#꣼ 𝑔𝑎𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑔. / the black swan

[hymnoire]

The air, it feels good on her skin, in her lungs. On the beautiful roof of the Shangri La Hotel, surrounded by lights, in her Yves Saint Laurent dress, she is pacing, barely able to breathe as if her world is collapsing inside. Finally, Kyojin (@gcholdtrops ) joins her, and she manages to calm down seeins him, stopping by the railing. "I'm okay, I'm okay, I just... overwhelmed... I'm..." How can she even lie to him? She can't; he knows her by heart and has for many years already. They're best friends after all, aren't they? Just best friends... or more? Gaya tries to push down all the boiling emotions she has, but they are too intense. She can't truly control them; she can't control how she feels for him; she can't control what happens when they're together, just the two of them away from prying eyes. "I know. You warned me the announcement would be tonight, I didn't know it would make me feel this way. And... I just had a looot of champagne, and I hope you grabbed a bottle because I need more." A nervous scoff escapes at her last words, ruffling her hair. She's a bit of a mess. That's right, his family has arranged his marriage with the heiress from the Shin family, and it was announced tonight; it's official now. Is she being a crazy hypocrite? After all, her own arranged marriage was announced no less than a month ago with the heir of the Lee family. That, too, she fucking hates. "Fuck... what the fuck are we even doing? Tell me we made the right decision to follow our families' wishes." Her eyes connect with his, looking for an answer, as she stands right in front of him, hurt, with a thousand torments inside. "Tell me."

[hymnoire]

❛ you changed everything. ❜ --- for Gaya

"To me it's no diffrent than moving furnitures in a living room I did not like the decoration of anymore." A twisted smirk dances on her lips before going back to the usual severe of her lines. Ever since Kang Gaya Lockwood has been named Judge, she does change everything in a city that she considers now hers. The death of her father, the minister of Justice have paved the way for her to take his legacy. Vine words are never a coincidence, his mere presence here, isn't either. "Is it that you crave justice for the humans and view my politics as too authoritarian? Being called a dictator has never been an insult to me. I doubt you would care though, would you. " Her head is titled to the side as her steps lead her through the room, she is pacing. "Is it about Her." Her arms are crossed now. "I believe my sister holds some sort of fascination for you. Her and this insane desire she has to opens the gates between the living and .. what she seems to believe could be, the Gods, or Heavens and Hells." Dr. Kang Kaeleena Lockwood, known for her genius in the years - a genius Gaya has always considered madness. "I do know what you two have been doing. Disgusting little games with corpses and obscure rituals. What was it, was she luring you in to have sex down her autopsy tables?"The relationship between the sisters have went downhill on that Day, that one Day Kaeleena took it too far, that one day her expriment worked, that one day she created... it. Gaya had no chance but to lock Kaeleena up along with the creature she has created. The same way she is locking up all criminals in the city. To clean : that is her mission now. "Everything I do, I do it for the greater good."

𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐊 & 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 // accepting

[hymnoire]

The car is running through the lands as Gaya's eyes never leave the sceneries. Pensive, she is. It is rare, for the heiress to ever feel peace and yet she does, right now, as the trees of Buckinghamshire awaited her presence for ten years. A land the black swan has never forgotten, a land that nested her family, her sisters, her lover, her joys, her fears, her growth. By her side, there's Minwoo. They both landed from Korea no less than an hour ago to be welcomed by their chauffeur. This ride to the mansion might be the last before opening the dormant chapters of their past. "You know how I always say nostalgia is for commoners, dismembered kids begging in the streets and little bitches?" Gaya starts, adressing her line to Minwoo as she still watches through the window. "Well, I get it now." She does, she gets it, the nostalgia. "Do you think he's coming?"

               @murderugh

[hymnoire]

use this generator to create some randomly generated headcanons for your muse(s)!

