It didn't quite feel cold yet, the year just starting to wain from summer into the autumn. It didn't seem to stay as light out as long as it used to and children had already gone back to school. Ida felt the change somewhere inside, formless and just a little melancholic.
The bright greens and blues of summer would be gone soon, replaced with an all-too brief flare of golds and reds, before the drab greys and whites of winter. It made her just a little sad on nights like this, reluctant to let go of the ephemeral feel of summer. At least Ida would always be there. Perpetually green and gently warm, an escape from more than just the cold and the dreariness.
Deep into downtown, Ida had climbed one of the taller buildings, hoping to escape a little of the light pollution. It wasn't perfect, but she could just make out a few of the stars up here, shining in the darkness of the sky. It was quieter up here too, away from the streets. The constant hum was muted, the brush of the wind not scented with gas.
Peaceful, even if that didn't quite soothe the heavy feel in her tonight. She wanted to ignore the lights in her head for a while, the signatures that told her other people with power were patrolling, or prowling, tonight.
(In case we want it)
True to its name, this time of year is unnaturally clear and it’s incredibly easy to see the stars. They sparkle with more colors and vibrancy than usual. Sometimes you can see odd lights, but everything is so far away it's hard to tell what's real and what's an illusion, but it's a magical and overwhelming sensation all the same. Every year there is a meteor shower at this time, and this year is no different; the sky is full of shooting stars, so now's the perfect opportunity to find a dark place to watch the stars and make a wish! Whatever wish you make, you wind up having the most surreal dream of it being granted. What did you wish for--and what direction did your dream take? What happens when you wake up to reality?
Kapoodles
I made a thing
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:55 pm
The urge to power up seemed so distant as of recent times. Julian was gone... His partner, the one who he tried so hard to save, who he had helped nearly a year ago, was no longer at his side. Before they would patrol the world together...
Now, it was nothing. Home, work, back. Over and over to the point that even his beloved pup Staccato whimpered at the sight of Roderick sulking at home, clothing dirty and the color orange from his comfort food of Cheese Curls staining his fingers. He'd just sit there, hurting, watching re-runs of his favorite movies but finding no joy in it. What was even the point of trying so hard to enjoy the things he loved before when he didn't have the man he loved with him...?
Tonight... Well, tonight was beautiful. Cool, solemn in a way. The sky was bursting with light, a sign to him that maybe he really should go out to see the world once again. The moment he stepped outside, it felt exactly the same as when his sister and her children moved out of that house of his... An emptiness filled him, to the point that when he powered up and began wandering, it made no sense as to where he was going.
Like stepping into a room that felt the same as your skin temperature, nothing changed, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off. He couldn't feel where he moved to, body moving on instinct, rather than any real clear direction.
It was that instinct that lead him to where he was now, up on high, where he could see the city below once his eyes came into focus. Instinct naturally brought him to a source of powerful, calming energy... Not like the chaos that felt like metal being banged on in his mind, but calm, sweetness, like the feel of summer still clinging to those who cherished it.
He could see her now, the one he followed, up a little higher on a nearby building than he was. And he hesitated, unsure if he should get any closer, or bother her if she didn't want to be bothered...
Maybe he could just sit here with her, keeping his distance and look out on the city.
It really was such a calming presence... So that's what he did, taking a seat on the empty rooftop, then lying back all the way, staring at the starts... And when one shot by across the sky, he made just the tiniest wish.
Something tickled at her senses, despite her determination to ignore the sense of others in the back of her mind. Someone was getting closer and it was certain that they felt her too. Close enough that... yes, there.
Dark eyes picked out movement as she turned away from the sparkling view; someone with a large frame and a glowing aura who approached... but then stopped a short distance away. She wondered at it, watching as.... he?, settled down onto a lower roof than hers. It felt oddly companionable, sitting her with the unknown stranger, both watching the stars. Even if now she was watching him instead of the stars. There wasn't a lot to make out in the dark... certainly not a face, though she could already tell by his outline that it wasn't someone she knew.
He felt like a knight, anyway. Or rather, a squire. She had enough experience to be able to tell that, at least. Not which planet, or much beyond that, but the strength of him held steady in the moderate range. It meant he was likely newer at this than she was, bringing up feelings of concern for him, and that 'older sister' feeling she got so often with the newer ones.
The stranger didn't approach, so Ida let him be, leaning back on her arms where she sat and turning her eyes back up to the sky. To her surprise, a star fell across the sky, and then another, shooting sparks with tails of light. It was as startlingly lovely to watch as it was unexpected, and she felt a sense of good luck, being here to see it. With a quiet companion, even, which added its own warmth to the sight. They hadn't spoken, she didn't even know who he was, but the sense of camaraderie was there, even if it might only be in her head.
Kapoodles
Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:43 pm
She knew he was there. There's no doubting that, given how clearly he could feel her aura. His own wasn't weak, but it still seemed drowned out by that power she held. Somehow it seemed to match perfectly with each star that shot across the sky.
... And he knew he had waited too long to approach her. Perhaps he could have come up with an excuse a minute ago. Maybe five minutes ago, but at this point, he was just lurking there, becoming more and more nervous the more time passed.
... Would it be strange to go talk to her now?
Manu sighed, casting his gaze up to where he knew the senshi stood. It was strange and he knew it... It was best to just stay down here and enjoy the starlight and her sweet company.
The rain of stars lasted for minutes and then they slowed, coming further apart until they stopped entirely. Every spark that trailed its way across the sky filled her with a sense of peace and fulfillment, though she knew the lights were nothing spectacular... just bits of rock and debri burning up in the atmosphere. Still, they made her think of Space, of home, on Ida. They reminded her it was out there, if the warmth in her chest, pulsing alonside her heart, wasn't reminder enough.
And she wasn't alone here, another reminder this time from the aura below her. There were others out here, trying like she was to make this world safer. They'd never approached, making her wonder if they wanted the peace and silence up here too or if they felt shyness like she sometimes did. That was okay. They hadn't really needed to exchange words to enjoy company. She'd enjoyed it, even as tremulous as it was.
Ida slid a glance over towards the dark figure before she turned to go, lifting a hand in both greeting and farewell.
Kapoodles
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:26 am
Before he realized it, the stars finished their fall, and the sky returned to its normal stillness. It had been nice for a while, that emptiness Manu often felt seemed to die down for just a few minutes...
But just like everything that existed, there had to be an end, and with the end of the star shower, he stood up, stretching towards the sky before letting his gaze travel over to the woman above him.
And she saw him.
And she waved at him.
And for a moment, there was an incredible tug on the Squire's heart. He wanted to pursue her, to properly greet her but somehow, his feet were frozen in place. It was all he could do to raise his own hand and wave to her too.
Then before he realized it, she was gone.
And he was alone once again.
But at least this time, he was left with a warm sense of... Well, he didn't know, but it was certainly a sense of hope. Something he hadn't felt in months. And he deeply hoped he'd see her again, and next time, he'd be able to approach her properly, and not gaze from a distance like a weirdo.
