197 posts
Narvan-jester - Narvan - Tumblr Blog
forgot to post this here
i need to get laid or alternatively be put down like a rabid dog but i seriously cannot keep acting like this
Oh my god I almost missed WIP Wednesday
I don't know if I should post the sequel to my swisstom cowboy fic on the same work or on a separate one for the sake of tagging.... They would be in a series to make it easier to find but I still can't decide......
Go watch the Wild Robot right now I-
My emotions are a mess but I've unlocked a new comfort movie. It surpassed expectations and I am in tears
When I was 13 and smudged a beard on my face with charcoal and now I’m actually growing facial hair. (detail from ‘The Young Girl and Death’ c.1900 by Marianne Stokes)
This genre of photos? Gotta be my favorite gender.
All photos by adamrosssi
my dream as a fanfic writer is to write a story which people want to talk to me about and send asks about afterwards and discuss things the characters did and the symbolism and meanings behind certain lines and I'll be all "hehe thanks" but irl I'll be in literal tears because I wrote something that means something to someone
Mountain: you good? Aether, exhausted: yeah, probably Aether: *immediately falls over*
Save A Horse (Bull)
WC: 4,871
Tags: Alternate Universe - Western, Rodeo Competitions, Cowboy Hats, Alcohol, Making Out, Not Beta Read, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Alternate Universe - No Band
Read under the cut or on AO3
The black bull seemed somewhat more wild than before. Phantom's eyes widened a little as the man on screen tilted his face to the camera, flashing it a bright, confident smile. Fuck, maybe it was a good thing Aurora made him stay. The dude definitely wasn't hard on the eyes.
Or
Phantom ends up grabbing a drink with Bull Rider Swiss.
Phantom pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the incoming headache brought on by the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells around him, endured for far too long. He let out a sigh. “Aurora, promise me that after this show we'll leave,” he asked, exasperated.
Aurora, his best friend for longer than he could remember, just smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Come on, Tommy, I can't believe you're not enjoying it! Let loose a little, we haven't even seen the goats yet!”
Phantom frowned, wagging his finger in her face. “Oh no, no, no, I know how you work. I've known you long enough. Thirty minutes is going to turn into three hours before you know it. And!” He said, pressing the finger over her lips, keeping them shut as she tried to protest. “You only want to see this next show because you think the rider’s hot. I know you, you never enjoy bull riding.”
Aurora swatted Phantom’s hand away, a pout forming on her face. “You're no fun,” she whined, lifting her hat to sweep her hair back before settling it back on her head. “Besides, after this show there's barrel racing, and I wanted to study some of the riders. You know the Cirrus is here!”
God, Phantom wishes he wasn't so susceptible to Aurora’s charms. “Fine. We'll stay until after Cirrus' show, then we'll leave. Deal?”
Aurora pouted slightly. “Deal. Now come on, we have to get good seats.” She practically dragged him up the metal risers, sitting him down forcefully and plopping herself right next to him. “You never know, maybe you'll enjoy it!”
The pounding behind Phantom’s eyes only increased as a crowd began to gather, mumbling half-heartedly about how he was “missing the sheep shows” and had “already seen the steers”.
He tried valiantly to focus, for Aurora if anything, as the speakers crackled to life. He squinted up at the screen, watching a big black bull shake and toss his head from side to side, restless and stubborn in the closed-off space.
Some name shone on the screen, flashing away before he could read all of it, only catching something like “Swiss”. He rolled his eyes as Aurora poked him a little, straining her neck a little to talk to him close enough to be heard. “That's the one. He'll be last.”
Phantom gave some sort of a half-entertained grunt, seemingly enough for Aurora to not jab him in the ribs.
He didn't pay much attention to the few poor riders flung right off their smaller, tamer bulls, feeling Aurora tense in sympathy as each one hit the ground. Only when he faintly heard the intercom announce the name did he perk up for Aurora’s sake. Not that he needed to be listening, Aurora’s sharp punch in the shoulder was enough for him to straighten up, eyes locked on the screen.
The black bull seemed somewhat more wild than before, possibly helped along by the bull rope now tied around it. His eyes widened a little as the man on screen tilted his face to the camera, flashing it a bright, confident smile. Fuck, maybe it was a good thing Aurora made him stay. The dude definitely wasn't hard on the eyes.
Aurora must have sensed his thoughts, because she once more strained up to talk too loudly into his ear. “I told you he was hot!”
Phantom grumbled, face going red as he pushed her away playfully. “Shut up and watch the show.”
The man has since turned his attention from the camera, carefully mounting the bull. And if Phantom’s eyes were admiring his body as he settled onto the bull on the screens, no one needed to know.
He tore his gaze away from the screen as a shrill beep echoed through the arena, instead looking down to watch the bull rip from its spot into the arena, bucking wildly to rid itself of the parasite on its back.
Phantom couldn't keep his eyes off the man’s hips, rolling and shifting in quick adjustments to accommodate the rapid shift of weight, thighs pinching close to its flank and one hand raised in the air, the other wrapped white-knuckled around the rope.
