#he is just a bird fresh out of nest even tho he’s been alive for millennia

[zuzukunis]

alatus nemeseos — a brief dive into xiao's character

he longs for a day to come when he will wear the mask and dance — not to conquer demons, but to the tune of that flute amid a sea of flowers.

to understand his character better i’d firstly like to briefly talk about the connection between his backstory and the archetypal stories the writers used to create him: "guardian yaksha" and "numinous official's redemption" both (of which) involve a malevolent spirit on a path towards goodness.

among the twelve heavenly generals (a well-known group of guardian yakshas in some buddhist denominations) one is associated with a bird deity, the golden-winged garuda. this fearsome bird deity, however, only ate evil dragons, until one day the poison he consumed while doing so became unbearable and he burnt to death, leaving only a crystal heart behind. the tattoo on xiao’s arm is that of an illuminated beast, related to his true form, the form of a vermilion bird. alatus nemeseos, or the golden winged great peng, xiao’s constellation is a reference to the bird deity. and from xiao’s character story we know that his story is very similar to that of said deity. “xiao relentlessly slaughtered the endless, impure manifestations of their vengeful souls, but in doing so, he caused them to fracture. eventually, these fragments of their hatred were able to taint xiao’s own soul.” and still xiao dons his mask to take on the role of a protector, slaughtering all evil, day after day despite it brining him great anguish. this endless war he wages has not only placed a karmic burden on him but also caused him to resign himself “to the fact that fighting is all he is good at.”

‹ the demon-hunting yaksha ›

“in the fables of another land, the name xiao is that of a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. he endured much suffering, as you have. use this name from now on.” (xiao character story ii) after the archon war ended the geo archon called upon the yakshas to fight against the remnants of the defeated gods. but gods are immortal. and despite knowing they were fighting a battle that could never be won the yakshas continued to do so. xiao has been protecting liyue for over a millennia, tainting his soul and watching as karmic debt slowly but surely ate away at the souls of the other yakshas, until all of them succumbed to madness and only he remained. and he knew that one day his karmic debt would catch up to him too. and once it did he would meet fate similar to that of the golden-winged deity.

‹ the fall of the last yaksha ›

“there was once when most of xiao’s strength was spent fighting from dusk till down, with him emerging victorious by a mere hair. the reeds in the fields had been sliced to ribbons in the fierce fighting. plucking his spear from where it had been planted in the ground, xiao began to trek home. well, once says “home” — yet, where did xiao have to return to? he was merely leaving the battlefield. long exhausted, xiao felt the divine hatred that tainted his body take effect. limitless hate flooded his senses, and he fell to the ground in agony. but it was also at that moment that the pain vanished without warning. this was not by xiao’s own strength, for he had been rescued by the sound of a flute. the clear, lovely sound of the flute came over the mountains and rivers, carried on the wind to where he lay. and clear it continued to ring till the first light of dawn brought with it the startled flight of distant birds. it protected xiao, massaging his wild senses, and giving him a moment’s peace. who was playing this music? xiao was curious but did not pursue the matter. for he already had something approaching an answer. the last person who could help him was one of the seven themselves. so this person, too, must be—.” (xiao, characters story v)

xiao, like the golden-winged bird, was about to succumb to his karmic debt. after a millennia of slaying evil spirits it had finally caught up to him, flooding his senses and bringing him down to the ground in great agony. but unlike the bird deity, he had someone to save him. if it weren’t for the lovely sound soothing his senses, that venti let the wind carry to where xiao lay throughout the whole night, xiao would have ended up just like the bird deity. but unlike the fallen yaksha, he managed to survive and keep his crystal heart hidden. and only those who manage to get close to him get to see glimpses of his gentleness.

‹ the yaksha with the crystal heart ›

“according to xiao’s profile, his deepest, most hidden element is gentleness. when all identities and labels are cast aside, xiao has a gentle side, shown in his curiosity towards phenomena in the human world, but he is very reticent to show this side of himself to others.” deep down xiao is a caged bird burdened with a gentle soul and is full of curiosity. he is curious about humans but he doesn’t wish to cause them any harm and so he stays away. after living for so long in the distance, the world has become nothing but a warm light that he is too scared to reach out to (like in his idle animation: "xiao stretches out his hand to try to make contact with it, but because of his karma-ravaged constitution, he succeeds only in causing the spirit to fly away. he knew this would be the inevitable conclusion, but feels dejected all the same."). “this lonely state of existence is the source of his melancholy. it has cause time to stand still, leading to him still having a very young mentality even to this day.” where xiao seems cold and distant he is actually inexperienced, which leaves him unsure of how to act. he doesn’t know what his place among humans is. this results in him coming off as silent and cold-hearted, while in fact underneath all that is a crystal heart, that dreams of nothing but dancing in a sea of flowers to the sound of venti’s flute.

