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

[blastedass]

I DON'T NEED ANYTHING TO REACH YOUR FUCKING HEAD!!

[each burst brings him closer and closer to his quarry, crossing the sky without bothering to land atop any buildings or burn through the streets. he doesn't need to freak people out; there's enough for them to worry about on their own. but hell if he's going to let choso get away with those fucking insults! he's gonna bash this bastard though the roof!

doubly so when he realizes the man's climbing something. getting to higher ground? that's not going to help him at all. only put a bigger target on his head! he'll wreck his damn ass and splatter him all over the floor. and walls! and ceiling!!

EVERYWHERE!!]

[gimu]

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

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

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

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

choso is eager to find out. ]

[blastedass]

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

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

you'll be teaching the worms about food!

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

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

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

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

[gimu]

[ watching bakugo in action is a wonder, is a spectator sport in and of itself, and in the seconds afforded choso by the bolstering of his senses, he cannot help but admire the power that gathers in the hero's palm like a miniature sun.

but there's too little time to admire. the beam is, in fact, aimed right at him, and as much as he'd love to just stand around and watch, he must keep his own head on his shoulders or have a whole lot of explaining to do. the plates form up in a wall just in time for bakugo's laser to punch a perfect hole through the center disc with a crack and the sharp, coppery stink of burning blood. flowing red scale proves to be instrumental, and perhaps the only reason that the beam hasn't punched through choso's flesh as well; he jukes, throws himself to the side with an urgency he hasn't felt since Shibuya, so when bakugo comes blasting in only a second after the first beam it isn't directly on choso's fool head.

talk about small miracles. ]

it would be unwise for anything to eat me.

[ there's barely time for that, thought-processed as it is; as the blond bomb decimates the benches with all the impact of a meteor, the discs erupt around the both of them like mines. blood explodes inward in a red wave, forming up around bakugo like an egg, as if it could even hope to dampen the ferocity of his blast. it doesn't, not really, but it soaks the heat, takes the brunt of the explosion so that it's the pure concussive force of bakugo's landing alone that has choso wheeling backward, digging his heels in a bid for stability in the face of raw power.

magnificent. he must be met in kind.

so more blood comes rushing forth, pouring from choso's face like a horror sideshow. no, maybe the main attraction; it keeps coming, keeps gushing like water until a wave of it forms up around him, cupping his body like a red curtain while the rest pools at his feet, spreads out over the ground like a flood. the remnants peel away from his face and clothing, shifting fluidly around his hands like crimson gloves as choso takes up stance, body turned, one blood-clad fist held up as a sign of his readiness. ]

[blastedass]

[choso is more than welcome to stand there and watch. all the way to the point that beam punches his head clean off his shoulders and leaves a statue of awe and stupidity in its wake. which he doesn't do, like an intelligent creature. already those bloody shields are moving and bakugo knows he has to get through them before he can even access the man inside. choso's ability to shape his blood is an extremely versatile technique, able to defensively block and counter back offensively at a moment's trigger. crashing into the shield at close range is asking for crimson plates to transform into scarlet spikes.

he doesn't crash into him directly, instead pulling back two feet from the bloody shield and slamming in that full powered detonation in one shove. even in that split second, he sees past the cracked shell, the lack of a body in the barrier, knows instantly that choso's vacated that area and holed up to the side in a dodge to escape the ensuing blast. he's not going to land a direct hit on him, but then again, what missile strike is limited to only the intended target. concussive force, waves of heat, light bursts, the scorch of destruction ravages the bench and hilltop with a roaring rush from its epicenter. oh they might get in trouble for this; neo tokyo doesn't need two high-powered outsiders going at it in the open. there's a training area for that.

but alas, choso's poked the beehive and bakugo, for all his intellect, can still be ruled by his rage and pride. and this time, it's choso who does the negating. blood-red mines rupture in a swarm of ichor, sweeping up and around in to create an egg of protection with his charge as the proverbial embryo. taking the brunt of the blast, the heat and light, so it's the bursting wind that escapes instead. saving the trees and grass for the most part, though the poor bench is quite gone amid the scattering flakes of blackened gore.

he has to move. choso's not someone to take an attack and avoid a counterattack in kind. even as bakugo rises from the breaking egg around him, shoulders hunched and arms danging like some kind of beast preparing for rampage, his red eyes lift to glare out beneath his choppy bangs, a slasher grin of excitement and intent written all over his face. choso's gearing up, waves of the copper-scented fluid pouring from his face and body to form a protective pool about his legs, more of it clasping to his hands in ready gloves to protect and fight. he's forming for himself a flexible fortress, capable of letting him sling blows from above while simultaneously having the thread to bakugo's footing beneath, to say nothing of that flood being able to fight on its own. the stance suggests a rooted style, however, forced to stay within that realm to keep all his options available...

game on. both hands spark once before exploding. propulsion rockets him towards the other man, head on, though he's ready to move as needed to dodge or block whatever comes at him. a tendril or lance of blood. a plate or bomb of gore. even choso's fist for old-fashioned throwdown. he intends to dodge it, bouncing to the side with one explosion and rounding about towards the half-curse's back with another in a blinding pinball off his detonations. attacking choso? actually no, that's not the intent of this charge. no, rather bakugo intends to quickly explore what options choso can take in this stance, see whether he goes for a blood strike from the pool at his feet, how close he needs to be for a punch, and how that blood responds to getting fried. all the while keeping himself from getting struck or caught.

he'll break his bloody fortress apart!]