( closed ) let it snow, let it snow, let it -- yeti?!

[initiates]

Date & Time: November 27th - December 5th, 3313
Location: Spaceshuttle, Winter Wonderland Exsilium
Characters: All those on the official scouting mission to Exsilium.
Summary: The Transports send down a collection of their own in order to investigate the whys of the sudden drop in radiation on the island, and to locate the Initiative.
Warnings: Please PM the mod account should anything in this log go into graphically violent territory.
Notes: You know the drill! Specify dates and times in subject lines, set up as many scenarios as you like, and for information on if a run-in with Exiles will net your character(s) a chance to talk with or make contact with the Initiative, ask over here!

The satellite imagery AI was able to capture and download onto tablets doesn't speak adequately to the pristine, chill landscape the space ship descends into under cloaking technology. The crystalline landscape is almost beautiful, stark brights and shadows turning the countryside into something soft, alien, and deadly. Winter has arrived, in a way some may be familiar with, and to others, may be entirely new.

The ship is a mile out from the largest identified gathering of heat signatures and power structures, in a city built over part of what once was London, formerly known as Exsilium to the Transports. There is no Eye of London to be found, only a partial tower that stands suspiciously close to where Big Ben once stood. The river Thames remains present, but the built up structures, the identifiers of "modern" Exsilium are all gone, lost and buried underneath the snows if ever they existed.

This is not a friendly landscape, though the people are friendly enough, should you not go out of your way to offend them or display your alien natures.

Find the Initiative. Take stock of the landscape. Report back what you can. Scouts, you are our best hope in understanding this new landscape.

Good luck.

Comments

27th: Arrival Time

[inhumanity]

[The big, bright, shark-toothed smile as Christopher's feet hit the snowy ground is entirely genuine. The black and red of his clothes makes him stand out like a bloody bruise in the landscape, but Christopher has never been one to worry about being conspicuous. He strolls forward into this cold new world with the barely repressed delight of a child on Christmas morning, or perhaps the relieved joy of a hostage set free after several months of captivity.

Actually, forget repressing this.]

This land is spectacular! No, I've changed my mind. It's fantastic. It's even without peer! Hold on, there is the North Pole. Never mind. Mother Nature and Lady Luck have glanced at each other and conspired to bestow this kindness on me!

[He cheerfully scoops up some snow to pack into a ball.]

What, you ask, is kindness in such a harsh landscape? Why, the gentle blanket of forgetful snow itself! What is snow but the sweet mask of kindness to hide the unforgivable nature of a terrain that never seems to defrost? This is the soft, final sympathy of our Mother Nature as she falls to her annual death. Your mother, rather, not mine. Actually, she just changes her clothes rather than dies. Then this is a death of last season's fashions. Fickle, isn't she? But we must leave her free to explore all her whims as we are to be free in exploring ours!

[And with a happy laugh, he just drops down to lie in the snow. Giggling. His unnatural eyes close with his laughter.

He's happy to be on Earth, guys.]

[mynameonyourpanties]

Yeah, it sure is pretty out here ain't it?

[Granted, Travis has probably seen snow probably a handful of times in his life, and if it ever snowed in Los Angeles - it would because Hell finally froze over.

He's fairing pretty well after getting a little more shuteye on the descent back to Earth, a little less miffed that Wes wasn't on the list and more having his head in the game more than anything else.

The sooner they found the Initiative and got what they came for, the better.]

Now as long as Mother Nature's fashionable death doesn't result in our own, that's fine by me.

[transgressed]

[Cold.

She had not experienced cold in a great many years, she imagines, though for her it seemed like yesterday — Oerba's cold snaps, closer to the mountain ranges. She hadn't cared for the cold then, and didn't care for it much now, but it's good to have fresh air, frigid as it is.

She's moving around to keep her circulation going, knowing the dangers of staying put in a place like this, and notices the flamboyant man going on about nature. It's very poetic.

Did he really just lie down in the snow? She goes to stand over him, her expression quizzical.]

Lady Luck's nowhere near this cold hell, sweetheart. I wager she packed up and left when the cold front came in.

[She stuffs her hands in the deep pockets of her own coat.] The landscape sure did change...

