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

[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.

[blastedass]

[It's more likely to happen once things settle down. Bakugo's far more likely to go to a one-on-one than join a group doing something he thinks is stupid or he could get done faster on his own. For as much as he likes attention, he's very cat-like in terms of tolerating that attention. "That's good" to "too much" happens in an instant and he explodes. Probably to no one's surprise if they've been around him longer than a few days. Then again, if Yato just wants to have dinner in the dorm... also doable. Depending on how well he functions in a kitchen. Bakugo doesn't let people who suck in there if they wanna cook.

Or at least explain the backing behind the contract, since most people would be more willing to accept the contract part if they knew it was a way to save the shinki's souls from a fate much worse, and was also consensual. Shit like that.]

I know the answer when it comes to you.

[Yato's the kind of person who would generate zero surprise from someone to learn he's the one being babysat by a more mature, effective, and even stronger shinki. But the idea of the shinki guiding a god like a dog handler with his beast is an arrangement that won't do a lick of good for Bakugo's opinion of the gods in Yato's world... Best not get into that then.]

Shinki gain powers as well? [Damn, contracted servitude sounds more akin to adopting a potential monster you have to take care not to piss off.] How threatening are the ayakashi you need that kind of arrangement? [To say nothing about how potentially weak the gods are... Though Yato did mention the gods' strength comes from how many people believe in them.]

[intertwinedfates]

[Which is understandable. Can't expect them to go about their business normally when things are going crazy outside. Not that Yato begrudges Bakugo for wanting to handle things himself when it'd prove to be easier and faster; he himself tends to rely on others only to the point of having a shinki with him. It's how he's always operated, so changing that now takes a bit of adjustment. Thankfully Yato's not too shabby when it comes to cooking, although he's not exactly up on all the newfangled kitchen appliances, having never had an actual residence himself. Ask him to cook over a fire and he's good to go. Give him an air fryer, though, and who knows what might happen.]

Hehe. Guess so.

[It is a kind of strange set-up, humans guiding gods. But since humanity is what gave birth to gods in the first place, it sorta makes sense that they'd have to teach their deities the ways of the world? Anyway, it is what it is, and generally it works out well for most gods. Yato is just a special case, having been birthed from a single person's wish rather than a group. It means that he's always been limited in the socialization department, to say nothing of having shinki to guide him properly.]

Sure do! Though most of their powers don't work against gods and can only be used on humans, other shinki, or ayakashi. [Saying it's a delicate balance wouldn't be too much of an understatement, though it takes a lot of trust, too. It's not just the humans who have to have faith.] Well, they can influence humans into taking their own lives, and their very existence corrupts us if we come into contact with them. The world would be nothing but strife if us gods didn't work to keep their numbers down. That's one of the reasons for warring eras - too many ayakashi being born from human's negative emotions. [It also has a lot to do with how many shinki a god has, or how compatible they are. He can get away with having just one or two, but Bishamon tends to be stronger due to having hundreds of shinki to choose from. She's a walking armory.]

[blastedass]

[The good news bad news is there are not a lot of newfangled kitchen appliances here in Neo Tokyo. At least, not mass produced for the masses, due to the supply chain and state of the world. They exist in high end hotels and business, but not a lot in the dorms the Outsiders live in. What appliances outside the fridge, oven, stove, microwave, and other big things are in the kitchen come from people like Bakugo who want to put some "normal" back in the kitchen they work in. But the specialty appliances are few and far between, mostly because people don't have much need for them in every day life. Do they even have an air fryer here? At least they have a hand mixer. Not that Bakugo uses it often. He has two working arms, thanks.

Once again, he gets a damn lecture, glaring at the 'screen' in front of him as the text scrawls through. Fuck, this guy likes to talk a lot. One question spirals out into multiple. Like a damn wiki.]

You just said your shinki can kill you; now their powers hardly work on gods? What the fuck! [Make up your damn mind! Yato's world is crazy! And that's in addition to people believing in gods or else they fade off, or however the god worded it in their first meeting way back then.]

Corruptive? Humans are always going to have negative emotions. [That's actually very similar to someone else he knows where, where negative human emotions create destructive creatures in that world.]

So people believe in gods to help them, you take care of the negative emotion creatures, and you save people's souls from being monster food in exchange for helping you fight. [And the more people who die, the more a god is forgotten. So each side is keeping the other alive. Okay, he's starting to see how all of these parts fit together.]

