#alnst oc: wren

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 24 - Tov’s Log

Cirrus (61) vs. Himei (38) -> Cirrus Win

Follow up to Round 24 - Himei’s POV by @lookatmysillies.

————————————————————

Tov knew she was in a hospital before she even opened her eyes.

The strong smell of antiseptic.

The pinch of an IV needle in her arm.

The steady tone of the heart monitor beeping faster than normal, even with her barely conscious.

A thick fog filled Tov’s mind and muddled her thoughts.

She could feel someone’s presence at her side, a warm arm pressed against her leg.

Slowly, she forced her eyes open, squinting at the bright, white lights that greeted her.

Through her hazy vision, she could make out the familiar furnishings of a standard hospital room.

But when she looked down, it wasn’t Cassio resting at her bedside.

It was—

“Wren?”

Tov’s voice was weak and rough from lack of use; her throat dry from whatever sedative anchored her limbs to the bed.

But Wren still stirred at the rasp of her name, grey eyes fluttering open as she lifted her head from her folded arms.

“Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” She asked around a yawn hidden behind her pink mask.

A flurry of questions crowded to the front of Tov’s mouth, writhing and desperate to be answered. She forced them back with a thick swallow and asked the first thing that came to mind.

“What are you doing here?” Her tone came out accusatory, but Wren didn’t seem to notice or care.

“I was leaving the hospital when some medics brought you in from the contestant dorms.” She said.

Tov frowned, “Brought me in? For what?”

“Well, uh,” Wren averted her eyes for a moment, before looking back at her.

The nervousness in her expression was clear, even with the mask covering half of her face. “Your heartbeat spiked too high and you passed out. A guard found you unconscious in your room.” She said. “The doctor said you suffered a minor cardiac event.”

The bottom of Tov’s stomach gave way.

“A heart attack?” She asked faintly.

“Something like that, yeah.” Wren’s voice sounded far away. “Cassio went to speak with them a few minutes ago.”

Tov closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the bed support her. As the fog in her head lifted, static rushed to take its place.

A heart attack?

I’m only 24. Aren’t I still too young for one of those?

Even with my condition, I’m still healthy. Well, as healthy as I can be…

“You’ve been under a lot of stress since the season started. It could’ve put more strain on your heart.” Wren said.

Tov didn’t respond.

She didn’t know what else to say.

Her head was still a mess.

Wren’s next question lanced right through her skull, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Round 24.

A song that sounded too much like a goodbye.

Dark eyes gazing heavenward.

The echo of a single gunshot.

61 - 38

Tov could barely breathe.

“Himei’s gone…” She said, her voice broken into as many pieces as her heart.

Her eyes stung fiercely as she tried to hold back a sob.

The heavy weight of grief pressed down on her chest, threatening to cave in her rib cage and splinter the bones.

Tov’s whole body began to shake.

“Himei’s gone, and so is Tallis…” The tears came quicker, blurring her vision and shaking her already fragile voice, “And Azure and Moran and Stasya and Flor—” And Minori and Lark and Noora…

And on and on it went.

“They’re all gone and I can’t— I can’t—”

I can’t get them back.

I can never get any of them back.

And it’s so lonely without them here that it kills me.

She tried to dry her cheeks, but it was all in vain. The sobbing just got worse.

Somewhere inside of her, a dam had broken irreparably.

It was like reliving each and every death all at once.

All of the stars she’d named were gathered in her hands, burning through skin and muscle and nerve.

She couldn’t hold Himei’s too.

A hand reached out to rub her shoulder in comfort.

Wren…

Tov didn’t want to look at her.

She was afraid of the pity she’d find reflected back.

“I’m sorry about Himei, Tov.” Wren said quietly, “I know she meant a lot to you.”

A humorless laugh caught in her throat.

If that wasn’t an understatement.

Tov loved Himei.

She was in love with her.

She kissed her.

And now she was gone.

Dead.

It was just like Tallis all over again.

She’d kissed him too.

She told him she loved him too.

And he died on the same stage Himei did.

Tov had cursed them both.

She’d cursed everyone she believed in, really. Her blind faith had left a trail of bodies in its wake.

She was a black widow.

A harbinger of death.

Not a star, but a black hole, unraveling everything that got too close.

How am I supposed to keep going?

How do I stop this from hurting so much?

How am I supposed to look at the stars without apologizing for everything I’ve done?

Tov’s bones ached.

Deep in the marrow, the stardust she shared with Himei had been hollowed out.

Why do I feel like I’m dying?

“Tov…” Wren murmured.

“Stop. Please.” Tov sighed, resting her hand in her hands.

Wren’s hand dropped from her shoulder.

Silence filled the room, pressing into every nook and cranny.

Tov thought Wren was going to get up and leave.

She didn’t.

Instead, she leaned forward to rest her head on her folded arms again and waited.

Tov could feel her stare burning a hole in the side of her face, but she said nothing more.

Once the tear tracks began to dry and the sobs slowed to sniffles, Tov spoke again.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” She croaked.

Any fight left in her had drained away a long time ago.

All she wanted was for this nightmare to be over.

“So what, you’re just going to give up then?” Wren asked.

There was an edge in her voice that raised Tov’s hackles immediately.

It was pointed, almost mocking.

Her eyes snapped up to Wren’s with a start. The warmth that had been there when they first met was gone. A sharp, steely glint had taken its place.

The air around them seemed to chill.

“I beg your pardon?”

Wren’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, “I asked if you were giving up.”

“…I don’t know.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I said I don’t know!” Tov snapped.

“Would Himei have wanted you to give up?” Wren asked.

Something hot like rage flared to life under Tov’s nerve endings.

“Fuck you.”

“It’s a simple question.” Wren shrugged, far too even and composed for Tov’s liking. “And it’s one Alien Stage will force you to answer.”

She grit her teeth, “Leave Himei out of this.”

“But she’s at the heart of it, isn’t she?” Wren asked.

Tov huffed and looked away, unable to argue.

Wren took her lack of response as confirmation. “This competition is win or die, Tov. Do you want to die?”

“No.” That much she knew for sure.

“Then win.”

Tov rolled her eyes, “You make it sound so simple.”

“It won’t be hard for you.” Wren’s voice softened back into what Tov had grown used to hearing.

“You could win this whole thing if you wanted to.” She said. “But you have to want it.”

Tov looked back at Wren, “How?”

“Think of all the people you’ve lost. Who is going to remember them if you die?” Wren asked. “Not the audience. Not production. For most, not even their owners.”

Tov knew she was right.

To the aliens, humans were disposable. Interchangeable. Easily forgotten and quickly replaced.

History would only remember whoever won the season.

The rest were nothing more than a pound of flesh for sacrifice.

Wren looked Tov in the eye then; her gaze strong and steady. “Do it for them. Do it for all of the stars you named in their honor.” She said. “As long as you’re alive, you carry their memories with you and they live on too.”

A lump welled up in Tov’s throat. Her eyes burned anew, but she was all out of tears. “But I… I don’t know if I can be “the Star” anymore.”

“Then become something brighter.” She could tell Wren was smiling by the change in her voice.

“The Sun is a star too.”

————————————————————

This was by far the hardest log for me to write. Himei was Tov’s first friend ever.

Without her, Tov probably wouldn’t have opened up to and formed relationships with everyone else she came to care for.

Now Himei is gone and Tov has yet another person to grieve. It’s even harder this time because Himei is the reason why Tov started naming constellations in the first place.

She’s definitely at her lowest point right now. Hopefully Wren’s… unconventional methods helped a bit.

It did give me a chance to callback to the graduation message Tov wrote Azure ( @azureitri ) (aka the original curse victim).

Anyways, sorry this is so late! I wanted to take my time writing because Himei is so vital to understanding Tov. I really loved her as a character too 🥲

Rest in peace, Himei. Or go fight Daiki ( @daiki1k ) in hell, idk.

Congratulations @lookatmysillies, you have broken both my heart and Tov’s heart yet again.

[lookatmysillies]

ALNST S40 OCs Naz & Yael Official Profiles

Since I never actually posted their official profiles, here are their profiles & assets for @season40! Once again, art for both by @rockwgooglyeyes, he does lots of amazing oc art over on his blog!

Yael and Naz have both lost people very dear to them (Akane @aakaneeee & Macbeth @alien-til-i-stage, respectively) shortly before their season and are dealing with the fallout as they hit the stage. Their closest confidants at the time of S40 are Can @14-alc (warily reciprocated) and Inna (wildly one-sided) for Yael and Wren @ivanttakethis (Naz likes to act like it's one-sided) for Naz

By S40, they share a guardian, Guardian Ebej. Naz was Ebej's first pet human and he was intrigued by her outbursts and uncontrollable fluxes of emotion. He purchased Yael after Yael's guardian sold them, exhausted of having to deal with Yael's strange and morbid behaviors. Ebej further encouraged Yael's mental illness and fueled his delusions by sending him on a "mission" after graduation from Anakt Garden to spread the word about the Great Anakt, which Yael claims to have seen firsthand from two near-death experiences (one when they were a small child and tried to end their own life by drowning themselves, only saved by Can; then again before graduation when they acquired a bad concussion in a physical fight with Inna).

Here are their pictures for the brackets:

[verdantlights]

TW for brief mention of SA, abuse, and panic attacks.

Bumblebees are out - Jack Stauber

♧ Clove ♧

Green is Clove

Blue is Aster - @apriciticreveries

Orange is Wren - @ivanttakethis

Purple is Cindy - @tsukacchako

Macbeth - @alien-til-i-stage

Sebastian - @sotogalmo

Clove's most recent owner, Ignis. Abandoned him at ANAKT at 15 years old. He was visually beaten and bruised, cuts and gashes visible through tattered clothing. He looked lifeless. The administrators who handled him were... a bit concerned, but couldn't do anything to help him yet. The only thing Ignis said before handing all ownership over to ANAKT was, "Keep her hair long and keep her piercings in. Don't let her take them out."

