DOWNTIME MINGLE #7

[synfluxmods]

DOWNTIME MINGLE #7

CONTENT WARNINGS: suggestive topics

▶ 001. WINNER'S CIRCLE.

Although the base has been destroyed, not all hope is lost. Many still view the defeat of the recent kaiju as a significant win, especially knowing how much more powerful it became. Considering the ominous timing of the rift as well, it seems like LILITH predicts everyone is a bit on edge, and as a result, when they come into the main hall that day they will see that it is actually decorated quite nicely. While it’s not a professional venue by any means, it certainly does have its own charms. It’s a step up from the usual pizza party, at least.


There will be plenty of fresh food prepared for everyone, and not a single questionable meat in sight. It’s either they’ve upped their lab meat game, or they’ve managed some success in their endeavors on duplicating some of the food processes from Transylvania. The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the bulletin board in which they’ve posted—

GOOD JOB:
MACARONS (K.O.)
GOJIRA (K.O.)
RUBBER DUCKY & QUEENOFKUR (600)
POKER & BAD DADDY (678)

While no one can say where these trends and rumors begin, maybe it’s only natural that people’s eyes are drawn to those they consider strong. Or is it that everyone else is YOWAI weak in comparison? Whatever the catchphrases are, it seems the new thing on the streets of Neo Tokyo is the emerging trend of people either wearing sunglasses or blindfolds.

It seems to be some sort of fashion statement, but it may be doing more harm than good. The blindfolds are often tech visors that citizens wear to amplify the screens they see directly from their retinas, but it doesn’t mean that’s always the case. Some people even consider it a personal form of training for them to live and breathe with blindfolds on. Unsurprisingly, hoverboard accidents have increased by 24% and the city is looking for ways to address this new craze.

There’s a yearly event that’s rolled back into town and somehow they have their new mascot, MISTER ZILLA. It’s in the form of a certified cute and extra cuddly looking kaiju that is strikingly similar to one that people may see on base day-to-day. But that has to be a coincidence, right? Maybe it’s just one more thing that’s been released by a particularly loose-lipped researcher who's been pulling one too many all-nighters.

Maybe people in attendance will end up seeing him a lot more. He’s also given out in the form of a keychain to all attendees. Perhaps he will give GIBUBU a run for their money?

Speaking of kaiju and research, a very popular brand called CHALK-MATE has hit the shelves. Supposedly it’s a food shaped like a stick of chalk that once eaten increases one's overall ability to concentrate; it even claims to make people read a little faster. … Is that a myth? There’s only one way to find out what this little treat actually does.

The only thing is that it definitely tastes a bit like chalk, too. Oddly enough, the flavors come in just “DOCTOR” and “PHD.”

CHALK-MATE, however, seems like it’s especially popular amongst avid readers. Particularly of the romance genre, also known as NOVELTOK. The fans on these platforms have been especially into a new series based on a Goddess of Death who is in constant search of love, only to be met with horrible romanceable options that leaves every reader both salivating and scratching their head. Supposedly, it’s not a book appropriate for children…

A new alcoholic drink, GLITTER, has gotten popular in Neo Tokyo’s nightlife scene. The drink’s iridescent shades of purple, blue, and green have made it a hit despite its high price tag and the condition that needs to be met in order to request one: customers must first play a game of dice with the bartender. Should the customer roll a higher number than the bartender, they will take the order and make the drink; if they roll less than the bartender, they must forfeit the cost of the drink and pay the next seven rounds of drinks, even for people who aren’t in their party. High risks begets high rewards, as they say.

▶ 002. BASE-LESS EXPECTATIONS.

Fortunately, with the success of the last battle with the Imugi and Gigakame, many companies have come forth in support of a few rebuild projects. They state they are very interested in providing funding, granted, it’s not without placing their names down as part of the construction efforts. They’re especially interested in getting some sway down in Kyoto, as that would be a new place for them to not only pitch their businesses and potentially attract those pockets of civilization out there that they haven’t been able to connect with, but it’s a good cause as any in theory, right? We don’t talk about all that free real estate, either.

