TRAVEL LOG #1

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: potential mentions of drugs, suspected mind-control, alcohol, and gambling, gore.

▶ 001. A RUDE AWAKENING.

On the morning of the 15th, the Outsiders will hear an alarm sound in the early hours. No matter what you’re doing, the alarm will not stop sounding, and it’s because they’re playing directly into your oculars. If one is sleeping, they may even be roused by the spark of colors on their oculars dictating an emergency. After a few minutes of this, the following message will appear:

PLEASE REPORT TO THE DATAPORTAL AT THE TOKYO BRANCH AND BE PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE.

"Captain Yamakawa speaking. You’ve done a great job in testing the data portals. Now that we are able to travel, we were sent a call for help in another city due to lack of personnel and resources abroad. You will be looking for evidence of a new kaiju around the rendezvous point. It may be a difficult journey, so prepare yourself. SYNTHIA will still be online to help you make it to the city. Report to the POD CHAMBER where we have installed an international dataportal and prepare for transportation."

Following the success of the dataportal testing, the engineering department was able to fine tune its abilities and widen the reach of the portals. The portals can connect even abroad now!

Despite their best efforts, however, they cannot guarantee that the same symptoms won’t appear, and ask all Outsiders who are utilizing them to practice caution. Additionally, through all their testing, they found that people who hold hands or make contact with others as they pass through will be hit with less issues.

▶ 002. WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS.

When one passes through the data portal, they will see the refuge city of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Similar to Neo Tokyo, it is also rich in life and known as the city that never sleeps. Incidentally, it is also famously noted as a place of endless vice. The city is built up around a strip of land of roughly 4.2 miles. A vast majority of the city was built up over the wreckage of the old, and some fixtures were simply made new with whatever was left preexisting. The Mojave Desert has expanded towards surrounding cities, though it will take a vehicle to get there in a timely manner.

The city has no shortage of hotels and with each hotel, a casino. While Outsiders here are on a mission, there’s no stating they couldn’t participate in the fun of Vegas while LILITH crew begin their investigation. While some hotels will be clearly abandoned or less traversed, there is no end to all card tables and slot machines, all asking for your KRYPTOS.

The hotel the Outsiders are slotted to stay over the course of the next few days is one where they built directly over the hotels of the old. While it offers a decent place to sleep, it’s not without a refurbished pirate themed bed, or the columns of what appears to have been from Caesars Palace. Is that a giant clown face staring at you in the room? Don’t worry about it. The hotel offers that this is the best place to depart into the desert from. For this mission, Outsiders may bunk up with whoever they would like, and each hotel provides two queen sized beds.

Excited to venture out into the city? Even under the threat of kaiju, the city doesn’t sleep. Outsiders may venture through the Las Vegas Strip and treat themselves to a fun night of drinking, gambling, shopping, partying and circle-style performances. The Grand Canal Shoppes, a Venetian-inspired high end mall, boasts a man-made canal with gondola rides for a fee, along with many retail outlets and restaurants. There are also numerous spas and carnival-style rides to enjoy. Las Vegas was once known as the ‘Marriage Capital of the World’, and in a world besieged by kaiju, the people don’t seem to think they have anything to lose. Outsiders may spot a few bride and grooms-to-be partying in the street.

(LILITH does not have a stance on whether or not Outsiders are permitted to get hitched as long as it does not affect their performance. )

▶ 003. TROUBLE BREWING.

It’s normal for fights to break out with so much alcohol being passed around, but something … isn’t quite right with some of the locals here. Outsiders who keep an eye open might notice people acting erratically, and not just from being intoxicated. There are people ready to pick a fight from just being looked at, people falling into despondent sadness and lethargy, people wandering mindlessly and people becoming distressed from seeing things that aren’t there. Ask the locals and they will tell you these cases seem to be popping up more often the past week.

The most concerning of all are the stories of people disappearing completely. One little girl will tell you she cried as she saw her mother mindlessly walk into the desert, as if called by a voice no one else can hear. There are many other accounts of this happening. In fact, all the people acting erratically seem to disappear within a few days …

Outsiders may interact with civilians who are acting erratic and aggressive, but asking questions they may receive answers that do not make sense, are perverse and inappropriate or may trigger aggression. Any Outsider to gets into a fight and is severely injured may report to a local hospital here and will find they are pretty packed with other civilians acting strange, hurting each other and themselves. Certainly, this was the main cause for concern that got LILITH's attention anyway.

▶ 004. FOUR FOR THE ROAD.

Within a day or two, the Outsiders will once again be called to action by a blaring notice in their implant.

YOUR VEHICLES ARE PREPARED. ASSEMBLE OUTSIDE THE CITY IMMEDIATELY.

