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

[intertwinedfates]

[All that sounds well and good and accurate, and Yato's about to respond in kind until he gets to the end of the message and just about keysmashes at what he's reading. Why can't LILITH give newbies like him a quick rundown on wtf has been going on?!]

Are you serious about that last one? [Stupid question. Bakugo is never not serious.] I mean, was anybody hurt by this worm thing? Because that sounds really

dangerous?? [And disgusting? Not to mention deadly?? And whatever other D-words he can think of.]

[blastedass]

[Because newbies would be keysmashing in other forms if they dropped all that information on them right out of the drippy pod. Besides, why should LILITH tell them that kind of detail when they want their little Outsiders to interact with each other?

Stupid, isn't it.]

Do I look like I'm joking?!

[He doesn't have a funny bone in his body! (Yes he does, but it's specialized.) Truth hurts.]

Yeah. A lot of Outsiders got hurt the first time we faced it. That fucking thing had some kind of hypnotic ability that messed with the oculars and made us see and hear people we knew from back home. Most of us ended up fighting with each other.

[intertwinedfates]

[It certainly seems a little counterproductive, to be honest... Though yeah, maybe telling them all that stuff right out of the gate wouldn't be the best idea, but at least within the first month or so would be nice??]

Right. Gotcha.

[He wants to see Bakugo crack a joke. That might signal the end of the kaiju menace or something. Either that or the end of the world.]

Damn... Thanks for the heads up. If I see any worm things, I'll remember to be careful of them and not blindly trust what I see. Makes me wonder what sort of creature we're going to be up against this time, however.

[blastedass]

[Overwhelming the newcomers with that kind of information would be ridiculous, even though Bakugo's opinion is that they get told everything important quickly. He's not in control of their orientation and certainly isn't the guy offering to take a newbie under his wing and coach them. He actually did that... once...

Bakugo's humor is far more sarcastic and usually "bullying" than anything truly in it for a laugh. But with very close CR, he's not above teasing them in good nature, and has slipped a quip once or twice just to be a smart ass. Keep an eye out, Yato. It might happen.]

Keep your distance from whatever kaiju you come up against until you know the close range risks.

[If Yato wants, he can go to the simulation training room and get a readout of all the past kaiju LILITH went against, including the ones they've handled via the Outsiders. Should he want to familiarize himself with the past bestiary.]

Likely something reptilian.

[intertwinedfates]

[That's one opinion they share: keeping newcomers in the dark or just letting them learn at their own pace means not everybody will be prepared come the next mission time. It makes Yato want to file a damn complaint about how they handle things, though judging by how they normally handle paperwork, it wouldn't get very far. Or he'd have to submit it a dozen times before it made it to somebody's desk.

Knowing Yato, he'll have to remark on the rare moment when Bakugo's sense of humor shows, spoiling the moment. But we shall see! He may end up so stunned that his mouth won't run away with itself.]

Got it. Last thing I wanna do is end up getting my ass kicked and cause trouble for others.

[That's probably something he will do once they get back. He would've preferred a bit more time to get acquainted with his newly borrowed sword, too, but alas, that's not how things worked out. Hopefully this mission will go smoothly enough...]

In that case, maybe it'd be possible to slow it down with cold. Do we have anyone on our team that can work with snow or ice?

[blastedass]

[They'll be prepared for the next mission as far as knowing what's expected of them. LILITH does give a fair job of running down their tasks and orders when crises arise. Whether they're clearing debris, evacuating civilians, or battling kaiju, the orders are pretty damn clear. It's left up to the Outisders to use their abilities to accomplish those orders as seen fit. Overloading them with everything they could do or have done is a stupid idea. Unless you want to have your newbies pissing themselves before they even get to the mission start...]

What kind of battle experience have you had? One on one, team battles, one versus many, giant monsters?

[Might as well get an idea so he knows what his potential teammate has under his proverbial belt. (Doesn't want to cause trouble for others, says the guy who got wasted on his first night here...) Bakugo doesn't bring that up, mercifully.]