[iciclerain]

[That was... quite the spiel. Almost poetic, really. Unfortunately, Asch isn't impressed. Asch doesn't have much room to talk; the only concession he's made to how much his hair stands out is to put on a hat that does nothing to conceal the vast majority of it. Unlike Asch, though, Christopher is loud. Asch hops down from the transport shortly after Christopher does. He doesn't try to interrupt his ramblings--something tells him it would be a futile waste of time--but he does approach Christopher when the homunculus finally flops down into the snow.]

Are you trying to bring the locals down on our heads?

27th: Arrival

[icy_heavens]

[This is probably the most relaxed anyone in Exsilium has ever seen Hitsugaya. But as he's in his regular clothes, you wouldn't think he's thought to dress for the weather.

[He takes a breath of the open air, looking more comfortable than he has in months. The whisper of snow under his feet, the brisk wind snapping at his sleeves, the deep chill that's settled over the land . . .

[It's a serious mission, and he'll of course treat is as such. But for the moment, he's just going to appreciate the open expanse and the pleasantness of winter. It's been too long.]

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

[Nate raises an eyebrow at the way the young man is dressed, because he'd have thought anyone picked for this mission would at least have the common sense not to freeze to death from his point of view]

Sure you're going to be warm enough?

27th: Arrival Time

[maipokerface]

[And while it seems a lot of people are enjoying the snow and cold, enter Mai. She's bundled up as much as freedom of movement and accessibility to her knives will allow her. For the most part it's simply layers of clothing, long sleeves over long sleeves and a thick cloak overtop of it all. She had tried the more insulated coats and found they were too cumbersome for her liking.

And now with her hood closed down and hands lapsed into the protective cover of either sleeve, she stands scowling at the snow as others traipse about and sing it's praises. She sighs out a breath against the cold air.]

Let's get this over with before I freeze to death.

[aequivoci]

[ Don't mind Cross as he passes by her, chuckling at her misery. ]

Maybe we need to put more layers on your person.

27th: Arrival Time

[wilder]

[To be frank, Kaneis hadn't been paying that close attention to the mission briefing. Maybe it was because he had just pulled a double shift, or maybe it was because he just didn't care where he ended up as long as it was off the moonbase for a bit. Scout out, find the Initiative, sure whatever. He took the warm clothing that they suggested, but didn't really think too much into why]

[However, this very much proves to be a huge mistake.]

[Its when they are getting off the ship does his eyes get nearly blinded by the fields of white. It takes a moment adjusting to the view for his brain to even register what he was suddenly surrounded by.]

[White, cold, snow.]

Ah-

[The moment it registers, he freezes. They're kidding right? They want them to travel through all this snow? He's standing there for a good moment now as he's hit with that trauma train. Seriously, someone might need to get him to move. Or check to see if he's not a freaked out looking statue the natives put up. ]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher is giddy, but a creature in a constant state of anxiety is accustomed to being aware of its surroundings no matter what. Particularly when such an animal is threatened by its own group mates, it learns to be sensitive to the moods and behaviours of those around it.

So it would be difficult for him to miss what has happened with Kaneis. Pausing in his excitable exploration of the environment, Christopher turns back around. He doesn't want to get too close to Kaneis. He has no idea what has set him off.

But he knows that look. It's the same look that his siblings get when they're surprised by people in labcoats. It's from the same feeling Christopher has trained himself to suppress when the smell of sterilized equipment hits his nose.

With gentle, serene tone, Christopher calls out to Kaneis.]

Hm? Kaneis? It's good to be back safely on Earth, don't you think? [There is a soft, slight emphasis on safe and Earth, but he keeps his voice calm and not loud.] I myself am very happy to be here with you and the other Transports.

laughing at trauma train don't mind me

[ardor]

[The moment they touch down, Kallen's immediately making a beeline for her fellow redhead, hands stuffed tightly into her pockets until she reaches him. Once next to him, a gloved hand it yanked out and placed on his shoulder firmly, offering a reassuring squeeze. She lets it rest there for a moment before her entire arm snakes around his shoulders to pull him into a tight hug.

