521/Stargazing and Social

Stargazing and Social
Date of Scene:	31 August 2014
Location:	A Quiet World
Synopsis:	Mizuki invites a few people over to demonstrate her unique take on 'stargazing'.
Thanks to:	Just... everyone who was there for being absolutely breathtaking. Arthur for being totes adorable, Priscilla for being wistful and thoughtful, Medusa for being her usual creepy self AND for showing a contemplative side I didn't even know she had, and Frederica and Chandra for being pyromancers to appreciate the exploding stars! Thank you thank you~!
Cast of Characters:	22, Arthur Lowell, Priscilla, 73, 81, 183

---

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    If you haven't been here before, then you might not be expecting the wave of stagnant 'energy' that rushes past when you come through the warpgate, much as cool air rushes when you stand between any other kind of door and the outside world. Even returning people may not recognize their surroundings, though -- a sea that stretches onward and forever, its surface so pure and clean that it reflects the sky as perfectly as any mirror could hope to. What's more, despite the proximity from land, this particular spot seems to be shallow enough for a person of any height to only get their feet damp.

    So it would seem the site for the night's activities has been pulled directly from a painting. But then, most of these areas defy normal logic and practicality, so that's to be expected. Perhaps less expected, though, are the assorted chairs that are set against the ground that sleeps beneath the waveless, halcyon ocean of the evening; comfort, even in the strangest of places. These seating arrangements are cushioned and arranged so as to accommodate casual banter.

    Any coming through the door would be greeted by a serene silhouette of Mizuki with her hands folded against her back, her shadowed presence barely discernible from the majestic backdrop of the starry sky. She remains quiet as they enter, merely giving a bow here and there to recognize newcomers.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    Why not take one evening off? It's not like she doesn't have all the time in the world. And besides, it might be informative.

    The Confederate witch steps through the warp gate, hugging her coat tighter around her as she makes her way towards Mizuki, noting the woman standing there and even offering a polite nod of her head. "Miss Mizuki, is it~?" she asks with a soft smile grazing her lips. Why, it even looks like she's carrying a basket with her, its contents covered by a small towel. "Thank you for the invitation. Hopefully it will be a pleasant evening."

    Then again, it all depends on who else is coming.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    ARTHUR LOWELL!!!

    Has arrived without a lot of his usual screaming, swaggering, or similar arrogant, excessive flair. He's not familiar with this place, though he is with the world in general. All he does is drift, weightlessly, like some kind of astronaut, through the Gate, with a relaxed sort of posture.

    "MIZ! Heya!" He says, with a bright grin and an enthusiastic tone! He's really ruining some of the silence here. Arthur himself settles onto the water, but not under it. With his own gravitational manipulation prowess, he just walks on it. What? He's a god. It's allowed.

    There's Medusa Gorgon here. Arthur tilts his head curiously at her, but whatever recognition he has for her, if he has any, isn't discussed. "And GUESTS! New guests around here, from the look of it. S'up?" A friendly wave from the young boy.

    He settles into one of the lovely little chairs early, with a casual, relaxed, reclining sort of look to him already.

Priscilla has posed:
    After enough fighting and dungeon crawling to last several years with much more still to go, there is nothing Priscilla would like more than a relaxing evening. She's also, at least passingly, familiar with Mizuki herself, and had always harboured some vague inclination to one day experience what kind of pocket dimension the girl possessed; having spent most of her life in one herself. The seemingly endless ocean isn't anything like what she had expected, but the view is so breathtaking that she hardly cares. One can't see the stars in Ariamis, and she'd barely noticed them the few times she'd gone outside at night in the multiverse.

    "Indeed . . . thou hath chosen a perfect location for gazing upon the stars. I cannot imagine one better suited." Of course Priscilla has come sized for human interaction. It'd be rude to do otherwise. She doesn't recognize Medusa, so the witch gets a more than wary stare from the halfbreed. Something about her aura is offputting. Nevertheless, she keeps her mouth shut, electing to sit in the biggest, cushiest chair she can find to claim the best spot first.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki's smile widens slightly at Medusa's appearance. "Ah, Miss Gorgon. I happen to know a little bit about you." She giggles faintly. "I suppose you could say that your reputation precedes you. Ah, but it is good of you to grace this place with your presence. Thank you ever so much for coming." She nods when consulted about her name. "But yes, I am Mizuki, and I share your hope for a gentle evening." She gestures to the seats. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

    Mizuki's face brightens a bit more when Arthur floats by. Again, she bows her head. "A lovely evening to you, Arthur. It is my hope that you, as an appreciator of space, might find something of personal relevance in tonight's display. If not, then I hope that it can at least leave you with a lasting impression of grace and somber artistry." Like everything else she does, you mean?

    Then she turns to Priscilla, puffs up, and turns up her nose in a gesture that is just as prideful as it might be playful. "Ah, not chosen," She peeks open an eye at Priscilla, "/created/, specifically for this occasion. I found myself thinking that this celestial display would be that much more breathtaking were there something to mirror its beauty in parallel, so here we are." She then bows her head, her aura becoming at least a bit more humble in its wake. "Though thank you for joining me as well, Priscilla. From what I've seen, there may be something in this world that you can appreciate as well."

    Then she draws in a breath, summoning her sword into her left hand with a glint of light. "So, now that introductions have been made... I shall proceed without further adieu." A small grin reappears on her face. "I will be orchestrating a performance of the cosmos for you all this evening. You may think of it as a planetarium composed of the entire visible night sky." She raises her blade as one might a conductor's baton, and the stars respond with a pulsing of light.

    Somewhere in the distance, sounds of moving water echo.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    When Mizuki reveals that she knows about her, the witch can't help but arch an eyebrow. "Should I be worried~?" Though she doesn't look worried at all. And the pleasure is all mine. I do have some free time here and there."

    While Medusa does speak on the channels often enough, she is far more soft spoken than some, isn't she? Arthur is given a nod of the blonde witch's head, and that friendly expression is still present on her face. "Indeed, I haven't been here before. But I guess that working for one day won't kill me~" She too takes a seat, not minding her bare feet getting wet as she sits down, crossing one leg over the other and resting her basket on her lap.

    Priscilla too earns a soft smile and a nod, all before she turns her focus to the skies above. "My, the view /is/ lovely, dear..." If not a bit strange for her, as she's used to a more lively moon at night. It will be interesting to see just what Mizuki is going to do though, so she gets comfortable where she sits, even as she pulls out... wine glasses that she holds out to people nearby. "Anybody care for a glass of wine...?" she asks in a pleasant tone.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    Chandra Nalaar had been curious about the broadcast over the broadband, the sounds coming over the little box she'd been given, and with her interest piqued had arrived fashionably late to the party.

    She was taken aback by the strange energy, her lips pursing slightly as she pushed up the goggles from her face. Amber eyes look over the surroundings. She'd been to theback of the small grouping when she crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow. "Conducting the skies?" she quietly mutters to hersel -- but hey! She's already here. And entirely amongst strangers.

    So the lean, tall woman walks in like she is someone important, and gives a polite smile to Priscilla.

