#starlights legend of the shooting star

[eldrigeonsss]

NAH CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR FNC HEADCANONS AND THE CONSTELLATION ONE CAUGHT MY EYE IMMEDIATE MENTAL LINK

DUUUUDE THE CONSTELLATION ONE IS FUN :D

It starts out just with Chip telling stories about different constellations and the legends surrounding them. Talks about how some people believe all the most brilliant heroes end up in the stars when they die, and how others believe that the stars are the dust left over after the gods carved the sun. How shooting stars are sometimes seen as one of those great heroes returning to the earth to be reborn, and other times seen as a chance to make a wish. Maybe a shooting star streams across the sky one of those nights, and Chip asks Gillion what he wished for. Gillion gets a bit nervous, trying to figure out a way to explain it that isn't weird, before quietly whispering "I wished that I could be with you guys in every universe." Chip might cry. After that, Chip ends up asking Gillion if his people have any similar stories. Gillion hums and talks about the hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean, how legend says that all life originated from them, and that there is a great titan who once watched over them, this massive flatworm that went by the name Cambria. Chip listens with wrapped attention the whole time, occasionally slipping in some jokes and earning either a smile and a light chuckle or a scowl and a reminder not to be disrespectful to the leviathans from Gillion. He decides that as long as he gets to hear about Gillion's world, gets to feel like he's being gently gifted a part of Gillion, he doesn't really mind either reaction.

"As for wishes...." Gillion starts, rolling over on his stomach and peering at Chip next to him. "There is a Sea Wolf, who makes her way into people's dreams, when she knows they need her most. She will ask you for a wish, and if it is truly a beautiful wish that sets your heart alight and fills your soul with purpose, she will grant it." "How does she judge that? Is it just a wish she likes??" "If she is in your dreams, then I suppose she probably can access many things. Knowing whether or not you are truly sincere in your wishes is probably not hard." Gillion leans over Chip. "What would you wish for?" Chip is about to say something stupid, like unlimited bacon, but then he looks up, and his breath catches in his throat. Gillion's coral crown glows faintly, creating a soft halo of light around his soft green hair, that drapes down over him, a few strands just centimeters away from tickling Chip's nose. His pupils are blown out from the dark, capturing the starlight around them as he smiles, gazing down with that same curiosity that Chip fell in love with all that time ago. Chip reaches up with a hand, brushing a thumb across Gillion's cheek. He stares up in awe as the triton looks down at him with just as much admiration. "I'd wish for you to kiss me-" Chip blurts out, not enough time to backtrack on his words before Gillion leans down, pressing his cool lips to Chip's.

It is as incredible as the first time, just as gentle, but this time with far less uncertainty on either side. Far less urgency, far less expectation. Just the two of them pressed up against each other, kissing slowly and lazily, nowhere to be but in each other's company beneath the stars.

[hananoami]

[Another Dawnbreak] event is coming soon

As the light pierces through the night, continue the legend of Lumiere alongside him. Participate in the event and instantly claim 4-Star Solar Memory Pair [Xavier: Veiled Guardian], [Xavier: Veiled Starlight], 3-Star Memory [Xavier: Real Look], [Deepspace Wish: Limited10], [Diamond500], Couple Poses, Exclusive Title and more!

■ Event Duration: May 13, 05:00 AM to May 27, 4:59 AM (Server Time) ■ Purchase Center Expires At: May 28, 4:59 AM (Server Time) ■ Stunt Shooting: Unlock storyline, get 4-Star Memory and Diamonds for FREE

Check out shooting consultant Xavier and unlock the anecdotes of the Legends of Lumiere! Complete the shootings and claim the limited 4-Star Memory [Xavier: Veiled Guardian] and [Diamond*500]!

■ Companion Rehearsal: Fight alongside Lumiere and get 4-Star Memory for FREE

Challenge the Rehearsal Stage to fight alongside the new Companion [Xavier: Lumiere]! First-clear will grant you the limited 4-Star Memory [Xavier: Veiled Starlight]! *In the first update after the event, Xavier's 4-Star Memory Pair [VL] will enter [Galaxy Explorer]. You may obtain them by exploring Silver Galaxy and Radiant Galaxy.

■ Purchase Center: Complete tasks and redeem fabulous rewards

Participate in the event and collect [Supply Voucher] to redeem: Limited 3-Star Memory [Xavier: Real Look], [Deepspace Wish: Limited*10] Couple Pose [Xavier: Commitment], Exclusive Title [Moonlit Knight] Chat Bubble [Starry Brilliance], Background Music [Under the Moon], Photo Stickers and more!

[landofanimes]

☆ Three ☆ Lights ☆

Sailor Moon (Manga Stars Arc)

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Anime)

Sailor Stars | Eternal Legend (Bandai Musicals)

Starlights ☆ Legends of the Shooting Stars | The Advent of Princess Kakyuu (Bandai Musicals)

Le Mouvement Final (Nelke Musical)

Sailor Moon Cosmos (Anime)

Updated from this post: [x]

[forgotteneilionora]

OOC | The Citadel Ideas

ok so ive been daydreaming abt the land of stafford a good bit! and i have some thoughts id like to share!!

so, if we're using mont saint michel and/or st michael's mount (two diff but v similar places) as our inspo, i had some notions!! first, i think @thelongforgottenrealm had mentioned asp that stafford was located at the southeastern end of the country? or was that just in my imagination? anyway hahaha either way, if it is indeed on really ~any coastline a la the above references, perhaps it is also located on a tidal island where the tides make it sometimes accessible from the mainland, and sometimes not??? so its pr self-sufficient, and a bit of a feat to conquer bc a large vessel can't really besiege it bc its too narrow but at the same time a land army will literally be swept away in only a few hours' time etc?

regardless of the above, tho, im thinking it probs does more or less have the conical shape of mont saint michel/st michael's mount, but probs higher a la mont st michel? in fact, w the exception of the literal mountains of lorcan and kil-kennar, im thinking -- given the celestial ties of house stafford -- that the castle at the top is probs the tallest altitude in astaira? and certainly the tallest manmade structure in and of itself??

also that, when the sea washes in at night, that its super clear both re: the sea and the sky, and the water reflects back the stars so that you feel like, above and below, you're awash in an ocean of starlight???? and in the mornings a deep fog often swallows it up reflecting back the colors of dawn and basically its that ancient city-in-the-clouds motif, so you almost always feel like youre in the sky when you're at stafford???? and that its got this aurora borealis action too and just <33333 magical ~amongst the stars~ vibes <333333

also thinking abt how we said that the stafford swords might be meteor blades as well as the legend of how mont st michel was founded, and maybe, according to legend, the ancient ancestors of house stafford took a page out of the three wise men's book and followed three shooting stars to the spot. where they landed, they founded their citadel and turned the remnants of the three glittering stars, fallen to earth, to the three celestial blades famous of their house!

im thinking too that -- inspired by mont st michel and its historical building/collapse/rebuilding thing, that perhaps, at the pinnacle lies the ruins of the og keep, its great domed vault collapsed so that its now open to the stars and lowkey a kinda observatory kinda thing now???

also!!!!! im not done!!!!1 ;DDDDD what if, this being astaira, theyve got a hanging gardens of babylon kinda thing going, given the potentially? conical shape etc, where the whole place is a green garden, overflowing from one terrace to the next, where flowering trees and shrubs and even lakes and creeks (inspired too by eze) flow and just!!!!!! v idyllic (at least pr!roderick who knows now alksjdfkljdf)

finally, idk how up you guys are on the full history of mont saint michel, its various parts in wars w the english, its supposedly haunted situation, the angel supposedly having appointed its creation, its falling and rebuilding again and again in the early middle ages, the fact that it repelled one of the greatest generals to ever live, henry v, and stood proud and impregnable for centuries, its status as a center of pilgrimage and a sea port supposedly protected by st michael himself, its involvement in the theft of relics and reliquaries, its status as one of the worst jails in france after the hunted monks were expelled and it had fallen almost to ruin via the revolution its rebuilding, and so many other bits and piecees, but i thought we might also take some inspo from that esp re: roderick, too!

anyway some pics etc of st michael's mount and eze since ive got specific points abt them and they're more obscure than the hanging gardens/mont saint michel etc so i wasn't sure if i was making my point so well hahaha! anyway you can find them below the cut bc yeah idk if i described any of these things well at all!

EZE

so you guys may know all abt eze idk, but id never heard of eze before i went there. its on the french riviera, near monaco, and its a JAW DROPPER!!! its this medieval town w tiny, winding streets but it in no way feels oppressive bc every turn reveals a new tree and a constellation of bright flowers, and vines cheerfully winding all along the walls! and the ocean below is a shade of electric blue so brilliant it reminded me of our lizzy's eyes <3 terraced gardens are everywhere, and just when you think the dazzling sun is getting too bright you emerge into a covered alcove w a babbling fountain or lil flowing stream to delight and cool you, once supplying fresh drinking water to the citizens in the middle ages. cobbled stone paths form pretty walkways in patterns that ofen suggest -- i kid you not -- stars <3 the further you go, the higher you get but its all so gradual its not troubling at all and tbh you don't even realize how high you've climbed until you come upon a window (almost all the doors and windows are flung open so that inside and out are only concepts w everything open and breezy) and you find yourself at a jaw-dropping height from which you feel you can overlook the world entire, but even to someone like me -- terrified of heights -- there's no fear bc the mount holds you in a warm embrace and you do not fear falling

none of these pictures do it even a touch of justice but they might help give a sense of what i mean (couldn't find pictures of the sights from the tallest towers or of the streams and fountains and mosaics tho!)

