The Chef x The Celebrity
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✨─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───✨
~ Date: 26 June 2422 Interstellar Year ~
~ Location: World 1 – Luna Bellflower Moon ~ Terra Anka PXD2422.
~ The Golden Dragon Star Nexus Intergalactic Empire ~
✨─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───✨
🐦🔥 [ Phoenix ☯ POV ] 🐦🔥
"Okay," Phoenix said, forcing a lighter tone than the knot in his chest deserved, "so what is my first mission after returning to our own dimension?" His gaze drifted over the marble-sized planets floating around him as he considered which one to choose next. His eyes landed on a pretty purple one streaked with blue swirls. 'Oh, now this planet should be beautiful. I can already picture the flora and fauna.' The thought helped steady him, if only a little, before he turned his full attention back to Solaris. This would be his first world since finally breaking free of the Jailor System's direct control, and it would also be the first mission world where Solaris's tasks were fully active.
To be honest, he was not sure how he felt about being asked to complete tasks again. His stomach tightened at the thought. He was not okay with being forced to do something he did not want to do—ever again. Out of everything he had endured, having his right to choose taken away had been the worst. Even the thought of going back to that place made old terror crawl beneath his skin, dragging nightmares and paralysis demons up from the dark corners of his memory.
As hard as it was not to run the other way, he knew he had to trust Solaris. But did he trust Solaris enough to follow him blindly? Even after all the years they had spent together, Phoenix could say that yes, he did trust him. He trusted Solaris's heart. He trusted the way Solaris looked at him like he was something precious instead of something useful. Still, it would be stupid to follow anyone without question. Phoenix could trust Solaris and follow his lead while still keeping his reservations close and locking his private thoughts away. Doubt did not mean betrayal. Fear did not mean he loved Solaris any less. But the last thing he wanted was to hurt him.
He did not want to hurt him. Still, he could not ignore the nagging voice in the back of his mind calling him stupid, calling him foolish for trusting anyone, and whispering that Solaris was only another chain waiting to close around his throat. Phoenix hated that thought the moment it formed. Solaris had never treated him like a prisoner. Solaris had stayed. Solaris had chosen him. Even so, Phoenix was not sure whether that little voice was instinct or the lingering echo of his personal demons from the time he had spent trapped in that living hellhole.
Well, it was not like it mattered much now. They had been together for more than thirty-two thousand years, and somewhere along the way, Solaris had become the one person Phoenix could not bear to lose.
'I will just let things be and look at this as a whole new start. I have worked my ass off not only to get stronger and gain soul power, but also to claw myself back from the wreckage they left behind. If I do not overcome my demons, then whoever kidnapped and imprisoned me will have won. I will have lost before I even begin to get my revenge, and that absolutely cannot—and will not—happen!'
ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
'I refuse to allow them to keep holding power over me. But where do I start? Hmm… oh, wait, I know. I will start by trying to make at least one close acquaintance in this first mission world, and maybe even a friend or two if I am lucky. It would be amazing if the host already has good people around them, and even better if they had a loving family. But let's be real—my luck is shit, so that will most likely not be the case. Shit, I squirreled again. Damn, what is wrong with me? Wait, I wonder if Solaris can help me with my ADHD? Hmmm, I will have to ask him about it later, but for now I really need to pay attention. Solaris is trying so hard for me, and here I am spiraling like a disaster bird. I wish I was not like this; I hate it so much. He really deserves a better Mama than me…'
Phoenix's thoughts trailed off as a myriad of emotions rose in his chest, sharp and tangled and almost too much to breathe through. Fear still lingered there, stubborn and ugly, but beneath it was joy—bright, fragile joy at being chosen by Solaris. He was truly honored that Solaris wanted a closer relationship, because that was what Phoenix himself had secretly wanted for a long time. Now that he knew Solaris felt the same, he would work even harder to become the best version of himself. Not because he thought he had to earn Solaris's love, but because Solaris deserved to be loved by someone who was trying.
Phoenix drew in a quiet breath and turned his attention back to Solaris. The little phoenix-dragon's expression had softened, but he continued explaining what to expect going forward, as if giving Phoenix something steady to hold on to.
"As I explained, this is similar to what you have already been doing," Solaris said gently. "You will follow the host body's character settings and abilities, fulfill their life goal, and make sure to live a good life for them in return for allowing you to use their body. You may also have to get revenge for them if there is a need for it. Not every world you go to will have a host who is happy and healthy, and not every mission will be a simple slice-of-life story. Most, if not all, of the hosts will have had tragic endings. That is why they would willingly allow you to take over their bodies."
Phoenix nodded as he listened to Solaris explain. The words were reasonable, and the logic made sense, but his hands still wanted to curl into fists. It was similar to what he had been doing since escaping the Jailor System's direct control, with the important exception that Solaris could now issue optional missions and rewards. Optional. Phoenix held on to that word like a lifeline. At that thought, he looked at Solaris and asked about the missions.
Solaris replied at once, his voice soft but firm, "There is nothing for Mama to worry about. The missions will help you gain more soul power, and they will also come with perks if you complete them. There will not be any missions that bring you harm, and if you truly do not want to do one, I will not force you." He hesitated, then added with careful tenderness, "For the system to work, you must willingly accept the mission and successfully complete it before receiving the rewards—or rather, the gains—from it. Your consent matters, Mama. It will always matter to me."
"Okay," Phoenix replied after a moment, his voice quieter than before. He let the word settle between them, testing it, feeling for hidden hooks. None appeared.
"That sounds doable." A nagging voice still whispered that there was more to it than Solaris was telling him, but Phoenix chose—consciously, deliberately—to give him the benefit of the doubt and see how this first world went. With that decision made, he picked up the pretty purple-and-blue, marble-sized planet and gently tossed it into the air, where it grew to the size of a beach ball.
