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𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚡 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚜 ([personal profile] synfluxmods) wrote in [community profile] synflux2025-08-11 10:49 am

KAIJU FIGHT #10

KAIJU FIGHT #10


CONTENT WARNINGS: bugs, insects, wasps (prompts 3 and 4), insect stings, rift poisoning, medical testing (antidote to the sickness) and emotional side effects.

▶ 001. FIND THE HIVE.

Reports of mysterious drumming deep in the forest seem promising. With the assistance of local scouts, they also find a clear path of destruction marked by dead plants and fallen insect kaiju. After collecting enough data, LILITH Mexico calls back the Outsiders and their scouts to regroup and recover for what they believe to be the final battle.

Based on their understanding of the region, the clues they've found, and Rift readings, they suspect a human-threat level kaiju is at the location of a known ancient temple. The reason they called the Outsiders back, however, is because it seems like not just one but two of these kaiju might be there. They want the Outsiders to recoup their strength before they head out.

Additionally, they believe one of the kaiju is one they have records of. A long time ago, during the first kaiju attacks, a plant-like kaiju they called "Nephenthipula" appeared and destroyed many cities which resulted in them becoming swallowed up by the expanding jungle. Over time, it simply went dormant and the forest became what it is today. They don't know why it suddenly returned but they suspect it might have something to do with the forest.

Before the teams are sent out, Dr. Flores approaches. Thanks to the hard work and research the Outsiders have been able to do, a basic antidote has been created that should be effective in helping to deal with most of the symptoms that they’ve been experiencing. There’s a very limited amount, however, and he recommends that the Outsiders are cautious: once it’s gone, there won’t be any more until the kaiju is dealt with.

The other downside? It’s not completely refined, so some Outsiders might continue to face side effects. He has more good news to offset this, though: Based on toxicology reports and additional reports about abandoned hives and dead colonies, he suspects the second kaiju might be a wasp of some sort.

Both the wasp kaiju and the Nephenthipula are located deep within the jungle, further even than most outsiders have dared to travel. Interestingly, based on the coordinates they have received so far... they both seem to be in the same vicinity. Before being sent out they will be warned to prepare for a potential double battle.



▶ 002. OPERATION: NEPHENTHIPULA

The trip to the designated coordinate is fraught with danger. The forest seems to close in on itself, like it is protecting whatever it is that the Outsiders are trying to reach. The vines almost seem to take on a life of their own, the deeper into the jungle they travel. Forest creatures will attack outsiders, divebombing and trying to stop them when they take breaks from the trek deeper into the jungle. The deadly plants will become more aggressive, and the deeper Outsiders go… the quieter it gets.

The animals stop attacking. The vines almost seem half-hearted as they move deeper. They are thinner and weaker. Many are cut or rotted. They’ve been chewed through and though they still try to stop the outsiders, it is more like stopping the inevitable. As Outsiders breach the treeline, they’ll come into a clearing, where not only the Nephenthipula resides, rising from the forest like a raging colossus, but it is focused on a ruin. On trying to destroy it, its vines try to slap down stone towers, and strangle out parts of the ruin, but on the Outsiders' arrival, its focus is now fully shifted to focus on the new arrivals. Now is your chance, but Outsiders will find that they have to split up, and while some stay and fight the Nephenthipula; intel says that the Vescidae is inside the ruins but there is no clear way in.

Outsiders will quickly realize the Nephenthipula is not alone. In response to the plant kaiju, the entire forest seems to come to its aid. Vines will spread across the battlefield, attempting to tangle and strangle the Outsiders. Different vines manifest thorns, carnivorous flowers, and razor leaves to deter them even more.

Local kaiju also join in. Mutated jaguars, monkeys, snakes, and iguanas appear to further hinder their advances. From above, mutated butterflies, hummingbirds, and beetles rain pollen dosed with Rift energy. On top of the usual Rift sickness, this one seems to have an additional effect as well. The longer Outsiders are exposed to it, the more reluctant they are to attack the plant life and animal kaiju. They will feel a bond with the forest and become aggressive towards Outsiders causing harm.

