Chapter Text
Soft, metallic clicks permeated the evening air late one day, in a beautiful, bustling valley city not too far from the entrance to the Underground. The sound that Starlo's metal spurs produced with every step he took on the sidewalk was music to his ears, drawing a soft, content hum out of the star monster. The streetlamps on the sides of the road illuminated the trees planted in the margins of the concrete, covered in flower buds primed to bloom. Even in a city, where light pollution made stargazing all but impossible, he couldn't help but look to the skies. The deep blue-black web filled with tiny lights seemed to sing a song that would forever go unheard.
The tendrils on his head - well, the four not hidden by his cowboy hat - perked upwards in tandem with the smile that crossed the star monster’s face. The pleasant warmth of the evening air contrasted against the oppressive, choking wrath of the midday summer sun. It only drew a brighter smile on the starlet’s face.
Hope like this, this joy, this love of his new home and the new locale, it made him glow, literally, and his light joined the streetlamps in illuminating the trees and grass planted around the sidewalk. It was a beautiful place to be, truly, a place he wouldn’t trade for anything. The desert sands were his old home, but there he didn’t get to feel the sun on his skin, not truly. There, he couldn’t look up at the stars at night and be reminded how wonderful it was to be alive.
He’d dreamed of this. Dreamed of a moment this beautiful. And here it was.
Starlo picked up the pace, jogging down the sidewalk as he took the time to appreciate the air on his skin, the quiet hustle and bustle of a city now at rest, and the greenery softly lit by the streetlamps alongside his path. It was like living in a dream, and he loved it. He loved it so much. The starlet figured he’d try to write a song about it someday.
He took a sharp turn towards one of his favorite buildings in the locale, then looked up at the neon billboard sign atop it. It read ‘Saloon’ in flashing colored lights; teal, red, blue, white, and yellow. Breathe in; the scent of the food inside bled out into the evening air; mashed potatoes, steak, and fried chicken, to name a few. Breathe out; it’s time to make an entrance.
The double doors of the saloon gave quickly to the strength of the farmhand and local ‘sheriff’, moving aside as he took his first steps into the building. With every deliberate click of his spurs on the floorboards, heads turned to face him, a star of the attraction who’d arrived for a late-night encore. His light reflected off of them. It filled the area with the brilliance of the North Star himself, the guiding Polaris light who would stop at nothing to see the city come alive.
“Evenin’, folks!” The joy in his voice evicted any and all tension that clung to the air in the star monster’s absence. His energy, his presence alone, brought new life to the afternoon crowd. As he made his way through the saloon, murmured greetings, nods, and pleasantries filled the air wherever he went, accentuated by his replies and thin Southern drawl. He only paused to pass a napkin to a ginger fox. Ceroba paid him in kind with a smile and a nod as she wiped the spilled red liquid off of her table.
Not far from the beloved star of the show, however, a woman with black hair and a single, long braid struggled to find her wallet. She cursed herself for deciding to merge her telescope case with her purse, a sin that wasted plenty of precious time better spent preparing for the performance Starlo might put on.
“I am so sorry, Dina. I made a stupid mistake this morning; I tried to save space by uniting my purse with my telescope case.” The ravenette dug into her telescope case, her efforts punctuated by a number of hisses. The armadillo behind the counter simply chuckled, her spindly tail swaying behind her as she watched Chloette struggle. However, her expression shifted from amusement to interest as Starlo approached the bar, then reached into his wallet.
“So what’s the bill?”
“Eh, nothin’ much. 80G?”
A gentle chuckle, as smooth and as sweet as caramel hard candy escaped from the would-be sheriff. He forked over the coins without any hint of hesitation, passing Chloette a wink as he did so. The ravenette could only gawk. How could anyone be so kind? Sure, that price tag didn’t spook anyone, but it also could raise an eyebrow for someone else to pay it. Chloette zipped her telescope case up before she looked up at the astral monster.
“Th-thank you…” Her muted, soft voice made Starlo’s heart ache. He’d been there once. Once upon a painful time, albeit less painful than now, he’d been a nervous, shy monster. Playing pretend for so many years had changed him, for better and for worse. The star monster shook his head before kneeling down so he could be eye level with her, then set his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, miss.” He tapped his spurs on the floor, producing an audible click as he rose back upright. Chloette blinked. Moments later, the woman had lost her words, spacing out for a few moments much to Dina’s delight. Starlo turned to her, eyebrow raised, not that anyone could tell beneath the shadow of his hat and the glasses he wore.
