Hello my lovely readers!

I'm not sure if you knew, but I cross post my works both on Wattpad and AO3. I posted the same update open for questions and requests to both platforms and received several from Wattpad. For all my readers across both platforms, I will share them here so you don't have to go browsing comments on Wattpad. 

:::Q&A:::

Aniversum13 asked:

Would you allow your books to be animated? In other words, animated/drawn by yourself, in the form of a series?

My answer:

I think that would be awesome and I'd be open to it! I'm not much of an artist though.

~

ElderGhoulette asked:

Since my memory is crap, I have a few questions. 

How long did it take the ghouls to learn how to play their instruments?

How long did it take some of them to learn sign language to communicate with Rain when he is non verbal?

Is Annie okay?

How soon did it take Copia/Aether/Cumulus to start up something?

My answer:

1) A few weeks to a few months to learn their instruments, both for the band and ones they play in their down time. Fun fact: Mountain is actually the one who struggled the most with his drum set.

2) It took Rain several months to learn, but he was still young. The others took less time to learn enough to interpret. Cumulus and Aether learned first for him, helped to teach him. After them, Mountain and Kali were the most fluent, but Kali's a bit rusty now. Dew can understand but can't sign back.

3) She was hit by, she's been struck by, a smooth criminal!

4) About a year after summoning Aether, Copia grew closer to him and they started to become intimate with each other, but nothing sexual. It was until after Cumulus was summoned and was topside a few months that their relationship included her and turned sexual, and until Annie arrived they were a long term on again, off again throuple. 

Those were the only direct questions asked, but I did get a couple writing requests. 

The following work is the result of those requests. 

Request:

From Aniversum13:

Can ya write scenes from the childhood of all ghouls? Especially Dew and Aeth?

When asked if they wanted any scenes in particular they responded : When they were summoned by Copia, maybe. Or for the drama how they grew up like Dew without parents.

Without any further ado, here are those scenes.

First is Dew's story about his childhood, followed by one from Aether's pov from his life in the pits to his summoning. 

Enjoy, and keep the requests and questions coming!!

____________________________________

Dew:

