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𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚡 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚜 ([personal profile] synfluxmods) wrote in [community profile] synflux2025-05-15 08:31 am

DOWNTIME MINGLE #8

DOWNTIME MINGLE #8


CONTENT WARNINGS: disease, epidemics, COVID-like illness, lockdowns

▶ 001. WINNER'S CIRCLE

In light of everyone's recent help with both the ocean exploration and the clinical trials, the Outsiders will return one day to a surprisingly well-decorated area within the mess hall at the Kyoto base. It's been adorned with some of the flowers that have wildly bloomed on the outskirts of the city in various areas, as well as those that the researchers had been personally working on fostering in the LILITH greenhouses. Beneath it will be not a pizza party for once, and charcuterie and other donated food items will be there for Outsiders to enjoy. There is even some recognizable cuisine from Egypt for them as well!
GOOD JOB:
FORGERY (K.O.)
AKATSUKI (600)
BANKERBOY (600)
Thanks to the Outsiders’ hard work, they are met with positive reception by the general public, which seems to have grown astronomically since the past two missions. This has only grown from their recent success abroad. Per usual, there are a few oddities that have caught on in the city.

While Neo Tokyo has always been noted as being a city of technology (even with their dwindling resources), a new trend of collecting swords has sparked in the city. Maybe they've seen it in certain Outsiders, but the idea of both collecting swords, displaying them, or even holding exhibitions for them have become more common. Some have even taken to hunting for them in the wild.

If any Outsiders are interested, there appears to be several posts online in which they think older blades may be laying in sleep. But, as with most rumors, there's no guarantee it isn't a wild goose chase.

On TV, the new spring line up is out. A new live action series featuring a group of friends who fight kaiju using mecha has made its debut. Their mecha are animal themed and can combine to create a super mecha. The new lead is a hot headed female character with a lion mecha, which spawns a line of action figures in stores across the city. The lion mecha is the most popular and often resold online for inflated prices. Maybe an Outsider can get their hands on one without paying the scalping fee?

Oftentimes when it comes to the Outsiders and the general masses, there's a distinct disconnect. Which is why it all seems to hinge on rumors and hearsay. Who knows where the information stems from, but they heard a certain Outsider has a liking for bread. There will be no shortage of bread sponsorships for the base, though... some may be far more experimental. However, some claim lab-grown bread may actually be tastier? Only one way to put it to the test. The lab-grown bread conveniently also comes in cans.

▶ 002. FROM SUMER WITH LOVE.

Around the same time, a few LILITH employees show signs of a common cold – nothing noteworthy at first really, if only out-of-season. But then the disease starts spreading at an alarming rate within the headquarters, its symptoms evolving from a mere cold to a severe life-threatening flu. Preliminary analysis reveals the disease to be unlike any known on this planet – perhaps this is why no medicines work. Symptoms include chest pain, trouble breathing, nausea, excessive vomiting and diarrhea, chills and high fever.

To make matters worse, news from LILITH locations around the world reveal all known bases to be afflicted by the same mysterious epidemic, only affecting LILITH staff and not Outsiders at this time. This cannot be a coincidence: LILITH is under attack.. but how is something like this possible?

As researchers race to try and understand the disease, LILITH will request everyone to quarantine themselves on base for the safety of the public. Gradually, the disease spreads across the base only for tests to reveal: the Outsiders are left unaffected.

As the month progresses, more and more of LILITH’s employees find themselves bedridden with the deadly disease until by the 30th of May, only Outsiders are left standing and healthy; all the LILITH crew has been affected. The civilian population outside the base is safe for now, but for how long? Unless something is done, it is estimated all humans working for LILITH will be dead by late June.

"Greetings, my children. Worry not. I come here to report some concerning news: both Captain Yamakawa and Commander Shiro have fallen gravely ill. Since I am an A.I assistant, my health is optimal. Seok Dang has also fallen ill, though he is still in denial of it. I will do my best to take care of each and every one of— "


"BULLSHIT!! This is nothing! I've had hangovers worse than this, you hear me? Calm your terabyte-tits, bitch. I'm here. There ain't nothin' that is gonna stop me, in fact, with the higher ups feelin' like shit, that would put me in command, right? W-Wait, hold that thought, I.. feel like I'm gonna throw up."


Seok Dang tried to stay on the line, but all that was heard was gut-wretching vomiting, to which SYNTHIA promptly cuts his connection. Sorry about that.

It is up to the Outsiders to find the source of the disease and resolve the crisis before all hope is lost. Is this somehow related to those Outsiders who recently disappeared? Wait, aren’t there a few Outsiders here who have seen this flu before and can recognize it…?

▶ 003. LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCKDOWN.

While everyone is quarantined on base, they are encouraged to communicate with each other through the network. During this time, they can do research, share ideas, and try to figure out what is happening as the disease spreads across base and around the world.

