#Lunarians had it coming

[luckyblackcatxiii]

And the final entry to Vol.4, it's everyone's favorite pissed off space mom: Junko! (Her fire is going to also be fluorescent acrylic)

Thank you all for sticking around for my indulgence in 2hu once more! 💕 Going back to my CoS drawings after this!

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

Imagine being pregnant with King's child and not knowing about it until you give birth

At a distant Beast Pirate base

You: [has been away from Onigashima for seven months]

Jack: are you sure you're okay?

You: [hunched over, grasping your sore back, and sweating profusely while trying to catch your breath] Yes, I'm fine, my sciatica is just acting up.

Jack: I think you should go to the infirmary.

You: [snaps] Dude, seriously? I said - [feels a deluge of fluid flood your pants] ... you know what, I think I need to go to the infirmary. In fact, you need to carry me.

Jack: bitch, you have legs, how about you walk?

You: [doubles over and shrieks in pain]

Jack: ugh [rolls his eyes and runs you to the infirmary]

Twenty-six hours later

You: [looking at your infant in shock]

Infant: [a beautiful chubby Lunarian baby girl with a tiny set of black wings]

Jack: congratulations on the baby! [walks in to see said baby] fuck... need to go call King.

You: ... kill the medical staff first, no one can know about her.

The staff: ( ' O__O)

You: Once you're done with that, can you please get us out here?

Jack: of course [turns to the staff and cracks his knuckles] Also don't tell me what to do. [gets to work]

You: [cradles your child closer so she can't see or hear what's happening, and laughs] Thank you for being so reliable, Jack.

Jack: I just... I wish you had told me sooner that you were pregnant.

You: I didn't know until today that I was pregnant.

Jack: How could you not know you were pregnant? That shit seems hard to miss.

You: We've been out at sea for months, I figure I was just the normal amount of nauseous, sore, fatigued, cranky, and hungry.

Jack: [breaks the neck of the last nurse] Ugh, now you get three weeks of seafaring with a newborn because I'm taking you to King.

You: Why would you think my baby would be safe with King?

Jack: [gives you a "bitch, really?" look]

You: ...

Jack: ...

You: Oh my god, he's a Lunarian too

Jack: How have you been fucking him enough to make a baby, and not know he's a Lunarian.

You: Do you really wanna know the answer to that?

Jack: You two are gross. I'm taking you to a safe house until we are ready to set sail.

At the safe house

King, via den den mushi: What do you mean you're pregnant?!

You: no, I said I was pregnant, not I am pregnant.

King: what the fuck does that mean?

Your daughter: [starts to fuss]

King: please tell me that is not a goddamn baby, I hear.

You: Yeah, sorry, I didn't know until she decided it was time to come out.

King: what color is her hair?

You: She's a newborn, she doesn't have hair yet.

King: [stumbling over his words] Does she look a little... Is she ... fuck... Is there anything off with the baby?

You: No, the doctors said she was healthy, especially her lungs. She came out screaming, it was so loud that she made the doctor's ears ring.

King: So she has your loud ass voice, great.

You: And she's got a cute little set of wings like her daddy.

King: oh, don't call me that... Are there any other features I should know about?

You: She's got your fat head, too.

Kaido: [cackling in the background on King's end]

King: Is that so? Jack, how long until they can set sail?

Jack: On such short notice, three days.

Three weeks later in Onigashima

King: Alright, let me see her.

You: [hands her over]

King: [lifts her up to get a good look at her] She has your nose.

Queen: [mutters] She really does have your fat head.

King: Get away from my child, I don't want you even looking at her]

Queen: I, honestly, never would have pegged you as the paternal type, but then again, I always thought I'd have kids before you.

You: You would have to have sex with someone to have a child, and last time I checked you couldn't pull any bitches. But also, seriously, stay the fuck away from my kid.

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[katharsisboy101]

Moon Phos' hyperrationality and self-sabotage, and why it's a paradoxical step into happiness.

Or, basically, a Moon Phos analysis.

I think this part of the manga is genius, both thematically and for Phos' original character, because it goes against everything she used to represent, and it showcases both the dangers and strengths of reason, and how isolating it can be.

OG Phos vs Moon Phos

While OG Phos used to be a lot more present-focused and someone who took things at face value, that also made her capable of reaching out in a very honest and genuine way to people like Cinnabar, who was too caught up in her mind and insecurities to see an escape for her situation. Phos used to be someone who was able to enjoy the moment, and the simple things that come with it, whether it was the butterflies, the amazing views, or her own cute mint-colored hair.

I'd argue this way of experimenting life is what HnK argues to be the key to happiness: that existence is what you make of it, and Phos was content as she was, but everyone around her pushed her to become something else, to the point that she absorbed those frustrations and lost sight of her way of living.

What corrupts Phos isn't that she acquires new body parts; that's just an extreme metaphor for what changing would look like if our soul also experimented physical change—it's all about how she loses sight of the simple happiness she could have experimented on her own (and along with Cinnabar, if she reached out to her), in favor of increasingly more complicated goals. (Moon Phos is the extreme version of this.)

Phos' corruption into overthinking doesn't come out of nowhere, though and it starts to manifest strongly the moment she loses herself in the stress and burden of losing Antarc in Winter. Phos does retain some of her groundedness as post-Winter Phos, but she also starts to think more, to question more things and to brute-force her way into change, with disasterous results.

When she realizes this, she makes the right call by trying to stop, but it's too late by then—she had already stared at the abyss, and the world wouldn't let her forget all that she had learnt.

When Phos loses her head, now she has all the tools she needed to generate change and innovation—to look at the big picture and avoid getting caught up on the little things... and that's her demise.

Because in comparison with OG Phos, who looks at the present, Moon Phos is someone who always looks forward. Someone who always uses reason as her greatest weapon, in order to manipulate others while losing sight of many important details (some related to her own well-being and that of others) in favor of big, complicated plans in which everyone's feelings, even her own, are just pawns in her game.

Cairngorm explicitly warns her about this, saying that she hasn't valued those at her side (Cairngorm herself, or Cinnabar) as much as she should, and that's why she's become such a lonely individual.

Moon Phos is someone who lives in her head, in the world of ideas and the abstract, while OG Phos was the complete opposite, and the change in approach has a direct impact on her happiness, as she loses sight of the simple things in favor of objectives that just don't translate into happiness as well as she thinks she does. Moon Phos optimizes, but loses the essence of happiness that she could have achieved in a simple manner by focusing too much on "what should be" rather than "what it is".

To put it succintly, Moon Phos is brute-forcing her way into being accepted, into bringing change for her people, losing all the tact that was needed for a moment as life-changing as a pact with the lunarians could be for the gems. And if OG Phos had something that Moon Phos didn't, was that ability to look at things in a simple way that would have avoided such a mess in the first place.

By talking about both of them, I think it's clear that each have their strength and weaknesses, and that's why talking about Phos is so difficult. Because even if she lost many of the good things that made her who she was, she also gained many others that brought "prosperity" for the gems. Prosperity in quotations because later, we'll see that the optimization didn't really bring many benefits.

Whatever the case, in order to truly understand the strengths and weaknesses of Moon Phos, we need to analyze her sacrificial role in the story according to the themes of buddhism in it.

The Bodhisattva

A sacrificial figure in Buddhism, and that Phos, especially Moon Phos, represents to a T.

But why? Well, one of the fundamental characteristics that the Bodhisattva represents is that they work towards enlightenment in order to save others, being a kind of Buddha in training. The problem here is that sometimes, saving others requires for the Bodhisattva to sacrifice their own happiness and enlightenment.

Phos becomes the opposite of the teachings of buddhism. Hyperrational, manipulative, working towards her own desires and masking them as altruism. (because we all know Phos didn't do everything she did for the gems, she did it for their validation and to be acknoledged by them). And yet, the contradictory part of it is that it was necessary for everyone's enlightenment, but most important of all, for Phos to be given the chance to be happy, away from a world that pushed her to be rational.

Buddhism has this constant theme of paradox in it. The paradox that in order to reach happiness, you must let go of happiness. The paradox that in order to realize that you must focus on the present and stop thinking, Buddha had to spend years thinking about it. And Phos is a living paradox, in the sense that her hyperrationality and look into the future and big picture was needed for everyone to reach happiness, at her own expense. She was played a fool by everyone, and it's even implied that Kongo was on it, all because she was the one most attached to her earthly desires of them all, to the point of changing every part of herself in order to accomodate to what she thought others wanted her to be.

In a way, Moon Phos (and the lunarians, because it's no coincidence that the "lunarian" Phos is the one that represents these themes) doubles as a criticism of our present capitalist society as a whole, with all its hyperrationality and big-picture focus that allowed for progress and suffering alike, always at the expense of oneself. Because we're our own slaves, and we work ourselves to death to reach a happiness that is further and further away from us due to those same efforts (paradoxically). All Phos wanted at first was to be loved by those around her, but she chased that dream with such relentlessness that she ended up casting away the parts of her that made her loveable and losing the people that would have been able to connect with her. And yet at the same time, Moon Phos (and the lunarians, the rationality, Ayumu herself) paved the way for God Phos' chance at happiness at the end of the story.

A Paradox

Thus, to the question of how to live in society and be happy, Houseki no Kuni poses that the answer is balance, or perhaps, a paradox. It showcases the ugly but necessary aspects of humanity, and the reality that every time you gain something, you lose something else, through Phos and her loss of body parts that benefitted society at her expense. Thus, there is no right extreme, and no goal that can be achieved by just rigidly doing the same thing.

Whether you look at the enlightenment buddhism promises you (as showcased by the way of living of the gems, simple but without meaning and creating resentment between everyone, with a literal buddhist monk as its leader), or the prosperity that civilization achieves (as showcased by the lunarians, who corrupt and surround themselves with earthly pleasures to distract themselves from their problems), both have their strong points and weaknesses and seem paradoxically necessary to reach one another, to ultimately work towards the goal of enjoying existence, as it is, unabashedly.