‹ “heroes… i like that word” ›

"it's rare for a yaksha to find repose for their soul." during the 2.7 archon quest xiao is finally learning he isn’t only a demon-hunting yaksha. that he isn’t only a burdened to others. he is learning that there are people who care about him and who want to be a part of his life no matter how hard he tries to push them away for their own good. yes, he did sacrifice himself to save everyone (thank you zhongli for saving our beloved little yaksha) but only because it was the most optimistic solution he could think of. but when the traveler, into whom xiao places a great amount of trust, expreses their concern and confronts him about it, xiao says: i accept your advice. from this day on, heroes will always look out for each other. this is such an important moment for his character because he is finally setting himself free. he is no longer that caged bird.

i just wanted to hop on here and push my “xiao actually has the most gentle soul in all of genshin” agenda. *most of the information here can be found either in game (xiao’s character stories) or in the developer insight #4. also i wanted to add that there isn’t really much about the “numinous official’s redemption” in the official document but (from what i could find) it’s basically a story about a heavenly general who was given the opportunity to correct his wrong doings by the emperor. which you could connect to zhongli freeing xiao from the god that enslaved him, thus giving him the opportunity to redeem himself.

[demonologistfucker]

MC wants to meet some Creatures - Obey Me! Brother’s - Fluff

Gn!mc asks one of the brothers to take them to find a magical creature. This is for the main brothers, but if people want one for the newly datables just ask! I would love to do more <3

Lucifer

Is Cerberus not enough? We can go down and pet him if you like 

It’s going to take some convincing to get this trip to happen. Needlessly risking the human's life just to see something neat? I think not 

But your eyes were so big when you asked… fine. He’ll find something worthwhile that isn’t going to get you killed

Prep for the trip is Lucifer covering you in about 50 different protection spells. 

Then you’ll be flying. Hold on tightly and try not to look directly into the wind. That’s not good for your human eyes. Lucifer’s arms are firm around you as his wings stretch out. With a push you’re off. Being lifted from the ground purely from the strength of his wings? It’s an undescribable feeling. 

Soon you are out of the Devildom and flying above the Hell Wilds. A vast landscape of all sorts of terrors. From red grasses that could cut through bone, or the vast tar fields that bubble toxic gas. There is a beauty to it. Especially if you are safe above it all.

A large canyon comes into sight. “This canyon was cut by Lotan’s first rampage, and where Levi made Lotan his pet.” Lucifer begins to descend. Swooping down in a tight spiral to slip into the canyon. 

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then you can see something glowing. Many somethings glowing. They crawl over the canyon sides. They are nothing like you’ve seen before, but if you were to pin down to something earth like… they are most similar to sea slugs? But they have legs and bright, piercing eyes. With beautiful fins running down their back. Each looks to be a droplet of a rainbow. 

“Gems left in the earth can collect enough magic to come to life.” They have no name, but they could fit in the palm of your hand. Tho please don’t touch they are highly condensed magical creatures and could shred your human body without meaning too.

Mammon

“Can I trust you?” He looks at you with surprising serious. Though he’s scratching his chin which makes it a little hard to take him seriously. When you say Of Course, Mammon quickly cracks into a grin. “Alright, give me a day, but-” He just starts nodding and runs off. Delighted with his own idea too much to tell you more

The Next day you meet Mammon outside the house of lamentation. He is already in his demon form and has a large sack in his hands. Which appears to be full of weird trinkets and a whole lot of grimm. 

Where are you going? The Hell Wilds. Which is… so unhelpful because the Hell wilds are nearly infinite. 

Mammon scoops you up bridle style, and then you’re off into the air. Mammon cannot stop smiling, “I haven’t taken anyone here before.” He mainly says this too himself. But looks at you with so much delighted you can’t help but blush. 

