The Stargazing Meme

[unfavorable]

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!

Comments

9: constellations (since i never remember what # is which)

[waterfell]

[The only person nearby was a dark-haired girl, Asian to judge from her appearance. She was sitting on a blanket of her own, though she hadn't quite succumbed enough to lay back among the grass.

There was a momentary ripple of surprise at a stranger addressing her, and a double-check to be sure that the girl was addressing her. It was the sort of statement that seemed to want an answer. After a moment, Ami responded neutrally. The clear night was a compelling force.]

You can see the stars very clearly. [Her eyes marked a particular set, picking them out among the myriad lights.] Virgo is especially bright.

constellations

[theartofboom]

[The Planeswalker regarded the girl out of the corner of her eye, a glint of moonlight catching her goggles. Features like Asian meant little to Chandra, though the girl did remind her of a resident of Kamigawa. Chandra's own tanned skin and fiery red hair were a stark contrast to Ami's dark curls and pale skin.

Coolly she followed the girl's gaze towards the stars]

I'm not familiar with this set of stars. But if that's Virgo, it is pretty bright.

[waterfell]

[That only makes Ami more surprised. It's a constellation, and star sign, most people would know in her experience - unless they were from very far away indeed.]

Which do you know? Show me.

[theartofboom]

[Chandra smiled knowingly, and waved her hand dismissively at the stars.]

None of them. I'm...not from around here. Though I'm curious, what's the story behind Virgo?

[waterfell]

Virgo is the Virgin. She's usually associated with several fertility and grain goddesses in various cultures and histories. [Which is a little ironic.]

[theartofboom]

Heh. [She snorts out a soft laugh] Really?

Kind of a screwed up plane, if virgins are symbols of fertility, don't ya think?

[waterfell]

Maybe it's because, in many cultures, a virgin is supposed to become a mother eventually. [Ami doesn't say whether she wants this for herself. A family is something... very unlikely to happen in her future, regardless of her view.]

[theartofboom]

Sure, I guess.

[A flippant reply, it isn't that she doesn't care, it's just that she's not much for philosophy. She does point to another cluster of stars]

How about that one?

[waterfell]

That one is Leo. It's known as the lion, or the king star. [Ami's interest in astronomy may be sneaking out here.] It's said to resemble a lion walking.

[theartofboom]

Leo, huh? You're interested in this stuff then?

[Astronomy isn't really her thing]

Take it you're from around here?

[waterfell]

I'm from not too far away. I came out here to be away from the city lights. They interfere with the view of the night sky.

[theartofboom]

[Chandra rolls over and leans on her elbow, giving the stranger more attention]

So you are local then? What's the name of this plane?

[Suddenly more interested]

[waterfell]

[Up until then, she could tell herself this person simply wasn't interested enough in astronomy to have studied the constellations. But-]

Plane? [She feigns more ignorance than she really feels. But 'Mizuno Ami' does not enter into a discussion about the multiverse and different worlds. Contact between her own reality and others has not always been... peaceful.]

[theartofboom]

[Those ruby red lips pursed into a sly smile. Clearly a local. And a little ignorant as well.]

Plane. Universe. Reality. World. Whatever you want to call it. It's all part of the Multiverse.

What's it called?

[waterfell]

[She gives the proper answer for the lie.]

Theories regarding that are still unproven at best. [A trifle dismissive. She won't be led into this discussion.]

[theartofboom]

Really now? So you...haven't made contact with other worlds?

[She sounds absolutely incredulous. All trace of boredom gone.]

Where the hell have I ended up?

[waterfell]

[Ami's studied skepticism belies her deeper reaction: suspicion, and alertness to a possible threat. She remains neutral in the interest of learning more about Chandra.]

You're in Japan. [She takes note of Chandra's reaction to this news.]

[theartofboom]

Japan? Huh, that's...a simple enough name to remember.

[Chandra rolls back over onto her back, sighing audibly]

Backwater, undeveloped planes. How do I keep finding all the weird ones?

Who are you anyway, hydromancer?

[waterfell]

[She lies, of course, bare-faced, brushing it all off casually.]

I don't know who you are, either, but you've been wrong on every point so far. [There's a hint of laughter behind the words.]

[theartofboom]

Oh? So somehow I've left the entire Multiverse, despite having Planeswalked here deliberately. And this place that you say is called Japan isn't backwater, despite having zero bearing on any other plane?

[Chandra looks back at Ami, her expression smug.]

I'd call that two points in my favor, hydromancer. And let's not play that game, I can feel the mana in you.

[waterfell]

You've made a mistake. You seem to be feeling unwell. [The brushoff is as casual as the first, but the mood of the peaceful evening is soured.]

[theartofboom]

If you say so.

[Chandra looks back up at the sky, unconcerned.]

Call me Chandra, by the way.

[waterfell]

I'm Ami Mizuno. [A foreigner - to say the least - receives her name in the western order. It comes with no friendly invitation to call her Ami.]

[theartofboom]

[The frost only cements her opinion that the girl is a hydromancer. And the name, sounds watery.]

Right. Ami. You always this...rime-encrusted?

[waterfell]

[The opinion is, of course, entirely fact. But Ami will be the last person to say it. She seems to be considering the question for a moment before she answers.]

This is how I am.