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]

[ Unfortunately, Yuji's self-esteem is as much of an issue as his intelligence, no matter how cocky he might have been once. Shaking his head, he leans back. Is he meant to give the exam papers back to Ratio...? ]

That's fine. Will it be okay to work around my civilian job, though? Ryoutoku Wasuke is a firefighter.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio easily spots Yuji's uncertainty with the papers. ]

Keep them. As we progress through our lessons, you may refer to them and see if you understand the remarks I have left with your newfound knowledge. You will grasp your progress as the exam's problems begin to fall within your capacity to solve them.

[ Right, the civilian job. He loves teaching and had been more than happy to be given that job as his cover, but... well, he can already tell that the institution's faculty is going to give him a headache. ]

Of course. Simply send me your schedule and I will do my best. As there may be other students, I may not be able to accommodate you at all times, but I will schedule make-up lessons so that you don't fall behind.

[eyescar]

Right!

[ Yuji folds the papers up and shoves them into his bag, at least trying to make it seem like he's not horrified by his own failures. It's a little bit embarrassing, to have failed so much, but Ratio had said they were to see how much he knew and didn't know, so... It could be worse.

Right? He could've got nothing right. He could've failed completely and got 0%. Some right is better than none right.

Lifting his gaze back up to the man in front of him, he nods. ]

That's fine. I appreciate the fact that you're willing to teach me even a little to begin with, Ratio-sensei, even when it's obvious I've got a lot to learn. It means a lot to me.

[curingidiocy]

[ Yuji really shouldn't be horrified, but there's likely very little Ratio can say to change how he feels about his results. Even with his regular students back home he'd never been good at that. ]

If you truly value my efforts, then I expect you to put your all into your studies. Regardless, I have heard enough of your gratitude. It is unnecessary to repeat them lest you come off as insincere.

[ At this point, Ratio has shifted his gaze to the desert outside, seemingly disinterested in Yuji's words. ]

For now, we must focus on the task before us. Do not concern yourself with your studies until we have returned to base.

[stonehearts]

( Aventurine, ever one to be as obnoxious as possible, pipes up yet again: )

I'm afraid our good doctor here is out of practice with being up front about his emotions. But he does care -- it's one of his best qualities and, perhaps more importantly, makes up for his personality.

( He says, grinning at Ratio as he watches him out of the corner of his eyes. )

[curingidiocy]

Your opinion is unnecessary and unwanted, gambler.

[ Hissed with some indignation. Let him keep his pride dammit!! ]

[eyescar]

Aventurine-san...

[ Yuji looks between them, eyes wide. Yeah, definitely something fishy going on here. ]

You got it, sensei. Mission first, then studies.

[curingidiocy]

I can see the idiotic thoughts brewing in your mind, Itadori. Extinguish them at once.

[ Ratio, your vehement denials are really not helping your case... ]

[eyescar]

There's no thoughts! Nothing brewing up here!

[ Definitely thinking some thoughts. ]

[curingidiocy]

[ He just sighs with exasperation. Fine. Yuji is free to think whatever he wants of their relationship. It doesn't bother him, and it likely doesn't bother Aventurine either. ]

Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?

[eyescar]

No, this... This is fine.

[ Dads... ]

Thanks, sensei. I appreciate this.

[curingidiocy]

[ He only sighs again. It seems that it will be pointless to continue trying to dissuade Yuji from expressing his gratitude. He has met plenty of students who share the same inclinations, but none so earnest as the boy in front of him. It begs a curiosity to know his past, but Ratio does not voice these thoughts. It is not appropriate for him to ask. ]

Let us turn our focus to the mission then. As it is now relevant, allow me to inquire on your reconnaissance or combat skills. You have mentioned before that you can heal yourself, manipulate blood and use cursed energy. If possible, I'd like you to elaborate on that. To what extent can you heal yourself and manipulate blood? What does cursed energy entail and how does it affect those you use it upon?

[ It's now that he allows his curiosity to reveal itself. Those intense sunset eyes are focused entirely on Yuji. Don't get too nervous kid. ]

[eyescar]

Right, sure, okay!

