A Harborage that was recently discovered by UNSC satellites. The navy decided against investigating this particular Harborage since it was discovered so late post-war. There seems to be activity but as of now there is no hostility towards the UNSC and her allies and there are no affiliates of the enemies of UNSC known to frequent this Harborage.
Summary: Luna, the lead singer of the rising idol band AS-TRAL, has always been a rule follower. She plays by the book to make sure she and her other two members can keep living their dream career. But when a certain man from one of the most popular boy bands in the industry catches her eye, Luna finds herself breaking the very rules she swore to follow.
Chapter 2 - MAMA AWARDS
The ride back to the hotel was tedious. The girls were exhausted, and it made the drive feel much longer than it was. The black van hummed steadily through the night, city lights sliding across the tinted windows in blurred streaks of gold and white. Inside, the usual post-concert chaos had softened. Nova had already kicked her shoes off and was half-sprawled across the seat, head tilted back against the window. Gia was sitting beside them, leaning against the other window. Luna sat across from them, her hoodie pulled over her shoulders. Her hair was still slightly damp at the ends from sweat and styling spray. She stared out the window, watching the city pass in glowing streaks. The adrenaline was gone now, replaced by that familiar ache in her muscles that reminded her she was, in fact, human. Somewhere in the front, Pandora was speaking quietly to the driver.
Luna was so distracted, lost in her own mind, that she didn’t realize that her phone buzzed from her pocket. The vibration startled her. Luna jolted a bit from the scare, then dug into her pocket to find the source of her startle. Luna retrieved her phone and turned it on. The brightness of the screen made Luna squint, her blue eyes already sensitive to the light. She lowered her screen's brightness and then clicked on the notification. A message notification filled her screen, and she smiled subconsciously. Nova noticed immediately.
“Oh my god,” Nova groaned dramatically from across the van, lifting their head just enough to squint at her, “what or who are you smiling at?”
Luna shook her head, “I think you know.”
Nova’s eyes widened, “Oh my GOD!? He texted you???”
“Shh, oh my god, Nova, quiet down- Yes, he texted me,” Luna glanced down at her phone where his message filled the screen
Hey, are you done with your concert?
Luna smiled and typed back,
Yeah, we are almost back to the hotel, thank god
The typing bubble appeared almost instantly. Luna bit her lip as she watched the bubble. Nova made a choking noise that caused Luna to jolt.
“Are you serious? He’s actively texting back?” Nova whisper-yelled, suddenly wide awake. Gaia cracked one eye open beside them, visibly exhausted, “…Who’s texting Luna back?”
“Vayne,” Nova answered immediately.
Gaia shot up in her seat. Luna rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You two are insufferable.”
“You like him,” Nova accused dramatically.
Luna sighed, “I never denied that.”
Gaia snorted softly, rubbing at their eyes, “So is this serious now, or are you still in a ‘situationship’?” Luna cringed at the word and sighed, “I… I don’t know.” Nova stared at the blonde with wide eyes, “You don’t know!? Lun, you’ve been… texting this guy for almost four months!”
“It has not been almost four months.”
“It has almost been four months,” Gaia muttered sleepily.
Another message popped up before Luna could argue back.
Vayne: Good. You’re probably exhausted, your concert ran late. Proud of you, though. The clips online look insane already.
Luna felt warmth bloom in her chest despite how tired she was. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a second longer than necessary. Across from her, Nova was staring at her like they were watching an intense kdrama. “Oh my god,” she whispered, horrified and delighted all at once. Luna shook her head as she thought about how the two met.
Almost four months ago was the MAMA awards, and it was the first year that AS-TRAL was invited, and the trio was buzzing with excitement and nerves. The plan was to get there and perform; if they didn’t win an award, that was fine, just get through the ceremony without mistakes. Or so that’s what Luna was telling herself.