    "I would; thanks. I must say, I've been to places that were... a lot more terrible looking than here. It's very..." and she balks, trying to sort through the words in her brain. "... calming."

Priscilla has posed:
    Well there's Arthur too. That makes two out of three people Priscilla is somewhat familiar with. The words "Miss Gorgon" get a reaction out of her however. It's a small one, but difficult to miss if someone is paying attention, consisting of little more than a double take and a twitch of her tail. She recognizes that name, even if she hasn't seen the person it belongs to before. A known Confederate, right in the middle of a Unionite's abode. Priscilla is much less eager than most when it comes to "friendly" or "neutral" Confederates that can supposedly be trusted to behave themselves, but she feels the odds are reasonably stacked against Medusa should she try to make trouble. Besides, she /really/ wants to see how this evening goes.

    Wine. Oh. The crossbreed's eyes glaze over as she is suddenly assaulted by flashbacks of getting drunk on two occasions, both times on exceptionally little liqour. The experience is mortifying enough to resemble PTSD for a moment, like a war veteran taken off guard by the sounds of firecrackers. Shuffling a little deeper into her seat, she looks awaaaay from the wineglasses, fixing her attention right up on the least interesting part of the sky she can find. "I must . . . unfortunately decline." Chandra manages to draw a weird look out of her though. Did she know this lady? She doesn't think so. "It is a soothing atmosphere. It lacks the true chaos of ordinary life. A realm where not just anything couldst happen at any time for little reason is one to be treasured."

    Oh joy. Even more unfamiliar people. They haven't even said anything to her and Priscilla is already starting to feel crowded.

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica has been in the World of Dreams before, and honestly she sees no reason not to show up. Based on pure whimsy, she makes her way to the warpgate portal, deciding to join the party.

    Once there, she glances around, frowning slightly. This isn't familiar. It's not the clock tower. Then again, she supposes there's no reason it should be. Spotting familiar figures, she strides slowly towards them in a dignified manner which has nothing whatsoever to do with the fox-eared hood she's currently wearing on her head.

    "Hello, lady Mizuki~" Frederica greets cheerfully, as soon as she's close enough to do so with sufficient dignity. "Arthur." she adds, offering something approaching a smile, though the look is more neutral than the one she offers Mizuki. He IS a boy after all, and even if she likes him she's got an image to maintain. The others get no verbal greeting, just a gentle fingerwave that sweeps the space before them. "Ah, lovely... lovely night you have here?" she states, though her uncertainty makes it sound like she's asking a question.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    AH, this one has fancy speech. For a moment, Chandra is reminded of someone from her recent past, and a little haze o heat rises off the back of her neck. But she gives a toothy smile, and leans back on her heel. "Even extraordinary life brings chaos; everything wheels and spins in the cosmos and brings you to places you might not plan on getting to. Kinda like how fire has no real form, so does life. At least, that's how I think of it." she gives a nod, and introduces herself. "The name's Chandra. Kinda... happened upon the place."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki looks back at Medusa and chuckles faintly. "Ah, no no. I do appreciate my ominous misdirection and insinuation, but if I'm being honest, I only know of you because you're an interesting sort. So it's certainly nothing to fret over." Her expression relaxes a bit. "Though it doesn't seem that you were that worried to begin with, hmm?" She takes a small breath, refocusing herself on the sky, and beginning the movements of her utensil of guidance with a flick of her wrist. In response, what Arthur would recognize to be the North Star would glimmer, as the entire sky begins to rotate using it as its central point of convergence. This might afflict some with an overwhelming sense of vertigo, for a time.

    ... but what might make Arthur somewhat curious is how he was able to tell that -was- the North Star. And for that matter, how to tell the collection of stars now swivelling around it is the Big Dipper. All of the stars are organized almost exactly as they would be on Earth with very few aberrant components. Certainly, there is a misplaced star here, maybe a few bizarre clusters near Orion's Belt... but the accuracy is astonishing.

    As the stars of Canis Minor glimmer in sequence with the nearby grouping of Gemini, Mizuki glances back at Chandra with that same, coy grin. "Indeed, 'conducting the stars'. Have you ever heard of such a grandiose and romantic hobby?" She giggles and bows her head. "Ah, but we've not yet been introduced. I am Mizuki. Might I ask who you are, since you are joining me this evening?"

    After the dilation of a new constellation and the reorganizing of the big and little dipper so that it appears the periphery of the milky way galaxy itself is being poured from one into the other, her attention is again pulled by Priscilla. "Indeed." She attempts to lock eyes with the halfbreed and gives a powerful, decisive nod. "This world is one of silence, subtlety, and peace, and until my recent arrival in the Multiverse, it had remained that way, undisturbed, for thousands of years." She smiles. "It is like a museum in which I compile all of the thing I fancy from other places and times. -Your- world in particular may end up having a fairly large area in one of the archives, in fact." It's funny how the herald of a place like this is so talkative, but contradictions and ironies happen all the time.

    Somewhere off to the side of the still rotating sky, Venus dilates, brightening the surroundings for a brief period as a duo of shooting stars streak across the heavens.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki remains silent, but looks to Frederica and nods. "Ever my pleasure, Miss Frederica. Thank you for joining me tonight." Her gaze returns to the sky, but she continues to address her. "I suppose your arrival deserves something with at least a bit more... fire~?" She glances back briefly with a small flick of her hair, fanning her unoccupied left hand and swiping it in the direction of a section of space. Soon after, three shooting stars come into 'orbit' together, rocketing so close to the surface that they visibly catch on fire. Eventually, they all collide, creating a silent 'firework' whose audible reverberations are somehow heard by none. Afterwards, she smirks to herself. It's been too long since she's been able to share all of this with anyone.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "Shit yeah, I LOVE me some SPACE." Arthur says, giving Mizuki a quick grin and a wink. "Love the place you MADE for LOOKING at it too! The mirror stuff is gonna be great. All the convenience of the GROUND, none of the HASSLE of only getting HALF-SATURATED with STARLIGHT!"

    Settling into his own chair, he accepts the wineglass absentmindedly from Medusa Gorgon, then says, "I'm not actually sure this is LEGAL! Oh well." With a wide grin he accepts a bit of wine.

    Chandra Nalaar gets a wave. "HEY! It's the FIRE LADY again. S'up!" A few nods. "YEAH, shit's HELLA CALM around here. It's great stuff!"

    Frederica gets a little more direct recognition. "FRIKAAAA! Been a WHILE, how the hell YOU BEEN? Grab a SEAT, let's get our STARGAZIN' on up ins."

    And then the performance starts! "OH MAN." He says. "It's like an EARTH TIMELAPSE. Nostalgiaaa! I LOVE IT." And then things start to change. "Oh hell, I get it now, this is gonna be COOL." He takes on a rather genuine, un-forced smile, sitting there and letting the soft lights just sort of play over him. This is great!

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    "Romantic and grandiose isn't really my thing." Chandra replies, drawing back some of her red hair behind an ear as she raises her eyes skywawrd, and her lips purse. Yeah, that's pretty impressive -- but she turns over to Arthur, and gives a grin. "Always goot to meet up with another appreciator of a good blaze. As they say -- 'sup!"