As such, Outsiders are being encouraged to submit their proposals on how to build up on the city of Kyoto and what attractions would lure the citizens to take on the city. While safety protocols are naturally being put into place, as with any new build, they are also open to any additional ideas to secure the perimeter, as well as to make this a more colorful and unique place amongst the wreckage that sweeps the abandoned areas outside the immediate cities.

The only thing is… bureaucracy strikes again. The forms must be filled out in a specific fashion, and Outsiders will be expected to go through a similar trial like when gaining clearance to travel. They will be required to sign documents, and even rushed to the temporary “city hall” in order to drop it off on the dot. They may even expect some people to warp back to Tokyo just to submit a page or two of a signed waiver.

With city plans still emerging, there are positions open for Outsiders to apply and run as local government. While the government of Neo Tokyo have already designated a mayor for the city, there are positions open for people to be in charge of other areas such as healthcare, food, energy, culture, justice, treasury, and infrastructure. LILITH is placing no restrictions on Outsiders who want to contribute their time and expertise to the new city as long as they continue to carry out their missions to defeat the kaiju. Those who wish to apply are free to do so at city hall, but they will need to rally votes and support from civilians and other Outsiders alike to be elected.

Speaking of trouble and real estate, while a lot of vacant land is available, Outsiders have been summoned to confirm all the plots of lands are free of kaiju before any real scoping can be done. Outsiders will be tasked to go out and survey the areas and stave off any large or mutated creatures that may exist in the expanse of wilderness that borders the area around Kyoto. For anyone interested in assisting with the scoping efforts, they will be encouraged to travel in pairs. The permanent rift that’s opened in Tokyo has been making many strange waves all across the country. Kaiju have been acting far more erratically, almost as if they can feel the pulses from this rift, regardless of the distance. Or perhaps, it’s all connected somehow? LILITH researchers think it’s better to remain on-guard because of this, especially when traveling through uncharted territory.

Outsiders are also welcome to explore the region. They will find several old temples that may appear dilapidated, but very much recognizable all the same. Such as the Todai-ji Daibutsuden in the neighboring Nara, or even closer sights like the string of tori that line the Fushimi Inari Shrine. There is even a setting in the oculars in which a general tour guide audio can be heard. However, Synthia is still on the fritz and there is no telling what she says is completely accurate. She also can’t control her language functions, volumes, or the fact that she may also be linking random people’s calls and text messages to one another.

There’s no way that negatively impacts any travel plans, right?

(Note: Please fill out the thread below and submit ideas for buildings and businesses in Kyoto! If players wish to have their characters take a role in managing the city, you are free to coordinate this with other players with the same goals for their characters (or handwave it if your character will be taking a smaller role). Mods will not be choosing any characters officially. )

▶ 003. KAIJUCON.

This is the yearly event everyone has been looking forward to— KAIJUCON is here. This event not only acts as a large research symposium for those who work in kaiju-related research fields, it’s also a place where the most enthusiastic members of the kaiju community come together to share their mutual fascination with the creatures. The event makes it clear that this is in no way meant in any support of the kaiju or the devastation that’s hit humanity, but of coming to be a better understanding of them. Or that was its original purpose.

Now it’s become a larger, more commercialized event where vendors from all over come to pitch their safety gear, offer classes in case of a city-wide emergency, and even have several large and popular exhibitions for kaiju. As much as people may fear kaiju, it seems that kaiju themselves as a concept have been popular for decades before even the first rift opened.

As a result, there are sections of KAIJUCON for the most… zealous kaiju researchers in which they can enter virtual reality scapes and pretend to be kaiju. This form of live action roleplaying has become wildly popular in the city, and has become a hobby to relieve stress for some.

On the flip side, it seems this also has opened up a whole group of people who come up with their own KAIJUSONAS and who attend the event dressed up as their idealized version of kaiju. Fortunately, as LILITH does have its fair share of research and information to trade, it’s the perfect opportunity to grab additional funds to fix up the areas of the base … and of course, how could they not ask the Outsiders to join in?

Instead of the usual team building exercises, they will be expected to help at various booths at KAIJUCON. Whether these are panels in which they teach and share all the intimate details of kaiju anatomy, or where they join in the highly coveted title of BEST KAIJUSONA.

