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.

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ A dry throat is what he says, but given the afflictions many of the Outsiders are suffering from, Ratio isn't entirely convinced that's the case. He releases one hand from Bakugo's shoulders to hold it palm up in front of himself. An unopened water bottle appears, and he offers it to the teen. ]

Here.

[ Even has he holds out the bottle, he leans back to better observe the teen for any other symptoms of note. ]

[Bakugo pushes himself off from the brace against the wall, swallowing down another mouthful of saliva. He's fine. He doesn't need any damn help. It's not like he can't make it to his room soon enough and grab a... drink.

Red eyes narrow at the offered bottle. Half because it looked like Ratio just sleight-of-handed it out of thin are, and half because the bottle, and everything else for that matter, is blurry. Not the behind-tears way, but in a something's-wrong way.

Fuck, he grabs the bottle and twists the cap off to drink it, hoping that'll calm down both the cough and wash away whatever's going on with his eyes.]

[ Subspace storage truly is a convenient tool to have. Anyway, Ratio patiently as Bakugo drinks, continuing to look over him. It doesn't seem like he has any external ailments... hopefully a dry throat really was all that the teen was suffering from.

Ratio speaks up once Bakugo has had his fill and is capable of talking. ]

Feeling better? If you need more water, I can provide that, and if you are suffering from dehydration, I can provide electrolyte drinks.

[It's hard to tell if Bakugo has anything else going on when the guy's wearing pants and a long-sleeve hoodie. Because if he was only dealing with a coughing fit, he'd be way better. But after getting into multiple fights out in the desert thanks to that fucking worm... The young hero's seen better days. And doesn't want to show it. Enough people have enough to worry about.

He lowers the bottle, taking several free breaths afterwards. Fuck, that feels better now.]

Do I look like I'm stupid enough to get dehydrated? [Granted, that was and is a serious issue in the desert, considering his Quirk runs on his sweat.]

Appearance does not often correlate with intelligence.

[ Plus, even the most intelligent can be caught flat-footed at times, and certainly, none of them had been expecting a sand worm to suddenly appear and throw them all into disarray, had they?

Anyway, he can't see anything wrong, which means he must now ask verbally. ]

Have you had your injuries treated yet?

[ Worded carefully to suggest that he's seen evidence of injuries when he has not. Either Bakugo has none and will say so, or he will reveal if he's hiding any. ]

Stop taking shit so literally!

[That's just a damn saying; doesn't this guy have that kind of crap in his world?! Bakugo had his suspicions about the kaiju being a sandworm of sorts, as well as the kind of siren-like abilities it had, but even that hadn't proven enough to avoid getting caught up in the lure. Something that continues to piss him off for the results.

Bakugo drinks again, then lowers the bottle and rubs the back of his hand across his mouth.]

Aa. Got dragged to the hospital.

[Before pulling his sleeve up slightly to show the start of bandages covering his entire arm. He fought over seven Outsiders in the desert, some in his right mind, some out of it. It didn't change the fact damage was done... and he hated that reality. What he did to them all because he hadn't been strong enough to resist.]

Then perhaps do not invite me to comment on your intelligence.

[ Because he will comment. He has never minced his words regarding other people's intelligence, and he will not start now.

He nods in approval. Good. One less person he'd have to treat. ]

We are lucky that we did not lose anyone to the worm's influence.

[ Because they had not truly been prepared for what the worm did to the group, even if both of them had discussed the possibility beforehand. Things could have gone a lot worse, all things said. Perhaps he has Aventurine's luck to thank for it. ]

I didn't invite you to do shit!

[It's gonna be hard to comment with a fist in his mouth! Ugh, this guy's a piece of work. Bakugo drains the other half of the water and exhales loudly, panting for breath a second or two once it clears his lips. That feels a lot better. His throat works. Hence the ability to snarl at Ratio.]

No one died.

[Though he isn't sure how true that 'lose to' comment is, because a lot of people lost in the battle of wills against that damn worm's influence. The fact he and Ratio had discussed the possibility, and Bakugo had prepared for it, and he STILL fell under its thrall, multiple times, AND hurt other Outsiders-!

It was a loss. Fuck, it was a pathetic, fucked-up loss!]

