TRAVEL LOG #5

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #5

CONTENT WARNINGS: death, nightmares, gun violence, survival scenario

▶ 001. EYES WIDE OPEN.

"Angels of Lilith, report for duty in the DISPATCH."

The day starts off with alarms blaring and oculars shining bright lights in the Outsiders' heads, waking them up early for an emergency dispatch. Although the current Rift at Mt. Fuji needs to be explored and examined, the Rifts continue to appear in different parts of the world, and this Rift is no different. Captain Yamakawa continues,

"We have received a distress call from EGYPT. Much of the region fell during the first kaiju crisis. Now it is a desolate land that survives with the help of a generator called an ESSENCE which is currently malfunctioning. We assume the cause is Rift energy—according to our radar, there is a heavy amount of Rift energy coming from that area. We will move out immediately. Pack all the things you may need, but each Outsider will be supplied with a care package of their own containing essentials."

Even though it is 4:00 AM Tokyo time, LILITH hopes you all have slept well. It could be the very last good sleep in awhile. While the dataportal to Egypt is operational on Japan's end, because of the malfunctioning generator, Outsiders are unable to come out on the other side. The old method of using the flying cruiser will be used once again.

There will not be assigned seating for this other than by teams. Everlights will sit with Everlights, Brimstones with Brimstones, and so on. The Outsiders will be encouraged to rest on the flight, and a few hours before landing, an in-flight meal will be provided. The meal is surprisingly delicious and consists of chicken or pork katsu cutlet, but with the warning that all Outsiders will know about: it contains high amount of cyber caffeine. This sort of newly innovative caffeine can keep Outsiders awake for several days, but sometimes it may cause restlessness or hyperactivity, causing characters to have a jittery amount of energy but razor sharp focus. Other times, it simply keeps characters awake and they feel no different. The cutlet will be served with KAIJU™ Energy Drink. Any Outsiders that require a different diet will be provided with what they need, and the cyber caffeine will be added to it if they would like.

Yamakawa gives instructions again:

"We have received more information about the kaiju. Civilians have died in their sleep from horrible nightmares, and we are encouraging Outsiders to sleep together in pairs or groups, or disregard sleeping at all until we obtain more information. We are still receiving facts about this monster, but this meal will help with keeping everyone awake as a safety measure."

Those who do not want to have the highly caffeinated meal can have everyone's favorite: a ration bar that isn't spiked with any energy, but it doesn't taste good at all. Outsiders may be more likely to fall asleep and be in danger by choosing this meal. The balance of a dystopian society.

▶ 002. ARRIVAL IN EGYPT.

When they finally arrive, the air is temperate and dry in Alexandria. The Outsiders might have to check their clocks once more to make sure everything is right; everyone is expected to land in the late afternoon and every clock says it should be close to evening, but the city is already growing dark with the sun setting quite early. Because of the ESSENCE disruption, Alexandria is running on back up energy, which makes for spotty lighting and loss of basic power.

LILITH will be greeted by a small group of researchers at the airport and they will help take the Outsiders to their base: the Alexandria Institute which was once the University of Alexandria. They will give the Outsiders a quick run down of the situation and some background.

1. LILITH does not have a strong defense branch in the region any more. Instead, the branch here seems more focused on research, especially on the origin of kaiju and rifts.
2. This region is extremely prone to spontaneous Rifts. Many of them are small and pass quickly but this most recent one is unprecedented.
3. One evening, in the final week of March, the Alexandria Institute received a corrupt file from their fellow researchers in Greece. It shut down much of their research facility (including their warp portal) and all they have been able to recover so far are the words, "Do Not Go To Sleep."
4. The next morning, they awoke to find the sun rising later and setting earlier. It feels like the days are getting significantly shorter.
5. Many locals developed a fear of the dark and going to sleep. They would then die in their sleep within the next few days.
6. The autopsy of these victims have shown no cause of death, puzzling coroners.

