Update

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▷ DECISION UPDATE

▶ OUTCOME: BURNING BRIDGES

The decision has been made. LILITH Japan orders the Outsiders to mobilize to pursue the Imugi.

Given that they are in a foreign country, they are largely dependent on LILITH Korea’s resources. In response to the decision, the Korean branch provides some assistance: the Outsiders are given just enough vehicles to help transport them, essential supplies, and only a few operatives to help guide them. This is the most the Korean branch is able to give, as they must focus on relocating people and restoring peace following the attack.

LILITH announces that the Imugi is currently resting near Gangneung on the east coast and they must move quickly. The effects of Rift poisoning will grow stronger as they approach the source; a sign that they are close to a kaiju. Upon reaching the mountains just outside the city, LILITH informs them that they are right on top of its location.

However, there is no Imugi to be found. After searching the area, Outsiders will discover the source of the trace and the poisoning: eggs. They will find about twelve eggs. When they report their findings, Seokdang will curse. In their rush, they had followed the wrong trace. They didn’t track down an injured and resting Imugi—they tracked down the Imugi’s nest. So where is the Imugi?

Not long after, Outsiders will receive an update on their implants: the Imugi reappeared in Seoul. After seeing the corpse of its mate, it went berserk and attacked the city again. While many of the citizens were evacuated to nearby Incheon and remaining shelters, just as many perished, with the death toll at 168,000 and rising. LILITH’s Korean base is destroyed.

The Imugi was last seen flying north, but the Korean government prohibits the Outsiders from pursuing it again through their territory. By choosing to pursue the kaiju, the Outsiders have abandoned humanity and thus will receive no further support. They are ordered to leave the country immediately.

LILITH Japan will order them to collect as many eggs as possible and continue to the abandoned city of Gangneung, where they will arrange pick up and return to base in Tokyo.

▶ AFTERWORD.

Thanks everyone for participating in our first major Event Decision! We hope you had fun discussing what to do both ICly and OOCly.

After failing to capture the second Imugi and also failing to save a large portion of Seoul's population, characters will be shipped back to Japan. The events of the TDM will springboard from there. Feel free to use this post to thread out any aftermath threads if you would like.

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

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Comments

Yor | Spy x Family

[yormama]

[ The sight of Seoul in ruins banishes the summer heat. In its place is sheer cold. A winter that travels down her neck, her spine, then all the way back up to her head to sink its claws into her brain.

Ruin. Desolation. Death. Blood. Thousands of cries for help. Millions of tears. The longer she stares at the city, the further back in time she falls. Back to being a child holding the hand of an even smaller child. Cold, scared, alone, the sound of mortar and gunfire far away in the distance. ]

Would...would some of us staying have made a difference...?

[ It's a question for herself. Rhetorical, painful. ]

[bowtography]

... I don't know.

[ And they'll never know. That's the worst part, she thinks, tone subdued and head lowered. ]

[yormama]

[ March's voice jolts her out of the pitch black cloud surrounding her thoughts. Yor dabs at her own eyes before straightening her posture. She should be a better example... ]

March, you weren't injured, were you? Nothing swollen or bleeding?

[bowtography]

No, I'm okay. [ The most half-hearted fistpump! ]

I didn't do much fighting this time around. [ But she'd tried to help a lot of civilians before they'd been ordered to mobilize... ]

[yormama]

That's a relief.

[ Only now does her smile finally reach her eyes. ]

We should get some rest while we can. When was the last time you slept?

[gimu]

[ it feels wrong, to share in this regret. to look over the ruins and commiserate when he was one of the ones who called for chase.

but he can’t leave her here alone. ]

It could have. If even only one of us had stayed… I don’t know.

[yormama]

[ Yor slowly shakes her head. She should really be keeping such thoughts to herself! It won't do any good to worry Choso over their failure. ]

It's okay, Choso, you didn't have to answer. I was just wondering out loud. [ She tries to smile, but the effort just leaves her looking tired. ] Are you alright? Were you hurt any during the fight?

[gimu]

Any injury sustained is negligible.

[ he’ll heal, but what does that matter now? ]

You ought to rest. You have worked hard, Yor.

[undrowned]

... I doubt it.

[ rover's voice, soft, gentle, answers for her in the quiet of the city. ]

Unless you can look into the future and reverse the past with what we know now, there is no guarantee that we would've made a difference in staying.

Either way, there will still be casualties, because the difference between our combined abilities and the Imugi are too great.

[yormama]

I suppose you're right.

[ She still doesn't like it. It's too similar. Too painful. It's too much like those days long gone... ]

The next time we face an enemy like this...I'll work harder. Fight harder. We can't afford to let even one get away, if they'll be this destructive.

[undrowned]

You won't be alone.

[ is all she says about it. ]

I made the choice to chase after it. I will live with my choice and the fact that people have died with that choice.