The gems truly found happiness on the moon due to finally allowing them to be themselves, and eventually, all the lunarians (including the gems, who turned into ones by virtue of corrupting themselves with the eartly pleasures), reached enlightenment by letting go of those desires. Of course, if you analyze it more, it was a "fake" kind of salvation, and only Phos reached true happiness in her God form (expanding more on it on another post), but at least they got to enjoy more of their life than they would have if they had continued in the endless cycle they were put in (or the "samsara").

In the end, Phos had to gain the rationality that characterizes present-day humanity in order to save everyone, while at the same time, condemning herself. Because for all their short-sightedness, destruction and cruelty, humans are also kind and wise, and they allowed the rocks to live just that little bit more by escaping the sun in chapter 106. Both the optimization and the relaxation and appreciation of little things are necessary in order to become happy, and we need to find the balance in the different aspects of ourselves in order to do so.

As Phos herself says at the end of the manga, despite it all, she is grateful. Because no matter how she got there, every step of her journey was necessary to make her who she is���and that's how it is for everyone. Experiences mold us, they change us, we can't force change and we certainly can't predict where it'll take us... and that's the paradox. Because sometimes, working towards the result we desire leads us astray from it, and viceversa. Phos was someone who had her eyes set on a goal, one that she didn't want to admit: the goal to be admired and loved by everyone.

And in the end, she had no one.

Moon Phos was necessary, but she took it to an extreme and burnt herself up along the way. Thankfully, she was granted a second chance by the very same flawed people (Kongo, Aechmea, Ayumu) that made her into a sacrificial lamb for their own selfishness.

A chance she took to finally accept that no matter what she did, there was no predicting life or changing yourself to an "optimal" version of yourself, so she might as well enjoy the ride.

[iloveseraphims]

Could you write something about the seraphim (reacting separately) encountering a real adult Lunarian? , that is, the race from which King comes, I really don't know how to spell it, I'd appreciate it. I love your work.

I had a lot of enjoy writing this. I hope you like it @littleeye69 , hope it was realistic <3

!! Words Count 370-520 !!

S-Hawk

His pride is wounded. He'd have to be a fool not to notice his resemblance to him. His first reaction upon encountering a true Lunarian is complete silence.

He carefully examines the figure before him, flaming back and black wings. While his warrior instincts tell him this being is dangerous, what strikes him most is that he himself is not of this race.

He's aware that he's a weapon. People describe him as such at every opportunity, reminding him of what he is.

S-Hawk doesn't speak. No words pass between them. If the order concerns Lunarian, he won't hesitate to swing his sword.

But he will not feel any envy towards Lunarian either.

The flame on his back flickered slightly.

A man stood before him, like himself…yet different. His wings were spread out, his stance free. He was real. He was alive. He was not an imitation. And as he looked at him, he showed no sign of fear.

S-Hawk moved his sword a half-inch but didn't continue. Lunarian didn't move either. He just stared into his eyes. While the Lunarian was shocked to see one of his own kind, S-Hawk studied the true nature of the gene he carried with an ache he couldn't quite comprehend. There was a deep, dark void there.

"We are not the same." S-Hawk said inwardly. But he didn’t need to verbalize it. He didn’t need words. All he needed was his sword. For some words, fighting was more effective than talking.

It wasn't the warmth of the fire burning on his back that burned within him, but the coldness of the alienation. The source of his essence. A living embodiment of a race once considered sacred, now seen only as a threat.

S-Hawk didn't speak. Talking was unnecessary. When their eyes met, Lunarian's eyes held a look of disdain. "Imitation," his gaze said. "You're artificial"

S-Hawk didn't resent it. The emotion stirring inside him wasn't anger, but a kind of acceptance. And strangely…curiosity. He didn't fight. Yet. But he wasn't about to retreat.

But he drew his sword slowly. It was a gesture somewhere between a salute and a threat.

If I’m artificial, he said, with a gaze that spoke volumes, then what will happen when I surpass you?

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S-Bear

S-Bear is one of those who shows minimal reactions to the outside world.

The presence of the Lunarian awakens a suppressed sense of belonging within him.

Their gazes were filled with emotions neither could quite comprehend. Although Lunarian couldn’t see S-Bear’s eyes, his emotionless eyes briefly took on a more human expression…and then everything fell silent again.

S-Bear has never shown any personality beyond following CP0’s orders. But that slight change in his gaze was something else entirely.

Though he may feel conflicting emotions about the situation, he cannot show them. He doesn’t even know how to.

This encounter…is like raising a child alongside a sibling, only to finally reveal that the child is adopted.

Footsteps echoed quietly across the cold metal floor of the facility. S-Bear was different from the others. He lived not in silence as loneliness, but as suppression of something within. No matter what the programming dictated… sometimes an image lingered before his eyes. Flames. The sky. Wings.

The figure standing before him was an adult Lunarian… not exactly, but almost identical. The black feathers on his shoulders, the sacred flame hovering on his back, a spark of hidden consciousness in his dark eyes. S-Bear’s eyes flickered for a moment. From the outside, he still appeared motionless, emotionless. But inside…a unraveling had begun.

Was he supposed to be like this man? Or… was he already, without knowing it?

He had been given an order: "Observe." No right to question. But…why did this presence feel so familiar?

The real Lunarian spoke. S-Bear didn’t understand. Or maybe he didn’t want to. It wasn’t a command. It was more like an invitation. Invitations were not something he acted upon.

His eyes scanned quickly as the light in his hands flared. Yet he made no attack. The man before him was silent. He hadn’t even raised a hand. But there, in his presence, was a threat. S-Bear’s artificial mind couldn’t process he. Because this Lunarian was like data outside the system.

He looked at the flames. They were the same. But that flame burned differently than the one inside him.

He couldn’t explain it.

He simply bowed his head. But S-Bear did nothing but turn. He turned his back.

And for the first time…he retreated without an order.

------------------------

S-Gecko

S-Gecko’s reaction was different. He was a strategist, an observer. He might look like a fool, but there was more to him than met the eye. The first thought that crossed his mind upon seeing the Lunarian was, "If this race is supposed to be extinct…then why is one standing in front of me?"

He continued watching the Lunarian from a distance, with a mix of curiosity and surprise. He neither approached nor acted.

True to the personality he was modeled after—though lacking Moria’s twisted humor—he could still make eerie remarks about the Lunarian. Whispered, almost to himself. "If I took your shadow…would the sun hurt you more?" It wasn’t a threat. It was a question born of curiosity. A thought caught between a Seraphim’s drive to learn and Moria’s sadistic instincts.

For the first time, perhaps, S-Gecko began to realize that the powers he wielded weren’t truly his own. And for the first time…he started to feel alone. Because stealing shadows wasn’t the same as being one.

Even when the mission call came through, his eyes lingered a moment longer, staring into Lunarian, echoing a quiet thought within himself. "I’m just a replica. What if someone comes to steal my shadow?"

The encounter with the Lunarian affected him indirectly, planting seeds of doubt. He started to imagine what it might be like to face Moria someday. What if contrary to what the government believed, he wasn’t as strong as the original? If they deemed him inadequate…what would they do to him?

Massive footsteps rattled the metal floor. S-Gecko emerged from the shadows, his eerie laughter echoing along the lab’s cold walls, an unfamiliar sound in such a sterile, isolated space.

The Lunarian stood before him. Wide black wings stretched outward, and the flame on his back flickered with a strange, unstable glow. S-Gecko’s eyes were cold and calculating, he scanned the figure before him, then paused.

He looked at the flames. At the wings. At the body built for overwhelming force. And suddenly, his shoulders seemed to sag. He tilted his head slightly. "What is this…a scarecrow?" The words were spoken softly, or at least his voice made them sound that way. There was scorn in his tone but underneath it, something familiar, an unease. Moria’s own hidden cowardice, even as he toyed with shadows, echoed faintly in this artificial body.

S-Gecko launched a shadow, powered by the mechanical imitation of his ability. It flew toward the Lunarian but burned away as it touched the flames. His eyes narrowed.

"Not a toy..."

For the first time he was looking at something he didn’t see as a game. For the first time, there was someone he couldn’t play with like a broken puppet. The kind he despised most.

And then…a strange impulse passed through him. S-Gecko didn’t try again. He just stood there. Faced with a being whose fire eclipsed his shadow—he simply stopped.

Something that ruled over shadows fell quiet in the presence of flame. He wasn’t pleased with the encounter. Not at all.

------------------------

S-Flamingo

For S-Flamingo, this encounter is like a big game. When he sees a real Lunarian, he first laughs out loud.

"Fuffuffuffuffu! Flames, black wings...so we really are the ‘reflections of gods,’ huh?" Though the sight stirred a flicker of envy deep down, it mostly inflated his ego.

But this joy remains on the surface. Inside, there's a mixture of jealousy and unease. Because what he's facing is real. He's just a parody.

S-Flamingo didn’t hate himself. But he didn’t want to admire the other, either. He didn’t feel the need to love anyone.

Because the more he looked at the Lunarian, more he was reminded of what he lacked. And that’s why he was the one closest to attacking

He will attack Lunarian, exploiting they weaknesses to satisfy his own pride.

He wants to see himself as superior in every way. Intelligence, strength, endurance…the best of the race. Even if he was fake.

He walked through the flames, laughing. His laughter blended with the crackling fire, quietly tightening the atmosphere. "Flame Prince! What a dazzling entrance you’ve made!"

Lunarian stopped. Lunarian neither laughed nor spoke. S-Flamingo didn't even care that he didn't speak. Maybe he was mute? How funny that would be! S-Flamingo came closer. He reached out as if to touch Lunarian wings with his fingers, but changed his mind at the last moment.

