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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[ She still remembers that throwaway line, huh? Fair enough. If he hadn't wanted to invite future comments on it, he really should have just told the truth. There's a bit of a resigned air to the smile still present on his face, though it doesn't disappear entirely. ]

Not all monsters look as ugly on the outside as they do on the inside.

[ Read: it was just another guy that gave him the scar. No fun stories to tell here, sorry. But in case the implication isn't clear enough: ]

I spent a lot of time fighting when I was younger. Not against whales or other monsters, but just against other people. It was one of the most effective ways to earn money at the time.

[ Money, power, and influence, some of the things he would need to make the reforms he so desperately wanted. Not for himself, never for himself, but for all the people who would come after him. Of course, he can't really do any of that now, absent from the Fortress as he is, so it's clearly time to focus his efforts elsewhere.

His smile brightens again. ]

So, since my experience is somewhat limited, looks like you'll still have to be my teacher when it comes to the big bads down at the depths of the ocean.

[ This still isn't her compliment but we're getting there. ]

[ fighting people for money... that's a common way of getting money back in the city too. duels, brawls, the fact that people can hire fixers to take a hit on a guy you want obliterated, you name it. the fact that the scars came from such a nothingburger of a story does bum ishmael a little, though. she expected more from you, man...

back on the topic, ishmael makes yet another face. ugh. ]

Couldn't you just asked me to teach you something that's actually my forte? Like self-defense. Tying knots. Those kind of things.

[ she should elaborate more on that too, while looking off to the sea again. ]

Have you... ever drowned before? [ just making sure. ]

Edited 2024-01-18 22:51 (UTC)

[ HELLO not all of us can be 500 year old puppets created by a god or a guy who travels through holes in space-time to fight interdimensional whales. Or even a poor unfortunate soul doomed to die again and again in a harsh city. Sometimes you are Just A Guy whose biggest problem is the injustice of society.

Though apparently the new big problem is going to be drowning now. He raises an eyebrow. ]

Can't say I have, though I'm sure I must have come close as a kid. [ Though at the same time, he doubts his foster parents would have let anything so dangerous happen, even if kids will be kids. ] Why, have you?

[ She's still here though?? Then again, after some of the conversations he's had here, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised... ]

[ oh, right. of course he hasn't drowned before. she should've worded that better, but... eh, semantics. ]

I almost have. It wasn't fun. Especially with all the Whales just waiting to turn me into a Mermaid.

[ it's the same thing she said about that one time she almost melted. near-death experiences can do that, even when she can be brought back from the dead before coming here.

but it's more than that. it's the massive amounts of shame she'd felt upon realizing that she's the only one left alive, that she was still hanging onto the coffin in the ocean that ironically saved her life. she's already made her peace with it now, but in a new environment with new people, she isn't sure if they can be saved if things go south.

her gaze snaps back to wriothesley. ]

Anyway, I refuse to let you die under my watch. So you'd better stick to me the entire time when we're down there, understand?

[ she's so serious rn bro............ ]

[ Why is she talking like she's from some sort of children's fairy tale? Whales turning people into mermaids? Melting in whale oil?? This is honestly beyond his pay grade. And yet apparently stuff like this is what he's getting paid (barely) to do here, so he may as well get used to it.

But it's very cute that she seems to care so much though. ]

I'm not looking to die any time soon, so trust me when I say I'll be doing my best to stay alive.

[ Even if he knows full well that nothing is out of the question, and that no amount of preparation will save him if things do go south in a way he can't handle. Though, speaking of preparation... ]

Maybe we should look into that knot-tying expertise of yours though. If you're that worried, why not tie some sort of rope around me?

[ It won't save him if something casually saws through it but hey, better than nothing. ]

[ she wishes they were all fairytales. that means the story would have a happy ending. but alas, even the source material of her entire backstory ended with ishmael as a lone survivor either way. though at the same time, she didn't even give wriothesley the chance to prove himself that he can survive out there. there's no guarantee that he'll--

mm. maybe she should've buried her feelings from the beginning after all, just to avoid overthinking about this.

the mention of knot-tying completely takes her by surprise though, and she blinks owlishly at him. he's interested in that? ]

...Sure, if you insist. Give me some rope then.

[ so that she can immediately get to work. it does take a bit more time though, her fingers deftly crisscrossing both ends of the rope and looping them just right, until the knot is starting to look like the rope headband she has on her at all times. ]

[ One day she'll learn that he's interested in just about everything. There's a stronger flicker of interest in his eyes as he trots off to fetch the necessary rope to hand over to her, and a clear investment as his gaze follows each deft movement of her fingers as she ties the rope into a series of knots he's never before seen in his life.

Of course, interest isn't the same memorization, and despite the way he tries to rewind her motions in his head, they fade away quick enough. Ah well. He can ask for actual lessons later, if the need arises. ]

That was pretty impressive. [ Here, her real compliment. ] There's no mistaking you as anything but a real sailor with that kind of skill.

[ Or a deeply devoted enthusiast, but she doesn't have the personality to match. ]

[ oh, her compliment of the day. she's... going to try very hard to accept it more gracefully this time with a smile, though a more wistful one than usual. ]

...Thanks. We call this one the Desperate's Knot. It's pretty sturdy, and it has saved plenty of lives before. Including mine.

