synflux | TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

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TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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.

[ 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?

[ 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?

Edited (idk why the only metaphor i could think of was the michelin tire man, sorry) 2024-01-19 06:52 (UTC)

[ 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.

[ 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. ]

[ 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?

[ 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?

[ 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.

[ honestly, there was probably something that could be said about someone who speaks with this kind of conviction about the bonds they shared with others. this is only further solidified by the fact that he could say them to a perfect stranger.

oddly enough, yuwon doesn't sense any sort of malice or intent to lie, either. granted, he also couldn't see why someone would lie about this. it's kind of interesting, and it's a concept that sticks with him, if just because it was such a rare sentiment in the tower. or maybe, everyone was so focused on survival that everything else felt like an afterthought. though, maybe that's precisely why their bonds grew, too. who knows.

but, at his description, he pauses. ] I don't think I know anyone like that. [ says yuwon as he's texting denji. which is why he does think of his briefly...

the thief, huh. ] Whoever they are, it sounds like you need to keep a closer eye on them.

[ Bonds are one of the things that matter the most to Denji; he had tried not to let them affect him, had tried to keep his distance, but it was impossible to do that when people kept crawling under his skin. Himeno, Denji, Power... They all made him so happy, he would've done anything for them.

He would've given up anything for them, and he almost did. For Denji, for Power, for their happiness... No matter what, Aki would've put them first. Maybe that was his failing, in the end; if he'd been brave enough, or strong enough, if he had been better, maybe he would've kept fighting, been stronger, better. He still doesn't know what happened with Makima or why Denji is so upset, but...

Shaking his head, Aki sighs, trying to force himself away from the sad thoughts. ]

I'm trying to, but he's strong enough to take care of himself. I don't want him to feel smothered, since that'd just make him mad.

[ The kid on his hip laughs, grabbing at Aki's mouth, and he groans. ]

He's good, though.

[ fortunately, yuwon wasn't one to pry. whatever causes the man to sigh, he presumes was deep and personal to him. though, he supposed just the concept of speaking of family probably started to bubble a series of other emotions; ones yuwon wasn't necessarily privy to, and he was okay with that.

it isn't like he was the type to pry unnecessarily. except, at his next set of words. ] Are you the type who cares about making someone mad? Isn't it better to act as needed regardless of how it makes someone feel? [ it's a question of genuine curiosity.

it's here yuwon reaches a hand out, keeping one of the kids from trailing off. ] I can't take your word for it, but let's just say I do. [ sometimes you only believe in what you see... besides, it's clear he was some sort of close figure to this "denji," and by extension— likely bias. ]

It probably depends on the situation. I can handle him being mad, if I have to.

[ To protect Denji, or fight on his behalf; those are the kinds of things that Aki can do, even if it might make Denji furious with him. It would be almost funny, to have that kind of role reversal; that for one of the first times Denji is mad at Aki for doing stupid shit rather than the other way around, given their roles and situations in the past.

Waving his fingers in lieu of having an extra hand to wave, Aki just shakes his head. ]

We'll see how this place goes. We haven't had a mission yet, so I don't know what to expect.

[ this is probably a textbook example of how bonds could at times act as a shackle. or simply, just a liability. it isn't a fact yuwon ever really forgets, or rather, he can't permit himself to. but, that isn't to state he didn't have his own set of similar connections to people of his previous timeline. as much as he's pressed to admit it. while it may not be the man's fault considering it began from his own line of questioning, but he may resent their conversation just a little bit for making him think of it.

but, it's a bitterness that's dissolved by the next time he speaks. ] You think you're ready for it? [ he supposes they could never truly be ready for something they can't see the future to, but he supposes it might give insight to the man's skillset to ask.

but, now that yuwon thinks of it, he's a bit surprised to meet someone with decent character. at least so far, as much as initial impressions go. he doesn't sense a haughtiness to the man, nor any real issues he could feel out. but, maybe that just shows how many shitty people there were in the tower. ]

[ Aki is nothing if not the physical representation of how bonds can cause so many problems; his affection for Power and Denji had left him utterly broken, so far removed from who he had been before they'd crashed into his life. Before the two of them were in his care, all he had ever focussed on, all he had ever cared about, was getting his vengeance. Now he has things that he wants to protect, and it's essentially ruined him.

How is he meant to fight like this?

Shaking his head, he adjusts, leaning down as the toddler wiggles out of his arms and rushes off to greet someone; Aki checks before letting him go, making sure it's safe before he sighs. ]

Fighting? I'm used to that. It won't be a problem.

[ Even with, well. The missing arm and all. ]

[ it's clear this man also carried a decent attention to detail; he watches as his eyes seem to scrutinize the safety of the child before releasing. it's impressive, but yuwon can't help but to think the entire concept of taking care of children to be... exhausting, and he's never really thought about it before.

this makes him almost feel languid and if this was in the tower, this is probably where he would have wanted to take a nap. except, he manages to hold back a yawn as he looks back at him. ] Good. Figure that would be the case.

As of right now... I don't think I know a single person that isn't the case for. [ he casts a gaze back at the kid who seems to enthusiastically be jumping on another kid. oh well. ] Are you the type who uses a weapon?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

▶ 001. GET ALONG PROMPT

▶ 002. TEAM ACTIVITIES.

▶ 003. IT ISN'T OVER YET.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

team activity + compliment, pls!

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