TRAVEL LOG #4

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #4

CONTENT WARNINGS: natural disasters such as flooding and tornadoes, toxic gas/rift poisoning.

▶ 001. RECENT REPORTS.

The week leading into the new month is characterized by the distinct shift in weather patterns across Japan. Within Neo Tokyo, heavy rainfall with low level flooding is disrupting the business and commute of the local people. Even more temperate regions around Okinawa, and the small outer islands, will find themselves with an influx of tropical storms. Northern regions such as Hokkaido will find that some of the snow will have melted down, and the sun is running hot for the season. These strange occurrences seem to have the research team running on overtime, seeing if this has any link or correlation to any kaiju and the rifts.

To make matters worse, the Imugi hatchlings have begun to exhibit strange behaviors they never have before. While the hatchlings did seem to gain stability over the past month, now they are showing signs of extreme distress. They seem more on edge, enough to the point where entry to visit them has been appropriately blocked off until they find the source of their stress. The researchers have found in recent days that this seems to directly correlate to the weather, and what they see as rift energy in various parts of Japan. Over the week they narrow down these rifts to two specific locations which have a high chance of being the source -- Kagoshima and Yamanashi.

LILITH believes this is deeply connected to patterns that they've seen in records from South Korea, before their connections were severed due to the battle that took place last year. As a result, LILITH's Japan branch is doing their best to see if they're able to work with the tensions of the past in order to receive further research and information from the new government that rose from the destruction of Seoul, and is presently in Busan. While efforts to rebuild a branch there are progressing, they are reluctant to offer anything outside of the bare minimum or what is readily known to the public.

In light of these events, Outsiders are told to prepare for their leave soon. Unlike the sudden blare of their alarm, they offer the Outsiders time to begin preparing for the next mission. They will be given an additional stipend that amounts to 200 USD to be spent on supplies, or other personal resources necessary. Outsiders are encouraged to group up however they would like and go on a shopping spree to places such as FamilyMart, 7-Eleven and Don Quijote. Remember, only buy what you absolutely need!! (Or don't. It's not like LILITH is gonna be monitoring that.)

▶ 002. DATA COLLECTION.

After much back and forth, the branch in Busan does provide limited reports on their tracking of the Imugi's movements, both prior and after the catastrophe in Seoul. Per their reports, they are able to come to several conclusions in regards to the Imugi.

The Imugi that had escaped has further evolved, and even from the point in which it appeared in South Korea, has evolved to be even stronger than before. This Imugi is able to adapt to any weather condition, and even retains some control over the environment. The Imugi possesses intellect which seems to surpass many of the kaiju they have encountered in the past. The Imugi is able to use the rifts as a means of travel. Unlike some kaiju which appear from the rifts almost arbitrarily, the Imugi seems to have full control over its ability to travel within them, which makes it effective at evading most tracking methods. In addition, after further studies, it was found that the Imugi is able to inflict severe Rift poisoning due to its connection with the rifts. They state that while Seoul was physically devastated, most of the casualties were from the rift poisoning which took place after.

With the reports they receive, they also find that the two locations in Japan exhibited similar flows of rift energy, and are most likely to be in connection with the kaiju. As there are two locations in which have to be physically monitored, the Outsiders will once more need to be split up into teams. Everlight and Revelation will be sent to Yamanashi, while Brimstone and Redemption will be sent to Kagoshima. With this confirmation, it's highly likely that the female Imugi has returned.

Within those groups, LILITH will ask for those with experience with the Imugi to handle briefing others in their team who are not as familiar. As the Imugi does possess a variety of skills, Outsiders will also be asked to stick with those from an opposing team as a safety precautio as they believe each team member should be able to supplement for another. In addition, these teams are asked to stick together even prior to leaving the base in order to increase their ability to work as a team for the duration of the mission. While the travel time to each place is relatively short, videos on teamwork and strategy will be played and cannot be muted or turned off. Here is a recap of the Imugi from last year's debrief sheet with some extra information:

