#starlightroyals

[schrullesworld]

Sulani Royal Wedding Guests arrival: International guests Thanks for sending your sims @motherofroyalsims @celestialroyals @fabulous_royals @royalsimsoftobi @starlightroyals

HRM King Phillip Atticus Lufti Hasaan IV of Oasis Springs

HRH Prince Filibus Atticus Lufti Hasaan IV of Oasis Springs & HRH Princess Lola Elizabeth Montez Notario of Del Sol Valley

Miss Ekaterina Sokolov of Amarantos

HRH King Grace Darius of Wilcrest & Lady Aretha Jackson

HRH Prince Kaiko, the Duke of Sulani & HG Duchess Alani of Sulani

TG, The Earl & Countess of Glimmerbrook, Lord Nixon and Lady Jane of Glimmerbrook.

[thedevilliers]

heyyy! loving your origins story. i notice aelin’s ears are elf ears, whereas her husbands aren’t- is there any particular reason? are the devilliers’ ancestors elves?!!! 🧝🏼‍♀️ 🤩

hii!! thank you so much for the kind words 💖💖🥺 and yes, aelin is full elf while edmund is human. i've always loved fantasy and can't (well, I can but I don't see why—) really incorporate it into my current present modern story, so i was like !!! let me do it in the past <3

if u do edmund (h) + aelin (e) = their kids are half human/elf. the rest of the lineage married humans, so no more elves in the bloodline and just pure humans now 😔 but !! aelin's old house aka the d'evilliers WERE elves. so yes. their ancestors are elves. but in the history books they are just described as having pointy ears, not really as "elves" : /

narcisos is the only land that had ppl such as elves and other ~supernatural/mythological/magic~ beings. most were k worded, though : / ordered by edmund in his first year as king 👹🗡

[trentonsimblr]

6,13 & 32!!! :)

Thank you for the ask!

6. How long have you been working on your story for?

I started my simblr in June of this year. I was playing around with my story in gameplay since October of last year (A LOT has changed since then though). I would have probably have started my simblr story sooner had I not been working fulltime in healthcare while also finishing up my master's degree (10 out of 10 do not recommend that combo during a pandemic 😂🤣😭)

13. From basic planning to a finished post, how long does that take you?

This is a hard question for me to answer because I like to plan in advance. For example most of my posts I've done in September were planned out in late July/August, including an initial draft of the dialogue (which usually changes a bit before the final draft) and the poses I plan to use. I’ve thrown in a few unplanned posts for some of my side arcs and I would say from the thought popping in my head to final post those ones took anywhere between 1-4 hours. It takes longer if I need to make a set and find poses, etc.

32. Give a light spoiler.

I did this edit when I was procrastinating taking screenshots for Eleanor’s wedding.

(spoiler is under the cut)

[thecharlestonroyalfamily]

10, 12 & 17 xxx

Hi and thank you so much for asking!

10. Is your story fully planned or are you still working things out? Is there a definitive end? - So far I've planned all the big story lines for gen 3 but nothing beyond that. I do have the final ending planned but when I'm going to do that is still up in the air. I'll keep going for as long as I feel inspired. 12. Do you actually play the game or do you just use it as a storytelling medium? - I do actually play! Sims has been my chill comfort game for a long time before I started this story so I still have my other saves and stuff and I play them often. 17. What about the process do you hate? - As with any creative stuff I hate creative blocks. Also posing a lot of sims at once cause they wont stay in place!! (And yet I still made my gen 3 to be over 10 people hahahaa f me) If you wanna ask from this list you can find it here: XXX

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

So, did Sirius learn his lesson? Well...

Arron the Lythcol Mechanic sent me this. Apparently Sirius didn’t learn his lesson during St. Patrick’s day. I’ll have to do something about that pup...

Timeline: Easter 2k17

Easter has arrived with its fair share of surprises thanks to Gaia's resident political grunny. You've been hunting eggs & have been finding many! It has been a very good year for finding eggs. Though the animated have been spotted as well & appear to be taking a resurgence of activity. You have been keeping your stashed away rings close at hand just in case.There was a cry of surprise followed by a few things crashing from inside one of the buildings nearby. You stopped & looked towards the sound. One of the doors burst open to reveal a small dark furred pup with a coat sprinkled with silver stardust. It scampered past you. The strange dog looked like a new animated at first but judging from its friendly bright blue eyes with traces of teal that emit their own light stopped to look at you for a moment, you realized it was not. The pup had a boot in its mouth.You blinked as you tried to reach down for the large boot when the star patterned canine jumped back from you, wanting to keep its prize. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AGAIN?!" a male voice yelled from the door that the pup had escaped from. A very tall young man with chestnut colored locks. He looks around to see you & the boot thief with an expression of annoyance. His ethereal teal eyes that almost glow as he bolts in direction. You notice that he is missing a boot from his foot. The canine had actually stolen the boot right off the young man's foot. You blink as you see his right arm shining in the spring sun. It is prosthetic. He stops in front of you & gives a smile before another muffled yip from the of the boot stealing pooch grabs both of your attention. You glance back at the young man only to see he is gone & has left a gift sitting in the same spot he was standing in, covered in a crystalline dust & stardust. It is addressed to you & the tag reads, ''Happy Easter! I may not be able to fix my own heart, but I will fix yours!'' ~Arron the Lythcol Mechanic & Sirius the Boot Stealing Dog Star

[miyuzarry]

FREDDIE AND AMY

I got tagged by the wonderful @starlightroyals! Thank you for that :)

Here are two screenshots of Amelia and Frederick enjoying a day outside, celebrating their engagement together.

Rules:

- Dress your sims up

- Take screenshots for their date c:

I tag:

@stthomaspalace @royalfamilyoflimar @trouvailleroyals

[delsolroyals]

number 24 from the storytelling qu's! :))))

24) are there any characters who remind you of yourself?

no not at the moment sadly😭 buttttt there is a sim who won’t a appear for such a long time that reminds me so much of myself, no matter how hard it is you can never make someone/your family proud of you :))

thank you for the ask @starlightroyals !! <33

[thedevilliers]

so it appears we’re all sarah j maas nerds hahahah 🤔

a few places in my world map are named after stuff from her ToG and acotar series 🤠🤠🥰

skdjfljs help 💀 ToG and acotar supremacy?!?!?! i actually havent read acotar no i will not talk about it ✋ but thats so cool 👁👁

[thedevilliers]

omgggg in like a weird twisted way i love for the little smile amelia does when she’s being mean-like in the last photo in your most recent post 🥵🥵🥵

AAAAAA hehehe u noticed 👁👁❤️ apart from constantly raising her eyebrow, amelia also smirks when shes plottin / knows something others dont. and she looks HOT !!!!!!!! 😖 shes done it a few times already 😌❤️

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga: Chapter 4 part 2: Success!

