synflux | 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....

code

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

if I actually try eating one of these things I want you to tackle me to the ground and drag me to the nearest medic 'cause something has gone horribly wrong and who knows what else I'll do if I'm left unchecked.

promise me that.

Oh I will. That is a promise and a threat.

I'm just relieved that it's disturbing to someone who is not descended from a type of dragon, to be quite honest.

I do not believe the food situation will get quite so drastic...

you seriously can't just gloss over the dragon thing and focus on food. come on.

[Sylvain.....]

I can. I understand the dragon part very well, less so the food.

...were the dragon horns on my head not enough of a giveaway?

I don't know if you noticed but there's a lot of unusual people around here
a lot of them with unusual features
there's a guy on my team with a messed up eye that I'm pretty sure glows in the dark but I wouldn't think his mom's a lantern

more than that
there's a difference between 'my honored ancestor is a dragon - could be real, could be a legend' and 'I feel so much empathy for these guys because I also hatched from an egg' and you're starting to sound like the latter

[...surely not, but now he's thinking about it...]

also I don't know how to tell you this but now you mention it
your horns do kind of resemble a wyvern and those are things that people ride around where I'm from

so third: I think it's kind of worse that whenever I look at your horns I'm definitely gonna think about a domesticated lizard

No. Really. I never noticed.

[Sarcasm heard from across the base. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Dan Heng is comfortable enough to be like this around Sylvain....]

Fair point. Perhaps I should be relieved you did not jump to conclusions. But...yes. I "hatched" from an egg. I am a Vidyadhara, a type of dragon species descended from Long the Permanence, who is an aeon that happens to be a dragon.

I never really got to tend to unhatched eggs or little siblings, but I do feel some empathy for these unborn Imugi, yes.

[Even if he has next to no idea how to care for them. These little ones aren't exactly undergoing hatching rebirth. Nor do they share an affinity for water. But still....]

Wait. Domesticated....what.

I believe we used to have the ability to shift into a more fully dragon-like form, but that hardly meant domesticated.

[Why is he torn between offense and fascination...] So in your world, a cousin of dragons is used as common transportation? [Like starskiffs??? What.]

[Now, he's got questions, like how birds and similar animals tend to have a beak or egg tooth and that's how they hatch, and the fact Dan Heng doesn't have one (obviously) which meant that how he got out of the egg is less than obvious, and then Sylvain decides that he doesn't want to know about potential body horror. They are not going to focus on that.]

big lizards with long tails, horns kind of like yours, flies around?
if that's what you mean yeah
people ride wyverns
saddles and everything

[Only ask questions you want to know the answers to, Sylvain...although it is a pretty good question. Dan Heng is not privy to it.]

Erm. Lizard-like, not necessarily a lizard. But that’s the gist of a dragon, yes. I suppose that is an effective mode of transportation, but there aren’t many vidyadhara left, and to think they could be compared to another world’s starskiffs...

Similar or not.

I’m not letting you ride me, Sylvain.

[Before you ask, no. He does not realize how that sounds. He's stuck on the wyverns as common transportation thing. Rip.]

Edited (typoooo) 2024-09-30 07:18 (UTC)

you have NO idea how much self-restraint it's taking me to not go for that opening and make a joke
but I figure we get along well enough and the last thing I need is for you to try to kill me the next time you me, so.........

......

Sylvain.

What does that mean.

Why would I want to kill you?? Sylvain. What did I say.

[Does he want to know.....]

we get along so well!

don't ruin it now

they say that all knowledge is worth having, but me? I think sometimes you're better off leaving well enough alone and you don't wanna drink from the well of truth cause there's all sorts of things crawling inside of that water if you look closely enough

.....Despite my better judgement, I will trust your words on this one.

As an archivist I can't fully agree with that statement, however. All knowledge has its worth. But...I get the feeling I should leave this one alone. So fine, keep your secrets.

See you around, Sylvain. Don't eat the egg. I will hunt you down if you try.

[Is that an attempt at a joke......]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

▶ 001. WINNERS CIRCLE.

▶ 002. PROJECT EGG.

▶ 003. OPEN FORUM.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

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I’m going to use a stupid joke now. so sorry in advance.

lmfao no apologies needed

weeps. proud of him tbh

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Sylvain would know about wells you wouldn't want to get into huh (lol)