KAIJU FIGHT #1

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: thalassophobia, natural disaster, drowning, body horror, violence, blood & gore.

▶ 001. SEAS THE DAY.

On the morning of the 1st, sirens will blare, forcing every Outsider and Neo Tokyo civilian awake. While it hasn't been activated for a while, every citizen within the city knows this alarm all too well - it wails through the city whenever a Kaiju has been detected, ordering everyone to return to their homes immediately and stay there until they receive further information. Outsiders gazing at Neo Tokyo will see the armored city in its full technological splendour for the first time today. Once the civilians have returned to their homes, machinery within the buildings will work like clockwork, sinking each and every LILITH-augmented building beneath the ground. Just in time, too, because the waves are starting to roar again, crashing beyond the shore and flooding the city once more. Observant Outsiders may note that not every building has been modified. The older ones remain standing, vulnerable to the impending flood. Does anyone live in those buildings? The answer is yes, but that's not a priority at the moment.

Every Outsider will receive a summon, ordering them to prepare for battle. The Kaiju has been identified and located. It's show time.

"Angels of LILITH. We have located the Kaiju coming from beyond the sea. A full mission brief including the information we have gathered will be sent to you immediately. For now, make your way to the bay where your transport will be waiting. Be prepared for anything, but mostly, be prepared to swim."

Waiting for the Outsiders at the bay appear to be ... expensive-looking, personal yachts? This has to be a mistake, right? It's no mistake. Through intel LILITH has exchanged with international companies, it appears that this particular Kaiju has a fondness for overturning civilian yachts, and there's no better way to attract it than to leave it its favourite bait. The goal is to attract these Kaiju towards the boats and then attacking.

The ships may look like they're outfitted for a fancy yacht party. In fact, some exploring down below deck in the lounging room, one may find caviar on fancy ritz, oyster tower, little finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off and bougie smelly cheese that nobody in LILITH's pay grade can identify. On another table, there is fancy ramen spoons filled with microgreens, crystal jelly vinegarette, and a thin slice of parmesan cheese. Some further looking may find some fine aged wine, but you're not here to drink and party, you're here to fight a Kaiju! Right? Right.

Despite the fact everything about these yachts just look like... fancy yachts... they are actual warships that are mounted with naval artillery such as swivel guns, missiles and torpedos. Spears, harpoon guns and fishing nets can also be found and used if an Outsider is more comfortable getting extremely close to the monsters. There's no time for a proper seafaring course, so Outsiders will be given a quick run down on how the controls work, and be sent on their way. They will also be given a special jewel-like implant that attaches to the skin, right along the forehead, and told to wear it if they need to go into the water. "Don't worry about it," the LILITH crew says. "But it'll be one hell of a ride if you use it."

Alongside the crew, Seok Dang seems to be also assisting (?) though he's gotten a hold of the reception food down below. Did he smell like fine wine? Possibly. But that's definitely a fancy, half eaten cracker in his hand. He's also got on a bright, neon life preserver. Maybe someone doesn't know how to swim.

"WHOOO HELLA YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS. Don't know how to swim? Don't'cha worry. Daddy Dang has got you covered. I know CPR! I give the best CPR! 💖 I'll rescue ya. TONIGHT, WE BALL!"

Nobody uses that phrase anymore, but you know what? You do you, SD.

▶ 002. WHALE WATCHING.

Minutes into their ship's course, the boats will rock violently, as if those already violent waves have somehow come alive. There is something in the water! The mission brief would have been shared with them sometime during their trip, but maybe Outsiders want to pull up on their implant the image and debrief shared once again now that there is some action. The orca-like Kaiju trying to reach the shores of Neo Tokyo is called Shachimon, and she's been the cause of the violent waves and flooding we've seen for the past few weeks. Alongside of her and are her children orca who love to mimic everything their mother does. The biggest one, the matriarch of the pod, is over 60 meters in length - large enough to swallow a boat whole. The younger ones are smaller but just as ferocious, spanning from the size of a car to the size of a bus. The youngsters are a size small enough that they can leap out of the water, sometimes crashing down onto people and ships. Beware!

