please please PLEASE write something with regressed!phantom being seen by dew for the first time. maybe it’s during the time that dew is mean to phantom because he took aethers place? something like that
thanks shadow! always love ur fics
Hello sweet anon! Sorry this took so long, I’m working my way through requests :) I hope this is what you are after!
Requests are still open if anyone wants anything, I’ll get to it when I can :)
Honey.
Regressed!Phantom & Dewdrop.
A/N: SFW like all my agere fics of course! Dew is a little mean at first but he gets nicer I swear. I also wrote this really fast on my phone so I apologise in advance!
_
Dewdrop was the only one up this late; the rumbling of the tour bus wasn’t lulling him to sleep like it usually did, so he gave up on trying to sleep and got out of his bunk to go and sit on the couch in the main area of the bus.
The ghoul had been sitting on the couch for almost an hour now, watching the TV at a low volume so it didn’t disturb anyone else. Upon hearing the door to the bunk area click open, Dew looked over, trying to make out who the figure in the doorway was. He squinted slightly, trying to adjust his eyes to the dark. The figure stepped forwards, the light from the TV illuminating him.
“Phantom? What do you want?” Dewdrop asked, his tone unnecessarily harsh. The young ghoul squeaked out a response, too quiet to hear.
“Fuck’s sake, speak up would you!?” Dew snapped, clenching his jaw.
Phantom stepped forwards again, allowing Dew to see him properly. The quintessence ghoul had the spade of his tail in his mouth, gently suckling on it. His hair was sticking up all over the place and he had tear tracks on his cheeks. He’d been crying.
Dewdrop sighs irritably, not quite yet realising the state of the poor ghoul.
“Speak, would you? Or go bother someone else.” Dew mutters, turning his attention back to the TV. He hears a little whimper from Phantom; he groans and looks back at him.
“Satanas, what is wrong with you?!” Dew snaps again.
That does it. Phantom bursts into tears.
“I- I had b-bad dream. Swissy i-is sleeping.” Phantom manages to stutter out between his sobs. His vocabulary is limited and his voice is muffled around his tail that is still in his mouth.
Immediately, Dew’s eyes widen. He hadn’t realised the state that the younger ghoul was in; Phantom was regressed and Dew had just yelled at him, making him burst into tears. The older ghoul sighs, standing up from the couch.
“Fuck- I mean shit- damn it! Okay, alright… Phantom?” Dew mumbles as he slowly approaches Phantom. The young ghoul backs away slightly, still sobbing.
“Hey, come on. I’m not gonna hurt you, quint.” Dew says, his voice softening. He holds his arms out to Phantom, offering him to come closer.
As Phantom toddled over to Dew, the fire ghoul realised just how little Phantom was; he was wobbly on his feet, sucking on the spade of his tail like a pacifier. Even the way he’s crying. He was regressed much younger than Dew had seen any of the other ghouls be.
“Oh, you’re really little right now, aren’t you?” Dew coos softly. Once Phantom is close enough, Dewdrop wraps him in a gentle hug and softly rubs his back.
Phantom says nothing, but allows himself to be wrapped in Dew’s arms. His crying has calmed down a little, but there are still tears running down his cheeks and his breathing is shaky.
“I’m sorry, little quint. I didn’t mean to shout at you, I didn’t realise that you’re-”
Dewdrop pauses and sighs.
“I shouldn’t have shouted at you, end of.” He mumbles.
The fire ghoul leads Phantom to the couch, getting him to sit down. Dew wraps his arms around the young ghoul, pulling him to his chest.
Phantom lets out a little whimper as he cries, burying his face into Dew’s shoulder.
“Shh, shh, shh. Don’t cry, honey. You’re okay. You’re safe.” He brings his hand up to run his fingers through Phantom’s messy hair, keeping one arm wrapped around him. The young ghoul brings his tail back to his mouth, suckling on it once again; Dew frowns as he watches him.
“Hey, quint, don’t do that please. It’s not good for your your tail, you’ll end up hurting it.” Dew says softly, trying to pull the tail out of the quintessence ghouls mouth. Phantom whines and looks up at Dew with big watery eyes. Dewdrop sighs, then fumbles about in his back pocket.
“Can you try this for me? It’s Mountain’s, but I’m sure he won’t mind you borrowing it.” He says, pulling a pacifier from his pocket and offering it to the young ghoul.
