Mission 013 Log

[etrayamods]

Mission Summary

Genre: Survival / Exploration / Spooky

Premise: Mesa is a wild, lawless land of megafauna, from feathered dinosaurs to redwoods soaring stories high. Etrayans must document what remains of a world on its way out and then get out alive, surviving in the wilderness for two weeks while fighting off a hostile environment. Most importantly of all: beware the dark.

Tone: Dark and philosophical. Is this a world worth saving?

Objectives: Take samples and record for posterity what happened on Mesa. Demonstrate appreciation of what is lost and the capacity to preserve it.

❬ all that men presume ❭

While Mesa is full of life even now, with large creatures roaming the continents and making themselves comfortable, there are traces indicating that at one point this wilderness was constructed. The Citadel, a galaxy-spanning empire, had wanted to collect creatures from the numerous inhabited planets they could reach, and selected Mesa as the location for their conservatory given its lack of sentient residents. Once a carefully maintained vacation destination for Citadel elite, landscapes were meticulously groomed and animal husbandry was rigorously planned to create fascinating creatures across generations.

A good idea, in theory. Perhaps even in practice, given that whilst the rest of this galaxy has collapsed and died, this particular planet is still standing, along with all the creatures that had been transplanted onto it to call it their home.

Now abandoned by the Citadel, Mesa returns slowly to its original state: a deserted planet much like Etraya was before Aurora and Borealis's cities had been developed on it. Which is why Aurora has sent the Etrayans abroad: gather data on those who still live amongst Mesa's population, so that these creatures will not be forgotten as their predecessors have been.

Aurora's portal brings characters to a bare base camp, previously visited by a spare few of her bots in order to outfit it with just enough to allow them to survive. Simply called the Lux, their base camp takes the form of a massive spire with a built-in high-powered lamp at the peak, which bathes the entire outside of the building in light at all times. Some rooms hidden within the facility provide darkened spots to allow Etrayans to rest safely.

Aurora had told them that they must make sure to not be out in the dark -- hopefully the spire's eternal light as well as how carefully the entire outside of the structure is lit up offers them enough of a reminder to listen.

Possible Hooks
• Taking stock of your assigned team that you've just met, sharing supplies, and getting ready to leave on your assignment.
• Building up the base to serve as a safe respite for the time on Mesa.
• Returning to camp between assignments for a breather or because you've spent a little too long out in the dark.

❬ a conservatory left behind ❭

Mesa's ecosystems are dominated by megafauna: creatures of immense size and stature, often with lengthy lifespans and narrow biome niches. Most are locked to their environments, adapted precisely to the area they reside in, with little chance of surviving outside of their specific ecosystem. A swamp titan would not survive the cold tundra that the ice leopards call home, and the ice leopards cannot survive in the ashy, hot environment that let horned beetles thrive. Smaller animals may exist amongst them, but they are significantly less common. Many rely on the larger creatures for survival: feeding off of the parasites that attach themselves to their massive bodies, or nesting within their fur.

Much of the wildlife exhibits ancient evolutionary traits, behaviors and patters long-since established with no signs of further development. They no longer evolve with time and generations but instead have settled into their place on their planet.

The megafauna are not the only living beings on Mesa. Scattered across the planet are traces of civilization: abandoned ranger stations, research laboratories, and observation outposts. While these locations appear as if the technology within them was at one time advanced, it has now become nonfunctional, left to rot without maintenance over the generations.

Yet some of these structures still contain life, the descendants of the humanoid beings that established Mesa long ago. One may consider trying to extend a hand out toward them to offer what assistance they can give - but none of them will be friendly.

Long abandoned by those who had once brought them here, these people have become opportunistic predators, fiercely defending what facilities they were able to keep partially functional. The darkness that plagues the Etrayans also appears to plague them, and without light, the same ill fate would be their demise.

They do not travel far, choosing to maintain their own livestock and supplies to ensure they are never far from the light. After all, they know the greatest threat on Mesa is not the wildlife, but the dark.

Possible Hooks
• Encounter various wildlife while out on assignment, and perhaps run into another team.
• Build an observation blind shelter with your teammates and hole up there for a few days, hoping to document your species of interest.
• Discover and explore an abandoned structure.
• Come under threat from the residents... or try to reach out to them.

❬ hatchlings ❭

The chelonians, one of the species in one of Mesa's warmer climates, has struggled to maintain their numbers over their centuries on the planet due to their inability to change their ways.

Hatchlings are born several kilometers away from the beach shores, burrowed deep into soil to protect them from predators that may seek out their eggs during high tide. These creatures are massive, large shells encasing a significant portion of their bodies with only their heads and limbs visible from under it.

These creatures are rare and difficult to spot on Mesa: they breed slowly, live for centuries, and their offspring very rarely make it passed their first few hours of life. They often hatch in the dark of the night, making them extremely susceptible to predators that lurk in the dark, waiting for prey too small and too fragile to protect themselves. Large winged beasts swoop down from the skies, picking up the newborn chelonians to enjoy a fresh meal.

Without them, their ecosystem begins to collapse: kelp beds and forests fail, and entire food chains unravel.

Etrayans with interest could assign themselves a simple, unofficial mission to find the burrows and protect the younglings as they manage to break through their shells, then help them into the ocean so that their kind may survive to see the sun again. They must set up light sources and wait beside the burrows to make sure these massive creatures not only escape their eggs but do not become lost on their journey to the water. Following them to the water is critical, as their eyesight, even with a light source, is quite poor -- and they have a tendency to lose their way.

No one's asked them to do this -- the whole planet is slated for destruction, so maybe this entire venture is pointless -- but maybe this is something worth doing anyway.

Possible Hooks
• Idealistic types see the chelonian hatchlings struggling to make it to a beach and step in to help. Considering how large they are, this might be a struggle for them, too.
• Cynical types question what the point is.

❬ night falls ❭

Mesa's darkness is not merely the conventional absence of direct light.

The planet itself has no moon, and when darkness comes, it is absolute.

Remaining in the darkness has several consequences, and the effects accumulate over time, progressing along a spectrum rather than in tidy stages. This only seems to effect those from Etraya and the humanoids living within their bases, not the animals brought to reside on planet. Remaining within light sources suppresses the effects, but the moment the planet's rotation angles them away from this galaxy's star, any Etrayans caught outside of the light will find themselves succumbing to the effects.

Characters were warned not to stay out in the dark, but they were not told why they should not.

If any of them prefer not to find out and remain at base during one unfortunate night, they'll find out why anyway: the power cuts. The surrounding terrain, once held at bay by artificial light at the Lux, is swallowed whole. The air feels heavier and the atmosphere itself feels weighted.

Blithe apathy sinks in. The ability to listen to reason slowly leaves those left in the darkness. If they do not find a light source quickly, they will be able to feel the physical effects of the darkness set into their skin, potentially ending with permanent changes.

Those remaining on base may work together in order to bring the power back on, utilizing any personal abilities in addition to fixing the damaged circuits in order to bring everything back online. But they had better react quickly -- the longer the darkness remains, the worse the effects become, and maybe someone who was once trying to help is now trying to hurt...

Possible Hooks
• Help restore power after it cuts at the Lux.
• Underestimate the darkness effects, assume your light source is enough, and slowly fall prey to the pleasant apathy. You'll need rescue.
• Stumble onto another party's camp and need their help to be coaxed back to sanity.

❬ MISSION NOTES ❭

📌 — Please make sure to use the major events comment thread specifically to announce character actions that have a significant impact on the mission outcome or other characters.

