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....

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Bakugo's not someone to talk about chips on shoulders, having had a massive one due to his superiority/inferiority complex as a child. But damn if he doesn't talk about someone else's when it comes up and pisses him off! Is it petty to make a promise like that? No. It's stubborn determination to prove a damn point. That someone's making his own bad decisions.

He feels Elan's expression whip across his back without even seeing it. Stunned, huh. And speculative.]

You really think you're that pathetic?

[Sounds more like a reflection of Elan on his own ability. Yes, he's shedding a massive advantage by eschewing his mobile suit in a battle. But Bakugo's not someone to tell a person to do what they hate doing. (Some exceptions apply, usually villains with shitty goals.) If it'll prove to Elan he's able to fight outside his suit, he'll take it as a win.]

When the fuck did I say they didn't? [He looks over his shoulder, eyes narrowed.] I'm never gonna forgive them for kidnapping me into this life. But you're an idiot if you think this is slavery.

[And stubbornly refusing to look at what they DO have compared to what they DON'T.]

[ Elan's eyebrows twitch in annoyance but otherwise he restrains his indignation from being expressed on his face to not show how much Bakugou is getting to him. If only he could go back to his usual smirky and unaffected attitude. ]

I'm saying it's not strategic! We need every advantage against the monsters and you know it.

[ He's not a sitting duck without his gundam! He can handle a firearm just fine, but he's not going to elaborate because he's far more invested in shitting on LILITH. ]

Am I supposed to appreciate captivity because it's not as bad as slavery? For someone who claims you don't forgive them, you sure sound forgiving to me.

[ooc: fyi, i'm in the path of a hurricane, so if i lose power for a long time, might not make the event. if i don't, i'll still be down to backtag or try again later!]

[It's that normal smirky and nonchalant attitude Bakugo's calling out right now. People who plaster false faces over their own true personality are cowards. Either hiding away what they're unwilling to buck up and fix, or deliberately attempting to trick someone with underhanded methods. He's pretty sure Elan's the former.]

I know that. Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot.

[And yet he doesn't sound at all like he's budging from his challenge prior. He'll sacrifice that advantage if it means keeping Elan from tormenting himself unnecessarily. The choice is up to Elan. Take the challenge and win without his suit, or run from it and prove himself his own fault.]

Urusei. Don't put words in my mouth. I work with them because no matter how much I hate it, those assholes are my way home. [That doesn't sound like he forgives them anywhere. Elan can read into it all he wants, but it's his own words, not Bakugo's.] I didn't tell you to appreciate shit. But if you keep focusing on everything you don't have, you'll miss all the things you do.

[Perhaps Elan doesn't notice this, but he has his own room, his own money, his own job (if he wanted to), his own freedom within the city (outside of missions), his companions of his choice, the base has a fucking spa in it now, he was brought here with his gundam rather than not, and he's standing in a goddamn kitchen right now eating spiced-up chicken he didn't even have to fucking buy.

Yeah, they are captives. Bakugo hates that. But he has more important things to focus on than sitting in his anger doing nothing. There are plenty of things he'll dig his heels in against and yell about, but he's not impossible.]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #4

▶ 001. WINNERS CIRCLE.

▶ 002. PROJECT EGG.

▶ 003. OPEN FORUM.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

damn right i would!

rubs hands together...we can manifest this

i hopefully intend to!

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