Chapter Text
How long has it been? From 1837 to now, so a hundred and eighty-eight years.
Since the last child entered his realm? It was 1985 when she came, so forty years ago.
How long he's been doing this? Ever since he died here. It was meant to be a daycare, but it turned to become an apartment for 3 groups.
Why has he been doing this? Because the adults don't deserve the children they have. He has witness, through the doll, what they have gone through. He shares their pain, after all his parents were terrible; it led to the death of his brother. When he died, he was expecting to be in heaven, but this surprise was welcomed for he can give the children a home, a haven to finally be free. But, they can't stay in his realm for long because of their mortal souls and because they will soon become like those irritating adults. So, he came up with his solution. Many have accepted his deal to stay in his world forever, however there is always the few who want to go back.
But why would they? All the children can have fun and play whatever, eat whatever, do whatever for they get to stay children forever! His world is a wonderland for the little ones. Why would anyone want to leave? They will often cause a ruckus, trying get the other children to see their vision, so I would but them in time-out until they decide to behave. It's only three that gave him that trouble.
He has all that he could ask for, a land of never-ending fun, a place where children will be happy for all eternity. It is what he strived for his whole life. But... recently... he's been feeling lonely. He tries to delude himself with the company of the children's souls or talk to the illusions he's made. But he knows better, no matter how hard he hides it. He wants someone. Like him. Someone who also cares for the wellbeing of children. Someone who will... love him. Not just as a friend or anything platonic. He wants to really connect with someone. But, it's so conflicting because he hates adults! Maybe... he can make an exception for once.
"Mr. Sun?" A little boy called out. Snapping out of his haze, he turns his gaze to the one-eyed boy. "Yes, Fritz?" Fritz was a grayscale soul, like every other soul in this world, with messy hair, an eye patch over his right eye, a small T-shirt, knee-length shorts and tennis shoes with short crew length socks. The only thing in his possession was a fake pirate hook. "Are you okay?" Fritz asks, voice filled with worry.
"Yeah!" Exclaimed a little girl, named Susie. She had a bow in her very curly hair that framed her face, a dress with a frilly skirt what went over her knees, wearing small Mary Jane shoes. In her arms was a plush dog that seemed to be alive, wagging it's tail. "You're, uh... uh-" "Spacing out!" Yelled a tall young boy, Jeremy, with a buzz cut, a T-shirt, knee-length shorts and tennis shoes with ankle length socks. His accessory were cut out, paper bunny ears stapled to the strip of paper that wrapped around his head. "Thank you!" Susie yelled with a wave.
He must've been letting this distraction get the better of him. "Ho, ho, ho!" He laughed, regaining his energetic spirit. "The answer is simple, kids. I just haven't been feeling like myself, under the weather if you will." He said, patting Fritz's head. "However!" Mr. Sun exclaimed, shooting up. "I will be back to my tip-top shape in no time. So, nothing to fear, my little starlits!" He leaned down, wrapping his arms around them to hug them tightly. "I will be alright! Why don't you little shooting stars get ready for naptime?"
The children nodded, satisfied with their caretaker's answer. They rushed out to the field to alert the other children to go to the big barn house to slumber another time. The barn house wasn't filthy like those in the real world, it was cartoonish and welcoming, filled with nothing but pillows, blankets, plushies, and sleeping mats.
Now that they were gone, he should probably consult with the crystal ball in his tower. It knows what he needs and wants.
He jumped and bounced off the ground, launching himself into the air, seemingly flying as the bright, blue sky slowly started to turn into night. The sky turned dark, stars littering the scene like mesmerizing glitter. He landed on the balcony of his tower, parting the curtains to enter the darkness of his humble abode. They closed behind him, concealing his true form from those outside the tower.
Bones snaped and morphed, limbs twisted and extend, metal skin stretched beyond recognition as his once friendly jester-like appearance became something more nightmarish, the shadows covering his form. Bells jingled a dark tune as he moved to the center of his room, the old wooden floorboards wheezing under his weight, the sound of rusted metal creaking echos in the air. He parted the thin, partially see through drape that surround the table like a tent.
On the center of the table sat an elegant crystal ball surrounded by shards of amethyst like a summoning circle. There was a tablecloth that sparkled like the stars outside, almost mimicking the night sky if it weren't for the different phases of the moon littering the fabric. It was once his twin brother's baby blanket. Even though he is no longer alive, he still finds a use for anything of his brother, that he treasures so.
He leans down, his endoskeleton creaking like the bones of an old person as he extends his arms to weave his hands around the ball, causing it to glow. Glowing mist that were the colors blue, purple, and pink filled the spherical crystal, a glow filling the room. The mist parted, revealing the image of a lone mother and her little boy, the new fish to enter the tank. It showed the visions of the two. The little boy was mischievous and a troublemaker, something Sun has delt with before but it is always quite irritating to deal with.