[ He meant death moreso than people failing to resist the worm's mind control, which he knew was inevitable. It was not as if any of them were equipped to resist mental attacks, as far as he knew, and even if they were, that didn't guarantee their safety. He was lucky that he had an easy time of resisting it. Or perhaps it was not luck, but some other factors contributing to the weak pull. Factors that aren't related to mental fortitude, because he's not foolish enough to believe that somehow his own strength of will was more than enough to stop him from being influenced.

Not when Aventurine, who is much hardier than him, was influenced. ]

We are not equipped with the correct tools to handle this, that much is clear now. Unless LILITH comes up with a defense against its influence, our next encounter with the creature will result in a similar outcome.

[ Even with his genius, he can't do much without the correct tools. He does not have the technology at hand to help him build a defense using his knowledge, which means he's stuck waiting for LILITH. This is a situation he hates, but he has no choice right now.

Instead, he summons another water bottle to his hand and holds it out to the teen wordlessly. Bakugo's condition is something that is within his ability to influence, and he'll take what he can get. ]

[No one had died. If someone had, especially someone he had battled, Bakugo would have been a far bigger wreck than his frustrated, disabled self currently is. He had thought himself strong enough to withstand a mental attack, had even snarled at Ratio over the possibility he might be taken under. But none of that preparation had done anything, and people got hurt because of him. There's a lot on his mind right now, a sense of demanding to make this right, personal vengeance to make up for his mistakes, and of course a lot of injured-pride-fueled rage that bubbles and roars inside.

He wants to rip that fucking thing apart and leave its smoking carcass all over the desert!]

We can fight it blind. Some people who didn't see the lights didn't get affected.

[Bakugo had encounters with both, as the influenced and fighting someone influenced instead. He can't say for sure if sight is the main trigger, but with the sandstorm and distance making the other senses a moot point, it's hard to think of any other way to worm's hypnosis got into their minds. Besides, LILITH said their oculars were impacted.

It's an idea.

He takes the bottle from Ratio and downs another half of it, seeming to stifle the coughing and dry throat for now. It doesn't help his vision, though Bakugo's trying to pretend that's not an issue.]

If we can weather the light, we can attack it in the time between flashes.

[ Bakugo is tense, anger barely hidden underneath the thin veneer he is putting up right now. It's admirable how he's setting it aside to think of a plan to tackle the worm. Not a berserker type, despite his rough words and apparently inclination towards violence.

Bakugo's hypothesis isn't unreasonable. If a significant amount of people had avoided the effects by averting their gaze before the lights flashed, then that was a possibility they ought to explore. ]

Perhaps devising suitable eye protection would be sufficient to thwart the light's effects. We do not need to jump straight to fighting without vision.

[ But, putting that aside, there's something about Bakugo's bearing that is setting an alarm bell off in Ratio's mind. He looks down at the teen with a discerning eye. ]

You are still ailing. Do not try to hide it from me.

[A berserker's only good for power, not for strategy or thought. You'd get the same result from firing a rocket. He's experienced berserker rage before, though his focus was only on that one person in a one on one beatdown (or so he thought) and thus there was no detraction in his ability. But he was later called out on it in a humiliating reality check after he lost...

Growing up means not letting yourself become your own worst enemy. There were plenty of things Bakugo had to work on as he grew up. Losing himself to anger was one of them he has mostly crushed and conquered. It's not perfect, he can certainly become an enraged dervish of explosions if given sufficient reason, but it's rare and very painfully earned.

Anyways, that's not an issue right now; he's just pissed about failure.]

That'd require finding out what the hell's in the light that causes it. Non one got close enough to that fucking thing.

[Maybe if LILITH can watch the recordings of the light and find some kind of strobe or pulse effect. Otherwise, light's light. Bakugo has no damn idea outside of not seeing the light. Which might not be an issue if his fucking eyes are starting to fail him. He finishes off the bottle and throws it to the trash can.

...and misses.]

I'm fine! I already went to the doctors! They turned me into a damn mummy!

[ If LILITH truly intended to treat their otherworldly hires correctly, they would not be sent out again until a solution was found, barring the worm coming to the city. For now, while not happy, he is content to wait and see how LILITH will react to this setback. Their response will tell him how he should regard the organization henceforth.

He crosses his arms with a disapproving frown. ]

Don't be a fool. If you conceal an ailment that does not heal by the time we are sent out again, you will become a liability for everyone else. Is that what you desire?

