Each to His Own World

It had been so long since they had the vast expanse of space to roam freely. They had spent so long, stuck in that lab discovera, a plaything for those... people. A lab rat no more, Elfilis freely soars across the vast cosmos, taking in the changes to the world around them. No more were there pests dabbling the vastness of the galaxies with their outposts, native life has once again set solid roots in this world.

Of course, the wonders of the native galactic life are put on hold once a familiar... feeling, reaches Elfilis. Searching around, The shilouette of a ship catches their eye, and the energy no doubt signifies this is ancient technology. How cruel, to be continually parading about, essentially using their own severed limb as a stilt. Drawing nearer to the ship, They send a message to whomever lives within the vessel.

ɸI mean no ill will. Who is the captain of this vessel? I wish to commune with such.ɸ

“Oh.” She nods a bit at that answer. She supposes it is good to know about that sort of thing, whether or not she’d ever end up encountering them. She was pretty far from Pop Star, and if that was in said other half, she couldn’t just avoid it… 

Apparently, she’s too concentrated on that line of thought to so much as flinch at them leaning in and taking a look through her mind. Mora quickly shakes her head to refocus as they ‘speak’ once more.

“Bweh- I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I guess I’m glad you’re not mad at us-” Her ears flatten down as it clicks in her mind that wait, she never told them that. As silly as the wall comment was, it didn’t stop a glint of fear from showing in her eyes.

“How much… How much do you know about dad?”

ɸ Unfortunately, I currently only know what a skim of your mind has provided. Though I suppose, if you would allow me, I could probe deeper to understand more of him. ɸ

They leaned down, resting their legs in a sort of squat. ɸIf I know more about him, such as motives and last known location, perhaps I could assist in your search... But I would like something in return, captain.ɸ They adjust to sit cross-legged, gently pressing their fingertips together, drumming them along eachother.

ɸI would like to learn more of this ship. That is, I would like to access it’s memory; I’m currently searching for someone as well, a former captain of this very vessel. Something of mine was taken, and while I am aware I can’t get it back, I’m far more interested in...ɸ They think for a moment. They can’t tell this child what they’re after, that runs the risk of her rejecting this offer.

She holds one of her little hands out to them.

It had been so long since they had the vast expanse of space to roam freely. They had spent so long, stuck in that lab discovera, a plaything for those... people. A lab rat no more, Elfilis freely soars across the vast cosmos, taking in the changes to the world around them. No more were there pests dabbling the vastness of the galaxies with their outposts, native life has once again set solid roots in this world.

Of course, the wonders of the native galactic life are put on hold once a familiar... feeling, reaches Elfilis. Searching around, The shilouette of a ship catches their eye, and the energy no doubt signifies this is ancient technology. How cruel, to be continually parading about, essentially using their own severed limb as a stilt. Drawing nearer to the ship, They send a message to whomever lives within the vessel.

ɸI mean no ill will. Who is the captain of this vessel? I wish to commune with such.ɸ

Morastrum huffs. She probably should have figured that it was too good to be true, but still. At least the not-pizza man didn’t seem to have any ill intent…

“Um… Neither of those…?” Her tone is a little more uncertain than it should be. “I’m not an adult, and I’m alone, but I don’t think it’s a hustle?” Truth be told, she didn’t know quite what they meant by that, but there sure wasn’t a group of bandits involved.

There’s a brief moment of hesitation before she begins approaching them. “…Does that second thing happen a lot?”

ɸI suppose it depends on which area of the galaxy you are in. There is a notorious band of rodent thieves towards the other side of the galaxy. My... sibling... has been thoroughly educated on the basics of a ‘hustle’, and rallied the information to myself.ɸ

Gently adjusting their perch to relax, Elfilis leans closer to the captain, taking in her appearance. Drawing in close- maybe a tad too close, they reach into her mind for a quick, cursory glance. A missing father, an unending search. More information on him shows a prior tendency to aimlessly wander into walls from exhaustion. Withdrawing, they step back, gently relaxing on the far edge of the deck.

ɸYou, nor your ancestry, seem to be the thieves I am looking for. While the ship was stolen from its resting place, I garner no anger towards him. After all, it seems what was once mine has now a mind of its own, it would be cruel to keep... her... locked away.ɸ

Apparently, she's too concentrated on that line of thought to so much as flinch at them leaning in and taking a look through her mind. Mora quickly shakes her head to refocus as they ‘speak’ once more.

“Bweh- I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I guess I’m glad you’re not mad at us-” Her ears flatten down as it clicks in her mind that wait, she never told them that. As silly as the wall comment was, it didn’t stop a glint of fear from showing in her eyes.

