#a crow trapped in eternal jealousy: trap crow (oc)

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Momento and Trap Crow talking about the crow's experience with a certain dove :)

(ooc?)

not ooc, dw abt it anon~

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

colored the gayass birds

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

[Rhymix] Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 5: A Mystery and A Sudden Disappearance

i'm popping off kinda

———

...Only to be left with confusion.

Such a memory where the crow and the dove were being intimate with each other...

He doesn't recall experiencing such a thing.

"...Huh?" He mutters out, slowly processing what he had just seen. He feels compelled to call Momento over and ask her some questions—or, well, just one question.

Should he—

"Holy fucking shit I forgot ONE THING." Well...it doesn't seem like Trap Crow really needs to "call" Momento over anymore. "Hey, devil guy...girl...both, I saw some weird shit in that memory." The crow spares no time asking his question as Momento scurries around the area to find whatever he had accidentally left in here.

Upon hearing Trap Crow's question, the devil-God perks up, looking at the only other person in the room with a raised eyebrow. "Context?" He asks, before finally seemingly finding whatever he left here and picked it up. "That dove who keeps visiting me these past few weeks...did we ever had anything special between us?" Trap Crow questions nervously.

Momento thinks about it for a moment, before shrugging. "No...? Look, I never personally knew any of you people up until I supposedly got revived by Eternity. I wouldn't know jackshit." She answers, walking towards the main entrance of Trap Crow's prison area. "Wh- hey! Don't go yet! You're not lying to me, are you?!"

"...No???? Look, I'm busy today, I don't have time for stupid bullshit. JUST BECAUSE I'm the God of Memories that does NOT mean I'd know what memories anyone would see in those glass butterflies." Without saying any goodbyes, Momento quickly walks through the entrance, and soon enough, he's gone.

Trap Crow lets out a frustrated groan, before thinking back on that memory. If it is true, then when the hell did it even happen? Does him not remembering such a memory unfolding in his life have anything to do with the fact that he also doesn't remember how he even ended up in this cage to begin with?

"This is starting to give me a fucking headache..."

———

Weeks go by, and eventually, weeks turned into months.

It had been months since Ringed Genesis first decided to visit Trap Crow. Over the past few months of these visits, the two ended up getting to know each other a lot more. It's to the point where they can easily notice and even point out the most littlest details about each other.

The dove's also starting to feel such a strange connection with the crow. Though, of course, the strange mystery of that one memory isn't really easy for them to shake off either. Every night they'd think about that memory—replaying it in their heads as if it's a video.

Today, Ringed Genesis felt the need to visit Trap Crow again. His visits to Trap Crow's cage has become so frequent that he might as well go there every single day on every single opportunity he has. For some reason, he had taken a lot of comfort being in the presence of the crow, it's...odd.

Entering the Realm of the Almighty's prison faction, Ringed Genesis quickly takes notice of the rather tense atmosphere. He looks around, before finally spotting a panicking Momento, a worried Eternity, and a...notably pissed off Amazing Mighty. "Devil? Ms. Eternity? And Sir Amazing Mighty...? What is the matter here?" He quickly asks, catching the trio's attention immediately.

"Oh fuck- Angel! Have you- have you seen Crow around?!" Momento asks, his voice showcasing his messy state. Ringed Genesis frowns at that. "No. Why? Is he...not in his cage?" He asks again, and he could see Eternity nod. "Yes. Momento went to check on him this morning, but when he did, that crow's nowhere to be found."

"That damned crow...thinking he can just escape like that so fucking easily..." Ringed Genesis could then hear Amazing Mighty mutter. It seems like he's the most unhappy about this. "If you want, I can try to find him myself." The dove offers, and hearing that, Momento perks up. "Really?!"

"Yes, really. You can trust me to bring him back here safe and sound—"

"I'm not letting you be the one to find him."

Everyone immediately turned their heads to look at Amazing Mighty, who looks at Ringed Genesis with clear anger in his eyes. "But why? There is definitely something wrong here—you initially didn't want me to visit Trap Crow constantly, and now this?" Ringed Genesis asks, pure annoyance written all over his facial expressions as he then chuckles bitterly.

"What has gotten into you? Is there something you know that I don't?" He then asks again, crossing his arms as he then gazes intensely at the God. Amazing Mighty clenches his fist, trying his best to calm himself down, and once he did, he sighs heavily. "Trap Crow is dangerous. He has hurt someone in the past—someone who he supposedly loves and cherishes a lot."

Amazing Mighty then forces a smile, though his anger is still present from the way his brows are still furrowed. "Hah. Not even I would do such a thing to Felys." Ringed Genesis merely raises an eyebrow at that, before quickly stealing a glance at Eternity and Momento. Momento looks...annoyed, to say the least. But Eternity?

She looks beyond horrified.

"...Ms. Eternity?" Upon hearing her name, Eternity jolts up, before quickly calming down once she realizes it's just Ringed Genesis. "...Err...Genesis." She calls back. The dove nods at her, waiting for her to say something else. She then summons a shard of glass, glowing a bright shade of red, before hovering it over to Ringed Genesis.

