Lillian sat quietly under the night sky as she sat with a journal in hand. Next to her was an astronomy book and a chart op the stars in their old alignments. It was quite a bit of work yet it was peaceful at least. A night away from the village and her cave to just spend some time alone and away from things. What a way to spend a lovely night she thought.

the moon was crescent, the air warm with a light breeze. Not a cloud in sight and all stars a brilliant display above. She smiled a little at the scene. She always loved the stars. It somehow felt less lonely when she saw them all. She hummed quietly to herself as she did her best to chart them and figure out what was what. Lillian only took this mission because it didn’t involve being around others or any crowded places. It was a bit challenging to keep track of and count all the stars of course but she had patience enough for the task. Her gaze continued to move between her book and the sky to avoid any inaccuracies, pausing to get more ink when the quill was near dry

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1/4p 200w

Description: Charon has been struggling the last year with many, many changes to its world view, the most jarring being the changes to weather, the environment and the star patterns above which were used for navigation. With the veil of the Sol Stone dropped, new stars, constellations and cosmic markers have been popping up, revealing that not only is the world bigger than once thought, but so is the sky. The crown is asking people to help record and study these new heavenly objects, to help better understand our location in the cosmos. Spend an evening studying and watching the stars, recording what you see.

An interest in the stars was one that Raoul always had and tried to keep up with over the years. It was looking up at the moon and the stars above that would fill him with a sense of wonder and mystery that gave him his sense of curiosity. It was the same moon that was his ever faithful companion during the night after all he was a dhampir and the moon unlike the damned sun didn’t burn him simply for existing. It was comforting and mysterious, just the presence of it made him feel better when he spent his time outside. So being handed a job to study the stars was a delight especially since it came from the crown itself. All he had to do was do what did normally on occasion and record what he saw. Simple enough so he departed his inn room and headed towards the Stargazer Field notebook and quill in hand.



He trudged through the field with a sense of deep calm and peace feeling the gentle breeze hit his face. Indeed it was nights like this that it was okay to be a dhampir and forget about his unfortunate life circumstances. Before he continued forward he noticed something in the far-off distance someone was up ahead.



“Hey! Hello there”, he yelled and waved as he approached, starting to smile as he recognized the familiar figure.

Lillian flinched as her head turned quickly to see who it was. She relaxed as she saw it was just the dhampir from the library but lightly rolled her eyes “stalking now? I must say just in case I am not a source of sustenance. Try it and you will not like what happens” she remarked calmly as she looked back to the stars. “Let me guess you took the royal quest as well?” She questioned not sure why she even cared enough to ask. “Sit down and begin a comparison of charts would be good. No big anomalies as of yet though the night is young” Lillian added with a little sigh. At least it wasn’t someone new to deal with for this mission. Just an overly exhausting flirt of a night walker. She moved her quill into the ink pot and wrote a few notes as she worked on making sure nothing had changed. She had been getting used to socializing by this point in her adventures and studies.

The woman moved some hair behind her ear and out of her face as her gaze turned once more to the sky. It was strange being far from the sea

The dhampir simply gave the lady a light-hearted chuckle as he joked, “Oh? I'm the stalker here? Why Lillian I had this exact spot picked out a few weeks ago as soon as I heard about the job. Honestly if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were the stalker here friend. Don't tell me your infatuated that much already after our first meeting dear Lilli”.



He raises his hands and pulls back a bit, “Woah there I’m not that type of dhampir Lilli I thought you knew that? I would never dare to lay a finger on anyone much less my reading buddy”.



Raoul calmly sat down a few feet away from the triton and placed his notebook and quill in the grass next to him setting himself up for his mission.



“Yep”, he responds opening his notebook and beginning to write done some primary things he sees while looking up.



“Sure we can do that”, he gives her a sly smile as he scoots over to her pulling out various notes and pages of previous stargazing exploits he’s done before.



“The night looks especially beautiful tonight I’ll say, way better than the last time we met”, Raoul remarks as he lays down his work before him.

Lillian huffed and rolled her eyes in reply “oh please if I knew this was your spot I would have moved elsewhere” she retorted looking over to him. Her cheeks then tinted slightly “oh please don’t flatter yourself I’ve no interest in you” she remarked rolling her eyes. She then glanced back hearing his next words “we are not buddies merely acquaintances of circumstance” she said simply

She tried to ignore his closeness as she jotted some more notes on the situation hearing him mention their last meeting. “Is that so? I didn’t notice the sky last time” she replied simply. “We are lucky there is no cloud cover for today. It’s a clear view of the stars for right now” she spoke thinking aloud for that moment. She took a few more notes and relaxed once again as she then moved and drank some water from a flask she brought with her knowing it would be a long night. Luckily she didn’t need her snacks just yet. “I didn’t expect a detective to have much interest in astronomy and celestial bodies. Is it a hobby of yours?” She questioned sparing another glance to the other

“My greatest apologies”, Raoul chuckles throwing his hands in the air, “Next time I’ll be sure to have some sort of big banner with my name on it saying THIS IS MY SPOT”, he says amused at his own joke.



