1418/What of Stars and Stars

What of Stars and Stars
Date of Scene:	26 April 2016
Location:	Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
Synopsis:	Two star obsessed people meet at the park and learn from one another that there are vastly different ways one can appreciate the stars.
Cast of Characters:	Natsumi Matsumoto, Hoshi Kogane

---

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Another day, another chance to set up in the park for star-gazing. It's nice and warm, perfect weather for doing it. Usually though, star-gazing involves parties of people. That doesn't seem to be the case this evening.

Natsumi was setting up her telescope, having completely neglected to tell anyone else that she thought tonight would be a great night to go star-gazing. She hadn't even told Jessica, her best-friend and confidente at school. This wasn't entirely her fault though, as she'd walked out the door of the school that day and just /felt/ like it was a good day for it and immediately rushed about getting ready.

This left a meager hope that maybe someone else had the same idea as she did. Otherwise, it'd be a day of solo star-gazing with her slightly blackened eye (rather unfortunate accident) pressed gingerly to the end of her telescope.

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
Hoshi doesn't normally stargaze in the city when not with others, the family mansion is outside Tokyo entirely, and much more suited to the task. But, the tail end of the Lyrids Meteor Shower is still going and the moon is no longer quite as bright.

And it's a school day, so she cannot retreat to the family mansion and has to stay in the city. So, she brought along a fairly high end telescope and decided to pick a spot in the hope of catching at least one of the meteors, and starts directing her telescope towards the constellation Lyra.

She hasn't noticed Natsumi yet.

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi tweaked the dial on the side of her telescope, eye still hovering near the peep-hole as she tried to get it just right for what she wanted to see. It being a new week, she had to update her weekly star-chart, that way she'd be better prepared to tell fortunes and things based on the various star signs for that week at the club.

She hadn't really bothered to find out if anything particular astronomical was going on, most of her mind occupied by a weekly astrological ritual. Her mother had been bustling around and excited about something she was going to document from the observatory, but Natsumi hadn't been paying all that much attention. You wouldn't either if your mother was talking about work and had been for most of your life, with very little change in what she was seeing day to day.

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Planning catch the tail end of the Lyrids?" Hoshi asks as she notices Natsumi, never once considering that anyone looking at the sky with a telescope might be interested in anything other than some kind of astronomic event. She gets back to tweaking her telescope to by just right to have the best odds of catching sight of a meteor.

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi only managed to keep from thwacking her already blacked eye against the peep-hole of the telescope by the fact that only yesterday she'd done that in surprise. Experience, it teaches you the right way. She actually hesitated for a moment, but decided she shouldn't try to bluff. "Not really. I'm just updating my star chart to map out this week. I usually do it on Sundays, but I got distracted last night so I have to do it today.".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Your... star chart?" Hoshi sounds a little confused by the very idea of making a star chart. Especially on a weekly basis. "Why don't you just put the date onto your computer and get all the things you want from it? I can show you a website that does it for you if you'd like."

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi blinks slowly. "A... Website that does it? I use them for my astrology readings. I'm not sure if it'd have the same sort of weight if I used a website. I mean, maybe but I'm not sure.". She stands up straight, blinking a little and fiddling with her charm bracelet while she considers this new information.

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Uhhh..." Hoshi looks visibly uncertain; and she looks uncomfortable about being uncertain. She tries to hide this fact by adjusting her telescope a little more. A little star pops into the sky next to her, this one holding a crystal ball, gazing at it for a few moments, then discarding it and making a gesture that can mean little other than 'worthless.'

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi saw the star, but she wasn't really sure how one was supposed to react to something like that, whether she should reveal that she could see it, and if she liked what she felt it was implying. Best to just pretend it wasn't there.

