Starfest was in full swing and that meant more people were out and about at all hours of the day and night. More people meant more Negaverse activity, and more of a need to patrol.
But that didn't mean Ida couldn't take a break now and again to just... enjoy the warm summer nights. Standing at the edge of the park, she breathed deep and let it out slowly, taking in the relatively clear air here. It was quieter than even just a block over, in a way that was soothing and relaxing. Like stepping into a different world, almost.
The effect was enhanced as small, flickering lights floated up from the grass as she passed over it, disturbed by her boots. They changed as they flitted about, going green, then blue, then red. Startled, Ida stopped in place and stood quiet to watch them move. Stretching a tentative hand out to one of the lights, Ida felt a small zap as it landed, making her jerk enough that it flitted off again.
Fireflies? That had certainly seemed like one... but she'd never seen them in those colors before... And she'd certainly never been shocked by one either. They were pretty though... and she was inclined to just let them do their thing for now, and enjoy the lovely sight of all those floating colored lights as they bobbed about her. It had a strange sort of serenity to it, all the more when compared to where her life had gone over the last year.
The Fireflies (6) : In the warm summer nights, little glowing lights begin to bob and dart through the city. Fireflies are mating, so this isn't uncommon in itself; in the past few days you've probably seen hundreds of fireflies. What makes these lights so unique is that they seem to change color; you might see a blue one, a green one, a red one. They flicker randomly, and something just seems off with them. If you come into contact with one, you will find yourself with a strange electric jolt. They cannot be caught, and will flicker away if you pursue too aggressively. This isn’t the first time they’ve appeared in Destiny City, but no one’s been able to tell where they came from or where they’re going. No matter how quickly you chase them, they always seem to disappear before you can find any answers.
Noir Songbird
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 4:06 am
Summer nights like this, Kerberos suspected, were exactly what his fuku was made for. It was warm, with a light breeze, and everything about it set him in mind of his world. A place that, the more he visited, the more it felt like home, just as much as Destiny City.
And there was another Eternal, and Kerberos hoped, eagerly, that it was someone he knew, and he wandered in that direction until he spotted purple and gold and long brown hair, surrounded by colorful fireflies.
"Ida!" It was good to see her again--just being in her presence always made him feel better, in a way that he had as yet, chosen not to put any particular name to. It didn't need to be anything but a sense of warm companionship, and of knowing he could trust her to have his back. "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this, hmm? Though I suppose tonight, with these fireflies, it's almost as pretty as you are, so that works out."
The voice that came out of the dark was familiar, and it had Ida blushing as she turned towards the speaker.
As pretty as you are...
"Kerberos!" She said with warmth, keeping her voice light to cover her embarrassed pleasure at his compliments. Seeing him was truly a pleasure, even if his flirty comments gave her flutters in her stomach. It was nice that they'd started growing closer over the last however many months, though they'd known each other for years at this point. After the loss of Hver and many of her other friends drifting away, it was nice to have a 'new' one. Being around him made her feel less alone, even now that the chaos poisoning had been lifted, and it was a comfort to know if she needed help, he'd stand up to help her.
"Are you out on patrol? I just saw the fireflies and stopped to watch them. They are pretty." Ida said, feeling her face warm again. She wasn't actually sure if he patrolled any more... she just knew he'd taken over sitting vigil on Hver's bench. Maybe he was on his way there, or coming back. After a moment, she added; "Thank you, again, for helping me with that monster on Ida. I know I said it before, I just... wanted to say it... again."
Ugh, that felt so awkward.
Noir Songbird
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 11:23 pm
Ah, Ida was...so cute. Kerberos barely considered that kind of compliment flirting, and here she was, getitng all blushy. Not to say that there was zero intent; Ida was beautiful. Brave. Kind. Exactly the kind of person that made Kerberos's heart skip. He admired her, he adored her--both, all in one.
"I am, yes," he said. "I try to be at the bench reliably, but not every night. That work is important, but...so is the work of going out and being a magical girl, you know?"
If anyone did, he trusted Ida would. They'd both been in this war for a long time, had seen some of its worst atrocities. What the Negaverse made of people. And how you couldn't protect anyone, sitting around and looking pretty.
"And...you're welcome. I'm just glad we destroyed it in time. I'd hate to lose you."
