synflux | WELCOME TO THE AUCTION [ OPEN LOG FOR ALL ]

WELCOME TO THE REDD ROOM

Neo Tokyo is a glittering and shining city that still prospers despite continuous kaiju attacks and natural disasters that plague it. However, there's more to Neo Tokyo than what meets the eye. Below its sparkling surface, there is another world that also flourishes out of sight for most. The people who live in this version of the city meet in the shadows and deal under the table, using cunning and power to secure their means. Instead of papers and feeds, this world receives news in the form of whispers and connections.

Rumors have been flying for months. They talk about long lost masterpieces, valuable information, and a certain recently discovered sword. The shadows whisper and share their opinions, making it known if they believe there's any credibility to the stories and if there's really anything to gain. While plenty is still unknown, what is known is that these rumors are beginning to converge and soon a name, a place, and a date will be chosen.

Those with enough money to live well in Neo-Tokyo rarely earn it honestly, and those with strong personalities all know who is the best broker of deals: Madame Redd. A divorcee who’s always found wearing a red-fox stole, she’s a wealthy arts dealer known for her keen eye, and propensity to occasionally sell fraudulent paintings to the unobservant client. She’s a sharp, witty woman who always seems to have a scheme up her sleeve, and hosting an event like this truly is where she’s at her most comfortable.

In a world where everything is done with technology, Redd opts for something more traditional. Securing an invitation means obtaining a simple, nondescript red card. With no name, address, or information on it, it's clear that having an invitation doesn't mean you'll be able to find the venue. However, by scanning the card with the right settings, a microchip embedded in the card will provide them with the information they need before wiping itself clean. Arrive to the venue, show your card, and pay your entrance fee.

To enter the gala, you need to pay a fee that proves you're serious. After all, this isn't a child's game. This is where the adults come to have fun and spend their hard won earnings. You will be prompted to scan your eye so they can read your implant and extract precious personal information. After uploading and submitting your identity as collateral, you'll finally be let in.

You are formally invited to the auction.

The gala

The Entertainment
Upon entering the venue, the invited will find themselves in a large, dimly lit room. The lights are low, obscuring corners and leaving plenty of areas out of sight. There's a veil of smoke in the air that occasionally flickers as lines of holographic light activate, displaying hologram menus and programs for the guests to peruse. There's plenty of plush and comfortable seating, chairs, and even private alcoves and rooms for any attendee to make their way into. Madame Redd runs a high-class establishment, that's catered toward any taste one can imagine.

At the front and center is a stage where a virtual singer with teal hair sings original songs and takes requests, providing vintage and modern tunes. As she sings, she dedicates her music to her fans and it's almost like her likeness shifts. She's the perfect idol, able to become the exact person you admire and love down to their appearance and voice. Even their mannerisms are the same and their songs draw you in, like a siren, making you want to devote yourself to your idol.

The Libations
The Bar is one of the few places that is brightly lit. Spotlights shine on the liquor shelves, showing off a wide array of spirits ranging from common and popular favorites to rare bottles that probably cost more than what the average salary is in the city. Be careful, but feel free to peruse the menu.

— Menu —

SONIC BOOM. Makes your hearing better, like you could hear secrets shared across the room. A fat-washed bourbon old-fashioned

THIRD RAIL. An electric lemonade that fills the drinker with the feeling that they need to yammer on incessantly. Like lightning on the tongue

LET'S DO THE MIND WARP AGAIN. A spicy tequila drink, it makes you more perceptive of the emotions of others to the point that you can get a sense of them empathically.

FATHER WINTER. Makes the area around you drop several degrees, to the point that glasses are frosted. A boozy mint hot chocolate.

VAMPIRE'S KISS. Makes consumers want to drink blood, and tastes of red fruit juices (and alcohol) (real fangs not included, but the drink comes with a pair of plastic fangs)

MOTHER EARTH. A red sangria that makes you feel like you're basking in a too-warm summer's sun.. It also makes you feel more impulsive and violent. Oops!