The venue had been packed wall-to-wall with idols, managers, fans, cameras, and flashing lights that made everything feel unreal. Luna still remembered standing backstage in her outfit, fingers tightening around the edge of her jeans while Nova paced like they were about to fight a war, and Gaia repeatedly muttered, “Is this worth the emotional warfare we are going through right now?” Luna inhaled sharply, “This is one of the biggest award ceremonies in Korea… so yes, it will be worth it, just– don’t manifest disasters.” Luna huffed out a quiet laugh. Before anyone was able to respond, Pandora walked in, “If any of you faint on live television, I will personally bring you back to life just so I can kill you again.” Gaia chuckled and flashed a smile at Pandora. Luna inhaled slowly, “No one will faint.” She reassured, but it was more to reassure herself than it was to reassure Pandora. Pandora flipped a page on her clipboard without looking up, “In five minutes, you’re walking. In ten, you’re on stage. In fifteen, you’re either legends… or traumatized.”
“Comforting,” Nova replied flatly, rolling their eyes.
Luna exhaled through her nose, forcing her hands to unclench. Her reflection in the mirror looked too sharp, too polished. Her hair was pulled back, half up and half down, her blonde locks perfectly framing her face.
Then the stage manager called their name. Everything happened so quickly after that. The stage room was massive. The walk felt too short and too long at the same time, like her body couldn’t decide whether to run or freeze. The roar of the audience hit them before they even saw the stage.
Nova let out a low whistle, “Oh. That’s a lot of people.” Gaia’s eyes widened, “yeah–” They breathed. Luna kept quiet by making sure to walk alongside the other two. Before long, the trio was in the main room and finding their seats as the ceremony began.
The auditorium lights dimmed slowly, one section at a time, until the entire venue was cast in darkness. The stage lights turned on in a flash, setting the room in a bright blue and white glow. Luna sat between Nova and Gaia, posture straight, hands folded tightly in her lap so no one would notice how hard she was trying not to shake.
Nova leaned in slightly, whispering, “If I pass out, don’t let me hit the floor.”
“You’re not going to pass out,” Gaia whispered back.
“We got this,” Luna whispered, giving both the younger members a smile.
On stage, the first presenters came out. Applause filled the room, the trio joining in. The girls sat there watching performance after performance before they were called back to appear for their performance. Luna stood up and helped Gaia and Nova up, and they all hurried backstage while the last performers finished their song.
Backstage was loud and chaotic. Managers and workers scattered everywhere, running back and forth.
“I’m not running,” Nova called back over her shoulder, already half-jogging back to the group after getting their inner earpiece and mic in.
Gaia adjusted their in-ear, rolling her shoulders once, “If I fall on national television, just let it happen. It’ll be my legacy.”
Luna straightened out the mesh pieces that were sewn into her shorts and that flowed down around her legs like a skirt. “Our legacy will be kicking ass at this performance,” Luna tried to remain confident. The girls stood on the platform as they listened to the countdown from Pandora in their inner ears. Luna inhaled deeply. Nova grabbed Luna’s hand, Gaia following, and they squeezed hands as the countdown finalized, and the platform began to rise.
Luna stepped forward into the bright lights of the stage. The brightness was so intense it felt like stepping into another world entirely. The opening beat dropped, heavy and electric, and her body moved before her mind could catch up. Everything became motion again just as it did in rehearsal.
The choreography snapped into place like muscle memory. Nova shot into the performance with explosive energy, grin sharp and wild, feeding off the crowd like she was built for it. Gaia grounded the entire formation, every step precise, every turn clean, voice cutting through the track with control that made it look effortless. Luna’s voice carried over the instrumental, steady despite the chaos, emotions buried deep enough that only the performance showed through. Lights shifted across them in waves of blue, white, and gold, painting over them. The crowd was deafening, thousands of people, idols and fans, cheered from their seats.
When the final note played, the stage lights spun around before landing on the girls. The trio was covered in a sparkling light as silence filled the venue for half a second before erupting in applause. Luna stood frozen for a moment, chest rising and falling fast, sweat cooling on her skin under the lights. She grabbed the hands of the other members, took a quick bow, and then the three hurried off stage. Once they were backstage, they were once again surrounded by chaos. Pandora met them at the backstage door and handed them each a towel and a bottle of water.
Pandora looked over the three of them quickly, eyes scanning for injuries, wardrobe malfunctions, anything that went wrong. Finding none, her tense shoulders finally loosened, and she pushed up her glasses. “You killed that,” she spoke breathlessly, though there was obvious pride in her voice, “No missed marks, no mic issues, no one fell off the stage. That already makes this one of my favorite award shows!”
