A TOUCH OF ORANGE OVER PURGATORY GRAY | meteor shower

[dovedeparture]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 70%; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]❥ Sleep was an elusive creature. It evaded Dovedeparture like the plague. In the higher plane, she never had the need for sleep, but here, exhaustion seemed to replace the marrow in her bones. Try as she might, however, sleep would not come, so she decided a nighttime walk would do her well. Ivory paws traipsed in no particular direction. Her idea of the territory was still hazy at best, so wandering around seemed good enough for her. Once she was far enough from civilization to clear her mind, she halted and eased into a sitting position.

Viridian eyes flickered upwards, becoming instantly glued to the sky. The stars, like bullet holes against the darkness, burned with beautiful intensity. She attempted to decipher the constellations, but they seemed so distant to her now. A deep ache rested in her chest. Her true home was always just out of reach, and that was what bothered her most.

She wanted to look away, to escape the sky’s gravity, but she found herself unable. An hour must have passed by without her notice when her eyes caught something strange: there was movement and then, a blazing trail across the sky. A shooting star. A meteoroid. Her eyes followed it, watching as the chunk of ice, space dust, and debris were incinerated as it entered the atmosphere.

She wondered if that was what she looked like as she was cast from her once lofty home. She wondered if she looked spectacular as her whole being felt as though it were decaying. She wondered if her screams and sobs were soundless, lost in the otherworldly allure of her descent. As the meteor disintegrated, she decided her fall from grace was not breathtaking. She had not felt the warm embrace of the earth, nor had she been welcomed by the ground, nor wished upon.

The corner of Dove's lips turned down; a frown was the only thing painting her face as she watched the meteoroid disappear completely. "Pity," the lynx grumbled, standing. However, before she had time to turn away, a thousand lights came cascading down.

As countless shooting stars danced across the night sky, Dovedeparture watched in overawe. She had never seen anything like this since her time on the ground. She wasn't sure she had seen anything like this before her descent either.

She had never believed destruction to be beautiful, yet the picture it painted was lovely. In silence, she observed the meteor shower, realizing that perhaps falling was not as ugly and horrible as she once believed.

[celestialrobbery]

[table]
[tr][td]

crash and burn

[/td][/tr][/table]
[table][tr][td]

didn't mother warn you?

A fallen star herself, Celeste found great intrigue in the meteor shower. Despite her easygoing attitude, destruction and decay were not foreign forces to the feline, and certainly not just because she had been a victim to it on occasion.

Like a rattlesnake's tail, Celestialrobbery had a tell; A tell for when she was approaching -- or had already hit -- her breaking point. Eyes would flare red, yellow fur gaining luminescence and calm friendly demeanor gone in a snap.

But right now she was calm-- lilac in her eyes and fur dim as a candle, unlit. She was calm, and looking for her best friend as she gazed upon the meteor shower above. She felt a sense of kinship with the meteors. They were falling, and burning, just as she had. And people rejoiced in this destruction, cast wishes upon the dying forces, and perhaps that gave Celeste hope. Gave her hope that people could look upon her, an occasional force of pure fire and ruin, and feel joy.

Still, there were more important tasks at hand. Dovedeparture, namely. Because Celeste was no stranger to the tale of the other's fall, and Celeste was no stranger to the thought that Dee could be suffering right now. Gazing upon the falling entities and thinking of her own fall, her own descent, thinking of clipped wings and the cast away from her home. So Celeste searched and searched, as she always seemed to be, and eventually found herself next to the winged lynx.

"Hey, feathers." Celeste said upon her approach, a small smile held on her face. "Admiring the beauty of all the little me's out there? I'm honored!"

now she's gonna mourn you!

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[Warringkingdoms]

  [font=trebuchet ms]/tw: mentioned causes of death in paragraph 3

  Rin's sleep schedule was similarly abnormal, though that did not owe to any physical condition on her part. Her body had no qualms about falling asleep, and indeed, she often desired to rest, to allow herself to recover from the events of the day. This world was exhausting enough on its own, and even more so when she had people to protect and a goal to reach.

  Far too often, when she did find sleep, her nightmares pursued her until she had no escape but to wake up. Upon slaying the Huntress and thus setting out on her quest for the first time, those nightmares started to subside in the face of her determination. However, since the Maiden's attack, they had returned in full force.

  Part of her wondered if she deserved this. Endlessly fleeing the ravenous predator that was the past was not a fate she would wish on anyone else, but after everything she had allowed to happen, had been too weak to prevent... to complain about it would be insulting to everyone else who had suffered worse than she had. Nightmares and flashbacks were nothing compared to decapitation, disembowelment, or any of the other gruesome forms of desecration she had witnessed. It was a small restitution, for such a long series of such miserable failures.