Shachimon will be fighting to knock over boats, or climbing on boats with their amphibious legs. Once they get their hands on humans or Outsiders, they pull them into the water, tearing them limb from limb to feed. Their control over the waves are no joke, either. With a powerful swing of their tail, they can conjure up tsunamis capable of overturning ships. The matriarch, if left to her own devices, seems bent on submerging Neo Tokyo to make food of all its citizens.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Shachimon
HEIGHT: Younger whales are 4 - 18 metres. The matriarch is 60 meters in length.
WEIGHT: 1500kg - 5000kg
CLASS: Highly dangerous.
LOCATION: Large bodies of water
ABILITIES: Use of sonar to detect any water movement. Fast swimmer. Very sturdy body thanks to all that whale blubber. High intelligence - commonly works together as a pod to take down prey. Capable of creating tsunamis that overturn boats. The largest Shachimon can sink a city if not stopped.
WEAKNESS: Electricity (since it will be inside water), dissection, spearing its eyes or blowhole. Loud vibrations within the water can stun or confuse it.
EXTRA NOTES: Dislikes and will attempt to overturn civilian yachts. Carnivorous, eating marine life and human flesh. Sadistic personality, may play with their food prior to eating.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Lead the Shachimon away from the shore.
✖ Extermination of Shachimon in the water and if they reach the shore.
✖ Protection of nearby fishermen's boats and civilians within those boats.
✖ Teamwork to destroy the matriach Shachimon.
✖ Bring back specimens (live or deceased) for research purposes.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

As a note, Outsiders who wish to remain on land and help civilians there may do so. There are waves flooding the city, and some of the smaller, quicker Shachimon will have made it to shore. They will need to be taken care of before they can terrorise the city.

▶ 003. OCEAN GEMS.

Shachimon are most deadly in the water and their go-to strategy is to pull others into their turf, where they have the advantage. That's where those jewel-like implants come in. These implants, called OCEAN GEMS, when attached to the skin, temporarily modify the body. Once activated, nanobots will invade the bloodstream and alter the user's lungs, giving them a set of breathable gills. Their legs will also be altered, giving them fins and the tail of a fish. This is a recent invention by LILITH ever since the first Shachimon was spotted a few years ago, and the technology is still experimental. This means that the transformation process will be significantly uncomfortable, feeling a bit like being asphyxiated and having your legs sewn together at the same time. Deactivating the gem and turning back feels just as uncomfortable, and being experimental technology, it can take a while before the user can successfully revert back. Those who want to fight in the water and lack any weapons or abilities that can be used can request Seok Dang for a weapon. There's a limited supply, but they will be given a special trident. Directly driving the spear into one of the kaiju will electrocute it, giving a higher chance for higher damage. These tridents will be handed out to those who want to use their Ocean Gem and ask.

It's up to Outsiders whether they want to use this new technology or not. Being able to fight the monsters on their own terrain is certainly an advantage, so LILITH would highly encourage it.

▶ 004. MEDICAL BAY.

Healers and those with medical experience will be placed on the warship with a red flag on it. Dr. Spim & Alex will also be present on this ship to assist any major injuries to both LILITH and civilian fisherman alike. This ship is bigger than the others, and while stocked up with the same artillery, it is also stocked with beds and medical supplies. This will be the Outsider's naval medical bay during the siege on the Shachimon and all injured Outsiders or civilians will need to be transported there. This ship will also need to be protected heavily, because once the Shachimon catch on that all the injured, vulnerable prey are being transported to the larger ship, they will start to target that ship in particular. Characters that need immediate medical help should be transported to this ship via a dataportal. Each yacht has a dataportal that can teleport anyone instantly to the medical ship. The dataportals are also located down below deck to prevent them from getting damaged.

▶ 005. THE CALM AFTER THE STORM.

It's a bloody, soggy and gruesome battle and the seas' waves begin to calm down, the sea filled with kaiju carcasses. LILITH's clean up crew is working hastily to collect these corpses, but with the Outsiders' occupied and recovering from their fresh battle, help is limited. Search and rescue scavenges the sea to find any civilians who didn't make it or may need medical help. Meanwhile, the valiant teamwork and effort has paid off. After many hits from many different weapons, artillery, natural abilities, etc. the matriarch kaiju has been downed and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. LILITH's team will work to retrieve the massive carcass, though it will take awhile. Those who put in notable effort will receive praise and a little extra payout. Outsiders will see an instant transfer of funds to their account: 340,000,000 KRYPTOS. This is roughly about 2500 USD.

