#Novalx Astera
Note
✏️ for Novalx
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.
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Ouroboros Unbound
“As he chases his tail, his prey shall be free.”
Breaking the cycles of abuse and finding strength and solidarity with one another; to live but not with chains.
Characters
Rutaci Faurux (memurfevur)
Omnius Dioxal (memurfevur)
Liahne Zaleae (memurfevur)
Masuni Astera (memurfevur)
Novalx Astera (whispertrolls)
Stygia Astera (whispertrolls)
Silene Khorin (whispertrolls)
Aurumi Faurux (whispertrolls)
Ethne Belikova (clown-fuckers-r-us)
Grimm Sallow (clown-fuckers-r-us)
Lysander (clown-fuckers-r-us)
Lindel (misfits-edge)
Check out the currently revealed timeline of events here!
Writing
Check out our collection of one-shot drabbles related to this plot!
Arc 1
When Fear Was Mistaken as Rage [n/a; needs rewrite]
Replay
Ouroboros
Mistake
A Healing Body
Arc 2
Learn His Face, Know His Name
For The Best
To Start A Fire (part 1) [n/a; needs rewrite]
Luck of the Draw
To Start A Fire (part 2)
Steps
Old Flames
Therapy
The Puppet Master’s Strings
Conflict of Interest (part 1)
Skinny Love
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Nova gets a text message from no other than Rutaci:
'Hey kiddo. I don't know if this will reach you, but I miss you.'
Nova jerked awake from a restless sleep on the graciously offered couch on which they'd found themselves spending their days. Was that a text? Nobody had their number, did they?
They reached over to grab their phone and selected the notification. When it opened, their eyes teared up, and they took a breath as they read the message. Nova went to set down the phone again, leaving the message on read, but it almost hurt them too much to do so. After a moment, they tapped on the 'reply' bar and typed out a short message.
'/|\Miss you too. Don't worry, I'm safe. /|\'
The Canpio lowered the phone and leaned forward, resting their crossed arms on their knees and sighing.
"Who was that," Aurumi queried as he poked his head around the kitchen door frame, his horn jewelry clicking together with the movement.
Nova only shook their head in reply and sniffed as they hugged themselves and lowered their head. Their voice cracked pitifully as they spoke.
"/|\I-It's fine. It's nobody./|\"
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You should squeeze the duck, trust me
"/|\...If you insist-/|\"
"/|\HOLY SHIT, IT LIGHTS UP./|\"
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nova where are you?
"/|\Funny you should ask! I'd love to tell you! Maybe I could get the hell out of here and things would be just great! Time to pack up and call it a night, Omnius sure wouldn't notice that I was missing./|\"
"/|\I have no fucking idea./|\"
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Nope sorry but I WILL give you a rubber duck to be your new friend
"/|\...Sure. Not like it can make things any worse./|\"
You tuck the duck into your hoodie pocket and keep your hand wrapped around it.
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*Pokes Nova with a stick*
"/|\...Why?/|\"
"/|\And more importantly, could you get me out of here? Please?/|\"
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not fair to them? since when was any of this fair to them?
"/|\It isn't. It never was./|\"
>You grimace at the next thought to cross your mind. Your jaw clenches.
"/|\I wish I could just tell 'em not to come after me. It's what I deserve for being so stupid. Just... I'd rather die than be used to hurt him anymore./|\"
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Hey, Nova? I know it seems hopeless, but someone who cares about Ru has his eye out for you and can keep you safe. If you happen to meet or hear about a male Jade named Viktor, try to get to him ok?
>Could that really be true? Part of you believes it, but another part of you doesn't want to. Another part of you can't accept it. In fact, it rattles you, shakes you to the core, and you suddenly want nothing more than to wail in the darkness of your solitude. You're just too exhausted, too worn in every feasible way.
"/|\I'm not... I'm not going anywhere, anon./|\"
You feel a pang in your head and shudder as those tears that brim your eyes fall.
"/|\They don't need to... do anything. I got myself into this... 's not fair to them./|\"
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Nova, you know your fears are coming to life, right? just because you did something no one asked you to
did you know Omnius didn't even know you existed? but now you've run away and caught his attention
bravo, how long do you think this adventure of yours is going to last?
"/|\...I did what I could. I... did what I did because I was trying to protect them./|\"
>You pause, lowering your voice as you draw your arms to your chest. Tears spring to your eyes for gog only knows how many times, now. You don't care enough to keep count.