📌 — For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the mission queries comment on the plotting post. Other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

🔵FULL NAVIGATION🔵

Comments

Closed to Team Broody

[codicies]

                             

Getting Acquainted

[codicies]

[ Dylan doesn't really take too much time with team introductions, especially since he already knows two of them. With that in mind, he's a bit less guarded than he might have been with complete strangers. ]

We've got some supplies to get us started, but it'll be a good idea to figure out what might be edible as we go along. Keep an eye out and see what other animals are eating, that'll be a good first step.

I think most of us know each other, so that's good. [ He looks to address the Unfamiliar Jason. ] I'm Dylan, and these two are Jason and Chrissy. What should I call you?

Closed to Team Animal Ears

[unpollo]

                                                                          

circle time (getting acquainted)

[unpollo]

[ Oh, how Apollo misses the fey glamour. It was so much easier to project confidence when he had a mask; Now he's just... himself. His mortal self. Comfortable, but not much to look at.

Especially as he inspects his companions. Two of them, he notices, have animal ears. He smiles awkwardly, tucking some curls behind his very human ears and tugging on the cartilage slightly, giving a soft, awkward laugh. ]

Well. Now I feel underdressed.

Closed to Team Wingmen

[twin_blade]

[twin_blade]

various starters

The Lux - getting situated

[ Upon arrival in Mesa, Vax decided to explore the spire that would serve as the headquarters for their operation on this planet. He sees others getting their bearings and meeting with their teams. His own team has already been assembled, so he doesn't need to find anyone to venture out with.

He finds a suitable spot with room for him to start going through the supplies he brought with him, which includes four packs filled with provisions that were wheeled through the portal in a shopping cart (whatever works). Vax bears that responsibility as survivalist, and he doesn't want to fuck it up, so he sits on the floor and begins to examine the contents of one of the packs that's meant for a teammate as he waits for the rest of his group. ]

A Conservatory - wildcard for casual, specimen hunting, or fighting off some beast

[ Nighttime might be harrowing, but the daytime can be quite nice. Vax sits on a log at the edge of a large lake that's practically an ocean. His team is somewhere nearby, most likely, getting the lay of the land or figuring out where they'll take their hunt for specimens next.

For now, Vax takes a moment to simply rest and soak in the atmosphere of the foreign planet. He doesn't really think much of the missions they are sent on, and he continues to remain skeptical of everything they're told.

Reaching to the ground, he picks up a small pebble and flings it over the water, watching it plunk on the surface and disappear. ]

Night Falls - warnings for horror/combat/violence (threadjacking okay)

[ After two days in the field, the team came across an abandoned home in the woods. It's small, with an open room for the living room that has the kitchen in one corner and two tiny bedrooms, but it's a roof, and there's furniture, which includes a twin sized bed in each of the bedrooms and a couch. The place is dusty but usable. There are also a few other pieces, such as a dresser and table with some chairs. It seems like a suitable place to stay for now while they continue to look for wildlife in the forest to take samples from.

While the team goes out to explore, Vax offers to stay behind to get their temporary base in better condition. By early evening, when the others have returned, Vax has cleaned up some and searched the home for supplies, which includes some blankets and non-perishable food items. It's strange these things would be left behind, but this home has clearly been empty for some time.

When night falls, Dion and Joshua's powers can help light lamps in the rooms to stave off the darkness, which feels unnatural. Even a starless night never felt so inky black and oppressive.

In the living room, Vax sits on the couch and uses a stone to sharpen his dagger while he takes the night's watch. ]

[will_chase_balls]

The Lux – Open to all]

Between missions, Dwayne takes a few hours to rest at the Lux and mingle with people on other teams. As always, he's happy to chat with and relax with his fellow Etrayans, but at the same time he finds himself unable to fully enjoy himself. While normally he'd be able to just relax and have fun in a new place, being fully aware of this world's impeding destruction has put concerns into his mind that he's not quite able to shake.

"There's people out there," he says to whoever approaches while looking out a window.

He doesn't mean their people, because he's not worried about them. He's sure Aurora will make sure all the Etrayans get back okay. The natives on the other hand...

[On the Hunt – Open to All]

As the team's survivalist, part of Dwayne's job is to make sure everyone has enough food. That means brains for Sleeper, meat for Dwayne and pretty much anything that a normal person would consider food for everyone else. Not knowing which plants are edible and not feeling safe identifying fruit unless he encounters something incredibly obvious like a pumpkin, that pretty much means meat for everyone else, too.

Prowling through the wilderness in his shifted form, Dwayne drops to all fours to sniff and identify if any potentially appetizing prey might be nearby. Normally he'd be doing this at night, but with the warning to avoid the dark, he figures this is the safer option. The matches he brought were great for getting a fire started at camp, and he could make an improvised torch fairly easily, but that's less than ideal when he's on the prowl.

[All That Men Presume – Team Gourmand]

They'd just been assigned, and Dwayne knows absolutely no one in his assigned team. Which is great, because Dwayne loves making new friends! Since they don't know each other yet, however, Dwayne figures he could give a rundown over what he can provide as a survivalist.

"All right, I brought matches and some axes. I figure if we have to avoid darkness, we'll need to be able to chop wood and make a decent fire once night falls. Also the axes will be great if we need to defend ourselves. I also brought a pouch of beef jerky, some bread, and I can hunt for any other food we need. Also, I'm pretty good at making stuff out of animal bones. So that's also something I can do if it helps."

[A Conservatory Left Behind - Team Gourmand – CW: Hunted animal to be used for food]

Dwayne didn't give details when he said he could hunt. He'd only said he could do so. When the time came to follow through, he still didn't clarify any of the details. He just left camp, taking his axes with him and telling the rest of the party that he'd be back with meat.

He probably should have mentioned something before dragging a dead sinornithomimus back to camp while still in his shifted form.

The Lux!

[critpei]

Junpei doesn't know Dwayne too well, but from what he'd seen of him -- the guy is usually the cheerful sort. A lot like Junpei himself, actually. So when he approaches him during one of the moments where they both happen to be back from a mission, it's kind of startling to see him so...somber. And it's understandable the reason why when Dwayne says what's on his mind.

Junpei's eyes trail toward the window as well. "Yeah. I came across them, too. They weren't very friendly." In fact, they had outright tried to murder him. But still, it doesn't change what it is. These people are about to lose their world and that sucks for them. Maybe Junpei would be equally as hostile in the same sort of situation, too.

"Think they could be convinced to come with us, maybe? Or that they'd even be allowed in Etraya?"

Dylan Brock | Marvel Comics | OTA

[codicies]

[ Dylan's survived on his own in different kinds of environments; He's been homeless on the streets of New York City, crammed into a bottom-caste free-for-all in the bowels of a train dystopia, totally exposed under the hot sun in a mushroom wasteland, and many other things. He's picked up skills here and there, and gotten a pretty good sense of what's absolutely necessary for survival.

As wild and feral as this world is, it's appears to be one of the more resource-rich survival situations he's been in. He doesn't want to get too comfortable, but as long as they can survive any hostile encounters, it might be... not easy, but certainly less inconvenient to stay alive. ]

01. LUX

A. Does this taste like poison to you?

[ In addition to the supplies they'd brought along, Dylan's determined to figure out what wild plants out there are edible. Late at night, as the hostile darkness laps at the fringes of the spire's floodlights, Dylan sits inside at a table with a notebook and a (somewhat) organized pile of plants, carefully testing them out in various ways.

