TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

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TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: forced scenarios, violence & action scenarios, thalassophobia, mass death & injury from natural disaster.

▶ 001. GET ALONG PROMPT

LILITH is highly invested in the physical and mental well-being of its employees. A happy and connected workforce is a strong workforce, after all. However, SYNTHIA has picked up on many instances of discontent between Outsiders - people being blocked by each other on LINE, or teetering on the edge of having a fight (you know who you are and so does SYNTHIA, surprise!) That just won't do. Outsiders who cannot get along will fail miserably when it's time for teamwork. That is why this month's team-building exercise aims to spread positivity amongst the Outsiders. We all gotta get along in the middle of a crisis.

Whether you are looking someone in the face, texting them, or staring at their profile on the network, you receive a prompt from SYNTHIA, followed by an image (exactly as pictured, Shutterstock watermark and all):

"LILITH promotes a positive working environment. Why don't you pay this Outsider a compliment or do something nice for them? Or else :) Noncompliance will result in disciplinary action."

True enough, ignoring the prompt a total of 5 times will result in characters being transported to their rooms and put under house arrest - ahem, time out for a total of 2 days. It doesn't hurt to play along, right? As a note, the prompts become especially persistent when you're faced with someone you dislike. Should Outsiders try to leave their room during this time, they will find the automatic doors do not open the typical way (retina scan and thumb print.) They are trapped! Perhaps asking SYNTHIA for some mercy with positive compliments directed her way will do the trick (it won't, bu you can try!) Remember, Outsiders can speak to SYNTHIA anytime. She's everywhere all the time. Consider her your prettier Alexa. In fact, she might be flattered by that compliment.

▶ 002. TEAM ACTIVITIES.

You've had your fun back at the MAIN BASE. Now it's time to work. Outsiders will be sent back out towards Tokyo Bay while LILITH's research crew continues to try and detect the source of the strong waves. The city is in disarray after the tsunami, with the less secured buildings torn down and many lives lost. Morale within Neo Tokyo is at an all time low even with civilians comforting one another. Each Outsider will receive a small mission brief marked in the colours of their respective team as they are once again flown via helicopter to the designated area.

REDEMPTION:
Outsiders within REDEMPTION are tasked to spread joy in the streets and at the hospital. Be creative in how you wish to do this, whether it's putting on a performance, a skit, or spreading kindness with gifts and sweet gestures. Those with a Style Upgrade are encouraged to use their chip to don funny and eye catching costumes to entertain the civilians. Those with a healing upgrade are highly encouraged to help medical staff.

REVELATION:
Outsiders within REVELATION are tasked with babysitting duties. Many parents are still recovering in the hospital and there's no one to watch their children while they recover. A lot of pets need looking after too! Make sure the children and furbabies are fed, clothed and getting enough sleep. This can even include filling in for classrooms that have recently lost their teacher. Outsiders in REVELATION are encouraged to keep a tally of the census and go looking for lost children if someone seems to be missing.

EVERLIGHT:
Outsiders within EVERLIGHT will be tasked with keeping the people fed and the local businesses running. This can mean organising a soup kitchen, preparing homecooked meals for the civilians and delivering hot meals door to door. It can also mean helping local businesses with repairs to their shops, bringing them supplies and filling in for the staff they might have lost. The city might have just been hit with a tsunami, but that doesn't mean it needs to shut down!

BRIMSTONE:
Outsiders within BRIMSTONE are the luckiest of the lot - they get to be clean up crew. They will be mandated to wear hazmat suits in outrageous colours along with breathing gear. Why? Because they will be scrubbing the whole place of rubble, dirt, debris and corpses. Yes, corpses. Outsiders within BRIMSTONE will be given a census and tasked with identifying any dead body they find. They will then need to transport the corpse to the nearest LILITH disposal truck on a stretcher, where LILITH will cremate it properly. Note that they will be some survivors in the mix, so be prepared to administer first aid and conduct rescue operations accordingly.

