Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stargazer huffed, trudging through the mildly flooded streets of Crossroads. The gravel was muddy, caking onto his shoe. The rain matted his already messy hair and dulled his carved horns. 

   The sound of rain against a tin can drew his attention to the side of the road. A well aged man sat huddled under the sad shelter of a store tarp. They looked at Stargazer longingly, but the rocketeer simply sneered and turned away.

  Continuing along the flooded path, he closed his eyes and hummed. Egobworder had told him to meet at the tavern for a little surprise, but refused to give directions.

  Scowling, Stargazer looked up. His mask protected his eyes from the rain to some extent, but he was still miserable. Clenching his fist, he spat curses at the gods for this abominable weather.

  “If I don’t find a map soon I’m going to hand that knight’s butt to him..” Stargazer growled, shaking his head and glancing around fervently, he searched for one of the common billboards. He guessed they weren’t so common when one actually needed them.

  The relief he felt when he finally stumbled upon one was unfathomable to every demon. Squinting through the water that had found its way through the protection of his mask, he grumbled. He had passed the tavern a couple minutes ago and he was deadbeat furious. Spinning on his heel, he stormed his way through the storm and into the soft, warm solitude of the bar. As soon as he burst through the door, most everyone turned to stare at him with an amused gaze.

  “Stargazer! Over here!” a voice from the far corner of the tavern called.

  Turning to see who it was, he was met with the sight of a grinning Egobworder somehow winning at a game of cards. Pressing his lips into a thin, strained line, he stalked over.

  “You couldn’t’ve bothered to give me directions?” Stargazer hissed, snatching the towel Ego had offered him.

  The knight shrugged, looking back at his hand of cards. “It’s fun to watch you suffer in the rain.”

  The rocketeer shook his head and plopped himself on a barrel that was placed against the wall. He found his gaze occasionally slipping to watch the heated game of cards. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he tapped Egobworder’s shoulder.

   The knight gave a hum of acknowledgement, refusing to tear his eyes away from his cards.
  “How are you winning the game, dude?” Stargazer asked, leaning forward with his voice hushed into a whisper.

   “Don’t tell anybody,” Ego said, finally turning to him with a smirk, “but I’m eating the cards.”

   Stargazer leaned back and snapped his head away. He let out a chainsaw-like laugh as he covered his mouth with his fist. 

   “You’re so stupid! ” he wheezed.

   Ego began chuckling, before leaning forward and cackling like a maniac. His opponent (bless their heart) simply shook their head, dropping their cards on the table and storming off.

   “You scared him off with your atrocious laugh!” Stargazer said between laughs, doubling over and clutching his chest.

   “Say’s the one,” Egobworder huffed, “that sounds like a seal with a steam engine inside of it!”

   The two continued laughing their heads off, before finally regaining composure. Stargazer wiped a tear from under his eye and giggled quietly. Pursing his lips, he glanced at his friend questioningly.

   “Now why did you drag me all the way out to Central Crossroads in the middle of a thunderstorm,” he hissed, slapping Ego’s shoulder with the towel.

   The knight made a quiet noise of realization before reaching into his satchel. He pulled out two small sheets of paper and held them out to Stargazer.

   Said demon took them in his hands, utter confusion playing on his face. “What are these..?”

   “Tickets to that colosseum fighting show you’ve been talking about!” he said, spreading his arms with a grin. 

   Stargazer’s jaw dropped as he stared at the slips of parchment. “You’re kidding.”

   “Nope!” Ego nudged his shoulder. “Found a guy selling ‘em for a real gnarly price! It was such a steal.”

   The rocketeer glanced up at the knight, concern radiating off of him. “Really hoping you didn’t mean steal in a literal sense.”

   Egobworder winked at his friend from under his helmet, turning to pile the cards back up into a neat little deck. “They’re for next week. We’ll meet up here?”

   Stargazer nodded enthusiastically, handing a ticket back to his friend and pocketing the other. “Now why don’t I actually teach you how to play cards?”

—<(☽❂☾)>—

There was not a single cloud in the sky, a stark difference from the week before. The sun beat down on the pair’s backs, its rays bright and golden. Stargazer and Egoworder happily pranced through the streets, hoping to get good seats to watch the show.

   The colosseum was huge, made of pure white marble. It towered high with spires that nearly breached the clouds. Demons of all shapes and sizes bustled around.

