Stars Beneath Your Skin (relaunch)

Astrophel at night was like a bowl of ever-dimming lights, with the gash of a river running through it.

As the varied deities of darkness and the moon, and the constellations themselves, presided over the city, the people continued to move in its small ways. People patronized bars and other open-late establishments. Cars zoomed around the more affluent districts. A concert played in an arena.

In a district informally called "The Young People's Village", a mint-haired woman circled around a shrine to Alya, goddess of gentle winds and intentional living. She bowed her head to pray a short while, dropped some coins and cornflowers into the dish a stone effigy held, and began the long walk back home to the roommate who was waiting for the meager paycheck in her pocket (and her). Her name was Mantis Weaver.

Mantis crossed an intersection without looking, not thinking about it, knowing almost none of the residents of this desperate village owned a vehicle. She passed a clothing store beneath an apartment, a hair salon, a broken-down car being used as a food stand and house. She didn't see it, but tiny clusters of floating lights had begun to float past her ankles.

A while later, she felt like she'd been walking in circles, having not reached home in the span of twenty minutes. She looked around carefully.

The streets around her were not right. They were crystal copies of the stores and apartments she'd walked past every night - quartz, citrine, ruby - and their windows were empty. The sky had turned from purple-blue to a sludgy black. And she heard something humming in six voices in the distance.

"No," she gasped, looking around desperately for a way out and running in a random direction. She never thought this would happen to her - she lived by Alya's rules, she stayed out of hospitals and dark corners, she expressed her gratitude for everything she did have. Yet, here she was. And, as sweat began to drip down her face, the realization of everything she was about to lose began to permeate her body like ice cracking rock.

Meanwhile, several isolated young adults in the city were experiencing headaches in varying degrees of severity, and were hopefully inferring what had just come into being. And for a few that weren't, a white bird was circling in the night sky, gliding into the darkening city.

Keidivh Devious Dilbert Thalia_Neko Exanis Epiphany Kimona

A small girl walked along the sidewalk that night in the area of Astrophel commonly called 'The Young People's Village'. She was out for a evening-nightly stroll. She was dressed down, in an adorable pink-skirted outfit. If anyone she passed on the street noticed she was the idol singer Wings, then they obviously weren't fans, because no one ran up to her squealing. The light was dim, and she was out in a part that seemed pretty... quiet, so that probably had something to do with it.

Wings herself, was not alone. The human-right-now Midheaven had little moths dancing about her shoulders like she were a lamp. Some other various bugs buzzed on behind her. The nightly type of bugs not normally the type that Wings found the cutest... and as such did not particularly want them following her, but it couldn't be helped. Along with the bugs and moths, in the grass, scampered some moles or gophers, maybe, she had to guess in this light. Basically whatever else wanted to follow on her nightly walk tonight would follow.

Currently, Wings was busy thinking about life. The people her songs touched. The people they didn't. She contemplated her place in the world, praying up to Lethe for guidance. Suddenly, she was stricken by a pang; a headache that cut off her silent prayer. "Forgive me, great mother..." she begged of the Queen of Night. The headache and growing dread were enough for her to realize.. one of those monsters was around. Feeling her magic beginning to tingle on her skin, Wings took off in a run to find the source. The animals and bugs shifting with the wind displaced from her running form, surprised she had just bolted. Some began to follow, others just scurried off into the night.

Akoya Simmons
As evening dawned on Astrophel, the colors of the sky blurred as they met one another in a canvas of faded pink, dying blue, and whatever resided in-between. And after a long day- firstly, sleeping in unintentionally at Sunshine's house, finally revisiting his ecstatic family, spending the rest of the daylight with them, and then walking back to his apartment for a well-needed slumber, Akoya just couldn't ignore the beauty in Astrophel's scenery. Here he was, practically alone, staring into the reflection of the river beneath as he leaned onto the railings of the South bridge.

What he could see were bright orange waves contrasting with the enigmatic black water, rippling and dancing with a soft rhythm. Although a pretty view, he couldn't shake a certain heavy feeling weighing him down. Unsure of what was eating at him, Akoya just decided to let it be and try to enjoy this moment while it lasts.

A dove was perching on top of the railings a few feet away. Peculiarly, it was there for a while.
I guess animals have an eye for beauty too. Do I have any food on me?
It didn't look like any ordinary city bird though. Somebody's pet was missing, he thought- probably a little girl's, judging by how flowers were affectionately woven into the feathers of the bird. What species? It probably wasn't a dove like he was thinking. Something exotic maybe? Whatever it was, it was a nice addition to the sunset.
As he fished in his pockets for something to feed to the animal, he quickly realized that-
...Nope- Nothing. Sigh...
Well- I could probably get a cool picture-

Taking his eyes of the lone creature, he fumbled for his phone, pulled it out, and looked once more at the dimming sky.


