put the bb gun down-"

...Ah.

Mountain heaves a heavy sigh, taking the gun from the gardener, who looks positively miffed, even in the lowlight cast by the lantern in the earth ghouls other hand.

"Give that back-" the hotheaded woman starts, but instead of giving her back the gun, Mountain scoops her up and jostles her around a bit before tossing her over his shoulder and lumbering back off into the forest, "YOU BITCH!"

Special and Dew watch the retreating pair in silence, looking at each other after the two are gone from sight again.

"...I'm getting too old for this..." They both sigh in unison.

"Still though, how did they get passed the barricades?" Dew wonders aloud and Special shrugs.

"They could have swam to this shore for all we know." he remarks, "It's happened before, so I expect the next budget meeting will involve putting something in place to prevent this from happening again..."

"We can't just magic some shit in place?" Dew questions, "Like with the woods along the main road?"

"People getting turned around in the woods is one thing, because they usually make their way back out, if we turn them around in the water, they could drown..." Special reasons, adjusting his grip on Dew, "...Not that they wouldn't deserve it with all the signs we have posted about these kinds of things. They've probably learned their lesson for now."

Dew hums.

"...So."

"So?"

"...Now that they're gone-"

"Yes?"

"...You know what I'm thinking?"

Special looks him up and down.

"...That we should track them down and eat their bones?"

Dew pinches the bridge of his nose.

"No, I-"

"-want to get railed within an inch of your life to make up for that frankly unnecessary distraction?"

"...You really are a prick."

"And you happen to like them very much, so it's a win-win situation for us all, isn't it?"

Sleepy extra cuddly Phantom with his first time sleeping in bed with either Dew or Swiss

CW: Swiss x Phantom cuddling, a mention of Swiss x Rain, polyghouls, and also a NS/FW mention

“Swiss.”

At first, it’s nothing more than a voice in his dream. Calling out, gentle but insistent. 

“Swiss. Wake up.” 

How kind. Whoever it is must be trying to keep him from sleeping through his alarms, again. It was becoming a more and more common occurrence. Copia looked at the end of his ropes most days. The grey hairs used to be a funny joke. Now there was simply too many to count. 

“Swiss!”

That next one is punctuated by a hearty nudge against his broad, bare shoulders. He can feel the mattress shift with it. 

“What?” Swiss asks. It comes out sounding far less like English than he hoped. 

“Can I sleep with you?” Now that the voice is saying more than just his name, it sounds more familiar to Swiss’ sleep addled brain. It still takes a moment. 

The newbie. Phantom. 

Weird. When the multi ghoul reaches his palm across the sheets to Rain’s spot on the bed it’s completely cold. He never came to bed. One of the others must have whisked him off elsewhere. Hopefully fucked into the best nights sleep he’s ever had. The thought makes Swiss purr. 

From behind him, Phantom lets out an unsure sound. “Is that… a yes?” 

“Is Copia busy?” Swiss mumbles. More out of curiosity than argument. 

The new guy shifts. The shirt he has on barely covers his shoulders, slipping down to one side. Its so threadbare. He can taste Aether’s scent on the roof of his mouth from there. “Papa… uh… I just wanted to ask you. I don’t know. If it’s weird I can-“ 

“Yeah, sure. C’mere.” Swiss says. It’s an easy decision. Phantom fits against him like a second skin in the day to day. Rehearsals are fun, hanging out afterwards is even better. Anything he throws at the new bug is met with unbridled enthusiasm. 

When Phantom finds his way into the bed, Swiss doesn’t hesitate to fit them together there too. He tugs the new summon right against him, back to chest. He can practically hear the shudder in the ghoul’s breath. There’s a spark to the air surrounding him. Quintessence, soft yet powerful. 

“Calm down. Go to bed.” Swiss whispers against the cloud of black hair that his nose is tucked into. His tail crawls up to wrap around Phantom’s leg overtop the pajama pants he wears. 

“Okay.” Phantom croaks out, voice catching. Swiss barely hears it, falling back into a deep pattern of snores.

The new ghoul loses track of time. Slowly but surely, he finds himself able to relax. The subtle sound of Mountain’s records playing through the walls mixes with Swiss’ snores, and soon Phantom has both eyes closed, taking in the mix of scents on the pillow with a purr rolling through his throat. Falling asleep slow and easy.

Ok first off (I hope I'm not to late) HAPPY BIRTHDAY <3

And second, I just read your latest fic where Phantom regresses for the first time AND I LOVE IT. Honestly, little ghouls have a special place in my heart and it always makes me so happy to see other share the thoughts I have especially when they're kinda similar to my own (like Tain being the older and Dew just being a tiny baby)

Anyway, I'd like to request (only of you want off course) Phantom meeting little Rain and Dew for the first time? Maybe he is still big at first but just seeing Rain playing with toys/stuffed animals and Dew being cradled in someone's elses arms and getting taken care of looks so appealing to him and Swiss coaxes him to maybe join if he wants and slowly he does and Rain and him start to play together and the day ends with Swiss tugging them all in (Dew at first of course). Also you can add pretty much everything else you want, like with what they play, or what Dew does!

Getting to this super late lol (thank you for the birthday wishes I appreciate it)

This idea was so sweet and this is what popped in my head. I needed something soft so this was a joy to write.

I hope it's ok love 🖤🖤🖤

Cw: regressed ghouls, shy phantom, tiny Dewdrop

He'd been in a floaty in between space all day. He hadn't slept well and he didn't feel great and really all he wanted to do was wander into Swiss' room and ask him for help.

But he didn't want to bother him. He didn't want to be too needy...

He hears...he's not sure what he hears in the den but he's curious enough to go find out.

Swiss is on the couch with Dewdrop on the floor between the lower half of his legs, like Swiss' legs are the only thing holding him up. Rain's stomping around with two dinosaurs in his hands, shrieking and making them knock over towers of blocks.

One of the blocks lands in Dewdrop's lap and he blinks at it.

Rain swoops over with the pterodactyl. "Dew's gonna get squished! We gotta save him!"

Dew giggles quietly when Rain uses the dinosaur to grab the block off his lap. Swiss smiles and runs his fingers through Dew's hair.

"Good thing we've got Raincloud huh, firefly? He saved the day!"

"I'll always save Dew!" He races around the room and Dew claps.

Swiss catches him from the corner of his eye. "Hey bug!"

Rain stops running and Dew pouts. Phantom shuffles his feet, fuzzy socks sliding on the wood of the floor.

"Come over here." Swiss pats the spot on the couch beside him.

Phantom launches himself against his side, hiding his face in his shoulder.

"Feeling shy?"

He nods, thumb weaseling up into his mouth. He loves Rain and Dew but they've never been together like this and now he feels like he's intruding.

"Want to just sit with me and watch for a little bit? You can join in and play whenever you're ready."

He snuggles in closer, watching Rain from behind his hair when the water ghoul starts running around again. He roars and shrieks and makes the dinosaurs fight and Phantom smiles.

Rain flops over beside Dew, breathing hard and hands a soft, crinkley star to Dew who promptly shoves it in his mouth, biting hard into the fabric.

"Do you know dinosaurs?" Rain peeks over Swiss' knee to look at Phantom.

He shakes his head, gnawing on his thumb. He doesn't really...

"You can teach him." Swiss ruffles Phantom's hair. "You know what he does know a lot about? Sharks!"

"I have sharks! Hold on!"

He sprints from the den and Swiss cringes into the couch.

"Walk Rain!"

Dew makes a grumbling little sound in the back of his throat and bites his toy harder.

"Maybe Dew's not a firefly, maybe he's a dinosaur!" Swiss smiles down at the little ghoul between his legs, nose scrunched up as he chews on the star.

"C-could be a dragon...."

"Very true, love bug! Dewdrop the dragon!"

Phantom giggles when Dew tilts his head back to look at them, the plush toy hanging out of his mouth.

Rain darts back into the room, arms full of sea creatures.

"Hang on! Mounty has the rest, I can't carry all of them."

The giant rounds the corner with the rest of Rain's toys and Swiss laughs at him.

"You're lucky there are little eyes and ears right now." He drops the toys onto the floor. "Hi bug."

He blushes, Swiss is the only one who has seen him like this and he's not sure what to do.

"S'ok you don't have to talk to me until you're ready."

Dew squirms and holds his arms up until Mountain scoops him up.

"Hello firefly."

Phantom bites his lip. "D-dragon.."

"Hmm? Sorry bug I didn't hear you." He kneels with Dew in his arms, closer to the little Quint but not touching. "Can you tell me again?"

He glances at Swiss who nods. "Dew...h-hes a d-dragon..."

Mountain's eyes go wide. "He is?"

Phantom slowly uncurls from Swiss' side. "Yeah. He ate a star!"

Rain bounces over. "Help me find treasure! Dragons need treasure!"

"Why?"

Rain shrugs. "I don't know...but in all the stories they have some..."

Mountain laughs. "I think Dew is getting tired. Why don't you show Phantom your sharks for now."

Rain takes his hand and pulls him from the couch, both of them laughing when they bump into eachother. Mountain takes the spot Phantom had been occupying, tucking Dew more comfortably in his arms.

Swiss drapes his arm along the back of the couch and runs his nails over Mountain's shoulder.

"Been busy today?"

"Yeah, Sister has me doing the walkway differently now. She saw it at another Abbey so now naturally ours has to look like that."

They chat while Rain and Phantom play whatever game they created and Dew falls asleep, fingers wrapped tight around Mountain's thumb.

"Bath time?"

Rain whines. "But-"

"Minnow." Mountain warns.

"Sorry..."

"If you both clean up you can take a bath in Lus' tub together, lots of room for both of you and a couple sharks."

They race to clean up the toys, only getting distracted a few times. Mountain had left to get the bath ready with Dew in his arms.