The intense battle will have lasted several days and Outsiders are free to go from land to sea as little or as often as they like. It is all over, though, and Outsiders will be called to return to the MAIN BASE for rest and recovery. LILITH will also be searching for the rift where the kaiju came from while Outsiders recover. A message from an unknown voice will pop up an hour or so after all Outsiders have returned to the MAIN BASE. Outsiders may use this time to socialize in a commons area, wash up in the showers, get a meal in the cafeteria or rest.

"Good work."

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first Kaiju log! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. ICly, characters can choose to fight in the ocean, on the ships or stay behind on land and protect the city. At the end of the siege, characters who accepted an Ocean Gem will be asked to return it. It's experimental technology, so LILITH will need to do more tweaking before they can properly release it. Outsiders who use the gem may have whatever fish tail they like, as long as it is a sea creature.

Feel free to NPC your characters' fights with the smaller kaijus. The main fight with the Shachimon matriarch will be determined via a HP-based system (See below).

Please note that all tags in this log count for 2 reward points each. Ask any further questions below!

Below is also the month at a glance. We understand the CALENDAR has been a little inconsistent, but the mod team is sorting all of this out. Expect a FEEDBACK POST this month as well so we can check in with the playerbase and make any adjustments to the game. This log, even if the time stamp says JANUARY, will count for FEBRUARY AC.

FEB 1st: Kaiju Fight Log in LOG COMMUNITY
FEB 15th: Text Post in NETWORK COMMUNITY
FEB 25th: Mod posted MEME COMMUNITY; FEEDBACK POST is live.

Thank you all for being a wonderful and understanding playerbase!

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Comments

[hitokiller]

That so. But it's not exactly believin' in 'em on my end. It's more if they're there, then we've been livin' alongside them our whole lives, and that's just fine with me whether they make themselves known or not.

( people might assume how gods would act and even claim to be acting in their place when they carry out their judgment on others, he knows from firsthand experience, but to actually see something is to believe in it for izou. or, at least, that's how he interprets it. simple and straightforward.

izou then considers her response on his previous confession for a few seconds before stepping past her, still a bit shaky on his feet despite coming this far, taking care not to tread on any of her new appendages in case they chose to stray out of the water. it's just more comfortable for her to face away from him as he removes and folds his jacket, followed by the sound of him sliding his shirt to peel it up and over his head. maybe she'll make fun of him for it, given that they had previously embraced with his naked chest exposed, but stripping in front of someone felt even more personal... stripping in front of someone opened him to scrutiny, and there's nothing he hates more than that.

and look, i know that technically all he needs to do is melt his clothing away with the technology, but this is worlds better. no one likes the feeling of damp clothing clinging to their body. )

When I said pathetic, I didn't mean when it came to caving and actually usin' one. I meant, with the one foisted on me... ( his words are still coming out coarse, and it's probably because— ) ... I went and ripped it clean out before it could finish instead of just handlin' it. Instead of puttin' up with the pain, which you were right about, and now look at me.

( he dangles his legs over the side of the pool, allowing his weight to guide him onto his feet and into the water, the sensation of it drumming against his bare skin and wavy gills a pleasant one. they perk up as he breathes deep, and god—it actually seems to be working? he puts his fingers on them again, as if to double-check, before looking up warily at ishmael and her numerous legs. )

Those things ain't got a mind of their own, do they?

[wheft]

[ why is he being so discreet while stripping down... he's probably being a gentleman or something. this isn't the first time he's being awkward to her, and even after that incident with the octopus, it won't be the last.

nevertheless, she listens to him ramble, her tentacles just idly splashing about. ]

You ripped it out? [ she tilts her head. ] I mean, it's just a tiny implant you can put on your forehead. Then again, they didn't really explain to us the actual effects of the gems before they let us go on our way...

[ typical LILITH! (laugh track) ]

It'll probably go away in a couple of hours. LILITH is going to be in deep shit if they don't. At least you only have gills to worry about.

[ isn't izou lucky? and his question, ishmael flashes him a small, wicked smile, cupping her chin on the back of her head in an ara ara way. ]

I dunno. Maybe they do. Only one way to find out.