This would be a much longer flight if Mammon wasn’t so good at using the air currents to his advantage. Diving to catch the updraft that send you both rocketing through the air. You’re at not risk of danger. Mammon wouldn’t let that happen to you, but it does feel like a roller coaster. When you level out, you’re facing a dark mountain. It cuts into the air with jagged certainty. Mammon lands halfway up its sides. 

“She doesn’t like it when I fly into the nest. So we’ll have to walk to the rest.” If you ask any questions about what is happening. His response is a grin. “You know how Crows and I get along? Well… this is where that started.”

The mountain is only partial rock. The rest is ash, twigs and mud stuck together to keep the mountain from falling apart. Crows and ravens sit perched along the cliff sides. Some crows come flying to the mountain with fresh mud to repair parts of the mountain. The dark birds watch you and Mammon with intense, unrelenting eyes. Mammon smiles to them, and carries on with ease. 

The path winds up to a crack in the side of the mountain. Mammon gestures for you to wait outside while he walks in first. You can hear something massive stir. The rustle of feathers and the scratch of claws against stone. Then Mammon pokes his head out and beckons you in.

Curled within the mountain is a great beast. It’s hard to tell one part from another because she is massive, and her dark feathers blend into each other. Her head is stuffed into the bag Mammon brought. When she sits up, she has a golden cup in her maw. The Crow Drake is stunning and terrifying. Her eyes are molten red, and her teeth cut through the gold. 

The Crow Drake is the matriarch from all the crows and ravens in Hell. When Mammon was young, he fled to this mountain and was given a drake’s comforts. As well as his first crow familiar. 

She reaches up to get a good look at you. Her beak pressing against you. Nudging you around and bringing her eyes right up to yours. Then she sits back and let's out a satisfied sqwaks. Mammon is about to say something when the Crow Drake leans over and picks him up by the collar of his jacket. Mammon is plopped onto her soft back, and she begins preening his hair. Making little noises every once in a while. “I know I used too much conditioner, stop harassing me” Mammon is blushing fiercely. 

Levi

“Gah! Why can’t Lotan be more gentle.” Levi really wants you to meet Lotan, but it’s highly likely that Lotan would try to kill you the moment you met. All the photos of Lotan have been just… blue scales, or a big eyeball. 

But Lotan is one of many Sea serpents. Actually, there are all sorts of magical creatures in the sea, and Levi is going to tell you about All of them. While he tries to figure out how to make sure you can breathe underwater. 

“I am not allowed near the merfolk palace though, so... Can’t take you there.” If pushed on the matter, he will turn red and stammer about how Lotan just wanted a snack. 

He found a spell! He’ll need Solomon’s help, but it should give you 24 hours of breathing underwater. Now it’s time to go into his tank. 

Did you assume that he just had a normal wall sized fish tank? Of course not. The back wall has been turned into a convenient portal to The Ocean. It’s not an earth ocean, and hell doesn’t actually have a lot of clean water. This Ocean is an in between realm that connects to the abstract of earth’s waters, and all the magic that one could possibly find in those depths. 

At first Levi gets distracted showing you all the fish. Look at the coral! And the trigger Fish! Oh, what a pretty anemone. He’s so caught up in showing you around that he’s not even embarrassed to be holding your hand the whole time.

 Levi is such a strong swimmer he barely even notices dragging you along with him. His tail easily propels you both forward, and with great agility he can swim through the coral reefs. Then you hit the edge. Suddenly there is a vast nothing below you. Light fades below. 

Down you go! It would be more unsettling if you didn’t have leviathan right besides you. Who is practically vibrating with his excitement. Underwater Levi looks so much more comfortable. Moving with such ease and without any hesitation.

You can feel the water begin to shift as something Massive approaches. Levi pauses and let's out a trill. Which is met by a deep noise that rattles your bones. 

Red is a hard color to see in the deep ocean. Not enough light in that wave length can reach that far down. So at first it’s just a dark dot in the distances. Then it’s brilliant red head comes surging towards you. The water rushes around as the sea serpent begins to swim in a spiral around you and Leviathan. Leviathan is beaming and spinning around to keep up with the Serpent’s face. Letting out happy trills sporadically. 

Eventually the Sea Serpent settles down and lets its body relax out. The Serpent stretches out so far that it’s back fines look so small. Yet their face is larger than a bus. The Serpent looks at you for a long while, and then it flicks it head upward. Which makes Leviathan blush a vibrant red. 