Nova gasped dramatically as she took the towel, “Wow. A compliment? From Pandora? Someone document this.”
“I take it back,” Pandora deadpanned instantly.
Gaia laughed softly, wiping sweat from the side of her face. “You love us,” Gaia responded with a wink. “I tolerate you professionally,” Pandora replied automatically, though the small smile tugging at her lips ruined the effect completely. Gaia smirked knowingly but nodded and continued to wipe down her face.
Luna unscrewed her water bottle, taking a long drink as her heartbeat slowly came down from the performance high. Her hands were still shaky with leftover adrenaline. The roar of the crowd still echoed faintly in her ears.
“You looked terrified before going up,” Pandora said, quieter this time, eyes landing on Luna, “But you did well, Luna.” Something warm settled in Luna’s chest. She nodded once as a smile spread across her face, “Thanks.” Before Pandora could respond, another staff member rushed past.
“Vi:XEN to stage in thirty seconds!”
The hallway immediately became chaotic again. Managers shouted over each other, stylists rushed past carrying backup outfits, and security began clearing space near the stage entrance. The three moved through the crowd, trying to get back to the main doors and to their seats. Luna adjusted the oversized jacket that she hung off her shoulders, still trying to cool down from the stage lights. Then someone slammed into her shoulder. Luna gasped slightly and turned to face the person she had just collided with. “Sorry!” A voice came from beside her. Luna’s eyes followed the sound. She was met with deep, almost green colored eyes. A guy stood in front of her, tall with silver, almost white hair falling slightly into his eyes despite obvious restyling attempts from staff. Up close, she recognized him immediately.
Vayne.
Leader of Vi:XEN.
The same band her brother got placed in just two years before she did.
For a split second, both of them froze. “Oh,” he said quickly, immediately letting go of her wrist once she steadied herself, “Sorry about that.” His voice was lower than she expected. Luna blinked once before shaking her head, “No, that was my fault, sorry!” Vayne smiled and went to respond, but was cut off by a shorter, dark-haired man ushering them onto the stage. “Vayne, move your ass, we’re on in ten seconds,” Ny-X complained as he grabbed lightly at the taller idol’s sleeve.
“Language,” Ares called automatically from further ahead without even turning around. Luna met Lune’s eyes, and they gave each other a quick thumbs up before they parted ways. The girls moved back to their seats to watch the performance.
The second AS-TRAL sat back down the lights dimmed again. The screams that filled the arena somehow grew even louder as Vi:XEN’s logo flashed across the massive screens overhead.
Nova grabbed Luna’s arm immediately, still buzzing with post-performance adrenaline. “Oh my god,” they whispered aggressively, “Luna. He was absolutely checking you out.”
Luna nearly choked on her water. “What? No, he wasn’t.”
“He literally froze,” Nova insisted, “Like fully froze. You can’t tell me that wasn’t checking each other out.”
Gaia snorted beside them, leaning back into their chair. “Yeah, and so was she.”
Luna turned toward them so fast her ponytail whipped over her shoulder, “I was not checking him out!” She whispered-yelled.
“You stared at him for, like, a solid five seconds,” Gaia replied calmly, uncapping another small bottle of water to sip from.
“That is not true.”
“It absolutely is,” Nova cut in immediately, “And he grabbed your wrist.”
“To steady me because we collided!”
Nova gasped dramatically, “Physical contact! Scandalous!”
Luna buried her face in her hands for a second, “You two are impossible.” The opening instrumental hit before either of them could continue teasing her. The arena erupted into deafening screams as Vi:XEN rose onto the stage.
The entire energy of the room shifted instantly.
If AS-TRAL’s performance was sharp and elegant, all precision and power. Vi:XEN was different. Their stage presence hit like a hurricane. The lights flashed crimson and silver across the stage as the members moved into formation. Vayne stood at the center, silver hair glowing almost white under the lights, his in-ear monitor catching the stage glare every time he turned his head. Nova let out a low whistle. “Okay. I get it now.”