Time Frame: Day after St. Patrick’s day, 2k17

The mechanic's workshop and home was organized chaos. Machines used for repair were dusty and grease covered from their constant use. Tables littered with unfinished projects and drafted ideas were all around the workshop. One in particular looked to be a ship made from salvaged parts, but there was red ink on it that revealed it was a failed idea. It was a wonder the man knew where anything was. Tucked in a corner was a small kitchenette & a lofted bed. The kitchenette looked very bare of food items, and was actually clean of dirt. Arron lived where he worked and worked were he lived. Lucky could see where he had been working on the seed as parts were littered around it. However her star was conveniently missing from the messy workshop. The redhead maneuvered around the chaos, careful not to disturb any organization the mechanic may have had in place. As she spied the pieces of seed she wondered if that were a sign of success, or if she would have to go in search of more. We're there anymore? She shook her head and listened intently. She had a word with Sirius after the star puppy's latest boot theft endeavor, which had left her with traces of stardust sprinkling her clothes, skin, and hair. While it was annoying to get rid of, for now at least she could take advantage of the power it provided. She could hear it- the annoyed high pitch sound that the star's flickering light translated into. It was not impressed with its current situation, and was promising anyone that could hear that both she and Arron would be getting theirs eventually. Lucky stifled a giggle and followed the sound, calling out when she got closer, "Anyone home?" There was movement from the lofted bed, as the mechanic raised his head up. "Hunh..? Oh! Morning..." he said getting up. Judging from the dark circles around Arron's eyes he did not get much sleep. He walked over to Lucky yawning. "Okay... So I-I managed to g-get it to work! It was easy once I-I understood how it worked." he said as he released the tiny star from its "prison", "How y-you can catch th-them is charging it & th-then throwing the seed at the star." The mechanic twisted the top of the seed, allowing it to glow softly before throwing at the still angry star. The star in question suddenly disappeared back into the seed that bounced upon the ground before lying still. "Arron, you are a lifesaver," she spoke, watching the seed once again go still. "Can they break out?" "Well this one wasn't ab-able to, but a-a really powerful star could pr-probably be able to." he said, finally releasing the star. So they weren't unbreakable. That was good to know. Still, it might be enough to handle the black dwarf. "I may have to test run it..." She mused aloud, then turned her attention back to Arron. "Thank you so much, Mechy. If it works, is there any chance I can get you to enhance a few more?" He nodded. "An-Anytime! Also if y-you want to br-bring them by. I-I'm happy to be of help!" he said with grin. Arron was glad he was able to create something that she and possibly her brother could use in catching wayward and mischievous stars. She returned the grin, about to hold out her hand for the seed when a thought occurred to her. Arron was doing for this, but he didn't know the situation. She cleared her throat, "By the way, there is something I should talk to you about." The Lythcol mechanic blinked & tilted his head. "T-Talk about..? Did something happen?" he asked curiously. "Well, yes and no. It happened awhile ago, and it's ridiculous that I didn't bring it up until now but..." She stopped herself, realizing she was stalling. She frowned, "Well, I know you were...busy last Halloween, so you might not know, but something came up." Lucky saw Arron glancing at where his arm used to be, but his attention was quickly back on her. "Something came up?" he echoed. There was a slight edge to his voice, having caught on that it was not going to be good news. She nodded, "We came across a pair of stars that...shouldn't exist? At least, not yet. Have you ever heard of a black dwarf?" Arron frowned. "...I-I've heard the term but th-there are stars that old? I-I didn't think it was possible but... Well we have a literal trash c-can for a president." he stated raising an eyebrow. "There shouldn't be, no," she replied, trying to keep her serious expression when he made the comment about their president. "And it turned out they are not helpful the nicest of stars. We're pretty lucky that-" Lucky's hand flew to her mouth. Please tell me he didn't hear. Don't tell me he heard. "Odanodan's blessings be with ya!" He heard. The sudden appearance of the Leprechaun startled the mechanic, causing him to react by throwing the one thing he had on hand at the time. It was the Moga Seed & it perfectly made its mark on the luck bringing entity. However there was a surprise when Odanodan disappeared into the seed. The mechanic stared at the seed on the floor in disbelief. "...That was unexpected." Lucky paused for a moment, staring at the seed with disbelief. Then, she slowly shifted her gaze to the mechanic. "Think his pot of gold is around here somewhere?" "...Worth a shot to go look. Just gotta look for a rainbow right?" "I think so?" She replied before beckoning him to follow. She would tell him about the stars and the banishment later. For now though, she had revenge on a leprechaun and a pot of gold in mind.

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga: Chapter 4 part 1: The Seed

Time Frame: St. Patrick’s Day 2k17

Spring had arrived and with it an abundance of lush greenery and colorful blossoms.The skies were bright and clear after what had been a rather active and wet winter. As St. Patrick's day approached, so too came the mysterious return of the Animated. To say the least with all that was happening Gaia was a buzz of excitement, everyone finding something to enjoy. Well, almost everyone. Carefully slipping through the marketplace was a red haired woman, half perusing the endless selection of Gaian goods, while half keeping an eye out for the representative of this time of year's festivities. While she normally had no qualm over her name, she quickly learned the trouble of having the name "Lucky" when Odanodan was about. The green clad little man appeared literally anywhere and everywhere, despite her attempts to explain personal space. Ultimately she had decided the best method for avoiding him was to just not go out around St. Patrick's day at all. As tempting as that was, her charge bobbing only slightly ahead kept her from doing so. The tiny star, like other luck stars, had forgotten once again to keep their shine to themselves during the holiday of another luck giver. Despite no longer holding the title of Starlight Princess, Lucky respected the tradition, and would keep them from causing issues with their neighbors. This particular tiny star had been only one of about a dozen she had found this day, but appeared to be the last of them floating about. There had been no issues this time around caused by the luck stars nor the mysterious black dwarf who still evaded the Starlight kingdom after its partner was captured during Christmas. Where it had gone was a mystery. The other continued to remain silent, which was a problem in more ways than one. For one, they still knew nothing of the motive. Why attack its brethren and steal their light? What was the purpose of the sludge? Where did it come from? And more importantly, where did they come from? She watched the star bob and sway ahead as she kept up with a casual pace. She was still coming to terms with the whole idea of a black dwarf actually existing. Well, theoretically they always could, but not for another few billion years. Even the prince was taken aback by this discovery, and with Astraeus's connection to the stars' constant chatter, something that always reminded the redhead of something just shy of a hive mindset, it likely meant they were more than just overlooked. As far as the stars were concerned, typically someone somewhere knew something, and if they knew they shared with everyone else. How was it that no one knew about these guys? If something happened to them, at least one star would have spotted it. If they had been this way all along, where had they been hiding? Why come out now? Lucky was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely noticed the star up ahead pause before swooping over a rather crowded booth. It flickered in excitement and swirled around, dropping glittering stardust all over the merchandise. "Hey!" the vendor cried, drawing Lucky's attention as he pulled out a fly swatter and waved it threateningly at the star. "Unless you want to become merchandise, you stay away from my products!" She rushed over and cupped her charge, pulling it away. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." "That thing belongs to you?" the vendor asked crossly. "It's dropping glitter all over my shop!" "It's just dust," Lucky tried to explain, reaching into her pocket for a handkerchief with her free hand and gently dusting off a bluish orb that had the star's glittering magic had sprinkled. "See? It comes right off-" "You touched it, you buy it." "Pardon me?" she started. "And no returns." "But I didn't-" "That'll be one billion gold." "Ok, I don't even know what this thing is and I know that's a ripoff!" "Should have thought about that before you touched it." She huffed, her cheeks getting as red as her hair as she resigned herself to pay the man. It wasn't worth it to get into an altercation with the guy over something so trivial, despite the pretty penny it would cost. She turned from the booth, her unwanted prize in one hand, and her troublesome charge in the other. "Now this is why I ask you lot to keep your shine at bay. I had to pay for this...this...what even is this?" she wondered aloud, finally getting a good look at the bizarre item. It was a blue sphere of sorts with a golden star in the center, likely what had drawn her own star's attention in the first place. Sprouting from the top of it were two large leaves, orange at the base before turning into a lush green. It looked like some sort of plant bulb, though it was not one the former star princess had ever seen... YAP YAP YAP YIP YAP YAP "GIVE IT BACK. I'VE LOST FIFTEEN PAIRS BECAUSE OF YOU!" Lucky's head snapped in the direction of the voice filtering through the crowd, her thoughts interrupted. Many Gaians had moved aside as a tall brown haired man chased after a small dark furred puppy star. "What in the-?" Sirius scampered through the crowds, eyes locked on the redhead. As they neared, Lucky realized she recognized the pursuer- was that Arron? Brown hair, teal eyes, goggles...definitely the lythcol mechanic. As they neared, she discovered her former companion had stolen another boot from the young man. Only this time it was right off his foot, as Arron was chasing after with only a sock on one foot. He was sure getting bold about his boot stealing...Judging from how Arron was dressed, he had been working in his workshop as usual. He was red in the face from running after the puppy star all the way into the Marketplace. 