"Ok pick a few toys to bring with you." Swiss claps his hands together. He wraps his arms around their shoulders when they're ready and guides them down the hall to Lus' room.

"Hi Lus!" Rain yells as he sprints by, racing to the bathroom.

Phantom clings to Swiss, chewing on his lip.

Swiss tugs his lip from between his fangs. "You're gonna hurt yourself, would you like a soother?"

He peeks around the multi ghoul to watch Cumulus. She's in a chair with Dew wiggling in her lap, fussing softly.

She shushes him and runs her fingers through his hair, holding him tight to her chest until he settles.

"Oh...hi bug! I didn't see you there!"

He gives a tiny wave but doesn't move from Swiss' side.

Lus smiles. "Do think you can help me before your bath?"

He likes helping...he nods.

"Can you pick some jammies for Dew for me? I forgot to grab them and he's comfy now."

"I-I can help." He tugs Swiss' hand. "Where are they?"

"We'll run to Mountain's room real quick and grab some."

Swiss leads him down the hall and over to the dresser with Dew's clothes, the ones saved only for when he's this small.

Phantom pokes around, rubbing the fabric between his fingers, scrunching his nose with his tongue poked out. Fully focused on the task at hand.

"This one!" He waves the soft pajamas around so fast and races back to Lus' room before Swiss can even see what he picked.

"Wow you're fast!" Swiss hears Cumulus before he walks in and he smiles, she's got him out of his shell without even trying.

"Picked these ones! D-Dew ate a star and now h-hes a dragon and these have stars!"

Her eyes go wide and she gasps. "Oh my goodness! Don't tell Aether that he ate a star, he might get nervous."

Rain pokes his head out of the bathroom. "Dew wouldn't eat Aether! Come on Phantom! The tubs ready!"

Swiss ushers him in just as Rain sinks into the bubbles, already making his sharks fight each other.

Swiss helps him from his clothes and helps him over the lip of the tub so he can sink into the water beside Rain.

Swiss laughs when Rain tosses a squishy squid at Phantom and it splats against his chest .

They splash and play, giggling happily, creating games Swiss can't even keep up with. He lets them play longer than usual, well past bedtime.

Rain begs for Lus to wash their hair, claiming she's the best at it and Phantom simply takes his word for it, only shying away a little bit before relaxing under her careful fingers.

He gets them dried off and in their pj's. He can't resist them and their soft puppy eyes when Rain asks if Phantom can sleep in his room with him and Mountain laughs with his arms full of a sleep soft Dewdrop.

Rain kisses Dew's cheek and Mountain's and Phantom gives a little wave before Rain grabs his hand and sprints off down the hall.

Mountain kisses Swiss softly before taking Dew down to his room for the night, humming a lullaby as he walks, swaying the little ghoul gently.

"Ok pick a book and hop up into bed so I can get you tucked in."

They pick Puff the magic dragon and Swiss squishes them together and tucks them in, tickling them when they are trapped under the blanket.

Phantom falls asleep halfway through but Rain makes it to the end of the story despite his heavy eyes.

Swiss smiles and pushes his hair back. "You helped Phantom a lot today, duckling."

"I did?"

"Mhmm, I'm really proud of you."

He smiles wide and snuggles down into the blanket further. Swiss kisses the top of both of their heads before switching on the light projector, sea creatures dancing across the walls with a soft glow.

"Sleep well, I love you."

The only response he gets is soft even breathing from both little ghouls.

Im struggling so I projected onto Mountain (promise I'll give him a break soon)

Cw: this one is heavier than usual, major depressive disorder diagnosis, he feels like a burden, negative self talk, he mentions wanting to be gone, brief vomit mention, Dew gives him a bath, I promise he gets comfort, he's not alone, cg Dew, cg Rain

Mountain had yet to come to terms with the diagnosis, another heavy weight tied to his ankles that he has to drag around for the rest of his days. He already felt like a burden with his anxiety and now this.

He can still hear Omega in his head, his voice soft and professional but warm, talking to a pack mate not just some random person. He'd held Mountain's hand as they discussed it and treatments for it but Mountain hadn't been able to listen, Omega's voice fading into some distant whisper.

"We can talk when you're ready, ok? You can find me anytime, Mountain. I'm always here."

He had just nodded, tried to force a smile that looked at least a little convincing and thanked him. But his head was fuzzy and he moved on muscle memory alone to make it back to his room. He slept the rest of the day, vaguely remembering Dew gently shaking him awake to tell him dinner was ready but telling him he wasn't hungry, he just needed to sleep.

Dew had worried, sitting beside him for a bit with his fingers carding through his hair but sometimes Mountain really did just need sleep, it wasn't too far out of the ordinary. He kissed his cheek and left quietly, telling himself he'd talk to him in the morning before anyone else woke up.

Mountain had crept outside as soon as he woke up, immediately getting himself busy so no one would bother him. He didn't want to talk about it, he just wanted it to go away. If he didn't say the words then maybe it wouldn't be real, maybe if he didn't say it, it wouldn't have power...

Dew finds him but Mountain keeps it to himself, smiles and nods and tries to keep himself as normal as possible. He laughs even if he doesn't really want to, he lets Dew hold his hand, he lets him talk as much as he wants because at least then he can be quiet, he can bite his tongue to keep from spilling his secrets.

"I have to go help Rain, but I wanted to see you." He squeezes Mountains hand. "I love you. You know that right? Always."

He manages to nod. "Yeah. Love you too."

The problem is...it never goes away. It's a heavy hand pressing down on his chest until he feels like he's breathing under water and he's not sure he knows how to fight it, at least not alone but he's not going to talk about it, he's not going to add yet another issue that they have to deal with. He'll be fine.

It's a lie and he knows it, he feels it getting worse, feels the angry dark thoughts slipping in, the ones that make him scared to be alone because right now he's his own biggest enemy. But he still feels himself pulling away, finding more and more reasons to be alone.

He can see the concern and he swears he's alright, just tired, and he walks away and draws the curtains tight and curls in on himself as much as he can and cries until he falls asleep where even his dreams don't offer respite.

He dodges Omega, refuses to talk to him. He doesn't want to hear it anymore, he doesn't want to talk because it's not going to help, he doesn't want to need medication to function like he should be able to.

He has to wonder if he's being punished for something he can't remember doing, some horrible atrocity he's now got to pay for.

Dew watches him at dinner, eyes like a hawk as Mountain just flicks his food around, his fork barely making the journey up to his mouth.

"Mount?"

"Hm?"

"You can talk to me. About anything, no matter what."

It feels like a punch right to his chest because he's not so sure anymore. But he nods because it feels like that's what he's supposed to do.

"I know."

Rain touches his hand from his other side and just offers a smile and he wants to give one back, wants to maybe ask if they mean it. But he doesn't. He just stands and walks away, back to his room to hide in the dark where he belongs.

He loses interest, his plants wilting from his absence in the greenhouse, he has no energy for anything, no desire to talk or eat or see anything beyond the four walls of his room.

The first time he drops after, he's terrified. Big it's scary but he at least understands but little it just feels like an endless churning ocean and he doesn't stand a chance.

He bites his tail as hard as he can, sobbing and all alone in a bed that feels too big in a room that's way too dark. He can't even find his bunny and he just feels like maybe if he just vanished everything would be better.

If he wasn't here they wouldn't have to worry about him, they wouldn't be excused by his constant need to reassurance, they wouldn't get tired of him always being sad or scared...he'd just be gone and there'd be peace and quiet in his place.

Dew races into the room just as Mountain gets sick all over the bed, crying and shaking and trying to apologize through shallow breaths but everything hurts. His body and his brain...it just hurts.

Dew doesn't say anything but he's warm and safe and he carries Mountain to the bathroom, quickly getting a bath started while the little ghoul cries against his shoulder.

He eases him into the water and keeps one hand wrapped around Mountain's, silently letting him know he's there. The little ghoul jumps and turns his face toward the wall when he hears the bedroom door open.

"It's just Rain. He's not coming in right now, I promise."

Mountain whimpers, pulling his knees under his chin, still kind of wishing that the Earth would take him back. He's once again making them do too much, once again making them worry.

"Pebble." Dew touches his cheek gently. "Sie müssen mit mir reden. Was ist hier los?" (You need to talk to me. What's going on?)

He shakes his head and bites his lip, squeezing his eyes as hard as he can. He could just run away, run and run and run until he doesn't know where he is and no one knows where to look...

His tummy sinks and his heart races, scared to be out all by himself, all alone in a world he doesn't think he really belongs in.

Dew sighs and squeezes his hand before washing Mountain's hair. He gets him out and dressed in warm jammies and Dew smiles when he sees the nest Rain had made on the bed for him when he stripped off the dirty sheets, replacing them with soft ones from Dew and Rain, offering comfort to the little ghoul while still respecting his space.

Dew helps him up into the bed, smiling when Mountain immediately grabs his bunny and brings it up to his face.

The fire ghoul climbs up beside him and pulls him close to his chest, running his hands in soothing motions over Mountain's back.

"Ich bin hier. Egal, was dein Verstand dir sagt. Ich bin da." (I'm here. No matter what your mind is telling you. I'm here.)

He pulls one of the blankets up over Mountain's shoulders, pausing to brush away the slowly falling tears.

"Can Rain come say goodnight to you?"

He shuts his eyes and squeezes his bunny to keep from biting his hand. "Why?"

Dew winces at his rough little voice and holds him tighter. "Because he loves you."

His mind, the scary monster in the corners of his brain, yells for him to say no, screams at him to not bother. But he finds himself nodding anyway.

Rain is in the room and climbing up behind Mountain before he can even really process it. He kisses the top of the little ghouls head and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Tout va bien se passer, petite fleur." He whispers to him. "No matter what it is, we'll figure it out. We'll be here." (It's going to be ok, little flower.)

