Mushy May Day 13: "Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice"

I have Ghost tickets for Kansas City, so yeah, I'm actually quite happy.

Prompt #1134

"Are you happy?"

"Fuck. I actually think I am."

Poor little old man

Was Dew wearing a medical boot? Glad that you had a great show!!

Yes! On his left foot. He fractured his foot/ankle. It was hard to hear what papa said. And yes it was absolutely amazing.

Heya hun! So, one of my thoughts - bit angsty ish- But Dew fearing that even though he went from water to fire, they Clergy would want to switch him back to water if something happened to Rain. (Of course, it wouldn't happen - not with Copia to save the day.. But it always lingers in the back of Dew's mind. He hates that it does. He hates always fearing what Saltarian and Sister Imperator and the other high clergy members could do to him and his pack.

-🐊

Okay, so the timeline for this is kind of messy but I hope you like it. Some Raindrop hurt/comfort just for you. Dew gets stuck in his feelings but his pack is there to protect him always. RHRN spoilers kind of if you squint.

(Also first time writing smut in like 8 months lol)

WC 3007

Cw: Dew trying to use sex as a way to avoid his emotions, anxiety

Things That Change

The doors to the bus open and Dewdrop bursts through them, eyes roving the Abbey courtyard as Siblings and Abbey ghouls file through the various archways to meet the band. People surround the bus, but the noise of cheers and welcomes do nothing to drown out the buzzing in his mind. It’s been this way since the last show, since those last chords rang through the arena and the crowd erupted into screams.

He hasn’t done a good job of hiding it, he knows that the other ghouls have sensed his restlessness since they started their journey back home. He can’t help it; he’s tried to squish down that tightness in his chest, that sense of foreboding that’s settled in the back of his mind since Papa announced in Brisbane that that show was going to be his last. Papa is retiring. He's stepping down from the papacy. Change is coming. Even though Dew knows that Copia isn't Terzo, he knows that things are different now, his mind won't stop berating him. What happened before is going to happen again. Despite Dew’s best efforts, it’s continued to linger, refusing to be ignored. One by one the pack have all tried to ask him what’s going on, why his scent smells so weird. Each time he's just shrugged and said its nothing. He’s just anxious to get home. He can feel his heat coming, or something like that, he hates going through heat while on the road. Yeah, just his heat. That’s all. One by one they all acquiesce, leaving himself to his thoughts and his pacing. It’s just Dew being Dew. He’s intense sometimes, it’s just how he is, his fickle fire ghoul nature and all.

“Hey, you alright?” A voice behind Dew startles him, and he whirls around. Curly black hair and concerned blue eyes meet his amber ones as Rain emerges behind him, taking that last step from the bus stairs to the gravel below.

Dew huffs a breath and shakes his head, turning back to the crowd that’s encroaching on the bus. He reaches behind him, grabbing Rain’s hand and pulling him forward, “C’mon, want some alone time.”

“Hold on, we need to get–”

“We can get our stuff later! Just—please, need you.” Dew’s tail whips behind him and his scent flares that of campfire smoke as he looks back at Rain with exasperation in his eyes.

Rain nods, knowing better than to try and push when Dew gets this way.

Dew runs, dragging the water ghoul behind him, he makes his way up the stairs and through the grand entryway leaving the crowd behind. Doorways pass by in a blur as the two ghouls wind their way through the hallways. Dew isn’t even paying attention to where they are. He could find the Ghouls’ Wing in his sleep and right now his body is on autopilot, his brain just screaming go, go, go!

His door with the familiar elemental fire symbol carved into the frame finally comes into view around the corner. Dew grabs the handle, wrenches the door open and ushers Rain through, slamming it behind them. He whirls around, not even bothering to take in the familiarity of his room before grabbing Rain by the waist and crowding the water ghoul back against the door. He reaches up on his tiptoes, shoving his nose into Rain’s neck and inhaling deeply, letting the scent of storms and salt invade his senses. Lithe hands rest on his shoulders and he hears Rain gasp softly as Dew presses his hips into Rain’s and lets his hands travel from Rain’s waist to his chest, grabbing handfuls of fabric and fingering the buttons on his uniform vest. Dew growls low in his throat and presses his lips to Rain’s neck, feeling the water ghoul’s head fall back to thump against the door and his body respond to Dew's advances. He feels Rain’s tail wrapping tightly around his thigh and he moans when he feels the other shudder at the feeling of teeth and tongue teasing and playing with the gills on his graceful neck.

Long fingers weave their way through Dew's long golden hair and grip firmly, tipping his head back and away from the soft skin he is worrying a mark into. Rain looks down at him, eyes clouded and stormy, breaths coming in panting huffs. Dew surges up, capturing his ghoul’s lips in a kiss, urgency filling the space between them and Rain responds, their mouths open and tongues dancing.

“Want you,” Dew whispers against Rain’s lips, bringing his hips forward to grind against the taller ghoul, pressing him into the time-worn wood at his back.

