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Liz liked to believe she was intelligent, but intelligence went hand in hand with curiosity, often. The inanimates talked whether she was there to listen or not, and many seemed to believe that she was in her own space when she slotted the Dateviators on and worked on some of her assignments. But she did that, too, for a reason - it was nice to have the ambiance of others around her while she worked.
Uncovering Rongomaiwhenua with Beau and Jacques had been enlightening as an insight to the world of inanimates. She had explained the role natural inanimates filled - a sort of pantheon, which was interesting, though she was heralded as highest of the deities for being the earth, itself. It had been fascinating to ask others about their opinions - some seemed to truly view them as such gods, while others could respect the power they held, but did not attribute religiosity toward them.
Airyn, River, and Rongomaiwhenua were all at the top of the list, though it seemed like Skips was up there, too. Volt was a question in her mind, but when Liz had asked Eddie his opinions on the whole god-object debate, he had scoffed - only for Volt to helpfully chime in.
“It’s quite a lofty term, isn’t it? I’m classified as one of them, but not at the same power level - too alive, too temporary to stand against the others, like Phoenix.”
Phoenix. That was a new name. Eddie had cringed, hearing it. When Liz asked around, other objects reacted just as oddly.
Tony had said something about them being helpful, if not overzealous. Prissy had covered her ears, singing to herself until Liz left and stopped asking. Penelope had squeaked and ducked her head as if on instinct, while Celia’s lips had drawn into a tight frown. Arma hadn’t even let her get past the very name before she had demanded she cease and desist.
River had sighed, rubbing her shoulders, and asked for Liz not to worry about it too much.
“Some things are better left undisturbed.”
“Is Phoenix dangerous, or something? Everyone seems afraid of them.”
“Well… they certainly have the ability to be, but I would not consider them a malicious entity. Arma is here for a reason, though, and Dante does a good job at containing them, if need be.”
It didn’t seem fair, purposefully ignoring the flames on the stove, the candles, the fireplace, all while interacting with everyone else. River occasionally seemed to rise to Phoenix’s defense, but other than her, the only ones that seemed at all positive about them were those who interacted with fire at all.
“Phoenix? Yeah, of course I know them! Think I work right without them? What, you’re not planning on replacing me with one of those new ones run by Volt, are you-?”
“Oh, but uttering their very name is a scandal to behold! Say it too oft and I fear you’ll summon them to me, and good gracious, I can hardly bear to imagine the way they’d make wax drip down me-!”
“...Phoenix? Well, I mean… I think we’re on good terms, but they aren’t exactly always a fan of my purpose. Sure, I let them inside safely, but I also contain them.”
Only Volt consistently sang their praises, talking of them wistfully, a kindred spirit, the closest in nature to him that there could really be. Certainly, he’d be nothing without Eddie, but in terms of the way they existed, Phoenix could understand best:
Manufactured objects were until they were not, used or expired or destroyed. Concepts were, so long as humanity persisted in their idea of them. Natural things were always there, existing somewhere - but one thing electricity and fire had in common was their ‘living’ nature. Electricity had to be generated; fire required fuel. Both were powerful, both were symbols of life to humans, but both could just as easily die out.
There were millions of Eddies around the world, all similar, but unique in their individuality. There was one Volt, just as with any concept or other natural object.
If the end goal was Realization for them all, how could Liz purposefully leave out one of the main elements? Wouldn’t Phoenix get lonely without the wind and land and sea?
“Dante, could you light, please?”
At once, the fireplace was set aflame at her asking, even as she pulled the Dateviators onto her face.
She aimed them at the new flickering flames, toggling them on, and-
-a cave. A cave? A domain, then, not unlike the Breaker Box, or Kopi’s coffee shop, or any of the numerous other locations that manifested within specific inanimates. Liz could not help but take note of how the material of the cave seemed similar to brick, not unlike in make to Dante’s fireplace itself.
“Uh-oh.”
Dante stood beside her, eyes wide as he took in the gaping mouth that marked the entrance onward. He clasped his hand to the back of his neck sheepishly with a grimace.
“Uh-oh?” Liz replied, raising an eyebrow toward him. Heat began to prickle along her skin as a distant light grew stronger, brighter from deep within the cave, the smell of smoke tickling her nose and beginning to trickle out into the air as well.
“What have you done, dear human?”
Liz turned around as the smoke began to sting her eyes, surprised to see Rongomaiwhenua and Airyn both approaching. While Rongomaiwhenua’s face remained calm, Airyn was frowning, eyes locked on the cave entrance.
“She’s clearly woken up Ph-”
A loud, scorching screech hit the air with the force of an air-raid siren, a massive form swooping from within the cave to land before the four of them. Blistering heat threatened to burn Liz’s skin as large wings flapped molten air her way, even as Airyn blew a cooler breeze against her to combat it.
Liz was instantly reminded of Nightmare.
The figure was vaguely humanoid, just as she was. Instead of skin there appeared to be jet-black scales of shining obsidian covering the body, two matching horns similar to those which kudu sported poking up from their head. While the arms seemed human enough, clawed though they were, the legs were distinctly bird-like: four scaled toes with deadly talons hovered above the ground. A thick, dark tail very nearly hit the brick flooring as well, though it managed to stay aloft.
Then there was the fire of it all.
Red and orange flames covered the body of the figure with the patterns of feathers, beautiful and fluid and all too evocative of their supposed name. They similarly coated the tail, curling images of long tail-feathers jutting out past where the scales ended to lick at the flame-scorched brick below. Beautiful wings like an angel of fire jutted out from their back, ripples of white traveling along the tips of the feathers as though in warning, threatening to grow hotter, stronger if needed.
