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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then I'm glad for it.

[ And she means that, squeezing Malkuth tighter now that she's aware she probably can. Now that she thinks that she really, truly needs it. ]

I'm a lot of trouble, too. I just don't know the half of it yet, but Dan Heng's always exasperated with me and telling me to pay attention and not to run too far ahead. Even with that, I know he'd be the first one to pull me back if I was in danger. So there's no way I'd give up on you, you know.

I'm sorry I can't always bust into your dreams to wake you up, but I hope... if nothing else, it eases off a little. Because you don't need to keep suffering like this.

[ another choked bit of laughter, resting more on the other girl. she can feel the phantom pain of her mouth leaving, tongue grazing teeth instead of gum as it heals, as it isn't... so much a nightmare really, with march here. a nightmare for a different reason -- this is the last thing she'd ever want march to see, but it is what it is -- but not alone. ]

Can I borrow you next time I have this dream? You... you really looked like you wanted to go at him.

Oh, I was gonna.

[ Casually. ]

He'd better watch out if he decides to dream-haunt you again, I've got a mean right hook waiting for him.

He's a nerd, Marmar, he'd fold like a house of cards.

[ her friend is so... something else. malkuth lifts her face a little, cheeks clear of red and looking better. slowly, slowly healing. ]

You don't... need to vet everyone who likes me and vice versa, you know. I don't think I'm gonna be having anymore surprises anyway.

I don't believe you.

[ Mildly, as she leans back to look over her friend. ]

And I won't vet everyone or I'd be pretty tired. But I think it's time you start paying more attention to the people who saw you without you ever having to ask for it.

[ she's looking!!! better!!! her hair is longer, even -- more to what she has now, and her nails are cut short but exist as she wipes at her face. ]

... Mmhmm. I know that. It's just... a lot. [ exhaled. ] That's all. You get it, don't you?

[ with her own... ]

Yeah, though it's...

[ Well. They have very different pasts (maybe) and different ways of approaching things. So March shrugs. ]

... Well, not important right now! Can you stand?

I... think so.

[ ... maybe. no, she's certain she can -- she's always stood up again after something difficult, something terrible. her will is her strongest thing. malkuth lets go of march enough to push herself up, slow and steady.

she stares down at the pieces of herself still at her feet. ]

I usually wake up after he leaves. Like, the door is a trigger for it. I've never... been able to leave because I wanted to.

All the more reason to shake things up a bit, right?

[ She has full faith she'll be able to wake up on her own this time. ]

[ maybe she'll have faith in herself for the same someday, but for now-- the faith she has in march, that march has in her, is enough. malkuth exhales, squeezing her eyes tight.

...

and so the stifled, quiet grief of an underground lab is replaced with the lonely calmness of a desert far, far from home despite its barren likeness. it isn't a bad sort of loneliness to malkuth. it's a thoughtful one. march is warm beside her in the shared bed of their mandatory monthly sleepover (not even a mission can stop this) and malkuth shifts to peer cautiously, curiously at her friend.

for the first time, she hasn't woken up gasping for air she'd never thought she'd have again. there's wetness on her cheek, but that's no different than the other times she'd had it. still, still. it is different. ]

[ She's awake. Not as jarring as it has been, in some other dreams, thankfully, but March still needs a minute to process everything. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to watch your friend bleed from the eyes and lose her teeth, among other things, and the only real comfort is a cold one indeed--that she wasn't the one who'd had to actually endure it.

So she gazes at Malkuth as soon as she's awake, before reaching out to brush her thumb under one of her eyes. ]

You need better dreams.

[ malkuth flinches a little at the touch, just slightly, and smiles apologetically at march as she turns onto her back. the camper-van's ceiling is nothing comforting in its darkness; her voice remains at a strained whisper. ]

It was the first one I remembered, so it comes around more often than others... but I have plenty of good dreams, too. About you most of the time.

[ or at least, she's guaranteed to be there if it's a good dream. ]

With that... and some others, I always feel trapped in my body. [ a shaky inhale. ] Like I know what's going on, what's about to happen next, but I can't stop it no matter how hard I try. Or want to. I'm sorry you had to see it.

[ can't believe we could have made marth happen ]

It's not your fault. I think I kind of understand a little better what you went through, too.

... I'm glad you can at least... move forward, you know? Even if it takes some time. Maybe it'll happen in your dreams, too. And they'll start to leave you alone.

[ and be doomed to be a fire emblem character? i dont think so. ]

... Maybe.