There's definitely irritation on his arm where some of his tests had caused reactions. Right now, he's got a glossy leaf in his hands, touching it gently to the inside of his lip to test for adverse reactions. What could possibly go wrong? ]

B. Lights Out

[ At some point during the mission, the power goes out. Dylan's picked up all kinds of tech and mechanical knowledge, so he grabs his flashlight and starts out to find others wandering around. ]

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

[ Despite how powerful his flashlight is, Dylan can barely see his own hand in front of his face. So he navigates by feel, shuffling his feet and running a hand against the wall.

It's Dylan, and the wall, and the darkness. Shuffle, step, sidle... how long was this hallway, again? Surely he should be turning a corner by now. Or reaching a door. There was a door here, right?

There's wall, the floor, and the void. No way but forward. And it's a forward that seems to last far too long.

The more he wanders into the blackness, the more it feels like he's trudging through thick mud. It seems to press against him, pushing back against his approach, weighing down the arm that's holding the light.

The light that appears to be pretty... pointless, honestly. It's not doing anything useful; It's just taking up space and wasting resources. He couldn't remember why he even grabbed it. Wearily, he lets that arm rest at his side. The flashlight slips from his grasp and clatters to the floor, already forgotten as it rolls away into the darkness. ]

H-Hel...

[ The air is thick and disgusting, and leaves a filmy aftertaste in his mouth and throat as he breathes. Why did he even bother trying to speak? It's not worth the effort. With the rancid, grimy feeling that coats his throat and lungs, he almost wishes he could stop breathing, too.

Dylan's legs feel like they're filled with sand, and he leans heavily against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Walking was a bad idea. Trying to do anything was a bad idea. What had he even been trying to accomplish? ]

2. IN THE WILD

A. Finding kinship in the strangest places.

[ A forest path has been cleared in the wake of some giant creature, looking almost constructed in how the treetops arch and weave together high above.

Warm sunlight filters through a thin forest canopy. As the trees sway in the wind, dappled light dances across the foliage all around.

Movement along a tree trunk catches his eye, and Dylan turns, catching sight of a patch of gooey texture. He steps closer, realizing that part of the bark isn't bark. Something is living on it, shifting and pulsing under his gaze. Colors shimmer across it for a moment, like a squid attempting camouflage, before it matches the color and texture of the tree bark.

Dylan steps closer, still watching that spot, and it shifts again under his gaze, now taking on the appearance of something akin to moss or lichen. ]

Huh.

[ For most of this mission, he'd been serious. It was his job to keep his team alive, and he took that responsibility very seriously. But looking at the little creature, the darkness melts from his gaze, replaced by a childlike curiousity. He takes a small stick, gently tracing it along the edge of the camouflaged slime. It shies away from the touch, changing appearance again to resemble rot on the bark. Dylan laughs, looking almost fond. ]

Ha. Me too, buddy.

WILDCARD

[ hmu on discord, thepreciousthing, or pm me if you want to plan something else! ]

Poison!

[definecat]

Once again Sleeper is a giant cat, although this time, they're "borrowing" the body of a Smilodon. The giant, stubby-tailed mammoth-hunter has been a useful form to wear in some cases, although they'll probably have to either let this one become a general use specimen for others or release it back in its home range soon. One doesn't want to get too accustomed to wearing something else's body.

But that shape doesn't stop Sleeper from padding over to their brother with a head-bump of greeting and a careful lick to apply a coating of aloe to the obviously irritated skin.

"You know, you could just ask me what's safe to eat. I can't always say what tastes good to humans, but I at least know what they shouldn't put in their bodies."

It's a good-natured chiding, because Sleeper knows Dylan is probably too independent to ask for anything that might resemble help. They love that he tries to stand alone, even if he should know that he doesn't have to.

Vax'ildan | Vox Machina (OTA)

[twin_blade]

The Lux

[ Upon arrival in Mesa, Vax decided to explore the spire that would serve as the headquarters for their operation on this planet. He sees others getting their bearings and meeting with their teams. His own team has already been assembled, so he doesn't need to find anyone to venture out with.

To start, he decides to see what others might be doing and get his own plans in order. He finds a suitable spot with room for him to start going through the supplies he brought with him, which includes four packs filled with provisions that were wheeled through the portal in a shopping cart (whatever works). Vax bears that responsibility as survivalist, and he doesn't want to fuck it up, so he sits on the floor and begins to go through the contents of one of the packs that's meant for a teammate as he waits for the rest of his group.

As he sorts through some things, he's surprised to find something he didn't actually mean to pack. Looking over at the nearest person, he asks. ]

Hey, do you need some batteries?

Wilderness

[ Nighttime might be harrowing, but the daytime can be quite nice. Vax sits on a log at the edge of a large lake that's practically an ocean. His team is somewhere nearby, most likely, getting the lay of the land or figuring out where they'll take their hunt for specimens next.

For now, Vax takes a moment to simply rest and soak in the atmosphere of the foreign planet. He doesn't really think much of the missions they are sent on, and he continues to remain skeptical of everything they're told.

Reaching to the ground, he picks up a small pebble and flings it over the water, watching it plunk on the surface and disappear. When he hears a crunch in the leaves, he turns to look to see if someone is there. ]

Wildcard

[ooc: open to any starters wherever! ]

the Lux

[codicies]

[ Dylan's in a similar position, taking stock of his supplies. When Vax makes his offer, Dylan turns to meet his gaze, looking interested. ]

They'd definitely be useful to me, but are you sure you don't need them? Apparently, there's some dangerous stuff in the dark.

closed to team viktourists

[catscratching]

closed TLs for team viktourists

Closed to Team Clever Name

[loveandsin]

Sentinel: Cloud Strife
Survivalist: Vincent Valentine
Navigator: Clara Oswald
Naturalist: Aerith Gainsborough

[loveandsin]

Evening in the Wild - casual or combat if they're attacked at night

[ It's Vincent's duty to ensure their security at night, as well as make sure the team has what it needs. He packed sufficient provisions for them to spend a few days away from Lux, which should allow them to take plenty of samples in the field to satisfy the mission requirements. Once the day of tracking and gathering is concluded, Vincent chooses a small clearing for them to camp in for the night. The open space allows him to notice anything that might approach while he's keeping watch.

Around their small circle are solar lights he brought from Etraya, creating a small, lit area around them to stave off the dark. And it is very dark. Unnaturally dark.

A campfire crackles and bedrolls are laid out. They cook a little over the fire and eat some of their supplies from Etraya, and then it's time for everyone to rest. For those who may not find it easy to sleep, they'll see Vincent is up during the night, always vigilant, and sitting a short distance from the fire looking out at the wooded area beyond. When he notices someone is up, he looks over his shoulder to see who it is. ]

Can't sleep?

Close to Team Can't We Just All Be Sentinels?

[cactusy]

Sameen Shaw | first couple of days; OTA for the team!

[cactusy]

[Shaw is of multiple minds about this mission. On the one hand, at least it's not another team-building seminar, or an undercover situation where she has to make nicey-nice with stuck-up cultists (how she'd come to think of the fae last go-around). And she's certainly used to working as part of a small team, and even though it's been a while since she was coordinating with a team of people she doesn't know well, she's still familiar with it from her military days.

But taking photographs of nature? Collecting samples of plants and bugs? Data entry? She's eyed Aliarra's sentinel get-up more than once. Even the Navigator or Survivalist gigs are starting to look pretty plum right now.]

Hold up.

[She says, with a heavy, long-suffering sigh.]

I have to catch this butterfly.

[Truly her life is pain. She's the only naturalist ("naturalist") on the team, but still, this might go easier if she had help.

