tagline: learning how to settle down

In the Pits, Aether hadn’t exactly had the luxury of a stationary den to keep coming back to; like many other ghouls, he’d been a bit more nomadic out of necessity. When he was first summoned, he was on the road almost immediately with Terzo. Then Terzo died and Aether was on the road with Copia. They took some breaks, staying at the Abbey for a couple of months before going right back to the road, but it was never long enough for any of the pack to really settle. Their life was a mobile one and Aether had liked it.

It was a broken leg, annoyingly enough, that took him out of commission and had him helping Copia summon his replacement. By the time Aether was all healed up, Phantom was already integrated to the band and the kits in the Nursery were too attached to him. It just didn’t make sense to completely upend things again just to shift Aether back into the band.

He’s not bitter about it, despite all of Dew’s teasing. Genuinely and truly, Aether is happy that it’s Phantom taking up his mantle. The band’s got a good thing going and Aether is proud as Hell watching them play.

Aether doesn’t hate the work he’s taken up since, either. With an injury that couldn’t just be healed away, there wasn’t much that Aether could do until his bones healed. After watching him get Phantom acclimated to being Topside, they’d stuck him in the Nursery and set him to the task of helping new summons or recently born kits.

Before his injury, Aether didn’t really have much of an opportunity to meet many of the people who called the Abbey home, ghoul or otherwise. Now, though, he’s getting friendly with as many people as he can. He knows more Siblings and ghouls than he can even remember, now at a point where he’s a face in the Abbey people go to when they have problems.

The biggest plus is that Aether’s extra time in the Abbey meant that he got to meet his wonderful, amazing, darling mate.

They’re Aether’s favorite part of his new stationary life. So what if he never gets to play to a crowd of thousands? He gets to come to his room and see the lovely sight that is his mate already curled up in their nest like nothing else matters. He gets to crawl in next to them and hold them in his arms. He can wake up to their soft smile, feel their heartbeat, and kiss them goodbye before going about his day.

It’s the sort of domestic bliss that, technically speaking, he was never supposed to get. Aether appreciates it more than he can really say.

He’s working, helping a group of kits that were summoned a couple of months ago. They’re adjusting well enough, but like with any new ghouls, grasping onto human language is difficult. It’s difficult trying to teach them grammar when all they really care about is trying to establish their own little pack dynamics. He’s focused on reining them in, but his focus derails the moment he catches a very familiar scent.

Aether can’t help the way his tail wags behind him as he immediately jerks to attention, turning to face his mate with a sappy smile. The kits around him giggle, whispering in Infernal to each other even as one of the Siblings starts ushering them away.

“Sweetheart, hi,” he says, taking their hands in his own. “What are you doing here?”