( hitch your wagon to a star )

[bottecellie]

the stargazing meme

oo1. comment with your characters
make sure to put names, series, & preferences somewhere!
you can use < ! > sans the spaces to make the comment "blank"
oo2. reply to others in character
oo3. use the rng and enter 1-10
oo4. play out what happens -- anything goes!
oo5. profit? oh yeah!

prompts

one → meteor shower you just saw a falling star! and another! make a wish!
two → aliens what was that? was that really? omg no way a ufo!
three → lunar eclipse you've been sitting out for hours, waiting for this. it's so cool!
four → comet does it move fast or slow? either way, it's amazing.
five → full moon the moon is so huge! just don't look too long, it's really bright too.
six → star dust anything can happen in space. make up your own plot!
seven → solar eclipse this might be happening in the middle of the day!
eight → planet sighting is that a new star? nope, just a neighbor in the solar system!
nine → constellations do you know the stories behind these odd patterns?
ten → deep space normal stargazing isn't that much fun. you got a telescope!

taken from here.

Comments

[coding]

[Chihiro smiles at the words, pleased, a slight flush rising up to his cheeks. He shifts to the side, letting Ryoji look and angling his own gaze up. Even like this it's beautiful, but--]

It's...really something else, when you look at it through a telescope.

[And there's why he brought it, besides just wanting to help.]

[novemberlover]

Maybe I should have brought two. [Ryoji steps away from the telescope, smiling thoughtfully. Then, almost as though he'd only just remembered he had it, he passes Chihiro the soda. They're going to be here a while, after all - might as well keep up their strength.] We'll probably be switching back and forth a lot.

[But he moves to take a seat by the graphing paper, silently ceding the right to look first to Chihiro.]

I never thought you'd be so interested in this, Fujisaki-kun. I've never seen you smile like that.

[coding]

[Chihiro is moving toward the telescope now, though pauses at the words. He flushes, self-conscious, and looks down as he shifts from foot to foot, twisting his hands together.] Mm... I like it a bit...

Is it...strange? [Computers and programming are his passion, of course, but he has an interest in astronomy, other aspects of science. And...they're not hobbies that others need to be around to have fun with, not really.

Though this is kind of fun, even if it's for school.]

[novemberlover]

A little bit. I suppose I just wasn't expecting it from you, Fujisaki-kun.

...but it's nice. [He tries to sound encouraging, because he really does want to encourage the other boy. Just because they all have something they're the best at, better than anyone else their age in all of Japan, doesn't mean there can't be other things they like. It's a good thing, and a little humbling that Chihiro seems to struggle with it a lot less than Ryoji does.] It's certainly turning out to be a good thing for me, isn't it?

[coding]

[Some of the tension that's always quick to rise in Chihiro (just as quick to go) fades away as Ryoji goes on speaking. He smiles once more, glancing back to his classmate before glancing down to the soda in his hands, pulling the tab and taking a drink.]

I was a little surprised, when you asked me, but... [Ah, well, that's not too important.

As he leans to look in the telescope he goes on,] Sometimes when I was younger...I'd be working on programs and, before I knew it, it was already night-time... So I'd end up looking at the stars.

[novemberlover]

I suppose that only makes sense. I would have thought you'd just watch television, or read, but...especially if you're high up like this, I suppose it's only natural.

[As a psychic, rather than a fortune teller, Ryoji had never had much to do with the stars or anything associated with them. He'd always been too busy working, or taking calls, or hanging out with friends, to give the sky above his head a second thought.

Funny, how a school assignment can change things. School in general seems good for that, really. Ryoji is sometimes surprised at how much he's changed since coming here.]

Um...s-so, do you see anything interesting? Maybe anything like a planet?

[coding]

Um...not yet. [Chihiro shifts, moving the telescope to afford him a new angle of the sky. His breath catches in surprise.] Oh, wait--

[He checks again, adjusts the telescope so what he's found is in the centre. Straightening up, he looks at Ryoji.] I think there's something... Have a look, Mochizuki-kun?

