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.

code

Comments

okada izou, fate/grand order, brimstone

[hitokiller]

█ 001, "the terrible things". —
* dr. ratio's renovations — closed to brimstone-players.

( nice of LILITH to be proactive when it came to the city's safety.

not as nice to be appointed a bunch of busy-work, izou not at all keen on the idea of maintaining a couple entertainment-oriented stalls... or even just being forced to do busy-work with no real promise of a reward, and so he will likely be seen trying to make his escape at the back of brimstone's shateki stand, not even bothering to look behind him.

yes, he's aware the losers will be punished, but... consider: he never signed up for this shit in the first place. )

█ 002, "and the nice things". —
monsoon.

( honestly, other outsiders are free to do what they want in their spare time. izou has no say in it, and he generally doesn't care what anyone else does unless (a) you've somehow managed to make it into his circle or (b) it interferes with what he's doing somehow.

but that isn't going to stop him from bluntly voicing his opinion. )

What I don't get is why we're fancying up this place when we've got metal in our brains that does the same thing.

( okay, but he's totally relaxing on one of the new couches. my guy still came here to check it out, hands tucked neatly behind his head.

it's a brief respite from the heat. )

█ 003, "continue to happen beside each other". —
monsoon, again. cw: blood

( the brilliance of the city churns with the flood, and izou churns with it, throwing himself into work.

opportunity always swamped him with those good feeling chemicals, after all. being useful... using his skills, even if this particular job wasn't exactly about saving anyone and more about bringing harm to someone stealing from his new place of "employment" during a black-out. but he liked it when people said he had talent, and the boss of the place had certainly done so time-after-time since he switched positions from that boring cashier job to one where even glaring at someone at the door brought results.

he could use that. could definitely do with a little pick-me-up over his own mistakes lately, could do with the familiar splotch of red across his shoes.

when izou returns to base, it's during yet another particularly bad storm. his patent leather shoes and suit pants, a style assigned for the new job, are blotted in a deep red that might be his own, or someone else's, and he's soaked to the bone despite the neutral expression on his face. to anyone that gets in the way as he stomps in leaving wet footprints on the floor tile: )

Move. I'm headed for the showers.

█ 004, "wildcard". —

( if none of this strikes your fancy, feel free to pm this journal or message me on deathcap. ٩>ᴗ<)و )

1

[grade4]

Hey.

[ Yeah, she notices he's sneaking off. Enhanced senses tickle at her ears when she hears his footsteps moving away from their designated space. ]

[hitokiller]

( not the enhanced senses just like toji...

but maybe that "hey" was for someone else. like?

time to ignore it and pull back the flap of their stand. )

[grade4]

[ and then, in the moment he does and can all but taste the freedom he seeks, maki is behind him pulling on the back of his shirt by the neck. ]

Don't ignore me.

[hitokiller]

Hngh—?!

( snagging him like this is totally warranted, and izou clenches teeth in irritation at the persistence, whipping around at the back of the stand to confront her.

who the hell was she... but he recognizes that face, from the camper-van all those weeks ago. )

What are you 'sposed to be, LILITH's huntin' dog?

1!

[fursuit]

[ Honestly, putting Tezcatlipoca in charge of this booth is better than letting him try his chances on the other side. His score would be terrible, no doubt, but he could also shoot someone’s eye out. Perhaps this is some kind of cosmic safeguard.

Luckily, it’s pretty fun getting people to stop by and try their luck, and he’s good at it. He can entice people over with a smile and/or a straightforward challenge. The booth he’s been assigned to runs pretty smoothly. However. It’s not meant to last, since after a while of the same thing, he just gets bored. He starts to fiddle with one of the rifles, and it’s clear that he’s considering taking one apart for the hell of it.

It's then that someone making their escape catches his eye. He’d definitely pursue regardless of who it was, but as soon as he sees it’s Izou, well! How is he going to resist a chance to bug the guy? He tosses the barrel of the gun onto his shoulder casually and calls out: ]

You ditchin’?

[ Even with the toy rifle, this probably seems like a threat… At least until he starts to follow. ]

I’m comin’ with.

[hitokiller]

( ah, the brimstone member he'd want following him the least.

the encouraging lilt of tezcatlipoca's voice causes hair on the back of his neck to prickle, izou immediately swatting a hand over his shoulder as if to tell him to shoo—a casual sort of gesture meant for flies or insects that might swarm around one's neck in this sweltering heat. )

Don't you wanna flex your "Authority" or whatever to make our booth the best of the best?