When they gather at the location provided to them, they will find a fleet of armored campervans waiting for them. Each campervan comes equipped with beds, a kitchenette, and bathroom facilities, and will fit about 4 people. Within the campervans, they will find desert-appropriate attire designed to protect them from the scorching sun. These campervans also come with some basic artillery such as a mounted machine gun. There are also supplies in the form of water bottles and MRE ration packs.

Those who have driven large vehicles in the past are encouraged to take the driver’s seat. If the group does not have any driving experience, they will be given a crash course on driving recorded by the man himself, Seok Dang. (He probably shouldn’t be doing this with the stunts he’s pulled, but the Commander does not have any time to be teaching anyone driving, and Seok Dang volunteered so eagerly…)

"Listen. If you’ve ever handled a ▄▄ before, the joystick is exactly like that. You gotta tug it, but not too hard. Gently, yeah, like that, that’s the path to ecstasy … "

If it eases anyone’s worries, the campervans are armored and highly shock resistant, so they should withstand a crash or two.

(Those who finish his course and successfully drive 100km while supervised will receive an international driving license.)

▶ 005. THE HUNT IS ON.

With everyone settled into their campervan, the large scale road trip begins. LILITH has a general idea of where the biggest energy signal is located for the rift and they will feed the coordinates to the Outsiders. The journey will take about a few days into (and around as LILITH is searching for both people & the source of the rift energy) the Mojave Desert, and Outsiders will be permitted occasional rest stops to give drivers a break and to investigate the terrain. The terrain itself is a harsh desert, with cacti and small local fauna abundant. (Those not wanting to eat ration packs can take this time to hunt the local fauna such as birds, lizards and desert foxes.) While there is nothing else around, observant Outsiders may notice signs of human life - footprints in the sand, a shoe or torn piece of clothing being left behind, and even the odd human carcass being torn apart by vultures.

The logical conclusion would be that those missing humans have been here, and the only thing left to do is find them … but Outsiders and civilians aren't all that lurk here, and time will tell what lies beneath the desert surface ...

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our very first travel log! Each campervan will accommodate anywhere between 3-5 people, with 4 being the ideal and 5 being a squeeze. Players are encouraged to connect with each other to fill up a van but the mods will not be enforcing it. If you need help finding roommates, there is a FIND A ROOMMATE header below that you can make use of.

If you'd like to test your gambling luck, we also have an IC SLOTS HEADER for you to comment to for you to see how well your character does at the slot machines. This is entirely for fun, and of course you are always welcome to have your characters winning or losing at the slot machines as much as you want in your prompts so long as they aren't winning jackpots.

Following this log, all characters who have purchased style upgrades will receive an update to their chip enabling them access to desert attire and popular styles within Las Vegas.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points.

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Comments

[eyescar]

I've seen Godzilla, yeah! You think we'll see something like that?

[ At least then it would be almost familiar, wouldn't it? Something he's seen in a film - though it will probably be different in real life. At least LILITH gives them the briefing and bios before they go off on missions, so they have some kind of chance of figuring out the best method of dealing with them before they're forced to go and dish out the damage.

He keeps reading them because Megumi will hit him if he doesn't.

The notion of getting Katsuki had crossed Yuji's mind, but he's tucked it away - it doesn't seem necessary right now, when they take good enough care of one another, and Yuji's not sure how it would be taken either way. They've found each other before and after missions well enough, so they might not really need that extra layer of protection. It'll be fine. ]

So are you! [ A nudge to his friend, then he's back on the remote, trying to find something as he flicks through the list of films absently. ] A comedy, huh...

[ He's taking this really seriously. ]

[blastedass]

Not out in the desert, but I wouldn't be surprised in the future.

[It's the fact LILITH gives them briefing and bios when they encounter the kaiju that make Katsuki suspicious about them. Unless they're just encountering the ones LILITH tangled with before but couldn't beat... Can't say "new kaiju" and then spit out facts, so obviously these things were known to LILITH beforehand. Weaknesses included. As well as having weapons Outsiders can purchase that can usually address said weakness.

Read the damn cheat sheet, Gari Head!

Katsuki usually relies on the comm links to keep in touch with his allies back home, and the ocular devices here. But if the ocular gets zapped or some shit, you can bet your ass he'll be blasting around searching for his companions. Even if he has to yell their names like a fool. He worries, even if he won't say it.]

Like hell I am! [He keeps his mouth shut most of the time. Until his temper sparks and it blows open again. Katsuki settles back on his hands as he watches the screen flick through options.] Got any comedians you like?

[eyescar]

Godzilla is kind of cool, though... I'd feel bad for fighting something like that.

