sevenhorrors | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: A couple of Katsumoris and whoever
When: July 29th late night/July 30th early morning
Where: the school grounds
What: stargazing time!
Warnings: N/A

[wheremst is this school? Miskatonic Smith and Star are journeying out to confirm constellations! and may even stay out past curfew, oh my. surely, it's fine.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

How many have you been to...?

Just the two, technically. But everyone's reacted surprised to mention of it.

Edited 2025-07-31 01:11 (UTC)

Technically.

[seems curious, but doesn't push further]

To be fair, it is surprising. I imagine it's not possible for many people.

[this is why Star is a favorite, in fact.]

Ah. I meant the moon. I've only mentioned the having been to different worlds to only a few... though. I'm finding it hard to bother with keeping it an unknown when our curse likes to have its say.

[thinks for a moment]

I suppose it's up to you, how much you divulge. Clever wording can accomplish a good deal, but I imagine it's a relief not to have to worry about that.

There are far more dangerous things to keep secret that I need to put my efforts toward.

[...]

I won't ask.

Thank you for your understanding, Miss Star.

Now. Shall we?

[gestures to the door]

[nods and moves to open it as they go out]

[and out they go! being in a supposed middle of nowhere rural area means the stars are likely very bright and visible in the sky.

it won't take too long to determine it's the same sky in the book.

and, really, Miskatonic Smith doesn't even need to look at the book.

he stops short the moment the night sky's visible.]

[when she comes out, she pauses for a moment as well, looking up with an unreadable expression - but it barely registers in comparison to his, and she glances his way again. silent for now, waiting.]

[he's quiet for a long moment, then with a smile, keeping in mind there is still an audience of a sort,]

There's every possibility this could also be an elaborate illusion by whatever entity brought us here, of course.

[but also he's not looking away from the sky.]

That's possible.

[but apart from that, she's not going to affect this moment for him - or for herself, honestly.]

[he's shaky. not unlike during that locked room where the first met. but face is still normal, at least.

except for smile and bit of tears conflicting with each other--he's going to be pressing a hand to his eyes to try to stem that, though. ruins the act. voice only a little unsteady despite this.]

... it's very strange, isn't it? Seeing a different sky than you're used to.

It is.

[she's been reticent and withdrawn since she arrived here, and that's not really changing now, but after a moment:]

I don't recognize these, but... It's been a while since I've seen any stars, too. So I believe I understand, at least in part.

[weirdly, it pulls a kind of sputtered laugh. like he didn't mean to.]

Ah, I think you might, also.

If you'd like... Orion and his belt is usually one of the easier ones to find.

[looks up again]

What does it mean?

[clears his throat, a little abandoning trying to wipe away evidence--it's dark anyway--as he points up.]

There's different names for the constellations. The most widely known are the Western ones, a number of them based on Greek Mythology. Orion was a mighty hunter who became so famous, the gods painted him in the sky, is the story. Three bright stars in a row are his belt.

If you follow the downward angle, you'll find the brightest star, Sirius.

[gazing up, for now forgetting to look back at him]

Do you have a favorite? Of the patterns, or the myths.

I didn't, before. The city lights made it difficult to see them, often, so I never really spent much time looking.

[lowering his arm to consider now.]

[waits while he considers, scanning them again]

[a bit of an embarrassed smile, after a moment.]

Please don't take it the wrong way, I just remembered a summertime story for the stars.

There's an ancient Chinese story of Zhinü and Niulang--forbidden lovers banished to be separated by the heavenly river. The river being the Milky Way and... I think... the stars were... Vega and Altair?

[if only he could go on the internet and double-check himself, alas.]

A similar story comes up in other cultures--Tanabata festival in Japan, for example. Because the story goes that on the 7th day of the 7th month, the lovers can reuinte.

[quiet for a moment]

Seems bittersweet enough for a myth.

Mmm... I wouldn't doubt there was a real tale of that nature at some point that moved people enough to immortalize it.

[humans do the thing all the time, after all.]

Edited 2025-07-31 02:37 (UTC)

Perhaps. But people like to weave stories out of smaller details, too... Like the pattern of the stars.