✦ DUNES BIOME EXPLORATION LOG | JULY MISSIONS

[princessia]

[ This was originally on the July Missions catch all, but I decided to move its own post for all to see.

Catch all log for those doing July missions in the newly discovered Dunes Biome. Feel free to make top levels here and be sure to state whether they're open or closed to anyone, etc.

Information on the Dunes can be found at the bottom of the Biomes page. Mission details for those exploring the Aurora Wreck can be found here and surrounding life forms here. It doesn't have to be these two missions, but anything taking place in the same area! ]

Comments

checking out the lifeforms! | OPEN

[princessia]

[ Whatever means of transportation any of the groups venturing down into the Dunes use (sea glides, their diving equipment, etc.), Elize will be coming along. While others go on to investigate the Aurora wreckage, she sticks within the surrounding area, curiously investigating the sea life in the area. Unfortunately, once she's no longer close to anyone else's side to support her, her swimming is rather sluggish, unskilled, and clumsy. Best to keep an eye on her, even though she does wield some very powerful spells. She's even toting along her staff for this trip just in case. ]

A. Bulburtles

[ Fortunately, Elize doesn't have rely on her lack of swimming ability to swim closer to the ocean floor. The Bulburtles are optimistic enough to give her and whoever's with her a ride, bringing them closer to the ocean floor. They stop moving once they stop for a snack.

Elize watches the turtles eat and while their snacks doesn't look appetizing to her, she wonders if Tytree could be able to make something out of it. She gathers some of the bark and the licorice-like plant they're eating. ]

Do you think these are tasty for people too?

[ ...She's actually talking to one of the Bulburtles that's stuffing its face.


...

It's too busy eating. ]

Oh. I-I guess I'll find out?

B. Clown Pinchers

[ Despite Elize's clumsy swimming, she's having a fun time getting close to the Clown Pinchers and "scaring" them off. Once she's near them, she suddenly flails her arms to send the colorful crab-like creatures scattering all over the place, creating pretty patterns on the ocean floor. She's smiling widely, easily entertained by the result.

When she notices someone watching, she suddenly stops attempting to chase the Clown Pinchers. She'll look over bashfully. ]

Did... you need something?

C. Elize's New Friend

Stop! Shoo, shoo!

[ Elize sets herself in between a small Rabbitray and a group of baby Angel Wings that had been "playing" too aggressively. The Rabbitray's "wings" are noticeably damaged. With a few swings of Elize's wand, the Angel Wings back off briefly, yet advance a second time. They appear not to be giving up on getting to the Rabbitray, until Elize wields her magic. Once she finds a few second opportunity to start channeling her mana, she holds her wand out and sends out a blast of dark energy. Maybe that's a little overdoing it, but she aims to miss without any intentions to harm the baby Angel Wings. Hopefully seeing her spell is enough of a warning.

The frightening surge of energy definitely does the trick and the Angel Wings scatter, fleeing to leave Elize and the Rabbitray alone.

Swimming by the Rabbitray's side, she points her wand towards the damaged wings. She calls out with her telepathy to any of the crew in the surrounding area: ]

Can someone please keep a look out? I need to take care of its wounds...

C

[dirtharama]

[Merrill is definitely ready to fight those whales but she nods, swimming over with her staff at the ready in case they decide to come back.]

Poor thing. What cruel creatures, picking on something so small. Is it going to be all right?

[princessia]

Peace upon us, Pixie Circle!

[ After her short incantation, she opens up a glowing, channeling circle underneat the Rabbitray. She keeps the circle open, long enough to heal up the animal's "wings". Within several seconds, the warm light spreading across the Rabbitray appears to close up its wounds. ]

It should be all right now... can you swim?

[ The question's directed at the sea creature, even though she's unsure if it can hear their telepathy. Slowly, the Rabbitray starts to swim again, drifting circles around Merrill and Elize. ]

A

[potentite]

[Jake really loves plants and animals that don't want to kill him, so he's curious enough to try answering her.]

Huh, well, it means it's not toxic at least.

[Well. It could be, he guesses, if they've built up an immunity. But he doubts it. Still he touches one of the pods on the purple plant with his bare hands.]

...It doesn't seem to be killing me.

[princessia]

Uh...

[ Elize loves animals, especially cute ones that don't want to kill her. When she hears Jake's comment, she freezes up for a moment. She should've thought about whether the plants were poisonous or not before she started gathering them. Thank goodness they aren't. ]

Maybe something delicious can be cooked up with these!

