#the light seeker lore

[ii-thelightseekers]

💡- walks over to hear laugher

🗄️- how did you even— hey that is against the rules!!!

🪭- there’s nothing in the rules that says I can’t do that!

🗄️- I—!! . . . Fair point

I’m adding it to the rules once this race ends!

💡- wowzers what’s happening here?

🗄️- Fan is cheating in this game!

🪭- not cheating if it was accidental!!!

💡- sits beside the two ignoring the arguing

Can I play? :D

🪭- oh! yeah! Let’s just finish this cup!

💡- okie!

Lightbulb watches as they get to the final race, suddenly Fans character spawns right in front of Cabby’s

🗄️-h-HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT???

🪭- idk it kinda just happens!!

💡- woahhhh Fan!! Looks like your glitching is transferring to the game!!!

🪭- oh wait your right!! Wait but I’m calm now?? It should’ve stopped

💡- tell that to the glitching bc it didn’t get the memo

🪭- huh.. but how- WOAH MY CHARACTER JUST CLIPPED THROUGH A WALL!???

💡- WOAHHH I WANNA TRY!! MAKE ME GLITCH!

🪭- WHA- NO?????

[shenaniganeryfromtheabyss]

idw Megs meeting starverse Megs would be that one clip of Markiplier absolutely losing his shit going

and if you ever come in here again with a goddamn opinion, i'll shove it so far up your ass, it'll never see the light of day again

[inanimate-reboots]

There was a DEAD silence

🧪- was- [ERROR] our life before Meeple!?

🗄️- is [ERROR] the part of our life we’re missing!??

🪭- he was just silent… he was remembering… he was remembering!

But..it was so fast, so muddled, so unclear but so vivid.

🪭 - wh..w.w.w......what?..

🧪 - ...you.. made.. them too?...

💡 - yikers.. but makes sense ! Kinda obvious if ya really think about it :3

...Wait why cant I do electricity then..

🎈 - We were on a reality show???? Well.. they were???

🍋 - might need a second...

🧪 - Wait hold on, if you made them AND us, why are we so different?!..

[mossy-doodles85]

The dead object just stare and look at eachother awkwardly

They do wave at Fan

{After like 20 minutes Soap finally stopped yelling...}

🎈- ... Y- you good now Soap?

🧼- Ko ahau… kei te pai ake ahau…

🔪🖌️💡🧪🪭- What?

🎈- {Sigh} Hopi, karekau he tangata i konei e mohio ki te reo Maori, korero pakeha mo te rangi.

🧼- Oh right, sorry.

🔪🖌️💡🧪🪭- ????

🎈- We were speaking māori, we really need to teach more of you it anyways.

🎀- Why did I hear Soap yelling presumingly about Taco?

🎈- She lied about going to sleep... again.

🎈- Taco's also probably in another universe-

🎀- OH NO THE GOD BUTTERFLY STRIKES AGAIN! ! !

🔪🖌️💡🎈🧪🪭🧼- . . .

🔪🖌️💡🎈🧪🪭🧼- What?

{Start} {Next} {Previous}

[thestarbornpilgrim]

Good Questions @amity206 !!

Questions 1 & 2:

The other realms up to the wasteland are all pretty well marked with sky children.

Daylight Prairie is the most inhabited of all the realms. It’s considered the safest and warmest by most, with a lot to explore and do.

The Hidden Forest is occupied as well. Many of the kids live in the trees. But only really brave sky kids live there because of the rain, because Wing Wedges don’t usually go beyond 4 or 5.

Lots of kids live in and love the Valley of Triumph. Many have made homes in the Village while others make igloos and snow forts. Sky kids can feel the cold a little so they like to dress in cozy cosmetics.

Very few if any sky kids live in the wasteland. The few who do don’t live anywhere close to the grave yard and usually just guard the entrance to make sure other sky kids go turn back.

3 & 4

There were scenes explaining this that I wrote out but actually deleted because I didn’t have time to draw them.

Usually a star flashes, before it falls. And if the sky kids form doesn’t open it’s eyes, it just kind of crumbles into this black bumpy wax. Afterward the other sky kids push it out to sea where it floats away.

Their was a scene explaining this better like I said. I plan on releasing it as a patreon exclusive scene.

5&6

They know almost nothing about the “Ancients” as they have come to call them. They can not speak to the spirits or the elders…. Well most can’t 😏

[lily-ohfally]

Emotes of my WoL's I made for me and my friend's server!

From top left to bottom right: Waga, Lily, Nanami Y'aela, Lobster, Risé

[inthevoidzone]

Hey so I really love how Davrin's vallaslin is handled in Veilguard and how it ties into not only his arc, but his internal conflict between two halves and the choice at the end of his character quest.

First of all, I'm gonna say god/Creator rather than Evanuris for this post because I'm not talking about the actual historical elves with all the associated baggage and atrocities, but the maybe-false but still culturally meaningful constructs the Dalish created out of ancient half-remembered history to be their gods. In reality and even most fantasy, Gods aren't literally real, but are always meaningful. In universe, vallaslin are unique. In opposition to the default set that a player character gets to choose between and is also applied to generic NPCs, Dalish characters with bespoke facemorphs have unique vallaslin designs. Identifiying a particular Dalish elf's vallaslin in-universe isn't so much checking a chart for an exact match as it is studying the design elements and recognizing the symbology of a given Creator. Elgar'nan is represented by a play of light and darkness. Mythal by the boughs of a great tree. Falon'din by a design that is "as above, so below." And Andruil and Ghilan'nain are represented by a bow and horns respectively, as the hunter and the mother of halla. Writers have confirmed that Bellara and Cyrian's vallaslin honour Dirthamen, god of secrets, mysteries, and lore. And of course they did! It's pretty obvious where these two truth-seekers would be aligned. But the same writers were cagey about answering who Davrin's tattoos represent, and I think this is on purpose, because Davrin's vallaslin are meant to be ambiguous.

Assume they're for Andruil, the hunter who loved testing herself against stronger and stronger foes, who was revered by the Dalish as a warrior and a protector and who could never bear to remain at home. You can see the curve of the bow, the point of the arrow. Now, assume they're for Ghilan'nain, the nurturing creative spirit who created the gentle halla and then cared for them as if they were her own children. Now you see the delicate lines curving up into the shape of horns, crowned by a second set at the top.

(Davrin's mentor, Eldrin, wearing Ghilan'nain's vallaslin, alongside a render of the player character's options for Andruil's Vallaslin.)

You see where I'm going, right? This is Davrin's character arc! His internal conflict! The brave and fearless warrior ready to throw himself into the arms of death vs the caring and soft-hearted surrogate father to a magical creature. The young man who couldn't bear to stay with his clan vs the boy who sang to the halla. And the choice he and Rook make together at the end of his quest, where Davrin's conflict is reflected onto Assan and the other griffons. Brave fighter or nurturing caretaker? The hunter or the shepherd? Schrodinger's vallaslin. Devs won't clarify which it's intended to be because it's intended to be both.