The forest is their ally. They have to protect the forest at all costs. If that means turning against their friends then so be it. As long as Outsiders ally with the forest, they will find that they can call on it to assist them in limited capacity. They can use vines to block attacks and command some of the mutated kaiju to attack. Fortunately, Dr. Flores' antidote uses resources from the forest itself to counter some of these effects.



▶ 003. INTO THE HIVE.

Observant Outsiders may notice an entrance into the temple. They will have to find a way up the steps, over living and dead vines. Occasionally the vines cover the entrance so Outsiders will have to destroy them again and again to enter.

With this being the only entrance and the vines controlling how many can enter at a time, it is essentially a bottleneck. Those who enter first will have to be ready to respond quickly because sentry wasps the size of housecats will charge at them. They are small, fast, and aggressive but weak. Their stings are incredibly painful to victims but fatal to the wasps which die shortly after. However, after being stung, the Outsider may notice they are attacked more frequently, as if they have been specifically marked.

Eventually, the sentry drones die or retreat, granting them peace. The inside of the temple is covered in a paper-mache like material. Instead of the regular comb shaped pattern one might expect, the combs are shaped like stars. From deep inside the temple, they will hear a steady drumming sound. Following the drumming sound will lead them to even more sentry drones as well as larger soldier drones that are far more aggressive.

They will have to navigate the catacombs of the temple to find and kill the queen. Surprisingly, characters that have been stung will instinctively know which direction they need to go in and will feel drawn to its location. They will also be able to telepathically communicate with others who have been stung or significantly affected by the hive's rift energy.

They will encounter more sentry drones as well as larger solder drones that are far more aggressive. They will also find comb filled with a thick, sweet, milky colored substance and larvae in the center. Characters affected by the hivemind will know this is a precious, nutrient rich resource. Maybe it might be worth collecting?


▶ 004. OPERATION: VESCIDAE

The drumming sound becomes practically deafening and the Outsiders will find themselves in a great, open hall. The walls are carved with designs all the way up to the ceiling which is filled with stars. In the center of the hall they will see the Queen Vescidae. Her wings beat in a steady, drumming sound that echoes off the walls as she takes to the air and attacks.

As she attacks, drones will fly down from the ceiling to her aid. The venom from their stings is very potent and fast acting. At first, it clears the mind of their victims but some Outsiders react to this differently. Some Outsiders become incredibly calm and relaxed, as if all of their concerns– including the battle– are unimportant to them. Others will find that their new clarity makes it easier for them to focus, making them react to attacks faster and giving them an energy boost. For those who are particularly unlucky, however, the venom seems to wipe their minds completely, making them incredibly susceptible to the hypnotic beating of the Queen Vescidae's wings.

Certain Outsiders may suddenly find themselves turning on their friends as they become loyal to the hive. Their priority will become protecting the queen. By essentially becoming new drones, they become a part of the hive's hierarchy and can order lesser drones to assist them. Outsiders that still have Dr. Flores' antidote can protect themselves and potentially save some of their friends.

In a closed space, the battle is especially chaotic and it only gets worse when parts of the temple-hive begin to crumble and collapse. Vines pierce through the walls and outside attacks make the entire hive tremble. Letting in light and fresh air from outside which provides some relief. Shinn is able to land a critical attack on the Vescidae which stuns it. It staggers in the air disoriented and this allows the Outsiders to attack more easily. Shoto sets it on fire and it frantically begins to fly into the walls of the hive, causing more of it to collapse. Eventually, a reckless attack from Geto brings it down once and for all, putting an end to it.

The Vescidae smolders as parts of the hive and temple collapse around it. As parts of the ceiling collapse, they can see the traditional star designs up close. At the center of each star is a drawing of a striped insect.


▶ 005. AFTERMATH.

