Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya [Sunday evening]

[heroic_jawline]

After several portal layovers--still faster than flying from Maryland to Kenya--the group arrived at Loisaba Conservancy.

With more chaperones than students. Anakin saw you, mooching grown ups. He saw you.

"Welcome to Loisaba," Anakin said, gesturing around at allllll of the land. "Our group is going to be located in 11 different suites away from this, the main lodge. You will be in groups of four, and one group of chaperones in a group of three. This lodge holds the spa, the pool, and an area for large group gatherings. You can also order breakfast, lunch, and dinner to your suites--there's a table that will seat just the three or four of you. Each suite has been assigned a NPC, moddable guide. He will be your guide through the bus and will also be there to bring food and answer questions. I trust none of you will take advantage of this."

He coughed. "Just as reminder, this is 57,000 acres of wild land. The animals take primacy here and while they generally don't get too close to where the people are, that's not universally true. Watch out for snakes. And lions. There's a lot of paperwork for me to fill out if one of you dies on a trip."

On that reassuring note, he moved out of the way to let the lodge workers serve fruit juices and pass out keys.

Welcome to Kenya, everyone. Don't get eaten!

Comments

The Lodge

[heroic_jawline]

Loisaba is a 57,000 acre wildlife conservancy and working ranch located in Northern Laikipia, Kenya, East Africa. The two permanent rivers and abundant permanent springs make Loisaba attractive to wildlife throughout the year.

The conservancy is a haven for more than 260 bird and 50 mammal species. Alongside the more common wildlife, Loisaba provides critical habitat and a migration corridor 800 elephants, large herds of buffalo, dozens of the endangered Grevy’s zebra, towers of endangered reticulated giraffes and the beautiful greater kudu. The big cat population is thriving, with over three lion prides on Loisaba at one time and numerous leopards and cheetahs. To top it off the African wild dog, thought for many years to be extinct in the region, are once again being sighted regularly and often denning on Loisaba. You'll have the next few days to properly explore the conservancy, but we've managed to arrive just in time for the sunset, so grab a drink (gin and tonic is traditional) and enjoy the scene.

STAR ROOMS

[heroic_jawline]

Each suite holds four students, two per bedroom. The main communal area at the Star Beds offers a cozy and homely dining room, sitting room and a wooden deck, which is the perfect spot for a sunny breakfast. Guided and hosted by a team of traditional Samburu and Laikipia Maasai Warriors, this cultural experience will most definitely be a memorable one. A large balcony extends out, and the Star Bed can either sit under the thatched roof of the accommodation, or be wheeled out to rest under the night sky.

Each suite is designed around the natural features of the hill. The bathroom with solar-heated hot shower and flush toilet has a unique layout in each room. There's also wifi and a roaring fire every night to sit around and tell stories. Or to sit around and upload your amazing photos onto social media and make everyone you know jealous. Or both!

Bedrooms

[heroic_jawline]

Each hand-crafted four-poster bed is on wheels so you can sleep out under the stars. Or you could keep it under then thatch, but...but...stars! There's either a queen sized bed or two pop-up camping single beds, whichever is funnier for you.

[OOC: NSFW goes into private journals, suite assignments are here, please identify where you are with your suite name and then either room #1 or #2.]

Bedrooms: Rhino #1

[furrybluefreak]

Kurt was still a bit wide eyed looking around at everything. Setting his bags down on one of the beds he stood and looked out at the view.

And not a bad suite name either, though Logan would be disappointed to find out there wasn't one named for him. Were there wolverines in Africa???

Impala #1

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon got to the...hm. Was it still a room if it didn't entirely have walls? Well.

He set his bag down, inched onto the platform with all its wide, wide land and high up and...and yep, he'd be staying firmly under that thatch, thank you.

With his eyes closed against the vertigo for a few minutes.

Re: Bedrooms - Leopard #1

[giveittoyoursister]

Okay...that was a...wow. Vi didn't exactly have much (or any) by way of luggage, so instead of worrying about unpacking she was just gonna take in that view for a while.

Bedrooms- Warthog #2

[alwaysonguard]

Ok so this... this was... wow. Just. Wow.

Dwight had been around the world and seen some amazing and beautiful places. But nothing... NOTHING could compare to this.

Setting his old army duffle bag down on one of the beds, he stared and just tried to take it all in.

Baboon #1

[begmetwice]

Given that Irene had attended this trip at Jon's invitation, it was quite surprising to find they weren't rooming together.

Perhaps the moose -- despite being some sort of flower interventionist (sure) -- was a matchmaker after Irene's own heart, though, because how wonderful this new set of arrangements was!

And as though the rooms weren't gorgeous enough -- the whole resort, really -- there was also the best factor, now, to consider. Irene would have been thrilled enough to have simply been assigned to room with Amaya anyway, because it was hilarious and, you know, helpful to her own ambitions there.