"If things get drastic, and if the situation calls for it, use this." She advices, a serious look on her face. Amazing Mighty's eyes widened at that. "Huh? Hey, are you sure this is the right time for him to recall such...horrible memories?" He asks, and Eternity merely nods at him.

Momento, having his initial annoyance towards Amazing Mighty gone away, now wears a confused look on his face. Ringed Genesis, on the other hand, takes the shard of glass with him. After all, maybe Eternity's right. Besides, this could possibly be an anomaly shard—anomaly shards are much more stronger compared to normal ones, so he'll probably have use for this.

Now the only task he has?

Finding Trap Crow.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Rhymix: Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 2: Prohibited

idfk ok

anyways bird yaoi on yaoi day. perfect occasion right~? :3

———

Driven with even more curiosity, Ringed Genesis decided to visit Trap Crow more regularly.

He would come into the Realm of the Almighty, find Momento (if he doesn't find him, he'll settle with finding Callima Karma instead), get escorted into the realm's prison, and then meet Trap Crow there.

A peculiar thing that Ringed Genesis noticed during his visits is that whenever he asks Trap Crow how he ended up in his cage to begin with, the crow never wants to answer. It's an odd detail that Ringed Genesis noticed, it's small yet it makes Ringed Genesis feel a bit uneasy.

Today is another one of those days where he visits Trap Crow. The moment he arrives at the Realm of the Almighty, he is immediately greeted by the sight of Amazing Mighty and Tsunagite talking to each other. Ever since Tsunagite managed to stop Pandora Paradox from doing her bullshit for a second time, she visits the Realm of the Almighty regularly just to see how Pandora is doing. It's...cute, to say the least, to have someone care so much for the former Goddess.

Ringed Genesis stood there for a bit, observing them from a far, before seeing Amazing Mighty glance at him, finally noticing the dove. "Genesis! Hey~" The God greeted, and Ringed Genesis simply nodded back at him as his greeting, walking towards him and Tsunagite. "What's your business here?" Amazing Mighty then asked. "Ah, well, I am just here to visit Trap Crow, per usual." Ringed Genesis replies, a smile on his face.

...However, Amazing Mighty frowns.

It's clear he's not happy about this.

"...Huh?" He forces out. Tsunagite glances down, and she immediately takes a few steps back from Amazing Mighty as soon as she saw his hands clench up into fists. "...Why? Can I not?" Ringed Genesis asks, an eyebrow raised. Amazing Mighty was silent for a bit, before heaving out a very exasperated sigh. "I don't want you seeing him."

That statement surprised both Ringed Genesis and Tsunagite in an instant. "Eh? Why won't you allow him to see Trap Crow? Did Crow do something wrong?" Tsunagite asked the God, who immediately groans upon hearing her question. "Yes! He did do something wrong! And because of that, I don't want the two of them meeting at all!" Amazing Mighty exclaimed in anger, before glancing over to Ringed Genesis.

"You can either stay in this faction of the realm, or leave and go back home." He then said, clear rage in his voice. Being presented with two choices like this doesn't feel right. All this time, Ringed Genesis has been making visits to Trap Crow's cage regularly without Amazing Mighty's knowledge, so this reaction caught the dove off-guard for a bit.

Trap Crow did something wrong? Surely. Why else would he be in his cage to begin with?

But to the point where not even Amazing Mighty wants him visiting the crow?

That's ridiculous to Ringed Genesis.

So that's why, he decided to rebel for once.

"Hmph. Well I can do whatever I want. You can't treat me like a child, sir. I am old enough to decide whether I want to visit someone while they are imprisoned within a faction of this realm or not." Ringed Genesis retorts, before quickly walking away from Amazing Mighty and Tsunagite. "And you can't stop me."

Ringed Genesis could hear Amazing Mighty call out his name from behind him, but no footsteps could be heard trailing behind. Doesn't seem like the God will actually stop him anytime soon...or maybe Tsunagite stopped him before he could follow the dove?

Ringed Genesis genuinely doesn't know at this rate.

———

"You came to visit me? Again?"

"Obviously. Why wouldn't I?"

Walking into the dark area where Trap Crow's cage should be, Ringed Genesis could see him already glaring at him intensely. It's like there is an immense hatred in Trap Crow's heart that's directed to the dove and the dove only. That isn't really Genesis' main concern as of now, though.

"Well it's just that- you don't have much use in visiting him other than to...ask me the same question over and over again." Trap Crow replies, a frown on his face as he grips a bar of his cage. Ringed Genesis simply gives the crow a small smile—one that made Trap Crow feel like he's surrounded by light.

Which is perfectly normal, because really, Ringed Genesis is the one who is blessed by the Light.

Meanwhile, Trap Crow is just a wretched being who is cursed by the Conflict.

Trap Crow doesn't smile back, instead grimacing. "Don't look at me like that..." He blurts out, and Ringed Genesis chuckles at that. It's cute.

Trap Crow is cute.

...

...

...

Wait.

What?

Ringed Genesis' eyes widens slightly at the realization of his thoughts, before quickly shaking them away. 'No, no. Stop that, Genesis. You've only known him for a few days.' He thought to himself. The dove quickly steals a glance towards the crow, who is clearly ignoring him, a sad look on his face.

