#phoenix clan story

[phoenix-clan]

6

During the night, as Smallpaw heals from his injuries, Slightstar makes small talk about Blazepaw.

Smallpaw can't hide his infatuation with Blazepaw, and quickly becomes embarrassed. Slight comforts him, assuring him that his feelings aren't bad; she asks him what it is about Blazepaw that catches his eye.

Smallpaw explains that, as an outsider to the clans, he was always outcast from the clan save for the few cats that survived the flames.

Blazepaw bravely led the HawkClan survivors out of the flames, leaving Smallpaw in awe over his courage.

Slight encourages Smallpaw to tell Blazepaw how he feels, and he considers it before sleeping for the night.

Hours later, Blazepaw wakes Smallpaw up to change his bandaging. Feeling a new sense of courage, Smallpaw begins to tell Blazepaw how he feels.

Blazepaw informs Smallpaw that he always knew, and admits he shares his feelings. The two share in a moment of joy as they agree to become mates.

Slight, seeing Blazepaw leaving the medicine den, asks him how Smallpaw is. Blazepaw admits that the both of them are doing wonderfully. Slight congratulates them.

happy pride! i didn't plan the timing out but it worked out lol sorry this one took so long to come out! i was burnt out a bit. i'm feeling a new kick of artistic inspiration though, so i went for it :) it might just be a regular thing that the art style changes xD

[dxmoness]

─────── EFFECTS. . .

‣ the thorned mistress . 004

The five year-old pried open the lock of her room as she reached for it, twisting the knob clumsily. It gave way and the door slid open, no noise because it had just been oiled up.

Her purple eyes scan the area while her ears remain alert. She needed to be discreet. She wandered the castle in search of sweets to consume.

Suddenly a hushed and muffled conversation catches her attention. She froze at the voices. They were far but she didn't appreciate the sound of any voices, especially not now.

She quietly pads to the door and listens closely. The vast size of the portal in front of her was undeniably big as compared to her own size. She remains quiet as she listens in on whoever is talking on the other side.

"You've finished the…thing you were told to finish, correct?" An unfamiliar voice comes to contact with her ever sensitive ears. Her purple eyes remain on the lookout for any shadows that could be lurking in the dim hallways.

"Yes, the spell has been casted. It will only take a matter of time before it takes effect." This voice! It was familiar and she knew exactly who it belonged to.

Alexios. Alexios is her knight, the bodyguard assigned to her by her father. Someone who she trusted with her soul. It was not a surprise she knows his voice all too well.

Now she was contemplating if she'd dare enter the place. Alexios is there, but her mother always cautioned her when she heard an unfamiliar voice in the halls.

Should she dare enter despite the fact? No, she didn't. She would rather just listen and listen she did.

The voices were hushed now, it seemed she missed a bit of the conversation. She pressed her ear against the door now, her cheek feeling the cold hard wood that made up the door.

"It won't take long before the throne will be ours now. Those two are foolish enough to assume that their actions remain with no effects on their life anymore." The unfamiliar voice continues to rant about something she couldn't quite grasp on.

Was there a dangerous criminal on the loose? Or perhaps a demon running around and causing misery? She was dying to know as she continued on to listen.

"And you said they are trying to have another child?" The unfamiliar voice continues on to ask.

"Yes, it's true." Alexios is quick to answer this question.

"How disappointing." She could hear the unfamiliar man mutter. There is a movement as the faint glow of the candlelight comes close to the door, seeping from a small space underneath the door.

This is when her heart picks up a pace. She is in panic. Were they coming out? She had to hide!

The door swings open and the two men come out. The first one was a man with golden eyes and long silky black hair. He had a very serious and cold expression on his face not to mention the intimidating aura he emitted. The second was the red haired knight Alexios, he stood and looked around silently while his black haired companion left quickly.

After a few minutes of seemingly staring at nothing, the knight left as well. Leaving a silence to reign in the hallways.

A creak of the cabinet tears this silent barrier. Out comes, the shaken Sorana who was too frightened to make any other word. She looks around again, ensuring the knight and the mysterious individual were gone before she rushed.

She heads to her parents' bedroom. She panickingly twisted the knob as she entered. Her mother was already under the covers, fast asleep. Her father was still awake, his blue eyes stare blankly at the open book on his lap. The yellow-orange glow of the candlelight illuminates his most charming features. At the sound of the door, he looks up to see Sorana entering and attempting to climb on the bed in which she's failing to do.

He should be mad but he only chuckles as he scooped her up. "What are you doing here, dear?" He whispered, making sure he was quiet. Yashira was asleep after all.

"Hungry…" She whispered back, understanding why her father wanted things to be kept quiet.

Roman nodded as he carried her and both went to the kitchen where he placed her down on the counter. He then cuts up an apple into bite size slices.

"Here." Now the two take their time munching on the apples. Bonding moments are rare between the father and daughter, but Sorana wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

Now it was two weeks later, she had forgotten about the conversation she had overheard before.

She is by the lake, picking flowers. The maids were around her, they were whispering and gossiping as usual. It did not bother her, it is normal for her to hear them. They always do this, she already knew they were talking about her.

She is about to stand up when hands shove her forward, tumbling into the cold water of the lake. She kicks her feet frantically, her purple eyes could make out the sight.

The maids were laughing, giggling even. The one who had pushed her was none other than Alexios.

Betrayal. That's what she felt. She was starting to get tired. Her screams pierce the quiet atmosphere of the gardens, causing the brothers who had been playing run to the lake.

Immediately, everyone died down to a silent crowd. Alpha strides over quickly. His red eyes scan the lake for their sister.

Bravo was first to dive in, not bothering to take anything off his body. He swam and minutes later, came up to the surface with their sister.

It was now that Kaisu was scolding the servants around them. The sounds of Cable's hoarse shouting was enough for the servants to get the picture. They were getting fired.

Sorana woke up, still clutching the flowers in her hand. "Brother…" she whispered, Bravo kissed her forehead. "You're alright." It wasn't a question, it was a firm statement. She is alright.

"They're no longer pretty…" She said with a tone of sadness. She is talking about the flowers that she clenched tightly between her fingers. "I was going to give them to Mother…"

"It's alright. Let's go get better ones, okay?" Alpha assured her as he knelt down to hold out his hand. She is quick to get on her feet, taking his hand.

The two walk through the trees and make their way to a tunnel-like place.

"Alpha?" "Just follow me and be quiet." He whispered kindly. Both go through the tunnel and come out to a beautiful sight.

A vast cave filled with flowers was the sight set before her. It left her breathless. It's beautiful.

The beautiful gems illuminate the cave, keeping it from being a darkness engulfed wonderland.

She steps forward hesitantly, glancing at Alpha who nods. She rushed to pick some flowers and admire the place more. A smile appears on her lips.

Alpha smiles softly at the sight of her so happy. This is what he lived for.

He watched as she practically ran through the flowers. A chuckle comes from his mouth. He couldn't help it.

"Done!" She now had a couple of pink daisies. Alpha nods as he leads her back out. Once they make it out, the entrance to the cave simply vanishes into thin air.

Sorana's eyes widen, staring at her brother expecting him to explain it but he only shrugs. "Go give those to Mother."

She nodded and bounds away. Running as fast as her little legs could go. She ran to the castle where her mother resides in her room, waiting for her gift.

Her footfalls rang through the halls. The marble floor makes noise every time.

Now she has finally reached the door. Everyone had been giving her a glance. Worried or worse.

She twists open the door and enters the room, a horrifying display appears before her.

Her father stood in front of a dead body. His clothes were splattered with crimson liquid. The room reeked of the smell of blood and human liquids…

Her first move was to head for the dead body. It was now that she realized. The dead corpse was none other than her mother's. A horrified gasp escapes her as she stumbles back only to bump into her father's leg.

He turned to look at her, his once blue eyes were dilated and red in color. The hand that clutched his sword clenched as though he was going to swing it and end her life too.

She scrambled back, her hands nudging the body behind her. She was absolutely terrified right now. Traumatized. What was happening? Where were her parents? Her father lifts the sword over his head, readying to give the final blow towards her.

She braced herself for the impact of her father's blade, not shutting her eyes because she thought she'd rather see her father's face for the last time. But the sound of footfalls outside causes her father to stop.

It was now that her father seemed to snap out of his possessed state. The red eyes return to a color of one eye being blue and the other red as they fixate on her.

"Sora…na…" Her father's eyes widen when he sees the body behind her. The blue eye returns to a sickening and terrifying red color.

Suddenly the soft gaze turned hard and cold as he snarled. "What did you do?" His voice… he used that tone only to those who oppose him.

Did he think…?

"Father, I didn't-" "Leave." Roman demands. "But Father…" "I said leave wench." Tears form in her eyes as she runs past him.

She passed the forming crowd of servants who were all in on this plan. She knew they were.

She runs to her room and locks the door, slumping on the door and crying. Mother is gone and Father thinks she killed her. She cried until she fell asleep.

When she woke up, there was noise. The sounds of bells ring outside, she peers from the window seat in her room. She could see that everyone was coming out of their homes.

They were all mourning the loss of their empress. Yes, of course that was it. Sorana looks around, her eyes notice the daisies she had picked for her mother.

She itched to take it, but she only cried. The flowers she had picked for Mother. She will never be able to give it to them. She will never be able to see mother's beautiful smile and her laughter. The way she read the stories so wonderfully that she was engulfed into the fantasy world, a place where both her and her mother could be together without interruptions. There will be no more picnics under the sun where she, Damien, Kindred, Kaisu and Mother would pretend to be commoners for a day. She will never see Father's sweet smile towards her and her mother. How the two cradled her in their arms before she was tucked into sleep.

No, that was no longer a possibility. Now she was a wench. An unwanted princess who murdered her mother.

No one came for her. Not even during the funeral of her mother. They didn't give her a chance to see Mother one last time. No one even gave her food until she really begged for it or was too weak to beg anymore.

One week, two, three… It was beginning to show that no one cares anymore.

An elder comes to her one day, asking her questions. The maids whispering was the only way she could learn what was happening outside that door.

They talked about how her father didn't even want to look at her anymore. How he was absolutely disgusted that his own child would do a thing like this.

Her brothers? They were sent to school and none said anything to her. Probably angry and disgusted by her too.

The only one she could talk to was herself. Her conversations were growing tiresome. Everything was tiring…

Every day, she'd beg them to let her out or at least bring her food. Silence. Cold silence. This went on for a long time until she got used to it. Got used to being told nothing, to being fed nothing, to not being cared for at all.

She slept a lot to gain energy. She learned to deal with what she had. This meant that she was forced to also eat the moldy food if she had no choice. She read the books in her room that were placed there as display.

Three years passed, three birthdays that were not celebrated. Three long and tiresome years of her trying to be cautious with what she had, which was barely anything.

Every time it was her birthday, she'd bring out a photo book of her family and sing to herself while she stared at their faces.

It was all she had. All she could do. She missed them. Missed everything. But she can't have what she had.

Now it was her eighth birthday. She was softly singing to herself while she clutched her photo book. Choking out a sob as she continued whispering the song her mother had taught her.

She puts down the photo book and wipes her tears as she hears the sound of the lock opening.

Her father stood there. His blue eyes were now red. The same red as before. "Sorana. Pack your things."

"What…?" She asked. "Why?"

"You're going to the academy."

─────── NOTE?!

angst starts here ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people <3

word count . . . 2.27K

─────── INVITATIONS?!

@primordixl , @lxdymoon0357 , @achy-boo , @writerig , @yevene , @roseadleyn , @crownxie , @hykar1

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

It's not that I don't love that she was there, but Kay really had no business being in AAI2

[guiltyhearts]

cant help but feel like them marketing this collection as "the apollo trilogy" is a really bad idea bc people are going to play aa4 first and expect that like. any of its plot threads get continued in subsequent games 😭 guy who finishes aa4 and goes oh boy i cant wait to play dual destinies and find out what happens with kristoph's black psyche-locks and see the apollo+trucy sibling reveal

[mxtxfanatic]

The cutest but also funniest and most ironic thing about wangxian’s relationship in their first life is that from the outside looking in, it really does seem like they don’t like each other! But when they reflect on their memories of the other, it’s always sweet af.

Wei Wuxian spent the whole Cloud Recesses arc “pestering” Lan Wangji, while Lan Wangji would always blow up on him and reject his invitations to hang out. But when Wei Wuxian returns to Lotus Pier? He fantasizes about inviting Lan Wangji over to give him a tour of his home and show the other teen how he lives. On the other end, Lan Wangji has kept all of Wei Wuxian’s gifts—even skirting his clan rules to do so—and goes on a one-man quest to explore the foods that Wei Wuxian had told him about in casual conversation. Wei Wuxian had reoccurring dreams about running a somewhat isolated farm with Lan Wangji as his immediate neighbor. Lan Wangji, concurrently, was having rated R dreams about Wei Wuxian’s library punishments. When Wei Wuxian gets surprise-kissed on Phoenix Mountain, not only does Lan Wangji take it harder than he does when it happens, but Wei Wuxian is absolutely ecstatic to find out that it was actually Lan Wangji all along, which is also his reaction to discovering the teenage Lan Wangji’s wet dreams.