She approves

Satan

Satan needs two weeks to prepare! But he has an idea. How do you feel about sewers?

“The Devildom aqueducts are actually one of the cleanest places in hell. It’s really an astounding work of engineering-” he goes on for a while about all the intricate workings. Seems there is a lot of plant filtering the waters, as well as creatures that can digest what the plants can’t process. 

Satan gives you one of his books of magic. “I am their friend, but if you want them to accept your presence, it’s best to provide a gift. To show you mean well.” Unlike the others, Satan will give you a heads-up on whom you’re about to meet. Though, he gives the explanation as you’re walking towards the sewer’s entrance. 

“Their name is Elos, and they are one of the oldest chimera’s alive. They were created in less than stellar circumstances, but handled it rather well.” By eating their creator. “Now they used the leftover alchemical equipment to do their own studying, as well as keep the aqueduct ecosystem in balance.”

The entrance looks like any other sewer grate in a city. Satan can easily move the heavy cover off, and watches as you begin to climb down the ladder. Satan closes the cover as he starts his descent. The sewers are Massive. The tunnel is about 20 feet wide and 20 tall. A perfect circle, except for the walk ways going along the side. A sort of seaweed is growing at the bottom of the waterways. Little fish duck in and out of the waving reeds. Further in more plants grow along the side. Some areas have full banks that cover the waterways. You can also see long claw marks running along the sides of the tunnel. As well as the residue of a recent magical explosion. “Hmm, looks like Elos got annoying company.” Satan smirks at the blast marks. 

One of the original designers of the sewers was the grand wizard who made Elos. So there is a laboratory at the dead center of the sewer system. If one were to look at the blueprints, you’d be able to see a magic circle drawn by the tunnels. Well almost one. Those plans were later worked over to fix the functionality of the sewer system for the devildom. Elos didn’t want to do any city wide magic, so they aren’t really upset about it. 

Outside of Elos’s laboratory is a large blue door. Painted on it are bright yellow runes that start to shimmer green as Satan approaches. Satan knocks, and it’s a full three minutes before the sound of the door unlocking. With effort, it swings inwards, and the smell of chemicals and herbs assaults your nostrils. 

Satan goes about the polite introduction. Leading you into the laboratory, but it’s hard to pay attention. There are so many strange machines littered across the room, and Elos themself is a feat to understand. Their face is divided into three parts, one of a bull, one of a woman, and the other of an ape. They have large arms with hands that drag across the floor. Their fingers are thin claws of a bird. Chest comes from some great lizard not from earth. Hide legs appear to be lion like, and its tail is an arched scorpion stinger. Elos looks at you with deep eyes. 

When you present the spell book Satan gave you. Elos sneers at you but takes the book. “A gift provided from someone else is weaker… but will do.” her voice is a dry and raspy. Speaking with vocal cords never crafted for such intricate language. 

Asmodeous

“Want to meet some of the lovelies that help me torment souls?!”  

They’re the creature Asmodeous has easy access to, so I recommend saying yes if you want to go with him

“They’re for a very specific time of person. The sort who think their beauty makes up for all the harm they caused.” A dark look smolders in Asmo’s eyes, but when he looks at you, it softens. Back to his normal bright heart eyes. 

Asmo summons a cab to drive you both to the outskirts of the devildom. To… a ranch? Soft green meadows stretch out as far as you can see. Wooden fences mark the edge of the road. When you look close, you can see sigils carved into the posts. 

Out in the field you can see them. Powerful horses with glimmering spiraled horns. Some are pure white with long wavy mains, but they are as diverse as any herd of horses. 

“My beautiful unicorns,” Asmo leans over the fences to get a better look at them. “You’ll get to have a closer look at those in the stables right now. They won’t be too happy about being locked up, but they’re so wonderful just to look at.”

These unicorns come from more of a… vicious tradition. Their diets are completely carnivorous and with a strong preference for humans. 

While you enter the stables, Asmo explains that these stables are more for necessary check-ups, and not where the unicorns stayed. They had their own dens somewhere in the meadows. Asmo hadn’t cared to find it, but it is out there. 

So the unicorns that are in are here to have a thorough cleaning by one of the stable works. No you cannot help I’m afraid. These Unicorns would not be able to tell you apart from the souls they are encouraged to feast upon. All the other folk who work at the stable are non-human, and they still get bite. What’s worse is when a Unicorn decided to charge. 

