noise dept.
DEAR READER
Mike Driver
oozey mess
No title available
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
NASA
blake kathryn
styofa doing anything
No title available
Claire Keane
@theartofmadeline
RMH
Xuebing Du
Jules of Nature
Today's Document
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Janaina Medeiros
hello vonnie
ojovivo
seen from Spain
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from Slovenia
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Slovenia
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
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seen from United States
@weavin-winds
"Windy... Floran... Floran wantsss to know if you know anything about Ancient Vaultsss? Floran'ss been curiousss about them lately." Mar's voice sounded tired, as if he hadn't been sleeping or was being run ragged.
“I don’t, not personally, but I’d be happy to help you find some things out. Why do ye ask?”
The transmission went quiet for a moment, before crackling to life again, “I am Kuat. A... Friend of Etzil’s. I want to know if they’re ok.”
Windweaver’s voice softens on the next transmission.
“As far as I know, sweetie, they’re fine. They were on my ship a while ago, but they disappeared as quietly as they appeared.”
A strange transmission from an unknown ship: Hailing Avian ship. I'm in search of someone and the trail I was following lead here. They would be a fairly tall being named Etzil. Have you seen them?
“First off, I need to know who you are. I don’t exactly go about giving coordinates to whoever asks.
They continued to sip the drink as they followed. Tucking wings close as they passed counters. “How many othersss are there? Are they all Aviansss?” The tilted their head, listening to some sound the ship made, “Curious. What sort of planet are we going to?”
“Oh, certainly not. I am, of course, but my friends here are of all different peoples. You’ll meet all of them when we get to the bridge. And if you think I’m being ‘too trusting,’ which is the vibe I’m getting off you, then know that you’ve been being watched this entire time. Tori, you can show yourself, sweetie.”
Reptilian coils dangle down from the ceiling beams, and lean, muscular body follows. Standing on its hind legs in front of Etzil and Windweaver is a draconic creature, its emerald green scales dotted with red and yellow.
“Etzil, I’d like you to meet my covert ops specialist, Notori. An actual effing dragon. Found her hiding out in the engine when I got the ship.”
“As for the planet,” Notori interrupted, her tail swishing back and forth. “It’s a Stargazer-controlled world, on which a certain friend of ours has been imprisoned.”
They reached for the thermos and added the cream to the warm drink. They hold the cup for a moment longer. Then lifting it up to their face, they sip it through a slit of a mouth. “Cautious. We would like to go down with you.”
“Well, then, come on. Let’s get to the bridge.” Windweaver waved the being forward, walking towards the door herself. “It’s this way. I’ll introduce you to the others when we get there.”
“We can follow you after… where is the cream?” they had taken a cup, holding it carefully, almost as if they felt they might brake it.
“Right over there, in the little silver thermos.” Windweaver pulls a compass from her pocket, and opens it. It projects a little map with the ship’s current position. “We’re currently a few hours out from our destination. Would you like to come with me and Rafflesia to the surface?”
“Dismissive. It was... not scary. The opponent was actually fairly simple. But...” they shuddered looking ill for a moment and reached for the wall, “sssimple but ssso very ssstrong. We don’t know how we beat it.” Green eyes look back to the coffee pot, “Isss that done yet?” An obvious mood shift. All looks of discomfort gone.
“Should be just about right, yeah. Give it just a second to cool.”
“We can wait a second,” they stood up straight again, hand lingering against the wall for just a moment, “Questioning. Would adding the cream and sugar help cool it?”
“Cream would, yes. Start with probably…two tablespoons. After you’ve fixed yours, would you mind coming up to the navigation bridge with me?”
“Dismissive. It was... not scary. The opponent was actually fairly simple. But...” they shuddered looking ill for a moment and reached for the wall, “sssimple but ssso very ssstrong. We don’t know how we beat it.” Green eyes look back to the coffee pot, “Isss that done yet?” An obvious mood shift. All looks of discomfort gone.
“Should be just about right, yeah. Give it just a second to cool.”
“Our foe...” wings twitched, it was hard to tell from what emotion and they give the coffee pot a hard stare, “Our foe wasss the RUIN. A long hard battle we fought, so no one elsse would have to. But it seems...” A pause, and they look to Windweaver, “It ssseemsss that our enemy lived on in other worldsss. For that, we are sorry.”
“I have heard the stories of the Ruin..I can’t imagine what it was like, fighting it up close. The most I have faced was a crystalline monster in the heart of an erchius mine. If I can be of any assistance, any at all, please, let me know.”
“Curious. Sorta sounds like a Novakid…” They watched her and the coffee. The question caused them to stiffen for a moment. “We are from…———–” Something was said. But their voice seemed to… fracture apart. “Our world is not this one, we know that much. We sense that our foe was alive and active much more recently here.”
“And who is your foe?”
“A living star? Puzzled… As in a real star or a Novakid?” they stopped walking all together, head tilted. Eyes light with a curiosity that was almost childish.
“They never said. They had a body shape like you and I, but they were quiet. The only words they spoke were ‘yes’ and ‘no’.” Windweaver fills the coffee pot with water,tilting her head at Etzil. “Do you know where you come from, traveller?”
“That sounds nice. Maybe will try that, add some sweet to the bitterness of life.” There was almost a lilt to the way they spoke at that moment, but they wave that away. “Just as long as we get caffeine, we don’t care what’s in it at this point.”
“Well, caffeine is certainly not going to be an issue, friend.”
They laughed, covering their face, “Friend, that’s a kind thing to call sssomeone who broke into your ship. Even if it was on accident.” Their wings twitch and they quicken their steps as they small coffee on the air.
“I’ve got no reason to call you otherwise, do I?”
“We are uncertain. There is no reason for you to trust us. But we thank you for this trust.” They pause and bow their head, seemingly thankful, “Not even the Cultivator trusted us this quickly.”
“Believe me, I’ve met stranger than you. I’ve had a living star aboard this ship.”
“That sounds nice. Maybe will try that, add some sweet to the bitterness of life.” There was almost a lilt to the way they spoke at that moment, but they wave that away. “Just as long as we get caffeine, we don’t care what’s in it at this point.”
“Well, caffeine is certainly not going to be an issue, friend.”
They laughed, covering their face, “Friend, that’s a kind thing to call sssomeone who broke into your ship. Even if it was on accident.” Their wings twitch and they quicken their steps as they small coffee on the air.
"I've got no reason to call you otherwise, do I?"
“That sounds nice. Maybe will try that, add some sweet to the bitterness of life.” There was almost a lilt to the way they spoke at that moment, but they wave that away. “Just as long as we get caffeine, we don’t care what’s in it at this point.”
“Well, caffeine is certainly not going to be an issue, friend.”
Wings tucking close to their body, they follow the Avian. “Is it normal coffee? We can’t ssstand it with... without? With sugar.”
“Of course, I take my milk and sugar with a bit of coffee myself.”
“We speak to many strangers all the time. But that is another matter,” they waved a hand, attempting to dismiss that issue, “Where is this coffee you spoke of?”
“Right this way, please,” Windweaver nods,gesturing down the hall towards a door labeled “Galley”.
“INSULTED. Our head isss not ssscrambled!” on the perfectly smooth surface of their face, a slight crack formed. Perhaps that was a mouth, forming a bit of a pout. “Reasonable. But... it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Lead the way.” Another little bow of the head.
“I didn’t mean that as an insult. I was just thinking you were probably stressed, I’d be stressed if I suddenly found myself in a strange place, talking to an equally strange bird.”