Luna ignored them, though her eyes stayed glued to the stage. The beat dropped hard enough to vibrate through the seats beneath them. The choreography was aggressive and perfectly synchronized, every movement hitting with impossible precision. Ny-X’s rap cut through the instrumental sharply while ZeV and Shadøw moved across the stage like they were born there. Then Vayne started singing. Luna blinked in shock.
She’d obviously heard Vi:XEN songs before. Everyone had. But hearing them live was different somehow. Vayne's voice carried effortlessly through the arena, smooth and steady even while dancing. The crowd screamed louder every time he stepped forward. Nova leaned over, “You’re staring.”
“I’m watching the performance!”
“Mhm.”
Luna opened her mouth to argue again, but stopped when Vayne glanced toward their section during the chorus. Maybe it wasn’t intentional, or that’s what she told herself. There are hundreds of fans and other idols at the ceremony, and he was probably looking over at one of them…. Right?
By the time the performance ended, the entire audience was on its feet, cheering. Vi:XEN stood beneath the falling lights, breathing hard from the choreography before bowing together. As the members started leaving the stage, Luna caught sight of Vayne again near the stairs backstage. And for half a second, she swore he looked back in her direction.
The stage lights slowly settled after Vi:XEN’s performance, the venue still buzzing with leftover energy as stage crews rushed around resetting props and equipment. Giant screens overhead flashed sponsor graphics while the audience gradually sat back down.
Nova was still clutching Luna’s arm dramatically. “I’m telling you right now,” she whispered, “that man looked at you twice.”
“He looked at our section,” Luna corrected.
“He looked at you,” Gaia replied with a smirk. Luna rolled her eyes, and before she could respond, the lights zeroed in on the stage, and the announcers walked across to the mic stand in the middle. “Ladies and gentlemen,” one of the MCs announced brightly as the lights focused back onto the main stage, “welcome officially to the 2025 MAMA Awards!” The crowd replied with a round of applause. Music swelled through the auditorium as the hosts walked out beneath golden spotlights, smiling effortlessly despite the sheer chaos of the venue. Cameras immediately began sweeping across the audience, idols waving politely whenever they appeared on the giant screens.
Luna straightened up automatically the second she noticed one camera drift near their section. Years of media training kicked in instantly. Gaia and Nova followed her move, the trio smiling and waving at the camera as it passed by them.
The ceremony officially began after that. Award categories rolled one after another. Every few minutes, the room erupted again into applause and cheers.
Luna found herself slowly relaxing the longer they sat there.
At some point, Nova leaned over and quietly stole candy from the gift bag beneath Luna’s chair. Gaia nearly fell asleep during one of the slower acceptance speeches before jerking awake the second applause started again. “Did we win?” they mumbled sleepily.
“We were not nominated for that category,” Luna whispered back.
“Oh. Right, right.”
Then came the rookie category. The screens shifted colors overhead as dramatic music filled the venue. Luna immediately sat up straighter.
Across the stage, the presenter smiled toward the audience. “This year’s nominees for Best New Artist have shown incredible growth, talent, and impact on the industry.”
Clips began flashing across the massive screens.
AS-TRAL.
FANGZ.
Another rookie girl group.
Another rookie boy group.
The crowd applauded for each one. And as they did, Luna could feel the suspense and nerves grow. She clasped her hands together tightly in her lap while Nova bounced their leg nervously beside her.
Gaia muttered, “I’m going to throw up.” Luna glanced over and grabbed her hand, offering her other hand to Nova, who immediately grabbed and squeezed it tightly. The presenter opened the envelope slowly.
The pause felt cruel.
“And the winner for Best New Artist is…”
The entire arena held its breath.
“…AS-TRAL!”
Luna froze. Did she hear that right? Beside her, Gaia slapped her hands over her mouth. Nova all but screamed, scrambling to her feet. “Oh my god—get up!” Nova yelled, grabbing Luna’s arm. The trio scrambled up from their chairs, doing what they could to look graceful and professional. Luna could barely hear anything over the roaring in her ears. Gaia looked seconds away from crying. Nova was already crying. As they started toward the stage, Luna glanced out across the crowd instinctively and briefly caught Vayne standing with the rest of Vi:XEN, applauding for them.
