"Testing, testing," said Machia into the darkness. "Repeat after me: Kilo, Nine, Battle, Octave..."

She always took her time with calibrations. "Three tones. Which is the loudest, one two or three? This sound will gradually increase in volume. Flick your tail when it becomes uncomfortable. This sound will gradually decrease in volume. Flick your tail when it becomes inaudible..."

Her voice was quiet and focused, the only thing in your ear. In between question sequences came lulls; perhaps she was typing, perhaps she was looking something up, or setting up a new test. During those moments her mind wandered out her mouth as it ever did. "I know we went through these tests with your initial auditory integration, but this is specifically going to be testing your limits in a way we haven't done before so I need to be sure not to cause damage."

Hands on your head, adjusting the fit of the headphones slightly. Outside air on and off.

"I used to do this sort of thing in university," Machia mused. The effect was uncanny - you knew where her mouth was, but the words came as a breath directly into your ear. "Feels good to have the old equipment out. I financed some of my initial research this way - ASMR performances specialized for nonhuman ear structures. These headphones let me manipulate your sense of distance and spatial awareness -" suddenly her voice felt just as close but coming from behind you instead of in front. "- while also giving your ears freedom of movement. A lot of animal ears can rotate to focus on specific sounds, that's an important part of the sensory experience. The challenge for me is creating an auditory soundscape that reacts to the movement of your ears. The audio difference between a screen and virtual reality."

Her hands came free. Her fingers lingered for a moment on your hair.

"Your key phrase is: [i]Chiron runs with fair ribbons through grand many stars[/i]. Repeating, [i]Chiron runs with fair ribbons through grand many stars[/i]. We are beginning in five, four, three..."

The silence opened

Wind

Gentle wind across a grassy steppe. Oceans of grass extending out in all directions. Skies as clear as crystal. Lakes so pure that they were portals to infinity. And in the horizon distance a vast, endless rumble of hoofbeats, as gentle as a heartbeat, though all the world's ruin was heralded within.