[That's what the reports from LILITH were suggesting. The Outsiders were to stay in Vegas and rest/recover until LILITH devised a solution to the worm's hypnotic effects. Bakugo doesn't think the worms are going to wait for that to happen. Especially now that the Outsiders have already made some contact with it and provided the beast with a potential threat. Not to mention they took some of its food source by bringing back a lot of the survivors.]

I'm not gonna make them heal any faster showing them off to people! They're bandaged with medication already!

[He's not some idiot who thinks he's going to be peak performance the following day! Though it's not the injuries that concern him. It's the way his vision continues to flicker and waver, something Ratio might notice if he's paying attention to Bakugo's eyes. Occasionally losing focus on his face like he's seeing into nothing.]

[ All very good points, which Ratio concurs with. It's better to be safe than sorry, but they're all in a pretty sorry state right now. He can only hope the worm will give them time to recuperate. ]

But it isn't those wounds that bother you.

[ He can see Bakugo's pupils flickering in a way that isn't normal, and he narrows his own eyes, peering into the teen's eyes to try to understand what's going on. ]

Have you had your eyes checked by them?

[They're all in a sorry state right now. That's hard enough to swallow as it is. The worst part is Bakugo knows he's to blame for a few of them being in a bad state. Whether they were fighting against him because he was under the influence or vice versa... He tried his damnest to pull his punches when he was in his right mind, but when he wasn't...]

Don't talk like you know what's going with me! [Bakugo rounds on Ratio with a snarl, his less-injured arm flaring up with a harsh explosion detonating in his palm. It's a warning to back the fuck off.

At least until Ratio doesn't back the fuck off and instead looks him right in his eyes. -fuck!

... the question seems to struggle for a second before the teen sulks irritably at him.] They didn't say anything when I was there.

[But now, it seems the ocular is fucking up even worse than before.]

[ He's not to blame, but there's little point in telling him that. What's done is done, unfortunately.

Ratio is not the least bit intimidated by Bakugo's show of force. He has a decent read on the young man, and Ratio knows he will not willingly attack the scholar if he can help it. He's much like a cat bristling his hair and puffing up in an effort to seem more intimidating than he actually is. He remains unmoved, focused on diagnosing Bakugo's issue. ]

If it is your ocular implant malfunctioning, then I imagine there is little they can do to alleviate the problem. Let us find a place for you to sit and recuperate.

[For as quick as Bakugo's to tell people he's close to that very same thing -- they're not to blame -- it's so much harder to accept that truth himself. The irony isn't entirely lost on him. But he's stubborn like that.

Of course Ratio wouldn't back down from that threatening display. That's what it is after all, a display. His aggression wavers slightly, the mixture of frustration and a desperate want to be back to full health before the disaster returns again making a harsh crash against the blonde's pride to keep his problems to himself. Yuji trusts this guy, right?

... call him a cat and you're dead, Ratio.]

Tch. [There's no attempt to deny it this time and Bakugo shoves his hands into his pockets as he makes for the nearest bench in the hallway. He sinks down on it, elbows resting on his knees.] If I have to fight blind, so be it.

[ Don't worry Bakugo. Ratio will only voice the unflattering comparison if he acts like an idiot. Struggling to accept the reality of the situation is normal, and he knows the teen is clever. This is a temporary outburst that he will soon overcome. That's what Ratio believes, anyway.

Ratio follows Bakugo but does not sit, opting to stand beside him. ]

I trust that you know your limits and will find individuals to support you in combat if you are required to fight without vision.

[ Ratio can hardly comment on whether the teen is actually capable of fighting blind. But he can remind Bakugo to rely on others and not let pride put him in a difficult situation. ]

[Haa?! He never acts like an idiot! But right now, he's certainly acting the stubborn irritant for having to admit he's not in top form. Even after going through the desert row, it rankles his pride to be struggling with his injuries and a failing implant, the latter pissing him off even more because he wouldn't BE in this situation if it hadn't fucking been in his head!

... provided the worm couldn't just mess with their brains in the first place.]

Someone's gonna have to call coordinates. [It certainly sounds like he's done something like this before, his rough voice darkened with demand and thought.] They'll need to weather the first wave of hypnotism...

