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

[nutkick]

[ fun? was it really fun for her? denji is not sure, but he wouldn't argue about it. he listens to her answer carefully, wondering if there is a reason he asked in the first place. a sigh follows and he shrugs. ]

I do have a better life here. I'd say I'm enjoying it ...

[ there's a 'but' — even if he kept it to himself. he regards her again, only now realizing he hasn't been able to keep eye contact with her since their reunion. it was hard ... and still is. denji's gaze shifts lower to her choice of drink. hmm, pretty sure she is incapable of getting intoxicated so there is no worry about that. ]

Have you met anyone here you genuinely like? and I do mean 'like'. Devils are not that heartless, right?

[kubricks]

[There are things she thinks are fun. This part of their trip to Vegas where they haven’t had to start working yet, that girls night after the kaiju battle...there’s some advantages to being part of the rank and file, she finds. Experiences she couldn’t have had back home, and those are something that appeals to the parts of her that she doesn’t show others.

And her drink is nothing too fancy looking, it's a whiskey that the bartender recommended. Like he thinks, there’s little to worry about, but she’s not exactly showing off her ability to handle these things. She’s got to be more mindful of her KRYPTOS here so no covering drinks for everyone.]

I would say I like the people I’ve met here well enough. I do my best to get along and there's some I enjoy talking with quite a bit.

[That one she took a little time to think about, trying to think of the best way to word it. Even if it could be answered with a simple yes or no, that's not a good answer. And an “I like Chainsaw Man,” while accurate wouldn’t be the best idea either.]

But I wouldn’t say I’ve met anyone here who I would say I “like” yet though. It could happen, I haven't written off the idea, but that's my answer.

[nutkick]

[ he watched her carefully, differently, and when his mind was not clouded with sexual fantasies— this might be his first time having a conversation with makima with a clear head. he started noticing the small details of her calm tone, stoic features, and body language. she always came off as someone easy to talk to, someone who would listen, even if that's how the control devil functions ... he wonders if she would ever drop her guard, and speak with honesty, but maybe she is being genuine now. after all, he is not asking the hard questions.

as she kept talking, denji crossed his arms on the counter, resting his head on them; still listening and staring. ] They are good people, Miss Makima. They actually care about us ...

[ he can't predict what she's thinking, what she's truly feeling. he was never that smart, even with nayuta whom he raised himself. he still doesn't know if she truly loves him as a brother, even when that wouldn't change his feelings towards her. maybe that's why he's here— with the control devil, instead of all the new, healthy relationships he made in this city. maybe ... ]

I don't think you were happy back home. You seem different here. Better ...

[kubricks]

I don’t disagree with your assessment of the people here, but I come across as better?

[There’s a brief look of surprise there, that wasn’t what she expected to hear. He’s the only one who could point something like that out to her, and yet, she still finds herself uncharacteristically thrown off by the fact that he did. She won’t dispute that she’s different, not entirely by choice, but better, she isn’t sure about that one.]

I wonder if I seem that way because I’ve actually changed or if it’s because you’ve gotten to see more of me outside of what you got to see back home.

[Most of that was carefully crafted, carefully controlled, but here, she can’t quite do the same. She could try and maintain that level of control over her interactions with others, and in some cases she does, but as a whole, it’s a bit difficult to do in her current situation. Especially when things happen like LILITH cuffing them together.]

And I’d say the same about you seeming different, but I know that’s not entirely due to here. My question instead is are you happier? Do you feel better here?

[nutkick]

Yeah, better ...

[ it's hard to explain what he exactly means by it, but maybe he didn't need to. perhaps he's seeing makima functioning in a situation that is hard to control, often getting forced into participating in unpredictable affairs and finding a way to cope— denji is hoping through that mini hell, she might find some people worth sharing a genuine connection with. who knows? it could happen. maybe.

when she asked him if he was happier in this city, it was denji's turn to be a bit startled. god, what a question. it got him thinking, even when logic begs he should be screaming 'yes'. he has a job that pays well, a roof over his head, he can afford necessities and extras, and he made good relationships (healthy ones) — then, why is he still considering an answer?

he nods, almost as if he wants to give her a casual retort. even with that, his words didn't match that gesture. ] I should be ...

