▶ 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

[cranekin]

What about Denji-kun?

[lifeprice]

What about him?

[cranekin]

You're with him.

[lifeprice]

Do you want me to ask him, too?

[cranekin]

Yes.

[lifeprice]

[ A pause. ]

He said he'll come if he gets food.

[cranekin]

We'll bring him back snacks.
And come back by 3:30.

(Did he just set a curfew for them... yeah.)

[lifeprice]

He says that's fine.
Don't spoil him too much.

[cranekin]

Children should be spoiled.

(He'll die on this hill.)

I'll meet you outside. Come quickly.

(They have a curfew now.)

[lifeprice]

He's not really a child any more, but that's fine. A few snacks, just a few.

I'm on my way.

→ action

[cranekin]

There's no need to rush growing up.

(He can take his time!! Enjoy his childhood!!)

I'll be waiting.

(And he'll get ready quietly and quickly so he can wait outside.)

[lifeprice]

[ If anyone deserves a chance at a little more childhood...

Slipping out of the room, wishing Denji a quiet goodbye, he sneaks out to see Tsuru, smiling fondly. ]

Good morning.

[cranekin]

Good morning, Aki-kun.

(And without any warning

he's just going to grab his hands........

And run for the exit. They're bolting.)

Let's go! We don't have much time!

[lifeprice]

[ !!!

Aki lets himself be dragged, running after Tsurumaru with a shake of his head. ]

We have time, Tsurumaru-san!

[cranekin]

What if the cherry blossoms go away?!

(And he promised he'd return Aki to Denji by curfew.)

[lifeprice]

In ten minutes?

[ Babe, please. ]

That's what you're worried about?

[cranekin]

(Through the base they go... but he'll stop right at the exit, feet skidding to a halt, and turn around to face Aki, still holding his hand,)

I want to see every moment.

(And he gives his hand a squeeze. Unspoken: Together.)

[lifeprice]

... Oh.

[ That's... Romantic, isn't it? Aki feels his cheeks heat up a little and he hopes he can blame it on the early morning cold. ]

Let's go, then. Quickly.

[cranekin]

(And out they go, into the cool late-night-early-morning air of the city. It's quieter now that most people have gone home for the night or retired to bars and clubs. A few people are beginning to stagger home and a couple of people doing their late-night runs to the convenience store but doesn't it feel like they have the whole city to themselves now?

The city lights are bright but Tsurumaru begins to guide them both in a way that takes them farther and farther away. The buildings become lower, the stores become smaller, the neon lights give way to the yellow-white glow of street lamps, and they come to a park with a closed gate in front of it. A poster at the front says it's closed and will reopen early in the morning.

Catching his breath, he looks beyond the metal gate... cherry blossoms viewing in different stages of bloom. There was really no reason to run. The blossoms were never in danger.

But now

they have to

get inside.)

Imagine a park having hours...

[lifeprice]

[ Aki was here not that long ago, stumbling back from trying to drink himself into sleep - and things have changed a lot since then, haven't they? The anger and hurt at his own death being tempered by the knowledge of companionship, of sharing space with Denji, of feeling close to him again. A hand in his own, tugging him along, not permitting him to feel morose for long...

Different. Better.

Stopping at the gate, Aki frowns for a moment before he shakes his head. This isn't going to do, is it?

Moving along the fence, he tilts his head before he leans down, holding out a hand so Tsurumaru can clamber up. ]

Let's go over.

[cranekin]

(Eyes bright, sparkling with what can only be described as """an idea""", he shakes his head and tugs at Aki to stand back up,)

You first.

(Does this mean he has to get down and help Aki up??? Because he will. Even if he'll have to struggle a bit.)

[lifeprice]

[ Oh dear... Aki frowns, tilting his head a little. It's not that he's questioning Tsurumaru's strength, just... ]

Are you sure?

[ He's trying to be a gentleman here. ]

[cranekin]

What do you mean, "Are you sure?"

(Wow. He looks (playfully) offended?)

I can take care of you, too.

[lifeprice]

I wasn't questioning that. I just asked first.

[ Aki smiles, stepping closer, touching his forehead to Tsurumaru's forehead. ]

Let's do it, then.

[cranekin]

(Ah, he stays still at first and then leans in, pressing his forehead against him, tilting his head so his face is close... and pulls back with a playful smile,)

Let's do it.

(And he kneels down, hands folded out in front of him to help Aki up.)