▶ 008. TEST DRIVE #8

[synfluxmods]

TEST DRIVE #8

CONTENT WARNINGS: partial nudity, general violence, medical procedures

▶ 001. ARRIVAL / CAFETERIA.

It happens in the blink of an eye, a dash of time – you're taken from where you were. What you were doing... it isn't important anymore, and slowly, you give up the desire of your normal life. When you awaken, figures are looking down on you from a surgical table.

"Yeah, this one will do; let's take them to the rest." That's all you see before losing consciousness again, only to wake up in a pod with many others.

"Your questions will be answered soon enough, as I'm sure you will have many," a female, robotic voice says.

Just then, your pod opens in a dim corridor with many others. Your new life is about to begin... whether you like it or not.

The pods drain their stasis fluid which wakes each Outsider. Outsiders emerge from their pod in only their undergarments which have been supplied to them, and head to a locker room in the medical bay to find a towel to dry off with and a set of gray loungewear to wear as LILITH makes the final decision in assigning the Outsiders to their rightful teams. If a character has any accessibility needs, they will be found here. It's about then they will feel a sharp pain at the back of their eyes, almost like there’s a foreign body lodged on the inside of their head. This pain will subside quickly as their body adapts to the changes, but there will always be a sensation of something being not quite right; that their bodies have been changed forever. They would be correct in thinking that. In the pod, all Outsiders have been surgically fitted with ocular and brain implants that will enable them to communicate with LILITH and the rest of the crew, as well as providing them the information they require. Almost like a computer screen has been loaded into their brains, they will see a loading screen as the implant completes its download. A questionnaire will then pop up, waiting for their answer. A voice, robotic and feminine, will also read along in their brain for them.

█ █ █ LOADING COMPLETE … BEGIN ORIENTATION …

Name:
Username:
Civilian Identity:
Age:
Species:
Origin:
Blood Type:

What are your new year’s resolutions?

<raw code><table width="80%"><br><div align="center"><img src="IMAGE_URL" style="width: 200px; border-radius: 15px; border: 1px solid #7F7F7F; box-shadow: #8D8D8D 1px 1px 1px;"> <!-- CARD --> <div style="width:230px;padding:20px 0 0;border:1px solid #f2f2f2;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center;align-items:right;gap:5px;background:#fff;"> <!-- CHAR INFO: start --> <div style="width:150px;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold;font-size: clamp(14px, 1vw, 10px);letter-spacing:1px;line-height:1;color:#000;"></lj-raw><font color="#00686E">NAME</font> <lj-raw></div> <!-- CHAR INFO: end --> <!-- COLLAPSIBLE START --> <div style="width:230px;background:#eee;"><details><summary style="cursor:pointer;text-align:center;font-family:arial, sans serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center;background:#ccc;color:#000;">+</summary> <!-- COLLAPSIBLE: content --> <div style="width:190px;margin:0 auto;padding:7px 0;font-family:arial, sans serif;font-size:11px;text-align:left;color:#000;"> </lj-raw><b>Username:</b> !!ANSWER HERE!! <br> <b>Civilian Identity:</b> !!ANSWER HERE OR SAY UNDECIDED!! <br> <b>Age:</b> !!AGE HERE!! <br> <b>Species:</b> !!SPECIES HERE!! <br> <b>Origin:</b> !!ORIGIN HERE!! <br></br> <b>Blood Type:</b> !!BLOOD TYPE HERE!! <br></br> <b>What are your new year’s resolutions?</b></br> </br>!! ANSWER HERE !!<lj-raw> </div></details></div> <!-- COLLAPSIBLE: content end --> <!-- COLLAPSIBLE END --> </div></div> <!-- CARD name: END --> <!-- CREDIT --> <div style="width:100%;margin-top:-15px;font-size:10px;color:#ddd; text-align:center;"><a title="code credit!" href="http://10billionghosts.dreamwidth.org" style="text-decoration:none;color:#ddd;">credit</a></div></center></table></raw code>

The system will give Outsiders one chance to provide a truthful answer and choose their username and civilian identity. Should they refuse to cooperate, the implant will download the answer directly from their brain (and give them a username or civilian name against their will). This questionnaire will then be posted on the network for all to view and reply to. Almost like an ice-breaker, if you will. LILITH wants all their newest recruits to learn about each other!

