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synflux2025-09-29 05:51 pm
synfluxmods) wrote in synflux2025-09-29 05:51 pm
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TRAVEL LOG #7
TRAVEL LOG #7
ⶠ001. ITâS (NOT) LONDON, BABY.
As the last dregs of summer fade into the beginning of true Fall in Neo Tokyo, Outsiders wake up to the sound of sirens blaring, the call coming through their implants - there's no time for relaxation, not when the world still needs to be saved. As soon as everyone has gathered for the debriefing, Yamakawa explains their next destination: a request for aid has been sent by a civilian militia group in Windsor, England, and it's a desperate plea for support for an ongoing kaiju crisis.
While LILITH doesn't have a branch in the area, they're able to work with their contact to ensure that a data portal is set up for the easy transportation of Outsiders from the main base. Travelling feels a little bit easier compared to before, but the common side effects still remain - a little nausea, some headaches, dizziness and some minor glitching. It seems as if caffeine is a solution, and upon arrival, Outsiders are offered a cup of tea to get them settled.
Weirdly, unlike previous teleportation, physical touch seems to make the symptoms worse, rather than better. Anyone attempting the usual form of intimacy will find that being close to people, especially those theyâre most comfortable with, will feel strangely awkward, leaving them with an uneasy sensation and the urge to take a step back.
As this is another warp rather than air travel, Outsiders will be asked to bring only what they deem necessary on this journey. Yamakawa reminds the Outsiders that, once they arrive, further supplies will be sent; both those that the outsiders request, and additional medical supplies for the militia in England to support them in their ongoing quest.
Everyone will be given the standard 24 hours to pack and prepare for departure. Once the time is up, Outsiders are transported to the arrival point... In Windsor Castle.
While LILITH doesn't have a branch in the area, they're able to work with their contact to ensure that a data portal is set up for the easy transportation of Outsiders from the main base. Travelling feels a little bit easier compared to before, but the common side effects still remain - a little nausea, some headaches, dizziness and some minor glitching. It seems as if caffeine is a solution, and upon arrival, Outsiders are offered a cup of tea to get them settled.
Weirdly, unlike previous teleportation, physical touch seems to make the symptoms worse, rather than better. Anyone attempting the usual form of intimacy will find that being close to people, especially those theyâre most comfortable with, will feel strangely awkward, leaving them with an uneasy sensation and the urge to take a step back.
As this is another warp rather than air travel, Outsiders will be asked to bring only what they deem necessary on this journey. Yamakawa reminds the Outsiders that, once they arrive, further supplies will be sent; both those that the outsiders request, and additional medical supplies for the militia in England to support them in their ongoing quest.
Everyone will be given the standard 24 hours to pack and prepare for departure. Once the time is up, Outsiders are transported to the arrival point... In Windsor Castle.
ⶠ002. AN OUTSIDER WALKS INTO A CASTLE.
Upon arriving in the bailey of the castle, a beautiful woman who introduces herself as Gwen approaches. She welcomes the Outsiders to her base of operations, promising to provide beds and food for everyone. Sheâs quick to give an overview of why theyâve been summoned to the castle and what the problem is: theyâre a militia group who are fighting against a large kaiju that is threatening the remains of the civilian population of the United Kingdom. They need help from the Outsiders to put the kaiju (and the rebels that are supporting it) down so that peace can continue. With how few people they have capable of fighting, they turned to LILITH in desperation.
As the Outsiders are directed to one of the wings of the castle to settle in, some might notice something⊠Off. While all the Outsiders who had agreed to go to the mission are present and accounted for, some members of their group are acting a little odd. When spoken to, they behave the same in terms of personality, but some of the things theyâre saying are strange, or donât sound rightâŠ
Some Outsiders have come to believe that they have always lived in Neo Tokyo, and donât remember any other life. Theyâre convinced that this is the truth, and any attempt to dissuade them is met with resistance, both of the Outsiders feeling nauseated, with the risk of migraines developing. It doesnât seem as if anything works to break this strange sickness, no matter what is attempted.