   “This is gonna be great!” Stargazer chanted, a bounce very prominent in his step. “I wonder who’s fighting today? Do they give you a pamphlet? One of those things that-”

   “How in the heck would I know!?” Ego yelled, cutting off the ecstatic rocketeer. “I’ve never been to one of these things!”

   The blue demon clicked his tongue in annoyance, glancing around to take in all the immaculate sights.

   They finally reached the towering entrance, being stopped by two very massive and well built guards.

   “Tickets, please?” one of them droned, holding out their clawed hand.

Egobworder dug into his satchel, holding out his. Stargazer did the same, flinching a bit when his own was yanked out of his hand. After careful examination of the paper, they were luckily permitted entrance. 

   Finding seats was a pain, but after a small while, they had sat themselves down with a perfect view of the sandy ring below.They had, in fact, been provided with pamphlets, and Stargazer was flipping through his idly.

   “Woah, there’s going to be a Cybertana appearance!” he exclaimed, holding the pamphlet closer to his face.

   “No way! Let me see!” Egobworder yelled, grabbing the corner of the folded parchment and pulling it so he could see it himself.

   Before he could get a good view of who was on it, however, there was a loud cheer from around them. They snapped their heads up to see what was happening, when they noticed the Flipside brothers had emerged from the curtain covering their platform. Valk, as short as ever, raised his arms with a grin, causing the cheers to louden. Raising his mic up to his mouth, he said, “Welcome, all my lovely friends!”

   Dom, his brother, raised his megaphone. “We are delighted to begin this week’s fight!”

   A lot of the audience quieted down, cheering when a name they recognized was spoken. Stargazer rolled his eyes, resting his head on his hand.

   “Why can’t they just get straight to the fights…” he mumbled, earning a scoff from his friend.

   After a long, gruelling thirty minutes, the first fight finally began. It was intense, but short. The fights after were similar, exciting but not lasting.

   Stargazer scowled, “Where are the good fighters..”

   Egobworder shrugged, popping a small candy in his mouth.

   They both perked up when Dom stepped back up onto the stage.

   “I would like to announce our next fight! To our left we have…”

   The crowd leaned in, ready to hear who it was.

   “Cybertana!”

   Screams erupted through the bleachers as the swordsman stalked out from the left gate. A tall, burly demon.

   But just as Dom was about to announce Cybertana’s competitor, Valk rushed up and whispered something into his brother’s ear. Dom nodded and turned to the crowd.

   “It seems there has been a change of plans. Cybertana’s new opponent shall be Sunburst!”

   Murmurs of confusion rippled throughout the onlookers as a copper clad man stepped out from the shade of the right gate. He held a nervous smile as he adjusted his grip on his sword.

   Stargazer blinked, staring at the demon. The way Sunburst held himself made Stargazer want to straighten his back out and make him proud. He was too caught up in his daydreaming to realize that the fight had started and that the two swordsmen were clashing blades.

   “This is a good one, isn’t it!” Egobworder said, snapping Stargazer out of his daze.

   The rocketeer blinked, focusing on the fight itself. Cybertana was very distinctly beating Sunburst, but the way Sunburst moved has everyone in awe. He moved his blade with the elegance of a deity, parrying more of Cybertana’s strikes than any competitor had prior.

   Sunburst dashed forward, catching the taller on his sword and slamming him into the wall. Cybertana kicked Sunburst off of him before throwing a rope out to catch his opponent’s ankle and drag him back towards him. Sunburst writhed in the sand, trying to escape the confines of the rope, only for Cybertana to slash his chest. Blood dribbled down his armour, and Sunburst hissed under his breath.

   The crowd screamed with excitement, cheering for the samurai. Stargazer was conflicted. He had always dreamed of watching Cybertana fight and win. But seeing the way Sunburst fought… He shook his head, opting to simply watch the fight and not choose a side.

   The fight was heated, mainly back and forth between the two swordsmen. It went on for nearly half an hour before Suburst’s sword was knocked out of his hand and he was pinned to the ground. The audience cheered for Cybertana as he helped his former opponent stand back up and dust off. They exchanged mutual nods before parting to their respective gates.

   Stargazer couldn’t get Sunburst’s fighting style off his mind as the other fights continued. Soon, Valk announced the end of the show and everybody began to stand and leave.

