#now all four siblings have weird tails

[emuwarum]

AVENDAY!!! I love .her

she may have blown something up but that’s not too important!

[sentientgolfball]

Devotion

Part 1/3 of how Rain and Dew got together and perhaps also their first time

Read here or on Ao3

Word Count: 10k

Summary: Before Dew could become fire he had to make sure the new water ghoul would fit the needs of the Ghost Project.

Behind heavy wooden doors decorated with golden sigils stands four beings dressed in uniform. They have been working all evening for the ritual to come. When the full moon is at its highest point, a ghoul will be summoned. Dew is not entirely sure he is ready for it. He has only been Topside for a little over a year yet once that water ghoul pops out of the circle, he will be a mentor. He swallows thickly, the mask and the cloud of incense making it hard to breathe. He cannot be getting nervous now, this is his idea after all. 

He is the one who went to Sister Imperator proudly claiming he will be the fire ghoul they need. He is the one who twisted the Clergy's arm until they agreed to do the elemental transition, refusing to heed the warning of Delta. He is the one who agreed to wait, just long enough to make sure the new water ghoul is a good fit before he is burned down to his very core to be rebirthed. At the time it seemed like a great deal, he would get to become fire and thus be closer to the Morning Star and all he had to do was make sure the new water ghoul could pluck a few strings. Now that he is staring at the summoning circle though, he is starting to realize he may have bitten off more than he can chew. 

He shifts on his feet, the tip of his finned tail twitching between his legs. He vaguely knows about summonings, he was present for Mountain’s after all, but this one feels different. It somehow feels more intimate, knowing whoever pops out of the Pits will be his replacement. Knowing that he alone is going to be responsible for deciding if they will fit the needs of the Ghost Project; if not the Clergy will proceed with a fire ghoul summoning. He is solely responsible for not just his fate, but the fate of someone he has not even met yet. It makes his stomach churn and he has to fight to keep his fins from flaring. 

He tries to focus on what is happening around him. Anything to take his mind away from how in a few short moments everything is going to change. He watches Omega and the Sibling of Devotion converse as they prepare the necessary ingredients. Salt water, fresh water, rain water, and moon water all ready to be poured over the sigils painted on the floor. Knowing this is exactly how he was brought Topside is a weird feeling. He pictures Mist standing in his spot; was she just as nervous as he is now? Probably not. She was a Ministry ghoul long before she was involved with the Ghost Project. Who knows how many summonings she’s seen, how many water ghouls she’s helped adjust to a new world? Is she angry that he is here instead of her? He hopes not. If he messes this all up he will need her. He always needs her. 

His attention is stolen when the sound of muttering fills his webbed ears. Dew glances to his left to see Cardinal Copia quickly flipping through a gigantic book that looks like it is ready to turn to dust. He looks about as nervous as Dew feels, eyes wide while he scans over the ancient passages. He huffs as he watches him nearly drop the tome. He may not have known Terzo for long, but he still cannot believe this is the best the Clergy has for a replacement. 

Copia must feel Dew staring because he looks up from the book, catching his eyes behind the silver mask. Dew tenses when he closes the book and walks over to him. He offers Dew a weak smile. 

��It is exciting, no?” 

“You look like you’re going to pass out,” Dew says bluntly. 

“Ahah well yes but ehh it is still exciting.” He fidgets with his hands as he talks. 

“Didn’t you summon those air ghoulettes like last week?” 

“Si. Yes I did.” 

“Then why are you so?” Dew gestures to Copia. 

Copia sighs, “the rituals are easy to ehh mess up. I do not think I could live with myself if I accidentally destroyed an innocent being.” 

Dew scoffs at the word innocent, but he doesn’t say anything. There is a long moment of silence before Copia speaks again. 

“Are you not afraid?” 

“Afraid?” 

“Si. I am well aware of your ehh deal with Sister.” 

“Why would I be afraid? All I have to do is make sure the new guy is competent enough to hold a bass,” Dew says with more force than he intended. He does not understand why the Cardinal felt the need to approach him. The longer this conversation goes on the more Dew wants to yell at him to fuck off. He doesn’t need some sweaty human trying to be friendly when there is so much on his mind. 

“Apologies I ehh I suppose you are right. Your task is much easier than mine.” Copia offers him a lopsided smile. 

Dew glares at him through the mask. Easier? What a joke. All he has to do is provide a little blood and maybe say a few words. Dew has to do everything else. Of course he’s afraid. Who cares if the ritual is easy to screw up, it’s even easier to ruin a person. A faulty ritual can be blamed on a number of factors, but a person? Dew would be the only one to blame. Why did he think he was cut out for this? He should not have taken this deal. He should have demanded he be made into a fire ghoul so someone more experienced could be there for this new water ghoul. 

He cannot back out now though. Omega takes a deep breath, the scent of ozone filling the air when he exhales. The moon is at Her peak. It is time. Dew shuffles back into a corner, staying out of the way so the others can work. He is only here for formality. Copia, Omega, and the Devotion will be doing the actual rites. He is thankful really, he has no idea how much help he would be with the moon calling out to his own water. He can feel it responding to Her presence, but he cannot give in. He has to be present. He cracks his neck, eyes following the bustle around the room. 

The blinds that were previously drawn tight are thrown open, allowing the moonlight to stream in. Copia makes quick work of extinguishing the candles in the room so that it’s only Her light. The Devotion steps up to the circle of sigils. In one hand she has a leather bound book, in the other is one of the jars of water. As she begins to read the ancient passage Omega’s voice joins her. He repeats the same words only in Infernal instead of English. Dew’s ear twitches at the sound of the familiar language. It is different from what he spoke when he was in the Pits, yet close enough to make something in him twist. He wonders if this is some type of  quintessence dialect of Infernal or perhaps some ancient form of the language. 

As the Devotion finishes the passage she begins to pour the first jar of water. She starts at the first sigil, letting the contents spill counter clockwise to create a circle. She grabs the next jar from the stone altar, not pausing as she starts the next passage. Omega’s voice continues to drone along with her as sparks of quintessence begin to ripple over his body. She draws the first two lines of a pentagram with the next jar. The process repeats until every last drop of water has been used. Each time a new line is drawn Dew can feel something. It’s heavy. It’s strong. It sits in his gut like a stone at the bottom of a river. He doesn’t remember feeling like this when Mountain was summoned. 

When the last jar is emptied Copia approaches the circle of water. Omega picks up the dagger that had been sitting on the altar. He holds it in both hands, giving it his infernal blessing before handing it over. Like a mirror of who he was moments ago, Copia takes it from him with steady hands. He removes the glove on his left hand. There’s already a cut on his palm, just barely healed over. He brings the dagger to his palm, the edge placed right over the mark. He mutters a prayer in Italian before drawing the blade quickly across his skin. Dew’s nostrils flare when the metallic scent of blood hits his nose. His fangs throb. Every fiber of his being is telling him to go drink his fill, until there’s nothing left. He has to dig his claws into his arm just to keep his head clear. He will not be the reason this ritual fails. 

Copia turns his hand down, letting his blood drip into the center of the water pentagram. Omega and the Devotion finish the final passage as the ingredients combine. It's silent. The only sound is Dew’s breathing from under the mask. They wait. The tension is palpable as the seconds turn to minutes. Nobody moves. 

Copia opens his mouth to speak right as a fat raindrop lands in his eye. He gasps and brings his non-bloodied hand up to wipe it away. He looks to the ceiling as more begin to fall. Everyone in the room begins to relax as the drops pick up in intensity. Everyone except for Dew. Something is wrong. He can feel it. There’s something in the water. Something that’s not supposed to be there. As the shower turns into a storm his stomach churns. He rips his mask off and rushes over to the circle. 

“Close it!” He shouts over the pounding of raindrops. 

“Stay back. An active circle is volatile.” Omega holds an arm against his chest. 

Dew pushes on it, “You have to close it now!”

“Dewdrop why would we—“ Omega’s pupils dilate when it finally hits him. The taste of something else. 

He turns back towards the circle fully prepared to force it closed. But he’s too late. The drops begin to swirl, the shape of a body begins to form. Dew watches with a mix of awe and horror as the ghoul fully materializes. The moment it happens the ghoul falls to the floor. Unconscious. His dark hair is wet and clinging to his face. The bioluminescent stripes on his shoulders and tail are pulsing with each breath. An oceanic variant. His gills are flared, they flutter each time a raindrop hits them. Dew stares at him. He can’t look away. He doesn’t want to look away. He wants to reach out and touch him. He’s so enraptured he doesn’t notice the black smoke spiral that’s formed in the circle. 

He finally looks up when the sound of sizzling fills the air. A smoky hand has reached through, its claws digging into the wood of the floor. A head appears next. Most of its features are obscured by the thick cloud of smoke, but Dew can smell the fear. Omega scoops up the unconscious water ghoul as a torso starts to form. Dew is frozen in place. He doesn’t know what to do as this creature made of smoke takes form. He’s not even entirely sure it’s a ghoul. 

He can hear his heartbeat in his ears as the thing finally pulls itself all the way through the closing circle. His gills flare when its featureless face turns towards him. It takes a step forward, hand extended. Dew doesn’t know if he should try to fight it or run from it. He does know he needs to protect that water ghoul though. He lets the thing approach him, slowly backing away from it. If it keeps its attention on him then maybe the Devotion will have a chance to come up with a way to banish it. 

It doesn’t work that way though. A sharp hiss cuts through the panicked silence. Dew whips his head towards the sound only to be met with a vicious sight. The water ghoul is awake and pissed. Omega is clutching his forearm. There’s blood staining the ghoul’s mouth, dripping down his chin. Copia tries to get to Omega’s side but the ghoul swipes at him when he moves. He snarls at both of them, showing off rows of serrated teeth. 

The commotion captures the attention of the smoke creature. It slowly turns towards the water ghoul and Dew panics. He tries to get its focus back on him; hissing and calling out to it but to no avail. He looks towards the Devotion only to see her back turned. She has candles lit, pouring oil over a small silver plate and muttering something quickly. Dew curses and snaps his head back towards the creature just in time to see one of the residual raindrops drip onto its outstretched hand. It stops moving when it hits, a strangled sound emanating from it accompanied by the sound of sizzling. Dew’s eyebrows raise. 

“You don’t like water do you?” 

He looks up at the ceiling to see it’s still slick from the initial summoning, occasional drops falling. He swallows before closing his eyes, letting his element come to life. He focuses on what energy remains, tapping into it to recreate the downpour. He can feel the pull. He’s never been more thankful for a full moon in his entire existence. He’s not sure he’d be able to do it without Her. He furrows his brow, extending his hand towards the ceiling. When he’s sure he has a hold on the water that remains he quickly pulls his hand down almost as if he was pulling on a rope. All at once a sheen of water splashes down making a loud splat when it hits the floor. 

The creature falls to the ground, the same strangled sound filling the air. It’s barely audible over the sound of crackling, like water poured on sun baked pavement. Dew opens his eyes to see steam rising from its body as it writhes on the ground. His brief moment of victory melts away when the strange sound begins to morph into something more familiar. A scream. Dew watches in horror as the smoke begins to dissipate, revealing the figure of a ghoul. 

He’s not a water ghoul, that’s for sure. At first Dew assumes he’s quintessence, the grayish purple hue of his skin standing out. But then he notices the patches of shimmering gold all over his body. A hybrid maybe? 

He takes a tentative step towards him. He’s still shaking, head tucked between his legs and forehead pressing against the floor. Dew doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but what else is new? He just knows he needs to do something. He crouches down next to his huddled up form. He hesitates for a moment before placing a hand on his shoulder. The ghoul stops shaking, slowly raising his head to look at him. Dew sucks in a breath. His eyes are black and white. He’s not a hybrid. He’s a multi ghoul. 

Is it over? His raspy voice whispers in Infernal. 

Dew doesn’t get the chance to respond because the next thing he knows Omega is yelling at him. 

“Dewdrop move!” 

He turns just in time to see the water ghoul struggle out of Omega’s hold. He launches himself at the multi ghoul, eyes wide and lips pulled back in a snarl. Dew is knocked back, landing hard on the floor. The water ghoul snaps his fangs dangerously close to the multi’s face. He’s only stopped by the firm hands pressing against his chest and shoulders. They struggle against each other for a moment before the multi makes a move. As quick as lightning, he traps one of the water ghoul’s arms against his side. He bridges his hips with a hiss, rolling them over in one smooth motion. He wraps his arms around the water ghoul, keeping him tight to his chest as he flails. 

The multi ghoul’s eyes begin to shift; black and white melts away replaced by yellow and orange. The scent of cinnamon and campfire fills the room as the multi’s fire sparks to life. Dew feels sick. He jumps up, fully prepared to join the fight. 

“Wait.” Omega comes to stand beside him. 

Dew looks between him and the tangle of ghoul on the floor, “What do you mean wait? They’re going to kill each other!” 

“No they are not. Look.” Omega motions with a flick of his tail, hand still tightly wrapped around his injured arm. 

Dew turns to look at them again, stomach still churning. The water ghoul is still struggling, but slowly he begins to settle until eventually he stops all together. He visibly relaxes, resigning himself to the hold of the multi ghoul. The multi doesn’t make a move to retaliate any of the aggression. He just sits there keeping him in the warmth of his fire. 

“What in the absolute fuck?” Dew narrows his eyes. 

“You learn not to question the things that stop a scared ghoul.” Omega shrugs and takes a step forward. There’s a gleam of purple from the holes of his mask. He stares at the two new ghouls for a moment before a satisfied hum rumbles through his chest. 

“Alright Cardinal Copia. They are your responsibility now.” 

“Are you…are you positive?” He looks pale and his hands have a slight shake to them. 

“Quite.” 

He swallows, “Very well then…Dewdrop would you mind ehh…?” 

Dew jumps a little when his name is called. With all the excitement he completely forgot he actually has to do something now. He shuffles over to the ghouls on the floor, staring down awkwardly at them. He offers the water ghoul a lopsided smile before sticking his hand out. The water ghoul sniffs it before taking it. Dew hoists him to his feet. He’s taller than him, more broad. His eyes never leave Dew. He looks at him with an intensity that makes him feel like he’s going to be eaten alive. But there’s also something else in his gaze, something Dew can’t quite place over the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. Curiosity maybe? He’s not sure. He tries to ignore it, he has to at least pretend he can handle his new task. He can’t freak out just because he’s being stared at. 

Dew keeps his eyes trained on Copia as he tentatively approaches. The water ghoul doesn’t look away from Dew until Copia is right in front of him. He looks at the Cardinal with a blank expression, waiting to see what he does next. Dew just hopes whatever it is it doesn't involve more fang. 

Copia clears his throat, “You gave us quite the scare there pesciolino.” 

The water ghoul blinks at him. 

There’s a beat of silence. 

“Ehh heh right…well…I would like to be the one to formally introduce you to the Ministry. You will be joining us in the Ghost Project. Helping spread the Old One’s message, si.” 

Silence. 

Copia shifts, wringing his hands, “Si okay how about a name? A new name for your new life? You caused a rather big storm so…” 

Dew holds his breath. His naming. Sure, he saw Mountain receive his name, but that doesn’t change the fact that this moment carries so much weight. This is a name that will echo through every hall in the Ministry, through every branch of the Church, to every corner of the globe. The Cardinal will offer him the name and he can choose to accept it or not. If not, he will receive a placeholder title until he finds the perfect thing that fits. Names hold power, after all. Dew still remembers how it felt to receive his. How everything just clicked into place when Terzo addressed him. He glances at the water ghoul from the corner of his eye. 

“…we will call you Rain.” 

Something in his gaze shifts when Copia speaks the name. It’s almost imperceptible the way his eyes soften, but Dew notices. He can’t help the little smile that spreads across his face. Rain. Rain. Dew likes it. Rain is unpredictable, it can be a torrential downpour or a soft shower. It’s fitting for the ghoul that lashed out at everything that moved only to be stopped by a hug. A rather violent, unorthodox hug but still. 

“Welcome Topside Rain.” Dew finally turns to look at him. 

“What about me? What are you going to do with me?” The multi ghoul chimes in. He’s still sitting on the floor, propped up on his hands. 

There’s a beat of silence as everyone turns their attention towards him. It’s a unique situation, summoning multiple ghouls at the same time. Though the Cardinal seems to have a talent for it considering he somehow managed to get two air ghoulettes out of one circle. But that was different. Two of the same element can be useful. It’s not exactly difficult to get a second set of keys or find a job around the Ministry if one doesn’t make the cut. A multi ghoul though? It’s unheard of. The only other multi ghouls that exist within the Ministry are the Special and Cowbell. That Chimera is a freak of nature even by ghoul standards. Hiding in the walls, only coming out to roam the halls in the dead of night or when the Clergy needs its assistance. Cowbell is just an earth ghoul for all intents and purposes. He himself did not even realize he was a multi ghoul until he came Topside. 

There is no procedure for multi ghouls. There is no standard. They are rare and unpredictable. 

“I am fully prepared to do a banishment ritual,” the Devotion breaks the silence. 

The multi ghoul’s eyes go wide and he tenses. Dew holds his breath. That decision is up to Copia. He alone can decide whether or not to keep him Topside or throw him back like a fish that is too small. Dew has no reason to be concerned for this stranger, but the Pit is not exactly a kind place. Maybe he did have a good life Down Below, but considering he risked destroying himself to claw through a summoning circle Dew is confident in assuming it was not. 

Thankfully, Copia looks just as disturbed as the multi ghoul at the suggestion. He walks over to him and holds out his hand. The multi hesitates for a moment before taking it. Copia helps him to his feet. Dew stares a little dumbfounded at his size. He’s taller than Aether. Probably close to Mountain’s height when he’s glamoured. Suddenly he does not feel so small standing next to Rain. 

Even when the multi is stable on his feet, Copia does not drop his hand. He looks up at him, a gentle smile on his face. He clasps his other hand overtop the multi’s. 

“We are not going to just get rid of you. If you made it through then you are meant to be here. We will find a place for, si. I can promise you that,” Copia speaks earnestly. 

The multi ghoul returns his smile, relief flooding his features. 

“What do you say? Will you join us…Shadow?” 

He freezes and purses his lips, “Shadow?” 

“Si, a new name for—“ 

“Yeah yeah new name for my new life I heard that part, but I am nobody’s shadow.” 

Dew has to bite his tongue to not laugh at the look of dread on Copia’s face. Rain raises an eyebrow at him. Omega nudges him when he walks past him. 

“Don’t worry Cardinal Copia, this was bound to happen with the amount of ghouls you have been summoning. Not every name can be a winner.” Omega approaches the two. 

“Since you rejected your summoning name you will be given a placeholder until you decide on something for yourself.” 

He turns to look at Omega. 

“You will be known by your element. You are Multi.” 

“And I get to pick my own name?” He asks. 

“Correct. This is just a formality.” Omega confirms. 

He shrugs, “Alright I can live with that.” 

“Welcome Topside Multi.” Omega nods at him. 

With that the two new summons are given their ceremonial robes, a simple garment made of black silk, and the remains of the ritual are cleaned. Four becomes one as each group splits to take care of what comes next. Copia and Multi leave to visit with the Clergy. They need to be informed of the additional ghoul so they can figure out where he fits in. Omega leaves for the infirmary to get his arm patched up. As powerful as quintessence ghouls are, even they can’t fix themselves. The Devotion stays behind to oversee the cleaning. Dew and Rain make their way to the Papal ghoul den. 

Dew speaks the entire time, the need to fill the silence evident with the way he points out every little statue or stained glass window they pass. At this point he has no idea what he is saying, but he couldn’t stop if he wanted to. He glances at Rain occasionally, trying to gauge his reaction to the world around him. His expression remains neutral and Dew takes it as a win, at least he didn’t seem unhappy or scared. 

When they get back to the den it is empty, or at the very least no one is in the common room. Dew can smell one of the air ghoulettes nearby, the citrus and honey tells him it’s the shorter one. Cumulus he thinks is her name. He leads Rain into the hallway, turning down the right side. They walk past Aether’s door, stopping in front of the next one. Dew turns the knob and motions for Rain to follow him inside. 

The room is furnished but devoid of any personality. There is a queen sized bed, desk, nightstand, and vanity dresser. This is the first time Dew has been in here since he cleaned everything out. This used to be his room. It is one of the only rooms in the ghoul den that has a bathtub designed for soaking. The other one is in Mountain’s room and he couldn’t exactly give his up, he doesn’t fit into regular tubs. When the decision to make Dew fire was finalized he had to move out so the new water ghoul would have the ability to soak without having to trek to the bathing pools. It feels weird giving his old space to a stranger, but he can’t complain. Soon enough he will have no use for hiding underwater. 

“So…this is your room. I know it looks super boring right now, but once you start to find things you like you can do whatever you want to it.” Dew floats around the space. 

Rain sits on the edge of the bed, a noise leaving his throat when he feels the plush mattress. 

“Oh yeah, the beds are so nice. Beats sleeping on moss by a long shot. But if you think that’s cool you should check out the—“ 

“You can leave now.” 

Dew snaps his mouth shut when Rain’s deep voice fills his ears. There is a beat of silence as Dew processes the words. 

“What?” 

“You can leave.” 

Dew blinks. He wants him to leave. It’s barely been an hour of Rain being Topside and he already wants Dew to leave. Has he seriously fucked it up already? That has to be a record even for him. If Rain does not even want him around to settle in, then how is he supposed to figure out if he’s what the Ghost Project needs? He swallows thickly, mind racing with what he should do, with what Mist would do. The way Rain’s dark eyes look at him though tells him he should just listen. 

“Uh yeah…well if you need anything I’m uh the door on the right.” Dew just nods and then walks out, closing the door behind him. 

He stands outside of Rain’s room for a moment, letting what just happened wash over him. He sighs and walks to the common room. When he turns the corner he sees Mountain and Aether sitting on the couch. He forces a small smile when they notice him enter. 

“So how’d it go?” Aether asks, scooting over and patting the space between him and Mountain. Dew can tell he’s tense just by the tone of his voice. 

“You patched up Omega didn’t you?” Dew asks as he walks over and settles between the two bigger ghouls. 

“Not like anyone else could,” Aether sighs, “Is he really that aggressive?” 

“No I mean I hope not. He wasn’t as bad as the air ghoulettes, but well you saw Omega’s arm.” 

“Where is he now?” Mountain asks, taking a sip from a steaming mug. 

“He’s just…in his room. Hanging out I guess?” Dew shifts to slump against him. 

“You guess?” Aether raises an eyebrow. 

Dew groans, rubbing his hand over his face, “I dunno he kicked me out the moment he could!” 

The two bigger ghouls look at each other. They stay silent, letting Dew continue. 

“What did I do wrong? I mean his first words Topside were telling me to fuck off.” 

“I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong Dewbug,” Mountain assures him. 

“Yeah,” Aether runs a hand through Dew’s hair, “Summonings are rough and we have no idea what was happening to him before. He just needs to get used to everything. I mean Mountain didn’t even speak until we were halfway to our first show.” 

Mountain rolls his eyes and takes another sip from his mug. 

“So I should just what? Let him be alone?” Dew huffs. That doesn’t seem like something a good mentor is supposed to do. 

“Not necessarily,” Mountain hums, “but at least give him time to settle.” 

He sighs and closes his eyes as Aether’s fingers continue to rub against his scalp. They’re probably right, he just needs to let Rain come to him or anyone else for that matter. He can still recall his own summoning. He was always so on edge, didn’t trust a single person. He didn’t start to feel comfortable until Mist took him out to the lake and swam with him. He still thinks about what they talked about under the waves when he gets stressed. But Rain isn’t him. Maybe he does just need to be left alone and he’ll sort himself out? The thought alone makes something in Dew twists, but he shoves it down. 

“What’s his name?” Mountain eventually asks. 

“Rain,” Dew says, eyes still closed. 

Mountain doesn’t get the chance to respond before the doors of the den swing open, amber and spice filling the air. Dew can feel Aether shift around to look at the sudden intrusion. Mountain wraps an arm around him, pulling him closer with a growl in his throat. 

“And that’s Multi,” Dew supplies, completely unfazed. 

“A pleasure.” He grins at the three ghouls on the couch. 

“Who are you?” Aether rumbles. 

“That little sprite there already answered that question.” He points at Dew. 

Aether and Mountain both turn their attention towards Dew for answers. He shrugs. 

“Copia has a knack for double catches.” 

“He’s new too?” Mountain glances back up at him. 

“Yes. He is.” Another voice rings out. 

Cirrus enters the den, stopping just next to Multi. 

“I cannot believe you let a new summon wander around in the middle of the night by himself,” she snaps. 

Dew flinches, a sudden pang of guilt flaring. 

“Sorry…” he mumbles. He feels like he should apologize. He was the only one of them who was present at the summonings. He just assumed Copia would take things over but it appears he was wrong. 

Cirrus just shakes her head before making her way through the common room and turning down the left side of the hallway.

“You know I think I like her.” Multi’s eyes track her as she leaves. 

The three ghouls stay silent. Dew thinks she’s intense, though he supposes that’s all she knows how to be. He doesn’t know much about her or Cumulus, but he does know that Cirrus used to be the leader of her flock. Up until a week ago she was responsible for the lives and safety of who knows how many ghouls and now she gets a memory foam mattress. He tries not to take it to heart when she snaps, just like Aether told him, but some days it feels personal. Maybe he has a talent for new summons hating him? 

Mountain sighs and nuzzles his face into the top of Dew’s head, “It’s late. I’m going to turn in. Do you want me to show you to your room Multi?” 

He shakes his head and plops down on the loveseat, “Nah. Think I’ll hang out here.” 

“I’m gonna head out too,” Aether kisses Dew’s forehead, “Omega wants me to work the early shift tomorrow.” 

Dew feels a stab of disappointment as both ghouls mumble their goodnights to him. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be with Multi, it's just that he wants the comfort that only those two can provide. It has been a very long and exhausting day and he wants his packmates. Though Multi is his pack now he supposes. But he doesn’t know Multi. Not like how he knows Aether and Mountain. Sure he could follow one of them back to their nest, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He’s too wired from everything that has happened. He would just be alone, replaying the last few hours over and over as the other slept soundly. So he stays put, stretched out on the couch while Multi stares at him. 

“I never thanked you.” Multi is the first to break the silence. 

“Thanked me?” Dew cracks his eyes open to look at him. 

“Yeah back in that room when I was all…” he gestures vaguely at his body, “you saved me.” 

This grabs Dew’s attention. He sits up, turning his body to face Multi. 

“I was trying to kill you. How in the fuck did I save you?” 

“Well I like to think it’s obvious what my strongest elements are.” 

He’s not wrong. His grayish purple skin and the splotches of gold scream quintessence and fire. But that’s where multi ghouls are different from hybrids. They have every element flowing through their veins, not just two. Sure there are imbalances, one or two or even three elements can be more present than others, but still, they are all in there to some capacity. 

“Uhhuh.” Dew nods. 

“Can’t feel my earth and water for shit. Never could, probably never will.” 

“And so you jumped into a summoning meant for a water ghoul?” Dew deadpans. 

“Had nothing better to do.” He shrugs, fang filled grin still on his face. 

“Oh so you’re stupid. That’s good to know.” 

“I like to think of it more as willing to take new opportunities,” he laughs, “but it did hurt like nothing else. Could feel myself falling apart, that is until you dumped all that water on me.” 

It’s silent for a moment as the revelation hangs in the air. Dew shifts in his seat. He’s never been good with praise or gratitude. It always makes him feel like he’s lying, like he somehow tricked whoever into believing he's a responsible and competent ghoul. 

“Well it’s good to know at least one new summon doesn’t hate me.” Dew tries to joke. 

“Who? Rain? Please, that little fishy was all by himself when The Light snatched him. Who knows how long it’s been since he's seen another ghoul?” 

All by himself. Somehow knowing that doesn’t make Dew feel any better. Actually, it sort of makes him feel worse. Rain was presumably left alone in the Pits and even now that he’s Topside he’s alone. Dew has half a mind to knock on his door, just to see if maybe he has changed his mind in the last hour. He doesn’t though. Rain was the one who asked to be left alone. Maybe he prefers it that way? It’s not uncommon for oceanic water ghouls to live by themselves. That would be just great if they happened to summon a loner for a band position. 

“So…how did things go with the Clergy?” Dew asks. He doesn’t want to think about possibilities anymore. 

“You’re looking at an official member of the Ghost Project…whatever that means.” 

“No shit they actually let you join? Just like that?” 

“What? Didn’t think those humans would like me?” 

“It took the Cardinal two days to convince them to let Cumulus actually in instead of just as backup. How the fuck did you manage that?” 

“They offered me the spot and I said yes.” He shrugs, twining his hands behind his head. 

Dew narrows his eyes. He may not know Multi well enough to see his tells, but scent is never wrong. He’s lying. Dew can smell the subtle shift in that amber and spice scent of his. It became muddled. Muted. Replaced with something bitter. But what part is he lying about? Is he not actually in the band? Did the Clergy not actually offer him anything? Dew can’t tell. He is curious though. 

“So…what are you gonna be doing then?” Dew asks. He’ll find a way to pull the right thread. 

“Guitar.”

Dew freezes. What the fuck does he mean guitar? Aether is already on rhythm and Dew is supposed to be lead. He’s supposed to be. That was the fucking deal. Lords Below he is quintessence and fire. He could be either. They wouldn’t get rid of Aether…would they? Multi must sense the shift in his demeanor because the corners of his mouth twitch up. 

“And backing vocals. And whatever else little Cardi needs. Imperator’s words, not mine.” 

Dew relaxes slightly, but he’s still tense. He may have only been here for a little over a year, but even he can tell the Clergy likes to play games. He was there when Terzo was ripped off stage after all. Forcibly removed from the position of Papa for reasons that still are not clear. He would not be surprised if Sister actually did give him a deal. One of the only times Special appears is when the Clergy needs it. Maybe Multi will be the new Special? Dew’s tail twitches at the thought. Dew suddenly does not feel like pulling anymore threads. 

The two sit in silence for a long time, occasionally breaking it with conversations of Dew’s favorite things he has discovered since being Topside. He tries to not let his mind run wild and he begins to find Multi an interesting person to talk to. It’s comfortable. It’s easy. But eventually everything catches up to Dew. His eyes are dry and he swears he can hear his bones creak when he moves. He slowly stands from the couch after the next lull in their chat. He stretches and looks towards Multi. 

“Think I’m gonna go sleep. You wanna be shown to your room now?” 

“Nah I’m fine out here.” 

Dew raises an eyebrow, “You sure?” 

“Positive.”

Dew can see the exhaustion in his eyes, but he doesn’t force him. Maybe he should, but his mind feels sluggish. 

“Well you can pick any room that’s empty.” Dew murmurs before turning and heading down the right side of the hallway. He doesn’t get far though. 

“Hey Dewdrop?” 

He stops, turning around to look at Multi. 

“For the record, this new summon doesn’t hate you.” 

Dew blinks and turns back around. He ducks his head so that his hair falls over his face to hide the smile that creeps onto his face. 

“Goodnight Multi,” he throws over his shoulder. 

He barely has the mind peel himself out of his uniform when he gets back to his room. He does not even bother with braiding his hair like he normally does. He will be annoyed in the morning when he has to brush out knots and tangles, but right now all he cares about is crawling under his blankets and burying his head under a pillow. Once he’s out of his clothes he does just that, forgoing pajamas. Not a single patch of skin is visible in the mess of his nest. The only thing that shows he’s even there is the vaguely Dewdrop shaped lump curled up in the middle of the bed. 

Despite his exhaustion, sleep does not come easy at first. He is almost hyper aware of the fact Rain is just on the other side of the wall. Talking with Multi nearly made him forget about his shortcomings with the new water ghoul, but now that he’s alone it’s all he can think about. He thinks about the possibility that Rain was a loner in the Pits. If that is true Dew is fucked to put it simply. There is no way a loner is going to fit the needs of the Ghost Project. Even if he ends up being a magical prodigy on bass, it completely ignores everything else that goes into it. He has to be constantly surrounded by other ghouls. Not even ghouls from his pack, but others that the Cardinal may interact with. He’s not just a band ghoul. He’s a ghoul that was summoned by a high ranking Clergy member. He has innate responsibility that goes beyond plucking a few strings and showing up to rehearsals. If he cannot perform the more social aspects there is no way the Clergy will let that fly. Dew will not be able to become fire. He hopes to any Lord that is listening that Rain is not a loner and he just does not like him. At least then he can get what he wants, who cares if he’s hated? 

Sleep eventually claims Dew as his thoughts turn silent. For the first time in a long time, he dreams of the Pits. He dreams of what used to be his home. He dreams of the shining lake he was chased out of when he was deemed a hindrance to his school. He sinks down, down, down below the waves, unable to reach the surface no matter how hard he kicks. Just as the light disappears though he blinks and he is in Aether and Ifrit’s arms sitting on the dock of the Ministry’s lake. Both of them are whispering in his ears, but he cannot focus on them. He can only focus on his reflection in the water. It is not him. It is a silhouette with red glowing eyes, staring back at him. He reaches out to touch it. It feels almost familiar. He needs to see what happens. The moment he does the dock disappears and he’s thrown right back into the cold, dark depths. 

He wakes up with a start, sitting up so fast the pillow over his head gets launched across his room. He blinks and shakes his head, brow furrowed as he looks around. He turns towards the window, early morning light filtering in through the blind before glancing at the clock on his nightstand. 

“Figures,” he grumbles to himself. 

Even when he is exhausted he cannot sleep past sunrise. He could try to roll over, burying himself back in the warmth of his blanket nest, but he knows he will not fall back asleep. Once he is up that is it, he cannot go back. He does not know why, maybe it is because he is a light sleeper who knows? All he knows is that it sucks. The only other people that get up this early are the Ministry fire ghouls, called awake by the sun Herself. He knows well enough that Ifrit would rather sit in bed and watch Zephyr sleep than do anything else. He would sooner cut off his own fins than hang out alone with Alpha, so he is used to spending mornings alone. 

