driftfleet | Out in the Snow

Entry tags:

Out in the Snow

Who: Ulaz and you!
Broadcast: yes
Action: Blameless and planetside
When: throughout December

Action - Planet side exploration, various options
[What did a certain Galra do when faced with a wide open expanse of snow? Go exploring of course. There was a lot to see in this place apparently. When he wasn't spending time around the fleet or the rather friendly locals, he was out in the wilderness, enjoying the silence of it all. He was still far to used to spending time in space ships that being on planet was different for him.

Of course it was different. The rivers of this place seemed to be glowing blue. Quite remarkable. He did of course have wonder why they were like this.

Not only was he out in the fields of snow, but he eventually discovered the ice caves. He wandered quietly through them, looking with interest at the formation created by the ice, but also the distorted images that they created]

Action - Hot Spring
[It was probably safe to say that Ulaz was adventurous and curious enough to investigate many parts of this planet. When he had heard about the hot springs, he decided to at least go up and look at them...

Not that he had actually decided if he was going to try them out or not. But he could at least say that he had been there.

Maybe someone could convince him?]

Open Broadcast / Closed Action on Blameless - sometime near the end of the month

[Ulaz is very quiet for a moment when he starts this then speaks]

I find myself constantly confused by what these worlds are able to accomplish. I got this from that tree on the planet.

[He holds it so it can be seen. It's an image of two female Galran, one probably slightly younger than Ulaz's age and a younger one, still bright purple in color. Both have completely solid yellow eyes like Ulaz and the background looks very... desert like.

He moves the picture back so he can look at it again before speaking]

My mother and my sister from more years back than I can count. I don't know how this could have been obtained.

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[As Biffy has mentioned before, werewolves can be almost completely silent, and in fact both Biffy and Lyall take pains to make more noise that they normally would when on the ship so as to avoid nasty surprises for their crewmates.

This is even truer for Lyall when he moves as wolf. So the crunch of snow under his paws is rather deliberate as he spots someone he knows and starts trotting towards them in the snow. And anyway, even if the noise didn't give him away, his coloring against the white backdrop would.

So Ulaz willsee the smallish, sandy-colored wolf, fur speckled with black from the tip of his nose down his spine to his tail, moving towards him slowly. Every once in a while he stops to sniff at something in the snow.

And then all of a sudden he stops... and jumps! Almost vertically, burrowing into the snow and coming back out with a small rodent in his maw, which he just gulps down in one go.]

[Ulaz had been told that the wolves made more noise on the ship in order to keep from sneaking up on people. He did appreciate that if they really were as quiet as they said. Now, especially out in the snow, he was glad to hear the wolf that was out as well rather than being surprised by it.

He watched the wolf coming right in his direction with no intent to hunt or protect territory in its posture. He had been told by Lyall that he did seem to be mistaken for a large fox. Now that he had seen a fox, he could see the vague comparison, but used to looking at details, noticed that it was not in fact a fox.

He watched as the wolf suddenly stopped, raising an eyebrow as the wolf jumped and practically burrowed into the snow, coming up with a small creature and eating it. He's not at all squeamish about it though it was odd think about considering he could turn back into a human...]

Looking for a late night snack?

[He was indeed not a fox, but still very small for a wolf.

He finished his snack and licked himself clean before sitting down in the snow and giving Ulaz a nod. Yes, hunting on the ground was really preferable to the muck they were being served for food in the ship, even if fare on the Blameless tended to be a bit better than most.

He ran a small circle around Ulaz, nose twitching as he smelled everything he could.]

[Yep, this most certainly had to be Lyall. The wolf had just nodded to him in response to the question about a snack. Biffy had been the only wolf to response as such when he had been stuck in his wolf form as a glitch.

He watched the wolf run around him, sniffing the air]

There is more out here?

[He's trying to pick yes or no questions since that was pretty much the only way they could communicate at the moment. Other questions or attempting anything of a complicated conversation was not going to work]

[There are indeed more out there, and Lyall nods again, but doesn't make a move to catch them. He just had himself a little snack, after all.

Instead, he starts trotting away. Then turns back to see if Ulaz is following. He could use a bit of company.]

[Ulaz watched as Lyall started to walk away, but the glance back told him the werewolf was expecting him to follow. So he started walking after Lyall to catch up with him. He wasn't sure if there was a destination in mind or if they were just walking, but he'll go with it either way.

He's silent for a few long moments before he spoke again]

I have seen a fox now. You are definitely not a fox.

[Just wanted to put that out there]

[There's a small huff from Lyall and he shakes his head a little. Why, thank you, Ulaz. He's fine with being underestimated, but a fox is entirely the wrong species to be confused with.

He's not really going anywhere special. It's just a nice night to be out, and he always like running around in wolf form when they get to a planet just to stretch his legs.

All of a sudden, he gives a burst of speed, starting to run real fast and letting the wind glide through his fur. he does it for a minute or so before he stops and then doubles back, tongue lolling.]

