PRE-FIGHT EVENT #1

[synfluxmods]

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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Comments

[nutkick]

[ ah, bakugou is so strict— which is expected but it was still a sight to witness. he is truly adamant about blaming the adult in the situation, which is valid, and denji did wonder how he got away with it the way he did. considering the sword bird is dating aki, an old friend of denji, he should've been more careful. or, maybe, from wherever tsurumaru is from ... drinking at a young age is acceptable? who knows. it happened, they had fun, felt like shit afterward and lessons were learned. that's how life should be, and denji wanted to give his boyfriend this uplifting lecture but he knew when to keep his mouth shut. this is a 'yes, dear' moment, after all.

with that, he nods, gaze low, and promises himself to never do it again. he's not much about following society's obligations and rules, only because of the circumstances of his upbringing, but he respects bakugou enough to take it to heart. and then— aki's name comes into the conversation, too casually into the flow as if he isn't the core of all the denji's anxieties in regards to hurting the hero. the discomfort is evident, too vivid, too raw. if bakugou knew he would've called him cruel, but he didn't. silence, his eyes brushed over the now open wound and it locked in. he felt sick. like he could fucking throw up right here right then. he closed his eyes, thankful for the cool breeze from the air-conditioning unit to bless his lightly feverish cheeks. he'd focus on that, and then back to bakugou's voice.

a sigh followed, tired but not annoyed. he paused, figuring he should explain himself better and maybe end it with them failing to agree. that's fine, too. they both can have their own resolve. and, again, he won't be upset if bakugou wanted to have his share of adventures with other people. he is 100% free to do it. ]

Trying a new restaurant or a hub to eat is not the experience I'm talking about. I can share those with anyone else. It doesn't matter. There are more ... important memories. Like, the first decent kiss. The first time I felt ... good about someone touching me. The first time going on a long road trip and visiting a new place. I want to see new places with you ... try new things with you. So, no. I'll reserve them for you.

[ 'if it's your life or my blood, I'll choose your life.'

god. this is not what he wants to hear, not after everything. the half-devil glanced upward, his features were more wary, more discouraged, but his lips were sealed. no complaints - because what can he say? a hero is someone who would risk their life for others, even for those who don't fucking deserve it, and while it's something denji would tolerate during their missions until he would notice bakugou is pushing himself too hard, only then he'd step in and stop him. it was something he learned to accept about that boy, but right now? he absolutely fucking hates it. his life over your blood? to die for the sake of the miserable, fucking godawful life that awaits him is madness. did he think denji wants any of this? to watch yet another person he gives a fuck about die in front of him? because of him? did he think that's saving denji?

it would destroy him.

expressing himself is never easy; he wishes he could make bakugou understand. he wishes he could be heard, but denji also knows he didn't speak. he kept a lot to himself, too ashamed and too scared of them. he didn't know how to let them out. he didn't know how to tell bakugou that he sincerely wouldn't want to live if he lost him without sounding like a dramatic teen. how can his fear be taken to heart? the room kept spinning, and denji knew -once again- it was not the right time. it never is, huh?

he drops his heavy head on the other's shoulder, the uninjured one, and closes his eyes again. he doesn't plan to stay like this for long, considering bakugou should clean up, but he needs a second. ]

... Would it kill you to lie to me? Just once? To make me feel good? So selfish ...

[ damn hero. ]

[blastedass]

[he's not blaming denji because he knew the kind of emotional state the other boy was in. could he blame tsurumaru if denji hid his bad feelings while hanging out with the sword? YES HE DAMN WELL COULD! tsurumaru is the adult in that situation and he should've damn well known not to let denji have alcohol! he's gonna give the guy an earful about it later. no talking him out of it. the sword's already under the bus and going around the tires. at least bakugou's not giving the half-devil some old-man "let that be a lesson to you" commentary. once denji's 20, if he wants to drink, go for it. hell, if he wants to go for some alcopop, bakugou's not going to stop him. might even be something the half-devil could talk the hero into...

he doesn't use people as a weapon unless it's necessary. in this case, he really wants to get the point across for his boyfriend. some relationships can get extremely serious, to the point of jealousy or suspicion of anything done outside the relationship one-sided, and bakugou doesn't want to even hint at going in that direction. yes, if someone starts chatting up denji or making eyes at him while bakugou's around, they're dead. perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it, what with his boyfriend looking at the wound on his arm and still feeling completely fucked up above what happened. how much is denji going through right now? guilt over the wound. guilt over a drink. now guilt over potential relationship struggles. all while dealing with a hangover and a hard case of sleep loss. bakugou feels denji's tied sigh as much as hears it.