I know Wolfie and Heisoku can use ice-based skills. [Welcome to his nicknames, Yato.] Other Outsiders got ice elemental swords from LILITH.

[intertwinedfates]

[That much is very welcome as far as Yato is concerned, given they're unable to assess situations themselves until arriving after the fact. And hopefully with any luck LILITH will be coordinating them along with local forces to cover all branches of what needs to be done. Though if it was up to him, he'd sort Outsiders into groups based on their abilities to maximize their efficiency. Maybe they've already done that...? Hard to tell when you're new and not familiar with everyone's abilities.]

Everything except the giant monsters, though I have fought large ayakashi before. I just don't imagine it'll be the same as facing actual, physical monsters.

[Nobody said gods couldn't be as contradictory as humans. They're flawed beings, too, believe it or not. (It's probably very easy to believe with Yato as an example.) Bless your decency, Bakugo.]

In that case we should see if they'd be willing to be our forerunners on the mission. Slowing down a reptilian kaiju would hasten our efforts by a lot. [Now if Bakugo introduces them as such, that'll be their names for a while.] Huh. I'll have to look into getting one myself eventually.

[Once he stops drinking his income.]

[blastedass]

[Good news and bad news is LILITH initially started with throwing the Outsiders at any problem as a group, haphazardly dividing them by number and dorm simply to keep their directions neater. But now, they've started to be a little more detailed in their distributions, breaking them up into smaller teams and calling Outsiders with certain skills. Bakugo doesn't like taking orders from anyone, especially not incompetent morons, but the Outsiders are usually given free reign to follow LILITHs orders as they see fit, sometimes even outright ignoring them if they cross a moral or personal boundary. Bakugo's done that twice.

All things Bakugo will tell Yato if and when the conversation swings around to it.]

If you have media like Godzilla or kaiju films in your world, it's similar. [A big giant monster or a bunch of smaller (still big by human standards) monsters attacking the settlement.] You're either gonna fight that monster or help people evacuate. Otherwise, you're just dead weight.

[It's a fair warning of what to look forward to. He frowns at the suggestion, more in contemplation than disappointment. Having those with cold-related abilities lead the charge would be ideal, but without knowing the size of the kaiju, or what the furry one is like, it's a risky gamble.]

No shit. My classmate's the strongest person here I know with ice abilities. [Todoroki could throw an entire glacier of ice into the kaiju, though time would tell if it's effective.] One of those bastards manipulated that acid rain earlier. We have to watch out for that as well.

[Yato mentioning he wanted to get an elemental sword only prompts Katsuki to send a picture of a glass of water at him.]

Then don't blow your money on fucking drinks.

[intertwinedfates]

[It's good that LILITH isn't deploying them in a willy-nilly pattern anymore; that would've driven Yato nuts, being assigned to something he's ill-suited for. He may not be the most responsible guy when off the clock, but when it comes to work he likes to be efficient and effective. He'll also appreciate being given enough leeway to choose when to disregard orders should they prove to be a bridge too far morally speaking.]

Oh yeah, we definitely have Godzilla and the like! [He's sneaked into a few movies in his time, getting to see some of the most popular flicks as they came out. The joy of being invisible to most humans.] Fighting is more my kind of thing, so I'll be happy to help there. Though protecting people does come first.

[Honestly, anyone going up against the kaiju first is going to be in a fair amount of danger given all the unknowns. Maybe they should see if anyone has defensive skills that could aid in protecting their ice-users during that first rush... There's so much to consider, and not much time to do it in. Damn LILITH for the short notice! Or maybe it's damn kaiju. Either or.]

Oh, then you can ask him yourself! It'd probably have more weight coming from a friend. [There he goes with the dreaded F-word again.] Thankfully we have our suits to protect us. That'll hopefully negate the danger from the rain, at least for a time.