    And And she gives a small smile to Mizuki. "Chandra Nalaar. Ah... nice to meet you. You've probably never heard of me."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "I seldom worry, no. It seldom tends to be constructive, after all." Medusa does look amused.

    At Priscilla declining the wine she doesn't seem bothered either. Instead she cants her head just slightly. "Non-alcoholic refreshment then?" Medusa asks Priscilla, clearly not offended by the rejection of the wine. "I do beg your forgiveness, I merely thought it would be nice to relax with something to drink and eat." Eat? Why yes, it does appear that Medusa even has packed some simple sandwiches with the crust cut off. Some with meat, cheese and salad, others with merely cucumber as well as some other simple options for those who wish to try one. They do smell fresh and nice.

    "Feel free to eat your fill," the witch states with a smile on her face, and she uncorks a bottle of wine as she begins pouring a small amount into a glass that she holds out for whoever wishes to take her up on her offer. Frederica? Chandra? Arthur? Their lovely hostess? She's certainly going to have a glass herself. Arthur's comment makes her shrug. "I won't tell if you don't~" Illegal? Does it look like she cares about such things?

    What's happening above them is certainly curious, and the witch studies the stars as they rotate around the North Star. "Curious...." Those shooting stars are pretty too, and Medusa chuckles. "Do you always do this for people, or are we lucky...?" she asks of Mizuki, offering the woman an amused glance.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    And when Chandra adds their two cents? Mizuki laughs. But it's a good-natured laugh; probably not imbued with the sort of condescension that she would purport to be going for. "A bit introspective, are we, new friend?" She turns back, the still present fire from the collision of the three asteroids burning at her cheeks, and glittering in her eyes. "That sort of whimsy, wonder, and curiosity is always welcome in this world. Indeed, it is the very thing that gave birth to it in the first place." There's a pause as Chandra introduces herself, followed by another nod. "Yes, Chandra. And this world, while a good bit more secluded and quiet than others, is a good deal more volatile than a visitor might suspect. Most of that is solely my concern, though, so it is nothing for you to worry over." She ends with a nod.

    The sky stops twirling for a moment as a faint, undulating blue line appears on the horizon. Over time, a pink one follows suit. Something like the aurora borealis, it looks like, as the constellation Pegasus almost literally leaps over it. Or at least through it -- since things appear to be in two dimension up there, it can be a bit hard to tell.

    Not look away but still somehow clearly addressing Arthur, she pipes back up. "Nostalgia is one of the feelings I'm going for here, certainly." You can't see it, but her smile is just getting wider and wider still. "For Gods like yourself in particular, I daresay."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frika, or Frederica at least, can't help but grin at Arthur's greeting. The boy's annoying perhaps. Any boy is really... but he's so infectuously cheerful that it's hard not to smile. She turns an intrigued eye on to Chandra Nalaar, arching a brow. Fire lady. How weird, not being the one in the group called by that name. Oh well, Freddie's not really the jealous type. Okay yeah, she is, but she's not going to protest the title.

    zInstead she grabs a seat as suggested, looking upwards. "Earth's stars? Oooh, it's been quite a while since I've seen them." she says, fascinated at the display. QUITE a while, in truth. Over half her life. The fireworks draw a near-silent ooooh of appreciation. Art is a wonderful thing, and art with fire? That's special.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki nods heartily again when Medusa speaks of the futility of fear. "Quite. Now, if only the majority of sapient-sentient races in this Multiverse could understand that..." She adds in a mumble, 'And not be so short-sighted'. She flashes Medusa a somewhat stealthy grin, though neither of them may quite understand why.

    Working her left and right hands in unison now, she reorganizes some stars into... spirals. All of them move together, encapsulating in their swirl some of the strands of the aurora that had come into being some time before. The colors pour as the forming lines of light do, until Mizuki is satisfied. Shortly after, she points her blade skyward as a beam of light shoots from its tip. The beam collides with the one of the stars on the eastern most extreme, eliciting the spread of a line that connects the swirls. And somehow... somehow it seems to have formed the semblance of a ghostly lotus flower that now watches over all of them.

    Then back to Medusa. "This is my gift to any souls kind enough to give me the time of day without some promise of intrigue or treasure. For those people, coming here at these times is proof enough that they are not callous, and can appreciate the cycles and majesty of life." She nods her head. "And this is their just reward."

    Oh, and Medusa would find that one of her glasses had 'disappeared', reappearing in Mizuki's hand. When you're too busy to interrupt your performance to fetch something, just use time magic!

    To Frederica, another smirk. "Yes, Earth's stars." She closes her eyes briefly. "It's been a long while since I've seen them as well."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "LADY MIZUKI there always loves puttin' on a SHOW for people. It's GREAT!" Arthur says to Medusa Gorgon, casually, with a few chuckles. He somehow manages to flip the wineglass around one finger a few times before he holds it out under Medusa's bottle. "Thanks for the GRUB, too!" He's gonna be chowing down on one of those sandwiches now.

    Then he's back to focusing, briefly, on Frederica. "And, lemme tell ya, they NEVER LOOKED so good."

    Chandra Nalaar gets a quick gesture to the night sky. "ME, I love SPACE, and if there's ONE THING that's great out there? It's the goddamn FIRES, yo. FUSION going on EVERYWHERE in BIG STAR FURNACES, nebulas practically made of STAR ASH, hell, you wanna see the BIGGEST INFERNO, you just LOOK OUT at the NIGHT SKY, yo!"

    There's a few handwavy, uncertain gestures at Priscilla, a belated response to her early commentary. "There's a FEW chaotic elements, but, y'know, that's sorta... CONTAINED, way I understand it." He shakes his head a little. "We're workin' on fixing ALL of it. Anyway, yeah, this is GREAT for CALM PEACE and gettin' your CHILL on."

Priscilla has posed:
    "Sometimes, one has their fill of wheeling and spinning and wouldst dearly a appreciate a place of structure. Somewhere simple to know and understand. Though much is said of life's mysteries, many, if not most of them, art unwelcome in nature." It already seems as if Chandra's philosophy couldn't be further from Priscilla's. Most likely due to the fact that her formative events during childhood are astonishingly rare for other people to share. It's so hard to be her. Nobody understands! Well except Mizuki it seems. Priscilla is both surprised and somehow relieved to hear the words of someone who can appreciate peace in other forms than "a lack of violence". Truly she must be of refined bearing, or at least, just as crazy as her. "Thou and I art perhaps not so different as I had assumed. I wouldst hate to think of thou gaining thine impression of Lordran simply from the objects of man. Pray, save thine judgement until we look upon Anor Londo. It shall not be long in coming." Yes, Mizuki will definitely appreciate the city of the gods. It couldn't be further than the loud and overly ostentatious places of divinity she is familiar with from other worlds. That much, she remembers.

