Stars Beneath Your Skin (relaunch)

[Quincunx]

StormArisu
Interactions: Exanis
Location: Streets of Astrophel

"You feel no headache?" Arisu asked, not seeming to register the hoarseness in Storm's voice, or the grief that'd run through him like a breaking wave. No headache would be very strange; she was almost certain a second Nadir was nearby. Perhaps she needed to ask Buubuu to turn the affect radius up. "That should be your signal that a Nadir, the vessel of a Star, is nearby. A Nadir for you to fight. Follow your increasing headache, and you should find it."

She descended to the ground, waiting for him to lead the way. If she recalled correctly, the Nadir was in a human domicile. She'd be able to show him how to enter the pocket dimension, but entering the room that contained the pocket dimension would be a task for a human.

AkoyaArisu
Interactions: Devious Dilbert
Location: Streets of Astrophel (elsewhere)

"You absolutely are," Arisu said. "Until you die, or until you otherwise cease to be Akoya Simmons." She perched on his shoulder. "You need to get to the Nadir's pocket dimension. I can show you how to get inside, and to transform into a state where you can fight, but you'll need to get to the house it's in first."

Lyric, Cerva, and WingsGM
Interactions: Kimona Devious Dilbert Thalia_Neko
Location: Nadir's pocket dimension

The Nadir was hit by some of the Lighttrust beams, but largely managed to bend out of the way. It was only vaguely human-shaped, after all - it had no bones or muscles to constrain it. All it had was glowing plasma armor and a strange, shadowy plumpness.

That plumpness, however, did nothing against an arrow to the thickest part of its body. Unable to separate itself, it covered its nonexistent eyes in horror as the arrow penetrated, then cracked its plasma breastplate. Glowy pale yellow fell in slippery pieces onto the ground, singing the streets and ruins of the pocket dimension.

Meanwhile, Mantis looked scared for a second. But touching Wings's hand made the trust flow into her, and she grasped both the hand and the throne as Wings attempted to pull her out. The pink gunk pulled against her feet like mozzarella cheese from a pizza, but Mantis lifted higher and higher, until it snapped. "Wings!" she exclaimed. "I'm... free!"

While they were doing this, the Nadir had gotten over the loss of its armor. It saw another target in the distance, one that wasn't actively fighting it, and wondered how soft it was. Brazenly, it marched through the shattered city, until it was within batter-slinging range of Lyric Mirror.

 

[Kimona]

Lyric watched, and looked away for not a moment before returning his gaze to see- holyshitnadir on reflex, or was it?, he just swung his arm outward at the Nadir. He was suddenly engulfed in flames as some flew at it, in surprise he yelped and jumped back. Fire was still very scary to this burnt child. Lyric stood frozen and nervously where he landed, watching the Nadir, he didn't know what to expect.
(sry a little busy currently, sry short.)

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Wings Choriste

Wings was busy helping the human girl. She would never not be by this girl's side. Mantis shouldn't be here. This was dangerous even for a Midheaven like herself. The angelic Midheaven was who she was for one reason, to help the world. She did require stars for her wish, obviously, but for Wings, protection and preservation came above all else. If the other Midheaven acquired the star from this encounter it wouldn't be a loss, not to Wings. Presumably the other Midheaven had her own wish. Something else, that the girl figured would benefit humanity. Right now, Mantis's survival was all Wings would completely focus on. Hence the surge of trust between the two! To be honest, this was the strongest Wings had ever felt before, Mantis's faith in her was higher than most before.

That said, she didn't ignore the other Midheaven. The arrow-slinging, less-radiant Midheaven was her ally in this battle. It would be foolish to ignore her and her abilities. Or the opportunities she brought to the table. This is why, when she was busy freeing Mantis, smiling at the girl's words to acknowledge them, she felt the subtle change in the air. A magical force, that when Wings cast her subtle steely blue gaze over, she watched as the spirit of the Midheaven's constellation manifested. It was quick, rushing her fellow Midheaven up to higher grounds; a vantage point that an arrow-slinging Midheaven like her could make great use of.

Meanwhile, Wings was placing Mantis under her halo and upon the seat of her throne. "Here, you shall be safe, darling. My radiance will bless you, trust me," she softly spoke. The Nadir wasn't having any of this current stuff, instead rushing the third Midheaven presence. Some kid that Wings noticed was not nearly as invested in this fight as the archer, or herself. A boy that seemed to cower at his own magic.

"Halt, foul thing!" Wings shouted, her six wings taking flight once more. Extending high up in the air, to a more advantageous position, similar to the archer, Wings saw an opportunity. "Hnnn...!!" She held out her hands, feeling her magic charge up. A large, white-hot beam of light burst from her, while she glowed with a radiance bright enough to light the dark sky. Her larger beam struck the back of the Nadir's leg, burning, seeking to slice it completely off. If the Nadir's leg was severed it would have a much much tougher time maneuvering around the place... hopefully!