“What’chu gigglin’ about?” The sheriff - or rather, beloved performer - tilted his head, the tips of his tendrils perking upwards.The woman below him remained transfixed on his face and monster features, listening to his tail’s soft rattles while he spoke to the bartender. Dina’s ear twitched as she, too, picked up on the sound. It painted a more reserved, gentler smile on the armadillo monster’s face.
“Oh, nothin’... just looks like you have a fan.” Starlo paused to process Dina’s words, then snorted and staggered back. The saloon soon paused, the hustle and bustle put on hold for the moment as the nearest patrons stopped to listen to the star monster’s sugary laughter. He clutched his stomach briefly before he settled for bracing himself on the bar itself. The grin that her remark had painted on his face was a treat in and of itself, a well-loved and often wanted gift.
“Yer gonna have to be more specific than that, miss. I have a lot of fans.” The star monster lifted his hand from the bar, using it to adjust his glasses, then spread his arms out in an emphatic display, adding weight to the point he’d made. A smile that bright, and a monster who glowed like that, certainly turned heads throughout the entire saloon.
On the other side of the saloon, a purple monster finished his wine, then promptly rose to his feet. On his face rested a smile wide enough for the light to catch his fangs. He set his sights on his friend before taking off, his footsteps only enough to warn his target of his approach.
“Zvezda!” The other monster called, and the North Star turned just in time to see his friend approach.
Realization gripped the farmer, carving a bright smile on his face. The starlight that emanated from him paired well with the emphatic rattles of his tail, even more so from how it illuminated the other monster and their surroundings better than the copper ceiling lamps ever could. Starlo held his arms out, which were soon occupied by the smaller monster.
Dalv made it a bit too obvious that he’d missed his friend; he threw his arms around the farmer without any hesitation. Starlo staggered a bit, bracing himself with his tail even as he almost lost his balance. He couldn’t help but chuckle once the mixed surprise and unease had faded into nonexistence. With that out of the way, his teal-tipped tendrils perked up, save for the one underneath his hat.
“Aww. Did ya miss me that bad?” The star monster tilted his head as he looked down at the shorter monster, still beaming as brightly as before. Dalv nodded, muttering his agreement. Once the smaller monster let go, Starlo reoriented himself, hand on his hip, then spoke. “Well, is there anythin’ new?”
Dalv perked up before a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. He raised a hand to scratch his neck, his smile, genuine, but laced with unease. “Remember the performance I told you about?”
“Yeah?” Starlo raised an eyebrow.
“...my audition was accepted.”
Starlo’s eyes widened, his tail thumping the hard floor behind him as a bright smile split his face. Quite the sight to see. It never really got old, the way he shined, the way he lit up every room he entered. Truly, a living, breathing masterpiece.
But Dalv was getting ahead of himself. A single breath, and the thoughts were gone.
“YEEHAW! Music to my ears, pal! ‘M so proud o’ you.” The low purrs that escaped from the star monster’s vocal chords were so warm and filled with adoration that they could have soothed the deepest, most painful wounds. The tension in Dalv’s body, the pins and needles in his extremities, well. They couldn’t live very long in the presence of the other monster. No way in Hell could his anxiety persist when he was bathed in the soothing glow of the North Star’s light.
The release of tension didn’t escape Starlo’s notice. A swell of pride surged through the taller monster, for how could he not feel good about his friend’s progress? His support had played a key role in Dalv’s rise to local stardom. The flood of warmth in his chest came with a caveat, though:
Starlo lost his balance.
With a soft yelp, the star monster nearly fell, then caught himself on the bar, body twitching from the sudden exertion. Dalv gulped, fidgeting with his collar absently.
“Are you alright…?” The purple monster asked hesitantly, brow furrowed and heart beating just a little too fast for his own sanity’s sake. Starlo released an uneasy laugh, half forced and half sincere, as his first response, then held his index finger up. What, a guy needed a moment to catch his breath in times like this, especially with the insane amount of… well, everything that was going on in his heart.