And so began Clove's recovery at ANAKT. The admins were thankfully kind towards Clove, and helped him recover as well as put him in physical therapy for wrongly-healed fractured ankles.

Clove was silent for a while, the light in his eyes was dark. Everyone was referring to him as a girl and he couldn't say anything about it. His voice wouldn't come out, he was too scared.

But little by little, he regained hope. He ended up in speech therapy too, which helped a lot. Soon enough he was giving rough bits and pieces about Ignis' treatment towards Clove as well as Clove's preferred identity. They acclimated decently, able to edit a few things on his chart for future admins to see. As for Ignis' treatment, they weren't surprised to hear the things he had done. A lot of human pet owners treating their pets like sex toys, punching bags, and/or slaves is nothing new.

From what they've gathered, Clove endured all three. He was forced to be a young girl and to do everything Ignis asked of him. It was torture. He had to endure it for roughly 2 years.

They learned how Clove's eye became defective. He had a nasty beating and was left with a gash through his right eye leaving it black, bruised, and swollen. It got infected and wasn't treated. He had a parasite eat its way through his eye and by the time he was finally taken to a doctor, he was already blind in his right eye. Thankfully it was removed before any further damage was done.

...

...Making friends at ANAKT was a nice change, too. He found a lot of people he liked and some he... didn't quite like. He can be found in a patch of grass weaving flower crowns for anyone who wants one, his shaking hands turning stems in and out, over and under. He repeats the motion until his hands start to cramp.

Sometimes he'll accidentally break a stem... somewhere in his mind he hears the snap of his ankles and the scream he let out after, but he's not there anymore. He picks another flower.

He found someone who's presence is very calming, someone named Aster. He finds it quite ironic that their name is also that of a flower. He likes to braid flowers into their hair and likes to sing and dance with them. They can't see very well, but Clove doesn't care. He likes to help them during the day, if they feel like Clove is crowding them, they never say anything. In fact, Aster seems to enjoy the help Clove provides.

♧

"I hope I can see you one day. Maybe when I get you out of Alien Stage."

"Alien Stage? What's that?"

"...You... oh no..."

"Aster...? What's Alien Stage...?"

They stay silent for a while, contemplating their next words carefully. Unfortunately,, there's not a good way to put it.

"Do you know what our singing practice is for? It's for Alien Stage. Once it's your time to participate... you'll be sent off to compete. If you lose a round by unpopular vote... they kill you on stage. It's all for the entertainment of the aliens. I'm not here to participate, only to train. But you... I need to get my owner to adopt you, so you can be free."

Clove's head was swimming. He felt dizzy. He was going to die? He would go up on stage and sing his heart out to an audience of aliens, only to be voted against and killed?

His breathing became quicker and heavier. His hands were shaking again. He felt lightheaded and everything was too bright. His vision was blurred,,, no those were tears. He quickly stood from the bench he was sitting on, forgetting his ankles were still faulty. Tripping backwards, he lands on his back, punching the air out of his lungs. He curls in on himself, deaf to Aster calling his name frantically.

HewasgoingtodiehewasgoingtodiehewasgoingtodiehewasgoingtodiehewasgoingtodieHEWASGOINGTOFUCKINGDIE.

♧

When he wakes, hes lying on his back, facing the too bright sky of ANAKT garden. His head was pounding, but he could see familiar face above him. He made out Aster, Cindy, and Wren circling him, he also swore he saw Macbeth and Seb in the back watching worridly.

"You okay, Clove?"

"Yeah, you seemed to hit the ground pretty hard, does anything hurt... too bad?"

Clove groans, sitting up slowly. He tries to hold his head up with his hands, but notices that one of them is being held by Aster. He feels his face heat up a little bit, but deflates when he remembers why he's on the ground in the first place.

"Alien Stage..."

Everyones face twists in disdainful knowing.

"Is that what got you to freak out? I thought you knew?"

"He didn't. I guess... he was never told."

"Is... Is there anything we can do to help you, Clove?"

"I just wanna sleep. My head hurts. Sorry for scaring all of you."

He stands on wobbly feet, Wren immediately standing to stablize him. He mumbles a 'thank you' as Wren helps him get back to his room.

He doesn't sleep very well, needless to say.

♧

[neverforgetyou]

"aw a hug! im so honored!"

wren by @ivanttakethis

[ivanttakethis]

Tov would go with Himei and Tallis (of course) and she’d wear a celestial themed dress (left).

Wren would tag along with the trio and also wear a celestial dress, but in a different style and color palette (right).

Sun and Moon imagery!! Yippee!!

- If Eddy is hanging with the group, Wren would be very interested in getting to know them. Especially if they’re wearing their face mask because Wren wears one too (same hat!)

- Tov would only get up to dance if Himei or Tallis ask her to. Otherwise, she’s content to people watch, listen to the music, and talk to whichever friends are nearby (ie: Moran, Dian, Nyx, etc.)

- Wren loves to dance so she’d hit the dance floor as soon as a song she loves comes on. She’d probably kick off her heels early in the evening.

- Tov criticizes the DJ’s music selection.

- Wren keeps annoying the DJ with song requests.

- Tov’s social battery drains quickly and she winds up leaning against either Himei or Tallis for support.

- Wren chats with any and everyone there, even if they’re in Tov’s class.

- Tov somehow ends up as the “table watcher”, guarding drinks, holding purses, phones, and at one point Dian’s wallet. She considers stealing the money he has, but Tallis takes the wallet before she can.

- Wren drags Tov over to the photo booth for pictures. Tov won’t admit it, but she enjoys the experience and even smiles at the camera.

can I start something. alnst oc anakt 39/40 prom. what would they wear. who would they go with. how would things play out.....

[season40]

Welcome to ALNST Season 40!

hello! i’m june, the admin of this account! my main blog is @junebluues. here’s some organizational tags i will be using on this blog:

#! round matchups -> for anything regarding the round brackets!

#! round [number] -> this is going to be for easier searching, mostly

#! official round -> for the real rounds that aren't for the silly (canon)

#! unofficial round -> for the rounds that are for the silly (not canon)

#! asks

#! reblog

#! announcements -> announcements can be made at any time! please send me an ask at any time if your oc will be escaping before their round so i can make a proper announcement at the time of your choosing. if there are any other things you’d like me to announce, you can send those over as well!

#! juneposting -> basically things related to me running this blog but not related to any of the rounds or announcements. think of this as me going ooc, in a way? i can't explain it til it happens 😭

(this is subject to change as the season goes on)

i'm not alone in running s40, by the way! i'm only running the blog. so far, zen ( @zerostyrant ) and plip ( @pwippy ) have both offered their help!

here is the masterdoc for all the characters (s39 to some of 41):

participating S40 ocs:

innamorati / @alien-til-i-stage

toki / @eventseraphim ( @zerostyrant )

clove / ^

yumi / @imperfectnothing ( @rockwgooglyeyes )

asuka / ^

dante / ^^

sebastian / @sotogalmo

eeta / ^

naz / @lookatmysillies ( @bluemoonscape )

yael / ^

monica / @nottoonedin

isla / ^

yvonne / @thorny-chaparral ( @aakaneeee )

eliana / ^

atlas / ^^

aamon / ^^^

zero / @myworld-collapsing ( @apriciticreveries )

asahi / ^

ciaran / @starry-skiez

yuna / ^

eri / ^^

casimir / ^^^

jiu / @severedscales

kioku / ^

numa / my oc!

xael / ^

sirius / ^^

brandon / @neverforgetyou ( @tsukacchako )

willow / ^

mentha / @rosedeleca

ambrosia / ^

mill / @waterydream ( @amuseables )

wren / @ivanttakethis

juliet / @yunoftheclouds

gaia / @subzeromoron

leto / @paradisedisconcert

can / ^

clementine / @chevalperd

maya / @cloverandstuff

ava / @tinypaperstar

if anyone needs me to update this list, please tell me!

other:

please try and send me round songs in advance! if not, i completely understand!

hello,, creators of the s40 announcers... would you like me to use them in announcements in the season? i'm rather confused of their roles in this all, please tell me what you'd like me to do with them.

if there is any lore you need me to know in advance, please don't be afraid to tell me!

don't be afraid to spam notifs on here. the season can get hectic, and i don't mind waking up to people freaking out over rounds

i will sometimes need breaks, please understand! i'll let everyone know when i'll be taking a leave. i think i'll still implement the 1 week breaks between rows. we will still be taking 1 day breaks in between rounds like season 39.

be patient with me! i might sometimes release rounds late. i'm sorry if that happens!

please send me your oc's icons, or any art you'd like to use as their round profile! it would be very helpful!

zen is doing the season bracket, not me! please thank zem for zeir hard work <3 more information on this is in this post!

please enjoy season 40! i'm going to try and see when this should start after s39, and i really want to give everyone enough time to get stuff done. thank you!

OFFICIAL ROUND MATCHUP LIST

(this post may update in the future.)

[ivanttakethis]

Here is Wren’s completed profile for Alien Stage Season 40! @season40

Wren’s introduction containing some extra information can be found in this post and her preseason logs are here and here.

Personality: Outgoing, charismatic, perceptive, stubborn, and competitive

Voice/Singer claim: Halle Bailey

Notable Attributes

———

Wren has vitiligo on the left side of her face, her arms, and her legs.

Her hair is completely white due to a genetic mutation, similar to the stars in her irises.