    She does however, wince a little bit at Arthur's usually boisterous attitude. It always catches her off guard at first; like stepping out of a dark building into midday sunlight. A little yelling isn't nearly enough to ruin the spectacle up above (and mirrored down below). Everything from the constellations of earth to the celestial events of fiery comets and aurora borealis are entirely and completely new to her, having never heard so much of a description of them. Pulling her knees up to her chest, it is for a long time that Priscilla is completely, openly distracted by the night sky; slit pupils dilated and mouth slightly open in about as obvious a look of wonder as fits in her limited range of expression. It isn't nostalgic to her, but it's absolutely jaw-dropping.

    Arthur speaking directly to her finally manages to break her attention away from the spectacle of the cosmic flower blooming over her head. "Of course, life without so much as a hint of change wouldst become too stagnant to bear. It is a delicate balance to maintain order whilst altering anything in something so complex as existence." A brief pause. "I am uncertain as to what 'fusion' pertains to however. I hath never thought of the stars as particularly fiery." She tries not to give /too/ suspicious of a look to that sandwhich. It may be somewhat impolite, but Priscilla doesn't really eat anyways. Like, ever.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "And you're sure gettin' that NOSTALGIA feeling to WORK." Arthur says, with a grin directly to Mizuki herself. The aurora gets a silently appreciative sort of look, and the lotus design - often the basis for Arthur's own spirographic things, and a common symbol in Sburb - gets a softer sort of smile. "Wouldn't think you'd not seen it in a LONG TIME, myself. Looks about RIGHT, from what I saw a while ago." His mind goes to his own broken, ruined home Earth planet for a moment, a bit heavy.

    Nope, not gonna think about that. Instead, he forces the grin back through and goes right back to eagerly watching the lightshow.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    "Well, the last time I was introspective, it worked pretty well for me." The Pyromancer replies good naturedly to Mizuki, and accepts a glass of wine from Medusa. "I'm afraid I Don't know any in attendence... I'm... a bit o a crasher." she replies, and then motions to Arthur. "Except him, by virtue of mutual respect for /burning things/." Chandra gives a grin, and gives an enthusiastic smile to Arthur. "Ah, you should see some of the places I've been. Rivers of fire in a roaring dance throught he endless eternities, where if you're not careful you'll break apart. Let me tell you, that part is quite possibly the second worst thing that's ever happened." she leans back on her heels again, sipping the wine as she looks up to the night sky.

    "Never been to an Earth in my travels... but I did end up walking into a museum here and apparently almost brought the house down." she gives a hu, and slightly crossly "Typical."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    The witch looks quite relaxed where she sits, smiling and handing out glasses to those who wish drink, whether it be wine or just sparking apple juice. The sandwiches are likewise distributed around to those who wish to eat and fill their bellies with something simple and easy. "A gift, you say?" A nice gift then. "I must admit I am fond of space as long as I can stay relatively close to the ground." Or on her broom. "The science behind it all is /fascinating/, though..." Not her preferred field, but she is a scientist. And the theory of it all is enough to catch her attention for some reason.

    With people been given refreshments to enjoy, Medusa sips her own wine glass and takes a cucumber sandwich, eating contently away as she keeps her attention skywards. Though she glances at Chandra. "I am afraid I do not know you either." Why, the witch offers her hand in greeting. "I am Medusa Gorgon~"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki takes in a deep breath, lowering both of her hands to study Priscilla a moment. Notably, her smile is gone, replaced with something that looks much more... sober. Genuine, somehow. "... I shall look forward to seeing it, then." Then the tiniest semblance of a smile follows. "Thank you again for coming, Priscilla." Her turn back to the sky is slower. It would seem even she's not safe from the mood radiation effects of the heavens.

    The lotus ceases spinning. The stars reorganize, the spiral unravelling... as it blooms, releasing a cascade of shooting stars that flare up and disappear outright when they've traversed a certain distance. The flower itself then begins spinning again, shrinking, wilting as the stars disperse, flowing hither and yonder to mingle with other constellations as the lights of the borealis send a rippling echo of their wistful beauty across the ocean. Droplets of light fall all around the group, causing silent explosions of light as they contact the ground. Several of them may also fall on the visitors themselves, leaving them with a... chilling sensation. Nothing extreme, but it makes it feel almost like snow. As the scales of the sky dance their waltz around them all, the sky resumes its gyrations.

    And she looks to Arthur, again with a smile. "I'm flattered. Thank you." She gives the boy a small bow, mindful of the wine glass in the one hand and the sword in the other. "I did visit Earth in a memory shortly before finding myself here. The year '1910' of the common era, or thereabouts. Very nuanced world it is." She shuts her eyes again, briefly.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    Wine. Aah. Sure, Chandra's more akin to the burning of some of the stronger liquors found in her home multiverse... but wine is nice. And so is sandwiches.

    "Chandra, charmed." She smiles down at Medusa, and bites into a snadwich. She then looks up to the sky, watching as the lotus spins, the lights reflected in her amber eyes. When the cascade starts, she tenses, expecting some sort of burn, expecting some trick there. Her hand holding her sandwich lowers, and when the starrs fall, and the chilling sensation strikes... Chandra relaxes. But when her hand raises up, there's dark marks on the sandwich where heat had toasted it.

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Why yes, Frederica WOULD like to have a drink. This is a nice social occasion after all, and she has no reason to view Medusa with suspicion or fear. Sadly, to her loss. The pyro has a habit of trusting certain people (typically women) unless given good reason otherwise, while she distrusts others (typically boys) unless likewise given good reason otherwise.

    She appreciates the show, no doubt about that. Frederica can always appreciate artistry and imagination, considering how important both are to her own ability.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki turns to Chandra with another swish of her bangs. "Fire is beautiful, and in the most basic sense, it gives light to the world." She takes a sip from her glass, finally. "But I've always felt more drawn to the moon rather than the sun. Ice, rather than fire. To tell you all of the reasons now would be madness, however; it would take more hours than we currently have available."

    Medusa's comments elicit a folding of her hands, and a vaguely reverent lowering of her gaze. "I feel quite the same. Science is fascinating, but something I scarce understand. It is amazing to see its comparisons and contrasts from world to world, however, especially with regards to space."

    But speaking of space, there's more that needs doing up there. Mizuki raises her sword, twirling it in a small circle, some form of invisible, ethereal net seeming to catch a few of the stars left over from the floral release. The collected stars form together in parallel lines that collect more stars until they grow to cross over the entire night sky. Then another pair of lines crosses and intersects with them at the summit of visible creation, creating a sort of cross. More lines flicker and twirl, making some form of opulent target, or circle, only really comparable to a magical summoning circle or something of that genre.

    Those white lights continue to fall all the while.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    Hmmm, curious. Medusa arches an eyebrow as it seems that Chandra has toasted her sandwich. Then again, there are many people with magical abilities throughout the multiverse. It's always wise to pay attention, especially when meeting people in situations like these.

