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

003-2

[busternaut]

[Dearka just happens to be nearby and is listening to the whole lead-up without interfering, watching Bakugo trying to keep his temper as he keeps getting the same answer from the kid over and over. It was sort of amusing at first, but now it's just getting kind of hard to watch... Which means it's probably time to step in.

That's when he saunters up with his hands in his pockets and an easy smirk on his face.]

I think she's maybe trying to tell you she didn't see her again after that...? Just a thought.

[It's not even like he's some kind of child expert but. C'mon.]

[blastedass]

[Look, he's asking her the same question multiple times, even trying to change it up to a way she could possibly understand, and the brat's not getting it at all! It certainly wouldn't be the first time Bakugo's yelled at a damn kindergartner. He almost blasted a number of them during his remediation course exam because those shits were little monsters!

He glances up from the frustrating exchange, eyes narrowing at the other an immediately. Who the fuck's this prick?]

She wouldn't be out here all by herself then! [Unless she walked from her wherever this morning to the hospital asking for her mother... which is an entirely different disturbing thought.]

[busternaut]

[Ah, but that's exactly what Dearka is thinking! Disturbing though that may be to contemplate. His smirk is gone already, replaced by a quizzical frown.]

Why not? Kid might be resourceful enough to have made it out here on her own. [He nods towards her.] You hear that? Can you tell us if you came out here by yourself?

[Dearka doesn't bother crouching to get on the kid's eye-level when talking to her, though that's partially because Bakugo's already down there..]

[blastedass]

[He's not going to say that to her. She's already been wandering around asking about her mother. Bakugo frowns in response to that question and looks back at the girl. He's about to answer when the other guy speaks up again. Tch-

But all she does is look up at Dearka and inquire about where her mother went. For a girl who's lost her mom, she doesn't seem to be crying or even sad. More just... dazed. Probably shell shocked or in a state of confusion.]

That's all she's been saying since I found her. One of the nurses is getting the child psychologist to help.

[Unless Dearka thinks he can get through to her faster.]

[busternaut]

Ah. Now I see...

[Dearka scratches his head, grimacing uncomfortably. That does make things a lot more complicated, doesn't it? No, he definitely does NOT think that he can get through to her any faster than a psychologist would... He glances down at Bakugo, head cocked to one side.]

If that's the case, why keep asking her things over and over like that? Kind of seems like you're just causing frustration for yourself.

[blastedass]

I'm not frustrated, dammit!

[He totally is. But probably makes Dearka's point when he asks the girl again if she can recall where she last saw her mother. Then drops his head in exasperation at the same answer and question. Just this morning, just asking where she is. Over and over. Fuck...]

I'm trying to keep her talking. If I let her fade out, she's just gonna retreat in there and clam up.

[A small child reliving a traumatizing event all by themselves is pretty messed up.]

And yes, I've asked her other things. This is all she wants to focus on.

[busternaut]

[That IS pretty messed up... And Dearka is now regretting sticking his nose in when he clearly doesn't have any easy solutions or relief to offer. He's involved now though, and he can't in good conscience just leave Bakugo to struggle with the situation alone.]

She's probably in some kind of shock... Maybe you should keep asking her different things anyway? Try to simulate a normal conversation with her, even if she's not responding the way you'd hope. [He shrugs.] At least that way you're keeping her talking. That, or...

[He looks around the room, frowning.]

Could try playing a game with her or something. If there's anything usable in here...

[blastedass]

No shit. [Of course she's in shock! Or bewilderment. That's what was implying already. The blonde frowns in irritation, not liking the idea of a kid's mom getting charmed away from her child. That's fucked up.

... hm, Dearka actually looks more like a child guy.]

You try talking to her then.

[Bakugo is Not Good with Kids (patent pending) and he's already reaching a frustration level that probably won't be good for a traumatized little girl to listen to. If Dearka thinks he's got a good way to communicate with her, especially if he's suggesting Bakugo make small talk to her out of nowhere, then he's welcome to stick his nose in further.]

It's a hospital. Why would they have games here?

Srry US holiday weekend got me all scrambled :')

[busternaut]

[Hoo boy. Maybe Dearka could be a good with kids guy one day... But as things currently stand? He has woefully minimal experience. Any knack he seems to have for it will only seem like a knack relative to what Bakugo's lacking.

...In this case, at least in Dearka's opinion, the lacking seems to be in arena of common sense. His eyebrows go up a little in disbelief.]

Seriously? C'mon. Most medical offices are bound to have some kind of stash of toys or games on hand somewhere to keep brats distracted with. Whether they're waiting for treatment or they're stuck hanging out while their folks get looked over, you have to keep them occupied.

no problem. holiday weekends tend to do that.

[blastedass]

[Considering Bakuo's never had the patience for kids, and he doesn't like them for being annoying as fuck for any reason, whether they're too cuddly or too rambunctious, Dearka's probably going to look like he's the one better suited for this mission.

As Dearka's brows go up, Bakugo's narrow down in predicted response.]

Fine. You keep her company and I'll ask the front desk if they have something.

[He pushes himself up to a stand, gritting his teeth a bit at the slight kink in his thighs and feet for having couched that long. Walk it off.]

[busternaut]

[There's a brief moment where Dearka looks sort of alarmed at this sudden turn, but he quickly decides this is probably the best course of action. He scratches the back of his head, frowning as Bakugo gets back to his feet.]

Uh... Yeah. Alright. [He holds one hand up to block his mouth from the kid's view, muttering in a low voice.] Just, promise you won't leave me in the lurch here...? I'm a soldier, not a babysitter, I don't know how much kid-friendly conversation material I can come up with on the fly.

[Yeesh. This is REALLY not what he envisioned dealing with when he first stuck his nose in this mess...]

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's already scanning the room, looking over nurses and orderlies that are obviously busy. He needs to find and grab someone he won't interrupt from doing something important. There's on-

Now what?]

She's not gonna bite, idiot. Kids like to tell you what they've done or some shit like that.

[This said with zero attempt to cover his mouth with his hand. Bakugo straight up leaves Dearka there. He had to deal with the girl for a while, so now it's this guy's turn. Though Bakugo's a responsible guy, so he won't be gone long. Give him five minutes and he'll actually be returning with one of the pediatrician orderlies.]

[busternaut]

[Ugh... Rude-ass teenagers. Is he too young at 21 years old to be thinking shit like that? Doesn't matter, it's happening anyway.

Fortunately, he's not the kind of guy who gets too fussed over that sort of interaction, so he just makes an annoyed noise to himself and then turns back to the kid. He looks at her, considering his next move for a moment, and then... Just eases down to sit right there on the floor across from her. Cris-cross applesauce. They're enough out of the way that they can probably get away with that, right? He tries to smile in a reassuring way.]

Heh, don't worry; your grouchy buddy'll be back real soon. Uh... So. My name is Derick. What's yours?

[Presumably, he's not going to get much further than Bakugo is, at least not right out the gate. He awkwardly answers that he doesn't know about her mother, and tails off asking her different less relevant questions, just to keep her chatting. What her mom looks like, what sort of hobbies she has... That kind of thing. It's all asked with an air of awkwardness, but he's doing his best to kill time while he waits for Bakugo to get back with someone or something.]

[blastedass]

[Think away, grandpa.

Dearka's free to try as he likes to interact with the girl. Bakugo didn't get far with her, recognized that early on, and simply kept talking to her to make sure she stayed at least someone cognizant and attached to the world. If she kept the idea of her mother and what happened fresh in her mind, even if painful, it should help someone more skilled be able to grasp those memories and maybe figure out something about whatever went on.

Five minutes of that whole fun, just a few vague questions about her mom and mentioning when she last saw her. Probably enough to make Dearka want to bang his head on the wall.

Bakugo eventually does return close to that time up, bringing with him a lady who he's briefed on what happened. She quickly thanks Dearka for helping the girl and offers to take over from here. Bakugo looks at the other Outsider.]

If they find anything, they'll let the base know.

[busternaut]

[He actually doesn't feel like banging his head on the wall, amazingly... If anything, he just feels increasingly pained and concerned on the kid's behalf. He relinquishes her to the nurse without a fuss, getting to his feet and watching as they both depart.

Dearka listens to Bakugo without looking at him, his troubled eyes still fixed on the retreating backs of the nurse and child. He grunts and scratches his jaw thoughtfully.]

Right... Man. Well... Here's hoping they can do something for her.

[He finally glances at Bakugo and grins.]

Definitely in better hands with that nurse than with either of us.

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's not about to be stubborn about an area he has no real talent or want to be good at. Kids annoy him, even if he knows how to take care of them in his own gruff way. Certainly not a way that would make their parents "happy" with him. He carried a kid in his teeth at one point (by the shirt collar) during evacuation because his hands were busy. Didn't give a shit if the little brat was pissing himself. He was gonna live, dammit!]

She's not the first one either. Other people have gone missing.

[Yeah, have that sucker punch in exchange for the grin and comment, Dearka.]

Tch, our job's to make sure there aren't any more.

[busternaut]

[Dearka appears more or less unfazed by the reminder that there are other kids going through the same shit. He kind of already figured that was the case. He is also, unfortunately, extremely used to seeing families torn apart. The dopey grinning and the stupid comments are just how he copes.

He does take a moment to glance around the waiting area again. Scoping all the confused and delusional people suffering from an unknown affliction, all mingled in with the regular people who are just there seeking treatment for every-day maladies.]