[intertwinedfates]

[While it would be fun to play around with all the technology this time period has on offer, Yato's perfectly content with their little hotplates in the dorms. Enough to make a drink or heat up some snacks, while the mini fridge can cool a few beers. It's a step up from his living situation back home, where him and Yukine were rooming in a friend's attic. Here he gets a whole room to himself! It's a novelty he's almost not sure what to do with, on top of feeling a touch lonely being on his own so often.

And sorry, Bakugo. You're one of the few people he's actually able to have long conversations with, so he's taking full advantage of it as a social butterfly.]

Sorry, sorry! I'm being confusing. Their abilities may not work effectively alone, but if many shinki were to work together, they could even take down a god. Though exactly how is a mystery to me. I just know that it's happened before. [He won't deny that, that's for sure. The laws of the world are complex and not altogether coherent at times; even for someone as old as he is, he doesn't have a complete grasp on how it works. Even his needing his dad as a lifeline to keep from fading away is just a theory.]

Yup. That's why we're necessary. Because there will always be ayakashi for as long as humans continue to exist. We don't aim to rid the world of them, just keep their numbers down to a manageable level. [It helps to keep humanity from devouring itself through hatred and malice.]

You got it! That's the basic gist of it. It's really not a bad system, all things considered. [There's room for improvement, like in anything, but all in all he's happy to be a god who can help people despite being relatively unknown.]

[blastedass]

[WHY THE HELL IS HE THE ONE YATO CAN HAVE LONG CONVERSATIONS WITH?! There are far more talkative and amiable people running around this place?! Go bother them or something! Fuck! He's a lantern that butterfly is fluttering around! While he sits there and glares at the 'screen' in front of him and contemplates slamming the proverbial lid down to go to sleep. Or something along that line.]

Gods surround themselves with powerful items that could band together and slaughter you if you get corrupted enough. [While it sounds fucking stupid on the one hand, it's also an interesting form of check and balance between the god and shinki and world, with the humans and ayakashi being other elements in the entire machine. Since Yato says it's a mystery, he doesn't bother asking about it further.]

You don't want to get rid of them or you can't? [He knows the answer, but since Yato used the word "aim", it raises a little query in his mind. Aiming means at least there's the intent of success.]

Checks and balances, huh. [As for questions...] A god who doesn't even have a proper shrine can't be doing much good for that system.

[intertwinedfates]

[Law of irony?? Because underneath all the surliness and biting remarks, there's a kid who cares and actually has an interest in other people?? (He's just guessing here okay.) It really is like a moth to the flame situation here, where Yato has to watch out for getting too close in case he catches fire and burns up. Though he is grateful that Bakugo doesn't cut him off mid-conversation out of sheer frustration or annoyance. He doesn't mean to be a bother, honest!]

I guess you could put it that way, yeah. We gods can't always police each other, though Heaven does for the likes of traitors and such. [It's not a bad system, all things considered. Despite being gods, they don't have >I>all the power, yet nor are their shinki completely beholden to their masters.]

It's more that it's impossible for us to police the entire nation all the time in such a way that it'd get rid of them all. So we try to take out the bigger ones and groupings of the ayakashi called storms. [Since ayakashi come in sizes from tiny plush animals all the way to big, building-sized ones, there's no way to cut back on every one in existence.

And wow, way to get him where it hurts!!] Hey! I do what I can! Which isn't bad! I'm a combat god, so I'm good at fighting ayakashi and lessening their numbers! [Maybe not as much as Bishamon with all her weaponry, but for a single god with a single follower, he likes to think he keeps his small part of the city clear.]

[blastedass]

[Good thing Bakugo's used to people running their mouths. Having Midoriya around as a chatterbox and muttering nerd vault prepared him, unfortunately, for a lot of that noise. Even if he does tend to threaten him with death over it. Loudly.]

It sounds like an easily manipulated system.

[While the balance between the parts is pretty secure on the surface, the vulnerability of the gods and the shinki via each other suggests a delicate power play that someone could come in and mess with to tilt one way or the other.]

Hypothetically, if you had more gods and more shinki, would you get rid of them all?

[Since ayakashi come from humans, rendering them extinct is theoretically impossible without wiping out humanity.]

You were more than that before, weren't you.

[Something that's always bothered him about Yato. A guy who wants to be the God of Fortune. Ambition like that doesn't come from someone who knew nothing more than being a friendly neighborhood god.]

[intertwinedfates]

[Honestly, that experience is probably why Bakugo comes across as someone people (at least Yato) can talk to. For all his death threats and complaining, he's surprisingly patient when it comes down to it.]

More than I'd like to admit.