    "I prefer the night myself. It's more refreshing... and after spending a lot of time in the Nevada desert of my earth, well... can you blame me~?" Medusa chuckles before she sips some more of her wine. But indeed, this star show is something else. "This is quite impressive, dear... and quite the sight. Might I ask how you do it?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Chandra finally draws a look of interest from the halfblood present, her tail swatting against a chair cushion completively. "A pyromancer then. One who practises the arts of merely burning, or of fire's higher forms?" It's something of a probing question, with no clear definition of what exactly Priscilla is asking of. She's heard a lot of talk about fire and burning from this woman, but very little of the magic behind it. A real pyromancer, or a glorified arsonist? The line is often blurry, but the urge to place the fire mage on either side of it is tempting, if easily ignored in favour of Mizuki's perfectly orchestrated celestial theatrics.

    "I am likewise unaware of what science affects the moon and stars. For I, they art a creation of the gods. I cannot imagine what couldst giveth rise to them in worlds where divinity doth not exist, but then I wouldst wonder if they art truly the same. As to which of the two I prefer, I cannot say. The skies of Ariamis art cast in eternal twilight, where neither the sun nor the moon hold sway, but . . . something else entirely." Strangely, the motes of light that remind her of gently falling snow seem to make her more comfortable than anything. Mizuki's world really knows how to make her feel cozy.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    Arthur flatly refuses to be unnerved. Dude trusts Mizuki enough that he doesn't feel any bit of fear or unease when the lights start trickling down. The chill makes him decide to treat it like snow, even going so far as to catch a drop on his tongue while he watches the circle and cross forming above with a wide, much less boistrously observant sort of look.

    Priscilla gets a quick aside. "Lemme tell you, as a guy who's qualified on the matter. Don't worry about it. But where I come from?" He makes a quick, ambiguous gesture. "On one half of it, they're big furnaces of fusion fire. That's, ah, let's just say it's a special kind of fire you do with lighter elements and some pressure, instead of your usual fuel and air. But, that's not all they are, and you'll usually see the other half when you're watching it, like this. Most stars? They have a little, or a lot, of both definitions." A shrug. "S'magic, gods don't gotta explain shit."

    While no event or exchange prompts Frederica interacting with Arthur here, it will at least be worth noting that the way Arthur Lowell resembles a girl at least ought to give him a leg up in that double-standard.

    Mizuki's words get another prompt. "Now, with the moon, you have to think of it more like snow. Snow can be so bright it'll blind a guy, sometimes. But that's because, with ice in the right way, it pushes back so much light, and it stays cold probably /because/ it doesn't take in any of that fire. So in that way, you got stars and the moon as perfectly lining up in analogies for fire and ice."

    A few shrugs. "Space is cool, and the lights it makes are rad. It's not ever really all science or all magic. Hell, where I come from it's /supposed/ to all be science, still winds up being some magic anyway."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Without turning back this time, she replies to Medusa. "With my thoughts, Miss Gorgon. This world is an extension of my being, and a plane extremely susceptible to suggestion from all sources. That's to say..." She turns slightly now. "... /all/ of you could do this, if you so chose. This is a place of free expression in the deepest and most literal sense, where it may not be marred by the uncompromising rules and fickle logical paradigms of other planes. This is my utopia." A brief pause. "My heaven."

    Her response to Priscilla follows a bit more quickly. "That is the special thing about this world, you know?" She smiles. "It need not be defined by physical truths or mistruths; there is no fact and no falsehood, and everything, -everything- relies on the perception of those who are here. Whether this world even exists or not is certainly debateable, and in the end, yours to decide. But I suppose one could say I am the God that gave this world substance, if not reason." She rests her sword underneath both of her hands briefly, staking it against the ground. "Though to draw an interesting parallel -- this world is stagnant. Nothing here, not even I myself, truly lives. This world, too, is paused forever in a sort of stagnant twilight, and some areas to the East reflect this more literally. Indeed, many places in this world lack a proper passage of time." The girl takes a small breath. "Pardon me -- I'm rambling. Back to the performance."

    With that, she casts her gaze to a monochromatic aperture of the galaxy where a spherical something has recently found itself. Its lines and its pulsing symbols revolve around the sky as some of the more prominent constellations -- the big dipper, little dipper, canis major and minor, pegasus -- all swivel in the free spaces of black left by the stars. As Arthur could tell you, this makes absolutely not sense from a scientific perspective! ... but as she just got through saying, that doesn't really matter. Eventually, the rotating circle breaks down. In keeping with the discussions of fire, the stars then become the flares and sparks that emanate from the aftermath of great infernos; these small lights are those bits of fire that linger over the charred ruin of one's lost home.

    As the skies flake off yet more descending blips, Mizuki meanders over to Arthur and... gently pats him on the head. She doesn't respond with words of any kind -- she lets that one gesture say it all. It's... extremely gentle, though. So gentle that it might not make him feel like he's being treated like a kid.

Priscilla has posed:
    ". . . I . . . see." In truth, Priscilla does more or less understand what Arthur is talking about, but there is little she can find to put into words to respond to it. "Most oft I see the stars held seperately from the sun and more akin to the moon, if only for their appearance. In truth, they art the invention of three seperate gods, at least in mine own world, and hath little to do with each other at all. The way humans so readily contrast fire and ice or fire and water is also alien to me. The both of them may exist simultaneously, and interact with each other, and yet are held as opposites apart from each other. Mine own philosophy holds the Fire and the Dark as opposites, as one may not be in the same place as the other, and they shall never come together. Light and dark. Heat and cold. Sound and silence. Change and stillness. Form and nothingness. Life and death."

    The idea that /anyone/ could be altering their surroundings to such a degree, as opposed to only the master of the world, seems to get a look of interest from Priscilla. It's clear she has something in mind, but would rather not interrupt Mizuki in the middle of such a beautiful display. She is more than content to see this girl express herself so long as it continues to be so wonderful to look upon. Besides, she's never really been the expressive type. "I can see why others wouldst liken it to a dream then. I hath not dreamt, nor even slept, once in mine life. It exciting to finally experience something akin to one." Her voice becomes a little bit quiet. "Stagnation is an ill reputed word and oft used incorrectly. Something unchanging and static may instead be described as timeless. Something that holds its reason to exist no matter how much time passes between others appreciating it. A museam is not a bad example. Things move so swiftly in life there is never time to fully appreciate a single moment. Only those things frozen in time may be fully absorbed in its entirety. The mind rarely realizes what details it misses until it hath all the time in the world to find them."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    "So that is why you can do this, hmmm? Interesting..." Medusa muses after taking another sip of her wine. "Imagine if you could do that in other worlds." That would be one rather interesting ability indeed.

    Though she can't help but wonder... Turning her head, she glances at the others. "What do you find fascinating about the stars? What about the many things down on the ground?" the blonde inquires, canting her head.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    Chandra just gives a small smile. "Ah, well. I'd call myself a pyromancer -- most of the people I come across do." she answers truthfully, but not completely comfortably. "Hey, have you tried one of the sandwiches? They're great." she forces a segue, and then she pauses, and when Mizuki mentions that this is utopia -- a heaven... Chandra's face darkens, and she glances up at the lightshow again.

    Heaven, some sort of utopic safe haven....

    "That's not a place for me." she mutters to herself, her mood swinging downward as she downs the rest of her wine, and raises the back of her hand to her mouth a moment, setting the glass on one of the handy chairs about.