Phantom lets his tail drop out of his mouth and cautiously leans his face closer to the pacifier. Dew gently pushes it against his lips, encouraging him to take it. Phantom does, taking it into his mouth hesitantly. After a few minutes, he looks up at the older ghoul, grinning around the pacifier.
“You like the paci, bug?” Dew questions, stroking his fingers through Phantom’s hair. Phantom nods, softly sucking on the pacifier as he looks up at Dew.
“Maybe we’ll have to get you your own, huh? That sounds like a good idea?”
Phantom nods excitedly and starts shuffling around on couch, eventually planting himself on Dew’s lap. He curls up against him and nuzzles his face into the fire ghoul’s chest. Dewdrop watches him with a raised eyebrow and lets out a slight chuckle as Phantom settles himself in his lap.
“Oh, just gettin’ comfy, hm?” Dew coos softly, wrapping his arms back around Phantom’s body.
The quintessence ghoul hums quietly in response, already closing his eyes. He mumbles something into Dew’s chest.
“T’ank you, Dewy.”
Dewdrop all but feels his heart melt; he places a soft kiss to the top of Phantom’s head and cradles him to his chest.
“You’re welcome, baby bug.” Dew mumbles into Phantom’s hair.
Maybe he should give the new quintessence ghoul more of a chance. Maybe he shouldn’t take his anger about Aether on Phantom.
From that night on, Dewdrop vowed to himself that he wouldn’t ever hurt the young ghoul again; nor would he let anyone else.
I had a thought that the first time Phantom went little, they didn't really have control of their magic and actually turned little. Some of this I wrote while I was little so I'm not sure it makes any sense, but I don't thank anyone will see it anyway so.
almost 3k under the cut, mentions of food, and Phantom has some flashbacks
I guess it helps to know that big Phantom uses primarily He/Him, and little Phantom uses They/Them, and that Phantom was the runt of his litter.
Phantom was already worried. About everything, to be entirely honest, but today it was even more present. With the tour looming over his head and the ministry threatening to send him back to the pits when he messes up, it's hard for him to find a moment of real peace. His only anchor so far has been his new pack. Well, it's his first and only pack, since quintessence ghouls tended to be pretty solitary in the pits. He’s grateful to have a pack at all, and to be summoned into one that's so loving and supportive is some kind of unholy miracle.
He was on his way back from another unproductive meeting with Sister Imperator that was just an excuse to scare him into submission. It didn't really make him want to please her more though. All he wanted to do was be swallowed back up from the pits, because no matter how bad it was down there, at least his every move wasn't being watched and criticized.
He shakes out his body, like a dog trying to dry itself off, to work out the stress. On the bright side he didn't have to talk to her for another week, and he’s on his way back for some comfort cuddles from his packmates.
He pushes open the door to find Rain on the couch playing video games. Dew and Swiss are having a hushed conversation in the kitchen. He wants to bother Swiss for his attention, but he doesn't want to interrupt the obviously private conversation, so he settles for dropping onto the couch next to the water ghoul. Rain takes his eyes off the screen to smile at Phantom. He winds their tails together. Phantom traps the soft, seaweed-like tip of Rain's tail to rub between his fingers while he watches him play.
When Rain dies, he turns off the game and sets down his control. A faint purr rumbles through Phantom’s chest already. He jumps into Rain’s arms when they open, pulling him close to Rain’s chest and scratching lightly across his scalp.
Both of their heads poke over the top of the couch when Dew pushes back into the common room with a huff.
“Of course you put down your game for him,” Dew snarls under his breath, but he doesn’t put any effort into actually keeping it there, and both ghouls on the couch hear it. Phantom pins his ears to his head and tries to hide in Rain’s shirt with a whine.
“Dew,” Swiss warns, but it’s already too late. Rain’s tail is starting to puff up between his fingers. The light purr in his chest drops into a growl, and instead of comforting Phantom when he squeaks he sits up and pushes the quint ghoul to the other side of the couch, left to curl his tail around himself protectively.
“I’m not ignoring you! If you asked nicely instead of acting like a child about it you could be over here with us too.” Rain bites back. He rolls his eyes at the fire ghoul. He seems to care less about this fight than Phantom does, who’s watching like the most morbid tennis match with wide eyes. His tail taps at his lips, but he holds it in his hand. He’s not a kit anymore and doesn’t need to suck on his tail to feel better, no matter how much he actually wants to.