He doesn't dream when he finally falls asleep between them and he wakes big and still exhausted. He tries to shuffle out from between them but Dew grabs his wrist.

"We're talking."

"But-"

"No. We are talking, Mountain."

His breath shakes when he breathes out and the walls feel like they're going to close in.

"Doesn't matter..."

"It does. You matter."

The words trigger the tears and he hangs his head.

"Why do you care so much? I could just....I could just go and it'd be fine."

Dew has his arms around him before he even finishes speaking and Rain is slowly sitting up wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Nothing would be fine if you weren't here."

He can't get himself to believe that. Rain moves closer, taking one of Mountain's hands.

"Have you talked to Omega?"

He nods, chewing his lip and fighting the drop, he doesn't want to feel more helpless right now.

"Gave me a diagnosis. Said it's major depressive disorder..." He hates the way it sounds and he waits for them to get annoyed, to roll their eyes because he's got more issues for them to deal with.

"Ok. Did you guys set up a plan?" Rain looks focused and Mountain can imagine him with a notebook listening to everything Omega had said about it.

"I...I didn't want to talk about it...I just..."

Dew nods and squeezes his hand. "It's ok."

It's not, not really but at least now he's said it, at least now people know.

"Do you think you can go talk to him? You don't have to decide anything but maybe talking through the thoughts might help." Rain tilts his head to the side. "We're with you no matter what."

It takes a while but he finally agrees and makes his way to the infirmary. Omega smiles when he sees him.

"Can...can we talk?"

His eyes go soft and he seems to understand. "Of course. We'll go to my office. Aeth, I'm stepping out for a few."

Aether just gives a thumbs up and Omega leads the giant down to his office, shutting the door softly behind them.

Once he starts talking it all just tumbles out and Omega listens patiently, holding Mountain's hands when the tears start, when he starts talking about the fears and how he wishes sometimes that he just wasn't here.

"Can I tell you something? Only Aether and Terzo know this." He waits for Mountain to nod. "I have it too. I know that feeling and how horrible it is but I promise you, we can make it easier. You're not alone, Mountain. You don't have to deal with it by yourself. I'm not going to let that happen."

He lets the big Quint wrap him in a tight hug and he listens to his options, deciding with a sigh that he'll try medication. He feels himself dropping and asks for Dew and Rain to be brought in, giving Omega permission to tell them everything.

He's bundled in a blanket on Omega's lap when they finally make it down and Dew pulls him onto his arms, offering a soother while he listens to every single word Omega says. He was right, Rain is taking notes and he smiles a little behind his soother.

Dew carries him to his room once all their questions have been answered and Mountain grabs for Rain so he'll stay too.

"I'm so proud of you, pebble." He kisses his forehead.

"You were so brave." Rain adds, smiling and handing Mountain his bunny.

He's still tired and he's still scared and his mind is still so loud and dark but he thinks maybe, just maybe things won't be so hard with Dew and Rain behind him.

Come morning, yet still, one brother searched for the other in vain and all the while the thread of the spider stretched thinner and thinner.

Spider's Thread

(Pssst, hey- truth or dare)

Hihi! I was wondering of you could write something about the ghouls (big or small) trying new foods? i think it could be really cute.

This idea just wouldn't leave my head after I saw this! Hope it's ok!

Cw: food, and not a warning but Dews words for things

It's a joy they never thought they'd have, something so small and simple was hugely important and brought more happiness than they could ever put to words.

They never thought that beyond a bottle and occasional oatmeal that the baby would ever really eat, it wasn't something they gave much thought to. But he'd made leaps and bounds in his healing and now...

"Dat?"

Rain blinks away his thoughts and looks over to what Dew is pointing at on Rain's plate.

"That is a shrimp." He holds it up for Dew to look at closer. "Do you want to try?"

He looks like he'd rather go eat dirt. "No. Ew bug!"

"It does kind of look like a bug." He kisses the top of Dew's little head. "You don't have to try it. Would you like more green beans?"

"Bean beans p'ease!"

Rain happily goes to grab him more and watches how he studies them, playing with them before he finally starts chomping away. He never knew something so simple would make him so proud.

He's not the only one. Every single one of them is happy to be a part of his journey, showing him new things to try.

He's perched on Mountain's knee one day out in the sun while the giant eats some grapes and Rain watches him bite them in half, being sure to pull the skin off before offering the baby little pieces.

He doesn't seem to like the purple ones, blowing raspberries and shaking his head, but green seem to be fine. Rain smiles at Mountain's unending patience, how he just let's Dew squish and explore without a care in the world simply because Dew is happy and bright.

His little hand touches Mountain's lips and he holds up one of his grapes. "Dis?"

"Grapes. Weintrauben."

He's not interested in repeating either word but he continues snacking and Mountain smiles down at him, nothing but peace in his eyes.

Swiss wasn't sure if Dew would be willing to try any of his food, tending to make his pretty spicy but he beamed when Dew eyeballed his plate one night and pointed at his rice, something more mild than usual.

"Dat?"

"Arroz Al la Mexicana." He offers a little bit on his finger and Dew stares at it for a while. Swiss almost pulls his hand back but Dew chomps down before he can. "Eat the rice but leave my finger you little devil!"

Dew giggles and Swiss watches his face as he decides if he likes it or not and he nearly jumps up with an excited cheer when he asks for more.

It doesn't always go well, sometimes he's just not in the mood, cranky or tired, or just simply more in the mood to play with it instead.

Aether has him in his highchair one morning while he sips his coffee and makes Dew a plate of fruits that he knows he likes. He keeps a mental note of Dews favorites but apparently he has other plans.

He growls at the plate when Aether sets it down and he watches him squish each strawberry.

"No tall babies!"

Aether can't help but laugh. "You like strawberries!"

He flings a chunk at Aether, clearly unamused by such an accusation.

"No tall babies!" He settles once he's got them all off his plate and is left with his watermelon and blueberries, eating happily and babbling away.

He catches Mountain later to ask if he knows what suddenly changed Dews mind about the strawberries.

"Oh, there were a bunch of wasps near the bushes the other day when I took him down to pick some. He was pretty unhappy about it, guess he holds a grudge."

Aether shakes his head and updates his mental list that "tall babies" are now a no.

Phantom is on the couch with their snack bowl while they watch tv and have an afternoon snack, even the other littles aren't spared from Dew's curiosity and are happy to share.

Dew pulls himself to stand in front of the couch, pointing at the puffy Cheetos Phantom is currently eating.

"Me p'ease!"

Phantom giggles and climbs off the couch. "H-hold on!" They run to the kitchen where Swiss is getting dinner prepped. "C-can Dew have s-some of my Cheetos?"

Swiss laughs when the baby crawls in behind Phantom, eyebrows pinched as he looks up at the bowl.

"Yeah, just keep him in here with them ok?"

Phantom sits on the floor and hands Dew one of the puffy, cheesy snacks. They giggle when Dew blows a raspberry at it at first but eventually he decides he likes it enough to ask for another one.

"G-good?"

"Teese toes!"

Phantom laughs so hard Swiss almost worries they'll run out of air but Dew claps and Phantom hands him another one.

There are still things he refuses to eat. He hates peas and carrots, he doesn't like things that are too sweet like cakes or cookies, he hates eggs and won't even look at them if they are offered.

His favorite is still broccoli and if he had it his way he'd have it morning, noon, and night.

It quickly becomes their favorite part of dinner when Dew is dropped and in a good mood, trying out new recipes to see if he will try it and even better, if he'll like it.

They don't take it for granted no matter how small it may seem because it shows his healing and how far he'd come and they will happily cheer on every single step out of the dark that he takes.

Cryptid Biology Season 2: Shark Bait

[The previous entry in this series: Here. Rain decides to have a little fun with the abbey's gardener after she dares step into his lake smelling like a certain earth ghoul. Implied MountRain and some RainDrop. Going back to our roots and writing about tentacles.] Below the cut.

Rain is hovering just over the silt in the bottom of the lake, belly just barely touching the muck, when he catches a familiar, heady smell emanating from somewhere closer to the surface.

It's Mountain's musk; That distinct scent of evergreen trees mingled with the stench of sweat, but there's something softer, sweeter, diluting it.

He rises slowly, following the smell like a shark tracking a trail of blood in the water.

The ghoul breaches the surface slowly, making the smallest ripple on top of the water as his eyes adjust to the sunlight, blinking once, twice to retract the clear, secondary eye lids that protect his vision in the depths.

The air is thick with humidity, and the sun is harsh, hot on his head, but as his gaze settles on the shallows, he can't bring himself to care about the heat.

Waist deep in the water, the abbey's groundskeeper, Beatrix Milne -Bea-, is stood holding a mesh net, cleaning up debris and trash from the shoreline.

While the siblings, and the ghouls are careful to remove trash after lakeside parties, part of the greater lake extends towards a shore not on the abbey's property; Marked off by a series of buoys, despite efforts to keep the shared waters clean, careless individuals have left everything on the opposite side of the line a mess... leaving people like Bea to clean it up as the winds carry it across.

It's definitely one of the more frustrating parts of maintaining the land, one he's overheard the groundskeeper venting her frustrations about to Mountain when the two come back to the abbey in the afternoon in spring and summer, the cart attached to the UTV loaded up with debris to be sorted out into the compost or recycled later on.

He tries his best to keep the water clean himself, but there's only so much he can do alone, which is why he understands the pointed look of annoyance on Bea's face as she fills the net with half sunk beer cans and the occasional snack packaging.

Rain eases his way towards the shore, floating along even as the water gets shallower and shallower, and settles himself in the reeds nearby, watching the human work.

Bea and him have never really clicked, despite a shared interest in protecting the natural world, she's often too abrasive for him to want to approach her directly and strike up a conversation, but he can't blame her for being that way; He's seen how Mountain can get after spending all day out in the hot sun, isolated from others, sweaty and uncomfortable, body tense and sore...