'However...'

...

'...Why do I feel like I've known him for ages?'

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Compiled Shit #2

ever since i was introduced to tupperbox i have never been the same ever since (very obvious by now)

———

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ah

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[Rhymix] Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 8: Reconcilation and Starting Over

this and the epilogue feels....really meh written-out-wise, but i think the point still comes across nonetheless

this is the final chapter!!!! and then we'll move over to the epilogue, and then we'll be done! yayyyyy

———

The two birds feel a little dumbfounded right now.

Now sitting beside each other on the ground in silence, the dove and the crow could only look up to the sky. It's getting dark, seems like the evening will come soon. Ringed Genesis feels compelled to say something to start up a conversation, but he just can't for some reason. The words are already at the tip of his tongue, he just can't get them out.

Luckily enough, Trap Crow's the one to initiate a conversation instead. "...So. How does it feel to be revealed a bunch of memories that got erased from you just like that?" He asks, glancing towards the dove, who sighs, a smile appearing on his face as he thinks of an answer.

"It's...overwhelming, to say the least." Ringed Genesis replies, before finally adding, "Though, to think that you were the one to confess first is honestly funny." Hearing that, Trap Crow lets out a lighthearted laugh. "Haha! Shut it!" Hearing Crow laugh for the first time since they both reunited is enough to make Genesis' heart flutter.

Deep down inside, the crow truly is the same crow the dove used to know.

"But...do you still...?" Ringed Genesis then asks, a feeling of uncertainty growing within him as he trails off. He doesn't need to finish his question, though, because it seems like Trap Crow already gets the memo. The crow silently ponders for a bit, before a smile manages to make its way onto his face.

"...Maybe."

"Maybe? Give me a more clearer answer than that."

"Okay, fine! I do still like you! I..."

Trap Crow's face immediately turns red as he forces out the next set of words he wanted to say;

"I...do still love you, Dove."

Ringed Genesis' gaze softens. Maybe he isn't too conscious of his own actions, but his instinct told him to do it, so he did what it wanted him to do. He scoots closer towards the crow, who tenses up as soon as the dove does just that. Their faces inches closer, and closer, and...

"Hey. Wait."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"...Are you sure you're going to...y'know, forgive me for what I did in the past?"

"To be honest, I don't feel like blaming you for what happened between us back then. I want to blame the situation and circumstances that were looming around us at the time."

"Is...that so?"

"Yes."

Trap Crow takes a deep breath, before smiling. "Then go ahead. You may." Now with a confirmation that makes Ringed Genesis relieved, he then closes the gap between him and the crow, pulling him into a loving kiss.

It has been years by now, it seems. Ringed Genesis can take notice of that thanks to the fact that he's suddenly so desperate for more of this. He didn't know that he was clearly missing Trap Crow up until now—and now that the two are finally on good terms, the dove doesn't want to waste a single second of this.

The two pulled away, panting for air, but after awhile, the crow lets out a content chuckle. "Heh. Not so bad, even after all of these years." The dove smiles at the other bird. "You too." He replies, before taking Trap Crow's hand in his and adding, "Let's just start over, shall we?" Trap Crow can't really turn down an absolutely tempting offer, and so, he nods. "Yeah. Alright."

"But first—I'm going to have to return you to the Realm of the Almighty's prison faction."

"...Fuck."

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Infodumping

oh not me- ringed genesis. he's the one infodumping here.

also i got his long ass ramble about doves off of fucking quora btw 💀💀 yeah.

anyways take this short thing while you all wait for side story 1 ch1

———

Trap Crow is half-bird.

Ringed Genesis is a bird enthusiast.

It's kind of like they were matchmade in Heaven.

Things did started out rough for them at the start, but after a long, near-deadly fight and a sort of reconcilation, they're both sort of on good terms now. Ringed Genesis would take Trap Crow out to bird-watch and would sometimes infodump about whatever species of birds they're looking at.

Trap Crow has been curious about one thing, though.

Ringed Genesis has a pet bird—a dove to be exact. It's fitting enough, because for one, he really really REALLY likes birds, and for two, Ringed Genesis always gave off the vibes of a dove to Trap Crow.

So Trap Crow wanted to test him a little.

The question in hand?

"What exactly do you know about doves, anyways?"

The question made Ringed Genesis perk up, a bit startled by the sudden question. However, it was as if his eyes immediately shined and sparkled right afterwards. "Ah, I would be delighted to tell you all that I know!" Ringed Genesis spoke—and in a tone of voice like no other times he has spoken.

After that, Ringed Genesis immediately jumped to the topic in hand. "Doves are peaceful birds known for their gentle demeanor, soft cooing sounds, and graceful flight. They're closely related to pigeons and belong to the family Columbidae. Doves come in various species, typically with slender bodies, small heads, and pointed wings. They're often gray or white, though some species have more vibrant colors like pink or brown. Doves are known for their monogamous mating habits and their symbolic association with peace and love in many cultures. Overall, they're lovely birds to observe and enjoy."

His ramble didn't end there, though. After that, he then began to ramble more about why he loves doves so much, which eventually turned to a ramble session about how he met Edel, which then shifted into a ramble session about pigeons, which is...funny.

