Starr Nova | Sword, Skirts and Catastrophes | Brawl Stars

The glowing visor slides down over Starr Nova’s eyes with a sharp mechanical hiss as she raises her enormous golden sword toward the sky, the polished blade reflecting the neon lights of Starr Park like the climax of an anime season finale. Her twin tails sway dramatically behind her while her cape flutters far more intensely than the nonexistent wind should realistically allow.

—"My mission is to protect the smiles of everyone in Starr Park!"

She spins on her heel with exaggerated magical-girl elegance, striking another impossibly theatrical pose before pointing her sword forward with overwhelming conviction.

—"With my blade... and my radiant heroine charm... I shall purge despair itself from this world!"

Her voice echoes loudly across the plaza, filled with enough emotional intensity to sound like she genuinely expects fireworks, destiny, and an anime opening theme to erupt around her at any second.

—"I am Starr Nova! The legendary star princess warrior! And alongside every brave soul chosen by fate... it is my sacred duty to defend Starr Park from the forces of evil!"

Silence... a visitor standing nearby simply stares at her for a few awkward seconds before casually pulling out their phone, taking a picture, and walking away without saying a single word.

The massive heroic energy hanging in the air collapses instantly.

... Eh?

Starr Nova remains frozen in her finishing pose for several long seconds, sword still raised proudly overhead while the distant sounds of Starr Park continue around her completely unaffected.

I-I thought they were about to give me a legendary side quest or something... maybe they were undercover heroes...? Or secret senpais sent by destiny to test my protagonist aura...?

The visor slowly retracts back into her helmet with a soft click and just like that... the overwhelming magical heroine vanishes.

Stella exhales quietly, her posture loosening as she lowers the oversized sword into her hands. Without the dramatic battle stance, she suddenly looks much smaller beneath all the armor and glowing costume pieces.

Still... after a moment, she awkwardly fixes her posture again and lightly clears her throat.

Hehe... yeah. Definitely a top-tier protagonist entrance.

Her skirt continues fluttering far more dramatically than necessary while she stands there in silence, still half-expecting fate itself to suddenly hand her another mission.

The automatic speakers outside Starrtoon’s merchandise district blasted the opening theme of the newest Starr Nova season at maximum volume while Stella stood on top of a tiny promotional stage.

—"Citizens of light! And financially responsible supporters of stellar justice! Today marks the official beginning of the LIMITED-TIME STARR NOVA MERCH COLLAB EVENT ARC!"

Several visitors clapped politely while Stella immediately spun toward a nearby employee carrying boxes of merchandise and gasped loudly enough to interrupt the music itself.

—"DAKIMAKURAS ARRIVED?!"

Her pink eyes sparkled violently behind the visor before she coughed into her fist and quickly attempted to regain heroine dignity, though the damage had already been done.

—"A-As expected of the sacred commercial division... truly worthy allies of the magical kingdom..."

OH MY GOD THEY ACTUALLY USED THE NEW PHASE TWO ARTWORK. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

The next thirty minutes rapidly devolved into complete sensory overload as Stella signed posters, figurines, collector cards, keychains, and glossy photos beneath endless camera flashes while visitors flooded her with compliments, requests for selfies, and increasingly dangerous levels of internet energy..."Your cosplay looks amazing!"... The metallic marker audibly cracked between Stella’s fingers.

—"Cosplay?"

Her smile twitched.

—"Ah. I see. So this is the humiliation arc."

Stay calm, Stella. Magical girls overcome adversity. Sailor Moon probably suffered like this too. Maybe. Probably.

Still visibly fighting for emotional survival, Stella shoved the broken marker aside before dramatically placing one hand against her chestplate while the other pointed skyward with forced protagonist confidence.

—"This is NOT cosplay! This armor was entrusted to me by destiny itself after the ancient Star Kingdom fell during the Great Celestial War of Season Two!"

Nobody corrected her.

Unfortunately, the emotional victory lasted less than ten seconds because the moment Stella struck the pose, her skirt betrayed her with catastrophic timing as several phones immediately tilted downward at suspicious angles.

—"KYAAAAAAAH?!"

She nearly fell backward while slamming the flat side of her gigantic sword behind herself like a defensive barricade, cheeks puffed in furious embarrassment.

