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

Seoul

[queenofkur]

[ Oh...! Tsuru. It's not so surprising to find him here, though. She's noticed their tastes coincide in quite a few areas, so it's natural he'd be drawn to a quieter and green part of the city. ]

It's quiet. I like it. [She smiles (and sparkles, again).] I don't know how humans manage to live in such busy and noisy places... I much prefer it when it's peaceful.

[ That just makes her want to bury herself under layers upon layers of blankets all the more. ]

[cranekin]

Is it surprising? Most humans desire company. It makes sense to surround themselves with more of each other.

(And he doesn't mind that one bit. While he appreciates quieter places, he also thrives in the lively and busy streets back home. He's pretty extroverted.)

It's quiet but lively. (There are couples and families around still, smiling between each other as if they can forget their worries for the time being.) Even after all of these years and all of the new changes they have... nature still makes them smile.

[queenofkur]

[ She supposes he's right... Why, even she desires company. Though she prefers it in small number. Too many people at once and her anxiety flares up. ]

You are correct. It's a testament to humanity's potential and will.

[ She looks at one such family and closes her eyes happily. ]

Even in the hardest of time, they find happiness and strength. They never give up, no matter what may come.

[cranekin]

(Oh, look at her light up. It's hard to not smile in agreement,)

You love humans, don't you, Eresh-chan?

[queenofkur]

Of course. I realize it may seem strange for a Goddess of Death...

[ Death gods are usually depicted as scary and not really liking humans. It's unfortunate, that's the source of many of her woes. ]

But death is what makes life beautiful. And so, it is my wish for humans to overcome their struggles and paint the most beautiful life they can.

[cranekin]

Eh? Why would it be strange?

(The thought doesn't even cross his mind.

Listening completely, not at all bothered. Some people may feel uncomfortable talking about death but he doesn't mind. For him, death is simply death. The last event in one's life. The final surprise. )

Death is what makes life ugly and beautiful. When facing death, one can look back and see if life was fulfilling or a waste.

(And he'll sigh, lean against the railing on the path over the river, )

But even if they struggle until the final seconds of their lives, every moment after should be peaceful.

[queenofkur]

Well... People usually think of death gods as scary, evil beings who hate everything and care not for life.

[ It may sound like she's exaggerating but no, seriously! Look at what Disney did with Hades! Sniff.

Who knows how long it's going to take till they have a movie called Ishtar. She bets they're going to cast her as the ugly and jealous mistress of death only to rewrite the ending to have Ishtar emerge triumphant. ]

But you're right. There is also ugliness in life. That's why I made the afterlife impartial. No matter how good or evil one was, happy or sad, loving or filled with hatred... In death, all are equal.

[ She marks a pause and then: ]

You said there is no afterlife for you, right?

[cranekin]

Well, humans can be as wrong as they are right.

(He gets it. Maybe, if he thinks about it for a long time, he might remember a time when he was afraid of death, too. He would have been much younger, less experienced, and more confused than anything. After all, it took him many centuries to learn about life so it makes sense it would take him just as long to really understand death.)

... There is no afterlife for things like me. We become lost and forgotten until there is nothing that remains.

[queenofkur]

[ It is as she thought. And that's just plain wrong, that he should be denied rest after death. This reminds her of Enkidu, a weapon created by the gods who was killed when he rebelled against them. Though she had been given his remains, there had been no soul for her to look over. ]

Where I come from, humanity is endangered. Because the very fabric of reality has been torn apart, some things that should have been forever impossible became possible. Such as me being summoned to help both my world and this world.

[ It's both a blessing and a curse. She would never have known freedom if not for this. But at what cost? ]

The day your end comes- I shall do my utmost to take your soul to my Underworld. [She marks a pause.] It is not a promise, for even I know not whether such a thing is possible. But miracles exist, and I shall do my utmost to make one happen.