That might be a problem to deal with later.
Once bunks have been agreed on (and they will need to share rooms), Outsiders are given free rein to explore Windsor Castle. Gwen - and her generals, a group of women who can often be found around her, peering over maps, reports and other paperwork, giving advice and arguing about the best course of action - tell Outsiders that it would be best to stay within the castle walls, due to the threats of smaller kaiju outside the base. They do ask that, if they have spare time, that they help the people around the castle as much as they can, as thereâs a lot of upkeep to do, and theyâre running low on people thanks to their failed missions.
The castle is large, and beautifully decorated with medieval tapestries that have clung to their existence despite the impact of time. There are various locations of interest that the Outsiders are welcome to nose their way around: a library, filled with hundreds of books; the stable, where various horses of different kinds can be found (and ridden!); the outskirts around the bailey, with various small dogs; the feasting hall, where meals are served (mostly farm grown foods, and very limited meats) and, finally, the garrison (which, at the moment, only the non-afflicted Outsiders are permitted into, for âthe safety of the others), with medieval weaponry on the walls.
As the Outsiders are directed to one of the wings of the castle to settle in, some might notice something⊠Off. While all the Outsiders who had agreed to go to the mission are present and accounted for, some members of their group are acting a little odd. When spoken to, they behave the same in terms of personality, but some of the things theyâre saying are strange, or donât sound rightâŠ
Some Outsiders have come to believe that they have always lived in Neo Tokyo, and donât remember any other life. Theyâre convinced that this is the truth, and any attempt to dissuade them is met with resistance, both of the Outsiders feeling nauseated, with the risk of migraines developing. It doesnât seem as if anything works to break this strange sickness, no matter what is attempted.
That might be a problem to deal with later.
Once bunks have been agreed on (and they will need to share rooms), Outsiders are given free rein to explore Windsor Castle. Gwen - and her generals, a group of women who can often be found around her, peering over maps, reports and other paperwork, giving advice and arguing about the best course of action - tell Outsiders that it would be best to stay within the castle walls, due to the threats of smaller kaiju outside the base. They do ask that, if they have spare time, that they help the people around the castle as much as they can, as thereâs a lot of upkeep to do, and theyâre running low on people thanks to their failed missions.
The castle is large, and beautifully decorated with medieval tapestries that have clung to their existence despite the impact of time. There are various locations of interest that the Outsiders are welcome to nose their way around: a library, filled with hundreds of books; the stable, where various horses of different kinds can be found (and ridden!); the outskirts around the bailey, with various small dogs; the feasting hall, where meals are served (mostly farm grown foods, and very limited meats) and, finally, the garrison (which, at the moment, only the non-afflicted Outsiders are permitted into, for âthe safety of the others), with medieval weaponry on the walls.
ⶠ003. IT HAS A GREAT KNIGHT-LIFE.
As the Outsiders settle in, the influence of the strange memory manipulation becomes stronger. Outsiders who are convinced theyâve been in this world their entire lives may grow more determined about it, and find strength in talking about their strange new memories. Anyone attempting to convince them otherwise will likely find themselves ostracised and left to the generous mercy of the civilians around the castle. Either way, both sets of Outsiders are generally welcomed around the castle.
The accommodation is good, but there are a few minor issues. Some of the dishes the Outsiders are served taste a little off (perhaps the lack of spice?) and locals urge their guests to stay away from some areas of the castle. If they do decide to go there despite the warnings, there doesnât seem to be anything amiss. Maybe itâs a British thing?
There are a huge amount of things that need doing around the castle, and the native population are more than happy to encourage the Outsiders to take part and help them with what little resources they have remaining. If Outsiders volunteer to help, theyâre informed about the many odd jobs that need doing around the castle and how they can support the locals:
There are dozens of other odd jobs that need done, too, and Outsiders can find themselves tasked with almost any minor task that they can imagine - from novice carpentry, to cleaning, to taking care of the corgi population to even exercising the horses. There are no limits to how helpful the Outsiders can be to their temporary home.