“Yeah, yeah… I’m a’ight. Need a minute, I’m feelin’ a lot, is all. Heck, I’m feelin’ fer the both o’ us.” Starlo flashed Dalv a halfhearted smile, and the purple monster returned it. If the world had the mercy to bless their lives with someone like this particular yellow monster, everything would be okay one day. Oh, but what the hell did Dalv know. He released a fond huff.
Moments later, Starlo rose back to his full height, panting as his lungs finally started to cooperate, taking in the air he needed. Despite how high he towered over most of the bar patrons - including Dalv - it never seemed to bother anyone, least of all the purple monster before him.
Dalv fiddled with the collar of his shirt before he took another breath and spoke once more: “Might I inquire about the harvest?” As soon as those words left his mouth, Starlo began to release a soft glow into the saloon, the light reflecting on the copper light fixtures in an array of orange and gold. Mesmerizing, if one particular onlooker allowed herself to be honest.
“You would not bu-lieve the number o’ bushels o’ corn me an’ m’folks hauled outta those fields the other day. The market’s gon’ be stocked real generously come Saturday evenin’.” The star monster’s rays perked up from the thought. No telling how many gilded coins he could take home from selling so much produce.
“Glad to hear it.” Starlo jumped, nearly tripping over himself as Ceroba’s voice entered the fray without any kind of warning. Chuckling at his reaction, the fox reoriented herself, turning most of her attention to her closest friend. The farmhand blinked before wiping the surprise off of his face, the action punctuated by a loud huff and a pout.
“Sneaky fox.” The furrowed brow, coupled with his raised lower lip, made for quite the comical expression that rested on Starlo’s usually sunny complexion. Ceroba raised a hand to her cheek, resting her elbow on the bar as she supported herself on it. She narrowed her eyes, a sly grin splitting her face.
“You were too distracted by your friend to notice I ever walked in.” Ceroba sipped her wine, smiling while the cowboy at her side jolted, caught red-handed and off-guard by her accusation. He crossed his arms, muttering to himself, even while color flooded his cheeks. She had some nerve to out him like that. She also knew damn well about his atrocious attention span, easily distracted by all manner of things even when he knew he needed to focus. It irked him, really. He pinched the bridge of his snout, grumbling quietly.
Someone softly spoke his name, dragging his attention away from his frustrations… and down to the short ravenette from before. He passed her a bright, beaming smile, his skin giving off a slight glow as he did so. The light mesmerized the short woman, drawing a smile on her face. She stepped back and held her hand out to him, courage renewed by the city’s guiding star.
“Good afternoon, I’m Chloette Gardenia.” The yellow monster shook her hand with impressive energy, and equal excitement. Chloette would have fallen over had she not braced herself on her telescope case.
“Pardon me, missy, I’m in a real good mood today, heh.” The star monster stood up straight when he finished, rubbing the back of his neck with an uneasy, strained smile on his face. Sometimes he could be a bit much, and he knew it, but Chloette only shook her head, still smiling. She then took his outstretched hand and steadied herself with his help.
“I can tell… hey, aren’t you Starlo?” Chloette perked up when the star monster opened his pearly eyes, nodding. It explained a lot. He matched the description the astronomer had obtained from the bar patrons whenever they described their so-called beloved Polaris, the city’s guiding star. A monster beloved by the entire city for his voice and his exuberance, as well as how precarious and awkward he could be without the poncho.
It never seemed to get him down. With or without the hat, poncho, and cowboy boots, he always appeared to have a lot of energy, though markedly less without his favorite outfit. But that’s just what Chloette had heard around the bend. Part of her swelled with excitement at the thought of actually getting to know what the fuss was about.
“The one an’ only! Howdy, Chloette. What can I do for ya?” His hospitality caught her off guard, but she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised to receive it; half the city knew of how welcoming the Celestra family could be, something especially pronounced in Starlo specifically. The notion made the hearts of two other monsters in the saloon sing, not that they were ready to key him in on that yet. One of them jittered with anxiety at the prospect, while the other’s heart overflowed with shame.