ST MICHAELS MOUNT

so i only realized that st michaels mount and mont saint michel were different places a couple years ago ngl lakjsdfkjldsf and i haven't been here so ill just present pics! but its got a port to one side bc the water's so deep there but part is so shallow you can walk across at low tide bu inaccessible at high tide! its got this ring of terraced gardens, its oldest parts are built almost like an organic structure, growing out of the rock, and the waters reflect back the sky when they're calm

[zarvasace]

Assigning Babymetal songs to LU Boys

Just vibes. Not meaning or anything. This is just very very silly.

Time: FUTURE METAL. It has future in the title.

Twilight: Starlight. About shooting stars and it has the line "wherever you are, live in my heart" so it's angsty romantic

Wild: Time Wave. Time weirdness also nightmares I guess

Legend: THE LEGEND. Yeah

Hyrule: METAL KINGDOM. I have no reasoning

Warriors: Doki Doki Morning. Because he takes so long to get ready every morning, the most stereotypical fanon version of him

Wind: Oh! MAJINAI. Definitely a pirate song. Like listen to ten seconds of it.

Sky: PA PA YA!! Summer vibes and also the line "there was lightning before thunder" which makes me think of Sky

Four: Song 4. Do I have to explain this one

[sailormoonandme]

Kiss the Starlight. JupiterxNephrite Week 2023

Summary: When Makoto’s memories of the Silver Millennium return, a horrific realisation dawns upon her. A realisation concerning Nephrite of the Dark Kingdom. Manga/slightly Anime Canon. Written for JupiterxNephrite Week 2023 Day 2 ‘Stars’

Ao3: 

FFN: 

Author: AlEvans26

Beta(s): Dream_Dancer

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/M

Fandom(s): Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)

Relationships: Kino Makoto/Nephrite, Hino Rei/Jadeite, Prince Endymion/Princess Serenity, Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi, Senshi/Shitennou

Characters: Kino Makoto, Nephrite (Sailor Moon), Hino Rei, Shitennou (Sailor Moon), Inner Senshi, Princess Serenity, Prince Endymion, Tsukino Usagi, Chiba Mamoru

Genre/Tags: Manga & Anime, One Shot, Short, Canon Compliant, Short One Shot, Short & Sweet, Canon - Manga, Canon - Anime, Forbidden Love, Love, Romance, Silver Millennium Era, Mixed Media, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Murder, Closure, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Secret Relationship, Stars

Words: 3,067

Just to let you know I am involved in a discord called 'Moonlight Legends' which is dedicated to sharing all sorts of Sailor Moon fanworks, including other fanfics. If you would like to join so you can share your own work, get help with your current projects or just connect to other fan creators shoot me a PM and I'll send you an invite. All are welcome!

@senshixshitennouweeks

[blueikeproductions]

Heathers AU 80’s Pop Culture Interests

Veronica: Loves classical literature, John Hughs movies, and Disney movies. Enjoys an occasional fantasy film like The Princess Bride, Willow and Legend (the Tom Cruise movie where Tim Curry plays the devil btw). can usually be found B Dalton Booksellers at the Sherwood Mall pouring through its collection on the weekend. Developed an interest in Transformers from her friendship with Dan.

Martha: Particularly enjoys cute things. A huge movie fan and a bit of film snob, she loves Princess Bride above all else. Likes Jim Henson projects, Disney, My Little Pony, She-Ra, Peanuts, ALF, Garfield, Heathcliff, and sitcoms like Punky Brewster, Saved By The Bell and Mama’s Family.

Dan: Wears his interests proudly. Transformers, ALF and Disney Ducks, specifically DuckTales, are his top interests. Likes sci-fi and fantasy movies like The Last Starfighter, Wizards, Dragonslayer, The Dark Crystal, The Flight of Dragons, They Live, Enemy Mine, and The Transformers: The Movie. Famously he was the only one in his friend group back in Hawkins, NOT traumatized by the death of Optimus Prime. Can usually be found at Waldenbooks, KB Toys, Hills and Ames looking for books and Transformers. Likes sitcoms like Family Matters, Doogie Howser and Growing Pains.

JD: Likes chaos and dinosaurs, especially when the two go together. Dabbles in classic literature, and likes Dr. Jeckle & Mr. Hyde in particular. His favorite non Slushee thing is the trading card series Dinosaurs Attack!. Likes The Transformers, with his favorite teams being the Dinobots and Terrorcons. He also likes Soundwave’s two dinosaur cassettes Overkill and Slugfest. Enjoys westerns, schlocky monster/Kaiju movies, RoboCop, the Mad Max series, Escape From New York, The Terminator, Hellraiser, Critters, The Dark Crystal (mostly because of how gnarly the Skeksis look), The Secret of NIHM, Rock & Rule, and shooting games like Operation Wolf and Duck Hunt. Also enjoys crime shows like Wiseguy and Hunter.

Red Heather: Enjoys romance and mystery movies like Cocktail, Dirty Dancing, Body Double, The Bedroom Window and Vision Quest. Looks down on those who still watch cartoons at their age like Dan and Specs, despite she herself liking a good Bugs Bunny cartoon once and awhile. Enjoys teen gossip magazines like Teen Beat, ‘Teen, and Super Teen, but doesn’t read much otherwise.

Green Heather: A closet Muppets, Indiana Jones and Star Wars fan. Particularly likes the Ewok spin off movies, but desperately tries to hide this from the other Heathers. Absolutely hates romance movies like Can’t Buy Me Love, and chafes when Red Heather forces her to watch them for movie night. Has a thing for musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express and Cats.

Gold Heather: Despite her sweet demeanor and appearance, she LOVES horror and slasher movies like Hellraiser, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Child’s Play, Army of Darkness, Creepers, and Fright Night. The bloodier and more chaotic, the better. Red and Green are too disturbed to really judge or comment and just let Gold enjoy herself. She also dabbles in anime because of Specs, owning a Doraemon keychain he gifted her clipped to her purse. When asked by others, she denies knowing what it is and just found it cute in a crude attempt to protect her reputation.

Specs: HUGE Star Wars fan. Had he survived, he would also be a fan of the Prequels and Sequels, mostly happy there’s more movies to enjoy and analyze, despite agreeing the sequels aren’t that great. Big anime fan, enjoying stuff like Space Adventure Cobra, Demon City Shinjuku, Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX, Doraemon, Saint Seiya, Space Warrior Baldos, Robot Carnival, Giant Gorg, Ronin Warriors and Sherlock Hound, but particularly loves Tatsunoko Productions like the various Time Bokan series and Tekkaman.

Kurt: Enjoys stuff like Conan the Barbarian, TMNT, He-Man, Thundercats, Thundarr the Barbarian, Blackstar and Bravestarr, but hides it initially. He-Man is his jam, and is both his “gay awakening” and the reason he started working out and getting into sports. Once admitted to Dan that Prince Adam/He-Man is his idol and who he strived to be, but failed and instead became an Evil Warrior like Two-Bad (in conjunction with Ram). Likes to collect He-Man toys but is often in a disguise when going to places like KB Toys to find them. Similarly likes collecting He-Man and TMNT comics but tries to hide them In between workout and swimsuit magazines. Also reads the gay model magazine Stud Puppy, but isn’t as good at hiding it… Actually got to model for Stud Puppy in his early twenties as part of a personal milestone.

Ram: A big TMNT fan, especially the movies and video games, but initially hides it. Is actually a pretty big gamer when he’s not playing football, and frequents the arcades to play the games albeit in disguise. An expert BurgerTime, Pole Position, Contra, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong player, and is very fond of Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Isn’t particularly great at sports games like ExciteBike and Track & Field ironically. A casual fan of Star Wars, and unsurprisingly his favorite part of Return of the Jedi is the slave Leia stuff. Enjoys testosterone charged movies like Top Gun, The Running Man, Commando, Bloodsport, Big Trouble in Little China and The Warriors.

Betty: Similar tastes to Veronica and Martha. Seems particularly into Care Bears, ironic given her cruelty later on. Likes sitcoms like Family Ties, The Golden Girls and Nightcourt.

Jamie: Shares Dan, Kurt, Ram and Spec’s interests. Big Dungeons & Dragons kid and loves the cartoon. Big movie guy like Martha. Enjoys stuff like V, Quantum Leap, TerraHawks, Poltergeist, Batteries Not Included and Flight of the Navigator.

Thrash: Shares Ram’s interest in testosterone based movies. Big Arnold Schwarzenegger and Slyvester Stallone fan.

Throttle: Like Veronica, he is a bit of a bibliophile, and enjoys classic literature. Likes Steven King and the Dune series in particular.

[brokenbeskar]

Urban Legends

Chapter 11 of Memories Reforged (Din Djarin x F!Reader)

Word Count: 6k

Summary: After your previous failed job, you and the Mandalorian have to find a way to repair your reputation with the guild A/N: Long time no see friends! Thank you all for being so patient during my *checks notes* OVER A YEAR LONG HIATUS? I posted a personal update if you want to know more, but im happy to be back and writing again! and im glad i got this out before the season 3 premier! I hope y'all enjoy!

You shoot awake, eyes wide and drenched in a cold sweat, heart racing as the lingering images of your nightmare slowly give way to the familiar cockpit around you. It’s like deja vu. The familiar low whirring sound of the engine, soft beeping from the control panel, and smearing starlight through the cockpit allowing you to relax and calm your breathing. How strange it feels to know that all of this could have been so different, yet you're still here. It feels like it’s been months, years even, despite truthfully only being a day and some change…but here you are. Back on the Mandalorian’s ship, back in hyperspace, waking up in the copilot's chair, as if you weren’t planning on never returning just days ago.