[In fact, his father did just that: played them all for fools and got an innocent god killed under the pretense of being a traitor. It'd been enough to get Yato himself and Bishamon to go to war against Heaven in attempt to protect their innocent friend.]

I think we could, yeah. Or at least keep them at a level where they wouldn't be able to do much harm. But that would require almost as many gods as there are humans, and there's just so many of you guys.

[There will always be small ayakashi which hide in corners and such, but the larger ones would be easier to deal with, that's for sure.]

Huh? I

dunno what you mean!

[His fingers slip as Bakugo puts forth that question, leading him to feeling a chill despite the nice temperature of his room. Does he... does he have some idea of what he was? Or is he just taking a wild stab in the dark? Either way, it's not something Yato wants to admit, not over text, anyway.]

[blastedass]

[He's lucky they're talking over the ocular; in person might have Yato face first in a wall somewhere. Or not, since the topic's actually kind of interesting. Enough Bakugo's not hanging up on him.]

How often do humans make ayakashi?

[Shedding off one large one for a murder committed, or leaking a bunch of little ones for white lies, curse words, and bad thoughts? If each person needs their own god to keep the "air" clean around them... Damn.]

Uh-huh. [Thanks for confirming his semi-wild stab in the dark. But Yato doesn't want to talk about it and it's not Bakugo's business.] You said your shinki isn't here, right?

[intertwinedfates]

[That wouldn't be anything too new to him, but he's grateful all the same to not be kissing the plaster. Makes having a conversation just a little bit difficult.]

It varies, but heavy stress and negativity tend to form them over a period of weeks, whereas groups of people experiencing something awful propagate larger ones quickly. Like whenever there's a natural disaster, we try to go to work immediately because the fear and anger means lots of ayakashi.

[It can be tough trying to help enough people during events like that to give them some semblance of hope again. And that's to say nothing of how he hasn't even touched upon the vents that can open up to Yomi, releasing all manner of ayakashi...]

Heh... [There's a small sense of relief when Bakugo doesn't push the issue; maybe someday he'll tell him. In person, where there won't be the proof of his shame hanging there in front of his eyes forever.] Yeah. Yukine's his name. I'm kinda glad he's not here to deal with all this, since he's just a kid, but damn do I miss him.

[He has no trouble admitting as much. He's sure Bakugo misses his friends and family too, no matter how strong he is.]

[blastedass]

So they're not made every day if a city's relatively peaceful.

[Granted they were able to form over time, but it's not the little things that create monsters strong enough to call the gods in for a culling. Taking weeks to form even from heavy stress and negativity sounds like it doesn't happen that frequently. The natural disaster would definitely make a lot of them all at once.]

I take it you can't form a new pact with another shinki here.

[There are plenty of dead in Neo Tokyo. Whether or not the afterlife exists here as it did in Yato's world (or any of their worlds) is a question Bakugo doesn't really want to ask. He understands the relief of not wanting your worldmates here, but missing them all the same for it.]

[intertwinedfates]

Right. It's not a constant flow of new ayakashi, but more of a fairly steady drip? Like a faucet that has a tendency to leak.

[So one could equate a natural disaster to a pipe bursting: a sudden outpouring of negativity and fear that has to be stopped at the source. And while gods themselves can't always prevent natural events (even if sometimes they're the cause of them), they can limit the effects of ayakashi storms to prevent people from giving into their more depraved impulses, like looting or taking advantage of bad situations.]

Well, theoretically I could. But I worry that doing so might have a negative affect on them when I go back home. The bond between a god and a shinki is strong - even if the god dies, the name they've bestowed upon the shinki remains, and that means they likely won't be able to be taken in by another god. Having multiple names is something of a taboo.

[A pretty huge one, at that. So he wouldn't want to risk some random soul's chances here by making them his temporarily. He'll just have to buck up and do his best with the weapons LILITH has.]

[blastedass]

And you're not able to turn the world into a utopia to remove negative thought.

[It's not the same as brainwashing all humanity into blissful compliance, but it's even more difficult to make a world that's perfect for everyone. Seems the gods in Yato's world are always one step behind, cleaning up the monsters that were born, but never having enough time to prevent them from being born in the first place. How ironic. Heroes are often forced into the reactive role, since predicting where villains would be or crime would occur is extremely difficult.]

There's a guy named Raidou Kuzunoha in Everlight. He wasn't able to bring any of his summons with him, but found out he could form contracts with certain Outsiders as a sort of stand-in. You should contact him and ask. Maybe there's a similarity between shinki and summon.

[It's certainly not a replacement, but it's always bothered Bakugo that some people were brought here with their powers nerfed or their summons/tech limited, but other people were completely stripped of what made them strong fighters back home.]