It had been so long since they had the vast expanse of space to roam freely. They had spent so long, stuck in that lab discovera, a plaything for those... people. A lab rat no more, Elfilis freely soars across the vast cosmos, taking in the changes to the world around them. No more were there pests dabbling the vastness of the galaxies with their outposts, native life has once again set solid roots in this world.

Of course, the wonders of the native galactic life are put on hold once a familiar... feeling, reaches Elfilis. Searching around, The shilouette of a ship catches their eye, and the energy no doubt signifies this is ancient technology. How cruel, to be continually parading about, essentially using their own severed limb as a stilt. Drawing nearer to the ship, They send a message to whomever lives within the vessel.

ɸI mean no ill will. Who is the captain of this vessel? I wish to commune with such.ɸ

The… Pizza Man… -> If it was possible for the starship to squint suspiciously, she would have. OK. Please wait while I inform the captain. ->

~

“What’s going on? What did you find?” Morastrum chirps, excitedly floating before the ship’s main console. While the Lor Starcutter hadn’t made the conversation visible to her one passenger, the fact she was processing something was rather clear, with the shifts in light and the humming of electronics not frequently-used.

“I have received communications from ‘The Pizza Man’,” her synthesized voice rings out, “and they wish to commune with you.”

Morastrum goes silent for a moment, one of her ears tilting upward. The pizza man…

“I wanna talk to ‘em.” Aaand she’s already making her way towards the upper deck, before the Lor could voice her skepticism.

“Please do be careful,” she calls, but Mora was already too focused on the task at hand.

What a nice little treat she’s about to have! She drums the fingers on one hand against the star button on her scarf, using the other to open the occasional door, before she finally made it up onto the deck. Morastrum looks around eagerly for this visitor, until her eyes fall upon Elfilis. She scans them quickly, and her ears tilt downward.

“… You are not the pizza man.”

ɸAstute observation. I do not believe the mystical ‘Pizza Man’, nor his whimsical glutenous discs could survive the expanses of space.ɸ

Gently perching upon the furthest edge of the Lor’s deck, ears relax and neatly rest behind their back.

ɸYou appear to be far younger than the standard age to captain a ship, much less ancient technology. Does your kind reach a societal adulthood that precedes Physical adulthood?ɸ

They tilt their head, hands behind their back, an attempt to look somewhat less threatening to a child.

“Um... Neither of those...?” Her tone is a little more uncertain than it should be. “I’m not an adult, and I’m alone, but I don’t think it’s a hustle?” Truth be told, she didn’t know quite what they meant by that, but there sure wasn’t a group of bandits involved.

It had been so long since they had the vast expanse of space to roam freely. They had spent so long, stuck in that lab discovera, a plaything for those... people. A lab rat no more, Elfilis freely soars across the vast cosmos, taking in the changes to the world around them. No more were there pests dabbling the vastness of the galaxies with their outposts, native life has once again set solid roots in this world.

Of course, the wonders of the native galactic life are put on hold once a familiar... feeling, reaches Elfilis. Searching around, The shilouette of a ship catches their eye, and the energy no doubt signifies this is ancient technology. How cruel, to be continually parading about, essentially using their own severed limb as a stilt. Drawing nearer to the ship, They send a message to whomever lives within the vessel.

ɸI mean no ill will. Who is the captain of this vessel? I wish to commune with such.ɸ

approaching-the-roche-limit​:

It was another quiet day on the Lor Starcutter, searching for signs of someone that the ship was sure would never be found- but if that was what the new admin wanted, that was what she would do.

Of course, in this search, the Lor hadn’t expected to pick up such a message, and such a curiously-formatted one, too. No data attached, no signs of whatever could have sent it, purely the message.

Greetings. -> She sends back to the best of her ability. It’s hard for her to tell if it was being properly received without the necessary data. Regardless, something about the connection felt… correct. This ship is currently under the administration of Captain Morastrum. ->

Please identify yourself. ->

Oh, how cruel, the missing leg has a mind of its own. Would that make it family, in some twisted manner? What is it that one does with family, as a greeting? Their mind wanders back to Kirby, and witnessing him interact with his own ‘family’. At present, the most they can recall as anything helpful are humorous greetings, said with an air of sorts to insinuate the disingenuous manner of the statement.

ɸ...The Pizza Man.ɸ

~

“What’s going on? What did you find?” Morastrum chirps, excitedly floating before the ship’s main console. While the Lor Starcutter hadn’t made the conversation visible to her one passenger, the fact she was processing something was rather clear, with the shifts in light and the humming of electronics not frequently-used.