When they camp in the wilderness away from the central hub, she's generally helpful, if not the most social: when she knows how to do something to set up, maintain the area, and generally make their lives easier, she does it, and if she doesn't know how to do something, she takes direction well. Catch her starting a fire so that they can boil water, or setting up bedrolls in a dry, sheltered area. She's not ignoring the warning about the darkness, either, even if she doesn't yet know how dire the situation is: she can be found tromping very carefully around the outskirts of their camp, avoiding Knife's tripwires as she sets up lanterns. If anyone comes over to either help or question the utility, she shrugs.]

I figure it's to keep the big predators away, right?

Accelerator | A Certain Magical Index | OTA

[levelshift]

LUX

[This is a mission that is more Accelerator's speed. There isn't any pretense of having to fit in, either in a suburban landscape or some weird fae land or a modern city filled with superheroes. He doesn't have to attend school, which in itself he's grateful for, and despite his violent nature he's glad this mission doesn't involve any actual fighting. No, it's only data collection, something he is surprisingly good at thanks to his esper ability.

'Vector manipulation' is, at its base, extremely versatile. Being able to use it in an offensive manner has always just been a side effect of its real nature: understanding the universe through different kinds of phenomena. Nearly everything utilizes the Euclidean definition of vectors in some way, either directly or indirectly, and if you use the mathematical definition that expands its options even further. So Accelerator has something powerful at his fingertips, something he's mostly only ever gotten creative with when he's been pushed. Aside from one of his teammates stressing him out, this mission is giving him the chance to be creative without any sense of danger. It's almost fun!

When his team returns to the Spire for some regrouping he's going to find some space with good light to camp out with half a dozen journals, the creases in their spines indicating he's already used them. Their pages are full, in fact! And since he has some downtime he's filling another one in, scribbling down tables of long numbers.

It's extremely nerdy, and he only pauses when his hand starts cramping up. Wincing, he pauses and shakes his wrist.]

NATURALIST

[Out in the wilderness, Accelerator has found himself crouched on the edge of a small, rocky overlook. One hand remains on his crutch to carefully keep his balance as he peers at the creatures below. Down there, in a small meadow, are a herd of some huge birds that he can't identify. Some ugly prehistoric ostriches? He isn't sure, and he doesn't really care, but they seem like good candidates for preservation.

The problem is that they're large, intimidating, and from the way they screeched and stomped on some poor lizard that happened to slither a little too close to their babies (chicks? Hatchlings?) they appear to be aggressive, too.

Accelerator isn't an animal person. Absolutely not. He never grew up with them, and he doesn't hold any particular fondness towards them. But he doesn't want to hurt any of them needlessly, and startling them could cause trouble he doesn't want to deal with. He does need to touch them, though, since at the very bare minimum he can use his ability to get some basic vital readings. Tangible samples like feathers or blood would be useful, and he has some equipment in the bag slung over his shoulder for that kind of stuff. As he watches them he's weighing his options.]

Tche. What a pain in the ass.

WILDCARD

((Happy to do some wildcarding! I'm at cryptophyta or cryptophyta on discord.))

naturalist

[newsbeat]

It's all in the way you approach them.

[Clark is definitely an animal person. Well, sort of. He was a farm kid, which is close enough. Maybe these aren't livestock, but they're also close enough.]

Are you thinking samples?

[He could fly in and get something quick, absolutely, but that might cause unnecessary tumult amongst the creatures. Besides, Accelerator got here first, so Clark's ready to defer to any plan he has (within reason).]

Sandrilene fa Toren | Circle of Magic | OTA

[threadmage]

A light in the dark

[ Sandry is afraid of the dark. Terrified by it. The first time the power cuts at Lux she drops to her knees, frantically searching blindly for the necklace pouch that's hidden under her shirt. She pulls out a small crystal that lets out a steady light, cupping it in her shaking hands. Within her circle of light she starts to breathe steadily again, but her hands still tremble as she looks out at the pressing darkness. ]


The gift of light

[ Sandry has taken on a new crusade now that she knows the lights at the base turn off at night. By the light of day she spins glowing thread and weaves it into long streamers that can be hung around the base to fend off the darkness. The spinning and weaving never stop, not for a rest, not for a meal; her focus is on her craft and craft alone, heedless of her body's needs. A reminder that she is not tireless or a question about the purpose of her yards and yards of cloth might not go amiss. ]


Many hands make light work

[ Eventually she takes a break from her weaving and decides to find another way of helping out; the daily darkness weighs heavily on her but there's many other tasks to be done too and she should lend a helping hand. Sandry wanders about the home base, looking for anyone she can approach to offer her help. ]

Hello! Would you like some help?

[ If there's no one about she takes on the task of keeping things clean: wiping down surfaces, sweeping dust and dirt; just because this isn't home doesn't mean they shouldn't take care of it, and everyone likes a clean place to stay. ]


[[ If you'd like to do something else feel free to DM me on this journal, or @ biowafers on plurk and discord. ]]

light in the dark

[newsbeat]

[It's either the best or the worst timing — Clark is just about to head back to his team's camp, figuring that a fast flight through the darkness can't be too harmful, when the lights go out at Lux. That's concerning enough, but then the panicked reaction from the young woman catches his attention. Even from where he is, he can hear her heartbeat speeding up.]

Hey — hey, it's going to be okay. You're not alone.

[He drops to a knee beside her, trying to be a comforting presence. As it happens, he's got one of her glowing bracelets around his wrist.]

[newsbeat]

THE LUX

[There's a lot about this mission that Clark doesn't love, but he absolutely appreciates that they're doing this in teams, with a common base to return to. It's just the smart play. That said, he hangs back a little before his team sets out, glowing bracelet adorning his wrist, wanting to make sure that everyone's entering into this fully prepared. Contrary to popular belief, he's never actually been a Boy Scout, but yeah, he's kind of being one now.]

All set? Got everything you need?

[The concern lingers once things really get going; Clark makes a few trips back to the Lux, flying in and out to make sure no one is in need of dire aid between forays deeper into Mesa. Okay yes, maybe he's a bit in Dad Mode too.]

You look like you could use a snack. Feel like an extra granola bar? Or...fruit snacks, I guess.

[Those were probably meant for Jon, but apparently their pre-mission packing list got a little muddled.]

HATCHLINGS

[Clark doesn't expect to spend time looking after the hatchling chelonians. In his experience, nature mostly takes care of itself, and while losses can be upsetting, they're also part of the cycle of life. He's not sure human intervention is a good thing. But he's out in the darkness a little too long one night, and his enhanced senses make it easy for him to detect both the hatchlings and the predators; he swoops in to punch the winged creature away (lightly, he's trying to deter it, not kill it.) When he lands and realizes he's not alone, yeah, he looks a bit sheepish.]

I know that everything needs to eat, and maybe it doesn't make much difference considering what we're here for, but...I'm going to look after them anyway. They're trying so hard.

[So yeah, the hatchlings have a super bodyguard for now. Clark does what he needs to do to guide them to the water, by himself or with any other Etrayan who feels like intervening. When they finally make it, he stays there for a long while. It's almost like he's using his enhanced vision to watch them in the water, but really he's just processing.]

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

[He's a busy guy throughout the duration of the mission; as his team's survivalist, Clark makes sure their camp is safe and ready to go nightly, which includes building fires (using flint, but also heat vision) and doing some camp cooking; any other Etrayans whose teams are set up nearby or just out wandering are more than welcome to visit for a while.

