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

[blastedass]

Yeah. If that's what's causing them.

[In some ways, it'd be easier than trying to purge an already-present race of monstrous creatures. Just shut and seal the damn doorway. But in other ways, a lot harder. How the fuck do you stop rifts?! Raidou's right in his thoughts too; they don't know what's going on all over the world, past and present. It's not like LILITH is sending them to rifts that are on the verge of opening. They didn't even known the rift was going to open under Disney.]

They might come from their own world. Doesn't make them demons or aliens, just a bunch of monsters.

[Their definition of monsters at least.]

LILITH managed to make working teleportation portals, and they have technology that dragged us out of our own dimensions. If this bastards are coming through rifts as well, what's the difference?

[More thinking out loud than actually demanding an answer from Raidou. But it throws LILITH in a shady light.]

[cranekin]

Ah! Well done! That's twice already!

(Twice someone has been successful catching a fish in a short period of time. It's definitely possible with the right technique.

Handing the boy another scoop,)

When you're ready.

(There's no rush. In fact, Tsurumaru is going to focus his attention on the little mechanical fish Bakugo has caught,)

Eh?! You got a good one, Bakkun. You're surprisingly good at this... (He's usually so short temperated, he would have thought he'd be too aggressive with his technique, ) Well, your reactions are pretty quick...

(He's definitely teasing him. And while they talk, the boy takes advantage of their distraction and makes his move. He catches a fish and lets out a surprised gasp. In his shock, he holds the scoop up for too long in front of him, the fish flails and breaks through and the boy's expression drops. He'd had it... he just couldn't keep it.

It's enough to break Tsurumaru's attention and he looks over and sighs,)

So close...

[thundercrashes]

Seriously? I thought that keeping your wishes private was just for like, blowing out birthday candles or whatever.

[But fine, if Bakugou doesn't want to share, then he's not going to force him to do so. Besides, Manjoume's own personal wishes are kind of embarrassing to share anyway, so maybe that's for the best...

... But that one about going home is at least a sentiment he can openly get behind, even if he does muse out loud.]

How many people here do you think have written that one down for their wish too?

[thundercrashes]

Wow.

[Said in a deadpan sort of tone, but you know what, it does get him to raise his arm again and start lining up his shots to try to hit the target, so technically speaking, it is working. If only to spare her from continuing to keep going here on this attempt at heckling.

Hope Yor is prepared to get dunked into the water once he manages to hit it this time.]

[lifeprice]

Is that a promise?

[ Easy revenge… Funny how words haunt him.

His arm shifts, curling around Tsurumaru. ]

Will you haunt me for the rest of my life, Tsuru? By my side?

[cranekin]

(Plainly,)

I'll haunt you to the grave.

(Because Tsurumaru Kuninaga is unnaturally comfortable when it comes to death.)

[lifeprice]

[ Unfortunately - or fortunately? - so is Aki.

It’s impossible not to sweep him up, then, to tug him between two of the booths and press a kiss against his lips a hard slant as he almost bites at his mouth.

It’s like a promise. Aki doesn’t have enough time, but he has time enough. To the grave… It’s romantic. ]

[the_fourteenth]

True. A rift could cause them to mutate once they cross through it. Humans who get pulled into the demon's dimension unwillingly are often disoriented and barely conscious. That's pretty mild comparatively.

It does seem similar. But we are able to be brought here and teleport where we need to, and not get mutated. [A beat.] So far. [A sobering thought.]

[blastedass]

Spit that shit out first next time!

[Don't just tell him "no, you can't" without giving him logical reasons for why he can't! Jeeze. What a pain. He looks up at the suit with a scowl (it's a pout, but he thinks it's a scowl). Stubborn that he is, Bakugo lingers on the idea of actually getting inside the thing. Of course he intends to follow what Dearka cautions about his mobile suit. Still...]

Then how do you pilot it?

[Red eyes flick to the corners, not yet turning his head, when he hears Dearka's muttered little comment about the potential difference between the mech here versus back home. A smaller suits with less complicated controls doesn't automatically mean it's shed the natural requirements to utilize.]

I can at least watch.

[gimu]

[ it’s convenient, choso thinks, that shinjuku is so rife with hills and shrines and little parks, for it allows strange outsiders like himself to engage in very disruptive shenanigans without actually disrupting anything important. in this shaky age of kaiju and a drastically reduced population, hakone-yama park is an overgrown, lush span of green breaking its borders in the ward’s northeastern reaches, and the observation platform at the top of its namesake hill a crumbling, derelict piece of natural heaven.

stood up on what used to be benches on the summit, choso shields his eyes against the angry summer sun to watch bakugo’s approach with no small amount of anticipation. ]

you could teach the hummingbird drones a thing or two about flying.