He smiled when their eyes met.
The applause from the audience echoed through the venue while cameras followed their every movement. Luna grabbed ahold of Nova and Gaia’s hands tightly as they climbed the stairs together, terrified one of them was actually going to trip from the overwhelming rush of adrenaline. Nova was visibly shaking beside her. Gaia looked completely stunned. Luna was sure she looked no better. The presenter handed over the trophy carefully with a bright smile. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Luna managed automatically, bowing quickly before accepting it with both hands. The award felt heavier than she expected.
The giant screen behind them flashed AS-TRAL in massive glowing letters while cheers continued filling the arena.
Nova immediately burst into tears again. “Oh no,” Gaia whispered, laughing through their own obvious emotions, “they’re crying again.”
“I can’t help it!” Nova choked out dramatically, wiping at her face before leaning toward the microphone. The crowd laughed softly in response.
Luna smiled beside them, letting the two younger ones have their moment.
Nova inhaled shakily, “First of all— thank you so much. Seriously. We didn’t think we’d even be invited here this year, let alone standing on this stage.” Their voice cracked slightly again, “Thank you to the stars for supporting us even when we were just some tiny rookie group posting dance covers online.”
The audience applauded warmly.
Gaia took the mic next, still looking mildly shell-shocked, “Thank you to our manager for not killing us during rehearsals,” she laughed softly. Gaia grinned before continuing, “And thank you to our staff, our company, and everyone who worked behind the scenes for us. We wouldn’t be here without you.”
Then the microphone was handed to Luna. She took a quick breath before speaking, “So… thank you. To everyone who listened to our songs, watched our performances, voted for us, supported us…” Her voice softened. “You made three girls who were terrified trainees feel like maybe we really belonged here.” The audience erupted into applause again.
Luna bowed quickly, cheeks warming under the lights as Gaia squeezed her arm proudly. As the girls started leaving the stage, the adrenaline finally crashed over her properly. Her legs suddenly felt weak.
“Holy shit,” Nova whispered as soon as they stepped away from the microphones. “We won a MAMA award.”
Gaia looked down at the trophy in awe, “I think I blacked out halfway through that.”
“You definitely did,” Luna laughed breathlessly as the trio made their way off the stage. Back near the stairs leading offstage, idols and staff applauded politely as they passed. The girls thanked them all quickly and headed back to their seats to watch the last of the award show.
Tags: Wilna, Rayna Quinn, William Lewis, death, TW, tough topics, sad ending, she fell first but he fell harder, AU, Alternate Universe, short, night walk
TW: mentions of tough topics such as loss, reader discretion is advised!
Credits: Thank you so much to @uzmacchiato for the dividers, they're utterly gorgeous!
Tagging: @twoandahalfdimes @light-of-the-room @rambling-tam - let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!
Summary: William and Rayna go for a late night walk, but it doesn't exactly end as planned.
Authors note: I don't really have much to say about this one, this AU has been simmering in my head for ages, so here goes
⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺
William walked down the cold, hard streets. The streetlights flickered every once in a while. They were old. Very old. William looked up into the night sky. That day, it was devoid of any clouds.
“Where are we going?” Rayna tilted her head as she walked beside him.
“Well,” he began, “We’re going to a special place where we’ll be able to see the stars.”
She glanced up at the sky, before looking back at him, “Oh?”
William nodded, a small smile on his face. They passed shops and cafes, restaurants and coffee shops, sandwich bars and ice cream parlours, but they were all closed. He sighed, “Strange, isn’t it?”
“Almost surreal,” Rayna nodded, “Like the entire city is… asleep.”
“Well, all except for us.” He smirked jokingly.
She chuckled, “All except for us, indeed.” She inhaled, taking in the crisp air as they passed under a blossom tree. watching the petals fall at their feet. She stopped, staring up at the tree.
He sighed, pausing in his steps beside her, “It’s a lovely tree.” He murmured.
She glanced at him, smiling, “Isn’t it?” She mused, her voice barely above a whisper.
