▶ DOWNTIME MINGLE #2

[synfluxmods]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #2

CONTENT WARNINGS: medical procedures, possible nsfw

▶ 001. DOWNTIME & SPONSORSHIPS

As Outsiders make themselves comfortable back on MAIN BASE, they will be informed of a reward for their great efforts. A party is thrown to celebrate their achievements and they will find pizza and a cup noodle tower. A giant streamer and balloons are laid out for everyone to see:

GOOD JOB:
GREAT EXPLOSION MURDER GOD DYNAMIGHT (K.O)
KUZUNOHA14 (546)
TENTACLE (497)
ICE SNAP (488)

The named Outsiders will also be informed that they’ve managed to catch the attention of a certain instant noodle company. As thanks for their hard work and dedication to protecting Neo Tokyo, the company has decided to launch a new line of flavors in their honor. All proceeds will go to relief efforts and charities in Neo Tokyo. The new flavors are:

EXXXTRA HOTT mapo tofu ramen
Creamy octopus and seafood chowder ramen
Chilled tomato noodles
Sweet potato and miso ramen

The tower of cup noodles in the cafeteria isn’t all. The winners will receive a free and unlimited supply of the special flavors until the campaign ends in 3 months.

Those who do not attend the party will still get this message as a marquee text along their ocular device. Characters CAN take this message off, but it's a bit complex. Try under General > Settings > Notifications > Messages > Texts > Alerts > Appearance > End Battle Notifications > OFF. Hopefully, you won't miss something exciting by doing this. The marquee will disappear a week after the kaiju fight.

▶ 002. HEALTH CHECKS.

Following the events of the most recent battle, LILITH is in a busy state. What was supposed to be a simple operation has become a major event with the sudden Rift event. The LILITH administrators work closely with officers, researchers, and engineers to understand what happened and how to proceed.

While not all questions are answered, Outsiders will receive updates on things of note. First and foremost, the Rift was successfully closed. The park is closed and being tested to see if it is safe to enter. Reports suggest the Rift event was caused by the large, uncontrolled levels of electricity at the park. LILITH agents have gone in and identified some of the bodies. Others are missing, presumably pulled into the Rift, and assumed dead. Among the dead is Dr. Tanaka whose mutated corpse and lab coat were found near what they believe to be the Rift’s origin center. As for the mutated survivors… well, that remains to be answered.

Outsiders will be told to sit tight while the grounds are checked and cleared for further recovery efforts. In the meantime, every LILITH operative who participated at Tokyo Disney Land will receive orders to check their health to make sure the Rift didn’t infect them.

Outsiders will be directed to the medical bay where Dr. Spim and Alex will tell them to get changed into their loungewear and wait for tests in the lobby with each other. They will be given questionnaires to fill out and be asked what they experienced before, during, and after the Rift opened. After that, they will conduct regular tests for things like their blood, vision, hearing, etc. The physical will also involve checking their ocular and brain implants. Hopefully, no one is bothered by all of the poking and prodding.

Upon conclusion, characters will receive their results. For the most part, there don’t appear to be any lingering effects from the Rift, and any comments they receive will be about their regular health. There may also be some helpful advice written at the end to varying degrees of helpfulness such as:

Reduce sugar intake.
Remember to live, laugh, love, and hydrate.
Exercise regularly to improve mental health.
Be nice to yourself or else.

Characters are free to discuss their results with each other or they can choose to keep the results to themselves. After all, the results they receive are between them and their physician… Right?

▶ 003. TFLN.

Although ocular & brain implants are the means of communication nowadays, a messenger service still exists in this world. Mostly everyone uses LINE nowadays even if the need for cellular phones is null. Characters may have already recognized the interface to be somewhat familiar with the similar shade of green and same old slogan.

It happens the first time, and several times throughout the week as your character goes about their new routine. The sound of machine-like whirring, deep within their cranium, like a computer that’s in the midst of processing some new information. Then, there’s the familiar ping of a new public message, and whatever you were thinking about at that point of time will be plastered on the network, for all to read and react to. Thinking about your recent health check results? Having a fun night out at a club? Regretting said night out at the club? Falling into a deep depression about how your life has turned out so far? It doesn’t matter when or where, because the system doesn’t discriminate. You’ll soon find the thoughts you were having during those moments posted on the network and you can’t delete them.

