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

02-A

[likemybooks]

[With a winning smile and amazing hair, Taryon has an easier time talking with the locals and asking for directions. Already, he's made a few acquaintances in the vendor lining the streets, often buying some food for himself or a small trinket out of sympathy. It's easy to goad him into buying something once he feels bad for the shop owner.

Ahead on the road, he spots Dr. Ratio looking miserable and alone. And without his boyfriend, which means Taryon doesn't have to turn around and find some other place to investigate.

He claps a hand onto his shoulder.] Well, well, well, if it isn't my loud neighbor. You seem to be in bad mood.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ah. It's his neighbour. Who hasn't complained since they installed the soundproofing, so clearly it was working. But he bristles at being called loud. Not incorrect but completely unnecessary to mention. ]

If that is what you believe, why approach me?

[likemybooks]

I just think you need a bit of a mood boost. There's no sense to a vacation if you're not able to fully enjoy it. [And clearly, Taryon is capable of fixing Dr. Ratio's issue. He removes his hand to rest it on his hip.] So, did something happen?

[curingidiocy]

[ He only sighs. Nosy people and their need to fix someone's mood. ]

Nothing. I am... having some difficulty communicating with the locals. I believe that my presence may be intimidating to them.

[ Or, judging by some of the high pitched giggles and flustering from some of the women he approached, they might be too infatuated to reply properly. Either way, unhelpful. ]

[likemybooks]

[Ah, the problems that come with being too handsome. Not that Taryon admits that Dr. Ratio is more attractive than him, but it's not the worst thing that could have happened.]

So. You just have to be more friendly with them. Just say hello and ask questions about themselves, that always works! Look—

[He waves at a woman standing behind a food stall and tugs on Ratio's shirt as he approaches her.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Ah yes, two very handsome men waving down a lone woman, there's no way this will go wrong. Ratio remains silent and crosses his arms as he allows Taryon to take the lead. Unfortunately he's not smiling, which doesn't make him look approachable at all.

The woman they wave down approaches cautiously, greeting them. ]

[likemybooks]

[If anything, Ratio's sullenness is a counterweight to Taryon's enthusiasm, and the woman has some confused thoughts about their actual intentions.

Taryon is oblivious to how they're coming off when they meet the woman.] Sorry to be a bother, but my friend and I are new here. We've had a few dealing with the rain in town, it's some awful stuff. Is there anyplace good to hide under down this street?

[Starting off with a casual, reasonable question makes it easier on the woman to respond: she points out places that are best for ducking into in case of acid rain and what alleyways are dangerous, considering that there is a chance of rain this afternoon.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio continues to remain silent, though he is observing Taryon's body language and the words he picks to talk to the woman. She seems receptive enough, which is much better than his attempt to communicate with the locals. ]

[likemybooks]

[Taryon is standing straight rather than lean towards the woman, and his shoulders are rolled forward as if he's was slouching. It's not entirely intentional, but Taryon naturally tries to come off as inoffensive when dealing with new people.

It's enough for the woman to trust this blonde guy, but she keeps glancing at Ratio, wondering what he wants.

Their conversation continues, and Taryon asks about restaurants, his eyes lighting up when he recognizes a dish or when her description sounds delicious. His hands are animated, pointing at vague directions, and they clench together when he finally thanks her for her time.]

You have been an incredible help, miss. We will not forget your kindness when we needed it most.

[curingidiocy]

[ He huffs incredulously at the last part. What an exaggeration. He doubts either of them will remember this woman by the end of the day.

That small action clearly doesn't endear him to the woman, because she accepts the thanks and hurries away, wanting to get away from Ratio as quickly as possible. ]

[likemybooks]

[Taryon waves her goodbye before continuing down the street. When they had put a considerable distance between themselves and the woman, he leans towards Ratio.]

You know, people tend to like you if you're smiling and chatty.

[curingidiocy]

[ The comment only serves to further deepen his frown. ]

I do not speak to people with the intention of endearing myself to them. It should not be difficult to provide the requested information and no more.

[ He's just being stubborn now. He knows perfectly how to be approachable enough to strangers, and would have adjusted if he hadn't been spotted by Taryon. ]

[likemybooks]

Then... [Taryon leans forward while his head is turned to the side, watching Ratio. It's not the smartest thing to do when he has to watch his step.] How do you expect they talk to you if they don't want to be around you? That poor woman seemed frightened of you.

[curingidiocy]

[ If Taryon trips or walks into something, Ratio isn't going to help him. ]

One does not need to like another person to be capable of speaking to them civilly. That is basic courtesy.

