synflux | PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disaster, PTSD, mind-control, psychological trauma, violence, delirium from heat, temporary blindness, hallucinations, dead bodies.

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

After weeks of searching for clues on the kaiju and missing people, the desert landscape begins to blend together. Didn’t you pass that cactus earlier today? That rock formation looks exactly like the one you passed the other day. It’s natural to loop back around when conducting a search but doesn’t it feel like everyone has been going in circles more frequently?

The heat isn’t helping either. Temperatures start to rise and continue to rise to all time highs. The sun is unrelenting and the only reliable shelter they have are their campers. Prolonged exposure outside will result in heat exhaustion, dehydration, and delirium.

Warnings will be sent to the Outsiders via their implants to keep them up to date with the weather as well as providing health tips such as reminders to stay hydrated or seek shelter during the hottest parts of the day. They will also receive warnings for sand storms and tornadoes called dust devils. The storms start of short and relatively weak but gradually begin to last longer and become more powerful. Pretty soon, Outsiders will not be able to see ahead from the dense sand and wind.

Outsiders will be told to chase after the storms and if they progress far enough, they will begin to find traces of people. They will find random belongings, articles of clothing, and occasionally, human remains in varying states of decomposition. Eventually, however, they will start to find survivors suffering from extreme fatigue and dehydration. They speak incoherently to themselves and as soon as they regain their strength, they try to run into storms while calling out to things that people can’t see.

Outsiders can wait for emergency caravans to arrive from Vegas to take survivors back to the city or they can take back the survivors themselves and use the opportunity to restock on supplies.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

The sandstorms increase and grow stronger until eventually, they last entire days. The sands shift, the grounds shake, and something thunderous can be heard in the dust. It becomes harder to see out in the desert and it’s almost like the storms are trying to hide something. At the edge of a storm, sharp eyed Outsiders may catch sight of a great shadowy serpent in the heart of the storm. Messages to their implants will urge them to get closer and investigate but be careful.

The storm grows stronger as they approach and the camper vans may slow down or get stuck in the shifting sands forcing some of them to proceed on foot to make visuals. Eventually, they will get close enough to finally establish clear visuals on their target: A giant sand worm. It’s size is not immediately clear due to the poor visibility and it being partially underground. However, the worm also sees them and when it does, it glows. The light catches on and reflects against the sand particles and that’s when it hits some of the Outsiders: A sudden splitting headache followed by an inability to look away.

Some outsiders may suddenly find themselves entranced by the worm; hypnotized. They will begin to see mirages and hear voices calling out to them in the storm. Captivated Outsiders will find themselves wanting to run into the storm to chase after the phantoms, some of them images and figures of people from their past and present back home. If anyone attempts to stop them, they will become irrational, violent, and turn on their friends and allies. Some Outsiders may begin to view their allies as enemies and attack, turning on one another in a gruesome frenzy. Some of the hypnotic beams will effect those still in their campers, turning on their friends and other Outsiders.

Outsiders will have to restrain each other to keep them from running into the desert or harming each other. In the chaos, the worm disappears into the storm. The psychic effects of the monster will weaken after the worm disappears and the storm dies down but it may leave some characters feeling overwhelmed and confused in the aftermath. Some will remain in an erratic state for several days, occasionally acting normal. In the insanity of all of this, Outsiders may have picked up another Outsider into their camper van for their protection or camper parties remain shuffled. It's up to the ones unaffected by the psychic attacks to watch over the others while retreating from the desert.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

Following the disaster of the first sighting, LILITH will order characters to return to Vegas so they can assess what happened. En route to Vegas, some Outsiders may notice some side effects from the prolonged exposure to the sandstorm. They may experience shortness of breath and coughing as a result of breathing in so much dust. Furthermore, they may experience a splitting headache or pain behind their eyes. Their implants may lag, glitch, or go completely offline which will render them temporarily blind in one or both eyes. It seems that the fine sand and dust combined with whatever psychic damage the worm did may have messed with their implants and crossed some sensors which is all the more reason to return to Vegas for treatment.

