Even when the starry sky dissolves at dawn

[brightlyshines]

WHO: Literally anyone and everyone
WHERE: The Town
WHEN: May 3rd, evening
WHAT: The town's regained both some aspects of evening and a starry night sky. Stargazing is clearly in order.
WARNINGS: All that good pure cute, probably.

The town is just a little bit different today. Color has returned to some objects, even phenomenon, and it has left others. Slowly but surely, things are changing.

In some cases, very big things are changing.

Maybe someone looks out a window, maybe they're out late in the evening. At around 6pm, the sky takes on it's normal hue, just for a moment. And later, as darkness falls....

The stars blink into existence, one by one.

Comments

[brightlyshines]

[Estelle had happened to step outside to get some firewood to bring in, when the evening sky caught her eye.

Color. The dusky colors of the setting sun, just for a moment, and after yelling for her housemates, she's enthralled enough to stick around, making herself comfortable on the grass near their makeshift chicken pen. The disappointment when it fades is keenly felt.... enough that she lingers outside in hopes it'll return.

Then the stars start to come out, and her delight turns to quiet awe.]

Somehow... the sight of stars is even more beautiful, after missing them for so long.

[messianic]

It really is beautiful.

[Minato lingers too, stuck as he is staring outside like this--because it's really been such a long time since he's seen anything like this.

But... it's somehow so peaceful, in its own sort of way.

And he's grateful for that.]

It really does feel like we're doing something...important here, like this. Doesn't it?

[nascere]

Yeah.

[ Noctis says by way of greeting as he comes out to join her, having heard the summons. She's right -- it's gorgeous, and one doesn't realise how much the night sky is missed until the beauty of it reminds him just what they've missed all along.

Settling on the grass beside her, he flashes her a lopsided smile, genuinely pleased to be privy to such a sight. Spot nestles down behind them after giving Estelle an affectionate nudge with his beak and a soft 'kweh' of greeting. He's fluffing himself up, contentedly providing them with warmth for the coming evening. ]

You like watching the stars, too?

[whereabout]

[ Of course Joshua's straight out the door the instant he hears her calling, and even if it turns out to be not so urgent (at least, not in the sense of being dangerous, always his first concern), it's certainly worth staying outside for.

He's quiet for a while, until she finally speaks. ]

We must be on the right track.

[passio]

[ dextera has never seen nighttime before. the sky in the outer world is red all the time, day or night—there's an eternal, horrible timelessness to the world in which he lived before he came to this one.

he's seen the sunset by now thanks to guren's hasty intervention, but the stars are new. exciting. when they've crossed the entire sky, he's staring desperately up into the dark, open night. the stars are reflected in his wide eyes—all the more when tears start to brim, glazing his gaze until they start to drip down his cheeks.

pay no mind to the silent weirdo standing in the middle of bluo crying at the vision of stars. it's fine. ]

I know we have like 100 threads but here's another

[ifionlyhadthecourage]

[ Now, why is Mr. I'd-Never-Set-Foot-In-Bluo-After-Almost-Being-Drowned doing here? Facing his fears at ass at night? That seemed unlikely. Rather, he may have made a point to avoid the water, but it made a great place to sit by and watch the stars. The reflective surface didn't have color, but it was still nice to see the difference between the colorless reflection and the very pretty night sky. He missed this.

Of course, when he catches Dextera shifting in the darkness (which is far less dark to a nocturnal creature like him), he's absolutely going to say hi! Well, until he notices the tears, anyway. There's some hesitation, but he finally goes to approach Dextera once he worked up what little nerve he had. ]

O-oi... Are you okay, signore?

[messianic]

[It's fine. Honestly, after seeing nothing but bleak, greyish sky (and slightly darker greyish sky at night) for so long, even for Minato it's refreshing to finally see the stars again.

But he remembers what Dextera said about the ocean and the water, and he wonders if the stars, too, are something he's just never seen before.

(What kind of a place does Dextera even come from...?)

Quietly, Minato walks over, and looks up as well, and really he doesn't want to interrupt--so he just casually tucks his hands back into his pockets, and very gently nudges Dex's shoulder.

He's here, in other words--but there's no need to break the quiet or this spell.]

I can't believe we've never threaded and bonus we have the same manga-ka

[totheno1]

Young man, are you alright?

[When you don't know a person's history, seeing someone cry in the night can imply many things. Kei isn't exactly the kindest person around, but he is trying to be more empathetic towards others. OR at least help out others since they need everyone's help to succeed.]

