on a lark

[alicornucopia]

She combs and combs the world aside and there is another world, just ahead, and she steps in.

The combed-away hole closes behind her. She puts her comb in her pocket.

Thanjen (Unbitwise)

Blueberry (kappa)

Hivers (Rockeye)

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"Well, I'm a place with relays right now, I guess, but I might never be again."

[wind_on_my_face]

“How do you do that? I can't think of any places like that except for ones that also don't have food and stuff.”

[alicornucopia]

"I haven't just never eaten for my whole life, don't be silly."

[wind_on_my_face]

Gently: “Then where do you eat?”

[alicornucopia]

She snorts. "Why do you want to know?"

[wind_on_my_face]

“Right now, you don't think I'm making sense and I don't think you're making sense. If you tell me some things, maybe that'll help. I'll tell you whatever you want to know about me.”

[alicornucopia]

"You make sense, you're just wrong about things because I haven't explained them because I don't want to."

[wind_on_my_face]

“Okay.”

[alicornucopia]

She gets out of the griffin again, and closes it up behind her, and sits on its neck in front of the wing joints.

"I might tell you if you really want to know, because you've been helpful. But only when I'm ready to go, probably."

[wind_on_my_face]

(He gets a preliminary response to his report. Insofar as there is a consensus to be summarized, it is: this is a tricky situation, you're doing fine, carry on, keep us posted. Great.)

“And then I suppose I’m likely even more confused.”

[alicornucopia]

"Probably. I don't even know all of the stuff you probably want to know."

[wind_on_my_face]

“Maybe I should just go on my way for now and if you ever decide you want to tell me, you can find me later. I’d be interested to hear it.”

(She says he’s been helpful — well, that and a few other things suggest that she has finally gotten everything she wants from him, and she isn’t interested in the only other thing he thought she should have despite that, so he isn’t too worried that hinting at a desire to leave will worsen the outcome for her, now.)

[alicornucopia]

"I don't think I could find you later."

[wind_on_my_face]

"My name is Thanjen ber Nabjedden, I'm not planning to change it any time soon, and nobody else has it too."

[alicornucopia]

"But I go places without radio relays, remember?"

[wind_on_my_face]

"Well, if you come back. If you want to."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't know if I even can though."

[wind_on_my_face]

"I won't bother asking why you wouldn't be able to."

He's putting away the miscellaneous bits of glass and whatnot.he used for demonstrations, and his anchors in the beach pop out of the sand.

[alicornucopia]

She makes sure all her stuff is stowed in or part of the griffin. "Are you going? I guess I'll go too if you're leaving anyway."

[wind_on_my_face]

"I don't have any particular reason to leave, but I don't have any particular reason to stick around, either."

The solar mirror is still over their heads, but that's all. (Taking it away just yet would be being rude to guests.)

[alicornucopia]

"Okay. Thanks for helping me build the griffin."

[wind_on_my_face]

The solar mirror and engine flows apart into its raw materials, which disappear behind his mock-bodies. In synchrony, all three take on their bird-shapes again, and say:

"You're welcome. I hope you enjoy flying wherever you want to be."

And they run down the beach and take off in formation.

[alicornucopia]

She watches them go.

And then she pulls a comb out of her pocket, leans over the griffin's head, and combs at the air. Comb comb comb comb until there's a hole in the air, threads of local reality wisping around the edges.

She rides the griffin through the portal, and presently it closes.

[wind_on_my_face]

(Well, that explains some things she said. Except it's also impossible.)

He writes a continuation of his report, includes assurances of his sanity, transmits it, puts away his telescopes, and flies on.

Having learned that the universe is perhaps a bigger place than he thought.