Summary: Stygia leads her descendant out on a dangerous trek to lay eyes on an old foe. Old tales and new beginnings start to unfold.
Characters: Stygia Astera, Novalx Astera, Omnius Dioxal (mentioned, belongs to @memurfevur)
“Come, Novalx. There’s something you need to see.”
Nova emitted a shaky breath as they opened their eyes to the soft echo of their ancestor’s voice. Another day, another daymare plaguing them to awaken, feeling weak and terrified, pained from injuries that were still healing. Even as they were alone in the room, in the hive itself, they could feel the tug of The Catalyst’s call. There was a glance out the window to confirm through tattered curtains that the rays of that day had already begun to kiss the Alternian horizon goodbye. They couldn’t imagine what their ancestor would want to show them so early, but they also knew that they couldn’t ignore their calls for long.
The younger Canpio groaned as they slowly pushed themself off of the sleeping slab and placed their feet against the floor. Even if the pain had improved, it was still excruciating to move too quickly, and it showed in how they gasped for air as they slid on their shoes. They were sluggish to slide on their light gray hoodie over the tanktop that they usually wore underneath, and a few more moments passed before they grabbed for the sturdy branch that served as a walking stick. After what felt like an hour, they were on their feet and limping out the door.
The trek to town was exhausting, even tear-jerking as every breath still pained them. They pulled their hood up and swallowed as they reassured that their mask was in place. They were fairly well-hidden, save for the medium-gray Canpio symbol on their chest, but given how early it was, they hoped that no one would pay much mind to them. So far, they avoided eye contact with the other trolls, but a sudden whisper prompted them to look up.
“Wait.”
“What,” Nova queried almost under their breath as they lifted their gaze, a gasp catching in their throat as they laid eyes on a few trolls exiting a building. They nervously exhaled, tucking their white streak of hair into their hood. Something felt off, here, and the owl troll suppressed a tiny, fearful whimper at the next word to make itself known.
“There.”
Nova’s gaze fell upon a tall Tealblood with salt-and-pepper hair, a smile that was perhaps a little too charming, and a vertical pinstripe suit comprised of black and white. A rush of dread rushed through them, one so potent on sight that a part of them questioned whether that was actually their own. They found it difficult to speak, but eventually, a single utterance fell forward. “...Who...?”
“That is Omnius, Nova. Learn his face just as well as you know his name, and avoid him at all costs.”
“That’s Omnius,” Nova gasped perhaps a bit too loudly in alarm, recoiling as if the name itself dealt a source of pain. They backed away from the corner wall they had leaned against to rest, their eyes wide as some trolls looked their way. Oh gog, had they been heard? Had they been seen?
“Not so loudly,” Stygia hissed, baring her unseen teeth in a snarl towards her descendant. The elder shifted in place, their hollowed, white eyes somehow ablaze with anger upon sight of the Tealblood before the two of them. “But yes. Now you know his face. Never look him in the eyes, and if you must walk away, don’t be conspicuous. Give him no reason to ever be interested in you.” A heavy pause came before the Catalyst broke the silence once again, their words suddenly heavy and grave in a way that Nova had never heard.
“And most importantly, do not lead him to Rutaci. If he sees you, don’t anticipate that Rutaci is going to save you. Lead him off elsewhere, and pray that he doesn’t catch you. If he does, then you should pray instead that he ends you quickly.”
Tears pricked at Nova’s eyes at the thought. Their life only felt more and more like an ongoing daymare, agonizing enough to where they wished they could’ve returned to the nights where their biggest concern was staying anonymous, not feeling as if they were constantly, actively on the run. The younger Canpio took another step back to meld into the shadows save for the light tones on their hoodie. Oh, gog, what could they do?
“Follow my directions,” The Catalyst answered their unspoken query with a nod that was felt rather than seen towards the alley. “There’s a network of tunnels that you can take starting here. I’ll lead you hive, but the next time you’re out here, wear a darker color, and keep your symbol inside out. Hope against all hope that they didn’t notice you.”