Even their infamous Sunshot Campaign “fights” are remembered by Wei Wuxian as moments where Lan Wangji was just displaying worry for his wellbeing, a worry that Wei Wuxian was unable to validate due to circumstances outside of his own control. Once the war is over and Wei Wuxian is removed from the setting where he must act tough and untouchable for his own survival, they are able to have a peaceful, level-headed conversation acknowledging the root of Lan Wangji’s worry and also Wei Wuxian’s acceptance of it even with his inability to change course in order to assuage it.

But the greatest thing about this relationship dynamic is not that it completely upends the story setup of “enemies to lovers,” but that it also shows that if nobody else understands them, wangxian understand each other. At no point in time did they ever think the other hated them, even if they fought or parted on bad terms during stressful situations. At no point have they ever truly misunderstood each other—not their feelings or intentions—except through outside instigation. They have always been on each other’s side, and if that’s not the most romantic shit you’ve ever seen, idk what is!

[relicsongmel]

Thinking about Iris' very open disdain for spirit channeling and how it seemingly contradicts many other elements of her character.

Let me explain—Iris prior to the end of BttT is a woman who only knows facades, covering up the truth, and only presenting herself exactly as she wants others to see her. We see this over and over again throughout the course of the story: she hides her real identity while dating Phoenix, she does damage control for Dahlia and Godot to help them avoid blame for their crimes, and she is extremely selective about which information she chooses to disclose to specific people depending on whatever role she finds herself playing in that moment (daughter, girlfriend, accomplice, etc). Her demeanor as a whole is also rather meek and unassuming, and she's shown to be exceptionally kind; she expresses favorable opinions on most everyone she meets, even those continuously treated poorly by other characters (like Larry) or those that have objectively done reprehensible things (like Dahlia).

All of this stands in stark contrast to her saying in no uncertain terms that she hates spirit channeling:

This stands out to me because it is one of very few things that Iris is completely forthright honest about in the early portion of this case. After spending all day avoiding Phoenix and now carefully dodging his questions towards her in hopes of preventing the truth of her deception from coming out (all of this while actively avoiding her responsibilities at the Inner Temple because of Larry's "blackmail" letter which also threatened to expose her "secret"), why is this the one bit of truth she chooses to divulge here? Or rather: why is this the one thing she seemingly cannot lie about?

Obviously the answer lies in Iris' past and the permanent damage that was done to her and her family due to the politics of the Fey clan, with the Kurain Channeling Technique at the root, and the DL-6 incident as the event that brought everything to ruin. Iris bore witness to her mother Morgan losing the title of Master of Kurain due to her inferior powers and the despair that caused her, then three years later saw her aunt Misty who, despite purportedly being so much better than her mother, made a mistake while channeling that led to an innocent man's conviction, disgracing the Fey name and causing her to flee the village in shame. With this in mind, it makes sense that Iris would feel so strongly about spiritual powers doing more harm than good; after all, she has firsthand experience of the damage that can be done to the women that have it.

But what of the women that don't have it—namely, Iris herself? What happens to a spirit medium, born of the Fey bloodline, daughter of the then-master of her channeling school, when she's shown to not have any spiritual powers? I'm of the opinion that Iris' hatred is not only a product of what she's seen happen to her mother and aunt, but also very closely tied to what is, essentially, her earliest failure in life—after all, what good is a medium who can't channel? Fey women are raised to believe that their worth is linked to how well they can perform the service of their clan, which is the same reason why Maya beats herself up for failing to channel Mia in Turnabout Goodbyes and Pearl does the same with Dahlia later in this case. In a sense, Iris' hatred of spirit channeling is an externalization of her own self-hatred—unlike Dahlia, who mainly copes by lashing out and seeking revenge on those who wrong her, Iris is far too gentle and loving to lay blame on any one person. But all that repressed guilt and anger still has to go somewhere—and it manifests through this one small crack in her otherwise flawless facade. The one thing she cannot bring herself to find beauty in no matter how much she tries. The one thing that should have given her purpose but didn't—leaving her no choice but to mold herself beyond recognition over and over into roles that aren't truly her own, but at the very least give her meaning where she was denied it before.

And knowing her? She probably hates that flaw more than anything.

[rainforestakiie]

hi! i am back with part 03 of Promised Soul! so happy i got it posted! i will be writing your ask next @lilacwriter07 i do hope you've enjoyed this AU so far! everyone has been so nice!

this is an adamapple fic placed in the omegaverse. there is so much lucifer in this chapter, finally! lucifer was inspired by @inubaki's Naga lucifer!

Promised Soul (Omegaverse Mythology AU) = Part 01. Part 02. Part 03. Part 04.

The massive head of Quetzalcoatl loomed over the stairs; its stone visage larger than Adam’s entire body. It jutted out from the smooth side of the temple, surrounded by intricate feather-like carvings that framed the god's crocodilian face. Adam paused beside it, captivated by the beauty and craftsmanship. The details were far more exquisite than those he had seen on the walls below; each feather and scale was etched into the golden stone with a precision that seemed almost divine.

As Adam’s eyes drifted upward, he marvelled at the sudden surge of energy coursing through him. The moment he stepped onto the first stair, it was as if an unseen force was propelling him forward, allowing him to ascend each step effortlessly. It was maddening how he could keep going without breaking a sweat. Now, so high up that the entire layout of Pentagram City unfolded beneath him, Adam understood for the first time why the city bore its name—the streets and buildings formed a perfect pentagram.

He squinted towards the point that contained Eden and his family, spotting the eternal flames of the Phoenixs even from this great height. A pang of doubt gnawed at him as he wondered what his family would say if they knew what he was doing, defying the sacred temple in such a blasphemous way. If the Jorōgumo caught him, his life would be torn away in the most horrific manner. Would his clan even mourn his loss?

Shaking off the melancholy thoughts, Adam turned his gaze back to the carved face of Quetzalcoatl, releasing a soft sigh. The sides of the stairs were lined with emerald stones, reminiscent of the emerald bones Quetzalcoatl had used to create the first humans, animals, and gods according to their ancient lore. Adam reached out, brushing his fingers over the smooth surface of the emeralds. The story in their textbooks told of Quetzalcoatl’s journey to the underworld, where he gathered the emerald bones of men, women, and animals, but in his haste to return to the middle realm, he accidentally mixed them up, giving birth to their current world.

Tilting his head back, Adam stared up at the remaining steps. He still had a long way to go, and time was running out. He needed to reach the top before sunrise, or risk being spotted by the ever-watchful Jorōgumo. The thought of what might happen if he were caught flitted through his mind—would they devour him on the spot or hand him over to the Red Caps? The Red Caps were a gruesome breed, notorious for spilling blood just to keep their hats crimson. They were relentless killers, driven by the belief that the blood on their caps had to remain fresh at all costs. Lilith had once mentioned that if the Jorōgumo didn’t want to feast on a captured traitor, they would throw them to the Red Caps.

But the strange ache within him, the one that had been urging him onward, was growing stronger, pulling him up the steps with an almost magnetic force. His fragile body should have been aching, but he felt nothing but the burning need to reach the temple’s peak. He didn’t fully understand what he was feeling or why this overwhelming compulsion was driving him to such reckless heights, but he couldn’t stop himself. The closer he got to the sacred structure at the top, the more determined he became.

As the sky began to lighten and the first rays of the sun crept up behind him, Adam found himself nearing the summit. Pride swelled in his chest as he realized how far he had come. He pulled himself up what he thought was another step, only to find that he had reached the top.

Panting softly, Adam flipped himself over and let his legs dangle over the edge of the platform. He wiggled his feet, feeling an exhilarating mix of exhaustion and triumph. As the sun rose, casting a golden glow across Pentagram City, Adam’s breath caught in his throat. He had never seen anything so beautiful, so full of life. The city below, bathed in the light of dawn, seemed almost magical, as if the world had come alive just for him.

Adam lingered for a few moments, savouring the view despite the danger that might lurk below. He knew that staying in one place could make him an easy target for the Jorōgumo, but he hoped his altitude would keep him out of sight. Yet, the gnawing sensation deep in his chest returned, this time with a force that nearly took his breath away. A shiver ran through him, compelling him to sit up straight as an inexplicable urge drew him toward the temple.

It was as if the very force beckoning him knew he was idling just outside the door...

Adam wiped the back of his hand across his nose and forced himself to his feet, casting a final, wistful glance over Pentagram City before turning toward the temple's grand archway. The structure before him was breathtaking, a marvel of gold, red, and green. Emerald stones embedded in the temple walls glistened even more brilliantly as the sun crept higher in the sky. From this height, the temple's box-like structure appeared far more massive than it had from below, looming above him with an archway that resembled a gaping, cavernous mouth.

Adam trembled, his fingers knotting together in nervous anticipation. He had ventured farther than any creature from Pentagram City had dared. Slowly, he inched forward, the warmth of the temple’s stones seeping through his boots. He squinted against the sunlight as he approached the golden-framed archway, tentatively raising his hands to touch the gilded stones. Peering inside, he saw the sunlight flooding the temple, illuminating its exquisite murals—depictions of Quetzalcoatl himself. With nothing but the sparkling ruby pillars supporting the ceiling, Adam hesitated before stepping inside.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the paintings of Quetzalcoatl. His breath caught in his throat as he studied the mural, which dominated the main wall of the temple, a testament to the deity’s grandeur. Quetzalcoatl’s serpentine form was resplendent, his body adorned with emerald and gold scales, a stripe of lime green feathers running down his back like a soft plume. His underbelly shimmered with warmer hues of gold, orange, and red. The deity’s face, a blend of dragon and bird, was framed by a magnificent mane of rainbow feathers—blue, red, green, yellow, pink—every colour Adam had ever known. But what truly captivated him were the six glorious wings that stretched out from Quetzalcoatl’s long body, surrounding it in a halo of divine power.

And beneath Quetzalcoatl's body...were seven egg-like objects?

Adam tilted his head in curiosity, unconsciously stepping backward. Eggs? Why would Quetzalcoatl have eggs? Had the god consumed eggs during his time in the mortal realm? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Adam’s back brushed against something that was most certainly not stone.

It was warm. Very warm, but not unpleasant—quite the opposite, in fact. The warmth was comforting, inviting even, and Adam felt an almost irresistible urge to curl into it. As his back pressed against the solid form, his hands flew out to touch it, encountering softness and a series of feathery ridges beneath his fingers. But he resisted the urge to snuggle in, because whatever he was touching...was moving. The body beneath his hands was slowly breathing, its breaths shallow and rhythmic.

Adam’s eyes widened, his face draining of colour as fear wrapped its icy tendrils around his heart. He took a step forward, balancing on the balls of his feet, and slowly turned around. His body shuddered with dread, his eyes growing even wider, his jaw clenching in terror.

It wasn’t a wall at all. No, it was a massive, coiled body, its full-length filling nearly the entire temple chamber. Adam couldn’t see the creature’s head or tail, but the sheer size of the body made him feel as insignificant as an ant. What he had assumed to be wings were folded tightly against the creature’s serpentine form, draped over it like a protective blanket. Soft blue and white scales lined the top of the body, while crimson feathers adorned its back.

Adam swallowed hard, his body trembling as he tried to retreat without making a sound. But in his panic, he backed into a row of waist-high ruby pillars, each topped with an emerald stone. One of the stones toppled to the ground with a resounding clank. Breath hitching, Adam scrambled to retrieve the emerald, running his hands over it to check for damage before hurriedly placing it back.

The shallow breathing had ceased. Adam’s heart plummeted as he turned to face the once-slumbering serpent. The massive body twitched, then slowly began to unfurl. Huge wings stretched out wide, and a monstrous, dragon-like head rose from the coils of its own body. Glittering gold and red eyes narrowed down at Adam, the creature’s wings spreading with a deep, rumbling sound that sent shivers down his spine.

It was...it was...

“Q-Quetzalcoatl?” Adam stammered, trembling.

A deep, resonant voice rumbled from the serpent as Adam’s voice echoed through the temple, causing him to flinch.

“Not quite,” the serpent replied. “That’s my father.”

“F-Father?” Adam stuttered in disbelief. “Quetzalcoatl has children?”

The serpent let out a snort of amusement before twisting its massive body. It dove back into the nest of its own coils, but as it did so, the enormous form began to shrink. Adam watched in awe as the snake god’s body diminished in size until it was nearly as small as Adam himself. The creature’s form coiled tightly before a humanoid figure emerged in its place, pale arms crossing over its snake-like tail, chin propped on top.

"I believe I've mentioned that before, Adam," the man murmured, his voice laced with smug satisfaction, a sly grin curling on his cherry-red lips as he regarded the failed Phoenix Omega with an amused glint in his eyes.

Adam could only stare in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing like a fish pulled from the depths. The man before him bore familiar golden curls, crowned like a twisted halo atop his head, with two prominent tufts reminiscent of horns. His lips, lush and stained a deep, sultry red, contrasted strikingly against his mismatched eyes—one a molten gold, the other a burning crimson. From his wrists, black and green claws, framed by a cascade of crimson feathers. Further down, emerald and ruby feathers peeked seductively from his hips, forming a long, sinuous tail where his legs should have been. The tail was a mesmerizing tapestry of blue, red, and white scales, blending seamlessly into his serpentine form.

