Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

[LOG 2.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Stars, it worked! Phil! Look, it works!

[There’s a high-pitched laugh, like chittering. The sound of creaking wood can be faintly heard through the crackling audio.]

Phil: What is that?

Tommy: I dunno. It’s something that my parents left for me, I think. It was in that little box you said came with me.

Phil: You figured out how it worked?

Tommy: I think so! There’s a recording on it already, I think.

Phil: …recording?

Tommy: That's what humans call when they capture an audio. It’s what I read in one of the books you bought me anyways.

Phil: You’ve read those?

Tommy: Obviously. It’s the only fun thing to do around here.

Phil: Is your… box still recording?

Tommy: Oh yeah! I guess I should probably stop that.

Phil: How do you know someone’s not listening?

Tommy: It’s not two ways. There’s no receiver, see?

[The audio goes muffled, like someone was covering the speaker. The words are crackly and distorted until the recorder gets placed back on the surface.]

Phil: It sort of looks like those ship log portable audio playbacks that human ships have.

Tommy: Maybe this was like- the original one of those.

Phil: Maybe. Didn’t you say there were five recordings on it already?

Tommy: Yeah.

Phil: Did you listen to them yet?

Tommy: Not yet. I haven’t been able to get it to work yet. I’m scared I’m gonna break it.

Phil: If you want, I could try finding something that explains it. Maybe there’s a holo-article written by a human that explains how they work.

Tommy: Orrrrr you could bring me to a human?

Phil: Tommy, you know that I can’t do that. It could be dangerous.

[There’s a long sigh.]

Tommy: I know. I just- it’s different. You guys are great but I wanna meet one of my own, y’know?

Phil: I know. I’m sorry, mate.

Tommy: ‘S okay.

Phil: Are you ever gonna stop that?

Tommy: Oh yeah! I forgot it was-

[The audio cuts.]

[LOG 2.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.1 BEGINS.]

[An old audio plays back in its place. A light laughter fills the air.]

Innes 1: Oh gosh, it’s been ages since I’ve recorded one of these. This is so nostalgic.

Innes 2: You’ve pulled out the old recorder?

Innes 1: Yeah! Old time’s sake, y’know?

Innes 2: Hi kiddo! We’re giving this to the kid, right?

Innes 1: The kid has a name, and it’s gonna be Tommy.

Innes 2: C’mon, do you really hate Thomas all that much?

Innes 1: It sounds like Thomas the tank engine! From that kid’s show our parents used to watch?

[There’s a laugh, full of love. It sounds full of love, anyways.]

Innes 2: Your parents used to watch. And that thing is ancient.

Innes 1: Yeah yeah. Anyways Tommy, hey! We’re your parents! I hope we’ll find this when you’re older so we can listen to it together. Or I guess if we lose, then that's that.

Innes 2: You’ve got so little faith in yourself.

Innes 1: I have so little faith in you. You’d lose it in an instant.

[Her voice is teasing. There’s the sound of something brewing in the background.]

Innes 2: Don’t tell him all our secrets! How will he look up to his dad if the first thing he hears about him is gonna be how careless I am with where I put things?

Innes 1: It won’t be the first thing he hears. He’ll hear us first. I bet we won’t even find this recording for a couple years, at least. It’ll get lost somewhere for sure. Can I get some of that coffee?

Innes 2: You’re lucky I love you Clem. You coffee thief.

Clem: Yeah, if I didn’t love you back, you’d probably be dead by now.

Innes 2: Are we really talking about this in front of the kid?

Clem: The kid isn’t even alive yet!

Innes 2: He will be when he hears this!

Clem: If we find it again.

Innes 2: We’re not gonna lose it, Clem. We’ll put it in a box or something to check in the future. Like a time capsule.

Clem: You sure you won’t lose the box?

Innes 2: Clem!

[There’s a joint laughter- both full of warmth. It cuts off suddenly.]

[LOG 1.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Clem. Was that my mom’s name? Is that what she sounded like?

Phil: I think so, mate.

Tommy: and- they called me kid. In the audio. Is that like an endearment? Like how you say mate?

Phil: Maybe.

Tommy: Will you ask? Next time you talk to your human friend.

Phil: Yeah, Tommy. I’ll write it down.

Tommy: Thanks Phil!

Phil: You’re welcome. It’s bedtime. Go to sleep soon, okay?

Tommy: Okay! G’night Phil!

[The sound of footsteps receded as Phil walked away.]

Tommy: Now that he’s gone, maybe I’ll try this whole- recording thing. Of my life, y’know? And- the laughing. My parent’s laughter. It sounded so nice. Everyone here sounds so different like- like clicking. But I can’t make that sound. I think I could make the other one though. The laughing my parents made.

[Tommy’s words sound hesitant, like he wasn’t sure he was using them in the right context.]

Tommy: Yeah! Yeah. I’ll record about my day tomorrow. I think I need to sleep tonight, otherwise Phil is gonna kill me. I think he realized that humans needed more sleep than Avians. I still think that makes no sense though. I’m basically Avian at this point! As Avian as I could be without actually being Avian.

[There’s a muffled shout from far away.]

Tommy: Aaaand that’s Phil. I guess it’s my cue to turn this off. I’ll be back tomorrow!

[The audio cuts off with the sound of a rustling blanket.]

[LOG 2.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.2 BEGINS.]

[It starts back up, it’s back to eight rotations in the past. It begins with a soft humming in the melody of ‘you are my sunshine’.]

Clem: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are-

Innes 2: Clem?

Clem: Yeah?

Innes 2: Are you talking to Tommy again?

Clem: Yeah! I was thinking of recording a song for him, but you’ve just interrupted it.

Innes 2: It’s alright. He’ll probably like our voice better anyways.

Clem: That’s egotistical of you.

[Her voice is light- teasing.]

Innes 2: What, you don’t think he’ll love his mother’s voice more than some song?

Clem: Maybe he won’t, how’d you know?

Innes 2: ‘Cause you've got the prettiest voice I’ve ever heard. I’d be okay dying to the sound of your voice.

Clem: That got morbid so fast.

[Laughter fills the air.]

Innes 2: I would’ve said something more morbid, but the kid is gonna listen to it, so I’ll stop myself.

Clem: Can’t believe you’re censoring your existentialism about space for our son.

Innes 2: He’s going to be like six! I’m not gonna talk about the infinite tragedy of stars to a six year old!

Clem: Yeah, but he’ll be your six year old. I’ll be surprised if he manages to make it past three without you talking about how inevitably sad space is.

Innes 2: Yeah, well that’s what all this was for, wasn’t it? Seeing the stars? Seeing the galaxy? Our son is gonna be a child of the stars and sky.

Clem: Yeah. Yeah I guess he will.

[LOG 1.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.3 BEGINS.]

[When the audio restarts, it's to the melody of ‘You are my sunshine’ hummed unsurely.]

Tommy: That's the sound my mom made, right? The- song? She called it a song? And it was for me. I don’t think there’s anything like that in Avian culture. I think it’s a human thing. I’m gonna keep listening to it until I memorize it. It’s the last thing I have of my parents, right? There’s a couple more of these I haven’t listened to yet. I hope some of them are longer than this.

[There’s a long exhale and a rustling, like Tommy laying down.]

Tommy: Is it normal that I miss someone I’ve never met? I- I talked to Phil about it once, and he looked at me so confused so I didn’t bring it up again. I don’t think he knows what I’m talking about. Maybe it’s a human thing. Maybe it’s a Tommy thing. I don’t know. But it- it hurts. Down in my stomach, It hurts. I miss them. I don’t even know who they are. They called me- a son of the sky. I’ve never been off planet. Phil has never let me leave. He said it was because people wanted me. Humans. We’re rare or something, so they try to experiment and stuff on us. I think that’s-

[A pause, like Tommy didn’t know what to say.]

Tommy: I don’t know what to think. But I don’t like it.

[The audio is far away and muffled.]

Tommy: Coming! Phil is calling me to eat, so I have to go. But I’ll be back. Probably. I’m gonna learn how to sing that song. Like my mom. I promise.

[The audio clips off to the beginning of Tommy humming.]

[LOG 2.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.4 BEGINS.]

[Tommy’s voice sounds brighter than the previous recording.]

Tommy: Hi! Hello! I sort of forgot about this, so it’s a couple cycles later. But- uh. Hi! My name is Tommy. In case you forgot. I know I’m only doing this for me, but maybe it’ll be fun or something.

[There’s a long pause. The sound of something tweeting, similar to birds, fills the air.]

Tommy: Or maybe not. I’m not sure. But I’m gonna do it anyways! Maybe it’ll help me feel more human or something. Oh! Maybe I should start from the beginning. So my name is Tommy, and I don’t have a last name. Well- maybe I do. But I don’t know it. So I’m just Tommy. The person you heard last time is named Phil, and he’s my dad sort of. He raised me, anyways. I was dropped off with only a box with this recorder thing on it, and that audio I got playing last time. Of my parents. I don’t really know why they left me behind, but they did. So Phil took me in! He’s my flock now.

[There’s a laugh, and it sounds human, but forced.]

Tommy: I’ve been trying to learn how to laugh like the ones in the recording. It hurts my throat less so it probably means I’m doing something right! Phil got scared the first time I used it in a real situation, though. He thought I was sick. I don’t think he really understands what it’s like to be so… disconnected from who you are. Like- he’s got so many Avians all around him. Pluamea is basically only Avians. And even if it wasn’t, he can still leave. Go to different planets, ‘n stuff. I’m stuck here though, ‘cause apparently some species like hunting humans down and kidnapping them to experiment on. I don’t know. Seems kind of sucky though.

[There’s a sound of something landing.]

Tubbo: What’re you doing Tommy?

Tommy: Recording! It’s a human thing, I think.

Tubbo: Oh! Like the ship logs kind of recording?

Tommy: You know what those are?

Tubbo: Sort of! I read it in a book once about how some captains record like- a bunch of things. It’s tradition, I think.

Tommy: I jus’ found a recording of my parents. I wanted to record something too.

[Tubbo’s feathers rustle, like he was readjusting.]

Tubbo: That’s fun. Can I listen?

Tommy: Sure. It’s gonna be boring though, I’m just gonna talk about my day.

Tubbo: Well- we spent most of the day together. I can help or something?

Tommy: We can do like a back and forth. Like when the people comment on those Obstacle Course Challenges.

Tubbo: Yeah! Okay, I’ll start. So, we started the day with waking up and Tommy had fallen out of his nest again-

Tommy: We did not need to hear about that.

Tubbo: It was hilarious. I always end up waking Tommy up because he sleeps late-

Tommy: Now you’re just slandering me, you know that humans need more sleep-

Tubbo: I can't hear youuuu-

[There’s a dull thud like Tommy punched Tubbo, and a squawk from Tubbo at the impact.]

Tubbo: Why’d you punch me!

Tommy: Cause you’re spreading lies, Tubso. Lie spreader you are. Like how Phil believes they’re dropping radiation from the sky.

Tubbo: Your dad’s kinda weird for that.

Tommy: He’s not my dad. But yeah, he is kinda weird. It’s okay though. He makes good roasted flintren.

Tubbo: I guess he does. Do you wanna go play now?

Tommy: Tubbo, we’re not fledglings anymore, we’re not playing. It’s like- training now.

Tubbo: Tommy we still haven’t had our Soar. We’re fledglings.

Tommy: And? It’s still training

Tubbo: You’re so stupid sometimes.

Tommy: Oi! Just ‘cause I dont have perfect memory like the rest of you bird brains doesn’t mean I’m dumb.

Tubbo: Hey, you think that's why they did this recording thing? To remember?

Tommy: …maybe. But- in the recording where my parents were talking, they said that my dad would probably lose it.

Tubbo: Lose what?

Tommy: The recorder. Idiot.

[There’s the sound of a dull impact as Tommy splutters something out of his mouth. It is assumed Tubbo’s wing hit Tommy in the face.]

Tubbo: Retribution.

Tommy: Do you even know what that word means?

Tubbo: Nope.

Tommy: You’re dumb. And If you put your wing in my face again I’m gonna bite it this time.

Tubbo: You’re disgusting. C’mon, let's go play.

Tommy: You’re so needy, Tubso, I can’t believe-

[The sound of the audio recorder being picked up muffles the speaker. It shuts off shortly after.]

[LOG 2.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.5 BEGINS.]

[The sound of wind whistles in the trees.]

Tommy: Hi again. I’m doing it at night this time, so I don’t get interrupted. ‘Cause I get interrupted a lot. Avians sleep like rocks when they’re already sleeping- wow I’m repetitive- and I don’t always sleep at night so I come out here sometimes. I know I’ve spent all my life in the treetops, but I don’t think they know how scary it is to be so high up all the time. I guess if Phil or Tubbo fall, they’ll be fine, because they could just catch themselves with their wings. But it’s so much scarier when I know that if I fall, I fall. There’s no catching me.

[There’s a long sigh, and the sound of Tommy fiddling with something.]

Tommy: I’m so different. From everyone else. It’s not like they don’t make me feel like one of them- they do, but they don’t get weird looks whenever we go hunting. Get food. Whatever it is. I’m always stuck on the forest floor with my half-bad eyesight and slow legs. Like sure, I can run, and that’s pretty cool, but everyone else can fly.

[There’s awe in Tommy’s voice in the last word, and he readjusts the recorder.]

Tommy: Can you imagine? Being able to fly? Phil said that I was old enough to go on a flight soon. Tubbo’s gonna take his Soar soon, and Phil said he’d carry me through it ‘cause I can’t fly. I can’t wait. I feel like I should prepare for it or something but- I barely know when it is. I’ll help Tubbo when I do though.

[There’s a long pause, just the gentle clicking of whatever Tommy was playing with.]

Tommy: I guess I should tell you about my day. If that’s what this entire thing is for. Maybe I’ve got it wrong, I dunno. But- I think that’s what I’m gonna do. Phil woke me up this morning because I slept so late trying to figure out what this human book said. It wasn’t written in galactic, and all of the language translator books couldn’t figure it out either. I think I give up, but I’m gonna keep it for if I do meet a human.

[Tommy mumbles something to himself, too low for the audio to capture efficiently.]

Tommy: When. When I meet a human. I’m gonna meet a human. I’m gonna meet one and I’m gonna learn all the things they do and I’m gonna become a proper one. I tried the laughing my mom did in front of Tubbo earlier, and he thought I was choking. I had to explain to him it was a human thing. He didn’t buy it.

[Tommy snorts, like he’s on the verge of laughing. There’s a fondness in his voice when he talks about Tubbo.]

Tommy: I wonder having to explain yourself like that is a normal thing to do. For humans, at least. Tubbo didn’t buy the human thing anyways. He still thought I was choking, even when I laughed the way I usually do with the back of my throat, like Avians. I’m gonna learn how to laugh normally like a human. I have to. It’s part of my lineage- or something. I don’t really know what that word means. But I’ll do it. There’s a lot of things that I do that the rest of the Avians don’t. Like- smiling. That’s what Phil called it at least. It’s when I open my mouth to show I’m happy. Like-

[The words cut off, like Tommy was actually smiling.]

Tommy: Oh sorry- I forgot you can’t see me. Well- I was smiling, if that makes sense. Even my mouth bones are different. Phil doesn’t have those. Apparently, he thought it was a sickness when they started to come in when I was little. They’re okay now, though. There’s just so many things we’re so different about. I know we’re from different planets and species, but still. It’s hard.

[Tommy claps his hands together, a sharp sound in the recording.]

Tommy: I know I said it’d talk about my day, but my day is boring, so I’m just gonna talk about whatever is on my mind next time. Like a barkbird. I want a barkbird as a pet so bad. Phil said I couldn’t because they’d make too much noise and ruin the house, but I argued that I already make too much noise and ruin the house. And then Phil sat me down and talked to me about my importance to him. I don’t get it. Every time I say something like that he always thinks I’m being serious. But yeah, I didn’t get a barkbird.

[There’s a short lapse of silence interrupted by the sound of Tommy yawning.]

Tommy: I should probably go to sleep. My nest sounds really good right now. But that’s another thing that Avians don’t do. That- mouth open thing, when I’m tired. I don’t know what it’s called. But when I do it, half the Avian fledglings on the other side of the trees think I’m going to screech at them. I can’t control it. It just happens. I don’t know. I’ll meet someone like me one day though, and I’ll find out about everything.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 2.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.6 BEGINS.]

[The sound of human laughter and Avian chortles mix together.]

Tubbo: I think when I get over how weirdly close it sounded to choking, I like your laugh.

Tommy: Yeah! It sounds so human right? My throat hurts so much less. Remember how it always used to hurt and sometimes I wouldn’t be able to talk? I think it was because I was laughing like you. The sounds don’t hurt as much anymore.

Tubbo: That’s so cool, Tommy. Oh! Are you coming to my Soar?

Tommy: Yeah! I wouldn’t miss it for the Rift.

Tubbo: How are you gonna fly though?

Tommy: I won’t! Phil is gonna carry me? If- that’s okay?

Tubbo: Stars, that's so smart. Oh I can’t wait Tommy, it’s gonna be so cool and I’m gonna be allowed to fly alone after instead of always with someone cause that’s so annoying and then we can go explore together.

Tommy: So we can get lost again? I remember what happened last time, Tubso.

Tubbo: That was an accident. And plus, that was like two whole rotations ago! I’ve got it this time.

Tommy: If we get lost I’m gonna punch you again.

Tubbo: If you punch me I’m gonna wing you.

Tommy: I’ll bite your wing.

Tubbo: That’s not fair! You’ve got mouth bones!

Tommy: And you have wings. Natural selection, Tubso.

Tubbo: Irrelevant! C’mon, let's go climb something.

Tommy: I can’t catch myself if I fall.

Tubbo: That’s boring Tommy. You climb the best out of the entire flock. C’mon. Please?

[There’s a sigh of acceptance and a chirp of excitement.]

Tommy: One day, you’re gonna kill me.

Tubbo: You’re gonna kill yourself first. Stop acting all safe and posh in front of the recorder Tommy. You literally dared me to launch myself into the canyon three cycles ago.

Tommy: And I'd do it again. You’re too scared. Scared little bird.

Tubbo: I’m not trying to die, Tommy.

Tommy: SCAAAAAREDY-

[The words cut off as Tubbo tackles Tommy to the ground, from the sound of scuffling. There’s laughter and chortles mixed together with shouts of surprise and mirth.]

Tommy: Fine- FINE! Let go of my ARM TUBBO!

Tubbo: So you can BITE ME? NO WAY!

[In the play fight, the recorder gets knocked over, and the audio clips out.]

[LOG 2.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.7 BEGINS.]

[It restarts with Tommy’s voice far too close to the speaker, leaving a ringing after every word.]

Tommy: Did we break it?

Tommy: No- no it’s fine. It’s fine. Probably.

Tubbo: We should probably stop playing near it.

Tommy: Probably.

Tubbo: Does that mean we can go play now?

Tommy: Ugh, you’re so clingy Tubbo.

Tubbo: You’re just as bad! You stuck to me for like- four cycles when we first went to class.

Tommy: Thats because the rest of the fledglings kept staring at me with their freaky, unblink-y eyes. I got shudders, Tubbo.

Tubbo: Tommy, they're fine. You’re just different. That’s all they're looking at.

Tommy: Yeah, well they can look at something else.

Tubbo: Didn’t Phil threaten to pull their feathers out or something?

Tommy: Yeah! It didn’t make it better! You’re like- my only friend, Tubbo.

Tubbo: Yeah, cause I’m [incoherent chittering.]

Tommy: Don’t use ASL [Avian Standard Language] with me Tubso, you know I can’t speak it back.

Tubbo: You’re lucky I like you good enough to learn Galactic.

Tommy: It’s not my fault my stupid human throat can’t make bird noises.

Tubbo: Yeah yeah, I know.

[There’s a short silence.]

Tubbo: Does that mean we can go play now?

Tommy: Stars, you’re annoying.

Tubbo: I know! Let’s go!

Tommy: You gotta preen first, you’ve been shuffling around forever.

Tubbo: I did it like three days ago-

Tommy: You’re supposed to do it every day-

Tubbo: Stars you’re such a mother bird-

Tommy: How do I know your hygiene better than you-

Tubbo: Fine! You’re turning off the recorder though while you do.

Tommy: You’re so needy-

Tubbo: It’s weird you-

[The audio shuts off to the sound of playful arguing.]

[LOG 2.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.8 BEGINS.]

[There’s a silence in the air that betrays nighttime.]

Tommy: Hey Tubbo?

Tubbo: Yeah?

Tommy: Do you ever feel like you’re out of place?

Tubbo: What do you mean?

Tommy: Like you don’t- belong. And stuff. I don’t know. Maybe it’s cause I’m different.

Tubbo: Is this ‘cause of my Soar?

Tommy: …No.

Tubbo: Tommy.

Tommy: Well I mean- we have a similar birthday right? I’m supposed to do my Soar soon too. But I won’t. ‘Cause I’m not like you guys.

Tubbo: But that’s what makes you better, isn’t it? You’ve got all sorts of cool things we don’t Like- mouth bones. Those are still so weird and I’ve known you for rotations.

Tommy: But I’ll never be like the rest of you. Dropping off the edge of a walkway into the trees to fly away? I’ll never do that. I can’t go hunt like the rest of you. I’ll never do my Soar because I can’t.

Tubbo: Tommy. My friend. My flock.

[There’s a rustling, like Tubbo spreading his wings and settling them on Tommy’s shoulders.]

Tubbo: It won’t matter if you’ll never do your Soar. Or if you’re a gatherer for the rest of your incredibly long, human life. You’ll always be my best friend. I don’t care about any of that, and you shouldn’t either.

Tommy: But-

Tubbo: Shut up and let me finish.

[There’s a little laugh and a purr from Tubbo.]

Tubbo: When I get a little bigger and I can carry you, we’re gonna go on our own Soar. And I’ll carry you. And we’ll pass it together, and we’ll do it all together.

Tommy: But I won’t do it alone. I’ll never do my Soar alone.

Tubbo: No one cares about that Tommy. Even the entire Soar thing is stupid. We don’t need a Soar to tell us what we can and can’t do.

Tommy: Phil is gonna kill me.

Tubbo: Phil wouldn’t touch you. You’re his fledgling.

Tommy: Not technically.

Tubbo: You’re about as stubborn as a rock. And as sharp as a river stone.

Tommy: Oi! Where’d you get that one?

Tubbo: I came up with it! Isn’t that clever?

Tommy: I didn’t know you were that smart Tubso.

Tubbo: Y’know what, no Soar for you, I’m gonna leave you behind and-

[Laughter erupts from Tommy. Drowning out Tubbo’s words.]

Tommy: No, wait, wait Tubbo we can talk about this-

Tubbo: I’m gonna launch myself into the Rift like you want me to-

Tommy: I’d jump after you idiot!

Tubbo: Yeah cause you’re a stupid human who somehow manages to be the most self-sacrificing out of all of us-

[There’s a chortle from Tubbo and an impact of Tommy pushing him over.]

Tommy: Stars, you’re so dumb.

Tubbo: you’re not much better.

Tommy: …Thank you, Tubbo.

Tubbo: for what?

Tommy: Making me feel better about the whole Soar thing.

Tubbo: Anytime, Tommy. You’re my flock.

Tommy: Awww, you’re being wholesome-

Tubbo: Y'know what, I’m gonna shove you into the Rift-

[The audio cuts out to the sound of childhood youth.]

[LOG 2.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.9 BEGINS.]

[It’s quiet again.]

Tommy: The stars are nice tonight.

Tubbo: Can you even see them? With your eyesight.

Tommy: It’s not that bad, Tubbo. ‘S just a little worse than yours.

Tubbo: I guess so. Can you see that one?

[There’s a rustle of fabric as Tubbo presumably points at a star.]

Tommy: Obviously. It’s frog.

Tubbo: That’s still the dumbest constellation name there is. I can’t believe you’re not supposed to capitalize it.

Tommy: It's like- punishable by death or something.

Tubbo: Really?

Tommy: Yeah.

Tubbo: Oh I’m dead.

Tommy: I’m joking. Idiot.

Tubbo: You have to stop doing that! I can never tell! It’s so weird!

Tommy: It’s hilarious Tubso. You’re always so clueless. Look at Terglas. It’s shining so brightly tonight.

Tubbo: I think it’s supernova-ing.

Tommy: It’s exploding?

Tubbo: I think so. It’s too bright.

Tommy: How long do we have? Until it disappears.

Tubbo: Longer than we’re alive, probably. It’s not leaving any time soon.

Tommy: What about Square? I still think it’s such a stupid name. Why’d you think they named it that? It’s an oval.

Tubbo: Well I think that it’s ‘cause the Avian who named it was blind.

Tommy: Tubso, why the Rift would they let a blind Avian name a constellation?

Tubbo: I dunno! Why do they ban Avians from writing frog with a capital F?

Tommy: I bet it’s ‘cause it was named somewhere else and they heard it wrong. Like those games we play where we have to race past each other and whisper a word in each other’s ears. Relay Words, remember?

Tubbo: It's been rotations since I’ve played that game. You think they played Relay Words with constellations?

Tommy: They’re so badly named that I wouldn’t be surprised.

[Tubbo chortles and Tommy readjusts, humming lightly in the melody of ‘you are my sunshine.’]

Tubbo: How are you doing that?

Tommy: Doing what?

Tubbo: That- that throat thing.

[The humming resumes. There’s the sound of scrambling, like Tubbo moving away from Tommy quickly. There’s an amused lilt to Tommy’s voice.]

Tommy: What?

Tubbo: That’s a human thing? How come you’ve never done that before?

Tommy: I didn’t even know I could. I found a recording of my parents. My- blood flock. My mom was doing that.

Tubbo: You had a mom?

Tommy: Tubso you are not that dumb.

Tubbo: I’ve never heard or seen your mom! How would I know?

Tommy: Where do you think I came from?

Tubbo: Tommy, all I know is that you showed up in a box with your little recording thing that you carry everywhere now. How would I know?

Tommy: You wanna hear my mom? I have one of the recordings that I haven’t heard yet. There were seven that were already on here before I figured out how to use it. I’ve only heard two.

Tubbo: Isn’t it- sacred, or something?

Tommy: Not really, I guess. Or maybe it is? I dunno. I don’t care if you want to listen though.

Tubbo: …Okay.

[The audio stops.]

[LOG 2.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.3 BEGINS.]

[It restarts, playing back an audio stuck eight years in the past.]

Innes 2: Clem! Come and see this!

Clem: What is it?

Innes 2: The stars, Clem. Look at them.

Clem: We live in the stars. You’re still so fascinated by them, aren’t you?

Innes 2: Have you seen them? They’re so perfect. How could you not be fascinated?

Clem: Don’t you get tired of it?

Innes 2: God, no. I could stare at this forever.

Clem: Remember our first date? You took me to that meadow with the stars. I thought you were going to kill me.

Innes 2: We do not talk about that, oh my God-

Clem: You were such a big nerd.

Innes 2: I learnt the name of constellations just to show off to you.

