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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:50 pm
 The ship was damaged, low on energy, and refusing to co-operate with any of her attempts to fix it. The free fall from orbit had been terrifying, the impact leaving her bruised in several places. It had been a week before she'd ventured outside onto the unfamiliar turf beneath foreign skies and explored the crash site.
The exterior of the ship was badly damaged, the engines clogged with dirt and debris... She knew staying near the vessel would be dangerous - just as dangerous as venturing far away. The planet wasn't in the data banks, the stars didn't match any know records... she was well and truly stranded. Lone andalites were vulnerable, despite their formidable natural defenses, and she'd been forced to seek suitable disguises.
A Kaffit bird was too obvious... but in a world full of flying creatures - she'd noted several different, bizarre species already - it had proven to be the best temporary choice, at least until she'd spotted a strange, furry creature, small and agile with a long fluffy tail. Chasing it about had been a tiresome task, but at last she'd gotten a hand on it and managed to clone the DNA.
Now armed with the form of a squirrel, she used it to scout the area...
Which is exactly what she'd been doing for the past hour and it was drawing near the time to shift back. Unwilling to tempt fate, the andalite paused on the ground and let her form flow from one into the other, taking a moment to paw at the ground for a forehoof. The greeness of this world still unsettled her...
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 7:12 pm
 The pantheon gardens were certainly very wide, with many a safe spot for Exalla to hide as needed, but fate seemed to think differently. Echo had been passing by, on the way to the market, and at first, the squirrel did not catch her attention in the slightest. No, it was the sound of the transformation that made her long ears stand up and the goddess pause.
...Well, that was certainly the strangest thing she had seen in quite a while. One second there had been a squirrel, and then... Well, she was not entirely sure what to call the being that stood in place of the squirrel now.
Far from being undettered, however, it only made Music grow more curious. Every mortal has a story, and she was really, really curious about this one. She left the path and stepped deeper into the forest, toward the hooved, blue figure.
...Were these eyes on antennas ? That had to be strange. "Good morning." She offered, with a smile.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 7:24 pm
The stalk eyes were constantly suveying a different quadrant behind her as she looked to the ground then followed the roots of the tree up its trunk and into the branches above... such plant life didn't exist where she came from, and the ease with which the local fauna climbed was enviable.
Flexing her fingers, she reached out to touch the rough bark so different from the smooth, luminescent panels of her ship and inhaled, tail curling in pleasure. As strange as this world was, it was beautiful in a way.
Motion in the bushes to drew her attention and both stalk eyes swivelled to focus on the strange glow that became a bipedal being. She'd never seen such a thing before! It's hair was the proper blue but the body... the body was pale, furless (had the thing done something so shameful it required being shaved all over?) and there were too few eyes. It was bizarre!
Turning, alarmed at the display of teeth, Exalla's tail arched high, blade ready. <> All four eyes were now fixed on the creature - she couldn't tell if it was male or female - legs braced, ready to run or to fight as the case may be, <> Her mental voice was feminine, almost musical and tinged with more then a little fear.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 7:35 pm
The being's voice seemed to manifest straight into her mind, which was... Well, really fascinating in itself, but it became clearly obvious that the being was frightened. Echo stepped right where she was, in spite of knowing that the rather impressive tail-blade the... well, Music leaned toward woman from the mental 'voice' - wielded would hardly do any damage to her.
This one was definitively new, which was not surprising. Mortals ended up near the pantheon for a variety of reason... But no, she did not sense the familiar feeling of godly mana on this strange being.
"I do not wish to hurt you." She said, voice gentle, sweet, and definitively feminine. "My name is Echo. Are you new here ?" The tune of her wings shifted, just slightly, trying to lull the being toward calming down.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 7:49 pm
The main set of eyes narrowed at that statement - one could never be sure. She'd tried to call to her kind but none had answered... what was she to believe about this... this sentient. Her stalk eyes returned to scanning the area, looking for an ambush if one was being set.
