Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 5:55:43 GMT -6
The Orbaru Zu was particularly quiet that day, giving Nina the perfect excuse to walk around and check everything out. It had been a while since she had the opportunity to do so. Soliloquy was doing an excellent job managing the place, making her presence there pretty much redundant. Still, Nina found it difficult to break the habit of wanting to do everything by herself. The Zu proved that it would be fine without her, but she wasn’t so sure that she would be fine without the Zu.
Nina rested her hands on top of the fence for the v2 enclosure and watched the Orbaru inside hop around without a care in the world. There was something endlessly charming about the way they went about their lives. She often wondered what it would be like to be so content, to not have to worry about anything. Their every need was catered to, and they were never given a reason to question it. That is exactly what they were made for.
[7.3]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 5:58:26 GMT -6
A purple Orbaru came up to the edge of the enclosure and looked up at Nina with adorable pleading eyes. “Sorry little one, I don’t have any treats for you,” she said. She shook her head and displayed her empty hands for emphasis. The Orbaru booped and began to scratch one of his long ears with his hind leg.
Another Orbaru, a green female, spotted Nina and hopped over to investigate. She stretched out as far as possible and made a grabbing motion with her hands. She knew exactly who Nina was, and that Nina often had treats and toys for her. Nina sighed, realizing that she made a mistake not bringing any. All she wanted to do was take a look, so she hadn’t even considered bringing anything with her.
“I’m so sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “I really don’t have anything. I’ll send someone later, I promise.”
[7.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 5:58:44 GMT -6
Nina quickly realized that her standing so close was causing the Orbaru to get a little too excited. To avoid any more disappointment, she took a few steps back. There was a bench on the opposite side of the path, so she decided to sit there and watch from afar. While adjusting her position, she brushed against something unexpected.
There was a notebook lying there next to her. It was left open as if it had been used recently, but there was nobody there. Nina glanced around to confirm that she was alone before picking it up. The page was filled with elaborate sketches of Orbaru. Nina had never seen anything like it. She was utterly enchanted by the beauty of the drawings. It must belong to a visitor, she thought. She closed it and set it gently on the bench where it was, hoping that whoever it belonged to came back to get it.
[7.5]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 5:59:55 GMT -6
Just as Nina went to stand up, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Her antennae shot straight up and she turned quickly toward the motion. She was just in time to see a clawed hand clasp the notebook. It belonged to some kind of being attempting to hide behind the bench. Thinking this was very peculiar, Nina stood up and twisted her head to get a better look. The hand belonged to a humanoid with pale lavender skin, large floppy ears, and tiny antlers. Her huge yellow-green eyes were wide with surprise, or perhaps fear. She clearly wasn’t human, that Nina was sure of, but what exactly she was remained unclear. As soon as she noticed she was being observed, she yanked her hand back and turned to run away. “Wait!” Nina called out. “It’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you.” ‘This is mine.’ A voice chimed clearly in Nina’s head, but no words were being spoken. [7.6, 0.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:00:20 GMT -6
“The book. It belongs to you?” Nina confirmed.
’You can hear me?' The voice was gentle and soft like a warm spring breeze.
“I can understand you, yes,” Nina nodded. The direct transmission of thoughts was familiar to her as a concept, but she also knew it to be a very rare ability. Never had she met a humanoid with such capabilities. Nina was instantly enthralled with the mystery of this unusual person.
“Did you create those drawings?” she asked, filling the awkward silence that followed her previous statement. She seemed spooked by everything going on, and Nina thought changing the subject might help ease the tension.
‘Yes.’
“They’re… beautiful,” Nina wanted to say something poignant, something welcoming, something that would make the girl feel more comfortable, but that was all she could come up with.
‘I have to go,’ she stood up, revealing her floor length pastel pink hair.
[7.7, 0.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:00:38 GMT -6
“Wait! I didn’t get your… name.” By the time she had finished saying it, the doe-eyed girl had run off. Nina took a single step forward, but decided against chasing after her.
Nina slumped back into the bench to think about what had just happened. She sat in contemplative silence for a moment, absolutely enchanted by the mysterious stranger. She felt compelled to do… something, but she couldn’t quite figure out what that was. Eventually, she came up with a plan and instantly shot out of her seat to pursue it. She rushed all the way to the front gate, startling a few visitors along the way.