“Uhuh,” Rain groans, quickly giving in and falling with the fire ghoul into Dew’s intensity as the scents of smoke and thunder over the sea mingle and fill the room in an intoxicating haze.

Their lips meet again, all tongues and teeth, licking into each other’s mouths and claiming one another. Rain captures Dew’s lower lip between his own, drawing it in and sucking on it gently, teasingly. Dew feels Rain’s cock filling out between them and he leans into the pressure, willing his own to respond in kind, to distract him from the thoughts that the promise of sex is fighting to keep at bay. Rain moans as he feels Dew’s cock begin to stir and press against his own and Dew shivers at the sound of his lover’s pleasure wrapping itself around his mind, drowning out the doubts,

“You feel so good,” Rain murmurs. He brings his hands down and Dew whines as claws grip the small globes of his ass, trying to draw him in impossibly closer, “What do you want, love?”

Dew’s mind swims, trying to stay in the moment. There’s pressure and pheromones, wandering hands and tongues, and it feels so good…

“Haven’t felt you like this since the night of that last show,” Rain brings his head down, inhaling deeply at Dew’s scent gland, now fully immersed in the moment.

Tonight will be my last show…

Dew screws his eyes shut, a whimper escaping his throat. No no no…he doesn’t want to think about this right now. Rain is here, there’s only Rain right now…

His scent sours and his hands falter, just for a moment. Dew chuffs and presses in closer, trying to shove the thoughts from his mind. His tail weaves its way between their bodies to graze against the bulge in Rain’s pants as he desperately prays to all the Lords below that the water ghoul didn’t notice his split second of hesitation. Unfortunately for him in this moment, Rain knows him and his soul better than anyone, and the pause is not missed. The hands on Dew's ass still, their touch becoming less possessive and more gentle.

“Hey, hey…what's up?” Rain peers down at him through the curls spilling across his face, cheeks flushed.

“Nothing, I'm fine,” Dew huffs and shakes his head, trying to press back into Rain’s chest but the water ghoul isn't having it.

He releases Dew's ass and raises his hands slowly, one resting on Dew's shoulder and the other cupping his cheek, “Love.”

“I said I'm fine, Rain. I just–I need you, please,” Dew rips Rain's hands away, trying to place them back on his ass.

But it's too late. The thoughts are there and they won't leave. Dew’s heart races and his breaths come in pants as memories of the past begin to swirl through his mind. A man in black and white face paint being dragged from the stage, a woman with sharp gray eyes and a severely tight bun, a reflection of another version of himself from another life bursting into flames.

“Love? Firefly, what's wrong?”

He hears Rain's voice trying to rise above the storm, concerned for his fire ghoul. Dew whines low in his throat and claps his hands over his ears pressed low against his head. His breathing comes in rapid gasps and he shakes his head again, golden hair falling into his watering eyes and covering his face. He hides behind it, shrinking away from Rain as he tries to reach towards the shaking fire ghoul before pushing him aside and ripping the door open.

“Dew, wait!”

He ignores Rain’s worried cries, stumbling through the doorway and sprinting down the hallway, disappearing around the corner and leaving only the acrid smell of char and gasoline in the air.

***

Mountain stands by his window, surveying the shelves of potted plants thriving happily in the sunlight filtering through the trees outside in the courtyard. Aether had done a good job of taking care of them while he had been away with the band on this last tour, and Mountain smiled at the memories of the weekly, sometimes daily, photos the quintessence ghoul had sent him over the last few months to prove that he was taking good, attentive care of his plant babies. He turns away from the windowsill, humming contentedly to himself as he pads back to his bed and the partially unpacked bags sitting among the various piles of clothing and personal items. Some of the ghouls often left their tour luggage sitting for days, or even weeks in Swiss’s and Cirrus’s cases, before they put it away, wanting to just sleep and decompress in private after spending so much time all crammed together. Mountain, however, detested messiness and disorder and preferred to unpack his luggage first thing, finding it easier to relax once everything was put away in its rightful place.

“Mountain? Can I come in please?”

His ear flicks towards the door as a quiet knock interrupts his flow of focus. He sighs, placing the shirt he was folding back onto the bed and padding towards the door. He twists the knob and opens the heavy oak door to reveal Rain standing in the hallway. To put it mildly, Rain looks like a mess. He’s sweaty, out of breath with his curls plastered to his forehead, shifting from one foot to the other and anxiously wringing his hands as he looks tearfully up at Mountain, sniffling quietly. Mountain blinks back down at him, more surprised than anything. Rain is graceful, composed, calculated. He’s never a mess.

“Hey Mount…can–can I come in?”

Mountain wraps an arm around Rain’s shoulders and brings him into his room, closing the door softly behind him, “Rainy, what’s the matter? Are you hurt?”

Rain trudges over to Mountain’s bed and plops down, a glum look on his face. Mountain kneels down in front of him, taking the water ghoul’s hands in his large paws and rubbing his thumbs soothingly over Rain’s knuckles. He waits, watching Rain’s face closely.