“I don’t want to share you with him!” Dew yells. The blood pounding in Phantom’s ears makes it hard to be sure if Dew meant to emphasize share or him, but his body is in full fight or flight mode and he doesn’t think he can stay to find out.
He moves so quickly he almost falls face first off the couch. His legs feel shaky, like they’re not really his, but he pushes through with the promise of the safety of his room. The door knob is a struggle too. He slams the door closed harder than he means to, which sends another jolt of panic through his system. He feels like he’s freezing but he won’t stop sweating, and the afternoon light pouring in makes his head pound. He buries himself under his covers and presses his hands into his ears in hopes that the screaming will stop.
It’s no longer Dew and Rain’s voices in his head, it’s his mother, the old pack leader, voices he heard only once but hasn’t been able to shake since. Tell them they’re the runt, they’ll never make it, they fuck up everything. That things like them are the reason packs like that don’t work. Their jeans scratch their skin and pull too tight and they need them off, but their hands are too shaky to undo the button.
They scream.
It’s the only thing they can think to do, to try to relive some of the pressure building in their head. Everything starts to feel better, but in a fuzzy, unclear way that they know they should be concerned about but don’t want to think about it enough to be. It’s at least a break.
They start to pull themself out of their sheets. Their pants stick to the material and slide off too easily, the button still done up but way too big enough to hold onto their hips. The shirt they were wearing falls when they push themself up too, at least staying on their shoulder, but the sleeves reach their elbows and the bottom hem reaches their knees. They stare at it questioningly. All the previous panic has been pushed aside, now they mostly just feel… small. And curious.
They rub the hem of their shirt between their fingers and roll off the bed like they usually do, but instead of landing gracefully they fall way further than they shoot. It sends another flare of panic through their body. This one at least is short lived, but it has their knees wobbling as they take uneven steps towards the mirror in the corner.
When they can finally see themself they freeze, staring into wide, wet eyes, then trailing down their tiny form. They have to be half the height they were just moments ago, and lanky in the way all 6 year olds are, not the usual never-grew-into-his-size lankiness he was used to. They know it’s wrong. No matter how much they want to be happy that their outside matches their inside, they know it’s not right. All the emotions swirl in their brain and start to bring back the bad feelings, and even though they just want their eyes to stop stinging, they start crying instead. Fat tears roll down their face and heavy sobs shake their whole body. They want to curl up in a ball but they can’t look away from that little kit in the mirror. The little kit with the same light patch around their eyes, the same white bangs and dark, unruly hair, and the same misshapen tail snaking its way into their mouth to chew on it self-soothingly.
A loud knock makes them freeze. They scream at themselves to pull their tail out of their mouth so they won’t get in trouble. The person outside calls their name and they whine, which reminds them there’s something more important to fix first, but no matter how much they try they aren’t getting big. It sends them back into their fit of tears.
They watch through blurry vision and the smudgy mirror as Swiss pushes their door open, freezing when they make eye contact. The whole room stills. So many thoughts race through Phantom’s mind they’re surprised they don’t explode with it.
“Phantom?” Swiss whispers. He takes a step towards the little quint ghoul, and that’s finally enough to break the spell. Phantom’s tail pushes back into their mouth as they crouch down into a ball, hiding themself behind their arms protectively.
“P-please don’t h-h-h-hurt me. S’ok,” they slur around their tail. Words seem to stick in their brain. They give a frustrated grunt. Their tongue feels heavy enough on its own, and even though the tail isn’t helping, they know it will only feel worse if they take it out.
“I would never hurt you sweetheart. Can you tell me what happened?” Phantom shakes their head hard, almost falling over from the motion. “Ok, it’s ok baby,” Swiss pauses for just long enough that Phantom starts to worry again. They hide their head more in their knees and let more heavy tears fall, since it seems to be helping. It at least made them feel less big and spikey.
“Can I touch you?” Swiss asks. Phantom’s tears dry slightly as they have to think about it. They still feel wrong, but Swiss gives such good hugs that always make them feel better when they’re big. It doesn’t take much to realize they want to be held. They unwrap their small, lanky limbs, popping their tail back in their mouth and making grabby hands at the ghoul standing above them.
