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 Koreaโs 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 didnโt track down an injured and resting Imugi—they tracked down the Imugiโs 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. LILITHโs 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.
โถ 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.
[ She was so very, very close to getting a compliment for being a wise youngster there. If more of the Outsiders understood the situation the way she puts into words then the whole ordeal would be going far better. Not perfectly of course but at least people would be moving in the right direction.
But then she goes and asks that question. He is bothered by his adamant insistence that they should have chased down the Imugi. He was driven by pure battle-lust, forgetting entirely the role of protector that's supposed to be his entire duty. While he's certain the majority blame falls upon LILITH's bad information he also feels a certain accountability himself.
Not that he's going to tell that to anyone. ]
I am not troubled. [ The little snort he gives proves it! Don't mind the smoke coming out of his nostrils... ] I am simply studying. There is a way victory could have been secured, I will find it.
hiyori gives the smoke an unsure look before settling a wry gaze on him. if you say so, mr king kaiju sir. they BOTH know that ain't true.
but she's curious now, maybe more than curious because he's a kaiju himself, and after dropping the cans wherever the trash is idk she comes back to sit in a nearby armchair. ]
Failure shouldn't be an option... [ said more to herself with her brows furrowed. ] But it is, sometimes. Maybe we didn't win the battle, but we can still win the fight. [ not troubled, though. totally. ]
[ One of the most surreal experiences anyone has to have is walking over to the disposal area with Godzilla and leaving before he does. He's taking the time to sort the recycling, he even checks the bins and moves other things that've been placed in the wrong area. This Godzilla takes the environment very seriously...
Job done he's returns with her. He doesn't seem to mind her asking at all, in fact his mouth parts in a smile. ]
Currently? Napoleon. [... Yeah. ] More modern than my usual interest. An undefeated commander that soon lead his people to avoidable defeat.
[ Godzilla takes a moment to do his weird rumbly lizard laugh. ]
You can see the resemblance to LILITH in this, yes? I am curious if learning from his well chronicled failures can help in recovering from our own.
[ things she didn't expect: god-fuckin-zilla to be environmentally friendly. this place is wild in so many ways but learning that an infamous kaiju takes the time to separate metals and plastics and whatever else?
insane.
more insane than a toothy, sharp smile. she tries not to flinch again and can't help her raised eyebrows. what's his usual interest...? ]
O-oh! Y, yes. [ she thinks. avoidable defeat. hm. ] ... I think you're on the right track at least. We chronicle things like that for the exact reason of not repeating mistakes. [ and YET!!!! ] You'd think, so far into the future, we'd remember we're stronger when we come together. When we help each other out...
[ If she thinks his recycling habits are wild she should get a look at his reading list sometime. It's mostly poetry... ]
Indeed. It is your kind's repeated flaws. [ He's not saying that to be mean it's just obvious to him. ] Greed, arrogance, anger, many things rise up to blind humans to their approaching disasters. Sometimes it is a wonder your kind has lasted so long... then one sees what you are capable of together and your survival again makes sense. A species as impressive as you are foolish.
[ Yes that's supposed to be a compliment. ]
I am uncertain how much these factors played in our defeat however. My thoughts keep returning to the initial splitting of the packs' attentions. If we had battled the enemies one after the other at our full strength I feel we would have faired far better.
she's not taking anything with offense. it's not like he's wrong. all she does is lower her gaze to her knees and furrow her brow. humans ARE flawed beings, but hiyori believes they are all fundamentally good. it is experience and circumstances that change them - that which breeds greed, arrogance, anger, and everything else wherein they find their downfalls.
the last compliment (?) has her smiling privately toward her lap. foolish, huh? she can agree with that, too. at least when it concerns herself. ]
You mean Everlight and Redemption being assigned to Seoul and Brimstone and Revelation being sent to Busan? [ she considers it. ] But wouldn't Busan have been left entirely undefended against a kaiju if we chose to do that...?