(Interacting with: Quincunx , Brief mention: Epiphany )






Cerva Repose
"I'll talk to you more about it when I get home!" Cerva hit send, and dropped her phone into her duffel bag. Practice was alright today, but she longed to be outside in the open air again! The field was still muddy due to the recent storm, and so the team had to use the smaller, stuffy indoor one. Practice was also a little bit longer today, bleeding into the evening hours when the sun went down. Cerva didn't really like walking in the dark, so she tried to hustle on her way home. Right now, she was in the cool and hip "young people" part of the city. Or- that's what her cranky neighbors call it.

Boy- did she push herself too hard today? There's a little bit of a headache going on-
She stopped walking and froze.
Here?! ...No, distant-
Where...?!

Clutching her bag, the girl whipped around. Nothing was behind her. She darted her eyes to the left- Nothing. To the right- She was alone. Nobody was around her. It was silent except for the inevitable sounds that a city echoes in the night. The sky made her uncomfortable. It was going to be dark soon.
A crinkling of paper-
She jumped to the sound, scuffing her feet on the pavement as she turned her body to face the noise.
Somebody's garbage in the wind...
Relief fell over her, but chills still isolated her from the Summer weather of Astrophel.

What should I do...?
Either continue on your walk home- or hunt this nadir.

She had one star. And she had almost died for her cause receiving it. Her legs began to shake slightly. Adrenaline began pumping through her. She wanted to be bold- to run straight for that nadir- but she stood there contemplating on whether or not this would actually be the best course of action.
I need stars. -She told herself over and over. Five minutes had passed since she had stalled her walk.
What would have been the point of everything if I gave up here?!
You idiot... You're going to get yourself killed.
I need stars.

Picking up her feet, she felt heavier. She forced herself to trudge. The pain in her head grew and she continued walking, playing warmer-colder for a couple of minutes and before she knew it, she was sprinting, blindly estimating how close she was by how much her head was exploding. And when she couldn't take it anymore, she transformed and jumped onto one of the rooftops of an overshadowing building. Gliding through the city as if she were the lively wind itself, the girl noticed a splotch of the town that was different from the rest. Her intuition concluded that this was where the nadir was residing. Cerva took a deep breath as she dove into the range of the crystallized buildings. Hopping down from high ground, she drew her bow and held it close.

This part of town was empty. All she could see were reflections of herself in the crystals protruding from the ground and consuming the very city itself. It was also eerily quiet as she was now cut off from reality. Dread rose from deep within herself. She did not want to run into the nadir. She dove in head-first and made it here, but did she have the will to continue onward?

Lyric Mirror was wandering the streets of the city. Night time was the only time he could stroll around so freely. Not pitying or disgusted stares or glare, no one whispering as they glanced over. He liked it, nice and quiet, there was a nice breeze which ruffled his hood. He had headphones in his ears, while he listened to one of his favorite songs, from his favorite idol. He wished he could meet her, and she was young to, but he doubted she would ever want to see him. She was pretty, and seemed very nice, bu no one would like someone like him.
As he walked he suddenly stopped when a sudden headache hit him, not now..... he thought to himself. He had been told this meant a Nadir was near. He mainly just wanted to continue walking, someone else could do it. He was new to the who thing yet, he had never really even see his midheaven form yet. Sighing he walked toward the Nadir's location, or where it seemed to be. He didn't want to, but he was told that if he fought them he would get closer to his goal. He needed to reach it. He pulled out his headphones and pocketed them, speeding up his slow pace.

((OOC note: I have decided to add "can appear in several locations at the same time" to Arisu's list of powers for the purposes of this RP.))

Arisu
Interactions: Exanis
Location: Streets of Astrophel

As the man named Storm Ververs approached her, Arisu glided downwards and perched on a bench. She wasn't going anywhere; her sights were set on this particular human, born under the sign of The Plum Tree. As she waited, her mind drifted to a game she liked to play in her thoughts - what kind of fate did the believers believe was in store for him? The meaning those humans ascribed to this cluster of stars was one of duality. So, she wondered if Storm would make a point to distinguish or reconcile his initial self with the one he was about to gain.

It was what she did - explore possibilities.

She briefly considered the emotions he might feel while trying to do these things, but focused again when his jog had placed him within range of her telepathic abilities. As if casually approaching someone for a compliment, she called into his head, "Have you ever considered an alternate self-portrait? Or an alternate self?"

Arisu
Interactions: Devious Dilbert (Akoya)
Location: Streets of Astrophel (somewhere else)

There was no time for games as Arisu's second body saw her target approaching. He was tall, and seemed like he was quietly observing - humans tended to do that in front of sunsets. It involved something about the way they interpreted "beauty". Arisu did understand beauty, on a certain level, but she was most drawn to organic things, like the delicate workings of trillions of cells within a single body, or the way a million humans came together and drove a city like neurons drove a body. (The numbers on the latter example provided an improper analogy, but most onlookers would get the picture.)

She turned his way as he searched for something, and quickly fired her question into his brain. "Is this place beautiful to you? Would you like the chance to protect it?"