As Outsiders within LILITH, all characters will be approached to speak at panels. Characters previously deemed as HEAVY HITTERS or characters who have dealt a K.O. to a kaiju will be particularly popular at the convention, with fans flocking to them with requests for pictures and autographs. While at panels, a Q&A session will often be held, and Outsiders may have to deal with questions ranging from sensible to ... uncomfortable.

Once their shift is over, they’re more than welcome to take a look around!

(Note: You are all free to presume everything you’d expect at a convention to be there! Including, but not limited to, merchandise, snack carts, panels, and more! Outsiders with inhuman forms do not need to wear their cloaking devices. As a note, Outsiders are public figures known by their alter egos/usernames. However, the fact that they are from a different dimension remains classified information to the public. )

▶ 004. CROSSED WIRES.

While rebuilding of both the Tokyo Base and Kyoto are coming along, certain other departments seem to be struggling. SYNTHIA in particular is still broken, and try as the LILITH engineers might, repairs are slow going.

While SYNTHIA is down, there are all sorts of communication errors:

- Messages being sent to the wrong recipient, or to the base at large
- Thoughts transcribing themselves as texts and being sent without approval
- Text messages glitching during the sending process and sending as illegible symbols and strings of letters
- Text messages never sending, or sending dozens of times repeatedly
- SYNTHIA generating inaccurate information about Outsiders and sending them during the numerous reboot processes (think Google AI summaries)
- Blocked users suddenly becoming unblocked, and best of friends suddenly blocking each other

If asked, researchers will apologize for the errors and suggest that Outsiders meet in person to discuss any important topics. There's no better way to grow relationships than to spend time in person after all, right? Towards the end of the month, the errors will slow until they are finally fixed.

(Note: Feel free to use this as a general text glitch event in either your top levels for this event or in inboxes and individual player logs! We've listed out some suggestions of what characters might experience but feel free to come up with your own fun ideas as long as they aren't gamebreaking.)

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our fourth downtime mingle!

As stated in the prompt itself, players are welcome to suggest buildings and business to be found in Kyoto by replying to the header below. Please submit all suggestions by March 31.

The texting glitches will last to the end of the month, at which point SYNTHIA will be repaired and all systems will go back to normal.

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 cute plushies, stylish sunglasses and blindfolds, and edible chalk enhancements among other things.

2. BASE-LESS ACCUSATIONS: ICly, Outsiders are tasked with assisting in rebuilding projects across Kyoto, which include scoping out land, suggesting what new businesses and buildings to construct, and general exploration. OOCly, players are welcome to suggest new businesses and buildings to add to the Kyoto area.

3. KAIJUCON: The annual convention centered around kaiju-related research and inventions. Outsiders can find all sorts of kaiju-related merchandise and gear for sale, as well dress up and meet other kaiju enthusiasts.

4. CROSSED WIRES: With SYNTHIA still broken, communications within LILITH are breaking down. Outsiders will experience a string of troubles when trying to message others. This will be fixed by the end of the month.

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Comments

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio had brought his own set of protective equipment, but isn't going to say no to Bakugo's, so he accepts the gloves. They're classy, at least.

The notes are appreciated, and Ratio opens the book to scan over all of it quickly. Even with his PhD in medicine, a good number of these plants are not familiar to him, so he cannot rule out their effectiveness at a glance alone. If LILITH was using them to success previously, then for now he would trust that all the plants listed were useful. ]

Those areas may need to be inspected to ensure they were not affected by the Imugi's attacks.

[ After a few minutes, he closes the book and hands it back to Bakugo. ]

Let us proceed.

[blastedass]

[Ratio is someone he'd put the word "classy" under. Even if Bakugo finds the word stupid. The hell does it even mean? Classic? Formal? Rich? Old? Retro? Whatever.

He can give Ratio a shortened version of his notes, worked into a compiled field guide of sorts. Each person who comes with him on a mission like this ends up getting one of those guides. Means he occasionally has to print out more. A few got lost over the month. Butterfingers.]

The dragon blew up in that direction. As long as we're not in the path, it doesn't seem like anything else took damage. [Most of the attack took place in the city rather than the surrounding lands. Not that other problems haven't affected the areas. Remember the crazy rift-touched monkeys and the evacuated cats?

Bakugo tucks the book back into the satchel and heads towards the road leading out of the city. His car's parked not too far away behind them. No point in bringing it since they'll be hopping off road quickly enough. Should be a fair twenty minute walk.] Has LILITH restored your powers yet?