However, looking at the groundskeeper now, she doesn't look too terribly bothered, just focused.

She's dressed more casually than he's seen her before -much, much more so-, wearing cut off jeans and a bikini top, her exposed skin shiny with a mix of sweat and sunblock...

Rain sniffs the air curiously.

It's just barely there.

Mountain's scent on her skin, not nearly strong enough for him to have smelled it from that deep in the water.

He hums, sinking down slightly when the groundskeeper looks out over the reeds, waving her hand as if swatting at an insect.

And that's when he notice, as his nose hits the water, he can smell it.

Trailing his gaze down the curves of her body from her face, he eyes the waistband of her shorts, just barely visible over the water, and lowers himself down further to get a better look.

Sure enough, the smell is coming from there.

"Oh, I see..." he thinks, taking in the sight of the rough fabric soaked through, and clinging to her skin.

Despite how often the two argue; Mountain has clearly marked his territory, or, perhaps, Bea had claimed hers.

Maybe both.

But regardless of who struck their flag where, coming into another ghoul's domain smelling so strongly of someone else has Rain feeling... slighted.

If she's going to play around -Clean, she is cleaning the lake- in his lake like this, she should at least ask his permission first, but she hasn't.

And that alone is enough for Rain to want to punish her.

Of course, the type of punishment depends on how she reacts to what he does next.

Cloaking himself slightly with his magic, Rain drops back beneath the waves, and glides himself past her legs, letting the fin of his tail slide against her thigh.

Her can almost her her gasp, feels her jump... but she doesn't flee.

Rain swims by her again, and before HE can react, he feels the tug of fingers in his hair.

He groans, air bubbling from his lungs as he's pulled above the water again.

"You know that doesn't work on me, right?"

He'd forgotten.

"Sister Imperator gave me 'Sight', so I wouldn't get tricked by the other creatures on the grounds like the last caretaker." she says, "Are you going to stop fooling around, or are you going to help me clean up?"

Rain pouts.

"You're one to talk." he murmurs, moving to stand, towering over the gardener, "Seems you and Mountain were 'fooling around' not long ago... You know it's rude, right? Entering my lake smelling like him."

Bea stares up at him, brows furrowed, squinting, both in annoyance and to keep the light out of her eyes.

He steps more into the path of the sun, casting his shadow over her.

"I was under the impression that you liked how Mountain smells." she says, turning away from him, tossing her net onto the shore, but not before tying a loose knot in it to prevent the debris from spilling out.

She's not going to clean it up twice in one day.

"Mountain told me you're always pressing yourself up against him, rubbing his scent all over you... Are you annoyed or just jealous that I smell like him, too?"

Rain grins.

"Jealous? Of you?" he laughs, then sighs, "Perhaps a little... Did you like it?"

He steps closer.

"Him shoving his cock inside of you?" he asks, watching the faintest hint of embarrassment color her cheeks, "I bet you begged and begged and begged for him to give you more."

"Me? Beg?" Bea tilts her head, and quirks her lips, "He was the one begging."

Rain presses forward again, and Bea meets him, skin to skin.

He can feel the soft pudge of her belly against him in the water.

Warm against his naturally cold flesh.

He traces his fingers along her arm, watching her shiver.

"...I could make you beg." he offers, "If you'd like to see what I do to make the 'mountain' shake..."

Bea squirms as he lowers himself into a kneeling position.

"If you want me," he says, poking his thumbs through the belt loops of her shorts, "you'll remove these. I don't much care of the look or taste of denim."

Wordlessly, and with an almost amusing amount of haste, Bea shimmies out of her bottoms allowing Rain access to her crotch.

With a whispered 'yes' from her lips -said far quieter than needed for where they are- Rain dives in, pressing his nose against her mound and inhaling deeply.

He can smell Mountain here; Though wiped clean, but a ghoul's scent is strong, and even if Rain bemoans not being able to lick if from her, he can still taste Mountain's release, perhaps there is some still deeper inside.

He continues to nose at her cunt for a time, separating out her smell from his, trying to appreciate her scent as well.

He giggles and feels her tremble above him.

"You smell like honey... Honey Bea... how cute~" he teases, dragging his tongue along her folds before she can begin to argue.

She reminds him a bit of Dew in that way.

He always shies away from endearments and praise during sex, but if Bea is anything like the feisty fire ghoul, then he knows if he keeps pushing, he'll get what he wants.

Rain kisses her 'lips' before probing deeper with his tongue, it's messy and the sounds it makes, though muted by the water, is obscene.

Having been on both ends of such encounters, Rain is very familiar with what to do to get himself and his partners off this way, but that's not his goal here.

He pulls away just when Bea's body is about to buckle, and pushes her backwards into the water, revealing in the way she yelps as overwarm skin meets the lake.

"You jerk-!" she shouts, but, again, she is cut off by Rain.

"Have you ever been with a water ghoul before?" he asks, fingers tracing the split along his crotch, teasing the scales there, catching her confused glare, "...You haven't, have you?"

The head of his tentacle begins to peek out from between the folds, a light blue, bleeding into purple at the tip as he begins to pet it.

"I think once you have..." he says, leaning forward, cradling her neck to keep her head above water as he lines himself up, watching the surprise flicker across her face as the tentacle begins to prod at her entrance.

"...You'll realize you're not the only one who can make someone beg."

Fuck him and his magnificent back tattoo. And the open hair too. People died.....

Waiting for the doors to open

Mushy May, day 9. Warming them up.

Rating: E

Pairing: Ifrit/Dewdrop

Words: 865

Summary: Dew knows true warmth for the first time, and he can't get enough. Neither can Ifrit. Or, Ifrit and Dew fuck for the first time post Dew's transition.

Thank you @forlorn-crows (the beloved) for doing this as always :)

Head dropping into the pillow, Ifrit knew he was inches away from unraveling and no amount of measured breathing would save him from that fact. 

He could have laughed at himself, should have cursed at himself, but all he managed was a shuddered sigh as the freshly made fire ghoul sank down the length of his cock. Slowly, with his skinny thighs trembling where they bracketed his hips. Dew was struggling just as much as he was. It was a familiar but impossible stretch, always was, but it was different this time. He was carving out a spot for Ifrit and Ifrit alone, giving himself and this elementally changed body to Ifrit. Dew had been set on it, on Ifrit being the first - on Ifrit always being his first. Having barged into his room, skin still steaming, smelling of incense and salt, he wasted no time. 

Ash certainly dirtied his sheets, still smeared on Dew's body and now on his own, but Ifrit couldn’t find the concern for linens within himself. Not when the embrace of Dew's walls were both molten and velvet, too snug around his poor cock to leave room for anything in his head. All he could focus on were the multiple, searing points of contact between them and the heat. 

He was used to the heat. A fire ghoul forged from an eternal flame within the endless pits of sulfur, Ifrit found home within hellfire but Dew was beyond it. Well past burning and Ifrit wanted to bear the scars of the blaze he was becoming. 

Literal sparks crackled around Dew's head like some strange halo when he abruptly forced himself down those last few torturous inches. Impatient as ever, a changing of element would never take that from him. It knocked the wind from both of them. 

His eyes nearly rolled up into his skull but he did all he could not to fold and admit to the coiling sensation in his belly. If he ignored the way his balls ached maybe he could hold out. 

Dew wasn't fairing much better, clearly. His mouth had fallen open in a silent cry, chin tucked to his chest, steadying himself against Ifrit's broad chest. The red in his cheeks practically glowed, a striking hue against pale cool-toned skin. He was burning up from the inside out, a flame trapped and flickering under his skin, and Ifrit didn't want to blink lest he miss a second of his lover or the fruit of this long awaited rebirth. The head of his cock was just as flushed. Angry and leaking profusely against Ifrit's stomach, a water ghoul trait his vessel stubbornly clung onto much to Dew's apparent chagrin.

Palms sliding up Dew's thighs, feeling the twitching muscle beneath the weight of his hands, it all felt too real. A day he'd been waiting for. Suspended in anticipation, counting down the seconds until Dew and him were alike at the deepest parts of their being. Made kindred flames at the behest of the morning star himself. 

Ifrit squeezed at his hips to bring Dew back to earth with him. They both deserved to exist wholly in this moment. His fingers nearly touched around his waist. 

“I'm here” Dew rasps. The first words he'd spoken since before he was whisked away by clergy members to a place Ifrit could not follow. The first words since he'd punctuated their temporary goodbye with a kiss too chaste to savor the meaning of. His voice was deeper or perhaps his vocal chords were stripped raw. 

“You're here.” Ifrit whispered, smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. It's big and a bit too goofy for the position they found themselves in but it makes Dew's heart flutter and his cock jump. They both notice the latter. “How does it feel?” 

Dew lifted his head, soot stained hair curtaining his face. Carefully placed shadows on his sharp features. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, not yet bruised but pinker than they'd ever been. Everything was new down to the very sensations. He struggled to find the words, clearly. Ifrit could see the tangled threads of thought behind those copper tinged eyes. 

“Hot.” The word practically dripped off his tongue, sighing out wisps of smoke as Ifrit tucked his hair behind his ear. He wanted to bottle it and save it. “Never felt this warm before,” his shoulders shook with a breathless laugh. “S'weird.” 

“Bad?” 

“Good, real good…Is it always like this?” 

“Oh firefly,” the pet name somehow makes Dew feel tighter around him and Ifrit was forced to admit defeat. He couldn't last like this. “You'll never feel cold again. Don't even need me to keep you warm anymore.” 

Something a little like panic, or even disappointment flickered in his eyes. “But - But you still will, right?” 

Ifrit pulled him down. Chest to chest where they could both feel the steady beating of their hearts falling in sync. The short lived tension in his body melts away. Evaporates like steam, unseen and forgotten immediately. He thinks Dew might have finally found a way to crawl under his skin and stay there with how he clung to him. 