Progress has been slow because the corrupt file shut down many of their facilities. They have not been able to track the source of the Rift or identify the kaiju responsible for it. They believe the answers may be within the corrupt file and will be happy to receive any help they can get from the Outsiders.

When they arrive at the Institute, Outsiders will be set up in the old student dormitories. Each room has 2-4 beds depending on the room, with a common shared area on each floor. Given the current threat, there is also a supply of energy drinks and bars boosted with cyber caffeine. Outsiders have two options:

1. OPTION ONE: Stay in Alexandria and help the researchers with the generators, while keeping themselves and teammates awake during the night by playing games.
2. OPTION TWO: Go out into the Egyptian desert on camel-back, spending time getting to know their camel before heading out.

OOC NOTE: While players may write prompts for both options, we ask that you submit for a clue only once per player (not per character, as we have a lot of characters in game now!)

▶ 003. LEARN & EXPLORE. (ALEXANDRIA RESEARCH.)

Times are hard in Alexandria right now with their generators malfunctioning and efforts being split. The researchers are trying to get the generators back up and uncorrupt the data they received from Greece. LILITH will instruct the Outsiders to help with the research but also warn that they cannot afford to just sit around and wait to crack codes. The researchers also agree. Sometimes the best way to get research data is to go out into the field, but they haven't been able to do it due to not having much protection. The desert is vast, and there have been sightings of other small kaiju lurking beneath the sand and in some smaller cities.

Outsiders can decide to stay in the city of Alexandria to help crack the codes, or they can opt to go out into the field. For the latter, they can choose to stay close to home and investigate within Alexandria.

Those who wish to help with the ESSENCE generators and researchers will stay in Alexandria, using any downtime when not investigating to try and stay awake, slumber-party style. Two Truths and a Lie? Maybe Spin The Bottle? Perhaps some games can keep Outsiders enticed so they don't doze off.

▶ 004. FEELING SANDY (DESERT EXPLORATION.)

For those who wish to explore the desert and smaller cities, Alexandria Institute will supply what they need, such as water, food, essential tools for digging, sleeping bags (no sleeping, but maybe for resting!) and anything else. To conserve energy, the researchers supply camels for the Outsiders to use. The camels are mostly tame, but have their own distinct personalities, so they may need a little more handling and can be coaxed to behave with treats like artificial carrots and bananas. Outsiders can spend time getting to know their camel if they are going to explore the desert or cities. A camel can seat two people on its back comfortably, but also carry any essentials that travelers need to bring along.

In the distant small cities and across the desert, Outsiders will come across Sand Crocodiles, one of the smaller kaiju that have been inhabiting the desert. These monsters are basically crocodiles but with a twist: they can spit fire if angered and they can camouflage in the sand. They hide strategically, and one wrong step will cause them to push their jaws out of the ground, harming a person or camel. The stubby quills along their backs or rounds of their horns aren't entirely covered while hiding, so watch carefully. Fortunately, Outsiders will be supplied with a shotgun. Aiming between the eyes or in the mouth will kill it, but also beating it with the back of the shotgun will also do the trick. And yes, they also taste like crocodile too, if anyone is hungry.

After exploring, Outsiders are requested to report their findings back in Alexandria.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our fourth travel log!

Welcome to the new and improved Travel Log! Below, you will see the link to the MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET post that has information about the kaiju below along with RIFT EFFECTS. Fill out the form for RNG Attacks and whether you would like to receive a RIFT EFFECT. This should give characters some ideas for the status of their character in the next log, which will have more action and monsters in it. Outsiders may use the CHAT to report and discuss any findings.

We thank you in advance for your patience as we try out this new format!

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

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. EYES WIDE OPEN: Outsiders travel to Egypt after receiving reports of their power generator, ESSENCE, being unstable and malfunctioning, leaving citizens in peril. They are instructed to "stay awake." They are supplied cyberpunk caffeine and told to try not to sleep or stay in pairs to be watchful of any danger.