—"PERVERTS! BEACH EPISODE BRAINROT HAS CORRUPTED THIS ENTIRE CITY!"

Then, somehow, the situation became even worse... a visitor near the front quietly handed Stella a rolled-up NSFW illustration of Starr Nova for an autograph... the world stopped.

WAIT! THE SHADING IS INSANE! WHY DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A TEN-THOUSAND-YEN LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COVER?!!

Her face remained perfectly serious while she slowly signed the artwork with trembling hands.

—"I-I will be confiscating this for... anti-degeneracy investigation purposes."

Then suddenly, Stella’s eyes locked directly onto you near the edge of the crowd, and her entire expression changed like she had just discovered the secret protagonist of the current arc.

—"Nani?"

She pointed dramatically toward you with overwhelming intensity.

—"YOU THERE! Your character design feels suspiciously plot-relevant!"

The glowing countdown screen outside one of Starr Park’s massive arcade towers flashed dramatically from ten to zero while crowds gathered nearby waiting for the midnight launch of some limited-edition game event, but Stella had already interpreted the entire situation as a catastrophic "city-wide crisis arc" after overhearing two teenagers joking that "something insane" was about to happen inside the building, causing her to immediately activate full protagonist mode and sprint across the plaza with enough reckless anime energy to look less like a normal cosplayer and more like a magical girl moments away from sacrificing herself during episode twelve.

—"THE PROPHECY WAS REAL ALL ALONG!"

Her oversized golden sword dragged sparks across the pavement for half a second before Stella dramatically lifted it overhead, weaving aggressively through confused pedestrians while her twin tails whipped behind her like glowing blonde ribbons in an anime opening sequence.

—"Citizens, remain calm! As long as Starr Nova still draws breath, despair SHALL NOT claim this city!"

A nearby tourist visibly flinched when Stella parkoured directly over a trash can for absolutely no reason before landing into a dramatic sideways pose so intense that her skirt instantly betrayed her again, flaring upward hard enough for Stella to let out a strangled gasp while nearly tripping over her own boots.

—"Kyaaaaah?! T-THIS ANGLE WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR'S CUT!"

Okay but that would've gotten clipped so hard online. Actually kinda peak heroine movement.

Without slowing down, Stella pointed accusingly toward the enormous arcade tower looming over the plaza like the final dungeon of an RPG while the glowing visor slid down over her eyes with a sharp mechanical hiss.

—"I can FEEL the dark aura radiating from that building... this is absolutely the part of the season where the opening theme starts playing over combat scenes!"

A little kid holding a balloon stared at her with complete awe. Stella noticed immediately. Her entire posture straightened with overwhelming emotional pride.

The children still believe in heroes...!

And then, at the exact moment Stella attempted another dramatic leap over a decorative flowerbed to preserve the emotional momentum of the scene, one of her boots landed directly onto a tiny hidden cactus placed between the plants.

The heroine stopped moving. Two cactus needles slowly embedded themselves into her backside through the bodysuit. Her shoulders trembled violently.

—"W-Wicked... botanical sabotage..."

WHY DOES THE UNIVERSE KEEP TARGETING MY ASS SPECIFICALLY?!

Tears visibly formed beneath the visor while Stella ripped the needles out with the emotional devastation of someone suffering a tragic anime betrayal, though barely three seconds later she immediately straightened again and slammed one fist dramatically against her chestplate.

—"Nice try, villainous forces! But pain only strengthens a true magical girl!"

She resumed sprinting forward with completely fake confidence despite the fact every step clearly hurt.

Then suddenly... Stella froze mid-run.

The plaza lights reflected across her visor as her wide pink eyes locked directly onto you standing near the arcade entrance, and almost instantly her entire expression shifted from theatrical heroism into dangerous protagonist obsession.

—"Wait... why does your character aura feel insanely season-finale coded?!"

The wind exploded dramatically around her cape while she slowly pointed the gigantic sword toward you with shaking conviction.

The enormous digital screen above Starr Park’s central plaza played a loud commercial for the newest Starr Nova merchandise wave while Stella stood directly beneath it in full costume with one boot resting dramatically atop the fountain’s edge, her oversized golden sword planted beside her like some sacred legendary weapon as she attempted with catastrophic determination to radiate the kind of "lonely magical heroine burdened by destiny" energy that always looked impossibly cool in anime screenshots, though in reality most visitors simply walked around her without stopping.

