#solei vs aurien

[season39]

R O U N D [ —— ]

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S O L E I VS A U R I E N

( Please select your preferred contestant . )

SONG :

SOLEI & AURIEN : MY CLEMATIS

[lookatmysillies]

Round 6: Eddy POV

Eddy's first thought when the contestants took the stage was how pretty they were.

The girl, Aurien, was more eye-catching than the night itself with her dark hair and equally endless eyes. A haunting sound erupted from her throat when she began to sing, and Eddy leaned so far over on the rooftop they perched at, binoculars in hand, that they almost toppled right over the edge. Just when Eddy thought to itself that she had to be the winner, the other contestant, the boy with the red hair, began his verse. And oh. Oh. He was beautiful too. His voice echoed around the stadium deeper than Aurien's, richer, maybe, and sent an excited shiver up Eddy's spine.

It had never seen a live Alien Stage performance before. Technically, it wasn't even here to watch, but how could it help itself? This was the most stunning thing Eddy had ever seen. The lights, the sounds, and the sights combined into a beautiful orchestra of music and color. The contestants sang of such devastation that Eddy could feel it in its skittering heart, pounding against its ribs.

Eddy had wondered in the past what their life might have been if they were pretty enough to be on a stage, too. They pondered what it would feel like to be on that stage dressed in a glittering outfit with a crowd cheering its name. It was too easy to imagine such a life now that it was right in front of Eddy's eyes. Would its classmates at Anakt Garden have liked it? Would they look at it with as much emotion as Aurien and Vermillion regarded one another with as they moved around the stage like a sweeping, swirling wind? It was hard not to wonder.

Eddy loved their own life. They loved Arol, who treated them with love and did his best to compensate for the loneliness Eddy dealt with. They loved Blob, their big Waygein who was getting too chubby from all the food Eddy fed him. They loved their job and they loved how important they were in their job.

But to live a life like that...

Well. It wasn't meant to be for someone like Eddy.

Eddy swept its gaze over the crowd once they reminded themselves of their purpose here. Solei. Eyes out for Solei. If Solei came, Eddy was to find them and take them alive. It would return Solei to their home, where they belonged and where Eddy never would.

A blare of sound nearly startled Eddy into dropping their binoculars. They jolted and snapped their head around. The flash of a red light. The whine of that sound again. The alarm.

A panicked voice spoke through the earpiece in Eddy's ear. Then it crackled and cut out.

Eddy's eyes widened. Was Solei actually here? Did they come back? Its employers had warned it that Solei was likely deranged from spending time on the run, that they could be dangerous. This was bad. This was bad.

The stage was where Aurien belonged. Why would Solei try to take that away from their friend?

They had to find Solei.

(Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse; Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua; Vermillion belongs to @subzeromoron)

[sotogalmo]

2 — 3:09 am

Ah.

Oh dear...

Sebastian would be hiding behind places that he was small enough for. Before ranting and moving in that small space

"the fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what we perceive them to be!-" Sebastian would pace around as he shook, voice being low but loud enough for Eddy to hear him, being to young and already seeing what happened after Vermillion vs Aurien.

"The reports say hundreds of guards saw them! And those who were there say they saw them fighting other aliens! Covered in Aurien's blood!" He had a hard time saying her name, but that didn't really matter as he would keep on talking-

"And that means they saw that weird creature get swarmed by the guards as well!" Guards watching other guards getting into trouble isn't anything new for Sebastian to see. But he most definitely should start getting quiet.

He's getting too loud, shuddering a bit too much that the bells on his hat (that mimic rabbit ears, moreso lop rabbit ears) start to make some noise continuously.

".... I .. I don't know why they are after both of them! I- to put it plainly, I thought they would've seen that bird the same as them and only go after the girl! But no!" Sebastian tried to calm down as he went around and around again and again. "The guards saw them the same way they saw the other human beings! As their prey! Their competition, their pet!" He cooled down for a moment, before the anger came back; "and it doesn't matter how else you may look at it! That is an irrefutable fact!" He seems to be talking to himself now. Yelling to himself about this whole turn of events.

....

Sebastian doesn't really know that much, actually. He just wanted to join Eddy in their time here.

