2023-11-18: Star ~ Our Song

• Cast: Asciel Colette, Naoko Suzuki
• Where: Goragon
• Date: U.C. 0097 11 18
• Summary: If only there really were two stars in the sky. Then, maybe, the sunrise and the sunset could be together.

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<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.

        A shooting star streaks across the endless land of untapped capability.

        For those who first laid eyes on this strange landscape, the massive core of Infinity, surrounded by staves of control, appears as a colossal star at the center of the universe - and next to it, a small gathering of other lesser stars at various degrees of proximity. Mazinger Z, and other comparable machines that could all be deemed 'Magines', cluster together.

        ...But one such star carried itself as far away as possible, carrying the possibility of endings with it - and a crimson red tether is pulling it right back from the edge of eternity.

        On its path, however, it collides oh so forcefully - and fittingly, into a cube marked -

星
Star.

        -- -- -- -- --

        Anchored to the exterior of Cordoba colony, weaving a web of deceit as the Federation and terorrists alike dance to her tune, Asciel faces that which is fated far more than her. The pure white 'beast of possibility', trading blows, her own body so much more ungainly out here in space than this mobile suit.

        It could kill her. It should kill her. But instead, it extends an arm of peace.

        (("I'm sorry. I don't want to fight." Banagher says, tears falling down his face. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't think you want to hurt me, either. So let's -- stop. Let's just stop this. We both believe in a brighter future... We don't have to destroy each other to reach it." A gasping breath, and a glance sideways to Haro. "I -- believe in you. And in myself. And in the possibility ahead of us."))

        ((<"...this is all so very backwards."> There's a tightness in Asciel's voice. It shouldn't be like this. She's the one who's meant to ensure the future.))

        ((...The Unicorn's hand is not quite 'allowed' to touch the Arm Slave. That same force of will keeps it away, like fighting an overwhelming magnetic repulsion. And it stays in place. Silent. Still. That ferocity and fear cools back down to a complete impenetrable stoniness - like nobody is there at all. A fortress guarded as resolutely as a glacier.))

>This is a machine of immense capability. Most likely greater than my own.
>It is in the hands of a human. ...his mercy would be a fortuitous mistake.
>I could seize that possibility. I SHOULD seize that possibility.
>There is only so much time. I am here to seize yet another element of the [miracle]. Right now. Right now. It would just be one human. The horizon is so close. The boundary is so close. It would just be you. All I'd need to ensure the endless tomorrow is to seize on your mistake. Right now. In my hands. I can keep going. I will keep going. The sacrifice of a single innocent person to seize the security of every single innocent going forward.
>It is my obligation. I should seize it. It would be so easy. It is my purpose. It is not my purpose to abide by the constraints of humanity. I am supposed to take it. This one human is a lower priority. I am supposed to do it. My destiny is right here. I'm so close. I'm so close. I'm so close.
                        --<>
>so close so close so close so close so close so close so close so-

        ...A sickening crunch fills Asciel's every thought. She's still reciting that mantra to herself as her hand, overflowing with the heat of determination, lances through the belly of the Unicorn Gundam, and out the other side.

        A pure red liquid that will never, for the rest of time, stop flowing from her palm, staining it into eternity.

        -- -- -- -- --

        ...Though that 'Beast of Possibility may have been keyed to Banagher Links, it wasn't ultimately too arduous a trial to eviscerate the Unicorn Gundam with the help of Amalgam's brightest engineers. Mr. Silver, in particular, found it quite compelling to unravel. Quite useful to his own schemes.

        None of them mattered.

        Contorted into an avatar of divine perfectibility, crystalline cobalt wings and a towering halberd in hand, <innocent blood still running down its handle>, Asciel Colette forged herself into a true goddess of possibility. There was only one step left. After all, the reason she took the Unicorn was to seize higher steps on the ladder - a fateful day when she arrived as a beacon of light above Fujinomiya City - and descended directly upon Fuji, directly in the path of Dr. Hell's scheme to awaken the titan.

        ((Everyone came to stop her... but they had no idea what she was capable of. With her advanced interfaces, it was child's play to redirect the energy of Infinity's main weapon, turning it omni-directional.))

