audio || Day 17 || sunset

[of_kalahira]

[It's only logical to Thane that things should end at the ocean. Even on Rakhana, even before his race spent centuries on the sea-soaked world of the Hanar, death and the ocean were linked: not the way cause is linked to effect, though several Drell owed their death to water, but the way a shadow is linked to the sun

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Re: I love you and your tl;dr brackets

[of_kalahira]

[Inland. There's an implication there, that Shepard knows where he is and knows that he's closer to water than land. If Thane is lucky, it's an implication that the body of water near him is small enough reveal its boundaries, despite his own lack of context. Regardless, the voice is welcome, and though he replies as flatly as he imagines he would be expected to reply, there is the faintest hint of relief.]

This device doesn't seem able to determine direction, Commander.

[Not that it ought to matter much. Cardinal direction is irrelevant. He's somewhat bothered to feel so relieved, when he turns away from waves tossing foam upon the shore, but as he continues walking and it vanishes from sight and nothing remains of the sea but sound, he narrows his eyes and focuses on the space before him. Again, Thane lifts the device.]

Inward?

[Away. It seems appropriate, as appropriate as one can be considering the circumstances, and Shepard is rather good at that. Perhaps the device allows her to read his location. That would be logical, after all.]

I'm moving away from a shore. Roughly one hundred and eighty degrees. The sun's at the opposite horizon.

[Redundant. Pointless.]

Can you read my location?

[audio]

[femshep]

Probably. [She doesn't need to, though. There's only really one beach he could possibly be standing on, if he's walking into the sun. And she's en route, at a brisk jog for the sake of not wasting time.]

Keep your head down. Still working on 'how', but this wind'll cut you if you're not careful.

[of_kalahira]

[From a Hanar, he might have considered that a metaphor, but there's no question when the warning comes from Shepard: some kind of wind is definitely ready to cut. Thane ducks, lifting his arms to cover his head though he's still not certain where he's headed. Away from the sea? Toward the land? Either way, these are things to consider later, when razor wind isn't as dangerous.

Thane expects that Shepard will explain what's going on when they find each other (he doesn't permit an "if"; he knows that Shepard knows what she's doing). Still, though his mind follows orders cleanly, his deeper thoughts are filing questions that only border on the conscious. Where? Why? Assuming that this inexplicably deadly wind doesn't kill him, Thane will have a few things to ask whenever he escapes its reach.]

[femshep]

[Don't worry, Thane, the wind's not outright deadly. It won't even make you bleed too bad, but trust me, it stings like a bitch. You'll see why when she gets there--she may have switched to full armor to deflect most of the wind, but she's still got a nice criss-crossing of little lines of blood across her face and neck.

She doesn't mind the silence, it's not like there's any reason for small-talk and it goes without asking that he's following orders.

Before much more than ten minutes has gone by by, she's spotting him in the distance, and it's just another minute or two before she's pulling up in front of him, pistol carefully in hand. Daylight or no, with the wind slicing another fine line down any of her exposed skin at just about every turn, she's a little too tense to be caught unarmed.

She doesn't even stop, just turns around and starts walking briskly beside Thane.]

We've got ten, maybe fifteen minutes until the gates are shut. I've got a sniper posted, but she won't do us any good if we get caught out here. [She's speaking from experience, Thane. Trust me.]

[of_kalahira]

[Straightforward and succinct. He nods, in agreement though not full understanding, and draws one of his own weapons as he matches her pace.]

So we hurry.

[Clearly, there isn't time for Shepard to explain what will happen if they don't make it through the mentioned gates. A sniper, though, implies that the knifelike wind isn't the only thing keeping them company out here. Without breaking pace, Thane checks to make sure the thermal clips on his weapon are ready for use.]

What are we watching for?

[femshep]

Anything that isn't human, and possibly some things that are. [So nonspecific, but she's counted at least eight different things you can get attacked by here thus far, and she's only really been here for five days.

But since he deserves to know at least a few bits at a time:]

Miranda and Jack are here. So's Garrus, but he won't remember you. [A pause in her speech but not her hurried pace, then:] No word from the Normandy, though. Whatever this place is, it's cut off all communication.

[of_kalahira]

[An entirely hostile world. Thane remains sharply alert, listening for any sound other than their footsteps, but the wind makes it nearly impossible. The type of creature that can live through wind like this night after night must have thick skin, difficult to kill even with his precision.]

I don't remember leaving the Normandy. How long have you been here?

[Long enough to know about nightfall and to find a sniper, at least. How was that possible, when he'd seen her on the ship just a few hours before?]

[femshep]

Five days.

[But that's not quite right, factoring in how long each day and night is. So after a little mental math, she's adding:] Almost eighteen days, by Citadel time. The day-night ratio here's twelve hours to seventy-two.

[Another pause, another couple of brisk steps, and then she admits:] I don't remember leaving, either. None of us do.

[of_kalahira]

[Thane ignores the logistics of a world that operates on such a schedule. In this matter, like many others, the matter of 'why' is irrelevant in the face of the matter of 'is.']

I assume you have thoughts on the matter.

[He glances over without breaking his concentration on the unforgiving world around them. The statement isn't a request for further explanation. Knowing that those thoughts exist will be enough.]

[femshep]

Of course. [A pause, then she admits:] Nothing too solid yet, though.

[And the gates aren't too far, so she'll be picking up to a jog until they get inside.]

How are you for ammo? [Now that the immediate goal is no longer 'reach safety', she's figuring out where to start.]

[of_kalahira]

[A quick check, but he notices nothing out of the ordinary. More medi-gel than he usually carries, yes, but he usually doesn't work with a team.]

Full ammunition, seven packs of medi-gel, my usual weapons, and what clothing I'm wearing.

[If Shepard and the others have been here for over two weeks, he assumes the question covers anything that might help them survive or return.]

[femshep]

[He answered the question she hadn't even had a chance to ask. A+, Thane. On to more complex questions.]

What's the last thing you remember from back on the ship?

[of_kalahira]

We'd just returned from the Omega Four relay.

[Which brings up a concerning point, considering what she had said about Garrus.]

Do we all have different memories as well?

[femshep]

[That's more of a relief than she plans to let on, that he remembers the Omega-4.]

Not necessarily. We remember the same things, just... some of us don't remember quite as much of it. Garrus is from his stint on Omega, and Miranda's only up to the derelict Reaper.