   “C’mon, your head in the clouds?” Egobworder nudged his friend’s shoulder, grabbing Stargazer’s attention.

   Said blue demon shook his head quickly, standing up and following the knight out of the colosseum, his mound clouded.

   Then, a copper clad swordsman caught his eye.

Chapter Text

Sunburst grunted, wrapping bandages tightly around his forearm. Tying it off, he flexed his hand and sighed. His chest ached and he leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. His shoulders slumped as he recollected on the match he had fought.

Sunburst had done horrible. He lost, earning a gracious wound to his body and dignity. His first colosseum fight in a while and he lost.

“Father is going to be so disappointed,” the swordsman hissed, leaning over and holding his head in his arms.

He remembered the last time he had fought in a colosseum. The puddle of blood that pooled around his feet. The burning pain in his head. The screams of the audience. The flap of wings, darker than the night sky.

Sunburst shook his head, leaning his head back to take a swig of water. The clear liquid dripped down his chin, dropping onto his uncovered palm and sending a jolt of cold up his spine. Taking a breath, he lowered the canister and wiped the stray water off of his mouth.

I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s my first fight against someone else in a while. He shouldn’t be too mad… Sunburst thought. He huffed out a strained laugh. Of course he’ll be mad. I screwed up.

Pursing his lips, he leaned back against the wall. He heard footsteps and muffled noises. Sunburst blinked, turning his head to press his ear against the wall.

“You did well, Cybertana!” a voice exclaimed, praising the samurai that was supposedly next to them.

“I cannot accept your praise. My opponent fought better than me,” Cybertana grumbled.

Sunburst flushed from the approval. Cybertana thought he did well? Even though the other beat him silly?

“What are you talking about? That runt was just fumbling around with a sword too big for his tiny hands.”

A grumble sounded from behind the wall, the muffled voices fading away as they traversed farther down the hallway. Sunburst Turned his head back, wringing his wrists. If the samurai was impressed with his work, maybe his father would be too? He sat, dazed, for moments longer.

The door to his room opened with a creak, and Sunburst glanced up.

“I know what you’re going to say,” the swordsman mumbled, looking back down dejectedly. “Make it quick.”

Venomshank huffed, shaking his head lightly. “I’m proud of you, Sunburst.”

Said demon looked at the deity with pure confusion. “Pardon?”

“You fought with the vigour of many. I have no reason to not be bursting with pride,” he hummed, his wings shifting behind him.

“Yeah, but I lost,” Sunburst growled, clenching his fist and glaring at the ground. “I didn’t get paid anything.”

“You’re too hard on yourself, my fledgling,” Venomshank said softly, reaching out to cup Sunburst’s face gently.

The gladiator pushed his hand away. “I’m too hard on myself because that’s all I can do to get by. If I’m too soft, I won’t make it in the hell of the Inpherno.”

The deity stood for a moment, not quite sure what course of action to take. Before he could say anything, however, someone knocked on the door.

“We need you out. We’ve got another group waiting to get ready,” a demon spoke, peeking in.

Sunburst sighed, standing up and hauling his sword over his shoulder.

Venomshank grabbed the copper helmet from the bench and placed it on his son’s head, giving a small hum of approval before leading the other out of the colosseum.

The sun hit their faces and Sunburst had to squint to see. Tons of demons were bustling about, all different colours and outfits.It was nice out, a slow, simple breeze gliding through their hair.

Sunburst took a breath of fresh air, relishing in the welcome warmth that the sun provided.

“Why don't we stop by your favourite restaurant in celebration?” Venomshank asked, delicately placing a hand on Sunbutst’s shoulder.

The swordsman hummed in thought, adjusting his grip on his bags. “I wouldn't mind that. I am quite hungry.”

“Then it is settled! We'll be there in no time!” the deity exclaimed, brightening up.

Before they could start their journey to the diner, a voice startled them from behind.

“Stargazer! Wait!”

A hand grabbed his shoulder and Sunburst was swivelled to look at a blue demon.

He had finely carved blue horns adorned with various rings and gems of sapphire. A porcelain mask covered his face, eyes shrouded in shadow.

Behind him, an armour clad demon rushed up and bashed the other on the head, muttering quiet lectures. The blue demon winced, letting go of the shoulder and reaching to grasp his head.

The swordsman stood, confused at the sudden encounter.