Outsiders may become lethargic and experience vivid daydreams while they are awake or regular dreams while sleeping. In these dreams, they may relive memories. Some of these memories may be pleasant but others may be traumatic or things characters would rather keep secret. Unfortunately, being in close proximity to someone suffering from these effects will force a link through a glitch in their implants and drag other characters into the dream.

These links will function similarly to how simulation training works. The dreams they visit appear to be very realistic and characters can experience pain and be hurt within the memory. They will be able to interact with the memories. While in these memories, they can try to wake up the memory holder to bring them back to reality. Who knows, maybe helping each other understand what is real and a dream may even make them more resilient to the worm’s attacks the next time they go into the desert...

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

As characters recover from the psychic effects and implant glitches, LILITH will try to assess everyone’s biometrics to understand what happened. Characters who need therapy or counseling after reliving some horrible memories of theirs will be provided sessions via their implants. They now understand that the worm has some sort of psychic mind control power that it can use on victims. It is currently too dangerous to go back into the desert until they can come up with a proper defense against it.

Outsiders will be ordered to stay in Vegas and focus on recovery, given two queen side bed hotel rooms again OR if they would prefer to stay in the camper vans, that is also fine, with their same room mates or new ones. They are confident that they can fix the implants with the right upgrade but they aren’t sure what to do to stop people from following the call of the desert and making them act erratically. What is important is that LILITH sticks together.

In the meantime, those who have recovered, and even those who are experiencing these issues are ordered to remain close to one another; a buddy system of sorts. Each Outsider will be given designated groups to keep tight watch over one another while in Vegas. They will be responsible for physically checking on those in their groups and making sure one another’s whereabouts are properly tracked in order to avoid losing anyone to the desert.

LILITH encourages Outsiders to hang tight and wait for instructions before adventuring back out into the desert.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

In light of the results of the scheduling poll, here is our first event with a preview of the kaiju. All side effects from either the sandstorms or the worm kaiju can last for as short or as long as players would like.

For the daydreams/memory share, players can decide how they would like characters to experience the memories, whether it plays out in front of them like a movie or if they're reliving it by acting out the scene all over again or a mix of both. We encourage you guys to have fun with it and use whatever format feels most comfortable.

As always, feel free to leave questions under the QUESTIONS thread. All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards June AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. STORM CHASERS: Outsiders, still in the now expanded Mojave Desert, face problems with heat and sandstorms, resulting in dehydration and delirium. Still, LILITH encourages them to press onward in their camper vans and desert approved attire. Many dead bodies are found, but those that survive, Outsiders can keep an eye on survivors until emergency care can come pick them up.

2. STORM CALLS: A glimpse of the creature causing the problems is seen beneath the sands surface: a giant sandworm. It attacks LILITH recruits with psychological damage, causing Outsiders to hallucinate memories of their past, act erratic and violent and turn on LILITH crew. Outsiders are tasked to wrangle in one another and retreat back to Las Vegas to recover.

3. CITY OF DREAMS: Seeking refuge back in Las Vegas, character's implants go haywire from the psychic attacks, causing a memory share between characters that are close enough to one another.

4. REST & RECOVERY: Outsiders are placed in hotels again, or if they prefer to stay in the camper vans. They are tasked to keep an eye out on one another and sit tight for further instructions while LILITH assesses their data and next move to wrangle in the sandworm. Outsiders are to wait until given instructions.

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[ Oh. It's as though she's grounded, suddenly, even though Izou's grip on her shoulders isn't heavy. If she wanted to, she thinks she could shake off his hands, but the thought doesn't occur to her for longer than a second and there was never any chance of her acting on it.

Instead, she slips her arms under his, not pulling back but moving forward to hug him as tightly as she dares. He's heartbreakingly vulnerable like this and she's not sure exactly what to do, so she moves on instinct instead.

Muffled-- ]

Even if it's just this once, I--

[ He's dead. He's not someone she can see again after all is said and done, unlike other chances that might exist for people from different worlds. And she does understand that, so truly, even if it's just for now...

Even if she can only be an anchor now, she-- ]

Don't leave me behind.

