abyssus abyssum invocat;;

Complete silence. An absence of errant noise and light, a lack of unnecessary information replaced only by the cool embrace of the water around him — this is the only way he could truly find peace.

Abyssi lay submerged deep in one of the communal baths of the ghoul quarters. It was late and the sky was overcast, casting no light through the high-set windows. The water was warm and dark as the room in which he sat, and he floated perfectly still save for his dark hair which swirled lazily around him. He forwent thought in this moment, losing himself to images of his home — all he could hope to recover of that dreamlike place. He could almost feel his heart ache — if he did indeed still have one.

A sharp clack interrupted his meditation. The ghoul’s eyes shot open and he drew in a sharp breath, his gills fluttering as he did so. A humanoid hand — though scaled and tipped in wicked black claws — emerged from the water and gripped the side of the wide bathtub.

“You’re lucky this didn’t break! You need to stay on either side, not in between.” 

She made her way to an unoccupied tub and filled it with steaming water, setting up several orbs of light to hover around her while she worked. The Sister hadn’t been able to sleep again, what with the nightmares getting steadily and worryingly worse. And no matter what time of night or day it was, the communal baths for the Siblings of Sin always had people in them; too many to be able to relax. 

The blonde hadn’t noticed anyone else in the baths, only looking around after she’d gotten in to her own once her familiar started growling. The cat sat on one side of the bath, ears back as he stared fixedly at the hand gripping the side of the neighbor tub.

What truly piqued his interest was the soft light that filtered down to him. The light wasn’t harsh and unnatural like most man-made light he’d encountered thus far. This was different, ethereal. Intriguing.

Nonetheless, this girl was still intruding on his solitude, and she had noticed him. The ghoul slowly sat up, poking only his eyes above the surface of the water. Half-glamored, his narrow jaw and high cheekbones were peppered with iridescent scales and jagged pronged horns curled from his head of long dark hair. His pupils were narrowed into slits, eyes reflecting the light eerily as he glared across at her. His gaze fell to the hissing cat crouched on the tiles and he cocked his head, a sort of chittering noise rising from the back of his throat. His eyes flicked back to the girl and he hissed, baring needle-like fangs.

The word was so plain and straightforward; this Sister had no fear. She didn’t flinch or show any worry at the deep sea ghoul’s signs of aggression, grey eyes very calm. Her animal companion certainly felt threatened, continuing to growl and spit at the creature in the tub. 

“I was let in. I’m allowed to be in here.” 

She had complained about the Sibling’s baths and received some aid from a few ghoulish friends. They knew their human wouldn’t ask for no reason. 

This girl exhibited none of it.

And this intrigued him more, ever further as he peered at the orbs of light that hovered around her, catching the currents of the falling water. Angry at the intrusion though he was, he held his tongue and observed, fins rustling softly. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

The human floated to the edge of the tub, mimicking the ghoul’s pose on the tile. She peered at him curiously just as he observed her. His gaze on the light orbs she’d made didn’t go unnoticed either. The Sister closed one fist, magic pulsing in it for a moment, and opened it again to let out another light. She ran a finger down the middle of it and it dimmed before floating over to Abyssi; an offering.

“At least I hope you don’t hurt me. I wouldn’t want to get eaten tonight. Well I would, but in the fun way.” She gave a quiet snort of laughter and winked. 

“Interesting that you humans choose to bond with some creatures and yet mistreat others. What becomes the deciding factor, I wonder?”

The ghoul dropped this train of thought, distracted by the girl’s manipulation of the light. His pupils dialated and contracted in time with the orb that dimmed and reappeared, and he followed it with his eyes as it drifted over to him.

He reached a clawed finger up to prod at it, causing it to flicker briefly. How interesting. He had yet to meet a human that had such a grasp on the arcane. Abyssi returned his attention to her, an amused snort rustling the hair in front of his eyes as he noted how she mimicked him.

“You may call me Abyssi. It is not my real name, but it will suffice. You do not have to fear me — for now.”

The water ghoul opened his palm underneath the orb of light, studying it.

She smiled when her ‘gift’ was accepted, enjoying the interest in his features. “Abyssi, then. I like it, very ominous. However, I don’t think I was very scared of you to begin with but thank you for the confirmation.” She giggled, making another orb and flicking it over. 

