TEAM BUILDING EVENT #1

[synfluxmods]

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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Comments

[yuwon]

[ while yuwon's expression barely shifts, it's true that he's interested in this topic. an automaton, huh? he seems to ponder over it. maybe the principles was similar to the equipment in the tower? ]

What sort of supplies do you typically need? [ this is probably the first time he's asked so many questions out of an individual he met, ut he can't deny it's a useful skill in a world where it didn't seem as easy to acquire certain items. ]

Do you have it now?

[likemybooks]

Metal. Materials that conduct arcane magic. Gems help. But even without the expensive stuff, I could try to tinker something useful.

[But having money is so great in general. Although not as great as having friends, including his robot sidekick. Taryon turns his head to the side, his hand supporting his face and covering his mouth.]

No. [He sounds incredibly disappointed - in fate, in LILITH.] Doty's been left behind with everyone else.

[yuwon]

[ arcane magic. "arcane" isn't a term he's heard since arriving here from the tower, and it gets him obviously thinking. he places a hand over his chin, as he seems to be deep in thought. ]

Your world may have principles similar to the one I was in. [ that's all he'll offer though as he seems to close his mouth from there. only responding about: ] Any specific metals you need? I might want something made. [ which he'll pay for, of course, as well as gathering the materials. which he isn't feasibly sure when, but he feels he should at least make his intentions clear. ]

Maybe you can make a temporary one. A Doty 2. [ he's not funny, sorry. ]

[likemybooks]

You're- [Taryon waits for Yuwon to clarify on his home world. He must be talking about his home world, with arcane magic systems. Perhaps he also had holy magic, and druidic magic. They may as well be in alternate versions of Exandria.

Only that is never answered. Just another question about his work, and a comment that visibly deflates him.] It depends. The sturdier, the better.

[He gives Yuwon a lopsided smile.] Funny thing is, the current Doty is version 2.0. The original one died when I was on a dangerous mission, and...well, we couldn't recover him before he was disassembled. [He folds his hands on the table.] This would be 2.5 at the best, and I don't have my engineering notes.

[yuwon]

[ it's definitely a topic he'd like to revisit, or rather he feels may naturally come to light. especially, if their interests seemed to align in terms of creating useful/magical items. but, at the answer to his question, he seems to nod. it made sense. but, the bigger question here was... ]

I wonder what types of material are popular here. [ tech didn't necessarily match with what equipment was made out of, but who knew. it's true that the base and other parts of this place seemed solid, but whether it was comparable to mithril or adamantium was another thing entirely. ]

You made it twice. Would you really need notes? [ a pause. ] Besides, all we have is downtime here. [ between missions, that is. who knows their actual frequency, but he doesn't seem to put much thought to it as he takes another large bite out of his bread. swallowing it down. ]

[likemybooks]

I've seen iron and steel. Both durable, but rather heavy. They're affordable, so if you don't need the lightweight strength of adamantium, they'll be serviceable. [His hand rotates slowly as he thinks.] I've seen a type of plastic in a lot of robotics, and a less durable one in figurines. I took a stab at those models you assemble that they sell, they're perfect for gluing together, but not great for weapons. I might use it instead of metal depending on the situation.

[And if he rebuilt Doty...no, he has to be durable. Not just lightweight.]

I mean...there's all these pulleys and runic configurations I don't remember off the top of my head. You know computers? And how you write rune-like codes to make them work? It's like that. I know I have the basic parts down, but I might forget a detail or two. He'll be, like, a great attempt, but not the same.

[yuwon]

[ it's a solid point (no pun intended). he supposed if it wasn't something meant to be affixed into armor, it wouldn't be so weird. ] Iron and steel aren't bad for simple equips, like a dagger or a ring maybe... [ ...maybe even a belt. these are more thoughts than actual statements. ]

Plastic figures? [ all he can think of are those tiny build kits that may have been popular when he was younger. not that he ever had a chance to tinker around with them. honestly, he is less familiar with the things here vs. more traditional items in the tower. ]

Have you thought of buying a similar companion? Or altering what they sell in stores? [ he saw some people have... robotic companions. he's definitely thinking of doty as a roomba right now, which is probably not correct. ]

[likemybooks]

Yeah, they look like robots. They're form these shows I haven't had a chance to watch yet. [He's definitely talking about build kits.] They don't really move around enough to help out with my work. Unless...

[If he finds one with articulated limbs, perhaps he can enchant it to perform simple commands. It's no Doty, but it will do as a companion.]

It's not the same if I buy something from a store. It's still expensive, and all I can afford is four roombas. They're fine. For now. I have to see what I can do with them. But as for your suggestion- [He taps his finger against his chin.] Not sure what I can do with a dagger, but I could try to replicate a Ring of the Ram. It's a pretty great weapon, just a bit expensive.