You sigh and run a hand over your face to wipe away some of the remaining sweat. As you lean back to acclimate to being awake, you glance over to your helmet resting on the dashboard. The blur of hyperspace illuminating its visor, and twinkling particularly bright along the seam of a crack through the corner of it. Each glint of passing stars an achingly familiar reminder of the cause. 

“Morning.” You mutter to it, as if he could still somehow hear you, and quiet enough that no one else could. Almost like a secret, you muse to yourself. 

You shake your head to rid yourself of the ridiculous thought and lean forward to pluck a few bounty pucks off the top of the nav comp. You shuffle through them and click one to life, reading through the information with a sigh. Nearly on cue you hear the familiar footfalls of your newest comrade, followed by the sound of the cockpit doors sliding open as the Mandalorian enters. 

“Kid still sleeping?” You ask as he makes his way through.

“Yeah. Anything good?” He returns as he settles into his seat. 

“Well, let’s see…” You shuffle through the set of pucks in your hand, holding them up as you list them off, “Missing person, another missing person, chump change for a bail jumper, and would you look at that!” you flick one to life and hold it out in your palm for him to see, “A teenage runaway with a misdemeanor from the mid rim!” 

The Mandalorian stares at it for a moment in what you can only guess is frustrated disbelief, before turning away with a sigh. 

“Karga is really fucking us over.” You toss the pucks back to where you grabbed them from and lean back into your seat. 

“We’re lucky he gave us any at all.” 

“We would have been better with nothing at all.” You retort, “They’re scattered across multiple sectors, they aren’t even worth enough to cover the fuel.” 

“Well, unless you have any other ideas, we have to bring our reputation back up somehow or we’ll never get a decent job again.” 

“That’s bantha shit!” You shout, drawing his gaze back to you, “One job shouldn’t have screwed us over that much. We turned her in! How many other hunters had her puck before us and couldn’t even get close? I know it wasn’t perfect, but we still did the job for fucks sake!” You groan in frustration before sinking into your seat defeated.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.” He reminds you, grabbing one of the pucks randomly to check the coordinates and put them into the nav comp.

You roll your eyes, bitterly crossing your arms. It’s true, there was nothing you could do other than get these jobs done as quickly as possible and hope you get some better ones soon…

Unless…

You quickly sit up straight and lean over the edge of your seat, shoving the Mandalorian’s hand out of the way and altering the ship’s route yourself.

“What are you doing?” He asks, irritated by your sudden brashness. 

“We’re going to Carajam.” you reply nearly absentmindedly, brushing him off entirely as you continue to input the exact coordinates you have memorized by this point. 

“Carajam? That’s halfway across the galaxy!” He grabs your wrist to stop you.

“You think I don’t know that?” You lock eyes with his visor, refusing to back down as you try to tug your wrist back.

“So then why would we go there?” He asks darkly and leans in slightly, probably as an attempt to intimidate you. And while you can admit he’s intimidating, he doesn’t intimidate you in the slightest.

You give him a sly quirk of a smile, “To give a little visit to an old friend of mine.”

He tilts his helm in question, so you clarify, “I get double the commission rate on guild bounties. Remember?” 

It takes him a moment to figure out what you’re talking about, to remember your initial exchange when you first agreed to work together back on Jakku and split the reward for the bomber. You see the realization hit him all at once and he only gives a small hum of acknowledgement before releasing your wrist and opting to silently reroute the ship’s course himself.

“I’m glad we’re in agreement.” You state smugly, before leaning back into your seat, suddenly much more comfortable with that victory hanging over you.

----------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, Carajam being halfway across the galaxy wasn’t exactly an exaggeration on his part. So it’s not too long before you end up needing to take a pit stop along the way for fuel. Your first stop is on some smaller planet in the mid rim you never bothered to get the name of. It’s quaint, but the capital city you stopped in was well developed, a bustling city surrounded by lush green, a frequent running train passing overhead and far above the treeline to more remote areas. You definitely appreciated the balance between the latest developments while still maintaining the natural landscape. 

“Fuel’s going to take a few hours.” The Mandalorian steps beside you, interrupting your admiration, “We should try to find some work while we’re here.” He follows your line of sight and peers out at the expansive treeline and sky train above. Watching silently beside you. 

“Not sure there’s going to be much work here.” You reply, not breaking your gaze, “seems peaceful.” 

“It’s usually the peaceful ones I find the most trouble in.” He argues, and you chuckle in agreement, finally breaking your gaze and turning to him instead.

“Guess we better get to work then.” 

He turns back to you and nods, “Let’s split up, I’ll take the kid and start along the city’s perimeter.” 

“Center stage, you got it.” You give him a little salute and waste no time turning on your heel towards the heart of the city, “Comm me if you get anything good!” 

Walking through the city reminded you a lot of your time back on your home planet. You lived in a smaller “pit-stop” town, but when you were a kid your dad would take you to the capital city sometimes to get parts for the shop, or for a little day trip. It used to be the most exciting part of your boring everyday life. You remember how fascinating it was that things were so different despite being only a day’s trip away by train, and fantasizing how different things could be on different planets. 

Funny enough, here you are, years later, several parsecs from your home planet, thinking how similar things are back home. 

It’s easy to lose yourself in the buzz of city life. Reminisce about a simpler time, before the armor, before bounty hunting, before Ko’van even. A time when you simply ached to see the stars and explore the galaxy to see it for what it was. It’s that exact nostalgia that leads you into a local Caf shop. Nothing reminded you of home quite like freshly ground and roasted Caf. 

A bell rings when you make your way inside, alerting the servers bustling about to welcome you in. Everything was different, yet so familiar. From the sound of grinding beans, to the sharp whistle of steaming milk, and the delicious aroma in the air, if you closed your eyes you almost could pretend you were getting ready to get behind the bar and make some drinks yourself. It was definitely busier than your little take out window back home. Plenty of patrons filled the establishment, idly sipping their drinks and absorbing the calm atmosphere, a sight you would have been envious of had things worked out a little differently for you. 

When you approach the counter, a beautiful young local girl startles and quickly puts down the filters she was prepping, wide eyed and nervous from your presence alone. 

“Were you ready to order?” She nervously asks, putting on her best customer service smile despite her palatable fear. 

“Actually, I’m not from around here, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?” You try to come off as friendly with a slight tilt of your helmet–but with the way her complexion visibly lightens, and the audible gulp that follows…you’re pretty positive your intentions aren’t coming across. 

“Uhm…” Her voice quivers and she quickly looks around for any available coworkers to save her from the situation, but when she sees no one she turns back to you with a weary smile, “Let me…um…get my manager for you. Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll get a drink started for you while you wait!” She tries to diffuse a nonexistent conflict. 

You try to tell her it’s okay! That you don’t need a drink. you can go somewhere else! But in her haste she ignores you and you end up deciding to take the seat anyways, not wanting to be rude after you nearly made her cry already just from walking in and existing in the same space as her. You don’t even drink caf anymore.

What a mistake.

Of course she would react like that. You let yourself get carried away in your memories that you forgot the reality of the present. The reality of what you seem like to other people. Trouble. 

You’re mentally cursing yourself alone at a seat at the bar when, what you assume the manager, walks up to you with two drinks in hand. 

“Excuse me,” She grabs your attention, “I heard you had a couple questions? Mind if I sit?” You readily offer the seat next to you, and she takes it, setting one of the drinks in front of you, cupping hers gently and holding it close, “Sorry for the girl at the register. She’s new and we don’t get many visitors…quite like you.” She picks her words carefully to make friendly conversation without offending you. A practice you used to know all too well. 

“It’s not a problem, I should have known better really.” You feel the need to apologize, your own insecurity about not belonging here, eating away at you the longer you sit, “i’m visiting on business and caf shops always remind me of home so I decided to stop in.” 

“Well, welcome home!” She jokes with a warm laugh, “That’s what caf is all about isn’t it? We made you the current house special, all of our syrups are made in house so it probably won’t taste like anything you’ve had back home, but I hope you enjoy it.” She takes a sip from her own cup, before addressing the obvious, “So, you mentioned you were here on business. What can I help you with?” 

“I’m looking for work.” You state plainly. Not on purpose really, you’re just so caught off guard, out of your element. She was right, that IS what caf is all about, It really did feel like home. Every word out of her mouth you can practically taste out of your own. It’s like looking into a mirror–but more like a mirror to some alternate reality where you stayed in your small town instead of running away with a Mandalorian bounty hunter…if that makes any sense at all.

“What kind of work? With armor like that I think it’s safe to assume you aren’t going to be putting on an apron anytime soon.” Her lighthearted joke earns her a chuckle from you. If only she knew.

“No, no. I’m looking to see if you’ve heard of anything strange or unusual going on in town. Any upticks in crime? Unusual characters?” 

She takes a moment to think with a hum as she takes another sip from her cup, unfazed by what most would probably assume to be an odd question, “No strange characters other than you…but actually now that you mention it. I did hear some gossip from some customers that some kids went missing playing near the forest’s edge some days ago.” 

Bingo.

“Missing kids?” 

“Yeah, sorry I don’t know the details, like I said it’s customer gossip–but I guess some kids were hanging out by the forest edge and none of them came home. The locals are chalking it up to some–I don't know–creature I guess,” She waves the thought away, dismissing it, “I don’t buy it, but I do hope they can get found and brought home safe and sound.” 

