Heirloom Star: Strangers

**Genre** | Magical girl, adventure

**Heirloom Star: Strangers**, also known as **the Strangers Arc**, is a sister series to Heirloom Star: Stellar Adventure. Taking place in the same universe but focused on a different timeline and characters, it illustrates the lives of three French siblings and their involvement in Lampetia's politics. Both an animated series and a prose fiction novel trilogy are being written, with plans to be released concurrently with Heirloom Star: Stellar Adventure. Both arcs are standalone and can be watched or read without prior knowledge of the other series.

## Plot Synopsis

While vacationing in Mons, Belgium during summer break, Esmé L'Estrange, his sister Estelle and their brother Jean-Claude are approached by Pyxis Nautica and Eridanus (with the addition of Columba in the novel). They are revealed to personified constellations of the Heavenly Waters family native to the planet Lampetia with the task to cleanse the planet of fear spread by Corona Austrina and the Cirque du Peur. However, with the constellations making up the former asternim Argo Navis currently unembodied and their queen Corona Borealis unable to personify them without unity with Austrina, the family is at only six-ninths their power and have travelled the galaxy to seek potential candidates. Esmé, Estelle and Jean-Claude are all chosen to become representatives of the constellations Puppis, Carina and Vela respectively and spend the next year travelling back and forth to Lampetia from their home in Neuilly-sur-Seine to fight evil and properly hone their new powers - with unforseen consequences.

## Characters

### Human Protagonists

* **Esmé L'Estrange (エスメ・レトランジ *Esume Retoranji*)/Twilight Puppis (トワイライト・パペス *Towairaito Papesu*)**
	+ A precocious bookworm and hyper young boy, ten years old at the beginning of the series and the youngest of his siblings. Mature and quiet in mixed company, he is more extroverted and mischievious when with family and close friends, although possesses extreme cowardice as well. He has a habit of screaming loudly when even moderately startled, especially his catchphrase "Oh Mon Dieu!" (*"Oh my God!"*) and other variants thereof. His constant bickering with his half-brother Jean-Claude is a primary source of comic relief in the series, and Esmé derives immense glee from annoying him. When compared with him and his siblings, he is the most pacifistic in battle and brings a childlike essence to the rest of the team, despite being the most cowardly member. The novel reveals that his middle name is François. The first five episodes of the fanime and the first book of the Strangers trilogy are told from his point of view.
* **Ariel Estelle L'Estrange (エリーエル・ エステル・レトランジ *Erieru Esuteru Retoranji*)/Twilight Carina (トワイライト・カライナー *Towairaito Karainā*)**
	+ A tomboyish teenage girl, thirteen years old at the beginning of the series and the only female in the family besides her mother. She is commonly referred to by her middle name Estelle and nicknamed Essie by her family. While kind and gentle, she is capable of seemingly uncharacteristic fury, frightening even her brothers. Between the three, she is closest to Jean-Claude and takes no sides during the brother's spars. Humorously, she has a penchant for salty snacks and claims they have a cathartic effect on her when under stress. She accepts the responsibility of being a Heavenly Waters member with the most enthusiam, treating her duties with great seriousness and attempting to bridge cultural gaps with humans and Lampetians any way she can, with limited success. Episodes six through ten of the fanime and the second book of the Strangers trilogy are told from her point of view.
* **Jean-Claude L'Estrange (ジョンクロード・レトランジ *Jon Kurōdo Retoranji*)/ Twilight Vela (トワイライト・ベラ *Towairaito Bera*)**
	+ A curmudgeonly seventeen-year old and the oldest of the siblings. In direct contrast to his half-brother, he looks much older than his actual age, due in part to his wrinkled eyes and pronounced bird-like nose. Many of his fights with Esmé usually consist of the former making sarcastic at the latter's expense, who yells at him in frustration or gives him threatening looks. Despite his grumpy demeanor, he has a great sense of responsibility, respect for elders, and an unexpected soft side, unable to even watch a romance movie without inevitably bursting into tears. Of all the siblings, he is the most reluctant to join the Heavenly Waters, a fact he does not keep a secret from his fellow teammates. Nicknamed JC by his family. The last five episodes of the fanime and the final book of the Strangers trilogy are told from his point of view.