2. ARRIVING IN EGYPT: Arriving in Alexandria, the Outsiders are confirmed that citizens have been dying in their sleep, with coroners unable to determine the cause. The days are mysteriously getting shorter and people are unable to stay awake.

3. LEARN & EXPLORE: Outsiders are given options to stay in Alexandria to help with the generator or find clues to assist the research team. Between researching, they are asked to continue to stay awake by any means possible. Those who will be exploring the desert and smaller cities for clues are given a camel for transportation. Outsiders are encouraged to get to know their camel before traveling.

4. FEELING SANDY: While looking for any clues out in the desert, Outsiders encounter smaller kaiju known as Sand Crocodiles. They hide in the sand and attack at the opportune time, snapping jaws and spitting fire. Shooting them between the eyes or in the mouth will K.O. them.

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Comments

[likemybooks]

[Taryon's attention darts between Hunter, desperate to die, or at least die quickly without a drawn-out preamble, and the young elf girl, who is in the middle of figuring out some sort of mystery.

He ends up focusing solely on Hunter, watching the futile task of digging a hole deep enough by his own hands, feeling the anxiety to complete the task, and blacking once the boy collapses.

Taryon blinks, and they are standing face to face in the hallway in their temporary housing. He looks down, knowing that there's something he must say, bit not knowing the full story behind the panic.]

...Did...I mean, it's good you're safe now?

[soft_shelled]

[It takes a bit for Donnie to realize that, hey. None of this is anything that happened to him. Although the feeling of not being good enough, the reason why this person who is family? Is doing this because of you?

Donnie kind of knows that feeling all too well. And part of him hates that someone else knows this feeling, and what surprises him during all this is when a familiar name is spoken. And even though feelings are very much not Donnie's forte?

He will speak up, out of turn, maybe as an attempt to take some control here.]

Hey, Hunter?

[He almost says "What the fuck?", and he hopes the source of this weirdness is nearby.]

[likemybooks]

[You're ready. Your large automaton is wearing a massive backpack with all of your gear, some magically compressed into small boxes. You have a gold-plated set of armor, taken from its hiding place behind your bookcase. The helmet embedded with gems is tucked in a bag, and you're proud of what you've invented as you wrap it in fabric.

Doty is set to wait at the doorstep long before dawn approaches. It's the best time to sneak out, before Father notices. As you step out of your lavish room with its four-posted bed, enough space for a workbench, and shelves of books, you give your former living space one last look over before shutting the door and turning down the hall. This will be the last time you see home for months, if all goes well. At least, you hope it doesn't take months.

There's one more stop to make: Father's office. He locks his doors, but you pull out a small chime, strike it lightly against his door, enter, then strike it again against the safe where he keeps extra gold. There isn't much gold here (makes sense. This is for more immediate business transactions), but everything totals to 50,000 gold. This will be enough to tide you through. And besides, your family will recuperate this amount in a matter of weeks to a few months. Whatever ire you gain will be worth the honor your bring upon your return.

You sneak past dark rooms, pause before your parents' chambers, some desperate hope that you can wake only your mother as a farewell, but decide against it. There won't be much time before the servants wake and report that you are missing. You quietly step down the stairs, join Doty at the front and walk through the door of the Darrington mansion, through the estate gate, down the city street, out the fortified walls, and begin your journey south to Port Damali.]

This is it, Doty. [A sense of relief and hope washes over you.] We're going to be heroes.

one eye open

[gilgamess]

[ ... your "joke" game needs work, Silco. Even Gilgamesh finds nothing hilarious about stating the obvious, and he's someone who finds most everything hilarious. Really, he's also someone who prefers for the action to get started, but at least this whole journey is something different. At least everything is in motion now, and it seems as if something Interesting might actually happen soon. Missions of this sort may still be atypical for a King, but adventure and travel are not. He thinks he'll be most in his element when the stakes are raised and when everything truly begins, certainly more so than helping out with all the building going around Kyoto.