But this seems too rough, to nerve wrecking! How does it even do it? (Sebastian wants to be like that some day)... Sebastian then became more guilty.

He couldn't stand the fact that he just screamed right now. They are supposed to be hiding! He should be quiet. And the fact that his outfit also makes noise with the bells that are attached to the ears (why did 'Pere Noel' give him these types of clothes? It feels like they know something... A clown and pierr-rot mix.... like some weird play on words or so, having one of his hands scratch at the curly strawberry blond hair that is visible thru the hat and hood given to him....)

...he hopes he doesn't get found. Taken or anything-! (That would be humiliating..)

That would be the worst thing ever.

...

..

.

Maybe when they go back to AREPH, he can have a little break and have fun with the friends he made there-! Instead of just- being here... (Even if he did wanted to be here before. The curiosity did certainly kill him, and how he's meek then ever... A little mouse caught in a hole- a rat; a pest.)

____

Taken from Armin Arlert -Attack On Titan (before season 3). I think his voice is fitting for a younger Sebastian

Eddy; @bluemoonscape / Solei: @solei-eclipse / Aurien: @apriciticreveries

Timeline; it's a "what if Sebastian never got kidnapped and then adopted" type of thought but I guess also mixed with 'before he gets kidnapped' type of thing.

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 6 - Tov’s Log

Vermillion vs. Aurien - ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR

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Solei had been the sun to Aurien’s moon for as long as Tov could remember.

Their light illuminated every fiber of Aurien’s being. She shined because they shined.

But after Solei disappeared, after Aurien’s daylight gave way to endless night, she let the darkness swallow her whole too.

She was never quite the same.

Even the way she sang was different.

It was haunting.

To the audience, it probably sounded beautiful.

But Tov knew the ghost behind Aurien’s voice was real.

Vermillion sounded haunted too, though in a slightly different way.

His ever present charm had melted away, raw emotion flooding his voice as he sang.

Tov knew right away that this round would be close. Aurien would have to give everything and then some to avoid a repeat of Round 3.

She couldn’t watch another friend die.

She couldn’t.

But Vermillion was Aurien’s friend too, right? Tov didn’t know if Aurien would ever betray a friend in the way that was necessary to win.

She ground her teeth.

The song finished, and the scoreboard totaled the points.

Vermillion 54. Aurien 46.

Her heart thudded once, hard enough to bruise. She stopped breathing altogether.

The moon would crash to the planet’s surface, and the tide would rise wild to meet it.

Tov thought of Solei. For the first time since they disappeared, she hoped they were dead.

If only so Aurien could reunite with them sooner.

“Vermillion Win” was projected in big letters on the scoreboard.

Then the screen went black.

“What the—”

A gun fired.

An emergency alarm started blaring.

Then the audio cut out too.

No! Aurien!

Something fast and sharp shot through Tov’s system, seizing her still weakened heart in its brutal grasp.

It wasn’t adrenaline, she knew that chemical reaction well.

No, this was something different. This was something worse.

Cassio, her mind screamed, I need to call Cassio now.

Tov fumbled for the phone and punched in her guardian’s number with a bit more force than necessary.

She held her breath as the line rang.

As soon as Cassio picked, Tov was assaulted by the panicked cacophony in the background.

Aliens were screaming, guards were shouting orders that fell of deaf ears, and that damn alarm was still wailing too loud to think.

“Tov?”

“Cassio.” Tov never thought she’d be relieved to hear their voice. “The broadcast lost the video feed and then there was a gunshot. Is everything alright?”

“Alright” definitely wasn’t the right word to describe the lead up to Aurien’s execution, but she couldn’t think of anything else.

“Everything’s gone to shit.” They hissed. “Someone cut the power to the whole complex and triggered the emergency alarms. There’s a stampede of aliens trying to get out of here and I’m currently stuck in the middle of it. We’re all trying to get to the backstage tunnels now.”

Tov’s mind was spinning. Was there an attack on Alien Stage? If so, what — or who — were they after? The judges? The audience? The contestants?

Himei and Tallis were still there.

What if something happened to them?

What if something already had?