[ to all of that. it still feels like she has one eye over her shoulder, as if waiting for someone who wouldn't ever step through a door.

her fists clench. what a pathetic, hopeless what-if. even if it might not be born from admiration some day... even just to hear an "i was wrong about you" would... malkuth shakes her head roughly and her giggle is short, strained. forced to be fine. ]

I don't wanna go back to sleep. I feel like I'll just have the same dream again.

[ And March reaches out to ruffle her hair, because she recognizes just how forced the giggle is. Girl, please. ]

We don't have to. We can go get some air or something outside instead.

[ please. she knows she's not fooling shit. this wouldn't even fool who takes anything at face value. ]

Are you sure your cutie sleep won't take a hit from that, Marmar? I can go out alone, you don't need to come with me.

I'm adorable even when I'm sleep-deprived.

[ matter-of-factly.

She's coming with. ]

You're so stubborn.

[ says the other stubborn chick in this van. but malkuth won't protest further, taking march's hand and going outside with her in tow.

... sitting just might be a nice idea, but they're gonna take a walk around the perimeter. wish they could do it barefoot but i think scorpions exist. not that malkuth would mind watching them scurry around she ate one while in vegas it was pretty good. but it'll be a quiet time unless march has things to say, which is part of the reason malkuth was fine going alone. she just needs the time away. ]

[ It's fine, March can (shockingly) be silent when she needs to be! They can just be two girls holding hands and walking around in the quiet while they Process! ]

[ yeah, process... wondering just when march began to see, how long she was there... if that was all of ayin that she'd glimpsed, the same back that elijah saw and malkuth remembers with blinding clarity, if the "little" she understands includes her feelings or...

no, her friend is definitely judging her after that. you can still love someone and judge them. actually she might be judged harder because she's loved. at least malkuth has been looking at the people she doesn't need to ask to look at her... but that's because she's always looking at people; the fact they look back without her asking is just coincidence. it isn't because she's changed in any way since she was since then. there hadn't been anything wrong with elijah anyway -- she

... she felt she had a lot wrong with her, though, and malkuth... has plenty wrong with her still. it's just... the circumstances are different, here. or the atmosphere is. even when they're on a mission like this, with danger on the horizon and just recently brushing it, there's downtime. there's moments to talk about things that aren't what they're busy with or results. there's moments to talk about each other, to find common ground, to...

maybe this too is a kind of processing. but march is definitely, definitely judging her. can't hate him? even after all that? pathetic. she can't even say she wouldn't risk herself to be of use or help to a cause she believed in again, or for someone she liked. she's already done that thoughtlessly. even if it wasn't for praise. ]

... Hard work is expected in the City, so it isn't special if someone is particularly diligent. It's... what you need to do to get by -- bare minimum. Looking back, I'm not surprised he never glanced my way; everyone else was working hard, too. It wasn't like I did anything different besides die.

[ and even then, two people came before her. only one of who he cared about. ]

I won't... excuse what happened in the end. I knew it was wrong and terrible even in the moment. [ it hadn't been that hard to look back at her, after all. he chose not to. can she resent him that much? no, because you can't change the way someone feels about you.

a fond sigh. malkuth does love elijah, really. she can't be mad at the person she was -- a young woman who desperately wanted to stand out. ] But leading up to it all, I was a real handful that was scolded pretty often -- I really wasn't ready, and maybe... I could've been someday, I was just frustrated and impatient. At least he regretted enough to give us second chances.

[ the most unpopular opinion in this goddamn camp ]

[ Is that what it was? Regret? He'd done all of that, from what she's heard, to give those who died for him and as a domino effect as a second chance? March may be an optimist, but she wonders if that's really it. She doesn't have enough information to argue with Malkuth about it one way or another, but in her opinion, their second lives still seemed to her to be more like a means to an end.

It is a true act of love that March is holding her tongue on this. ]

If you don't excuse what happened and you keep moving forward, I'll try not to call him the scum of the galaxy again.

[ When did she call him that-- ]

[ march.............. can you bond with netzach over this. ]

You didn't even call him that the first time! Anyway, I've been moving forward plenty. It's just important to reflect on the past every now and then and glean what you can from it.

[ that's all... that's all... ]

Without getting snagged on what you can't change and letting it fester. Forgiveness is important.

I did, just not out loud. [ Until just now, apparently. ]

If this is a dream you've kept having, I think it's more than "every now and then", but...

[ Her shoulders rise and fall. ]

Better dreams from now on, okay? I mean, I know you can't exactly decide that sort of thing, but still--

But still, I'll try. Maybe Wrio has a tea I can drink to help -- the chamomile he suggested works wonders for getting me to sleep in the first place.

[ a squeeze of their hands.

... okay. she'll Really really try for her right now-- ]

I have better people to dream about than him anyway, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

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