[curingidiocy]

[ The shortened guide will be useful for the excursion, but he'll demand the full notes from Bakugo afterwards. Medicine is a specialty of his, so there's no reason he shouldn't get involved. ]

We must also consider Rift energy contamination, especially with the Rift situated by Mount Fuji. We have little data on its effects on flora, so we must be cautious.

[ There were the giant fruits of Okinawa, but not all plants would react that way to Rift energy, so he wants to be extra sure any medicine made from the plants turns out fine.

Ratio follows, walking astride Bakugo as he keeps his eyes out for any potential hazards. ]

Quite a while ago. Since then, I've avoided placing myself in any situation that would result in yet another punishment.

[ Read: he's been avoiding Godzilla. For all that it's helped, because that damn kaiju keeps approaching him instead, but he always manages to get away from each interaction with just a trade of loaded words and nothing else. Thank the Aeons, really. ]

[blastedass]

[Ratio's someone Bakugo respects. Giving him a copy of his notes means someone with intelligence and attention to detail gets to take his own crack at them. The man's experience and knowledge in medicine and, Bakugo assumes botany is one of his fields, should lend a lot of additions to his own hard work.]

Aa. But that only happened a few weeks ago. Whatever's grown was put in the ground last November. Do you think it'll be affected already? [Honest question even if Bakugo's tone suggests he's suspicious of his concern. LILITH's fed them monster meat for a year now. Monster met that apparently came from the Rifts in the first place. And no negative side affects apart from getting over the gross out factor.

Still, Bakugo's not turning down the idea, especially since he intends to harness the gigantification aspect of Okinawa's beaches and supersize medical plants. Between the surviving Neo Tokyo base greenhouse, what he planted already at Okinawa, and what he's learning from the monks at Kyoto, Bakugo's putting little pockets of the plants here and there and seeing what comes to fruition.]

What, you're not inviting Goji to dinner? [Nar har har. Deliberately taunting him as Bakugo drops off the side of the highway and lands in the grass outside it. Time to check on patch one. It's further out in the field, but a good enough place to start.]

Doesn't matter now. [His tone drops to something quiet, bitter, and irked.] That bitch killed her brood. I'm not playing babysitter for LILITH anymore.

[He still doesn't agree with bringing the kids back from the Romania village either.]

[curingidiocy]

I cannot say. We lack information regarding the Rift and how it affects biological organisms. From the fruit farms in Okinawa, we can be sure one effect is enlargement, but it does not rule out any deleterious effects.

[ His main concern is whether or not the herbs will mutate into poisonous plants, or if the residue Rift energy the plants absorb can cause harm upon consumption. And, on the topic of medicine, whether unexpected effects would occur upon mixing compounds. Those properties may not be so obvious in monster meat and other consumables.

Ratio makes a disgruntled noise when Godzilla is mentioned. ]

I'm sure he'd rather I invite him to a challenge of physical might.

[ Given how hostile the kaiju has been, and how apparently it's in his culture to solve problems with combat. Or so it's claimed.

He gets Bakugo's sentiment. Regardless of the whole Godzilla fiasco that started with the imugi eggs, Ratio had seen how the hatchlings affected his colleagues and how upset some of them were after they were killed. He had liked them too—perhaps from the perspective of a researcher curious about a newly discovered organism, but he hadn't wanted to see them suffer. ]

If LILITH is to collect any new specimens for study, they should be treated as such and no more. This planet does not have the luxury of raising them like pets.

[blastedass]

We've eaten kaiju and other crap close to the rifts for a year now and no one's thrown up a mutated lung. The worst anyone's got are flu symptoms.

[Though he's not dismissing Ratio's caution. LILITH doesn't carve out chunks of kaiju and throw it on their plates either; it's usually a week or two before the meat appears on the menu.

But poisonous plants? Bakugo frowns in acceptance.] During the first three months, one of the problems in Neo Tokyo were toxic plants growing in the sewers. Dunno if they were from rift poisoning or not.

[Bakugo doesn't plan on utilizing anything he successfully grows without testing it first. But since the doctors and hospitals have records of their past supplies, they should be able to locate differences.]