"The system is updating …

...

The system is updating … "

That’s the only explanation SYNTHIA will give when prodded or asked to take down a post. She’s not too helpful at this moment. It looks like while Seok Dang isn't available, his usual antics have been pre-programmed.

"We are performing an investigation into this matter. We appreciate your patience."

Welcome to our third Network Mingle! This is a TFLN-inspired mingle that’s been tweaked to make it completely canon to the game. Due to a glitch in the system, random thoughts that characters might be having throughout the week will be registered as network posts and posted in public for all to see and respond to. This can happen at any time as they wander around the main base or different Neo Tokyo locations!

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Write out prompts (example below) for others to respond to. These can be thoughts they’re having in bed, at work, while intoxicated or what-have-you. You can look up shower thoughts or TFLN as inspiration, but remember that this will be game canon so it has to be written in your character’s voice.
2. Go around and respond to others!
3. ???
4. PROFIT!

Participation in this mingle isn’t obligatory, of course. If you don’t want your character to participate, you can simply assume the glitch did not affect them.

We also have a code below for fun, but please don't feel pressured to use it. As always, a regular text thread works out just fine! Most importantly, have fun!

(Please remember to put warnings for NSFW/triggering content in the subject header.)

NOTE: Since there is both an action and a text component to this mingle, all action tags on this post are worth 2 POINTS while all text tags as part of the TFLN prompt are worth 1 POINT.

<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;flex-direction:row-reverse;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;color:#fff;"> <!--YOUR ICON--> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="width:40px;border-radius:100%;"> <!--YOUR MSGS--> <div style="margin:0 10px 0 0;"> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED - NOTE: IF YOUR MESSAGE IS LONGER, JUST ADD MORE BR CODE SPACING AT THE END AND IT SHOULD ADJUST - JUST REMEMBER TO PREVIEW --> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> <!--MSG - COPY/PASTE AS NEEDED--> <div style="background:#90EE90;padding:8px 12px;border-radius:10px;margin:5px 0 0 0;float:right;clear:both;max-width:250px;"> !!TEXT HERE!!! </div><br></br> </div> </div>

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Comments

[wheft]

...Figures.

Anyway, um. I just... wanted to apologize. For last time. Since we're here and all.

[immortalpoet]

[...]

you could come and apologize in person

but fine

your behavior was egregious, ishmael

[wheft]

I know. On both counts. I had a horrible headache that's almost comparable to my R Corp ID, but that's no excuse.

Also, I... wanted to talk to you about something anyway. Which is why I'm wondering if you're free right now.

[immortalpoet]

if i say something or do something for you, you have no right to talk back. your EGO is no excuse

talk to me?

i am free. what is this about

[wheft]

I'll... explain when you get there. Just tell me if you're free right now. I only wanted your thoughts on something.

[immortalpoet]

sure

im in my room unless you'd like to meet outside

> action

[wheft]

Let's meet outside. I'm already on the way there.

[ and she drops a location pin on here - an industrial-looking coffee place just a few blocks away. she hasn't tried the coffee there yet, but it looks promising? she spent a few days googling and checking out reviews, okay.

ishmael is dressed very simply too, wearing nothing but a red hoodie. vergilius would also notice, upon approaching her at the booth she's occupying, that she's already ordered a cup of black coffee for him. dw, she has her own cup. ]

[immortalpoet]

[At least this isn't an office meeting, he thinks. If there's one things he's grateful for its that those things have been left behind with Limbus Company for the time being.]

[He's simply in a gray shirt and zipped-up leather jacket here, and he slides into the other seat. Oh. Nice. Coffee.]

...What's going on, Ishmael.

[wheft]

[ tbh it's a little uncanny to see vergilius outside of his signature pinstripe suit, but that's not what this is about right now. ishmael automatically sits up straight, as if this really is an office meeting. ]

Erm, well. First of all, thanks for coming all this way. Second...

[ ... ]

Do you know other people in the City who are in love? [ another pause. ] Aside from Heathcliff.

[immortalpoet]

[sorry he is]


[literally doing whiteguydoubleblink.gif]

.....Pardon? In love?

