Symbiosis

That night in her dreams Huilu had seen the expanses of the universe and the countless stars, that dotted the black velvet of space. And she had woken up to the sounds of Whisp and S'loo preparing breakfast, and those sounds alone were enough to make her smile. But today Huilu had another big reason to smile, and upon arriving downstairs Huilu had already had a wide, joyful smile on her face. It had probably been slightly strange for the young ones, who were most definitely not morning people. Well, Eein was, but his state lately had not been among the best. But though thinking that still made Huilu worry today was a day she had dedicated for herself. Herself, and this trip with Irso.

As Huilu stepped out into the rain all she could see was beauty where others saw grey and gloom. The water drops sparkled in the dim light and the skies were silver. The sound of the rain hitting Huilu's baby blue umbrella was like nature's very own melody, and Huilu stopped for a moment and closed her eyes to enjoy this concerto performed just for her.
Huilu's steps were slightly hurried, because she could hardly contain her excitement for what was going to happen. After waiting for a while she was going to be able to visit the space station, and with one of her dearest friends. Much more dear than Huilu had planned for him to become. Being with him brought back all those feelings Huilu had not felt in a long time, not since the days of her youth. It was refreshing and made Huilu happy, but at the same time Huilu was...frightened. Of her thoughts, of what would happen if she let herself succumb to these feelings. And naturally Huilu was worried over Irso's feelings, and that he might not return Huilu's affections. He was an ancient creature, someone who held much more wisdom than Huilu ever could. And it was a great possibility he did not see Huilu as nothing more but a child, and she thought of that as nothing but understandable.

But even such thoughts could not bring Huilu's mood down, for she had no intentions to act upon these feelings, not now. Now she was just going to enjoy this outing with a good friend. But Huilu might've been slightly overdressed if this was but an outing with a friend. She was wearing a white silk top, along with a fluttery skirt that reached her knees and was coloured like a galaxy with stars and dim pinks and oranges on a black background. Little space theme to commemorate the occasion. But her hair Huilu had left as it was, free and flowing down on Huilu's other shoulder in generous bright blue waves.

Eventually, about 5 minutes too early, Huilu arrived on Irso's house. She had seen it before, but she stood outside for a moment and took it in one more time. And after taking a single deep breath Huilu rang the doorbell, absentmindedly spinning the umbrella in her hands, waiting for Irso to open the door with fluttering in her abdomen.

The footsteps from behind the door were clear for Huilu with her hearing, that surpassed that of a wolf. And as Huilu heard a definite chuckle a chuckle nearly escaped her lips as well. But Irso might've found it strange for Huilu to be chuckling to herself so she merely had a small amused smile on her face when Irso finally opened the door.

The way Irso clearly took all of Huilu in carefully made her feel slightly shy, but she did not show it and merely stood there and gave the man a small wave.
"Oh, no. I thought an occasion such as this was deserving of special attire. I would hate to witness the vast expanse of space for the first time underdressed."
Huilu answered Irso's teasing with a chuckle, and did a small elegant spin that made her skirt flutter around her.

"Ah, hello there small one."
Huilu greeted the cat that had shown itself. She was not surprised, when the kitten appeared from between Irso's legs, as she had heard its roar before. In fact, she was delighted to see the small creature, and sent it a small wave as well. Perhaps because it had been created in her image Huilu felt closeness to the feline.
"I in fact enjoy rain, among many natural phenomena it is among those that are new to me."
Huilu explained, as she stepped in, smiling up at Irso. She had noted his clothes as well, it was an outfit that was very much his style and suited him.

Huilu had seen Irso's residence before, and each time it fascinated Huilu how well a home brought forth the personality of its resident. The house was so many interesting objects it nearly resembled a museum, but at the same time it managed to feel cozy and warm, like a home. And the kittens chasing each other around were a very nice touch, and Huilu laughed a little as the two ran past them.
"Don't siblings always?"
Huilu said with a small grin.

It was strange, how well Huilu understood how siblings and their rivalries worked just from watching her cousins grow up. And watching the two kittens very much reminded Huilu of Fweiu and Hwuun when they had been just two hatchlings, Hwuun not having been in his human form even once, running around and play fighting and wrestling and bickering over the smallest things. The memory made her smile, and she waited by the door while Irso gave the kittens instructions. So the purple one was named Sani. Huilu wondered what name Irso had given to the blue one.

"Wonderful. Then, shall we? Farewell, small ones, I will be seeing you again."
Huilu said to the kittens over her shoulder, waving a bit with a smile. It was a promise for them as well as herself. Because Huilu wanted to come here again, and see the kittens as well as Irso. Perhaps even play with the creatures a bit, as she had done with her cousins so many times before.
On the way to the teleporter Huilu's excitement only grew, and slight fear was mixed in with the anticipation. Huilu tended to get overexcited and in the end wind up slightly disappointed, if the result wasn't quite what she had imagined. Huilu did not want this time to follow that pattern, because she wished to remember this trip for a long time. It would be a shame for it to be stained with even small amount of disappointment.

The teleporter station, as expected, had a lot of people. Not as much as there could be, but still enough for Huilu to have to actively dodge more than one individual. But they got to the ring relatively quickly, and Huilu looked up on it with slight amazement. It was an impressive feat of magic and engineering, and Huilu thought it deserved to be viewed as its own kind of work of art.
Huilu smiled at the family before them, and she imagined the children and parents alike were going to have a trip to remember for the rest of their lives. And, as always when seeing parents with their children, Huilu felt slight melancholy, and even envy. But it was but a faint feeling and thus got easily buried under Huilu's ever growing anticipation.