Stacked challenges don't mean anything.

[The imugi offspring wouldn't have been such a sore spot if LILITH hadn't demanded the Outsiders look out for them. Raising the eggs and incubating them, letting the Outsiders name the potential offspring, what the hell did they think was going to happen? Most of their numbers are human. With emotions.]

Then they'd better not shove their job onto us.

[He shifts to the side to take a log over a small stream, balancing without an issue as he crosses. The grass here is getting thicker and taller, but at least it stays around knee height.]

[curingidiocy]

I will not deny that there has been little to no ill effects from our consumption of such items over the past year, but that does not mean it will always be the case. Nor does it mean that there aren't longer term effects—perhaps in the time span of decades, rather than a year or two.

[ Toxic plants growing in the sewers... it could have potentially been the sewage, although most flora would not be capable of sustaining itself in such an environment. Perhaps Rift energy bolstered its hardiness or gave it the capability to survive, and the toxicity was a natural result of drawing nutrients from the waste...? ]

I doubt they will be keen to pick up another egg or youngling in the future.

[ Not after what happened to the base.

Ratio keeps following, though he's slower to cross the log than Bakugo. He looks around, observing the grass and plants as they walk towards their destination. ]

[blastedass]

Those bastards must be testing it before they give it to us. Poisoning your kidnapped mercenaries is a shit way to waste resources.

[Granted they could simply send them back home, wiping out the adverse effects, and summarily yank them right back from a slight shift on the timeline. Bakugo barely got a month back home before he was pulled into Neo Tokyo again.]

I dunno if we're all gonna still be here after a decade. [That's both a good thought and a sad one. As for the plants in the sewers, they were sentient enough to at least swipe at people. It's been a while since they were a problem. I've forgotten their details. RIP. Bakugo hasn't! He's smarter than me.

Either way, the rifts hadn't been a visible "thing" back then, so...]

They dragged all those damn kids where right after the Imugi, and wanted us to bring back baby boars from our first time at Kyoto.

[He won't put it past LILITH to request more young. For science. Bakugo finally emerges from the taller grass into a tree-filled area, a tiny little "forest" in the middle of the marshy land. The tall grass doesn't grow here, leaving room for other kinds of plants to grow in sunlit patches or around the tree trunks.

And yes, those mushrooms over there are Deadly type.]

[curingidiocy]

I should hope so.

[ Does he trust LILITH's assessment? Partially. It makes sense to feed them using the kaiju themselves if no short-term effects could be found, and he is willing to believe they wouldn't ignore long-term effects either. But does he trust their criteria for acceptable long term effects? Not necessarily. And does he trust that they'd be able to discover such long term effects over two weeks? Absolutely not.

That being said, if the bodies aren't theirs to begin with, none of this truly matters. So long as he can preserve his memories and send them back home, he would be satisfied. ]

Indeed. They seem to prefer changing the roster quite frequently. But some from the initial group still remain. The criteria they operate by continues to be ambiguous.

[ Bakugo is right to doubt if LILITH will stop fielding young kaiju and bringing in orphans, but only the latter is a decision Ratio believes LILITH will always make, if their desire to help the planet is true. As for the former... ]

Now that it has been shown how dangerous keeping such creatures nearby is, I believe they will be more selective about what they request us to bring back. I suspect they will consider a new location to house these creatures at bare minimum.

[ No one wants a repeat of this to happen ever again.

As they emerge from the tall grass, Ratio checks his legs for any unwanted stowaways. Leeches, bugs, burrs, and the like. He also glances over at Bakugo's legs to confirm that no parasite has attached onto him during their walk, then scans the surrounding area. Mushrooms, herbs and other flora are abundant, and unfortunately, most he doesn't recognize. For all his knowledge in biology, he's spent most of his time researching members of the Animalia kingdom, so his plant and fungi knowledge are middling at best. ]

I will need you to point out the herbs we are looking for. I have seen pictures of them, but require personal observation to be certain that I am picking the right ones.

[blastedass]

[Ratio's right to be suspicious. Bakugo doesn't trust the overseeing group beyond cautious limit. And yet, he's been eating the kaiju for over a year now without any side effects. If he's still here after thirty damn years, however, something's gone horribly wrong. They've been pulled through fucking dimensions, each one, to get here, and that should screw a body up worse than eating some weird meat. Tch... guess he can explain or excuse a lot, but in the end, they're stuck with a simple choice: eat or not.

