DOWNTIME MINGLE #3

[synfluxmods]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #3

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disaster, forced scenarios.

▶ 001. A JOB WELL DONE.

As Outsiders head back from Okinawa (or, perhaps they are already back, characters were able to leave Okinawa through the dataportal whenever) with plenty of coconut crab and mutated fish, Outsiders can expect to have the cafeteria filled with crab and fish food for the next.. well, undetermined amount of time. The power outages have been restored on the LILITH base, and while Outsiders have been enjoying their change of pace in Okinawa, there has been some celebratory news across the Outsider's ocular implants. It looks like it is a message from the big guy himself! Whoever that is. Wasn't his name.. Eiji something? Elijah?

"I'm not going to waste my time with introductions, because we have more important matters to discuss. First of all, good work. Second, while we have been met with several successes, don't let it get to your head. Third, continue following the lead of Yamakawa. ... This is why I don't do celebratory speeches. CODENAMES MONEYBAGS, DUELWIELD, BUSTERMOVE, CHAINSAW MAN and CURSE... great work. You'll see the rewards of your hard work momentarily. Report to me for a payout."

The announcement won't leave an Outsider's implant until it has been read, but just as the voice said, Outsiders will find a Sampo themed pachinko machine installed by the cafeteria near the vending machines. It looks like it's ready to be played! Why not give it a go? Because who wouldn't want to see this charm willingly.

A lot of toy companies are also wanting their skin in this game and have introduced the set of several actions figures based off Yzak and Dearka's gundams, which can be seen distributed on base. The caveat, however, is that you will need to build them piece-by-piece. Alongside this, there will also be Denji-themed plushies, even if it looks like a cross between a dog and human.

Thanks to Choso, hair care on the base has also gotten a lot better. Due to sponsorships, Outsiders are readily able to access more shampoo and conditioner options. Though, maybe thanks to the pictures on the bottle— buns are now trending.

Maybe give the pachinko machine a spin? Or try Choso's brand of shampoo your team's wing communal shower?

▶ 002. TRADITIONAL TANABATA.

The sun is hot but summer is traditionally festival season in Neo Tokyo; these old traditions have managed to hold up in this gritty society in attempts to keep a positive morale, so some citizens and organizers try to keep the tradition going and lift spirits by celebrating local festivals. Many districts and neighborhoods have their own festivals as well. One day, you might stumble onto a shopping district’s wind chime festival and the next day, you might find flyers for a neighborhood’s morning glory festival.

The largest festival of the month is the Tanabata festival. Since the holiday falls in an odd weekday this year, the main celebration is held the next weekend. Civilians and Outsiders can find various shrines, shopping centers, and community buildings with bamboo branches on display with holographic slips of paper that alternate colors. Characters that pass by may submit their wishes on their implants; a new way to keep the old tradition.

On the weekend, some stalls have been set up for people to celebrate. Attendance is low because of the heat and due to a food shortage, the options are lacking. However, there are plenty of games such as a toy shooting range with laser guns and kaiju targets. There are also goldfish catching games where people can catch a cheap goldfish drone that can “swim” in the air and water and shoot bubbles. As a bonus, LILITH will provide Outsiders with an outfit upgrade to help lift spirits. The outfit consists of a traditional summer yukata or jinbei.

Fireworks have gone out of style due to attracting kaiju attention. However, at the festival’s end, there is a drone light show. Hundreds of customized hummingbird drones take to the sky and create elaborate illuminations and shapes in the sky while music plays.

▶ 003. DR. RATIO'S RENOVATIONS.

Festival season means LILITH also has to get in on the action, and while a certain Outsider named Dr. Ratio has raised concerns over the stated of the LILITH base Library, LILITH has actually listened to his desperate plea to renovate the library. What a perfect opportunity for LILITH to use the festival as a way of raising funds so they don't have to dip into their kaiju payout funds (and pizza party fund.) It's time for LILITH's annual SUMMER FESTA. Every year, LILITH comes together with local organizations like fire stations, police stations, clinics, and nonprofits to promote public safety and awareness. It's a one day festival where people can get information about what to do to stay safe not only during kaiju attacks but in their daily lives. The funds raised at the festival will go to training, supplies, research, and maintaining services.