[ Right, that would be the main concern. Their preparation will be for naught if they can't figure out how the hypnotism is perpetrated. While not all will fall under its spell, having to then work with a random assortment of uninfluenced Outsiders would not be ideal. Not to mention that the worm could simply try again until they're all under its influence... barring the metabolic needs of the worm to produce the energy required for its hypnotism. The worm will likely need time to recover its energy before making its way to the city. That, perhaps, is their only saving grace at the moment. ]

As you said earlier, the hypnotism appears to be based on the light it emits. Those who beheld the light had a higher probability of becoming influenced than those who did not. It would be wise to select a few of our number to avoid direct sight of the creature and coordinate our fighters. The rest should take turns assaulting the worm, keeping the worm out of sight when they are on standby, and focusing on the retrieval of affected individuals. It may yield slower progress, but the risk of all of us losing our faculties will be considerably lower.

[ This is one of the few strategies he can think to conjure given the uncertainty of whom the hypnotism will affect. It is far from perfect, but they are lacking too much information. ]

As for the first wave of hypnotism, it is likely that the worm will make an attempt to influence us immediately as it appears. Simply averting our gaze until it has flashed should suffice, though it will be no guarantee.

[They can hypothesize about the worm all they want, but unless they like the idea of testing it out via repeated runs with little show for success, they're left at LILITH's timeframe to figure out how to counter the damn thing. It pisses him off even more to know that he HAD thought about the potential luring effect and even had braced for it, but ended up meaning fuck all for his efforts. And then the results...]

Aa. If it can't produce that strobe continuously, then we can attack in between the pulses. [Again, big "IF" on how that works. He laces his fingers together and grumpily puts his mouth behind his hands, scowling in thought as he deals with the issue of his eyes. They're not getting any better, but aren't worsening either.] The weaker ones should be sent in first. We can kick their asses a lot easier than if stronger Outsiders get taken over again.

[Sure, it's not a very pleasant suggestion, but retrieving an aggressive non-combatant is far preferable to wrangling in a powerful combatant. That asks for more issues.]

Tch, we should be able to track that fucking blob with thermal sensors at night.

[If possible.]

[ Ratio is not at all appalled by Bakugo's suggestion. Instead, he gives it due consideration. ]

I do not agree. Because of the unpredictable nature of its flashing, we cannot have our most powerful sent out together as a second wave. To minimize our risk, we must distribute them evenly among the two groups. Dividing ourselves further will reduce our offensive power far too greatly and will instead increase our risk of danger.

[ Thermal tracking... ]

It would not be ideal to fight under the darkness of the night, and due to its size, it moves faster than we can chase it. Thermal tracking will be useful, but only to ensure that it does not ambush us undetected.

You wanna have a repeat of last time? We sent the entire mixed group in and we got trashed!

[Specifically because the stronger were in among the weaker, causing a lot of clashing and fighting that left many of them wounded. Something Bakugo continues to be haunted by in guilt, humiliation, and rage. Ratio's not wrong when it comes to dividing their power begetting weaker offenses, but...]

If the weaker Outsiders get brainwashed, the stronger one can pull them back a lot faster and without a hard fight. The first wave knows what to look for too, so they can try and establish a pattern.

[He's not even sure two groups is a good idea. Multiple smaller groups with increasing strength and specialized skills could be more effective, wearing the worm down via a gauntlet run. Or "stalking" it to death.]

If it burrows underground in the day, we won't be able to track it even with thermal.

[The desert heat will make any heat-sensors useless.]

[ Bakugo isn't wrong either. Perhaps a 2:3 divide? Or, yes, hyperspecialized groups may indeed be the answer. He contemplates this for a while longer. ]

There is little use discussing this any further between the two of us. We must obtain the advice of other Outsiders and draw upon a more diverse body of knowledge to formulate the best plan for our situation.

[ As much as he is a genius in many respects, his expertise is limited to his fields of study, and combat is most definitely not one of them. What he needs is more information, pertaining to combat strategy and tactics specifically. It is not a topic he has ever looked into, having preferred to spend his time obtaining more constructive knowledge instead.

At any rate, even he can't help but feel distinctly like their talk of strategy is just to distract both of them from the fact that they are currently left with few options but to wait, something that he and, he presumes, Bakugo both loathe.

He sighs, and peers down at the teen. ]

How do you feel now? Has your eyesight deteriorated any further?

▶ 001. STORM CHASERS.

▶ 002. THE STORM CALLS.

▶ 003. CITY OF DREAMS.

▶ 004. REST & RECOVERY

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i'm sorry for the late.... cries

no worries, life happens~

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject