#koifics

he's never been fond of holidays if he's honest. he didn't like dressing up for Halloween, and as a guy in his mid-late 20s, he didn't particularly care for the party side of halloween either. when it came to Christmas, it only seemed to remind him how lonely he was. or had been. before he met you, christmas was spent inside, alone with alcohol to numb the loneliness.

but now, with you, he has every reason to celebrate it. christmas decor goes up november 1st, Christmas cookies get made the day after and he already has a list of gifts he plans on getting for you and all of your shared friends. he has plans of activities, and small outings to go on. you go ice skating together, where he holds you to his side and keeps you from falling. he takes you out to get a christmas tree together, bringing it home and setting it up in the corner of the den.

he'll stand on his toes to hang up the garlands, spending hours outside hanging up christmas lights on the porch (you tell him it's not worth the cold he'll endure, but he insists on doing it without you peeking all so it's a surprise). he loves doing things for you, and holding you and keeping you warm during the cold nights. he'll make you tea or cocoa and hold you between his legs as you both watch a christmas movie.

you show him all your favorites, although, elf is his all time favorite. he finds it bizarre and funny at the same time. how silly it is, and campy it feels. he'll rub your stomach and kiss your cheek, holding you close to his chest.

if he's honest, part of why he does all of these things is to help you, to heal you and to make christmas fun for big you and little you (because let's be honest, he does everything he can to bring a smile to your face both big and little).

lately, though, he's wanted to focus more on at home, quiet christmasy adventures. things that you would feel comfortable doing when you're regressed, which meant quiet and cuddly activities that meant being cooped up inside.

he'd seen the whole boo basket trend, and thought it was a neat idea but wanted to have his own twist on it (prior to deciding, he also saw the burr basket posts but those fizzled out before he really got a good idea of what he had planned). he sat down at his desk to list a few stores he'd stop by and what items he planned to get from each one.

the local bookstore was sure to have a santa book, and maybe even a few jellycats (you eyed them all the time, and he almost always sneakily bought the mini ones to hide around the house). after the bookshop, he'd head to another shop, one that he's sure would have a basket and maybe a blanket, some candy and instant cocoa, amongst other things.

once his list was completed, he hurried down the stairs to where you were cooped up in the corner of the couch, wrapped up in one of his blankets with your stuffed bunny held against your chest. you'd been regressed for a few hours now, and needed quiet time so he set you up in the living room awhile ago, your favorite cartoon playing on the TV.

he sat beside you, pulling you into his side as he kisses your cheek and temple. he rubs your arm as he smiles down at you, "hello, baby, you ok?" he whispers as you whine and crawl into his arms, sitting in his lap.

he chuckles softly, nuzzling his nose against your hair as your hands grip onto his shirt. he pulls back to get a look at your face, hand on the side of your head as he pushes hair out of your face.

"love," his voice is a bit more firm, "are you okay?" you shrug as a response, soft frown held on your lips as he sighs and pulls you closer. he presses kisses to the top of your head, running his fingers through your hair as his other hand rubs your back.

he holds you for a while, the TV playing as background noise more or less as he coos and whispers a soft lullaby to soothe you a bit. when your grip on his shirt loosens, and your breathing steadies out, he pulls back to look you in the eye again.

"I've gotta go out for a bit, do you want to go stay with grace or wilma?" he whispers softly, hands on your lower back as he gets you to sit up a bit more.

you shrug, eyes stuck on the wall behind him as you zone out. he rubs your back, bringing your attention to him again, "okay," you mumble, dropping your head to your shoulder.

he kisses the shell of your ear, recognizing that you're most likely nonverbal or at least close to it. he nuzzles his nose against your cheek in a light manner, tickling you. you giggle softly, tensing up before relaxing in his hold when he kisses your temple.

"what if... I called over wilma to keep an eye on you, mm? orrrr maybe joe? ash? mark?" he smirks, pressing a few kisses to your cheek.

"ummm.. mark!" you giggle softly, smiling wide and happy at the thought of getting to see Mark again. you have a few drawings for him, as well!

"mark? okay, well can you give Daddy a few minutes while I call him, yeah?"

you nod softly, scooting out of his lap and settling in front of the TV as you start to play with your stuffies. wilbur sits up, walking over to the foyer as he calls mark, listening as it rings.

mark picks up, "hey, mate! what's up?" his voice is bright and chirpy, always happy.

"hey, I've got a favor to ask," wilbur starts, and you perk up. you sit up, leaning over the back edge of the couch, looking over at him and smiling.

Wilbur smiles over at you, chuckling before he continues, "I need to head into town for a bit and I was wondering if you'd come over and look after y/n for a bit? they're little right now and I just don't want to leave them alone but I can't take them either," Wilbur sighs, pacing a slight bit as he awaits and answer from mark.

you don't bother to listen to the rest, slinking to the corner of the couch and curling up happily. he walks over a moment later, sitting beside you and rubbing your side and arm.

"hey lovebug," wilbur coos, you lift your head and smile sleepily at him. he pulls you up into his lap, holding you close.