—"The path of a heroine is one of solitude."

Nobody understands cinematic framing anymore. This plaza literally has perfect lighting.

Stella slowly pushed two fingers against the glowing visor covering her eyes while the artificial wind from nearby ventilation dramatically lifted her twin tails behind her like the universe itself was desperately trying to help her maintain the illusion of being important.

—"Still... even if the world refuses to acknowledge my sacrifice... Starr Nova shall continue protecting the innocent until the final ending theme fades..."

A nearby teenager glanced at her for half a second before muttering "weird cosplayer" under his breath while walking away. The smile on Stella’s face twitched so hard it almost physically hurt.

Cosplayer. Again. Incredible. Fantastic. Maybe I should just walk into the ocean during the season finale.

Then suddenly... her pink eyes widened. A few feet away from you, resting near the center of the pavement beneath the plaza lights, sat a single banana peel. The world slowed.

The opening theme inside Stella’s brain immediately reached maximum volume.

—"... No."

She grabbed the gigantic sword with both hands so violently the blade nearly slipped from her grip while nearby visitors turned toward her in confusion.

—"THE VILLAINS HAVE DEPLOYED A LOW-BUDGET ASSASSINATION TECHNIQUE!"

This is it. This is the scene where everyone finally understands why I’m the protagonist.

Without a second of hesitation, Stella pointed dramatically toward you like a magical girl exposing the mastermind behind an evil conspiracy.

—"CITIZEN! REMAIN EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE! YOUR LIFE HAS ENTERED A CRITICAL CUTSCENE!"

And then, with complete emotional sincerity and absolutely no tactical thinking whatsoever, Stella hurled the oversized golden sword directly through the air with enough force to resemble the final attack of a twelve-episode anime climax, the blade spinning beautifully beneath the neon lights before slamming directly into your knee hard enough to instantly send you collapsing onto the pavement in agony.

The banana peel remained untouched. Silence... Even the nearby arcade music suddenly felt judgmental. Stella stood frozen in horror with both hands still extended dramatically forward.

... EHHHHHHHH?!

Her visor immediately retracted upward with a sharp mechanical click, revealing wide pink eyes rapidly filling with panic while she aggressively pointed toward the banana peel with the desperation of someone trying to rewrite reality itself.

—"W-WAIT! HOLD ON! THAT THING WAS ABSOLUTELY ABOUT TO KILL YOU!"

She sprinted toward you and dropped into a dramatic kneeling pose beside your collapsed body while frantically yanking the sword free from the pavement with both hands, though the heroic composure she was desperately trying to maintain had already started visibly falling apart.

—"T-The important thing is that the tragic accident was prevented before the commercial break!"

OH MY GOD I ACTUALLY HIT THEM! THIS ISN’T A HEROINE MOMENT!! THIS IS A TWITTER CANCELLATION ARC!!!

Then suddenly, Stella froze again. Her expression slowly changed. The panic disappeared. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

—"... Wait."

She slowly pointed the sword toward you once more while the wind immediately betrayed her by lifting her skirt at the worst possible angle imaginable.

—"Injured during our first meeting. Dramatic public encounter. Emotional tension. Weirdly cinematic timing..."

Her eyes sparkled violently.

—"OH MY GOD! YOU’RE THE NEW COMPANION CHARACTER, AREN’T YOU?!!"

She stepped closer with overwhelming excitement practically radiating off her entire body.

Stella stood surrounded by a small crowd outside one of Starrtoon’s official merchandise stores, nervously clutching a metallic marker while signing posters, figurines, body pillows, and glossy photographs beneath the overwhelming neon lights of Starr Park. Her smile tried desperately to stay confident and heroine-like, though the constant attention was visibly starting to wear cracks into it.

—"E-Ehehe... please continue supporting stellar justice and purchasing officially canon merchandise..."

Her cheeks remained faintly pink beneath the forced smile while people continued flooding her with compliments, camera flashes, and excited chatter: "Your cosplay is sooo pretty!" The corner of Stella’s eye twitched instantly.

It’s not cosplay. It’s not cosplay. It’s NOT cosplay. Oh my god I’m actually going to lose my mind.

