DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

[synfluxmods]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

CONTENT WARNINGS: suggestive themes, egg hatching, parenthood.

▶ 001. WINNERS CIRCLE.

During this time period, the Outsiders would typically have been met with a makeshift party with poorly placed balloons and streamers. However, this time it’s just a bulletin board with the following message scrawled out on it:

GOOD JOB:
LOREMIPSUM (K.O.)
REDMIST (600)
NICE TOY (600)
RISK (599)

Even though the mission was a partial success, there are still sponsors who were impressed with the actions of the recognized Outsiders. They also believe those who have contributed are still able to provide relief to the people, and should not be criticized too harshly due to their efforts.

In light of this, the base will have an increase of various lab-made spices delivered by a certain sauce company that heard a certain Outsider has a preference for spicy food. Apparently, the spices pair perfectly with their lab-made chicken.

Maybe it’s a coincidence with a certain network name but the Nice Toy Company also endorses the base and creates a whole line of toy guns in the airsoft and BB variety which replicate antique guns that any collector would salivate over! These are distributed on base and can be seen sold at many stores in Neo Tokyo. There has also been an influx of people who are passionate about fitness and training, sparking a trend for those who work out in bunny outfits. Supposedly, it’s something they’ve seen in a prior battle with the kaiju and so the workout is full of intense cardio, and even bunny hops.

Makima’s face will be found on several brands of what appears to be packaged dog food, however it is unclear if it is really dog food or not. Either way, several hundreds of packages have been delivered to base and are stored as “emergency rations.” Everyone on base is free to grab a snack or two at any time!

For those Outsiders worrying about whether or not they'll be docked pay for only taking down one Imugi instead of both, worry no more! Everyone will wake up one morning with a notification that 300,000 KRYPTOS (~2100 USD) have been deposited into their account. It seems pulling double shifts at their civilian jobs won't be necesssary...

▶ 002. PROJECT EGG.

With the last mission ending in the retrieval of the Imugi eggs, the research teams have been left with one major question: what will they do with them? After some initial discussions, it has been decided that they would keep the eggs and attempt to raise them into maturity in order to see if they could garner more insight into not just the kaiju itself, but of their abilities. It is also their desire to see what the relationship between kaijus and the rifts are, and they believe this would be the best opportunity to do so.

The only caveat to this, however, is who would care for them in the meantime? From previously documented research, they found that kaiju eggs are not easy to raise, especially those who mirror lizard-like creatures. They need special attention that exceeds that of what people would typically expect from egg-rearing. Due to this, LILITH is asking for help from the Outsiders to temporarily tend to the eggs. The Outsiders will be working in shifts to watch the eggs, and are expected to care for them properly. It is noted that for kaiju who have been separated from their mothers, the chances of them hatching are very slim, and so they are not expecting each and every egg to hatch. They are, however, expecting Outsiders to put forth their best efforts in spite of that. At least, it’s one less thing to be blamed for.

Outsiders are expected to sign up for egg raising shifts and will get a single egg to care for. They are to be with the egg at all times during their shift, and negligence will not be tolerated. Occasionally, the staff will send drones to check in and also deliver food items and energy drinks in order to ensure that the eggs are being properly cared for. Eating or destroying the eggs is prohibited.

Coming up with names, however, is encouraged, and Seok Dang has even set up a small contest for it....

▶ 003. OPEN FORUM.

As soon as the order is delivered for them to take care of the eggs, a new download will be prompted on everyone’s oculars. It comes suddenly and without any real explanation. When it loads in, people will find that it appears to look like the “forums” of old. They have various topics already posted, including a bolded one that remains pinned at the top of everyone’s oculars labeled “PARENTING FOR DUMMIES.”

When anyone clicks on it, or even allows their eyes to linger on it for too long, it will automatically open. The explanation at the top is as follows:

I see what you all look up in your free time and I think you could use the help.

Who wrote this cryptic message? Their identity has been kept anonymous, but it seems clear that Outsiders are meant to utilize this to field any questions in regards to the eggs they have been ordered to care for. Some of the questions already include “do I keep them warm by sitting on them?” and “what can I do to provide further enrichment?”