He's pulled to face her now, and she rests her chin on his head, speaking soft words hopefully only he can hear.]

It's too late to go back now, and there's not much I can do to help you. I can only say I know what's going on, so I'll be here for you the whole way until we return. Moving forward is the best option right now. You may not trust me fully like the other you I'm familiar with, but that's alright. You don't need to, because I'm staying here regardless.

[That message relayed, she squeezes him once more before letting go and stepping backwards with her hand shoved into her pockets again like nothing ever happened. She's facing away, but she's still able to see him out of the corner of her eye. Kallen's not going to do anything else until he does. Like she said, he's stuck with her.]

[lucency]

[ she notices the hesitation before anything else. she has to admit, she isn't exactly in a rush to run into the snow and slush herself, despite the warmth that's been provided to her.

she recognizes him secondly, and that's what gives belle pause. she doesn't know whether she'd call their conversation an altercation (or a conversation either, really), and with so few that she recognizes on this particular trip, she's tempted to simply not acknowledge him at all.

but they all have to cooperate. she has to be polite. she's good at being polite. and who knows? perhaps she can make amends. between witnessing the same thing occur with an entire town, belle thinks that maybe the participants in this excursion can make it happen. so civility it is. ]

They did send the images to us via satellite. [ yeah, that's totally the best start. ]

27th: Arrival Time

[highfrequency]

[A pale man touches down with the others, clad all in black with a black duster and a scarf. At first he might be unrecognizable but his identity becomes clear once he speaks in a low, rusty voice; it's Raiden using a combination of Nate's telepathy and Initiative holographic tech to appear as human as possible.

He lands a bit hard, leaving behind deep, clawed footprints in the snow, and blinks as his visual analyzers scan the terrain.]

Air temperature is about 272 Kelvin.

[He starts trudging forward.]

Guess the AI wasn't kidding about a winter climate.

Re: 27th: Arrival Time

[mynameonyourpanties]

That's about what...30 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a degree or two?

As long as the wind doesn't pick up there shouldn't be that much of an imposed risk for frostbite.

November 27th — 28th

[yourdistraction]

[ 27th; It's good that they had been warned of such frigid temperatures, but even then Merrill realizes she is woefully unprepared. In order to stay as active as possible, she has rejected being weighed down by a bunch of snow gear, but she had given in to boots for her bare feet and a hat both for warmth and to help cover her pointy ears.

She refused to use the holographic 'magic' offered, it seems. But dressed like this, unless someone really gets in her face, she could appear just like a young, small human. One that cannot...walk very well. Though she had tried practicing on the ship before departing, she had not perfected the art, and now there is snow which only complicates matters. She is cold and it makes her clumsy in the deeper parts. Where it is more frozen, she slips and slides. Though she understands her feet would freeze off in this setting, she has decided she hates wearing shoes, especially boots! However does Isabela do it?

If she grabs onto someone for balance, it's really nothing personal!

28th; Merrill had adjusted; enough to keep from tripping and knocking people over, at least. She'll do her best not to complain about the cold anymore, but there are no promises!

At the very least, while the 'disguised' elf is seeking out people, she is also seeking out signs of other leave. Particularly of the flora and fauna variety (even frozen or mutated) to observe and/or collect. This isn't Thedas, but she might still be able to help when it comes to nature-related activities. This place was already so desolate, is there any way such distraction could bring about life...even of a different sort?

If one finds her wandering to get lost shallower spots of snow, or squeezing into any abandoned or destroyed buildings, she must insist that it's still cold, but exciting! Who knows when someone with a knife could be around the corner, or even a crazy awkward snow monster.

A snow monster? ]

November 27th

[ready_to_bloom]

[Caspian's pretty happy to be down on solid ground once again, despite how cold it is. Thanks to Ella, he's pretty well covered, head to toe, in white snow gear. If it wasn't for his dark hair visible under his hat, he'd blend in pretty well with his surroundings.

He sees Merrill slipping and reaches out an arm to steady her.]

All right there, my lady?

many days, ota

[encharrneered]

[ 27th, arrival.]