Within certain parts of the city (the sewers, in particular, which have flooded with water), the natural flora seems to have been poisoned by a mysterious element. Toxic, monstrous plants are coming alive and attacking anything they see! They bind and strangle Outsiders with their vines and sting them with their nettles. These plants need to be dealt with before they overgrow. Fire & ice works well on them.

"Good afternoon, Angels of LILITH. Please pay close attention to the brief sent to you. We have specific duties for each team. Once you have done enough work, you will be prompted to help another team with their tasks if you desire. Our research crew is searching for the source of the kaiju and we have received information it is in the ocean. Please be ready in case it makes an appearance again before we can find it. You will be staying in Moonlight Inn & 11 Hours hostel once again as we should remain close by. Thank you for the cooperation."

Outsiders will need to finish their team missions. However, if they have time afterward and want to do some overtime, they are more than welcome to help the other teams on their missions.

▶ 003. IT ISN'T OVER YET.

Those who remember the mission brief two weeks ago will know that the first shockwaves are usually the sign of an impending kaiju. LILITH is conducting their own investigations, but with a fresh and energetic workforce it only makes sense to ultilize it. All Outsiders will be given orders to collect samples and bring it back for ongoing testing. By samples, they mean contaminated fish or ocean life remains, or samples of the toxic plants appearing in the sewers.

For Outsiders braving the sewers, they will need to don the silly hazmat suits issued to BRIMSTONE for their own protection and fight off the monstrous plants to clip some samples. It's encouraged to get leaves, stems, seeds, flowers or the whole plant if you can manage it. (Note that collecting the whole plant in a sample container will result in said plant hissing and striking you through the glass.)

For Outsiders who feel like taking a swim, they will be given diving suits and ordered to take a dive in Tokyo Bay. Once in the waters, they are to hunt down and capture any contaminated fish or marine life they can find. This means tuna fish with three eyes or octopi with two heads and 16 legs. It's encouraged to capture them live, but LILITH will also accept remains or waste samples. (Note that the available oxygen in the tank is limited and attempting to swim too far from Neo Tokyo will likely result in an Outsider drowning. )

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first CR Building event! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. Characters are encouraged to participate in their team-specific missions but can help out the other teams if they have time. Feel free to ask any event-related questions below!

As always, you are free to check out our main base and locations page and make up your own prompts!

Please note that all tags in this log will count for 2 reward points each. Have fun! The next log will feature the kaiju fight and will be posted on FEBRUARY 1st in lieu of a TDM.

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aki hayakawa ( chainsaw man )

[lifeprice]

  ▶ (001) TEAM ACTIVITIES.  

[ Aki thinks this must be some kind of nightmare.

When he had arrived here, he had been expecting missions: fighting, dealing with monsters, using weapons to make sure people were protected. He had antipcated putting himself in a situation where he gets himself into more trouble than he should, or trying to find some way of making sure that Denji is well taken care of and supported. He did not, in any way, shape or form anticipate this.

This being toddlers and young children climbing up his legs, poking at different parts of his body, trying to pull his hair; one of them has somehow made her way to his hip, cuddling into him and telling him what feels like an endless story about a family pet.

Stepping into the role wasn't as difficult as he had imagined it being, given how similar it was to trying to wrangle Power and Denji when they'd first moved in with him, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it. One kid keeps trying to hang off the long sleeve of his missing arm and it's enough to give him a headache.

Eventually, he manages to sit down, letting the little girl curl against him as he dozes off, tilting his head and trying to breathe.

Once he's done with his mandated babysitting duties, he steals away to the Everlight group - partly to check on Denji, but also so that he can do something he actually enjoys and have a little bit of evening cooking to calm him down. ]

  ▶ (002) COMPLIMENTS (AND OTHERWISE).  