To make sure none of that happens, you’ll be safely on the other side of the door. Even though you can’t get close. You still can see the Unicorns very well. They are beautiful creatures. The shortest is still taller than the average horses. With eyes set more forward on their skull, and sharp angular bodies. Their legs are less brittle. With hooves that are divined into three sharp angles. 

While most of the unicorns with in the stable seem antsy to leave. They all give their own greeting to Asmo. A dappled gray is the most affectionate. Letting Asmo pet the sides of their face, and rubbing up against Asmo’s head. It looks at you with curiosity. Sniffs the air and whinnies. “I know,” Asmo coos. “They are very tasty looking, but you can’t have any. I want this human to stick around.” The Unicorn snorts and flicks it tail in annoyance.

Beelzebub

His eyes light up when you ask to meet some magical creatures. “We won’t have to go too far… but we should wait till the house is quiet.” Que Mammon sprinting through the hallways trying to out run Lucifer. “They don’t like the ruckus.”

Beel asks you to meet him in the kitchen once everyone else has gone to their rooms. When you enter you find him setting out a tray with a dish of milk, honey, and some crackers. He then hands you a block of cheese. “Cut up some cubes of this.” and so you do. Beel doesn’t take any food from the tray, but he does rummage in the fridge while you get the cheese ready. 

Once it’s all ready, Beel sets the tray in the middle of the counter. He then pulls out a little golden bell, and rings it.  There is a beat of silence, and then doors you had never seen before open. One door is tucked into the wall trim, another in the backspace, and a third underneath the cabinets. Who comes tumbling out are small fuzzy creatures. They walk on their hind legs, and have large flat faces. Almost like a bat, but their eyes are old and wise. They are dressed in hand stitched clothes made from old table clothes, towels, or other scraps of fabric they could steal without much fuss. 

“Who is this?!” One of them points pocket knife at you. “My friend,” Beel says and when he looks at you he can’t help but smile. “Hmm… did your friend cut this cheese?” Beel nods. “Next time make them smaller. Our children will struggle to hold these.”

These are House Brownies. A type of fae that can be found in most loving homes. They are a people of high standards but with over whelming big hearts. Beel is the main reason the house brownies live within the house of lamentation. No one else remembers to set out food for them. So no one else gets the help of the Brownies. Beel however often finds that his chores have been done for him, and snacks are often left on his bed side table. Small snack since the brownies can’t carry too much, but he deeply appreciates it. 

Brownies are some of the easiest fae to talk with. The worst you can do is hurt their pride, but they are quick to accept earnest apologies. Not the sort of fae who will steal your name and trick you into dancing yourself to death… well… There have been a couple brownies who have done that. But the people were true assholes. 

One of the brownies who is dress in a floral dress comes up to you. They give you a once over, and then start to climb up the back of your shirt. Now on your shoulder, the Brownie sniffs your face and pokes your cheeks. The Brownie’s whiskers tickle, and it’s hard not to react. But their fur is so soft, and they smell like honey and clove. 

“You should have brought this one sooner.” The floral Brownie says in a sing-song voice. “They can bring us human snacks, yes?” “I want a candy!” Another brownie cheers. “Are human homes as noisy as demon homes?” “What is a cat? We hear the mean one speak of them, but never have seen them.” “Is cat friend or foe to the brownie?” Another brownie is now climbing you. This one decided to perch on the top of your head. “Human smells nice. Keep them Beel.”

Belphegor

“Okay, but you’re paying for their snacks.”

Which turned out to be nearly ten pounds of red meat. You’re also the one who has to carry the bag as you walk into the properly sketchy parts of the Devildom city. Belphegor looks as nonchalant as normal. Except for when he needs to glare at any other Demon who might start making eyes at you. 

Now it’s into the dark alleys you go. Winding past business and into tight brick alley ways. The surrounding buildings seem to tower up through the sky. Blocking the darkness above. There is even a hint of sulfur in the air. 

“Alright, set the meat down.” Belphegor stops at the intersection of four alley ways. It makes a small circle in the middle. The ground is dark and stained from years of murk. Moss grows up the walls, and blooms in the cracks. You set the meat down and then back up next to Belphegor. “Are you nervous?” He grins a little and then brings his fingers to his lips and whistles Loud. 

You can hear them running. Many heavy feet charging down the paths. They’re coming from every direction, and now hear their panting breath. Growling and snarls as they try to be the first to reach their meal. 