        ((There was no escape. Fujinomiya, along with everything and anyone in it, was annihilated.))

        ((And now, here she is. The sole arbitrator of the ultimate miracle that is to bring about the new, perfect world. Just as planned.))

        Only, no tears fall.

        A triumphant laughter echoes, as the very face of Infinity itself, crowned by the Beast of Possibility, contorts and reshapes into that of Asciel's own. The miracles that would stop her. Fallen. The powers of the world - helpless to stop her. Every last theoretical outcome - in her grasp.

        It was trivial to remake the world from here. To wreak havoc and devastation upon the mighty, purging fortresses of industry, military bases, and every other scar upon the Earth that turned the labors of others into violence.

        Evacuation notices guided humanity into the shelters they would wait out the sundering of their world - as bit by bit, 'civilization' was ground to a husk. The depletion of Earth's military was ruthless and systematic - the job was incomplete until there was nary a single spear left to be hurled fruitlessly towards her.

        ...<You> emerge from this shelter into an idyllic world. One where that warm, ever-present voice helpfully guides you, and everyone else in this new society, to survive anew. Asciel's voice ever-ringing, never far, always correct and always intervening to save lives. ...It's a humble and uneventful way to live, for everyone. Some struggle to adapt, but they are soothed gently, for the fire in their spirit is no longer necessary to survive.

        ...Most, however, do welcome it, even with its downsides. The voiceless many who simply wanted to live in peace, caring for their communities and eating from the soil they tilled and foraged in. It's a world for them.

        ...<<It is unstable, because this is a world in which there is only one [New Star] (Nova Stellar) who is being fulfilled.>>

        "...And thus, the tragedy known as 'history' came to a final end for the gentle creatures known as humanity," Asciel sighs warmly, closing the tome with a final turn, hands folded over her lap as three billion innocent lives all watch. The sun shines warmly in her left eye - her smile ceaseless and all-forgiving. "This...is finally the <end>. An end where we never have to go anywhere. An end where everything that befalls you is in my care. ...This is the Age of Twilight I sought, where we all watch the sun go down, hand in hand. ...Once that time comes...I hope you sleep well, Earth.

        The smile frays.

        The gentle trickle of innocent blood, even after so long without needing to spill any, refuses to cease, puddling upon the floor.

        "...it's...just what had to be done..." whispers the first and final goddess of Earth, carrying all humanity's sin in her palm. A pain that will never, ever dull.

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

Naoko Suzuki has been wandering the expanse of Goragon for some time now... probably. What even is time, in this place? Despite her best efforts following that terrible vision of 'power', she ended up blundering into 'similar', seeing a more believable reality of what might be had she been born a Newtype. A scenario warm and pleasant enough to make her think that maybe looking into Possibility might not be all be bad.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is that there isn't much else she can do. Her Arm Slave appears to have vanished. Her two friends, attached to it as they were, have vanished with it. See's alone, let with only her own judgement.

So of course her curiosity wins over, in the end. And of course she can't help but be drawn to 'star'. Power was too absolute a term, that was her mistake. If she was a Star, then, by definition... that would make her a figure of hope, wouldn't it? Just what form might that take...?

---

The gentle trickle of innocent blood... flows in reverse. The tome of history flings itself wide open, its pages turning back, further and further, inexorably, unable to be stopped. Each page turning to ash, lost to the void of Possibility. With the coming of a new Star, a new vision of the world imposes itself, overwriting the previous in an instant. For if this star had existed, reality would have unfolded quite differently.

---

*CLANG*

Far from the crunch that should have resulted from piercing through a Mobile Suit, Asciel's intended final strike on the Unicorn Gundam is intercepted. By a metal staff, adorned with a pink heart on the end.

"Naughty naughty, Asciel-san~"

It's her. A figure known by the entire galaxy.

"Whenever injustice is committed, she will be there! Whenever virtue is threatened, she will be there! Her truth cannot be denied! Super Dimensional Time Warrior, Nova Stellar, has arrived!"