Gaya is a sleepwalker. (When she loses her humanity and becomes half artificial intelligence, yes. )

Gaya desperately needs a hug but doesn't know it and refuses to ask for one. (Obviously. May she find the One who will give her hugs without her having to ask.)

Gaya has an embarrassing old deviant art account. (Super girly and glittery - she was trying to fit in at thirteen. )

Gaya is the gay cousin. (HAHAHAHAHA KIND OF. But Bi. Bi cousin. )

Gaya has punched a hole in their wall. (Terrible anger management so many)

Kaeleena tackles and wrestles people to show affection. (Almost. She slices their skull open and fixes their memories of trauma. )

Kaeleena is a very good singer. (She sings lullabies to her pet projects, they're the only ones who ever heard her singing. Melodic and frightening.)

Kaeleena can't make the voices go away. (HAHAHAHAHA WELL.)

Kaeleena reads wattpad. (False. She writes her own wattpad stories where she's the main character, it's well written, deranged yet surprisingly corny.)

Kaeleena has a pet lizard. (Definitly named after her lover)

Taken from : @certifiably-i !

Tagging : @murderugh (Minwoo) @mercifuldeliverance (Ker Leto Janus)

[hymnoire]

Gaya stands, her eyes sweeping over the room, every detail etched in her mind like a carefully curated piece of art that of her success. La Maison Vermillion is more than just a gallery; it is an extension of her very being, a sanctuary she had dreamed of for many years. Each piece on the walls, each artist who contributed, every vision that came to life within these walls—all speak a language she understands intimately, a silent conversation between the art, the people, and the hidden corners of herself. Tonight, as the soft hum of conversation fills the space, she allows herself a rare moment of stillness to contemplate it all. After months of preparation, weeks of planning, and hours spent conversing with each guest, this is her moment to breathe. This place is not merely a gift from her adoptive father; it is a testament to her will. The world has given her everything—wealth, status, a place among the elite—but at what cost? It’s a question she cannot quite answer, though her subconscious seems to mourn the cost daily. Here, within these walls, she finds a piece of herself that she has tried to shield from the influence of those who crafted a life for her. La Maison Vermillion is hers, a symbol of the independence she fought to reclaim yet doesn't have quiet yet. In this space, she can finally breathe, even if only for a fleeting moment. Her reverie is interrupted as more guests approach, eager to speak with the woman of the evening. It is the third anniversary of the gallery, a milestone that many have come to congratulate her on. The crowd is eclectic, a crossroads between the wealthy and the artistic, where different worlds collide in celebration. Her eyes catch sight of a familiar figure, his presence unmistakable even in the crowded room. Kai. ( @terragro ) He stands near the snack table, his tall frame dressed in his usual black, a stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the gallery. A smile tugs at Gaya's lips as she watches him. For all the complexity of her life, Kai has been a constant, a steady presence that brings with it a sense of calm. The calm she finds in late-night letters to him, when the words come more easily than sleep. Cygnus, he calls her—a name that feels like an entity born from their exchange of secrets and shared thoughts. She is hindsight bias, too. Gaya never told him she doesn't know why he calls her the latter but she doesn't want to ask, she believes it means he sees something in her she cannot see just yet. She likes that, that little mystery, scavenger hunt of deciphering his labels of her. She has always sensed a grand sensitivity in the way he addresses the world around him, and even himself. It’s through his words that she knows he understands her in a way few do. There is something endearing about the way he stands there, his expression impassive as he surveys the plate of appetizers in his hand. He is out of place in this crowd, yet somehow perfectly at home surrounded by art. He could be one of the pieces himself, she muses. Moments like these remind her that not everything in her world is dictated by the cold logic of power and propriety. Here, amidst Seoul’s elite, Kai is a reminder of the simplicity she sometimes longs for—the simplicity of paper and ink. She moves toward him, the noise of the gallery fading into the background. It feels special to face someone who knows so much about her yet has rarely seen her face to face. Gaya isn’t shy, nor easily embarrassed; her emotions are worn on her sleeve, and her grin says it all. It widens as soon as he greets her. She is Cygnus again, wrapped in the warmth of his quiet understanding.