Throughout this time, Gwen and her generals are preparing for the upcoming mission and sharing briefs with the Outsiders as they gear up: thereâs been a trace of the beast somewhere near Egham, ironically called the âEnchanted Forestâ. If the Outsiders attempt to probe Gwen or question her for specifics, sheâll shrug them off, for now; there simply isnât enough time to answer everyone personally, and sheâs incredibly busy.
The accommodation is good, but there are a few minor issues. Some of the dishes the Outsiders are served taste a little off (perhaps the lack of spice?) and locals urge their guests to stay away from some areas of the castle. If they do decide to go there despite the warnings, there doesnât seem to be anything amiss. Maybe itâs a British thing?
There are a huge amount of things that need doing around the castle, and the native population are more than happy to encourage the Outsiders to take part and help them with what little resources they have remaining. If Outsiders volunteer to help, theyâre informed about the many odd jobs that need doing around the castle and how they can support the locals:
OPERATION: CAN WE FIX IT?
Outsiders are tasked with helping to repair and, in some cases, reinforce the wall surrounding the castle and the bailey. Itâs clearly been damaged from kaiju attacks, and some areas are more damaged than others. There are limited amounts of brick, so there may be a need to go out on a reconnaissance mission to gather more supplies. Outsiders will be rewarded with carved items from the civilians - dogs, horses, dragons, and lions.
OPERATION: WEâRE GOING ON A KAIJU HUNT.
Outsiders are asked to go out in small groups to deal with the small, minor kaiju that have been threatening the castle. The threat is a mixture of various wild kaiju, including vicious wild deer, boar, foxes and badgers. Some are more dangerous than others, and most attack on sight. Outsiders will be rewarded with small gifts from the civilians - gloves with sheep wool interiors, large cotton blankets and, if they bring back their kills, fresh kaiju meat meals.
OPERATION: CLAYSONâS FARM.
Outsiders are asked to help the castle farmers for the upcoming months, both the livestock and the crops themselves. The calves will need to be weaned (which might include chasing them around a field), wool from ewes clipped and harvesting the winter wheat, potato and sugar beet before planting the new crop. Outsiders will be rewarded with small gifts from the farmers - bouquets of dried flowers, their first choice of the harvested crops, bottles of homemade cider, and even naming some of the livestock after the most helpful.
OPERATION: THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT (AUâD CHARACTERS ONLY).
Outsiders are asked to tend to a graveyard deep in the back area of the castle, surrounded by forests. They will need to clean the graves, tidy up anything that has been left behind, check the records are accurate and pay their respects. Outsiders will be rewarded with a broach in a strange horse shape from Gwen herself, who says it will permit them into some of the closed off areas of the castle. This includes the âspaâ (where the water is always cold); the ballroom (where the curtains are too heavy to move, so itâs always dark) and a special dining hall (which none of the cooking staff seem to know exists).
OPERATION: A PROPER GANDER (NON-AUâD CHARACTERS ONLY).
Outsiders are asked to deal with the rebel propaganda thatâs popped up around the castle. They will need to clean the graffiti, remove posters, try and track down where theyâre getting in and ensure none remains. Outsiders will be rewarded with Turkish Delight candies (hand-delivered by Gwen, as itâs her own personal recipe), nightly offers of hot chocolate and their choice of art supplies so they can add their own murals to the castle (once approved by the generals, of course).
There are dozens of other odd jobs that need done, too, and Outsiders can find themselves tasked with almost any minor task that they can imagine - from novice carpentry, to cleaning, to taking care of the corgi population to even exercising the horses. There are no limits to how helpful the Outsiders can be to their temporary home.
