(open) mission: hit the beach

[aithinkthereforeaiam]

Date & Time: July 18th-24th, Exsilium Time
Location: Sea Shore during the Late Cretaceous Period
Characters: All! Oh those pesky mandatory missions.
Summary: In lieu of the success of the space shuttle's test flight, all of the Transports have been sent back to the Cretaceous period to gather mineral supplies and volcanic rock, while doubling as a sort of 'vacation' and chance to get Transports out of the Initiative's hair. With well stocked supplies, camping gear, and more burlap sacks than anyone could possibly ever use, the Transports have been set under a protective dome and told to collect what they can... and to enjoy the sunshine.
Warnings: Shenanigans!

The overflow log can be found HERE!

It's almost surreal, the quality of color, of light, of oxygen saturation in the air once people arrive. It's so rich that the Initiative sent people back with respirators, to help ease the transition, and warned those who would listen about the effects of too much oxygen on a system.

What they don't warn for is the sheer alien familiarity of the landscape, the warmth, the roughness of the sand on the beaches. This is not the fine, sandy beaches out of vacation dreams, but a rougher, larger granule sort, with shells that might be recognizeable as ancestors to ones those from Earth would remember washing up on familiar beaches, millions of years later.

Most striking is the lack of abundant wildlife found among the fronds and leaves and foliage, or underneath the surface of the saltier, much warmer waters extending off the beach. While acting as a permeable membrane to oxygen and water, along with the sorts of phytoplankton that kept sea creatures alive, all the larger animals had been pushed out by the Initiative's installment of the safety dome. Along the transparent walls, curious creatures would come close, peer in, tap against the barrier and run off if frightened, but very few were found inside at any size larger than that of a house cat. It was for the better in the long run.

Too bad that the Initiative didn't have ultra-violet blocking technology in their shielding. For all the atmosphere is in much better shape millions of years in the past, the sun is as strong as ever, and the unwary will be burned through and through if they're not careful.

Comments

[velveteened]

( he laughs, nodding emphatically - it's all true, after all! )

Honestly, I've never been to a real beach before. Though! I did get to see an ocean on one of the missions recently.

[moralperil]

Yeah? Which mission?

[Mahdi crouches, eyeing the movement of shadows and little fish in the water with delight.]

[velveteened]

( he does the same, only resisting the temptation to stick his hands in the water for about a minute. )

It was a private one, just last weekend. ( then, he laughs ) You probably heard about Caesar being gone, too.

[moralperil]

Oh. I was a little distracted with some stuff back then! I'm glad you came back safely.

[Mahdi cups his hands in the water and lets it trickle out.]

[velveteened]

( for the briefest of seconds, the corners of his lips tug downwards. he doesn't know mahdi very well, so who knows, but but was a little distracted sounds like it could be something worse.

it's certainly what he'd say in that kind of situation. )

Thank you! We were on a ship, so there wasn't any opportunity for playing in the water.

[moralperil]

Well, now we can play, right? [Mahdi flicks the water off the tips of his fingers at him.]

[velveteened]

You're right!

( and he splashes some water right back, laughing. )

why is every thread with these two so disgusting

[moralperil]

[Laughing, he does the same, cupping his hand slightly to 'shovel' more water at Oz. Mahdi does this with such vigorous enthusiasm that he actually trips up and falls into the water.

Which he makes sure to do in the splashiest way possible!]

because they're too kawaii

[velveteened]

( WELLP he gets pretty well drenched at all that! but it just makes him laugh more, before he wades over and holds out a hand to help mahdi up. )

they didn't choose the kawaii life the kawaii life chose them >|

[moralperil]

[Mahdi takes his hand - and pulls him down into the water instead!]

Oops! [SORRY NOT SORRY]

(ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

[velveteened]

( WOW RUDE except no he can't even pretend to be annoyed. he comes up spluttering, clothes and hair sticking to his skin. )

Hey!

( going to splash some water at him then!! )

ok i can't beat that emote

[moralperil]

[Laughing, Mahdi gets up, wobbling a bit with a mind to run away from the splashing!]

☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[velveteened]

( he won't stop mahdi! instead he flops backwards with a happy sigh, though sitting up quickly when a wave rolls in. it's while sitting up that he pushes his bangs out of his eyes )

So fun...!

[moralperil]

[Mahdi rushes forward to steady Oz with an arm around his waist so he won't fall over when the wave crashes.]

Yes! The ocean is really amazing!

[velveteened]

Not just the ocean. ( though that's certainly part of it. ) But getting to be here with everyone - it's a lot of fun.

( he waves off mahdi's concern, moving to stand on his own a moment later. )

[moralperil]

Yeah! A long time ago we went to this party in a palace, I don't know if you were here for that.

[Now thoroughly soaked, Mahdi concentrates on squishing his feet in the sand and watching his feet get buried as the tide washes over.]

This is way more fun, though! I know plenty about high ceilings and neatly kept gardens, but this, the way the Earth can be so wild... I love it! And getting to share it with friends is just so much sweeter!

[velveteened]

In Paris, right? I've heard about that, but I wasn't here then.

( it sounds really pleasant, a ball, though after the last one he went to he doesn't overly regret missing it. )

I feel the same! I've been to social gatherings before, but a beach with friends is a lot more fun.

[moralperil]

[continuing here!]