During the daylight hours, he'll take part in exploring abandoned structures, and can contribute to group efforts by flying (or flying others) up to higher points, negating the need to climb. And of course he spends plenty of time observing and taking samples from the resident wildlife. Maybe he pets them a little too.

(Somewhat curiously, he spends some time alone after heavy interaction with the species of Mesa or even the people there they might encounter, sitting by the fire at night or in a slightly removed observation point during the day. Clearly he's got some things on his mind, but he's not going to make it anyone else's problem.)]

WILD CARD

[ooc - I skippped the plotting post because traveling, but feel free to PM me or chat me up at effervescible if you want to plot or run anything by me! Or just surprise me with a wild card, most likely I'll be happy to Roll With It.]

In-Between

[unalienated]

[ Gary did not get teamed-up, which is probably for the best considering how incredibly poorly things would go if he ended messed up by Darkness and he had team-mates nearby.

What he did instead was get a bicycle! With one of those delivery backpacks on the back and a basket on the front, and he filled that in with flashlights and batteries and flint and various emergency supplies, and he's been making rounds to try to help.

He waves when he spots Supergirl's cousin and rings his bike's bell. He's wearing full protective gear; helmet, knee and elbow protections, and a high visibility vest. ]

Hello there! Do you need any flashlights? Batteries? Emergency blankies?

Closed. ( team superbats)

[theknightshift]

Sciel | Expedition 33

[cache_coeur]

1. Lux: Work

There’s much to do, for once! Sciel has not minded at all living a life where she rolls out of bed at whatever time she pleases and stays up late to carouse, but it’s been more than six months since she felt so uniquely useful. There’s a spring in her step whenever she moves around base camp, and despite the misery of the incoming end of this world, she has a smile on her face.

Right now, she’s up late again, her current project spread out across a work table. Just about every inch of it laden with plant samples, freshly picked and bagged and ready for processing. One by one, she picks up leaves and roots and petals and buds and packs them into containers full of clear crystals, which she seals and labels and stacks. She has music on, a stereo playing alien pop tunes, but the lyrics are predictable enough that she’s mouthing along before the end of every song. She takes pauses between sloppy, scrawled notes to take a swig of a beer, she puts her hair back up in a slightly different bun every time it starts falling out of its tie from too much bobbing around the table.

“What a time to be alive,” she hums under her breath, as she tops up another bin with silica.

2. Lux: Night

Good moods can’t last forever, but they can temper, at least, and grant one some level of resistance in harder times. It feels that way when the sun goes down. Looking out the window really makes her wonder if someone’s going around covering all the glass with oil paint, blacking it out to absolute nothing. Like the Fog, but maybe worse. How can anyone see even the tip of their own nose?

Still, there’s light inside the Lux as night falls, and Sciel isn’t ready yet to crawl down into the protected rooms inside to sleep. Instead, she walks out across the yard, as far as the spire’s light falls, to the edge of where the land slips away into an inky blackness.

She stands there on the edge, hands in her pockets, goosebumps running all along her shoulders and midriff, staring into the dark… and then she takes a few steps out into it.

Night!

[stresstokens]

Sciel will find herself joined by someone as non-human as the denizens of the place they'd so recently vacated: short with large, bat-like ears, faintly glowing eyes, and a pronounced fanged underbite, Riz's monstrous appearance is off-set by the tidy suit he wears and, perhaps more importantly, by the firearm tucked neatly into an underarm holster. Riz has always been at home in the dark, and a part of him resents being told to stay away from his old friend for reasons undisclosed, though he has yet to dare step foot into that inky blackness.

Not for his own sake, really. Or rather, for his own sake, but not his physical well-being; he knows he'll get an earful from Fabian if he decides to be reckless. So instead he's been lingering just on the edge of it all, silently debating what's in it, and if answers would be worth the risk. He's not expecting someone else to suddenly plunge inside, though, and he scurries forward. "Hey, are you really going out there?"

Team Expeditions

[cache_coeur]

Closed to Team Expedition Gal Pals (and Expedition Boy……… Toys……?)

The forest they’ve been travelling through for the past two hours is a mess of ups-and-downs over tree roots, and detours around underbrush too big or dense to bulldozer through. Always spaced widely enough for a vehicle, fortunately, as they’re still quite small relative to the creatures moving through the trees, but the path isn’t always direct. That’s fine. It’s a great deal of fun to Sciel this way, sitting forward in the driver’s seat like it’s an amusement park ride, digging her foot into the gas pedal like she could personally propel it forward, laughing when she has to brake to guide them more carefully through some obstacle.

Sure beats walking, doesn’t it?

“Not too far, it looks like,” she says, cheerfully, gesturing ahead of them with a nod of her head. The edge of the next biome is a wall of blue and green, open skies and grasslands bleeding light into the dense woods.

She presses on the gas to give them a little burst of power, and the engine roars as it ramps up over a particularly large tree root. Up they go, Sciel encouraging the vehicle as it crests over the root, and when the back wheels touch the ground again, there’s a loud thud and a jolt as the back bumper knocks against the root.

“Oops,” she says, twisting deeply at the waist so she can lean right out the window, check that she hasn’t obliterated the back of her new toy or something. “Looks fine! Ten seconds and we’ll be out in the open.”

She’s much better in the open.

[trebuchim]

After two hours, Lune is starting to doubt if this does, in fact, beat walking.

Her stomach roils a little bit every time the car jumps up and down over one obstacle or another root, like it's a vessel bobbing haplessly on stormy seas. She wonders if it was a mistake to claim the front seat, maybe she'd have felt less queasy in the back? Maybe it wouldn't matter. She braces her palm against the roof at every rough jolt in effort to steady herself, careful not to catch her tongue between her teeth, grateful at the way the seat belt tightens across her chest and tugs her back into the seat.

Any sort of more precise navigation is absolutely pointless until they clear this cursed obstacle course masquerading as a forest, Lune's earlier inquisitive enthrallment over the new surrounds and the magnificent creatures roaming about for now squashed under the queasiness of this bumpy ride. She grits her teeth when they go over another root and end up hitting the ground hard, wincing at the contact and fighting back a subtle wave of nausea.

She can't recall being happier about anything in a while than she is at the sight of that flat field opening up in front of them, muttering something under her breath that has a distinct edge of relief to it.

closed to team daycare may cry

[tyrantbait]

closed TLs for team daycare may cry

— ruins exploration

[tyrantbait]

( Leon has to keep telling himself to focus on what they're doing, not on how every new shadow that catches the corner of his eye makes him feel more and more anxious. The walls weep with condensation, seams splitting, and softened by time and neglect. The air is damp, sticking to his tongue, and every sound that echoes back at them makes his pulse want to jump. And when they find the old map on the wall, moldy, barely able hanging onto the wall, something like dread sinks in his gut to see the structure goes deeper. Further underground. Enclosed. His chest tightens, pressure building, and he has a damning thought that it has nothing to do with the gear he's wearing.

Not here. Not now. They don't have time for this. They don't need to deal with this.

He pushes the thought aside and keeps moving, Matilda raised and steady in both hands as he sweeps the hall they're walking down. The mounted flashlight cuts through the darkness, revealing longer hallways that smell of moisture and mildew. Water pools across the floor ahead, rippling faintly with their steps.

They reach a break in the floor where the structure drops down into a lower section, flooded a few inches deep. Leon crouches, angles the light down, and exhales through his nose as the light bounces off the water below. )

Of course there's more water, ( he mutters, dry, ) Wouldn't be an underground facility without it.

