Chapter Text
“Is everyone here familiar with ghoul reproduction?” Copia asked the group of young women gathered in the meeting room. Ten of you had been selected as strong candidates for this process, but it was important to Frater Imperator that you understand the gravity of what it would entail.
There was something intimidating about the former Papa that made the Sisters at the heavy wooden table shift uneasily in their seats. He strode around the attendees, assessing them in turn as he awaited an answer. The squeaking of his leather Oxfords was the only sound for a long moment. You met eyes with him and his mismatched stare pierced right through you. If you could guess, you’d say he wasn’t impressed by what he saw.
“We understand,” a brave girl to your left piped in. “The water ghoul produces eggs and inserts them into a female. A second ghoul inseminates the eggs. Then we carry the embryos until they have finished developing and are ready to be born. We’d be the incubator. It’s not that complicated.” She said resolutely, but there was a slight tremor to her voice that she couldn’t hide.
Copia’s eyes flashed at her. “Indeed,” he nodded, “but that is a gross oversimplification of the process. I want to make this very clear; if you want to be considered for the role you must give your full consent up front.”
A shiver snaked up your spine as you looked around the table. With touring on hold the Dark Lord would not allow any more ghouls to be summoned. This was the only way to add to the unholy population.
“But we could stop if we needed to? Or take a break at least?” a girl with red curls interjected.
Copia paused, turning his full body to hers. “You are dismissed.”
“B-but-,” she stammered. “I was just saying-”
“You. Are. Dismissed.” He went to the door and held it as she clumsily gathered her notebook and left, cheeks on fire.
The other girls were dead silent. “As I was saying, this is very serious. It seems that you have not been told the full process, so I will go over it now,” he was pacing as he spoke. “Our water ghoul, Rain, is due to produce eggs this Samhain. We need a woman that will be fertile during this time to allow the eggs to be inserted to her womb.”
A hand went up in the room.
Copia seemed slightly annoyed, “Do you have a question about the insertion?”
“Well, I’m just wondering, wouldn’t it make more sense for a ghoulette to take the eggs, instead of a human?” she asked.
Frater looked her over, but deemed it a reasonable question. “It would be advantageous to have a ghoulette take the eggs. Their bodies are warmer and they are sturdier than most humans. Sadly, there are only three ghoulettes in the abbey and their cycles are synced. They will be bleeding during Samhain.”
The girl nodded, and Copia continued. “The insertion may be slightly uncomfortable. We can’t be sure, but suspect there will be six small eggs for the transfer.” He looked around at the Sisters, but they all just stared wide-eyed so he continued. “From then on it will be similar to the human reproductive process. The eggs need to be fertilized. You are to stay in the dens until the consummation is complete. Oh, and I don’t recommend kissing. Unless you enjoy being bitten.”
Two of the girls exchanged concerned glances. One raised her hand. “Why can’t we each take one or two eggs instead of all six?”
Copia sighed. This process was exasperating, he really needed to talk to Imperator about setting up a class on ghoul anatomy and breeding. “This has been attempted in the past. Isolated eggs did not mature. Ghouls have little chance of survival without their pack, even in utero.”
You stared at Frater as he spoke. It still wasn’t clear which ghoul would inseminate you? Without thinking about you, you slowly raised your hand.
“Yes?” Copia was close enough to you that you could smell the Acqua di Gio on his collar. He gave you his full attention.
You swallowed. “Which ghoul will- er, handle the consummation?” you asked, regretting the question immediately.
Copia let an evil smirk betray his professional demeanor. He came up to your ear and whispered into it, “All of them.” Another chill danced through you at his words.
Then louder for the class, he repeated the message. “ALL of the ghouls who are equipped for consummation will mate with you. In fact, when they smell the eggs within you they won’t be able to stop themselves for a chance at procreation. This is the message that I’m trying to convey. It will be rough, primal, and necessary. There may be blood. Your blood. And it will only encourage them. Now is the time to excuse yourself if you are not willing to be part of the ritual.”
“But,” a newer Sister with long dark hair blurted out, “I’ve slept with Mountain before. He is surprisingly gentle.” To be chosen for this you had to have had sex with a ghoul before because they wanted to be sure that you could handle the size of ghoul cocks. You caught your cheeks reddening because you had lied about it, never having actually been with a ghoul before.
“You are dismissed,” Copia said quietly. The Sister paused, but left in a huff. “I don’t think you understand that they will not be themselves. Think of it like a possession. It will not be romantic,” he grimaced as the word left his lips. “The consummation window will last for several hours. They will mate with you and fight each other. Now please leave if you are not interested in this service.”
Three more Sisters left the room. The five of you remaining cast nervous glances towards each other.
Copia appraised the remaining lot. “You will incubate the eggs for three months as they develop into kits. In that time they will grow within your womb. You may feel poorly as you carry ghouls with elements that are not natural to your body. A fire ghoul embryo can feel like burning within, for example, but you may have a mixture of elements clashing inside you.” He clutched his stomach and mimed pains. “These eggs are only produced every five years, and there is only a 30% chance that each egg makes it all the way from seed to fetus to live birth. Those containing quintessence have the best chance, because of their adaptability, but it’s possible that after all of this there are only one or two baby ghouls.”
“They could die inside of me??” a Sister with purple hair blanched and made her way to the exit.
Frater only nodded. After she left he sighed, “Well, now that you think you have heard the worst, we are going to watch a video of a birth. Gather round.”
On the screen a young woman clutched her protruding abdomen in agony and screamed bloody murder as she writhed in a hospital bed. She eased up slightly as a ghoul came to her side and gave her medicine, maybe quintessence too. But it got worse. You watched it unfold like a trainwreck as the camera’s vantage point shifted lower and the first ghoul began to crown. You focused on details that you didn’t want to see like the size of the dilation and the presence of forceps laying on a nearby tray just in case. You remained transfixed as she squeezed out four ghoul babies. The video was mostly as you expected, except Frater was the “doctor.” And the kits were larger than you had hoped. How could they grow so much in such a short gestation? It looked excruciatingly painful. There was also a slime that you hadn’t been expecting that coated the newborns as they were delivered. A girl to your right hit the floor.
“Someone always faints,” Frater chuckled, as he knelt down and fanned her.
Another girl ran to the back of the room and hurled into a trash can. Copia made a call and a friendly nurse entered and helped the girls out to the infirmary.
Copia was unphased, “And then there were two,” he took a seat between you and patted your knee. “So now you must decide. If you still grant your consent, meet at the ghoul dens after dinner on Samhain. Rain will inspect you and determine which of you is most suited to carry his precious cargo. Oh, and I’m going to make V stay in the dens as well. They’re his ghouls now, so he can make sure that no one dies.”
You nodded awkwardly. The Sister beside you also looked nervous. You wondered who Rain would choose.