( 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

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?

[keep_smiling]

[Ah yes. He's satisfied to see that. Thank you, Christopher.

A snowball to the face is a bit of a surprise, though. He shakes his head to toss off the snow, and laughs.] You're right! I was so overcome with the thoughts of this new place that I wasn't paying attention, but-- [And he just kicks a pile of snow in Christopher's direction. It...might not go very far but he's hoping for the element of surprise.]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher easily steps back to avoid the snow, and he gives Elmer a look. It's like that time Vino decided that Christopher was the source of Liza's chakrams. Sometimes, these people are ridiculous even to Christopher.]

That's your best effort? This is hurtful. My hopes for this team have plummeted. [Nah, that smile is still genuinely happy.] This must be what it's like to know true despair.

[keep_smiling]

You've seen nothing yet. Just you wait til -- Oh my God, a sasquatch! [He points behind Christopher, then makes a grab for some snow and tosses it at him, whether or not Chris falls for the oldest joke in the book or not.]

[inhumanity]

[Even if it weren't transparent, Christopher's instinct as a fighter is to react to movements that he knows are a threat to him. So it's almost lazily that he steps aside to dodge the throw.]

Impossible, friend! Sasquatches only live in North America.

[The issue here.]

[keep_smiling]

Ah, you got me! I see that you're a very clever--HYAAAH! [And now for the Last Resort. Elmer just dives at Christopher with the intent to knock him into a nearby snowbank, but it's hardly a surprise attack and will most likely just going down face first alone.

That's okay, though. He's laughing. Good times, buddy.]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher is laughing, too, and genuinely so as he steps aside.]

Unfortunately, you have forgotten: loser has to be buried in his disgrace! As that was never going to be me, you must have prepared for your fate already.

[And cackling, Christopher starts to push more snow on top of Elmer.

Yup. Serious people in a serious situation.]

[keep_smiling]

[Yep. Serious mission going on here.] Never! I refuse to let myself be buried in snow again! ["Again?" Again. He suddenly jumps up, flinging the snow in every direction, and hopefully some on Christopher.]]

[inhumanity]

[Even Christopher taking a leap back can't quite dodge it all, so he doesn't. Instead, he whips out his weapon and opens the umbrella up to shield him. Since the umbrella's randomizer just set it to FIRE this means a huge blast of heat, whoops.

He sticks his head out from behind the umbrella.] If it happens so often, it might be a sign from Nature that she wants to pull you into her embrace!

[keep_smiling]

[Covered in snow and then blasted by a heat wave, Elmer is now starting to get dripping wet. He pulls off clumps of melting snow and flings it away, and then shakes his head like he's some sort of shaggy dog drying off.]

Mother Nature's never kept me for very long. The sun will always rise to melt snow! Or an umbrella will. What even was that?

[inhumanity]

[Okay, the umbrella is staying up because he doesn't want Elmerdogwet on him.]

[He does have to give Elmer a Look though.] If you want to steal fire from the Gods, you ought to be able to recognize your ill-gotten goods.

[Duh.]

[keep_smiling]

[Chris wat] I didn't realize that fire was stolen in the form of an umbrella. I'm glad to see you smiling, at any rate. It's much better since the last time we spoke.

[He's really not sure how Christopher will react to that. Elmer looks at him, an easy smile on his own face.]

[inhumanity]

[Good fucking job, Elmer: Christopher's smile doesn't disappear, but displeasure sinks into it.] I'm sure I already told you that I'm not interested in your opinion on my smiles. [And he gives Elmer a petulant look.] Going over things twice bores me. I don't like being bored. It's dull. I don't see at all why Master Huey keeps drawing in dull people. You shouldn't bore me anymore. [The umbrella closes and Christopher turns his back on Elmer. He is done with this conversation.]

[keep_smiling]

[Elmer lets him walk off.] Alright! That's fine. I can just sit back and enjoy it. But there's one other thing--

[And then Elmer hits Chris on the back of the head with a snowball. When he turns around, Elmer's grinning like the sly devil he so totally is, and then turns to run away awkwardly through the snow.]