( He drops down carefully, boots splashing as cold water seeps in immediately. The sound echoes, sharp and intrusive, and for a split second his brain thinks he's back in the sewers, some giant reptile ready to break the surface to pursue him. Leon stills, jaw tight, and forces himself to breathe.

Matilda comes back up the moment his feet are planted. The muzzle of his handgun sweeps the space slowly - every corner, debris, every dent or crack in the walls. Nothing moves. Nothing breathes or snarls or growls. Still, his shoulders refuse to relax. You're fine, he reminds himself. Everyone is fine.

Leon completes the sweep, then glances up through the opening before stepping aside to give them room to descend. )

All clear. ( He calls up to them. Then quieter, more to himself, ) nothing like wading into dark, murky water to really set the mood.

Prompto Argentum

[saychocobo]

[ I'll be adding both closed and open prompts as they occur to me/as needed. ]

All that Men Presume - Talk of Daemons - OTA

[saychocobo]

[ Prompto's just outside the Spire, but well inside the light, looking up at the beacon atop the building. ]

Think it was here already, or did Aurora get the mechs to build it just for us? 's not a bad job, if she rushed it. Kinda wish she'd, y'know, given a bit more of an explanation about what's in the dark? I know what's in the dark at home, but I've asked around here and there and "worldwide daemon infestation" doesn't sound like it's a universal truth.

jonathan kent — dc comics. ota.

[solarson]

🥚 hatchlings.
( jon superboy is already not a fan of this mission. the thought of coming here to collect things and leaving all these creatures and inhabitants here to die doesn't sit right with him and it's something he's been struggling with ever since aurora made the announcement for the mission. but he's here, has his team assigned to him, takes on the mantle of sentinel... and has decided to protect the hatchlings he's come across.

because of course he would.

he's doing just that — keeping an eye on them and offering them words of encouragement as they make their way in the dark towards the water, but. with being so vulnerable like they are, predators pick them as easy prey and it's superboy's job to keep them at bay or potentially scare them off entirely since he's not looking to kill any of them.

course... when it's four or five giant flying beasts against one half-kryptonian kid, he's got a bit of his work cut out for him, but he's determined if nothing else!

he swings them around by their tails — tosses them into one another, twists and spins his way through the air that he zips his way through, even going so far as to punch one in the nose before running his way up its head and hopping off towards another one. he gets clipped by one — hard — and is sent crashing towards the sand but not before he catches sight of someone nearby and— )

WHOA! LOOK OUT!!

( because he's absolutely hitting the sand hard and he'd rather not take someone down with him as he does so... heads up??? )


🏕️ base camp.
missing teammate edition.
( superboy makes his way back to the camp for everyone here every now and then, mostly to check in and sometimes to see if there's anything else he can put in his pack. this time, however, he's on a mission and that mission is locating one of their missing team members.

he's making his way through the camp — eyeing every spot he can with hands balled into fists at his sides. they're supposed to stick together. he's supposed to keep an eye on them as their sentinel and if he has to locate this missing member of theirs then... by golly he'll do it for as long as it takes!

so the moment he comes across someone, he wastes no time in approaching. determined. )

Excuse me. You haven't seen a guy dressed as a bat with pointy ears around here, have you? He's supposed to be with my team but he has a real problem with wandering off on his own.

( damn, jon, tell them how you really feel. to which he absolutely holds his fingers up against his head in makeshift devil horns even thought they're... supposed to be bat ears but... that's just how they come off, ok? )

campfire edition.
( catch superboy on whatever night this happens to be at camp, sitting at a fire going with his pack opened near his feet and a number of marshmallows roasting on the stick he's got held out in front of him. he's trying not to let this mission get him down — trying not to think about all the life that is to be lost here and how there's seemingly nothing he can do about it. he's still bothered by it — doesn't think he'll ever be ok with it no matter how many people tell him it's a part of life, so. he's here. at the fire crackling, slowly turning his stick around and trying to find some comfort in the marshmallows he'd brought along with him on this mission.

when he feels like they're toasty enough, he pulls the stick towards him and blows on one... instantly freezing it. oops. scratching at his cheek, his grin is a little sheepish as he looks over to whoever's nearby. )

Uh... want one? That's... not frozen?

( heh. )


wildcard.
👋 your typical wildcard things! you're free to catch jon wandering around camp packing his bag with things or even catching a couple zzz's in his sleeping bag that's maybe in the way somewhere. if you want anything else with the little guy, feel free to PM his account and we can come up with something i'm sure. also if you prefer prose, i'll match, no worries.

Hatchlings || My hands are small, I know; but I am never broken

[her_own_rules]

[ Barbara's been watching through her most recently upgraded lenses.

Jon is the only one of their team that can fly, and he's Clark's son—so, of course, he's up there fighting bird-beasts bigger than himself to protect the tiniest of newborn alien animals on a planet slotted for the ultimate in eradication. Again. Clark's son. To a T. An example that makes her eyes go wide, as it goes from watching a fight, to watching that same tiny streak of red-blue-and-yellow head back beachward like a missile. That's not good. He'll survive, but it might be questionable what will survive impact with him (even if the mass differential with the rest of his family [and older self] is greater right now).

Barbara jumps for the closest thing that looks like it'll handle the tsunami of debris that his hitting the ground will send up first. Waiting only for the first, hardest wave of it, before she's already dashed back out and running for the impact site. ]

Superboy???

Closed to Team Fill-in Turks

[ambitiousblond]

Meet and Greet

[ambitiousblond]

[After sending a message to Cloud to check in that he's fine once they arrive, it's time to meet the team.

Rufus isn't exactly used to the outdoors, but he's at least come somewhat prepared with some materia he grabbed at the ranch, and what hopefully would be plenty of ammo for the handgun tucked into an inner pocket of his long gray coat.

His teammates are certainly interesting, including the companion bot that Aurora had accompany them to assist with the mission.

It's the flash of long redhair that catches his attention first, and he has to stop himself as Oscar turns around, doing a momentary doubletake. The resemblance is almost uncanny at first glance- the only thing that would make it better is if the stoic bot was outfitted with a pair of sunglasses.]

So, it seems we are going to be working together this mission. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you.

Junpei Iori | Persona 3 Reload | OTA

[critpei]

Home Base
(Arrival)

[ This is Junpei's very first mission. His one chance to make a good showing for his world! As such, he decided to take this very seriously. He heeded Aurora's advice about stocking up on supplies, spent his evenings browsing Wikipedia articles about survival, and went out to amass himself quite the collection of things! When mission day rolls around, he feels ready.

There's just one tiny problem.

Junpei is positively overloaded with bags, nearly falling flat on his face upon arrival. He's wearing a backpack of supplies on his front and his back, has a total of four dufflebags hanging off both shoulders, and has the audacity to be dragging a bag with wheels behind him. Why yes, it seemed Junpei might have over prepared and failed to take into account it isn't exactly feasible to bring all of this with him on the field.

Someone might wander up on him after he's dropped the bags onto the floor, scratching the side of his baseball cap as he ponders aloud: ]

It said a person needs a gallon of water a day...but if I take all that, then what about the propane tanks for the portable stove?

(Between Missions) CW: minor injury

[ At some point, Junpei's team returns to the Lux -- whether to restock on supplies or to take a breather between outings. He's looking a little haggard, brambles stuck to his pants and clothing, dirt smeared along his skin, but Junpei's less concerned about that. Instead, he's nursing a pretty nasty scrape on his forearm from an unfortunate encounter of some kind -- unwrapping the handkerchief he'd initially bandaged it with and looking about shelves for a first aid kit. ]

Yo. Someone got some antiseptic or somethin'?