“It’s just…” Rain sighs, “It’s Dew.”

Mountain nods, waiting patiently for Rain to continue.

“You know how he’s been acting so weird since our last show? We were in his room, we were kissing. All of a sudden he just…freaked out. He ran away…I–I don’t know what I did wrong,” Rain sniffs, accepting the handkerchief Mountain pulled from his pocket and wiping his nose.

“I’ve been looking for him all over, and I can’t find him anywhere. He’s not in any of his usual spots.”

Mountain hums, squeezing Rain’s hand gently. He’s known Dew a long time, longer than any of the current touring ghouls. He and the fire ghoul have been through so much together. He’d watched Dew as the band progressed through this last tour, watched the small ghoul grow more antsy and anxious as the dates drew closer to that last Australian show. He’d known why Dew was behaving the way he was, but also knew better in the moment than to try and confront Dew on the issue. Mountain lets go of Rain’s hands to rise and seat himself next to the water ghoul on the bed.

“This isn’t because of anything you did or could have done, Rainbow. Dew has…really complicated feelings about being home. About Papa retiring.”

Rain peers at him through wet eyes, moving his hair out of his face to see Mountain better.

“This is about…Papa?”

Mountain nods, “Do you remember the stories me and Aeth told you, Swiss and the girls about the state of things here right before you were all summoned?”

Rain nods, sniffling again.

“We were all kind of…lost. Our previous Papa was dead, a bunch of our pack disappeared and never came back. Dew went through his…his ritual,” Mountain winced inwardly at the memories, “All of that started because Terzo was ‘retired’ by Sister and Saltarian at our final show of that tour we had been on.”

“But Copia isn’t dead. He retired of his own choice. If anything, he’s going to be around for a long time now that he’s Frater instead of Papa, and Sister is gone.” Rain says quietly, looking at his hands.

Mountain hums in agreement, “Yeah, but Dew has always held on to this fear that because he is the smallest, the weakest, of all of us, he is the most likely to be targeted for rituals such as the one that made him a fire ghoul. Rituals that in the past only happen during times of great change.”

Rain’s head snaps back up, “Dew isn’t weak!” he cries fiercely, tail snapping behind him.

“No, of course he’s not. But he sacrificed a lot before in order to help keep me and Aeth safe, and he’s terrified that failing those expectations that were placed on him after he changed will cause history to repeat itself. Except now it’s not just me and Aether. It’s Swiss and Phantom and the girls…and especially you.”

Mountain stands, pulling Rain up with him. He bends down and places a gentle kiss on the smaller ghoul’s forehead, “I think I know where he might be, go find him and talk to him about it. You can help him.”

***

Dew curls into himself on the mossy ground, drawing his knees against his chest and wrapping his tail around his arm as he hugs himself tightly. He’s so fucking stupid, freaking out in front of Rain like that. Nothing is gonna happen with the band being home. Everything is…fine. He groans in frustration, the doubt eclipsing his attempts at reasoning with himself. He can’t go through this again. If anything happened to any of his family, if anything happened to Rain…

He bangs his forehead softly against his knees. Stupid.

The sound of rustling leaves brings Dew’s head whipping up, nerves on high alert. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees Rain emerging from the tree branches draping the ground. That relief is quickly replaced by embarrassment and shame at the fact that he had run away from the most important ghoul of his life, that Rain is now seeing him like this. Small, vulnerable, weak.

Rain steps around the slippery, moss-covered stones on the ground, slowly approaching Dew. The cove where the fire ghoul has been hiding is just a small inlet of the Abbey lake protected and covered by a great Weeping Willow tree, acting as a curtain around the inlet and creating a quiet little cave of muted light and green foliage, the water gently lapping the lake’s edge from under the boundary of the tree’s graceful, drooping branches.

Dew scooches over to make room as Rain sinks to the ground next to him and crosses his long legs, leaning back on his hands. He waits for the water ghoul to speak, not trusting himself or his own voice at this particular moment. He places his forehead back to his knees and closes his eyes, listening to Rain’s slow intake of breath.

“You know, I’ve explored every inch of this lake, and I never knew that this was here,” Rain says musingly above Dew’s head.

“Yeah…I found this place…well…before.” Dew mutters into his knees.

Rain hums in acknowledgment, quietly taking in his surroundings.

Dew lifts his head, turning his face to the side to face Rain and resting his cheek on his kneecap, “M’sorry, Rainy…” he mumbles, miserably.

Rain scooches closer and lays his head gently on top of Dew’s. Dew breathes in the scent of petrichor and sea salt, his heart rate slowing with the comforting smell and the warm proximity of his ghoul.

“Oh, my love…it’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Dew sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. The two ghouls sit in silence, watching the willow branches over the water sway with the breeze blowing in from the lake. Rain breaks the silence first.

“I couldn’t find you after you left, so I tried asking Mountain for help. He told me about…about what you’ve been going through with the end of tour.”

Dew stays silent. He hears Rain sigh, pressing in closer.