Whether it was Sirius's plan to do so or by accident, the pair were heading straight for her. As the mechanic shouted after him, Sirius picked up the pace. Before she could react, the pup dove between her legs and kept going, dropping the boot in the process. The redhead moved her hand holding the item forward to stop the mechanic. "Woah! Heel, Mechy! Stardusting puppy star is gone." The mechanic skidded to a stop, heaving & out of breath. "L-Lucky... Oh... h-hello..." he said through gasps as he placed his hands on his knees. Apparently he had been chasing Sirius for a while. His sock had torn, showing the heel of his foot. Once he had caught his breath he graciously took the boot from her and shoved his already aching foot inside it with a thank you. "...Sorry a-about that." he said scratching the back of his neck, "...I had just bought these af-after he had stolen my other p-pair." "I am still on the lookout for his stash," she replied, frowning. "Unfortunately he has experience hiding these things." Though she did wonder how the pup managed to get into the mechanic's workshop so easily. But she would deal with that later when she found the pup. Instead she glanced at the item in her hand again. "Question. Do you happen to know what this is?" Arron held out his real hand to take the star patterned plant from the former star princess. He placed it in his cybernetic one, reminding Lucky that he had his own string of bad encounters this past year, before looking at it. "...W-Wow is this a Starseed? I-I haven't seen one of-of these in a few y-years..." he said blinking, "Th-They were used to capture Mogas before a-a lot of them disappeared. It's actually pretty advanced for what it is." Arron seemed very surprised as well as fascinated to see what she had been forced to purchased, making her wonder if it might have actually been worth the investment. "...Never really got the chance to crack it open when they were around... I wonder if it has a Moga in it...." he mumbled. The redhead knew that look and began to scold Arron. "Hey now, don't go breaking something that isn't yours-wait, these captured animals?" What he said clicked. "This seed can actually contain stuff inside of it?" Hey eyes lit up, curiosity getting the better of her too while the cogs and gears turned in her head. Just what had she actually come across? "How does it work?" The Lythcol mechanic shrugged. "I-I've never gotten to fully examine one, but I believe th-they ab-absorb their essence in a way. S-Similar to how Kindred revert to-to eggs when they are defeated." he explained, opening the seed up by twisting the top of it. Thankfully a Moga was not released, revealing the inside to be hollow. Lucky examined the now open seed and the star on the front, her own tiny star managing to get loose and bobbing around it curiously. There was nothing inside that looked too special... But she had known Arron, Mechy as she nicknamed him, for a while now. The stuff he knew, he knew very well. If she left him alone five minutes with this thing he would likely have the whole seed's internal and external blueprint and schematics flushed out, written down, and be halfway to Starseed 2.0. "So...there's a difference between kindred eggs and this Starseed, right? Kindred eggs are technically still the kins, just reverted back to an earlier state. This is an external source." She looked up at Arron, "Does that mean, theoretically, it could capture something that is not a Moga? Say for instance a star?" If he said yes, she would be swarming the market for these things. That I Am potion was a desperate move to catch the black dwarf before, and if the other caught wind, it would not work again. But if she actually had an item to capture it... "...Technically... Yes." Lucky's heart did a flip as she was given a nod. The mechanic looked at the tiny star. He tried to activate the seed to see if it would do anything to Lucky's companion. The star bobbed around, flickering victoriously when nothing happened. "It would re-require some calibration to-to identify a st-star's structure & overall essence... Basically it's l-like 'j-jail breaking' a phone." he explained. "I see," she lied, pretending to know what jail-breaking a phone meant. She guessed it was something along the lines of hacking or rigging the system. Mixed emotions filled her when she saw the seed didn't work on the star. "Do you think you could make it work?" Lucky saw the most mischievous expression take over the young man's face. She tried to keep her own expression in check, knowing the answer already. "I would n-need a star and about a-a day." he said breaking out into a grin. She smiled sweetly. "Hmm...The is quite a tall order. You are asking me to hand over one of my charges to someone not trained in stellar care taking, and as a test subject no less." In a flash, her hand lashed out and snagged the bobbing star. She held the wildly flickering star out to the mechanic. "Here you go." The star tried to wriggle free, flashing some less than civil responses at the former princess. "None of that from you. You're the reason why I had to buy the seed in the first place." Once it resigned to its fate, she placed the star in Arron's cybernetic hand. "Thank you~!" he said, "C-Come by my workshop tomorrow and I'll have it done." The tiny luck star was not going to like its stay with the mechanic. And likely it was going to be ages before Arron got all the star dust out of his workshop afterwards. But if he found a way to make this work, Lucky would pay him back a hundred times over. She would have a method to fight back against those black stars.

