The Meteor Shower (3) : It wouldn’t be a star festival without a meteor shower! Right on time, a beautiful array of shooting stars graces the night sky. This time of year is unnaturally clear and it’s incredibly easy to see the stars. Most meteor fragments appear to be little white or yellow lights streaming across the sky, but if you watch closely enough you may find that some of them seem to be a whole rainbow of colors. The scientists have reported that it’s just different components burning up as they enter the atmosphere, but there’s something undeniably magical about it.
Exhausted, bruised, and smug with life in general, he aimlessly drifted in the pool, sprawled out on an oversized float. The annual Meteor-G party was far from winding down behind him, but he wanted to actually watch the event this year rather than just indulge in its wordplay. This year was different after all. He was different.
Slipping a foot into the water, he idly flicked up little splashes while waiting for the show. He spent most of his life flying under the radar of...well, fate? Maybe? Excellence definitely, outside of his few, genuine passions. Why invite things like high expectations and great responsibilities when you can just be good looking, have fun, and not worry about money?
But again: things had changed.
The first few streaks of light began to charge across the sky, and Malory lifted the sunglasses he didn't need to be wearing. More began to follow, and it was with new eyes that he watched the phenomena. Was it related to the magic that he now knew inundated the world, or at least, Destiny City?
There were worlds up there, whole entire strange worlds that belonged to the good guy senshi. And, he supposed, the "bad guy" senshi, himself included. Hybris. It'd be a lie if he wasn't curious what sort of world had spawned his magic, was supposed to be connected to him. Curious, but he didn't intend to seek it out in any way.
Imagine being responsible for a whole world. The weight of that sort of expectation was a lot more than his flimsy paper Atlas could ever lift, let alone hold for even a moment. No, the Dark Mirror was much more his speed, no big moral sides, a simple task of taking energy from people that didn't need to hold onto anyway, and no real responsibility beyond what he already enjoyed doing. There was a Prince to actually care and worry about the things that needed cared for and worried about. And in return he was Hybris, with more power than he'd ever be willing to actually earn, and new kinds of fun and mischief at his finger tips. Even with new context to enjoy the stars on display, with their deeper meanings, they were ultimately, for him, still just another beautiful sight to admire without burden.
He tapped his fingers with the soft, steady beat of the music and smiled along with someone's abrupt, throaty laughter. Gazing up, the streaks across the sky gained extra colors, the strobing lights hitting the pool doing their best to match the show. Floating along, losing himself a little in the sky, and the water, and the music, he let any thought of worlds and dodged responsibilities quietly start to slip away.
Hands stretched out to either side, the fingers that idly trailed in the water eventually met a smooth ankle, hanging off the side of the pool. With a grin, he tugged, pulling himself close to look up at who it belonged to, letting whatever thoughts trying to linger sink even deeper, sweetly drowned by a friendly lap and waiting arms.
