(Read Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6 here or on AO3 HERE)
Dew's breath hitches as he considers this news.
His water is still here? He knows Rain says it all the time, in the moments they are curled around each other, intimate, private moments where only a water ghoul could smell it, taste it even.
But he couldn’t believe it.
Not until now. Not until he came.
Swiss can’t believe how this day has gone. He’s here, with Dew in his arms, still inside him for the moment as his cock softens, before slipping out with a hiss, despite the cushion the water offers.
Reluctant to let go.
The smell of jasmine and underlying algae and freshwater tickling his sensitive nose. So he reaches out, without even realizing, with his quintessence to test the theory, the fingers of his magick lighting up as they find what they were seeking quickly.
There.
Next to Dew’s heart, the heat so intense from his internal hellfire, that familiar feeling he knows all too well. Because it’s the same as his. He finds it. Somehow sharing the samespace without evaporating - water.
So whatever they had done to Dew had worked enough that he passed as a fire ghoul but they didn’t change him completely. And he thanks Lucifer for that.
He presses their clasped hands to Dew’s heart as he holds him close. Debating telling him.
In the end, it slips.
“You still smell like water.”
The reaction is swift and he watches the doubt and disbelief roll across Dew’s features as he processes it.
“No shit. We’re literally IN the water.” Dew laughs, playing off his emotions.
“No. Dew. You have water in you. I can smell it.” Swiss insists as Dew’s eyes fly open, blinking to focus as he processes Swiss’s words.
Swiss’s large hands come up to cradle Dew’s face between them, gold eyes finding flame filled - “It’s true. I can feel it.”
He presses his lips to Dew’s, pulling him into a kiss as Dew tries to pull away, before giving up and sighing before kissing him back.
“Beautiful. Water and fire. Perfect” Swiss purrs the praise into Dew’s ears as he drags his nails down Dew’s back, his cock stirring again as Dew moans softly.
—
He’s home. He’s found his flame. And a true hybrid, not unlike himself. A multi elemental ghoul who understands Swiss on a level he never thought possible. A shared inner fire given by Lucifer himself.
A piece of the morning star that lies within burning bright within them.
No one is ever quite sure what changed between Dew and Swiss and why the spicy smaller ghoul stopped trying to kill Swiss so suddenly. Why he’s maybe a tad too protective of the ghoul twice his size.
No one will ever understand why Dew feels safest with Swiss. Like he’s the only one he can truly be himself around because he feels so seen. Sure he loves Rain but why when he’s at his worst, when he can’t stand the company of even Rain, and Rain always knows he’s with Swiss.
They all do.
They may never understand why, but they understand that Dew finds some level of comfort with Swiss as much as they antagonize each other - that they are more alike than they each realize. That they are twin flames circling each other, burning brighter together.
-
Years later, more ghouls arrived, some left, and Swiss wouldn’t change a thing. Dew called to him and he came. He’d do it again and again like a moth to the flame.
And while Swiss may be fully bonded to Phantom now - it doesn’t change that Swiss is the only one who really gets this side of Dew.
So while Rain is well and truly Dew’s mate, he leaves a little bit of room for Swiss. And maybe, he locks eyes with him one day and makes sure he sees, and nods… acknowledging his deep thanks to Swiss for what he’s given Dew.
-
Aether watches from across the common room - a soft smile on his face.
Knowing that this moment wasn’t the accident they all thought and in the smoke and commotion of Swiss’s arrival, no one noticed the faint purple aura leaving the room as Aether slipped out, having just returned through the portal with a multi ghoul.
Having brought the part of their pack that they were missing. That Dew needed.
Part 5 of The Things You Desire Swiss origin series.
Read Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 here. Part 5 below or on AO3 here. CW: language, an angry Dewdrop, mention of past ghouls. I really meant this to be just 2-3 chapters and here we are.
Dew reacts to this revelation normally, as one might expect.
Or, rather, he recoils with shock, lashing out at Swiss with his claws, scratching Swiss's arm and knocking the coffee cup from his hand, watching as it shatters on the floor, splashing them both with hot liquid.
Dew is cut off by cool hands on his shoulders, as Rain steps behind him, appearing from literally nowhere, pulling him back away from Swiss.
"Dew, come on - it's too early for this." Rain soothes.
"I didn't do shit. It's him." Dew hisses. Tail lashing behind him as he snaps his teeth at Swiss, clawing at Rain's arm.