"/|\How was he even gonna know...? I'm- I did everything right, I laid low, I listened to my ancestor and now.../|\"
"/|\I think it's already over./|\"
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Conflict of Interest, Part 1
Characters: Silene Khorin, Novalx Astera (mentioned), Omnius Dioxal (mentioned, @memurfevur), Rutaci Faurux (mentioned, @/memurfevur), Masuni Astera (mentioned, @/memurfevur)
Synopsis: As an employee in handling imperial intelligence, it’s important to have knowledge on standby. In light of current events, Silene must make a choice.
Word Count: 1,128
I always had my suspicions about the truth.
I’ve known for sweeps that something was amiss, long since before Stygia’s execution. I still think often of how they came to me in the quiet moments, seeking my guidance. They cared so much for Rutaci, and I believe that the same sentiments could have been said in their feelings for Omnius.
She had so much to say, but it seemed that she never could answer her own questions. She was a smart troll, but she seemed as if she would rather try to understand others than to understand herself.
I suppose the events of the recent days have left me reminiscing. Maybe I’m... a little nostalgic. I haven’t been able to stop thinking of any of them- all four of them- ever since the
Silene lifted her quill from the page. Her ears twitched as she glanced upwards towards the hatch. Her heart raced as she listened to the creaking, waiting with bated breath. She wasn’t afraid, not in the slightest, but there was yet more to listen for.
At last, there came the sound of scratching, and Silene stood to answer. A winged, white beast decorated with faint marks of indigo-purple and no smaller than a horse, descended through the hatch and landed before her with a chirp. Its beak clacked together as it rolled its tongue, and tufted ears flicked as it regarded her. The beast stretched as talons and claws tapped against the floor, and feathers and fur fluffed up before Silene brushed them down while she reached with her other arm to close and secure the hatch.
“You’re back,” she breathed in relief as she sat back down. The nights were always dangerous, and every night that her lusus came scratching was never taken for granted. Silene paused again as she reached for her quill. Unease settled in her stomach as she glanced towards her lusus, then she reached out to stroke her feathers again. It was more to self-soothe than to groom, then she watched the lusus turn to walk behind her before she felt a slight tug at her hair. She sighed softly as the beast began to preen her, and she took the opportunity to pick up her quill and gaze over the paper before her.
great fallout came to pass. There was a wild, untamed spark like a wildfire that seemed to blaze through all of them in the ways that they gazed upon one another. They were a fervent group with ideals that swatted through the dark as if they were reaching for the stars themselves. Their ideals were all similar, but their methodology was their downfall. Their modus operandi were what brought them into conflict. Manipulation and betrayal was what came to rule them. Their own paranoia consumed them, and if the recent talk of bounties and murders are any indication, then it may come to be worse yet.
I’ve been sitting on a new set of suspicions for sweeps, now. It was the lack of a corpse of a sought-after war criminal and the sudden uptick in a certain mutant’s bounty that told me everything that I needed to know: Rutaci is alive, implicated in the murders of several government officials and official-adjacents. He must be back in the area, no doubt in search of something that he’s clearly desperate or foolhardy enough to seek so openly.
I would’ve questioned the idea of revenge, had it not been so long ago. Instead, my theory is that it’s something else. I discovered in the registry an employee who caught my eye. A hemoanonymous young man, Masuni Astera, holds office in a nearby mental health facility. I paid a visit to said facility to see for myself, and indeed, he looks strikingly like Stygia. Her descendant, I’m sure, as meek and disarming as his hidden blood would surely allow. The boy seemed baffled, understandably disinterested in his heritage. It would concern me less had I not heard tell of how he held quadratic ties with Dioxal.
And yet, there was another during one of my visits. Dioxal was in the building, and I felt his gaze steeled upon me. I was in the office to seek records for another patient, as is customary to my position, when I chanced upon seeing the boy in question guiding out another troll. Their horns were the same, and I could see in the other that, while they wore a mask across the lower half of their face, their eyes bore an unveiled, vibrant green with rays of gold. Another Astera, I was sure- anonymous in symbol, but their eyes told their story. Omnius stayed close to them as they left in haste.
The Duellist paused in her writing. The gentle tugging ceased as her lusus retreated to lie in her nest, and it was during that silent respite that Silene turned her gaze to the computer on her desk, watching as it extracted lines of data and displayed them before her. That had surely been the young troll she had seen. It had been difficult to find any information on them, but there was no such thing as a nonexistent trail. She sat back, rubbing her eyes in protest of the brightness of her screen as she regarded the information before her: Novalx Astera, aged 13, caste redacted. Hemoanonymity could only get a troll so far in life, but it seemed in the case of Masuni and Novalx that they had managed to somehow survive.
