soaringlikeashootingstar

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"Do you really think I look beautiful?"

Nothing made her happier than chosen to play the role of Goddess at the Flower Festival. Nothing but how Vash had been coming to every festival for an entire year now. The fact he'd agreed to do so, when she invited the previous year, it made her happy. But the more time she spent with him. The more they got to know each other, even though he didn't talk much at all about his past, it had become a dream.

There was no mistake that she had feelings for him. But she had the grace not to push those feelings. She didn't hide them in any way, but she'd let him choose whether or not he reciprocated them.

"I think you look very handsome, too. Those flowers opened this morning, I made the flower jewelry myself. I have every year since I grew up. You look better than any Harvest King I've ever seen."

And everyone was watching in admiration. Everyone talking and chattering with happiness. Flowers were everywhere, but only the two of them were dressed up. They were the God and Goddess of the festival this year, and their dance would symbolically usher in the fresh flowers of the spring.

Or so the tale was.

"They're about to start the music. The Harvest King always dances with the Flower Goddess."

Which is when she held out her hand.

"I would be honored to be your dance partner."

@peacehunted

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"I just recently turned twenty two. I know I'm not too old yet, but I don't mind. I'm not a kid, and that means I can do things a kid can't do by themselves."

She spoke, her voice as lovely as cherry blossoms on a spring day, pink petals flowing in the wind, just as her long, curly pink hair flowed in the breeze. Her grip was gentle, and her movements held a natural grace that she exuded effortlessly.

"I still live with my family, but everyone does in this village. We're all a very close community. And even though I don't even know your name, you looked down. I couldn't let someone feel sad, when there are so many beautiful things around. Not without trying to cheer them up!"

Sadness was unavoidable sometimes. That wasn't going to stop her gentle nature from either listening, or trying to help them smile. Popuri saw magic in the world. Magic in his eyes, which was why she had originally made the request. Love and beauty were in everything, and everyone. People were to be accepted for who they were, you weren't to try and change someone.

...Her face lightly turned pink. She was thinking of a sweetheart of her own. Selectively mute, maybe, but she had a crush on him anyway. The ranch owner's son.

Once they'd arrived at the Goddess Spring, there was a brilliant blue bud in the center.

"Will you please sit here? I think you'll look wonderful next to the bloom."

Releasing his hand, the woman walked, before carefully moving a branch on a nearby tree. A beam of sunlight broke through. Within seconds, that small blue bud opened up to one of the most stunning, most rare flowers around. She had carefully cultivated it since the early spring.

"Isn't it beautiful? It usually opens more late in the day, but when the sunlight strokes its bud, it quickly opens up! Isn't that magical? I hope it can help you feel better. My name is Popuri, by the way. I'm sorry that I didn't introduce myself sooner."

"Hmm~? How old are you?" Nikolai questioned before nodding his head.

"If you wish to show me something, I'll come along." He didn't smile, but he took the offered hand of the girl. "I'd be happy to come along and you can show me the special something.."

He'd follow her where she lead him. Though his foot steps dragged a bit.

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

...Did he just get beaten? With words? That was usually his strong suit. He may not have been much of a fighter, but his words were sharp as knives. What was the deal lately, was he losing his touch? This brat had no right to be better than he was when he was younger. Sorta showed how emotionally insecure 'Ray' really was.

He was as mean as possible, so nobody had to see how much he actually cared about people. He wanted to take this guy in a chokehold, and he couldn't even do that. He was outright stunned. What was he supposed to say to that? Wild. The squirrel of a million words, speechless. But he had to say something. Maybe... this was a good thing. Maybe if someone could go through something extreme, and still stay happy... Better he be the one who suffered than someone else.

He was realizing that a lot lately.

"You're a strange one. Strange, but not stupid. You're right. I shouldn't make assumptions. Be happy, be merry."

Don't make the same mistakes I did.

"I'll let you go back to what you were doing, golden boy. Its been a real treat."