Clem: I hope you know how clueless I was about it.

Innes 2: Yeah, but you were also hopelessly in love, weren’t you?

Clem: With you being a nerd? Yeah.

Innes 2: Is that the recorder?

Clem: Yeah. Thought I’d record a bit more, y’know? In case something happens. At least he’ll know our voices.

Innes 2: God, you’re so negative. We’ll be okay, Clem.

Clem: Will we? We lost contact with so many of our old classmates. There’s been an uprise of bounty hunters recently. Being who we are out here is dangerous.

Innes 2: Clem. We’ll be okay. I promise.

Clem: What if we never meet him? What if we never meet Tommy?

Innes 2: Tommy will make it. I swear. Even if we don’t, Tommy will. I’ll make sure he does.

Clem: What, we’re gonna send him off like Superman?

[There’s a mournful little laugh there, full of love and brightness.]

Innes 2: If it means that he’ll live, then sure. We’ll make him Superman.

Clem: Hear that, Tommy? You’re gonna make it. You’ll be our little Superman.

[The audio clips off.]

[LOG 1.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.11 BEGINS.]

[There’s the familiar breathing pattern of Tommy and Tubbo in tandem.]

Tubbo: What’s a superman?

Tommy: I have… no idea.

Tubbo: I can’t believe you actually have a blood flock.

Tommy: Tubso, be so serious with me for a second. Where do you think I came from?

Tubbo: A box? That’s how you came.

Tommy: How are you so stupid and smart at the same time.

Tubbo: I hate you. Shut up and look at Auge. It’s blinking.

Tommy: It’s like it’s blinking at us. You wanna bet it’s an eye?

Tubbo: An eye? In space?

Tommy: If you can believe I was born from a box, I can believe there’s a giant eye in space.

Tubbo: Do you ever wanna go see it? Space?

Tommy: All the time.

Tubbo: Why?

Tommy: Tubso, just look at those stars. Imagine how much there is in the world that isn’t here. Don’t you wanna see it all?

Tubbo: Not really. I like here. I like my tree nest and my flock and the forest. It feels like home, here.

Tommy: I guess it is.

Tubbo: You...don’t feel at home? Here?

Tommy: No, I do! It’s just- it’s different. It’s not made for me. Phil had to make steps and ladders and levers around the place so I could go around. It wasn’t made for me.

Tubbo: But we made it for you. It’s Tommy-shaped now. There’s a Tommy shaped space here. You can’t leave that empty. You wouldn’t leave, right, Tommy?

Tommy: Never without telling you. And- I love the idea of space and the stars and stuff. But you’re all here. You and Phil and everyone else. I couldn’t leave you guys behind.

Tubbo: Yeah. Yeah. Don’t leave us behind, Tommy.

Tommy: Never. It’s us forever.

Tubbo: Us forever. Now turn off that stupid recorder before you hold me being all soft over my head forever-

Tommy: Why do you hate it so much-

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 2.11 ENDS.]

[LOG 2.12 BEGINS.]

[It restarts with a long sigh.]

Tommy: Tubbo just went to bed. He said he was getting tired or something. I don’t know how he knows. He does, though.

[There’s a rustle, like Tommy was shifting around.]

Tommy: I don’t think Tubbo gets it. The whole- not belonging thing. He doesn’t know what it’s like. He’s always belonged here. This is his place. His nest. He’s got his blood flock here and everything.

[There’s a long silence with only static and steady breathing.]

Tommy: I guess this is all I’ve got left of my blood flock. You. Recorder. Whatever you are. You and two more recordings. There were only five, you know? Five recordings of my parents, and then that’s that. I still don’t know what a superman is. Maybe that’s what I should record. Things I’m gonna ask a human when I meet them. Like a superman. And a- a classmate? And singing! I’m gonna ask about the song. The sunshine song. Yeah. Yeah, I’m gonna ask a human like me, and I’ll figure it out. What all those things are.

[There’s a content little sigh, and Tommy reshuffles again. The recorder’s audio goes clearer as it gets picked up.]

Tommy: I’ll record everything. And I’ll keep track of it all. And then I’ll find my parents, or a human, or something else, and everything will make sense and I’ll belong somewhere.

Tommy: I...I have to.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 2.12 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.1 was starred.]

[LOG 1.2 was starred.]

[LOG 1.3 was starred.]

[LOG 2.13 BEGINS.]

Tommy: C’mon Phil! Say hi!

Phil: What’s the point of this, again?

Tommy: It’s a recorder. It remembers what I said so I can listen to it later.

Phil: What's the point of that?

Tommy: Memory problems, remember? Well- not really, just worse memory than you.

Phil: Right, right. Why am I saying hi?

Tommy: Because it’s like- a marking. It’s showing that you’ve been there. And it's for fun! You should have more fun in life, Phil.

Phil: I don’t have time for fun.

Tommy: You’re morbid.

Phil: What’s that?

Tommy: Morbid?

Phil: Yeah.

Tommy: I don’t know. My dad said it once.

Phil: In one of the.. recordings? You said they were called?

Tommy: Yeah! And look at this!

[Tommy begins to hum the song to ‘you are my sunshine’. There’s a surprised chirp and a ruffle of feathers.]

Phil: What was that?

Tommy: Singing! Or- a song. I think. My mom did it!

[There’s a fond sigh.]

Phil: From the recording too?

Tommy: Yeah. It’s like- I’m learning so much, Phil. I’m learning so much about my blood flock and- there’s so many things I didn’t know about.

Phil: You like it?

Tommy: Yeah! I can’t believe you kept it from me for so long.

Phil: Hey, it looked like a bomb. I didn’t know who would send a bomb with a fledgling, but there’s always a chance.

Tommy: What made you change your mind?

Phil: You seemed so… excited. To learn about your roots. And humans and all their strange habits that come with them. And plus, it hadn’t done anything for fourteen rotations in the corner of my room. So I thought maybe it was time to give it to you.

Tommy: And?

Phil: And what?

Tommy: That’s not everything. Your wings are doing the twitchy thing.

Phil: What? What twitchy thing?

Tommy: When you only tell part of the story. Your wing does a twitchy thing.

Phil: Since when?

Tommy: Since forever. It’s always been like that.

Phil: Is that how you could always tell that I didn’t mean it when I said things when you were little?

Tommy: How else did you think I did?

Phil: I just thought it was a human thing.

Tommy: Nope. I think it’s just a Tommy thing. Why’d you give me the recorder?

Phil: Well-

[He sighs, wings rustling.]

Phil: I saw you when they said that Tubbo would go for his Soar.

Tommy: And?

Phil: And- you looked really upset. Angry? It's the face you make when you go curl up in your nest for hours.

Tommy: You saw that?

Phil: Of course I saw it.

Tommy: Oh.

Phil: And I thought about the recorder and how you were always talking about wanting to know more human things, so…

Tommy: So you gave me the recorder.

Phil: Well- I didn’t know what it was, but yeah.

Tommy: Oh.

[There’s a lapse of silence in the room.]

Phil: Well- I gotta go, mate. I’ll be back in a bit?

Tommy: yeah- yeah, of course.

Phil: Don’t forget to clean your nest!

Tommy: I will!

[The footsteps recede to nothing. The audio plays in silence for a couple minutes before there’s a shuffle and it cuts off.]

[LOG 2.13 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 3.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hi! Hello, welcome back. Glad to have you. Today on the announcements, we get to listen to Tubbo get hit in the face repeatedly by a tree because he doesn’t know how to fly-

[There’s a voice in the distance, barely discernible.]

Tubbo: Are you slandering me down there Tommy?

Tommy: Not at all! You’re doing great Tubbo!

[Tommy’s next words were closer to the mic, presumably for Tubbo not to hear.]

Tommy: He’s gonna fail so bad. But it’s okay. It’s not like I can do much better.

Tubbo: Here I go!

Tommy: Good luck! Oh… Oh there he goes. Oh he’s already hit a branch. That’s another branch to the stomach. He missed one! Or it missed him. One or the other. Well- he almost made it to the other platform! He did, but just really poorly. And with a lot of branches to the face. It looked painful.

Tubbo: Stop making me sound incompetent!

Tommy: It’s not making you sound like it if it’s true!

Tubbo: I’m gonna kill you!

Tommy: Not if you can’t catch me!

[There’s the sound of flapping as Tubbo’s voice progressively gets louder.]

Tubbo: Fine. Then I won’t tell you the thing I overheard today.

Tommy: Tubbo, are you gonna deny me of my gossip? You’re gonna stop my nosy tendencies?

Tubbo: Well maybe if you came yourself, I wouldn’t have to do it for you.

Tommy: Tubso, I love you, but I am not going to that Rift hole. That place is literally the Rift personified.

Tubbo: It’s not that bad.

Tommy: For you! It’s horrendous Tubbo. Terrible. I’d rather get kicked into the Rift.

Tubbo: Fine, I heard there was a human that crash landed.

Tommy: A what crash landed?

Tubbo: Are you deaf and blind? A human. Idiot.

Tommy: No way. No way!

[There’s a whoop of victory and a few startled squawks.]

Tommy: Sorry!

Tubbo: You gotta stop doing that.

Tommy: But its a human Tubso. A whole human!

Tubbo: Yeah, good luck getting Phil to let you see him.

Tommy: It’s a him?

Tubbo: I think so. That’s what they were saying, anyways.

Tommy: Tubbo. Tubbo my flock. My favorite bird brained idiot. Please help me find him.

Tubbo: And get grounded? No thanks.

Tommy: Tubbooooo.

Tubbo: Tommyyyyyy. I’m not doing that. I was just giving you what I knew ‘cause you get excited about these things. It’s not even the first time a human crash landed here.

Tommy: Yes it is!

Tubbo: What about that human that crash landed two hundred cycles ago?

Tommy: number one, I don’t know when that was, number two, didn’t she die?

Tubbo: Yeah.

Tommy: And this one is alive?

Tubbo: Yeah?

Tommy: That means I can talk to him Tubbo. I can ask him all those questions about- about everything! Maybe he knows my blood flock, Tubbo.

Tubbo: You really think they’re alive?

Tommy: They could be!

Tubbo: Tommy, we both heard the last recording. I know you want to meet them. But don’t get your hopes up.

Tommy: Tubbo just- let me have this? Please? I’ve never talked to anyone like me. It’s been 28 rotations I’ve been on this stupid planet and no one is like me!

Tubbo: Tommy…

Tommy: Just let me ask people. Let me ask around about the human that crash landed.

Tubbo: …Fine.

[There’s another shout of victory, albeit a little bit less loud.]

Tommy: Tubbo you are amazing. I owe you a sunfruit. Or three. I’ll find them. C’mon!

Tubbo: I’m not coming with you!

Tommy: You are now! Grab the recorder, hurry up!

[There’s a long sigh and the recorder gets picked up.]

Tubbo: the things that I do for this huma-

[The audio clips off.]

[LOG 3.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: So, who am I here with today?

Grian: Uhm- Grian?

Tommy: Hi Grian!

Grian: Hello? What’re you holding?

Tommy: It’s a recorder!

Grian: That explains… nothing.

Tubbo: It’s ‘cause humans have less of a memory. It just repeats what you say into it when we press a button.

Grian: That’s kind of creepy. Are you sure it’s safe?

Tubbo: Probably! We’d be dead otherwise.

Grian: That’s not reassuring.

Tommy: Not related! So, Grian, what do you know about the human that crash landed?

Grian: Nothing?

Tommy: Nothing at all?

Grian: I mean- I saw it from a couple thousand trunks away, but not really. Hey, aren’t you a fledgling?

Tommy: Not related! What was it like?

Grian: They said that the fledglings weren’t supposed to be out of their nests ‘cause the human is wandering around. You should get back to your nest.

Tommy: It’s fine, I’m a human too! He won’t hurt me.

Grian: I’m… pretty sure that’s not how it works.

Tommy: Will you just tell me what you saw?

Grian: Well- I saw a crash. And It was loud and fire-y and explosive.

Tubbo: What did the ship look like? Was it a ship?

Grian: It looked like a ship. An F-17, maybe. Maybe something older? I’m not sure. I’m not a huge ship person. You should try asking Scar. He lives two trees down to the right.

Tommy: I think I’ve met him. The one with the injured wing?

Grian: Yeah.

Tubbo: What did happen to his wing?

Grian: You should ask him.

Tubbo: …Okay.

Tommy: Okay! Thanks Grian!

Grian: You’re welcome! Stay off the forest ground!

[Grian’s voice fades away as Tommy runs on echo-y wood and Tubbo’s wings flap beside him.]

Tommy: You think Grian is gonna tell Phil I’m not in my nest?

Tubbo: Probably not. Grian was only a couple rotations older than me. He was the biggest mischief maker before his Soar.

Tommy: Hey, how come I don’t know any of this stuff?

Tubbo: Because you sit in your room like a snail in a shell.

Tommy: I can’t believe you’re insulting me like this.

Tubbo: I’m not insulting you if it's true. Also, you missed Scar’s tree.

Tommy: Tubbo!

Tubbo: What?

[There’s a knocking and a couple seconds of silence before the door creaks open.]

Scar: Hello?

Tommy: Hi!

Scar: Hi! Welcome welcome, come in. My name is Scar, who are you again?

Tommy: I’m Tommy, and this is Tubbo.

Scar: Tommy! I’ve heard of you around, y’know, the human of the Avians! What happened?

Tommy: We heard a human crash landed here?

Tubbo: Well not here but it’s around. Grian told us that you knew the ships?

Scar: Grian! Yeah, Grian would tell you that. Well you’re lucky because I do know what ship it was. Why do you wanna know?

Tommy: I mean, you said it yourself. I’m human. I wanna meet one of my own.

Scar: You wanna meet him? Are you feeling well? Tubbo, you said? Is your flock feeling well?

Tubbo: No, but he’s always like that. I think it’s just his natural state.

Scar: That’s a Rift-ridden state, that is. He’s gonna get himself killed.

Tommy: Can we not talk about hi like he’s not here?

Scar: Do you know how I messed up my wing?

Tommy: No. Grian said to ask, earlier.

Scar: Yeah well- it’s not the first time something that crash landed here. A lot of ships fall here, ‘cause we’re one of the only habitable planets in the area. Most don’t make the landing because we have a slightly different gravity from standard-

Tubbo: -And their ships don’t account for it, right?

Scar: Right. Do you know a lot about ships?

Tubbo: Not really. I read some about them, though.

Tommy: Can we stop nerding out?

Scar: Slow down kid. Yeah well- I was a fledgling like you two and just a tad too curious. Went to go see the survivor. I’m lucky I only got away with this.

[There’s a rustle of feathers.]

Tommy: That's… that’s a lot of scars.

Scar: Where’d you think I got my name from?

Tubbo: That’s why they call you Scar?

Scar: Sure thing. It’s been a while, so it’s just my name now.

Tommy: … oh.

Scar: What's that thing in your hands?

Tommy: Oh this?

[The audio clears up drastically as the recorder is put into air instead of pressed against Tommy’s shirt.]

Tommy: It’s a recorder. Like the ship logs Enderians and Human ships use. ‘Cause of their memory.

Scar: How’d you get one of those?

Tommy: It was with me when Phil found me.

Scar: Huh.

Tommy: It’s pretty cool, right?

Scar: It is, can I-

Tubbo: Hey Tommy, isn’t Phil calling you?

Tommy: I can’t hear him.

Tubbo: That’s ‘cause you’re deaf. C’mon, I can hear him calling us. Sorry Scar! Thanks for all the info!

Scar: Oh- oh! You’re welcome! Just to answer your original question, it was an E-74!

Tubbo: Thanks!

[There’s the abrupt sound of the door closing.]

Tommy: What was that about?

Tubbo: C’mon. I’ll explain it to you. Turn the recorder off, I won’t say it in front of his door.

Tommy: Fine. This better be worth it.

[The audio fades out.]

[LOG 3.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.3 BEGINS.]

Tommy: So, turns out Tubbo is paranoid.

Tubbo: I am not! He was going to ask you for the recorder!

Tommy: No he wasn’t! And I would’ve said no anyways!

Tubbo: You can’t just say no to avians like Scar, Tommy.

Tommy: Why not?

Tubbo: It's- I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just an instinct, okay?

Tommy: That’s a dumb instinct.

Tubbo: Tommy.

Tommy: … Fine. Who do we go to next?

Tubbo: We could try Pearl? It’d be tomorrow morning though. It’s far too late now. Plus, Phil is probably going to call you for sleep real soon.

[Tommy groaned loudly as Tubbo ruffled his wings.]

Tommy: He’s so overprotective with the human on the loose! It’s not like it’ll learn to climb trees or something!

Tubbo: You learnt to climb trees.

Tommy: I was raised in a flock.

Tubbo: That doesn’t mean it won’t learn either!

Tommy: I doubt it. And don’t call him an it. It could be like- offensive or something.

Tubbo: It doesn’t even know we’re talking about it!

Tommy: He.

Tubbo: Fine. He could learn to climb the trees. Phil is only going to make you come home earlier if you keep pushing his rules. Also, I’ve got flight course tomorrow morning.

Tommy: Fine. Bye Tubso.

Tubbo: Bye Tommy!

[The audio clips out.]

[LOG 3.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.4 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hullo. It’s just me again. Thought I’d do a little night update when everyone else is sleeping. Phil can’t yell at me if he isn’t awake, right?

[There’s a pause, and then a long sigh.]

Tommy: I know he just cares. But- it gets pressing. Like- even Tubbo doesn’t know what it’s like. I know Scar was trying to warn us and I mean- it makes sense but- they don’t know what it’s like. To not feel like you belong. I don’t go to flight classes because I can’t fly. You know what that’s like? Everyone going and flying and doing all those stuff and just being- stuck? Stuck to the platforms and forest ground? And I can’t even go to the forest ground now because of the stupid crash-landing human!

[There’s an upset huff.]

Tommy: It’s not fair. I want to meet him. I wanna know more about him. I can’t be the only one who wants to see him, right? There’s gotta be some of the kids at Tubbo’s course that snuck a peek. It can’t be that hard. The forest isn’t that big. Plus humans are loud, and Avians aren’t. They’ll find him in no time.

[There’s a long pause.]

Tommy: The stars are pretty tonight. Allium is really purple. It’s not usually that vibrant, but I guess it’s a night of new expectations. I’ll find that human. I will. I have to. I’m so close to meeting someone like me. It’s so close, mom. Recorder. Whoever’s listening. I don’t even think that connects to anything. Maybe it’s just ‘Future Tommy’. Am I just talking to myself? Isn’t that a sign of insanity? Maybe Tubbo was right. Maybe I am insane.

[The audio clips out.]

[LOG 3.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.5 BEGINS.]

Tubbo: Did you turn it on?

Tommy: Tubbo, the sun’s not even risen. Why’d you wake me up so early?

Tubbo: Tommy, I saw him. And he was doing that throat thing! That you do!

Tommy: The laughing?

Tubbo: No! The- the- look, let me just show you.

[There was a loud purring noise, shifting between three pitches.]

Tubbo: I can’t do it. It’s so human!

Tommy: The… music?

[Tommy hummed the melody to ‘You are my sunshine.’]

Tubbo: Yeah! Like that! It wasn't the same- song, you called it, but it was like that!

Tommy: He was singing?

Tubbo: I don’t know if that’s what singing is, but he was doing the throat thing. So yeah?

Tommy: Stars, Tubbo, that’s a human thing! It’s not just a Tommy thing! The singing is a human thing! I do a human thing, Tubbo!

Tubbo: Tommy, you do a lot of human things.

Tommy: Okay, but it was a real human thing. Like on purpose. It wasn’t an accident. And he does it. And there’s different songs, Tubbo! It’s not just one! Do you think I could make songs? Is it like only one human who can do it? Can we all do it?

Tubbo: I don’t know but-

Phil: Tommy! Tommy, where are you?

Tommy: We’re here, Phil!

[There’s the sound of tapping footsteps as Phil approaches Tommy’s nest.]

Phil: Did you hear?

Tommy: Hear what?

Phil: The human. It attacked someone.

[There was a stunned silence lasting several seconds.]

Tubbo: It- it attacked?

Phil: Yeah. And it almost got a fledgling.

Tommy: It attacked a fledgling?!

Tubbo: Tommy, stop being deaf.

Phil: Tubbo, be nice. It does mean though, that you’re not allowed to leave this platform.

[There’s a sudden loud influx of indistinguishable noise as both Tommy and Tubbo start yelling.]

Tommy: You can’t just do that Phil, I’m not your blood flock-

Tubbo: I’ve got flying and stuff I need to do-

Phil: Tubbo! Tommy! Calm down!

Tommy: You can’t do that Phil!

Phil: You will find that I can and will to make sure you two are okay.

Tubbo: I’ll fly. You can’t catch me through the lower grounds.

Phil: Tubbo, don’t you dare. The human already got one fledgling, and they barely made it out. You know how powerful they are.

Tommy: They’re not powerful.

Phil: Yes, you are. You just don’t know how to use your strength.

Tommy: Phil, we can’t even fly. Avians run faster, and have the height advantage.

Phil: Tommy, mate.

[There’s a rustle, like Phil had pulled Tommy close.]

Phil: You’ve got one of the strongest grips in the galaxy. When it’s in the hands of a human, With enough adrenaline you could break our bones by squeezing down hard enough. You don’t even notice, but you hold back for us.

Tommy: Adrenaline?

Tubbo: It’s when humans are stressed, I think. They get a burst of energy.

Tommy: I could- break your bones with that?

Tubbo: Yeah. I think so.

Tommy: How come no one ever told me before?

[A tense silence.]

Tommy: Phil?

Phil: Well- we were scared that you wouldn’t be able to control it. So we thought if you didn’t know about it, then you couldn’t use it.

[There’s the sound of stumbling back, like Tommy shoving himself out of Phil’s wings.]

Tommy: You thought I’d hurt you?

Phil: Tommy…

Tommy: Tubbo?

Tubbo: I- I didn’t know you didn’t know.

Tommy: Your wing is twitching.

Tubbo: What?

Tommy: Your wing. It’s twitching.

Tubbo: I don’t get it.

Tommy: Whatever. I’m leaving.

[The recorder gets picked up, ground shifting beneath it. There’s the sound of Phil clicking. It fades to nothing as the audio is filled with only Tommy’s steady breathing and footsteps.]

Tommy: They think I’m gonna attack them. They think I’m going to attack them. And they kept it from me!

[The walking stops, and the recorder is set back on the floor.]

Tommy: I’m not… I’m not gonna hurt them. I couldn't hurt them. They’re my flock. How could I hurt them? …Oh. Oh, there’s that feeling again. In my stomach, when I don’t belong. I can’t- I don’t like it. I hate it.

Tommy: It hurts. I don’t like it when it hurts.

[A long silence for several minutes. It’s broken with the sound of fluttering wings.]

Tommy: Leave me alone, Tubbo.

Tubbo: I think I have something you’ll like.

Tommy: I don’t want it.

Tubbo: You don’t even know what it is.

Tommy: I don’t have to.

Tubbo: It’s from the human.

Tommy: It’s from the what?

Tubbo: Stop yelling! If Phil hears me, he’s going to kill me.

Tommy: You actually went? You saw the human?

Tubbo: Not really. But I bribed the fledgling that did. The one that almost got attacked. He didn’t even want it anymore, ‘cause he was scared it’d lead the human to him. Which is stupid. I don’t think the human would care.

Tommy: Let me see.

Tubbo: You gotta come to my nest first.

Tommy: Phil is literally going to throw me into the Rift.

Tubbo: No he won’t! I convinced him to let you go back and forth between your nest and mine.

[Tubbo chirped happily.]

Tommy: How’d you manage that?

Tubbo: Advanced persuasive techniques.

Tommy: I don’t know what that means.

Tubbo: I made him think it was a human thing.

[Tommy gasped dramatically.]

Tommy: You lied? To Philza?

Tubbo: You’re the one who taught me how!

Tommy: Because that is a sneaky human thing to do. I can’t believe you lied to my flock.

Tubbo: You lie to your flock every time you tell him you’re gonna go to your nest and instead you go look outside at the stars.

Tommy: It’s not my fault I can’t sleep at night! The stars are nice, okay? Plus my blood flock said I was a child of the stars, so maybe it has something to do with that.

Tubbo: Yeah yeah. Do you want to see it or not?

Tommy: Obviously.

Tubbo: Okay, but we’ve got to be quiet. It means turning off the recorder.

Tommy: What? It doesn’t even make noise!

Tubbo: Yeah it does! It’s all buzzy and hissing. Like a snake. Just like… normal. Or snake-like.

Tommy: So not like a snake.

Tubbo: You suck. C’mon, just turn it off.

Tommy: Fine. But this human thing better be goo-

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 3.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.6 BEGINS.]

Tommy: It was incredible. It was this book thing, but it was so different. It had little images on it. And it was like- it was like if real life and the world were on paper. I don’t know what to call them. But there were some other people. Like one of a girl with long brown hair. And she had these big green eyes but not bird big, they were human big. It was so beautiful. And there were so many. The whole book was almost full of those things. Not of the same girl, but there were a lot of them. Different kinds of people. Even with different colours. Like how Avians have different colours. I didn’t know there were so many kinds of humans. Tubbo, do you see amazing it is?

Tubbo: I don’t really get what's so fascinating about the scribbles, but you seem to like it, so I like it for you.

Tommy: Tubbo, they’re like real life, but not. I wonder if I could do it. Like- like that one all the way back.

[There’s the rustling of paper as Tommy flips through the book.]

Tommy: Like this one! It’s of a barkbird, Tubbo.

Tubbo: That doesn’t even look like a barkbird.

Tommy: Well- it could be the human planet version of a barkbird. Don’t humans have a home planet?

Tubbo: They probably do, but no one can get on or off it I think. There’s a lot of rules around it.

Tommy: What’s it called?

Tubbo: I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you that.

Tommy: Oh c’mon Tubso, since when were there secrets between us? I think it was you and me, forever?

Tubbo:... you promise not to tell anyone else?

Tommy: I promise.

Tubbo: It’s called Earth.

Tommy: … Earth. My home planet is called Earth.

Tubbo: Yeah. Yeah Tommy.

[There’s a delicate silence.]

Tommy: You think one day I’ll see it? My home planet?

Tubbo: Maybe you will.

Tommy: Hey Tubbo?

Tubbo: Yeah?

Tommy: Do you want to try doing this with me? This real life paper thing.

Tubbo: With what?

Tommy: Maybe the juices? The ones from the berries! They stain stuff anyways, right? We could try it on wood. The rain will wash it off if it doesn’t look any good anyways.

Tubbo: It’s something you really want to do?

[Tubbo’s voice is hesitant. Doubtful. There’s hope, in Tommy’s.]

Tommy: Yeah. Please?

[There’s a long sigh and a buzz and Tommy laughs. He laughs like a human and like his mother.]

Tommy: That means yes! C’mon Tubbo, we’re gonna learn how to real life on wood! It’s like connecting with my roots! Like a tree!