Silene’s bloodpusher ached as if it had been gripped by an icy fist. Even with their face hidden, she could see the similarities. She had with both of them, even in ways that she would’ve never imagined. She remembered how she had threatened to soften when she had seen Masuni meekly hide himself behind his scarf. Ah, so much they had inherited from someone that they never knew. This couldn’t be a coincidence. It may have been far beyond her reach and even farther beyond any right of hers to involve herself in such affairs, but she wasn’t perfect. Until there was news of a body, she knew what needed to be done, if not for Rutaci’s peace, then her own.
It is as I feared. Rutaci is alive, rampaging, and Dioxal clearly has reasons for keeping close to Stygia’s spawn. I must find Rutaci first. I must speak with him before it’s too late. If he falls, then the fours’ collective ambitions will be lost with him. I wish I could say that Omnius himself could be a bearer of those same dreams, but it’s clear to anyone who knew him once that he had lost his way and himself so long ago.
Sempirus vivere tuum veri.
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Learn his face, know his name
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.
#mun writes#out of control#Plot time plot time#Nova#Stygia#Novalx Astera#Novalx#Stygia Astera#The Catalyst#The Brazened
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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./|\"
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For the best
Summary: Fueled by fear and desperation to protect Rutaci, Nova sneaks away from hive, but not without leaving behind a message from their other ancestor.
Characters: Novalx Astera, Stygia Astera, Rutaci Faurux (mentioned),Omnius Dioxal (mentioned, he and Ru belong to @memurfevur) Cyclus Qwycii (mentioned, belongs to Pyrotrolls), Ethne (mentioned, belongs to @clown-fuckers-r-us )
Nova trembled, blinking past the tears in their eyes. Their hands shook, their breaths faltered as dread coursed through their shriveled veins. The Canpio froze too many times in the midst of packing what they could into a hiking bag, too many times watchful of Cyclus or Rutaci possibly coming to check on them.
Even through the tension and fear, Nova managed to make the night pleasant enough. A fond embrace, a meal that Rutaci had no doubt tried his best to achieve, and a few games played with the two elder trolls. Laughs were shared, smiles offered, but it only did so much to veil the pain.
The Limeblood paused and took a breath to stifle the sobs that quietly crept forth. They leaned forward, resting their forehead on the orange and purple comforter that Cyclus had so graciously offered to them. He was such a kind man, so willing to take them in just because he knew how much Rutaci cared. Even for the two to be pitch, Nova couldn’t shake the feeling that they were perfect for each other. They hadn’t known each other for long, but already, Nova had come to view the acrobat as just another lusus figure. They’d miss him, too.
Every creak, every breath, every scratch of a beast or a branch set them on edge. What if Omnius had found them already? What if they had led him straight to Ru? What if he hurt Cyclus, too? Nova’s bloodpusher felt ready to crack like a thrown glass at the thought. They couldn’t hesitate anymore, they resolved as they zipped up said pack and picked up a pencil and paper by their sleeping slab, starting to scribble out a tremulous note.
“/|\Ru, Cyclus, I don’t even know where to begin. /|\”
Nova paused to cough, feeling as if ice gripped their bloodpusher once more. A moment passed before they could calm themselves and press on.
“/|\I can’t let him find you. I can’t lead him to you, knowing what all he’s done. Stygia told me everything. I saw him. I think he saw me. I think that if he comes looking for me, he’ll hurt all of you. You two, and Ethne. I don’t want to leave, but I’ve decided it’s for the best./|\”
The Limeblood paused, looking over their words and frowning as their shoulders slackened.
“/|\I’ll try to be okay. I just want to thank you, all of you, for keeping me alive so far. I’m sorry.
<3, Nova./|\”
Novalx straightened up, noting how the tears freely flowed. This time, they didn’t try to stop themselves. There was nothing that could ease the pain. Only for a moment did their pain fade to a cold indifference, a burning fury beneath the chill as their hand fell to the page once more.
𝒯𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾. 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈. 𝐼𝓉'𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒶𝓅𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝓊𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽. 𝒪𝓂𝓃𝒾𝓊𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝒷𝒾𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐻𝑒'𝓈 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝒫𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒, 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝓈𝒶𝒻𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑜𝓃𝑔.
-𝒮𝓉𝓎𝑔/𝐵𝒾𝓇𝒹𝓎. <>
The younger of the two gasped at the sight of the words on the paper, a whimper escaping them at the bitter truth revealed. They hastily folded the note and tucked it under their pillow and gripped the branch leaning on the daystand. This was it. There was no going back, now. There were clouds outside blotting out the sun, and they knew that they needed to hurry.
And hurry they did, as quickly as they could manage, sobbing to themselves as they left the hive behind and ventured off into the unknown.
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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.../|\"
"/|\Then so be it./|\"
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