His movements were fluid, oddly natural as if he fused with the bull itself.
It seemed both an eternity later and far too soon that another buzzer sounded, announcing the end of the ride just eight seconds later. The rider jumped off, rolling into the ground almost gracefully, before hopping to his feet and jogging to the edge where he easily slipped over the fence, dropping onto the other side without issue and quickly absorbed into a wave of bodies.
Phantom was nearly oblivious to the cheers around him, until Aurora giggled beside him. “I bet now you're glad I made you stay,” she teased.
Phantom rolled his eyes, but in truth, his headache was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. In fact, now the pain was nearly imperceptible, as if it wasn't there at all. “You,” he sighed. “I am going to get you back for this.”
Aurora giggled again. “Yeah, sure you will,” she said, eyes only half focused on the bull being rounded up below as they began setting up for the next event. “Come on, there's at least a few minutes until the barrel racing starts, let's grab something quick to eat.”
Phantom simply nodded, following Aurora down the stands with the rest of the previous crowd. Most of the crowd seemed to gather in a throng near where he had spotted the rider jump out of the pen, clearly clambering for a grin or a fist bump or an autograph from the little local celebrity.
He barely noticed he had stopped until Aurora was back at his side, tugging him away. “You absolute dunce, you stick with me, you hear me? I don't care if you want Mr. Swiss Cheese over there to give you a bright little grin, I want a cheeseburger.”
Phantom rolled his eyes, letting himself be dragged along by her. “When do you not want a cheeseburger?”
“Shut your mouth,” she snipped playfully, just continuing to pull him along.
* * *
The little burst of energy gained from watching the bull rider was drained from them too quick for their liking, headache once again presenting to pound at their temples as they sat through all the barrel racing for Aurora. Their gaze barely tracked the rider Aurora had wanted to see, only giving a hum of acknowledgement as she gushed over her methods.
He sort of registered her saying something to him, but it was drowned under a wave of fuzz and pain in his head. The next thing he really noticed was Aurora no longer being by his side, and the realization was enough to immediately zap his brain into overdrive.
His gaze immediately darted over the heads of the surrounding crowd, trying to grasp a glance of her tan hat and failing. He grumbled a little under his breath, wishing she hadn't worn the damned thing when she wasn't even competing just so he could see her colored hair bouncing through the crowd.
Phantom knew she could hold her own in a fight, unfortunately from personal experience, but that didn't still his worry of something serious happening to her. With no other reasonable idea in mind, he set to a brisk walk, hoping to somehow stumble across her.
He took several rounds around the arena, stopping at her favorite food trucks and brushing past the goats just in case. His breath only seemed to quicken in his worry, pulling out his phone to see if he could call her.
He bent over his screen, tapping it and clicking the power button. Fuck. Of course it stayed black, dead. He pocketed it, sighing more with worry than exasperation as he decided to branch out to places he hadn't looked.
God, it was loud. Concrete and sheet metal did not agree with his ears. The floor was covered in a fine layer of dirt and hay dust, which he kicked up with each step. The smell of sweet fair food mixing with animal feces turned his stomach, combined with the worry making it all that more nauseating.
Phantom wasn't even sure where he was walking, barely noticing the fewer people around him as he walked, opening and closing the little metal gates separating areas behind him.
A shrill whistle suddenly caught his attention, turning around to meet the source as someone approached him, rubbing sweat off their face with a bandana. “Ho boy, watcha’ doing back here? You got clearance, or you with anybody?”
His eyes squinted a little, faintly recognizing the face twisted in confusion. “Uh, not sure, but I'm looking for my friend. About yay high, pink and blue dyed hair?” Phantom asked, gesturing. “You seen her?”
The man shrugged. “Probably not back here. Y'know this is where the riders and such are supposed to be?”
Phantom’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit! My bad, haven't been to this venue before. I'll go look elsewhere,” he stammered, stepping back slightly.
The man grinned at him and that finally sparked Phantom’s memory. Jesus fuck, that was the bull rider. Swiss, or whatever his name was. “No need to worry, buddy, no one minds much, just as long as you don't cause problems on purpose. Besides, maybe…” he trailed off, scrubbing a little at the stubble on his face as he thought. “You said pink and blue dyed hair?” He asked.
Phantom’s eyes lit up a little. “Yeah, about shoulder length, and a tan hat.”
Swiss' eyes widened and he chuckled, as he patted Phantom’s shoulder like they were old friends. “I wouldn't bother myself looking for her right now, unless it's a real emergency. I saw Cirrus walking out of here with a little lass matching just the description.”
Phantom lifted his hand to his face, exasperated. “You're joking, right?”
“Nope! Seems like your little friend has wormed her way into the eyes of the big dogs! Trust me, if you go after her now she will kill you, if Cirrus doesn't do it first,” Swiss commented, a bit too casually for Phantom’s liking.