“You're real?!” Adam choked out, his voice a strained screech as he pointed a trembling finger at the ethereal being before him. “You weren’t just a figment of my imagination?!”

The man threw his head back, a rich, melodious laugh echoing through the chamber, deepening the flush of the crimson circles on his cheeks. “Sorry to shatter your illusions, but I am very much real.”

“You are?” Adam's voice wavered, barely more than a whisper. “You’re real, and...and you’re here? Here? You’re the—the what?”

The man tilted his head, an endearing gesture as he nestled deeper into the plush embrace of his tail. “Son of Quetzalcoatl. The youngest child, to be precise.”

“Y-Youngest child of…” Adam faltered, raising a hand to his temple as confusion swirled within him. “This can’t be real... Did I hit my head? Did the Jorōgumo catch me? Did Lilith kill me and I’m—I'm dead?”

A soft hum fluttered from the man's cherry-red lips as he tilted his head skyward, parting those tempting lips to release a sound so mesmerizing it could make the Sirens of the Black Lake envious. The man's eyes fluttered shut as an enchanting melody danced off his tongue, wrapping itself around Adam, binding him in its spell. The song was sweet and beguiling, twirling through the temple and causing the emerald stones to glow with an otherworldly light. The soft green and red feathers adorning the man's body shuddered, standing on end as he sang.

Adam found himself irresistibly drawn closer, his heart skipping a beat. As the man’s lullaby ended, Adam’s gaze was caught in the deep, entrancing pools of the man’s golden and crimson eyes.

"You sang that to me before..." Adam whispered, the memory stirring in his heart. "When I was a child."

"Indeed," the man replied tenderly. "You were crying. Do you remember me now?"

Adam nodded slowly, his legs giving way beneath him as he sank to his knees before the feathered serpent's beauty. "I thought you were a dream... Everyone told me there was no such thing as a feathered Naga. I searched for you, I never stopped looking, but..."

"I told you then, I had to return home," the man said softly, his long serpentine form beginning to unfurl from its nest-like coil. He raised himself, towering above Adam, and slithered closer, lowering his face to Adam's. "It seems you don't remember everything after all."

"I..." Adam bit his lip, uncertainty clouding his thoughts. "I was young and emotional. I convinced myself you were nothing more than a comforting dream."

A disappointed click of the man’s tongue cut through the air, though a fleeting look of regret passed through his pretty eyes. But it was quickly replaced by a determined gaze. He raised his black and green clawed hands, lightly cupping Adam’s cheeks, forcing the trembling Omega to meet his gaze once more.

"I wasn’t allowed to linger in the mortal realm for long. I could only stay until I had chosen my intended mate. Then I had to return to the higher realm, where I slumbered for five years, before descending to the underworld for the final years of my journey."

Adam swallowed thickly, feeling the heat of the man's touch seeping into his skin, his heart pounding in his chest. Mate... The word echoed in his mind, sparking a memory long buried.

"Now, tell me, Adam," the man’s voice slithered into his ears, sweet as honey yet tinged with a serpentine hiss. Adam’s eyes were drawn to the man’s forked tongue as it flickered out, teasing his cherry-red lips. "Do you remember my name? Even after I warned you never to forget?"

He couldn’t look away, the man’s face inching closer, his golden and ruby eyes hooded, pupils dilated, trapping Adam in a gaze that left him paralyzed.

"Say my name, Adam," the man whispered, his forked tongue brushing against Adam's lips, sending a shiver down his spine.

"...Lucifer..." Adam breathed out, his voice barely audible.

A sharp, wicked grin spread across Lucifer’s lips, his eyes crinkling at the corners in delight. The end of his feathered, rattling tail quivered with pleasure, his sharp clawed fingers stroking the soft curve of Adam's cheeks.

"Good boy," Lucifer cooed, nuzzling his face against Adam's. His hands held Adam's face still as he brought his lips dangerously close. "Now for your reward~"

"My reward?" Adam whimpered, his breath hitching.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Lucifer claimed Adam’s lips in a kiss. The soft, plumpness of those cherry-red lips sent a tingling sensation washing over Adam, making him quiver. Lucifer’s kiss was gentle at first, a sweet caress of lips, as he began to coil his serpentine body around Adam, not quite touching him but forming a coiling nest around him, leaving no escape should Adam try to flee.

Lucifer’s sharp fangs grazed Adam’s bottom lip, capturing it between his own lips and sucking softly, before slipping back to deepen the kiss. His forked tongue flickered against Adam's lips, a teasing request for entry, as the serpent's embrace tightened, holding Adam close within his seductive grasp.

Cradling Adam's flushed cheeks, Lucifer’s sinuous tongue persisted in its quest, licking insistently for entry until the tip of his tail slithered with serpentine grace behind Adam. It trailed along the nape of his neck, purposely brushing Adam’s Omega glands and sending a shiver racing down Adam’s spine. In that moment of unexpected contact, Adam jerked with a startled squeal. The sound was swiftly silenced as Lucifer’s tongue took advantage of the parted lips, slipping into the now open haven of Adam's mouth.

Adam shuddered violently, his back arching at the unfamiliar sensation of Lucifer’s forked tongue exploring him. The tongue traced the contours of Adam’s own, a possessive dance that claimed every inch of his mouth as its territory. Finally, Lucifer withdrew, pulling back just enough to leave a thick, glistening bridge of saliva connecting their rosy lips, a testament to the intimate invasion.

"You... y-you kissed me..." Adam panted, his voice trembling, his face an uncharacteristic shade of red.

Lucifer's grin widened with delight as he leaned in to steal another quick, playful kiss. "Mates kiss, Adam. They kiss all the time."

"Well, um, y-yeah, but I'm—not—why would you want to kiss me?" Adam stammered, his words stumbling over each other as an unexpected bashfulness crept over him. His mind was a whirl of confusion, and though he couldn’t see it, an instinctive sense of danger began to close in around him, tightening like a noose.

Lucifer's hands continued to cradle Adam’s cheeks, a soft rattle-purr emanating from his feathered tail. "Because you are my mate, Adam. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that, too? You’ve been mine for ten years now, Addie~"

A shaky gasp escaped Adam's lips as Lucifer’s rattling tail continued its teasingly caress, sliding up and down his spine, brushing repeatedly against the Omega glands at the back of his neck—glands that had remained untouched for years, now throbbing with a newfound sensitivity.

Lucifer tugged Adam closer, pulling him into an embrace that forced the Phoenix Omega to rise onto the tips of his toes. Adam's hands instinctively shot up, grasping onto Lucifer’s wrists for balance, especially as Lucifer pressed their lips together once more, sealing their connection with another deep, intoxicating kiss.

It was nice. Maybe too good. Adam found himself melting into the kiss, sighing pleasantly and even beginning to try and kiss back. He stretched himself onto the tip of his toes further and push his lips back against Lucifer’s.

The sense of being wanted. The feeling that somebody out there wanted to mate with him, wanted Adam to be their Omega, had him warming up. A wetness formed between his thighs, making him rub them together.

Breaking the kiss, Adam was dazed and needy. He’s eyes were dilated and glassy, large and reflective. Lucifer purred, brushing his fingers over Adam’s cheeks with an even wider smirk. His long serpent body rattled, and he swiftly swirled himself around Adam’s body, caging the failed Omega against him. Lucifer’s clawed hands crossed over Adam’s chest, rubbing the hidden flesh through his sweater. His sharp claws pinching at the cotton fabric, slicing the threads little by little.

“Addie~” he sang teasingly, nuzzling his face into the Omega’s neck. His lips ghosted along the warm skin and soon his tongue licked across the exposed mating glands, making Adam gasp. “I can smell your slick~”

“My – my what?” Adam squawked, blinking his eyes furiously. His heart skipped a beat as he shakingly took in the sight of the feather and scaly snake body had coiled itself around him.

A hungry giggle escaped the feathered serpent Nephilim. Lucifer tilted his head, allowing his long fork-tongue to slither out. He ran it down Adam’s throat, tracing the macules and flickering at the collar of Adam’s sweater.

“Your slick. It’s strong.” Lucifer cooed, his right clawed hand crawling down Adam’s front and stroking his stomach. “It smells divine, it’s making my mouth water~”

Adam squirmed immediately as the wetness between his legs intensified. So that must be ‘slick’ and gosh, his face warmed up at the words. He quivered as Lucifer’s other hand continued to caress his chest through the fabrics, Adam’s eyes falling to watch the two hands anxiously. A knot began to form within his gut and his breath hitched further as Lucifer’s right hand sunk further down, sliding over his stomach fully and rest just above the area that contained Adam’s Omega-hood.

Releasing a range of rattle purrs, Lucifer continued to lick at Adam’s neck. His lips brushing repeatedly against the untouched Omega glands, enjoying the way his mate gasped and trembled from the actions. The clawed hand that was sneaking down Adam’s body finally reached the flimsy waistband of his mate’s black pyjama pants but instead of using inside like Lucifer originally aimed for, he immediately cupped Adam through his trousers.

A startled yelp escaped Adam, and he squirmed even more within the snake coiled grip, but Lucifer held tightly and secured. A wave of something new washed over Adam’s body as Lucifer abruptly began to rub his hand firmly between his legs, giggling as Adam reacted to the actions with delight.

Taking advantage of Adam’s reaction, Lucifer’s other hand slipped underneath Adam’s sweater. All the hairs upon Adam’s body stood up on end as Lucifer’s hand touched his chest somewhat aggressively.

“You’re so cute, Addie~” Lucifer hummed, resting his chin on Adam’s shoulder. “I’ve been dreaming of the day I get my hands on you~”

Adam’s breath hitched, making his throat burn and his eyes grow so wide that he feared they would pop out. His hips arched as Lucifer continued to caress him between his thighs, his legs trembled and the tingling knot deep inside his gut increased, growing tighter and tighter.

“You have? But why?” Adam gasped, his own mouth beginning to water with too much saliva. Where did it all come from?

A laugh bubbled from Lucifer, the pretty feathers of his body fluttering and scales glittering. Lucifer nuzzled his face into Adam’s throat again, pressing butterfly kisses along the soft flesh. “I don’t know what it is for you mortals, but for ones like myself, we mate for life. We can only court once in our lives. The moment I scented you, I committed my full soul, heart and body to you and you alone~”

“Oh…” Adam began quietly.

Smirking widely, Lucifer’s long fangs peeking out from his cherry-red lips, his hands continued to fondle his adorable mate. He pulled Adam’s sweater up, forcing his chest to be exposed and immediately grabbed the right breast. While his long-wet tongue extended over his shoulder and began to lick at the left breast. His eyes crinkled at the corners and became hooded with desire, the taste of Adam’s flesh was delicious. So much better than he could ever have imagined.

Licking his lips with a hiss, Lucifer twisted himself around Adam’s left side, slithering himself underneath Adam’s arm. His lips contacted the exposed skin and Adam released an embarrassing cry. He kissed softly the tender skin, rolling his tongue across the skin and even sucking a little.

Adam wheezed and clenched his teeth together, unsure of what to do. It felt good but it was all so overwhelming and making Adam feel rather lightheaded. It was just yesterday morning that Adam was depressed and heartbroken, thinking the only person who he could ever be with didn’t want him at all but now, hours later, he was tangled up and being touched by his apparent mate.

Lucifer gazed up at Adam’s face as he sucked upon the exposed flesh. A dark glint appeared within his gold and ruby eyes; the hand nested between Adam’s legs slid upward. He dipped his hand down his trousers and touching him again. Lucifer purred when Adam jumped in surprise and released a rather loud moan.

“You sound so pretty~” Lucifer purred, working Adam over tenderly and delicately. “You sound so nice, Addie. You really do.”

With another cry, Adam’s hips arched and everything inside him jolted. The tight knot unravelled vastly, leaving Adam out of breath and shaking. His vision blurred, stars shimmering across his sight.

With a devilish grin, Lucifer pressed closer to Adam's neck, his lips grazing the delicate Omega glands, sending shivers down Adam's spine. His grip softened, transforming into a tender embrace as he cradled the fallen Phoenix Omega in his arms. The serpent godling's sinuous form coiled around Adam, caressing his neck with gentle nuzzles that trailed upward, their cheeks brushing in an intimate dance. Lucifer’s intoxicating pheromones enveloped Adam, marking him as his own, a possessive and primal act of claim.

Adam’s vision blurred, his body a blend of numbness and warmth. As Lucifer captured his lips in a kiss, it was sweet, tender, and brimming with a gentleness that contrasted his usual cruel demeanour. When their lips parted, the sharp, predatory smirk that usually adorned Lucifer’s face melted into something softer, more affectionate—a loving smile that radiated from his captivating eyes. A low, purring rattle emanated from Lucifer, a sound akin to a contented serpent, as his golden curls shimmered with vibrant, iridescent feathers that fanned out like a hummingbird’s wings. Adam’s breath caught in his throat, utterly entranced by the ethereal beauty of the feathered serpent godling before him.