[ When he had been told they were fighting kaiju that is what he had pictured, but he really does like Godzilla a lot, so the idea of fighting that particular monster just didn't sit right with him. The ones they've fought so far have just seemed like really vicious and dangerous animals, which is also a little weird, but... They were hurting innocent people. That's enough for Yuji to want to get involved.

Shaking his head, Yuji fights the urge to grin, because that's so Katsuki, but... Whatever. ]

I'm okay with anything, honestly. I've never had that much of a preference, so I just watched whatever was on when I was a kid.

[ He was a television child... Thanks, grandpa Itadori. ]

Oh! This looks cute, hold on -

[ Leaning forward, he flicks back up to some kind of animated movie that has 'comedy' tagged on it. ]

[blastedass]

So if a big scaly, bipedal reptile wades out of the ocean, you're knock out rather than kill off.

[Katsuki grins at Yuji as he nudges him with his leg, teasing the other boy. But it's not wrong. Godzilla is a cool monster and IF something like that happened, the explosive hero would have even more doubts about LILITH being the ones behind the kaiju attacks, whether intentionally or accidentally. Katsuki has his own limits, as he found out with those boar-like kaiju in Kyoto. They weren't attacking people, just living their lives. Attacking them and taking their young hadn't sat right with him, so he dismissed LILITH's orders for it.]

Gojiro is a Pro Hero whose Quirk, Toho, gives him the attributes of Godzilla. [Katsuki takes a second to grab the memory, then projects an image of Gojiro from his ocular for Yuji to see.] I haven't seen him in action though.

[He's heard a lot about Yuji's world, people, and techniques, but hasn't talked too much about his own with the other boy. So... guess he can start changing that a little. Something for Yuji to look at while he's flicking through channels.

The images blinks out once he finds an animated comedy and Katsuki gives it a quick review before nodding.] Play it. And get up here; you don't have to sit on the floor to watch it.

[eyescar]

I'd definitely think about it!

[ Godzilla is just cool, okay! But if Godzilla was trying to kill people for real, then he'd have something to say about it, so...

Slowly, he clambers up onto the bed beside Katsuki now they've picked a film, making himself comfortable, even as he's immediately distracted by the image of the Pro Hero. There's one that has Godzilla stuff? That's so cool, and he's leaning forward to stare at the holo-image without hesitation. ]

Toho, huh? There's no one with a technique like this at home, as far as I know, so this is extra cool... Heroes get all kinds of powers, don't they?

[ Incredible!! Wiggling back onto the bed and flopping down, comfortable, he huffs a pleased noise. ]

I wish I could learn more about techniques and stuff. It might make fighting easier in the future.

[ Optimistic thinking, if he ends up being able to survive his fight with Sukuna. ]

[blastedass]

We should focus on driving it away. If we knock it out, those bastards are gonna grab it to study.

[Katsuki's all for saving Godzilla, but that's likely if it's just by itself and not swarming the city with little Zillas. Then it's kind of "you forced my hand" situation. Good to know Yuji would feel a similar way.

There's a lot about his world he can show Yuji. (Thanks for teaching him how to do the eye projector shit, Manjoume.) Letting the guy see some of the heroes and seeing Yuji's immediate interest in them brings a swell of pride and amusement to the blonde. He's always been proud of his world's heroes. Most of them. Some are dumb... some turned out to be scum...]

Aa. Quirks are varied. A lot of them are combinations of the parents' Quirks, though some can spontaneously occur with no relation to the parents' Quirks.

[Katsuki scoots up to rest his back against the headboard, getting comfortable as the image vanishes.]

I'll show you some more later. [He's not sure how reviewing Quirks could help in a battle of cursed energy, but Katsuki's no less interested in learning about Yuji's world's curse techniques too.]

[eyescar]

That's the kind of thing that could end up being bad for us.

[ They already had the weird fish upgrades, so if they were to make some kind of Godzilla upgrade... That would probably be awkward and bad, wouldn't it? Not that Yuji would consider getting it, since he's sworn off them for now, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a little bit curious...

Just as curious as he is about Katsuki's world and all the heroes in it. It's strange to think that curses have only just become public, that people are only just learning about them, when they've been a problem for hundreds of years. The idea of people being heroes and stopping villains appeals to him on a basic level, but he's not sure if it would ever work in his version of the world.

A lot of his enemies were his friends, first, and even then things keep happening that are totally out of their control. More heroes might mean more people dying, and he's not entirely comfortable with that.

Settling down beside Katsuki, he smiles. ]

I'll show you some stuff from my world too, if you want, dandelion.

[blastedass]

No shit. But do you want LILITH getting their hands on Godzilla?

[Granted the electric geckos were the reason they could even teleport out here in the first place. So not all the kaiju research was ending up in some weird freak lab making chimeras for sale. Katsuki doesn't want his friends coming out of the hospital with new upgrades either, sporting fucking spine fins that channel plasma energy for a breath blast attack.