Outsiders will receive a quick brief about their situation: they will be told that the year is 2279 and they have been taken to Neo Tokyo, one of the last bastions of mankind in a world terrorized by various Kaiju and monsters. Only a third of the population remains, and LILITH has gathered talented people from other dimensions here as a last ditch effort to save humanity. Outsiders are free to continue asking LILITH questions through their implant, but there’s no guarantee that they will provide them with a straight answer …

Outsiders will also notice an implant in their dominant wrist. This implant has a barcode in it that will enable them to purchase goods from the local stores in Neo Tokyo. They will receive a starting balance of 15,000 KRYPTOS (about USD 100), which is barely enough for a few good meals, groceries, and supplies. They can view their current balance through a hologram window projected by their ocular implant.

The cafeteria will be hosting its own version of a feast to ring in the new years. The robots on base will be offering a savory mochi soup with both lab-made and fresh vegetables procured from Transylvania. There will also be a self-serve bar of soba noodles with a simple broth. These are all accompanied by vegetables which have been prepared in various ways to last throughout the month, and act as side dishes to every meal. As the vegetables are a work in progress, some will look or taste peculiarly, or have a bitterness that remains on the tongue.

Additionally, an impressive bronze cauldron now sits proudly in the corner of the cafeteria, marked by a small sign reading "LILITH's Community Perpetual Stew."

True to its name, the stew is now a constant presence, and after every mission, the cauldron’s contents are conspicuously replenished, ensuring it's always filled to the brim for all to enjoy. What the stew evolves into over time is anyone's guess, but for now, it boasts a hearty medley of Transylvania's freshest meats and vegetables, seasoned to perfection.

Visitors and team members alike are encouraged to contribute their own ingredients, with one rule in place: the robot staff, ever vigilant, are programmed to detect any malicious tampering. Should anyone attempt to add something harmful, they will be politely but firmly asked to leave the premises.

That familiar robotic voice is heard again:

"Greetings, my name is SYNTHIA and I will be taking care of you today while the rest of the crew is occupied. Worry not, my children. You are in safe hands."

▶ 002. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

While normally the shrines tucked away within the bustle of the city are quiet and exude a certain tranquility about them, they will be brought to life with celebration for the New Years. Similarly to years before, they will have street vendors offering all the traditional classics, but some will also have a spin to them. For the year of the sheep/ram, there will be fluffy cotton candy to represent the fuwa fuwa of sheep, onigiri in the shape of a ram, and hearty lamb curry.

The temples themselves will have several offerings, but the biggest event is always the bell chiming in for the new years, as well as the celebration for the first sunrise of the year. In light of this, many vendors will be passing out sake, as well as energy drinks. Regardless of the timing, the area for one to purchase their fortunes will be made available. For those who get an awful one, thankfully, there is no shortage of people who are queued up in order to hang up their bad fortunes in order to cast them aside for the coming year.

Outside of this, there will also be corners in which people can write their new years greetings out to their loved ones. Both digitally, or in the form of a physical postcard. People are encouraged to decorate and send their own, and they may or may not be pressured to do so if they so happen to catch the eye of enthusiastic locals. Those who find themselves trapped into this, will find themselves compelled to be honest as soon as their pen hits paper, or for those who opt on a digital card, their true thoughts will be conveyed instantaneously.

The shrines and vendors outside of them aren’t the only ones getting into the spirit of things. The shopping districts are also banking on the continuation of the holidays. As with every year, they will have special sales, and every store will put out their “lucky bags.” The lucky bags will often be sold at discounted prices, but there is no telling what the actual items in them will be. Perhaps, you can test your luck and make a profit while you’re at it?

▶ 003. NEW YEAR MERCENARIES.

Amid all of the public celebrations, local businesses and organizations throw New Year parties for their employees and members. Many of these parties take place at luxury high rise hotels or award winning restaurants in the city. These celebrations are easy to plan, safe within the city limits.

However, there are some groups that won't settle for just safe and easy. No, they have to show off their wealth and influence by going on luxury trips outside the city to the traditional inn on the outskirts of the city. The journey outside the city is risky– there is a high chance their entourage may be attacked by kaiju on the way to the inn and when they arrive, their activity will surely draw attention from even more kaiju. Still, that doesn't stop them from setting out and reveling in celebrations.

These figures will hire mercenaries to escort them into the mountains and keep them safe through the duration of their stay. Most of them are wealthy CEOs and politicians who may or may not have certain shadowy connections so they can afford to pay for protection. They promise high commissions and even offer to pay for a shared room and meals.

