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

a job well done.

[yuwon]

[ the tug on his arm takes him slightly aback; not necessarily that he didn't feel someone slide up next to him, but that he didn't expect to see denji there. for a second, he wonders if there was some kind of trouble. he shuffles behind him in step, only the second when he sees the display of plushies, and then gradually hears his words filter through his ear drums, does he realize...

...

was he showing off? there's a second where he glances over to denji and then back to the plushie. ] "Kinda"?

[ he picks up one of the plushies and then holds it next to denji. ]

It's pretty exact.

[nutkick]

[ not really showing off— it's more of a childish glee; a pathetic display of experiencing self-worth and acceptance by society. it's a reflection of the 'unloved child' aura right here, and for once he didn't mind that it happened to be yuwon (and his beefy arm) that he was holding on to. denji is still super excited to see his own merch.

he only let's go when he gets indicted of looking like a pup, a bit offended but more confused. he then reached out to grab another plushie and held it close to yuwon's face, pointing at the ears to catch the other's attention. he even gives one of them a lil tug. ]

'Exact'? Look! I don't have dog ears or a tail. They added them for no reason. [ a pause, and then with a puzzled frown he muttered: ] ... maybe it's considered 'cute'.

[yuwon]

[ not them standing there holding denji's plushies within inches of one another's faces. from the outside looking in, perhaps, this could seem like a casual and fun exchange, in reality— ] It's probably because of your hair.

[ yuwon says these words matter-of-factly, not giving a single hint of a thought he has below the surface. once he feels he stuck his point in, he does give a small nod. ] Aren't most things like that? [ where people simply shift and alter things as they please for society? (it's not that deep)

while it doesn't actually make his point, his uses his other hand to ruffle the top of denji's hair. ]

[nutkick]

[ it's not that deep, sir. if they had this exchange a few months ago he wouldn't know what to do with himself after hearing such a philosophic answer, that basically came out of nowhere, unable to match his freak— but now? he's learning to pick his battles with yuwon, seemingly more invested in fiddling with the fluffy tail instead of reacting with a diss. in a way, the half-devil is maturing. personal and social growth. or maybe he was distracted by the cute mini denji.

he then used the plushie to swat yuwon's hand off his hair, somewhat scowling as this little stunt left him with messy curls; which may or may not resemble a pair of bear ears now. 🐻

more importantly- ]

... are you gonna take one? Will you take care of it?

[yuwon]

[ i am crying…

the fact that denji has already adapted and matches his responses is probably a miracle in and of itself. one that yuwon is completely blind to. with denji’s hair a mess now, he only thinks the loops really do make him look more animal-esque. where was the lie??? despite inwardly thinking he’s won this exchange (an exchange, which evidently, has no actual winners and losers), he looks back to the plushie display again.

then he looks back at the plushie in denji’s hand. ] I don’t know. It looks like you’re just using yours as a weapon. I might do the same. [ he’s kidding…

this would make a horrible weapon. but, that’s probably not the point. ]

[nutkick]

[ is he joking? denji can't tell, with that— yuwon lost the privilege of owning the small toy. he snatched it from his hand and put it back with the crowd, safe and sound. ]

I just remembered something ... [ their first meeting. the calendar shoot; how unhinged everyone was, the place looked like a very uncomfortable space for an innocent plush and while yuwon is a grown adult, free to do whatever he wants with his 'private' time, the thought of a mini version of himself being subjected to such acts felt— wrong. denji didn't finish that sentence, the stink eye and silent judgment were loud enough.

still, he's not an ungrateful fella. ]

I could say so much but you've been nice to Aki and me in Vegas, so ...

[yuwon]

[ wow? not him snatching away mini-denji?

he looks back to where he places him back, then back towards denji. ] ... Remembered something? [ is he saying this isn't about using it as a weapon, but something else completely? to be honest, he has zero insight into what this could be. little does he know denji's thoughts are far more unhinged than he could have ever imagined.

at this moment in time, the firefighter log is long behind them, but... ]

Is that really how you look at someone who is nice? [ expertly, he brushes it off. ] You might be the only one who says that.