"You know? I have a flame burning on my back too. Only…I didn’t choose it." On his face was that trademark smirk of the original version. Even though his eyes were hidden behind glasses, his smile said enough. Still, the Lunarian didn’t answer him.

The man’s silence triggered S-Flamingo. He laughed again. Louder. More forced.

"But I’m stronger than you. Be sure of that. Because I…was created. For a reason!"

And then he fell silent Because the man only looked at him once. And in that single gaze, he saw that he would never be real. Neither as a Lunarian, nor as his own original.

He was a cursed holy dragon scrap, a copy of both sides, rejected by fate.

------------------------

S-Shark

Most likely, he had noticed the differences while carrying out the order.

The Lunarian shared his conflicted and slightly confused feelings. A being who was both Lunarian and Fishman? Had someone survived that catastrophe and continued their lineage with another race? Though these thoughts were silenced by the beams shooting from S-Shark’s hands.

His body, traits, and power were too extraordinary to be real.

S-Shark had an honor and principle like Jinbei. He might not have been as talkative as him, but he was a warrior. And he never gave up on his claim especially when it was an order.

Even if the Lunarian inflicted a serious wound on him, he would follow the command.

Still, meeting a member of the race he partly belonged to affected him deeper than he had expected. He even began to wonder about Jinbei, he hadn’t yet had the chance to meet. Did he also practice karate like him, perhaps?

The same fire, but a different soul. One was created by a god, the other by a servant of the god.

They were in the middle of a conflict.

Flames, dust, debris, and intense heat…all trembling on S-Shark’s worn skin. The same skin that shared the Lunarian’s traits. His eyes locked onto the black wings and the steady flame on the back of the man before him. He didn’t know how to control his own fire. Or rather he hadn’t even realized he could use the flame on his back in battle. He had painfully learned this during the fight. Though not severe, some parts of his skin were marked with burns and smoke stains.

Meanwhile the Lunarian, stood unwearied by the battle, his gaze fixed on S-Shark. With the patience of a king. His very presence showed he belonged to the race that was the god’s supreme creation.

S-Shark shifted in front of the giant. His fingers flexed. His fists cracked. For the first time, he felt the need to speak. No he didn't think, he just blurted out the words. "I can't be like you. I'm just made. But that doesn't mean I'll stop!"

Water particles began swirling around him. Suddenly, he lunged forward, attacking the Lunarian with a water fist.

But his fist…was stopped. The Lunarian had quietly raised his sword. Almost mockingly. "Hmph…"

S-Shark leapt backward. His powerful Fishman Karate attack had evaporated upon hitting the flame generated by a single swing of the Lunarian’s sword. S-Hawk could feel the burning fire on his back. He was angry but not out of jealousy.

And he attacked again. Because like Jinbei, the honor of a warrior was measured not by what they were born into, but by what they chose. Maybe he was weaker than the Lunarian, but in some unknowing way, he was beginning to resemble Jinbei.

------------------------

S-Snake

Seeing the Lunarian gave her a clearer glimpse of what her future self might look like. And she was content with that.

She liked looking down on people. No need to say it aloud. She was satisfied with her height, and knowing she would grow taller didn’t bother her.

She would definitely look down on the Lunarian. Didn’t matter that the Lunarian was from a superior, powerful race. To her, the Lunarian was just a loser.

Yet, deep downnshe would feel a faint curiosity toward this race. What exactly did this race or rather, society—encounter? What led to their downfall?

If her mission was to defeat him, she would never hesitate to fight. She wouldn’t even waste time thinking about it. So what if he was huge and powerful? Sharing the same genes meant nothing to her. This Lunarian was just another bug to crush.

But if someone in a position of authority was present, she would quietly gauge their reaction with a sideways glance at the Lunarian. How adequate am I? Does he look holier than me?

After this encounter, she would fall silent for a while. She wouldn’t talk to the other Seraphim, nor join their training sessions. She would stare deeply into her own eyes in the mirror. Look at her wings. Her flame. "What...am I half of?"

When an adult Lunarian appeared before her for the first time, the jet black wings, pure white hair and the fire burning on his back, S-Snake paused for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly, then the corner of her lips curled. It was as if she was looking at a grown, adult version of herself. But what did it matter? He was worthless in her eyes.

"You’re...very interesting." she said, deliberately sweetening her voice. "I wonder how long someone as strong as you could hold out against someone like me?"

Seducing the strong people with her sweetness was her specialty. Until now, she had targeted the weak but this time, the balance was reversed. This creature, a Lunarian, was born with flawless durability and strength. And S-Snake felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of herself as a mere copy. But she would never show it. Who does he think he is, to see her feelings? Not worth the jealousy, S-Snake thought. More to herself.

She blinked her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Come on, do you have the courage to look me in the eyes? Or will you just stand there like a tree, loser?"

But the adult Lunarian remained unmoved. He just looked at her—quietly, judgmentally.

S-Snake’s brow twitched. In a world where she was armed with her beauty, this weapon had failed for the first time. And that made her dangerously angry. She was going to put him in his place.

------------------------

S-Crocodile

It could be said that he has no interest in a society that has lost. More precisely, he doesn’t care about the past. Victories and defeats mean nothing to him. He only looks toward the next battle ahead. Mission, war, orders, survival, in everything he strives for the best possible outcome

He hesitates briefly when he first notices the similarities, but he does not retreat. Perhaps he is the one among the Seraphim who will quickly realize the presence of a Lunarian.

The black wings and burning flame on the Lunarian’s back surpass everything he has ever known. But instead of surprise, he looks calculatingly, assessing how threatening this creature could be. He wants to avoid unnecessary attacks.

Beneath the flame, there is a growing anger. But this anger isn’t directed at the Lunarian, it’s at his own inadequacy. Because facing a real being, he feels like a copy of a weapon. Perhaps he will feel the same way when he faces the original, Sir Crocodile. After all, he carries Crocodile’s genes. Inadequacy and weakness are what he hates most.

He shifts into observer mode. He doesn’t attack immediately. He watches, the Lunarian’s power, how much defense he can muster, when his flames extinguish and when they flare. Quietly, he searches for the moment of weakness.

He drifts into a semi-identity crisis. He knows he’s one of Vegapunk’s experiments, but standing before such an ancient and legendary race makes him question his own nature even more. Being nothing more than genetics frustrates him.

If a fight starts he only fights to test Lunarian strength. He fights to gather data, to see the limits of endurance, and to compare his potential. To him, this isn’t war, it’s an investment analysis.

If he sees someone surpass him, he doesn’t get angry — he holds a grudge. If this being cracked his ego, he will need either knowledge or blood to seal the wound.

When he first noticed the flame on his back, he didn’t even narrow his eyes. He calmly watched the massive silhouette emerging from the smoke. ''So, you truly exist.'' he said in a low voice. Sand had already begun to swirl lightly around him. (Well Logia type Devil Fruits might not be copied. Most likely S-Crocodile’s power is from a different Devil Fruit. But until there’s canonical information about that, I’ll assign him Crocodile’s Devil Fruit power.)

S-Crocodile was encountering a real Lunarian for the first time. But to him, it was just "information". Not emotion.

''If Vegapunk created me with your traits," he said tersely, "Shouldn’t I be at least as strong as you?"

Lunarian didn’t answer. He simply continued walking toward S-Crocodile.

S-Crocodile did not move from his place. He was proud. Arrogant. But he was also aware of one thing: the real one was always more dangerous.

"You will die eventually," he muttered to himself. "Even if you are 'holy' like they say...you will rot. Like everything else in this world."

But deep down, there was a stirring. He wanted to see how he would withstand a member of this race used to create him. Curiosity—a dangerous, dry, and arrogant curiosity.

[fireheartwraith]

I have a theory that is half formed in my head, but hear me out

Vegapunk, Judge, Queen, and Ceasar were all together in MADS. Some of the things they were researching were devil fruits (what they are, their different kinds, if they can be artificially replicated, etc), cloning, and body modification like cyborgs.

One of the main characteristics of the devil fruits is the swirly pattern they all have. Sanji and his siblings, who were experimented on my judge while still in the womb, all have that swirly pattern in their eyebrows. But neither Sora nor Judge have that, so where did it come from? Let's put a pin on that.

Now, when he first meet the other Vinsmoke siblings, both the audience and the characters go "wow those people look just like sanji!". You know who else made the audience go "wow that person looks like sanji!"? Vegapunk Lilith.

Though all the Vegapunks share a brain, none of them look even remotely related to each other and, as we learned when Atlas was injured, they're all some form of cyborg. You wanna know what else we learn in egghead? That Vegapunk has created the Seraphims, clone hybrids with Lunarian blood — an ancient race connected to the void century, skypeia and all of that — and green blood, which gives them the abilities of a devil fruit. And the Pacifistas were created using a Buccaneer as a base. So Vegapunk can definitely create android cyborgs robots or whatever using the bloodline elements of these ancient races. So who's to say he hasn't that one more time?

Lilith is first Vegapunk that we meet and the one we are still with right now. She was literally in Oda's newest color spread so she's definitely Important and she didn't do all that much in Egghead to justify her importance. Another thing about her is that she is supposed to be the Evil Vegapunk. York was definitely Greedy, Atlas was Violent, etc, but Lilith has never been Evil, and this has even been commented by other characters! And why would a genius create an evil version of himself when he knows the damage that his inventions can cause? So no, I don't think Lilith is Evil, but she’s definitely Something. And we know Vegapunk had an interest in the Void Century and all that stuff, and you know who all of them, both the Vinsmoke kids and Lilith, look like? Sora, Sanji's mom.

I don't think we're quite done with MADS yet, so here's my crazy theory: the scientists managed to track down a member of one of the ancient races that the government wants to exterminate really badly. The Lunarians are connected with Skypeia and the Moon, the Buccaneers are connected with Sun God Nika, so maybe there's a third mysterious race that is connected to our third one piece mystery: the devil fruits.