William exhaled, watching her face light up with awe as she stared at the pink petals. He smiled to himself, laughing gently to himself. Despite the fact that it was spring, her cheeks still flushed pink with cold. Her hair blew in the breeze, her eyes sparkled in the light emitted by the streetlamps around them, her face was bathed in the beams of the moon. He gazed at her adoringly.
Finally, she felt his eyes fixated on her, and she turned back to him. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, before she began to grin at him. It was clear she knew he had been staring at her, “Come on,” she beckoned him, walking ahead.
He breathed out a small laugh, jogging to catch up to her as she sped up, almost sprinting.
They ran through the streets as William tried desperately to keep up with her, “Hey, come back here! You don’t know the way!”
“Well then,” She began over her shoulder, “Show me!”
He groaned dramatically, picking up the pace until he was ahead of her, “Can we slow down?”
“Why, too old to run?”
“I haven’t even reached my thirties,” he rolled his eyes, slowing down as he watched a man give him a confused look as he crossed the street, “You always bathe in the limelight.”
She laughed, falling into step beside him with a shrug, “Guilty as charged. But hey, it’s fun.”
He shook his head with a small smile, “To you it is.”
“Well nothing’s fun to you.” She teased gently.
He huffed, crossing his arms as he walked, “That’s not true, we’re on a walk at an ungodly hour, are we not? Doesn’t that make me fun?”
“I suppose so,” she conceded, “Just a bit, though.”
“I’ll take that.” He smirked at her, looking up as they passed a block of flats. The sheer amount of people that had their lights turned off sent a shiver of excitement down his spine. He had never been out so late.
“See? You’re enjoying yourself. We both win in this situation. You get to see stars, i get to go on a walk at night.”
William couldn’t argue with that, “We’re almost at the spot. I heard Saturn is visible tonight.”
Rayna perked up at that, “Really?”
He nodded, “Really.”
“Well what are we waiting for? Speed up!” She exclaimed as she began to speed walk.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat, “For goodness sake,” He murmured, walking a bit faster in attempts to keep up, “Can’t you just enjoy the solitude?”
“I suppose it’s something I’ve never experienced before, but you know what? I’ve never seen Saturn either.”
“Fine. I’ll show you Saturn, just calm down,” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yeah? Well last time you said you would, and then you never did!” She complained petulantly.
“I’ll show you this time,” he promised, “It’s a sight to see.”
“But we have no telescope.” She mumbled, kicking the stones under her feet.
He laughed in realisation, “I suppose that means Saturn is going to have to wait. For now, we can just stargaze.”
She sniffed impatiently, “Damn it.” She muttered under her breath, seemingly upset by the fact that she had to miss such an opportunity.
“Listen, stars are still pretty amazing,” he reassured her with a smile.
“I guess…” She frowned.
He rubbed his face in amusement, “It’s better than nothing, is it not? Besides, i have a specific star to show you. Let’s hope we find it. It’s gorgeous.”
She furrowed her eyebrows, “I’d rather see a planet, though.”
“Me too, love.” He said, scratching his head idly, “And trust me, if I could, I’d show you the entire galaxy.”
A small smile formed on her face, “Fine, show me your stars then.”“Perfect.” And with that, he led her into the graveyard. A place that was supposed to be eerie, but the graves were the least of their concerns.
William sat down next to a grave. By now, the letters had been covered by moss, although an ‘A’ and an ‘I’ could still be made out.
Rayna plopped down next to him, crossing her legs excitedly, “Well then? Where’s the beautiful star?”
He chuckled mischievously, “Here.” He mumbled, reaching out to poke her cheek.
But to his dismay, his finger went right through her. His breath hitched in his throat as she smiled softly at him for a final time. As rain began to fall, she disappeared with the wind, leaving him all alone.
He sighed, the rain now becoming more prominent. He curled up next to the gravestone, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked towards it, gently rubbing off the moss to reveal the engraving.
Here lies Rayna Quinn, a beloved friend, partner, and daughter.
He sniffed, attempting to wipe his tears, but they just wouldn’t stop. He was now aware of why the man on the street had given him such a weird look.
He was alone, and he had been the entire time.
He had stared at the blossom tree alone, walked alone, sprinted alone, the only difference now was that he was aware.
Acutely aware of the fact that his love was gone, and had been now for a long, long time.