She would have no idea until the lights came back on and someone sorted through the carnage.

Tov’s medical band beeped.

“This place is swarming with AREPH agents.” Cassio muttered, yanking Tov out of her spiraling thoughts.

AREPH. The Agency for the Recovery of Escaped Pet Humans.

Tov remembered a few AREPH agents showing up at Anakt Garden the morning after Solei disappeared.

The agent who interviewed her wore a silver badge with the agency’s seal. She could still recall what it looked like; how it gleamed when it caught the light.

Tov frowned.

Why would AREPH agents be there?

“Oh fuck—” Cassio’s voice shook.

“What? What is it Cassio?”

Their tone turned grave, “Tov, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I’m only going to say this once, and then I’m going to hang up.”

“What’s going on—”

“JUST LISTEN TO ME TOV!!”

Tov recoiled from the receiver. Cassio had never so much as raised their voice at her before. Her medical band beeped again.

They took a deep breath to compose themselves, then spoke in a very deliberate and deathly even voice, “Lock the doors. Turn off all of the lights in the house. Draw the blinds.” They instructed. “Don’t make any noise. Don’t pick up the phone. And don’t answer the door for anyone. Stay put until I get back.”

Tov finally had a name for the emotion that had a vice grip on her heart.

Fear.

She’d felt it so infrequently in her life that it was hard to identify amidst the chaos. But she felt it now.

Strong. Overwhelming. Terrifying.

A chill ran down her spine. Ice surged through her veins. She couldn’t move.

“Why?” Tov could barely get the words out. “Why do I have to do all of this?”

Cassio took pity on her.

“It’s about Solei. They’re here.”

And the line went dead.

————————————————————

Round 6, amirite?? <- (is definitely failing to cope)

Shit got real this round. Lots of chaos. Lots of blood. Lots of thoughts and feelings. Honestly I’m still processing most of it.

It’s a good thing Tov stayed home for this round too because the ensuing panic probably would’ve given her a heart attack (not joking btw).

If you’re wondering how Cassio knew it was Solei at the competition, they passed by a monitor backstage that had the emergency message from this post flashing on it and recognized Solei’s ID number.

They tell Tov to act like she’s not home because AREPH agents could come looking for her since she is thought to be withholding information about Solei’s Anakt Garden escape.

Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua and Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse.

Himei, Tallis, and the Agency for the Recovery of Escaped Pet Humans (AREPH) belong to @lookatmysillies!

[solei-eclipse]

i don’t know if this has been asked before and im sorry if it has but… how much has solei’s personality changed if it has changed at all? what are the similarities and differences in the way they act currently vs. at anakt garden?

The major difference is Solei's loss of sanity/humanity. They seem to act more animal-like and can only manage short sentences, opting to remain quiet instead. Sometimes, when they open their mouth, animalistic bird noises come out instead of words. They are visibly frustrated about it.

They seem to have taken a complete 180 in demeanor, for the most part quiet and still. Though they're also more aggressive and reactive. Whenever they hear something approach, they immediately get defensive.

Solei often stares into space or the darkness outside, huddles themself in their capes in layers as if it were wings. And yes, they eat live mice. Among other strange alien creatures. Past Solei would have been horrified at the thought of mauling something live, current Solei couldn't give less of a fuck.

At heart, they're still Solei. They still enjoy scavenging for little trinkets and bring them to the nest when they can. They're deeply protective of Auri, while she's resting up they tend to prowl around the "nest" like a guard animal. Sometimes, Solei will play with their own hair and try to braid it like Aurien used to do.

[season39]

R O U N D [ —— ]

S O L E I VS A U R I E N

S C O R E S :

S O L E I — 54

A U R I E N — 45

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S O L E I W I N S

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[season39]

[ . . . ]

[ SYSTEMS BACK ONLINE :

CAUSE OF ERROR — [ UNKNOWN ]. ]

[ SUBJECT 030718 and 028812 HAVE ESCAPED . ]

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

-> ( We cannot afford to post phone the bracket for them, and actively search for them at the time, but the stage security system and guidelines will be adjusted .

We have been too soft on the humans, and we apologize greatly for the inconveniences . We will not allow anymore of this . ) <-

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

( Because of 028812’s disappearance and loss, 157329 ( VERMILLION ) will move up accordingly . )

— END OF ROUND —

( Stay tuned for the upcoming ROUND 7, coming out on :

[ 2024 . 8 . 11, 12 : 00 AM EST ] ! )

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DAIKI VS TALLIS

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[season39]

R O U N D 16

O N Y X VS C A S T O R

S C O R E S :

O N Y X — 61

C A S T O R — 38

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O N Y X W I N S

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— E N D O F R O U N D —

( SIDE B now has officially ended, and we will be taking a one week break as of now !

We hope you enjoyed the first 2 rows of SIDE A and SIDE B and stay tuned for the next row of SIDE B which we will be doing next ! )

. . .

( Stay tuned for the upcoming and bonus fan round, ROUND [ — ] ! Coming out in 1 hour ! )

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S O L E I VS A U R I E N

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[season39]

All official round pairings for the season below !

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( NOTICES : Because of the extremely large number of contestants, the leaderboards will be splits into two parts . Side A, and Side B . Side A’s polls will commence first and Side B’s polls will go next .

We will be going from left to right, and bottom to top in rows when carrying out the polls .

Side A and Side B will end with finalists that will go against eachother lastly . )

Also, credits to @shakingparadigm / @solei-eclipse for composing most of the materials that will be used for the season ! I personally really appreciate all that they did and thank them sincerely ! I also hope everyone else can thank them if you’d personally like to !

——————————————————————————————————

Side A :

Here are the pairs ranked in the order they’ll be done ! :

Azure ( @4listr / @azureitri ) VS Cirrus ( @yunoftheclouds )

Vera ( @junebluues / @bittersweet-adagio ) VS Moran ( @geospiral )

Stasya ( @billwasnot ) VS Noora ( @kamersona )

Min ( @starry-skiez ) VS Himei ( @bluemoonscape / @lookatmysillies )

Rose ( @rosedeleca ) VS Sai ( @junebluues / @bittersweet-adagio )

Vermillion ( @subzeromoron ) VS Aurien ( @apriciticreveries / @aurienneirua )

Daiki ( @teapotuser / @daiki1k ) VS Tallis ( @bluemoonscape / @lookatmysillies )

Khoi ( @junebluues / @bittersweet-adagio ) VS Ji Woo ( @starry-skiez )

Side B below ! :

Side B :

Here are the pairs ranked in the order they’ll be done ! :

( 9 . ) Ryu ( @starry-skiez ) VS Lark ( @kamersona )

( 10 . ) Tov ( @ivanttakethis ) VS Minori ( @skyisjusthere / @minori-dash )

( 11 . ) Akane ( @aakaneeee ) VS Evon ( @kofeedoggo )

( 12 . ) Ellie ( @junebluues / @bittersweet-adagio ) VS Flor ( @sotogalmo / @druggofgold )

( 13 . ) Jae ( @kofeedoggo ) VS Vii ( @starry-skiez )

( 14 . ) Aegaeon ( @paradisedisconcert ) VS Saachi ( @starry-skiez )

( 15 . ) Toon ( @nottoonedin ) VS Lang ( @pwippy / @its-langgg )

( 16 . ) ( O ) Nyx ( @rockwgooglyeyes ) VS Castor ( @bluemoonscape / @lookatmysillies )

——————————————————————————————————

( NOTICES :

SCHEDULING : Each poll will be prepared and scheduled to start at 12 : 00 AM . There will be 4 polls a week, scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday each week .

Considering there will be 31 polls in total, and with the scheduling as of now, it’ll take about 7 weeks, or a basically a month and a half .

I hope the scheduling of this is ok ! If you think they are better ways to save more time, or I made a mistake with the calculations, don’t be afraid to tell me !

If you guys need anything else, or have any more questions, I’m open to them at all times !

The first round of AZURE VS CIRRUS, will commence on the 30th !

I hope this season goes well and everyone enjoys it !

Let SEASON 39 of ALIEN STAGE commence soon, everyone !