  On this particular night, Rin hadn't bothered with any attempt at sleep. Barracuda Bay was an odd locale with odd individuals, but at least if she stayed nearby she could keep an eye on said individuals. No one was going to end up nearly dead at the paws of the Pitt today, and if she had to throw herself in front of someone to make sure of that, she would. She could come back even if she did die, anyway. (Which everyone could, technically, but they weren't always willing, and even if they were, death was still painful.)

  While padding along outside the huts, keeping her eyes glued to the sand, she overheard a voice that she didn't recognize. She glanced up, then fixed her gaze on the two felines. They smelled enough like the Typhoon that they were probably members, but she hadn't met them yet- which made sense, given that she wasn't a member and was still recovering from her injuries. It was then that she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, the sky was ablaze with tumbling lights: a meteor shower.

  In spite of herself, she watched the meteorites cascade relentlessly against the atmosphere, striking through the constellations in some semblance of defiance. The celestials would not receive their glory tonight, hidden behind the descent of rocks. Rocks, of all things; they spited everyone equally, it seemed. Rin almost smiled at the irreverence of these unthinking objects. Almost. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep eroding at her rational thought.

  Regardless, her eyes remained smug as they followed the falling meteors. "Beautiful," she murmured, tugging at her scarf with one paw. "I'll admit that."

  /what this be? heck if I know

[Keona.]

[align=center]blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly

Of all the mysteries in the world, the sky happened to be among the greatest.  Pale, sea-green hues flashed in the right direction, but beheld nothing.  She passed through life without ever noticing the wonders above.  A question unasked.  Unwilling to ponder something irreplaceable she may be missing.

At night, the peace of the bay lulled her out sometimes.  Away from her hut, the tiny privateer padded across the sand, still just warm but missing the sun's touch.  Her spotted tail twitched and curled upwards in curiosity as voices floated in her ears.

Keona blinked as she approached the trio, confusion tugging down her lips.  It must something to see. Unfortunate.  Regardless, she felt the question on her tongue, unwilling to remain ignorant forever.  "What is it?"

[ Mobile ]

✯ — keona sibéal ó faoláin. female. privateer of the typhoon. blind. rusty spotted cat.  ref. bio.

[dovedeparture]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 70%; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]❥ The sound of an approach was the only thing that could coax her gaze into leaving the sky. She instantly recognized the form of Celestialrobbery, and a tiny grin played on her lips. She wondered if the scene that unfolded in the skies made the other feel similarly homesick. A part of her doubted that, for it seemed Celeste was just as comfortable on the ground as she had been in the heavens above. "You know, you look much better from far away, starshine," Dovedeparture laughed in answer. She nudged her friend in softer greeting before casting her gaze again to the meteor shower. "I've never seen anything like this before. I wonder, do the mortals always see things as amazing as this?"

Ivory ears swiveled as she heard a new voice. The angel turned to face the sound and was greeted with someone she had yet to meet. She noticed the feline's scent was a bit odd, like it didn't quite belong to the Typhoon, but she could smell hints of sea salt mingling with the mountains. Regardless, they seemed kind enough and enamored with the falling stars as well. "It is, isn't it?" the wildcat inquired, allowing another smile blossom across her maw. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Dovedeparture, but Dove or Dee is just fine. And I love your scarf - very nice with your color scheme, especially your eyes." The albino creature's own jade irises seemed to glint in the moonlight. Green was one of her preferred colors, and it was nice to see someone with similar tastes.

Another new scent, another new voice. Dove shifted her focus on the newest arrival, and her smile faltered slightly. The question had perplexed her, but when she saw the way Keona's eyes didn't seem to be focused directly on them, she was beginning to get the idea. "It's a meteor shower," the lynx answered. "Space rock and ice, falling into the atmosphere and burning up. It's like all the little lights in the sky - the stars - are coming down to meet us." It was almost as if the heavens were trying to return to her. Had it been true, she would have loved to catch them with outstretched arms. "What's your name? I'm Dovedeparture. If you like nicknames, though, you can call me Dove or even Dee."

[idyllfields]

idyllfields

stars did fall

the stars had always guided idyll to where they needed to go. father jamison was smart in sparking the interest in his child to learn by the skies. what was to come or what had already passed. which direction they were going to and how to follow it. if it was one thing idyll wished they could do, was to measure. it was a fault in lack of measurement that had confused the coyote into coming to the typhoon on accident. while it was not one unwelcomed, they wanted to ensure that their next attempt would not lead to such results.

somewhere in idyll they just knew where their father was. that he was still alive somewhere. waiting for his prodigal child to return home. it was a comfort to be under the stars at night, knowing their father saw the same ones.

the meteor shower had been a bit of a surprise! idyll hurried out of their hut to see a small gathering outside and joined them, giving small greetings to each one.