Arisu
Interactions: Keidivh
Location: Bridge

If Arisu could be surprised, she would be that the human known as Dream Caregiver spoke to her first. But this was not within her capabilities, so she merely registered the interaction as unusual and reexamined the human before engaging. Dream Caregiver, The Snake. The way humans associated animals with human traits was a source of intrigue for Arisu - while some people associated them with deceit or evil (concepts not as alien to Arisu as some of her colleagues), Dream's religion tied them to service and healing.

While neither connection made much sense to Arisu, Dream's profession, religion, surname, and prospective future all fit her very well. Arisu decided to build on that. "There is suffering on a greater scale than what a human alone can heal," she spoke into Dream's head. She hopped closer, obeying the command to soften the blow of an animal behaving in a highly abnormal way.

Akoya Simmons
...What kind of question is that? -Thought Akoya, thinking he just bumped into one of the weirdos. Actually... more like just another strong advocator of one of the literal hundreds of religions that lived and breathed in Astrophel.

"Uh, I mean- I..." He softly spoke, eyes shifting focus from the sky to the person behind him as his body followed with a one-eighty.
"...guess..." His last word dragged on longer than it should have, and dropped in volume as he realized that, in fact, nobody was there.
Slightly confused now, the man looked to his left, then to his right. Weird? Was he hearing things? Just the wind... and water? Ah, well... there were certainly times where his ears had played tricks on him-

BIRD. -He thought, rapidly turning to face the animal. And when his gaze fell back upon the white dove, disturbingly, it was staring directly back into his eyes. "Uh-" Akoya let out, but caught himself before he were to say anything else.
No- That's stupid! Talking to a bird? ...It's been a long day, hasn't it?

His curiosity got the better of him though. Did this bird really just speak to him? Now, a heavy uncanny feeling replaced his initial shock. But also... something of wonder, just a tinge. Now that he thought about it, the bird didn't look like somebody's pet. The bird didn't look much like it even belonged in Astrophel. Perhaps not even from this world. With the eyes of the animal glued to his, he was instilled with a slight fear of the unknown. This bird gave off some mystifying, alien vibes.
"I'm sorry... You...are talking to me?" he asked the creature, irrationally expecting the bird to understand his speech.
Something told him to be cautious and keep his guard up.


(Interaction: Quincunx )

Arisu
Interactions: Exanis
Location: Streets of Astrophel

Arisu took a moment to ponder which question to answer first. "My name is Arisu. I'm from the Dream Kingdom, here to present you with an alternate self for a specific purpose. Perhaps one mirroring those 'works' you do." She assumed he was talking about art. Arisu did not observe the humans she was sent to watch over, but her colleagues did put together dossiers on how to appeal to them.

"The purpose of these selves is to contain a threat you might know well: the Nadirs," she continued, still speaking in his mind. "My goal is to give alternate selves to those chosen by the constellations to protect this place from the ugliness they bring." She looked up at him pointedly, waiting to see how he reacted to bringing up monsters. She knew Storm did not adhere to a religion, but his embrace of different views led her to believe he took Nadir at least somewhat seriously.

Arisu
Interactions: Devious Dilbert (Akoya)
Location: Streets of Astrophel (elsewhere)

"I am," Arisu confirmed. She hopped closer, and thought of how to appeal to him next as she examined his answers. She was not trying to manipulate him - Arisu's ethics were different from a certain feline colleague's. Rather, now that the stars and her colleagues had cast their eyes upon this particular man, she needed to make a convincing but true case for involving him in her work.

"I'm from a place where beings humans consider subservient, engineer phenomena and tools beyond human imagination," she said, without a hint of emotion (besides maybe some excited pride). "We're looking for humans born under specific constellations to protect your world from the monsters that plague it, known as Nadirs."

Wings raced down the sidewalks beside house after house. No one seemed to be about. The night was dreary and lonesome. It was not a warm night under Lethe's watchful gaze. That... worried the short girl somewhat. If this night did not have Lethe's blessing... if she did not have her Goddess's blessing, then what was she doing?

She had already earned 1 star. A fateful encounter with her first Nadir. A horrifically deformed thing that had scared her the first time she saw it, but her magic. Based upon trust. Was very potent. Those that knew of such a thing... she had felt their trust within her that day, giving her power. Power in the form of magical light rays that seared dark, abstract flesh. Would... Would this encounter be the same? She wondered how an encounter with this Nadir would go. Were they all the same? She sorted assumed no, but had no real idea why she assumed that. If... if there was a lack of trust, that Wings could feel, then her magic would be much weaker, and that was unnerving.

Still, Wings had to be brave! It was not just her duty as a Midheaven to attack and defeat Nadirs, but the stars, according to Arisu, were very important. Important components for one's Wish. While she raced towards where her headache was leading her, growing pained the closer she got; Wings recalled her first time meeting Arisu. A strange beautiful white bird, speaking directly into her mind. Just after a prayer with Lethe. That day she had had a wonderful concert. It had gone very well, and people had cheered her name. That wasn't something she particularly cared about, but knowing they heard her voice brought a warmth to her heart. Arisu, that night, suggested something new be added to her life.. Something that could help Astrophel, to compliment her singing.