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: IMUGI ♀
HEIGHT: 1000 feet across, 30 feet high
WEIGHT: 2000kg
CLASS: Extremely Dangerous
LOCATION: ???, Japan
ABILITIES: Control over weather conditions, including summoning of heavy storms, lightning strikes and hurricanes. Can fly up to 1000 feet. By flying amongst the clouds, Imugi releases chemicals into the atmosphere that bring about acid rain. Armored scales, sharp teeth and claws.
WEAKNESSES: Piercing it in the gaps between its impenetrable scales. There is also a particularly weak spot under on it's neck that will deal significant damage if pierced.
EXTRA NOTES: From its initial appearance and behavior, specialists believe that this female Imugi confirmed to be the mother of the hatchlings. This appears to be the female counterpart to the kaiju in Seoul that was killed by the Outsiders after causing havoc on South Korea. Despite them both being the same type of kaiju, likely derived from the same rift, this kaiju seems slightly more agile and openly aggressive.

Once each group arrives, they are expected to explore each region and gather whatever data they can.

▶ 003. KAGOSHIMA.

Reports continue to come in from the various outposts and remaining settlements around Kagoshima. There are constant tremors in the area and some of them manifest as full blown earthquakes that can be felt across other parts of the country and trigger tsunamis along the coast. While the region is no longer as populated as it once was, there are pockets of unfortunate civilians taking refuge in abandoned houses who will need to be rescued and evacuated (some may put up resistance). As these are typical signs of an imminent kaiju attack, the area is on high alert.

Ominously, the Kagoshima Bay area seems is exhibiting strange occurrences of dead and mutated fish washing up on the shore and any other animals in the area meet the same fate. These animals have extra limbs or organs, mysterious burns on their flesh, and have grown in size. Some animals have survived but they have mutated into unstable kaiju hybrids. They aren't very strong and don't live for very long but before they die, they become extremely violent.

LILITH researchers who try to investigate eventually become extremely ill and it has hindered their progress. They experience typical symptoms of Rift poisoning (headache, nausea, impulsive behavior, hallucinations) but also burning of the eyes, skin, and lungs. Before onset, they report spelling something foul in the air.

While getting close to the bay is difficult, it's easy to see that something is wrong. Aside from the loss of life, the water in the bay appears more polluted and smells rotten. The famous Sakurajima Island at the center of the bay has always been active but now it lets out unusual multi-coloured smoke. The clouds carry volcanic ash that completely covers large areas making it difficult to move and hard to breathe. The volcano constantly erupts and wind carries shards of cooled magma slivers. The shards cut skin, sting eyes, and can cause serious internal damage if breathed in.

The waves are too dangerous and flight conditions are poor so it is difficult to approach. However, the constant lava flows over the years have created a bridge on the other side of the bay called Ohsumi. Despite the high risks and plentiful unknown factors, Outsiders are tasked with investigating the area around Kagoshima Bay and reaching Sakurajima by this bridge.

Be careful of the toxic gases in the air, Rift poisoning, earthquakes, kaiju hybrids, and volcanic shards. Outsiders are strongly urged to keep their suits on. Outsiders will be flown near to the area via aircraft, and proceed the rest of the way using camper vehicles to reach Ohsumi and find out what kaiju threat is approaching. (Camper vehicles sit 4-5 people each and Seok Dang has kindly programmed his questionable pre-recorded driving lessons into each vehicle.)

▶ 004. YAMANASHI.

Closer to home, the residents of Neo Tokyo can sense that something is happening outside the city. The sky is clearer in the winter months, allowing everyone to see Mt. Fuji in the distance. From the city, everyone can see that dark clouds have gathered around Mt. Fuji. There is widespread panic that Fuji may be preparing to erupt but despite the perceived activity, there have been no tremors. Meteorologists report that this is purely an atmospheric phenomenon.

Clouds spread every day and begin to affect Neo Tokyo. Weather patterns become unpredictable and extreme. Heavy rains flood lower parts of the city one moment and then turn to a mix of snow and ice the next. The temperature drops dramatically and suddenly spikes to warmer weather at other times. Strong winds cause serious damage to buildings and there are reports of tornados touching down in the outskirts. These worsening conditions not only put a significant strain on the local businesses, but there are reports of these strong winds blowing away children and the frail elderly, and flash floods drowning those unable to escape in time. This entire time, Mt. Fuji flashes as lightning repeatedly strikes it. Given the mountain's significance to the people, they worry that this might be some sort of sign that something terrible is coming. In a panic, people begin to stock up on emergency supplies. They buy out stores, hoard goods, and stick closer to the entrances for underground shelters. Some even resort to crime, looting the evacuated apartments or stealing supplies from other people.

