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𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚡 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚜 ([personal profile] synfluxmods) wrote in [community profile] synflux2024-06-01 12:01 am

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.

eyescar: (pic#17186855)

kugisaki - fight with hakari

[personal profile] eyescar 2024-06-01 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yuji's body slams through a door and across a rooftop with a crashing sound, leaving him skidding across the ground as he breathes out sharply.

He's a little breathless as he lifts his head to shout, and Nobara might notice the witnesses - a girl, Fushiguro and Panda, all watching this take place as Yuji tells them not to interfere, not to get involved, even as one of Hakari's fists come forward and punch him directly in the face. He almost goes flying back, but one hand on the ground has him pushing himself back up to standing, blood trailing from his nose as he glares at his senpai.

The conversation is muffled, hard to focus on (Yuji get getting his head smashed in, hard to recall the specifics) until something makes him stop. Hakari shouts about Yuji having the fever, demanding, that he has to act in that way to earn his respect, and all Yuji does is tilt his head up to him, eyes dark, almost soulless as he gazes, blood scarring him. ]


I don't have any "fever". I'm just a cog. I'm a cog in the machine that sorcerers need to eradicate curses.

[ Hakari punches him again and Yuji goes flying back - he's not fighting back at all, not trying to do anything to defend himself, letting this older boy whale on him, beat him, hit him, until all he can do is push himself up and stare at him again. It's frightening, the expression on Yuji's face, dark and eerie. ]

I'm just a cog, and cog's have a function. My function is getting rid of curses, and if you're necessary for that... I won't give up until you agree.
kanzashi: <user name=sonea> (pic#16855616)

[personal profile] kanzashi 2024-06-10 08:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Nobara's head is spinning. In one moment she had been knelt down beside Yuji, giving a hefty shake to his shoulder in an attempt to wake him from a spontaneous nap, and in the very next there is nothing but the concrete of a rooftop before her, as the classmate in question gets, for lack of a better word, punted across it.]

...Itadori!

[She calls out, but he doesn't listen. To her left she spots Fushiguro and Panda (wait, when did Panda get here?) and swiftly raises to stand, jogging on over to them while calling out.]

Hey, Fushiguro! What's going on? Where are we? Who's— Oi— Why aren't you listening?!

[They ignore her completely, the random girl too, so she decides to try her luck with Yuji once more, stepping closer and closer as her voice gets louder, and louder, and—.]

Itadori! You'd better tell me what's going on!

[....Still nothing. By now the foe comes in to full view, and she stares Hakari down, unimpressed.]

Oi—! Who said you get to pick on my classmate, huh?! You think we're gonna just stand here on the sidelines and let you do it? Ehh?!

[Which is.. exactly what Fushiguro and the others are doing, actually. Dammit! Chalking it up to some stupid teenage macho man moment, with a click of her tongue she begrudgingly takes her spot on the sidelines, watching the beatings continue, but Yuji never fights back, just takes it, and the expression on his face gets darker, and blank, and he won't shut up about cogs, and this is not the Yuji she knows.

Okay. That's enough.]


Itadori!

[Something about this isn't right, and she's about to put a stop to it. Nobara marches forward, not caring that she is putting herself right between the two brawling boys, reaching out to her classmate and shaking his shoulder as she had been doing before, shoving, pinching, yelling, anything that will get his attention.]

Itadori. Itadori! [A beat.] Yuji! Quit talking about cogs for a minute and listen to me!
eyescar: (pic#16060584)

[personal profile] eyescar 2024-06-12 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Senpai... What's your function?

Fine, I'll keep punching -

Kin!
The girl beside Fushiguro speaks. Isn't he hot enough for you yet?

[ The memory shifts and fades, and there's a bleeding, tired looking Yuji Itadori standing like a ghostly figure beside Kugisaki, slowly coming to life. He looks exhausted and worm down, a little embittered by reliving the memory - not the worst thing that he could've shared with her, frankly, but it could have been better too.

The idea of sharing his thoughts about being a 'cog' with her makes him uncomfortable to say the least.

Sighing softly, he turns his head to look at her, giving an awkward little smile. ]


Hey, Kugisaki.
kanzashi: <user name=sonea> (pic#16866374)

[personal profile] kanzashi 2024-06-21 06:57 am (UTC)(link)
[The sound of her name has her flinching, hopping off to the sidw as she abruptly turns to see him morphing from a ghostly figure into something much more solid, and real.]

Itadori? Hey, Itadori, what is— [An arm abruptly juts out to wildly gesture at the space where the gathering from his memories had been] —All of this? Who were those people? Why were you letting him beat you up? What is wrong with you?
eyescar: (pic#16908082)

[personal profile] eyescar 2024-06-21 08:46 am (UTC)(link)
That was Hakari-senpai. We needed him to help us with the Culling Game.

[ Yuji sighs softly, rubbing at his face. It’s all complicated - every second of it - but he can try and explain it to her. He can try and do… Something.

If it means he can avoid his mental state… ]


I had to prove that I was strong.
kanzashi: <user name=sonea> (pic#16897618)

[personal profile] kanzashi 2024-06-28 07:16 am (UTC)(link)
Hakari-senpai...?

[Hakari, Hakari... Why does that name sound familiar, somehow? Where has she heard it...]

Prove it to who? That idiot? Why! Everybody already knows you are strong, so why should that guy matter!

[She closes the gab between them— offering a (supportive!) jab of her finger into his shoulder, its secondary intention being to check if this Yuji is here in the flesh beside her.]

And why were the others just stood there watching you get beat up? Some friends they are! If it were me, I would've nailed his dumb head to the pavement!
eyescar: (pic#16995539)

[personal profile] eyescar 2024-06-28 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
He'd never met me, so obviously I had to prove it! With the Culling Game going on and everything...

[ He groans as he's jabbed, hitting at her hands absently. ]

They couldn't get involved, that was the point!
kanzashi: <user name=sonea> (pic#16871060)

[personal profile] kanzashi 2024-06-28 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
But Why? Why did you need to prove it to him! [Jab jab!] What's a "culling game"?!

[Argh, so frustrating, always being out of the loop on everything!]

Why couldn't they? You're working together, so of course they can help! Or was this some stupid "men's ego" moment? Huhh?
eyescar: (pic#16721663)

[personal profile] eyescar 2024-06-28 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
It was the thing that Kenjaku put into place. Like that manga, Battle Royale? Like that.

[ Yuji sighs, rubbing his face. ]

No, it was... Proving something. It's fine, it's over.