[nascere]

[ he's totally paying attention to the silent weirdo standing in the middle of bluo who's crying, and noctis is totally alarmed by it. it's why he's crossing over to him, brows knitted in concern. spot makes a soft querying 'kweh' in response, and follows. ]

Hey.

[ he says by way of greeting, coming up beside him and wishing he has tissues or something. but no, he's empty-handed save for his chocobo, who's already nudging at dex's shoulder. ]

[good_ideas]

[She doesn't even have a handkerchief to offer. Instead she makes vague, unhelpful gestures with her hands.]

A-Are you okay? [Did he get sand in his eye? Were the stars too bright?!]

What's wrong?

[queenofminiskirts]

[Kaoru couldn't be counted on to wake up early, but sleeping late was something all teenagers did, wasn't it?

Either way, she was glad she stayed up to tonight. It felt like forever since she's seen stars like this. When she spotted Dextera she was automatically heading towards him. But when she got close enough to see the tears...

There's a hand on his shoulder and Kaoru's sort of just...hovering off the ground.]

Is everything okay? [he's not hurt or something, is he...?]

[brightlyshines]

[Estelle had seen Dextera in the distance when she'd decided to take a little walk under the night sky, and she picks up her pace as she approaches, excitement bubbling up anew at the sight of her friend. She doesn't call out from afar, quieter than she ever is, but that's purposeful on her part-- it feels like a shame to be too loud right now.

Once she's close, she's about to speak up in greeting when she realizes that the darkness had hidden what were obviously tears trailing down his cheeks.]

.....Dextera....?

[hypertoxic]

... is standing around in the middle of town crying a hobby of yours for some totally unfathomable reason, or what the fuck?

[ there's most of the people of town, somewhere between curious and concerned to see this man crying at the sight of the stars,

and then there's vriska serket. ]

[doublecrowss]

[ Tonight, people walking across their district of choice - Flavo? Bluo? Doesn't matter, anywhere is fair game. - may stumble upon... a blanket burrito. Yes, a very inconspicuous blanket burrito, pressed up against the wall of an empty house.

Upon closer inspection, one may notice light brown hair spilling out from the velvety safety of the blanket, and a pair of coppery eyes gazing up at the starry sky. The once hot beverage in the cup resting beside him is now lukewarm at best, an indication he's been sitting here for a while - or wandering about, looking for a nice spot where he wouldn't be bothered. Akechi is used to his alone time, used to getting lost in thoughts in then sorting through them like documents in a file cabinet, but given the hectic nature of this place and no cozy cafes where he can relax and be himself, the opportunity hasn't presented itself until now.

It's funny, though; he was never much for stargazing, himself. Maybe because he can't remember the stars ever being so bright back in Tokyo... ]

[theshowsover]

Having fun?

[Akira is looking down at him from the top of a boathouse roof - what is he even doing up there, anyway? Not that it matters - it only takes him a moment to swing down and land in front of Akechi, as soundless as he can be given the drops he makes.]

You look comfy.

[heartsteals]

So that's where you went.

[ he also could have jumped on Akechi's head from up on a building, but he's on the ground for now. It's not terribly uncommon for Lupin to take nighttime strolls - his sleeping schedule is inconsistent, to put it kindly - but they're much nicer with some stars to look at during. Coming across his roommate is pure coincidence. And it feels like a bit of a rare occurence, too: he doesn't think he's ever seen him looking so... cuddled up. Usually, he seems like he's doing his best to act mature. ]

All on your own a night like this? I thought a face like yours would have charmed a girl or two by now.

[apocalypticist]

[ It's a pleasant evening, one that reminds Ryo of those times he'd stargaze with Akira when they were children. He remembers telling him that there are no rabbits in the moon, that many of the stars they see have been dead for a long time because it takes hundreds of years for the light they came from to reach the earth.

Tonight, he has no Akira to explain those scientific things to, but that's okay. It's not often he gets the chance to see something like this, untainted by the light pollution caused by human activity. So once it gets dark out, he leaves his house in Ruga to find a good place to look at the stars from, and soon he finds a burrito of blankets and a familiar face. ]

Good evening, Akechi-san.

[ 'Sup, it's your buddy Satan. ]

[hypertoxic]

Oh, gross, it's you.

[ Hi Akechi! When Vriska spotted a worm-with-hair that turned out to be some rando rolled up in a blanket outside a house, she had to investigate, because wtf?

