[open mingle log] stargazing club meteor shower!

[friendlyflower]

WHO: Flowey & the Stargazing Club (and any other interested parties)
WHAT: Viewing a meteor shower during a clear evening
WHEN: Early December
WHERE: A big hilltop picnic
WARNINGS: None (will change if any come up)

are you a star?

a. gathering

[Togetic- something of a figurehead for the hobby clubs and an overall advocate for relaxation- has been spreading the word! A meteor shower will be visible tonight! Everyone who's interested should gather up on Lookout Hill for the clearest viewing experience!

It is terribly cold lately, of course, especially at night. When Pokemon begin to arrive on the hilltop, they'll find chairs, blankets, and a kettle for serving hot drinks. Some Pokemon are huddling together to stay warm or just to be comfortable before the meteor shower begins!

Any Pokemon who were already here on this nice, quiet spot overlooking the city will soon find it's beginning to get just a bit quiet. At least there are other spots a bit further away that might offer more privacy...?

It's also a bit of a climb up the hill. Togetic and a few other winged Pokemon are escorting smaller ones up the hill-- though Flowey, stubborn as ever, notably refuses.]

b. star light, star bright

[The sky is clear and unclouded. A tapestry of stars is visible overhead. Some Pokemon are pointing out visible constellations. Though, sometimes if you look away, the stars might be just a little different than you remember. How odd...

A few others are setting up telescopes. If you want to use one, maybe you can even see other celestial bodies-- though you might be interrupted by Minior playing in the atmosphere.

All of a sudden, some Pokemon cry out in surprise. Is that a Minior, too...? No, it's the first shooting star of the night! Make a wish!]

c. shining with hope

[The meteor shower has begun in full. Streaks of light cascade across the heavens. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes gaze enraptured towards the sky.

Although... that one is awfully large, isn't it? And it's getting closer! A few Pokemon run in panic!

Fortunately, the falling star is actually too small to hurt anyone. It simply 'thunks' down in a snow bank. Togetic extracts a rather large Moon Stone. They and other Pokemon decide to take it to the Lum Guild for study.

However, other resourceful Pokemon might be able to gather Stardust, entire Star Pieces, or even fragments of Moon Stone! While the former don't have a use and the latter are much too small to be used for evolution, at least they're pretty. Some Pokemon begin talking about making accessories or decorations from them.]

d. farewell

[Soon, the meteor shower comes to an end. Some Pokemon decide to stick around longer, but many begin to make their way towards their homes-- and their warm beds.

Flowey remains behind, still staring up at the sky. He's been... unusually cooperative and quiet tonight.

If you draw near, he doesn't quite look at you.] ... what a show.

[Or, maybe you're also lingering in silence. Finally, he might approach you.] Not heading home yet? Aren't you cold?

e. wildcard approaching

[Wildcard option. Feel free to make your own prompt here or throw something at Flowey, or message me on plurk at friendlyflower

As a note, feel free to use the Togetic NPC if you want to in these threads. Just assume they're a helpful character who wants everyone to have fun and enjoy the meteor shower.]

Comments

[loopsiedaisy]

B, for Dolly

[How long has it been since they last saw a meteor shower...?]

[...]

[How long has it been since they watched a meteor shower with... someone else, someone who was actually paying attention to it? Have they ever?]

[If they have, they certainly won't remember it. But... it means they're glad other people are around, even if they're not entirely in the mood to talk. While normally these days Siffrin is more "tolerant of" ending up in the same place as the Stargazing Club than "excited" (maybe they would've been excited before they remembered who they really were? Or maybe not) this is different.]

[...there's still someone missing, though, someone who should be here just as much as them. They'll have to tell him about it later...]

[They're staring at the sky, so it's not immediately apparent that they're lost in thought rather than just enjoying the view. But they get jolted out of it when they hear a soft rustle of paper. They turn their head, expecting to see Odile - they know she's sticking nearby - and they're surprised to find Dolly passing with several large sheets instead.]

[They visibly tilt their head at her, eyes narrowing. What is she doing here with those?]

D, for Flowey

[Possibly Flowey should have turned to look at who was approaching him before he spoke. Or maybe tonight Flowey's in the mood to greet even this Siffrin this way?]

[Either way, the response he gets is an unfortunately familiar voice saying,] It was, wasn't it?

[It's still the same bright tone as the last time the two butted heads, but it's more muted tonight. And a lot quieter, with the gravity of the night sky pressing down on their voice.]