Outside the hive, the battlefield and temple are swallowed up by vines and plantlife. In all of the chaos, it is impossible to tell where the Nephenthipula stops and where the Nephenthipula begins. They finally get a break when Ereshkigal's spears do massive damage, severing many of the Nephenthipula's vines. This makes it easier for Outsiders to attack closer or allows them to focus on holding back the forest and lesser kaiju. Weakened by everyone's efforts, the Nephenthipula eventually grows tired which allows Raphael to find an opening. The kaiju falls to the ground and begins to wither. As it turns to dust, a voice whispers, "How could you all do this to us and this planet?"

With its most powerful fighter defeated, the forest has taken a major blow. It still tries to defend itself but all of its attacks are much weaker. It does not stop until the hive temple begins to crumble and the beating sound from within comes to a stop. Suddenly, everything goes silent as the vines still and the lesser kaiju stop to observe.

Finally, the forest breathes. The vines recede and the lesser kaiju return to the jungle, leaving the Outsiders alone.

With the kaiju dealt with, it’s like a heavy weight has been lifted from the city, and the air itself feels less oppressive. Many of the issues that Outsiders had been dealing with seem to settle, the way of nature restored. It’s not all perfect, and there are still some lingering effects of pollen and other issues, but things seem to be better, to say the least. The Rift energy that had plagued the landscape settles and, over time, begins to recede.

One of the more lingering effects is the sickness affecting the civilians. Dr. Flores, using the research materials that Outsiders had returned to base, has begun to create a cure for the strain. There’s a catch: there’s no one to test it on except the Outsiders, so he reluctantly asks for their aid in seeing how effective it is. At first, it doesn’t seem to work too successfully, so Dr. Flores requests the venom of the Vescidae and the royal honey-like substance in order to supplement the cure, and tasks Outsiders with bringing samples of the venom back to base. Once this is added, it works far better.

There are various side effects as the cure is tested. The happier of Outsiders might find themselves prone to bursts of anger and irritation, while the more bitter team members could find themselves experiencing bouts of ecstasy and euphoria. As night falls, some might find themselves irrationally afraid of the dark and struggling with a chronic case of insomnia, which nothing seems to relieve. Thanks to the kaiju venom, there are still lingering effects from previous ventures into the jungle… The same violence and extreme emotions from before (yes, those too).

In addition, in the city there is another kind of testing, the kaiju left more than just venom behind, after all. Some vendors, perfumers, and even bars and smoke shops are making use of the remaining pollen, and Outsiders might find themselves asked to try a free sample, or get sprayed with a random perfume without their asking. Surely it’s fine! You might find yourself subjected to some of the pollen effects, like the increased hunger (of any kind) so you might want to go satiate those munchies, pronto!

Once the cure has been tested appropriately, Dr. Flores begins to make the rounds on the locals, dealing with the most sick first. The cure is also handed out to the Outsiders, so they can do their part. Dr. Flores congratulates the Outsiders on their success, and seems genuinely pleased - and proud? - of the work they’ve put in. What’s that about blood sacrifices…? He doesn’t want to hear about any of that. Just hand over any remaining insects, please, and get ready for a return to home.


▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

This is Kaiju Fight #10! All comments in this event count for 2 points towards August AC. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them below.



EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. FIND THE HIVE: Outsiders receive coordinates and useful information for their upcoming battle. Dr. Flores provides a basic antidote to protect them.


2. OPERATION: NEPHENTHIAPULA: The Nephenthipula is found outside a temple. The forest and native kaiju assist the Nephenthipula. Some Outsiders might feel a bond with the forest and turn on them. Dr. Flores's antidote can protect and cure some of them.


3. INTO THE HIVE: The temple has been converted into a hive. They fight drones while searching for the queen. They also find a royal honey-like in some of the combs.


4. OPERATION: VESCIDAE: The Queen Vescidae can induct Outsiders into the hivemind. Dr. Flores's antidote can protect and cure some of them.


5. AFTERMATH: The Nephenthipula is defeated and whispers an ominous question to the Outsiders as the forest retreats. Dr. Flores asks the Outsiders to collect venom and royal jelly from the battlefield to create a better cure. Outsiders can opt in to test the new antidote.



eyescar: 🐯 anime (pic#16788486)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-16 04:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I look tanned!