While Outsiders may be asked by other authorities to help keep peace in the city, LILITH's priority is investigating Mt. Fuji. They will be sent to Yamanashi prefecture by camper vehicles. (They sit 4-5 people each and Seok Dang has kindly programmed his questionable pre-recorded driving lessons into each vehicle.) It takes about 6 hours to arrive in Yamanashi due to the destruction and weather. It won't be a smooth ride, either. The weather continues to storm, with heavy winds knocking over trees to block their paths, the rain triggering landslides, and lightning strikes that keep conveniently striking wherever they are. On top of that, the rift-affected animals found a month prior have further mutated. The local fauna have grown in size and viciousness, and they make the trip there treacherous. Outsiders may encounter mutated boars slamming into their camper vehicles, or oversized, snarling monkeys trying to captured people and swoop them away. Find a safe and secluded area to park and help out any citizens who may need help.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our fourth travel log!

There are no assigned seats this time, so characters may travel with whoever they choose or assume that LILITH has assigned you. All camper vans come with a driving instruction program installed. You can find more information about these vehicles here. It is highly encouraged to stay within your assigned team mission, but in the chaos LILITH is not going to enforce a relocation if somebody ends up where they aren't supposed to be. Communications remain open across all teams but might be a bit spotty in the weather conditions.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards February AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. RECENT REPORTS: The weather across Japan has become unpredictable. The Imugi hatchlings have become very distressed and LILITH is temporarily restricting access to them. LILITH is reaching out to their sister base in South Korea to find out whatever information they can.

2. DATA COLLECTION: LILITH South Korea provides some information regarding the Imugi. We find out that is has become stronger than before. It has evolved and is now able to control not only the weather, but rift travel. It can also inflict severe rift poisoning. Outsider and split into two teams to explore two key locations: Kagoshima and Yamanashi.

3. KAGOSHIMA: Brimstone and Redemption are being sent here via campervan. There are reports of earthquakes, dead/mutated animals along with signs of severe rift poisoning in researchers. The volcano in Sakurajima island is emitted toxic, multi-coloured smoke. Outsiders must cross the bridge to get closer but beware rift poisoning, earthquakes and kaiju hybrids.

4. YAMANASHI: Everlight and Revelation are being sent here. Neo Tokyo is experiencing worsening weather conditions such as floods, unusual snowfall and tornadoes, which is causing a panic amongst the people. Outsiders have to take a campervan to travel toward Mt. Fuji but they may be faced with extreme weather conditions (such as lightning) and kaiju hybrid attacks.

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Comments

[donutsanddonots]

[..He'd tried to refrain from pushing so far, because he wasn't exactly sure about Geto's mental state, but at this point he felt it would be irresponsible to simply let things slide.]

I don't think that's a good idea... We don't know enough about this situation, [His diplomatic way of saying "you're hearing things and we don't know why"] And we're under-equipped. We've kept up well so far, but we don't want to push it. We have teammates for a reason, we can switch out with somebody else. They can finish it up.

[He can pick up on some of Geto's frustration. But the deep set anger- He's buried it too deep and too well. And while he could sympathize with wanting to get the energy out of his system, frustration could lead to sloppy mistakes if you let it drive you.

And he doesn't like the mild squint and the way the other man's hands seem to shake slightly... It doesn't paint a good picture.]

[Richele let that one slide. Geto had been paying attention to his own fight. As he should. And in a roundabout way he was looking out for Richele's safety, so he'd take the small amount of team playing he could.]

... And if there isn't? Our job isn't clean-up. If we don't prevent whatever's doing this, its just going to keep happening. We'll just be expending energy swinging blindly.

