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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.

stonehearts: 🦚 game (pic#17221626)

YESSSS

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-06-09 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
( It's not that Aventurine minds strangers falling into the campervan -- he's been led to one himself, grateful for the break from the sand and the worm's headache. Which he still has, in fairness, so it's not that much of a relief. Still, at least it likely wasn't going to kill him -- unlike the last time he'd had a headache forced on him.

Anyway.
)

In my experience people don't really have a choice of where they're born.

( Aventurine says, peering down at the other blond man with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. )
busternaut: (SEED Manga 006)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-06-10 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Feh. [A sound that's half a scoff, half Dearka trying to get sand out of his mouth.] Then they should move somewhere else after they're born! Seriously, there's no good reason to stay...

[Yeah, he's not exactly privilege savvy, sorry. But he's also not going to sit here and keep bitching about this one specific thing, luckily. He leans back to look up at Aventurine and stretches a hand up vertically to shake.]

Well. Sorry for crashing your camper. Name's Dearka Elthman. Guess I'll be laying low here for a bit until the storm dies down.

[Surely that's not a problem? 🙂]
stonehearts: 🦚 game (pic#17221643)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-06-11 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
And if all of it is sand? ( He clicks his tongue. ) Or what if they have no money? Or any other means to leave?

( His smile tightens imperceptibly, though he reaches down and takes Dearka's hand to shake all the same, a wider smile replacing the one previously -- though it does not quite reach his eyes. That's normal for Aventurine, however, so don't take it personally Dearka. )

Aventurine. ( A stone, but also a name. ) And please, there's enough space here for all of us. We even have a doctor, though he hasn't exactly hurried back.

( There's a flicker of concern in his face, his eyes going back to the door. Damnit, where is Ratio? )
busternaut: (SEED 66)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-06-13 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Aventurine raises some excellent questions. Unfortunately, Dearka not really in the mood for entertaining them. He just wanted to complain about the desert, not get a lecture in geographic inequity :(

Easy enough to move past it, particularly when they have what is potentially a much greater problem on their hands.]


Eh? Geez, don't tell me you think he's still out there...?

[He's standing up finally, brushing himself off and peering with concern out one of the camper windows at the storm raging beyond.]

Can you not reach him on the ocular?
stonehearts: 🦚 game (pic#17171995)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-06-20 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
( Sorry Dearka you picked the former desert kid to complain about the desert to, though he will agree that the desert does suck. It's why his clan was pushed out there as an acceptable sacrifice for peace and prosperity! )

Not a peep. ( In fairness to Ratio, howver: ) He's not likely to get tricked by his own brain, though, it's too big for that.
busternaut: (SEED Manga 003)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-06-20 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Dearka glances at Aventurine and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.]

Uh... not to convince you to worry more, but I don't think brain size is going to protect him from the sand, at the speeds this wind is whipping it around at...
stonehearts: 🦚 animated short (pic#17130140)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-06-25 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
( Aventurine snorts at that. )

You haven't met the esteemed Doctor Ratio. If there's anyone who can think themselves out of a sandstorm, it'd be him. ( He tries again to contact Ratio, and this time gets a response. Ah, there he is. ) And just like that-- got him.
busternaut: (S 09)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-07-03 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
Hah, well now that's a relief isn't it? I'm getting word back from my partner as well.

[Yeah, confirmed, Yzak's inside their shared camper van. They're separated, but neither of them is any worse for wear, so... No need to fret.

Dearka puts one hand on his hip and smirks, shrugging off the last dregs of his concern.]


Guess it'll just be the two of us waiting it out here then, huh?
stonehearts: 🦚 animated short (pic#17130129)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-07-18 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Why not do something to occupy ourselves for that time?

( He feels better knowing Ratio is safe, though he may not admit it to anyone but the other man. Maybe. Ratio probably already knows, thankfully. Aventurine fishes out a deck of cards from the campervan supplies, eagerly starting to shuffle them. )

No magic tricks, just a card game or two. What better way to get to know each other?
busternaut: (S 13)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-07-20 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Dearka perks up a little, apparently interested. He's no stranger to card games, that being a pretty standard way of passing off-duty time on a ZAFT ship. which is terrible, because I don't know any card games.]

Heh, true enough. Alright, I'm "game" for it. What are you thinking?
stonehearts: 🦚 game (pic#17119381)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-08-02 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
( same. it's not gonna go well for either of us i'm afraid. )

Hm, how about 'Go Fish', if you're familiar?

( Aventurine is being generous, offering a game without an overt advantage given to his luck. By much. )
busternaut: (Destiny 010)

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-08-05 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
'Go Fish', huh... Pretty simple game. But, sometimes the simple things are the best things. Alright: you're on.
stonehearts: 🦚 fanart → <user name="UGSFE" site="twitter.com"> (pic#17335356)

[personal profile] stonehearts 2024-08-07 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Poker is hardly a fun game with two people. And that's my go-to.

( He shuffles the deck a few times, making a show of it so that he knows that Aventurine isn't giving himself an unfair advantage. It'll be important in the future, he's sure. Having reached a point where he's satisfied, Aventurine offer Dearka the deck. )

Go ahead and deal, friend.
busternaut: (Destiny Manga 006)

not me having to look up the rules of fucken GO FISH for this tag,

[personal profile] busternaut 2024-08-11 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh. Alright...

[He takes the deck and deals out 7 cards to each, first to Aventurine and then to himself. He checks his hand.



He looks back up at aventurine and smiles.]


Think you're supposed to go first since I did the dealing.