The Stars of Change

---

It was the soothing metallic tones that drew the young boy from his sleep, electronic words pulling him from his dreams of soaring between the stars and diving beneath the waves. Slowly he come to, blinking his eyes against the light that streamed in between the curtains that sailed back into their recesses without a whisper. He briefly contemplated allowing himself to sink back into his sleep despite that, ignoring the pale yellow light that was playing across his face, but then the voice spoke again.

"Good morning young master. The time is six thirty, and young men should be about the day. Would you like your daily schedule?"

He gathered up the requisite energy to flop his hands in dismissal towards the corner of the ceiling that housed a collection of small, delicate sensory equipment. There was a quiet beep of acknowledgement, and then the slightly masculine voice began again.

"Very well young master. Your shower has already been heated to your preference, and your clothes for the day laid out. I shall hold all messages until you have finished your bathing. I shall also inform your parents that you are awake. Good morning."

"Good morning CR." The boy mumbled as he rubbed blearily at his eyes. If CR was going to inform his parents that he had been woken up, he definitely wasn't going to be allowed to sleep any longer. So he marshaled his strength and pushed the warm covers off of himself, then swung his legs up over the edge of the bed and onto the ground. The glossy red wood heated beneath his feet as he made his way over towards the frosted glass door set in the wall. It slid out of the way as he neared it, and a gust of warm humid air rushed out to encompass him.

The bathroom was of a decently large size, if still eclipsed by the bedroom that it lead off of. It was all sleek blue walls and tastefully dark fixtures, with stark lights set into the walls and ceiling. In the corner the standing shower stood humming quietly with power, the indicator lights along the side helpfully informing him at a glance that CR had set it at exactly the correct temperature, as it did every morning. He hit the button to open the door with the same motion he used to pull off his pajamas. The silky material dropped to the floor and he stepped into the shower unit as delicate arms picked them off the ground and deposited them into the chute that led to the laundry for cleaning.

Once the door was closed behind him the shower started up, pelting him with delectably hot water from multiple angles. His skin was soon red from the heat as he just stood there and luxuriated in the sensation, feeling the sleep exit him and wakeful energy replace it.

After almost twenty minutes of idling in the shower, ensuring every trace of sleep was washed down the drain, he stepped back out into the bathroom with a billow of steam. The steam fogged up the long mirror above the sink, which he idly wiped away with the corner of his towel as he dried himself. He scrubbed at his face and hair, and looked back up at himself. The vigorous action had left his hair standing at silly angles, and his skin was still red from the heat of the water. But that was already fading in the cooler air of the room.

What features look back at him from the mirror?

Skin Tone:
[] Write in

Eye Color:
[] Write in

Hair Color:
[] Write in

Overly silly write ins will be discarded, but a certain degree of flexibility is certainly possible in the future. Rainbow hair is not allowed, but an unnatural shade of red certainly is.

From the ceiling above him came a familiar beep, informing the boy of CR's wish to intrude. There were no optical sensors in here, for obvious reasons, but the VI did have several other means to detect it's occupants, for security and convenience's sake.

He spat the foamed cleaning paste out of his mouth and took a swig of water before answering, glancing back towards where he knew said sensors to be. It wasn't necessary, but it was a common enough habit; born out of an innate human desire to face a conversation partner.

"Yes CR?"

"Young master, your parents have requested that you join them for breakfast in the family dinning room. Your mother has also asked that you be reminded that pajamas are not suitable clothes for the table."

He rolled his eyes at that. One time, and his mother constantly felt the need to rebuke him for it. "Thank you CR. Anything else?"

"No young master." The beep came again, and CR's artificial notice went elsewhere. Likely to inform his mother that the message had been passed along. The young boy finished his glass of water and picked up his clothes from the side table that CR always instructed the household manipulators to set them.

He put them on quickly, then brushed out his hair and gave himself one last look in the mirror, before turning away and crossing back into his bedroom and out into the hall that led through the family wing.