He sighs deeply, running his hands over his face before rolling out of bed. The chill of the room is the only thing that reminds him he did not bother with pajamas last night. He digs around in his dresser, pulling out a pair of black sweatpants to head to the kitchen. The den is quiet as he walks through the halls, though he is not complaining. Sometimes it is nice to simply exist in a space without having to make yourself known.

 It is routine for him. He goes to the kitchen to grab a before breakfast snack to chew on in his room while he waits for everyone else to wake up. He could go down to the feast hall or figure out how the stove works, but why bother? He does not like to eat meals alone. He would much rather go hungry. The silence is nice at first, but the longer it stretches the more his skin starts to itch. So he grabs a bag of dried seaweed and turns right back around to curl up and scroll on his phone while he waits. He pauses when he sees Multi still sleeping on the loveseat. He looks uncomfortable. He is sweating and he reeks of fear. Part of him screams to go wake him up, but the part of him that is still half asleep wins. He makes a mental note to prod at him later and heads back to his room with his snack in hand.

When he gets to the hallway though, something makes him stop. It's faint, but he can hear commotion coming from Rain’s room. It does not sound just like he is waking up, it sounds like a struggle. He can hear the sound of his deep voice, though he cannot make out what he is saying. He stares at his door, chewing his lip. Mountain, Aether, and Multi’s voices all overlap in his head telling him the same thing.

 Leave him alone. He asked you to leave him alone. He wants to be alone. 

He should listen. He should just ignore it and walk right into his room. He makes it one step past Rain’s door before turning around and grabbing the handle. He is almost surprised when it pops right open. Thank the Lords Rain has yet to discover locks. The room is dark save for the dim light of the sunrise. At first, Rain is nowhere to be seen and Dew’s stomach flips, but he quickly notices the door to the bathroom is open. He walks over, flipping the light on when he steps through the threshold. 

Rain is on the ground next to the bathtub clawing at his gills. He glares up at Dew, but he can see the panic in Rain’s eyes. Even if the mask was not slipping, Dew can smell the sharp scent of fear in the air. He drops to his knees, coming up beside him. Once he is closer he can see just how dry the skin around his gills are. He can see dots of blood where the skin is cracked. The sight makes him feel sick. 

“Shit fuck okay hold on just hold on.” He reaches up to turn the faucet on. 

The moment the water sprays out Rain practically leaps forward. He crawls into the tub, sticking his head under the running water so that it covers his gills. Dew can see them flare and pulse as he sucks in air. How could he be so stupid? Rain is an oceanic water ghoul. He has never existed out of water before. Dew did not even think to explain that he needs to soak. It is second nature to him as a freshwater ghoul. A ghoul designed to live on both land and water. He let something so important slip his mind and now Rain’s gills might be damaged. He really has fucked up in record time. He swallows. He needs to fix this. He needs to get out of his head and actually be there for this ghoul. 

He sits up on his knees, reaching into the tub to plug the drain. Rain’s hand darts forward, grabbing his wrist. Neither of them move. He keeps his head down under the faucet and Dew just stares at him. He can feel his claws prickling against his skin. Dew cannot pull away even if he wants to lest he shreds his own wrist. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest, pushing down every instinct he has. After what feels like an eternity, Rain slowly lets go of Dew. He still does not look at him though. When he fully drops his hand, Dew plugs the drain. 

“Now you can soak,” Dew mumbles. 

At the sound of his voice, Rain turns his head. Dark blue peeks out from behind wet strands of inky black. His eyes search Dew’s face and that feeling from the summoning room returns. He still cannot place it, the look he gives him. It makes him feel like the rabbit locking eyes with the wolf moments before the chase begins. He is not confident he will survive if Rain decides to spring. But he will not run. If this is what it takes to become fire then he will do it. He will prove his devotion. 

When the water is high enough to lick against the gills on Rain’s abdomen, he turns his attention away from Dew with a noise of surprise. He leans back in the tub, resting against the cool porcelain with his knees to his chest. Dew does not think he has ever seen a ghoul so big look so small. They sit in silence, the only sound filling the room is running water. When it’s high enough Dew flips it off. He wants to talk to him but he has no idea what to say.  He picks at the grout in between the tiles as a million things race through his head. Should he apologize? For what? Leaving when he was asked to? He cannot exactly ask how his first night was, it is pretty obvious given they are in this situation to begin with. Even he is not stupid enough to ask about his life in the Pits. That is a story he has to tell on his own, if he ever tells it. 

He keeps tracing the lines of the tiles with his claws until something catches in the corner of his eye. The bag of dried seaweed. He completely forgot about it when he saw Rain’s condition. He flicks it with his tail, pushing it close enough to him that he can grab it. He can feel Rain’s eyes on him as he struggles to open it. 

“Stupid fucking,” he mutters as he tries to pull it open, “forget it.” 

He puts the corner of the bag into his mouth, tearing it open with his teeth. When he looks up again Rain is right at the edge of the tub peering at him with big eyes. Dew nearly jumps at the sudden proximity, Rain’s face about only a foot away from his. He can see his nose twitch as he scents the air. He looks between him and the bag before tentatively extending it to him. 

“Want some?” 

Rain mirrors him, looking between Dew and the bag a few times before hesitantly reaching forward. He takes a handful before pulling back, putting a bit more space between himself and Dew as if he would suddenly change his mind about sharing the food. He watches Dew stick some in his mouth before darting his tongue out to taste it. Dew has to fight back a smile when he sees his pupils dilate. Maybe he can coax him out of his self isolation with food? He’ll have to beg River and Lake to catch some fish for him. And then beg Mountain to cook it. He thinks it would be worth it just to see any expression on Rain’s face other than a snarl. He wants to know what he looks like when he smiles. 

The thought catches Dew off guard, makes him pause. Who cares if he ever smiles as long as he can hold a bass? That is all Dew needs right? That is all he thinks he needs, but sitting here staring at Rain without his hair covering his face as he tries Topside food for the first time something else blooms. He does want to see him smile. He wants to see him laugh. He wants to see him comfortable. He does not just want him to be his replacement, he wants Rain to be his friend. Suddenly he cannot live with the idea that Rain hated him the moment he stepped out of the circle. Unfortunately Dew has never been great when it comes to his emotions so he ignores it. He has too many things to worry about and one of them does not need to be if Rain likes him or not. 

He is pulled from his thoughts when a deep voice fills the silence, “Why did you help me?” 

“Huh?” Dew blinks. 

“Why did you come back here to help me? Why are you sharing your food with me?” 

How the hell is he supposed to answer that? 

“I…heard you struggling and I got concerned. What type of ghoul would I be if I let you die the first night you’re here?” He tries to keep it light, almost joking. 

“A smart one.” 

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not.” He pauses when he hears himself. Rain raises an eyebrow at him. 

“That’s not what…nevermind. The point is you’re Topside. You don’t have to fight to survive anymore. You have a pack now.” 

It’s subtle the way the corners of his eyes soften, but it is there. He still looks tense, but Dew does not expect him to magically adjust just because he was a decent person to him. As long as he does not try to claw or bite anyone anymore Dew will take it as a win. 

“Can I have more of those things?” Rain eventually mutters. 

“All yours.” Dew hands him the entire bag. Rain does not take it at first though. “Seriously, it's fine. The others should be getting up soon so that means breakfast.” 

With the affirmation, Rain takes the bag from him. They sit in silence while Rain eats, but for once Dew does not mind. It gives him a chance to think. He needs to find the thing that will actually help Rain. Mist did that for him. He can do it for Rain. Maybe he should take him to the lake. Although River and Lake are usually out there and something tells him throwing him out there with more random ghouls probably is not the best idea. Why is this so hard? He taps his claws against the tiles, trying to come up with literally anything. All the while the scent of cooked meat slowly filters in. Mountain must be up. Maybe he can help. 

Dew stands, stretching his back with a pop that makes Rain visibly cringe. He eyes Dew with that unfamiliar look, “You’re leaving?” 

This takes him by surprise. Clearly Rain does not like other ghouls, and now he is concerned where Dew goes? 

“Uhh yes? Was gonna go see what’s cooking.” 

They stare at each other for a moment. Dew flexes his fingers. He might as well take a chance, what’s the worst that could happen? 

He extends his hand, “You can come if you want.” 

“The other ghouls will be there too won’t they?” 

“Yeah. Well. It’s early still so it will probably just be Mountain for a bit.” 

Silence. 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. No one is gonna make you.” 

Rain nods, pulling his knees back up to his chest. 

“I can…bring you a plate? If you want?” 

He nods again. 

Dew smiles a little, “I’ll be back.” 

He leaves Rain’s room, shutting the door behind him before heading to the kitchen. Multi is awake now, no longer on the loveseat. Instead he is sitting at the table watching Mountain who is staring down at the pan in front of him with his arms crossed, spatula in hand. 

“Hey little sprite,” Multi greets when he sees him. 

Mountain blinks, looking up from the stove when he hears him, “Morning Dewbug.” 

He hops up onto the counter, nuzzling against Mountain’s shoulder, “What’re you making?” 

“Sausage and potatoes.” He replies as he presses the spatula down against the meat, sizzling growing louder as he does. 

Dew hums, “Can you make me two plates?” 

Mountain cocks an eyebrow, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. 

“What? Am I supposed to let the new summon starve?” 

“Oh the little fishy let you back in?” Multi chimes in. 

“Yeah…something like that.” 

“Few more minutes and it’ll be done. I made extra so bring him as much as you want.” 

Dew stays sitting on the counter, legs idly swinging while he zones out. Mountain and Multi are talking, but he does not pay attention to their conversation. He is not really paying attention to anything, letting his stream of thought flow. He is only snapped back into reality when Mountain nudges him. He blinks and shakes his head, eyes flicking up to meet Mountain’s. 

“Foods ready.” 

Dew can see four plates dished out and sitting on the table over his shoulder. Multi is already digging into his. Dew smiles. 

“Thanks Mount.” He presses a kiss to his cheek and hops off the counter. 

He takes the plates from the table, wincing a little at the heat. He carries them back to Rain’s room, using his tail to open the door. He is surprised to see Rain out of the bathtub. He is sitting on the edge of his bed, hair still wet. He looks tense when the door first opens, but he minutely relaxes when he realizes it is Dew. 

“I know it’s not fish, but it’s meat. I know it’s weird but trust me it’s so fucking good.” Dew hands one of the plates off to Rain. 

Dew takes a seat at the desk, turning the chair around so he can face Rain. He hopes he will eat it. He remembers when he was first summoned he refused to eat anything besides the bag of raw shrimp he found in the bottom of the fridge. It took Mist weeks to get him to try something else, something that was not seafood. He watches Rain eye the sausage, poking at it with his claws before picking it up and sniffing it. He takes a bite and visibly grimaces. Dew is sure he will spit it out, but he just chews it slowly. 

“You don’t have to eat it. I can ask Mount to make you something else,” Dew assures him. 

Rain shakes his head, “No it’s…fine. I can eat it.” 

Almost as if to prove his point, he scoops up some of the potatoes and pops them into his mouth. Thankfully he does not seem to have as much of a visceral reaction to them as the sausage. Dew wants to say something, but he also does not want to push his luck. It is amazing Rain did not just kick him out once Dew turned on the tub for him, so he is not going to test his limits. As long as he does not get sick Dew is happy. He will ask Mountain to make something special for him when dinner rolls around. Maybe he will even ask him to make his favorite smoked salmon dish. He is sure that is something Rain will like. 

“What happens to me now?” Rain eventually asks as they both eat. 

“Uh well we have a week before you have to start rehearsal? I think? I didn’t really pay attention so in the meantime I guess you just…hang out?” Dew has the sudden realization that perhaps he needs to learn how to plan ahead. 

“Rehearsal?” Rain cocks an eyebrow. 

“Yeah I mean that’s why you were summoned. To play bass for the Ghost Project.” 

“I was summoned. To play human music. In a human band. Summoned from Hell itself to be in a band.” 

“Well when you put it like that it sounds crazy.” 

Rain blinks at him. 

“It’s really not so bad,” Dew shrugs, “I think it’s really fucking fun.” 

“You’re in it too?” 

“Yeah I…used to play the bass.” Dew can feel the fins on his arms twitch. Technically he is not wrong. If Rain is deemed worthy then he will have no reason to ever pick up a bass again. 

“Used to?” 

Dew nods, “Can’t do it anymore so they uh they summoned you. I’m here to help you get used to it.” 

It is that he doesn’t want to talk about his planned elemental transition, it is more so he does not want to burden the new summons. It is bad enough dealing with Mountain, Aether, Ifrit, and Zephyr, he does not need people he barely knows pitying and worrying about him too. If he just never mentions it then he will never know how they look when tears fill their eyes if something goes wrong. He knows he will be fine, but if his time with them is brief then he only wants to know them with smiles. 

Rain hums, “So those other ghouls. They’re in the band too?”

“Yeah. Everyone in the den has played at some point or another. Mount and Aether are still in it,” he pauses, “and I guess those two air ghoulettes and that multi ghoul as well.” 

“Him?” 

Dew nods. 

Rain scoffs but does not say anymore. Interesting. That is going to be something he digs at when he is not so afraid of being kicked out again. 

The two talk for a while longer, empty plates long forgotten. Though, it is mostly Dew speaking with introjections from Rain every now and then. Dew ends up suggesting he meets the rest of the pack, but Rain is quick to shoot that down. Instead, they settle on something much simpler. A tour of the Ministry. They both get dressed after Dew steals some of Mountain’s clothes for Rain and they head out. He really cannot say if he is cut out for this whole mentoring thing, but watching Rain’s face fill with wonder as he shows him around makes something swell in his chest. He is more than happy to be the one Rain falls to. 

[skele-bunny]

I've escaped containment again

Murder ghoul rainy pretty please? /Silly

By The Water. (CW) Rain/Swiss

CW - Death, Light Gore, Gore in Genitals, Vagina Dentata (Teeth Vagina)

Tags: Murder Ghouls, Sexual Content, Seduction for Death, Mute!Rain, Trans!Rain, Tentacle Dick, Rain has weird anatomy

Characters: Rain, Random Named Sibling of Sin, Swiss

(Divider by @ wrathofrats !)

When you have nothing better to do, the first thing the body tends to do is wander. Sibling Ali wasn't spared from that boredom. Looking down as they kicked a rock along the gravel path leading to the gardens, anger still festered from their previous punishment from earlier. Ignoring a summons led to detention, the sixth time this week for them. Ali's feet led them to their own accord, hands stuffed into their pockets and trying to ease themselves.

The path led three ways once exiting the garden. The graveyard, the forest, or the lake; Ali going to the lake as the kicking of rocks had suddenly become more interesting when water was involved. Leaning down, Ali had begun to skip rocks near the shoreline, no thoughts playing in their mind as they opted for their distraction. About the sixth rock in, Ali's attention had diverted as something on the other side surfaced, but only for a brief moment before dipping down again.

Curiosity had gotten the best of them, slowly walking around. It wasn't uncommon for water ghouls to be found lurking underneath, if anything, it was recommended to leave the moment one was spotted. Advised to never enter alone unless other ghouls or siblings were present as they were listed as silent killers. As Ali finally got to the other dock, that same flashed resurfaced fully to the wood above, a hand combing through dark hair. Ali was breathless as they admired fins down the ghouls back that practically reflected the light into their eyes. Their foot scraped the gravel again, making the ghoul to turn around instantly before covering their unmasked face.

"A-Ah! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... Ya know... Walk over to you while you were— Uhm..." Ali trailed off, starting to slowly walk backwards only to stop as the ghoul slowly turned around again.

Hands still covered their face but an eye, full of confusion. This sibling wasn't... Scared? Ali got the question quickly, now rubbing their wrist with nervousness.

"No, I don't mind... If anything, I think it's stupid they make you all be masked twenty-four-seven." They shrugged. "Besides you're swimming so it wouldn't make sense to wear one."

They watched with a soft blush as the ghoul slowly lowered their hands, giving a small smile before turning fully. Their blush had quickly deepened and spread, staring at the ghoul presented before them. Their face was rounded yet still sharp, black and wavy hair reaching their shoulders, white scales littered underneath soft blue eyes that seemed to speak despite their lips never parting. Curious, just as much as Ali was.

The ghoul turned their shoulders, Ali clutching their pants leg tightly as the water ghoul's perked breasts came into view. They had sat in a way to purposely extenuate their chest, tail still in the water that swayed back and forth. Angelic was the only thing Ali could think to describe it.

A tap to the dock got Ali to look, seeing the ghoul patting the spot next to them. An invitation.

Once more, Ali's feet moved on their own accord, slowly taking off their shoes and socks once they got near—sitting on the edge and letting their feet graze the water below. The ghoul purred, smile still soft as they looked over the human with just as much admiration Ali had. They let out a small roll of their tongue, commonly known as a 'trill' Ali had been taught it was called.

"Sorry, I just..." They swallowed hard. "You're really pretty... I'm normally more put-together than this. I've never seen one of you beneath the masks before."

