Chapter Text
Regro would always call himself a very normal man. Nothing too interesting, if anything, his life before moving to the woods was just a sad backstory that every adoptive parent needed in manga for some reason.
But again, overall a very common man to see in the world.
That changed one day when he found a group of kids on a roof.
The eldest was a fourteen year old boy named Doom. The poor child was blind and Regro immediately felt terrible inside when he saw the conditions he and his younger siblings were in. It looked like they had escaped something. Doom had five younger siblings, two of them literally babies that appeared to be attempting an escape themselves from the grasp of their second eldest brother.
Grasp was a strong word as the babies were more being held by the blankets by the hands of a very out of it looking twelve year old.
Huddled behind him was said very tall boy that he later learned was named Famin. Now the concerning part, other than the hair, was that the boy refused to let him near the twins. Which was understandable if said child wasn’t hissing at him as the younger blond boy attempted to glare at him.
Epidem had simply stared and that mildly uneased him.
Regro was embarrassed to say how long it took for him to convince them that he was not some weirdo sent by their father (who he know wanted some strong words with) nor would he send them to the police (why on earth would he do that?). He actually wasn’t planning on even letting them stay in his home for more than a night or two. He swears it!
But then, when little Domina had started to cry and accidentally release a volume of magic on the third day, Regro had just acted. His arms just went and snatched up the baby to hold.
Pure silence.
Epidem and Famin had been trying to stop baby Mash from running around and making the mess worse while Doom and Delisaster had been messily attempting to stop the sheer magic output.
Now all of them were looking at him like he was crazy.
Epidem was surprisingly the one to break the silence.
”Why are you touching him?”
Regro blinked.
”I’m holding him, because he’s a baby. They need to be held usually and I thought that doing that would help him calm down.”
He stupidly assumed that that would be the end of it so he started rocking Domina back and forth until the pinkette slowly fell into a slumber. As he placed the child down, Delisaster shyly walked towards the cradle that he definitely didn’t realize he was buying until he was back at home with it.
”Uh, so… do kids get held a lot? Or is that just for the little little babies? Like Mash?”
Mash was currently wiggling like an incredibly strong worm to get out of Famin’s arms. The tween was apparently trying to mimic what Regro had just done with an odd fascination on his face. It was almost funny if the resulting realization wasn’t incredibly sad.
”Have you boys… never been held?”
Doom had started playing with his new bandanna that Regro had grabbed him, as if holding it could make him disappear into the wall behind him. Epidem had decided that the floor was very shiny and squatted down to just stare.
For a ten year old, he had some lanky limbs.
Delisaster was still at the cradle when Famin struggled to put their youngest brother down without breaking his head open. Regro walked over and started gently adjusting the baby to be properly held. Mash finally stopped his purposeless struggle and decided that surrender was probably his best tactic until he could be unleashed to the world.
Famin had a shocked look on his face, though only his eyes became wider as he held his brother. Delisaster walked towards him only with the kind of adorable curiosity that a seven year old could have and still be considered a menace.
Throughout the night, he could hear the four of them whispering from his room. He gave himself the couch for however long they planned to stay as they seemed to not want to be separated, even in such a small hut.
Fifteen years later and each of them had their own rooms.
Sue him, would you abandon a group of kids that you found on a random roof? I don’t think so, now enjoy the exposition towards the main plot.
Regro was trying to relax in his chair as the sounds of his children filled the room. Epidem and Mash were supposed to be on a grocery run, which in hindsight was probably not the best idea considering their tastes in desserts, but Domina was too busy preparing for her entrance exam at the Walkis Magic Academy.
At some point over the years, she had barged in and said that she was now his only daughter. Delisaster had obviously put her up to the spectacle as her face was red with embarrassment and he had brought sparklers. This almost lit the house on fire but she stopped it just in time and here they are. Still unburned. Somehow.
Famin was somewhere in the woods with Doom as they had started grabbing some wood for the week. He never knew where Delisaster went in the city but he was somewhere at least. It was a completely normal and sane day.
And then Mash ripped the door off its hinges.