Her braids reach to just below her shoulder blades.

She doesn’t remember how she got the large scar across her nose.

Has a resting bitch face like her twin sister, but is very friendly once you talk to her.

Minimal eye bags because of her regimented sleep schedule.

(More info below the cut!!)

Background/Lore

———

Wren was initially training to become an Alien Stage guard from the ages of 3 to 8 years old.

After her talent for singing was discovered by an officer, she was enrolled in Anakt Garden as a scholarship student.

She was a unique case at Anakt Garden because at the time of her arrival she didn’t have a guardian.

Wren was assigned a handler named Ra’eon, who took on most of the responsibilities of a guardian. For simplicity sake, Wren calls her “Guardian Ra”.

At the age of 18, Wren was recruited to ZYNE Entertainment, a talent agency specializing in pet-human singing groups. Spots in these agencies’ boot camps were highly sought after, and tryouts were almost as rigorous as auditions for Alien Stage.

Wren’s competitive nature thrived in this cutthroat environment, leading to her becoming one of the top performing recruits in both singing and dancing.

After graduating from Anakt Garden, Wren was “adopted” by the talent agency through a series of somewhat controversial loopholes. She still does not have a guardian/owner in the traditional sense.

Over the years at ZYNE, Wren would become a part of three pet-human girl groups in training. But for one reason or another, these groups never made it to debut.

Industry gossip circles each have a different reason for the groups falling apart: conflicting personalities, lack of a cohesive look, infighting, actual fighting, etc. Though ZYNE has denied all of these allegations.

Regardless of these setbacks, Wren had steadily grown a small but loyal fan base that have been hoping she’d go solo for years.

If she wins Season 40, Wren will debut as ZYNE’s first pet-human solo artist.

Wren’s brand is on her left hip (the same place as Luka’s). She was sedated for the procedure at Ra’eon’s request.

[ivanttakethis]

Post Season 39 - Tov’s Log

————————————————————

Tov was not a morning person.

Wren, however, was a morning person.

As evidenced by the fact that she came back to Tov’s hospital room as soon as visitation opened the next day.

She’d barely given Tov twelve hours to process everything, let alone sleep.

“Rise and shine, Stargazer!” Wren chirped as she entered the room.

Tov groaned.

“Not much of an early riser?”

“It has to be nighttime to see the stars, so no.” She said flatly.

Wren chuckled, “You really haven’t changed much at all. You and Prem were always night owls, even back then.”

She threw open the curtains without so much as a warning, flooding the room with the rich yellow sunlight of the early morning.

Tov shielded her eyes, pulling the thin sheets over her head. “Could you not?”

“Nope!” Wren’s tone is far too cheery for her liking. “Cassio said they wanted you up early today. Not sure why, but I was already coming by, so it was no big deal to drop in early.”

Great, Cassio is up to something.

Tov couldn’t complain, she needed to talk to them about the deal she made with Dian sooner rather than later.

As of now, they were fake dating.

Though they still needed to figure out how to announce their “relationship” to the public… and to Nyx.

Tov had no idea how he’d take it.

Hopefully not too poorly, considering Dian was very much gay and very much in love with him.

Pathetically so, Tov had said once.

She hoped Tallis would react to the news similarly. Even if he didn’t have the context that she and Dian’s relationship was explicitly fake.

Tov emerged from her cocoon under the sheets, “Did Cassio say what time they were coming?”

“Nothing specific, just ‘in the morning’.” Wren said, making an air quote gesture.

She pulled up a chair right next to Tov’s bedside and tugged gently at one of her braids, “In the meantime, we can take these diamonds out of your hair. I’m sure they’re worth quite a bit of money.”

Oh, that’s right.

Tov’s hair was still done up from her Round 30 performance.

That felt like so long ago, even though it hadn’t been a full day yet.

Her life could now be split into two halves: Before Alien Stage and After Alien Stage.

She didn’t think she would ever see the after part.

But while the competition was over for her, it was just getting started for Wren.

Soon, all of her classmates would run the same gauntlet as Tov’s did, and only a few would come out alive.

Wren knew about the people Tov had loved and lost to Alien Stage, but she didn’t know anything about those close to Wren, aside from Elias and Prem.

How do I even start this conversation?

“Do you have friends?” She asked, before immediately regretting her choice of words.

Wren barked out a laugh, bright and joyous. She didn’t seem to mind Tov shoving her foot in her mouth. “I do! I have lots of friends, actually.”

Tov grabbed one of her braids and busied herself with detangling the small diamond woven within it, “Tell me about them.” She said.

“Hmmm, where to start… Oh! Cindy.” She can hear the smile in Wren’s voice. “Cindy was very, very sweet. She always made an effort to talk to everyone in our class. One time, she made everyone flower crowns from flowers out in the Garden. I still have mine somewhere; dried, of course.”

Was? Tov’s mind catches on the tense. Did something happen to Cindy? Did she die?

Wren didn’t elaborate, already on to the next person.

“Then there’s Toki. He’s a really good dancer. He can be pretty… intense sometimes, but we’re cool. As long as you’re chill, he’s chill too.” She said. “And he’s really into this guy named Innamorati — Inna for short — who’s very outgoing and big into theatre. We get along well for the most part, but he can also be kind of a bitch sometimes. I guess he’s more of a frenemy than a straight up friend.”

Tov chuckled to herself. That dynamic sounded a bit like her and Dian.

“Aster was kind of crazy when we were kids, but in a silly way. Tons of fun to be around.” Wren’s hands never stopped moving, even as she continued to speak at length. “Even though they’re much more calm and mellow nowadays, I still like spending time with them. They’re also blind, so if we hang out it’s usually just talking.”

“Sometimes the best connections are mostly hanging out and talking.” Tov said, thinking about her relationship with Nyx.

They spent a lot of time in each other’s company just talking. And he was one of the closest people to her.

“They’re close with this guy named Clove. He’s very vibrant, like the Sun. It draws you in so easily.”

Sounds like Solei.

Always smiling.

A light to others.

You can’t help but gravitate toward it.

Is Clove hiding parts of himself like they did?

“Zhuli is with Aster most of the time, kind of like a guide, though he doesn’t talk much. Kinda shy. He says I have a sisterly vibe, and I think he has a brotherly one.” Wren hummed, setting five diamonds on the side table. “Oh, Zhuli isn’t competing in the season, by the way. He’s actually going to be an announcer with another classmate of ours, Faisal.”

“Faisal?” Tov repeated.

Why does that name sound familiar?

“Yeah, yeah, his sister was that girl from your season. Flor.”

Tov’s heart ached.

Now she remembered.

Flor once mentioned that she had a brother named Faisal.

Maybe one day I could meet him.

But what would I even say?

“Sorry about your sister. She was like a sister to me too, but I never got the chance to tell her that.”

No. Absolutely not.

“Fai can be prickly, and distant. But he’s just got a lot of walls up. I’m wearing him down though.” She chuckled.

The pain in Tov’s chest eased a bit.

Just like you wore me down.

“And Yumi, of course! She’s about your height and is just the cutest thing ever.” Wren cooed, like she wasn’t the same height as her. “I think her and Cindy may have been separated at birth. They’re both sweethearts who love flowers. Yumi is actually the one who taught me how to preserve the flower crown Cindy made, plus the rose she gave me for my birthday one year. She’s also really good at acting.”

It sounded like Wren had the same sisterly fondness for Yumi that Tov had for Flor.

Tov could only hope things wouldn’t end as tragically.

Wren’s tone changed to something more affectionate, and she sighed wistfully, “Then there’s Naz.”

Just by the way Wren said the name, Tov knew Naz was different from the other friends mentioned before.

It sounded a little familiar too.

Tov couldn’t place it.

“Naz is like a firecracker. Like a rocket in a bottle.” Wren said. “She’s so passionate and expressive with her emotions that when you look into her eyes, it’s like watching a supernova.”

Ah.

Wren is in love with that girl.

Tov knew without a shadow of a doubt.

Even if Naz didn’t.

Even if Wren didn’t.

It reminded her too much of her and Himei to be completely platonic.

“And Asuka. I met him through Naz.” Her inflection changes slightly, and it catches Tov’s attention. “He’s… complicated, or at least comes across that way sometimes. But I know he’s been through a lot, so I don’t judge on that. He can be easygoing most of the time and I think he understands me a bit more than some of the others.”

Maybe Asuka wasn’t complicated. But rather, Wren felt complicated about him.

That would explain her change in tone.

She was conflicted.

Tov could relate.

When she first started to realize Tallis saw her and understood her in a way that made her feel vulnerable, she was uneasy about it.

Having someone understand you, maybe even better than you understand yourself, and coming to terms with that can be complicated.

It’s even worse when you love them too.

Tov had seen this story play out before.

She’d lived it.

Tallis was to Tov what Asuka was to Wren. She was sure of that.

Please, be kinder to them than you were to me.

There was a brief knock at the door before Cassio swept into the room with a shrewd smile, “Good morning ladies.”

“Good morning.”

“Morning!”

“Apologies for running a little late, I had some last minute things to finish up in preparation for the press conference.” They said, gracefully settling down on the small sofa.

“What press conference?” Tov asked.

Cassio practically beamed at the question, “The press conference announcing your recovery, Star Child. It’s the start of your media campaign.”

“What media campaign?” Tov felt like she was stuck repeating everything.

“You are a rare breed, Tov. I don’t know of any previous Alien Stage contestants who’ve survived like you did.” They said. “This is a chance to show the public and the competition that contestants still have value even if they don’t win.”

“So I’m a test case?”

Cassio nodded, “For lack of a better term, yes.”

“I see…” Tov frowned, thinking it over.

