You feel yourself slowly starting to wake up, but you don't quite want to open your eyes yet...
You hear the gentle echo of someone shuffling their way on over to you. Wherever you are, there's a lot of echo! Like an hallway that goes to infinity.
A polite little chuckle comes from whoever is curiously standing over you. Are they amused by your snoozing? Well... if you're sleeping in a hallway, it's probably not where you're supposed to be...
And yet, it doesn't look like anything's happening - not that you're opening your eyes just yet. No one's bothering you to get up, or talking your ear off, or even dragging you out of wherever you are! You just... get to keep resting peacefully.
You can hear a soft "fwumpf" on the ground beside you. Like something light and fluffy sat down beside you. Are they joining you??
As you breathe and sniff the air, you smell something that's a bit like... the forest? Like trees and leaves... the autumn air... it reminds you of being out in the woods, hearing the crinkle of dry leaves on the ground - light breezes with dirt or sand flowing through the air... and then, you sense a shadow... something hovering above your face... and slowly, it eases down onto your body. It's feathery... but it covers you up quite a bit... like a bird's wing.
Seems you've literally been taken under someone's wing! It rests gently on your back and shoulders, like a feathery blanket meant to keep you warm.
"There there..." a soft voice coos from their stubby little beak. They sound a bit older, like a quiet elderly librarian? Or someone's grandparent, but obviously not yours... Well, whoever it was seemed comfortable enough to sit down by a sleeping stranger... and that's odd enough for you to open your eyes and see who'd do that!
To your right is a stubby little feathery leg, with vanilla-colored feathers, and peachy-colored talons. They're quite plump! But, you're more curious about who's getting into your personal space, so you turn more and look up. Beyond their white, feathery tummy was a peaceful, nerdy-looking owl, gently gazing down at you with large black eyes.
"Ah... hello there..." the owl smiles sincerely, "I hope I did not wake you up early... sorry about that."
Well... they didn't look too creepy. Their light fur was very clean! And their glasses seemed very proper and dorky... the owl's eyes looked very big behind them! And their large pupils seemed quite fixed on you.
The owl gently pet along your back a few times, like they were petting a little puppy! ...But, well, falling asleep on the floor in public, you might not be too different from a wild animal in that regard...
"Are you alright? Hoohoo, I have not seen anybirdy fall asleep on the floor here before..."
You looked around - your eyes were still kind of blurry from waking up. The hallway you were in was dark and cool, with a hint of bluish-green. There were a lot of flashing pictures and images sliding from left to right in quite a quick manner! Maybe it was a giant slideshow or something.... or like a film? But all the images seemed different and unrelated. Some were pretty weird and a bit naughty too!
"...What a strange place to fall asleep." The owl nerd shook his head. As you both gazed up at all the flashing images sliding around on the wall in front of you, it felt a little overwhelming for you both. "I suppose you really have to have your eyes closed to not have all that distract you. Hee hee, though some of the contents on display here may make it difficult for some people to sleep at all! Hoo yes indeed."
You didn't really get what was going on, and wanted to ask the owl where you were. You can't remember what you were doing before you fell asleep.
"Ah, do not worry, my sleepy little friend." The owl's wing pat gently on top of your head. "This is, well, an internet art gallery. Artists of all kinds are constantly posting their work, and somebirdy has to make sure it all runs and functions just fine. And that birdy is me! Hoo yes. You can call me... Owlnard." He seemed more like an Owl-nerd.
"Perhaps you came here for a reason? To view the arts, or to add your own...? Though, I'm not so certain you're in shape to do any of that just yet." He giggled and sat up a bit - which in turn, caused you to get up and sit beside him. "Hmm... maybe you simply did not have anywhere else to go. I would certainly hope not, poor thing... You do look like you could use a bit more rest though, little one... and, not on the floor of an old-fashioned digital gallery. Hoo no..."
The owl hefted his bottom up from the floor - giving you a view of his plump little posterior, not to mention his tail! It was large and long, with quite the array of feathers! That wasn't really common for owls, as far as you understood... but then again, how often were you this close to an owl's butt, hmmmm? Well don't let him catch you looking for long, because he would soon turn around and bend down to help lift you up.
For a moment, you two were face-to-face, and could more properly look into each other's eyes. You hoped you didn't look too weird and sleepy or goofy! You could feel your eyes squint and twitch a little with al the bright moving images and screens around you. The owl's eyes seemed more concerned for your well being, worried about what happened to you, and caused you to fall here of all places. His wings felt a little funny as he lifted up under your arms. They didn't seem very strong, but apparently they could help lift you up a bit. Your body just felt so heavy... like you weren't ready to wake up and walk around yet. And you slipped right out of the owl's wings!
"Ah! HOO DEAR!"
Thankfully, his soft, feathery belly seemed to be where your face landed. It was VERY squishy. Just like a feathery pillow, but, with a bit more fat to it as well, goodness. At least it helped catch your fall!