Shoulders bouncing, the ghoul began to silently laugh, and in return their chest bounced which caused Ali's eyes to flicker down before returning back up. The ghoul leaned over some, hand lifting to slowly caress down Ali's face, claw delicate as it tapped at a mole.

With their hand fully cupping Ali's cheek, they held eye contact with shaking breaths. They stared at one another before a gentle pull began, Ali leaning over until their breaths mixed and a gap was closed. Now, Ali knew ghouls were sexual creatures and it was perfectly fine to consummate with them, but it was still their first time even being alone with one. They pulled back, covering their lips and giggling nervously.

Once again there was that smile, Ali hesitantly giving one back before feeling a different type of pull—internal—to lean forwards again but not kiss. Just barely grazing. The ghoul was pressed against their arm, eyes going down to their chest again.

Ali admired what sat next to them, breasts moving in time with breathing, a belly button piercing just before skin turned to scales. There was even a small slit that opened some, a single drop of slick making it's way out and over the ghoul's side. Ali watched as their hand was grabbed and placed delicately on the slit, the ghoul making a rubbing motion before letting go—the sibling still making the motion and looking with awe as the slit opened more and their fingers sank inside.

Their other hand was grabbed and moved to the closest perked breast, groping as if it was second nature. The ghoul leaned into view again and their lips became intertwined, Ali working both their hands in almost a sync with their mouth. They could feel the ghoul's hands touch their waist, body shivering and slick protruding more from their slit.

Was this how water ghouls mated? A slit in their tails? Ali curled their fingers up and watched the ghoul tremble more, hands gripping tighter as their hips twitched upwards.

Tongue pushing in, Ali opened their mouth for the water they still didn't have the name of, feeling them laying down and Ali following—legs going over the ghoul's waist as a hand went down their pants as well. Wet fingers went over equally wet folds, Ali trembling beneath their touch and starting to rock their own hips downwards. The hand on their waist tightening as their tail hit against the water, showing their ever increasing excitement.

Circling Ali's twitching nub, the ghoul let out another trill as their tongue retracted, breathing heavier before lifting their head to kiss again. Ali quickened their fingers in the ghoul's slit, watching and feeling them become more slick and twitch further up. This was serenity and everything Ali could ever think of as the ghoul moved from their mouth to kiss down their neck. For a moment, Ali had wanted to laugh at the advisories.

Wanted to.

As the ghoul got to their jugular and trilled louder as they orgasmed, teeth had sank in immediately, and before Ali could even make a noise their bodies had rolled into the water right next to them. From above, clothes could be seen drifting to the surface along with red liquid staining against soft blue of the water.

It was only two hours since Rain had left out, Swiss waving over the couch as they heard the den door close and wet footsteps follow. The multi hummed, turning from his video game as Rain leaned over the side for a kiss. Instantly, Swiss' eyes contracted to slits, pulling back after a second to whistle.

"Well hello to you, too. Giving poor, little, helpless me some leftovers like a baby bird?" He teased, quickly glancing to pause his game before watching Rain come around the couch to sit on his lap.

His white button up was soaked, showing his chest and even a bruise forming on his stomach. He brought his hands up, "Maybe. Beelzebub knows you can't fish to save your life."

"Ohh, you're so mean to me!" Swiss laughed, leaning forwards for another kiss.

Rain purred, bringing his claws up to gently comb through Swiss' afro, sighing as his mouth went to his neck to lick in his gills. He held Swiss there as his body welcomed the true pleasure rather than the fake he had been giving all day.

"Bet they didn't touch you right, did they baby?" The multi mumbled between his sucks, hands reaching under to grope Rain's ass.

A groan came from the water, letting Swiss pull back so they could sign again—frustration showing.

"Out of all three of them, not one got my clit out. That's how terrible they are."

Swiss flopped the wet ghoul onto the couch, not caring as Mountain would whine at the soaked cushions since Rain hadn't dried off. "My poor princess... Gotta fix that, yeah?"

Rain nodded eagerly, letting Swiss unbutton his shorts and pull down, whistling again and starting to laugh. Besides being commando, Rain's teeth had made itself known while still closed tightly but a finger poked out, making him hum as he touched over the exposed bone. Swiss gently scratched at Rain's taint and watched the teeth slowly open, grabbing the finger out—admiring the pink nail polish he'd recommend to Sunshine later—and putting it in his own mouth. Rain rolled his eyes but face still flushed in embarrassment as he hadn't even noticed the part still inside him.

Once the teeth had completely covered back in, Swiss spread Rain's fold with his thumb, dragging up and rubbing at another tiny hole.

"See," Swiss adjusted the finger in his mouth before biting down to break the bone, talking with his mouth full. "They can't even get your clit out... But I can get our lovely lady out."

As if simply being mentioned was a summon, Rain's tentacle lifted out of the hole, wrapping around Swiss' hand and sucking on his palm. The multi looked up to see Rain's head tilted back, trying to catch his breath as the relief he desperately needed filled had finally started. Swiss stroked his tentacle, leaning down to suck at a nipple poking out from the shirt, feeling Rain's legs go around his hips and pull him close.

Popping up once more before he delved back down, Swiss groaned. "Don't you worry. I've got you, princess. Gonna put em' all to shame for you."

A loud trill came from the couch as Swiss squeezed his hand and closed his teeth around Rain's nipple.

[stealingyourspins]

So if the first Spinjitzu master was the child of a dragon and oni, would it be so far-fetched for the other masters to be dragon children too? Especially with how wonky they are with the timeline.. Like the parents that fought with Wu are probably at least in their 30’s-50’s when the ninjas are born?? Idk I just like to think they’re long lived too.

Or, in which Kai’s self esteem/abandonment issues act up, leaving him feeling unneeded. So dragon puberty combined with getting sick with some fire elemental specific flu decides to throw him into a loop and force himself to be the one cared for, for once in his life. 

-

Kai hasn’t been in a good mindset lately. His siblings don’t seem to need him anymore. Lloyd is (mostly) all grown up and Nya is now a warrior in her own right. He doesn’t have to work in the forge or scrape for odd jobs just to put food on the table. They have a better home than he ever could have dreamed of. They have an allowance. They have a parent guardian that does all the things he shouldn’t have had to do in the first place.

It’s just, the others all have such useful talents. Zane can cook, strategize, and do incredible robot things. Cole had super strength, climbed cliffs like a spider, and was a natural with animals. Jay and Nya could build just about anything they can think of, and Nya always said that his own smith work was shoddy at best. Lloyd was the actual chosen one.

What was he good at other than burning things down?

Kai thought he was past this, past the need to snap out at others and do things alone. He was the last to join the original team. The other three were probably training together for years before he was brought in just because Nya was kidnapped. His entire induction was a trial by fire. It’s just far too easy to fall back into old habits sometimes…

His village was rustic and poor, so far in the outskirts that they didn’t have electric power or indoor plumbing. Nya learned to read before he did,(he still had trouble with it) insisting on her staying in school while he spent all day scrounging up any money he could. Whether from quick jobs or quick fingers. Food was hard to get as a six year old, let alone learning to use the forge with what little he could remember dad teaching him. He had street smarts and improvisation ingrained into him. Thinking on his feet and jumping into action so they could survive another day.

His mood was making him slip, he knew it was but he couldn’t stop it. Sparring against Jay always got him riled up, with all the verbal jabs at his sore spots that normally he could brush off and banter right back. Today he was just angry. Not just his temper but his body feels weird too. Restless, frustrated, sluggish, sore. His skin felt too tight and his muscles ached. His gut and lungs were clogged with soot. His head swims in fog.

Another miss had him slamming into a pillar. Everyone on the side chuckled and it made his chest burn hotter. Kai’s throat rumbled with a growl, a breath of flames licked over his teeth as he abandoned his weapons, loped forward on all fours and pounced, knocking the stunned blue ninja to the ground where they grappled and flipped and rolled through the dust.

Kai’s head lunges forward, teeth snapping together just a second too late to catch an arm. An electric kick to his stomach sends him flying back. Rolling tail over head once, then digging fingers and toes into the dirt till he slides to a stop. Crouched low to the ground, hissing and tensed to pounce again before something black and heavy jumped on his back, wrenching his arms behind him and pinning him in an unbreakable grip.

Kai kicked and screamed and flared his flames against stone skin until falling limp under Cole, exhausted and out of breath. A tickle in his throat turns into a cough, a wad of ash and spit splat on the tiles. 

Cole sighs in relief slowly easing off the other in case he starts up again. Instead Kai keens, tiredly chasing the lost touch. Cole smirks, his fingers petting through the wild hair until the hot head drifts to sleep.

–

“Somebody please tell me WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS ABOUT?!!!” Jay shrieks after watching Kai throw a hissy fit underneath Cole, who was already taking the fire ninja to his room.

“Kai has seemed unusually stressed as of late. Perhaps he is feeling unwell?” Zane says

“Stressed? STRESSED? He tried to BITE me! He went full primal and chased me around like an animal! He grew a tail for Wu’s sake!!”

-

(later after someone goes to check on him, finds his bed buried under a mountain of blankets and clothes stolen from everyone, and runs to Wu)

Wu- “It appears young Kai is experiencing a nesting phase.”

“Nesting?”

Zane- “Nesting. The act of birds or dragons preparing to lay eggs and raise young.”

“He’s pregnant?!”

Wu  “Not necessarily. It is more likely that Kai feels like making one to make himself feel better during his illness.” Wu strokes his beard. “However, if he, or even any of you, decides on a partner in the future it might be possible.”

“He can GET pregnant?? But he’s a guy!”

Wu “Dragons are the very source of creation. Something as small as gender wouldn’t stop a determined dragon.”

“HOW does that work?! Why would he WANT to get pregnant?!!”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older. Maybe a few decades from now.”

-

Is Wu kidding? who knows~ :3 Also would a fever for a fire elemental rise enough to bake the air, and ignite the nest? or douse them into dangerous cold? Having trouble deciding.

[helplessavacado]

Prompt 20: Crystalline (having the structure and form of a crystal; composed of crystals; very clear)

The Archdemon Mammon, appearing in a vision to one of his followers.

Matthew 6:24

(Further lore and rambling below the cut)

I've been ignoring Mammon in favor of literally all of his other siblings since their conception, so it's only fair that he yelled at me until I made him the focus of this piece... And now I'm obsessed with this six-armed freak lmao.

Mammon has great knowledge of the human heart, and how easily it falls to the promise of wealth and power. He and Beelzebub are similar in that way, but Mammon's strength is held in simple possession, while Beelzebub's is held in consumption. He's the most human-looking of the gang (an incredibly low bar), and is the only known Archdemon with five fingers instead of four. He's quite charismatic, inherited his Dad's people-skills and his mother's unobtrusive manner. I tried to base him off of the kinda stereotypical devil that we often see in media: Severe widows peak, horns, goatee, weird feet, tail, etc etc. His domain is contracts, the trading of spiritual matters for material gain. Out of all the Archdemons, he travels to earth the most, and has more influence than most of his siblings could ever dream of. He also has personal beef with Jesus, a relationship I think'll be very fun to write.

Tenth day, twentieth prompt, see y’all on the twenty-third with “Chrysolite” (maybe, I still have yet to do the concept sketch)

[roo0-0]

“ I’m not your son!” Tim yells as he run out the manor doors. Bruce and Alfred were stunned. What had gotten into Tim? What was wrong? “Woah B what’d you do?” Dick said dryly having over heard the tail end of the argument. “I- I don’t know.” Bruce was a master detective and even he was puzzled on what brought upon this outburst. “He’s having one of those gross ‘I need my dad’ moments but your not his biological dad and you didn’t choose him to be robin; he chose himself so now he’s angry-sad.” Jason said a lot of weird stuff and this was one of the lesser of some things he’s said but everyone was still very confused. “What?” Bruce asked. “He’s having a-“ “I heard you jay but how do you know that?” “He was mumbling about it when he got infected with fear toxin last time we fought riddler.” Once Jason finally shut his mouth he realized Dick’s and Bruce’s eyes were twitching. “And you didn’t think to tell anybody!?” Dick was not impressed by Jason’s lack of communication skills especially when it came to one of their brother’s feelings. “I tried to talk to Tim after he got the antidote and some rest but after about four words he started yelling very loudly until I stopped talking. Then later when I suggested he explain how he felt to Bruce he grabbed his bow staff and tried to smack me in the ribs with it; so I left it alone.” Jason said shrugging. By this point Batman had been face palming and pinching the bridge of his nose interchangeably for five minutes. “I’m going to go find Tim and talk to him. NO ONE follow me okay?” Bruce said opening the manor doors as Dick and Jason shook their head hard enough to give themselves whiplash.

“Tim?” Bruce called poking his head around the corner into the garden Alfred, Jason, and Cass had started. “Go away Bruce.” Tim choked out; it was evident that Tim had been crying. “I think I might know what is going on?” Bruce said it almost as if it was a question. “Do you really now?” Tim laughed dryly lacking any and all humor in his voice. “Jason told me something. He said that you didn’t feel like my son and that you felt you weren’t worthy of the Robin title-“ “that snitching bitch” “Tim language. But I’m glad he told me cause it’s opened my eyes to something I would have never thought about otherwise. Just because you chose to be Robin and I didn’t choose you doesn’t make you any less of a Robin and it doesn’t make me love you any less. Tim you are my son and although I may not be your biological dad, I can still be your dad if you allow me.” Tim sat there stunned. This was a lot of emotions for Bruce to be showing all at once and he didn’t know how to respond. He started to cry “Bruce… thank you. You and Alfred were the first real father figure I’ve ever had but it felt like I didn’t deserve it.” Tim said looking at his shoes. He never knew how to interact with Bruce and Alfred like all his siblings did; he wasn’t chosen like they were he just showed up exposing his secret identity and asked to be Robin. He wanted so desperately to go to Bruce when he was struggling; or as Jason ‘that bitch’ Todd called it: an “I need my dad” moment. He felt like had no where to go with his emotions cause the one person he could go to was rarely around. Dick used to always be there for Tim; letting him cry into his arms or sparing with him when Tim was angry. Now? Now Tim felt isolated and alone in his feelings. “Tim? Jason said something and I think that’s what’s going on right now. He said you’re having an ‘I need my dad moment’ and I need you to understand this: you can always come to me to complain, punch, or cry too no matter what. I’m your dad now and I want to be that support for you. Will you let me?” Tim didn’t know what to say. He just flung himself into B’s arms and cried. Bruce hugged him as hard as he could trying to get his point across that he was there for him.

The next day when no one was around Bruce cried a little feeling so happy and so sad all at once for letting one of his kids suffer in silence. That day he mentally promised his kids to never let them fester in their feeling for that long ever again.

[creativityleftthechat]

Best of both worlds (1)

Neteyam × Tayrangi!Metkayina!reader

Summary: The Sullys get to know another member of the Metkayina Clan that quickly gets Neteyam's attention.

Words: 4099

Warnings: violence, fluff, slow burn

Note: I have no idea how to write a summary. It will be a Series and I finished a few chapters already, they still need some work though. This is my first try at writing fanfic so don't be too hard on me pls. I saw the movie and felt the need to write something. Hope anyone who sees this will enjoy it.

Masterlist

After Ao'nung and his friends have called Kiri and Lo'ak freaks, Lo'ak started a fight. Neteyam could no longer watch and decided to help his brother. But four against two was no even match, so there he was...

He throws another punch at Ao'nung, then turns towards Lo'ak, who was knocked off his feet and is now struggling to get up. Not paying attention, Pxairo pushes him to the ground. Neteyam quickly recovers and while lying on the ground, he tries to land another punch on Pxairo while Ao'nung roughly pulls on his tail. Lo'ak, who is in a similar situation, struggles against Ao'nung's other friends. However is getting pulled back by his foot while trying to kick his attacker off. Slightly annoyed but just as worried, Kiri stands at the side, watching the boys fighting each other. She was contemplating what she could do to end this fight when another Metkayina rushes by her. Before she could even register what was going on, Ao'nung was tackled off of Neteyam, landing on his back in the shallow water.

No longer in pain, Neteyam looked up in the direction Ao'nung went. All fighting seemed to stop when the Metkayina crouched down hissing at Ao'nung. The boy still in the water stumbles his way up into a standing position, looking rather confused as well as scared.

"Sister? Wh...what-" "You skxawng, that is how you treat our guests? It is shameful of you!" ,you interrupted the boy . Ao'nung tries to calm his sister and makes tentative steps in your direction. "Sister, I... no, that's not-" You once again interrupt the boy, who seemed to have gathered his thoughts. "Go away now! You and your friends. GO!" Standing up straight you walked the remaining steps to Ao'nung and flickered your index finger against his forehead. The boy said nothing and passed by you, walking towards the rest of the boys still lying in the sand and watching the interaction.

That was when you turned around and looked Neteyam straight in the eyes. Your face was different from the other Metkayinas. Your facial structure, such as your eyes, resembled the Omatikaya rather than the other Metkayina he saw. Your sour expression turned into a gentle smile when you approached him, stretching out a hand. Dumbfounded, Neteyam took your hand and, with your help, got back up. "Thanks." He lets go of your hand. "I am sorry about Ao'nung. I hope you and your siblings are well." You looked past the boy in front of you to find a boy who looked at you as confused as his older brother but gave you a slight nod. Their sister who wore an equally confused expression but with a small smile gracing her face, also nodded in your direction. Not able to form another sentence, Neteyam watched you pass the three of them, following after Ao'nung and the others, quietly cussing them out while smacking them against their already low-hanging heads from behind.