[At first he's a little confused by the picture of water, but its meaning soon become clear, leading Yato to chuckle to himself.]

Haha~ Right, right. I'll temper my cravings from here on out.

[blastedass]

[It was very shotgun their first two outings. Granted LILITH wasn't a bunch of morons who said "do it" and left. They provided instructions, aid, and deployed the Outsiders with attention. But they still basically shoved all of them into the face of the enemy with "sic em" being the underlying command.

As for the disregarding orders part, Bakugo's main example is when LILITH sent them to Kyoto and told them to bring back some of the local fauna, with the intent being some kaiju young. He and other Outsiders straight up ignored those orders for one reason or another, Bakugo's specifically due to these kaiju not attacking humans. Now, caveat, when the pod of orca kaiju attacked the bay area, numbering both mother and young, the same reservations didn't apply. He fought them with the intent to kill.]

Sometimes it's like Godzilla. Sometimes it's like a swarm of big ugly fucking animals. [Does he dare tell Yato they actually HAVE Godzilla with them as an Outsider now? Nah, let the god find that out himself.] Win to save. Save to win. Pick which one works best for you.

[Whether Yato wants to get people out of harms way or remove the harm from endangering people in the first place. It's up to him. Bakugo's giving Yato a mildly-biased recounting of what's gone on. He's not ever going to fully be on LILITH's "side" for any of those, but has come to accept they mean well and do a lot to help the Outsiders. Yato will just have to make his own judgement call once he experiences a fight.]

CLASSMATE, DAMMIT!! He's an annoying guy! [News flash. No one would find Shoto annoying. Even his awkward social graces are more endearing than anything else.] What's your sword style like: fencing, broadsword, samurai, ninja?

[Might as well get an idea.]

[intertwinedfates]

[Yeah, definitely sounds like it wasn't the best thought out plan, even if it wasn't totally haphazard. Sending them in one large wave against their opponent is a method that leaves way too little wiggle room for Yato's liking, in case the front lines were taken out. So it's reassuring that they aren't sticking to that one game plan for all their missions.

Though he's starting to get a clearer picture of how Bakugo operates and where his moral stance lies, if just a bit. So hearing that he spared the tamer kaiju young while taking out those that were causing harm to others would be in line with what he knows about the young hero. It seems that innocent lives comes first, which is the same mindset Yato himself prefers when given the option.]

Glad to know what sort of varieties we might be up against, that way I know what to be on the look out for. [Since he hasn't been sure what the wildlife situation is in this world yet, the last thing he wants to do is get everybody up in arms over an overgrown bear or something else that they'd find normal.] I guess it'll depend on the situation, really. Sometimes it's better to focus on rescuing people, other times stopping the threat is easier.

[And on occasion trying to accomplish both is the only way to go, hence the need to work in coordinated groups. It wouldn't do to have everyone going off and doing their own thing. He just hopes that some folks will agree with that point of view when the time comes for them to go into battle. When it comes to being on LILITH's side, well... It's tough to fully support an organization that kidnaps innocent people as recruits for their own war. He doesn't care for non-combatants especially being dragged into this mess.]

Classmate, then. [Why does he get the feeling that everybody is annoying to Bakugo... Haha...] Closest to a samurai. I normally fight with a katana and wakizashi though for now I have one of the katana made by LILITH. That should suffice for the time being until I can get a second sword.

[blastedass]

[LILITH is still in its experimental mode. Maybe it always will be. A bunch of scientists and brainiacs trying to find the best way to save their planet and civilization from the monsters that attack them over and over. It'll never be "enough" until it's all over. And even then there's the temptation to keep what they have "just in case" rather than risk being caught off guard again... Bakugo will never trust LILITH completely.]

Go to the training simulation. They have a bestiary there with records of past kaiju fought.