[cranekin]

(He can't help but think back to a quieter time, when the warriors made their offerings and the families brought their children to be blessed. Warm summer days, wind chimes clinking in a gentle breeze, vibrant festivals, sacred fires, steady drums, and priestesses dancing with bell staves.

Ah, so this is what humans pray for. Years of offerings and prayer to be blessed by a compassionate god. It makes his heart feel warm and full. It's comforting like a gentle hand on his shoulder letting him know all will be well.

And it makes his heart twist. Because this is what humans pray for and never receive. For something like him to be offered a peaceful end against all odds...

He laughs.)

Hahah! So this is the power of a great goddess! The power to make miracles happen! Amazing.

(He sighs, wistful,)

If by some miracle, you could claim my soul, you could do anything, right?

[queenofkur]

[ She smiles brightly - and sparkles, as is her habit when she's particularly happy. She really doesn't know if she'll succeed... But that's worth a try. And he deserves to know there are those willing to try anything to help him. Back when she'd been alone and despairing for millennia, when the loneliness and resentment had gnawed at her heart...

Knowing there was someone out there, trying to help her? That would have perhaps made the loneliness more bearable. But there had been no such person. That's why she wants to be that person for him, if she can. ]

I suppose so.

[ She cants her head to the side, a bit confused. What does he mean exactly with "anything?" ]

Why do you ask?

[cranekin]

Whether I break suddenly or slowly rust away, when my time comes... I want to be united with my master.

(It's bittersweet but the perfect end for him is one where he can fulfill his duty and stay by his master's side. )

Whether he spends his days forever in the afterlife or moves on to somewhere else to rest, I want to continue surprising him until we're both tired.

(He doesn't really care what that means for himself.)

Sorry, sorry... I don't mean to sound ungrateful.

[queenofkur]

[ Ah... She smiles a bit sadly. That's sweet and she doesn't think for a second he sounds ungrateful. ]

No, not at all. [She shakes her head.] I understand. I think it's a beautiful wish.

[ His master's soul probably reached his world's afterlife, she wagers. Why, perhaps he's already been reborn. She wonders if Tsuru would recognize him, were he to see him again? He surely would.

But that means there's little she can do. Taking advantage of the instability created both her world and this world to try and rescue Tsuru from his fate is one thing. Plucking a soul from another afterlife or from the cycle of rebirth in another world? That's... That's beyond her. ]

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken of that.

[ She looks in the distance. That would require the sort of entity whose powers expand beyond entire universes to do such a feat. And even then, they would struggle to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. ]

[cranekin]

(He's quiet, watching as she wrestles with the emotions of the situation and the weight of his request. It doesn't have to be said. He's been alive long enough and his relationship is close enough with death that he understands. It's why he can only shake his head and smile.

It's why he reaches out to pat her on the head. Can he do that? It feels very familiar and a lesser spirit like him probably shouldn't have the right.)

By sharing words from your chest, you make your feelings known. If you kept them locked away, no one would ever know your heart.

(Taking his hand back, he bows his head just slightly in a mix of small apology and acknowledgment, )

Thank you for your words.

[queenofkur]

[ ?????????????????????

Ah... It's one of those "headpat," isn't it? Malkuth already explained to her it's a normal thing between friends. Though she has to question why she never sees anyone patting other people's head, it's like she's the sole receptor of those headpats! ]

Y-You don't have to thank me.

[ She smiles embarrassingly. Should she pat his head back?? If that's what friends do, she definitely should, but she's a goddess! Can perfect goddesses pat the head of their friends? ]

I'll still try. [A pause.] That's the least I can do.

[ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... Slowly, she her hand rises. And she very hesitantly pats his head, too. Hopefully she's not doing anything wrong! ]

[cranekin]

(Ah, he sees her hand raise up and he immediately understands. He bows, lowering himself so he's easier for her to reach... and he smiles. There's nothing wrong with it at all.)

Even if it takes time, I don't mind. (At this angle, he's able to look at her at eye level,) I'll be in good company.

(He won't mind waiting with Ereshkigal if he has to.)