#mountain x cowbell

[miasmaghoul]

do you have any thoughts about mountains first time? doesnt have to be a whole ass prompt fill lol but who gets big boy?

(anon I regret to inform you that you sent this while i was disastrously high so you get a Weird One - warnings for terato/monsterfucking, mentions of blood (nonsexual), inhuman anatomy, scent kink, agendered character referred to as "it", use of cunt/clit to describe its anatomy, and some lore at the end)

I still have to finish that fic about his first time bottoming, that's with Omega. But his first time in general?

Well, technically...

Mountain was more feral than most when he was summoned, took a long time to settle into his vessel. He cost a number of siblings their lives before the higher ups decided it was a better idea to let him loose in a warded-off section of the forest. Let him work out the more animalistic traits in an environment better suited to his elemental nature.

He wanders the trees completely unglamoured, with furry, back-bent hooved legs and patches of moss, lichen and bark coating his limbs and torso. His antlers, still budding, grow faster like this and the trees in his path bear fresh gouges as a result. He hunts everything he can, tearing in with claws and elongated jaws alike. The scruffy mane of hair he sports lies matted with days worth of blood, sweat and grime, and it's the fourth night before Mountain finds his appetite sated.

Well, one of his appetites at least.

This new hunger is similar, but very different. He knows lust, of course - no being in Hell wouldn't - but ghouls don't have corporeal forms Downstairs. They feel things, sure, but in the way you "feel" and intense thought, or a specific fantasy. Like this, though, anchored to a physical being he's still learning the ins and outs of, the pressure sitting heavy between his thighs feels foreign. Foreign, but also hot and urgent and fuck he needs.

Mountain paws at himself with rough, inexperienced hands until the sheath between his legs starts to swell. The ghoul watches as it grows, chest heaving when the flared head reveals itself. Already slick and throbbing, Mountain's stomach clenches when every inch is finally exposed and the length of it pulses.

It's then that a certain scent makes his nostrils flare, his eyes go wide, and something deep inside Mountain goes achingly tight. It's not the first time he's smelled it since he woke in the forest, naked and groggy, but it's the first time he's felt the urge to find its source. Now that he does, though?

He needs.

Mountain crashes through the trees on instinct alone, panting and drooling down his chin no matter how many times his hooves catch a root or a row of thorns tears at his flesh. The scent grows thicker the deeper he gets into the dense wood; it's something raw, something syrupy sweet yet intoxicatingly bitter. Like burning leaves on a hot autumn day, rich and earthen but undercut with a sharpness that could only mean desire.

The closer he gets, the more he recalls smelling it before. He remembers catching it when he was savoring the spoils of a hunt, one he'd spent melting into the trees to stalk a particularly jumpy buck. Remembers waking up once, in a small clearing he'd thoroughly marked, only to find a second scent joining his own. Not covering his, not a challenge - though Mountain took great pleasure in...reclaiming his territory anyway. More like an invitation, one Mountain had had no interest in following at the time. That wasn't what he had needed.

Now that he's close to drowning in that scent, though, his cock dripping as it wags between his thighs, Mountain has no idea how he's gone so long without it.

He crashes through the branches of an overgrown willow, blood pounding in his ears and groin in equal measure, and the shiver that wracks him is one shared with the source of this intoxicating scent.

It sits in a nest at the base of the willow, one tucked into its roots and flanked by flowering bushes. There are enough gaps in the tree's limbs to let patches of sunlight filter through, dappling the creature before him.

The one currently on all fours, presenting its flushed, swollen cunt and staring over its shoulder and directly into the center of his brain.

It must be another ghoul, something distant tells him. He only has flashes of the time before the forest, but he can faintly recall a pair of...humans, were they called? They shifted before his eyes, one into a being of black fur and unnatural smoke and the other into scales and fins. They spoke the language of the Pit, and that's the only reason Mountain remembers them.

This one, this creature, looks similar to him, he thinks. He only has a few interrupted reflections in brooks and streams to go by, but it's legs are like his. Back-bent, hooved, but the hair coating them is jet black instead of his own sun-stained auburn. Their torsos differ too - where Mountain could blend in with the bark of any tree, it is instead coated in a combination of thicker fur and sleek black feathers that rustle like the leaves above. No antlers atop it's head, but instead a pair of segmented horns that curl against its skull. It's smaller than he is, more angular, and the few facial features Mountain can see are just as sharp as the talons it has dug into the soft earth.

It makes a sound then, a rattling hiss of a thing, and Mountain growls in response. It's automatic, as is the way he drops to all fours for his final approach. It watches his every move, unnatural eyes wide and growing blacker by the second, and Mountain flinches when it tips it's head and a scratchy voice fills his skull.

New, it rasps in a familiar but broken dialect, forked tongue flicking between it's lips. Maybe a ghoul? It's speech is odd. You're new. New smell. Different.

Mountain watches it's cunt pulse, a thick trail of slick dripping from its hole straight down the fat nub of its clit. That shiny length flexes, and Mountain's cock responds in kind. He snarls as he crawls up to the creature, licking his jaws. That incredible scent, so thick he can taste it, would be enough to drive anyone mad.

Could feel you coming. Could...in the roots and stones...

Mountain barely registers the words floating through his head, but he really likes the way they fade into an audible sharp trill when he buries his nose into the source of his torment.

The taste of it is beyond compare, and Mountain can't help but drag his face through its copious slick while he wriggles his long, thick tongue inside. Desperate to coat himself in it, ears filled with the unearthly sounds of the creature offering itself to him on a silver platter. His hips work in useless, uncoordinated humps, cock jabbing at thin air as that tight hole clamps down around his tongue, and the overwhelming desire he feels to be inside the being before him hits him like a punch to the gut.

You....watching me...

Mountain manages the message as he moves to bracket that smaller figure. It nods, shudders when he settles against its back, snuffling at the crook of its neck. Using his snout to nudge its head, force it to expose its throat so he can feel it thrum under his tongue.

Watched...hunt. Watched me...kill...

It gives a chirrup, and Mountain feels its short, raised tail twitching against his stomach. His cock jumps, the broad head smacking against its clit, and Mountain's growl shakes the earth itself. Those same stupid humps take over, and Mountain stretches his jaws to wrap around the back of its neck to force it still. He uses the last of his brainpower to throw a final thought into its mind.

Why...bring me...to you?

Mountain sinks his fangs into its throat just enough to get a taste of what lives beneath its skin, and as his eyes roll back the creature moans.

Different, it whispers back, canting its hips when Mountain mindlessly tries to line himself up. So long...since something was different...

Mountain's grunting like a disobedient dog, every thrust bumping his cock against its thighs, its tail, it's mound. So focused on getting it inside without releasing the creature from the cage of his limbs that the frustration only builds, his snarls becoming more and more bestial until -

The body beneath him arches as best it can, and as Mountain's aching cock finally squeezes between swollen lips to pop inside there's no way to know which of them is louder.

Mountain doesn't remember much after that.

One day, though, he'll learn the story of the feral ghoul who haunts these woods. The product of a botched summoning, it was always destined to become a creature of instinct. Tied to the realm Above only because its summoner still lives, left to its own devices where it won't pose a threat.

One day Mountain will learn the story of what used to be Cowbell, and when he does nothing will keep him from going back to those woods.

[emeritus-fuckers]

Hewlloww could you do the “a kink for every Papa” just with the ghouls? So a “kink for every ghoul?”

Have an amazing day you sweet human being. The papas love you <4

Decided to combine these two asks to make it easier on us because there's like thirty ghouls and we'd die if we tried this separately. there's a lot of color because i'm autistic and i deserve to color the post, that's a whole 30 ghouls. - rat

A kink for every Ghoul

CW: CNC for Chain.

Fire Ghouls

Alpha (he/him)

Alpha may not seem like it, but the threat of a knife in bed turns him on. The Fire Ghoul will fight you a bit, but just give in once he feels the bite of the blade in his skin. If you don’t slice him up like swiss cheese he won’t be happy.

Ifrit (he/him)

Ifrit has beautiful tits. Seriously, he’s about to bust out of that uniform of his. Because of those large tits... he is extremely fond of getting on his knees and letting someone fuck them. He loves fucking a nice pair of tits, sure…but it hits different when he’s the one covered in cum.

Sodo (he/him)

Sodo is a big enthusiast of making you bleed. It doesn't matter if it's with his teeth or claws. Obsessively eating you out on your period is also fair game. Just about anything that has to do with blood.

Blaze (he/him; Papa Nihil's Ghoul)

His name didn't come from nowhere. Blaze is a big fan of weed. And other drugs. Of course his favorite kind of sex is high sex. But, if you've got any aphrodisiac on hand, he's not gonna be fussy about that. He'll take it like a good boy.

Water Ghouls

Chain (it/ghoul)

Just by looking at it, you can tell that Chain is the kind of ghoul that loves CNC. Ghoul loves being the victim of it, or doing it to someone else. It prefers doing it to someone, though... It loves chasing you through the woods. Smelling your fear and excitement. Shoves you down and uses you as much as ghoul pleases.

Lake (he/him)

Lake might not seem like it at first, but he's actually surprisingly fond of making you squirm in pain. Biting, scratching, some light choking or using toys that will hurt you so good... Yup, you guessed it. Lake is a sadist. And a proud one, at that.

River (they/them)

They’re a whore. Plain and simple. Plenty of dirty dreams in that head of theirs... though they love when those dreams are made worse by someone fucking them in their sleep. Consensually, of course... enthusiastic consent, really. They return the favor as well... watching their partner wake up screaming in pleasure is always fun.

Cowbell (they/it)

They love seeing you in a blindfold. And other forms of sensory depravation, of course, but its favorite is taking your sight. They love watching you tremble and jump whenever it does anything. They loves seeing you squirm from the softest touches. After all, when you can't see, everything else is so much stronger.

Mist (he/she)

Tentacles, plain and simple. Fucking Mist is straight up monsterfucking, since he has tentacles coming out of her cunt. Wanna be egged with those tentacles of hers? All you have to do is ask and he'll stuff you full. Sleeping with Mist is an experience in itself. A rollercoaster of an experience, actually.

Rain (she/he/ve)

She's a very soft person in bed. He can get mean, yes, but ver preference is soft and loving. So soft and so loving, actually, that he wants you to cry from it. There's something so pretty in your tears that she can't resist overstimulating you just a little bit to see those tears again. Rain is definitely a dacryphiliac, though ve'll never admit it.

Storm (they/he; Papa Nihil's Ghoul)

Storm is generally very calm. That is, until they're in pain. Then he turns into a whimpering mess, begging for more, like a whore. C'mon. You know you wanna hurt them a little, don't you? Treat this masochistic slut the way he needs to be treated.

Earth Ghouls

Cliff (they/he)

Cliff is a very relaxed, pleasant dude. You'd think he'd be a nice, soft partner in bed, too, but in reality... They love having you tied up. Or cuffed, preferably. Just for a little, so he can rail you stupid enough to not be able to move in general. And then they take care of you, like the loving boyfriend that he is.

Pebble (he/him)

He doesn't really get bothered by his height, especially since it makes bottoming easier and Pebble is an absolute bottom. A cute one. He loves it when his partner (especially if it's the love of his life!) takes care of him. Certified pillow prince.

Ivy (he/xe)

Xe is likely the biggest fan of edging in the world. It's almost a necessity at this point. If it's a cock ring or just shoving him down and sucking him off until xe's whimpering so beautifully. Over and over. And over. Until those pretty eyes are overflowing with tears and just can't anymore.

Mountain (he/him)

Oh, such a innocent little lamb, isn't he? He just loves to be coaxed and taken by someone oh, so dangerous... loves to be corrupted. To be ruined. In both ways. He is the biggest squirmer. Will not stop moving until he's just too fucked out and too filthy. Ruin him and make this little lamb dirty.

Quake (they/them; Papa Nihil's Ghoul)

Quake is a very goofy, cheerful and energetic person, who very often just can't stay in one place for too long. That is, of course, unless you're on their lap, keeping their cock inside you. Then they just melt completely and stay put until you decide it's over. They will beg for just a few more minutes, though.

Air Ghouls

Eurus (they/she)

We all know she likes to stare. We've seen them in Year Zero and the studio recordings. Eurus loves to watch and stare. So of course, if you want to fuck someone else (which she's never opposed to, of course!), they'll request to watch. Won't even blink. She wants to see everything you do. Might jerk off in her seat as they observe their pretty darling railing someone else... or getting railed, preferably.

Zephyr (they/he)

Zephyr is possessive. Not just a little. They claim it’s instinct. However, nothing gets them riled up more than seeing the marks he left on your skin from your passionate late night sex. Though they get even more insistent on marking if someone else left their marks behind. Just as a reminder who you really belong to... and those bruises and bitemarks look so good on his lover.

Cirrus (she/ze)

Ze's a big enthusiast of using both her dick and her cunt (as well as mouth and those really well trained fingers) just to make you completely stupid. No matter what genitals you have, she'll fuck you brainless. And then ze's gonna coo at you, fawning over how cute you are when you're such a blabbering mess like that, and all of it just for her! Cirrus absolutely adores having you overstimulated.

Cumulus (she/her)

We all (well me) love her chest. So it's a very pleasant surprise to find out that they lactate with just a smallest bit of stimulation. If you really wanna drive her crazy, have your fingers or a strap inside her as you suck on her tits. Bonus points if you team up with Cirrus and then take care of our dearest Cumulus.

Tornado (ze/zir; Papa Nihil's Ghoul)

We can't talk about Air Ghouls and not have at least one of them mess around with your breathing abilities, now can we? Fortunately for us, Tornado loves breath play. Sometimes it's just a light squeeze. Sometimes you almost think this maniac will actually suffocate you. Ze knows your limits, though, so it never gets out of control. The thrill is a very nice bonus to fucking zir, though.

Quintessence Ghouls

Omega (he/him)

Look at him. Look at this huge motherfucker. Pretty much anyone is tiny compared to him. And he loves that. He loves seeing your stomach bulge when you're full of him. He loves seeing how you struggle to take as much of him as you can. He loves how your face ends up stuffed in his chest as you straddle him because of his stupid huge cock. The size kink is strong with this one.

Delta (they/it)

Delta admittedly jokes about their missing limbs. One of said jokes was how easy it’d be to tie it up... the day it goes from joke to reality? Oh they’re on cloud nine. Turns out it was very into doing shibari on others before the limb loss... turning the tables on them? Well... it has a very pleasant night tied up all pretty with nowhere to go.

Aether (he/him)

Listen. I've always said he's got arms made for hugging, hands made for choking and a cock made for warming. I stand by that. His hands look and feel like they were meant for your throat. And you love it. It's best while he's got you in a reverse cowgirl position in front of a mirror, riding yourself stupid as he lightly squeezes your throat. But he's not picky. As long as you let him choke you a little.

Phantom (he/they/xey/it)

Spiritually, Phantom is a bit like a puppy when it comes to excitement. He gets really excited and it shows. They usually show it through playful nibbles. But... you wanna know what absolutely makes xem lose its mind? Praise. Phantom can die happily after being praised for how good he's doing for you. Praise them and it'll do absolutely everything for you. Xey can probably be praised into a happy, tearful orgasm like this.

Chaos (he/she/they/it; Papa Nihil's Ghoul)

If you've read the Papa Nihil's Ghouls post, you know she was dragged around on a leash a few times. The issue is, he actually loved that and now they demand to be kept on a leash... So yup, that evolved into a pet play kink. It will bark at you completely unprovoked for completely no reason and will continue being a menace until you handle it. So there's a pet play and brat taming combo here.

Multi Ghoul

Swiss (he/xey/it)

This bitch. Bully it. Swiss loves being bullied and degraded. It always makes both xeir cunt and cock drip with pre-cum. Keep him on his knees. Keep xem on a leash. Mock it for being so fucking eager to be pretty much verbally abused. You can probably get xem to cum untouched if you're mean enough.