[Small profiles detail names, dimensions, abilities, weaknesses, and so forth, along with records of the efforts taken against them, successful or not. Bakugo spent time there doing his own research in his first month here. Yato's not wrong about the civilians here being "easy" to spook over false alarms. They're just now starting to trust the Outsiders, and Bakugo would be pissed if someone stupidly damaged that, even if accidentally.]

So long as you do one of them.

[All Might is one of the few people he knew that could do both of those simultaneously repeatedly. Bakugo's far more the "win to save" option, taking out the threat before it can cause more damage. But he's slowly come to understand the importance of the other side, saving to win, even if it's never going to be his default choice. Yato has similar thoughts to the hero regarding LILITH's trust and support when they resorted to kidnapping people... Good they're in agreement there.]

So you dual wield? [Having two swords is pretty cool. If Yato's normal style is more samurai, that gives Bakugo a better idea of how he operates in combat. Not as agile as ninja or pointed as a fencer, but a power type akin to a knight and samurai. Now he wonders how the hell someone of Yato's build gets that kind of strength...] Did your personal weapon come with you?

[intertwinedfates]

[Honestly, that's kind of to be expected given the Outsiders haven't been here for a huge amount of time. LILITH's probably still sorting out the best way to effectively utilize their new manpower resources while not giving the game away too much. Though it would be nice to know if there's a definite way back home or if they're semi-permanent citizens of this world now.]

Ah, really? Thanks, Bakugo! You're such a huge help.

[He means it genuinely. Surliness aside, Bakugo's offered the most practical assistance in getting himself situated when it comes to newbie things. There was so much to take in at first, he couldn't quite absorb it all, so the refresher and reminders are a major boon.]

Don't worry, I'm not about to sit around on my ass when there's work to be done.

[That's the level of greatness Yato aspires towards, too. Able to save everyone while taking down the opposition... A true god among men - or a god among gods. Not for the fame or glory, though he won't say no to being admired, but because it would cement his choice to be a God of Fortune. Even now he still wonders if it's something he can achieve. Maybe if he can convince Bakugo that he is one, that would be enough, too.]

That's right! I also can use a bow pretty good, too. [Although it's usually with his shinki's help. On his own, he's not entirely sure what his accuracy would be. Probably serviceable enough, at least. Though Bakugo's musing are entirely fair, given Yato's wiry frame and lack of impressive muscle. The last question leaves him smiling somewhat sadly to himself.] No, he didn't, unfortunately.

[Yes, that's right, he.]

[blastedass]

[There is a way back home. But it's neither explained nor put in their power. Obviously. LILITH even said in the orientation for new Outsiders that once their "work" here is done, they'll all be sent home, with a financial reward to boot. However the fuck that's supposed to happen. But the "work" part is undefined. People have been sent home already, and the kaiju remain, leading others to wonder just what the "work" entails from person to person.]

Pay attention to orientation! They said that shit in there!

[Bakugo means that genuinely too. The blonde is a rather practical man despite his explosive temper. He likes things to happen quick and efficiently so he doesn't have to waste his time or effort. Of course Yato couldn't process everything dumped on him in orientation; no one could. It's up to the Outsiders to talk amongst themselves or ask LILITH's operatives about shit.]

You better not. Die.

[That dismissive way he says "die" to people. Yato's at least making progress, despite the appearance of his lazy or flippant attitude. Bakugo doesn't look highly on him right now, but he at least acknowledges the god's not a complete trashcan. Good to know he's got some battle prowess and familiarity with weapons too.]

Is your world still in the feudal era?

[He's met someone here who uses a sword and has skill with the bow, because his world is in that era, or at least that's what he's most familiar with. Bakugo frowns at the second part.]

He?

[intertwinedfates]

[It sure would be helpful if they were more clear in their intentions regarding how and when they'd be sent back home, especially regarding their monetary reward. That's one major reason Yato's agreed to being LILITH's dog, after all. He could use the money for so many things. A shrine! A home of their own! Paying off Hiyori's debt! The possibilities are endless, really. He almost wishes it was more like a normal job, where they earn a certain amount per mission or kaiju defeated. Something to tell them how far along in doing the work required of them.]

