TRAVEL LOG #6

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #6

CONTENT WARNINGS: sickness, insects/bugs, rift poisoning, mutated animals, poison (and poisonous creatures), blood offerings.

▶ 001. ¡Vamos!

As much as one might want to take things easy and continue to recover from an eventful summer, LILITH's objective continues. Early in August, an alarm blares and everyone will get a call through their implants to come for debriefing. Yamakawa will explain they have received a request from Mexico City for support. Unusual rift activity has been confirmed in the region and they are asking for support to prepare for imminent conflict. Who knows what could await here?

Fortunately, the request is from their LILITH branch and all facilities are operational. It will be easy to use a data portal for easy access. As with all data portals, the Outsiders will be warned of potential side effects that may come from traveling great distances. Side effects include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and occasional glitching with their cybertech. All effects should wear off within 24 to 48 hours. If symptoms last longer, they are urged to seek meditech assistance in Mexico City to receive stabilizers. Like before, Outsiders will be told that making physical contact with one another by any means during transportation can reduce the risk of feeling any side effects, whether it be an embrace or holding hands... or attempting to strangle someone if you're a hater (looking at you, Silco.)

Due to warping, they will be limited to taking only what they can carry. Those who wish to take larger items will have to wait a few days for them to be gradually transported by air or industrial warp portals. Yamakawa and the rest of the staff in Tokyo will tell everyone not to worry because Mexico City has excellent infrastructure to facilitate their transportation needs.

Everyone will be given 24 hours to pack and prepare for departure. Before they leave, Dr. Spim and Alex will inform them of a promising research opportunity under the guidance of a colleague, Dr. Flores. Dr. Spim will share a verification code with them to show to Dr. Flores if they are interested in assisting. 

After 24 hours, everyone will be ordered to warp to Mexico City. In an instant, the Outsiders will find themselves at the LILITH base in Mexico City.

▶ 002. SKYSCRAPERS AND TREES.

An officer by the name of Morales will greet them and introduce herself as their point of contact. She'll give everyone a debrief file to download through their implants to instantly get them up to speed. Along with the unusual rift activity, the population has started to show symptoms that have given them cause for concern. Many people are falling ill, becoming lethargic, and demonstrating explosively angry, violent, and otherwise acting out. The longer it goes on, the more people are affected, and it’s starting to cause more trouble in the city itself as infrastructure fails.

When they leave the base, they will find themselves in the warm, humid, and very green metropolis of Mexico City. Over the years, the forests and jungles of the region have swallowed up many towns and cities, leaving the city completely surrounded by forest. The locals have embraced their environment over many years while modernizing, resulting in the city having a mix of cyber technology and nature. Mexico City and the rainforest around it almost seems to be one living, thriving being. The plants naturally shade the hot sidewalks, and people have created a large number of filtered reservoirs that the rainforest thrives from. The large canopies are half as high as the remaining skyscrapers, but most buildings are built underneath the treeline, leaving most thriving underneath the shady canopy.

Outsiders may see some "new" animals such as real hummingbirds, butterflies, macaws, and iguanas with unique traits like neon designs and unusual sizes. They say there are even more animals and variants in the jungle. Beware of certain birds and insects that make locals sick when they come in contact with their dropped pollen. In the same vein, some of the flowers and plant life seem to also show rift mutations, but for the most part, most locals seem unbothered by these, and if Outsiders ask, they’ll be informed that they’ve been like that for a long time, and were never of any concern.

Outsiders can also meet with Dr. Flores, a LILITH researcher who is studying the effects of Rift poisoning and how to counter them. He theorizes that some plants may have evolved to purify the air or treat Rift sickness. In fact, his team has been treating some of these new rift poisoning cases with a trial drug that has had promising results. However, supplies are very limited and he needs help collecting more plants from the forest. In addition, he needs help catching some of the animal carriers so he can understand the nature of the poison they are carrying. He will ask for help capturing butterflies, bees, beetles, and hummingbirds.

▶ 003. THE FUTURE WILL BE GREEN.