[ Given the fact that he's not confident in his ability to swim - having a single arm has destroyed his chances for going for the Japanese Olympic record - Aki has decided to spend his time exploring the base and learning about this place, just in case something goes wrong. It's always good to know a place to hide out, or where supplies are, and if bad things keep happening...

Aki is not in the mood to compliment anyone, so instead he tries to avoid them; he travels around the base to try and find a quiet area where human interaction will be at a minimum.

His first stop is the cafeteria, to see if he can sneak back into the kitchens and try and make something a little more familiar for lunch. The simple appliances don't do him much good, however, and anyone hanging around having their own lunch will see Aki slumping down in his chair. His one plan was to try and make some kind of bento or something like it, but with their meals being as regulated as they are... Perhaps he'll have to try elsewhere.

Later, he spends hours in the library, flicking through a series of books that have been left in a pile beside him. They range from poetry and art to a rather distinctive, retro seeming erotic novel that he flicks through, mostly looking irritated at it before he places it delicately to one side and starts on the next one. He spends longer curled up in one of the most uncomfortable of the chairs, letting himself drown in the poetry and ignore the sounds of the world around him and the discomfort of the implant in his body.

When it gets dark and the evening mood takes over him, he slips away to the recreational area. Anyone stopping by for their own workout will find Aki jogging on one of the running machines. Every few minutes, he increases the intensity until he's almost sprinting, sweat beading on his face and his breathing coming out harder. After a little while he forces himself to stop, almost stumbling off before he collapses on one of the benches, rubbing his head. ]

  ▶ (003) WILDCARD.  

( Feel free to find Aki everywhere and anywhere else, or PM/DM me for something else! I'll roll with pretty much whatever you might think of <3 )

01

[balestre]

[ In the middle of his struggles with the children, the little girl tugging on his knot will suddenly be swept away from behind. Quanxi grabs the terror in her hands and, just as she's about to wail, pushes her against the shoulder blade her ponytail hangs down on. The girl is appeased by being able to stroke and tug on the gray-silver hair of her new caretaker. ]

Hello, Hayakawa.

[ If not for her experience encountering Makima, she would be more surprised to see him as he is now. Instead she's flat faced as typical, giving a piggyback ride to an older boy and holding the hand of a shy girl hiding her face behind Quanxi's leg. ]

[lifeprice]

[ Aki jumps a little in surprise when he feels the child suddenly disappear from his arms, and there's a sudden burst of panic - she might be hurt, or have fallen or something - as he turns his head. That panic becomes more of an uneasy, nervous energy as he looks at Quanxi, flicking between her and the little girl with careful eyes.

Why are there so many people here that he immediately does not trust? He frowns. ]

Hello.

[ The boy at Aki's legs looks between them before burying his face into his trousers. ]

... I didn't mind her pulling.

[balestre]

You'll get a headache from it.

[ Her ponytail is loose and far enough from the base of her head that the little tugs the girl is already giving don't mean anything. Though her tolerance for pain is a lot higher than a typical human like him to begin with. She can sense his unease from seeing her already, unsurprisingly. ]

Don't be nervous. We're on the same team.

[lifeprice]

It wouldn't be the first time.

[ It comes out as more of a mumble, but Aki does lift his head to touch his topknot gently. It's still fine, but he can admit that it's a little bit sore. ]

Are we? Or is this just temporary?

[balestre]

We're both on Revelation. That makes you part of my responsibility.

[ Of course everyone on the four teams is important, but those she's part of the same unit of especially. To add to it, he's one of Kishibe's dogs. There's no sentimentality in it for her, but she knows he cares about his pups no matter how he pretends to not. They were enemies in one moment and now they're allies. It's just the way things go. ]

You can be apprehensive if you wish. Just know the past is the past with me.

[lifeprice]

You don't have to feel any kind of responsibility for me.

[ Aki is still bristling at the idea of not being good enough, as if he could somehow be a liability to the rest of his team with his missing arm. He has a weapon, sure, but it's not as if he's going to use the Curse Devil for an average fight here. He doesn't have that kind of lifespan left. ]

Is it the same with Denji?