“Greetings, nurturer of shadows and echoes,” she says, using the same words she has penned in her letters."On this night of celebration, my eyes land on a figure—a shadow from my late-night writings come to life, or perhaps he’s real, standing here among us. Do you believe in ghosts, conjured from the depths of imagination? " She then speaks with an amused tone, a theater monologue tone almost, as if she is reading out loud a letter she would write for him about tonight, one she will probably write anyways. “Hey, I had no idea you would come,” she continues, her voice softening with sincerity, smiling with her eyes. "I’m so honored you did. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I think the last time we saw each other, this gallery was barely a year old. That's crazy?” Years fly, don't they. Excitement within her—the kind that makes her want to ask him so many questions, to spend time with him away from the crowd. “Ah yes the artist you’re interested in, the auction won’t start for another hour actually. Mmm... so how about a walk with me while we wait? I can show you the ateliers. They’re my favorite part of this place. Maybe they’ll become yours too.”

[hymnoire]

     — ꣼ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑛.

chapter. 05. The Solstice Queen.

The Swans of Misericorde is much more than an orphanage—it is the center of a human experiment masterminded by Mother Supreme Libitina. Under the pretense of religious devotion, therefore many festivities occur, for the swans to connect to their faith. One of the most expected, awaited festivity is the Solstice Festival, where the Solstice Queen is named, carried and adored by her sisters in an euphoric parade. There is one every year whose role is to become the personification of the sun of Juce. All the Swans dream of becoming Solstice Queen. Except maybe Kaeleena.

The afternoon starts with a meal, all gathered around the family table in the gardens as Mother Surpeme launches the festivities by inviting all the swans to take a sip from their glass of Nectar. Then, they dance and dance around the austel in euphoria, in their traditionnal attire made of long white cotton dress and a flower crown. The flower crowns, they are all unique and different as the swans made them themselves and exchanged them right before the ceremony. Holding hands, chanting, united, together, they never stop dancing once the music started. The last swan standing is named the Solstice Queen and is carried through the gardens and the forest by her swan sisters who smile and chant and laugh, it's called the Parade.

The solstice queen has big responsability, being the personification of the sun she must perform a very specific ritual, guided by Mother Supreme. The purpose of this ritual is to see how far the allegiance of the Solstice queen can go and how far the allegiance of her sisters can go, as well. They only remember the ritual as being the apogee of their faith as their memory the day aft'er seems completely gone. They don't remember the scars, they don't remember the blood, they don't remember the torture, they don't remember the sacrifice. Another glass of nectar is served and their smiles are back on their lips.

[hymnoire]

hug - muse a ( gaya ) embraces muse b ( minwoo )

Kaeleena's gentle touch dabs away the last traces of blood from Minwoo’s face, her voice still carrying that tender, motherly tone, even as a flicker of something dark stirs within her. She hums softly, her eyes never leaving his features, searching for any hint of the thoughts that might be swirling behind those cold, indifferent eyes of his. She saw something earlier, panic, fear... Does he remember? And .. has she managed to soothe that down? But before she can speak again, the door bursts open, the serene atmosphere turns into chaos. “Minwoo!”

Gaya’s voice slices through the air like a blade, sharp. The Black Swan is a storm, her eyes wide and wild on the scene before her. Without a second thought, Gaya rushes to Minwoo's side, her movements frantic, her hands already pulling him into a tight embrace. “What THE FUCK are you doing?” Gaya’s voice is almost a growl as she glares at Kaeleena, her arms wrapped protectively around Minwoo. Her eyes are blazing with a fury that makes Kaeleena take a step back, confusion washing over the white swan. “I’m not—” Kaeleena starts, but Gaya cuts her off, her voice even louder and filled with rage. “Stay away from him!” Gaya’s scream is raw, filled with a hatred Kaeleena has never seen her sister direct towards her before. One that slices through Kaeleena, leaving her voiceless, her hands trembling at her sides. “Don’t you dare touch him, don’t you dare harm him!” Keeps on yelling Gaya, menacing, threatening.

wordless prompts // still accepting.