    "It's not a dream. It's a show. You can't trust dreams to be kind or peaceful. You can't trust them to show you anything useful or beautiful. And if someone else can see your dreams... they're best left as far behind as possible." she bites the inside of her cheek, and she feels a pang in her chest, suddenly uncomortable and eeling like her skin is crawling.

    "The possibility thatthey are the suns of distant worlds. Or that they also look out and see our own... or something poetic. Never got to see a whole lot of stars on one plane or another."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    Arthur relaxes and sort of leans into the headpat - what? It's nice and gentle - before he gets indignant. "Guh-- What's that even supposed to be?!" It's a friendly sort of frustration, good-natured, but still a little indignant. "I mean of course that's not how it works here, s'just how it works in a lot of places!"

    Then back to Priscilla. "I'll give you a secret. Can't tell nobody, though, yeah?" He makes a firm lip-zipping gesture, then grins widely. "Same whole fission fire thing for the sun as the stars. But gods totally cheat and make the sun hella better than your average piece of shit star out in some backwater end of the heavens." He makes a "shhh" gesture with one finger up to his lips.

    Then he grins at Medusa Gorgon. "Man, what's not to like about 'em? Some giant gravity-powered engine of atomic fusion burning constantly and spitting out solar fire, sometimes that shit explodes or does some horrible spacefucking anti-explosion... I mean, c'mon! That shit's rad." He punctuates this with a quick sip of the wine.

    There's a quick, casual fingerpoint to Chandra. "Point there! There's some awful stuff in some dreams. We're working on cleaning that up here, though. Drop by sometime, if y'wanna help! Got a board mission up on the Syndicate Network for it, if you're interested. But, the badness, it's all somewhere else right now."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    "Pyromancer, hm~?" Frederica says, speaking up. She's been seemingly hypnotized by the display, but she's roused by the title. "Pyrokinetic here. Kind of the same, only not magic." she grins, looking over at Chandra.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki clasps her hands together, every bit as silently as before, at Priscilla. "Yes, it is my little dream world. I know not if you've ever had the term 'lucid dreaming' elucidated for you, but this is like that -- a dream that can be remembered vividly, and interacted with at will by the dreamer. You see, for most people, dreams are like a book; they conjure certain images in your mind, and the events are fixed. You remember them vaguely once you've completed them, but you can do nothing to change them, and time erodes most of the contained information." She spreads a hand. "But here... I've made a 'dream' that can interact and interweave with other worlds. It is dangerous for most mortals because they must struggle to readjust themselves to worlds where they have less control over their environment and situations, but for those such as myself, you, and Arthur... it can be quite welcoming."

    She bows her head again at her words on the connotation of 'stagnation'. "Yes, humans and those like them grow so accustomed to chaos and change that they oft forget the beauty offered by quieter things. They become so immersed in their social interactions and obligations that they forget to step back, and look upon the more pleasant, soothing aspects of their worlds." She allows her hands to fall back to her sides. "And hence, they begin to view stagnation as a child views the night: frightening, and unkind. But rest assured, I say the word with only the warmest of intentions. For I appreciate that which does not change, and like to offer solace to those others who feel the same." She lifts her outstretched palms toward the sky again, eliciting another series of light flashes, many of which alternate in color. These vibrant sequences grow quicker and quicker still with time. "And this is why I glorify those sorts of quiet elements here. So that I may be the one to point out that which others miss, and make the mundane interesting; to bear the sacrilege of making that which is quiet 'loud', so that others might come to appreciate their serenity as we do."

    After a deep, deep breath, she turns to Medusa. "That is the same question I ask myself constantly. Were I able to do the same in other planes, I might be able to draw the entire universe into this sort of utopia. But then there are always those who resist such change, and would call my desire to do so 'evil'." She lifts an inquiring hand to her chin, closing it. "I am often more quiet about those sorts of desires. People do not take kindly to it, as you could well imagine." She flashes a playful sort of grin. "And I do not fancy being called 'arrogant' by the more earthy, concrete thinkers out there."

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla's answer to Medusa is as plain as can be. "Because I rarely barely seen them before, and even then only a handful visible from inside a city full of lights. When one is allowed not to see something, the desire to look upon it grows greater, yes?" She leaves the deeper, more depressing parts of that reasoning left unspoken. Best not give the Confederates ammunition. Instead, Chandra manages to earn even more of her suspicion, slowly edging herself further towards the "glorified arsonist" side of Priscilla's mental filing cabinet. "I do not eat. They wouldst be a waste upon me whilst others may yet enjoy them." A very pointed stare goes out to her at the blatant attempt to change topics. "Perhaps thou art right. It is not my place to speak of dreams as if I hath experienced them. Perhaps a few years away from whatever it is that keeps thee so busy and high strung wouldst do thee well, however." She refrains from the use of 'centuries' because Chandra is ostensibly human.

    Arthur almost earns a laugh from her, but Priscilla isn't good at those. "Indeed, it seems most common that the god of the sun ranks far above others. Then the moon, then the stars themselves, as if brightness were all that mattered. I cannot say I possess any less fondness for sunlight however. It was mine mother's domain." That part seems to get her to drift off, not totally unlike Chandra's sudden withdrawal unto herself. "I feel as if there is much we couldst share with each other, Lady Mizuki." She finally speaks up again. "There is something I wouldst show to thee, wouldst thou be so inclined later. The place where I learned the meaning of these things in solitude. It is . . . difficult for others to appreciate. I believe thou may yet be the exception."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
    Chaos and change are the things that drive her. Destructive as she is, Medusa can't help but be drawn by more powerful forces, to see things evolve and adapt. To hear Mizuki talk about stagnation? Why, it makes the Confederate nurse laugh. "Stagnation... is boring. Why look at the same thing when it always remains the same? Some of us..." Medusa states and peers up at the stars. "Require something /more/~"

    This certainly is pretty to look at. "There are often people who might call such actions 'evil'. People are pretty quick to throw a label on things. "I for one would find such an opportunity exciting. Her attention turns to Priscilla next. "Oh, and why is that? And yes, I strongly agree. Desire is a strong emotion, indeed." And she even holds out a sandwich for her. "If you can taste it, then eat. I promise you, they are /quite/ delicious if you do not mind me saying so~"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Then, Chandra. "If there is one constant I have come to see in the mortal mind, new friend," Her hands fold behind her back, officially. "it is that humans need adversity to maintain a sort of internal balance. This is why the mind is like a rubber band -- it will snap back so that you can more clearly see the inconveniences of your own situation, while viewing those different from your own as 'more' or 'less' lovely or excruciating." She shakes her head. "But I'll stop myself before I go on that pseudo-intellectual tangent. No, I'll simply say that I understand what you mean. My heaven is not for everyone. The -concept- of heaven is not for everyone. There are those out there who crave not peace, but challenge." A smirk grows. "Not ice, but fire. And if that is your choice..." She makes a shrugging gesture. "I've no right to criticize it." She lets her words hang a while. "But for what little my words may mean to you, I can promise unequivocally: this world is a safe one. There is no 'show' beyond the one I am presenting to you now. Be at ease."