Swiss smiles brightly and easily scoops the small ghoul into his arms. He eases them down so their legs are wrapped around his waist, and their head is resting on his shoulder, ear pressed close enough to hear his heartbeat, which settles Phantom down considerably. Swiss bounces them up and down and hums until the last tears stop falling and they can breathe a little more even again.
“Wanna change into something more comfy?” Phantom tenses again at the idea of being put down.
“No p-please. Like it h-h-h-h-here.” They try to shove their face more into Swiss’s shoulder. Swiss sighs and chuckles at their antics.
“Ok, well are you feeling hungry? Think you can at least drink some water for me?”
If Phantom really thought about it, their tummy did feel a little empty. They nodded into Swiss. The big ghoul shifted them a little so he can walk easier, and the gentle sway and being surrounded by Swiss’ conforming scent almost lulling Phantom to sleep, even just on the short walk to the kitchen. But before they know it, they’re set down on the counter. They rub at their eyes and rock back and forth while they watch Swiss dig in the cup cabinet until he pulls out a sippy cup.
“W-why is that in-n there?”
“For little ghouls like you,” he answers easily. He fills the blue and yellow sippy cup with water from the sink and hands it to Phantom.
“There are other kits here?” They perk up, looking around like these other kits might magically show up just because they asked. Swiss makes a silly face like he’s pooping, which makes Phantom laugh. He takes a sip from his cup and wiggles at how it makes his mouth not hurt anymore.
“Sometimes. Sometimes when Dew or Rain or Cumulus have big feelings, they get small like you are.” Swiss looks back at Phantom after he grabs the cheerios from the top shelf, then turns around and grabs a bib from a drawer lower down. He tries to loop it around Phantom’s neck but the kit crosses their arms.
“I’m a big b-” they start, but saying boy doesn’t feel right even if it tries to slide off their tongue, so they try again. “A big kit.”
Swiss nods and puts both things away, instead grabbing a muffin from the snack cabinet that Phantom reaches for enthusiastically. They turn the wrapper off quickly and shove half of it in their mouth before Swiss can reach for it to stop them.
“Phantom,” he scolds. The little ghoul ignores it though, loudly chewing the too-big mouthful and starting up a wiggle again.
“Oh thank Lucifer Swiss, I need…” Dew stops himself short when he walks in the kitchen and finds Phantom’s big eyes looking back at him, muffin crumbs all over his face and sippy cup frozen half way to his mouth. “That’s… mine. What-” he starts, but Swiss steps between the two.
“I’ll wash it, Phantom just needed to borrow your sippy. He’s feeling vulnerable,” Swiss says the last part through his teeth. Phantom doesn’t really know what that word means but they know it’s probably not good.
“But that’s not normal. Are you sure he’s ok?”
The blood starts to pound in Phantom’s ears again. All they hear is that they’re not normal, too small. It’s something they’ve heard too many times to count. It makes them want to hide again.
But they’re big. They don’t need to run away, they’ll show Dew how big they really are. They throw the sippy cup on the ground. It obviously isn’t meant for ghouls as big as them, because the top pops off and sends water all over the floor. They feel a little bad, but Dew and Swiss have stopped ignoring them, so they cross their arms and say as big as they can, “I’m big, and I’m not a boy.”
“Oh,” is all Dew says.
“Are you a girl?” Swiss asks. Phantom’s big act falls quickly. They hadn’t really thought about it. If they aren’t a boy or a girl, what are they? Can you not be a boy or a girl? They know they’re not a girl, so maybe they are a boy. They shake their head and look towards Swiss for him. Luckily, he smiles warmly again.
“Ok, you can be our little bat.” It pulls another happy wiggle out of Phantom, this one reaching from the tips of their ears to the spade of their tail, which now that they’re done chewing they can slot back in their mouth.
“Our little bat is actually a toddler,” Dew says only to Swiss.
“I’m 6!” Phantom yells and kicks their feet. Dew puts out a hand like Phantom just said the same thing he did, which makes them cross their arms and stick out their tongue at not being listened to.
“Hey babybat,” Swiss crouches down so he’s the same height as the kit. “Why don’t you finish your muffin, and then we’ll go take a nap, alright? I’ll be right back.” Phantom chirps in agreement, too busy after remembering they still have a whole half of their muffin to inhale. Dew steps out into the common room. He keeps watching Phantom the whole time through the window between the two rooms, until Swiss hands him a different sippy cup, this one pink and sparkly, and goes out to join Dew.