Okay! I get it! I'll see if I can take the orientation again!

[Honestly, now that he's absorbed a good deal of what life is like here, he'd probably pick up on a lot more from taking the orientation a second time. And he'd know what questions to ask. So yeah, he's definitely going to see if they'll let him sit in on another one, just as a refresher course.]

I'll try not to do that either. That'd just make your job harder, right?

[Whether he's being serious or cheeky is hard to tell over text, but at least he's acknowledging that getting his ass handed to him would cause trouble for others. Now he just has to prove he can live up to those promises.]

Nope, it's modern with cars and computers and such. Though my specialty's always been bladed weapons. I was lucky enough to get a bow with my most recent shinki.

[Ah, that's right. He's never bothered to explain how things work for gods, has he.]

Us gods wield human souls as divine instruments - they're called shinki. My current partner is a boy named Yukine. He becomes my blades that allow me to fight!

[blastedass]

[They do earn a bonus for killing the kaiju, and they get a monthly stipend just for being here, but plenty of Outsiders have gotten jobs around the city to bring even more money in. Bakugo and his partner work as police officers on the force, probably to no one's surprise if they know more than a few things about the explosive young hero. Makes money, keeps him busy, the closest thing he can get to being a hero, and he gets to kick ass while having one ear tuned into the police reports throughout the city. Plus there are some... access privileges in certain places.]

Ask around first. The next orientation won't be until the next round of newcomers.

[Who the hell knows if you can even take the orientation again without sitting in on the next round of Outsiders. Whatever. That's Yato's onus. Bakugo also sat in on the second orientation after he got here, for the exact same reasons. It was more informative the second time. As expected.]

Shut up.

[Ugh. This guy's a cheerful brat who doesn't like to take anything lying down. He's probably one for the last word too, but in the nice-guy cute-annoyance way rather than the angry proud way Bakugo is. Whatever. He has his work cut out for him.]

Shinki? Like the things onmyōji use? [Good to know Yato's world is a modern one. That means he doesn't have to explain technology to him. Even though Neo Tokyo is pretty damn advanced in tech.] YOU USE PEOPLE'S SOULS AS WEAPONS?! What the fuck?!

[Did you even ask permission?!]

[intertwinedfates]

[A kaiju bonus must be enormous, or at least pretty damn healthy as far as rewards go. It's enough to actually cause Yato some decision paralysis on whether to help people or go in for the kill first. Money is one of those things he's susceptible to, perhaps unsurprisingly. If he thought he could maintain a more regular schedule, he might even have considered joining the police force himself. But really, that kind of structure's never been for him. He'll just have to keep looking to find a job that suits him.]

Okay! Will do!

[At least he's easy to convince and chipper about it...? No the type to drag his feet and whine - at least not in this case. The childish fussing may come later for something that's more of a pain in the ass.

No answer to the shut up. He's doing as is told, specifically so he doesn't annoy Bakugo any more than he has to. He likes the kid and doesn't want to be on his bad side, risk of getting blasted aside. Though if they were meeting in person, he's pretty sure he'd never hear the end of it on the matter of shinki. Already Bakugo seems less than pleased at the idea.]

Sorta. Unlike shikigami which are existences conjured into being, shinki use human souls and transform them into various things. Not just weapons! They can be anything from the mundane like cookery items to a mirror, to animals like lions. Weapons are just one of the most common forms as they allow us gods to combat the ayakashi threat.

[...and no, they don't ask before making people their shinki. Sometimes yes, but often no.]

[blastedass]

[It errs on the pretty damn healthy side. The good news is they usually have plenty of time to focus on helping people while still getting in good hits on the monsters. They're generally big enough or numerous enough to wail on repeatedly. Yato's got a lot of options to look for when it comes to jobs to supplement his income. From academic assistant to restaurant work to shrine training to starting his own damn business, go for it.

