✧ ⁀➷ The Hunt has reached the limit of their short patience and they lash out the second The Abundance's sharp claws graze at their lapis skin.

The hunter's hand seizes at The Abundance's neck with one swift grip and the jewels of The Healer's regalia rattle with the impact, a few beads breaking apart from the headdress and catching on fire as they fall from the heavens, becoming comets. Lan yanks Yaoshi to them by their neck and growls their words.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐘𝐚𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢? 

Lan's fingers squeezes around Yaoshi's thin neck. 

The Hunt brings their other hand to touch their crown faceshield, disintegrating it into tiny specs of stardust and revealing the archer's face. Their golden eyes are full of rage and disgust for The Abundance, and they grit their sharp fangs at them.

Lan leans in closer and crashes their foreheads together, staring deep into Yaoshi's gaze. The Reighbow's face of retribution will be the last thing Yaoshi sees. 

𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞. 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. 

Lan will watch the light fade from Yaoshi's bloodshot eyes with no barrier of their faceshield and take great pleasure in seeing it unfold. 

the hunt's reaction to their touch is exactly what abundance expects. they expect lan's violence , their rage , it is not foreign to yaoshi. but to hear the reignbow arbiter call them by name is new , & abundance chuckles breathlessly , many hands seizing the archer's arm as it grips their neck.

❛ ... then take it. but still ... ❜

yaoshi's voice comes quiet , clawed fingertips digging into lapis flesh , determined to take a part of lan with them if they are to die.

❛ the cycle ... of life ... continues ... ❜

one of many hands releases its grip on the archer's arm as their face shield is lowered , jaw set as they crash against the hunter's face , golden gaze meeting crimson. it will take much more than mere suffocation to kill the plagues author , & yaoshi does not intend to quietly disappear from the cosmos.

✧ ⁀➷ It is exactly how The Abundance speaks to The Hunt that ignites the stardust in Lan's celestial form, the rage bursting forth like solar flares of decaying stars. They tease and taunt with sultry voice and The Hunt instantly regrets this meeting altogether. 

It was Lan's victory, their right to flaunt the spoils of a successful hunt, and Yaoshi with all their greed and hunger, they assimilate their hideous children into their divine form. All they do is take despite their ideals to give and give and keeping giving. Lies and tricks. The archer's shoulders tense with anger and disgust. 

𝐍𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 

Lan's arms fall to their sides and form iron-clad fists, refusing to be prey of The Abundance in this moment. Their grip is so tight the deep color of sapphire fades to the color of white fury. Yaoshi may approach and wag their silver tongue of trickery at The Hunt, but they will never yield to the Plagues Author.

Lan is not cornered. They are ready to strike, to begin the next hunt and wage war. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬. 

❛ so generous , lan. you bring me a gift & you seek nothing in return. ❜

abundance practically purrs towards the hunt , corners of their eyes crinkling with their smile. it was not kind of the hunt to decimate & destroy their children in such a way. in fact , were they truly capable of it , yaoshi would be ablaze with righteous fury just as lan themselves are now.

but their path forbids it , & so abundance still smiles.

one of yaoshi's many hands settles below the hunt's chin , clawed fingertips pressing grazing the sapphire flesh. they taunt the archer , of course , & lan knows this. they tease , tempt , seduce , & yet the hunt came anyway.

❛ bring me their heads , then. the cycle continues anew , reignbow arbiter. ❜