As usual, LILITH is raising money for disaster relief supplies and renovation projects across Neo Tokyo. Per request, LILITH has agreed to set aside some funds to help renovate the facilities on base, including the library. However, they will task the Outsiders with raising the money.

It's a festival so how they raise the money is both up up to them or they may take the suggestions according to their team placement below. Either way, Outsiders are required to work with other people on their same team but they're encouraged to make it fun. Set up game stalls, sell food, do performances, and ask for donations to raise as much money as possible for their projects. The team that raises the most money is promised a prize while the losers will be punished. Here are the team suggestions below and some of them may have some new, modern twists:

Everlight: Kingyo-sukui, which is goldfish catching with a paper scoop. Managing the takoyaki stands.
Revelation: Yoyo-tsuri, fishing for water-filled balloons with a “fishing pole” with a paper string. Managing the mask stands.
Brimstone: Shateki, shooting at targets for prizes. Managing the sparklers stands.. sparklers shouldn't catch kaiju attention, right?
Redemption: Wanage, ring toss. Managing the onigiri stands.

Outsiders will be given a week to prepare for the festival and they only have a single day to raise funds. In the evening, the winning team is announced: Revelation. All team members will receive can badges and a pizza party. A special donation will also be made to the library on their behalf: A stack full of self help books, yes, REAL books and not holograms or digital books, such as "Overcoming Your Depression for Dummies" and "How to Make Friends 101." Thank you for your effort, Team Revelation!

As for the losers, they will be given options: Sign up or the final fundraising event of the night or help clean up at the end of the festival. The final fundraiser is a punishment game where volunteers from each organization are dunked in tubs of water or pied in the face. It seems like a certain person (Seok Dang) was supposed to be LILITH’s tribute but he is nowhere to be found… maybe one of the other losers will step up and take his place to be dunked in water or pied in the face? Characters may also sign up a loser character without their consent. Come on, be a good sport!

▶ 004. MONSOON SEASON.

Despite the celebrations and attempts to raise morale, the heatwave persists in Neo Tokyo and with it, the problems from the beginning of the month. Food continues to go bad quickly and while fundraising attempts have provided some relief, the city is huge and shelf stable supplies begin to run low again. The energy crisis improves slightly with blackouts occurring less frequently as emergency personnel attempt to intervene. Though the weather is dreary, the renovations must press on! Fortunately, most of the things to do around the Library consist of staying inside. Dr. Ratio has given the following orders which Outsiders may help with in the Library:

- Install better lighting.
- Organize and add more books.
- Set up and secure tables and chairs.
- Add couches to once section of the library to convert it into a lounging area.

Characters may work together to help, or maybe they prefer to laze around and give the newly renovated Library a test run!

After a few days, finally, the rain meteorologists have promised arrives. The skies darken and heavy rain falls on the city which brings much cooler temperatures. People stay inside more often as it becomes too inconvenient to go out when the rain and wind are so strong. The rainstorms grow stronger and eventually become fully fledged storms. The ground shakes from thunder and lightning strikes light up the sky.

Everyone’s ocular implants will frequently give warnings about the weather. LILITH will task Outsiders with assisting across the city. Help evacuate citizens to higher ground during flash floods. After the storms subside, help clear the streets of debris and trees. Some neighborhoods will lose power because of lightning strikes and need their generators restored. However, every time they finish their tasks, a new storm will occur a few days later and they’ll have to repeat.

At first, it seems like the typical summer storm season but meteorologists become concerned when more storms begin to happen without following clear weather patterns and even the locals remark the season seems very active this year… could it be another kaiju? The last time Neo Tokyo had floods, it was sea water, but this is caused by heavy rain. Like clockwork, LILITH's investigating team is on the lookout for energy from a rift or any leads to what could be causing all of the heavy rain. Outsiders are instructed to keep an eye out for any emergency messages.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our third downtime mingle! While we would typically have a texting prompt, we instead have player plots for this event! Thank you Abbel and Eski for the Tanabata and festival player prompt and Sky for the Library renovations plot! We appreciate Eski for spending 500 bonus points to provide everyone with something to wear for Tanabata. For the character-run stalls as part of the renovation prompt, players are not limited to the suggestions given by the mods and are free to come up with their own stall ideas. Additionally, for characters signing up other characters for the dunk tank, please make sure you get OOC permission from their players first.