But then, a sudden gust of fresh air swept through the temple, dispelling the stifling heat and Lucifer's enchanting pheromones. Adam blinked, his senses slowly returning as the sacred stones were cleansed by the breeze. He squinted, glancing around in confusion as clarity and fear crept back into his mind.

Oh Quetzalcoatl... What had he done? What had he allowed himself to be swept into?

He had broken the sacred laws of Pentagram City, trespassed onto sacrificial grounds, and ascended the temple of Quetzalcoatl. He had committed treason, and the consequences would be severe—he would be torn apart if he descended. The Jorogumo warriors were likely already lying in wait, ready to capture him and exact their cruel retribution.

Worse still, he had desecrated the temple of Quetzalcoatl. He had allowed himself to indulge in something forbidden, something sacred. Lucifer could very well be the divine offspring of Quetzalcoatl himself, a holy being sent to deliver the next stage of destiny to Pentagram City. If Quetzalcoatl had not returned in his own form but sent his Nephilim son instead, it meant Lucifer was to fulfil this year's covenant with the people. And Adam... Adam had touched him, kissed him, allowed himself to be marked by him.

Holy gods. He was doomed. He had practically defiled Lucifer in the eyes of the elders! The punishment would be swift and merciless. They would deem him unworthy, a failed Phoenix, an unfit Omega, and he would be executed so Lucifer could find a more suitable mate.

Lucifer, who had been nuzzling into Adam with blissful contentment, barely had time to register Adam’s sudden panic. His golden and ruby eyes widened in surprise, round as an owl’s, as he tumbled to the temple floor in a dishevelled heap of serpentine coils and puffed-out feathers.

"Adam?" he called out, confusion lacing his voice as he pushed himself up from the stones, his sharp fangs glinting as they protruded from his lips. "Adam?"

The failed Phoenix stumbled to a halt in the archway, his gaze lingering on Lucifer as he bit his bottom lip. This was everything he had ever dreamed of— the boy who had promised to be his mate returning to fulfill that promise, a chosen mate who was more than he could have ever hoped for, a god himself. He yearned to return to Lucifer's warm embrace, but fear gripped him—fear of what Pentagram City would do to him once they discovered his transgression with Lucifer.

With a thick swallow, Adam turned and ran through the archway, his heart pounding with anxiety. The burning light of the sun blinded him, but he refused to look down at the walls, terrified of seeing the Jorōgumo warriors readying themselves to capture him. All he could think of was getting home, back to his flat where he could hide away, lick his wounds, and nurse his second broken heart. He would dream of the mate and the love he could have had if only he had been worthying.

Lucifer watched Adam flee, a disappointed growl rumbling deep in his throat. It took only moments for him to untangle his serpentine body, his clawed hands smoothing down his feathers as he straightened. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of his right claw—the one he had used to caress Adam—and he brought his finger to his lips, licking it thoughtfully.

Adam had rejected him? Adam had run away from him? No. Absolutely not. That wasn’t allowed. Adam was his. Adam was his mate. He wasn’t allowed to change his mind. Lucifer’s blood and soul screamed for only one mate, and he had chosen Adam.

With a determined huff, Lucifer licked his fingers clean and slithered toward the archway, the bright sunlight barely fazing him as he poked his head out, gazing over the city his father had created.

“So, this is Pentagram City?” he clicked his tongue in distaste. “I expected something bigger.”

Lucifer's skin crackled and snapped, a sinister symphony echoing down the winding staircase as his eyes narrowed, sharp and unforgiving. His fork-tipped tongue slipped out like a serpent’s kiss, tasting the air, while the tip of his tail rattled with anticipation. Through the dim light, he glimpsed the silhouette of Adam, hastily descending the golden steps, his every movement betraying his desperation.

With a sudden, violent twitch, Lucifer's body surged, and from his back erupted six magnificent wings, their beauty both terrifying and divine. They stretched out along his spine, extending all the way to the base of his rattle-tailed form, a display of dark splendor. A low, rumbling purr escaped his lips as his clawed hands curled around the edge of the top step. Leaning forward, his shoulders rose, framing his face as his blood-red eyes flared with predatory hunger. The spider-like women clinging to the walls of his father’s domain caught his gaze, their presence only deepening his hunger.

"Ah," he murmured, arching his wings wide, feeling the power ripple through them as he tested their strength. It had been far too long since he had flown in this form, a form both glorious and deadly. "Adam’s about to stumble into a web of trouble, and I haven’t feasted in such a long time..."

With a graceful, effortless motion, Lucifer launched himself into the sky. His wings beat with a speed that outpaced a bullet, carrying him swiftly through the air, unseen and unstoppable. For whom could ever hope to spot the Nephilim coming? After all, Lucifer was the very child of the winds, an omen of doom that none could escape.

~#~

It was a strange sensation, one that Adam couldn’t quite explain. An inexplicable surge of energy pulsed through him, propelling his legs faster than they’d ever moved before. He leaped down the temple steps, his skin tingling with a sense of foreboding, as if unseen eyes were watching him from above. Yet, every time he glanced upward, he found nothing but darkness.

The failed Phoenix dashed across the sacrificial grounds, his heart pounding in his chest. He sprinted straight through the night sky's twinkling pathway, eyes fixed on the ancient wall of Quetzalcoatl. His throat burned, his nostrils flaring as if inhaling fire. Suddenly, a chill sliced through him when he glimpsed the silhouette of a Jorōgumo warrior near the wall. But as he drew closer, the shadowy figure vanished as though it had never been there. Had he looked more closely, he might have noticed the fresh blood staining the ground beneath his feet, but fear blinded him to the signs.

His heart raced, pounding a relentless rhythm in his chest, urging him not to stop. And so he didn’t. He skidded forward, dropping to his knees, scrambling across the cold stone. Unaware, he crawled beneath the statue of Quetzalcoatl, his hands outstretched, reaching for safety. Just as he pulled himself through, the waiting Jorōgumo warrior, hidden in the shadows, barely had time to scream before being snatched away by a blur in the sky. Adam blinked in confusion; his breath ragged as he glanced around.

"Where did all the Jorōgumo go?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, wincing as his fingers brushed over his sensitive Omega glands. Startled, he jerked his hand away, stumbling to his feet, and began to speed walk toward the border of Pentagram City.

"Maybe they didn’t notice me," he whispered to himself, picking up his pace.

 His eyes brightened as he spotted other creatures of the city going about their daily business. It seemed no one had noticed him sneaking past the walls. Maybe he really was lucky! Perhaps Lilith herself had taken pity on him, distracting her clan just long enough for him to slip by unnoticed.

Unbeknownst to Adam, the Jorōgumo warriors were being silently picked off behind him, one by one, by a shadowy figure darting through the sky. Oblivious to the chaos, he zigzagged through Pentagram City, his legs burning as he jogged past the crowds. His ears rang with the echo of his own heartbeat, so heavy and fast that it made him dizzy. But still, Adam didn’t pause, driven by a desperate need to return to the safety of his rundown flat.

When his apartment building finally came into view, Adam nearly wept with relief. His eyes glistened with tears as he slowed to a walk, sweat trickling down his clammy skin. He leaned over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. But his relief was short-lived. A cold dread washed over him as he felt a hand on his backside.

Adam's eyes widened in horror as he shot upright and spun around, only to find himself face-to-face with the seedy Alpha Minotaur. The very same Alpha who delighted in stalking him, his eyes gleaming with sinister intent.

"Not today," Adam choked out, his chest still heaving as he tried to push past the brute. "I'm in no mood for your bullshit."

"That's a bit harsh," the Minotaur growled, his voice a smoky rumble that sent a shiver through Adam's spine. His massive, calloused hand clamped around Adam's arm, effortlessly pulling him closer. "Considering I'm your last shot at any kind of courtship, don’t you think you should be a little sweeter to me?"

Adam stared; disbelief plastered across his face. The audacity of this asshole. He struggled in vain to break free from the Minotaur’s iron grip. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I heard all about the Jorōgumo turning you down. I tried to warn you," the Alpha murmured with a smug smile, leaning in close to exhale a cloud of musky breath across Adam’s face. "A Jorōgumo would never go for something as weak and delicate as you."

Ignoring the sting of the insult, Adam glared at the Alpha Minotaur, his eyes dark with anger. "Let. Go. Of. Me."

"I’m offering you a chance—what every Omega dreams of. I’m a strong Alpha, I could take real good care of you!" The Minotaur’s grip tightened around Adam’s slender arm. "Better than that spider freak, anyway."

Adam swallowed the growl rising in his throat, still struggling to wrench his arm free. "Fuck off!"

"Oh, you’ve got spirit!" the Minotaur bellowed with laughter, finally releasing Adam and sending the Phoenix Omega stumbling backward. "You’ll come around eventually. They always do."

Disgust twisted Adam's features as he sneered. "I might be unwanted by nearly everyone in Pentagram City, but even I have standards. Even I, a failed Phoenix, deserve better than a fuckhead like you!"

Without giving the Minotaur a chance to respond, Adam spun on his heel and stormed away. His eyes began to sting with unshed tears, but he refused to cry in front of that asshole Alpha. His arm throbbed from the Minotaur’s grip, but Adam was damned if he’d let that assclown know he’d hurt him. No fucking way.

As he approached his apartment building, something slithered down from above, and in an instant, the Minotaur was yanked into the air by his horns. His startled scream was cut off before it could even begin.

Adam all but collapsed against the door, his chest heaving as he stared blankly at his dimly lit flat. The tension in his body began to unravel, and he slowly slid down the door until his backside hit the floor, his head resting heavily against the wood behind him. Safe at last, surrounded by the familiar shadows of his home, Adam found himself drawn irresistibly to his comfort nest.

He crawled across the floor, each movement more desperate than the last, until he reached the nest of tangled sheets and blankets. With a swift, almost frantic motion, he threw himself into it, cocooning his trembling body within the soft layers.

As he lay there, the tension slowly drained from his stiff muscles, and the whirlwind of emotions he'd been holding at bay finally surged forward. The memories of the past few hours crashed down on him, leaving him breathless. A childish squeal of disbelief escaped his lips as he covered his face with both hands, rolling onto his side and curling into a tight ball.

"Holy shit," he whispered, peeking through his fingers as if the darkness might somehow confirm the impossible. "Did that really happen?"

Had he truly ventured all the way to the temple? Had he really committed treason, defying every law he knew, and scaled the temple’s sacred crown? And more unbelievable still—had he stood before the Godling of Quetzalcoatl, the Nephilim himself? Was any of it real?

Had he really met Lucifer? And had Lucifer truly touched him like that?

Adam's breath hitched, his disbelief mounting with every question. Could the kind boy he’d met all those years ago have been the Nephilim of Quetzalcoatl?

His breath shook, a tremor of doubt seeping into his thoughts. There was no way it had all happened... right? It had to be in his head. Maybe he’d never left his nest, and all of it had just been some vivid, twisted dream. That seemed more likely, but then…there was wetness still between his legs. The evidence was still inside his pyjamas.

Adam groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, desperate to believe it had all been a dream. His heart pounded with worry because if it wasn’t… he had pushed Lucifer away and fled like a coward. Who knew what the Nephilim would do now?

As he nestled deeper into the comforting embrace of his nest, the exhaustion of being up all night finally caught up with him. His thoughts began to blur, his breathing gradually slowing as sleep claimed him. How long he slept, he couldn’t say, but when he awoke, the light outside his grimy windows was already fading into twilight.

Whining softly, Adam rubbed his tired eyes and sat up, his hair a tousled mess. Even after sleeping, he still felt drained, as if he could easily slip back into slumber. But something wasn’t right. What had woken him up? The flat looked as it always did, nothing out of place.

Shrugging off the unease, Adam lay back down, burrowing into his blankets once more. Just as he was about to drift off again, a faint tapping reached the edge of his consciousness. At first, he ignored it, thinking it was just the rain. But the sound persisted, almost rhythmic in nature.

His eyes snapped open, annoyance bubbling up as he sat up and listened more intently. The tapping was coming from his window? But even with the shoddy glass, Adam could tell there was nothing on the other side—not even a drop of rain. His brows furrowed in confusion as he crawled toward the wall, yawning and accidentally bumping his forehead against the cold surface.

Groaning, Adam rubbed his forehead before pulling himself to his feet. He grumbled under his breath as he repeated his usual morning ritual, tugging at the stiff, worn-out latch. The hinges creaked loudly in protest as he forced the window open.

He peered out into the darkening city, stretching out a hand to feel for rain, but there was nothing. His head lolled against the window frame, his eyelids growing heavy again. There was nothing out there, and he was so tired—he could just doze off like this and—

"Hi, Adam!"

Adam’s eyes flew open in shock, freezing in place as a face suddenly appeared inches from his own. Black and green claws gripped the top of the window, and a familiar, mischievous head hung upside down, grinning at him.