Sure, they have to share a room and they might not get the same high quality meals and drinks as the main party but it's not so bad, right? They're free to use the hot springs after everyone else is finished, too. All they have to do in return is spend some time out in the freezing cold and keep kaiju away so everyone else can have a good time.

Just remind yourself: You're doing it for the money!

▶ 004. A DEADLY SOAK.

A few days into the new year, people living outside the Neo Tokyo metropolitan area have been having a hard time due to the recent appearance of medium-sized kaiju. No one knows where they had come from, but there’s reason to believe that a small rift has emerged somewhere and it’s mutating the local wildlife. One popular, family-run business that is going through some hard times is the Yuryo onsen, in Hakone, an outer suburb of Neo Tokyo. Seasoned Outsiders might be very familiar with this onsen resort already, as it’s one of the last surviving ones outside Metropolitan Tokyo and hosts a huge colony of feral cats.

Drawn in by the comfort of a warm bath in the cold winter, a troop of mutated macaques have made said onsen resort their home, and they have made it impossible for any customers to visit. These monkeys vary in size depending on rift exposure, with some of them as large as a lion, and others as large as an elephant. Business for the local onsen has been impossible with the macaques occupying the hot springs, stealing food and harassing guests. Though appearing docile as they sit and bathe in the springs, these macaques have become fiercely territorial following the rift’s influence. When they identify a threat, they will let out a piercing scream that’s enough to make ears bleed. Their claws and teeth are sharp, and primates are known to be brutal when tearing apart their enemies. It’s a situation that needs to be contained immediately if people are going to continue living in the outer suburbs.

The macaques aren’t the only wildlife that have been affected by rift. Pockets of Yama-Kujira have been seen roaming the forests and abandoned small towns. While a large portion of the outer suburbs are uninhabited, there continue to be some stragglers toughing it out in the abandoned houses. They all have their own reasons for choosing not to live in the armored city but they will need to be protected all the same. The Yama-Kujira are blind but vicious, making up for their lack of eyesight by charging into anything and everything. Refer to our bestiary or previous TDM for more information about this boar kaiju.

With the increased reports of mutating local wildlife, LILITH has requested that Outsiders also round up the colony of feral cats that normally roam the onsen. If a pride of mutated felines were to emerge in the outer suburbs, the results would simply be disastrous … These cats, fearful of the kaiju, will be skittish and very, very difficult to catch.


█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Nihonzaru
HEIGHT: 2-10 meters
WEIGHT: 20-200kg
CLASS: Moderate threat
LOCATION: Tokyo, Japan
ABILITIES: A piercing scream that can cause ringing in the ears, temporary deafness and bleeding from the ear canal with frequent exposure. Razor sharp claws and teeth. Considerable strength and muscle. Highly intelligent, capable of using basic tactical strategies, using tools (please do not leave your weapon unattended), capitalizing on weaknesses (please do not leave your children unattended) and reading the movements of their enemies. Family orientated and attacks in groups.
WEAKNESS: With how intelligent they are, they might not find a battle worth fighting if they are at a clear disadvantage or there are benefits to being passive. This means they can be bribed to a degree. It also means they will run away if outnumbered. Their skin is not particularly dense and they are weak to being stabbed in their vital organs.
EXTRA NOTES: Juveniles are playful, mischievous and can build bonds with humans, mistaking the humans as their family. Some of the adults can also build bonds with enough bribery.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Incapacitate and capture the Nihonzaru and Yama-Kujira and bring them back to base. Large cages will be provided for this purpose.
✖ Kill the kaiju if necessary, especially if they are threatening the people in the area.
✖ Capture the feral cats and bring them back to base.
✖ Following the return to base, these cats will require care. As LILITH does not have the resources for this, the ban on pets on base will be lifted and Outsiders will be encouraged to care for the cats.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our 8th TDM! All TDM threads are game canon and characters who don't app will be glitched out of this world. As the TDM will act as the event, existing characters are heavily encouraged to participate. Please use this format for top levels: CHARACTER | CANON | CURRENT / NEW CHARACTER.

There are currently 9 available player slots. New players are welcome to use this TDM to get samples for when APPLICATIONS open.

Use the code provided in the ARRIVAL prompt if you'd like to participate in the ice breaker, and place it in your top level along with your other prompts. Anything such as civilian name or username can be marked as UNDECIDED if you're unsure of what you'd like your character to have for now. Though it says 'Orientation', existing characters can still participate in the ice-breaker.