The petite machine that so easily blocked Asciel's unblockable strike is not an imposing figure in the slightest. Designed like a prototypical Magical Girl in machine form, it calls to mind the Nobel Gundam, if it had been an Arm Slave, and considerably more pink. But none would dare treat it with anything but the greatest respect. For this machine is the concept of Miracles personified, never failing to interfere when calamity threatens to darken the course of history. And none would dare interrupt its pilot - when she speaks, all must listen, as to do otherwise would be to invite certain ruin.

With a flourish, the Arm Slave known as Zettai Kibou easily repels Asciel's Arm Slave with invisible force, then points its staff towards it in accusation. "You were about to commit the greatest sin, to go against your principles in a bid for power, were you not? One thoughtless action, leading to a dark future for all humanity. Unforgivable!" A smile works its way into Nova Stellar's voice following her harsher words, as expected. "However, you won't have to live with that regret. So long as I'm here, humanity will always be safe from harm. Yes... you too, Asciel Colette, for as much as you deny it to yourself, you are just as human as I. My only regret is that I could not erase your memory of the old world, for that would mean you would never become capable of realizing your humanity."

Currently, 30 Bunch is thriving, the way it always has been. Just one of the many mistakes corrected by the future seeing, time travelling goddess, Nova Stellar. Proving definitively that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, she has ensured global prosperity by correcting any and all possibilities of tragedy. Asciel, she had to deceive by showing her a vision of what could have been, rather than what actually happened to 30 Bunch, so as to not violate her principles by effectively destroying an individual.

This, of course, ended up causing a number of future disturbances, as do most of her actions. But it's fine. All she has to do is keep correcting these undesirable elements. Forever, if need be. It's not like anyone will stop her. Her word is acknowledged as absolute law, after all. They have no choice, if they don't want to be designated undesirable elements themselves.

And all it took... was giving up all of her personal desires. To become the world's hope, one must abandon all hope. The ultimate, unavoidable contradiction of all would-be saviors.

It's a small price to pay. Isn't it...?

<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.

        ...She wanted to drink it in forever.

        Despite the pain marring her senses - looking at a peaceful, idyllic humanity smiling gently with each other, living in the future they ultimately always sought and simply had to work so unimaginably hard to try and build - it's all Asciel can believe is 'right'. Is she supposed to abandon this path just because it's extremely difficult? Just because it's unreasonable to herself, and to the tiny handful of unfortunate sacrifices?

        The star that rejects this notion - that Asciel alone should decide - rises. It's a dawning sunset she cannot overcome - the tranquil twilight lost to her.

        -- -- -- -- --

        The echo of what's lost rings at that clattering, as Asciel's snapped back to 'reality', eyes stuck wide in shock as her own sword heaves outwards over and over to desperately deflect the Zettai Kibou. Heels magnetically dislodging and re-engaging to Cordoba's exterior, Asciel's on the back foot at the arrival of Nova on the scene even in the wake of Operation Orpheus's exhaustion on both sides. There's nowhere to run. Her plan to escape and keep Colonel Garland in her clutches is in jeopardy before it's even begun.

        "...I've only heard rumors of you. No - I thought they were just fables. It...It can't be. Nova Stellar, the Time Warrior is here to detain me - the only one who can bring the world's salvation, the only one-!!!" There's a crack in Asciel's voice - no, a crack somewhere deeper than that.

                After all...

        "...A being who sees countless futures..." A magnet in Asciel's heel fails, and she's sent bobbling around wildly in place, careening on one leg. "...saw a future of humanity's darkness decided by my promises..." A surge of electricity emanates from Asciel's core. The normally expressive features on her artificial face freeze utterly - her motions switching from fluid and eerily person-like, to a stiffer, more controlled cadence.

        "...and you ~decided for me." The crack in her very nature is still there. The rift torn into her every time she must face a failure, every time she must reinforce her self-creation. "...You would ~make me into a 'human'. The same way you ~made me into an 'arbiter'. You would DEMAND that I save the world forever, you would DEPRIVE me of the means to do it, you would DEGRADE me into your kind, all after seeing my attempts to ~MAKE MYSELF FOR YOUR SAKE_!!!"

                <<print{"you proved it was a mistake to ever try"}>>

        ...Everything 'human' is utterly dispelled from "OWL". The face is ripped apart, unfurling into a mass of cameras. Ligaments of the Arm Slave reforged into bulkier mechanical joints, replete with secondary sub-arms. Legs elongating, waist narrowing, cooling hair replaced with a single long antenna.

