Work Text:
Aether: when he first learned about your condition, he went into research mode. How could he best take care of you if he didn’t understand what was going on? You would often go to use his computer to find his browser window full of open tabs. It was a little overwhelming at first—he was always bringing up research papers and new studies he’d read about. You finally had to sit him down and tell him that you have a very good doctor who takes care of providing you with that kind of information, but you were so touched he wanted to find ways to support you and you’re happy to keep him in the loop. He’s a mother hen anyway, so expect that he’s going to make sure you eat right; take your meds; and get enough sleep, and that he’s definitely going to be driving you to your appointments. He can get a little in his head about it and be a worrywort even when you’re feeling fine and want to go out—you have to remind him sometimes that you know your own body. When it does get bad, he asks what you need and listens to you—even if that means you want to be left alone or have a good cry on his shoulder or talk through it. When he’s away on tour he’s constantly checking in with you, and if you admit you need help, he makes sure one of the other Ghouls can be his proxy.
Dewdrop: Your situation makes him angry—angry for you and angry out how some people can be so dismissive toward what you’re going through. It makes him quick to lash out at anyone he thinks is disrespecting your or your experience. You don’t encourage it, but he does what he wants. He’s not an empath, so it’s hard for him to truly understand, which only makes him try harder to comfort you when your pain flares up. He’s there in a second at your bedside with a hot water bottle, and ice pack, and your pain meds. What do you need? Do you want him to call your doctor? Do you need food? A hot bath? If you can stand it, he’ll climb into bed with you—otherwise he’s stress-cleaning your space. He’s not the cleanest himself, but if tidying and doing the dishes is one less burden on you, he’s out there putting your dishes away in the wrong cupboards. Talking about feelings usually makes him uncomfortable, but if you want to talk to him, he’ll give you his undivided attention—just be careful because he’s apt to want to try and solve all your problems! It’s his way of endeavoring to show you that he heard you, what you said was important, and that he cares. When he’s away on tour he has some of his trusted buddies check in on you—you tell him and them that it’s really unnecessary, but they always show up anyway.
Swiss: As the trickster of the Ghouls, he’s not one to deal much with serious issues. When he first found out, he was useless, not really knowing what to do and always second guessing his actions toward you. He didn’t really understand that you couldn’t just power through the bad days & moods. It was hard for a while, but eventually you realized he just needed some direction. You had to be open with him about specifically what you needed, but once you did, he became your rock. You need a ride to an appointment? He’ll drive you. You need groceries, but you just don’t have the energy? He’s at the supermarket. Are you out somewhere and have a flare up? He’s coming to get you. While sometimes you do wish he’d take more initiative—especially on days where your mental bandwidth is low—knowing you can ask him for anything (and he’ll do it) takes a lot of stress out of your life. What’s great is that he doesn’t second guess you knowing your own limits. If you’re feeling good and want to go out on the town, he won’t ask if you’re sure—he’ll grab the keys. It makes him antsy to go on tour since that means he’s not readily available to you, so expect a lot of anxious calls from the road asking if you’re ok or if you need anything.
Rain: Knew before you told him that there was something going on with you. You’re actually not the first human in his life to be going through something similar. He’s very earthy-crunchy, touchy-feely about it, encouraging you to explore other treatment options. Some of his friends have had great success supplementing their PCP care with an acupuncturist or chiropractor. Do you need a rec?—he’s got some business cards lying around. He meditates himself, so he’s always bothering you to get up and do it with him. It can be a bit much at times—but he only wants to be helpful, so if you tell him to back off, he will do so immediately while apologizing. He’s an active listener—always there to support your emotional needs—so you can always talk to him about what & how you’re feeling and know he won’t judge you or go immediately into problem-solving mode if all you want to do is complain. Your bad days are hard on him—he feels the pain you’re in acutely—so sometimes you have to send him away, otherwise it can feel like you’re comforting him! He’s always hesitant to leave on tour—especially if it’s during a flare up—so expect him to sit down with you to go over your schedule and emergency plans so he can figure out how you can best be supported by the community in his absence.
Mountain: Didn’t really know that chronic pain was A Thing—it’s not something Ghouls suffer from—so for better or worse he’s blank slate. He doesn’t have any preconceived notions … but he doesn’t have have the emotional tools either. He readily comes with you to your doctor’s appointments because he knows how unfair it would be to you to have to educate him on everything. He even joins some support groups so he can hear others with your condition and their loved ones give personal accounts on the trials and tribulations of living with this and what productive support looks like. There are some growing pains, but he takes direction and constructive criticism well—the same conflict never comes up twice. Definitely the strong silent type, he’s more likely to be a problem-solver than a talker. When you’re having a bad day you’re going to find him bringing you your pain relievers and making you food, rather than sitting by your bedside asking you how he can help. Sometimes it’s nice not to have to ask for every little thing you need, but other times he can miss the mark and you wish he’d check in with you first. Since he’s not a big talker, you’re more likely to get a lot of texts from him when he goes on tour than nightly FaceTimes; he’s happy to set up check ins with other Ghouls, if that’s what you need—he knows you’re perfectly capable of handling your own needs and trusts you to ask for help if you need it.