It's Written in the Stars (Sitara)

[Gabriel Cole]

The day was coming to a close, the sky slowly growing darker and lightning bugs beginning to emerge from their hiding spots. Gabriel found solace in the shadows, feeling he fit in better amongst them than the bright warmth of the sun's rays. He, himself, was probably the farthest thing from "bright" and "warm." He was reserved and cold, hidden behind an emotionless shell to keep others from trying to get too close. He didn't allow close relationships anymore. The only ones he made an exception for were the ones between him and his family, and Nate. That was it. Gabe didn't even know how Nathaniel had managed to weave his way into his life. He was just so persistent and determined about getting close, it was almost as if Gabriel had no choice in the matter but to go along with it. It just happened, and he now found himself in quite the relationship with the other man. A brief splash of pink interrupted the paleness of the young man's cheeks, and he quickly shifted his thoughts to another topic, the blush fading as his mind took advantage of his speedily changing thoughts. A grimace plastered itself onto Gabe's face as he looked down while he walked. Of course, when his mind wasn't occupied with the ridiculousness of his relationships, it had to move on to darker places, distracting him from the present day and dropping him off back in the past. So many memories he had to dwell upon. So many bad. And so little good.

A rough shove against his shoulder rescued him from getting too lost in his thoughts. Gabe looked up, blinking a haziness from his eyes as he turned his head over to see what or who he had run into. A man, taller than he, as well as much larger in girth, had bumped into him. He looked like an impatient soul, the irritation in the shallow blueness of his eyes confirming Gabriel's first impression as the man looked to him with a glare pointed sharply in his direction. Intimidation didn't exist in Gabe's personal dictionary anymore, and he returned the look before turning back forward and continuing on his way, muttering a name lowly from his mouth as he walked away. He knew when a fight was worth it, and when one was simply better off being walked away from. Apparently, though, the larger man didn't. "What was that, punk?" the man asked, his large hand clamping down onto Gabe's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Gabriel stood there silently for a second, his eyes narrowing. He could escape the man's grasp just easily as he could break every bone in his hand and continue working his way up his arm, but he figured that the latter probably wouldn't be the best idea. Yanking his shoulder away from the man's hand, he could hear as a few of the man's knuckles popped from the force, and a fleeting look of pleasure flashed across Gabe's dark eyes before he turned around and looked up to the man, instantly masking his expression once again and crossing his arms. "Nothing, he replied, not at all feeling uncomfortable in this situation. With just one look to his face, he could tell that the same didn't apply to the man.

The stranger's face darkened for a second as his lips pursed like he had tasted something sour. Gabe had run across men like him plenty of times before in his lifetime. Because of their size and stature, they always thought they were top dog. It was always so pleasing to break his kind down and grind them away into nothing. They were in the middle of the pathway that cut through the park though, and bystanders were beginning to notice that something was up. People often used the path as a shortcut to get from one side of the city to the other, and it was obvious that this was what the burly man had been doing. Gabe was simply just taking a walk. He had nowhere to be, nowhere to go. He waited for the man to make his next move, and wasn't surprised when he roughly pushed his way past him and stomped down the path. Two seconds later and the man was back, still shoving like an immature child in the midst of a tantrum and trudging away after he realized he had gone the wrong direction. Gabe snorted and rolled his eyes at the man. He probably didn't even have anywhere urgent to be, especially now seeing as how nighttime had fully made its descent upon the city. The Oushaga had taken note of no wedding band on his finger, and the smell of smoke and alcohol was prominent on the stranger. He wasn't intoxicated, but he had probably been on his way to become just that. And if not, well, he probably was now. Gabe mentally shrugged at it all and turned back around, resuming what he had been doing before the little showdown. Which was just walking around slowly and thinking about random things. Oh, a day in the life of Gabriel Kriotag. He really needed something to brighten everything up.          

[Sitara Cole]

Oh no! Nighttime already?! Oh well, no big deal. Sitara lit her skin, a soft yellow glow radiating from every inch of her being. Particles of light trailed behind her and faded as she walked at a quick pace. She was so excited! For what, she didn't entirely know. She was just happy to be out and about, and it was truly amazing how the world changed when the sun escaped behind that distant line that no matter how far Sitara traveled, she just could not seem to reach the end of. The sun was such a nice young fellow. He and Sitara had only ever spoken a few times, but she deemed him nice. Sitara deemed everyone she encountered as nice, even if the meeting hadn't gone as planned. And if they had been particularly rude- which they often were, to a clueless girl like herself-, the Star Child gave them the benefit of the doubt, because everyone was nice at heart! No one could truly desire to hurt another, could they? And if they did, it wasn't their fault. They just hadn't found their place yet, much like Sitara had yet to do so. But she knew she would learn everything eventually, even if she had only lived here for three years.

