(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

[celestial_wizard]

[ Dang - Taurus' axe misses the target by THAT much, biting hard into the ground - hard enough that it takes him a moment to wedge it up again. Loke calls a warning to Lucy again, and the blonde mage looked up from where she had knelt quickly to grab the keys she dropped. ... uh. Oh . LORDIE. The bum rush was not anticipated, and the speed in which it rushed her, along with that horrid shriek - that sound that does NOT belong coming out of a human's throat - ]

WHa-

[ CRAP. She can only defend against the lunge as it grabbed her arms. Clutching the keys in one hand, her shoulder screaming in pain, she wrestles against the other creature to free her arms again to try and push the Nightcap away. ]

Nngh! GET OFF!!

[ Lucky for her Loke was still summoned - he rushes over to her aid, aiming to grab the Nightcap and pull her-it-him off of Lucy as well. But it's words to her were confusing, a mystery - something that would nag at her when she was in position to think about it. ]

[theparasite]

[the Nightcap bristles against the feeling of the spirit's hands on its arms, mouth drawing back in a wild snarl. it scrambles, wildly snatching and catching Lucy's key-bearing wrist. That's it. THOSE ARE IT.

doors.]

HOW DARE– [its grip squeezes and squeezes, feeling bones buckling. it bears down, practically pressed against Lucy as its other hand sought leverage, the means to push back against Loke's hold, elbow him in the face: it's a move that sends it reeling and landing on its back beside Lucy.

it's a pretty grotesque hand-holding, cloudgazing posture.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Oh No. NO. Not the key. SHe pulls at her right arm, trying to free it from Nightcap's grip, only for a pained shriek to rip out of her throat as she feels bones cracking in her arm. OW. OW SON OF AN OW! Reflexively her hand twitches open, the key slipping out of her fingers a second time, landing in the grass. ]

aaaaAAH!!! Na--!

[ The urge to scream for her partner is almost overpowering, but she snaps back to herself, remembering he wasn't there. He didn't know she was in trouble. She should have sent out a message - even a quick one - the second she was attacked. She should have asked him to come with her - she always had fun with her friend whenever they were together, right? But no, she did neither of these things. ]

[ Arm. ARM. ARM. Let go. LET GO. Even as Loke reels back from the blow to his face, stumbling. Even as Nightcap himself tumbles over next to her in that twisted semblance of cloudgazing, she can only think of getting her key away from it. It lay between herself and Nightcap - she shifted with a groan of pain, her left hand fumbling, grasping for the key even though from her angle she couldn't see it clearly. What interest did that thing have in her keys? ]

[theparasite]

[with Loke out of its way, the Nightcap sets it hand scrambling to wrestle Lucy for that key. not only is it shiny, gleaming...it's got to be the door.

it twists, rolling onto its side, bringing its face close to Lucy's, practically hissing:]

Filthy girl, you dare. Give it to me. You have no RIGHT–

[as it pushes itself up, digging fingers against Lucy's for that key, its own door dangles from its neck: a medallion on a chain, closed for a long, long time.

there's a name, though:]

[celestial_wizard]

Taurus!!

[ Wait. Ssssshit, his limit was already reached. Loke - before Lucy had a chance to call out to him, there was that THING's face in front of hers. Well. That's nightmare fuel for you. ]

G-guaha!!

[ Get away get away get away. And what's this she has no right, business!? She has every right! Pain shooting up her arm as she scrabbles to be the first to reach it, she lets out a cry of dismay when the parasite gets to it first. Her arm feels like it's on fire, and numb at the same time, she instinctively grabs for it with her right hand and howls again in pain at the movement. ]

Give him back!!

[ Wait -- what's that? ... there, there! Around its neck. It's.. similar. Almost like her own summoning magic, another doorway. If she could just... maybe she could use it. With her good hand she reaches out desperately, almost clawing out to toch the medallion. ]

I know you're there -- .. please ... help me...!!

[ The name.. it almost eludes her. Sk..skia? Skiga? Is that it? ]

[theparasite]

[Skigaa.

it's not the fantastic flare of a Celestial Spirit's grand entrance – more like a break in water, hands pushing at fine fabric. a serpentine body glides from seemingly nowhere, just a gossamer glimmer, a trick of the light, but quickly whole and large.

it coils around a now-shrieking, horrified Nightcap, lifting it up and away from Lucy. unfortunately, the key goes with it.]

NO! You! Ghuohh–NO! NO!

[celestial_wizard]

[ Very subtle by comparison of her usual celestial summons, but its there. It's there and helping her - it answered her call. ]

[ BUT IT WAS TAKING THE PARASITE AWAY. She hadn't reached the key yet! ]

No! Wait!

[ She pushes herself up, only for her arm to give out again, coming nowhere near either beast. ]

Bring back Loke first!!...

[theparasite]

[it's a little late for that, with the Nightcap squalling and shrieking in the snake's coils, lifted and pulled away. there's a strange, ethereal sound hanging heavy in the air, lamenting the whole affair. an apology, but certainly not the monster's.

they disappear, but not anywhere near as gracefully as the snake's initial appearance.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Damnit damnit damnit. No no no...! ]

Loke!!

[ Lucy can only stare in horror as the creature is pulled away, and that thing's -screams- and words seem to cling to her like a second skin. What did it all mean...? ... no, she'd look into it later, after she got her key back. But by the time she gets to her feet, the creatures - both of them - have already vanished. The loss is like ...well, no different from losing any of her dear friends. She turns, staggering, hurt and bleeding, back towards the camp with a heavy heart. She has a message to send out - a warning. But before she gets too far, she whispers a silent thank you to that spirit - Skigaa. Even though the way things ended weren't the way she wanted, it did come to her aide and she wasn't even contracted with it. ]