And...

...

"...Heh. Cute."

"Exactly! They truly are adorable. I could look at Edel all day—"

"No. I meant you."

To that, Ringed Genesis froze, his rambling having put to a halt (or an end, who knows, really). After a few seconds, Trap Crow could see his face slowly going red. It took him a few more seconds to realize what he just said, and when he did, Trap Crow immediately felt embarrassment washing over him.

"Holy fuckING SHIT! FUCK- SORRY!" He screamed out, quickly covering his face with his hands to hide how red his face is right now. Ringed Genesis heaves out a breath, which made it seem like he held it in for Amazing Mighty knows how long. The dove then turned to look at the crow, his face still red, but he seems much more composed now.

"You...really think so, huh?" He asked the crow, a deadpanned look on his face as he watches Trap Crow furrow his eyebrows at his question. Trap Crow simply groans, before grabbing the collar of Ringed Genesis' shirt, and then—

———

"Nope! Nope, nope, nope~! That's enough observing them for today...!"

"Hm? Sir? Is there something wrong?-"

"ETERNITY! HAHAHA! H-HELLO......!!!!!!!!!!!!"

...

...

...

"...Ahem. Sorry. What did you asked me, again?"

"Uh...I was just asking if there's anything wrong."

"NOTHING- nothing is wrong."

"...Are...you sure?"

"Y-yes! Yes, yes."

"...Well if you say so..."

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

crowdove crowdove crowdove CROWDOVE CROWDOVE -me, slamming my hands on the dining table

/j lol, take your time writing

one moment you see them they're like this and then you look away and when you look back at them again they're beating the shit out of each other

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

crowdove

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

[Rhymix] Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Epilogue: Free At Last

woooooooo!!!!!!

———

It has been awhile since the dove and the crow's little fight.

On that particular night, Ringed Genesis returned Trap Crow to the Realm of the Almighty's prison faction. Though a little hesitant to get in his cage at first, after the dove tells him that he'll find a way to get him out eventually, the crow eventually agreed to go into his cage.

After that, Ringed Genesis decided to talk to Eternity and Amazing Mighty about what he and Trap Crow saw in that anomaly shard. The two Gods eventually explained everything, and even Amazing Mighty said that he felt slightly guilty for even erasing the dove and crow's memories of each other.

Genesis then begs Amazing Mighty to let Crow out of his cage, and after a few hesitant declines, The One Who Transcends All eventually decided to let Crow leave his cage freely.

Nowadays, the two birds simply strengthen their bond and do things together more often—more often compared to years ago, in fact. It feels surreal for the both of them, to say the least, to finally be by each other's side again after so long. But neither of them want to complain, for this is a fate that they so desired after having their memories returned to them through that anomaly shard.

Now here the two are, enjoying tea together at Ringed Genesis' place. Edel is let out of his cage once again—it's Genesis' way of having some sort of respect towards Crow, who had been trapped within a cage himself for many years. Every time Crow pays Genesis a visit, Genesis would always end up letting Edel out of his cage to fly freely around the house. It's become a tradition for him at this rate.

To say that Trap Crow feels respected is an understatement.

"I'm not usually a fan of tea, but I guess I'll drink the ones you brewed for me." Trap Crow says, before taking a sip of the tea Ringed Genesis made for him. Hearing such words coming out of the crow's mouth made the dove unbelievably happy.

"Because I made them, right?" Ringed Genesis teases, and to that, Trap Crow stifles a laugh. "Pfft- maybe." The two then enjoyed their tea in silence. It only lasted for a few minutes, however. "...Hey, Dove?" Ringed Genesis looks up to look at Trap Crow with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, dear?"

"Uh...I love you." The dove's eyes widened for a bit, before he laughs gleefully. "Hahaha! Aha- haha...Crow..." He starts, smiling. "I love you too. Don't ever forget that." Upon hearing that, the crow's face heats up in embarrassment. "I hate you for this."

"Hm? But you just said that you love me. Whatever happened to that?"

"I- you...!"

The once trapped crow can now finally feel free for once.

And the dove who has always been free will keep him company forevermore.

And so, they'll fly towards the bright sky ahead together.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

[Rhymix] Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 7: A Trip Down Memory Lane

weeeeeeeeeee

i just wanna finish up on ss1 today lol

———

It feels weird to be within a memory, rather than viewing it through the glass butterflies like usual.

But that's not really what the two birds want to focus on right now.

"Wh...? Huh?" Trap Crow looks around at his surroundings, before quickly realizing that he's in the anomaly shard's memory. "What the- hey! What the hell did you just do?!" He then yells out, turning around to face Ringed Genesis, who could only frown as he points towards something that is in the opposite direction from where Trap Crow is facing towards right now.

Groaning, the crow turns around again, and is quickly taken aback by the sight of...

Ringed Genesis and himself...?

"I've liked you ever since I first laid my eyes on you. I know two men liking each other is...pretty taboo, but..."

"You don't have to worry about it, Crow. I can understand. Frankly, I feel the same way."

"Huh? Really?"

"What the hell...?" Trap Crow mutters. The sight of him and Genesis hugging each other, genuine smiles on each other's faces as they quietly enjoy each other's embrace makes the crow feel...

