driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Erik Lehnsherr and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide (unintentional) video, and (intentional) text
Action: N/A, unless you're determined to find him in the Heron
When: early morning February 27

video.
[The feed opens on a slanted angle, fixed on the shuttles of the Heron's cargo bay and a large metal crate sitting between them. It looks almost like the communicator responsible has been set down on a table and turned itself on - particularly as Erik can be seen walking away from the camera, towards the mystery crate. He doesn't seem to know he's being filmed at all, given his entire attention is on the crate. When he stops next to it he frowns, and turns it around. His expression becomes a bit more fixed with irritation as the message on the side comes into view:

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MAGNEATO FIRST YEAR! - Magnecessities

With a scowl, he pulls off the top of the crate -- and jerks backwards as a half-dozen balloons pop out, sailing upwards towards the ceiling. Festive! Oh, but that isn't the half of it. After a muttered curse he peers into the crate itself. He reaches in and pulls out... a toy. A plush horseshoe-style magnet, to be precise.

For a long couple of seconds he just stands there staring at the toy. The video starts to shudder a little, consistently, as the table it sits on begins to vibrate. Erik drops the toy back into the crate and with the same hand, makes a smacking motion through the air. The crate crumples and flies off out of view, landing with a crash somewhere offscreen. Erik turns then and glares straight at the communicator. The rattling of the image increases for a moment before the image cuts out. Show's over.]

text.
[About half an hour after that little display, a text message appears on the network.]

There's a crate of stuffed toys outside the Heron on the ring world. Take them.

[And that's it. Anyone who decides to take a look will indeed find the crate sitting on the dirt near the Heron's landing site... looking decidedly worse for wear, crumpled and smashed like it was dropped from several tall buildings. There are plenty of plush magnets inside for the taking.

Erik himself is nowhere around, though he'll respond to any calls.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Teenage romance. [So, atrocious. He gives Charles a sidelong look.] I showed you a clip from it, if you recall.

None that I can see. There's one that seems to be a fantasy.

Oh! Yes. That was. Special.

I guess trying the fantasy movie would at least prove to be interesting.

It's not one I've watched, at least.

Let's try it then.

[Erik nods, and gets up from his chair. He leads the way out of the cargo hold back towards their rooms. It's more private than anywhere else on the ship.]

[ Once they arrive, Charles glances at the room. ]

Would this be easier on the bed?

Edited 2017-03-05 07:45 (UTC)

Yes... I think so.

[Otherwise they would need to bend over the communicator from their respective seats. Erik removes his shoes and sits on the bed, leaving space for Charles to join him.]

[ Charles takes his time climbing on and straightening his legs. He flashes a small smile at Erik. ]

There, all settled.

[He manages a slight one back, and then busies himself pulling up the right file on the communicator.]

It has a nonsense title... 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'.

Well, there's no point dissecting the title until we finish the journey.

I don't find mysterious titles all that enticing.

[Or he's a grouch. Nonetheless, he pulls some screws out of his pocket and begins circling them around his hands, complicated gestures stretching the metal out into longer cords. By the time he's done, he's fashioned a cable that has hooked into the ceiling, and holds the communicator in place in front of them.

It leaves him free to settle next to Charles without having to bother holding the thing up for two hours.]

[ Charles is bemused by the showy affair before he shifts closer to Erik and lets the movie start. ]

Hmm. It looks a bit strange, doesn't it?

A little. Where is she supposed to be?

Another planet?

I thought this was fantasy though.

Fantasies don't necessarily mean they take place on Earth--

[He stops, and frowns at the scene.]

So, a dream?

I . . . assume so? It's too lucid for a normal dream though.

[He grunts, shifting back against the wall.]

It's a movie. The dreams are never realistic.

[ He chuckles. ]

They should have consulted me. I could have provided very thorough research on what dreams look like.

They certainly must have had the budget for it... she seems to be in space now.

The title for this movie feels very misleading.

[Erik nudges Charles with his elbow.]

I already complained about the title, and you told me not to.

That was before I found out it was set in space.

Which has sort of lost its allure since we live in space.

I don't know that it had much allure to start with.

[ Charles huffs. ]

It had plenty of allure. It still does. I'm not sure I appreciate as much as I normally would, but I can't say I begrudge the whole experience.