BURN DOWN FOR WHAT. Like having a redbull and a Celsius at once. Hyper enough that you might feel like you're moving faster than everyone else — and you might be! Several liquors topped off with LILITH-brand energy drink, served on fire with a high-proof float.

RIFT CORRUPTION. they SAY drinking could affect you in any number of random ways – truly dangerous! Really, it’s a virgin mocktail.

BEE POSITIVE. Will be able to communicate telepathically with other people who'd drank the same drink, a honey and gin concoction.

PLANTS DOWN. The aphro one, made with smuggled pollen. It’s a sweet and fruity drink that makes you think about lying down and having fun on the beach.

GILTTER. A drink with iridescent shades of purple, blue, and green. The bartender may challenge you to a round of dice to pay for drinks for everyone at the bar before serving.

coding

The menu contains some surprises

High Stakes Games
At some of the tables, you can put down your bets and play a round of cards or throw some dice. The stakes vary at each table, with some betting cash fortunes and others are more creative. At certain tables, people play for the thrill. They make dares that losers have to carry out and invite everyone to take a bit of risk. Some of these tables have clear shots lined up in simple glasses. After each loss, losers have to take shots, and while this might seem like a mere drinking game, it's more complicated. The shots have a sharp, tingly taste and a strong burn when it goes down. Not long after consumption, the loser will temporarily lose a sense.

However, it is not limited to the traditional five senses. You might also lose more metaphorical senses. You're playing a drink roulette and there's no telling what you might lose.

Traditional senses: Touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell
Perceptual senses: Balance, pain, space (spatial awareness), time
Abstract senses: Humor, justice, duty, honor, belonging, purpose, urgency, direction, judgment (common sense)

Effects can stack, so playing too long could be disastrous. Fortunately, the effects are also temporary and will usually wear off after a short amount of time. Every person is different so it depends on each person. Still, a lot can happen in a short period of time, and this is a dangerous environment to be vulnerable in, so it's best to drink responsibly.

The Back of the House
In contrast to the shiny, chromed-out and minimalist curves and neon lights up in the club and VIP section, the back of house or the alleyway and loading docks behind Madame Red’s club is darker, betraying the seedier underbelly of her establishment. Outsiders who feel uncomfortable in their skin on the best of days, and even worse when asked to polish up for an event can still make it in.

However, if Outsiders go that route, they will be informed that they’ll also need to keep their eyes and ears peeled in case of danger. Madame Redd has been helping with the rumors of this legendary missing Muramasa for months, and people are very interested in it. She’s not certain that there might be an attempt to steal it, but she is concerned, so Outsiders will need to listen in on conversations as they serve or act as security. However, if you’re acting as security, you’ll be required to wear a fox mask, to remain anonymous to everyone.

And in fact, while some members of the party are busy playing the game on the floor, the Outsiders helping out with the back of house will start to hear rumors from some of the rougher-looking staff members. From the rumors, they’ll discover that some of the staff corridors are being used by certain entities to get closer to the treasure being auctioned off tonight. After all, some elements want to keep the mystique, and what’s more exciting than a recently recovered ancient sword, than if it goes disappearing. So several of Neo-Tokyo’s crime syndicates are vying to steal it. Outsiders can choose to pit them against one another, redirect them using their positions as staff, coordinate with their fellow outsiders in the party proper, or even just straight up fight them! Anything goes, but Madame Redd’s directive was clear: This should not impact the Auction itself. No bringing the fight to the main floor!

THE AUCTION

The Auction
And what a main floor! The organizers clearly have gone all out for this special art auction – there’s holographic displays of everything from paintings to jewelry to the swords themselves, each identifiable with an ocular implant stating the object name, providence, and current bid. Much of the bidding is happening anonymously, but there are signs amongst the crowds on the floor of who might be attempting to outbid who. Outsiders are, of course, welcome to bet their Kryptos on just about anything under the sun, though the rarer and finer the object the more likely they are to be outbid. But there are some small art pieces that are feasible for Outsiders to win, should they choose to try.