<> The term was familiar to her but it was not a name so much as it was a scientific principle... She inhaled, nostrils flaring wide and tail flicking indecisively. Her build was graceful, lacking the definition and bulk of a warrior... but she was fleet of foot, as evidenced by her light side step while keeping her torso facing Echo. << I am Exalla-Tendru-Liuar. My ship crashed... the void anomally has stranded me here.>> Gaining a little confidence and calming some, she seemed to puff up a tad, <>
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:04 pm
This one was definitively... Jumpy ? A warrior, perhaps. Not exactly Echo's forte, right there, but Exalla's movement and sudden confidence seemed to do little to intimidate the goddess, who stayed right where she was. Her eyes followed the andalite's movement more out of curiosity than fear. In fact, she likely would have not needed to do that - the goddess' keen earring was picking up the andalite's hooves brushing against the tall grass very clearly.
"Your ship.... ?" Well, it seemed unlikely that Exalla meant a sailship, given how... outerworldly she looked. A spaceship ? ...Perhaps the shooting star she had seen about a week ago had been more than that.
But that was neither there or there. "I am Music, and you are at the pantheon. You looked lost, so I wanted to know if I could help you with anything ?" Echo remained perfectly calm and relaxed, through the last question did confuse her. "My prince ?" Was that supposed to be literal ? Erm. "I am... not like you, if that is what you are asking ?"
Echo had no idea, really.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:20 pm
<> Exalla sounded more then a little doubtful at that, wondering at the strange naming system whatever race this winged being belonged to... the wings were certainly interesting, appearing as energy versions of wings similar to a Kafit Bird's... although the two other pairs were missing.
A hoof stamped against the ground as she made an irate gesture. A moment passed, then another as she searched what she knew of other species... there were many other sentient races in the universe - none as great as the Andalites, of course, but it would be so surprising to discover a new one. But... her knowledge of customs or terms were limited, she'd spent most of her life among Andalites, steeped in their culture and tradition.
Main eyes closed but one stalk eye fixed on Echo still, Exalla pressed three fingers to her cheek as she steadied herself. At length she spoke, <> There was a hint of a smirk in that tone as she shifted her weight off of a foreleg, <>
The tail slowly lowered, its length and strength becoming apparent as it stretched out behind Exalla, curling slightly at the end, <> How far had they drifted in the darkness? It frightened her to think on it.
<> Exalla would not admit that she was lost, not to a stranger at any rate. <> Her gaze was intense, piercing as she watched Echo, trying to gauge if she knew anything of the Andalites... or the Yeerks. Though, she supposed, if this Music was a Controller, the Yeerks would have already descended upon her.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:54 pm
Well, that made more sense, really. She still had no idea how that related to princes, but... oh well. "There is Harmodius, the Twin Crown, through he would be my creator, really." Really, this was the closest thing that she felt Exalla could understand.
"I am not certain what this planet is called." She should probably figure that out. Uh. "This place is the Pantheon. The building in the distance."
Supplies... Well, Echo doubted the market would have what Exalla needed. "I know where I can find you star charts, but for supplies... I am unsure if there is anything here that would aid you." The Cosmodrome was bound to have something... Or she could ask Tian Yue. While Exalla's four-eyed stare was quite intimating, Echo did not seem to mind it, at all. In fact, she seemed just as relaxed as she had when the conversation had began. "I cannot say I am aware of your homeworld, no, but I would like to learn of it if you are willing to share ?" Really, the goddess' curiosity was obvious.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:03 pm
The reaction was neutral and ignorant enough to suffice for the young female but the admission of lack of supplies made Exalla snort, the first audible sound she'd made that ran similarly to speech, <>
She hesitated there, shuffled on her feet, pawing the ground, <> Forbidden to share technology or truths of her people via the many inter-species laws that governed their star travel, Exalla was not remotely willing to break those laws in an untried, unknown place.