Please note also we have added new rewards: the Poison Dagger, Cat Ear Visor, and the Elemental Swords now come in the models Ice and Lightning. Please see the REWARDS page for more information.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points.

EVENT BREAKDOWN (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. A JOB WELL DONE: The kaiju heavy hitters get recognition with.. a pachinko machine and shampoo sponsorship? Outsiders can react to their fellow colleagues about this development, or maybe even talk to the winners themselves around the base.

2. TRADITIONAL TANABATA: It's Tanabata season, even in a post-apocalyptic world! Put on some old, traditional attire with your friends and enjoy a drone show.

3. DR. RATIO'S RENOVATIONS: LILITH has teamed up with the local safety personnel to get in on the festival season. Characters are encouraged to fundraise for renovations at the LILITH base Library. Teams may also visit other teams events and stands to donate, partake in, and.. maybe deliver some competitive harassment.

4. MONSOON SEASON: With the weather being hot and renovations needing done, LILITH works together to improve the Library. A few days later, the weather gets suspiciously intense and Outsiders are instructed to help civilians with power outages, flash flooding, debris from heavy wind and rain.

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Comments

[gorb]

( A little similarity between them then, Geto doesn't ponder on it for too long. Instead he only hums. )

At least you're in a place that you don't have to settle for something awful. I hear the cafeteria food is fine.

[gorb]

( He wonders if it's Tokyo for the same reasons most jujutsu sorcerers come from Japan, a natural affinity for monsters maybe. It's not something he needs to consider, tapping ash off of his almost burnt down cigarette, letting it flutter uselessly in the wind. )

It's a big city. I preferred mine though. Easier to navigate.

( He misses his home in a way that surprises him, but then again, should it? His family were there. )

Though this one is less crowded, a boon. ( Because the humans have died in droves before LILITH brought them to action, replaced by robot workers and Outsiders. It's the only vicious kind of positive Geto can find in a place like this. ) Just be thankful you didn't get here when LILITH sent us to America. The desert would have been much worse. Like burning under a magnifying glass and nothing but sand, sand, and more sand.

[gorb]

Mm. LILITH does like team-building.

( His tone is dry, he thinks very little of that. )

Are you glad to be back in Neo Tokyo? Or did Las Vegas charm you in the end?

[bemist]

Yeah, I don't have any problems with it at all. [ With a light shrug. ]

And if I don't have to pay for it, so much the better.

[gorb]

Well then. Small mercies.

( He doesn't eat there but that's besides the point, really. )

[hitokiller]

( silco the considerate... who would have guessed. not izou, who knows next to nothing about him.

all he can glean is what's in front of him: that the guy is smart enough to make way, and that the air about him isn't brimming with the curious brightness a good deal of other outsiders possessed, wrenched from across time and space to be here.

also damn, this thread lines up pretty well with Proposed Shenanigans™ now. )

... The drug trade, mostly. I figure. Or maybe they just pilfered somethin' that belongs to a manager. Someone high-up. I'm not getting paid to think on it too hard.

( said with less enthusiasm, as though izou isn't sure whether he's supposed to be divulging that or not. it's not a tightly-kept secret or anything, but...

and he proceeds to take a step past, brow furrowing for how casual this is playing out. )

[kubricks]

I prefer being here. The worm and desert aside, it was fun but I wouldn't want to live there.

[Not that she'd be opposed to a worm-free return visit at some point of course.]

[redsoil]

[ YEAH HE KNEW IT ]

You are the kind of man who would conquer adversity or die to it. "All or nothing".

[ Something about being away from the burdens and division of Kenos gives him room to be a little meaner, ironically. To prod at Silco with the distinct joy of someone who knows all of the man's vulnerabilities, but truly only wishes to enjoy the time with him. Even if it's at his expense. He dips his hand below the counter to reach for one of the masks he knows is present, something he'd already had in mind when it came to his old —

soulmate ally. ]

What are you striving against now, Silco?

[ The mask he draws forward is,

well. It's a very cute rendition of a cockroach. He knows Silco will appreciate it. <3 Better a horrible immortal bug that everyone hates than like, something with innate beauty and/or power. ]

[the_fourteenth]

I have heard that, yes. It would make some sense, yes? My experience made me think a "rift" was an opening to another world. That could still be true. But whatever they are seem, they're definitely aiding in the mutations. At least this time, it was beneficial.