Kaeleena feels as though she’s been struck. The words hang in the air, heavy and suffocating, wrapping around her chest, hurt flickers across her face, but it’s quickly replaced by a flash of anger. “I’m not harming him!” Kaeleena’s voice cracks as she yells back, her eyes stinging. “I would never—” But Gaya doesn’t listen, her focus entirely on Minwoo, her hands cupping his face. Kaeleena’s heart twists at the sight, the deep bond between Gaya and Minwoo playing out in front of her, a bond that seems to exclude her entirely. She silently watches as Gaya pulls Minwoo to his feet, her arms still wrapped around him as though she can shield him from the world, from Kaeleena herself. The pain in Kaeleena’s chest sharpens, a dull ache that spreads through her like wildfire. She wants to scream, to beg Gaya to believe her, but the words get caught in her throat. “Gaya, please,” Kaeleena’s voice is barely a whisper now, her hands reaching out but stopping short of touching. The desperation in her voice is palpable, her eyes wide and pleading. “I was only trying to help.” In return, Gaya’s eyes are usually cold but they grew even colder with the years, mistrustful. “Help? Is that what you call it? I've seen you watch him like he's your little pet project. I know what you do to the animals in the forest you crazy psychopath, what now? You're going to do the same to him HUH? Cut him open?? See what's inside yeah? You think I don't know?!” Her voice is laced with venom, each word dripping with a contempt that cuts Kaeleena to the core. “Stay away from him, Kae. Just stay the fuck away for fuck sake.” And with that, Gaya turns, pulling Achilles with her as she heads for the door. Kaeleena’s hand drops to her side as she stands, frozen. Her chest tightens, a dull ache spreading through her, but she forces herself to remain steady, her hands clenched into fists and the room feels suddenly colder, emptier, empty. “I was only trying to help,” she whispers to the empty room, the words falling flat against the silence. She can’t understand why Gaya reacted the way she did, why she saw something sinister in what was only meant as care. The hurt threatens to surface, but Kaeleena forces it down, steeling herself against the emotion that threatens to overwhelm her. The white swan stands there for a long moment, her mind racing with thoughts she can’t quite grasp, emotions she’s not sure how to handle. The nursery, once a place of quiet care, now feels like a cage, the walls pressing in on her as if to mock her failed attempt at compassion. She won't cry. Not this time.

[hymnoire]

The sky bleeds into hues of violet and indigo before her eyes, the remnants of the day retreating before the night's arrival. Every single day, following her training with the other soldiers on the mission, the swan goes on a run through the secluded safe area surrounding the base. Her breath comes uneven, her body thrumming with the dopamine of exertion. It is late when she approaches the entrance, her eye scanning the recognition sensor. A green light flickers in her irises before the door clicks open with a hiss, welcoming her into the sterile embrace of the base. "Welcome back, Agent Kang." Days have melted into a couple weeks here, in a base far from the capital, a secret base owned by Olympus. The mission: to neutralize a group of terrorists who have somehow acquired atomic manipulation technology. Such power is reserved only for the government and its affiliates, Olympus among them. The terrorist group has finally been located, and theories abound on how they procured the forbidden tech. However, they must approach with caution. Inside, the base hums with quiet and tranquility. Gaya makes her way to the living space, where she knew she would find him. Jaeyeon ( @voidcodex ). The only one of the team who seemed to be awake at this hour, perhaps ready to share the silent night with her as they usually do. “Let me guess. Trouble sleeping again?” she inquires, her voice a soft intrusion. She moves to the kitchen area, grabbing a snack and a beer, tossing one to him with an easy familiarity. Her steps lead her to join him as she sits down on the couch. She cracks open her drink, the sound sharp in the stillness. The silence is comfortable, a moment of peace before tomorrow. Their duo is the embodiment of the future that the House of Misericorde has been fervently pursuing. She, a human of flesh and blood, trained in the ancient arts; he, a vessel, a genetically engineered human housing a shard of dark energy. Under Kaeleena's leadership as Mother Supreme, the House has been increasingly leaning towards this merger of human and engineered beings. Jaeyeon is not just a tool but a partner, an equal in the pursuit of a higher cause. Kaeleena's vision has elevated the House's mission, aligning their ancient tenets with the relentless march of technological progress.