[ you can probably guess hiyori's answer to the trolley problem. sacrifice none. ]
[ Hiyori just keeps proving herself not only to be a keen mind but to be a good heart. One without the other is a dangerous thing, having both has Godzilla nodding with approval. ]
You see the flaw easily. You are a clever one. [ There you go Hiyori, some direct praise.
Godzilla shrugs and lets out a frustrated grumble, scratching at the spot by his ear that typically bothers him when he's thinking too hard or bothered by something. ]
Busan would be undefended. Would it have been savaged in the others' absence? Possibly not, the female sought to lay her eggs rather than sport on humans. We may have had time to slay her mate and then battle her. However we may just as easily have not. There is no clear solution, each comes with risks. We know the risks of one all too well, we have lived it. The other I do not think would have been nearly as calamitous, even if the female had attacked Busan.
er, I mean. hiyori flushes faintly at the flattery, speechless. for a moment, she struggles to keep up with such talk. it's beyond her. she knows to try to save lives, not the path of least resistance in war. ]
Maybe you're right, but we don't know that, sir. [ it takes her a second but she says this quietly but firmly. ] You said there is no clear solution. There wasn't. There still isn't. Any choice we made could have easily been just as bad or worse.
[ Look at that. More approving nods from the big lizard, he even grins. Dear god(zilla) does he have a lot of teeth... ]
Correct. "Let the dead past bury its dead", as Longfellow wrote, "act in the living present." The past may inform our decisions, however we can not let it paralyze us from them.
[ He pauses for a moment to scratch the spot behind his ear that bothers him whenever deep in thought or frustrated. ]
For my part I have decided to never again let the thrill of a hunt blind me. I will protect first, if the choice comes to assisting the civil denizens or chasing the kaiju I shall assist. If the majority overrule me, I shall still remain in place. Let them try to move me, they shall find me quite obstinate.
[ don't cringe at the teeth, hiyori, don't. that's a scary smile. he's smiling, right?! not baring his teeth? she tries?? to smile back?? UNSURE. back suddenly straight and fight/flight mode activated.
since they started this conversation many things surprised her. godzilla being a SCHOLAR IS... up there. it isn't a quote she knows personally, but it doesn't stray too far from her beliefs. what happened will stay with them forever, but they can't let it take over. they can't let it stop them. if they hesitated now, all of those souls passed on? it would be a disservice. it would be a disrespect. ]
I'm stubborn too when it comes to certain things, but didn't you say that we shouldn't have split the pack? If you decided to go against the majority vote, we wouldn't have a formidable power, your formidable power to fight with us.
[ hiyori sighs, clenching her fists. ]
If we have to make another choice, it'll probably be just as difficult. But whichever we choose? We have to stand by it. Together.
[ No worries about the scary smile because he certainly stops smiling as he digests her words. He stops blinking too, he's just staring directly at Hiyori, his only movement is his tail twitching.
Hypocrisy is not one of those things Godzilla would ever admit to being guilty of if he ever realized he'd done it. Unfortunately for the big guy's own internal self image he's getting slapped in the face with the fact he has indeed just done a hypocrisy. Espousing the importance of unity in one breath and declaring intent to resist said unity if it doesn't line up with his personal thoughts?
Oh he doesn't like it. ]
Humanity... I have witnessed humanity through all its days, small one. I remember when your kind were little more than well postured apes first learning to kill with rocks to make up for their lack of fang and claw. I knew the first builders, lived amongst them in temples they built for my residence, watched as the early empires collapsed and tore themselves apart. During all this time I protected them from threats they had no hope of facing alone.
[ A pause as he scratches at the spot behind his ear that he favors. His tail thumps against the ground too, though it's not as powerful a hit as his usual threat display. It's more agitation. ]
Since arriving hear I have learned your language, your customs, your histories. I have learned all there should be of such a small, short lived species in a period of time that to me is a blink of my eyes.
