002; video

[beathach]

Who: Hank McCoy and Erik Lehnsherr
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: crashed ship
When: today!

[when the feed opens, the network is gifted with the bickering of two men]

I don't see why you can't do this.

[Erik is the one visible on screen, and he doesn’t look pleased about it at all. He jerks his chin towards the wall next to him, irritated.]

Because it’s your idea, and I don’t want to.

[the huff that follows is a little on the growly side]

I’m here to open paths, not send out messages. [As if to punctuate this point, Erik turns away from the camera and swipes his hand through the air. The metal wall crumples to the side with a shriek, curling up on itself like a ringpull.

The camera shifts off of Erik with a muttered "show off" to the plant life spilling out of the side of the hull, and a clawed, blue foot comes into frame to poke at a nearby pumpkin]

In any case - Erik and I are at the crashed ship, if anyone would like us to bring some of these back. If you're interested, feel free to message one of us.

As for the ship - if anyone else is planning to come out here, be careful. There's ways into the ship, but it has been here a while, so it's falling apart. We'll try to get some information about the signal while we're here, though so far we haven't had much luck.

[the camera moves back to Erik]

Do you have anything you want to add?

[Erik’s mostly occupied with pointing his flashlight into the gloom of the area beyond the wall. He does give a curt response.]

No requests for pumpkins bigger than the usual Earth-size.

Comments

[ video ]

[axiomed]

[ This is still amusing, even though he got prior notice. ]

It's sweet that you two are bonding. Have fun out there.

[beathach]

Do you think you're funny? Because nobody over here's laughing.

[axiomed]

Comedy is wasted on you two.

[beathach]

This coming from you.

[axiomed]

[ Charles shrugs. ]

Nonsense, Hank. A man like myself knows how to laugh at himself too.

[beathach]

[a huff] Laughing at your own jokes doesn't make you funny, either.

[axiomed]

If you say so, Hank.

What do you think you'll find?

[beathach]

[he faintly shakes his head, glancing up and over to the ship]

I don't know, but aside from the fleet no one's been here in a long time.

[axiomed]

[ Hmm. ]

I wonder. The voices - or voice is still there. Somewhere.

[beathach]

[he tilts his head]

Mm, probably. But neither of us can hear them.

[axiomed]

. . . Don't spend too long there if something goes wrong.

[beathach]

[mildly] Remember who you're talking to.

But we won't. Don't worry too much - we'll be fine.

[axiomed]

All right. I'll do my best not to fret.

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

[He gets his own communicator out for this, rather than snipe over Hank's shoulder.]

This isn't a field trip.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

Erik, you have never seen our field trips so I'll let that one slide.

In fact, I think we're still banned from the history museum.

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

It's the tone of voice.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

What about it?

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

[He sighs, and shakes his head. He knows full well what Charles sounds like when talking to rowdy children. It's that tone of voice. The man won't admit to that, though. The image shakes around as Erik steps over to the growing plants, reaching over to examine a leaf between his fingers.]

It isn't what I'd call 'fun', besides.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

[ Charles hums, thoughtful. ]

No. But we make the most of what we do.

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

[Erik puts the communicator down nearby, leaving himself in frame as he gets to work cutting some of the plants away.]

Of course.

The size of these things is ridiculous.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

Fascinating. I wonder why they're distinctly larger in the ship than most of the forest.

[ Or at least the forest they've seen so far. ] Perhaps there's a component to the ship that advances their progress.

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

The plants in the forest get bigger, the further in you go. But I hadn't seen any pumpkins or the like before coming into the ship.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

I haven't ventured too far into the forest.

[ The call of that voice keeps him from exploring. Plus, it's not easy to navigate. ]

Re: [ video ]

[exothermia]

[Erik nods, still working on cutting a vine free carefully. He hadn't thought Charles would go out too far, given the circumstances. For the most part, Erik didn't either. Never much more than an hour's walk.]

It gets dark very quickly, under the trees out there.

Re: [ video ]

[axiomed]

Try not to linger too long in the ship too. We still don't know what that voice is. Or what it means.