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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 helps Exaltation learn to fly
So far, this world appears to be made of plants, and dirt and fallen leaves and tall trees and other things which are found in forests.
Okay. Those are all reasonable things. She moves like a cautious deer, touching a tree, then going to touch a different tree, peering around in all directions.
The trees prove to have bark. They also have branches, but none low enough to be touched.
Some directions are uphill, and some are downhill.
Some directions are uphill, and some are downhill.
She goes down.
If one acts as water does, one might find water.
This is a small stream gently flowing along a moderately twisty path. Here the ground proves to have rocks as well as dirt and plants.
This is a small stream gently flowing along a moderately twisty path. Here the ground proves to have rocks as well as dirt and plants.
She follows the stream. She's not thirsty right now.
Streams become rivers. Forests become beaches. All becomes ocean.
It's a nice day to be at the beach. Clear skies, some birds high above, clean sand underfoot, no signs of civilization.
Other than beach, there's a tall outcropping of rock off to the right that could make a good lookout above the trees, if the hike to the top is as feasible as it looks.
It's a nice day to be at the beach. Clear skies, some birds high above, clean sand underfoot, no signs of civilization.
Other than beach, there's a tall outcropping of rock off to the right that could make a good lookout above the trees, if the hike to the top is as feasible as it looks.
Well, she doesn't have anything else to do. Up she goes.
Assuming there isn't more landmass hiding neatly behind that other peak, she is on an island. The island is made of forests, more-or-less rocky hills, and birds.
Well, the birds are not really part of the island, are they.
And that flock of three birds over there looks funny.
Well, the birds are not really part of the island, are they.
And that flock of three birds over there looks funny.
Maybe there are different kinds of birds here.
Squint.
Squint.
They're flying in perfect formation.
There's no reference for size, but they fly like they're the size of a small airplane, not a large bird, if airplanes could flap.
They have human faces.
Also, one of them is looking at her.
There's no reference for size, but they fly like they're the size of a small airplane, not a large bird, if airplanes could flap.
They have human faces.
Also, one of them is looking at her.
...Okay, well, you don't walk through a magic comb portal and expect Spokane. Airplane people. Sure.
Wave!
Wave!
wind_on_my_face
Wing rocking!
They're heading in her direction now. The one that was looking at her seems to be doing it through an arrangement of lenses floating in front of their eyes.
Outside of the human faces, their bodies do not seem to be made of feathers, flesh, or metal. They're sculptures of cartoon birds in milky glass, and yet this surface flexes as they flap like they were covered in skin.
They're heading in her direction now. The one that was looking at her seems to be doing it through an arrangement of lenses floating in front of their eyes.
Outside of the human faces, their bodies do not seem to be made of feathers, flesh, or metal. They're sculptures of cartoon birds in milky glass, and yet this surface flexes as they flap like they were covered in skin.
That's pretty weird. But they waved back so she figures they probably are friendly. She puts her arm down and stays put.
wind_on_my_face
When they've come closer, they break formation, spread out, and fly into what looks like it ought to be a three-way mid-air collision directly over her head.
Instead, they stop in midair, suddenly, before they touch. Now they are floating straight down.
Now they are standing on the rock in a circle around her, folding their rather inconveniently large wings and walking closer as this becomes possible. They continue to be human-sized, if bulky in the middle in a birdlike way. Human feet, too.
They all have the same face. It's smiling cheerfully.
“Hello!”
Instead, they stop in midair, suddenly, before they touch. Now they are floating straight down.
Now they are standing on the rock in a circle around her, folding their rather inconveniently large wings and walking closer as this becomes possible. They continue to be human-sized, if bulky in the middle in a birdlike way. Human feet, too.
They all have the same face. It's smiling cheerfully.
“Hello!”
"Hi," says the girl, shuffling her feet and putting her hands in her pockets, estimating the size of the gaps between the glass plane bird people.
wind_on_my_face
“Oh! I'm sorry!” they say, and move to be on only one side of her.
More tentatively: “I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Thanjen. What's your name?”
More tentatively: “I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Thanjen. What's your name?”
"Emily Lark," she says, relaxing substantially when they are no longer surrounding her. "Are you all three an I?"
wind_on_my_face
“Well, yes. I haven't heard of anyone managing the other way around.
“I've been working on my symmetry, which is why I did that landing trick, and I didn't think about that I was surrounding you.”
“I've been working on my symmetry, which is why I did that landing trick, and I didn't think about that I was surrounding you.”
"Well, it was all very symmetrical," says Emily, "and you must have worked very hard on it, I bet."
wind_on_my_face
“It's all for fun, though; if it weren't fun I'd stop and do something else. And are you working on something out here, or do you just like scenery?”
"I'm not working on anything special. It is very pretty scenery, isn't it?"
wind_on_my_face
“I suppose. This is a bit uniform for my taste; all tree tops. I like things that look different in parts, or at least from a different angle.”
"I'm not used to forests so this is a nice change," smiles the girl. "Where do you usually prefer to be?"
wind_on_my_face
“No, I mean, I like being here all right, but I don't like it for its looks from this spot in particular. Just on this island in particular, I'd rather be among the trees so that instead of just green you get different kinds of bark on the trees, and lots of other plants and stuff.”