synflux | DOWNTIME MINGLE #3

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DOWNTIME MINGLE #3

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ (You're annoying her.

She probably hates having to carry you, too. You're always so useless. It's close enough, so stop burdening her already.)

Siffrin lingers, stiff as they are, before trying to wriggle off. ]

... I can take it from here, since we're close. I won't be swept away.

[ Probably. ]

[ In abject defiance of that announcement, Gebura keeps her arms hooked under their legs and continues to walk. ]

We're almost there, anyway. [ And the wind is still being a bitch and a half, so no. Endure it for like fifteen more seconds. ]

[ (Ugh.

You really hate the way you are. Powerless. Useless. Holding others back. You can't even do your job right. You're so, so strong now, but what does that matter? The loops are still going. You still haven't figured out how to break them. There's only so much you know, so much you can learn, and you can't learn anything here. Even if you did, who would you talk to? Because no one knows, no one's going to know, and you're too stupid to figure out anything yourself.

Stupid and useless and a coward and a creep and

you should probably say something, idiot.) ]

Okay.

[ Okay. ]

[ Okay.

Sadly, Gebura is not a mind reader, so has no idea that Siffrin is spiraling a bit, but as promised, she'll reach the base and kneel to let them climb off before she straightens again.

Her gaze is distant as she looks back at the storm. That weariness is sinking in a little further beneath her skin, but she doesn't show it. What's the point in showing it? ]

... I'll be back soon. Go dry off, okay?

[ No, it's better if she isn't. He can look perfectly normal when he stands in front of her, smile at ease and having made sure not to linger a moment longer. Gebura can't ever know, because it's more than she's willing to give and they won't ever ask her for it.

They nod and shuffle inside quickly, both to dry off and to make some hot cocoa for Gebura's return. She doesn't seem against sweet things, so this should be fine.

Can't take her that long. Time to sit in the lobby with two cups of cocoa, one blanket bundling him up and another sitting beside him with a towel folded on top. Ready. Sipping. Absolutely over their selfish and shameful wants for physical contact from anyone (if prepared for it). ]

[ Don't call her tastes out like this, Siffrin.

It really doesn't take her that long, as stated. She does, sooner rather than Much Later, step back in looking more like something the cat dragged in. A little more bedraggled, capable of leaving a puddle if she chooses to just stand there, dark liquid trickling from a small gash on her forehead, just above an eyebrow. The shade matches her water-darkened hair.

She blinks once she spots them, and the words are on her tongue, but she'd tried to say as much before, that he hadn't needed to wait for her. She'd half-expected he was going to, anyway.

What a weird feeling to realize someone was waiting, but she doesn't dwell on it. ]

There, as promised.

As promised.

[ Much lighter, confident of her keeping it, and Siffrin stands enough to hand her the towel just to dry off a bit. The injury is taken note of, and they point at it. ]

Can I?

[ Give her a minute to squeeze the excess water out of her ponytail (sorry to the floor) before she accepts the towel. At the question, she quirks the other eyebrow. ]

If you want. It's not that bad.

[ Well. Okay, yes, she would say that even if she'd been impaled, probably. But sometimes it's an honest statement!! ]

[ That's fine. He simply likes helping others.

(You close your eye...)

... And the cut feels warm long after it's sealed, as if it was never there. Siffrin opens their eye again. Yay! They carefully tuck the mugs into her intended blanket and stand with all three, starting off quietly. Peeking back to see if she'll follow. The wet spot is fine someone will deal with it. ]

[ Yes, yes. She understands, she'll follow after them without a word. The spot still feels warmer than the rest of her right now, but that's not too surprising. The rain wasn't exactly heated.

And yet at least! She won't be the one getting sick!! ]

[ Okay.

First stop is just the team hallways. ]

... I'll wait, so you can change out of your wet clothes. You'll get sick if you stay in them.

[ This is apparently not where they're ending. ]

[ What is this escort--

It's a valid point though. Wet clothes cling in the most uncomfortable of ways, even if she's still confident she'll be staying perfectly healthy.