At first, the young girl couldn't even walk. It took a serious of tumbles, bruises, and wobbles to get it right. Sitara was still rather tipsy in her stride, and it wouldn't be too difficult to knock her off balance at all. But who would want to knock her off balance anyhow? Smiling and waving at the people who stared, Sitara wasn't at all offended by their gaping at her glowing. She was, however, slightly hurt that the trouble-making teenagers who stayed out late in public places just to find fresh victims, chose her as their target. At first it was just playful banter- at least, it was to Sitara. She giggled at the things they said, which only upset them. Three girls and three boys, an even six children, all spewed angry words at the girl. Sitara turned around to face them, walking backward. Her eyes shifted to pitch black, fading to bright yellow around the pupils. "I am sorry for... For offending you nice humans! I... I did not realize my light was invasive... I thought everyone would enjoy the gift of si-" Sitara flinched as one of the girls kicked dirt at her, in the same moment backing into something hard and flinching with a squeak, immediately stumbling forward and wobbling.

"Sorry! I- I am so sorry!" Sitara extinguished her light completely, ignoring the laughter of the children as she looked up to the taller man. Oh no, he looked upset, had she angered him too?! Sitara's eyes shifted from black and yellow to black and red. She wasn't sure she could handle making another nice human so upset with her. Turning back to the teenagers, Sitara sighed sadly, shoulders slumping, similar to a scolded puppy. One of the things they teased her for was the galaxy dress she wore, despite the cooler weather. Automatically splurging names like "whore" and "slut" at her, Sitara knew not of their meaning, just that they were intended to be hurtful. Sitara was a special case. It was literally impossible for her to be cold, and on the off chance she did get a little chilly, she wouldn't die of hypothermia. To Sitara, this weather was nice, and perfect for wearing the dress she had obtained from a very nice sales lady who took pity on the small amount of money Sitara had brought in from people giving a poor, lost girl handouts. Sure, all of those people had been nice, but none of them truly helped her. It was kinda like the lost star of the Lupus constellations was, well, a little lost.

Frantically shifting her nervous gaze between the tall man and the children, Sitara had a look of worry plastered on her face.

[Gabriel Cole]

A chill skirted down Gabriel's spine as he walked. Something was off, he could clearly feel it. His dark eyes skimmed the area, finding nothing too particular that would come off as wrong. That is, until his gaze landed on something that maybe wasn't entirely wrong, but was definitely different. He could swear he was looking at a girl that appeared to be glowing. Was his eyesight beginning to fail him? Was that even possible? No, he knew it was't his sight that was playing tricks. His eyes could see impeccably, even in darkness. Shoving his hands into his black coat, a warm article that fit him quite snugly and showed off his lean build, he walked a little closer, pausing still a bit of a distance away as he watched the female. If standing out was her objective, well, she was definitely achieving it. The Oushaga's eyes trailed up and down the girl's body as he tried to figure out the catch to her trick. Surprisingly enough, all she was wearing was a small, interestingly-printed dress. Wasn't she at all chilled by the night air? Gabriel knew that just standing there looking at a random girl was basically the definition of wrong and stalker in every way, but he wasn't preying on the female. He was genuinely interested by her glowing, and for him to take such an interest in something, it had to be good somehow.

Coming up fruitless by his examining looks, Gabe just couldn't seem to figure out her glow. It was too... Real to be anything feigned. He couldn't explain it. Shrugging slightly, the dark-haired boy turned away from the girl, not one to involve himself in the affairs of others. Not unless it was required of him. Seeming to be screwing with him just for that thought crossing his mind, something greater than any power in the universe decided to play with him, and Gabe went still as his ears picked up on the sound of a rowdy bunch of teenagers and children making their way through the park. Their voices all gravitated to the point of where he had last seen the strange girl, sharp jabs and insults being spewed throughout a series of unattractive pitches and giggles. Apparently, the girl had lingered there too long, and now instead of being preyed on by him, she was the victim of a group of cruel kids. Funny how things worked sometimes. Gabriel could make out what many of them were saying, even from this distance, and he began to worry his lower lip with his teeth as he heard what must have been the girl that glowed, a bad habit of his he had picked up on many years ago. She sounded... Innocent. In the way that made the whole world dangerous to her. Gabe was already letting out a sigh as he turned to face the group down the path. He just couldn't resist aiding a cry for help, no matter how loud or quiet the cry may be.