[ The spaceship had been difficult to leave behind when all she wanted to do was open up all the different parts of it and figure it out! Sadly, no time for that. Also, it would seem, not much patience from the pilots for it, either. For once Rinth wasn't going to argue, since her curiosity wasn't going to win out over her desperate need to not be inside anymore. Bursting out into the frozen landscape is the breath of fresh air she'd been hoping for, even with the chill. Hey, it pays to have fur! Not that she turned a nose up at any additional clothing offered.

Anyway, once she's checked her own gear (yep, guns, grenades, tools, etc, all still there), she gives on look back to the ship, then turns to start heading out.

Alone and entirely without one of the holographic disguises active!

Of course, her attempt to lope away (on all fours) comes to an abrupt halt when she hits a hidden patch of very, very deep, soft snow. ]

Damni--!

[ Aaaand then she has a mouth full of snow. Okay, thrashing wildly to dig her way back out now. ]

[ 28th and the 29th. ]

[ Everything after that one little hitch goes slightly better for her. For one, she's actually equipped one of the disguises. She's chosen a big burly human male rather than even attempt to pretend being anything daintier. It isn't so obvious to others who are disguised, but it'll be pretty funny to hear any locals refer to her as a man.

In the early mornings, she can be found out hunting, so don't be too surprised if she crashes on by in pursuit of an animal or if you find her in the middle of hauling a kill back towards one of the townships. In particular, one might find her fearlessly facing down a penguin.

But later in the days, she'll be in the towns themselves, doing what a so-called "huntsman" does best. Trading the animals and trying to pick up banter, mostly about how the power supply works, where it comes from. She'll play dumb about it if asked why she doesn't already know! She'll be trading for other goods and moving on, working her way closer and closer to the somewhat better off parts of the city (the underground ones and so on) to, supposedly, keep on trading. ]

[ 30th, with much trouble. ]

[ And finally, the last day, well, her hunting trip has gone awry. See, she hasn't been bothering to use the disguise while out top-side. Not so early in the morning! Unfortunately, that means, this time, some ACTUAL hunters have spotted her. That morning, the sound of an angry roar and shouting fills the cold air as Rinth faces down the group of humans.

It's yet to be determined whether it's bad for her or for them that she's been cornered. ]

27th

[jackanope]

[Joy, on the other hand, is gleefully equipped with a disguise as she exits the ship. It's not that she's thrilled about having to hide who she is, but more just childishly happy to mess around with the holographic image around her. How does this thing both make her body look different AND make other parts disappear?! It's like magic.

Her attention is quickly drawn to the large, cat-like critter who was on the ship with her. She's done her best not to stare on their way down (it's impolite to stare!) but it's basically impossible for her to ignore or forget about here. There are so few non-human people here, so shouldn't they be friends? It made sense in Joy's mind.

So, it's fortunate that Joy is suddenly given a chance to approach her as she watches her become immediately half-buried in all this mysterious white "snow" stuff.]

O-Oh! Um, ma'am?! [her big feet crunch as she runs over to help.] Ma'am, are you okay??

27th Arrival

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

[The wind and the sharp smell of snow and cold air is enough to very firmly cement the idea that yes, he is actually on the planet surface. And yes, it's cold as hell, but he's been to the Alps, he's climbed in the Himalayas - cold is a known quantity, and he came prepared.]

Alright - hands up if you want a telepathic link-up. More secure than comms, but I don't feel like dealing with people who don't want it so... by choice only. I'm planning on heading for the nearest big group of people, and I can cover whoever comes with me.

[taking charge: a Summers family way of life]

[highfrequency]

[Raiden trusts his roommate to not go digging around where he's not welcome.]

Yeah, count me in.

[pause]

Both for the link-up and for the scouting.

[Be prepared for psychic cursing. Lots of it.]

open/over the duration

[keep_smiling]

[27th/Arrival: Snow ain't no thang to Elmer C. Albatross. Just a few months before he arrived in Exsilium, he'd been living near the arctic circle for quite awhile. More than anything, he's thrilled to be back on the ground and seeing the sun. The sun! In Exsilium! He looks out over the landscape, grinning widely like a kid spotting presents on Christmas morning.]

Wow! Amazing! Bloody amazing! Are we sure this is still Exsilium? It's like a whole new world!