Insight to his childhood and life in the pits.

~~~~

“I'm curious, Dew dear.” 

Dew hums in question and shifts down on the couch, nuzzling into Swiss’ lap as the multi ghoul runs his fingers through his long blond hair, tucking it behind his slightly pointed ears. 

“What it was like for you growing up.”

“What'd'ja mean?” the gremlin asks with a yawn.

“Back in the pits.”

Those four words make Dew freeze for a moment before he lets out a sigh. 

“Why are you askin somethin stupid like that?”

“Is it so wrong that I want to know more about my mate's past?” Swiss asks, looking down at Dew, seeing his eyes harden into a glare at the opposite wall. “We never met in the pits, and you were summoned years before I was.”

“There really ain't much to tell. Nothin more than you already know.”

“Please? I told you about my life in the pits.”

Dew remains quiet, though his glare softens as memories start to flutter past his thoughts. Orphaned as a young kit, nowhere to really call home. Tolerated, at best. He hated it. 

“I don't like to think about it. I survived, and now I'm here and that's all there is to it.”

“How'd you do it?”

Dew sighs and fights the urge to roll his eyes. Why won't Swiss take the hint and let it go?

“Do what?” he growls instead, his jaw tight.

“Survive. You're an orphan too, right? And a fire ghoul. Fire ghouls aren't the community type, so how'd you do it?”

“I just did!” Dew grinds out through his teeth, his jaw clenching as he shoves up off Swiss’ lap to sit up, shifting until he's sitting on the other end of the couch with his elbow on the arm rest, chin resting on his hand. 

“Dew…” Swiss sighs softly, resisting the urge to reach out to him, realizing he pushed a little too hard. “I'm sorry.”

The fire ghoul doesn't respond for a while, but when he does his voice is softer, his words not fully directed at Swiss.

“You know the mortality rate for mothers and kits, how because of that if a kit is found alone it's raised until it can fend for itself.” Dew hears Swiss make a sound of agreement and he lets out a sigh. “That's what happened with me. My mother, I can only assume she died at birth. I remember nothing about her aside from her scent since it was all over our den and I only knew the ghoul I vaguely remember as my father since he smelled of mother. I don't know why, but he didn't want me. Did the bare minimum to make sure I lived. I was weak because of it. Developmentally delayed, hungry all the time. I don't know how it happened, but one day when I woke up I smelled fresh blood and when I had the energy to I crawled out of the den and he was there, torn to shreds. Smelled like a demon.”

“I'm sorry,” Swiss says softly and Dew feels the couch behind him shift as he shrugs. 

“It is what it is. I was young. Maybe a few years old. A passing pack must've picked up the scent of his blood and came to investigate and found me curled up next to his body. They thought I was dead as well until a ghoulette came closer. It was my first time seeing a woman, and I remember wanting so desperately for her to be my mother that I cried and reached out for her. If I hadn't I probably would've been left there. Instead, I became someone else's burden.”

“Babe, you know you aren't a burden.” The couch shifts as Swiss moves closer, reaching out again but changing his mind. 

“You just say that cuz, for whatever fucked up reason, you want to be my mate.” Dew sighs softly and rubs at his forehead before brushing his hair away from his face. “Doesn't make it any less true.”

“I wanted to be your mate because you intrigued me. You're gorgeous, and so care free not giving a fuck about whats around you, yet deep down you still care. It's what I fell in love with before I even really knew you.”

Dew just shakes his head, pulling a knee up to his chest as he curls into the arm rest. He hated thinking about his past like this. It brought back so many insecurities of the present that made him want to be alone. Swiss could tell it was having an affect on him, but he also knew his story wasn’t over. 

“What happened after they took you in?”

“A lot of the same. They fed me, a little more than my father did, but I was always the runt of the pack. The other kits would tease and bully me. Made fun of my hair for looking like a ghoulette's since ghouls don't usually have hair as light as mine. Blond's, sure, but not this platinum. Not for a ghoul.

“When I successfully caught my first prey they stopped feeding me. It was up to me if I wanted to eat, but the bullying never ended. They would chase me, the other kits. Try to catch me off guard, ruin my hunts. I learned to stay only close enough to the pack for the safety if other demons or ghouls attacked otherwise I was on my own. It was like that until I was summoned.”

“Papa Terzo summoned you, right?”

“Yeah.” Dew sighs, a new wave of sadness rushing over him. “Yeah, I was the last one he summoned.”

“Surely things got better for you once you were topside?”

Dew gives a laugh, shaking his head even though he has a hint of a smile on his face. “Not really. I was… Well. Difficult is putting it lightly. I didn't adjust well. It didn't help that the summoning was hard, and Terzo wasn't strong enough to have so many ghouls bound to him. Not at first. If it wasn't for Omega I probably would have turned feral.”

“Babe, you're always feral.”

The gremlin shoots him a look over his shoulder before shaking his head with a huff. “Not the feral I mean.”

“I know.” Swiss shifts again, closing the gap between them to rest his head against Dew's shoulder, feeling him tense a moment before relaxing. “I'm glad Terzo summoned you.”

“Honestly?” Dew chews on his lip before sighing. “I am, too. I wouldn't have lasted in the pits. If I was sent back with the others I would've been okay, but as it was?”

Swiss moves and wraps his arms around his mate, nuzzling into his shoulder. “I know you miss them, but I'm glad you're still here.”

“They were my first real family, you know?” Dew sighs, shifting to lean into Swiss with a sniffle. “They all loved Terzo. Would never have hurt him or the brothers even if they could, so why…”

“I don't know.” Swiss holds Dew tighter, placing a kiss to the top of his head. “But I will forever be thankful to Copia for saving you. I don't know what I'd do without my firefly.”

“Swiss…”

“What?” He laughs softly, pulling back when Dew does only to lean forward and bump their foreheads together. “It's true. You're the light of my life, Dewbug. I love you.”

“So you say,” Dew grumbles, giving a halfhearted shove against Swiss’ chest.

“Do I need to shout it to the world for you to believe me?” Swiss asks with a wide toothy grin, slowly shifting until he's standing, his already impossibly large smile somehow getting bigger. “Because I will. I'll shout for all to hear!

“I love De-ack!” Swiss starts to loudly shout out to the empty common room only for Dew to tackle him to the ground where he lands on top of him, straddling his stomach with both hands clamped over Swiss’ mouth, his face tinged red with embarrassment.

“S-shut up!” The gremlin hisses before giving his own yelp as Swiss suddenly grabs his waist and flips their positions, caging Dew between his arms as he hovers over him looking down at his mate with so much love and affection shining in his eyes. 

“Never, because I will always love you, Dew.”

Dew can't help but smile, trying to ignore how his eyes start to sting as he tears up. Instead, he reaches up to trace a blunt claw along the arch of Swiss’ eyebrow down to his cheek before cupping his face. Swiss leans into it, a purr building in his chest. 

“Yeah, well. I…I…” he sighs softly with an apologetic smile. Why were those three words so hard to say back? At least he knew Swiss knew he felt the same. “Me, too.”

____________________________________

Aether: 

Insight to his past in the pits, and his summoning.