Phantom watches them wave their arms while he chews on his muffin. He imagines they’re dinosaurs fighting each other, the flying ones that look like bats and have big claws and beaks. They roar at each other, and it’s a good thing Phantom speaks dinosaur.
“Get away from my egg,” Swiss roars. He spreads out his wings to make himself look big. Phantom, who’s obviously the egg, puffs out their chest to match.
“I’m going to eat your egg!” Dew roars back, taking a swipe at Swiss, and even though they know they’re only playing pretend, the thought of Dew hurting Swiss for real scares them. They look down. The floor is so far away, but they have to be brave. They shut their eyes tight and push off, somehow landing on their feet. They take a deep breath. They’re so brave, they can do anything, so they run out of the kitchen and wrap themself around Swiss’s leg. Dew’s attack stops right away.
“Don’t h-h-hurt h-him,” Phantom pleads. They make their meanest, scariest face at the fire ghoul. Dew tilts his head at them, looks back up at Swiss, and then crouches down to be on Phantom’s level.
“I’m sorry bug, I didn’t mean to yell.” He looks at Swiss awkwardly. It takes Phantom a minute to remember that, oh yeah, that is how this whole thing started. They don’t know what to say, so instead they chirp and lay a big, wet kiss on Dew’s cheek. He wipes it off and sticks his tongue out, but he still can’t stop himself from smiling, which Phantom takes as a win. They stick their tail back into their mouth and smile back shyly.
“Feeling tired babybat?” Swiss asks, ending the moment. Dew stands up and starts to slowly make his way towards Rain’s room, while Swiss scoops up Phantom once again and carries them to their own.
They didn’t think they were feeling tired, but being laid under they’re covers and surrounded by Swiss, it’s hard to keep their eyes open anymore.
When he wakes up he’s groggy, but it slowly comes back to him that his shirt’s not so big anymore, and Swiss isn’t covering him so completely, and he sobs into Swiss’ chest in relief.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: general audiences
Relationships: Dewdrop and Mountain and Phantom
Characters: little kitty Dewdrop, little Phantom, cg Mountain
Words: 2051
Summary:
His quest for warm snuggles with Dew was almost completely forgotten until he heard a quiet noise come from underneath the tree. He stilled the rocking he hadn’t realised he had been doing and peered under the lowest branches. Two mismatched orange and blue eyes stared back at him.
OR
Phantom tries to find Dew for cuddles but finds him little and kitty, him and Mountain look after Dew
I was thinking about one of the hospital trips I had, I almost always get to hear weird shit when I'm there and this is my favourite one so here, have it as rain and little phantom because I just picture them as this
Can you write cg Swiss and a fussy little Phantom?
Yay! This was such a fun one to write! Thank you so much for the prompt
The Moth and The Beetle
Words: 800
Pairing: Caregiver Swiss and little Phantom
CW: mention of bugs, other than that, nothing
Summary: Phantom wants to go bug watching, but it's the middle of winter, and the bugs went to sleep. Swiss is there to keep him entertained
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
The snow-covered streets and frost-kissed trees painted a picturesque scene outside the abbey, with the walls covered in a layer of dew. Inside the abbey, the atmosphere was equally enchanting. The low hum of ancient radiators echoed through the stone halls, while the soft glow of flickering candles cast dancing shadows on the centuries-old tapestries adorning the walls. It was a haven of warmth and tranquillity, a stark contrast to the wintry scene just beyond the thick walls.
In lay Phantom, who was oblivious to the cold as he bounced around with boundless energy, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Swissssss! Can we go see the bugs?”
"Phantom, my darling, there aren't any bugs in the snow. It's too cold for them and they need to go sleepy" Swiss called out from the doorway, a concerned look on his face.
"Sleepy? Bugs...need sleepy?"
Phantom's eyes widened, a mixture of confusion and fascination colouring his expression. He halted his energetic bouncing and stared at Swiss with a quizzical look.
Swiss, ever patient, crouched down to Phantom's level, explaining in a gentle tone, "Yes, my curious bug. Just like you, bugs need rest during the cold winter months. They find cosy spots to stay warm and safe until it's time for them to wake up again. I know you're eager, my little adventurer, but there are no bugs to see right now. You will just have to wait till spring arrives. “
“But I want to go now!" Phantom pouted, his eyes looking slightly bigger, as he attempted to do his best puppy eyes impression.