[its-opheliasgarden]

moonstone guild of arcane scholars | a sims 4 dump teaser

the moonstone guild of arcane scholars traces its origins to the the mooncasters, spellcasters who harnessed lunar magic and became the first werewolves. over centuries, the guild has grown into a haven for those seeking to master shadow and light. with its guiding motto, unitum sub astra ("united under the stars"), the guild welcomes seekers of wisdom and power across realms. do you have the courage to join their legendary ranks?

notes: a teaser for new teen sims dump. rishika (above) and lucien from this lookbook will be included along with 3 new classmates. stay tuned!

hey guys, just got back home from a nice holiday week with my parents and big bro! i've got some good inspo for building that i'll be working on but also wanted to do some more sims dump hence the above.

also went way into the lore of moonstone guild. i randomly made a crest inspired by wednesday, nevermore academy crest. didn't really like how it turned out but wanted to share anyways.

-d.

[felassan]

July 22nd DA:TV Game Informer article (their last DA:TV coverage article) on Everything we Know about Bellara - cliff notes:

Bellara is Dalish elf (played by Jee Young Han as we know). There might be more to her than meets the eye

"Now, with two of [the elven] gods on the loose, magic has poured back into the world in a big way"

CC is expansive

Bellara is the first companion we will recruit (Neve and Harding join automatically it seems)

She is a mage, a Veil Jumper (who she represents), quirky, energetic, effervescent, optimistic, bubbly, academic, a tinkerer, an explorer of ancient elven ruins

John Epler wrote her and led her development, and collective team effort from lots of departments brought her to life

The BW team really love her

Gary McKay quote: "I love Bellara, I think she's fantastic. I see people that I know in her and so that's how she really resonates with me. I love the whole tinkerer aspect to her. It was a collective to bring that character to life. It was everything from the writers, to the editors, the animators, to character modelers, to the texturing, to how we light her. I'm really proud of that character."

She is a good choice in combat for both support and elemental combos. She starts out as a support character, but can be built in other ways

She attacks with a bow at range using electrically-charged arrows. She can also cast time-slow and healing spells (she can be built to heal Rook autonomously). She does this by channeling magical energy into her gauntlet

As such she leans into electrical damage

Damage type matters a lot in the strategy and tactics of combat

She can unleash a devastating vortex to pull enemies into an electrical storm (an AOE spell)

She can debuff enemies with the shocked affliction, which makes them take passive damage

Corinne Busche quote: "Oh my goodness, she is amazing. [The Veil Jumpers] investigate the ancient ruins of Arlathan. Everything about her character as a mage leans into that, but she also challenges the kind of archetypal idea of a mage."

The Veil Jumpers journey through Arlathan where the ancient empire used to exist and left a lot of artifacts and magical technology behind when it disappeared

Bellara represents this yearning to find the truth of who the elves were after they lost their magic, immortality and a lot of their history

"they still left a lot of their artifacts and a lot of their, for lack of a better term, magical technology behind"

John Epler quote: "A lot of what they know of their past is based on myth, it's based on rumor. Bellara is a knowledge seeker. She wants to find out what's true, what's not; she wants to find the pieces of who the elves used to be and really understand what their story was, where they came from, as well as figure out where they're going next, and find a future for the elves. And within the context of The Veilguard, she joins the team, first of all, to help stop the gods because Bellara feels at least partially responsible since they are elven gods, but also to maybe find a little bit more of who they used to be. Because again, you're dealing with these elves that were around millennia ago that have now reemerged into the world, and who better to teach her who the elves used to be than them."

Magic's place in the world in DA:TV differs from prior games. In Tevinter and other spaces in DA:TV it's much more present by definition and the lore (though the devs wanted to make sure magic didn't violate previously-established lore rules)

Solas is a "determined and tragic character" who "tends to wallow". [nb, these are quotes from the article]. in contrast, Bellara has seen a lot of tragedy in her backstory (we will see this as we get into her arc), but instead of wallowing, she has forced herself to push past it. "She looks at her regrets, and she tells herself, 'I don't want to feel regret'

John: "Whereas again, Solas tends to wallow in his to a large degree. And it allows us to create a very big differentiation. Part of it is also because Solas is an ancient elf, whereas Bellara is a Dalish elf, but she just sees a problem and wants to solve it. She feels a tremendous amount of responsibility to her people [...] to the Dalish, and to the Veil Jumpers, and that drives her forward. That said, she does have her moments where she has doubt, she has moments where she has a more grim outlook, and there are moments where you realize that some of her sunny, optimistic outlook is kind of a mask that she puts on to hide the fact that she's hurting, she's in pain. But in general, she doesn't see any benefit to wallowing in those regrets."

[source]

[numberonetribble]

That night, Piston snuck out to follow Breakdown home, unfortunately, there were Seekers in the woods and Nova Storm found them first.

Inspired by Depeche Mode: Policy of Truth

You had something to hide

Should have hidden it, shouldn't you?

Now you're not satisfied

With what you're being put through

It's just time to pay the price

For not listening to advice

And deciding in your youth

On the policy of truth

Things could be so different now

It used to be so civilized

You will always wonder how

It could have been if you'd only lied

It's too late to change events

It's time to face the consequence

For delivering the proof

In the policy of truth

My first long form comic!!!! This is canon to Earthspark and how Piston loses their T-Cog. (They live!) Bumblebee loses his voice from crying. Breakdown is resolved to get back to Cybertron for a new T-Cog. There will be a part two! And I also would like to do the Breakdown version that's canon to my Last Mile Marker AU. It's completely different but same vibes.

But this is why I make Piston so goofy, baby isn't even a Cycle old and doesn't know any better. They are my funny little lamb who is happy to be alive. I have alot of things I want to say but I'm really proud of this, I did it over a 3 day weekend so I'm sorry if anything is wonky. (Did you know that the Seekers have hooves?)

Also, I always worry that Bee comes off like he dislikes Piston in my work but I feel like it's more complicated and he doesn't have anyone he can talk to about it. Bee is very much a "I just want to hold my baby" parent but he can't, as Piston is so large and how do you express that out loud? Bumblebee is acutely aware that Piston would've been a child-solider if they were born during the war and it keeps him up at night. He is adamant that Piston never knows what suffering is, and in turn Piston ends up a little too sheltered. Bumblebee and Breakdown argue a lot over raising them. A particularly bad one is when Breakdown wanted to encourage Piston to discover if they had a built-in Stinger like Bumblebee and Bumblebee lost his mind over the suggestion. It doesn't help that Piston wants to be exactly like Breakdown.

In part two I want to draw a poem/musing Ratchet has to himself while repairing Piston's arm. Nova Storm lore in the undercut!