Irso's words drew Huilu's attention, and she nodded once with a smile.
"I'm ready, I have waited for this for far longer than you think."
These words were not an exaggeration, in fact Huilu had dreamed of space ever since she was a child, to visit the place that so often was in her dreams, and had given her inspiration and courage on so many sleepless, lonely nights.
"I do not think it would be possible for me to forget you. Not anymore."
Huilu answered with a chuckle, and before Irso could answer Huilu stepped forward and through the teleporter.

The area around the teleporters had been designed, so those arriving could immediately see the space in all its glory. And thus Huilu's breath was nearly taken away the moment she arrived on the other side. Unfiltered sky filled with stars spread above her, and Huilu nearly did forget to take some steps forward as she stared at the large windows letting out into space. Her eyes were wide, and as soon as Irso would step through the teleporter himself he'd see Huilu with a small, dazzled smile and an expression that spoke volumes of her awe.

The quick exit after Huilu said those rather meaningful words had been partly to hide her own embarrassment, but that was quickly forgotten by the splendor she witnessed on the other side of the portal. And Huilu only snapped back from her awe when Irso floated before her and took her picture, saying a single word that drew Huilu's attention to him. The possibility of Irso using the word to describe her rather than this space did pass through Huilu's mind, but she dismissed it and nodded once, still that small awed smile on her face.
"It truly is. Utterly magnificent."
Huilu answered, humbled by the sheer size of the space that was now surrounding them. Well, it was always surrounding them no matter what, but that could only truly be understood now that they weren't on Earth's surface anymore.

"I'm glad you are here as well. You give this story one of a kind flair."
Huilu answered with a chuckle, her eyes still wandering around the large lobby of the station until they again ended up on Irso. This was made that much more special thanks to his presence.
"Just these first few minutes have been unforgettable. I'm certain the rest shall be just as much so. But we cannot prove that right or wrong by just standing here, can we? Let us start this adventure."
Huilu stepped forward and took Irso's arm with a smile, starting to walk alongside him in a random direction. Huilu was an explorer, and she liked being surprised. And thus she had tried to keep her knowledge of the station at minimum, so everything would be fresh and new and ready for her to discover. And later when she knew of any good attractions and spots Huilu would come here with her family. This was an adventure just for her, and Irso.

Huilu did have a vivid imagination, but she was purposefully trying not to create any expectations or images about this place, merely discovering as she went. And it was truly worth it, since every sight, scent, sound and sensation was loaded with the exhilaration of experiencing something new. And Huilu's hold on Irso's arm kept her grounded, and prevented her from becoming too distracted. It was a good thing Huilu was not here on her own, or else she might've spent days here on end.

The bazaar was big impact on all Huilu's senses, and she had to take few minutes just looking at everything surrounding her. Exotic spices and fabrics alongside top of the notch technology, breathtaking performances and food that looked and smelled absolutely delicious. Huilu truly did not know where to start. So Irso's question had her stumped, and she opened her mouth to tell him so. But that was when Huilu saw a narrow window about as tall as Irso on the side of the bazaar, showing out towards space and small part of Earth. A humble sight alongside all the bravado and extravaganza going on around the area, and there were no people near it, as it was in a forgotten corner. But Huilu let go of Irso's arm and simply walked over to the window, like in a daze. She watched out of it, gently pressing her hand against the glass, and looked down on the planet they had just been on. Huilu felt small, and humble, as she looked upon Earth and the space, and she felt like her mind and thoughts could get lost in the infinite cosmos that swirled just beyond this glass, almost at her fingertips. Huilu's eyes became distant, and so did her thoughts, as she took a moment to just...appreciate this, as everything else faded away from around her.

Eventually, after yet another few minutes(or so Huilu hoped, as she was not aware how long had actually passed) Huilu turned around to send a more serene smile at Irso. She was still excited, but now that excitement was culminated, calm, and ready to be used correctly through proper channels.
"I'm afraid the fate of your wallet is out of my hands. I could not possibly keep you from reaching for you dreams."
Huilu answered a bit too late, the teasing evident in her tone. She chuckled, and now again faced the buzz of the bazaar.
"Let us see..."
Huilu said thoughtfully as she scanned the bazaar. There were many options, too many, and thus Huilu gave up on trying to decide on a specific one. Huilu simply began walking again, and let her eyes and legs carry her to whatever caught her attention. At first Huilu wandered over to a woman selling all sorts of objects, both art and practical, made of rainbow coloured glass. Huilu started a short conversation with the vendor, and in the end she exchanged pieces with the woman, as Huilu made her a small deep blue vase out of unmelting ice and the vendor gave Huilu a beautiful wind chime . Next she wandered through numerous spice booths, taking in all these new scents one by one, and received many compliments, some perhaps leaning on the flirting side. And this went on, and all the while Huilu spoke to Irso, commenting on whatever she saw, giving her opinions and views, pulling Irso in on the conversations she had. And Huilu was having the time of her life, and it showed.

Few hours later Huilu and Irso finally moved on from the bazaar, Huilu eating a naan type of bread with some light fillings made from vegetables from another planet. Her legs were feeling slightly tired, and her hair was bit more wild after all that walking about. At one point Huilu had even danced and spun along for a few minutes to music played by a street artist. How could she have not? The instrument and the sound it let out had been so beautiful, it had been irresistible.
"Some would believe after visiting this place there would be no need to go to other planets, their cultures are so evident here. But I cannot wait for the day I can travel to all the places I saw a mere glimpse of today."
Huilu said with a slightly distant look in her eyes again, and took a bite of her food. Her arm was yet again wrapped around Irso's, and there was the small serene but excited smile on her face.