“Mhm sure sure”, he slyly teases rolling his eyes at her, “Well then acquaintance of circumstance, it seems we have a habit of repeating the same circumstances huh. If I didn’t know any better it seems like you enjoy spending time with me Lillian”.



He then ceases his teasing reminding himself that he has a job to do here continuing to jot down important notes.



Raoul doesn’t even look up from his notes remarking, “True, if anything I guess today was the perfect night to stargaze. As for my personal connection to looking above to the stars eh I guess its a few things. For one I’m half astralblood so I’ve always been a little curious as to my lineage's connection with the stars. As for the more deep and personal reason I’m a dhampir simply put. I can’t exist under the sunlight the night sky has always been my eternal companion. Under it I can freely walk and act with worry of burning alive it’s always held a special place in my heart. Another reason is simply genuine curiosity what is up with the stars. How did they come to be? What are they? Who are they? All questions that are seemingly without concrete answer and evidence, I’d like to know the truth about the stars someday”, he says looking up.

“If anything you’re just slightly less annoying than most who cross my path. I am willing to deal with you is all” she huffed stubbornly refusing to admit she didn’t mind his company one bit. Her face was bright pink from the teasing and she tried to keep it from showing by hiding it behind a boo. “Honestly how full of yourself can you be hm?” She asked though softer than she usually would speak to someone though it was hardly noticeable.

She then listened to his answers and reasons for liking the stars a bit surprised by some of it though most made sense due to his ancestry and such. She nodded a little as she listened “it definitely ebbs loneliness to see a sky full of stars. Even if some may change with the seasons they always return. Those that streak across the sky in their ends leaves a trail of hope with the thought of a wish and is hardly ever unnoticed in its final act.” She remarked not thinking much on her words. “I’m surprised this is a mission at all. Most astronomers would do it for free but I suppose they want timely answers and multiple accounts to look over

“Mhm, whatever you say Lillian I know the truth”, he teases as he continues to write in his notebook, “After all I am a detective”.



He chuckles amused by her remarks, “It’s not being full of myself it’s just the truth my friend. I pride myself on my inference and intelligence skills now if you wanna see full of yourself you should meet my brother sometime. You wouldn’t even last a minute with him talking about some vain tirade about how he’s the best”.



He lets down his notebook for a moment looking up at the stars again and hearing his companion’s thoughtful and deep words, “Yeah, makes you feel a lot less lonely huh? I don’t know but it’s comforting to think that even as you travel through the light of the moon you’re always accompanied by stars wherever you go. It’s pretty funny though, to be honest I mean it kinda seems like free money which I enjoy a lot. All we have to do is just enjoy a nice night sky and write a detailed report about it. It’s just another day being a detective but this time I don’t have to run through rooftops or be escaping near death so I’d call it a relief”.

Lillian rolled her eyes at his reply with a huff as she began to focus on her work once more. “I can hardly deal with you. Your brother would find himself flung into the sea within minutes.” She remarked simply and matter of facts. She didn’t want to imagine someone more than the one before her. This one was already a handful to deal with.

She listened to the others words before writing in the book again. “I assumed it would be a more solitary venture as I am accustomed to yet lately every thing I undertake, some person appears wishing to speak to me and work alongside me. I am more accustomed to the company of the stars and their consistency through the years more than that of inconsistent superstitious strangers. The stars hold know falsehoods like man. They are but simple, beautiful and never changing” she remarked thinking some. For years she had been outcast and shunned being called a witch. She remembered the stars being the only thing to talk to besides the creatures she stumbled across. She frowned a bit at the memory and pushed it aside. She was fine with her solitary life or so she always told herself

“Mhm sure and yeah he probably would to be honest he isn’t exactly the most personable individual as much as he might say so”, he laughs.



“Is that so huh?”, he chuckles, “I can go somewhere else if you’d like Lillian if you’d prefer that. But I’m sure you’d miss my gracious company”, he jokes.



“I agree though with what you’re saying especially. After all, the life of a dhampir isn’t exactly the most fun under the sun”.



Raoul then noticed the lonely frown that came over Lillian’s face as she spoke and he wanted to cheer her up.



He then pointed up and tried to lighten the mood, “See anything up there that you deem interesting? I think I see some sort of snake-shaped constellation, look”, he then motioned to where the 3 connected stars made some sort of snake shape. Oh and then there’s another look. It's a dog with some floppy ears”, he then proceeded to try to lighten the mood.