That was where this should have ended. Until he saw the light red on Ray's arm. It wasn't a gash, but it was moderately sized enough, a scratch, for it to catch his attention. He lost the smooth expression, and though he may have looked annoyed, his words and actions completely betrayed that expression.

"What did you do?"

A nurse was always to keep a well stocked kit. Within literal seconds, Briar is bandaging Ray's arm.

"Do you know how dangerous infections are? All it takes is one second. You won't be through much more if you go into a coma due to bacteria."

❝…You're giving me advice? Then I'll give you some: you shouldn't assume that someone hasn't also been through the wringer just based on how they act.❞ 

— ☆⋆˙ CADENCE DROPPING, REACHING A TERRITORY of a more serious nature, he speaks rather bluntly towards his iteration. In spite of the way he becomes firmer, that smile lingers on his mouth, tugging at his lips with a seemingly endless halcyon, and he remains kind in his words.

❝I've got my own laundry list, y'know? But that's not here or there. I'm trying to make the most of what time I have left… and maybe once you can see that you've trapped all your grace, you'll try to join me.❞ 

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"How stupid are you?"

Eye twitch. He was trying to do a service. He'd seen this iteration of himself bouncing around and having fun. Might as well be nice, and remind him how cruel and horrible the world was. And now he was trying to be nice? Hands balled into fists. How much of a jerk did a guy have to be these days?

"The only thing talking solves is physical health problems. If I wasn't a professional, I'd--"

Don't let him get to you. Don't show emotion. Don't let him remind you of him.

"...I'm leaving. The only cure for stupid is experience. Just wait. You'll see. And when you're crying your eyes out, I'll be entertained, because I tried to warn you."

@soaringlikeashootingstar asked: "You're too young and stupid to understand the world." || Ray @ Ray because I can 83 ||

❝Aw, that's not nice to say to someone you just met… but I get it. Maybe I can change your mind? First impressions can be deceiving, after all! Uhm, you can come back to the tent, if you want. We don't have a lot right now, though… maybe some Malta and yuca fries?… And you can talk about it?❞ 

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"Yes, loss is a difficult thing to deal with. Painful memories may fade into scars, but scars never go away. My fervent hope, is that we may pave bright memories, and remind ourselves that scars are just as beautiful as any other feature, whether physical, emotional, or both. I've come to learn so much, and yet, there is still so much left to learn."

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"Without my looks, I'll have nothing. That's why."

Now he'd just flat out emotionally shut down. Which made it easy to speak earnestly. If he wasn't as good looking as he was, nobody would be interested in him. He dated a man one week, the next, he was onto another. It was just for fun, and if he didn't leave, he'd get left. No emotional investment. It was better to be alone. If you didn't emotionally invest yourself in someone, you couldn't get hurt.

Maybe that was why he had no actual friends. Just a phone book of men who wanted him on their arm for the sake of appearances. He had his pick of anyone. And not a single bit of it was any form of meaningful.

"Did I ever insult your appearance? I told you, I was looking for a reaction. You're fairly pretty. You may only have one eye, but who cares how many eyes a person has? It's the beauty of an eye that matters, and your eye is beautiful. I'm not saying this to be nice to you, I'm saying it because that's what I see.

Maybe it's not the same for you, I don't know your situation. But here, even from early childhood, we're judged for our appearances. Our identities. Who we choose to be with. It's ingrained in most of us, that appearance is everything. If a woman isn't curvy, or slender. If she doesn't wear beautiful clothes. She's shunned. If a man isn't slender, or buff. If he doesn't behave confidently and without emotion. He's shunned. That's just the world. It's a cold, dark place, and only an idiot would trust someone with their heart.

Is that enough of a detailed explanation for you?"

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “Sounds like it sucks to be you. Sweets make me happy, shouldn't you eat things because they make you happy instead of what they make you look like? I tell you, frivolous lot.” To be fair, it wasn't like she was slender. Did she care? Not really. She dusts off the rest of the lettuce from her hair and her chest. Her curiosity led her to munch on one of the leaves… bland, not even any dressing—seriously? This girl was judging.

