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

tezcatlipoca ; fate/grand order ; brimstone

[fursuit]

one. High Score

[ Considering the way Tezcatlipoca is, you might expect him to be extremely annoying about making the high score list, but he's actually rather subdued about it. If you happen to catch him at the bulletin board when he first sees it, it's met with nothing more than a pleased smile, and he leaves. To him, that's the natural way of things. There's no need to celebrate. Just having the personal satisfaction is enough.

However, once a certain endorsement comes in... That's different. ]

i.

[ It's like he has a psychic connection to know when they arrive, so he's very excitedly checking out every gun on offer. It's a little cute, if you ignore the gun part, anyways. ]

These are nice... Wish they were the real thing, but, y'know, I'll take it.

[ He lifts a rifle and cocks it on his shoulder to test the weight. And, hey, they said it was a toy, so that's good enough for him. Without any warning, he pulls the trigger and just. Shoots it down the hallway.

Good news is that his aim is shit! If you happened to be downrange, it won't hit you. Or maybe he wasn't trying to hit you, so therefore it does. At least it's only an airsoft gun...? ]

ii.

[ Or later, you can find him in the library, of all places, and there are as many books about, uh. Japanese business law. As he could find. He's reading one with a serious expression, and it looks like he might not want to be interrupted... But you might also notice a sketch on a piece of paper nearby. That's probably fine. Don't worry about it.

But as it turns out, he was just very focused. Once he glances up, he actually engages without any hesitation. ]

Hey, question for ya. Any of the Outsiders run a business that you know of?

two. Where's An Egg?

[ Despite Tezcatlipoca's opinion that raising these is asking for trouble and a waste of time... Whatever. He'll do it. He just also hopes that this is a waste of time and none of them hatch. But he is also doing the bare minimum of effort here, which also means making the shifts as unobtrusive to his daily routine as possible.

He's made a baby wrap for his egg, which he considers "good enough". What, like there's more to do with an egg? It's not like you have to entertain it. But he wants to be entertained, since being stuck around base during his shift is boring! So, if you're in one of the common areas, he's quick to strike up a conversation... Especially if you're also on parenting duty. ]

This ain't a good idea, they know that, right?

[ What a lead in. He sighs, then shakes his head. ]

What about you? How do you think this'll turn out?

three. Providing Buzzfeed Content

r/AskLILITH

u/nicetoy • • just now

Without saying what the category is, what are your top five?

two

[raynos]

Probably not great.

[Jamie's been provided a baby sling to carry his egg in, which he is less than thrilled about. He's still kind of cradling the egg anyway as it sits on his chest, just to make it feel less weird, gingerly drumming his fingers against its weird leathery shell.]

Can you actually tame a wild animal just by raising it from a baby? What if kaijuu hate people instinctively and try to eat us as soon as they hatch?

[fursuit]

[ This is a new face, and a young one, at that. Tezcatlipoca doesn't exactly feel any moral outrage at it, since his culture was one where young men fought and died young, but it's an interesting piece of data for the kind of organization LILITH is. But those are thoughts he keeps to himself. For now, he leans back comfortably in the chair he's settled into with a shrug. ]

Generally speakin', nope. Like, animal's still an animal. Might be comfortable around ya, but the moment instinct kicks in, it's not like it has affection for ya. People have a bad habit of seeing what they want to see in that regard.

[ He sighs and traces over the shell of his own egg idly. It really is tempting to "accidentally" drop it and just see what punishment in this place is like, but he won't. Not until they present a worse idea, anyways. ]

Can tell ya from experience, it's not like they'd fit around here anyways. Mom was huge.

[raynos]

Yeah, I...saw the simulations with the mom. [He sure did. Over and over and over and over.] If they're gonna get that big and hard to control, and there's gonna be a bunch of them...

[He shrugs, annoyed. The organization controlling them seems to be acting extremely foolishly, and Jamie has very little patience for it.] Their reason for wanting these things around doesn't seem like it justifies the risk. Nothing they do makes very much sense.

[fursuit]

[ Smart kid. That at least answers part of his question about how he got here, since he doesn't seem all that bothered by it. ]

No kidding. I almost feel bad for you newbies, since you're gettin' shit for it and you weren't even here to contribute. Not that I think it's our fault either, but...

[ He waves a hand dismissively as he scoffs. ]

That's our illustrious leadership for you, apparently.

three

[survivaltricks]

[good thing akira is gen z and knows exactly how the internet works]

leblanc house blend. mocha java. honduran strictly high grown. guatemalan antigua. jamaican blue mountain.

[fursuit]

Top five orders that will not impress your date as much as you hope

[survivaltricks]

[. . . HEH]

that's okay. i'm committed to the roast.

the bean roast.

[fursuit]

Good! Since you gave me a tough one to twist. Coffee's kinda distinct... Only other thing I could think was something to do with travel maybe but couldn't get there.

You get off easy this time.

-10 for elaborating on the pun, though.

1.1 sorry couldn't ignore bad aim

[eyeofmyass]

[He was just minding his own business, dragging his scruffy ass down the hallway when a bullet comes whizzing at him. He catches it in his hand before it has the chance to smack him in the face, though.

He's never been shot at with white balls before.

His attention turns from squeezing the curious thing in his hand to looking at the shooter. And he smirks.]