a relationship is give and take. if denji wants to share all firsts with him alone, no exceptions... bakugou glances up when the other boy explains himself. important memories. he curls his fingers before looking down at his arm.] I see. In that case, yeah. I want those firsts with you all to myself too. [he was concerned denji meant everything. but now, he knows what he means and agrees with him. those important, special moments are things to experience together, treasure together. it's not hard to admit he's selfish about those. he'll reserve those things for denji too.

there's no regret in his mind about hitting denji with that spear of a promise. bakugou meets the wary gaze without fail, solid and secure in his decision. the half-devil doesn't have to say anything; he sees the discouragement in his eyes. no matter what denji believes, bakugou will never think his boyfriend doesn't "deserve" his protection and aid. every time, he'll step in and intercept a danger that aimed for his unaware flank. he'll hold his arm out and stop denji from walking into a place bakugou senses is dangerous. he'll fight chainsaw man himself to keep denji from doing something stupid to his own body. every single time with zero hesitation. screw if he hates it. bakugou won't betray his heroic ideals or his promise to his boyfriend.

but therein lay the misunderstanding. bakugou never said "life" for "life"; he said "blood" for "life". he has no intention of dying on denji. to save his boyfriend's life at the cost of his own would only gift denji the miserable agony of a hole torn open in his chest. what kind of shitty boyfriend would he be to do something like that to him? he promised to never be a negative experience in denji's life. dying for him would break that promise. no, he promises to live for denji. if shedding some blood or flesh to make sure that happens is the price, so be it.

a gentle thump sees a head drop on his shoulder and bakugou turns and tilts his head enough to nuzzle his mouth against his boyfriend's ear temple. a heavy head, weighed down by emotion and pain. he lifts his less-injured arm and combs his fingers through denji's hair, thumb and forefinger playing with a few strands of sandy blonde.]

I won't die on you. I'm not gonna break that promise. [can he promise he won't get injured fighting denji? no. denji's not a weakling. even if bakugou's faster than him, the half-devil has other skills he can make use of. he won't underestimate or downplay his boyfriend's dangerous power. denji doesn't for him.] If I have to stop you again, I promise I'll fight you long distance until I don't have another option. But I won't let you kill me, Denji. I'm gonna live for you.

[nutkick]

[ well, if that discussion ever comes up— the hero might be surprised to see how open and forward denji can really be.

jealousy is not a familiar emotion to his conscience since the half-devil never had anything that belonged to him. he never felt like something was rightfully his to help him learn the very human (and devilish) sense of being possessive. the closest he ever had to such intensity was when he watched an imposter on live tv pretending to be chainsaw man, and what an ugly reaction that triggered in him; rage and bitterness that got him down to his knees. it fucking broke him to see the world giving love to someone who should've been him, to have something so precious taken away from him so easily. he was powerless, crippled, and had no control over it but to watch. however, when he could do something about it, denji had enough selfishness in him to make his intentions clear. after all, didn't this relationship with bakugou start with one-sided jealousy? curiosity played a role, yes, it was an emotion that was easier to elaborate and concentrate on, but that wasn't the lead cause. it wasn't at all. it's the fact he realized someone else was in the way. there is no demand to make empty threats, he does trust the hero, but yeah— it won't be pretty if someone tries to get too cozy with bakugou either. especially since the 'boyfriend' status is out in the open.

for now, he tries not to think about it too much. there are some small victories, starting with his partner acknowledging certain memories that should be reserved between them. that one was easy to believe and take in; it warmed up his heart before a promise to live for him came along, leaving behind traces of mistrust that made denji resentful of himself more than anything. it lingers, sinking deep into his chest, pulling him under until- the light touch of a nuzzle against his ear, the feel of those fingers caressing his hair, and the closeness they shared ... is the consolation denji craved. it brought depth to that promise, made it lighter. maybe, for once in his life, he can have something. maybe he can do it right. maybe he can be better and not hurt another loved one. he knew bakugou had other minor injuries, and bruises here and there post their mission, but denji was tired of treating him like he was made of glass. with that, he turned to the side and secured his arms around the other's sides, pulling him close, bodies pressed, half-clinging. for someone who had a lonely upbringing, he knew how to seek warmth from another body. a hug might be his love language, after all. it might be one of the few methods to calm his anxious soul. ]

Then, please stay with me. You're the only one who can keep me from falling apart ...