E, Wildcard

( If there's something you'd really like to do with Siffrin, please do PM or poke me at stocke! )

B!

[autumnrainrunaway]

[ It was one of those rare opportunities Dolly has gotten to really work on star mapping this world's constellations. The papers rustled a bit in the gingerbread house shaped saddle bags, drawing tools included for the charting. She'll have to go to the Archives afterwards to check their constellations records. ]

[ Maybe the constellations will be similar to Earth's? That that little bit of familiarity would be welcomed, it was a star system Dolly had grown accustomed to since leaving Tir Na Nog. ]

[ The lights of the stars and streaks of the the meteor shower swirled like a Vincent van Gogh painting in her eyesight as Dolly prepares her spot. ]

[ Would things have been easier with her astrolabe on paw? Sure, but Dolly wouldn't be much of a daughter of Tir Na Nog if she couldn't chart it by eye. They would've laughed at her...would've had they all been.. ]

[ Focused and tuning out most of the world around her, Dolly gets the first sheet out and prepares to get to work. Dolly hadn't noticed Siffrin just yet watching as she started mapping. ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin gets up from their seated position, stretching - first their front paws, then their back paws - and then pads over. They sit down again at about an arm's length from Dolly, close enough to watch what she's doing.]

[...]

...you're making a star chart?

[They recognize what one looks like, of course. The last time they saw one... was in the House, wasn't it? They stopped visiting that room eventually. But it... didn't occur to them to try making one here, even once they started getting used to the unfamiliar stars. They're pretty sure it would've just dropped out of their head five minutes in, haha!]

[In the back of their head, Siffrin can't help but think that Dolly is missing some kind of tool for this... but they focus on it a bit too hard, and it's gone. Nevermind.]

[autumnrainrunaway]

[ It takes Dolly a moment or two before being brought back to Earth from the night's sky as she notices Siffrin there when they asked the question. ]

I am, though, wished I had an astrolabe on me right now, it would've made charting them easier. I figured I should learn what the constellations here were. It was something that my birthplace did whenever we had to record a new constellation system.

[ Siffrin's original personality seemed to have returned for a moment. Dolly hadn't realized yet that Siffrin was into the stars as well as she offered a spot to them to hang out with her. ]

You're welcome to hang out with me if you'd like? I would enjoy the company.

[loopsiedaisy]

[An astrolabe... that's what it was. It's a little easier to keep it in their head when someone else reminds them. Feels weird. (Feels like they should expect a headache, but nothing's happening?)]

[They try not to think about it too hard. But maybe they'll remember for a bit longer this time.]

...sure.

[They settle hesitantly to the ground near her. Their eye still mostly stays fixed on the sky, but every once in a while they glance over to see how her chart is growing.]

Your birthplace... paid attention to the stars too? [Unclear what "too" they mean! Could just be "like the Pokemon here," maybe...]

[autumnrainrunaway]

[ Dolly appreciated the company as she worked on the star map. From what Siffrin could possibly tell, it was pretty accurate to the sky above even without an astrolabe on hand. A part of Dolly was expecting Babylon to jump in at any moment to request cute animal design for the constellations, but she wasn't there. ]

[ .....? Attention has been grabbed. ]

We did, the stars were a huge part where I originally came from, they meant everything. I take it yours was like this too?

[ Congratulations Siffrin, you got Dolly's attention as she pauses for a moment on the star mapping. ]

[loopsiedaisy]

[...what can they even say? "Maybe?" "Probably?" "Who knows?" Ha...]

[Even if they say yes, as soon as she starts asking questions, they won't remember.]

[So they don't answer. Not the question, anyway.]

...what was it like?

[autumnrainrunaway]

[...That was a loaded question, it was a mix bag of emotions on Dolly's end. Gently, Dolly proceeded to answer, her eyes looking a bit shiny as she recalled.]

You know that breeze you get from the sea? How its crisp and cool with some spray tossed in? It was like that but you could smell the warmed honey from the grass we had. It was a huge island that was divided into twelve districts, but, it had a great view of the stars above.

[There's a bit of a melancholic smile to Dolly, some tears a bit noticeable if looked too closely.]

There was an observatory in the Spring Twilight District that our caregivers would take us to growing up for major celestial events like eclipses or meteor showers like this one...

[Dolly paused as she takes in a breath, those were the better memories of Tir Na Nog...]

