#ghule

Not many Ghouls know that Mountain plays more than just the drums. He's been around longer than a lot of his current pack and over the years has learned to pick away at a guitar every now and again.

So it's not surprising to find him on a snowy, quiet day, bundled up in his favourite sweater, lifting an old acoustic down from its holder on the wall, to strum a few absent chords now and then.

Not many Ghouls know either that the Earth Ghoul has the most sonorous, easy singing voice. He's always trapped behind his kit, never wanting to be the center of attention. So it's a bit of a shock to the newest little Quint when he's passing by the practice room, to hear the comforting strum of an acoustic guitar and the soothing drone of Mountain who's lost in his own little world for a moment.

Phantom creeps up to the door and listens, face flushed as if he's stumbled on something he shouldn't have; heart in his throat as Mountain continues singing. The little Quint runs off as quietly as he can to go tell Rain and Dewdrop, who subsequently drag Cumulus and Cirrus with them.

Soon, everyone has gone to get someone and they're all posted in the hallway, just outside the practice room door, listening intently to Mountain's songs. They range from cheerful to happy and once he starts in on a more melancholy one, no one's eyes are dry.

The drummer strums and picks at the words for an old song that used to be on the set list and Dew wipes at his eyes more than anyone. Not everyone knew that Mountain could play and sing like this, but it seems like a Yule gift from the Dark Lord Himself that they all get to sit here with one another and experience it.

He closes his private jam session with a few stray chords and they can all hear the guitar being put back on its rack. No one moves to get up, too entranced by what they'd all just been through at the Earth Ghoul's talented hands. Mountain steps out into the hallway and gives a start, surprised to see all of his other packmates lining the floor.

"What are you all doing out here?" Sunshine is the first to get up, clasping his hands with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Mount, it was so beautiful!"

"What?" The Earth Ghoul began as Rain touches his arm gently, looking at Mountain with new, awe-filled eyes.

"Does Papa know?" Aether sniffles, wanting to go touch the guitar that Mountain had been holding like it was a holy relic.

"No! No! Higher!" Cirrus stated exasperatedly as Mountain and Swiss held up a garland against the wall. Mountain stretched as far as he could and Swiss nearly toppled his chair as they tried to accurately comply with the Ghoulette's wishes.

"There! Right there! Perfect!" Cirrus clapped as the two Ghouls attached the sweet-smelling greenery to the windowpane. They then scooted Swiss' chair and did it all over again, and again, and again.

"This room looks like Hallmark threw up in it," Dew cackled as he walked into the common room. There were baubles and trinkets and ornaments strewn all over the place.

Cirrus turned on her accuser. "It's festive, you ungrateful little imp!" Cirrus put her hands on her hips. "And what are you drinking a measly hour before dinner?"

"Hot chocolate, but if I'm being honest, more like peppermint schnapps with a hint of cocoa," Dew confessed.

"Well you'd better guzzle it because I'm putting you to work!"

"Awww!" But Dew let himself be directed to decorate the Yule tree with ribbon and ornaments. Truth be told, he did love the creativity of it all; seeing what went best where and what looked the nicest. He was a perfectionist deep down and this kind of thing made his heart swell with pride.

"Looks great, Dew!" Swiss and Mountain had been relieved from their garland duties for the moment while Cirrus busied herself with placing candles around the common room.

"Thanks. How are your arms?"

"About to fall off. I think I'll need you to feed me during dinner, spark," Swiss joked, rubbing at his biceps.

"I'm going to take the longest, hottest bath with Rain after dinner and just soak until I dissolve," Mountain added. They all turned at the sound of a match striking and Cirrus started lighting the candles, giving the room a soft glow.

"Oh, princess. Why didn't you just come and ask me?" Dew put his final ornament on the tree and walked over to help with lighting the field of candles that the Ghoulette had laid out.

"Thanks for the help, Dew." Cirrus acquiesced, standing back as Dew snapped his fingers, moving from candle to candle until they were all burning cheerily.

"Should we go get ready for dinner?" Mountain hummed, just wanting to stay in here with the warm diffused light and make a cozy nest.

The common room was off limits to the rest of the Ghouls. Phantom had announced that he wanted to wrap some presents and needed peace and quiet to work. But no one thought that the reason they hadn't heard any commotion from the little Quint in a while was because he was currently tangled up like a cat with string.

Phantom struggled as the festive ribbon strand tangled around his claws and into his horns, the knots just growing tighter as he struggled to free himself. Luckily, Rain was the nosiest one in the pack and cracked open the door only to let out a cheeky giggle.