“Hi, how can I help you?” the friendly young man at the front gate asked.
“Have you seen a tall woman in a white robe with long pink hair? She had soft golden eyes, lavender skin, and flowers in her hair, and…” Nina paused, realizing that her hurried ranting was making the young man uncomfortable.
“No. I haven’t seen anyone like that,” he said, shaking his head. He definitely thought he would remember someone so distinct looking, so he was confident in his answer.
“Thank you for the information. You’re doing an excellent job.” Nina said, regaining her composure slightly.
“Sure thing,” he said with a forced smile. He busied himself helping one of the other visitors standing nearby. Nina didn’t really seem to notice, since she was already flitting off to do something else.
[7.8, 0.6]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:01:23 GMT -6
Some time had passed before Nina finally returned to the Zu. This time she wanted to simply enjoy the journey, like any other visitor would. She had been thinking about it, and checking in on everyone just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t her job any more, and as strange as it felt, she could accept that. Still, she would always love the Orbaru and wanted to see them from time to time.
Remembering her encounter last time, she grabbed a basket full of berries on her way into the park. Normally visitors were not allowed to feed the Orbaru, but she decided that was one rule she would allow herself to break. When she arrived at the v2 enclosure again, it was no surprise that a cute purple Orbaru hopped over. She flicked a berry into the pen, and he eagerly smooshed it into his mouth. Soon enough, a few more noticed what was going on and they were all begging for treats. Nina tossed berries here and there before stepping back out of the line of sight. Perhaps this was not as good of an idea as she anticipated.
[7.9, 0.8]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:01:51 GMT -6
‘I found you,’ a voice echoed through her head, tinkling like a windchime.
Nina jumped and whirled around, spilling berries onto the path. It was the mysterious girl with the long pink hair and lavender skin. She was stunned into silence, having thought she would never see the enchanting stranger ever again. Their previous encounter didn’t quite feel real, almost as if it were a dream. Yet here she was, standing right in front of her.
‘I made this. For you,’ she said, holding out a single sheet of paper at arm’s length. Her eyes were fixated on the ground, and her hand trembled slightly.
“Oh! Of course,” Nina said, snapping back into reality. She accepted the paper which she quickly realized to be a drawing. Not just any drawing, but one of her feeding the Orbaru. “I. It’s… wonderful.”
“I’m sorry I - I don’t really know what to say. This is. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before, and I…” Nina’s voice wavered, like a human’s did when they were tearing up. Though her face was unable to change expression, her feelings were evident in her voice.
[8, 1]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:02:16 GMT -6
‘I did not intend to make you sad…’ The girl tilted her head and frowned slightly, unsure whether or not she had done something wrong.
“No. No. I’m not sad. This is. I’m flattered. It’s hard to, ah, to explain, I guess.” Nina paused to clear her mind, the virtual equivalent of taking a deep breath. “Would you like to come with me? To the, ah, petting zoo. You can get a closer look at, ah, whatever Orbaru you like. For your sketches.”
‘I think I would like that, yes,’ she nodded and took a tentative step forward, signaling her readiness.
“Alright, then,” Nina said, still trying to gain her composure. “The petting zoo is this way.”
As she headed down the familiar path to the petting zoo, Nina checked over her shoulder now and then to be sure the girl was still there. She was quiet as she followed along, looking around curiously at the gardens and other decorations.
[8.1, 1.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:02:35 GMT -6
It made Nina happy to see someone appreciate the work that went into designing and maintaining everything. Until recently, it had been her life’s work, and one of the few things she was truly proud of.
“I’m sorry,” Nina said as the petting zoo came into view. “I didn’t, ah, ask your name before. Do you… what is your name? Ah, mine… my name is Nina.”
‘Marta.’ While Nina’s question had been rambling and roundabout, Marta’s answer was concise and to the point.
“It is nice to meet you, Marta,” Nina said, bowing her head respectfully.
‘Thank you,’ Marta responded, but her attention was elsewhere. She was staring wide-eyed at one of the creatures in the petting zoo.
Nina noticed Marta’s distracted gaze and quickly discerned that she was looking at one of the crossbreeds. “That’s Zot,” Nina explained. Shee was an unusual looking creature with stumpy legs, tattered wings, and a single horn jutting out the top of her head. “Do you want to pet her?”