“Always, droplet.” 

I had this idea the other day of Ifrit and Alpha and Baby Dew spending some quality fire ghoul time, either doing some fire ghoul traditions or just the three of them hanging out in general!

-🌺

Just a quick little thing! I hope this is ok 🩷🩷🩷

Cw: alcohol is mentioned a couple times in passing, just sipping it

If anyone were to ask Alpha what his favorite part of summer was, he'd grumble and say nothing, it's too hot and too sticky and the bugs are annoying.

But it's this.

He smiles to himself as he carries back an armful of fire wood to the spot that has long since been designated the bonfire spot. He can hear Ifrit and shortly after his voice he hears Dew's happy giggle.

He loves it, getting a fire set up for his pack, just him and the other fire ghouls getting it ready. It's somehow more special to him when Dew's little and excited, clapping and tossing little sticks into the circle happily babbling about fire, at least they assume that's what he's talking about.

When he breaks out of the trees he watches Dew's chubby little dirt covered hands point in his direction, alerting Ifrit that Alpha was back.

"I see him." He smiles and kneels to kiss the baby's head.

"Alf! Sticks!" He points at the circle, showing off his little twigs strewn about.

"Doing all the hard work for me?" He kneels beside the baby, stacking the wood the way he wants it while Dew continues to toss things.

"Fuoco!" (Fire)

Alpha wipes his hands on his pants and picks the baby up. "Faremo un grande e bellissimo fuoco." (We will make a big beautiful fire)

Ifrit smiles and wanders closer, taking Dew's little hand and pressing a kiss to it despite the dirt clinging to his skin.

"Are you excited for the fire? Sunteți entuziasmați de foc?" (It's the same question asked)

Dew wiggles to be set down and points at the fire pit again. Alpha glances around, the sun is finally starting to set and he's pretty sure he can hear a giggling gaggle of ghoulettes getting closer.

"Will you help me light it, Piccola fiamma?" (Little flame)

Dew's eyes are bright when Alpha takes his hand and a little flame flickers between his fingers. He guides their hands down to the kindling and Dew giggles with the flames catch. Ifrit cheers, telling Dew what a good job he'd done.

Cirrus and Cumulus are the first to arrive, wrapped together in a blanket with wine flushed cheeks and a basket of snacks Cumulus had been busy baking all day.

"Mamma!" Dew crawls as fast as he can over to Cumulus and she beams as she picks him up.

"Hi baby!"

His chubby little hand points at the fire. "Me!"

She gasps. "Did you make it all by yourself? You're so talented!"

"Alf me!"

"Oh, you let him help you? That's very kind, I'm sure Alpha was happy to help."

The rest of the pack trickles in slowly, Swiss has Phantom on his back even though the Quint isn't dropped and Aurora beside him holding his hand. Mountain and Aether follow behind with arms full of blankets for everyone to sit on. Rain and Omega are a bit behind them with another basket of snacks. Omega has his arm around Rain's shoulders, steadying him up the bumpy path so he doesn't trip.

Dew's the first to excitedly greet everyone and Ifrit moves closer to Alpha, the way he always does on nights like this. He doesn't say anything but he drapes his arm across ifrits shoulders and let's him scoot closer to his side.

He takes a quiet moment to just appreciate it, having them all here,scattered around the fire, talking and laughing, watching Dew play and babble to himself.

It's not something he talks about often, how deeply he loves them, words aren't always easy for him, but there's nothing he wouldn't do for them. He tightens his arm around Ifrits shoulder, drawing a content purr out of the younger fire ghoul.

This is his peace.

Alpha watches Swiss help Phantom and Aurora make smores, watches Aether lift Dew up onto his lap so the baby can gnaw on a marshmallow that Mountain is holding for him, unbothered by the copious amounts of drool. He watches the way Rain kicks his legs up over Omega's lap so the Quint and help keep him comfortable as they talk to Cumulus and Cirrus, sipping wine and giggling about their conversation.

"This is nice." Ifrits voice is soft, almost sleepy.

"It is." He takes a minute, glancing down at Ifrits head against his shoulder before he starts purring, rolling his eyes fondly at the happy chirp and Ifrit shuffling himself around until hes all but wrapped around the bigger fire ghoul. "Clingy."

"Yeah, I am."

He doesn't say anything but he ducks his head to press a kiss between ifrits horns.

"You-"

"Shush or I'll push you down the hill."

Ifrit snorts and shakes his head but keeps quiet about it. Alpha watches across the fire as Dew's eyes start to get heavy, the excitement starting to catch up to him. He shoves Mountain's hand away and squirms until Aether let's him slip to the ground, the Quint keeping a close eye on him.

He crawls over to Alpha, pausing and holding his little arms up.

"Alf up p'ease."

Ifrit moves just enough for him to bend to scoop the tiny ghoul up into his arms, the baby snuggling into his warmth immediately, his rumbly little purr joining Alpha and Ifrits.

Cirrus tosses a blanket to him and he drapes it over Dew's back as he starts to drift off.

"Alf mine."

He smiles a bit and glances around, taking in the easy contentment filling the space, the warm sense of belonging.

He is Dew's, he's all of theirs. Forever.

FUCK YEAH

thanks to @cirrus-ghoulette for organizing whumpmonth!! also i'm using @wrathofrats beautiful dividers!!

so i wrote this thing a while ago and decided to write some parts of it from someone else's point of view for today :)

Day Four: Scars

TW: blood, violence, scars, vomit

It was hard, harder than Dew thought.

And it might have looked so easy for him but still, it was really hard for him to hate Phantom.

Or at least, it was easy at first.

Dewdrop can see himself in the little quint, he knows that he's a runt just like him, he knows that they both never had packs in the pit, he knows the want, the yearning for a pack.

He knows that they can't give it to Phantom.

He keeps finding reasons to hate him, stupid ones really, he can't hate him for Aether's leaving for long, hasn't ever really.

And maybe it's just because he can still feel the soft skin under his claws, maybe it's because he can still smell Phantom's pain in the air, still can taste it on the tip of his tounge, still can feel his lips moving to form the words "Oh, sorry." that Dewdrop started to look for the new quint ghoul more.

He notices how Phantom doesn't heal himself, and it hurts Dew to think that maybe Phantom thinks that he deserve those scars on his face, but he gives him time.

He keeps watching from afar.

And maybe Dew ignored all those rumors about Phantom getting sent back for his own sake, because it was obvious that Phantom took them to heart, but it'll be okay, Dew knows that this too will pass.

He never got too close, but never took his eyes off of the quint.

Dewdrop was awake, he couldn't really sleep that night, something about not being able to see the stars.

He flinched when he heard Phantom vomiting, his face curling in worry when he smelled the blood.

It's okay though, Phantom will be okay.

Dewdrop never approached the other.

Maybe it's because he knew that Phantom will make it to the end of the tour, maybe it's because he secretly prayed to Satan for the quintessence ghoul.

Maybe that's why he felt that tingle in the back of his head, maybe that's why he knocked on Phantom's door relentlessly.

Maybe that's why he broke it down.

And maybe all what Dew ever saw in Phantom was the same passion to burn without dying that Ifrit saw in him when he was water.

And if Dew promises to the stars that danced on Phantom's floor before fading away to always have Phantom as a part of his pack, well.

It's not like Phantom knows that.

Comments

Humans can be twats and Omega is there to comfort Aether. (Fatphobic stuff mentioned)

Character: Aether, Omega Word count: 833

It was too late to be awake. The moon threw its light through the window, making the kitchen glow in the dark, and Aether didn’t bother to turn the light on. He was wearing boxers and - unlike him - an oversized sweater.

The quint rummaged through the cabinet filled with snacks and finally settled on a half-full bag of chips. He was hungry, his stomach grumbling for hours now, and it had got more and more unbearable with every passing minute. So he finally got up and decided to get himself something to eat. Aether regretted not eating lunch and barely anything at dinner, and he let out a satisfied groan as he ate the first chip while sitting down at the table.

He looked up when he heard steps and blinked against the light as it was turned on. In the doorway stood Omega, eyes tired and still in his day's clothing; he was coming straight out of the infirmary.

“Hey,” the older said, walking over to the fridge and getting himself a bottle of juice. “Why are you still awake?”

Aether shrugged weakly; he wasn’t exactly in the mood for a conversation. Omega leaned against the kitchen counter, watching the other’s back with a serious expression. He could smell the distress clearly.

“Do you want me to make you something proper to eat?” the taller asked then. Of course, he had noticed how Aether hadn’t really eaten today. “There’s still some dinner left.”

Aether tensed a bit, swallowing what was in his mouth, his gaze unfocused on the table.

“Nah, I’m fine,” he answered, hoping to not sound as restrained as he felt.

He heard Omega shuffle and then felt a big hand on his shoulder. Aether tensed, still not turning around.

“Can you stand up for a second?”

The question was not exactly unexpected, but Aether still let out a sigh. Why couldn’t Omega just leave him alone? He stood up nonetheless, hands pulling at the hem of his sweater.

“Come here.”

Aether walked over, biting the inside of his cheek. Suddenly, he was pulled in by the waist and lifted, ending up on the counter, Omega between his legs, hands on his sides, holding the love handles there.

“So, what’s wrong, hmm?”

The younger quint looked down and suppressed the urge to move, uncomfortable with the touch. But Omega understood nonetheless and put his hands on the counter.

“Aeth?” The voice was quiet but empathetic; maybe even a bit worried. It was unusual for Aether to be like this.

“I…,” he shrugged. “I know I’m fat, but I- It’s- Why are people so mean?”

He looked at Omega now, still unable to hold eye contact. Aether knew that not everyone liked Ghost, that there would always be hate towards any band, but the comments he had found were simply rude; and maybe true, he had no idea anymore.