The Outsiders will be given orders to visit areas that have unusual Rift readings. By now, anyone with large items from Tokyo should have them but for those who do not have vehicles, LILITH Mexico will supply them with jeeps to navigate the dense jungles. LILITH Japan will assist local agents who are exploring the south of the city. Outsiders will also be given an additional file to download that will give them a run-down of the area, including the plants, animals, known paths, and key landmarks.

The journey through the jungle is not easy. While there are access roads, they have suddenly become overgrown with plantlife, and it is increasingly hostile. They will have to get out and clear the path in some places. As they head deeper into the jungle, the plant life becomes more wild and shows signs of mutation. They will find vines that grow quickly in front of their eyes, blocking their paths as quickly as they had cleared them, and they are becoming increasingly dangerous with spined, poisonous vines, wild roving carnivores like jaguars, and large predatory birds that will divebomb outsiders as they progress deeper into the forests. Luckily, if they make it deep enough, the locals will help them find the easiest and safest routes to travel.

Some of these roads might lead them to former cities and towns. These towns have been completely overgrown by plantlife and are largely abandoned save for some stubborn families that refused to leave their homelands and some researchers. They are largely friendly and will help the Outsiders and agents who decide to rest on their journeys. 

They may be able to scavenge for supplies like old emergency rations, blankets, and pieces of technology that were left behind decades ago. But be careful! Since these areas have been taken over by nature, they may run into common regional kaiju like mutated wild dogs, monkeys, and even jaguars. 

▶ 004. NATURE FINDS A WAY.

The kaiju and mutated plants aren't the only thing they need to watch out for in the forest. While traveling, some outsiders might find a regular jaguar attacking a mutated macaw kaiju and winning. It seems that while some animals have mutated into kaiju to survive, other animals have simply evolved to compete with them. As outsiders progress into the forest, at first the local fauna will attack if anyone gets close to them, but the deeper outsiders go, the more the creatures give them a wider berth, and won’t attack. If you see a local, non-corrupted creature deep in the woods, chances are it will watch or flee, rather than attack.

Outsiders will be warned to be careful of poisonous frogs both regular and mutated. These frogs are often a sign that pitcher plants are nearby. These plants have evolved to be large enough to swallow a large animal or person if one gets too close. For the most part, these pitcher plants are stationary but some may use their leaves or nearby wild vines to trip unsuspecting prey into their flower.

These aren’t the only plants that outsiders can encounter as they venture deeper into the forest. The deeper they go, the more frequently rift-corrupted pollinators are found swarming some of the large, rift-corrupted flowers, and as soon as their legs or beaks are laden, they fly off, only to be replaced by more. They aren’t great carriers, so pollen drifts on the wind. Outsiders should keep their rift-protection up, because the pollen causes rift-corruption along with other side effects such as: violent tendencies, explosive anger, and insatiable appetites (of any kind). The pollinators will escape deeper into the forest. If an outsider follows, please let the mod team know!

▶ 005. THERE WERE ONCE CITIES.

As Outsiders travel further into the jungle where civilization has a harder and harder time taking root, they instead find remnants of those that came before. There are buildings in the lush jungles, but they’re truly ancient. Sometimes, the stonework stands out and is easy to find, but at other times, the buildings are completely overgrown with vines and flowers that will take extra effort to explore. Regardless of which kind they find, the carved, geometric artwork makes it clear that these are ruins from Aztec and Mayan cultures.

Exploring the ruins will reveal very little in the way of ancient treasures (or rolling boulder traps), since anything that could be taken was already looted long ago. They’ll make suitable shelter for the forest, at least, since curiously, the more dangerous elements don’t seem to enter. In fact, they very specifically stay away.

Each set of ruins also includes one building that stands above all others. Ascending the tall pyramids will lead to a central, round room at the apex that are all united in its details, even if they’re clearly done at different times. The ceiling is dotted as a starscape, and at the center is a painted, black circle. Underneath this lays what’s clearly an altar. The altar has a depression in its center and a channel that leads down its side, as if it’s expecting liquid.