[gorb]

( Ah. He should have known Richele's type immediately, but it's an off day, he's allowed a little slowness when it comes down to it. For now Geto places the edge of his staff down, the three interlocking parts suddenly rigid enough for him to lean a little on it. It means he gives the boy a once over. ( He is assuming boy, but here one can't be certain of age, so - ). A hum, thoughtful. )

You'll find LILITH doesn't really care about outfitting their minions for a fight. We'll always be under-equipped, unless we put our own effort into finding our own tools. ( And then, more curious than anything. ) You're certainly not Brimstone. Redemption? I didn't realise they had hero types too.

( If he were Brimstone he'd be more Geto's ilk. Mean and disastrous. )

You're new, yes?

[donutsanddonots]

[It wasn't much- But Geto taking even just a moment to slow down and rest made Richele relax a little. It might not be intentional compromise, but he'd take what he could get. Smh he's 28 :( But with how green and uncertain Richele is to this world and LILITH... maybe he comes off younger. Normally people assumed he was older than he was.]

[Minions...? So far, out of all the people Richele had met while working with LILITH, most were pleasant, with only a few individuals being difficult or obnoxious, but not anything he couldn't at least manage or mitigate. Geto was slowly falling into the first category- but that was besides the point. He knew things looked.. bleak, but nobody had expressed such a dour outlook on the organization which had recruited them before...

It picked at something deep in Richele. It raises his hackles, reminding him of how he felt when he first arrived here- That somehow, he was thrust back into a life he'd left behind almost two decades ago.

He stays silent. Expression tense.]

Yes. Redemption. [It comes out a little clipped. He inhales slowly, exhales slowly, get back on track Columbo. Funny. Geto was the second person to say something of that sort to Richele during this operation.] Sorry to disappoint. [He smooths out his expression, but some of the tenseness doesn't leave his voice.]

Hm. I arrived during the New Year. [Saints. It'd already been over a month.] Consequentially, this would by my first dispatch and my first kaiju... [He's not entirely sure why he says it. He's not looking for advice from Geto, and he's starting to think he doesn't want advice from this man... maybe its because he's feeling just how out of his element he is under the scrutiny of someone who's been here longer.]

[gorb]

( Geto's 27 and they all think he's a fifty year old man so 🤝, it's about time he did it to someone else. )

Ah, I'd rather more redemption than brimstone. We have a reputation. ( Deserved? Possibly. Geto can't even pretend he's above it all, he's absolutely been caught brawling in the corridors. Though ... extenuating circumstances. Gojo Satoru started it. ) Not that there aren't outliers. But with so many hot-headed people in one group it does tend to become tricky. I haven't met many redemption people, I keep to myself, so I don't know what the assumption is about your team.

( First kaiju. He hums, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, bangs sticking. )

Ah. First kaiju. Well, I'd like to tell you they were easy, but we've been bested by this one before. Just keep your head. And remember if LILITH makes you choose something then when it goes terribly wrong the blame should land solely on their shoulders.

[donutsanddonots]

[Wow. Thanks Young man. If Richele ever snoops this out he's going to lord it over Geto forever sdflkJSDLKFJLSKDF]

[He can't parse whether that's meant as a jab of "good, we don't want you ruining our rep," or a kindly "oh good, you won't get our bad rep" Although even if its the former, it doesn't seem to be mean spirited. In fact, Geto's entire disposition seemed friendlier now that he had Richele to actively interrogate- Which he supposes served his own purposes well, but it did make his skin prickle. He wasn't exactly fond of being the center of attention.] I see... I couldn't say myself. I've met a handful of people, but I haven't gone out of my way to figure out where they belonged too. [Although at this point, he hadn't seen many familiar faces. He's starting to suspect he'd happened to make friends with mostly people in the other team set.]

[Keeping his head was normally something he was good at. But everything about this... And the fact that this would possibly not be a first defeat, but a second. Moral would suffer immensely if they lost a second time, not even counting what the cost of the loss might be...

To say the pressure was immense would be a hilarious understatement.]

... Did something happen the first time? [That was... Pointed. Ominous.]

[gorb]

Maybe you should. It's a good advance insight to someone's disposition.

( Geto has far too much in common with his other Brimstone counterparts to think himself above the reputation. He does sometimes wonder where he'd have been placed as his younger self, but that's a navel gazing he's never going to admit to. What's done is done etcetera, etcetera. )

Ah, nobody's told you? We were given a choice. Stay and defend the city we were in, or go after the Imugi and put a stop to her. They had us vote. We had to go with what the majority chose, and that was to hunt it down. Then when we were out manoeuvred the imugi desecrated Seoul. LILITH blamed us. There were punishments. Interrogations. As if they were not the deciding force, and had not the numbers to leave half of us behind. You've seen they're capable of it. But no.