Walking slowly, he felt his eyebrows draw near the center of his forehead as the kids continued throwing names at the girl. She didn't at all seem angered by them. Rather, she just looked scared and upset. Gabe had just about reached the group when a teenaged girl kicked up some dust and rocks at the one who glowed. Said glowing girl suddenly backed up, her sentence being cut short as she ended up bumping right into him, and quite roughly, actually. Gabriel didn't so much as budge an inch though, his tall frame as hard as a rock and just as sturdy as he stood there. His eyes lowered to the little brunette whose light had now diminished. He felt a frown appear on his face as he watched her irises change color, and he wondered if the color change was something she could control or not. Either way, she was definitely not human. Now all her glowing actually made sense. Slipping out a quiet, "Shh," Gabe placed his right hand atop one of the girl's shoulders, a protective edge to it as he stepped closer to the young woman and fixed his gaze on the group of kids. They took the gesture just as he wanted them too, by seeing it as him being a not-so-happy boyfriend of the young lady. "Do you have something else to say, or are you going to leave us alone now?" he asked, his voice slipping out smoothly with a menacing bite of sharpness in the undertones of his question. Gabriel wasn't exactly the scariest person out there, unfortunately for him, and with a look of poorly hidden disgust, he watched as some of the older teenaged girls flashed coy smiles and flirty looks in his direction. He was not at all interested.

Too impatient to wait for the kids to make a decision and actually act upon it, Gabe simply just turned and began to walk away, his hand slipping from the brunette's shoulder down to the arch in her lower back as he guided her away from the offenders. He wasn't trying to make it look like he had some kind of relationship with the girl just by moving the position of his hand. He simply found it as a better, more assertive way of getting her to walk away with him. It did help how things looked, too, though, he had to admit. After ushering her a good number of feet away from the group before she could really get her thoughts in on the matter, Gabriel paused and glanced down to the girl, his chocolatey eyes well masked as they scanned over her face. Well, at least she looked alright. He got there just in time, seeing as how the group had looked a little unsteady. Who knows what would've happened to her if he hadn't stepped in. Bullying often didn't stop at just words. "You're okay, then?" he inquired, his question coming out more as a firmly stated assumption than anything else as he stood in front of her. The smallness of the girl compared to him was cute, and as he looked at her he realized she was actually quite the heartbreaker. He wondered where she would be if she hadn't been so blatantly showing off her inhumanity, and he caught himself a little off-guard with the thought. What should he care? Crossing his arms by impulse, another habit of his that always seemed to be present, Gabe waited for the girl to catch up and respond, a grimace crossing his face as he smelled rain in the distance. Just his luck.

[Sitara Cole]

Nodding and furrowing her brows upon being shushed, Sitara couldn't help but fllinch slightly when he placed a hand on her shoulder. Sitara looked up at the much taller male with a wide-eyed expression. So he wasn't mad at her? That would have lulled Sitara some, had the teenagers not still been lurking. Turning only her head to gaze at the rowdy bunch, Sitara did her best to hide her confusion, although it was apparent in her now stark-white irises. Not that any of them knew which color meant what. Hugging her arms against her chest, Sitara wasn't afraid of the teens. No, not one bit. Rather, the girl felt guilty for stirring up so much trouble. Sitara was all for meeting new people, yes. The girl would easily be the first to break silence in a crowded, tense, awkward area. She would have no quarrel shedding light on a dull place-- Sitara was all for shedding light in places it was needed. And not needed. Or just shedding light in general, really. That was her intention with the glowing. Who wouldn't enjoy some extra starlight?! Well, aside from those really obnoxious teenagers. Sitara couldn't help but wonder exactly why they were picking on her, or anyone in general. The naive female had yet to learn of things like hidden motives, jealousy, greed. She was, in short words, innocent. Now, Sitara was very intelligent. She could make connections and draw conclusions exceptionally, but it was the obvious things that seemed to barricade her abilities. She, in technicality, had the naivety of a three year old.

Sitara kept her arms in place even as she followed him. The girl took no notice to his hand- Or rather, did not mind. Sitara had yet to learn about "stranger danger"-- So things like height, hand placement, or looks did not scare her. It could be said she was very friendly, but Sitara's naivety caused her to be a little too friendly. Oh well, she would learn eventually... Right? It wouldn't take a horrible incident for the poor girl to learn apprehension, or so one would hope. But it wasn't like his hand had ventured to anyplace unacceptable to begin with. Just to her back, egging the girl to follow him. Whence they finally stopped, Sitara looked up at him, her own white irises rimmed with chocolaty brown. Nodding slowly, the girl spoke in a somewhat quiet voice. "Y-yes, I am alright... Thank you for intervening, I really did not want to hurt the poor humans." Sitara felt the wind pick up, and it would have made an ordinary creature chilly. Blinking, the woman slowly dropped her arms back to her sides and raised her head. "My name..." Pausing, the girl giggled. "Sitara is the name, and being cool is my game!" Her eyes flickered to an unhumanly lovely dark blue, doused with grey. The phrase was one she had picked up from meeting a particularly interesting male. Placing her hand out as if asking him to shake it, she then grabbed it in her own and shook. That was what humans did, right?