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “She's too busy trying to figure out her body to get worried about some random dude being mean to her… She'll most likely forgive you, though.” That sentence had her shrug. “Just—ugh, why is appearance so important to you mobians? As soon as someone looks like us—like aliens—you're mean. I'm just returning the vibe here.”

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"I don't eat things like that. Not only is sugar bad for the skin, and hair luminosity, it'll kill your joints. Plus, if I don't watch my figure, no one else will. An hour on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. She's a sweet girl. I was saying it to get a reaction, and the reaction I got was not what I was expecting.

I dare say I might even apologize. She reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone who had the same reaction. I'm not heartless. I can't say those kinds of things to someone like that. You were a lot more fun."

Defense mechanism at its finest. Make people hate you. If you befriended people, they'd only hurt you in the end. A simple apology would do, and that'd be the end of it. This was why he didn't like dealing with nice people. It felt very wrong to insult them. He couldn't do it. Better to avoid them.

"An apology, and I'll be out of her life forever. Simple as that. Even I acknowledge that everyone deserves to feel happy with who they are. I just wish she'd actually gotten defensive."

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— She squints her eye as the package was offered to her.

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “I've already ate. You know what I had? Delicious strawberry tart, made by my best friend Blossy. Maybe she'd make you some if you weren't so far up your ass.”

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"See what happens when you insult a devastatingly beautiful man's looks? If you say you're sorry, I'll skip the dessert. I know you'll love it."

A hand is placed in his bag. Gotta love hospital food, what an exciting trip home after a shift.

"Creamed corn."

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “GAH!! Bleeh!!!”

    ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “You horrible thing! That almost got in my eye!” Miss lady wasn't expecting physical retaliation.

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"A balanced diet is good for the soul."

And just wouldn't you know it? He had a fresh salad on person! Enjoy, because he's just thrown it in your face, miss one eyed alien.

"...Are you hungry? Do you need some lettuce?"

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"...Are you hungry? Do you need some lettuce?"

  ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚— “All of you mobians are ugly to me… Frivolous little things, how pathetic! Mortals focus on such ridiculous things, maybe make a better use of your short, pathetic lives.”

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"Are you salty because you can't get a date for the royal ball, princess? If it'll appease you, I can give you one of my extras."

"You deserved that. Picking on teenagers... what a fragile ego."

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"I wonder if I'd have more success if I wore a dress shaped like a pumpkin."

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

Well damn. Way to make him feel like a jerk. He was a jerk, but you didn't have to make him feel like one.

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"Sometimes I think about how devastatingly beautiful I am. But when I say men are blinded by my beauty, I don't mean it literally.

They get their eyesight back within a day or two."

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

@lilbluespeedster Said: "When were you going to ask me about this?" Lil' motioned to whatever his squirrel boyfriend had been looking at or holding onto, his curiosity getting the better of him at that moment.

"The idea was never."

He didn't really want to dwell on the hedgehog's lack of success. And he certainly wasn't about to express his desires for a similar career choice. That was a secret, and nobody was ever going to be allowed to know that. Nobody. He had an obligation to his studies. But he couldn't help being curious about the guitar. Not because he wanted to play it, more so, its design.

"There's nothing to ask. But everything gets so dusty around here so quickly, commissioning a large house was a huge mistake. In any case, I was cleaning it. What image would you give off if an agent saw a smear on your guitar?"

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"I'm hardly a kid anymore! But maybe I can show you a magic trick instead?"

Maybe she could bring a real smile to his face. Or that was what she was hoping for.

"Will you come with me for a moment? I promise it'll be special."

She held out her ever so delicate hand. Popuri was as beautiful as the flowers she grew.

"Only if you'd like to."

[soaringlikeashootingstar]

"When the sun shines in spring, I get really happy. Plants only need so much water, but they need a lot of sunshine. I can see when the buds bloom, it's my favorite thing to watch. It's nice to have my dad back home, too. Spring is when everything feels right with the world, no matter what's happening."