Bakugo doesn't know if Yato could find some LILITH personnel and ask about redoing the orientation. He can always pose a question to SYNTHIA if he wants to deal with that stupid ever-present AI. Bakugo has little positive feelings towards her and her shitty social experimentation. Bitch.]

You assholes grab human souls and turn them into whatever the fuck you want?!

[His mind's doing two places with this. First, random gods ripping the souls out of innocent people. Second, random gods yanking souls out of their afterlife journeys. Neither of which sound anything like a benevolent deity! Those are fucking people! Not playthings for some shitty god to do whatever with!]

[intertwinedfates]

[Looks like Yato will have to get off his duff and start pulling his own weight when it comes to making a genuine living here. It's going to be strange, being able to be perceived by folks like a normal person rather than existing in their blind spots, but he'll adjust eventually. The biggest change is going to be being capable of holding down a job for more than a couple weeks - usually after that those who employed him had forgotten and wondered who the fuck he was.]

Kinda? [Only then he realizes that Bakugo is angry, possibly over a misunderstanding, which he aims to clear up asap.] They're the souls of deceased humans who died under tragic circumstances and can't pass on normally, who are otherwise vulnerable to being corrupted or eaten by ayakashi. If we don't take them in, a worse fate awaits them.

As for their forms, it's not something we chose, but is determined by the personality of the spirit and god both. Most aren't even used as weapons. They live peacefully alongside their god, like a family.

[So... it's not all bad? Pretty much...?]

[blastedass]

[Well if he gets employed alongside another Outsider, that will make for a pretty strong tether to remind people who he is around the job. At least he'd have one person there to remember him. That or just kick off a "ghost agency" and do odd jobs around town that ends up being this mysterious place people always forget is there, but are happy to find it once more. An eternal door of ever-new customers and first impressions! Bakugo will give him a weird look for that... Anyways...]

So you're rescuing stray souls by their own choice?

[That.. makes it marginally better, as it's not kidnapping "people" from their lives. Better than being corrupted into oni or eat after all. It calms his temper down a bit and puts Yato in a re-evaluating light. For now.]

Does that mean they can turn back into their human forms if they want? Until you need their item side.

[He's not sure he would consider that a "family" since it seems kind of... like a damn collection, but if the alternative is what Yato said, it's not the worst fate.]

[intertwinedfates]

[He has been giving some thought to resuming his duties as a "Delivery God" who people can call on when they need help of any kind. Plumbing, babysitting, car repair... He's done it all in the name of five yen, plus whatever bonus people feel like giving him on any particular day. Though here he may need to raise his prices due to actually having to buy things like his own weapons. Actually, maybe people in this world would need that sort of assistance even more than back home, given the turmoil here. Something to think about.]

Sometimes, yeah. Others like my Yukine were so far gone and in danger of fading that they don't have the consciousness to take care of themselves.

[So all they can do is wander like the lost souls they are, until either they disappear entirely or are corrupted. Not a fate that's ideal for anyone, really.]

Oh yeah! They spend most of their time in their human forms, and can even refuse to heed our calls should they disagree with a task. It's a partnership more than anything. We care for them as best we can, because their suffering and negative thoughts afflict us and can even kill us should it get too bad.

[blastedass]

[Balancing out his handyman work with his normal Outsiders duties would be an interesting juggle. Bakugo has similar in his job, spending both his vocation as a cop helping people and his duties as an Outsider doing the same thing. Granted, catching criminals isn't the same thing as fighting kaiju and dealing with weather-related shit. So long as the vocation makes money and doesn't leave someone bored out of their damn mind, it's a good fit. He's curious what kind of job Yato's going to pick or make for himself. Will he say that? Nope! ... But he'll ask about it later.]

Lead with that crap instead. The way you first said it was fucked up.

