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.
"Hey, Best-Hest? How do you spell incendiary---" It was a try-hard of a word to slap into a search bar, but he'd heard tin-for-cans use it before, and saying it felt right! Like the kind of candy he wanted to suck on for the next few minutes, that realllll, real, real good word-in-mouth feel.
"No...wait...what's the one for s**t that burns stuff?" Except everything that came up was wrong, he wasn't working with devices, he didn't wanna spend the next of forever disentangling wires and hunting down the kind of military grade bullshit that would -- *inevitably* -- destroy the beacons he was baking up across the city like bread-crumbs leading home for his boy!
Not to mention the kind of trouble he'd end up in....
I would probably have to wake Haymitch up to get anything right...and of course three Mau's were better than one...which would mean waking up Tama and....
Looking up from his phone and over at Hestia's eternal readiness, he shook that idea off. Because he didn't doubt that Hestia could've masterclassed something out all on her own! Like the world's deadliest pro-girl scout; the kind that'd obviously acquired every badge and kept each of said badges polished on a mantle. He could only imagine what she could do with a bobby-pin, some soap, and a mac-truck-load of determination!
It was terrifying imagery....
Which was exactly why he'd chosen her for this.
More specifically? Her devotion to the eternal flame— Like pouring pure jet fuel to his own passion-project blown way out of proportion, because he didn’t want to hear rational. To see logic. To taste reason. To stop —
“For a long time, I mean. Idunno if it needs bigger…or more…but I’m feelin’ like the s**t’s getting put out too soon t’follow…y’follow?â€
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:08 pm
"Ignitor?" Hestia offered, a little absent. Her brow was slightly scrunched, as if deeply considering their impacts on global warming.
She truly appreciated Albite's campaign of terror on Destiny Cities garbage bins, lighting beacons declaring his loyalty and passion for his lover and superior, no matter his distance or state of consciousness. A wolf baying for its distant moon.
Truly Albite was the Perfect Man and worthy of Faustite's ring and everything it symbolized. Headache was just a hater, which was part of both its job and personality, so she didn't count such things against them.
But something of this plan was lacking. And Hestia felt the answer was in her grasp, just a little foggy. Likely something she would know easily before her corruption.
You follow?
Ah! Yes, that was it!
"Followers. We need people to be following them. People's interest will keep the light burning even when the flames are put out."
Her voice took on an almost religious fervour as she intoned, "Let us create a meme."
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:10 pm
“An ignitor? Huhnm…†tongue caught between his teeth, his thumb slid across the screen, “Therrumin—†tskd, not even close to thermite, but much closer than marmite! There was definitely a ‘T’ in there somewhere….
Head cocked because even if he wasn’t always looking directly at someone, he absolutely was still listening; antenna tuned in and thinking cap on while images of everything except what he was technically looking for slid by. He saved a few in a perfunctory manner, and then Hestia had him again; brilliant, beautiful, perfect! A crown of plane-downing lights strung above her skull, deadly levels of lumen, kaleidoscopic, full of the kind of forward-thinking he craved!
Her idea was ******** prophetic in his eyes. Seer-level s**t in all its genius-filled glory!
Followers! Of course!!
“For a second there, Hestia. I thought you were gonna say cult…†honey-dripped tone full of mirth that matched the glint in his eyes. Sounding as though he’d have helped her do that too, built her an altar on the spot to pay homage from. If ever she asked it of him, but Hell? Wasn’t meme-ography the same thing of a different sort, a close enough assimile? Two different cuts from a single mother-cloth!
“But this’ll be even better! A meme—†He was practically vibrating, already imagining it; something viral, easily unkempt, flame resistant, resistant to human tampering of any kind! N’if it kept those who’d keep him down or suss him out to snuff him out completely outta the way?
Wasn’t that just the best?
“Cause everyone has the internet, yeah?â€
Genius, genius, genius!
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:10 pm
For a moment, Hestia felt a little awkward at the word cult. Were the core followers of the Way still at that ranch outside the city? Should she renew contact with them and ask for help...
No...maybe? No. They could use the internet. As Eternal Ablite said, everyone has the internet! No cults necessary! Not that it was a cult!
Clearing her throat, Hestia reassured him, "Yes. They do, and we will spread the fires of your heart and our need for the General King's return across the world if we have to."
Crossing her arms, she stared at his phone with laser-like intensity. The maid senshi was very sure she used to be very good at this. Or was at least assisted by someone very good at this. "It should definitely be used as a selfie spot. And maybe include some framing, or psuedo-interactive elements? And a hashtag of course." Another pause, "Burning for you? As in the line from the 1981 Blue Oyster Cult hit."
A look of panic, "Would it get a copyright strike, though?!"
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:11 pm
“Not if I don’t use the song itself, right? N’hell, maybe that can be part of it too! People flock to the…what..movements against the man? Down with big copyright, up with free expression? The city’s trash compactors wanna keep us down! But no one..†Suddenly serious as he turned till he could see the glow of the screen across her high cheekbones, painted lips. Till he was sure, between the two of them, they could manage research properly. Ready to hand the hunk of technology over if need be.
Because Hestia was right, wasn’t she? Smart as steel wool, clever as the strongest cleanser. He needed to make his mania into a mission! Not just a way to burn the world anymore…no...it needed to be more than that! An expression and beacon all in one, the kind of thing people could get behind, both fun and flammable!