OFFERING: THE BLOOD OF OUTSIDERS AND HUMANS:

No matter the amount, characters immediately feel lightheaded, as if they’d given a large portion of blood (even if they’re not giving their own).

Within 24 hours, an unusually patterned bruise will appear somewhere on their body.

Characters who make this sacrifice will swap abilities with each other, but will notice that their newfound abilities are notably weaker than if the original owner still had them.

OFFERING: THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS:

Characters become more connected to the animals of the forest.

They will take on one feature of a local animal, such as lightly poisonous skin, improved night vision, or ears/tail.

They’ll also find they can talk to their related animal.

OFFERING: ... OTHER BODILY FLUIDS...?:

The altar is disappointed in you.

There is no other effect.

OFFERING: WATER/PLANT SAP:

Characters become more connected to the forest.

Skin takes on a greenish tint, and they’re able to minorly control plants.

They’ll feel like they can commune with the forest, and will be able to telepathically talk with any others who make this offering.

OFFERING: ANYTHING ELSE (ANY OTHER MATERIALS):

There is no effect.

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our sixth travel log! Below, you will see the link to the MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET post that has information about the kaiju below along with OFFERING EFFECTS. Fill out the form for RNG Attacks and whether you would like to receive an OFFERING 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.

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

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. VAMOS!: Outsiders travel to Mexico after receiving a request for support as there has been unusual rift activity in the area. A portal is avaliable to take Outsiders to the location, but are advisted to travel light.


2. SKYSCRAPERS AND TREES: LILITH officer Morales greets outsiders and explains the situation: civillians have begun to grow sick and strange animals have begun to appear. A LILITH researcher is theorising that plants have evolved to purify the air. He requests help catching creatures for research.


3. THE FUTURE WILL BE GREEN: Outsiders are tasked with visiting areas with odd Rift readings. They will be required to journey through the jungle, finding overgrown towns and cities, scavenge supplies, while being wary of native creatures.


4. NATURE FINDS A WAY: Regular animals are fighting against kaiju and winning; local fauna attacks anyone who gets close, and poisonous frogs attack. The deeper Outsiders go, the more dangerous it becomes.


5. THERE WERE ONCE CITIES: Deep in the jungle, an ancient ruin can be found. Outsiders are able to make "offerings" at an altar for various effects, depending on the offering.

code

Comments

Silco | Arcane | Brimstone

[zauneyete]

o1. Highway Robbery (yes it's just more crime)

[ It's green. It's bright. It's hot. It's raining, then it isn't, and then it is. Everyone seems... used to the rain, and all it does is collect in reservoirs and in containers, rain-barrels and into little troughs that some of the clearly rift-corrupted wildlife seems to drink from. None of it's really noticed by Silco, who seems to move through the city like a dark little cloud. Like oil slick drifting across the surface of water. Poisonous. Unwelcome.

Mexico City is vibrant, and thriving. Warm, and happy. Pleasant. It's verdant and a place of plenty, and people are not wanting for much. But they do still want. How could they not? People always want.

While the rest of the Outsiders go the ways they always do, to help, Silco goes down. The older city areas, the ones that seem to show the rot, because forests always have rot. Low to the ground, at the bottom of the reservoir's outlet, where the water pools and the buildings are more decrepit. It is here that he finds what he wants to find.

He watches, the first hour, does a few rounds through a crowded market, where the goods are looking less and less legal. Where the people are negotiating with stronger words, fights break out, and someone gets thrown out of the bar at some point, near his feet. He steps aside to avoid the man. ]

There we are.

[ If an outsider is around this area, they'll probably recognize the low voice, even as he starts to make his way into the bar, hands clasped behind his back. Anyone that follows will find him already leaning across the bar, his voice low. He is asking questions — though given the area, it's probably not that surprising that Silco is already drawing curious glances as he leans against the bar, his fingers tapping on the wood of the bar and the bartender is already pouring him a drink.

