TRAVEL LOG #2

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #2

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disaster, acid rain, vehicle crash.

▶ 001. WINGING IT.

In the early morning hours of the 1st, Outsiders will receive a rude awakening blaring through their implants. No matter what they do, the alarm will not stop sounding until they are forced to get up. A message will flash through their vision:

ALL OUTSIDERS ARE TO REPORT TO THE HANGAR IMMEDIATELY FOR DEPARTURE

Get up, get dressed in your plugsuit, and it’s time to go! Once they report at the hangar, they will be met with a huge spacecraft, large enough to fit at least 80 people. This will be their mode of transport to their next location.

"My Angels of Lilith. You are needed once again. We have received distress signals from the neighbouring country of South Korea. Unfortunately, since we have not established data portals in that country, we require you to embark via air. Your aircraft is ready for you and your seats have been assigned. I bid you a safe journey."

True enough, there are more than enough seats on the LILITH SKY CRUISER to accommodate every Outsider, and to get everyone organized quickly for departure, all Outsiders will receive a seat number. Like any plane, seats are rather cramped and there isn’t much leg room. Once the seatbelt sign is off, Outsiders are free to stand up and move around the cruiser, but they might have to climb over other people or make the whole row stand up to give them room. The aircraft is serviced by robotic stewards serving light snacks of nuts and crackers, and coconut crab kimbap and seaweed soup at meal time. Any characters who use a cloaking device will be instructed to use it during the flight to accommodate the aircraft. Also, any characters who rely on a weapon or anything else (such as a Gundam), it will be loaded onto the cargo of the aircraft.

The flight will take about 2-3 hours. Outsiders may take a nap, chat or try the inflight entertainment available. This inflight entertainment is delivered through a virtual reality headset. Outsiders may pick a selection of AI movies of questionable quality, along with several virtual reality games. There are single player or multiplayer options available for every game.

Available games include:

• The Sims 30: One player gets to become the ‘god’ of a world and build houses or dictate the lives of other players and NPCs within the game as they see fit.
  
• Farm Crossing: A farming simulator game where players get to build and manage their own farms. Harvest your crops and tend to your animals! Impress the friendly villagers in the town with your beautiful ranch!
  
• Tales of Heroes: A fantasy game where players are reborn into a world of monsters and magic and have to level up by fighting monsters and slaying demons.
  
• And many more … (Feel free to design your own VR games.)

Eventually, the sky cruiser will touch down on Incheon Airport. There’s no need to be stuck waiting in line at immigration... it appears as if the Incheon Airport has not been used in decades and seems completely abandoned with the exception of the Outsiders. The old scanning machines and luggage belts are simply collecting dust. Outsiders will be ushered immediately to the nearest train station, where they will continue their journey by train.

▶ 002. WELCOME TO SEOUL.

Once descended from the train ride, they will have arrived in the city of Seoul, South Korea. Similar to Neo Tokyo, a lot of the people on the outskirts moved to this area in order to receive shelter and the benefits of being amongst civilization, rather than fending for themselves. As such, there is a certain hustle and bustle, but considering the state of their dilapidated airports and most of the other cities falling to ruin, there definitely is a more somber vibe to the city. Despite that, the residents carry on and there is no shortage of shopping, food stalls (mostly with foods that are not easy to perish), cafes, pojangmacha to have a late night food or drink at, and many more smaller businesses. The people are resilient and have every single desire to continue making a living. As such the prices here are competitive and Outsiders will find if they look hard enough, there are some fairly good deals to be made. Currency exchange is no issue, as KRYPTOS is the universal currency.

Since a lot of efforts were made to keep Seoul intact, there are still some important sights that were kept up and can be visited if desired. While LILITH urges people to keep their eyes peeled out for any clues to the next kaiju’s whereabouts, Seok Dang may or may not have sent each Outsider a map of the best sightseeing amongst many other not-so-innocent suggestions. He calls it the difference of experiences and “doesn’t want anyone missing out!” If people check back on the message a day later, they will find it was almost as if it didn’t exist at all. On the list, however, includes sights like the Gyeongbokgung Palace, COEX mall and aquarium, Seoul Sky, and many others. However, some of them may or may not exist anymore. How long was he out of the country for? For an extra “freebie” he throws in, Outsiders will find an odd message on their style upgrade saying there is a new outfit available, when opened, it will download a hanbok that they can wear at any time.