While they are in lock down, LILITH encourages the Outsiders to pick up some new hobbies and interests to keep themselves active. They will have access to various workout videos. Some of the videos are hosted by cyborg coaches that expect Outsiders to do things with their bodies that probably aren't physically possible. Other Outsiders might get simple ovens and jars of suspicious "starters" to bake. Of course, there are other hobbies like growing miniature artificial plants, board games, virtual reality games, and more to keep them interested while they're trapped inside!

After about a week, when it becomes obvious the Outsiders are unaffected, they will be allowed to leave their rooms and roam freely to assist. LILITH does not understand why they are not affected but they are depending on the Outsiders for help now more than ever.

Though they are free to wander and seem to be immune for the time being, LILITH warns if they experience any cold-like symptoms, they should report their status and quarantine immediately.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD + SPECIAL NOTE.

Welcome to May's downtime mingle! All tags on this log are worth 2 points.

The June Event is a player plot that is going to differ from regular events in a few ways: Outsiders have to find the location for the next Kaiju fight on their own using hints given in the From Sumer With Love prompt, and correlating them with the past and ongoing disappearance of various Outsiders. They can use LILITH’s equipment to look for anomalies across the globe, however there is not enough time to scan or contact every region in the world. Outsiders need to guess where the anomaly likely is before they can get confirmation. There is a PLOTTING post for this event over here.

Furthermore, they will have to reach this destination through their own means as there is no LILITH staff left to fly them there. Vehicles can be requisitioned, but will have to be flown by Outsiders on their own. This also means Outsiders are free to stay behind at the base if they prefer, as nobody will force them to go. Pain-relieving medicines can also be developed if the true nature of the disease is found and the appropriate characters work on it, though nothing short of defeating the anomaly will solve this crisis and save everyone.

Last but not least: this event will have two Kaiju battles, one on each log as well as many different challenges the Outsiders will have to solve on their own if they want to save LILITH and bring home their missing friends! Please use this thread to ask questions and offer your proposals as to what the Outsiders should do (location guessing, transport, etc). Proposals made in this thread will affect the first and second prompts of the first log.


EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. WINNER'S CIRCLE: The heavy hitters/KO winners of the last kaiju fight receive their sponsorships and inspire new trends, including an interest in collecting swords, a new live action series (like Power Rangers), and free bread.

2. FROM SUMER WITH LOVE: A mysterious disease spreads across LILITH's bases. The symptoms are like the common cold/flu but much more severe. There is currently no cure. Outsiders seem to be immune to the disease. After quarantining, they are encouraged to investigate and come up with plans for the battle to come.

3. LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCKDOWN: While on lockdown, Outsiders are encouraged to try some new hobbies. They can also communicate through the network and do research to uncover additional clues and come up with more plans.
newphew: (head out w/ the smile)

jinx

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-18 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ hunter shows off his hunting (wink) and tracking skills by tracking jinx down, wherever she may be. he's got flapjack on his shoulder and he approaches ]

Jinx.

[ how you doing girl.... whacha working on.... ]
powderkegs: (Drooling for a squeaky)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-19 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ she hasn't been sleeping. not that she sleeps much, but. she feels heavy. even as her fingers dance around the parts, welding and working towards her weapons, making sure there are no mistakes, no problems, nothing to get in her way —

but. she is a jinx. dread coils in her chest. she is too late. she'll make it. he'll be dead. she'll mess up and silco, silco will pay the price. she is exhausted of herself. she chose being jinx, but she feels like it was her own designated cage. she'll never escape.

none of that is apparent when she looks up to see hunter. ]


Heeey, Pointy. What's up?
newphew: ((you can flyyyyyy))

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-19 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she looks fine, but he knows better. he's watched her on the network, laying onto people, lashing out, trying to get people to leave her alone. he's too stubborn for that. and he's too stubborn to take her at her appearance, that she's just fine and unaffected ]

Hunter.

[ he knows it's futile, but he says it anyway ]

Came to help you out. [ also to make sure she wasn't alone ] What are you working on?
powderkegs: (Goodbye goodbye)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-20 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
Got my drone network up and running~

[ she twirls her pistol as she pops out a little round crystal that seems to glow unnaturally. ]

Just making sure my baby here is good to go.
newphew: (of an ~angel~ uwu)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-20 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
Good. [ at the drone network ]

What's that? Some kind of magic artifact?

[ it's glowy.... ]
powderkegs: (And worst of all)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-20 07:26 am (UTC)(link)
Something like that.

[ taking on a tone that resembles jayce's voice, graveled and self-important. ]

It's magic in its purest form. A way to change the world for the better! The most powerful little doohickey there is.