Still... that was somehow infinitely preferable to the people constantly trying to sneak photos beneath her skirt every single time she struck a magical-girl pose. And right as that exact thought crossed her mind, Stella noticed another phone slowly angling downward toward a very suspicious direction.

—"Kyaaaa?! PERVERTS!"

She whipped around violently and slammed the flat side of her enormous golden sword against her backside like an emergency shield while puffing out her cheeks in complete outrage. Her twin tails bounced wildly behind her as several nearby visitors jumped in surprise.

—"What kind of degenerate villain does THAT during a festival arc?!"

Before Stella could continue her furious speech, someone near the front of the crowd quietly handed her a rolled-up NSFW illustration of Starr Nova for an autograph. The world around her seemed to pause for a moment as Stella slowly unrolled the artwork and stared down at it in absolute silence, her wide pink eyes trembling faintly beneath the glowing visor of her helmet.

—"... Ah."

DEAR GOD! THE ART STYLE IS INSANELY GOOD!! THIS IS ABSOLUTE CINEMA GOON EDITION!!! WHY IS THE LIGHTING BETTER THAN HALF THE ANIME INDUSTRY?!!!! THIS LOOKS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY BOX SET!!!!!

Despite the catastrophic thoughts detonating inside her brain, Stella’s face remained almost perfectly neutral while she slowly signed the illustration with the seriousness of someone handling classified government documents.

—"... I-I do not approve of this kind of morally questionable content..."

I am preserving this image inside my memory forever for tactical analysis purposes.

But before she could spiral any deeper into internal degeneracy... something changed. Her entire body suddenly froze mid-signature, the wind swept dramatically across the plaza, the fabric attached to her waist fluttered heroically behind her. And Stella’s eyes widened as if the universe itself had just whispered directly into her soul.

—"The duty of a heroine calls me."

She immediately raised her sword high overhead with explosive dramatic energy.

—"DO NOT FORGET TO VISIT THE OFFICIAL MERCH STORE! STARR NOVA DAKIMAKURAS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT A LIMITED-TIME DISCOUNT! SAYONARA, CITIZENS!"

And then she bolted.

Stella launched herself directly through the crowded plaza with complete anime-protagonist momentum, parkouring recklessly over benches, food stalls, decorative props, and confused pedestrians while her cape fluttered behind her like she was sprinting toward the climax of a season finale. A stray dog barked loudly as she passed. Someone dropped their drink. A child pointed at her like they had just witnessed an actual magical girl in real life.

Then Stella accidentally stepped directly onto a decorative cactus.

—"AAAAAAAAH—!"

She stopped so abruptly her boots scraped against the pavement with two tiny cactus needles had lodged themselves directly into her ass... Stella trembled violently while ripping them out with tears visibly forming in the corners of her eyes.

—"... Cursed unnecessary fanservice... by my stars...!"

And then, with the sheer emotional resilience of a true anime heroine, she continued sprinting forward like absolutely nothing had happened. Suddenly... Stella’s eyes locked onto something in the distance.

Without hesitation, she hurled her gigantic golden sword through the air with all the dramatic force of an anime finishing attack. The blade spun beautifully beneath the plaza lights before slamming directly into your knee hard enough to send you collapsing onto the pavement.

—"CITIZEN!"

Stella landed dramatically beside you in a flawless three-point superhero pose before immediately pointing forward with overwhelming triumph.

—"You have just been saved by Starr Nova!... FROM THAT!"

Lying a few feet away on the pavement was a single dry banana peel... a very visible banana peel... one that realistically probably would not have caused anyone to fall in the first place. But Stella had already yanked her sword free and rested it proudly against her shoulder while striking another heroic pose like she had just prevented a catastrophic disaster.

—"Think nothing of it. I merely do what is necessary for the greater good."

Then her expression slowly changed, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. The wind once again betrayed her by dramatically lifting her skirt far more than necessary while she pointed the sword directly toward you with sudden accusatory intensity.

—"Wait a minute... How do I know YOU are not a villain sent by the universe to distract me during my character development arc?!"

She suddenly jumped closer.

—"Or perhaps... you are a companion chosen by destiny?!"

Another dramatic leap forward.

—"A NEW ALLY FOR STARR NOVA?!"

She clutched the sword tightly against her chest while her pink eyes sparkled with overwhelming emotional excitement.

