thelampisaflashlight

[thelampisaflashlight]

Aether, appearing in the kitchen suddenly, on a phone call: "Assert dominance over your man by gripping his balls with just enough force to let him know you could rip them off if you wanted to, and gentle enough to let him know he's at your mercy-" -stops mid conversation to grab a donut and kiss Dew's forehead as he passes through- "-Then twist them-" Swiss, dropping his fork back down on his plate: "What the fuck." Dew, nibbling on his own donut: "It is what it is." -picking up his coffee mug- "I'm sure his advice is sound." Swiss: "But... but the balls..." Dew: "He's been dabbling as a marriage counselor with a side hustle as a divorce lawyer." Swiss: "...I'm somehow more concerned." Dew: "One hand washes the other as they say-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Copia, talking to Dew in his office: "I'm not accusing you of anything, but in order to rule you out as a suspect, I need to know what you were doing last night when the the microwave blew up in the cafeteria." Dew, crossing his arms: -looking away- Copia: "Dewdrop." Dew, closing his eyes, embarrassed: "I don't wanna say it." Copia, firmly: "Dewcifer Maurice Drop, what were you doing last night when the microwave exploded?" Dew, folding like a house of cards: "Can I... Can I write it down?" Copia, confused, but relenting: "Alright." -slides him a pen and a notepad- "Go ahead." Dew: -starts writing- Copia, reading: "In your..." -pauses, looks at Dew, then back at the paper- "Well, there's Mountain's alibi... Oh. Oh and Cirrus." Dew: -taps the page- Copia: "...And... And Ps...Psaltarian?? Satanas..." Dew: "..." Copia: "...I see... Well then that..." Dew: "Yeah, I wasn't exactly gonna be able to walk after that-" Copia: "Right, you're free to go, I don't wanna hear anymore." Dew, gets up, moans involuntarily, braces against the chair: "...You'll tell no one." Copia, picking up the notepad: "I think everyone already knows-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Dew, walking into the living room: "Hey, cosmic twink, can you, like, send me the title of the video you wanted me to watch instead of the link?" Aeon, confused: "Huh? But the link brings you directly to the video." Dew: "I know, I know, just humor me here, okay?" Aeon, typing out the name, sends it: "Better?" Dew, leaving the room: "Much." Aeon, looking at Rain: "I don't get it." Rain, shrugging: "Dew has this thing where he doesn't like receiving links, blame being a computer geek for so long, he'd rather find things on his own or something... I dunno." -stretches- "He won't even use the smart speaker in the kitchen. He keeps trying to throw it out." Dew, from down the hallway: "IT'S AN ANGEL SENT FROM HEAVEN TO SPY ON US!" Aeon: "...I feel like I've heard that before, but, like, about us." Rain: "He does say that a lot-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Rain, relaxing by the lake with Cumulus: "Lus?" Cumulus, lowering her sunglasses: "Yes, Rainy?" Rain: "Showed Dew my dick earlier." Cumulus: "Oh-ho-ho~? What'd he say?" Rain, looking out over the water, introspective: "..." -breathes- "Well, after he asked why I was in his room, his follow up question was, 'Why is it blue?' and then he pulled out paint swatches-" Cumulus, confused: "Why did he have paint swatches??" Rain: "He was painting a wall in his room, and he just... held a couple swatches up to my dick and was like, 'Ah, it's a gradient...'... So apparently my dick is ultramarine." Cumulus, glancing down: "So, anything else happen or just color matching?" Rain, laying back: "Well, after that, Mountain came back from running an errand..." Cumulus: "I forgot they're roommates... Oh shit. Mount saw your dick, too then??" Rain: "Didn't even bat an eyelash, dude just went, 'They were out of soy milk, and I ain't gonna drink nut milk, so I guess it's dry cheerios for breakfast today.' like it was the most normal thing to witness." Cumulus: "Really makes you wonder what goes on in that dorm, huh..." -Meanwhile, in Mountain and Dew's dorm room- Mountain: "WHY WERE YOU COLOR MATCHING HIS PENIS?!" Dew, crying: "I PANICKED BECAUSE IT WAS BIG, OKAY?! I WAS PLAYING IT COOL AND CASUAL!!!" Mountain, head in his hands: "AT LEAST WARN A GUY BEFORE HE WALKS IN ON THAT! I WAS TALKING ABOUT NUT MILK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Dew: "Sometimes, when I'm angry with Rain, I start calling him stupid shit, like, Mizzle or Sprinkle or Condensed Moisture. Ya know, his name but not his name." -arms crossed, looks over at Rain- "...Or at least I think about it. I think about it, and then I realize I'd have to explain it to him, and that requires looking in his stupid, pretty, big ol' brown eyes and suddenly I ain't mad. Asshole." Rain, smiling goofily: -gives a tiny wave- Dew, looks away, closes his eyes: "Focus, Dewcifer, you're mad at him. Just picture yourself laying into him and then go for it." -furrows brow, eyes open- "...Stars above, now I'm horny, dammit-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