“You're Sunburst, correct?” the blue demon–Stargazer, according to the knight–asked, recovering from the sudden assault.

Said demon looked to Venomshank in confusion, only receiving a nod in Stargazer's direction.
“Y- Yes I am. Why?”

Stargazer turned to look at his friend, then back at Sunburst with an ecstatic expression. “You fought so well! Your moves- The way your feet turned and twisted at the right times- Oh my goodness, it was amazing!”

Sunburst blinked dumbly. “Thank you?”

The other nodded excitedly, opening his mouth to say more. Before he could, however, the knight yanked him back.

“Sorry about him, he doesn't know manners,” he said.

“No, it's truly alright,” Sunburst said, shaking his hands.

“Is your chest okay?” Starburst piped up, pushing his friend's arm away.

The swordsman’s hand subconsciously graced the bandaged wound, thinking. “It is, yes. Thank you for asking.”

Stargazer smiled, giving a nod. Glancing at his friend, he hesitantly held out his hand. “I'm Stargazer, by the way.”

Sunburst shook the hand firmly. “I'm Sunburst, as you already know.”

“I have to admit, you held your own pretty well against Cybertana,” the knight hummed. He held his own hand out. “Name's Egobworder. Nice to meet you, Sunburst.”

The red demon nodded, shaking the other hand. He was glad he finally had a name to the face.

“Oh! Yes! You fought wonderfully!” Stargazer exclaimed, bouncing on his heels. “It was beautiful! You're beautiful! I-”

He was cut off before he could finish the sentence. Egobworder yanked him back and whispered hushed lectures into the other's ear.

Sunburst found his face heating up. He was beautiful??

A choked snicker sounded from behind him, reminding the three that Venomshank was there. The deity took a deep, laughing breath and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

“We thank you for your kind words,” he snickered. “However, me and Sunburst have business to attend to. May our paths cross again.”

The two demons nodded, giving a polite bow. Sunburst smiled nervously, waving to them as they scurried off.

Venomshank and Sunburst turned around and continued walking along. “That blue demon was cute, no?” the older hummed jokingly, receiving a shove from the younger. “Am I wrong?”

“No..” Sunburst admitted, clenching his gear harder.

Venomshank hummed knowingly, smiling under his mask.

They had arrived back at the apartment, Venomshank clicking open the door with the keys. The deity didn't live here, of course. But the other gods typically didn't approve of mortal children, so Sunburst wasn't allowed with his father.

“You did well, Sunburst, and I want you to know that,” the green deity said, placing both hands on his son's shoulders.

The swordsman dropped his weapons and hugged the other. “Thank you.”

“Of course, my sun,” he said, hugging him back.

They broke apart after a moment, Venomshank patting Sunburst’s shoulder and walking out to head to his own domain. Sunburst stood, not sure what to do. His mind slowly traced its way back to the encounter from earlier. He remembered the way Stargazer was so excited to see him.

He shook his head, grabbing a towel to shower before bed.

A short shower later, Sunburst flopped onto the rickety bed. He inhaled the bitter scent of the sheets. Remembering what Venomshank had said, he smiled.

He kind of did hope they met again.

Chapter Text

    Stargazer plucked up the pear, examining it in the orange light of the sunset. He raised it up to his face to sniff it, deeming it good and ripe and placing it in his bag. Digging into his pocket, he grabbed 2 Bux out of his pocket and handed it to the demon running the stand.

   “You know,” they began, taking the Bux and folding it in their hands, “Everybody else is closing up shop.”

   Stargazer nodded with a hum, staring at the fruits with a glazed, distant expression.

   “You alright, kid? You look outta it,” they noted, leaning on the wooden table before then.

   He sighed and nodded. “Somebody is just on my mind.”

   They nodded along, “Wanna tell me about it?”

   “Well,” Stargazer started, “I slipped up and told him he was beautiful. If taken in context, it could've been, like, not that bad. But..” His hand grazed over the citrus fruits.

   “But?”

   “He took it the way I meant,” he muttered, his ears slowly filtering a soft shade of blue.

   The demon nodded, glancing down at the citrus Stargazer was eyeing. “Young love, isn't it?”

   Stargazer nodded, picking up an orange and turning it over in his hands. “What made it even worse, was that his father was right next to him.”

   “Why would that make it worse? You think they won't let you shoot your shot?” the merchant asked.