"Well, well. Unfortunately, whatever fun could have been planned will need to be halted just a mere two and a half days to get settled. Once again, a message will be produced on everyone’s oculars suggesting an emergency is on the horizon. Guess we better get to that instead of showing you my home country!"

And Seok Dang wonders why he is the Commander's least favorite.

Beep! An alert pops up on the Outsiders' ocular devices. According to the information LILITH just received, there is not just one large kaiju occupying this region, but two. In order to chase both of these leads, Outsiders are split into two groups in order to chase these two kaiju. They have described these kaiju as being very agile and fast, but resembling a serpent from the few sightings that have been spotted. As for the rift that it originated from, there is no sign of a rift in South Korea. Did it migrate here from somewhere else? More details will pour into the Outsider's devices as soon as possible, but for now, Outsiders are called to pursue the hunt.

▶ 003. TEAM SEOUL.
_{EVERLIGHT & REDEMPTION}

Within the next hour, rain will begin to fall upon the city, but this is far from the average summer shower. The precipitation doesn’t seem weather-related as much as it does seem to be a proponent of the kaiju’s abilities. They find this when studying the rain itself, which is acidic to the touch. While the buildings and other structures will remain sound, the people will need to evacuate quickly in order to avoid any lingering effects to the skin. Skin contact with the acid rain will cause both minor and severe burning, depending on how quickly it is rinsed off with normal water. At the first discovery of the acid rain's danger, Outsiders will be commanded to press a button on their plugsuit on the left shoulder, activating an invisible helmet to keep their heads and faces safe.

The Outsiders’ plug suits prevent them from receiving any damages from the rain, but that’s certainly not the case for everyone else. The first team, made up of the members of Everlight and Redemption are to prioritize the initial evacuation of the people, especially those who live slightly outside of the city limits of Seoul. They are the most vulnerable during crises like these and will need to be pulled from their homes, and those who live in the basement shelters will need to be pulled to one higher ground in case of potential flooding with the acid rain. Individuals who have skills in healing will also be called forth in order to tend to the injuries of those who are saved.

Between evacuation, there will also be tidbits of information provided to those on the team that remains in Seoul to check out specific locations in order to figure out more about this kaiju. The first location listed is Gyeongbokgung Palace. Outsiders that remain in Seoul will be utilizing that as their base. They are set to look at any remains the kaiju may have left behind. Any findings are commanded to be surrendered to LILITH. Emergency response of South Korea will use this palace as a safe haven, providing cots for sleeping overnight and other emergency supplies.

▶ 004. TEAM BUSAN.
_{BRIMSTONE & REVELATION}

The second team will depart via train on a journey to the city of Busan. The journey is expected to take 2 hours, and while there are comfortable seats available on the train, any luxuries beyond that are minimal. At least LILITH has brought along a few VR headsets for whoever wants to kill time with games or bad movies? Anyone can sit where they'd like for this ride.

An hour into the trip, a loud crash is suddenly heard, with the entire train rocking and falling to its side. This causes a complete blackout throughout the train and it stops functioning completely, leaving Outsiders stranded within the pitch black tunnel. The train system is completely inoperable in this condition. Outsiders will need to make their own journey to the city, following the rails by foot and helping any Outsiders who happened to be injured in the crash. It’ll be dark within the tunnel, but light will soon emerge once they exit it, and they will find themselves at the foot of Mount Geumjeong.

From then on, they’ll need to put their trekking skills to the test and cross the mountainous, forested region, where they will encounter various local fauna such as snakes, deer and black bears. They will also spot many destroyed villages and temples on their way to Busan. However, evidence of the Kaiju can be found in both the subway tunnel and throughout the mountain trek, suggesting that the kaiju has moved through here. This encourages LILITH to keep Outsiders in this area. The Outsiders will need to make a campsite in one of the destroyed villages, though emergency response will also pay them a visit several days later with sleeping cots and emergency supplies. In the meantime, hopefully they brought enough food with them or know how to forage and hunt for food in the wilderness. Some of those berries out there are poisonous....