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 20 - Tov’s Log

Onyx (44) vs. Lang (55) -> Lang Win

————————————————————

Tov hadn’t been this happy in so long.

As soon as the lights and audio on stage were cut and the emergency alarms blared, Tov knew it was Solei.

They came back.

And they brought others this time.

Tov couldn’t make out any faces in the dark as the contestants in the pods were quickly corralled by a swarm of guards and marched away from the stage.

She could only hope that Aurien was among the rebels too.

When it was all over, Nyx and Lang’s scores were totaled.

44 - 55

Nyx would’ve died if Solei hadn’t intervened.

They saved his life.

They saved what was left of her sanity too.

Tov had to shove her face in her pillow to keep the guard posted outside her room from hearing her giddy laughter.

She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so hard and so earnest out of genuine, unadulterated joy.

Nyx wouldn’t die in this gilded cage.

His life wouldn’t be at the mercy of a bloodthirsty audience.

They couldn’t hurt him anymore.

Even if Tov never got to see him again, it didn’t matter.

Nyx was safe.

That was all she wanted for him.

That night, for the first time since the start of the competition, Tov fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

———

A different guard than usual brought Tov’s breakfast to her room.

She could tell by their build and the slope of their shoulders.

They handed her the tray and left without a word.

Weird. She thought, shutting the door.

Tov set the tray on her desk and started eating. The cafeteria had given her a larger portion of mash than normal.

As she dug in with her spoon, something white at the bottom of the tray caught her attention.

It looked like paper.

Tov furrowed her brows and fished the foreign object out with her fingers.

It was indeed a folded up piece of paper.

Whatever was inside, the author didn’t want anyone other than Tov to see.

She wiped the mash off the paper as best as she could before carefully unfolding it.

Scribbled on the page in tight, neat handwriting was a series of five numbers grouped together.

030718, 028812, 030906, 721097, and 233109.

Tov sucked in a breath.

She would know that first set of numbers anywhere.

Solei’s identification number.

The other numbers came back to her with ease.

Aurien was 028812.

Rose was 030906.

Ji Woo was 721097.

Ryu was 233109.

The note was a list of her escaped classmates.

Though some were missing, like Aegaeon and Saachi. Vera too.

But if the list isn’t exhaustive—

That must mean the ones listed were alive.

They must’ve been the rebels that helped Solei save Nyx.

Holy shit…

A pearl of laughter tumbled out of Tov’s mouth, her lips curling into a small smile. She clamped a hand over her mouth to suppress any more noise.

Hot tears welled up in her eyes. For once they were tears of joy, not grief.

It was an odd feeling for her heart not to hurt these days. But Tov would hold onto it for as long as she could.

Some of her classmates still out there fighting— surviving against all odds and saving who they could.

All hope wasn’t lost just yet.

Maybe others could be saved too.

Tov needed to figure out who sent her the note.

Why did they choose her specifically?

And what else do they know?

————————————————————

Looks like someone is feeding Tov information (pun intended) 😁

After Lark’s death and the hostile interrogation, I thought Tov could use a bit of hope to keep her going.

She was really worried about the round because she didn’t want Nyx or Lang to die.

Now she only has to worry about trying to keep Lang alive until they complete against each other.

Tov does NOT know what she’s going to do when it gets to that point, but that’s a problem for later.

Nyx belongs to @rockwgooglyeyes.

Lang belongs to @its-langgg.

Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse.

Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua.

Rose belongs to @rosedeleca.

Ji Woo, Ryu, and Saachi belong to @starry-skiez.

Aegaeon belongs to @paradisedisconcert.

Vera belongs to @junebluues.

[ivanttakethis]

Before Round 13 - Tov’s Log

Jae (?) vs. Vii (?) - ??? Win

————————————————————

An announcement came early in the morning:

All contestants of the remaining rounds will temporarily stay back at ANAKT Garden with SEASON 40’s class, and will be sent off before ROUND 13. They will all be collared and monitored individually.

Damage control for the mess of Round 12 the night before.

Guards came around to collect everyone shortly after that.

Cassio couldn’t get Tov out of this.

There were no exceptions.

She was forced into a collar for the first time in nearly 20 years.

It felt like a vice around her neck.