[Don't rely on his own judgement, nope.]

[novemberlover]

[But Chihiro has such adorable judgement. Or at least, Ryoji thinks so.

All the same, Ryoji is too excited by the possibility to think that far. So he hastens back to the telescope, ducking down to look.] Where is it? Over here? [He tilts the telescope in entirely the wrong direction at first, before turning it back and...] Oh! It's so bright. Over here, Fujisaki-kun?

[coding]

[Adorable judgement? N-nah...]

Ah, no, the other way-- [But Ryoji finds it on his own and he laughs quietly.]

Yeah, there, I think that's about right, [he says after he checks the position of the telescope quickly.] It's pretty easy to see, isn't it?

[novemberlover]

[The most adorable of judgements.]

If you only know to look for it... [Ryoji is smiling in relief and happiness, but he doesn't look up. Instead, he gestures vaguely to his right, where the paper is still weighted down.] Fujisaki-kun, could you please mark the position? I think this is... [And he gives off a set of generally, basically accurate star coordinates. Ryoji did do some homework before embarking on this mad expedition, after all.]

[coding]

[But he wants to have the manliest of judgements!]

Oh, right-- [He trots toward the paper and nods to himself. He marks down the star in question and then carries the paper over to the other boy at the telescope.] There, I've got it, Mochizuki-kun!

[novemberlover]

Perfect. One down, and the entire night to go.

[But, really, Ryoji is looking forward to it. He started swerving the telescope back and forth in search of yet more stars.]

Do you mind if I tell other students that you're tutoring me like this, Fujisaki-kun?

[coding]

Hm? [Chihiro sets down the paper for now and moves to where he'd left his drink, cupping it between palms.]

I don't mind, if you want to. [Though he wonders why Ryoji would?] Though I don't know if I'd call it tutoring...it's just helping, a bit...

[novemberlover]

Ah! Here's another one! Right here. [He stalls by giving Chihiro some more coordinates.

Then, smiling, he adds:] Tutoring is just helping a bit. Especially if you're good at it. You're so smart, Fujisaki-kun.

[coding]

[Ah-- And Chihiro goes to jot down on the paper once more, glancing up.

Predictably, he blushes a bit...]

I-I'm not that smart, really...there are others who are a lot smarter than me. [He's just good at a couple of things! This just so happened to fall within his sphere of interests.]

[novemberlover]

Maybe. But everyone else I asked said no to me. So I suppose I'll really never know for sure.

[While Ryoji doesn't directly look at Chihiro, he catches sight of the boy's blush out of the corner of his eye. He ides the smile by tilting the telescope a bit.]

That's not to say you were my last choice, or anything like that! Sorry. I guess that must have sounded a bit impolite.

[coding]

No... Not at all, it's okay. I mean, you probably have a lot of other friends to ask, don't you, Mochizuki-kun?

[He's such a nice guy, after all. Chihiro can't not imagine him having a bunch. Though he supposes not everyone wants to hang out all night to help out with schoolwork...]

[novemberlover]

No. Not at all.

I mean...I don't have many friends.

[There's Minato, and Junpei, but that's really it. Their friends tolerate him, for Minato and Junpei's sake, but that's really the extent of it.]

So...I guess I was hoping we could be friends.

[coding]

[Chihiro blinks in surprise at that, turning to look at Ryoji properly.]

I-I'm sorry, I just thought... [Since he's so nice. But, ah, his breath catches a second later--] Really? You'd like to be...?

[novemberlover]

Very much so. [And now Ryoji is blushing, and there's no hiding it.] I mean...I really do need help with my homework. Most of it, actually. But...is that okay?

[It is with a supreme effort of will that he manages to even glance back at Chihiro.]

[coding]

[Ah, he's blushing... Usually, Chihiro's the one blushing or tearing up or otherwise. So it has him smiling, fidgeting a little despite himself.]

It's okay. [His tone is earnest, warm with emotion:] I'd like to be friends with you.