“Dew…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I had no idea that this has been bothering you. Why didn’t you say anything?

“Didn’t…sniff…didn’t wanna worry anyone. I know s’not real…”

He feels Rain lift his head and shift away. His heart drops for a moment, but breathes a small sigh as Rain wraps an arm around his thin shoulders and draws him in close. His throat aches with unshed tears and he shakes his head, unable to offer any more words.

“Dew, we’re going to be okay. This isn’t like last time. Even though Copia isn’t our Papa anymore, he would never let anything happen to us.”

“You were placed in an impossible position before I came here, before I knew you. You are the strongest, bravest ghoul I know, having gone through what you did, so willingly and selflessly, no less. You are valid for feeling afraid, I know that the past can be so hard to escape sometimes.”

Rain lifts Dew’s head up with a hand under his chin and gives him a soft peck on the nose.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, or any of the others. We’re going to be together for a long, long time. We are safe, and so are you.”

Mushy May Day 16: Cooking A Special Recipe

Cumulus, Mountain, and Dew introduce Aeon to the joys of kahlua chocolate chip cookies.

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and thank you to @ghuleh-recs for making the divider! <3

"Hey, junie, look what we got while we were out shopping!"

Mountain and Aeon both look up from the round of Mario Kart they're playing, Aeon cursing under their breath as their Toad crashes into a wall, the 'wrong way' sign flashing over his head.

Dew's stuck his head into the living room from the kitchen, holding up a brown glass bottle with a red and yellow label, shaking it. The full bottle sloshes, and Mountain perks up. "Oh shit, you got kahlua. I know what that means."

"Fuck yeah, you do," Dew crows, eyes wide.

Aeon's brow furrows. "It's ten in the morning on a Thursday, are we starting to drink this early?"

Mountain reaches over, rubbing Aeon's shoulder. "No, petunia, it's not for drinking, at least, not right now. We're making cookies."

"Oh, fuck yeah, cookies," Aeon pauses their game, spamming the button with such urgency that Mountain cackles, standing from the couch. "Is Cue helping?"

"It's her recipe," Dew says, leading the two other ghouls to the kitchen. There are grocery bags on the kitchen counter, things the Abbey can't grow or make themselves. Semi sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch pudding mix, the thick glass bottle of rum and coffee liqueur that Dew sets down with a clink.

Cumulus looks up from where she's sorting things in the fridge, hair tied back. "Boys," she greets the three of them. "You helping make cookies?"

"Unless that means you have too many cooks in the kitchen,'' Mountain says, reaching to grab the big bag of all-purpose flour from the top shelf of the cupboard. "Though I don't think Aeon's ever had your cookies before."

"You're in for a treat then, bunny. If it's too many people," she says, "I'll just kick Dew out."

"Hey!" he protests, but there's laughter in his voice; he knows she's teasing.

Aeon glances over at her as she pulls out the carton of eggs. "Can you get the cup and spoon measures out of the drawer by the sink?" Cumulus asks, moving to preset the oven. Aeon nods, scrambling to comply and moving out of Dew's way as he grabs bowls and a rubber spatula.

Mountain fetches baking powder ("Not soda, right, hummingbird?" "Yep, soda makes them flatter than I want them." "Like Dewey's ass?" "I can hear you!") and salt. He takes the measures from Aeon and shows them how to level the measuring cups of flour, dumping them into a bowl with the pudding mix. Aeon adds the spoons of baking powder and salt.

Dew takes care of the wet ingredients, both types of sugar and softened butter and vanilla and a healthy pour of kahlua. Cumulus takes the bottle when he's done, slyly pouring half a shot for all four of them.

"Add a little bit at a time," Mountain directs Aeon, taking the wet bowl from Dew. "I'll stir."

Aeon nods, biting their tongue in concentration, trying not to spill the dry ingredients. Bit by bit, the dough starts to form, and Cumulus adds the chocolate chips, all four of them trying to be slick and snatch a few while the other three aren't looking. Inevitably they catch each other stealing chunks of dough, cackling at the absurdity of trying to be sneaky.

Once the dough's ready, Cumulus goes to one of the cabinet drawers, pulling out an ice cream scoop . "Mount, there's a baking sheet with parchment paper on the counter, could you grab that for me?"

"'Course," he hums, already turning to grab it for her. Cumulus scoops the dough onto the baking sheet, evenly arranging them in rows. Once the sheet's full, she slides it into the oven.

"Alright, ten minutes on the clock," she hums, turning to gather the shotglasses and passing them out. "Cheers."

They down their shots before rinsing out the glasses and cleaning up the dirty dishes. Mountain keeps an eye on the stove clock as the kitchen fills with the scent of baked goods. "How long do you think it'll take for Swiss to come throw himself on top of these?" Mountain asks.

"I don't think hiding them on top of the fridge will work this time," Cumulus hums. "I mean. It'll keep Aurora and Dew from getting them at least."

