#aether and phantom are brothers

[ashthewaterghoul]

I Know For The Last Time You Will Not Be Mine So Give Me The Night - An Alternative Ending

     At some point, Dew felt a faint light licking against his eyelids. Did he fall asleep? Was it morning already? Though curiously, he still felt the back of Phantom’s shoulders pressed against his face. He reluctantly cracked an eye open, and instantly regretted it.     The light was coming from Phantom’s horns. Their stars and galaxies giving a final burst of energy, one last ditch attempt at waking up. But they never would. Or, What would have been the ending to Ch22 of Even The Brightest Stars Burn Out if I decided to be mean. Pretty sure this could honestly be read without the context of the fic but notes have a tldr.

Words: 1.5k

Rating: Mature

Relationships: Aether & Phantom, Dew/Phantom, Phantom & everyone

Tags: Death, alternative ending, angst, whump, Dewdrop needs a hug, referenced su!c!de attempt, funerals, Aether & Phantom are siblings, they/them pronouns for Phantom, idk how to tag this please send help.

A/n: Context! Phantom and Aether are siblings and Phantom got summoned to a pool of Aether's blood. Angst and shit ensues until Phantom decides to commit suicide. Dew gets there to talk them down, but not before the dagger they were going to use falls and slices their chest open. That and magic made it so they didn't wake up and were put in a coma. In ch22 we see the pack struggling and loosing hope, but Phantom wakes up! In this ending though, they decidedly… don't

~~~

    When the doctors came that dreadful evening, the pack all piled on top of Phantom, making sure they weren’t alone and surrounded by love. Copia had given Phantom the Ghoul equivalent of the last rites, and the pack had followed the Ghoulish tradition of preparing a body for death with some alterations considering they were away from their native dimension. They had washed Phantom’s body with various oils and herbs, each bearing a prayer, and finished by burning incense and using the ashes to draw various protection runes for Phantom’s journey into the Beyond. They had done the same for Aether, not getting the opportunity with Sunshine. Seeing the little Bat bearing the same marks their brother had just months prior twisted all their souls even more than they already had been. The universe really was a heartless bitch at times. The pack had put Phantom in their favourite pyjamas (Swiss’ joggers and one of Aether’s t-shirts) and Cumulus had made their curls look so healthy, you wouldn’t think anything was wrong.

    The doctors removed everything but the breathing tube, allowing the pack some final moments. It was weirdly quiet without the beeping of the monitors they had all become accustomed to. Phantom had looked so small amongst all the wires and tubes they had been connected to, yet they somehow looked even smaller now without it.

    All said their goodbyes privately, one at a time, then together took positions on Phantom’s nest. Phantom was rolled partially on their side so their head rested on Cumulus’ chest as that was how they always cuddled, Mountain sat against the headboard with them both against his own chest. Rain curled up by their feet while Swiss and Aurora rested their heads on Phantom’s leg. Cirrus shimmied herself between Cumulus and Rain, her head on their stomach, and Dew curled up around the back of Phantom.

    The bat plushie was in their arms, and one of Aether’s horns was in each hand.

Read below the cut or on ao3!

    The doctor turned off the respirator, removed the breathing tube and immediately left the room, shutting the door behind her.

    All the Ghouls shut their eyes, not wanting to see their horns fall away. The magic in the dagger was what made Aether and Sunny’s bodies disappear, so they also shut their eyes so they didn’t have to see it happen to Phantom if they disappeared too. All stayed silent as they cried, and waited for the last crackle of air to leave Phantom’s lungs, for their heart to stop beating, and for the stars in their horns to burn out with their soul.

    Dew, Cirrus and Cumulus would be the first to hear them go, and were entwining their tails, providing some comfort for what was to come. Silently, they all prayed that Phantom would come back. That their breathing would pick up and they would wake. But Satan hadn’t listened thus far, why would he listen now?

     At some point, Dew felt a faint light licking against his eyelids. Did he fall asleep? Was it morning already? Though curiously, he still felt the back of Phantom’s shoulders pressed against his face. He reluctantly cracked an eye open, and instantly regretted it.

    The light was coming from Phantom’s horns. Their stars and galaxies giving a final burst of energy, one last ditch attempt at waking up. But they never would.

    The last crackle of air left Phantom’s lungs. Dew, Cirrus and Cumulus felt those last heartbeats, so incredibly strong that they dared to think maybe it would be okay. But the last beat thumped, that last thread snapped, and none came after.

    Dew choked on a sob. Cumulus followed after the small clank of their horns falling away and out of their skull. And then everyone joined as Phantom’s body disappeared.

    As the Bug they were all clinging to - almost trying to follow them - faded away, they ended up holding each other instead. The horns fell to the middle of their pile, in a spot where the Ghoul themself was no longer. All of them watched as the stars and galaxy gave their last shine, and burn out into dormancy, just like Aether’s had.

    The bat plushie now had both of the brothers’ horns resting against its plush wings. Dew allowed himself a small comfort that the Bat themself was indeed with their brother again, and free from their pain.

    Although they had left the pack in a whole cosmos of it.

~~~

‘Phantom Luceat’

‘May your pain end, and your soul

paint the brightest stars in our skies.’

    It was engraved onto a stone that Dew and Rain had retrieved from the depths of the river. On it, Swiss and Aurora had combined their Earth affinities to etch the text alongside wisteria, carnations and baby’s breath, Mountain taking over when it got too much for them.

    It felt like a sickening Déjà vu as the pack walked up the hill again, to the lake, and to the second Dogwood tree Mountain had planted, grown and moved. Not to mention also feature a memorial stone for a Luceat at the base.

    They all had violet candles, carved with bats, and wore solemn expressions. Once again, they all said a few words for the little bat. Cumulus for the fourth kit she’d lost, Cirrus for her sibling, Swiss, Aurora and Rain for their partner, Copia for the third Ghoul lost in such a short time, and Dew and Mountain for the little bug who meant much more to them than words could describe.

    They built another pyre and Dew and Swiss used their affinities and the flames of the candles to light it. There wasn’t a lot any of them could throw in as Phantom had been topside for just months, Aether had been here for years. But they all found something. Copia burned the dagger once and for all, not caring for if the Clergy would chew his head off for destroying something so important for their rituals.

    All the pack and Copia stayed there until the pyre had finished burning and said the prayers to protect Phantom’s soul in the Beyond.

    Slowly, everyone filtered back inside. But Dew stayed, staring at the ashes and wishing he was part of it. He had begged to be taken instead of Phantom, and once again, he couldn’t get what he wanted.

    He lit a cigarette and tears pricked his eyes when the brief memory of him offering one to Phantom popped up. It was stupid, and Dew didn’t even know if they smoked, but he felt like he had to do something. As Dew took puffs of the cig, he had to wonder what if Phantom said yes? Would anything had changed? It felt like millions of what ifs ran through the Fire Ghoul’s head, and he would be lying if he said it didn’t cause him a bit of a migraine.

    Phantom was only 24 years old; Dew was 33. He’d lived as good a life as he would get by now, his birth family gone and his chosen family in a constant cycle of slowly disappearing. He’d seen the world that so few Ghouls get to see and can’t see or do much more that he hadn’t already been through. It should have been him.

    Dew reached into his pocket, and pulled out the several gemstones that he retrieved for Phantom. They clinked together in his palm and his heart hurt at the sight of them. His hand shook from the cold and his cries as he knelt on the edge of the lake. The other hand reached out and melted the ice. Dew sobbed as he returned the crystals to the water they came from.

    As was tradition for Water Ghouls, what could be returned to her, should be. It was a death tradition for a Water Ghoul’s horns to be put back into the Ghoul’s home waters, allowed to sink to the bottom and be with her in eternal rest and embrace. Dew also knew from Aether that the notion of life being a cycle - everything in it being its own cycle, knowing that everything returning home in the end - is incredibly important to Quintessence Ghouls. It almost felt like a meeting of their elemental traditions.

    Dew had hoped that one day, he would be able to combine them by making his nest nice and neat and pristine so Phantom can rest easy in his safe-space, only wanting to be his best for them. He would fill the nest with comforts for them both to share, grab Aether’s old star projector so they could have a mimicry of laying under the stars that had exploded at the perfect times for them to meet. He would've used the courting traditions to ask Phantom to be his.

    Omega had once told Aether “Fuck the Fates” and Dew could quite honestly say that would be his next tattoo. The Fates were cruel, life was cruel, the universe was cruel. Phantom was too young for all they went through, and they absolutely should not have died.