[Crab for days. Fruit the size of your head. Even some of the fish Raidou caught were pretty huge.]

Dr. Ratio would probably be a good person to talk to about it. I assume he's already well into researching it.

[As he seems to be with... well, everything. Raidou found him pretty admirable.]

[nutkick]

[ 'a lot of time has passed'. was it a few months? a year? two years? how long does it take before someone can heal? and then yuwon adds that he avoids talking about it. so, the answer is to wait and repress, then hope for the best. a normal person might take it as bad advice, a terrible one, yet all denji could think about is— how lonely that man is.

it's a lonely answer, a lonely way of coping and he wonders if yuwon had any other choice than go through it on his own. it takes denji back to their conversation earlier, and how the word 'friend' felt heavy on the other man's tongue, almost like a foreign concept. it made it hard to believe that he was truly over his past hardships. how could he when he's still keeping others at arm's length? denji could be wrong. he was never emotionally smart, not even with himself.

but, god, something about that answer hurts ...

it's too close to home. it's the life that awaits him once all this kaiju-hunting game is over. he didn't want to leave. everyone is so kind to him. this place is everything to him. the more he thinks of it, the more it shows in his face— the grief, the fear. a part of him wished to reject such a miserable existence, to force normalcy and pretend it was all good, but denji didn't know any other way either. he stayed quiet for a few seconds, still fiddling with the toy, seemingly not minding the touch. he then held the plush up and offered it to the other man, muttering. ] You can have it ...

[ he's quiet again. ]

Wanna come over for dinner and a movie sometime?

[cranekin]

(It only makes him laugh. He tries to get away but he still hangs onto his arm. This probably results in them swaying a bit in the crowd so the people nearby have to get out of the way. They're just a couple having fun, though. It's not like they're being a nuisance.)

Because you're no fun.

(Bold of him to say when Aki has him at his mercy like this.)

[cranekin]

Right, right! It's almost like those friends were all wrong.

(He speaks lightly and laughs easily but there's definitely something a little sharp to his words. It's the way he didn't have to bring back the friends that left the boy. It's the way he so plainly points they were wrong. It makes the boy fluster and he looks down at his scoop, almost too embarrassed to face Bakugou and Tsurumaru now.)

Well, you're young so there's plenty of time to learn better. Let's go. Give it a try.

(And he tries... only for the mechanical goldfish to break through another paper paddle. )

That was just practice. You'll definitely get it in another try or two.

(Looking up at Bakugou,)

Bakkun, come show how it's done.

(Demonstrate for them!!!!)

[nutkick]

[ the ice cube fell— not before giving denji one last agonizing slide through his skin; it made him flinch a bit before he held his arms out. huff, he stares the other down, still bitter. ]

Maybe a normal set of pants and a shirt would be better. Ugh.

[ well, with the heatwave— this style of clothing is more refreshing. he can't complain about that. ]

Have you lost Aki or something?

[ in other words: why are you alone, sir? ]

[cranekin]

Festive clothes are better.

(But then again, Tsurumaru prefers more traditional clothes. They're comfortable for him. Giving the obi a tug, he has to reach around Denji to adjust some of the fabric and balance out the look. (Enjoy the pseudo-hug, Denji.))

You haven't? I thought he was with you.

(When he's finished, he gives the obi one more tug, securing it in place and straightens the front of his yukata. Stepping back, he gives Denji some space to let him know he's all done.)

There, much better.

[fursuit]

Yeah, same as the place I was before. Don’t mind it, though. Hell, it suits my interests better, since it makes the fight less one-sided. It’s not braggin’ to say that if I weren’t evened out, could solve this whole problem easily, but that ain’t fair.

[ Not… that anyone else would see it that way, save for perhaps Set. When the stakes are the kaiju wreaking havoc on this world, playing “unfair” is probably what the people would prefer. That’s simply not how Tezcatlipoca operated, though. The hero and savior wasn’t his role to play.