Interestingly enough, it also showed him interaction with the woman. It showed her bandaging his finger from a cut, them slow dancing together, laughing together- she even makes a flower crown for him. Was this... the one he was looking for? Has his prayer been answered? He needs to make sure. "S̸̭̜̭̓ẗ̵̹́̈a̸̩͔͇̮̓̏ř̵͕͓̩͈s̶̙̦̦̎́͒̇ ̷̯̑̿͌͜ạ̶̟̱̊͜b̴͕̜̪͆ͅơ̷̼͎͝v̷͓͖͚̋̚e̵̳͋͊͠.̷͍̜͌̓.̵̡͓̹͗̓̎.̵̧̽͝" his voice wheezed. It was now deep, scratchy and glitching, a big difference from his high, light and smooth voice he has when around the children. "Ĭ̴̗̚s̸̼̀̾̊́ ̷̼̃͑͆ṡ̵̜̗̜̥̚ḩ̸̳̅͌̎ë̷͖̋͗̈ ̸̰̯̘̐̽̅͝ẗ̴͙͎́̏̅̐h̷͇̉̌̀e̷̙͓͕͐̽ ̴͎̍ȍ̷̧̱̒̈ͅn̷͔̓̍͜͝e̶̡̓̆̈́͜?̸̫̰̞̊̚͝͝"
He waits patiently for the crystal ball to answer. The mist envelops the interior of the ball, becoming a blank white mist. Then... it glowed green before it disappeared, the room returning to darkness.
A new, strange sensation filled him. He feels... a new type of joy. Giddy, he believes A grin grew across his face, revealing rows upon rows of needle-like teeth; all razor sharp as a shark's, a giggle escaping his throat. Is this how humans feel with, uh... what's the word... a crush? Oh, he's so excited! Wait, wait, wait- what if she's not a good person or he ends up not that interested in her? Man, he didn't know this is what a crush is, filled with happiness and anxiety. It's so confusing.
Well, by the time the doll comes, he'll probably get ahold of himself- His thoughts were cut off by the creaking of window shutters. Turning his head to the area that he calls his workshop, he sees the doll floating in, dropping into his spindly, sewing needle hands. Everything was dead silent, letting it process.
SHIT!!! CRAP!!! IT'S HAPPENING NOW! SHE'S COMING NOW?!
Calm down, he thinks to himself. First, he needs to put the children to sleep, then worry about this. He carefully sets the doll down before approaching the curtains to the balcony. He shifts back to his other form. He had a headband on his head in the form of rays of the sun, resting in shiny, golden yarn that imitates hair. On his face, he wore a metal mask in the form of a theatre comedy mask, its color is white with black mouth and eyes. He wore a beige-amber shirt with poofy, long-sleeves and two maroon buttons, yellow pants with maroon stripes, and a faint maroon gradient that can be seen just above the fabric sash of his waist frills. Both his neck and waist frills are maroon with a yellow stripe. He also wears orange elf-life shoes with a star symbol on the inner part of his shoes and a sun symbol on the outer part. He has maroon ribbons with bells wrapped around his wrists.
He headed to the barn, tucked the little ones in and read a bedtime story until they were all asleep. He left, heading back to the tower and turned back upon entering, heading to his workshop and got to work. The doll in his hands had black yarn hair in high twin pigtails and matching button eyes, a yellow and white striped long-sleeved shirt under a black overall skirt, black tennis shoes and white ankle socks. He opened his embalming sewing kit, delicately placing the doll in the center.
Turning the doll over, he used a pair of scissors to cut the clothes off. After that, He pulled on one of the pigtails, causing the black yarn to come of the head of the doll. He even uses the tip of two of his fingers to cut the thread that held the button eyes; those dirty ones need to be replaced with better, cleaner ones. He pulls out seam ripper to open up the mouth, bits of cotton flowing out like foam of someone infected with rabies. Once the doll's features were all gone, he pulls out the stuffing through the mouth, turning the doll inside out. Instead of cotton, he decides to use sawdust before setting the doll back in the center of his kit. He takes one of his needle fingers and threads some string through its eye, sewing the doll's mouth shut.
Now comes the fun part, he thinks. Who should he design it to be? The mother? Or the kid? He's so used to making them after children. But, since his supposed match is coming, he can change things up a bit.
Opening up a drawer, in reveals rows upon rows of buttons. Some are small while others are big; some are regular circles while others take on unique shapes; some have four holes with others have two; some are the common black while others have their own special colors. Humming in thought, he finally decides to take a pair of black buttons; nothing is wrong with traditional, right? Traditional is good, he thinks as he threads the needle through the button's holes on the doll. Next was the hair. Looking through his assorted colors of yarn, he finds h/c yarn and puts in the hair; he even gives it a cute hairstyle. The next thing he knows, he's already making the clothes, cutting out the stencils that were held together by pin needles. He turns to his sewing machine, covered in dust and cobwebs. It's been so long; he's happy to have it up and running again.
Soon enough, he was done, watching as he lets the doll float back out the window. He smiles, closing the shutters.
This game starts once more.