    It happened to Omega, then Aether, and now Phantom. So, Dew cried as he was forced to realise that, in the end, even the brightest stars burn out.

Go read the main fic on ao3! One shot master post can be found here

[haunted-girlyy]

Dewdrop, dragging a scared brother of sin into the ghouls common room: "Guys, that's my favourite brother of sin. His name is Tony. Or as I prefer to say - Toneigh!"

Rain: ...

Mountain: ...

Aether: "Just let this poor man go, Dew."

Phantom, coming into the room, seeing Tony: "Oh, hey hello, toe knee!"

- desperated crying of Tony -

Rain: "I guess, Tony thinks you're really annoying tonyight."

- absolute mental breakdown of Tony -

[halexxsam]

in my mind, swiss decided to go back to the abbey to save phantom.

The abbey was falling apart, and poor aether and cumulus just couldn’t keep up. They needed someone else, they needed another quintessence ghoul. aether bit the bullet and told Frater about it, who immediately phoned the pack.

they were all silent after they hung up. they would be losing another ghoul. phantom stood up on shaky legs, heading back to his bunk, starting to shove things into his small rugsack.

“wow, bug. hold on, now” mountain stated

phantom sniffles, “who else would it be? i’m the newest member, only fair”

“we still need to talk about it. you have a say”

poor phantom started crying, the telltale of a wobbly lip making all the ghouls coo at him.

perpetua sat at the front of the bus, giving the ghouls space but still present if they needed him. He had thought they all went to sleep with how quiet they had gotten.

“i’ll go” swiss whispered, looking up to meet the eyes of his pack

“what?” dew shrieked out

swiss shrugged. “i’m one of the oldest, and i’m strong with my quintenssence. it’s not fair, i know. but someone has to go. bug is doing so well this tour, i can’t take that away from him”

a tear trailed down mountains cheek, dead flowers and leaves falling from his horns.

swiss smiles softly, a hand coming up to cup his cheek. “it’ll be okay, big guy. i’ll be waiting for you guys when the tour is over, hm?”

everyone was quiet that night. they all cuddled together, limbs and tails tied together. perpetua let them be, taking his brothers advice and not trying to wake them up.

in the morning, the ghouls woke up and swiss was gone.

——

read this post from @miasmaghoul and immediately had to write this. that sound you hear is me bawling in a corner.

[moldycantaloupe]

quintessence ghouls are, quite literally, spiritual beings. down in the Pit, they have no bodies to reside in. they simply exist throughout the space, rogue Magick running loose. they still have personalities, using their Magick however they please. some like to mess with those who are especially assholes down there. some are assholes themselves, attaching themselves to am unsuspecting victim for their chaos.

Summoning a quint is different. because they're not summoning an already defined body, they have to make one from scratch. all the Emeritus brothers like the look of Greek and Roman Gods, so they always use them as a basis. Omega and Aether were wholey based on the deities, large and muscular, strong noses and fierce eyes.

Copia, though? he wanted his first creation to be special. he didn't want his first creation to be of something else, he wanted them to be a brand new thing. so he made Phantom, a long and lanky ghoul with soft features and kind eyes, dimples when he smiles. when he was summoned finally, the room was left speechless.

there must've been an error in Copia's calucations tho, or maybe a summoning ingredient had gone bad, or maybe it simply was Phantom, but he came with a scar throughout his face, some of his hair left bone white. Copia could only feel love and pride, though. he, in his eyes, was near perfection in all of his imperfections.

And because quint ghouls have vessels for the first time ever, they are literally learning to be people from scratch. a few things come by second nature; breathing, blinking, moving and walking. staying alive. they have to learn everything else, though. to speak, to eat, to sleep. they will always have their pack to help, though.

[dipendancesld]

Hello my dears! 'u'

New quintessence ghoul, named Phantom it's enter in the band and I like to think is the younger brother of our beefy Aether! Hope you like it!

[karmicbias]

This was originally a reply but I cleaned it up a little more and threw it on ao3 as well!

---

Everything that has an ending has a beginning

Words: 666

Summary: A 'what if' scenario when V goes to summon a new multi ghoul

---

Look. There's a universe where this is how it goes...

---

With the help of the Siblings back at the Ministry and some overnight shipping on the company credit card, the ghouls work together to set up a summoning rig for V to find his new ghoul.

For better or worse, the more experienced of them have seen enough of these at this point they don't need Copia's help in requesting the components they need and laying out the ritual. Which is good, because he has very little inclination right now to give his brother help hurting more ghouls, which is how he sees it.

They get everything planned for the next time they don't have a show two days in a row, in an abandoned Ministry chapel on some back road no one even remembers. Whoever answers the call - if they answer - won't be able to get on stage immediately so the sooner their training, however unorthodox, can begin, the better.

Dew's served three different Papas, has seen the majority of his pack as they arrived Up Top, so despite his injured foot, he insists on helping V be the conduit. It will help if the new multi has some fire, and like calls to like. He'd prefer having Phantom too, but the little quint can barely be persuaded to join the circle, and stands quietly, slumped against Rain's shoulder on the outside edges, Aurora tucked under Phantom's other arm.

V surprises them with his comfort in this process - while he's summoned one ghoulette already, these are not exactly the controlled circumstances and studied preparations that accompanied her arrival once Cumulus' vessel made it clear that another tour wasn't in the cards.

But what V lacks in experience he makes up in his absolute confidence in these ghouls and their love for the pack. He doesn't acknowledge it directly, but when the wind picks up and the ritual candles flare, Dew is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, magically speaking. He's tapped into the consciousness of the pack and pulling on their collective strength and bond to help find the best ghoul for a very specific job. V simply opens the gate, begins the chanting, and voices their request.

Which is, perhaps, why, when a plume of fire roars through the portal, it's mixed with a darker cloud of something that smells more like ozone than brimstone. A hunched figure coalesces, lights and flame dancing through that darkened form, slowly fading as the body gains mass and bulk.

Mountain and Rain scent the change in the air first, eyes wide as they glance at each other, then to Phantom, and finally Dew, whose eyes are screwed shut, tears streaming down his cheeks. With a gasp more felt than breathed, the summoning gate snaps shut and Mountain steps up behind Dew, grasping his shoulders and giving them a little shake. Cirrus steps forward, teary eyed, holding out a robe to the bulky ghoul rising from the middle of the summoning circle, taking in the surroundings.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to see you lot again any time this millennium... Though I don't know you at all, which we'll need to have a chat about." Under the ghoul's regard, V catches a gleam in his tight smile.

The voice isn't quite right. Scorched, smoky. But unmistakably melodic and playful. The horns, too, are slightly wrong, darker, no longer containing galactic swirls. Now they are shiny obsidian, with an iridescent sheen, but still curved, still adorned with silver rings - just like his ears and nose. Aether's eyes are the most obvious change, now a molten copper as he accepts the robe from Cirrus, wrapping his arms around her for just a moment, breathing her in. Then he rounds on the rest of the group, arms out to receive an unsteady Dewdrop from Mountain's grounding hold.

"Oh, my firefly. Let me help you with that foot. I think this new vessel can still do some of my old tricks..."

[whistlecat]

Phantom Thief Lyney ♦️ ideas ♦️

Lyney is an insecure lil guy who meets a magic demon cat and is forced to become a Phantom Thief by night. He ropes in his own siblings and every night, Officer Aether, Lyney’s crush, chases him down in an endless cycle. 

read below for "episode" ideas i had

bsky// twtt

3 2 1

I. The Grin Malkin Lyney meets new pet cat It makes him steal stuff and feeds off the thrill Lynette and Fremi help him in shenanigans. II. Double Trouble Lyney needs a second Phantom Thief to pull off his latest act. Lynette fits the bill. III. Brother Lyney and Freminet have a spat. Then Freminet gets kidnapped by one of Father’s enemies. Phantom Thief Lyney must act to save Father’s reputation while Lynette saves Freminet. In a desperate duel by Lynette and Freminet’s captor, Freminet falls. Lyney returns to catch him at the last minute. 

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Love, Eternal // [Part IV]

Pairing | Phantom x Sister!Reader

Word count | 1.3k

⚠️ Warnings | Reader uses she/her pronouns, (y/n) is used once. There is a ritual scene. TW for murder ghouls, blood, injuries, assault, violence, and death.

Plot Summary: Today was Phantom's summoning day, a special occasion akin to a birthday. Eager to surprise him with a homemade cake, you realize you're missing ingredients and head into town. On the way back, you encounter trouble with some members of the Catholic church that changes the course of your life in the Ministry - and with Phantom - forever.