[ But he is sweaty, and he's definitely in need of a shower, but he can't quit when there's still work to do. He's not going to stop before all the cures are handed out.

Smooshing into his friend, he laughs again, squeezing him absently.

Don't hurt him... ]


I found out about my mom.
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Unusually serious for him.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-16 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[Katsuki deliberately plops his hand on Yuji's head and ruffles his hair, sending sparkles of sweat flying off those short pink spikes.]

You look wet!

[There's no avoiding it! Saturated and soaking and dripping all over the place. What part of this is "tanned"? More likely to be sunburned. Well, Katsuki is. He's a bit lighter than Yuji.]

Haa? Your mom?

[Uh... where the hell'd this come from? Yet Katsuki's attentive, forgetting sweaty smooshes for a moment.]
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17110299)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-17 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
That's not my fault!

[ Yuji is laughing, though, always a giggling mess when it comes to hanging out with Katsuki. It's just how they are together, so he's not even a little bit frustrated about being teased; this is normal for them now.

Humming softly, he shrugs a shoulder. ]


Megumi told me, since he found out from... Before.

[ Being Sukuna's vessel. ]

Remember Kenjaku?
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 The fuck do you want?)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-17 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
I never said it was!

[Implied it. Listening to him laugh makes him feel better despite his irritation. Being with Yuji always has that affect. He's accepted and quietly treasures it. Katsuki catches a glass of water slid down the bar from the man behind it. Is he gonna dump it on Yuji's head? He might've, had the topic not changed.

He rests his elbow on the table, frowning as his mind instantly takes several jumps and connections.]


Yeah, the brain swapping asshole.

[... oh hell no.]
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17110308)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-17 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Ah, the pointless bickering. Yuji wonders if they'd even be friends if it wasn't like this.

Frowning, he hesitates for a moment before he nods, once. Bakugo is probably already putting it all together, but... ]


Megumi said that he was my mom. He married my dad and had me, and I was born to be Sukuna's vessel.

[ He looks a little morose as he says it. ]

And I had a finger in me right at the beginning, too.
blastedass: by cytes @ dw (gift ~ Don't Take) (💥 Red-eyes hot fury.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-18 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
[Who knows. Even Katsuki and Izuku bickered when they were childhood friends. Until the schism happened and bickering suddenly turned far more venomous. Can't say he bickered much with Eijirou though; the red-haired boy spent more time fielding Katsuki's aggression than arguing with him.]

Haa? Fucking disgusting creep!

[His expression twists in anger and revulsion. Knowing the other implication is Yuji's mother's murder.]

He planned this out from the start?
eyescar: 🐯 anime (Default)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-18 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
It kind of sounds like it was his intention all along.

[ Yuji, born to be a vessel or a cage, made to follow the path he ended up on... It makes him question how much was his choice, how much he wanted to do, and how much of it was just because he was doing whatever Kenjaku wanted.

It's annoying to think about too hard. ]


Freaky, right?
blastedass: by blastedass @ dreamwidth (💥 Those aren't shades.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-18 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
He couldn't control Sukuna by using you though. Did he just wanna reincarnate him and sic the bastard on the world?

[A vessel contained things. Trapping and collecting Sukuna inside something the sorcerers would then have an easy time killing doesn't sound like a very useful plan if someone wanted to make use of what was getting collected.

He sees the other questions in Yuji's eyes, asking whether or not his life was his own or if he was guided the entire time. Played like a puppet on strings. Like Shigaraki, huh...]


Things didn't go his way, huh. You weren't some damn pawn.
eyescar: ✨ fanart (pic#17072354)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not really sure about all the details. I wasn't there, and Megumi only heard so much.

[ Yuji's not really sure what the intention was. He didn't speak to Sukuna about it personally, and he doesn't blame Megumi for only knowing a little here and there. He could ask for more, sure, but it feels cruel, somehow, to make more demands of him when he'd been through so much.

This is more than enough for Yuji, who feels on edge at the very notion of his heritage.

Was he meant to be like this, or was he meant to be bad?