The team here will be encouraged to explore the area to find further traces of the kaiju and help any villagers who are still alive.

▶ 005. STATUS REPORT.

Promptly, at the same time, all Outsiders will receive a text message and be put in an encrypted chat-room: OPERATION: RED/BLUE
CODENAME:
LOCATION:
STATUS:
FINDINGS:
Outsiders are instructed to fill out this information and send it into the chat to communicate with one another.

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our second travel log!

Characters do have ASSIGNED SEATS for the duration of their flight to Incheon airport, though there are just enough empty seats that some characters can move around if they really don't like their seat buddies. Teams BRIMSTONE and REVELATION will be traveling to Busan, while teams EVERLIGHT and REDEMPTION will be staying in Seoul.

RNG below to discover what your character will find in both Seoul and Busan respectively. For the STATUS REPORT Prompt, treat it as an open chat room for all Outsiders and respond to the HEADER COMMENT. Feel free to threadjack and discuss among yourselves. You may also include this as a text prompt in your top level if you would like for people just to reply to you instead of using the header comment.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards August AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. WINGING IT: Characters are told to head to the hangar for DISPATCH to SOUTH KOREA where reports of a kaiju have been seen. Characters sit in their assigned seats for a short air travel ride.

2. WELCOME TO SEOUL: We arrive in Seoul and are given orders to split into two teams: Everlight & Redemption in Seoul, Brimstone & Revelation in Busan. Seok Dang has tried to sneak in some sight seeing in between mission briefs, but it looks like there won't be much time for that, as two kaiju have been found in South Korea.

3. TEAM SEOUL: Everlight & Redemption deal with acid rain in Seoul, ushering civilians to refuge, tending to acidic burns and using Gyeongbokgung Palace as a makeshift base. Investigation hints at the kaiju being somewhere in this area as Outsiders find claws, teeth, droppings and other things that belong to a dragon-like creature.

4. TEAM BUSAN: Brimstone & Revelation board a train to Busan which has an outage, trapping them to travel along the tunnel in the dark. They arrive at the end of the tunnel at the foot of Mount Geumjeong and create a makeshift base in the village there. Investigation hints at the kaiju being somewhere in this area as Outsiders find claws, teeth, droppings and other things that belong to a dragon-like creature.

5. STATUS REPORT: Outsiders are encouraged to share their findings and speculations on the kaiju in an encrypted chat room.

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Comments

[immortalpoet]

...

[Is she really pulling a "feel bad for the snake" right now, he wonders.]

Hrm. Right. Anyways. You're welcome.

[immortalpoet]

He kind of looks like any random man you see on the street, though....obnoxious glasses included.

[So, kinda makes you wonder.]

[immortalpoet]

Better food, too.

[Yeah....]

Probably until we find the target. I found a horn, earlier. Probably left over from the creature.

[immortalpoet]

[IZOU.....ABBIE.....................IZOU!!!!!!!!]

What....makes them want to bite, though?

[Like....really.]

Do you have any hooks?

[hitokiller]

( i'm melding with him... we are one (idiot) )

The wigglin', obviously. Look.

( wiggles his line a little... this is dumb. DON'T. SAY. ANYTHING... )

... If you wanna get us some damn hooks, be my guest.

[immortalpoet]

[...........]








[........................................]

Do you have anything...made of metal on you. Possibly a soda can or something.

[grade4]

[ maybe a little.

but not enough that she won't grab the leftover remains of the body out from the bush. ]

Well -- waste not, want not. You killed it, so now we're eating it.

[hitokiller]

... No.

( he says... so flatly. bye. )

[immortalpoet]

Alright. Good to not waste it, I suppose...

[He literally doesn't even seem to mind, even though he WOULD prefer regular food. Oh well.]

You know how to skin this thing?

[immortalpoet]

Here's to another few hours of you not catching anything, Izou.

[saudadist]

[ There's a lot she still doesn't understand. Namely, why it matters so much that she's torn herself up for the sake of others, or why he still gives her the time of day. But, that frustration clear in his voice and posture unsettles her for another reason.