Bakugo can't say he believes their return home will be affected. His arm was shredded by Denji's chainsaw in Vegas, yet when he was sent back to his world, none of the damage or even memories existed. LILITH brought him back a few weeks later, even if it was only a several hours here, and those scars never returned (replace by new ones from home). Enough proof for him.]

I've stopped trying to guess. [They finished their service here. They didn't work out ability or personality. Something went wrong. LILITH wants someone better. Who the hell knows. Bakugo's one of the originals and it hurts when another one vanishes. But there's nothing he can do about it.]

They can stop dumping the rearing duties on us. [He has every intention of refusing to assist with any future kaiju returns in whatever form they come in. Grumbling more to himself-] That bitched used her own offspring as landmines.

[Thanks for the scan. Luckily they didn't get through much high water in the marsh, but there are enough burrs to warrant a few brushes and scrapes. Bakugo makes sure to throw those clinging seeds back out into the field so they don't get brought into the glen. He does the same for any Ratio ended up bringing in. Then heads further into the area.]

Here. [He pulls the field guide from his satchel and flips through a few notes before showing Ratio a picture of the three kinds of herbs they can find in this area. All are green, but one's darker, another has distinct leaves, and the third has a vertical cluster of flowers.] They prefer sunlight so they're not by the base of the trees.

[Those are where the mushrooms like to grow.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio can only hope that when he is sent home, Aventurine returns with him, or has already departed by then. Given his reaction the one time Ratio had been in the throes of his own emotions and neglected him, the scholar doesn't think his fiancé would handle his departure well.

But the chance that neither of them would remember anything that happened here... that's hard to bear, too. ]

I had expected those younglings to meet a cruel end, but not in that manner.

[ He should have predicted it, but even he didn't expect a mother to use her children like that. Just another way the kaiju differed from humanity. Perhaps he'd been wrong to think there was a slim chance they could learn to coexist.

He looks over the pictures Bakugo provides. They're similar to the ones he's seen, and given the teen's lack of caution against look-a-likes... ]

I presume there are no other plants that look similar to these three.

[blastedass]

[Bakugo has similar thoughts, not wanting to lose his friends or his boyfriend. They've become very important to him, but when he went back home, all conscious memories vanished. Only vague moments of emotion happened. A faint clench in his chest at the sound of a chainsaw. A strange sweet warmth around sakura or tigers. An odd nostalgia while sitting silently on a train. Never could explain them, or even really recognize them much, until he returned to this world.

Maybe he should bring it up to Ratio. If the man ever wants to talk emotions, which isn't something either are keen on doing.]

Aa. I thought LILITH would end up experimenting on them. [And he probably would have fought them for doing it if he found out. Well, depends on the experiments. An occasional scale or drawing blood isn't cruel. But... not an issue now.]

No. The rest is grass, mushrooms, and other wild weeds. [Maybe baby trees from the surrounding trunks, but the three Bakugo pointed out are the only ones of their kind in the grove.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio fears that the most, which is why he's already started a contingency plan for that. A backup for his memories that he hopes to be able to send home when the time comes. As for the how though... he's working on that. ]

That was my expectation as well. In such dire circumstances, while not ethical, it would not be strange for them to prioritize obtaining useful information over the creatures' comfort.

[ He wouldn't have been pleased, but he would have understood why. ]

Alright. Then I'll start.

[ Now that he has confirmation that it'll be impossible to pick poisonous look-alikes, he turns to one side of the area and begins to search for the target plants. ]

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's been home. If Ratio thinks he'll be able to somehow save the memories from here to forward to himself in his own world... well, should he succeed, it's something he should share with the others. A lot of people want to remember their lives here.

Though it raises questions about how the natural flow of their own worlds are supposed to operate...]

You can't understand how to beat your enemies if you don't study them.

[For humans, interrogation. For non-human creatures, likely dissection. He's seen enough monsters even in hero movies to know that. LILITH would be full of idiots if they thought killing the creatures the Outsiders had gotten attached to would make things better.

