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Thread Title: 「 Can’t Help Falling in Love 」 

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Unable to sleep, you take a midnight stroll. The night is calm, it seems that everyone else is resting peacefully, it is only you that cannot find respite in the realm of slumber. After a while, you lose track of how far you’d gone, trees begin to look different than they had at the start of this venture. Oh well, you don’t seem bothered by the revelation. If anything it may have been a subtle sign to go back, but you’re in no rush. Taking a break, you sit atop a small hill, taking in the sea of stars above. It is then that you see one shoot across the sky, then another, and another. An unexpected meteor shower, just for you— and whoever else decides to show up.

Thread Participants

OOC partner: Rem
Character 1: Lylith
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Desired skills: N/A
No triggers listed

OOC partner: Nomé
Character 2: Thabanus
Alignment: True neutral
Desired skills: N/A
No triggers listed

Skill: 「 - 」

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Ever since the incident with Gamma, Lylith had been unable to rest soundly. A subtle, yet constant, haunting loomed over her like a personal rain cloud. Though instead of rain, it rushed her with explicit memories of the scene. Truthfully, she was lucky if she managed to squeeze a few hours in via naps scattered throughout the day. Tonight was no different, her body growing increasingly restless the longer it lay there and her mind unsuccessfully willing her consciousness to concede to slumber. A cycle that was never ending— was this what life would be, from now on?

Lylith let out a faint groan while rising to her feet, a feline-like stretch helping loosen the tight muscles in each limb. There was no point in trying any longer, this much she knew. Without much of a plan—or any plan at all—the woman began to descend the peaks of Northfall, traveling into a conifer treeline. Even in the darkness of night, she could see with the assistance of moonlight reflected in the snow. As she walked, Lylith stared at her paws, gradually packing snow beneath her weight with each step. The forest seemed like a road less traveled, and subconsciously she wondered the reason as to why.

Eventually the bark of pine is replaced by the deeper shade of spruce. She’d managed to walk into an entirely new forest, even though it hadn’t felt like she’d walked all that long. Lylith glanced around, finding a lone hill that looked fine enough to occupy. It was better to take a break and return from whence she came, or else risk losing the trail back to Northfall. Citrine eyes were heavy with an emotion she couldn’t quite name, be it boredom, sadness, exhaustion, or an unrelenting mixture.

Lylith exhaled, her shoulders deflating while watching the stillness of the night. Above her were the same stars that were visible every night, but tonight they seem much brighter. Their company was the only thing she had at this moment, filling whatever potential emptiness the woman may have felt.

The sudden streak of silver shooting across the indigo sky caused her breathing to catch in her chest. Lylith’s eyes widening a fraction, their appearance owlish and brimming with wonder. Moments later another silver tail blinked into existence before vanishing again. Soon, there were many. What was this? Lylith’s attention remained on the celestial show that seemed to be crafted solely for her own entertainment. A gift from the universe, being in the right place at the right time.

His body was uneasy during the night, having found a decently large tree to rest up under for the night, he was expected to wake up when the sun had risen and yet he was up now. The woods were silent except the faintest creaking of the wind that pushed the trees. His rest coming no time soon he gathered himself up with a gruff sigh, shaking whatever snow that undoubtedly fell from above and onto his coat with ease. From then he began to walk.

It didn’t quite matter where he ended up at, that tree was no permanent home after all, simply a place to sleep at for the time being. Though he started to wonder just how far he was going, the trees seemed to grow a different shade, and even the leaves looked different from down below, perhaps he was just tired? Or maybe he would simply find a new area to wander around in, and maybe he would even stumble upon that hungry bear.

For a while he kept on like that, walking with no end, until there was an end. His tracks stopped at the sight of another’s leading into a clearing and up a hill. That’s where they sat and they seemed to be fixed on the sky above, and thoughtlessly he looked up as well. For a moment his breath was caught.. to be completely frank he hadn’t the slightest clue this new world had anything so beautiful. The stars were vast, as if never ending, it reminded him deeply of his daughter. She loved these mysteriously unknown twinkling lights that garnished the sky.. she would have loved this.