[ with aki and makima here haunting him every single day; a breathing, living ghost of all his worst fears, reopening old wounds every time he is within their presence — it never stops hurting, and then going back home to see the fate that awaits him is just one fucking hit after another. how long can he take this? the only ounce of sanity and willpower not to off himself is knowing he had someone in here. being with bakugou allows him to breathe, to feel like he's worth something, like he fucking matters, and— there could be a life where he can be happy. god, what does it feel like to be happy? is he there yet? is he healed and thriving? no. however, he's never been this fucking close in his entire life.

he buries his face against the curve of bakugou's neck, tilting his head just enough to prevent his voice from being muffled against soft skin. it's a desperate embrace; as if he's trying to hide and seek refuge with someone he trusts wholeheartedly. ]

... Can we not go back? [ the mission is still on. they've been instructed to recover and then back to taking more orders. denji didn't want to return to that space again, and he didn't want it for bakugou either. ]

[blastedass]

[not thinking about things too hard right now is a better idea. they've both been through a lot yesterday, coming off the week-long trek through the desert already, and the dragging days in vegas waiting for announcement or movement. the "vacation" has worn out its welcome, the injuries are a pain in the ass, and bakugou really just wants to go back to neo tokyo and crash in his own bed for a little bit. he won't give air to those internal complaints, however. their job here is to finish off that damn worm, save the city from the kaiju threat, and return alive from the battle. he refuses to do anything less than that.

it's a rare moment that bakugou ever feels regret for doing something with or saying something to denji. he doesn't bother wasting the time on regret. even now, when the other boy looks like he got punched in the gut for those words, he won't take them back. rather, he takes denji in. draws him close and holds him there, refusing to let the half-devil protest or escape until he's accepted the reality before him. there are things bakugou will capitulate and compromise on for his boyfriend. this isn't one of them. so he rests against him, hand combing through denji's hair, waiting for the truth to sink into the devil hunter's heart. it really must be hard to trust someone when you come from a life that gave you so many reasons not to...

but he intends to be a reason for denji to trust him. no matter if it's easy or difficult, he'll be someone denji can trust to tell the truth. no matter if it's as light as what's for dinner or as serious as promising to live for him. as the other boy wraps his arms around him, bakugou leans into the touch, minding some of the injuries. mostly bruises, burns, a few cuts, and other bullshit. he won't say it, but denji won the competition of "worst injury" he got. at least it's not life threatening. it means a lot to him that the other boy's being so tender about his body, yet not swearing off touching him. bakugou's not someone who likes people getting into his personal space, but denji's earned himself a free pass any time he wants. some tough guy snarls might happen, but he'll get his closeness regardless.]

Aa. I won't leave you alone.

[he doesn't want to believe he's the only one that can help denji, but it's hard to completely dismiss it. if he is, then he'll do his damnest to keep his boyfriend together until they all go back home. he'll give denji a reason to stay here, to remain alive, and hopefully impart to him bravery and determination to return home and face his challenges head on. even if all it amounts to is a sliver of unknown memory left in denji's heart, encouraging him with voiceless words. if they do get to return to this place later, then they can do so with tales of their victories and lives after their worlds' respective challenges. but for now, giving denji a place where he matters, where he can be happy, that's important to bakugou.

holding denji tightly, he gives him the shelter to rest and take comfort as best he can, accepting that trust and never wanting to break it. even if chainsaw man attacked him, bakugou doesn't hold his boyfriend responsible for it. he continues to trust him implicitly. this event was just some shitty brainwashing.]

I don't think we will. [because he has a horrible feeling those things will be coming for them. he won't say it to denji, refusing to lie, but opting not to voice his thoughts "truth" on the matter either. a compromise.] Doing that as we are now would be idiotic.