...A weird sense of longing?

"What is this? Since when did this happen?" He asks, and though the question is mainly directed towards himself, he could sense that Ringed Genesis will answer either way. "...Maybe it's a past long forgotten. I...don't really know either, though." The crow turns to look at the dove, and right then and there, he could feel his cheeks heat up.

Just the mere thought of being in love with Genesis makes him feel sick.

...He genuinely doesn't know whether if it's from denial or if he's literally homophobic.

He's not that much of an asshole, though—maybe it is denial...?

Eventually, the scene shifts, and the two birds are then greeted by a different scene—a scene that still features the two of them.

"You haven't visited in awhile, Crow. What happened?"

"...Nothing. Nothing happened."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now leave me be."

"Oh..."

Rude much—is something that Ringed Genesis wanted to say, but then he decided against it, instead sparing a glance towards Trap Crow, who watches the scene with a rather uncomfortable look on his face.

"Uh..." He merely lets out, feeling his shoulders tense up as he process what he just saw. Why the fuck was he so rude? Didn't he at least tried to have some manners? If he loved Genesis that much, then why was he acting like that towards him?

In an instant, the scene changes once again.

"You...you personally know Testify!"

"Why yes! I do! And?! What significance does that have to you?!"

"You damned piece of—SHE LITERALLY HAS BEEN GIVING SO MUCH FUCKING MENTAL TORTURE TO THE CONFLICT SIDE CITIZENS!"

"And why are YOU defending the citizens of the Conflict side?!"

"BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THEM, GENESIS! I'M ONE OF THEM!"

A heated argument that definitely went on for an entire hour. The two birds watches their past selves in silence. None of them wanted to say a single word to each other, nor do they have the mental capacity to comment on the scene unfolding before them right now.

Instead, they simply decided to just silently watch as the argument became violent. The crow from the past summons a glass shard and quickly slashes the dove from the past's shoulder, creating a wound that bleeds uncontrollably. Seeing this sight, the two birds from the present didn't even winced one bit. They only emotionlessly watched as the crow from the past quickly realizes his mistake.

"...A-ah...D-Dove, I—"

"You- GET AWAY FROM ME!"

The scene changes for what might be the last time. Trap Crow seemed to have already been thrown into his cage, and Eternity—ah. Testify and Amazing Mighty discussed what they needed to do next. With Ringed Genesis completely hurt by Trap Crow's actions, and with Trap Crow ridden by guilt and shame over his own actions, the two Gods decided that the best course of action is to erase both of their memories and prevent them from ever seeing each other again.

That somewhat failed now.

With the compilation of memories concluded, the dove and the crow finally find themselves back in the real world, with the anomaly shard in-between them.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

[Rhymix] Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 6: Two Birds Pierce One Another With Glass

divorce

———

It took awhile, but Ringed Genesis finally found him.

"Crow!" He calls out as he pants in exhaustion. He may have ran around Memoria trying to find that stupid crow for so long, so now he's tired and definitely needs to sit down. The crow turns around, and as soon as he saw the dove, he smiles.

It doesn't look like a genuine smile, though.

But even then, it still manages to make Ringed Genesis silently swoon.

...Swoon...???

"Hey, Dove! Why come finding me?" Trap Crow asks in a tone of voice that is...a little too happy. Ringed Genesis frowns at that. "How the hell did you even escaped your cage to begin with?!" He asks back, clenching his fists as he gazes at Trap Crow in fury. The crow hums in response, before his smile drops instantly, replaced with an indifferent look on his face.

"I needed my freedom, and also..." He then slowly raises his hand to the point where it seems like it's reaching out to Ringed Genesis. "...I need to get rid of you." Ringed Genesis raises an eyebrow at that—

—But then the moment he saw a bunch of glass shards (likely remains of a bunch of glass butterflies) suddenly appear behind Trap Crow, he knew he's basically in danger.

Quickly, Ringed Genesis summons a hoard of glass butterflies himself. The two groups then dash towards each other, while the two birds merely stood across from each other, gazing intensely at the other. Ringed Genesis could see the pure hatred in Trap Crow's eyes.

To think that the crow would hate him...

It makes him feel betrayed.

All of these months of trying to get closer to the crow, trying to figure out the context behind that one memory, and having those little moments they had, even if just for a brief moment...

It all felt like it was for nothing.

But it led the both of them up to this point, so there's no going back now.

———

A clash between glass.

A clash that went on for hours on end.

The two are starting to get awfully exhausted.

If the exhaustion Ringed Genesis felt from finding Trap Crow all over Memoria was one thing, then the exhaustion that he feels right now because of this fight basically doubles it.

"Can't you just give up already?!" Trap Crow yells out, whilst ordering even more glass butterflies to dash towards Ringed Genesis. The dove doesn't falter, quickly dodging the attacks and sending more of his own glass butterflies to fight against the crow's.

"No- I'm not- hah- not yet...!"

"But you sound exhausted, y'know? Why not just give up and surrender?!"

"Why do you even want me dead in the first place?!"