Swiss glowers at Dew from his place a few steps away, already reaching for a towel to clean up the mess.
"What did he do? Make you coffee?" Rain drips sarcastically. "Oh however will you cope with this horror?" He continues, rolling his eyes behind Dew as he continues to hold him back.
Mountain chooses this moment to stomp into the kitchen growling, "What the fuck is the matter with you? It's too early for this shit." He glances from Dew to Swiss and finally levels a glare at Rain which instantly softens as he sees that Rain is not the source of the problem, because of course he isn't.
"Rain, get Dew out of here. I'll bring your coffee to the den later." Mountain orders, no room for negotiating. "You stay." he snaps at Swiss.
Swiss stands, arms crossed, glaring as Rain drags Dew out of the kitchen.
"Ok, Swiss, what happened?" he asks as Swiss bends to clean the floor, kneeling to join him and picking up the shattered pieces of what was Dew's favorite mug.
Ah. Well that explains some of it anyway.
"It's a long story. I don't know where to start, or if I can even explain." Swiss says with a sigh. "Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't come here."
"Well it's not like you had a choice." Mountain says.
"Well..." Swiss starts before Copia comes in.
"Svizzero, I've been meaning to speak to you. Can we talk?" Copia eyes the mess, but doesn't ask.
"Sure." Swiss replies.
"Follow me then, please." as Copia turns and walks back down the hallway leaving Mountain wondering for a moment what Swiss was going to say before he was interrupted.
Swiss follows Copia down to what seems to be an office, his office by the looks of it, his eyes catching a luxurious looking bed through a partially opened door at the rear. Copia turns and gestures to Swiss to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He sits as Swiss does.
"Now that you're settled in, erm... you are settling in ok, eh?" He cocks his head as he waits for Swiss to answer.
"I'm happy to be here." Swiss says cautiously. Not sure why he's here.
"Bene." Copia nods before continuing. "Well, we have recently had some.. .... departures..... of some of our previous ghouls, and find ourselves short for the band. I was wondering if you were, er.. musically inclined?"
Swiss hmmms softly, considering the words previous ghouls. "I don't know - I've never tried."
"Can you sing something for me?"
Swiss clears his throat and pauses for a moment, searching for something familiar, before singing:
"Black lipstick stains her glass of red wine
I am your servant, may I light your cigarette?
Those lips smooth, yeah I can feel what you're saying, praying"
He trails off, stopping before the next verse as Copia's eyes return to a more normal shape, from their previously wide gaze. His singular white eye a stark contrast to the otherwise seemingly normal man before him.
"Well, I'd say that's a yes. We have a spot open and would love if you would agree to join us." Copia asks.
"What do I need to do?" Swiss counters.
"Well, you'd sing, and maybe play guitar if you can learn, a ghoul of your, ahem... talents, would be very beneficial."
"Is Dewdrop in the band?"
"Yes. He's our lead guitar. Fire always is." Copia adds.
"That could be a problem, seeing as how he seems to hate that I'm here." Swiss says, although it's exactly what he wants. To be closer to Dew.
"I'll deal with Dewdrop." He says with ease. "Aether will show you the ropes and we'll start practices soon. Our first tour is in a few months and we need to be ready."
Tour? Swiss thinks. He's not exactly sure what that entails, but if it means he gets to spend more time with Dew, he's in.
Later, Swiss answers a knock at his door to find Aether who leads him down a different hallway, to a different room, much larger than any he's seen so far. There's a riser, drums, keyboards, and a wall of shiny guitars that his gaze drags across. A curvy carved glossy black shape catches his eye as it passes over a sharp black and white number that just screams for attention. It's gorgeous, but the black one makes his fangs water.
AHEM
"As I was saying.. these are Dewdrop's and Rain's. If you want, I can show you how to play the baritone, since that one is available."
Swiss nods before asking. "Which one does Dewdrop play?".
"The fantomen." Aether points to the angular black and white guitar. "I play one too." He points to a black guitar like Dew's. "Rain plays these - they are basses." indicating to the two curvier guitars, one black and white, like Dew's, the other all black. "The girls sing and play the keys. Papa said you'd be singing too?"
"Apparently so."
"Well, we have a lot to cover, so lets get started." Aether says, and they dive right in.
It's a few days before Swiss sees Dew again, passing him in the hallway as he leaves the room, Dew glaring and hissing at him in passing. "You better keep your hands off of my shit."
Swiss rolls his eyes, but continues on, lingering once he hears the door slam.