If we can show Alien Stage that losers are still valuable, does that mean the killings will stop?

Can I help bring about a time where no human will ever have to go through everything I did?

It was hard to say.

They were in completely uncharted waters now.

But Tov knew she had to try.

If she was going to live, she couldn’t do it passively. She couldn’t sit back and do nothing.

Her health was too fragile to escape and join up with Nyx and the other rebels. It would only hinder their plans to liberate more pet humans, adding another liability they didn’t need.

But this media campaign, this “test case” Cassio had planned, she could do that.

Even if she could only alter public perception fractionally, that was still something. It was still a step forward.

Then maybe, one day, someone much stronger than her — but just as hurt and heartbroken — would take the final step in burning Alien Stage to the fucking ground.

Tov met Cassio’s gaze, determined. “I’ll do it.”

“So cool!” Wren gushed from behind her, “I’ll help out in any way I can.”

It couldn’t hurt. She thought.

“What’s the plan?”

Her guardian looked pleased with themselves. “First, is the press conference. But you don’t need to worry about that as I’ll be the one speaking.” They said. “Then we’ll set you up for some interviews, do a magazine spread or two, attend a few private events, you and Wren can reveal you’re twins to get some additional buzz and sympathy, and we’ll finish with a surprise.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not going to tell me what the surprise is?”

“Because I won’t be.” They said.

I should’ve seen this coming.

Cassio and Wren were more alike than she wanted them to be, which was not at all.

Tov let it go for now, only because she had her own agenda to add to the mix.

“I have one condition,” She said. “We have to announce that I’m dating Dian.”

“What?”

“What?!”

Wren’s shout was too close to Tov’s ear.

Cassio simply gaped at her.

“Dian? As in model Dian? As in Dian who you said was in love with Nyx? That Dian?”

“It’s a fake relationship.” Tov explained, “Guardian Teneb is trying to pair him off with someone for networking purposes, so I agreed to help him to avoid that.”

Cassio scoffed, “Of course! I should’ve known Teneb had a hand in this.”

“Uh…” Wren started.

“Industry rivals. Bad blood. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to kill each other yet.” Tov said.

“Ah, got it.”

“The relationship benefits us both.” She continued. “He gets Teneb off his back and I can improve my value by dating a high profile public figure.”

Tov wasn’t going to tell Cassio or Wren about Nyx and Tallis yet. Maybe she never would.

“Plus you guys have done a bunch of modeling shoots together and you’re already friends!” Wren added. “Your dynamic will come across as more organic to the media and your fans.”

If I even still have fans.

She didn’t say that thought aloud.

“Hm, I suppose that could be helpful in getting more eyes on you.” Cassio said, mulling the idea over. “As long as I’m not forced to converse with Teneb any more than absolutely necessary, I’ll incorporate Dian into the plan.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll tell him to come to the hospital.”

“We can turn this into paparazzi moment; the two of you walking out of the hospital together when you’re released.” Wren said. “It might even get you on a broadcast.”

A broadcast, huh?

Maybe Tallis would see it.

Tov turned to face her sister, “How do we make that happen?”

Wren grinned, eyes gleaming, “Tell him to bring a bouquet of Easter lilies.”

————————————————————

Easter lilies represent rebirth, hope, and new beginnings btw 😁

TovDian is an in-universe ship and an in-universe ship ONLY!! He’s gay and Tov is engaged (Tallis just doesn’t know it yet)

Also, Tov spotting the Wren, Naz, Asuka polycule in the making is funny to me.

She’s caught on to the Himeitovallis vibes from those three lmao

Tallis, Himei, and Naz belong to @lookatmysillies.

Dian, Nyx, Yumi, Faisal, and Asuka belong to @imperfectnothing.

Cindy belongs to @tsukacchako.

Toki and Clove belong to @zerostyrant.

Inna belongs to @alien-til-i-stage.

Flor belongs to @sotogalmo.

Zhuli and Aster belong to @apriciticreveries.

[ivanttakethis]

Tov would unfortunately be put through image making practice like Ivan.

She doesn’t smile much on her own, so she’d be forced into learning how to do it “on command”.

Wren would go through dance practice like Mizi.

She’s a good dancer, but a much stronger singer. I could see her being in these practices to bring her dancing skills up to a similar level as her singing.

Daily ALNST OC Question ! :

Regarding VIVINO’s release of things that will be sold at the 2nd Anniversary Pop - Up Store, and how each different character has a different kind of practice or test marked as what they’re doing,

Which practice do you think your character would do ? ( Your free to also come up with your own idea of another type of practice though ! )

——————————————————————————————————

EXAMPLE :

I was originally going to go with singing / vocal practice for Aurien, but I think I’ll actually settle on dance practice . Although Auri is good with singing, she’s definitely not the best with dancing .

I think in her own practice, she’d mainly just practice many fast paced choreographies ? Doing them again and again repeatedly until she’s “ perfect “ at them, and even then she just moves onto the next .

( Tags : @bluemoonscape, @starry-skiez, @solei-eclipse, @rockwgooglyeyes, and @4listr ! Though none of you have to do this ! )

[ivanttakethis]

Wren’s Log - Entry 1.0

————————————————————

Wren was surprised Tov had taken everything so well.

The twin sibling reveal.

The pseudo-sibling reveal.

The “surprise-you’re-a-year-younger-than-you-thought” reveal.

Even Tov’s reaction to the shock ring was tamer than the call for security and restraining order Wren was expecting.

Granted, she was still recovering from a heart attack and heavily medicated. It could take a few days for her to fully process through all of what she, Elias, and Prem had shared.

Maybe Wren would get the restraining order in the mail, or maybe Tov would follow through on her threat to wring her by her neck.

Naz is gonna get a kick out of that.

As soon as she and the boys left Tov’s hospital room for the night, Elias took Wren aside as Prem led the way down the hall.

“I didn’t want to alarm Tov, but I found something on the stage.” He said in a low voice. When Tov was shocked, goes unsaid.

“Oh?” Wren couldn’t resist the chance to mess with him. “You’re speaking to me so soon. I was sure I’d get the silent treatment for being ‘out of my fucking mind’.” She said.

Elias leveled her with a withering look that fell flat on its face, “I’m still mad at you for that. It was a batshit insane idea and if I knew about it, I would’ve stopped you.”

“Which is why I didn’t tell you. Besides, it’s not like you had a better idea.”

“Not the point.” He said.

She took that as a concession, “Yeah, yeah. What did you find?”

“The bullet.”

Wren stumbled mid-stride.

A shot was actually fired?

The crack she’d heard over the broadcast, right before she sent the electric shock through the ring, had been pinging around in her head since Tov collapsed.

That must’ve been the shot.

The shooter just missed.

“What kind of bullet?” She asked.

“Not any kind that guards would have easy access to.” Elias said. “This bullet had a paralytic tranquilizing agent inside of it. Whoever planned to shoot Tov wasn’t trying to kill her, they just wanted it to look like they did.”

So someone else wants Tov alive? How interesting.

“Any thoughts on who could be behind this?”

He shook his head, “Not yet. But if I had to guess, it’s someone who can afford to pay off a guard.”

Or a guard themselves…

Wren kept this thought to herself.

They rounded a corner toward the elevators, passing by floor to ceiling glass windows looking out onto the bustling city street below.

Even deep into the night, the buildings were still brightly illuminated and cars clogged the roads.

“Could it be Tov’s guardian, Cassio?” She asked.

“You know them better than I do,” Elias said, shrugging. “What do you think?”

It wasn’t a secret that Cassio was extremely wealthy. Their fashion house Cassiopeia was a well-regarded luxury brand these days.

And Wren knew Cassio cared a lot about Tov, more than enough to orchestrate her “death” to keep her alive.

The amount of money to bribe a guard would’ve been pocket change to them.

But still, Wren wouldn’t say she knew them “better”. More exposure, maybe.

As the group came upon the elevators, Wren glanced through a glass door leading out to a balcony.

A tall, pale blue figure stood alone out at the railing.

Cassio.

Speak their name and they appear.

“I’m gonna go find out.” Wren said, nodding toward the door. “Don’t wait up on me.”

Elias followed her line of sight, “I see. Be careful.”

She smiled and clapped him on the shoulder, “I’m always careful.”

They both knew Wren was joking.

———

“Evening, Guardian Cassio.” Wren greeted as she approached the balcony railing.

Cassio tucked their phone back in their pocket and nodded to her, “Good evening, Wren.”

Curt, but polite.

Not many words.

I see where Tov gets it from.

“Tov woke up not too long ago.” She said.

“I know,” Cassio said. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

Wren frowned, “How so?”

“The heart attack was too well timed to be a natural occurrence.”

Ah, well.

There was no reason to deny it now.

It wasn’t like Wren was ashamed of what she did either.

The only person who had to live with the morality of her decisions was herself. She would sleep just fine.

“Guilty as charged.” She said with a shrug.

Cassio hummed, “I can’t really blame you. If Tov were my sister, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

Only now did Wren realize she wasn’t wearing her mask or her contacts.

She chuckled to herself, “Also guilty.”

“When were you going to tell her?” They asked.

“I wanted to tell her when the Season 39 contestants came to Anakt Garden, after Round 12.” She said. “But then I saw her face… when that Flor girl died… I could tell she cared for her a lot. She didn’t need anything more to worry about on top of that.” Wren shook her head, “And every time after that was an even worse moment to bring it up.”

Round 17? Wrong.

Round 24? Wrong.

Round 26? Wrong.

Round 29? Wrong.

Wrong wrong wrong.

It was all wrong.

“I should thank you, truly.” They said, drawing Wren out of her thoughts. “You’ve given me the chance to make things right with Tov… eventually.”