"Wait." Dew's brow furrows, a look of distress falling over his features. "Is that where they went last time? I thought they were all gone."

"Oh, Dewey," Cumulus coos, laughing. "Oh, Dew, I'm so sorry."

"Cue!" He shouts, playing up his upset.

Mountain ruffles his hair, and the fire ghoul sputters, frantically trying to fix his hair. "Don't worry, firefly, we get first dibs."

Dew smiles smugly, settling back against the counter until the stove clock says it's been ten minutes. He gets up, turning to Aeon, leveling them with a serious look. "Please don't ever do what I'm about to do, I'm a fire ghoul, I don't need a hotpad. You will burn yourself if you try."

He opens the oven, pulling the tray out with his bare hands and taking the spatula from Cumulus, moving the finished cookies from the tray to a plate. They're round little things, golden brown and the chocolate chips gooey.

Cumulus waves her hand casually, using her wind to cool the cookies til they're just on the right side of warm. "Aeon, you get first pick. Enjoy."

She grins as Aeon picks one, tentatively taking a bite. The others all watch, grinning as their eyes go wide, a nearly pornographic moan slipping from their lips. "Holy fuck, Cue," they say with their mouth still full.

"Yeah?" she laughs, taking her own cookie. Dew and Mountain are quick to snatch one for themselves.

"That's really fucking good," they say, taking another big bite of cookie.

"They are," Dew says, biting off nearly half of his cookie. His eyes flutter shut. "Fuck. Just as good as I remember."

Mountain makes a similar noise to Aeon as he chews. "Yep. Uh-huh. We need to find a spot to hide these so they last for longer than an afternoon."

There's thudding footsteps, and Swiss skids on socked feet into the doorframe. "I smell kahlua cookies," he pants, eyes wide and a little crazed, a grin splitting his face.

Cumulus shares a look with Mountain and Dew, and all four of them burst into laughter.

a rose by any other name

this dewther story for mushy may is brought to you by these ritual gifs:

prompt: flowers (from @forlorn-crows) rating: teen pairing: aether/dew word count: ~1500

read on AO3 or below

-----------------------------

It happened occasionally, once every few rituals. After the band finished performing, when Copia and the ghouls were walking around the stage to interact with the audience, a fan would toss a bouquet of roses up towards them. Then, as everyone linked up their arms across the stage to take their bows, Copia would go down the line and hand each of the ghouls a flower.

The first time that it happened, it took Dew by surprise. Unsure how to react, he took the rose from Copia and put the stem in between his teeth, because—well, that’s just what his brain decided on in the moment. It made the flower snap in half, so after the ghouls made their way off stage and back to the dressing rooms, Dew tossed it into the trash can.

“You destroyed your rose immediately?” Aether slipped in between the other ghouls to stand next to Dew, shaking his head. “This is why we can’t have nice things,” he teased.

“It’s not a big deal,” Dew muttered, somehow feeling like he was disappointing Aether.

“Well, you need to have one,” Aether said as if it was obvious. He handed his own rose to Dew, and then quickly walked off before he could protest.

Dew brought the flower up to his face and sniffed it cautiously. He didn’t really know what to expect, since no one had ever given him one before. It smelled…nice. Tilting his head, he tucked the interaction with Aether in the back of his mind, so that he could revisit it later. For no particular reason.

The next time that Copia received a bouquet, there weren’t enough roses to go around. All of the other ghouls got one, but by the time he reached Dew on the far end of the line, he ran out. Instead, Dew received a pat on the head and a kiss on the cheek from Copia—which was a pretty decent alternative, all things considered.

Once again, Aether noticed. “Here, take my rose,” he said after they got off stage, pushing it into Dew’s hands. “It’s even red this time!” he beamed, and looked at Dew expectantly.

Dew didn’t know why that was significant, but something about Aether’s excited expression told him not to ask about it. In his confusion, he didn’t remember to say thank you until Aether was walking away, so Dew ended up calling it out to his retreating back.

It kept happening after that. Even when Dew managed to hold on to his flowers after rituals, Aether gave his to Dew, without fail. He couldn’t figure it out—maybe Aether didn’t like them, so he wanted to get rid of them? At any rate, Dew began looking forward to receiving them. The attention was nice—especially when it came from Aether, a small part of Dew was willing to acknowledge.

Dew tried to save all of the roses, surreptitiously tossing them into his bag before leaving the venue. He didn’t know why kept trying, really, because the petals obviously ended up breaking off and getting crushed.

One afternoon, Dew was hiding at the back of the tour bus, cleaning up the mess of broken flowers. He jumped when he heard someone approaching, and shifted his body over to hide what he was doing.

It turned out to be Rain, and ever the perceptive ghoul, he saw anyway. “You want to preserve them?” he asked, looking at Dew curiously.

“No—well, yes,” Dew gave what he hoped was a casual shrug. “They look nice,” he added, in a halfhearted attempt to explain himself.

“If you press the flowers flat in between the pages of a book, it’ll work better,” Rain told him.