vamp goth mountain! i think it suits him

[thelampisaflashlight]

dramatically and violently turns into a werewolf and then continues doing the same thing I was doing before

[thelampisaflashlight]

Dew... Dewdles.

*hands you surface born half human Dew*

-Genetically, he has more human traits than ghoulish ones, even now that his ghoul side has presented itself, so he lacks some of the hunting skills of a full-blooded ghoul, and his senses are not nearly as sharp.

Swiss, who is also a half ghoul, has more ghoulish traits than him, because his mother was a ghoul instead of his father, so the theory is that whichever parent carries the baby/kit (human or ghoul) influences their presentation.

-Dew's father (whomever he might have been) was a rare mix of fire and water, but likely experienced a lot of physical instability as a result, and that's probably why he didn't stick around long on the surface; Ghouls' elements are more stable in Hell, as they can manifest properly... or maybe he was really just a deadbeat asshole like his mother said he was.

Unlike his father, Dew's elements are evenly balanced, and kept that way thanks to the element his mother was attuned to (air).

-Since he grew up living as a human, he has a deeper connection to his human heritage, and often feels out of place when engaging in ghoulish traditions, especially ones that typically cause nostalgia for the other ghouls.

He doesn't like going on hunts with the pack, and tends to get upset if he sees them chowing down on the wildlife surrounding the abbey, so after the first two hunts he stopped coming along.

Sometimes Rain will bring him a fish, though, and he's okay with that.

-With how his elements shake out, Dew's appearance lines up more with that of a water ghoul, but he lacks gills, instead presenting as more amphibious in nature, and his magic is mostly fire based.

However, that small bit of air inside of him also has its benefits aside from its practicality; He can give people hiccups.

When someone annoys him, they'll be hiccupping until their head hurts.

And lastly;

-Since he's not familiar with ghoul culture, he doesn't subscribe to their hierarchies, nor does he really give a shit if someone was a lord or a princess in Hell; They're on the surface now, and he's not fucking bowing.

Because he tends to ignore the social statuses of others, though, he has gotten into some trouble here and there... mostly because, again, he's not gonna lower his head just because somebody is a big shot in the pit.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Movie Night

[Rain and Dew watch a movie.] Below the cut.

"Your feet will never find firm footing; You tread upon the blood of those you have slain, and forevermore your steps shall echo as water, red as the holiest of wine, and in your wake, Hell's fire shall burn so you might only move forward... Onwards and on until the end of days." the vampire hunter in the movie declares, earning a snort from Dew, who snuggles down closer to Rain.

"This is the good part." he whispers, and Rain feels a gentle smile tug at his lips, "The lighting, the drama of the vampire's silhouette in the dark... Fucking beautiful."

"The acting leaves something to be desired." Rain comments, and Dew snorts, "The fake English accent, eugh..."

"It's art, Rainy, poorly dubbed over art, but art nonetheless."

"You," the water ghoul huffs, "and I have very different ideas of what art is."

"You just don't have taste." Dew counters, shifting so that his head is laying in Rain's lap, a hand coming to rest on his thigh as he settles, "You're the one who wanted to watch a vampire movie."

"I was really thinking Dracula, Interview With The Vampire... Something more traditional." Rain hums, reaching down to drag his fingers through Dew's wayward curls, rolling one of the fiery spirals between his forefinger and thumb, watching how the light of the tv highlights the subtle white streaks blended almost seamlessly with the rest, "Twilight-"

Dew gives an offended gasp that turns into a dull purr as Rain scratches along his scalp, "Twilight he says... Maybe as background noise..."

"Familiar background noise," Rain says, circling his fingers, "since you seem to remember those movies better than I do."