Tubbo: I have no human in me, you know that right? And did you just compare yourself to a tree?

Tommy: Okay, well you’re doing it for me. Like how I did your Soar. I couldn’t fly, but I figured it out. We figured it out together, Tubso. We can figure out one more.

Tubbo: Yeah. Yeah, we’ll do it. But tomorrow, okay? I know I told Phil that I had flight, and I did, but just later. So I have to got flight. But I’ll be back soon, okay? Maybe you could read something on those real life on paper things.

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah, we need a better name for it. Saying real life on paper is a lot of words to say every time.

Tubbo: Maybe you can come up with a name for it too.

Tommy: Just leaving me all the hard work while you go and have fun, classic Tubbo.

Tubbo: Hey! I don’t want to go to flight-

[Tommy cuts him off with a laugh.]

Tommy: I’m just kidding.

Tubbo: Oh. Oh! I still can’t tell when you do that! It’s so confusing!

Tommy: You’ll get used to it one day. You’re gonna be late!

Tubbo: I don't like how you’re right!

[Tubbo’s voice fades away to nothing.]

Tommy: Bye Tubbo! Oh, this is still on. I should turn this off probably-

[The audio clicks off.]

[LOG 3.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.7 BEGINS.]

Tommy: It worked! The berry thing! We stained the wood, and I think it’s called- drawing? That’s what I got from the holo articles? And it’s not only humans do it! It’s mostly humans, yeah, but sometimes they can be from another species too. Our ‘drawings’ weren’t as good as the human’s that crash landed, but they were fun to make. Even Tubbo had fun. He barely knew what was happening. I was thinking of the other song that Tubbo heard that the crash human was singing. I wonder how many songs there are in the galaxy. On Earth. I tried making one last cycle, but I just got looked at weird. To be fair though, I get looked at weird regardless of what I do. Maybe it’s just because I’m weird. Or they think I’m weird. I don’t know. I can’t explain it to Phil or Tubbo because they don’t get it. Everyone looks at Phil with respect because he’s one of the oldest ones in the flock, and Tubbo is just- Tubbo. But I’m human. Everyone looks at me. No one really loves seeing me, but I’m interesting and kind of different and I guess that makes me weird. I wonder what the crash human thinks of it. If he knew. I don’t think he’d attack me, by the way. I think he attacked the fledgling because he was scared. That fledgling scares me too. He’s a scary fledgling.

[The sound of wind rustles through the trees.]

Tommy: I really like doing these night time recordings. I think it’s like- I can tell you about everything. You, whoever you are, you just listen and sit there. And sometimes, when it’s really hard to sleep, I can put you on and listen to my own voice. Did you know how much easier it is to fall asleep to someone’s voice. Avians have their entire- internal time measurement, but I don’t, so I never know what time it is. But sometimes it takes me a long time to go to sleep because of just- everything. I’ll just be laying there awake. It’ll be too quiet or too loud or too… too. That doesn’t really make sense but it's true. Avians don’t have that. They have a really strict schedule they keep and it repeats every day without break. They know exactly when to sleep and when to wake up. Tubbo stays up later than that sometimes just to hang out with me, because he knows I can’t sleep so good at night. He’ll be half asleep with his eyes closing and he still won't go to his nest just so that he can hang out with me.

[Tommy shifts around. The audio crackles.]

Tommy: I wonder if you can see stars on Earth. I wonder if it’s like here, with the green skies and barkbirds and sunfruit and all the plants we have here. I wonder if it's only humans there. Tubbo said the security was pretty tight, right? Maybe they don’t let anyone else into the planet. Like here, it’s mostly Avians, but there’s a couple other species too. They’re not common, but they’re here. We don’t really have a huge amount of security, but that’s because we’re so far away from other planets. No one wants to be here unless they want to live a really quiet, humid life. Phil says this place is humid. I don’t really know what that means, but it doesn’t feel like it. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been anywhere else.

[A long pause. Tommy is breathing, in and out steadily.]

Tommy: I breathe a lot less than Avians. Like- less frequent. I tried comparing it with Tubbo once, and he breathes in out like- three times as fast as me. It’s weird. It’s kind of cool too, though. I could hold my breath for so much longer than him. If I was underwater or something, I could stay that longer than Tubbo. Not that I’ve ever been in a situation where I’ve had to be underwater. There’s the little waterfall a couple hundred trees down that Tubbo swears he can hear faintly from his nest, but I don’t believe him. We go play in there sometimes. Tubbo doesn’t love getting his feathers wet though, so he mostly just stays on the rocks nearby and dips his hands into the water. We saw fish in there once. Y’know the little silvery things that are super slippery? I tried catching one, but Phil said it’d make me sick, so I couldn’t eat it. I wonder if the human that crashed has ever tried fish. Maybe he’s sick. I was sick, once. Phil said it’s because of a berry I ate, but I don’t think so. Phil had to call his human friend and everything, and he walked him through how to take care of me. I was too tired to see him, and I had so many weird day thoughts when I was sick. I usually only have those thoughts at night, though. They’re weird, but I like them. They’re funny sometimes. Avians don’t get that. The night thoughts. Sometimes mine are scary. The first time they were scary, I went to Phil in the middle of the night and slept with him in his nest. When I woke up the next morning, Phil was hissing at me. I think it’s because I wasn’t supposed to go into his nest without asking. I told Tubbo about it, and Tubbo told me that I could go to his whenever, so I started doing that when I had a bad night thought. Phil said sorry after, and it makes sense, but I just got used to going to Tubbo’s. So I started doing that. I get the bad night thoughts a lot less often now, but Tubbo still likes hearing about the fun night thoughts. They’re stupid sometimes, like once I had one where Tubbo turned into a switchtail and we jumped into the Rift together, even though a switchtail doesn’t have any wings, we both could fly. And he went and explored the Rift and we found this cave that led us to another world with all these strange fruits and foods and grass. The sky was orange instead of the normal green. And the sun was all near the ground like the grass was eating it. And there were no trees. It was all open grass, like that one bit at the edge of the forest, before the marsh. Where it’s just grass. It was like that as far as you could see, and it never ended.

[The awe in Tommy’s voice was evident.]

Tommy: I wonder what Earth is like. If it has that. I wonder if my night thoughts are a Tommy thing or a human thing. I don’t know. I don’t know a lot of things about my world. But I’ll find out. I swear. Maybe- maybe I’ll find the human that’s on the forest ground and I’ll ask him all my questions. Yeah.

[There’s a short pause. Tommy exhales.]

Tommy: I should probably go to my nest. If Phil finds me out here with the human on the loose, he’s going to throw me into a nest and not let me leave for at least four cycles. Good night, recorder.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 3.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.8 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hey, Tubbo, what do you think the human is gonna do?

Tubbo: What?

Tommy: Everyone is scared of the human, right? On the forest floor? What do you think he’s gonna do?

Tubbo: I dunno. He could murder us all, or something.

Tommy: I wanna meet him.

[There’s an indignant squawk.]

Tubbo: Have you gone crazy? Did you eat one of those hallucination berries again? Do you remember what happened last time? Why would you do that-

Tommy: I didn’t eat a hallucination berry, Tubbo. I’m being serious.

Tubbo: Do you have a death hope?

Tommy: No! No. I just want to meet him.

Tubbo: So he can murder you.

Tommy: You’re so negative. He’s not gonna kill me.

Tubbo: He almost killed that fledgling!

Tommy: But that fledgling is an idiot. No one likes him anyways. It was probably his fault!

Tubbo: Why are you trying to defend him so much?

Tommy: Because he’s like me, Tubbo! He’s a human like me! And if- if he’s dangerous, then…

Tubbo: …Tommy.

Tommy: Just- lets just see. We won’t talk to him. Let’s just see him from the treetops. We won’t go down.

Tubbo: We’re gonna get in trouble.

Tommy: Since when has that scared you?

Tubbo: Tommy, I don’t know if you know, but your dad is terrifying.

Tommy: Phil isn’t my dad. Plus, he wouldn’t do anything to you. Worst case scenario, he’ll just tell your flock to be careful. I’m gonna be trapped in my nest for twenty cycles if I’m lucky.

Tubbo: This is a terrible idea.

Tommy: That’s what your mom said when she had you! C’mon Tubso!

Tubbo: You’re a bad influence.

[The recorder gets picked up. The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 3.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.9 BEGINS.]

Tommy: That was amazing.

Tubbo: That was terrifying! Are you insane?!

Tommy: Tubbo, we saw him! And he was fixing his ship!

Tubbo: And he almost saw us! What if we died, Tommy?

Tommy: We weren’t going to die.

Tubbo: Tommy, that was not what we said we were going to do.

Tommy: It was! We just looked at him from the treetops!

Tubbo: You almost went up to talk to him!

Tommy: He was so close, Tubbo. I heard him doing that music thing. He was doing the music thing, Tubbo! Did you hear that? Did you hear him?

Tubbo: Yeah! It sounded like a war cry!

Tommy: It sounded amazing.

Tubbo: Tommy, you’re delusional.

Tommy: I’m not! Tubbo, he’s real. He was a real human and he had a ship and it was almost fixed. That means he’s leaving soon.

Tubbo: Good riddance.

[There’s a dull thud as Tommy punches Tubbo. There’s another woosh of feathers as Tubbo hits Tommy in the face with a wing. It’s a familiar pattern.]

Tommy: I wanna talk to him.

Tubbo: You’ve literally gone insane. Insanity. Delusional. Other words for absolutely crazy.

Tommy: This is my chance Tubbo! I could ask all my questions!

Tubbo: To the human that almost killed a fledgeling?

Tommy: It’s a human Tubbo. I can’t just pass up on this.

Tubbo: You’re gonna get killed and then your dead body is going to get thrown into the Rift and I am not going to fly into it to get it back.

Tommy: You’re so dramatic.

Tubbo: It’s not dramatic if it’s true. Tommy, you’re gonna get yourself killed. I don’t want you dead.

Tommy: It’ll be fine. He’s a human, Tubbo. Like me. He wouldn’t hurt me.

Tubbo: You’re putting a lot of trust in a human you’ve never met.

Tommy: Don’t you trust me, Tubbo?

Tubbo: I do, just not for this. You’re risking too much. Talking to him is a terrible idea.

Tommy: I have to, Tubbo. I’ve got this- there’s this itching in my stomach. Like I’m gonna explode if I don’t. He’s so close.

Tubbo: You have too many itchy stomachs. I don’t know how you do it.

Tommy: Please?

Tubbo: I’ll cover for you. But I’m not going with you.

Tommy: That's fine. That’s fine! Stars, Tubbo, you’re amazing. Thank you so much.

Tubbo: If you die, I’m going to kill you.

Tommy: I won’t die! Probably.

Tubbo: It would be really terrible if you died.

Tommy: I know, my presence is a blessing from the moons.

Tubbo: A blessing is a stretch. More like a curse.

Tommy: Yeah yeah. You haven’t preened today, have you?

Tubbo: How do you pay so much attention to that-

Tommy: You’re insufferable-

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 3.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 3.10 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hi. Hello. This is the night before I go and find out the answers to all my questions. That’s just a really dramatic way of saying I’m going to go talk to the human. I promised Tubbo that I wouldn’t do it tonight, even though I really want to. But I won’t. ‘Cause I promised him. But yeah! I’ve got a list of things I”m going to ask him. I think I’m going to ask him about the stomach feeling, when I don’t belong. And the night thoughts. And the real life on paper that he dropped. I should give that back. Maybe I’ll rip some out to keep for myself. I don’t think he’ll miss them. He’s got so many already. I just hope he hasn’t left already. Maybe he’s leaving tonight. Maybe I should go see him right now.

[There’s a pause in contemplation.]

Tommy: No. nope, I told Tubbo I wouldn’t. I won’t. I’ll sit here and talk about other things so that I don’t go. Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good plan, Tommy. I think that’s a human thing too. Talking to myself. Is talking to you talking to myself? I don’t think that counts. That’s like- that’s different. It’s like you’re an Avian! A human. Whatever you are. You’re a recorder. I still don’t think it counts. …I wonder if the crash human talks to himself. Maybe the music thing is talking to yourself. Singing to yourself? I think I could sing to myself. Maybe I can make a new one. Not like the sunshine song that my blood flock sang. Like- like the one Tubbo heard. I wonder which one that is.

[Tommy begins to hum you are my sunshine under his breath. Certain notes are twinged and changed. The humming continues for several minutes.]

Tommy: I don’t know what I’m doing. But I will! I’ll ask the human, and he’ll tell me, and everything will be amazing. Yeah. I’ll even record it! I don’t think he’ll notice. Okay. That’s a good plan, Tommy. Yeah. I think I should go nest now so that tomorrow I can be the most awake. I have to talk to the human before he leaves. I have to.

[There’s a light rustle. The audio clips off.]

[LOG 3.10 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 4.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I’m at the site where they said the human crash landed. His ship is here, but it’s still all messed up. Maybe he’s still working on it? I’m not sure. It’s so… different. I’ve never seen a ship like that before. I know it's a human ship, but it’s so… I don’t know. All the ships we ever see have these huge doors to make up for all sorts of species coming in and out. The door is on top normally too, because the Avians can fly into it. The door here is under. There’s a little ladder that goes up to it. Can you imagine? It’s an actual-

[Tommy cuts himself off. There’s a distant moving noise. The following words are quieter- like whispered.]

Tommy: He’s here. He’s here! I can see him!

[There’s a pause of silence. There’s a soft sound of humming in the distance.]

Tommy: Tubbo… Tubbo was right. He’s singing. Like the sunshine song. But it’s not the sunshine song. It’s something new. Stars, maybe this was a bad idea. No. No! Tommy, c’mon, you gotta go. C’mon-

Human 2: Hello?

[Silence. Tommy’s breathing can be heard very faintly.]

Human 2: If it’s another one of you bird people here to steal my stuff I’m gonna stab you. You’re lucky your other one got away!

[Tommy doesn’t respond.]

Human 2: God, this is so dumb- These stupid bird species watching me all the time and the dumb ship- How do you live on a planet with this little resources. How. How is it even habitable?

[There’s a frustrated sigh and something clanging against the ground.]

Human 2: It’s fine. This is fine. I’m almost done, and I’ll be out, and I’m never coming back to this stupid gravity cursed planet. Okay. Hey bird people! If you’re listening, I’m leaving your stupid planet!

[Human 2’s voice slowly fades away as he walks away. Tommy exhaled loudly.]

Tommy: He’s gone. That was terrifying. Stars, humans are scary. I can see why Tubbo didn’t want me to talk to him. I don’t think I want to talk to him again either. Maybe I just- maybe I just look at the ship. Maybe I can just look, and then I’ll leave, and that’s all.

[Tommy hums the sped up melody of ‘you are my sunshine’ under his breath.]

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah. Good plan, Tommy. I think he’s far away enough right? Okay. In and out. Quickly.

[Quiet footsteps replace Tommy’s voice. There’s a shuffle of audio as the recorder is presumably put in Tommy’s pocket. The next footsteps taken echo slightly, like on harder, not dirt ground. ]

Tommy: Woah. This place is so… colorful. There’s so many of them and they’re all there and- there’s red and yellow and green and purple and blue and they’re all together. Recorder, I hope you’re imagining this. They’re all over the walls. They’re like the real life on paper, but they’re on the wall. There's ‘drawings’ all over them. And the floor- the floor is buzzing. It’s not like the forest or treetops. It’s buzzing. There’s no silence.

[There’s a couple more steps as Tommy supposedly ventures further into the ship.]

Tommy: I can see- plants? There’s plants here too! But they’re different. I’ve never seen these before. Are there different plants in space? Are there-

[Another pair of footsteps pick up on the audio.]

Tommy: He’s back.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 4.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: He’s sleeping. The human is sleeping. I think I got his name. He had a recorder thing too, and it was all attached to the ship and- okay. Okay. I’m okay. He hasn’t found me, at least not yet, and I found somewhere to stay. It’s a little cramps but they’re like- tunnels and they go all over the ship. And I can hear him almost anywhere. His name is Purpled, by the way. At least I think. That’s what he called himself in the recorder. He has a recorder. Like me! It’s almost like my box, but his is purple. Like his name. I think he was named after his recorder. I wonder if it’s something every human has. Like their own recorder? Purpled didn’t carry it around though. He just held onto it and then put it back. I think I’m gonna explore the ship when he’s asleep. Not… Not tonight, though. Tonight, I think I’m gonna go sleep. He sleeps at the same time as me, did you know that? It’s a human thing, I think.

[There’s a long pause.]

Tommy: We took off. I think we went into space. Like space, space. The stars, space. I have two more logs from my blood flock. Maybe I should listen to them. Maybe they’ll talk more about how I’m a ‘child of the stars’. I still don’t know what that means, but it sounds nice. I hope it’s nice. Maybe Purpled would know. Maybe it’s a human thing.

[Tommy sighs. There’s a shuffling.]

Tommy: I’m so far from my flock. From Tubbo. From Phil. They’re still back home, and I’m all the way out here. …I wonder if I could see the stars. Like if this ship has an open window. All the stars that me and Tubbo would watch at night. Stars, Tubbo. I left him behind, didn’t I? He’s gonna have a heart attack and die. Rift below, Tubbo is gonna die and it’s gonna be my fault. I’m in the middle of space. With a human.

[Tommy’s breath speeds up.]

Tommy: What if he finds me and kills me? What if- what if Tubbo was right? What if I never see Tubbo again? What if-

[A click of something. Tommy cuts himself off.]

Purpled: Is someone there?

[Silence meets him.]

Purpled: I swear I heard something. I can’t be going insane. Hannah’s gonna kill me if I go insane. God.

[Something clicks again.]

Tommy: I need to be less loud. And more careful. And maybe… Maybe sleep. Yeah. Yeah, sleep sounds good. Good night, recorder.

[The audio clips off.]

[LOG 4.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.3 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Listen. Listen.

[The voice is distant and crackled. Tommy shifts a little bit, and the voice becomes clearer.]

Purpled: -and was stuck on planet for one week and three days. Ten days total. I’ve just wasted ten whole days wasting away on a stupid jungle planet with absolutely nothing. I’ve wasted so much time. It’s currently 16:44 galactic, and everything is… functional enough. My reactor is a bit banged up, so I’ll have to land at a proper, not basically empty planet with a market or something and try paying someone off to fix it. But until then, uh… guess I wait. I’ll be there in a couple days, I think. After that I keep following my leads.

[There’s the creak of something and a press of a button. Purpled says something that is not in Galactic Standard Language [GSL]. It fades away rather quickly.]

Tommy: Did you hear that? He uses a different unit of measurement. I don’t know what a day or week is. Maybe I’ll be stuck here for rotations. Stars, I can’t be stuck here for rotations. I’ve been getting hungry, too. I need to find out what Purpled eats so I can eat some. It’s probably fine, right? If Purpled can have it, so can I. We’re both humans. I should probably follow him around. He has to have food somewhere. And bedding! Like- blankets, and stuff. I saw him last night in his nest. He had some blankets. Maybe I can take one of his? I’m sure he won’t mind.

[The audio clips.]

[LOG 4.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.4 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I got some of his bedding. And his food. It looks kind of weird and disgusting, but I guess that’s space food. It’s all wrapped up, and I saw Purpled use these sharp metal things. It sort of looked like a knife, but put together. Maybe I can just use my mouth bones. Phil always said they were really sharp.

[Tommy pauses. There’s the sound of footsteps appearing and receding.]

Tommy: Sorry, Purpled passed by. I still haven’t told him I’m here. I don’t even know if it’s a good idea to tell him I’m here. Maybe I don’t have to? I can just- sneak out, when he’s not here. Yeah. We’ll probably land soon. Whenever ‘eight days’ is. I don’t understand his units of measurements. I thought cycles and revolutions were GSL. Maybe Purpled’s not using GSL. Maybe ‘days’ is a human thing. I wonder if I’ll ever learn the human language. It seems cool, whenever Purpled uses it. He uses it a lot when he’s alone. Maybe that’s his first language. Maybe he learnt it on Earth! Maybe Purpled knows what Earth looks like. Maybe he could take me there.

Tommy: That’s a lot of maybe’s, I’m realizing. But there’s always the chance, right? There’s always the possibility that Purpled is all of those things. I think… I think I’m ready to listen to the fourth recording. Of my parents. There’s only five, so I’ll keep the fifth one for a special occasion.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 4.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.4 BEGINS.]

Innes 2: Clem, we can’t keep pretending-

Clem: Stop. We’re not talking about this anymore. I’ve just turned on the recorder, okay? C’mon, say hi to Tommy.

Innes 2: Hi Toms. I- Clem, what if this is all he has left? We can’t just leave him with a captain log of our voices instead of his parents.

Clem: We’re not. We’re going to be okay. I swear.

Innes 2: Don’t swear on something you don’t know.

Clem: God, when did you start becoming the morbid one out of the two of us? C’mon, let's just give him a good video tape, okay?

Innes 2: …You’re lucky I love you so much.

Clem: Why, ‘cause then you’d argue?

Innes 2: Probably. But I love you enough, so I won’t.

Clem: Okay you sap. What do you wanna tell our son? What do you think he’ll look like?

Innes 2: I think he’ll have your blond hair and my brown eyes. And your eyes and nose, and my mouth and smile.

Clem: I think he’ll have your curls, too. And your freckles. All your wonderful freckles that are all over you.

Innes 2: I think you fell in love more with my freckles than you did with me, honestly.

[There’s joint light laughter.]

Clem: Wanna show him some of your music?

Innes 2: I’ll show him when he’s born. We’ll raise him to the sound of guitar echoing these hallways, Clem. It’s gonna be the sound of his childhood.

Clem: Yeah, I know. But play some anyways? For me?

[There’s a fond sigh.]

Innes 2: Fine. Let me go get the guitar.

[There’s the sound of receding footsteps.]

Clem: Hey Tommy. Hi, kid. I hope you’re okay. I hope you’re big when you hear this. I hope you make it to when you’re big. I hope we’re sitting here listening with you when you get this. I think it’s supposed to be your fifteenth birthday present. We might just end up listening to it sooner, though. I hope you know you’re loved, and that we love you. Even when you’re in your teenage years and hate us, I want you to know we’ll always love you. No matter what you do. Without requisite or deadline, we will love you.

[The sound of footsteps begin to fade back in.]

Innes 2: What are you whispering about?

Clem: Don’t worry. You’ll find out when we listen to it together as a family.

Innes 2: When Tommy is fifteen?

Clem: Yeah.

Innes 2: Okay. I can wait fifteen years.

Clem: Gosh, fifteen years is in forever. How old are you going to be?

Innes 2: Uh… thirty nine, I think.

Clem: Then I’ll be thirty eight. That’s so soon and so far.

Innes 2: Time is weird like that. Your due date is in a couple days. Then it’s just us and Tommy.

Clem: Yep. Hear that, Tommy? We’re gonna be a family soon.

Innes 2: Am I still playing the guitar for him?

Clem: Oh yeah! I forgot.

[The recorder gets picked up and readjusted.]

Clem: Okay, go.

Innes 2: I haven’t played this in a couple months. This is gonna be rough.

Clem: Rough or not, it’s beautiful. Tommy will love it.

[Innes 2 begins to strum to the melody of ‘a sky full of stars’ by Coldplay . The audio ends shortly after, cutting off Clem’s breathless, love filled laughter.]

[LOG 1.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.4 was starred.]

[LOG 4.5 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Watching Purpled is fascinating. I’ve had a couple close calls so far when I’ve been taking food from his- stash thing. Have I ever told you how good the food is here once I got it open? It’s amazing. It’s sweet and there’s some that tingle my throat and it sort of hurts but it’s a good hurt. I’ve never had anything like that before. I think he’s noticing, though. He was talking to himself out loud again and he said he didn’t know where the food preserves went. And then he said that maybe he miscounted. So I also need to be more careful about that. But yesterday, he took out this coloured water but it was a little thicker and he had this paper and he put the color water all over it. It was like the berry juice but so much more vibrant. He sat there for hours doing that. Just silently. I don’t know if it’s worse that I also sat there watching him for hours. It was like the book with real-life photos on it. I’m going to give that back tonight, I think. So he can find it. I’ll record it when he does.

[There’s a lapse of silence.]

Tommy: There was this room. And it was so different to the rest of the ship, and it had all these huge stacks of books. Books, of everything you could see. A lot of them were in GSL. Not all of them, but there were some. I’ve been spending my time in these tunnels with them. They’re so different from what I’ve ever seen. Everything I’ve ever read is so… real. It’s stuff that happened in real life and on Pluamea. This stuff is all so different. I don’t know what world it takes place on. There’s these things called jellyfish. Like fish, but jelly. I didn’t know those existed. And there’s all these people and things and they sound like humans. Like me. And Purpled. And there's just books and books about them. Hundreds of books, just in one room. There’s other ones too, about Avians who traveled through black holes and Phantoms who touched the moons. There’s so many worlds and things I never knew existed. There’s so much. And I don’t think I have the time to read it all. Purpled said there’s only two ‘days’ left before he lands. I think a cycle is a day. Or similar enough, anyways. That means two days until I land, and then figure out how to get back home to Tubbo and Phil and everyone else. Yeah. I’ve got this. I still see the drawings on the walls from the holes in these tunnel things. They’re not like real life, but they’re so colorful that I don't think they have to. Tubbo would say it’s stupid, but I think they’re beautiful. It’s like it's singing to me. I keep listening to that fourth log that my block flock left behind, of that song. The one about stars. It makes me think about all those chances. What are the odds that I made it to Pluamea? What are the odds I make it back? What are the odds I met another human in the first place?

[The silence is interrupted only by Tommy’s gentle breaths.]

Tommy: I think I’m gonna go down and look at the stars. I can see them out of the corner of my eyes, in the place with the huge screen where Purpled records his audios. I’m gonna go look. I need to see the stars. I’ll leave you up here though, just in case.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 4.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.6 BEGINS.]

Tommy: They were beautiful. I mean, they’re great when I see them with Tubbo from down in the trees, but stars. I see why we swear on them now. … I wish Tubbo could see this. All these stars. There’s so many. The entire window was full of sparkling, blinking, white spots. It was endless. It kept going, and it was so bright. I get why my blood flock loved them so much. They- they called me a child of the stars, right? And if I’m a child of the stars, then- then that means the stars are important. More important than they are for anyone else. And I got to see them.

[There was a content sigh.]

Tommy: I’m a child of the stars.

[The audio cuts out to the gentle humming of ‘you are my sunshine’.]

[LOG 4.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.7 BEGINS.]

[The audio is distant, presumably recorded from the ‘tunnels’ Tommy is in.]

Purpled: I’m a couple hours away, finally. Still don’t know where my stuff are going. I think there’s an animal or something in here, I’ve gotta figure it out. Might get someone to come check it out while I’m down there. If I have time. Or credits. Otherwise I guess I just… live with it. Or maybe I’m just slipping. It’s been a rough couple days.

[There’s a click and a sigh.]