"hi, dada," you whisper, head rested on his shoulder as he rubs your back softly, free hand playing with your hair.

"mark will be here soon, yeah?" he smiles sweetly, rubbing your upper arms as he pulls back to look at you.

he holds you close to him, humming a soft tune as you let the time pass quietly. mark soon rings the doorbell and wilbur greets him before giving him a way too detailed run down, as if he'd never been your sitter before. then, wilbur finally leaves.

he hurries out to the car, heading into town. he had the list pulled up on his phone, ready to have things marked off. he started with the book shop, sifting through the various christmas children books and collecting a few in his arms, checking out and walking next door to the children's shops.

he spends the rest of the next two hours, shopping and gathering things of all kinds. your favorite candies, a blanket, a stuffie or two, books, crayons, etc etc. anything that could make you feel better. and so, after he puts everything in the trunk, he gathers it all up into the basket, making it look all pretty before he tucks it into the passengers seat, making his way home.

while wilbur is driving home, you and Mark are set up on the kitchen floor. he made a little sensory box for you, one that he brought from home. youre playing with the toys, making the dinos fly as mark watches you and cheers you on, making you giggle with every question he has.

"what's this dinos name, little one?" mark coos, holding a blue dino up to you.

you giggle softly, taking the dino and placing it on the top of his head, making it jump around before taking it back and putting it in the box, “bluey,” you hum.

“oh, bluey? that’s a nice name, hm?” you nod at mark’s question, quietly playing in the box that holds sand and rice and an assortment of dino toys.

“when’s daddy gettin home?” you mumble quietly, eyes cast down on the dinos you’re playing with.

mark hums, thinking for a moment before he answers, “soon, hun, promise.”

soon didnt come soon enough for you, waiting not so patiently for wilbur to come home. once you hear the door click open, you jump up and hurry to the door, slinging yourself into his chest. you hug him close, babbling incoherently to him as he hugs you back.

"hey, baby, you okay? you miss me?" he croons, pulling you closer against his chest, his arms wrapped around you. you nod, giggling happily.

"missed you, dada!" you squeal as he moves to pick you up, holding you on his hip as mark cleans up in the kitchen.

"I missed you too baby! how about you settle down here, mkay?" he sets you down on the couch, tucking a blanket over you as he moves into the kitchen.

"were they okay?" wilbur kneels down to help clean up the dino toys and what other things get taken out of the box.

mark smiles and nods, "of course! they missed you though, alot."

wilbur hums, smiling to himself at the thought as he and mark bid goodbyes, mark soon leaving through the front door. you peak up over the back of the couch, arms folded and chin resting atop of them.

he chuckles, walking over to you and kissing your forehead, brushing hair out of your face gently, "hi love, I'm gonna go get something, okay? be a good little love while I'm gone. I'll be right back," he places a lingering kiss to your forehead before he turns to leave out the door. you stay there, watching the door like a puppy. he steps back in a few minutes later, a basket covered with his jacket now clad in his arms.

"close your eyes, bunbun," he smiles widely, and you do as told, giggling softly as you shut your eyes. you feel him sitting down next to you and something wicker being placed in your lap.

"open, love," he smiles as you, watching as you excitedly giggle and look up at him.

“all for me?” you whisper in disbelief, eyes wide with joy as you hold the sides of the basket, waiting for the go ahead.

“mhm, just for you, baby. go on, open it. it’s for our evening,” he smiles a bit softer, hand reaching behind your head to rub your hair as he watches you excitedly unwrap it all. your eyes widening with each thing, giggling and squealing happily with each little gift. once it’s all open, you crawl into his lap and wrap your arms around his neck, settling in for a hug.

“thank you, daddy!” you giggle softly, nuzzling your face into his neck as wilbur hugs you close.

“did you like it?” he hums, kissing your temple and cheek as he guides you back so he can look down at your face.

you nod eagerly, “all of it! every bit!” you reach over for the little bunny stuffie he grabbed for you and you show it to him, “it looks like you dada!”

he chuckles, rubbing your cheek and nodding, “oh it does, doesn’t it?” he takes it into his hand, waving it a bit at you as you giggle.

“yeah! ‘s you, dada!”

“well that’s a high compliment, mm?” you nod softly at his words as he hands the bunny back to you, pulling you into his lap as he rubs his thumbs over your soft cheeks, “how does a christmas movie with popcorn and candy and cuddles sound, mm?” his lips curl up in a coy smile, eyes bright with love for you.

you nod in agreement, resting your head on his shoulder as your hands rest on his sides, “mmhm, please?”

he nods, mumbling a quick okay as he kisses your cheek and sets you aside on the couch, “i’m gonna go get stuff from the kitchen, ok? you stay here and rest,” you nod, rubbing your eyes sleepily as you curl up on your side.

he hurries into the kitchen, starting some popcorn as he fills your favorite sippy with some juice, setting that aside as he pours the popcorn in a bowl. he sits beside you, popcorn on the coffee table as he hands you your sippy cup. you hold it, leaning against his side as he sets up a movie, cuddling close with you as you both quietly watch the movie together.