"I've dreamed about the mission again," she begins softly, her voice a whisper in the quiet of their shared space. "In this dream, I see a door, one you and I push wide open. Beyond it lies a realm of unknown where the echoes of our purpose resonate and then... disappear. I cannot grasp what awaits for us there, I cannot recall what we see, but as our eyes meet the truth, I feel something heavy in my gut, nauseating even—we know there is no turning back. It feels like the downfall of everything we've ever fought and stood for…" She pauses, her gaze searching his. "And then I wake up." She marks another pause. "It can't be about tomorrow's mission I believe, we've never been more ready than we are now. Mm. And that would be cheesy of me to say I got hidden apprehensions so, I don't." The pinch of a smile at the corner of her lips. She takes a sip. Gaya has never looked at Jaeyeon as if he were any different from her. According to the higher-ups and scientists, the purpose of a human and a genetically engineered one working together is for the human to make life-or-death decisions, fearing the vessel would fail to inject the right amount of empathy when final decisions come. Gaya has always doubted this hypothesis, even though she can see the difference in how she and Jaeyeon view a situation. Gaya suspects people like her sister always want a human on the field for darker reasons. The swan can't help but wonder, though, what goes through his mind in comparison to what goes through her own. "Do you dream?"

[hymnoire]

     — ꣼ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑛.

Kaeleena and Gaya can be seen as two faces of contemporary art, each representing a philosophy that matches their nature. Gaya describing herself as expressionism meanwhile she sees Kaeleena as surrealism. They are twins bound by blood, but in the end, they drift like night and day.

Kaeleena, the white swan, is driven by the desire to transcend reality, to dismantle the barriers of perception and reconstruct them into something entirely new. She aspires to a New World she will be the god of. Her works relies on transhumanism and the creation of a new species, something better than humans. Her connection to Surrealism is so far just an artistic preference, but it mirrors the revolution of thought. For her, art isn't as much of an escape than it is for Gaya but it can be an inspiration as she connects it to her science like Dali has. After all, surrealism is a tool to unlock the subconscious, to merge dreams and reality into one, the same way she does with her life work. The surrealist movement have these impossible juxtapositions and this boundless imagination and it works with her need to challenge the gods and to explore the depths, to go furthur than the simple human experience. To bend it to her will, too. She doesn't paint, it isn't how she expresses herself but if she did, her work would be filled with symbols, codes and narratives from an alternate dimension she wants to materialize as the future.

Gaya, the black swan, on the other hand, she is the visceral. If Kaeleena wants to revolutionize the human experience, Gaya is consumed by it, consumed by the heart more than the mind. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, she is emotionnally transparent and impulsive. She does paint and her art is inspired by expressionism, expressionism as a sub mouvement reflects her belief that art isn’t meant to represent the external world as it is, nor bend it like Kaeleena does, but to explore the emotions that world stirs. She says she can express with art what she believess words arent enough to embody. Gaya’s work is raw energy, with the force of her impulses, it sometimes also drifts towards abstract expressionism more. Where Kaeleena loves art to explore the surreal, Gaya uses it as a catharsis of her inner nightmares and memories. Every brushstroke, every color in her pieces seems to scream with feeling : anger, passion, sorrow, joy, all tangled together. Her art is then deeply personal, it appears she often paints the meadows of the House of Misericorde. Gaya has forgotten everything the human experiment that is the orphanage has put her through, brainwashed. Somehow, it's visible in her art even if she herself, cannot access the memories anymore. " A haunting vision of the meadows of Buckinghamshire, the landscape distorted yet still recognizable. The oil strokes are thick, deliberate, creating a scene that is simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. The warm tones of the meadow are interrupted by darker, more oppressive elements, as though shadows from her past have seeped into the painting itself. It is a reflection of her memories of the House of Misericorde, the orphanage where she spent her childhood. There’s something hidden in the strokes, a tension between warmth and sorrow, the weight of unspoken secrets craved in the fabric of the landscape. "