A creature? Now this was interesting. You aren’t really sure if it’s the kind of lead you’re looking for, but it’s a lead so you’ll take it. 

“Is that the kind of work you’re looking for?” She interrupts your thoughts.

“Honestly,” You start with a chuckle, “I’m not sure, but I’m happy to investigate.” You give her a kind smile she can’t see. Honestly you surprise yourself with how comfortable you’ve gotten in her presence. You don’t even know her name. You’ve only sat down with her less than 5 minutes and yet you feel the same comfort from her that you would feel with a life long friend. 

“Well that’s great to hear, hopefully we can get those kids home safe and sound. If anyone is capable, it would be a Mandalorian for sure.” She flashes you the most charming smile and you feel your heart skip a beat in the worst way possible.

“Oh. Well, I’ll definitely do my best, but I’m no Mandalorian.” you confess.

“Oh!” She looks embarrassed, “I’m sorry, I just thought–with the armor–” 

“No, you’re right it is! It’s just—” You struggle to try and find a way to remedy the situation, you don’t want her to be embarrassed at all, there's no way she could have known. 

But how could you ever explain everything to her? Why would you? The illusion of comfort quickly fades away and all warm feelings of home quickly sour on your tongue. 

“It’s complicated…” You finally breathe out in defeat, but that seems to settle her worry. 

“Well, I wish you luck finding those kids, Mandalorian or otherwise.” She gives you one last parting smile before she stands from her seat, drink in hand, “I need to get back to work, but I’m glad I was able to help.” 

And just like that she's gone. 

You glance at the coffee cup she left in front of you. 

The bar counter seems too big, too clean, next to it. The void of the counter dwarfing it. Isolating it from reality. 

It hasn’t been long enough for it to lose its warmth, but for some reason you still expect it to be cold when you finally pick it up and leave the caf shop. 

You don’t even like caf.

You decide to fill your comrade in on your lead as you start your trek back through the city, but it startles you when his voice crackles through before you even reach the toggle.

“I’ve got a lead.” His gruff voice cuts through the static, monotone and straight to the point.

“Funny enough me too. Mine’s a bit odd though not sure if it’s for us. What’s yours?” 

“Mine too. Kids went missing in the forest, some kind of creature.” 

You pause for a minute. Guess this was your kind of job then. 

“Interesting. I got the same thing.” 

“What?” 

“Yeah. Creature and everything…Hope you like camping, tin man.” You chuckle.

“I’ll meet you at the ship.” And the comm line cuts. 

What a buzz kill.

---------------------------------

When You finally make it back to the ship the Mandalorian is already rummaging inside the weapons locker preparing to gear up for the trip. The child sitting on the floor not too far off, sticking his head into an empty pouch, little fingers covered in crumbs from a previous snack. It’s gross, but in a charming kind of way. 

“What kind of creature do you think it is?” You ask, watching the child wiggle around in the pouch.

“Don’t know.” He replies plainly. Boring.

“Maybe a Nexu?” You shrug.

“Don’t think those are native here.” 

“Well, Rancor aren’t native to Naboo and we saw how that turned out.” Your smirk is obvious despite your helmet.

The Mandalorian halts his movements and slowly turns to look at you in what you can only guess to be displeasure. 

“What?” You feign innocence with a knowing tilt of your helmet. He only shakes his head in exasperation from your antics and goes back to the weapons locker, sorting through ammunition. 

“What’s that?” He asks, without turning back to you. 

“What’s what?” 

“In your hand.” 

“Oh!” You hold up your disposable cup of caf to yourself completely forgetting you still had it, “It’s caf. You can have it if you want, though it’s probably cold now…” 

You aren’t exactly sure why that statement sends a slight pang of guilt through your belly, but it does. You lower the cup and wrap both hands around it as if a phantom of the warmth could seep into your grasp despite the heat long gone from its contents.

The Mandalorian notices your shift in tone and pauses what he’s doing again, but when he turns to face you this time it’s gentler, nearly laced with concern if you didn't know any better. He leans his back against the side of the locker and tilts his helmet, as if investigating you for a moment.

“Don’t want it?”

“No. I hate caf.” The words come out too sharp, too bitter, “They wouldn’t let me leave without it though.” You add on lightheartedly, trying to correct your tone. The Mandalorian clearly doesn’t buy it, he watches you silently as you set the cold cup down on a crate and saunter over to your own supplies to rummage through your own things and pack for the trip. 

You try to ignore the feeling of his lingering stare, it’s clear he wants to press the issue further, investigate your sudden change in tune, but he won’t. You know he won’t, and he knows you know that. So instead he lets it awkwardly hang in the air, hoping you’ll open up on your own accord, but that's definitely not happening.

“How many nights do you think we’ll be out for?” But he doesn’t reply, and you can still feel the irritating presence of his visor burning into the back of yours. You let out an irritated huff and turn to glare at him over your shoulder. 

“What’s your deal?” 

He still doesn’t answer, just stares at you, and you can feel the irritation starting to bubble up in your gut. 

“What?!” You snap at him when he still doesn't answer, “I already told you that you can have it. Get a damn straw if you’re worried about your helmet.” 

He doesn’t say anything. Just sighs and decides to leave it, turning back to his own packing when you angrily turn back to finish yours.

“And choke on it.” you mutter to yourself quiet enough he can’t hear you. 

You only finish packing the bare essentials when you hear footsteps approaching the ship from the open ramp. By the time you get up to investigate, the Mandlorian has already made his way to the ramp entrance. You join him by his side and peer down as two local officers approach. 

You and the Mandalorian quickly exchange glaces before looking back at the two officers. Not good. There were a million reasons for the both of you to be arrested just for standing on this ship alone, no way this could be good. You do your best to play it cool. 

And by play it cool, you mean stand there and not say a word. 

“High suns to you!” one of the officers greets you with a short wave, “Lookin’ for two Mandalorians.” 

The both of you simply stand there. 

“Guess we found ‘em.” The first officer mutters to the second with an exchange of a small glance before the second speaks up. 

“The Major requested we escort you to his office.” 

“What for?” The Mandalorian besides you shortly replies. 

“He’s got a job proposal for you.” 

“What kind of job?” It’s your turn now to give a curt response. 

“Best you both come on down to hear it for yourself.” You and the Mandalorian turn to exchange a look once more. A sort of unspoken conversation. To run, or to cooperate?

-------------------------------

“I’d like to start by humbly thanking you both for agreeing to meet with me” 

The Mandalorian and you stand out like a sore thumb in the mayor's office. It was a combination of the lack of professional, near corporate style dress, and the clear lack of wealth you two possessed in comparison to the far-too-large and extravagant office. The two of you were dwarfed in size standing in front of a desk large enough to threaten the empire, the tiniest of chess pieces positioned in the middle of a rug that looks as new as it did straight from manufacturing, and near insignificant compared to the view provided by floor to ceiling transparisteel, perfectly crafted without a single seem. 

Though, looking over to your comrade and the way the view nearly reflects in his freshly polished beskar…maybe you stuck out moreso than him. 

“What’s the job?” He dryly asks back, not bothering to return the pleasantries the mayor has offered, and the mayor visibly swallows in return. 

“There’s been an incident.” He pauses and looks between the two of you, but when the both of you only offer silent helmeted stares in return he clears his throat and continues, “Children. Children have gone missing, along the forest’s edge.” 

“We’re aware.” You respond far too fast. Your own slightly more polite way of telling him to get on with it. You don’t have all day. The more time he spends yapping about stuff you already know the longer he’s keeping you out of the field, and if there's one thing you’ve learned in your short time bounty hunting, it’s that time is everything. 

“One of them was my niece.” He spits out, nearly shaking as he tries to contain all his bottled emotions. When you and the Mandalorian offer him nothing but the same unmoving blank stare he quickly shifts his gaze away from the both of you, breathing to compose himself before he continues, “This…creature has been plaguing my city for months. I’ve sent out hunter after hunter, but they always come back empty handed.” 

“What kind of creature is it, exactly?” The mayor pauses and looks back at the Mandalorian with a glint of fear in his eyes, “I’ve only seen it once. It was dark. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was large, had sharp teeth, glowing red eyes…” He squeezes his eyes shut and shudders at the memory, “It was the most horrible thing. Something of a nightmare.” 

“Sharp teeth and glowing red eyes huh?” You can’t help the way the sarcasm oozes from your lips. This guy can’t be serious.

“Please! I know how it sounds, no one believes me!” he shoots up from his seat in desperation, “It’s true! I swear to you, I saw it with my own eyes! Everyone think I’m crazy, but now it’s got my niece and–” 

“Alright alright…” You cut him off, you almost feel bad for the guy, even if this sounds like he had a night with one too many shots of spotchka “How much are you offering? We don’t work for free.”

“I’ll give you twenty thousand credits if you bring me back my niece unharmed.” He pauses and looks between you both as if considering you, “I’ll double it if you can bring the beast to me.” 

“Double?!” you nearly choke. “Prove I’m not as crazy as everyone thinks, and yes. I’ll double it. Forty thousand credits.” The Mayor settles back down into his seat with the offer, folding his hands together in front of him, narrowing his gaze to show the both of you just how serious he was.

You and the mandalorian turn to each other at the same time, and without missing a beat you simultaneously reply,

“It’s a deal.” 

---------------------------------

The mayor hadn’t given you guys much to go off of, he gave you some loose directions to where the kids were last seen, and whatever clues previous hunters had gathered before giving up, which truthfully, wasn’t a lot. 