Trap Crow pauses his murder attempt spree, completely silent as the glass butterflies around them could only fly in place. Eventually, he groans. "Because you're free. You're way more free compared to me, who's been trapped in that damned cage for God knows how long."

"Admittedly, I'm jealous of you. I'm stuck in my cage, even though I'm destined to fly—while you're here, as free as a bird should be. You get to live life like any other person should be, while I'm cooped up in my damn cage."

Ringed Genesis frowns upon hearing the crow's reasoning. So it's all just because of jealousy? But why destroy one's happiness in favor of your own? The dove could feel his heart ache just slightly, and suddenly, the wanting to just bring the crow into a hug and never let go floods his mind, which is weird, but the feeling just can't go away that easily. "...I can understand how you feel—"

"No, you fucking DON'T!" With that, Trap Crow lets the glass butterflies continue to try to pierce Ringed Genesis with glass. The fight continues on and on, and with no signs of ending any time soon.

Eventually, the fight gets to its turning point.

Having all of his glass butterflies reduced to just powerless fragments left, Ringed Genesis crouches down, slowly consumed by exhaustion. "Ready to finally surrender now?" Trap Crow's voice asking him such a taunting question doesn't make things any better for the dove.

"Haa...hah...shut your mouth, you filthy crow." Genesis has had enough of playing nice. Whatever Crow's doing right now is enough to finally make him break character, even if it's only for a brief moment. "Haha! No way I'm shutting up. Just seeing you in a pathetic state like this is enough to get me to at least talk more, y'know?" The crow says, a smirk plastered on his face as he then tears one of the glass butterfly's wings apart, before pointing its sharp edge towards the dove's neck.

"Now...say goodbye to your stupidly wonderful life, Ringed Genesis."

Trap Crow was about ready to cut the shard through Ringed Genesis' neck.

But before he could do so, the dove quickly brings out the anomaly shard Eternity gave to him earlier.

The anomaly shard glows, and eventually, the two birds were brought into a memory of a past they don't recall ever experiencing.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Rhymix: Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 4: It's Slowly But Surely Coming Back To Them

everytime i write the titles i cringe a lil ngl

also again- shit ass title 💀 i'm so uncreative lately it's painful

———

The memory reflected in this fragment of glass is wildly absurd, in the dove's opinion.

Ringed Genesis talking with Trap Crow?

When Trap Crow is outside of his cage?

This has never happened before.

What about the part where Trap Crow is somehow teasing the dove?

That has never happened before.

What about the part where Ringed Genesis casually gets physical with the crow and gives him a literal kiss on his cheek?

That definitely has NEVER happened before!

Ringed Genesis watched the entire memory unfold with wide eyes, before it finally ends, and the four fragments of what was once a glass butterfly hover away to Eternity knows where.

Ringed Genesis isn't too sure what to say about this. Should he be shocked? Maybe. Should he be frozen in place? Probably. Should he say something? Definitely.

"I...what...huh...?" That was all the dove could force out, before he finally silences himself again. He thinks back on the memory he just saw. Maybe he wouldn't have been this shocked if he had known Trap Crow for years.

For this particular moment, however, the dove had only known the crow for a few days. Maybe even a whole week or two. Ringed Genesis can't recall it well, but he definitely hasn't known Trap Crow for years.

———

As soon as Ringed Genesis got home, he immediately goes into his room, where Edel is perched up in his cage. Thinking back on Trap Crow and his whole thing about being trapped within a cage, Ringed Genesis decides to let Edel out of his cage for the day.

Ringed Genesis sits down on his seat infront of a desk near a window. Edel flies around the room, before finally landing on Genesis' shoulder. To that, Ringed Genesis chuckled, before looking out to the window. He could see crows flying around and landing nearby outside. He then immediately gets reminded of Trap Crow.

Ugh, Trap Crow this, Trap Crow that. Ringed Genesis is suddenly sick of this bullshit.

And the fact that he saw that memory doesn't make things any better for him.

Ringed Genesis then opens his desk's drawer, before finding an old notebook he hasn't written on in awhile. Its bright red cover stands out amongst anything else in his drawer, and so, he immediately picks it up, closes the drawer, places the notebook on his desk, and then wrote away.

He wrote up about the possibilities of the memory being reflected on that glass being real or not. Ever since the mad-woman known as Arghena showed up to Rhymix, and Memoria specifically, the order of the nation has been all over the place. Arghena isn't exactly the Gods' problem anymore, but what she has done was done, and now they all have to slowly put the pieces back together and put things back to where it originally was at.

So the possibility of that being a warped memory...could potentially be true.

But at the same time, there was one time where Momento told Ringed Genesis about how the memories reflected within the glass butterflies are for the most part actually real now. So the possibility of that memory being a real memory could also be true.

Thinking about this, Ringed Genesis suddenly feels like he's getting a headache. Nonetheless, he forces himself to keep writing up this entire page of theories, no matter what the cost is.

...Edel is surely worried about him right now.

"I'll be fine, Edel. I'll feed you soon if you're hungry. Just- I need some time to do some things here." Ringed Genesis told his pet dove in a gentle tone. Though, after looking at Edel again, he soon felt bad and immediately took a break to do what he had to do; feed Edel.

He can think about this later, he supposes.

———

"Here, have this."

