networkinthenight | Gold on the ceiling | Audio; @cuttingedge

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Gold on the ceiling | Audio; @cuttingedge | OPEN (Backdated to 9/18!)

[The message starts with a few seconds of silence before Jo clears her throat.]

If you haven't gone out tonight, well- [She lets out a laugh that ends in a sigh.] I never know what to call this. [It's unseen because this is a voice message, but she gestures to the dark around her without thinking.]

I think there's a meteor shower going on. I've seen a bunch of shooting stars. [Jo is used to watching for movement. The extra flashes caught her attention and definitely distracted her from her mission.]

We could see more if there weren't so many trees. [She sounds a little wistful as she adds that. Jo doesn't dislike the trees, but she does miss the wide-open skies she grew up with. If she ignores the dark branches on the horizon, she can pretend she's back home on a car roof.]

You should look, it's nice.

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View's better at the shore.

[ There's the sound of the lake lapping against the very same on Riku's end. ]

Kinda... nostalgic.

[The lake hadn't even occurred to her. She's not used to being near a body of water. Of course, the shore would be clearer...]

Nostalgic? How's that?

Long time ago, on my island, there was a meteor shower like this one. My best friend got pretty scared.

[ There's a soft puff, maybe fond laughter. ]

"What if a falling star hits the island?"

[ It sounds like there's more to that, but Riku instead turns his face up to the dark sky, remembering. ]

...We were just kids.

[She smiles at the thought.]

I guess one never did, if you're talking about it.

Could say one of those was our lucky star. I think... some time after, we met Kairi.

[ There's a fondness in his voice, implying it's someone who became very special to them. ]

We were pretty much inseparable after that.

What about you? Anything like this ever happen on your world?

[She doesn't press for more information. She can hear that he cares about whoever Kairi is. That's good.]

We had shooting stars. Nights where there were a lot of them happened but it's been a long time since I got to see it.

Guess whatever you were doing back home kept you pretty busy.

[ Looking back, Riku remembers it was always the same. Watching sunsets, watching stars with his friends on the beach.

Getting in a lot of trouble for that last one, especially for taking the boats out after dark when they were too young for it. ]

Yeah. [She laughs, a quick, short noise.]

There was always more to do. People always need help.

I wish my jetpack was still working. We could zip up and get a real good look at them, I bet.

[ there's a thoughtful hum and a faint flutter - no doubt daylight thinking about something, his winglets moving up and down behind him as he fell into a brief spell of concentration. ]

It looks really pretty from where I'm looking right now. Kind of reminds me of this star cluster my friends and I once surfed through.

[ daylight's voice is dreamy and wistful when he speaks those lost words, almost trailing off and not finishing his sentence. ]

You have a jetpack? [God, that's so cool. Even if it doesn't work. (It would definitely be cooler if it worked.)

When he mentions surfing through a star cluster, she focuses back on that. Interesting.]

In a spaceship? I bet it was beautiful.

Yeah to both!

I mean- My jetpack isn't working anymore- [ boo to that since he learned the hard way when trying to impress mary sometime ago. ] -but yeah.

My friends and I actually snuck out of the Lornful Light to go surfing through the cluster. We got scolded real bad but flying through the stardust and light emotes was so worth it.

[It's okay, Daylight. Jo isn't too disappointed.]

That sounds amazing. I bet it was beautiful. [She doesn't think she can even imagine what it would be like.]

It really was! I'm glad we got a chance to experience the star cluster while we could.

[ for a few seconds, after daylight finishes talking, there's suddenly a thoughtful pause on his end.

almost as if he was trying to remember something: ] Have I ever shown you my sketchbooks? The one I used for my travels? I think I took the time to quickly draw out one of the formations.

[Jo waits until he speaks again. Sketchbooks would be interesting. The things people decide to write down can be important. She won't snoop too much.]

You haven't. I'd like to see it.

Awesome! Hang on- I'll take a few pictures that I think you'll like!

[ a few minutes past before jo gets a series of photos. all of them happen to depict a pastel sketch of a galactic scenery, the colours a vivid blues and purples. ]

That's the Urylian Star Cluster! When I was sketching it out, it suddenly went through its final constructions and started to change colour and stuff! I did my best to capture the moment while I could.

[Jo takes her time swiping through the pictures, staying quiet until she finishes.]

It's gorgeous. I'm sure it was amazing in person.

It was! [ there's a fond wistfulness in his voice as he speaks. ] Had to be one of my favourite places I ever came across while out in the stars.

... You think the meteor shower will be as pretty? At least half as pretty?

[Jo honestly can't imagine what it must be like to travel in space. She's only flown a couple of times. It would probably be far different in space.]

Maybe half as pretty. It's hard to beat space clouds.

No way! I mean- I'm not exaggerating or anything and this isn't from homesickness or stuff- [ not entirely. ] -but Earth always has the coolest stuff in my experience. Space is just... space, you know? The new frontier, something neat.

But my mom did say, 'There's a reason why we believe our heart is entwined with the concept of home.'

[ in fact- ] Wanna go out and see it for real? The stars?

You can't be serious. [Jo laughs quietly at the idea. Space has to be amazing. Earth has some beauty, but surely it can't compare.

She stops for a moment, trying to figure out what he means.]

See what?

I'm being serious, I swear! And I can prove it.

[ bold words from a teenager and even he knows it now.

the moment he says it, daylight now needs a way to back up his words and stammers for a few seconds. just trying to buy himself from time to think of what to do next. ]

Let's go to- [ hmmm...! ] Let's go to the highest point here in the town. I'll prove it over there if we can find a really clear place.

[Jo is no stranger to this behavior, both doing it and seeing others do it.

She laughs quietly.]

And you're going to fly? Is that really a good idea?

I can't fly anymore- [ he tries to breeze through this bit breezily enough, but is that a hitch? ] -but I can heft you up on my shoulders. I'm really tall.

[ the tallest, even. a title that daylight won't be losing any time soon. ] That should give you a really good look at the stars! I think it'll be worth it.

[It's okay, Day. Jo isn't sure she would want to try to fly anyway. And it seems everything works differently here, she isn't very disappointed.

She did notice that hitch though. It must be hard to lose something like that.]

You wouldn't mind having someone on your shoulders?

Nah. Not at all! I used to do it all the time for Auntie Laura's kids and grandkids and great-grandkids.

[ in fact: he kind of misses doing that for people, hence the constant offer to ride on his shoulders.

(which got weird at times, admittedly, but day meant well. foolishly well but well all the same. anyways-) ] Sooooo... Interested in the offer or nah?

[Jo laughs quietly.]

I probably couldn't turn down the chance to be that tall. Where would you like to meet?

Where's the clearest spot here? We gotta figure that out.

[ and, within seconds of asking that, an idea comes to mind: ] Oh! How about we head to the harbour dock thingy? That should give us enough space from the trees!

[Someone else had suggested it earlier, so Jo would have if he hadn't.]

I'll meet you there. [She laughs before quietly adding-]

Thank you.

Could always try getting above the tree line

[He may or may not be on top of a building right now. Just as an example.]

I'm on a roof, but it's not as high as I'd like.

[Only one story. Short.]

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Gold on the ceiling | Audio; @cuttingedge | OPEN (Backdated to 9/18!)

@riku; voice

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@daylit; voice.

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text; @kingsknight

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