Phoenix looked at Solaris with a smile as dazzling as the cosmos, but softer at the edges now, and reached out his arms for his little phoenix-dragon to jump into. Solaris flew straight into Mama's embrace, pressing close with a small, bright trill of excitement. Even he was eager for this first world. Phoenix could not have chosen a better planet for their first mission now that they were free. Anticipation bubbled up inside him, warm and sparkling.
"Are you ready for this?" Phoenix asked, holding Solaris a little tighter. Solaris nodded, smiling up at him with complete faith. Phoenix swallowed the last of his fear, reached out toward the floating planet, and disappeared.
･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.~ 🐉 ~☯ ~🔥 ~ ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
As Phoenix slowly opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a small bench inside a pavilion set on a tiny island at the center of a large artificial pond. He sat up carefully, blinking against the soft glow around him, and took in the garden piece by piece. Lavender, baby's breath, lilies, and other carefully arranged flowers bordered the pavilion and trailed along the walkway to the bridge, blooming in a harmony so deliberate it almost felt unreal.
Bamboo formed a natural fence around the space and climbed along the buildings in graceful green lines, softening every edge. The whole garden seemed designed to make a person forget the city beyond it existed at all.
As if the garden were not already serene enough, fairy lights had been strung to mimic scattered stars, while gauze-like fabric drifted between the supports and hanging orchids swayed in the faint breeze.
Three well-manicured bonsai trees rose from the rock and sand gardens, each one shaped with patient care and distinct enough to make Phoenix slow down to admire them.
'They are so pretty. Too bad there is no pink magnolia, though. That would have been the perfect crown for this masterpiece of a garden.' Phoenix thought, eyes roaming over everything with shameless, gluttonous delight.
Somewhere nearby, a waterfall murmured into the pond, the sound gentle enough to settle beneath the fragrance of blossoms and damp stone.
Koi moved beneath lotus flowers and lily pads, turning the pond into something that looked less built than painted into existence. Nearby, an ancient bonsai bloomed with pink and lavender flowers.
A few steps from the old bonsai stood a well-maintained shrine to the celestial Phoenix Constellation. White-opal flowers and silver star-shaped seed pods nestled among steel-blue leaves, making the shrine seem even more otherworldly. Phoenix forgot to breathe.
Phoenix had never seen flowers quite like them. They reminded him faintly of cherry blossoms, except these seemed timeless, as if no brief spring could ever claim them and no passing wind could scatter them away.
For once, Phoenix had no immediate joke ready. The beauty of it all stole the words straight from his mouth.
~ 'Solaris… are you sure we did not miss our turn at Albuquerque?'
It was a stupid question, and Phoenix knew it. Unfortunately, awe had never once stopped his mouth from being ridiculous. Not even once. Still, he could hardly believe a place like this existed outside the heavenly realm. Not that he knew what the gods' realm actually looked like, since he had never been there, but this garden felt like a strong contender.
Solaris went very, very quiet. Suspiciously quiet.
The dangerous kind that meant he was trying very hard to behave. The only reply that came to mind was, 'Should I call you Buster Bunny from now on?' But Solaris was a good little boy—or rather, a good little phoenix-dragon—so he fought the urge to be cheeky. He was almost certain Mama Phoenix would not appreciate it, and besides, the question had probably been rhetorical.
The garden had clearly been designed for tranquility, but Phoenix could only stay reverent for so long before curiosity won. He leaned over the pond and peered into the water, using its still surface as a mirror. To his surprise, the face looking back at him was not unfamiliar. He looked much the same as he had in the first life he could remember—the one where he had awakened with the Jailor System forcefully bound to him and his past stripped away.
Phoenix tilted his head. The reflection tilted with him. If he was going to borrow this body, he at least needed to know what he was working with. The verdict came quickly: whoever designed this face had excellent priorities.
This body had black hair with blue undertones, shifting like a night sky under moonlight whenever the water caught it. His skin was soft ivory with pink undertones, free of blemishes and scars. His sharp cheekbones carried a natural blush. Rude, honestly.
His eyes, though, were still his favorite feature. Doe-like, upturned, almond-shaped, and sapphire-dark enough to almost pass for black, they held flecks of silver and faint streaks of amethyst that made the depths look like a small galaxy.
The straight, perky nose suited his chiseled cheekbones and jawline perfectly, ending above pillow-soft, heart-shaped pink lips. The overall effect was beautiful in a way that felt almost unreal, the kind of beauty that made gender seem like an insufficient description.
Phoenix stared for another beat, deeply pleased despite himself. 'Now, I wonder what the rest of it looks like…'
His gaze lowered from his face to the rest of his reflection. Only then did he truly notice what the body wore. Phoenix lifted one arm experimentally, watching the sleeve fall around his wrist in a soft ripple.
The traditional men's Hanbok (한복) looked as though it had been made for the garden itself. A pale moon-white jeogori settled over his shoulders like mist. Its silver-edged collar caught the light like dew on bamboo leaves. Loose blue-black baji trousers flowed around his legs, while a sheer lavender outer po drifted over everything with the faintest movement of air.
Phoenix-feather patterns shimmered along the sleeves only when sunlight touched them, appearing and disappearing like secrets hidden in the fabric. Even the knotted ties at his chest gleamed with quiet amethyst thread, delicate but precise.
Against the lotus pond, fairy lights, old stone paths, and the distant waterfall, the clothing made him look less like someone who had awakened in another life and more like some ethereal young god admiring a mortal garden. Of course it was beautiful. Of course.
Then, slowly, his lips curved.
"Well," he murmured, unable to help himself, "at least this world has excellent taste."
~ ✨~🐉~ ☯ ~🐦🔥~✨~