not friends, not enemies (just strangers with some memories)

off we go, into the wild blue yonder

It's quiet.

It has been quiet for a long time – peaceful, undisturbed, empty, silence.

Until... it was not.

—

The room was plain and unremarkable, grey metal walls and floor that seemed to radiate a sense of forgetfulness – clean, empty and soulless. Eerily quiet, as if it had been abandoned for years or even centuries, but that had been disturbed in an instant when a blue box materialised with a deafening roar, seemingly coming from nowhere, tearing through the metal wall behind it and drawing the attention of the Not-Things.

Flames erupted around the roof of the box as two humanoids stumbled out hurriedly, coughing and gasping as they were engulfed in black smoke. The door flew open as soon as the box materialised, revealing their chaotic exit from the blue box.

One of the humanoids, the female – a one hearted creature – it seemed, the one with long coppery hair and a peculiarly distraught expression, started talking, loudly, but was soon interrupted by the skinny humanoid – a male with two hearts, in an oddly patterned, tight-fitting suit – whose hair stuck up at odd angles, increasing the already growing curiosity of the Not-Things.

Throwing himself forward, the two-hearted creature wrapped his arms around the human female and tackled her to the floor only for a second or so later, both of the box's doors to be blasted by a blazing inferno which erupted from the box like a giant flamethrower.

Pressed to the floor, shielded by the male's strong and protective embrace, the female's only heart raced loudly to the Not-Things keen senses, possibly not only from the intensity of the flames dancing across the room leaving trails of blackened destruction but also from the unexpected surge of emotion within her. The air was thick with tension, yet amidst the chaos, a series of noises began to weave its way through the crackling flames.

A melody – music, it seemed.

A song , the Not-Things understood once they assimilated some of the humanoid's thoughts, a war song.

—

The familiar notes reverberated through the room and as the fiery inferno painted a dramatic backdrop, the humanoids found solace in each other's arms, their bodies pressed together in a protective cocoon – three hearts racing. The male humanoid's warm breath mingled with the female, creating an intimate atmosphere that transcended the danger surrounding them as oh so many thoughts and feelings raced on the humanoid's minds – all of which being copied by the Not-Things.

It was never so noisy or interesting, so many things to assimilate .

A feast , of sorts.

The humanoids locked eyes, exchanging a silent understanding that words could not capture and, in the midst of chaos, a profound sense of stillness enveloped the pair. The Not-Things almost sneered at the saccharine sight – the touch that once was solely protective, now held a tender intimacy, producing all sorts of thoughts and feelings from the pair of humanoids.

The female was distressed and had barely wrapped her mind around the absurdity of the situation when, with a sudden "Schwup!" the roaring wall of flames retreated back into the box, as if someone had hit the rewind button on time itself, causing a new found interest on the Not-Thing's part – whatever this box was, possibly sentient, could just be the answer they have been looking for; a way out of this drifting ship.

The sudden reversal left the human bewildered, her little lonely heart still pounding, and the two-hearted humanoid standing protectively by her side, never letting her too far from his arms reach.