While most of these topics pertain to parenting, if one exits the parenting tab, they will find the forum is entirely opened up for other topics as well, including a GENERAL chat, and a thread created by Seok Dang called “AITA.” Apparently, this was all the rage once upon a time.

[ Note: Feel free to use this not only to discuss parenting, but also to discuss any other topics Outsiders may want to engage in. You can use the code below, or do it without! ]


EVERLIGHT
<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;margin:0 auto;background:#fff;box-shadow:1px 1px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; line-height:1.7; font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;font-size:8pt; padding: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-left: 20px;"> <div style="display: flex; align-items: center;"> <!-- PFP --> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 50px; width: 50px;"> <!-- SPACER --> <div style="width: 10px;"></div> <!-- USER INFO --> <div style="padding: 10px 5px; margin: 0 10px; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.2;"> <b style="color: #000;">r/subreddit_name_here</b> <div style="color: #999;">u/username_here • <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/16600326/4131337" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 10px; width: 10px;"> • 1d </div> </div> </div> <br /> <div style="line-height: 1.2;"> <!-- POST TITLE--> <div style="font-family:calibri,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight: bold;">Post Title</div> <br /> <!-- POST TAGS --> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 1</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 2</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 3</div> <br /><br /><br /> <!-- POST BODY --> <div style="text-align: justify;"> TEXT_HERE </div> </div><br /> </div></lj-raw>
REVELATION
<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;margin:0 auto;background:#fff;box-shadow:1px 1px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; line-height:1.7; font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;font-size:8pt; padding: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-left: 20px;"> <div style="display: flex; align-items: center;"> <!-- PFP --> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 50px; width: 50px;"> <!-- SPACER --> <div style="width: 10px;"></div> <!-- USER INFO --> <div style="padding: 10px 5px; margin: 0 10px; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.2;"> <b style="color: #000;">r/subreddit_name_here</b> <div style="color: #999;">u/username_here • <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/16600328/4131337" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 10px; width: 10px;"> • 1d </div> </div> </div> <br /> <div style="line-height: 1.2;"> <!-- POST TITLE--> <div style="font-family:calibri,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight: bold;">Post Title</div> <br /> <!-- POST TAGS --> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 1</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 2</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 3</div> <br /><br /><br /> <!-- POST BODY --> <div style="text-align: justify;"> TEXT_HERE </div> </div><br /> </div></lj-raw>
BRIMSTONE
<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;margin:0 auto;background:#fff;box-shadow:1px 1px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; line-height:1.7; font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;font-size:8pt; padding: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-left: 20px;"> <div style="display: flex; align-items: center;"> <!-- PFP --> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 50px; width: 50px;"> <!-- SPACER --> <div style="width: 10px;"></div> <!-- USER INFO --> <div style="padding: 10px 5px; margin: 0 10px; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.2;"> <b style="color: #000;">r/subreddit_name_here</b> <div style="color: #999;">u/username_here • <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/16600325/4131337" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 10px; width: 10px;"> • 1d </div> </div> </div> <br /> <div style="line-height: 1.2;"> <!-- POST TITLE--> <div style="font-family:calibri,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight: bold;">Post Title</div> <br /> <!-- POST TAGS --> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 1</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 2</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 3</div> <br /><br /><br /> <!-- POST BODY --> <div style="text-align: justify;"> TEXT_HERE </div> </div><br /> </div></lj-raw>
REDEMPTION
<lj-raw><div style="width:60%;margin:0 auto;background:#fff;box-shadow:1px 1px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; line-height:1.7; font-family:tahoma,arial,sans-serif;font-size:8pt; padding: 10px; padding-right: 20px; padding-left: 20px;"> <div style="display: flex; align-items: center;"> <!-- PFP --> <img src="IMG_HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 50px; width: 50px;"> <!-- SPACER --> <div style="width: 10px;"></div> <!-- USER INFO --> <div style="padding: 10px 5px; margin: 0 10px; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.2;"> <b style="color: #000;">r/subreddit_name_here</b> <div style="color: #999;">u/username_here • <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/16600329/4131337" style="border-radius: 50%; height: 10px; width: 10px;"> • 1d </div> </div> </div> <br /> <div style="line-height: 1.2;"> <!-- POST TITLE--> <div style="font-family:calibri,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight: bold;">Post Title</div> <br /> <!-- POST TAGS --> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 1</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 2</div> <div style="display: inline-block;padding: 5px 10px;border-radius: 15px;background-color: #f0f0f0;color: #333;font-size: 8pt;font-weight: bold;text-align: center;border: 1px solid #ccc;">Tag 3</div> <br /><br /><br /> <!-- POST BODY --> <div style="text-align: justify;"> TEXT_HERE </div> </div><br /> </div></lj-raw>

