shadow’s den

After a couple attempts, he sat down to wait. Maybe he just needed to be patient.

And he waited…and waited…

Genesis had laid in bed for days unable to find the energy to pull the sheets back. While incredibly uncommon she’s heard of other ghouls getting sick before and usually just deemed them as a tad over dramatic but it came back full swing at herself.

The knocking continued to grow louder and more stern as she curled around in her sheets trying to block out the sound with the thin silken fabric. Growing tired of the monotonous noise she slowly steadied herself, lazily pulling herself from the warmth and comfort that surrounded her all those days. Her body temperature quickly dropped as her skin met the brisk air, a soft whimper leaving her lips while she threw a small blanket over her shoulders and head. Slowly making her way across the chilling floor she hurried to her door opening it just a crack to take a peak outside but seeing nobody.

“Did someone knock on my door? It took a second for me to get up, I’m sorry.”

But when she spoke, he immediately came to his senses.

“Mi vida! I’ve been so worried about you,” he said as he rushed to the door. “Please, can I please come in? I don’t care what I might catch, I need to see you.” He placed his hand on the other side of her door, barely fighting the urge to open it wider.

“I have been feeling oh so very terri- did you say you missed me? OH! How I’ve missed you daring. This sickness I have is just soul splittingly boring and I have been staring at this wall for hours. I just don’t want to get anyone sick.”

It was almost as if she perked up a little seeing a face for the first time in a while but it being Shadow made it oh so very special.

He led her over to her bed and layed back, letting her lay on top of him. He ran his fingers through her hair, although knotted as it was it was more that he was untangling it. But he didn’t mind.

𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦…𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨? He grinned, hoping she couldn’t feel it. Maybe it was his imagination, but he didn’t know other ghouls did that, especially not her. Not that he didn’t think she was technically capable of it, there isn’t anything in the world that he doesn’t think she’s capable of doing if she sets her mind to it. But she always seemed so much more composed, more elegant, more…regal than other ghouls did. In his mind she reins over all the other ghouls, simply choosing to not use that power.

But in this one, soft moment, he saw past his usual perception of her. He didn’t see Genesis the fortune-teller, the dreamer, the sky-worshipper.

The one laying on his chest was Genny. Not human, and not a goddess, Genny was a ghoul just like him. She was calm, soft, loving. Longing for quiet moments of intimacy where nobody had to speak to know they were safe and cared for.

In his mind he saw her as a younger version of herself. He imagined her long dark hair, long flowing dress as she stared up at the stars in wonder. Her eyes full of sparkle, not yet jaded, never hurt. The Genny in his mind was one he had always loved and protected, and she never had to know trouble.

He came back to reality when she shifted on his chest, letting out a deep sigh. He curled himself up to kiss her on the forehead.

It’s a very different style of music from Ghost but pleeeeeeeaze please hear me out and go listen to the album Black Canyon City by MOSSBACK.

Just…it gives the vibes that your AU and your art gives. The whole album is awesome but if you can only be convinced to listen to a couple songs, specifically the song Pilgrim is wha I heard in my head reading the parts where they’re walking into town to start bringing V back, and then the next songs on the album feels perfect for the scene with the actual ritual. Those songs are called Black Canyon Spirit Dance and then Abel, the song Cain is earlier on the album and it is also amazing. The last line of Abel is when I imagine V sitting up after being brought back.

Hi! Thanks a lot for the ask. I'm really honoured that my AU made you think of something and that you told me. (+ it helps a lot with the motivation to draw 🫶)

I listened to Pilgrim, Black Canyon Spirit Dance, Abel, Cain, Horsethief, Bone Orchard and Lark in the Wrong, and I will be listening to the rest while I draw. I really enjoyed the, let's say, doom country sound of some songs. (As if Green Lung and Nick Cave had had a baby together on a ranch idk... Mentioning Nick Cave because tracks with a very low, slow voice speaking rythmically reminded me of his work for the soundtrack of a 2005 Australian western called The Proposition) And the way some tracks blend seamlessly into the next is interesting. As for the lyrics, the fragmented imagery associated to the occasional mythological mention and to the sense of doom brought by some aspects of the modern world reminded me of T.S Eliot's poetry. (And since most westerns deal in one way or another with the passing of time and the world changing too fast for the protagonists, all of this is coming together very nicely)

Anyway I really enjoyed Pilgrim for the arrival scene as you said, the heaviness of it and the love and loneliness of the lyrics was a great fit.

So anon when I'm given 75 million dollars to actually shoot the western AU I'll hire you as music consultant lmao.

