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 Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2026 8:51 pm
Quote: Room 1: The Fossils - While some exhibits appear to have been carefully and meticulously reconstructed, this one is far more archaeological. The room opens into an enormous circular hall, where skeletons of all shapes and sizes have been meticulously constructed. The most impressive of all of them takes up nearly the whole room; suspended overhead by invisible supports was the fossilized skeleton of a creature so immense it nearly disappeared into the darkness above. At first glance it resembled an octopus, but its proportions quickly betrayed something stranger. The creature had been enormous, and each arm stretched dozens of feet, and ended in a diabolically sharp spear. It was posed as if it were half moving, half attacking--no easy feat, given the enormity of its remains. Though the bones were interesting on their own, parts of it were covered in strange crystals, locking up joints. Some of the bones were cracked where the crystals had grown into it. The rest of the room is filled with smaller, but equally unique skeletons and fossils. Each specimen has a uniquely aquatic appearance--from eight legged turtles, and fully crystalized jellyfish that hung from displays like artwork. Some of the specimens had a sketch of the creature as it was in life, but many did not. A neighboring display features only a single bone--a whale tooth, very ground down and still nearly four feet tall. One common feature amongst all of the specimens stood out: each of them bore curious crystalline growths. Pastel crystals had spread through portions of the bone like veins of quartz, glittering softly beneath the gallery lights. Whatever phenomenon had caused this anomaly seemed to have been localized to wherever the specimens were sourced, and Almadel had clearly chosen preservation over restoration.
Natural history exhibits usually evoked a respectful silence from Saiph. It was usually pretty interesting to see and think about the animals that had lived in the distant past. And given her own sphere of power, it was a subject she felt something of a proprietary interest in. But this room...
Unsure of where to look first, she found her eyes drawn to the crystalized jellyfish and moved closer, eyes wide. Glancing around, she was struck by how almost everything in here had some sort of crystal growth.
"What on earth happened to make all of these turn crystal," she murmured to the softly chirping basket in her arms. "And I think these're all more water based creatures. Are they all from the same world?"
Given the size of some of these, she couldn't imagine a world big enough to hold them all. She wasn't sure she wanted to!
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Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2026 1:16 pm
Almadel had spent much of the evening flitting around, very often seeming like he was in two places at once. He had a tendency to simply appear, with surprisingly little fanfare. This was no different. He hummed from Saiph's side. "Well, I can't say anything on Earth is responsible for the crystals. But I can tell you that they aren't from the same world. Or any world at all, really." Lifting his head slightly to observe the enormous creature above them, he let himself be distracted for a moment, and then looked back to her--and her basket--and smiled. "I'm not surprised to find you here. I guessed this is where you'd spend most of your time. But now that I've found you, I must know what you've got in that basket of yours."
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2026 6:30 pm
How did Almadel do that?!? Just appear without her noticing anything? It was unnerving, no matter how much she liked him. But it would also be so rude to mention it, so Saiph smiled instead and then froze slightly. The way Almadel had said that...
"What do you mean they aren't from any world at all? Did they just swim through space?" the thought was exciting, but also frightening. "Or dimensions?" She was going to get carried away by her own thoughts if she wasn't careful. Recognizing this, Saiph made herself go still and took a couple of deep breaths before visibly relaxing. Looking around for some place to sit, she saw a little bench set out of the way and went there before sitting and setting the basket down.
"Technically, it's your basket," she said with a little grin. "I brought it to give to you." Exhibiting a little showmanship of her own, Saiph whipped the cloth from the top of the basket and gently reached inside. When her hand withdrew, a very, very small creature was nestled within. It was the size of a young kitten and covered in small, fluffy, parrot bright feathers. A scaly, toothy snout poked out of the fluff and two large, bright amber eyes watched the Merchant curiously. As Saiph set her offering on the bench, it was obvious that this tiny being was built like a Terran theropod, even down to the large (for a kitten sized dinosaur) hooked claw on each foot. And for some reason, Saiph has chosen to tie a ribbon into a bow around the tip of its tail.
"I can't say that my world in swarming in these little guys," she said, voice fond as she gave the creature's chin a tickle. "But there's life there and I don't know why, but I'm not complaining. I haven't really seen anything much bigger than these guys and I don't even know what they're called. But they like me and follow me around. And they're amazing little hunters of insects. They also seem pretty loyal once they really imprint. As far as I can tell, this one is full grown."
Scooping the little thing up, she handed it to Almadel, inviting him to hold the wee thing. "I don't think they're crazy intelligent, but the ones that follow me seem to trust me and this one didn't seem to mind me choosing it as a gift. And it enjoyed picking out its ribbon." Saiph laughed, a sound free of the worry and dread that had plagued her a year ago. Doubtless, to the Merchant's experienced eye, Saiph seemed completely comfortable within her skin and she spoke of her world without any of the resentment that had been present during their first meeting.
"I think this one is a boy since the feathers are a lot more colorful," she said thoughtfully.