"Know thy enemy..." Dew groans as Rain's hand strays, "I had to pick it apart in order to tell people precisely why I hated it."

"You certainly did not," Rain teases, "you just wanted an excuse to talk about how Bella deserved better."

Dew opens his mouth to speak, but is caught off guard by Rain's gentle caress, "...You're playing a dangerous game, Raincloud."

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart, I'm not the one in danger here..." He chuckles, playing with the collar of Dew's shirt, "Come now, watch your movie."

"Rain-"

"Shhh... No more words, just nod or shake your head." he says, grabbing Dew by the chin, "Do you want me?"

Dew sits up languidly, palms sinking into the faux leather couch cushions as he moves to crawl onto Rain's lap, nodding.

There's a brief awkwardness -as there always seems to be- as they shuffle about trying to get into the proper position; Rain gets Dew speared on his cock with minimal prep, lets him hiss at the burn, but is kind enough to pull a blanket over them, wrapping his arms around his waist, holding him in a way that doesn't betray what they're doing.

It just looks like they're cuddling like normal, but even in the dark, Rain can see the blossoming of red across Dew's cheeks, and the pin pricks of sweat beginning to form on the back of his neck, which he delights in licking away, earning him a yelp.

"Shhh, eyes forward, watch the movie."

And just like that, Dew's transfixed.

Rain hums, content to be warmed by the ghoul in his lap, but he's waiting.

Watching.

The telltale glint of fangs in moonlight, an unsuspecting victim; In the film, it's some busty blonde who makes minimal effort to run away in her cheap, ankle breaker heels.

Briefly distracted, Rain can't help but comment on the shoes.

"She should have worn better shoes."

"She wasn't exactly planning to get chased by a vampire, Rainy." Dew pouts, voice a bit strained as he tries to look back at the other, "Like you could run in heels."

"I could." Rain says, "I have."

"I'd like to see you tr-" Dew squeaks as Rain moves his hips slightly, "-Cheater."

"I didn't know we were playing a game." Rain says, pulling Dew back against his chest, "Now shush."

"Rain..."

Rain says nothing in return, casually slipping his hands beneath the blanket.

For a time, the only sound that can be heard besides the dull drone of the lead actor's monologue is the gentle movement of skin against skin... slow and steady.

It's easy, Rain finds, to get lost in it.

The sensation of Dew's body clenching around his cock and...

"You can see someone's travel mug in the background..." Dew says suddenly, gesturing at the screen, "Right there."

Rain blinks, propping his chin on Dew's shoulder, narrowing his eyes, "Shit, you can."

"Bleh, bleh, I vant a venti mocha latte..." Dew snickers and Rain gives a laugh, "...So, you gonna move or what?"

Rain clicks his tongue, thinking, "Mn... Tempting offer, but our movie is over."

Dew pats the couch beside them, searching for the remote.

"Twilight?"

"Twilight."

[thelampisaflashlight]

Aether, looking for Dew: "Excuse me, I'm looking for someone about yay big-" -gestures way smaller than Dew actually is- "-have you seen him?" Dew, pissed beyond all belief: "I'M RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, YOU FUCKER-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Spent some time outside.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Right Here, Right Now

[Aether meets a friend at the bar. Dewther.] Below the cut.

The bar is pleasantly warm when Aether shuffles inside, sniffling lightly as his nose dribbles slightly from the shift in temperature; It's a cold, dark, and shockingly dry November outside, but he'll gladly brave the frosty night air if it means he gets to hang out in a place like this for at least a little while.

"Oi, Aeth, over here!" a rough voice calls out from a booth in the corner, a pale, skinny arm shoots into the air, waving him over.

Aether smiles and makes his way over, weaving passed tables and chairs packed with other patrons, and plops himself down inside the booth with a soft "umph" as the seat gives more resistance than expected upon impact.

"Took you long enough." the other sniffs, not so much in an annoyed fashion but in more of a relieved way -Aether's known him for years, he should know by now what the difference is- and slides him over a glass of slowly warming beer, "Ice's already melted."

"It's fine, think I'll like it better warm with how cold it is out there." he sighs, slipping his coat off and setting it beside him on the bench, "Did I keep you waiting, Dew?"

The fire ghoul shrugs, stirring his own drink, something blood red and fruity, with his straw, "Ehn, not really, got here about fifteen minutes ago."

"It's funny," he adds, "how we can arrive here at different times despite leaving from the same location..."