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga - Chapter 5: Part 3: The Deal

Time Frame: Easter 2k17

“The lawn gnomes are making what?” Sirius stared in disbelief at Lucky as she relayed what she had found at the Animated’s base. His expression was confusing, as if he was trying to figure out if he should groan or laugh. “Made, Sirius,” Lucky corrected. “There is a catapult prepped to send Diedrich’s eggs right over the town wall. The star shook his head, "Well that is one way to mess with your opponents.” “I think it might be more than that,” she replied. “In all honesty, I think they are trying to run Gaians out of Barton.” He paused, gazing at her searchingly. “That’s a pretty extreme conclusion? I mean, they’re just a bunch of bad eggs.” “They’re huge eggs. And they reek without the shell cracked. Just one normal egg gone bad can send a person running for the hills. These guys are collecting as many eggs as they can. It would take a long time to clean it up, and that’s even if its SAFE to clean up.” He still didn’t look convinced. “I didn’t say it was the smartest idea out there, but they learn from mimicking mankind. Catapults are meant to get dangerous things up and over walls. Big boulders and rotten eggs might not look all that different to a learning species.” “Alright, alright,” he conceded. “But why wouldn’t it be safe? Sure it stinks, but it’s nothing a little- ok a lot of soap won’t clean up.” Lucky shook her head, “Honestly, if it was just the smell, I think Gaia could handle it. They've handled gods, alien attacks, dragons, and just about everything else this world has thrown at them. If anything, I would feel sorry for the gnomes when the Gaians found out where the rotten eggs came from." She frowned, giving Sirius a moment to let this sink in before continuing. "But I don’t think the gnomes are considering another factor. Diedrich is a grunny.” She crossed her arms, thinking aloud, “Sure he’s annoying, but his kind originally were known for infecting Gaians with a virus that turned them into zombies. Diedrich has never bitten anyone to my knowledge, but there’s certainly a few things off with him. He’s got to be a carrier. What if he passed those down in his eggs? At the very least the ones hit will be infected.” Sirius nodded, “Right, so we don’t want that.” “Not at all.”  “And I suppose the guard is out of the question?” he mused. “Those gnomes will see them and either attack or launch the catapult.” “Taking on the guard I wouldn’t mind. I planned on telling them at first,” she replied. “It’s the chance of a launched catapult that’s the problem. With that in mind, they might do the same for any Gaian. Leon has sent quite a few locals over that way since they arrived.”

"I guess it's up to us then," he mused. She nodded.

Neither spoke for a bit, both in their own thoughts as they examined the small pile of loot that Sirius had gained by taking out fluffs with golf balls. He managed to get his hand on a couple rings, a handful of gold, and small pile of charge orbs, along with a multitude of leaves and sticks. Lucky picked up the rings and examined the symbols. One was fire rain, the other fleet foot. It would help them take out some gnomes and stay ahead of them, but unless they found a way to round them up, there was no way they would be able to take them all out before one of them launched the catapult. What they needed was a way to distract the gnomes as a whole. But they wouldn’t be able to do that as they were…the pair looked too much like Gaians-like threats. They needed something that could get close, unnoticed. Or, something that the gnomes would notice, but not consider a threat. Something harmless. Something they wouldn’t bat an eye at until too late.  Sirius turned his gaze from the loot to the quiet redhead. He watched her for a few moments, then decided to break the silence. “You know…if you have some idea that might help us out, I’m all ears.” “I bet you are,” she replied.  “So,” he started, “what’s on your mind?” “What’s on my mind?” she repeated. Lucky frowned, turning her full attention to the star. “What’s on my mind is what has gotten into you?” The star blinked. “I don’t follow.” “Don’t give me that. First you comment about me stopping the gnomes with something other than a ring. Then you suggest I try to get in the mindset of the enemy. Now you want me to actually formulate some sort of plan of attack? Don’t you think the prince has enough on his plate without having to explain to the council why I am violating the contract again?” “It’s because he has a lot on his plate that I’m seeing if you actually can violate the contract.” Lucky paused. The playful air and feigned ignorance were gone from the star’s eyes. He was focused, knowledgeable, calculating, inquisitive. She let him speak. “For all my years, nothing like these black dwarfs has ever been seen. As far as the council and kingdom are concerned, that means they are something that has never existed. Even you said they are something that should not exist.” “They shouldn’t, but what does that have to do with the contract?” she asked, frowning. “Aside from my violating it in the first place, that is?” Sirius ran a hand through his wild bangs, “Well, the whole point of the contract was that the council feared your connection to her. I think they feared you were actually still working for her, or at the very least being used.” “Oh dear! Why would they think that?” she sarcastically deadpanned. The redhead herself questioned if she was being used by that person back then. She still did today. “Yes, and despite the council having some justification for that fear, having you ignore this asset you have is doing us more harm than good,” he held her gaze firmly. “You can figure these guys out. You can get in their heads, figure out who they are, where they came from, and why they’re attacking not just their own kind, but their own royal family. If you don’t have the resources to stop them, you can get them! You’ve already proved that.” “With Nefiriam and Arron,” she realized aloud, starting to see where the star was getting at. “But Sirius, the implication has never been that my skills are the problem. It’s that if I embrace this past, these teachings, I might…” He nodded. “How about this, then?” he suggested, “We will consider this catapult problem a test. You come up with a plan to stop those gnomes and we’ll carry it out. I'll keep an eye on you and make sure nothing is amiss. If you pass, you will have the giants on your side. With us and the royal family backing you, the council can’t punish you more for violating the contract. They might even be more willing to negotiate the current situation.” “And what if I don’t pass?” she asked. “Then what would you do?” Sirius thought about that. “If you fail, and I deem you are too much of a threat to the kingdom, I will stop you personally.” “I think you would have done that, conditions or no,” she replied. “Then you can trust my word.” He extended his hand. “So, do we have a deal?” Lucky looked at the outstretched hand for a moment, debating. Then, she grasped it in a firm shake. “Deal.” Sirius grinned. “Great! Now you just need to come up with a plan!” "I hope you don't go back on your end of the bargain, Sirius," she spoke, holding his gaze firmly. "Because I already have one."

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga- Chapter 5 part 4: Plans and Verdicts

