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

[beathach]

[nodding, Hank flicks his flashlight on] All right.

[he starts off first, stepping carefully. Half because of Erik's comments about how deteriorated the ship is, half because he's technically barefoot. The last thing he needs is a piece of metal through his foot]

Not a lot of people want a pumpkin, so far. [is the idle comment he makes to fill the silence]

[exothermia]

Good. [Erik picks his way through the undergrowth behind Hank, keeping his flashlight on the walls.] There are better things to harvest from that pile, in any case.

[beathach]

It's the season, Erik. [is his dry response. He keeps his light forward, but glances over his shoulder briefly] Like what?

[exothermia]

Do I seem like someone who's ever celebrated Halloween? [Don't be so American. Erik lifts a hand and removes a cross beam that had fallen across the path ahead.] Smaller vegetables and fruits. Even a normal pumpkin takes up a lot of space - I'd rather try to take something we could grow in the ship.

[beathach]

Do you really want me to answer that? [is the smartass response, but he shakes his head] I wasn't thinking of just Halloween, though. [he pauses when he hears the metal shifting, keeping his light trained on it until the path is clear] That's not a bad idea, though. Growing things on the ship, I mean.

[exothermia]

The Iskaulit garden would be a good place for them.

[beathach]

Mmm, it would be. Though I hope they wouldn't grow as the large as the ones we just saw.

[exothermia]

You would just need to harvest them before they get to that point.

[They reach the end of the corridor, the path branching off in opposite directions again. One side could charitably be called a chasm; the floor has caved in, and the hole goes down quite a few levels. Erik turns away from that one, and heads down the still-solid other path.]

I also want to keep something on the Heron myself. It won't be pumpkins.

[beathach]

Mm, true.

[he lets Erik take the lead, though he does pause to shine his light down in to the chasm for a moment before turning to follow]

Is that why you were taking photos along the way?

[exothermia]

Yes. I was also sending them to Charles.

[beathach]

To - Charles. [both eyebrows shoot up] Why?

[exothermia]

So he could see them? [Try to keep up, Hank.]

[beathach]

. . . [deadpan] Oh, is that why.

Are you bringing something for him to keep on the ship?

[exothermia]

We discussed keeping some plants on the ship. I was sending suggestions.

[Hence the photos. Erik steps around another small crater in the floor, shifting his torch back and forth. The floor is starting to slope downwards now.]

[beathach]

Ah. [does Charles even know how to take care of a plant? He won't ask, but that's his first thought] It's good that you're doing it together.

[it isn't a tease; he means that. Regardless of their relationship in the past, he knew their friendship was important, too.

As the floor dips, Hank reaches out to brace a hand on the wall, careful not to put it through it by accident. He pauses with a frown] Is this part underground?

[exothermia]

[Erik had raised that very same point with Charles. He intends to educate him on the subject, should they manage to pull it off. At Hank's comment though, he falls silent. He had avoided saying as much in such clear terms, but it's true. It felt a bit more personal than he wanted to admit.

Glancing at Hank, Erik shakes his head.]

Not yet, I think. The pressure level outside hasn't changed. You'd see a lot more dirt in here if it was.

[beathach]

[Erik falls silent, and Hank says nothing more about it. There wasn't much else to say, really.

But he does take a few quick steps to catch up, careful of the debris littering the floor]

Mm, well, you're the expert here. [that he can tease about, though it's lighter than usual] My senses aren't good for this sort of thing.

[exothermia]

[He blows out a breath in the humid air. Fresh breezes don't make their way this far in - it's going to get stuffy before long.]

I'll try not to disappoint.

[beathach]

[stuff and he's here, covered in fur. Wonderful]

You usually don't.

[exothermia]

[He smiles thinly, but doesn't reply to that. They both know that's a stretch. He vaults over some collapsed boxes and continues downwards.]

[beathach]

[it's a stretch, of course, but it's one he's making regardless. Instead of following Erik over the boxes, Hank carefully shoves them to the side, out of the way. In case anyone else decides to investigate the ship, mostly.

Or in case they need to make a quick escape. Either or]