[ as the incoming bomb boy draws alarmingly closer, flowing red scale makes an expanding red mask of choso’s face, red orbs separating from the undulating lines to orbit his head like a weird halo. the faster they spin, the wider they become, ‘til there’s nothing less than a series of spinning red plates encircling him like a barrier. which will prevail? these, or bakugo’s pure, destructive capability?

choso is eager to find out. ]

[bemist]

... Poison risk?

[ Well, that'd be understandable-- ]

[blastedass]

See that? Easy!

[He's going to succeed at anything he does! Simple as that. Of course, this isn't the first time Bakugo's played the goldfish scoop game, having encountered as a child at several festivals. Better hope that kid paid attention to his technique.

Bakugo eyes the boy from above, probably not helping those nerves at all, but hell if he cares about that. At least until Tsurumaru comments on the fish that he just won. He looks down at it, noticing the little grenade-shaped body. Tch...]

Don't act like you're surprised, dammit! [Sheesh! He should've expected Bakugo's victory! How long has Tsusumaru known him?! But his attention goes back to the kid when he tries at the game again. Ugh, this little bastard. He's still not getting it!

With a quick motion, he tosses his own caught fish to his shoulder, causing it to sync with his implant and start swimming around the explosive blonde's head as Bakugo stomps around the water-filled trough.]

Move! [To Tsurumaru.]

You have to be quick at this or you're gonna fail every time! [To the boy. Before he can scram away in fear, Bakugo crouches down behind him and reaches around his shoulders, effectively capturing the kid's arms between his own.] Baka... Pay attention.

[This time, he's actually going to guide the boy's hand with his own, fitting a paddle into it and then resting his hand on the outside of the kid's. Like a marionette, Bakugo mimes his motions from before, bringing the boy's arm and hand along for the ride. Hovering over the water, tracking the fish, and then utilizing the same quick slice and scoop cut to bring the fish up and out of the water.]

[blastedass]

How many people do you run around spouting your personal wishes to?

[There's also a difference between a private wish you'd put on a traditional paper like this and general goals you're not shy of telling to others. In his opinion, a wish is asking for something outside his power. A goal is something he can claim with his own strength and hard work.

And yeah, personal wishes tend to be more embarrassing, so hell if he's gonna reveal them to.]

All of them. Unless they didn't want to go back in the first place.

[Which... he knows (and knew) a few people who fit that category.]

[blastedass]

The rift that opened under Disney mutated the workers near it, and affected others who got close.

[Not as bad as the worm's mind control, but enough to make Outsiders violent towards people around them. The idea of the rift affecting them even further is a disturbing one. Bakugo shoves the thought to the side. Preparing for something is fine; living in worry about it isn't.]

If rifts bring the kaiju here, then we're facing an unending battle until we find out how to close them.

[blastedass]

[so this bastard's chosen to take refuge in the abandoned park. does he really think the trees and creeping greens will allow him to evade bakugo's approaching wrath so easily? what a fool. u.a. prided itself on a massive array of battlefields for its students to train in. including woodlands. bouncing between tree trunks, explosions jetting him 90 degrees to one side, catching a branch to swing and thrust himself through snarls of other limbs, dodging traps from other classmates and leaving them ensnared in their own plots, bakugo's had his experience with battling in the woods.

and choso's opted to make himself a prime target, visible on the summit's derelict benches. he really does have a death wish. one hard explosion blasts himself forward as he flips around, bracing his hands in front of him, one splayed and the other curled in an o shape before the other.]

you'll be teaching the worms about food!

[heat ignites on his palm, glowing from orange to yellow to white hot as he concentrates the sweat and charge into a focal point centered on his hand.]

AP SHOT!! [KA-BWOOM!! like a laser, the fine-tuned explosive beam fires through his cupped hand, zipping across the distance between them and crashing into choso's red scale shield. unlike bakugo's usual explosions, this one isn't meant to detonate. it's meant to punch a hole straight through defense, using heat and concussive force in one tight area to penetrate.

just in time for the blonde to come crashing in behind it with a fully charged-]

HOWITZER IMPACT!! [with a beam that can punch through multiple slabs of concrete followed up by an explosion likened to a missile strike, choso's defense is gonna be put to the test.]

[30storieshigh]

[ Displaced titan that he is Godzilla isn't sure what he finds more troubling, the fact he's a little disappointed the human didn't make a fight of it, or that he's started to see how humans will turn on each other over the littlest, pettiest things. Rationed as things are there's still enough for everyone to have their share, trying to take more and spoiling to fight over it just isn't good for the long term health of the species.