[ He finally blinks. His mouth parts open, he raises himself to his full height, lifts his head back.
And laughs. It's not just a low rumbling chuckle in his throat, it's a full throated laugh that bounces off the ceiling and walls in a way that's echoing. It lasts an actual half of a minute, passing as he shakes his head and levels his gaze. He's grinning again, so that's good right? ]
Yet after thousands of years I still find myself surprised in an instant! You think with your heart, young Hiyori. It is a good one, keep listening to it. Those as yourself fully make it clear why your kind has survived so long.
[ Another chuckle, a shake of his head. ]
Very well, Hiyori, you are correct. Unity is the most vital thing, we must not break it.
[ it is not a little terrifying to have godzilla staring at you like that. although her heart races like mad and her body tenses, ready to spring, hiyori stands her ground and by her words while holding her breath.
the first word causes a small twitch but not much else.
that being said, in seoul, hiyori likened the kaiju to gods. as godzilla speaks, he sounds like one. ancient and wise. many times, the subject of nobody being perfect has come up. humans aren't. gods aren't. maybe, neither are kaiju.
she swallows thickly, eyes darting to that spot he can't leave alone. dry skin? but he's opening his mouth and hiyori's eyes widen, her body tilts back, ready to bolt-- ]
her heart? she places her hand over it, at it beating so hard it HURTS, and tries to catch her breath as her shoulders relax. ]
I... I will, sir.
[ once she isn't so terrified, she stands up from her chair. it's not a small feat to change a king's mind. what the heck was she thinking?
he's right. she wasn't. it all came from the heart. h-haha... ]
It might be useless to say, but please do try and get some real rest soon. You've probably had your fill of lectures from a "small one", but you're not at your best if you're not taking care of yourself. [ bowing respectfully, she leaves him with one last thing. ]
I should get going, but... talking to you about this has given me hope, too. I feel a little less troubled about the future. So, thank you.
[ Hope. What a funny thing, hope, a uniquely human thing by his understanding. A source of strength in the darkest times, a drive to always do better, always move forward. The power to stand up to impossible odds or continue pointless tasks because one has hope it will work out in the end.
Maybe he should star trying it for himself? It's certainly kept humanity going long enough, it couldn't hurt. ]
You are welcome to it. I have likewise taken from this conversation, my thanks.
[ He doesn't really bow. To anyone. except maybe Mothra and that just raises all kinds of questions about mothdom. But he does incline his head to her in recognition. ]
Do not concern yourself with my well being, I recognize the wisdom in your words. I shall take my rest soon, you can be assured of this.
[ Granted he's going to do it by passing out in the pool during some caffeine induced zoomies but at least in the future we won't have to worry anymore about the big guy mainlining dangerous stimulants.
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synflux2024-08-22 04:03 am
no subject
But then she goes and asks that question. He is bothered by his adamant insistence that they should have chased down the Imugi. He was driven by pure battle-lust, forgetting entirely the role of protector that's supposed to be his entire duty. While he's certain the majority blame falls upon LILITH's bad information he also feels a certain accountability himself.
Not that he's going to tell that to anyone. ]
I am not troubled. [ The little snort he gives proves it! Don't mind the smoke coming out of his nostrils... ] I am simply studying. There is a way victory could have been secured, I will find it.
no subject
hiyori gives the smoke an unsure look before settling a wry gaze on him. if you say so, mr king kaiju sir. they BOTH know that ain't true.
but she's curious now, maybe more than curious because he's a kaiju himself, and after dropping the cans wherever the trash is idk she comes back to sit in a nearby armchair. ]
Failure shouldn't be an option... [ said more to herself with her brows furrowed. ] But it is, sometimes. Maybe we didn't win the battle, but we can still win the fight. [ not troubled, though. totally. ]
So, um. What are you studying, if I may ask?
no subject
Job done he's returns with her. He doesn't seem to mind her asking at all, in fact his mouth parts in a smile. ]
Currently? Napoleon. [... Yeah. ] More modern than my usual interest. An undefeated commander that soon lead his people to avoidable defeat.