The lawn gnome courier roamed down the pathway of Village Greens on its way to the lawns gnome base with its most recent scribbles of symbols and shapes. The route it took way always the same: starting at the first mushroom post before passing the shrubbery garden, past flamingos and looping around the small cliff, clacking beneath the windmill blades before finally making it to the home base. None of the other Animated paid it any mind, and it paid them no mind. The courier's mission was an important one that could not be interrupted. When Gaians appeared, the others defended. If the others were defeated, the courier moved faster. But it always made it to its destination...mostly. Perhaps that is why it didn't pay any mind to the rustle in the grass at first. Nor did it hear it when it approached the second time, passing from one large stone to a tree. Only the third time, when the rustle shifted from the tree to another tree right next to the gnome did it stop, turning to see what made the sound. It saw nothing across the grassy plains other than a small bird and a few Animated though, and continued on its way to the base. Soon the massive putt-putt golf mushrooms came into view along with the largest catapult constructed Village Green gnome history. It was nearly complete. All it needed was a few more baskets of the foul eggs and it would be ready for launch. The gnome felt a bit of pride to be part of this, and not just because of how often the Gaians had attacked their kind. They would be making lawn gnome history. Soon they would own not just the greens, but Barton itself! No, not Barton, Gnometropolis! Gnometopia! Lawngnomia! The name was a work in progress. But they could come up with it later. First thing was first, before they could claim Barton as their own, they needed to clear it out of those pesky Gaians. That large white wall that kept them from invading was not going to be a problem anymore. The massive basket would launch the eggs clean over, and keep the smell inside for all Gaians to blanch over. They would flee from the terrible stink, which their own plastic noses were immune to, leaving their town behind for the taking. Then those walls would be the walls of the lawn gnomes, and no Gaians would be able to attack them in their new kingdom! The courier was so caught up in its thoughts of grandeur that it did not notice the dark blur streak across the path in front of it, nor the thing that it dropped. It wasn't until it was stopped in its tracks that it realized something was there. Trying to clatter forward, the lawn gnome found that it had stepped on a piece of gum. This was a problem, when it had two feet already glued together, the ways to move were considerably limited. Without being able to hop high enough up, or teeter to the side, the gnome's movements threw it off balance. It fell forward on it's plastic nose with a plop! A few lawn gnomes looked over, but they quickly turned back to what they were doing. That quickly changed. YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP! The gnomes rattled in surprise, some dropping their egg-filled baskets as a dark furred puppy with silvery stardust sprinkled on his coat scampered out of tall grass. He zoomed towards the stuck and fallen courier, tail wagging furiously and a slight hop in his run with each yap. There was a thump, then a pop! The gnomes stared in disbelief at the pup. The pup gazed back with large innocent blue and shining teal eyes. He could no longer bark, not with the courier's hat in his mouth, at least. One gnome took a clattering step forward. Sirius scampered a couple steps back. Another took a step forward. He crouched his front paws playfully. The first took a few more steps forward. Sirius was off! It was like someone flipped a switch. The gnomes dropped what they were doing and followed after the star. When he looped around the mushroom, they looped around the mushroom. When he jumped over a log, so did they. When he went down the path to the cliff, all the gnomes in sight followed like the tail of a shooting star: always right behind yet never catching up as they attempted to retrieve their comrade's precious hat. The pup led them up the path then down, around the windmill twice, then up the path towards Bill's Ranch and out of sight. Lucky waited until the coast was clear before slipping out from behind a nearby tree. Phase one of the plan was complete. With those Animated around, she and Sirius would not have been able to do a single thing about their newest toy. They needed to get them away from the location somehow. She had noticed something during her ventures through the Animated infested areas though. While they attacked Gaians, there were koi in the ponds of Zen Gardens that were untouched. The lawn gnomes didn't bother the birds. The sand fluffs let the crabs and starfish be. They didn't have an issue with animals. Perhaps the same would go with a certain star puppy. Once he was close enough, he would steal the hat off of one of them and get the whole crew to chase him up and out of sight. That went off without a hitch, but neither of them knew how long Sirius would be able to distract them. Normally they only went do far, but he did have the hat, which should buy her a couple more minutes if they cared half as much about that hat as Arron did about his boots. Either way though, she needed to act fast. Reaching in her purse. the redhead pulled out one of the prizes from a pinball game: superduper glue. She crept over to the mushroom, careful not to be seen through the windows as she made her way to the door. Once she was there, she applied generous amounts of the quick drying substance to the door frame, gluing a rock in at the base to serve as a wedge. The more she could add to the door to keep the general and majors from coming out, the better. She inspected her handiwork. It wouldn't keep them inside forever, but it should hold long enough for her to do something about that catapult. Now, what exactly "something" was, was the question. She didn't get an up close look at the catapult the first time. She would have to improvise. She hurried over to the catapult and examined the structure. It was much larger up close, easily twice her height at max even while anchored down and ready to launch. There was no way she would be able to unload the eggs before they got back. Besides, even if she did manage, there was nothing really stopping them from just filling it up again. She looked to the base. The rock-well, boulder was more appropriate, was far too heavy for her to try to move. If it was able to keep a log under pressure down, she didn't even want to try to mess with it. The baskets crammed under the log didn't look like they would budge either, but they did look flammable... She heard a thump and quickly turned. A yellow hat within the mushroom bounced up and down at the window. The majors had spotted her. The baskets would have to do. She fished through her purse and pulled out her makeup compact. Flipping it open, she adjusted the angle of the mirror inside. The Sun's light bounced off of it and onto the very dry baskets. Hopefully it would be enough heat to get a small fire started. If those baskets burned, all the tension in the catapult would be gone, rendering it useless. If it wasn't enough, then... Lucky frowned. She was stalling again. This wasn't going to work, at least not in the time span they had. They needed something more effective, more destructive. Something that could light up these baskets and maybe this entire catapult in a matter of moments. Back as the Starlight Princess, she found her way around such things by stardusting star power over to whatever she needed. That wasn't an option anymore. Maybe this was what Sirius was getting at. She frowned, adjusting the mirror more as she heard the majors switch from the window to banging on the sealed door. It would be easy to take this catapult down. If she did, Gaians would not have to worry about the potential virus spreading. That alone should have been more than enough justification for getting the job done, so what was stopping her?? Sure Astraeus was working hard for her sake, but he never minded when she slipped in speech or mannerisms before. It didn't stop him from wanting her back, and not just because he needed a second Starlight Royal. The council wouldn't be able to do anything, not if she had the giant stars on her side. They had more sway than the council on elect Starlight Royals. The elect was to serve them, they had final say. But, what if they were not all of Sirius's mindset. He was unique in his thinking. They knew her past as well as he. What if they were not as forgiving and deemed her just as dangerous as the council had? That verdict would be permanent. Could she really risk that? Could she put the prince through that? Could she put herself through that? And there is was. Lucky sighed, running a hand through her long red bangs. Of course she worried about how the kingdom would be affected by this. They trusted her for a very important role and she blew it! Now they were down a caretaker, and given that was wasn't actually part of the star kingdom's people, possibly the one better suited for dealing with whatever the black dwarf's are doing. But she was fooling herself if she believed she didn't have anything to lose. The Star Kingdom kept her safe. She betrayed the Prophesy Forgoers. She betrayed her. It was likely they wouldn't touch her, at least not yet anyway. If Lucky knew anything from running with that band, it was that not even the most powerful kingdoms would keep them from their prize. Deter them maybe, but not keep them. No, it ran deeper than that. The Forgoers were known for many things, but above all they were known for betrayal. She had already betrayed them, her family, by getting involved with the Starlight Royals and agreeing to the contract. Now by violating the new contract, she was betraying her new family. And she was about