[8.2, 1.4]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:04:05 GMT -6
‘Is that allowed?’
“Yes, of course.” Nina nodded and gestured for Marta to follow her toward the gate. She set down the basket of treats she brought with her, thinking it was risky to go into the enclosure with them. With her other hand, she pushed the gate open and waved Marta through.
“Hey Nina!” A staff member at the park cheerfully greeted her, causing her to whip around in surprise. She was starting to notice just how jumpy she was. She would really have to calm down, lest she do something actually embarrassing.
“Good morning,” she said in a similarly cheerful tone. “Marta here would like to play with Zot.”
“Really?!” He was surprised to hear that, but quickly pretended like he wasn’t. “Of course. C’mere Zot,” he said, clicking his tongue and clapping his hands. The odd little creature waddled over with a crooked grin on her face, and wagged her wide tail enthusiastically.
[8.3, 1.6]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:04:27 GMT -6
“Zot here is part Snorg, and part Orbaru,” Nina explained. “The Zu cares for Orbaru, but also creatures with Orbaru genes, from, ah, from the labs.”
‘What is a Snorg?’ Marta asked, bending at the waist to get a closer look at Zot.
“Snorgs are not native to this area,” Nina said. She understood why not many people would know of them for that reason. “They are imported in small numbers. They are small creatures with huge mouths, feathered wings, and strong tails. Known for their insatiable appetite and bottomless stomachs.”
‘You must know a lot about creatures,’ Marta said, thinking that Nina sounded unusually confident talking about them. It was the first time she had heard her say a whole sentence without pausing or stammering at all.
“I suppose that is true,” she said, suddenly a bit self conscious despite being complimented. “I like, ah, working with creatures. Caring for them. Raising them. You know?”
[8.4, 1.8]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:04:48 GMT -6
‘I understand.’ Marta’s attention turned back to Zot who was now playfully rolling around on the ground. She pulled open her notebook and quickly did a few sketches of Zot’s peculiar lumpy face. It was cute in its own strange sort of way. If nothing else, it was good to practice on something a little different now and then.
‘I’m done now,’ Marta said shortly after.
“Oh, okay.” Nina was a bit uncertain about what to say, as she hadn’t expected Marta to say something like that so soon. Didn’t she want to see more of the creatures?
‘My book,’ Marta held it open for Nina to see. ‘That was the last page.’
“That’s a shame,” Nina said in an earnest tone. It really was a shame that a full notebook ended their little adventure early. “Wait.. what if, if I can get another notebook for you, would you want to stay?”
[8.5, 2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:05:02 GMT -6
‘Perhaps, but you do not have to do that for me,’ Marta said. A new notebook sounded nice, but Nina had already done so much for her. Saying so many nice things about her art and giving her the opportunity to see a creature like Zot up close was more than enough.
“I know I don’t have to,” Nina said, “but I would like to. If. If that’s alright with you?” She was desperate not to be seen as obnoxious or pushy, but at the same time she was reluctant to let their journey end. There must be a compromise, she thought.
‘Alright, if you want to, I suppose that would be fine.’
“Great!” Nina’s voice squeaked with excitement. “What if we, ah, we get you a notebook, then you can take some time to fill it up - you can just ask anyone in a uniform if you want to come back in here - then we, ah, meet up again, and you can show me how it went?”
‘I would like that,’ Marta said with a faint smile.
[8.6, 2.2]
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Nina
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Post by Nina on Feb 19, 2024 6:05:59 GMT -6
True to her word, Nina returned to the Zu about two weeks later to meet with her newest friend. Her entire being was filled with a weird mix of dread and excitement. She was so eager to see Marta again that any hint of disappointment felt like it could completely shatter her. All she could do was show up at the v2 enclosure once more, and that feeling would go away. Not too early and not too late, of course.
“You’re here,” Nina said, her relief evident in her deflating posture.
‘Yes, I agreed to meet you,’ Marta looked a little confused by her reaction.
“Right, of course, I’m just… happy to see you.” Nina silently reminded herself to keep her cool and not make things any more weird than they already were.
She quickly changed the subject, hoping that would smooth out the wrinkles in their conversation. “Did you, ah, meet any cute creatures? For your sketches?”
[8.7, 2.4]
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