Hoping to change the subject, she finally closed the distance and walked past, one eye remaining on Echo while the second stalk eye scanned, <>
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:42 pm
Ah... Ah well. Maybe the library would have something on Exalla's race. Certainly not a thing worth pressing on too much when Exalla was clearly uncomfortable.
"We need to go elsewhere for that. Are you... supposed not to be seen ?" That would explain the andalite's initial reaction, really.
Gods, well... They probably knew all they wanted about her race if they wanted to look for it, really.
Through... The library had copies, did it not. "You can stay there while I go to the library ?" She offered. That way Exalla could avoid curious mortal eyes. "Or... I could hide you in my rooms. Only my aoide and my son will likely be there, and they will not tell anyone."
Exalla might end up assaulted by Akakios' questions, through. Hopefully Lament was in the library...
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:51 pm
A flick of her tail answered Echo's question, <> Exalla paused, eyes looking back though her face was forward, <>
As long as her ship escaped notice, all would be fine.
<> She did turn this time, meeting Echo's gaze with her own main eyes, hands clasped before her in a relaxed position.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:01 pm
A small furry morph... ? Oh, the squirrel. Right. "That will work just fine." She often managed to lure birds to her with flawless imitations of birdsong... No one would really question a squirrel, really.
And if they did question it, well, no one tended to question her for too long.
"Due south of here, really, down the path I came from. And past the treeline. It will be a few minutes, unless I fly." She was not sure how comfortable Exalla would be at hanging on as a squirrel.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 12:52 am
<> Exalla replied, not caring very much about the mode of transport - flying did not bother her, as it did some of her kin.
Her movements stilled and a heartbeat later, her form began to shift, compacting in on itself, changing colour and form. The morph was accompanied by the sound of crunching bones, snapping muscles, grinding joints... it sound as unpleasant as it looked and when it was done, a small, brown squirrel remained where the Andalite had stood. Its tail flicked and its mouth worked for a moment before it chittered and sat up on its hind legs to look at Echo, <>
With a bounding step, she found her way to Echo then climbed up her robes to sit on the shoulder that she might ride on the back as they flew, <>
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:57 pm
That did not sound pleasant. At all. Echo's ears darted and moved with ever little crack, every sound of shifting. Oddly enough, Exalla looked perfectly used to this.
She was just glad shifting did not work like that for her.
The goddess waited until the alien-now-squirrel was settled, then nodded, and took flight. The way back to the Pantheon - which looked rather small from the outside, come to think of it - took much less than the two hours Exalla had at her disposal - and Music forgone taking the door completely, instead sliding her way through the open skylight and landing into what looked to be an interior garden, quite similar to the outside world - so much that it would seem early."You've returned early, my Lady." Tempo lowered his head in respect, making it obvious that Echo was a person of great importance for him. "Did you find what you were looking for ?" "Not exactly." She had found something much stranger than paper, really, and she reached one hand for Exalla to hop on so she could be returned to the ground safely. "It is safe here."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 11:27 am
It was a strange sensation to be borne aloft by something other then your own wings or a ship. It was unexpectedly smooth... and she clung the goddess' shoulder, eyes watering from the winds.
When they dropped through a hole in the roof of a rather expansive but beautiful complex, Exalla initially thought she'd been tricked. The servant was another bizarre creature, also sentient apparently, and it paid the blue-haired woman much respect. That was something to consider.
The squirrel chittered and climbed onto the hand then leaped to the ground, tail flicking as it did so but it did not bolt, simply looked back at Echo in an exaggerated motion as if it wasn't quite used to the lack of eyes - it always bothered her. <>
The squirrel shifted then, crunching and snapping and creaking until the Andalite stood where the rodent had. The stone floor made the light clink-clunk of her hooves much louder then normal and she seemed to dislike the lack of vegetation underfoot, prancing just a bit. Looking, she blinked at Alto, <>
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