Naturally, in that moment, it started to rain F*CK YOU BLUE I BEAT YOU TO IT and Sitara did not seem at all bothered. Instead, the girl looked up to the sky just as a drop plopped right into her eye. Immediately forcing her head forward, she looked down at the ground rubbing her eye. "Ow," she muttered quietly. What was this? She knew it was called rain, but Sitara did not know what caused it, where it came from, or who created it. It was definitely not something her tribe had witnessed in space. Anyone could ask the girl a question on the outside place and she would be able to answer with facts and a warm smile. She knew what she was talking about with space, and suns, and stars, and planets. But the things that happened on those planets, Earth especially, was left for her to think about. Maintaining her bright smile, Sitara blinked away the rain as it fell into her eyes, the drops coming faster and harder with each passing moment, the wind blowing gently at some points and gusting heavily at others. Her hair was slowly weighing straight down with the weight of the rain, and the skin on her arms naturally retracted into goosebumps, but she was not cold. At least, not yet. It wasn't until a particularly freezing drop found its way down the back of her dress that made her shiver. She had felt this feeling before, but she didn't know how to describe it. Oh well. The happy-go-lucky girl's interest lay on the total cliche of tall, dark, and handsome standing before her. Not that she knew what "handsome" meant, or what a cliche was.

[Gabriel Cole]

It didn't really occur to Gabriel that he should probably be watching the girl's reactions to what he was doing. The first and foremost thing on his mind was that he needed to get her away from the group of kids. He didn't want them making any more of a mess than they already had. Only after pausing did he really take a good look at her, his eyes lingering on her arms for a second before returning back up to her face. A small frown formed a crease between his eyebrows as he listened to her. The humans...? The poor humans? Was this girl crazy? Those kids had been insulting her left and right, and her calling them humans like that only branded her inhumanity on the forehead nice and bright for everyone to see. Gabriel straightened slightly, his posture already having been pretty tall and tight to begin with, and looked down to her, unable to stop his curiosity from swimming behind his eyes. Sitara... It was quite the interesting name. It wasn't completely unfamiliar, though. He felt as if he had heard it somewhere else before, but obviously not often. He had no memory of hearing it, just that feeling that he had at some point in time. "I am Gabriel Kriotag," he said in return, having difficulty finding her introduction not amusing. He had not heard that phrase come from many mouths before. But by the way she spoke, and judging from her actions and reactions of earlier, he suspected that this girl didn't have much knowledge about the human world, though he had really no clue how that would be. It just made more sense than saying anything else.

Blinking, the young man uncrossed his arms and slowly slipped them back into the pockets of his coat, being a little uncomfortable standing there in practically the exact same position as the girl. At the same moment, though, of course the brunette had to lower her arms as well, though their movements were simultaneous. Neither had the chance to copy the other, so to say, it was just a coincidental occurrence. Nevertheless, Gabe faintly blushed at this, and he willed himself to focus solely on the changing colors of her eyes until he could get the warmth to fade from his cheeks. It did, disappearing just as quickly as it came, and he allowed himself to look away from her strange-yet-hypnotic gaze, his eyes lowering to her extended hand. He lifted his own hand out from his coat pocket, prepared to shake hers, until what she next did stopped him dead in his tracks. She had started out normally. Ended not so much. Gabriel simply stared at the girl for a second, wondering why off all things, she had ended up shaking her own hand. Wouldn't she have noticed how a normal handshake went? Or... Rubbing at the back of his neck quickly, Gabe prepared to tell Sitara how to shake hands in the customary way, until he was stopped before he could do anything for yet a second time. He was always cut-off, whether in speech or action, it didn't matter. He was just always. Cut. Short.

Quickly looking up, a grimace immediately found its way onto Gabe's face as he felt a raindrop splatter on his cheek. He couldn't exactly see the clouds, due to the dark sky, but the faint reflection of the city's lights against the sky gave away their presence. A sigh actually managed to escape his mouth at this point, and the dark-haired boy looked back down to Sitara as she mumbled out an, "Ow." A softer frown took the place of his grimace as he looked at her. She suddenly looked even smaller and more vulnerable than she had before, and he didn't even know how that was possible. What really got him was the bright smile that decorated her face. How did she manage such a thing, when she had to be cold and upset? Gabe stood there for a moment, simply debating whether he should offer the girl some help or leave her be. After probably, oh, a split-second of thinking, he decided on helping her. What would it hurt? The least he could do was cover her from the rain, and maybe even keep her from getting in future situations like this. Pushing past his boundaries on social interaction he had created for himself, Gabriel gave the girl a look of genuine concern, his gaze flashing down to her exposed arms for a second and noting the goosebumps before flashing back up to her eyes. "Are you alright? ... Here, take this," he said, quickly unbuttoning his coat and beginning to shrug it off. He had on a long sleeve button-up on beneath it, his usual attire. The rain didn't bug him much anyways, and he would rather have his coat being put to good use than just serving a useless purpose.