[hymnoire]

WHAT KIND OF TRAGEDY ARE YOU?

gayane is : written in the stars

it had to end this way. we all know it. only you were unaware. you had hope. hope, of course, only makes it hurt all the more. we all knew you would look back, oh love, there’s no other version of the story. and yet, alongside you, we still had hope. we believed in you, even though we knew you couldn’t win. and you believed in yourself till the last moment. it isn’t fair, is it? you didn’t know you were doomed.

kaeleena is : doomed from the start

there was no way of winning, and you knew it too. but you still tried. you tried again and again and again to change it. you fought tooth and claw to change your fate, but she cannot be easily manipulated. it’s not your fault. the game was always rigged against you. from the moment you entered the narrative, your fate was sealed. you didn’t stand a chance.

tagging the doomed squad literally all these muses gonna die lets be real but love them : @murderugh (Minwoo), @mercifuldeliverance (Ker&Leto&Janus), @terragro @certifiably-i (Zee&Zephyr)

[hymnoire]

     — ꣼ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑛.

chapter. 07. The Sisterhood.

The House of Misericorde burns to the ground when the swans discover the full extent of the human experiment their life has been. Gaya leads the rebellion, followed by her sisters. Yet, even with the House's ruin, the struggle isn't over. Anticipating the uprising, Kaeleena isolates the younger swans, taking them away to rebuild the House of Misericorde anew, distancing herself from the past's failures. She ascends as the new Mother Supreme, far away from buckinghamshire.

In a world on the brink of transformation, where the convergence of human brains and technology is blurring the line between flesh and machine, Kaeleena sees an opportunity. A long time ago, she has embraced the rise of transhumanism, she formed strategic alliance with Transhumanist Laboratories, knowing the day would come. Known as a neurosurgeon, known for her genius, Kaeleena contributed to designing brain maps and performs intricate brain surgeries essential for their work: developing groundbreaking weapons. The first prototypes were astonishing— capable of running, jumping, and executing like machines. But their ambitions don't stop there. They push further for their prototypes to manipulate atomic structures, achieving control over matter itself. This new frontier will form the core of the revamped House of Misericorde.

The swans, no longer merely human, now enhanced. Kaeleena desires to keep the spirit the first Mother Supreme - now retired - Libitina built the House on: to whisper into the ears of the powerful of this world and subtly steer the course of events. Now, her focus is on amplifying their influence and guiding humanity towards a new path of insight and purpose. Training programs are designed to push the physical and mental limits of humanity of the new Swans, ensuring they possess abilities unrivaled in the universe. Each swan has mastery over muscles and nerves, down to the finest fibers, granting them extraordinary powers.

[hymnoire]