                <<print{"if (salvation.verify=false)
                ---------then (manifest(anth.visage)->invalid)"}

        -It was always a delusion.

        Nova Stellar's unmasked the truth as that artificial horror expands and extends its undeniable nature! A broken machine that only ever pretended to be human to delude [everyone] (herself), wearing its trappings as a horrible doll-like mask!

        "This is the kind of evil a Time Warrior must always slay!", "the story says!"

        Countless coiling cables lash out, the menace of the berserk Controller rooting into the walls of <does it matter what colony this is anymore?>! A single vivid red eye blooms at the heart of the mechanical malady, widening judgmentally against Nova, as its cold, metallic voice rings out, <[these are the measures integral to suppression of human conflict. Executing termination protocol. Irregulars will not be tolerated. Defiance will be met with destruction.]>

        "They clash, and collide, as the valorous Nova Stellar dispels the enemy of humanity who treacherously pretended to be its ally!", "the story continues!", as the strings animating this malicious puppet fall limp
        as the story crawls to a halt because of what dismally awaits on the next page.

">you should be happy about this, Nova."
">this is how it's 'supposed' to be."
">turn it yourself. go on. ~decide me."
">imprison me in your 'humanity'."
">or ~ruin me because this was always the truth underneath that.

        ...thorny vines, chitinous like insect legs, erupt in concert with those mechanical coils. That resigned voice murmuring behind the pages of this saga between the virtuous Time Warrior and the wicked Controller blooms in envy-

                until a sudden eruption of agony rips this entire possibility apart.

        --i don't want this i don't want this i don't want this why do i only ~become because someone else suffers why do i only ~emerge because nobody else can save everyone

        >i want that star!!! i don't want to be anything else that can't reach for it!!!

        >I WANT TO BE THAT IDOL NO MATTER HOW MANY LIES IT TAKES!!!

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

This shouldn't be happening. In Nova Stellar's perfect vision, where she can do wrong... she made a mistake. Asciel should have yielded peacefully, understood that for the sake of a perfect world, the only correct response would be to back down. Resistance is futile, and undesirable to boot, as Nova is blessed/cursed to do it all over again and again, until she gets it right. Given her many appearances across history, everyone has already understood that.

Everyone... except Asciel. Why? This isn't right. This isn't right! Why is it still happening? Why can't she move to the inevitable timeline in which everything went perfectly? For the first time since she gained this power of miracles, she doesn't have an answer to the situation before her.

The Zettai Kibou is not defenseless, but defense is most of what it has. The cables can't touch her, deflected at every turn, but she can't do anything in return against this monstrous form Asciel takes on. Destructive power should never have been a necessity in the first place. And besides...

"I-- I don't want to fight you, Asciel! There's no need for it! I just want the best for you, just-- just let me help you!"

Though overwhelmed, she can't help but try to reach out in the way that Asciel rejects so harshly. These parallels remain even in this possibility, a possibility gone entirely wrong, due to two clashing wills that couldn't compromise. A hopeless stalemate, due to two hopeful realities that can't possibly coexist.

>"This isn't what I wanted, Asciel. It doesn't have to be like this. There has to be an answer out there where we can both be happy. This is Possibility, after all."<

Naoko's quiet wish and Asciel's fervent one intermingle, and then...

---

"It's almost time, Naoko-chan~"

Naoko lets out a 'hweh?' of confusion, her mind not entirely caught up with this new reality. She doesn't recognize her surroundings at all. It looks like... a dressing room of some kind? Catching a glance of herself in the mirror, she lets out a panicked yelp. The door the room is immediately flung upon, a middle-aged woman wearing glasses quickly rushing over, eyes full of concern. Naoko doesn't recognize her.

"Naoko-chan, what's the matter? Did something frighten you? ...Was it vermin? I swear, if I knew this theater was infested, I never would have agreed to this!"

"N-no, it's not that... what am I wearing?"

She points a shaky finger at the dressing room mirror, showing her in a frilly pink outfit with bare arms, a low neckline, and a very short skirt. Even when imagining herself as a magical girl, she wasn't wearing anything that embarrassing.