Phil (he/him)

Phil is not a kinky guy, honestly. He's just... very vanilla. If you're with him long enough, you finally get to hear him mumble out the word mommy... And you absolutely fucking lose it with him. You don't let him live it down, obviously. He gets absolutely flustered every time you use his mommy kink against him.

Sunshine (she/her)

Sunshine's favorite thing about having a penis is having it buried inside their partner (she especially likes people with cunts since it shows really nicely), having them in her lap in a reverse cowgirl position and just... watching it all in the mirror in front of you both. Obligatory bites while she's at it, of course.

Aurora (she/they/fae)

While she doesn't mind being a pillow princess when bottoming, faer absolutely favorite thing is disinterest. She loves playing with your body and then scoffing and telling you to keep quiet. They absolutely love having you ride their thigh or rutting against it while she does other things. Fae just absolutely adores when you get whiney and start pleading for just a bit of her attention, even if you know they'll shame and degrade you for it.

~

Alpha, Ifrit, River, Zephyr and Delta written by Death.

Sodo, Blaze, Lake, Rain, Mist, Storm, Cliff, Pebble, Quake, Eurus, Cirrus, Cumulus, Tornado, Omega, Aether, Chaos, Phantom, Swiss, Sunshine, Phil and Aurora by Nosferatu.

Chain, Cowbell, Ivy and Mountain written by Zenith/Jasper.

Edited by Nosferatu.

Taglist: @charlie-is-a-menace @copias-fluffy-asscheeks @randodummy @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @calliedion-dungeon @randominstake @callmeicaro @thecuriouss @dio-niisio @the-fem1n1ne-urge @mybotanicaldemise @igodownjustlikeholymary @natoncesaid @bloodmoon-bites @plaquerat

[sneskerd]

Ghost relationship headcannons:

Siblings:

Cowbell/Felix & Special/Phil

Copia, Terzo, Secondo

Papa Nihil & Primo

Aether & Phantom/Aeon

Mist & Dewdrop

Ivy & Pebble

Chain & Lake

Dating:

Mist & Aurora

Swiss & Phantom/Aeon

Pebble, Ifrit & Zephyr/ChAir

Mountain & Rain

Mated/married:

Air & Earth

River & Lake

Chain & Cowbell/Felix

Ifrit & Zephyr/ChAir

Aether & Dewdrop

Sunshine, Cumulus & Cirrus

Omega & Terzo

Fuck buddies:

Alpha & Secondo

Alpha, Omega & Terzo

Special & Copia/Cici

Aro/Ace

AroAce - Delta & Ivy

Aro - Special/Phil

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

The way I cant explain it, but Cowbell and Mountain give me familial vibes? They are definitely related in some way.

They both strike me as the Ministry's very large, lanky, soft spoken ghouls. Yet they are the resident Eldrich horror forest creatures who bring their mate dead animals as presents.

I just have many thoughts and feelings about them

[sovaghoul]

@the-moon-in-the-gutter

fanfic writers who write for rare pair ships are treasures and I hope they all know about the impact they have on fandoms. like… they’re the ones bringing these ships to lives, they’re one of the few people who saw the potential between two characters whose dynamics, whether or not they interact in canon, were overlooked by most fans, and they created something beautiful out of these potential dynamics. like??? hello???? that is pure genius.

not to mention how they’re the lifelines for other people who enjoy these ships but didn’t have any fics to consume until these tireless writers spent hours or days or weeks or months or years writing about these characters and their relationships, and just shared the worlds they created with their audiences for free.

or how they singlehandedly introduced the ships to new people who would’ve otherwise never thought about these ships before.

how they could just make people fall in love with the dynamics between characters who have little to no canon screentime together.

how they could just make people fall in love with the dynamics between characters who aren’t lovers in canon, characters who don’t indicate any clear hint of romance in canon.

how they see what most fans don’t and how they create such beautiful worlds for these characters are simply insane.

fanfic writers who write for rare pair ships are treasures.

shoutout to every fanfic writer who writes for rare pair ships.

[pandasleepy07]

Cruel Irony // Part I

Pairing | Chain x Reader

⚠️ Warnings | f!reader, Y/N used, is fairly tame for now

Wordcount | 1.9 K

Chapter Summary: Called through the summoning portal, you're pulled topside, shoved into the ministry. A small comfort is your bother being there after years of not seeing him, but even that doesn't overshadow the unsettling feeling growing in the pit of your stomach. Something's not right up here... more unjustly than the pit itself.

A/N: This was inspired by some thoughts I had about Chain Ghoul and a Cowbell fic, Silent Hearts by @ourfatherwhoartinhell

This is the first part of a few. I made jot notes of where I want this to go so that I don't loose track of it but I hope you enjoy!

Fate was cruel. And crueller to the devil's bodyguard. A summoning was tugging him towards the surface, not that he could go anywhere. He was chained in the catacombs, courtesy of Mountain. That was a whole story on its own.

Up in the summoning room, a shock ripples through the ghouls, light flashing as a new ghoul is summoned. Everyone blinks, readjusting to the light in the room when everything returns to normal and Mountain rushes forward, tackling the newly summoned ghoul, you into a hug.

You squeak, and try to shove the huge guy off of you still disoriented, confused and not quite recognizing your brother. The scent that surrounds you seems familiar but your head is pounding and unease racks through your bones. “Can’t breathe,” you gasp out.

Mountain doesn’t budge though, not until Copia has the other ghouls dragging him off you. The papa scolding him for the reckless move. “Get off of her Mountain, you’re scaring the poor ghoul.”

“But that’s Y/N!” Mountain huffs.

Dewdrop snorts at the pout the large earth ghoul sports and lightly flicks it. He’s only lightly pushed off in retaliation. 

“Wait you know her?” Swiss asks, paying more attention to Mountain’s words than Dewdrop. 

“She’s my sister,” Mountain grins, moving to help you up. With a hand on your shoulder, he carefully pulls a shirt over your head, with a grin. It’s far too big for you but at least you’re covered now. He stands next to you once you’re standing steadily, and waves back and forth between the two of you. “Can’t you see it?”

You fidget and shuffle on your feet as the ghouls and Copia eye you both critically. 

Sunshine moves forward shaking her head at Mountain. “Give her time to adjust before you put the eyes on the whole world on her, Mount.” She offers you a small smile. “Hi, I’m Sunshine. I bet that shirt’s not cutting it, right?”

You glance down and then shake your head, slowly gathering your bearings. “Not really.”

“Come on then. I’ll show you around, and we’ll find you something proper to wear before your brother goes tackling you again.”

You laugh softly as Mountain groans in protest behind you and allow yourself to be led out of the summoning room, glancing over your shoulder at your older brother. It’s been a while since you last saw him. It felt strange to see him again, not that you weren’t relieved he was okay. You were. It was just… odd. Yet here he was acting like no time had passed like he didn’t abandon you, like he hadn’t just disappeared. 

Mountain goes to follow you but Copia stops him. “Mountain, a word please?”

With a frustrated sigh, Mountain glances at you.

“She’ll be fine,” Sunshine responds, waving Mountain off. “We’ll have a quiet girls night so she’s not too overwhelmed.”

He studies you for a moment before nodding and turning back to Copia.

You let Sunshine lead you upstairs and get a set of clean clothes that fit. Cumulus joins the two of you and measures you, explaining that they need your measurements to make you a uniform. The two of them fall into playful banter and the clear ease between them settles the pit that had been growing in your stomach. They rope you into the conversation, cracking jokes and explaining certain things when your gaze lingers on them for a second longer. Soon a third ghoulette joins, bringing food up from the kitchen and introducing herself as Cirrus with a small smile.

Downstairs Copia paces the length of the summoning room. “How can this be? You’re an earth ghoul. I have an earth ghoul. There’s only one drum set. We don’t need another drummer… I don’t want to send her back but…”

Mountain sighed, placing a gentle hand on the papa to still him. “Copia. She’s a multi.”

Those words startle Copia to a stop. “A multi?”

“Yes. Like Swiss. While she’s predominantly earth, she has water and air. A multi.”

“But you aren’t.”

Mountain sighs, raking a hand through his hair. “My father died when I was a child. Our mother had… consorts coming and going. Y/N is a product of one or two of those… interactions.”

Copia nods slowly and then waves him off, a frown still lingering on his face, one that only deepens at Mountains’ choice of words. 

Down in the catacombs, Chain feels an unfamiliar feeling settle over him, and a small tug trying to pull him straight up through the floors. He frowns at the feeling, and pushes it down, ignoring it. He’s been down here for years, he had no reason to hope or contemplate the emotion. A frustrated growl slips from his lips when he can’t push the feeling away and lock it up in the back of his mind. No matter how much he tries, it stays present lingering always. 

~ ~ ~

A few weeks pass and you settle into a routine, getting used to the pack and the adjustment of your powers topside, which has been messy, to say the least. Rain’s been subject to a mud storm, that has you apologizing endlessly, Cumulus was subject to a slight storm and Mountain’s been blown off more than once. It’s not your fault that your powers are wonky topside. They were hard to work with in the pit, but with the weirdness that topside is, they’ve only gotten more complicated. 

Mountain slowly lets you wander off and do your own thing, returning your freedom. He’s been hovering constantly, even when Rain is trying to help you with your water powers, or the ghoulettes are assisting you with your air element. You’ve surprised him a few times by knocking him off his feet with your air, using more power than he thought you could muster, and slowly took the hint. Back off. Things have been tense between you, and you’ve buried your feelings towards him, unable to forget the hurt you felt when he left, but unable to express it. He seems so happy topside. He fits here. But you can’t feel the same way. You don’t feel the same way. You feel like an outsider, watching your brother treat his packmates like siblings, while he treats you like a fragile toddler who doesn’t know what she’s doing. 

One night when you can’t sleep, a soft song playing on repeat in your head. One you’ve never heard before, not until tonight. With the melody driving you mad, you stand up, heading out of your room. You needed something, anything to stop the never-ending lyrics. Spooky scary skeletons // Send shivers down your spine // Shrieking skulls will shock your soul // Seal your doom tonight

You wander out of your room, moving without a destination in mind. As you walk downstairs the song gets louder and you feel a tug leading you somewhere and you are too tired to fight it. Soon you are downstairs, stopping in front of the brick wall by the fireplace in the common room. 

Confused you reach a hand out, fingers sliding over the bricks. One seems looser than the others, so you press on it. It sinks into the wall. The wall, in turn, shifts, pulling out and sliding off to the side with a rumble. You stumble back in surprise as candles flick to life one by one, lighting up the dark stone passageway that leads down below the Abbey. A soft whistle of wind makes its way down, causing the flames to flicker. Your stomach churns with unease. No one had told you about this. No one had warned you that there was a creepy passage.

Spooky, scary skeletons // Speak with such a screech // You'll shake and shudder in surprise // When you hear these zombies shriek

“Comforting,” you mutter. The lyrics wouldn’t be so unnerving if you could hear the instruments accompanying the song. Instead, it was a gravely timber that carried the words up the stairwell.

As creepy, unnerving, haunting, however, you want to explain it, the voice was, you couldn’t deny the tug that seemed to pull you down the stairs or your curiosity on the matter. Curiosity killed the cat. Alarm bells rang in your head. But satisfaction brought it back. Right?

The song stopped for a moment. And a word rang in your mind. Not in your voice but agreeing with you all the same. Right. 

Shivers run down your spine as the song continues to float up the stairs and you slowly take a step, descending down the stairs. We're sorry, skeletons, you're so misunderstood // You only want to socialize 

The farther down you went, the more the moisture clung to the air. Your fingers brush against the wet stone wall. Shadows flicker against the walls and your steps, although silent, echo around you. 

'Cause spooky, scary skeletons // Shout startling, shrilly screams // They'll sneak from their sarcophagus // And just won't leave you be

The song is louder as you reach the bottom of the stairs, and you can hear the soft clinking of metal accompanying it along with a quiet harmony of instruments. The notes bounce off the walls along with the sounds of your footsteps as you start down the hallway. 

The hall is dim, the candles lighting the space get farther and farther apart with each step, and you have to squint to see properly. You pass a room that looks like it's used for storage, with books and boxes stacked high, spiderwebs and dust everywhere. No one had been down here in a while, that much was clear.

Spirits supernatural are shy, what's all the fuss? // But bags of bones seem so unsafe

…well at least no one from the ministry had been down here in a while. Someone clearly was down here. You continue down the hall, passing what looked like to be cells, some with bones littered inside, others completely empty. Some had their doors open, others were kept shut.

Spooky, scary skeletons // Are silly all the same // They'll smile and scrabble slowly by // And drive you so insane

You pause near the end of the hall where it branches off in two different directions. Tilting your head you listen to the subtle clinking of something metallic and the rough timber voice that floats through the air reaching your ears. It’s louder now and feels like a warm blanket in the cold dampness of the catacombs. A drop of water plops onto your head from above and you jump.

Sticks and stones will break your bones // They seldom let you snooze // Spooky, scary skeletons // Will wake you with a boo!

You reach up, wiping the water from your head, and continue down, listening to the music and letting it guide you. You pass more cells and a panic rises up when you realize that the song is over. Whoever it was stopped singing. You quicken your pace, your head snapping from side to side, checking each cell you pass for any sign of it. Even the metal clinking has gone silent. 

“What is it that brings you to me?” The voice speaks, and you freeze, spinning around and peering into the darkness that rivals that of the pit. That metallic sound you heard earlier happens again, and the faint light from the candles glints off of something. Chains. 

[Next]

[ramblingoak]

A Sweater For His Siren

~ Tales From Lucifer's Hollow ~

Mountain x Rain ~ Just another lil snippet from my upcoming story A Petal For Your Thoughts. The fic is part of an au series that takes place in the small town of Lucifer's Hollow.

Previous snippets: here, here, here and here

Warnings: lots and lots of fluff, sfw, enjoy!

As Rain soon finds out, Mountain knits most of his sweaters as well as the blankets he has around his house.

It was something he learned as a kit, bored during the winter with not much to do. His mother had taken him to the local craft store and while wandering around he became infatuated with all the varieties and colors of yarn available. The owner, a woman everyone in Lucifer's Hollow called 'Grandma Goore', had noticed his interest and offered to teach him. From then on he spent many of his afternoons after school diligently creating anything and everything Grandma Goore taught him.

After Rain had swiped a few of his sweaters Mountain decided it would be best to stock up on yarn and make some new ones. Maybe a few specifically for his water ghoul in the hopes that his own would stay safely in his dresser. So with Rain's hand firmly in his they made the trek down Main Street. Passed Omega's vet clinic, Paws and Claws, and Cowbell's record store, Second Pressing. It was tempting to stop in Sweets and Treats, Phantom's bakery, but when Mountain glanced inside he saw Swiss leaning against the counter and he decided it was best not to interrupt the 'master at work'.

Swiss's words, not his.

When they reached their destination Mountain paused, tugging Rain close against his side while he stared up at the store's sign. Grandma Goore had sadly passed away a few years prior but the store was still there, now run by her grandson, Mary. Not much had changed besides the name. The same items were in stock although now there was a dedicated section year round to Halloween. Mary even continued the classes his grandma always taught, having been taught by her just like Mountain was.

"GraveYarns?" Rain's voice shook him out of his thoughts. When Mountain turned to look at him Rain had one delicate dark blue eyebrow quirked up. "Kind of an odd name for a craft store."

"It'll make sense when you meet the owner." Mountain squeezed his hand and led him towards the door. "Come on little siren, let's get you some yarn."

Other snippets from Tales From Lucifer's Hollow: Mr. November (copia x aether) snippets so far: here and here Sweets and Treats (swiss x phantom/aeon) snippets so far: here and here

I've decided not to use my tag list for these lil snippets but if you'd like to be added to the one I'll use for this series or any of my other fics pls leave a comment! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

[one-boring-person]

Requests are back!

My current obsession is Ghost and so I've decided to write a few fics over the course of the next few weeks, to help get me back into the swing of things writing-wise. I'm clearing out my inbox so I can have a fresh start and all those who want to are welcome to request!