Swiss flashed another of his smiles at Phantom, and his short-lived annoyance vanished in an instant. “Message heard loud and clear. Might as well congratulate you for your time on the bull out there before I get out of your hair.”
Swiss' expression shifted minimally, rummaging in his pockets for something. “Yeah, yeah, it was a tough bull. You got a hat or something for me to sign?”
Phantom’s brow furrowed. “No, no, I don't need an autograph. Never a huge fan of bull riding.”
Swiss' face shifted again, seemingly more light-hearted as he tucked a sharpie back into his pocket. “Damn, hitting me with that now?” He joked, once again slapping Phantom on the shoulder.
Phantom’s face flushed as he groaned, hiding it in his hands. “You know what I meant,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, yeah, I catch your drift. What's your name, kid? You compete in anything?” Swiss asked, nudging Phantom again.
Phantom forced his hands back to his sides with more effort than it should have taken. “I'm Phantom, but most people call me Tom or Tommy. More normal, easier to remember. I typically show sheep or steers, some roping, but this one was too high level for me to really get in,” he told Swiss, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Swiss shrugged, beginning to walk away, gesturing with one hand for Phantom to follow him. “Phantom ain't a bad name. God, at least you're not stuck with the nickname Swiss.” He raised a hand as Phantom opened his mouth to object, almost as though he had sensed it. “Trust me, used to not be as much of a good thing.”
Phantom clicked his mouth shut audibly, nodding along. “No, no, I get it. It's why I started going by Tom instead of Phantom.”
Swiss whistled. “Trust me, kid, you take that uniqueness and hold it tight. No one’s gonna watch if there ain't no bull on the field.”
Phantom tilted his head minutely at the comparison, tucking it away in their mind to ponder over later. “So when do you think Aurora- er, my friend, is going to be back?” He asked, changing the subject.
Swiss chuckled, hunching his shoulders a little bit as that dazzling grin lit up his face once more. “I'd give you two hours at best. At worst, you ain’t seeing hair nor hide of her till morning.”
“Fucking hell,” Phantom groaned, running his hand over his face. “I'm not sure whether to be more disappointed or proud of her.”
That got Swiss to let loose more than his previous chuckles, laughter setting something fizzing and popping in Phantom’s stomach. “Yeah, yeah,” Swiss said, waving away the last of his laughter with a hand. “Say, since you're probably stuck here for a little longer, you wanna sneak out and grab a quick drink with me?”
Phantom's eyes nearly popped from his head. “Well, if you're offering,” he joked, trying to slow his jumping and stuttering heartbeat to a normal speed once more.
Swiss chuckled again, flashing Phantom yet another bright smile. “C’mon, I'll drive us there if you won't mind. My truck ain't far.”
Phantom nodded almost over enthusiastically, energy seeping to pop over his skin. “Yeah, yeah, sounds good!”
Swiss nodded, smile dropping into something more sober as he reached an exit door, pulling his keys into his hand in preparation. “Don't stop for anything, don't talk to anyone. Try and walk as quick as possible, I really don't want to end up signing fifteen more autographs,” he groaned, rolling his wrist.
Phantom nodded, attitude sobering with Swiss as he stepped through the door, pace immediately fast enough to have Phantom stumbling to keep up.
Swiss stopped beside a tall black truck, unlocking it and climbing in. Phantom took to the other side, lifting himself up slightly into the passenger's seat. Swiss shut his door firmly and Phantom did the same, watching as Swiss leaned his head back, eyes closed with a sigh.
Phantom took the moment to rove his eyes over the interior of the truck. Several crushed energy drink cans lay on the floor at his feet, more on the dash and in the backseat. Otherwise, the truck was sleek and clean, furnished by shiny black leather.
Phantom’s eyes darted back to Swiss as he heard a little chuckle, smiling a little awkwardly at him as Swiss gazed back. “Sorry about the mess, most of my buddy’s don't mind,” he said, straightening in his seat and sliding his key into the ignition. “Just throw them in the back seat if they're bothering you.”
“No, no, it's alright,” Phantom said, mind a little dazed still. The conversation drew to an awkward silence as Phantom drew the seatbelt over his body, clicking it into place. “Know any good places around here?” He asked, trying to get the conversation up and running again.
Swiss chuckled, shaking his head as he did the same. “No, no, not really from around here. You?”
“Couple towns over,” Phantom replied, studying Swiss as he began to pull out of the grounds. “We just gonna show up to the first bar we see and hope it ain't crowded?”
Swiss shrugged, a sly smile on his face. “Well, I know one place. You a fan of underground shows?”
Phantom shrugged a little. “I'm pretty much up to anything as long as the beer’s good and the music’s good,” he stated simply.
“Then you might damn near love this place,” Swiss grinned, tossing a glance to Phantom before leaning over and turning up the radio, letting the music fill the truck for the drive.
A few minutes later, Swiss pulled into a little near-empty parking garage, switching off the ignition. “Alright, Phantom, I'm about to blow your mind,” he said, stretching both his arms high over his head with a groan.