“I taught myself, mostly.” She admitted, levitating a blob of water up in the air above her hand and making it take the form of a fish before sending it swimming around and dropping into Abyssi’s tub. Now she was just showing off. 

The sister’s arcane fish distracted him from his annoyance and he followed it with his eyes, fins flaring as it plopped into the water and disappeared.

“I wasn’t aware you humans could gain such abilities. Where I came from, they relied on technology and cheap enchantments to accomplish magical feats. It seems I learn more daily.”

The water ghoul studied her once more, the water’s light reflections dancing across his face. Perhaps he could find respect for this human.

Where did he come from, she wondered. If Hell existed on a separate plane perhaps other planes existed too. 

“Why am I here?” The questioning brought her head back up to look the ghoul in the eyes. “At the time I joined I had nowhere else to go. I was scared and alone with no prospects. Here I can at least work and learn and I don’t have to worry about not having a roof over my head or food to eat.” Some very real concerns she’d had more times than she would have liked in her life. 

“I know a lot of humans who have come here for similar reasons. Most I think are religiously invested but this church pulls in the outcasts and offers them sanctuary where they didn’t have it before.” A staggeringly significant number were LGBTQ+, fleeing to the ministry from one trauma or another. She sighed. It was what it was.

“No. I stepped sideways, if you will, into this world of yours. It is like a mirror of my own, and yet... different. Many things that occurred in my world seem to never have happened here. I can only wonder if Hell is different, as well.”

Abyssi listened to her, perhaps more thoughtfully than he had ever yet to listen to a human being, watching their reflections in the water shimmer and ripple. He nodded solemnly when she finished.

“I suppose I understand. They have yet to turn me out, but we shall see. I... never had the opportunity to experience this side of humanity in my world. I did not think it existed.”

The ghoul huffed through his nose, glancing up from the mesmerizing ripples and meeting Cora’s inquisitive gaze. He tilted his head, perhaps a little too far to seem a normal human gesture. His fins rustled as he mulled over her request.

Complete silence. An absence of errant noise and light, a lack of unnecessary information replaced only by the cool embrace of the water around him — this is the only way he could truly find peace.

Abyssi lay submerged deep in one of the communal baths of the ghoul quarters. It was late and the sky was overcast, casting no light through the high-set windows. The water was warm and dark as the room in which he sat, and he floated perfectly still save for his dark hair which swirled lazily around him. He forwent thought in this moment, losing himself to images of his home — all he could hope to recover of that dreamlike place. He could almost feel his heart ache — if he did indeed still have one.

A sharp clack interrupted his meditation. The ghoul’s eyes shot open and he drew in a sharp breath, his gills fluttering as he did so. A humanoid hand — though scaled and tipped in wicked black claws — emerged from the water and gripped the side of the wide bathtub.

“BITCH! BASTARD!”

Vero was nearly out of breath, having chased the damn terror of a bird as it flew down the halls with a cigarette in is beak. Ouija, ever the obnoxious crow, had snatched it straight from her mouth while he sat perched on her shoulder. 

While she blindly chased him she hadn’t noticed that she’d wandered into a part of the abbey that was new to her: the communal baths. After hearing quite a few stories about the place, the halfling was thankful that she’d been lucky enough to have her own private bath, however claustrophobic it was. 

The cawing of the crow and fluttering of his wings echoed through the large bath house as it perched up in a high rafter. 

“You are so lucky I like you, or else you’d be deep fried by now,” Vero said.

She crossed her arms, angrily deciding to let the bird have his cancer stick when she became aware of the sound of faint growling. 

That was when she noticed the ghoul, partially shifted and glaring furiously at her from one of the tubs. Her tail flicked in agitation as she recognized him. 

For the love of all that’s unholy, he thought. It’s you.

The water ghoul hissed, a stream of bubbles popping along the water that sloshed against his nose. Of all the people it could have been, it had to be this little fool of a spitefire. The ghoul ground his teeth, a dull anger simmering in his belly. The last time he’d seen Vero, she had beaten the hell out of him. Resentfully, he hadn’t forgotten that.

His fins rattled in annoyance as he reluctantly pulled himself up to his shoulders, claws clasped around the tile rim of the tub.