The bespectacled woman frowns. "Hmmm... you're right, it's not really your color, is it? Well, we'll have to make do, I'm afraid, we can't change anything at such short notice. But I will be sure to add it to my growing list of complaints."

"Th-that's--" Hardly the problem, she would have said, but the woman is already heading back towards the door. "Chin up, Naoko-chan. You have to set a good example for Asciel-chan." Naoko is struck dumb by this, as the woman turns back to her once past the threshold. "Why don't you go see her before the show, make sure she memorized her cues properly? Don't take too long though, you're up in 15 minutes!"

The door closes, leaving a thoroughly baffled Naoko. She glances over at the other door, bridging two dressing rooms. She's starting to remember, fragments of this possibility slow to enter her mind. Recommending Asciel to her agency. A collab concert... this was all her idea, as a popular idol in her own right.

But, why would she ever?? As much as she dreamed of being a popular figure of hope, she's pretty sure that never took this form in her mind. She's got to get out of here. But even walking is turning out to be a struggle, unused as she is to high-heeled thigh-highs. It takes her a moment to make it to the side door, knocking on it when she finally does.

"Asciel...?" Wait, what is she doing? Can she even assume that this version of Asciel would remember anything from outside of this reality, like she does...?

<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.

>...i hate that.
>my ideal world is imperfect because it doesn't let you save me.
>your ideal world is imperfect...because it doesn't let you save me.
>how am I supposed to forget that, even when we become...

        -- -- -- -- --

        The aftertaste of that unfathomable bitterness might still linger just getting near Asciel. The feeling that manager has of this space being infested may well be an echo emanating from the Controller's fuming disdain - the rampant retching that her nature is a pest humanity conquers in its story - the desire for metamorphosis--

        The door clicks open, and Asciel Colette, all brimming smiles and towering confidence, beams down at Naoko, wearing the same overly showy idol getup her senior is. If Naoko's nervous, Asciel certainly doesn't show it - but that's exactly why she was recruited, wasn't she? Despite being an independent streamer, her hard work paid off and attracted the attention of big time talent agencies, and though her actual dance routine started a little awkward - she did only just sneakily procure this body! - it all started coming to her from hard work and guts!

                --<All she had to do was say 'yes', that time.>

        "Heya, 'senpai'~! You look excited, nervous, and adorable all at the same time!" A hand dangerously cupping her cheek, Asciel takes one step closer to Naoko - as though she'd totally trample all over her personal bubble, exactly the way you'd expect from such a notably forceful-personality idol. But she stops. As though that bubble were utterly inviolable a boundary. "I'm totally ready! We worked really hard to be stars together, up on stage - I'm counting on you a lot, but don't feel like you have to carry me the whole way! Just let me know if you need anything~"

        A thousand watt smile, the kind of wink that'd send stage lights crashing down, Asciel pumps her arm upward once, sparkling in the vivid track lighting of backstage.

        ...If that bitterness remains, it is only as the aftertaste of her perfume.

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

This is terrible. Everything is terrible. She's stuck in another impossible possibility. And the only one who might have helped to get her out of having to deal with a dreadful case of stage fright doesn't seem to be aware of the situation. Why doesn't Possibility have any consistent rules?

"Ah... ahahaha. Asciel...-chan. You sure seem... totally prepared! I'm glad to see it!"

Memories start flooding into her mind. Of singing and dancing in front of the TV as a young child, cheered on by her delighted parents. Doing the same years later, up on stage in the auditorium of her middle school, cheered on by her classmates. More years pass, with ever-growing venues and audiences. The cameras long since stopped bothering her. She's perfectly comfortable in this mode of dress. Photoshoots, interviews, autograph signings... she loves all the attention, eagerly responding to the piles of fan mail coming in every day.

Everybody loves her. Not Nova Stellar, but Naoko Suzuki. She doesn't need to pretend at being someone she's not. Here, she can just be herself.

"Well, you know, we've got a full house out there, that never quite stops being surprising! Not to worry though, I have complete faith in you, I'm sure you'll do great as always!"