to do it a second time. What if this was a pattern? What if she got out too late? Her chest tightened. Did this mean she was already beyond saving? Sudden barking in the distance yanked Lucky out of her thoughts. That wasn't Sirius's normal playful yap. Had he been caught? Colorful language flew from Lucky's lips as she looked at the baskets. They were warming, but hadn't caught fire yet. Sirius would be caught and possibly hurt long before that happened. That couldn't happen. The banging on the mushroom door was louder, and she could hear the slight crunch of some of the glue starting to give way, though the rock wedged in still held firm. This had to end. Now. Lucky closed the compact and stood, bringing two fingers to her mouth and whistling loudly. She heard two yaps in response, the sign that Sirius heard and would be running back. She likely had a minute...maybe less if that door didn't hold. Kneeling, she ripped up some grass and started stuffing it along the base of the catapult near the rock. She led it as a trail up and near the baskets. That would be enough. She listened as Sirius's barking got louder and louder. Then she heard the crunch of the door as the majors fell through and into the afternoon Gaia air. Now or never. Lucky turned to the catapult, focusing her attention inward into the very core of her being. There was a warmth there, and as she focused on it, it sprung to life, getting warmer and warmer until her external temperature began to heat up. She focused it to a single point, trailing from her chest to her right shoulder, then down her arm to her finger palm and fingers. She flicked her wrist and it released, catching the particles in the air and combusting into a jet of flames about the length of her forearm. As soon as it touched the grass, it roared to life, flames running up and down the log as it followed the grass trail. Lucky let it do its work, diving over the other side of the catapult just as one of the majors leaped at her. It bounced back, not willing to get too close to the burning contraption. At the same time, the dark fur of Sirius raced into view. The gnomes were still on his tail, though he seemed to get a lead. His eyes focused on her and the burning catapult, and Lucky nodded at the baskets-turned-tinder which were breaking down, causing the tension in the catapult to vanish. She held up four fingers. Time for the final step. The pup went from barking to yapping again as he raced for the majors. Seeing the new player, they stopped trying to get around the blaze and focused on him instead, clattering to meet him. Sirius scampered towards them faster and faster. Then, as the last possible moment, he jumped in the air. There was a loud commotion as the lawn gnomes and majors alike tried to stop, but wound up crashing into a huge pile. The pup landed safely on the top of the mushroom. As his paws his the surface, his form began to change. Fur became hair, paws hands and boot covered feet. Rather than the white shirt to go with his attire, the dog star chose to sport his blue coat with coattails and his matching top hat. He grinned wolfishly at the gnomes and tipped his hat, the fire rain ring charged with all the spirit orbs they found gleaming in the light. Fireballs fell like meteors on the pile of gnomes below, causing them to sway, teeter, then finally fall over before vanishing. Sirius used his vantage point to look over the burning catapult at the redhead that was on the other side. "I think it's safe to say this thing is useless now," he called over. "Any idea what we're going to do with this scrap heap?" "Didn't think that far," she called back. But he had a point. They couldn't just leave such a big burning thing in the middle of Village Greens. It could cause a serious disaster. Sirius nodded and hopped off the building, landing on his feet. "Right. I'm going to move it then." Lucky paused. "Wait-What?" Before she could get a full sentence out, the dog star flicked his wrist, splaying silver stardust over the catapult, eggs and all. In an instant, all of it was gone, leaving only a few scorch marks in the grass in its place. Sirius glanced across the marks to the dumbfounded redhead, the amusement at the situation evident on his face. "What?" "You mean to tell me you could have done that this whole time?" she burst out. "I am a star," he shrugged. "Stardusting kinda comes with the job." "Doing that in the first place might have made things a tad easier, don't you think?" "Maybe, but I wouldn't have gotten that test done for you if I did." She crossed her arms. "A test with very generalized results. You were busy being chased by lawn gnomes, which I had you do. What if I planned that intentionally to keep you out of sight so you couldn't see any problems?" "Then I'd say it's a good idea someone else was keeping an eye out for you," he replied. "I asked a friend to give me a second opinion." She stopped her next retort. There were no little ones in the area. "Who?" she asked, suddenly curious. The dog star smiled knowingly and pointed up. The Sun blazed brightly in the morning sky, still shining on Gaia as it had since that morning. The redhead was silent, stunned that she missed the parent star. "According to the Sun, you were trying alternatives at first to bring the catapult down. You could tell it wasn't working, but you were trying because you had time." "Yeah, but then-" She stopped, it suddenly clicked. She turned her full attention to the dog star, examining him. He seemed to understand what she was thinking and grinned, spinning slowly so that she could see he was completely unharmed, despite his distressed barking earlier. "You weren't in danger," she realized. "That's why the gnomes were still out of reach when you got back!" He faced her again and nodded. "Sorry for spooking you. I just wanted to see what you would do under pressure." "Break the contract?" "Well, yes. But you did so because you put a star before yourself. I'm the dog star, yet you were more concerned about my safety than some stupid contract, and so you went against it if it meant keeping me from getting hurt." "I could have had time to plan that," she remarked with a frown. While he had a point, something seemed off. Sirius was way more thorough than this. If he was trying to outsmart her, doing so with her own plan wasn't going to work. Unless... She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Sirius, where did you send that catapult?" He shrugged. "I wasn't really sure where to put it. Not sure any star would at that. So I sent it to someone who would." Someone who would? Well he wouldn't send it to just anyone. Lucky's eyes widened, all her other thoughts out the window. "Don't tell me you sent a flaming catapult filled with zombie diseased eggs to the Observatory?" She didn't give him time for an answer. She didn't want an answer. Instead, she raced over and yanked on his coat, causing the star to yelp in surprise and she wiped some of the power-filled stardust off his clothing and sent both of them to the Starlight Royals' floating palace. As her feet hit the familiar illuminating tile of the palace, she let go of Sirius and raced down the hall, ignoring the surprised and delighted flickering of the numerous smaller stars. All that was on her mind was locating the prince, and she had a good idea where he was. She burst through the doors of the ballroom and toward another set where the glittering Falls sparkled through the glass, mostly back at full strength after the attack last Halloween. A silver cloak contrasted against it as the owner walked along the catwalk, not knowing about the new arrival quite yet. That quickly changed as the redhead slammed the doors open. The prince whipped around in alarm, grey eyes wide and alert as he faced the unexpected arrival. He was not expecting a redhead with panicked red eyes to be darting towards him at full speed. "Astraeus, don't touch the-" she stopped mid-sentence and tried to skid to a halt, stumbling in the process. A pair of strong arms caught her as the startled prince regained enough of his composure to keep her from falling on the floor. "Lucky?" he asked as if not quite trusting his own eyes. She tried to respond, but was too winded from her adrenaline rush and sprint through the massive palace. He held her firmly. "Catch your breath dear. Then tell me, what is the matter?" Lucky did what she was told, eyes darting about for the blazing catapult. The Falls shined brightly, illuminating every portion of the room. Yet, the catapult was nowhere to be seen. There was, however, a certain dog star in the doorway. Sirius tried to lean casually against the door frame, but the biting of his lip and the shake of his shoulders gave away how amused he was at the situation. She glared at the star. The prince looked between the pair before deciding to settle his gaze on the star. "What is this about?" Sirius cleared his throat. "The Animated were acting out of sorts, so I sent their newest toy to the traveler Nomad. I believe the princess got the wrong impression?" He grinned at the princess. Lucky, still catching her breath, smiled sweetly in return. Then she grabbed something round and leafy out of her purse and chucked it at the star. Sirius caught the seed with ease, but before he could react, it opened, sucking the dog star inside before dropping to the floor. She huffed, pulling herself out of the prince's arms and turning to the seed, hands on her hips. "Close enough to a kennel!" The prince was quiet for a moment, then he glanced up at one of the stars flickering close by. "...I do not know what the pair of you have been doing, nor do I wish to know. However, according to this little one, Sirius has a message for you." Lucky glanced back at Astraeus curiously, though an bit of annoyance still in her eyes at the situation. He looked just as curious as she did at the answer he had to relay, and she had a feeling she owed him one very long explanation after this. 