What he's asking after, however, is harder to hear from the door. You'll have to get closer. ]

o2. Jeep Tricks

[ Investigating into the forest isn't for him. Somehow, he has been drug into a jeep by someone, and he's refusing to drive. Thankfully, the jeeps are open air, so nobody he's with is subjected to the putrid smells of his cigars, but the forest certainly seems to dislike it. The deeper they go, the more frequently they have to stop. Silco doesn't seem to be inclined to help move or remove the vines, but he is doing something — smoking. The leaves seem to curl away from the smoke, the heat of his ash leaves droplets of dark ash.

Silco himself doesn't even really notice it, that the combined look of the cherry of his smoke, and his eye, has drawn something in.

He's peering one way into the forest, but something... is watching back.

And it doesn't enjoy the smell, either.

He's puffing away, blowing putrid smoke and ash when there's a scuttling from the underbrush. Silco only slightly jumps, before a little guy jumps out from the underbrush. Vibrant red and it's little throat bubbling.

Silco takes a step back, but there are vines in the way.

They seem to be placed in such a way that... well. Is it moving? Tightening around his ankle?

It's quick enough, the way the vines seem to tighten, and pull, looped around a branch to hoist the thin man upside down. The cigar goes flying, to hiss and pop in a leaf covered with dew. And the man...?

He might be in trouble. ]

o3. Scavengers Haul

[ If there was one thing that Silco was going to be able to do, able to help with, it's scavenging. He's tipping a box inside of a ruined building, covered with moss and vines. Underneath, a pack of rats scurry out, squeaking in offense, hissing and spitting at the man upending their supplies. They're larger than your average rat, and in the dim light of evening, they almost match the man with their bright red eyes. Though he just looks down at them with an impassive look, before he kicks the box out of the way, and moves deeper in, looking for supplies. Food, or even better — weapons or forestry supplies wouldn't go amiss, would they?

The rats at the entrance are squeaking with annoyance now, making a bigger fuss than he'd originally thought they would. ]

Worse than a pile of sump rats.

[ He pulls out his gun, and levels it at them.

He is, however a bad shot. It hits the ground, but it does ring out throughout the camp. Not a bad time to come investigating! ]

o4. Wildcard!

[ Hit me up on the discord or hundreds if you want something specific! I'm always happy to plot something else out or write a closed starter! I'm truly down for most things in the log, so just toss me something random, from literally any prompt or make something up from anywhere in my prompts! ]

02

[byoukyu]

(Thank goodness the jeeps are open or else this ride would be unbearable. Even if he sits in the front while Silco is in the back, there are times when he covers his mouth to cough. If anyone looks his way, he only shakes his head and waves off their concern, muttering something about the air being heavier than he's used to and some vague comment about his condition.

He's fine. Really. And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want to be treated any differently.

He's happy to chatter away, play with the radio, and even take turns driving. It's best to let Silco do his own thing and he can tell. Every now and then, he tosses an open question Silco's way, offering him a chance to comment and join the conversation if he ever feels like it.

When the jeep stops another time due to the path ahead, Harumasa steps out to use the dual blades of his compound bow to help clear the way. He leaves Asaboo in the passenger seat to compile data about the jungle. He barely hears anything with the hacking and slashing up ahead but he's senses a motion behind him and he looks back, speaking lightly,)

What's wrong? Something—

(Oh. Asaboo might be trying to reach with its little stubby arms to try and pull Silco down now. Not that it's doing much.)

Oh boy. Stay still.

ASABOO 🥺

[zauneyete]

[ Each open ended question is answered non-commitally on the drive over. Silco seems content to be in his own little world. He smokes, he drinks from his flask, and he stares out into the jungle for most of his ride. It's really a miracle that Outsiders still bring him along, with how he treats the missions more like an annoyance than anything else.

Then again, he would much prefer sticking to the city, and handling his own plans. But that would mean that he would likely get a slap on the wrist from LILITH, and he's trying to keep his head down. Play along enough that they don't look too closely at him, and let him get away with his other plans. So here he is.

Suffering the forest. In a vehicle with other outsiders, one of which looks like a round child. Or maybe it's a toy? He doesn't quite know.