A/N: I TOLD YOU IT HAS A HAPPY ENDING! This is the last part! Thank you so much for reading this far, I hope it was an enjoyable read. Much love 🖤 xo Emery

[Prev]

Phantom returned a short while later, Swiss and Dew silently trailing him. The poor ghoul was absolutely overcome with grief. Once he found you in the driveway, he could immediately smell the putrid odour of the men who did this to you, their scents still fresh on your beaten body.

When he left the Ministry he had no thoughts but revenge. It was easy for him to pick up on their scent once he was outside, his abilities and senses heightened in his manic state. 

Swiss and Dew knew better than to interrupt a ghoul on a warpath, so they kept their distance, allowing Phantom to do what needed to be done. Sometimes his packmates had wondered how he ever survived in the pit, his trademark traits of being approachable and kind didn’t fly down there.

However, as his fangs elongated and his claws unglamoured, Phantom was quickly proving to all that he was a ghoul from hell after all; mindlessly pulling the first unfortunate soul apart with ease, Swiss and Dew watched proudly as the young ghoul forced the vile human to choke on his internal organs.

Phantom had begun his hunt.

Walking slowly back to the Abbey, Phantom began to come back to earth. His mind was riddled with thoughts of what he could have done differently; maybe he shouldn’t have skipped so many lessons with Aether to spend time with you, maybe he should’ve asked Omega more questions about what his Quintessence could do before he was sent away.

Lost in his thoughts, he began to weep. The thought of losing you and ultimately failing his older brothers, the thought of realizing you were his mate and never getting the chance to tell you. It was almost too much for Phantom to endure.

The blood smearing across his face as he wiped away his tears only made him cry harder. He was covered in as much blood as you were, the only difference being none of it was his. What’s done was done. He was a murderer now. No better than the vermin he just effortlessly dispatched. Phantom knew they would get a special greeting in hell, and that fact brought him a fleeting sense of relief.

He needed to see you one last time. He made his way back up to the main ritual room where he knew Copia would still be with you, but he never could’ve imagined what would be waiting for him once he got there. Rain and Mountain were already inside, the arrangements long forgotten. Dew and Swiss made their appearances known as they stepped behind the young ghoul who had been stopped in the doorway.

“I need to see her, Papa. Please. Just once.”

Copia silently signalled Dew and Swiss closer. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Excuse me?” The fury in Phantom’s eyes quickly returned.

Copia knew better than to get in the way of an angry ghoul, learning his lesson as a child growing up with Alpha, but he stood fast. “Phantom, there’s something you need to know–“

However, the young Quint was hearing none of it as he pushed past Copia and wiggled out of his brothers' grasp.

What he found as he entered further into the room was exactly what he expected: you. What he didn’t expect to see was you… alive? This must have been a dream. He shut his blood stained eyes once, and then twice. You were right in front of him, now sitting between Rain and Mountain in the same place he watched you die - where he felt you die.

What he felt now was something familiar, yet completely new.

Rain had already washed the blood off your face and found you one of the ghoulette’s spare outfits while Mountain had tied up your hair in a ghoulish fashion. Phantom’s brain couldn't compute what he was seeing as he moved cautiously toward where you sat on the ground, still too weak to stand.

Your skin had turned to a violet grey, similar to Phantom’s. Your nails had grown into beautiful claws, and fangs extended where your canines used to be. Your hair turned to a dark blue that almost matched Rain’s, with lighter patches of skin decorating your hairline and cheeks like scales. Phantom noticed your ears were sharp and pointed like Dew's, with the skin at the tip a dark red.

Phantom fell to his knees in front of you, speechless and in awe.

“How–” 

It was like he was looking at an angel gifted from hell. You were one of them now. His beautiful ghuleh, with pieces of all the brothers who helped save you.

When you looked up at Phantom from your place between the two ghouls (who were now your brothers too), Phantom couldn’t contain his tears any longer. Though these were not the tears of sadness and grief from before, these were tears of bewilderment and relief. He didn’t notice at first, but you had the same lighter patch over your eye as he did. Your left eye was a gorgeous shade of ice blue, contrasting the darker grey of the other one. It reminded him of Papa.

“Phantom?”

You were taken aback slightly at the sight of the friendliest ghoul you knew, kneeling in front of you covered in blood from head to toe. He chuckled slightly at the lisp you had when you called his name, not used to your fangs yet. You had extra long ones too, thanks to Swiss. If he was in any other situation, Phantom would've found it incredibly hot.

“If I had known, I would’ve washed up.” He said, looking down at his bloodied attire. His brothers moved aside so Phantom could wrap you in a hug that he never wanted to leave, eager to have your new scent permanently etched onto his soul. “I’m here. I’m never leaving you again.”

The two of you sat like that for a while, your newly heightened senses almost becoming overwhelmed with 5 ghouls and Copia all in the same room. However, if you focused on Phantom, everything felt calm and quiet. You felt safe, wondering if this is how he felt every time he was with you.

You didn’t really know what happened. One minute you were struggling to breathe outside after getting ambushed, the next you had died. Rain and Mountain gave you the Coles notes version of what happened when you awoke. None of which you remembered. You don’t remember much of your time in the pit either. There were ghouls everywhere and it was warm, but not unbearable like you had come to fear it would be. There was one thing you did remember from your time down below though…

“Hey,” you said, as you pushed Phantom off you to look him in the eye. Normally that would’ve been impossible, but you’d worry about that weirdness later. “The devil says Happy Birthday.”

Phantom smiles wider than you have ever seen and places his forehead on yours before desperately, but lovingly, crashing his lips on yours.

“Let’s see Jesus do THAT.” Dew blurts out, completely ruining the tender moment, but not a soul in this room could care as everyone lets out a laugh.

“My dear ghuleh,” Copia says softly, approaching as Phantom helps you to your feet. “You don’t have to choose right now, but in light of your new situation, if there is perhaps a new name you feel is better suited? I can make arrangements on your behalf.”

“Eris.” You spoke as you leaned into Phantom’s touch. “Like the goddess of chaos, cause that’s exactly how this all feels.”

Copia smiled warmly, “Then welcome back to the Ministry, Eris.”

Standing behind you, Phantom cradled you protectively in his arms, nuzzling his nose into your neck. “It’s perfect.”

Copia and your new family left you to get reacquainted. You returned the affection as you twisted to hug your lover once again, relishing in the sweetest scent you had ever experienced as you began to involuntarily rub your cheek over his chest. You were starting to realize what the ghouls meant about the scent thing, Phantom’s was intoxicating and you never wanted to leave. It was like he was made just for you.

“So… I guess no cake then, huh?” Phantom snickers as he leaves soft kisses behind your ear before continuing down your neck.

You quickly pulled away from his embrace. “That was supposed to be a surprise!”

His hands interlocked and rested along the base of your spine. His amused gaze lovingly met the look of disappointment on your face before you let out a frustrated ‘ugh!’ and headbutted his chest.

“Ow!” He yelped. “Sweetheart you’ve got horns now, and apparently Dew gave you some flippin’ pointy ones too.”

“Oops.”

You looked up at Phantom sympathetically, your tail suddenly making an appearance and wrapping around his leg.

“You got my tail though,” he winked.

“My darling ghoul, you have all of me. My heart, my life, and my love, eternally.”

[Prev]

[ashthewaterghoul]

Eigengrau - #phanter cuddle buddies

Phantom had been partially blind from an accident that happened when they were a kit. But with the stress of being forced away from their Papa - who chases every bad memory away - not only do they lose sight of a possible reunion, but they also lose their sight, altogether while they other Ghouls are helpless but to watch them spiral into depression...