Nova Storm is the Big Bad in The Last Mile Marker AU. She has beef with Bumblebee and takes any opportunity to hurt him. She's a massive hater. Why Nova Storm? I hear you ask. Great question! She's yellow :) With damaged optics and low light, Piston confuses her for Bee at the worst possible moment. But honestly, I wanted a Seeker and I have Megatron and Starscream off doing their own self-reflections and working for the greater good. I wanted someone different with unique motivations and Skywarp is on the Bee-Team. Why does she have beef with Bumblebee? Another great question! During the war, Bumblebee was in charge of a team and one member offlined Nova Storm's conjux. She blames Bumblebee and is out for revenge.

[neurospiczzzziee]

HELLUVA Boss - Imp/ Blitzø powers theory:

Okay so since Sinsmas I have been thinking a lot about Blitzø and IMP abilities.

So in Sinsmas we got to see Loona's demon form and Vivzie has hinted before about other demons having official forms other than Goeitias.

My theory is that Imps most likely have abilities dealing with fire; however, they have not been taught how to properly handle it. Like they have this hidden power, but they have no idea how to control it. This would make sense with them being the native demons to Wrath which has fire twisters and volcanos everywhere (This is mentioned in Harvest Moon by Moxie)

This ability would also make sense of the slur "Fire Toad" that Blitzø was called during Western Energy while he was in the sloth ring.

Rings of Hell Fire types:

Okay so in Helluva boss lore the different rings of Hell seem to have different types of fire/fire colors.

Envy: unknown. Maybe black ish or kind of a like neon yellow/green. The yellow green color is what was shown in Ghost F**ckers during the Millie and Blitzø flashback scene. Kind of reminds me of pop lights.

Wrath: Seems to have more normal stereotypical fire colors. Like orangish red.

Sloth: is shown to have pinkish/purple colored fire. This is shown on the demons with the candles and on Belphegor

Pride: Pure Red and White fire.

Lust: blue fire. Seen in Ozzie's body. Also you see it at Ozzie's. In the Corners.

Gluttony: yellow goopy honey fire

Greed: bright green fire. Seems to be the only fire that causes hellborn demons physical harm. Was the fire at the circus during the explosion.

You can also see that horses are made of fire and their colorations show what ring the horse is from.

Lava-esk red/orange fire: from Wrath.

Green: from Greed, Purple/Blue: From Lust, Pink from Sloth

Fire Blitzø motif:

Okay so fire is a HUGE motif in this show especially surrounding Blitzø. This man is always setting shit on fire whether purposeful or accidental.

First episode Murder Family

Blitzø and Millie are literally set on fire and that's how we learn that earth flames have no effect on demons. Also I love the call back to this moment later on in Apology Tour. RIP BLITZØ PLUSHIE 😭

Then we get to see Blitzø accidentally set Loo Loo land on fire in the second episode

In spring breakers and cherubs you don't really see much fire motifs. The most you see is Millie light a molotov cocktail.

Then we jump to S1 Ep 5 Harvest Moon Festival:

This is our first sighting of Blitzø's lighter as he lights a cigarette

The lighter is later used as a metaphor for him by Loona when talking to Octavia in Season 2 Seeing Stars

The lighter is acting up at first but then eventually produces a strong flame. She uses this dads mess up and sometimes they don't always get it right but at least they are trying and that's what is important.

Then we see the lighter again in Mastermind, Loona saving a photo of IMP and then trying to light the files on fire. Blitzø has to help Loona to get it to light.

In Season 1 episode 6 Truth seekers we see the first hint of flame like motifs destroying his loved ones.

The season one finale Ozzie's also has the fire motif with Ozzie's blue flames standing over him in casting his judgement and shame with his past relationships.

(He looks so ashamed of himself and sad)

S2 Seeing Stars we of course have the previously mentioned lighter scene and then the beautiful Blitzø action hero moment.

Then in Oops we learn that he accidentally set his family's circus on fire by knocking over a birthday cake, said fire killed his mom, hurt Fizz and hurt himself.

later on in Oops he causes another explosion and sets the whole area on fire and has to Rescue Fizz

Then the fire is again referenced in GhostF**kers with the infester demon.

Blitzø's main trauma is that everything he touches gets destroyed or ruined.

Apology Tour: All 2 u song

There is this gorgeous moment when Stolas is singing about his frustration with Blitzø where it shows Stolas in flames. And Blitzø sees this and sees that he hurt Stolas. Metaphorically burns him.

Cause, darlin', you're the thief

But you were mine to earn

What if I came on too strong?

What if I read this all wrong?

What if we just don't belong?

All this "What if? What if? What if?

What if? What if? What if?

Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?" Makes me BURN

In Mastermind it really shows this with him being surrounded by flames when he is about to die. There is also this lovely quote in the song by Stolas

"Does this fool deserve this flame?"

"Let his name light a fire in the hearts of his Race"

"You're my light"

I like the motif of Blitzø continuously being almost punished by the flame and his own flames. Flames hurt people they burn. They are dangerous and out of control. People often refer to love or lovers as a flame or a fire that burns.

Also Stolas literally refers to him as his light. Blitzø is a light to those around him. He inspires other Imps to go outside of their social ranking. He inspires others to break the mold. He lit the way for a new path for Moxie, Millie, Loona and Stolas

The lighter motif continues. Yes it is faulty and inconsistent but it still tries and it works.

And then we get to Sinsmas

HOW OFTEN IS THIS MAN LITERALLY SETTING SHIT ON FIRE!??

It is established that Blitzø is really good at cooking. This isn't the sims where someone is new to the cooking skill and sets their kitchen on fire 😂. It would be different if he couldn't cook. But he can cook.

Also while talking about accidentally setting shit on fire. Fire shows up out of nowhere on Blitzø! Homeboy wasn't even cooking this time! 👀

Then this after the whole Octavia fight with Stolas. This man LITERALLY ATE COALS TO BECOME A HEATED BLANKET TO COMFORT THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE!

. . .So at this point I'm like. . .Can IMPS control Fire???? Or at least be Conductors of fire??? I have so many questions.

Like it's obvious that Blitzø doesn't have control over fire because of him using a lighter to light things also the sheer amount of times he has accidentally set shit on fire. But all I can think is the lighter motif of Blitzø and how at first the lighter is erratic, but then it eventually works.

I imagine that Imps have abilities but part of the class divide made it where they lost knowledge of their abilities. Or that their abilities are extremely erratic and difficult to control. Which makes sense because their birth sin is Wrath.

Further connection to Blitzø and fire motifs meanings:

1. Fire as a Symbol of Destruction and Rebirth:

The circus, what happened to Fizz. Literally the destruction of Stola's old life and status.

2. Fire as a Metaphor for Passion and Desire:

Homie all of Stolitz

3. Fire as a Symbol of Purification and Renewal:

Renewal of ones self. Blitzø redemption arc

Think of how Millie was on a bad road but Blitzø helped her get on the right track.

Blitzø game Moxie a new life out of jail.

He also gave a new path to Loona.

4. Fire as a Representation of Creativity and Inspiration:

Giving Stolas inspiration to choose his own path.