Omega tilted his head to the side, watching the other’s face closely. The hurt he saw went straight to his heart. He knew about comments like that, knew exactly what Aether meant and how much they could hurt. But he also knew that they weren’t true, that people who commented such stuff were pathetic humans, deeply unsatisfied with their own lives.

“So that’s why you haven’t really eaten today?” he asked, understanding. It earned him a nod.

“There’s nothing wrong with fat, Aeth, you know that,” Omega stated then, his hands going to the love handles again. “But I know that comments can hurt really much.”

The older petted his own tummy with a smirk, hoping to lift Aether’s mood a bit.

“I know that having more on the ribs can be hard, Aeth. I know how mean humans are, but there are also nice humans, right?”

The younger looked him in the eyes now, tears swimming in his. He was tired and hungry and even a bit overwhelmed. The tears came naturally, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

Omega put both hands on Aether’s cheeks now, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“You are beautiful,” he muttered. “We love you, Aeth. We wouldn’t want you any different.”

He pinched the other’s belly.

“Look at that cute belly and be proud of it, yeah? Remember how thin you were when Terzo summoned you… It just shows that you are happy and healthy and loved here.”

Omega gave him a smile, and he couldn’t resist the urge to smile back a bit. The tear that slipped down his cheek was wiped off by the other’s thumb. The younger quint pulled Omega close, arms wrapping around his waist, face shoved into his chest.

“Now come, you eat something that will actually feed you up, and then we’ll go to my room and get some sleep. And I’ve got a free day tomorrow, so how about I show you how much I love that belly of yours then, big boy?”

At that point, the grin on Aether’s face grew larger. ____________

It's time to say that as a fat person, the stuff i got to hear since i was like 10 years old is simply the dumbest shit ever and hurts really much. And those comments were the reason for my second panic attack ever and made by idiotic humans that deserve to be punched in the face.

gonna tag you here @miss-multi45 and my favourite rat @aweisz because they wanted Aether/Omega

You idiot

Swiss loves the winter and Mountain is the reason.

Characters: Swiss, Mountain Word count: 446

Swiss loved winter; he just loved it. And the reason for that was a certain earth ghoul, who was currently snuggled up to him, snoring softly. The sun wasn’t up yet, and the multi was lucky that he could turn up his body heat, as it was freezing cold outside. Under the blanket, it was cosy, to say the least. Swiss had his tail wrapped around Mountain's waist, one leg tossed over Mountain's, clinging to him. Unfortunately, the tall ghoul was wearing a shirt, so Swiss couldn’t simply admire his soft skin. And the freckles on his shoulder were also nearly completely gone, which was kind of sad, Swiss thought so at least.

There was the best part of winter, though: Mountain's paunch. How his lover grew from slim to chubby every winter never failed to amaze Swiss. He loved that tummy, trailing his fingers over the ghoul's happy trail, pinching the soft skin. The way it wiggled when Swiss savoured him, how he could hold onto it, sinking his fingers into that bit of fat...

One of his hands found its way under the hem of the drummer's shirt, caressing his gut.

“What ya doin’?” the earth ghoul grunted softly without opening his eyes, his voice thick with sleep.

“Admiring you,” he answered with a grin.

Mountain snorted and cracked an eye open, watching the other.

“You idiot,” he mumbled quietly, but the smile on his lips spoke for itself.

Swiss squeezed the gut and chuckled at Mountain's reaction, who wiggled a bit. So the multi repeated the motion until the taller ghoul had enough and slipped his hands under the blanket, pulling the other's arms away and rolling them so he could press Swiss into the mattress.

Now it was Swiss's turn to laugh his lungs out, as Mountain knew exactly where to tickle him. And while his hands had Swiss's arms pinned away, his tail was free and attacked the multi's side, making him squirm and laugh.

“Stop! Mount-”

It was hard to form a sentence when you couldn’t really breathe, something Swiss knew from experience; and Mountain did too. He let the other suffer until the only thing coming from him were faint pleas to stop.

“So? Will you be a good boy now?” he asked with a grin, still holding the other's arms. And to his surprise, Swiss nodded, his cheeks completely flushed, chest rising fast.

What Mountain didn’t realize was that Swiss got what he wanted: the earth ghoul grounding him, showing how much winter affected his body and how soft he got. So even with the “torture” he had to go through, the multi counted it as a win. _______________

let me tag you here @icechippies

So I was right?

Alphas belt won't fit anymore.

Characters: Alpha, Omega Word count: 687

Alpha looked into the mirror. His hair was still messy from sleep, and he wasn’t wearing shoes yet. The black button-up he was wearing wasn’t hanging as loosely as it used to. Don’t get him wrong, his shirts always fit him perfectly, but now it was actually wrapping around his skin, making it impossible to hide anything. His small love handles were exposed to everyone, and the tummy he grew was pressing against the fabric.

But there was a simple problem: his trousers. Or, more likely, the button he couldn’t close without fearing it might pop at some point. So he opened it again and breathed out in a relaxed manner; comfortable was something different.

The next problem emerged when he tried to find a belt. He replayed the moment when Omega told him to buy belts that were a little longer and not already on the last hole when wearing them. That was a year ago, and now his stupid decision backfired in the most obvious way. He had the feeling that Terzo wouldn’t be too fond of him showing up at the meeting with open trousers. No matter that they were retired, he and Omega were ordered to be at the meeting, and not a single ghoul wanted to wear their uniforms in summer, so he had to wear something else that was formal enough.

So there was only one option… admitting that the quint had been right and asking him for a belt. Hopefully, he was in his room; otherwise, Alpha would simply borrow a belt from his closet.

“Megs?” Without knocking, the tall ghoul entered the other's room. And lucky for him, Omega was just finishing tying his shoes.

“Hmm?” he made, and looked up. “What is it?”

“It’s not by chance that you have a belt for me?” Alpha asked, closing the door behind him.

Omega grinned knowingly, tilting his head to the side.

“So I was right? Never would have guessed,” he told him, the irony sharp in his voice.

“Save the jokes, you fucker,” the fire ghoul answered. “We only have fifteen minutes left, will you just give me a belt? Please?”

The quint stood up from his bed and walked over to Alpha, giving him a mocking chuckle.

“You know… With that attitude of yours, I don’t think I want to give you one of my belts,” he sighed dramatically and shrugged.

The guitarist rolled his eyes and took a step closer to Omega, who took the opportunity to lay his hands on Alpha’s sides, squeezing them. He loved those love handles and the way the other tensed under the unexpected touch.

“But I’ll be nice and give you one,” the quint then said and turned to grab one out of his drawer. “Under the condition that you admit I was right.”

If looks could kill, Omega would be dead.

“You were right,” Alpha mumbled, barely understandable.

“What was that?” he asked, even though he understood.

“You son of a-” the tall ghoul snorted, “You were right!”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Omega laughed and walked back to the fire ghoul, motioning him to raise his arms a bit. He began to put the belt on the other and pulled him closer by the waist after buckling it. The grin was still on his face, and the big ghoul knew that Alpha wasn’t as mad as he pretended to be, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“We’re gonna buy you bigger clothes tomorrow,” he told his pack mate, his hand finding its way to his tummy automatically.

“You have a weird obsession with my tummy, you know?” Alpha pointed out.

He earned himself another shrug and an agreeing sound: “Can you blame me? I don’t think so.”

Now the tall ghoul really let out a laugh, his right hand squeezing Omega’s butt and then coming to rest on his lower back.

“I wasn’t complaining,” he answered, his voice lower than before.

And when they arrived a few minutes too late to the meeting, there was a suspicious dark spot on Omega’s neck and Alpha’s face was deeply red. ______________________

I have no idea what this is tbh but i tried and this is the best i could come up with

let me tag you here @aweisz

REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED

going through a really bad bout of remembering trauma, thinking about swiss so overwhelmed with stress and not wanting to bother any of the ghouls, going to seek papa out for comfort. he doesnt shy away this time, takes a deep breath and ratters on the door to his office, papa giving him work to do and praises to get everything off his mind :,) hes not even little he just doesnt know how to cope properly or live with himself, sorry for the constant asks!!!! - 🗝

First I'm sorry this took so long to get to, but ...life did life things. Also, I didn't really follow the prompt because apparently Swiss had other ideas but I hope it's ok.

And most importantly, I hope you're doing alright 🩷🩷🩷

Cw: Swiss can't sleep, storms mentioned, Swiss climbing things he probably shouldn't be lol he's fine he doesn't get hurt but Copia isn't a fan!, middle Swiss (as usual I do refer to him as the little ghoul because they all get physically smaller but he's a middle I just remember there was a little confusion before 🩷), cg Copia

Sleep doesn't always come easy for Swiss, especially when he's dropped and had been on edge all day. It wasn't a bad day, but a storm was coming and he could feel it in his veins and it made him antsy. It was fine during the day when he was busy, he didn't really have time to focus on it, but now, laying alone in his bed it's all his mind can do.

He pushes himself up with a heavy sigh, he knows he's not going to be able to sleep any time soon and just laying there isn't going to help anything. He opens the window and shoves his head outside, he can smell the storm, it's closer but not quite here yet and he groans. If it just started he'd feel better.

He grabs a few of his comics and his blanket and heads down to the common room. It's hardly the first time he's done this and he usually wakes up tucked in with his head pillowed on someone's lap. He knows he could go wake someone up for company but he doesn't want to be a bother, especially with something that none of them can really help with.

It's usually completely silent when Swiss sneaks down like this, if anyone was still up they are usually in their rooms but he definitely hears something in the kitchen. It's not totally out of the realm of possibility that someone got thirsty or something...

When he peeks around the corner he expects to see Phantom, maybe Dew or Ifrit. He's definitely not expecting Copia.

He's in his sleep pants and an old band t-shirt and he's got glasses on but he just looks...tired.

"Papa?"