Phantom shrugged, a little nip of anxiety working its way into his brain. “You didn't bring me here to kill me, did you?”
Swiss barked out a laugh, warm enough for Phantom to forget his previous worry. “God, of course not! Trust me a little here,” he joked, slipping out of the truck, Phantom following.
Swiss waited until Phantom rounded the truck to meet him, setting off not in the direction of the exit, but instead to a small metal maintenance door inset into the wall. “Wait, Swiss, what are you doing?” Phantom asked, heart rate skipping as Swiss reached for the handle.
“Dude,” Swiss placated, pointing at the metal plaque. “I said it was gonna be an underground show.”
Phantom fixed his attention on the plaque, quickly skimming the words. Raindrop Bar. “Huh,” he muttered simply, tilting his head at the door as Swiss rolled his eyes playfully and pushed his way in.
The atmosphere inside was far different from the empty parking garage they had been in just a moment before. It was populated, for one, eyes pinning on them the moment the door opened before slipping away one by one. It was also louder, too, a little rag-tag band up on a makeshift stage playing something deep and rocky. Dull colored lights swept over the small crowd gathered in front of the stage, and it took a moment for Phantom to realize that Swiss was walking away from him.
They hurried to follow, nearly tripping over themselves as they caught up to Swiss right as he slid into a seat at the bar, flashing a grin at the bartender. Phantom slid in beside him, shifting to get comfortable in the polished wood seat.
The bartender smiled back at Swiss, immediately turning to greet him, sashaying his hips. “Swiss, Swiss, Swiss, what am I going to do with you?” He cooed affectionately.
Phantom’s eyes quickly darted over the bartender’s body, a casual glance-over before his brain caught up to him and his eyes locked on him again. To say he was beautiful would be an understatement, with his curled black hair shining nearly blue around his eyes and with the silver glinting from his ears and face. Their eyes traveled lower for a moment before they diverted their attention, a little panicked and flushed, back to Swiss.
“God, Rainy, don't even try to get on me for this,” Swiss jeered playfully. “You're not much better.”
The bartender turned his attention to Phantom, forcing him to tear his eyes away from Swiss. “Now what's your name and your order?” He asked quickly, stepping back to grab a cup.
“Uh-” Phantom stuttered, glancing at Swiss for a little help. God, it did not help. Swiss was gazing at him with a hungry look in his eyes, grinning lazily. He tore his eyes away as quick as possible, warmth brewing in his gut. “Name's Phantom. How about a good ol’ judge of character?” Phantom asked, mind too frazzled to grasp anything else. “Whatever you think I'd like.”
The bartender nodded, hips swaying a little bit as he whipped up what looked like a cherry sour, sliding it to Swiss. “Gotcha.” He hummed idly, pulling stuff towards himself before speaking again. “So how’d little Swiss here pick you up?”
Phantom shrugged, glancing at Swiss only to be met once more with his grin and forcing himself to look away. “I wandered where I shouldn't have, and sweet talked my way into my current situation,” Phantom joked, trying to play up his confidence. The bartender hummed, eyebrow twitching upward as he slid Phantom a cocktail, orange slice perched on the edge of the glass. Phantom lifted the glass to his lips, sipping it and humming appreciatively at the perfect mix of flavoring and liquor.
Swiss sighed, sipping his own drink. “Yeah, yeah, pretty much,” he commented, waving his hand dismissively. “Phantom, by the way, this is Rain. Good friend.”
Phantom nodded at Rain, smile a little tight as he took another sip of his drink. Rain flourished his hands, shrugging and lolling his head to the side. “Owner of this fine establishment,” he added, voice a little playful.
“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Swiss joked, taking his hat off his head and tossing it playfully at Rain. Rain caught it, slipping it onto his own head and sticking his tongue out at Swiss as Phantom felt his chest constrict, knowing exactly what that meant.
He diverted his gaze, and downed the rest of his drink, barely registering the taste and instead reveling in the mild burn as it slipped down his throat.
Swiss chuckled at Rain, glancing back at Phantom as he clinked his empty glass back onto the table, stubbornly refusing to look at him. Phantom could feel his expression fall. “Whoa, dude, you okay? Are you still worried about your friend?”
Phantom clenched his teeth, shaking his head and rubbing at the side of his nose a little, huffing, refusing to make eye contact.
Swiss beckoned for his hat back from Rain, quickly sucking the last of his drink up as he shifted slightly in his seat, reaching into a back pocket to slide a ten over the bar. “Alright, let's get you back,” Swiss said, voice quick as he stood, clapping Phantom on the shoulder.
God, he wished he could refuse, but his truck was back at the grounds and his phone was dead so he couldn't call a ride. Damnit. He stood, eyes still stubbornly lowered as he followed Swiss out, missing the look Rain threw him.
He slipped into the passenger seat without saying a word to Swiss, refusing to meet eyes with him. Swiss got in as well, shutting the door, but not starting the ignition.
