❝ —- hm, an honest child of the universe is a rarity, ❞ they respond quietly ; it isn’t as though they’d become so self-centered within their own ego to feel as though they were the last of a pseudo-immortal species. even then, their circumstance was a little more personal. ❝ there is no need to fret, viral—-. ❞ this individual also has quite an intricate, embellished title. granted, who are they to pass judgement on such a strong presence when such a long, long list of insults and praises continue to follow them ? such is the curse of those born to live an existence that feels like an eternity in comparison to those whom are born like a flicker of space dust. whilst the star burned for centuries still ; never waning until its time to collapse and give birth to a newfound universe or a parallel galaxy. a hand moved upward to softly touch against the opposite’s ; not fearful nor showing hesitation towards the clawed digits. talons, scales, uniformed monstrosities that would’ve caused mankind to cringe in a feral fright—- such things didn’t hold a candle to the midnight star.
they even reach upward, past the angular jawbone towards the cheek ; pausing with their four-fingered hands as they seem to contemplate. then, with a slow, articulate gesture—- they touch atop the head and give a small, delicate touch as they smooth the strands of hair. humanoid, alas, not quite human ; it is the complexity and unpredictability of human design that had always caused an obsession. yet, make no mistake—- they had loved elves, dragons, and other species too. the history books seem to omit that tidbit of information ( perhaps to paint them a martyr or betrayer, depending on which tome is read: draconic scrolls or human parchment ) both hands return to the nova’s sides as they form an elegant downward triangle. the myriad of life, death, rebirth ; mind, body and spirit—- and maybe it also is the reason that all facets of reality, arcana, and temporal wisdom are otherwise accessible to them like an open book.
❝ —- why don’t you sit with me a while, instead ? tell me all that you’ve come to know and love in these multiple worlds you’ve seen, this concept of a three-dimensional reality ? ❞ some individuals ( be they of human, beast, or an enlightened origin ) sometimes forget that this material world is yet a singular dimension. there are higher vibrations ; this ethereal machine functions like a well-tuned piano, the assortment of alternative reverberations echo—– filling all cracks, space, and recesses of the void. yet, they understand more-so than anyone else they’ve met: destruction is also a viable part of the process. emptiness is needed to fill vacancies ; stagnation is a hinderance to the progression of both the material and spiritual. sometimes, beings can get so caught up in their formulated egos. alas, they’ve come to understand that they are more than a pound of flesh ; more than beauty, more than strength or fortitude—-. the development is always what aaravos had found most glorious—- a soft exhale leaves them.
or maybe a century or two’s worth of imprisonment has truly driven them to utter madness. insanity would’ve been defined by following the same path and expecting a different outcome. no, they are over that particular phase—- they’re as full of love as they are resentment. though, one might’ve not been able to tell right away given such a serene, regal visage. ❝ tell me everything and know that i shall never pass judgement upon you. tell me about the individuals you’ve loved unconditionally, or those that wrought every fibre of your being with an unsurmountable hatred, ❞ they speak with such a tenor that could’ve moved mountains to spill secrets. ❝ tell me your hopes and aspirations for the future, viral ! there’s no need to hold back, i’ve heard many whispered wishes, ❞ as it is a popular custom to clasp hands and wish upon a star. whether it be it a falling one ; or the brightest in the midnight sky.
🚀—“Jｏｉｎ ｗｉｔｈ ｙｅｓｔｅｒｄａｙ'ｓ ｆｏｅ ｔｏ ｓｍａｓｈ ｆａｔｅ,
💫 — ａｎｄ ｇｒａｂ ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ'ｓ ｐａｔｈ
The sensation was sublime; Aaravos’ hand offered warmth and coolness at once, like the passing brush of the ghost of a loved one, diminished by the absence of flesh, yet embellished by rich memory. The affection came to Viral in softness and unfamiliarity, and it stirred a long-neglected hurt. Their hands, so close - differing, down to the color palettes of their skin, but still so peaceable in the moment of gentle collision. He didn’t name the feeling. Didn’t look upon the loneliness within. He steered himself in mind, to a false opposition to the tenderness to his mane, to the adroit fingertips that sifted touch and air through fair, heavy tresses. The tension forced through broad shoulders was incomplete, yearning.
He meant to decline the invitation, to allow his host the preference of telling his tale, instead. As it was, the beautiful specter’s beckoning words came too close to the ignoble depths of his heart, where he kept the sweet, sad secrets of the one left behind.
Ah, but it wasn’t his fault, when ivory gates parted,
he was, at the heart of his missions, a storyteller…
The Beastman’s vibrant, topaz gaze drifted along the constellations that painted his companion’s skin. They were every bit as luminous as those he sailed among, these days. How many of them might have hosted Aaravos’ own wishes? Did he have wishes?