Purpled: I miss her. She’s everywhere I look, and if I ever said it to her face, she’d probably never let me live it down. But I miss Hannah. It’s… the ship. It’s so quiet. Quieter than Hannah would ever let it get, y’know? No, you don’t because I’m not talking to anyone. God, all this just for a stupid piece of glass. It feels so dumb after everything. It was so careless too.

[There’s a scraping sound, like something getting dragged over a surface.]

Purpled: I traded my sister for this. For this- this?! God what was she thinking?! It’s so-!

[There’s an abrupt sound of something scratching hard against the floor, leaving a grating sound in the air. There’s a soft wince from Tommy.]

Purpled: I sacrificed Hannah for this piece of [unknown language.]

[There’s a shattering sound as something makes contact with the wall. The silence that rings out after it is deadly.]

Purpled: No… no. No, it couldn’t break. No, [incoherent language]. No, please don’t be broken. Please. I’m sorry. Please, fix yourself, [incoherent language].

[Something clinks together. The sound of Purpled’s knees hitting the ship floor vibrates through the walls up to Tommy. It sounds of finality.]

Purpled: God, I can’t do anything right. Even the last thing she got me. I messed it up. God, I messed it up, Hannah. I messed it all up. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

[The words are barely audible.]

Purpled: Please. Please come back.

[Tommy exhales like he’d been holding a breath in. The audio cuts shortly after.]

[LOG 4.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.8 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Purpled is gone. I’ve just gone through all the tunnels, there’s no sign of him anywhere. But I just woke up. I don’t know when he left. If he’s been gone for a while and is just coming back, then I can’t leave, because he might catch me and do… something. I don’t know. I can’t risk it though. Tubbo would kill me if I died while trying to get back to him. So I’ll just… I’ll go out next time. I have to. Purpled said he had to do a few stops, right? I’ll get off on the next one, and this time I’ll move my nest closer to his so when he wakes up, I’ll also wake up.

[There’s a heavy breathing.]

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah. Sorry I cut off yesterday’s recording so suddenly. It just seemed… private. I shouldn’t have recorded it, y’know? If he wasn’t recording it, it wasn’t mine to record either. But I don’t really know how to delete these stuff, so I guess it’s just there now. On a little bit more of a happy note, Purpled has this thing that he carries around everywhere with water in it. I think it’s water in it, anyways. But it's long and narrow and has a little hole on top so he can drink from it. I think it's genius. I think Phil knows what it is. Maybe I’ll ask him when I go back. I think that’s all for now. I guess I just wait until Purpled comes back, and then I figure out when he leaves next. That’s all.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 4.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.9 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I think Purpled is back. I think he brought someone else.

Avian 1: Stars, whaddya do to this thing?

Purpled: Crash landed on Pluamea.

Avian 1: Visited my home planet, huh? Gravity got you?

Purpled: You’re hilarious.

[His voice did not sound amused.]

Avian 1: I know, I was known for it. I gotta go back to pick up my equipment. Gimme a couple hours.

Purpled: You’ve got anything faster?

Avian 1: You’ve ever heard of patience? You should try it. It’s gonna take a couple hours, and you’re gonna go grab some food from that vendor you were eyeing on the way here.

[There’s a pause.]

Avian 1: Hey, you’ve got something in your vents by the way.

Purpled: What?

Avian 1: Yeah. Dunno what it is. It’s a pretty big mass though. Might wanna check it out.

[Purpled says an incoherent word in a language.]

Avian 1: What was that?

Purpled: Don’t worry. How much do I owe you?

Avian 1: Thirty five thousand credits.

Purpled: Quackity. Be so honest with me.

Quackity: I am honest with you, kid. Thirty five.

Purpled: Who's paying thirty five for a banged up reactor?

Quackity: Those of us who aren’t trying to explode mid-air. Pay up, Purpled. I know you’re not poor.

Purpled: Yeah, well, I don't have thirty five to throw around.

Quackity: Purpled.

Purpled: I’m not paying more than thirty. Thirty five is thievery, Quackity.

Quackity: It’s market price.

Purpled: You really wanna see your favorite tail-less Evie explode because I can’t afford you to fix my reactor? Really? Haven’t I had enough misfortune in my life?

Quackity: It's thirty five or nothing.

Purpled: Thirty two.

Quackity: Thirty two five hundred.

Purpled: You’re a [incoherent word in a language]

.

Quackity: I don’t know what that word means. Is that a yes?

Purpled: Fine.

Quackity: Pleasure doing business. And get that thing out of your vents.

Purpled: You didn’t even tell me what it was!

Quackity: It’s a surprise!

[Quackity’s audio fades out of range. Purpled’s footsteps get closer to the audio before stopping. Tommy’s breathing is fainter.]

Purpled: I swear to god if there’s some living thing in my vents I’m going to explode this ship and live in a hole.

[There’s another lapse in silence before Purpled begins to walk away. Tommy exhales forcefully.]

Tommy: Okay. Okay. I get out. I gotta get out now. I just have to wait for Purpled to leave, and then I go. I’ll be okay. It’s gonna be fine.

[LOG 4.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 4.10 BEGINS.]

Tommy: He’s gone. Purpled is gone. He just left, so I’m gonna wait a couple minutes, and then I leave. And that’s all. And Then I go home, right? Yeah. Okay.

[There’s a pause.]

Tommy: I wonder who Hannah is. The person that Purpled keeps talking about. His ‘sister’. I think it’s like a flock. Maybe a blood flock? I don’t know. But- maybe his recorder does. Maybe he’s taken other recordings of when she was there.

[There’s a long silence as Tommy thinks.]

Tommy: No. No, I’m gonna get out, and that’s it. That’s all I’m gonna do. I’m just gonna look at the recorder to see if it’s like mine, and that’s all. Yeah.

[There’s the creak of something moving to the side and a shuffle as Tommy leaves the ‘tunnel.’]

Tommy: It looks- similar. To mine. This one has more colors, but I think that’s ‘cause of the thick color water. Purpled’s not coming back right now anyways. He said he was going out for food, so I have time. I’m just gonna see. Just see. There’s a starred audio here. Maybe I’ll start with that.

[There’s a couple clicks, and another audio starts. It was an audio inside of an audio. Like an audio-sception.]

Hannah: Hannah putting in ship log three thousand hundred and sixteen, mostly ‘cause Purpled was too tired to do it. He had a long day though, so it’s fine. I’ll probably make fun of him for it later though. Uh… Ship is mostly okay, one of our coolants is warming up, but that’s just usually maintenance that I’ve gotta do. I’ll drag Purpled into it too, we should probably change both of them to be honest. I’m supposed to be a responsible ship owner. Ignore the fact that we’ve both got illegal identities. Uh…

[There’s clicking noises.]

Hannah: yeah. I think that’s it. We went out today and-

[There’s a sudden pause.]

Hannah: I think there’s someone on the ship. Purpled is asleep. He should be asleep. He’ll be in bed anyways. Okay. Okay, Hannah. Purpled first.

[The recorder gets picked up and the speaker gets muffled, just by a bit. It’s presumed Hannah put it in her pocket. There’s the sound of steadily thumping footsteps and a loud alarm bell. Various things hiss shut and locks click into place. There’s faint yelling.]

Hannah: I’m sorry! Just- stay quiet. I’ll find you when this is done.

[Most indignant, barely distinguishable words. Hannah presumably ignores them, from the way they rapidly fade out and are replaced by shouts of foreign aliens and a familiar pace of running.]

Hannah: Okay. Okay this is gonna be uploaded to the ship mainframe right? Yeah. [incoherent word in a language]

. God, I better not die. This would be such a bad way to die.

UNKNOWN: Stop!

Hannah: And get shot? No thanks!

UNKNOWN: We’re not gonna kill you!

[There’s a disbelieving scoff and a shink of metal.]

Hannah: Yeah I bet. I just gotta-

AUDIO DISCONNECTED.

[Silence. Just Tommy’s slow breathing.]

Tommy: Oh. What did the audio disconnected mean?

Purpled: It means you’re a nosy little creature. Let go of the recorder.

[There was a clatter of the recorder being set back abruptly on the table.]

Tommy: Woah- woah, lets talk about this.

Purpled: We’re not going to ’talk about this’ you are gonna get off my ship, and I’m gonna continue on your way.

Tommy: Aren’t you a Evie? Aren’t they supposed to be friendly?

Purpled: What?

Tommy: That’s what you said. To- Quackery.

Purpled: Quackity?

Tommy: Yeah! Yeah- that species.

Purpled: He’s an Avian, and how the hell do you know about that conversation? Were you in my vents?

Tommy: Uh- No?

Purpled: Those are my vents. You were in my vents. Who even are you?

Tommy: I’m Tommy. Hello! Also, what’s a vent?

Purpled: The thing you were in?

Tommy: That’s a vent? That’s a dumb name.

Purpled: You’re a dumb person. Why were you in my vent?

Tommy: ‘Cause you’re a human.

Purpled: Are you a bounty hunter?

[There’s a sound of metal, like a weapon being drawn. Purpled’s voice went from bewildered to cold.]

Tommy: No! No, stars no! I’m a human too!

Purpled: Humans don’t swear by the stars. What are you?

Tommy: I’m a human. I was raised by Avians.

Purpled: …raised? By Avians? How’d you manage that?

Tommy: I could explain if you put the gun down.

Purpled: Nope. Gun is staying up. Explain.

Tommy: My parents didn’t want me. Or something. I don’t know. But I’ve got this!

[The recorder got picked up and shaken around slightly. Something rattles.]

Purpled: …Huh.

Tommy: What ’huh.’

Purpled: You figured out how it worked?

Tommy: Yeah? I’m not stupid.

Purpled: Most species can’t, actually. It’s a human thing.

Tommy: That's… awesome. Can you put the gun down now?

Purpled: If you get off my ship.

Tommy: Here?

Purpled: No, on Aphelias. Yeah, here.

Tommy: Where even are we?

Purpled: Multi-species. It’s B8439.

Tommy: What about the- bounty hunters? That are out for humans.

Purpled: I couldn't care less.

Tommy: You’re mean.

Purpled: Yeah. Welcome to the galaxy. Now get off.

Tommy: No.

Purpled: Did you just say no to the guy with the gun?

Tommy: You wouldn’t shoot me.

Purpled: You were on that Avian planet right? Pluamea? You heard what I did to that little bird.

Tommy: You couldn’t even catch him.

Purpled: ‘Cause it was a kid. I was just scaring him. Wanna see what I can do if I’m actually trying?

Tommy: You wouldn’t. I’m a human, like you.

[There’s a stunned silence.]

Purpled: They didn’t tell you anything about the Earth Wars?

Tommy: I barely knew Earth existed until twenty cycles ago.

Purpled: You call them cycles-

[Purpled cuts himself off as an incessant beeping begins to sound through the ship. He makes an unknown noise.]

Purpled: Sit down. We gotta go.

Tommy: I thought you said that you wanted me to get off?

Purpled: Yeah, well, too late. We have to get out now.

Tommy: What? What happened?

Purpled: Let’s just say Quackity didn’t get all the credits he wanted.

[Silence quiets the room, only interrupted by the frequent beeping. Purpled presses several other buttons and things begin to hum.]

Tommy: You stole?

Purpled: It’s not stealing. I gave him the amount he deserved.

Tommy: Purpled, that is literally stealing.

Purpled: Number one, stop using my name when I haven’t told you it. It’s weird. Number two, shut up and sit down, unless you want to go flying when we take off.

Tommy: Where?

Purpled: In-

[There’s a second of hesitance.]

Purpled: In the co-pilot seat. Hurry up, we’re taking off in ten seconds.

Tommy: I can’t believe you stole.

Purpled: I can’t believe you don’t know when to shut up.

Tommy: If I die, I’m going to haunt you forever. You’re never gonna get rid of me.

Purpled: I can’t even get rid of you when you’re alive, apparently.

Tommy: Where are we going?

Purpled: Somewhere we don’t get shot. Maybe.

Tommy: You don’t sound very sure.

Purpled: And you don’t sound very smart, considering you don’t get the words shut up.

[There’s a brief silence. The ship shudders under the recorder and begins to hum louder.]

Tommy: Hey, Purpled?

Purpled: I told you to stop calling me that.

Tommy: You’re an idiot. Look outside. That’s a one Rift of a gun.

Purpled: A rift of a gun- oh.

Tommy: We should probably go faster.

Purpled: You should stop telling me what to do.

Tommy: How about a light suggestion? Let's not die.

Purpled: Just let me do my job, okay?

Tommy: Your job is to be a thief?

Purpled: Uh- sure. Let’s go with that.

Tommy: That’s so immoral.

Purpled: You know what’s more immoral? Sneaking onto some random person’s ship.

Tommy: You were a human.

Purpled: And?

Tommy: And… Yeah. I wanted to ask you things.

Purpled: You got on my ship, which was a foreign, crash landed ship, because you wanted to ask me things?

Tommy: When you put it like that, it sounds stupid.

Purpled: You could twist it like a pretzel and it’d still sound stupid.

Tommy: See! It’s stuff like that. I don’t know what that word means.

Purpled: A pretzel? It’s a food.

Tommy: Is it good?

Purpled: You’ve never had a pretzel?

Tommy: I don’t even know what it looks like. I didn’t even know it existed.

Purpled: God, have you been living under a rock?

Tommy: No, actually, I live in a tree on Pluamea.

Purpled: It’s an expression.

Tommy: I’m aware. That’s a dumb expression.

Purpled: Says the kid who's been lugging around that recorder for the last hour.

Tommy: Says the thief who can’t even get out of enemy airspace.

Purpled: I’m literally about to jump out.

Tommy: Yeah, well, I was about to turn it off.

Purpled: Liar.

Tommy: Thief.

Purpled: Just turn it off.

Tommy: Fine.

[There’s a rustle. The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 4.10 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 5.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: So… what now?

Purpled: What now what?

Tommy: Now that we’re stuck together. What do we do?

Purpled: How about you start by giving me back all the stuff you took?

Tommy: I didn’t take anything! I just borrowed it.

Purpled: Yeah. Like I borrowed a coolant from Quackity. Give me my blanket and books back.

Tommy: You noticed those were missing?

Purpled: Less noticed they were missing, more noticed the poor way you put them back. The books are all backward.

Tommy: Isn’t that how they’re supposed to be?

Purpled: … No. No, they aren’t. God, you really were raised Avian.

Tommy: What’s that supposed to mean?

Purpled: You’re as sharp as a marble.

Tommy: I don’t know what a marble is.

[There’s a frustrated huff. Tommy chortles.]

Purpled: It’s freaky how you can make those Avian noises.

Tommy: For Avians, it’s freakier to hear me make human noises. The first time I laughed, they thought I was choking.

Purpled: Try it.

Tommy: Try what?

Purpled: Try laughing.

Tommy: For what?

Purpled: I wanna hear how bad it is.

Tommy: My laugh?

Purpled: Yeah.

Tommy: You know what? No. That’s bullying. I don’t stand for bullying.

Purpled: It’s not bullying if it’s bad.

Tommy: Well maybe you should try being funny first.

Purpled: Sure, kid. Can I have my blanket now?

Tommy: No?

Purpled: What do you mean ‘no’. It’s my blanket. Give it back.

[There’s a shuffle, like Tommy holding onto the blanket together.]

Tommy: Finders keepers.

Purpled: If we’re going by that logic, I found you. I keep you.

Tommy: People do not follow that logic.

Purpled: Who says?

Tommy: Me! People!

Purpled: That’s the flimsiest argument I’ve ever heard. And I don’t want you anyways, I’m dropping you back home.

Tommy: Home, home? Like PLuamea?

Purpled: You know any other home?

Tommy: I mean… There’s Earth.

Purpled: You can’t go to Earth.

Tommy: Why not?

Purpled: It’s too far. We won’t make it.

Tommy: Too far? How does that even work?

Purpled: We’re too far out in the galaxy. It’ll take too long to go back.

Tommy: So? Don’t humans live until like- ninety?

Purpled: Yeah. It takes over ninety years to go back to Earth. I’ve never been there.

Tommy: You’ve… never been to Earth? But you’re a human.

Purpled: I was born out here. I thought about going to Earth a couple times, but I’ll never make it in time to actually see it.

Tommy: You’re a child of the stars? Like me?

Purpled: I don’t know what that means but I guess so.

Tommy: …So… that’s it? No Earth?

Purpled: Yeah.

Tommy: Don’t you ever get lonely? Out here? Knowing how rare humans are?

Purpled: Not really. Why do you keep saying humans?

Tommy: Isn’t that what you are?

Purpled: Yeah. But you’re also a human. We’re both humans.

Tommy: I… I know?

Purpled: Just forget it.

Tommy: Oh.

Purpled: You need to go home.

Tommy: Why?

Purpled: Because you’re on my ship. And I don’t have the money or means to take care of you. Also, I’m not your dad.

Tommy: Duh. I’ve already got a flock.

Purpled: A… flock.

Tommy: Yeah. Do you not know what a flock is?

Purpled: Isn’t that what Avians call a family?

Tommy: A… family? What’s that?

Purpled: It’s like a flock, but smaller. Closer.

Tommy: I’ve never heard of that.

Purpled: You really were raised by Avians.

Tommy: Yeah. What's it to you?

Purpled: Nothing. It’s just interesting.

Tommy: Okay you creep.

Purpled: So you don’t know what a family is, but you know what a creep is?

Tommy: Obviously.

Purpled: I will never understand you.

Tommy: It’s because I’m too cool for you to understand. I’m just- just- poggers like that.

Purpled: Is that another Avian thing? Poggers?

Tommy: Nope. That’s a Tommy thing.

Purpled: Huh. You’re a weird kid, y’know?

Tommy: I get that a lot. Being a human raised by Avians.

[Purpled snorted. Tommy made a little surprised sound.]

Purpled: What, you’ve never heard someone make that noise?

Tommy: You’d be surprised how little human sounds I know.

Purpled: Didn’t your Avian parents teach you? About humans?

Tommy: My flock? Not really.

Purpled: So you just… figured this out? Alone?

Tommy: I mean, I have recordings of my blood flock. That's how I found out the laughing thing.

Purpled: You couldn’t laugh before?

Tommy: I could! I mean, I did. But it was an Avian one. Like-

[Tommy makes a chitter noise. Purpled said something in a different language.]

Purpled: Woah. You can do that?

Tommy: You can’t?

Purpled: Not really a human thing to do, so no.

Tommy: Oh.

Purpled: Yeah. Are you still recording on that thing?

Tommy: Yeah?

Purpled: Why?

Tommy: I… I don’t know. I guess it's fun to have a record of everything. Plus back home, everyone has a perfect memory so they don’t even have to try. I record things ‘cause it helps me remember.

Purpled: That’s it? To help you remember?

Tommy: I guess it reminds me of my blood flock too.

Purpled: What’s the word? Your blood flock?

Tommy: It’s like… my blood flock. Like- Your parents. And sometimes other people too, if your parents had another fledgling.

Purpled: Your family?

Tommy: That’s a thing?

Purpled: A family?

Tommy: A word for it. From humans. It’s a thing?

Purpled: Yeah. Most people have families. We’re all born from somewhere.

Tommy: What about a flock? Do you have a word for a flock?

Purpled: Isn’t that the same thing as a blood flock?

Tommy: Not really. A flock is bigger. More people, and they’re not always… blood.

Purpled: Like a chosen family.

Tommy: You can choose your family?

Purpled: Sometimes. When you know someone long enough, they become like family. It counts.

Tommy: … Woah.

Purpled: Yeah.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: What's the stuff on the wall?

Purpled: The paintings?

Tommy: That’s what they’re called?

Purpled: What’d you think they were called?

Tommy: I dunno. Me and Tubbo used to call them real life on paper, but none of… this seems really real life.

Purpled: It’s abstract art. Who’s Tubbo?

Tommy: My flock. He’s my best friend.

Purpled: You have friends?

Tommy: You’re not allowed to sound that surprised. Yeah, I have friends. Friend. Same thing. What's the abstract thing?

Purpled: Are we ignoring the fact that you’ve got one, singular friend?

Tommy: If I have to ignore the fact that you’re alone in the middle of the galaxy with no friends or flock, blood or not, then we can ignore the fact that Tubbo is my only friend.

Purpled: … Touché. The abstract art is a way of self-expression.

Tommy: I don’t know what any of those words mean.

Purpled: You should try getting better.

Tommy: You should try explaining better. What’s self-expression?

Purpled: It’s a way to- explain yourself. In art. Without having to make it realistic. It’s just whatever comes to mind, I guess.

Tommy: Anyone can do that?

Purpled: I guess. This is all Hannah’s stuff, though. I was never a big abstract art person.

Tommy: Who was… Hannah?

[There’s a pause.]

Purpled: None of your business.

Tommy: That’s a bad answer.

Purpled: You’re a bad excuse of a human.

[The words are sharp. Cold.]

Tommy: W-what?

Purpled: I just- God, I can’t do this.

[There’s the sound of footsteps rapidly walking away from the recorder. Tommy fumbles with the recorder. The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.3 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hi. Hey. Uh- that just happened. I.. I don’t know what to do. Purpled locked himself in the star area, with the chairs and the control panel. I think he feels bad. I don’t know. I… I don’t think I’m a bad human. I mean, sure, I’m weird. I know some less than other people. But I don’t think I’m a bad excuse. I think it’s just different.

[There’s a gentle shuffle noise.]

Tommy: Oh. Oh, there’s that feeling again. In my stomach. It hurts. It’s up my throat too. I-

[A choked noise and a hiccup.]

Tommy: I don’t know what this is. I’m- there’s water. I- I don’t know what's happening.

[Tommy inhaled shakily, crying.]

Tommy: I don’t know what's happening. Please stop. Please-

Purpled: Are you crying?

[There’s a sudden scramble.]

Tommy: I- I don’t know, I don’t know what this is, I-

Purpled: You’re crying. It’s normal.

Tommy: I- It’s- I’m-

[He hiccups again and sniffles.]

Purpled: Oh. Uh- here. Have a tissue. Try calming yourself down.

Tommy: I don’t even know what’s happening. What is this?

Purpled: It’s- you do it when you’re upset. Or sad. Or- a really strong emotion, sometimes.

Tommy: Why am I doing it now? Nothing even happened.

[There’s another sniffle and a choked sob.]

Purpled: I- I don’t know. I- oh.

Tommy: ‘Oh’?

Purpled: I- uh.

Tommy: I don’t even care. I don’t. Just make it stop. Please.

[There’s a pause in the conversation. It’s interrupted by another sniffle.]

Purpled: I don’t know how?

Tommy: You don’t know how?

Purpled: I- It doesn’t happen that often for me, and- I don’t know. Maybe like- listening to one of your audios? I don’t know.

Tommy: Just talk. Talk about something.

Purpled: When has that ever worked?

Tommy: I don’t know! When has this ever happened?!

Purpled: Fine. Fine! There’s these things on Earth called oceans. And they’re just these huge, huge spaces of water. Just water, as far as you can see. Like a puddle, but so much bigger.

Tommy: What?

Purpled: You told me to talk about something! I don’t know!

[There’s a half cry, half laugh.]

Tommy: Keep going.

Purpled: Yeah. Yeah, they keep going. And there’s all sorts of animals in it. And plants. And there’s so many, and there’s some that look like the space fish that are outside. And there’s things called jellyfish and anemones and all kinds of different things you’d never imagine. And they’re all on Earth, and there’s millions of them there.

Tommy: I heard about the- jellyfish ones. In a book.

Purpled: The ones in the library?

Tommy: What’s a library?

Purpled: The room with all those books.

Tommy: Yeah. That one.

Purpled: Yeah. Same jellyfish, I think. There’s also whales in the ocean, and they go through the water the same way they go through space. Have you ever seen a space whale?

Tommy: The first time I saw stars from space was eight cycles ago.

Purpled: You’ve never seen space fish?

Tommy: No?

Purpled: I think we’re coming close to a couple schools soon. Do you wanna see?

Tommy: Are they scary?

Purpled: Nah. They’re like- just come, you’ll see.

[There’s another shuffling as Tommy stands up. The recorder gets left behind, and their voices fade out to nothing. When Tommy finally comes back to the recorder, the audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.4 BEGINS.]

[There’s the sound of something getting picked up.]

Purpled: That’s my sketchbook.

Tommy: Yeah it’s a whole book of those real life on paper things!

Purpled: They’re called drawings. Also, how’d you know?

Tommy: You dropped it on Pluamea. The fledgling you almost hurt picked it up, but then he was scared that you were gonna hunt him down like some vengeful wallowpaw, so he gave it to Tubbo.

Purpled: There is- so much to unpack in that sentence. You guys were watching me?

Tommy: I mean, yeah.

Purpled: That is so creepy.

Tommy: You crash landed on our planet first! Maybe be better at flying and you wouldn’t get stalked!

Purpled: Terrible excuse, but fine. What’s a wallowpaw?

Tommy: A… wallowpaw? You don’t know what a wallowpaw is?

Purpled: There’s different animals everywhere you go. I don’t know them all.

Tommy: I mean, they look kind of long, and they have two legs and a tail and a head with these rounded ears. And they have lines running up and down them in purple and yellow. Their eyes are yellow too.

[A long pause.]

Purpled: I don’t think I’ve ever heard something with that dumb of a description in my life.

[Tommy laughs.]

Purpled: You did it. You laughed.

Tommy: Oh. Yeah.

Purpled: It’s not that bad, honestly. I expected worse.

Tommy: That’s insulting.

Purpled: That I thought you’d have a worse laugh?

Tommy: Yeah.

Purpled: It’s also insulting how you’re still on my ship. And how you snuck on.

Tommy: That’s different.

Purpled: It is not. You know what else is insulting? The fact that you haven’t taken a shower.

Tommy: Taken a what?

Purpled: A shower. Do you not know what a shower is.

Tommy: I’ve never heard that in my life.

Purpled: Time for a new experience! Go take a shower.

Tommy: I… where?

Purpled: In a shower? Down the hall to the left.

Tommy: Do I just… figure it out?

Purpled: Yeah. Leave the recorder here.

Tommy: Why?

Purpled: Because it can’t survive in water. It’ll break.

Tommy: It breaks in water? A shower is water?

Purpled: Yeah and yeah. A shower is like rain but- more specific to you. And then you take soap and you put it all over yourself and you rinse it off in the fake rain.

Tommy: That sounds like the coolest and stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.

Purpled: Yeah, welcome to being human. If you break something, I’m gonna kill you. It’s a pain in the ass to find parts for a human shower.

Tommy: A pain in the ass?

Purpled: Did they teach you nothing?

Tommy: I mean… not really.

Purpled: God. God, I’m stuck with a Mowgli of a human for another six days. I’m gonna go crazy.

Tommy: What's a Mowgli?

Purpled: Go take your shower.

Tommy: Fine.

[The audio clips off.]

[LOG 5.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.5 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Purpled! Look! That’s a space whale!

[There’s a thudding of footsteps against the ground as Tommy runs through the ship.]

Purpled: What?

Tommy: Space whales. They’re huge.

