[open] wide open spaces

[greenmateria]

Hydroponics was simply amazing.

It was relaxing. That was the best way Aerith could describe it. She was sure there had been plenty before her to make this observation, though. Still, it was comforted her in a way she'd needed. Even if it wasn't the planet, her planet, it still gave her a sense of peace. Despite it being an artificial environment

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[zouichi]

Zouichi was in Hydroponics, playing with a brightly-colored parrot. Or rather, watching it play for the moment. Alan dipped and wheeled through the tree branches, occasionally returning to Zouichi's shoulder for a treat or some attention before taking wing again.

It was quiet this time of day, something the both of them could appreciate.

[greenmateria]

Once she caught sight of the bird, Aerith watched it for a few minutes. There was quite a collection of animals here, even some she'd never come across before. The parrot was bright, the colors catching her eye and once she saw Zouichi she made her way over.

"Hi!" She beamed at him, nodding toward the bird. "He's so colorful, I haven't seen a bird like that before."

[zouichi]

"Hello." Zouichi nodded politely to Aerith as he held out his wrist, allowing the bird to land on him and hop its way up to his shoulder. "He is, isn't he? His name's Alan. As near as I can figure, he's something like an Earth conure. I got him on one of the shore leave planets as a fledgling."

Alan peered over at Aerith curiously, chattering a little to himself in a way that sounded rather like a feline. He'd been hanging around Howard's cat lately.

[greenmateria]

The sounds Alan made were curious, but he was still a beautiful bird. "I see. I never had a pet, it must be nice." She leaned forward a little, taking a closer look at Alan but keeping a respectable distance. She didn't want to startle him.

"You said Earth - is that the planet you're from?"

[zouichi]

"That's right. And let me guess, you're from a planet similar to but not the same as Earth. A lot of people on the ship seem to be."

Alan cocked his head at her, examining her right back for a brief moment before fluttering upward, attempting to land on Aerith's head. He was... not a particularly shy bird.

[greenmateria]

Aerith laughed, nodding at Zouichi. "I guess that's a story you've heard a lot of. I can't say I know anything about Earth, though, but I'm sure Gaia is similar."

The fact that Alan was trying to land on her hand distracted her, and she moved slightly so he couldn't, instead offering up her shoulder for the bird to sit on. Having a bird on one's head wasn't an ideal situation, especially when talking to someone new.

[zouichi]

Alan settled for her shoulder, though he looked a bit put out. Lash let him land on her head... in the loosest meaning of the word, since Lash didn't always know when Alan was there.

"Gaia. That's the name of your planet?" Well, that made a sort of sense, didn't it? The name of an old Greek goddess of the Earth.

[greenmateria]

She gave the bird an amused look before answering Zouichi's question. "It is. Mostly where I come from people just call it 'The Planet', but Gaia is the official name."

Aerith looked around them, at the landscape and greenery. "This place reminds me of what I'd see when traveling. Is Earth very similar?"

[zouichi]

"Space," said Alan in a voice that did not sound very much like a parrot's.

"Er... not really. Most of the plant and animal life here in Hydroponics is pretty alien. And we don't have giant plants that try to eat people or anything... although there are smaller, tamer analogues. Well, we did, anyway. On my version of Earth, there wasn't much greenery left."

[greenmateria]

Aerith gave Alan a curious look before focusing back on Zouichi - specifically at the mention of plants that tried to eat people.

"Plants try to eat people here? I'll have to be careful then." She knew better than to be too curious, but any bit of information like that was good to keep in mind.

"I can't say I recognize some of the plants here," she said thoughtfully. She'd come across a few strange looking ones, but the ones with bright colors had caught her eye. "Some of them are beautiful, though."

[zouichi]

"Wanna go to space," Alan said in that same voice, preening the feathers of one wing. Actually, he sounded sort of mechanical just then.

"On occasion. I haven't seen one big enough to actually do it, though." Zouichi tilted his head in the general direction of a stand of denser trees and brush. "There are some interesting animals in here, too. I come here once in a while to feed the birds."

[greenmateria]

It was nice to know there probably wasn't a plant large enough to just gulp her down, but she was still going to keep an eye out. This place truly was a little bit strange. "I haven't run across many animals, but I have been pretty distracted!" She said with a wide smile, since the distractions themselves were new people and that was always nice.

Leaning her head to the side, she looked at the bird perched on her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Does he repeat what he hears, or does he actually come up with new things to say?"