Inspiring other Imps to question society norms.

Basically my Ted talk conclusion is that if we ever get to see BLITZØ's final demon forms it has to deal with fire. Homie is non stop symbolized by fire.

If you have anything else to add please let me know. Thank you Vivzie and helluva boss team for all of your fun metaphors you put in your work.

[ii-thelightseekers]

OJ, you doing okay? :<

.

.

.

.̴̢̩̣̗̜̈́̇̀́̄̔̂̿̈́̚͠

.̶̛̟̖͈̱̖̦̤̖̯̜͉̓̈́̉̑͆̓́̄̾̆͆͛̏̈̀͐̔̑͊̆̽̅͋̈́̕͠͝͝͝

.̴̢̩̣̗̜̈́̇̀́̄̔̂̿̈́̚͠

-!!??

. . . .

[valkerieccfinds]

The Path to the Veil Legacy Challenge

By SilverPhoenix42 aka me & @streetrabbit42

Needed Packs: EP: Life & Death, City Living, Snowy Escape, Island Living (OPTIONAL) GP: Werewolves, Parenthood, Vampires, Realm of Magic (OPTIONAL) SP: Paranormal (OPTIONAL)

Generation 1: Aspiring Occult

You’ve always loved the paranormal, so when you met your future spouse, you were overjoyed when they told you their secret.

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Traits: Family-Oriented, Neat, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Parenting

Career: Any Career

Rules:

Marry a Werewolf, Vampire, Mermaid or Spellcaster

After marrying you must quit your job

You must have at least 3 children

Have at least one  Werewolf child

Werewolf child is the Heir

You don’t have to complete the final level of your Aspiration

Generation 2: Happily Different

You live in a very crowded house, and nearly every one of you isn’t human, so you’ve come to take great pride in your differences.

Aspiration: Choose one of the Werewolf Initiate branches (except Cure Seeker)

Traits: Cheerful, Outgoing, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Charisma

Career: Freelancer - Paranormal Investigator Branch

Rules:

Must have at least 2 children

Have a bad relationship with your child Heir, but have a good relationship with the other child(ren)

Generation 3: Family Feud 

You never got along with your siblings, and always wished you were like the other kids… which your family did not understand. So you sought out a way to become normal. But having a shitty mixology skill, you couldn’t take the usual route.

Aspiration: Werewolf Initiate - Cure Seeker route 

Traits: Loner, Gloomy, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Piano

Career: Freelancer - Programmer Branch

Rules:

Have a low relationship with your sibling(s)

Don’t complete your aspiration

Have a low or non-existent mixology skill (if you have a mod for it, make it their ‘weakness’ or non talent)

Must complete your bucket list and reincarnate while alive

Generation 4: Another Chance

You remember your past life, and don’t want to repeat it again, so you set out to live it as differently as possible.

Aspiration: Neighborhood Confidante AND THEN Friend of the World

Traits: Good, Skeptic, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Logic, Charisma

Career: Politician - Politician Branch

Rules:

Have at least 2 children

1 Child must become a vampire

Have a bad relationship with your vamp child after they turn

Have a good relationship with the human child

The Heir can be either child

Generation 5: Life Comes at You Fast

You want to learn more about what your parent hated so viscerally.

Note: This works for either heir option

Aspiration: Ghost Historian

Traits: Chased by Death, Adventurous, [Your Choice]

Max Skills: Thanatology, Medium AND/OR Vampire Lore, Rock Climbing  OR Skiing OR Snowboarding

Career: Secret Agent - Either Branch

Rules:

Have a bad relationship with your sibling(s)

Have a bad relationship with your (reincarnated) parent

Die as a young adult

Generation 6: Epilogue

You died. Good job. Now, are you going to take your anger out on the living, or will you move on into the light?

Aspiration: Choose your aspiration

Max Skills: Mischief

Career: Unemployed

Rules:

Complete your Aspiration

Either become a mad ghost or complete a bucket list to move on

Credit to @cafekitsune for the dividers!

[inanimate-reboots]

🪭- AH-

Oh Testtubes dead.

Well..Now I’m curious too-

📱 - You really need to cool it with the dying stuff. I'm not always here

💡 - whatever !! Bring up the thing!!

📱 - The MeLife screen is back! Lightbulb holds Test Tube's icon, and 2 other icons appear besides it.

you're.. pressing the pink one??

🪭 - the greenish one!!!

💡 - Yeah!!

📱 - !?.. I dont think that's a good idea.

💡 - PRESSING IT !!!

Lightbulb presses the green icon.

📱 - !?!?

💡 - omg???? IT WORKS !!

🪭 - is that...

💡 - hhhuhhhhh...

🪭 - wait.. wait wait is this the!?!?--

💡🪭 - !??!?!!?

🪭 - . . .

[mossy-doodles85]

🔪- your dimension is weird.

🖌️- I mean. We can’t say anything, we have weird things happen all the time

🧳- wait- where’s paper?

🖌️- exactly.

🎈- Yeah, I guess so...

🔪- Yeah, honestly I hear the weirdest stuff about Taco usually, like she apparently had some beef with Cobs before season two of inanimate insanity or something and no one knows why or how.

🎈- Oh yeah, your right!

🧼- Where'd you two learn about that?

🔪- First found out about it by Cobs briefly before and then learned more by Apple surprisingly.

🧼- Ah, makes sense.

{Start} {Next} {Previous}

[justbelievinginmagic]

starstruck - part 1: star-crossed.

pairing(s): yeonjun x reader, huening kai x reader, txt & reader. series summary: All you've ever known was that you were divine. A celestial gift from the Ever-Lasting Star, a fallen starling who would bring the people of Stellare Soleil together as the Ever-Radiant. But when a darkness is cast over the lands, when the Ever-Lasting Star refuses to shine and count the day's hours with its familiar tick-tocking, it is up to you to save the world... isn't it? Little did you know that on your savior journey you'd find five shining souls that seemed to have had their lives turned upside down with the silencing of the Star. Together, you fight against beasts, witches, warlocks, and curses to find your true place in the universe. glimpse: Once upon a time, six friends made a promise beneath a magical star. warnings/tags: for mature audiences! inspired by txt's star seekers universe, heavy inspiration from txt's nap of star mv + txt's the doom's night animation, fantasy au, 3rd person POV, fem!reader, use of YN, fantasy lore, heavy religious themes, unequal power dynamics, txt & yn are all children in this chapter, minor injuries, magic, healing, tantrums, kids being kids, let me know if there should be more tags! word count: 5.5k -> next chapter series masterlist

Once upon a time, there was a star.

Hanging high in the dark navy-blue blanket of a sky, it tick-tocked every day, every hour, every minute; its cogs spinning, the star turning circles and shining its radiant light over the land called Stellare Soleil. Day and night, star-rise and star-set, it was there, ever-present, ever-shing, ever-lasting.

The Ever-Lasting Star, some called it.

