[stonecast, the info sharening]

[thegoofball]

[Hey there, Enso, it's ya boy Lance. Or ya stranger Lance, he hasn't exactly been a social butterfly on account of abruptly disappearing.

But, anyways, he is here, on your rock, laying down his dulcet tones because a discover has been made.]

Sooo that new island, right? With all the nothing and the flowers? [You know the one.] Had a little search party and found a letter - or more like a diary page, really? Keith [who you might hear int he background, or you might not, we're doing it live] thinks it's pretty important.

[There's the careful rustle of paper, as Lance doublechecks the scroll.]

Some of the writing at the bottom got damaged, but whoever wrote this was evacuating their home - some place called Tempide - because it was being swallowed by the sea? [Or it was something else that had the side-effect of raising sea levels.] Or collapsing, which they say had happened before.

They ended up at a temple which - might be somewhere on this island? We found this at a dock.

[There's a brief pause, because what do you really...say when you're dealing with something like this?]

There's more, but I don't really know what it means. But somebody else might find something that explains more.

Comments

[counterblows]

[A pause, then:]

I think I've met him. [He sounds maybe...vaguely perplexed at the memory.] Wears blue? Was shouting about a cow?

[thermalwind]

[There's a pause.]

White and blue? V on the chest plate?

[counterblows]

That's the one.

[Small world. Literally.]

He didn't go with backup, I should add.

[thermalwind]

[His sigh is long and loud. He suddenly understands why Shiro gets headaches or seems to get them.]

What was he doing. [Said like a good leader about to put his foot somewhere the sun doesn't shine.]

[counterblows]

Looking for a cow. Very. Loudly.

[While the ravenous elevator was still flying around, ready to snap up anything that moved, no less.]

[thermalwind]

[Silence. That's so Lance. That's so Lance he is rubbing at his forehead.]

I don't even know what to say. When was this? [He hasn't heard him doing it recently or he'd smack him upside the head.]

[counterblows]

I don't know. Maybe...a week or so back? When that elevator was still flying around.

[Time is fake, and you can't expect him to keep track of it when they're on an abandoned-ass tropical island, son.]

[thermalwind]

That really creepy one that even swallowed and spit back out a flaming phoenix?

[A pause.]

There's only been one. Right. ...I'm not sure how much thought power that thing even had.

[counterblows]

Whatever it is, I haven’t seen it since. Which is a good thing, because armor-piercing rounds weren’t doing a thing against it.

[And while that’s not a first, it sure as shit makes his job more annoying.]

[thermalwind]

Yeah...you get used to your stuff not making much of a dent in things here. My luxite blade usually cuts through metal easily. Not here.

[Not a first. Not a last. But man he misses having a Voltron Lion that could wreck most things.]

[counterblows]

Tell me about it.

[It's bog standard for more...advanced opponents to have some means of shrugging off bullets and sundry, but that doesn't mean it's great that this is the norm.]

I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the idea that there's nothing we can do about a flying elevator.

[thermalwind]

Yeah, me too. [He has that awful thought. What if it comes back? Then they'll be stuck with more stupid mayhem.]

It...just gives us more time to think of ways to deal with it if it comes back.

[counterblows]

We're on an island. It's less of an if and more of a when.

[And doesn't he just sound thrilled about it.]

[thermalwind]

Technically we're getting to travel across several islands but I was trying to fake some optimism.

[He knows he failed that test.]

...anyway we should get focused on here and worry about that really [stupid] mess later.

[counterblows]

[Admirable, maybe, but not tactically sound.]

So far nothing's attacked anyone. At least as far as I can tell. Ordinarily I'd say that's a good thing, but... [buuuuuut they don't know the deal with this weird, silent island, and it's frankly wigging him out.]

[thermalwind]

But...these islands don't operate on normal rules. We'll have to keep alert and solve what happened here.

[They might already be in the middle of it all.]

[counterblows]

Great.

[Again. Pick up the pieces, Recovery One, of someone else's mistakes. Someone else's failed project. Someone else's civil war. Someone else's ghosts. Someone else's fucking brutalized history of war and blood and violence.]

Well, I'm oscar mike now, so I guess we'll have to hope there's answers somewhere.

[thermalwind]

I have no idea what that means. [What is with people and confusing references to things? He briskly moves on.] Anyway, I'm going to take a look at those fallen robots.

Lance and I will scout around and see what else I can find while I'm at it.

[counterblows]

[A pause.]

[He'd pegged the guy for military, but that might've been a jump to conclusions on his part - too much time spent interacting with people who've answered to the UNSC and associates, and not enough time spent around civvies.]

I'll probably see you there, then.

[thermalwind]

[There's a pause. He wrestles with the idea forming in the back of his head. Finally, he just says it.]

Uh, Probably best you know I'm only half human. I'm half Galra but I doubt that means anything to you. [Most people who know him know he's half and this guy might as well know in case that comes up or he has an issue with aliens.]

If we run into any strange energy it might affect me. Nothing serious...I just won't look as human. I haven't run into it here but there's a risk. Thought it was important for you to know while we're working together.

[counterblows]

[When one of your team members has been impregnated by an alien and birthed a hybrid Sangheili-human child, you kind of learn to overlook the nuances of genetics and whether or not they play a part in the content of someone's character.]

Galra. I'm assuming that means...alien?

[thermalwind]

That's right. Is that going to be a problem? [He hopes not. He has felt rather relieved by Wash's frankness. It reminds him of Shiro and speaks of military to him. ...and somewhat like Kolivan's tight ship of a command.]

[counterblows]

If you can show up and do your job, I don't care what you are.

[All told, "part alien" would be the least weird thing he's had to contend with in recent days.]

[thermalwind]

You got it.

[This is the least stressful thing he's dealt with recently.]

See you. [He has scouting to get to.]

[counterblows]

Copy.

[You can take the man out of the military, and so on.]