Mostly, for want of other ways to keep busy, he's been exploring the environs where they find themselves now and trying to learn as much as possible. This is also, needless to say, the first occasion where teams factor into anything, and Gilgamesh is still gathering intel on... that aspect of things. ]

Tch, normally, I should not need to do so.

[ He'd had his fill of sleep when alive. One could even say it had even cost him a thing or two, in a literally legendary manner. But it might be different here... he is still learning about the constraints to his current form, or where mana depletion might lead. ]

Well, I am still coming to understand what this business of teams signifies, but it seems LILITH has placed us in a similar arena of cooperation...

[ Oh, yes. He's definitely taking stock of his would-be teammates. Silco certainly gives a shady impression at the best of times, but Gilgamesh can hang perfectly well with a pretty diverse range of individuals. He just needs to know more who and what he's dealing with on these expeditions. ]

jinwoo, cw: child abuse, child mutilation

[newphew]

[ you are a scout under belos's command, a child, and you've failed a mission. well, more specifically, you're the only one to return alive. you're nervous about it, as you kneel in the throne room, but you explain what happened -- your forces were just so overwhelmed. they were all killed. ]

[ that's how you get your first scar, right across your face. an outburst he couldn't control because of his wild magic curse, he insists. you believe him. but, he says, the healing coven can't handle this. you will have to make do. you sew your own cheek shut in your room, blood pouring over your hands as they shake. it's okay. it'll make you stronger ]

[ the second time the curse makes him lash out, he catches you somewhere you're not supposed to be-- with the other scouts when you're not allowed to mingle with them. you didn't even have your mask on. ]

[ this time, it's your leg that's hit. he explains quietly, once again, it's the curse. you understand. it was your fault for disobeying orders. you sew that up too, and your hands are less shaky this time ]

[ the fifth, it's because you're reading about wild magic, and he sees it. you apologize, babble out excuses, saying you only wanted to help heal his curse, beg forgiveness -- it's the arm this time. it's the same deal. the curse. Hunter, it's too dangerous to look into it, he implores softly, and you understand he only has your best intentions at heart. Wild magic has taken away so many members of our family, Hunter.. ]

[ you can sew it up with one hand this time. your hand barely even shakes. ]

[ the most recent time, you've returned empty-handed after a mission, the first time in years. I want to help, you insist, And if you told me, how wild magic did this to you-- ]

[ you barely move in time, and his tendril, now knife-sharp, cuts a hair off of your head. ]

[ My apologies, you mumble, I spoke out of turn. ]

[ it's for your own good, you know. all of it is. he took you in. he took care of you. it's your fault. all of it is. ]

3

[egraegis]

[That was... jarring. Horrifying, genuinely. Athrun is no stranger to death, of course, nor blood, but being primarily a mobile suit pilot means most of the death and destruction he deals to others is at a distance, through severed mechanical parts and explosions. He hears screams over the comms, perhaps a small splash of red before a cockpit bursts into flames, but generally, it's easier to put those thoughts aside and spare himself the view of it. When a foe is taken out, he's already moving on to the next.

This was close, too close, and too many children. (One is too many. This was terribly cruel and uncalled for.) And it paints a very different picture of the young man he'd met via a wayward hoverboard.

Athrun had only drifted for a moment, shaken awake by one of his comrades. In need of a break from risking sleep, he heads out for a walk- and to find Roland, to make sure he's also no longer sleeping, first and foremost.]

[egraegis]

[HMM.

Kira would probably give this guy a second chance...]

Let's start with power connectors, then. We need a way for the generators to accept raw energy from the nuclear core.

i

[egraegis]

[Athrun's pretty deep in the research stage, though he's struggling to focus on words on the pages when he's really feeling the lack of sleep. Maybe he should actually try those energy drinks...

He glances up when he feels the shadow of someone peering at the materials as well.]

See anything interesting?

[Maybe someone to bounce ideas off of would help, honestly.]

[soft_shelled]

Ah yes, without short-circuiting the generators or causing a power surge while doing so. I could make something that could work, problem is I am limited in the size I can make things with my ninpo.