"Mmm, no no no... you poor thing. I do not think you are getting up any time soon, hmm?" The owl looked around awkwardly with you slumped against his belly. It could look rather suggestive with someone burying their face against his lower half, and with the owl's wings on your shoulders, as if helping you to it all! But, goodness no - this was just an awkward little situation. Also - he didn't wear pants. But! That was neither here nor there... those stubby little legs and big wide hips didn't lend themselves well to shorts nor pants.
"There there, little dear. I shall take care of you. Hoo..."
Despite the owl seeming rather short, and without much wing muscle, you felt your body hefted into their wings! He seemed to make sure to carry you in his arms in a way that cradled you within his wings, and even tried to flop any existing tail up over his wing too - though, whether that worked depends on just how long or existent your tail is, hmm? With a short and stubby tail it could just feel like he was brushing along your butt! Woopsie...
It was a little weird being carried and cradled around like this... it made you wonder when the last time someone held you this way was... some creatures got carried this way often! While others maybe haven't been held in such a way since they were a baby. Well, the way this owl was on the older side of his years, and you on the weaker, sleepier side of yourself right now, those roles seemed to fit together just right in the moment. Maybe it was nice having someone hold you and care for you like a parent - presumably looking out for your own good.
"You know, there is a cozy little bed nearby you may rest in for a while, as you seem to need it..." A bed? In this weird... art gallery place? "Well... my bed, to be specific. A work bed! You know... as, I do tend to spend a lot of time here. Sometimes I simply work, sleep, and wake up to do more of it. Erm, not to glamorize the so called... 'grind' as it's referred to these days? I do enjoy what I do, and I love the arts quite a lot..." he looked down at your funny sleepy face. "And well, that love extends quite far. To love art, you must to some extent love the artists that make it, and the viewers who appreciate it, the commissioners who initiate it... We're all part of the process, so if it is my job to look after it all, I shall look after you as well, hmm?"
You felt too sleepy to think about this stuff right now. You just nod or whatever in response.
"Though, I would not wish to be so shallow as to draw the line there." He was monologuing alright - though, you weren't adding much to the conversation yourself. Thankfully you weren't expected to in this state! So... "It would seem rude to only care for those in the community I just happened to be a part of... the whole world is a part of art, as are the people in it. So, whatever your reason is for being here... you are just as important to take care of."
"Besides..." the owl shuffled a bit as he worked to open a door with his taloned foot, "I don't often get company in this place. The world, the internet... it's all a big place, and old-fashioned places like this... old-fashioned people such as myself... well, I wouldn't say I get lonely... but I would say it is quite easy for anyone to feel alone. Whether it is you, or I." The owl huffed as he carried you through his small little work-bedroom he had laid out. Maybe his little wings were having trouble carrying you for this long... you started to wonder if you shouldn't be making an old person carry you around like this... but, maybe it felt nice enough to be worth it, and let someone care about you for a while. Wouldn't it be nicer living in a world where you didn't have to feel guilty just because someone was being nice to you?
"My bed should be rather clean... thankfully I washed it quite recently!" he stated proudly as he gently eased you on top of it. "Though, having a stranger sleep on the floor, and then on it... m-maybe I shall be washing my sheets again soon... hee hee." For a clean bed it was sure easy to notice the scent of owl feathers all over it.
"Ah..." he leaned down and picked one of his stray feathers off of you. Was that from the bed? Or him carrying you? "Are you trying to adorn yourself in feathers as well, my little owl? Hoohoo. Well. I do think it's better for you to be yourself, there is already one of me~ Though, I am certain you would make for a great little hootlet, my dear." The owl nuzzled your cheek gently after he fetched a new blanket for you, and gently laid it over your body.
Your eyes began to blur a bit, sorta open while laying down in bed. You could see by the entrance of the room, there was a little potted plant. A tree... sort of like those in the forest... the scent of the woods and leaves came back to you, the one you first woke up to. It was probably one of the owl's little reminders of home in this cold little place.
You closed your eyes to try sleeping again.
A set of soft feathers gently brushed over you as you began to rest. You felt like a little animal being gently pet as you tried to rest. Or maybe it was more like when you were a kid and had a parent looking after you while you were sick. It was nice not feeling alone. The owl pulled up a small chair to sit beside his own bed as you finally got to lay down somewhere cozy and get your rest.
"Ah, I think my wings are already tuckered out again, so soon..." he looked over to make sure you were sound asleep, before folding them over his polite little belly. "I suppose we could both use the rest..." The owl dimmed the lights before slumping down in his chair and closing his eyes, joining you in a world of dreams and relaxation, allowing yourselves to heal from what the real world took out of you...
---
Eventually, you'd wake up from your little night at the art gallery. Your little owl friend was still sleeping soundly in his chair, which meant you got to stretch and sleep in a little more...