( the storm continues to rage, but it might as well be standing completely still.

through the pain that makes his head feel like it's being throttled around in a tiny jar and through the want that's making his chest ache for people who aren't really even there, izou feels the firm tug of her embrace. the embrace of a girl who'd told him how much he meant to her, an insignificant thing like him. the embrace of a girl who'd told him she didn't know who she really was, so fragile beneath the intensity of her cheer.

there's an itch in his brain, fireworks at the bottom of his synapses over her cold touch past all this heat. )

I won't. I... I won't run off without ya.

( izou chokes out a response in the form of a desperate, re-affirming plea, and whether it's to reassure her or himself is up in the air.

he feels disgusting all over for not responding to the call of whatever is out there, it taking a great deal of willpower as it is not to lash out with the full, residual strength of a servant. but if they can just... if he can just— )

Get me, back to the camper. Before I... I don't wanna do somethin' to you, I'll regret. Anyone but you.

( for all his confidence in other times, the final statement comes out so pathetically quiet in all this wind, as if he might break if he shouted it any louder. )

... Yeah. [ It's a little raspy, and she has to turn her head to cough, throat roughened from the grit and dust this storm has kicked up. It doesn't help that seeing Izou in this shape has an even bigger lump forming in her throat, because there's not much she can do here. This is all Izou's effort, doing his best not to hurt her despite the sway the kaiju's got over him right now, and the best she can do for him is help him move away from its influence.

Hopefully. Hopefully distance helps, and she doesn't release him, but slowly starts walking him backwards, guiding him towards the camper. Hopefully it's his, she has no idea. They all look the same from outside. ]

Hang in there, okay...? We're almost there. Try to think about something else. [ Easier said than done, probably, and she's already coming up with a plethora of non-beguiling sand apparition things to talk about if she needs to offer them up as options. ]

Somethin' else?

( if he weren't busy trying to subside the throbbing panic in his chest, all this shuffling backwards might be funny.

but he'll try, even if every step is a step away from the nagging feeling that he ought to be there, out there, to make those same old excuses and be told yet again that he should keep his mouth shut and leave the thinking to others. )

What about... What about those mutts? You been... feeding 'em?

( one foot, two foot, a covered heel sliding backwards and against something hard. izou feels behind himself, turning only when he recognizes the feel of the hard steel frame of the camper.

he squints his eyes, grains of sand whipping against the vehicle and against his face as he tries to force the door open, regardless of whether this is the vehicle he was staying in or not. )

[ Good. That's a safe topic and March heaves a quiet sigh of relief, glancing up to see they've made it to a camper.

Not hers, once he actually manages to get the door open, which is just as well, because she shares that space with four other people and she's not entirely sure she's eager to contend with... well. Astarion right now. But she can release Izou, even though two fingers latch and curl into the fabric, not willing to pull back entirely in the event that he's lured back out there. ]

Yeah. When we get back, I'm going to see if I can set up an adoption event at the cafe I work with, to try and find them homes. [ Despite everything, her voice is still steady, the cheeriness maybe a bit forced this time, but she's doing her best. ]

They're all really good dogs, after all! They just need a chance. So I hope they stay okay until we're back at the base. They'd like it if you came to see them again, too.

( izou coughs out a laugh, bits of sand and gravel coming with it. )

Good to hear. A cute gal like you, takin' care of 'em... only means they're gonna get cuter themselves, yeah?

( there's his attempt at being lighthearted in a situation that's been anything but, and damn, is he really gonna just crawl on all fours up the stairs of this camper in front of the girl he likes? yeah. yeah, he is, after stumbling forward on a step.

izou grits his teeth to suppress a frustrated groan, a violent surge of pain in his head making his whole body want to shake. there's a quick, passing thought as to why didn't LILITH equip them properly for the possibility of this, but it's gone fairly quickly. if he can just make it to one of the lower bunk beds of this van... )

Shit. Whatever, the hell... is doin' this. I'm gonna, run the damn thing through 'till there's nothin' left.

[ Even in a situation like this, his words still inspire that bit of color in her face, even if now isn't really the best time to respond to them. Not in the way she wants to and she huffs out an embarrassed laugh instead. ]

You're right! Hopefully it means my cuteness is contagious and they end up being too adorable to resist!