[likemybooks]

[Taryon has a bad luck of the die, because his foot soon catches onto the curb and he topples to the side, only saved by the building wall he bumps into.

Having learned his lesson, he focuses on the path ahead.] I think my experience differ greatly from yours, because I learned that if people think you're an asshole, they're not going to help you.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio scoffs at his blunder but doesn't comment on it otherwise. ]

As I said, I have been civil and courteous. Is that no longer enough to avoid hostility?

[ He's certain they're just intimidated, not offended by him. Or enamoured, in some cases. Enamoured and intimidated? Whatever. How irritating. ]

[likemybooks]

I...

[Taryon feels a moment of panic when he wonders if he must teach Ratio the basics of basic human interaction. How did Vox Machkna handle his own idiocy? Can he come up with a decent explanation for why this distant and silent persons doesnt work?]

You look like you're annoyed by everything they do. [He says hesitantly. The Ratio he confronted in the hallway might not be how he usually behaves; now that Taryon no longer has the high ground, he might end up pissing off the guy.]

[curingidiocy]

That would be the truth.

[ Muttered not entirely with annoyance—he's more than smart enough to understand what Taryon is trying to imply. He sighs and reflects on his behaviour and emotions for a moment. He'd thought he'd be better in a place that didn't resemble Penacony, but evidently not. He's still on edge, but for an entirely different reason:

He doesn't want a repeat of the sand worm's devastation.

Anxiety isn't something he frequently deals with, but it's making him more irritable than usual. Not good for his performance on this mission. He frowns, eyes flickering to Taryon for a moment. ]

...how frequently do you engage in combat?

[ It's a question out of left field, but it's relevant. Though whether Ratio explains the connection is up in the air. ]

[likemybooks]

[Well, Taryon huffs and focuses on where he steps, at least Ratio is honest. He's rather unpleasant with strangers and it's his fault that no one wants to talk to him. Taryon is the naturally charming one who everyon loves instantly, thus he has to rescue this man from his own terrible fate.

He stays by his side as if acting as his personal guard. Against what danger, he doesn't know, but he would work to protect the civilians from conversations.]

How often? You mean before I came here, or now? Because back home, I was a bit of a renowned adventurer. [He grins and tilts his head towards Ratio.] You know, fighting devils in Hell or corrupted angels, not regularly. Just once in a while. I know how to fight.

[...Is it because he looks like he doesn't work out? Is that why he's being doubted that he belongs in LILITH?]

[curingidiocy]

[ So he's a proper fighter, unlike Ratio. Perhaps that is why he is not on edge like Ratio is. Is he simply used to seeing the carnage of battles? Or is Ratio too sensitive? It's not a word he would have used to describe himself, but he's beginning to wonder if his reaction to being on the battlefield is typical or not. ]

I see. Then it does not bother you that this city may potentially become a battlefield in a few weeks.

[ Because this is what he's determined after thinking about it for a moment. He can't help but be tense because of what looms over the city's future. That is the only explanation for his inability to communicate with the locals. ]

[likemybooks]

[If Taryon has reached the level of "proper fighter", then his actually experienced friends back home were practically gods.]

It's...fine. I've fought these monsters already. I know it will be difficult, and people may die.

[Just at a scale far large than Taryon will be expecting.]

[curingidiocy]

[ In comparison to Ratio, he is a proper fighter. One who encounters combat far more frequently than the sheltered scholar does, at least.

He shouldn't let the notion of the city's inevitable destruction bother him, but it does. It does a lot. ]

I will... admit to being somewhat tense for the upcoming battle. What occurred in Las Vegas is a tragedy I'd not like to repeat, yet the very real possibility of it occurring regardless is not... easy to ignore.

[ The planet lacks the kind of defenses the interstellar community has created to counter such destructive forces. Not to mention that it seems intentional that these beasts are targeting urban areas. These people, perhaps even the ones he was talking to just a moment ago, have a high likelihood of dying. It weighs on him. ]

[likemybooks]

Hm. [It's an answer that Taryon doesn't have yet. Sometimes, people die, and sometimes, cities are wrecked. How anyone can survive after that massive destruction is a mystery.] I think, no matter what happens, people will try to rebuild. Where I'm from, a bunch of cities were razed by dragons over a year ago, but everyone's moved back and...I think they moved on.

[While they didn't have LILITH in Exandria, they had plenty of reckless mercenaries willing to be the heroes that put a stop to powerful monsters. It took more time to prepare for one fight, considering there is no organization dedicated to analyzing beasts and accumulating resources, but it works.]

We'll figure things out as we go. We're all still new to this. No one can plan for everything.