Now, the story that is about to be told had been told before in different ways. Its tale has been repeated over and over – like a clock chiming out every hour. Their lives will play out in the same loop no matter what universe or backdrop they may have. Lives linked together forever until the Star ceases to exist.

On the day with the shortest starlight, five souls would meet deep in a forest they had been told was forbidden, but felt a magnetic pull towards. Five children wandering from home to stumble upon one another beneath the Ever-Lasting Star. However, most storytellers get the story wrong by this point. Most don’t know the true story for they were missing a piece.

There were not five souls in the story, but six souls that met under the Ever-Lasting Star that day and spun their fate into existence.

The sixth soul was called YN.

-

The forests of Zorya were not forbidden to YN. They were sacred. For as long as she’s remembered, they called to her. After all, it was, in some ways, her first home. It was where she had been discovered, only a few cycles of the clock ago, as a babe.

Draped in starshine, kissed by the Star, she was found in a crater by the Life River beneath the Ever-Lasting Star. Star-struck eyes and the milky-scar of a kiss on her forehead, she wailed out. Her discovery was made by the Time-Keeper, an old-man who worshipped the grand star with his sect of Luminaries. They cared for it through old magic. Ceremonies and temples were erected across the land of Stellare Soleil. In his long walk of blessing and checking upon the land the Star shone over, he found her. A gift he had proclaimed to the lands – a divine droplet of the Ever-Lasting Star. A starling. As a babe, she was gifted the title that a select few had bestowed upon them: the Ever-Radiant.

Over the years, she grew up and was meticulously taught. The ways of the Ever-Radiant were surprising simple. She was told of the magic in her vitae, taught that her existence was to bring the masses together beneath the Ever-Lasting Star once more. She was their hope, their Ever-Radiant starling.

As a youngling, it was common for her to be… well, spoiled. Despite having anything her little soul desired, all she wanted was what any child wanted. Happiness. Everything. Anything. She didn’t want to sit and learn. She didn’t want to be told what to do or to eat her vegetables or to go to sleep when the Ever-Lasting Star’s softened to usher in the velveteen night or to wake when the water-colored skies of morning glowed by the Ever-Lasting Star’s radiance. While she had lived in a castle, the Grand Solarium, there was always something pulling her towards the forests like a siren’s call. Her nannies and maids had chased after her too often with cries of ‘stop’ and ‘come back’.

“Please, your Ever-Radiance,” they called as she giggled and ran through the well-tamed gardens of the Grand Solarium’s grounds. For what could they do with a spoiled Ever-Radiant. She was their guardian, their holiness. Their starling.

A celeste-guard would always sweep her up into their arms as she wiggled this way and that. “You mustn’t without a chaperone, your Ever-Radiance.” The guard would advise, guiding her back to the supervision of a nanny.

The Time-Keeper never approved of a chaperone, no matter how much she whined.

“Your youth blinds you, my Starling,” he tutted. “You’ll see when you are older.”

But today she made it. Today, she had snuck past her guards, her nannies, her Luminaries, the Time-Keeper and was wandering throughout the forests that had tempted her for years. It was cold; the harvest season was in full-swing, and her attire was not at all suited for it at all. She needed a coat made of fur not her ritual-wear. Her deep-navy dress was of a velveteen fabric, expensive and shimmering with golden stitches mimicking stars, but certainly not thick enough for the chill that danced between the trees. Her haloed headdress heavied her head this way and that, reflecting the starlight all about her like she had her own congregation of following constellations. Wiggling like a child did when uncomfortable, she whined in distress. It’s cold; her neck hurt; she wanted a blanket. She didn’t like it. She wanted aid.

There was a flicker of anxiety that crashed over her like the first chill of autumn. Making the fine hair on her arms raise and her stomach churn unpleasantly. There was no one to help her. She was all alone. Alone. It was a frightening thought. She had always had someone near her, just a call away. Her little heart burned as she tried to swallow down her discomfort. Alone… A cold sweat dripped down her forehead from the starlight beating down through the aspen trees’ fiery-orange leaves. The grand star in the sky winked at her, shining brightly.

“I’m not alone though,” she said, shading her eyes as she looked up. “Am I?”

The Ever-Lasting Star tick-tocked in response. Its cogs creaked familiarly, and she smiled.

“Are you crazy?” a voice asked.

She let out a scream, jumping as she turned to face the noise. Her hands went into little fists as she searched through the skinny aspen trees for the source. And she found it quickly. The figure wasn’t even able to hide behind the skinny white trees. It was a boy or what she thought was a boy. It was hard to tell. The youngling in front of her was wearing a scary mask, made from cardboard and hand painted to look frightening. Sharp teeth of torn paper, eye holes shadowed his real eyes, and what looked like ruby blood dripped down its boxy face. He had jumped back at her screech and clung to his home-made mask.

“Why are you wearing that?” she demanded, pointing. “Why are you out here?”

“It’s for the Shortest Day of the Star-Clock! Why are you out here?”

“Why does a mask matter for the Shortest Day?” she asked again, peering at the strange mask.

Their tones shared a childish whine; they both wanted to be deemed right.

The little Ever-Radiant looked the other up and down. The more she looked, the less frightening the mask was. Even with the paint that looked like blood dribbling down the mask’s face and the over-sized big paper-mâchéd horns, she could see that it was just a mask. Hand-made. The ‘blood’ was too orange-y like the sunset leaves on the aspen trees and the horns were just too big that they made the boy tilt on his axis. His tiny hands rose to adjust the box, holding it up to stand straight once more.

“What do you mean why?  Dressing up is the best part of the holiday.” He complained. “Where’s your mask? Why are you dressed that way?”

She couldn’t see his eyes look her up and down, but the cardboard box bounced as if he had moved his head in defiance. His questions made a flare of insecurity rise up her spine, a foreign feeling for the Ever-Radiant. Her arms crossed defensively. 

“Dressed like what? This is my finest dress,” she argued with a pout.

“It’s pretty, but it looks cold,” he said.

She looked away, her crossed arms feeling chilly. Her hands rubbed up and down them softly. The young girl was cold.

“Here,” the boy walked forward to grab her arm gently. He began to tug her further into the woods. “It’s warmer underneath the Star-Clock.”

“I kn-know that,” she replied as she stumbled over a rock. She huffed a bit as she tried to catch herself.

“But you didn’t know about wearing masks on the Shortest Day. Wait- are you… dressed up as, like, as the Star-Clock for the Shortest Day?” he eyed her tiara. “The crown looks like it’s made up of cogs and its glowing. Your dress is full of stars too.” He put the pieces together quietly, sounding like he’s pouting.

He said star-clock again… didn’t he know it was called the Ever-Lasting Star? And didn’t he know she was from it? She was the Ever-Radiant. The only Ever-Radiant of this era. Yet he was half-dragging her along like she was her aids or maids or nannies.

“I’m dressed up as monster!” he added, not giving her time to reply as he weaved in between trees. “My friends are too. We didn’t plan it! And we were catching starbugs! Want to join us?”

