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

[not_laurent]

We could, but it looks like dinner is on the way, hmm?

[Meals are starting to get handed out in the other sections. Considering they're airplane meals, they don't look too bad.]

Splitting up seems dangerous, but if I remember what I read, there were two kaiju at one time? What awful luck. Hopefully that won't be the case this time. One sounds terrible enough!

[Though he doesn't sound too worried. Not yet, anyway. Experienced fighter that Roland is, it's still hard to comprehend the scale of a kaiju until you're face to face with one yourself.]

[not_laurent]

Ah, of course. Company is always welcome.

[Once outsider their temporary base, Roland stops after a few paces to close his eyes, and takes a few cleansing breaths of crisp air. Plenty of stars in that dark sky too. When he stops, he looks and feels slightly more alive.]

The sun should be up by now, hmm.

[It should be rising at this point, but no sign of it yet. Thanks to whatever what going on that was causing the delayed sunrises and prolonged nights.]

Can't even sleep away the long night hours, either.

notes -- very vague non-explicit references to nsfw things bc THIRSTY OUTSIDERS b like

[gilgamess]

Perhaps you might bring such a beast to the slaughter and find out!

[ ... is he joking? That is really hard to tell. Well, they probably aren't supposed to be offing their rides... ]

I had heard that LILITH's food offerings were on the more atrocious side, so I might have said it would be better than our current fare... but since the time of my arrival, the meals have been... acceptable.

[ His arrival, the Kaijucon, and now their journey on the mission... decent food all around. Much better than what Gilgamesh had been given to understand was the norm. Perhaps his kingly presence brings good luck? Or perhaps there is something deeper going on in the organization. HMMM... ]

Certainly! The features of such beasts are common in the romance poetry of my kingdom. Though I suppose, with Uruk, it would be cows -- yet these animals do have eyelashes that would inspire the scribes. LILITH seems to have organized a strangely amorous-minded group of individuals, so I do not doubt some are making such metaphors in their art.

[ Somewhere, Dearka sneezes?

Gilgamesh is here to fight kaiju but everyone seems to be doing a romance every which way he looks. Someone like Ereshkigal must feel really at home here, living vicariously through all these lovebirds. She must be very joyful with that. Well, it is whatever it is. Perhaps all the embracing the Outsiders are doing with one another keeps their bodies fit and keeps morale up or something of the sort. His Uruk was like that, too. ]

Hmm, well, are you going to mount it?

[saudadist]

not with that attitude

look up lucid dreaming and give it a shot

[lionize]

[It's hard to dig into a pack when laughing as hard as she is, but eventually Cagalli manages it and tosses him an apple. In a show of solidarity, she soon follows, the gap between the pair closing with each step.

As Athrun tries to persuade the camel to switch snacks, she reaches up and begins to fix his hair.]

First time meeting a camel, huh?

[blastedass]

[Bakugo's already experienced two kaiju with mental powers, having fought his brainwashed teammates and shared painful memories with others. Neither of them were happy experiences and he isn't looking forward to another variation of it. Mental things aren't crap you can punch with your fist.]

Huh? [Unfortunately he was focused more on Jinwoo than his own shadow behind him, so misses the quiver even in his peripheral.] The hell do you mean by that?

[blastedass]

Aa. We're gonna gather at some ruins for the night.

You should be able to track us there.

[Unless he simply zips over to Bakugo now and they get there together.]

[thefinalpower]

[ Power gives them an extremely pointy grin and shuffles past, collapsing into the freed-up window seat with a satisfied oomph! ]

They do, but I've never been in one before. I went on a ferry once, but that isn't nearly as high as this! Look, look at how puny the human civilizations are!

[ Power, they moved out of the window seat because they didn't enjoy the view. ]

[zauneyete]

[ His good eye narrows, and the unmarred side of his face curls up in a little bit of a sneer. ]

I don't think that should matter. Where I am from, they can circumnavigate the planet quickly. For being so advanced, they surely should have figured out how to make this better by now.

[ Says Silco, a man who does not travel, but thinks that he's been in the air long enough that he doesn't care.

So he's become cranky about it. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Well that's true. He is at least honest about being the most unpalatable person in at least his team, although Sukuna is giving him a run for his money.

To be fair, he's a normal guy with at least somewhat decent aims (albeit via the worst way possible and an obsession with becoming a monster) compared to a hundreds year old curse. So. You know. It's probably obvious why Silco is the better pick here.

By a very, very slim margin. ]

I don't see why this can't be quicker. [ He says with a sniff. ] Or at the very least, give us better accommodations for the trip.

[ He'd rather drive. (Silco, you cannot.) Really, he just hates flying. ]

[followyourstar]

< Y-Yep! They sure as small! >

[They say as they settle into the seat beside her, pointedly not looking out the window and ticking a little faster]

[busternaut]

[Well, hell. That's even more compelling, as far as evidence goes.]

Damn. This is a fun job they've given us, huh? Expecting us to solve a problem that's been here for thousands of years?