“I have received communications from ‘The Pizza Man’,” her synthesized voice rings out, “and they wish to commune with you.”

Morastrum goes silent for a moment, one of her ears tilting upward. The pizza man...

“I wanna talk to ‘em.” Aaand she’s already making her way towards the upper deck, before the Lor could voice her skepticism.

“Please do be careful,” she calls, but Mora was already too focused on the task at hand.

What a nice little treat she's about to have! She drums the fingers on one hand against the star button on her scarf, using the other to open the occasional door, before she finally made it up onto the deck. Morastrum looks around eagerly for this visitor, until her eyes fall upon Elfilis. She scans them quickly, and her ears tilt downward.

It had been so long since they had the vast expanse of space to roam freely. They had spent so long, stuck in that lab discovera, a plaything for those... people. A lab rat no more, Elfilis freely soars across the vast cosmos, taking in the changes to the world around them. No more were there pests dabbling the vastness of the galaxies with their outposts, native life has once again set solid roots in this world.

Of course, the wonders of the native galactic life are put on hold once a familiar... feeling, reaches Elfilis. Searching around, The shilouette of a ship catches their eye, and the energy no doubt signifies this is ancient technology. How cruel, to be continually parading about, essentially using their own severed limb as a stilt. Drawing nearer to the ship, They send a message to whomever lives within the vessel.

ɸI mean no ill will. Who is the captain of this vessel? I wish to commune with such.ɸ

Of course, in this search, the Lor hadn’t expected to pick up such a message, and such a curiously-formatted one, too. No data attached, no signs of whatever could have sent it, purely the message.

Greetings. -> She sends back to the best of her ability. It’s hard for her to tell if it was being properly received without the necessary data. Regardless, something about the connection felt... correct. This ship is currently under the administration of Captain Morastrum. ->

Magolor can’t help but smile  at that. Kids can just be so silly sometimes…

“No, that wouldn’t be an actual ingredient,” he chuckles. “but it’s a cute thought.” With one last twist, it seems all the juice has been squeezed from the pulp. He untwists the cloth a bit to fold it over, and sets it to the side. He could make use of those bits of apple later, once he properly dries them out.

“Very astute observation, though! Caffeine is in coffee! You can get coffee without it, but most people don’t.” He gives his hands a quick stretch.

“Anyways, do you want a bottle for the juice or something? I think I have some clean glassware in the back, but in my experience, most people are a bit put off by the idea of drinking out of a conical flask, even if it’s unused…” He shrugs, and offers a laugh. “Then again, the fact I’ve had trouble removing the skull and crossbones probably doesn’t help any!”

“Sensitive subject, huh? Dang.” Well, now he felt a bit guilty for joking about the poison symbols on them. That was no fun. “Only offered one of those because I thought this’d be too little liquid to fill a potion bottle.” He tapped a finger on the countertop. “But it’s probably better to have a bit of wasted space than to trouble them like that.”

"Kitty?" she repeats quietly. That was new. "I'm Morastrum," she says at a more audible volume, "but people call me Mora sometimes. I'm an alien. From Halcandra." She knew that last part wasn't true, but it was easier to just say Halcandra was her home, since that was what dad had always told people. She clutched her hands close to her chest, one thumb rubbing circles on the other's knuckle.

What follows is a little nod, tail gently thumping against the ground. "Yaya! Got kitty eaws!" Divodas might have been old enough to take care of himself by dragon standards, but clearly the whelp had much to learn about the world. Today he was learning about his new friend! Which was always a fun thing to learn about!!

"Am Divodas! But evewyone cawws Divo!" A small pause as he tries to pronounce her name and species next. "Mo-wa-stwum... Hawcandwa... Wots of big wowds! Pwetty name! Mowa pwetty name!"

Morastrum starts to bob up and down in the air as she listens to his story. “Teleporting’s tricky,” she says, trying to sound thoughtful, “it took dad a long time to teach me how to do it...” As if to prove she isn’t lying, she warps herself about ten centimeters to the right.

Being out in nature was a nice change of pace from the Lor's sleek interior. The smells, the sounds, the faint breeze... Mora hadn't realized jut how badly she'd missed them. It was so much that she was content to just watch a butterfly fly from Pop Flower to Pop Flower, making the buds burst open into scarlet petals...

One of her ears twitches. Something's not right. She glances around, then up, and oh stars-

With a spin of the hands, Morastrum reflexively warps away from the soon-to-be landing zone, reappearing a couple feet away. Her ears are pinned back and her floating unsteady as she examines the fallen stranger. They weren't quite like anything she'd seen before, bringing to mind the fairies of Ripple Star and some of the apes she'd seen on Pop Star, but this certainly wasn't either of those...