If you thought earthly wolves are big. You are blown away by the size of hellhounds. They keep their heads low but still stand at least three feet tall. Their teeth are as black as their fur, and they have barbed tails that whip back and forth in a frenzy. The Hell hounds are at first completely distracted by the food left out for them. 

“When they’re not hungry, they’re really sweet.” Belphegor crosses his arms and leans back against the wall. Patiently waiting for the Hell Hounds to calm down. “They’re in the city to hunt down pests. Lucifer see’s them as exterminators,” One of the Hell Hounds now trots over to Belphegor. It rams its head into his stomach, demanding attention. Belphie laughs a little and starts to scratch its ears. Now content that it’s getting love. The Hell Hound eyes you. First a sniff, and then it tries to bite your clothes. “Hey,” Belphie says in a stern voice, and that’s all the Hound needed. You’re not food? Well then you must be friend too. 

The message is spread through the rest of the pack, and soon you are surrounded. The Hell Hounds breath is rancid, and they will not stop trying to give you kisses. 

Two of the hounds manage to get Belphie on the ground, and sit on top of him. Belphie’s face is flushed, and he only tries to get them off half-heartedly. Then accepts their cuddles and closes his eyes. “They’re not allowed in the house. So I come here a lot… you can join me next time if you want.”

A/N: Thank you @squidubus for the great idea of Mama Crow Drake preening Mammon’s hair. I luuuv uuuu

[zoraspetpetunias]

“Afternoon Zora.” Called the frumpy man behind the deli counter as he bent around to offer a brown paper bag to a customer. The customer quickly ducked towards the door around the throng of people in the line. The large man wiped his hands on his rustic brown apron and lifts the bar counter, coming about towards Zora. He calls over his shoulder “hey morty, take over the counter for a spell.” As he approached smiling and happy to see her a turtle of a man slinks out of the door behind the counter and with the air of a flighty reptile, begins taking orders in a nasal alto.

“Figured it was about time for you to get back in town. How ya feelin kid.”

Zora rolled her eyes up at the man, still slouched into the booth with her legs crossed at the ankles and head thrown back over the seat. "Gio, can i bum 'ere? Jus make a nest or sum'in under the booth?" The man, Giovanni, sat down heavily opposite zora; squeezing his budgy yet muscled frame into the too small seat.

"Now kid, I know home isn't much fun these days, but it beats the hell out of a bakery booth." He tried to give joking smile.

Zora rolled her eyes at him. "is got biscuits tho, and pies, and tarts." She sighed, not making him waiver. "I know it does, im jus not that excited abou' all the fightin, ya know?"

He nods sagely, scratching the week old growth on his cheek. "Your ma is doin her best, it's not easy getting over stuff when you're older; us old farts get set in our ways and that kinda change is hard to get over, no matter how long it's been." Zora crosses her arms and shrugs, scouring the table with her simmering angst.

"I had to, why can't she?" She mutters to the table.

"Because, you're tougher than the average jane kid. By far. Your ma's always been on the gentle side. Even before you were born." Gio's tempered New York accent gets a bit thicker as a touch of sorrow enters his voice. He lifts a brown thin cardstock box from next to him on the seat, as if by magic. "I had your favorite ready." He slides it slowly across the table, thick fingers leaving flour fingerprints on the side of the crispy brown cardboard.

Zora took a long pause, rolling his words around in her head before deciding that she liked what he was selling, and looked up. "Thanks, fer..."

He shook his head fatherly, letting her know no explanation was necessary. "Rest, eat, let me know when you leave." He knocked a knuckle on the table top softly, as if to add a finality to the words; an gentle authority to it, and got up.

Zora watched him walk away. She always saw something in him, a kindness that reminded her of what her dad had been like. Charming, awkward, just a dash of command; the kind of flair in his manner that came from seeing the bad side of a war, and coming out the other side. They'd served together in the gulf, and on a break Her dad had convinced Gio to move to England afterwards. He'd visited, just before they went back, and her dad had named Gio Zora's unofficial godfather. Gio had mentioned several times that he wasn't Italian, he was a bit polish, but it had stuck.

That same stint, Zoras dad had gotten caught in crossfire pulling another soldier out of the field. She had visited at the service and had talked to Zora. The words were hard to recall, but that look of apologetic sorrow on the pretty woman's face, all scared from a gunshot, was an easy thing to recall in her mind; insidiously easy.

