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It is common knowledge that the adpeti can take multiple forms, from looking humanoid to having a more animal-like appearance. Shape-shifting can be done as well, although some traits are naturally harder to conceal than others. Morax would know, it had taken him a good couple of centuries before he mastered the art of concealing his draconic tail.
But when taking in the Goddess of Dreams bloodhound, a young yet powerful adepti nearing in power of his Yakshas, he had assumed that there was nothing hidden from his sight. Afterall, most adepti are proud of their unique features. This adeptus in particular was (in the kindest way possible for Morax to describe them) severely malnourished and injured, arguably too weak to try and waste energy in concealing anything like horns or extra limbs.
Morax wasn’t entirely sure he had believed his eyes when he first saw the glittering gold feathers; they were spread about in the vacant room that the newest adeptus was currently staying in, most noticeably on the bed surrounding the equally golden-eyed adeptus with a few scattering about on the floor and in their teal hair. He eyed them curiously until he remembered why he had at first knocked on the door to begin with.
“Streetward Rambler wishes to see you for a final check-up.” He eventually announced from the doorway. The adeptus in question nodded, a few more gold feathers falling out of their hair as they did so before standing and walking towards where God was standing.
The pair had walked in relative silence with a few stares coming their way, which Morax paid no mind to. Instead he was far more interested in trying to figure out where the feathers had come from, but none appeared to be left on the adeptus’ body to try and figure out. Eventually, he had to count his losses in trying to figure it out, mainly due to the growing discomfort he could feel radiating from the adeptus walking next to him and that was the last that Morax had wanted to do. Despite this, he couldn’t help but feel that he was missing a major detail about this adeptus.
The check-up had seemed to go well, Morax hadn’t attended them with the younger adeptus in a while but from the looks of things nothing seemed amiss to him. Or, that was until Streetward Rambler began to inspect the back of the adeptus, a look on her face suggesting that she was expecting something that was more than just an ordinary back. “Child, I cannot help you if you are making the effort to hide things from me.” She eventually remarked, her tone soft sound but with an underlying firmness.
In response the adeptus’ eyes widened looking back between the dendro adeptus and towards Morax before slowly nodding their head. For a moment, Morax was confused, the defeated look on the adeptus’ face mixed with the unordinary look on Streetward Rambler’s further amplifying his confusion.
That was until a burst of gold overtook his vision from the newly appeared wings that were now on the adeptus. Two pairs in total. A pair on their back which were large and droopy, and another set resting just behind their ears, same in colour and looked equally droopy but smaller in size along with the bases being the same shade of dark teal that took up the majority of the adeptus’ hair.
Morax blinked a couple times to confirm he wasn’t imaging anything.
It proved he wasn’t.
The adeptus was, however, noticeably tense. Their shoulders were drawn near their chin, and their eyes were fixated towards the God in the room. Their jaws were tense as well and their eyes showed nothing but fear, despite the rest of their face trying to maintain a calm expression. Yet, Streetward Rambler kept up with her check-up like this was nothing unusual.
A couple more moments of thinking until it finally clicked in Morax’s head.
The adeptus had been afraid to show him.
He couldn’t think of an exact reason other than it had had to have been something that happened throughout their time serving the Goddess of Dreams. He had yet to hear anything pleasant from previous followers about her domain, it had often been described to him as dreadful and terrifying. Nightmare fuel.
Could she have done something to discourage the adeptus from showing off their wings?
The click of Streetward Rambler’s tongue drew him back out of his thoughts, “Your wings, whilst better than when I last saw them are not being groomed properly, Child,” She had begun whilst carding a gentle hand through them. Morax watched as the apparently bird adeptus shivered at the movement, “They will take much more time to heal if you do not take proper care of them.”
Soon after her attention focused towards Morax, beckoning him to come closer, “I shall teach someone else to properly groom them for you, Child. Until you are able to do so yourself.”