[blastedass]

Tch, that fucking thing. [Bakugo rolls his eyes as he ducks his head slightly, moving his hood to keep the sun out of his face.] I don't trust it.

[So he never got it. Bakugo's one of the few who hasn't gotten a single internal upgrade from LILITH. His only requests have been external things, like his car, his motorcycle, and two pairs of tracker rings.]

Last year they stuck everyone who had one in maid outfits. [Which was a deliberate choice by that damn SD guy running the chips.

Ew. That strong a coffee? Vash'll be up for days.]

You're not gonna have to deal with that for now.

[blastedass]

[a final question. a whispered wonder of whether he'll ever be able to reach again those heights he always told himself he alone would hold. until the one person he never wanted to ever see ahead of him, soared past. to the point the very villain in front of him, who at one time focused so intently on him as to kidnap him with intent of turning him into a villain, dismissed him as nothing. even mocking him earlier over his pale comparison to izuku. amid his allies' broken bodies and running blood, one defeat after another left them clinging to a single hope striking ever closer to him in a green light. and yet... it wasn't enough. he wasn't enough. would he ever again be able to reclaim what was lost? did he deserve to? after what he said, what he did, when all of this light bursting and glittering around him coalesces into a single ball of condensed power... thudding, beating, faster,harder,quickerhotterclosertighdont-

*WHAM*

pain explodes across his face, knocking his head to the side in a snap he swears almost broke his fucking neck. red eyes fly open, head twitching from its sideways splay on the pillow, breath rushing from his lips in gasping spills. his chest rises and falls in frantic heaves, sucking in air as if he's come from a drowning moment. memories flood across his mind, swimming adrenaline through his veins and leaving his skin tingling with numb fingers and clenching skin far too tight on his body. he's drenched in sweat, several droplets splashed across the floor beside his averted head. cheek burning, jaw aching, head splitting, but... he's awake.

bakugo's expression wrinkles into a harsh cringes, squeezing his eyes shut and furrowing his brows as he recoils back into himself. ugh, fuck, that really hurt! gonna have a damn bruise on his cheek! he rolls his head back to the crown, finding himself staring at his boyfriend straddling his chest with a single bleeding hand hovering overhead, torso swelling like bellows under his panicked expression. what... what the fuck was... his memories... the dream... oh shit... right...]

Fuck... do that sooner next time, bastard. [and sags boneless to the bed again.]

[golmi]

Good, just like that.

[ It’s satisfying in a weird little way; way back yonder, Lina would gripe and inevitably leave it to Gourry to muscle everything into place. Here, Bakugo is as attentive a study as he is easy with his strength. ]

Now, the saddle pads go in front and behind the hump, like so. With the back pad, keep in mind where the hipbone is; you want to avoid anything sitting on it.

[ As an instructor, Zelgadis is surprisingly patient, particularly when the subject at hand (the camel) is being such a good sport about it. Someone deserved a carrot or two today. Bakugo being so quick to catch on was an added plus. ]

And then another blanket, just like the first.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco's head tipped curiously. Renowned for it, was she?

He bit back his own half-yawn, staring at her for a long moment, his one unblinking eye a glimmer of light in the dark. ]

I'm afraid I live to disappoint. [ He says, with a slight twitch of his lips. He thinks it's funny, more that she was mistaking him for an animal, than the fact that he was a disappointment.

Although, her question gets a mild look out of him. ]

It glows because it does. [ A beat. ] Consider it a side-effect.

[ You know, of the drugs he does ]

[fursuit]

[ he's a little concerned with how well Kaladin seems to predict his moods and intentionally contrary actions by now. hm, ]

yeah generally. can also mean figuring out information about the past or present based on supernatural forces but tends to be focused towards the future. it's what people tend to have more questions about

[ ...the more he thinks about this the more it bothers him... ]

if you're going to fuss over me I'm gonna do it back. bet you ain't doing so hot either

[synfluxmods]

That's fine, best of luck.

[synfluxmods]

I'm not an Egyptian researcher, so it is whatever metal was used in the ancient times. ;) it's about 500 AD.

Yes. Hold it gently. Like hamburger.

[synfluxmods]

It's random.

[synfluxmods]

Some usable, some not. About 10 of them.

[synfluxmods]

The drone didn't survive long enough to travel different places.

[kaizou]

You think they're more insane than I am?

[Really? Gigan doesn't perceive this as either an insult or a compliment, for that matter—just as a surprise. Are there people crazier than him? Maybe Silco, in his Silco way? Gigan's not so sure about the others, though on the other hand, he does also like all of Brimstone, which probably means none of them are normal. Except Fujino. And Makima.

But couldn't the same be said of any of the other teams? Hmm.]

I'd say maybe they put all the crazy people together, but all the other teams got plenty of crazy people on 'em too. Maybe LILITH picks us that way on purpose!

[Seems pretty likely, actually.]

[synfluxmods]

There's really nothing to be found in the sky or seen from an aerial view. Are you sure?

[kidobutai]

Yeah, it'd be more in character for her use her aircraft to help look around. *shrugs*