“And I mean no one.â€
Already he was thinking of ways to swatch colors meant to stay on brick, to resist the slip of steel, to cling to concrete in the brightest ways. The kind it’d take savvy store owners four coats or more to cover up correctly.
“Can stop the fires of our love, Hestiaâ€
And if he looked at it that way? Then ********, it was a city restoration project as much as it was an arson gone right, wasn’t it? He’d burn it down, they’d clean it up, there would be fruit nailed to walls, trash men out in force! They’d create a whole field of jobs with what they’d do!
“Sides?†Serious gone, smiles tilted to ten, grinning and joyous about her brainy idea. “If one saying goes down, then ten more hashtags come up. It can keep it fresh, on a cycle, I can leave things behind worth using for those who wander by to admire it? They’ll be participants…like..a living display? Cans of pray-paint in interesting colors? Nail guns – banana peels? It’ll add texture to the concept…yeah? More n’just fire! I mean, s**t, didn’t that banana taped to a wall guy get super famous only after someone ate the damn thing n’stapled the remains to it?†He snorted, soft and giddy, his mood seemingly improved by her every new suggestion.
“N’you’re sure you don’t mind…I mean…helping with all this? I know you’re busy..†Sometimes, truly, he worried about Everly. The way people like her and Mizuki seemed to make their homes primarily within the shelter of their powers, but ********? Who was he to judge on this one, to claim they weren't as happy as the rest of the team who did nine-fives and had mortgages n’electirc bills? Specially not when his core belief was that Senshi should be allowed to be Senshi all the time…
In another life they would’ve been able to rock butt bows and tiaras twentyfourseven…
But no, apparently they lived in a ‘society’ now, had t’keep up appearances of what they’d left. Though in his mind the sharpest knives of girls n’sponge laden spies on his team were far more Batman than Bruce Wayne. The cowl was their identity, n’he wasn’t about to ******** with that.
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:14 pm
As Albite built up the intensity of his coming declaration, Hestia tensed, body coiling like a tightly wound spring. And at that solemn declaration, that soul bound oath, she released the full fury of her support. Springing up, arms out and fists shaking, she gave a fierce (if silent) cheer.
She had absolutely no idea what he meant by bananas and staples, but that was because she didn't have his artist's soul. Where she could have the seed of a vision, he had the capacity for vast murals of sight, sound, and an ever deepening cascade of words. Bright and bombastic in every way, where Faustite was the flame in the darkness that drew her, Albite was simply the sun. Warm, blinding, and sharing his brilliance with even the most distant moons.
"I have...some people. Outside. I'll tell them to help, too." She should do more.
Even if the other senshi thought she should maybe do less? Hestia shook her head at the question, "Headache doesn't have the same nutritional requirements as Faustite, so my days have been much...emptier." But if she thought too much about it, about persisting, whole and hale, while Faustite was too damaged to be seen or present to this degree...she would perhaps need to lay down in one of those flaming dumpsters.
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:15 pm
“Headache…†like spitting tar off his tongue, but he shook off the weight of the mood dampener away before it grew heavy and rainy in his mind. He wasn’t about to let the mention of the mimic he loathed most ruin his budding vision of a good time! To mar his countenance when Hestia clearly had feelings too! Helpful ones…sad ones, maybe?
“Ah…you miss him, huh?†Small and full of empathy, of a shrug that held a what-more-can-we-do wince. “It’s okay, yanno. T’miss him..cause I know dealing with Headache isn’t the same. Bugs can’t hold a candle to our GK, not even when he looks the part.†Aiming for amicable as he flashed her a gentler smile.
“If it gets to be too much…you can always add that t’one of the things you do? Sometimes a dumpster fire can be a chance for a real unconventional barbeque….a lava-dancing luau? We can call in the team and make it a whole back-alley block party! Plus?! If you know some friends…then I know some fire swallowers…we can make this work.†He didn’t mention how grateful he was to be more than entertained, to see Hestia take it silently seriously as she did every competitive task she set her sights too. He didn’t have the words to say how much he appreciated her..
Maybe he’d paint it on the side of a wall?
“N’wether he’s out there…or down below…or…idunno? Doesn’t matter cause m’sure he’ll be back with us eventually.†Because imagining anything else would make him ruin Hestias apron with frustrated tears, he didn’t need to learn just yet if she’d also outclass him in planning a funeral. Not when having her help planning a celebratory art sensation geared to sweep the nation hadn’t even fully started yet.
“Now…what looks fancier to you? Acetylene or thermite?â€
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2025 10:15 pm
"If it weren't for keeping a home and place for him to come back to in good order, it would be...difficult to get up, I suppose." It felt strange to lack the True North that was Faustite. He'd been gone before, but it had been different from this. But it was also rather unfair to the General King, to have someone's existence rely so fixedly on his own.
Her eyes slid to Albite and she offered a peaceful smile. At least she knew she wasn't alone in that feeling and the selfishness of need that latched so firmly onto their leader.
"When we have him back, we should make him a holiday." Not a birthday, nothing so mundane and unworthy. "Faustmas? Faustival? And we'll light fires then, too."
With a wistful sigh, she answered, "Thermite. Doesn't it resemble him?"