I skimmed through the information, making it through the first three ghouls and how to gain their trust when a knock rang through my new room. After resting the book on my desk, I open my door to see Papa standing before me.

“Ah, Asteria, are you ready to have a short introduction to the ghouls?” He asks me smoothly.

“Sure.”

-- --

“I’ll go in first, and just be careful the ghouls are often wary of new presences. Even the ones who brought you here may end up feeling threatened by you, now that you are in better shape and conscious,” he warns me, concern and worry prominent on his features. I only nod, watching as he slowly pushes open the heavy door and walks inside. I slip in behind him, his taller stature shielding me from the gazes of the ghouls.

Papa briefly informs the ghouls of my presence, before stepping aside, allowing me to be seen. I glance around the eight tall figures scattered around the large room. After a few short moments of staring at all of them and being stared at in return, the shortest masked being charged at me, their red iris narrowed into slits. Their eyes now seem cat-like as I back up quickly, he is, however, grabbed quickly by two of the much taller ghouls. I recognize one of them as the purple-eyed ghoul who had found me in the woods, the other had light-blue eyes. This one seemed shy as he avoids eye contact with me the entire time I watch them hold the red-eyes ghoul back.

The aggressive being calms down rapidly, as though all of their energy is zapped out of them. I stare on, wide-eyed, as they drag the, now, unconscious person out of the room. With a few of them gone and less attention placed on me, I took some time to look around the room. It has a large stage in the furthest part of the room, various instruments scattered around, and a few large couches are placed in front of the stage. A half kitchen with a fridge, microwave, and sink, the walls lined with soundproofing foam.

“Um… Hi, I’m Asteria.” I introduced myself with a small wave. Only two ghouls return my wave, seeming to be the least wary of my presence. Papa then takes my hand and begins leading me back to the door I came through.

“You will have just over a week to get used to them and gain their trust, before beginning the full extent of your job. I find it best you start with the air ghouls, they are the most open and easily trusting.” Papa informs me, holding the door open for me. Before leaving, I calmly wave the white-eyed and dark blue-eyed ghouls over to me, as they had been the only ones to wave back.

-- --

As I walk through cool halls, passing large windows with a lattice pattern, looking out into a vast garden. As I observe the warm autumn colors, the leaves begin to change and grass withers away slowly, only to notice an out-of-place patch of vibrant green plants as well as a few vivid colored flowers. My steps come to a halt as I move closer to the window, the new growth occurring in the transition season that is fall sticks out like a sore thumb.

Upon closer inspection, I notice a ghoul at the epicenter of the lively plants, seeming to be in its element. At this, I realize it’s the abbey’s earth ghoul. I find the nearest door and slowly make my way outside, making sure to keep my hands in front of me to appear as less of a threat. The ghoul doesn’t pick up on my presence until I step into the patch of green, their eyes shooting open quickly as their head turns to me. I raise my hands in front of me, my palms toward them, halting my approach. I recall the information on gaining an earth ghoul's trust as the ghoul sitting before me calmed slightly.

It is best to start outside, where they feel calmest and grounded. As with gaining any ghoul's trust, approach slowly, and just stay in their presence for some time. They will trust that you aren’t a threat any more if you also respect personal space and any parts of nature around you. A small gift or trinket that resembles nature in any way and you will have fully gained their trust.

I slowly inched my way closer to him, my hands still extended in front of me. I sit beside him with a good three feet between us, my legs crossed beneath me. I feel his eyes on me, but I keep my eyes on the vibrant flowers and plants surrounding me, some out-of-season vegetation flourishes around, no doubt a result of the earth ghoul’s powers.

Noticing some daisies and chamomile flowers near me, I realize the perfect gift to give to him. I calmly reach towards the beautifully growing flowers and weave them together in an alternating manner. As I do I think of the meanings of the two flowers and how they coordinate perfectly what I am using them for.

I soon run out of chamomile flowers near me, so I place down the partially made flower crown to get some that had grown farther away. However, before I could stand more of the bright white flowers rapidly grow before me. I glance beside me to see the ghoul’s eyes staring at me curiously from behind his mask, his hand motioning for me to continue what I was doing.

I pluck the last flower I need and close the crown, although it’s missing something. I glance around searching for something to tie it all together, when some ivy vines catch my eye. I quickly wrap the vine around the tied flowers loosely before turning to the ghoul beside me and presenting the crown to him. He only stares at it with his head tilted to the side slightly. ‘Adorable.’ I shake my head just slightly to remind myself to focus on the task at hand.

I begin to raise the crown placed on his head, but he flinches back before I can, my actions seeming to have startled him. I pause, and gesture to show him what I’m trying to do with the crown. He loosens the tension in his shoulders and moves back to how he was, allowing me to place the flowers on top of his silver mask.

I smile at him, the flowers complementing his vibrant green eyes greatly. The corners of his eyes crinkle leading me to believe he was smiling back at me.