[Time to explore! You might want to come with him to make sure he's not going to fall into a snow bank or get eaten by a yeti.]

[28th and beyond: Elmer is very interested in meeting the locals, both of the human and animal variety. He's also got surprisingly good survival skills, considering he's spent most of his 300 years of life on the road. He doesn't have to worry about hypothermia or frost bite thanks to his immortality, too. He's no hunter, but he'll be able to help collect firewood or food, or just exploring. Elmer will be glad to help you in your endeavors!

Once they're ready to get down to business, Elmer really wants to meet the locals and talk to them. He'd be fine going off to do it himself, but it's probably a good idea that someone went with him to act like a buffer.]

let's go 27th

[inhumanity]

[You know, Christopher realized who was on this shuttle down with him. He was far from ecstatic about it. But anyone with an eye for real smiles could have seen the way Christopher's jittery excitement built up the closer they got to Earth (and the farther they got from Huey). And the second he hit snow, Christopher was wearing the biggest, most real smile he had worn in months. Not even Elmer C. Albatross can put a dent in that.

Well, not yet, anyway.

But this overwhelming exuberance is why Christopher just threw a snowball at Elmer's head.] And in a whole new world, shouldn't you be on your guard for whole new threats to survival?

29TH.

[lucency]

[ belle misses her cloak.

granted, she's warm. she's got gloves and her equipment certainly do the job of keeping the chill out (except that one time that snow got in her shoes, but she took that more as a lesson in sledding responsibly), which, frankly, suits her more when the goal here is to explore. investigate. both of those. but there's still some drearily romantic part of her that would definitely acknowledge that her cloak would look charming and mysterious against the white backdrop that they've found themselves in. she does not voice this.

it doesn't take belle long to get to her job, documenting the trip as best she can on her tablet the instant she finds anything exciting. the ditr will be interested, she knows, and she considers it part of her job. she's seen the penguins, seen the sled dogs, suspects something in the ice - and it's only the second day of the trip. hot springs are yet to be determined.

forests, however, are not. she keeps to herself today (she thinks), wandering through her former planet not quite as awestruck as she's been lately, but with enough curiosity to keep her occupied. she ducks through a low-hanging branch - or attempts to. she makes to move under, but a low rumble through the forest causes her to shoot back up and bump her head on the wood. snow falls onto her face and she scurries to wipe it from her eyes.

when she catches a glimpse of her first yeti, it's a white ball of fur and claws. she sees one of its hands. are those hands? she's going to call them hands. her first instinct is to lean forward, expression incredulous, before scurrying back behind a tree. ]

A snow monster? [ she whispers it to no one in particular, and the next second she's fumbling for her tablet in her pocket and searching for some kind of camera function. can it do that? it needs to do that. she won't kill it - won't harm it - won't even interrupt it, but some sort of documentation has to be made.

if it shuffles closer through the snow, she keeps still (tense, but still). ]

[aequivoci]

[ Unfortunately for Belle, she won't hear the approaching footsteps of a fellow Transport until he's right next to her. A golden ball with a tail circles around him several times before settling in the front of his coat.

Many apologies in advance as he starts speaking as if he didn't just appear from thin air. ]

Not something you would want to tangle with, especially with those claws.

[imperfectness]

A) [Carlos isn't much of a stranger to the cold. The weather in Night Vale was often mercurial, but, being in a desert, nights were often cold.

Still, he's bundled up in a coat, gloves, and a knit cap. And yes, he still has on his lab coat (which can be seen keeping out from underneath the outer coat).

He has a Geiger counter, and he gives a low whistle.]

Yeah, seems like it's mostly safe out here.

B) [Actually inside the city, Carlos wraps his hands around a small cup of weak tea, wishing he had rum or something to add to it. He takes a sip.]

So I guess we start looking, huh?

B

[keep_smiling]

[Elmer is all over the place, excited to explore a new place and meet the new(ish) people of the new(ish) Exsilium. The cold weather hasn't slowed him down at all.]