That was how she became a Midheaven. Which.. she transformed into knowing no eyes were on her. Now a short 4'8'' girl with extravagant dress, and golden-pink hair hovered along on 3 pairs of wings. She drew near where she needed to be. As a Midheaven, she could feel it. The area distorted. It became much more vile, with foulness creeping in. The Nadir was close. There, within her vision was a girl.. Human? Was she somehow involved with this Nadir?

Wings spoke up, coming nearer. "A~ah, h-hi! U-um.. Hello, a-again.. M-miss.. where... are.. you running to? Wh-what's going on?.." Her voice was very willowy and soft, her stammers made her hard to take seriously, but her appearance demanded to be noticed. This girl (Mantis), most likely did not have any answers, or any information that would be useful, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

Quincunx

Akoya Simmons
"Protect my world from Nadirs... That... What? And wait- Are you talking to me inside my head?!"
Oh my god... I'm talking to a pile of feathers... What has become of me?!
Akoya, again, looked once more at the falling sun and then back to the... the thing?
No- no this is real. This isn't a dream. I can tell the difference.
"Okay- okay. And what does this have to do with me?" He asked, anticipating an answer he wouldn't like.
He's seen things like this before- er... in movies and the likes... and it never works out in the end. Akoya decided to remain skeptical and cautious with the being. There was a damn ominous reason that he was visited by an alien bird! Oh, boy. How would his night end this time...?


(Interactions: Quincunx )





Cerva Repose
Through the shining pillars that reflected the glow of prismatic orbs that seeped from the ground and floated up into the night sky, Cerva remained on her guard among the beautiful serenity of the silent gemstones. She herself also had to be quiet as she stalled her meeting with the lord of this unstable, interjecting dimension- but luckily for her, she was graced with masked footsteps as one of her Midheaven bonuses. It was her savior while traversing the hard ground made of crystal overtaking the pavement of Astrophel's street.

Taking deep breaths, Cerva walked on. Her young years made her a bit immature, but she felt that she had to be brave in this situation. This was what she wanted, she told herself. As soon as she got her seventh star, she wouldn't need to do this anymore. The moment that she would acquire her last one... she kept that goal in her head with every step she took to keep herself from faltering.
Just where the hell is this Nadir... Let's just get this over with...

"A~ah, h-hi!-"
Cerva let out a brief gasp before covering her mouth. Quickly, she darted behind cover- a building almost completely encased in amethyst where she pressed her back into the surface of the exterior.
"U-um.. Hello, a-again.. M-miss.. where... are.. you running to? Wh-what's going on?..."
Ah- a person...? Two?
Peeking her head out, Cerva saw that she was right. There in the distance was... no doubt another Midheaven along with a human girl.
Heh... "human." Why was that so important to note?

Was it safe? Should she just jump out and say, "Hiiiii!!"? How does one interact with another Midheaven?! As far as Cerva was concerned, she was new to the community of Midheavens, but she was knowledgeable that there were more of herself. In her short time of being one, she'd seen others, but never actually ran into one. She took it upon herself to remain as a solo unit as the amount of competition between Midheavens intimidated a newbie like her...

This particular angelic Midheaven didn't seem aggressive though. But this was just a quick judgement made based on the girl's dialogue... and a little bit based on her appearance.
No- you know what? Now's the time to be bold.

Tearing from the vacant building's back wall and stepping into plain view- but still a safe distance away, Cerva moved back her charcoal cloak, allowing her Midheaven costume to be seen in full, which she thought would make her appear vulnerable and friendly. Her weapon was still drawn and kept close to her body however, just in case things were to go south, but the girl hoped that she wouldn't receive any hostility in her interaction.
"Uhh... Hiiiiiii!!" she called, waving nervously with her free hand.


(Interactions: Thalia_Neko Quincunx )

GM
Interactions: Thalia_Neko Devious Dilbert (Cerva)
Location: Nadir's pocket dimension

Mantis stopped short at the sound of a human voice. She'd never heard of a Nadir doing that. "I'm... Mantis," she said, panting. She caught her breath, and looked back to see who was talking to her.

Oh, Goddess.

Standing before her was someone who must be a Midheaven. Had to be. The wings, the golden artifact above her head, the... trust Mantis was feeling. Something was telling her she could trust this young woman. It must be her emotional magic. Cautiously, she looked down into the Midheaven's eyes, knowing her mind was being affected, but feeling safe for the moment. "You're... you're here to save me, aren't you?"

Her temporary repose was interrupted by another girl shouting a greeting, and whoa. It was as if she'd just skipped a few steps going down the stairs of her apartment - and been met by, well, an armed Midheaven. She raised her fists, before realizing it was the emotional effects Midheavens were rumored to exude. She dropped her hands to her side. "Are you two a team or something?" Nobody had ever seen two in the same place before, bleeding such intensity into the world.

She clutched at her ponytails nervously. She was being made to feel strange things, and she'd met two beings that could probably kill her if they wanted. Kill her easily. But she wasn't terrified. Call it the emotional alterations - trust and readiness to fight - but in that moment, she felt like she wasn't about to die.