"Bug! I thought you were wrapping presents, not making yourself one!" Phantom sighed at the bassist's jab, trilling helplessly as the Water Ghoul came over and sliced at the offending cords with his claws. Phantom was immediately free and shook off all of the tangled ribbons, tossing them to the floor.

"Ugh! I don't know how it happened. One minute it was all fine, and then the next it was like that."

"Have you ever wrapped presents for people before?" Rain chuffed, pulling a stray strand from one of Phantom's horns.

"Not really, but I really wanted it all to look good for everyone. And I wanted it all to be a surprise…" He sat at the table piled with messily wrapped presents and pouted as Rain smiled kindly, easing a section of paper out and slicing it with his claw.

Phantom watched in awe as Rain slowly folded and taped the colorful paper, his fingers smoothing out a length of the obnoxious ribbon and tying it like a professional.

"Please, Rain! Teach me…" Phantom pleaded, clutching at the bassist's shoulder. "You make it look like magic!"

Rain walked him through it, down to the last curl of a bow and soon all of Phantom's gifts were wrapped and looked like they were straight out of a magazine.

"But there's more than just paper and ribbons to wrap things. What did you have for Mountain?" Phantom pulled over a heavy axe looking bewildered about the size and shape.

"I have no idea what to do about this one…" He huffed. Rain's eyes lit up.

"Hang on, I'll be right back!"

The morning of their solstice celebrations, every gift had been unwrapped but one.

"Yeah, it's wrapped, but it's not under the tree," Phantom teased. "You have to look around for it!"

Aurora sat cross-legged on the common room floor, a tangle of beads and string around her like a kitten who had gotten into the craft cabinet. But her chaos was efficient and organized. She had counted out the appropriate colors and number of beads and charms, carefully stringing each shiny bauble onto the correct length of cord.

She tied off this current one, admiring her handiwork and laying it aside among the half a dozen others, to later be wrapped and gifted to the rest of the pack at the Yule celebration. She wiped her glistening forehead with the back of her hand and concentrated on the next bracelet.

Just as she was finishing the last one, Phantom burst in, bearing two cups of hot cocoa, piled with marshmallows and whipped cream. "Rory! There you are! I made us some drinks and was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie with me tonight- what's all this?"

The little Quint set down the mugs of hot cocoa and plopped down next to her, watching as Aurora threaded another glittering bead onto the string in her hand. "I'm making bracelets for everybody, for Yule gifts."

"You made these?" Phantom beamed at her, amazed. "Is there one for me?"

"Of course, Buggy. But you have to wait for Yule, just like everyone else." Phantom huffed at that, but was soon completely engrossed watching her finish another bracelet.

"Do you think you could teach me to do that?" He asked, eyes shining hopefully. "I was too scatterbrained and didn't get anyone anything for Yule this year."

"Of course. So, first, you take a length of string like this…" Aurora slowly walked him through the entire process and guided him through his first bracelet-making experience from start to finish.

Phantom beamed as he held up his finished bracelet. It wasn't nearly as pretty as Aurora's, but it stayed together. "Oh, our hot cocoa!" Phantom hopped up and retrieved their mugs, now lukewarm from neglect.

"Did you still wanna watch that movie?" Aurora questioned, sipping at the melted marshmallows.

"Kinda, but maybe after I make a few more?" Phantom offered. The Ghoulette smiled and pushed the tray of beads and charms closer to Phantom and their tails wagged, intertwining gently as they both chatted and strung beads onto lengths of string, making bracelet after bracelet for their packmates.

Aether opened the oven, the blissful warming smell of gingerbread wafting through the air, filling the kitchen. He grabbed a spatula and carefully transferred the fresh cookies to the cooling rack. The Quintessence Ghoul hummed to himself as he turned back to set the tray down, ready to prep another set.

With the cookies cut out and laid out in the pan, he opened the oven and slid them in, closing it with a satisfied flourish. Setting the timer, he turned his attention to the cooler cookies on the rack.

But one was missing.

Aether casually turned back, noticing the flick of a tail from behind the island. He brandished his spatula and quickly swatted a clawed hand as it reached up to grab at another unattended cookie.

"Ow!"

"A-ha! Caught you!"

Dewdrop stood up, rubbing his hand where Aether had hit it. "What was that for?"

"These are for everyone, you little imp," Aether admonished his mate.

"I know. I was just doing a little QA testing." Dew looked sheepish but dug in the back of his teeth at the sticky cookie leavings.

"I should put you to work in the scullery for that."

"I was actually going to ask if you wanted any help, and then I saw the ones you had just taken out and they just smelled so good, and I just wanted a taste…"

"That's fine, firefly, Just one. But no more until after dinner. Why don't you cut out some more shapes for me, huh?"