“F-friends?” she stuttered out. She had never met other kids her age before. Were they all like this boy?

“Yeah, they’re great! I just met them today,” he admitted, bashfully. “But they’re fun! Taehyun brought a telescope to watch the starset, and Beomgyu had the nets for catching fragles for his family, but theyre way better for starbugs.”

His rambles were cut off at the sound of children laughing.

“Look, you can see the cogs in the sky behind the clouds!” there was a voice, almost instructive in its tone, as he pointed out the inner-workings of the Ever-Lasting Star.

“Woah,” a voice murmured in awe.

“Don’t look too long; you’ll go blind,” one of them warned.

“No way, the Star-Clock wouldn’t do that!” another cried out.

Coming into a clearing within the forest, there were four other masked boys. The forest framed them in a grand circle; there was the flowing water of the Life River beside them, cutting through the aspen trees and berry bushes. There were five trailing white-stone rock paths coming together beneath the Ever-Lasting Star, forming a small circular platform of stones. There, a large-metallic tube of a telescope stood on a tripod. Three masked boys, all as short as her, huddled around the telescope. One boy was running in circles around them with a net on a stick. Flickering starbugs twinkled in the netting. 

“Hey guys!” her Monster called out. “I brought a friend with me!”

Their heads turned and she could see only their equally-handmade masks, all made of cardboard boxes in varying sizes.

“Hello!” one of the chimed excited, waving cutely at her.

He pushed his mask up over his head to reveal his face. His face was flushed-red probably from the lack of air circulation beneath the cardboard box. His hair was long, a whisp-y dark brown around his oval-face and… pointed ears? A sweet, almost ‘w’ smile was on his lips as he grinned over to her.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Soobin,” one of the boys cried out. “You’re not supposed to take your mask off; it brings bad luck.”

The boy called Soobin made a shocked face, a soft ‘o’ of his lips and his ears trembled in alert. “Oh,” he let out a sad sound before shrugging lightly and tugging the mask back over his face.

“She isn’t wearing a mask,” one of the boys pointed out, gesturing to her with his net grandiosely. As if she was a problem!

“She’s dressed up!” her Monster cried. “She’s like a princess. A Star-Clock princess!”

“You’re very pretty,” one of the boys chimed out sweetly. 

It made the young girl shift side to side in bashfulness.

“I said that, too!” her Monster countered eagerly. It was almost like a competition. He turned and continued. “I told you that, didn’t I—uh, what’s-what’s your name?”

“That’s what I was asking,” the one they called Soobin exclaimed, abandoning the telescope to approach the duo.

The Ever-Radiant had only been called that – the Ever-Radiant. Her title was her name to everyone at the Solarium. Or her Ever-Radiance or Starling by the Time-Keeper. Never just her name. Which she did have. Everyone had a name after all, and hers had been sewn into her baby blanket that had kept her warm beneath the Ever-Lasting Star on the brightest night of the year.

“I’m YN,” she told them. Her real name was breathed out into the air for the first time, really ever.

“I’m Yeonjun,” her Monster said.

Her head turned to glance at the other, her tiara sent flurries of sparkling rainbows casting over them in a constellation of light flares.

“Soobin,” the one in the blue painted card-board mask. His mask had equally gruesome marks. But with pretty aspen-leaves acting as ears, there was a softer element to his; glitter was painted in long stripes over the face, too.

“I’m Taehyun,” the one holding onto the telescope greeted, timidly. He shifted this way and that on his feet, shyly. His cardboard box was taller than the others and more often than not his little hands rose to keep it steady on his head.

“I’m Kai!” It was a boy in an olive-green cardboard mask and fabric wings. His mask didn’t look as frightening as the others. There were almost dopey-looking tubes making up his eye holes. He waved excitedly.

The last boy to answer was the one who pointed at her with his net. His mask was a reddish pink with fuzzy yarn making up a head of hair on the top of the cardboard box and sharp pine needles sticking out wildly.

He waved the net in greeting. “I’m Beomgyu.”

“Hi,” she greeted again.

The six children who met beneath the Ever-Lasting Star gasped as the starshine began to set and the velvet-blue of night tumbled in a whoosh. It wasn’t slow like a sunset, instead it was almost instantaneous. Like dropping food coloring into water, the colors bloomed across the light sky in a watercolor blur.

“Woah,” Taehyun murmured out, head tilting to peer into the telescope as he stared at the flurry of colors, mixing and melting into one another before the deep blue took over. It was a beautiful sight a starset. It was always jaw-dropping. The Ever-Lasting Star beamed and sparkled, the tick tocking brought in a fresh wave of night stars, dropping down from the night sky.

YN’s dress matched the night sky in this moment, a deep velvet with perfectly placed jewels matching the constellations high above them. She knew the sky by heart. Knew the stars by heart. And of course, she knew the Ever-Lasting Star like it was part of her. She smiled, happily.

The world didn’t cool beneath the Star; it was just warm enough to be comfortable and aglow beneath the Star-Clock. It was called the warmest part of the world regardless of day or night some said. The further you traveled from its epicenter, the more cool it grew.

“It’s so pretty,” Beomgyu said in awe, spinning a bit as he looked upwards.

“Did you come out to see the starset?” Taehyun asked her as he finally pried himself away from the telescope to give Soobin a turn. The boy once more took off his mask to do so – bad luck wasn’t that real (maybe his Mama will cast a luck charm for him if he asked nicely.)

“Oh, oh,” the girl stuttered before shaking her head.

No, she had just… felt the pull of the forest. She didn’t even know it was a holiday. It wasn’t a holiday in the Solarium. The Day of Eternal Light was celebrated when the air turned hot and humid. Sometimes they’d perform a ritual during the winter – when the star burned so hot, it was icy. When the cogs would stick and make the day or night feel like forever. Their prayers, the sacrifices, the offerings – everything gave the Ever-Lasting Star strength to carry on. 

“What’re you doing out here then?” The one named Kai asked.

He was now lying on the grassy knoll beside the river. Staring up at the stars she assumed. When she hadn’t replied quick enough, his head turned on its axis and he pushed up the edge of his mask up with a fist.

His face was round with cherubic features. Flushed cheeks and pouty lips and the most blinding icy-blonde hair she had ever seen was mussed over his forehead and ears. He tilted his head like a creature would.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I wanted to be away from home.”

Kai offered her a comforting look, his lips pursing in an approving way. He nodded. Not that he was happy for her yearning to be away from home, but like it was acceptable of a reason to the six-year-old.

“Where do you live?” he asked. “I don’t like the place I live either. It’s scary.”

“Scary?” she asked, brow pursing.  

“Yeah, dark and cold – the Star doesn’t like to shine there too often.” He admitted before looking up at the Ever-Lasting Star once more. His smile was fond, at peace. The cardboard box had been half-abandoned as he gazed up, the mask fell to the ground in a clatter.