He jumps at Swiss' voice, turning with his hand over his heart. "Lucifer! You scared me Piccola tempesta!" (Little storm)

"Sorry...wasn't tryin to sneak up on you...whatcha doin?"

"Well I..." He drags his hand across the back of his neck. "I can't seem to get to sleep and I was hoping some of Mountain's tea would help but...I don't know where he keeps it."

Swiss sets his comics on the table and drapes his blanket on the back of one of the chairs.

"I can help, I know where it is. What kind do you want?"

"He gave me a lavender one the last time."

"Ok!" Swiss climbs up on the counter and Copia races to stand behind him, hands nervously fluttering around him in case the little ghoul slips.

"Please be careful!"

Swiss laughs a little. "I do this all the time! I like climbing. You know that big tree down by the greenhouse? I can get really high in there!"

Copia groans dramatically. "Do you want my heart to give out?"

Swiss giggles again and grabs the tea, lowering himself carefully before hopping off the counter.

"See? I'm a pro!"

"Yes, but I think I may have a few more grey hairs." He says it with a soft smile and starts getting the kettle ready to boil. He notes Swiss is fidgeting, eyes not staying on Copia. "What's the matter amore Mio?"

"Nothin....I just can't sleep..." He shrugs. "Just gonna read on the couch."

Copia hums. "Well, would you like some company? I can't sleep either, maybe you can tell me about your comics."

Swiss' eyes light up, bright gold like stars. "Really?"

"Why don't you put a little snack together and I can make you a hot chocolate."

Swiss chirps and bounces over to the pantry to grab out the crackers with cheese in the middle. He grabs a handful of marshmallows, some chocolate chips and heads to the fridge for some berries and cheese cubes.

Copia watches with a small smile, happy that the little ghoul feels a bit better.

They make their way to the couch after the drinks are done and Swiss scoots close, his back pressed to Copia's side while he starts talking about the comics he's currently reading. He listens intently, asking questions occasionally until the answers start getting more spaced out.

Copia peeks down at his face, his lashes fluttering as he struggles to keep his eyes open. He moves the snack off to the side, shushing the half hearted protests of the little ghoul still happily snuggled into his side.

"Just moving it to the table, you can still reach it if you want." His voice is soft and he adjusts the blanket over Swiss.

"Still....still wanna hear 'bout the next one?"

His voice is slurred with sleep and Copia struggles to not laugh at the jumbled words.

"If you'd like to tell me."

"Well it starts with..." His head lolls to the side as his words taper off, eyes closed as he drifts away to sleep.

Copia adjusts his head up against his shoulder so his neck won't be sore in the morning. He kisses the top of his head, tightening his arms around him when the first flash of lightning lights up the room, a low roll of thunder quickly following.

The little multi ghoul looks peaceful, his face relaxed as he sleeps against papa, breaths deep and even. Copia watches the storm through the big window, takes note of how Swiss relaxes just a little more with each flash and loud boom. It's fascinating and he's so grateful for each of his ghouls and how different they all are.

He rests his head back against the couch, allowing his eyes to shut so he can just listen to the storm and Swiss' breathing.

"Dormi bene, mia piccola tempesta." (Sleep well, my little storm.)

Day three of @cirrus-ghoulette 's whump month: Homesick

Cw: drowning, suicide, manipulation, hallucination, lmk if i missed any

Dew doesn't know when he started feeling this way. He's been fire for years now, why is he suddenly yearning for the water again? The water, the cool darkness only water ghouls can survive in. Yeah, he's swam, yeah his gills are still semi functional, but it's not the same. It'll never be the same.

He wants to go back to the water, permanently. He knows it'll kill him, but he wants to do it anyway. No he doesn't. He doesn't want to die, but the water calls for him, like a siren calling for a sailor, luring them to their death. Maybe he could talk to Delta, see if Delta deals with the same thoughts he does.

But he doesn't. He doesn't want to bother Delta. Maybe these thoughts will stop.

They didn't. In fact, they got worse every time he saw a deep body of water. The water sings a secret song that only he can seem to hear. It's hypnotic. It infests his mind, takes over his thoughts.

He starts to envy Rain and Mist, how they swim so freely, submerge themselves fully, touch the bottom of the lake. He wants to take their abilities from them, use them to go to the bottom of the lake one last time, but he won't. He loves the water ghouls, he couldn't hurt them like that. But if he dies he's only truly hurting himself right?

That's how he ended up here. By the lake. At four in the morning. Too late for any sibling to be up, too early for any ghoul to be up. Besides the feral ones that act as guards around the ministry at night. They wouldn't pay any attention to him though.

He walks close to the edge of the lake. Should he really do this?

Yes. The water calls to him, Come back to me. Come back home, Droplet.

That's all it takes before he's walking into the water. The water reaches his ankles and the sharp sting of cold hits him, but he tredges on. The water touches his belly button, he's used to the temperature. The water's up to his chin, he has one more chance to go back to the ministry, his “home”, but the water calls again.

Droplet. Return. Embrace your natural element, be reborn as what you truly are.

That's a lie, it's all lies. He won't be reborn, he'll die. But he listens anyway. He takes the final step; he's fully submerged, from head to toe. He can breathe through his gills, but just barely. He continues walking. He breathes through his gills, the remnants of them fluttering as if they never broke in the first place.

As he goes deeper, it gets harder to breathe, the pressure from the water pressing on his lungs. Once he fully reaches the bottom of the lake he feels at peace, but also panicked. He can't breathe, he wants to swim back up, get out of the water, but it's holding him down.

You can't leave Droplet, you've just returned. We won't let you leave. The water hisses at him.

The lack of oxygen in his body makes him hallucinate, see spirits of the water around him, pushing him down to the floor of the lake, making him lay down.

Welcome home, Droplet. The spirits giggle as they hold him down.

As his vision gets blurry he starts to regret this. As much as he loved the water it wasn't his home. His home was the ministry, with his pack, teaching Phantom how to be a menace, sloppy makeout sessions with Swiss, baking in the kitchen with Aurora, having the sweetest sex with Cirrus, spending time with his pack, hell, even being scolded by Copia. He made the wrong choice.

Somehow, even while being underwater, he can feel tears run down his face. He wasn't ready to die, he didn't want to die. There was still so much to do. As he feels his consciousness slip away, he feels something grab his hand. His vision is too blurry for him to see so he lets the hand grab him.

He doesn't know how, but he's on the dirt of the banks of the lake and there's a faceless ghoul next to him.

“It's not your time.” The ghoul whispers before disappearing into the darkness.

Okay, the Carhartt coat thing. Here we go @autumnblooms , some soft squishy thoughts for you ft. Water Dew and Mountain.

Ft. some flower language.

Red roses meaning love and passion

Cyclamen meaning lasting feelings and sincere affection

Cocoa With Chili

Dew steps out of the Abbey doors and squints into the light. It's winter, and there's a crystalline quality in the way that the sun filters through the frost dancing in the air. Dew grips the mug in his hand closer to his chest, trying to absorb a bit of its warmth and hunching his shoulders forward into his coat. Ice crunches under his boots as he makes his way to the heavy wooden door across the courtyard that leads to outside the ancient stone walls.

Dew ducks under the dormant ivy and through the door, ears twitching at the sound of an axe ringing through the air. The smell of balsam reaches his nose and he smiles, tail swishing as he walks quicker towards the source of the sound and smell coming the edge of the forest.

As he draws closer to the treeline he sees Mountain with his back turned to him. The Earth giant is crouched close to the ground, clearing snow away from a great Spruce tree. Its magnificent, the ends of its branches sparkle with diamond-like drops of ice, frost coating the pinecones dangling off the tips of its boughs, sparkling with frost like a coating of glitter. It will be a beautiful Yule tree once Mountain brings it into the Great Hall of the Abbey.

Dew trills, and Mountain turns at the sudden noise, smiling broadly at the sight of the approaching Water ghoul. He pushes the hood of his Carhartt coat back from his head and straightens, approaching Dew.

"Hi, Droplet, whatcha got there?"

Dew withdraws the mug from his jacket, offering it to the taller ghoul, "I brought you some cocoa, prepared with spices and a tiny bit of chili, just the way you like it."

Mountain takes the covered mug from Dew's tiny hand, taking a sip. Warmth and comfort blooms in his stomach, and he purrs at the taste of the spiced chocolate, his favorite. He looks down at Dew, who's trying not to show that he's shivering now with the absence of the mug's warmth. Mountain sets the mug down on a nearby stump. He unzips his jacket, opening it in offering to the Water ghoul.

Dew chirps and leaps forward, wrapping his arms around Mountain's waist and burrowing his face into the Earth ghoul's solid chest. Mountain puts his hands in the pockets of his Carhartt coat and wraps the fleece and canvas around his partner. A purr kicks up in Dew's chest and Mountain chuckles as he squeezes the Water ghoul close to his body, a rumbling purr vibrating through his chest and into Dew's body.

"Your cocoa is gonna get cold," Dew mumbles from within the cocoon of canvas and fleece.

"It's okay, Water Lilly, you're the more important priority right now," Mountain laughs, squirming a bit as Dew rubs his nose into Mountain's underlayer.

After a short time, Dew emerges from Mountain's embrace. His face scrunches and he twitches his nose at the dusting of snow flitting down from the trees around them.

"Come sit and have some of that cocoa while I finish here. It shouldn't be too much longer," Mountain shucks off his coat, spreading it canvas side down on the stump for Dew to sit on, and places the steaming mug in his hand.

A few last good thwacks of the ax brings the Yule tree down to the ground. As Mountain sets the ax down and wipes his hands off on his work pants, he glances over his shoulder and his heart stops at the sight behind him. Dew had taken his Carhartt jacket off the stump and burrowed into it, the material dwarfing his tiny body and covering his legs down past his knees. His dainty hands peek from the gargantuan sleeves as he sips from the mug of spiced cocoa.