[potentite]

[A]
[Guess who found ramune? Guess who has no idea what ramune even is? But he thinks it looks really cool, so he's taking it with him. The bottles are neat anyway.]

Excuse me, do you know if this is the fabled 'junk food'?

[Please tell him yes. He's dying to try junk food.]


[B]
[Jake is talking to a bulburtle. He's sitting in the sand while it slowly crunches on some plants, gesturing as he talks and looking pretty pleased about life for once instead of skittish.]

...And so, as it turns out, Lomax hid the money in an offshore bank account. Now, our intrepid heroes needed to gain access to it but how? Well, of course, the solution is obvious to anyone who saw the first film. Use his body!

[He's explaining the plot of Weekend at Bernie's to a turtle animal, yes.]

[b]

[vigilantims]

Why not just break into the bank?

[ yuri was relaxing nearby when he started to overhear the conversation.

he's obviously has never seen the first film. ]

[potentite]

[Yuri don't point out flaws in the movie.]

Huh? Wouldn't it be hard to break into a bank? There are whole movies just about breaking in!

[vigilantims]

[ why not he likes finding flaws ]

Didn't they use the body to break into the bank? Why waste time getting the body to subdue and use? ... I wouldn't know. I've never seen a "movie".

[ he's seen plays?? but what are movies. ]

[potentite]

[Wait back up because this is important.]

You've never seen a movie? Oh good golly gosh why is it that people here have been depraved of such classic entertainment? I'll have to find a movie for you.

[vigilantims]

[ wow priorities ]

Never even heard of it. Is finding a movie necessary? Figured it was just some kind of play the way you were talking.

[ they're not that important are they]

[potentite]

Well, technically yes I suppose you could consider them akin to plays but the difference between a film and a play is the leagues of difference between a play and a book! Why, I would venture to say a movie is the peak of human achievement in storytelling.

[vigilantims]

... So are they easier to watch?

[ because he hates reading mostly because he can't sit still enough for them. but plays can be difficult to watch just as much. are movies really that much better than plays? ]

[potentite]

Most definitely! Consider the fast-paced, rollicking action-packed thrillers that pepper today's popular media. [He realises belatedly this means nothing to Yuri. Hmm.] What I mean is there's a lot of fight scenes and explosions and cool shit like that.

[vigilantims]

[ ..... yeah yuri was never going to understand the way it was said. ]

I've seen plenty of fighting scenes. Plenty of explosions too but you can tell they're just for show.

[ still.... it kind of does sound appealing? but how exactly are they different than what he has seen before ]

[potentite]

Movies take a real progressive step up from plays. They want you to feel like you're really in the action. Heart-pumping, thrilling moments that you can be standing in the proverbially middle of! That's why they're so much better than plays. The immersion is unreal.

[vigilantims]

[ hmm... ]

Guess seeing is believing here. If you can find a movie you think I'll enjoy then I'll watch it. Just not the movie you were describing to this turtle here.

[potentite]

[No one appreciates the classics...]

Got it! I'll find you a good one from my immense library of films. Oh, um. I'm Jake, just... for the record I guess. [He doesn't know how you're supposed to introduce yourself.]

[vigilantims]

[ find one that doesn't have a glaring flaw and then maybe we'll talk ]

Name's Yuri. Got any idea what kind of movie you're thinking of?

[ the introduction was fine. if anything now he just wants to make sure the movie is at least a genre he might want to watch. ]

[potentite]

It depends on your tastes, Yuri. Do you like comedy? Action? Romance? Something else all together?

[vigilantims]

Any of those besides romance sounds good to me.

[ please don't give him romance ]

Nothing too dramatic, either.

[potentite]

So light on the story and heavy on the action?

[vigilantims]

... Yeah, basically. Just as long as there's a point to the movie.

[ too light on the story and it's just as boring just seeing action the whole time. ]

[potentite]

[He nods thoughtfully.]

It's tricky picking the right movie... But I assure you I'll find one to your tastes. I've seen thousands of movies in my short lifetime, so one is bound to click with you.

[vigilantims]

You're a big fan of these movies. [ a thousand?? damn... ]

They sound like a good way to pass time. I need something more to do at the base.

[potentite]

Yeah, I love them! I've had a lot of free time so I just watched whatever I could find.

[vigilantims]

[ a... lot of free time ]

So they're something you can just at home and watch, huh.

[ if that's the case no wonder they're better than plays. ]

[potentite]

Yep! No human interaction needed if you don't want it. Believe me, it's nice when you're tired.

[Or live alone w/e]

[vigilantims]

[ well isn't that a plus. although ... ]

How do you watch movies at home?

[potentite]

On my computer! Which... I guess if you don't have movies you probably don't have those either.

[He holds out his hands and a laptop just sort of. Appears and lands in them.]

Here we are then! The fabled husktop. Clunky and not nearly as graceful as my skullcap but it has its uses.

[vigilantims]

No, I've never seen anything like this before. [ well actually... ] Only thing like this I've seen is blastias projecting their formulas.

[ but is that similar at all? not really.

husktop? skullcap? are those types of .... 'computers' was it. ]

So how does it work.

[ it's something rita would be more interested in. but if it plays movies might as well see how it does that. ]

A

[mythbuster]

[ deep telepathic breath ]

RAMUNEEE?!

[ so yes ]

[potentite]

[Jake can't believe it. Loki seems so much more composed...]

Ah? Do you enjoy this beverage?

[mythbuster]

[ Thinking Loki is cool or composed is a mistake. He puts a hand to his head as if steadying himself. ]

I do, but to see it here...

[ Hundreds of years in the future... Maybe he shouldn't be surprised?? Who has known Ramune but not loved it? People might continue manufacturing Ramune until the end of human civilization. ]

It's a Japanese soda. Anyone can enjoy it, but kids in particular enjoy the mechanism to open it.

[potentite]

[He wants to open one but if they open it underwater all that seawater will contaminate the soda. How terrible.]

I'll putting them in my sylladex. Between the two of us, it could be on the sly...

[mythbuster]

[ Wasting Ramune is absolutely forbidden...! ]

Ah, no, no. Stealing is bad! We'll share it with the others.

[ Tsk tsk, Jake. The god of deception is scandalized by your immorality. ]

[potentite]

[He can't help pouting.]

All right, all right. [LOKI HAVE PITY ON APOCALYPSE CHILDREN.] Could I keep some of the bottles?

[mythbuster]

[ They're all apocalypse children now. Kinda. ]

Eh, sure. Call it a finder's fee if you want. A wise man once said, "Finders keepers, though I'll share with you because I'm a good person; just don't think I'm an altruist."

[potentite]

A finder's fee? What does that mean? This sounds like a fun concept.

[Teach him your ways, Loki.]

[mythbuster]

[ tbh it's something he made up, because making things up to get his way is his specialty ]

A tip you give yourself for finding something. It's only fair that you get a slightly bigger cut for making a discovery, I think.

[potentite]

[Don't taint such pure minds, Loki.]

Huh! True enough! If you did the lion's share, there's no reason to watch your efforts squandered on those with less appreciation. Well, you know, only to an extent! Wouldn't take all the glory even if I could.

Then I suppose we'll each get a finder's fee. It's only fair you also reap the benefits of informing me of such a novel concept.

[mythbuster]

Oh? That's generous. But I won't say no if there's enough to go around.

[ He'll probably save his share for the future. He does like Ramune, but it's better spent on others -- whether as a reward or a bribe... ]

I never thought we'd find a luxury like this here. Have you had much soda, Jake?

[ When did he start thinking of junk food as luxury...? ]

[potentite]

I had a soda Dirk saved for me once. But otherwise all I've ever had are fruits and fish. [The sad life of a child on an island.] I wanted to try more foods here but it's almost the same diet.

[mythbuster]

How lamentable.

[ The complexity and diversity of human cuisine has always been one of its better points. A shame not to know it. ]

With enough time, I bet we could work toward making any kind of food we can think of. The seeds of an entire world are at our disposal, after all. Is there anything in particular you've always wanted to try?

[potentite]

Popcorn! [Through telepathy, it probably actually manages to sound even more excitable.] Popcorn, hamburgers, pizza, chips... I want to try all food items labelled unhealthy and disgusting.

[mythbuster]

[ Ah. He's definitely talking to a teenager. ]

We can make potato chips relatively easily. We'd have to grow popcorn, but it shouldn't be too hard either. I can try to find the seeds for it, if you like.

[ Hamburgers and pizza, though... Who even knows how to bake bread around here? And he doesn't want to think about how much trouble it would be to make cheese. ]

[potentite]

[The prospect of growing his own junk food is too amazing.]

Could you? Golly, I would be at your mercy! You're a real saint, Loki.

[mythbuster]

It's nothing.

[ He waves a hand. SURE Naoko will give them popcorn shortly, but at least they'll have a supply beyond that. ]

Investing in popcorn might be a sound decision in itself. Once dried and stored properly, popcorn is non-perishable. And people think of it as junk food, but it's healthy as long as you're not soaking it in butter.