“Stars can tell us a lot about things; they guide our path and give us wisdom when we need it. It’s a nice night out and I’m enjoying myself plus the free solar reward is a motivator”.

Lillian rolled her eyes but paused as he mentioned moving. She crossed her arms and looked away “I would not! Honestly though you’d just waste time moving now when everything is all set up” she huffed a bit as she stated this. Though she didn’t realize it she didn’t want the other to move away.

She glanced over hearing him agree and nodded a bit. At least the other seemed to get what she was saying though wasn’t fully sure. “How on earth do you see a dog?” She questioned looking to the sky confused “I used to know the constellations by heart but this new array is strange. The old constellations are gone like our understanding of the world. Now they must start anew…” she remarked wondering what new constellations there would be

“I suppose that is true. Free though? The stars may be free but the company may be the cause for payment” she remarked in a slight joking tone. She wasn’t usually one to make jokes as there was no one to make them with but it was an attempt even if just a small one. She examined the sky “I wonder what the new constellations will be now”

“Mhm I see sure whatever you say Lillian”, the dhampir would joke still trying to keep the same light-heartedness going.



“Look”, he pointed at the constatation he was talking about, “If you connect those 8 stars there it’s a dog. A dog with some floppy ears that’s at least what I see and usually my sight is never wrong…well sometimes. When I’m not dealing with a magical dwarf that used illusions to rob a bank. However, that was different and besides that, my sight is usually correct and that dog up there is pretty cool. I like dogs myself. I'd like to own one someday, well I have an eel hound and he’s pretty awesome but another pet wouldn’t be too bad”.



“Indeed though the sky is looking a little weirder than usual, I mean there are so many new stars I don’t really recognize. I think it’s just a result of recent events, with a primordial deity and the most dangerous man running around Charon’s starting to get more dangerous and change. Everything’s gonna be changing soon I expect but with strong adventurers around I’m sure everything will be alright”.

The woman gave a soft roll of her eyes with a tiny puff of annoyance. She then paused and looked to the stars again “I see no dog. Honestly I think you’re just making this up and wait what are you talking about a dwarf ? How did we get to you adopting a secondary pet?” Her head felt as if it were spinning from all the random information as she tried to piece together how he leaped between topics with such ease. It was quite perplexing to her.

“Dangerous man? I know the shift of vulcadreous and its effect on the region but who is the man?” She questioned in confusion. Had she missed something? She knew the land was stranger now with everything happening from the eruptions to the far but she couldn’t recall hearing anything of a dangerous man. “I know of the change in our world but have heard nothing of this so called dangerous man you speak of. Please enlighten me on this matter” she remarked looking over to him after charting a few more stars on the map. She wrote a few notes on what was left of the old constellations and notes on the brightest stars

“It’s like right there, try looking harder Lillian”, he keeps pointing, chuckling , that she’s still actually trying even though he was obviously lying.



“Nah I’m telling the truth, my friend, I have a little friend of mine I travel with an Eel Hound named Basker. As for the dwarf situation let’s not worry about that…let’s just say whenever a dwarf criminal says he’s gonna rob the bank right in front of your eyes to understand he means right in front of your eyes”, he chuckles reminiscing on that past case, “And yup, what can I say I’m a bit of a topic hopper, hoping from info to info. I usually have a lot on my mind so sorry for that”.



“Oh? You don’t know? Charon’s most wanted and the most dangerous man in the entire world, the despicable criminal scum, Scern. The man that the crown hunts down and wants dead or alive at all costs. It was his mad ramblings that were starting to put into question what’s truth and reality. He divulged some mad remarks that the Crown was lying about spreading his crazy ideology. I am not too sure what to think, on the one hand, it’s so absurd these ideas he’s spitting but on the other hand what if he’s right and no one’s listening. A lots changing around in Charon but I try my best to keep up with all because if I don't it'd be bad for my business. ”.

Lillian began to look again before huffing her face bright red “that isn’t funny at all thank you very much” she remarked crossing her arms and shaking her head. She then listened as he continued on and sighed a little “it’s fine I suppose just don’t hop to too many topics or I may not be able to understand what you’re on about” she replied a bit curious about the dwarf incident but for now it would be dropped.

“I don’t typically involve myself in politics. It isn’t really something I care about. He could be right however with everything that has happened with vulcadreous. All of out ideals crumbled after all with those revelations. Everything we thought we knew…. We were wrong on most of it and now things have been rewritten” she sighed then shrugged “either way however it makes no difference to me” in her opinion it truly didn’t as she wasn’t really a part of society. Not till recently at least and she didn’t feel much allegiance one way or another . “It doesn’t pertain much to our current job. Let’s just finish this for now “