Dew watches Mountain approaching him, eyes slipping upward to the flowers that had bloomed at the base of Mountain's antlers in the the time it had taken him to cross the clearing to the Water ghoul enveloped in his massive coat.

Mountain reaches up, plucking a red rose and a Cyclamen from his antlers, offering them to Dew. He bends down and presses a soft kiss to the smaller ghoul's lips, conveying all his love and affection for his ghoul wrapped up nice and snug in his coat.

"I love you, Bug."

"I know."

This is the scariest thing I've seen today

Smth about copia literally being the metaphor for death on a pale white horse who brings hell with him is so funny. Like have you seen this dude

Mushy May Day 31: Looking at/Taking Pictures

The fridge in the den kitchen tells a lot of stories.

Thank you so so so much to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together again this year, and to @ghuleh-recs for making us the dividers. Love you guys, cannot thank you enough. I had so much fun doing this again <3

Arguably, the kitchen is the central point in the entire ghoul den. It seems like someone's always there, cooking or cleaning or making a snack, coming in from the gardens or slipping out to have a smoke.

So naturally, it makes sense that the fridge is the pack corkboard. Magnets from just every stop the band's ever made cover the stainless steel, holding up shopping lists, reminders on bright colored sticky notes, a calendar, but most frequently, photos. Polaroids and glossy film and printed out on paper, the kitchen fridge is an amalgamation of the big moments and the little ones.

There's one right next to the freezer handle, a little blurry, out of focus. It shows the inside of the band tourbus, a soft purple blanket covering two sleeping forms. It's dark, but if you look close enough, you can make out Dew's spindly fingers, arm wrapped tight around Aeon's waist as he big spoons them. Rain had taken it, the first night they had shared a bunk, early into Aeon's first tour. It makes the little quint blush every time they see it, but the way their tail wags betrays any semblance of embarrassment.

There's one in the center of the fridge, a polaroid film, the flash bright and a little over exposed, two ghouls with their backs to the camera. Aurora is easily recognizable, her hot pink hair covering the bottom quarter of the image. Dew's in the background, sitting in Mountain's lap, a little out of focus as he throws up an As Above gesture. Rain's the star of the show though, his blue black waves pulled back into two French braids, decorated with clips and baubles and ribbons. Dew's hair is in a similar state. There's a caption written in Aether's blocky handwriting below it that reads "Playing Barbies."

A glossy 4 by 6 print is stuck to the fridge with a magnet shaped like a palm tree, from Cirrus's disposable camera. It's summertime at the Abbey, taken from the edge of the dock. Mist's perched on Alpha's shoulders, successfully shoving Dew from Swiss's shoulders in a game of chicken fight. She'd taken it at the perfect moment of realization, Dew's eyes wide in panic just as he tips backwards. They had all laughed when she had gotten the print developed, even as Dew grumbled. He couldn't hide the fond look on his face when it had been pinned up, though.

On the side of the fridge is a picture of Omega and Terzo, the big ghoul sprawled out in an armchair during one of the pack's frequent movie nights, Terzo practically in his lap, smudging paint against the side of Omega's neck. They both had passed out within the first half hour of a particularly loud action movie, much to the snickers of the pack.

There are several from the road, new scenery and places and tourist stops, a polaroid of Aurora proudly holding up a soft drink that's almost the size of her torso captioned "Baby's First Big Gulp." One of Aeon sticking their face through a cut out that makes them look like a video game character in some mall. Swiss giving Dew bunny ears while the fire ghoul takes a picture with Rain and Mountain. Cumulus floating on a blow up raft smuggled into a hotel pool. All three of the ghoulettes squeezed onto a greenroom couch in a way that cannot possibly be comfortable but they had sworn up and down that it was.

There are close to two dozen pictures with a similar set up, the entire band and crew all lined up on stage after the last show of a tour. The lineup changes and shifts, familiar faces running through several photographs, looking bone-deep exhausted but with grins on their faces, satisfied with a job well-done.

Aether approaches the fridge, a photo in hand, searching for an empty magnet. He finds one, chuckling as he grabs one shaped like a bat but in a hot pink plastic, pinning the picture front and center. It shows Aeon and Aurora, both ghouls grinning, wearing cheap plastic party hats, the elastic hooked under their chins. There's a cake on the table in front of them, a sparkler candle lit in the middle. There's words frosted on it, in red frosting in Mountain's loopy handwriting that proudly display "Happy First Summoning Day."

He sighs, smiling at the picture of his newest packmates, before his eyes drift up to a picture pinned to the top corner of the fridge. Aether always looks to it when he's in here, feels a warmth settle in his heart as he takes in the picture. He's memorized it, it will be seared into the back of his eyelids for the rest of his time Up Top and long after that.

It's him and Dew, standing at the front of the chapel, grasping each other's forearms as Copia wraps a multi colored cord around their wrists, the fondest smiles on each of their faces. The cord was a four stranded braid of ribbon, he remembers, purple and black and blue and orange. He remembers the warmth of Dew's hand on his arm, the glint of the gold jewelry in his ears, hair soft and falling over his shoulders, every inch the ghoul he had fallen in love with the moment he had arrived Up Top.

Aether smiles, running a finger along the edge of the photograph reverently, reaching up for the bunch of bananas on the top of the fridge, breaking one off and going to rejoin the pack with his snack.

Mushy May, day 9. Warming them up.

Rating: E

Pairing: Ifrit/Dewdrop

Words: 865

Summary: Dew knows true warmth for the first time, and he can't get enough. Neither can Ifrit. Or, Ifrit and Dew fuck for the first time post Dew's transition.

Thank you @forlorn-crows (the beloved) for doing this as always :)

Head dropping into the pillow, Ifrit knew he was inches away from unraveling and no amount of measured breathing would save him from that fact. 

He could have laughed at himself, should have cursed at himself, but all he managed was a shuddered sigh as the freshly made fire ghoul sank down the length of his cock. Slowly, with his skinny thighs trembling where they bracketed his hips. Dew was struggling just as much as he was. It was a familiar but impossible stretch, always was, but it was different this time. He was carving out a spot for Ifrit and Ifrit alone, giving himself and this elementally changed body to Ifrit. Dew had been set on it, on Ifrit being the first - on Ifrit always being his first. Having barged into his room, skin still steaming, smelling of incense and salt, he wasted no time. 

Ash certainly dirtied his sheets, still smeared on Dew's body and now on his own, but Ifrit couldn’t find the concern for linens within himself. Not when the embrace of Dew's walls were both molten and velvet, too snug around his poor cock to leave room for anything in his head. All he could focus on were the multiple, searing points of contact between them and the heat. 

He was used to the heat. A fire ghoul forged from an eternal flame within the endless pits of sulfur, Ifrit found home within hellfire but Dew was beyond it. Well past burning and Ifrit wanted to bear the scars of the blaze he was becoming. 

Literal sparks crackled around Dew's head like some strange halo when he abruptly forced himself down those last few torturous inches. Impatient as ever, a changing of element would never take that from him. It knocked the wind from both of them. 

His eyes nearly rolled up into his skull but he did all he could not to fold and admit to the coiling sensation in his belly. If he ignored the way his balls ached maybe he could hold out. 

Dew wasn't fairing much better, clearly. His mouth had fallen open in a silent cry, chin tucked to his chest, steadying himself against Ifrit's broad chest. The red in his cheeks practically glowed, a striking hue against pale cool-toned skin. He was burning up from the inside out, a flame trapped and flickering under his skin, and Ifrit didn't want to blink lest he miss a second of his lover or the fruit of this long awaited rebirth. The head of his cock was just as flushed. Angry and leaking profusely against Ifrit's stomach, a water ghoul trait his vessel stubbornly clung onto much to Dew's apparent chagrin.

Palms sliding up Dew's thighs, feeling the twitching muscle beneath the weight of his hands, it all felt too real. A day he'd been waiting for. Suspended in anticipation, counting down the seconds until Dew and him were alike at the deepest parts of their being. Made kindred flames at the behest of the morning star himself. 

Ifrit squeezed at his hips to bring Dew back to earth with him. They both deserved to exist wholly in this moment. His fingers nearly touched around his waist. 

“I'm here” Dew rasps. The first words he'd spoken since before he was whisked away by clergy members to a place Ifrit could not follow. The first words since he'd punctuated their temporary goodbye with a kiss too chaste to savor the meaning of. His voice was deeper or perhaps his vocal chords were stripped raw. 

“You're here.” Ifrit whispered, smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. It's big and a bit too goofy for the position they found themselves in but it makes Dew's heart flutter and his cock jump. They both notice the latter. “How does it feel?” 

Dew lifted his head, soot stained hair curtaining his face. Carefully placed shadows on his sharp features. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, not yet bruised but pinker than they'd ever been. Everything was new down to the very sensations. He struggled to find the words, clearly. Ifrit could see the tangled threads of thought behind those copper tinged eyes. 

“Hot.” The word practically dripped off his tongue, sighing out wisps of smoke as Ifrit tucked his hair behind his ear. He wanted to bottle it and save it. “Never felt this warm before,” his shoulders shook with a breathless laugh. “S'weird.” 

“Bad?” 

“Good, real good…Is it always like this?” 

“Oh firefly,” the pet name somehow makes Dew feel tighter around him and Ifrit was forced to admit defeat. He couldn't last like this. “You'll never feel cold again. Don't even need me to keep you warm anymore.” 

Something a little like panic, or even disappointment flickered in his eyes. “But - But you still will, right?” 

Ifrit pulled him down. Chest to chest where they could both feel the steady beating of their hearts falling in sync. The short lived tension in his body melts away. Evaporates like steam, unseen and forgotten immediately. He thinks Dew might have finally found a way to crawl under his skin and stay there with how he clung to him. 

“Always, droplet.”