~~~~

“No fair! You always win!”

“Of course I do. I'm older.” Aether gives a soft laugh and ruffles his younger brother’s hair, messing it up so it sticks up between his horns. “You'll get there, Aeon. Just give it time. It's time for your studies now, so best get going.”

“But they aren't fun!” Aeon pouts, crossing his thin arms over his chest. “Why don't you have to study?”

“I am studying. With Da. We're going out to the southern plains today to study imps and fiends and will be there for a few days.”

“I wanna go with!”

“No.” Aether's voice turns stern before he gives a soft sigh, lowering himself to a knee in front of his brother to get on his level. “No, Aeon. It's too dangerous for you. That's why you're staying home to study with Mum.”

“But… but…”

Aether looks at his brother before giving another soft sigh, drawing him in close for a hug. “It'll be alright. I always come back to you. You know that. Besides.” He pulls back to once again ruffle and mess up Aeon's white curly hair between his horns until it sticks up at odd angles, earning a huff and swat from him. “You still have to beat me at serpents and specters. Work on your projection while I'm gone.”

“Do you promise you'll be back?”

Aether's expression softens and he nods, holding up a hand with his pinky out. Aeon looks at him with a frown before linking his pinky with Aether's. 

“I promise. Go on now, Mum's waiting for you. I love you, little bat. Be good while I'm gone, and take care of Aby for me. Keep her off the furniture and such.”

Aeon nods, shifting on his feet before launching himself at Aether, throwing his arms around his neck and holding him tight. Aether has to jerk his head out of the way to avoid his horns but he gives a laugh and hugs him tight in return. 

“See you soon, Aeth.”