I had contemplated the idea of making a playlist for the AU in the past, would that be interesting? If that's possible I should make a collaborative one to which anyone can add anything...

Yessss please playlist absolutely and I love your writing and comics so much

*Archer sends an email to the ghoul. She's hoping this is successful*

@sibling-of-sin-archer

Hi Archer!

Yeah of course I’m up for a new friend, I would love to meet them. If you would please let them know where my room is and that I’m around almost all the time. You’re welcome to stop by too if you want!

Good Afternoon, I've brought Casso with me.. They're a little nervous but I'm sure you'll take good care of them

“Hello Doctor!” He signs with a smile, “and it’s nice to have you, Casso.” He opens his door wider and gestures for them both to come inside. His social skills were getting a little better, not quite enough to speak full sentences in a human language yet though.

He then sits on his bed and grabs a very nice, or at least nice-looking tablet. After pressing a few buttons, the tablet speaker starts speaking in his voice:

“Hi! My name is Shadow”

“I do not have a hearing disability, I am selectively mute, so please speak to me out loud just as you would to anyone else.”

What you’re hearing is my real voice, but with a small vocabulary and pre-recorded sentences.”

There we go... Casso say hello? He's really sweet I promise.

“Not always, no.”

“Some times the words are in order for me, some times not”

“My partner helped me record these. It’s a new feature she thinks will help. She’s amazing and I love her”

(@genesisghoulette )

Shadow smiles at the last sentence. It seems more put together, like the words were put in that order on purpose originally.

Then, another, more robotic voice plays

“Maybe she will stop by, she was sick recently but I think she’s feeling better now”

*They chirp, looking at the screen to see what Shadow needed to press*

That's really cool- I sometimes use these if I can't explain-

*They pull out some cards with different images of emotions and things they may need*

Us but we’re baby goats wearing sweaters <3

*Archer sends an email to the ghoul. She's hoping this is successful*

@sibling-of-sin-archer

Hi Archer!

Yeah of course I’m up for a new friend, I would love to meet them. If you would please let them know where my room is and that I’m around almost all the time. You’re welcome to stop by too if you want!

Good Afternoon, I've brought Casso with me.. They're a little nervous but I'm sure you'll take good care of them

“Hello Doctor!” He signs with a smile, “and it’s nice to have you, Casso.” He opens his door wider and gestures for them both to come inside. His social skills were getting a little better, not quite enough to speak full sentences in a human language yet though.

He then sits on his bed and grabs a very nice, or at least nice-looking tablet. After pressing a few buttons, the tablet speaker starts speaking in his voice:

“Hi! My name is Shadow”

“I do not have a hearing disability, I am selectively mute, so please speak to me out loud just as you would to anyone else.”

What you’re hearing is my real voice, but with a small vocabulary and pre-recorded sentences.”

There we go... Casso say hello? He's really sweet I promise.

“Not always, no.”

“Some times the words are in order for me, some times not”

“My partner helped me record these. It’s a new feature she thinks will help. She’s amazing and I love her”

(@genesisghoulette )

Shadow smiles at the last sentence. It seems more put together, like the words were put in that order on purpose originally.

Then, another, more robotic voice plays

“Maybe she will stop by, she was sick recently but I think she’s feeling better now”

*Archer sends an email to the ghoul. She's hoping this is successful*

@sibling-of-sin-archer

Hi Archer!

Yeah of course I’m up for a new friend, I would love to meet them. If you would please let them know where my room is and that I’m around almost all the time. You’re welcome to stop by too if you want!

Good Afternoon, I've brought Casso with me.. They're a little nervous but I'm sure you'll take good care of them

“Hello Doctor!” He signs with a smile, “and it’s nice to have you, Casso.” He opens his door wider and gestures for them both to come inside. His social skills were getting a little better, not quite enough to speak full sentences in a human language yet though.

He then sits on his bed and grabs a very nice, or at least nice-looking tablet. After pressing a few buttons, the tablet speaker starts speaking in his voice:

“Hi! My name is Shadow”

“I do not have a hearing disability, I am selectively mute, so please speak to me out loud just as you would to anyone else.”

What you’re hearing is my real voice, but with a small vocabulary and pre-recorded sentences.”

*Archer sends an email to the ghoul. She's hoping this is successful*

@sibling-of-sin-archer

Hi Archer!

Yeah of course I’m up for a new friend, I would love to meet them. If you would please let them know where my room is and that I’m around almost all the time. You’re welcome to stop by too if you want!

He is my perfect beautiful baby boy how dare they censor him