[There’s the sound of a book closing and two footsteps as they run back to the cockpit.]

Purpled: God. I haven’t seen one of these in ages.

Tommy: What, a space whale?

Purpled: Yeah. It’s been a couple of years. We don’t usually go through this patch.

Tommy: They’re beautiful.

Purpled: I think they’re one of the most incredible things in the galaxy.

Tommy: You’ve seen a lot of it? The galaxy, I mean.

Purpled: I don’t think anything has seen ‘a lot’ of the galaxy. It’s endless, right? You can’t see a lot of something if it never ends.

Tommy: But you’ve seen it? The galaxy?

Purpled: I guess I have. I’ve been to a couple planets.

Tommy: Hundreds?

Purpled: Probably. Me and Hannah used to hop around a lot.

Tommy: …Can I ask? About Hannah.

[There’s a long silence. It’s just barely tense.]

Purpled: I probably won’t answer.

Tommy: That’s fine.

Purpled: Sure. Shoot.

Tommy: What happened?

Purpled: I don’t know. Next question.

Tommy: What was your favorite planet? To visit.

Purpled: My favorite? Had to be Freferia. Everything was so beautiful. There was so much music and everyone was so welcoming.

[There’s a soft sigh, like Purpled was reminiscing.]

Purpled: Everything was so bright. All the colours and there were lights everywhere and it was so… homey. It felt like home. We stayed there for a couple cycles, and everywhere we went, Frefera’s always smiled and tried offering us stuff. They knew we were different, ‘cause they look nothing like humans, but they didn’t care. There was music everywhere we went. I think that’s one of the things I hate the most in the galaxy. Barely anyone has music. But humans? God, humans have so much of it. Earth uploaded so much of it into the galaxy for humans to listen to when they’re far from home.

Tommy: You have music? More of it?

Purpled: Avian’s don’t have music either, right?

Tommy: Not really. I have two recordings of my parents singing. One of them was with something called a ‘guitar’. I don’t know what it was, but it was nice.

Purpled: Yeah, a guitar. It’s an instrument. People make music with it.

Tommy: An instrument? Are there more?

Purpled: More than I can’t think of, probably. I know that there’s piano and a flute and a bass. There’s more, for sure. I just don’t know them.

Tommy: Woah. Do you see that stardust trail it’s leaving behind? The whale?

Purpled: Yeah, I see it. They’ll disappear in a couple minutes.

Tommy: Really?

Purpled: Are you deaf?

Tommy: Not more than you are.

Purpled: Ha. Yeah, I guess so. How long do you think they live for?

Tommy: The whales?

Purpled: No, the ship. Yeah, the whales.

Tommy: I dunno. Couple years?

Purpled: Thousands.

Tommy: Of years?

Purpled: Yeah. They’re older than most of the moons that rotate the newer planets.

Tommy: Woah.

Purpled: They’re amazing, aren’t they?

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah they are.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 5.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.6 BEGINS.]

Tommy: That looks disgusting.

Purpled: Your face looks disgusting. This is the best thing you’ll ever try.

Tommy: It looks like barkbird poop.

Purpled: Jokes on you, ‘cause I don’t know what that is. You’ve never had noodles, and I’m changing that.

Tommy: They melt. In the water. No way is that edible.

Purpled: I know for a fact that they have color changing fruit on Pluamea. I don’t want to hear a word about my instant noodles.

Tommy: That looks terrible. It looks toxic. Why are you eating toxic things, Purpled?

Purpled: It’s not toxic. Probably. I dunno, but they’re the best things ever. Just trust it.

Tommy: Is it tingly? Like the red stuff.

Purpled: Hot sauce? No. It’s like… uh. Meat.

Tommy: What's that?

Purpled: Meat?

Tommy: Yeah.

Purpled: Are you a vegetarian?!

Tommy: Maybe I’d be able to answer if you told me what it was.

Purpled: Have you ever eaten an animal?

Tommy: What? No! Obviously not! Who does that?

Purpled: A lot of species, actually. Including humans.

Tommy: What?

Purpled: I mean, you can choose not to. It won’t kill you.

Tommy: I think it would kill me if I do.

Purpled: It really wouldn’t. You’ve been doing it for the last couple weeks.

Tommy: I’ve been eating animals?!

Purpled: Dead ones! They’re dead! And- cooked, too. It's fine though. You won’t anymore.

Tommy: Are your noodles animals too?

Purpled: It’s noodles.

Tommy: My question stands.

Purpled: No. They’re like- wheat, or something.

Tommy: I can’t believe you’ve made me eat animals. Rift below. That’s so evil.

Purpled: It’s fine! You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. You never have to eat them again.

Tommy: I think I’d rather starve.

Purpled: Well lucky for you, I have leftover vegetarian stuff. You can stop having a moral dilemma now.

Tommy: That’s so evil. I can’t believe I’ve eaten an animal.

Purpled: It was literally dead before you were even alive. It wasn’t your fault.

Tommy: Are you hearing this, recorder? Purpled is a murderer. He’s an animal murderer.

[Tommy’s voice is teasing- lighthearted.]

Purpled: I don’t even kill them! I literally just buy it from markets!

Tommy: Maybe the avians were right to keep the fledglings away from you. Maybe you would’ve eaten them too.

Purpled: I would not. That’s disgusting. Also, I’m literally just finishing the stock that we have. These aren’t even good.

Tommy: animal murderer.

Purpled: Fake bird.

[There’s a dramatic gasp.]

Tommy: Are you insulting my flock?

Purpled: Yes.

Tommy: This is terrible. Appalling. Almost as bad as eating animals.

[There’s a long groan of exasperation and Tommy cackles. The audio cuts out to the sound of fond annoyance and warm laughter.]

[LOG 5.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.7 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Purpled is asleep. It’s been seven days since he found me. And we ran from Quackity. Turns out, Purpled just didn’t pay him at all. I would feel more bad for Quackity, but he ratted me out, so I really don’t. These last seven cycles have been the best ones of my life, I think. Purpled is… He’s different. He’s closed off, sometimes. Like cold. But most of the time, he’s really nice. Even when he acts like he’s not. He’s friendly and he tells me about all the things in the ship and stars, there’s so much about humans I never knew. Did you know that there’s billions of us? Of humans? They’re on Earth, yeah, but they’re all over the galaxy too. They’re everywhere you can think of.

[There’s a shuffle, like Tommy readjusting.]

Tommy: And the stars. Every time I look outside, I get stunned into silence again. It’s amazing. I could look at them forever. That’s what my dad did, right? He looked at the stars all the time. I think I’m like that. I could stare at them forever.

[Quiet breathing fills the air.]

Tommy: Purpled said it was calling missing someone. When your stomach hurts and you’re thinking about someone you’ve never met. Like missing a book, or putting something where it doesn’t belong. I miss my parents. Even if I’ve never seen them. I like to think sometimes that we would have sat here with my dad and we would have looked at the stars together. Maybe he would’ve played his- guitar, and mom would be here too. And she’d sing. And- yeah. And we would’ve been a flock. I think that’s a human thing, too. Wishing and dreaming and hoping. Avians don’t do that. It’s like- like the books. Did you know those books aren’t real? A lot of them are fake. They’re just things people make up. Like that idea with my parents and the stars. People just make them up. Humans, mostly. Apparently, we have the most ‘imagination’ Purpled called it. He’s even been teaching me a little bit of the human language. Well- the one he knows, anyways. He says that he doesn’t really know it, But I’ve heard him it’s amazing. I tried saying something once, in it. It felt so nice. Like my mouth was meant for it, instead of trying to force it to make certain sounds. It was amazing.

[There’s a little gasp.]

Tommy: It’s another school of space fish. Purpled would probably say what kind of space fish it is, but I don’t really know them, so they’re just space fish. I like the yellow ones best. When they’re blue and yellow and bright. They look so pretty. Like- like a sasquat. But it’s alive. There’s so many of them out here. Space fish. I don’t think I ever want to leave this place. This ‘space’ thing.

[Tommy sighs quietly.]

Tommy: But there’s three days. Three days, and then I’m back home. At Pluamea. With Tubbo and Phil. I miss them, but I think I’ll miss these stars more. But not yet. I’m not leaving yet. Three cycles, right? Three cycles left. I’m gonna record everything, and it’s gonna be the best three cycles ever.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 5.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.8 BEGINS.]

Tommy: What's this?

Purpled: What’s what?

Tommy: This thing. It has people in it.

Purpled: The photo album?

Tommy: The what?

Purpled: It’s pictures. Images. Photos.

Tommy: Like on wanted posters?

Purpled: I mean… weird comparison. But yeah.

Tommy: Why do you keep those?

Purpled: They’re like memories. It’s like a glimpse into what happened at the time.

Tommy: Why would you do that?

Purpled: I dunno. It feels right. Like something you can hold onto, y’know? It’s like your recorder. Just… with pictures.

Tommy: Is that what the art is for too?

Purpled: It can be, if you want. It’s not always like that, though. Some people do art just because they’re bored, or that they want to imagine something that never happened.

Tommy: Like the books?

Purpled: I.. guess so. Yeah.

Tommy: Huh. They’re nice photos. Who's that?

[There’s a rustle of paper.]

Purpled: That’s Charlie. He was my friend when we went to Freferia. It was the longest me and Hannah had stayed somewhere in one place, so we took a couple pictures.

Tommy: Why are there so little?

Purpled: It’s not that little. There’s a couple dozen.

Tommy: That’s all?

Purpled: Yeah. We don’t take them often. Keep them for special occasions, y’know?

Tommy: Why?

Purpled: There’s not a lot of them. Finding a good camera and film to go with it is hard. So we keep them for special times.

Tommy: Oh. What about the flowers?

Purpled: The plants? What about them? You have plants on Pluamea.

Tommy: I know, but these are different. They don’t even have flowers.

Purpled: Yeah, they just get leaves.

Tommy: What’s the point? They’re useless.

Purpled: Not really. They look nice. Hannah likes them.

Tommy: But... they don’t give fruits. Or flowers for pollination, or anything. There’s no point.

Purpled: Having fruits or pollination plants wouldn’t have much of a point either. No insects in space to pollinate. We’ve already got fruit.

Tommy: So they’re just… there? For nothing?

Purpled: Wait ‘til you hear about pressed flowers.

Tommy: Pressed? Why are you pressing them?

Purpled: It keeps them for longer. Keeps the colours and we can frame them after.

Tommy: Can I see?

Purpled: Yeah, they’re in the library. Take your recorder with you.

[The recorder jostles slightly.]

Tommy: Why are they in the library?

Purpled: You press them in books. You put it in the pages of a heavy book and then they flatten.

Tommy: That sounds so dumb.

Purpled: You know what else sounds dumb? SNeaking onto a stranger’s ship. You’ve done stupider things.

Tommy: You press flowers in books. What's even the point of that?

Purpled: It’s just a thing we do. Like how Avians build in trees. We press flowers and keep plants. Every species has its things.

Tommy: Are you gonna keep talking about them or are you gonna show me?

Purpled: God, you’re impatient.

Tommy: You keep saying that. God.

Purpled: Yeah?

Tommy: What does that mean?

Purpled: I… I’m not explaining religion to you. It’s like when you swear on the stars. A lot of humans do it. Take that book out.

[The recorder gets set on a surface. There's the sound of papers rustling together.]

Tommy: Woah.

Purpled: Yeah. See how nice they are?

Tommy: Yeah.

Purpled: You don’t notice it, do you?

Tommy: Notice what?

Purpled: you light up. When you see something you like. You get all excited and your eyes get big and you get this stupid grin on your face. Every time I show you something that’s so incredibly human, you get excited. Like flowers, or the first time you tried the noodles, or the painting.

Tommy: Don’t you? Get excited? How do you not get excited? All of these things are so- real. They’re not in articles or descriptions or anything. It’s right here.

Purpled: It becomes normal after a while.

Tommy: Living in the stars becomes normal?

Purpled: Not the stars part. The stars will always be amazing. I’ve never seen anything but it, but I could still sit there and stare at it forever.

Tommy: What about music? You get used to music?

Purpled: When you’ve heard so much of it, it starts to become normal. Like how you eat sunfruit. I don’t know how to gain immunity to that.

Tommy: What happens when you eat sunfruit?

Purpled: I die.

Tommy: WHAT?

Purpled: Humans can’t eat sunfruit. It’ll literally kill us.

Tommy: I’ve eaten sunfruit all my life. Am I not human?

Purpled: You’ve gained immunity. It happens when you’ve had it for a long time since you were really little.

Tommy: So you’ve never tried sunfruit?

Purpled: Nope. I don’t want to, either. I like being alive.

Tommy: This is like thievery. Sunfruit is stealing your happiness because of its evil-ness. I can’t believe you’ve never tried a sunfruit.

Purpled: Yeah, yeah. I gotta go do logs. Are you coming?

Tommy: Your logs are boring. They’re all like ‘oh, the world is ending, this isn’t working, we’re all gonna die’. Mine are so much more fun.

Purpled: Yours are just our stupid conversations. Like when I met you. You just record everything.

Tommy: You just record when stuff is going wrong. That’s boring.

Purpled: Are you coming or are you gonna look at the flowers for a bit longer?

Tommy: Flowers. They're more fun than you anyways.

Purpled: Says the one who's been sticking to me like glue for the last week.

Tommy: Yeah yeah. Go do your logs, captain Purpled.

Purpled: Never call me that again.

[There’s the sound of laughter as the audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.9 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I found the thing. That- Purpled broke, when I was in his ‘vents’. I think it was important to him. And maybe even to Hannah? I still don't really know who she was. Purpled has been really quiet about it all the time. He gets all… closed off, when I ask about her or she comes up. But the thing that was broken was in a little box under the captain control panel. I think I could fix it. It looks all shiny and bright with- coloured pieces. Like art. But it's shaped. I think it was broken into a couple pieces, like three or four. There’s only three or four here anyways. I think I’m gonna try fixing it.

[There’s a short pause, filled with gentle breathing.]

Tommy: One cycle left. One day. Same thing. I keep picking up words that Purpled’s been using. Like- human words. I don’t know how Phil is gonna react to that. I don’t know how Phil is going to react to me coming back. Maybe he’s gonna shoot Purpled out of the air when he sees him, cause he thought that Purpled kidnapped me. I should probably tell Purpled about that. I wonder what Tubbo is gonna think about it.

[Tommy shuffled around.]

Tommy: These last nine cycles have been the best ones of my life. All this time in the stars. I can’t go back to looking at the stars only from the ground. I can’t. Knowing all this is out here.

[There’s a small, disbelieving laugh.]

Tommy: I’ve seen things that Tubbo could only imagine of. I know that Phil went on some ships when he was younger, but he doesn’t go anymore. Imagine if we went and saw the stars today. I wonder what he’d think of the space fish and space whales. Stars, the space whales. Tubbo would go insane. I think he’d love them.

[Tommy begins to hum ‘you are my sunshine’ beneath his breath quietly. There’s no other noises in the ship apart from it, however it feels warm regardless. Like a gentle swath of home.]

Tommy: I’m gonna miss it. The ship. The stars. The space whales. Purpled. I’m gonna miss Purpled. Him and his weird, human things. Like the noodles and flowers and pictures and art and imagination. I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain imagination to the rest of the people on Pluamea. They won’t get it. It’s a human thing. Stars, I wish I could stay here forever.

[The ship beeps quietly, signaling another hour passing. Tommy sighs.]

Tommy: twenty six hours left. And then I’m gone. And I’m home. As home as my nest can get, anyways. Maybe my dad was right. I really am a child of the stars.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.10 BEGINS.]

Purpled: you ready to go?

Tommy: Why, you eager to get rid of me?

Purpled: Absolutely.

Tommy: Wow, just say you hate me.

Purpled: I hate you.

[The words are deadpan- not serious.]

Tommy: I’m gonna put my mouth bones in you.

[There’s a stunned silence and then a disbelieving laugh.]

Purpled: Your what?

Tommy: My mouth bones! Don’t laugh you idiot- I’m being serious-

Purpled: Did you just call your teeth mouth bones? Did you say you were gonna put them in me?

Tommy: Yeah?

Purpled: Have you ever heard of biting?

Tommy: Obviously!

Purpled: Why didn’t you just say that?

Tommy: Cause- it doesn’t have the same intimidation effect!

Purpled: Yeah, cause putting your ‘mouth bones in me’ makes it sound like you’re gonna feed me your teeth.

Tommy: Ew! That's disgusting!

[There’s more breathless laughter.]

Purpled: God. Never say that again.

Tommy: You’re mean. I can’t believe you’re laughing at me.

Purpled: You called them mouth bones. I think that’s the poorest translation for teeth I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard fingers being called meat sticks.

Tommy: meat sticks?

Purpled: Yeah, cause- I dunno, Apises don’t have any. They’ve got the little claws and wicked eyesight. No fingers.

Tommy: meat sticks are atrocious.

Purpled: Not as bad at mouth bones.

Tommy: That’s what they are! They’re mouth bones!

Purpled: What do Avians even have if they don’t got teeth? How do they eat?

Tommy: A lot of it is liquid, actually. Like liquidy stuff. Plus, they’ve got those things in their throat that just- chops up whatever else.

Purpled: No way. They've got food processors in their throat?

Tommy: I don’t know what a food processor is, but sure!

Purpled: We’re searching this up. No way.

[There’s a bout of curious typing on the keyboard as Purpled presumably searches up how Avians eat.]

Tommy: See? I told you! They have the little chomping things in their throat!

Purpled: I can’t even pronounce that word. That’s like- god, that’s terrifying.

Tommy: I mean, I guess teeth are weird to them too. Apparently, Phil thought I was dying when mine grew in.

Purpled: Phil?

Tommy: My flock. He took me in as a fledgling. Kid. Baby. Whatever it is. You should’ve seen him when they started falling out.

[There’s a snort of amusement.]

Purpled: Must’ve been terrifying for you, huh?

Tommy: Believe it or not, I didn’t really care. I got a lot of weird looks for my mouth bones anyways. I was kind of glad actually.

Purpled: To lose them?

Tommy: To be more like everyone else. Having no wings was weird enough, but mouth bones? I just thought I’d be better off without them.

Purpled: That’s depressing. What the hell?

Tommy: What?

Purpled: That’s just normal? I remember me losing my teeth. I was freaking out. Weren’t you scared you wouldn't be able to eat?

Tommy: I mean, Avians eat mostly liquid or soft things. It wouldn’t have really mattered for me.

Purpled: So everyone was just okay with that? Just losing bones?

Tommy: I thought you said they weren’t bones!

Purpled: They aren’t! But you didn’t know that!

Tommy: I mean, Phil was concerned, I guess. He tried putting them back in my mouth a couple times.

Purpled: Somehow that’s more disgusting than your way of telling me you’ll bite me.

Tommy: Irrelevant to the conversation.

Purpled: Everything is relevant all the time. Like how you snuck onto my-

Tommy: LA LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOUU-

[There’s explosive laughter from both of them, loud and alive. In the commotion, the recorder gets knocked over. The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.10 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.11 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Two hours ‘til touch down.

Purpled: When did you learn about touch down?

Tommy: You’ve been saying it in all your captain log ship things.

Purpled: You’ve been picking up on my speech patterns?

Tommy: I guess?

Purpled: Oh that’s so weird. I haven’t been around a species that picks up speech patterns that fast in years.

Tommy: What even is a year?

Purpled: One rotation. Give or take. It depends on what planet you’re on. A rotation on earth is around 350 cycles. But on Pluamea, it’s 180 cycles.

Tommy: It changes?

Purpled: Yeah. It depends how far from your sun you are. And a couple other things, I think. Did no one ever tell you about this stuff?

Tommy: Not really!

Purpled: Huh. Well, the more you know.

Tommy: I guess so.

Purpled: Do you miss it?

Tommy: What? Pluamea?

Purpled: Yeah.

Tommy: I… I don’t know. I want to.

Purpled: But you don’t?

Tommy: …I don’t know.

Purpled: It’s okay if you don’t, y’know.

Tommy: But I’m supposed to. It’s my home. There’s Tubbo and Phil and everyone else back there.

Purpled: And?

Tommy: Don’t you feel like you need to belong to something? To somewhere?

Purpled: Not really. I belong to the stars.

Tommy: That’s what my dad said. In one of the recordings. He said I was a child of the stars.

Purpled: I mean, I guess we were all born to the stars, in a way. I was born with the stars as a witness. I think, at least. I never knew my mom. My blood flock. It’s just been me and Hannah.

Tommy: Is she your blood flock?

Purpled: Hannah? Maybe. Even if she isn’t, I know her better than my blood flock. I don’t care about my blood flock.

Tommy: She’s you- your chosen family?

Purpled: Yeah. Yeah, she’s my chosen family.

Tommy: Oh.

Purpled: What’re you thinking about?

Tommy: What do you mean?

Purpled: You stop going all jittery when you're thinking too hard. What are you thinking about?

Tommy: You noticed that?

Purpled: Obviously. It’s hard not to.

Tommy: No one notices anything back home.

Purpled: I think it’s just an Avian thing. To not notice. Is that what you were thinking about?

Tommy: No. How long does it take for someone to become your chosen family?

Purpled: I… guess there’s no time limit to it, really.

Tommy: You have to know someone for at least 200 cycles to consider them part of a flock, plus there’s a whole process to it. But I’m not avian. And… and I don’t have a flock. Because I’m not avian.

[There’s a quiet silence, fragile and hanging in the air.]

Tommy: Can you be my chosen family? Does that- can I do that? …Oh. Oh, you’ve got that look on your face. Uh- it’s okay. Nevermind, you can forget about it. Sorry I asked.

Purpled: You want me?

Tommy: Y-Yeah?

Purpled: Bad choice. Bad family choice. Choose a better one.

Tommy: Is it because you don’t want to? I’m sorry for asking-

Purpled: No, it’s a bad choice. I’m a bad choice. I’m not chosen family material. I’m rude and I steal and I’m always on the run and I’m closed off and I don’t- I don’t-

[Purpled cuts himself off with a sharp inhale.]

Purpled: I’m not a good choice, okay? I’m a bad choice.

[The silence comes back. It remains for several long minutes interrupted only by the beeping signifying one hour left.]

Tommy: Hannah chose you.

Purpled: What?

Tommy: Hannah chose you. As her family.

Purpled: That’s not the same.

Tommy: Why not?

Purpled: It’s just- It’s not. You’ve already got a family, and it's down there with Phil and Tubbo.

Tommy: Can I only have one family?

Purpled: No, but- God, Tommy, You can’t be family. We’re not family.

Tommy: Why not?

Purpled: I don’t know! You deserve better! Or maybe you don’t deserve me! You have a home already. You already have a family. Aren’t they enough?

Tommy: But you don’t.

Purpled: Y-yeah I do. I have Hannah.

Tommy: But… She’s not here.

Purpled: But I’m getting her back. When I drop you off. I’m gonna go find her.

Tommy: What if you don’t?

Purpled: If I don’t, then… Then…

Tommy: Then?

Purpled: Then I’ll figure it out. But that won’t happen. I’ll find her, and it’ll be fine.

Tommy: But what if you don’t?

Purpled: Tommy, just stop. Stop. I’m gonna find her, and you’re gonna go home. This week and a half was fun, but it’s just that. A week and a half. You’re gonna go home, and I’m gonna go find Hannah, and that’s that. Okay?

Tommy: I could come with you?

Purpled: Not happening. Go get your stuff, we’re almost there.

Tommy: I didn’t bring stuff. I don’t have anything.

Purpled: Yeah, you do. You have your clothes. They’re in the dryer. There should be a bag next to it. You can take it.

Tommy: What about the ones I’m wearing right now?

Purpled: Keep them, I guess. If you want. I don’t really care.

Tommy: …Fine.

[The recorder gets picked up. Shortly after, the audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.11 ENDS.]

[LOG 5.12 BEGINS.]

Tommy: So this is it? We never meet again?

Purpled: I guess so. You’ve got your family waiting. I gotta get out before one of them find me and try becoming a stowaway on my ship again.

[There’s an attempt at a joke in Purpled’s voice. From the silence that follows it, it falls flat.]

Tommy: I guess it’s goodbye.

Purpled: I guess it is. I’ll see you around, Tommy.

Tommy: No you won’t. The possibilities of seeing you again are so small they’re practically in the negatives. I’ll never leave this planet again because of how protective Phil is gonna be, and you’ll never come back because you hate it with every ounce of your soul.

Purpled: It's- it’s a saying. To see you around. I won’t actually see you around.

Tommy: Then just say it.

[Tommy’s voice is choked up.]

Tommy: Say that we’ll never see each other again. Say that you showed me the stars and a thousand things I’d never be able to imagine, and then say we’ll never see each other again.

[There was a second of hesitance. When Purpled’s voice comes out, it’s shaky.]

Purpled: We’ll never see each other again. Goodbye, Tommy.

Tommy: Bye, Purpled.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 5.12 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 6.1 BEGINS.]

[There’s a quiet huffing.]

Tommy: I’m almost there, I think. It really is humid here. I don’t think I ever noticed until I left. It’s so… loud. There’s so much noise, everywhere. I can hear all sorts of animals in the trees and buzzing and- everywhere. On the ship, everything was quiet. Here, nothing shuts up.

[There’s more quiet walking. Tommy was right- it was louder there than in the ship. The sound of distant animals squawking and running and buzzing and a collection of other noises make themselves known in the background.]

Tommy: I think I’m here. It looks like the tree anyways. I’m gonna put you in my backpack while I climb this, ‘cause I can’t do it one handed. Stars, it’s been a while.

[The sound of shuffling as the speaker gets slightly more muffled.]

Tommy: What am I saying? It’s been like- thirty days. Cycles. Cycles, they’re cycles here. Okay. I’m gonna be quiet now, so I can save my energy to climb.

[There’s a long period of silence as Tommy climbs the tree.]

Tubbo: Tommy? Is that you?

Tommy: Tubbo?

Tubbo: Stars it is you-! Phil! Phil, he’s back!

Tommy: Yeah, just shout it to the entire flock, sure-

Tubbo: We thought you were dead!

Tommy: Uh- surprise?

Tubbo: I can hear Phil coming. You’re not leaving that nest for rotations.

Tommy: Yeah yeah. I know. But Tubbo, you should’ve seen it. It was incredible.

Tubbo: Tommy, I thought you were dead. I don’t care what you saw. Where did you go? The Rift?

Tommy: Better.

Tubbo: You mean worse?

Tommy: The stars, Tubso. I saw the stars.

Tubbo: Tommy, you see the stars every night. Are you feeling okay?

Tommy: No- I mean the actual stars. In space. I went to space.

Tubbo: You… you snuck onto the human’s ship. No way. Tommy, no way-

Tommy: Shut up. Stop talking so loud, Phil is gonna kill me. Oh, speak of the Rift-

Phil: Tommy? Tommy!

Tubbo: Good luck!

Tommy: Hi Phil…

Phil: Tommy, turn off the recorder. This isn’t a joke.

Tommy: What? Why?