( A shrug, he straightens out. )

It left an impact. A few of us were knocked by it.

( Not Geto, he doesn't care. But he does remember Itadori and Rover's upset. )

[donutsanddonots]

Hm. I'm not so sure. It seems to assume a lot. [After all, him and Hiyori had practically nothing in common and they were on the same team. She was openhearted and warm while he was well. Not.]

[His eyes widen, a look of horror dawning on his face. What- Who in their right mind would do something so stupid? Working as an Executor was partially paper pushing, partially akin to military service, divvying up tasks between the other combat forces working in Laterano was a standard practice if things got out of hand.

He couldn't think of a single good reason why one would do otherwise. At best it was a gross oversight...

At worst. They intended it as some kind of test. Regardless of what was lost.]

I'm- I'm sorry.

[The words tumble out. Inelegant and colored by the horror he feels. He could say many things. Criticisms, or potential reasoning for why they did what they did. What Geto describes feels so dissonant with everything he'd learned so far- But his tongue is frozen in his mouth. He can practically feel the implant behind his eye, once again reminded that he's at the power of LILITH. He doesn't know what actions he takes could be used against him.

Geto's explanation proves that.]

[gorb]

( He shrugs one shoulder, unaffected. )

I'm used to higher ups blaming their lowly weapons for their mistakes, it didn't effect me. But there are a fair few bleeding hearts around here. Those who take losses personally. LILITH has the upper hand in that many of us have no choice but to do as they bid, but if I were them I'd watch how I treated the people I recruited into a war they have no stake in.

( Yes, the majority were kind enough to care about people they'd never met before. He's sure LILITH banked on that. But that good will can only last so long. It's fading considerably with Geto, his head pounding and his thoughts relatively murderous. At least his is no longer hearing his girls ... though every now and again his gaze still drifts out to the roiling sea. It finally comes back to Richele, and Geto looks at him solidly for a single second before he sighs. )

Maybe it won't come to any of that again. Who knows? We could find and defeat the imugi fairly quickly. I just know history tends to repeat itself.

[donutsanddonots]

[Geto sure didn't hold anything back....... the way he describes LILITH, it makes Richele feel exposed. He crosses his arms trying not to show how much it bothered him.]

... You're very certain they have no stake in this, aren't you? [Richele himself didn't think the same... at least not so far. Geto had shaken his opinions a bit... but he couldn't go off of one man's cynical opinion. He could be right. Or it could be half right. He needed to know more about the entire situation before he could reach a conclusion...

And it would help is knowing more about Geto.]

[He watches his eyes wander, back to the poluted ocean again. He uncrosses his arms, once again itching to reach out and drag this man back to the campers. All his training and personal experience SCREAMED that he should. He might seriously start to consider it if Geto didn't show any signs of leaving of his own accord...

Geto's gaze is piercing and Richele tries not to squirm underneath it. He wasn't fond of being the center of attention. He wasn't used to it. And he often did his best to avoid it whenever possible. Which most the time it was.]

[He's silent for a minute after Geto speaks, expression heavy and serious.]

... Lets hope it doesn't.

[gorb]

Oh, some will probably say that they do. The heroic types. People who see a war and think they can end it through sheer will alone. But there's only so much a person can do for strangers in the end. And I doubt there's much endearment here.

( It reminds him a little of his youth. Forced to work for the safety of humanity in a way that ruined him. Maybe Geto is very distinct in that way, that he's lived through duty and had it sour him. Refusing to believe in LILITH comes with a whole history to back him up. So too is the fact that he doesn't care about the native people like he should. He's no longer actively harming anyone, but he doubts he'll ever be a hero again.

He thinks he's hit a sore spot though, if Richele's expression is anything to go by. )

You don't have to take anything I say to heart though, I'm known for my misanthropy. I won't be insulted if you choose to ignore me.