Throughout this time, Gwen and her generals are preparing for the upcoming mission and sharing briefs with the Outsiders as they gear up: thereâs been a trace of the beast somewhere near Egham, ironically called the âEnchanted Forestâ. If the Outsiders attempt to probe Gwen or question her for specifics, sheâll shrug them off, for now; there simply isnât enough time to answer everyone personally, and sheâs incredibly busy.
ⶠ004. HASTY PREPARATION.
Not long into the Outsidersâ stay at the castle, a scouting report comes back with alarming news: the kaiju is on the move and seems to have more humans under its control, preparing to launch a counterattack on the castle and the people within. The generals, Gwen leading the charge, are quick to gather their weapons and supplies and start to consider a way of fighting back before the worst happens: the castle is laid siege.
Everyone in the castle is suddenly part of a whirlwind of motion, all trying to plan the counterattack and how to deal with the kaiju before itâs too late. Gwen is more than willing to listen to what the Outsiders have to say as spokespeople for LILITH, and due to their experience in dealing with kaiju in the past; sheâs keen to know what theyâve tried, what worked, and what didnât work.
The next few days have the castle in preparation mode. Weapons are checked, books on tactics and histories are revised to see for any weaknesses that might have been missed, and Outsiders are encouraged to do whatever they can to help, just as they have been before.
Itâs as hard to get Gwen and her generals alone as it was before, but thereâs a general feeling of finality around the keep; this could be it. She does make an announcement a day before the march:
Killing this kaiju might be the only way to free the Outsiders from its influence.
This might be the final push to get rid of the kaiju forever.
Everyone in the castle is suddenly part of a whirlwind of motion, all trying to plan the counterattack and how to deal with the kaiju before itâs too late. Gwen is more than willing to listen to what the Outsiders have to say as spokespeople for LILITH, and due to their experience in dealing with kaiju in the past; sheâs keen to know what theyâve tried, what worked, and what didnât work.
The next few days have the castle in preparation mode. Weapons are checked, books on tactics and histories are revised to see for any weaknesses that might have been missed, and Outsiders are encouraged to do whatever they can to help, just as they have been before.
Itâs as hard to get Gwen and her generals alone as it was before, but thereâs a general feeling of finality around the keep; this could be it. She does make an announcement a day before the march:
"My men and I have discovered what may be causing the strange... Affliction your friends are suffering from, dear soldiers of LILITH. The kaiju seems to have the power to influence emotion, and memory along with it. A previous attack left a relic in the beast, which has healing properties: it is this that will cure your friends. We must defeat the monster and bring this relic home, with all swiftness."
Killing this kaiju might be the only way to free the Outsiders from its influence.
This might be the final push to get rid of the kaiju forever.
ⶠAFTERWORD.
This Travel Log #7!
Due to the nature of the final prompt, the Kaiju RNG will be posted in a few days to allow for time for Outsiders to gather clues and plan a counterattack against the kaiju.
The clues Outsiders receive (both AU and non-AU options) will be vital for charting a course for tackling this kaiju, so please add your suggestions (and ICly +1 other people's) before the 10th at the latest. We strongly encourage players to coordinate their clues together ICly to come up with solutions!
The planned attack will be based on character suggestions using this comment.
All comments in this event count for 2 points towards October AC. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them below.
Due to the nature of the final prompt, the Kaiju RNG will be posted in a few days to allow for time for Outsiders to gather clues and plan a counterattack against the kaiju.
The clues Outsiders receive (both AU and non-AU options) will be vital for charting a course for tackling this kaiju, so please add your suggestions (and ICly +1 other people's) before the 10th at the latest. We strongly encourage players to coordinate their clues together ICly to come up with solutions!
The planned attack will be based on character suggestions using this comment.
All comments in this event count for 2 points towards October AC. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them below.
EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. ITâS (NOT) LONDON, BABY: Outsiders are awoken to the siren alerting them to a mission and are transported to England to help a militia group with a kaiju problem.
2. AN OUTSIDER WALKS INTO A CASTLE: Outsiders meet the leader of the group, Gwen, who urges them to get settled in. Some Outsiders begin to have strange issues with their memories, and side effects when challenged.