Upon seeing a glass butterfly fly towards him, Trap Crow gives Momento a weird look. "...What???" He simply asks, confusion very present in the tone of his voice. Hearing that, Momento laughs. "Haha! For entertainment—real ones that are definitely not fake, taken straight from Memoria itself." He then says, while almost sounding like he's in some commercial or advertisement.

Trap Crow furrows his eyebrows, before finally deciding to look at the glass butterfly. "If you need more, you know who to call." Hearing Momento's words, the crow merely rolls his eyes. As if he has any use for these stupid butterflies made out of glass.

Eventually, Momento leaves the area Trap Crow's in, leaving him with the one singular glass butterfly flying around him. He feels the need to just grab it and slam it onto the ground—because seriously, he's starting to feel really pissed off even seeing it fly around in his cage.

He has encountered glass butterflies like this in the past, during a time that feels far gone now. A time where he's free, and not stuck in this god forsaken cage. He has peered into whatever memories are reflected within them. Back then, he'd feel genuine interest in them, always watching the memories that unfold within them with sparkles in his eyes.

He had always admired the crow's enthusiasm back then. Back then, Trap Crow would be a little less gloomy compared to now, and the pristine and regal man would always silently admire him from a far, always hearing him talk and listen to his rambles and rants.

...

Wait.

Who's "he"?

Who's this "pristine and regal man"...?

"...What the fuck?" That's all Trap Crow could really ask himself before the glass butterfly from earlier flew towards him and stopped a few meters away from his face. A little taken aback by this, Trap Crow suddenly has the urge to look into the memory that will be reflected—just like old times.

And so, he did just that, he looked into the memory.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Rhymix: Side Story 1: The Crow and the Dove — Chapter 3: Memory

i'm still not good with chapter titles but anyways

———

Another day, another visit to Trap Crow's cage.

Per usual.

That noon, Ringed Genesis could feel Amazing Mighty stare down at him in annoyance when he walked through the main faction of the Realm of the Almighty. The God truly doesn't like the dove meeting up with the crow and visiting him regularly.

It's not like Ringed Genesis cares, though.

"Devil, am I perhaps allowed to go into the cage?" Ringed Genesis asks as he and Momento walked to the realm's prison faction. It's not too far from the main faction, it just feels like an eternity of walking before you finally get there. Momento thought about the answer for a bit, before nodding. "Yeah." She simply said.

Once the two got there, Momento lets Ringed Genesis into the area where the cage is, before following suit. Seems like he'll just go in with Genesis to unlock the main door of the cage. After doing just that, the devil pulls the door open and looks at Ringed Genesis with a smile.

"Well then—wait." He started, before eventually giving Trap Crow a glare. The crow simply shivers a little in fear, and after getting such a reaction, Momento glances back towards Ringed Genesis, her smile returning. "Well then, you can go in, make sure he doesn't escape, aaaaaand just have a good time in there~" He then said, before turning around, closing the cage's door and walking away from the area, the entrance of said area closing just after she walked through it.

Ringed Genesis watched all of that happen with a blank expression on his face, before turning around to face Trap Crow, who just calmed down from his internal panic after seeing Momento's rather threatening glare. "U-uh...so...why do you wanna talk with me inside of my cage now?" The crow asked, fidgeting with the bow wrapped around the collat of his shirt.

Ringed Genesis' smile then appears. "I just wanted to know what it's like to be in a cage like this." He answers, before looking around. "...You know being in a cage equals being in literal jail, right?" Trap Crow asked, and a rather charming chuckle escapes Ringed Genesis' mouth. "Well...yes. But I have never experienced such a thing before. This all feels brand new to me. It's only fair I get to experience such things for myself."

The dove then quickly looks back at the crow, his smile never wavering. "Besides, I also wanted to see you up close." He added. Trap Crow scoffs at that, before glancing away, trying his best to not make eye contact with Ringed Genesis. "Shut the hell up. You're so weird..." As the crow says this, the dove could see his face going red.

It's cute.

Trap Crow is cute.

...

...Goddamnit.

'Stop thinking such stupid things, Genesis...!' Ringed Genesis thinks to himself once again. It's so odd how he's thinking the most weirdest things about Trap Crow. Trap Crow doesn't look like the right candidate for the word "cute", but it seems like his actions just spoke to Ringed Genesis in a way.

He has only known this man for days, maybe even two weeks now. Ringed Genesis shouldn't have such opinions on him like this.

But the dove can't help but feel this weird feeling of deja vu.

"...Say—"

"If you're going to ask the same question as the ones you asked me in your previous visits, I still won't answer you."

Hearing Trap Crow's words cut through his sentence, Ringed Genesis could only sigh. The crow is so hesitant in giving him an answer. Genesis could only wonder why that's the case.

So that's why he's going to ask the crow that exact question.

"But why? Why do you always never give me an answer?" Ringed Genesis asks, before quickly adding, "Is it...a really personal thing, perhaps?" Trap Crow glances at the dove for a few minutes, before sighing. "I...don't know. I could've sworn I remembered, but..."

"But...?"

"...I forgot."