[intertwinedfates]

Nope, that's up to humans to do. Which means it may never happen, but we can still watch over them as they work towards a better world.

[It does seem that no matter the world, all the side of good can do is stay prepared and respond to outbreaks of trouble, be it from humans, villains, or ayakashi. Maybe someday there will be enough heroes and gods to launch preventive measures, but for now all they can do is maintain the status quo and work to keep the peace as best they're able. Definitely not ideal in a world this troubled, but what can they do?]

Oh, I know Raidou! I didn't realize he had that kind of connection with the supernatural, though. I'll have to hit him up and see how that kind of thing works for him.

[If they could combine their powers somehow, perhaps that would enable them to fight more efficiently? It's certainly worth a thought, that's for sure.]

[blastedass]

It won't ever happen. There's always going to be people wanting more.

[He won't deny there might come a time where people get the better world, but an improved world doesn't mean the inherent selfishness and pride in human beings would vanish. People will always want more, better, improvement, and the problem comes when they don't stop or think in getting it. Generally people are decent, but...

Bakugo knows far too much how responsive heroes have to be. Ready and waiting, prepared to go when a villain or disaster strikes. Predicting and stopping the potential break isn't impossible. There are plenty they've prevented simply by being around, the heroes' mere presence daunting villainy. Yet there are villains who haunt the heroes, the shades of the past and what if's in the future to lurk around them and force their vigilance. The status quo, working towards an ever-better status quo, is the world he wants to reach and maintain as best he can.]

Aa. If he gets mad at me for telling you, he can deal with it.

[But if both Raidou and Yato were able to form a powerful pair in battle, then he'll accept the summoner's momentary miff at him.]

[intertwinedfates]

Perhaps. But maybe there will come a time when those who are content outweigh the greedy and can keep them in check.

[It's likely futile to hope for a peaceful world where there's no fighting and strife, but he has to have faith in humans being able to surpass their innate flaws and actively work to be good. Otherwise it might make him question his own purpose in life, of making them happy when they can't even take care of their own.

Really, they're quite alike in their work, heroes and gods. The main difference being that heroes focus on the mortal threat while gods take care of the spiritual ones. Though in Yato's estimation, it's still the humans who have a harder time of it, dealing with each other and their super-powered adversaries. Ayakashi thankfully don't plot and scheme and have menace in their hearts; they simply are beings of destruction and corruption, plain and simple. Though at least here he can help fight physical opponents as well without having to resort to killing people. It makes him feel like he's doing far more good than simply stemming the tide.]

Heh, I doubt he will. He seems pretty chill about most things.

[After all, it's hardly a secret they have allies with supernatural powers.]

[blastedass]

That's not how it works.

[Most people wouldn't strike an outsider as greedy if they looked at the general populace. At least from the world Bakugo comes from. Sure, there are always things people want, but when greed sets in, the kind that causes trouble, it's usually a few who champion the cause until it spreads. Others get behind the banner, but not always for the same reason. He simply can't have the kind of faith in people as Yato does. Mostly because he's seen a lot in his world... heroes, villains, civilians...

Bakugo's not sure how "good" a time Yato's going to have here, battling the things they have to and dealing with the mass destruction that comes with their fights. They try their damnest, but it's never without collateral. Maybe humans had it harder than gods in their fights, but for a god pulled down to be almost as human as the rest of them, he won't find it much different. Mah, at least he'll make sure Yato doesn't fucking die down here. Does he know his godly immortality isn't active here? Though it didn't sound like gods were quite so immortal in Yato's world if their shinki could kill them.]

Let me know if you two can work something out together.

[He's interested if the two can fill in some missing gaps in their powers.]

[intertwinedfates]

You're probably right. Still, can't blame me for hoping, yeah?

[If everyone were to simply give up on a better world, then where would that leave them? Stuck with those who insist on hogging things for themselves and while everyone else rots. In the grand scheme of things Yato may only be able to make a small dent in the avarice of humanity, but damn if he's not going to try. It's something he was taught long, long ago and still holds dear in his heart.

But really, that's such a small matter compared to the main issue of the kaiju's destructive rampages. Already they've been hit with the reality of their powerlessness in the wake of the foreign beasts, and frankly it's so painful that's it's borderline crippling. But Yato knows that if he stops he'll be swallowed up by the despair, so onward he goes, still doing what precious little he can to help others. His abilities may be handicapped, but there's still merit in providing support to others' strengths. He just has to be careful not to get overwhelmed, himself, especially by his newly discovered mortality.]