He focuses on the air around him as he fades into the void, using his shadow ability to follow Dew back down the hall. He watches through the window of the practice room as Dew grabs his guitar, slings the strap over his shoulder and warms up, his fingers flying over the strings, his face soft in focus as he loses himself in the music.
He's so focused on his playing he never notices the door open and close. Never notices the increase in temperature as the shadow settles nearby, perched on an unused amp.
Chapter 3 of my Swiss origin is here on AO3 or Below the Cut - it's SFW with minor adult inferences. This is from Dew's perspective after Swiss has arrived. It's short but necessary. Also, I'm SO on board with shade Swiss.
Topside
Dewdrop doesn't know why, but he hates the new ghoul who just seemed to appear out of thin air. There's no obvious reason to hate him, but he does. And he's not backing down from it, no matter how much the others pester him and swear that the new ghoul is fun, and that he'd probably like him if he'd lighten up. He's spent the past week snapping at him when he passes by and glaring at him across the room whenever they are forced in the same space. Swiss, for his part, has kept a wide berth, but he's never stopped watching Dew, those soft golden eyes trained on him at every turn. Intensely studying Dew, hungry. Wanting.
"Come ON Dew, it's been a week. You gotta drop the attitude already. The poor guy didn't do this on purpose.. can you just cool it?" Mountain gripes, snapping Dew out of his latest snit, as he wipes up another singe mark off the floor after Dew had burnt yet another throw pillow after fuming over something the new ghoul said or did, or breathed.
"Cirrus is going to be pissed that you burnt that one - it was her favorite. And no way am I letting you near my room with all my plants right now." He continues, fixing Dew with a green eyed glare.
"I don't want to burn your plants, you big tree." Dew spits. Eyes glowing, hot and feisty.
"I just don't see why he's still here. We don't need another ghoul. We're fine with just us. We've had enough change after.... " he trails off, not wanting to bring up the obvious to Mountain.
Terzo. Omega. Ifrit. Mist.
He winces as he thinks about the recent events and changes that had already happened. So much upheaval, and uncertainty.
That pain is still too fresh to rehash even though they can't escape it.
Dew, Aether, Mountain and most recently, Rain were bonded now, even the ghoulettes were pack. They didn't need anyone else.
Especially not an unknown ghoul. A summon they didn't summon.
What the hell had even happened?
---
"Dew. His name is Swiss and he's staying, so you've got to deal with it. And stop burning shit." Aether scolds from the plush chair across the room, closing his book and cocking his head at the smaller ghoul. Indicating the current mess Mountain is cleaning up - and then holding up a scorched corner of his book, shaking it in Dew's direction. "I mean it." He adds a bit more forcefully, a deeper tone in his voice that has Dew gritting his teeth, but lowering his ears.
"Whatever." Dew huffs, and just as quickly changes to a more sultry tone, eyes narrowing as he saunters over towards Aether. "Can we go to bed now?"
"Really? Now? It's early." Aether raises his eyebrow, fully aware of what Dew is doing.
"C'mon Aeth, I'll let you do that thing..." Dew smirks as Aether sets his book down on the table and pushes himself up to his full height.
"If this is what it takes to make you behave, Gremlin... how can I resist." Aether growls, picking Dew up and slinging him over his shoulder as he saunters down the hall. Smacking Dew's ass for good measure.
Dew's yelp echoes down the hall as gold eyes appear from the shadows, watching.
The next part of "The Things You Desire" - my Swiss origin fic, delves a little more into the Dew side of this story. It's become a lot more than I expected to do with this, but we're nearing the end. 1,500 words below the cut. Mature content ahead. You were warned. Read below or on AO3. Thank you to @sodomizer-0 for encouraging me to keep going and get this done.
Swiss’s mind turns the words over and over -
Dewdrop. A water ghoul.
He looks at Dewdrop, whose eyes are currently downturned, studying the water. Rose gold colored skin, flame filled eyes, and suddenly sees. Sees the scars at his neck that his long hair hides. The lines at his ribs and down his arms where fins had once been.
“What did they do to you?” He snarls, his own inner fire stoked, the sound echoing off the stone as Dew’s head snaps up.
Dew takes a deep breath before continuing.
“When Terzo, the papa before Copia, was killed, the clergy decided it was best to change things. Get rid of those who were loyal to him. So they also got rid of Omega and Alpha. That’s when they summoned Ifrit, Aether and I. Mountain too.”