Yeah... Kind of hard to do when we're stuck sitting on our asses waiting for LILITH to finish preparations.

[He cants his head curiously back towards Bakugo. Guy seriously seems like he needs to relax. Soooo...]

Well... You did your good deed for the hour. Wanna go get a drink or something?

[Totally normal suggestion, not out of left field or anything.]

[blastedass]

[The waiting room is home to all sorts of the weirdness going, from people who were attacked by random aggressors to those who are dazed and lethargic to more like the girl who are traumatized by vanishing people. A few police officers are also around, to make sure nothing gets out of hand here. It's surreal.

And then the normal people who are trying get through with their regular day and appointment. How the fuck did that man get his hand stuck in a teapot? ... Not his damn problem.]

That doesn't mean we can't do anything. I already stopped a group of muggers.

[And all five of them ended up in an ambulance for reasons Bakugo's unsure of. HE knows how to pull his punches, and yet... What the hell is with this place? Are people made of glass?]

Tch. You got a place in mind?

[busternaut]

[Dearka shrugs.]

Sounds like there's a story there. And whatever's close by and cheap, that's what I'm thinking.

[He does actually start walking, figuring Bakugo will just follow automatically-- but then two steps in he falters, and pauses to glance back at him more appraisingly.]

Eh... Wait. Are you even old enough to drink...? What's the drinking age around here, anyway...

[His eyes light up as he uses his Occular to google that real quick. Mad as he was about being implanted with that thing, it IS very convenient.]

[blastedass]

Some stupid bastards attacked and chased another Outsider for no reasons. I kicked their asses.

[There's the summary of the story, though the aftermath of that was awkward at best. Bakugo follows Dearka towards the door, only to jab the toe of his shoe into the ground to halt himself before he bumped into the guy.]

Don't just stop in the middle of walking!

[You want people to run into you?! His bristling ire sparks up even more when Dearka tosses that question.]

I NEVER SAID I WAS GONNA DRINK!!

[Of course he's not old enough to drink! What's he look like, a 30 year old geezer?! And hell if he knows the drinking age. Ugh, people getting blinky eyes when they google shit in their heads is really creepy.]

[busternaut]

[...It's honestly funny how accustomed Dearka is to this level of bitchiness. This guy could give Yzak a run for his money.

He does look a LITTLE taken aback by the outburst, but ultimately remains unruffled.]

Alright, alright! Just making sure. Don't want to risk getting in trouble with the local authorities or whatever. [He starts walking again, hands in his pockets.] By the way... I don't think I caught your name.

[blastedass]

[He's the one that stopped dead while trying to lead someone outside! Who the fuck thinks he's not gonna get yelled at for something like that?! Bakugo snarls at him, already moving forward as if to force Dearka to keep walking. They don't have to hang out in the fucking hospital lobby if he's just gonna talk!]

I already talked to them thanks to that shitty altercation earlier! They know we're here! [Totally not what Dearka was getting at and Bakugo's dodging it like a missile. Picking up his pace once they're outside so he's shoulder to shoulder with the other man.] Urusei! I didn't give it! Bakugo Katsuki!

[Bless your patience, Dearka.]

[busternaut]

[He's moving! He's moving! Seriously, being roommates with Yzak at ZAFT Academy honed him for this. If anything, it's just sort of funny. There's a good amount of humor in his voice as he returns banter. Bakugo can dodge the point, but Dearka can still bring it back around with little fuss.]

Didn't doubt for a second they already knew we were here! I just don't want to get on their bad side, getting caught providing alcohol to a minor or something, y'know? Bakugo Katsuki. Nice to formally meet you: I'm Dearka Elthman.

[blastedass]

[The oppressive air of the hospital fades, though trading the air conditioning for the arid heat is questionable at best. Bakugo shoves his hands into his pockets as he walks, shoulders back despite his face giving clear "don't fuck with me" vibes. Probably makes for a funny pair along side Dearka.]

Ba-Ku-Go! [He doesn't need the damn full name, idiot! Formally meeting isn't lost on him though, scowling at the other man once the name's traded. Dearka Elthman. Sounds foreign. Definitely not Japanese.] Where are you from?

[busternaut]

[They really are an odd duo. Dearka would be cool as a cucumber if he weren't also actively trying to keep himself from laughing at how angry this kid is. Answering questions about himself helps keep him focused and the chuckles at bay, at least.]

Ah... My hometown? I'll tell you, but it might not exist in your world. And it's also not on Earth.

[By this point, he's talked to enough of his fellow Outsiders to have realized that PLANT is not a consistent presence throughout the various worlds they've been pulled from.]

I'm from a city called Febuarius; it's part of a larger nation called PLANT.