“You’re still here.” His voice was flat and low, a bitter drawl.

“You are interrupting me, halfling. Get out.

“Nah, I don’t think I will,” she said, shedding her jacket and starting to take off her boots.

She began to fill an adjacent tub, enveloping the bottom with a low, rolling flame to get it nice and warm.

“These are the communal ghoul baths. If you want privacy, maybe you should get a single, like me.”

If she wanted a scalding soak, she could easily take her own advice and head back there. But Abyssi’s clear agitation was much more entertaining. Cute, almost, if he wasn’t such a prick.

Not caring about the deep sea ghoul’s grumbling or the possibility of him watching her, Vero stripped down, finally tossing her bra absentmindedly behind her as she stepped into the wonderfully warm water.

His claws screeched across the tile as she took off her boots.

“No, no.”

Off came the shirt and trousers.

“No, no, no—“

His frustrated pleading was cut off by the plop of Vero’s bra, thrown haphazardly in a ball in front of him. Abyssi recoiled, his sudden movement sending water sloshing over the sides of the tub. Snarling, the ghoul pulled himself fully out of the water, crouchin on the rim of the basin like some sort of feral beast. He was so furious it nearly steamed the water off of his scaley skin.

Abyssi gingerly scooped up her bra with his claws, scoffed at it, and tossed it back at her, where it landed in the water beside the half-ghoul. Though he glared at her acusatorily, he could not help but take notice of her form, lounged tauntingly across the opposite basin. Disgustingly, aggrivatingly attractive — wait, no, stop that—

The water ghoul flexed his fins and shook his head like a dog, sending beads of water in every direction. He replaced the disturbing thought with anger.

Instinctively, she began to shift slightly. Beneath the water her limbs began to morph to a dark grey, working from her feet to her knees and then fingertips to elbows. Her own spines made an appearance.

She took in his form: there was nothing left to the imagination.

“My bite from our last little tumble healed up real nice, huh?” she huffed, trying to avert her eyes and deflect. “Think I lost a tooth in there.”

Long haired, prickly, pretty fucking fish, she thought. And unruly? Oh, I could certainly get more unruly than this.

Vero didn’t snap up to meet his scowl, but instead continued to lounge. She’d kicked his ass before, so there was no reason she couldn’t do it again. But now she stared back at him and she scraped her claws at the inside of the porcelain soaking tub as she entertained the idea of digging them into him again, skin to skin, thrashing, like a dance...

She looked away from him and at the steam rolling off the lip of the tub.

“I haven’t forgotten that spat, fire ghoul,” he retorted, claws scraping white into the dark tile. “And if my memory serves, I gave you quite the shock as well.”

Vero simply stared at him, lips slightly parted as she dragged claws along the edge of the basin and he nearly squirmed under her gaze. His fins twitched, nostrils flaring slightly. The heat from her bath water was becoming unbearable even from where he crouched.

Her form was peppered with scars here and there, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for ghouls - always brawling for whatever reason - and only a trained eye would be able to tell that hers were from tissue samples and the like. 

The memory of the strange, painful current that the deep sea ghoul had hit her with made her huff, steam coming from her nostrils and beginning to obscure her form beneath the water.

She sat up, eyes now a full, bloody red sclera and blaring back at his own. 

Abyssi snorted and leaped into the water with her all at once, his fins twitching at the scalding heat. He stood over her, glaring down with flaring nostrils.

“As if I could be afraid of you,” he hissed, fins still wriggling involuntarily. “I’ve faced worse than a little heat.” His eye twitched as he spoke.

disillusionedhumanity:

Send “UNF” to pin my muse against the wall with DESIRE

Send “UGH” to pin my muse against the wall from FURY

Send “DONT” to pin my muse against the wall to prevent them from LEAVING

Send “AH” to pin my muse against the wall but letting a RANDOMIZER choose

Adds some tbh, I need more variety:

Send “OOF” to pin my muse against the wall by ACCIDENT

Send “HA” to pin my muse against the wall as a JOKE

Send “NO” to pin my muse against the wall to PROTECT THEM

❛   what  are  you  doing?   ❜

❛   what ,  you’re  going  to  kill  me?  ❜

❛   fuck !  put  the  gun  down !  please , come on !  it’s  me ,  alright ?  ❜

❛   what  are  you  doing  with  that ?   ❜

❛   please ..  don’t  do  this  anymore !   ❜

❛   let  her/them/him  go  or  i’ll  blow  you  away !  ❜

❛   wait ! okay …  okay !  okay , i’ll  tell  you ,  whatever  you  want  to  know  ..   ❜

