Who: Everyone
When: July 1 and onward. See this post for info.
Where: Kauto + Chioni + Ingress Complex
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label warn-worthy content in your subject headers.

There's a burst of light in the sky when the Ingress breaks, a final flare followed by a shuddering that only those in the facility can feel. A flurry of panicked activity in the complex follows, ushering new arrivals to where they need to go in a hurry, with little time to give them the needed information, much less answer questions. The lights remain on, but dimmer now, life functions still operating but little else. On Kauto and Chioni below, the sky fades into an early twilight, followed by night, and day does not come again.

nerds save the world

Before the end of the day, all TABs receive an emergency broadcast notification outlining the situation. The speaker, a lead Savriite Ingress technician, does not invite panic but nor does he mince words. The Ingress is broken; their best efforts have failed to restore it. The time has come to turn to anyone who can help: scientists, engineers, those who have worked with advanced technology on any world. Formal qualifications don't matter when it could be the end of everything.

"Help us. Before it is too late."

Those who come will have the run of the complex and full access to the Ingress, as well as whatever tools are available and as much coffee as they can drink. People are encouraged to work in groups and share ideas, and a small number of young and nervous technical assistants will be on hand.

the land below

As Thisavrou is denied light and warmth, the weather becomes brisk and descends into bitter cold. Chioni is evacuated due to the effects on the already-harsh weather cycles there, although a skeleton crew of scientists remain behind. On Kauto, the arboreal Region Three and pastoral Region Two suffer the most from the temperatures and the snow that eventually begins to fall. Many crops are frozen over, and refugee citizens are driven from their homes to the Regions One and Five, where stored energy will keep dwellings warm. Save for those who choose to leave the underwater facilities, Region Four remains largely unchanged, but there are unverified accounts of strange aquatic animal behavior near the surface.

Overcrowding, limited supplies and a pervasive fear presents the opportunity for both heroism and foul deeds. Many come together to share resources, supplies and fellowship in what could be the end of worlds, while others take what they can from the unwilling or exploit the desperate. Sentient evacuees are followed by fauna from Region Three and unsettled lands beyond, in search of warmth or food or merely confused by the change in habitat. Some are unthreatening herbivores, while tanglesnakes and clownbees are more troublesome. Others are poisonous hunters, while still others are small, but dangerous when faced as a pack.

Just when all seems lost, light returns to the sky. The Ingress begins to function once more.

the coming days

As the temperatures rise, many demand answers, but most turn to the rebuilding of their lives first. Damage has been done that isn't so easily fixed, and even in the least-affected areas, remnants of the crisis show in the lack of fresh food, in the increased signs of criminal activity. Those who can help others through their own efforts of by organizing assistance are needed, but those with impure intentions are more likely to go unnoticed.

Eavesdropping on the streets may reveal a desire for vengeance. "Those intruders from last week. They're responsible for this, aren't they? What's being done?" But don't listen too closely, or a suspicious eye may be turned on you. "Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from! All the trouble began when your people showed up!"

Life goes on. But life does not go on unchanged.

[quick ooc note: the Region 4 search & retrieval mission/RNG fight will be posted in a separate log.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Nate knows that looks, and it just makes him surer this was the right move. They can all use some tension relief, right? He grins.]

Ha! That's what you—

[A fucking avalanche hits him on the face, staggering him. What looks back at Hawke then is a lot like a cartoon snowman with eyes blinking through a pure white face before he brushes it off.]

Wow, okay. Going for the extreme version of a snowball fight, huh?

[He can work with that.]

[Well for her that's pretty mild considering she can freeze people in five feet of solid ice.

Still, she walks over to him and gives him a LOOK. A very serious look. Or more like Hawke is trying to copy a proper serious look. Mostly she just looks like she's trying not to sniffle too much.

An arm comes up to wipe at her runny nose. The jacket sleeve is already pretty gross from previous wipes and hey! Nate! It's your jacket. Imagine that.]

Do I look like I'm in the mood to humor you in a fight?

[Nate doesn't give a damn that she's gross-ing up his jacket because he accepted long ago that he is never getting it back.]

It's not a fight fight. It's supposed to be fun. Kids have 'em all the time.

[Neither of them are children, but both Nate and Hawke are capable of breathtaking immaturity. It's close enough.]

That sounds... terrible.

Children are stupid are we going to imitate them?

[Look! She's pathetic and cold.]

Maybe.

[He stoops over and scoops up some more snow to make into a ball. She can see it happening; if she lets herself get hit again, she can't complain.]

Why, you chicken?

[Aaaaand toss!]

[Hawke makes a choking noise and turns to cover her face with her arm.

And uses her magic to just melt the snowball before it even gets close to her.

Yeah maybe playing with a mage requires a little more ingenuity.]

I think there's a reason why mage children don't learn this game.

[Nate pouts and packs another snowball. He'll just keep doing this until she has to participate.]

Because they're scared? Can't stand the possibility of losing?

[He begins making chicken noises. He's very good at them.]

[Hawke stares at Nate like he's suddenly just grown two heads.]

What in the name of Andraste are you doing? Have you lost it? Is this some sort of fit?

[He's staring right back in a similar fashion.]

They're...chicken noises...

You're a strange man, Nathan Drake. I'm going to keep a wide berth so I can pretend I don't know you.

[Is she shitting him? Is she serious? who knows.]

[Nate gives her another long, incredulous look.

Then without warning or hesitation, he strides over to her, scoops her up, moves maybe five feet and tosses her into the nearest snowbank.]

{THIS IS.

NOT.

FAIR???

She was being good and pure and had done nothing wrong!! Hawke, not expecting it, has no time to react after Nate scoops her up and then proceeds to dump her into a frigid snowbank. She yelps loudly and tries to sit up as quickly as possible, wrapping her arms around herself to stare horrified at Nate.]

If you didn't want to be friends anymore you could have just told me.

[Score - Nate: 1, Hawke: 0.

He will undoubtedly pay more for winning this point in the long run. But in the short term? He's smiling smugly.]

Don't they say that actions speak louder than words?

You're right. They do.

[So she leaps up and tackles him with all of her strength. Perhaps its enough to take him down because she takes him by surprise and/or because she manages to ram one of her knees into rather sensitive area.

Once he's down, she straddles him and begins to shove snow in his face.]

Is this coming in loud and clear?

Plenty!

[The confirmation comes out muffled, as he's got snow in his face, but Nate's grinning underneath it, and quickly rolls so that she's the one getting shoved into the snow.

This is more like it. He doesn't mind getting nailed with snow, he just wants Hawke to participate.]

And I've got more to say, you know?

[With that, he does his best to shove snow down her shirt.]

Hmm, I'm feeling a little tired of this conversation.

[She yells as he trues to shove snow down her shirt. It's not that easy because she's bundled up pretty tight but even a little bit is unpleasant.

She pauses in the middle of fighting to rub at her nose with her hand, pauses, wipes it on the palm of her hand and then uses that hand to push at his face to keep him away.]

You're so gross.

[Nate sounds downright cheerful about it, though. What a weirdo. He struggles against her hand for a second before grabbing it and pulling it forward, using the her momentum to shove it down into the snow.]

Better wash this.

[Too late, she's already reaching out with her other snotty hand to grab at his face. It doesn't bother him which she knows, but it's fun to be a bother.]

You're the one who decided to be my friend. And put me in a compromising position.

[Then she sneezes in his face. But she purposefully freezes the liquid so its just like getting an icy spray right in the eyes. So still pretty unpleasant.]

[That's incredibly disgusting, and Nate does make a for-real grossed-out face. The icy spray does help a little bit, but not enough.]

Right? What the hell was I thinking? We should call it quits now. Move out and we'll turn your room into a library.

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nerds save the world

the land below

the coming days

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