Will do! But I promise you'll still be my favorite partner~♥

[Teasing him? Absolutely.]

[blastedass]

Keep doing that.

[That's probably for the better. Bakugo hasn't lost his hope, but he's also not blind to reality. "Impossible" doesn't exist in his vocabulary, despite that statement being pretty stupid. Someone who challenges him on it, however, is also stupid and petty. Morons shouldn't try to budge other people's convictions. Yato's determination to see the world become a better place is admirable, even if many people think it's an impossibility. Because just one small deed from one kind person already makes the world better, since it inspires hope.

Bakugo pulls a face at that teasing swipe across the network. Dammit, Bakami! You're only doing that because he's not within explosive reach of you! Seeing this guy swallowed by despair would be a wretched sight, but knocking his ass through a wall? He can accept that sight without a damn problem. Yato's going to be fine here, if he keeps his spirits up and refuses to let his resolve waver. Even the dimming of his powers and his new mortality won't keep him down. That's what Bakugo believes.

Like hell is he gonna tell him that though...]

I BLEW YOU UP!!

[intertwinedfates]

Will do~

[On the sliding scale of optimism, Yato can't claim to be on the 'foolishly blind' side, though he still probably leans a bit further towards idealistic than Bakugo. So while he might believe some things actually are impossible, he wouldn't fight the kid on it. You never know if you don't try, after all. And the more people believe in good prevailing, the more likely it is to be.

Can't deny that he's taking the opportunity to have fun in safety, though! It's fun to imagine Bakugo fuming at his jab and getting all bent out of shape over the text affection. Nothing wrong with a little teasing between friends during their downtime! Especially since he still remembers the boy's frustrations and rage over their loss in Seoul and that affected him pretty badly to see how much it broke Bakugo, even if only temporarily. So he's determined to at least let his teammate know he appreciates him, for better or worse. Even if it's overly sappy.]

My girlfriend wrestles me into knots, so by that logic, you might as well propose to me!

[he's gonna get blasted out a window, isn't he]

[blastedass]

[It's not that Bakugo doesn't believe in "good" prevailing, it's more than he refuses to accept a world ruled in fear and tyranny. Even the heroes he loves so much have proven to be imperfect, hard truths revealed and swallowed, the villains having points he didn't want to consider at first, and civilians showing waffling support. Yet he refuses to give up on making a better world. It won't be perfect, nothing can be, but better? Yeah... they can definitely do better. For everyone.

Little by little, the agony and gravity of his failure in Seoul will begin to lessen. never leaving, as scars take so long to fade, but ever there, encouraging him to do better. People like Yato continue to smile and face forward, doing things that he does with his actions rather than words or expression. Listening to him taunt him pisses Bakugo off, yet brings a quiet relief to his spirit he'll tell no one ever. No matter how many times he breaks, or how badly, he'll only lose if he doesn't try to get back up. And he'll continue to rise over and over. That's what heroes do.]

YOU WANNA FUCKING REPEAT THAT?! YOU'RE DEAD!!

[... bakami has a girlfriend? already?!]

[intertwinedfates]

[And really, that's all anyone can do - strive to make life a little better than it currently is. If everyone works towards such goals then just maybe it'll be possible to reach a more idealized world where everyone can be safe and happy. Because isn't that all people desire? Barring the selfish ones, anyway. But fuck them. So long as those who have open hearts outnumber them, anything is possible.

They're quite alike in that way, still maintaining hope in spite of the bleak future they've been dragged into. Different flavors of hope, perhaps, but still allies where it counts. That includes keeping each others' moods up in whatever silly, stupid ways possible. Yato has no doubt he's pissing Bakugo off, but it's so reassuringly familiar that he just can't help but lean into the bs a little harder before calling it quits. Thank goodness for there being a number of walls between them...]

Marry me, Baku-chan~💖💒💞

[Surprise? The joy of having friends from home come along with you!]

[blastedass]

[Oy! He wasn't asking to keep Yato's mood up right now! The damn god can go sit in his room and pout for all he cares! Why the hell does he have to sit here and be the fallguy for this clown's funny antics?! And yet, there's no severing the connection even as he snarls in the room at Yato's teasing bullcrap. Dammit, this guy reminds him of Kaminari. An airhead with an eternal smile and way too much stupid energy, eager to poke and needle him no matter how many times he gets blasted into the fucking wall!

If he thinks Bakugo's mad before, he might even hear that roar this time.]

I'M SCREEN CAPPING THIS SHIT AND SENDING IT TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!

[Just how big a threat is that to Yato? Guess he'll find out.]