Adam stared into Lucifer’s ruby and golden eyes, his groggy mind struggling to catch up. Lucifer? It was Lucifer! The Nephilim of Quetzalcoatl! His supposed mate—the one Adam had shoved away and abandoned at the temple. A startled yelp escaped his throat as he stumbled backward, landing on his backside. Meanwhile, Lucifer, with impressive agility, wiggled through the small window, his grin never faltering. The Nephilim slipped inside, his long tail snaking in after him, rattling as it stretched all the way across the room, revealing just how unnervingly long it was.

"You have wings?!" Adam squawked in surprise, his voice breaking.

Lucifer hummed contentedly, his twinkling eyes surveying the room until they settled on Adam's nest. A wide grin spread across his face as he immediately slithered toward it, nuzzling himself into the makeshift walls of pillows, cushions, and sheets.

"Hmm?" Lucifer murmured, patting down the pillows as his six wings fluttered on either side of him. "Of course I do~ All my brothers and sisters have Father's wings~"

Adam crawled backward until his back hit the wall, his eyes wide with shock. "You… You didn’t have them before."

"I can retract them!" Lucifer replied cheerfully, his wings suddenly straightening before folding back into his body, disappearing seamlessly into the feathers and scales. "See~"

Adam opened his mouth to respond but clamped it shut, his gaze shifting awkwardly—until he noticed something alarming. Red liquid. Everywhere. His eyes widened as he followed the trail of crimson from the floor to the walls, and finally, to his nest.

"You’re covered in blood!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.

Cuddling an emerald, green pillow close to his chest, Lucifer buried his face in it, inhaling deeply. He snuggled the pillow and peered at Adam with half-lidded eyes. "Don’t worry. It’s not my blood."

Resisting the urge to snatch back his favourite pillow, Adam frowned deeply. "Whose blood, is it?"

"Ah, those Jorōgumo. They were planning to ambush you, but don’t worry! I dealt with them!" Lucifer chirped, his feathers fluffing up and the tip of his tail rattling with satisfaction. "Oh, and that annoying Alpha Minotaur. He touched what’s mine, and I don’t like sharing. So, I dealt with him too!"

It was as if Adam’s brain short-circuited at Lucifer’s unnervingly gleeful response. He blinked a few times, his mouth opening to speak but then clamping shut again. His gaze remained locked on Lucifer, who stared back at him while clutching Adam's favorite green pillow. Did Lucifer know it was Adam's favorite? Was that why the Nephilim held it so tightly, pressing his cheek against it and—was he sniffing it repeatedly?

"When you say you dealt with them…" Adam’s voice wavered as he asked.

Lucifer’s smirk widened, almost unnervingly, until he seemed like an entirely different creature. His rattlesnake tail swayed lazily behind him. "I ate them. Yes."

"You—you ate them?!" Adam gasped. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been such a revelation. Quetzalcoatl was a god of blood sacrifices and devouring flesh, so it made sense that his children would share the same… tastes.

"I was hungry," Lucifer shrugged, entirely unconcerned. "And they were there, so I figured why not? Killed two birds with one stone~"

Adam nodded slowly, trying to process the twisted logic. It made sense, he supposed, but still, a shudder of revulsion crept up his spine. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn’t hard~" Lucifer snorted, his eyes narrowing at Adam with a hint of judgment. "You’re my mate. I’ll always be able to sniff you out. No matter how far you run, I can pick up your scent anywhere. I just followed it to this building after I had my fill."

"Oh," Adam mumbled, glancing away, feeling weak. "Are you mad at me?"

"Absolutely!" Lucifer chirped, his smile unnervingly wide and cheerful. He didn’t look angry at all. "I’m fuming! I’m so upset with you! You ran away from me! And pushed me off! That hurt so much, you know!"

Adam flinched at the overly cheerful tone, his stomach knotting with anxiety. Lucifer’s voice was light, but when Adam finally met his eyes, he saw it—the pure, simmering anger lurking behind that deceptively happy expression.

"I’m sorry," Adam said, leaning forward without actually approaching the feathered serpent. "I’m sorry. I just panicked."

Lucifer grunted, tilting his head curiously. "Why would you panic? You’re my mate; I’d never hurt you."

"Okay, I—I know that. And I’d never hurt you either." Adam’s cheeks warmed as he spoke, feeling a bit bashful. He doubted he could ever actually harm Lucifer, but saying it seemed to make Lucifer relax slightly. "But you have to understand, you’re a Nephilim, the son of my god. How did you expect me to react? I’m nothing special. I’m not even a fully reformed Phoenix, and you’re telling me my mate is a Godling? It was just… too much."

Lucifer’s expression softened, his head tilting further as he seemed to digest Adam’s words. He hummed thoughtfully and let out a soft sigh. "Okay. I can understand that, so I’ll let it slide this time. But don’t ever do that to me again—I won’t be so forgiving."

"Right…" Adam nodded sheepishly. "I really am sorry."

"Hmm?" Lucifer purred, leaning forward with a playful glint in his eye, one clawed finger beckoning Adam closer. "If you’re really sorry and want to make it up to me, you’ll come over and snuggle with me~ I’ve always wanted to see your nest, Addie~"

Without thinking, Adam climbed to his feet, drawn to Lucifer like a moth to a flame. He found himself standing at the edge of his nest, staring down at Lucifer. But as he looked into those mischievous eyes, he narrowed his own and frowned.

Lucifer immediately pouted, raising both arms to Adam like a child wanting to be picked up. "Come on, Addie~ Let’s cuddle. I wanna snuggle you~"

"No," Adam said firmly, planting his hands on his hips. "Not when you’re covered in blood."

A sharp smirk returned to Lucifer’s lips, and his long, serpentine tongue flicked out playfully. "Well, then you better come clean me~"

"C-Clean you?" Adam stammered, his eyes widening. "You don’t mean…"

Lucifer’s grin widened, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he stretched out luxuriously in the nest, his voice dripping with suggestive mischief. "Oh, but I do~"

“…I’ll find a sponge or a flannel.” Adam muttered, beginning to turn his head away.  

“Why would you need those?” Lucifer questioned, catching Adam’s wrist with his snake-tail.

Adam blinked down at him. “To…clean you?”

“Oh no~” with one tug, Lucifer pulled Adam on top of him. “We don’t clean ourselves like that, Addie~”

“…and…how do you want me to clean you?”

Lucifer purred, sliding his arms around Adam’s middle. He rubbed them purposely up and down Adam’s back. His long tongue licked at Adam’s lips.

“You need to use your tongue~”

----

Lilith – Jorōgumo - Alpha

  Origin: Japan

  Description: A spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to lure and devour men. Jorōgumo is a blend of beauty and danger, often featured in ghost stories.

Lucifer – Quetzalcoatl's younglin – Omega

  Origin: Mesoamerica

  Description: A feathered serpent god associated with wind, air, and learning. Quetzalcoatl is one of the most important deities in Aztec culture.

Adam – Phoenix – Omega

  Origin: Ancient Greece, Egypt, and Persia

  Description: A magnificent bird that is cyclically reborn from its ashes, symbolizing immortality, renewal, and the sun.

[bonnieisaway]

Thoughts/interpretations of past seven? (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

MY FAVORITE SUBJECT WAHOO! !!!!!!!!!

Okay I've said it like a lot in the past but I do not believe past Seven is different from the current Seven. I will DIE on this hill, they are the exact same person. There is no two different versions of Seven.

'past Seven' is often seen through the eyes of very unreliable narrators. It is very difficult to discern what is and isn't true about Seven, because in the past he was so outwardly emotionless that everybody else would project their own ideas onto him, so any assessments of his personality from Captain Jack and Redtooth are not actually factual. Green Phoenix is the most impartial in his retellings of past Seven, so we can only trust when other characters tell us about the EVENTS that happened, not about how they thought Seven felt.

With the preface, Seven is just as sympathetic and caring in the past as he was now. This is factual. We can learn this from three key things:

He refuses to fight outside of missions, and does not draw his blade unless his life is threatened.

He did not kill Ouyang Zang when he killed his master.

He did not kill the man from season 3, who recounts the story of when Seven was chased by all the killers in Xuanwu, and Seven noticed how scared he was and chose to walk past him.

From these we can gather he does not like killing, and he more often than not is spares people he does not need to kill, even if it is in the future, possibly detrimental to him. Both of the second points come back to bite him later in season three - and that is something he would have known could happen. Ouyang Zang is actively grieving when Seven notices him, but he is not a threat to his life, so he does not kill him.

And there's a pattern set of other assassins willing to kill any witnesses or people who do not, in the current moment, cause them any harm. The assassins that killed Thirteen's mother planned to kill them both - not only for the sake of trying to hurt her father, but they were willing to kill an innocent child. Manjusaka also murders three people in a restaurant for shit-talking Redtooth. Most assassins do not care to spare innocent bystanders or people that are bad mouthing them.

So we can reasonably assume that Seven is not like this, and does not like killing people senselessly. He only ever does it to survive. And that might not entirely sound like he's still an empathetic person - which I think it does but I'll be damned if I won't drive my point home - but we KNOW he is because he scarifies everything for the Girl in White.

Somebody who is ruthless, unfeeling, and a cold hearted murderer - as Seven is often painted as by other character - would have never crumbled for the Girl in White, because they never would have had a reason to. There would never be any empathy within them for her to set free. Seven walked into a trap and committed treason to save her life, for no discernable reason. It is the first time he has ever outwardly protected somebody. Seven, in his past state, has to be an empathetic and caring person in his heart, because only an empathetic and caring person would have put everything on the line to save her. The 'ruthless, unfeeling Shadow Killer' he is painted as has no reason to do this, and would never do this, because he understands the harms way he puts himself in doing this.

These previous instances, of him sparing people and only drawing his blade to protect his life or for a mission, are our first hints that he was not the person people believed him to be.

But then you ask, if he was an empathetic person, who never wanted this, then why did he become a Shadow Killer at all? And the simple answer is: He had to be.

Seven is fifteen years old when he joins the Shadow Killers. He has zero affiliations to any clan, family, or school, and the only other person we've ever seen from this part of his life, is an unnamed, unarmed woman who unexpectedly dies. Leaving Seven alone and fighting to survive for most of his life.

We know from Thirteen's backstory that children are not seen very empathetically in Xuanwu, at the very least, her mother's assassins were not afraid to kill her, too. And we've learned in several instances that the wildlife in Xuanwu is dangerous, there is an entire species of serpent people who shapeshift into humans to try and fucking eat you. It's also incredibly hard to make a living in Xuanwu, as we know from Meowcai, and the most lucrative, easy option is becoming an assassin. Seven is a child who is, presumably, living on his own. I think it is more than reasonable to assume that Seven ended up somehow on the path to be an assassin in order to survive, and he never left because there was nowhere else for him to go. So he grew up to learn to ignore his empathy and compassion because it would only get him killed, because it was nothing but a glaring weakness. So he always keeps a straight face, never lets anybody get close, does his job, and always masks his emotions. This bottles up inside of him up until the incident with the Girl in White, and then he cannot ignore it any longer and risks his life to save her, despite only ever being a killer, and never protecting anybody before.

Seven was always an empathetic person, and he grew up in an environment where he never could be. When he washed up on Chicken Island, he was nothing but his bare bone personality. His core personality never changed, just his environment, and his care free environment allowed him to be a more goofy, loving person than he ever could've been in the past. When people say Seven is 'reverting' to his past self in season four- he's not. He is the same person, in the same environment, who cannot afford, or have the time to be fun loving and goofy. That is why he is a doomed Shadow Killer. Not because he wants to be, or because it's in his nature to kill, but because he will always end up in this situation again, and he will have to resort to killing to protect himself once again. And that 'fun loving' part of his personality will never get to show, because he'll never feel safe enough to let it. Past Seven and Seven are the same person, just in different environments. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk

[kiivg]

Your Rook is ridiculously good looking. Like, I’m actually blushing and it’s all your fault

.The initial idea for him was Grave Robbing Pirate and honestly the beard options came through for me like nothing else. Guaranteed I was going to go for muttonchops/sideburns before I even knew what the CC looked like, but idk they looked a little patchy sometimes and that is NOT what Grier is about 👏 The whatever it is he has now is iconic for him, I tried making him as an elf but it was Cursed and Never-to-Be-Seen-Again. Also the balding ponytail? I saw it, and I was like yeah that’s it, that’s him, that’s exactly what I’m about.

.Also it is absolutely insane to me that he’s the first draft, I got him in one go with a little fine tuning once I figured out how the CC works. Especially considering how ugly Goddard turned out as the Inquisitor 😭😭 but now I HC he just sends somebody over in his place to act as a go between, ain’t no way he’s traipsing around with Morrigan lmao. I did make a crummy Blackwall Inq so I could get Dorian to call him Amatus 👹 Pavwall Canon UNLOCKED. (I wonder if you could make the Iron Bull tho?? Sans wide horns ofc.)

.Also, girlie, tysm!!!!!! I am ALSO very 👀😳🥴🤫🫡 about him, I’ve just started my third playthrough of him, I’m still tweaking little bits here and there as I go along. Which means ofc I’m going to be screenshotting him in every cutscene 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️.

.Some facts about my Rook, Grier Thorne, and his story below 💕🫡.