“But they already had a water ghoul?” He recalls Dew mentioning a ghoul named Mist.
“Yes, Mist played bass and she was awesome. But once she had trained me, they sent her back too.” His voice shakes as he finishes.
Swiss huffs as he processes this information. Who are these people? Why do this to ghouls?
Dew continues, “They wanted us scared. Afraid they’d do it to us too. Loyalty is what they wanted. Loyalty to this Papa - Copia.”
“Did they hurt you?” Swiss asks, pulling Dew’s chin up, seeking answers in his flame filled eyes.
Dew leans into the touch, closing his eyes.
Swiss can’t help but be in awe of the beauty that is Dewdrop. He’s small but exquisite with strong yet somehow delicate features, a body that could have been chiseled from marble, a museum piece of perfection to admire. And yet he’s real. He’s here. Next to Swiss like this. His heart breaks that anyone has done anything to hurt him. His fire rages wanting to seek revenge on those who did.
He softly thanks Lucifer for sending him here.
“Why?” He asks.. not sure he wants an answer.
“Ifrit - the other fire ghoul - didn’t want it.. and they needed a new fire ghoul.” Dew pauses, swallows. “They chose me.”
“What did they do?” Suddenly needing to know.
“A ritual. To make me a fire ghoul.” Dew holds up his hands, long fingers blackened at the tips and Swiss grits his teeth as his jaw clenches.
“I didn’t know that was possible.” Swiss says, processing this information.
“It’s never been done before.” Dew says, bitterly.
“Wow. You must have gone through hell.” Swiss says, causing Dew to snort out a dry laugh.
“Sorry.” Swiss says, cringing at his choice of words.
“You didn’t know.” Dew brushes it off, avoiding telling Swiss how horrible all of it had been. How he’d almost died. How he burned. “But now you’re here - and you have my fire - so what happens now?”
“They’ll touch you over my dead body.” Swiss spits. Angry and ready to go to war for Dew. The elemental need to protect surging through his veins.
Dew looks up at Swiss, studying the intensity of his features, and their eyes meet for a moment, as his own smokey spiced scent increases. Swiss’s nose flares, catching a whiff, and suddenly Dew’s in Swiss’s lap, wrapped in his arms, crashing their lips together, licking into each other’s mouths, need overtaking caution. Their inner fires stoked and raging as Dew pants against Swiss’s deep kisses. Sucking on his lip, tongue possessively dragging over Dew’s. Water sloshing over the edge of the pool, unnoticed by the two ghouls.
Swiss wraps Dew in his arms, pulling him as close as he can so they are chest to chest, their shared heat flaring as the water steams around them.
It’s frantic and intense, fed by a need to nearly crawl inside the other, to taste the shared fire, that piece of each other that is the same.
Swiss just might be the only one who could understand, Dew thinks for the briefest of moments before the last coherent thought leaves his head as he ruts against Swiss’s cock. Already hard and pressed against him.
Swiss groans and runs his nose down Dew’s throat, scenting him, inhaling the charred scent synonymous with fire ghouls, and something else. Something he couldn’t quite identify. Then dragging his fangs across Dew’s collarbone before sucking a mark into the skin there.
Dew hisses but digs his claws in to Swiss’s shoulders, trying to pull him impossibly closer. Grinding harder. Swiss moves his hands down to hold Dew’s hips, encouraging him to rock forward, their lengths pressed together now, straining towards each other.
He slips a hand behind, rubbing at the base of Dew’s tail, as Dew tosses his head back with a huff, coming back for a kiss with pupils blown. Gorgeous, Swiss thinks.
His hand continues its journey and finds Dew’s hole with his index finger. Petting at it before dipping just the tip inside. Dew raises up on his knees just a bit and sinks back down, encouraging Swiss to press further. Demanding without words, and Swiss won’t deny him anything when it feels this good. Their combined magic making everything electric. He adds another finger and Dew whines, nipping at Swiss’s ear as he sucks a bruise into the flesh behind it.
Swiss’s hand nearly span’s Dew’s back where he’s holding him, and he rumbles low in his chest, feeling both hungry for and protective of this ghoul. When he’s managed to work three fingers into Dew he’s chuffing and moaning and pulls back, bracing himself on Swiss’s chest.
“Please.” He manages. “Fuck me.”