3. IT HAS A GREAT KNIGHT-LIFE: While they settle in, Outsiders are tasked with helping the organization out with various tasks with various rewards for their hard work.
4. HASTY PREPARATION: Gwen and her men prepare for a final counterattack against the kaiju with LILITH's support, and ask the Outsiders to suggest ways to track down and kill the threat to their people. They must retrieve a relic embedded in the kaiju to free their friends.
no subject
[Most of these things seem to be in working order too, despite their age. Heavy preservation went into the weapons. Bakugo snorts at her caution.]
As if I'd fuck this up!
[Before giving it a few figure-eight spins in front of him. He does well... though does have to sudden!dodge at the very end when one of those spiky balls veers too close to his shoulder.]
no subject
[It's all 'swords this' or 'guns that'. She could go on about the joys of a good, sturdy mace or hammer, but she immediately pivots as Bakugo fumbles with the flail, gasping.]
Is your arm ok?
[Obviously the flail didn't make contact, but Jessica is all-too-familiar with how the weight of the weapon can strain a muscle, especially when it pulls in a direction you weren't expecting.]
no subject
[Soldiers run and gun, spraying bullets or attempting to fight long-range to avoid getting completely slaughtered without fanfare from a giant ass monster.
Oy! Don't notice the sudden avoidance!]
Of course it is! [What the hell kind of question is that?! He quickly spins the flail again, showing he's got more than enough control to handle it. This time without any accidental close calls.] Here, if you're so good.
[And passing it to Jessica.]
we'll pretend like I know how medieval weapon handling works lol
They could if they weren't cowards.]Look, it's really easy to hurt yourself with one of these things, so I wanted to check!
[She's a healer and it's her job to make sure the people around her are okay.
She takes the flail and steps toward a training dummy. She swings the weapon through a couple of circles to build up momentum, then turns the trajectory to slam the ball into the dummy, knocking its head with a brutal bash. The impact isn't enough to entirely halt the flail's motion, so she turns with the swing to keep away from the spiked ball as it slows.]
See? Like that.
pointy end goes into the other man
[Really, he wouldn't have flinched if he got smacked. Tensed up and cussed, yeah, but no one would've seen shit! Bakugo steps back once Jessica takes hold of the flail. Can't use those like a pair of nunchucks.
Arms crossed, he watches her take a few swings at the training dummy, head canted slightly and eyes narrowed. Momentum build up, trajectory tracing, and impact. Right to the head. Doesn't take it off, so maybe he was wrong about their weight. A dangerous entanglement instead. Bakugo clicks his tongue. Addressing him like a school kid...]
Toss em here.
no subject
[She couldâve knocked the head off if sheâd been aiming for that, but it seems kind of rude to wreck the castleâs dummies for the sake of showing off. Her point was hitting the place she aimed for.
There will be no tossing. Jessica slides her hand up the handle so she can hold out the end to Bakugo to grab.]
There. Give it another try.
no subject
[Says the guy who was paying rapt attention to her motions and practice a second ago. He curls his fingers impatiently, then grips the wood when passed to him. The point of dummies is to hit them; this one looks like it's already been roughed up. What's another few hits?
This time Bakugo treats the item with more attention than last, making sure to follow and use his momentum rather than force the flail into following direction. A quick rotation for speed and he slings it against the dummy's neck, wrapping the chain around once before the balls slam into its face and stick.]
HA!
no subject
[She just ignores his protests and praises the hit.]
See, it's a good weapon.
[She steps over to the weapons rack to peruse the other options. Oh, a battle hammer! She picks it up and tests the weight.]
If only there were mages around to enchant some of these with elemental powers.
no subject
[But its loose and flailing actions aren't this thing. He'd much rather smash the fuck out of something with a normal mace. Bakugo sets it back in place and heads to explore some of the swords. No swinging those around since they might need them for the battle coming.]
You'd have to ask one of the Outsiders if they can.