❛   you  point  that  thing  at  me  you  better  pull  the  trigger .  ❜

❛   alright , alright , alright  ..  i’ll talk !   ❜

❛   please ,  just  let  me  go ,  i  won’t  tell  anyone …  i  promise  .  ❜

❛   let  me  out  of  here !   let  me  go !   ❜

❛   you’re  not  getting  away  this  time  …  ❜

❛   actually ,  i  think  i  better  get  going  …   it’s  late  and  …   ❜

❛   come  on !  fight  back !  fight  back !  fight  back  you  coward !   ❜

❛   come  on ,  hit  me !   ❜

❛   do  it !  pull  the  trigger !  do  it  ,  do  it  ,  do  it !   ❜

❛   come  and  find  me  …  polo !  ❜

❛   i  don’t  want  to  hide  anymore ,  i  don’t  want  to  be  afraid  anymore  …   ❜

❛   you   keep   saying   you’re   going   to   stop   but   you   don’t !  ❜

❛   how   many   more   people   need   to   die   before   you’re   satisfied ?  ❜

❛   why   are   you   doing   this ?   ❜

❛   don’t   come   any   closer  ,   that’s   far   enough  .   ❜

❛   if   you  don’t   pull   the   trigger   i’ll   pull   it   for   you  !   ❜

❛   i  thought  that  you  were  in  danger  …   ❜

❛   you’re  dangerous  …  i ,   i  just  don’t  want  to  end  up  dead ..   ❜

❛   i  promise  i  won’t  hurt  you  …    ❜

❛   can  you  please  stop  screwing  with  my  mind ,  god  !   ❜

❛   i  don’t  want  to  be  here  anymore ,  please ,  can  we  go  back ?   ❜

❛   um  ….  i’m  not  sure  i  want  to  go ,   thanks   anyway  ..   ❜

❛   that  sounds  dangerous  ….   i’m  in .   ❜

❛   i  don’t  know ,  it  sounds  awfully  dangerous  …  ❜

❛   stay  back  or  i  will  rip  your  head  off  !  ❜

❛   i  think  …   this   is   wrong ,  no .  i  can’t  just  stand  by   and   watch   it  .   ❜

❛   do  you  think  you  would  ever  hurt  me  like  that ?   ❜

❛   i  can’t  be  with  someone  who  could  hurt  me  like  that  …  ❜

❛   this  is  not  love  !   it   is   obsession  !   a   sick  one  at   that  !  ❜

❛   are  you  following  me  ?   what  …   what  do  you  want  ?   money  ?   ❜

❛   please  …  i  have  money ,   just  let  me  go  .  ❜

❛   i  don’t  think  you  realize  how  the  dangerous  this  game  is  ..   ❜

❛   it’s  not  just  a  game  !   ❜

❛   if  you’re  in  some  kind  of  trouble ,  you  can  tell  me  .   ❜

❛   come  on  ,   it’s  just  a  game ,  what  could  go  so  wrong  ?   ❜

❛   are  you  the  one  that’s  been  watching  me  ?   stalking  me  ?  ❜

❛   actually ,  do  you  mind  if  we  just  stop/pull  over  here  ?   ❜

❛   what  are  you  doing ?   you  missed  the  stop  back  there ?   ❜

❛   hello ?   is   someone  there  ?   ❜

❛   you’re  scaring  me  …   ❜

Complete silence. An absence of errant noise and light, a lack of unnecessary information replaced only by the cool embrace of the water around him — this is the only way he could truly find peace.

Abyssi lay submerged deep in one of the communal baths of the ghoul quarters. It was late and the sky was overcast, casting no light through the high-set windows. The water was warm and dark as the room in which he sat, and he floated perfectly still save for his dark hair which swirled lazily around him. He forwent thought in this moment, losing himself to images of his home — all he could hope to recover of that dreamlike place. He could almost feel his heart ache — if he did indeed still have one.

