Heso!🤘Here you will find the origins of both Cupid and her Devil Fruit! [All designs by me!]
Tenshi-Tenshi no Mi, Model: Seraphim
Tenshi means “Angel” in Japanese. For appearance, the Seraphim draws heavy inspiration from Holydramon/Magnadramon (Digimon) while also referencing both biblical seraphim and cherubim angels. The DF’s design is inspired by the etrog fruit which appears as one of the forbidden fruits in the Bible. In fact, Cupid’s real name is Querubín, meaning “Cherub/Cherubim” in Spanish.
The Seraphim in Skypiean Culture: Myth of Creation: Mother Seraph
“Legends tell the story of a winged beast who fell from the heavens and in a disoriented fury created the Sky Islands. With cyclones birthed from the frantic batting of all ten of its powerful wings, raging fire and sea, the islands soon adorned the clouds.”
It is said that in 10 days, the beast weakened itself and retreated to what is currently known as the Upper Yard, creating its Holy Land. In time, the beast revealed its true form to the early Sky People— a Lunarian woman by the name of Seraph.
Her otherworldly appearance alone inspired devotion; A towering woman with a beautiful rich complexion, hair kissed by moonlight, eyes the color of rubies and her most distinguishing feature: a pair of kite-tailed wings crowned by flames with long black feathers that curled towards the heavens from whence she came.
Seraph and the Seraphim became their beloved ruler, their guardian, slayer of beasts, their goddess, their teacher. A temple and altar were erected in Seraph’s honor upon the Upper Yard. (Offerings, rituals and sacrifices took place in exchange for knowledge, protection and blessings)
The goddess bestowed the knowledge of her powers from the Devil Fruit to assure the security of the Seraphim’s power as to not fall into the wrong hands and bring destruction to their land as it did to her original home from where she was exiled.
Upon her passing, a Devil Fruit was left behind and the legacy of the Seraphim begins. Deemed “The Forbidden Fruit”, it was guarded by Seraph’s most loyal devotees from generation to generation.
The appearance of the Sky People is believed to be attributed to Mother Seraph.
Winds of Change: Enter Querubín
Taken from her parents at birth, she was burdened with a destiny imposed onto her. The child was born with a distinguishing birthmark— her peculiar wings.
Querubín’s wings were kite-tailed with feathers curling upwards and a tint that was described as being “kissed by moonlight”.
Her birth was deemed the sign of a new age in which Seraph had finally returned to them.
Querubín was raised by Decem Alas within Seraph’s temple in Upoer Yard. Her sole purpose was to permanently embody the Seraphim and protect the Sky Islands/Upper Yard. Throughout her childhood, she was indoctrinated into the sect and thoroughly prepared to consume the Devil Fruit. Querubín spent years under a grueling schedule of training at the hands of the High Priests whose purpose was to ensure the Seraphim’s survival by having Querubín master and awaken her Zoan Devil Fruit.
Despite her destiny, proficiency in training and the teachings of Decem Alas, Querubín felt reluctant towards a future that involved shedding her humanity and her identity completely to become the beast, so resentment festered as she matured. Her focus within training shifted from the goals of the cult, to her own— freedom. To see the world and to learn more about it— about the vearthly treasures that lurked beneath the endless sea of clouds. The girl’s plan was to master her abilities in order to overpower/defeat the High Priests and leading cultists and escape the Sky Islands.
Threatening to plunge the entirety of Skypiea into the abyss and undoing Seraph’s work, the Seraphim leaves behind a blanket of blazing white, the temple that once imprisoned her reduced to ruins, blood and viscera painting the sacrificial altar crimson… She was free.
…Until she found herself face-to-face with the quickly approaching blue. Weakened by the fight, the victor travelled not too far until her wounds and exhaustion took its toll, sealing her fate to a watery grave.
Following the echo of what seemed to be a large shipwreck, divers of the Saruyama Alliance crew were puzzled to find a young girl— no older than 10 years old— sinking to the depths. Upon rescue and examination, they were astonished at her appearance befitting of the descriptions of the Sky Islands’ inhabitants.
Returning to the coast of the island of Jaya with a heavily injured and comatose angel child, the captains bring their discovery to their leader, Mont Blanc Cricket. The girl was living proof of his ancestor’s expeditions to the Sky Islands and the City of Gold.
Querubín was taken in by Mont Blanc Cricket and his protégés Shoujo and Masira where she lived happily for years as a family until setting off on her own journey to follow her dreams. (There were many conversations between her and Cricket about the Sky Islands and her knowledge of it, sharing her experiences and past with Decem Alas and how it lead her to Jaya. Her accounts often helped the older man verify his ancestor’s claims.)
It was during her time spent at Jaya that she developed a love for botany, zoology, history and the arts through reading books Cricket had amassed during his own expeditions, plus those she was gifted by her surrogate family. The nearby rainforest became her favorite place, often going on her own expeditions to observe nature and taking a sketchbook along with her to draw the flora and fauna she came across in order to identify them back at home using her books. The walls of her room soon becoming covered in sketches with varying degrees of detail as she developed her artistic skills.
It’s on this island where Querubín meets her very first friend, Berry!Originating from Little Garden, her egg had been stolen by a traveling merchant looking to make good money off of it in Mock Town’s market. Upon arriving on the island of Jaya, the egg was stolen again by a hungry South Bird who attempted to take it back to its nest in the South Grave rainforest but dropped it beforehand due to its weight. Luckily, it was found by the young girl who saw the bird drop something. After inspecting the extraordinary egg, she decided to bring it back home with her to try and identify what it could be and to not abandon it to predators. (Paying forward the kindness the Saruyama Alliance showed her). Querubín took care of the egg until it hatched, not only revealing a species she had never seen in the rainforest, but a dinosaur nonetheless! However, the two quickly became inseparable and so ‘Berry’ became part of their small family (and also becoming the subject of many life drawings).
Berry’s design! She stands at about 2’7” and 5-6’ long!
For her 18th birthday, Querubín was gifted her very own log pose so she could embark on her own journey and chase her own dreams.
An additional parting gift— an eternal pose to Jaya with a letter signed by all 3 letting her know that she would always have a home to return to.
After a tearful goodbye and a heartfelt moment of the Skypiean woman expressing her everlasting gratitude to Mont Blanc Cricket, Masira and Shoujo for saving her and raising her as one of their own throughout the years, she and Berry take their leave.
Querubín leaves with them an old sketchbook filled with drawings of them as she did when she was younger, adding a couple of loose pages at the end and using a feather of hers as a bookmark— a realistic sketch of them all together (including Berry) and a beautiful letter also expressing her gratitude and deep love for them all.
The Log Pose lead the Skypiean to the beautiful desert kingdom of Alabasta. But not before experiencing their fair share of obstacles to get there! The biggest highlight of the beginning of their journey was making a new friend, who they saved from drowning! (Then immediately bonded over having a pair of beautiful wings as part of their ensembles).
A few days after their farewell from their new friend, Querubín and Berry found themselves under attack when a larger boat rammed into hers, filled with pirates who were looking to steal their supplies. Not wanting to risk their lives for some food, Querubín transforms and with a powerful thrust of her ten wings, she and Berry take to the skies, leaving however a wreckage behind.
Their journey resumes on flight, using the clouds as a sort of camouflage until they eventually see land below. While making their descent, the Seraphim is captured in a strong tornado of sand and