[It sounded like kidnapping and slavery, if not straight up theft. With the better description, the animosity fades and is replaced with a quiet questioning and some minor respect for Yato and his kind. Giving people who have nothing a new start, with their own agency alongside the partnership, is a pretty cool notion in the afterlife. Becoming a badass sword is a much better deal than getting eaten by a monster and turning into nothing.]

They can kill you?!

[And back to making a weird face at the person he can't see.]

[intertwinedfates]

[Given how often Yato had to job-hop previous, it's probably just settling down into one routine that would be the most difficult part of leading a "normal" human-like life. But he'll find something that works, eventually. He is nothing if not persistent and optimistic. Having someone who takes an interest in his goings on will definitely come as a pleasant surprise, though! They might even be able to share work stories over meals! Like fri-- Er, teammates!]

Ah, right, sorry. Didn't mean to give you the wrong impression there.

[There's no denying that there's plenty about shinki that sound wrong at first light, though if he had faster fingers and more sense, he'd probably have lead with the fact that the Heavens even take care to ensure shinki are happy with their current situation, and punishment is dealt upon the gods who misbehave too much. As Yato himself has found out.]

That's right. If they succumb to temptation or vice, we're stung by it as a way to teach us about the human morals of right and wrong, and about the human heart. If it continues long enough, both master and shinki become affected by blight, the same corruption caused by ayakashi. The shinki has to repent and acknowledge their sins in order for both to be freed of contamination. Otherwise the shinki becomes an ayakashi and the god dies - either from the blight itself or being consumed by their turned partner.

Shinki can also kill their god if the god steps too far out of line and harms them or the mortal world.

[Being a god is... complicated at times. It's not so easy as one might think, really.]

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's seen a number of different approaches to "normal" life here. Some Outsider's got jobs, some started their own business, some stuck with going to school as permanent students, some didn't do shit and drifted between money or friends, and other options within those scopes. Hell, his partner wasn't one for the police force until Bakugo pointed out the benefits of a stable job, steady income, kicking ass (a good bit of the time) for pay, and additional benefits. Though Denji mostly joined for Bakugo rather than out of some truly heroic sense... at first.

Yato might be surprised to find Bakugo will be a little more willing to meet up for dinner after work than he might seem. Make sure to catch him before he gets back to the dorm though; once he's back, he's not going out again.

Guess the shinki deal isn't as bad as he thought. Yato had to explain it better though. Hopefully this teaches him a lesson when talking about the same to others in the future. Jeeze...]

So you're a glorified babysitter.

[Way to sum it up. Bakugo gets the corruption influence, as if the shinki's moral health is randomly linked to the god they serve. Almost akin to an external litmus test. That'd drive him nuts, having to make sure some tag-along behaves.]

Aren't you stronger than your shinki though? How the hell are they kill a rouge god?

[intertwinedfates]

[Truthfully, once Yato gets used to "normal", it'll be something of a fun adventure, trying out these different lifestyles should he so choose. He may not be able to pick up doctor as a vocation like Hiyori, but there's still plenty of opportunities out there for him to experience. It's all a matter of finding them and giving them a whirl. He won't be bored, that's for sure!

Especially if he can encourage Bakugo to spend an hour or so over dinner just catching up and talking like normal people. He's still dipping his toes in, socially speaking, so having a reliable neighbor to chat with will be most welcome. Not that he'd blame the other guy for just wanting to chill once he's at the dorm. They both have the same stubborn unwillingness to budge from the relative comfort of home, such as it is.

But yeah, lesson learned! Lead with the highlights of being a shinki, not the fact they're essentially human souls contracted into service.]

Hah! You're not wrong there. Though sometimes I wonder who's babysitting who.

[He freely admits to being the one needing supervision a lot of the time. That's the nature of gods and shinki. The shinki guide and advise while the god wields the power. After all, only humans can truly understand other humans.]

Well, shinki have their own spells and abilities they can use. So if they refuse to heed our call and turn on us, then it's possible they can overwhelm us. Typically though it takes a number of shinki to overpower a god. One-on-one they likely wouldn't stand a chance.