So long as Ratio avoids the mushrooms, he should be fine. Bakugo heads to the other side of the little forest and starts scouring over the grass and greens. It's not going to be a bountiful harvest, but a few selections of the three plants turn up, relatively new from the spring growth.] Don't rip any up yet. Just mark their location.

[He's pretty sure Ratio can figure out a way to do that with his imaginary energy.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Exactly. Dissection, though that was the last thing he would have expected them to do. There is merit in studying them live as well, especially to see if they could be tamed or controlled by an implant. But none of it matters now; they're dead.

Bakugo is right. Ratio doesn't make any indication of acknowledging the command, but when he finds one of the herbs, he uses his Imaginary energy to outline the plant in a faint light, almost like it's been selected by a cursor in a video game.

He repeats this for all the other herbs he manages to find, and soon the area is lit with dim patches of light here and there. ]

What information do you intend to record before harvesting them?

[blastedass]

[Who the hell knows if the mother laid more elsewhere. Some reptiles can store eggs, right? Bakugo's got no idea how the imugi works and theorizing about shit's only going to make the current situation stressful. Best shove it behind them and no longer dwell on the past. Learn from it, move forward.

He glances over when Ratio pauses by a plant, curious about his actions. A faint glow, highlighting the plant. Really flexible power, even for simple tasks. (The cursor-selection comparison isn't lost on him.)

Bakugo uses small metal tines with orange tape around the top, sticking them in the ground beside the areas of interest. Easy to carry, easy to replace, easy to locate. Finished, he steps swings the two sacks and his satchel to the ground with an easy flump.]

Nothing much. Knowing the general location's the most important part. I didn't count their numbers since it was the end of fall. [He'd been more focused on gathering what he could of the lingering populace before winter snuffed them out.]

I'll only take the root if there are four or more plants in a general area. Otherwise I take a cutting. They've only recently grown in. [He pulls two small knives from the satchel, then a few plastic bags from one sack.] You can't make a copy of the from your Imaginary energy, right?

[Plus it's not themed or familiar to Ratio like his chalk is.]

[curingidiocy]

[ Ah, to preserve the population of plants. Very mindful of their resources. This is why he likes Bakugo. ]

I counted two bushes of rosemary, four nettle plants and at least a dozen dandelions.

[ He wouldn't have needed the markers personally, as he had photographic memory, but it's definitely easier with them. Scanning the area, it's easier to tell where the plants cluster and what areas might need pruning to promote their growth. ]

I would not be able to make an accurate recreation without thoroughly studying the plant. Even then, it would only be as useful as a recreation with any other media.

[ Like if he'd molded it out of clay, or carved it out of stone. Perhaps useful for artistic purposes, or as a three dimensional biological diagram to be studied, but not much else. ]

[blastedass]

[Some plants will grow from cuttings, others only from seeds, so Bakugo's been careful not to uproot the entire area. The goal's to be self-sustaining in their own gardens and greenhouses enough for the production plants to create effective and useful synthetic copies. Then transformed into medical uses without using any real resources. Those will be stored for emergencies and restarts if needed.]

There's three more rosemary here and nettles are all over the place on this side. [Ratio's are apparently has all the dandelions this time around. Taking a spade from the satchel, Bakugo pauses a moment to dig a small hole near the start of the forest, removing the grass from a little patch of dirt. Then approaches the scientist and hands him one of the small knives.]

Thought so. [Here he shows Ratio how to take a cutting from one of the plants and then how to store it with a small layer of dirt (from the patch previously-cleared) in the little bag. He's welcome to use the spade if he doesn't want to dirty his hands. Each cutting or two from the same plant goes into one bag with dirt, then gets labeled before being stored carefully inside one of the larger sacks Bakugo brought.]

Most of the soil around here is similar, but I still mix it with the soil we get shipped in.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio listens carefully to Bakugo's instructions. Brilliant he may be, but he must not assume he is an expert in all subjects because of it. He has little experience with gardening or handling plants that aren't grown in sterile conditions and meant to be dissected for research, so it would be best to follow Bakugo's lead, as he's been harvesting plants for a while now. ]

If necessary, we could perform an in-depth analysis of the soil's condition to ensure this environment is replicated properly in the greenhouse.