The words knock the breath out of Swiss as Dew pushes up on his knees, and Swiss pulls his hand back to give himself a few strokes, hard and ready to burst from the tension. He’s not sure he can last a minute, but damn if he isn’t going to try to give Dew everything he wants and more. He lines up and Dew sinks back down, the tip pressing right against the muscle, and they both groan at the tight pressure.
When the head pops in, Dew almost sobs from it, Swiss whispering in Dew’s ear as he slips inside.
Are you ok?
Fuck, you’re amazing.
You should see yourself like this.
Stunning.
When Dew moves first, adjusting, they both gasp. The friction proving to be a catalyst for a chemical reaction that sets both of their elements ablaze. They move together, Swiss’s hips thrusting up as Dew rocks with him. Seeking their pleasure inside the other. As close as they can possibly be.
Swiss’s hands start at Dew’s hips, holding him as he rolls his pelvis towards Swiss, meeting him thrust for thrust, his own hard cock between them, dragging Swiss’s attention down. He snakes a hand down between them to grip Dew’s length, surprised at the size, and strokes it firmly.
Dew gasps, a guttural rasp as he clenches around Swiss forcing a hiss from the larger ghoul. His balls drawing up tight as he threatens to lose it all right here.
“Dewdrop.. Satanas, feel so good…” Swiss snarls into Dew’s shoulder as he bites down on the muscle there, not biting completely, but enough to leave marks in the shape of his teeth. To hold on.
Begging himself to hold it together long enough for both to orgasm. Which from the feel of things is dangerously close to happening. Dew’s clawing Swiss’s back, pulling his hair and dragging his own fangs along Swiss’s neck. Swiss feels the head of Dew’s cock and rubs his thumb over it as Dew whines, a delicious sound that has his eyes rolling back in his head.
Dew continues to ride Swiss, sinking harder down each time, as Swiss snaps his hips up to meet Dew, leaning back as he holds on to Swiss, and Swiss takes full advantage of the position, leaning in to lock his lips around one of Dew’s nipples, and the silver bar threaded through it. That was it - Dew groans and tenses up, his whole body clenching down and curling forward, nearly cracking his skull into Swiss’s horns, as he cums, pulling Swiss’s own orgasm from him, spilling into the smaller ghoul with a grunt as they hold on to each other.
Swiss releases Dew’s cock gently, the warm water lapping around them, as he moves his hands to wrap around the ghoul’s back, holding him as they come down from their exertion. Both panting and spent, Swiss’s nose pressed to Dew’s neck in this position.
Dew sighs and moves, not ready to have Swiss leave the confines of his body yet, but needing to see him.
Swiss pulls his head away, a confused look on his face.
“What?” Dew says, careful. Afraid of the answer.
“You still smell like water.”
“No shit. We’re literally IN the water.”
“No. Dew. You have water in you. I can smell it.” Swiss insists as Dew’s eyes fly open, blinking to focus as he processes Swiss’s words.
He’s still part water? He still has that piece of himself he thought he lost?
Just a collection of depictions of women riding astride in Europe in the middle ages.
A Hunting Party in 1320, either from Lower Rhine/Cologne (Germany) or somewhere in France. I suppose the woman is wearing a gardecorps? No idea really.
More carved ivory depicting a hunting scene, this time from 1350-1375 in Paris, France. I guess my knowlegde of 14th c fashion isn't as good as I thought - I'm actually not sure who the woman is, or whether the attendants are all male...
Allll the way in the very far left corner is a woman. This is Effects of Good Government on City Life from 1338-1340 in Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
After some digging I can add a proper tag to this one! It's from this roman, fol. 21v. 1344 or 1345. From (gothic?) Northern France.
This image is from this manuscript, fol. 72v. It's French of course, but the only time given is 14th century.
This is a very similar image to the previous one! This manuscript has practically the same name as well, so I believe it must be a copy of some sort? I found it while trying to find a year for the previous image. This one is 1376-1400.
My German is kind of shit, so... these are from the Codex Manesse, I suppose from Zürich?, from 1300-1340. (Interesting to note - I found the second image from this article where it describes the lady as riding side saddle. Um...)
The Wife of Bath! She was my favourite in Canterbury Tales. This is 1400-1410.
And, well, I just can't help it because I can't find this image anywhere else, and it's the only front-on view I can find of a woman, and Rosalie Gilbert was an immense help in me making hose... This is from Rosalie's article. Can't find Romance of the Saint or Romance du Saint or anything like it on Gallica.
Now I get to make a lovely compilation of all the side saddle riding I can find from this time!