With a hesitation unknown to him, he stepped forward, slow steps, though no matter how slow he went, the sound of his paws crackling within the snow made no difference. For the slightest moment he wondered if this was something he should be doing, maybe it would’ve been best to just turn around? To act as if he hadn’t seen such a wonder up above, but it was as if his body already knew his decision. Before long he was already sitting on the right of them, there was little space on this hill, however gratefully it was just big enough to leave a decent gap between the two.

She was small and reeked of such despair.. death even? How strange, it was a new occurrence to learn just how strong his nose was, he wondered if these canines could always do something so invasive, and yet he couldn’t quite control it either. He wonder if he had a smell.. was it bad? Or overwhelming or upsetting? He found himself thinking the strangest things at times like this, even now he wondered just what could make one feel so heavy. But alas he wouldn’t voice such thoughts, he wouldn’t even speak, instead he simply watched the sky, and in an instant it began to rain. Not the normal wet rain, the stars.. they darted across the sky, leaving sparkling streaks behind them. However he hadn’t found this spot first, and if the dame so chose to ask him to leave he would, there was no need to fight over something so trivial, what he had seen was enough for him and imposing was something he wasn’t too fond of.

Skill: 「 - 」

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Without thinking, her ears began to swivel, picking up the approach of another. Their pace was unhurried and casual, choosing to advance with no malice nor fear. Lylith’s eyes remained fixed on the sky with the quiet worry that if she looked away, even for a moment, the falling stars would vanish. Would she ever be able to look at the stillness of night with interest after seeing how it looks during an astral storm? Whatever this was, she wanted it to last forever.

Ah, right. There was another here. She’d almost forgotten. Without glancing towards them, Lylith could feel their presence not too far away. The flare of annoyance in her chest was stomped out but the overflow of admiration for the sky. Whoever this was, they were lucky, even if they were unaware of it. Not many crossed paths with the brunette and didn’t immediately get thrown into a hellhole of anger and disrespect. Had this been a normal night, Lylith would have been demanding who the hell they thought they were, barging into her space, upon her hill (okay, maybe it wasn’t her hill, but she would act as if it was).

A few moments of silence, only the creaking of distant tree boughs and the calm beating of her heart could be heard. With a deep breath, Lylith finally allowed her head to turn, a burning gaze almost forcefully ripped away from the sky. Hm. It was a man, unknown to her, of course. A dark, rich coat that would have blended into the darkness, if not for the snow and starlight. Whomever this was, he too was watching the falling stars. Was this new to him or had he seen such a phenomenon before?

The woman bit her tongue, and quickly turned back to the sky. How much of the world was she unaware of? Did many know that stars could fall like silver rain? Lylith shifted, adjusting her seated stance as an equal mix of doubt and curiosity flooded her. Licking her lips tentatively, the silence was crushing her, she wasn’t used to it—by now she was usually screaming or arguing.

They’re the same stars that are always there… What is making them shine so brightly and fall? A quiet question, refusing to look his way while speaking. It was only a matter of time before she slipped back into her abrasive nature. Maybe the tournament at Northfall had helped meet her quota for unjustified rage.

His gaze never left the sky, after all it was what he came up this hill for. He had seen the dame beside him already, moments before making the decision to come up, and he figured after this event it would be the last of this shared moment between them. He was at peace here, almost as if his chest was a bit lighter, a refreshing feeling, a refreshing sight. He wondered if he would’ve missed this if he decided to force himself asleep, or if he had went an entirely different direction, how disappointing that would’ve been..

He didn’t exactly expect either or them to talk, it didn’t quite seem like a talking moment to him, however her question was a valid one. He spent countless hours watching the sky with his daughter, giving her any book she so desired, even an oddly enlarged looking glass, and even when he wasn’t watching with her, she was sure to tell him anything new she learned, he had no doubt she would’ve conquered the skies if only given the chance. “I think..” He started his voice but a low whisper, simply matching the smaller dames tone of choice.

“I think these aren’t the same stars we see every night” He stated softly, his ears twitching to the breeze against them and the simple sound of the sleeping forest. “I think the falling stars are falling from a different sky, our stars are still in the same place… they aren’t disappearing” An unsure explanation, but a sure enough observation. You could clearly see the original stars still plastered in place, while the other flew past them, it was strange, he wondered if someone else was missing their stars, or if anyone even noticed.