For now you and the Mandalorian walk through the forest, the kid fast asleep in his pram floating behind you, as you look for anything you can use as a lead. Footprints, any items from the kids, signs of a struggle, at this point even a broken branch would tell you more than whatever information you got. 

“Sharp teeth and glowing red eyes,” You silently chuckle to yourself. 

“What’s so funny?” The Mandalorian questions without looking at you, instead intently scanning the treeline. 

“Oh come on, be real for a second, you don’t actually believe there's some kind of big scary creature out here, do you?”

“I don’t really think it matters.” He deadpans, and you frown.

“You’re a real buzzkill, you know that?” 

He doesn’t reply. Just continues scanning his surroundings and back to the ground for tracks. 

“Oh, I see what's going on,” you frown turns into a devilish grin behind your helmet and you trot ahead a few steps to meet the Mandalorian at his side, leaning over into his line of sight, “You’re scared aren’t you?” 

He purposely ignores your presence, looking right past you past you, “Scared of what?” 

“Oh you’re terrified!” You stand fully in front of him, completely blocking him off so there's no escape from your annoyances, “Terrified, a big scary beast, with glowing red eyes is going to abduct us in the night!” 

He pauses and turns to you fully, giving you that annoyed blank-visor stare you were hoping for, then he sighs. 

“Would you focus on the mission?” 

You chuckle as you turn away and stretch your arms over your head, “I could do this mission with my eyes closed. There’s no creature. The kids are probably out here camping in the woods somewhere as a prank to make the mayor seem crazier than he already does.” 

“Then why haven’t you found them yet?” 

You quickly drop your arms and turn back to him defensively, “Because I’m stuck with your shiny ass. If it wasn’t for you I would have those kids found and turned in by nightfall.”

He scoffs.

“What?” You snap back at him. 

“I think it’s the opposite. If I wasn’t stuck babysitting you and the kid I’d have those kids found in less than that, instead you’re too busy goofing off and making our job harder than it needs to be.” 

“Fine. Let’s split up.” 

He tilts his helmet at you intrigued. 

“We’ll split the job 70/30. Whoever finds the kids the fastest gets the highest cut.”

He goes to speak but you cut him off.

“And! I’ll take the kid. That way when I win, you’ll have no excuse.” 

“Deal.” 

He doesn’t miss a beat. This means business. You had no choice but to win. 

You quickly grab the kids pram and rush off.

“Good luck, Shiny!” You give him a quick wave before fully running off. 

You were surprisingly very confident. This seemed like such an easy job to you. Find the kids, get them to confess there's no creature, and boom! The credits were yours. Not to mention that up until this point, any job leading up to this one, the Mandalorian was seriously getting in your way. You’ll admit you had gotten in his way too, but for the most part you’re confident that without him, you can get this done in no time. 

Though now that you think about it, you really have no idea what his skill level is as a hunter. On Corellia his bounty wandered into the ship by chance, you completely fumbled the mission on Coruscant. You remember him being a relatively skilled fighter back on Utrost, but it was your plan and you ended up saving his ass from getting butchered in the end anyway.

Then again…he did save you on Canto Bight when the job turned sour, and he managed to track down and save you from Eldon–

No. You shake your head. Doesn’t matter. No matter how skilled he was as a hunter you’re confident enough you can still beat him. You figure the kids will probably stick to some form of water, a river, or a lake, or some kind of landmark they could easily find their way back home with, but unknown enough to outsiders that they could evade foreign hunters. So you start there. 

It’s not too long before you stumble across a small creek. Just big enough that it won’t dry it up for a while, but small enough to seem inconspicuous. You start following it deeper into the forest when the kid starts fussing. Great. Maybe if you ignore him for a couple minutes he’ll go back to sleep. You love the kid, you can’t lie, you’ve grown pretty fond of him over your time traveling with him, but right now you were busy and couldn’t afford a distraction. 

You barely make it two steps when his meek whimpers turn into full blown wails. 

“Okay okay! Hey it’s okay! Shh!” You quickly rush over to him and scoop him out of the pram rocking him, and bouncing, anything to keep him quiet, you don’t want to alarm the kids if they’re close and lose your lead. 

But he cries harder, and wiggles, clearly not appreciative of your smothering embrace. 

“Oh kid, please be quiet.” You beg, “We can play in a bit I’ve got work to do.” 

You strain to contain him in your arms as he fights you more, writhing desperately against your embrace, until before you know it, he’s slipped out entirely and plops right onto the floor besides your feet. He sits there for a moment, wide-eyed, and you’re worried he hurt himself and you’ve only got a few short moments before he begins to let out a screeching wail. 

You quickly bend down to comfort him, but before you move an inch, the little menace quickly regains his senses and jumps up taking off in a full blown sprint. You quickly rush after him. How is it even possible something with such tiny legs can move so fast?

Why did you agree to take him again? to prove something? what a mistake you should have let the Mandalorian take him. this kid was going to cost you the job and worst of all? your pride. The Mandalorian cannot win, and worse you cannot lose his kid. 

It’s not too long before the kid trips over his own robes and does a little tumble right into the creek. You’re quick to scoop him up, but not quite quick enough. Almost immediately he starts crying. A full blown sob. Classic tantrum. 

You sigh, accepting defeat. Poor guy probably just misses his dad and ended up soaked and bruised trying to find him. You give him a reassuring couple pats as he wheezes in a deep breath between choked sobs. You take a seat down on the forest floor besides the creek, subconsciously hoping the sound of running water will help calm him. 

You rock him softly and continue to gently pat his back as he helplessly cries in your arms. Well, if any kids were hiding out around here, they’re definitely long gone. You sigh again. You can picture it now, the Mandalorian silently bragging the entire way to Carajam. Only in a way he could, not muttering a word, and completely expressionless with his helmet, but the way he would carry himself alone could tell you, a quick glance that says, “See? I told you so.” 

A tilt that would say, “I’m better than you.” 

You groan at the thought. The thought of him with your credits in his hands all because you agreed to watch his stupid kid. 

You strain to reach up and toggle the infrared on your visor. Best to keep an eye out in case anyone else is out here. You’ve learned that there's no such thing as safe in this galaxy, and in return, no harm in being too careful. At least with the infrared it will be easy to spot someone, hopefully, before they spot you. It flickers far more than usual, occasionally flicking out completely before flicking back on. Your display hasn’t really been the same since the beating it took when Eldon crash landed in Felucia. You lazily scan the environment, ignoring it the best you can, as you continue to comfort the child. It’s when you glance over to where he fell that you have to double take. 

Something on the ground catches your attention, you quickly get up, holding the child tight in your arms and move to investigate something you missed, now illuminated with the infrared. 

Tracks. 

But not from kids. In fact, you’re not quite sure what they're from. Your visor doesn’t auto ID them, and you don’t think you’ve seen anything quite like it. You look ahead a couple feet and there's more. Crystal clear tracks. They were shallow, but they were there, they didn’t seem that old either. How did you miss these earlier? You decide it doesn't matter, and decide to follow them anyway. The farther you follow them, the clearer they get. Straying away from the creek and deep into the woods. 

As the space between the trees gets thinner, you notice some scratches high up on the trunks of them, embedded deep into the wood. Higher up than you were in height, and now you’re confused. You can’t figure out what could have possibly done this, no animal you can think of is that tall, or has prints like that. 

Before you can figure it out, the sound of your name crackling through the comm makes you jump. 

“Come in! Do you copy?” The Mandalorian’s voice echos through and there's a sense of urgency in his voice that you don’t think you’ve heard from him before. 

“I copy. What’s up? Did you find something?” You try to reply over the sobbing child in your arms.  

“The kid–Is the Kid okay?” You don’t think you’ve ever heard him so panicked before.

“What? Yeah–yeah! He's fine–he just tripped. Is everything okay? What’s going on?” “What are your coordinates? We need to meet back up immediately!”  ***

Previous - MASTER - Next Taglist: @mysun-n-stars , @tanzthompson , @janebby , @um-well

[youre-in-the-psycho-circus]

Shandi | Prologue

Warnings: Mention of death of a character, hardcore action

Word Count: 2,486

Synopsis: Read the prologue and find out :) an original idea based upon the Kiss Comics that rests just south of fan fiction. This is based off of the Characters mainly.

Master List

It happened so quickly. The Destroyer had been released from his prison deep within the confines of the volcano. Nobody knew who the mole had been, or how they got their hands on the sacred Black Diamond relic of Khyscz but within minutes the city was overrun by an army of rock-like creatures set forth by the realm’s greatest enemy. Some had managed to flee before the battle ensued but many fought against the invasion with undying ferocity. None more than the four-who-are-one. The Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman; were the Elder’s Cosmic Guards, sworn to protect the leader of their world to their dying breath. “Fall back!” Starchild barked at his three comrades with a final violet beam shooting from his star-clad eye. “The rest of the city is lost. Put all concentration on protecting the Elder. He stays safe at all costs! Without him, Khyscz dies.”

The Demon let out a breath of fire as he started to hesitantly back toward the castle they, and the Khyscz army, fought tirelessly to protect. His instincts were to continue his blitzkrieg assault upon the creatures, but his oath to follow orders won out. “I hardly think leading them to the Elder is the best idea.” He grumbled in annoyance as, with a crimson glow, his boots gained sentience. They let out a demonic screech before flying off his feet to attack the creatures stepping over the bodies of their fallen brothers and sisters.