HOWEVER there are rules for these requests 😅

Rules:

You may only request a character from the below list (at the moment, this is only Ghost-related characters).

You must pick a prompt from the list below, but you may add any details that you want included. You may also pick more than one prompt per request.

NSFW is allowed, but please do specify that you want it or not.

You may request character x character (x character) or character x reader (x character), or just the character by themself. (Basically, you're allowed more than one or two characters if you want😅)

Characters:

Dewdrop/Sodo

Swiss

Rain

Mountain

Phantom

Cirrus

Cumulus

Aurora

Ifrit

Cowbell

Terzo

Copia (Cardinal or Papa)

Prompts:

I'm using both Christmas and Winter related prompts to get a bit festive, but those who don't celebrate Christmas are welcome to request just using winter related prompts and I'll omit the Christmas theme☺️

Christmas:

Strings of fairy lights

Baking gingerbread people

Building a gingerbread house

Putting up decorations

Advent calendars

Christmas jumpers

Mistletoe

Christmas Dinner

Mulled wine

Christmas cards

Krampus

Gifts

Christmas movies

Christmas lights

Christmas markets

Santa

Secret Santa

Christmas songs

Candy canes

Christmas party

Winter: (These should be listed 21-37)

Snow storm

Ice skating

Sledding

Snowy walks

Warming in front of a fire

Building snowpeople

Snowball fights

Borrowing gloves/coats/hats

Snow angels

First time seeing snow

Sleigh rides

Hot chocolates

Cars getting stuck in the snow

Slipping on ice

Stealing hoodies

Log cabins

Frozen lakes

(You can, of course, use prompts from both lists combined 😅)

[sovaghoul]

Sova Elyzabeth Quintesse

Lvl 43, she/her, mom of 2 humans and 2 cats. Transplant from the Midwest to the Rockies. New Fool™️.

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

@sluagh-ghoul 's spooky girl 💀🥀 He's my own Gomez Addams🌙✨️

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

⚠️ Often there is NSFW content here. Minors please DNI 🔞

TERFS, SWERFS, AND RADFEMS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

⚧️ If you're Queer and your family is shit, I'm your mom now ⚧️

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

The band Ghost is my personality, religion, gender, sexuality, special interest, hyperfixation, and the Secret Third Autistic Thing:

In a 🎶Ghost🎶town in despair

💀Terzhoe & Ghoul Lover.

Fave Ghouls in no particular order: 🔥Dew, 💧Rain, ✨️Aether, 🪦Ifrit, 🦇Phantom, ♎Omega, 💨Zephyr, 🐐Pebble, 🌿Ivy, 🧿Delta, ⛓️Chain, and 🔔Cowbell.

Sentry Ghoul OCs shared with @the-moon-in-the-gutter :

Tellus - Earth/Air/Quint Multi, ritual representative of Earth/North

Psyche - Air/Quint/Earth Multi, ritual representative of Air/East

Venus - Quint/Air/Earth Multi, ritual representative of Fire/South

Pyxis - Quint/Earth/Air Multi, ritual representative of Water/West

⛧ Masterpost of my other OCs ⛧

Fave ships/ships I write/brainrot: Omega3/Terzomega, Zephrit, Rainfrit, Raindrop, Raither, Aethraindrop (The Unholy Trinity), Swisstom, Soilmates (Mountain x Pebble), Claymates (Chain x Ivy), Double-D (Delta x Brother Damien OC), Airhorn (Air x Cowbell), Mist x Psyche (Mindstorm), Sunshine x Venus (Morning Glory), and Stardust (Aether x Tellus).

If you're in search of my Elemental or Primordial Ghoul hcs (aka The Coven Ghost), look no further.

Eldritch Era 0 Ghouls ⛧ Ghoul Flowers

Ghost logo Pride graphics ⛧ Transparent

Self-ship blog: @sovas-ghouls. See that pinned post for info/warnings.

I also reblog unmasked ghoul content. They will be tagged either "unmasked ghoul," "unmasked ghouls," or "unmasked ghoul mention" if there are no images but just their names in text.

Other basic facts:

-Self dx'd with The 'Tism ♾️🌈🔴

-I'm a Theistic Pagan Witch, predominantly Wiccan, but also Sorgae ☽⛤☾ ♏️☀️♈️🌔♒️↑ Spirituality sideblog -> @sova-witch Info blog -> @essence-of-wicca

-Love all things Autumn, Spooky, Dark Cottagecore, Gothic Steampunk 🍂🍁🍄🎃

-Gender: Afab Fiaspec Salmacian Deogender

💜🤍🩷 💙🩵💜💛💚 💜🩷🩵🩷💜

-Sexuality: ABCD Omnisexual

🩷❤️🖤💜💙

-Politically/socially Liberal af

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🤎✊️💚♀️🖐🩸🌻🍉

[the-coconut-asado]

THE SPIRIT OF SWISSMASS

My daughter likes her Christmases to be cold-climate Christmassey. Which is unfortunate as most of our festive seasons in recent years have been spent near the equator. 

Between my family in Buenos Aires and Adam’s in Fiji the spruces always have to be plastic and the fans on full blast. One memorable Christmas Day in BA we ate our cold cuts buffet-style standing in my cousin’s swimming pool to counter the 38C heatwave; and on one Christmas Evening in Suva we dived into Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a packed Damodar Centre, motivated not by MIllenium Falcons but the cinema’s industrial-strength aircon.

However, every few years we swap our snorkels for snow boots and head for Switzerland. My cousin Dorothy, in a singular diaspora phenomenon, is one of several Latina women who have married Swiss men and live in or around St Gallen, about an hour east of Zurich. 

It’s fair to say that Doro has sought out every other living Argentine, Guatemalan and Spanish national within a 10 mile radius and made friends with them. And what about Swiss friends? A cultural aversion to spontaneity makes that difficult (though not impossible). Doro has been known to scare the bejeezus out of other mums that she has tried to drop in on when in their neighbourhood. Pretty common practice in BA but the Swiss, it seems, like to keep things formal.

St Gallen is  a chocolate-box-meets-cheese-board town nestling in the mountains; Heidiville complete with the sound of distant cowbells and a speculaas-heady aroma billowing from the Christmas market. The cobble-stoned Cathedral square hosts what I would wager is a bigger festive tree than the one outside 30 Rock in New York, and on Christmas Eve the whole town gathers around it for the serious - and it is serious -  business for carol singing. You can’t get more Christmassey than this.

Actually, to say Doro married a Swiss guy is only half true. Alejandro’s other half belongs squarely in Barcelona, so there is a proper cultural mix around their table on Christmas Eve: Alejandro’s twin sister Patricia from Barcelona, his brother Nico (feet squarely rooted in St Gallen, who talks of a trip to London as a Tripitaka-like quest he will one day complete) and Nico’s girlfriend Jenny whose father Ruedi owns and runs the Kobelt Brewery in neighbouring Appenzel with his San Franciscan wife Karen. As you can imagine, the cuisine is deliciously eclectic and the noise volume at a pitch only dogs can hear without screaming. 

And the board games, well, they just get plain nasty. 

If Doro loses a few rounds of Texas Dominoes her middle finger stays up for the night. And after losing an intense round of fussball with Ruedi on Christmas Day at the Brewery, Patricia was heard to mutter ‘tosser’ as she left the table (followed by ‘fack you’, which my 12 year old niece earnestly corrected to ‘fuck you’). Screeches of laughter and explosive cussing from breakfast bucks fizz to evensong and pretzels. 

But back to the safer territory of the food, and let’s start with the two things Switzerland has built its reputation on: cheese and chocolate. Just as well as outside of cheese and chocolate - and maybe some meat products - the Swiss don’t do variety. St Gallen supermarkets have isles of few things in many varieties, but like the song says, if a thing’s worth doing it’s worth doing well. Doro occasionally cheats the system by making dashes across the border to Austria to buy Argentine beef. But cheese and chocolate are always no more than an arm’s reach away. 

Although Appenzeller cheese was my top pick for many years, it’s now been overtaken by Tete de Moine (Monks Head). This is a creamier version of comte, and the paper-thin slicing with a special turntable gadget (which echoes the tonsured head of a medieval monk) is all part of the ritual of eating it. Paired with thin-ish slivers of chorizo, it makes for seductive pre-dinner ‘picos’. Add it to a cheese and potato pie (a perfect accompaniment to a Christmas rib roast if your oven, like Lara’s university one, is too small to roast potatoes at the same time) and you have an unforgettable melting pot of cheesy flavour. 

If you want to really stoke your migraine, then chocolate must follow cheese. There is a chocolate cafe near to that Hagrid-height Christmas Tree I mentioned earlier which does the most heady chocolate hazelnut drinks this side of Hansel & Gretel. And if you haven’t had enough of a fix after that then you can buy cellophane wrapped chocolate shards with nuts, or freeze dried fruit, or chilli...the list is endless. Chocolate sprinkles it’s fairy dust throughout the holiday - from Doro’s Nigella-inspired Chocolate Christmas Cake to the iced, spiced biscuits tempting you from every strategically placed bowl in the house. 

But at our most recent Swissmas, Doro decided to go off-piste and back to her Argentine roots. Dona Julia (who I have mentioned in previous blogs as the Julia Childs of Argentine cooks) has many little gems hidden in the 1950’s austerity of her work. One of them, a light mousse-like confection of cream, Aperol and grapefruit, made its Doro-debut as our Christmas eve dessert. Chilled and on-point boozy, it was the perfect end to the necessarily rich main course. 

So just in time for Christmas, wherever you are, here are three dishes that will give you an Argentine flavour of the Alps: That delectable carb-on-carb cheese and potato pie (a raclette pasty by any other name); a molten ginger-chocolate torte that will make you instinctively pull your furry collar around your ears and nestle in front of the telly; and Doro’s Aperol spritz in a dish, to give you a lighter alternative to figgy pudding. 

All worth dashing through the snow for. 

Cheese and Potato Pie (with or without Tete de Moine)

The Lancashire cheese gives this cozy pie it’s bite, but if you have some  Tete de Moine this will mellow the flavour into a pure cheese dream. If you have any leftovers, mix them into an omelette the next day. Makes a yummy packed lunch.Serves 4

Ingredients

3 large onions

50g salted butter

400g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

50g salted butter

200g lancashire cheese, grated

50g Tete de Moine, sorn (or use 50g grated mature cheddar) grated

100ml double cream

2 x pkts ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (or make using your own recipe)

How to Make

Chop the onions finely and add to a frying pan with the butter and 20ml water. 

Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, then remove the lid, and continue to simmer for about another 20-25 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat, season and cool.

Boil some well salted water (consult Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat if you are feeling faint- hearted), drop in the potatoes and boil for around 5 minutes until cooked but still holding their shape. Drain and leave to cool while you bring your pastry to room temperature. 

Unwrap the first ready rolled pastry sheet and use to line a 20cm pie dish, letting the pastry overhang, then pop it in the freezer. 

Heat the oven to 170C/ Gas 5. 

Gently mix the onions and potatoes in a large bowl together with the grated cheeses and cream (you don’t want the potatoes to break up). Then remove the pie dish from the freezer and empty the filling into it. 

Roll out the second pastry sheet, cut a circle large enough to cover the top of the pie, then do just that: cover the top of the pie, trimming the edges, then crimping them between your thumb and forefinger until you have sealed it. 

Whisk up an egg, then paint it all over the top of the pie. Use any trimmings to cut out leaf shapes, then pop them atop the pie and paint  them with the egg wash  too. 

Bake the pie for around 40 minutes until the top is golden. Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve. 

Ginger and Chocolate Torte

One weekend in New York, I turned up at my friend Lisa’s door with ingredients for this chocolate torte, which I made with her son Jasper before we settled down to watch the Oscars. It’s like a big molten chocolate cup, the centre oozing, the edges moist and cakey. I have since added ginger syrup and crystallised ginger to the mix which give it some seasonal bite. A perfect Chocolate dish for Christmas Day. Serves 6.

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

200g unsalted butter

300g golden caster sugar

6 eggs

100g plain flour

2tbsp. Ginger syrup from a jar of candied ginger

2 pieces candied ginger, chopped up small

To decorate:

Chopped crystallised ginger

50g dark chocolate

How to make

Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas 4). Line a 23cm loose bottomed tart pan with buttered parchment paper. 

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl or small saucepan over a saucepan with some gently simmering water. Stir so it is smooth and silky. Cool slightly then add the ginger syrup. 

Beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate/ butter/ ginger syrup mix with the chopped candied ginger and fold into the egg and sugar mixture. Then fold in the flour. 

Pour the mix into the lined tart tin and bake or 20-25 minutes until the top forms a crisp crust and the inside is the consistency of a chocolate mousse. Leave to cool. 

To decorate, chop the crystallised ginger pieces into small shards and decorate the tart. Melt the remaining chocolate, then pour into a piping bag (or improvise by making a piece of baking parchment into a cone, then snip the end off). Drizzle the chocolate over the surface of the cooled torte. Serve at room temperature or cold. 

Aperol Grapefruit Cups

This manages to be refreshing, decadent and Christmassey all in one. Serves 6. 

Ingredients

5 pink grapefruit

100ml Aperol

100 ml double cream

100ml whipping cream (this gives a lighter finish)

100g caster sugar

Mint leaves to decorate. 

How to make

Squeeze the juice from three of the pink grapefruits (you want 400ml), then add the Aperol. 

Pour the mixture into a shallow rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 3 hours. 

Using an electric whisk, whip both creams with the sugar and chill. Peel the skin off the two remaining grapefruit and cut them into segments (cutting between membranes so you are not left with any tough fibres). 

And now it’s an assembly job: to make the granita, use a fork to break up the grapefruit-Aperol water ice into a granita-like consistency (like shaved ice). 

Spoon alternate layers of granits, pink grapefruit segments and cream, finishing off with a layer of cream. 

Decorate with mint leaves (or as I have done here, dip mint leaves in lightly whisked egg white and caster sugar then chill, to give a frosted effect). Serve immediately.

[donatnetherlystudios]

                     The Downsizing

                   Chapter 1 – Fallout

  The dust and ash had settled, so we collectively thought after the third world war     hope was restoring itself. Families and friends of families ushered out to an atmosphere enshrined in sandy driven air, almost like mist with dirt. Craters lay everywhere from each major explosive that had set off and the radiation was finally dissipating. Mountains and deserts for miles were the only environments that could be seen,

not from war, but for this particular area of the country in general. As for our hope

and faith we relied upon, we couldn’t have been more wrong at the time.

    Previous allies who had long supported Americans such as Russia, China and others had turned against us at turning point in the war. The remaining ones took neutral stances. Anxiousness and fear were overloading them to oppose what had become new superpowers. Our allies in UK, Canada, Australia and Israel were still with us to the end. Sadly, they would suffer the same consequences we did. The only thing that saved us from total destruction was nuclear chaos in every country, no one knew where they came from. Every country was alone now dealing with their own woes. Betrayals came from every spectrum, but none as sinister as that of our own. Our own military had dissolved due to casualties from war and the government in place collapsed. When the opportunity arose the remaining officials and military who had planned for takeover assembled. They rose up and formed a dictatorship led government, with the army itself forming into more of a widespread militia. Our country had become what some of us had felt about other nations before it started, third world. Common folk were treated like peasants in medieval times. Labor camps were installed left and right, barricaded, highly fenced, heavily gated and with plenty of militia to keep everything exactly how the government wanted it.

    Militia was dressed in all black with red symbols of a picture of our great country in the center and an X over it to show their anti-American sentiment. Politicians who were actually against the new order had either fled the country or taken up with the new ones to become just as corrupt. Our encampments were called settlements, with tents seen for miles in the distance. “Move along.” says one soldier as they scramble us forward like cattle. Militia quarters mirrored actual building structures made of stone and steel. Laughing, drinking, and all types of rustling sounds could be heard from structures. Frankly, it made me sick. The tents were more quieting since the majority always felt defeated, ashamed or just weary of how things unfolded and how much worse they could actually get.