“See you soon.”

~~~~~

“I'm proud of how quickly you pick up on things. Your magic is coming along as well,” the tall broad ghoul walking alongside Aether says with pride in his voice as they crest over a hill, their house coming into view. “Keep it up and you're bound to be one of the strongest of us.”

“Da…” Aether says with a sigh, giving the ghoul, his father, a playful shove before rubbing at his chest, feeling a dull ache he shakes off.

“It's true. You know the standing of our type. The duties we have to oversee to try and keep order within the chaos of our realm.”

“I still don't think it's right, Da. I know we could all get along if we tried harder with the elementals. Stop their feuding between packs, help them see there is a better way, like what we've developed.” Aether sighs and pauses at the top of the hill, looking down over the little valley where their house sat. It was old, made of stone and wood and he could just vaguely make out his brother in the yard playing with their hellhound. 

While the vast majority of elemental ghouls lived in packs of their own kind, more often than not as lawless nomads who roamed the various regions of the hell, Quintessence ghouls like himself were stationary having come together ages ago in cooperation to build settlements and towns. Being as strong as they were with the powers they held they'd made it their mission to try and oversee the realms and keep some semblance of order in such a harsh and unruly plain. Unfortunately, even though they were more powerful, they were greatly outnumbered by the elements so little headway had been made even after all this time. 

“You know they don't listen, don’t want to accept what we have to offer,” His father says as they start down the hill. “It's why you're starting combat training next month. You've progressed with your powers, but if that encounter with those fiends told me anything it's that it's time you learned how to defend yourself and those you love.”

“I just don't understand how we can be at odds with each other down here, but if summoned to Earth we're expected to work together regardless of our ele…elements.”

Was the wind picking up? The rust colored grass wasn't moving as though it was, yet he could feel it on his skin. 

“It's part of the summoning. Once bound, we must forget our hellish feuds and obey. Our Lord would not have given his children on Earth such a ritual without thought. It is all part of His plan. You know-”

“That those chosen are through His will and H-His will alone.” Aether's steps falter as he feels a tug within his chest once more and shakes his head before continuing on, matching his father's pace. Along with the phantom wind he felt but couldn't see he could swear he heard something. A voice, maybe. Accented. “The humans have no power over who they summon and must trust it is for a reason.”

“Exactly.” His father pats him on the back before squeezing his shoulder. Why did that hurt so much? “To be summoned is a great honor because of that.”

“Da?”

“Yes, son?”

Aether feels cold, a sweat breaking out on his brow as his hands begin to tremble, shaking his head as the voice grows louder, but he still can't make it out. They are closer to the house now, spotted by Aeon who runs over with a wide grin on his face as he waves at them. 

“W-what…what does it f-feel like?”

“What does what feel like?”

“B-being s-s-summoned.” 

His surroundings blur, as though everything was suddenly out of focus and he stumbles. If it weren't for his father holding him up he was sure he would've fallen to his knees, the wind he felt starting to manifest around him. 

“Oh. Oh no… Aether!”

“D-Da?”

He looks up at his father as he starts to breathe harsher, faster, each one harder to take as the cold feeling spreads out from the center of his torso, hearing the voice grow louder, more determined. His father looks at him with a mix of sadness and pride as he holds him up. 

“Breathe, Aether. Nice and easy. It probably feels like whatever's happening to you right now.” His father gives a sad sigh as he looks him over. “I've seen others be summoned, but I never thought…”

“I-it h-hurts…” Aether hisses out before his legs give again with an intense wave of pain and he's lowered to his knees with his father's help, curling in on himself as he clutches at his father's arms. 

“You're fighting it. The summoning. Breathe and let it happen. It'll be okay. We'll be okay.”

“A-Aeon…” Aether gasps and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to down out the voice he hears. “I p-promised him I'd… I'd c-come b-back.”

“He'll understand, and he will be so proud of his older brother for being chosen. I know I am, and so will Mum. It'll be okay.”

Aether takes tight hold of his father's arms, pulling him down to look him in the eye best he can with his fading vision. 

“He is not me. He's too… too-ah!” He hisses before a sharp wave of icy hot pain pulses through his body making him cry out, making out the loud words of a chant echoing around him. “Don't make him f-follow t-the same p-path you set m-me on!”

“What do you-”

“Promise me! Please, Da!” Aether pants heavily, vaguely aware of Aeon calling for him over the voice, his voice laced with panic and fear. “He's not me.”

His father looks at him a moment before giving a nod, leaning forward to press their foreheads together, releasing his hold on Aether's arm to hold the back of his head instead. “I promise. And I know he's not you. No one can ever be someone else.”

“I'm scared.”

“I know, but it'll be okay. We love you, son. So much.”

“Aether!”

Aether looks over to see the outline of his little brother running at him as the world spins with another painful pressure that closes in on his body. The pain is too much and his back arches as he cries out, his father letting him go. It hurt, it didn't feel right. Nothing felt right, like he was covered in…in something he just had to get off. He starts clawing at his clothes, his hair, his skin, trying to rid himself of this feeling as he writhes and cries out, all while the voice surrounds him and grows in volume. 

The last thing he sees before he's engulfed by a suffocating black is his father grabbing Aeon and holding him back as he cries and reaches for him with tears streaming from his eyes. He wants to comfort him, to hold him close like he would and tell him everything would be alright but he can't.