[Ulaz walked calmly beside the wolf. It is nice out here. He wasn't built much for cold, but he didn't mind it. This was, in his opinion, one of the nicer planets they had been on. The people were friendly and the scenery was beyond compare. He would take any chance he could get to be around it.

When Lyall took off running, Ulaz jogged after him, not able to keep up both because of Lyall's supernatural state and because he just wasn't built for snow. Okay, didn't seem there was a point to that... but it was kind of fun]

[No, there wasn't really a point except to enjoy the run. It wasn't full moon so Lyall was still himself, but as an old wolf, he was also alright with letting the wolf part of him run freer at times.

Circling around Ulaz was mostly pack instinct, and Beta instinct as well. Make sure the pack members are safe and watch their backs. Lyall kept trotting forward, occasionally breaking into a run, and then coming back and retracing their steps while sniffing around.]

[Ulaz got the distinct feeling he was being herded by the wolf as Lyall circled around him periodically. He was aware the Beta's role in the pack and that the wolves had basically claimed the Blameless as a pseudo-pack so he figured it was a wolf way of protecting a pack member. Not that he would think he'd actually need such protection... but the thought behind it was nice.

Maybe he did the same as well with the paladins. Not herding them exactly, but keeping his attention on them and their surroundings when off ship to make sure they weren't in danger. Though if they were in danger, he'd put himself between it and them.

Even knowing there was no definitive point to running ahead randomly only to turn back, Ulaz was going to jog along with Lyall as much as he could when he started running, slowing back down when Lyall turned back to follow him again]

[Lyall had a lot of endurance, so they managed to travel quite some distance, before the wolf finally stopped in a sort of clearing and lied down in the snow...

Before he suddenly started rolling around, covering his pelt in snowflakes before he got up again, shook himself, and then sat and started grooming himself.

If he were with another wolf, they'd groom each other and maybe share some small animal they'd catch together.]

[Ah, clearing in the woods. As Lyall laid down, Ulaz leaned back against one of the trees, watching with curiosity as Lyall rolled around in the snow. Was that a normal wolf thing to do? Or was that specifically werewolf? Hard to tell right now.

But since Lyall was taking a break, Ulaz would take up the mantle of standing guard, listening for anything out of the ordinary. As much as the wolves had adopted the Blameless, Ulaz had included them in the circle of people he would protect with his life]

[Lyall ended up coming closer and lying down almost at Ulaz's feet, sniffing the air, and just.... being.

It was one of the great parts of being a wolf. Not having to think about the past or the future and just being in the moment. When one was old enough, one could do that even outside of full moon periods]

[Ulaz watched as Lyall came over and laid down in front of him. It was oddly surreal. Lyall was a crew member on the Blameless, but right now he was a wolf. They'd had a lot of conversations together, but the wolf part eliminated that temporarily. So it was an odd combination of spending time with him, but also just being there.

After a moment, he crouched down a little closer. But he wouldn't reach to touch. Yes at the moment he was a wolf, but the fact he would turn back into a human made it peculiar to him to touch, especially without permission. He wouldn't do that when he was human; why should that be any different now?]

[Lyall seemed to sense the scrutiny and turned his head to look at Ulaz, before cocking it to the side almost quizzically. In this form, his normally hazel eyes had turned yellow and the only indication of who he was was the color of his pelt, the same as his hair.

He didn't necessarily mind being touched when in wolf form, but he definitely appreciated the restraint and manners showed. Eventually, it was him who extended his body so he could nose at Ulaz's hand with a wet nose.]

[With Lyall looking up at him, he can see the change in eye color now, observant nature that he had. He had known races were able to shape shift, Alteans being one of the more commonly known, but the frequent and predictable change to an animal was not one he had known about until now. If it weren't for the fur color, he never would have had a clue it was Lyall.

When Lyall made the first move to nose at his hand, Ulaz took that for permission, giving the wolf a brief pet]

Thank you. For sharing this time with me.

[Lyall's fur was much coarser than what one could have expected. It was made to withstand both the cold and the claws and fangs from enemies, after all.

He allowed for the petting, tongue lolling, until he finally stood up to shake himself again and start trotting back the way they had come. Looking behind to make sure his charge is following, as a Beta should do.]

[It was definitely different than petting Procyon. Given that a wolf was not domesticated, it made sense, built entirely for survival outdoors, not for someone's pleasure. If they had been changed into a werewolf, the DNA when they changed was probably a completely pure version of a wolf.

When Lyall stood, Ulaz stopped petting, standing up again as he sensed this was the time to go. So even as Lyall turned to look back at him and make sure he was coming, he was following]

[Lyall trotted back to where they had met at a more sedate pace, his sharp nose leading him back to the exact spot.

he left his clothing not very far off, but he'd rather avoid changing in full view unless he really has to, so he gives a sort of little bow of his head, almost human in its obvious intent.]

[Ulaz followed Lyall all the way back to the spot where they started. He didn't have as good of senses, but he can see their tracks in the snow.

The nod seemed to be a send off so Ulaz will take it as such]

I will see you later.

[And with that he heads back towards the village he had come from]

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Out in the Snow

Planetside

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