[balestre]

[ It isn't really about him, but she doesn't think that will matter. He seems like a prideful guy, a lot of the Public Safety workers are. You don't last more than a week in the job without a chip on the shoulder. As for the chainsaw boy... ]

Denji even more so.

[ There's a lot that kid is dealing with right now. She wonders if he's told anything to Aki about it. She certainly won't. It would open up too many questions and on top of that... it's better to keep Hayakawa in the dark. ]

I haven't spoken with him though. I don't know if he's avoiding me or not, but it doesn't matter. I'll keep him safe.

[lifeprice]

[ There's pride about it, but there's also the fact that the only thing he has to live for right now is making sure that Denji is alright and alive. With everything going on, with his lifespan as short as it is, Denji is his main and most prominent concern. ]

In that case, we're fine.

[ He's not going to trust her, necessarily, but he is going to do what he can to work with her if it is in his best interests. With how Denji reacted... He pats the head of one of the children beside him gently. ]

And Makima?

(002) And Otherwise

[blastedass]

[It's certainly not his first time in the cafeteria, but it's not a habit to come here either. The food is in no way comparable to Lunch Rush's amazing cooking, and Bakugo would much rather shop for his own groceries to make his own meals in Everlight's kitchen, thanks. But sometimes when missions go long or he's out too late or only has a short time between activities, you have to make do with what's immediately available. Case in point, with all this shit happening, that's what has Bakugo heading towards the kitchen of the cafeteria today.

It's not a surprise the place is short staffed, and what's on the menu doesn't seem at all appealing. Still, even the baser ingredients and simple appliances can go a long way if you bother to work with them. From cooking rice in a pot to putting together a basic stew composed of packet gravy, pathetic selection of spices, potato skins (seriously, don't waste food), a few carrots & onions, and canned tuna. It's rustic fare. One person on the staff said something, but got barked at aggressively enough they backed off and let Bakugo have his little kitchen corner.

He recognizes Aki mostly by the topknot and Denji's brief description of the guy. Didn't expect to see him looking like a bummed-out lump slouched in his chair like the world's dropped on his shoulder. Tch...

It's a few minutes later before a bowl of rice topped with stew clunks down in front of the guy, steaming up at him alongside a small plate hosting two bare-bones tuna riceballs.]

So you stop looking pathetic.

[Aki's the only one in the cafeteria with nothing in front of him, so it wasn't hard to figure out he could use the pick up. Not that Bakugo's going to admit he did it for that reason...]

[lifeprice]

[ Aki still feels like he's drifting a little here; he's not settled, trying to find his footing in a world so distinct from his own but with painful enough similarities. With the whiplash of learning to stay away from Makima and Denji's misery, he's not sure how best to cope with it all, so he lands on the familiar; quiet, solitary sadness, the kind that makes him look like a kicked dog.

He hears Bakugo moving around but doesn't anticipate being bothered until there's rice placed in his vision, and he blinks, leaning back. He is hungry - his stomach gurgles a little in order to remind him that he probably should've eaten before now - but he shakes his head all the same. ]

Thanks. [ Raising his eyebrows, he watches Bakugo absently. ] Pathetic?

[blastedass]

[Bakugo doesn't recall seeing the guy around, despite recognizing him from description. Does this mean he's new? Or has he just not been near Everlight... Something to ask later. If it's the former, he can understand the feeling of getting adjusted. But considering the tsunami and all the work going into that crap, Aki could just be exhausted like so many other people, dealing with the damage and loss and support.

It'd explain the kicked dog look at least.

The sound of Aki's stomach growling makes the decision even more firm. Though getting the head shake plus gratitude just earns the other man a flicker of a scowl and a spoon.]

Eat it before your stomach eats itself.