As the tension stretched between them, Phantom finally glanced up, meeting Swiss' eyes where they were locked on him. “You going to acknowledge me now?” Swiss asked, voice a little sour.
God, maybe alcohol wasn't the best idea for him. That drink must have been stronger than they thought, rolling their eyes and scoffing. “Just take me back, dude.”
Swiss tilted his head. “No,” he deadpanned.
“No?” Phantom sputtered indignantly, glaring at Swiss.
Swiss crossed his arms in front of his chest, brown eyes glowing almost gold from the interior lights shining down on them. Phantom furrowed his brow, cowered a little, suddenly too aware of how much scrawnier they were than Swiss.
“You're a bitch,” Phantom hummed, waving him away and turning his face out the opposite window.
“What upset you so bad?” Swiss asked, voice low and gravely behind Phantom. He stayed stubbornly quiet, making Swiss sigh. “I know this is about Rain and the hat.”
“Yeah, it is about the fucking hat!” Phantom spat with no real malice behind the words, feeling like nothing more than a jealous schoolgirl.
Swiss groaned, and Phantom spared a glance as he dragged his hand over his face, rubbing at the stubble on the sides. “Christ,” he muttered.
“Just take me back,” Phantom muttered, voice a little too quiet. “I was being stupid.”
He suddenly felt a hand grasp his, and gasped indignantly as Swiss dragged it closer to himself onto the center console. Phantom fixed a glare to the top of Swiss' hat as he bent over his hand, writing rapidly into the skin of it.
The moment Swiss straightened, Phantom snatched his hand back, a glance at the skin of his hand making his breath stutter just a bit as he realized what was written there.
Swiss was waiting as Phantom looked back up at his eyes, offering a small smile at him. Phantom squinted, then sighed, eyes darting down again. “Fine. Apology accepted.”
Swiss raised an eyebrow. “That was enough of an apology for you?”
Phantom gazed into Swiss' eyes, scrutinizing them. “What more apology do you have to offer?” He asked, maybe a tinge recklessly.
Swiss slowly raised his hand to the one he had just written on, brushing lightly over the knuckle, sparks flying from the contact. His eyes never left where they were locked on Phantom’s, and he found he couldn't look away either.
It stayed that way for a few moments, long enough for the interior lights to click off. In the dark silence, Swiss spoke again. “Can I kiss you?”
Any other circumstance and Phantom would have said no. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, or the drying ink on his hand, or the tingles in his gut when he recalled Swiss' grin, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he nodded, just a little tilt of the head, leaning towards Swiss.
Swiss met him halfway, lips crashing together in the dark and noses knocking into each other. It wasn't simple or graceful, instead woven with too many complex emotions to study in the dark.
Phantom pulled back for air, chest heaving a little as he tilted his forehead into Swiss’, nudging up his cowboy hat slightly. It seemed almost intimate for a moment, breathing in each other's air, until Phantom darted in again, mouth open and hot against Swiss’.
A hand fisted into his shirt at his back, pulling him closer. The kiss was nearly ravenous, and Phantom couldn't seem to get enough. Swiss pulled away for air this time, and Phantom felt a thin string of spit connect their lips for a moment before falling away.
They sat for a few more moments, chests heaving in tandem as they breathed in each other's warm, humid breath. Swiss twisted his head, nosing at Phantom's neck, hat falling onto the floor without care.
Phantom gasped as Swiss' warm lips plastered themselves to his neck, hands snaking around to grip Swiss' shirt tightly in his hands, eyes fluttering slightly.
Warm, wet kisses were gently placed along his neck, trailing upward to a point just under his ear. Phantom must have whined, gasped, something, because Swiss chuckled before gripping the skin lightly between his teeth and sucking.
“Oh fuck, Swiss, Swiss,” Phantom stammered, nails digging into Swiss' back from where they were clenched.
Swiss pulled away, eyes searching Phantom’s in the low light. “Too much?” He asked, a little sheepish.
“Fuck no,” Phantom managed to mutter, dragging Swiss back towards him and crashing their lips together with more passion than before. Open-mouthed and messy, Phantom reveled in the taste of whiskey on his tongue, whining as Swiss nipped gently at his bottom lip before pulling back again, locking eyes.
They were both panting, hungry with passion. “I need to get you back,” Swiss whispered, voice still too loud for the quiet space punctuated only by their heavy breaths.
“I know,” Phantom replied, voice equal in volume, still unable to tear their eyes away from each other.
“Fuck,” Swiss sighed, pulling away with great effort and sliding the key into the ignition, sparking the engine to life. He picked his hat up from where it had fallen, slipping it back onto his head.
Phantom straitened, a blush spreading on their face as they buckled quickly, embarrassed as light from yellow street lamps washed away the privacy.
It was quiet the entire drive back to the grounds, breaths returning to a normal pace as they kept their eyes averted from each other the whole way.
Swiss eased into a parking spot at the grounds, shifting the truck into park. Phantom undid his seatbelt, opening the door and preparing to step out when Swiss' voice stopped him. “Hey.”