"Ah, Chef Kim made waffles?" Gaya speaks as she grabs a waffle, noting how Kim had gone all out again. All her breakfasts and meals are always prepared by her personal chef at her residence. This time, he made a feast for Kaeleena and Janus ( @mercifuldeliverance ), who are both staying at her place. Kaeleena vanished—probably sneaking out in the night. "Have you seen Kae?" Gaya asks, not truly expecting Janus to know bett'er. The black swan assumed they were just visiting her, but Kaeleena might be up to something shady again Gaya will have to keep an eye on. Sitting down across from Janus, she locks eyes with him as she takes anoter bite of her waffle. "Why are you smiling like that? You look waaay too happy to be here." Gaya couldn’t help but smile back. The truth is, she is glad he is here too—a good distraction from the pressures of her life in Seoul, where playing the Kang heiress part is getting harder by the day. She misses home. “Ugh no no no, we’re not doing this. Sharing breakfast together and smiling? Domestic! Ew! Ew!” She puts on an exaggeratedly disgusted face, grabbing a towel and tossing it at him from across the table, laughing as she reaches for another bite of food. "So, what's your plan for today? Pushing big tires through the mud?" she teases, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. Then, her eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "Wanna go and shoot stuff?" I’ve gotten pretty good at handling my glock, I can totally beat you." Her cocky grin and a raised eyebrow follow as she casually bit into a piece of fruit. She had been training, sure, but there's no way in hell she beats him. Still, the banter is too fun to resist.

[hymnoire]

     — ꣼ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑛.

chapter. 06. A new era.

Kaeleena was born a few minutes after her twin, Gaya, the records say. Both grew up as orphans in the all girls orphanage The Swans of Misericorde, in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom. The orphanage, bathed in religious beliefs, aimed to raise and shape girls, considering them promising of a bright future, calling them gifted, chosen ones. Once they have completed their educations, they are sent to power families in order for the hidden faces behind the orphanage to establish a web accross the world. Each country, each powerful family has a Swan. Gaya was sent to Seoul Korea in the Kang family, posing as the daughter of the Minister of Justice and future member of the government. As for Kaeleena, she stayed, separated from her Gaya and the other swans. Kaeleena was different, silent, observent, gilfted of an intellect above her sisters. This one... Never let her go. Would say their Mother Supreme, Libitina.

After graduation, Kaeleena is sent to Oxford to pursue her education in medicine. Excelling, she becomes a neuro surgeon, neuro specialist, reknown and admired. Her lectures and conferences are fought over to simply have the chance to attend, a conversation with her is highly praised. Brilliant, one of the erudit of her generations as many of her researches on the human brain as been inspiring for the neurosciences communitee. Her smile, her eloquence, the softness of her voice however hides the loss of humanity as day by day she goes furthur, succesfully developping what she calls The Rebirth, for human to transcend itself. As Libitina chooses Kaeleena as her successor as Mother Supreme, Kaeleena's day has come, to use the House of Misericorde to do better and embrace her dreams of Rebirth.

The world is evolving with new pathways opening up. The convergence of the human brain and technology is on the rise, blurring the lines between human and machine. transhumanism/ Kaeleena sees this as an opportunity and prioritizes the alliance between the House of Misericorde and Transhumanist Laboratories, place where are modified and enhanced human cognition and bodily function, expanding abilities and capacities beyond current biological constraints.. Renowned for her expertise, she frequently contributes to designing brain maps and performing brain surgery in case of damage for what they create in these laboratories : groundbreaking weapons.

[hymnoire]

greetings, cygnus. you define hindsight bias. find three definitions for the taste of your fear. does being seen paralyze you into silence? do you crave touch, connection, and are you resolute enough to reach out and caress it? to reveal and surrender, exposed belly, the risk to be accepted and loved? do you know what it is to reach out a hand that trembles, waiting to be bit (and how often does the split-second impulsive thought enter your head to do the biting first)? mouths can be tender, but lips always hide teeth. it is lovely and lonely to be a lover without a lover, but desperation leaves one lacerated, chasing yourself on the inside (to take scraps from the table yet flee from the feast, heartache and silhouetted hands, again and again and again).