"hello, miss dove. i am idyllfields. i am a sage being trained by our captain to become a soothsayer. or, rather just a healer. though i do enjoy the fancy terminology." they humored to themselves, looking to celeste next. "i believe i have heard of both your arrivals before. i apologize about not appearing. studying has been leaving me with little time to sleep."

[div style="width: 500px; height: auto; padding: 0px; margin: auto; text-align: right; font-size: 5pt; margin-top: -2px;"]© LEXASPERATED[/div

[celestialrobbery]

[table]
[tr][td]

crash and burn

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[table][tr][td]

didn't mother warn you?

"Ouch, angel, words hurt y'know?" Celeste said, but the joking tone and grin on her face clearly showed that she was only joking around. Still, she pondered on Dove's question and gave it some good thought before she responded. "But yeah, mortals see this kinda stuff all the time. If you like this, then you'll be amazed by some of the other wonders in the world." She thought of solar eclipses, auroras, super-moons, and all sorts of other natural phenomenons that the fallen star believed her winged companion would enjoy. She hoped to be able to show Dee these wonders, one day.

Celeste found that her attention shifted as Idyll approached, and she flashed the other a bright smile in order to welcome them. "Glad to hear we've got a healer. I'm a bit of a brawler myself so if I ever get scraped up, I'll make sure you're the one I pester." She laughed at her own comment, hoping the other didn't genuinely think she'd bother them. Oh well, she said what she said, and any problems that arose would be a problem for her future self. "It's nice to meet you though! I'm Celestialrobbery, but just Celeste is fine."

now she's gonna mourn you!

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[Keona.]

[align=center]blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly

Meteor shower.  The words conjure a rainstorm to mind; a spring shower drenching the earth below.  Since everyone remained untouched by the falling, frigid rocks, the fae erased that thought.  She regards the sky again for a moment, unseeing.  Her teeth catch on the inside of her cheek, ears flicking down briefly.  Stars.

Stars meant nothing to her.  Light meant nothing.  She possessed no concept.  She nods anyway, biting back an entirely blank and ire expression.  She’s trying. No reason to grow frustrated.  How did one explain sight to someone born without?  Might as well attempt describing an alien world without words.  Perhaps she lived in an alien world in a sense.  A world composed of sounds, smells and feelings.

Dovedeparture.  Unfamiliar.  Must be new, as she thought.  "’m Keona, a privateer ‘ere." The only privateer.  Well, she didn’t mind.  She appreciated Goldie’s faith.  She let others know when she met them, they could look to her if they needed something.  Most of the crew remained self-sufficient though and she couldn’t help much medically.  Still.  Better safe than sorry.  Better informed than unknowing for ignorance was not always bliss.

Her eyes blink passively as Celestialrobbery spoke, storing the name with Dove’s.  Two newcomers.  Longer names than most but Keona remembered names fairly well.  More strangers fond of something alien above.  Envy rarely reared it’s head, but she felt it then, wondering about faraway lights called stars.

She breathed it out softly, inhaling the soothing salt air.  The night felt nice, to simply exist.  Small and strange.  Everyone resided in their own, strange little worlds, but the sky, the sky stretched wider than the ocean she loved.  So small, they’d enjoy it all.  Sea and sky.

✯ — keona sibéal ó faoláin. female. privateer of the typhoon. blind. rusty spotted cat.  ref. bio.

[dovedeparture]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 70%; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]❥ "I know. That was the point," Dovedeparture assured her friend, but it was clear from her tone that she meant no harm. Words were powerful tools, she knew, and she would never arrange them in any order that would hurt her best friend. Before she could say more, her ears perked as the feline continued. "Other wonders? Such as...?"

The angel's eyes shifted to take in the form of the Sage, and Dove found herself laughing at their sweet words. "Oh, dear, you don't need to call me 'miss'! I thank you for your courtesy, but Dove works just fine. I'm afraid you'll make me feel too important." Her smile was bright. Idyllfields seemed wonderful. They reminded her of home. "A healer? That's incredible, I-"

"Oh, yes," she agreed, nodding at Celestialrobbery's words. "This one is quite the handful, but I promise I'll try to keep her out of trouble." She nudged Celeste before looking at Idyllfields and adding, "And there's no need to apologize, Idyll. Healing is a serious business, I've heard, and I understand the need to study. But promise me you'll take a break every now and again. Where would we be without our healer, hm?"

Dove turned to look at Keona, trying to gauge her emotions, but not succeeding. She focused on the small conversation that was beginning to brew between she and the blind girl. "It's nice to meet you. A Privateer? I know little about the ranks. You'll have to tell me about it," she said, eyes returning to the sky. The meteors were not slowing down, and it was still mesmerizing. She wished she could let Keona borrow her sight for a moment.