"That was..." Lo'ak started bringing Neteyam back to the people in front of him. "Kind" came from Kiri, who looked in your direction just like her brothers. Lo'ak looked at Kiri, having gathered himself again. "I was going to say weird, but I guess that fits too."

Going back to their Marui, Neteyam kept thinking of you smiling at him so gently, your hair falling in waves over your shoulder, your blue eyes, the anger gone, looking at him and his siblings. "I didn't know Ao'nung had another sister." Kiri kept her conversation with Lo'ak going, neither of them noticing their distracted brother. "Me neither, but that was totally cool! She looked different. Not much like Tonowari or Ronal," Lo'ak observed. "Seriously Lo'ak? Judging someone by their looks after what just happened?!" Kiri countered, visibly annoyed with her brother's reaction. Lo'ak sighed, "That's not how I meant it and you know it! It's just...she does look more like us, don't you think?" Kiri nodded her head in agreement but noticed Neteyam's lack of attention to their conversation. Lo'ak then became aware of that too: "So brother, what's it like getting rescued by a girl?" Neteyam looked at his brother's teasing grin and said, "Not nearly as bad as the earful we are going to get from dad once we are home." And with that, the siblings all looked in the direction of their home, seeing their father standing in front of their Marui with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look in their direction.

Kiri was quickly dismissed as her brothers were getting lectured by their father. "-and out of all the days you idiots could have picked to start a fight, it had to be today. Tonowari's eldest daughter got home today, and he decided to celebrate in the evening to welcome her back after her long travels. '' At the mention of you, Lo'ak's head went slightly up and he poked Neteyam's side with his elbow. "WHAT NOW LO'AK?!" Not believing his son's timing to tease Neteyam, Jake raised his voice even more, running a hand down his face. Lo'ak immediately looked back at the ground. "Nothing Sir...it's just she- uhm- she was there too, at the beach, Sir." Jake's ears perk up and in a calmer but more worried tone, he asks his sons "Tonowari's eldest daughter? She was taking part in the fight too?" More sternly, he continues, "Lo'ak, by Eywa, tell me you did not hit the chief's daughter!" Alarmed, Lo'ak looked up at his dad and said, "No! I didn't! I wouldn't! She wasn't- It- I-" Looking at his brother for support, Lo'ak waited for him to continue; after all, he was the one getting rescued, but nothing came. "Sir, she uhm- She pushed Ao'nung off of Neteyam. She apologized to us and made the others leave." Taken aback, Jake looked at his oldest son for confirmation. Neteyam, finally taking part in the conversation, looks at his brother, who silently urges him to back him up. "It's- it's true, Sir. That's how it went." Relieved that his sons did not hit you but still rather confused, Jake dismisses his sons after grounding them, wanting them to prepare for the festivities in the evening. He now goes to the chief himself, to figure out the best way to deal with the situation.

At Tonowari's and Ronal's Marui, Jake braced himself before knocking on the side. Tonowari comes to the entrance and lets him in. Jake opens his mouth to say something, only to be bested by Tonowari, "I apologize for my son and his friends. My daughter has already told me what happened. Ao'nung got grounded and I believe he is on his way to apologize to your sons." Jake looks at him relieved. "I was actually here to apologize for my sons' behavior, but I must say the more I hear, the more I think I got the situation wrong. I thought my sons started the fight?"

"You are not wrong. The physical fight was started by your younger son, but my brother and his friends provoked them beforehand. They insulted your daughter and your son for their different looks." Behind Tonowari, a young Na'vi woman came around, looking at Jake. You were around Neteyam's age. While your skin was colored like the other Metkayinas, your features clearly resembled those of the forest Na'vi. Your forearms were thinner and your eyes were smaller and closer together. While your tail was Metkayina, your general stature was smaller than the average Metkayina. "I heard you helped Neteyam, my oldest. So thank you." You gently smiled at him and Jake saw the small blush dusting your cheeks.

As a child, you always heard the stories of Toruk Makto and how he united the clans and led them to victory against the sky people. And here, in front of you, stood the biggest hero of your childhood, thanking you. "I am still sorry for my sons, Tonowari, they shouldn't have acted like-" but Tonowari calmly interrupted Jake. "Now, now, there is no need. I believe both sides got their punishments. It is time to celebrate my daughter's homecoming now. I'll see you and your family at the festivities later!" And with a small clap on the shoulder, Tonowari dismissed Jake.

Arriving at the festivities, the Sully's immediately spread out. Lo'ak went with a smiling Tsireya, Tuk urged Neytiri to dance with her, Neteyam kept shadowing Jake while keeping to himself more than usual and Kiri wandered off to a calmer spot, dangling her feet softly in the water.

"Not much of a party person?" a slightly startled Kiri looks at you. "Oh no...I suppose not. I am Kiri, by the way." You sit down next to her and say, "I am Y/N. I hope the others don't make you feel uncomfortable in our home." She saw your worried glance. "I like it here. The water and the creatures are so...enchanting. I miss home and I suppose we are still outsiders here, but the nature is so different here. I see something fascinating every day." The amazement was visible on her face as she looked at various small fish swimming by. "I get what you mean, being different isn't easy here. When I was a child, my parents were worried because it took me a very long time to learn to swim as fast as the others. To this day, I am a little slower than others my age." Kiri was curious but didn't want to be rude. "Why...why are you different from the other Metkayinas?" Curiosity won once more, but you smiled at her as gently as before. "My father, he was from the land. He looked much more like you do." Seeing the confusion on Kiri's face, you elaborated further. "Tonowari, he is my dad but not by blood. I am his niece. My mother was his sister. She and Ronal grew up together and were friends long before Ronal became Tonowari's mate. My father was from a clan on the coast. Ronal told me that he gave up his life there in order to come here and learn the Metkayina ways to be with her. But when Toruk Makto united the clans, he saw it as his duty to fight, to protect his people against the sky people. He saw it as very honorable to go to war alongside Toruk Makto. When the war was over and my mother received the message that my father had died in the battle, she was devastated. Ronal said, that she found her smile again when she found out she was pregnant with me. But when I was born, she died." Saddened by your story, but feeling deeply connected, Kiri took your hand "I am sorry to hear that. My mother is also with Eywa. Jake and Neytiri took me in and treated me as their own from the very beginning." She smiled at you with a lot of sympathy and saw you glance at her fifth finger. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to us. Some of the people only see us as demon offspring." You looked up at her, hearing her saddened tone. "Looking different does not make you a demon, regardless of what other people say. I must say your additional finger looks strange to me as well, but I have been seen as strange my whole life. It isn't always bad. I mean, your brother clearly showed the advantages of it earlier..." Both of you slightly chuckle as you remember the fight and how Lo'ak made it a point to slowly demonstrate how to form a proper fist.

"Y/n?" Both of your heads turned in the direction of your father's voice. "Oh, I must go. It seems like I can't ditch the party that was thrown for me after all..." And with a last squeeze of Kiri's hand, you walk away.

By hearing your story from Kiri after Lo'ak squeezed it out of her by bothering her the whole way home, the Sullys felt like the pieces were coming together. While Tuk seemed excited to get to know you after the youngest saw you dancing along with your sister and other young Metkayina girls, Jake felt a little guilty for being the reason your father had died. However he and Neytiri were relieved that Kiri seemed to have made a friend. Neytiri also noticed how her oldest was quieter than usual ever since the fight and how he kept glancing in your direction while you danced with the other girls when he thought nobody was watching. Neteyam kept thinking about how beautiful yet strong you were. The threatening way in which you told Ao'nung off, in contrast to the beautiful smile and the elegant dancing. Lo'ak was just glad that somebody had his back. He really appreciated the honesty.

The next few days you got used to living in the water again, while riding an ilu might be something that didn't take a long time to get used to again, the same can't be said about keeping up with the other Metkayina while swimming on your own. Since your brother and the Sully boys were grounded, you spent time with your sister as well as the Sully girls. Swimming was, after all, in your nature. Tuk was amazed that you could glide through the water so elegantly and her appreciation made you feel less frustrated about your pace. Every day you and Tsireya accompanied the girls back to their Marui and they couldn't help but giggle to themselves when they witnessed Lo'ak almost falling over his feet when Tsireya greeted him. Their parents noticed the smaller details though. Such as Neteyam standing a little taller while puffing out his chest and his curious look behind Tsireya. Or the little smile that graced your lips when looking at the young warrior. The first time Jake noticed this, he looked at his wife to check if his suspicion was correct, only to see her rolling her eyes at him for taking so long.

In the evenings, the boys (well, mainly Lo'ak) kept whining about their punishment when they heard of the fun their sisters had with you guys. It was always cut short when Kiri made a comment about Lo'ak being whipped, which had him deny that and quickly change the subject. Neteyam's quietness started to worry Neytiri and she wanted to talk to him in case it kept going after their punishment was over. That thought was forgotten when Tuk asked, or rather announced, "I asked Y/N if she could sit with us for dinner tomorrow. So may she please?" Before Jake or Neytiri could answer, the attention was drawn to Neteyam, who suddenly choked on the water he was drinking. Jake gave his son some pats on the back, unable to contain his amused smile. "Yes Tuk, certainly she may."

Neteyam forgot how to breathe.

 

Over the last few weeks, his admiration for you has grown into a full-blown crush. He and Lo'ak didn't have much to do during the day, so they watched you guys goof around in the water. Seeing you laugh with the others, he wished you would laugh with him and when you got out of the water, to Neteyam, it seemed like time was stopping. How you would throw your hair across your shoulder while the water seemed to part so you could walk unbothered. And when you came by in the evenings with a few drops of water still running down your body, making you glow in the evening sun. To him, it was torture to hear how Tuk described your elegant moves in the water. While he was not saying much, he hung on his sister's lips, wanting as many details as he possibly could get, believing every single word she said without question.

Neytiri was relieved to see her son be more talkative the next day. He kept himself busy all morning with various mundane tasks, occasionally bickering with Lo'ak. After a quick lunch, Neytiri asks Lo'ak to clean up while using the opportunity to talk to her nervous son. "Are you alright, Neteyam? You have been very restless this morning." Neteyam felt rather caught and avoided looking at his mother while he felt heat creeping up his neck up to his cheeks as well as the tips of his ears. "What? Yes, I am fine! Everything is fine! I am not restless...there was just...much to do and since we won't be grounded tomorrow anymore I just wanted to get things done." But Neytiri saw right through him. "I was wondering if you could rebraid my hair please...so that it is done while I still got so much time you know...". 

"Yes, of course, my son. How would you like them done? Would you like to keep them as they are or do you want something different?" Neteyam eagerly turned his back to his mother to give her better access. "Just as they are is fine." Rebraiding his hair Neytiri was content that at least some things did not seem to change, as she lightly hummed. Interrupting the calm moment, Lo'ak came in and said, "Oh, are you finally done fussing around? Great, now can I chill in silence while you get prettied up?!" Not answering his brother, Neteyam sends an annoyed glance at him before closing his eyes again and listening to his mother's calming tune. "Would you like me to do your hair as well Lo'ak, since you won't be grounded anymore tomorrow?" Almost timid, the usually cocky boy answered his mother, "Yes, please. Can you just redo them too?" Neytiri agreed with a nod of her head. Neither of these boys could fool her, they were doing this to impress the chief's daughters, no matter what either of them said.

Arriving at dinner you plated yourself some food before walking towards the Sullys, who still sat a little aside from the rest of the clan. Tuk insisted on having you sit next to her and kept asking you question after question. "And what is your favorite animal Y/N? I like ilus best, but ikrans are also very pretty. Have you seen an ikran while you were gone? If you want, I can show you an ikran! My siblings and my parents all have ikrans!" Jake chuckled at his daughter's eagerness to get to know you even before you properly joined them.

Neytiri, who sat between her mate and Tuk invited you to sit down, with a kind smile and a gesture of her hand. You sat down in the circle with Tuk on your right and Kiri on your left. Next to Kiri was Lo'ak, followed by Neteyam, who greeted you with a small smile, which you reciprocated. You greeted everyone before your attention went back to Tuk, answering all of her questions. "Yes Tuk I have seen an ikran and it was less traveling than you think, I just went and visited my father's clan for a while. And don't tell the ilus, but I do like ikrans more. While I am better with the ilus, I must say the bond with an ikran is more personal, I believe." Tuk was busy looking at you in amazement and stuffing her face with dinner as fast as she could, so she could talk to you more. Neytiri hoped her son would get some words out before her youngest bombarded you with questions again. "How come you know so much about the bond with an ikran? Tuk slow down!" Chewing slower Tuk eagerly looked at you. "When I visited the coast, I took part in some of the clan's trials, including gaining an ikran. It was a lot of fun, and I don't think anything compares."

The Sullys were surprised by this. "Really? So you flew back here?", Jake wondered. "Oh, yes, although I must say the journey was a little more adventurous than I would have liked. I am still getting used to my ikran and I believe she was not very fond of the journey. We had to stop on various small islands and almost fell into the ocean once or twice." An embarrassed blush covers your cheeks. Jake saw that as the chance and gave Neteyam a hit with his tail. The teenager looked at his father in confusion, so Jake pointed his eyes in your direction, irritating Neteyam more. Jake hoped Neteyam would offer to teach you. Kiri saw the interaction and had mercy with her older brother "Perhaps Neteyam could teach you. Out of us three, he had his ikran the longest." Two sets of eyes widened at that comment, one in anticipation, one in fear. "Really? That would be great, honestly! Only if it doesn't bother you, of course! I mean I don't know what you have planned or what you wanna do now that you can well walk around freely again...sorry for that", you rambled, only noticing the sore spot of his punishment after mentioning it. Neteyam's gaze met yours, less afraid but more nervous, he responded, "Yeah...sure, I mean if you would like. I uhm have nothing particular I want to do...so uhm yea why not I guess." He awkwardly rubbed his neck, looking at your excited face. You nodded in agreement and he copied that, turning his gaze back to his food, aimlessly pushing it around on his plate, unable to fight the smile forming on his face. Jake looked at Kiri thankfully, while she had a smug smile on her face similar to Lo'ak's. Yes, Neteyam would have a loooong evening once they got home.

"Can you teach me how to swim like you? And can you teach me how to dance like you? And who gave you that bracelet Y/N? Is it like an engagement bracelet? Do you think I can also get such a nice bracelet?" Tuk apparently finished her food. The second last question had all of the kids waiting for your reaction in anticipation. "You are a natural at swimming, I am certain that you will be better than me in no time if you keep practicing like that. And I think your dancing was very pretty, but you can practice with the other girls of the village if you would like, I did so when I was around your age." Tuk blushed at your praise and cuddled bashfully but happy against your knee, still looking at you in wonder. Taking off the bracelet carefully, you ran it through your fingertips while looking at it. "It is not an engagement bracelet. I made it a while ago, before I left for the mainland. I wanted something that reminded me of home while I was gone." You carefully placed it around Tuk's wrist, fastening it tighter so it wouldn't fall off. In your concentration, you missed the breath Neteyam let out, unaware that he held it. "And now that I am back home, I don't need a reminder anymore. So Tuk, this bracelet is yours now if you like." Tuk's right hand came to her left wrist, carefully touching it. Her gaze wandered between the bracelet, you, and her mother in utter and complete joy. Neytiri smiled at her daughter and nodded her head in your direction, holding Tuk's gaze. Tuk brought her wrist to her heart and gazed back at you as if you had hung the stars. "Thank you Y/N!". After that, dinner was rather quite and you all finished your food while casually conversing with whomever sat next to you. You talked a bit with Kiri and Jake talked to Neytiri, while the others enjoyed their food in silence. You said your goodbyes and left for your family, who was getting ready to head home. The Sullys followed your example and headed home aswell.

As soon as they entered their Marui, the noise in the Sully household picked up.

"Mum, did you see?! Look at my new bracelet!" Tuk kept showing her mother her new jewelry. "Oh, uhm...sure I guess...uhm" Kiri imitated Neteyam. Almost laughing tears, Lo'ak added, "Bro, she sounds just like you! You should have seen your face, man!"

"Lo'ak, we could invite Tsireya to sit with us the next time, if you keep it up like that!" Neteyam threatened with a provoking smirk. Lo'ak's laughter abruptly stopped. Seeing her brother's reaction, Kiri couldn't hold herself anymore, lying on the ground, holding her stomach from how hard she was laughing. "You..." she wheezed, "...should see your faces." She couldn't stop laughing at both of her brothers.

Next part

[aloralika]

Main four X Lynette reader

Hello! I hope whoever reads this headcanon will love it ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡!Besides I know that in the house of the hearth you can't have relationships but I'm just gonna act like this rule doesn't exist (⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠).And also in this headcanon the visions are really uncommon. English is not my first language sorry for the spelling mistakes.