Words: 2.2k

Relationships: Phantom & Copia, Phantom & Aether, Dew/Aether. Swiss/Phantom

Tags: they/them Phantom, Phantom and Aether are siblings, blindness, hurt/comfort, angst, family dynamics, forced separation, parent-child relationship, implied murder Ghouls at the end, mostly phanter and aethtom (platonic) but a little bit of dewther and swisstom for the soul lol

~~~

    Phantom’s skin had long been painted in a myriad of scars acquired from a whole host of injuries and tales, but perhaps the most obvious is the one on their face. They got it when they were just a kit and training with their clan, getting a little overeager and causing a burst of unbridled Quintessential magic to erupt into their face. The instinct they got to turn away caused the damage to only hit the left side of their face, but it also took away most of the vision in that eye.

    They had no peripheral vision left, very little depth perception and only a straw’s width of a gap in the eigengrau void to actually see through. They slowly adjusted to their new way of having to view the world, always feeling unbalanced and often getting migraines from the sheer amount of compensating their right eye had to do.

    But, by the time they were summoned to Earth, they had fully adjusted and accepted what they now had to live with. And considering they now had their Papa with them, and were reunited with their brother, Aether, once more, they could never complain too much about anything in their life.

    Nightmares of all they went through were chased away by Copia’s scent of stale tobacco settled into woollen sweaters and aged parchment. The human’s strong arms around them made them feel safe and at home. And they could never get enough of sleeping in their Papa’s arms, listening to his heart and feeling his fingers thread through their black and white hair.

    It was all so perfect and Phantom could memorise every detail of their Papa despite their partially blind condition.

    Well… That was until it all fell apart, and a wedge was driven between Phantom and their beloved Papa. Now, they could no longer spend their nights holding each other, Phantom couldn’t be soothed by Copia’s scent after a nightmare, and their soul ached with the loneliness of it. All because of some promotion and arbitrary new rules that deemed their parent-child relationship as unprofessional and unsafe.

Read below the cut or on ao3

    Copia no longer had the responsibility of caring for the Ghouls. That was a Papa’s job and he was a Papa no more.

    The most interaction Phantom got with Frater was a nod in the corridor and a handshake at formal events. No hugs, no I love you’s and no visits to either’s rooms for sleepovers and cuddles.

    It had been just over a year and a half since this separation started and Phantom was losing hope for any reunion. They were having more nightmares than ever and so many were of Copia getting hurt and Phantom not being able to save them. The anxiety of those dreams possibly being premonitions was making them beyond stressed and what sleep they were getting was of no real quality.

    One day, they woke up from one of their nightmares and cracked their right eye open, gently smacking their left temple to get the other eye open. Sometimes it took a little longer to clear the sleep out from what little they could see from that side. But… that side was open… Why was it still so dark?

    Phantom felt their breathing pick up and their throat become dry. Their right eye saw the room spinning and the left saw completely nothing.

    “Aeth?! Aether, help!” They called, smacking their hand against the wall behind their bed that separated them from their older brother.

    The older Quint was in like a flash, holding their face in his hands and checking them over.

    “What’s wrong, love? Nightmare?” He asked, his heart breaking for his younger sibling.

    They shook their head as all breath seemed to have failed them.

    “M- my eye… C- can’t s- s- see anyth- thing…” They strained out against the panic and tears that had started to consume them.

    Aether’s face grew to one of worry as he checked in and indeed saw their left eye devoid of anything, and his mind devoid of a solution or remedy.

    “It’s okay, Bug. I’m here, it’ll be alright.” He said, gathering the little Quint into his arms and holding them tight, rocking them back and forth and encasing them both in a Quintessence bubble to calm them.

    Phantom didn’t know if it was calming them or just stopping them from getting worse. What they did know, was that their Papa being there would have made it all a lot better.

    Over the following weeks, they couldn’t adjust to their completely half-blind state. They practically had a constant headache from how much effort their right eye was putting in and they felt so horrifically unbalanced that they were a walking hazard. If it wasn’t this situation, it would be slightly funny and everyone would be calling them Bambi on ice.

    Aether was at a complete loss for what had caused this. He helped heal Phantom when the accident that took part of their vision first happened and even the best healers in their clan said it wouldn’t get worse after it had healed. Inbetween reassuring Phantom and shifts in the infirmary, he was researching everything he could about ocular health and spending as much time as he could doing it.

    One night, when Dew came down to force-feed him and make sure he actually took a break, he found the answer.

    “IT’S STRESS!” Aether called as he read the article on the screen.

   After the librarian came to admonish him for his volume, he hugged Dew tight, happy to have an answer.

    “Wait, if stress causes blindness, how come Mountain hasn’t been blind from birth? He’s the biggest stresshead we know.” The Fire Ghoul chuckled.

    “Who fucking knows? Probably because Phant’s left eye is already weak? As for Mountain, no clue.” Aether was still smiling, happy to have an answer for his little sibling and now hopefully start being able to help. That smile, though, was soon wiped from his face when his phone buzzed with a message from Swiss.

    ‘Get back up here NOW. Phantom needs you.’

    Aether forgot to clean up or switch the computer off before he was running out of the library and back up to the den but he didn’t care one bit. Nothing and no one stopped him until he was back in Phantom’s room, asking what was wrong when he saw Phantom deep in another panic attack.

    As Aether desperately tried to get Phantom to calm, Swiss explained that the vision in Phantom’s right eye was starting to fade now too…

    Aether’s heart sank as he saw that cloud of blindness start to creep in around Phantom’s healthy eye. The distress of this whole situation being so cruel to such a pure soul that had already fought so much. When would they ever get their break?

    The right eye now saw what the left used to. Merely a pin-point of light and the blurred shapes and figures of things in their immediate vicinity. They couldn’t read, couldn’t see the faces of their loved ones and couldn’t even see when they passed Copia in the corridor.

    After Swiss told them when they had, yet again, missed a wave from their Papa they broke down and sobbed for what they were losing. Not only their sight but the hope of everything going back to how it was. How was everything meant to be the same again when Phantom couldn’t even see the person in front of them?

    They knew blind Ghouls could still live good lives but they didn’t want this. They wanted to be able to see their Papa’s eyes light up when his pipistrello entered the room and the warm smile that caused every little crease and wrinkle on his face to pop out.

    Every morning that Phantom woke up without Copia was another that made them more depressed for what they lost. And as they lost even more of their vision - it only taking a couple weeks for sightlessness to completely take them - they only became more catatonic. The pack ached to see such a vibrant Bug so dull and flat.

    Aether’s heart cried even more for his little sibling and he was draining himself dry to try and give them plenty of Quintessence to just do something other than stare at the nothing and cry.

    Seeing the little Quint’s stars fade was tearing the pack apart. All of them had been affected by the forced separation to Copia, but none more than Phantom. There had barely been a night since they came home from Frater’s last tour that at least one of them didn’t sleep with Phantom because while their Papa may not be there to chase the nightmares away, someone else could be.

    No one dared tell Copia either. Aether, Swiss and Mountain – being the biggest and strongest Ghouls – were occasionally chosen to escort Copia as security on business trips but even then they were too scared to be anything but professional with Frater.

    They’d all seen what the Clergy is capable of - Primo, Secondo and Terzo’s bodies and Dew’s unnatural Element are all proof of that - and no one would dare tempt a reprise or something even worse. Sister may be gone, but she certainly didn’t act alone in her cruelties and her followers still dominated the Clergy.

    If Copia knew the situation had made his bambino blind from the stress of it all it would break him more than he had already been broken by the separation too. And at least very least, one of them had to appear strong for the other.

    Copia knew his Ghouls though, and suspected they were hiding something from Swiss’ jaw tightening, the way Aether’s Adam’s apple bobbed, how Mountain’s ears flicked at the mention of Phantom’s name. But, pry as he might, he could never get any information from them that told Copia how his pipistrello was doing aside from the bare minimum.

    He couldn’t go and investigate either. Not without risking so much. He already had visions of his Ghouls being sent back to the Pits they came from and he could never risk Phantom being sent back, not after all they’ve been through.

    So Copia kept his nose down and did his best. Though even his best didn’t seem to be enough to help Phantom. He never saw them in the halls anymore or in the cafeteria. He couldn’t find them in the crowds at Black Mass and apparently they could no longer attend rehearsals or their duties either.