Genuine concern? For her? She's terrified to open her mouth for fear of ruining it. So, her lips stay shut a little longer while she thinks, while she feels, while she gives his hand a small squeeze. Even in the heat of summer, the warmth of his hand isn't overbearing or stifling. Some months ago, she might jerk away as if burnt, but now, it's barely a thought. ]

Don't make that face. This kind of thing is what I want. [ A shocking lack of venom or her usual silver tongue. She surprises herself with it, and more so when her thumb brushes over the back of his knuckle. ] I'm tired of this body only being used for killing. I want to...heal, instead. Myself, and others.

[hitokiller]

Well, what?! You want me to materialize a can when we're out in the middle of freakin' nowhere? All the mechanical shit I know we got is either for campin', people's weapons, or... it's part of a LITERAL PERSON!!

[immortalpoet]

Well, maybe they're just cutting costs. Wouldn't put it past them. In the end...its all about money.

[It's always, always about money. In the end, backs are broken, bodies are harvested. All for profit.]

I agree. [He so agrees with this notion, please get him OFF.] I assume you've never been on one of these, before?

[wheft]

I-I wasn't trying to!

[ ... ]

But it'd be really nice to have one for the future, you know...

[kubricks]

That's more or less correct. It's a very fair arrangement if you're willing to pay whatever price the Devil demands for its services.

[Sometimes it's not so bad, other times...very bad.]

[fastpaced]

nothin worse than sticking 2 my quills. at least im already blue

neway idk
i got these tek bokey(?) (rice stick) things with choso that were p good thats what i was thinking but ill take requests

[fastpaced]

it was a pain in the butt cuz it could affect us 2
even i couldnt do much!

sounds like ur used 2 that kind of monster tho...
wouldnt fighting em just summon more of em then?

[busternaut]

[d'aw.]

heh. sure thing. just hang tight.

[he actually will do that for her... assuming this encounter with silco ends in a way that leaves him still able to do so.]

[fastpaced]

[ hey what's wrong with prickly stabby fur huh

it's certainly not Tails' fur or anyone else's fur that he might know, though - too bad. That would have been a crazy coincidence, though, so his hopes weren't too high. ]

nah ur probs right there arent 2 many animals that big wandering around. must be the kaiju
2 bad
i thought it might b my friends fuzz

[bowtography]

Yeah... well, maybe it means you'll be less reckless!

[ A girl is hopeful. ]

[bowtography]

I mapped it out when I was going through the list. Of the closest food market, anyway.

And I'd rather stretch my legs a little!

[ We're holding hands for the hell of it, my friend!! Hold! Her! Hand!! ]

[bowtography]

I bet he's not immune to getting frozen. We could team up.

[ Does Callisto really deserve this.... ]

[fastpaced]

[ probably the same amount of complicated, realistically speaking, but Sonic thinks he gets where he's coming from. The big ideas aren't so hard for him to grasp - it's the fiddly scientific stuff that he can never wrap his head around. Again: he's known a handful of powerful beings that take on friendlier (or at least weaker) forms to interact with the masses. ]

Heh! If they're picking on you, they're probably just jealous.

[ he considers that he could buy himself some cooler clothes for this human form... or installing them? Whatever. There's nothing stopping him from getting cool sunglasses for his disguise. ]

I getcha, though. I had a buddy like you. He was a guardian spirit, older than the entire world, but he was about this big most of the time, [ Sonic explains with a gesture, holding his hands about a football's width apart. ] I think it was 'cause he didn't want to scare people. Among other things.

[bowtography]

[ March, ever the opportunist, snags pictures of both--Malkuth's sunny grin and her equally adorable puffed-up cheeks. She'd be able to give an actual pufferfish a run for its money, if she wanted. ]

I just think that he deserves the chance to not have to think about work as much here! I don't really know what he was like back then, not technically, but...

[ Well, she'd seen them. Gabriel and Elijah, at different times. There had been so much tension running through them, hadn't there? ]

... I kind of wonder if he'd be up for trying a few more new things, you know? Like tagging along to a dance class or something.

[bowtography]

[ She's here for you, New Companion. ]

Trailblazing! More or less exploring new places and learning a bunch of new things and helping out if anyone needed it! Like this, but on a waaaaay bigger scale!