.His mother is Therasia Thorne, a Rivaini Dalish elf who left her clan for the calling of the sea, and he is an absolute mama’s boy. Will do absolutely anything she asks with very little, if any, questioning. He doesn’t know (and most likely never will) who his father is, as the man bought Therasia’s silence over their affair with two galleons and a frigate. On a side note, Therasia was known for seducing very rich men and getting pregnant in order to blackmail them. Most of the time the fathers would pay up, and there has only been one instance of the father agreeing to take the baby off her hands, her bluff was called and she regretfully left her son behind.

.He adores expensive textures, silk, dragon scales, gold, fine lace, alamarri sheep wool, phoenix feathers. If he wasn’t a career criminal turned conscript he would have been a tailor. He owns (or used to own) several dresses/robes that he would just lounge about in naked to feel the fabric against his skin. Doesn’t really think too much of leather though, it can be stiff and often chafes the skin, which is strange because he’s very much a rope man.

.He waxes most of his body hair off, and keeps everything nice and tidy. He also puts coloured powder in his open wounds to preserve the shape of them as they heal, true to his mother’s traditions.

.Has kept his face completely bare of tattoos (apart from the fish he got when he was fourteen) in an honour to his Dalish heritage; he knows he won’t ever get valaslin because he’s only a half-elf, but the prospect of it keeps his face bare.

.Is fascinated by machinery and spent a great deal of time perfecting his own tools. His own frigate was equipped with self made trident ballistas, each one would fire three harpoons (individually or all at once) secured with thick chains, crafted to hunt and bring down large game, dragons, and smaller fleeing ships.

.In tune with his love for crafting, he follows June, and not the Maker. Though he does keep this to himself and those he considers family. If asked he just says he doesn’t believe in the Maker, and refuses to elaborate.

.Absolutely fucks, big family kind of guy. He is one of nineteen children, and has nine of his own by five different women, though he assumes there’s more because he was very much a leave before the sunrise kind of guy. Now he’s matured with being in the Wardens and has been less of a dick about it all. Whether or not he’s got any chance of knowing those kids who knows 🤷‍♂️.

.Never told anyone about his past when he became a Warden, the only people who know are those who were privy to his conscription, and the higher up Wardens upon receiving his arrest and conscription reports. Most people know he’s a conscript however, he doesn’t shy away from that, and he’s had a dozen or more rumours spread about him within the order. Evka was the first person to say he was a good Warden and back him up, and I think that solidified him as a third wheel to her and Antoine.

.He was actually conscripted by order of my HoF Andrastopher Cousland, as a favour returned. Andrastopher wanted aboard his ship when the Inquisition was seeking out a new leader,(there was no way he was becoming a religious figurehead lmao) and he stayed there for a good six months or so before Zevran joined them, and another two months before returning back to Thedas. They… uh… yeah 🥴🤫.

.If he was a companion his questline would probably follow trying to kill his older brother Galo after receiving a plea for help from his sister in law Aadiyah. Turns out Galo is either a) helping the Antaam navigate the seas uncontested or b) capturing and selling slaves to the Venatori. The big question at the end would be whether to tell their daughter that he’s her dad or to let her believe Galo was her father considering he HAS just murdered him, and she has several siblings that Galo fathered too.

.His gift would be an ornamental smoking pipe or a hookah, his room would be an observatory, full of navigational maps and constellations, there would be a small tailors work bench on one side of the room complete with mannequin and a sewn outfit that would slowly complete over his personal questline. His bed would be a row boat full of pillows.

.His almost kiss scene would be him explaining that he’s no good, his past actions are very much coming to bite him in the ass, and that you should really stop flirting with him. Does he want you to stop? No. Is he going to lean in to try and kiss you? Yes. Is he going to remember that everything is playing out as it does before and pull away because he knows he’s not good enough for you? Yes.

.His romance lock in scene would be stargazing on the beach in Rivain, he’d point out a couple constellations, talk about his time seafaring (minus all the murdering and pillaging). You’d get the option to ask about a few different ones (leading to locking out of the romance) or a secret fourth one and he’d absolutely bullshit some made up romantic story that parallels him and you, and you’d call bullshit because YES it is bullshit, and he’d say something awfully sappy about making it “our constellation” and then 💋💋💋.

.The actual romance scene would be that he turns up completely naked in your room, he’ll ask if you want the Captain or the Warden, and you uh choose and uh ye a hh haha ahaaaaa 😳🥴.

[kingsonne-zedecks]

It's Here!

Cradle Animation Trailer

The trailer for the upcoming animation of the bestselling novel series Cradle, by Will Wight, produced by Jay Oliva at Lex + Otis Animation Studio has been released at last!

Cradle

Cradle is an amazing fantasy series by author Will Wight that reached its conclusion with the publishing of Book 12: Waybound, in 2023. Cradle is a western interpretation of the Xianxia genre, which can be described as "Magical Martial Arts."

As shown in the trailer, Cradle follows the journey of Wei Shi Lindon as he starts a journey of growth rather than remaining the weak Unsouled that his Clan has labeled him.

Fans of Naruto, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball, Avatar the Last Airbender and more will all find elements from the stories they love in Cradle.

Lex + Otis Animation Studio

Cradle is being animated by Jay Oliva and his studio, Lex and Otis. If you don't recognize the name, you'll probably recognize some of his past work, particularly his work with DC Animations in general and Batman in specific.

His studio is equally impressive, and released a bit of a showcase of some of their more recent work that you can see here (in addition to the Cradle teaser, you did already watch that a couple of times right?)

The Cradle animation is a passion project for Jay, who loved the books so much that he reached out to Will to make sure that he had the chance to see them brought to the screen.

The Cast

The upcoming animation already has a fantastic cast announced, with more to come. The following have already been confirmed for the project.

Travis Baldree

Phil Lamarr

Steve Blum

Matt Mercer

Morla Gorrondona

Baraka May

Sumalee Montano

Maxine Phoenix

Matt Yang King

Where/When/How Can I Watch?

Will and Jay have really put the Tease in Teaser, as we'll have to live off of replaying the trailer and reading the books for the time being. But more is to come, and announcements will continue to be made as the project continues.

For those who have not been involved in the project yet, a brief explanation to get up to speed.

When Jay reached out to Will about the possibility of animating Cradle, Will decided to personally fund this trailer that they could then take to Netflix and Amazon and the likes to pitch the show. Then, together, they asked how much further they might be able to go, and so they reached out to the fans with a Kickstarter that ended up raising 1.25 million dollars.

Animation is expensive, especially when you choose to only work with studios that treat their employees well, so Will and Jay had to be smart with the money. The upcoming animation will be released to the fans as a thank you for our support in making this a reality, but it's real strength will be in supporting Will and Jay's original plan.

The 80-90 minute animatic that has been funded will be complete in mid to late 2025. With that, the teaser trailer, and the fans reactions in hand, Will and Jay will be able to approach platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple to pitch a full Cradle Animation.

Animatic?

Yes, Animatic. While the trailer is fully colored and animated, the final result of the kickstarted animation will not be. Here is a sample of the style of animation we will be getting next year

This particular animatic is taken from the website of Tiger Animation, which is the South Korean studio that Lex + Otis partnered with for the Cradle Teaser and many of their other projects.

The animatic we get will be fully voice acted and scored, and the only step remaining to turn it into full animation is the funding required to send it off to Tiger Animation. Tiger Animation has an amazing portfolio as well, including Avatar the Last Airbender, Castlevania, and a large number of both Marvel and DC Animations.

Animation Structure

The 80-90 minute animatic will be released as a standalone product and will cover the contents of the first two books of the Cradle Series, Unsouled and Soulsmith regardless of any potential contracts with distribution platforms like Netflix or Amazon.

If/When a platform picks up Cradle and decides to fund the full animation, the show will follow a fairly standard 22 minute episode format. As such the animatic will also serve as the first four episodes of season 1 of the show.

This was a creative decision made by Will and Jay as part of the adaptation process. A number of the fan-favorite characters are introduced in books two and three, and its fairly unanimous that any fan that wasn't hooked immediately, was hooked by the third book, Blackflame.

That is to say, that, while the first two books will only receive two episodes each, this will not be the pace the rest of the show follows. The total number of episodes per season is dependent on funding, but the goal is currently to take 4 season to tell the story of Cradle.

So What Now?

Well. Now we wait. But in the meantime, share the information about Cradle, watch the trailer, show it to your friends and family, read the books if you haven't already, check out the wonderful audiobooks narrated by Travis Baldree if you prefer listening, join us on reddit and discord to talk about things.

In addition to just exposing more people to a wonderful story, each bit of interaction with Cradle is another piece of evidence to show the streaming platforms and prove that a Cradle animation is worth the investment.

[jadegretz]

Karin Kanzuki: Stylish Champion by Jade Gretz

Title: "The Golden Phoenix Rises"

Karin Kanzuki stood at the edge of the sprawling Kanzuki estate, her gaze fixed on the setting sun. The sky was painted with shades of orange and pink, the colors reflecting off the pristine waters of the garden’s koi pond. The world around her was quiet, serene, a stark contrast to the turmoil that raged within her. For years, she had trained relentlessly, honing her skills in martial arts, mastering the Kanzuki-Ryu style that had been passed down through generations. She had competed in countless tournaments, defeated powerful opponents, and upheld the Kanzuki name with pride. Yet, despite her many accomplishments, an emptiness gnawed at her soul, a question she could no longer ignore: Who was she, beyond the legacy of her family name?

Karin had always prided herself on her strength, her unwavering confidence, and her indomitable will. She had been raised to believe that the Kanzuki name was synonymous with greatness, that her purpose in life was to continue the family’s legacy and ensure that the Kanzuki clan remained unmatched in power and influence. But as she grew older, as she faced more and more challenges, she began to realize that her identity had become inextricably tied to that of her family. She was Karin Kanzuki, the heir to the Kanzuki fortune, the unrivaled martial artist, the golden phoenix of the Kanzuki clan. But who was she, really? What did she want, beyond the expectations that had been placed upon her?

The questions haunted her, even as she pushed herself harder and harder in her training. She sparred with the best fighters in the world, traveled to distant lands in search of new challenges, and studied ancient texts in pursuit of wisdom. But no matter how much she achieved, no matter how many victories she claimed, the emptiness remained.

One evening, after a particularly grueling training session, Karin found herself wandering through the Kanzuki estate, lost in thought. The moon was high in the sky, casting a soft, silvery light over the garden. The air was cool and crisp, the scent of jasmine and cherry blossoms linger …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

[phoenix-clan]

Intermission 1

The remaining four clans - MouseClan, DeerClan, FerretClan and AdderClan - gather at the High Stones for their first gathering after the flames.

Meanwhile, two MouseClan exiles make their way to the mountains...

sorry y'all, i'm reuploading this and seeing if it helps! not sure why tumblr decided to hide the original. hopefully this one actually shows up!

[dxmoness]

─────── CLOSING IN.

‣ the thorned mistress . 002

Everything was going in all places now. For when Roman had said he'd ‘sliced an elder's arm off’ he meant he'd killed him by slicing his whole body in half.

The body had held on until Roman left, but as soon as he stepped away from the ceremony, a gruesome sight is displayed. Traumatizing many who watched onwards.

It doesn't take long before his actions reflect on himself. The elders are angry, more angry than they had been when they saw his daughter. The mere fact that he had fought for the stupid child was absurd and different for them and they hated it.

They wanted nothing more than to dispose of the emperor as well as his family, but they couldn't.

Now here they stand in front of the throne, not doing so much as bowing in respect. They are angry and they show it. They refuse to respect a man who will not listen to their bidding. "You will kill her." An elder pushed the thought further. This only fueled Roman's anger so much more than before.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear." Roman answers testily, his blue eyes are cold and filled with a mix of emotions. Rage. Annoyance. Frustration. "I will not kill her and not anyone will." He is firm, unfazed. He will stand his ground. The daughter will not be executed. Not now, not ever. He refused.

So that was that. No more persistent complaining about the princess. None of it worked anyway. They fell on deaf ears or worse went through one ear and came out the next.

—

Roman enters the room where his wife was feeding the children. He watched as she spooned some of the milk into the first of the second batch of triplets. What was this one's name again...? Ah, right. Damien. He had been so focused on the matter with his daughter, he'd forgotten the existence of the other two.

His presence was quickly taken notice by the youngest who wailed the moment he entered. The quiet creak of the door had made her cry so? He takes her from her resting place and croons. "hush... It's okay, daddy's here. You're safe." He kissed her forehead, the feeling of the heart pulsing was strong there.

He does not pull her too close. One wrong move and the sensitive tissue could burst and kill Sorana.

"Has she been fed yet?" His voice is soft and quiet when he speaks to his wife who shakes her head.

"Would you like to feed her?" The request made him excited for some reason. Perhaps it was the fact that he would be able to feed the same child he'll be fighting for these many years to come.

He nods readily and takes the cup of milk. Lifting the spoon, he moves it to his daughter's mouth. The child drank it, well rather sucked on it, from the spoon as he continued feeding her.

Once the small porcelain cup was at least half filled, he puts it down knowing that it would be better that she only taste a little bit of the milk before anything else. Too much could mean a lot of things when the child's this young.