    Phantom couldn’t do much of anything as they rotted in their own mind. They felt as useless as a kit as they wandered the den in tiny steps with one hand on the wall for stability. Their other senses were overwhelmed by what they had to make up for too but they couldn’t shut them off when it’s all they had to rely on now. They didn’t really leave their room much anyway. Sitting in front of the TV felt like a mockery and it wasn’t like they could cook for themself – even before they were blind. Walking around the halls was more hassle than it was worth and they could barely even feel the sunlight on their eyelids anymore.

    Aether went in to see Phantom in the morning before work, kissing their forehead with a promise to come by after his shift. When he did, his heart broke into an infinitesimal number of pieces as he realised they hadn’t moved an inch since he left them twelve hours prior.

    “I don’t know what to do, Dew.” Aether said to his mate in the evening after Swiss came in to sit with the Bug. Planting his elbows on the breakfast table, he buried his face into his hands.

    Dew poured two glasses of neat whiskey for them both and pushed one towards the Quint, standing next to him and combing his fingers through his short hair.

    “We could kill them.” Dew suggested, only half-joking as he referred to the humans that had enforced these cruel rules and restrictions.

    “I thought half of why we’ve done nothing is that we’re scared of what the Clergy will do.” Aether responded as he took the glass and let the whiskey burn down his throat.

    “Do you have any other ideas?” Dew said, shrugging his shoulders as if he was suggesting the most casual activity you could think of.

    Aether exhaled and traced a claw around the edge of the glass.

    “We know who Sister’s loyalists are.” He said.

    Dew’s wicked grin heated up the space around them both. “We do.”

    “We’re natural born predators too. We know how to be discreet and only harm, not kill.”

    “That we are, love.” Dew said, kissing his mate’s cheek with a deep purr.

    “Someone needs to stay with Phantom tomorrow then. While we explain this to the pack.” Aether thought out loud.

    “We’ll figure it out, Aether. We’ll get our Bug back.” Dew promised, toasting their whiskey glasses and letting the glow of the moon light up the amber liquid.

    Phantom didn’t know why, but the next morning, as they awoke next to Swiss, they felt the sun on their eyes a little stronger than usual. And while it was quickly snuffed out by the tidal waves of depression they had fallen into, the tiny spark of hope that fluttered in their chest was so so bright.

    Almost as bright as Phantom would see Copia’s eyes when they finally reunited…

One shot master post can be found here

#phanter cuddle buddies master post can be found here

And the amazing @anotherbananasong did some art of Phantom based on this you can find here

[haunted-girlyy]

Kevin is absolutely annoyed by ghouls and would like to send them all back to the pit

cw: Kevin hates ghouls

(he would prefer any other demon because ghouls cause so much chaos)

Kevin hates ghouls with a passion.

Not because he's afraid of them, no, on the contrary, you can't have less respect for them than Kevin. He just thinks they're annoying little beasts, like particularly vicious chihuahuas from hell. Dewdrop, Phantom and Rain especially get on his nerves. Phantom because he's always clinging to Kevin like a leech. Dewdrop because he's a little gremlin who just causes chaos that Kevin then has to clean up. And Rain isn't that bad but he isn't good at speaking human language that Kevin usually doesn't understand what the water ghoul is stammering anyway. Well, Kevin could speak ghoulish if he wanted to, but in the end these pests would annoy him even more.

The worst is when he has to fix something in the ghoul wing.

For example, the other day, when he just wanted to clean the clogged drain in the kitchen sink, he was surrounded by ghouls within a few minutes. They reminded him of a bunch of starving cats, the way they stalked around him and cast curious glances over his shoulder.

Phantom was immediately glued to him again, practically tugging at Kevin's hair and clothes. Then Aether, who kept his distance but intermittently gave advice that Kevin hadn't asked for. "You should unscrew the drain pipe first" and "Are you sure you've mixed the cleaning concentrate sufficiently? Otherwise it could damage the pipes."

Kevin wanted to hit Aether in the face. But instead he contented himself with glaring at the sink while he worked.

At one point he accidentally hit Rain's forehead with his knee because Rain was squeezing himself on the floor between him and the bucket that Kevin had used to catch all the muck from the drainpipe. With an annoyed look, Kevin noticed that the water ghoul had started collecting small pieces that had landed in the drainpipe from the bucket.

"Stop that! You're just making everything dirty," he growled as Rain pulled his hands back and placed a marble, dripping with dirt, on the ground.

Rain just babbled incomprehensible things as he began to dig in the muck again.

"Why do you forbid Rain that?", whispered Phantom and came so close to Kevin that he felt the ghoul's warm breath brushing over his ear.

Kevin sighed with the burden of a man who would rather tend a sack full of fleas than a handful of ghouls.

Why couldn't the clergy have chosen other demons? There were many species that were less unruly than ghouls. Kevin even had the feeling that chaos ghouls not only enjoyed themselves, but that they actually drew their energy from it. He had once expressed this thought to Sister Imperator, but she had just laughed at him and said that he just had to learn to assert himself. That could only come from someone who didn't have to deal with these plagues on a daily basis.

Annoyed, Kevin stuck the spiral into the drain to push out the last bit of snot, while at the same time swatting away Rain's fingers that had appeared on the edge of the sink.

Since Copia had risen to the top of the ministry and had a bit more say, Kevin was no longer even allowed to sprinkle holy water on the ghouls to keep them away. After all, that would hurt the ghouls, the youngest Emeritus brother had explained his decision. Simply ridiculous. When Kevin had started working for the clergy, ghouls had just been treated like ghouls. But since Copia had shown up here, Kevin had to treat these creatures as if they had more feelings than lust, hunger and thirst.

Finally, the resistance in the drain was released and with a slap, a pile of mud landed in the bucket.

"Is that...sand?" asked Aether, astonished. Kevin shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "How do I know what kind of crap you always pour down the drain?!" He pulled the spiral back and knelt under the sink to screw the pipe back on.

Phantom also knelt down next to him and grabbed one of Kevin's long strands of hair to chew on.

"I'm clearly not being paid well enough for this," the brown haired growled, shooing back first Phantom and then Rain, whose hand had already disappeared back into the bucket.

Under the curious gaze of the ghouls, Kevin screwed the pipe back on, sat up with his aching back and picked up the bucket.

"It would be nice if you could just stop breaking or clogging anything for more than three days," Kevin grumbled, looking sternly at Aether. The quintessence ghoul had spent the last few minutes watching with his hands on his hips and a critical expression. "I'm doing my best, but you know what they're like." Kevin only snorted in response. He watched as Aether disappeared into the living room before he too turned to leave. The ghoul was talking to Kevin as if they were eye to eye. Kevin shook his head.

Ghouls.

He was about to close the door behind him when Rain slithered through and tugged at his sleeve. His big blue eyes bored into his.

"What?" Kevin asked slightly suprised. Rain's mouth opened and closed a few times without any words coming out. Then, finally, when Kevin's already extremely thin thread of patience was about to snap, Rain managed to say a word.

"Encore."

He had always thought that Rain simply didn't speak human language, but apparently the ghoul was just stupid. In a good-natured tone, as if he was talking to someone particularly retarded, Kevin replied. "I know you did a great job on the ghovie. We're all very proud of you. But I," he pointed to himself, "have to go now," he pointed to the door.

Rain tilted his head, confused. He's probably doing this so that the few brain cells he has will slip into the same corner, Kevin thought spitefully.

The water ghoul tugged at his sleeve again, this time more frantically. "encore, encore, encore Dew."

Confused, Kevin turned around and froze.

Dewdrop stood at the sink and calmly poured a thick liquid into it. Kevin now also noticed the penetrating smell of ammonia. The damned ghoul poured wall paint into the sink. Kevin blinked. The man was too stunned to even utter a word.

He definitely needed a bottle of whiskey tonight. Better yet, two. And brandy. A lot of it.

[emeritus-fuckers]

Request for little kisses from an s/o to phantom throughout the day. Just lil pecks on the cheek in passing, or all over kisses before getting ready for the day pls <333

I live for fluff <333

Phantom my princess ♡♡ - Jez

Little kisses with Phantom

Phantom lives for little kisses!

He lives for small and quick signs of affection.

Mostly because he's a very energetic little guy (a trait he shares with his big brother Aether), he usually runs around a lot.

Especially since he was summoned recently, so he still doesn't fully control the zoomies, so he often just starts running around randomly, not sure what to do with his energy now that he's out of Hell.

And he spends a dangerous amount of time with Swiss... So of course he picks up some of his habits.

That includes running up to you and stealing you away for kisses.

Ever since he discovered small kisses, he absolutely planned to do more of them. As many as possible, it was just so cool!

Ghouls usually show their affection more aggressively because of their nature, so they all learn gentler ways to show it after being summoned.

And he just loved how cool little kisses were, he could quickly give you one randomly and it would be completely fine and normal!