Phil: Tommy.

Tommy: Stars, Phil, you’d think you’re my dad-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: So. Turns out Phil wasn’t so happy about me up and leaving for thirty cycles. I had to fight to keep my recorder. Used the whole ‘last thing from my blood flock’ thing. It worked. Barely. He found out that I went with Purpled and he freaked out. I had to tell him that he didn’t kill me like- four times. He was convinced that Purpled had poisoned me or something. Which doesn’t make sense, because if Purpled was going to poison me, he would’ve just let me die on the ship. Or just drop me off at some random planet on the way here. But he didn’t! So… no poison.

[There’s a long sigh. It’s reminiscent of the first logs- the ones where Tommy was staring at the sky, having never seen them up close. The quiet night air to keep him company as he stares at the things he’ll never return to.]

Tommy: So much for being a child of the sky and stars.

[The silence stretches through the night.]

Tommy: I missed Tubbo. I really did. I missed his stupid little chittering noises and his laugh and when he’d smack me in the way with a wing but- he looks at me so different. And I know- I know it's because I’m different, and I know he’s always looked at me like that, but it feels different now. Purpled never looked at me like that. Everyone looks at me different here. Even when Phil walked me through the treetops to go check me up. Everyone said hello and welcome back, but they were almost… scared. It’s like they’re scared of me. Of what I’ll do. I don’t think I've ever seen it before. The fear that they had. I hate it. It feels like the hair at the back of my neck stands up and my skin gets all bumpy and cold. I hate it. No one ever looks at you like that everywhere else. Maybe it was because of the fake antennae and the tails but everyone here knows I’m human. They all know I have- teeth and they all know I went and spent thirty cycles with the same human that crash landed on this planet and threatened a fledgling. It’s like they’re scared I became like him. Purpled wasn’t even that bad. He was just- scared, I guess. When he landed. Crashed. He didn’t know what was happening, and the first encounter he had was someone stealing his art book. I gave that back, by the way.

[There’s a sudden noise, like Tommy standing up.]

Tommy: Oh. Oh, I still have his glass thing. The thing he broke, that I was going to figure out how to fix. I forgot about it- stars, I need to give that back. Stars! Phil is never gonna let me go. I need to figure out how to give this back. I need to. But that's a tomorrow thing. For now… now I sleep, I guess. In my bed- nest. I mean nest. Stars, Purpled’s been rubbing off on me.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 6.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.3 BEGINS.]

Tubbo: Okay. Explain to me everything.

Tommy: Everything?

Tubbo: You were gone. For thirty cycles. Yes, everything.

Tommy: Well- it started on the ship. I went on the ship when Purpled wasn’t on it-

Tubbo: Purpled?

Tommy: That’s the name of the human. The one that crash landed.

Tubbo: That sounds stupid.

Tommy: Your name is Tubbo.

Tubbo: I don’t get it.

Tommy: Yeah, I know. Do you want to hear it or not?

Tubbo: Fine. Keep going.

Tommy: So I was in his vents, which are like tunnels through the ship but for air, because I heard him get on the ship and I was terrified he was going to- kill me, or something. He didn’t, for the record.

Tubbo: I can see that.

Tommy: Shut up Tubbo.

Tubbo: You keep saying the obvious! Stop being so obvious and I’ll stop talking.

Tommy: You’re so annoying.

Tubbo: You’re insufferable. Keep going.

Tommy: I was in his vents for like- eleven cycles. Apparently, Pluamea is pretty far away from every other kind of planet, so he had to fly a bit. And then he stopped, and he got off the ship, but I was asleep, so I didn’t know when he got off so I didn’t want to get off in case he was right outside and again, was gonna kill me. A lot of the things I did or didn’t do were because I was scared he was going to kill me.

Tubbo: Which was a real concern that you had.

Tommy: Yeah. Well- at least, until Quackity ratted me out.

Tubbo: These are the dumbest names I’ve ever heard. Quackery and Purple?

Tommy: It's Quacki-ty. And Purpled has a ‘d’ at the end of it.

Tubbo: Somehow that makes it worse.

Tommy: You’re just a hater Tubso.

Tubbo: You suck. What happened after?

Tommy: Well- I got off, but it was sort of a trap? Not really. When I was in the vents, I heard him use this thing that was sort of attached to his ship to record things. Like me.

Tubbo: How is that related?

Tommy: I’m getting there. God.

Tubbo: God?

Tommy: It’s a human thing. They swear on it like how we swear on the stars.

Tubbo: Stars. If Phil hears you, you’re not leaving your nest forever.

[There was a long groan of exasperation.]

Tommy: Don’t say that. I already had to beg him to let me talk to you. He thinks you’re a bad influence now.

Tubbo: You’re the one who got kidnapped!

Tommy: It wasn't a kidnapping. I was a stowaway.

Tubbo: That’s worse.

Tommy: Will you let me finish my story?

Tubbo: You’re taking forever! Hurry up!

Tommy: Well- yeah, I went to go look at the recorder thing that he had, and then he found me and he almost shot me but then I talked him out of it!

Tubbo: He almost shot you?

[There’s the sound of feathers bristling.]

Tommy: He wasn’t gonna. He just had a gun. Also, when was the last time you preened?

Tubbo: We are not talking about me right now.

Tommy: We are if you haven’t preened! When was the last time?

Tubbo: …six cycles ago.

Tommy: SIX?

Tubbo: Okay, when you put it like that-

Tommy: Sit down. Now. I don’t care, this is ridiculous. I can’t even leave you alone for thirty cycles and you go six days without preening.

Tubbo: You’re worse than my mom!

Tommy: Your mom barely even realizes when you sleep over. Or when I sleep at yours.

Tubbo: Not related.

Tommy: Totally related. You’ve got so much grime here. If I hurt you, it’s gonna be your fault.

Tubbo: You suck. You didn’t finish your story.

Tommy: If you let me preen you I’ll finish it.

Tubbo: You’re so needy.

Tommy: Do you wanna hear the rest of it or not?

Tubbo: Fine.

[There’s a sound of rustling of feathers and a creaking of wood.]

Tommy: So yeah. He pulled a gun out on me, and then I convinced him to not actually shoot me, and then before he could really make up his mind, something went off and it turns out that Purpled just- didn’t pay Quackity when he came to check something out on his ship. So then Quackity then aimed a gun at the ship-

Tubbo: What is with you and almost getting shot?

Tommy: I don’t know! Everyone wants to shoot me! But me and Purpled got out and then we went… home, I guess. Back to Pluamea.

Tubbo: That’s it?

Tommy: I mean- I guess so.

Tubbo: You talked about it like the world exploded, Tommy. What else happened?

Tommy: Purpled showed me the galaxy, Tubbo. I saw a space whale. Have you ever seen a space whale?

Tubbo: I think I’ve heard of one.

Tommy: They’re named after these things from Earth that are in the water- Did you know they have these huge things called oceans and they go for as far as you can see. And it's just- open, Tubso. It keeps going.

[There’s a childish sort of awe in Tommy’s voice.]

Tubbo: You saw it? Earth?

Tommy: Stars, no. It’s too far, apparently.

Tubbo: I mean, surely you could get there eventually.

Tommy: Not before I die.

Tubbo: What? Humans have a crazy long life expectancy though!

Tommy: I know it’s just- too far. We’d never reach it in time. All the humans born this far out into the galaxy never get to see it.

Tubbo: So you’ll never get to see your home planet?

Tommy: I mean… I guess not. But- maybe I’ve already seen it.

Tubbo: What?

Tommy: I mean, what’s a home planet, when you think about it?

Tubbo: Where your species is from?

Tommy: That’s for Avians. For humans, your home planet was where you were born.

Tubbo: But… you don’t know where you were born.

Tommy: I was born in the stars, Tubso. I’m a child of the sky and stars.

Tubbo: What’s that mean?

Tommy: Everywhere is my home planet. The galaxy is my home planet. The void, empty space and everything, is my home planet.

Tubbo: Woah.

Tommy: Yeah.

Tubbo: You’re pulling too hard on my feathers.

Tommy: Way to ruin a moment, Tubso.

Tubbo: That was your fault! You were being so rough with them!

Tommy: It’s been a while!

Tubbo: It has been thirty cycles, that’s not even that long-

Tommy: Okay, bird brain.

Tubbo: Bird brain?

Tommy: Yeah.

Tubbo: Oh I’m gonna kill you-

[There’s a sound of squabbling and screeches of laughing and faux terror. In the mix of it all, the recorder somehow gets turned off. The audio cuts.]

[LOG 6.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.4 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hi. I’m back again. The stars are so far, from here. There’s so little. Well- not really, there’s still a lot, but I can’t see so many of them here. On Purpled’s ship, it just kept going. It never ended. I could barely see the open darkness. It was just covered in them. Here… here, it’s different. I tried seeing someone to fix Purpled’s thing, by the way. He said he didn’t know how to fix it. I’ll try asking Phil tomorrow. He’s been getting better, after I explained everything that happened. I think he saw how kept comparing everything to Purpled’s ship. I miss him. I miss Purpled, I miss being understood and- there’s the feeling in my stomach that’s there. Purpled called it sadness. I can’t get rid of it. I’ve been sleeping more but it’s not working. It’s just… numb. I was crying again last night. I don’t even know why. Tubbo walked in on me, and he thought I was dying. I had to explain to him what it was. That it was a human thing.

[There’s a long sigh.]

Tommy: Stars, I miss him. I miss Purpled. I miss his dumb library and fake books and flowers and pictures. And his weird human accent to his words and all his random knowledge about the world. I miss it. I miss it so much it hurts. I keep imagining what it would’ve been like to live with Purpled on his ship. With him, under the stars. We’re both children of the stars, right? I could’ve stayed with him. Maybe I should’ve- Maybe I should’ve tried harder. Asked to be his flock more. Maybe he would’ve said yes.

[The sound of something fluttering by echoes in the audio.]

Tommy: It’s so… empty here, now that I’ve seen everything else. Not the stays, even those the stars are empty too. But those paintings on the wall had so much color to them. Here, everything is just… green. Green and brown and sometimes yellow or orange. You know how rare it is to find something purple or blue here? But in Purpled’s ship, they were everywhere. On the ceilings, the walls. His recorder was purple. His name was Purpled, for star’s sake. That’s basically just the color, but a little different. I missed seeing all the colours all the time. It seems so bland here without it.

[There’s a little shudder, and a shuffle of fabric, like Tommy curling more into himself.]

Tommy: He left behind his hoodie. I took it with me, and he didn’t say anything when I left with it, so I kept it. It sort of smells like the ship. Only sort of, because I keep wearing it, so it’s taking my scent now. I don’t want it to. I wish it’d keep Purpled’s smell forever. Smells are a big thing for Avians. They like having things from their flock in their nests, because then there’s the scent of their blood flock- their family- in their nests. I wonder if humans do that too. Even if they don’t, they should. Avians had that right. I was humming earlier. Singing under my breath, and Tubbo was so fascinated by it. By singing. He didn’t get it, but he found it incredible that I could make that noise. I don’t see how that’s amazing, but I guess I get it. The first time Purpled showed me a song that my parents didn’t show me, I begged him to play it for cycles. And then he showed me that there were hundreds of them, and in so many different ways, and I spent the rest of the days just listening to them while doing everything.

[There’s more quiet breathing. Tommy breathes a lot.]

Tommy: I miss noodles, weirdly enough. Out of everything, I miss the food that looks like bark bird poo.

[There’s a rough laugh.]

Tommy: They were pretty good, now that I think about it. I’ve never tried anything like that. I haven’t eaten a sunfruit since I’ve come back. I’m kind of scared to, weirdly enough. I know I’m immune to- whatever poison that Purpled said it was that affected humans with it. But still. It’s weird. There’s probably so many things in here that only I can eat that Purpled would probably die if he had. I guess that makes me different too.

[There’s a bitter scoff.]

Tommy: Stars, I can’t even belong in one place, huh? I can’t ever go to Earth. Everywhere I go here, I keep getting looks like I’m gonna go like a rabid wallowpaw and attack someone. They usher their fledglings away, y’know? Tubbo flipped them off the first couple times they did when he was there. But Tubbo isn’t always there. They look at me so disgusted. Like I’m dirty. But I’ve lived with them all my life. There’s so many human things I’ve never done or heard about. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

[Tommy sighs, tired and worn out.]

Tommy: I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I miss my parents. My blood flock. I wish they would have just kept me. Then everything would have been okay.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.5 BEGINS.]

Tommy: It’s been four cycles. I haven’t left my room. I.. I can’t. It’s hard. I’m too tired. It’s just… it’s easier to stay here. In my bed. My nest. I have Purpled’s sweater here, and it still barely smells like him. I just wish…

[There’s a long silence.]

Tommy: I don’t know what I want. I just wish this was over. I wish I could go back to normal.

[The only answer Tommy receives is none at all. The audio cuts off shortly after.]

[LOG 6.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.6 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Get out, Phil!

Phil: Tommy, you’ve been in here for cycles-

Tommy: I’m aware. It’s a choice. I’m tired, okay?

Phil: I think I know why. Just- Please?

[Tommy sighs, and there’s a sound of footsteps on wood.]

Tommy: What?

Phil: Well- I talked to my friend. The human one. And he said it sounded like- uh- depression?

Tommy: Is that supposed to mean something?

Phil: I… I don’t know. But it’s really not good for you.

Tommy: I don’t know how to stop it. It’s just… slow. I’m tired. I just wanna go back to sleep.

Phil: He said it might’ve been Purpled’s fault.

Tommy: Stars, Phil, how many times do I have to tell you he didn’t do anything? Purpled didn’t poison me okay?

Phil: That’s not what I mean. It’s because humans need other human interaction. It’s a thing.

Tommy: What? I’ve gone all my life without ever meeting a human. How come it’s happening now?

Phil: I- I don’t know, Tommy. I think it’s because you just met one. Now you know what it’s like, so now you need it.

Tommy: But you’re never gonna let me go. Because we don’t know where Purpled is, and the world is dangerous, blah blah blah. Right?

Phil: Tommy, I-

Tommy: It’s for my safety, right?

Phil: It kills you. It’s deadly. The- the depression.

[The silence that follows betrays fear.]

Tommy: W-What?

Phil: If you don’t see another human, it’s gonna kill you.

Tommy: What about your human friend? What if I just meet him?

Phil: It doesn't work like that. You have to meet them in person. Face to face.

Tommy: Otherwise I die?

Phil: Yeah.

Tommy: So… what do we do?

Phil: Did you know where he was gonna go? Your friend?

Tommy: I mean- sort of? I guess? He’s looking for his sister, and I know where he’s going, but he said he was going there cycles ago. He might already be gone.

Phil: But it’s worth it? To check?

Tommy: I guess? Maybe? I don’t know, Phil-

Phil: It’s okay. It’s okay, we’ll figure it out together Tommy.

Tommy: Okay. Okay, Phil.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 6.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.7 BEGINS.]

Tubbo: C’mon Tommy. I turned on the recorder and everything. Let's go do something fun.

Tommy: I don’t wanna. I’m tired.

Tubbo: Yeah, but you can’t stay here forever. You’re gonna become fused with your nest. It’s gonna be disgusting. We’re gonna have to peel you off your nest like a rotten fruit. Are you a rotten fruit, Tommy?

Tommy: I feel like one.

Tubbo: That sounds horrible. C’mon, I’m gonna drag you out of here and you’re gonna get leaf dirt all over your face.

Tommy: Why are you like this?

Tubbo: Being a caring flock? It’s ‘cause I’m awesome. Let’s go, Tommy.

Tommy: I haven’t even changed.

Tubbo: Does it look like it matters?

Tommy: I mean- probably. Half the flock already looks at me like I'm gonna attack their fledglings. Every time we go out they keep telling you to stay away from me.

Tubbo: And why do I not listen?

Tommy: ‘Cause you’re as stubborn as a rock.

Tubbo: Nope! ‘Cause they’re wrong. I will drag you out of there Tommy.

[There’s a long sigh.]

Tommy: Do I have to?

Tubbo: Yeah you have to. We’re going to the waterfall pool. Come on.

Tommy: Swimming?

Tubbo: If you want?

Tommy: I don’t wanna do anything.

Tubbo: Then no swimming. We'll put our feet into it and then walk around and pick berries and the come home.

Tommy: You don’t even like being on the forest floor. Or picking berries.

Tubbo: But you do.

Tommy: …Fine.

Tubbo: Okay! I’m gonna take the recorder with me. You’ll be okay Tommy.

Tommy: Nah just- leave it here.

Tubbo: The recorder? Since when do you leave your recorder behind?

Tommy: It might break with that water. That’s what Purpled said.

Tubbo: Oh.

Tommy: Yeah. Leave it here, and lemme get out of my nest.

Tubbo: You have four minutes.

Tommy: That's not even enough time to-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.8 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I finally had enough energy to get out of my nest today. Even after Tubbo took me around that day, I was so tired. Maybe the depression thing is just being tired. Maybe it kills me because I get so tired and I go to sleep forever. Stars, that’d scare Tubbo so bad. I don’t want him to go through a Fall yet. Phil’s probably been through dozens of them, but I don’t think he’s ever gone for his fledgling. Not that I’m his fledgling, but he sees me as it, so I can’t really argue against it. He tries. He really does. Him and his human friend have been trying to find where Purpled went. Where he’s planning to go. I think they’ll find it soon. It can’t be that far off, right? It’ll take a couple cycles and that’s that. And then I get to see Purpled again, and everything is gonna be okay.

[There’s a shuddering sigh.]

Tommy: I’m gonna be fine. The stars are bright out tonight. They’re pretty. For all that I love seeing them from space, there’s something about seeing them from down here too. I guess it's… nostalgic. Normal. Whatever normal means. Apparently nostalgia is a human thing, too. To miss the past. Miss what could’ve happened, what never did happen. Maybe missing is a human thing. Maybe knowing there’s an absence and wanting it back anyways is a human thing.

[Tommy shuffles quietly.]

Tommy: I wonder if Purpled ever found his sister. If he ever found Hannah. I think he misses her too. He never really talked about her, but I think it’s true. It was just- in the things he did. When he picked up the paint brush he always picked up a second and looked around for a second before putting it back. He always prepared two plates looking for someone else and then he’d see me, and then realization would hit him, and he’d just give me the plate instead. He did everything for two. Even when he didn’t know I was there, when I was in his vents. He did everything for two. I don’t- he said he was a bad choice. For a chosen family. But isn’t that the point of a chosen family? To choose? What if I choose Purpled? Can he- can he say no?

[There’s a beat of hesitation.]

Tommy: No. No, Purpled can’t say no, because for avians, when you’re in a flock, you’re in a flock. You can’t get out. So I’m just gonna- it’s gonna be like that. If I’m a human that was raised by avians, I can use both, right? He’s gonna be my chosen family and nothing is gonna change it. Nothing can change it.

[There’s a little self satisfied sigh.]

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah, Purpled is my family. He’s gonna be my family.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.9 BEGINS.]

Phil: Is it on?

Tommy: Yeah. What did you wanna tell me?

Phil: I’ve got some good news for you.

[There’s a quiet scramble, like Tommy sitting up.]

Tommy: Did you fix it? The glass thing? Did it work?

Phil: Yeah. Look.

[There’s a little gasp of awe and excitement.]

Tommy: You fixed it! Phil, it doesn’t even look like it was ever broken. It’s perfect.

[There’s a little purr of satisfaction.]

Phil: I’m glad you like it. I have one more thing to tell you.

Tommy: What?

Phil: I think we found him. Your human.

Tommy: You found Purpled?

Phil: I think.

Tommy: But it’s a possibility? That you found him?

Phil: I think so. He’s on 78A64. That’s what we think.

Tommy: ‘cause he’s looking for Hannah. He thinks she’s there.

Phil: Who?

Tommy: Hannah, it’s his-

[Tommy cuts himself off. Phil makes a questioning noise.]

Tommy: Nevermind. It makes sense, though. Are you sure?

Phil: I’m not sure of anything.

Tommy: Oh.

Phil: …But, it’s a pretty high chance. So we’re gonna take it.

Tommy: We’re gonna leave?

Phil: Yeah.

Tommy: You’re gonna let me go?

Phil: I… I guess so, mate.

[There’s a lapse in silence between them, one of cautious excitement and the other of quiet hesitance.]

Phil: Are you sure? That this is something that you want?

Tommy: To see Purpled?

Phil: To leave here. This is your home Tommy, I-

Tommy: It isn’t.

Phil: What?

Tommy: It’s not my home, Phil. Nowhere is my home. The stars are my home.

Phil: …Because you were born amongst them. The void is your home planet.

[There’s a light, warm laugh. It sounds more human than ever.]

Tommy: You got it faster than Tubbo did.

Phil: Because Tubbo has lived a fraction of what I have. You really want to go to the stars, Tommy?

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah, I do.

[A quiet, accepting sigh.]

Phil: Okay, mate.

[The audio cuts out to rushed words of appreciation, too mumbled to decipher.]

[LOG 6.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.10 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Tubbo, sit down.

Tubbo: Why?

Tommy: I have to tell you something.

Tubbo: You can’t say it while you’re standing up? What, are you sick or something?

Tommy: Somehow, I think it’s worse. Well- worse for you.

Tubbo: What?

Tommy: Sit down?

[There’s a shuffle of fabric and feathers.]

Tubbo: Explain.

Tommy: Phil found him.

Tubbo: Purpled?

Tommy: Yeah.

Tubbo: So?

Tommy: Do you remember the- nest thing? How I was tired all the time?

Tubbo: Yeah. Yeah, what happened to that?

Tommy: It was a human thing. And… It happens when I’m not close to a human for a long amount of time.

Tubbo: So? You’ve got us! You went your whole life without it, why’d it start now?

[Tommy sighs heavily, and Tubbo makes a buzzing noise at the back of his throat.]

Tommy: You aren’t human, Tubbo.

Tubbo: So… what now?

Tommy: I go see him. I go see Purpled.

Tubbo: And then you come back? You come back, right Tommy?

Tommy: I…

Tubbo: Tommy?

Tommy: I’m not coming back, Tubbo.

[The silence is deafening.]

Tubbo: W-what?

Tommy: I can’t.

Tubbo: Why not? This place is your home, Tommy. It’s not your home planet, sure, but you’ve lived here all your life. There’s- there’s the scuff marks from when you fell on your face, and there’s the waterfall we spent the hottest days in, and there’s the trees that grew up with you, and there’s your Soar that you did. You’re just gonna leave it all behind? Like that? For a human?

Tommy: It’s gonna kill me, Tubbo.

Tubbo: What? What’s gonna kill you?

Tommy: Everything. Did you know humans can’t eat sunfruit?

Tubbo: You’ve had sunfruit all your life. Nothing’s ever happened to you.

Tommy: It was by chance. I gained immunity to it by chance. Tubbo, if any other human tries eating a sunfruit, they die. Half of this planet is poisonous to humans. And you see how they look at me, Tubso. I don’t belong here. I’m not one of you.

Tubbo: So that’s it? You just leave?

Tommy: Do you remember that recording? The second one from my blood flock?

Tubbo: I don’t think I could forget it if I tried.

Tommy: He called me a child of the stars and sky. I’m not made to- be here, Tubbo.

Tubbo: How long do we have? Before you leave?

Tommy: Three cycles.

Tubbo: That’s it? And then I never see you again?

Tommy: You could always visit me. Wherever I go.

[The chitter noise that comes after sounds sarcastic.]

Tubbo: Tommy, let's be honest with ourselves for a second. They’re never gonna let me leave. My blood flock is already terrified that I somehow catch your ‘human-ness’ by just being near you. They’ll ever let me leave this planet.

Tommy: Doesn’t that bother you? Never leaving?

Tubbo: I like it here. It’s home, y’know?

Tommy: Not really.

Tubbo: Oh. Right.

Tommy: Don’t you wanna see the stars?

Tubbo: I do, but… I see them from down here, too. I see frog and Terglas and Square and Stoplight all the rest of them. Sure, I won’t see them from up there, but… down here is pretty good too.

Tommy: It’s like you’ll be watching me. When I go to the stars. You’ll be watching me from down here.

[There’s a light purr and an exhale.]

Tubbo: I’ll keep an eye on you, Tommy.

Tommy: I’m gonna miss you.

Tubbo: Not forever. You’ll forget about me.

Tommy: I won’t. I’ll never forget you.

Tubbo: That’s how human memories work, Tommy. You’ll forget about me.

Tommy: But this won’t.

[The audio crackles as Tommy picks up the recorder.]

Tommy: Your voice is in here forever. I’ll never forget you, Tubbo.

Tubbo: What about my face?

Tommy: I have the drawings. Remember the real life on paper? They were drawings. Paintings, too. I’ll learn to paint and draw, and then I’ll draw you.

Tubbo: That’s a lot of work for one Avian.

Tommy: Not for me. Not if it’s you.

Tubbo: Stars, you’re a sap. You’re sweeter than amber, Rift-

Tommy: You are not allowed to make fun of me after that-

[They both descended to arguing, words so fast and intertwined between GSL and ASL [Avian Standard Language] that the recorder isn’t able to pick up separate words. They do, however, stop eventually.]

Tommy: Brothers?

Tubbo: What’s that?

Tommy: It’s like a friend, but closer. It’s like- if your blood flock had another fledgling.

Tubbo: But we’re not blood flock.

Tommy: For humans, there’s a thing called a chosen family. It's like a blood flock, but not blood.

Tubbo: That’s just a regular flock, Tommy.

Tommy: It’s not. A flock had- dozens of Avians in it. A blood flock only has three. Four, if you’re lucky enough to have a blood fledgling.

Tubbo: So we’re like blood flock?

Tommy: Yeah. Brothers.

Tubbo: Brothers. I like that.

Tommy: Me too.

[There’s a shuffle, and the audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.10 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.11 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Don’t forget to take care of yourself. You have to preen, Tubbo I swear to the stars above, if you don’t preen every day and I somehow find out about it from across the galaxy, I’m gonna kill you.

Tubbo: Rift, you’re such a mother bird. Stop worrying about me. Go on your adventure and find Purpled. Tell him that if he tries pointing a gun at you again, I’m gonna blow his ship out of the sky.

Tommy: And you called me the mother bird?

Tubbo: My point stands.

[There’s a quiet silence. One of mourning and new beginnings. For there to be a new start, there must be an end, first.]

Tubbo: Say- say hello to the stars for me, okay?

Tommy: Yeah. Of course, Tubbo.

Tubbo: I guess this is goodbye.

Tommy: I’ll see you later.

Tubbo: No you won’t. I’ll never see you again.

[There’s an echo of the past, when Tommy falters.]

Tommy: Yeah. I guess I won’t.

[An inhale. An exhale.]

Tommy: Bye, Tubbo.

Tubbo: Bye Tommy.

[The audio ends.]

[LOG 6.11 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.12 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Phil?

Phil: Yeah?

Tommy: What’s this?

[There’s a couple footsteps and the distinct sound of a holo-pad being set on the table.]