    She giggles faintly at Arthur's response, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes. "Hmmm... let us see..." She swivels her head around, inspecting him. "Was that reaction 'cool', or 'cute'? As always, this is a subjective judgment, but my votes go in favor of 'cute'." Her smile grows. "But I am continually astonished at how -much- you know about the laws in these other places. So much that you may teach others about the concepts through creative analogies. You know, don't you, that when you can teach others of things, that it is the best proof that you yourself have a good grasp on them~?" Griiin~. She begins to tap her chin. "I wonder if, perhaps, in some abstract, distant iteration of the word... and in some tiny, infinitesimal way..." Pause for effect. "... that that could be considered 'nerdy'." Her hands fold behind her back and she begins to... sway a little. The lights slowly cease to fall, which apparently jolts her into action: as soon as she finishes observing Arthur's reactions, she turns back to the sky.

    In the wake of the previous display, the sky is now bizarrely devoid of stars. All that can be see is a fast expanse of black, with the moon serving as its only focal point. Said romantic mass of stone sits there suspended, hanging amid the new nothingness that has claimed the area. This time, there are no flourishes of her sword or movements of her fingers; no, this time things begin to happen without any clear cues. The once invisible stars blink back into existence, one by one, in a sort of pattern around the moon. Circles and swiveling lines, many of which light up in rainbows of color, and lines; the entire universe looks like some sort of Christmas tree, luna serving as its 'star' or 'angel'. The colors bounce off of the water -- and some literally! Balls of green, red, and blue light bounce around the group as Mizuki stands sentinel, watching.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "But this is where my existence begins to contradict itself, Medusa." She turns to the woman, a blue light streaking over her head as she does so. Very cinematic, really. "I, too, crave those sorts of aberrations and changes as any humans do. It is part of what makes living so long as I have maddening -- I stew and fester over what I would change, those things I designate as personal 'missions', while also seeking to settle back and enjoy the more simple beauties of Creation." She closes here fists, exhaling. "I have exhaustively searched for so many years for a way to extract that humanity from myself. To take away my desire for constant difference and change, and my desire to become 'bored'. While I am indeed not human, I am a concept inextricably linked to mortality in that my concept was originally devised by one who could only dream of what it was like to be ageless. Therefore, some of the poisons inherent to that mentality haunt me still."

    At the offering of the sandwich, she quirks an eyebrow. "This offering," She takes the confection out of her hand, "followed by that statement, makes me think of the old, Christian 'Adam and Eve' tale. I'm sure I don't need to explain why." She takes a small bite, smiling. "... though this is quite delicious, yes. Thank you Miss Gorgon." Once she swallows, she adds one, last bit in closing: "Though to be sure, desire is one of, if not the single most potent fuel in all of existence. It is what made possible all of the world's technology, magic, architecture..." She smiles. "... initiative, even more than opposable thumbs, is what separates people from other animals. A desire to change." She emits a small sigh. "I suppose I'm just curious as to what it must be like, looking from the less fiery, thoughtful side of the spectrum."

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    "Syndicate?" Chandra inquires sourly. Her eyebrows raise, but the redhead levels a suspicious look to Arthur. "Sounds suspiciously like a shadowy bunch of people vying for control. It's not a shadowy bunch of people vying for control over others, is it? Because I break out into heat-rashes." Chandra complains, and then she purses her lips, and leans back on her heel.

    "I have adversity because I don't like the idea of some over-arching bunch of people in some high tower telling others how to live their lives and do this and don't do that, and it chaffes me raw."

    And she gives a rown. "I /am/ at ease." fingers tapping against her shoulder paldron, other fingers tapping against the bracer on her arm. urrowed brows. Slight elevation in temperature around her. Yep> Chandra is totally at ease right now. And totally not consider making an exit.

    Fire tends to burn more than just enemies, after all.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Then she turns to Priscilla, herself sporting quite the vibrant smile. Maybe she could teach the woman how to smile more, eventually, if they keep finding common ground like this. But for now, she simply nods again. "It moves me somewhat to know that I've earned such a trust from you. It would be my infinite pleasure to see whatever it is that you have to show me. And please, you may feel free to request my presence at whatever time you deem appropriate."

Priscilla has posed:
    Medusa gets kind of a sour look as she contradicts everything Priscilla had just been discussing, but it softens at the witch's reassurance of some of her other values, such as how stupid it is to throw the word "evil" at everything and her understanding of how desire grows stronger the longer one is denied something. Basic, but acceptable. Deliberating for a few moments, Priscilla finally takes a sandwhich, mumbling a word of thanks before starting to bite into it as if she weren't really hungry. It's tasty enough for her to continue eating it, but someone else could finish two before her first one at the rate she's going.

    "It is not only humans that desire to see change. The vast majority of intelligent beings require some form of mental stimulation to stay sane. Even higher animals will grow 'bored' after so long in confinement. To achieve a state of pure tranquility is however, is seemingly the one aim exclusive to humans, and those most like them. A poison is not far from the truth. For many, the need to be challenged grows into an addiction, and becomes unbearable. Avoiding this fate becomes the duty of monks, or certain cults. To be truly at peace with an unchanging universe however, one's mind is required to become as small as an insect, or to expand to that of beings alien to human comprehension. Such wishes shouldst be watched carefully." Watching carefully seems to be exactly what Priscilla is doing at the moment, engraving the sight into her near flawless memory so as to be able to relive it during her own periods of silent contemplation. It is her partially divine origin that allows her to appreciate spectacles such as these for what they are, but it owes to her dragon lineage that she can be entirely at peace with true, formless entropy. Mizuki would likely appreciate what it would be like to be her, but then, as with wishing to switch lives with any other person, such would only be trading one set of problems for another.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    The declaration that he's "cute" gets a bit of indignant blushing from Arthur. "'Ey, I'm not CUTE, that's DEFINITELY not right. And there's not ONE IOTA of nerdiness, nope! I'm talking about GIANT EXPLODING FIRE ENGINES, not ANY way it'd be nerdy, if I KNEW much about 'em in the FIRST PLACE, which I DON'T." There's just the slightest hint of an insecure stammer to that.

    Neeeeeeerd

    Chandra gets him more into his stride. "THE SYNDICATE NETWORK!" Arthur says, making a sudden, broad, intense motion (with the remains of his sandwich). "Is totally not shifty. It's just INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION. Y'know, we GIVE OUT INFO and ask for INFO in return, yeah? SIMPLE STUFF, none of that CONTROL and SHADOWY shit." He gestures to himself. "Do I look SHADOWY to you?"

    Then he focuses on watching stars blink back into existence around the moon, sorta hypnotized by the colorful display.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "And that is your challenge, then; your unique 'adversity'." Mizuki... bows to Chandra. "And your ambition may yet fashion a story that will inspire others to similar heights, and may touch those readers such as myself with its beauty. Take heed, though, that it is always wise to attempt to understand those in positions contrary to your own. Truly, it will save you so much grief if you attempt to understand the reasons behind the actions of those people in some 'high tower'. Perhaps you may come to find that they, too, once held dreams as you do, but that their own dreams became corrupted with time and a lust for power." She gently taps Chandra's shoulder with a pair of fingers. "And very well. But if there is any way in which I can help you to feel more comfortable, do let me know."