" 'You pass'." 

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga - Chapter 5 part 2: Confusion and Catapults

Timeframe: Easter 2k17

It didn’t take long for Lucky and Sirius to catch up with the lawn gnomes. Once they made it out of town, the animated had slowed their pace. Passing through a set of gates that separated town from the Animated filled lands, the pair were greeted by green fields that looked nearly artificial with how well they were kept up. Long stretches of green grass were perfectly cut, with occasional designs accenting the fields. Trees dotted the landscape, tall ones strategically placed on the bordering areas so as not to get in the way of the tall poles with flags that signaled where a golfing hole was placed. In the distance, unusual structures in the shape of miniature windmills and giant mushrooms showed the final holes in the Village Greens golf course. It was also the home base of the Animated, and as Lucky and Sirius took up their hiding spot near the bordering trees, they discovered a number of lawn gnomes marching along the path leading to their headquarters. As they passed more of their kind, baskets filled with stolen Diedrich eggs balanced upon their pointed hats, the viewing gnomes began to hop and clack in some sort of cheering frenzy.

“Are you seeing this?” Lucky whispered to the star standing next to her.

Sirius nodded. “It reminds me of a victory parade. See how riled up the other gnomes are?”

“If they wanted something worth celebrating, they should have tried stealing from the prince. Or Nefiriam. Stealing eggs from Gaians doing a little Easter hunt in the park hardly sounds like something to pass down to the kids.”

“That doesn’t explain why they wanted them in the first place though?” Lucky glanced at the star questioningly. He waited. She kept silent. "I know you have at least some idea of what they might be up to.”

“Only a few theories, none of which I intend to share. And if you keep this up, I might just make you turn back into a puppy and stick you in a kennel.” She frowned, turning her attention back to the gnome parade. “Honestly, the gun reference now this? What’s with you today?”

“Call it a rebellion against my punishment,” he replied with a smirk. “Though you have to admit, a little getting into an opponents head might be helpful right about now?”

She heard, but did not reply. The gnomes had disappeared from view. If she remember from the last time the Animated arrived, the large mushroom near the windmill was where the general and his henchmen hid out. So Sirius was right- this was a victory for them. Perhaps a mission of sorts? She would have to get closer to find out. Lucky tore her eyes away from the gnomes, scanning the area for other things in the area. Fluffs, flamingos, a couple rocks, wayward golf balls…perfect. Sirius kept a curious eye on her as she quickly snagged a handful of golf balls.

“See those fluffs?” she asked.

“They’re a little hard to miss,” he replied.

“Good!” she smiled, placing the golf balls in his hand. “Because you need to hit them.”

“What?” he started.

“As I pointed out earlier, I don’t have rings. If we are going to do anything about those gnomes, we need something to defend ourselves. Fluffs pick up everything, including dropped rings.”

Sirius nodded, selecting a golf ball from the pile. He took aim and threw it at a nearby fluff. The ball whizzed through the air, becoming a blur as it struck the unsuspecting fluff. The fluff puffed its cheeks, then poofed, leaving a purple orb behind. Lucky went out and picked it up. “Good, keep that up until you find a ring.”

“What about you?” he asked, taking aim and throwing a golfball at another.

“I’m going to get a better look. I know more or less where the Animated hang out, so I can get away if they start chasing me.”

“That sounds rather dangerous for a princess-"

"I'm not a princess anymore," she interrupted.

"I might just get in trouble with his majesty if something were to happen to you when I’m playing target practice,” he mused, but the knowing glint in his eye told her that he really didn’t mind. “Don’t get caught.”

Lucky nodded then slipped off, leaving the star to try to collect rings. As she slipped through the fields, keeping out of view of the roaming gnomes and flamingos, she let her mind wander to what the reason might be for the stolen eggs. This wasn’t likely a prize thing if she had to guess. The gnomes were packrats, but they preferred rings, charge orbs, and things found around the village like leaves and sticks. Besides, they had enough issues with Gaians even without setting them off. Stealing the eggs which they had worked so hard to get would do just that. There had to be something special about those eggs. But what? Sure they were Diedrich easter eggs, but as far as she could tell, the only thing special about them was that they stunk. Very badly. She wasn't want to be near one if it actually managed to break open. But maybe...

Luckyt stopped and shook her head fiercely, trying to clear her mind.  She didn't need to be get into the mindset of a lawn gnome. She did not need to think of some silly master plan that they may be up to, despite what Sirius suggested. She got what the pup was getting at, but that in itself made her uneasy. She had told Nefiriam during Christmas about the Forgoer’s contract. It was her directly violating it that got her stripped of her title in the first place. What she was, what she had done before taking up the mantle as the younger sister and assistant to the Starlight Prince was strictly forbidden, and for very good reason. Critical thinking was one thing. Outsmarting an adversary by getting in their head before they actually knew she was a threat was something completely different. That was why she was taking whatever she found out straight to a guard, maybe even Leon himself, once she found out what the deal was with those eggs. Sirius could just deal with that choice. He was the dog star, the brightest star in the sky. Yet he of all stars was the one suggesting she violate the contract again? And for a bunch of silly Animated? She huffed. What was the purpose of that anyway? It’s not like it was her problem if a bunch of lawn gnomes were into some smelly grunny eggs-

She stopped short. Grunny eggs. She had been focused on the smell and inconvenience of the eggs. Maybe that was all the gnomes were focused on too. After all, even though they had noses, gnomes were made of plastic. Did they even have a sense of smell? But just because they hadn't taken in that other factor did not mean that it wasn't there. Grunnie were originally contagious and spread a zombiefying disease. What if those eggs could also? Taking precautions to still not get caught, she picked up the pace, checking her purse for anything of use in the process. Just some of the normal necessities: her wallet, a pack of gum, some makeup, a few prizes from some games, and the star seeds she had gotten from Arron, including the one that managed to catch Odanodan. That might work. She pulled that one out of her purse, deciding it was best to keep it in hand before coming up on the mushrooms.

All the structures looked the same as when she had last been to the greens. The windmill still rotated slowly, mechanized rather than actually wind powered. Flamingos still flocked around designs in the grassy fields. A small cliff made it impossible to trek easily to the large mushroom where the gnome leaders waited to ambush any unsuspecting Gaian. Next to the base, however, was a new structure. It was about the size of the windmill in height, but much longer. It took a moment for Lucky to realize what she was seeing. It was composed out of sticks for the most part, with some string that might have come from the stolen baskets. The baskets in question were wedged under a decent sized log which has been anchored under a decent sized rock. At the edge was another basket, tied firmly to the log which had multiple strings tying it down near the mushrooms base.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Lucky deadpanned aloud. The catapult looked like it had a lot of power, and as she followed its set angle, she realized it was aiming towards the closest wall to town. Lawn gnomes clacked about, more baskets with eggs balanced on their heads as they added to the payload.

Lucky wasn’t sure whether to call this crazy, genius, or a serious problem. The lawn gnomes had created a catapult, and they were going to launch the rotten eggs at the Gaians who had attacked them. They were likely trying to stink the Gaians out of town. But if what she suspected about those eggs was true, the repercussions would be much worse than that.