( Most people do. But he's trying. It's baby steps. )

And I'm not going to jump in. I know it's the rifts. I have other ways of telling if my daughters are here. I'd sense it. It was a ... momentary blip.

[donutsanddonots]

... And what if its more than sheer will? What if there's action. Effort. People's time and energy poured into it?

[He does agree in part with what Geto is saying... One cannot simply change the minds of the stubborn... forcing people who didn't want to change into a corner to try to make them to change didn't often produce the results wanted. But, ha. Maybe he was doomed to take issue with Geto's view as well. After all, he signed up to work for Rhodes Island. A pharmaceutical company that sought to find a cure for the incurable... and bring peace to conflicts that had brought war and disharmony to the face of Terra since time immemorial.

He understood what Geto meant. Well wishes wouldn't solve anything... but maybe it was more than simple well wishing.]

[Richele inhales... then sighs. He'd gotten too worked up over this. Geto wasn't being hostile, just honest.

He pushes away the unsettled feelings... ignoring the way they cling to him.]

I appreciate you being candid. [And he truly does. Even if he doesn't like what he has to say, intel was intel.]

Well good. I don't think this is the kind of ocean to go for a recreational swim in. [Daughters..? No wonder he'd looked so spooked. Still. He seemed to have kept his head. Which was a better outcome than he'd been expecting.]

[gorb]

Isn't that sheer will? Determination does lead itself to effort, but there's only so much a person can give even if the fight is particularly personal to them. It would be interesting to find out how many of us are more inclined towards blindly helping, and which of us aren't. Perhaps I merely know a particular type of person, and that skews my opinion. ( Which way the people he concerns himself with would lean is a little of a mystery. He knows Itadori's opinion, and he knows Silco's. But Gojo? Nanami? He thinks there's ambivalence there. ) Or maybe I'm entirely wrong. An outlier.

( He wonders if Richele is someone to keep an eye on, a barely there thought. )

You're right. It isn't. I wasn't thinking straight. ( But something is still twisting in his gut, some dread. ) You really didn't hear anything?

[donutsanddonots]

I wouldn't say so. It takes more than will to pick up a sword again and again to run into a losing fight. [He himself didn't exactly understand it. And he'd heard more stories than witnessed it himself. But what he had witnessed...] It takes acceptance. I think... that maybe your efforts don't matter... but its worth trying anyways. [Its what he'd learned. What he'd gathered. He'd seen the haunted looks in many a Rhodes Operator's eyes. Only to see those same people smile, run, laugh, make merry and encourage those in their party who were more down trodden. It was like magic. What exactly could sustain them so... he didn't know. He didn't think he could do the same if put in their shoes... ha. He was probably more like Geto on this matter than he'd like to admit.]

That is true. One man is still, one man. It takes more than a single person's efforts to enact true change. [He sighs. That he had also witnessed.] I can't deny, I'd also be interested to know. [It was helpful for knowing how to navigate around his teammates. He'd rather sort out who were the passionate ones, and who were the cold pragmatic ones as quickly as possible. But he doubted he'd get such good luck.]

Whether or not you are... your opinions and choices are informed by something. Are they not? [Again, its why his transparency was valuable. It told Richele quite a lot about what he might've dealt with personally. He wasn't exactly beating around the bush about it.]

[Hilariously, Richele wouldn't think so. He tends to underestimate the power he has to be a thorn in somebody's side.]

No. I didn't. [So why do you keep asking...? If he was so certain they weren't here why check again? He did say the voices were his daughters... for most people that was no small motivation.]

[gorb]

( Geto holds his gaze for a long moment, then curses under his breath. It's fine, and he's fine, and nothing has happened. His staff lifts, folding into three pieces again so that he can tuck it away, soaked with gore as it is. Then he's purposely striding away from the edge of the water, something desperately rigid about his movements.

As though expected Richele will just follow he keeps speaking. )

In a place like this you might want to rely on your own opinion more than others. There are several unfavourable people here - myself included - and you don't want to be swayed more than you can cope with. But it's also better to be aware of things, the general discontent. LILITH might want to use that eventually.

( Actually, if he could fight them right now he would. Geto hops down from the bridge with ease, looking up just as a white streak fills the air. The white dragon curse barely spares Richele a glance, hovering in front of the curse user with watchful yellow eyes. He regards it thoughtfully. )

Don't worry, it's with me.