But it was even better than that. And not just because she wouldn't have to sleep on a cot or whatever.

"Oh, no, Amaya! It looks like there's just the one bed!" Irene exclaimed, clearly so upset. Just the upsetest. So sad.

Jackal #2

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Fantastic!" Sidon gushed happily, throwing open his arms as he took in that spectacular view and those nice open spaces, and he chuckled. "Marvelous! You know," was he talking to himself? His roommate if she was there? ...yes? Both? "Usually I feel so cramped in these room, but this is exceptionally spacious and delightful! Not too dissimilar to being in the open-air huts of the Rito in their own cliff-side village! How splendid!"

Bedrooms - Leopard #2

[onlyajones]

Jo could never imagine that she’d be staying in a room like this, well she never thought she’d be in Africa either. She placed her suitcase on one of the beds and gaped at the view.

She was already taking photos of the view and her room, she already had a lot that she was going to Deirdre about next time she wrote to her.

Dik-Dik #2

[sword_chocobro]

It had definitely not passed Gladio's notice that he's somehow managed to luck out again by getting a room to himself, and so even though he was definitely not staying put for long, he had to take a moment to just sort of flop and spread out his large self all over that bed and enjoy it for a moment.

Feels good, man.

Serval #1

[hashtag_chocobro]

With the pre-research into this place to see what they were in for, Prompto was stupid stoked for this, and he would be even if he wasn't bringing Liz along with him, too, so the fact that he was? Oh, man, this was going to be incredible, sleeping out under the stars, on a world where that didn't mean certain death, and the views! He could already tell, the pictures online were not going to do it justice, and he was already looking forward to just sprawling out on that big bed and pulling Liz in close with him, and...

He got to the room and blinked.

At the two separate cot beds waiting for them.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

Very funny, guys. Hilarious, really..........

Warthog #1

[notagoose]

Goose was feeling a lot better after his sugar hangover the other day, both Ignis’ visit helped and that he actually drank water and proper food helped.

He came into the room and blinked, the room itself was fine …he was used to camping out in a variety of different locations but he hadn’t factored in there only being one bed.

There was only bed.

“There’s Only One Bed,” why did he feel the need to say it like that? He wasn’t sure but he was just going to stare awkwardly at the bed. Maybe he could offer to sleep on the floor?

Common Area

[heroic_jawline]

For your chatting with suitemates needs. This is where you can have food brought, chat around your suite firepit, fight over people hogging the bathroom, etc.

[OOC: Like with the bedrooms, identify where you are by the suite name! Other characters who aren't in this suite need to be IC invited in: don't just be hopping from space to space, please.]

Common Area: Wild Dog

[sexy_giraffe]

"Wild Dog? WILD DOG?" Tahani groaned dramatically. "Why could I be in a more exotically named suite?"

The area itself was stunning, and so Tahani needed to find something to complain about.

MAIN LODGE

[heroic_jawline]

If you don't want to settle into the suites just yet, there's plenty to do up at the lodge!

Sundowner

[heroic_jawline]

Sit or stand around the lodge's observation deck and watch the sun go down while drinking juice or gin and tonic and eating snacks! Very civilized. Try not to run out of space on your camera the first night.

Re: Sundowner

[craic_killer]

Should Clare go and see her room? Probably. Right now, though, she was rooted to the spot she'd arrived, basically, gaping around at the scenery.

She hadn't even tried her complimentary juice yet!

Re: Sundowner

[furrybluefreak]

Oh look! Was that Kurt gaping around at everything, trying to take it all in? Yes, yes it was! And of course the camera was already snapping off some shots of the lodge and the area before the sun really started to disappear over the horizon.

Re: Sundowner

[imawizard]

Harry had seen a lot of incredible things, but this was really up there. He wasn't much for taking pictures, but he did have a drink in hand to watch the sunset.

Re: Sundowner

[alwaysonguard]

So, there was a LOT to take in, and Dwight eventually settled down on the observation deck to enjoy what was already shaping up to be one of the most amazing sunsets he had ever seen in his entire life, a gin and tonic conveniently in his hand already.

Re: Sundowner

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

This seemed like it would be pretty, so Jon would absolutely be on the deck to watch the sun go down. He'd be staying back far enough to see the railing and things so he didn't get swamped with vertigo, and he'd have a gin and tonic, but he would be doing his best to relax.

Pool

[heroic_jawline]

It's an infinity pool and if you're lucky, the elephants will come into the valley below it so you can see them.

Spa Activities

[heroic_jawline]

Would you like a massage outside in the bush with giraffe passing by? How about a salt rub for your feet followed by a body polish using orange oil and ground coffee? The lodge is eager to provide pampering.

OOC

[heroic_jawline]

Hit me up down here if you need to be added to the room sheet!


(We will get this song stuck in your heads this week. WATCH US.)