So he absolutely abuses the power of small kisses. He'd drown you in them if he could.

He wakes you up with a hurricane of them, all over your face, neck, chest, any exposed skin he can get to, basically.

You have to push him off. Literally. Otherwise he'd just rip your pajamas and underwear off to give you oral and this boy could spend hours with his head between your legs.

He loves you so much! You're his mate! He wants you to feel good!

He's all over you whenever you're together. If you two are alone together, he's gonna give you kisses.

Hell, he's gonna give you kisses even if there are people around.

You have to push him off when that happens, too. He's got no shame when it comes to loving you.

You sit and he's near you? Kisses!

You two pass each other in the hallways? Kisses!

Hell, he's gonna look for you whenever he has nothing to do just to give you kisses!

The real life kissy monster, I swear to Satan.

He just loves you and he likes the human ways of showing affection!

It's usually your face and neck, if you like any other part of your body kissed, just tell him. Or even shove his head where you want it, he's not gonna complain.

He does nibble between kisses, it's just in his nature. He bites often, but nowhere near as often as Sodo or Sunshine. It's just in his nature.

He understands privacy and if you're on the toilet, he won't come in. But in the bathtub?

No amount of foam, bubbles or shower gels can stop him. He jumps in, fully clothed, to kiss you.

Not a single thought behind it.

He's very affectionate! Sometimes even a bit too affectionate but he's my little princess so it's okay.

[halexxsam]

Mushy May: Day 7 - "Better now that you're here"

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for mushy may! Calendar here. Divider from @wrathofrats. (Lets pretend I'm not a day late posting this...) Can you guys tell that I'm never getting over dew in a boot yet?? my poor ghoul :/

words: 936

characters: dewdrop/rain/swiss/mountain/phantom/cirrus/perpetua (mentions of aether, cumulus, copia)

They had all heard it. The loud crack in the floorboard followed by the snap of a bone. Eyes cast over the whole stage, everyone trying to figure out where it came from. Dewdrop limped, fighting off the white hot sting coming from his foot. Fuck.

The whole pack itched to get close to him, pull his guitar away from him and set him down on the steps of Mountain’s platform, needing to inspect the damage. But they couldn’t, not yet. Not with the thousands of screaming fans as witnesses and at least six more songs to go. No, they would have to resist the urge and keep on playing. 

Soon enough, the encore was over and all the ghouls rushed to throw their gear off and hold onto Dewdrop for bows, but he wasn’t there. Rain saw his tech helping him off stage, the small whimpers leaving his mouth almost causing all the ghouls to rush over, but they couldn’t leave just yet. Whether they liked it or not, they still had a duty to Papa and their fans. 

When the music ended, bows commenced, and all picks thrown to the audience, the pack waved their final goodbyes before rushing backstage. 

“Where is he?” Mountain demanded, speaking to the closest crew member. The pack surrounded him on all fronts, making the earth ghoul look incredibly powerful and terrifying. 

The crew member kept their eyes to the floor when they whispered out. “Someone took him off to the hospital already.” 

Swiss seethed, his tail unglamoring and flicking wildly. “Fuck!” 

“Let's go find Papa,” Cirrus soothed, grabbing both the earth and multi ghouls hand and leading them down to the dressing rooms. 

Before they could properly knock, his door swung open. Makeup still intact, costume still on, their Papa had a phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder, yelling at someone. “Listen here now, I demand to know which hospital he was taken to, or else I will have my driver go around to every hospital within a 100 miles and find out, all on the Ministry’s dime!”

The line went quiet, before they heard some Ministry grunt finally mumble out the hospital name. “I will be telling my brother about this,” Papa said, right before hanging up. 

The ghouls stood still. Though it looked like Papa also wanted to track down Dewdrop, they were still unsure on whether he would let them tag along. 

“Ghouls,” He started, “I know you all want to know about Dewdrop, but as you’ve heard, I was having some trouble locating him.” He breathed out, hands fiddling with his mask straps. “He is alright, but they want to keep him overnight, make sure he didn’t hurt something else, you see.”

The ghouls just nodded. “Can we see him?” Mountain asked, his head bowed slightly. 

Papa nodded. “Yes, of course. Go get dressed and meet me in one of the buses out back.” 

Within ten minutes, all the ghouls were packing into the bus, tails going wild with nerves. Papa hopped in front, giving the driver directions. It was a silent drive. 

The bus stopped right at the emergency room doors, all the ghouls hopping out and rushing to the front desk. Papa came right up behind them, a harsh gaze that let all the receptionists know that he meant business. Multiple hospital passes were pushed forward and the ghouls set off, navigating through hallways like they lived there. 

“Room 510.” Mountain confirmed before taking a deep breath and opening the door. “Oh, Dewy honey.” He whined, coming over to his fire ghoul. 

Dewdrop was lying in the hospital bed, costume stuffed in a clear bag and a terribly thin gown was tied around his back. His leg was raised up, wrapped in layers of white bandages. He had an IV in his arm and multiple bags hanging from above him. He even had small colorful wires stuck to his chest. 

The pack just whined and moved closer to him, touching his oddly cold hand and finding seats on the edge of the bed. Dewdrop was asleep. 

Phantom nestled his way onto the bed completely, shoving his head into his neck. “His scent is okay, kinda hard to find with all the antiseptic stuff.” 

Swiss came up and ran a hand through Dew’s hair, smiling down at him. “He is tough, our firelily.” 

Papa made a soft noise. “I’ll go see if I can get anything from the doctors, you all stay with him.” 

Minutes go by and eventually, the scent and touch of his pack cause Dewdrop to wake slowly. Mountain catches his eyes fluttering. “Ah, there he is!” 

The ghoul in question smiled, his hand tightening over someone’s hand in his, maybe Rain’s. “M’ here.” He mumbled out. 

“Hi Dewy, how are you feeling?” Cirrus asked, a hand coming to cup his cheek. 

Dewdrop smiled softly, leaning more into her hand. “Foot hurts like a bitch and this gown sucks.” 

They all laugh slightly. “We brought you a spare change just in case.” Phantom added, head still lying on his chest. 

A nurse came in, followed by Papa. She told the ghouls everything, from what happened to Dewdrop, to how to care for his foot and all the rules he had to follow. They all nodded, Cirrus writing down every detail.

Soon, it was just all of them together again. Perpetua called Copia, and it turned into a group facetime with Aether and Cumulus too. 

“How are you feeling, my love?” Aether asked, desperate to be there with his mate. 

“Better now that you’re here. All of you.”

[lilypadlys]

Ghoul DnD Class Headcanons

Cirrus: Mage. Specializes in elemental magic and specifically storm/wind based.

Cumulus: Bard. Inspires the party, gets them free lodging in taverns, and is the party’s backup healer.

Sunshine: Warlock. Patron is the devil from the bible. Actually takes the story and her character pretty seriously because she’s invested.

Aurora: Cleric. Just because she’s the party’s healer doesn’t mean that she isn’t the reason at least half the time why the party needs healing.

Dewdrop: Barbarian. The other fifty percent of the reason the party often needs healing.

Rain: Forever DM. Has really intricate plans for each session that of course the party doesn’t follow. Let Phantom DM once. Never again.

Mountain: Druid. Elk/ram wildshape. Also one of the few to take the roleplay seriously. His character is the most intimidating out of the bunch but is actually an animal loving sweetheart.

Aether: Paladin. Literally the only upstanding member of the party. Tries (fails) to keep everyone in check.

Swiss: Bard. Favorite phrase is “I wanna seduce the dragon”. After what happened the first time it’s concerning that he continues to roll to seduce NPCs.

Phantom: Rogue. Younger brother of the paladin who’s only goals in life are shinies and driving the paladin insane. The one time he DMed he forgot to mention going in that his oneshot was horror themed. It was so amazingly realistic and terrifying that it gave Mountain, Swiss, and Aurora nightmares and everyone else is scared to let him DM again.

[phantom-ghouls-world]

🦇 𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 🦇

Admin: I've decided to share some of my own headcanons for Phantom, which applies to my portrayal of him as well! I hope you'll enjoy them. 😽

• Phantom is around the age of a 25 years old, if we count it in human years.

• His name was originally Aeon. He doesn't use it anymore, as it brings too many memories back and now he prefers Phantom. He didn't tell anyone his previous name on Topside.

• He was fending to himself in the Pit, so he still has some kit-like tendencies as he didn't socialize well. (I'll explain it more in backstory and personality)

• His little brothers were called Caleum and Cielo, meanwhile the girls name were Phalosa, Kallea and Aileen.

• He likes shiny things; anything that's shiny and reflects the light gets his attention.

• Phantom is ambidextrous, yet prefers his left hand.

• He's the kind of metalhead that wears silly socks under his boots. (His favorite ones are decorated with little pink otters)

• Can't drink anything with coffein after one time he drank Aether's espresso and went feral.

• Suprisingly can drink some of the other ghouls under the table, but if he gets drunk, hold his hand or he will go on side quests.

• He misses a teeth on the right side of his mouth from one of his past fights. It gives a little gap anytime he's smiling or showing his fangs any sort.

• Phantom is allergic to so many things, he's scared to try new stuff because of it, so he has a few 'safe food' that the other ghouls and Papa knows. He's also allergic to many brands that has hygeine products, like sampoo and showergel, so he sticks to one type. (It's the brand of the nearest drugstore from the Ministry.)