“W-well… actually… what are some of your favorite TV shows, Starlo?” One could rarely go wrong with casual chatter, or so Chloette (incorrectly) assumed; Ceroba’s reaction told her anything but. The fox’s ears shot straight up and she turned around to face Chloette, dumbfounded as to why she’d ask that particular question. Still, Ceroba guessed she couldn’t fault the ravenette for asking something innocent.
“Good luck getting him to stop talking.” She shook her head fondly, releasing a soft huff. While the ginger fox took a sip of her wine, Starlo beamed, brimming with excitement at the chance to talk about the shows he loved so much. Age be damned, part of his brain ignited, abuzz with thoughts about the westerns that made his heart flutter. They were so alive.
He caught himself before he could get too excited, as the energy crashes were neve fun. Right, right, he had to ask her. Tuning Ceroba out, he turned to Chloette, a hand resting on the back of his bandana and a bead of sweat on his cheek. “I, er… hope ya don’t mind if I ramble just a li’l bit.”
“Not at all. Let’s hear it, big guy.”
With those words out of her mouth, Starlo’s anxiety melted and he sat down at the bar. Chloette joined him, listening intently as he went on and on about Walker Texas Ranger, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and the occasional oddball show, like M.A.S.H. and Adventure Time. The star also seemed to love Bonanza. Sure, what he adored so much tended to be on the MeTV channel or so old that some of the episodes were black and white, but his excitement infected her.
“Walker is so cool! Excellent shot with a gun, I love how it’s so easy fer him ta get a step ahead o’ the bad guys every episode. An’ don’t get me started on the choreography fer some o’ the episodes. Takes a lotta skill to fall like that without gettin’ too roughed up.” He slammed his fist on the bar, punctuating ‘started’ with a soft thud. A guy had to get his energy out somehow, eh?
Although the noise surprised her, Chloette didn’t look away from the glowing star monster for even a second. His energy, his bright exuberance, it gave her courage. After all, the world wouldn’t ever really be out to get her. The only thing she really had to fear was fear itself.
While the petite woman listened to Starlo talk, Dalv watched with stars in his eyes. The glowing monster lit up the world with his smiles alone, with the way he wore the best parts of himself out for everyone to see. If anyone tried to ask him about it, the purple monster knew he’d clam up out of anxiety. A cowboy like that could easily make anyone’s heart flutter.
Ceroba glanced between Dalv and Starlo, brow furrowing as she did so. She found it hard to ignore the slight tint of rose on the shorter monster’s cheeks. He watched her friend as if a master craftsman had made him, as if he held the title of the most iconic piece in an art gallery. Sipping her wine, Ceroba tried to stifle her emotions.
Part of her thought it couldn’t possibly be right. Chujin might have been angry had he been there… no, no. The thought perished with a shake of her head; her husband and daughter would have wanted her to be happy, whatever that took. Something still didn’t feel right about it, though.
Maybe one day it would.
Dalv watched Starlo bid his farewells, then approached to pass his own to the star monster. That bright fanged smile spread a strange warmth in his chest, one he couldn’t get enough of. One he’d never get enough of. The orange-accented fox in the room remained painfully aware of how he felt towards her closest friend. Had her restraint been any worse, she would have caved to her frustrations.
“I’ll see ya tomorrow, Dallie! You, too, Ceroba!” The ginger turned to him when she heard his farewell, passing him the most convincing smile and nod that she could muster. Thankfully, her act remained as convincing as his.
“Of course, Star. I’ll see you tomorrow…” Her brow furrowed slightly just as Starlo reached the door. “...Starlo?”
“Yeah?” He turned to her, stopping in the middle of the doorway. The soft hustle and bustle of the city outside felt like something that Starlo could vanish in, never to be seen again. A whisper in the wind, gone into the city streets as if she’d never known him at all.
“...sleep well.” A snort escaped the cowboy’s vocal chords as he caught himself in the frame of the doorway, snickering quietly. For a moment, he couldn’t help but be thankful that his custom-ordered concealer matched his skin tone so well.
“I hope I do, but y’know me. I ain’t gon’ make a promise I can’t keep.” He waved his closest friend farewell, still holding her in high regard despite all the hardships and poor communication that had driven a rift in their relationship. Despite everything. A lot could change in seven years.
Ceroba sunk into her chair, praying that the brightest star in her sky wouldn’t notice.