So when she gets close enough to lean over and get all up in his face, she finally realizes who it is, and stands straight again with a look of mild disgust. ]

What are you doing, weirdo? Don't answer that, you'll just give me some flowery bullcrap about the meaning of life or something. I guess my real question is why did you make yourself a cocoon in the middle of the fucking street?

[theshowsover]

[Most people have taken to the streets to look at the stars, but Akira has found an alternative.

After all, what better place to see the stars than the roof?

He's seated up there, feet dangling off the edge as he leans back and looks up at the stars. He probably got up here using a roof access door or a fire ladder, so he can be followed up - of course, those particularly skilled at scaling buildings might get to him faster.

He seems pretty happy up there, all things considered. When he sees someone below that he knows, he smiles and waves.]

[queenofminiskirts]

[Roof access doors and fire ladders are for people who can't fly. Since Akira already knows she has powers there is no reason for Kaoru not to just float herself up to the roof when she spots him.]

Looks like you've found the spot with the best view! [And she's not planning on asking for permission to join him before she just sits herself on the roof.] It's really something, isn't it?

[You don't get stars like this in Tokyo and it was even more striking given that there was nothing before.]

[good_ideas]

[Oh look, it's her monster.

There's a beat and then she smiles right back, putting her hands behind her back.]

How did get all the way up there?

[Though one touch of her hand on the building tells her exactly how. A ladder, huh. And it does look like a good spot.]

[heartsteals]

[ Unsurprisingly, Lupin's of a similar mind. This isn't the first time he's admired the night sky from up on a rooftop, but it is the first time he's done so here in the town, for obvious reasons. There's no reason for him to believe anything is getting better at all around here; still, the reappearance of the stars at least makes him feel like they're part of the universe again, not trapped somewhere out of sight of even the heavens, and so, he's in good enough spirits to make the climb up.

He's crossed a few looking for the ideal view before he happens to stumble across Akira - almost literally, because he truly wasn't expecting to see anyone else up here. But, naturally, a master thief doesn't stumble into anything, and he instead just lands semi-quietly instead of totally quietly on the edge of the building. ]

Woah. Fancy seeing you here.

[whereabout]

[ But what about somebody on the next roof over? ]

I didn't really think about how weird it was without them until they came back.

[nascere]

[ Stars.

So many stars in the night sky now, and Noctis cannot help but look up at it, right there in a cozy spot he'd found in Bluo, having set up a comfortable little fire and settling right by it He's resting on Spot, his jet-black, dozing chocobo, and he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to move.

The constellations are not familiar to him, but it doesn't matter -- it makes this place less lonely, less bleak, the pinpricks of light representing a glimmer of hope, however far-flung. Shifting when he senses a presence, he murmurs a soft: ]

Hey.

[unfatalist]

Rather thought I might find you out here.

[It's simple math, really. Where there are stars, there is likewise likely to be a Noct. So it's been since they were children and sneaking out of the Citadel together, so it still is now in this strange little semi-colorless town in the middle of nowhere, so far away from the demands of destiny.]

Have you spotted the archer and the anak yet?

[unfatalist]

[So, stars are pretty great and all, but you know what else is amazing that's also back? Books.

And small wonder that Ignis, being the gigantic nerd that he is, has immediately set about gathering up as many of the books as he can find, intent on perusing them to see what they might hold. It's a minor disappointment when there proves to be very little of actual historical or probative value to any of them, but the funny thing about fairy tales is, they're short and sweet and a catchy read, so it isn't long before Ignis's skimming turns to reading, and pretty soon he's engrossed.

Enough so, in fact, that he's still outside when the sky flashes to blue at 6 PM, which is curious enough of an oddity that it leads him to switch on his portable flashlight, intent on staying out a little longer —

And he didn't know it was coming, but he's not disappointed when it does.

Stars. Unfamiliar stars, laid out in patterns that don't look much of anything like home, but stars nevertheless.

It's enough to make him leave his current book of fairy tales open in his lap, momentarily forgotten, as he leans back into his hands and tips his head back to regard the sky overhead, searching for shapes and figures in the arrangement of the specks of light laid out on the canvas of the heavens.]

[brightlyshines]

[Estelle had come out to enjoy the sight of the stars too, ducking back in only momentarily to snag a blanket for warmth as the air chills. The blanket nearly drags the ground, and because of that, she nearly trips over one of Ignis' books on her way out the door.]

Whoa...! Huh, that's a lot of books, Ignis.

[Estelle's voice quiets immediately after that first outburst, not quite willing to break the serenity of the night with loud voices.]