[nutkick]

Something. [ yeah, that's all yuwon will get. he relaxed his features, back to that dull-less judgey-stare, very much like denji which isn't a bad face to pull. ] Am I the only one who thinks you are capable of being nice?

[ perhaps that's not the intent behind yuwon's words, but he is free to correct him if he's wrong. for now, the half-devil couldn't help but think that's a bit harsh. sure, they had their little bickering here and there, but ultimately he decided this man was hard to understand yet not malicious in heart. (like yoshida). ]

You didn't make any friends yet?

[yuwon]

[ like yoshida... you're killing me.

regardless of what people may have thought below the surface, he feels like most didn't wear their heart on their sleeve like denji does. doesn't speak their mind so freely, or casually. most tend to be a bit more inhibited and reserved. perhaps, not unlike himself. he seems to ponder on his words briefly, before shaking his head. ]

Are you suddenly worried about me? [ ... ] I've met a few people here. [ "friends" seems like a rather heavy label, and yet, perhaps it was close enough to skirt that line that even yuwon doesn't find it in him to refute him. ]

What about you? Made a lot of friends?

[nutkick]

[ ... ]

Very worried. [ just as dry— finally matching yuwon's freak and speaking in a language he could understand; he's no longer the only one who gets to make such ungodly remarks for the sake of the shock factor. with a tired sigh, denji begins to walk, expecting the other to follow. aside from his cute mimics, the half-devil wonders what other treats they can find. taunting aside, he does consider the question and he shrugs. ]

Not a lot, but the ones I connected with are enough for me. They're kind to me. I'm not used to 'kind' ... so it's been bittersweet.

[yuwon]

[ even if it's a dry remark, there's a tug of the corner of his lips. a subtle hint of another rare smile, before it seems to meld straight back into its usual practiced neutrality. especially, as he follows in step with the younger male, his eyes also scanning their surroundings. ]

Not used to "kind." [ he repeats, no inkling of anything in his voice, and yet he says it as if he were familiar with the concept. ]

Why bittersweet? Shouldn't you just be happy?

[ he says easily, despite nothing in his tone suggesting he believes in such a thing. but, maybe considering denji's age, he would have thought it appropriate for him to. still, he amends his words. ] Not that I blame you. It's not easy to believe in others, or know you've chose the right rope. [ a metaphor, but not an especially clever one. it's like the old tales suggested right? a rope into hell, and those who simply choose not to grab onto a rotten one. ]

[nutkick]

... I should be happy. [ there is no 'but' or further explanation, denji leaves it there. it's true. he has everything he wished for in this city; this is the dream he always wanted and no one is around to want to fuck him over for a change. makima is behaving so far, and is somewhat powerless, too. everything should make denji feel safe, secure, loved, and content. yet— the fear is still there, poisoning his heart. the guilt is suffocating, and the anxiety of what awaits him at home keeps him up at night. nothing felt real at times. he's just seeking thrills, hiding behind the kindness of others all while feeling nothing at all.

he glanced at the other from the corner of his eye, finding it much easier to focus on yuwon instead of dwelling on his own misery. the metaphor was a miss, yet denji kinda sorta sees the vision behind it. something something— about trusting the right people? maybe. ]

Are you happy?

[yuwon]

[ the statement of "i should be happy" is vague at best. it doesn't give insight to what denji's actual thoughts are on the matter, and yet, yuwon gets the impression that it tells him all he needs to know. while he doesn't know the actual complexity of his emotions— the subtle of line of fear and guilt, nor the details of his struggles, it's more than enough to infer on his own that the concept of "happiness" isn't always so quick and easy to comprehend.

this is only solidified by him returning the same question.

was he happy? not quite, but at the same time, he was both cursed with the idea of regressing, and grateful for it. it was another chance for him, for humanity, and even the comrades he lost along the way, and yet it also left him rather depleted in a sense. would he ever feel fulfilled if he wasn't able to achieve his objectives with his own hands? they were all decent questions that couldn't readily be answered. much like denji's own inquiry on the depths of happiness.

so he answers what anyone else would in his position. ] Not exactly. [ to clarify, an inkling of truth that he just scratches the surface of. ] But, I wouldn't say I'm unhappy, either. There was a time like that, but it's in the past.

