synflux | DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

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

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REVELATION

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BRIMSTONE

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REDEMPTION

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▶ 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....

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

[ 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?

Edited 2024-09-17 15:45 (UTC)

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.]

[ Tezcatlipoca catches it easily with a snicker, since at least he’s better at that than aiming… ]

No idea. I’ve heard about these before, but never actually messed with one. Was all excited thinking that LILITH was givin’ us a serious arsenal for free, but, nah, these are just toys…

[ He tosses the bullet playfully in his hand, then flips the rifle in his other to offer the butt of it towards Wolfwood to check out for himself. Once he’d realized they weren’t real, he wasn’t quite as interested, so he can share. ]

They look pretty close to the real thing, so fooled me when I first walked up.

[He arches a brow as he's presented with the butt of the gun, but snatches it up all the same, eyeing it curiously.]

Seems kinda silly to give to a bunch of fighters who probably have the real thing. Do better passin' 'em out to the kids outside.

[That being said, he can kind of see the immature appeal. He knows somebody that deserves a few non-lethal headshots. Well, maybe deserved isn't the right word, they just look...shoot-able.]

Think you can catch another one?

[He pumps the gun and aims it at the wall, but doesn't shoot just yet. Unfortunately there aren't many things to actually aim at, hence the question.]

Exactly. They got my hopes up that they were getting’ serious and we wouldn’t have to pay… That’s what it should be, what with this company stealin’ my likeness and all.

[ …Not that there’s anything that seems to be his likeness. It’s only the name being his LILITH-assigned username, but that’s absolutely enough for him. Gods are possessive of all their titles and epithets, and apparently, that includes his username. He’s a god of the modern era (in his own head), after all.

The question makes him laugh, though. He’d already had the impression from their first conversation, but this just helps solidify it—Yeah, he likes this guy. ]

Sure. No problem.

[ He’s confident (cocky) in his answer, despite the poor showing of his first shot. He might not be able to aim for shit, but otherwise? He is a god. ]

Should probably see if they sting before I go using ‘em, or else LILITH is gonna get pissy at me again.

[He glances away from the wall, brow arched curiously.]

The hell you talking about? What likeness?...Head.

[Gaze back on the wall and shoots now that he's been given permission. The little ball smacks the wall, curves up towards the ceiling and then falls back down at an angle that's a straight path to said god's forehead.

That seemed like a fairly safe place to aim.]

What'd you do to piss 'em off the first time?

It’s my—What’d ya call it—

[ He starts to reply, but with the last part throws him off. He raises an eyebrow quizzically, and he kind of gets it once he shoots, but it takes a moment more, since his immediate assumption is that he meant he was aiming for his head. He follows the arc of the ball with a sharp gaze, but as it starts on its downward arc, he laughs as he deftly snatches the ball out of the air. His hand to eye coordination is indeed much better than his aim. ]

Ha. Wasn’t expectin’ a trick shot. [ There’s praise in his tone, and he tosses it up in the air once. ] Not bad.

[ He tosses it back towards Wolfwood, but obviously it’s not nearly as fast from his hand. ]

Got a pair here that’s technically my enemies, so one of ‘em drew his sword, I drew my gun, and apparently, a friendly fight to the death is a no-no. [ “Friendly” is probably a joke, but with his smile, it’s hard to tell… ] So, no fighting if you mean it. Sparring is fine, though.

[A soft hum when the man catches it. He wouldn't have apologized if he didn't, but it makes things easier not to shoot damn gods in the head. Probably.]

No point if there's not a little challenge in it.

[Not that that was a challenge. It's amazing how a skill can be honed when every lesson feels like life or death.

He catches the ball and shoves it back inside the toy before passing it back over to him.]

Gonna go shoot this frenemy of yours?

[ Tezcatlipoca hums out an approving noise at Wolfwood's assessment, but he plans to leave it at that until he follows up. With a chuckle, he takes the gun back, but it's only so he can set it on the table and pick up another one. This one is more like a pistol, and he starts to check it out just like someone would a normal gun. ]

With these? Tempting, but nah. Wouldn't call it formal or anything, but we've got enough of a truce for the moment. And it's like you said, better if there's some challenge.

[ He turns it in his hand and frowns a little as he feels something shifting around inside. But even so, he keeps talking casually. ]

Well, for him, anyways. No offense to the guy, but back home, I'm just on a different level. Might as well give him the chance to gather whatev—

[ He starts to say, but as he pulls the clip out of the gun, his hubris is struck down. Sort of. He's not expecting the BB pellets, so once he pulls it out like he would a normal pistol, they just.

Spill all over the ground.

He actually flinches a little, but after a reflexive swipe to try and grab what he hopes is one, no. They just all spill out everywhere. ]

[clack. clack. clack. The BBs bounce a couple times before they scatter, rolling under tables and vending machines, and hitting legs of chairs. A few roll to a stop at Wolfwood's shoes.

Yeah. He's not cleaning that shit up.]

...He might have a chance with the guns.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

▶ 001. WINNERS CIRCLE.

▶ 002. PROJECT EGG.

▶ 003. OPEN FORUM.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

1.1 sorry couldn't ignore bad aim

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