With a deafening yowl, powerful enough to send the creatures sprawling backwards, the Catman pounced in from the balcony above, positioning himself in front of the entrance to the castle. “It’s no use, there’s too many of them, we’ll never fight them all off at this rate. They have no sentience, I can’t control any of them.” He mewled, his claws cutting through another monster that dared to get close to him. “There’s no way we’ll outrun them either.”

With a blast of lightning from his fingertips, the Spaceman shot their foes backwards, allowing the four a bit of breathing room. “Not to worry, you’ve got me. Why run where we can teleport?” With a flash of blue light, the four-who-are-one were transported to the Elder’s chambers, deep within the recesses of the castle of Khyscz.

They were rematerialised in a large ornate room with a beautiful mosaic of a rose on the ceiling. The Elder was now the last surviving member of The Order of the Rose, a council of the warriors of yesteryear. The Elder before the four, Morpheus as he had once been known by his friends, had been the chosen one in his time. The one entrusted to control the Enchanted Starlight. He along with the rest of the members of The Order of the Rose had sealed away the Destroyer with the power of the Black Diamond Crystal, an artefact with fantastic power forged from a dying star. With their power and the power of the diamond, they sealed the destroyer in a prison from which he could not escape for aeons. All that time Kyhscz lived in peace and harmony. Music was like its own language here, but none had an aptitude like it like the four-who-were-one. They had been chosen when they were kids based on their skills and abilities. Slowly they had been groomed into not only warriors, but the amazing musicians they were today. Their music could create and destroy, but together they were the strongest group to ever come out of Kyhscz.

The Starchild - Kyhscz legend had it he had been born from a group of stars and traveled across the cosmos in search for a home before being found by the Order of the Rose. As his time on Kyhscz passed, the legends of his immense power and his lust for sex grew. He had difficulty processing that the child of something as beautiful as a star, as the legends made him out to be, could've been born with a deformity like the lack of an ear like he had. But the deformity only made him stronger. It made him crave success, and because of his drive and hunger, he had been made leader of the Cosmic Guards.

The Demon - Evil incarnate as he liked to call himself. Despite his daunting exterior, the demon had a bit of a soft spot. Having escaped mass genocide with his mother at a young age, the Demon's outer shell had been hardened. He showed no fear, and had immense strength and a overwhelming desire to prove that he had lived for a reason. Despite his greed at times and his whore-like nature, he did have a soft spot deep down that only his most trusted circle ever got to see. The demon had been the second to join the Cosmic Guards and was determined to keep his friends and loved ones safe from any danger.

The Catman - A bit literal to his name the Catman appeared to have nine lives. Throughout his childhood, he had been involved in many near death experiences. Because of his innate ability to escape death he had been embossed in Kyhscz legend as invincible. He had a desire for the finer things in life: booze, drugs, and women. Given his abilities, the three were never hard to come across. A bit arrogant and dumb in the head at times, the Catman did have a heart of gold when it really counted. He fought with ferocity, destroying anybody who dared cross him. He had been the third to join the Cosmic Guards as he was willing to do just about anything required of him.

The Spaceman - The fourth and final Cosmic Guard possessed the most unusual powers. Originally 'from a planet called Jandel' the Spaceman had an innate ability to control the arcane magics and holistic sciences which manifested throughout his training on Kyhscz in the most unusual ways. Extremely lazy and eccentric at times, really all his deepest desires had been were to be accepted and feel as though he belonged and that he mattered. One of the smartest in all of Khyscz he often felt out of place until he found a home within the Cosmic Guards and found a drive to show that he wasn't, as he put, a fuck up.

The Elder looked weary as he watched from the window. His beloved home, the one he had fought for thousands of years to protect, was crumbling to dust around them. The four bowed their heads, an arm crossed over their chest with a fist on their heart in respect as the Elder stood with his back to them at the window. “Elder…forgive us…we have failed you.” Starchild spoke solemnly.

The Elder remained silent, drawing in a slow breath. He raised a hand, a box appearing on the table off to his left. “You must take your talisman. I can no longer protect them for you.” He explained deathly calmly as the box opened, the talismans for the four flying to their respective host: A star to the Starchild, a winged dragon to the Demon, a cat face to the Catman, and a lightning bolt to the Spaceman. “You mustn’t surrender them, without them, you lose your connection to Khyscz and you will become ordinary humans once again.”

“Won’t we lose it when they destroy Khyscz?” Catman questioned as he examined his talisman sensing how deep his connection with it ran. He could hear it yowl as he looked it in the eyes, a green glint shining back at him.

The Elder smirked, turning so only a single side of his face was visible to his Cosmic Guards. “As long as my power exists, yours shall remain.”

“Protect the Elder at…” Starchild began to command the others until the Elder raised a hand to silence him.

“You must flee Khyscz.” The Elder commanded gently.

“WHAT?!” The Four-Who-Are-One gasped in shock.

“Elder, we can fight these monsters off.” The Demon growled. “I’ll kill ‘em all with my bare hands.”

“I’m sure you could Demon, but you must utilise the Spaceman’s transporting abilities and find my Avatar. ‘She’ will help you defeat the Destroyer once and for all and restore balance to the universe.”

“An Avatar…and ya lost me, Elder.” Spaceman grimaced. “What in the name of Khyscz is this Avatar and how can she help us?”

“Not what, Spaceman, who.” The Elder corrected. “There was a spell that was cast many generations ago before the Enchanted Starlight was entrusted to me, to transfer it to another when my time came. The only ones who knew of this spell were the other four members of the Order of the Rose. The next is said to be she who walks by the moonlight.” He spoke the hymn causing the four to raise a brow in confusion. “For the Destroyer to abandon his assault on our world, he must believe he has destroyed the only connection we have to the Enchanted Starlight. Therefore, I must die.”

“No! Absolutely not! As your Cosmic Guards, we-” Starchild began to argue.

“Are hereby ordered to locate ‘Shandi’ and live to fight another day. As long as ‘Shandi’ remains safe from the Destroyer, Khyscz will live on. I will live on.” The Elder commanded turning to face the four. “It has been an honour to call you four my Cosmic Guards. I hereby promote my four most trusted guards to members of the Council of the Order of the Rose. From this moment on the battle for protecting the cosmos from evil falls to you.” The Elder praised the four as they bowed their heads and crossed their arms in respect to their fearless leader. “No matter what happens, you must continue to serve and protect me in my new form, and find a way to unlock my powers once again. ‘Shandi’ will be more powerful than I can ever hope to be, and she, with you four to groom her into the goddess she will become, will become the new leader of the Order of the Rose. With you four to guide her, ‘Shandi’ will help you lay waste to the Destroyer once and for all. Stop him before he destroys any other world.”

“Yes, Elder.” The four responded as there was a pounding upon the chamber doors.

“I will see you again shortly, my guards. You are Khyscz’s last hope, the four-who-are-one.” The Elder commended them as he raised a hand to them. “Though you may be pure of heart and free of sin, and though you have been chosen to begin, and yet you must be worthy of the prophecy but seek and you shall find your destiny.” The doors were knocked open with the deafening sound of splintering wood. The monsters bounded into the room at full force, directly toward the backs of the four cosmic guards. Spaceman put his hands up encasing them in a starry blue globe rendering them intangible. The brainless creatures phased through their forms as the four of them floated up off the floor. “Loneliness will haunt you, will you sacrifice?”

“We will.” They responded as they were inducted into the Council officially. The creatures realising that they couldn’t hurt the four-who-are-one, turned with a death-filled gaze to the Elder, realising he was the true target.

“Do you take the oath, will you give your life, under the Rose?”

“We will.” They spoke solemnly, now officially members of the Order of the Rose, watching defencelessly as the creatures closed upon the man they had protected for years.

“You are Khyscz’s last hope.” The Elder’s voice rang out one final time before he was mauled.

The four cringed as the Spaceman transported them to the Bergen Street Lower-Level Platform in Brooklyn. It was quiet, all except for the humans laughing and going about their day on the street above, unknowing of the great threat that would soon be upon their world. Catman crouched down, resting his elbows on his knees with a growl. He slapped his claws on the ground smacking a rat down the tracks toward an abandoned service train. Starchild pinched his brow in remorse, beginning to pace, desperate to come up with a plan, he had been the leader of the Cosmic Guards before, now inadvertently he was the leader of the Order of the Rose. Demon grumbled to himself as he kicked at the ground as Spaceman leaned against the platform trying to catch his breath. “The human world? Really? This is the first place they’ll think to look for us.” Demon grumbled.

“When you can transport us at the drop of a hat, you can decide where we go.” Spaceman spat back. In actuality, he wasn’t quite sure why he had transported the four of them back to their original home. Maybe it had just felt familiar in their time of chaos. They hadn’t been here since they had been brought to Khyscz when they were children many years ago. When they received their power, time began to slow for them until they didn’t seem to age at all. The arcane magics and holistic sciences all grappling for a place within the Spaceman’s head were practically screaming at him to bring them here. He couldn’t explain why, but he had the feeling that ‘Shandi’ would be close by…even if the chances of that happening were one in a zillion.

“Listen here you insolent little…” Demon barked stalking toward the Spaceman, but not before accidentally stepping on the Catman’s claws.

The Catman growled swiping at the Demon’s boot. “Yeah next time, transport us as far away from Demon as physically possible. His stench is gonna make me sick.”

“You tryin’ to start something there Cat?” He growled, flames leaking from his lips in anger.

“And what if I am?!” Catman yowled as he stood up to meet the Demon’s height but still fell short.