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga: Chapter 5 part 1: Eggnapers

Time Frame: Easter 2k17

“Why are we even…?” That was about as much as the navy haired young man was able to get out of his mouth. It was clear to anyone that might have passed by that this was not how he expected to spend his day. His dark pants, normally sporting a silver sheen from magical stardust, and a once pristine white button up shirt that he had worn for the Easter holiday, were now covered in brown and green stains from crawling on his hands and knees in the fields of Barton park. He had long since removed his tie, which now dangled from his right back pocket like a lopsided tail. The designs and color of his boots were a mystery after he stepped in a puddle of mud that sank him up to his knees. Now he was on his hands and knees once more, looking under a park bench while a basket full of foul smelling eggs sat innocently beside him. The only thing keeping him from crawling away into his hiding spot at the small lake hidden in the park’s grove was the fact that there were a handful of others doing the exact same thing he was.

Included in this  handful was a redhead, currently examining some low lying branches on a tree just a few steps away. Her ruby eyes never left her task, yet she responded as smoothly as if he had her undivided attention. “Because Diedrich laid some eggs and Gaia doesn’t need another fiasco with his children running rampant.” Lucky might not have been around Gaia her entire life, but the former Starlight Princess had witnessed enough to understand the trouble surrounding that grunny, especially when he multiplied. The prince was still wary around even normal rabbits after being chased down by a hoard of his children a few years back. She giggled at the thought. Ok, maybe that was a little fun to watch.

“I understand that Gaia really can’t afford to have so many grunnies running about, and given my experience catching them, I am more than happy to help,” he replied slowly, rising with the basket in hand once he deemed there was no egg hidden beneath the bench.

“So what is the problem?”

The man’s eyes, a vivid blue with shades of teal that almost seemed to emit their own light when shaded by wild bangs, locked on hers when she finally turned her amused and knowing gaze on him. “Why am I searching for them like this when my other form is better suited for the job?”

“Because, Sirius,” she spoke, “You have been having far too many kleptomaniac tendencies lately. If you can’t keep your paws and jaws off Arron’s boots while in puppy form, then you are going to be in human or star form until the self restraint you practice in those once again becomes second nature.”

He groaned at the thought, “The star form might be better for that. At the very least I have more experience and sway in that form.”

Lucky raised an eyebrow, “Well I gave it as an option?”

Sirius nodded and shrugged, “True, but if I followed at your heels as a full sized star, a few missing boots would be the least of Gaia’s problems.”

“You know, for something that shines so bright, sometimes you have a dark sense of humor.”

“And you love me for it.”

Lucky responded with a sweet smile. Then she tossed the egg she found in the tree at him without warning. Sirius yelped in surprise, but still caught the egg and set it in the basket with the others. “I could have dropped that.”

“You’re a star. And a dog,” Lucky giggled. “I couldn’t keep you from catching something if I tried.”

He started to respond, but then paused. At first Lucky thought he needed a chance to thank of a retort. But as he began examining the area, she knew it was something different. “Did you hear that?” he asked, partially answering her own unasked question in the process.

“Your hearing is still better than mine.”

He frowned. “It sounded like tapping, or maybe clacking?”

She resisted the urge to respond with a rhyme and listened. She could hear many things floating throughout the rolling fields of Barton park. The wind rustled through green, flower-budding trees, a soft backdrop to the subtle peeping of young chicks in nests. A murmur of talking and laughter from Gaians on their Easter egg hunting adventure came from all directions. In the distance a church bell rang, while late morning brunch calls came from another. These were sounds she expected to hear. As far as she could tell, none of this was out of the ordinary.

She did, however, hear a rustle. She focused on the sound. It was quiet in the tall grass; an untrained ear might have even mistaken it for the wind. But it was faster. Something unseen was racing about, though not towards the pair-

“Hey! My eggs!”

Lucky and Sirius snapped their attention towards the Gaian who has shouted. She was staring bewildered at the grass where an indent in the shape of a basket’s base was all she had left to show of her pursuit of Diedrich’s eggs. She had been there for hours, almost as long as they had. Last time they crossed paths, her basket had been filled to the brim. The pair exchanged a glance before Lucky took a step forward.

“What the- mine are gone too!” This time the voice belonged to a Gaian standing next to a drinking fountain. Like the first, his basket was nowhere in sight. Soon the voices of others joined in, surprised and bewildered with a hint of anger and dismay that all their hard work had just vanished. In a matter of moments, the entire park was filled with these upset Gaians and a serious lack of eggs.

“Did you see anything?” Sirius asked incredulously as he scanned the area for any sign of the culprit.

Lucky shook her head. “You still hear that clacking?”

He listened again, eyes narrowing in concentration. She could guess it was not an easy task, trying to hear a soft sound above all the confusion going on. Before he showed any sign of hearing anything, though, Lucky saw some tall grass shift. “Watch out!”

Sirius whipped around, then ducked as something green and red flew over his head. It was quickly followed by another, then a yellow and blue one. The last came lower, knocking the basket of eggs out of Sirius’s hands before speeding away, the basket balanced on the point of his hat.

Lucky and Sirius were silent. They needed to process what just happened.

“Did we just get robbed by garden gnomes?” he asked in disbelief.

“I think they’re Animated,” Lucky replied. “But what are they doing in town?”

“Maybe you should ask later? If they’re Animated, you can shoot them, right?”

“I wasn’t expecting to run into any. My rings are back at home,” she answered, eyes locked on the retreating gnomes.

“I was actually referring to-”

“Absolutely not,” she interrupted sharply.

Sirius nodded and let the suggestion drop. “Alright, so now what?”

“We follow them,” Lucky answered. “I don’t know what those gnomes want with so many eggs, but you can guess it can’t be good.”

[talesofthestarlightroyals-blog]

Black Star Saga: Chapter 3???

Time Frame: Valentine’s Day 2k17

Despite the crisp February afternoon, the sweet scent of roses fill the air as you pass Rina's shop. It has opened again as a flower boutique for this special time of year- when love and friendship are expressed and exchanged in the form of heart shaped gifts, sweet chocolate, and beautiful bouquets. Even you have a few Valentines in hand, names of those they belong to penned on each envelope with care. It is a small token and surprise for them. You just hope they are home. As you begin to turn a corner toward the suburban areas of Barton, you feel a light tap on your shoulder. Startled, you turn and find yourself face to face with a stranger. She has vibrant red hair and ruby eyes to match. Delicately held between two pinched fingers is an envelope held high enough to methodically hide what her eyes give away as a smile. "Happy Valentines Day~" she says sweetly before taking your free hand and placing the envelope in it. It has weight to it, suggesting there might be something more than a card inside. Before you can ask about it, however, she leans over and places a kiss on your cheek. "Just a little something to remind you someone's thinking about you today." Then she lets go of your hand, leaving you speechless as she waves and turns, slipping into the crowd and vanishing in a sea of red flowers and heart shaped boxes. You wonder what that was about, but as you open the envelope and discover a small gift inside, you can't help but smile. Maybe today is just your lucky day. Happy Valentines day