Please note that all tags in this log will count for 2 reward points each and will count towards January AC.

TDM #8 BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. ARRIVAL PROMPT: Newcomers arrive with ocular and brain implants, and are given a breakdown of the premise with an icebreaker orientation to complete.
2. HAPPY NEW YEAR: Outsiders are welcome to visit local temples for New Year's activities, which include drawing fortune slips and writing down their wishes for the new year. Many sheep-themed goods and foods are also on sale to welcome the Year of the Sheep.
3. NEW YEAR MERCENARIES: High-profile businessman and politicians are hiring bodyguards and protective mercenaries to keep them safe as they enjoy new year's travel and celebrations. In return for being out in the cold and fighting smaller kaiju during the holidays, they offer high monetary compensation.
4. A DEADLY SOAK: Monkey and boar kaiju are attacking the outer suburbs of Tokyo, including a popular onsen spot. Capture/kill the kaiju and protect the people living there. Round up the feral cats to prevent them from rift exposure.
.

code

Comments

jinx | arcane | current player/new character

[powderkegs]

jinx

+

Username: fishbones
Civilian Identity: Ms. Powpow McBoom
Age: 18
Species: Zaun
Origin: Zaun

Blood Type: Shimmer

What are your new year’s resolutions?

To learn other people’s new year’s resolutions and then use it against them.

Whoops! Too much?

credit

( i. arrival )

[ ugh. these clothes are awful. they have no style whatsoever. and grey? who thought that was a good idea? jinx itches to have a scissors and some paint to fix it immediately, but it’ll have to wait until she figured out what was going on.

or.

she could do something about it right now. jinx strides into the cafeteria and climbs onto a table, cupping her hands in a megaphone position. ]

HEY!

ANYONE WITH SOME PAINTS AND SCISSORS WILL BE MY BESTIE.

THIS IS A FASHION EMERGENCY!

( ii. new years — lucky bags )

[ whistling as she swings her lucky bag. she likes surprises so the idea of trying her luck was engaging. after some distance, jinx rips through her bag, eager to learn what she had gotten. and pulls out — ]

Socks? Really? Ugh

[ she tosses them aside dramatically. they probably land directly on your face. whoops! ]

( iii. wildcard )

[ got a prompt in mind? go for it! or pm this journal to run it by me ]

arrival

[peoplewatch]

[ New year, new faces, and Kabru is intent on learning every one. From her body language alone, he can already tell that Jinx is going to be an interesting character. Her outburst causes some Outsiders to move away in annoyance, but Kabru moves over instead with his tray, approaching her. She probably wants to customise the boring outfits they are given. ]

Would a blade work?

[powderkegs]

[ jinx's face takes on a contemplative bent as she considers this before extending her hand out for the blade. ]

Hit me.

[peoplewatch]

[ Rummaging through his coat, Kabru pulls out a small dagger, putting it into her hand. She will notice that his right hand is mechanical. ]

As for paint, you'll probably need to head out into the city and buy it.

new years! YAAAAAS HIS EVIL BESTIE'S DAUGHTER YAAAAAS

[gorb]

( They don't land on his face simply because he has better reflexes than that, shifting to one side out of the way of the projectile so that the socks land in a puddle of melted slush by his feet. Geto looks to them, then looks to the girl with a singular eyebrow raising of it's own accord, ever so faintly amused. )

They're red. That's good luck. I wouldn't throw that away so quickly in a place like this.

( Though the lucky bags are a notorious scam. So maybe she has the right of it. )

[powderkegs]

[ her face scrunches up in disbelief. ]

For what, hiding the blood? No thanks.

[gorb]

If your feet are regularly bleeding you probably need better shoes.

( A mild comment, he's not entirely sure if he cares or not. )

But no, here the colour red symbolises good fortune. You'll see it on the shrines, and during festivals. It's meant to ward away evil and represent power. ( And yet, Geto is here. He does shrug though. ) You're entitled to your own decision on whether or not you care. Everyone knows the fukubukuro are usually full of unwanted stock, but if you're new at least socks are useful.

lucky bags

[immortalpoet]

[The socks launch in the air, making a perfect curve to....slap into the weary face of a man standing nearby. As they drop comically down from his face onto the floor, there's barely a change in expression as he speaks, with a hoarse and exhausted tone.]