The ground began to shake, and the crystals began to crack, light filtering through and illuminating the sky. Mantis cowered, arms above her head. In the distance, something vaguely human-shaped wearing glowing plasma armor crashed through the buildings and stomped its massive feet. It was the size of a skyscraper. Its hands were tipped with needles, and dripped strawberry cake batter.

It let out a scream that sounded like a choir. The nadir was here, and had its sights set.

Arisu
Interactions: Devious Dilbert (Akoya)
Location: Streets of Astrophel

Arisu answered his question eagerly. "We believe we've found a suitable candidate to defeat these Nadirs, in you. You, Akoya Simmons, born under the sign of the Crystal Cluster, would find direction in protecting your city."

She hopped to her left, and noticed the unnerved look on his face. Well, it wasn't every day that Astrophel's animals used human speech, or that anyone spoke in humans' heads (unless her colleagues had misread their communication capabilities). But Akoya seemed disproportionately nervous - Arisu thought the initial surprise would have worn off by now. She needed to reassure him - to offer him positivity. "We would not offer you a job without repayment. We have found that each defeated Nadir drops a Star - that is, 1/7 of a wish. Collect seven Stars, and we will construct them into any wish you want. In other words, after you've defeated the requisite amount of Nadirs, you can gain any repayment you wish."

She hopped again, wings dropping a few multihued petals that quickly replaced themselves by falling from nowhere onto her back.

Arisu
Interactions: Keidivh
Location: Bridge

Arisu was a little lost on why Dream wasn't responding, until she reached out with her telepathic powers. It seemed that this soon-to-be Midheaven was trying to project thoughts of her own - silly for a human; didn't they know they weren't magical? "I can read your thoughts with effort, but I'd prefer you talk aloud," Arisu said. "I am aware that this can have social ramifications, as only you can see me, but I can answer your questions."

She came closer, and thought-spoke closely. "You care for people who are hurting. You must have come across someone suffering from the effects of Nadirs. I offer a chance for you to rescue prevent that harm by rising up against the monsters, protecting people even in the pocket dimensions. In return, each felled Nadir provides material for 1/7 of anything you desire - defeat seven Nadirs, collect seven of the Stars they drop, and you may have a wish. Two chances to change the world."

Immediately, she noticed how distraught the girl seemed. That in particular didn't affect Wings's magic, so.. it was sad to say, but it was fine for the girl to feel that way. It wasn't fine for her to be in this situation in the first place. At the question the small Midheaven gave some pause, but nodded. "Y-yes, Mantis. I am Wings," she announced softly. "I-I am here to protect you." It was as confident as the girl could sound, and with her soft, but powerful voice it sounded pretty confident.

Mantis was cowering. Understandable. She floated over, with little trails of butterflies and flowers springing up underneath the angelic Midheaven. As soft and unintrusive as it could be, but with a level of firmness that suggested strength that you could trust. Her hand pressed up against the side of this human girl, letting more of her trust to be felt within her. Now, Wings was not the Midheaven of relief or compassion or anything like that, but people often felt a certain amount of relief when they had someone nearby whom they can trust.

"Who?" she asked out, looking over at the other voice. Another person. A Midheaven? Wow.. "N-nyu.." Wings answered, they were not partners. "E-erm. H-hello. Huh?!" It didn't appear there was any time for more introductions and chat. The Nadir was here. It was monstrous and stood at a massive height. Her throne materialized in the air above her, giving off a light that bathed the three below in a warmth. This was her zone of protection, Wings wouldn't let the other two there get hurt! (If she could help it.)

Quincunx
Devious Dilbert

Akoya Simmons
"Ahaha-" Akoya forced out a controlled laugh before picking up his speech. "Is this some kind of joke...? Wishes, stars, nadirs..."

He was never one to believe in that kind of stuff- folklore, myths, and urban legends; even though he lived in what seemed like the place of origin of every single bedtime tale ever told. Although Akoya himself wasn't a believer in any particular Astrophel-residing religion, the objects, deities, and even the very concept of faith did intrigue him when it was impossible to get from point A to point B without passing at least a dozen shrines along the way.

He wasn't ever certain of his own beliefs at any given time, but there was one thing that was most definitely clear at any time of day.
It was that Astrophel was weird. He always thought that something strange would befall this town one day- if it hadn't already. Call it mere intuition, but Astrophel always seemed like a beacon for the supernatural and the... insane probably. Effortlessly, it attracted weirdos, hippies, spiritual "shaman-type" people. And this was surely the reason, huh? Talking animals and a radically superstitious culture? And it made perfect sense! You would only find the kind of quality day-life that consisted of animals seeking your employment in Astrophel!

With Astrophel's potential, perhaps a bird spewing nonsense was mild.
"We believe we've found a suitable candidate to defeat these Nadirs, in you. You, Akoya Simmons, born under the sign of the Crystal Cluster, would find direction in protecting your city."
The words had little effect on him other than a slight annoyance.
You know, this sounds familiar...
Kinda reminds me of all those other times somebody's tried to push their religion onto me. -He thought, passive aggressively.