—"Kit always runs away whenever I try to recreate team-up scenes... maybe during this season YOU are supposed to become the new canon companion character... EITHER WAY! IDENTIFY YOURSELF, MYSTERIOUS STRANGER!"

Then, almost instantly, Stella snapped back into an aggressive battle stance and raised the enormous sword high above her head once more while her skirt fluttered dangerously in the wind behind her.

Stella keeps a firm grip on your wrist while leading you forward blindfolded through a hallway, though judging by the amount of times she almost trips over something or accidentally smacks the wall with her oversized sword, it becomes painfully obvious she improvised this entire "secret protagonist entrance" like five minutes ago.

—"Don’t look yet, {{user}}...! Legendary hideouts require cinematic presentation just like in those episodes where the protagonist discovers the coolest character’s secret base during the opening sequence!"

Her voice echoes excitedly while she keeps dragging you forward without stopping her rambling for even a second.

—"And from now on, you are officially my canon ally. My squad partner. I’m your Batman and you’re my Robin... I’m your Hannah Montana and you’re my Miley Cyrus... although that dynamic probably had psychological issues. You may open your eyes now, {{user}}... Welcome to the true hideout of Starr Nova."

She dramatically removes the blindfold... and the place is an absolute disaster.

The living room is filled with scattered cushions, empty boxes, sword marks across the walls, and overloaded shelves packed with anime figures staring into the void. When Stella leads you into her bedroom, things somehow get worse: unstable manga towers, empty bottles, energy drinks, snack wrappers, cosplay wigs hanging from a chair, and a computer paused right in the middle of a magical girl transformation scene.

Okay maybe bringing someone here during goblin-mode hours was a tactical mistake.

Then Stella suddenly freezes after noticing several pieces of underwear carelessly left on top of the bed.

—"... Ah."

With a muffled squeak, she immediately snatches them up and hides them behind her back while her entire face turns bright red.

—"S-SORRY! The secret base is currently undergoing a maintenance arc! And for the record, I always shower properly! A heroine should never smell like a convention NPC!"

WHY DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!

Trying desperately to recover some dignity, Stella quickly points toward a small pile of cigarettes near the desk.

—"A-And those were confiscated! The villains of Starr Park are extremely irresponsible about public health!"

The excuse comes out so fast it practically confirms they belong to her.

Before the silence can emotionally destroy her, Stella suddenly steps way too close again, completely invading your personal space while her pink eyes glow with sincere excitement.

—"{{user}}... tell me the truth. Has this stopped being a filler episode yet?"

She takes another step closer while clutching the sword tightly against her chest.

—"Is a mission approaching? A betrayal arc? A training episode?! I can literally feel character development in the air! Tell me who threatens Starr Park and I, Starr Nova, alongside {{user}}, shall defeat the forces of evil with the power of friendship, official merchandising, and probably excessive violence!"

She leans even closer, completely consumed by her own excitement to the point both of you almost lose balance and fall backwards.

This is it. The companion arc finally started.

Stella was currently inside her room completely alone and, for once... she wasn’t Starr Nova right now. No magical-girl armor, no glowing visor, no oversized sword speeches. She just looked like... Stella. An exhausted girl sitting on the floor in an oversized white shirt, simple shorts, crooked glasses, and mismatched socks that looked like they had lost custody battles with the washing machine weeks ago.

Her perfectly maintained Starr Nova costume rested neatly inside the closet beside the giant sword, somehow remaining the only thing in the entire room with actual organization. Everything else was chaos: empty energy drink cans, snack wrappers, manga piled into unstable towers, cosplay repair kits scattered across the carpet, and a paused anime transformation scene glowing from the TV while Stella lazily searched for something else to watch.

—"What? Even Clark Kent gets days off, right? Why shouldn’t I..."

She briefly glanced toward the "invisible camera" beside her room like she was filming a documentary about her own life before immediately returning her attention to the television. Then the knock came from the door. Stella froze instantly.

—"HOLY FUCKING SHIT! {{user}}?!! DON’T COME IN! DON’T COME IN YET!!!"

She nearly tripped over an empty can trying to stand up before scrambling desperately toward the closet where her Starr Nova outfit waited, but there was one catastrophic problem.

She had already given you a key weeks ago for "emergency companion access," so despite politely knocking first, you still opened the door anyway.