“What’s your name?” I ask curiously.

his hours were the same, 8am - 4pm, Monday through Friday. it was the same routine every day, and it was easily expected to stay that way. his job usually consisted of more quiet work, like paper work, intake or lunch rounds. nothing out of the ordinary, nothing where he had to handle scuffles or escaped inmates. it was repetitive, and he liked that.

you had woken up in a normal headspace, getting yourself ready and joking around with wilbur before he left. you thought of busying yourself with house work, dishes that needed to be done, laundry that wasn't overflowing but you felt like it needed to be done. but you couldn't manage it mentally, you were exhausted and nothing was to a level of needing to be done at that moment, so you rotted on the couch and did some simple embroidery during the morning. you didn't start to slip until lunch time, having decided on a snack plate instead of a put together meal because you were simply just getting so tired and didn't feel like it. the rest came with it.

the further you slipped and the later it got, the more on edge you were. you managed to catch wil during his afternoon break, texting with him and telling him of your day. part of him was estatic you were little and enjoying yourself, while the other was worried since he wasn't there to actively care for you. not to mention he only had a fifteen minute time window to speak to you before he got swept back into work.

he told you he had to go, and you understood, telling him how much you loved him and missed your daddy! he smiles and puts away his phone in his pocket before going back to his post.

you managed on your own until it was around the time he usually left work, you didn't get a text or a call that he was on his way. he wasn't answering his texts and he should've been home by now. but he wasn't. you were panicking a bit, curled up in blankets and staring blankly at your phone hoping to all hope that you'd get a call from him. that he would be coming home.

your anxiety only built further and further as time passed, you tried to keep yourself cozy and distracted, turning on some cartoons as your phone went unchecked.

another hour passed and you heard the front door click closed, you lifted your head, dried tears over your cheeks.

"daddy?" you call for him, jumping out of bed and waiting for him to answer.

"baby?" wilbur echoes back and he hurries up the stairs, seeing you peeking out of the bedroom door, your eyes held wide with a pout on your lips. he scooped you up into his arms and carried you into the bedroom. he sat down and set you between his legs after he kicked off his shoes. he runs his thumbs over your cheeks as he takes note of your reddened eyes and the tears dried on your skin. he frowns, kissing your nose as he rests his hands on the small of your back.

"how tiny is my baby, mm?" he tries to lighten the mood with a soft question, trying to keep you with him as his mind wanders and runs with different thoughts. feelings of guilt and worry at the sight of you so distressed and he knows it's because he was late. but he'll address that later, right now his baby comes first.

you shrug softly, reaching forward and grabbing hold of his shirt, messing with the fabric and rubbing it between your fingers. it's a softer cotton shirt, and you always like to fidget with it when you can.

"are you.. five? two? ooo is my baby realllyy tiny? hm?" he kisses all over your face as he speaks, trying to coax a smile or a giggle out of you. you crack a bit of a grin, shaking your head as you look up at him.

you hold up one finger, smiling sweetly as he gasp, "oh so you're a little baby, then?" and you nod as he places a big kiss to your forehead, pushing back your hair and tucking it behind your ears.

you move to crawl against his chest and he takes you into his arms, rubbing at your back as you drape your arms around his neck. you don't feel like talking all too much, just so tired and overwhelmed with all the feelings you have, that words just feel exhausting.

silence drapes over the both of you, and wilbur tucks his face into your neck as he hums, "I'm really sorry, baby. I got all caught up at work with a bad guy and I couldn't get home in time, I wish I did," you nod into his shoulder, humming softly as his arms tighten around you.

"s otay, daddy," is what you manage to squeak out, and he sighs, tension and stress being let out with the long breath and you hold yourself tighter to him. you don't want him to disappear, you need to hold on tighter. tighter, tighter, tighter.

he feels your hold tighten, and he rubs your back while leaving little chaste kisses by your ear. he mumbles small words of reassurance, "I'm here, baby. not going anywhere," which earns a little whine from you as you bury your face deep into his shoulder. he holds back a small chuckle, and it comes out as a huff of air as he simply keeps you close.

more time passes, nothing changing other than the intensity of your hold on him, hands grabbing at the fabric of his shirt. it helps you stay grounded, he doesn't mind.

"baby, have you done your routine yet?" he knows the answer, but he still bothers with asking anyways. you shake your head with a huff, his lips curl into a grin and he nods, "mkay baby, time for a bath then."

he then works on prying you off of him so he can effectively get you ready for a bath. you're shaking your head and whining at him, and he tries to soothe you with soft back rubs and little kisses to your face. it works for the most part and your silent complaints seem to fizzle out as he settles you between his legs again.

"can you sit still for daddy while I get things ready? mm?" he coos, knuckles running over the soft skin of your cheeks and you nod vigorously. wilbur chuckles and kisses your forehead before handing you your favorite stuffie and turning the TV to bluey. you focus your attention on the show, sitting still on the middle of the queen size mattress. he slips out of bed from behind you, untucking his shirt out of habit as he gathers up some pj's for you, taking them and laying them out behind you on the bed. then ventures into the bathroom.

he starts by running the water in the bath, then adds some bubbles to get all foamy. he keeps the door open so he can hear if you call for him, or if you fall. he then crouches to look under the sink for some of your bath toys and a bath bomb. he wants to make tonight's bath a bit more fun and exciting than your usual baths. mostly to help soothe the guilt that grows in his gut. he keeps the bath running as he pokes his head into the bedroom from the bathroom and smiles at you.