---
Okay, so now really, you're really getting up now. You give a great big yawn, and it wakes the owl up!
"Hoo...!" His eyelids slowly opened as he started to sit up. He was surprised to see you awake first! "Ah... morning." The owl beamed politely towards you. "Sleep well, little one?"
It feels a little funny with a small owl calling you the little one! But... you nod anyway. He's just concerned about you. He flutters up onto his feet, and then hops up to a set of curtains on the wall. He opens them up, and reveals the dark morning sunrise to you both. A mix of orange and red colors among the purple clouds from the night... the twilight of dawn, still all quiet and peaceful outside, before that overwhelming outside world would get to you both again.
You looked back at the blanket covering your hips, and noticed the owl was standing on them as he looked out the window?? You weren't a booster seat! But, he was so into looking at the beautiful sunrise that you saw a silly opportunity... you grinned a little, and yoinked the owl off your hip, and onto the bed beside you!
"Ah!" The owl gasped, not expecting you to take him for yourself! But, as he flopped beside you, his expression was quite cheerful, his big eyes and little beak smiling beside you, just happy to see you were okay!
He raised up a wing, and pointed one of this little "fwingers" out, before gently poking you right on the nose with it. "Well, you certainly seem like you're in good health..." he blushed a little bit, "I was quite worried about you..." he slowly started to realize the two of you were laying in bed closely together. "Well, I am happy to see you are alright. You must tell me one day just how you ended up sleeping on the floor here... silly little snoozer."
There was a quiet little moment with the two of you in bed together. You could see the owl's round, feathery belly gently rising up and down with each breath, his thick little thighs closing together carefully. He seemed to notice your eyes around his tummy! He bashfully looked away from your gaze, which only lead his eyes to stare at your hips with the blanket draped over them, carefully covering them up, while still showing some of your body's size and natural shape... even if there wasn't anything wrong about those parts of the bodies, it felt like it could be too intimate for two people who had just met and barely talked!
The owl nerd sat up in bed and hopped off, heading towards the door, "Ah! But yes... don't you worry. I can understand how embarrassing it could be, being found in such a state. Know that I think no less of you for sleeping on the floor, my little sleepyhead." He adjusted his glasses, "If you do visit this gallery again... maybe I'll just treat it as though it's our first time meeting? Then... you can make any intentional first impression that you wish. Hoo..." He gave you a bright, cheerful smile as the door opened, "Like any artist, I am quite curious what you would really be like when you choose to express yourself... so, I look forward to when that day comes. Hmm?"
He waited a moment to see if you wanted to get up out of bed!
"Ah, do you... need me to carry you again...?" The owl turned back to you, and held out his wings - offering the same, safe, supportive place above his waist.
You could see his wings tremble just a bit... was he nervous? Or... maybe he was really just getting older. "What's wrong? I could handle your weight just fine last night..."
You got up on your feet and hopped out of bed, ready to walk out of the cozy little room with him. "Hoo dear, they really do grow up so fast...! Ah, but I'll cherish those moments all the same, little one. Tee hee! I suppose you did already make a charming first impression here... maybe I won't need to pretend that the next time is the first time..."
You can hear the echoey hallways as you two enter it. The long corridor had so much art on the walls! Right... you remember this is an art gallery. And this is all the art? It seemed to go on forever...
"Though... I suppose all that matters is that this isn't the last time... and that we have a next time, to speak with each other, or perhaps enjoy the arts a bit..." he blushed a little, folding his wings behind his feathery birdy backside. "I could certainly use the company... or rather, I wouldn't mind it..." His cheeks perked up happily in thought. "So, we shall see! There is always new art to enjoy in the world... or, maybe you aught to think of some fun art to share with the world too, whether you've done that kind of thing or not before..."
It felt like your time together was ending soon.
"Well, I know whatever art you end up doing, if you choose to do so, would make a good impression upon the world. Just like our silly little meeting did today." He stretched out his wing to offer a little handshake goodbye. His feathery grip gently wrapped around yours.
The owl kept his wing around your... hand or whatever... as he walked you up to the latest art pieces. Each new one posted online showed up on this wall, and then swished on over to the right as a new piece took its place. That was something different about internet art galleries! The images were always moving, because new art was always being made and shared. "How about we see you go the fun way out?"
He hefted you up onto a little shelf, sitting your bottom down on it, right in front of someone's art piece! ...Or was this blocky shelf the art piece?
"There there..." the owl smiled, making sure you were sitting nice and safe, before the ever-moving wall of internet art began to carry you away. "I truly did enjoy our time together... thank you for the company, little one. Toodle-hoo~!"
The art piece you were sitting on quickly moved on ahead, down the infinite hallway, back to where you came... Owlnard waved a wing goodbye, hoping to see you again one day.