[lifeprice]

[ There is a lot going on - Aki has had to adjust quickly, push himself to adapt to a world that is both familiar and achingly different, having his perspective totally switched up on him. It means he's been forgetting to do simple things like take care of himself, the kind of thing that Denji would definitely shout at him and scold him for, but...

It's hard to keep going when his mind is the way that it is.

Reaching out, he draws the rice closer with a small smile. ]

Do you want to join me?

[blastedass]

[Join the club. Everyone they kidnapped and shoved in here has had to do that. Is still doing that if they're going to be honest with themselves. Without knowing what team this guy is on, Bakugo had to determine whether to let him just wilt away at the table or make him eat. Considering he's Denji's friend...

Whatever. He'll drop him off at Denji's room later, when it looks like Aki's actually got strength enough to walk.]

As long as you're not gonna run your mouth.

[Bakugo takes a seat beside him, setting down another bowl/plate combo. He leaves just long enough to get some bottled water, but that's about all the fare options the cafeteria will have on hand for a bit.]

[lifeprice]

That's not my style.

[ Aki could never claim to be talkative or chatty; he might fill in the gaps if he's with people he recognises, or is familiar with, but he's not going to sit and chatter away with a relative stranger. It just doesn't sit right with him, and that's something he can live with.

He's still adjusting, after all. He only has one arm, he isn't sure if he has a life waiting for him at home... Maybe the quiet will do him some good.

Leaning back, he rubs a hand over his face before he breathes out softly. ]

Have you been here a long time?

[blastedass]

[Bakugo just grunts in acknowledgement and spoons in. The rice is salted to a bare degree, since the stew has been spiced enough to at least make for a good taste. Everything's been cooked to a nice texture, though does err more on the side of firm to avoid running into mushy risk.

Plenty of people here have their own struggles and thoughts about what to do, where to go, what will be. There's nothing they can do right now to return home, much less find out information regarding their home and what was left behind... Bakugo has suspicions, but that's all they are.]

A month.

[A little over.]

[lifeprice]

[ It's nice, as nice as something he might make at home, and that means Aki approves of it. The instinct to go out of his way to make something as good to eat for Denji is still present, but he needs a little bit of time to get his funds together. They're not getting paid as handsomely as the devil hunters at home did, but it's enough.

Leaning back in his chair, he nods his head absently. ]

That seems to be when most people showed up. [ He's been speaking to Denji. ] How have you found the training?

team activity + compliment, pls!

[yuwon]

[ being around other kids reminded him a lot of his youth. though, it's not necessarily positive memories for him, either. regardless, he doesn't think that has much to do with his lack of understanding how to deal with children. it isn't that he's terrible at it, but that he couldn't essentially change his character, nor can he tear his natural inclination of being a little more ... rigid than kids liked. if he had to say, most kids were cautious around him.

which is probably why as soon as one of the ones pulling on aki's hair seems to stiffen up as soon as yuwon stares at them. though that doesn't stop another more bold kid from running into the back of his leg. he releases a sigh as he looks behind him, making sure the kid was fine before turning to talk to him. ]

I was going to ask if you can handle one more, but nevermind.

[lifeprice]

[ Aki sighs softly, adjusting his grip on the child to let him cuddle a little bit closer. He has no idea who this stranger is, or why the children are reacting to him the way that they are, but it does make him raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Kids are a good judge of character, most of the time, but maybe all the disasters and strange things going on have made them a little more scared than usual. ]

It's fine, I can handle it.

[ He tilts his head away to protect his topknot instead. ]

Are you alright?

[yuwon]

[ no, don't use these kids are a judge of character... or else, he'd obviously fail this test.

still, he does seem to be trying in his own right (citation needed). but, that doesn't mean he isn't evidently relieved when the other man says he can handle this extra kid. with that yuwon seems to be encouraging the kid next to him over to this man with a topknot.

but, of course, it's not like he can just dump this kid on him without helping in his own right. he reaches over to try and help peel some kids off of him, which is kind of hard when they're attached to him like clothes fresh out of a dryer. ]

I'm fine. I'm just not used to this. [ it was already strange to be around so many people considering how solitary life before all of this, so it's even ... more peculiar to be surrounded by children. opposite of that— ] You do this a lot?