The eternal blinked in surprise to hear Kerberos did patrols. Hver had spent nearly all of her time on her bench, in part because as a pacifist she couldn't actually combat anyone, but also because if she wasn't there, she was missing an opportunity to talk to someone who might show up looking for her. Ida had respected that, if it wasn't a road she could have walked herself. Kerberos seemed to have an approach that was more like her own, somewhere between her way and Hver's. She... liked that, actually.
"Yeah, I totally get that." She said slowly, turning the thoughts over in her head. It made her look at him a bit different, piecing together a fuller picture of a man she was learning to know better and better.
When he mentioned loosing her, she shrugged a little, feeling both pleased and embarrassed again. It showed in her expression as she turned her eyes to the bobbing lights, following their lazy paths.
"The power I have now is a very important tool to have on our side. Losing it would have been a bad blow. And I'd hate to think of Ida being as empty and desolate as it was when I first found it... worse maybe. Its made such a good recovery, and has so many creatures living on it now. That plant would have drained all the life from everything, and it's already been through so much." Talking about her asteroid eased her embarassment, bringing animation back to her face. If there was anything she felt fully, truly invested it, it was the asteroid. A special interest or passion project, she felt as tied to it and as duty bound as she was to her work here.
She offered Kerberos a small smile as she looked back to him. "I bet you probably felt the same when we cleared that chaos from your world too."
Noir Songbird
Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:59 pm
It was a little bit of a relief, hearing Ida say that she understood. Kerberos knew that he wasn't Hvergelmir, that he couldn't entirely commit to the path that she had chosen. There was no way, not after seeing what the Negaverse did,t hat he could promise not to fight. Not when people needed help. Not when inaction would mean deaths that could have been prevented.
They all had to choose their own path. Walking in some of Hvergelmir's footsteps didn't mean that he would fill them one to one.
He did nod, though. "I was so afraid," he admitted, "that I would have to watch my world die all over again, right when it was really starting to come back to life. I owe you and everyone who helped me a debt I'm not sure I'll ever really feel like I've repaid," he admitted.
"But I don't just mean I would hate to lose Princess Ida," he said, gently. "I mean that I would hate to lose you."
It was important to him, that she knew that. That it wasn't about her world or her wings--that Kerberos was glad to have saved Ida, the person. Not just Princess Ida, the symbol.
That gave her such a strange, fluttery feeling. To hear him say that, earnestly and without motive.
"I... thank you. I don't hear that very often. I mean, I know its how people feel, of course." Ida said as she fidgeted, pulling her braid over her shoulder so she could run her fingers through the end of it. She kept her eyes up, though, watching his face with her own open and just as earnest. "But its not something people tend to say. And I'm glad to know you, both in and out of uniform. I know things started out kind of rough, but I'm glad that I've gotten to know you as a person."
Mostly as Kerberos, but that didn't mean it had to remain like that, she realized. There was no reason she couldn't get to know him better as Kieran. She didn't actually know all that much about him outside of powered life and there was a desire, now, to find that out. Does he like cats? Does he garden? What's his favorite food? All things she'd like to find out, really.
"Would you like to take a break for a while and just walk around the park? Out of uniform, I mean. Its a nice night, and I don't feel anyone else around."
Noir Songbird
Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 3:51 am
"If you don't hear it very often, you need to hear it more," Kerberos said. "I'm glad to have you in my life. And I'm glad that we've been able to help each other."
Ida was...special. In a lot of ways. And Kerberos absolutely recognized the warm, soft feeling in his heart; this was far from the first tiem he'd fallen in love. But it was a content sort of love; no aching, dramatic pining. Ida was his dear friend, and if she wanted something more from him, he would gladly give it to her, but what they had...it was lovely enough.
"That....sounds nice, yes," Kerberos said. "I definitely don't give myself enough time off." He laughed, like it was a little thing. "But it's always easier with someone else."
Ida's return smile was warm and crinkled the corners of her eyes as she let go of her braid.
For as long as she had known Kerberos, it was surprising to her that it was only now that she was starting to really see him, without association to some other person they knew in common. As she dropped her powered form and became just a young woman in a soft, floral dress, she had to wonder if maybe she'd been missing something all that time.
The night was still young and the little, dancing lights of fireflies made a lovely backdrop to enjoy a walk with a friend-and-something-else. It was a nice chance to get to really talk to him, just the two of them, and learn more about each other without some looming threat over their heads. A chance to just be... people, together.