Phil: It's… a holo-pad, mate.

Tommy: I know what a holo-pad is, Phil, look at the stuff written on it.

Phil: This is just- oh.

Tommy: Yeah.

Phil: Where’d you find this?

Tommy: That’s not the point. That’s the reason you let me go? Because Pluamea was getting destroyed?

Phil: Tommy… I-

Tommy: Your wing is doing the twitching thing.

Phil: The what?

Tommy: The thing you do when you’re not telling me something.

Phil: Yeah. It’s dying, Tommy. We wanted to get you off so you’d survive.

Tommy: What about you guys? What are you gonna do?

Phil: There’s another planet that isn’t too far away.

Tommy: So? Why couldn’t I just stay there?

Phil: It’s the air. It doesn’t have the air for humans. You’d die on it.

Tommy: …Oh.

Phil: Can you- can you turn off the recorder? We need to talk.

Tommy: Oh. Oh, yeah, uh-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 6.12 ENDS.]

[LOG 6.13 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Twenty minutes until touch down.

Phil: What’s touch down?

Tommy: It’s- nevermind.

Phil: … okay.

[The silence is tense- frozen. It’s nothing like the silence that filled the space between Purpled and Tommy. That was mournful. That was regret, regret and melancholy. The silence between Phil and Tommy was just that.]

[Silence.]

Phil: Are you ever gonna think about us? Of Pluamea and Tubbo and me and everyone else.

Tommy: Why wouldn’t I?

Phil: You seemed… happy. Really happy to leave. You had your mouth bones out and everything.

Tommy: Teeth. They’re called teeth. And- I was happy to leave. But I won’t not miss you.

Phil: Why would you do that? Miss something you’re happy to leave.

Tommy: I… I don’t know. I just do, I guess. As much as I was different, it was still home, once. It was home for a long time.

Phil: And then you saw the stars.

[Tommy sighs contentedly. His voice is filled with awe.]

Tommy: And then I saw the stars.

Phil: They are incredible, aren’t they?

Tommy: They’re the best things I’ve ever seen.

Phil: I guess they are.

Tommy: This isn’t your first time in space, is it?

Phil: Stars, no. I do remember the first time I did, though.

Tommy: Didn’t you want to stay there forever?

Phil: The first time? I was terrified.

Tommy: Of the stars?

Phil: When you think about it, the space between the stars is nothing. There’s just void. There’s nothing at all.

Tommy: I… guess?

Phil: Yeah, well, that’s all I could think of. I was so glad when I landed back on Pluamea.

Tommy: Really?

Phil: Yeah, mate. I didn’t leave for rotations. It took me forever to go back to space. Even then, I still loved the ground more.

Tommy: That's sorta funny. ‘Cause you’re an avian, and you can fly. And I’m a human, I’m stuck to the ground.

Phil: It’s like we always want what we can’t have.

Tommy: So this is it? The last time I see you?

Phil: Not the last time. I’ll visit you at some point.

Tommy: And you'll bring Tubbo?

Phil: I don’t know if his blood flock will agree.

Tommy: But you’ll try?

Phil: I’ll try, mate.

Tommy: Okay. Okay, Phil.

Phil: Are you okay?

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll see you soon?

Phil: Yeah, Tommy. I’ll see you soon.

[There’s a relieved exhale.]

Tommy: See you soon, Phil.

[The audio clips off.]

[LOG 6.13 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 7.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: It’s just me again. Phil left, something about Pluamea needing him back for the move. I don’t think they’ve told a lot of the fledglings about it yet. Tubbo didn’t mention anything to me, and he can barely keep a secret to save his life.

[There’s the sound of talking and a crowd.]

Tommy: I found a marketplace here. It’s got a bunch of species, so I don’t think people will take much of a second glance at me, especially with the gills that Phil drew on me. And I have my cloak, so no one should be looking too closely. I hope. It’ll be fine. A lot of people are wearing cloaks anyways. I don’t think people are very friendly, but that's not the point. Purpled is supposed to be landing in a couple hours. I have time to kill until then, right? I’ll just… go around. Yeah. Maybe I could make a couple credits by helping around, or something. Purpled’s designated landing pad isn’t too far from here, so I guess I just wait.

[Tommy sighs, and there’s a rustle of fabric as he readjusts his cloak.]

Tommy: I’m excited. I’m terrified, sure, but I’m also excited. I’m gonna see Purpled again, and I’m gonna give him his glass figure and he’s gonna smile at me all soft like when he thinks I’m not watching and he looks at the stars, and everything is gonna be okay. Yeah. Yeah, it’s gonna be fine.

[There’s a forceful exhale.]

Tommy: I’m gonna be fine.

[LOG 7.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 7.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hello! I was wondering if you’d like some help in return for a couple credits?

Enemur 1: What are you, a street skrat?

Tommy: No sir. Just looking for some spare change.

Enemur 1: What’s that you’ve got in your hand?

Tommy: A breather, sir. I’m a Mershay.

Enemur 1: Don’t look like one.

Tommy: I can assure you, it is. I’d be roasted fish up here. Is there something you need help with?

Enemur 1: Not that I’d trust a Mer with.

Tommy: I can get things done just as good as anyone else.

Enemur 1: Yeah, like the second I snatch that breather you don’t shrivel up. You said it yourself, bug. Roasted fish.

Tommy: I-

Enemur 1: Scram, bug.

Tommy: Fine.

[LOG 7.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 7.3 BEGINS.]

[Exhaling shakily.]

Tommy: He’s not here. Purpled’s not here. There’s- it’s a different ship. And it’s in his spot, and I just watched an Apis get off. Purpled wouldn’t let an Apis on his ship. He hates them. Stars, I came all the way out here and Purpled isn’t even here. And I can’t even go back, because Phil said that they don’t have the air for humans.

[The recorder gets set on the floor, and Tommy slumps down next to it.]

Tommy: Stars, I don’t know what to do. Do I just stay here? Forever? I don’t even know what Purpled was gonna do next, and- STARS!

[There’s the sound of something clattering against the wall.]

Tommy: I still have his stupid glass thing. Phil said it looked like a human dragonfly. I need to find it to give it back, if nothing else, right? Because- ‘Cause he collects things, and sometimes those things are stupid like this, and he’s gonna miss it. Purpled already misses it anyways. I- I need to give it back.

[Tommy takes a shuddering inhale.]

Tommy: Yeah. I got this. I’ll wait, and he’ll come eventually, and then I’ll give him his dragonfly so he has something to remember Hannah by. Yeah.

???: Who are you and how do you know Purpled?

Tommy: What is with you guys and pointing guns at me?!

???: Answer the question. How do you know him?

Tommy: How do you know him?

???: I’m gonna shoot you.

Tommy: Stars, calm down. He’s my friend.

???: Purpled doesn’t do friends.

Tommy: And you would know? How are you?

???: I’m his sister.

[The silence betrays everything.]

Tommy: Hannah?

[There’s the sound of something moving and a gun powering up.

Hannah: How do you know that name?

Tommy: It’s everywhere in Purpled’s ship! It’s- on the books, it says owned by Hannah, and all your art is on the walls. It’s in purple and green and red and pink and- every other color you can think of.

Hannah: How do I know you’re not lying?

Tommy: I have something. But it’s in my pocket.

[There’s a bitter scoff.]

Hannah: I’m not falling for that.

Tommy: You can take it. Just grab it. I swear on the stars there’s nothing about it.

Hannah: You’re not Avian. Why are you swearing on the stars?

Tommy: I- it’s a long story.

Hannah: Take it out yourself.

Tommy: Take what out?

Hannah: Your proof thing. Take it out slowly. If it’s anything that looks like a risk, I’m shooting you.

Tommy: Please don’t shoot me.

Hannah: You don’t get a say in this.

[There’s a rustle of fabrics and a quiet gasp.]

Tommy: Purpled got this, right? He said he ‘traded it for his sister’. His words. Not mine,

Hannah: God. Does that mean I have to trust you after pointing a gun at you?

Tommy: I- guess? Can you stop doing that now?

Hannah: Yeah yeah. Sorry about that. I’m Hannah.

Tommy: I’m Tommy. What- what’s your hand out for?

Hannah: A handshake?

Tommy: Is that a human thing?

Hannah: It’s more of a galactic thing, but yeah, it came from humans. You’re a human.

Tommy: No- no, I’m not. I’m a Mer. I’ve got gills. See?

Hannah: Those were drawn on with face paint.

Tommy: You can tell?

Hannah: Yeah. And the way you hold yourself is too back. Mers lean forward, like they’re swimming.

Tommy: It’s that obvious?

Hannah: Yeah? How do you not know what a handshake is?

Tommy: I was raised by Avians.

Hannah: No way.

Tommy: Yes… way?

Hannah: On Pluamea? How did you survive? Everything there is literally designed to kill us.

Tommy: Y’know, Purpled said the same thing. I’m immune, or something. Gained immunity. I dunno.

Hannah: …Huh.

Tommy: What’re you thinking about?

Hannah: How’d you know?

Tommy: You and Purpled both have the same thinking face. They’re like- you scrunch up your nose a little, and your eyes kind of blank out.

Hannah: You can tell? Just like that?

Tommy: Yeah. You can’t?

Hannah: I mean, I don’t see other humans very often, so not really. I see other species. I can tell when they’re thinking. Do me and Purpled really have the same one?

Tommy: I mean, Purpled goes a little still and you get a little- jittery, but yeah.

Hannah: Huh.

Tommy: Do you know where he is? Purpled?

Hannah: I’m looking for him. I don’t know where he is, though.

Tommy: I mean… he was supposed to land there twenty minutes ago.

Hannah: The ship with the Apises? He wouldn’t let Apises on his ship.

Tommy: That’s what I said. You think he’s still here?

Hannah: I… don’t know. What’s that?

Tommy: What’s what?

Hannah: The thing you’re holding.

[The recorder shifts as it’s brought up.]

Tommy: The recorder?

Hannah: You have one of those? I thought they didn’t have them on Pluamea.

Tommy: They don’t. Usually. It’s the only thing that my blood flock dropped me off with.

Hannah: Blood flock?

Tommy: Family. My parents.

Hannah: Oh. What happened to them?

Tommy: I… I don’t know. There were five recordings of them on here already, and I’ve heard four.

Hannah: Do you know their names?

Tommy: My mom was Clem. They never mentioned my dad’s name.

Hannah: Clem? Just Clem?

Tommy: I… yeah, I guess.

Hannah: Why don’t you listen to the fifth one?

Tommy: It feels too final. Like, after the fifth one, there’s nothing else. I don’t have anything left of my parents.

Hannah: I…guess so. Hey, is that recording?

Tommy: It’s been recording for a while.

Hannah: Oh. Oh, that’s so strange.

Tommy: It’s not that strange.

Hannah: No, turn it off. Someone could be listening to that or something, it’s weird.

Tommy: No one is listening. It’s one way.

Hannah: You know that?

Tommy: I mean… yeah?

Hannah: You’re not even sure?

Tommy: Not really? Does it matter?

Hannah: Yeah, it matters. You’ve just said your name, most of your location, and the fact that you’re a human.

Tommy: So?

Hannah: You realize that we’re hunted, right? Where do you think I was for the four months I left Purpled?

Tommy: I don’t know. He got all closed off whenever I asked.

[There’s a long sigh.]

Hannah: Somehow, I don’t know what else I expected. Turn off the recorder thing, I’ll explain it.

Tommy: Do I have to?

Hannah: Yes.

Tommy: Fine-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 7.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 7.4 BEGINS.]

[There’s the sound of shouting in dozens of different languages and heavy breathing.]

Hannah: This is what I meant!

Tommy: How was I supposed to know?!

Hannah: You could listen next time! With your ears!

Tommy: I did! You didn’t tell me they could tell from four hundred trunks away!

Hannah: I have never heard of that unit of measurement! Go left!

Tommy: How did they find us?

Hannah: ‘cause you’re loud, Tommy. You should try shutting up sometimes.

Tommy: You’re mean.

Hannah: And you’re gonna get us killed! Or kidnapped! Will you be quiet?

[There’s a long silence as the sound of footsteps thunder past.]

Tommy: …Are they gone?

Hannah: I think so.

Tommy: How did they tell? Stars, I was trying to be quiet, too.

Hannah: You hold yourself too straight. Like an Avian. But you don’t have the wings or the looks to go with it. You don’t have a single feather on your face and your hair is gold, for god’s sake. You stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t know how you haven’t gotten kidnapped yet.

Tommy: I mean, I’ve never really left Pluamea.

Hannah: You’ve never left? And you just showed up on 78A64 like that? Do you know how hunter-riddled this planet is?

Tommy: No! I was just here because Purpled was supposed to be! It was a couple hours and then I would’ve been on his ship and it would’ve been fine!

Hannah: You had no backup plan?

Tommy: I dunno! Avians don’t usually do ‘backups’!

Hannah: Tommy! You aren’t Avian! Stop thinking like one!

Tommy: I can’t!

[There’s a stunned silence.]

Tommy: I can’t, okay? I'm one of them in every way that matters. I- I barely get sarcasm, and I can eat sunfruit-

Hannah: Aren’t those poisonous?-

Tommy: They’re supposed to be! But they aren’t for me! You said it yourself, I hold myself like an Avian, and I swear by the stars and- and I’m not one of them! They still look at me like I’m some sort of animal they’ve never seen before! And I’ll never make it to Earth because it’s too far, and I’m all alone in this dumb galaxy, because Pluamea is going supernova and the planet they’re moving to doesn’t support human air. And I’m not growing an immunity to that.

Hannah: God. You’ve been keeping that in for a while, huh kid?

Tommy: I- yeah.

[There’s a long sigh.]

Tommy: I’m not wanted anywhere I go.

Hannah: Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news, the bounty hunters want you. Bad news, it’s ‘cause they’re gonna experiment on you. I mean, I dunno if those benefits outweigh the downsides, but I guess whatever floats your boat.

[There’s a moment of silence because Tommy laughs, hard and wonderfully human. Even Hannah lets out a half laugh.]

Tommy: You’re so strange.

Hannah: I got it from Purpled. You okay?

Tommy: I’ll be fine.

Hannah: Okay. I’m gonna go get some food, okay? Stay here.

Tommy: Why can’t I come with you?

[Hannah’s voice is light- teasing.]

Hannah: ‘cause last time you did, we were about to become real wanted. I’ll be back soon.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 7.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 7.5 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I got bored. It’s been like- an hour of doing nothing. Not that I have a watch, but the sun here is different. On Pluamea, it’s pretty simple to tell. Here it's so… fogged up. You can barely see the color of the sky. Maybe it’s just gray. Maybe their sky is just really boring. I’ve heard the Earth’s sky is blue. And then it changes colors when the sun sets. Can you imagine that? Changing colours every night? Back home, it was green, and then a dark green at night. And that’s it. For humans, it goes blue and then red and orange and yellow and pink and then dark blue. Imagine seeing that. I wonder what that’s like.

[There’s a short sigh.]

Tommy: I really wish I could go to Earth sometime. I know it’s not happening, but a human can dream, right? Oh, I think that’s Hannah. I’ll be back.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 7.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 7.6 BEGINS.]

[The audio cuts back into the sound of heavy breathing and loud footsteps against the ground.]

Tommy: It was not Hannah.

[There’s something shouted in a foreign language.]

Tommy: I DON’T SPEAK APIASA! IDIOTS!

[There’s another sound of something crashing and loud swear in multiple languages. Tommy laughs.]

Tommy: That’s what they get for- Oh. Oh that’s a dead end. Uh-

[There’s an indistinct noise as Tomy presumably shoves the recorder in his mouth. Which was disgusting. There’s more muffled noises and half-hearted yells back. There’s a couple of Avian swears there too. The noise cuts off very suddenly, with no warning whatsoever except a shout of terror.]

[LOG 7.6 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 1.1 8.1]

Purpled: Hi. Hello. Uh. These are really unnecessary. But I guess Tommy rubbed off on me like that. Recordings. God, this is so stupid. I don’t know how he did these-

[LOG 8.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 8.2 BEGINS.]

Purpled: I’m back, I guess. It feels weird with no one on the ship again. I had to get used to it when Hannah got… taken away. And then Tommy came along, and he took up so much space. God, he was so bright. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so bright before. And over normal, everyday things too. Not even Human Standard. It was Galactic Standard things, and he was just- ecstatic. It was almost contagious, the way that he got excited about stupid, regular things. I got excited for them too. I started looking forward to making new sorts of foods just to see the look on Tommy’s face.

[There’s a bitter scoff, dark and sour. But beneath it all, there was a disguised melancholy.]

Purpled: And then I went and dropped him off to- whatever his dumb planet was. God, you should’ve heard him. When I left. I told him see you later, and his words are gonna be ingrained in my mind. I hate it. I hate how close he got to me in a week and a half. And then that was that. And then everything what over, and he’s probably back in Pluamea with Tubbo and Phil and recording whatever and I’m here. I’m drifting to nowhere, because I don’t know where Hannah is, and I’m all alone.

[Purpled lets out a long sigh, and there’s a creak of a chair, like he’s leaning back.]

Purpled: I don’t even know where it went. The glass flurflog that I got Hannah. That’s why she got caught. Why we got tracked. I took the flurflog figurine, and then… And then yeah. And then she locked me in a hanger to protect me. God, I don’t get Hannah. I could’ve helped her. I could’ve- I don’t know. But I could’ve done something. At least we would’ve been together.

[There’s a long pause. Purpled’s next words are soft, like a quiet confession.]

Purpled: But Hannah would never do that. She’d rather die than put me in danger. It’s that look in her eyes- like she’d do anything to survive, but she’d do more to let me survive. I don’t know how she does it. Have so much love to give. So much care. It's like- she’s got all this care for people, and here I am, dropping some lonely human back home when he’s said it so plainly that he’s not wanted there. I’m sending him back to a place he doesn’t belong for what? The silence again?

[There’s a couple things beeping around the ship. Purpled ignores them.]

Purpled: I hate the silence. I’ve been keeping music on, all the time, just on the ship. I’m not even listening to it really, but it’s on, and if I drift asleep fast enough it sounds like Hannah doing ship logs. But it’s not. God, I don’t even know where she is. This whole recording thing is so pointless. I thought it’d help me think out loud or- something, but it just feels like a waste of time. Waste of breath, waste of electricity. I think I'm gonna try to go 78A64 next. I got a couple tips from Sam, however he gets them. I should probably be more suspicious of him, but I’m too tired today. Everything feels so hard these days. I’ll do it anyway, but it’s just… harder. More effort, y’know?

[There’s a long pause.]

Purpled: What is wrong with me, I’m talking to a recorder-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 8.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 8.3 BEGINS.]

???: -urpled?

Purpled: Yeah, sorry, could you repeat that Sam?

Sam: Are you okay?

Purpled: I’m fine, uh just- repeat? What you said?

Sam: You landed already, right? On 78A64?

Purpled: Yeah, couple hours ago. Haven’t gotten off yet.

Sam: Apparently, there was a whole chase that happened. There were two humans on foot and one of ‘em got caught. Dunno where the other went.

Purpled: You think they’ll lead me to Hannah?

Sam: I think that one of them is Hannah.

[There’s a scoff.]

Purpled: No way.

Sam: There’s a chance.

Purpled: You’ve said that about the last fourteen planets as well, Sam. I’m not getting my hopes up.

Sam: I’m just saying. I need you to break one of them out though.

Purpled: For what?

Sam: As a favor.

Purpled: Favor indebted?

Sam: Favor paid off. Don’t think I forgot what you pulled last time.

Purpled: I thought you said that the credits I got out of that paid it off.

Sam: I’ve never said that in my life.

[Purpled mutters something quietly, under his breath. It’s too faint to pick up.]

Purpled: Who am I breaking out?

Sam: blond human, around thirteen human years, 26 avian, 15 galactic. Blue eyes and bright personality. His hair is curly.

Purpled: Name?

Sam: Tommy? I think?

Purpled: Tommy?

Sam: You know him?

Purpled: He was the one in my vents.

Sam: That was a person? I thought you said it was an animal.

Purpled: I mean- I thought it wasn’t an animal. What happened to him?

Sam: Snatched. I’ll send you the cords in a second. Be subtle about it. If you get caught too I’m dead.

[There’s a snort.]

Purpled: Sam, you’re the more untouchable human on this side of the galaxy. You’ll be fine.

[The audio terminates. Purpled sighs, leaning back. The recorder is still running.]

Purpled: He got caught. Okay, okay, I can work with this. I get him out, then I look around if anyone’s seen Hannah, and that’s it.

[There’s a little mumble of calculations, too low for the recorder to catch.]

Purpled: Yeah. Okay. Okay.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 8.3 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 9.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hello? Is this still working? Please tell me it’s still working. Stars, I’m gonna kill someone if it’s not working. I think it’s working. Thank the Rift, that would’ve been terrible if it wasn’t. I would’ve- I dunno. Done something.

[Tommy sighs.]

Tommy: I guess those last recordings were pretty confusing. Uh. I got kidnapped. Almost got out, and then I just- didn’t. I fell, actually, from the wall I was climbing. Tubbo would’ve been laughing at me if I had done it back on Pluamea. But Tubbo wasn’t here. And then they put… something in me. I don’t know what it was. But after, everything was black and fuzzy and- just- I hated it. And then I fell asleep. I didn’t even know I could fall asleep that fast. And when I woke up I was… here, I guess. Wherever here is. There was my recorder here too. I guess they didn’t find it dangerous enough to get rid of, so I get to keep it.

Piglin 1: Yeah. You’re welcome.

[There’s a rapid scramble. The voice is muffled, like through a wall.]

Tommy: Who are you?

Piglin 1: I’m Techno. Who are you?

Tommy: … Tommy.

Techno: Thas’ an interestin’ name. What’re you in for?

Tommy: What?

Techno: I mean, you’re in here for somethin’. They grabbed you for a reason.

Tommy: I dunno. They just grabbed me. Why’d you say ‘you’re welcome’?

Techno: ‘cause I told them to let you keep it. It’s a recorder, right?

Tommy: … right. How’d you know that?

Techno: I know a bit ‘bout ships. I’ve gone on a couple.

Tommy: So you just- convinced them?

Techno: I guess so? It’s not like they really care.

[There’s the sound of something moving around, like sliding doors and a lock.]

Techno: Nether, are you a runt?

Tommy: Why are you out of your cell?

Techno:Uh- I work here?

Tommy: You work here? Why would you do that?

Techno: Makes good credits.

Tommy: Don’t you care what they’re doing? Experimenting and stuff?

Techno: Not really. How old are you?

Tommy: How… old?

Techno: Are ya deaf?

Tommy: No! I- twenty six rotations, I guess.

Techno: Which type?

Tommy: Rotation?

Techno: No, twenty-sixes. Yeah rotations.

Tommy: Avian. Twenty six Avian.

Techno: Nether. That’s like- four. Yer four.

Tommy: I’m not four.

Techno: In Nether rotations? Yer four. Whaddya do to get in here? They don’t take Avians.

Tommy: I’m not Avian.

Techno: You counted in Avian rotations.

Tommy: I was raised by Avians. I’m human.

Techno: That’s a first.

Tommy: New experiences, huh?

Techno: Yeah. Especially the bit where they take four rotation old runts.

Tommy: I’m… not a runt.

[There’s a loud crashing noise a little bit away. Techno chuffs.]

Techno: Was that you?

Tommy: Techno. Big bird. My favorite jailer. How in the Rift below would that have been me.

Techno: All you humans and your strange things. I can’t believe they took a runt. Yer gettin’ out.

Tommy: Since when do you just let people out?

Techno: Since never.

Tommy: I’m gonna stop asking questions.

Techno: You probably should. Stay here.

Tommy: Where else am I gonna go? Aphelias?

[Techno’s response is too far away. Tommy huffs at it, annoyed.]

Purpled: They let you keep the recorder?

Tommy: Purpled?

Purpled: God, Tommy, keep your voice down. I’m not trying to get you caught again. You’re already dumb enough to get caught once. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again.

Tommy: Can you hurry up? Please?

Purpled: I haven’t seen you in a month, and the first thing I’m doing is breaking you out of an experimental center. Why are you even here?

Tommy: I was trying to find you.

Purpled: How’d you even know I was gonna be here?

Tommy: ‘Cause- I dunno, actually. Phil just said you were gonna.

Purpled: Are we ignoring how weird that is?

Tommy: Considering you’re standing there looking dumb as the very strong, piglin guard is coming back soon, yeah!

Purpled: God, you’re impatient. I’m working on it.

[There’s the sound of things clinking together, both in the distance from Techno and from Purpled’s lock picks.]

Purpled: I got it. Let's go.

Techno: Go where?

[Purpled says a word in HSL [human standard language]. It sounds like a swear word.]

Tommy: Hi Techno.

Techno: Hey Tommy. Whose this?

Tommy: Uh- my friend? Please don’t kill him.

Techno: Y’know, it’s a really common misconception people have for Piglins. We only kill when we have to.

Tommy: You work at an experimental facility.

Techno: I didn’t say we were moral.

Tommy: Will you let me leave? Please?

Techno: Uh.

Tommy: You said I was a runt, right?

Techno: Didn’ you deny it like four seconds after?

Tommy: Does this look like a not-runt? Do I look like a not-runt to you, Techno?

Techno: You’re kinda dumb, runt.

Tommy: But I’m a runt?

Techno: I mean- you kinda are.

Purpled: I’m loving the reunion. Can we go?

Techno: Are you a runt?

Purpled: What qualifies as a runt?

Techno: How old are you?

Purpled: Uh. I don’t know, actually.

Tommy: Techno, he’s my age. Same age. Purpled, shut up.

Techno: That’s a lie.

Tommy: Can you please let us go?

Techno: I dunno runt. I-

[There’s a sudden cut out and a crumple of something hitting the ground.

Hannah: Purpled?

Purpled: Hannah?

Tommy: Tommy!

Purpled: Tommy, shut up. Is that really you?

[There’s a click of a gun as Hannah raises the shooter to point at Purpled. Tommy lets out a shout of alarm.]

Hannah: What’d you get that led the bounty hunters to us?

Purpled: The furflog glass figurine.

Hannah: It was not a furflog. That was a human dragonfly.

Purpled: It had too little wings to be a dragonfly. That was an Esteria furflog.

Tommy: I’m loving the argument, but uh. Hello?

Hannah and Purpled: Shut up, Tommy.

Purpled: What’s the flower in the book about peaches and other conventional fruits?

Hannah: That’s a trick question. There is none. There’s a preserved human yellow rose next to it, though.

Tommy: So is pointing guns at each other just a regular day to day thing?

[There’s a tense pause in silence. Finally, there’s a long exhale, and a tiny, disbelieving laugh of relief.

Hannah: God, kid, I thought I lost you.

Purpled: I thought I lost you. You locked me in the hangar.

Hannah: For good reason.

Purpled: For good reason? So you could get kidnapped?

Tommy: Can we please get out?

Hannah: Purpled, we’ll talk about this later. Tommy has a point. For once.