Quincunx
Devious Dilbert
Kimona

Wings's Midheaven Form

 

[Exanis]

Storm VerversStorm blinked and once again shook his head to in an attempt to regain his bearings after that quick but tiresome ordeal that was his transformation. "I had honestly thought the headache was just a side effect of whatever you did to me..." Sighing, Storm stood up and glanced around, wincing as the headache increased ever so slightly in one specific direction. Beginning to hop from foot to foot, all with a cheery smile that belied the true depth of his current emotions, Storm glanced down at Arisu, whom was now standing in front of him and presumably waiting for him to go. "To think only yesterday I was wondering how to truly change the world, and today I get a chance to do that. Heh..." Shaking his head one last time, Storm took off without warning towards the Nadir, trusting the increasing headache to be his guide to the monster plaguing this world.

Quincunx ​

 

[Quincunx]

StormArisu
Interactions: Exanis
Location: Streets of Astrophel --> mansion

"Truly," Arisu replied, perching on his shoulder. "I believe in your victory over these monsters in your new state." The headache was taking them in the direction of a rich district, marked by bright colors and houses spaced far apart by expansive gardens. It would be time for Arisu to teach him to transform soon - wherever he could do that privately, but not a lot of people were out this summer night.

The house the headache led them to was enclosed within a wooden fence, whose slats displayed an elaborate array of white flowers and silver stems, with a fountain pond babbling in the center. The fence was also easily climbable. If there were any guards, they were at the door to this magnificent mansion, which was three floors tall, had many towers, and seemed red even in the dark. Its gold accents betrayed a style that wasn't quite Astrophel's traditional aesthetic - perhaps the designs were influenced by imported art.

Wings and LyricGM
Interactions: Thalia_Neko Kimona

The flames licking at the Nadir's heel, plus the searing trust magic, were able to sever the Nadir's leg for good. It howled in pain, and swept its arm around furiously, hoping to knock the Midheavens to the ground or cover them in goo. Mantis was safe, however, in Wings's throne. It was warm here, and she was holding on tight.

Sticky pink gunk coated the ground, and the writhing Nadir fell onto its own mess with a heavy thud. It would be easy to take out now, immobilized and without an important piece of armor.

 

[Kimona]

Lyric seemed pleased with the result as scary as it was. When it swung at them he went to move out of the way and just slipped on the ground, landing on his back, but still safe. He didn't like being here, it sucked. He kept getting attacked, and fire kept appearing. Lyric just wished he was home now, he just wanted to sleep. Maybe he could have a smoothie, he surely deserved it right?Man, now he was hungry...... He just wanted to go home.....

 

[Keidivh]

Dream Caregiver


"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."

Dream gave a nod of understanding to the spirit as it slowly worked its way towards her, the flutter of its wings growing ever louder until she could actually feel the heat of its body against her. It felt as if she held her breath a lifetime as she waited for Arisu to peck her chest. A peck that would irrevocably change her life. It was for the best, it would give her the strength to bring true healing to this city, more than a lifetime of work as a Caregiver ever could. This was for her city, for Fantasy.

"GAH!"

Dream wasn't sure what to expect when Arisu warned her of what its peck would bring, but in no way had she expected this. As she fell to her knees, only one emotion coursed through the Caregiver.

Sympathy. Empathy.

She felt the emotion as she never had before, like it was coursing through her veins, making her heart beat. For an instant she became connected with the entirety of Astrophel, feeling every pain, every loss, every heartbreak. The raven haired girl collapsed onto her knees as she felt the pain of an entire nation fall upon her, crying out for her to heal them. She saw a young boy with strawberry hair clutching to his teddy as he is left forgotten on the streets. No one left to care for them in the world. She watched as a wife was told the news of her husbands passing, collapsing to the ground in anguish. She saw the Nadir, capturing the unsuspecting people of her city and breaking them in ways she never thought possible, bringing a suffering that tore at the very fabric of her being. Raising her head, she looked up into the sky, and she could see. She could actually see, and the sight was one of the most beautiful spectacles she ever beheld, The Snake, the Fanged Mother shining in the sky like a beacon of hope and healing, sparks of green and gold raining upon her, only intensifying her feeling of empathy and caring even more.

Unable to bear the overwhelming emotion any longer, Dream collapsed onto the ground, her chest heaving, and her sight dark as the void once more, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She had just been connected to the entirety of her city, of her people. And looking past all the pain, there was so much beauty. So much potential. She had been sure of her cause before, but now she felt the strength and conviction of the Fanged Mother herself. Perhaps that's what she was meant to be. Her avatar, come to bring healing.

As she pushed herself off the cold and rough ground and speak to the spirit, a painful, throbbing headache suddenly overtook her, causing her to clutch at her head. She was about to ask Arisu what this meant, but she realized she already knew. The Damned, the Nadir. They were close, and they were hunting. When next Dream spoke, there was a vicious conviction behind it.

"And now my hunt begins."
​

Quincunx

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Wings Choriste

Wings's attack connected! Not just connected, it was quite the doozy! Putting in work, her beam of hot light not just seared the Nadir, it burned straight through the black thing's leg! Even the quiet girl was surprised by that! "Wow," she breathed at her own power. Glancing behind her, the pink-haired Midheaven saw Mantis clutching to her Throne. That was why. Wings realized, it was due to the overwhelming warmth of trust that she was feeling from the human there. A small smile formed over her lips, eyes connecting to Mantis's. Silently, her mouth formed the words, 'Thank you'. With a breath of new renewed vigor, she rounded back on the Nadir, to finally end it.