    My name is Eve, which suits me because I had always wanted the forbidden fruit, so to speak. I was in fact named after Eve from the bible as my mother was of the Christian faith. My father had always been more of a realist though and was an agnostic who believed if there was a God, things wouldn’t have gone down the way they did, with so much suffering. In the long period before the order had come together properly, there was a time of dead silence everywhere. We were alone from other people, but we didn’t care, since we were together as a family.

    A gun goes off in the middle of my daydream and rattles me with me almost jumping in the air. “Shit” – I turn around to catch a glimpse of who was eliminated and realize it was the old man who mentored my father, who had just turned 70. I walked forward while the line and militia were moving the opposite direction to investigate further. “You’re going to get caught” came from a familiar voice. It was Emmy, my best friend in the settlement, possibly my only friend. Heeding her advice, I turn around, met with being struck in the face with the back of a militia hand. “Next time you’ll get the gauntlet” he muttered as he pushed me back in line. The gauntlet was a solo event the militia devised for their evil amusement and found one poor soul being forced to wander across a field while soldiers from all sides took places shooting them. It wouldn’t be merciful and fast because the person in question would be shot in areas less severe and gradually getting worse until they reached close to the end. Most were dead from bleeding out before they got there. Thinking further back I started to remember my father teaching me survival skills from a tender age that involved archery, throwing knives, scavenging and surviving in the wilderness. Guns weren’t permitted for civilians even then, so they were out of the question. He always told me the ammo would run out anyways. A loud noise of a piercing sound mixed with a siren commenced to go off and snapped me out of my daze. I recognized it as the escape siren, this time a group of five attempting blitzing some soldiers and forcing through the gates, only to be put down a few seconds later from gun fire. Any people attempting escape were killed and disposed of in the desert. We all knew when deaths occurred, despite our captors giving us light explanations of the missing. It had become like concentration camps from the second world war, only in the year 2032. All ammunition had begun running extremely low and other resources declined not far behind it.

    Men who were able bodied were put to heavy labor working the fields or in construction. Women were treated as if they worked in sweat shops and treated as objects or toys for the militia to play with. Elderly people and those with major disabilities were terminated quickly to preserve supplies. Pregnancies were forbidden, with any woman and her offspring wiped out shortly after it was known. We’d hear babies cries and painful screams from the women giving birth. Following that was dead silence, which seemed worse than the noise. As we knew what that meant.

“Time is 21:00, all civilians please return to your homes” blurted out over the PA, as people everywhere scrambled away like mice. My face was the shade of the bark on a tree from the mud and debris I had worked with all day. My hair was matted against my head and shoulders from sweat and the color copied the same shade. I was still only 20 years old and small but was lean and agile. My skin was tan from all of the sunlight and even though I was of Indian descent I had always been a lighter skin color than my family. The rebellious side of me was from the Irish in my blood, as well as me holding my liquor whenever we could sneak some from the passed-out soldiers on more idle days.

    Nothing to see in front of me, everything pitch dark. Soldiers had streetlights but they were as good as useless. They would sway back and forth and flicker nonstop against the midnight backdrop. A light came into view from the distance and I could finally tell it was my tent. A candle sat in the doorway with a bell, as I would post it there as my porch light and used a cowbell to pretend as a doorbell. Gradually I winded down for the night plugging my ears with a mix of cloth, leaves and other material worked into a ball with doughy material. As I lay there, I think back to the day my parents were killed. Both had come ill and the moment those bastards found out they were spoon fed a kind of quick acting poison. I was only 16 at the time. My father could sense he was fading from a source other than his illness and was able to tell me bye. My mother never got the chance, she plummeted a mere minute or so after the poisoning. I was handed over more lies of how it happened but had an inside source who told me the real events.

    That evening I lie motionless, with every inch of my body asleep. Clattering noises tap the ground back and forth, nudging me partially awake. Telling myself its due to the wind is what becomes of it. The corner of my eye catches a shadow lingering behind me and showing a silhouette on my tent. My candle makes it like a light show. Finally, I hear obvious footprints in the back, leaving me completely petrified. Unsure how but the shadow seems to fade as fast as it came, and I decide I’ll be alright. “Cling” – My cowbell drops off its foothold and to the ground. The sound shakes me enough to cause me to finally turn around toward the tent flap opening. It is now wide open, even though I safety pin it at lights out. I remain there speechless and dumbfounded, frozen in place. As I turn around a hand is already grabbing me by the arms and forcing me to my cot. Though it’s still dark, I recognize the force to be one of the soldiers clearly drunk. I screamed but it was done in vain, as no reinforcements would come to aid me. The heavy smell of tobacco and alcohol was enough to cause anyone to gag. He grabbed my miniscule wrists using only one hand. Meanwhile he hit me several times with the other to silence me, as by that time I had given up waiting on anyone else. Bloodied and beaten I was severely weakened, but I came from a family of survivors and fighters. His sweat and mine allowed my hands to slip from his grasp, but still on top of me. Using all the weight I could whip around and forward; I landed a few strikes with my fists to which he barely flinched. He smacks me again and my arms flop beside me. As he leans forward, I feel my arm thinking its way over to the side of me. Though dark I can feel the insignia on my Mother’s pen knife lying on the bedside table.

    As fast as he was there, my right arm flew forward and forced the pen knife into his chest. Feeling he would fall over any second and I’d be free were my only thoughts, not thinking about alternative possibilities. Slowly he pulled out the knife, glaring at me with his evil, bloodshot eyes and a smile that showed me just how little effect my short-lived attack had on him. He was simply too strong and overpowering. I was winded and my head lay to the side toward the tent entrance. I concentrate on the candle, attempting to black out what is ahead of me and try and imagine a different place. Although the entire event took only a few minutes, I was raped for what seemed like hours. A tear crawled down my cheek, as my innocence was ended. I’ve never been one to cry, but one could fill a river with the amount occurring at the time. The sheets were painted red from his blood and mine. They were also damp from sweat and tears. The air itself was suffocating because all of the malice around and the fact he smelt like a chimney. Since most of our settlements were in the deserts, he had dry chapped skin. As he rubbed up against me, that dryness could be felt to the left and made even lying beside him more unpleasant than it needed to be. Snoring and sleep grunting seeped from his vocals and I could sense he was passed out. After I had peeked around and confirmed it, I had my eyes set on the way out. I slowly backed away from my side of the bed and dropped to the side, before making my way around the front end and making a break for my front flap entrance.

    Although still shaken and frighten, I manage to stumble through our row of tents trying to seek out a safe place to finish out my night. “Thud” – Falling to the ground out of exhaustion I collapse. Sobbing proceeds to take over as I start to release the cries of anguish I had longed for earlier. The tent flap opens, and a girl approaches I recognize as Emmy, who assists me off the ground and inside, before penning the flap back up and walking me over to the bed to be able to sleep my pains off. She lie beside me stroking my hair and just whispering it’ll be alright. Sounds of my crying didn’t cease so she simply allowed me to finish it out, before I eventually drifted to sleep.

    Barely a month following the assault, I found I was indeed pregnant with my abuser’s child after being a few weeks late. Knowing the consequences for me and the child, I foolishly had thoughts of attempting escape to a border state away from New Mexico. Alas, the gates were heavily guarded and little way over the fence, so I returned to reality. Emmy comforted me with her only advice being something we came to call back alley abortions. It was a play on words, since we had no alleys and were out in the desert. They simply took place in a secluded area of camp where nothing had been constructed and were out of view of any lighting not provided. They were risky and dangerous, as the procedure wasn’t precise and couldn’t possibly be unsterile. A risk of being caught was a common fear at the same time, with patrols not sticking to their normal routes for certain all the time. Unlike some young mothers I actually yearned to keep my child, for they were from me and would be the last family I ever had. Arriving at the vacant tent, Emmy ushered in her light. The stand in doctor asked if I was ready and I reluctantly nodded. He approached me and I chose to swing my head to the side to black it out and bury it like other traumas. The physical pain was immense but didn’t compare to the emotional pain I would endure. Thoughts of vengeance consumed me with the thoughts of violence spiking as we approached the end of the event. Although the doctor and Emmy are mumbling in the background, I remain still and as dead as before. From those moments on I swore nothing like that would happen again and that it wouldn’t be the end, but the beginning of a revolution. My abuser would be my first target and just as he had snuck into my tent in the dead of night, I would use a stealth tactic to get to him. I figured it wouldn’t require much to amp the settlement up into an uprising, as things had been heated between the men and soldiers for the past year. I couldn’t save my family but was going to save my friends I had and other’s families from this abusive new nation by any means necessary. Only after they had been overturned would I find peace and a restful heart.

    I’ve always heard time heals all wounds, it wasn’t something I believed in. My mother’s gift of dispensing hope and faith caught ahold of me, meshed with my brain absorbing my father’s training in survival. If this new tyranny thought it was over and that the rest of us would remain their slaves, they were wrong.

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Silent Hearts // [Part III]

Pairing | Cowbell x reader

Word count | 3.1k

⚠️ Warnings | Canon divergence, f!reader, Y/N is used. Should be okay otherwise? Nothing really happens in this one, you just have a chat with Mountain.

Chapter Summary: It's your turn to struggle with complicated feelings. You turn to Mountain to find some closure and understanding, but he opens your eyes to something completely different about this mystery ghoul than you ever could have imagined...

A/N: This one is less intense but gives y'all some more background on Felix. I wonder what will happen when you finally see him again... stay tuned for the next one~ xoxo

[Prev][Next]

Once you got back to your dorm that night, you had a chance to finally process what just happened as you laid out on your bed; the group of Brothers who were hellbent on terrorizing you, the strange ghoul that seemingly came out of nowhere to your rescue. 

Where did those Siblings run off to anyway?

This was all feeling so overwhelming and strange. You had a very limited knowledge of the ghouls and their species in general. You really only talked to Mountain, who was very intimidating at first due to his enormous size, but you two could talk about plants and fauna for hours. Quickly it became apparent he was quite soft spoken and very respectful. He never made any sudden moves and was generally very calm. Nothing like what you had imagined ghouls would be. He taught you a lot about greenery but almost nothing about him or his kind. You never wanted to push either, knowing that the Clergy always said to leave ghouls alone and to stay out of their way. 

They were workhorses and nothing more in the eyes of the Clergy and it made you sick. From your few interactions with Mountain, you knew they were capable of so much more. They were intelligent and emotionally complex creatures who had so much to teach us. They all seemed overall pretty content and happy with their roles though, so who were you to try and understand the intricacies of human/ghoul relations? That was a job for the Liaison Unit.

Those were siblings specifically chosen to help keep the peace between our very different species and for the most part, they do a very good job. The members of the ‘Human-Ghoul Liaison Unit’ know the ghouls very well, they help create rules in the best interest of both parties to keep everyone safe. They also are in charge of educating the new members of the Ministry on our otherworldly counterparts.

You had heard there were talks of a ‘Unified Security Division’ in the works too; a joint-species task force to monitor, protect, and prevent Ministry members from both human and ghoul related incidents. You thought it was a great idea! Humans and ghouls working together as a team, utilizing both of our unique characteristics and skills for the greater good of the Ministry.

Would probably never happen though. That would give the ghouls too much authority, the Clergy would finally have to accept they were a higher life form.

The next morning you walked out to the greenhouse to see if the only ghoul you knew would be able to give you some answers on who you met last night.

You waved hello to a few Sisters on your way down the steps exiting the Ministry. You weren’t really sure how you were going to even start, or what to even say. Did Mountain even know who this ghoul was? He seemed to have been out there a while, maybe they never spoke?

“You seem terribly lost in thought.” Mountain's warm voice came from low beside you.

“Mountain!” You shouted, a hand gripping your chest. “Belial, don’t scare me like that!” You had just about jumped out of your skin, not realizing how detached from reality you were in that moment. Mountain was crouched between rows of tomato vines so it was no wonder you didn’t see him, even if he was gigantic.

“Sorry, sorry.” He laughs and stands to his full height. “Anything I can help with?”

You let out a heavy sigh, the thoughts of yesterday returning with a vengeance. “Actually yeah. I hope you can. I came out here to ask you some questions about… ghouls?”

Mountain’s confused expression was noticeable even through his mask, his head tilt said more than words ever could. “Why are you suddenly interested in ghouls?”

You looked down to where your feet squished the well-kept grass. “I’m not! I mean– yes, I am.” You took a breath. “Something happened.”

Mountain gestured to walk with him so he could sit with you and chat properly. There was a large octagonal gazebo just a few feet from where you were standing. He stepped over the row of tomatoes with ease and guided you towards it.

The gazebo was a perfect addition to the garden if you did say so yourself. It was wood but painted black. The hanging candles that lined the outside were brushed silver which must’ve looked picturesque at night. There were 4 steps up to the main platform, lined with an iron railing. The thick pillars each had a weeping angel attached that faced outwards, water droplets from the morning rain made them cry over the flowers below.

Once the two of you got up to the main platform, there was a black deck couch directly in front, decorated with blood red cushions and golden accent pillows. In front of the couch was a rounded glass coffee table with matching chairs on either side. There were lush green plants that sat on either side of the large couch to bring some colour. It was such a nice spot, you didn’t know why you haven’t come out here more. It was peaceful. Exactly what you needed white you talked through your troubled thoughts.

With a soft, gentle hand on your back, Mountain offered for you to take a seat on the couch. You realized the cushions were just as plush as they looked when you eventually sat, taking a moment to just sit and take in the smells of the nature around you.

Mountain stood awkwardly by the other end of the couch with his hands clasped behind his back before you noticed he hadn’t sat down.

“You can sit beside me, I’ll allow it.” You joked and patted the middle cushion.

Mountain simply nodded and took a seat at the opposite end. 

“I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 It was a full sized couch so there was plenty of room, but of course he was a gentleman. Gentle-ghoul? Whatever you were supposed to say. Mountain was always so polite and considerate.

“Mountain, you are the only ghoul around here that hasn’t made me feel uncomfortable or awkward.” You smiled, knowing that every word you said was completely true.

Being a ghoul of few words he just hummed in understanding and nodded. “So, what did you want to know about ghouls? You… didn’t get hurt by one, did you?”

His eyes flicked to yours, gauging your reaction. He knew that his kind could be a little out of control and unpredictable by nature. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit you were slowly becoming a soft spot for him. So if one of his packmates did anything to harm you…

“Oh! No, nothing like that.” Your hands waved in front of you, trying to brush away any thoughts that you had been hurt. You noticed how Mountain had already begun looking with a slight hint of worry for any injuries he must’ve missed when you had been walking together.

He let out a sigh of relief when he realized that wasn’t the case and unclenched his glamoured hands. “That’s good. Really good.”

A faint look of worry crossed your face as you saw Mountain relax. Were ghouls really so dangerous that they just attack Siblings out of nowhere? Were you safe with Mountain sitting 2 feet away from you on the other end of the couch? Questions started to stir but you forced them down. Mountain has never once made you feel afraid, or that he was capable of anything but kindness. Sometimes, you'd admit, you tended to forget he was a ghoul and not just a Sibling in a mask.

“I was up at the cemetery last night and those Brothers came to bother me again,” you started.

Mountain let out a low, very annoyed grumble. He knew who you were talking about, they had been bothering you for a little while, sometimes even when he was around. They thought they were invincible within the walls of the Ministry, that their faith would protect them from any harm.

“What did they want this time?”

“I’ve never seen them in the cemetery before so I don’t even know how they knew to find me there, but anyways. I was just finishing up placing the last of the tulips - which were very pretty by the way, thank you.” You smiled, remembering how nice they looked at the base of the headstones. The colours were perfect for this time of year.

“I thought you’d enjoy those.” Mountain said softly, returning with his own smile knowing he was already planning which ones to give you next week.

“Anyway, they came up and were a lot more forward than usual. Getting brave I guess,” you recalled, voice lowering as you continued. “I thought they were going to actually try something this time so I warned them, like you said to, but I guess I must’ve closed my eyes because by the time I opened them, they were gone. Just vanished.”