[yuwon]

[ it made sense. he guesses every creator and craftsman had pride in what they did, and it probably wouldn't sit right to create something from someone else's work. ] You could always dissemble them. [ then use their parts...

but, he's also not sure how useful that would be and if that tech would match the type of plans this man normally had. ] A great weapon? [ he does seem to perk up at that. ] What is it like? [ a ring, huh...

honestly, while he could try and make his own conjectures, he's not exactly sure how accurate his assumptions would be when he knows so little of taryon's world and the conventions surrounding it. plus, while names could tell a lot about a weapon, it doesn't always mean he can guess what that is. ]

[likemybooks]

True...but I don't want to ruin my roombas. [They're become his pets at this point.]

So, this ring fires magical shots, but they take some time to recharge. [His elbows are on the table so Taryon can use his hands to gesticulate.] It draws in arcane energy from the ether, and when you activate it, the ring concentrates it all in one spot, then you fire it. I've taken down some hefty foes with it, so as long as you don't miss, you get some decent long-range hits in.

[Taryon arrived without it, but he glances at the shield ring provided by LILITH that now rests on his finger.] I'm no jeweler, but I think I'll look pretty cool.

[yuwon]

[ it's clear by yuwon's countenance that he doesn't fully understand his reservations with picking apart his roombas. but, he supposed it didn't matter, especially when the man made his stance pretty clear.

he doesn't stick to his thought for long as he rightfully moves onwards.

what he describes kind of reminds him of a mana blast. he compares it to that, if just because it's easier. he supposed magical items who produce similar skills probably did exist. ] It seems especially useful as it doesn't seem to use your innate mana or arcane power. [ after all, most people only had a certain level of stamina... ]

Show it to me when you recreate it. [ while stoic, he seems a bit more relaxed when he says this, as if he were talking to a friend. maybe it's more of a bad habit. though, the fact that he's blunt never really seems to change. ] I'd like to take a look at your craftsmanship.

[likemybooks]

Exactly! You get it. I take it you dabbled in magic back home, right? [He drops his hands onto the table to tightly fold them.] I say I'm a bit of a practitioner in the arcane arts. Not to the extent of a wizard or sorcerer, but enough to infuse magic into things. I can still do it, right now, if you want a demonstration, but, ah, it's a bit crowded at the moment.

[There's too many people and too many bowls of soup that could be upturned.]

I can't cast a fireball on my own, but I can figure out how to build something that can do it for me. It just takes some materials and time.

[Yuwon seems he's impressed. Taryon hopes he's impressed. So he responds with a hearty nod.] That, I can do. You'll be the first to know when it's complete!

[yuwon]

Something like that. I'm not a magician or sorcerer, but I do have abilities I can use. [ he doesn't see a point in denying such an obvious truth. but, beyond that, the metaphorical twinkle in the man's eyes when it came to his craft resonated with him. it's also a bit of a reminder to what he's temporarily left behind. not that he chooses to think about that, instead focusing on what the man reveals of himself. ]

After we eat, should we go somewhere with enough space? [ he seems to tilt his head, he supposed somewhere within the confines of the base was still likely preferable, if just for the civilian identities they were technically supposed to be upholding. though, he's distracted from these thoughts when he hears his last set of words. yuwon seems a bit surprised by it.

honestly, it's been a while that anyone expressed this level of enthusiasm towards him. but, his expression relaxes with a small touch of something more amicable on his features. ] Sure. How long does it normally take?

[likemybooks]

Oh, what kind? [There's little chance that Yuwon is the world's equivalent of an artificer, but many other people dabble in magic here and there. Even rangers know some healing spells.] I know people that can heal or strengthen their allies. I heard one of them managed to call down a goddess in the middle of a fight.

[Taryon wonders if that was just Pike messing with him, but considering how powerful she is, he wouldn't be surprised.]

There's the simulation rooms. I'll bring my equipment and we'll try out a few strategies. We could be a fighting duo out there, what do you say? [He leans in excitedly.] Building things can take a few days to a few months. We might as well prepare ourselves until we're fully armed, right?

tary is cute 🥺

[yuwon]

I can freely use dark mana. Mostly, I create energy blasts or fire. [ fire may have been a basic way to describe it, but simple was best, right?

at the bit about his friends, his chin naturally tilts. ] A goddess? Was there a specific one they called on? [ he wonders if this a skill, or a summoning of someone else who may have once existed. the word "goddess" left a lot for debate, but he tries not to speculate without any facts. ]

I normally work alone, but... [ he figures since teamwork was required of them regardless, it didn't hurt to gather deeper understanding of someone else's skills. besides, it was him who was curious first. eventually, he gives a firm, but curt nod. ] I could use you, sure. [ he says this more easygoing than anything actually malicious, but yuwon wasn't one to really mince words when he spoke. ]

[likemybooks]

[Taryon hums. That sounds like a warlock, or someone who works with arcane magic like he does. Although, since Yuwon hasn't mentioned he's primarily a spellcaster, so he uses spells to back up his physical attacks...that's not a combination Taryon has heard much of.]

Saranrae, I've been told. The goddess of healing and redemption. She's not too popular in my world, but with so few followers, I think she could answer my friend's prayers more easily. [And give her so many powers like astral projection.]

Well, if you're offering to work together, than I accept. I could use a partner out in the field.