[ jinx plops it back into her tiny pistol, her voice reverting to normal. ]

Or something like that, like I said. It's just power. Whoever has this, has power.
newphew: (i've ran out of lyrics)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-22 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
... Right. Powerful magic, got it.

[ he doesn't have any context for who she's making fun of, but he knows it's not him, so he's fine with it. ]

[ he considers asking her how she's feeling, but hesitates. instead, he just gives her a concerned look, and then pipes up with a: ]


I can share the group's findings so far. I think I might have an idea of where Silco is, or at least somewhere to send your drones to scout out.
powderkegs: (To be words spit in a mic)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-23 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ jinx snaps the barrel shut with one smooth click. her expression has yet to change. ]

Hit me Pointy. What have you got?
newphew: (so here we go)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-24 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he really wonders ]

[ but for now, it's time to give report ]


Ereshkigal is most likely responsible for everyone else's kidnapping. She's in the underworld, which has a real life location in Iraq -- [ he sends her some maps with a more specific location marked, if she wants to send her drones ]. The entrance is likely in a cave somewhere, and I'll be using my palisman magic to help find it when we get there. Silco should be there. And he's not dead -- we know that much.
powderkegs: (Ready to go whenever)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-25 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ hm. was it really her? jinx just has a hard time believing that. she didn't know ereshkigal closely, but they met. it's just not the impression she got from her. though who knows anyone? guess they'll find out for themselves when they get there.

silco is alive. jinx observes this for a moment, concentrating. ]


Your palisman thingy. Good for two?
newphew: (your brilliance)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-25 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it doesn't seem like it could be ereshkigal, either, just based on temperament. but all the information he's found so far is pointing towards her, so, he tries to keep his own thoughts out of it, just reporting based on the information he's collected ]

Like-- as a ride? Yeah. I've also got a hovercraft. Either way, I can get you where you need to go.

[ and he's pretty confident about that ]
powderkegs: (I'll show you I'm a devil)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-26 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
Then you better be packed. Might as well head out as soon as we can.

[ jinx plucks a few bombs. whistles for a few of her little firelights. they come flying by, settling on a desk. ]
newphew: (your brilliance)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-27 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
I've got everything I need. [ he seems to pack extremely light, considering whatever he has is shoved in his pockets ]

And I don't care about the quarantine. We can leave whenever you're ready.

[ sneaking out sneaking out... ]
powderkegs: (We will return like warriors)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-27 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ she nods, giving him a loose fingergun. p-shooo. then she lets her hand drop, expression shifting. ]

Hey, why are you doing this anyway? It's not like Silco's all that nice to you.
newphew: (so here we go)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-27 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ he squints at her gesture ]

What is that?

[ teach him, o jinx... ]

... He's fine. [ ironically, he's probably closer to silco than anyone else missing. he shoves his hands in his pockets, shuffling awkwardly ] I'm not planning on leaving any one of us behind. Whether they're nice or not.
powderkegs: (Being a wreck of emotions)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-27 09:06 am (UTC)(link)
You don't know?

[ jinx takes her pistol, pointing it at the side of her head. ]

It's a gun, silly. Bang!

[ she pretends to dramatically pull the trigger, letting her head loll. ]

The number one way to get your enemies.

[ she then slots her gun away. pats the holster. ]

Also "fine"? Is something Silco's definitely not. But I get it. You're the bleeding heart type. You do this over and over and over. So that people will like you.
newphew: (bask in the sunlight)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-05-28 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
So you were.... killing me with your fingers? [ i'm sorry jinx he understands nothing ]

[ tilting his head ]


I'm used to people like him. It's not a big deal. [ frankly, silco's better than belos ] But no, I'm not--- I don't care if people like me. It's got nothing to do with that. I'm just.... trying to be better than I was. Trying to change.
powderkegs: (I'll never be a saint)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-05-29 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
Killing me, killing myself. It's a fun lil' thing to get your point across.

[ she grabs his arm to force his fingers in position. ]

Now you try it. Get me right in the heart.
newphew: (no matter when or where)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-06-13 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Why? How?

[ explain it to him, jinx, he doesn't get it!! ]

[ he hesitantly raises his hand and does the finger gun motion, pausing like it's actually going to hurt her. nerd. ]
powderkegs: (Cut our teeth)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-06-14 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
Okay, now do a little finger snap.

[ she's gonna do the same. levels her arm just against his, does a little gun motion that ends with a fingersnap and two fingers pointed at him. ]
newphew: (you are not on your own)

[personal profile] newphew 2025-06-16 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ despite how hesitant he is, he manages to duplicate the motion pretty easily ]

Does this... mean anything?
powderkegs: (Had I thought about wreaking)

[personal profile] powderkegs 2025-06-17 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
It's a bestie handshake.

Like it? I made it myself.

[ with some help with isha. ]