Right! We need to be able to act like locals, though. Even though we have no idea what locals act like. So our first step is... observation, I suppose!

whenever~

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili grew up in the cold and the snow. This place is hardly all that different and he's having the time of his life. You can find him either building a snow fort, having a snowball fight, making snow angels, or building snow-dwarves and snow dragons and all sorts of elaborate things. He has a talent with his hands, and anything he builds will reflect that dwarvish skill.]

[ready_to_bloom]

[Watch out, Kili! Caspian can't resist throwing a snowball your way!

Then laughing.]

November 27th - 28th! (yeti time)

[snowghoul]

[27th: Abbey crouches down in the snow after spending a few minutes surveying the area in silence. The large ball of snow in her hands feels so familiar and welcoming, it's almost incredible. Of course, she's not one to show many (if not any) of her emotions on her face, so one might think she's indifferent to the sudden change in climate.

He or she couldn't be more incorrect, though.

She brings the snowball closer to her lips, almost as if to kiss it. If you stare hard enough, you might catch a glimpse of a faint smile forming on the yeti's face.]

Finally. Just like home.

[28th: The second day of the expedition has only made Abbey even more excited to be out on the frozen terrain! She's been spending these past two days doing what yetis do best: hunting and gathering. Occasionally, she might sit down and sculpt a very intricate snowman -- feel free to comment on her craftmanship if you want!

She'll be doing this all day until she has her first yeti sighting. She stiffens immediately when she spots the mass of white fur from the corner of her eye. This monster seems a lot slower than most yetis in her village, so her first assumption is that he must be older.]

Uncle Frostovitch?

[Could she be imagining things?]

28th before yeti time (Because they need CR)

[icy_heavens]

[He normally pushes hard on missions, keeps everybody working and reminded of just what they're there for, but even a workaholic like him understands that people need occasional downtime. He's not an unreasonable person, after all.

[His own downtime is spent out in the wilds so that he can just appreciate the climate. Others hunker down in places for warmth. Hitsugaya seeks out the cold. And it seems he's not alone in that fact.

[The blue-skinned girl appears every bit as home in this weather as he does and has taken the time to do a little artwork, evidently. And while not exactly to his tastes, it's not horrible.]

Certainly seen worse sculptures. [It's a compliment, okay?]

[aequivoci]

a. november 28 - december 1; the river formerly known as the thames

[ The river being the major source of transportation attracts Cross's attention, and so the first half of the mission, he will be studying anything and everything going on around, on top, and below the ice. He steers clear of the various animals, but Timcanpy — primarily brought along for documentation purposes — doesn't hesitate to circle around them. In fact, the golem will even sit on a walrus, cruise next to a polar bear, and later perch on the curved tusk of a mammoth. The mammoths are the most fascinating things to the General, and he may or may not attempt to get closer to them at some point.

The ice box is another source of engrossment for the General, and the fact that several persons choose(?) to live in it and conduct their work. Sure they're measuring the water, but what else is in there besides some fis— ...

...did he just sees a shark swim by under his feet? Is that what that big mass was? Or a whale? ]



b. december 2 - 5; the city & countryside

[ Done with focusing on the Thames, his next goal is to obtain some information of his own from the Exiles. This time, Timcanpy sits on top of his hat as ornamentation when Cross interacts with an Exile, quietly recording away the interactions and surroundings in their immediate surroundings. Feel free to brainstorm with him before or after some interviewing.

Outside of talking to villagers, he's studying anything that may give nonverbal cues as to their current lifestyle. The solar panels are one big indicator, and the ruins poking out along the countryside raise some flags for more unanswered questions. He is looking at one partially destroyed building in the distance, his tablet in his hand with a photo of a part of Exsilium displayed. ]

B!

[ardor]

[Just as it seems Cross is finished with an interview, Kallen decides to approach. She's been hanging around the fringes of the area, appearing uninterested or unaware of the interviews going on, knowing full well that too much attention would make them even more skittish than they already were. With a random flower in her hand she makes her way over. Snow loudly crunching under her boots signals anyone else that she is indeed headed their way.]

Hey! Have you ever seen a plant like this? It's really pretty!

[A little loud, innocent conversation can't hurt either. Kallen only speaks seriously when she's closer, sure only the two of them can hear.]