   “His father was a deity. No way I'll be able to,” the blue demon grumbled, pulling out another couple Bux for the orange.

   The demon froze, staring with wide eyes. “You might not, kid.”

   Stargazer giggled sorrowfully, placing the orange in his bag and closing it. “Sorry for wasting your time. I'll be on my way now.”

   “No problem, kid. Take care!” they waved him off.

   Politely nodding, he turned and made his way down the desolate streets. He looked up to see clouds that reflected watercolour beauty. The oranges and reds blended perfectly together, and Stargazer clenched his fist. Shaking the thought away, he continued walking.

    He doesn't like you, he thought, repeating the mantra of doubt. You don't deserve him.

Closing his eyes, Stargazer trudged on, clenching his bag. Opening them slowly, he noticed the central market square before him. Walking to the fountain, he glanced inside. The water looked golden in the setting sun, and he couldn't help but dip his hands in the liquid gold. It was cold, but not unwelcome.

   Removing his hand, Stargazer looked around the square. Nobody else was there. Looking down, he fiddled with his sleeve.

   A rustle of clothing sounded next to him. Jolting, his head snapped to view the source of the noise.

   “Beautiful evening, no?” a ragged, worn voice asked.

   Stargazer could only stare. Sunburst sat with his legs crossed, staring up at the sky. He looked indifferent, hunched over slightly. His eyes reflected the painting above them.

   “Absolutely,” he breathed, unable to tear his eyes away. “Wha.. What are you doing here? All the shops are closed up.”

   The swordsman shrugged, looking down at his scarred hands. “Father told me to go for a walk around the market. He said I've been thinking too much to practise my craft.”

   Stargazer huffed light-heartedly, clenching his fists. “You could say that again.” Relaxing them, he hunched over with a sigh.

   “Is everything alright?” Sunburst asked, glancing over with a concerned expression.

   “No,” he grumbled, holding his head in his hands. “I'm scared I messed up an opportunity I never knew I would have.”

   Sunburst hummed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. “I get that. I never knew I would be able to fight Cybertana, and yet I ended up fumbling it terribly.”

   “But you didn't fumble.” Stargazer argued.

   “That's right. Because of you, I realised that the chance wasn't wasted,” Sunburst said, holding a hand up. “Instead, it opened up countless more opportunities to make a name for myself,” he sang with a whimsical voice.

   Stargazer shook his head. “I don't think I opened up more opportunities for myself,” he growled.

   Sunburst shrugged, removing his arm. “Well, I can't help if I don't know what you screwed up.”

   The rocketeer shook his head. “It's nothing you should know.”

   The other sighed, patting his shoulder. “Well, I'm sure you didn't ruin your life.”

    If only he knew. Stargazer thought, sitting up straight.

   Silence dragged on for moments longer. It wasn't awkward, however. Stargazer welcomed it. He didn't mind sitting with a beautiful gladiator in silence till the end of the world.

   “Say. Maybe fate wanted us to meet up today,” Sunburst began, dragging Stargazer’s attention. “Maybe we were supposed to see each other again so we could make plans of some kind.”

   The blue demon tilted his head. “What kind of plans?”

   “You know,” he started, “the kind where we meet up and hang out.”

   Stargazer thought for a moment. “Maybe we can meet up at a beach.”

   Sunburst gasped, nodding. “That’s perfect! There’s a beach near my apartment that we could go to!”

   The other grinned, lightly. My second time seeing him and we’re making even more plans. This is going great. “Sounds awesome.”

   “Great! I’ll write down the beach name!” he said, taking out a piece of parchment from his bag and scribbling on it. Once he was done, he handed it to Stargazer, who took it gratefully.

   “I’ll meet you there tomorrow, then?” he asked, looking over the information on the paper.

   “You bet!” Sunburst laughed, standing up. “See you then!”

   Stargazer waved happily as the other walked off. This is going much better than he intended it to be.

Stargazer watched his feet as they shuffled through the sand. He didn't know what all to bring so he only had a towel and a pair of sandals.

   “Stargazer!” an excited voice yelled from in front of him.

   He looked up quickly, seeing a red horned demon in a white blouse and black trousers. He was waving, a grin playing over his features. Sunburst bounded over bouncing on his toes.

   “I'm so glad you came!” the swordsman said happily.

