๑ third encounter / sixth step ♚

[polarization]

—hand's cold. [ Plane, say hello. Today there are two people appearing at once, one possibly a bit familiar, while the other possibly a bit... tinier. Chivy has the smaller, younger boy's hand. The child, about eight or so, has a white, stuffed rabbit (with a blue lace ribbon around its neck) clutched between his other arm and chest. However, he cuts off when he sees the surrounding area, eyes going almost ridiculously wide. ]

Wh-whu—?

I told you it was cool. It's called the Plane.

[ Kid kind of drops to his knees, using his occupied arm to reach down and feel at the 'floor'. His expression and voice is half-scared-out-of-his-wits and half-awe. ] But we're not in a plane...

[Chivy bends so that they're not in a completely awkward position.] No, it's— That's just what it's called. There's people here, too.

Space people?

Not really. Well, I mean, maybe some of them. [It's tough to answer questions you don't actually know the answer to.] You can ask if we see anybody?

[ Standard boyo disclaimer applies, now with child experiment addendum! ]

Comments

[oliverplus]

[waves a hand vaguely] I didn't get his name.

Not for me it isn't! Well. It sorta is, I guess. I live in 2618 now.

Come on, you've gotta see what the water's like in this place!

[polarization]

Oh...

2618?! [ He staaares. ] You must be reeeaaally old.

—I do?

[oliverplus]

[laughs] Hey, I'm not! I just travelled through time. I'm a... [what was it Sefton was saying to Chivy when he arrived?] A spaceman, you know. Well, sort of.

Yeah, it's really cool! You can see the stars in it!

[polarization]

You are?!

[ He looks between Oliver, then toward the water. Back to Oliver... water... Oliver... Water. He begins to drag Oliver over to the water, deciding he can walk and talk at the same time. ]

[oliverplus]

[smiles, amused at the kid's behaviour, and obendiently walks down toward the water with him] Well, I've been to space, anyway. I've seen aaall sorts of different worlds. And real aliens and everything!

[he wouldn't admit it if he noticed, but it's actually really nice to be able to talk about himself somewhat openly to someone. usually he doesn't volunteer such details, but Sefton seems to be enjoying their conversation so much that he can't help but want to continue it]

[polarization]

Different worlds? Aliens? [ And he's just soaking up the information, totally enthralled by it all. ] Like—from Mars 'n stuff?

[ Then, he catches sight of the water. ] ... whoa.

[oliverplus]

Yeah, like that! Except I haven't been to Mars. But I have been to Jupiter's moons!

[smiles, gazing out over the water as well. takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly] Amazing, huh?

[polarization]

[ :o! ] Jupiter's moons? Were there aliens there?

[ Sefton turns and holds Gabriel up to Oliver, expecting him to take the rabbit so that he can go check out the waters closer up. ]

[oliverplus]

Yeah! It was a theme park, then. There were all sorts of different aliens. And lots of them were kids like you!

[blinks at the rabbit for a moment, not sure what Sefton wants, but then he takes it questioningly]

[polarization]

What'd they look like? What kind of rides was there??

[ Sefton grins, then runs up to the water's edge, kneeling down to touch his hands into it, experimentally. ]

[oliverplus]

[laughs at his excitement] All different sorts of rides! We did some low-gravity mini-golf. But you should've seen the roller coasters! They were huuuuge! [gestures to demonstrate] And long with all sorts of twists and turns and mid-air low-gravity cliff-jumping.

[understands what Sefton wanted now and just watches him with a smile, holding securely onto Gabriel and wondering idly where the kid, if he's really that blue-haired teenager, came by the rabbit]

[polarization]

Cliff-jumping!? [ He whips around, looking at Oliver in awe and disbelief. ] Nuh-uh! Rollercoasters don't do that!

[ Well, you see, Oliver, there's this guy named Sebastian and he's kind of eccentric... ]

[oliverplus]

[grins] They do in the future! The gravity's so low that you just soooooar...[mimicks the slowly flying car with his hands]...gently across, to the track on the other side.

[polarization]

[ He watches, head moving as Oliver's hand 'flies' around. ] That sounds so cool...!

[oliverplus]

It is. [he wishes he could offer to take him there. maybe instead...] But I bet you've got lots of cool things in your home, too--right?

[polarization]

I guess so... There's a park and an arcade and the gym has a really cool rock wall to climb, but they're not alien theme parks.

[oliverplus]

[comes up beside him on the beach] Yeah, but rock walls are neat, too! What else do you do for fun?

[polarization]

[ He plops down into a sitting position, trailing one hand along the water to make a ripple with. ] Hang out with my friends, play games... explore around, too.

[oliverplus]

[crouches beside him] Really? Explore around where? Somewhere like a forest? Or an old house?

[polarization]

Lots o' places! The forest, some of the old buildings n' alleys, the field behind the park...

[oliverplus]

Have you found any neat stuff while you were exploring?

[polarization]

Um... I found a boyscout knife once?

[oliverplus]

[a knife of all things! can't help sounding a little concerned] Really? What'd you do with that?

[polarization]

Gave it to the lost 'n found. [ He shrugs a little, in a way reminiscent of his older self. ]

[oliverplus]

Ahh, sounds like a good idea.

So what do you think of the beach?