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our fourth downtime mingle! For the naming contest, we are limiting submissions to one name per character. This is entirely for fun and there is no obligation to participate.

We decided to keep the mingle lighter this time due to the number of player events ongoing. Please do check out the SPA UPGRADE and the ROYAL GALA also occurring this month. Big thanks to Sky and Bijou for organizing these! Additionally, the LOCATIONS page has been updated with both Kyoto and Okinawa. Characters may now visit those locations at any time.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. WINNER'S CIRCLE: The heavy hitters/KO winners of the last kaiju fight receive their sponsorships, including spices, BB guns, training videos, and fancy dog food.

2. PROJECT EGG: Outsiders are tasked with caring for and attempting to hatch the Imugi eggs salvaged from Seoul. They are encouraged to try a variety of methods in order to get the eggs to hatch, as no data currently exists. Not all eggs will survive.

3. OPEN FORUM: Outsiders are provided with an open parenting forum to ask for and exchange egg raising advice. However, a certain someone seems to have also included a general forum for Outsiders to discuss whatever they wish....

code

Comments

[boarbie]

Well, strength is just one component of it. Dexterity and speed are the other two. A spear isn't like an axe which can be used only with brute force.

I am used to fighting such beasts. I come from a world where our encounters with them are fairly regular. [ dimitri sighs. ] It is entirely my luck that I am in another place where the job is still the same.

Hi hello sorry for slowness. Work is a nightmare

[lunarchivist]

No apologies necessary, I understand. [Dan Heng sighs, using the tail to just buoy himself up in the water steadily now. Not unlike the floating egg itself…

(What IS Rhea indeed…she’s a bit more than a manaket, but not completely a dragon right? Anyway nvm not like Dan Heng knows any of this.)

Dan Heng smiles faintly. ] Yes, I can swim. Vidyadhara from my world have a natural affinity for water, so I should hope I could… [ Hatched in the Arbor sea, would have been raised in the waters as well if it weren’t for. Erm. Factors. ]

So I’ve been told. You wouldn’t happen to be from the same world as a man named Sylvain, would you? He said wyverns are a form of common transportation where he’s from, which is…baffling to me.

[gundemn]

[ ooc: hope you're safe and take care in the aftermath!! happy to backtag on the event, i may also be a bit slow jumping in due to rl plans ]

Everything you think you have they can take away from you in an instant. Outsiders have poor memory of all the times they've abused their technology to control us!

[ Elan cracks a thin smile. He doesn't raise his voice but his tone is casual and controlled and laced with bitterness. LILITH holds his life hostage. Anyone who tells him otherwise is kidding themselves or think having their autonomy disrespected is no big deal.

What exactly does he have? A room that can be locked on him, shit wages, missions that upend his life on a regular basis, a city where he's forced into the fake identity double life crap again, and companions who get on his case when he expresses bitterness towards the above. ...The spa is pretty damn nice ngl and so is the chicken, but he won't let himself be distracted from being a true hater! ]

Work with them because you have to get home, that's understandable. I'm not asking you to rebel. It's not like you could, anyway.

[ Maybe if he wasn't worked up, he'd be able to see that they aren't in disagreement about all the ways their boss sucks, but he isn't looking for understanding right now. Elan tosses his empty snack into the trash and makes to leave. ]

[the_fourteenth]

Yeah? I think a lot of people do. Most seem used to people. If you haven't visited, you should go. It's a nice place, as are the owners. Ah, there's a ryokan in the city too that has cats that roam the grounds as well...