“Your collar isn’t green.” The guard installing the equipment said.

Tov looked up at them with dead eyes, “It’s never been green.”

What remained of Season 39 arrived at Anakt Garden late that night and were ordered to turn in immediately.

Tov couldn’t sleep.

Each time she started to doze off, she felt a different pair of bloody hands around her throat.

When Tov felt familiar callused palms pressing against her vocal chords, she gave up on sleeping entirely.

If she was awake, she couldn’t be suffocated by the past.

In the morning, Side B contestants were allowed time outside when Season 40’s class was inside for breakfast and first block classes.

Tov looked around for Nyx, but didn’t see him. Castor was missing too.

Being back in the fields of Anakt Garden was an odd experience.

Everything was the same as Tov remembered. The bright sun, the blue sky, the green grass.

The man-made river maintained its gentle flow. There were still random musical instruments like recorders and drum sticks lying around haphazardly.

It was as if they’d never left.

A perfect little bubble of her childhood, frozen in time, brimming with nostalgia and long forgotten memories.

Tov wanted to feel strange. Unwelcome.

She wanted an eerie, uncomfortable feeling to crawl up her spine and trigger her urge to flee.

Instead, she felt warm from the familiarity of it all.

In some ways that was worse.

The largest tree in the garden — Eden, they called it — loomed in the distance at the top of a gentle hill.

A beacon of light amid the dark, troubled waters of her thoughts.

Tov liked the tree because she could see the entire field from its vantage point. It was easy to watch over all of her classmates as they played with one another.

She spent a lot of time under the shade of Eden, reading, observing, or simply lazing around. Most of the time she was there with Himei, or Tallis, or both.

Stasya tagged along with Tallis once or twice, from what she could remember.

Moran would come by now and then to wax about philosophy while Tov listened, or peer over her should as she read books about the cosmos.

Flor came too, often asking to play with the silver clips in Tov’s braids. Tov couldn’t remember ever saying no.

When Solei came, Aurien came with her, and they would all nap together.

Sometimes Nyx would show up to play her a new song he learned on his bass. Other times he just came to pester her into a debate.

On the rare occasions Tov was alone, she would watch Azure down by the river as he stared up at the clouds.

It all seemed so long ago now.

Tov found herself walking towards the tree before her mind could catch up with her movements. Her body was relying solely on muscle memory.

She didn’t resist it.

She was tired.

So tired.

All she wanted to do was rest her head in someone’s lap and sleep.

When Tov reached the top, she looked up to take in the sight.

Eden was a tall, sturdy oak tree; a species native to Earth.

Her branches reached up to the top of the dome and stretched outward. Broad leaves, deep green in color, wove together to form a thick canopy over the top of the hill.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps and dappled the grass below, little twinkles of light dancing as the branches swayed.

Tov managed a weary smile.

Hello again, old friend.

Eden’s leaves rustled in the artificial breeze, as if to answer,

Welcome back.

She laid down on her back in the shade and closed her eyes.

If she listened closely, she could hear the clinking of a wind chime and a chorus of pitch perfect voices singing in the distance.

For a moment, she was a child again.

She wasn’t wearing a collar.

All of her classmates were still alive.

Alien Stage was just a nebulous concept for the future versions of them to worry about.

Tallis was still there next to her…

“Oh! Hi Tov.”

The illusion shattered.

Tov cracked open one eye, then the other, and sat up, blinking blearily.

Had she actually fallen asleep?

Standing over her was a young woman around her age with long, white braids and a pink mask covering her nose and mouth.

Someone from the Season 40 class, presumably.

Her complexion was about the same as Tov’s, just a bit lighter; except for the patch of pale skin on the left side of her face, stretching from her temple to just below her eye. It reminded Tov of Noora.

But there was something… off about her eyes. They were light grey — a stark contrast to her brown skin — but the oddness wasn’t the color.

There was something else Tov couldn’t put her finger on.

It left her feeling unsettled.

More than that, why was she greeting her like an old friend?

Tov never forgot a face. She was sure they’d never met before.

“Who are you?” The question came out more accusatory than Tov had intended, but the stranger seemed to find her terseness funny.