The Space Cauldron the tiny raptors were known as Kittral back in the day if Almadel would like to know that and they were prized as pets and companions
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Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2026 7:42 pm
“Is it so strange to think something might be worldless? There are plenty of creatures in the between-spaces of universe. I see them all the time.” Almadel peered over the little creature. He was obviously interested, calculating something behind the pleasant little smile. “Are you sure he’s full grown? He’s so small. I’m getting cuteness-aggression.” He held his hands out, palms up, and accepted it carefully. “I love the ribbon, very fashionable. You know, I haven’t seen one of these since I was much smaller. I like his feathers very much. Will he shed them? That would be lovely.” It didn’t seem like a dealbreaker either way. There were plenty of other things Almadel supposed he should know, like lifespan, diet, behavior… But he didn’t reject the creature, and even raised it to his face to examine it. Almadel did not seem particularly afraid of the creature. “It’s fascinating. You must trust me quite a bit to bring me one! I’m flattered. You’ll have to give me the rundown on proper care. Usually I don’t have much time to take care of other living creatures, but…” He hummed, and tilted his head back and forth. “I’m sure I could find a place for him to be happy. Will he be lonely? Shall I get him some friends?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2026 5:16 am
"I suppose it's really not," she admitted, expression thoughtful. "But it's weird to think about because space is supposed to be dead and quiet, you know? It's hard to shake that mindset even knowing it's wrong." Saiph badly wanted to ask him about the creatures he'd seen, but decided that this wasn't the time or place. Instead, she focused on the little raptor thing. Then, with a small grin as if she'd made a correct guess, she reached into her subspace and withdrew a few soft, muted feathers.
"He's full grown as far as I can tell. He was the only one who didn't seem to prefer the company of the others that I saw, which is why I brought him. As for the feathers, I think he must shed or molt because I picked these up after I watched another one give themselves a rather vigorous grooming. The colors are duller, so I think this one might've been a girl, but you're welcome to them."
She watched the tiny creature stare solemnly back at Almadel before mimicking the Merchant's hum and clearly settling into his hand. It was like watching the cat distribution system in action. Only with itty bitty dinosaurs. Lips quirking in a half grin, Saiph made herself more comfortable on the bench, staring around her at the impossible creatures on display for a moment. "Like I said, the ones I saw were hunting insects. I haven't seen any rodents around, but it's a big planet and I haven't seen it all yet, so they might hunt other things. But I think it's safe to say that they're insectivorous-slash-carnivorous. The ones I've been watching are social and seem to enjoy me talking to them. A couple really seemed to like it when I sang. And, they love it when you scratch them just... here." she raised a hand slowly and reached towards the spot just behind where the little thing's ear holes would be, scratching gently, but firmly. As she did so, the little not-dino's eyes closed in pleasure as a soft growling hum was heard.
"It probably wouldn't be bad for him to have friends for when you can't be with him. Even loners need someone to be there sometimes."
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2026 5:59 pm
Almadel laughed richly. “Do you really think space is dead and quiet, with all that you’ve seen so far?” His laughter tapered into a somber hum, and he looked at the enormous skeleton above them for a long moment. His eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile–catlike, almost–never wavered. “Oh, no. There’s so much out there. And yet! Nothing at all. Space is a paradox, my dear. You never know what you’ll find. And sometimes, when you find it…” He turned back to her. “You really wish you hadn’t.” It was impossible to be in a dreadful mood with the little raptors, though; Almadel could stare at death any day of the week–but something small, and living, and gifted to him was a pleasant anomaly. “Not him, though. He’s precious. Dare I say, perfect. My heart has grown three sizes already.” Not one to decline a gift, he accepted the feathers quite readily, and they disappeared somewhere on his person. “Thankfully–perhaps–I don’t have much of a pest problem. I’ll find him something edible.” He’d watched while she scratched his ears, committing it to memory. “What do you sing to him?” His eyes sparkled. “I’d love to hear. This room has lovely acoustics, you know.”
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2026 1:23 pm
Shaking her head a little, Saiph replied in a soft, thoughtful voice. "Oh no, sir. I know it's not. But that average person on Earth? They'd never believe that anything was alive up here. Sometimes, I think that I want to protect that ignorance. It's not healthy for everyday people to see behind the curtain too much. I'd prefer that they didn't feel like they were living in a Lovecraft story, I guess." Her voice trailed off and she listened intently as Almadel spoke, nodding in agreement. Though, when he delivered that last bit of wisdom, she simply met his gaze, nodded and said in a matter of fact tone, "I believe you."
She wondered if, maybe, she should be alarmed by that last statement, then decided it wouldn't do her any good to worry. It was a lot more pleasant to sit here and watch Almadel and the little raptor interact. In fact, she was letting herself drift a little mentally when she was called back to reality by the sudden request for her to sing. Blushing slightly, she looked everywhere but at the Merchant for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and simply started singing. It wasn't anything terribly impactful, just a variety of pop songs and some TV and movie soundtracks. But she sang clearly and on key. And when she stopped, she fidgeted as if unsure what she should say or do next.
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2026 10:03 pm
During the performance, Almadel had leaned back a bit. She had his full attention, offered freely. It wasn’t until the last echoes of her voice faded that he nodded, and he might have clapped if not for the raptor cradled in his hands. Instead, his tail swished enthusiastically behind him, and he nodded approvingly. “ Magnificent. You didn’t even need the acoustics. And very brave of you, too. I like that. Now, you’ve given me a great deal of gifts. I must return the favor. Ah, hm. Come with me to one of my storage rooms, won’t you?” He nodded towards what looked like a decorative wall, but waited for her to join him before he started walking towards it. “This little one seems to like your songs. I don’t think I’ve got a voice to match yours, though. Any tips?”
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