[lifeprice]

[ Aki leans down to give the kid a small smile, wishing he had another hand to do something - to hold his hand, or pat him on the head or something like that. Unfortunately, with one limb down, all he can do is try and offer a kinder expression and try to soothe him. ]

Babysitting? No. But I'm used to taking care of people that act a little bit like children.

[ Shaking his head, he moves to put the child in his arm down, sliding down his body. He wobbles on his legs before he grabs at Aki's trousers, and all he can do is sigh softly. This is his life now, it seems, burdened with toddlers and adults who act like them.

There are worse things. ]

I'm not a father or anything. Just practice.

[yuwon]

[ his soothing expression seems to work wonders, as if the kids instinctively comprehended his positive intentions. in a way, he's impressed. but perhaps in the same breath, the kids probably felt a similar energy of him not desiring to be closer to others than he needed. not that he really minds, but he does feel like its kind of bad to rely on this guy to make up for that.

hence, he leans down and places a single hand on their head as if to encourage them. somehow, they don't brush it off. but, he almost has to laugh at the statement of him not being a father. ] You did look pretty young.

[ not that it's impossible, but he envisions if this world or his world was anything similar to the tower, he supposed those sorts of desires for normalcy didn't usually last. ]

But, what kind of people were you looking after? [ to be compared to children...

somehow, he can't picture it. even if guys like hargaan were overexcited, he wouldn't necessarily say they were children. son ohgong was far to brash and destructive to be an average kid too. ]

[lifeprice]

[ Too young to be a father, but not too young to be an older brother. When he was younger, he helped take care of Taiyo a little, when his parents let him, but that doesn't mean that it has carried over totally into adulthood. Is that why he was saddled with Power and Denji, because he would be able to handle it? Or was it part of Makima's plan, given what she is - or what Denji told him she is.

That's not the kind of thing that Aki wants to dwell on right now, though, so he ignores it completely, shoving the thoughts aside and focusing on the young boys and girls that need his attention in the wake of the tragedy. He knows how that feels: he empathises, too much.

Sighing, he resists the urge to wipe at his face, as if that's going to erase his grief. ]

Idiots. [ A damning picture with a damning brush. ] But they were excitable, and loved one another, and in a way they were my family. They were mostly stupid, but I cared about them a lot.

[ Past tense, because they're not both here. Denji is, though, but Aki... Aki isn't sure what's in his future now. ]

Do you know Denji?

[yuwon]

[ for some reason, despite being the one asking, he didn't quite expect that response. it probably made perfect sense within the context of their conversation, and yet there was a personal disconnect for himself. family, huh?

he seems to ruminate on it briefly, before deciding there probably wasn't much he could add to that. but his considerations aside, it did make sense on why the kids seemed so taken with him. that said, while he doesn't fully comprehend "family" in the way others probably would, he does understand friendship to a degree, even if it feels like a fairly distant memory now. ]

Guess their stupidity grew on you. [ which he realizes sounds like a dumb point to make now, but he doesn't seem to put a lot of thought into it. when he asks about denji... ]

Denji? [ he does recall the name, but. ] Is he here?

[lifeprice]

[ It still feels a little bit strange to call them family, but that's what they were; Denji and Power had stolen into his life and burrowed their way into his heart. He was willing to give up practically everything for them, and wasn't that enough to show just how much he cares about them?

He'd be embarrassed if they were here to overhear him, but he shrugs it off. ]

Something like that. I spent enough time with them. [ Shaking his head, he smiles fondly at the boy resting on his hip, still trying to tug at his hair. ]

He's here. Blonde hair, about my height, aggressive and stupid? That's him.