[ it's called a Desperate's Knot the way she'd held on for dear life during that fateful day at sea, the tempest and the ship's wreckage whirling around her as her hands bled and peeled trying to hang onto the coffin--

but she snaps out of it in time, and she loops the rope around wriothesley's waist, tethering it around hers and securing this with the same knot as well. ]

There we go. The rope binding us should be at the right length. If I fall, you fall. [ how ominous. the somber smile is back as she nods at him. ] Ready?

Edited 2024-01-25 03:23 (UTC)

[ girl.....are you okay.....

He's gotten good at reading people, at interpreting body language and tone of voice and noting when something's just a little bit off about someone. Call it occupational hazard, a side effect of spending too much time around just enough people who'd like to see his demise sooner rather than later.

There's a faint flicker of worry in the back of his mind, the image of her standing motionless as she stares past the water's surface into the depths below. She's only told him bits and pieces of her past - the same as he's done with her - but it's not hard to take a guess that the ocean must hold a lot of pain for her.

His brow crinkles. One hand reaches down to tug at the rope around his waist, then out to grab hold of her upper arm, as if to stop her from going forward. ]

Sure, but one thing before we dive in. Are you going to be okay?

[ she's fine, dw (she is a protagonist of a projmoon game)

she'll never get over the concern she gets from other people. back at the great lake, she just did all sorts of nonsense in a fit of blind rage, and most of the sinners are too intimidated to stop her. dante was one of the few who tried to stop her and ultimately succeeded, but this time...

this time she locks eyes with wriothesley, taking his hand from her arm. ]

I won't do anything stupid, if that's what you're asking. [ that's not what he's asking. ] But yes, I have no choice but to be okay. Now, will you be coming with me or not?

[ she squeezes his hand, as if to say please. and since he has no choice in the matter either, ishmael is going to walk backwards into the water while pulling him along, putting on her rebreather with one hand until they're fully submerged into the murky depths. ]

[ Don't think that's going to reassure him even for a minute.

But she's a grown woman capable of taking care of herself and they have a job to do. If he truly respects her, and he does, he'll trust her judgement on this. Even if he's still going to worry about her.

His free hand lifts in a dismissive gesture. ]

If you say so. [ She did in fact say so. ] Lead the way then, Mademoiselle.

[ He will follow behind her like an obedient duckling. ]

[ mademoiselle... huh. not even meursault calls her that back home. she'll choose not to dwell on his gentlemanly habits and focus on the mission at hand, leading him deeper into the water until she can let go of his hand. they're still bound together by rope anyway.

huh, that wasn't so bad. she'll get more used to this over time. she taps into the oculars to send him an audio message. ]

"We can communicate like this too. Talk about convenient."

[ it's murky underwater, with nothing much to see but trash and contaminants. not exactly ideal for recreational diving. regardless, she's going to lead the way for him, her orange hair moving around her like tentacles as she turns around to face him. she can swim backwards this way, it's fine. ]

"You keep asking if I'm okay, but what about you?"

[ Blame the Fr*nch in him...

After the mostly clear waters surrounding Fontaine, it's a bit of a(n unpleasant) surprise to be greeted by such murky opaque liquid. At least they have their masks, thanks LILITH. Again, he follows behind like an obedient duckling. It's clear that he's familiar with being underwater, though his movements aren't quite as fluid as hers. ]

"Trying to fish for more compliments by swimming backwards?"

[ Just kidding, but he'll add that to his repetoire for the future. ]

"I'm fine. Pretty sure I won't be dissolving into nothingness here." [ Unless somehow the Primordial Sea's also happened to make its way over here??? Haha, that would suck so bad. ] "But I'll let you know if I start feeling strange."

[ rolls her eyes! anyone can swim backwards, hello? maybe wrio just has skill issues. ]

"I get what you're saying, but please don't joke about that."

[ dissolving until there's nothing left is a Fear of hers, okay. she already told him how unpleasant it was...

but wriothesley seems normal so far, so ishmael is going to lead them further down, past all the seaweed and rocky reefs. the dirty water is making it hard to look for specimens unless a stray minnow accidentally bumps into them or something. she sighs mentally. ]

"Shame that the waters here look like this. We aren't going to get anything at this rate." [ hmm. ] "Want to go touch the ocean floor? There's bound to be more fish the deeper we go."

[ Duly noted for the future. His small smile fades quickly, voice turning serious. ]

"Got it."

[ No more jokes about dissolving, or anything else along those lines. Only serious research matters from here on out.

...Though she's got a point, there's not going to be much to take back if the waters stay this cloudy for the whole duration. Her suggestion makes sense, and he fires off a quick affirmation before he's diving down deeper without waiting for her lead, trusting that the rope will keep the two of them together.

The combination of contaminated water and even less sunlight filtering through means it's harder to see at the bottom, so he settles for slowly feeling across sandy bottom in the hopes of finding something.

Which he does! ......It's a tiny little octopus with about seven eyes bulging out all over its head. This is our tentacle hentai now. ]

"Think they'll want to see this?"

[ oh. that's... ]

Cute...

[ the most adorable tentacle hentai there is. it almost looks harmless, but ishmael knows better than to underestimate it. she puts an arm in front of wrio to prevent him from getting closer, and uses her harpoon to nudge it to see if it does anything weird.

sure enough, its suction cups have been replaced with sharp teeth. and it's coming their way... at a snail's pace. it's so pathetic... ]

Uh. I can't even pierce this with my harpoon. Little help?

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TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

▶ 001. GET ALONG PROMPT

▶ 002. TEAM ACTIVITIES.

▶ 003. IT ISN'T OVER YET.

▶ 004. AFTERWORD.

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