[center][h2][color=yellow]Kirara[/color] + [color=F59932]Astraeus[/color][/h2][/center]
[hr][sup][right][i]in collaboration with [@Crowvette][/i][/right][/sup]
In hindsight it would be apparent that the two heroes were lucky to be able to chat as they were. It wasn’t a casual conversation, not exactly, and it certainly wasn’t candid with the way that Kirara’s agents hovered at her shoulder as she spoke. Not only was the idol on a time limit before she had to make an appearance before her fans once again, and the aspiring hero apparently had gotten backstage under near-false pretenses, but for two people that should realistically be rivals the others in the room let them speak without interruption.

Cas considered Kirara’s response. When she talked about idols having their own spins on their careers, his features fell a little. That was about what he expected - it was, after all, the [i]norm.[/i] People becoming heroes to make money, sell a product, get famous. One could hardly blame the individuals when corporations incentivized such things. 

She did mention helping people, though. Honestly he hadn’t even thought about the fact that her songs themselves could help. She was right too, there were tons of stories about people healing through art of all kinds, especially music. Cas blinked, touching a hand to his chin. [color=F59932]”Huh, I never thought about it like that before.”[/color]

Maybe he should get into art too, and then get others in on it. Maybe assist in starting a neighborhood art therapy program if there wasn’t one around already…

His thoughts were cut short by Kirara’s counter question. He blinked once more, a small smile returning to his face.

[color=F59932]”Me? Well, because… I wanted to help people too,”[/color] he said. If he was at all embarrassed about the simple answer, it didn’t show on his face whatsoever. He was direct and earnest as he spoke. [color=F59932]”Be a real hero, not the kind behind a screen.”[/color]

Kirara put her hands together at Cas’s response. “[b][color=yellow]Oh! I think that’s wonderful!![/color][/b]” Her eyes almost seemed to sparkle. “[b][color=yellow]Such a pure motivation is perfect for a hero! It’s brilliant!![/color][/b]” She was visibly leaning forward with every exclamation, perhaps without realizing it. She took a moment to gather herself a bit. “[b][color=yellow]Being honest and straightforward like that is what lets people really shine, don’t you think? I hope as a hero I can inspire people to be like that.[/color][/b]” 

She meekly rubbed the back of her head after a moment. “[b][color=yellow]Though, I’m still a complete novice as a hero… If anything, you seem like you’re more fit for the job already.[/color][/b]” While she was no stranger to pressure, Kirara did betray a little nervousness about being a hero - it was still new to her. She hadn’t really had such a chance to casually converse with another hero, and perhaps she was letting that nervousness show as a result.

It might not have helped her worry that her conversation partner appeared a little taken aback at her reaction. From her overly enthusiastic motions to the particular words she chose. Cas blinked as her face inched closer and closer, tipping his head back when it seemed like their noses might even bump together. His face flushed slightly, a mix of feeling flattered and patronized at once. Maybe he'd been spending too much time around agents and offices of Summit (he definitely had been), but... it was hard to tell if she was being genuine or not.

After a beat Cas chose to take her praise at face value, returning a smile. [color=F59932]"Ah, thanks. That means a lot."[/color]

Though for Kirara's insecurities, there wasn't actually much that the red head could do for her. He laughed, lightly and a little awkwardly, before saying, [color=F59932]"I've only seen you on stage so I can't really say, but if you're healing people through your music and inspiring them to be better, don't you think that's already enough?"[/color]

Kirara furrowed her brow on those words, thinking on it with her eyes closed. “[b][color=yellow]Hmm… It may seem like ‘enough,’ but…[/color][/b]” She opened her eyes and gave a confident look. “[b][color=yellow]Doing more than ‘enough’ is what makes a hero! Or at least, the kind of hero I’d want to be…[/color][/b]” Kirara put her finger to her chin in thought, seemingly only processing what she had said after it was already out of her mouth.

There was a moment of silence as her eyes wandered, before returning to fix her gaze on Cas. “[b][color=yellow]...Were you perhaps leading me to that thought to reassure me?[/color][/b]” She leaned in a little and flashed him a sly grin, as if she had caught him red-handed. Whether or not it was intentional, it seemed clear that she considered it to be true. “[b][color=yellow]You’re good! I do feel a little more confident now that I’ve said it out loud![/color][/b]”

Of course that wasn't actually the case. The young man's question was certainly to test Kirara, but not to nudge her in one direction or the other. In fact, Cas had assumed her answer might be sugary lines pre-fed to the idol by her agent, or something like that. Instead he was faced with a passionate and sincere girl, and was overcome with a feeling of embarrassment. Definitely, [i]definitely[/i] spending too much time with his own suits. How could he have questioned Kirara’s resolve? How could he have possibly thought that she was just another 'hero' chasing fame when she felt the exact same way he did? Going above and beyond was what pushed Caspian to get out of his comfort zone and learn all kinds of things to help all kinds of people, and it was the pursuit of getting to a place where he could do the most good that he even accepted the old man's offer in the first place. 

Suddenly Cas slapped both of his palms to his face. If she was any less used to it, Gianna might have startled at the movement. Instead she sighed through her nose, half fond, and barely managed not to roll her eyes. When Cas pulled his hands away there were soft red marks on his cheeks, but he was beaming at Kirara. 

[color=F59932]"Nah, you got there all on your own!"[/color] he told her first. [color=F59932]"You're right though, and that's what I think too! Always giving it the extra mile when you can."[/color] And even when you can't, though Cas left that part of his experience out. [color=F59932]"Man, I'm glad I came to talk to you. You might even have a new fan."[/color]
Kirara thought she had said something wrong at first, with how Cas responded. She almost spoke up to apologize before she managed to grasp the situation from Gianna’s reaction. Kirara obviously couldn’t tell what exactly Cas was thinking, but she was glad that he took what she said well.

Kirara returned the same beaming smile back to Cas. “[b][color=yellow]That’s amazing![/color][/b]” She grabbed his hands excitedly,  nearly bouncing with energy. “[b][color=yellow]I’ll definitely be a fan of you too!![/color][/b]” She was overjoyed that another hero was happy to talk to her, let alone saying they’d be a fan of hers. Some of the ones she had researched seemed rather scary to talk to, in her opinion. 

Seeing her now, one could barely imagine that she had just walked off the stage of a live performance. Turning from Cas and towards her producer, she put up her fist in a pose of determination. “[b][color=yellow]All right! I’m fired up all over again!! I feel like I could do another set entirely!”[/color][/b]” Seemingly, she had forgotten that the next event was a handshake event and not more music.