Which is why it's all well and good, up until the moment he finds himself upside down, entangled in vines, and the short stubby child-thing is trying to reach up and pull it down. Silco, predictably, is not staying still, and is instead already throwing a fit about the situation, trying to twist his way to pulling one of (the many) his knives out from a holster on his person.

His hands don't get very far. He's too tied up. ]

What — ?

[ He finally notices Harumasa. ]

Are you going to hurry up?

[byoukyu]

(Please, Silco, let Asaboo help. Except Silco is not letting Asaboo help and the Bangboo just ends up under Silco making concerned ehn-na's.

As for Harumasa, Silco is moving around too much and far too entangled for him to just shoot an arrow. Instead, he undoes his bow and dashes forward. Jumping on the hood of the jeep and cutting the main one tied around Silco's leg, Silco might find himself suddenly dropping but still being held by the arms or something.)

If you stay still, it'll be much faster!

(His voice has that sort of fake cheerful tone to it. He's definitely, totally happy to help if Silco will stay still.)

Unless you want to lose something.

(He'll slash another one of the vines.)

[zauneyete]

[ He drops, and flips, but it's still got him up by the arms, the vines coiling underneath them, and one around his middle. The stubby odd child is still trying to reach, but Silco is trying Very hard to make this difficult for Harumasa and Asaboo.

Well, mostly Asaboo because the little child hasn't even done him the decency of conversation. Or, you know, spoken back when he does speak up. ]

Are you going to shoot another arrow at me?

[ He hisses, even as he starts to go still. He doesn't dare tempt fate to get shot. Again. He'd had plenty of that in May, thank you very much. He'd prefer to escape this Kaiju with minimal injuries. ]

03

[harboredfeelings]

[ With some damn fool shooting off a gun of course Kaga's going to come investigate, and who does she find but Silco. Trying to shoot Rodents of Unusual Size. And failing. ]

Family squabble, I see.

[ With a wave a hand blue flames appear and hit the ground, not striking the rats but rather herding them out of the door so Kaga can safely step inside. She keeps Silco fixed with her single eye, where her right eye should be is still covered by medical wrappings. She's being stubborn about that. ]

You should consider yourself lucky, you know. Most Outsiders are completely alone here, you're spoiled for familial bonds everywhere we go.

[zauneyete]

Oh, yes, very clever.

[ He doesn't turn his back on her, but he crouches back down to use the barrel of his gun to start leafing through the items in front of him. ]

If you're looking for clever turns of phrase, might I suggest something with more wit than what drunk enforcers call us when they can't see straight?

[ The box is empty, so he stands, and gently kicks it in her direction. ]

As empty as your insults, apparently.

[harboredfeelings]

Fair enough.

[ She shrugs nonchalantly and retrieves the flask from inside clothes. After a moment to drink she eyes the box, clicking her tongue. ]

I don't know what you expected. Anything of material value was likely taken by scavengers years ago, the wildlife would've eaten the rest. Although...

[ A pause as she takes another draw from her flask. ]

We have a box now. That's not nothing, technically.

[zauneyete]

Most likely, yes.

[ He concedes, easily. ]

However, most scavengers are lazy. The wildlife has readily available food, so they will only go for what is accessible.

[ He moves further into the room. He shifts a table. Nothing. Opens a cupboard, nothing. However... As he rounds the bed, his eye more an indicator of where he is than anything else, his foot hits something. It's metal, and it hits the metal of his steel-toed boot. ]

Aha.

[ He looks her in the eye as he bends down to pick up a small first aid kit. ] Or what can be found isn't all that useful to scavengers who come with their own supplies, and wildlife who want nothing to do with antiseptics.

[ It's small, but... it's something. ]

001.

[mesospheric]

[ Some folk are harder to miss than most, and scraggly scrawny Silco happens to be one of the Outsiders that were absolutely impossible to ignore. It's the sallowness, sure, but it's also the scheming air the man wears around himself like a cloak, uncaring if anyone clocks it or not. Fresh out of Midgar's underbelly, Cloud can almost taste the oilslick sheen on the guy, a feat considering he's barely exchanged a full sentence worth of conversation with him.

No better time like the present to rectify this.