Who was he meant to be, in the end...?

He's not sure.

Rubbing his head, he sighs. ]


No. I was brought up by someone who loved me, so it was never going to be like that.
blastedass: by blastedass @ dreamwidth (💥 Spit it out already.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Katsuki falls silent around a mouthful of water, drinking instead of dumping it on Yuji's head. Conversation's not gonna allow that. Thinking about his best friend's life being planned from the start, not for him but for some other bastard, to the amusement of another bastard... Does that mean both Sukuna and Yuji were used by Kenjaku for his own goals? A vessel and its contents.

He leans back from the bar, eyes narrowed somewhat and voice harder.]
You've always been you. No one else. Doesn't matter what some asshole planned or said.
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17186843)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I know that. I didn't do anything he expected, except eating that finger, I guess.

[ How different would things be if Yuji had been raised by Kenjaku, he wonders. Would he have been evil, cruel and harsh, like the man was? Or would he still have been good, somewhere deep inside of him...? He's really not sure.

It's not really worth dwelling on. That's not going to change. ]


It doesn't matter now. They're both dead.
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Fine. Don't say anything.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
He reminds me of All for One. He planned for years and used everyone around him he could find. Even Shigaraki and the league.

[Not even the villains were safe from his touch. Whether he pushed a rock down a hill and left it to wreck havoc on its own or directed each action until his chosen plan went off, it was always him. Katsuki flicks a bead of water from the counter. Even his own classmate was dragged in as an unwilling mole... and he himself had been kidnapped as a hopeful pawn.]

Aa. Your mom would be proud of you.

[No doubt in his voice.]
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17186856)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know if I like the idea of that.

[ His mom being proud of him when his mom was evil... You know...

Ah, well. ]


I'd be happier if my grandpa was proud.
blastedass: by blastedass @ dreamwidth (Default)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
That person who made you wasn't your mother.

[Her body was used, her brain replaced, someone else controlled the woman who would have wanted a good life for her son. He doesn't know anything about her, or even how close to conception she was murdered and replaced... but he'd like to believe she had hoped for a wonderful child.]

He never said he was?
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17186844)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Grandpa wasn't that kind of guy.

[ Yuji shrugs absently. ]

I know he cared about me and he loved me, but he wasn't sentimental like that.
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Piss off ya bloody wanker.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
As long as you know he did.

[Actions versus words, huh. Katsuki knows all about that. He's not expressively sentimental either, save for a few exceptions Yuji's well aware of.]
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17020138)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
He showed me.

[ Raising Yuji, taking care of him, loving him... Yeah, Yuji knew. ]
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Get to the damn point already.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Did you ever decide what to do with his house?

[He left it to Yuji, Katsuki assumes.]
eyescar: ✨ fanart (pic#16904840)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-19 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Not yet. I haven't had time to go back and deal with it until now.

[ But... Maybe on New Year, when he's back. A fresh start. ]
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Piss off ya bloody wanker.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-19 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Didn't ask if you did anything; I asked if you decided.

[Has he thought about what he wants. To live there, sell it, rent it out, turn it into a retreat for weary sorcerers.]
eyescar: 🐯 anime (pic#16062316)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-21 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. No idea.

[ A shrug. ]

I'll think about it if I get sent home.
blastedass: by blastedass @ dreamwidth (Default)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-21 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Here.

[Katsuki passes the glass over, cold water leaving condensation streaks from his fingers.]

Before you melt all over the counter.
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17114021)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-21 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, thanks.

[ And Yuji just... Flops on the ground without warning. ]

Man, this place is way too hot.
blastedass: by bokunoicons @ tumblr (💥 Lost in thought.)

[personal profile] blastedass 2025-08-21 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oy! Don't just hit the deck! Katsuki stares down at him for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and taking a seat beside him. Ground's cooler anyways.]

Che. There's not even a beach around to go swimming.
eyescar: 🐾 manga (pic#17955405)

[personal profile] eyescar 2025-08-21 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Watch out, he'll totally flop in a moment. ]

I bet we could find one if we tried hard enough.

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