"Yeah, okay... I believe you," He said after a long pause, sighing. If the animal was indeed an intelligent being, it would be able to spot the lie.
"Any wish..." He folded his arms. "Sounds good. Sure- whatever, I'll do it." He said with an obvious lack of enthusiasm as well as authenticity.


( Interactions: Quincunx )





Cerva Repose
The Nadir's call echoed above Cerva, spreading its radius of sound throughout the entire section of the city. With ears now ringing, Cerva completely halted her animation. Her eyes widened as their lively glint now vanished. Her face went blank.
The entrance of the Nadir was something she'd never get used to. The pang of sudden, intense dread like the obnoxious clang of symbols was something that stuck with her after her first battle. And here it was again.

Slowly, as if the girl was held down by chains, she turned to face the creature of her fear. Cerva froze like a frightened deer caught in headlights as the Nadir came into focus. Negative emotions flooded her, but the rebellious blood in her wouldn't allow her to lay down and await her death.
Pull- Pull yourself together. -She repeated to herself, several times before successfully waking up.
Cerva tightened the grip on her bow, which had almost completely slipped out of her hand from her state of trance. Her hands, arms, and legs were all shaking as she raised her aim.
Stay calm. You have to stay calm...
A feint green light emitted from the empty space around her hand as she drew the string. In a matter of just a few seconds, the green light had become more prominent. What she was holding now was an arrow made of pure, raw energy. Like lightning, the shape of the arrow rapidly fluctuated as it charged with power, growing in size until it was large enough to completely engulf Cerva's forearm in its radiance.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline that gave birth to boldness, Cerva drew a step back, getting into position to fire. After her first shot, she would get a gauge of distance. But she also expected for the Nadir to then gain awareness of her own presence once she released the string. Her nerves hardened. As she released her magical arrow, she quickly sprang into a mighty leap, hopping onto the rooftop of the building she was previously cowering behind.
The arrow flew, leaving a blazing green trail of light behind in its path of travel. With the sky now dark, the bright green light was like a lure on the end of a hook. The nadir was a good distance away, but now she would have to either lead it away or let it come to her- and the other girls.

"We're not a team-" Cerva yelled to the two below her with urgency, "But we may have to be for tonight."
She summoned another arrow into her left hand for reserve. "Wings, Mantis; I'm Cerva. We have to move or wait for it."
Woah- I sound like a leader!
...Please help me defeat this nadir...


( Interactions: Quincunx & Thalia_Neko )

Arisu
Interactions: Exanis
Location: Streets of Astrophel

In the history of recruiting and replacing Midheavens, Arisu had heard many of her colleagues' stories of being challenged, misdirected, or confused. This was only her second cycle, but she had determined that now was not the time to back down. Rather, it was the time to listen to what Storm was saying. To do what she must...

She fluttered close to him, and pecked at his chest. Light magenta sparks glimmered around them, and the stars of The Plum Tree shined bright. A low hum permeated the air, as did the soft notes of the scent of plums. If Arisu's calculations were correct, Storm would be flooded with... grief. From where? Why was it associated with him? That wasn't hers to figure out.

As far as she was concerned, this was what he had asked her to do.

Arisu
Interactions: Devious Dilbert (Akoya)
Location: Streets of Astrophel (elsewhere)

The hollowness of Akoya's words was completely lost on Arisu, whose understanding of tone and other nonverbal cues in human speech was... hit-or-miss. She flew up and hovered a foot from his chest, unaware of the possibility that she was crowding him. As far as she knew, this proximity was necessary for the transfer of technology. Her red eyes fixated on Akoya's sternum.

"I believe in you, Akoya. This won't hurt at all. Rather, you should get a feeling of... finding what you searched for." With that, she surged forward and pecked at his chest.

White sparks started flying from Akoya's feet. There was a low humming noise, and if one looked up, The Crystal Cluster would be glowing particularly brightly just at this moment.

It would be over in a few seconds, of course, and nobody could see it but the two of them. But Arisu was eager to see Akoya transform, due to the presence of yet another Nadir.

GM
Interactions: Thalia_Neko Devious Dilbert (Cerva)
Location: Nadir's pocket dimension

The arrow flew wide of the Nadir, which shrieked again. It was looming within its arm's reach of Mantis and the Midheavens. It had no face to contort with rage, so it raised its arms, and slammed them into the ground, where they rippled like water. The sidewalks and buildings undulated and collapsed from the shock, and its targets would be feeling it too. More sticky pink goop dribbled into the ruined crystal city.

Mantis felt Wings's hand on her side, and the trust filling her mind. She didn't know much about Wings, but even as the ground shook and her emotions shifted unnaturally, she placed her faith in Wings and Cerva. Even as Cerva missed the shot. "Wings," she said. "I believe in you. You... what do you want me to do? I mean, should I run?"

Wings watched as the other Midheaven revealed her magic. Arrows. They didn't seem to be that threatening. However, mystical magical green arrows weren't all that different from her own magic. Not really, anyway. Sure, light tended to be stronger than just regular magic. Against a being of dark, but the two magics were more or less the same in their agency. Shoot the Nadir. Kill it.