She glanced over at them, eyebrows furrowed. Their gaze was still fixed on the cityscape ahead.

There was a somberness laced in their tone of voice.

“I don’t get it. Aren’t you going to see her soon?”

Cassio sighed, long and suffering, “How am I supposed to face her? After everything I’ve put her through? She lost so much and it’s all my fault.” They said. “If I hadn’t enrolled her in Anakt Garden, none of this would’ve happened.”

That’s true… but…

Wren turned to look out at the city too, thinking.

If she could go back in time and reject the Anakt Garden scholarship, would she do it?

Most of her classmates would probably say yes, but Wren hesitated.

Without Anakt, she never would’ve been placed in Ra’s care. She never would’ve met Cindy, or Toki, or even Inna. She never would’ve fallen for Naz either.

If Wren hadn’t gone to Anakt Garden, she wouldn’t have become Wren.

And she quite liked herself and her life, even if it wasn’t always pretty or easy.

Only Tov could answer if that was true for herself.

But if those stars in the sky named after her friends held as much meaning to Tov as she said they did, Wren already knew what her answer would be.

“Did Tov tell you that?” She asked.

Cassio blinked at her, “What? No, she hasn’t.”

“Then ask her.” Wren said. “She might surprise you.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to fail her any more than I already have.” They said. “When Tov was younger I… wasn’t there when she needed me, and I regret it every day. I don’t know where to even start trying to make it up to her.”

“You can’t change the past. All you can do is be there for her now.”

“Is that enough?”

Wren could only shrug, “It has to be.”

We don’t have any other choice.

“You’re off to a good start.” She said instead.

Before Cassio could respond, the shrill ring of their phone cut through the low din of the night and startled them both.

Their lips briefly curled into a snarl as they read the caller ID.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I’m being summoned by Alien Stage producers for an ‘emergency meeting’.”

It’s definitely about Tov. She thought, nodding.

“Good luck. I’ll come back some time tomorrow to see Tov again.”

Cassio smiled, genuine, before turning to leave.

“Oh, by the way,” They started, stopping themselves short and looking back at her, “I wanted to ask how you did it. How did you trigger Tov’s heart attack?”

Wren held up her right hand — with the good luck charm now on her ring finger — and pointed to it, “Electric shock.”

They chuckled in surprise, looking mildly impressed. “That was better than my idea. I just made Tov’s dress out of bullet resistant fabric, requested they shoot her center mass, and hoped for the best.”

Oh.

Oh shit.

Wren forced herself to smile as she waved them off, waiting until they returned back inside the hospital before letting it drop.

Cassio didn’t bribe anyone to shoot Tov with that paralyzing bullet.

If they weren’t behind the bullet, then that meant someone else was involved.

An unknown third party.

But who were they?

And what did they want with her sister?

————————————————————

Huh… I wonder who else wants Tov alive? (I say, knowing full well who it is)

Anyways, I’m finally doing Season 40 stuff! Tov will still have her logs, but I’ll also be doing some for Wren too.

Next up is a log from Cassio’s point of view. That emergency meeting for Alien Stage should be interesting 👀

Naz belongs to @lookatmysillies.

Cindy belongs to @tsukacchako.

Toki belongs to @zerostyrant.

Inna belongs to @alien-til-i-stage.

Tagging: @starry-skiez @rockwgooglyeyes @chevalperd @apple8ees

[ivanttakethis]

Post Row 5 [Pt. 1] - Tov’s Log

————————————————————

Tov woke up in the hospital.

Again.

Same room layout.

Same smell of antiseptic.

Same IV needle.

Same heart monitor beeping.

The sense of deja vu was strong enough to make her dizzy.

Fleeting vestiges of Himei’s warm smile slipped through Tov’s fingers like sand.

Despite the IV feeding into her left arm, her right arm stung like she’d been burned.

She groaned.

“Welcome back to the world of the living.”

Wren was sitting at her bedside, just as she was before, grey eyes studying her face in anticipation. Her face mask was white again.

“Heart attack?” Tov rasped.

Is there really a need to ask?

“Yep, right on stage.” Wren nodded. “It happened before you could be shot. Though this one was worse than the last. We almost lost you for a second there.”

Tov furrowed her brow, “Lost me? What do you mean?”

“You died. Technically. But only for a little while.”

Because that makes it so much less traumatizing.

Tov resisted rolling her eyes. Truthfully, she should be grateful to have the chance to roll them at all.

“So what now? Are they going to make me compete again?” She asked.

“Nope!” Wren clapped her hands together, pleased. “The Alien Stage contract states that contestants who die are removed from the competition. Since you technically died, you were removed. So you can’t be forced to participate again.”

“A legal loophole.” She muttered under her breath.

The gears in Tov’s head were working overtime, fighting against the sedatives she’d been given to try to make sense of everything.

She couldn’t believe it.

A heart attack had killed her and saved her life all at once.

She was reborn.

She was free.

Tov would laugh if her ribs didn’t ache.

“I never thought I’d feel lucky to have a heart attack.” She said. “I guess I shouldn’t have doubted your good luck charm.”

Wren’s tone sharpened. “Yeah, it served both of its purposes well.”

The fine hairs on the back of Tov’s neck stood on end, “I… don’t follow.”

“Well, while the ring is a good luck charm, it’s also an electronic device that can be remotely controlled. So when you lost your round, I sent an electric shock through the ring.” She said.

Tov blinked. Once.

Twice.

What the fuck?

Her heart rate spiked, the monitor she was hooked up to started beeping faster. “Y-You caused my heart attack? You shocked me into cardiac arrest?!”

“Yep.”

“I’ve been wearing that ring since I got out of the hospital after my first heart attack. You’re telling me you could’ve shocked me any time between now and then?”

Wren nodded once, completely unfazed by Tov’s change in demeanor. “If you’d lost to Akane or Jae, I would’ve done it sooner.”

What the fuck?!

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t want you to die.” Wren said, like what she did was a completely normal solution to the problem.

“But—” Tov groaned in frustration, her chest heaving from short breaths. “But why me? Why would you do all of this for me?” She asked. “We don’t know each other well. We’re barely even friends. It doesn’t make any sense!”

“It makes perfect sense,” Wren said, calmly removing her mask, “Because I’m your twin sister.”

She pulled the cloth away from her face revealing a nose very similar to Tov’s own, with a broad scar across the bridge, and an identically shaped mouth drawn up in a smile.

Tov reeled back, struck by the glaring similarities. Alarm bells rang loud in her head.

Not possible.

That’s not possible.

It must be a coincidence.

It has to be.

“H-How are you so sure?”

Wren’s smile shifted slightly before she pressed two fingers against her eyes and removed contact lenses.

Grey contact lenses.

The ones Tov always thought looked off.

And she found herself staring into dark brown eyes, with slightly misshapen white stars in their irises.

A mirror image of her own.

WHAT THE FUCK??!?

Her heart slammed against her chest, punching the air out of her lungs, hard enough to make her physically wince.

She couldn’t breathe.

No.

No no no no no no no.

I don’t have any biological family.

I don’t have a sister.

Flor was the closest thing I ever had to a sister and she’s dead.

I’m an only child.

I was alone when Cassio adopted me.

Why is this happening?

How is this happening?

Tov gripped her bedsheets until her knuckles turned white.

It felt like her world was tilting again.

Sharp and sudden.

Disorienting.

A wave of nausea rolled through her.

“This whole time… Have you known this whole time?” She could taste bile on her tongue as she spoke.

“I always knew I had a sister, but I’ve known you were my sister for a long time now.” Wren said.

Tov looked up at her… sister? Twin? She didn’t know anymore. “How long?”

“The first time I saw your face was when I was ten. It was on a billboard downtown. I knew from your eyes.” She said. “It’s been thirteen years since then.”

“Fourteen,” Tov said, reflexively. “We’re 24 now, so it’s been fourteen years.”

“About that, we’re actually 23.”

Tov frowned, confused, “But my teeth were—”

“Growth-dated?” Wren finished for her. “Mine were too, probably around the same time as yours. The results placed my age at 3.45 human years old, and my age was rounded down to 3 years old.” She said. “I’m guessing, your results came out to 3.5 after rounding, and then you were rounded up to the whole number age of 4 years old; a rounding error on their part. Otherwise we would’ve been in the Season 40 class together.”

She stared blankly at Wren.

Blinked.

Struggled to process what she’d just heard.

A rounding error?

My life is the way that it is… because of a rounding error?

It all felt so trivial.

By the mark of a different pen 20 years ago, Tov would’ve never met Himei, or Tallis, or Nyx, or Moran, or Dian, or Flor.

She would’ve never come to love or care for or lose any of them.

Tov wouldn’t even be the same person.

Her temples throbbed.

She was so distracted by the new flare of pain that she didn’t hear the door swing open and slam shut, or the pairs of footsteps quickly approaching the side of her bed opposite of Wren.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” A deep voice snapped.

Tov lifted her head and her vision went fuzzy for a moment before focusing on Elias’s face.

He was angry. Furious, even.

She could see it in his eyes and the tight pinch between his eyebrows and the sharp, downward curve of his mouth.

There was a wild emotion simmering just below the surface of his skin, barely held at bay by the strict and obedient frame of a soldier.

But his anger wasn’t directed at Tov.

It was directed at Wren.

She didn’t seem phased by him at all, “What are you talking about?”

Elias scoffed and dug into the pocket of his jacket, tossing whatever he found inside at Wren.

She caught it midair with a lazy, outstretched hand, without looking away from Elias staring her down.

“Oh,” Wren said, “You found my good luck charm.”

The shock ring. Tov thought.

Only now did she realize she wasn’t wearing it anymore.