[Raidou's got his finger on the pulse of cat-related activities in Neo Tokyo without really trying.

He looks up at Yzak, in his silly little outfit, and all the activity in the cafe around them.]

You seem pretty busy, so don't let me keep you if you are. But, do you like working here?

[As typical with Raidou, this is a sincere question.]

[bluestar]

sure.


actually can we instate a budget limit of like 2,000 kryptos?
just so neither of us abuses it.

[ more like "im broke and if i lose i dont want to be on the hook for a five star meal" but then she would have to admit the possibility she might lose and she can't do that. ]

[harboredfeelings]

Agreed. I'm a little hurt though.

Do you really think I'd be that cruel to you?

[ Implying she knows she'll win. Even when she's nice Kaga's still kind of a jerk, that's just how it is. ]

[photosympathies]

( He gives Dimitri something of a sympathetic expression, because that was a heavy sigh and he gets it, really he does. )

Yeah, it's not exactly a stress-free vacation, right? Like there are some real good things about Neo Tokyo but the monsters? It could be better. At least you're used to it though! Who knows, maybe you can give me tips! The only things I ever fight are giant worms and people sometimes. Mostly if they start it.

( PEACE AND LOVE. PACIFISM. )

[kaizou]

They're out there killing people too, so maybe they oughta get used to it sometime!

[But it is pretty amusing. Gigan can hardly be offended at the notion that the kaiju aren't "people" to all these humans and humanish things on the base; the feeling is mutual. The portion of his own life he's spent thinking of humans as "people" is an unfathomably narrow sliver of the whole pie.

But they are people, because it turns out many of them are interesting, including the one he's talking to now.]

You're not one of those sensitive souls, huh? You don't sound that put off.

[kaizou]

Yeah, but now I kinda wanna see you try it, so maybe that wasn't the right answer.

[Also, strictly speaking, no, he doesn't understand, because that idiom is new to him. Where the sun doesn't shine? They're inside, so it's not shining in here anyway! At least he can guess by the tone of voice that it probably means something a lot nastier than that. That doesn't detract from his shameless curiosity.

That said, he doesn't make any moves (or sounds) to incite it just yet.]

[kaizou]

I WAS THINKING ABOUT GOING TO THE SPA AGAIN MAYBE

[kaizou]

[Gigan sips his own coffee as he listens. By now he's figured out how to drink it without burning himself, and he's also becoming accustomed to the taste, beginning to see why it might appeal to people. There is something jittery about the stuff, as Godzilla had warned him—some sensation in his stomach and chest like they might be their own living things separate from his own existence. The more he listens to all of this and thinks about it, the more he feels that sensation. He can feel the phantom awareness of his own tail flicking around behind him, even though it's not literally there.]

. . . I didn't really know what it was like between you and humans. Whatever your whole situation is on Earth, it's not the same as mine, but . . . it doesn't sound all that different either. I'm no god to the Nebulans or anything like that, but we're not friends either. There's no way we could ever see each other that way. Being small . . . things feel pretty different from down here.

[lovebombing]

And I could put a piece of cloth on a hologram? Dear me, you have eyes, right?

[AGAIN. GESTURING TO IT]

It exists! I hope you're satisfied. This beauty will go to the fairest of them all.

[immortalpoet]

...



[This sounds like something a very stupid person would say. He sort of stares at him.]

Don't tell me you're a masochist.

[kaizou]

Haha! Nah, other way around! More like you giving me an excuse sounds like a good time.

[He is probably vastly underestimating what this guy could do to him, but no one has ever accused Gigan of being smart. It is, indeed, something a very stupid person would say.]

[bluestar]

yes.

[yormama]

[ She nods, pleased to see Kaga doesn't react much to her specialization. It's so easy to breathe here, where she doesn't have to hide! ]

As long as I can figure out its weak points, it's not too difficult. Studying animal anatomy at the animal clinic has helped too! Helpful for saving animals and pinpointing weaknesses in kaiju.