What is this young boy's name?
[] Write in

---

The Stars of Change is the story of a young man as he grows into power and privilege. He lives within the bounds of the eternal and unchanging starlight of the Holy Celestial Empire, a stagnant and autocratic imperium that has no threats, save that which it creates in it's eternal uncaring attitude towards its subjects.

All must bow before the whims of the immortal Celestial Emperor, lest they feel the wrath of his war fleets. A sword still sharp, despite the centuries since they conquered the last independent holdout of humanity.

And yet, despite that, many choose to fight back against the Emperor. Rebels attempting to free their idealized vision of a nation long dead. Greedy nobility who desire more power than the Emperor grants them. Commoners, yearning to taste freedoms and equalities long denied them.

As this boy grows, he will be confronted with uncertainty, doubt, and decisions that shape the fates of millions. And the galaxy will be reminded that nothing is eternal unchanging, not even the very stars themselves.

Will you fight this change, or get swept up in it?

[X] Brown
[X] Gold
[X] Scarlet Hair
[X] Rayan Mengale

It was a short walk from Rayan's bedroom to the family dining room. The hall that connected the bedrooms to the rest of the private living areas was richly decorated, with a dark floor made of wood. It, much like his bedroom, was embedded with sensors which controlled localized heating units beneath the floor that kept feet warm.

The walls were painted a soft blue that always seemed to gleam in the early morning light that streamed in through the large paneled windows that reached up to the vaulted ceiling. Beyond the windows was the green expanse grounds, and beyond that the shining skyscrapers of the city.

On the wall hung portraits, moments frozen in time with a camera. Most were of people, with the same dark skin and brilliant golden eyes that had shortly before faced Rayan back out of the mirror. His ancestors, stretching back five hundred years, since the colonization of this world. Some of the figures wore uniforms, standing out starkly white against their dark skin. Others wore clothes that were no doubt fashionable in their times. All looked on with the same sternness, as if they were judging the descendants who walked this hall, and lived in their home.

Rayan passed through an open archway out of the hall, and descended a short set of stairs to the foyer, taking a left towards where the quiet sounds of his family eating were coming from. He pushed open one of the double doors leading into the dining room, and took in the family sitting there as he took his place on the right hand side of his father.

The man in question was reading over a sheet of paper, probably a report, with an air of satisfaction. He looked away from it as Rayan sat down and reached for the pitcher of gobi-fruit juice. His eyes settled on him for a moment before turning back to his report, the mechanical prosthetic eye flashing red slightly with reflected light, creating a strange effect with the same brilliant gold iris as in his son's own.

How does Rayan's father look at him?
[] Pride
[] Love
[] Disinterest
[] Write in

His mother coughed lightly to get his attention from the other end of the table, before looking pointedly at the still empty plate before him. Guiltily, he began grabbing food to fill it up. His mother was a firm believer in the importance of a good breakfast, which was why she had locked CR into an early morning wake up call for the entire family, and refused to change it no matter how many times Rayan begged to be allowed to sleep in later.

She turned slightly to grab another serving of sausages, and her brilliant hair shimmered lightly as it moved. While it was from Rayan's father that he inherited most of his looks from, it was from his mother that he got the shock of vibrant red hair. While his own was still slightly wild from his shower, her's flowed artfully down her back, standing out in stark contrast with her pale skin. A color that stood out even more surrounded as she was by her dark skinned family

Why does Rayan's mother insist on her children eating a full breakfast?
[] It is a way of showing her love
[] It ensures they will be strong for the family
[] It is her duty, nothing more

Seated between his parents were Rayan's siblings, dutifully eating there way through the breakfast prepared for them by the kitchen staff.

How many siblings does Rayan have?
[] One
[] Two
[] Three
[] What is he thinking, Rayan is an only child

Is he the eldest child, middle child, or youngest child?
[] Eldest
[] Middle
[] Youngest
In the case of only one or no siblings, the Middle vote shall be discarded.