Greetings, nurturer of shadows and echoes. This grave was dug long ago. Millennia have passed, and yet, the rain continuously pours, preventing the dirt from ever digesting it in its core. My Fear? My Fear… My Fear. Fear tastes like the salt of unshed tears. The brutality, the discipline, the violence, the blood : I have been taught. A soldier, I became. A soldier shall never fear, they said. Fear is the memory of fire and destruction lingering long after the flames have died. What now? I question the idea of what I could have been, the shadow of her shape haunting me. Fear is the gut-wrenching anticipation of a pain I have been forbidden to embrace, the blood pouring from my shattered and lacerated skin, wounds that were as real as they were not. I fear that fear is what makes one human. I fear that my Fear has been stolen. My humanity, as well.

What else have I been amputated of?

You speak of paralyzing visibility, the terrifying beauty of vulnerability, the desperate ache of solitude despite the desire for intimacy. To love without being loved, to chase the ghost of affection, is to dwell in a realm of endless longing. It is a dance, a pursuit of fleeting warmth that slips through fingers, leaving only the cold touch of absence. Desperation carves deep, invisible, a pathetic hunger for connection. For a long time, it seemed like a piece of my ribs has been taken out, along with the lobes of my brain connected to it. Have you ever felt delirious, lost in the labyrinth of your own mind? To wander through inner places where every shadow is a ghost of what could have been, and every silence screams with the absence of what should have been? I can hear my ribs calling for me, urging me to find them. I can never speak the words out loud, I now too desire to fear, desire to love and be loved, desire to fear to never be seen.

Have you pierced the secret of my shadow?

Have you recognized some of the shape of yours in mine?

Do you see the silhouetted hands, again and again and again, too?

Tell me, how do you See.

                     ꣼ 𝑔𝑎𝑦𝑎."

[hymnoire]

❛ we're not good for each other. ❜

[ for gaya, from jì jìngyè ( in his "pushing everyone away because he received a terminal diagnosis but hasn't told anyone yet" era ) ! ]

Little would people suspect how deep Kang Gaya hurts from rejection - despite her harsh features, her cold eyes, her bitchy demaneors, her strong head, it always does hurt her. Her childhood is the key answer to why, a childhood ji jingye isn't possibly aware of. It couldn't be more ironic as on his, Ji Jingye has been keeping some secrets away from her, as well. Their families have raised them almost like long brother and sister, everytime business was made in China, he would be the only person she would play with as a teen while him, was still a child. Perhaps quite naturally the sisterly brotherly bond formed. These past months seemed to have been complicated for the both of them, they lost touch here and there, distance installed itself. Back in Korea, the Kangs are facing scandals, the type that would make many eager to step away from the family. That's what Gaya thought it is all about : being pushed away because of all the dirty things that was being said about her family and about her. "Right. I know you read the news, everyone does. Uncle hasn't been responding to our calls for months now so spill it out. I mean it's one thing if your family doesn't want to do business with mine anymore but you and I, aren't we supposed to be friends?"

[hymnoire]

❛ i'm the asshole? what does that make you then? ❜ (from janus :) )

Nothing has changed between them, has it? Everytime they meet, it's to fight and bicker, bicker and fight. Actually, that's Gaya's favoite way of communicating so in a twisted way she is just being her fully natural self with Janus. Janus. God. He's as handsome as annoying and she has been telling herself that for the past 20 years. Funny enough they did bicker at the Spring Ball and now he's Here in Korea, and they bicker again. What's up Asshole - was the way she did greet him after all. "Yeah well If I AM an asshole too then you're just a bigger asshole you assface, I'm gonna beat you up." Gaya speaks, raising her fist making a step forward. Obviously she wouldn't win the fight but she attempted many times when younger, throwing herself on him grabbing him by the throat - the rule was for the Crows to never touch a Swan it was convinient for her to attack ... until of course Sister Elizabeth would come and drag her away by the collar while she was kicking in the air and screaming. That is NOT how a Swan should behave Miss Kang Lockwood! Headmistress will be highly displeased with you! - she would hear over and over. Gaya takes a hit on her cigarette, crossing one arm against her chest, smirk on her lips, annoyed pinch to her arched brow. "What are you doing in Korea anyways huh? You missed me That much?"

&. 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. // still accepting.