... he will not mention that.

Katsuki will likely give Yuji a history on Quirks too, as they've only been around in his world for a few generations. What would Yuji's world be like if there was a public understanding of curses and a less-corrupt version of the jujutsu leadership? Where sorcerers were treated more as heroes rather than shadowy operatives trained to fight and die like tools. Nanami was right about not liking how the older sorcerers ran their operations.

The problem with heroes of any kind is that fighting means a risk of death. Heroes did their damnest not to kill the villains they fought, despite the villains certainly not giving the heroes the same concern. It's something to consider.]

Sounds good. [He likes learning about Yuji and his world.]

[eyescar]

No way. That would be crazy.

[ Even if a mouth laser would be cool.

Yuji has enough to worry about, trying to learn more about his blood manipulation while he has the chance to grow and learn with it, working with both Choso and Gojo-sensei to get stronger. Maki-senpai is here now too, and she's definitely going to kick his ass as much as she can if they ever end up fighting with one another, sparring to keep their strength up. He thinks he could take her now, but it'd be touch and go. She's... So good.

Impressively so, he's always thought so.

Kicking off his shoes, Yuji settles down and flops against the pillows, sighing softly. ]

Whatever you wanna know, I'll tell you. You've figured out the most anyway, and I've told you more than other people.

[ Reaching out, he nudges Katsuki as they settle into the movie. ]

I don't mind talking to you about things.

[blastedass]

Uh-huh.

[Yuji. No. You're not going Dragon Ball in this world.

Katsuki continues to focus on his own skills and training, sparring with Todoroki and Midoriya when he can because he's not about to let those two get soft sitting around doing jack all. But other Outsiders have also been dragged into the mix, as Yuji himself well knows from their own spars. Katsuki enjoys competing against the different techniques and skills, pushing himself to counter them and sometimes pushing his opponents to think of things outside the box.

That was actually the last encounter he had with Nanami... helping the man look past the box he put around his Ratio technique and branch into a new method of utilizing it. Someday, he'll talk to Yuji about that. He just doesn't know when's a good time.]

Hn. I know. [It's not flippant either; Katsuki acknowledges the sensitivity of the things Yuji's confided in him and has kept them secret as promised. He rocks a bit with the nudge, then bumps back, taking one of the sorcerer's hands in the process.] There's a lot more I want to know about you, and your world. [Personal and nerdy data. He squeezes Yuji's hand.] You can ask me anything about me, or my world, if you want.

[It's rare as fuck he'll ever give someone carte blanche to himself, but if anyone's earned it, Yuji has.]

[eyescar]

[ But he wanted to Kamehameha so badly...

Yuji wants to keep practising and honing his skills, because he didn't have enough time to do that back home. He had a handful of weeks between figuring out their plans and starting to train, and even though he'd been able to work with Yuta-senpai and Kusakabe-sensei, he hadn't really been able to do the kind of work and effort he'd have preferred. Sure, he can use Reverse Cursed Technique and Simple Domain now, but he doesn't think he's worked hard enough at either.

Blood Manipulation, too, but Choso is here for that. They can work on that together, even if Choso sucks at explaining things.

The hand in his own is comfortable and familiar now, and he lets himself enjoy the comfort of it, squeezing back gently. It's just nice, to be able to be close to someone like this, to be understood. He has Megumi, of course, and there's no denying that he trusts him and Raidou too, but there's something dangerous about unloading. It feels bad, sometimes, and he feels guilty - and, obviously, he can't tell Megumi the whole truth.

It would break him. ]

I'll start thinking of some good questions for you.

[blastedass]

[Technically he could Bloody Kamehameha?

They have the time here to train between the various events and the kaiju attacks. Katsuki had the luxury of training every day since it was worked into the U.A. curriculum. And he didn't wind up with a Quirk as late as Izuku or Yuji. But the fact of them have come so far despite starting so late is amazing. Katsuki was insanely jealous of Izuku's rapid growth, though All Might helped to put some of that into perspective for him. It's another aspect they can talk about and compare thoughts on.

Katsuki's not found anyone that could really "help" him on his own Quirk, outside of being an opponent to battle again and learn via that kind of adaptation. Then again, he's a proud boy and accepting help is chancy with him.

Feeling Yuji's hand in his is comforting. Unfortunate as it is, Katsuki has more interaction with Yuji and a few other Outsiders than his homeworld companions, so having that bond is very helpful. Even if the blonde doesn't say it much at all. As the movie turns on, Katsuki sinks into a quiet relax. A brief moment of nostalgia for easier weekends back home.]

I'll give you good answers.