### Non-human Protagonists

* **Corona Borealis (コロナ・ボレアリス *Korona Borearisu*)**
	+ Queen and creator of Lampetia alongside Corona Austrina. Although she grieves over Lampetia's current state, she can't bring herself to hate Corona Austrina or the Cirque du Peur and hopes that they can be redeemed. Initially doubts arise as to whether or not the L'Estrange siblings are the right candidates for embodying the Argo Navis, but Corona Borealis is filled with the utmost confidence that they are appropriate for the task at hand. In the first episode of the fanime, she meets the L'Estranges in person and sends Pyxis to Earth in order to grant them their powers, while in the trilogy the only meets the siblings in the third chapter of the first volume.
* **Twilight Delphinus (トワイライト・デルファイナス *Towairaito Derufainasu*)**
	+ The courageous and benevolent leader of the Heavenly Waters team. She spearheaded the team's organization by forming the other constellations in her family to rid Lampetia of the fear sown by the Cirque du Peur and protect Corona Borealis, for whom she has an unrequited love. She is revered by all as a kind and beautiful woman and carries a mature, levelheaded and maternal front that comforts and inspires her teammates. Twilight Delphinus is usually the one to diffuse tension in and outside of her team and possesses strong leadership skills, but is also somewhat skeptical and unpredictable. Besides herself, she governs the team with her co-leader and mentee Twilight Piscis Notius. Sometimes she breaks free from her mature persona and becomes quite excitable and curious when human culture is concerned, and is a secret glutton for anything sweet.
* **Twilight Equuleus (トワイライト・イクゥーリーアス *Towairaito Ikūrīasu*)**
	+ A strong, pugnacious girl with an adventurous spirit and jocklike personality. She enjoys rough-housing with her teammates, especially Twilight Pyxis and her "favorite victim" Esmé. Her brutishness and need to solve all problems with violence frequently alienates her other teammates and inspires concern in Twilight Delphinus. Not unlike Delphinus' situation with Corona Borealis, she herself has an unreciprocated love for Twilight Delphinus, fawning over her constantly and blushes profusely when discovered. She is exceedingly jealous of anything her protégée does and, conversely, fiercely protective of her regardless if it was Twilight Delphinus' fault or not in the first place. Surprisingly, she is quite a girly-girl and loves poetry, although her tastes in literature are questionable at best. Nevertheless, she is a constant and loyal member of the cause with much kindness and sympathy for her friends.
* **Twilight Piscis Notius (トワイライト・ピシズ・ノティアズ *Towairaito Pishizu Notiazu*)**
	+ ​Co-leader of the Heavenly Waters team, Piscis (also known as "Peachy") is dedicated to her mission and is determined to keep her clan in top shape. A perfectionist, she strives to make anything around her stay running in order. Although she shares a close bond with Twilight Delphinus, she subtly attempts to peacock in order to be noticed by her and is terrified of getting on her idol's bad side. She conducts herself fairly with her other teammates and later falls in love with Twilight Columba, although they bicker like a proverbial married couple. Despite her sweet and coquettish nature, she is a ruthless fighter and is not above taking petty shots at her enemies. She has a fondness for water marbling and travel, although she rarely does anything about the latter due to her unwillingness to be separated from certain amenities. Of all the Lampetian Heavenly Waters members, she is the least accepting of the L'Estrange siblings.
* **Twilight Eridanus** **(トワイライト・ピシズ・エリダヌス *Towairaito Eridanusu***
	+ A close friend of both Pyxis and Columba and co-leader of Team Argo, Eridanus has a fiesty, hyper personality and enjoys combat just for the sake of it. She is devestated by Lampetia's current state and hates Corona Austrina for starting a seemingly meaningless war, usually needing to be physically restrained during confrontations with members of the Cirque du Peur so her emotions won't get the better of her. For reasons unknown to all the other characters, she and Piscis Notius dislike each other immensely and are usually seen fighting amongst each other. She is also in love with one of her superiors, a member of the Zodiac team, and will take any excuse to travel to Lampetia's moons to pine for her object of her affections. Although she assists in managing Team Argo's activities, she as not as close to the L'Estranges as Pyxis is.
* **Twilight Pyxis Nautica (トワイライト・ピクセスノティカー *Towairaito Pikusesu Notikā*)**
	+ A dramatic and flamboyant male crossdresser, mentor for his new recruits and leader of Team Argo. He thrives on the attention of others, be it positive or negative, and has a bizarre sense of humor. Prior to the Cirque du Peur's formation, he worked full-time in his designated task as a fortune teller and still pursues this career on the side, often fabricating inaccurate, if not ridiculous, predictions and charging inflated prices for his own amusement. When the Argo Team is formed, he is appointed the official leader and looks up to Twilight Delphinus and Twilight Columba as his models to help him fit the role, but ends up delivering play-by-play commentary on the budding romances between them and Twilight Equuleus and Twilight Piscis Notius, respectively. During his first encounter with the L'Estrange siblings, he is initially mistaken for a girl before they realize he is male upon hearing him speak in the novel. In the anime however, they continue to labor under the impression he is female and only realize the truth in episode 3.
* **Twilight Columba Noachi (トワイライト・コランバーノアキ *Towairaito Koranbā Noaki*)**
	+ An orderly and old-fashioned young man who travels frequently and bites off more than he can chew. Not unlike his close friend Twilight Pyxis, he still works at his designated task while defending Twilight Delphinus' cause, delivering messages to citizens of Lampetia, its moons and beyond (earning him the affectionate moniker "cosmic mailman"). He approaches Corona Borealis and others of her stature in a pert and casual manner, earning the chagrin of Twilight Equuleus, Delphinus and Eridanus. He is a certified instructor to young stars and constellations (something unbeknownst to his fellow teammates) and helps them hone their abilities while in incubation, but ironically lacks combat experience of his own, something that fills him with insecurity. He also harbors a deep grudge against Corona Austrina and the Cirque du Peur, viewing them as irredeemable criminals.

## Trivia

* Neuilly-sur-Seine is where French war veteran and novelist Georges Bernabos died. Among his literary works is Mouchette, which has provided inspiration for Most Towns are Ghost Towns.