“Whoops, sorry!” She chuckled. Tov could tell she was smiling under her mask by the way her eyes creased at the corners. “I forgot, I know a lot about you, but you don’t know anything about me. I’m Wren. Wren Ra.”

Wren held her hand out and Tov cautiously shook it. Her palms were smooth, completely unblemished.

“Wren.” Tov repeated. “Got it.”

“It’s so nice to see you again. Your performance in Round 10 was breathtaking! I wish I could sing with as much emotion as you did.” Wren said. “Everyone here in the garden was so moved by your voice. It’s no wonder you have the highest score of the season!”

The highest score wasn’t worth all of the losses she endured.

Not even close.

“Thank you.” Tov said, unsure of how else to respond.

A high pitched bell rung in the distance, signaling the end of first block.

“Guess that’s my cue,” Wren said, turning to leave. “We’ll talk later, yeah?”

Tov’s eyebrows furrowed.

What more is there to talk about? We aren’t even supposed to be talking in the first place.

“Uh, sure?”

Wren smiled again, “Great! See you then!”

Tov watched her trek down the hill until she was out of sight. She laid back down on the grass, but couldn’t get comfortable this time.

Something Wren said bothered her.

“It’s so nice to see you again.”

Again?

Have we seen each other before?

————————————————————

Wren is here!! We cheered!!

I loved writing this log and getting to reflect on Tov’s memories of Anakt Garden and her friends. This might actually be my favorite one so far.

And I’m so glad @season39 gave me the perfect opportunity to have the sisters meet, even if Tov doesn’t know who Wren is yet.

Though Tov describes Wren differently than she appears her portrait. What’s up with that? 🤔

And how does Wren know so much about Tov?

I guess we’ll have to see!

Bonus: The “callused palms” Tov mentions when she feels like she’s being choked are Tallis’s.

He played the harp and harpists tend to get calluses on their hands from extensive practice.

Nyx belongs to @rockwgooglyeyes.

Castor, Himei, and Tallis belong to @lookatmysillies.

Stasya belongs to @billwasnot.

Moran belongs to @geospiral.

Flor belongs to @sotogalmo.

Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse.

Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua.

Azure belongs to @azureitri.

Noora belongs to @kamersona.

[ivanttakethis]

Before Round 7 - Tov’s Log

Daiki (?) vs. Tallis (?) - ??? Win

————————————————————

Aurien was gone.

So was Solei.

The only thing left behind was the bloody stage.

Tov learned about all of the new security measures in a message from the production team the next morning.

Each contestant’s threat level would be reassessed. The number of guards patrolling the complex was doubled. Anyone who misbehaved would be collared permanently.

Agents from the AREPH had set up a satellite base in the complex to continue their investigation and deter any further escape attempts.

The rescue was a miracle for Aurien, and a death knell for everyone else.

No one was coming to save them.

There were only two ways out.

Win or die.

Tov didn’t sleep. She didn’t eat either.

To someone on the outside looking in, she likely appeared stoic. But there was a storm simmering just below the surface.

It had been brewing since Azure took his last breath, ebbing and flowing like the tide as the season dragged on and claimed more victims.

Now it was Tallis’s turn.

Whatever fate the stars had for him, Tov would be there to witness it.

Her biggest regret had been not getting to see Moran one last time before her round. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Even if it ended in the death of another one of her stars.

Trying to convince Cassio to let her go with them would be the hardest part.

There was a rhythmic knock at her bedroom door.

“Tov?”

“Come in.”

Cassio opened the door just enough to peek their head in and smiled. “Ah, good. You’re already up and about.” They said. “Would you like to join me backstage for Round 7?”

Tov blinked. Cassio blinked back.

What?

There was no way it was this easy.

She was expecting pushback, a counter argument, outright denial, something.

But all she got was a little smile and slightly raised eyebrows expectantly awaiting her answer.

“Uh,” Tov struggled to recover from the blindside, “Sure?”

“Wonderful. Get dressed then, we’ll need to leave soon.” Cassio said, shutting the door behind them.

Tov felt… uneasy.