( Just in case Richele gets ideas. The dragon's jowls are streaked with gore, and Geto pulls a face. ) Go check the water.

( Off it goes. It can check the depths just in case. And wash off. )

[donutsanddonots]

[The reaction garners a bit of surprise from Richele. Geto had been so self assured up to this point. He hadn't expected some minor pushback to give him pause, or even... well he's not sure if the swearing was a sign of frustration or something else. But it sure was a sign. At least he finally moved away from the water. He wanted nothing to do with their depths.

He does keep following. He has no reason to stick around here. And he'd rather make sure Geto got back to the camper vans in one piece.]

You seem quite content to self diagnose yourself as such. [He didn't find Geto all that unpleasant. Sure he provided... discomfort. But he seemed reasonable. Just outspoken and honest.] ... I will keep that in mind however. Thank you. [It was good to know... and something he might try to follow up on. Who else was a dissenter among the populace... He could think of Bakugou's comments about their "recruitment" being in fact, "Kidnapping", but that was all he'd witnessed so far...]

[The arrival of the curse does have Richele cursing briefly before Geto explains- He lets out a rush of air, holstering his patron firearm again. There were too many strange things about- it was hard to distinguish between what were Good Strange and Bad Strange.]

[Hilarious of him to think Richele had any ideas of attacking him. The sankta is content to watch him order about his strange... pet? Watching it plunge into the water without hesitation.]

You're not worried about it?

[gorb]

( He can only smile at Richele, mysterious and maybe a little petty about it. It's just that Geto's overall behaviour is a well-established fact. Somewhat of a bastard, keeps to himself. It might be on the up considering his continued good behaviour, but he doubts anyone would call him kind, or suggest he's someone to know. And while he doesn't mind talking to people, his lack of team-mindedness here has him firmly out of the loop most days.

Besides, he's too tired to make friends.

But the question about rainbow dragon has his lips twitching in genuine amusement. ) It's very hard to kill. And I have others. Rainbow dragon is just the more convenient. Used to a hard battle while the rest of my curses have other skills. I'd rather there was less blood, though.

( When it's a part of you then you get to be picky. )

[donutsanddonots]

[Alright, keep your secrets then. The smile is a little unnerving... Richele is out of the know. His investigations haven't gone as far as to ask about other people. So any knowledge of Geto is what he's getting right now at face value. And what he sees right now is a wary man... but suffice to say. Geto might not consider himself kind, but most people would see at least the possiblity of kindness in his warnings and advice. He didn't need to dissuade Richele from trusting LILITH.

In fact it would be all too easy for him to watch Richele get eaten up by their schemes, while sitting back and laughing about it.

And Richele doesn't expect friendship... He isn't man who makes friends. Just coworkers and contacts. Geto is safe from that horror here.]

Ah, so we know then if it disintegrates that the ocean is nothing to trifle with. [He says it dryly, as no insult to the curse... although. "curse"? That doesn't sound ominous at all.] If you don't mind me being nosy, how many? It sounds awfully convenient. [Maybe he's a little bitter at the amount of individuals that have somewhat magical companions while he's left with just himself and his small handguns.] Do you find the sight of blood unpleasant?

[gorb]

( It is an unfortunate byproduct of his wasted educational potential. He just talks at people and expects them to listen. )

Less than I had. ( He's not giving an exact number, he doesn't see the point in playing his hand like that. And it still smarts going from thousands upon thousands to a measly ten. Thank you very much, LILITH. To add insult to injury they're not even as strong as they were. ) Another thing LILITH enjoys. Making sure they have the absolute power here. If you have any ability of your own, you might want to test it out when you have the time. She'll have tried to hobble you somehow.

( The last question makes him laugh. He's been soaked in it often enough. )

No. It just gives me indigestion.

( A joke? Who knows. GEGE WHERE DOES HE STORE THE CURSES, GEGE )

[donutsanddonots]

[Hilarious then that Richele absolutely wants to sit and listen to him yap. Give him the tea bestie.]

