Muse is from Space Cases because I am ridiculous, thinking of sending him to exsilium

[hairdu]

I, uh... I think there must be some kind of misunderstanding here. You have lots of other people hanging around back here you could go for, and it's not like I'm the most interesting one you could have picked. Anyway, they need me, back on The Christa! At least... I'm pretty certain they need me.

And of all the places, you want me to be fighting some war for someone I don't even know? Thanks but no thanks. I wasn't even hatched yet during the first Andromedan war, and I already never hear the end of it.

If there's one thing I've learned it's never let anyone else rope you into their problems.

Comments

[just_displaced]

... did you just say you weren't "hatched"? What the hell does that mean?

[hairdu]

Kinda means what it sounds like. You know, out of an egg.

[just_displaced]

Right.

[A long, thoughtful, mustache-stroking pause.]

So. You're... what? A bird? A reptile? Because I don't think humans hatch out of eggs. Unless I've been very seriously misled.

[hairdu]

I'm not human. I'm an Andromedan.

Which isn't a bird or a lizard! Just so you, um... know.

[A short shudder there. No relation to the Spung, thank you very much.]

[teen_human]

Oh my wizard god please tell me wherever you go has a Firefly cast with a Kaylee because that would make my eternity I'm not even joking.

[just_displaced]

So you're an alien.

[Blink. Blink. Slight confusion, and then a slow nod.]

That's cool. Me too.

[hairdu]

Uh... fireflies? Sorry, I don't think we're on the same page here.

[hairdu]

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I'm not an alien to me, right?

[Radu attempts a laugh, but it fizzles out quickly.]

What planet are you from?

[just_displaced]

Nobody's an alien to themselves, man, but we're all aliens to other people.

[That was deep in his head.]

Mars.

[Completely straight face here.]

[hairdu]

[You don't sound Martian. But Radu won't be impolite and bring that up.]

Oh! My, uh... teacher's from Mars.

[just_displaced]

Oh, then you know all about people from Mars. I was raised on Earth, though. That's why I look so, you know...

[Not at all like an alien whatsoever?}

[hairdu]

I don't know if I could say I know all about them.

[He may not have been paying the most attention in those classes. Only slightly.]

[teen_human]

No, Firefly, it's this space western epic but not really epic but - you know, I think I'm getting like twelve shades too meta here, so I'm gonna drop that one like it's hot.

Uh, hi. So. Hatching.

[just_displaced]

That's okay. They're -- I mean, we're -- not very interesting anyway.

So that means you've been to space, right?

[hairdu]

Ah, okay. I'll, uh, let you know if I see it!

[Radu winces. Damn it, he really shouldn't have brought that particular quirk of Andromedan biology up. It always seems to be a conversation killer.]

You know. From an egg. It's kind of weird, I know.

[hairdu]

Been to space, yeah. Kind of born and raised, you could say.

[teen_human]

Technically humans come from eggs too, you know. If you want to split biology hairs.

[just_displaced]

What's it like?

[That's probably a... pretty big question, since space is pretty big.]

[hairdu]

Really?

[No, the Starcademy does not have sex ed. Considering how many species attend that school it would take several years.]

People always act like it's so... y'know... alien?

[hairdu]

Um... big?

[just_displaced]

That's not very descriptive. C'mon, where's the coolest place you've ever been?

[hairdu]

Well, I, uh, never really went that many places before we got lost. Just between the Andromedan colony ships and the Starcademy. But we went to this great planet not so long back! My friend found a gurkle, it's winged reptile from Andromeda. But, I, uh... guess they migrated!

[just_displaced]

A winged reptile. Cool. Are they dangerous?

[Another prolonged pause.]

Wait, wait, so now you're lost in space? That sounds like a problem, man.

[hairdu]

No, they're herbivores. Some people on my planet used to keep them as pets.

[It is a problem. A big one. He blames Harlan.]

We're six years away from home, now.

[just_displaced]

So... do you have any way of figuring out how to get home, or are you just pretty much drifting in space? I mean, don't get me wrong, space sounds great, but not if you're stuck there forever.