(Check In) -- open to people he's met/had positive interactions with!

[ Junpei doesn't want to alarm people. He's not the guy who makes network posts about the smart kinda stuff. But the more he sees of this place and the effects the darkness has on people, the more it freaks him out. It's way too close to Apathy Syndrome...way too close for comfort. Junpei tries to keep a close eye on his team and step in immediately when he might sense one of them going a little distant -- even if sometimes he might be jumping at shadows. But there's far more people he's met here and come to like than just his teammates.

So at some point back at the Lux, Junpei catches sight of a familiar face and makes it a point to head over immediately. It doesn't matter if he's interrupting a conversation or a task. And it's especially vital if they are exhibiting any kind of darkness symptoms. He calls their attention by a light touch on their elbow, voice low but urgent. ]

Hey. Can I talk to you a sec?

In the Wilds
(Navigatin')

[ Maybe his team isn't up yet at this point in the morning. Maybe they're out on a short trip away from camp. Whatever the case, Junpei's outside seated on a log -- a map spread out before him as he tries to puzzle over a few routes they could take. A cup of noodles is pinned between his legs, steam rising from the label as he impatiently waits for it to cook through. Unused chopsticks follow along a pathway on the map before realizing it's a dead end and then doubling back, brows creased in concentration.

He doesn't even notice the arrival of someone. Not until there's either a noise of some kind or they're already right in front of him. Junpei's gaze snaps up, half startled, before he laughs it off. ]

Oh. Hey! S'up? You hungry? I packed a few of these.

[ He nods down to the ramen on his lap. ]

Wildcard

[ Choose your own adventure with Junpei here! I'm down for pretty much anything (ESPECIALLY if you want someone to tend to your character with darkness symptoms!! Gimme please!) Feel free to write your own starter or you can hit me up at hoshizoku/PM to plot something out. ]

Closed to Team Mizu is Dad!

[critpei]

Junpei discovers very quickly into this little venture that he hates camping. He tries to keep his complaints to a minimum, but no matter what he does -- he just can't get comfortable trying to sleep. He knew he shouldn't have left the air mattress behind!! But no matter, the area is already illuminated by a steady-running camping lantern -- having light is paramount in this oppressive darkness. So Junpei's sure he's not going to wake anyone up when he takes out his PSP to play a few games until maybe he gets too tired to keep his eyes open anymore -- discomfort be damned.

Maybe one of his teammates is also awake. Maybe they wake up for some reason, be it a nightmare or a need to pee. No matter what, when Junpei spots someone stirring, he looks up from his game and pulls his earbuds from his ears (because he had been considerate about keeping the noise down).

"Everything good?" The words are mostly mouthed, voice a barely heard whisper.

selina kyle | dc comics | open

[catscratching]

PROWL

( It's been a while since she's gotten to hunt, and she can't deny how much she loves being able to stretch her legs. How good it feels to have the weight of her whip in her hands again. There's nothing quite like being able to watch and prowl, waiting to strike.

She's seen this pair of men from one of the native camps around a few times now. Every time, they've been hostile. Every time they've been cruel. And they've certainly made a mistake turning their sights on any Etrayans simply doing their job. The moment one of them lunges for the Etrayan at the edge of the camp, Selina drops in from above. Her whip cracks through the air and snaps tight around the attacker's neck, yanking him backward off his feet before he can even finish the swing. He hits the ground hard, grunting and scrambling to uncoil the whip from around his throat. She doesn't stop moving. A sharp turn, a low sweep of her leg, and the second man goes down in a tangle of limbs. Selina plants her boot squarely between the shoulder blades of the first as he struggles, keeping him pinned without even looking down. )

Now, boys, ( she purrs, moving her arm in a way to uncoil the whip and let it hang at her side,) don't be rude.

( Her attention shifts to the Etrayan they'd been closing in on, expression easy, almost conversational as her boot presses down a fraction more on the man beneath it when he squirms.) You okay? ( she asks, like this is a perfectly normal way to start a conversation.)

CONSERVATORY

( Selina's been watching the group of massive popo lumber through the clearing for a few minutes now. She's perched up in a crook of a tree, hips squared against the trunk, booted feet braced against the branch. From this height, she can see everything: the popos as they graze, the way they group and move together, the gentle sway of their crests as they walk. It's peaceful in a way, getting to see animals simply exist in their space. Not for the first time, she thinks it's cruel that there's nothing they can do for these creatures.

Then she notices another pair of eyes down below — someone else watching the popo.

She raises a brow down at them, tilts her head ever-so-slightly, watching them. They're probably here for the same thing she is, gathering information about these creatures. After a moment of consideration, she speaks, voice level and amused in a way that suggests she's perfectly comfortable up here. )

The view's better up here, ( she calls down. And once they look at her, she's shifting, offering a hand down to them. Casual as if she's inviting someone to look at scenery rather than share a tree branch.)

HATCHLINGS

( The beach is dark but alive under a blackened sky. Hatchlings break free of the sand in slow, determined bursts, and they crawl their way towards the water. Selina moves among them without sound, guiding where she can, redirecting when one veers off course with gentle nudges of the toe of her boot or deliberate bumps of her hand. The LED strips woven into her backpack cast a low, steady glow, enough to mark safe paths without overwhelming the night, and giving her enough light to watch for anything that might be making their way towards her or the hatchlings.

She's aware of the others nearby, their silhouettes edged in light, their voices periodically carrying through the night. But her attention sharpens when she notices one glow stutter. Once. Twice.

Then it dies.

Selina moves the second it dies, closing the distance without a sound. She crosses the sands quickly, quiet as she steps over hatchlings. The only thing that announces her presence is the soft glow from her backpack, and she's already reaching to pop the clip keeping a flashlight fastened to the side of her bag. )

Take it, ( Selina says, insistent, as she holds the flashlight out. She's calm as she stands there, steady in the way her gaze flicks between the hatchling scuttling between them and the space around them. Watching for anything that might appear. )

WILDCARD / NOTES

( She's wearing something similar to this with her cat cowl and goggles. Prompt her! Happy to write closed starters. Feel free to DM or hmu on batbrain. She'll be around exploring and working on things as a naturalist or you can find her at the Lux. )

— dante (closed)

[catscratching]

How much time has passed since Robin brought her back to base is anyone's guess. Cleaned up, wound treated, she's exhausted, and finds herself drifting in and out of sleep. Her side aches, a deep, hot pain that keeps her from being able to comfortably settle. But she reminds herself, it could be worse.

It could have been Damian instead of her.

She spends some time wondering if she should tell Bruce, what Damian will tell him if he brings it up at all. It'll get back to him eventually in the way things often do, and after the incident in the dark, she thinks it's for the best to wait a bit. The last thing Robin needs is to get a lecture from Bruce. And Robin is where her thoughts stay for a while. Long enough that it's not until she hears the door of the room open that she remembers the plans she'd made with Dante earlier.

"Dante," she greets, shifting to brace her hands to push herself up slowly. Her side protests the attention immediately, tearing a low mmreeoowww from her lips as she does. Her hand lifts to her side, pressing against it through her the bandages as she forces herself to breathe in deep. Trying to work through the discomfort, the pain. "I didn't realize it was so late already."

She tries to talk normally, to act like she's not sitting there injured. Wearing the dark sports bra and the bandages around her middle, it's obvious she's hurt. But even so, she makes a grab for her pack nearby to drag it closer. This is one of those rare times when she thinks it'd be best to actually put on a shirt. She smiles at him, though, warm and pleasant despite everything else. She's pleased to see him, regardless of how her body feels, and the last thing she's going to do is let it this stop her from enjoying his company.