Cerva spoke first. Explaining some of her thought process. Wings turned her gaze away from the cool, green-haired Midheaven back to the human at her side. She contemplated the idea that the two would have to be a 'team' to take down the dark monster nearby. Mantis, meanwhile, filled her with magic, a powerful feeling of trust. The girl's belief in her was not only reassuring, but it provided her with more power. That's how magic of Trust worked.

A small smile met the girl. "Yes. You should. But.. Lighttrust -my magic, it is fueled by your trust in me," she explained. "If you are nearer I am stronger." That was all the explanation the girl was going to get. Wings spread her six wings and flew off into the air. The Throne of Abundance drifting after her. She hoped the shockwave wouldn't afflict the human girl too much, but Wings, herself, avoided the Nadir's first attack. Wings held up her hand, and beams of light fired from her throne. Four in total struck out towards the Nadir, singing it if they would connect.


Quincunx
Devious Dilbert

Lyric Mirror
The Candle

Lyric slowly headed towards the Nadir, sighing. He still really hoped he wouldn't have to fight it. He had never used his powers, nor wanted to. Yes, fighting it would get him closer to his goal, but he could die, he had never fought one and he had already had a near death experiance. He neared it's location slowly, eventually, not to far from it, he transformed, just in case. He really did not want to do this. He entered the space where the Nadir was located, and was seemed to be at least one other midheaven, he was to lazy to count. He scratched his head, ending up ruffling his white hair. The only thing he liked about this form was the fact that the disgusting scars that enveloped his body were gone. He attempted to observe from a distance just to get an idea of the layout and fugure out what he was up against.

(sorry its a bit short, a bit busy right now.)

GM
Interactions: Thalia_Neko Kimona Devious Dilbert (Cerva)
Location: Nadir's pocket dimension

Mantis was the first to notice a new Midheaven had entered the fray - this one radiated rage she could feel licking at her heels from his faraway location. "How many of you are there?"

Meanwhile, the Nadir recoiled as Wings's golden magic singed its armor. The plasma fell away, hissing as it hit the ground, and the Nadir's arm flailed wildly. Pink, gooey stickiness fell around Mantis and Wings with a loud blop. It surrounded them, a foot thick in a large puddle, and would make walking very difficult. It had missed Cerva and Lyric entirely, but some had gotten on Mantis and under her feet. She screamed as she struggled to free herself.

Arisu
Interactions: Keidivh
Location: Bridge

Dream's statement of acceptance was all Arisu needed. "To give you the ability to access the alternate form that will enable you to protect people from Nadirs, I'm going to fly over to you and peck your sternum. It won't hurt. Rather, you should feel a sense of sympathy. For what, I can't tell you, because I don't know."

She took flight, hovered around Dream's torso (close enough for Dream to feel her body heat and be at least somewhat aware of her), and gave a peck. Green and gold sparks, characteristic of The Snake, began to flicker around Dream's feet. The Snake glowed overhead. And a strange humming noise would fill Dream's ears, telling her that something magical was going on.

Wings perked up when she felt yet another magical presence enter the foray. Strange... fury and rage. Something she wasn't too familiar with as this little girly. She was not one to ever get mad or experience any of these emotions. No one in her life really did. Aside from maybe the occasional angry fan or so. Nothing like this, however. This... Midheaven had magic dealing with anger or something, didn't they?

Mantis's question came out of the blue. She seemed a bit preturbed to see yet another Midheaven. Indeed, Mantis was right to feel that way. It probably came from the feelings of anger this new one brought. Wings, herself, was feeling unusual. "I.. I do not know," she softly responded.

Then, weird pink gooey stuff was flung their way by an enraged Nadir. Her attacks of searing light had managed to hurt the gargantuan humanoid figure of malice and darkness. Wings avoided any splash of the strange attack. She also wasn't really affected by it, because she could fly. Mantis, however, was not so lucky.

"Oh! M-Mantis! H-hold on!" Wings called, flying quickly over, reaching for the girl. "Here.. take my hand..!" With considerable effort, she began to pull Mantis out of the sticky gunk. "You can.. y-you.. can sit in my throne.. it'll protect you." To emphasize her throne's powers, she waved her hand, and released another volley of Lighttrust beams to strike the Nadir.


Quincunx
Devious Dilbert
Kimona

Akoya Simmons
"Uhh..." He responded to the Arisu's invasion of his personal space.
"I believe in you, Akoya. This won't hurt at all. Rather, you should get a feeling of... finding what you searched for."
But the only thing Akoya could feel was overwhelmed as bright specks of light rose from the ground and glittered around him. However, it was astonishing and somewhat beautiful, and it had cleared his mind and left him blank for what was to follow.

In the next moment, however brief it was, all of Akoya's doubt and unease for the fate of his future had been erased and cast into a void and he felt a sort of calm. A reassurance that this was right- this, what was happening right now, was supposed to be. That the world was all fine and dandy. And that perhaps this was actually his purpose. His true one. To become whatever he was now and fight for the moment that this would happen again- when his deepest desire of wanting to find his place and role in Astrophel would be granted.