D

[friendlyflower]

[Ugh. Normally, Flowey would have something snarky to say... but he doesn't have the energy tonight-- or maybe it's just something else weighing on him.

He doesn't respond, and the two sit in an amicable (?) silence for a moment. The stars are so vast, so infinite, it's nothing like the cavern ceiling. Flowey counted every false 'star' in Waterfall once. He could never count all the stars, even if they weren't shifting around when he blinked.]

... Too bad that Siffrin couldn't be here to see it.

[There's a small tinge of actual regret in his voice. 'Stardust' was his one relationship with a Siffrin that wasn't mired in projected self-hatred, and now they're gone. Everyone leaves him in the end.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[...heh. Yeah. The breath (this) Siffrin huffs out is silent, but it's more than cold enough that it's visible as a white plume.]

Doesn't seem very fair, right?

[friendlyflower]

The universe loves a tragedy.

[Amused sounding, but mirthless. He watches their breath dissipate into the night air.]

... I guess I owe you an apology or whatever for snapping at you.

[loopsiedaisy]

Exactly!! [How do they manage to audibly convey two exclamation marks despite their voice not having its usual energy, and while keeping their volume low? Don't worry about it.]

[Their tail flicks once.] Don't mention it, sunshine. I'm not planning to apologize, so I don't expect one from you either!

[Still, despite their words - well, it's not that they didn't have a relaxed posture before, but if Flowey knows what he's looking for, it feels less consciously assumed now. It's not exactly that Flowey mentioned apologizing, more... calibrating expectations. Figuring out just how much energy they're going to be putting into acting right now.]

[friendlyflower]

Hee hee. I said I might owe you one, not that I was going to give you one.

[They almost seem more like their old self... though they had to use the nickname.

Somehow, though, he manages to resist the urge to call them 'Loophole'. He's discerning when he wants to be, and he can tell they seem less guarded-- they're acting less.]

... I will say that I might have overreacted just a little. And I'll leave it at that.

[He used to be better about controlling his emotional expression, playing the long game, manipulating others by being exactly who they wanted him to be. This entire world has thrown him off his game, though, ever since he got here. Ever since the fog. Siffrin especially.

Or did that change happen before he even got here, when he realized the world isn't so 'kill or be killed'...?]

[loopsiedaisy]

Ha! You got me.

[They are acting less. They're still acting, but... it's a lot less work when someone isn't pushing to look backstage, and maybe they'll let their guard down a little bit because of that. (There's something there, too, about how even though there are monologues, and experimental solo endeavors, a play is usually a group effort...)]

[...]

Maybe you weren't wrong about everything. But that's just how it is now! [And they'll leave it at that!]

[...]

[They tuck their paws and tail closer to their body, settling in for a little longer.] I wonder if we're far enough north or south here to get auroras. They're much closer than stars, [much like meteors, actually,] but they're still a spectacle!

[They must not be that far north or south, if they haven't been getting them regularly, but there's always a chance... and if Flowey was always underground, he can't have seen one of those either.]

1/2

[friendlyflower]

[That's just how it is now... doesn't he know it? Someone much better is gone, but they're what remains. He thought his story was over, and yet, he keeps living.

... at least, there's something to be said for just continuing to see things. He never would've seen the stars, much less a meteor shower, if he was still underground.]

... Because of solar wind, right? [He read that in a book when he was young.] Supposedly this is the time of year for it. If this 'stargazing club' keeps more eyes on the stars, maybe we'll get to see one.

2/2

[friendlyflower]

... Not that you're in the club. You just so happened to be out here where we were meeting. [He's clearly amused by this. Despite his typical sardonic wit, he also seems to be 'acting' less.] I wonder if anyone in this world has calculated when an eclipse will happen next? Maybe you could figure it out.

[loopsiedaisy]

It's not my fault if this is the best spot to watch from~

[Still... they didn't mind the club being here.]

[Eclipses, huh. Did they ever know how to figure that out? They'd need to know when previous ones happened, but that's not enough by itself, it's...]

[It's all a blank.]

[Maybe they could try to figure it out, but... what are the odds they'll just forget what they were doing halfway through? They should be grateful they even remember what eclipses are.]

Maybe I will! If anyone in the Archives has bothered to keep track.

[friendlyflower]

Even if they did, good luck finding anything in that dump. Hee hee.

[After that... he doesn't really have anything to add. He doesn't mind just sitting in silence for a while, unless they want to keep talking. Somehow, this 'truce' between them feels so fragile that Flowey doesn't want to risk it.]