[yuwon]

[ it's a name he isn't familiar with, but he's not sure exactly sure if that's a comfort or not in that case. still, it is interesting to hear about. you never know how knowledge translates in another world or to specific people. ]

There are specific popular gods or goddesses? [ interesting. he supposed he never thought of actual popularity vs. the strength a ranker might possess. ] Your friend's abilities sound interesting. Too bad we can't exactly see them here.

[ but, he guesses he still gets to see taryon in action.

it's still a bit funny to think about him working with others like this. he feels like he could already see so many people from home having their own qualms about that considering yuwon's attitude back in the tower, but he seems oddly content with that juxtaposition. but, well, he did have a soft spot for people passionate about their craft, maybe. ]

[likemybooks]

Lots. Some are more popular on one continent, some less so. Others are celebrated in any official capacity but still have their devoted followers. Like in my hometown, we just have a temple to Bahamut, but you got people worshiping whoever when they're far enough from an imperial overseer.

[He smiles, proud of his gnome cleric friend and her priestly powers.]

She'd be incredible here. Pike's also capable of raising the recently-dead, even if that's not a complete guarantee. Hopefully, the lack of temples wouldn't be an obstacle. [There was a lot to the ritual he didn't understand when he first saw it, but Taryon's certain it could be replicated with the proper holy space.] ...Unless the gods can't reach this plane.

[yuwon]

[ it makes sense. he supposed it was like an actual deity. it's a contrast vs. what he's known of the "rulers" within the tower. yet, in a sense, they could have been two sides of a very similar coin. though, what he speaks about also makes him wonder which is the strongest...

though, maybe that was simply a more natural consideration on his end. this is temporary, however, as it seems especially fleeting considering their next topic of conversation. "raising the recently-dead." ] So they are also a necromancer? [ a pause, before: ] How recent does it need to be? [ he wonders if him asking makes it far too obvious he has personal investment in the topic, but once again, he figures it can't exactly have been much of a secret in this place. ]

... and are the gods required for them to do this?

[likemybooks]

I- what? [The question takes him aback.] Pike? A necromancer? She's too holy for something like that! [It's almost offensive to equate her to liches and power-hungry villains that murder entire families and raise the dead in an effort to raise their undead leader into godhood. Really!]

Those are not the same. We're bringing back people who were so close to being saved shortly after their death, not reanimating corpses with dark magic or commanding the dead to do their bidding. What Pike is doing is asking her goddess to save a single person. She's asking her deity to give someone a second chance. That's what her religion's about: second chances.

[yuwon]

[ oh...

to be honest, even as taryon speaks, he doesn't necessarily take offense to the implications. he presumes that's how most people viewed necromancy and even he thought his own skills were eerie at times. though, considering he tended to view things in a lens of if it was useful or not (rather than through the sight of morality and righteousness)— no matter what type of darkness it was connected to was inconsequential to him.

though, the idea of "holiness" is intriguing. ] Second chances? [ even that part hits oddly close to home, though he doesn't say this. instead, he releases a small exhale, more in an act of comprehension. ] But, I got it, I got it. Didn't think anyone here would react so strongly to the word "necromancer." But, it's too bad because it would have been nice to test if her ability worked here.

Have you met anyone with a similar skill here?

[likemybooks]

Redemption, she calls it. [He eases up and rests his arms on the table.] It's about giving wayward people an opportunity to mend their ways and do good. Whether they actually go through it is one thing. I've seen her threaten her own relatives when they tried to con a bunch of money out of her. She also kept her distance from her former lover until he apologized.

[Such a sweet and tiny gnome can be scary in the right circumstances.]

Doesn't necromancer mean someone who controls the dead where you're from? It's...it's a pretty awful things to do in my world. I've been told there have been kind necromancers out there, but they try to murder a bunch of people or become immortal or all-powerful.

[yuwon]

She sounds like a pretty firm and powerful woman. [ probably someone who might have been a relatively good fit for the tower, too. there was no shortage of capable players, and yet, they could always afford for more. especially in the battle he would be returning to. which, he considers briefly before mentally shaking it off. ]

... Kind of. But, not always. There are definitely those who have utilized it for nefarious purposes— but, a lot of them are pretty mysterious. [ for example, hades. he supposed while he likely has skills similar to his own, no one actually knew of the full capacity of his power or abilities. he always moved so furtively and its a sense of secrecy he kept until the bitter end of his original timeline. ]

Well, I can't blame you. I don't exactly like the feeling of climbing over corpses, either.

[likemybooks]

She really is. [Taryon considers himself lucky to have someone like her as his friend and compatriot. And now he misses her in this moment. They could use her mace and her healing.]

Does that happen often in your world? [His hand stills on the table.] Climbing over corpses?

[yuwon]

[ friendship always seemed like such a foreign concept to him when he was just a college student, and now, maybe in some ways... he could understand where taryon was coming from. even if he'd never readily admit to this.

instead: ] I guess so. I don't know if it's for the same of your world, but there are a lot of dangers. Some of the challenges involve... something like that. [ there's a pause as he decides to switch gears. ]

When you're done eating, should we start heading out?