002 - The Stargazing Meme

[aflockofmemegulls]

the stargazing meme

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oo2. reply to others in character
oo3. use the rng and enter 1-10
oo4. play out what happens—anything goes!
oo5. profit? oh yeah!

prompts

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

Comments

9

[unrelentingly]

Nights in Hightown were often quiet these days, most of the ruffians knowing better than to prowl around at this hour, knowing Garrett Hawke was on the watch. Tonight was a bit different though, the night sky very clear and the stars glowing brightly. It was a sight he would rather not pass him by. He scaled one of the buildings near the Chantry, hoisting himself up onto an overhang and making his way silently along the shingles until he'd found an appropriate perch.

He looked out over the city, a smile falling across his face. Kirkwall looked so peaceful at night beneath the glow of the night sky. He cast his gaze skyward, settling down on his haunches to admire what was above him. Unbeknownst to him, someone else may have had a similar idea tonight.

[unyieldingly]

She may not have been a rogue but Hawke had learned quickly in the Red Iron how to hide, skulk the shadows, and find higher places to get the drop on targets. It was something she'd fallen out of practice with over the past few years as she stopped needing to hide and scrape her way around Lowtown with Carver. She hadn't exactly 'moved up' in the world, not really - a wolf in noble's clothes was still wild, after all - but she'd done her best to at least appear like she was something other than she was.

But that was the life of a mage, wasn't it?

The stars were bright out tonight, clouds parted to show off their blinking dots in the sky. The moon was even out, bright and beautiful, washing Kirkwall in a glow that made the city seem almost peaceful. As she edged herself along, she caught sight of the shadow on the overhang and paused. He wasn't watching her. He was looking up...

She chuckled. "Admiring the view?"

[unrelentingly]

He heard the sound of someone approaching but he made no move to indicate it. A rogue knew how to detect a trap just as well as he could pick a lock - and this was no trap. Though he'd gotten out of the work as quickly as he could after that first year in Athenril's smuggling ring, he'd kept in mind quite a number of the tricks they'd taught him. The footsteps continued to draw nearer and a woman's voice called out. It wasn't a familiar one but it didn't send off any warning.

He looked over his shoulder, remaining in his current position and mentally calculating out the distance between them before letting the corners of his mouth quip into a thin smile.

"It's a beautiful night. It would be a shame to let it pass us by."

[unyieldingly]

"I can agree with that," she said quietly, finding a place suitable enough without intruding upon his space. If need be, it would only take a wave of her hand to knock him off the roof. ...Assuming, of course, that he didn't throw a knife into her chest. He wasn't a bandit, though, nor was he a raider. If anything, he seemed bored - and brave - enough to come out at night and risk getting mugged or killed simply to see the stars.

Was that foolishness? Or romantic?

She lapsed into silence, looking up with him at the stars. "I can't remember the last time everything seemed so clear." Or perhaps she hadn't had time to notice it. A shame.

[unrelentingly]

There was something rather curious about this woman, something he couldn't particularly put his finger on. She didn't look to be a rogue, nor did she seem like a warrior - in fact, something about her seemed different. She was no ordinary civilian, he couldn't play why but he just felt it to be so. It was an unusual feeling and one that made him want to learn more about this stranger on the rooftop.

Shifting his position a little, he turned himself so that he could better keep an eye on her. The distance between them was acceptable for now, she seemed just as wary of him as he was of her. It made sense - after all, even in Kirkwall, how often did one encounter someone atop a roof, gazing at stars? His attention turned back to the sky again, that thin smile still across his face.

"It has been some time," he was in agreement about that. When was the last time the moon was so bright or the stars glistened like this? Not a single cloud to obscure the night sky, letting those blessed enough to witness it with a feeling of awe. "I don't believe I've ever seen a night as calm and clear as this in all my years here in Kirkwall."

He remembered nights like this in Lothering, so many years ago - and nights like this before that. He could remember sitting with his father, laying out in the grass and just gazing skyward.

"I used to know the names of all of the stars... But over the years, it seems I've forgotten a number of them."