Purpled: You know him?

Tommy: Oi! What’s that supposed to mean?

Hannah: Yeah, I met him two days ago.

[There’s the sound of a door opening and Tommy makes a sigh of finality. The recorder can’t hear it, but Purpled flips him off.]

Tommy: I don’t know what that means.

Hannah: And I’m not letting Purpled teach you that. C’mon. If your ‘Techno’ friend wakes up we’re all dead.

Tommy: We won’t be dead. He doesn’t kill.

Purpled: Tommy. That was a Piglin. He’s probably killed more people than you know.

Tommy: You’re negative.

Purpled: I’m realistic. It’s left.

Hannah: Why are you here?

Purpled: ‘cause I’m not an idiot. I heard about Tommy.

Hannah: I told you it was double sided!

Tommy: It’s not!

Purpled: The recorder? I got a tip from Sam.

Hannah: You went to Sam?

Purpled: You disappeared for four months! Who the hell else was I supposed to go to?

Tommy: Personally, I am getting out, and the rest of you can stay here and be around when Techno wakes up. Which I will not be doing. I will be on your ship.

[There’s footsteps and two more following them in mostly begrudging silence.]

Tommy: So.

Purpled: What so?

Tommy: What’s the plan?

Purpled: You go home? Like last time?

Hannah: Not happening.

Purpled: What do you mean, ‘not happening’? You were gone. You don’t get a say in this.

Hannah: I literally paid for the ship.

Purpled: That is not relevant.

Tommy: See, the thing about going back is uh. I can’t.

Purpled: You what.

Hannah: That’s what I said.

Purpled: What happened?

Tommy: Pluamea is going supernova. Or whatever a planet does when it’s exploding. All the Avians are relocating.

Purpled: So? Why don’t you go with them?

Hannah: The air there’s not compatible.

Purpled: Oh.

Tommy: Yeah.

[There’s a sudden shouting from behind them. All three break into a sprint.]

Hannah: go to the right. Keep going, through the market. I’ll lead them off.

Purpled: Absolutely not. I’m not losing you again.

Hannah: We don’t have time to argue about this Purpled.

Purpled: Yeah! Then don’t argue! Tommy, here.

[There’s the sound of something being past from hand to hand, with a jingle like keys.]

Purpled: Get on the ship. Lock it behind you. We’ll be back. I’ll send you something. You’ll know it's me. When you get it, open the ship. But check first. Only open it if its both of us, and after you got the message.

Hannah: Purpled, don’t you dare.

Purpled: I’m not leaving you again.

[There’s an abrupt skirt as Tommy goes right, through the market. The only constant noise is the heavy breathing and then, the silence.]

[The audio cuts.]

[LOG 9.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 9.2 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Okay. Okay, I’m on the ship. The door is locked. I think I lost them. I- Purpled and Hannah separated from me. I don’t know where they went. I just hope they can get on themselves. Stars, what if they don’t come back? I’m not just gonna take their ship. How long do I have to wait? How long does this go? I-

[He’s interrupted by a loud beep.]

Tommy: What was that?

[There’s another beep. This time is longer. The sound of Tommy’s footsteps towards the cockpit sounds out in the empty spaceship.]

Tommy: Morse code. I- I read about this, in one of the books Phil got me, I-

[There’s a scramble for paper and some sort of a pen as Tommy wrote down the beeps, the gaps between them. He exhaled as he took a step back, looking at his work when the beeping ended.]

Tommy: Okay. Purpled has to have a book on it in here somewhere. He has to. Surely.

[There’s a hurried murmuring as Tommy practically ran across the ship to decipher it, pulling open books and muttering to himself under his breath. The entire thing is a rather silent affair as Tommy slowly flips through the pages, only pausing to scribble down a letter.]

Tommy: Stars. It says stars. I- who’d say stars? All that for just stars? Is that Purpled’s sign? Stars?

[The recorder is picked up again as he rushes back to the cockpit, clicking some things for the video camera to show up. How does he know how to open the security footage? He’s only ever been in a ship twice, neither of which required him to search for security footage.]

[Only the stars know.]

Tommy: That is Purpled. And there’s Hannah as well. Okay.

[He presses a button and the systems unlock. Something hisses open.]

Tommy: If I’m wrong, Purpled’s gonna kill me.

Purpled: Tommy?

Tommy: Purpled? Please don’t say you’re a fake. The real Purpled is gonna kill me if I let a fake on his ship.

Purpled: What? God, Tommy, I’m not a fake. Why is that your first reaction? I did the whole stars morse code thing.

Tommy: I dunno! You point a gun at everyone to make sure they’re the real thing! Is Hannah the real thing?

[There’s the sound of footsteps scuffing.]

Purpled: Hannah, what’s the thing that we’re allergic to but Tommy isn’t?

Hannah: Sunfruit. Fourth page of my sketchbook.

Purpled: Sasquat. Ethipises.

Tommy: My parent’s recordings. How many were there?

Purpled: Five. You’ve only listened to four.

[There was a tense silence.]

Tommy: So… that’s it?

Hannah: I… I guess so.

Purpled: We should probably get off-planet.

Hannah: Uh- yeah, actually.

[Tommy puts the recorder down, going to sit in the co-pilot seat. Purpled straps himself into the captain. Hannah remains standing.]

Hannah: Tommy? What’re you doing?

Tommy: Uh- Strapping myself in?

Hannah: In- that seat?

[There’s an amused lilt to her voice.]

Hannah: Purpled let you do that?

Tommy: Is this yours? I can more or something-

Hannah: No, no it’s fine. It suits you.

Purpled: God, you’re gonna hold this over my head forever, aren’t you?

Hannah: Oh, absolutely. The Purpled ‘I have no friends’ letting Tommy sit in the co-pilot? You’re never living this down.

Purpled: I hate you.

Hannah: You love me.

Tommy: I still don’t get it. What happened to the seats?

Purpled: Don’t worry about it.

Tommy: Ooookay.

Hannah: Hey, Tommy, have you ever heard of the crayons story-

Purpled: Hannah don’t you dARE-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 9.2 ENDS.]

Chapter Text

[LOG 10.1 BEGINS.]

Tommy: Hi! Hello, Welcome back to Tommy talks-

Purpled: Is that a new name?

Tommy: Yeah! I mean I talk to it anyways all the time, so I might as well give it a brand. Like a name. A name to the face.

Purpled: It’s a recorder. It can’t see your face.

Tommy: Okay, hater.

Hannah: Yeah Purpled. You’re being a hater.

Purpled: You don’t even know what I was talking about!

Hannah: I don’t need to know. You’re just a hater. It’s like your default state. You’re programmed to be a hater.

Purpled: This hater isn’t making dinner tonight.

Tommy: Fine! We’ll do it ourselves. We could make it ourselves Hannah.

Hannah: Yeah. It’s not even that hard. Half of them are premade anyways, right?

[LOG 10.1 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.2 BEGINS.]

Hannah: I’m never doubting Purpled’s cooking abilities again. This is so bad.

Tommy: What did we even do? We followed the instructions!

Purpled: Programmed to be bad at cooking. You default to not knowing how to make instant noodles.

Hannah: They’re instant noodles. How are they this hard to make.

Purpled: You think we’ve just been eating noodles this entire time? Just plain old out-of-the-pack noodles?

Hannah: I mean- yeah?

Tommy: There’s… other ways to do it?

Purpled: You sweet, sweet summer children.

Tommy: We’re in space. There is no summer.

Purpled: It’s a book expression. Idiot.

Hannah: No, I’m on board with Tommy on this one. There is no summer.

Purpled: You’re on board with Tommy on every one. There’s a reason you guys are eating those. I have a sense of dignity for myself.

Hannah: Share some.

Purpled: No.

Hannah: Hey, remember when you gave up your co-pilot seat for Tommy because-

Purpled: You’re such a bully. Take the stupid noodles.

Tommy: I still don’t get the chair thing.

[There’s the sound of a bowl scraping against the table as Purpled hands over the leftovers of his noodles to Hannah.]

Hannah: You don’t need to. It’s effective enough as it is.

Purpled: You’re just using the same fork. That’s disgusting.

Hannah: I watched you drool in your sleep for three years. You’ve done things nastier than sharing a fork.

Purpled: I was seven-

Hannah: My point stands.

Tommy: What's drooling?

[Silence.]

Purpled: Do avians not drool when they sleep?

Tommy: I- I don’t know what that is. Maybe?

Purpled: Do you know what saliva is?

Tommy: No?

Hannah: The clear stuff in your mouth.

Tommy: Oh yeah! You don’t?

Hannah: No- we do. Sometimes when you sleep it- falls out.

Tommy: It falls OUT?!

Purpled: That makes it sound so much worse Hannah-

Hannah: Shut Purpled-

Tommy: It’s just been falling?! Every night?!

Hannah: When you’re little! When you’re little, you drool a lot while you sleep. When you grow up… it. It depends.

Tommy: It DEPENDS?!

Purpled: This conversation is gonna be the bane of my existence. I feel like someone is explaining the birds and the bees to me again.

Hannah: I am not explaining that.

Tommy: My mouth water leaks?!

Purpled: I’m turning the recorder off.

[The audio cuts out to sounds of Tommy frantically panicking, still over drool, and Purpled’s exasperated sigh. It sounds exasperated, but really, it’s fond. It’s more fond than it’s ever been.]

[LOG 10.2 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.3 BEGINS.]

[The audio opens with childhood mischief in quiet, hushed tones.]

Purpled: You will not tell Hannah I showed you this. This is between us.

Tommy: For sure. Totally. Without a doubt.

Purpled: I’m having a lot of doubts.

Tommy: Come on Purpled, just tell me what it is.

Purpled: Fine. It means I love you.

Tommy: It means I love you?!

Purpled: Stop shouting. It does. That’s why I show it to Hannah so often.

Tommy: Awww you’re a sap.

Purpled: Alright Tommy ‘I make things out of leaves to show my appreciation’ Innes.

Tommy: Those were beautiful swans. I don’t want to hear a word.

Purpled: Tommy, they looked like dying ristericals.

Tommy: They did not!

Purpled: They did! You know when risterical dies they get all droopy like that-

Tommy: Okay, now you’re just being mean-

Purpled: I’m being realistic.

Tommy: They were beautiful swans.

Purpled: Have you ever even seen a picture of a swan?

Tommy: …No. But there was a book that was talking about them! It was called- the ugly- duckling? I think?

Purpled: No way is my life real.

Tommy: I didn’t even do anything!

Purpled: You found out what a swan was through reading the ugly duckling.

Tommy: And? Aren’t those what books are for?

Purpled: Forget it. Have you read The Thing About Jellyfish yet?

Tommy: Not yet. I think it’s next on my list.

[Purpled smiles, rare and excited.]

Purpled: Let me know how you like it.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 10.3 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.4 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I miss them sometimes.

Hannah: Your blood flock?

Tommy: Yeah. Them and my flock, too.

Hannah: I guess they’re easy to miss, aren’t they? Knowing there’s a gap there.

Tommy: Do you ever miss your family?

Hannah: Sometimes. I wonder what it’d be like to live with them, to know all my little siblings and talk to them.

Tommy: Do you regret it? Taking everything and leaving with Purpled.

[There’s a sudden laugh, and Hannah shook her head. It was kind. Hannah was kind.]

Hannah: Stars, no. I miss them sometimes, but I don’t regret any of it. I’d do it all again. I’d it all for Purpled.

Tommy: He’s lucky to have you, y’know?

Hannah: Yeah. I’m lucky to have him too.

[Tommy exhales a little happily. He flips Hannah off.]

Hannah: Tommy, what the hell? We were having a moment!

Tommy: I know! That’s why I did it! ‘Cause we’re having a moment! It means I love you!

[Hannah broke into a fit of laughter, Tommy laughing along with her.]

Hannah: Purpled!

[LOG 10.4 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.5 BEGINS.]

Tommy: PURPLED WHAT IN THE RIFT?!

Purpled: WHAT!

Tommy: THAT WAS SO SAD! THAT WAS SUCH A TRAGIC BOOK! WHY WOULD YOU GIVE THAT TO ME TO READ?!

[There’s a dull thump as the book supposedly hits Purpled on the head. Purpled is too busy cackling hard enough to have trouble breathing to really care.]

Tommy: Now you’re laughing at me you treebiter-

Hannah: Woah! No swear words in this household!

Tommy: We’re in space! You don’t even know what that means!

Hannah: It sounds like an insult.

Tommy: It could’ve been a compliment. Like the finger thing.

Hannah: I’m gonna kill Purpled for that.

[Purpled was still gasping for breath on the floor. He held a thumbs up from his trembling figure, laughing racking his entire body. He hadn’t laughed like that in a long time.]

Hannah: You are not allowed to laugh. What even happened?

Tommy: That treebiter- you don’t even know what it means, Hannah- gave me a sad book to read! And he said it was funny!

Purpled: In my defense, it was funny. To me.

Tommy: It’s gonna be funny when I feed your bone marrow to the roots of a washel everblue-

Hannah: We do not need attempted murder on the tape-

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 10.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.6 BEGINS.]

[The silence is quiet. It's not like any of the other silences that have happened yet. This one is different. This one is familiar and foreign, it’s new and old. It’s the silence of a home amongst the stars.]

Tommy: Do you ever still think about it? Being a child of the stars and sky.

Purpled: God. Every day. It’s an honour to think about. Like stars, I belong to the galaxy. I’m gonna die, and I’ll return to the stardust I was made of.

Tommy: We’re made of stardust?

Purpled: In one way or another.

Tommy: Doesn’t that make us all children of the stars? We’re made of them.

Purpled: I guess it does.

Tommy: Huh.

Purpled: What’re you thinking about?

Tommy: I… I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.

Purpled: Nothing at all?

Tommy: Nothing at all.

[There’s a long silence. It’s comfortable. It’s familiar. It’s everything that Tommy never had, it’s everything that Purpled didn’t realize he was waiting to give.]

Purpled: The stars are pretty tonight.

Tommy: Yeah. They are.

[The silence comes back like a crashing wave, receding and crashing on the sand like the sound of laughter and youth. After everything, Tommy was only thirteen. Purpled was only fifteen. Hannah was only nineteen, freshly turned legal. They were still children in every right of the word. There was laughter, laughter and arguments and crying and screaming and anger and forgiveness and grudges that never lasted long. But there was a family beneath it all, forged of choice and will.]

Tommy: If we all have stardust, doesn’t that make us bloodflock?

Purpled: How?

Tommy: Well- we share a part of each other. As whittled down and small as it is, we have to share something.

Purpled: I guess we do.

Tommy: So blood flock?

Purpled: Sure, Tommy. Blood flock.

[There’s a contented sigh, and Tommy leans back. He picked up the recorder.]

Tommy: This is all I have of my parents. And- I don’t know. But, at first, there was only my parent’s voices. That’s it. That’s all there was on here. And then I kept on using it, and… God, I don’t know where I was going with this.

Purpled: I see it. You kept using it. It used to be your parents, but now you’ve used it. It’s like they’re still here, in a way. Everyone is still there.

Tommy: Yeah. I still listen to mine and Tubbo’s talks on here sometimes, when it’s later at night.

Purpled: I know. I sleep next door, Tommy. I can hear you.

Tommy: Oh. Sorry.

Purpled: It’s fine. It probably puts me back to sleep faster than it wakes me up.

Tommy: Yeah. Somehow, listening to someone talk feels… easier, somehow. Then sleep alone. It’s like someone is falling asleep with you.

Purpled: Yeah. It’s nice.

Tommy: It is nice.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 10.6 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.7 BEGINS.]

Purpled: You stole my flurflog figurine?

Tommy: I didn’t steal it! I borrowed it! I was gonna bring it back!

Purpled: You were telling me off for stealing when we first met! Am I really that bad of an influence?

Tommy: I’m giving it back! It’s not stealing if I’m giving it back!

Purpled: It is still stealing.

Tommy: Well, I mean I can keep it-

Purpled: Nope! You offered it, it’s mine now.

[He paused, inspecting it.]

Purpled: Huh.

Tommy: You are so vague.

Purpled: This is really well done. Where’d you learn to fix this?

Tommy: I didn’t. Phil did.

Purpled: Oh. Well- Uh, tell him thanks, next time you see him.

Tommy: I will.

[There’s a movement to turn off the recorder.]

Purpled: Oh, and Tommy?

Tommy: Yeah?

Purpled: Thank you. For- fixing it. For bringing it back.

[And Tommy smiles, smiles so human it almost hurts. His smile is the same as his dad’s, the way his eyes are his mother’s.]

[He will never know either.]

[But you will.]

[And you will carry that knowledge deep in your chest, settling next to your gut. Know that Tommy’s eyes were the same as his mother’s, his smile the same as his father's, his hair the same as his forever unborn little sister. Carry the knowledge, and live with it.]

Tommy: No worries, Purpled.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 10.7 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.8 BEGINS.]

Tommy: We should take a picture! Of us!

Hannah: What?

Tommy: Because you take pictures when it’s a special time, right? This seems pretty special. You guys just found each other again. And, y’know, I’m not kidnapped. Seems pretty special to me.

[There’s a light snort from Purpled.]

Purpled: I mean, he’s got a point. We do take pictures on special occasions. Seems pretty special.

Hannah: That was two months ago. This is kind of late.

Tommy: You’re being a hater, Hannah. Don’t be a hater.

Purpled: Yeah Hannah.

Hannah: Since when do you two team up?

Purpled: Tommy bribed me.

Tommy: I did not. I just strategically left small trinkets outside his door. Like a cat. And it worked.

Purpled: I never thought I’d be compared to a human cat by someone raised by Avians. How do you even know what that is?

Tommy: I found a seventeen-hour long compilation on them.

Purpled: You watched the entire thing?!

Tommy: Not the point! Are we taking the photo or not?

Purpled: C’mon Hannah. That garners a photo at least. He lost seventeen hours to make that reference.

Tommy: It was not lost.

Hannah: It was totally lost. And fine.

[There’s a whoop of celebration and a sigh of fond exasperation.]

Tommy: Wait! Wait, let’s get the recorder in it too.

Hannah: What, an unofficial family member?

Purpled: The way it’s part of our lives, it might as well be.

[There’s a click of a camera and a silence as they waited for the polaroid to dispense.]

Tommy: It’s black.

Hannah: You gotta shake it. That's how you see it.

Tommy: All that work for a photo?

Purpled: We only take them sometimes for a reason. It’s impossible to find the film.

Tommy: The what?

Purpled: The part that dispenses the pictures. How many do we have left?

Hannah: I think that was the last one. We’ll get some more on Freferia next time we visit.

Tommy: Where are we going right now?

Purpled: You’ll see. I think you’ll like it.

Tommy: That is so ominous.

Hannah: It’s a surprise.

Tommy: I still don’t get the concept of that. A surprise. It’s so human. What’s the point of not knowing something?

Purpled: Suspense? It’s fun to not know something and get it anyway.

Hannah: Purpled, you don’t even like surprises.

Purpled: I mean, most people do.

Tommy: How long ‘til we get there? To the ‘surprise.’

Hannah: I think we’ve got a couple hours to kill. D’you wanna play Monopoly?

Tommy: What’s that?

Purpled: This is gonna be the biggest mistake we’re ever gonna make.

Hannah: Oh, without a doubt.

[The audio cuts off.]

[LOG 10.8 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.9 BEGINS.]

[The audio restarts. There’s the sound of Tommy’s footsteps, more confident than ever.]

Tommy: Hey, Phil.

Phil: Stars, Tommy. You’ve grown.

Tommy: I guess I have. It’s been a while.

Phil: four rotations, thirty seven cycles, and fourteen hours. I’ve kept count.

Tommy: God, yeah. I forgot you guys could do that. Crazy memory, right?

Phil: Always. You’ve changed.

Tommy: For the good, I hope. You have to. You’ve gotten old, Phil.

Phil: I’m not that old.

Tommy: Your wing is twitching.

Phil: Stars, I know you can tell that, but it still freaks me out.

[Tommy lets out a half laugh to Phil’s little chirp.]

Tommy: Sorry about that. How’s everyone back on Alia? That’s what it's called, right?

Phil: Yeah. Everyone’s okay. It took a couple rotations to adjust, really, but after that everyone kind of mellowed out.

Tommy: How’s Tubbo?

Phil: He became a flight instructor, believe it or not. When he was younger he’d always be-

Tommy: -running into trees and branches. I remember. Does he like it? Being a flight instructor.

Phil: Yeah. He does. Tubbo became really close friends with an Enderian named Ranboo.

Tommy: Enderian? I thought you guys hated Enderians.

Phil: Ever since you left, Alia is a lot more diverse than Pluamea was. There’s a dozen species that have settled there. We’ve adapted, I… I guess. They’re not as bad as everyone thought. [There’s a light scoff, and Tommy shook his head.]

Phil: Tommy?

Tommy: I’m glad you guys gained a new perspective. It’s nice. I’m glad Tubbo found new friends.

Phil: You still holding onto that recorder?

Tommy: Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever let it go.

Phil: I guess you won’t.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 10.9 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.10 BEGINS.]

Purpled: How’d it go? Your talk with Phil.

Tommy: I don’t wanna talk about it.

Purpled: That badly?

Tommy: I don’t wanna talk about it, Purpled.

[The audio cuts out half through Purpled’s words.]

[LOG 10.10 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.11 BEGINS]

Tommy: I’m sorry.

Purpled: Yeah, you better be. Just ‘cause you had a bad reunion doesn’t make it better.

Tommy: I know. I brought noodles. If you want some.

[There’s a little stunned silence, and then Purpled laughs, light and quiet.]

Purpled: God. You’re atrocious. Sit down.

[There’s the sound of Purpled shifting over and Tommy sat down next to him, setting the recorder on the floor. There’s the quiet sound of slurping noodles.]

Purpled: What happened? With your thing with Phil.

[There’s a long sigh, and the sound like the bowl being put aside.]

Tommy: They’re doing okay. Tubbo found a new friend, an Enderian.

Purpled: Enderian?

Tommy: Yeah. Apparently on Alia, the air supports a much larger range of species. Just… not humans.

Purpled: They share the planet?

Tommy: Kind of. They’ve gotten a lot more accepting of different species. Non-Avians.

Purpled: And?

Tommy: And I’m just thinking because- they learnt how to. How to get along with other species. To learn to live with them. They were capable of it. Just… not for me.

[There’s a long silence, that follows Tommy’s words. They sit there for hours, in tandem breath and tandem silence. The recorder continues to whirl quietly. When the silence breaks, it’s to the sound of soft, quiet words.]

Purpled: The stars are beautiful tonight, aren’t they?

Tommy: Yeah.

[The silence spans for several hours after as well, until Hannah, who finds both of them asleep, turns it off with a soft smile tugging at her lips.]

[LOG 10.11 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.12 BEGINS.]

Tommy: I have one more recording of them.

Hannah: Of who?

Tommy: My blood- parents. My parents.

Purpled: What are you waiting for?

Tommy: I dunno. A special occasion, I guess.

Hannah: Isn’t now not special enough?

Tommy: I…. I don’t know.

[Purpled sighs, a small snort gets picked up by the audio.]

Purpled: Living is as special as it gets, Tommy. If you keep waiting for ‘the special occasion’ we’re all gonna die before we get there.

[There’s a lapse of silence.]

Hannah: Well you’re morbid.

Purpled: You were kidnapped for like four months. I’m allowed to be morbid. I thought you were dead.

Hannah: I was fine. But Purpled’s right. There’s never a wrong time. Being alive is as right as it gets.

Tommy: I guess it is. Will you stay? Stay and listen?

Hannah: Of course.

Tommy: Purpled?

Purpled: Sure, Tommy.

[There’s a long inhale.]

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 10.12 ENDS.]

[LOG 1.5 BEGINS.]

Clem: Hey, Tommy.

Innes 2: Hey kid. I hope you’re doing okay.

Clem: This is gonna be the last recording you’re gonna hear from us. I’m really, really sorry for this, Tommy.

Innes 2: But we love you. We love you so much. Don’t forget that.

Clem: Pluamea is the closest planet to here that supports human life. You’ll be okay, Tommy.

Innes 2: You will. Our little survivor. You’ll make it.

Clem: Child of the stars, and sky, right? You’ll find your way back to them. I don’t doubt it.

[There’s the sound of crying, babbling tears, the sound of a baby.]

Clem: That’s you. You’re so bright. You’ve got the biggest, bluest eyes we’ve ever seen.

Innes 2: We’ll always love you, kid. I’m sorry we won’t be here for you to grow up. We wanted to so bad.

Clem: You’ll find a family that loves you just as much as us one day. I love you, Tommy.

[The audio cuts out.]

[LOG 1.5 ENDS.]

[LOG 10.13 BEGINS.]

Tommy: That’s it. That’s all that was left. I don’t even know what happened to them.

Hannah: Tommy…

[There’s a sniffle.]

Tommy: They just gave me up. To a planet they didn’t even know- they didn’t know what would’ve happened to me. They just sent me away like that.

Purpled: They loved you.

Tommy: W-what?

Purpled: In the recording. They said they loved you. There was a reason, Tommy. They wouldn’t have let you go like that.

Tommy: I miss them. I don’t even know them, and I miss them.

Hannah: That’s what being human is like. You’ll never know someone, you’ll hate them, you’ll love them, and then you’ll miss them. It’s the ephemerality of life.

Tommy: It feels like betrayal. I feel like I’m betraying them, by being with you guys. By making a new family.

Purpled: They would’ve wanted you to.

Tommy: How would you know?

Purpled: They said it themselves. ‘You’ll find a family that loves you just as much as us.’

Tommy: They did love me, didn’t they?

Hannah: More than you could imagine. A mother’s love is one of the strongest things in the galaxy, Tommy. You heard her voice.

Tommy: Don’t you miss your blood flocks?

Purpled: I never knew mine.

Hannah: Sometimes. But I’ll always miss them. It doesn’t mean we don’t move on. We all move on, Tommy.

Tommy: Do I have to? Tonight?

Hannah: Not tonight. It’ll come eventually. You just have to give it time.

Purpled: And we’ve got all the time in the stars.

[The audio cuts off. They go on to play Uno later on that evening, Tommy yelling at unfair rules and Purpled cackling in victory. Tommy proceeded to win seven rounds in a row, to which Purpled tackled him and Hannah watched in glee at the superficial hate she’d instigated between them. But none of this would make it to the audio of the recorder. The recorder was off. The story of them playing Uno and a million others will never be recorded, never be known, never be heard or seen or talked of ever again.]

[For that is space, in every finite way it's not. It is an infinite graveyard of memories, of people, of friendships and lovers and family and everything else. It is an archive of children and adults, of fledglings and the Soaring and the Fallen. It is everything and nothing, it is the infinite and the nearness.]

[It is space, and it is the sky.]

[And it will never end.]

[LOG 10.13 ENDS.]

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[Somewhere in the galaxy, someone finds the recorder. Someone picks it up.]

[The mantel is passed on.]

[The story is shared amongst the stars.]

[FIN.]