( he doesn't do much more to deter the divine trailing along after him, and he doesn't slow down either, a rough hand pressed against the recycled material that makes up their booth.

if tezcatlipoca wants to follow him that bad, he can keep up. izou didn't really have anything specific in mind to do, except maybe grab a free meal from another booth and check out what others are up to from a distance. but he's quickly trying to figure out his next move. )

[fursuit]

[ Getting shooed just makes Tezcatlipoca’s neutral expression crack into a full, shitty grin. He takes the gun off his shoulder with a flourish so that he set it back down in the booth, since this is a gesture that’s practically an invitation as far as he’s concerned. ]

With a festival going on? Nah. It’s not well suited to me anyways.

[ He says, even though he seemed to be doing well? This is definitely just him acknowledging that his aim is bad and therefore getting assigned this booth is rude. Not that Izou would know. But once the rifle is out of his hands, he’s quick to slip out after him, and it’s just as smoothly. He might not have that designation at the moment, but he’ll be well suited for that Grand title too. ]

It’s no Toxcatl, but I’m always interested in seeing how other people conduct their festivities. This one’s pretty quaint, seems like.

[hitokiller]

Toxca-wha?

( overhead lights from the booths spotlight their footsteps as they walk, and there's a prick of irritation at the back of izou's neck for how swiftly tezcatlipoca can follow him. he should've expected as much, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. for starters, he still hadn't come to a conclusion as to how he should be handling this guy in general, the indecision of it all scraping at something between his ribs like a knife. )

That so. Takin' stock of it so you've got more ideas when you remake the planet?

( izou's attempt at a jeer, because he isn't over the precarious position they've been put in just yet. not by a longshot.

his hand swipes at a display of artificially processed food as they pass, content to nibble at a cobette during this conversation. )

002;

[assassinsgreed]

<sub>[ Wow, long time no see. It’s been a minute since he’s seen Izou. In fact, some of those memories from Las Vegas still remain fresh in his mind. The way the sounded, tasted.. the benefit of heightened senses is Toji could commit so much more to memory. It was fine for him to think about that every now and then because he wasn’t a taken man back then, but he knows there might be a weird shift in their friendship because of all of that— and what developed between them and their partners after the fact.

Toji is a little curious to know where they stand, but instead of just asking like a normal person, he scoffs as he sees Izou relaxing on the couch. ]</sub>

Get up.

_{[ as if Toji hasn’t been doing basically the same thing. ]}

[hitokiller]

( there sure as HELL is gonna be a weird shift, because here is izou trying to maintain his cool, chin raised as he attempts to stop the color threatening to rush up the back of his neck.

it really has been a long time since they interacted, and so much has changed since then. so much. all izou knows at the moment, is that he's being contested somehow, and that he better stand his ground. or stand his couch. he's the one using it. )

Oh, yeah? And what're you gonna do if I don't?

( can they just say hi or something... christ!!! these two. )

[assassinsgreed]

_{[ For Toji, it doesn’t bode well seeing Izou is here being the slacker when Toji knows he is the ultimate slacker when it means doing anything useful for no extra pay. He snorts, then turns around and sits his ass down also on the couch. If Izou is taking up the whole couch, well, he’s gonna be sitting on his legs. If there’s room for Toji to sit, he will sit on the opposite side and stretch his legs over on Izou. ]}

If you’re gonna be doing nothing, I am gonna be doing nothing too.

_{[ look at these guys.. like lazy cats.. ]}

[hitokiller]

( let's say there's just enough room for toji to stretch out and get situated, thanks to izou here being a high-strung creature that feels tense when it comes to sharing space with someone who's seen a little too much of him. that doesn't stop izou from making an irritated clicking noise with his tongue as he leans back against an armrest of the couch and pulls in his body to make more room, arms folded across his chest as he sits up.

two assassins, one couch. )

Are you just tryin' to mess with me, or is there... there something you wanna say? I'm not gonna sit here forever.

( it's a pretty pointed question, and he... he's glowering at the man, but it's without the usual teeth.

it's not as if izou's been consciously avoiding him, but he was wary. always wary as he used a temper to shield himself, not really the sort to understand how people felt about him in general until they put it into words. )

003

[zauneyete]

[ Honestly, being out in the rain is probably only an enjoyable experience for some people who probably need to be kept from enjoying himself. Normally, it came with a cost, and Silco rarely seemed to care about other people enough to go out and help clean up their city; particularly as the waves of the monsoon seemed to ebb and flow back and forth, undoing any work already done.

He was on his way through a door when Izou came through — an unlit cigar in hand — and he stopped.