Her ears perk up a bit once it registers that she's being talked to. She snaps to a more 'appropriate' level of focus- not that it was easy to tell where she was staring, anyways.

Had he been seeing thing? Apparently not since the cat-like being was now in a different spot than she used to be. There’s a moment to shake his head, fluffy black and white being freed from grass and feathers. Not much could be said for his red horns and tail, however. Those he’s have to clean off with his hand later.

Him shaking his head only causes him to lose his balance, however and the little dragon’s very glad he’s still sitting on the ground. The loss of balance only earning him a slight wobble thanks to that. “Am!” It’s a bright smile given, a trill made as he tries to stretch, wings opening up properly. Then immediately recoiling and whimpering in pain. “...Am not?”

There’s a glance back at his right wing and he tried to move it again. He could move it if he was gentle about it, most likely just a sprain. But there was no way he would be flying again until that sprain healed. Still, in the younger child’s mind, this mean he was fine. “Am okay! Wiww be!”

"Kitty?" she repeats quietly. That was new. "I'm Morastrum," she says at a more audible volume, "but people call me Mora sometimes. I'm an alien. From Halcandra." She knew that last part wasn't true, but it was easier to just say Halcandra was her home, since that was what dad had always told people. She clutched her hands close to her chest, one thumb rubbing circles on the other's knuckle.

Travelling was always a blast for Divodas. Seeing all the new sights and making new friends! Not to mention getting to basically play hide-and-seek with his big sister!

Well, most of the time when it came to her sister. On this occasion in particular, he'd been given permission to go exploring on his own. That means zipping about from world to world until his power exhausted itself; and exhaust itself it did! Right in the middle of the air, at that.

Of course, the little whelp tries to fly, only really succeeding in flailing wings and plummeting to the ground. There's a moment to look down at the approaching ground and nearby individual. When he lands it's in a spray of crimson-coloured feathers and in a right heap.

There's a dazed whine as the Divodas untangles himself and shakes his head. Then remembers that he'd almost fallen on someone- Someone who seemed to be a kid like him; albeit a very different kid from him.

Being out in nature was a nice change of pace from the Lor's sleek interior. The smells, the sounds, the faint breeze... Mora hadn't realized jut how badly she'd missed them. It was so much that she was content to just watch a butterfly fly from Pop Flower to Pop Flower, making the buds burst open into scarlet petals...

One of her ears twitches. Something's not right. She glances around, then up, and oh stars-

With a spin of the hands, Morastrum reflexively warps away from the soon-to-be landing zone, reappearing a couple feet away. Her ears are pinned back and her floating unsteady as she examines the fallen stranger. They weren't quite like anything she'd seen before, bringing to mind the fairies of Ripple Star and some of the apes she'd seen on Pop Star, but this certainly wasn't either of those...

Her ears perk up a bit once it registers that she's being talked to. She snaps to a more 'appropriate' level of focus- not that it was easy to tell where she was staring, anyways.

“Oh yes, the ‘face-to-face’ I believe is what they call that. It’s some kind of healing… ritual.” One of his ears twitches. He’s definitely heard plenty about that, from both Kirbys he’s known, but he’s still not quite sure about it… Especially not with that last bit. Still sounds like an excuse to mash face, he thinks to himself, but if Elfilin didn’t realize that… Well, he’s not going to break it to him.

“I gotta say, I’m pretty sure those are more in the realm of stamina than mana… Not that I would know how to get a kiss into a potion, either way.” Magolor gives the towel another, extra-hard twist. “The Pep Brew could be worth a shot, though. The caffeine in it might interact interestingly with other ingredients.”

“You could probably get a kiss in a potion like this!” He moves up close to the bowl currently filling with apple juice, and gives a few little smecks to the rim. “I guess it isn’t really a real ingredient like this though.” He scoots back, resuming his facial grooming. Though I’ve seen Kirby do this thing to calm people down where he makes these little hearts and gives it to them. Maybe that’s what it is?”

“No, that wouldn’t be an actual ingredient,” he chuckles. “but it’s a cute thought.” With one last twist, it seems all the juice has been squeezed from the pulp. He untwists the cloth a bit to fold it over, and sets it to the side. He could make use of those bits of apple later, once he properly dries them out.

“Very astute observation, though! Caffeine is in coffee! You can get coffee without it, but most people don’t.” He gives his hands a quick stretch.