"hey, honey, the bath's almost ready," you look over to him and nod, reaching your arms out and making grabby motions with your hands. he scoops you up from under your arms and kisses all over your face, "good baby," he cracks a small grin, holding you on his hip as he carries you into the bathroom. after he sets you down on the counter, he kisses each of your cheeks before he begins to help you undress.

"what did my baby do today?" he croons, helping you into his arms before setting you down in the bath. you shrug at him, padding at the water as the bubbles collect around you.

he grabs the little washcloth and gets it all wet before he starts to scrub at your back, "i's watched cawtoons a bit," you finally speak up, eyes droopy and tired as you watch him.

"oh you did now, mm? what did you watch, bug?" he smiles sweetly at you as he gently guides your arm to be closer to him, and he gently scrubs your arm and shoulders before moving to the other arm. he glances between your eyes and where he's cleaning you up, waiting for you to answer.

"Ninjago," you mumble, smile brightening as your eyes widen with it.

he chuckles, kissing your temple and humming at your answer, "zane still your favorite?"

you nod happily, giggling before you ramble on about the episode you watched, and everything that happened. he manages to comprehend most of it, but the rest was all baby babbles that he couldn't quite make out.

after your body was all clean, he sat back for a minute, letting you play to your heart's content as he watched you. his shirt is a bit soaked, and he has some bubble bath in his hair from when you tried to give him a foamy hat, but he doesn't mind. with a small smile on his lips, and love in his eyes, he watches as you play and splash, giggling and including him in your play. he leans closer a moment later, grabbing hold of your hand and rubbing his thumb over the skin. wilbur then kisses each of your fingertips, ending with a kiss to your palm. you giggle and splash about, grinning ear to ear.

"was dat fow?" you ask softly, eyes squinting with a smile on your lips. he grabs your other hand and repeats the order of kisses before he places one tiny kiss to your nose.

"oh, well I'm just showing my baby how much I love them," he smiles softly before he starts to wet your hair and lather up your scalp in soap. you smile and hum, shutting your eyes as he washes out your hair.

when he's done, you're so tired that you don't even fight to stay in the bath, just letting him pick you up and wrap you up in a soft fluffy towel, drying you off. he carries you into the bedroom and helps you get all dressed, kissing all over your face before he helps you get back to the bathroom to help you brush your teeth. you're sleepily leaning against him the whole time, exhausted from your anxiety filled day.

once he got your teeth brushed, he carried you over to the bed, grabbing your hair brush and a couple of hair ties. he sat you between his legs as he unpaused the TV, letting it play as you focused your attention on bluey. he gently brushed out your hair, before splitting it in two and braiding both sections. he places a quick kiss to your temple before turning you to face him and shut off the tv.

"alright, baby, time for bed," you nod, reaching your arms over his shoulders as he picks you up and pulls you into his chest, kissing all over your face. he held you to his chest as he tucked you both under the covers, making sure your stuffie was safe in your arms. after he had effectively kissed every spot on your face, he pushed your bangs back and pressed you to his chest.

"goodnight little one," a small pause as you held him closer, a smile on his lips as he continued, "I love you."

request/general guidelines ⤵

★ my main pairing is cg!character x little!reader but I will happily switch it up if its a request

★ I'll be happy to do character x character if requested but I probably won't do it much on my own

★ headcanons will often be paired with moodboards but I'll post those separately on occasion

★ most anything is on the table except what is in my 'wont write' section so be wary of that

★ I'll write primarily gn!reader but may switch it up from time to time

★ I won't write nsfw of any kind, ddlg, mature topics (sh, eds, su!c!de, etc), diapers, pregnancy.

★ I highly doubt there will be swearing, but if there is it'll be in my warnings at the start of every fic/blurb/etc

★ my account is a safe place so if you're homophobic/transphobic/racist/sexist/nsfw account, please don't interact.

other ⤵

masterlist // moodboards // mutuals // anons // about me

taglist ⤵

@jjtheresidentbaby @lillylvjy @wilmaslittleflower @littlesakura-anon @littlesoot @wilburstamagotchi (ask or dm to be added!!)

I scramble to my feet, as she approaches me quickly, sprinting to the front door. I fumble with the locks for a moment, allowing her time to catch up to me. Just as I get the door fully unlocked and begin to pull it open, my mother pulls my head back by my hair, with a deadly grip once more, and slams my forehead into the door pushing it closed. Black dots fill my vision as I crumble to the floor. Fighting the urge to slip into unconsciousness, I reach for the door handle again. Opening the door successfully and doing my best to crawl out of the doorway.