[ the tentacles twitch and coil around themselves for emphasis, hehe ]

[hitokiller]

( the hell's so funny that she's smiling like that for?

ishmael may not be thinking much of it, which is completely fair to her, but to izou who took the opportunity to be vulnerable for a moment, he bristles lightly at a tone of voice that sounds anything but respectful. it's not as if she owes him that respect either, even after going through hell with a certain octopus, but the human heart is fragile, and the pain that had wracked his body from interfering with an implant mid-transformation has left him weak.

whatever. if she wants to fuck with him, he'll just fuck with her right back. the see-saw that is their relationship right now. )

You must've gone through some real shit back home if ya think any of this is funny.

( not to speak of his own experiences in life... anyway, izou shoots out his arm in the water for one of those slimy appendages in an attempt to grip it with one hand, only hesitating slightly as his fingers get closer to touching one. maybe if he squeezes one real tight that'll teach her a lesson. )

[wheft]

[ the human heart truly is a fragile thing. ishmael would know. she had tried burying it before, and look where it had gotten her. getting along with a new group of people is never going to be easy for her, and just because they shared a rather harrowing event together doesn't mean they can simply open their hearts like that. it doesn't work that way.

but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way either. ]

Well, yeah. Whales are serious business. Did I mention that I was a sailor before?

[ did she? her previous occupation almost goes hand in hand with her name whenever she introduces herself. but tbf, she and izou met in... admittedly funny circumstances too, so.

anyway, she's watching him trying to get a grip at her tentacles, with one of them just smacking his wrist. come on, commit to the bit for once... ]

[hitokiller]

( what the. here he thought they might react like a skittish animal to any contact, and then he receives that slap on the wrist. okay, geez.

but perhaps, however, the hesitation is also partly because, to izou, there isn't a single aspect of him that's suitable for being gentle. his hands have only blossomed so much pain for others, the warmth of them leaving dirty red stains in the form of cuts and tears. there's the recollection of ishmael's embrace and words to muffle that noise a little, though, and when combined with his current fatigue and annoyance at being condescended somewhat, it's enough to quell some of the sourness that normally rises in him like a beast ready to attack. )

Nah. Just that wherever you're from, it's a harsh enough to make alterin' your body some kinda necessity. A sailor, huh. Guess that figures, though, with the way you get all worked up when it comes to these sea-based operations.

( as the easy waters of the pool continue to rock softly against his chest and his accompanying gills, izou finally manages to secure a strong grip on an appendage, tensing up as the writing limb struggles against him, giving it less of a chance to escape. at this point, his morbid curiosity about what it must feel like to have one is expanding, his lips forming a thin line the more he concentrates on smoothing a thumb against a sucker, the way they coil in on one other seeming strange in comparison to the specimen they battled the other day.

maybe he's getting too into this... like, squeezing something to relax the mind actually works? )

I don't know the first thing about sailin'. Not in my job description.

[wheft]

[ maybe that one tentacle is being a picky bitch, okay :/ try the other ones, perhaps... ]

Guess that means your world's a lot more peaceful, then. That, or it hasn't gone to shit yet.

[ hahaha. ha.

it really has been interesting, comparing the sliver of her world with the others. some came from worlds that have already collapsed, some were from more stable societies, some being in-between those. but so far, no one has ever had the need to take up on LILITH's offers of bioaugmentation. probably because wherever they originated, they're already equipped with powers that lets them tackle tremendous tasks without it -- unlike ishmael, who is just an ordinary human being as far as she's concerned. even the things that would give her a leg up -- namely the identities and the ability to come back from the dead -- didn't make it here because the manager isn't here with her. and honestly, it's for the best.

izou's strong grip of one of her tentacles snaps her out of her trailing thoughts, eyes narrowing at the now-gilled man. the other tentacles seem to react wildly, but for now the one that izou's holding snaps and twitches in his hand as he squeezes at it. it's kind of ticklish, actually.

anyway -- ]

You mean you haven't been to the sea before? I'm surprised, since you fought that octopus with ease back then. [ maybe it didn't make a difference to him. ]

[hitokiller]

( "guess your world's a lot more peaceful, then". the sentiment causes the corners of his mouth to turn up ever so slightly in the form of a rare smile despite his exhaustion. )

For all I know, this could be my world. Just hundreds-a years in the future. Pretty sure I told ya I'm from Tosa, yeah?