“Oh, okay. I might try that, I guess,” Dew said noncommittally. “Wait, how do you even know that?”

“Sometimes Swiss gives me flowers,” he explained, which made sense. He could be unexpectedly sweet like that, especially to Rain. “Anyways, come outside when you’re done. All of us are leaving soon to get food,” Rain said, and then turned to leave.

As soon as Dew was sure that Rain was gone, he rifled through his belongings until he found a tattered book that he had bought eons ago, under the misguided thought that he would get bored enough on tour to read it. (That wasn’t true, of course. Scrolling endlessly through social media was so much easier.)

Carefully, Dew picked out one of the still intact petals and slid it inside the book. When he checked back a couple of days later, it had worked, just as Rain said. So after that, Dew made sure to do the same to the other roses he got from Aether. From time to time, Dew cracked open the book to admire his collection. Which was a totally normal thing to do, he told himself.

Finally, things came to a head one night when the ghouls were out at a bar, a few blocks away from the hotel where they were staying. Their (perhaps ill-advised) plan was to get drunk and burn off the pent-up energy they had before the next night’s ritual.

Dew was staked out at a small table in the corner, brooding over a bottle of cheap beer. He was usually more social, living up to his reputation of being loud and boisterous. But tonight, he was preoccupied with watching what Aether was doing.

Every so often, Dew flicked his eyes toward the end of the bar, where Aether was shoulder to shoulder with the stranger next to him, deep in conversation. Dew found himself annoyed. Why was Aether making friends with random people, when he could be doing something better? Like talking with Dew, for example.

“Hey,” Rain suddenly appeared and sat down next to Dew, who gave him a dejected wave. “Why aren’t you over with the group? You’re missing out—we’re all making fun of Swiss for doing something dumb.”

“I’m just not feeling it tonight,” Dew shrugged, but Rain wasn’t having any of it. He tracked Dew’s gaze over to the bar and heaved a dramatic sigh.

“Stop moping around and staring at Aether. Just go up to him, if you want him that bad,” Rain rolled his eyes.

“I’m that obvious, huh,” Dew muttered into his drink.

“If you proposition him, he’ll say yes,” Rain said encouragingly.

“Gross, don’t say it like that,” Dew said, even as he perked up. “How can you be so sure?”

“Hey, I just said it in a way that you’d actually understand. Since Aether’s hints keep flying over your head,” Rain said. “Do you really not get why he gives you flowers?”

“I don’t know, because he doesn’t want them?” Dew guessed.

“No,” Rain said patiently, as if explaining something to a small child. “It’s because he wants you to have them.”

Oh.

Oh.

“I have to go,” Dew said, standing up abruptly. Rain just laughed and pushed him toward the bar.

Once Dew was up there, he squeezed into the tight space between Aether’s seat and the wall. “Hey Aeth,” he announced his presence.

“Hi—oh, it’s you,” Aether said when he turned around. His face lit up with a wide smile, one that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. It was so obvious, now. How had Dew not seen it before?

Now that Aether was looking at him, Dew wasn’t actually sure what to do—he hadn’t planned this far ahead.

“You should come talk to me, instead of wasting your time with them,” he said bluntly, motioning at the person on the other side of Aether. Maybe he should have tried to be nicer, but Aether should know by now that wasn’t exactly his strong suit.

Aether cocked his head. “And why should I do that?” he asked in an amused tone.

“Because you give me flowers,” Dew said, hearing how out of context the words sounded as soon as they came out of his mouth.

But Aether understood. “So, you finally figured out what I’ve been trying to tell you?” he asked, hopeful.

“Yeah. Well, Rain did,” Dew said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in his general direction. “I didn’t realize it meant that you…like me, or something,” he trailed off at the end, afraid of voicing it out loud.

“Gifting flowers is a customary way of demonstrating affection,” Aether pointed out, teasing. “It’s called romance—maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Dew blushed slightly. Affection?

“Sure, but that’s not really my style," he tried to play it off. “Usually I just…see that someone is interested and jump them.”

Aether hummed. “So why didn’t you do that this time?”

“I was nervous,” Dew admitted reluctantly. “I thought you might not want that.”

“Well, you’re wrong,” Aether said, and reached over to hold Dew’s hand tightly.

Dew grinned at that, and once he started, he couldn’t seem to stop. “Want to go back to the hotel? Then you can show me how wrong I am,” he said.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Aether laughed. He quickly stood up and started tugging Dew across the bar to leave. 

On their way out, Rain caught Dew’s eye and winked at him. Dew shot him the finger, still smiling, and followed Aether out the door.

Love me some murder ghouls

oh swiss and the ghoulettes definitely stalk the sisters of sin together that’s become canon in my mind after you reblogged that hunter’s moon video

Now THERE'S a fun idea.

Creepy, evil murder ghouls under the cut!

They choose her together.

She's a young thing, willowy and pale. She never sees them, but she can feel their presence. The pressure of eyes on her, making her heart race and her palms sweat.

