Perennial Crisis

*"Were you ever taught... that we shall never rot?"*

**Perennial Crisis** is the first song in the Stars Below series. It (or more accurately, its original draft) sets the precedent for the majority of the songs in the Stars Below series, telling the story of a Vani attack on Earth, and how the protagonist, Madeline Karazell, helps fight back.

Both Kaylee and Xelzerin's designs in this video are outdated.

## Synopsis

The video starts with Arthur Tagetes, father of the tether Kaylee Tagetes, entering The Garden. He is shown monsterizing, yet clearly retaining his human mind and emotions. He is taken by his daughter, who is unaware of his identity as her father, or even as a human.

The video then shows Kaylee, with a series of different Faunaflora, plant animal hybrid creatures made by the Makeshift Machine known as the Faunaflora Reactor. In the midst of these scenes, Madeline is shown in the distance from the garden. A fight insues between Madeline and the plant Vani, Xelzerin. With a single fell swoop, Madeline slashes the Vani's brand, leaving him injured.

In the midst of the battle, Kaylee is taken in by the Faunaflora Reactor, along with Arthur. Arthur manages to break out of the reactors machinery before he and Kaylee are fused together by the machine, after which Madeline can be seen outside the main reactor's window, watching. Kaylee monsterizes in this situation. An image of the injured Xelzerin is shown once more, and Kaylee is shown monsterized, with a teratoma mass behind her. The video ends.

## Description

`When his wife, Soliana Tagetes, was wrongly killed by police in a freak, almost inexplicable turn of events, his life started to go even more downhill. Still, he kept up his search, determined to find Kaylee Tagetes. He couldn't accept that both his wife and daughter were gone forever.`

`In the year 2000, Arthur and his team had discovered a strange, massive yet previously undetected garden in northern California. Well, "garden"... Most of the plants and animals here were mutants and monsters! And as soon as he walked into the garden... and without even feeling it...`

`...Arthur himself had turned into a monster.`

`"This can't be right..." Arthur thought. "I'm still myself... these monsters, these... amalgamations... they seem brainless..."`

`As he was lost in thought, a shadow loomed behind him, smiling. He caught sight of her a hair too late, and she forced a collar onto his neck.`

`"And I'll call youuuu.... Poppy!"`

`.....`

`And this was just the beginning of a long, perilous story... sit down, wrap up in a blanket, and grab some popcorn. We have a lot to catch up on if you wanna be a true member of Zone-B- the Faunaflora and Vani hunting organization. What name did you wanna be known as, again? Null? Well, lemme give you more details before I send you off to the Garden, hm?`

## Lyrics

Lilies in my dreams
Talking, as it seems
Botany at the seams
Follow the insect theme

Now, aren't we divine
Eyes from the top of vines
Could I add a human's mind?
Gather 'round, fauna-flora

Add ants to make it more
They're just plants, there's no gore
Striking from the floor
Growing teeth in sheer horror

It is quite a sight
Clawed weeds are gaining height
They put up quite a fight
Gather 'round, insectivora

So
One, two, the ants go marching onwards
Into a world headed towards
A paradise
Of green ambitious vice, ah!

Trim all the lies about me
He'll scream on the count of three
Were you ever taught
That we shall never rot?

Bathed in vibrant hues
Visitors are few
They can crush right through you
By the time that we can rule

They're all my design
Though they're just not refined
Non-bugs left behind
The garden's my priority

One two three four, and
Cross my name out, and
Add my bones to the
Fu-fu-fusion, and

Why can't she just
Accept that life
Will live on like so,
And we can't be killed, ah

Things that splinter
Things that shatter
Thing you may
Never ever ever wanna be

Growing lungs and
Speaking tongues and
Now my skin's
Crawlin' crawlin' crawlin' in fear

Why, oh why
Deny, I tried
Where is my daughter?

Three, four, the ants go slaying thousands
And shred the world into strands
Don't you dare
Go and crush my dreams, ah!

Let it all rain down into your heart
It is all just a new art
Though, in the air
The spores just do not care

Five, six, the ants go dying onwards
Until I snap back to Earth
But I can't see
Mind hedges have blinded me

Cut my throat is what the vines did
"You're not the one we want, kid"
They'll rend me dead
And the forest runs red

## Trivia

* Perennial Crisis is a remake of a pilot song for the series, originally known as **ABBERANT GARDEN**.
* Noktavia can be seen during the Faunaflora montage, just before the first chorus. She uses her older design here.

## Gallery

Arthur entering The GardenKaylee with several FaunafloraMadelline outside of The GardenThe fightMadeline and Arthur looking in during Kaylee's monsterizationKaylee in the end sequence