A sharp clack interrupted his meditation. The ghoul’s eyes shot open and he drew in a sharp breath, his gills fluttering as he did so. A humanoid hand — though scaled and tipped in wicked black claws — emerged from the water and gripped the side of the wide bathtub.

“You’re lucky this didn’t break! You need to stay on either side, not in between.” 

She made her way to an unoccupied tub and filled it with steaming water, setting up several orbs of light to hover around her while she worked. The Sister hadn’t been able to sleep again, what with the nightmares getting steadily and worryingly worse. And no matter what time of night or day it was, the communal baths for the Siblings of Sin always had people in them; too many to be able to relax. 

The blonde hadn’t noticed anyone else in the baths, only looking around after she’d gotten in to her own once her familiar started growling. The cat sat on one side of the bath, ears back as he stared fixedly at the hand gripping the side of the neighbor tub.

What truly piqued his interest was the soft light that filtered down to him. The light wasn’t harsh and unnatural like most man-made light he’d encountered thus far. This was different, ethereal. Intriguing.

Nonetheless, this girl was still intruding on his solitude, and she had noticed him. The ghoul slowly sat up, poking only his eyes above the surface of the water. Half-glamored, his narrow jaw and high cheekbones were peppered with iridescent scales and jagged pronged horns curled from his head of long dark hair. His pupils were narrowed into slits, eyes reflecting the light eerily as he glared across at her. His gaze fell to the hissing cat crouched on the tiles and he cocked his head, a sort of chittering noise rising from the back of his throat. His eyes flicked back to the girl and he hissed, baring needle-like fangs.

The word was so plain and straightforward; this Sister had no fear. She didn’t flinch or show any worry at the deep sea ghoul’s signs of aggression, grey eyes very calm. Her animal companion certainly felt threatened, continuing to growl and spit at the creature in the tub. 

“I was let in. I’m allowed to be in here.” 

She had complained about the Sibling’s baths and received some aid from a few ghoulish friends. They knew their human wouldn’t ask for no reason. 

This girl exhibited none of it.

And this intrigued him more, ever further as he peered at the orbs of light that hovered around her, catching the currents of the falling water. Angry at the intrusion though he was, he held his tongue and observed, fins rustling softly. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

The human floated to the edge of the tub, mimicking the ghoul’s pose on the tile. She peered at him curiously just as he observed her. His gaze on the light orbs she’d made didn’t go unnoticed either. The Sister closed one fist, magic pulsing in it for a moment, and opened it again to let out another light. She ran a finger down the middle of it and it dimmed before floating over to Abyssi; an offering.

“At least I hope you don’t hurt me. I wouldn’t want to get eaten tonight. Well I would, but in the fun way.” She gave a quiet snort of laughter and winked. 

“Interesting that you humans choose to bond with some creatures and yet mistreat others. What becomes the deciding factor, I wonder?”

The ghoul dropped this train of thought, distracted by the girl’s manipulation of the light. His pupils dialated and contracted in time with the orb that dimmed and reappeared, and he followed it with his eyes as it drifted over to him.

He reached a clawed finger up to prod at it, causing it to flicker briefly. How interesting. He had yet to meet a human that had such a grasp on the arcane. Abyssi returned his attention to her, an amused snort rustling the hair in front of his eyes as he noted how she mimicked him.

“You may call me Abyssi. It is not my real name, but it will suffice. You do not have to fear me — for now.”

The water ghoul opened his palm underneath the orb of light, studying it.

She smiled when her ‘gift’ was accepted, enjoying the interest in his features. “Abyssi, then. I like it, very ominous. However, I don’t think I was very scared of you to begin with but thank you for the confirmation.” She giggled, making another orb and flicking it over. 

“I taught myself, mostly.” She admitted, levitating a blob of water up in the air above her hand and making it take the form of a fish before sending it swimming around and dropping into Abyssi’s tub. Now she was just showing off. 

The sister’s arcane fish distracted him from his annoyance and he followed it with his eyes, fins flaring as it plopped into the water and disappeared.

“I wasn’t aware you humans could gain such abilities. Where I came from, they relied on technology and cheap enchantments to accomplish magical feats. It seems I learn more daily.”

The water ghoul studied her once more, the water’s light reflections dancing across his face. Perhaps he could find respect for this human.