 “Kaiii,” the one with the fuzzy-yarned cardboard mask, Beomgyu, whined, wiggling his arms back and forth in a tantrum. “You can’t take your mask off! We’re going to get bad luck for sure!”

The starbugs in his net buzzed in irritation at their trap being flung this way and that. It’s almost like in that moment he remembered what he was doing and he threw his arms out. “Do you want to catch starbugs, YN?” Beomgyu cried out, waving his net wildly in excitement.

A giggle broke free from her mouth at his erratic antics as she nodded. “Sure.”

She had never caught starbugs before. She had watched them light up the woods with their gentle glow. They looked magical from her tower – even if their glow dulled when caught. Sometimes they celeste-guards captured them and use them as lantern fodder across the Solarium. She liked to let them go free – they always beamed brightest when she did. Even now, their little lights ebbed and flowed as they wriggled against the netting.

“OK, Taehyun, YN’s going to use your net,” Beomgyu told him as he ran towards the other and scooped up the net he had left near the telescope.

Taehyun nodded, his cardboard head shifting this way and that unsteadily before he plopped down besides Kai to look up at the skies.

Together, the two children ran about catching star bugs with the nets. Beomgyu was really good. He would catch any bugs that flew away from YN’s reckless swiping. It wasn’t long before he had managed to have a net full of buggies while YN hadnt caught one yet.

“How are you so good?” YN complained, pouting. It wasn’t fair. She wanted a starbug! “They keep moving!”

“It’s harder than it looks,” Soobin giggled from his spot beside the telescope. The Star-Clock glimmered down at him with a twinkle and tick-tock. He awed.

“I’m the best starbug catcher,” Beomgyu declared. “Ever!”

“I want some!” YN stomped her foot, spoiled.

“I’ve got them all,” he teased, shaking the net at her. His bugs buzzed unhappily; their lights flickering in and out.

“Stop that,” Kai insisted, glaring at the other. “You’re hurting them.”

Beomgyu stopped suddenly, holding the net still as he peered at the bugs. Their glow was dim and faint.

“Oh,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry, buggies.”

A little finger rose to caress the net as if he was petting the starbugs.

“Maybe you should let them go,” Yeonjun prompted, joining the boy and girl. “Maybe YN could catch them then. She isn’t from the forest like you.”

“None of you are, stupid village-dwellers,” Beomgyu countered but tipped his net over and the bugs scurried out in a whirl of wings and squeaking sounds. Directly into their faces.

The three squealed childishly and ducked away from the flurry of bugs. YN fell back onto her back, painfully. Giggles escaped Beomgyu; meanwhile, YN had begun to cry, frightened. Everything had been so fast, the bugs were so wild, and her back hurt, and her elbow stung. In this moment, YN wasn’t an Ever-Radiant; she was just a little girl who got scared.

“Are you crying?” Taehyun asked, leaning up from the hillside.

Her cries were loud, big teardrops dripping down her cheeks.

“Oh, c’mon,” Beomgyu crowed nearby, hands going to his hips in defiance.

“YN,” Yeonjun approached with concern. He had lifted his mask to look at her clearer. He tossed it aside, dark brown hair mussed.

Taehyun was quick to join. He looked scary, towering over her with his cardboard mask.

“You’re being a baby,” Beomgyu complained nearby.  “Big baby, big baby!”

“Stop it, Beomgyu,” Soobin scolded.

The younger went quiet, underneath his mask he frowned. Petulantly, he went back to swinging his net, childishly. His family always made fun of him when he was got startled… it was normal. Why did he get scolded here?

Taehyun and Yeonjun crowded around YN as she remained in the grass, crying. Her tears stained her blue dress, and her hands wiped at her cheeks helplessly. Taehyun was silent as he watched; stoic with his mask on. Yeonjun stared at her with deep brown eyes, his little brows crinkled in concern. His hand reached out to rub her shoulder lightly, almost nervously.

“What’s wrong?” Taehyun asked.

Yeonjun wasn’t crying and neither was Beomgyu. Why was she being so strange? Taehyun wondered.

“Is it because you didn’t catch any bugs?” Yeonjun supported.

Innocently, he wrapped her into a hug. He always felt better after hugs.

“We can catch some together,” he encouraged.

Her cries turned to sobs, the type where she couldn’t catch her breath, gasping and gulping down air. He squeezed her tighter, and Taehyun even shifted to kneel beside her.

“We can catch the star bugs together.” Taehyun echoed.

She didn’t care. She didn’t care. She was hurt, and she felt hot and stuffy in her dress and the Ever-Lasting Star was too hot. Her arm hurt. And she just felt everything so much. She clung to her new friend and hugged him tight, sniffling.

“It’s okay,” he reassured. “It’s okay, YN.”

“I hurt my arm,” she finally managed to gasp out.

“Oh,” Taehyun cried out in understanding.

The masked boy looked closer at the scrape on her arm, the sleeve of her fancy dress torn and turned ruddy from the grass and blood. It didn’t look too bad. He got scraped up all the time from playing. Taehyun took to climbing trees like mushroom-toads took to jumping across lily pads.

“I can help!” Kai chimed out, hopping up and bolting over to them. It almost looked like he was levitating he was so quick.

He shuffled past the others, shoving his shoulders in between them. YN looked up at him with watery eyes, her cheeks red and blotchy from her tears. He frowned at the sight.

“Here! I can make it better,” he reached out for her arm, holding it in between his hands. His palm covered her injury and he shut his eyes. A murmur of an incantation escaped his mouth low and eerie.

“You’re a witch?” Soobin asked, nosing his way into the circle.

Yeonjun, Taehyun, Kai, and now Soobin were crowded around the crying Ever-Radiant. Beomgyu watched from afar, raising his mask up little by little to stare after them with a pout. Jealousy burned over him in a red flare across his cheeks. Kai didn’t reply to Soobin’s question as he continued to murmur ancient sounding words. Her arm tingled warmly like she had been laying out in the starlight for too long and, when he pulled his hand away, the cut was gone.

“All better,” Kai smiled at her brightly, his eyes opening to reveal a strange glow in his blue-ish eyes.

YN awed up at him. The faint thought of ‘was he like her?’ whispered through her. He seemed magical, more magical than her. She couldn’t heal someone… at least she didn’t think she could.

“Woah,” they all chorused in surprise.

“You must be a witch!” Soobin exclaimed with a bright grin of his own.

Witch? She hadnt heard about witches… were they like Luminaries? Her tear-soaked eyes looked between Kai and Soobin.

“No,” Kai said, turning to look at Soobin surprised. He hadn’t heard of witches before. “What are those?”

“My mama is a witch; she can cast spells and do magic things like that,” Soobin argued. “I can’t, because I’m a boy but if you can maybe I can one day!”

The sweet elf-eared boy chimed out optimistically as he grinned.