Finely crafted silver bracelet with a heart charm from maker “Theophania”
A corner of Van Gogh’s “Scream” - something’s off about that
A certificate of ownership for a digital png of… you’re not sure, a monkey? Or is it a grape with a bored expression? Someone tells you that you can use it as an ‘icon’. (People have not used digital icons in at least 100 years)
“Girl with A Pearl Earring” – closer inspection reveals that the pearl is a red and white orb from a popular children’s cartoon from the beginning of the millennium, but did you look that closely at it before you won?
Colorful folder with a wild cat design, comes with a set of matching stickers
A hand crafted statue of a woman in a compromising pose and very little clothing. She looks heavily stylized and more like an animated piece
A glass rose
A nice lacquered box with a real pearl inlay of a nice ocean-related design
A pair of thick plastic shoes in something called ‘sport mode’
A painting with rectangles of color
Three smaller tantos (one listing for each)

Time for a Bidding War!

When someone wins an object (ten minutes go by without any bids), the staff will bring the individual into the back room where the real items are – proudly displayed and very securely guarded. No one is taking any chances. Well, there is one object that seems to be gaining a lot of attention, including significant press in the lead-up to the auction itself.

The one item not tucked away is the one that several Outsiders have been checking in on: Muramasa, Aventurine, and Silco, namely. It’s in the center of the main auction area, with appropriate mood lighting giving the blade a dangerous glow. A pressure-sensitive railing surrounds it, and if any Outsider so much as touches it, they and anyone around them will be ushered into a small room to be grilled by security. Yes, even if you accidentally did it. Getting out of questioning proves to be a time-intensive process, especially if you’ve indulged in any of the unsavory options of the evening.

Good luck!

The Heist Begins! (And where did Asaboo go??)
The highlight of the night is the betting war over the star of the show – the genuine “reclaimed” Muramasa sword, perfect and pristine. Madame Redd stands next to it as she tells the story of how it was found and brought to her by a secret faction within LILITH, as evidenced by Asaboo guarding it as well. She adjusts her fox-fur stole and expresses that it’s a great honor for her to present it tonight to auction to the highest bidder, someone who truly appreciates art, and history. The bidding commences, with several clearly Yakuza types offering increasingly large sums for the item.

That is, until a woman stands and offers an exorbitant amount, with a striped stole around her neck, her tone is laid back and belligerent. Madame Redd hisses out a soft oath to any outsiders who are nearby, but the woman laughs when one of the bidders folds, and she offers him a loan to keep going, if he’d like. A few escalations later, however, and the sword is indeed taken by the notoriously wealthy loan shark and arts dealer (and Madame Redd’s ex) Tammy Nook.

As the auction concludes, it’s time to indulge in the rest of the night's festivities – except the power flickers – and as the lights lift again, the sword is missing – along with Asaboo, who wouldn’t let go of it. Everyone will have to track down the thieves, since they can’t have gotten far, right? As Outsiders start spreading out to find the thieves, they’ll encounter new security that hadn’t been there before: humanoid machines that shift and jerk...until they project holograms of other Outsiders over their bodies. They’ll have to determine friend from foe, as those uploaded identities are now a danger, and they’ll have to fight their way through these false outsiders to try and keep chasing after the thieves! Someone had better save the sword (and Asaboo!) so it's time to fight your way through!

CODING BY

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh.

( A pause, a hum. )

I don't know which one suits you more, Raidou-san. You're very quiet, so priest makes a lot more sense. But a detective fits the LILITH narrative. I had wondered. ( Says the "monk", but that's by the by. It was always a cover-up. )

Do you prefer one to the other?

[He chews on his lip a little thoughtfully, stuck in a spot between the drink making him want to open up versus his usual stoic nature. His fingers drum lightly on his glass.]

When I first got here, I was placed in the high school. I had been close to finishing back home. After graduation, I was able to make my choice, and... I struggled with the decision for quite some time.

[The high school wanted him to purse athletic university scholarships. Bakugo wanted him to join the police force. Yuji offered to have him join emergency services. He even considered pursuing medicine. There were a lot of options, though being an Outsider at the same time would make long term study difficult.]