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

Gon (⁠･ั⁠ω⁠･ั⁠)

★He was super intrigued by your cat ear and tail at first. It was the first time he saw someone like that ! (Before the Chimera act..) He was quick to ask a lot of questions like he usually does.

★He find it super cute when your cat ear or tail starts twitching. Your calm and reserved personality makes that you two are very different but it kinda established a dynamic couple: he is the yapper and your the listener.

★The way your speed increases and your appearance changes when you use your anemo vision never ceases to amaze him. He would often just stare at your vision admiring it.

★You talk to him about the house of the hearth and your “father”. The relationships in the house of the hearth are a little taboo but in the rare cases a member of the house of the hearth was in a couple they have to introduce them to everyone.So when you explain to him that and told him about the personality of your father, he was a bit worried.

★When he meets all your siblings he gets along with them well ! He was surprised by the number of siblings you have,he knows that it's an orphanage but still !

★When he met your "father" he could clearly sense that her aura was scary,the way she looked at him made him a little intimidated.But he still talked to her nicely and acting normally even with the glare your father was sending him.

★At the end of the day he was happy that he met your family even when sometimes your young siblings were talking about poison and murdering people..

Killua (⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠￣⁠;⁠)

‡He would lie if he said that sometimes he doesn't want to pet your cat ears even tho he would never admit it.When you cuddle he would be super careful touching them knowing they're sensible.

‡Your anemo vision intrigues him,he heard of that but never paid too much attention,but now that he knows you he starts asking more and more questions about it.

‡To be honest he already heard of the house of the hearth and their “activities”.So he already knows what he should expect, not like he is in position for judging.He was a little overwhelmed by the amount of your siblings.

‡When he met Arlecchino for the first time,she appears behind him out of nowhere and start talking.He could sense her aura and known that she was dangerous.He was a good distance away and a little tense but he tried to put on a good face for you.

‡After this little «family meeting» all he wanted was resting in your arm.You could tell that he doesn't trust Arlecchino at all.(Since you were happy that he made the effort of meeting your family he took the opportunity to play with your ears and tail).

Kurapika (⁠づ⁠￣⁠ ⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠づ

★Everytime you enter into a “mode” his heart melts.The first time you say something like "Entering standby mode“ He finds it weird to be honest but now he's kind of used to.

★When he started having a crush on you he REALLY wanted to touch your ears and tail, of course he never told you that.But when you start dating he hesitantly ask you and when you say yes ,It started to become a habit between you two.

★After learning that you have a vision he will start doing research.He will try to get one if he can,since it can be useful against the phantom troupe.He was surprised about you when he sees you use it for the first time.The way you disappear in one seconde and the anemo energy thay you capable of making.

★He tries his best to be liked by your siblings tho,even when they were literally surrounding him and asking him all the questions they could.

★He could sense the aura of Arlecchino but he was still surprised.Her eyes were staring right into his soul.He tried to see calm and polite but he definitely doesn't trust her.

★After saying goodbye to your family you two quickly start relaxing alone after this stressful journey.(He totally caresses your head)

Leorio ᕦ⁠(⁠ò⁠_⁠ó⁠ˇ⁠)⁠ᕤ

‡At your first encounter after some minute of talking he starts asking questions about your appearance.He was super confused but he honestly finds it kinda cute.

‡If someone ever made a mean remark about it, he would defend you for HOURS,if the person still continues he would get really pissed off and you have to calm him down.

‡Everytime you make a magic show he is always there to encourage you loudly,he's your 1#fan.

‡When he heard you were a fatui he was sure surprised but he didn't really care. (He's literally friend with an ex assassin)

‡He got along well with your younger sibling,but he is still in a good term with the older !But Arlecchino scared the shit out of him even if he tried to hide it .

‡You have to reassure him after that he did a good job.While you two are alone.He would also ruffle your hair but he carefully avoids your ears to not hurt you.(He's the type of guy who asks why your ”father” is a woman)

[blade-that-was-broken]

As we know why Bruce changed from Spruce to Bruce to leave the whole band thing behind in the original (If I’m correct-)

But there’s some AUs of yours that the band doesn’t exist, but Spruce still did change his name to Bruce, why did he do that?

About Solder AU

For some reason I’m mad and disappointed in BroZone’s parents.

Do Mom really hates John Dory? Do Dad not care about his four young sons?

Why did they keep their sons away from seeing each other?

What they did was really stupid and worse. Divorced or not, having siblings separated isn’t great idea. Poor Branch…

(I know he doesn’t remember John Dory)

I’m glad that all brothers are finally going to reunite and Bruce and Clay giving John Dory a chance even if John Dory wasn’t sure if they want him back.

Alright!

This gets just a bitttt long.

For Bruce's name the short answer is I'm just kind of lazy lol.

In my other human au, Half Life, there is a notion that Spruce doesn't like his name. It has nothing to do with a band or an old identity, like in canon but it does kind of include him moving on. It's actually kind of the opposite a little bit of canon and the band thing? Like, in Half Life, Spruce moves on my owning his name and learning to like it. It's his and no one can take that away. Sure, it's kind of weird and yeah, his parents gave it to him - but it's something that he confronts and works through, kind of like a metaphor(?) for him confronting and working through his feelings on what he has been through.

In Soldier On, I was mostly just lazy. I didn't think about it. The whole concept was really just that little snippet and I wasn't planning on doing anything else at the time so I just wrote Bruce. So, idk, maybe he changed his name in this au or maybe he was born/named Bruce. You can decide lol

As for Soldier On Specifically in the other questions...

Luckily, none of the bros actually blame John for pretty much any of this. Granted, it would be hard to be upset at all considering what he has been through and also that they kinda forgot about HIM. John Dory has some feelings and some reservations about all this. He loves them but he knows he's not always easy to get along with and considering the last part of his upbringing, he's got some doubts, mostly in himself.

Branch doesn't remember JD but he remembers little things, feelings, mostly. He can hum/possibly sing an old song that no one knows how he knows. No one knows where it came from. Well, no one knows because it was JD who made it up and sung it to him as a baby. A lot. So, it's almost kind of engrained accidentally? They do end up getting along.

As for their parents...

The mom doesn't hate John and the dad does care about his other kids; it was just the tail end of an extremely long and drawn out fight where no one really won. The divorce was brutal, bitter and messy. I'm talking no holds barred nasty. Now, I do want to say, that the dad was not abusive; he didn't beat up his wife or make the whole thing traumatizing for her. They aren't divorcing because she's trying to get away from her crazy ex husband. That is NOT what happened. They were mean and cruel to each other but this is not one sided and the mom is not a victim of domestic violence. I'm not saying the dad is better than her but I do want to point that out.

The only - sort of - compromise that the two of them were ever able to make was the dad getting the oldest son, aka John. There are reasons for this, partially because John could live where their father was going to take him and not be super dependent, partially becomes lets face it, courts will favor the mother and if he fought her more over the kids, he was going to lose. Not because he's worse (they both kinda suck) but because that's the way things work.

The mom dealt with things by cutting out her ex husband. Instead of trying to work together for the sake of their kids, she shut down and didn't want to think of her ex husband at all. She literally tried to cut him out of her life and since John had to go with said ex husband, she put him in the same boat. She erased his memory, as if he was never there. She did a lot, moving away and didn't tell anyone, got new phones, erased phone numbers and contacts and call history. She did not want her ex husband to have any influence or thought in her life and since John was with him - that included him.

The dad kind of lost fight. He was able to have the company of one kid - the kid who liked the outdoorsy things - and knew the future would not include the others. He moved up north into a place that wasn't very populated. Lived a very, very simple life. More survived than lived. I'm talking probably a log cabin in the middle of the woods kind of living. He accepted what happened and just kind of stopped. He did things with John, mostly fishing, hunting, other outdoor-nature things and he didn't systematically destroy his son's memory like their mother. However, he didn't talk about them either and eventually come to prefer the company of the bottle or a smoke when the subject of his other sons come up. John became extremely self-sufficient very quickly.

There grew some resentment in JD, for sure. Neither parent dealt with any of this really well and in the end, it's not technically what killed them, it was definitely a contributing factor. Both parents died pretty young, although of different causes. The kids were really the ones who lost. In their fight against one another and trying to forget about one another, they brought that all on their kids instead.

While the younger boys lived a busy life with a semi struggling mother trying to drown out any memory or talk of their father and brother, John spent his teenage years in loneliness and virtual silence.

It shows.

[sinvulkt]

PT - Werewolf Anakin

Summary: Anakin’s birth is the result of Darth Plagueis' experiments over Life and Death. Except the experiment aim was not to make a “Chosen One”, but rather to create loyal bestial servants.

Era: Prequel Trilogy

Main tropes: Young Vader, Maul redemption, Shapeshifter

To be true, this is just an excuse to have some Feral!Anakin xd.

---

Snippet:

Vader galloped.

He could see from the corner of his eye Maul running in the opposite direction. Good.

The Jedi were not their Sith Master, but from what Vader had seen they weren’t much better. Maul and him may have been birthed to be slaves, but they would never have to bear chains again.

The Jedi on his tail reminded him he wasn't quite as safe as his bond-brother. 

Vader accelerated his pace, to the point where his four paws barely touched the ground before propulsing him ahead. The wind brushed his fur as it sang in his ears. A song full of promises. A song of freedom. 

Someone’s foreign Force presence surrounded him. Suddenly Vader’s paw didn’t touch the ground anymore, as he found himself suspended above man level in the air. A yelp escaped him at the abrupt stop. The Jedi's smell was everywhere, surrounding the weird levitation bubble he was trapped in. Instinctively, Vader’s tail curled between his legs. He growled at the approaching man.

“Hello there,” the man unflappably greeted.

---

Plot Description:

Anakin’s birth is the result of Darth Plagueis' experiments over Life and Death. Except the experiment aim was not to make a “Chosen One”, but rather to create loyal bestial servants. Long lived and powerful werewolves, mixing the Tuk'ata natural Force Sensitivity with various species sentience, humans giving the best compatibility results.

The werewolves were a prototype of sort of the republic clones. The project was abandoned after the instability and death of most subjects, the Kamino chosen instead of Hutts as main provider and humans chosen as species for clones. By then Shmi already birthed Anakin, and as such the Siths decided to raise him alongside Maul. He would be ´the dog of the Sith’ for Master and Apprentice to obey.

As a werewolf, Anakin ages slowly. His species is much more long lived than humans. He was born a few years earlier than canon, his growth slow to come. He does his best to protect Maul, and the feeling is reciproque. They grow as siblings under the same iron fist, and form a strong bond together.

At some point before or during the clone war, Anakin and Maul escape. Anakin gets caught by Jedi under his wolf form, who brings him home for study, giving enough of a distraction for Mail to get away. The Jedi soon realize that this strange feral being trusts no one; much less the Force Sensitive people. For all the first duration of Anakin’s stay in the Jedi Temple, he is trapped in a room. The Temple’s Wild Beast, they call him. He earned that title in blood, attacking anyone daring in fang range. Not a single time do they manage to coax him into his human form or to communicate, for all they can sense his sentience behind sturdy mental walls.

Anakin doesn’t mind the treatment he gets in his Tuk’ata shape. Everything is simpler as a beast. Missing Maul is easier too, although the Force bond between them keep them connected. Even punishments are easier to bear in that form, as he learnt under the Sith care. Not that Palpatine let him revert back much ever since the man killed Plagueis and ascended to Master of the Sith.

As such, the Jedi Temple now possesses a yellow-eyed, feral, snarling Anakin, forced to stay here until they know what to do with him or find him a safe place. They also possess a Zabrak dark sider trying to infiltrate the place. Keeping Anakin becomes even more important when, through Maul’s interference, they discover the Sith would like their beast back - giving Anakin a huge value as bait and more importantly, as someone in danger to protect.

Who will he meet there? Who will be the first ones to earn his trust?

Perhaps it will be Master Windu, surprised to have been trying to play fetch with the beast while on guarding dury. The man denies it but Deepa stands witness. Kit Fisto agrees as he heard Plo Koon give advice to Mace on how to best please canines. Or perhaps it will be one of the younglings who sneak past the guards to enjoy the Tuk’ata fluffy fur, a certain Togruta among them being the most successful.

One day, they remove the chains and let him wander freely in the Thousand Fountains Room. They find their guest a few hours later under a pile of younglings, giggling as they climb all over the imposant Tuk’ata. For all Anakin snarls and growls, his instinct would never let him hurt pups; not without explicit order to.

Note:

For crack sake, don't you think it amazing for Mace Windu to have to guard him and end up having to play ´fetch’ with him? ~

Plo Koon is probably the one that put him up to it. I can totally imagine him trying to play fetch with this new wild beast they brought back to the temple. Also younglings adore this big fluffy wolf and will definitely try to climb on him as soon as he is out of chains and allowed to stay in the thousand fountains room.

Anakin did his best to protect Maul, and actually went along with him surprisingly well. So this is probably going towards Maul redemption? He might get caught after infiltrating the Jedi Temple. Not that winning his trust will be any easier than winning Anakin’s.

This inevitably ends with a big cuddle pile on the now Tuk’ata Of The Jedi Temple.

With Ahsoka who calls dibs to hug the fluffy ball (even if it snarls a bit annoyed at her when she does so).

[vacantgodling]

what is the deal with utah and co tbh...i am very intrigued

so this is such a “UMMMMM GO—“ kind of story lmao. but so was NAD and i just take a bunch of half baked ideas i had as a child and make them more coherent but also weirder.

this is definitely weirder.

so it’s definitely a road trip gone wrong type adventure which is my favorite type of thing. but i think things initially start with aunty risk having to take utah and slug to see their estranged mother on the opposite side of the world/planet/idk what they’re on.

risk is also an estranged aunt but not because they don’t know her but moreso because she’s been charged to look after them since they were young but she isn’t really a nurturing person/she had her own shit going on. so she kinda let the kids go to their own devices while barely keeping a roof over their head. this led to utah meeting gator—another kid with a fucked up family life and they’ve been attached at the hip since they’re teenagers. they’re also dating. but they’re always yelling and bickering at each other but they also do wild shit together. gator is a really talented computer hacker and utah is the weapons and engineering guru that brings gator’s crazy blueprints to life. they work well together even if they’re perpetually pissy pff. (at least utah is). utah at some point had the idea that they would go try and find their mom and gator agreed to help but bc dk where she is, they built a vehicle type thing for cross country/earth/idk travel together and have been for years. but when they’re around ready to go, risk gets mail from someone claiming to be utah and slug’s mom/her sister saying hey come find me :) SO risk bullies utah into bringing them along to chaperone and slug doesn’t want to be left alone so all four of them start off. there’s interpersonal drama between utah/risk/slug because risk didn’t really raise them well and can’t just start acting caring now/estranged sibling relationship because you abandoned me to fuck off with someone else (slug @ utah) and utah being like ok but you’re fucking annoying and gator kind of being like Can Everyone Shut The Fuck Up.

but then there’s the intrigue of who the fuck is their mom and why did she abandon them? utah remembers her but slug doesn’t, and she didn’t have the weird horn thing going on like risk and slug do.

ALSO a major thing is the fact that slug & risk have said weird fucking horns/pointy ears/(and risk has a tail) and why? cuz then they meet others who maybe do have similar shit going on but i think it’s connected to some weird hive mind center of the planet situation????? dude i wish i knew i’m just imagining some crazy epicenter of the world where shit is glowing and when it’s activated it’s almost like mind control that’s honed in by the horns as some kind of beacon or they can hear it with their longer ears. also risk & slug unlock powers on the way but utah lives and will die by the power of the glock LMAO.

they also end up meeting a host of other weird characters that are related to what’s going on with that: agent oogma (or olive oil gives me amnesia) has probably been investigating this epicenter (but can’t remember bc of said olive oil), they meet green, an escaped android who was possibly made to harness whatever is going on in said epicenter OR to defend it from invaders or to be apart of a government militia haven’t decided. ANNNNND yeah. tldr: road trip gone wrong to find missing mom we blew up half a planet in the process dw about it :))))))

[the-lore-and-art-cave-go-brrrrr]

Well I was going to reply, but apparently I now have the need to get into like the physical body language of several species I have, both from [Redacted]'s world and some other ones.

The thing that started this was actually the two genshin characters I made, Alizeé and Aimeé (having to hunt down the accented e is fun), who are both something called Crystal Nymph hybrids. The two are both half human though, so some of their body language may work different to an actual full blooded crystal nymph. I'm mostly thinking about how their tails would function. And after thinking about it, I've decided for the most part, their tails mirror that of a cat. Mostly because it's the description I've been getting. So mini key, mostly for myself (half the time these posts are made just for me to have this stuff down somewhere)

-Tail straight up: Alarmed, possibly angry (If they had fluffy tails I'm sure they would puff up)

-Tail tapping while asleep: relaxed in general, but still aware of their surroundings

-Tail moving while sleeping: Dreaming

-Tail lashing while sleeping: Nightmare

-Tail moving while alert: nervousness, aggression, "Do not touch" (If we're being honest, Alizeé probably is doing this one a lot of the time. Crowds freak them out, and so do people)

-Tail straight up with a hooked tip: friendly greeting (You'd probably see Alizeé doing this around their siblings, be it Aimeé or the fontaine sibling trio. Aimeé probably does this to everybody.)