"Okay." Dewdrop's eyes lit up as Aether ushered him over to the floured counter, a long stretch of gingerbread dough rolled out just waiting to be divvied up.

"The next batch is almost ready to be taken out of the oven."

"Oh, Aeth, can I? I never get to take them out because Papa always freaks out about it."

"Okay, but only because I think it's impressive, even though it gives me a mild heart attack too."

Everyone had gathered in the largest bathroom in the Ghoul den, even Copia. The entire pack had insisted. The huge sunken tub could fit all of them and then some; it was closer to a swimming pool than anything any of them had in their private rooms.

With only a few hours in the day of light, the Ghouls and Ghoulettes had wanted to make the most of it doing what they all loved doing best: being together with their Papa. Rain and Dew and Mountain had spent the few scant hours of dawn heating and decorating the bath. Mountain had made dozens of little wreaths strung through with cinnamon sticks and star anise, each one holding a dried clove-pricked orange.

The Fire Ghoul had enchanted the water so that it was the perfect soaking temperature for everyone and Rain had laid out pitchers of ice water, perpetually chilled. Even Phantom and Aether had joined in on the fun, their Quint spells weaving a beautiful aurora around the bathroom ceiling. The Ghoulettes too had used their air abilities to form fluffy, free-floating clouds.

It seemed that everyone had chipped in to make this shortest day of sunshine the most memorable for all of them. After spending the majority of the day outside, soaking in the mimited sunshine, they had all gathered in the large bathroom to watch the sun sink below the ridge of the mountains and bleed into a velvety night.

Copia, as naked as the day he was born, just like all of his Ghouls, had slipped into the perfectly warm water, sighing as his muscles relaxed. Cumulus slipped in beside him and they joined Rain and Phantom who were already up to their necks in the bath.

"Oh, this is too sinful!" Aurora purred, her tail tip resting on top of the water as she swam languidly in the warm pool. All of the Ghouls and Ghoulettes had eagerly stripped down to luxuriate in the soothing bath. They all soaked and frolicked, making sure not to get too rowdy, simply enjoying each other's company.

After everyone had had their fill, Mountain retrieved all of the dried oranges and wreaths. Dewdrop's warm hands evaporated the water with ease and they distributed one to each of the members of the pack, and Papa of course. Rain laughed as Phantom made a blech face. He had tried eating one of the cloves and the bitter spice had made him nearly gag.

"You're not supposed to eat them, Bug," Mountain chided. "How about we go back to the common room and I'll make a round of cider for everyone?" Phantom nodded at that, spitting the clove out. Cirrus ran to her room for a small flask and joined everyone back in the common room, passing out the small bottle of booze for anyone who wanted a little nightcap.

"Can I burn it?" Dew asked, peeking over Cirrus' shoulder at the frosted cake on the counter.

"If you burn it then I'm destroying every Yule present under the tree that's got your name on it, sparky," Cirrus shot back, shooing the curious Fire Ghoul out of the kitchen. She needed space to work and time to finish the cake before the party in just under an hour.

"Why don't you go find Mountain? I'm pretty sure he's got plenty of things for you to set fire to besides my last remaining nerve." With the kitchen Dew-free, Cirrus went back to work adding the final touches to her Yule cake.

Dewdrop wandered down towards the common room, the strong scent of evergreen and heavy spices wafting even through the closed door.

"Mount? Cirrus kicked me out of the kitchen. Do you need any help with anything before the party?"

"Well look at you, you little eager beaver," Mountain chirped, holding up a string of fir and cinnamon sticks that he was winding around a few hefty logs. "Sure I can use your help."

Dew crouched down and watched as the Earth Ghoul wound and wound the string in random patterns, tying the greenery and the spiced sticks to the logs.

"Can you put that in the fireplace for me, please? You got it?" Mountain watched as Dewdrop struggled to place the heavy logs in the grate and praised him when Dew managed it all on his own. Mountain pulled the guitarist into a hug and sat with him on the couch.

"Now we just need to wait for the others," Mountain said, seeing Dew's slightly gloomy face. "What's wrong, sugarplum?"

"Cirrus wouldn't let me burn the Yule log she was making. Why not?"

"That's because that was a cake, droplet," Mountain confirmed. "But once everyone's here, I'll happily let you set fire to the one you put in the fireplace."

"Really?" Dew's eyes lit up like embers.

"Really." The Fire Ghoul waited patiently for everyone else to assemble in the common room, even Cirrus with her log-shaped cake, before getting the go-ahead from Mountain. Dew knelt by the grate and snapped his fingers, easily igniting the kindling and the festive Yule log that Mountain had assembled.