Were they always like this and he just never noticed it? How did they ever manage to survive this long...

With a great heaving sigh that would probably involve smoke in his normal form, Godzilla crosses his arms and stares after the belligerent customer . ]

Indeed. Hardship may have fallen but that is no excuse for putting one's self so highly. "When serving food, it will not do to serve one's self more than the guest." I feel this wisdom should apply to the guest as well in times of shortage.

[ Look who's been reading over here. Or whatever it is that his implants convert text into for his understanding. Same thing really. ]

[30storieshigh]

[ He just waves a hand and laughs... kind of. It's a slow, almost hitched rumble in his throat, very much something more meant for the dinosaur body than the humany disguise. ]

There is no need to be concerned of this. I am well aware of my few limits, I would not make such a fledgling mistake. It is beneath me.

[ Except for that time with the Mutos, and that time with Muto Prime... and that time with Ghidorah... and that other time with Mechagodzilla... Yeah except for all of those times he's never put himself into a complete burn-out mid-fight. It's fine. Totally fine. ]

[gundemn]

You calling anything 'fun' is a first.

[ It makes Elan grin in earnest. ]

But sure. It beats taking public transportation.

[ He likes the freedom granted to him by the vehicle. He can't take it on a road trip like he really wants, but maybe someday. The thought is always in the back of his mind. ]

[gundemn]

Shouldn't you be the one deciding?

[ What's with all the considerate questions. Elan's not opposed to the park, and he starts in its direction. In this heat he wouldn't even say no to a nap. ]

You could stand to be a little greedier. Tell me the things you want. Don't you have any hopes or dreams?

[ NOT saying he's going to fulfill them if it were even possible, he just wants to crack him open a little. Like what does this guy really think and feel? Besides the minor annoyance of having him for company... ]

[gundemn]

[ 'This time'. Elan catches the casual admission and raises an eyebrow, but does he even want to know what happened last time that brought about the apocalypse...

This guy sure talks like a god. Mortals this and that. He can only imagine how it feels to look down from above, detached from any sense of danger or fear of death that normal people grapple with. ]

Yeeaah, okay, but don't you gods have your own planet to put to the test? A bunch of humans yanked you here. Kinda arrogant of them don't you think? Can you even call yourself a god anymore if you're just one of us?

[wheft]

...I want to go wherever I want, too.

[ wherever the sails would take her in this unfamiliar sea of strangers. she admits that wistfully, chewing on what's left of her fishcake. ]

Elysium tried going out of bounds the first time he arrived here, but he was captured and had his virtual wallet suspended for a couple of days, so. [ a shrug. ] Up to you if you'd like to risk it anyway.

[wheft]

[ he does look he hasn't eaten in quite a while, the gaunt lines on his face resembling plenty of people she'd encountered in the Backstreets. maybe he was just hiding his expertise on firearms as a reflex? that's normal, she supposes. ]

They didn't really rope me in. I just... put up with it, I guess? [ a noncommittal shrug. ] It sure beats nothing to do, and it was kind of fun watching people go at it. I get why a lot of people aren't too thrilled to do this, though.

[ a very ordinary answer. it's not like she wishes to stand out anyway unlike most of the people in brimstone and their giant egos, so she just went along with it with nary a complaint. once a wage slave, always a wage slave...

give her a moment to put up a sign indicating that the people behind the counter will be on break, and she nods at the older man. ]

Come on, I'll show you where the food is. [ he looks like he could use the exercise too, damn, ]

[emancipating]

Oh! I see.

[ choso and yuji don't really look anything alike, but zagreus accepts it without question. after all, thanatos doesn't look that similar to his brothers, nor does he resemble nyx herself. a bond can be formed in many ways, not just through blood.

zagreus' smile softens as he looks at the man on the bottle. ]

I'm glad you're not alone here.

[wheft]

[ the less she knows about the inner machinations of this guy's mind, the better....... ]

Isn't it? I bet it's not as easy as it looks.

[ at least he's not being weirdly arrogant this time. if he's eyeing her carefully to see what she's plotting then get ready to be disappointed because she's just... watching the food cook from here...... so feel free to ogle a little longer until she turns to hand him his share of the balls. ]

Here. Careful, it's hot. [ she picks up a piece, lightly blowing on it before taking a nibble. ] Mm, that's good. These guys put in a lot of tentacle in mine too.

[ sorry ]

[wheft]

[ why did he have to turn it around on her? now she's left hemming and hawing on what to wish for. her brows knit together in deep thought, lips pursed, until finally she jots something down on her tanzaku and ties it up to the nearest bamboo. ]

I think this should suffice.

[ I wish everyone on the bus are doing okay. ]