... After the first kaiju attack we were present for, we were assigned to help with the recovery efforts. I went to the shrine and helped prepare and hand out food and supplies. The long lines of people who needed so much help... not just with supplies. Needing to look for lost loved ones. Cleaning up debris and finding a new place to live. Wanting to still make offerings despite losing everything. Needing an ear to listen or shoulder to lean on.

[Even if the drink is making him want to talk, it still feels a little embarrassing to admit this all out loud to someone. He eventually shrugs a little, fiddling with the straw in his drink.]

I just knew that's where I needed to be.

( For a moment Geto does not say anything. He sips at his drink and watches Raidou, expression fathomless. The perils of this place remain that there are so many children with good hearts, it tends to encourage warring feelings inside of him.

He's been there, after all. )

It sounds peaceful. ( Would he have found it so had he done it legitimately? He'll never know. Again his thoughts turn to his time here, to the things he could be doing, if he put aside his anger. But his is a thorny thing. It sticks. He can't quite pull it free. ) Maybe I'll visit one day. I've avoided the temples since I arrived, it's been a while since I've been in one. But that kind of thing can't last forever, mm? It might be nice.

( It might do him some good. )

It is. Another reason I wanted to be there as often as I could.

[It was a nice respite from Outsider and city life, and now he's taken up gardening duties at the shrine, too. So he gets to do more of what he loves.]

You should. The equinox festival is soon, but if you don't feel like dealing with a crowd, you can come anytime.

[It's amazing Raidou manages to deal with the crowds. He sort of does.]

( He's still not sure with crowds. Fellow Outsiders he can handle, on merit of them all being stuck in this mess together. But the natives? He's put down some prejudices, he still can't shake off doing the lion's share of the work for others. )

I'll consider it. I'm trying to figure out what I need out of life these days. Who knows if that's one of them?

( A hum. )

It's good that you find it peaceful though.

Ah. That's a big question. Hard to answer here, where life can be uncertain.

[One day at a time is how Raidou tries to handle it. If they ever manage to rid this world of kaiju and rifts, he'll think about the future then. Maybe that's why he had such a hard time choosing a career path in this world.

He holds up his water glass for a toast.]

Here's to figuring it out.

( He lifts his cup, lets it knock against Raidou's own, then immediately downs the contents to start pouring again. )

Will Yuji-kun be joining you tonight?

( Again not a judgment on age. As long as they're safe. )

Yes, he should be along soon. Just recently I said it would be fun to do more things where we got to dress up. Then I got the invitation to this. I guess I got my wish. Even if it's not exactly what I was expecting.

[Maybe something like the gala they had last year. Or a fancy dinner date, if the two could scrounge up enough money to go.]

Are you planning to bid on anything?

Oh, no.

( He laughs, then shrugs one shoulder. )

I've spend a fair bit of my money today. You've seen the new fashion, mm? I couldn't resist a few things.

AH, that's right. You were one of those that got the final blow last kaiju battle. It's funny how this happens, once word reaches the public. What did you get yourself?

[Raidou doesn't like the minor fame that comes with being an Outsider, but it is kind of fun to see how the public will react. You can never predict it.]

The time I was one of the top of the list... we all got custom instant ramen flavors made in our honor. Favorite flavors or personality-based. I still have some. They gave us so much of it.

I think I prefer the fashion upgrades to ramen flavours. I bought several new earrings, and then Yuji-kun reminded me that I could get more piercings here if I decided. It's tempting, since there's so much more appealing jewellery.

( A pause. )

What was your flavour?

It even has Yuji thinking about getting a piercing or two.

[So he says with a grin. Yuji even said it was so he could wear Geto's new jewelry line. Raidou's for it.]

Ah. It was sweet potato flavor. Not sure how anyone at that time found out that was my favorite food...

[The AI knows all.]

I know, we spoke about it. I'm hoping he lets me pick the place for him, because not all piercers exist on the same wavelength.

( No piercing gun for his son, no sir. An actual needle. Also he's filing away Raidou's favourite flavour for a later date. )

A good choice.

WELCOME TO THE AUCTION [ OPEN LOG FOR ALL ]

WELCOME TO THE REDD ROOM

The gala

THE AUCTION

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