“Cut the bullshit, Wren. I know what the ring did. You are so fucking lucky I found it first. What were you thinking?!”

“I was saving Tov.” Wren said plainly.

“You could’ve killed her!” Elias hissed. “Her heart stopped. Prem and I had to keep it beating manually until we got a pulse back.”

Tov tore her eyes away from the growing volatility of the back and forth to look behind Elias.

Prem was there too, almost as pissed off. His arms were crossed, jaw set, eyes narrowed and glaring daggers at Wren.

“She would’ve died for sure if I’d done nothing.” Wren countered, voice scarily even despite the subject matter. “At least this way she had a chance of surviving, and we didn’t have to watch her take a bullet to the head.”

We?

Hang on—

“How do you guys know each other?” Tov asked.

Despite not raising her voice, or even speaking at her usual volume, Elias and Wren immediately stopped to give her their full attention.

Like a fire smothered in foam, the tension between them fizzled out.

They both looked at her with gentler gazes and softened edges.

It felt oddly familiar.

Elias sighed and ran a hand down his face, “Tov, meet your benefactor.” He said, nodding to Wren.

Wren gave her a half smile, “Surprise.”

…

..

.

What?

————————————————————

So yeah, Wren is a little fucked up, actually. She’s a very “the ends justify the means” type girl, even if the means are like,, morally questionable.

But that’s just how she was raised. You’ll learn more about that next time!

Also, note the wording used in the letter Tov’s benefactor (Wren) wrote to her in the Before Round 30 log:

“We will meet at the End of Round 30,” instead of “When you win Round 30,” because if Tov survived her heart attack, Wren was going to “meet her” as her twin regardless of if she won or lost.

Shoutout to @rockwgooglyeyes who guessed that the information leakers (Elias and Prem) were linked to Wren a while back.

I had a good chuckle reading your tags with my narrator knowledge 😁

[ivanttakethis]

Wren’s Log - Entry 1.3

————————————————————

Wren wasn’t stupid.

Even though she and Agent Pol were in a conference room with windows and an unlocked door, she knew this was an interrogation, not an interview.

She knew it was about Tov too.

There were several folders laid out on the table, labeled in a segyein language Wren didn’t recognize.

She took the chair at one end of the table. Agent Pol remained standing at the other.

“Thank you for meeting with me so suddenly.” She said. “I’m sure you’re busy preparing for Season 40.”

Wren nodded, “Yeah, my schedule is pretty tight today. Why am I here?”

A nice way of saying, “Get to the point.”

“I’m looking into the incident that occurred with your sister at the end of Round 30.”

“Incident?” Wren purposefully furrowed a brow, “You mean her heart attack?”

“Yes, there is suspicion about the timing of her cardiac event.” Agent Pol said.

She pretended to mull over the agent’s words, frowning, “You guys think Tov caused her own heart attack?”

“That, or someone close to her did so to save her life.”

Pol glanced down at Wren’s neck for a fraction of a second, likely lamenting the fact that she wasn’t wearing a collar.

Those things were practically lie detectors.

The monitors inside the collars track a pet-human’s physiological response to stimuli.

Higher responses change the color of the collar’s light. Green to orange to red.

Intense emotions like fear and anger prompt a stronger physiological response.

Most humans are afraid of being caught when they lie and the collar gives them away.

But that wouldn’t work on someone like Wren.

She’d been trained from a young age to control her physiological responses by detaching from her strong emotions.

Fear was the first emotion she had to master.

Alien Stage guards could not feel fear.

Wren compared it to being able to flip a switch inside herself, shutting everything off.

It wasn’t healthy.

She knew it wasn’t healthy.

And for as along as she had been at Anakt Garden and under the care of Ra, Wren made an effort to never flip that switch.

But at times like these, it was useful.

She was a stone unmoved by Agent Pol’s attempt to stir the tide.

“Why would someone take that kind of risk?” She asked.

“I was hoping you could tell me.” Agent Pol said. “Did you talk to Tov the day of the final round?”

Wren nodded, “I did. I called her that morning to wish her good luck.”

“How did she seem?”

“Nervous.” She said. “More nervous than usual, but it was the final round, so I could understand why.”

“Aside from the added nerves, was there anything out of the ordinary?”

“Nothing.”

Agent Pol tapped her pen against the table rhythmically.

Wren found it slightly irritating.

“And where were you the night of the final round?”

Trying to place me at the scene of the crime I see.

“In the ZYNE dormitory with some other trainees. We were in the common area watching the broadcast.”

Plenty of witnesses. No dice.

“Why did you decide to go to the hospital after Tov collapsed?”

“Cassio called me.”

More specifically, Elias called Wren from Cassio’s phone.

This seemed to pique the agent’s interest. “So you’re rather close to your sister and her guardian?”

“Mainly just Tov.” Wren amended. “They wanted someone at her bedside when she woke up, and I was the only person they could think of.”

Because everyone else Tov loves is dead or gone.

“I see…” Agent Pol stopped tapping, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did Tov or Cassio know you were her sister at that time?”

“No. I didn’t tell Tov until after she woke up in the hospital.”

“But you’ve known this whole time?”

“Yes.”

“Why not tell her sooner?”

Wren broke eye contact for a moment, looking contrite. “She was going through a lot. I didn’t want to add to it.”

“So… you risked Tov never finding out who you really were if she lost a round?”

She nodded. “I did.”

“How considerate.” Condescension dripped from Pol’s words, “That is, unless you knew you would get the chance to tell her.”

Wren blinked once.

Pointed.

Intentional.

She let the words sink into the floor.

The shift in the room was palpable.

This is where things get ugly.

“Excuse me?”

Wren knew how to fake indignation.

Quite well, actually.

Like when Yael started his preaching about how Tov was “with the Great Anakt” after Round 30.

She’d snapped at him in the same way a grieving family member would.

And he bought it. As did the rest of her class.

This was just a repeat performance.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Agent Pol asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

“No.” She ground out, “I would never hurt Tov.”

The word “unnecessarily” was omitted for convenience.

Agent Pol chuckled, “And I’m just supposed to believe you? According to your record, you use violence to solve all of your problems. Who’s to say this wasn’t another problem of yours that needed solving.” She picked up one of the folders on the table and opened it.

“Not even a month into your training as a guard and you bit someone. At such a young age too.”

Wren remembered that incident well. It was why her teeth had been dated in the first place.

Another pet-human tried to steal her pillow in the barracks and she fought back.

The boy, around Elias’s age and twice her size, put Wren in a headlock to subdue her.

She bit down on his arm until she tasted blood and heard him scream.

At the time, it was the only way she knew how to defend herself.

In the breeding facility, she and Tov were smaller than most of the other pet-humans, making them easy to overpower.

Their sharp teeth — even as very young children — acted as a warning to others.

Once bitten.

Don't fuck around again.

“I defended myself.” Wren said finally.

“Maybe.” Agent Pol’s tone was disbelieving. “But you were quite the vicious fighter after that. Broken bones, concussions, tissue damage…” She flipped through several pages in the folder for emphasis.

“That was all for training.”

This technically wasn’t a lie.

Even though most of the fights Wren got into during guard training weren’t officially sanctioned for instruction, the segyein officers considered all fights between pet-humans to be “relevant to training.”

It was a nice and neat way of avoiding countless write ups and submissions to edit each of their permanent records.

Wren probably wouldn’t have gotten into Anakt Garden if the guard force had been more diligent in their record keeping.

“Yet your reputation precedes you.” She hummed. “I’ve heard from some people around here that you like to fight.”

Wren suppressed an eye roll.

Of course they’d say that.

It wasn't so much that Wren liked fighting.

She just liked winning.

And since she was good at fighting, she always won.

So, you could say that Wren liked to fight, but that would be reductive.

The other trainees probably weren’t interested in nuance.

They were just upset they got beat and bloodied by the smallest of the group.

None of that was on record, so the best Agent Pol had was hearsay.

“Those are just rumors.” Wren said dismissively, “When you’re the top trainee at the agency, everyone wants to take you down a peg or two.”

“Likely story.” Pol closed the folder and let it drop to the table, before picking up another.

“Where are you going with this?” She asked, more out of curiosity than irritation.

If this was all the agent had, Wren didn’t need to worry about getting caught.

Not that she was worried.

She destroyed the ring as soon as she left the hospital the night Tov woke up.

Nothing about her plan was written down.

And it was in the best interest of those who knew the truth to keep quiet to avoid charges themselves.

“I’m just establishing a pattern of behavior.” Agent Pol said, looking awfully pleased with herself. “It’s so interesting, you know? You remind me of another sibling of a contestant who liked causing trouble this past season.”

Oh?

“Himei,” She smirked. “Your sister’s little… friend? Girlfriend? I guess it doesn’t really matter since she’s dead.”

This bitch…

“She has— well, had an older brother named Hayate. Ring any bells?” Pol asked.

For the first time in their conversation, Wren let a genuine emotion make its way onto her face: confusion.

“Who?”

Apparently, that was not the response Agent Pol had been hoping for.

She scoffed, “His name is Hayate. He’s an Alien Stage guard.”

“Never heard of him.” Wren said with a shake of her head.

“Would Elias know? Or maybe Prem?”

Pol was trying to bait her, but Wren knew better than to rise to it.

“If he’s not a medic then they probably don’t know him either.” She said.

“He’s a marksman.”

Marksmen were guards who carried out the executions of losing Alien Stage contestants.

It wasn’t a job for the faint of heart.

Wren couldn’t imagine the kind of man Hayate might be if he was able to gun down his sister’s childhood friends and classmates without issue.

But if Himei was important to him, and Tov was important to Himei, maybe he chose to save her for his sister’s sake?

