World 1: The Chef x The Celebrity
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~ 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 ] 🐦🔥
For several quiet breaths, neither Phoenix nor Solaris spoke. The shadow of the flashback still lingered between them, but Phoenix forced himself back to the present with the same stubborn discipline that had carried him through countless lives. The garden was peaceful. The air smelled of flowers and water. The body he now inhabited was alive, unharmed, and waiting for him to understand the life he had promised to save.
Phoenix could tell Solaris was concerned about him. After the memory they had just revisited, he understood why. A/B/O worlds would probably never be easy for him, but this time was different. He had control. He had Solaris. He had warning, power, and a chance to act before the tragedy unfolded.
'I am okay, Solaris. Or I will be. This world does not seem to treat omegas exactly the same way as the worst ones we have seen, and I have been going to therapy in every world since then, just as you asked. I have made progress. I promised I would tell you when I feel overwhelmed, and I will. Trust is a two-way street, so have a little faith in me too, okay?'
Solaris was taken aback. Did Mama Phoenix really think he did not trust him? Of course he trusted and believed in him. If he did not, he would never have worked so hard to help him heal. Solaris knew Phoenix was capable of great feats. He only needed time, safety, power, and his memories back. The point was that Solaris was fully in Phoenix's corner, and he needed Phoenix to understand that.
-Solaris - 'Of course I do. It hurts that you question that, but I understand why. I worry because I truly care about you, Mama. I want you to regain your memories and soul power, not only because of my mission, but because I want you to be happy and whole again. I need to see that with my own eyes.'
-Phoenix - 'All right, calm down, sweetie. I believe you. I was only reminding you that trust goes both ways. Now, can you tell me about the original owner of this body and why he allowed me to take over? I need to know what I am working with so I can begin to right the wrongs done to him and fulfill his wish.'
-Solaris - 'Sir, yes, sir, right away.'
-Phoenix - 'Careful now, Solaris. Being a smartass is not always a good thing. You have to know the right timing, or else you go from cute and funny to an asshole no one wants to be around. This time was okay because it was cute, appropriate, and it did cheer me up, so thank you for that.'
Solaris became bashful, partly because his Mama said he had made him feel better, and partly because he knew Phoenix was guiding him. Phoenix could tell Solaris was feeling shy, which made him smile and gently shake his head.
Solaris may be over twenty-two thousand years old, but by phoenix dragon standards he was still closer to a three- or four-year-old hatchling. Most days, Phoenix could not help thinking Solaris still felt like a toddler in many ways, even though he had seen and experienced far too much during their long journey together.
'Heavens, please help me if I ever meet his parents. I hope they do not kill me for teaching their child bad habits. No, do not go there, Nix. You did not ruin Solaris. He has seen and experienced too many things that a little one should not, but that was not your fault. You did not even know he was a hatchling. All you can do now is guide him as well as you can. I can think about and analyze all of this later. I zoned out again. I need to make more of my anti-ADD potion soon, but for now I need to focus on this body and its situation.'
Snapping out of his thoughts, Phoenix returned his attention to Solaris and sat beneath the wisteria tree to give himself a bit of privacy while he received this body's information.
Once comfortable, Phoenix asked Solaris to continue through their mind link. Images began to flood his mind as Solaris transferred everything he had on this body. Phoenix's brows furrowed from the migraine-like pain that followed. It was the most efficient way to receive information without overlooking anything, but damn, it hurt like a bitch.
This body's name is Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan. He is a twenty-one-year-old culinary arts student who was born as a regular Dominant Omega. After Phoenix entered the shell, however, the body awakened further and now registers privately as an SSS-Dominant Omega. Solaris warned him to keep that upgrade hidden because its powers could soothe frightened omegas, suppress hostile pheromones, force instinctive submission from weaker alphas, and trigger dangerous obsession from anyone who sensed the truth.
Beyol had recently received a major opportunity: he was accepted to compete in a new variety show that paired up-and-coming chefs with celebrities so they could teach each other their trades.
'Holy shit, now I get why this is such a big deal. Okay, I can definitely work with this. I can cook, and I am a master at acting. If I combine my knowledge with Beyol's, I should be able to handle the competition—assuming everything goes smoothly.' Phoenix was not trying to sound arrogant, but he absolutely did.
When Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan received the star message confirming he had been chosen for the show, he was ecstatic. If he won, he could help support his family, gain public recognition, and possibly earn his own cooking show, which had been one of his biggest dreams.
He also had a secret love of acting, but he had never told his family. If they knew, they would do everything they could to help him chase that dream too, and Beyol knew they already needed him at the restaurant.
A cooking show would let him combine both passions while supporting his family. He could still work some shifts at the family restaurant, and the exposure would help the family business grow.
He went to the studio full of excitement and buzzing nerves. After meeting the producer's assistant, signing the paperwork, and greeting the producer and director, he was told the pairings would be random.
Beyol chose the first number and color that came to mind. After that, the staff led him into another room to meet the celebrity he would be paired with.
To his complete amazement, he had been paired with none other than Choi Yongbok, the Movie Emperor. Choi Yongbok was a Dominant Alpha known not only for his peerless acting skills and frequent emperor roles, but also for the commanding presence that came with his secondary-sex status.
Choi Yongbok was considered untouchable. Men, women, alphas, betas, and omegas all wanted him, and his stans jokingly called themselves his harem. Choi Yongbok disliked the nickname, but that had never stopped his many, many stans.
To the public, Choi Yongbok had a sunny, easygoing, golden-boy image and was considered the empire's ideal boyfriend or husband.
In private, however, he was cold and distant. He disliked people standing too close or touching him, partly because he struggled with mysophobia.
He has never had a partner and keeps his record clean. He is friends with some of his coworkers in the industry, but he is never seen in a public setting casually with anyone other than his family.
Despite being the top actor in the industry, Choi Yongbok also held a Ph.D. in business, a second Ph.D. in engineering, and a master's degree in psychology. He had black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Taekkyon, Kuk Sool Won, Hapkido, Kung Fu Wushu, and Kendo, and he had even developed his own martial arts style.
-Phoenix - 'Okay, I get it. He is a cold-hearted badass with a brain, god-tier looks, and a germaphobe's personal space requirements. Gotcha. Anything else before we move on?'
Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan was the second youngest child of Beyol Shin and Tae Eun-Kyung, and he was the only omega in a family of betas. His parents were hardworking, honest, humble restaurant owners who had started with a roadside stall. His oldest sibling worked as an office worker, his older sister had studied culinary arts in the capital before returning to help at the family restaurant, and his youngest brother was still in high school.
-Solaris - 'That is the main information about the body, his family, and his current situation. The good news is that we arrived before the disaster began. Beyol has only received the star message confirming his selection and the appointment details to sign paperwork and meet the staff. We still have time to get ahead of everything that happened in the original timeline.'
Phoenix exhaled slowly, the weight of Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan's broken dream settling over him. The original owner had not wanted much. A family safe from ruin. A chance to cook. A chance to act. A chance to be seen as more than a rare omega body other people could covet, slander, or destroy. Phoenix could work with that. He could do more than work with it.
-Phoenix - 'All right, Solaris. Show me where everything started to fall apart.'
~ ✨~🐉~ ☯ ~🐦🔥~✨~