[ Godzilla takes a moment to do his weird rumbly lizard laugh. ]
You can see the resemblance to LILITH in this, yes? I am curious if learning from his well chronicled failures can help in recovering from our own.
no subject
insane.
more insane than a toothy, sharp smile. she tries not to flinch again and can't help her raised eyebrows. what's his usual interest...? ]
O-oh! Y, yes. [ she thinks. avoidable defeat. hm. ] ... I think you're on the right track at least. We chronicle things like that for the exact reason of not repeating mistakes. [ and YET!!!! ] You'd think, so far into the future, we'd remember we're stronger when we come together. When we help each other out...
no subject
Indeed. It is your kind's repeated flaws. [ He's not saying that to be mean it's just obvious to him. ] Greed, arrogance, anger, many things rise up to blind humans to their approaching disasters. Sometimes it is a wonder your kind has lasted so long... then one sees what you are capable of together and your survival again makes sense. A species as impressive as you are foolish.
[ Yes that's supposed to be a compliment. ]
I am uncertain how much these factors played in our defeat however. My thoughts keep returning to the initial splitting of the packs' attentions. If we had battled the enemies one after the other at our full strength I feel we would have faired far better.
no subject
she's not taking anything with offense. it's not like he's wrong. all she does is lower her gaze to her knees and furrow her brow. humans ARE flawed beings, but hiyori believes they are all fundamentally good. it is experience and circumstances that change them - that which breeds greed, arrogance, anger, and everything else wherein they find their downfalls.
the last compliment (?) has her smiling privately toward her lap. foolish, huh? she can agree with that, too. at least when it concerns herself. ]
You mean Everlight and Redemption being assigned to Seoul and Brimstone and Revelation being sent to Busan? [ she considers it. ] But wouldn't Busan have been left entirely undefended against a kaiju if we chose to do that...?
[ you can probably guess hiyori's answer to the trolley problem. sacrifice none. ]
no subject
You see the flaw easily. You are a clever one. [ There you go Hiyori, some direct praise.
Godzilla shrugs and lets out a frustrated grumble, scratching at the spot by his ear that typically bothers him when he's thinking too hard or bothered by something. ]
Busan would be undefended. Would it have been savaged in the others' absence? Possibly not, the female sought to lay her eggs rather than sport on humans. We may have had time to slay her mate and then battle her. However we may just as easily have not. There is no clear solution, each comes with risks. We know the risks of one all too well, we have lived it. The other I do not think would have been nearly as calamitous, even if the female had attacked Busan.
no subject
er, I mean. hiyori flushes faintly at the flattery, speechless. for a moment, she struggles to keep up with such talk. it's beyond her. she knows to try to save lives, not the path of least resistance in war. ]
Maybe you're right, but we don't know that, sir. [ it takes her a second but she says this quietly but firmly. ] You said there is no clear solution. There wasn't. There still isn't. Any choice we made could have easily been just as bad or worse.
So we can't keep doubting ourselves forever.
no subject
Correct. "Let the dead past bury its dead", as Longfellow wrote, "act in the living present." The past may inform our decisions, however we can not let it paralyze us from them.
[ He pauses for a moment to scratch the spot behind his ear that bothers him whenever deep in thought or frustrated. ]
For my part I have decided to never again let the thrill of a hunt blind me. I will protect first, if the choice comes to assisting the civil denizens or chasing the kaiju I shall assist. If the majority overrule me, I shall still remain in place. Let them try to move me, they shall find me quite obstinate.