    Priscilla's further analysis earns another, quizzical smile from the girl. "Isn't it so ironic that my ultimate 'ambition', the thing that I would drive myself to insanity over, is freedom from that that very thing?" She scoffs and shakes her head. "But it is so very, -very- refreshing to hear words such as yours, Priscilla. So lovely to know that there are other beings out there who see these patterns, remember them, and are willing to share their findings with others without letting themselves be blinded by furious passion. It renews my hope that I may one day find the antidote to my addiction, if people such as yourself can exist." She gives the woman another deep, grateful nod. She holds it for a while, almost as one would a more formal bow.

    She stifles a laugh at Arthur's metaphorical flailing, hiding the smirk with a sleeve of her dress. "Oh, /yes/, God of space," Her words come with a bizzarely sarcastic sort of emphasis, "I am certain there is -nothing- in the -world- you know of those massive combustion engines of the heavens. Just as you know nothing of Calculus, and have certainly not aided me, another Godly being, in understanding them where I could not after ages of trying." She shakes her head along with her words. "-Certainly- not." She uses time shenanigans to flip up his God Tier hood, and then...

    ... then she hugs him. It's brief, and might even have been unnoticeable to some others, but... she hugged him. But can you blame her? He was being way too cute to resist!

    Her responses to others concluded, the sky now beckons. By now, all of the stars have returned to the sky. Light cascades downwards in no small quantities, and it would appear another aurora has appeared on the periphery of everyone's vision. With how much activity there is, a genre-savvy individual might be able to pick up on the fact that this is the 'grand finale' - the climax. The stars in the background suddenly and jarringly yield the spotlight, however, though the new performers have yet to show themselves. No, there is a moment of silence before it comes.

    And it is fantastic.

    Lights hail from the heavens as they have not at any other point during the evening. One shooting star streaks across the eastern section of the sky. Then another. And another, and another... until the entire sky is filled with a celestial rain. The heavenly bodies travel far, leaving behind streaks of pure white before they cross into the distance, flaring into nothingness. The lights that remain on the surface swirl and congeal around the group, as if threatening to whisk them off into a true paradise where none of the issues they have been discussing this night would have any prevalence. A place of true peace, where peace is not itself, but whatever combination of calm and active that would give a person happiness. The dazzling luminescence would attempt to literally imbue those presence with a sort of newfound energy as they pass through, though whether they will or not depends somewhat on how receptive those present are to it.

Chandra Nalaar (81) has posed:
    "You wouldn't beleive some of the shady things even the 'good guys' do where I'm from." she explains, and she rubs theback of her head. "Well... I could give it a shot. Not like I'm doing much since I left Kelphi" she mutters. "So... how do I sign up?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Mizuki finally earns the ghost of a smile from Priscilla, fleeting and faint as it may be. She hadn't taken this girl for much the few times she'd seen her, other than her strange affinity for the ancient, grandiose, and utterly deserted. Now she thinks she understands her a lot better than before, and is far from unimpressed by her mastery over the night sky. "Perhaps all the more reason to show thee, then. There is . . . perhaps one thing I couldst speak of with thee, pertaining to thine personal quest, but perhaps it wouldst not do in such company. I am certain there shalt be a perfect occasion to speak of it sometime in future." Adding to a long list of 'looks given to people', Priscilla's expression at Mizuki's gesture of affection towards Arthur can only be interpreted as an "oh my". How scandalous. Any proper lady would blush at such a bawdy display.

    In the end of the show is just too fantastic to ignore. Whatever secret thoughts approximating shipping the crossbreed may have had vanish instantly as the heavens themselves turn into a sleeting downpour of purest white light, once again captivating her so completely that she hasn't the words to describe her feelings. Shifting in her chair, she sits straight up as the swirl of starlight comes up from all around the surface of the endless ocean, watching with rapt attention as she feels the inexplicable surge of unnameable feelings welling up inside of her. It is a brief and ephemeral state of being, but it is also by far the highlight of the show; the purest form of expression from one person to another that there could possibly exist in her imagination. As soon as it is over, Priscilla is apparently overcome by the need for applause; even if it is kind of a lame golf clap.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    As is per the norm, Mizuki manages to crack the Coolkid shell loudly and obviously. Whatever objections he makes are done with enough verbal flailing that they're a bit inarticulate and grumbly, though he accepts the hug, partially because he's been DISABLED by that hood-flipping. His objections, something along the line of "auuuuugh noooo, shut uuuup", are done with the usual friendly, good-humored way; it's clear he doesn't really mind Mizuki's usual shenanigans, he's just being a big dork about it.

    He still firmly denies any claims of cuteness, of course.

    Anyway, he can't get too worked up and blushy about her treatment of him. He's gotta watch this finale, after all, and even the little god is entirely at ease with how peaceful everything feels after that strange and wonderful lightshow. He clearly did hear Chandra Nalaar's request; presumably he'll get to a proper response shortly. For now, he's busy with the peaceful energy and such.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    With the backdrop of the final mighty balls of radiant fire fizzling out behind her, Mizuki curtsies to Priscilla's vague clapping; it would seem that she recognizes it as such anyway. Soon after, her wings sprout from her back, and she... ascends, flying as a human rocket to meet the descending moon. Facing the group with her eyes closed, she holds a hand and her sword aloft before gesturing downwards. The moon, in response, falls ever faster... as, on the opposite horizon, the sun begins to rise. The gentle light of morning skates over the waters, making it appears as though it were not an ocean, but an unending field of rye; a mythical garden of gold the likes of which even the most seasoned adventures here may never have seen before.

    Ah, but there is an encore; rather than falling back to Earth, Mizuki turns to look upward. Holding her sword upwards again, she wields it as one would a pen, scorching... letters on the roof of the world. The black of the sky bleeds brilliant platinum-gold as Mizuki literally pens a message there:

'Thank you for being here this night. I am beyond proud to call all of you 'friend', and you are ever welcome in my domain should you ever seek solace from the chaos of the outside world.

Your host, now and for-ever,
Mizuki.

    And with -that-, she finally allows herself to return to Earth. The lower she comes, the higher the sun rises, eventually blotting out the surreal message in favor of a sky of newness and clouds. The stars that they had so admired disappear now to welcome a new day, and the water change to reflect this. How quickly this all transpires would certainly have been disorienting, were it not so captivating at the same time.

    Appearing somewhat tired now, Mizuki brushes herself off and straddles over to Priscilla, smiling. "I would very much appreciate your counsel." She bobs her head once. "You may always contact me via my personal phone, if you know how to communicate with them, or simply visit me here at a time that is less... busy. But yes, I feel an opportunity will present itself in the near future as well. Perhaps after we've found this 'Anor Londo' of which you speak, we can find a safe place to discuss things there."

    Her face is still burning with a sort of passion and warmth that may take a discerning eye to realize, but is impossible to forget once noticed. She is happy with what she's done here, to say the least! ... and if she's being honest, even more happy with the conversations that it has helped to inspire.