Or did enlightenment and the aging of the cosmos take such childlike predilections? Viral hadn’t even realized that he had cultivated a few of his own, until recently. He’d known regret. He’d known ambition. But to wish... that was a Human’s prerogative, wasn’t it?
❝My story, hn... I don’t think I’ve recounted it, before.❞
The admission came at length, as Viral admitted a distaste for it, to himself,
❝It isn’t the laudable journey of a humble hero who liberated his people; a man who tore open a lightless sky, and crowned the brows of his comrades with stardust. And it isn’t the gripping tale of a brother who turned words into prayers, and through sacrifice, wrought his blood into a banner of strength with which to empower the powerless.
It’s a history of falls; of reckless gambits and numbing loss. It begins with a clumsy, overeager soldier. A satisfied servant of Death. But, the price of arrogance was absolute; it took everything that comprised his world, and filled his barbed mouth with years of grievances and sand. Did he redeem himself in the final battle, when his shoulders were crowded by former enemies, turned allies?
Can the preservation of the living placate the fallen?
Ensuring that the future’s children reach old age, does it reclaim the youth stolen from those whose lives were spent along the way?
Maybe in a hundred years, I’ll know. Maybe in a thousand, I might understand.❞
He sighed, fully cognizant of the self-reproach in the recounting of memories that ached for absolution. He was in no rush to deliver it. He had eternity to focus his intentions, to determine who he was, and what he stood for, sans the guidepost he’d always looked to. For every day that he had once spent in ignorance and blindness, he could commit a thousand to holding his eyes open to his own deeds, the crimson stained his hands.
❝...tch, it isn’t my favorite story..
But that isn’t to say that it’s finished. The prologue is inelegant, that’s true. But it isn’t over; and I’m not content to be defined by a mere work-in-progress.❞
The Beastman shrugged the weight of self-assessment from his shoulders and spine, and adjusted his seated position, a little closer to Aaravos. He was more keen to convey his great admiration of the hands and faces that had crossed the journey with him. His demeanor brightened just a bit, as he introduced the concepts of his closest comrades, and also, he articulated a few self-doubts concerning the heart,
❝Humans are among the most interesting of races, and I say that as a being with an artificial parentage, spliced three times over. But, Beastmen were not designed with ‘love’ in mind. Compassion was a flaw. Affection, a sign of weakness - or worse, disloyalty to our creator. We could be passionate, but obedience was vital. I was always just a little out of step, I think. Now that others of my kind are more adjusted to bonds and connectivity, I feel like I may be lagging behind their progress.
...we weren’t designed for it... but, two of my Generals were... involved. I was young. And a fool. I missed most of the more delicate nuances, but I recognized the grief when it came. At the conclusion of a battle, I had lost my esteemed and treasured General. ...but Adiane, she had lost much more. When she turned her grief on me, I couldn’t help but feel that even with her viciousness, I couldn’t possibly be in as much pain as she was in.
Though I have no one but myself to blame for their losses, even now, I mourn them both. She had loved him, I think. ...and I loved her.
So I believe. As a Beastman, I can’t say that I feel the word properly as compared to a being who is naturally designed to express it.❞
With an almost heedless sincerity, Viral confided in the Midnight Star with the same hopeful candidness that a child might use to confide in their mother. Indeed, the blond was a parentless thing. His tongue was so willing to speak, but his history was relentless - who would he tell these deep considerations to? In leadership and in company, he was a commanding, forceful figure to rely upon. It had been decades since he last relaxed in the association of someone close, someone who promised only presence and a heart to listen. And he was intensely wanting of it; intimacy, a tender affinity with someone who wished to know his mind. He so desired a companion with which to exchange idle moments, the stardusted enigma was beginning to take the shape of a very old, very clandestine wish.
❝I don’t allow the hatred of anyone, not anymore. I thought I hated Humans, too, in the past. I think ‘hate’ manifests at the edge of understanding. Two beings can be incompatible, without their eyes being clouded by hate. It would be dishonorable, in my station as a Captain, if I allowed some personal bias turn my hand selfishly, against another living being. We must strive for understanding, if we are to achieve peace.
That is something that I learned from a Human, as well, though I’ll never fully embody her depth of compassion and her gentle courage.❞
Viral collected a few moments of silence, before laying his gaze upon the startouched entity. Once more, he would try to pry even a little from the Aaravos’ smooth, secretive lips.
❝In line with ‘hopes for the future,’ Midnight Star, I hope that you might divulge some knowledge about yourself? ...as with any introduction, I fitted it with my own, first. If there’s any stamina left in your veins after that, I have the time to spare... in listening to your story...❞
🐾—ɪ'ᴍ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ ,
‘ǝɹǝɥ ǝɹ'noʎ ǝsnɐɔǝb ǝɹǝɥ ɯ'I
ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ɴᴏᴡ!”
“!ʍon ɯǝןboɹd ɐ ʇoƃ ǝʌ'noʎ