[nutkick]

[ ah, an honest answer. not that he was dealing with utter lies with every interaction he shared with yuwon, but this certainly seemed like his first time hearing him be as forward and maybe a tiny bit— vulnerable, too. after all, it's not easy to confess to such a thing, right? there is a nasty aftertaste of shame, and denji wonders if he should've tried better to act like he's appreciative of the good life he has here. so, in a way, he's thankful yuwon didn't make him feel abnormal for it.

he shifts his gaze lower, idly watching his fingers toy with the little plush. ]

How can someone ... keep it in the past?

[ did that make any sense? denji didn't know how else to express it, often finding himself struggling to decrypt his thoughts into coherent words. being unhappy in the past felt like something he never experienced before; the sense of picking yourself up and moving on, putting that experience behind. instead, the misery shadows him, and the pain never eased. it's never over. the wound is still fresh and bleeding red, and denji is stuck in that moment; body/mind in fight or flight limbo. it's exhausting. he's tired. so fucking tired ... ]

I wanna say that one day. "It's in the past" ...

[yuwon]

[ it's an equally vulnerable response in a sense, and he doesn't miss the irony of them sharing this moment, despite all their prior interactions. or perhaps, maybe that's precisely why they could speak so fluidly of this. there's a veil of ambiguity behind both of theirs words as neither knows what one another's pasts hold— one in which neither crosses, and yet they could still convene at this one singular point in their discussion.

the thing denji doesn't know is that for yuwon, he's had over a hundred years to settle these memories of his past. he had an objective that drowned out the sounds and feelings of anything else. a future so bleak that it overshadowed any inkling of a thought he had for his past. it was easy in that sense, especially as he was already fairly skilled at compartmentalizing when he had to. but, he's truthful even in his follow-up: ] I don't know.

A lot of time has passed and even I avoid talking about it.

[ he's avoiding it enough where he has companions who have barely heard a single word of the life he lived before the tower. or of his time on earth. ] But, you'll get there. [ he places a hand on denji's head. ] In the meantime, you can practice. [ saying it. pretend to carry on with his normal life.

this may be bad advice, but it's the only advice yuwon can give. he didn't consider himself adept when it came to emotions, or any type of spiritual healing. he couldn't offer that. the best he could give are words spoken with the culmination of his own experiences. ]

[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?

[yuwon]

[ in comparison to the depth of denji's considerations, yuwon seems to have already moved on from his own words. not that he's switched gears or topics yet, but that mentally, he's casted aside any of its connections to himself. he wears the practiced mask of apathy and seems as neutral as always, despite the clear shift in moods between the two of them. or maybe that's all the more of a reason for him to adopt this.

he doesn't pretend to know what denji is thinking of when he responds. this touch of confusion only seems to grow a bit when he denji offers him the plush toy. it's an awkward motion, and yet he feels the sincerity in it. no, it's more like it was undeniable by denji's reaction. hence, he seems to release a quiet exhale; a mix of humor, and another unknown emotion peppering into his breath.

he really should be worrying about himself, or so yuwon is thinking. but, somewhere beneath that, he did appreciate just the sentiment. perhaps, if he had been a different person he could have accepted it more readily, or delved into a more meaningful discussion of denji's past. maybe even comforted him in a more clear way, but yuwon isn't that person. similar to how neither of them know how else to live. ] You keep it.

[ ... ]

But, if it's dinner and a movie, I'll come by if I have time.

[ yet time might be all they really have here... ]