His stomach flips and he tries to breathe but he chokes instead, his mouth and nose filling with a thick putrid earthy sludge that reminds him of clotted blood. It covers his body, dragging him down but he struggles against it, clawing through it feeling tendrils rip under his nails until, after what feels like an eternity, one of his hands breaks free. His lungs are burning, screaming for air but his mouth is still full of that sludge. Instinct kicks in and he thrusts his other hand out, tearing through the same layers as the first as he tries to free himself, kicking his legs. Hard stone he feels next, and it gives him something solid to grab, using it to pull himself up until finally his face breaks free and he coughs out the filth from his mouth before drawing in several deep gulps of much needed air as he crawls his way from the ooze, laying on the stone floor curled up as he shudders at the intense cold he feels but at least he was free.

Everything hurt, his body trembling harshly but from cold or pain he didn't know. His ear twitches when he picks up a sound, another person breathing heavily before he hears rustling fabric. 

“I… I did it!” A man says softly, his voice hinted with disbelief.

Aether turns his head to the voice, but blinking his eyes open before he's forced to close them he sees nothing, just a faint glow, flickering like fire. A growl builds in his throat, readying to protect himself if needed. Even if he couldn't see, he could still fight if his master needed him to. Wait… Master?

“E-easy, ghoul!” The man says, a tremor in his voice. Was… could this be the person who summoned him? Aether licks his lips and swallows as he braces his hands on the floor, trying to lift himself up but a hand on his shoulder keeps him down. “Steady. It is okay. Don't try to move yet, si? Rest.”

“W-where…” The ghoul tries to get out, but it’s hoarse. “W-who..?”

“Ah, you are on Earth. I, well. I just summoned you.” The hand disappears and he hears footsteps as the man walks away, pausing a moment before coming back and a warm soft weight settles on him. “Here, you must be cold, no?”

“Thank you…”

Aether's head was reeling. He'd truly just been summoned. Just moments ago he was back home, with his father, and now he laid on a rough stone floor feeling weak and confused and so very cold. Why was it so cold on Earth?

“Do you feel well enough to sit up? I can help you.”

Aether nods slowly, taking a breath before pushing up off the floor. His muscles hurt with the effort and he couldn't bite back a groan of pain as he shifted to sit with the man’s help. Once steady the hands are gone and he hears the man move around again before something warm and wet presses to his face, making him jerk back. 

“Ah, mi dispiace. I should have told you my intent. I will clean your face now if you will permit me?”

Aether tries to blink his eyes open but they sting, forcing him to squeeze them shut. He felt no hostility or malice from this man, his master, so after a moment's hesitation he nods, fighting back another flinch as the wet cloth returns to his face as the man gently cleans off the sickly residue of his summoning that's stuck to his skin.

“I am going to clean around your eyes now, unless you would prefer to do so yourself?”

“I… I can manage. Thank you.”

The cloth is placed in his hand and he hears the man move around again as he lifts it, wiping over his eyes until he can blink them open without issue, squinting in the dim light. They're in a cavern made of stone, the walls rough and dripping with water and he sat in the middle of it surrounded by a wide ring of candles and script painted on the floor in what looked like blood, but it was hard to tell. All he could smell was whatever was still covering the majority of his body, but looking at the runes he could see the spell, a mix of the one used to summon a ghoul and one of binding, but he couldn't make out the name in the script.

Turning his head he sees the man crouched over a bag near the wall, digging through it before holding up a large swath of fabric with an excited exclamation before he stands and turns to face the ghoul, giving him his first look at his master. He seemed young, but he couldn't be sure not knowing how humans aged, with mussed up dark brown hair and a wide smile on his face. He had longer sideburns, and a thin mustache over a painted lip. His white shirt was splotched with dirt and filth, the top two buttons undone and his pants were wrinkled and torn along with one of his sleeves. 

“Here. It is not much but we will get you in proper clothes once you are cleaned up,” he says as he walks over and crouches next to the ghoul, handing him what he now sees is a long robe. 

“Thank you.”

Aether takes it before shifting to rise to his feet, his legs trembling from the effort, but moving was getting easier as he slowly adjusted to this new realm. He wavers and the man reaches out to steady him, a look of concern on his face.

“Are you well? It is a big change, I know. Er, or so I've been told, I should say,” he says with a nervous laugh. “You are the first I have ever summoned myself.”

“Yes sir,” Aether answers softly, letting the blanket drop to pull the robe on. It was a little tight across the shoulders, but covered him fully once pulled closed and tied at the waist. He was still cold, though, and couldn't stop shivering. 

“Ah!” The man suddenly exclaims, making the ghoul jump and look for a threat before he continues with a laugh. “I am forgetting my manners. Welcome to Earth, ah…” he trails off with another laugh. “Forgive me, I do not know your name.”

“I thought our masters were to name us?” Aether says with hesitation. He thought that's how it went. At least, that's what he'd been told by his father. 

“Why would I give you a name when you already have one? You do have one, no?”

Aether looks at him and nods, pulling the robe tighter around his body. “I do, sir.”

The man looks at him expectantly but Aether is hesitant. 

“And your name would be?”

“A-Aether. I was named Aether.”

“Aether,” the man says slowly, testing how it sounds. “It is a good name.”

“Thank you, sir,” Aether says softly with a slight bow of his head.

“Bah!” The man waves his hand in a dismissive gesture, a smile still on his face. “No need with the formality when it is just you and I.”

“But I thought…”

“Si, when we are among others you are expected to adhere to all the formalities, but when we are alone I wish you to treat me as a friend.”

“But… but you're my summoner. My master! I am bound to you and have to-”

“Si!” The man says loudly, holding up a hand to cut off the ghoul. “Si, I am the one who summoned you and I know of the duties and servitude instincts imprinted upon you with the summoning, but per favore. Please. Obey me in this without me needing order it from you.”

“I…” Aether was torn, and so very confused. This isn't how it's supposed to be. Is it? “Very well. Forgive me, then, but if I am not to call you sir when we are alone, what is it I am to call you?”

The man’s smile returns, wide as his mismatched eyes light up. Aether hadn't noticed until now the right was a soft green, the left an almost piercing white. 

“I am Vincenzo Copia, and I am so very happy you are here.”