Morax visibly startled at this, and it appeared the adeptus did as well as they promptly moved away from Streetward Rambler, shaking like a leaf.
“This one can do it itself.” They forced out, their voice sounding strained from disuse and wobbly from panic. The golden feathers were ruffled slightly, Morax couldn’t help but compared them to a scared finch.
“I have no doubts about that, Child.” Streetward Rambler replied softly, “But whilst you are still healing I think it is best that someone you see often can help you as well. You see Morax often, yes?”
In lieu of a response, the adeptus continued to back themselves away from the duo, staring between them and the door. Immediately, Morax knew what they were trying to do, and tried to deescalate the situation, “I will not touch your wings if you wish for me not to.”
However, the attempted reassurance appeared to fall upon deaf ears as they began to shake their head. No longer did they appear to be in the room that himself and Streetward Rambler were in, but instead looked as if they were elsewhere.
“No one will touch your wings,” Morax tried again, trying to keep his voice levelled, “I promise for as long as you wish to reside in the Guili Assembly no one will.”
Streetward Rambler also began to get closer to the scared adeptus, who appeared to be muttering something now that Morax had stopped talking to listen. Although, it was unintelligible to him. At the same time Streetward Rambler kept a steady string of words up, with multiple apologies mixed into the softly spoken reassurances.
It took multiple minutes for the adeptus to calm down, or at the very least until they appeared more aware of their surroundings and their feathers were no longer ruffled. “This one is sorry.” They eventually said, just above a whisper with their eyes looking firmly at the ground beneath them.
“There is nothing to apologise for.” Morax quickly dismissed. They nodded their head, eyes still looking at the ground.
The rest of the check-up was relatively uneventful, and with the reminder from Streetward Rambler to keep better care of their wings, the duo soon left, walking back to where the adeptus currently resided. The gold feathers now hidden away again.
-✦-✦-✦-
It was centuries before Morax, now going by Zhongli, saw those golden wings again. He had gone over to Wangshu Inn to check up on the adeptus, now going by Xiao, knocking on the door to what he already knew was the room Xiao resided in. As suspected the door opened with them in a small bow, and to the surprise of Morax the two pairs of droopy, golden wings attached to their small body.
“My Lord.” Xiao greeted, before stepping away from the door.
Zhongli walked through, spotting the feathers littered around the room, “There is no need to call me that anymore, Xiao,” He started before changing the topic of his sentence, “How have you been as of late? Has the medicine been working?”
Xiao nodded, looking slightly away from the God of Contracts, “The medicine has been working, thank you.”
The door closed leaving the two alone in the room, “Have I interrupted you in something?” Zhongli asked, it was unusual for the room to be in a state of disarray and that isn’t mentioning the fact that he had only ever seen the other’s wings once before.
“No, my Lord, I was just checking up on the state of my wings.”
The two stayed in a comfortable silence before Zhongli spoke up again, “Is there anything I could do to help?”
A surprise look overtook Xiao’s face at the question, before quickly going back to its previous neutral look as they thought. After a while, they nodded, and averted their gaze before speaking up, “Could you help in preening them?”
This time it was Zhongli’s turn to look surprised. However, he quickly agreed with the warning that Xiao would have to instruct him on how to do so.
Fortunately, it hadn’t taken long for Zhongli to get the hang of it. In fact he found it rather relaxing once he got used to the motions. The wings on Xiao’s back took the longest, yet they remained relatively limp in motion, the occasional feather going back to its original placement in relative ease. The pair behind Xiao’s ears moved a bit more, but were a lot smaller in size making the overall process relatively simple.
Xiao too seemed to enjoy it, despite the at first tense posture they had dawned, it soon became relaxed, their shoulders dropping minutely and his back turned being an ultimate display of trust in Zhongli’s eyes.
No words were exchanged throughout the process but the silence was comforting, natural even. The only sound coming from the outside and from any noises that made it through the walls of the inn. Peaceful.
It was something that Zhongli could easily get used to.
He hopes Xiao could as well.