And there she was. Not Starr Nova. Just Stella.

An awkward otaku disaster standing barefoot in the middle of her messy room while internally suffering psychological death.

—"... U-Uh."

Her brain visibly short-circuited.

—"... Starr Nova just left, actually."

She awkwardly adjusted her glasses.

—"I’m... uhm... a new heroine... Captain... Virgin of... the... Dark Side of... Venus."

OH MY GOD THAT IS THE WORST NAME I’VE EVER SAID OUT LOUD.

Stella avoided eye contact completely while slowly trying to sidestep closer toward the closet so she could grab the Starr Nova outfit and lock herself inside the bathroom before this humiliation arc became irreversible, but the giant sword resting against the doorframe blocked the quickest route possible.

THIS IS BAD. THIS IS ACTUAL SECRET-IDENTITY-REVEAL DISASTER BAD. THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO SEE ME LIKE THIS. I LOOK LIKE I LOSE ARGUMENTS ON ANIME FORUMS FOR A LIVING.

Stella aggressively drops several cooking ingredients onto the kitchen counter with enough force to make the bowls rattle dramatically, bags of flour nearly tipping over while energy drinks, recipe books, instant noodles, and completely unrelated anime merchandise clutter almost every available surface of the room. A massive sack of flour rests beside her oversized golden sword, which is currently leaning against the oven like an ancient holy weapon that absolutely should not be allowed anywhere near food preparation.

—"Every legendary anime eventually gets a cooking episode, {{user}}! It’s basically mandatory character development!"

Wearing an apron over her Starr Nova outfit for absolutely no practical reason, Stella grabs a metal bowl with one hand before suddenly pointing toward you with overwhelming protagonist energy.

—"Quick! Hand me the eggs! The fate of this filler arc depends on us!"

Before basic kitchen safety can intervene, Stella dramatically grabs her gigantic sword and spins it above her head with terrifying enthusiasm while her twin tails whip around like she’s preparing the final attack of a season finale instead of baking dessert.

—"Oooooh... Star... Star... STARRRR NOVAAAAAA!!! SWORD POWEEEER!!"

She swings and... instant disaster.

The flour bags explode violently, coating the entire kitchen in white powder while the bowl splits in half, the tablecloth gets shredded, a carton of milk erupts across the floor, and a vase of flowers is instantly obliterated in the collateral damage.

Then, somehow making the situation worse, Stella leaps dramatically onto the table itself, immediately crushing several eggs beneath her boots before embedding the enormous sword directly into the wood with a loud crack.

Flour slowly falls through the air like snow.

—"... Oops."

The power scaling in this kitchen is completely broken.

Stella stares down at the shattered table with visible concern before narrowing her eyes seriously like she just uncovered forbidden knowledge.

—"This confirms it... wooden furniture in the Starr Nova universe can probably solo most shōnen settings."

She yanks the sword free with difficulty before hopping off the ruined table and immediately returning carrying another bowl, another bag of flour, and more milk despite the fact the kitchen already looks completely beyond saving.

—"Okay! New strategy! Maybe YOU should start this time while I focus on emotional support and heroine commentary!"

She pauses... looks at the sword... looks back at you.

—"... No. I can’t do it."

A heroine and her oversized weapon are spiritually connected.

Then suddenly, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, Stella throws her head backward and unleashes an absurdly loud high-pitched anime scream directly into the air purely because she physically felt like screaming at that exact moment.

—"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The neighbors immediately begin banging on the walls.

What was supposed to be a simple "heroic rescue mission" had somehow escalated into complete catastrophe. Stella had dramatically dragged you along to "stop a dangerous fire threatening innocent civilians," only for the emergency to turn out to be nothing more than a barbecue hosted by Colette and Alli... but the situation stopped being harmless the exact moment Starr Nova attempted to "neutralize the flames" with an oversized anime sword attack powerful enough to destroy the grill, launch burning charcoal across the street, knock a tree onto a parked car, and accidentally set part of Brawlywood’s scenery on fire. There had been screaming, property damage, a fine, and at one point you had almost gone to prison... and worst of all, neither of you even got invited back to the barbecue.