[nutkick]

[ it would be idiotic and might ruin everything they managed to retain. not only denji might fall into those hallucinations again, but he is also worried about the bizarre dreams they happened to share with one another; less of a dream and more of real memories from their past. he got lucky and ended up sharing a timid one, nothing too extreme and fucked up, safe from dragging his boyfriend into the realm of devils and hell itself. yeah, let's avoid going back in there. they're done. all they have to do now is wait to get their asses back to the base. denji never thought he would want to leave the city of lights, but right now? he can't fucking wait to get out of here.

as bakugou returned the embrace, firm and comforting, denji wanted to melt into it, drop his guard, and let his tired mind slip into unconsciousness. he is so, so tired— mentally and physically drained. a lot has happened and it came tumbling down in one go, barely leaving room for him to recover. it's safe to say denji has found some peace; a level of understanding between him and bakugou to grasp on, finally feeling they can take a step forward. if he's allowed to — denji didn't bother to move, and if his boyfriend were in better shape, he would've insisted that no one would leave this bed until he was ready to let go; happy to rot under the blanket for the rest of the day. alas, he didn't forget he just stripped bakugou out of his old bandages with his wound still out in the open. they had more to do this morning before he could trap him.

stiffly, denji then leaned back from the warmth, still staying close to the other boy. ever since their ordeal, this might be the first time the half-devil seemed - okay, or more composed. he meets bakugou's eyes, thankful, trusting, and vulnerable. he'd been this way with someone before, yet he knew it was different this time. katsuki will not hurt him. this is real. what they have is real. with that thought settling in, denji stared down and noticed himself already holding into his boyfreind's hand; a nervous touch, fiddling. ]

Let's take it easy until we get back to the base, and ... once you're feeling better ... we need to talk.

[ it could be the hangover, sleep deprivation, or a mixture of both, but denji is swinging a wild idea without much consideration. another bold move, yet deemed important. he's not planning to tell him every single detail, it would be a lot on anyone. it's only fair he understands more about the two people who are in this city and part of denji's past. he'd rather be honest about this, spit it out, and— see if katsuki still wants to have any kind of relationship with him. it's only fair he knows.

he sighs, idly rubbing his eyes and trying to sober himself up. ] ... Do you need any help cleaning up?

[blastedass]

[denji has far less faith in bakugou's strength and what they had together than the hero. he's not surprised. doubt, self-loathing, mistrust, those all swim around in the half-devil's mind and haunt him with promises that this reality isn't going to hold up. they say something's wrong with him, that something's going to drive bakugou away, that denji doesn't deserve this kind of happiness. their encounter with that damn worm did nothing to quell those nay saying bastards either, even if both of them managed to escape without showing each other some of their worst memories. would a repeat performance with even harder memories shared crack what they had between them wide open? ... not in bakugou's opinion. maybe denji's underestimating the hero's strength. if he is, he'll keep getting slugged with the truth over and over and over. as many times as necessary for it to sink in.

he feels the other boy sinking into the embrace and slowly cards his hand up the back of denji's head. ruffling his hair across the insides of his fingers and the tiny webs between his knuckles, before sliding down to graze his nails over the nape of his neck. this guy really stayed up all night because of his mind, didn't he. no sleep, no rest, dammit. how tempting to try his damnest to put the half-devil to sleep and make him regain some of his strength. is it cruel to force denji to stay awake like this and care for him? or is it worse to have him crash and potentially litter his mind with nightmares that finally got put to bed for a bit... who knows. bakugou's aware his boyfriend would probably be more irritated if he went to sleep while the blonde had to deal with his wounds and going to the medics all by himself. what a caring guy. ah well, his injuries could use a brief breath of fresh air and a gentle rinse before going back under the medicine and bandages.

he opens his arms as denji leans back, letting him choose the distance he wants to put between them. head cocked to the side slightly, he eyes the other boy up and down, getting a good summary of his boyfriend's current state. definitely going to knock him out tonight one way or another to make sure he sleeps. if the half-devil even makes it that far. but at least denji's not as ragged in his emotions, looking calmer and more put together. so long as he knows what they have is real, bakugou's fine fielding the rest. he traces his thumb over the other teen's knuckles, tough-skinned palm resting against denji's.]

Did you need to sound that ominous? [bakugou's tone colors wry and amused. nothing good ever comes behind those four words. we need to talk. could turn into something better after said talk, but it's always a promise of a heavy issue that's likely uncomfortable for one of those involved. he stays the stubborn demand that denji spit the topic out right now and get it over with. fine, he'll wait, but he's not letting the boy get away with dropping that so suddenly without a comment at least. at least he's agreeing with a silent nod, then moving on so the half-devil doesn't down himself again. bakugou checks his arm over again. without a bath, washing off is going to be bothersome.] Let's get a shower. I'll use your runoff once you're clean.

[the intent is to leave his injured arm outside the shower while the two of them wash off, and then once clean, put denji under the shower spray with an arm extended while bakugou uses the much-gentler flow of water streaming off denji's hand to wash his injury. that'd avoid the trouble of the shower spray pounding on it. is his plan at least.]