So let's say Sora is this person. When MADS finds her, they give her an option: they could rat her out to the government and leave them at their mercy or they could offer her protection and a place to hide in, but only as long as she agreed to share her blood with them. And so, she joined MADS. Judge, who has never heard of the word ethics in his entire life, goes a bit too far with his experiments and decides to impregnate her and pump the baby with some weird chemicals to try and create the perfect soldier. Reiju is born, but she still has emotions so he decides to try again. That's a bit much for Vegapunk so the group disbands and Judge takes Sora with him back to Germa. But Vegapunk still has some of her bloodline elements, and years later decides to use them to create his own weapon, but one that he can monitor very closely due to the sharing the same brain and one who was not created by experimenting on children (due to how he acts with Bonney, I think that is the one line he won’t cross). And so, he decides to hide this new weapon among five others so no one will look too closely at her face.

And we know that the Vegapunks can hide things from each other, so maybe Lilith herself doesn't know about this but the others do. We see Atlas sacrificing herself to make sure Lilith can escape Egghead, and why would she try to guarantee that the Evil One will be okay unless there's something in Lilith they can't lose or replace, unlike with the rest of them?

So yeah, that's my theory. Sora something something devil fruits something something ancient races something something Lilith

[noeggets]

East blue crew HC's

Luffy - Shandian decent, wings were breed out by time he came on the scene. (were he to ever have kids there is a %55 chance they could have wings) stunt growth from malnourishment of lack of mothers milk as a child. early proper nutrition is important, so he is short and lanky. talked about this headcanon alot on this post when it got really popular for some reason. Has that same thing that Ace and Garp have where they randomly fall asleep (narcolepsy) but it isn't as bad, he actively takes naps thinking doing so will fix it but that's not how that works.

Zoro - Wano decent, horns in his family line because i say so, he just doesn't have any. (OR SO HE LOOKS) they are really tiny. Theres almost a random percent chance of him having kids with horns or not. shorter than Sanji fight me, i like the idea. He doesn't know how his eye came out but when he woke up Perona told him it was "unsightly" and she glued it shut. She did not do this, it probably got taken out by one of the mandrills on Mihawks island when he was fighting them.

Nami - mixed mink genes from somewhere in her family. Specially a cat because why not? It's where some of her mother instincts come from. it isn't that distant for her to not have anything from it besides her behavior. Dresses somewhat like a hippie after the timeskip because she feels so comfortable around her friends. weight fluctuates because Sanji is feeding her and it's what she deserves.

Usopp - Despite being a very large fan of Elbaf he's got Tontatta blood in his famliy somewhere. Nowhere near Yasopp, it's on his mothers side. Very insecure about his body. less then %50 percent chance if he had kids they'd be Tontatta size but theres a chance they'd be short. Usopp is short for a male.

Sanji - with or without vinsmoke idea in mind (sometimes im not particularly found of the whole cake arc in regards to Sanji being royalty, its fun if hes just some guy) he has lunarian decent. 50/50 percent chance if he ever had kids they'd have wings.

Robin - Ohara's people are just tall, like they aren't giants but they are freakishly tall like Cavendish and Bartolomeo so Robin is just really tall and growing. She stands near Aokiji height maybe a bit taller at full size.

Chopper - His nose is blue because he can smell things really well. Not full reindeer there is a Caribou on his fathers side. He can talk to/translate every kind of animal from fish to things like starfish or coral. Zoro gave him the whole other set of his earrings (the abcent ear) because he loves his little boy.

[we-rice-boi]

I have this Idea...

What if Mc was an artist and Rafayel was their muse since middle school? Think Collge Au where Mc & Rafayel went to the same prestigious art college.

Warning: A bit angsty, excessive pinning on the reader's part, Rafayel x (Intimidating but shy) gender-neutral reader

Their actual first meeting in this timeline is the same as in the canon, with you saving the young fish from drying out on land. However, through some stroke of bad luck, he can't remember your face and only has an old carving you did of the two of them on a seashell.

Think Cinderella with the prince having to use a shoe to find his missing princess.

Ever since that day, you couldn't forget him. Every time you drew, you thought of him. Every piece you created had his essence baked into it. It got to the point that you sketched him, from memory, as a warm-up so you didn't end up making another painting that centered around your Lunarian muse.

From that day on you studied his work and honed your craft enough to catch up to him. Hoping this will be your chance to reunite again, but when the time comes, when you are finally able to attend the same art school as him... You chicken out. What if he doesn't remember? What if he gets uncomfortable with your passion and runs away? What if you scare him off? You've never been the most approachable person, all thanks to your aloof personality and permanent scowl.

As the years passed, you grew a bit of a reputation for your vivid, colorful paintings of the sea, specifically your lumerian-centered work. People are amazed and often compare you to this other talented prodigy who has a similar theme. At first, you were quite offended, who likes their work constantly compared to another's? That is until you hear his name, the name you've been searching for since that day by the seaside. Your fishie, your muse, Rafayel.

It was too risky, you couldn't afford to lose your muse. So you watch from a distance and bask in his light from afar. Except that too backfires and now everyone thinks you are in an onsided rivalry with the handsome prodigy due to your incessant 'glaring'.

At first, Rafayel pays these rumors no mind until he finds a watercolor painting of yours. The scenic piece is ridiculously similar to the place where you two first met, complete with the silhouettes of two small figures. A little human child and their lumerian friend as they carve silly doodles on pearly white... seashells. Seashells that look suspiciously similar to the one he's kept from all those years ago. How... peculiar. How peculiar indeed.

Divider Credit: @cafekitsune

Author's Note: Just a little teaser for a long fic I plan to do... eventually. Tell me what you think about it so far!

Edit: made a few needed changes cause I wrote this late at night, sleep-deprived and delirious. Just some editing so this actually makes sense... alas we press on!! No Beta, we die like everyone in this goddamn game!!

[raconteur-wanpi]

before loki's fruit gets revealed (could be as soon as next chapter) do you have any theories for what it might be?

I have heard SO many theories for it at this point, that I'm sure no matter what it ends up being, there's at least one person out there who predicted it correctly.

I myself don't know which one I find most likely, I've heard good arguments for multiple theories! If I had to list the ideas I've seen brought up so far, it'd probably be:

Myhtical Zoans

-Fenrir, the wolf from norse mythology, whose children eat the sun, seems to be a common guess. I've been kinda against this since day one tbh. We JUST got a mythical wolf zoan with Yamato, not to mention now we have Cerberus as well. Not impossible though, just unlikely. Or at the very least underwhelming.

-Jörmungandr, the serpent from norse mythology. This one is more interesting, especially since a large serpent makes me think of Nola from Skypeia, whose kind was associated with the Sun God by the Shandians. Problem is, it's already associated with the Red Line in Elbaph's mythology and in One Piece symbology in general. Then again, sometimes, multiple things share the same symbols in this story, so it's an interesting thought that this could be the case here too. My only other problem with this, once again, it's kinda similar to Kaidou, although he was more of a long fish than a reptile or serpent.

-Human fruit, model Lunarian. Now THAT'S interesting! Perhaps... too interesting. I would genuinely love to see something like that, and he does have these curious wing tattoos, but once again, I wonder if that's a bit too much like the Seraphim AND King, which we just saw in the previous two arcs. It almost feels like an absurd fanservice option. A giant the size of Oars with a Lunarian fruit would explain how people came to think of him as a world-ender in terms of power though, that sounds terrifying. I do like this one a lot, but I don't know if it's likely.

Logias

-I see the idea of a Logia very often, especially in parallel to Hajrudin wanting the Flame Flame fruit. Most people have talked about "Nuclear / Mother-Flame Fruit" or even straight up a "Sun Sun Fruit", which are all the same concept anyway, I guess. This is a popular guess, and does make some sense, but I think it's too straightforward and direct for my tastes. When we have Ace, Sabo, Sakazuki and Oven, another fire/heat/flame power just sounds uninteresting to me. As always, it's not unlikely though. I think that, if this is it, I'd rather it be framed as being tied to the Mother Flame, rather than something more generic like "nuclear power" or "the sun" - why yes, there IS a small thematic difference. Either way, not a huge fan of this, but Oda could make it work I suppose.

-Some other Logia I have not thought or heard about could be possible as well. Can't think of what, though!

Paramecias

-OK I think here comes the silliest, but also my favorite guess. The Gum Gum fruit. Yeah this is the Tekking guess. The idea that Loki has the actual rubber paramecia, and that the people of Elbaph associate it with Nika due to the superficial similarity. Honestly this would be SO fun, and it's the Silly Choice and I like that. Not to mention the Luffy parallels. However, a few problems arise. The main one being Vegapunk saying there exists no such fruit in the records. He could easily just, not know about it though, but it's kind of an Occams Razor situation. Especially considering he'd been to Elbpah before and knows plenty about them. If the royal family had this fruit, he might have known about it. Nothing is impossible, though, so who knows! Another little issue is that the giants have seen Luffy's Nika form, so if they initially thought Loki had the Nika fruit due to the confusion, they'd have probably brought it up. Like "ooh maybe that's not what Loki has after all, this pipsqueek has it instead", idk. That might be nitpicking lol.

-Theres a bunch of other paramecias you could give him honestly, but I can't think of anything specific. Perhaps something around his newly revealed hammer and the way he wields it? No clue. This is the most strange and creative category, just look at Gunko's Arrow Fruit. Anything relating to weapons, or mass destruction or trickery and manipulation, all of these fit him thematically. Maybe even illusions? That might be too simple, considering the fruit has been described as legendary. It'd be hard to predict it, if it really is a paramecia.

That's all I have in mind for now! Honestly, I can see Oda throwing an insane curveball and have it be something completely unexpected that hasn't even been mentioned here. Only time will tell.

[disquiet-dream]

i really do enjoy how much phos keeps talking about how suspicious kongou is, or how he's the reason they keep dying, and just generally trying to find a reason to hate him

and whenever we get more detailed explanation it's just like. no, he really is that benevolent. not every choice he's made was the best one, but like. there really isn't anything sinister going on.

that's not to say he hasn't caused a lot of pain when his choices. but there's no secret malice, he just sincerely loves his family and wants to be happy with them.

but, well,

desire leads to suffering, i guess. even if it's something like that.

moe...

[syzyspark]

Move On - A post Lost Light fic

As promised, here is the first part of a fanfiction centered around Rodimus and Drift, with Rodimus as the main character! I think he’s a wonderful character and wanted to give him a bit more time and attention after the ending of MTMTE and Lost Light.

This will be a partly epistolary fic, featuring some new characters, either OCs or reimagined canon characters (but not from the main cast, of course).

English isn’t my first language, so please forgive any mistakes ! I translate the text myself, use a translator when needed, and occasionally turn to AI for help with figures of speech or grammar corrections.

I’ll also make the original French version available, for the very few French-speaking fans of the comics I’ve yet to find ! I know I’ll find a suspisciously french sounding comment someday. The post of the original will be for them. I hope you will enjoy it. I have the narrative planned and I hopefully won't stray too far from it. It will be available on AO3 as soon as I get an account ! Without furthering the ado ( god forbid the ado is furthered ) :

“I’m up there now!”

Rodimus had the nerve to say that with a bravado that, in another time, might’ve lulled any listener’s skepticism. But here, it fell flat. It was lacking… well, he wasn’t sure what it lacked. All the usual ingredients were there : the confident pose, the upbeat attitude, the glance up at the sky. He’d even made sure to drown his nerves in the drink he downed, before setting foot on the ground. Drift had called out his bluff out loud. Gently. But… still out loud. The feeling had been like a bucket of cold water thrown on the timid flames of his pride. Rodimus replayed those few minutes in his head like a glitched holotape, face neutral, jaw clenched. It had been… nice to see him again. That’s the correct take to have. That’s what he was sticking with. The ex-captain ran a hand over his face, to relax his features. A motion to wipe away the scene still bitterly burned into his vision… or more accurately, onto the ceiling of his quarters. The index and thumb traced down either side of his nose, slid down past his mouth and stopped at the little decoration on his chin… an aesthetic detail shared by about 70% of Cybertronians, even Lunarians. He lingered on it for a moment. One has to admit, it shapes the jaw nicely. It’s distinguished, it frames the face… and it's one of the things about him that did not change. Not that Rodimus would’ve bothered altering his looks anyway, should that detail ever become old fashion. He didn't even have the time to polish his armor, these days. A new look ? No thanks. Don’t change a winning team. And in this case, the team had a handsome face and a proud smile.

Well, it used to be. It’ll come back. The handsome face can team up with… itself. For now. Drift had changed his look, though. A bit. And Rodimus noticed how that suited him, those filigrees and ornamentations on his armor. Then the cape, which gave him this sort of dignified silhouette… Was it just for the occasion? For Ratchet’s funeral ? Maybe the cape, a vague nod to the Necrobot, or whatever customs Cybertron had for funerals these days. But the rest… likely some Spectralist thing to express grief. Or whatever he had for breakfast. Ah, there it is again… that bitterness in his mouth, which came in pair with the tension in his jaw, souring his face with the beginning of a scowl that didn’t suit him. Funny, how your mind always circles back to the stuff that pisses you off. And right now, what pissed him off was that he’d been bothered by Drift’s appearance. Or was it the funeral ? Not sure. He knew better than to act… sour, over a funeral. So, as always, he doesn’t dwell on it, doesn’t analyze it, just leaves it where it is. 

That part of him’s never changed either. If he had to choose between a moment of deep introspection and diving into the Exitus’ reactor core engine, he’d be asking the audience to make room so he could get a good running start : if he’s going to jump into a reactor, he’s doing it with a backflip. Maybe even a triple somersault. Hell, throw in a full twist, for dramatic flair, It would make for a nice comma in the descent. That logic made him smile. He rode that little wave of lightness, giving him just enough momentum to start his mental escape with a physical one. The cybertronian rolled to the side, pushed himself onto one elbow, pivoted his hips toward the edge of the berth, and sat up. His pistons sighed. Feet on the ground. Pause. Three seconds. A breath… a roll of his shoulders… an inhale. Another push. Standing. Has it always been… a step-by-step process, getting up ? Whatever. That idea joined the others in whatever part of his processor he shoved unwanted things into. Right next to the failed bravado, the annoying changes Drift made to his frame, ratchet’s death, all of it wrapped up in his utter lack of desire for self-reflection. He didn’t know where he stuffed all that. One thing’s for sure: that place had to be more dangerous to dive into than the core of a reactor. Good reason not to set a thought in this place. Besides, you can’t get there with flips and flourishes. So it’s not worth it. Rodimus logic : still perfectly acceptable, thank you very much. " A Cybertronian lives by rules and a code of conduct. " Ultra Magnus said once. His just happened to revolve around acrobatics, in that particular matter.

The orange bot looked around, taking in his surroundings with an idle glance as he raised a hand to his neck, trying to release some of the tension in his shoulders. His quarters were smaller than what he used to have, but the layout was more or less the same… an unsettling familiarity that, over time, had just become familiar. A berth and a recharge station. A desk, with a chair tucked under it, that he swore he’d decorate one day… but never did. (Still will. Eventually.)

A viewport to the exterior gave quite the sight over the current starfield, casting the room in dim colors and muted hues. White spots, gentle halos of blue, some flickering lights, some steady so... probably planets, a twin set of blue-... Wait, no. Just the reflection of the light from his optics. Huh.

He looked back on the living space, took a few steps to wake the cables in his legs. Rodimus’ attention lingered on the second set of his own furniture. Even though this space was designed to be shared, Thunderclash had been magnanimous. He gave him the grace of solitude. Rodimus was supposed to request someone from maintenance to remove the second berth and send the extra table and chair to storage, but he never did. ‘Keeps putting it off. It’s not urgent.

Knowing his Captain, it was probably a genuinely considerate gesture. A show of respect and recognition for what he used to be. And also what he is. It spared him a random roommate. Gave him room to breathe. He gave a mimic of a huff, which is a sound that he had to learn to make. A pity then, that the door's hiss covered it. It’s always been a thing : since he learned to do it, when he thinks about Thunderclash, he exhales sharply. Must be allergic. But instead of lingering on his spiteful train of thoughts that he would gladly enabled when it’s about him, he got distracted by the sound of his own pedes. 

The steps echoed down the corridor, bouncing off the walls in a hollow, annoying way… clang, clang, clang…

Whoever designed this ship’s interior is as much an architect as Rodimus is a Cybertronian dancer… Or as much as he is an architect, to be fair. But even he knows it doesn’t take a genius to throw a couple of things in the way and slap on some sound-dampening material to fix that god-awful echo. Brainstorm had explained all of that when he’d asked for clearance to renovate the lab wing. Not that the scientist had suddenly developed a passion for decorating, mind you : He’d simply been kindly asked to stop conducting experiments that stretched well into the night. And the ones that kept endangering the ship’s structural integrity, too… but that was the same battle, honestly. Or so they thought, when they ordered him to slow down.

All Brainstorm took from it was the noise pollution problem, so naturally, he had focused on finding ways to muffle the sounds of his experiments. Among other things. Stopping the madness? Not on the table. Just making it slightly less annoying for the neighbors. Anyway, Rodimus decided that nobody needed to hear their own footsteps echoing every time they leave their room. Design flaw. Shitty ship. The former Prime frowned and turned his helm, looking for some kind of distraction in the ink of the black sky, only to catch sight of himself. They had closed the metal curtains over the viewports.

So he was met with his reflection, and that closed-off expression staring right back at him. There was no mistaking the blue points of his eyes with stars, this time. In fact, he realized how dimmed they looked. He rolled his eyes and returned to what's in front of him. What’s with their obsession with shutting the metal blinds over the viewports ? Do the local asteroids have voyeuristic tendencies ? Their second in command, Lunarian-what’s-his-name, already explained it’s for thermal insulation, when they’re too far from a star or any warm celestial body… blah blah, energy savings, blah blah… Rodimus had tuned out about three-quarters of that meeting’s conversation (on purpose) and still walked away with the main takeaway. So basically : Thunderclash and his second in command talked a lot and said very little. If they’re so worried about wasting energy, the Captain should cut his speeches short. If this ship were his, he’d sacrifice a bit of power just to keep the view of the stars, at every hour of the ship’s waking hours. Cyclonus, for example, used to spend days staring out there with his scowl, dentas clenched…Which had gradually unclenched, once Tailgate was at his side. Rodimus wouldn’t have dared take that from him, the ability to stare at the stars outside of his own habsuite, jaw relaxed, with Tailgate nearby. And honestly ? Seeing the ugly mugs of some of the current crew, it might actually be a kindness not to force them to be greeted with their own reflections, given the choice. So really, isn’t he thinking of them too ? Just like he did with Cyclonus, back then? All those unfortunate uggo-bots on this ship. Forced to see their own faces. Poor guys. Shitty ship. … This time, he sighed and shook his head. He had to admit, cynicism started to eat up a lot of his energy these days. Maybe then, he shouldn’t be the one to talk about saving power It exhausted him, actually. He was exhausted. Already.

But, he knew where to find a little spark. 

Something to smooth the jagged edges in his head, muzzle the bite of certain thoughts, and spend some time in better company.

Rodimus took the long route to the mess hall. A detour, but at least… it avoids catching his own face in those damned reflections.

[haroun31]

Hello I love your work

I was hoping that I can get a

Padparadscha x reader Where The Reader thinks he is really beautiful and something with brushing his hair and thank you have a lovely day

■Padparadscha × reader■

●| My Love, Mine All Mine |●

Life is honestly unfair.

How is it possible that it is able to generate living beings of incomparable beauty to the most wonderful landscapes ever touched by man . . .just to say 'Nhaaaaa, how about we nerf them?' Because of course nothing could be perfect in this world, not even your gorgeous red head partner, cursed to be the gem version of sleeping beauty. With those long and curly red locks, his deep and warm shining eyes and his calm expression, Padparadscha can't possibly be the the reincarnation of Aphrodite and an healty gem.

Noooooooo.

He had to be born with holes in his chest, binding him to a never ending sleep and a shorter and shorter awake each time his consciousness would come back.

It's not fair! Life its not fair!

"Are you really sad about me possibly falling unconscious once again?" His gloved hand patted your hair, fingers pushing away your locks before they trailed down your chin "You are so beautiful yet doomed to be locked away in a BOX! This is a crime against the world itself, stripped away from your sight!" You whined, drappling your arms over the side of the wooden box, laying your chin over it and pouting as Padpa's hand trailed back toward your hair.

The red gem let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head "What a shame really, uh? My beauty locked away forever" he joked around closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side "Mhmm. . .what is this? I feel like the dream land is calling me back" at his words you suddenly jumped up, a gasp escaping your lips "Don't you dare hide away your beauty once again! How long has it been since you awoke? Three days?! Let me bask in your presence a little longer, please!" You joined your hands, squeezing your eyes shut.

"Also because I'm pretty sure that Rutile will literally crumble to pieces if you fall asleep once again"

Padpa chuckled, resting his head on his knees and looking at you with an amused grin. “But I feel so sleepy. . .” You groaned and throwed your head back before grasping his arm and trying to drag him out of the box. “Come on! Don’t say that! I’m sure it’s because you haven’t gotten enough sun and your inclusions are still half asleep!” With great difficulty you managed to lead Padpa out into the open, not too far from the school.

Sitting down in the middle of a patch of flowers you immediately got to work, letting your partner relax under the sun and enjoying the succulent light that nourished his red inclusions. Your hands caressed several flowers, each with a different color from the other like in a painter's palette. Plucking the ones you considered most beautiful, you enjoyed placing them between the red locks of the gem at your side, while he looked at you lazily but with a content smile that spoke a thousand words.

These were the days that Padpa never forgot. Even though his inclusions were constantly changed, the original ones of his body remained attached to the memories of these quiet days spent in your company. Not to the battles against the Lunarians, not to the card nights with the other gems. But the moments spent with you. He was a work of art and you were the artist who could fully understand him, appreciate his beauty in its entirety.

"And here we go!" you proclaimed with a satisfied smile, admiring the multicolored spots hidden in the enormous hair of the red gem. They managed to make him stand out even more in the expanse of green plain, to the point that the Lunarians will mostly be attracted by him as a first thing if they ever appeared. But after all, aren't gems meant to embody beauty and art in them?

Aren't they meant to be viewed and appreciate? To awe crowds and be admired?

That was what your partner was. A gorgeous gem, but he was your gorgeous gem. And he knows it.

Your gloved hands couldn't help but itch toward his head, brushing through his long locks and fixing the flowers "You are so ethereal, I think I might be a Lunarian for how much I appreciate you" Padpa calm smile would become wide, his lips parting a little to let a chuckle escaped them as him own gloved hands found themselves over your cheeks.

"I shine so bright because your are by my side"

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

Imagine breaking the news about the seraphim to King

You: I have bad news

King: [let's out a pained sigh] what could be worse than my race being revealed to the world, Kaido losing a fight, our empire falling, losing my wing, and being imprisoned by the very people my boss oppressed?

You: so we just heard from Luffy, and apparently. Vegapunk used the samples that he collected from you all those years ago.

King: [ throws back his head and cries] Fuck!

Queen: What'd he use them for? I had opted for cloning the skin samples to create a fleshy exoskeleton for a cyborg.

You: he made Lunarian cyborg clone-babies of some of the warlords.

Queen: oh! Cyborg Clones, huh? I had personally voted we use the skin samples we collected to create a skin for a mech, but cyborg clones never really occurred to me.

Jack: [guffaws] which ones?

King: [scrunches his eyes closed, crosses his fingers and whispers] not Moira, not Moira, please not Moira.

You: Kuma, Mihawk, Jinbe, and Boa Hancock.

King: how is that so much worse! Boa and Mihawk were intense enough as humans. And Kuma and Jinbe were strong enough due to their own species!

You: from what Nami said, they look around 8 or 9 years old. Vegapunk was kind enough to include pictures and details. [Holds out the package]

King: [can't stand the sight of the files, so he looks at the pictures first and sees they all look like normal photos a parent might take.] These are posed photos, aren't they?

You: most likely

Queen: [peeks over his shoulder] oh Boa is still beautiful as a child. Which makes sense, seeing as she's gorgeous as an adult.

Everyone in the room: [ ಠ⁠ಗ⁠ಠ]

King: [holds up a flaming fist] Kaido isn't here to protect you from me anymore.

Jack: [gives Queen a menacing look]

Queen: OH, NO! Not like that! NO!

No one in the room: [believes him]

A week later

You: hey King, so uh, I was wrong.

King: [pinches the bridge of his nose] please, don't.

You: There are other seraphims than the ones I told you about.

Queen: Figures

King: ... There's a Moira seraphim, isn't there?

You: [gives him a pinched smile] yeah, there's a Doflamingo, and a Crocodile seraphim too.

King: a Dofla-! That bastard! Mixing my genes with Moira of all people is bad enough, and to mix in a celestial dragon, especially Doflamingo, is even worse!

Jack: maybe Doflamingo was cute as a kid?

You: Ehh, no. I wanted to punch Doflamingo as an adult, but I want to punch him even more as a child.

King:[notices you are carrying more files] are those the new one's files?

You: yeah.

King: [braces himself and sighs] alright let me see.

You: you're taking this news better than I thought you would. [hands him the files]

Queen & Jack: [huddle closer to get a look]

Jack: [sees the pictures] oh god

Queen: how does Crocodile look more dower as a child?

King: [holds up the pictures of the Moira and Doflamingo seraphim's] these two are my least favorite.

You: Parents aren't supposed to have favorites.

King: ugh, don't call me that, please.

Queen: would you prefer Papa?

King: [pushes him away by his face] shut up

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[katharsisboy101]

How God Phos and the Ending criticize and embody Buddhism

What's interesting about Enlightened Phos or God Phos is that she embodies buddhism—embodies the trascendent state in which everything is void, and a such, you're at peace with everything. Now, I'm not a buddhism expert by any means, but in relation to the themes and story of Houseki no Kuni, I think it's especially wonderful that the "enlightened state" Phos reaches isn't actually all that much. In the end, no matter how many thousands of years she prayed, and how much she changed, there was still a core part of her that wanted the same thing; to be loved, a desire as earthly as it gets, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Paradoxes Once More

In buddhism, it's all paradoxical. To attain happiness, you let go of happiness. To connect with others, you let go of others. And the same happens with Phos. Because Phos changed so much, to the point of not being herself anymore—and at the same time, she still is Phos. Even after changing so much, she wants the same things, and returns to base, to simply being satisfied as she is for who she is and indulging in the little moments of life. It's a cycle. All the suffering she went through led her to the final form of returning to be herself, to finally enjoy herself as she is, the simple answer that she had from the very beggining and yet couldn't accept until the very end.

The very ending is paradoxical, because it praises both the simpleness of the rocks but also the plan carried on by Ayumu, Kongo and Aechma in order to attain happiness for everyone, Phos included.

The rationality to execute it is key, as I explained in my Moon Phos analysis, and yet it was also that very extreme rationality that needed to be erradicated for everyone to be happy. Moon Phos, the Lunarians, the overcomplicated plans, all of it was the bridge—Rationality was the bridge. But all bridges must be burnt after crossing them.

Of course, that isn't to say that the pebbles aren't rational or are stupid, because they clearly became capable of reasoning in a way that the story frames as good; rationality for the sake of others which allowed Phos to be saved. It was just the "hyperrationality", the one that comes with civilization and optimizing (ahem, capitalism), that had to go.

Thus, the pebbles are the most intelligent of them all. They were simple, and that's all they needed to be. They reject Phos' offerings, because they're content as they are, which is the complete opposite of Phos.

For Phos, humanity is the wishing for something grander, the thing that made her push herself too far and ruin everything for herself.

That's why she refuses to accept that it's fine for her to live, and she acknowledges that humanity remains inside her to the bitter end. But I feel that isn't humanity as much as it is civilization, and the values it pushes onto humans.

Criticizing "Enlightenment"

I think that what's wonderful about Enlightened Phos is the way she criticizes the self-actualization that tradidtional Buddhism points towards, along with the supposed enlightenment that comes with it. It's a criticism of the idea that you can reach an ultimate form of yourself, and to the lack of importance that this idea and buddhism in general gives to the present and to the meaning of it all. Check out this exchange between Phos and one of the pebbles as an example.

The supposedly enlightened Phos points out how everything fundamentally doesn't matter and that whether they die sooner or later is irrelevant. She has suffered so much and gone through so much loss that she's at a point that, despite reaching some form of happiness with the pebbles, she also is suicidal, and wants to end it all. She realizes the meaninglessness of everything and, even though she has experienced some happy moments, she ultimately sees it all as transcient, and any attempt at giving life meaning is self-sabotage in her eyes. Thus, buddhism's transcience takes away meaning from life, from happiness, demonizing pleasure and leaving a husk of a person instead.

Sadly, buddhism is right in it's meaninglessness—it's right in many things, which I'd say is the whole point of Houseki no Kuni, but it's also missing a huge point, which the series constantly makes sure to point out: even if everything will end one day, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't cherish your life, or that each moment is meaningless because of it. Sure, there's no grander purpose, there's no meaning to the why things happen the way they do, but it's precisely because of that that every moment is all the more meaningful, not in the grand scheme of things, but on a personal level. Because if everything constantly changes, even your own identity, then you should cherish the present, a moment that cannot be repeated, all more.

That's precisely what the pebble argues, by saying they want to extend their happiness a little bit more. Sure, if the pebbles dies its atoms will be used to create some new form of life, but that's missing the point, and looking at it too coldly, through an outlook that lacks humanity and yets is also fundamentally human in its rationality.

The pebble wants to live, right now, in the moment, as they are, enjoying the little things—not as a cosmic exchange of matter. And Phos and PItapat (who also greatly suffered because of the humans' rationality by becoming the Ice Floes) agree with the sentiment. Pitapat's sushi cream chips' obssesion is an easy way to understand how something as mundane and crude as that can be important to enjoying life and make our existential anxiety go away (so go eat something yummy right now).

Pitapat's sushi cream chips' obssesion is an easy way to understand how something as mundane and crude as that can be important to enjoying life and make our existential anxiety go away (so go eat something yummy right now).

There's No Replacements

There's no moment or relationship like another, and no way to replace someone you lost. And that's why Phos' biggest regret is realizing this too late.

She could have been happier sooner, not by optimizing herself to satisfy the usefulness the Lustrous society valued, but just by sharing her life with someone. With Cinnabar.

That's why their story is a tragedy, and why it was framed as Phos' most important relationship since the beggining. Because just by simply reaching out and sharing the present, you can combat the meaningless of it all and the future, the worries and the anxiety.

Even if Phos became happy with the pebbles, knowing that she never managed to get close to Cinnabar, and that there is no replacement to that relationship—to any of the relationships she could have fostered with the gems that she dropped in pursuit of self-actualization, is heartbreaking. That's why as she dies, she wishes to see everyone again.

Of course, I'm not saying that only Phos is to blame for how her relationships with the Lustrous turned out—the Lustrous society discouraged moments of closeness and honesty that didn't have to do with being useful, and gems like Cinnabar and Bortz constantly pushed others away because of this obssession with their work and loleniness, but that's also missing the point. You can't control everything. You can only control your own actions, and even when she was rejected by some of the people she tried to get close to, Phos could have also risked it and gained a close relationship with people she was similar with, just by reaching out and taking proper care of her relationships. It was that simple.

Death

With all of this in mind, I think that the main difference between everyone else's death into non-existence and Phos' fulfilling death is precisely in how they spent their time in life.

The gems distracted themselves from their eventual demise with the pleasures of the lunarian life, living for the sake of dying and then ending things unceremoniously, accepting their fate. At first glance, this seems similar to the conclusion Phos arrived at, but it's different in the journey they took to get there.

Because the gems never became human, they never truly suffered and gained the wisdom necessary to accept life as it was. The key difference between Phos and the gems is that while the former is enjoying life with the pebbles, and cherishing each moment wholeheartedly, the gems take their instances of pleasure as a distraction, as nothing more than a hedonistic party to distract themselves from the end. Phos accepted that she would die, and she was fulfilled doing so by knowing she enjoyed thousands of years with the pebbles, not in wait for her death, but in service of her life—of the fact that she was alive.

Thus, the answer doesn't lie in an overreliance of pleasure to distract yourself from the end like the gems did, but it also isn't about a pseudo-intellecual enlightenment in transcience like the one God Phos reached before meeting the pebbles. As always, the answer lies in the middle—in balance. It's about finding pleasure in the moment, not as a distraction, but in service of living and caring for others, in service of kindness, happiness and celebrating life.

A Cyclical and Paradoxical Existence

However, no matter how much fulfillment (or lack thereof) you found in life, we are all subject to the cycle of rebirth, with the matter that makes our body being reused for something else. But that should be an afterthought.

After the last extract of Phos is rescued by Pitapat, God Phos is allowed to die, paradoxically not having any "Phosphophyllite" in her and yet still being Phos.

Because those cosmic and biological matters of what makes you you aren't as important as what is reality: what makes Phos isn't the matter she's made of, but rather, the experiences that made her who she is and the decisions she takes along the story.

And when Phos dies, Phos also lives through her fragments, and she continues her journey, forgetting the lessons engraved in her inclusions and yet being granted the beautiful right to live once more.

And I feel like the comet symbolizes just that. A new beggining for Phos, starting from the end, granted from truly making peace with everything this time. A cycle, in which she lights her own way into acceptance and belonging. She always had what she needed. Perhaps now, there'll be enough light to cast the shadows away and she'll be able to see it.

To Suffer And Live Regardless

If the goal in buddhism is to renounce humanity and the suffering that comes with it, I think that paradoxically, Houseki no Kuni both accepts and rejects that idea. Because humanity is beautiful, and yet it must also be exterminated to allow the pebbles to exist. Because for every part of the kind and weak-willed OG Phos, there is the cynical, but at some point necessary, Moon Phos. Because to live is to suffer and that isn't an impediment to enjoy life—rather, it's what makes those little moments of peace all the more special.

All we need is there from the start—the ability to join up with others, enjoy nature and play with one another, and it's up to us to stop our bothersome overthinking and anxiety, to be able to see it.

In the end of the story, at the ideal world that was reached through humanity's rationality, what's kept of the humans is the kindness and will to share great experiences, while getting away from the overthinking, the anxiety and the hyperrationality that caused so much trouble for everyone in the story and yet were also so important to reach the beautiful ending Phos got.

Civilization is gone, and all that's left are happy rocks that enjoy the simple things, as it should have always been.

[melkyt]

I love the theory that one of Luffy's parents had wings

Dragon who cut off his wings, or had them cut off to stay under the radar.

Then Law and Luffy having a child, Law who is already freaking out about white lead, the will of d, and that Luffy is king of the pirates, and their kid would be hunted

Luffy is freaking out about that aswell, after what happened to Ace. Though not on the same level as Law.

Then the baby comes out with strong Lunarian genes making themselves known, like they skip a generation. So Luffy has nubs but not wings wings.

Law straight up passes out when he sees the wings. He is going to take being a protective dad into overdrive, everyone would be hunting his baby, and he is going to turn the world of anyone who tries upside down

Luffy likes this side of Law and is just as protective xd

This would 100% earn Law an emperor title just so nobody even thinks about trying to go for him when he has the babeh on the polar tang, so they are just as safe as on the Sunny with people not often trying to take them down

[thesharktanksdriver]

Omg I’m having so many thoughts about the newer stuff of one piece.

These are all jumbled thoughts I came up with recently so it’s unstructured and probably doesn’t make any sense but fuck it

Masterlist for Determiation!

Spoilers for egghead

Determination! Y/n and the seraphim’s would be so god damn interesting like yall won’t believe the sheer amount of ideas running through my head.

Like y/n accidentally running into the Seraphim’s in Egghead after getting separated from the straw hats and absolutely going still when they see S-String(I shall call him that since they’d yet to reveal his designation) and absolutely going into a blind haze where they apologize to him not realizing he’s not Doffy (or at least the Doffy that they feel like they failed).

And it’s there that their dragged to meet the other Seraphim’s

Maybe it was programmed into them to find and retrieve y/n, maybe even protect them.

So the young lunarian children linger by y/n’s side and naturally become curious. Because how can they not be? Especially when all their lives so far had been carried out in a lab, born from artificial wombs that fashioned them of DNA stolen from various people and a species long dead and forgotten.

How can they not be curious when this person they were ordered to retrieve and protect knew of who they were cloned of. Knew more about them than they did themselves outside their programming.

So the children ask questions and they learn

Maybe S-Snake asks about her “mother”, being the only girl had always been a bit lonely for her even when her “brothers” had done their best to make sure she knows she’s accepted. So she wonders about Boa, and how she had come from an island full of women. What was that like? Would they still brush her hair like S-Bear does? Or pat her head for doing a good job like S-Shark did?. She asks about if she was as pretty as Boa, if she was good enough for her “mother” if they ever would meet, a bit of insecurity for the first time curling up in her stomach before y/n says that Boa would love her no matter what, accept her no matter what. Because Boa would never turn down a woman in need, let alone a little girl that was imprisoned such as she was. In that sense she finds a comfort in you, especially as you indulge in things her brothers would usually sigh at but agree to anyways. Without a hassle you let her do little shows where she shows off her fire or make small drawings with the limited art supplies they have. When S-Snake draws you with her and the other Seraphim your heart squeezes ever so slightly.

Maybe S-Hawk has y/n teach him the techniques that Mihawk had taught them when on his island. In a sense he’s curious of his “father” but hides it away as he’d rather die than openly admit the gnawing questions in his mind. When y/n lets him use the blade gifted by Mihawk he can’t help but instinctively rub his thumb over the hilt where the greatest swordsman initials lay carved, a smile also instinctively crawling up the clones face. When his “siblings” become too much and he wants peace and quiet y/n lingers by his side, a silent company that he appreciates as memories not of his own of similar occasions plague his mind. He usually doesn’t enjoy these influx of memories but these ones are peaceful, not filled in bloodshed but instead of a small garden full of ripe fruits he doesn’t know the names of as well as the times in which he narrowly helps them escape an accidental death that may or may not leave S-Hawk on his toes and leads to his presence lingering by your side.

S-Shark notices that y/n seems the most comfortable with him though he knows it makes sense since they’re apart of the crew his progenitor joined. He doesn’t know how to feel about Jinbe, but he does retain a certain sense of respect for him even before he learns more about the fishman and how much he fought for his people. Much like the others he has a sense of curiosity of the world but his is specifically towards the sea, moreso a place where gilled people and pretty women with fish tails lived. That placed seemed so different compared to egghead, more lively and colourful in a way he can’t describe. He cherishes those memories no matter how hazy and unfocused they are, so seeing y/n show him the brightly coloured shells and small bits of coral really make his day. S-Shark knows he can’t go in the ocean on account of the green blood he possesses but he can’t help but wonder. Y/n occasionally clings to him in a way that feels natural, and it’s almost second nature that when this happens he lets them do so without complaint.

S-Bear even before using his ability feels pin roll off you in waves he couldn’t quite comprehend, as if your small body similar to their own could not contain the amount of emotional and physical agony, it cracks and spills from the seems of you that have been restitched and reattached like a doll. It’s scary, but somehow the most terrifying thing is that you retain a smile despite it all. It doesn’t affect you outwardly and maybe even inwardly at most times but it’s there and it lingers around you like an ever-present rain cloud about to burst into a storm. It saddens him, and it reminds him of memories of a pink haired girl he cannot place the name of. Too young to experience such heartache and at the same time her eyes are old and withered from everything that had happened. A child who acts older than their real age because they have to, not because they want to.

S-String notices that there’s a certain kind of Resigned sadness and almost a sense of hope with y/n’a eyes, yet they can never look at him fully without flinching. It confuses him, especially since despite that they treat him with such kindness even when he purposefully acts out or teases the others or them. S-String does not get as many memories compared to the others, most of which are locked away and repressed for some reason but what he does somewhat remember from his “father” is blissful moments of childhood with a boy he cannot name and y/n. This leaves him more confused, these were happy memories yet why do they look at him (and by extension his “father” with such sadness?). So at some point he asks And it’s there that S-String comes to dislike the man that made up his genetic makeup. Because for as much as the others got on his nerves sometimes S-Flamingo loved his “family”, loved his “Sister” and “Brothers” more than he’d like to admit. So hearing that the man he was cloned after harmed his family, and harmed the only person in their lives that had shown him and his siblings any sense of normalcy struck him. That man is the reason why they can’t properly look him in the eye both out of fear and a sense of failure, that man is a reason for their overwhelming pain that night even S-Bear cant comprehend, that man is the reason they broke down when they first saw him and kept apologizing for failing him. S-Stribg isn’t sure as to what happened to you and his predecessor but S-String knows you had not failed him nor his siblings, and he has a feeling you hadn’t failed Doflaimgo but rather he failed you.

S-Sand feels towards y/n a more than ordinary sense of curiosity that plagues his mind. Something he feels is a lingering emotion from his progenitor as he quietly watches and listens to you. It’s odd to him the flippant attitude towards death, something he’s pondered about as the dried out bodies of those who tried to enter egghead lay on the ground. He understands that your immortal, death isn’t much of a good deal to you yet you regard it in such a way that it bothers him. Why do you not seem to care when you tell a story of being ripped from limb to limb or left to bleed out. Surely that’s not something that was fun to experience let alone all the other instances in which you’d died via starvation on the sea or dehydration. Those things hurt, and in that regard you must be hurting all the time if not physically then mentally. Because of that like Mihawk he lingers, first due to curiosity and then out of a certain protectiveness that feel much less like programming and real. When on a mission they feel nothing, more in an empty minded state rather than truly conscious. They don’t feel fear let alone worry but for you he does, and he’s slowly seeing the others feel it too.

S-shadow just finds y/n to be cool’s ngl lol (I don’t know much about Moria so I don’t know how to write for him let alone his seraphim)

Maybe at some point y/n promises them that they’ll one day be free of orders that circulate in their heads

Free to use their wings in a real sky that’s not simulated

And maybe the Seraphim feel a spark of something at those words in their souls

The young lunarian children never thought that they had souls, had the to privilege to posses one when they were clones with no free will, remakes of others who were real people and could make decisions themselves.

But suddenly they find the words of a promise resonate within them, staying there in Suddenly full chests that should just have had it echo due to their emptiness. But the promise stays

And they silently dream of that promise

A place where they could be free

A place where they weren’t poked and prodded at

A place where they could call each other by “brother” and “sister” in full confidence

A place where they may choose their own names

A place where they could experience this idea of “family” that they often pondered about from memories not their own

A place where y/n would teach them all they’d need to know about the world before they’d one day take it by storm

A place where they’d make safe for both themselves and the person they found wanting to protect even without the orders issued by the pacifista

[nethhiri]

Siren Charms

Zoro x Siren!Reader

Warnings: Descriptions of blood, drinking blood, eating people

Prologue/ Lore:

For the purposes of this story, the concept of siren is a combination of a mermaid and a harpy. The siren is a shapeshifting humanoid creature with an appetite for flesh to fuel its transformations. They can appear as a winged humanoid, a mermaid, or a winged mermaid. As long as the siren has fed, it is able to transform at will. The flesh of other creatures is metabolized into energy that feeds stem cells to rapidly divide and turn into the wings and/or tail of the siren. When the appendages are damaged severely, they remain damaged until the next transformation. The blood and saliva of sirens can be used to promote rapid healing.

As the siren is an entity of the ocean, devil fruit users taste horrible to them and will make them sick if they consume their blood or flesh. Sirens are very rare, thought of only as a myth. They are beings that have split off from Fish-men and are thought to have the blood of Lunarians flowing through them, hence the ability to form wings and a tail. They do not possess the abilities to control water or flame as the Fish-men or Lunarians do. However, they do possess superhuman strength, senses, and durability. In the water, they are faster than a Fish-man. Both of these things aiding in their capability as a top tier predator.

In addition to shapeshifting into a harpy or mermaid-like form, they can force themselves to appear more human, without sharp teeth or nails. Though to an experienced eye, their canine teeth appear much sharper than a normal human, even when they attempt to blend in. A siren normally has slitted pupils and varied shades of yellow to orange irises, but can make them appear rounder and more green so as not to alarm their prey. If using any of their siren 'powers', it is extremely difficult to hide these features.

Sirens are very beautiful by nature, thought to have evolved the shapeshifting traits in order to lure their three favorite types of prey, humans, Fish-men, and Lunarians. Often it is said that their voices have hypnotic powers over any being that hears them, though it is more of a suggestion than full-blown mind control. Pheromones given off by the skin of a siren and their mysterious aura only improve the efficacy of the hypnosis.

Sirens are found only in the New World, in very secluded areas. They are extremely territorial and only come together to reproduce. It is unknown if they can reproduce with other races.

(Starts at the tail end of Thriller Bark)

Chapter 1: Prey

What was that irresistible smell? 

Inky black wings cut through the foggy, damp, air. You had been flying around aimlessly for some time before being swallowed by fog. Echoes of a battle sounded somewhere in the distance, originally luring you in this general direction. But then, oh, but then! Then there was this intoxicating stench that pulled you, reeled you in. It had been days since you last ate and you were so hungry. The scent alone was making saliva pool in your mouth and causing your teeth to sharpen in anticipation. It was getting stronger as the wind carried you closer and closer. You heard bits of a conversation, the words chopped up by the changing winds. The fog broke as you descended into the treetops. Silently and gracefully, you landed on the side of a tree, holding a branch to keep you steady. 

You pulled your goggles onto your forehead so you could look with your naked eyes. Below you, there was a scarlet red stain on the ground, like a giant had wounded the earth. The sharp iron essence made your mind hazy with bloodlust. Focusing further, you saw two men standing in the center of the stain. One was frantic and yelling. The other was standing completely still. The second man seemed to be the source of this red stain. Your eyes widened. It shouldn't be possible for someone to be standing with that much blood loss. You would know. You were experienced in helping people lose blood, an expert even. The first man, a blond, half-carried the other away from the scene. 

When some time had passed and you could safely investigate, you swooped from the tree to alight on the surface. It was more than you had anticipated. There was no way that man would survive. Which was a shame, since this was the delectable scent you had honed in on. A clawed finger ran through still-wet blood that had collected in a divet on a stone. You admired the way the liquid ruby substance clung to your finger, refusing to drip to the ground. It was starting to clot and dry. Your pupils turned into slits when you popped your finger into your mouth. So good. It might be the best you'd tasted. No wonder the smell alone had you in its clutches. If it was this tasty after sitting, you got goosebumps thinking about how good it would be fresh from the source. 

Flitting from tree to tree, you maintained cover, following the trail of blood leading to your prey. You frowned when you saw that he was surrounded by his comrades. There was no way to get close. But you were patient. They were having some kind of celebration. All you had to do was wait until they were completely drunk and stuffed full of food and they would pass right out, which is exactly what happened. 

Under night's cover, with snoring all around you, you silently stalked between sleeping bodies to get to your target. He had been bandaged up and was surprisingly still alive. The pulse of his heart softly thumped in your ears. It sounded poor. You took inventory of the man: mint-green hair, tan skin, broad shoulders, muscular, and he had swords lying next to him. The sickly tone to his skin told you that he scarcely had blood enough to power his vital organs. You could receive instant gratification by draining the rest, put him out of his misery. It would be quick. Another thought punctuated that one. Or, you could bet on him. He looked strong. Maybe he could pull through with some help. Then you could really savor him and take your time draining him dry. The doctor that patched him up was clearly skilled. The gluttonous side of you decided to take a chance. 

Kneeling by his head, you brought your wrist to your mouth, drawing a red line down it with your teeth. A voice that sounded like many soft voices speaking at once left your mouth, "Open." The man's lips parted slightly, enough for you to let the blood run down your hand into his mouth. "Swallow." When you thought he had had enough, you closed the wound on your skin with a slow drag of your tongue. The super-powered blood running through your veins would jump start his body into making more of his own. You gently pushed his chin up to close his mouth, sliding your clawed fingers tenderly along his jawline. You hadn't noticed before how handsome he was. A plus. His heartbeat slowed, but became stronger. A good sign compared to the shallow, rapid beat that he had had before. 

With a leap into the air and one strong downstroke of your oil-slick colored wings, you disappeared into the foggy sky once more.