As I slowly push myself up, nearly out of the house, my mother's foot makes contact with my back, making me fall and tumble down the porch steps. I barely open my eyes to see her glaring at me, as the ringing in my ears grows louder, I can just barely hear her say, “You are no daughter of mine.” I black out soon after she slams the door shut.

----

I groan softly as I slowly open my eyes, my head pounding, my body stiff and aching from the abuse it endured not long ago. I pushed myself up slowly, though every part of my body protested at the movement. I walked around the house to where my bags were, grabbing them and setting off to anywhere but that wretched house. I continue to walk slowly, not only due to my aching limbs but also because of the darkness that still surrounds me. I had slept for a few hours before coming to, waking in the early hours of the morning.

I walk till the sun peaks from behind the trees, stopping at the edge of town where the houses lessen to meet a dense forest that residents of the small town make a clear point to avoid. I take a deep breath before stepping into the forest, not wishing to see the stares of people I have known my entire life. The same people who had shunned me and ridiculed me. My eyelids grow heavy as I pass the identical trees knowing that I am very lost. I stop next to a large tree, knowing mindlessly walking through the dense foliage will do me no good, and sit against the tree as I quickly close my eyes, falling asleep.

-- --

I hear a soft conversation near me as I begin waking up once more for the day. The voices grow closer as I slowly open my eyes and look toward where the conversation was coming from. I make eye contact with vibrant purple eyes, staring at me closely with concern filling them as they glance around my face. I am confused when I see the concerned look in their eyes, as they are the only feature of theirs that I can see. Memories of last night fill my head quickly and I realize that bruises have begun to form on my dark skin.

I bring my hand up and gently rub my forehead, as I survey the silver facial coverings the person in front of me adorns. Though there is a cut out for the person's mouth, it can’t be seen, hidden by a black mask of sorts. Silver hair is depicted on the mask, along with two horns poking out at the top of their head. A deep voice comes from behind the slightly unsettling mask before me.

“Are you alright?” He asks softly, as his eyes continue to stare at my (visible) injuries. I go to respond but am caught off guard by movement behind the figure in front of me. Having forgotten the other person's presence, I glanced at them quickly, noticing light blue eyes behind an identical mask. Instead of responding, I attempted to stand, finally coming to my senses and realizing the potential danger I could be in with the two masked men, alone, deep in the woods.

However, once I am standing fully, blood rushes to my head quickly, and a headache instantly forms, causing me to stumble. My head, clearly unable to take more blood, shuts down, forcing me to pass out and fall forward. Before completely losing consciousness, I feel two strong arms catch me. The last thing I see is those purple eyes framed by the strange silver mask staring down at me.

-- --

I slowly open my eyes to find myself in a dimly lit room. I look to my right to find a large window, the forest I was in not long ago lying behind tall stone walls and iron gates. I jolt up, realizing I didn’t know where I was exactly. Looking to my left, a tall figure stands in the doorway, dressed in all black, a black button, black dress pants with suspenders, and black dress shoes to complete the ensemble. A silver mask rests on their face, similar to the two men I had encountered in the forest. I recognize the stark purple eyes from the day before, however, I still push myself into the far corner of the bed. He raises both his hands in front of him to present himself as non-threatening as he fully enters the room.

“Glad you’re awake. How are you feeling?” He asks, pulling out a chair from a desk I hadn’t noticed. I remained in the farthest corner from him as I shrugged slightly, avoiding eye contact, my throat dried out after the numerous naps I’d taken for the day. My head was still foggy from what may be a concussion, my ribs screamed for me not to move and calm my breathing. He sighs, standing and leaving the room.

In his absence, I take in the rest of the room. Taking note of the large wardrobe next to the desk, a door leading to what I assume to be a bathroom, the small desk on the same wall as the door into this room, and my bags sitting beside the desk. All the furniture is made of the same dark wood that resembles that of the trees in the surrounding forest. The walls are made of stone just like the walls outside. In the corner of the room across from the bed is a fireplace and a small loveseat made of a dark fabric. The room has a very cozy, dark academia aesthetic that I would enjoy more if I knew how I got here and if I knew where she was.

I slowly stand from the bed, swaying only slightly before fully gaining my balance. I walk into the bathroom, taking in my appearance in the mirror. A dark bruise from being punched on my left cheek, my bottom lip split but the blood was gone as it glistens with some sort of ointment, my right eyebrow also split from my collision with the door, my forehead also darkening from the forming bruise. I turn on the sink, leaning down to sip the cool water, sighing in relief as the cool liquid runs down my throat.

A woman walks into the room as I exit the bathroom, she’s dressed in a simple long-sleeved black dress that stops just before her knees, accompanied by knee-high socks and Mary Janes. She smiles softly at me, seeming surprised that I wasn’t in the bed.

“Hi. I’m Jessica, Jess for short,” she greets, staring at me kindly. “Two of our ghouls found you in the woods, they brought you here so we could help with your injuries. I understand if you’re scared and you are welcome to leave at any time, but you can stay until you heal. Longer if you so wish,” She reassured me, calming me just slightly knowing that I am not trapped here.

“I’m Asteria,” I state meekly, my shyness shining through. She smiles wider at my response.