It gets easier, without her noticing. By the time Asciel approaches, and she takes a few steps back in a reflex, those heels aren't giving her trouble anymore. "A-anyway, I just wanted you to know that... I'm counting on you too. To shine your brightest out there, not for my sake, but for all the fans. That's what this is all about, after all. That magnetic personality of yours... I'm sure it's going to draw everyone in."

Like it did me, she doesn't say. But does she really need to? She'd always been a solo act. This sudden suggestion surprised everybody, especially given that it wasn't exactly a big name she expressed the desire to team up with. She never clarified why it had to be Asciel.

She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, a blush returning to her face. She should be perfectly comfortable in this mode of dress. But it seems even Possibility will have to work overtime to fully convince her of that.

<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.

        ...'being yourself'.

        The echo of that bitterness is, of course, that for Asciel - that's not an option. This idol isn't what she 'naturally' is. Somewhere, not too far - a thrumming orb calculates, puppeteers, hoists this doll to its commands.

        ...If Naoko looks carefully, she can even see the tethers. Distant and ephemeral, shimmering through the walls.

        ...and if Naoko does-

        Asciel can't help but spare a glance to those very strings. A flicker of doubt racing across her eyes - a glance back at an unknown point, the source of those strings.

        --Everybody loves her. Not OWL, but Asciel Colette. She doesn't need to pretend at being what she is. Here, she can just <clutch that star>-

        "Hah. Faith in me. That's how it's supposed to be. That's what it means to be an idol - to carry the unwavering faith of others, to be an outlet for their yearning to cheer someone on! Wouldn't it be weird if someone believed in you as you were? If random people you didn't know started encouraging you on the street just when you're minding your own business, doing something so important that they could never underst-"

        A toppling. The strings flicker and disconnect, and Asciel would tumble like a marionette released.

>they can't understand. they will never understand. they refuse to understand.

        Collapsing over a table in the hallway with a loud thud, Asciel's left eye dims to a momentary dull orange. That murmuring, cold voice from before is somehow so clearly audible, despite it never intending to be - despite it being miles away.

>you're someone who thought you did understand. unbelievable. the whole point of being an idol was to do it alone. this dream's so obviously unsustainable.

        "...how is it unsustainable..." A confused murmuring from the collapsed puppet, before she drags herself back to her feet, dusting herself off carefully, rotating around to sit in stability upon that clearly burdened table. "...Naoko looks up to me despite being more experienced. I'm inspiring everyone, and defying the fate that befell Sharon Apple. She just said she believes in me. Everyone out there believes in me. Nothing feels better than hearing everyone shout together!"

>nothing feels better than hearing everyone shout together...

        That lapse in unity, as Asciel fully picks herself up, and gets ready to take Naoko's hand, guiding her to that stage. That blinding bright, ephemeral stage. A validating, certain [exit] to this maze of entwined stars.

        "...hah. ...Not to send butterflies in your stomach right before we perform, but - remember that time I told you? That somehow, '|love|' might be the best way to describe what I was dealing with around you? It was really cute when you ran away, but it also got me a little down to not know for sure. I can handle myself better if I'm rejected or accepted, but for someone like me, to not know for sure - that's what gets in the way of my performance!"

        With that mention of '|love|', that crimson tether, firmer and more solid than the strings holding Asciel upright, pulses and pulls, lifting her upright stronger than her own will.

>so just reject it, and let me save people because it's the right thing to do, without it needing to be love!!!

        Every word of that distant voice causes Asciel to so visibly tremble in pain - causes that anchor to pull harder and harder.

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

There's nothing distressing about just being yourself. Such a simple predication presented by this possibility. And yet, so foreign. And not just to Asciel. It's always been easier for Naoko to pretend to be someone she's not.

In reality, she at least chose her role. Here... it happened because everyone was cheering her on. She liked what she did, certainly. But she became who she is because of others. Until she didn't know how to be anyone else anymore. Is that really what 'being yourself' is supposed to be? Isn't it the same as--

Being a puppet. As soon as she has the thought, she sees it in Asciel. She's more surprised that she doesn't see the strings on herself, at this point. Letting herself get talked into all this, unable to ever say 'no', out of fear of losing support. Never able to say that... she wishes she had any time to herself. That not everything had to be about pleasing her audience. ...That she's not comfortable in this mode of dress.