Mountain nodded in intrigue as he followed along, moving to face more towards you as he let you continue.

“Then from over the hill I see this half glamoured ghoul, I think? At first I thought he was you because he was so tall.” You explained, watching Mountain's eyes squint through the mask, trying to imagine who it could’ve been way out there. “He was covered in blood so I offered to clean him up a bit, but he was so strange.”

Mountain's eyes flashed an angry green as he suddenly got a good idea of who you had run into, his expression twisting into a glare as he took a frustrated breath. “This, ghoul. What did he look like, did he say anything to you?”

“He was blind, that I remember for sure. He had white smoke like a mask over his eyes, said he lived in the woods or something? He was kind of off-putting at first if I’m being honest–”

You didn’t even get to finish your sentence before Mountain let out a very displeased growl. “Don’t go back to the cemetery.”

You were unexpectedly taken aback, eyes wide with shock at Mountain's sudden shift in demeanour. This wasn’t like him, normally he was very soft-spoken.

“What? Why?” You asked nervously. “Mountain, what happened?”

“I don’t want you going back there now he knows your scent.” He said very abruptly, looking around like the two of you were suddenly being watched.

Your breath hitched, Mountain’s anxious body language radiating danger. If one of the largest ghouls in the Abbey was afraid, you were absolutely terrified.

“My scent? What’s going on? Who was that? Who are you so afraid of?” You asked hurriedly, starting to breathe heavy.

“Not afraid.” He said in almost a whisper, turning back to look at you. “Angry. He’s not allowed to come anywhere near members of the Ministry, especially the Siblings.”

“Who is he, Mountain?” You asked sternly, starting to get tired of his cryptic secrets.

“A very, very distant cousin.”

Now it made sense why the strange ghoul was so tall, they were related.

“Felix is your cousin?” You questioned, trying to make sense of it all.

“He told you his name?”

Mountain’s surprise made your brow furrow. “Uh– yeah. Why? Is he not allowed to do that either?”

The earth ghoul shook his head. “No, that was never part of the agreement. Plus ghouls take great pride in their name, they were given to us by the Dark One himself.” Mountain let out a pained yet amused huff. “He’s never told anyone his real name before.”

It was your turn to act surprised. Never? You knew you didn’t know that much about the ghouls but this was beyond what you imagined.

“What does that mean? Is he going to hunt me for sport now? Should I be afraid?” You asked.

Mountain took a breath. “I don’t know, Y/N. I really don’t. All I can say is avoid him at all costs, he’s not a ghoul you want to know.” He looked at you with a serious expression. “He’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” You echoed.

Suddenly the entire night snapped together like a puzzle. The blood, the vanishing Brothers. He had killed them. Why didn’t you realize that before?! You literally helped clean blood off a killer, standing inches away from him.

Your body shook involuntarily as you realized how close you stood to death himself.

“He didn’t seem that bad…” you trailed off in a horrified whisper, your fingers nervously brushing over your drying lips.

“He’s out there for a reason.” Mountain said, his voice slowly returning to his more comforting tone. “Just promise me you won’t go looking for him? If you want to continue going to the cemetery I can’t stop you, but at least bring me along… so I can protect you.” He trailed off quietly at the end, now speaking with a different kind of nervousness.

Unfortunately for Mountain, you hardly paid attention to anything he said. Your mind still reeling with thoughts of Felix. You lowered a hand to your chest, trying to steady your racing heart when you suddenly looked up at Mountain. 

“He couldn’t hear my heartbeat.”

Mountain's head tilted much like his cousins did as he looked at you in confusion. “What do you mean? Not at all?”

You shook your head. “He said it was quiet. Told me that normally he could hear everyones but he couldn’t hear mine.”

Mountain slowly got up to pace around the side of the gazebo, deep in thought. “What else happened?”

You looked at the ground, trying to remember any important details. “He said he was given a choice? To live in the catacombs or the woods, that’s why he was out there. When I told him he was covered in blood he said that was common? I thought he meant because ghouls have to hunt, not because he had just killed three people.”

“He lied.” Mountain said abruptly. “We can eat human food just fine, but he can’t. Ever since he was summoned he was never able to eat anything on the surface, so he started eating like we do in the Pit.”

“Which means?”

“Blood, Y/N. Up here Felix needs blood to survive or he dies.” Mountain stopped pacing and gripped the back of the chair in front of him, his claws peaking through in flickers as his emotions started tearing through his concentration. 

“The Clergy thought it was strange but allowed him to hunt in the forest once a month, he ate raw the rest of the time but never in the dining hall with the rest of us. They had a special room in the kitchen where they threw him slabs of meat like a feral dog.” Mountain hung his head remembering how poorly he was treated. “Normally the longer we’re up here, the less of our demonic nature hangs around, we become “domesticated”, as Copia now likes to say. I guess because he was still hunting, his instincts were kept razor sharp. Deadly.”

You couldn’t help the way your mouth hung open as you took in everything you were hearing. This couldn’t have been the same ghoul that stopped you from falling on your ass when you slipped, or the ghoul that joked and teased. The ghoul that looked like a kicked puppy so starved for affection that he all but begged you to stay.

“I don’t know what his lack of ability to hear your heart means, but it can’t be anything good. He uses it to hunt and track his prey, amongst his other abilities. He’s not like the rest of us, Y/N. He never will be. He’s too far gone.”

“You said he knows my scent now too,” your voice laced with worry.

“Normally that’s not an issue, I got to know yours as soon as we met. It just happens,” Mountain explains. “Ghouls tend to use scent for a lot of things, it’s like a silent language.”

You nodded. “But why can’t he live in the Abbey? You said he did before?”

Mountain tensed once again as he grumbled. “He will have to tell you that, we don’t like to speak of it.”

Sensing that was still a sore topic you dropped it, watching Mountain make his way back over to the couch and sit back down. He rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned in towards you. You could see the intense look in his moss coloured eyes like he was silently pleading with you through the slits in his mask. 

“I’m serious, Y/N. Promise me you wont go back on your own. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

You admired how protective he was. It was comforting to know that if anything happened, Mountain would be there. But there was still something clawing at the back of your mind, like a string begging to be unravelled that was pulling you back to Felix.

“I promise.” You smiled.

“Good. Now, what were you thinking for next week’s arrangements? I’ve got some roses just about ready–”

You nodded along mindlessly as you discussed the next batch of flowers, chipping in a few words now and again but you were far, far away. Talking about it only brought you right back, and Mountain failed to notice your 100 yard stare once he got talking about his new batch of hydrangeas.

You couldn’t help but get lost in your memories. The invisible string pulling you right back to him. The way he looked at you, the fanged grin that made your heart skip in excitement and curiosity. Remembering the way his tail felt, pressed against your back as he pulled you closer. You could almost swear you still felt it rubbing gently along your spine, or his breath along your ear whispering, ‘What's the matter, Kitten?’

You shivered at the phantom touches which earned an odd look from Mountain before he continued explaining some different colour combinations for next week. You told yourself it was just your mind playing tricks, he wasn’t really here. You were safe, you were with Mountain. Yet, there was so much about him your soul still craved to understand. A feeling that was so foreign. You felt betrayed by your own mind after everything you learnt. You were supposed to be afraid and never want to leave the safety of the Abbey ever again.

But as much as you wanted to uphold your promise to Mountain, you had those cemetery eyes…

[Next]

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Silent Hearts // [Part I]

Pairing | Cowbell x reader

Word count | 3.2k

⚠️ Warnings | Canon divergence, f!reader, Cowbell is Cowbell. TW for blood, a little bit of violence, mention of death, attempted assault (nothing happened)

Chapter Summary: You like to go to the cemetery once a week to replace the flowers. This time you were followed by some Brothers of Sin. Along the way you meet Cowbell and learn he's a little different than the rest, but then again... so are you.

A/N: Okay so this is largely based on my interpretation of Cowbell. I love the idea that his name is actually Felix (like how Special is Phil) so that will be used now and again. Visuals for the guy are based off of Endopyre's amazing art on Tumblr, literally cannot get it out of my head.

This will eventually have a few parts as I make more stories between Bell and the reader. Take this as their origin story, but theres more to come! xoxo

You really liked spending time in the cemetery. Most of the Siblings thought you were crazy, but amongst the dead is where you found your soul’s purpose.

The Abbey didn’t have a lot of residents. It had even less that devoted their life to the Ministry long enough to be laid to rest in the unholy ground it stood upon. You made a point to go out once a week and replace the wilting flowers with new ones so they knew their devotion was still appreciated after they were gone. Once a month you would help clean off the headstones and make sure everything was well kept.

You weren’t the only one who came to visit. Obviously family members and relatives came to pay their respects or check in. The groundskeeper quickly became your friend after he accidentally locked you in one of the mausoleums during his nightly rounds. 

Dusting off the gothic angels that kept watch over the Emeritus brothers, you remembered the door being chained shut behind you. He didn’t come back until morning to find you asleep on the well swept floor. That night you appreciated the time to study the ornate decor - once you found candles to light the room of course. Each brother had a distinct design outlining their final resting place. It was beautiful.

The next morning you spoke with the groundskeeper and all was well. He took extra care to make sure you weren’t in any small cracks before he locked up anywhere after that. It became quite a funny story.

This trip out would be no different. Armed with a basket of Mountain’s newest and prettiest flowers, you happily strolled towards the cemetery gates. The ghoul kept a separate batch just for the occasion, helping the newer ones grow if they weren’t quite ready. 

The theme for this week were tulips, a batch of baby blue, peach and yellow. You had enough so each resident got one of each. The gate creaked as it opened and shut behind you, walking up the grassy hill to where your silent friends waited.

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’– this walk never gets easier,” you panted, holding the skirt of your habit as you finally reached the top.

You always started from the left, working around to the right. Weaving back and forth between the rows, you placed the flowers delicately at the base of the headstones with a smile. The sun was starting to set beyond the hill. Your chores ran late so you were out later than normal, most days you were finishing up and headed back to the Abbey by now.

Turning the corner to start the last row, you stopped to count the remaining stems, making sure Mountain had given you enough. Your head shot up at the sound of a branch loudly snapping beyond the treeline. The wind kicked up, causing the gate to creak at the base of the hill as you tried to make out whether you could see who was there. Convincing yourself it was just an Earth ghoul doing a perimeter check, not noticing anything out of the ordinary you restarted your count.

“Twenty-eight… twenty-nine… thirty,” you nodded assuredly. 10 spots left. Just enough for everyone to get the same.

“Well, well. Look who we have here fellas.” A male voice spoke, startling you slightly. “You thought the ghouls were the weirdest thing in the Ministry, take a look at this one. Probably wants to dig them up and fuck 'em.”

You huffed in anger and turned to face them, placing the second last batch of flowers against the headstone. “What can I do for you?”

There were 3 of them. You didn’t recognize the other two, but the leader was in the same initiation group as you. You knew he was trouble when you both arrived at the Ministry. Clearly he was training some new goons in his tactics of being an asshole.

“Nothing, Sister,” he spat. “We were just coming by to make sure you were alright, being out here all alone. Wouldn’t want one of those feral ghouls coming and eating you up, now would we?”

“The ghouls are the least of my worries,” you said, gripping the basket tighter. You tried to look confident as they stalked closer.

You couldn’t tell where it originated, but a deep rumble weaved through the trees as the Siblings began to slowly surround you. The basket you carried slipped out of your hands as your nerves were quickly taking over.

“Look, we got her scared,” one of the newest members spoke up.

“Don’t come any closer. You know you aren’t allowed to h-hurt anyone.” You stuttered. “It’s against the rules.”

“And rules only apply to the living.”

You froze.

This time it wasn’t one of the trio that spoke. It was a gravelly, battle-hardened voice behind you. The faces of the boys in front told you all you needed to know. Their looks of terror extended beyond you, focused on where the other being stood. At least you assumed he was standing, you weren’t about to turn around and check. You just wanted to wake up from the nightmare this day turned into.

You shut your eyes, hoping this was all just a bad dream. A gust of air blew past and you heard a variety of growl-like rumbles off in the distance. Then it all went quiet. No more wind, no crunching of leaves, no taunts, or even breathing from the terror trio that were just mere inches from you.

Slowly opening your eyes, it was like it was all a dream. The three Siblings were nowhere to be found. The flowers were all in their rightful places. The last of the tulips waiting in the basket that sat at your feet.

You glanced around to see if they had given up and ran back to the Abbey, but the path up to the Ministry was clear. If they had started back, you would’ve seen them clear as day from the vantage point the cemetery had upon the hill.

You quickly placed the remaining flowers on the final grave before noticing a ghoul walking up the steps towards you.

He was tall like Mountain. He had a cloud-like mask that weaved through his dark, shoulder length hair and fully covered his eyes - indicating his element was at least part Air. As he got closer, you could notice the various piercings decorating his pointed ears. There were three more placed through the bridge of his nose and a couple around his lips. You wondered for a moment if they had been painful.

He walked as if he didn’t even notice you, completely lost in thought. His long strides carrying him quickly towards you before you gasped at the sight of blood splattered all over his chest and dripping down his face. He didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest about it. You, however, had never seen anything like that before.

Your sharp inhale was enough to stop him in his tracks. His pointed ears twitched as he looked around without much direction, trying to locate exactly where the sound came from. It was at this point you realized this ghoul might not be able to see properly.

You weren’t sure why you slowly started walking towards him. He was clearly unstable and had just killed something, or someone. Yet the pull to him was hard to resist.

“Um,” you spoke softly, so as to not startle him. At this moment, you still weren’t sure if he even knew you were there. “Thank you for scaring them off. I really appreciate it.”

His attention turned directly to you, but it was different. Without eyes it was hard to tell exactly where his sightline was, but his head tilted upon hearing your voice. 

Okay, so he can hear but he can’t see - noted.

You shuffled nervously under his obstructed gaze, slightly unsettled that he was just standing there without speaking. It was almost like he was studying you, the way his head tilted from side to side and his ears twitched back and forth before he finally spoke.

“It’s strange…”

No shit. “Want to elaborate? A lot of this is strange.” You replied, the reality of your situation slowly starting to settle in.

“I can’t hear you.”

It was your turn to tilt your head in confusion, raising your voice to try again. “I said: ‘What’s strange? A lot of this is–”

“No no, Kitten. I can hear your voice just fine.” The ghoul smirked, the situation clearly amusing him. “Your heart, I can't hear it.”

Your brow furrowed. You didn’t realize that being able to hear heartbeats was a common ghoul trait; you didn’t know much about ghouls to start with anyway, only talking to them in passing. Exchanging momentary glances and friendly acknowledgements in the halls.

“I apologize, where are my manners? What’s your name, little one?” He asked as he leant his large body against one of the headstones, flicking stones off the top with his pointed fingers.

You scoffed a little. You weren’t all that short, but you assumed to him everyone else would indeed seem quite small. You had a fleeting thought that his enormous stature would easily rival Mountain. “(Y/N)”

The ghoul seemed to like that answer, a large grin appearing on his face showcasing many of his sharp fangs.

“And you are?” You prompted.

“Felix,” he said nonchalantly. “But almost everyone calls me Cowbell, or Bell. If we’re close you can possibly call me Cow without too much consequence.”

You stifled a laugh, letting a small snort escape through your nose as you hurried to cover your mouth.

“Something funny?”

“No! Not at all. It’s just… Cowbell?”

Instead of being offended, his grin just grew larger as he became more amused. “An unfortunate nickname from a long time ago.”

You nodded, accepting the explanation.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking.” You moved in closer, resting against the headstone across from him. “Are you, blind by any chance? Sorry if I’m assuming. I just can’t help but notice all of this,” you were talking about the mask he wore, forgetting he couldn’t see your gestures. “And the way you look around.”

He nodded. “I am. From birth actually. I created this veil of sorts to stop people from staring. Apparently my damaged eyes are a little too unsettling for the Clergy.”

