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[deal_me_in]

[It's around dusk, the faint glow of a lantern casting a wavering light about that reveals the Exo so he's more than just glowing eyes. He seems to give a dry look at the communicator before turning his head and then the feed itself outward towards the city and its few lit up buildings. ]

So. That direction would be where the tower is. Just trust me on this since there's no blinking light.

But if we look out this way-

[The feed shifts again, passing over sparse furnishings and old, rusted gears of the clock tower before looking out another gaping hole where there's fewer buildings grouped and lit, but the most noticeable thing is a light winking on and off in the darkened distance.]

I think someone's funnin' with us.

Comments

[deal_me_in]

A true he-row! Is this a competition now? It's not one I'm all that intent on winning.

[He finishes writing his own additional question in neat lines of cursive.]

Yeah, after the whole mysterious voice thing? That's what I'm figuring too. They didn't seem particularly interested in following up on what happened though, so we'll probably have to keep our questions within a range they might actually be able to answer.

[doubled_speed]

Wow man. I'm a professional hero back home. Got a secret identity and everything.

[Sorry, Cayde, he's serious about that.]

Ask them their favorite food then for all I care. Or for better ships.

[deal_me_in]

Good for you! Is that the actual business title? How much do you get paid?

[These are serious questions. Inquiring minds want to know!!]

I have a feeling they'd say peanut butter. Ooh, are we doing a wish list too? That might not hurt but I'm not sure what we'll end up with...

[doubled_speed]

[Wow, Cayde, don't burst his damn bubble. He flips the man off for that.]

I don't get paid. It's for the public good.

I want fucking jelly that doesn't takes like peanut butter.

[deal_me_in]

[That response only makes the Exo burst out laughing. You needa take things less seriously kid.]

Right, right. I guess that's what Vanguard duty is too. Except half the time it was paperwork. I'd take being out on the field over that any day.

[He drops his chin into a palm as he sketches out a jar and a peanut butter sandwich.]

That's a fair request but for all we know you might end up with fish-flavored jelly.

[doubled_speed]

[Being a hero is what he is, Cayde. It's his purpose. It's why he has value.]

No paperwork for me. Guess it can't catch me.

[He sighs and considers that.]

Could probably still use that to cook.

[deal_me_in]

[One could say that about Guardians. But it didn't mean you couldn't have some fun while being one.]

Heh. Yeah, well you aren't heading an entire group of Hunters.

[Cayde, in a position of authority? Perish the thought. There's been plenty of times he'd rather not be stuck with the job, however.]

Just not with peanut butter, right?

[doubled_speed]

I don't lead. I just scout ahead.

[Cayde didn't look like a leader. It's fine.]

Nah, peanut butter goes into Moroccan chicken stew.

[deal_me_in]

That's what us Hunters do. Scout. Sneak. I prefer doing things over telling people to do things. But then any Hunter would.

[He glances over, arching a brow.]

Oh, that sounds tasty. What I'd really kill for is a decent bowl of spicy ramen.

[doubled_speed]

[Well, he doesn't think he's very like Caybe, but sure, it works.]

Ramen would be nice. I miss noodles. ALl forms of noodles.

[deal_me_in]

We needa figure out how to make noodles like yesterday. It's just, what, some flour substance, water, uhh... salt? I think? Damn, I should've paid more attention to Jin when he was cooking. Then again I don't think I ever saw him actually make the noodles...

[doubled_speed]

[Tommy sighs. Dammit, Tommy loved no food as much as noodles. They were, you know, not here.]

I should ask the Agrii for flour, but they'd give me, you know, flowers.

[deal_me_in]

Yeah. Yeah, that they would. Nothing at the greenhouse we can use?

[doubled_speed]

Not that I've figured out yet. And even if there was a suitable grain, we'd have to find a way to turn what grain we find into a flour.

[deal_me_in]

It's just grinding it down, isn't it? That's not the problem, it's the lack of ingredients.

[doubled_speed]

I mean, it's both. There's so much I have to manage for immediate food resources, that I haven't looked for other things.

[deal_me_in]

I don't know that you'd find anything for grinding food anyway, at least by Agrii standards. They seem to thrive on paste and gelatin. Hmm. Maybe that's a better question to ask them rather than their favorite food. "What meals would you have usually prepared here in Temba..."

[doubled_speed]

Maybe it is. But if they haven’t lived here in a while and lost their culture...

[Tommy makes a gesture as if to say ‘and there is the problem’]

[deal_me_in]

You never know! Can't hurt to ask. If anything, maybe they can provide us new and interesting ways to make use of food goo!

[doubled_speed]

From what I hear of the people who were on the Atroma show who had the ships before, the protein paste gel shit was an Atroma thing. Of course they were also provided with dietary supplements for those that needed them.

[Like Tommy. But hey, he’s managing.]

[deal_me_in]

They're so thoughtful.

[doubled_speed]

[Tommy shrugs.]

Some of us need shit like that. I'm lucky because the biology is just similar enough that vitamins still exist. And minerals. In all the plants and that. I can't really afford to change from the Agricultural point because I need to know which plants I can eat in a pinch to keep myself going. I have a way higher need for all that stuff than the majority of people here. While I can get by on the seriously reduced calories...

[He still needs the rest.]

[deal_me_in]

Considering how un-intuitive Agrii anything is, we're probably very fortunate any of those datapoints function at all, especially given the state of the city. Who knows if the Agrii were aware of what still worked and what their saviors from afar would need to get by. We're lucky we can even breathe here. Well, those of us who breathe, anyway. Maybe they did just enough of their homework to make sure whoever they brought in didn't end up biting the bullet as soon as they got dropped planetside. They sure didn't pick anyone who'd just roll over and give up because they suddenly found themselves in some alien land.

[doubled_speed]

SEe, I think that most of the datapoints pre-date the Agrii as we know them.

[Tommy gestures widely with a cup he had selected.]

The Agrii before clearly had a thriving society and culture, right? But not enough to stop whatever came from them. And they did know about the Atroma and their show. So what if they left the things sprinkled around so that people that might come because of the Atroma or seeing them on this 'show' could know how to help them and what they had done? Thus they would be built before Agrii society became what it is now.

[Sometimes Tommy can be very smart, if he takes the time to think about it.]

Plus if whatever is pulling us in happens to be computerized in any way, you can program in specific parameters for the kidnapping to make sure you're not insta-deading people.

[deal_me_in]

True, we know little to nothing except what we've dug up of Agrii culture pre-storm catastrophe. Now I'm not sure how much to believe of those recorded episodes, but if we're going by that, then the Agrii knew nothing about the Atroma until after their show's "stars" dropped by the planet for some resupplying, because right after that the storms started, and they ended up shuttling Agrii off planet where the Atroma so conveniently provided them with a ship to stay in. A ship loaded up with its own mini theater to binge-watch their lovely reality show and maybe even conveniently inspire Agrii to try summoning he-rows that could help them save their home.

Now, if we're talking about some kind of temporal something-or-other then that's just an entirely different headache. That's more Osiris's department. Personally I don't think that's nearly so important than trying to figure out who's actually been playing with us this entire time.