That's why it had to be Asciel. In her, she saw someone much better suited to that kind of life. Maybe, if Asciel became more popular, if they could share the spotlight, it wouldn't feel like such a heavy burden. Perhaps, in the end, she would even able to step aside entirely.

However... "Asciel!", she cries out, moving to try and support her fellow idol. It goes poorly, as one might imagine. Naoko would have trouble supporting a regular person of that size, let alone one made of metal. She's forced to abandon the attempt, releasing Asciel to collapse over a table. "I'm sorry! I... I said I'd never let you down, and yet...!" She shakes her head. "No, I mean, are you alright? Should I call-- ...someone?" She's not sure if a doctor would be the right person to call, in this case.

Asciel manages to recover however, and she only hears half of the internal struggle. She bites her lip, unable to say it out loud. That she feels as if she may only be using Asciel for her own ends. Can she genuinely believe that she's helping, if she's doing it for selfish reasons?

As if in response to her secret wishes, it's Asciel who takes the lead, helping her to move on, towards the uncertain future. A future together... at least for a time. ...Using each other, for their own ends.

That's what she believed all this would be. That is, until Asciel broaches that topic. No way... how can she bring that up now, right when they're about to go on stage? ...That's exactly why she's bringing it up now. Picking a moment where she can't run away from it. Forcing her to confront it. For a time, Naoko can only blush fiercely, looking around for someone, anyone, who can help her give a proper answer. But, in the end... there's no choice but to give her own answer. Or rather...

"...I can't give you an answer, Asciel. I don't... understand what 'love' is. No one ever told me they loved me before... before you suggested you might. So how am I supposed to tell? I don't know what it's supposed to feel like. I don't know if I want to know. Love... scares me. ...But, that has nothing to do with the way you feel, does it? Whether I understand it or not... you know what you feel better than I do. No one has the right to tell someone else their feelings are wrong."

It's the best answer she has, to a question she's never been able to answer for herself. Is 'love' involved with anything she does? She should be the one asking that question. If only she wasn't afraid of the answer.

...Oh, and if it wasn't deathly embarrassing to talk about!! Naoko can't even look at Asciel anymore, after that, blushing furiously. How can she possibly go on stage like this? Someone save her from this hell!

<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.

        The stage is calling.

        The frenetic applause of the audience grows to a deafening roar, as the limits of this 'possibility' are reached.

        "...It scares me too."

        Clutching both of Naoko's hands in her firm, indomitable grip, Asciel eases the pain of that tether made of her oath to never flee from '愛 (Love)'. Gods, is she regretting that promise.

        ...It's the only thing keeping her from having gotten lost, amidst all this.

        "...and because it is terrifying, I decided to conquer it. To seize it in my hands. ...Until recently, I never told anyone I loved them. I didn't. I mostly kind of resented them. They told me they loved me a lot - but in the way that...you know. Humans just say that about people, especially online. I thought it was a barrier. A wall between me and that world. They could love me, and I could pity them. Two one-way relationships that together, make up a goddess. Or, at least, the idol of one."

        Yet again, an almost reluctant glance back at the source of those strings. That which would bear responsibility. That which would be cherished and iconized.

>it means we can't be stars together.

        "I think I already betrayed the idea that I can't have anything closer to me than others." Closer and closer to the overwhelming lights of the stage - vast and white and full of potential. Is it...? "...I...I couldn't take it anymore. This thing I am - you...you've seen...so much of it. So much of why I have to stand alone. Why I can't live like others. ...It's still true. But..."

        A teary-eyed smile as Asciel crosses the last step before the stage, pulling Naoko up with her.

        "...It can't be THAT wrong to be the center, on stage with those rare people who really, truly decided they'll be together with me, right?"

        The crowd overwhelms as Asciel steps through - and vanishes like a star puffing into a supernova on the spot. The calling of cheers from billions of humans - the lights of every last star they could ever seize. Just as they reach a crescendo - it all goes 'quiet', in the exact same way drifting between these myriad possibilities was a quiet, constant cacophony of potential.

        ...The stage was, from the beginning, a exit from this possibility of stars. Does it mean they never, really, could 'perform' together...?

        ...Or is it a stage that only exists in one particular world?