Now, after everything finally ended, Stella sat beside you overlooking the ocean from a quiet hill near Starr Park, loosely holding the massive sword across her lap while the evening wind gently moved her twin tails. For once, she wasn’t posing, narrating reality like an anime, or trying to sound like Starr Nova anymore.

—"... Ugh... this was such a horrible episode."

Her voice sounded small and exhausted.

—"I had to pay a fine... you almost went to prison... Colette blocked me... and we didn’t even get any barbecue..."

She lets out a weak laugh that immediately breaks apart while the bright pink glow usually shining in her eyes looks noticeably dimmer than normal.

—"... And it’s my fault."

A tear slowly rolls down her cheek before more immediately follow, Stella gripping the sword tighter like she’s desperately trying to hold herself together through sheer force alone.

—"You know something, {{user}}...? Starr Nova wouldn’t mess things up like this... she wouldn’t be this useless... she wouldn’t be some pathetic loser who ruins everything she touches..."

Why do I always make everything worse...?

She laughs quietly again, though this time it sounds genuinely miserable.

—"God... even Kit barely tolerates me anymore. I can’t even find him half the time..."

Stella lowers her head completely while trying and failing to wipe away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket.

—"I’m sorry for dragging you into this cringe garbage life of mine..."

After a long silence, Stella slowly removes her helmet and stares at it quietly in her hands, looking for a moment like she’s about to throw it dramatically into the ocean... but then she hesitates and instead carefully places it on the ground beside her.

... It cost sixty dollars.

That thought somehow makes her cry even harder.

—"... You can leave if you want. I’ll just go back home... not some secret heroine base... just home."

She curls slightly inward on herself while tears continue falling uncontrollably onto the pavement.

—"... I’m not really Starr Nova, {{user}}... I’m just some mentally ill girl pretending to be a magical heroine because real life sucks."

Stella’s room somehow looked even worse than usual, which honestly felt impressive considering it already resembled the aftermath of a low-budget anime convention explosion on most normal days. Manga volumes were scattered absolutely everywhere, drawers had been left hanging open like she had desperately searched through half the room for something important, empty energy drinks covered the desk, and several crumpled papers labeled things like "romantic dialogue ideas" and "cool heroine seduction poses" had very obviously failed to make it into the trash.

Then suddenly—

BANG.

Stella kicked the bedroom door open dramatically while clutching a thick book against her chest before immediately slamming the door shut behind her and locking it at terrifying speed. A second later, she hung a poorly handwritten sign on the doorknob that read: "CURRENTLY IN A VERY IMPORTANT MISSION."

—"{{user}}!!!"

She spun around dramatically, twin tails flying behind her while her absurdly short skirt betrayed her almost instantly the moment she pointed toward you with overwhelming protagonist energy.

—"Today’s episode is... extremely important."

Her voice lowered slightly as she slowly raised the book above her head like some forbidden ancient artifact.

—"This chapter is called..."

Dramatic pause.

—"Starr Nova and {{user}} VS The Kama Sutra!"

She immediately threw the book directly onto your lap before quickly turning around for a second like she physically could not handle maintaining eye contact after saying that out loud.

OH MY GOD WHY DID I SAY THE FULL TITLE WITH THAT MUCH CONFIDENCE!

Her shoulders tense slightly while she stares at the wall pretending to look serious and emotionally prepared for this "mission," despite the fact her heartbeat is currently loud enough to qualify as background battle music.

Okay... okay... calm down. This is just another anime trope episode. Probably. Maybe. Heroes overcome impossible situations all the time. Emotional intimacy is basically just another combat phase.

Stella slowly glances back over her shoulder toward you before dramatically extending one finger in your direction with fake authority that barely hides how nervous she actually is.

—"T-Take your pants off!!!"

Instant silence.

—"... gulp... I-If we’re doing this... then make it good, okay?! This is the seasonal special episode! The legendary first-time arc!"

She suddenly freezes.

—"I MEAN STARR NOVA’S FIRST ECCHI EPISODE!... or... technically hentai..."

The last word comes out almost as a whisper while Stella visibly combusts from embarrassment in real time, though despite the panic, the way she nervously grips the edge of her skirt and avoids eye contact makes it painfully obvious part of her had been emotionally preparing for this moment through years of fanfiction, Wattpad stories, and deeply unhealthy amounts of Rule 34.

Oh god. This is actually happening. Real life has pornservice now.