   Stargazer nodded hesitantly, letting his sleeve get grabbed and tugged to the shoreline. He gently placed his things next to Sunburst's, slipping off his own dress shoes and strapping on his sandals.

   “What do you want to do first?” the other asked. “We could play some games I've brought, we could play in the water, we could-”

   “For someone raised by a deity, you sure act childish,” Stargazer noted, sitting down in the sand with a huff.

   “You're the one that suggested going to the beach,” Sunburst countered.

   Stargazer gasped in mock defence, placing a hand on his chest. “I'm wounded. You're calling me childish?”

   The red demon laughed, plopping down in front of him. “You came running up to me all excited like a schoolgirl. I'm not sure what you wanted my first impression of you to be.”

   The blue demon felt his face heat up. “I don't want to think about that again,” he mumbled, looking away and covering his blush with a hand.

   Sunburst looked away with a sly grin. “I thought it was endearing.”

   Stargazer jolted, confused. Endearing? Is this guy nuts? He put on a fake laugh, forcefully relaxing his shoulders. Nobody in their right mind would call someone like me endearing.

   Sunburst kept talking. “Really, I don't think I could've thanked you enough for your words. It means a lot, truly,” he said softly, swapping his smirk for a warm smile.

   The rocketeer quickly waved off the comment. “It was nothing! I stand by everything I said.”

   The other nodded, looking out to the sea. His hand reached down to the sand, picking up a smooth stone. Holding it up, he ran his fingers over it. “Ever skipped a rock?”

   “What?” Stargazer asked with genuine confusion.

   Sunburst laughed and scrambled up and over to the shoreline. Stargazer stumbled after him, pausing a little behind him. He tossed the stone up and caught it, rearing back his hand. In the blink of an eye, it was flying through the sky, landing on the water. Stargazer could only gasp in surprise when it didn't sink and instead skipped along the surface of the still waters.

   He stood with his mouth agape, watching as the ripples collided and faded away. “That's so cool!”

   Sunburst nodded enthusiastically. “Want to try?”

   Stargazer shook his head, pulling gently at the threads on his sleeve. “I doubt I could manage it.”

   “It's not hard! I'll teach you,” the swordsman said, crouching down on the rocky sands to search for another smooth stone. He stood back up once he had at least three in his hand. 

   The masked demon took one carefully, turning it over in his hands. He looked up at Sunburst and began to copy his steps. It took a couple tries, but he was finally able to get the rock to skip once or twice. A grin played across his face as he watched the waters.

   “You did it!” Sunburst exclaimed, turning and hugging Stargazer, pulling a yelp out of the man. “Soon enough, you'll be better than me!” he said full heartedly, letting the other go.

   Stargazer laughed nervously, a blue flush spread over his cheeks as he looked back at the sea. His brows furrowed with the arrival of an idea. Glancing at the other, he noted that he was also looking out at the ocean. Shuffling over ever so slowly, he hovered his hand over his back.

   Sunburst turned around, a look of sheer bliss on his face before he was violently shoved into the sea. He sputtered a string of curses, propping himself up on his hands. Wiping the salty water out of his eyes, he laughed. “You are so done for!”

   Stargazer snickered, shrieking giddily when the swordsman stumbled out of the water and chased after him. They splashed through the water, laughing and shoving each other to their heart’s content. The rocketeer never thought he would have this much fun with someone he admired, yet here he was. His clothes were soaked, and his hair was no different. Falling into the water after a final parry from Sunburst, he coughed. “I forfeit! You win,” he breathed heavily.

   Sunburst smiled cheekily, helping the other up. “Next time don’t push me,” he said playfully, shaking him gently.

   Stargazer sneered at him, stumbled to his towel and unfolding it. Lifting it up to his head, he aggressively rubbed his hair dry.

   “Want to meet up again sometime soon?” Sunburst asked, walking over to stand next to his friend.

   Said demon hovered the towel over his head before nodding. “I’d like that. Why don’t you choose where we go this time?”

   A hum sounded, before the shuffle of clothing. “How about a forest? The one northward has a river through it. Extremely scenic in my opinion.”

   Stargazer beamed. “Forests are awesome! When should we meet?”

   “Would next Saturday suffice?”

   “Sounds great!” 

   Sunburst grinned, folding his arms proudly. “Then it’s settled! See you then!”

   Stargazer waved to him as he picked up his bags and ran off. In all honesty, he couldn’t wait.