[ he should, but-

he looks up at her again, hesitant before he added. ] I don't know. It's been weird since I went back home for a bit. It felt like ... no matter what we do here, we'll still end up to where we came from. It's a bit cruel, you know?

[kubricks]

It’s interesting, I hadn’t known that could happen until fairly recently. And then even more recently, I experienced it for myself. And now I find out it’s happened to you too…

[She hasn’t actually talked about her own experiences with anyone. There’s not much she’d want to share with most of the people here, so she’s just kept it to herself. Maybe later on something could happen to make her more likely to share. To loosen her grip on her own history, but no, not any time soon.]

And it does seem a bit unpleasant to be made aware of something like that. But I don’t think it’s intentionally cruel and I didn’t feel mine was. Then again I accepted ending up where I came from or where I will be some time ago.

[Even if she still hasn’t actually made it to the end yet… But if she had, she’d say the same thing and mean it.]

Though it’s not as if I had much choice in the matter, of course.

[A bit of wry smile on her face there. She supposes she could've tried to be in denial about things at the start, but the thought never occurred to her.]

That aside, do your friends feel the same way about this you do? Or is this something you haven’t discussed with them?

[nutkick]

... You went back home?!!

[ right, he already established that is a huge possibility in the place and it's something he experienced himself, so why is he this surprised it happened to makima?

perhaps it's her nonchalant tone and dismissal of how it all ends between them, or maybe she hasn't seen that part yet. denji is not sure if he should ask, not sure if either of them wants to talk about it; even if all she remembers is the last strike and their brief conversation before it all fades to black— he's certain makima is aware of what will happen next, how to kill a devil and erase their existence.

how could she say that's not cruel? they both lost. they both failed. is she really okay with it? ]

It's not their problem to deal with me like that. I just keep those nasty thoughts in my noggin until I, uh, forget about them or something ...

[ there's mild shame behind his dismissal; surely she will know why— there is nothing about his past worth sharing. everyone around them seemed to have a normal amount of fuckery in their past life and then there is denji/aki and makima. it's best to keep their dirty secrets among themselves.

he side-eyes her, silently this time, lowkey curious about what she had seen when she went back home. ]

[kubricks]

I did.

[A sip of her drink, projecting that usual unnatural calmness. No elaboration on that follows, not just yet. There’s nothing she can really reveal happened that she knows he doesn’t already know, but she keeps those things to herself for now. Her thoughts, her feelings, exerting some control over what she chooses to share and not.]

But does that work? Keeping them in your head like that. I imagine you do forget...for a time, but then something brings it right back to the forefront, doesn't it?

[She isn’t getting at anything specific, not really. As far as things go, there’s a lot of unpleasant things there, and even if quite a bit of it involves her, it’s not all her.]

[nutkick]

[ he shakes his head, slow and unsure, but he doesn't have any other choice. it didn't make sense to him to bring shit up when things are going smoothly; he's functioning. isn't that enough? he's living a normal life, he's being chainsaw man, aki is safe so far and makima is — well, he didn't know what was up with her. if her goals have changed or anything. he was hoping this conversation would, somehow, give him a hint. yet, she remains impossible to read, which means she still has her guard up around him. ]

I'm not saying I'm fine. I'm not saying it's okay to keep it to yourself. I'm not saying I don't have anyone to talk to. It's just ... what's the point? tears and hugs?

[ it won't resolve anything and it won't change the past. a thought, he then shrugged. ]

Wait ... a hug would be nice. Devils fancy hugs, too.

[ he may or may not be throwing a mini jab at her. ]

[kubricks]

Yes, some do.

[It’s a jab all right. It lands to an extent, her expression doesn’t change, but she maybe contemplates her drink for a few more seconds than she would otherwise. And she addressed it instead of ignoring it entirely. It’s hard to really land anything on her, but even a glancing blow is an accomplishment in itself.]

Though more people than Devils, I’d imagine.

[Just an idle thought on her part, not something she’d normally voice, but she can voice things around him she wouldn’t with others. Originally here it irked her, but at times, it isn’t the worst thing.]

As to the point, I think anything I say there would be the wrong answer.

[A frown on her face there. She’s not upset about it, no, it’s more just expressing how unsuited she is towards tackling that question.]