He doesn’t think much of it, though, since her assessment makes him hum thoughtfully, and he takes a few steps forward and turns so he can catch a glance at a few more of the wishes. ]

—But, yeah, I guess somethin’ minor would be fine. Petty? [ He’s not sure if that’s the right word for it, but, eh. He looks back to Ishmael. ] Could be the same for you, then. Makin’ a wish for somethin’ trivial ain’t bad.

[lifeprice]

I’m not fun?

[ Aki shakes his head, going right back to trying to ruin Tsurumaru’s hair with his fingers, leaning close so that his breath can ghost over his ear. ]

You can go home alone tonight, if that’s the case.

[redsoil]

There is thinking about it, and then there is being possessed by it. It does you no good to be plagued by how things were, when you are needed to focus on here.

[ He's yet to decide upon a mask, still working on plumbing the mind of the young man before him. ( At least, Set thinks he's young. He could be an adult. He's lacking the wrinkles of the old, and he's not as small as a child. Age is a foreign concept to him!! ) ]

Things must have been egregiously difficult, though?

[redsoil]

It is not an apocalypse of my making. This time.

[ Humans are at fault, so humans SHOULD have to clean up their own mess or DIE.

LILITH didn't even need to augment him to make him pliable to the idea of being helpful, though. He's dutiful and insane enough to do it, simply because he enjoys the fight; the good thing about LILITH's move is that he's not pitting himself AGAINST humanity to see if they're even worthy to hold their world anymore. ]

But, it does not mean nothing to me. Endings are natural, the same as beginnings. It is the strength shown to defy that ending by mortals that is most important to me. If the people of this world truly want to survive, I want to see their conviction.

[redsoil]

[ LAIOS YOU'RE NOT MAKING SENSE!!!! ]

But, they will. [ The wishes. They will be read, he means. ] They will be observed by eyes that are friendly to those wishes, judgmental of them, and disrespectful of them. The treatise one makes when they name a wish in this manner, is that they will humiliate themselves before a hundred pairs of eyes — for the mere hope that one observer will humor them. That is not how one respects anyone, let alone themselves.

[ A wish is a risk, to him. ]

I used to receive wishes, directly. And they were much more than this... debasement of privacy. They were a promise between a human and their god.

[busternaut]

[Dearka laughs, almost startled by the brazenness of that assumption.]

Oh you think so, huh? What, you think you just press a button and it walks forward or something? [He shakes his head.] You need training to operate one of these. Even an average coordinator would struggle with it without the right instruction, and that's not even touching how next to impossible it would be for a natural.

[the_fourteenth]

[From his guarded look and lack of immediate answer, Set can probably safely assume the answer to that question.]

...Things were complicated when I left.

[Raidou thinks for a moment, brow furrowing.]

LILITH tells us we are still at home, another version of us. I don't believe them.

[redsoil]

[ JOIN THE CLUB, RAIDOU ]

LILITH explained the same to me. I find I cannot believe it, either. I did not come from my original world before arriving here, and all existence was ended in that place. Plus, there is only one of me. [ Divine omnipresence, which is fancyspeak for "im crau even when im not" in DWRP. ]

And that would be terrible, for someone like you, if true. Imagine having to fight to see which of you is allowed to continue surviving!

[the_fourteenth]

I am sure they're saying that for reassurance.

[He doesn't sound angry about it. He can understand them saying such things. He's (mostly) made peace with it at this point. Neo Tokyo was home now, even if they promise to send everyone back once their mission is complete.

Set gets a curious look when he so confidently says there is only one of him. How can he be so sure? Raidou already knew before he got here that he's not the only him out there. Wasn't it the case for everyone?]

I'm not unfamiliar with the concept of alternate worlds and versions. I've met one of mine. Regardless... I am still me. We may share a face and our title, but there is only one of me.

[blastedass]

I DON'T NEED ANYTHING TO REACH YOUR FUCKING HEAD!!

[each burst brings him closer and closer to his quarry, crossing the sky without bothering to land atop any buildings or burn through the streets. he doesn't need to freak people out; there's enough for them to worry about on their own. but hell if he's going to let choso get away with those fucking insults! he's gonna bash this bastard though the roof!

doubly so when he realizes the man's climbing something. getting to higher ground? that's not going to help him at all. only put a bigger target on his head! he'll wreck his damn ass and splatter him all over the floor. and walls! and ceiling!!

EVERYWHERE!!]

[eyescar]

[ over here! ]