[wheft]

W-Well! They don't have to be in love! Just...

[ she's stammering. she hates this so much, bro......... ]

You know. Couples. And they don't have to be together, either. They could've broken up, for all I care. I'm just curious if you knew some people who are together in some form since... you're a Color and all...

[ she's going to shrink into her seat HELP ]

[immortalpoet]

Because Colors know who's together and who's not.

[GIRL LISTEN 2 YOURSELF]

[but he is closing his eyes, pensively]

I did know some people, yes. It's not...as rare as you may think.

[wheft]

[ SHE MEANS IT LIKE. HE'S IN THE INDUSTRY LONG ENOUGH, SO....

she blinks in surprise at that answer, tho. ]

Really? I thought being a Fixer meant not getting attached to anyone. Not that I was already following that rule in the first place...

[ bc of her attachment to her friends who died u_u ]

[immortalpoet]

[He nods.]

Of course. That's the tried and true rule for a reason. But...there are always exceptions. Souls rising above the flames to find...solace in one another.

[wheft]

[ that's... such a beautiful thing to hear from him. too beautiful. she isn't even sure if she deserves such... warmth. ]

Is it worth it, though?

[immortalpoet]

...

[What a question, really.]

If you were to inevitably lose what you loved, is it worth it? I suppose you must ask yourself that.

[wheft]

[ she lowers her gaze to her lap, fists clenching. that's the tough part. what if it's someone here? she wanted to ask, but she can practically hear the answer from verg's mouth. ]

And yet those people went beyond and got married, right? I don't... I don't get it.

[immortalpoet]

...I can't say I understand either. But, alas...this must be the driving force of love. This was...their flow.

[Roland...did he know what flow he would follow, when all was said and done?]

Tragedy and all.

[wheft]

Their flow...

[ that's. so much to think about. ]

Well, what do you think? [ she raises her head to look at him. ] Do you think there's still a chance for people like us?

[immortalpoet]

[Is there still a chance?]

[He sees him now. That characteristic smirk, those dark eyes. A fond voice telling of a life with his wife, his child.]

[And that dark, dark night where a piano played, and those eyes were filled with bloodlust, tears, and a darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.]

[He sighs.]

If we were there....I'd say no.

[But here...this isn't the City. This works differently. They are not beholden to that darkness. He doesn't like this place, either. But the rotten roots don't feel as deep as he knows.]

... [He rubs at his forehead, weary.] But here. I don't...really know.

[wheft]

[ she bites her lip. looks like vergilius is going through some sort of emotional turmoil here too, and it doesn't really take ishmael long to figure out who it's with, though she won't look into it any further. that's his business, and she's pretty sure he'd pummel the shit out of her again if she pries too much.

even so, she'll try. ]

I'm surprised. [ she takes up her cup of cooling coffee. ] I really thought you'd know all things as the Red Gaze. It's... sobering, to be honest.

[immortalpoet]

Mm. It isn't as if the world is open to me as a Color. Some days I feel more limited, honestly.

[Being a Color is its own shackle and chains. They may be more free. But only in a sense.]

Not like they have traveling to other worlds like this in the Color Fixer manual, either.

[wheft]

If only Don Quixote understood that...

[ she's so delulu that there's just no point bringing it up to her. not until her canto, that is...

but the mention of other worlds has he blinking. she talked about this with rodya a little while ago, but-- ]

Do you think the Mephistopheles would let us travel to other worlds? I mean, it did open doors to the former L Corp and all.

[immortalpoet]

Ah, yes. I wish she did.

[HE'S SO TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[The question makes him hum, tilting his head.]

That would be a Miss Faust question, I'm afraid. A little...outside my jurisdiction, so to speak.

[wheft]

[ THIS IS HOW WE CAN MAKE COLLABS HAPPEN PLEASEEEEE PLEASE ]

Figures. [ a sigh. ] I don't think it'll be that easy, though. Just think of the multitude of taboos it's going to break. I'd say more, but only Yi Sang can provide a much better opinion that me...

[ she's not as smart as those two geniuses okay, damn.

she takes a sip of her coffee, peering at verg over her cup. ]

I'm glad, though. That we're able to talk more openly like this. Handcuffing could never.