The song is the worst part. Lilting words in a language she doesn't have a grasp of yet, too new to have it memorized. It follows her, she swears it. In the halls, on the grounds, even in her room at night. She doesn't sleep anymore. Not since her window started to rattle in the dark.

Still, she never sees them.

Never sees them sitting in the rafters of the chapel, watching her kneel and pray. They, of course, take full advantage of her obliviousness.

Swiss uses his shadows to obscure them all, and to snake down the wall. Uses them to lock the heavy wooden doors to the ornate chamber they're haunting, her one route of escape. If she heard the bolt slide, she doesn't show it.

Cumulus and Cirrus send phantom breezes to rustle her habits, sourceless wind that makes her jolt. Makes her look around with wide, baggy eyes. It's been weeks since she slept through the night.

Sunshine pulls the light from the room then, the warmth pouring through massive stained glass windows fading away. Aurora adds her own icy chill, an uncomfortable stillness settling into the air. The sister shivers, hugs her chest and heads for the door.

Swiss's shadows track her, melting into her retreating silhouette to. He can taste her fear through them, can her her racing heartbeat. Can feel her breath stutter when she pulls the door and finds it immovable.

"No," they hear her whisper, rattling the heavy iron handle, "no, no no -" She pounds the door with a closed fist, shouts for help. A fruitless effort, the ghouls know. No one will answer. No one ever does.

She tires quickly, so exhausted from weeks of torment. Of invisible eyes and shivery voices. Of little gifts left on her pillow at night - rat bones, a dead rose, photos of her in the library and the kitchens. Of the constant feeling of being watched and having no one understand. Having no one believe.

Once she sags against the door, once she looses one last whispered plea, the ghouls grin at one another in the dark.

One by one, they begin to sing.

Aurora is the one to start them off, her voice high and piercing. The first notes have their prey's shoulders going stiff. She spins in place, whipping her head around for the source of that unholy melody. Sunshine sings next, and the sister claps her hands over her ears.

"No," she says again, and oh does she sound fragile. "Please, please no -"

It's Cumulus's turn then, her rich words filling the gaps between Aurora and Sunshine. The sister slides down the door with a sob, shaking her head and tucking her knees to her chest. Rocking in place while she begs for the aural torment to stop.

If only she could be so lucky.

Cirrus rests a hand on Swiss's back, uses her power to amplify his voice, the sister flinches like she's been hit. It forces her eyes open, and just as their demonic chorus reaches its crescendo Swiss finally drops his shadowy veil. Reveals himself and his fellow hunters to their poor, vulnerable little lamb.

They descend together, floating down on an unearthly breeze, and as they reveal shining fangs and razor-sharp claws the sister can't even find it in herself to scream.

She's no more than a red stain and cracked bones once they've had their fill, bones that will be gifted to Mountain for use as fertilizer. No point in letting their leftovers go to waste.

"She was sweet," Cumulus coos, licking a stray streak of blood from her finger. "Too skinny though, I'm gonna have her in my teeth for days." She sucks at her fangs and Swiss huffs out a chuckle.

"I dunno, I kinda like the chew," he lilts, running lazy fingers through Aurora's platinum waves. Cumulus snorts.

"You're hardly a food critic," she teases. "I've seen the things you put in that mouth." Swiss responds with a lewd gesture, licking at the air through a vee of his fingers, and all it does is serve to prove the ghoulette's point.

Cumulus hums to herself as she collects the bones they've left, Swiss shifting his attention to where Sunshine and Cirrus are busy grooming each other. After a moment the little ghoulette in his lap chirps, and Swiss peers over her shoulder. He finds her turning a small bone form the sister's hand between two elegant fingers. He noses behind her ear, inhaling the scent of wintry air and fruity shampoo.

"You wanna pick the next one, Ro?"

The others glance over when he says it, Aurora herself tipping her head back to look up at the ghoul. He gives her tiny waist a squeeze, and the ghoulette smiles.

"Yeah," she trills, leaning up to nip at Swiss's throat. "I think I do."

"Aww, our baby girl is growing up so fast!" Sunshine feigns wiping a tear from her cheek. "All ready to hunt, I'm so proud!" Her words are so very playful, and with a giggle she dodges the bone Aurora chucks at her head.

Tomorrow, their game will begin anew.

Con Clavi Con Dio

Some sad kinda fucked Ifrit thoughts because I woke up and they came

Cw; Substance Abuse, Sex as a coping mechanism, and just kinda general sads.

Nothing graphic said but still putting those ^

Ifrit

Big, Strong, oh so stupid Ifrit.

That's what was thought of him. A muscle head who fucked hard, partied hard, and got fucked up without a care.

An easy fuck and go without connections, without having to stick around after sorta thing

That isn't who he was though.