• Every quintessence ghoul - or overall ghoul - has some unique powers. Besides healing and emotional control of his quintessence (which Phantom didn't master yet), anytime he goes through something emotional, his magic seems to affect electricity; flickering lights, static noises, things turning off and on.

• He has a strange scent. If you pay attention, he has a lingering scent that's similar to when you lean close to and old television.

(Here's a little collage I've made for him)

[skele-bunny]

What's the relationship between ghoulettes and ghouls?

Lovers! Pack mates, mates, and social.

Ghouls and ghoulettes get along VERY well unless there's seclusion from the other. (Example, Mist is hostile towards ghouls as she only had a ghoulette only pack.)

Under normal circumstances, they're very loving towards one another and work great!

Era wise;

Mist, again, is hostile. A literal man-eater if you will. He's super testy and didn't get a long well with the others at first. She's since calmed down and he can tolerate them a lot better too!

Cirrus looooves messing with the others. She knows how to rile them up and get to play, usually wrestling in the commons and boasting when she takes one down (usually ends up tackled afterwards)

Cumulus is just about on the same wave! She has favorites and it does show. She's also more lenient to her fellow ghoulettes but doesn't mind being around the ghouls. As long as they're more "tame" around her, she can chill out.

Sunshine, like Cirrus, looves being around them. She does have a preference for the older era ghouls, but nothing major! She loves them all equally and relates to them a good majority. Sometimes she feels secluded from her ghoulette mates, so it fills the gaps with them!

Aurora is just mediocre around them. She doesn't see them differently or that there's an imbalance (which there isn't! /Gen), and she's very content being around them. Her and Phantom are one half of a whole after all. Grew up with a ghoul-main pack.

They love each other greatly, and work greatly too! You're more likely to find them more tolerable around brothers/male presenting siblings of sin as all humans aren't considered on their same "level."

Ghoulettes are very strong headed and more likely to be a leader than not! They're super loyal and vicious, and favor their summoners no matter what. If Dew, Aether, and Mountain weren't around; Cirrus and Cumulus would be in their spots. It's simply because those three are the eldest and have been there longer. When Aether retired, Cirrus took his spot while on tour. She's very good at it, too!

[ghostieboi1]

Lost Family Member

Copia x Male!Reader & Ghouls

Genre: SFW, angst, hurt, very little comfort

Summary: Copia and Male!Reader have been dating for a long time, the ghouls consider them parents even. The couple start talking seriously about settling down and even Copia retiring before he leaves for the last part of his tour, only to come back and have his dreams shattered.

Characters: Copia, Swiss, Sodo, Rain, Cirrus, Phantom, Aurora, Aether, Cumulus, Sunshine, Rain, Mountain, Phil (special guest for a special ghoul), Sister Imperator, Secondo, Terzo, Primo

Warnings: Death, major hurt, mentions of drugs that result in death, very little comfort, Sister Imperator and Phil (they deserve their own warnings for this one)

A/N: This one has been on my mind a bit because I wanted to write something sad but I'll admit, this kinda wasn't what I expected. This is also Sister Imperator's continuation of whatever her idea was with killing the three Emeritus brothers but taking it more personal, and I may have accidentally given her toxic mother in law vibes. I also cried while writing this so... GOOD LUCK!

Copia and you had been staying in bed all day, it was his short break in between doing his Europe tour and his USA tour. He didn't wanna do much and since most of his responsibilities were taken off his shoulders until the actual end of tour, he decided to just relax when he could.

You kept falling asleep and waking up randomly, your body had gotten plenty of enough sleep but the comfort both the bed and being cuddled by Copia made you sleepy. Neither of you got up other than using the bathroom or to get something to eat or drink, and neither of you planned on getting up today.

It was his last day before he had to catch a plan to head to the USA to finish up his tour, he wasn't gonna waste his time on something that demanded his attention and wanted his last day of break to be a relaxing one. He voiced his nervousness to you a few times, but that was all he would say when talking about the tour.

The day felt like it ended too soon as the night rolled in and Copia finally gave up on trying to stay awake and fell asleep for the night, you remained awake for a bit longer and cuddled him, hoping he'd sleep better so he was well rested enough to make his flight. Eventually, you fell asleep as well, your arms wrapped around his waist. You woke up the next day to an empty bed but a note was on Copia's pillow, you woke up a bit more before you read the note.

"Dear amore, I'm sorry we weren't able to say our farewells in person before I left but I couldn't disturb you when you were sleeping. As usual, I left behind one of my red jackets for you as you asked me to last time I went away. This tour will end up being a bit longer than last time but I assure you that I will be home eventually, and then we can start just being a family. All my love, Copia."

You couldn't help but smile while reading the letter, you sighed as you put the letter on your bedside table before deciding how you were going to spend your day today. Mostly you would either stay on yours and Copia's room doing whatever until he got back or you would go in about your day like normal, but since he was gonna be gone for a while, you could alternate between both.

The Ministry was very quiet without Copia and his ghouls, the Ministry was always a little bit quiet but it was eerily quiet without them. Copia always managed to call you after every ritual and check up on how you're doing, it was very sweet and sometimes he'd even fall asleep while on call. After a call with him after the LA show, you tried falling asleep.

Falling asleep without Copia was a bit hard for you, but you managed. You rolled over in your bed, now facing the door. Your eyes opened a bit and you saw a figure standing in the doorway, you didn't know who it was until the silhouette had a tail, now you knew it was a ghoul.

You didn't move, afraid to. The figure wasn't moving, just staring. You had always felt a bit vulnerable when Copia and the ghouls weren't around but now you really wished you had taken Copia's offer when he suggested that you join the tour with them.

The ghoul finally took a step closer, your heart pounding loudly in your chest. You tried to see if they were holding something but the darkness in the room made it hard to see anything, the lava lamp Copia bought giving very little light. You wanted to scream for help but you knew that sound didn't travel as fast as you would've needed it to in the Ministry and whoever this was would jump on you as soon as you made noise.

When the ghoul finally got close enough to you, you saw him holding a syringe. You didn't dare to question what was inside of it but you knew it wasn't good, that was when he tried to touch you. A small fight broke out between you two, you managed to knock the syringe out of his hand and it rolled away towards the bedroom door. The fight wasn't anything major other than you fighting for your life, you just needed to fend him off long enough for you to be able to run out of the room and to a dorm of siblings.

The ghoul managed to over-power you and someone rolled the syringe back to the ghoul, you weren't able to see them right away since you were panicking as the ghoul stuck the needle into your next and injected whatever liquid was in the syringe. The ghoul got off of you but you felt weak from both fighting and from whatever was just put into you.

You managed to roll onto your stomach and see who helped him, your eyes widened as Sister Imperator was ushering the ghoul out of the room. You tried to sit up but nothing was strong enough to keep you lifted long enough.

"Sister?" You managed to rasp out, catching her attention. "Why?"

She sighed before looking back at you. "I'm just doing what is best for the Clergy." Imperator simply stated before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

Copia grew worried his last couple show nights, you weren't answering his calls or texts. His ghouls noticed this and when they found out why he was so anxious, they talked to Aether and Sunshine, they still lived in the Ministry despite Sister Imperator wanting them gone.

Sunshine confirmed that she hadn't seen you in a while but thought you were just taking the relaxing time to yourself. Aether admitted to thinking that originally too but said that when he passed Copia's room yesterday, it felt too quiet. The ghouls decided not to tell Copia about anything the other two told them because it would've made him more anxious and try to cancel the rest of the shows just so he could come back home and see what was wrong.

Finally, the flight back home felt way longer than necessary due to everyone's anxiety about you. Copia honestly didn't know what to expect but he just hoped that you were okay, at least enough so he could be with you until further notice. What all of them didn't know was that Aether's feelings about this intensified and needed to know the answers, so on the day of their arrival, Aether went to Copia's room.

Upon initial arrival, Aether didn't notice anything that gave him info on your status. He gently knocked on the door, waiting for you to respond. When nothing came, he knocked again.

"Hey, it's Aether. You doing okay in there? Copia and the ghouls are coming back today." Aether called out, waiting for anything.

Nothing.

Aether gathered up the courage to open the door, he peeked inside the room before he noticed you on the ground, motionless. His heart dropped and he immediately was by your side, he shook your body and repeated your name, trying to get you to wake up. Finally he gave up and picked you up before bolting to the hospital wing, his mind was trying to think the worst but all he wanted to focus on right now was making sure you were okay.