“Well, Asteria, there are clothes in the wardrobe if you want to shower and change. I’ll come back in an hour so you can adjust a bit.” She says starting to leave the room. I reach for her arm quickly before she can reach the door. She turns back to me, clearly confused.

“What are ghouls?” I question, settling on the first coherent question that ran through my head as I thought of the mysterious masked figures I had encountered. She smiles at me, patting my arm before walking to the door again.

“No way!” I say before laughing loudly.

“I’m serious!” Mountain says through a laugh himself. I laugh to the point that I can barely breathe and begin leaning against Mountain, trying to catch my breath. Throughout our lengthy conversation, we made a lot of progress as he slowly stopped flinching when my hand neared to get where we are now.

“So, you’re telling me that,” I pause, a small giggle escaping my lips, “that you didn’t talk to any of them for three days because he said he doesn’t like the color green?” It wasn’t as funny as our laughter made it seem, but the way he told the story made it seem like the most interesting and, in this case, the funniest thing in the world.

“Well, yeah, it really offended me.” He said looking down at me, my head now calmly resting on his shoulder. I comfortable silence now rests over the garden, I glance up to find him still looking at me, a soft look in his eyes.

His head turns quickly towards the door I came through. I turn my head in that direction to find another ghoul standing stiffly, her hands resting behind her back. The hair on her mask is far more embellished and full compared to the display on Mountain’s.

“It’s time for practice,” she says simply before scurrying inside. Mountain shifts beside me and I quickly lift my head so he could stand. He holds out a hand to help me up and we walk inside together before parting ways.

-- -- 

I make my way to the dining area, to try and get a midnight snack. I hadn’t even bothered trying to go to sleep for the night. Any attempts would have been fruitless anyway. Before I could make it all the way to some much-desired food, I notice someone sitting by one of the very large windows along the hallway walls.

The slivers of moonlight peeking through the clouds gleam off the silver mask that rests on the person’s face. The ghoul’s head turns to me, and I quickly come to a halt. Vibrant light-blue irises shine from behind their mask. My eyes trail down at their outfit to find more casual, comfortable clothes, compared to the slightly restricting uniform I had seen the ghouls and ghoulettes wearing in the band room. I rack my brain to try and remember how I can identify this ghoul without finding the symbols on their uniforms.

Water Ghouls - Light-blue

The calmest of the ghouls. 

Quickest to form a bond with, even without gifts or trinkets.

Maintain a calm and slow approach, and allow them to accommodate to your general presence before attempting to speak to or even touch them.

I slowly walked to and sat across from the water ghoul in the wide ministry window. I stared out the window with them, watching as it begins to rain, small droplets gliding down the window panes. I stole many glances towards them to find their mask was identical to Mountain’s. We made eye contact a few times, however, he always broke it first, not seeming threatened by my presence or gaze.

Almost an hour had passed before I first spoke.

“Hi,” I whisper, not wanting to disrupt the quiet atmosphere that surrounded us too much. He quickly moves his gaze to me, his eyes analyzing me for a few moments before he responds.

“Hey,” he pauses for a moment or two seeming to gather his thoughts. “I’m Rain.”

“Nice to meet you, Rain,” I say smiling kindly at him. “It’s really pretty tonight, huh?”

“Yeah,” he responds, his focus on the clouds once more. “Why are you up so late? Don’t humans need a full night's sleep?” Curiosity fills his gaze as he turns to me again, however, I continue looking outside and avoid, what seems to be, concern in his eyes.

“Some. I can’t sleep anyways, so I thought I’d wander for a bit.” He hums a response, looking outside once more. Silence settles again as the sky slowly brightens, the time spent here becoming apparent.

“Thanks,” I pause, gathering my thoughts a bit. “For bringing me back here. I have no idea where I would have gone if you hadn’t.”

“It wasn’t a problem. Plus you had passed out, it would’ve been wrong to just leave you there. Speaking of which, how’d you end up out there? With all those injuries?”

I suck in a quick breath, my mind wandering back to my mother and her afflictions towards me. Tears build at my waterline without me realizing as I continue looking up at the sky.

“Sorry, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he quickly back-tracks so as to not upset me. I blink away the tears once I look at him and smile sadly as the sun slowly peaks out from behind the tree line. I stand, ready to continue my way towards the kitchen. Before I leave, I glance at the ghoul again.

“Oh, uh thank you for yesterday,” I said quietly.

He tilts his head cutely, confusion clouding his gaze.

“For protecting me, when I accidentally set off one of the other ghouls. I appreciate it.” I say, waiting before walking off to gauge his reaction.

His gaze scans my face thoroughly, his eyes conveying an emotion I can't decipher about what he was feeling. He glances away as though to gather his thoughts.

“I didn’t want anything else to happen to you after how we found you. Out in the woods,” he turns his eyes back to me, the look in his eyes now registering as protective and care, something I have seen very rarely. 

My cheeks heat up at his word, his voice dripping with care, a truly foreign substance to me. I duck my head and hurry down the hall, continuing on to find the kitchen, not exactly knowing how to process, let alone respond to his words.