He glanced up to meet Swiss' eyes, irises carrying hope in their deep blue, nearly purple depths.
Swiss took his hat in his hand, reaching and settling it onto Phantom’s hair with a tired smirk. “Call me?” He asked, voice softer than his words suggested.
Phantom nodded, mind feeling fuzzy as he absent-mindedly brushed his fingers over his neck where he could feel bruises forming. “Yeah,” he replied, voice equally as soft as he stepped out of the truck, shutting the door. He stood there as Swiss shifted into reverse, pealing away from him.
And if Phantom stood there for a few minutes, rubbing along his neck, it was nobody's business.
Finally Phantom forced himself into action, glancing around to gain his bearings before setting off in the direction of his truck. His eyes lit up a little as he saw a familiar shape leaning against it, face illuminated by her phone screen. She glanced up as Phantom came closer, smiling at him, before furrowing her eyes at him.
“Did you-”
Phantom cut her off before she could continue. “I won't say anything if you won't,” he mumbled, eyes pointedly fixed on similar marks along the column of her throat.
She shrugged in reply.
“Were you waiting long?” Phantom asked, sidling up to the driver's door, opening it.
Aurora climbing in the other side, shrugging again. “Just a few minutes.” Phantom shut his door, turning on the truck before reaching to the gear shift. Aurora’s eyes locked on his hand as it shifted, widening as she chuckled. “Damn, you did get lucky!” She exclaimed.
“Shut up,” Phantom mumbled, tugging his sleeve over the marker half-heartedly as he began steering them in the direction of home.
From The Pinnacle: Ch. 9
WC: 2,076
Chapter one here
Read under the cut or on AO3
I hope I can be nice to Phantom next chapter. Maybe. Who knows.
Cw: heavy reference to SA, skip after the three asterisks (* * *) if you don't want to see.
They hissed, circling the carcass on the ground, eyes locked on the ghoul across from them.
They were too weak for this fight. Their ribs jutted from their skin, their tail barely had the muscle to move anymore. Their magic felt weak and far away.
They needed this food, and they needed it badly.
The ghoul across from them hissed back and leapt onto them, knocking them immediately into the ground. It was much stronger, muscle hard as iron and teeth sharp and slobbering in their face.
They rolled and tussled, clawing at the ghoul's chest and ribs until they were panting and too tired to move, bloodied and bruised.
They expected teeth to go for their jugular, but instead they were flipped on their stomach.
They didn't have any energy to struggle anymore.
Even after it left, as they tore into the carcass running on sheer instinct, they think they would have preferred having their throat ripped out instead.
* * *
Phantom gripped Aurora’s wrist and ran.
They heard one of the ghouls roar with their fury, but didn't pay it any mind as they dashed past Earth as fast as they could, dragging Aurora behind them.
He was still flailing around aimlessly, trying to shake the dancing spots of light from his eyes.
Behind them, Phantom heard Aurora hiss in pain. They whipped around to face Earth, his arms darting to claw at whatever he could reach. Before they knew what they were doing, they let their quintessence slash Earth ruthlessly over the face, reveling in the roar of pain it ripped from him.
Aurora had made her way further down the hall, and Phantom sprinted after her, fighting to catch up.
She rounded a corner, and they followed, skirting to a stop as they spotted her leant against a wall, chest heaving.
“Aurora, you okay?” Phantom asked, hovering their hands over her shoulders, too scared to touch her.
She grit her teeth, one hand clutched over her side. “I’ve had worse.”
“Then come on, we can't waste time,” Phantom said, wrapping his arm around her and half guiding, half carrying her as they ran to the next bend in the hall, eyes sparking with hope as they saw the stone stairs at the end.
The pair continued to stumble down the dingy hall, Phantom faltering and tripping, adrenaline fading and leaving them exhausted despite not being in the clear yet. Aurora wrapped her arm around Phantom’s torso as well, and Phantom winced as they glanced back at the sparse trail of blood behind them, not daring to mention it to Aurora. Thankfully, however, neither of the odd ghouls were following.
Phantom looked back to the stairs, sighing in one big whoosh of air. Aurora mirrored them, and they leaned their head against hers as much as they were able, stumbling towards the stairs.
Though they were relieved that the two ghouls hadn't followed, they were also worried. The halls were ominously empty, not a soul in sight.
They both tensed and stopped on a dime as a door opened a little ways in front of them, a looming ghoul neither of them recognized stepping out and perking up when he saw them.
“Oh, hello. Do you need…” he trailed off, squinting his eyes at the pair, eyes darting from Phantom’s bared teeth to where Aurora had her hand clutched to her side, fingers red.
He exhaled, running a hand over his face. “Okay…” his eyes darted between them. “Listen, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you are the new ghouls, you went wandering, and now you're lost?”
Aurora hissed, tail lashing behind her. “And we'll find our own way out, thank you very much.”
He sighed, again running his hand over his face. “Let me get my mask, and then we can go.”