With those words left hanging in the air, Nova shuffled into the dark of the alley, clinging to Stygia’s every word as a ghost of a comforting presence. Not another sound met the air, sans for panicked, painful breaths even as the still-living of the two hobbled out of sight.
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Alright, there is literally no way I can go into this without diving balls deep into Ouroboros Unbound so here we go!
Novalx initially wasn't gonna have a whole lot of presence, to be totally honest. They were just considered to be a fun little extension, a new sona, in a way, to project some things onto. Not so much now.
When Ouroboros Unbound came into being, it was nowhere near as big as it is now. It was gonna be a simple thing, a means of projection by having plausible explanation for how they sustained the injuries that I planned on imparting onto them, but before any of us knew it, boom, it got huge.
So here's the deal with Nova. They've always been pretty shy, on the meek end, and for fairly obvious cultural reasons (those being that they're an anon-presenting Limeblood), they were non-confrontational. Their life was pretty simple until they had to deal with Lysander taking them down and hurting them like he did. Rutaci was a recently met figure in their life who expressed an interest in them for reasons that they didn't quite understand, but there was enough curiosity that they decided to give him a chance. Little did they know that that would be what saved their life, and it actually wasn't until the events of "Limbo" that they learned who Ru actually was.
From then on, they're left pained, weakened, and still recovering but thankfully under Ru's wing. It's rocky, but they end up finding out that they need each other and learn to slowly heal with each others' support. It's a rocky road, and as past and present traumas arise, things are coming to a head, but hell is all but ready to break loose when they flee in the evening with only a note left behind.
Nova's always been on the nervous side, reasonably cowardly, but the events of Ouroboros have shaken them to their core and broken them down. They're ruled by fear, and that fear is causing them to make irrational decisions. Their stubbornness has seized them and has yet to let go, and it's unlikely that it will unless they lose the will to fight. They're at a pivotal point right now where they're growing tired of running and hiding. They're exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. They're hurt, they're afraid, and they're angry that their whole life has come to this. They know, now moreso than ever, that if Omnius discovers them and knows of their relation to Rutaci and Stygia, then things are only going to get worse. They've also come to bear enough rage, suffering, and resentment that they refuse to go down without a fight, even knowing that they wouldn't stand a chance against anyone who looked their way.
Interestingly enough, they don't know whether Omnius knows of them or not, let alone if he would be after them. Novalx is one who is prone to assumption and draws their conclusions, and it was for that very reason that they left, because they assumed that if they were found out, then they would lead Omnius to Rutaci. They didn't take into consideration that Rutaci, among several others, would put themselves at risk looking for them.
One of my favorite aspects of Nova, personally, is their parallels to Stygia. While Stygia was formally known as The Catalyst by some, Nova is, unwittingly, a catalyst themself. I myself have dubbed them a 'cornerstone character', as it's appeared at least to me that the majority of advancements made come in response to events that they bring forth. In-universe, though, Rutaci has noted more than once of how he's seen Stygia in Nova, not just in looks, but in their personalities and tendencies. Whether it's literal or metaphorical, Stygia's legacy lives on in Nova.
The way I see it, no one expected The Catalyst to live on after death, but in more ways than one, Ouroboros Unbound has come to reveal that to be exactly the case.
Hey Nova, if you never had to worry about Omnius what would you do? Just keep living your life or would there be a change?
"/|\I don't know./|\"
"/|\The only thing that I can think about right now is that I do have to worry about him. Maybe I always will. Maybe that's the biggest change in my life./|\"
Don't you think it's just a LITTLE bit dangerous for you to be with Rutaci right now, Nova? After all, Omnius is close by, and you're the descendant of one of the Trolls he hated the most. What if he finds you? What if he finds Ru BECAUSE of you? All because you listened to your dead ancestor and took a stroll through town.
"/|\.../|\"
"/|\You're right. I don't want to leave him, but... I'm a danger./|\"
"/|\Maybe it'll... maybe it'll get me hurt or killed, or maybe I'll be alright, but if I have to go to protect him.../|\"
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