[ He should take the roots of a nettle plant and a few dandelions whole. For the rosemary, a cutting would be ideal... Once he has his instructions, he sets back off to complete his task. At the same time, he observes other aspects of the environment, noting down anything he thinks might be useful and pausing every once in a while to search up information. There's far too many variables to account for in this tiny area alone, but recording something is better than nothing. ]

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's a smart young man, but he's not a botanist either, learning what he has in his endeavors now. Passing that information onto Ratio comes easily, as he respects the man enough not to yell or grouch at him. This is for the other Outsiders after all. Besides, if Ratio has the time and wants to bother with the effort, he could improve the process or make suggestions for future missions. He's an innovative man.]

If you know someone who can do that, go for it.

[Soil analysis is beyond Bakugo's focus, as he mostly relies on trusting what's procured by the greenhouse and LILITH. He isn't digging up a bunch of dirt from the places he gets the plants and bringing it back with him.

Cuttings and full specimens settle into little bags of dirt, each bad with small air holes poked through the top under the ziplock. Bakugo settles each one in pockets of the larger sacs, making sure they're not crushed against each other. The sac itself has a collapsible frame he can extend to make more structured room once the sides are all full. He hangs them from two low branches nearby for the time being.]

Seems like less people are getting the implants.

[curingidiocy]

[ The one doing the analysis would be Ratio himself, of course. But if they could find an expert, it would be even better. It wouldn't be difficult with Ratio's academic connections.

But that is a worry for later. For now, he does exactly what Bakugo is doing, gathering cuttings and specimens into small bags and ensuring none are crushed in the process. Like Bakugo, he places them aside in a safe area, and doesn't store them in his subspace storage just yet. The pocket dimension has a different atmosphere, which, while it wouldn't kill any living being placed within, could affect the health of the plants. ]

The upgrades LILITH offers, or are you referring to something else?

[blastedass]

[He'll leave soil sampling and reconstructing to the man and any expert he finds; until then, the simple trust and mix method that's been working all this time can continue. There's plenty of soil out in the fields where he gathers plants.

Bakugo never thought about Ratio storing the plants in his hammerspace. He came here prepared with his own supplies to use and he's gonna use them, rather than rely on someone else's magical pocket dimension. Call him stubborn if you want. A final bag and he zips it up and stows it in the sack. Looks like everything in this area is done. He makes sure the sacks are secure with their current stow, then shoulders one on each arm while Ratio can gather the tools.]

First one. You hear of any other implants?

[curingidiocy]

[ The tools are easily handled—sent into his storage with the wave of his hand. The plants he's harvested, he can carry with ease. He double checks that they're secured in their pouches properly and, with another wave of his hand, levitates them to test their readiness for transport. Hm, everything looks good. ]

I am aware of a black market of implants that citizens of this planet can procure should they have interest. Otherwise, no.

[ He also knows of a ton of cybernetic upgrades are possible back home, so he wouldn't be surprised to hear any one of them pop up here suddenly. ]

Presumably, they do not see the value in LILITH's implants, or they value their bodily integrity.

[blastedass]

[He meant putting them back in the satchel, but shoving them into Ratio's hammerspace works too. And now LILITH has gloves granting Outisders hammerspace pockets. Hell of an impressive technology. With Ratio handling the plants he's gathered, Bakugo finishes affixing the two sacks and his satchel, then makes for the edge of the grove. Time for the next area.]

Tch, LILITH needs to put more effort into capping that crap. If their own tech's leaking onto the black market...

[And after their test subjects and a baby fucking kaiju earlier last year... Someone needs to find that source and plug it up.]

Uh-huh. Some people don't want those bastards messing with them even more.

[curingidiocy]

[ Might as well make use of a convenient resource. Putting the tools into hammerspace is much better than carrying them, no? Ratio grabs onto his own bags, releasing them from the energy keeping them in air, and follows Bakugo. ]

I would not be surprised if some enterprising individuals have managed to devise their own implants as well. Complete with a lack of oversight and safety certification.

[ But, as it's on the black market, its reach would only be limited to those interested in such things. Not a huge problem if monitored carefully, and he already knows who to ask regarding such a thing. ]

That is my opinion. Other than the healing upgrade they forcibly grafted into my body, I do not desire any other of their unreliable implants.