So into her Everlight room she goes to change out of her current clothes. The lounge wear is yellow and Absolutely Not, she's just going with a pair of loose dark pants and a lighter sweater as she steps out again. ]

Let's go.

[ To where?? ]

[ Everlight...

(You'll remember this.)

He nods and move to the elevator. Up time.

...

They're going to the greenhouse, for the record. More into a corner of it where there's grow lights for the plants there, especially given the lack of real light through the wide windows these days. Grow lights get very warm. It's lovely feeling.

Siffrin will carefully set the blanket down, moving the cups off of them, before picking up the blanket again and glancing down from Gebura to the floor. Sitting time. ]

[ Oh, so that's what they were aiming for. The warmest place right now, which hasn't really been an issue before the storms, with the heat wave. Go figure.

Gebura sighs wearily, sitting down. She's still got the towel. ]

It's slowing down out there, at least.

[ Good that she does! The blanket is being thrown over her for good measure, then quickly fixed before Siffrin sits back down and gently moves the cocoa in front of her. ]

For now. I don't think I've ever any place rain this hard before.

[ (It was always clearer skies when you looked up at them, on beautiful water. The lightless sand impressed with crab marks and footsteps.) ]

I heard that the people here make little tissue dolls to ask their gods to take the rain away, but I think we'd need a lot to make it happen now.

[ Who knew. Who knew the shortie was this fussy? Gebura adjusts the blanket around herself and works at toweling her hair a little more dry as she glances down at the mug. Cocoa, huh.

... Definitely better than coffee. She hopes you feel a chill, Chesed. ]

At this point, probably not a good idea to make the effort. This doesn't seem like something that can be driven away by... gods, or they would have done it already.

[ If they were real!! ]

[ Maybe. The Expressions Odile talked about are pretty varied, but who knows if they cover rain. ]

It's a little bit of hope for them, at least. Kind of reminds me of the clay dolls they make in Dormont.

[ The dancing ones... ]

Maybe they aren't doing it right.

Maybe you should try making one, then. Maybe the Craft makes a difference.

[ Hello, cocoa. Her hair is just Slightly Damp now; it'll dry fairly quickly here, so she can pick up the mug for a lengthy sip. ]

[ How does she think they got so dry? Just sat under the lamp and let it do its work. Fantastic idea, they know. ]

Crafting won't make a difference, I think. But they do look fun to make.

[ (They look like you!

Or, at least, how that kid draws you. Round.)

Siffrin's smile widens a little and he pulls out a small pack of tissues. ]

Which is why I brought some up.

[ And yes, Gebura's getting half. ]

...........

[ Oh, she's just staring at them. ]

Siffrin.

[ No. ]

You don't have to do it if you don't want to, or you're too tired.

[ Which he knows she isn't, it's just stupid. But it's just a little tease as he takes a few for himself, balling them up for a head and then pulling a new one to make the for, twisting to secure and smoothing down the dress. It's methodical and relaxing. ]

But I don't think it'll do any harm to make a couple to hang around the halls.

Like that would be enough to wear me out? You're underestimating me. Gimme that.

[ ... Wow, she. Definitely. Fell for that.

She's just going to snatch a few tissues, shut up. ]

[ Wow, she definitely fell for that.

(You try and hide your smile by bundling more into your blankets, hot as they're getting to be with the greenshouse.) ]

I couldn't find any markers though, so they won't have faces for now.

I think they'd be creepy with or without faces. [ But now they can have adorable creepy faceless tissue dolls. What a way to wait out a monsoon.

For the record, hers are not as neat as Siffrin's are. It's fine. ]

[ Hmmm.

(Maybe...

...

If she wants...) ]

... Can I teach you some Craft? While we have material.

▶ 001. A JOB WELL DONE.

▶ 002. TRADITIONAL TANABATA.

▶ 003. DR. RATIO'S RENOVATIONS.

▶ 004. MONSOON SEASON.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

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