Sunshine had sent him a text shortly after the doctors took you away, asking if everything was okay. Aether responded simply by texting.

"Wait by the main door. When they get here, lead them to the hospital wing."

Sunshine decided not to question and followed Aether's instructions, she ran the the main door and waited impatiently for the others to show up. When Copia and the other ghouls finally got there, she quickly told them all to just leave their luggage and to follow her. It was about you.

That was all that it took for Copia to follow very closely behind Sunshine, hoping his greatest fear didn't come true. Aether was pacing the waiting room and talked with them for a bit, telling all of them what he saw before a doctor came up to them.

"Is he okay?" Copia asked, his voice trembling a bit.

The doctor hesitated to respond, seeing as this was tearing all of them up inside. Finally he sighed before saying, "I'm sorry."

That was all it took for all of them. No one could help the tears that spilled out from their eyes. Copia was the first one to gather himself enough to further ask questions.

"What was the cause?" Copia asked, his voice laced in pain.

"We still don't know yet. We'll have to do an autopsy to pinpoint what it was." Silence was met with the doctor's answer. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

The doctor left, all of them had tears staining their faces. After a brief moment of silence, Sister Imperator walked into the hospital wing and saw them all standing there. She decided to wait until Copia came crawling to her to even touch the topic of your death, she quietly and quickly left the area and retreated back to her office.

The Saltarian, however, noticed this and decided to help them settle back home. He carried all their luggage back to their rooms without complaining and even showed some sympathy to Copia.

It wasn't even a full day since they got back and everyone was quiet, word spread throughout the Ministry and now everyone knew. You had been a part of a lot of peoples lives in the Ministry and you were well loved by everyone, some even claimed to say they wished you were their guardian of sorts. All of these words of mourn and condolences flooded Copia's and the ghouls' ears, they were the closest to you after-all.

Copia talked sternly about having a proper funeral for you with Sister Imperator, who originally believed you didn't need one. As soon as Copia was allowed to hold the funeral, he set everything up. When it came to knowing who you were both as a Brother of Sin and who you were prior to the Ministry, Copia knew everything. He spent hours picking photos you would've wanted on display for the funeral and picked all the flowers out, remembering the specific flower you liked. Ironically, Primo's old garden, that's now taken care of by Mountain, had just enough of the right flowers for this event.

The day of the funeral finally came, no one had a dry eye. Copia tried his best not to cry too much since he needed to be semi-professional and because he didn't want to smudge his Papal paints. Copia had hoped the first time he'd hold something for you within the church would be yours and his wedding, not your funeral. All the ghouls didn't wear their masks, it was a well known secret you had that you preferred the ghouls maskless and they wanted to keep to your wishes.

Sister Imperator didn't show up, but Copia didn't care. She had started becoming bitter to you once you and Copia started talking about marriage, this pissed Copia off beyond anyone's expectations. A short piano version of the song "Life Eternal" was played by Cumulus, she gently hit some wrong notes by accident but it didn't take a rocket scientist to simply glance over and see her eyes filled with tears.

Copia did the first speech, he had two, one as Papa Emeritus IV and one as Copia Emeritus. Some ghouls and some siblings held some speeches as well, Swiss' ended up being the second most gut punching speech besides Copia's. Swiss basically saw you as a parent, that you and Copia were his dads. Most of the other ghouls felt that way too but Swiss spent more time around you, he was clearly in pain by your untimely death.

It was one of your wishes to be cremated when you died, no one knew it would happen so soon but they all agreed to give you what you wanted. The funeral ended and then you were taken away to become ash, everyone mostly just went into their rooms to let out the rest of their feelings or to break the barrier that held during the whole event. At least, that's what all the ghouls did.

Swiss screamed into his pillow, Sodo almost broke his desk, Rain drew a bath for himself and refused to leave it, Mountain curled himself up into a ball and couldn't stop crying, Cirrus felt too numb to do anything, Cumulus kept being reminded of you.

The new ghouls, Phantom and Aurora didn't know how to handle these strong emotions. Phantom went to Aether for help, to which Aether calmed him down and said, "Sometimes it's okay to just feel things and not talk." Aether then proceeded to hold Phantom through the night. Aurora went to Sunshine, she couldn't talk but couldn't control her sobbing. All she was able to get out was, "I miss him." Sunshine broke down with Aurora and they just held each other.

Copia wasn't handling this any better. By now, he's gone through almost all the stages of grief but now his stuck on acceptance. He still didn't know the cause of your death, until two days after your funeral, the autopsy report was sent to him via email. You were drugged... just like his brothers.

After printing out the email, Copia marched his way to Sister Imperator's room. He barged into her office and demanded answers, she questioned why he went after her first, to which he laid down plenty of explanations that were all valid. Before she could ask anything else, he slammed the printed paper down in front of her and demanded to know what was happening. She remained silent for a bit before say how her intentions were good, causing Copia to laugh like he was losing his mind.

"What makes you think killing has good intention?!" Copia shouted, his eyes boring into Imperator's.

"We shouldn't be fighting over this." Imperator tried to excuse, but Copia wasn't having it.

"No! I want to know what the fuck happened to him while I was gone!" Copia demanded, this was the only time she's ever seen him get this mad.

"I just wanted you to continue the bloodline." Imperator admitted, she knew that he wasn't going to take this well.

Copia went silent, letting what she just said sink you. "You killed him in hopes I'd fuck around with a girl like my father?!" Copia asked, his voice starting soft but got louder at the end.

"Not exactly!" Imperator tried to justify, but to no avail.

"That was why you hated him! Hate to break it to you, but I was going to do the responsible thing and lay low and start an actual family with him. Maybe then I would've been able to do something I was proud of, not something I was forced to do." Copia explained, his heart completely shattering.

Imperator was at a loss for words, she knew that if word got out, she'd be hunted like a monster by the whole church. After Copia asked if she had anything else to fess up to and no response from Imperator, he left. He went back to his room and let everything go, all his rage, all his pain, and even his faith. The ghouls heard to commotion and went to check on him after it died down.

They found him sitting on his bed, his head in his hands as the room looked like a tornado just went through it. Swiss was the first to his side, making sure he didn't physically hurt himself both on accident or on purpose. Aether asked what was wrong and Copia explained, not holding the truth back. Now all the ghouls hated Imperator, and when the ghouls hated you, they didn't hide it.

"I need to speak with him." You said urgently, not paying any mind to the alive people around you.

"He already knows." Secondo's voice booms in the halls, louder than you expected.

You froze, tears brimming your eyes. Since your death, the three brothers have been helping you adjust. They had been here all this time but no one could see them, their coffins had been warded so their ghosts couldn't be seen. Your vase or box must've been similarly warded.

"Besides, regardless of what you do, nothing will work. We've all tried communicating with him." Terzo added, he had been one of the first dead Papa's to try and reconnect to the living.

"This isn't fair." You muttered, now staring at your hands that were a light shade of blue and a bit see through.

"Nothing will ever be fair—" Primo tried to comfort, but it didn't work.

"No, you don't understand. We were going to get married after he got back. He promised me, he even bought a ring when he was in America, he showed me one that he was thinking about." You explained, the tears left your eyes but didn't go anywhere else.

The three all looked saddened by this, silence filled the room you were in. They had overheard from the afterlife that you and Copia were talking about settling down but they weren't aware that plans had been set in stone.

"I at least have to see him, I need to know he's okay." You muttered, all three of them quickly glanced at each other before nodding.

"You can stay next to him for as long as you need to, he won't know you're there, but if you're lucky enough, he might feel your presence." Terzo explained, he wanted to give you as much information about being a ghost as he could.

You thanked them before running to try and find him, you figured he'd be in his bedroom, and he was. He was now laying in the bed, staring at the ceiling. He laid on his side, almost as if expecting you to be beside him. You started to slowly approach him, not sure what to do. Copia reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, the engagement ring he bought inside it. You sighed a bit before getting in bed beside him, you hesitated cuddling into him but decided to say fuck it and go for it.

Copia tensed before he relaxed and huffed a laugh. "Hello, amore." Copia muttered, he knew you were there.

You stared at him in shock before chuckling to yourself and resting your head on his shoulder again. "Hey, handsome."