Maybe he wanted to save Tov because he couldn’t save Himei?

But what was this guy’s plan after he tranquillized Tov and managed to get her out of the Alien Stage complex?

The only way to know for sure was to track him down and ask.

Probably easier said than done.

“I don’t know any marksman.” Wren said flatly.

Agent Pol slid the open folder down the table to her.

On the open page was Hayate’s profile printed in black and white.

He looked a lot like Himei.

Especially his eyes.

Has Tov ever met him before?

If she hadn’t, Wren didn’t want her to meet him now.

Seeing the similarities would just hurt her more.

“You’re taking a long look at that picture.” Agent Pol said. “Sure you don’t know him?”

Wren started to answer, but movement in her periphery made her stop short.

Through the glass she saw a pale green segyein with close cut hair marching down the hallway.

He was tall and humanoid, dressed in the same uniform as Agent Pol but without the dark glasses.

His right eye was light grey with no pupil, and his left was milky white like Cassio’s. A large scar stretched from his left eyelid down to his jaw.

He stormed into the conference room looking throughly pissed and zeroed in on Agent Pol, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Agent Irin, what a surprise. I’m interviewing a person of interest in my investigation.” Agent Pol said.

She seemed too calm in Wren’s opinion.

“Investigation?” Agent Irin hissed, his voice deep but strained. “There is no investigation.”

“Not yet, but it’s coming. I’m just getting a head start.” She shrugged.

Agent Irin’s left eye twitched, “The only thing you’re doing is fucking up our chance at a clean investigation by tainting a person of interest.” He said. “Everything you’ve learned in this ‘interview’ is inadmissible. Now we have to throw it out and start over with new sources of information.”

“So what, in the meantime they just get to work on aligning their stories and destroying more evidence?” Pol asked, raising her voice. “The longer we wait, the harder building a case against them will be.”

Well the evidence is long gone…

Wren chose to keep quiet.

“I’ve told you more than once before, we either do things by the book or we don’t do them at all. But you still think the rules don’t apply to you.” Agent Irin was gritting his teeth now. “This is the second time I have to write you up this week, and there won’t be a third.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and set his jaw, “Leave. Now.”

Agent Pol looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped herself.

With a likely withering glare hidden by her glasses, Pol left the conference room and slammed the door behind her.

Wren was surprised the glass didn’t shatter from the force.

Agent Irin let out a deep, aging sigh and rubbed his forehead. His shoulders sagged in exhaustion.

She got the feeling that all he wanted to do was finish his shift and go home.

“I apologize for my partner’s unethical behavior.” He said, looking to her. “It was a blatant violation of our agency’s policies and procedures.”

Sounds to me like Agent Pol is a loose cannon…

“It’s fine, I guess. Am I free to go?”

“Yes, of course. Please carry on with your day.” Irin pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Wren. “If Agent Pol attempts to contact you again, call me and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks.” She nodded and headed for the door.

“And one other thing,” Agent Irin said as Wren reached for the handle.

“Don’t leave the city.”

————————————————————

I’m having way too much fun with this fictional police state lmao (thank you @lookatmysillies <3)

Sorry if this felt like one big info dump on Wren’s backstory! I just had a lot to say about my girl!!

Plus, I got to write Agent Pol and Agent Irin to flesh them out more. This won’t be the last time you’ll see of them 👀

Fun Fact: ACAB also applies to *AREPH agents!!

*AREPH stands for Agency for the Recovery of Escaped Pet Humans.

Naz, Yael, Himei, Hayate, and the AREPH all belong to @lookatmysillies.

Tagging: @imperfectnothing @chevalperd @apple8ees @neverforgetyou @cirrusoftheclouds @alien-til-i-stage

[ivanttakethis]

Wren’s Log - Entry 1.2

————————————————————

ZYNE Entertainment was already abuzz with excited chatter when Wren arrived mid-morning.

Her preseason interview with Alien Stage Magazine hit the shelves a few hours ago, and the revelation that she was Tov’s twin made the front page.

Nearly everyone in the lobby had a copy, with several more strewn across coffee tables and counters.

Wren wondered if ZYNE bought in bulk.

Segyein staff whispered to one another as she passed.

“Legacy contestant.”

“Strong bloodline.”

“Looks just like her.”

Wren just smiled and waved in greeting, pretending not to hear them.

At least it was different from the whispers she usually heard.

“Show off.”

“Star thief.”

And the ever popular: “Bitch.”

Granted, those insults came mainly from other human trainees.

It didn’t bother her much. Wren knew who she was and what she could do.

Random gossip wouldn’t change that.

Not like there was anyone she could report the insults to anyway.

The segyein at the agency didn’t bother themselves with pet-human conflicts unless they escalated to physical violence.

And even then, the punishment was minimal.

Trainees were too much of an expense to harm too severely or discard.

“Sunk cost fallacy.” Ra had once said.

So under the rug they went.

Wren entered Locker Room #3 and set about changing.

Though she was technically no longer a ZYNE trainee, the agency had granted her continued use of their facilities to prepare for Alien Stage.

More than just Wren’s potential solo career was on the line for Season 40.

If she won, ZYNE Entertainment would get an untold amount of press coverage and prestige. It would solidify their place as the top ranked agency in the industry for years to come.

Everyone would want a piece of ZYNE and all they could offer.

Allowing Wren time in the recording studio and reserving a dance room for her every now and then was a small price to pay for what they stood to gain.

Quid pro quo.

Who was she to refuse such generosity?

Wren was just pulling her shirt on when the locker room doors opened again.

“Oh look, it’s the nepo baby.”

She turned around.

Behind her were three human trainees. She could only remember the names of two of them.

Uma was the one who spoke.

Lilac hair, tan skin, not a very good dancer.

Loved to call her a bitch.

“Who? Me?” Wren asked.

“So you’re not denying it?”

“What exactly am I supposed to be denying?”

Uma scoffed, “Don’t play dumb, Wren. We read the article. We all know you only got this far because of your sister.”

Really? Tov got her this far? The same Tov who didn’t know she was blood related to her a week ago?

Yeah.

Sure she did.

“That’s not how this process works.” She said, matter of fact. “We aren’t in Anakt Garden anymore. Legacy doesn’t do you any favors here.”

“Maybe not in bootcamp, but it does explain why ZYNE keeps giving you second chances.” Tyis, the other trainee Wren knew by name, said.

Tyis was taller than Uma, with model-like portions and pin straight black hair.

She washed out of boot camp on her first try because she couldn’t hold a consistent high note.

“You killed all three trainee groups you were a part of. Do you know what that means?”

Wren raised an eyebrow, “That I work best alone?”

“It means you’re toxic, Wren. And if it weren’t for your sister’s guardian’s status in the industry, the agency wouldn’t have kept you around.” Uma said.

Toxic was a strong word.

Wren preferred assertive.

She had to be to survive at ZYNE.

Training to become a pet-human idol was just as cutthroat as training to become a guard. Maybe even more so.

There were no friends here, only competition.

Every human for themselves.

Emotions ran high, and sabotage was a frequent occurrence, even once training groups were formed.

For most trainees, this was their last chance to prove their worth to their owners.

Anakt Garden graduates who didn’t make the cut for Alien Stage, like Uma and Tyis, were particularly desperate to succeed.

They’d already failed once.

There wouldn’t be another opportunity after this.

But that didn’t mean Wren was going to let them walk all over her.

No.

She had to assert her place.

All three groups she’d been a part of had different catalysts for disbanding before debut, but the one constant was someone — or several someones — deciding to pick a fight with Wren.

She understood why.

Wren was one of the top performers at ZYNE in both singing and dancing.

Her unique appearance made her stand out from the pack and draw attention.

And physically, she was also one of the smallest trainees on the roster.

Other trainees likely thought she’d be an easy mark. Maybe they thought they could be rough enough to scare her into leaving.

Wren never lost a fight.

Most of her opponents were no longer with the agency.

Uma and Tyis didn’t care about any of that, though. They just wanted a reason to instigate their own attack.

Wren was happy to oblige them.

“ZYNE keeps me around because I’m good at what I do.” She said. “I’m so good, in fact, that I made it through the preliminaries for Alien Stage. Unlike the three of you.”

“Bitch.”

The third girl who hadn’t spoken yet lunged forward, wrapping her hands around Wren’s neck and slamming her into the lockers. A loud bang of metal echoed around the room.

Her nostrils flared, violet eyes blazing.

This feels familiar…

Wren chuckled as her grip tightened.

Still too weak to cause any real damage.

“Sorry.” She said, a little breathless. “There’s only one person I’d let choke me out, and your name isn’t Naz.”

The mere thought of Naz hearing Wren say that was enough to make her laugh again, even though it made her wheeze.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” She growled.

This was far from the first time Wren had been asked this question.

Ironically enough, it was also probably how Naz would’ve reacted.

I should call her…

Something clicked.

“Oh,” Wren looked at the girl then. “I remember you.” She said. “You went through boot camp with me; you and your friend. She made it all the way to the finals, and got cut at the very end.”

Wren couldn’t remember the judges’ reasoning.

It didn’t matter.

Something about her statement seemed to anger the girl — Dahli, she thinks — and her grip tightened further.

“Quin should still be here. Not you.” Dahli snapped. “She’s a better person than you’ll ever be.”

And there it is.

Dahli, as well as Uma and Tyis, were led by their emotions instead of logic.

That was a mistake.

“It doesn’t matter who the ‘better person’ is, only the better performer. Your friend wasn’t good enough.” Wren said. “Nothing personal. Just business.”

“Shut up!”

Dahli pulled a fist back to punch her and Wren used the slack in the hold on her neck to strike.

