welcome back [audio]

[what_a]

[Somebody in school has been missing his phone for a day or two. Bad news for him, but good news for someone else, who struggles to send something out to the network ASAP.]

This is probably gonna sound stupid, but I haven't been here for a while: This island been up here for long? ...And how do you get down? I guess someone's been up here before me, and whoever it was dropped his phone.

Sorry for boosting it, but I got nothing on me and this ain't the kind of place I wanna stick around in. You'll get it back once I get off this thing.

[There is a long pause full of ambient jungle noise while something finally dawns on him.]

Is there a station wagon down there, somewhere? Tell me it's not on a roof.

[It's been in the parking lot since Friday night. How did it get there? A mystery.]

Comments

[flamejock]

The phone! Doee the phone have an orange and black arcanine-stripe case!

[what_a]

[There is a pause while he flips it over to look. He can guess at what an Arcanine is, but honestly he's in the dark on that front. It does have stripes, though.]

I guess. You know somebody that calls their mom a lot?

[flamejock]

I do! I call my mom a lot!

[what_a]

...Oh.

[And for the $25,000 question...]

Are you blond?

[audio]

[icequeen_aran]

[This mystery voice is a familiar Kyle-sounding voice. If she had to bet anything she'd bet that old cruddy station wagon in the parking lot being his. A quick investigation later sates her curiosity enough--possibly because of an old melted fudgcicle on the floor of the backseat. Maybe.

From there she finds herself looking up at the new permanent floating fixture high in the sky, wondering if the poor bastard is still stuck up there.]

You could always jump, Hyde. Maybe someone will catch you.

[what_a]

[Yes. He is.]

That's a risk I ain't willing to take yet. Maybe soon, if we're lucky.

[icequeen_aran]

I'd say you're not very lucky if you're stuck up there.

[She supposed the gunship would be easiest, fastest, most painless way to get him down. You know, next to trying to actually seriously catch him mid-air. Beep boop bop she's waking it up and dialing it in from her phone. Technology is great.]

When'd you arrive?

[what_a]

You're right, I'm not.

...Yesterday, I think. I don't know how long, I was already here when I woke up.

[givemeyouranswerdo]

Mr. Hyde! Is that where you've been all this time? On the island?

[what_a]

Well, how long's it been here? If it just showed up the other day, then sure.

[givemeyouranswerdo]

Well, apparently it was floating in the water for a while now, but with the weird stuff going on, it started to float.

[what_a]

This whole thing was underwater?

[Where did it even fit...]

...And it gets weirder than floating islands?

[audio; IT'S TIME]

[digsarchaeology]

[ SORRY HE HAS NO ANSWERS BUT HE MUST KNOW

Here's some hella brit in your ear Hyde ]

You're on the island? [ INTERNAL SCREAMING how dare you HE WANTED TO GO

time for some nerd-citement-- shut up ]

What do you see? Are there ruins to explore? Tell me.

[ Normally he'd just refuse so he could discover it himself but... well, he can't get up there himself. so answer him. ]

[time to hang up]

[what_a]

[That's hella Brit, all right.]

Look, if you wanna come do some sightseeing, be my guest. I don't really wanna be up here longer than I have to be.

I haven't seen much besides trees, but it's a big island. I'd rather not get chased by something that wants to eat me, if that's all right with you.

[calls back koujaku style]

[digsarchaeology]

Have you seen such a creature? [ seriously?

He laughs a little. ]

I'm joking. It can be dangerous if you're ill-prepared. [ He knows. And if he could see his future, he'd really know. ] I've been unable to find a way up, though it's safe to say there's always one way down. [ Obviously not suggesting it, but he wonders... ]

Do you see any green pipes? [ what ]

[what do you mean 63 calls it's time to put the phone down]

[what_a]

Yeah, well, I'd say not even knowing how I got here's pretty ill-prepared.

[He pauses, and replies like Randall is asking a very normal question.]

Not a one.

AUDIO, FUCK

[forgetbeam]

[??? Who...]

Whatever you do, stay close to the edges of the island and do not approach the ruins by any means! It's dangerous up there!!

[what_a]

[WHO, INDEED... Whoever's on the other end of the line is very serious about this island. Kyle's serious, too, but only in the 'how do I get off without jumping' sense.]

I figured. So, what, you been in ruins up here before?

[forgetbeam]

I've been in front of them.

[what_a]

[That didn't sound promising...]

I haven't seen any yet, it's all forest. Guess that means I'm luckier than I thought.

[He has no idea. Climbing trees and hiding in bushes from these things is small potatoes.]

[Audio followed by Action]

[pyroblasters]

Not to worry, mortal! You'll be safe on the ground soon.

[That's the only message Kyle gets from this person, since this obvious cry for help is all Pyrrhon needs to enact some divine intervention. A minute or two after that message, Kyle might spot someone that appears to be made of fire and glowing brightly darting about the island- whether he does or not, though, Pyrrhon definitely manages to spot him, and floats down towards him.]

Ah, there you are! Good, I was worried you might've been torn apart by the monsters around here or something.

[what_a]

Wait, what--

[Nope, he was already gone. After a minute of silence he hung up, and another minute later he almost dropped the phone because there was a fireball headed in his direction. ...No, wait. It was just a guy on fire. ...Flying...

He took a look at Pyrrhon and then peered over the edge. Maybe it wasn't too late to jump...]

...Were you just on the phone a minute ago?

[pyroblasters]

...Yeah? Pyrrhon did say he was going to save you, didn't he?

[Pyrrhon had kind of been expecting excitement and gratefulness and worship when whoever this is saw him. You know, the kind of treatment he so clearly deserves.]

Don't you think you might have more important things to be worrying about then who you were talking to on the phone?

audio

[metalgearwrecks]

[On hearing something about an island in the sky, Hal's scientific curiosity gets the better of him.]

Em, did someone say something about the island in the sky? Has this been explored yet? I'm new here, so I don't know much about what goes on around here. I just learned that a BEAR serves lunch!!!

[Realizing that he just went off on a tangent, he regains his composure.]

Um... The island, is it held up by rocket boosters or something? Man, I'd LOVE to know what's going on!

[trustycrowbar]

You mean the one in the parking lot? I was beginning to think someone had abandoned it.

...You're not implying that it fell from the island, are you?

[Because he's pretty sure shaggin' wagons don't land on their feet--err, tires.]