“We're not going to go with you,” Phantom deadpanned, dragging essence from the air in preparation for another fight.
Both their eyes widened as the ghoul sighed, lowering himself to his knees, head bowed to the ground instead of meeting their eyes as a sign or deference.
“I'm Ifrit,” he began, head still bowed towards the ground. “I tutored Dew. I was summoned at the same time as Mountain, and we know each other very well. In fact, I was just going to meet him.” He glanced up, catching Phantom's eye, before looking back down. “I was in the band before you. I promise, I'm not going to hurt you.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” Aurora spat, clenching her hand tighter around her wound. Phantom's ear twitched as they sniffed the air, before wrapping their tail around her arm in an attempt to placate her.
“Listen, I know you don't want to, but I promise-”
Phantom cut him off. “Go get your mask,” they instructed sharply, making Ifrit glance up in surprise. “Get Mountain and bring him back to us. Then we can trust you.”
Ifrit nodded once, twice, before slowly rising to his feet, eyes mildly calculating. “Okay. Okay.”
As he stepped back through the door, Aurora whipped her head to face Phantom, hissing. “What are you doing?” She asked accusingly.
“Shush, I have a good feeling about him,” Phantom tried to reassure, unwinding their tail from her arm in a sudden rush of self-consciousness. “I just…”
They were cut off as Ifrit stepped out of the room, a silver mask much like their own shining on his face and a rectangular shape held up to his ear.
Phantom perked up, eyes squinting as they met Ifrit's, who just gave a nod before turning his attention back to the rectangle.
“Hi Mountain,” Ifrit said, and Phantom whipped their head around, looking for him. Aurora did the same. “You missing something?” Ifrit continued.
He paused for a while, turning to face the two new ghouls and squinting slightly at them. After a few moments, he spoke again. “I'm going to put you on speaker,” he said simply.
Phantom hissed at him as he stepped forward, removing the rectangle from his ear and tapping it, extending it towards them. Their tail lashed, a spark alighting from it.
“Phantom? Are you there?” Suddenly Mountain’s voice was echoing down the hall, emitting from the box. Aurora tilted her head in confusion. “Aurora, are you with them?”
“Where are you?” Phantom asked, tilting their head and creeping closer to the rectangle, oblivious of the fire ghoul in front of them.
“I'm on my way, still in the ghoul dorms, listen, just go with Frit, I'll meet you there,” Mountain babbled.
Aurora crept up to Phantom's side, studying the rectangle as well. “No, no, that's not what they meant. Why can we hear you? You're not here, just this… box…” Aurora trailed off, studying the colors on the shape.
Mountain’s sigh was audible. “I'll explain later. But please, go with Ifrit, you can trust him.”
Phantom shifted his gaze from the rectangle to Ifrit above them. They blinked once. He blinked back. “Okay.”
“Okay, perfect. I'm on my way. Frit, meet you halfway. Bye,” Mountain’s voice was rushed, then it cut off abruptly, a shrill beeping emitting from the phone. Even as Aurora jumped, Ifrit seemed unaffected, sliding the object into his pocket.
“Come on, you know you can trust me now. Let's go meet up with Mountain, he'll get you taken care of.”
Phantom and Aurora linked themselves together again, hands clinging to arms and tails wrapped close around each other. Their fear and hesitance was mostly gone, leaving in its place a vibrant curiosity.
The halls stayed silent as they trailed behind Ifrit, the walls gradually getting more familiar and the floors more populated.
Phantom perked up as they saw Mountain rushing towards them, pushing through people until he reached them, brushing past Ifrit and placing hands on each of the new summons’ shoulders.
“Are you both okay? Are you hurt anywhere, what happened?”
Phantom felt themself melt a little into Mountain's comforting touch, letting it calm the last of their racing nerves. “‘Rora got clawed,” they mumbled, eyes darting up at Ifrit before looking back down.
“You never do that again,” Mountain scolded suddenly, hand leaving Phantom’s shoulder as he leant to inspect Aurora’s wound. Phantom felt themself recoil a little, soul twisting and untwisting, pulsing with shame. “You ask someone to take you somewhere if you don't know what you're doing, do you hear me?” A growl crept its way into Mountain’s voice.
“I- I’m sorry Mountain, it's-” Phantom stammered, pulling away from Aurora.
“Aurora, let's get you to medical,” Mountain instructed her, voice not quite stern but not soft either. Phantom felt a pang of hurt in their chest as Mountain ignored them, instead turning to talk to Ifrit. “Take them back to the den. You can wait there for me to come back if you want.”
Ifrit nodded once, accompanying his action with a quiet “yep” as Mountain ushered Aurora away.
Phantom swayed his tail a little dejectedly, looking up at Ifrit with tired eyes. “He didn't mean to be rude, y'know. He's just worried,” Ifrit said, trying to console the little ghoul.
Phantom didn't respond, so Ifrit shrugged and began walking, leaving Phantom to once again follow him.