Despite the monstrous imagery that called to mind phoenixes and dragons, they were unlike Nightmare in that their face was predominantly human, even with the pointed ears. Two eyes that were little more than pools of lava, no iris nor pupil to be found. High and sharp cheekbones in obsidian so smooth the light from their flames was reflected with ease, a wide nose, and molten red lips. The teeth that were visible when those lips parted were each wolfishly sharp, forked tongue adding a slight hiss to the sound of loud, rumbling laughter-
Laughter. They were laughing, cackling as they swirled up into the air, their thick curls of hair like thousands of rivers of magma that had been unearthed from the cave. Their voice was deep and smoky, layered with a higher pitch that was warm and rich.
“What ignorance has befallen mankind, that they do not tend my boundaries with care-!”
“Phoenix,” Rongomaiwhenua’s voice was firm, cutting the newcomer to the quick. “This house is not burning down. This human has directly acknowledged your existence - that is why you have been summoned here. Dante still has you contained.”
“I’ll get River, for back-up,” Airyn reassured as she dissipated from the scene, leaving Liz still in awe of that which remained before her.
Phoenix reacted with a snarl, smoke pouring from mouth and flared nostrils alike as they swooped down closer, fangs snapping with displeasure in Rongomaiwhenua’s face - only now did Liz realize the sheer size of the fire’s manifestation. Their head was easily the size of her whole body, a single one of their claws more than capable of slicing any one of them in half.
“A human summoned me on purpose? Does it wish for death? I would be delighted to grant-”
“Phoenix,” Rongomaiwhenua started again, this time her voice carrying a sharper edge. “You are frightening the rest of the household. Be civil, or when Airyn returns with River, we will have to drown you.”
Sure enough, Liz could see other inanimates around them if she tried. Dolly and Chairemi were tucked behind Koa, who was awake and aghast, an unusual sight. She could barely see Mateo trying to shelter the inanimals from behind Abel, who was shooting Phoenix the dirtiest glare she’d seen from him. Maggie and Jacques stared with wide-eyes, traces of anxiety painted along the faces of Gaia and Keyes, while Wyndolyn had tucked Curt and Rod each under an arm. Each and every one of them looked as though they feared Phoenix might dare reach out and touch them, might envelop them in unending heat until each one of them began to go up in flame.
Liz couldn’t begin to count the number of inanimates she’d met that were flammable.
“Phoenix, simmer down,” Dante tried gently, raising his hands as though to sooth them when they hesitated to do as Rongomaiwhenua bid.
In the briefest of moments before smoke overcame her vision, Liz could have sworn that there was nervousness in Phoenix’s eyes, even though the accompanying hiss was clearly angry.
After a few seconds of coughing and waving away the darkness from her face, Liz saw that the scene before her had changed significantly.
They were clearly in the living room, now, any trace of a foreboding cave long gone. The fireplace was still changed, however, now replaced by the brick bars of a… jail cell, almost.
No, Liz realized, heart sinking. It reminded her far more of images of circus animals in colorful cages.
Standing inside, much, much smaller than before, appeared to be what she could only assume was still Phoenix. They couldn’t have been five feet tall, shining scales having turned to rough coal as every inch of them appeared all-together… human. No more tail, no more wings, no claws or talons despite their feet - five toes, humanoid - still being bare. A chiton of orange and yellow flame was draped around their body, exposing their right breast with little care for modesty. Their hair remained bright coils of fire, no longer offset by horns, and now their face was round instead of sharp, eyes flickering from gold to amber to crimson but with white sclera, with normal pupils. Their voice had lost its gravitas, still a bit rough around the edges, but far less powerful than before.
“Fine. Make myself all small for these cowards. Whatever you say, Ronnie.”
“You have my thanks,” Rongomaiwhenua did not seem affronted by the poor attitude radiating off of Phoenix, instead nodding simply at them before turning to the side. “Dante, I trust you will keep them in check while our human has her time with them?”
“Oh - yes, of course! I’ll do my job, I promise. You needn’t worry.”
A piece of coal was tossed sharply from behind the bars at Dante, who ducked it easily. Phoenix, in turn, prowled more than they paced, their canines still a bit too sharp to seem normal.
“So what is this?” they asked, finally, biting out a growl in Liz’s direction. “What could you possibly achieve by stickin’ me in here, huh? Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I’m Liz,” the masters student supplied as introduction, giving a brief wave before Phoenix shot her an even darker glare, “I’ve been meeting all of the objects in my house, trying to get to know them.”
“This is stupid,” retorted fire incarnate, hands wrapping around the bars of their cell. “I could be a wildfire halfway across the world, and your - your what, your stupid glasses have stuck me here? I’m ditching-”
There was a spark and smoke, Phoenix wincing as they stepped back from the bars. They looked at their hands as though in disbelief.
“I can’t dematerialize and reform somewhere else?”
“When, um, I’m using the Dateviators on you, you can’t-”
“You’ve trapped me?!”
Liz could only watch as Phoenix’s hair turned blue for all of a few seconds before the anger in their eyes was doused by panic, only for them to close them and rake their fingers down their face in frustration. It was uncannily similar to the color she knew Volt could become should he be angered - and though that rage had never been turned on her, she could not help but feel as though she was beginning to learn what it felt like.
After a slow, ragged breath, Phoenix opened their eyes again, moving to clench the bars in their hands so tightly Liz nearly feared they would snap - or that Dante would end up hurt.
“So you’re just fucking meeting everyone all willy-nilly, is that it? You want some stupid introduction?”
She could feel the Date-a-dex expand and swirl through Skylar’s will as Phoenix stared her down, an afterimage of their previous form searing across her mind’s eye.
“You already know my damn name.”