This was all learned behavior because it's what got him the attention he craved, any sense of being useful, cared about even if it was only because his body was useful

He loved and hated every single second of every single hookup, high, and any other thing that got him out of his head

If he wasn't happy he wasn't useful, if he didn't stay the persona they all knew he wouldn't be liked, if she showed just how broken inside he truly was he'd lose everything and everyone he had, no matter how superficial he needed the attention

It didn't matter if it was a vicious cycle of regrets, and horrible sleepless night, bad highs and.. thoughts he shouldn't have. Couldn't have

It was all he had now

His pack was broken.

His pack hated him after he left.

He never bothered to try and reconnect, why would he.

Aether, Mountain, and Dew stayed with the band, Zephyr never spoke to him, Mist was long gone to be with the lake.

He couldn't bother any of them with this.

With him.

He left the pack, he left the band, that was his choice. He left the only people who cared about him and for what? To go and be whatever he was now?

Yes.

Even when he knew he could possibly rekindle something he didn't. Shoved those feelings down and shoved more substance down his throat.

He didn't deserve it.

Didn't deserve to have that happiness.

That comfort.

Ifrit used to be the most caring, lovable golden retriever there was.

Always following someone's trail, loving on them, and doing every favor he could

His pack loved him

He loved his pack

Now a days he's nothing more then an old dog owned by a family long since grown.

One that's waiting for the first excuse to be put down despite all the love it has left to give.

He thinks it's what he deserves.

A life of misery, and pain without comfort.

He watches his old pack in longing, the only happiness coming from seeing how happy and healthy they are

He'd do anything for them even now

He's so happy to see them thrive and love each other

Even if it also breaks his heart.

The Ghildo is trending on X. Why do I find this so funny?

Mushy May Day 15

Painting on each other

Pairing; Dewdrop/Aeon

Notes; Welcome to the halfway point! Aeon uses they/them pronouns. thanks as always to @forlorn-crows for the prompts list!

Aeon was always mesmerized by all the ghoul’s tattoos. From Rain’s tiny one’s to Dew’s extravagant pieces, they decided early on into their earth life that they needed to join the club. The nights they were wrapped around someone else’s limbs, they’d trace and map out the ink lines that ran down their partner’s arms and body, committing them to memory.

Their problem, as they’ve confided to Dewdrop on multiple occasions, was how they wanted their tattoos. Any meaning behind them was easy, it was the placement. Looks. They didn’t want to travel so far out of the abbey to a tattoo parlor just to regret the placement. So when Dew found an ad for them, he hatched an idea.

“Star?” Dew knocked on the door, hands behind his back. When he got a murmur of confirmation, he stepped into the room and met the eyes of a very sleepy ghoul, still waking up.

“What time is it?” Aeon slurred and squinted up at Dew.

“It is…” Dew peeked over at the clock and smiled, “it is one in the afternoon.”

Aeon sat up in bed with a disgruntled groan, stretching out their arms. They murmured a quiet curse at the time and stared him down.

“Did I miss something?” They ran their eyes down his figure and pouted, pointing towards him. “What are you hiding?”

“A gift.” He strutted over with a playful sway in his hips until he was standing right beside them. “For you.”

Their pout grew suspicious and tilted their head. “Why’d you do that?”

He shrugged with an easy smile. “Thought you’d like it. Could be a bonding thing for us.”

“Is it a sex thing?” They questioned.

He laughed and shook his head, bending down just slightly in the process. “No, bug, it’s not a sex thing. Here.”

He pulled his arms out from behind him and with a healthy pause in between, Aeon’s eyes lit up and they gasped dramatically, no longer sleepy. They made grabby hands for the product and Dew could never deny the quint anything.

“Holy shit!” They held the pack of tattoo markers with a grip that could rival Aether’s, turning the package around to further inspect. “These are awesome!”

“You know about them?” Dewdrop couldn’t stop smiling.

“Well, no,” Aeon faltered just slightly but began ripping into the cardboard with the same enthusiasm as before, “but I do now!”

Dew sat down right next to them and continued to watch as they kicked their blankets away to set their prize down. Once the pack was fully dumped out, they grabbed the black marker and paused.

“What’s up, buggy?” Dew tilted his head as they worried their lip between the teeth. Their gaze flickered between the marker, Dew’s arms, and Dew’s eyes. He could already see the question.

“Can I try them on your arm?” They asked, eyes wide.

Dew’s smile grew wider and he grabbed a marker of his own. “Only if I can draw on your leg.”

“Deal.” Aeon uncapped the marker and took Dew’s arm into their hands, a plan already brewed and steeped. Dew used his free hand and pushed their shorts out of his way as he began the same process.

They both left the room an hour later covered in half hearted doodles and ideas. Aeon showed Dewdrop a tentative sketch of what they wanted and with careful consideration and drawing, the two found a perfect spot for it. Dew was covered in swirls of black and blue, a rogue bat or rabbit or any other animal scattered across his skin. Aside from the, what Aeon called "the perfect tattoo," they were covered in geometric shapes, things that Dewdrop has been experimenting with in terms of design.

Seeing the smile on the young quint’s face as they examined the ink with Swiss, who awed and oo'ed at their markings, he knew they’d be doing this again soon.