(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

[yourdistraction]

Oh... Should I promise something, then? I don't think I own anything that would interest you.

merrill dammit RUN AWAY ALREADY

[bravelyrunsaway]

I'd beg to differ, but I rarely bother with begging. Terrible table manners.

( He says with a wink. )

I might be persuaded for the heft cost of oh... say... a kiss?

( Thoroughly amused, Licyn expects this to not work like it always does off his own searing world. )

because merrill

[yourdistraction]

[ Why is he winking about terrible table manners? That sounds about right to her! Oh, but, he's asking for a kiss. She's been around human and seen Hawke's interactions long enough to know that's definitely not a standard trade.

That's something Zevran would say. Merrill takes longer than she should to show a reaction, which is a little start and a quick jerk back, one hand to her chin almost as if considering it (FOR INFORMATION!!!). But then she firmly shakes her head, even if she doesn't look particularly offended. ]

I'm pretty certain I'm not curious enough to explore what it's like to work at a brothel, no offense meant to those...lovely people at the Blooming Rose. Besides, look at you, I don't see how you could have any trouble getting girls to kiss you for free! So are you sure there isn't something else you might want?

[bravelyrunsaway]

( He laughs outright at Merrill; shaking his head and only settling back as he takes the opportunity to flick at her nose with a lazy motion from his hand. )

I can see you have extensive knowledge of what goes on in a brothel, indeed! Kissing, my darling friend, is one of the last things any lady of the night will ever indulge in for business.

( That is far more often something done for pleasure. Hence the joke; though it's refreshingly amusing to have someone outright refuse, even for such ridiculous reasons. )

It's called a flirtation, not a business deal. No contract worth signing is ever done over a kiss.

( This includes most marriage contracts he knows of not bound up in bloodlines and lots and lots of money, or with more rarity and among more peasants, emotion.

Which is a folly he doesn't worry about, divorced as he is from the mere concept of caring. (Theoretically.) )

Which is why, lovely as I am, I ask at all. You're not terribly bright, are you?

[yourdistraction]

[ Definitely affronted, as even Merrill has her limits when being insulted (especially by strange humans), she makes a little scoff. ]

I'll have you know I'm very bright, about lots of things! And I know enough about brothels, thank you.

[ She doesn't need to discuss what constitutes prostitution and what doesn't... Maybe she should ask Fenris. Wait no no no never ask Fenris. Zevran? ]

And if you are trying to make a trade, insulting the other party is certainly no way to go about it! I don't think you have any information at all. This is a game, isn't it? You ought to let somebody know when you're playing games.

[bravelyrunsaway]

That, my dear, would defeat the purpose of it being a game in the first place.

( He's completely unaffected by her affronted response; she only gets to see him smile, lean back on one hand, fairly smug. Yeah. He so totally doesn't care if she feels insulted.

She really set herself up for that one. )