That one Midheaven was having trouble, it seemed. Inexperience was the culprit. Or fear. A mix of both. Wings wondered just how powerful she could be in this instance, if that Midheaven trusted her too, like Mantis did. Oh well, Mantis's trust was enough. She easily avoided the Nadir's haphazard attack. Zipping under its arm, and avoiding any weird goopy gunk it flung. Her Throne, too, flew up and out of reach, carrying with it the 'defenseless' girl. "Yyyyaahh!" Wings held out her hands, wings flapping. Charging up magic again, feeling the warmth of trust flowing through her, she capitalized on the Nadir's fall. A large burst of powerful white light magic fired from her palms, blasting down hard on the Nadir's chest. Keeping up the pressure, she hoped this was enough power to end the monstrosity. "YYAAHHH!" she shouted, magic crackling in the air around her.


Quincunx
Kimona

Wings's Midheaven Form

 

[Quincunx]

DreamArisu
Interactions: Keidivh
Location: Bridge --> mansion

"You're right!" Arisu chirped in Dream's head. "The headache will be your guide, but you can transform to get rid of it. That is, however, something that will draw many people's attention. Previous Midheavens have said that transformation is best done in private." She perched on Dream's shoulder, ready to assist if any magical instructions were needed.

The hunt would involve Dream walking a fair distance, to a rich district. The sounds were only of human activity - landscapers gardening, a stray musician playing, and even the roar of cars. Even though Dream couldn't see the magnificent yards and colorful houses, the sounds, as well as the smells of fresh-cut grass and vehicle exhaust, had to tell her that they were in a very different place. Soon, Arisu would face a man in front of the same red mansion as she and Dream were, with another bird-body on his shoulder. The two bodies didn't acknowledge one another, besides eye contact. "This is the place," Arisu said. "Standing outside it is Storm Ververs, a fellow Midheaven. I should let you two introduce yourselves, though!"

Lyric and WingsGM
Interactions: Thalia_Neko Kimona
Location: Nadir's pocket dimension --> Streets of the Young People's Village

With Wings' war cry, white magic surged through the air and into the Nadir. Without its armor, its body was permeated and burnt like light through a magnifying glass. It did not scream as it was "killed", but seemed to grunt defeatedly as the light tore through its darkness. The sky seemed to shatter, revealing the blueness of the night, and the world around Wings, Lyric and Mantis returned to normal.

"So..." Mantis said, still in the throne, still trusting Wings. "... thank you for that. May I come down now?"

 

[Kimona]

Lyiric sighed, he was definitely relieved it was gone, but he was probably three times more shook then when he started off. He was still afraid of fire after all. He looked at the other two still having no idea who the were for the most part. He still was in his midheaven form and he wasn't sure if he should change back yet.

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Wings Choriste

Wings's warcry ended, as well as her searing hot light magic. The beam sparkling as it vanished from her palms. A few huffs of quick breaths left her. She blinked in surprise.. T-that -that had come from her? That power? Her magic hadn't been that potent the first time she squared off with one of these things! -That was for sure! Boy! Was it so exciting! Wings could barely contain her excitement and elation!.. N-n-not that it was all that visible for the girl that showed emotions poorly. Glancing back at the soft voice squeaking out, she nodded. "Yes, dear. Of course, forgive me." With a glance over at the male Midheaven, she and her Throne both floated down to the ground.

Only briefly, had the girl realized the weird dimensional distortion was gone, searing away as the monster was eradicated. Wings paused mid-descent, seeing a sparkle where the vanished Nadir had burned away. Her descent continued, and both small girl and Throne alighted just on the ground. The human, Mantis, was free to dismount and go about her business now. Wings paused once more, mid-step. She glanced back at the girl. Giving her a nod, she softly said, "Thank you," before turning to what Wings thought was a star, another one she could presumably add to her star collection.


Quincunx
Kimona

Wings's Midheaven Form

 

[Exanis]

Storm VerversStanding in front of the mansion, Storm was once again struck by the desire to put down the beautiful architecture on paper. With a rueful smile at his own apparent lack of priorities then a shake of his head, Storm refocused on the headache throbbing insistently at the moment. Gazing around for any real sign of the Nadir he was supposed to be looking for, and yet finding nothing, he sighed. Well, he may as well think of a plan that he was sure would crumble at first encounter, considering he knew nothing about his powers or the Nadir.

As he started contemplating the likelihood of him getting slaughtered simply by lack of knowledge, his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Turning to gaze over his shoulder, his ever-present smile turned just a bit more genuine as he saw who was coming, though moments after it noticeably dimmed when he saw Arisu as well. "Dream! It's been a while, hasn't it? Would it be too much to hope that you're just passing by with that bird there?" He sighs to himself, for once glad that Dream can't see his strained smile. "Ah, who am I kidding, you're here to help turn this world into a better place, just like I am."

Quincunx Keidivh ​