”I know, little bat.” Swiss spoke with sympathy. “How about this, little one, we'll be bugs for the day”.
“Why can’t we see the bugs sleeping?! Please! I want to see the bugs!”
Swiss sighed, understanding Phantom's persistent desire. “I know you're eager to see the bugs, my dear. But sometimes, the bugs need their rest just like we do. How – “
“But bugs! Please Swisssssssss. Please, please, please!” Phantom begged, his expression soft, his eyes glimmering with a gentle woe.
“Darling, there’s not a single bug outside right now. We can pretend to be bugs. Give it a try! I’m sure we’ll have so much fun.”
"Okay…" Phantom replied a little unsure, "Can I be...a moth?"
"Of course, you can! I'll be a beetle! A moth and a beetle—what a magical combination! Now, let's find our bug wings and antennae."
Phantom bounced with excitement as they gathered materials from the abbey's art supplies. Soon, they fashioned delicate wings from translucent paper and crafted antennae using flexible wires and beads.
"Look, Swiss! I'm a fluttery moth with wings!" Phantom declared, twirling around with his paper wings shimmering in the soft glow of the candles.
Swiss, adorned with antennae and a playful expression, joined on the small moth’s enthusiasm. "And I'm a sturdy beetle with antennae to navigate the bug world. Now, where shall our bug adventure take us?"
Phantom thought for a moment, then pointed to a cosy reading nook in the abbey. "Let's explore that nook over there! It looks like a perfect spot for bugs to gather."
The cosy nook, with its soft blankets and cushions, became a playground for the moth and the beetle. The fairy lights strung across the nook twinkled like a swarm of fireflies, casting a magical glow over their impromptu play area.
Phantom giggled as he flitted around, his paper wings creating gentle breezes that rustled the blankets. "Swiss, look! The fairy lights are our firefly friends! Can we dance with them? Please?”
“We can dance with our firefly friends, of course!” He took Phantom by the hand, and they spun around, laughs echoing as they stepped around the blankets.
The nook became a glorious sanctuary as they danced in the brightness of the fairy lights. The moth and the beetle spun and fluttered around on the plush covers, their laughing blending with the gentle, fictitious buzz of fireflies. Phantom's wings glistened like snowflakes in the moonlight and Swiss’ antennae twitched with wonderous delight.
The amiable beetle noted that the moth’s fluttering had slowed down. Swiss remarked, “are you tired now, my sweetest moth?" with a soft grin.
Phantom nodded and sighed in satisfaction. "Mmmm."
Phantom followed Swiss to a plush pile of blankets in the little alcove. "Let's take a quick nap here under the soft glow of our firefly pals. Hasn't today been amazing in our world of bugs?"
Phantom curled up under the covers, his eyes continuing to sparkle with the excitement of their bug themed journey. “Yay Swiss. We danced with the fireflies! And I love being a moth with you."
Swiss snuggled up with Phantom on the blankets, making the reading nook a cosy refuge for the bugs. Above them, the fairy lights kept twinkling, as their eyes grew heavy.
hi hi :3 i dont plan on writing anymore little stuff after this, but last night i was in a middle mood and wanted to write about it
1.1k, middle aurora takes care of little phantom alone for the first time. CW for fighting like siblings, kicking that leads to aurora getting a little hurt, almost panic attacks but it ends happy
"Ok, I'll be right back. You're sure you'll be ok?" Mountain rumbles. He's crouching down so he's face to face with Aurora on the couch. She can't manage to look him fully in the eyes as she nods, but he doesn't seem to notice in his rush.
He nods back and kisses her on the forehead before following Aether out of the den.
She stares down at her hands, playing with her candi and making the beads clack together. She kicks her feet a little. When she decides to look over at Phantom, they're staring at her with wide eyes.
"So," she starts, but she has no idea what to say next. The adults had never left her alone with them before. She was old enough. She could take care of herself just fine, she's allowed in the kitchen with minimal supervision. She's got the basics covered. But she's never had to start a conversation with any of the littler ones. She usually leaves that up to whoever's in charge and all she has to do is laugh when they say stupid stuff.
And Phantom just keeps staring at her. It's not making it any easier, and they're supposed to be the chatty one.
"Wanna tell me about dinosaurs?" She tries. Phantoms face twists up.