“ENOUGH!” The Starchild barked. His voice boomed in a purple beam toward the bickering guards forcing them to brace themselves from the sheer force of the blast. “I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do. The last thing I want to do is listen to the children bicker so we’re gonna split up.” He snarled at the four he was forced to associate himself with. “The eye sees everything…” He pointed at his star-covered eye. “And the eye sees that she’s close by. We’re going to find this ‘Shandi’ being, and then we’re going to bring an end to the Destroyer once and for all.” He paused waiting to see a nod of agreement from the others. “And for fuck’s sake, blend in and keep your talismans safe. Remember as long as ‘Shandi’ is safe, our power is as well.” He sighed. “For the Elder and for all of Khyscz, we have to find ‘Shandi’…the fate of the cosmos is in our hands now...”

Chapter One: Tears Are Falling

[tsukikoayanosuke]

From the Cloud, I Meet You - 12 Days of Ruikasa (2023)

Day 1-2: Past

Stories and legends have always been part of Tsukasa's life. As the prince of the Kingdom of Horos, he has access to the largest library in his kingdom just a few feet away from his room. Days and days he would sit in the corner reserved for him and read all the storybooks they had there. When he grew older, he got attached to theater. To see your favorite tale come to life has been Tsukasa's dream for the longest time. Perhaps one day he could act and dance on the stage like the actors.

One tale that he held close to his heart was the story of the Sky Prince and the Sea Spirit; a tale about a meeting of fate, a forbidden romance, and a tragic ending.

The Sky Prince, coincidentally named Tsukasa, was the son of the Night Sky God, born from the first twin stars along with his twin sister, Saki. Their domain was the starry sky, each tasked with a different duty. Saki was in charge of wish granting through shooting stars, while Tsukasa was in charge of guidance through constellations. They were essentially messengers between the gods and humans; always flying and never touching the earth nor having the ability to have power to create life.

But Tsukasa the Sky Prince had always been a curious godling. Watching the heroes and listening to their tales through the muses made him even more curious about the realm below the sky. Would Earth's ground feel the same as the clouds? Would it always be sunny like here? How does the food taste below there?

However, he didn't see the ground for the first time.

Instead, his feet landed on a mass body of water.

Is this...what they call the sea?

It felt ticklish and bouncy underneath his feet, unlike the soft blanket-like feel of the clouds above. Didn't humans need to use something to walk across this area? A boat? Or was it a ship? This realm was kind of empty. There was nothing that caught Tsukasa's eyes except the vibrant blue color. Seemed like a boring realm. Why do humans want to go through here?

It was then he heard something rumbling. Looking down at his feet, he could see the water was vibrating even more. A loud splash caused Tsukasa to turn around and what he saw shook him.

A sea monster. Something that doesn't exist in the sky realm.

Tsukasa quickly drew his staff before jumping away as the sea monster's tentacles nearly hit him. Summoning his power, he waved his staff to summon his starlight before launching them toward the monster. Tsukasa knew his power was nothing compared to the gods, but he could do something in self-defense. The sea monster didn't back down though and kept trying to catch him. Tsukasa could only glide around and used his light as a reflector.

But Tsukasa didn't see more tentacles sprouting from the sea. One just right behind him as he flew backward, not even noticing until it was too late. It swatted him, throwing him into the sea.

For Tsukasa who had never seen the sea before thus not knowing how to swim, it was a death sentence to him. He could do nothing but sink into the sea monster's open jaws...

Something grabbed him by the waist, dragging him away before the sea monster could close its jaws.

Whoever just rescued him raised their hand as if they were commanding the creature to stay away.

And surprisingly, the sea monster listened to them and swam away.

But Tsukasa was losing his breath. His lungs hadn't gotten used to breathing in a different realm. The last thing he saw was a purple individual's face hovering before everything turned dark.

-----

The first thing he heard when his consciousness awakened was the sound of the water, rolling waves on the beach. It was a peaceful sound, like a lullaby, luring him back to the realm of sleep. But he couldn't. He had to wake up.

So, he opened his eyes. Someone's face greeted him as seawater dripped onto his already wet face. Who is that?

"Oh, thank the sea, you're awake," the figure said who seemed to be a male. "Are you lucid yet?"

Tsukasa frowned. "I think..." he muttered but then a cough erupted from him. The figure quickly turned Tsukasa's body to the side so he could cough out all of the seawater. "Thank you..."

"Not a problem."

When Tsukasa finally could sit up without getting dizzy, he looked at his rescuer.

Purple hair with two cyan streaks and dressed in a white top with frills. He doesn't have a leg, instead, he has a dark purple tail with violet fins, the same color as the fins that are supposed to be his ears. His golden eyes gazed at Tsukasa's sunset ones, filled with curiosity.

"You're not a human, are you?" the purplenette asked.

"Oh, I'm not. I'm a godling." Tsukasa said before smiling. "And you saved me."

He smiled back. "What is a godling doing in the vast ocean? This is not your realm."

Tsukasa let out a nervous chuckle. "Well...I kind of just went exploring before the monster attacked me."

"You know how dangerous the sea realm is? Have you never been here?"

"I've never been anywhere this close. I usually just fly around the constellation."

"The constellations..." Suddenly, the golden eyes widened with youngling excitement. "You're from the sky realm? What is it like up there?"

"O-Oh, well, we have lots of clouds. But the night sky is very beautiful! My job to to guide heroes to their journey."

"Such an important job..."

"Nah, it is nothing."

The purplenette shook his head. "No. It is very important. Without the stars, sailors would get lost in the sea and we sea spirits can't do anything. With the sea being dangerous as you've seen, the stars are their sign to sail through a safer water."

Huh. Tsukasa has never thought about it that way. "Oh..." he blushed, "I guess I did a great job then?"

"Of course," he smiled. "Godling always has the best job."

"So, you're not a godling?"

The purplenette shook his head again. "I'm just a humble sea spirit. I haven't done anything great unlike you."

"But you saved me." Tsukasa grinned. "That's a great job."

"I guess I did," he said with a chuckle.

"Again, thank you for that. I don't know what would happen if I got eaten." Tsukasa offered his hand. "I'm Tsukasa, son of the Night Sky Father and the Guiding Constellation. I should know the name of my savior."

The purplenette blushed slightly but took Tsukasa's hand. "I'm Rui."

-----

Prince Tsukasa of the Kingdom of Horos has always loved the beginning of the story. A being of the sky meets a being of the sea. Two opposites, yet they're attracted to each other. Tsukasa always wished that one day he would find someone special like Rui the Sea Spirit to Tsukasa the Sky Prince. He wishes that his story could be as sweet as their first meeting.

[elenavr13]

ISWM/Engineer Mark Playlist

97 songs

—

Space Was Cool- Gregory Brothers & Markiplier

The Last Goodbye- Gregory Brothers & Markiplier

Space Is Cool- Gregory Brothers & Markiplier

Space Is Cool (Orchestral Version)- Gregory Brothers

Warriors- Imagine Dragons

Centuries- Fall Out Boy

Born For This- The Score

Sail- Awolnation

Rise- Katy Perry

Mr. Blue Sky- Electric Light Orchestra

E.T.- Katy Perry

I Want You- Mitski

The Galaxy- The Galaxy

End Of The World- Neoni, Arcando, ThatBehavior

Black Out Days- Phantogram

Softcore- The Neighbourhood

Space Girl- Frances Forever

Love Me Not- Whitney Woerz

All Of The Stars- Ed Sheeran

Space Oddity- David Bowie

The Foundations Of Decay- MCR

Sign of the Times- Harry Styles

Astronomical- Svrcina

A Sky Full Of Stars- Coldplay

Believer- Imagine Dragons

Alligator Sky- Owl City

Made of Stars- Hovi Star

Here To Mars- Coheed & Cambria

My Universe- Coldplay & BTS

Notion- The Rare Occasions

Enemy- Imagine Dragons

Moondust- Jaymes Young

Far From Home (The Raven)- Sam Tinnesz

My Demons- Starset

One Last Breath- Tommee Profitt & Nicole Serrano

There’s A Hero In You- Tommee Profitt ft. Fleurie

Here We Stand- Hidden Citizens

Immortals- Fall Out Boys

Die For You- Starset

Trials- Starset

As We Fall- League of Legends

Mad World- 2WEI

I’m Not Afraid- Tommee Profitt ft. Wondra

Shooting Stars- Bag Raiders

Shooting Star- Owl City

Talking To The Moon- Bruno Mars

Ribs- Lorde

Sure Is Fun- Shinedown

Venus- Sleeping At Last

Where You Go I Go- Fight The Fade

Mercury- Sleeping At Last

Atlantis- Seafret

Pluto- Sleeping At Last

Earth- Sleeping At Last

Into The West- Annie Lennox

Bones- Imagine Dragons

Counting Stars- One Republic

Bleeding Out- Imagine Dragons

Whatever It Takes- Imagine Dragons

Late Night Talking- Harry Styles

Astronomy- Conan Gray

Habits- Genevieve Stokes

Waiting On The Sky To Change- Starset

Hope- Shinedown

Sorrow- Sleeping At Last

Starlight- Starset

How To Save A Life- The Fray

Romantic Homicide- d4vd

Here With Me- d4vd

One Damn Good Mistake- Miss Benny

Stolen Dance- Milky Chance

The Loneliness- Måneskin

Death Bed- Powfu

To the Universe- MISSIO

Do You Still Love Me Like You Used To- MISSIO

Gilded Lily- Cults

Anger- Sleeping At Last

Heart- Sleeping At Last

Two- Sleeping At Last

Three- Sleeping At Last

Saturn- Sleeping At Last

Already Gone- Sleeping At Last

Back to You- Flower Face

Everywhere I Go- Sleeping At Last

Ship in a Bottle- Fin

Fine- Lemon Demon

Meteor Shower- Cavetown

Love Me Again- John Newman

Just a Man- Jorge Rivera-Herrans & EPIC Ensemble

Into the Unknown- Starset

Satellite- Starset

Astronaut- Simple Plan

Epoch- The Living Tombstone

Ricochet- Starset

Invisible- Linkin Park

Slip Away- Perfume Genius

[oc-menagerie-archived]

Using Iyumi!