[Donnie is milling over ideas here, but not sending them yet. Also yeah, should probably let Athrun know about the size limit.]

1, on the plane!

[thefinalpower]

[ Power insistently jostles the clock-person's shoulder, craning her neck to peer around him. ]

Hey, hey! Trade places with me, I wish to see out the window!

[ She has never been on an airplane before, and having the complete opposite reaction. Power is thrilled, look at how far up they are! (The novelty will wear off after a few hours of travel, but for now it's exciting!) ]

... If you're about to be sick, the offer is rescinded!

[followyourstar]

< I don't think I can be sick that way... >

[And yet the thought of getting up and moving on this vehicle moving through the sky at speeds they didn't know were possible remains incredibly intimidating.]

< Let me just... Give me a moment. >

[Just don't look. Just don't look.

They fumble with their seatbelt a moment before it clicks free.]

< ...I'm going to have to stand up while this thing is moving, aren't I? >

[thighhighs]

it was never just about the trinket, you know
and how is setting yourself up to possibly die doing good?!
so you die, and nothing come of it! what then? that just makes your death meaningless! you say one life is more than enough, but what is the point if you just waste it, especially if you've got a second chance!?

[egraegis]

Ah, sorry. In your world there's more than one Godzilla? Or there were?

[Since he said he was the only one. He's not sure he gets it. It's not a species or people but there's multiple, huh-

Also really wish he'd stop saying copulation so much!!]

[egraegis]

[The wheel method is so out of his experience that he's not sure what number should make sense, so he'll just have to trust the process, even as it confuses him.]

Not really, no. Although I've been less unlucky this year, besides being dragged to this place.

[egraegis]

We can likely find materials to make up the difference, but it would be a good starting point to have something for the generator's side.

[peoplewatch]

[ Kabru truly thought he could escape doing something silly before the battle. His hand is swiftly taken, and telling Laios he doesn't really want to do this isn't an option (because he might make him sad), so he has no choice. ]

Puff up...? Ummm .... I'll try?! [ How does he do this??? Eventually he ends up holding his breath and waving his arms a little. It isn't giving off an intimidating presence at all. ]

[soft_shelled]

I'll go take a look at the generators and see what I can come up with then.

SLAMS IN HERE TOO BAD YOU GET THIS INSTEAD(cw: drowning, asphyxiation)(heavy on the headcanon sowwy)

[zauneyete]

[ It's dark. Distant lights on the other side of the river glimmer in the cool night air. There's smoke in the distance, fires still burning on a bridge that they're far away from at the moment. In the further distance, starting to roll in, there's the thick heavy clouds of a storm, heavy with rain and the occasional burst of light from the clouds suggests the storm is on its way. Rolling in fast.

You can't quite hear the words. They're low, agitated, two men standing in knee-deep water as they place body after body into the river. Plop, before it drifts away, body after body. One of them is large — a mountain of a man. The other is... small, slight. Thin, and with longer hair tied back in a messy bun. That one gestures, articulating a point, his voice rising to the point that he can hear — 'sacrifice means nothing to you?' —

The other man, seems to still, all coiled muscle and purpose. Anger. It's clear in the way his arms stiffen, the lumbering cant to his shoulders. The other man keeps going, angry, gesturing, talking. The voice is familiar, it's Silco. A very, much younger man than the one Hunter knew. He's passionate, but his words are without that acerbic, bitter bite they normally come with. His left eye is swollen, a cut right under it, and a large, nasty bruise forming.

The man says something, but it isn't audible. Silco's response, however, echoes loud and clear. 'Stop? Like they s —' his voice lowers again to where it isn't heard, but it's getting sharper, an angry hiss. More like the man Hunter knows. He's closing in on the man, but unlike the Silco of now, there's no malice in his approach. The other man though, he says something, again, too low to hear. Something like 'no', and if he stills himself, he'll hear; 'they deserve safety'.