"Rain likes d-dinosaurs," They say, helpfully. Aurora almost rolls her eyes but she stops herself. Cirrus had told her that it's disrespectful, and that the littles didn't even know what it meant.
"What do you like, then?" She tries again. Phantom rolls their eyes, much more dramatic than Aurora's ever done. She is going to have a stern word with Cirrus when she's allowed to leave. "Fine, then we can just sit here."
"Fine," Phantom squeaks back, and the ten seconds that follow are the most intense staring contest She's ever been part of, until Phantom signs and starts twisting themself off the couch. "You're s-so bor-oring."
Aurora's off the couch and grabbing Phantom by the waist before they can fully hit the floor. She's miscalculated slightly, they're much heavier then they look, and when she drops them awkwardly back on the couch she plays it off like it was on purpose. Just a silly game. Phantom shrieks.
"Stop it!" She clamps her hands over her ears. Phantom's too smart for their own good. They keep yelling as they slip off the couch and sprint down the hall of bedrooms.
"Ughhhh! Phantom!" She takes off after them even though she really doesn't want to, but Mountain will be so peeved if she loses them.
They're faster than she expected, too, but they still have tiny legs, so she manages to catch up to them as they try to slip into Mountain's room. She grabs them by their waist, tight, so that even as Phantom flails and screams she can grit against it and get them all the way to her nest before dropping them. They almost disappear entirely between all her fluffy pillows. She throws a blanket over their head as they try to struggle out of it, slowing them down and giving her enough time to close her door. She knows she's not allowed to lock it, so she doesn't, but that won't stop her from blaming the adults for their rule if Phantom manages to get out again.
"R-R-Rora!" They giggle as they finally get the blanket off of their head. Their hair is a mess, and their tail whips behind them in a challenge. Aurora takes another blanket from the chair in the corner of her room and throws it over them again. She can't help but laugh as they laugh louder, struggling once again. Seeing their arms and legs flail through the fabric is pretty funny too.
But then they start to struggle a little too much, the flailing becomes a little too wild and their laugh turns to a growl that turns Aurora's stomach. She tries to help and pull the blanket off, but they're moving too much.
"Phantom, it's ok, you gotta calm down!" She tries to soothe. She can't help as she starts to panic a little too. Phantom kicks her in the wrist. She yelps and pulls back and tries not to cry, because crying won't help and she's supposed to be the big one here.
She grabs her wrist and tries to do the breathing thing that Aether taught her. It's hard, and she knows her breaths should be deeper but she can't, she has to but she can't. She pushes her candi off to grab fully at her wrist.
It all clacks as it bounces off the ground, and then it's quiet, except for Phantom trying to breath with her. Their breathing is also shallow and a little mistimed, but if they can do it, so can she.
She tries again, and this time it helps to calm her down. Her wrist still aches but it's better. Phantom's still a little breathless when they squeak "H-h-help me?" from under the blanket.
Without them flailing she gets them out of it quickly. They both stare, wide eyed. Aurora hopes they won't tattle on her. She sticks her pinky out, not really sure what else to do.
"Truce?" She asks.
"Truce," They agree and shake pinkies with her. She looks around her room to figure out what to do next. Her eyes catch on the butterfly clips by her mirror.
"Can I fix your hair? It looks awful." Phantom's eyes also drift to the hair clips.
"Only if I c-can do your h-h-h-hair."
Aurora grimaces. She tries to tell Phantom no with a look, but they just stare back and it turns into another staring contest. This one they're a lot more dedicated to. Aurora has to blink first, and when she opens her eyes Phantoms grinning like they've already decided they won. She groans.
"You can't tell Mountain what happened." She thinks that's only fair. And they did kinda win, even if it was in kind of a stupid way, so they probably get to do her hair fair and square.
"Deal."
Aurora grabs her brush and a small bag with hair ties, clips, a comb, and some other random stuff and sits behind them in the nest. They work together to rearrange the pillows until it's comfortable, and the moment the brush touches Phantom's hair they won't shut up about video games. It's a little too loud, but it's hard to feel annoyed because they wind their tail around hers and sit the most still she's ever seen them, letting her finish without needing to interrupt them too many times.
Mountain finds them sometime later, yelling her name with a screwed up worried expression that goes away as soon as he sees Phantom's hands raking through her hair and the absurd amount of butterfly clips in theirs.