"Have a seat." She shifts slowly, carefully, curling and tucking her legs neatly as she indicates the space on the bed beside her.

Vivi Ornitier l Final Fantasy IX

[ornitiers]

All That Men Presume:

[Vivi seems happy enough to help out where he can in setting things up for a base of sorts for them to return to while here. He helps ready the campsite, taking stock of their supplies, what they might leave here and what they might want to take out with them. He helps gather wood for a fire and sets it easily with a fire spell to keep them warm and provide a source of light against the darkness if they are staying the night before heading back out again. He has met Octavia, talked to Ace, so knows some of his team at least. He figures he should get to know everyone anyway, introducing himself and explaining about his abilities so everyone is aware.]

Um. I'm Vivi. I can help fight, if we need. I can use spells, but they can take me some time to cast, depending on which ones.

A Conservatory Left Behind:

Um.....does that plant have a mouth....? It's not going to eat us, is it?

[Vivi is probably small enough to easily fit in the things mouth. Being the youngest and smallest of the group. He grips his staff, glowing eyes wide as he takes in the huge flora. Sure, there were monsters and the like back home, but things here are also kind of scary....!]

Hatchlings:

[Maybe it might seem pointless. But that doesn't stop Vivi wanting to help all the same. He still wants to help get the hatchlings to safety. Can't ignore them. So he will glance to those nearby, checking with them what they think. He can use his fire spells for light, do his best to keep them safe from predators and guide them to the water.]

Can we help them? I feel like we should.

Night Falls:

Ah? The power? Um. Maybe if we figure it out, my thunder spells might help get it going again?

[At least, for now, he summons a fire spell, to give them a little bit of light while they figure out what to do. So they aren't entirely in the dark. But he's not the most familiar with this sort of technology, so he might need a hand if someone does think he might be able to help out. Vivi's hat shifts as he glances to those around nearby, eyes glowing and standing out all the more in the darkness.]

Hatchlings

[donfire]

I think it'd be a good idea to bring them somewhere safe, but I don't it'll be easy.

[Ace hums as he looks at the egg pieces that are sticking to the creature.]

It's pretty big.

closed to Team Broody, S-tier level

[sweetmilk]

About a week into the mission...

[godsandbats]

[Under most circumstances, Kirk works well in the dark. One could even say it's where he thrives best. It's when he can best hunt and feed off of criminals when he's by himself. His mutation gave him the traits of a nocturnal creature. After over a decade of being a vampire, he's not used to staying away from the dark.

So Aurora's vague warning not to be out in the dark doesn't entirely sit well for Kirk, nor does it tamp down his natural curiosity to what Mesa's nocturnal wildlife are like. As the team's naturalist he's doing what he can to record and collect samples of what he can observe. But shouldn't Mesa's nocturnal wildlife count too? Plus, too much light could disturb those fauna's natural behavior. It's not really archiving if there's too much interference.

It's about a week into the mission when Kirk decides to lean more into his curiosity about Mesa's nights. He faintly hears in the distance wings flapping, similar to a bat's. As he follows, he's still wearing the light bracelet he and Hernan were gifted. It should be okay. It's only a short flight. He won't be far. He hasn't forgotten.

As he follows, Kirk finds himself comfortable in the dark again. Almost like a stroll in the park but without the hot sun. Why not keep going...?]

Closed to Team Grown Man Soap Opera

[neonrain]

day one, early evening; camp

[neonrain]

[Living day to day in Etraya, it’s easy for E-Soul to forget that he’s caught up in a multiversal trouble, the mundane routine eroding his initial wonder. Mesa, though… it’s mind-blowing to traverse an interstellar conservation world. Everything living towers above them, improbable giants. Not to mention the sudden and utter transition in biomes. He thought of awe as ephemeral, but it’s been a constant since leaving the Lux with his assigned team.

As for the team, one look tells E-Soul that they’re perfectly capable of holding their own. That’s fine. He can still raise the alarm at speeds hard to match, and pull his own weight in a fight. He’s only as superfluous as he allows himself to be. They don’t just know each other, though; there's familiarity in the way they orbit one another that he observes throughout the day. With everything going on, it’s of no concern until they stop to settle for the encroaching night. He’s used to being an outsider, having grown up a zero Trust orphan, but that doesn’t prevent awkwardness creeping in. This mission is set to last a fortnight. He has to push past it. Be sociable.

Sitting by the campfire, the electric blue glow of the lighting built into his costume grows ever starker the more the light dwindles. E-Soul watches the boundary, alert for any sign of danger, listening to the sounds of activity around their camp. There is a faint buzz of distortion to his even voice as he speaks, courtesy of his mask’s concealed speakers.]

So how do you know each other?

sunday | honkai: star rail

[choirmaster]

I. BASECAMP-OTA

[Sunday has always been a creature of the home. Life sequestered behind walls and locked doors was rarely adventurous, but it was safe. Caged birds don't fly, but they live, and they live a long time.

Within the safety of his walls, both literal and metaphorical, Sunday schemed. Plans unwound themselves around him, spiraling toward the Charmony Festival. His festival. His purpose.

Then it all ended.

Many of his walls collapsed when he came to Etraya, but over time, he's rebuilt the ones that matter. Etraya, after all, is a city, and he knows how to survive in a city.

Mesa is not a city, and it has no walls or ceilings. Sunday almost feels like he could fall into the open sky and lose himself completely. There are no buildings to protect him, no sounds of people except his fellow travelers. No traffic. No scent of concrete. The melody of the world is damaged, fading, but still audible in the staccato chirps of insects the size of his hand and wind rustling through trees taller than any structure in The Golden Hour. He focuses for a while on the melody until he feels anchored enough to walk around the Lux.

In the spire's light, his eyes are reflective like a cat's and nearly glow as he peers into the shadows beyond the light's safety, watching for any stragglers approaching after dark.]

II. INTO THE WOODS (Locked to team)

[A compass, a GPS locator and a map are all that keep Sunday sane. He can focus on numbers, shapes, triangulation, and other sensible, orderly things while his companions handle the mess of wilderness survival.

He is a man out of his element, but he does his best not to mention it or show weakness. Instead, he buries himself in his work so deeply that it becomes increasingly obvious that he is hiding. If he immersed himself any further, he would disappear into his maps.]

All right.

[He lifts a gloved hand and gestures to his right with two fingers.]

If we go this way, there should be...

[A swamp. Vast, damp, smelling of rot...]

Ugh.

[He gestures to his left, through a thick tangle of ancient trees.]

Actually, the forest changes in this direction. That might be the best place to survey the wildlife with enough time to make it back to camp before dark.

INTO THE WOODS

[aimsforknees]

[ As per John's role, he's kitted out with his gear. Weaponry. There's a case on his back that holds both his sniper rifle and a shotgun, plus his pistol strapped to his side. After consideration he decided that his usual suit would be an unfitting choice for this mission and traded it for more durable clothes; pants with a variety of pockets, a simple long sleeve shirt, and a canvas jacket. All black, even if Army green might have been more advantageous.

He doesn't know Sunday at all, though John listened to his conversation with Aurora. Accelerator he knows well, and is displeased that Sleipnir is on their team. However, this will be a good opportunity to observe him and interfere if he decides to make moves on Accelerator.

The swamp would be doable but unpleasant, so he's happy when Sunday points to the forest instead. ]

It'll be slow moving through the terrain with the roots, we should account for that when we decide to turn around.