Ifrit stopped in front of the familiar entrance to the dorm, looking back as Phantom caught up. “You got a key?” He asked, and Phantom quickly looked down and away, feeling intimidated by the other ghoul.
“Aurora had hers,” they muttered.
Ifrit sighed, raising his fist to knock before pausing. “How's Dew doing these days?” He asked, voice a little strained.
Phantom looked up and bared his teeth, hissing a little. Ifrit's eyes widened only slightly, and he rapidly knocked on the wood.
Shuffled and steps could be heard on the other side, before the handle jiggled. “Mount? You found-” Cirrus opened the door and stopped. “Ifrit, good to see you. Where's Mountain?” She peeked her head out a little, squinting at Phantom. “Nevermind. Come in,” she said, rapidly ushering them in before shutting the door behind them.
They both stayed quiet as they followed Cirrus into the common room, stopping in place as she turned around, eyes locked on Phantom. “Ifrit, if you would please,” she said, gesturing towards the kitchen. “Pretty sure Rain is in there.”
She stayed silent as Ifrit nodded, hurrying to the kitchen and out of sight. Phantom shuffled in place under Cirrus’ gaze, unable to read it. Their tail lashed nervously.
Cirrus took a deep breath in, then let it out, placing one hand to her temple. “Just give me a rundown of what happened.”
Phantom lowered their head, lifting their tail into their hands and fidgeting with the tip of it. “Aurora wanted to take me to the charity bins but we got lost,” they mumbled, brain instinctively locking out the other events.
Cirrus nodded thoughtfully. “I'll take you tomorrow, if you still want to. But that doesn't explain why Mountain left in such a hurry and didn't come back with Aurora.”
Phantom wishes they were as small as possible, so small they eventually vanished into nothing. “She got hurt.”
Cirrus' ears strained forward to hear, eyes widening a little bit. “How bad? No, scratch that, how?”
Phantom felt themself sway on their feet, eyesight going wavy and unfocused. “She- we met- they were…” Phantom found themself unable to form their sentences, feeling their quintessence flicker.
They suddenly felt a hand on their shoulder, holding them still and bringing them back to Earth.
“Phantom?” Cirrus' voice echoed through their head, almost too loud.
“I think his name was Chain…” Phantom mumbled, voice quiet and near indecipherable.
Cirrus let a small curse fall from her lips, following it up with a close-lipped smile. “Guess we need some work on our stranger-danger,” she said, words directed at Phantom but seeming to slip right past. She patted them twice in the shoulder before stepping back. “Go get some rest. I'll handle the rest of this.”
Phantom didn't know what else to do but obey her, stepping back and slowly padding down the hall to their room. Their spine prickled with double heated gazes pinned on their back as they picked up speed to hurry past the kitchen.
Their hand rested gently on the handle, head cocked to the side a little, painfully void of thoughts.
With a deep sigh, they stepped into their equally void room and shut the door.
burning text gif maker
heart locket gif maker
minecraft advancement maker
minecraft logo font text generator w/assorted textures and pride flags
windows error message maker (win1.0-win11)
FromSoftware image macro generator (elden ring Noun Verbed text)
image to 3d effect gif
vaporwave image generator
microsoft wordart maker (REALLY annoying to use on mobile)
you're welcome
please can we do inbox trick-or-treating this year. can we make that a thing on tumblr. please please please please please
I love plants
AQUATIC ANIMAL EMOTES
GRGRRAAAHHH SHARKS AND SHRIMP AND RAYS AND WHALES AND
No update on the fic, sorry, I'm unfortunately losing interest in Ghost, however I will hopefully be continuing the fic because I still enjoy the writing I've done for it.
I'll hopefully be able to get a new chapter out soon, within the week or so if possible.
Hi I’m seance and trying to raise funds to move out of an abusive household. i updated our comms list to be a bit more affordable and reflect more recent art. So if you have the spare money please consider commissioning me, im more than willing to haggle on the price as well (within reason)! If you can’t buy then please share. I am disabled and unable to work so commissions are my only source of income. I’m also open to NSFW commissions, just DM me for pricing and examples!
This is the magic lucky word count. Reblog for creativity juice. It might even work, who knows.
I'm sorry the fic hasn't been updated recently, however in other news!!
I've learned how to sew and now I'm making my build a bear a battle jacket
I feel like Phantom never really had the space or time to develop their quintessence skills as much as other quint ghouls. They know how to gather the energy, and how to expell it, but past that, they don't know anything more complicated.
This is part of the reason that I write them as hurting people when they heal them, because they don't know how to heal soothingly using and channeling the person's own energy.
This is also why, when they lashed out at Mountain, it just slashed him. They didn't know how to properly wield their quintessence into anything different than its pure form. And when they flash-banged Chain and Earth, that was simply them quickly expelling a lot of energy.
And when they twitch when they're nervous and sparks fly? That's when their nervous energy has nowhere to go, and they aren't focusing on keeping it under wraps, so they just release sparks of pure quintessence back into the air.
“DannyMay Day 12: Elements- wait, what do you mean it’s already June???”