He holds her in his arms, his blue eyes drift towards his wife who was now feeding the middle child of the triplets, Kindred.

Yashira is quiet as she continues to feed the child slowly. The only things that could be heard were the metal spoon hitting the cup and the sucking of their son. It doesn't take long before they finish, the spoon finally clanking back into the cup that was now empty.

"I suppose it's time we bring them back to the nursery." Yashira whispers, carrying the eldest while Roman took the liberty to carry the other two.

Once the children were all snug back in the nursery they came from. Roman leads his wife back to their bedchambers.

Now they lay in bed, Yashira in his arms. Her face buried in his chest as she slept peacefully. He wished they could stay like this forever. Away from all the hatred, all the chaos of the outside world.

But they both knew that was an impossible story.

The next six months that remained their routine. Until their older children came home from the academy.

Alpha beamed when he realized he would now meet his youngest siblings so did Cable. Bravo was the only one who remained indifferent. It was always clear that Bravo had their father's attitude and personality. Thus it wasn't surprising when he remained silent and serious even after receiving news that his younger siblings were now born.

When they found out about the sister part on the other hand...

"WHAT?!" Alpha could hardly believe his ears. They had a baby sister? How was she still alive? This question drove through all three of their minds.

They head for the nursery where the six-month old babies all are there.

Bravo simply goes where his mother, Yashira, sat and kisses her cheek while the other two rush to say hi to the babies.

"How adorable!" Cable gasped happily as he watched them simply sit there, well the other two were sitting. The sister, on the other hand, was fast asleep on the nursery lounge.

Bravo tilts his head as he sits next to her, his fingers touch his sister's head. His gentle caresses slowly cause her to stir but makes no move any further than that. She is fast asleep and it is clear to see.

As Alpha comes to see her too, both oldest siblings have a mutual feeling. They had to protect this girl.

At all costs they must.

─────── NOTE?!

Another chapter is finally done! I'm sorry this took a long time (blame manhwa fics /j) but here it is now!

Word Count — unknown. (I'll find that out later when I move it to Google docs)

─────── INVITATIONS?!

@primordixl / @arvicxa , @achy-boo , @lxdymoon0357 , @roseadleyn , @writerig , @thenomadicdeity

[amybizarre]

Angels and Demons AU

Can be applied to any series of the Steve Cinematic Universe, or anything really. The concept is quite versatile.

This is an old AU I made back in 22. Recently got back into it and the concept and thought I'd share! And, yes, I know, this kind of AU has been done all over the place, but this is different, I promise! Just hear me out-

AU under the cut. :3

Despite this specific concept having been done a loooot, here we go! All the good guys are angels and the bad guys are demons. But I'd like to add some more depth and a twist to it! It's not just gonna be: "Oh, this guy is an angel, this one is a demon!" No. There's different kinds of angels and demons. And there won't be any shapeshifting. One cannot hide who or what they are. You' re an angel? Well damn, you can't hide your wings from anyone! You're a demon? Same story with your horns, claws or whatever.

About the different types:

Angels are generally based on birds, which also defines what their wings and tails will look like. For example: A Falcon-Angel. A very fast and skilled flyer with usually good eyesight and beige-brown spotted wings. Or a Dove-Angel: Bright white wings and usually very patient and kind.

There's also a clearly set hierarchy for angels, which says that certain types of angels are "purer" or "cleaner" than others. The concept behind this order is the following: The brighter and whiter your wings are, the higher you stand in the hierarchy. Highest are of course any white kinds of birds, followed by colorful birds like parrots or hummingbirds. Then come any brownish kinds of birds. Closely behind those come greyish patterned ones and then black-and-white birds. At the very bottom are black kinds of birds.

Therefore, how you are treated by other angels and what your job and place in society is, strongly depends on the color of your wings. Are they white, you're basically royalty. Are they black.... Let's just say you're pretty much fucked-

Yeah! I think it's needless to say that angels have established a functioning society with set rules and stuff like that.

Demons on the other hand are much more primitive. They either live alone as rogues or band together in small packs, clans, groups, whatever. Main rules always are: Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. Be strong and live or be weak and die.

Yeah, it sucks to be a demon. (But it can also suck to be an angel, if you're unlucky-)

Demons are based on all other kinds of animals aside birds. They can also be sorted into several categories: Common, semi-rare, rare and legendary. The closer an animals abilities, that the demon is representing, are to flying, the rarer they are. Or their diet also determines how rare a kind is.

Predatorial kinds like wolf-demons are quite common, but herbivores like goats are already semi-rare, because I can imagine it being quite hard to survive as a peaceful plant-eater, when everyone else around you is a predator. But that means, since herbivores are semi-rare, they're also more powerful. I like to think, that they can tank a lot more hits than a common demon. Any animal-type that is capable of gliding around, like certain types of squirrels (I don't know their name rn) is rare, not because of their diet, but because the angels would hunt them down. More about the conflicts later though. And the legendary demons are animal-types besides birds that can fly. Like bats for example. Or fantasy animals like dragons or even phoenixes.

These demons might be so rare, that only a couple of them have been known to have existed throughout the entire history of this realm. Hence the classification "Legendary". They're also insanely powerful and no-one knows their true full potential, for it has never been seen before.

Now about the conflicts: Angels view the sky as sacred and worship it. They have sworn to keep it "pure" and "clean". Which basically means that no other being is allowed to fly in it, other than angels themselves and birds. That is why they hunt and kill any demon, that looks like it could fly.

Angels generally view demons as uncultured, dirty and unpredictable animals. Which isn't necessarily true. Demons just don't have a complex society like angels do. And they don't have the opprtunity to build one in the first place, since the angels are secretly keeping them down.

Which in return has the demons mad and hating the angels. While the angels want to keep the demons low and on an animal like status, the demons want to overthrow the angels and destroy/ take over their society in return.

And it doesn't help, that angels and demons cannot touch each other. (TWIST!) It's the biggest reason for the separation and isolation between the two groups. If an angel and a demon (be it accidentaly) touched skin to skin, both of them would get burned, as if they've touched acid. If they touch skin to hair, feather or horn it would wither away, crumble apart and fall out altogehter, without ever growing back, leaving permanent damage in all cases.

A romance between angels and demons is therefore pretty much impossible. However, there is a type of gem, that allows such physical contact. If its harvested and broken into two pieces, with one of them being given to an angel and one to the demon, then these two can touch without burning. But only these two, and only if they're carrying the crystal in a way, that it's touching their skin.

Unfortunatley this gem is only considered a myth and nobody knows for sure if it exists or not.

Also, the angels live on floating islands high above ground, that can only be accessed via flight. The demons inhabit all groundland below.

Angels view any land below their islands as "dirty, forsaken and dangerous", since it's inhabited by the demons.

Possible Story Idea:

(For Steve Saga or Rainbow Quest) A short backstory on how Dark became Nightmare's ally? Dark isn't a demon. He is a raven-angel with the blackest wings ever seen. He's had it tuff with the angels and caused lots of trouble there. Eventually he got banned by the high council, which is one of the most horrible things that can happen to an angel. Getting banned means, that high officials will break an angels wings and throw them off the edge of their islands. If you survive the fall and what you do afterwards is all in your hands from there on. Anyways, Nightmare finds the badly injured and barely breathing Dark and drags him back to his den. There he originally planned on turning him into a pet of sorts, but when Nightmare discovers that Dark is driven by the same hate against angels than him, he quickly makes Dark his partner in crime instead.

[theposierosie]

The Spirit

Prologue Ch1 Ch3

Pairing: Older! Neteyam x reader

Summary: now that the war was brought to the sea clans the sullys aswell as the metekayina family that gifted them uturu, decided to run, this time farther, not just a days travel, but nearly a weeks worth, towards the end they were met with dense mountains, and then they found a tribe of navi, with wings, and they learn about the tsyal people and about the original navi.

Warnings: none, use of non cannon na’vi words

Word count:2.5k

Notes: i mainly focus on world building and what the tsyal clans traditions and ways of living are so it’s probably a bit boring but i hope you guys like it 💋

The first morning after their arrival the forest and reef na’vi were gathered by Tehe’Ewna “Today will be your first impressions of the clan for today we are going to take you to the cove of tales, if you want to live among us you must understand us, learn our core values, our way of life, our stories, and our traditions. These are things that will be essential to living among us and being able to adjust.” Tehe’Ewna even spoke with grace, her words flowing together in a melody, “this will take up your first week before we move on to having you learn our ways physically, though before body must come spirit.”

As she explained what the plan was he became curious. when the sully’s had arrived to the metkayina it was almost immediately he was learning to breath to dive and to live in the water, there had been little to no spiritual teachings other than going to the cove of ancestor’s since most clans had nearly identical spiritual practices, it made Neteyam wonder just how different this clan was.

It was not a long walk to the cove, it was a relatively short path from the ground caves that were their new homes to the deeper part of the clan where the entrance was located at the base of one of the surrounding mountains.

inside was narrow winding tunnel also relatively short, it widened as they got closer to the destination and inside was a circular cave clearing in the mountain, the entrance itself was accentuated by a winding arch of vines.

There was a semi-circle of stones meant to be seating for times of storytelling, there were carving in the stone, intricate details, and the entirety of the cove was adorned with bioluminescent moss and fauna, illuminating the cove in an ethereal glow.

Woven tapestries hang along the rock walls of the cove alongside paintings, depicting stories and the history of the clan.

Small altars are placed at the base of a waterfall and along the edges of the cove.

Neteyam was awestruck, there was nothing like this in the metkayina nor the Omaticaya, as they all took seats the winged na’vi began “this is used as a home of stories and celebration, today we start at the beginning, the oldest and deepest of our tales, the phoenix.”

As she spoke, she drew their attention to the largest of paintings. from the back of someone, they were depicted with wings that were bigger than a young Ikran, horns taller than Neteyam’s head twice over, their wings were starched out to the fullest capacity, and they had a glow around them, small tendrils of magic.

“She was the first daughter of Eywa, she was created to keep the balance of Eywa’Eveng gifted with wings to soar through the skies and a soul deeply attuned to the life force that connected all things. For ages, she upheld her purpose, nurturing the natural balance and guiding the creatures Eywa had brought to life. But her loneliness became a persistent ache, leading her to yearn for beings who could walk, speak, and share her life in a way that Eywa’s animals could not. Among her wings and horns she was given a gift from Eywa above all else, she didn’t just protect balance, she was balance, in one hand she held life and creation, in the other she held death and destruction, so she went against the great mothers wish, and used this gift to birth the Tsyal and the na’vi race,”

the group was in awe, this was a tale they had never heard from any clan or elder, but they could sense she was being truthful in her words, “we were unlike anything Pandora had seen: graceful, intelligent, with wings and horns that reflected our creator. The Phoenix infused us with her wisdom, courage, and resilience, believing we would be her partners in upholding Pandora’s balance. Eywa, sensed this break in the natural order, grieved at the Phoenix’s defiance. She reminded her daughter that every life on Pandora was interconnected and that introducing a new species—one not woven directly by Eywa’s own hand—would create ripples in the delicate web of balance she maintained. Though Eywa did not destroy the Tsyal, she distanced herself from the Phoenix, trusting that her daughter, who was made from balance itself by the great mother’s own hand, would face the consequences” as she spoke, she had an air of passion, immersed in the story she told.

“This choice left the Phoenix with a profound sense of guilt. She had been created to nurture and protect the balance of Pandora, yet her own actions had introduced a new force within the ecosystem, one that came from her personal desires rather than Eywa’s vision. She had been driven by passion and yearning. We as a people were born of blessing and burden so intertwined one cannot be separated from the other, because of this the Tsyal dedicate ourselves in nurturing the balance, we address any imbalance such as over population personally, we always remain in tune with Eywa insuring to never go against her wish for balance and equilibrium. Every aspect of life has been cultivated to ensure this.” They were all captivated by this story no one more that Kiri.

“why would the phoenix go against Eywa if she was made to carry out the great mothers wishes?” Neteyam wondered the same of the first daughter, “she did not mean to, she was led by desire, and while she was creating to keep balance, she was also given free will, to make her own decisions apart from Eywa, just like us, while people can tell us what to do it is up to us whether we follow their words or not” she had a look of amusement on her face as if telling a clueless child something painfully obvious, which she essentially was.

“is she was the first daughter why have none of us heard this before?” Tuk was the next to speak, “Well as we grew, we left these mountains, to dense forests, swamps, and plains, our horns and wings were no longer needed, disappearing over many generations, we were met with new environments, and we adapted.” She had a gentle smile as she spoke her response “and it was not just wings and horns that were left behind, so were traditions, annual celebrations, and festivals. All of these were left behind in the face of change, and the new beginnings they faced.”

The day was spent like that, her sharing the traditions and ways of the new clan, it took Neteyam by surprise, he learned things he had never known, she was right, every aspect of life was in line with balance, never taking more than necessary and dedicating themselves to Eywa.