If you weren’t curious about this ghoul before, you sure were now. 

“How come I’ve never seen you around the Abbey before?”

“I’m not allowed inside. I’m what you might call a ‘shit-disturber’.” He chuckles. “I was given an ultimatum: it was either solitary confinement in the catacombs, or living out the rest of my days in the woods.”

“That's awful!” You exclaimed. Never having been to the catacombs, you weren’t exactly sure what they were like. However, you knew he most likely made the right choice. At the very least, out here he was free to do as he wished.

“It’s not so bad, I promise.” He shrugged it off, the last of the pebbles discarded.

You sat in silence for a moment, the sun beginning to set. “You said something about… not hearing my heartbeat? Is that something ghouls can normally do?”

He shook his head. “No. It’s just a me thing. Since I don’t have my sight, my other senses are heightened. Hearing unfortunately being one of them. Heartbeats are like fingerprints, everyone’s is slightly different. Mixed with other things, it’s how I tell people apart.”

You nodded, trying to follow along as he explained.

“I can hear everyone’s all the time. Awake, asleep, it doesn’t matter. It drives me nuts most days, especially in crowds.” He paused. “I can’t hear yours though. As we’re sitting here it’s just... quiet.”

“Strange.”

“Indeed.”

The wind picked up and you shivered. Only dressed in your summer clothes, the suns rays were no longer warming you as it set behind the hills. The ghoul didn’t seem affected by the shift in temperature in the slightest.

“Do you know you’re covered in blood?”

The ghouls head tilted and you could see his lip curl in confusion before he let out a short laugh. “I didn’t, but that's a more common situation than you’d imagine.”

“Um…” you didn’t really know how to answer that, so you switched directions. “There’s a rainwater barrel beside the groundskeeper’s house. I could help you wash it off your face at the least? The clothes are up to you though.”

A genuine smile crossed his face at the offer. “That would be nice, thank you.”

He would never admit it, but no one had been this kind to him right off the bat. For most people it was a phase of avoidance and fear before they warmed up to his peculiar ways - the few people that he met before being banished to the woods that is.

The walk down the hill to the groundskeeper’s residence was mainly made in silence. Felix skillfully catching you from falling when you got halfway down, your foot sliding through a puddle of blood that stained the grass - remnants of the first body he dragged away by the throat moments ago. He was quick to convince you it must’ve been a wet spot from yesterday's rain. Praying the fading sunlight would keep his secret.

Alongside the house was indeed a barrel full of water. He would have to make a mental note of that for the future. He mainly used the lake to wash off the mess of his hunts, but sometimes he felt dirtier leaving the water than before he got in it.

In the Pit, Bell took very good care of his appearance. His skin was well taken care of, he took pride in his hair and the softness of his few patches of white fur. After being cast out, now he only had his tongue to groom himself. It was straight up humiliating. So the rainwater would be a nice change, at least fish didn’t shit in it.

You knew the groundskeeper left a few rags and things hanging on the clothesline in case you needed it. You figured this was a good enough reason to grab one. You told Felix to stay there while you went to pick one off the line.

There was a spout at the bottom of the barrel to fill watering cans or connect hoses, but you just popped the top off and dipped the corner of the towel into the water. You picked a dark grey one in the hopes that it wouldn’t suspiciously turn red.

Turning around with the damp towel you paused. “I– um… sorry I’m not 8 feet tall. Can you sit?”

He nodded silently and sat on the edge of the stone wall that ran alongside the house. “Woof.”

Your eyes went wide as he chuckled, clearly expecting anything but that response.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You asked me to sit– never mind. Do continue.”

You couldn't help but let a soft chuckle pass through your own lips, now understanding the context. You took a quick look at his face, deciding where you were going to start.

“Can I start on your neck? The right side?” You wanted to make sure you didn’t startle him with the sudden touch, since he wasn’t able to see you coming.

“Of course, I can’t see where the blood is.” He tilted his head up and to the side, getting a better look at his numerous fangs and piercings at this angle while he spoke. “My cleanliness is in your hands. Make me look pretty again.”

This ghoul with his off-hand comments. You smiled and shook your head before telling him you were about to start.

Wiping the cloth over the stained areas, the mostly dried blood came off with surprising ease. All the while you were cleaning off his neck, you couldn’t get his comment out of your head. He was a pretty ghoul. Maybe not conventionally, he had a ton of piercings and you could already see a few scars, knowing he probably had a few more around at the very least.

You stood back to rinse out the cloth and re-wet it, turning back to find him grinning at you.

“What are you smiling about?”

“I could feel you staring.”

“Wh– how?” Your face flushed, you didn’t even know you were looking at him that long. “I mean I wasn't…”

“It’s alright, Kitten. You can stare.” He shrugs. “Not much experience with ghouls I’m assuming?”

You shook your head before remembering to verbalize. “Not really, no. In the halls mainly,” you began to wipe the blood off his jaw, working your way to the mass of red smeared over his bottom lip and chin. “You’re the first I’ve ever had a proper conversation with actually.”

He hummed in contemplation. “The first ghoul you’ve talked to. First time I’ve heard silence in someone’s company… today is full of firsts.”

“I like firsts, they always lead to interesting things.”

He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as you rinsed the towel one more time, returning to work on the main concentration of blood below his lip.

You tried your hardest to work carefully around his piercings so as not to bother them too much. There was so much blood that you had to rinse twice, rubbing with significant force before all that was left was a little bit on the side–

“Ow.” Felix mumbled, trying not to move.

Confusion crossed your face before your eyes quickly went wide, noticing the streak of fresh blood run down his chin. “Oh my gosh, did I do that?”

Felix’s chest rumbled in amusement. The sound was covered by conveniently timed thunder off in the distance as you dabbed at it, trying not to smear it further. If the sun had still been lighting the sky, you would’ve noticed that the blood was not red like the rest, but actually black.

“I don’t know where that came from. Huh.” He smirked. “Weird.”

You happened to look up. Noting his fangs on that side covered in it, as well as his tongue as it passed over the puncture wound on his bottom lip. You immediately took a step back with an unamused scowl.

“You did that on purpose.”

“Maybe,” his head tilts once again. It was clearly a ghoulish trait. “I just wanted to see how you would react. You got so worried, it was very cute.”

If your eyes could roll further back into your skull, you would be searching for the brain cell that made you fall for his tricks and immediately cussing it out. You huffed in frustration, turning to abandon your efforts before something behind you pulled you back into him.

“Your face was so close to mine, I just wanted you to stay there a little bit longer.”

Your brow furrowed as you looked over your shoulder to see what pushed against your back, only to find a strong tail with white fur at the end. Having never interacted with many ghouls before, this in itself was a bit of a shock. Nevertheless everything else that had just happened in the last hour. People simply do not have tails!

But he wasn’t really a person at the end of the day. Was he?

[Next]

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Silent Hearts // [Part V]

Pairing | Cowbell x reader

Word count | 3.6k

⚠️ Warnings | Canon divergence, f!reader, Y/N is used. Ghouls locked in cages. Talk of ghoul mates. Sister Imperator is a bitch. Should be okay otherwise? TW for a very brief mention of blood? Lots of backstory in this one....

Chapter Summary: You decide to ignore Mountain's warning and sneak off back to the cemetery to confront Felix. However, you end up finding answers in the most unlikely of places... [pt.2]

A/N: Posting early cause I have it finished - happy early Ghostober fellow Ghesties!

This is part 2 continuing on from where we left off. LOOOTS of lore for Felix in this one. I'm sorry, I hope it's interesting. After this will be some much needed fluff okay? I promise! xoxo

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“No need to be afraid, little one. I am no one to fear.” 

The male voice spoke calmly as metal chains scraped against the ground, signalling the creature's movement. “Come closer, I cannot see you.”

“N-No thanks,” you stuttered, about ready to bolt for the door. Felix said I’d be safe down here, the fucking liar. You were about to die and it’s all his fault. Maybe he really did hate you?

“You’re injured. I can help.” It spoke.

Your brow furrowed as you looked down at your leg. The blood was now starting to pool in small areas along your thigh, causing it to seep through the fabric of your pants. “How did–?”

“I can smell it,” he explained. “The blood.”

You didn’t know whether to be scared or utterly terrified. But against your better judgement you grabbed the candle that was flickering on the wooden desk and very slowly ventured into the darkness. It only took a couple steps to notice the back half of the room was full of iron bars which stood from the floor to ceiling in square like formations, much like small unfinished rooms. Although, upon closer inspection they seemed awfully small to be anything more than closets at best.

Who in their right mind puts closets in the middle of–?

Your stomach dropped. These weren’t meant to be rooms or closets…

These were cages. 

Most of the empty holding cells were dust covered, much like the boxes you had just been sorting through, with the doors left agape. As if they were waiting to welcome their next victim. The bars themselves had begun to rust, metal flakes threatening to float away at the slightest gust of wind, yet you knew they were still more than capable of doing their job. The only recent occupants of these cells had been the rats who had scurried away as soon as the light from your candle illuminated the ground, disrupting their hiding place.

You couldn’t help the involuntary look of disgust that crossed your face as you saw them run away before you suddenly felt like you were being watched.

“They really aren’t so bad once you get to know them,” the same voice said, but projecting much louder now you had gotten closer to where he was hiding.

You turned your head in the direction of where you heard him speak, cursing the candle for not lighting more than a foot in front of you. Being so far underground meant you didn’t have the luxury of windows to allow the moonlight in, silently protecting you from the things you couldn’t see. Down here, the dark was in charge. As well as whatever lurked within it.

“How much further?” You turned to look back to the entrance you came through, the once bright area around the desk now seemed dim as the darkness curled around you with each step you took further into the room.

“A few steps, little one.” You could almost hear the smirk in the creature's voice. “You are very brave. An admirable trait, yet also a stupid one.”

You halted after his last words hit your ears, now seeing the outline of the last cage which was facing towards you. All the others had been placed along either side of the room, with doors opening outwards to outline the path. However the furthest cell was straight ahead, which marked the end of the road. You noticed this door wasn’t open like the others either. It was locked, bound in chains with wards etched in red and white chalk over the metal bars.

Whatever, or whoever was in there, clearly was never supposed to get out.

You took an anxious gulp as the chains clanked and scraped again, this time very audible. So audible that you could tell it came directly from the back left corner of the cell. 

When you worked up enough courage to look in that direction, you were met with two piercing blue eyes which stared right back at you. The glow of them almost held you in a trance before the metal of his shackles got caught in deep claw marks etched into the concrete at his feet.

It wasn't until now that you noticed this cell wasn’t like the others. The other pens you passed by had dirt floors. Which led you to believe the Clergy knew he was here, and modified this particular chamber just for him.

“Do not be afraid, I cannot hurt you.” The creature spoke with that calm patience he always had. You gulped as you stared at the damaged floor. 

“W-Was that you?” You whispered, fear seeping into every syllable.

“No, child. That was not me,” he spoke moving closer to the thin iron bars that separated you. “However, you know who did this. Someone dear to you.”

Your mind raced as you bent down to study the marks closer. They were like an angry animal's talons that cut straight through the ground. “Did Felix do this?” You muttered to yourself, your own fingers itching to trace over them.

The creature simply chuckled, “No. Try again.”

He was the only ghoul you knew that was supposedly capable of something like this. So, if it wasn’t Felix, no one else could’ve…

Mountain?

The creature’s amused laughter rumbled off the walls as he heard your breath hitch in realization. “Indeed.”

You didn’t want to believe it. You couldn’t. But you had to admit, having a single cell lined with concrete for an Earth ghoul made a bit too much sense. No one in their right mind would try to hold one of them against their will, in a cage built on the very thing they were born to control.

No one in their right might should be trying to trap a ghoul in a cell at all.

While your thoughts raced, you didn’t notice the strange creature had snuck up on you. He was now sitting in front of where you had knelt, successfully giving you quite a fright as his hooded figure was now mere inches away from you.

You jumped and shuffled away, dropping the candle by the bars of the cage in your hurry to create a safer distance. The creature simply extended a long clawed hand through the bars to grab the metal candle holder and pass it back through. Even with the little bit of light it gave off and the candle held so close to him, there was nothing you could see that resembled anything like a face. With the exception of the amused glint you noticed in his two, glowing blue eyes, which had been studying the tiny flame, there was nothing but a pit of darkness under his hood.

“Please, excuse my poor manners. It has been many years since I have interacted with your kind,” he spoke, setting the candle on the ground and turning back to you. “Or anyone, really.”

While your brain was thoroughly spooked, the flickering candlelight helped to make out some features of who exactly you were talking to. He was a ghoul, that much you knew for certain. Dressed in a long black robe which looked to be from Primo’s era. What you hadn't noticed before in your frightened state, was the chain wrapped tightly around his neck. It connected at his waist to another that trailed behind him, much like a harness with a leash. 

As your eyes followed the thicker chain, you noticed this one was not like the rest. In the corner of his cell, you saw what you could only describe as an anchor. Much like you would find off of a ship - and it had to be a large vessel at that, to warrant the size of the spade donning the end.

They had chained the poor ghoul to an anchor. 

It was clearly used as well. You could see the metal had rusted and warped much like it would if submerged underwater for a great period of time. What had happened to this ill-fated ghoul? Who was he?

The creature followed your gaze as you took in his situation. “Don’t worry, it’s not as uncomfortable as it looks.” He tried to joke, but that didn’t change the fact that you were absolutely horrified.

“This is barbaric!” You exclaimed.

“Living up to my name, that’s all this is.” He said, too nonchalantly for your liking. How could he be so okay with this?

“This is all because of your name?” You trailed off in confusion.

He nodded, “Chain. My name is Chain, and you shall call me as such.”

Chain. The ghoul that disappeared?

“Yes, that is me you think of. I did not disappear, the Clergy put me down here out of fear.”

You tried to remember what you had overheard during your first few months at the Ministry. Ghouls were always a topic of conversation for many reasons, both good and bad. “The Clergy said you went feral and killed people, Siblings.” 

“I did no such thing!” His voice boomed angrily, almost cutting you off as it echoed around the empty room. “That is a lie!”

You said nothing, not wishing to anger the ancient ghoul any more than you already had. You both took a breath as he shifted to sit in a more comfortable position. Rolling his shoulders trying to ease the tension.

“I was important once. Feared for the right reasons, but never cruel.” He continued, his voice now closer to his normal, calmer resonance. “I assume Felix feels the same. Alas, he chose the better option. He gets to be free while his actions have damned me never to see the light of day.”

Your head snapped up at the mention of Felix’s name. Chain knew Felix? More importantly - Chain knew him as Felix?

“You know him?”

The ghoul named Chain smiled, fangs poking through that void of darkness which sat cloaked underneath his hood.

“Know him? Little one, we were once kings.” He puffed his chest, his head rolling back as he revered the memory. Anticipating your keen interest, he continued his story. “We were once at the hands of Lucifer himself, made to be the Devil’s personal guard you see. We were built for pure destruction. Unbridled in our abilities to inflict pain upon those he deemed necessary. One day, as fate would have it, the first of the bloodline would call upon his first summon.” 

Primo.

 “Lucifer was delighted to hear of the eldest brothers’ effort to spread his unholy words. When he heard Primo’s call, summoning us to the surface, the Dark Lord chose me to pave the way. Gifting the brother his finest soldier. And being the loyal demon I am, of course I saw it as a blessing.”

He paused to gauge your reaction, only to find your undivided attention. 

“When the day finally came and the portal was open, I was happy to have been chosen. Eager to complete the unholy task I had been given. Felix did not feel the same. He saw it as the Dark One labelling him incapable. And in his streak of rebellion, he abandoned his post by Lucifer's side and jumped through along with me.”

This was absolutely insane. Ghouls were extremely loyal, almost to a fault. And yet, Felix turned his back on Lucifer himself. His creator. You didn’t think that was even possible?