Huh. YN never knew magic was something other people could do. She thought only the Time-Keeper and the Luminaries held that power, and only through the grace of the Ever-Lasting Star. Just like how she was special because of the Ever-Lasting Star. Was Kai special? Was Soobin’s family… his mother? How many people were so-called special?

Kai’s eyes slowly dulled to a normal hue, and he went to fiddle with the back of his shirt, rubbing at his neck. “Oh, I don’t know my Mama, but maybe?” he offered warmly.

YN rubbed a finger over her injury-no-more; it was tender the touch but it didn’t hurt anymore. She sniffled.

“You okay, YN?” Yeonjun asked quietly. He was still hugging her close, his hands interlocked on her shoulder

Her eyes raised from her arm to look at her first friend. Without his mask, she could see that Yeonjun had a gentle pout, a flurry of messy brown hair, and eyes that were gentle and kind as he searched her expression. She nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” she replied, her other arm raising to wipe at her overwhelmed face.

“Here, we’ll help you catch some starbugs,” Soobin offered, his hand reaching for her. “Beomgyu!”

The boy was nearby watching intently. But at Soobin’s call, he dropped his cardboard mask back over his face. 

“What?” his voice muffled by the cardboard.

“Can you teach us?” Soobin asked. “I grew up in the Valley so I know how to catch butterflies, but these bugs are tricky.”

Beomgyu shifted back and forth on his feet, staring at them. The few bugs in his net flew away without him noticing.

“Please,” Soobin added, tilting his head a bit in exasperation.

The headstrong child contemplated for a moment longer before he huffed.

“Fineee,” he complained. “C’mon, I’ll help you, YN.”

The rest of the evening was spent capturing starbugs with the help of Beomgyu. The first one she manages to capture on her own sent the young Ever-Radiant into a fit of triumphant ‘I did it, I did it’ across the clearing. She ran and ran in excited circles making her new friends chuckle. Kai joined her in the care-free circles.

The night crept further in. Owls hooted in their tree-branches. The Ever-Lasting Star glowed bright, casting a ray of light over their little spot of land as they continued to play and talk.

Beomgyu bragged about his family and their ability to live in the woods, but at a scary hoot of an owl he jumped closer to the group. Taehyun spoke of how he loved to watch the star back home, on top of his roof. Yeonjun talked about how he had a cooler mask at home made of wood. Soobin talked about his family, referring to them as his colony, and said how his mama makes dancing lights. Kai was quiet but was happy, talking about games they could play and star-bathing in the light. YN was just in awe of all the different things they said.

All she had known was her Luminaries and the Time Keeper. She knew of rituals and rules and history. Not… games and woodmaking and family. What was a family…? Did she have one? There were others who had magic and didn’t need to confine themselves to rules. They lived and did more than just sit inside a Solarium reading rituals of old. She didn’t have magic – that she knew of. She was a Starling but what did that mean other than being of the Ever-Lasting Star? Kai seemed to glow like a star too!

She was baffled and overwhelmed but also happy. She liked chasing star bugs and playing hand games and singing lullabies about stars and light and treats. YN liked having friends she decided.

“I have to get going now,” Beomgyu was the first to say. She had yet to see his face; he had kept his mask on religiously. But he had sounded sad. “My dad will wonder where the fragles are by now.”

“My mom and dad will be checking on me soon too,” Yeonjun admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

Who was her mom and dad? YN wondered. She knew the Ever-Lasting Star was her origin; was it her mom or dad?

YN frowned as the pair stood. The others muttered similar excuses. Kai remained lying on his back, fabric wings splayed out behind him.

“Can we see each other again?” she asked softly.

Kai smiled brightly turning to look at her. “I’d love to play with you guys again!”

“Yeah!” Taehyun exclaimed.

“Let’s promise to meet up again,” Yeonjun prompted, standing forward and putting his pinky finger out.

The other boys chimed out in agreement standing up and interlacing their pinkies as they stood in a circle.

“C’mon, YN,” Soobin encouraged with a nod of his head.

“Is this like those clapping games?” she asked with a confused look. She had liked those and the silly rhymes they chanted out.

“You’ve never made a pinky promise on the Star-Clock?” Beomgyu outraged.

She gave a soft shake of her head as she stood and joined the boys.

“You’re weird,” Beomgyu commented.

“Hey,” Yeonjun exclaimed. “That’s mean.”

“You interlace pinkies, and you promise whatever and it has to come true,” Taehyun explained.

“That’s magical!” she chimed.

Yeonjun nodded excitedly. She interlaced her one of her pinkies with Yeonjun and her other pinky with Beomgyu.

“Let’s meet here again! No matter what, we shall come back here to see each other.” They wished below the Ever-Lasting Star.

And then they went their separate ways.

She snuck back into the Solarium walls; her dress scuffed up with grass stains. A guard caught her easily and scolded her with a gentle “Your Ever-Radiance, we’ve been looking for you!”

Her face looked like a child’s in that moment and not an Ever-Radiant. She was rebellious, her smile mischievous as she was brought before the Time-Keeper.

It was then she saw his rage. He fumed and ranted about how she had frightened the entire sect. She was henceforth forbidden from leaving the Solarium, scolded for putting herself into danger. Even if she declared it was the Ever-Lasting Star’s will, the Time-Keeper disagreed and raised the alarm. The Ever-Radiant wasn’t to be unattended until he deemed it appropriate. It was an order from the Ever-Lasting Star. She argued but was quickly shut down and sent to her room.

“If you wish to act like a child, you shall be treated that way, Starling!” he bit out as he turned the key to her bedroom, trapping her inside.

She slammed a fist painfully against the door before huffing and turning to look at her bedroom. Its grandness and many glass-windows revealing the skies made her huff. She didn’t want to be stuck here; she wanted to be with her friends in the forests again. She shouldn’t have even left them! The Ever-Lasting Star twinkled and shined through a nearby open window. She rushed to the bay-window’s bench, a place where she’d spend time with the Star. Talking and asking questions about this ritual and that ritual. But tonight, she stared down at the whole of Stellare Soleil rather than the Ever-Lasting Star. The lands she was fated to bring together under the radiance of the Ever-Lasting Star. The deep valleys, the forbidden forests, the rolling quilt-like hills, and the nearby stacked-upon-stacked village. Where were her friends? Would she see them again? How would she if she was forbidden and locked in her tower in the grand Solarium?

Every night since that night, YN would sit there, and think the same thing. The Shortest Day of Starlight wasn’t anything remarkable. Just six children running around, playing, catching starbugs, and stargazing, but YN remembered it so fondly. It helped her throughout her lessons, her rituals, the ceremonies. She yearned to just be as free as she felt that night.

Staring up at the Ever-Lasting Star from her tower window, she’d wish and wish, her pink outstretched as if wrapping around a phantom’s phalange. I want to meet them again please. Were her friends okay? Were they happy? Did they meet up without her? Did they remember her? Did they know she wished she could keep their promise but couldn’t?  

Were they looking up at the Ever-Lasting Star, too?