And then, of course, the man Silco is has always been good at inciting violence. He says... something, it's angry, he gestures toward the city lights. The thunder rumbles in the distance. 'They're ' echoes, only just muffled by the thunder. The man reaches out, roaring — it sounds like no — his hands reaching out, wrapping around his neck, before he lunges, pushing him down underneath the water, his hands tightening around his neck. ]

[misclassed]

The "wish," then.

See, this is exactly why a Grail War is a waste of your talents. What kind of mage worries about shit like that for a familiar?

[ And honestly, if the fear of dying in ones sleep is what causes the problem, then uh. this experiment might be worthless. ]

[thighhighs]

[ WHY IS ALL EMIYAS THE SAME ]

stop making excuses!

1/3

[30storieshigh]

Ah. A misunderstanding 🤔. A moment.

2/3

[30storieshigh]

💭
📝
📝
💭
💭
💡
📝
📝
📝
📝
✅

[thighhighs]

[ They had been told not to sleep, and Rin was nothing if not determined to make the best of this... situation. She tries to give herself grace with it — she'd been here a month, she still struggles with the ocular implant, she still doesn't know how to feel about her bodily autonomy being violated to implant it in the first place. But she's also not going to buck the rules, and if she's been asked to not sleep, then she'll stay awake.

Most mages have their own ways of keeping themselves up when need be, but all of them require more mana than Rin is willing to really part with when there are other, non-mage, ways to try and stay awake. While her mana isn't as limited as someone who doesn't carry her circuits, it's still a finite resource (albeit one she can replenish, given enough time). So. Monster energy drinks and coffee it is, which allows a person to stay awake, but... isn't exactly great for their temper. Especially if they're already on a short fuse.

She protests as he steers her towards the couch, but even to her own ears she can hear the exhaustion in it despite her efforts to keep it at bay. Well, she thinks as she settles, curling her knees up and closing her eyes. Maybe five minutes won't hurt.

It's that scent that wakes her. That scent of woodsmoke and something else, something nostalgic that she can't quite put her finger on but makes her think of happier days. The weight on her shoulders and legs comes next, followed by the heavier weight pressed into her side, the tactile roughness of skin against her wrist, and now she wakes all at once, the heat of his hands burning a brand into her palm and there's a distant part of her that thinks she's going to feel the heat of his thumb on her skin for the rest of her life. She's careful when she moves to get a better look at him, only just barely able to see his face pressed to her shoulder.

For one of the few times in her life, Rin doesn't know what to do. She doesn't dare disturb him, not with how peaceful he looks. And she can feel him absorbing her mana like a sponge — she's clearly not the only one who's needed the rest, and she's not going to deny him what he plainly needs to recover. And, perhaps, if she's allowing herself a little bit of honesty, it's nice. It's what she and Shirou would have done had she not been dragged here, right? Or at least something similar.

She knows it's not him. She knows. But, just for a moment, she lets herself pretend.

It can't last, though, at least not this way. Her legs are starting to cramp, and with a tinge of regret she slowly starts to move, trying her best to not disturb him while still stretching her legs out under the haori until her feet are resting on the floor. She only jostles him a couple of times, but at least her hand is still in his, and she tries to shift back to where he'd been resting previously but the movement is just a hair too much and before she can stop it he's slipping down her torso until his head rests in her lap, the haori sliding down to pool at her feet. It takes her another moment to compose herself, and she reaches down for the haori, doing her best to toss it over him like a blanket.

And then she picks his hand back up, and starts letting her mana flow back into him. ]

1/2.

[misclassed]

I'm not.

I am in the unique position of knowing exactly what my own life is worth, and get to set the price when I want to and when it can do the most good.

[misclassed]

Now, granted, I'd prefer this just be a threat that we can put up a couple barriers for, bait in, and then kick the ass of, 'cause I wanna go back to Kyoto and finish building my forge, dammit. I haven't gotten to work my own fire on personal projects the entire goddamn time I've been summoned.