... That seems somewhat counter productive. Aren't we already strictly forbidden from fighting each other? [He assumes there's some way of enforcing that... and in terms of killing citizens, its not like restricting their powers would stop a good old fashion knife. If the worry was sheer scale of destruction than the Kaiju had that covered already.] Hmmm. I'm not exactly robust on abilities. What small amount I do have functions as normal.

[And also it seems somewhat pointless since fire arms that didn't require arts existed in this world. So not only was he too weak to be bothered with- but to add salt to the wound, he didn't even need his arts. Once again, he was starting to deeply wonder why LILITH had dragged him here.]

I, see. [He seems to be repeating that a lot this conversation. Geto is that fun combo of both being far too willing to hand out information that is convenient for him... and then difficult with information less convenient for him. Whether it was a sign of real manipulation, Richele couldn't tell. Its possible that with LILITH's restrictions he was just being cautious. He might be the paranoid type... Or he enjoyed keeping tricks up his sleeve.

And he's not entirely sure whether to take that as a joke or a confession to having genuinely consumed blood. Another comment he'd have to keep in mind. CRYING]

[gorb]

Oh, we can fight. ( Says the man who had his clothes torn from him in the Brimstone hallway. If LILITH halted all manner of altercation he'd still have his monks robes. He's a little pissed about that. ) We just can't kill each other. It's interesting, isn't it? That the line is drawn just before we'd cease being use to them. I think it's important you remember that they're not our friends. They don't care about us as people. When any of us leave they replace us. Sometimes even with a version of us that doesn't recall the previous outing.

( It hasn't happened to him - at least no one has informed him if it had - but still. He's aware enough of it. Yuji told him about Nanami. He knows it can happen.

But, boots sinking into the sand now that he's cleared the bridge. He looks up and down the shoreline with keen eyes, but there's a weariness now. Speaking on LILITH makes him frustrated. )

We're dispensable.

[donutsanddonots]

[That specific description brings many amusing images to mind of how that altercation could've gone WHEEZE] That's... [His expression is troubled as he trails off... He sees the value in friendly competition. Heck he'd even participated in those "Squid" games earlier. But he'd been under the impression that was allowed since it was a competetive space... But he even recalls the way that vulpo woman had threatened him over the safety of a civilian... why was the line drawn at murder? And not any earlier..?

Geto's words slink into his mind. Encouraging his paranoia. They were good questions. Why were things this way..? Why were things like this? They genuinely did seem to want to help the people of this world... so why were the outsiders put at such a disadvantage?

What reason could justify it all...?]

They- what? [Genuine surprise, he- what? Different versions of themselves? He was already still wrestling with the ideas of other planets, other universes. Another version of himself? Someone who'd lived his exact same life and yet somehow had diverging experiences? He's not ready to think about that. His disposition grows closed off, he puts a hand over his mouth and stares at the shore side, mind reeling with that information.

Geto's last comment breaks him from his spiral and he looks up at his conversation partner. Taking in the lines of his face. The set of his eyes, not really seeing, looking past, his mouth set in a thin line, his posture and expression are resigned in some ways. Frustrated in others.... the person in front of him was clearly tired. And not from whatever was playing tricks on his mind...

He was very clearly, human. And dealing with a hand he felt he was dealt unfairly.]

... has your friend found anything? [Referring to the curse- He aims for a causal tone, but his voice his heavy with the weight of the questions posed to him and the knowledge imparted to him.]

[gorb]

( He's vaguely aware that this conversation has been one emotional blow after another to the newcomer, and while Geto tells himself he doesn't care he doesn't actually take much enjoyment in it. Maybe it's because he's weary, or maybe it's because nefarious scheming has been few and far between for him these days. He could be out of practice. Either way he doesn't press. He'll leave Richelle to consider the matter of LILITH by himself, without the curse user's mean little input.

But - rainbow dragon. Geto looks back to the water again, watches as the dragon cuts out from the depths like a knife. She streaks closer to him, hovering in the air between them, heavy breath panted. At least she's no longer blood-soaked, that helps. )

No. I don't doubt they'll be another wave of kaiju at some point. But for now there's nothing. ( No sign of his girls either. He knew that. The doubt lingers. Geto reaches out a hand to press it against a white muzzle. ) I think we should leave. LILITH does not pay us enough to linger.