Watch where you're throwing things.

[Please, his old man face is so fragile...]

[powderkegs]

[ jinx merely gives a cocky shrug, hands on her hips. ]

Watch where you're standing then!

I/WILDCARD opens my arms...

[zauneyete]

[ He misses the icebreaker ping bc he's peepaw and he misses the excitement in the cafeteria because his timing has always been shit. It is for the better, that he's trotting down the stairs from the smoking area and snapping his little lighter idly — the smell of burned tobacco always clinging to him like soot — and he's... dressed like always. His big coat is recognizable if the hair and well, nobody can fake the eye when he stepped off the last step and into the hallway.

His head turned just so, and — he sees —

— Blue — A posture that he hasn't seen in so long but he knows it —

His lighter clattered to the floor, loud on the tile.

There's buzzing in his head — limp in his arms — dying — No hope no future nothing nothing nothing — like something short-circuits, like his mind can't get past the only thing that comes to mind, the only thing that he can say. ]

Jinx — ?

cw: mental illness, self-harm

[powderkegs]

[ jinx

the word reverberates in her head. ringing. ringing. flashes of colour dance behind her eyes. her breath stutters and stops. she can barely turn around to the sound of that voice. if she does — if she does —

he's not here anymore. he's not here. he's not heRE AND IT'S YOUR FAULT, YOUR FAULT YOU JINXED IT YOU JINXED IT ALL

she doesn't turn around. she doesn't. she can't. her words spill out like a wound in her stomach, spilling out guts and entrails. ]

No. No, no, no, no.

He's gone. You're gone. It's all gone. It can't, it can't —

[ she pulls at her hair, yanking it hair, fingers tightly wound around the strands. ]

@hells kitchen

[cutlery]

It is certainly honest! And attainable, perhaps? Though, really, most of the resolutions I have read have been very mundane... Though I suppose if you are able to weaponize such wishes as winning a fencing competition, I would have to applaud your ingenuity.

[ he's doing the same thing though so you go girl etc ]

lmfao

[powderkegs]

I'm very ingenious. Fear my genius.

@xXdarkwarriorXx

[fessus]

Shimmer makes it sound like you have limited edition holo blood

[ Jealous? Him? Maybe a little. ]

[powderkegs]

Very limited. It's a killer.

Gives me fancy powers too.

ARRIVAL, THE FACE OF LOL

[gyve]

( so loud. so, so loud. after a long shift in an ambulance and a second, longer shift working the floor at an understaffed hospital, kaladin has just about had it.

looking up from his food at the woman standing over him on his cafeteria table, he stabs his fork into his runny mashed potatoes and snaps. )

Would you shut up?

[powderkegs]

[ silence. you could hear a pin drop. her face seems to fall, her lip wobbling. ]

arrival —

[hitokiller]

Yeah? And how 'bout you go and take that emergency somewheres else?

( a scuffy-looking man barks from a table away, fork plunging violently into his cafeteria mush.

he took the plunge recently and got used to using one, even if staff would provide any utensil one desired. )

Some of your seniors here are tryin' to enjoy their meal in peace.

[powderkegs]

[ she reaches out to flick his hair boldly. ]

You're a senior?

Where's your crutch, grandpa? Do you need a minute?

i

[newphew]

[ well, this isn't the first time hunter has been asked for help getting scissors so that part's not weird (he assumes this girl wants to cut her hair...) ]

[ but what is ruffling his feathers: ]

--- People eat there!

[ jeez, jinx?? ]

Get down and I'll help you!

[powderkegs]

Scissors first!

[ she's gonna do a little dance on the table, sorry hunter. ]

i

[queenofkur]

[ Ereshkigal remembers her very first day in this place, and to call it a fashion emergency is an understatement. Grey baggy clothes, hair undone, no makeup, no earrings nor necklace. The only thing worse would have been to wake up with no clothes at all!

So she sympathizes with that young woman, though she has to say the way she goes about asking for help is very daring. And besides: ]

I don't think this would be of any help.

[ She shakes her head and raises a finger. ]

There is no fixing such shameful and undignified clothes. You should look for a new attire altogether.

[powderkegs]

[ jinx squints. turns this over in her head. ]

You know what? You're right!

We should burn all these clothes. Immediately.

@akatsuki

[lionize]

How would you even use a resolution against someone?

[powderkegs]

It's not hard. You just got to dig deeeep into why they made it. There's always a reason.