1/2
since they started this conversation many things surprised her. godzilla being a SCHOLAR IS... up there. it isn't a quote she knows personally, but it doesn't stray too far from her beliefs. what happened will stay with them forever, but they can't let it take over. they can't let it stop them. if they hesitated now, all of those souls passed on? it would be a disservice. it would be a disrespect. ]
I'm stubborn too when it comes to certain things, but didn't you say that we shouldn't have split the pack? If you decided to go against the majority vote, we wouldn't have a formidable power, your formidable power to fight with us.
[ hiyori sighs, clenching her fists. ]
If we have to make another choice, it'll probably be just as difficult. But whichever we choose? We have to stand by it. Together.
no subject
1/2
Hypocrisy is not one of those things Godzilla would ever admit to being guilty of if he ever realized he'd done it. Unfortunately for the big guy's own internal self image he's getting slapped in the face with the fact he has indeed just done a hypocrisy. Espousing the importance of unity in one breath and declaring intent to resist said unity if it doesn't line up with his personal thoughts?
Oh he doesn't like it. ]
Humanity... I have witnessed humanity through all its days, small one. I remember when your kind were little more than well postured apes first learning to kill with rocks to make up for their lack of fang and claw. I knew the first builders, lived amongst them in temples they built for my residence, watched as the early empires collapsed and tore themselves apart. During all this time I protected them from threats they had no hope of facing alone.
[ A pause as he scratches at the spot behind his ear that he favors. His tail thumps against the ground too, though it's not as powerful a hit as his usual threat display. It's more agitation. ]
Since arriving hear I have learned your language, your customs, your histories. I have learned all there should be of such a small, short lived species in a period of time that to me is a blink of my eyes.
2/2
[ He finally blinks. His mouth parts open, he raises himself to his full height, lifts his head back.
And laughs. It's not just a low rumbling chuckle in his throat, it's a full throated laugh that bounces off the ceiling and walls in a way that's echoing. It lasts an actual half of a minute, passing as he shakes his head and levels his gaze. He's grinning again, so that's good right? ]
Yet after thousands of years I still find myself surprised in an instant! You think with your heart, young Hiyori. It is a good one, keep listening to it. Those as yourself fully make it clear why your kind has survived so long.
[ Another chuckle, a shake of his head. ]
Very well, Hiyori, you are correct. Unity is the most vital thing, we must not break it.
1/2
the first word causes a small twitch but not much else.
that being said, in seoul, hiyori likened the kaiju to gods. as godzilla speaks, he sounds like one. ancient and wise. many times, the subject of nobody being perfect has come up. humans aren't. gods aren't. maybe, neither are kaiju.
she swallows thickly, eyes darting to that spot he can't leave alone. dry skin? but he's opening his mouth and hiyori's eyes widen, her body tilts back, ready to bolt-- ]
no subject
he's laughing. a lot.
what.
WHAT.
her heart? she places her hand over it, at it beating so hard it HURTS, and tries to catch her breath as her shoulders relax. ]
I... I will, sir.
[ once she isn't so terrified, she stands up from her chair. it's not a small feat to change a king's mind. what the heck was she thinking?
he's right. she wasn't. it all came from the heart. h-haha... ]
It might be useless to say, but please do try and get some real rest soon. You've probably had your fill of lectures from a "small one", but you're not at your best if you're not taking care of yourself. [ bowing respectfully, she leaves him with one last thing. ]
I should get going, but... talking to you about this has given me hope, too. I feel a little less troubled about the future. So, thank you.
no subject
Maybe he should star trying it for himself? It's certainly kept humanity going long enough, it couldn't hurt. ]
You are welcome to it. I have likewise taken from this conversation, my thanks.
[ He doesn't really bow. To anyone.
except maybe Mothra and that just raises all kinds of questions about mothdom.But he does incline his head to her in recognition. ]Do not concern yourself with my well being, I recognize the wisdom in your words. I shall take my rest soon, you can be assured of this.
[ Granted he's going to do it by passing out in the pool during some caffeine induced zoomies but at least in the future we won't have to worry anymore about the big guy mainlining dangerous stimulants.
probably. ]