[ But maybe she can also give them baths and brush their fur and give them a helping hand in that department, too.

The thought lingers even as she moves to help get Izou over to one of the bunks, supporting where she can. If he makes the whole trek by himself, she's going to feel very silly for not even trying to assist him. ]

... It's okay, though. Once you're feeling better we can team up again and I'll watch your back while you make that thing regret ever being stupid enough to mess with you.

( on he goes, not even bothering to brush her hand away at the moment. he's too distracted and too weak, climbing into the bunk with little to no grace. in fact, he grimaces as he just about bumps his head against the wall supporting it.

but at least there's a pillow here, and at least the voices from before are growing a deal more muffled, the surge of nausea rolling over before it can peak and make him worse. his chest rises and falls with an uneven rhythm, but he can't be the only one going through it right now.

more importantly, though... the regained clarity gives him time to think about march. he looks up at her, exhausted, wishing he could manage a smirk at her added bravado to his. even now, she looks at him with what seems to be concern on his end, and that brings an entirely different ache. if anything, he... )

You... You're doin' way too much, for an idiot like me.

( even if they'd been doing that all this time, it comes out anyhow, his own brand of worry. better play that off quick. )

And besides, I'm a genius with the blade... remember? If it weren't for it bein' able to twist my mind into knots, I... —it wouldn't stand a chance.

[ March lifts an eyebrow at him, even as she does her best to not reach over and adjust the pillow or do anything that comes across as Too Fussy. ]

I don't think it's too much at all. Isn't this just a normal amount of caring?

[ In her opinion, she's not doing enough, but she's not going to say that during a time like this. He still doesn't look all that well and after a minute, she nudges her hand against his forehead, a cooler touch. Fleeting. She's ready to pull back if he flinches. ]

But yeah, I know you're highly skilled. Hopefully enough of us can distract it or find some way to keep from doing what it's... doing now, so you don't have to worry about mind pretzels.

... Do you need anything now, though? Water?

( a normal amount of caring, huh. but it's anything but normal to a man so touch-starved, who'd always had to tend to his wounds on his own.

it's just the two of them right now. he can let things go. not be as strong as he should be, maybe.

and so he tries, like he tried when it came to getting here in the first place, as he nudges his forehead into her touch. the cold is always soothing to someone like izou, who runs so warm. )

In a minute, just... water.

( izou bites his lip. it's another moment that won't last, stemming from the urgency of his condition.

another moment where it's difficult not to express just how smitten he is with her, just as he was at the temple. )

[ He's really gotten a lot better at allowing himself these little moments of contact. Maybe because he doesn't have to put up any kind of front about them now, or maybe he simply isn't feeling up to batting away her hand, but she can definitely tell that he's leaning into the press of her fingers a little.

"In a minute", he'd said, so she keeps her hand there, gently trailing her fingers further over to graze his temple. Again, it isn't the time for anything more than this, even if it's been a while since it's just been the two of them. ]

--Got it. [ It's a bit of a belated answer, but she smiles at him. ]

I'll grab you a bottle and I can probably cool off a hand towel or something to put on your forehead, too.

( ... a bottle would be good. so would the continued, conscious reminder of her touch, but.

izou'd die ( haha ) before he said that in these circumstances, not even being able to offer a reassuring smirk as the pain rears its head again and he winces.

how much longer is this stupid headache gonna go on for? and how much longer is he gonna have to look so... pathetic, eyes darting around from beneath his messy bangs to the floor. there's a distinctly different wildness to them, likely bothered from being exposed to the storm. )

'Precciate it.

( is all he offers, body tense and doing the complete opposite of relaxing right now. i swear i'm not rushing this just to have the hotel thread. )

[ March nods once, drawing her hand back after a few seconds and turning to gather the proper supplies. A water bottle, soaking a hand towel and applying just enough of her ability to turn it more into an ice pack. And then she moves back towards him with her acquisitions, handing him both items. ]

... Just focus on resting. I'll stay nearby.

[ Yeah sure I'm not rushing either-- ]

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PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

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