A drop here, a drop there (a one-shots/snippet book)

so it'll be as if all the stars are laughing (WTNV/Sky: Children of the Light

It just fell in eerie silence and landed just as silently with a flash that was quick to disappear.

Eagerly, Carlos started walking as he listened to the steady beeping of the machine. He didn't know what it was picking up exactly, it was one of those that just appeared mysteriously around their lab with no clue as to where it came from or what it was for, but it might still lead to something scientifically interesting! On his other hand he held a Geiger counter that showed levels that would be considered deadly to the rest of the world, but was considered normal (and harmless) in Night Vale.

Sand and rocks crunched under his shoes as he followed where his device led him, turning based on which direction made the beeping go a little faster. The scientist was so focused staring down at his devices that he didn't realize how close he was to the UFO until he heard the scraping sound of movement in front of him. He stopped dead and whipped his head up, startled, before his eyes widened even further once he saw it.

It...was a child...?

It looked like a child. Was shaped and sized like a child. But it had hair that was completely white, braided into twin tails. He didn't have a good view, but it seemed like their face is a lighter color than their brown limbs. The child-looking thing weakly pushed themselves up, limbs scraping the dry earth, and raised a hand to hold their head.

When they looked up, Carlos only saw a blank, yellow-ish light brown mask with a carved line connecting the eye holes. The eyes themselves were white, perhaps slightly yellow? matched by a diamond hole on their forehead that glowed similarly.

They stared at each other, both curious and confused.

Finally, leaning on the fatherly instincts developed from having his own child, and he turned off the beeping devices and slowly crouched so he wasn't towering over the being.

"Hi there," Carlos greeted softly, observing how they leaned back and rearranged themself to sit with their legs tucked in neatly beneath them and their hands on their knees. The green cloak of undeterminable material covered almost their whole body, a glowing dot on their torso visible from the gap in front, but the way their shoulders rose in tension as they looked around was still clear through the material. "Are you hurt? Do you need help?"

The being looked back at him, but the eye contact didn't last long before he was looking away and examining the being's appearance again, fascinated. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite tell what.

The child didn't answer with any words, but instead let out a musical sound. Carlos blinked, making in a questioning hum. They can't speak?

As if answering, they made the same note twice in quick succession. When Carlos didn't respond there was a silent pause, before the being was stumbling up. They slowly shuffled closer, wherein Carlos tried to sit still patiently, before stopping to just stare at him with narrowed eyes.

"Can you understand me?" Carlos asked. "...Nod if you can." He made an exaggerated nod as an example. After a pause, they copied the gesture, but more excitedly. It's unclear yet if they truly understood or if they were just copying without comprehending his words, but perhaps they can do more tests at the lab. A detail was suddenly noticed as he observed them more, and he couldn't help the alarmed sound he made.

"Your feet! You don't have shoes? They must be burning," he fretted, hands reaching out halfway as the urge to pick them up fought against not wanting to scare them.

The being stepped back, making more of the musical sounds and shaking their head. They looked down and flexed their toes, before looking up at him as he started to calm down.

"You're not hurt?" he asked worriedly and sighed in relief when they nodded. The desert-baked sand wasn't the most comfortable of temperatures, but it seems this child-like being was unbothered by it. Fascinating.

He pushed himself up, grinning brightly and hoping that a grin isn't an offense in whatever culture this... alien, had. If it really was from another planet, it's very interesting that they too would have the same configuration of one head, two arms and two legs- how similar and how different is their planet that this is where their evolutionary line ended up? He shook his hands a little, before stopping himself because who knows how they'll take it.

The answer to that was one honk while they blinked up at him.

"Would you mind coming with me to answer some questions? And we can help you find your footing here, if you don't plan on hurting anyone," he said, then added, "You'll of course be compensated for your time, if you'll agree to us gathering more data about you," because they are professional scientists, and scientists give proper compensation to their willing subjects. That's the 14th thing a good and moral scientist is.

More staring, accompanied by sounds that rose up in tone at the end as if in a question, but was then interrupted by the crunch of a vehicle approaching. The sight of it made a jolt of fear race down his spine, but still he moved a bit closer to the child as if to shield them. The car slowed to a stop, and out stepped a man covered in black.

The only colored thing the secret police officer wore was a sunhat over their balaclava, which was of little help to counter the heat considering their all-black outfit. They tipped their hat. "Evening, Mr. Palmer the Scientist." The fact that the sun was still in the sky was ignored; the sun was being stubborn about setting today and Carlos would be (and should be) home by this time if he hadn't been distracted by Science.

"Evening, officer," Carlos greeted cheerfully back, pretending there wasn't some tension in his shoulders. "What seems to be the problem?' He can feel the child shuffle closer and peek out from behind him, lightly gripping the fabric of his lab coat.

"I'm here take in that thing behind you. You know how it is, what with the Blood Space War," they said, eyes narrowed at the being.

"Um? I- I don't follow?'

The officer huffed. "Well we don't know what it is and what side they're on. Could be an enemy sent to the past to sabotage us! We don't know, and anything unknown should be feared- and made known through judicious use of totally humane interrogation techniques."

Carlos spluttered. "Wha- they're a child! Look at them! While I'm sure you care much for the safety of our community, officer, I don't think this one will be dangerous! At least I hope so. And!" he interrupted when he saw them about to say something, "that's what science is about, finding out. So, I'd really like to bring them to the lab and find out."

The officer, evidently well trained in the art of passive-aggressiveness, replied, "Well, fine. If that's what you want. It's not like this is breaking protocol or anything."

Carlos beamed. "Thank you!"

"Wait-"

"Thank you for your contribution to Science, officer!" he called out, grinning, while he grabbed the child's hand and speed-walked to his car.

Behind him, he can hear the police groan and reply, "I'll be sending paperwork to you Mr. Palmer the Scientist! Better you than me!"

"Sure," Carlos said as he gently ushered the wide-eyed child into the passenger seat. After a warning and seeing them nod, he started the car. The child sat stiffly at the car's motion, but soon was looking out at the buildings in wonder until they were kneeling on their seat and pressing their mask on the glass. They looked around the car, poking at the radio while the weather played, before something outside caught their attention again. They let out a low drawn-out sound at the multicolored cloud in the distance, awed.

Carlos smiled, feeling nostalgic at his own early days here. "Yeah, this is Night Vale. Welcome to town."