Look, never tell a man that looks like that what to do, he stopped almost on instinct, blocking the door. Well, as much as a five-and-a-half foot twig could block the door. He wouldn't be intimidating if it weren't for that eye.

He took one look at him, and his eyes drifted downward, to the splotches of dark red on his shoes and pants. ]

I imagine so. Someone's been busy. [ He doesn't seem bothered. ] How does the other person look?

[hitokiller]

( pausing in front of him like that... it'd almost be taunting if it weren't for the unperturbed expression splayed across the other man's face.

izou studies this "stranger" with a glance of his own, running tongue along teeth before responding to the question. )

About how you'd expect. Beaten beyond recognition.

( there's no real tension here outside of what izou might create on his own, the occasional drip of wet hair being what breaks the silence of his pause.

he tips the hilt of his blade towards silco, the smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth playful. there's no reason to get riled up just yet. )

What. You want a demonstration?

[zauneyete]

[ His eyes flick to the blade, before he blinked (one eye) and then his gaze returned to his face, and his lips twitched. ]

Do I look like I'm winning any fights?

[ Hands spread, to gesture toward himself. Look at him, he's practically skin and bones. ]

No, no, I would prefer not. Call it only curiosity, given not very many people have returned from our benefactor's sanctions activities looking quite so... [ his head tipped, as if he's searching for a word that isn't "covered in gore" ] messy.

It only makes me wonder what he did.

[ He doesn't move, but there's no hostility in his frame, surprisingly. There's also no fear, or hesitation, despite the (softly) implied threat. ]

002

[siffriend]

[ (It's the guy who dropped all the waters!




He looks like he's doing better now. You did so well, Siffrin. Your Craft is so useful.)

Approaching people to wait for conversation has worked in the past, to... varying degrees of people not finding it off putting and weird, but Siffrin recalls this person being quite grumpy. And it seems he still is, if in a different way, but won't stop them from shuffling over (silent, as if they don't exist at all, second nature it would seem) to peer at Izou. ]

Is your head okay?

[hitokiller]

( was that all siffrin... or was it getting some actual rest. we may never know.

unfortunately, izou's attentive to the sneaking sort being a sneak himself. he just doesn't say anything until something's expected of him, glancing over when they've shuffled near enough. )

What. You here to read?

( that didn't answer siffrin's question, but okay. )

[siffriend]

[ It's both, let them have this. ]

No. There's nothing I'm interested in here.

[ (Nothing that would help you, anyway.) ]

001

[wheft]

[ should've used that concealed presence or whatever the heck people like izou now have. ishmael may be used to working by herself, but accommodating this many people on her own is impossible. ]

Izou.

[ she turns around with a sigh. ]

Where do you think you're going?

[hitokiller]

( IF HE USED CONCEAL PRESENCE IT WOULD CUT MY PROMPT IN HALF... closes eyes.

izou recognizes that voice well enough, not even bothering to turn around. )

For a walk.

( it's not a total lie. )

[wheft]

[ yessss we ecats now

there's a pause as ishmael considers this, and then: ]

Can I come with?

[ taking an earlier break than usual wouldn't hurt. ]

3

[bowtography]

[ March is both patient and impatient. Quick and lively, ready to bounce from one thing or another, but willing to calm down and let things happen when she thinks they're important.

And in the scheme of everything she's gone through, this isn't that relevant. And she'd done her best. She'd spent time with Vergilius, talking it out. She'd waited for Izou to speak up about it.

And he hadn't said a word. Again.

So he likely hasn't realized who's approaching, while he's soaked and blotted with blood, but March doesn't so much as falter, fingers curling tightly in the soaked fabric of his shirt. ]

Not yet.

[ Tersely. ]

[hitokiller]

( there are few on base who can pull the corners of his mouth from a thin, indifferent line and urge his lips agape so quickly.

there are also few who can be curt with him and not get an immediate rise of anger, albeit right now, that tense lilt to her voice has his entire body tense.

he takes a step back, the wet scrape of a shoe echoing loud in the hall, and then: )

... March.

( who else could it be, given that voice and that fist and those fingers that'd clutched him before? it's not shaky, or nervous, but he still doesn't turn entirely. his gaze flits to the floor, the occasional droplet of water falling from strands of his hair and to the floor. )

I... Where do you want me, then?

( he wasn't about to run. not now. )

[bowtography]

[ At least there's that. As soon as she's positive he isn't going to try to be avoidant, March releases his shirt. ]

My room. [ Still that firm tone, as she turns to lead the way, obscuring her face. ] I won't keep you for that long, but...

[ She could be foreboding. She could keep him in suspense. But.

That's not who she is, is it? ]

I'm really angry right now.