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

behave computer!

[blastedass]

I mean he wanted to enjoy his time seeing the fireworks on his own! Duh! Bakugo isn't completely surprised when the other boy arrives at the grassy knoll he's resting on. He's been with Shoto almost an entire year back home. They've seen festivals and holidays, celebrations and parties, together as a class. Sometimes just the two of them, much to Bakugo's irritation (even though he never did anything to ditch him) whenever it happened.

But this time, the nostalgia of the moment and the memories of home make Shoto's presence a quiet welcome. Familiar and comforting to be around. The difference and similarity isn't lost on him either, striking an weird discord between the two.

"Haa?" What weird way to say that! "You could've just called where to meet." Didn't need to come find him. But find him he did, and Bakugo spent the day with his classmate. Despite the obvious arguments and blowups that occurred, he's glad to have Shoto with him.

[heir_conditioned]

If only it was something Shoto knew. Making people feel like that is something he strives to do, but somewhere he must, or he wouldn't bother Bakugo. He would let him enjoy his time as it is. "I could have. Next time." he says after, letting himself look to the sky even if it's a little less full of the scene everyone had come to see.

"I'll keep it in mind." He looks up toward the dying lights in the sky as they finish the event and he sighs a gentle breath out of his nose. "I wish it could've been real. Maybe one day we'll be able to make it safe enough for a real show."

finally back. i'll get to your discord comment tonight~

[blastedass]

Bakugo lingers on the scene in the sky, feeling a mixture of impressed and superior towards the light show put on above them. Whoever programmed or controlled the drones was pretty damn good with the results, though fireworks would've been the more traditional route. He understands why they can't, not wanting to attract any kaiju... but considering this was taking place in the middle of a fucking city full of lights and noise, the concern's a bit "too little too late" in risk management.

"Aa. When we do, they better be making preparations to send everyone back home who wants to go." Others have mentioned the desire to return to Neo Tokyo after their victory, something Bakugo has slowly come around to agreeing with. (That's what happens when you make friends, even if you don't admit it.) There are people he wants to return to here and check on.

"Here." He extends his hand, offering a little narrow box to Shoto. Even if they can't have fireworks, there were stalls selling sparkler sticks. It's better than nothing... and he figured Shoto would enjoy them.

lmao we were ships passing in the night.

[heir_conditioned]

Attracting attention isn't what Shoto wants either, but he still thinks Bakugo would've done a better job. It's something he hopes they get the peace to do one day. It wasn't unenjoyable and Shoto will take any kind of break before the fall of whatever comes next to trample on what little everyone has.

"Mh. We'll see." Shoto doesn't really think they're going to get that opportunity. Not because it won't be safe, but because he doesn't think people are capable of not keeping their claws in something they want to hold on to and that is power over powerful people. His eyes track down the hand offering him a small box. There's a tiny smile that pulls at the corner of his lips. Bakugo thinks of everything, and if he thinks that Shoto doesn't know there was actual thought put into it... He's dead wrong. This isn't tactical. Mind you, he's never really seen them come in more than the lit variety.

He takes the box, looking it over and not willing to light them just yet. "Thank you." No, he lied. He's going to light just one when he gets back. "That was thoughtful, Bakugo." If he makes too big a deal about it, he knows where that will head, but he also doesn't want the man to think he didn't appreciate it.

[blastedass]

He runs his own pyrotechnic display. But try as he wants, getting all the colors and the sheer variety of normal fireworks isn't something Explosion can do. It takes a fair amount of concentration to get those sparkling explosions that mimic the bursts in the air, something he doesn't bother with outside of people he thinks are special enough to warrant the effort.

Shoto's right in distrusting people to hand over power once given to them. Even if they manage to rid the world of the kaiju, who knows if fear will prevent LILITH from letting them go, on account of "wha if's" in the future. Then again, people have already gone home... Deku's no longer here with them. Bakugo knows others who have gone home, some who blipped into existence for a short while when newcomers arrive, then vanish, as if in a testing ground. He doesn't know what criteria has people stay or go. It's not up to them, unfortunately. At the end of all this, he damn well determines it's going to be.

At least Shoto likes the sparklers. Most people wouldn't notice that faint hint of a smile, but Bakugo sees it. The little things mean a lot to the other man. "Uh-huh." In that very 'shuddup' kind of way as he rests his arms on his knees again, mouth hidden against the interlocked ridges of his fingers. Shoto can fire them off whenever he wants.

[heir_conditioned]

They're both working toward that common goal and Shoto is no different in mind. He enjoys some of the people around here, even if he doesn't see her often he would freeze someone solid if Yor frowned after hearing how much she loved her kid. But for now all they have is giant monsters to fight and for him that's fine. At least for now.

Shoto sits quietly for a moment before he ushers out two of the thin sticks with the coating on the end of them. Nah. Now's a good time. He settles in next to Bakugo and offers him one of them. "Not the way you normally do." He sparks it up with his own quirk and hands it to Bakugo with the sparks away from his face, of course. These things will always remind him of Bakugo.

[blastedass]

Bakugo arrived with no intention of making any kind of friends. He wanted to focus on the mission, destroy the kaiju as fast as possible, and the force LILITH to hand over the proverbial keys to the machine so they could all go home. There was no room in his ambition for getting distracted with friendship or being chummy with other people. They were only there to distract the kaiju as he destroyed them!

... but life doesn't work like that, no matter how hard Bakugo tried to keep it so.

He glances to the side when Shoto offers the stick to him, then reaches to it and takes the end between his fingers. "What the hell does that mean?" Better not be commenting on him giving you sparklers, Half-n-Half. But in exchange, he lights the one he took, using Shoto's as the flame, tip to tip, and passes the now-lit sparkler to him.

Essentially trading the sticks amid the shower of sparks and sharp tines of arcing light.