⌊ 一 AD ASTRA. ⌉

"After observing the oddly shaped not-quite-black-hole, I'm sure." Looking through the telescope again briefly, he leans back and nods. "That is, certainly, a space station in orbit. Although I can hardly imagine what they're observing - it looks like a civilian base, if anything. Which may be...more concerning..." He's fairly certain he could see the various machinations one could see in agricultural biomes.

Moving away from the telescope, he moves to sit down near the tree, setting his cane against the trunk and settling with the book in his lap, page still held open by a finger.

"It's difficult to imagine why they would need an agricultural space on the station. Although I suppose given that this is an island- no, that's hardly right, either. Have you seen this map?" He pulls the map he'd picked up out of his pocket, laying it out on the grace.

❝ I haven't had a chance to step foot on it yet. ❞ though what the brunette says is true from the multiple times his telescope has landed in that particular quadrant. ❝ But! It's consistently just behind the moon. Meaniiiing... ❞ he gives a little roll of his two index fingers, as if passing the proverbial ball to his fellow... scientist? was he a scientist? he seems to know a lot about space and orbital reasoning for a station, at least. maybe he was just an avid astronomer who had a thing or two of knowledge tucked away deep in his brain for moments just like this.

whether it was more a civilian base was another question to be answered in time, the teacher leaning over to a notebook, scribbling a few words down before long. were welt to chance a peak, he would see a flurry of patched together notes. earth-like planets in milky way: kepler-452b, proxima centauri b, trappist-1e, ???. government factions: stars (?). check space station for civilian base. it goes on, a list of notes to consider in whatever puzzle he trudges through.

Looking at the telescope again, he then refers to his phone once more, focused enough on what he thinks is a space station that he jumps when he realizes he's not alone.

"Oh, sorry, is this your telescope? It was unattended, so I thought it might be good to try and figure out...where we are."

"So far, I have not a single idea beyond what we've been told."

noodles still hang unceremoniously from his mouth as he listens until he slurps一

❝ Yeah. You and me both, ❞ he replies, at long last, upon finishing that particular bite. one hand swirls the styrofoam cup, chopsticks held against the flimsy top to keep the heat trapped so it doesn't all escape at once. ❝ I did the same thing when I first got here. ❞ after i got done screaming about that big hole in the center, his thoughts finish, though he wasn't going to exactly admit that much.

"Huh?" Oliver's gaze lifts to the person. A TEACHER, he says. "Whoa. I don't know what 'Earth' is, but if you're a teacher, then that means you're like super duper smart! You can definitely help me then!"

but where there was a lie, there would always be one seeking proof. and it wasn't as if he could simply conjure up some fake details of a relationship on the spot. or, well, he could, but if she found out he was newer, that only leaves her with more ammunition.

There probably were better ways to introduce a concept like this to someone. Especially when the man was giving her a look that could best be described as "confused and worried intrigue". Still if one didn't do it they'd be doing it a disservice in the eyes of the battleship. Even if it might cost someone their entire afternoon through sheer overload of senses...

which, in this particular case, seems like it was with how she presses about trying it一

One day, he hoped he would join them too, even if he knew that they were only simply that: stars.

The detective was leisurely smoking a cigarette as he watched the stargazer observe the nightly firmament, raising a brow when he actually turned to him to unleash a waterfall of nonsensical ramblings.

Noir took a long drag, then shrugged.

“You askin’ me?” His gaze immediately caught the glimpses of a few constellations visible with the naked eye. Hmm, now that it was pointed out, these were indeed foreign, none he had ever read about or seen before, none that were ever described to him.

papers in his hand shuffle as he looks down at them, a finger tabbing through as if looking for any of his works that would explain anything. calculations that add up to it being earth in contrast to the positioning of the stars pointedly opposing those findings, a makeshift drawings that only a junior high science teacher could produce. and that wasn't to mention the miniature diorama of tau ceti he had been given set at his feet.

❝ But you do know of Earth. ❞ that was a big takeaway from what the stranger says, at least in grace's mind as a pen is tapped against his cheek. that means we're in the milky way. most likely. probably...? he writes it down anyway, just in case. ❝ That's a start. That others also know about it, ❞ he carries on, a turn to glance at the rudimentary equipment again, as if in thought to take another gander through it with a hope that he had simply miscalculated the origin points of where to look through.

for now, he elects to stave it off, looking back to noir properly instead. he wasn't wrong about having other problems, but it wasn't as if he was going to dump all of that on him for a second round of ranting.

          Rocky was, in the purest form of the word, frustrated. his claws clacked against the stone path beneath him as he quickly moved along, three of his limbs focused on walking while the other two fiddled with the "toolset" he'd been given. gentle tapping told him they were likely made of a similar material he had seen grace use—a material that was absolutely useless against most actual materials. a fluted sound of exasperation left him as he tucked the things back into his bandolier, once again scanning the area around him. more of those moving machines, and more of the flat surfaces that rocky was certain probably displayed earth writing.

     writing that was inaccessible to rocky, without the imager device he'd made. another sharp note expressed how he felt about that.

     it was, perhaps, luck that made the sound bounce off the smooth surfaces around him strangely. enough to make rocky tilt his carapace to hear the returning frequencies better, and actually focus closer on what he was hearing. close enough to pick up on familiar angles and planes around the corner in front of him—shaggy hair, a time device ticking around a wrist, glasses dangling from one ear. he turned ( an unnecessary but involuntary movement ) and was moving before he even really registered it.

a sigh escapes him, powering down the phone for now as he was about to head off. the keyword here is was, given the excitable alien that has now found himself practically prancing in front of him. yeah, that would surely put an immediate halt to his plans, an alertness lighting up every contour of his face within moments.

❝ Rocky! ❞ a pause, all of it beginning to sink in. ❝ ... Rocky?! Wait. You're... you're here?! ❞ it's no surprise at the lift of his tone in registering this.

each movement accentuates with a little musical note, a sound he thought he might never hear again, even amidst all his searching through the stardust of their cosmos. i can't believe how much i've missed those little doots. ❝ Yeah, buddy! I'm here! Grace here, statement! ❞ he nigh jolts forward in the moment, flooded with an immense joy and utter relief, as to bring in his friend into a hug, only to realize he wasn't... in his protective "suit." it only takes him a few moments for that immense happiness to become ever fleeting, shifted into a stark concern.