He felt like his calls had finally been answered by whatever unknown being is in charge of the universe- if there was one, of course. But it wasn't quite an exciting feeling, nor anything grandeur or euphoric. It was a simple, quiet moment of realization that all was well- and this was what he needed. And it was as if there'd be no more worries now that Akoya had found himself. It was tranquil and comforting. In this exact time, if somebody would have told him that he'd gained the ability to fly, despite how irrational, he'd believe it and he'd jump off this bridge.

But of course, this surge of confidence and happiness in himself was ephemeral. In fact, it was so short-lived that he had forgotten already what he had just felt. Way to go, Akoya.
What replaced his contentment in the world was now just a simple mild headache.
"Ugh- you didn't tell me about the after-effects," he said, bringing his thumb, middle, and index finger to his forehead.
Though the pain was docile, he figured it'd get annoying.

The glittering light had vanished.
"Does this mean... I'm really one of the Midheavens now?" He asked, curious as to why he wasn't feeling any different.
He knew of the legend, nadirs and midheavens, he just didn't think he'd become the legend. Weird, how one minute you're just an ordinary joe and the next, you're a mythical monster-hunter.

The pain grew slightly more, further annoying him until something clicked.
I know what this is... -He thought. For some odd reason, Arisu wouldn't have to explain this one. The headache meant a nadir was close by.


(Interacting with Quincunx )




Cerva Repose
(LOL, I thought the nadir was actually far away. Doesn't matter though.)

Well... that doesn't make for a good impression. -Cerva thought as she saw her arrow fly far into the night.

The brightly colored girl then took her turn lashing out at the nadir. To Cerva's amazement, Wings had actually done some damage. Her magic was beams of lights. She truly was like an angel with the way she looked, spoke, acted, and even how she attacked the creature. She must be strong, Cerva thought. Much stronger than she'd ever be. She probably has four stars already. She's not even scared!

Cerva then felt weak. Perhaps she should just let her senior do the job, steal the battle, win the star. If the world of Midheavens was a competitive one, Cerva didn't want to win or lose. She'd find another nadir. There were plenty of them. Cerva just needed more training. She just needed to be better. If only she'd-

Mantis...? Was that her name? Ah, right. Cerva wasn't the weakest one here.
No- thinking like this was bad. Cerva tried her best to banish these negative thoughts.
What am I thinking?! It shouldn't matter whether I get the star or not- I have to help at least a little.
I may be the new kid, but... I've taken a nadir down before by myself. I can definitely do this with Wings.

As she tried to recollect herself, the nadir followed up Wing's attack with one of it's own. In response to bring touched by the beams of light, thick light pink mass sprayed from it's flailing arms, raining down upon Wings and Mantis. Cerva was safe from her position on top of a building, and so was Wings while she was in flight. However, the nadir still had the height advantage.

Wings swept in to free Mantis who had been caught by the gunk. Her angelic halo which she called her "throne" fired more beams on her command. Cerva held her bow close and ready.
I have to do something useful this time. -She thought.
It had to be fast too. Time was of the essence in a battle with a creature so horrendous. She could hop from ledge to ledge, but that might just waste what she wanted to preserve. Although Cerva had gracious speed, she wasn't faster than lightning. One option did remain though. She could call upon Velox, the younger brother of the two stags, for help.
It sounds like the best solution.

She put her hands to her mouth, took a deep breath, and whistled.
From the stars, Velox heard her call for his help. The great stag bellowed and his voice echoed and rumbled from his place in the sky. Only his summoner would hear his cold voice that sounded like a strong gust of wind, but maybe the others would feel it. His wispy, ghostly form possessing a subtle tint of earth had manifested from thin air in front of Cerva, now visible to all.

Reaching out to him, she tried her best to put up a confident front, speaking in a more dignified tone of voice.
"Will you take me up there?" She asked, pointing to a rooftop of a taller structure that was in closer proximity to the nadir.
The stag lowered its head in acknowledgement of her plea.
"Thank you," she added, hastily climbing unto its back.

With one mighty leap, both parties sprang into the air higher than Cerva could ever reach herself with her own jumps. Velox was almost like the embodiment of the wind as he ran on air with the girl on his back at incredible speed. And in just a matter of seconds, the girl and stag had soared through the air. Velox let Cerva climb off his back.
"Thank you!" She said again as the stag's body evaporated out of all sense.

Now, closer to the nadir and a bit more level in terms of height, she drew her bow once more. A green arrow lit up in her off-hand and she waited for its light to charge. Once her arrow was shining, she drew the string and looked for a weak spot.
There is none! All I see is pancake mix!
Instead, she set her aim for the chest of the monster, and fired.

If Wings is below, I'll attack from above. Maybe it'll notice me and give her an opening... -She rationed.
She wondered if Wings would even be willing to work together, but-
First things first, We're all in danger with the nadir around.


(Interacting with Quincunx & Thalia_Neko )
(Sorry if it's a little low quality. Wrote most of this in classes, LOL. And I apologize for taking so long.)