[ This is something that he can talk about! ]

Cursed energy comes from negative emotions, so a lot of people have it, but it's when you've got a lot of it that you can use it to fight curses, like I do. It's like... Our power source? And the healing comes from that, when you reverse the negative cursed energy into positive cursed energy.

[ Now isn't the time to explain how he managed to learn that, since it's one of the hardest techniques. ]

Blood manipulation is a cursed technique, so it works alongside my cursed energy. I can use blood as a weapon, and used my cursed energy to maintain my blood supply.

[curingidiocy]

[ Interesting... his mind is already running through everything he knows, trying to connect the explanations to theories and knowledge he is more familiar with. Still, Yuji's explanation is rather lacking—not that he could have expected much more. It's enough for him to use when planning out strategies for the team. ]

You have been here longer than I, correct? How effective were your skills on the kaiju you've encountered previously?

[eyescar]

They've worked well.

[ Yuji flexes his fingers, thinking absently. ]

I used cursed energy against some, and that worked alright, and I've been just beating up all the others. I was throwing away the whale kaiju when they came, and when we fought the electric ones I tried to use my swords and my fists as much as I could. That's my area.

[curingidiocy]

I see.

[ So cursed energy was not particularly effective against past kaiju. That may not be the case with this latest one, but it could not be relied on as anything other than another tool in combat. It was easy to think of cursed energy as yet another facet of Imaginary energy, its own Type Manifestation that certain creatures could be weak against. But he would have to learn more before he could settle on that as a useful explanation. ]

So you are adept at hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting.

[ Given how Yuji has shown how he responds better to practical exercises, this comes as no surprise.

...all of this is better observed than inquired on, so he decides to end his question session, and instead offers information about himself. The better informed everyone was about the skills and capabilities each of them had, the better they would each be able to strategize. ]

It should not be unknown to you, but I do not specialize in combat myself. However, that does not mean I cannot fight. I prefer to stand in the back lines, as my choice of weapon is a little unorthodox.

[ Here, he manifests a piece of chalk in his hand, and points it at Yuji, the ghost of a smirk on his face. ]

Let it be said that I am rarely amiss in my aim.

[eyescar]

That's it! I've always been quick to learn martial arts, and I pick up things to do with fighting really quickly, especially if someone who's good at it can teach me. People like Gojo-sensei and Todo have taught me a lot, and Kusakabe-sensei gave me specialist training too.

[ Yuji responds well to people who say it like it is, but also people who give him proper tactics and training, because it makes logical sense to him. When he can see something applied, then he can recognise how to replicate it in himself.

Todo had taught him how to use Black Flash with words alone, and now Yuji is one of the few people who can use it at will.

That's the kind of student he is.

Nodding his head, he watches Ratio with a careful, intent expression: he's paying attention, and he's focused, because this is serious to him. ]

Your aim, huh? That sounds kinda cool, sensei.

[curingidiocy]

[ Hm. If he connects with a combat specialist in LILITH, perhaps he could consider directing them to Yuji, should he express a desire for further studies in that direction...

The look on Yuji's face is reminiscent of the students that attend his lectures back home, and the smirk broadens to a smile. ]

My skills, as well as Aventurine's, manifest through manipulation of Imaginary energy, which forms the basis of all matter and existence. When harnessed by a living being, Imaginary energy manifests as one of seven types, reflecting the being's natural composition. Despite the push in Cognitive Typing, a theory proposing that Type Manifestation is influenced by one's cognition, no conclusive link has yet been established. Both Aventurine and I wield the Imaginary Type, not to be confused with Imaginary energy. This Type is the purest manifestation of Imaginary energy, and its users often display their powers through creation.

Ah, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that these abilities are granted to us as Pathstriders: individuals whose ideals resonate with the path of an Aeon. As a Pathstrider of the Hunt, my abilities are oriented towards singling out targets and eliminating them. Aventurine is of the Preservation, so you may rely on him to protect you.

[ This is Ratio in his element: teaching attentive students. If he seems particularly animated or excited... don't point that out to him. ]