Find anything?

[ready_to_bloom]

[After arrival and a snowball fight with Kili, Caspian's been keeping busy with hunting in the countryside, and trading in Exsilium. He's telling people he's from a small, distant settlement, and has come to Exsilium to make his home here (not really a lie, he figures).

He's done well with trading, and has been chatting with various members of the Exile population - his natural curiosity and friendly nature serve him well here, as he's entirely believable as someone new to Exsilium, and not a threat. He takes careful note of what he's learned about the solar panels and resources for growing food, and has been able to sweet talk his way into a tour of one of the food storage domes. He's hoping to get into one of the more affluent settlements, for a look around, and has arranged a meeting at one of the pubs with a Exile who says he can get him.

In his spare moments, you'll find him stalking the penguins. He's fascinated.]

open over duration; choose your own adventure

[transuniversal]

Option A: 27th, immediate arrival
[Noh-Varr would have taken any mission that got him off the base, no matter how dangerous. The tensions mount, and the talk turns decidedly unfriendly; he can see where the train of thought will lead, and he wants no part of it. He has always tried to do what he thought was right. He can see the ways, now, in which this hurt many people, but at the time, he made the decisions he felt were the only ones he could make. It is both sobering and kind of painful to watch a rebellion from an outsider's perspective. He sympathizes; he thinks they are right to distrust, and his own anger about kidnapping is intense and intensely private.

So first he stands there and inhales the cold air, letting his body and his insulted uniform acclimate to the sudden change in temperature, and lets all the tension drain from his body for that one, brief moment.

And then he runs off into the snow, kicking up great sprays for this one brief moment of fun, and then plops down right in a bank like the world's biggest kid.]

Loki should have come. We could have kicked butt with snowballs.

[Even if this is a serious mission. What he really means as well is, he could have kicked Loki's butt at snowballs.]

Option B: 28th-30th, outside the city
[He doesn't move on to the city right away. His endurance, his speed and stamina are beyond human, but even Kree would get worn down in the piles and piles of snow. Still, he's thorough. If they're out to scout, then that's what he's going to do; for his own information, if not for others. He still has not decided how to feel about the Initiative.

Sitting down in the snow, it would be hard to see him, with his white hair and the white-patches on his uniform. It blends in, a bit! But he's working intently on really drawing a map, marking out terrain as best as he can, elevation, territories occupied by penguins (he has never seen a penguin before; he hopes no one ever witnessed the moment where a sudden lunge startled him and left him slipping on ice before he could get his feet properly gripped, knowing that someone will probably totally have seen).

But really, he's not trying to startle anybody. He's just trying not to be noticed, by the wrong people, and when you can walk up structures and trees without really needing to climb, you can get a lot of strange places without getting detected.

If he takes someone by surprise by dropping out of a tree unexpectedly, it's not to be a troll. Mostly.]

Option C: 1st-4th; the city

[His curiosity about Earth culture hasn't really diminished, since coming to Exsilium. If he hasn't had a whole lot of time to look into it, whatever has changed in a thousand years has to be fascinating, right? Do they still have pop music and a new equivalent of Miley Cyrus? Do they still do clubbing, even in wartime? What do they do for fun?

He doesn't intentionally do alien. He just is too curious to resist asking questions.]

What is the popular music genre around here?

[It's a stupid question, he knows that deliberately. But it's better if people think he might be an idiot, if he pretends to be stupid, because then they may be less on guard when he asks the more technical questions, like-]

How does this work? [Which he could solve for himself, but better they explain, and point out where he needs to go, and who he needs to talk to.

And whether or not he can surreptitiously find one of those solar panels and get a look at its inner wiring and construction.

Shhhh, don't tell.]

30th

[maipokerface]

[Whether he's meaning to be a troll or not, the whole taking someone by surprise thing works well with Mai. She might have heard him in the tree moments before but she didn't exactly expect something to drop out of it.

She has a knife readied and is in a fighting stance before she notes who it is. Not that she knows him by name but they had all come down as one group.

Mai sighs out roughly and the knife disappears in the next second as she straightens and rearranges her cloak.]

That's not exactly safe, you know.