-Tail lowered really close to the ground: Afraid, anxiety

-Tail tucked between legs: Terrified (I imagine Alizeé's tail would probably wrap around one of it's legs, and Aimeé would probably hold her tail in her hands as a way to try and ground herself.)

-Tail wrapped around their body: In pain, feeling unwell (in this case I imagine that Alizeé's tail would probably wrap around their stomach, as their tails are really long, while Aimeé's would wrap around her legs, and sometimes their stomach)

-Twitching at the end of their tail: Playful or hunting

-Really aggressive twitching at the end of their tail: Irritated

-Slow side to side swishing: Focused on something (Literally anytime Alizeé is working on anything. Aimeé isn't seen doing it as often, but she would probably be doing so when writing lyrics or practicing for performances)

-Tail quivering: Excitement (Aimeé probably does this a lot. Alizeé wouldn't be seen doing it as much, but probably does it around any of his siblings when he sees them)

There's some other things, like if one of them wraps their tail around someone. If someone goes for a handshake, their tail may wrap around their hands while they are shaking them. And they would have behaviors not typically associated with cats as well. Gonna list those now.

-I imagine that alongside the angry tail lashing, the tips of their tails, where the crystals are, probably are being shaken, much like a rattlesnake does as a warning. I think maybe this would make a sound? And the sound changes based on things such as the element they are associated with, and the shape of the crystal. So Alizeé, who's associated with anemo and has the four sided diamond shape for a tail, probably would actually make sounds akin to a bell, but higher pitched, probably loud enough to hurt. Aimeé however, is associated with Pyro, and has a tail with the shape of a gem cut in a diamond shape. So the sound she would be making is probably something like the sound of embers popping. Logistically I don't know how this would work, so we're going to blame it on weird element shenanigans.

Also a crystal nymph who's associated with geo (the base element for all of them) would probably sound like a rattlesnake, or maybe the sound of rocks being knocked together.

This is getting really long, so I think this one specifically I'm going to use for these two, and I'll make another with the specific tells for the groups from [Redacted]'s world. Anyways, moving on!

I assume crystal nymph's ears would also be tells for their emotions. So here's that.

-Neutral position: Not really feeling any strong emotions (Alizeé would probably be here usually)

-Ears pointing up slightly: Excited, happy, eager (This is probably where Aimeé would be at)

-Ears pointing straight up: Startled, aggressive, on alert

-Ears drooping slightly: Sad, nervous, tired

-Ears drooping a lot: Panicked, exhausted, in pain

-Ears angled up and shaking a little: Somewhat angry

-Ears angled up and shaking a lot: Furious

-Ears angled back slightly: Overwhelmed

-Ears angled back a lot (gotta figure out just how far back they can go): Overstimulated, probably by noise

I don't know the full range of motion of their ears just yet, but I assume they can point up a ways, down a ways, and angle back just a bit.

There's only one other thing I think should be mentioned. Their eyes.

As I often do, I gave the two diamond shaped pupils. I imagine these can do more things shape wise than that of a normal human, so here's what I think can happen.

-Normal size (taking into consideration light level): Neutral

-Narrowed into slits: Aggressive, suspicious, jealous, on alert

-Eyes wide with narrowed pupils: Panicked, Furious, defensive

-Eyes wide with normal pupils: Surprised

-Eyes wide with widened pupils: Excited, in awe

-Widened pupils: Happy, eager

That's really all I have on this. Gonna make one for [Redacted]'s homeworld now.

[hisuian-history-makers]

PMD Rescue Team HCs—Stumble, not Strut.

[The hero’s new to their pokémon body. Tails, claws, weird paws... Here are a few mishaps and issues that’ll happen in the early days.]

Bulbasaur:

—The bulb on their back was so needy! It needs shade for one minute then straight back to direct sunlight. Water it every single day even when they drank plenty of water. Going from having hands to this form sucked hard...

(“If you’re bulb wilts even a little bit, come directly to the clinic.”—Doctor Meganium)

—Always uses their vine whips to pick stuff up.

—Has to watch out for the non-bug type bugs getting to their bulb.

—Will bump into things misjudging a jump. Even walking is a hassle as a former human!

—If they don’t spend a decent amount of time in the sunlight, they start to get sluggish.

—Accidentally keeps releasing their powder moves when upset. They get embarrassed.

Charmander:

—As cool as the pseudo-dragon line was, the tail flame happened to be a nightmare to mind. They always have to keep watch where it waves or else they will set accidentally things on fire.

—Stealth will never be a strength for them. The tail flame always gives away their position by being a constant light source.

—They don’t know if they liked to swim before but even learning was no longer an option.

—Scales get itchy when they have to shed every so often.

—Might have accidentally scratched through the paper when trying to write.

—They were mistaken for Charizard’s sibling/kid/cousin. That was a fun first meeting.

Squirtle:

—They miss being able to lay on their back.

—Tucking into the shell felt weird. Also, dirt got into all the little grooves in that area.

—The hero missed more than a few morning meetups due to being stuck in the pond. Being able to breath underwater was cool though!

—Did the Ninja Turtles (who???) ever feel jealous of humans for having more than three fingers? Their fingers were so stubby now.

—Learning and then using Rapid Spin nearly made them throw up.

—Caterpie almost drowned when he tried to get a ride on their back.

—Wearing the toolbox bag was awkward with a shell in the way.

Pikachu:

—The unusual shape of their tail tripped them up a lot in the beginning. At least Pikachus can go between quadrupedal and bipedal.

—Ears show their mood making a poker face kinda useless. They get overwhelmed by the “improved” sense of hearing Pikachus have.

—Not allowed to swim in Whiscash’s pond until they get their sparking under control.

—Forgets that being covered in mud/dirt reduces their ability to use electric moves.

—Their fur takes a while to dry out.

—Fingers are so short! Barely any dexterity.

—Tail was weirdly flexible. Gets caught on door and random pieces of fabric.

Meowth:

—Why was their weakness punches and kicks, but not literal shadows?! Was immune to ghost type moves yet basic fighting KOs them?

—They have no idea where they get random items in mystery dungeons from. (Pick Up)

—Moved their bed to a high shelf to appease their instincts. They cannot stand being shorter than their partner if they switch to four-legged.

—They were actually okay with water as long as it doesn’t get in their ears.

—Hates the limited grip of their paws.

—A meowth’s head charm makes no sense to them. How was a cat born with a metal charm? (Still polishes it out of innate pride.)

—Refused to use Pay Day outside dungeons after other Pokemon kept asking them to use it.

—Persian jokingly offers for them to one day take over his bank.

Psyduck:

—Had to learn Calm Mind just to live normally. The headaches are more like migraines.

—They’d randomly throw stuff in psychic fits.

—Wore a lavender-scented scarf to help them settle down out in dungeons.

—The big bill was hard to talk with and having feathers was a major adjustment. Alakazam will give them advice about focusing their mind.

—Had the idea of practicing lucid dreaming to see if it helped. When not suffering headaches, they enjoyed spending time with Partner.

—Can swim decently. They hate going into the mystery dungeons with natural noises.

—Will unleash all their psychic mental might on Gengar. He tried to manipulate Caterpie!

Machop:

—The similar proportions don’t help. Machop’s arms and super strength just trips them up.

—Many pots/containers were broken due to them literally not knowing their own strength.

—Why do Machops have tails? How does the species and evolution not get cold??

—They felt very awkward realizing they were kinda naked. Wears a scarf around their waist to hide down there, ignores the stares.

—Makuhita helped the hero get used to battling properly as a fighting type. They learned Flamethrower just to have a long-range move.

—Surprised Gengar by knowing Foresight, they enjoyed beating him with their punches.

—Underestimated how many calories a fighting type needed to eat to keep working out.

Cubone:

—They have no idea where this random skull or bone club they woke up with came from.

—Conversations about family tend to get quiet when they enter a room. They didn’t know why until they learned of the superstition around Cubones. (Do other Pokemon really think that every Cubone's parents die for a skull?)

—Being weak to ice and part-reptile wasn’t fun. They have to keep warm or risk falling asleep.

—If they aren’t careful, their skull will be flipped around to blind them. It bumps their snout...

—Cubone hands were odd. The thumb being a tough claw and the other fingers covered in flesh/skin like a mitten. At least it flexed okay.

—Why do Cubones have no toes? Or small feet.

—Small tail spikes got caught on things.

Eevee:

—They were sorta thankful that evolution was stopped for the time being. Eevees could evolve just by being friends with someone! Another new body wasn’t what they needed right now.

—Has to use their mouth to pick most stuff up and hates it. Paws just knock things aside.

—Fur, especially Eevee neck fluff, takes forever to dry out once wet. Knots were the worst.

—The hero was confused if they were a fox, cat, dog, or hybrid of the three.

—Sense of smell can be overpowering.

—Gets the urge to scream at strangers.

—They’ll stumble when they realize they were walking with four legs.

Chikorita:

—Their head-leaf gets in their face often.

—Hates being a grass-type without access to vine whip. They get jealous of any bulbasaur.

—Doctor Meganium helped them get used to being a healing tank.

—Why do Chikorita have such thin feet?!

—Bug types continuously target their head leaf for a snack. Razor Leaves drive any off.

—The most perpetually frustrated Chikorita to live in Pokemon Square ever.

Cyndaquil:

—Eyes are more suited for the dark so they have to wear special glasses or squint.

—Back flames will activate whenever the hero feels intense emotions forcing them to sleep on their stomach. Can’t wear scarves normally.

—Powerful sense of smell took a while to get used to. Useful for finding lost items.

—Front paws were more nubs than paws. Why do starters’ feet just end with a clawed toe???

—Instinctively likes being buried in blankets or burrowing into the ground to sleep. They sleep easier when they can hear other Pokémon in the same room. (Mice sleep with their families.)

—Has to always be mindful of their emotions lest they accidentally burn someone behind them. Doesn’t like being a fire type much…

—Gets dizzy using Rollout.

Totodile:

—Must. Bite. Everything! They can’t help giving into a Totodile’s instincts to bite everything.

—Things get caught on their red spines/ridges all the time. Accidentally cuts things they pick up with their clawed hands.

—Freaked out the first time they saw new teeth growing in to replace worn down ones.

—Often snaps their mouth close when excited or sits around with it slight open. (The sprite.)

—As always, walking was hard to figure out for them since a Totodile has blocky feet.

—They will randomly pull Scary Face without meaning to… Some Pokémon refuse to talk to them because of that and their high energy.

—Buys things to chew on for comfort.

—The way they swim was odd due to Feraligatr standing up in rivers. Perfectly content to let themself float around a pond or lake.

Treecko:

—Ends just staring at other Pokémon not talking. They will zone out in conversations.

—Has a third eye lid???

—The being able to climb walls thing has a downside when they are unable to control it. They end up sticking to things or cannot let go of items handed to them. Kinda embarrassing.

—Their tail is really weird. Neither fully plant nor a regular tail with bones to give it shape. Needs to get daily sunlight or else they feel sluggish.

—Switching to all fours feels weird as a Treecko.

—Pound with their tall is far more powerful than using their paws. But using Detect leaves them in a focused state for several minutes after, to the point of sensory overload. (So much to see!)

—Ironically, they feel more worried when they barely react to things than when surprised by something like being attacked…

—Bug-Types often go after their tail since it looks like leaves.

Torchic:

—Not having arms sucked! They couldn’t pick anything up with their stubby little wings.

—Will always get up at the crack of dawn no matter how little they slept during the night.

—They eat things very slowly due to now having a beak and no teeth.

—Preening is a hassle for them.

—Frequently loses their balance without arms to stabilize themself.

—Their fire attacks are surprisingly hot for a Pokémon of their size. (1,800 °F/ 982 °C)

—Has been called a Hoothoot because they are seen balancing on one leg when standing.

—Using Scratch or Slash leaves them unsteady.

Mudkip:

—Odd sensory overload from their headfin.

—Whiscash doesn’t mind having to teach them how to use their sensing abilities.

—They underestimated their strength when they first became a Pokémon, why can such a cute little species break boulders?! (Dented one of Skarmory’s wings when they fought it.)

—Is most comfortable sleeping in a muddy puddle than a bed which conflicts their human habit to not track mud into a room.

—In addition, the weird slimy film all Mudkip have to keep them hydrated is a little gross.

—Hated that Water Gun was their only water type move for several months.

—Using Foresight feels weirder than Bide.

—They have small sharp teeth as a Mudkip so eating is an interesting challenge.

Skitty:

—Legs are just numbs! Why does their tail have finger like ends on it? No picking up items for them…

—They get so distracted by their tail waving in the corner of their eyes.

—Eyes are far more suited for night time forcing them to either wear glasses or squint.

—Tends to get sidetracked when not doing the requests. Are all Skitty naturally like this?

—They are uncomfortable using Attract. It, it feels weird essentially flirting with strangers to distract them. Curse their Cute Charm ability.

—Normalize is far worse in their opinion. They cannot use type advantage and forget even hitting Ghost Types! Gengar is extra jerky.

—Has become a little jealous of their partner who use other type moves.

—They learned to throw items like Gravelrocks at opponents for chip damage. Takes on the role of distraction out of necessity.

——————————————————————

Overall being a human-turned-pokemon has its ups and downs. Hopefully, I represented the rescue team options well in my headcanons.

[This took so long for me to put together…]

[blorboclaw]

Actually let's go back to Birchkit of Shadowclan (it all started from a post from another user but i don't want to hijack their post completely).

Son of leader. Only survivor of his litter. Big bro is medicine cat (and failed to save his littermate).

If there isn't a big Silverstream situation here, where he'll get spoiled by the entire clan, it's a missed opportunity.

I could see him be the downfall of his own family actually. I don't wish for it, but it might come just in time to weaken Tigerstar II's position inside Shadowclan itself and trigger something in inter-clan politics in ASC, idk (reminder i'm still somewhere in TBC).

Just imagine.

Tigerstar II wants the best mentor there is for his kit, only survivor of his litter and only son to become a warrior (Tigerstar I already had this weird obsession with his male, non medcat descendants, and Bramblestar basically lost all relationship with Alderheart once he became a full medcat, it's not a stretch to think maybe Tigerstar II will have this default too).

Lightleap and Pouncestep are maybe eager to become mentors (i don't think they had apprentices yet?) and expect to become their brother's mentor even if it's not a thing that happens a lot nowadays (as opposed to first arc).

Then Tigerstar II just decides neither are good enough. And it's true they're both young warriors with not a lot of experience, but it stings to hear your father say you're not good enough. Cloverfoot, who is deputy and trusted, will become the mentor.

Birchpaw actually starts getting some preferable treatment. He does chores less often than the other apprentices (Cinnamontail's kits), because his mentor is the deputy and his father's the leader, and Tigerstar II doesn't want to punish him too often because it must be tough for him to be the only one with no siblings in the apprentices groups, which is basically a four kits litter + him.

Actually, to add the insult to the injury, maybe Tigerstar gave two of Cinnamontail's kits to Lightleap and Pouncestep as apprentices. They're good enough to become mentors, just not Birchpaw's. Daddy's favorite.

At some point, Dovewing realizes Birchpaw is a bit lonely in the apprentices' group and thinks it's a bit like her when she was not popular but Ivypaw was getting all the attention. She doubles down on dotting on him.

At some point, Lightleap's apprentice, let's say Bloompaw, gets in danger and Lightleap is hurt saving her. Fox, badger, twoleg, falling branch? doesn't matter. Pouncestep goes back to camp running for help and Dovewing's only concern is for Birchpaw, who is outside of the camp too and might be in danger, even if he's not remotely in the same area. Shadowsight is the only one in the family to answer the call and he goes to help Lightleap and Bloompaw. Brings LIghtleap back to camp and immobilizes her for two or three days for her leg/tail/whatever to heal completely.

Tigerstar throws a fit about how she should have been more responsible, now he's got to find a temporary mentor for Bloompaw and organize the patrols without her. Unknown to his kits, he's only getting so worked up because Berryheart or whoever else has been difficult to work with and tried to undermine his authority. Now his daughter's failure reflects badly on him or whatever. You know, so he's not an asshole out of nowhere, it's understandable he'd be worked up, but still not any good reason to yell at his bedridden daughter you know.

Birchpaw starts testing the limits. If his mentor, his leadership chain and his family don't forbid him stuff, what can he do next?

He starts by eating a prey he caught without bringing it back to camp for the elders. It's greenleaf, no one is starving or anything, he just wanted to test the limits. And this forbidden prey tastes better than any other.

Then he starts hunting on other clans' territories. Marking the shadowclan border just a bush too far from the original border.

Obviously, the last two infractions start worrying Leafstar or Bramblestar, who think Tigerstar is trying to expand on their territories. A worked up, worried patrol attacks a shadowclan patrol who was trespassing by a whisker and not doing on purpose. Better yet, they catch Birchpaw and attack him.

from then on, it's either Tigerstar declaring a war over his son's injuries, in which case Shadowclan as a whole might stop following him, and Riverclan might seize the opportunity to take their clan back from him, completely reducing Tigerstar's standing in his clan.