Eyes blinking back sudden tears, Zora wipes her face over with her sleeve and lifts the edge of the box's lid with her fingertip. Inside sat a plump cupcake, lemon with buttercream icing and bits of lemon sherbet sprinkled on top. A single piece of craft white chocolate sat atop the whole things, a sphere with a pair of wings extended behind it in flight. Gio had called that specialty cupcake 'Lemon Fireflies' but any wizard would know what it was.

She flipped the box open all the way, and dug in her oversized backpack for a patchwork diary and opened to a fresh page. 'Love is a Firefly on the wind' She began, before sampling the cupcake in tiny, measured bites and writing down her feelings for it.

Gio stopped by, set down a mug of thick hot chocolate that had purposefully been left to chill, and went back to work without saying a word; looking pleased with how things were going. The lines ebbed and flowed out of the door, fancy and delicious baked goods were made and left, and a steady handful of hours ticked by in the bakery. The door rang open, as it always did, but the room went quiet for a heartbeat; and that's when Zora began closing the box, saving the other half of the cupcake without looking around. She stowed her diary, pushed the heavy steamer trunk away from the edge of the booth, and climbed out.

Standing rigid and alert behind her was a slim man in a off-the-rack suit, black and simple. He nodded to her, "Mam." And took hold of one side of the steamer trunk and rolled it towards the door. Zora hastily glided to the counter, letting herself behind it and hugged Gio around one arm and left without saying a word.

Gio called after her "Be good to your ma." And she threw up a hand over her shoulder in response, following her families Gentleman out the door. She glanced back after the door swung closed, getting another look at him before she went into battle. She stepped off the curb in front of Kowalski Bakery, and toward the waiting automobile.

* * * * *

Outside, trunk loaded in the boot, Reggie held the door open for Zora to step into the car. She slung her bag into the back and stepped in, avoiding touching Reginald at all possible. He smartly closed the door and stepped round the car and got in, religiously checked his mirrors and seatbelt, and shifted gears. "Home Jeezes." She whispered, hoping he wouldnt catch the off-color joke. She idly pushed the cupcake box across the leather seat next to her as she impatiently awaited what was to come.

They left the city and drove for half an hour, ending up in a small village of stately homes, each on its own modest mile or so of land. The town was reclusive, almost occultishly so, and had always bothered Zora on some level. There simply were not enough people for her taste. The car pulled towards a circular drive made of flagstones that led to a three story home that many in the city would deem to hang the word 'mansion' on. As the car stopped before the white steps leading up to the large cedar doors of the mansion, Reggie got out and around to open her door, but Zora had immediately exited and went around to open the boot. He came over and used a key to unlock it, somehow pushing her out of the way without having touched her. "Shall I place this in the wash room to be gone through miss?"

"My room, as always Reginald." Zora clipped. Her voice had a new quality, a refined old family british lilt that was anathema (ann-ath-emma; contrary or polar opposite, to the point of violently so) to her voice at school. "I appreciate your work, but if you could refrain from handling my things 'for' me while I am here on break, I would appreciate it." He nodded, this routine had played out before but he never deviated from script; he was a cock like that. She tucked the cupcake box close to her chest, slung her bag on, and marched up the steps toward her mothers home.

The front door was opened in front of her by the Maid, Sarah, who Zora actually sort of liked. She serviced a few other houses in the area, unlike Reggie, and was only a handful of years older than Zora herself. She always found a piece of chocolate or two hidden behind the spoons when Sarah knew she was back home.

"How was boarding school miss?" Sarah asked as she shut the door behind Reggie who began trudging up the staircase towards the bedrooms.

"Board-ing" Mumbled Zora, before giving a thankful smile to the woman. "How has life here been?" Zora awkwardly adjusted her bag.

"A new family moved in last week, they've got a lazy son who likes to paint. So not too boring, if ya know what i mean." She gave her a wink.

Zora tried not to roll her eyes, though the impulse was strong. "Of course, I hope he's nice." Zora turned away before making more of an awkward conversation, stepping carefully through the once wide hallway; now packed with displays and dressers and shelves of collectibles.