[blastedass]

[ooc: me and mine got through the storm safely. didn't have power for most of the weekend, but at least we only had to deal with some debris from the trees in the yard. take care in your own rl stuff! i'll link you bakugo's top level for easy reference once it goes up. feel free to tag in whenever ya like.]

No one forgot that shit, idiot! They're choosing to focus on something else rather than wallow in what pisses them off.

[Flare ups of those memories, reminders of the times they were bothered or abused, repeated problems between the Outsiders and LILITH, of course they remember what's happened to them! Recently one of their greatest suspicions was confirmed, unsettling a lot of them. But sitting around fretting and snarling, or operating on nothing more than hate-filled grudges, is a shitty way to live. Bakugo's seen that happen in his life in plenty of the villains running around. Pathetic, miserable people.

He's not telling Elan he isn't a prisoner, a conscripted mercenary, beholden to LILITH with his life. He's telling him to fuck off with those thoughts because they don't do shit in the end. They only limit what he can do of his own volition.]

Tch. Of course we can rebel. Next time they order you to do something, tell them to fuck off and sit down. Unless they pilot your body like a robot, you don't have to move.

[Granted he's never really seen what happens to an Outsider who flat out refuses to cooperate, but if LILITH is going to lock Elan up and torture him or maim him, he's still not helping LILITH's ambitions, and just costing them resources to discipline. It'd be more resource efficient for LILITH to send a defiant Outsider home and be done with them.]

But that's your choice.

[As is climbing into the Gundam each time the battles started up.]

[saudadist]

[ She almost thanks her again, but Nyuu bites her lip instead. She nods instead and tries to steady her breathing. To focus on something other than herself or her worries, she looks over at Kaga's tails and lightly laughs. ]

They tickle.

[saudadist]

[ For a time, she's quiet and tries to relax the best she can in the hug. It's nice to have moments like this. She doesn't have to say anything. They can just understand each other in silence. To her, the important thing is that he's trying, and he says he'll succeed. He's too honest to lie, so she allows herself to believe it.

She glances aside to the egg and leans back out of the hug to get a better look at it. Gingerly, she presses her hand against the side of it. ]

Do you think...me singing to the egg would make it more docile? Hearing a person's voice and all...

[saudadist]

[ Whatever her reservations should be, Nyuu's all too happy to distract herself with food. And food with a friendly too! The day's looking up already! What was she even worried about to begin with? ]

Okay! If it's a good time now, then let's go!

[ She reaches out to take Shinn's hand, lightly swinging it in hers. ]

[30storieshigh]

[ The term "uncomfortable silence" is one he's heard and read of here and there by now. The silent moment between him and Kaede as they embrace isn't that though, it's a comfortable silence. She doesn't need to tell him she believes his statement, he knows she does. He'd never lie to her, just like she'd never lie to him. Lying is a human habit, titans large or little are very much beyond that.

He carefully moves his arm as Lucy leans back to allow her free, laying it back down next to his chest like a cat at rest. He remains half sat up (Loaf position), head tilted to the side as he watches her interact with the egg. ]

Hearing any song other than my own would surely be a relief for the young one. [ A joke at his own expense, he even chuckles at it! That's the kind of humor he reserves for those he doesn't feel like he needs to impress. ] I think it would do them good to hear the voice of another in song, yes, let them know that many others are capable of such pleasantness. This aside... I would wish to hear your song as well.

[ His tail is even twitching at the prospect. It's been a very, very long time since people sang around him. He's listened to music since arriving, sure, but that's entirely different from live song with beating soul behind it. It is one of the things he misses most keenly from his time in his temple. ]

please feel free to ignore if this is too crusty!

[unarm]

Wonderful!
So does that mean you've made a point of categorizing the creatures here?

[unarm]

How scary! [ He laughed and sunk further into the water, content to allow a brief silence to fall between them. ]

You don't like the clothes available?

[gorb]

Oh, no. I know there's a heavy price to pay for peace.

( There's no point hiding it. Even if most people don't know of his reputation, only a few short conversations can make people aware of the kind of person he is. The tough calls don't faze him these days. )

It's just a shame not many people think it should be paid. We'd all have a much easier time of things were people to let go of their restrictions.

[harboredfeelings]

That's pretty harsh.