( he did, but it didn't actually explain anything, despite his belief in the statement. his head tilts to the side, the grin getting slightly wider, and it's funny how the distraction of her company is gradually making the exhaustion more bearable. not that he would ever admit it. )

When I'm from, people were dyin' left and right over what they believed in. Not that I cared to know 'bout crap that felt beyond me. All I did was what I'm told—exactly the same as now.

( all under the pretense of for his own good, and the verbal reminder of it turns the light on his face into a frown real quick. his next statement comes out a little more solemnly than before, and really, he can stop talking about himself anytime now, can stop saying things in this moment of weakness that he might regret, but izou's no good at thinking... and especially not when his brain is wracked by a weariness that he hasn't overcome yet. )

The sea? We used to play in the foamy waves... me, and... —but it ain't like standing on a beach gives ya the know-how to steer a boat or anything like that, and I've got no desire to learn.

( still, the longer they talk while bathed in the pool's brilliant lights, the sharper the sensations surrounding them become, even with the frigid water, and izou's breathing begins to get more shallow than previous.

perhaps he isn't aware of it, but he reaches up to grab another of ishmael's tentacles, almost as if he's instinctively utilizing them for support... just in case he passes out. )

[wheft]

You mentioned something like that, yeah. Speaking of, I should really finish reading up on the history of this world. I think I already told you that I came from a world that's very much different from this one...

[ way too different. there are other cities in other countries, for that matter. countries are just districts where she's from, yadda yadda --

but at the mention of other people's beliefs, ishmael's gaze seem to dim a little. people who died for their own rights, huh. the more izou spoke, the more ishmael flashes back to her past developments and clenching her own fists. her voice is casual when she speaks again, though. ]

I was like that too, once. Following people who I thought I should believe in. It... didn't end well for me. [ she swallows. ] But you probably know what you're getting into, so don't think too hard on it.

[ ishmael may speak her mind often, something that izou appreciates - but there are things that she's not ready to divulge yet. she'll never stop licking her wounds even after she's forgiven herself for the path she chose.

but oh? izou was going to mention another person, but before she can pry, he suddenly tightens his grip on another one of her appendages, causing it to react instinctively and wrap tightly around its wrist and make its way up his forearm. ]

Shit-- Not so tight! [ hold on, she's going to try and yank her tentacle off of him. ] You okay? Hang on, just relax...

[ is she telling that to izou or tentacles? yes. ]

[hitokiller]

( izou being izou, he assumes the words of relief are for himself, and that's where things start to get a little weird for him.

well, there's that, plus the way the tentacle grips onto his arm in his temporarily disoriented state, the firm grip of it when combined with the wet tug up his forearm making his insides go a little warm. is it supposed to feel like... that? everything's getting a little too real all of a sudden, the tingle on his skin and the buzz in his head the second he hears ishmael try to relate to him and his peers from back in the day.

if izou weren't so tilted by the thrum of blood in his chest and the immediate impulse to retreat, he may have seen the dimmed light in her eyes, given his perceptive knack for such things, but for the time being, he's busy being a mess.

a mess that doesn't deserve to have anyone care for him. this was meant to be time spent alone, anyhow, and as izou tries to cling to his typical defensiveness in the face of his own weakness, attempting to wrench himself free by throwing his tentacled arm aside—

the aggressive movement only makes him more dizzy. yep. he's going to pass out, his breathing getting more raspy as he leans forward and stares down at the pool water. )

I'm... tryin', to relax.

( what is it with his getting involved with people who have links to the sea, anyway... )

[wheft]

Well, try harder!

[ doing a bang-up job at reassurance there, ish...

seeing as her tentacles aren't feeling cooperative right now, she heaves out an annoyed sigh before sliding into the water and wading closer to izou, giving the tentacle around his arm a couple of smacks like she would an idiot before prying it off of the guy with everything she's got. thank the wings for her augmentations because she couldn't have done this without them.

izou's free now, but ishmael is going to take his arm and examine the circular indentions on there where the suction cups made their mark, tracking her pruney fingers around them. hmm. ]

Damn. It'll go away in a few hours though, so don't worry about that.

[ can you tell she really fucking sucks at comforting people

she's... sort of aware of this though, giving izou a long look before speaking again. ]

...Hey. You can breathe underwater right now, right? Join me. [ she sinks into the water, tugging at his arm. come on, you big baby. ]