She grabbed Dahli by the sides of her head and yanked her down at the same time she brought her leg up.

Wren felt the cartilage of Dahli’s nose crunch under the force of her kneecap with a sickening crack.

She let go of Wren’s neck and stumbled back, nearly falling over, eyes wide in disbelief.

Blood poured out of her nose, dripping onto the tile floor.

Wren didn’t break a sweat.

She scooped up her duffle bag and turned to Uma and Tyis. Both looked shellshocked.

“Anything else?” She asked.

Despite having so much to say before, none of the girls said anything now.

Wren smiled at them with empty eyes, “Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a competition to prepare for.”

She pushed her way out of the locker room and headed down the hall and around the corner to the dance studio.

Standing next to the double doors was a purple humanoid segyein, dressed in all black. Dark shaded glasses covered their eyes.

They took a few steps forward as she approached, “Wren Ra?”

Wren stopped in the middle of the hall, hackles raised, “Who are you?”

The segyein pulled a shiny silver badge out of their jacket pocket and held it up for her to see, “I’m Agent Pol with the AREPH. Can I speak with you for a moment?”

————————————————————

Welp! That’s not good 😬

But ignoring that for right now, more Wren lore!! Yippee!!

As you can see, she’s the polar opposite of her sister, Tov.

She leans into confrontation, is very unapologetic, and a little cocky.

She also isn’t afraid of violence, whether it be dishing it out or taking it.

Even when getting choked, Wren is the epitome of “light work, no reaction” and I love that about her.

However, if you were to ask about her to any of her Anakt Garden classmates (with the exception of maybe Naz), they would say Wren is a friendly, bubbly girl who wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Truly the duality of woman.

Also, Wren thinking about Naz while being choked is pretty emblematic of their relationship, I think.

I promise I’ll have them actually talk at some point, I just gotta figure out how.

Bonus: Tov being known as “The Star” and Wren being called a “Star Thief” is intentional!

Naz belongs to @lookatmysillies.

Tagging: @rockwgooglyeyes @apple8ees @neverforgetyou @chevalperd

[ivanttakethis]

Guardians & Their Charges

Left: Guardian Cassiopeia and Tov

Right: *Guardian Ra’eon and Wren

————————————————————

*Ra’eon is not the legal guardian of the charge known as “Wren”. Ownership of Wren belongs to ZYNE Entertainment.

Picrews used here and here.

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 13 - Tov’s Log

Jae (64) vs. Vii (35) - Jae Win

————————————————————

Wren found Tov again that night.

Round 13 had just finished.

64 - 35

Jae won decisively.

Vii was dead.

The guards allowed both classes to mingle during free time in the hour prior to curfew.

Most people chose to stay inside. Tov and a few others ventured out into the fields.

At night, the simulated daytime of the Anakt Garden dome was switched off, allowing those inside to see the true night sky above.

The stars seemed further away somehow, but they were no less beautiful.

It was a perfect night for stargazing.

Tov stayed close to the main buildings, tucked away around back, out of view of anyone passing by.

She knew the spot from childhood. It was a good place if you wanted to be alone for a while.

“There you are!”

At least it was…

Wren sat down in the grass beside her, crossing her legs and mirroring Tov’s position.

“I figured I would find you out here.”

Wren’s tone raised her hackles.

Tov furrowed her brows, turning to look at her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wren shrugged, but kept her eyes on the sky, unbothered by the slight edge in Tov’s voice. Her white hair seemed to glow in the moonlight. Even her roots were white.

“You seem to like the stars, and they’re awfully pretty tonight.” She said.

Tov couldn’t argue with that, so she didn’t.

“They are pretty.” She nodded, looking back up at the constellations hanging overhead.

The two were quiet for a moment, before Wren spoke again.

“What was it like performing on stage?”

Tov tried to think back to Round 10, but her mind drew a blank. She couldn’t recall much of anything.

Only fragments of that night remained scattered around the void in her memories.

The stars.

The heartache.

The first line of her song.

The gunshot.

The smell of blood.

The way Nyx hugged her like she was something fragile.

Everything else was gone.

“I don’t remember much.” She said quietly. It almost sounded like a confession. “I wasn’t really thinking about the stage, or the crowd, or the cameras.”

“Then what were you thinking about?” Wren asked, “That emotion in your voice didn’t come out of thin air.”

Tov’s eyes found Tallis’s constellation instinctively.

Was she really about to spill her sorrows to a stranger?

Regardless of how friendly Wren behaved, they didn’t know each other.

But… who else did she have in her life to talk to?

Cassio? No.

Nyx? He had enough on his plate preparing for his upcoming round.

Himei? Tov didn’t know if she would ever talk to her about this; about what she and Tallis said and did.

She’d already been isolated once because of all this grief they found themselves neck deep in.

Tov wasn’t going to add to that, or make things worse. It would just make the situation more confusing.

She briefly closed her eyes and sighed, “Did you watch Round 7?”

Wren nodded in her periphery. “Of course. I watch every round.”

How can you stomach it all?

Tov didn’t ask that thought aloud.

“The contestant that lost…”

“Tallis?”

She almost winced at the sound of his name. The wound was still too raw.

“Yeah… him.” Tov swallowed around the growing lump in her throat. “He… he meant a lot to me.”

Andromedas, why is this so painful?

“He was a friend of yours?”

She shook her head immediately, “No.”

The word “friend” was far too reductive to encompass everything that Tallis meant to Tov.

But how else could she describe their relationship?

Even with her face placidly neutral, Wren still managed to sense Tov’s internal frustration.

“Ah, more than a friend.” She mused. “Did you love him?”

“I did— I do.” Tov amended. Nyx’s words came back to her then.

“Just because he's gone doesn't mean he doesn't still love you.”

Guess that meant she didn’t have to stop loving him either.

“When I was singing, I was thinking about him.”

“I see.”

This time, the ensuing silence bordered on comfortable. Tov’s chest felt a bit lighter too. Maybe talking about it isn’t so bad.

“You named a star after him.” Wren said it like a statement, not a question. It startled Tov.

“How did you—” Her eyes snapped to the odd grey gaze staring back at her, expectant but already knowing.

“You keep looking at the same spot in the sky.” Wren explained. “You kept looking up at the stars when you performed too.”

Tov felt strangely exposed, like Wren could see through her skin and straight into her soul.

It was different from the way Tallis looked at her, though. But she couldn’t put a finger on why.

“It’s a constellation.” She conceded, finally.

Wren smiled a little, almost giddy, “Ooh which is it? Wait, wait, wait— let me guess!” She scanned the stars intently and her brow furrowed in concentration.

It made her look much younger than she probably was.

How old is Wren anyway?

She pointed upwards with one eye closed for accuracy, “Is it that one there? The one shaped like a cresting wave?”

“No, that one’s for Azure.” Tov said.

“That guy from Round 1? With the sea green eyes?”

Something about Wren’s description of Azure made Tov huff out a chuckle.

“That’s him,” She nodded. “The song he performed was called Nouvelle Vague, ‘new wave’. I thought it was fitting to name a wave shaped constellation after him.”

“It fits him well.” Wren nodded, then pointed to another constellation nearby, “What about the one that looks kind of like a thought bubble?”

“That’s Moran’s.” Tov said.

“Ah, the redhead from Round 2!”

“Yes, she was a good friend of mine. A great friend, really. She taught me a lot about philosophy; always thinking.”

Tov took over from there, pointing out each constellation she’d named after those she cared for.

Stasya. Minori. Flor. Even Min.

Min protected Himei when she didn’t have to. She was the only reason her closest friend was still alive.

For that alone, Tov cared about Min too.

“That one,” She said finally, pointing to the cluster of constellations in the shape of a harp, “That one is for Tallis.”

“I believe in you.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

For once, Wren quieted first.

Tov felt her eyes on her, but she didn’t break the silence; content to simply look at stars.

It still hurt. But it was better than the numbness from before.

“You know…” Wren started, “You look at everyone else’s constellations the same way you look at Tallis’s.”

Really?

“Really.” Wren said.

She paused for a moment. Then two.

“If you ask me, it seems like you loved all of them.” Wren murmured.

At that moment, something in Tov’s heart clicked into place. A gentle warmth unfurled inside her rib cage.

Oh.

Oh.

Maybe… maybe I do…

The realization brought tears to Tov’s eyes. Her heart ached in a new, novel way.

Bittersweet. Melancholy.

It made her laugh for some reason. She hadn’t laughed in a long time.

As she stared up at the celestial memorials of everyone she’d lost, Tov found herself smiling ever so slightly.

What a terrible time to realize it was all love.

————————————————————

We love sisterly bonding, even if one of them doesn’t know it yet 😌

Plus a little feelings realization and healing, as a treat!

Tov has a lot of love for others, even if she doesn’t think she does. Only now is she beginning to realize how deeply her relationships have affected her as a person.

Tov’s current thoughts about Wren are like: “this girl is kinda weirdly friendly, and there’s something odd about her aura, but I would rather die than talk to anyone else in my life about my problems, so I will continue to trauma dump on her since she’s cool with it”

My girl probably needs a therapist, but we don’t have time for that lmao

Next up: End of Round 16!!

Jae belongs to @kofeedoggo.

Min and Vii belong to @starry-skiez.

Nyx belongs to @rockwgooglyeyes.

Tallis and Himei belong to @lookatmysillies.

Azure belongs to @azureitri.

Moran belongs to @geospiral.

Stasya belongs to @billwasnot.

Minori belongs to @minori-dash.

Flor belongs to @sotogalmo.

[ivanttakethis]

Both Tov and Wren understand the concept of death. They don’t believe in the Great Anakt either.