As the week continued, he learned more of the clan. The diet was plants grains and little meat usually from small animals, fish was a delicacy saved for celebrations and major events. He learned mating traditions, what is done in grief and death, and at the end of the week they were taken to the spirit tree, to them it is the Kaltum cave, or the heart of Eywa

The day started earlier than usual with extra people, a warrior Taylan, a healer Xan ’kore, and a group of younger ones, Kahlo, At’ok, and Ni’alu. In the outskirts of the clan was located a mountain so tall no Ikran, not even Makto could fly over it, there was an entrance at the base of the tunnel that had shocked Neteyam when it was revealed because of just how well hidden it was, as they entered there were winding tunnels with steep incline, he ended up holding Tuk so she wouldn’t fall.

as they were walking the healer spoke “the sacred tree embodies the balance of nature and spirit, it is said the phoenix herself planted the seed, marking the birth of the na’vi and so that it would forever be a reminder of the importance of balance.” She spoke from the front of the group; he was in the back along with Tuk and Tehe’Ewna.

Over the week he had gotten to know her better, he would often accompany Tuk to her lessons with the other children of the clan Tehe’Ewna and others there to be the teachers, they would weave and do crafts to entertain the children.

Surprisingly Tehe’Ewna was curious of the previous two clans Neteyam had called home, she would tell him more about the clan and rituals and other things he would need to know, Tuk also took a great liking to her, constantly asking questions and the three of them exploring the mountains with him and Tuk on his Ikran.

As they descended the tunnels him Tuk and Tehe’Ewna in a slower pace then the rest, a little behind. And while Neteyam was at least a head above her when walking her wings surrounded him, at first when they would go for walks in the forest with Tuk she would try to restrain them and prevent them from making him uncomfortable, she quickly saw he didn’t mind and that she was able to relax and not dwell or focus on them.

After about 15 minutes of walking the tunnels, like the cove of tales, became wider and taller, only what they lead too was infinitely more beautiful.

Inside the circular cavern was full of luminescent fungi and moss with crystals imbedded in the walls, but in the middle held The Kaltum Tree, its trunk tall and gnarled, with a wide base that tapers as it reaches higher, giving the tree a presence that feels ancient and wise.

The bark luminous, etched with patterns that resemble constellations, giving it a celestial appearance.

These patterns glow softly, only adding to the beauty of it, The branches extend upward and outward like great, feathery wings, These branches are draped with clusters of bioluminescent flowers Each one emitting a warm, radiant glow that casts colorful shadows on the cave walls, making the entire cavern come alive with shifting colors.

The leaves of the Kaltum Tree are long, thin, and iridescent, shimmering like jewels when touched by the ambient light of the cave. When they rustle in the faint underground breezes, they make a soft, musical sound, like chimes, enhancing the mystical ambiance.

The branches stretch wide and high, filling the cavern with a protective, sheltering presence, it brought the phoenix to the front of his mind, imagining this is how her presence would feel.

The air feels warm and carries a faint, sweet fragrance from the tree’s blossoms, the entire atmosphere was full of energy, it made him speechless, the spirit tree back home and the cove of ancestors was one thing, this place was so much more.

“When one feels they must reflect, or receive guidance this is where we go, many receive visions during the path for self, seeing glimpses of their place in the clan, what their future may hold, and even their mate.” Tehe’Ewna spoke to the group she herself in wonder.

“This is the most sacred place in these mountains, we call it the heart of Eywa because people sometimes receive visits from the great mother herself, to show the path she is intending for you to follow, most end up legends, their stories told for generations.”

In the Omaticaya, not everyone faces Iknimaya, you are given challenges to prove your worth as a warrior, you must catch a banshee, in the Tsyal, all are faced with the Yulun’ay, the journey to self.

There are six total aspects of the journey, the first is the journey of reflection, you spend about a week strengthening your bond with Eywa, you journey into the mountains facing the elements, and learning to sustain life, while keeping balance.

The second is the crafting of the totem, this is crafted during their time in the mountains from what they can find, branches, stones, feather, leaves etc. it is meant to reflect oneself, their personality, and their journey. Once they come back to the clan, it is blessed by Tsahik and is placed in the cove until it is put in their home as decoration.

The third is the sacred marking, much like the metkayina, they are inked, like the walls of the cove, their skin imbedded with ink from burnt herbs, so that when they have children and grandchildren they can point to it and say “this is from my Yulun’ay”, it also marked them, in their role as a protecter of the balance.

The fourth is the gift of wings, in the Kaltum parent and close loved ones give gifts, titled as a Nah’ru, wings of spirit, they serve as representation of life, freedom, and guidance, and as a reminder of the new stage of their life, once the person has all their gifts the family member all put their hands on their gift, infusing it with their love, and support.

The fifth is the yalaru, the dance of transition, it is a communal celebration of the clan, the participant performs a dance, telling the story of their journey to the clan, symbolizing their passage into adulthood. Elders and parents join in, creating a unified circle that represents the past, present, and future of the Tsyal.

The last step the sixth is the acceptance of responsibility, in a private ceremony in the Kaltum, you pledge to serve and protect the Tsyal Clan and keep the balance of Eywa’Eveng. It is said to bind them spiritually, many say that they feel as though the tree itself acknowledges the commitment, then you are to choose a path, crafters, hunters, healers, or spiritual guides, then a mentor will choose to teach you how to follow the path.

It is entirely different, almost completely a spiritual journey, instead of proving your ability to provide, to hunt, to fly, you become Intune with Eywa, reinforcing your belief of balance, Tehe’Ewna told him that balance is more than just taking and giving, it is existence itself, dark and light for example, one cannot exist without the other, no light without dark, and vice versa.

This is their way of life, something taught from birth to death, imbedded in everything they do, their ways have been evolved to continue to uphold balance in every aspect.

Tehe’Ewna made an example for them, connecting to one of the lower falling leaves to connect their kuru with

Connecting with the Kaltum is was euphoric, he felt only peace, he could feel the souls, the memories, the hopes, the dreams, the love, of all the souls connected to the tree, he felt Eywa, and the phoenix, the feeling of protection, of home, filled his system, he was floating, drifting away from the cove, the people around him, in that moment he was intertwined completely with the ancestors, with all the life on Eywa, we was nothing, yet he could feel everything, like a dreamless sleep.

Let me know if you guys would like to be tagged in future chapters💋

[celestialdragoncookie]

I made a typo on your new page earlier, and I'm very very sorry, just place 'ours' with a Y alr?

But anyways, here's more ideas! Cuz I love the story :3

So since Dark Choco and Dark Shadow we're sent to the deepest part of the dungeon, I like to think that, Y/N would try to save them once she revived the clan, or maybe try to warm or make sure that they we're alright, but sneaking in and giving foods or supply for them, and since she was immortal cuz she can reborn themselves/herself from the ashes, and I think they/the three brothers don't have to worry Abt her being like gone or die, BUT if her ashes was like... Just separated or flew into the air or something like that, it's a sign that she can... Never be alive or reborn again cuz her ashes.... We're spread into the air unknown redirection or something like that.

And maybe some Phoenix would try to help if she revived them and told the 2 prince sacrifice and stuff what happened, and she's just worried Abt them... And maybe has a teeny tiny crush on... Dark Choco cookie, cuz he seem to truly care Abt her and respect her will and stuff like that, which makes Y/N I bit comfortable with him and likes him like that and maybe will confess if she got them out from the 3 psycho (/ brothers)

But as usual you can choose from whatever you like, but also, you can choose if he accepted her confession or not :3, or whatever you want <D

" From Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust" Yandere Three brothers x Hybrid Phoenix Reader:

From that gaining freedom, all that sacrifice was drained into imprisonment as the two rebellion princes were sent to " Dark Void" a dungeon known for keeping the worst of worst criminals in check and monitored. The security was were much tighter and prisoner guards are active all the time and very much experienced in this field so escaping is very much impossible, not in centuries have a single prisoner had ever escaped not one if so they will have to suffer under extreme torture as warden himself and the guards are sadistic bastards love to play to thier hearts content.

In the darkened prison full of raisin rats, as the once proud respectful princes were reduced to mere pitiful state chained to the broken old cold stone wall, the treatment was no different then prisoners but it was worst as they to endured the continue harassment and bullying of the prisoners including the guards, drunken warden in stress and tired would lash out his rage in torturing them. Their dough is full of marks of abuse and torture, they would vomit as the food and water laced with deadly poisen barely survive. Spending an entire week in that hell seems like a horrible nightmare for them as the cycle continue to spin mocking thier resolve and resistance as a mere wastage of time. One fateful day, passing the same routine suddenly flap of wings could be heard as beautiful glowing fiery feather falls through the broken window illuminated the dungeon, with painful groans he looked up only to see you dressed in cloak to cover yourself up , in your hands is basket full of delicious fruits, snacks and bottles of milk. You gave a shuss action looking around signing in relief and jumped from the window with a silent thud, dusting yourself off looks at the poor state of the two princes your shocked because how could thier father's do something like so horrible especially thier own sons..... Even beasts wouldn't kill thier children. In thier eyes, they are just disposable tools just pawns so they can get what they want how cruel, clutching your fists so hard wiping your tears off before feeding the two hungry princes. During this time it had became a daily routine for you to visit them, patching and cleaning thier wounds feeding them. Unknown to you, your fiery temper, warmth and kindness has reached the cold lonely heart of dark Choco Cookie who would brightened up seeing your smile especially kindness and would always look forward to see your appearance this was notice by Dark shadow milk cookie, looking at his expression he would lightly smile knowing that his innocence dense cousin has finally someone to care and protect.

Meanwhile in the office, as angry roar and trashing of things could be heard as numerous paperworks, important files , pens and documents were flying away as sudden pissed dragon throwing things in hate especially impatient. He angrily growls turning his face towards the shivering guard asked with a pissed off tone " Where is she? Have you find her whereabouts yet?" The shivering relactant whither to tell him the truth or not but his silence was seen as ignoring him which pissed him off again in sheer rage he extended his claw ready to slash as the frightened braced for incoming attack but opened it only to see the king himself dark cacao cookie took the hit instead as the strawberry jam falls on the ground as stunned dark cacao cookie glared at his brother he replied with a colder firm tone " Brother I know your angry but don't force it out Infront of my people got it?". His tone got him surprised he thought the sheer audacity of him he growls slamming the door shut as dark cacao cookie dismissed the frightened guard. He cleans the wounds from his face looks around the trashed office, his purple eyes falls on the picture emblem on the table grabbed it he gently rubbed his finger on the fragile frame of it as his eyes softened with a glint of regret, self loathing especially longing. He stutter every words, mumbling as tears fall freely from his eyes twinkling the broken frame he falls on his knees hugged the picture like it was his lost hope, he continues to cry silently replies full of longing especially loneness " My dear light, my sunshine I couldn't bear to see you disappear when you said your going to hibernate I was devastated which led me to kidnapped an innocent cookie and do unspeakable things to it I am a sinful cookie, I hope you wouldn't pardon me for my sins I am just lost, I don't what to do without you my life is meaningless my dear dragon empress Celestia I miss you my dear queen". He cried alone in the office without anyone comforting him nor hugging him to soath his heart out. Unknown to the crying broken king, someone was outside listening to it as his magenta eyes softened before giving tsk left the grieving king.

Back in the dungeons, it's been days since your last visit dark Choco Cookie was getting impatient because you haven't appears for fulfilled your daily quota as dark shadow milk cookie comforted the paranoid prince. But suddenly the door to the dungeon opened as both of the princes hissed in annoyance as the light nearly blinded them upon recovered they shocked to see the king himself dark cacao cookie looking at him with his usual self, dark Choco Cookie just glared at his monsteroisty of a father. Dark cacao cookie gestured his guards to follow the chained princes outside, upon arriving dark Choco Cookie almost lumped on him but dark shadow stopped him. Dark cacao cookie turned around and falls on his knees asking for his forgiveness which took them off guard dark Choco Cookie glared at his father with amused smile laughs " You monster of a cookie due to thinking I would bye your Soo called acting skills, give up your the worst scumbag I have ever seen". Dark cacao cookie clutching on his fists knowing it would be difficult to ask his forgiveness but suddenly a voice called them out turned towards the source it was you flying in air upon landing you said" I already forgiven him but dark Choco Cookie you should pardon him, his is sincere. Dark Choco Cookie was reluctant but dark shadow milk cookie forgive him along with forcefully pardon, suddenly dark Choco Cookie grasped your hands asked in worry " are you okay are you hurt? Is your wings okay?" Unknown the situation they were in Dark shadow milk cookie looking between them he gave a smirk

" I heard love always win the war, heeeee what a beautiful way to display it hahaha".

Dark cacao cookie just smiles made a teasing tone " Son when are grand kids are coming?". This took both of them off guard you took blushes and move away in embarrassment.

Unknown to the clueless couple, somewhere between the Himalayas deep within the cannoyan of it as an crimson glowing yellow slit eye opens illuminated the darkness as the star marking on it's forehead glows, opening it's jaws numerous fangs could be seen said it tone full of silent rage " Looks like I have to pay " special" visit to dark cacao kingdom don't you think my dear sister?". Camera paused as another eye opens with snowflake like marking on it's forehead glowing blue and one azure baby eye glows as the entire Himalayas shocked due to unknown beings presence.