What Type of Queen Would You Be?

Authors SHE

The Queen of the Moon & Starlight Realm

There are legends among your people. That on the night of an eclipse, a shooting star will land on earth and become the new ruler. So, I ask you this: did you come from a shooting star? Or did you wade out of the ocean and onto the shore - gleaming and glowing? Maybe you were simply born from your mother, all I can say is that you, Queen, you hold the stories in your hand. 

You are a creative ruler that listens to her people and provides a strong yet caring shoulder. You're not to be underestimated though, you have high endurance and can outwit many to most opponents. That's why there are so many rumours about your origins; some say you're an immortal goddess who reincarnates every 100 years into a new body. Others say you were the first sorceress, that of old magick and conjured up the world using your own two hands. 

It is you who the witches pray to. Along with being the Moon Queen, you are worshipped by those who love magick. 

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up: | eyes | lips | face | The moon itself rains her light upon you, dazzling those with a cool glow. There always seems to be mist circling your legs.  Everyday make-up: | x | x | x |

Tagged by: @liroyalty

[liroyalty]

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕪𝕡𝕖 𝕠𝕗 ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝔹𝕖?

The Queen of the Sun, and of Daylight Realm

Always in a shroud of sunlight, your sun is kissed and shimmerings wherever you walk. There's always warmth in your fingertips and sunspots dancing around your feet. You attract people, and they love you. You were chosen as soon as you were born. A prophecy was foretold about a glimmering baby, who would one day bring light to the village, then to the kingdom and beyond. It is now your choice whether you want to expand your light, or keep those you care about warm.

So, my queen - what is your choice? 

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up:| eyes | lips | face | Sunlight itself lent its essence on your coronation. The sky settled on your skin and dusted your cheeks. You shimmered, you glowed and everyone knelt before you.  Every-day make-up: | x | x | x |

The Queen of the Moon & Starlight Realm

There are legends among your people. That on the night of an eclipse, a shooting star will land on earth and become the new ruler. So, I ask you this: did you come from a shooting star? Or did you wade out of the ocean and onto the shore - gleaming and glowing? Maybe you were simply born from your mother, all I can say is that you, Queen, you hold the stories in your hand. 

You are a creative ruler that listens to her people and provides a strong yet caring shoulder. You're not to be underestimated though, you have high endurance and can outwit many to most opponents. That's why there are so many rumours about your origins; some say you're an immortal goddess who reincarnates every 100 years into a new body. Others say you were the first sorceress, that of old magick and conjured up the world using your own two hands. 

It is you who the witches pray to. Along with being the Moon Queen, you are worshipped by those who love magick. 

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up: | eyes | lips | face | The moon itself rains her light upon you, dazzling those with a cool glow. There always seems to be mist circling your legs.  Everyday make-up: | x | x | x |

Tagging - @akumanoken, @alexandraxsuoh, @yukixxnoxxtsubasa, @fctedivided2, @oc-menagerie, @frznkingdom, @ivoryfall, @kingdomofbellows, @petiteamores & whoever else wants to do a quiz!

[eternalbxtterfly]

What Type of Queen Would You Be?

The Queen of the Moon & Starlight Realm

There are legends among your people. That on the night of an eclipse, a shooting star will land on earth and become the new ruler. So, I ask you this: did you come from a shooting star? Or did you wade out of the ocean and onto the shore - gleaming and glowing? Maybe you were simply born from your mother, all I can say is that you, Queen, you hold the stories in your hand. 

You are a creative ruler that listens to her people and provides a strong yet caring shoulder. You're not to be underestimated though, you have high endurance and can outwit many to most opponents. That's why there are so many rumours about your origins; some say you're an immortal goddess who reincarnates every 100 years into a new body. Others say you were the first sorceress, that of old magick and conjured up the world using your own two hands. 

It is you who the witches pray to. Along with being the Moon Queen, you are worshipped by those who love magick. 

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up: | eyes | lips | face | The moon itself rains her light upon you, dazzling those with a cool glow. There always seems to be mist circling your legs.  Everyday make-up: | x | x | x |

Tagging: @countarganan @mcmcntomorii @diamndbrn and whoever wishes to do it.

[balladofbells]

Myrmidons = Asteri prototype name for Illyrians?

It’s 4am, just bare with me.

Cassian said to Helion, “Are your forces ready?” (Blah blah blah) “Yes. They’ll rendezvous with yours in the Myrmidons.” The mountain range we shared at our border.

- Feyre Archeron, ACOWAR

I’ll tick off some hind legs supporting the theory.

1. The location of the mt. range

It’s The area between the day & night courts. What’s between day and night? Twilight. What’s Bryce Quinlan’s power? Starlight. Sounds awfully familiar right? Especially with the theory that Bryce Quinlan is a supposed dusk court heir? Any connection to Bryce right now is a big bonus.

2. Myrmidons in Greek mythology

According to Greek legend, the Myrmidons were a troop of fierce warriors who fought under the leadership of the hero Achilles in the Trojan Warf. Originally from the island of Aegina, they were created from a colony of ants to repopulate the island after a plague had killed nearly all of its inhabitants.

(Red highlighted will be explained in further detail)

The Greek Myrmidons are praised as being a troop of fierce warriors. Though the Illyrians are mostly considered by many to be violent and warmongering people, they are still unparalleled warriors. They also use the terms “troops” for Illyrians bands as well, just as the myrmidon warriors have.

The Greek Myrmidons leader was Achilles, now…there’s a whole lotta’ talk about how the Asteri (crescent city) were creating an prototypical army in another world (Prythian). Sarah could of flipped the coin and said the Achilles leading role could be the Asteri’s role.

The island of Aegina is the where the Myrmidon warriors were created. The island can also be named “Oenone.” In greek mythology, the goddess/god Oenone was a mountain nymph.

Okaaaayyyy, this gets deeper and deeper.

Oenone hailed from Mount Ida in Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele and the Titaness Rhea. Her gift of prophecy was learned from Rhea.

Side note: there’s a prophecy mentioned multiple times in hosab by Bryce.

More about the mountain. Mount Ida (oenone’s birthplace) is of the two sacred mountains in Greek mythology.

It is a crucial notion that the Mountain Ida in Crete is associated with the mother goddess Rhea. In Greek mythology, Rhea was known as the goddess of all Olympian gods and goddesses. She was the goddess of female fertility, motherhood, ease, and generations. People referred to her as the Meter Megale, the great mother.

A shooting star falls onto the mountain in answer to the prayer of Anchises to Jupiter in Greek mythology. SHOOTING STAR? STARFALL?

More onto the colonisation of the Greek Myrmidons by a colony of ants?

“Ideal world located. Indigenous life not sustainable, but conditions prime for colonization. ”

Asteri’s notes on another world

The Asteri were colonisers, just like what these ants did with the Myrmidons. The Asteri wanted to farm the creatures for food.

And the ants created to Myrmidons because they’re species had been killed by a plague. Just like how the Asteri said they’re Homeworld was dust, and the things within it.

[xasha777]

In the year 2047, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit had transformed. No longer just a racetrack for speed enthusiasts, it had become the premier testing ground for the new frontier: space racing. The tarmac, once home to the roar of combustion engines, was now a silent gateway to the stars, lined with launch pads and stellar gates.

Enter Lyra Madox, a young pilot whose eyes shone with the reflection of distant nebulas. Her helmet, a masterpiece of engineering, was as much a part of her as her will to traverse the cosmos. Her suit, a shimmering red, had seen more of the universe than most could dream of. She was a comet, a shooting star that no one could catch.

Today, Lyra was to embark on a new challenge. The 'Cosmic Sprint,' a race that began on the historical Phillip Island Circuit, stretched through the atmosphere, and looped around the moon before plummeting back to Earth. Lyra stood by her vessel, The Nebula Racer, its hull reflecting the colors of the deep space.

The grandstands, now floating platforms, were brimming with spectators, their eyes fixed on the brave pilots below. As the countdown began, Lyra climbed into The Nebula Racer, the cockpit sealing with a hiss. Her hands danced over the controls, a ritual she performed before every race.

"3... 2... 1... Launch!"

The Nebula Racer shot forward with a silent burst of ion propulsion, leaving a trail of crystalline particles. The other pilots, in their own vessels, followed suit. The track blurred as they ascended, the blue sky darkening to the black of space.

Lyra’s vessel skimmed the moon’s surface, her precision honed from countless hours in simulations and real flights. The dark side of the moon loomed, and she used its gravity in a slingshot maneuver, catapulting back towards Earth.

As Earth's gravity embraced her vessel, Lyra descended with the finesse of a falling leaf. The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit approached, a ribbon of history calling her back to where it all began.

She passed the finish line first, not only a testament to speed but to human ingenuity. Her helmet, now streaked with starlight, would forever carry the tale of the day the race track bridged worlds, and Lyra Madox became a legend.