My eyes widen, realizing what this means about the people I have recently encountered. I slip the dress on, relatively unbothered by the new information. If they were to kill me for a sacrifice or any other practice I was told satanists have, they would have done it already. Opening the two drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe find a pair of Mary Janes in one and black knee-high socks with two white stripes at the top in the other.

As I slip the shoes on, a knock rings through the room. I open the door to see Jess, right on time, she smiles gesturing for me to follow her through the hallway. As we walk I realize that the entire building has an old gothic style, from the windows to the arches. I stare at Jessica expectantly after she points out the way to the important room I need to be able to get to. Though it takes some time for her to notice my curious gaze, she soon begins to tell me about the ghouls.

“We have eight ghouls here in the abbey. Papa summoned them to assist him during mass, and rituals. They even help members that are higher up in the church with their tasks. They aren’t allowed near any others, however.” She says hesitantly, as though she is fearful of even mentioning the ghouls and what they do. She looks over and quickly notices my growing confusion. “As you may or may not have noticed, this is an unholy church of Satan. Papa Emeritus IV is the current Papa, his role in our church is similar to that of a priest in a holy church. Papa summoned the ghouls from hell to do all the things I told you they do around here.” I walk beside her silently as I process this information.

-- --

Jess soon walks off leaving me to my thoughts. I continue to walk through the halls, being broken out of my thoughts by my name being called from behind me. I turn to find a sister who holds a strong aura of authority. She motions for me to follow her before quickly walking away from me, I jog slightly to catch up to her. She leads me to what seems to be her office, filled with dark tones.

She gestures to a seat in front of her desk and I sit, awaiting information as to why she brought me here. She stares me down and I shift uncomfortably under her stern gaze, her intimidating aura worsening the deafening silence. She finally breaks the silence and tension addressing her reason for bringing me here, while holding a book in her hands.

“Do you wish to stay here? Long-term?” She asks, I think it over quickly, deciding that living in a satanist church is better than wandering aimlessly through the woods.

“I do, but may I ask some of the general beliefs of your church? I don’t want to be shunned again…” I trail off, my last moments in my old church. Sympathy flashes through her eyes before she clears her throat.

“Here, we give into sin and are accepting of everything, you will be accepted here. So long as you worship Satan, you will always be welcome here. If you wish not to, you are to leave once you have fully healed.” She states fluidly, as though she has said it a thousand times before. I blink at her processing all the information she gave me quickly, before making my decision.

“I’ll stay here, worship Satan and anything else you may ask of me. I’d never be opposed to the opportunity to join such an accepting religion.” I say, my gut telling me this is the best place for me.

“Great. You will need to take up a contributing role in the covenant, unfortunately, we only have one position open for the time being. It comes with many responsibilities, are you willing to take on a job that will be consistently demanding?” She questions now standing beside her desk, staring down at me.

“Yes.”

-- --

I stood in front of Papa, Sister Imperator having just introduced us. His face is covered in black and white makeup, which only put me off initially. He smiles down at me softly, sensing my nervousness.

“How are you doing, cara mia?” He asks me in a soft tone that calms my nerves quickly. His heterochromatic eyes stare at me with a hint of concern as they pass over the healing injuries on my face. I remain silent for a few moments, unsure of what my answer would be.

“Better than I have in a while, Papa,” I state shyly, not knowing how I am supposed to act around the important figure of the unholy church. I kept my answer short so as to not get scolded for rambling. Papa’s smile widens at my positive answer as he gestures for me to walk alongside him.

“Has your upcoming job been explained to you?” He asks as we walk slowly through the abbey, entering a part I haven’t been near before, though I haven’t been to many places here. I shake my head before answering.

“Not yet, though Sister Imperator did give me this book Liber Ghoulius Eorumque Historia, so I assume it pertains to them,” I say carefully, hoping I didn’t butcher the pronunciation of the book title. Papa glances at me, seeming to take notice of the book under my arm at this point.

“And how much do you know about our ghouls?” He presents another question, his tone becoming more serious with this question.

“I know that they were summoned here, by you and the Papas before you, to assist you with masses and that, at least from the only other member of the covenant I’ve met, they might be dangerous.” I list, thinking of the information Jess had given me. I glance up at Papa to see him looking back at me with his eyes widened slightly.

“You know more about them than I would have thought. You are correct in assuming they have the potential to be dangerous, which is why we keep them isolated from the covenant at most times.” He stops walking and fully faces me, his expression deadly serious. “Are you sure you wish to take this job? It will require you to be with or near them for most of the day, for almost every day of the week.” He informs me, staring deeply into my eyes, holding my hands in his, creating a tense atmosphere around us. Mulling it over in my head quickly, I decided to take the job, not really having anything to lose at the moment.

“I am, but you still haven’t told me what the job is exactly,” I say, breaking the intense eye contact.

“You will watch the ghouls, keeping them on time and on task when needed for the most part,” he states calmly, watching me carefully to gauge my reaction to what the job is.