“While he was adjusting to the surface, Felix tried to be good. It was amiable really. To see a ghoul never built with the intention of being compassionate, try so hard to be liked and fit in. The rest of the pack knew he was strange, but none of them knew him like I did. I knew the grudge he held. I never got to tell him that I was only chosen because Lucifer wanted him by his side. Felix was always the better fighter, more ruthless and cunning than I could ever be. He was Hell’s perfect soldier. I was sent to the surface so our dark father wasn’t left without his greatest defender. And yet here we stand.”

You didn’t know what to say. Never in your life did you imagine this was Felix’s story.

“I bet you’re wondering where you fit into all of this.” The ghoul prompted, which earned him a nod. You didn’t trust your voice to speak just yet.

“How much do you know about ghoul mates, little one?” He asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.

“I know you guys have them, but I don’t know anything specific.” You answered honestly.

Chain just hummed and you could see his hood shift as he nodded in contemplation. “Normally, it’s written within our DNA. A ghoul’s mate is like a soulmate of the highest degree. Not bound by your frail human emotions, they are tied to our very being. Our mates are our lifeline, one cannot exist without the other. So, when you find one it’s very special. And you my dear, are his.”

You’re pretty sure you heard your heart stop.

“He will never admit it to you as it’s forbidden, which is why I am telling you this now, but it goes far beyond that. See, when ghouls are chosen for the Devils guard, we are denied such ‘pleasantries’ in order to make sure our allegiances do not waver. That is why we are not blessed with the ability to produce kits, or have mates. Lucifer decides who is to be a ghoul’s other half, so he purposely leaves it out of our genetic makeup.” 

He paused as you rubbed at your temples. This was so overwhelming. 

“But you just said I was his mate? How does he have one if he… doesn’t have one?”

“Ahh, now you are asking the right questions. I am very proud.” Chain genuinely smiles as he notices you subconsciously move closer in intrigue. “We ghouls are all pawns in the Devil’s little game. When Felix defected, he ultimately called himself king. And of course Lucifer did not like that one bit. If I know my master well, the timing of your situation is quite deliberate. For how else could he punish Felix if not by giving him the one thing he can’t have? Not because of the Clergy’s rules, but because you are human. You will die, and he will not.” His voice grows more sinister by the second. “We mate for life, dear one. You may not realize it but Lucifer is dangling you in front of him like a carrot on a string. If Felix’s actions in the Pit were to be his crime, living without you is to be his life sentence.”

Checkmate.

Your head snapped around to the sudden commotion at the entrance of the room. There stood Sister Imperator and Alpha, who had Mountain whining and pinned by the ear. It looked like he had put up a bit of a fight before they got here.

“And it’s one which we plan on expediting. Thank you Chain, your distraction told us everything we needed to know. You will be rewarded accordingly.” Sister Imperator spoke, her voice laced with venom.

You heard the water ghoul quietly thank the Mother Superior and shrink back into the darkness of his cell as you stood to go check on Mountain.

“Mountain? What did he do? He has done nothing wrong!” You tried to reason on his behalf, which only earned you a snarl from Alpha as you got too close. All he had told you was that Felix was his cousin and warned you to stay away from him. Surely that didn’t warrant all of this. He tried to follow the rules!

“Alpha, please. The girl is allowed to have questions.” The Sister spoke. “My dear it came to my attention that you are in violation of the terms regarding a certain ghoul’s banishment? And as such, the punishment is unfortunately clear.”

She had picked up the old scroll which held the terms and rules of Felix’s situation. You silently cursed yourself for tossing it aside earlier as you read the appropriate punishment.

Death.

Your eyes went wide as you backed up a step. Chain hadn’t told you about that tiny detail.

“It’s a shame that you’ll be joining your friends in the cemetery so soon, but I’m sure they would be happy to welcome a familiar face.” She said without too much fervor, as if none of what was happening held any more weight than deciding whether to have turkey or ham at dinner. Meanwhile your brain was in overload.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean to tell them–”

“Shut it.” Alpha snapped as Mountain whined in pain, the fire ghoul’s hot fingertips singeing the middle flesh of his ear.

“Let's go, my dear. Best not to delay the inevitable, it just makes it worse.” The sister smiled and held out her hand, much like a teacher would a child.

You couldn’t even grasp words by the time you reached the top of the steps. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. The next thing you knew, you were standing back outside, facing the very cemetery you were about to be the newest resident of. 

You didn’t notice how Mountain kept pleading for your forgiveness as he was dragged alongside you. Or the way the Sister was trying to comfort you, and explaining that none of this was your fault. ‘You’re just a pawn on the wrong side of an unfortunate game’. 

And sometimes one must sacrifice a pawn to save the rook.

You looked out over the hill at the stars. At least your last night on this Earth was going to be a beautiful one. You just stood there for as long as you could, trying to bring back every happy memory you ever had; gardening with Mountain, singing karaoke with Copia, experiencing Primo’s famous sermons.

I guess the devil wants me back sooner than I thought. I hope I’ve served him well.

You were startled out of your daydream by a voice snarling angrily from the darkness.

“She’s not going anywhere, so I suggest you let her go.”

The tall shadowy figure got closer with every step until the exterior lights of the Abbey illuminated his face for everyone to see.

Felix.

“Ah, ghoul.” The Sister spoke, her body language instantly shifting to a more nervous stance as she attempted to remain in control. Clearly their last meeting had hit its mark. “You know the rules. They are written–”

“Don’t patronize me, Woman. I know the rules very well, I was there when they were fucking written.” He growled and glared at Alpha who had shifted his duties to restrain you at some point during the last few minutes. The ghoul’s strong arm had wrapped around your collar bone and began to tighten with every step Felix took.

“The rules stated anyone who was my mate had to die, yes?” Felix said pointedly, to which the Sister nodded in agreement. “Y/N never agreed to be my mate, nor did she know what that even meant until now. Unless things have changed, we never completed the mating ritual and she doesn’t bear my mark. Therefore she is not my mate, officially anyway, and the rules have not been broken.”

You were so relieved to see him. You worried he was actually mad at you before, but now you know he was just trying to protect you. And if you were being honest, having him defend your life so aggressively right now was kind of a turn on? 

You locked eyes with Felix and it took everything in you not to scream at the strange feeling of his voice filling your head.

Crouch down and run.

You didn’t have to think twice before doing exactly that. You added a good stomp to Alpha’s foot for good measure and slipped under the ghouls weakened grasp before running straight to Felix. 

Alpha recovered quickly and took a hasty step to chase after you before squaring off with Mountain, who was at least 5 inches taller and had already wrapped roots around the fire ghoul’s ankle to keep him firmly in place. At least for a short while.

Once you were safely wrapped in Felix’s arms, his scent brought you an overwhelming sense of peace and safety. You decided you never wanted to be apart from him ever again, Clergy’s stupid rules be damned. The feeling of you pressed into his chest and not literally running for your life like he had implied made his brow lift in amusement. 

“That wasn’t exactly what I meant, but this works too.” He chuckled, still keeping a close eye on the three people behind you.

The Sister was at a loss for words. How did he know what was going on? How did he know where to find them so fast? How did this all go so, so wrong?

Mountain stood defensively between the pair as Felix turned to lead you away from this mess and assuming back to his den. His cousin might have been psychotic and unworthy to the rest of their kind, but who was he to deny Felix the chance of even a few short years with a mate he was never supposed to have? 

As soon as the Earth ghoul knew of the Sister’s plans, he immediately enlisted the help of the groundskeeper to send word to his cousin, and prayed he wasn’t too late. Mountain knew the old man had made close ties with Felix over the years and was the best shot of getting any sort of message to him.

As Felix led you away from the Abbey and back to the safety of his nest, you looked back at Mountain and smiled, whispering a ‘Thank you’ as he watched you disappear into the night. Even if you were tucked under the arms of the enemy.

[Next]

...

Taglist: @cyra-aa @plethora-of-imagines @pandasleepy07

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

🖤 MASTERLIST 🖤

Started: 27/06/24

Last Updated: 26/11/24

Total Works: 10

Nameless Ghouls

Omega

Sick!Omega x Reader

Dewdrop

Perfectly Misaligned // (Dewdrop Blurb)

[NEW!] Deus in Absentia

Alpha

"In the night, I am real..." // (Alpha x Reader) Part I / Part II / Part III

Bonded in Blue // (Sister Emery OC x Alpha)

Phantom

Love, Eternal // (Phantom x Sister!Reader) Part I / Part II / Part III / Part IV

Mountain

A Dark Redemption Part I / Part II / Part III / Epilogue

Cowbell

[ONGOING] Silent Hearts // (Cowbell x Reader) Part I / Part II / Part III / Part IV / Part V / Part VI

Papas

Primo

Bad day snuggle fic with Primo

Terzo

"You're set free..."

IF ANY LINKS ARE BROKEN OR WRONG, PLEASE LET ME KNOW 🖤

I will update this list the best I can when I have active fics being released!

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Silent Hearts // [Part IV]

Pairing | Cowbell x reader

Word count | 5.3k

⚠️ Warnings | Canon divergence, f!reader, Y/N is used. Should be okay otherwise? Grumpy Cowbell?

Chapter Summary: You decide to ignore Mountain's warning and sneak off back to the cemetery to confront Felix. However, you end up finding answers in the most unlikely of places... [pt.1]

A/N: Ok, this was supposed to be one long chapter but I decided to split it in 2 cause I wrote way too damn much. So this is Part 1.

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You appreciated the talk with Mountain earlier this afternoon, you really did. However, you were almost certain you left with more questions than answers, and that wasn’t exactly what you had in mind. You paced through the halls, distracted with trying to process and absorb all this new information. Internally, you were battling with the biggest decision of your life: do you stay and heed Mountain’s warning? Or do you go back to confront the creature that had taken up residence in your mind, the creature that was haunting your every waking moment.

Mountain was a ghoul and Felix’s cousin after all. That means he clearly knows better than you about how serious this situation is, and how dangerous Felix can be. You had very little to go on besides what you had personally experienced, which was less than a day of getting to know him. Therefore taking Mountain's advice was obviously the smartest choice. He knew about his species better than you did, and he clearly knew more about Felix seeing as how the knowledge of Felix giving you his real name seemed to be suspiciously uncharacteristic.

So it was settled, ignoring Mountain's admonition to go find the ghoul would be absolutely insane. 

Yet that’s exactly what you planned to do. 

You knew the Siblings schedules pretty well by this point. You definitely knew the Sisters you roomed with weren’t going to notice if you were gone, you didn’t think a single one even knew your name. There was a brief moment just before midnight mass where everyone would be hurrying to the chapel, that would be your time to escape. The congregation would be too busy chatting and trying to make it there on time, that you could easily pretend like you forgot something in your quarters and sneak away.

You believed it was Primo’s turn to preach tonight since Sunday’s were usually his days. He liked to have his session the same day as the Christians just to feel God's wrath as he delivered his unholy sermons. It made him feel like he was doing something right and was still able to be helpful. You thought it was kinda crazy when he first explained his love for preaching on the Lord’s day, but you’d have to admit, it did make you feel a little more unholy and sinful doing it. That was the whole point, right?

As you finalized your plan, you couldn’t help the slight pang of guilt that washed over you. It pained you to miss out on his teachings since it was the one you looked forward to every week. You were sure it was going to be as wonderful as all the rest, however there were more important things at hand, at least in your mind.

The day dragged on and on. It seemed actually endless. Your chores were as dull as Nihil’s facepaint and you lost count how many times you prayed to whoever was listening to hurry it the fuck up.

Once you had finally reached the end of your daily tasks, you walked quickly through the halls to change out of your normal habit and into some more casual and comfortable attire. As you rounded the corner, you were concerned with everything besides looking where you were going. Which unfortunately Primo found out first hand as you all but knocked over the elderly Papa in the rush back to your room.

“Oh, Papa! I am so sorry, I am not myself today.” You grasped the older man's arm to help him regain his balance, mentally cursing yourself for being so careless.

“Ah, Sorella. I thought you might have been a tornado,” he joked. You genuinely admired the way nothing ever seemed to bother this man. “In a rush to clean up before mass? I’m flattered.”

You quickly tried to hide your look of guilt, praying he didn’t see you immediately cover it up. Faking a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes, you nodded.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You know how much I love your sermons.”

Primo mirrored your nod slowly donning a comforting smile. “My turn to speak is nothing to be excited for. It happens but once a week. If you have others who need your attention, please do not feel you must attend.”

You smiled at his kind words before a flash of confusion crossed your face as he took a step to continue down the hall. He passed by with a gentle pat on your shoulder as he slowly walked towards the entrance to the chapel. How did–?

“Oh, and Sister?” He said, pausing before the doorway. “Perhaps the easiest way to find the answers you seek lies beneath, hm? Not beyond.”

With a slight wave, the eldest former Papa disappeared through the double doors, leaving you standing in the middle of the hallway utterly speechless. What on Earth was he talking about? Beneath not beyond? You knew what answers you wanted, but what answers was he talking about?

You stood in stunned silence for a moment before being engulfed by the growing crowd around you. Everyone had already started making their way towards the hall for Primo’s highly anticipated midnight mass.

With a shake of your head - like that was going to do anything other than give you a headache - you tried to refocus on the task at hand and decided not to overthink the words of a clearly senile old man.

Felix. Questions. Answers. 

Focus.

You continued your journey back to your room. You were right in thinking that no one would notice your odd behaviour. The entire walk up to your quarters you were barely even acknowledged. Normally it might’ve bothered you, but for tonight’s purposes it was perfect.

It took you all of 5 minutes to change out of your regular habit and into one of your self labelled, “cemetery approved” outfits. It wasn’t anything fancy, it was simply an outfit you threw together that was both comfy and warm, yet still stylish. You learnt the hard way during your first few trips that the wind tends to bite after the sun goes down.

I guess it’s not the only thing out there that bites.

The air tonight was no different. It nipped at your cheeks as soon as you opened the door. Perhaps it was because while you were excited to see Felix again, there was also this underlying sense of anxiety and fear that made the crisp wind feel like it cut straight down to your bones.

What if he didn’t show up? Maybe he already moved to some other area of the forest and you’d be left standing at the top of the hill, yelling his name like an idiot. Alternatively, what if as soon as you got far enough away from the Abbey, he was there? Would he track you down and kill you without a second thought? Like the trio from the other night? He did have your scent after all, what if this was all just some sick game he was playing and Mountain was right? What if he was too far gone?

As you walked further away from the safety of the Ministry, you weren’t sure whether the wind was actually freezing, or if your nerves were getting the best of you as your body shivered with every step. Your mind screamed, pleading for you to turn back and find Mountain before you got yourself killed. Yet something in your heart told you everything might just turn out alright? You knew this wasn’t going to be like the movies, and this sense of hope was childish and borderline dangerous. Nevertheless, a thought passed through your mind: 

He never tried to hurt me before, so what’s the likelihood he will now?

As you walked down the path that would eventually lead to the groundskeeper’s house, you stopped before you made it all the way down. The familiar steps on the left leading up the hill would take you where you needed to go, back to hopefully end the confusion where it all began. Before you ascended up the hill, you noticed the lights of the little cottage at the bottom of the hill weren’t on. It was getting pretty late after all so you figured the old man had either gone to mass, or more likely: he’s already asleep. 

Did he even follow our faith? In the few years you had known him, you never thought to ask. However, you couldn’t help but wonder if he knew about the dangerous ghoul living right outside his front door? Surely he would’ve at least seen Felix once or twice over the years, even by accident? 

Starting to get lost in your thoughts, your mind briefly slipped to a darker place. If it was true that Felix needed blood to survive, how come he’s left the groundskeeper alive all this time? He would have been a prime target; the older gentleman kept to the same routine every day, he was predictable and unlikely to cause much of a fight. The man lived alone and was far enough away from the Abbey that no one was likely to hear his screams either. It was a textbook case, the perfect victim.

Your brain churned with all the potential possibilities. At this point, you silently prayed that the lifeless house you saw in front of you was simply an indicator of the older man getting some much needed rest, and nothing more.