A moment or two after Silco's slipped into this dive, Cloud joins him as Weirdo #2 for the locals to gawk over. In terms of attention, he gives Silco a run for his money; with hair like that and a sword possibly heavier than Silco himself strapped to his back, Cloud draws almost every eye in the joint like a lightning rod. ]

I'll have whatever he's having.

[ Said with a jab of his thumb at the bad daddy man, followed by the heavy clanking of metal as Cloud ever so casually unhitches the buster sword to lean it up against the poor, straining bar. ]

[zauneyete]

[ The bar makes a soft groaning sound, the weight of the sword enough to send it near-buckling from the weight. Cloud's presence certainly is a draw, unique in that it pulls the eye and attention, and definitely the attention is drawn away from the man next to him. He's already leaning over the bar, his shoulders hunched, speaking in low hushed tones to the bartender.

He looks over his shoulder at Cloud, and nods, before he's right back to his networking. The drinks come, and Silco's efforts are rewarded, though it doesn't seem so at first blush.

He turns, and leans against the bar.

Compared to the sword, his weight is nothing. ]

I'm surprised you haven't garnered more attention with that thing.

[ Becuase quite frankly? It's huge, dude. ]

[mesospheric]

[ It isn't hard to pick up on how Silco works when the man doesn't even try to hide it. (Not that he has to, here.) A mover, a shaker, a snake in the grass that slithers and schemes while the bigger, more attention-grabbing folks in the room draw the eye in his favour.

For now, Cloud finds that he doesn't mind; they're in league with LILITH, in the loosest sense of the term. Besides, this could come in handy, somewhere, sometime. ]

I'm surprised it took you this long to notice, but you've been busy.

[ Busy with skittering, he means, but hey. He lifts his glass in some kind of ambiguous toast before taking a sip, seeming to operate just fine under all the eyes and the scrutiny. Like water off a chocobo's back, the attention doesn't faze him in the slightest. (that he shows.) ]

But thanks for the drink, boss; real generous of you.

[ heh. ]

[zauneyete]

Boss?

[ He asks with a half scoff, a half laugh. He does, however, nod to the bartender to add it to his tab. Silco may not make much effort to play nice with most Outsiders, but there is a sort of networking that he knows. The kind that's more suited to dark corners, dangerous alleyways, and places like this, where the smoke clings to the ceilings, and the liquor flows as frequently as the fights do.

His lips curl into a half smile. ]

I generally don't have to worry so much about brute force coming for me. Unless you're offering to use that for something I'd like in the future.

3

[newphew]

[ once again he's found himself almost side-by-side with silco, also scavenging. the rats don't bother him -- in fact, he takes mental notes on them, their size, any other anomalies. ]

[ then silco shoots the ground and misses the rats entirely. hunter raises an eyebrow ]

The noise might attract more of them.

[ vaguely annoyed as always ]

[zauneyete]

More rats?

[ He watches them skitter away, a pack of them moving as fast as they can to get away. ]

Well, if they come to investigate I'll shoot them too. [ A beat, as one of his metal tipped toes upends an empty box. ] Or, perhaps you'll take care of them for me, hm?

[newphew]

[ hunter's not feeling particularly charitable, especially when it comes to silco. too many of their meetings involve him getting shot, or almost getting shot. (it's been hunter's fault half the time, but still) ]

You can handle them.

[ unless he wants to admit he needs help....? ]

03

[the_fourteenth]

[The shot definitely gets Raidou's attention, who's searching nearby himself. He's there fast, assuming there's going to be a creature to fight, his sword at the ready as he arrives just in time to see some of the rats scurrying from the entrance. Back to the wall, Raidou peeks in to make sure the coast is clear - and to avoid getting shot accidentally.

Seems like the coast is mostly clear, though, and he slips inside and spots Silco.]

You alright?

[zauneyete]

[ Right choice, because at the movement, Silco's gun does lift to track, but as soon as that buzzing starts, a threat, he lowers it. ]

Perfectly fine. Only clearing this location out.

[ He kicked at the box. A final rat exited, and scurried away, eyes shimmer-purple somehow. How ironic.