Or, the other possibility, Tigerstar and Dovewing finally start parenting their son. Which might work or not. If not, I'd see him just keep doing forbidden stuff but on the downlow you know. Which might set him up as a minor vilain for the next arc.

Also I'm pretty sure his warrior name will be Birchclaw.

None of his siblings have a claw suffix

Kind of a family tradition in the Tigerkin family.

Most legacy named cats have had the claw suffix. (Brambleclaw ok it's an old one. but Needleclaw. Spireclaw.)

throwback to Rowanclaw, since he's already named after one of his grandfathers, and his brother named after Rowanclaw died.

then i could be wrong and we could keep on the weird, new suffixes trend of his siblings. Birchstrike, or Birchspring maybe?

[olddirtybadfic]

Brotherly Love: Wakking Off (Part two of seven)

I have this theory that the Warner siblings are Set animals (like from ancient Egyptian lore), so the rules of mere mortals don't apply to them. One of Set's many domains is disorder and chaos, so I think it checks out.

Now watch teen!me write two of them acting like King Tutankhamun's parents.

Part one is here.

DEAD GOODFEATHERS DO NOT EAT

Content Warning: Consensual romantic relationship between two siblings; aged-up characters; questionable knowledge of psychology; godsawful usage of mid-noughties slang; big emotions, including: *extremely Gonzo voice* GUILT and *extremely Septa Unella voice* SHAME SHAME SHAME (ding ding); just two bros taking a bath together, sniffing each other's fur, tongues and tails twining whatevs

-O-o-O-o-O-

Yakko had been writing in his journal for three days.

It wasn’t working.

He figured he’d try Scratchy’s suggestion. It was only a start, Scratchy had said, but it might actually be enough to quell the incestuous thoughts Yakko had.

But the more Yakko wrote, the stronger the feelings grew. It got to the point where many of his entries were accompanied by a few diagrams of what exactly he wanted to do to his brother.

He also had to worry about hiding it. He had it hidden under his mattress, but what if they decided to make a mattress fort and it fell open as they moved the mattress? Every page included either a horrifyingly graphic description or a picture, so there was no way they’d miss it.

It got to the point where Yakko decided he just needed to maybe avoid Wakko for a while.

For the next three or four days, Yakko kept his distance. If Wakko entered the room, he left. He sat as far away from Wakko as he could at meal times. When the time came for them to take a bath, Yakko suggested they take separate ones. Wakko looked like he’d cry and it tore Yakko up inside.

The following night, Dot announced, “I’m going to the mall with Hello Nurse!”

Yakko’s heart skipped a beat. He’d be all alone. With his brother.

“The mall?” he asked.

“Yes, the mall. You know, with the stores, the food court, the pushy salespeople trying to unload their soon-to-be-outdated cell phones?” Dot said.

“Aaaah…Are you sure you want to go to the mall?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Really sure?”

“Positive.”

“Shiggity-sure?”

Dot stared Yakko dead in the eye and said, “Not only am I sure, I am shiggity-sure for shizzo my nizzo.” Then she left before Yakko could ask any more questions.

Yakko sighed. He was all alone. With Wakko.

Or not. He didn’t see Wakko around. Where was he?

Yakko looked all over the water tower. When he got to the bedroom, he found Wakko, sitting on his bunk.

“Wakko, what are you doing in here?” Yakko started to ask, until his brother turned around.

Wakko was crying.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Wakko asked in a small voice.

“What made you think that?” Yakko asked, sitting down on the bunk.

“You always leave when I come in. You won’t sit next to me. You didn’t want to take a bath with me.” Wakko sniffed.

Yakko winced. He didn’t think that Wakko would notice his avoidance. Wakko did, however, notice the wince.

“I knew it. You were avoiding me.” He turned away from Yakko.

Yakko mentally scolded himself. He was always forgetting how sensitive Wakko was. He should have thought that what he was doing would hurt his feelings. He also never realized how much he underestimated his little brother. He should’ve known he’d figure something was up.

“Yes, but I wasn’t trying to be mean to you,” Yakko said, gently putting a hand on Wakko’s shoulder.

“Why else would you do it, then?” Wakko still refused to face him.

“Because….well….I don’t know if I should tell you….”

“What? You don’t think I’ll understand? You think I’m stupid, don’t you.” Wakko attempted to jerk himself away again, but Yakko held him still.

“No, it’s just a really weird reason,” Yakko tried to explain.

“Try me.”

“It’s because I love you.”

Wakko stared at Yakko, confused.

“Not just that kind of love. I mean, I love you. I want to kiss you, and make out with you, and lots of other terribly graphic things that I’ve written down in a little book that I keep hidden under my mattress.” Yakko exhaled, waiting for the inevitable scream.

Only, it never came. Yakko looked at his little brother. The confused look was gone, replaced by a stolid expression.

Suddenly, Wakko took Yakko’s face in his hands and brought it closer to his own, until he began to kiss him.

It wasn’t like one of those kisses they did to their “special friends,” either. It was a bona fide on-the-lips kiss. It turned into more when Yakko realized there were two tongues in his mouth and only one of them was his. Until now, it had never occurred to Yakko that Wakko could do a whole lot more with his tongue than use it as a tape measure and let it dangle out of his mouth.

When it was over, Yakko barely heard Wakko ask, “Did you like it?”

“Holy….” was all Yakko could say. He had no idea his little baby brother could kiss like that. “Where did you learn that?!”

“From all the girls I went out with,” Wakko answered.

Yakko blinked a few times. “Well….That was amazing. But why didn’t you say anything before you did it?”

“You know me. I like to be more….physical.” Wakko flashed a carnal smile at Yakko.

Yakko was floored. He’d always thought of his little brother as being somewhat innocent. Clearly, he was mistaken. However, he wasn’t disappointed.

Yakko’s eyes must’ve been bugging out, because Wakko dropped his carnal grin. “Was that too much?”

Yakko smiled. “No, just a little too fast. How about….” He moved closer to Wakko, in a cuddle. “We start here?”

Wakko cuddled back. “Faboo.”

-O-o-O-

Dot came back from the mall a few hours later. “I’m home!” she announced to the house.

Nobody answered. Dot pouted.

“They all went to bed and now I’ll have to wait to show them all the cute clothes I got.” Dot skipped to her room to put away her clothes.

As she got out her pajamas, she noticed that Wakko’s bunk was empty. Maybe he wasn’t asleep?

Dot shrugged, then went to the bathroom to get changed and washed up. She listened for signs that Wakko was still up, but heard none. When she went back to the bedroom, she realized why.

Both Yakko and Wakko were sleeping on Yakko’s bottom bunk. They were tucked in, nice and snug, and Yakko had his arm around Wakko, almost protectively.

Dot had to admit it was cute—and she should know. She figured Wakko just had a bad dream and couldn’t fall asleep without his big brother to protect him. She hoped it wasn’t because of the clown comment she’d made a few days ago.

“Oh, well,” Dot thought. She hopped into her bunk and immediately went to sleep.

-O-o-O-

The next morning, Yakko was the first one awake. He wondered if the previous night had really happened, or if it was all some crazy dream. Then he looked down at his little brother, sleeping cutely on his arm, and knew it was real.

Yakko looked at the clock. It was barely even 7:00. Normally, he’d just go back to sleep until 9:00, but he decided he’d just watch Wakko sleep for a while.

He didn’t get to watch him long, as Wakko began to wake up. Yakko gazed down at him, lovingly, as he stretched his little body, then smiled up at Yakko.

“Wanna go at it again?” he asked, sleepily, wiggling into a sitting position.

“I’d love to, but we might wake Dot,” Yakko answered. Then, he got a idea. “Since we didn’t take our bath together yesterday, why don’t we do it today?”

Wakko perked up in response.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”

Very quietly, the two went down the hall to the bathroom. Wakko got out their washrags while Yakko ran the bath. As he was pouring the bubble bath into the measuring cup, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye, that grabbed his attention and held it hostage.

Wakko, having gotten the washrags out, was starting to undress. Yakko watched as he slid out of his blue nightshirt and tossed it onto the toilet. Then he took off his red cap and placed it gingerly on top of his shirt.

Yakko stared, until he realized that the tub was slowly filling up with bubbles. He capped the bottle clumsily, unable to take his eyes off his naked brother. Just then, Wakko turned around and Yakko jerked his gaze in the other direction.

“Yakko, what’s wrong?” Wakko asked, going over to his brother, who still couldn’t seem to close the bottle.

“Nothing. Nothing at all! This bottle is just really hard to close, which is odd because normally I can never get it open. Man, they’re child-proofing everything these days, aren’t they?” Yakko liked this verbal diarrhea even less than the speechlessness that preceded it.

“You’re rambling. And why won’t you look at me?”

Yakko felt his head starting to turn, but resisted. “You’re naked.”

“We’ve seen each other naked before.”

“Yeah, but now it’s different. It’s like we’re….” Yakko struggled to get the word out. “Lovers. I still can’t get over the idea that maybe we shouldn’t do this.”

Wakko gently turned Yakko’s head downwards to face him. Yakko was now staring at his little brother in all his naked glory. The most frightening thing about it was that without his cap, Wakko looked a whole lot like himself.

“You even look like me. A constant reminder that we’re carrying out incest,” Yakko continued, nearly entranced. “It’s not that I don’t want to do it. But what would happen if someone should find out? What if they separate us?”

Yakko was silenced by Wakko’s body pressing against his own. “If we’re very careful, nobody will know. Even if they do find out, they’re not going to take us away from each other. I won’t let them.”

Yakko needed no more persuasion. “Then let us commence our bath,” he said, grinning and sliding off his pants.

The brothers climbed into the tub. Submerged up to their waists in bubbles and water, it appeared as though they were innocently taking a bath together—if you completely ignored the fact that they had their arms around each other and were inches from kissing.

Yakko suddenly felt something move his tail. He looked down and saw Wakko’s tail tentatively rubbing against his own.

Yakko smiled, intertwining his tail with that of his brother. Soon, Wakko was pressed against Yakko’s chest, kissing the side of his neck, while Yakko rubbed his nose against Wakko’s head.

Suddenly the door opened. Dot poked her head in. Luckily, Wakko’s head was facing away from the door, so it merely looked like Yakko had his nose on Wakko’s head. Both turned to look at her.

It still looked weird, and Dot made no secret of this with her facial expression. “What are you doing?”

“Um….Sniffing Wakko’s fur,” Yakko answered. “This new shampoo smells great!” Yakko took a huge whiff of Wakko’s head and had to quickly hide how intoxicating he found the scent. Wakko only continued to stare dopily at Dot, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Dot must have been convinced, because she dropped the “what the hell” expression and said, “Okay!” Then she skipped off to the bedroom.

The minute the door closed, Yakko gave a sigh of relief. “That was close.” He turned to Wakko with a serious, but loving expression. “Maybe we ought to wait until we’re sure nobody will catch us. Or get a ‘Do not disturb’ sign.”

“It’s a little late for the sign, isn’t it?” Wakko said, lapping at Yakko’s neck.

-O-o-O-o-O-

Moral of the story: Always be aware of how many tongues are in your mouth.

[harutostablet]

Haruto should have known something was up when Yukito met him on the dock. Already adjusting to his role as Uncle Kenji's successor, the youngest Ono leaned against a flashy red sports car, rocking a trendy hipster nerd look instead of the sleek suits Uncle usually wore. In the back of his mind, Haruto wondered how long it would take for his younger brother to take on that slithery feel all managers seemed to have.

"Who's car is that?" Haruto asked as he approached. Yuki, who had been looking at his phone, looked up and waved at his big brother.

"Haru-nii," he smiled. "Mine, a little present to myself." Haruto walked around the car, looking at all the fancy bells and whistles. He didn't want to think about how much it cost.

"When did you learn how to drive?"

"When I got back to Japan," Yukito said opening the card door and sat inside. Haruto followed suit. The interior smelled like new leather. I guess that's one way to get over a break up, Haruto thought. He wondered how hard it would be to get a driver's license. Yukito started the car and started driving while his older brother looked out the window at the world passing by.

"Haru-nii…Haru-nii?"

"Yeah?" Haruto looked back at his younger brother.

"Something happened didn't it?"

"No,"

Yukito sighed. "How is that guy with the tail? The one that pisses Ueno off?"

Haruto shrugged and looked back out the window. The Ono siblings were particularly close. Yukito wouldn't press his big brother, not when they had to deal with business in a few minutes.

"Dad and Uncle Kenji are meeting us for lunch."

"Yeah?"

"You might not like it,"

"Yuki…."

"A new anime is coming out and they want you to sing the theme song."

"And?"

"And they will only do it if you sing with the guys from the drama."

Haruto continued looking out the window so Yuki continued. "Your Japan sales boosted with the songs from drama and you read well with them. You'll see, it will work out." Haruto remained silent.

"I don't have to write the song, do I?" he asked. Music wasn't with him as of late.

"Nope, the lead singer of that band is pretty good," Yukito pulled in front of the restaurant. "It'll be a win, win; you'll see. " Haruto knew that his younger brother was putting on a good front. This was work they had to put on their game faces. Since Uncle Kenji planned this meal it was a very public restaurant known to be frequented by the rich and famous. There were waiting photographers to take the brothers' pictures and shout out questions that Haruto didn't hear. He kept a smile on his face and eyes forward even as they walked inside and followed the Maitre'd to a semi-private table where Akita and Kenji were waiting. An idea popped into Haruto's head as they were seated. He was looking his future and it hit him in a weird place, he didn't now how he felt about it.

Haruto sat next to his father while Yukito sat next to Uncle Kenji. Even after decades of performing and raising four children, Akita still had a a suave rocker look even if it was a bit more refined. . His shaggy bleached hair was immaculately styled and his clothes reeked of casual money but also let it be known that he was still a bad boy at heart. This was Akita's public face. The dad Haruto knew, spent his off time, as rare as it was, in a jinbei or sweats, watching cheesy samurai movies. Sometimes when Uncle came over for the veg sessions, the two old men would bicker about old man things until they drank enough sake to pass out on the couch.

"There are my boys," said Uncle Kenji. "Akita and I are discussing a little mess I have to clean up. "

"Kenji, don't say it like that," his father said softly. A waiter came to fill their water glasses and poured them both some white wine for the newcomers, halting the conversation until he walked away.

"A mess?" Yukito asked when it was safe.

"Yes, your father left a little present in South Korea sixteen years ago and now she is in a girl group," Uncle Kenji said as if he was talking about the weather.

"We have another sister?" Haruto asked as he put his napkin in his lap

"Officially, no," said Uncle Kenji. The waiter returned to take their orders leaving another lull in the conversation, Once he left, Uncle spoke softly to Yukito. "We will talk about how to handle these situations later. I doubt you'll have this issue with Haruto but 'fixing' is a large part of our job." The way Uncle Kenji spoke, it was as if Haruto and Akita weren't even there. The sucky part was that Haruto was used to it. He looked at his father. Akita was busy eating a piece of bread so Haruto did the same.

While they talked Akita gave is oldest son's shoulder a squeeze. "I saw the drama, it looks good, did you have fun?" he asked. Haruto shrugged.

"It was different or whatever," he said with a smile on his face. Akita didn't have to tell his children that he loved them or that he was proud of them. They knew by his actions and even though they traveled the world they were still Japanese. He gave Haruto's shoulder another squeeze before turning his attention back to Uncle Kenji.

"Now, Haruto, speaking of the drama your sales have gone up in Japan," Uncle Kenji said pulling up something on his phone. The waiter brought their food and left them alone once more. "We are going to use this upswing to solidify your place on the music scene. I worked out a deal with the manager of that other group and we have a few more things to hash out but we're putting your next solo album on hold while you work with this group."

"Why do I have to put my album on hold?" Haruto asked. Not that he was writing any music anyway.

"Because we want people to buy it when it comes out," said Uncle Kenji. "In order to do that, we need these guys. That doesn't mean that we still aren't releasing your other songs on the international market, but we need local money first."

"Yes, Uncle," he said automatically. He started to eat his food and slowly zoned out. This was a practiced measure. Nodding when he needed to, Uncle really wasn't talking 'to' him he was talking 'about' him. Someone would tell him where to go when it was time. The rest of the lunch passed quickly. When it finished Haruto still felt tired. Uncle Kenji and Akita left in one car leaving the younger set of brothers to wait for Yukito's.

"You need a vacation," Yuki said as they waited.

"You know I don't have time to go on a vacation," Haruto replied. "Between school, lessons, and now this new shit…"

"Yeah, let me see what I can do," his younger brother nudged him. "Me, you, a few drinks, sandy beach somewhere, no one knows us, dancing, a few hot guys…." he whispered the last part making his older brother blush.

"Hush Yuki,"

"It'll be fun, you'll see." Soon the red sports car was back. The brothers got back in the car. Yukito was going to go with Haruto on his lessons today.

"Hey, Yuki, can you teach me how to drive?" he asked once they were back on the road. The youngest Ono laughed and adjusted his glasses.

"Sure, but not in my car." he teased.