Moving forward, it's important to learn about our enemies as best we can. I'm not sure what happened that LILITH wasn't able to track the Imugi properly, but minimizing errors in the future by learning what we can about the monsters is imperative.

[axethrows]

I wish I could answer that...

[As someone who is used to the cold, used to falling into those dark thoughts and freezing in place while the world continues to move on... She can see a little of herself in Yor right now. Her own voice is quiet and somber, but she still speaks out to show that Yor is not alone in this cold.]

It's going to be a hard weight on us for a long time, but the world is going to keep on moving... We can't afford to stay still and hold this weight until it goes away.

[yormama]

[ The world will keep moving. One disaster doesn't stop the cycle of day and night. All they can do is move forward. She knows this. She knows Rodya's right. Still, her chest aches to even consider leaving now. ]

I wish we could do more, at least. There are still people we could save.

[ But, the government wants them out. If they stay, they'll only land in more trouble. ]

Next time...we'll have to fight harder. Smarter.

[axethrows]

Mm. Yeah, but it would be bad to piss off the government more. I know you want to help them, but... I'm sure there are people who would work hard to help their neighbors out while we are not there.

[Humanity endures somehow. She tries to force up a smile for Yor, nudging her arm gently with a small shake.]

That's right~ We can fight another day and if we find that lizard again, we are smacking it extra hard for everything it has done. Okay?

[30storieshigh]

Perhaps. Perhaps not. We may well have simply been caught up in the destruction.

[ A hard fact that he doesn't particularly like. Every instinct says they should've been where the battle was, even if logic says many were too hurt to contribute. ]

We cannot undo what has past, Little Stinger, but we can learn from it. We must ensure it is not a lesson any of our pack soon forgets.

[yormama]

[ Yor turns her head a touch to regard him, a faint smile coming up on reflex. ]

Yes, I'm sorry. I was just thinking out loud. [ The smile disappears as she looks back out at the ruined landscape. The distant cries. The smell of smoke and blood. ] I don't think anyone will forget this. Not when we're here, seeing it with our own eyes.

[ She grips her hands together tighter. Her knuckles turn white. Her fingertips burn red. ]

This is...this is why I fight. It always has been. To prevent this from happening to anyone else.

[30storieshigh]

A good purpose. Keep it close, it shall see you through the battles to come.

[ He places his hand on her shoulder, applying a reassuring squeeze. ]

We shall train when we return to the lair. Rest and prepare, it is the best we can do to protect those who still need us.

[assassinsgreed]

<sub>[ These sorts of things Toji has a hard time sympathizing with, but it certainly does something to make his stomach twist seeing Yor upset like this. The hairs on the back of his neck are sticking up from merely sensing her standing there. It’s a relief to be reunited with her, at least.

He carefully walks up to her, trying to read her better. He’s so bad at comforting and he’s so bad at feeling guilty when it comes to stuff like this. Apart of him is nervous to really say anything. He finally rubs the back of his neck. ]</sub>

It’s… gonna be okay, Yor.

_{[ this is okay to say, right? ]}

[yormama]

[ The sight of Seoul makes her heart ache. There's only so long she can look at it. But the second her eyes close to give her some reprieve, Toji's voice cuts through the mire and she turns toward him with her eyes wide and concern flaring within her. ]

Toji! Are you alright?! [ She crosses the distance between them and leans up on her tiptoes as she cups his face in her hands. ] You weren't hurt, were you?

[ He's here. He's still breathing. He looks whole, strong, sturdy, just like when they had to part before! Thank god, thank god, thank god ]

[assassinsgreed]

_{[ Toji makes a slight grunt when his face is grasped, eyes growing slightly. To be honest, he didn’t get himself involved too much in this fight; maybe there’s a part of him that feels guilty of that. Any visible injuries just look like small bruises; nothing that what happened back in Las Vegas. ]}

… ‘m fine. You were worried?

[emancipating]

[ there's no good answer to that question, he thinks. perhaps they were all doomed from the start; the fates work in mysterious ways. but there are things he can do right now, in this moment.

when he finds yor, he offers her a water bottle instead. ]

Here.

[yormama]

[ She looks up and is startled to see him there. ]

Oh! Thank you. [ She takes the water bottle with an embarrassed little laugh. ] Are you well?

[newphew]

[ flapjack, who she will recognize as hunter's palisman..... flies over to perch on her shoulder, and nestle against her cheek. be comforted, yor! ]

[yormama]

[ While she starts at the sudden presence of the palisman, Yor recognizes him immediately and sighs with a little smile. ]

Ah...Flapjack? [ She reaches up to gingerly stroke his carmine feathers. ] How have you been, little one? Keeping Hunter out of trouble?

[newphew]

[ he allows and enjoys the attention, and chirps at her in response. he is a bird, and yet, there is a slight sassiness to his expression that might suggest that flapjack believes such a thing is impossible ]

[ then, canting his head at her all bird-like. because he is a bird. how are you feeling, yor? ]