"My mom is an astronomer, I think I heard her talking about what you're talking about before I left for school this morning. I've an interest in astronomy myself, but not as much as astrology.".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"That's interesting." Hoshi tries to keep judgment out of her voice, but it's pretty clear she cares for astrology... and her opinion isn't a very positive one. But, it's also clear she isn't being mean, she's trying to hide what she feels, she's just not doing a very good job. "Astronomy is my hobby, I'm part of the Seishou Elementary Astronomy club."

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi smiled a little. "I'm in the Seiyou Public School's astronomy club, and president of the Astrology club. It's my passion, while I guess astronomy might be something of a hobby. I get that it's not very many peoples' cup of tea, but... I do like astrology and believe in it.".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
Hoshi nods, and seems distinctly uncomfortable. "I guess I can't rule out there's something to it, but..." She doesn't seem to like the topic. Odd for a girl who is followed around by magic stars floating in the sky next to her, this one is holding a book on something entirely unrelated to both magic and stars, and apparently hiding its face in it.

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi briefly stared at it, before lifting up her hand and rubbing at her eye to cover it. "Something in my eye. Anyway, I think it's a little bit like magic, and quite a bit easier to believe. You don't see magic crop up nearly as often as astrology gets it right. Anyway... You like astronomy a lot? My mom works at an oberservatory out in the country and often offers for me to invite people to come by. I know we just met and all, but would you like to check it out?". Hopefully this is more Hoshi's speed. Natsumi might be shy, but she wasn't socially blind.

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"That would be nice." Hoshi smiles, and this change in topics obviously gets rid of the discomfort; the conflicting desire to attack Natsumi's hobby, the desire to be nice to everyone, and the desire to follow social norms appropriately. "I go into the country in weekends for astronomy, but an observatory would have a lot better telescopes than I have."

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi smiles warmly at Hoshi. "My mom is really into her job, and I want to be like her one day. Maybe even discover a star system, you know? But I'm not terribly good at it.". She glances over at her telescope, blushing a little. "Probably for obvious reasons.".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Work hard at it and maybe you will. People never got anywhere without trying." Hoshi offers in encouragement, she sounds like she means that, too; it's a bit of a weird view for a girl her age, perhaps. "I'm going to have to work very hard if I want to make my dream come true."

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi leans over and peeks into the peep-hole of her telescope, before lifting up and turning her attention back to the slightly younger girl. Her black eye quite makes it obvious that at least one of her eyes is suddenly very focused on her. "A dream, huh? I guess that's what it is. What's yours?".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"I'm going to become Prime Minister of Japan." It's an odd, and ambitious, goal. Hoshi says it in the kind of earnest tone of voice that suggests she believes that she can make it happen. "I'm Hoshi Kogane." Her mannerisms return to a more relaxed state, where upper class breeding shines through.

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi blinks, thrown off by Hoshi's dream for a moment but she recovers and ducks a little bow. "Pleasure to meet you, Kogane-san. I'm Natsumi Matsumoto. Friends call me Natsu.".

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Matsumoto-san." Whether or not that's a snub or just a sense of not being appropriate to use first names this quickly isn't exactly something Hoshi reveals, perhaps it's better that way. She puts her eye against her telescope again and starts watching.

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi doesn't even really realise, her mind already moving along like a star falling from the sky. "So, some sort of shower thing tonight?". She stepped over to her own telescope and lowered her blackened left eye to the peep-hole, notepad and pen clasped in hands.

Hoshi Kogane has posed:
"Tail end of one, it was at its strongest during the weekend, but it's hard to see during the full moon. So I missed any, and I hope I can see some now." Hoshi explains, keeping her eyes in the telescope, "There's not going to be an awful lot tonight, odds are best if you look at the constellation named Lyra."

Natsumi Matsumoto has posed:
Natsumi grunted, eye plastered to her telescope. She was actually looking at several other constellations, and stepping back to jot down there relative positions to the planets currently within orbital site of Earth. It didn't seem right to mention this to Hoshi though. "Good, clear night tonight. Not a cloud for miles.".