Aether snorts.

"I had to make a stop along the way to grab a couple things..." he says, reaching into his coat pocket and revealing a small carboard box, which he flashes the label of to Dew before hiding it away again, "Forgive me?"

Dew shifts in his seat a little, "...I'll think about it."

"We don't have to-" Aether starts, but something in the way Dew meets his gaze makes him bite his tongue, "Tell me about your day."

And, just like that, the pair fall into a casual conversation, ranging from the wonderous bullshit that is having to do ministry paperwork, to tales of the younger, less seasoned ghouls getting up to shenanigans.

"-and then Aurora looked at me like I had two heads when I said I knew about the caves." Dew rolls his eyes, leaning backwards, his long red hair bobbing back and forth in the loose bun he's pulled it into, hands gesturing widely, "Like, it's the caves, Aeth, the caves."

"I remember when I first went there," Aether chuckles, "I thought it was super secluded, too, and then I found out-"

"-That the sauna is, like, right fucking there, yeah?" Dew finishes and Aether nods, grinning, "Ah, well, now she knows... Hahh..."

Aether sips his beer -his third overall- and sets the glass down with a heavy sigh, "It's been a while since we've gotten to hang out like this, ya know, one on one..."

"It has," Dew agrees, sitting back up so he can reach over and finish off his own drink, "us old timers don't get out that much, do we?"

"Ouch."

"What?"

"'Old timers'... You wound me, Dewdrop." Aether jokes, giving a yelp when Dew's foot collides with his ankle, "What was that for?"

"We're old, Aeth, nothin' wrong with admitting that." he ruffles slightly, "Just means we have more experience..."

Dew's foot brushes against Aether's leg again, but this time the movement is softer, more deliberate, as he slides it upwards, stopping about midcalf, "...Right?"

Aether lets out a little huff, "Cheeky as ever..."

"You like it." Dew hums, leaning forward, "How about you and me get out of here?"

"Your place or mine?"

"We'll just start walking and see where we end up first."

Dew laughs, hiding his face behind his hand when a handful of the other patrons look over.

"...I like the sound of that." he whispers, and Aether feels, more than he sees, his fear.

Dew pays their bill, and Aether makes himself a wall.

They walk back to the abbey, watching the lights of the town turn into distant sparks, moving at a leisurely pace until the sidewalk turns into grass and then finely compacted earth underfoot.

Dew's hand, which had been brushing against his the whole way, but never quite catching, finds its way into Aether's, and their fingers slip together easily.

Everything about what they're doing feels easier when it's dark, when no one can see it, when it feels safe.

Even still...

"I love you." he says, "You know that, right?"

I know. I love you, too." Dew gives his hand a squeeze, "It's just... People can be dicks when it comes to things they don't understand."

"Fuck 'em." Aether lifts his chin, giving a little grunt, before lowering his head and sighing, "I get it though... Better safe than sorry, even in a town like ours... I wish it was different, but I also know things aren't going to change overnight."

"Sorry for bringing the mood down-"

"No! I mean, no, it's good." Aether clarifies, turning towards Dew and holding his other hand, "It's... you're being logical. I just, when I'm with you, it's easy to... to forget."

"I'm just being paranoid-"

They both pause, taking a deep breath.

"...No more scary real world shit?" Dew sticks his pinkie out towards Aether, who hooks his around it, "Yeah?"

"You've got a deal, Sparks."

Dew unruffles a bit, releasing Aether's hands so he can stretch and soothe the tension in his, well, everything.

"Back on track." Aether says, reaching into his jacket pocket and withdrawing the package from earlier; A box of condoms that seems to have already been opened, although it's hard to tell in the dark.

"Right here??" Dew flusters, looking around, "Aether-"

"Wait, shit-" Aether digs deeper into his pocket, "-Not that one, not yet... Fuck, where did I-OH!"

Aether withdraws a smaller box from his breast pocket, "Forgot I put it there... Ha, ha..."

"Aether, what..."

The quint, opens the box and holds it out towards Dewdrop, easing himself down onto one knee.

"I was going to wait, surprise you with it later, but I..."

Dew practically bowls him over with the force of his hug.

"Right here?" Aether teases, and Dew gives a wet laugh.

"You wanna marry me?" Aether asks as Dew wraps his arms around him.

"Only if you wanna marry me." Dew replies and Aether snickers.

"Wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to." he says, rubbing his back as the wobbly laughter turns into genuine crying, "Oh, love..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just..." Dew deflates a bit, "Fuck, I'm just all over the place tonight..."

"You wanna talk about it?" Aether asks, feeling Dew pull away, "What's wrong?"

Dew digs into his pocket.

"I was trying to think of a good time to ask... I was stressing out about it all night and then you, and I, and..."

Aether looks at the gold band pinched between Dew's trembling fingers.

"You-"

The fire ghoul captures his lips.

"Right here." he gasps.

"Right here, right now."

.

.

.

"Aether, Dew, you're back-" Mountain greets as the pair stumbles into the common room, staring as he takes in their messed up hair and wrinkled clothing, "...Do I wanna know what happened?"

Dew wipes his nose on his shirt, which is covered in mud and... something Mountain decides not to acknowledge at the moment.

"...We're getting married?"

"You're what-"

"Married. Going to be." Aether supplies unhelpfully, then claps him on the shoulder, "Wanna be my best man?"

Mountain opens his mouth, then closes it, assessing the situation, and then sighs.

"You know what? Sure, but also, what the fuck-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Because I'm recharacterizing ghouls... You get this. Let's go.

Dew used to be a photographer/videographer before he became a ghoul, and actually went missing while shooting B roll in the woods near the abbey for an indie movie that was, incidentally, about a filmmaker going missing in the forest.

He was badly injured after falling into a cistern that connected to the abbey's catacombs, and was discovered barely clinging to life by a group of sisters of sin heading towards the sunken chapel to pay their respects to a recently deceased member of the clergy.

The sisters were able to bring him back to the abbey, but he died not long after the fact due to his internal injuries.

What nobody expected, least of all Dew, was him getting back up after the fact.

Yeah, turns out receiving a mortal death when you're half demon doesn't always work out.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Dew: -yawning- Aether, sticking his finger in Dew's open maw: "Hm..." Dew, biting down, face goes sour, garbled: "WhUYh??" Aether, humming: "Your mouth didn't look right empty." Dew, staring in silence: "..." Aether: "I-" Dew: -biting down, hard- -elsewhere in the abbey- Cirrus, startling awake from a nap, sticking her head up: "What the fuck was that?!" Cumulus, looking around blearily: "Sounded like the highest note on a fucking slide whistle-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

Cumulus: "A lot of people think Dew yells when he's mad, but that's not his thing; He doesn't wanna hurt his vocal chords. Believe it or not, but he's our secret little song bird, but I digress." -waves her hand- "When he's mad, Dew stares, like, through you. He stares into your fucking soul and decides you are nothing without saying a single goddamned word. Just look there." Aeon, being stared down: -whimpering, tail between their legs- Dew, narrowing his eyes very slightly: "..." Aeon, trembling: "I'M SORRY!" Cumulus, hands on her hips: "I dunno what they even did to deserve that..." Dew: -lets out the biggest, wettest sneeze- Cumulus: "...Ah, allergy season, right." Dew, looking at Aeon: "Why are you crying-"

[thelampisaflashlight]

It’s always Mountain falling into Rain after Dew’s transition but what if it was Aether?

What Aether couldn’t bare seeing his droplet burnt? What if he couldn’t stand that his scent was reminiscent of a campfire instead of a bright morning after it rained? What if the leathery feel of his skin was too different from the soft scales?

What if he lost himself in Rain when he got summoned? A brand new water ghoul to cling to while he buried his droplet. It didn’t fix the hole but it helped. He was different from Dewdrop but if he closed his eyes he could pretend that petrichor and sea salt smell was something familiar.

Dew of course was heartbroken. He thought Aether had really loved him. He gave his heart to Aether and this is what happened. He got snappy and short tempered. Everyone thought it was because of the fire but Mountain saw right through him. Mountain didn’t care if he burned now. All he cared about was the fact that Dew was alive. So he stuck himself next to his side. The ritual was hard enough, he didn’t want anything else to happen to him because of Aether and this new water ghoul. He wouldn’t lose Dew.

Dew was so vile to him a first. But Mountain didn’t blame him. He had just seen Aether turn his back on him. But very slowly Dew got used to the earth being close to him instead of the stars.

[thelampisaflashlight]

D&D is a funny game, especially when designing NPCs, because you get to create a dude, and then this happens. Below the cut because this is actually sort of spoilers.