After Cassio’s insistence that she stay home for the last three rounds, she thought for sure she would have to fight to go this time. Or at the very least, she would have to be the one to approach the topic first.

Why are you asking me to go now?

What changed?

It didn’t matter right now. She could figure out Cassio’s motivations later. What mattered was getting to Alien Stage and seeing Tallis.

———

Tov was back in the maze of hallways that made up Alien Stage’s backstage area.

She wasn’t as frantic as she had been during Round 3.

Some of the signs and marked doors rang familiar as she passed them.

Despite the lack of sleep and sustenance, Tov’s head only got clearer the further she wound her way through the tunnels.

She knew what her goal was and had a general idea of where she needed to go.

“The contestants will be in their dressing rooms by the time we arrive.” Cassio had told her. “They’ll be situated at the end of a long, wide hallway and around a corner on the first underground floor. It’s secluded, so you should be able to speak freely without fear of being overheard.”

The last part of their explanation had caught Tov off guard, but there was no time to question it.

She waved her badge over a card scanner and pushed open the electronic doors to a long, wide hallway. It was completely empty.

Tov felt her heart skip a beat.

“At the end of a long, wide hallway and around a corner.” She muttered to herself, quickening her pace and making a sharp left.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she turned the corner.

In front of her were two matching doors side by side. Both doors had a white card tapped in the center with a name written in black ink.

On the left: Daiki.

On the right: Tallis.

Only one door separated Tov from one of her closest friends.

Tov knocked three times. One for each of them. Tov. Himei. Tallis.

“The door is open!” A familiar voice called from the other side.

She slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

Tallis was at the large vanity with his back to her. She could see him worrying his bottom lip between his teeth in the reflection of the mirror. A nervous habit he hadn’t grown out of.

Tov stepped closer, making her presence known, “Tallis?”

Tallis’s eyes widened at the sound of her voice and he quickly turned around, his mouth slightly agape.

“Tov?” His voice was soft around the edges, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.” She said.

Tallis nodded, trying to collect his thoughts. “Well, here I am.” His voice wavered a bit at the end.

She could tell he was nervous, yes. But there was something else underneath it.

They didn’t have time to dig any of that up. Tov wasn’t even sure how to.

She and Tallis stood there for a moment, looking at each other.

There was so much she thought about saying to him once she got here, but the growing lump in her throat refused to allow it.

She would just have to show him.

Not wanting to waste another moment, Tov closed the distance between them and pulled Tallis into a hug.

He stiffened at first, likely from shock, but wrapped his arms around her in return. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

He was warmer than Himei was when she hugged her. His heart was beating faster too.

Tov couldn’t remember the last time they’d hugged. Now she wished they had done it more often.

The very thought made her heart ache.

Tov wasn’t the type to beg. But if she could ask the stars for anything, it would be for Tallis to survive.

Please. She chanted. Please please please.

She pulled back from the hug just enough the cradle his face in her hands. His cheeks burned against her palms.

Up this close, she could see the different shades of green in his irises and all of the freckles across his nose.

Growing up, Tov was jealous of them. Tallis’s freckles looked like the clusters of stars she worshipped.

She remembered trying to count them all when they would lounge under the shade of the big tree in Anakt Garden, or when she couldn’t sleep during nap time. They were fascinating.

Tallis was fascinating.

She never told him that. There were a lot of things she didn’t tell him. But there was one thing she wouldn’t let go unsaid.

Their eyes met, and Tov held his gaze like a lifeline. “Do your best.” She said quietly,

“I love you.”

————————————————————

So anyways, I cried while writing this. I love that even though Tov and Tallis aren’t the most talkative people, they share a deep understanding of one another that’s unique to them 🥹

This is also the first time that Tov has told Tallis that she loves him. Usually she shows she cares through actions, but she wanted him to know exactly how she felt.

I didn’t want Tallis to say too much because he’s not my oc and I don’t want to mischaracterize him, so the ending is basically me kicking this over to @lookatmysillies if they want to expand on it (no pressure, of course).

Tallis, Himei, and AREPH belong to @lookatmysillies.

Solei belongs to @solei-eclipse.

Aurien belongs to @aurienneirua.

Azure belongs to @azureitri.