He wondered if the rift could make something like that. ]

Always coming to the rescue, isn't it?

[the_fourteenth]

[He returns his sword to the sheath, taking a few steps inside to look around the place.]

Assisting. We're a team.

[No matter how much Silco might disagree.]

Find anything useful?

03.

[voidbound]

[ Daybit, on the other hand, isn't so much scavenging as he is investigating. though this had been an area that he had visited before, age and nature had combined forces to change this place once more. therefore, it was something worth investigating.

while the squeak and hiss of rats is not something that's unexpected, it's the gunshots that follow that make him shift his attention. what he sees is... well, also not unexpected. ]

Hm. You and Tezcatlipoca are more alike than I originally thought.

[ piss poor shots. ]

[zauneyete]

[ His good eye narrows, as his gaze darts from the rats to Daybit.

Great. Him.

He's still mad about what he said last time, but he holsters the gun, sliding it back into where it belongs. ]

Say that to everyone I shot a few months ago. I'm sure Dante or Choso would be happy to alleviate you of that misconception.

[ He can shoot!!! he says, before he ends up missing in a few days. Good thing Daybit will miss that one. ]

Don't tell me you came looking because you were concerned. [ He leans down to look through what they've been chewing at, though most of it seems to be spare cloth and jewelry.

Well. At least jewelry might be worth something. ]

[voidbound]

[ Tezcatlipoca aimed at Daybit's leg and ended up shooting him in the abdomen. is that a miss or a hit? either way, Daybit doesn't follow that thread of conversation because he doesn't have time to banter with this man. ]

I was curious.

[ what would merit shooting? turns out that, for Silco, it's rats. ]

Are you happy with your find?

001

[vivisexual]

[Yugamu doesn't exactly share Silco's distaste for this setting, but he certainly feels out of place in it. There was some level of greenery in the TRC, but it was all artificially planned by necessity, and certainly not this abundant or brought on by rain. Conversely, the only rain he has experience with fell on a far less idyllic landscape. So he also ends up skulking into the darker corners for a sense of comfort if nothing else.

And he follows Silco into the bar purely because he assumes Silco will be getting up to his usual Legitimate Business because he can already tell Silco is the kind who doesn't know how to take a vacation. Therefore, obviously, he should have some sort of bodyguard watching his back. Still, it's fun to tease his erstwhile boss, so he pads silently up alongside, waiting for a lull in Silco's conversations to sit down and ask;]

You don't think they'd serve soft drinks in this sort of establishment, do you?

[zauneyete]

[ Silco, who has no concept of "underage drinking", or rather, he didn't until he arrived here, and he continues to obstinately refute its existence, looks at Yugamu with the sort of half-curious amusement as if he was telling a joke.

Sure, the kid was following him around, probably out of an interest in watching out for him; which honestly was for the best. Silco did tend to get himself into trouble frequently enough. He tipped a finger to the bartender, idly. ]

You'd be surprised. Some people don't bother drinking unless it comes with the taste of sugar.

[ Which, there you go, Yugamu, something that's probably the future equivalent of coke is right there for you. Cane sugar and all. ]

So? Notice anything interesting so far? [ Silco has plenty of opinions already, but hey, he's used to teenagers who like to talk. ]

[vivisexual]

[Yugamu would honestly underage drink if it was offered to him, but he thinks it's funnier to follow the rule of law in Silco's presence. But yay, C*ke!!! He sips at it demurely as he covertly glances around the room.]

I'd almost say I'm surprised there's a criminal element in what seems like such a thriving city, but I suppose such is human nature. There's at least two organized elements, an possibly more that don't wear identifying marks like the ones I noticed. Both seem to be interested in the stranger who's come in here and started asking questions.

I'm also seeing a lot of what I assume is survival gear. It's possible larger criminal elements are evading detection by the authorities by putting their base of operations in the wilderness outside the city. Or maybe it's just a fashion trend?

[You were expecting preliminary intel and not teenage ramblings, right? He has to be able to read a situation in order to carry out all those contract killings, after all.]