There was something odd about the Abbott house, Her mother, Rhatamiwa, was a hoarder. Of their once extensive family, only Zora and Rhatamiwa were alive. All the worldly possessions of her various cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grand aunts and uncles, and great grand parents were organized somewhat haphazardly and put for melancholy display about the endless house. Right next to the entrance, like a sentinel, was a display with a military coat folded neatly on top and a picture set above it. Zora absently ran her hand over the coat as she passed it, a ritual of hers for luck.

In the den she found her mother, drinking wine and reading over a large-print book. Around her were a few others, partially read, and a scrapbook turned to a random page. It was difficult to get to the couches that her mother favored in the middle of the room, and consequently her mother rarely left this room except to sleep or lounge on the lawn in the back on temperate days. "Mother." Zora cooed.

"Yes?" The nearly middle aged woman removed her thick glasses and slipped on another pair that dangled from a thin gold chain about her neck. Her thin, frail, but lithe form twisted towards Zora. "Zoralia Rosaline Petunia Turquis, come give your mother a hug." She got up slowly, almost dramatically, as Zora snaked around china cabinets and shelves of clothes. She tried to hug her mother tenderly but the woman still gave a small jolt of pain from the embrace. "Welcome home my little bird, I hope you kept up with your Bible reading while at that," she paused over the word, almost finding a way to not sound condescending, "school."

"Yes mother" Muttered Zora as she pulled away, glancing around the room for some means of escape. "I'm feeling a bit off from the train ride, I think I'll go upstairs."

"Of course dear, reggie will fetch you when supper is prepared." She sat back down airily, picking up her glasses and book. As Zora was almost gone she called after "And do your reading before bed, God knows when you don't."

* * * * *

That was the general mood of the entire christmas break, up until the day of. Solitude, false bible study, and sneaking down her roof outside her window to explore the woods on their land. A few creatures lived there that shouldn't. Zora would take as many opportunities as she dared to visit her transplanted pets, her odd little family of a streeler, a handful of spiteful knarls, some odd toads, and a snake that protected the woods from muggle poachers. Senya, Zoras friend snake, would slither up close to a muggle and then rapidly go right past them; too fast to catch or shoot, but enough that they ran for the safety outside the woods.

On christmas morning, having said three prayers already, Zora's mother handed her a present. "To keep you safe, I know it will get frightfully cold." She opened the unwrapped box (mother did not appreciate shiny, flashy wrapping for a few years now.) and inside was a slightly moth-eaten scarf of deep green material, soft and girly. "It was your great aunt Geraldine's. She wore it whenever she wanted to look fancy at winter, always matched her eyes. She will watch over you if you wear it." Zora refrained from any words other than. "Thank you mother." and set the box aside.

She handed a small, simply wrapped box to her mother. "It just pops open, no ripping." She made sure her mother knew that before getting obstinant about having to rip it open. She lifted the lid and inside, on a bed of satin, were a pair of half moon reading glasses much like her real glasses. She lifted them out and turned them side to side, admiring the rose gold frames. "This is lovely, just lovely." She unfolded them slowly and slid them on, turning to Zora to show her. "Oh." She said sharply and her hand drifted up to grab the glasses before she caught herself. She peered around the room, down at the books still littering the table and couch, and then back at Zora.

"It is a new type of lense, from the store mother. A new type of optical layer on the glass." Her mother looked at her sharply, a fit of anger behind her eyes.

"This didn't come from your school, little bird? You wouldn't lie to your mother." She said it not as a question, but as a warning.

"No mother, from the store. If you don't like them I can have Reggie take me to retur-"

"No that is fine dear, just fine." Her fit seemed to deflate and Zora exhaled, mentally tallying the days until break was over in her head. "They work wonderfully. Thank you." Zora relaxed, knowing that the enchanted lenses she had gotten work done on from a curly haired boy in gryffindor would greatly help her mothers eyes.

"May I go into town, to see Gio for christmas, mother?" Zora asked politely. She had a little gift for him as well, a miniature tree that grew candies from Diagon Alley.

Her mother made a show about looking about, thinking hard on the topic, as if it were somehow improper to ask. "I suppose, but be home before dark." Zora got up and left, hopeful for just a bit more actual enjoyment from her break before returning to school. With plant-in-box under one arm, and dressed in a more mother-approved sunday dress and low heels, Zora slipped into the car and left for the city.

The rest of the break swept by. Zora said goodbye to her woodland friends, and Sarah one last time before packing her trunk and departing for platform nine and three quarters.