romamaro
Well-Known Member
Cold winter nights gave the best skies. Deep, dark nights that crept up on you quickly, and clung on until the early hours of the morning. Stars seemed brighter, colours more vibrant. Mars glinted at you like a glittering ruby. The sky was crowded with beautiful balls of white fire that flickered and sparkled as if saying hello.
But it wasn't winter. It was spring, and the nights were getting shorter and lighter. If you were really unlucky, then it was cloudy, and then you wouldn't get anything done at all. It was only getting deeper into the season, so Castor had to take what little chances he had.
It was a clear night, any way you looked. Castor hang half-way out his window, breathing in the chill, nighttime air. With his neck arched up to the sky, he could already feel the ache in his back. He was used to that pain already; his mother said she was surprised he hadn't broken his neck from it all.
He took it all in, drinking in the night sky. He trailed the constellations with his finger; the Big Dipper, Orion and his belt, and just around half of his star sign. His hand travelled up, up, as he tried to finish the constellation. It was just out of sight, just over his head. He grit his teeth, pushing himself out over the windowsill. Pointing with one hand, he used his other to brace himself on the window ledge, but as he looked down to adjust himself he found his eyes planted on the ground.
How many stories up was he? He couldn't say for sure, but it was too many. With a muted yelp, he pulled himself back inside, hiding the sky from his eyes. With a deep breath, he slowly stuck his head back out. Again, he followed Gemini from star to star. But he couldn't finish it; the heads of the twins were just out of sight.
He grit his teeth as he stared out at the sky. He didn't have to look at Gemini every night, but it felt wrong to leave it unfinished. Especially when Gemini was as important as it was.
He knew what he had to do. It wasn't really a strange thing for him, he'd done it a couple times before, but he didn't like doing it. But he knew himself well, and he knew that he wouldn't sleep until he finished that constellation. So, he left his slippers tied his housecoat tightly around him, grabbed his wand, and tiptoed out of his dorm.
Through some divine combination of a well-trodden route and a bit of magic, Castor made his way out of the school building. From there, it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to the lake.
The lake was always so much bigger than it looked from far away. As he reached the shore, he was captured again by just how massive it was. The water reflected the sky, a perfect mirror image of the majesty within the two. That wasn't where the similarities ended; just as no one knew what was really in space, no one could know what was at the bottom of the lake.
But that wasn't the point. Reaching the shore, Castor spun on his heel and tilted his head up to the sky. He counted the stars off with his fingers; the dim ones that didn't have full names, the brighter ones with Greek letters to give them more identity, and...there!
Pollux, and his brother, Castor.
He beamed at the smile, his teeth almost matching his birthsake. There. Now he could head back, and get some sleep.
But the sky looked so pretty from out here. Couldn't he stay a while?
But it wasn't winter. It was spring, and the nights were getting shorter and lighter. If you were really unlucky, then it was cloudy, and then you wouldn't get anything done at all. It was only getting deeper into the season, so Castor had to take what little chances he had.
It was a clear night, any way you looked. Castor hang half-way out his window, breathing in the chill, nighttime air. With his neck arched up to the sky, he could already feel the ache in his back. He was used to that pain already; his mother said she was surprised he hadn't broken his neck from it all.
He took it all in, drinking in the night sky. He trailed the constellations with his finger; the Big Dipper, Orion and his belt, and just around half of his star sign. His hand travelled up, up, as he tried to finish the constellation. It was just out of sight, just over his head. He grit his teeth, pushing himself out over the windowsill. Pointing with one hand, he used his other to brace himself on the window ledge, but as he looked down to adjust himself he found his eyes planted on the ground.
How many stories up was he? He couldn't say for sure, but it was too many. With a muted yelp, he pulled himself back inside, hiding the sky from his eyes. With a deep breath, he slowly stuck his head back out. Again, he followed Gemini from star to star. But he couldn't finish it; the heads of the twins were just out of sight.
He grit his teeth as he stared out at the sky. He didn't have to look at Gemini every night, but it felt wrong to leave it unfinished. Especially when Gemini was as important as it was.
He knew what he had to do. It wasn't really a strange thing for him, he'd done it a couple times before, but he didn't like doing it. But he knew himself well, and he knew that he wouldn't sleep until he finished that constellation. So, he left his slippers tied his housecoat tightly around him, grabbed his wand, and tiptoed out of his dorm.
Through some divine combination of a well-trodden route and a bit of magic, Castor made his way out of the school building. From there, it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to the lake.
The lake was always so much bigger than it looked from far away. As he reached the shore, he was captured again by just how massive it was. The water reflected the sky, a perfect mirror image of the majesty within the two. That wasn't where the similarities ended; just as no one knew what was really in space, no one could know what was at the bottom of the lake.
But that wasn't the point. Reaching the shore, Castor spun on his heel and tilted his head up to the sky. He counted the stars off with his fingers; the dim ones that didn't have full names, the brighter ones with Greek letters to give them more identity, and...there!
Pollux, and his brother, Castor.
He beamed at the smile, his teeth almost matching his birthsake. There. Now he could head back, and get some sleep.
But the sky looked so pretty from out here. Couldn't he stay a while?