The walk up the steep, uneven concrete steps to where the dead rested never got easier. You still huffed and had to take a minute to catch your breath once you got up there. You were rarely here this late, especially during the fall months. Not only was it chilly, but the Ministry put on a lot of events this time of year knowing it was when you all felt closest to the olde one, so you were always kept busy. 

Most of the Siblings thought the stronger connection they claimed to notice during the fall was just because of the spooky atmosphere, but the Clergy knew the truth. The veil between the human world and the monsters below was thinnest during the month of October. It always caused the ghouls to get more rowdy, and some Siblings had even swore the Devil visited them in their dreams, personally guiding them to complete all of his unholy desires.

Personally, you thought it was a crock of horse shit. 

You definitely felt more activity in the cemetery during this time of year, you couldn’t deny that. The lowered barrier between worlds meant the spirits liked to come through and thank you for taking such good care of them. In their own way of course. They didn’t actually rise from the grave and shake your hand. 

Sometimes the spirits would rearrange the flowers you left them to spell out ‘hi’. They would help to keep them alive through the week until you returned, or even make sure they didn’t blow away during a storm. On the odd occasion if the autumn wind gave you a chill, you could even swear you felt the breeze warm a few degrees just for you.

The spirits, however, were definitely not here to do that for you today. The wind ripped through your clothes like they were made of tissue paper, almost like a warning that you shouldn’t be here. It was only the beginning of October after all, perhaps they were still gathering their strength to come visit? Yet, you could’ve sworn it felt colder than what the weather app said it was supposed to be.

Once you got to the top of the hill and caught your breath, you looked around the best you could. The bright half moon was the only source of light you had to illuminate the earth beneath your feet. It wasn’t that you forgot to bring a flashlight, you simply just enjoyed the darkness of the midnight hours. In hindsight though? It was probably a stupid idea to be searching for a literal killer without one. Especially someone like Felix, who had known darkness his entire life and learnt to adapt and use it in countless different advantageous ways. It was the only way to survive.

Speaking of Felix, the ghoul was nowhere to be found. At least from the limited selection of your surroundings you could actually make out. A small part of you might’ve hoped he would’ve been waiting there, leaning against the headstone like before with his signature cocky grin. Alas, that was all it was - a mere hope.

Your eyes had adjusted to the dark the best they were going to as you squinted to look towards the forest, not exactly sure what you were hoping to see. A ghoul shaped shadow perhaps? There was a rustling of leaves off to your right and you took a couple hesitant steps towards the sound.

“Felix?” You called out quietly, not completely convinced whether you wanted to hear a reply or not. More leaves swayed and branches crackled as something definitely moved through the dense thicket in front of you.

“It’s just me,” you tried, your voice a little more confident as it carried further towards the trees. “I was hoping we could talk?”

Two yellow glowing dots appeared about four feet off the forest floor, reflecting the faint light of the moon like a pair of eyes staring back at you. Surely that couldn’t have been him? He was much taller than that, unless he was crouching? Or hiding? What did he have to hide from? He was the apex predator around here. Wasn’t he?

You started walking closer to the edge of the trees so you didn’t have to yell and draw any unnecessary attention. Not that anyone but the groundskeeper would be able to hear you anyway, but you weren’t about to take any chances. You were already out here alone, after midnight, and without Mountain as an escort.

“Felix?” You called out before missing a branch that ended up under your foot as you took your next cautious step. The snap reverberated and echoed off the trunks of the trees and the creature immediately flinched, scattering further into the forest much faster than you knew you could follow. You tried yelling out for it to come back, but it was futile.

With a huff you turned around and decided this entire idea was stupid. Felix was probably long gone. Besides, if that was actually him in the bushes just now, he obviously had no intentions of wanting to see you again.

“If you came back just to scare off my dinner, I’d kindly ask that you didn’t.”

You stopped in your tracks. So he was here. Your head snapped around trying to see where he was, but still couldn’t find him.

“Where are you?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

It kind of did matter? You’d preferably not like to end up as his main course now you apparently scared off his appetizer.

“Can you please stop being so cryptic so we can speak face to face?”

In the few words he said, you noticed his tone lacked that confident snark that you grew to love in your short time together the night before. Tonight it carried more weight, it was still gravelly but it was too soft. Every word simply floating away like nothing he could say had any importance.

When you did manage to find him, Felix had been sitting a few feet down the backside of the hill - which in the daytime would have overlooked the large river at the bottom. You took up a seat beside him but made sure to give him plenty of space. Even the way he was sitting looked off, like he hadn’t slept in a week and someone just told him he had 2 days left to live. 

Simply put, he looked awful.

“Are… you okay?” You asked, making sure to keep your voice soft.

All you got in response was a low growl, this time not covered by the convenient timing of thunder. It reverberated through your chest like an amp at a concert, the vibrations rattling your ribcage. You had half a thought to move a bit further away before it stopped.

“No,” he grumbled. “I’m not okay. This is just some sick twisted game.” He hadn’t put up the veil over his eyes he normally had, since he was mostly cloaked by darkness. But in the little you could see, they were scarred and hardened, tailor made for violence. You were relieved to not be on the receiving end of his sharp glare, worried he was about to level the forest any second with a single blink. You noticed the light reflected off his long claws that were scraping against his folded arms.

“What game?”

He was the first to draw blood. 

“You.” He snapped, his claws sinking into his skin as his head turned towards you. “You’re the game. Except no matter what I do, no one fucking wins.”

You did shrink back this time, his little outburst starting to scare you. Perhaps you should’ve listened to the wind and turned back when you had the chance.

“I don’t understand…” you all but whispered. Your instincts were ready to jump up and run at any moment, even though it would be futile with how old and experienced Felix was. He would have you in seconds and dead within minutes. Not to mention you didn’t even know what his element was, besides Earth obviously. That in itself was terrifying. 

You saw how Mountain manipulated the small vines and roots in the greenhouse to help the plants grow better, helping them to untangle and settle back into the soil. You could only imagine that on a bigger scale, except it’s Felix using the same technique to trap his prey so he didn’t have to chase.

To trap you.

His voice suddenly snapped you out of your horrific visions. 

“Of course you don’t understand, this is so much more than your tiny human brain could even comprehend.” He sneered. “Just leave, you smell like Mountain and it’s pissing me off.”

What did Mountain have to do with it? Did he really smell that bad? You tried to find out for yourself, pulling your shirt and forearm to your nose but it just smelled like you, and maybe a bit of leftover body wash?

“You can’t smell it,” his voice was low but laced with annoyance.

You sat in silence for a moment, neither one of you even daring to look at each other. However, Felix knew you were keeping an eye on him out of the corner of your eye. 

He didn’t want to hurt you, but he knew if you stayed with him it was only going to bring you both a world of pain. There were rules put in place for a reason, and he knew first hand how much the Clergy loved their rules. Since his talk with Omega and Secondo, everything about his life had changed. His future had changed. Their words rang fresh in his mind, constantly repeating like a binding chant meant hellbent on tormenting him.

Mate. She was his mate.

Felix knew if he ever acted on it, or the Clergy found out, she would be killed without question. Those were the rules. His rules. At first he found it amusing, a mate was the least of his concerns when he first read through the long list of terms outlining his banishment. He was a runt, an outcast. After what he did, there was no way the Devil would grant him the luxury of having a mate, so it seemed silly to even mention it.

Yet… there she was. Sitting 3 feet away from him. 

That rule didn’t seem funny anymore. It terrified him.

He didn’t want to push you away, every fibre of his being wanted the exact opposite. All he wanted to do was pull you closer and never let go. He wanted to tell you everything. Like how he loved the way your eyes were sparkling in the moonlight and the dizzying effect you had over him. All he wanted was to bow at your feet and love you for eternity. He wanted to tell you about how important this whole thing was. Not just to ghouls in general, but to him specifically. 

You were the unholy blessing he was never supposed to have.

Yet, at the same time. It made him angry. He hated the fact that you were human. He couldn’t get over the fact that this was most likely the cruelest form of punishment a ghoul could have. Having to live with the knowledge that you would never be without him until the day you die. Yet he would be forced to live for the rest of eternity without you. 

Ghoul’s only got one true mate in their lifetime. Felix had made a big mistake in the past, a demon playing games with the devil, and this was the devil’s hand.

“Leave, Y/N. Don’t ever come looking for me again.” He growled. 

It brought him physical pain to have to pretend like he didn’t care, but it was for your own good. He refused to be the reason you ended up dead, and this was the only way he knew how to protect you from yourself.

You jumped slightly, not expecting his voice to be so aggressive. “Is this because of Mountain? Cause I swear there’s nothing–”

“Get out of here before I hunt you down and make you wish you were dead.” He snapped his fangs angrily as he snarled. “The catacombs are the only place you can hide, maybe then you can learn about why it’s not safe to pick fights with the devil.”

You didn’t have time to realize how odd that statement was before he chased you off, running as fast as you could back down the hill.

By the time you passed through the doors, you were completely out of breath. You had grass and dirt smeared on your pants from where you tripped in your horrified scramble to not die. You were sure there were more than a few cuts from the branches you slid over which were likely accompanied by a nice ol’ bruise to remember the most terrifying night of your life.

With your back leant against the adjacent wall, you took a few much needed moments to catch your breath. As soon as you didn’t feel like throwing up from the intense involuntary cardio, your brain started to process what he had said.

“The catacombs?”

When you turned to look at the very doors leading down there, you hissed at the stinging pain now radiating from your hip and upper thigh. Why was everyone being so cryptic today? 

Suddenly, you remembered your talk with Primo earlier that night.

Beneath not beyond.

That couldn’t have been a coincidence. There was clearly something down there they both wanted you to see.

You pushed off the wall, the lack of adrenaline now making you aware of your minor injuries, but you still continued to the ancient looking door which had suspiciously been left… unlocked? The Clergy would never have left it unlocked after they left, and they were the only ones who ever went down there.

During initiation we all got a stern warning to never venture beneath the Abbey if we valued our lives. Of course we all thought it was just them being spooky, yet enough curious souls disappeared after exploring to keep the rest of us from even considering it.

Today, perhaps, was your time to disappear.

You couldn’t think like that. You pushed through the warm ache spreading through your right side to open the door as quietly as you could. There were no lights when you got to the bottom, so you had to grab an old candle and some matches that were conveniently left at the bottom of the stairs.

You had no idea where you were going, but from what you could see it was just a normal room. There were a few open boxes full of binders, a couple baskets of Christmas decor (probably for Copia who still liked to celebrate it). For what they called the ‘catacombs’, everything here seemed awfully neat and tidy. There wasn’t even a cobweb laying– er, hanging around.

Walking further into the room, you looked through some of the empty drawers. Ultimately finding nothing that was of any help to your current situation, until you thought you heard a sound? A whistle of air rang in your ear from somewhere around the corner. You didn’t even notice there was another hallway further in until you ventured to find the source. What you found wasn’t anything special, a narrow concrete path with a few steps leading down to a door which was conveniently left ajar. 

Whoever was here last was shit at closing things behind them.

“This is when people die in horror movies because they’re stupid. Except now that’s going to be me…” You joked with yourself to try and calm your nerves. “Please don’t be a scary monster, please don’t be a scary monster.”

You peeked with one eye open as you opened the door the rest of the way. It creaked and groaned but nothing happened. You were still on high alert as you descended further into the secondary basement. This time there were faint yellow lights like flickering candles outlining the path down.

Once you made it all the way to the bottom floor, you could understand now why it was called the catacombs. That's literally what it was. You had to admit it was kind of beautiful in a bit of a macabre way. Large, pointed stone arches shaped the ceiling while the red waxed candles illuminated the tunnel just enough that you didn’t trip over the large stones in the dirt.

No… not stones. Bones.

In your admiration you hadn’t noticed that the “stone” you thought you kicked was in-fact a skull, until you looked down. You shrieked. Your hand clasped over your mouth instantly as you heard your own voice echoing loudly down the corridor, bouncing off the stone walls. If you weren’t terrified enough before, you definitely were now.

You tried to settle your breathing to continue. Your legs wobbled as your brain screamed at you to stop and turn back, but you had to keep going. You forced one foot in front of the other and faced forward, not daring to look down and find out what your foot had knocked into this time. 

Once you successfully willed your legs to carry you down and around the corner, the dimly lit hallway led into a decent sized opening. The candles that had been left burning only illuminated the front half of the room, so you couldn’t see how far back it went as the room faded into a dark shadow. When you looked to your left, you noticed an old desk equipped with a writing pad and quill, much like you would see in the medieval times. It had a candle sitting along the back to illuminate the paper, and a couple of more modern boxes covered in dust were placed on the ground at the side.

When you walked over to investigate, you found the writing pad was empty and the quill was dry. Clearly no one had been down here for a while, not to write anything by hand at least. You turned your attention to look over the stack of boxes on the floor, most were labelled as written records: Ritual records, records of Clergy members, records of old applications - for what exactly, it didn’t say. 

You were mostly interested in the box labelled ‘Summoning Records’. Pulling it out and sorting through the names. Except they weren’t names. They were just elements and numbers.

‘[Fire #1 - Success] [Water #7 - Success] [Earth #4 - Success]’

Alpha, Rain… and Mountain.

You groaned slightly, hating that they never updated the files as you continued to flip through the labels. “They have names…”

You had gotten through them all without any luck of finding Felix. As to not make the trip a complete waste of time, you couldn’t help your curiosity as you opened Mountain’s file and began to read. Nothing was really out of the ordinary from what you could see, until you flipped the page. Your face contorted as you read Terzo’s notes on the origin of Mountains summoning.

‘Feral’. ‘Unstable’. ‘Dangerous’.

Surely not? Mountain was so sweet. He was kind and gentle.

Needing to know more, you flipped the page to find the last handwritten report: 

‘ May 8th, 2017 - Ivy had great success in taming the feral ghoul now known as “Mountain”. Upon observation the ghoul may struggle with English for the time being, but is otherwise competent to swear the oath. It is my personal opinion he be allowed to reside within the Abbey with the current pack and poses no further threat to the Ministry. I will oversee his integration into the Ghost project as Ivy’s replacement and monitor for future concerns. - III ‘

You had no idea Mountain struggled adapting to the surface. He seemed so content and happy? You couldn’t imagine him acting anything like the ghoul Terzo had reported, like some feral animal. It must’ve been another Mountain, right?

As you put the page back, the air caught the next one causing it to flutter to the ground. You groaned as you leaned over to pick it up, your hip not enjoying the bend down but you noticed a box sat aside from the rest, hidden in the back corner. This one was labelled with just a date. No words or headings to indicate what was inside but you wondered if that was really bloody fingerprints smeared across the edge of the lid.

You shifted your seat over to grab the box, the movement of dust off the top making you sneeze as it tickled your nose. When you placed it upon the table, you could have sworn you heard the faint sound of chains clinking in the hidden corner of the room, but you brushed it off as simply hearing things and continued to open it. 

It was such a big box to hold one single report and a weird, ancient looking scroll. You took out the paper report and set the box back down on the ground, leaving the scroll inside. You weren’t worried about it, honestly you thought it got put in the wrong box with how out of place it seemed. The report itself also only had a date on the cover, except it had also been stamped with a red “DANGEROUS” label in the top right corner, complete with what you now can confirm, was a blood soaked thumbprint. It was most likely left there when they stamped the page, but it was old and starting to flake off as you manipulated the report in your hands.

“Maybe it’s about dangerous animals, like… bears or something?” You pondered as you flipped to the first page, more than a little concerned where the blood came from.

You didn’t get too far into the initial outline of the report before the chains clinked again, but this time much louder, causing you to jump in your seat and turn to glance into the unlit portion of the room.

“Hello? Who’s there?” You called out, your shaky voice doing a wonderful job of hiding how scared you were.

“I wondered when this would happen…” 

A deep voice echoed through the room, followed by a hint of laughter crackling off the walls. You shook in your seat, staring horrified into the darkness.

There was a monster down here…

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