...Wantin' to shoot me already? Know I wasn't in the best'a moods, but didn't know I left that bad an impression.

[fursuit]

[ The correct thing to do would be to go outside and try this, but in his opinion, that’s just as liable to get him yelled at. So, who cares? Might as well make it easy and get in trouble indoors. His logic works in a, uh, particular way.

He really hadn’t been aiming at Wolfwood, though. There was a poster down the way with a graphic that was distinctly target-like, and… Yeah, he had no chance of hitting it. He knows that with his bad luck. But he still plays it off with a grin. ]

Nah, don’t worry, would have shot anyone! Nothin’ personal.

[ Is that better… No. He laughs as he approaches, since if Wolfwood caught it, he’s interested in chatting more than continuing to menace his fellow Outsiders. ]

Good reflexes. That hurt at all?

[eyeofmyass]

Oh, good, was feeling special there for a minute. [A snicker as he tosses the bullet(?) back at the man. Who knows, maybe it's reusable? He's not seen anything like it.]

Nah. Was it supposed to? [If he was still hiding what he was, he could feign pain. But in his short time here he's starting to think an experimentally enhanced human isn't anything special. Or more important, fearsome. He's heard enough 'monster' cries to last him a lifetime.]

'Fraid I've taken too many real bullets to feel much from something that soft.

[Not that he has any scars to prove it.]

What ya got there? [It almost looks like a real gun, except it doesn't smell like a real gun, obviously doesn't shoot bullets like a real gun. What the hell is the point? He's made fun of cheap guns before, but he's never genuinely seen a toy one before.]

three

[abstractart]

absinthe, dark beers, vodka, light beers, gin

[fursuit]

Top five avenues to end up in a stranger's bed, a jail cell, or both.

[abstractart]

never had either of those experiences with 'em, now that i think about it.

usually it's just the floor.

[unarm]

Someone should put that on a poster to warn kids about the dangers of drinking alcohol

two

[cranekin]

(Let's say he's coming over to take over another shift that's going on at the same time. He's brought a little shopping bag filled with ??? some things inside of them and he makes a beeline for his egg that is nearby. It's in a box with a bunch of blankets.

Crouching down next to it, he begins to turn the egg over like they're supposed to or something,)

Hmmm... at least it's fun.

(He agrees, it's not a good idea.)

I don't know. It can turn out anyway... so everything is a surprise.

[fursuit]

[ Usually, Tezcatlipoca is willing to go along with Tsurumaru’s love of chaos, but this one bothers him more than others. He hums, dissatisfied, and taps out a lazy rhythm on his egg. ]

Don’t think this is a case where we want a surprise. Considerin’ the surprise probably wants to make a snack out of us. And that’s on the nicer end of things.

[ He sighs and shakes his head. ]

—And is it fun? Doesn’t seem fun. Seems boring as shit.

[cranekin]

I think it's fun.

(He says as he takes out some paint markers.)

At least, it's been fun taking care of them with everyone else. Everyone has different opinions. Is this a good idea? Is it a bad one? What's the best way to take care of them? What will we name them?

It's been interesting to see.

(Giving the markers a good shake before he starts using them,)

We all have the same task but no two people have the same approach.

2

[kaizou]

[Gigan is not on parenting duty, no thanks. He'd do it if he were made to, but volunteer jobs are for chumps. He is curious about the eggs, though—how could he not be? It's been a while since he saw a kaiju egg, and seeing them being toted around by assorted humans and human-looking-things on the base is pretty wild.

This man doesn't come off like he'll mind Gigan bending to nudge at the egg with his beak and tipping his head this way and that to scan it with his eye. Not an overprotective parent vibe to be seen in this corner. So that's what he's doing as he considers the question. It's one that deserves a little more effort put into thinking it over than most.]

Ha, who knows? I bet it's an experiment. Not just on these eggs, but on us too. It could go real bad for them if they're not careful!

[fursuit]

[ He truly isn’t, nor is he all that bothered by Gigan himself. As he approached, his eyebrows had lifted in a little surprise, but that’s essentially it in terms of reaction. For one, gods have seen a lot of weird shit, but mostly? He’s from a place where half of the population are intelligent dinosaurs. So, sure. Gigan and Godzilla don’t really get much more than an eyebrow raise. ]

Mm… Well, can’t disagree with ya there. It’s definitely one for the eggs.

[ Like, even if they hatch, Tezcatlipoca doesn’t exactly have a good feeling about what LILITH would want with them. But he also doesn’t really care all that much… ]

Not to make assumptions, but the eggs familiar to you at all?

[kaizou]

[Gigan raps gently on the egg with the blunt edge of one of his claws, watching how it reacts to the pressure. He can't "feel" it per se with his cybernetics, but he can still get a good read on its physical properties and sense the give. Interesting . . .

But not in a way he knows anything about. He shakes his head.]

I haven't seen an egg since I hatched myself! We don't get them anymore on my planet. Maybe mine looked like this . . . who knows? But probably not. You get to see these kaiju all grown up, or are you new?

three

[bemist]

Nothing There, Nosferatu, Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary, Big and Will be Bad Wolf, Mountain of Smiling Bodies.

[fursuit]

Top five alternate names for your sword

[bemist]

Despite my Floor being what it is, no
I'm not that poetic