Ringed Genesis' eyes widened slightly at such a revelation. There's no possible way Trap Crow could have forgotten, he's the one who's trapped in this cage, after all.

So why...?

———

That day, Ringed Genesis leaves Trap Crow's cage and the Realm of the Almighty in complete and utter confusion. Trap Crow doesn't even know the answer to the dove's question, and now Genesis is just...confused.

He exits out of the portal that led him to the Realm of the Almighty, finding himself back in Memoria. Immediately, glass butterflies swarm towards him, and obviously, the dove could see a pleasant light shining from within it. He touches one of them with his finger, and then it shatters into four fragments of glass, before one of them hovered towards him.

Ringed Genesis looks into its memory; it's of two familiar faces. It reflected Fate and Destonio—two of the three Gods who are in charge of Phi Central. The two of them seem to be playing a sort of rhythm game together, probably on multiplayer. They seem to be having fun, despite Fate protesting over the fact that Destonio keeps "full combo"-ing or even "all perfect"-ing the songs they play together. He is some sort of professional, after all. To this memory, Ringed Genesis smiles.

It's always nice to see the two of them get along, because even if Genesis were to visit Phi Central, he'll end up seeing them bickering like a pair of siblings or little kids. Nonetheless, they deeply care about each other, even if Destonio doesn't want to admit that fact to anyone.

Ringed Genesis then peers over to the second fragment of glass; a memory of Eternity and Momento having tea together plays within it. They seem to be talking about the most mundane things, and at one point, Momento complains to the other God about his work. Ringed Genesis can't help but notice how Eternity looked at the God-devil with so much fondness in her eyes—almost as if she's...

...In love with Momento?

Ringed Genesis shakes the thought out of his head, before looking over to the third fragment. It plays the memory of Colorless and Technicolour, seemingly painting together. The two chat and laugh together, and it's overall a wholesome sight to behold. Ringed Genesis smiles again, before finally looking over to the fourth and final fragment of the glass butterfly he touched earlier.

It's playing the memory of...

...Himself?

Within the glass, a memory plays, and within it, Ringed Genesis seems to be talking to a certain crow. Seeing him, the dove's eyes widened in surprise. It's not only because of the crow being there, but also because the crow is not in his cage.

This isn't a recent memory, this is a memory from long ago.

But...

Ringed Genesis doesn't recall experiencing such a memory.

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

happy yaoi day everyone

[redrawthecolorlessworld]

Rhymix: Side Story 1: The Dove and the Crow — Chapter 1: Conversation

FUCK YEAH IT'S FINALLY HERE AFTER PROCRASTINATING FOR LITTLE BIT LOL

———

"Trap Crow. That's my name."

Trap Crow...

A name befitting of someone as dark as him.

The crow gazed at the dove, his brows slightly furrowed as he observes him more closely. Ringed Genesis tenses up a bit at his gaze, but slowly relaxes again once he realizes that Trap Crow...can't really do anything.

Since he's in a cage.

The situation grew more awkward as the two looked at each other in silence. Ringed Genesis felt the need to start up an actual conversation, but it's like his voice got caught up in his throat and won't get out. His mouth doesn't open at all, and all he could do is just stare back at the crow.

...

...

...

...

"...Hey." Trap Crow finally spoke, startling Ringed Genesis slightly. "Oh, um, y-yes?" The dove responds. He didn't even expect himself to stutter just a little bit. He knows that he doesn't usually stutter in his speech. How embarrassing.

"I...have a question." Trap Crow says, crossing his arms as his gaze on Ringed Genesis intensifies. Ringed Genesis simply nods, though he could feel his shoulder growing tense again as he looks back at the other man.

"...What's it like to be free?"

A question that Ringed Genesis should've expected by now, coming from a crow trapped in a cage like this. Ringed Genesis thinks for awhile, before finally giving Trap Crow his answer; "It feels nice. There are definitely a lot of things in this world that maybe you haven't seen or experienced, but when you do, it's a wonderful feeling." A long answer, but this should suffice.

Upon hearing such an answer, Trap Crow's intense gaze turns into one of...

Sorrow.

Longing.

...Jealousy?

Ringed Genesis can't quite put a finger on it, but it felt like that to him.

"I...I guess I get it now." Trap Crow says, though his voice is barely above a whisper. "...Sorry. I've just been trapped here for so long that I just- forgot the feeling, I guess." He then adds, glancing away from Ringed Genesis, finally breaking their eye contact.

'This man...he sure is odd...' That's what Ringed Genesis thought.

———

"Oh! You're out already! How was your visit?" Momento asked as soon as Ringed Genesis exited the area where Trap Crow's cage would be in. Ringed Genesis simply gives the God-devil a small smile. "It was awkward, but hey, I assume he hasn't really talked to another living being in awhile. I'll try to give him some time." He answers, before finally walking away.

Momento simply looks on him, before sighing. "Awkward...? Damn...what a pain..." He mutters, putting a hand on his head as he could imagine how absolutely amazing that conversation went.

———

Ringed Genesis...

You may not know who I am...

But I know who you are.

I know how free you are.

You're like a free dove, soaring high in the sky.

Unlike me, a trapped crow in a cage, destined to be there for all of eternity.

...

...You won't be free for too long.