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sinfucks2024-05-06 10:41 am
synfluxmods) wrote in sinfucks2024-05-06 10:41 am
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▶ TDM #4 OVERFLOW
TEST DRIVE & SIMULATION #4
▶ 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 to desire your normal life. When you awake, 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 wakens each Outsider. When 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, a set of gray loungewear to wear as LILITH makes the final decision in organizing the Outsider 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, and feed 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 …
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 2278, 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 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 10,000 KRYPTOS (about USD 66), 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.
Once they leave the medical bay, they’ll be able to grab a quick meal in the cafeteria and mingle with the other Outsiders just waking up. Today’s menu is creamy crab onigiri & ginger salad, all packed neatly in a food ration tray.
That familiar, robotic voice is heard again:
"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 wakens each Outsider. When 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, a set of gray loungewear to wear as LILITH makes the final decision in organizing the Outsider 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, and feed 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:
What is your fantasy?
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 2278, 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 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 10,000 KRYPTOS (about USD 66), 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.
Once they leave the medical bay, they’ll be able to grab a quick meal in the cafeteria and mingle with the other Outsiders just waking up. Today’s menu is creamy crab onigiri & ginger salad, all packed neatly in a food ration tray.
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 busy handling a recent issue. Worry not, my children. You are in safe hands."
▶ 002. CLEAN UP THE LAND OF DREAMS.
After nearly a month of investigation and monitoring everyone’s health, Tokyo Disney is finally cleared. Outsiders will be sent back to Tokyo Disneyland to resume their work. LILITH will order them to go collect the rotting remains of the Yamadenki and any bodies that were left behind from the battle.
When they return, they will find the park is still left in ruin from the battle and the air smells horrible. They will have to sift through the rubble for the remains of Yamadenki, rift mutated corpses, hybrids, and fallen scientists and mercenaries. It’s dirty work but someone has to do it. Luckily, LILITH has provided a sanitation suit that some Outsiders may remember. There are only a few in various colors, and those who reject the sanitation suit will be provided with gloves and encouraged to activate their plugsuit instead. After they’ve removed the bodies, they will be told to help clean up the park. The park has always been a popular place for teenagers to sneak off to and while they can keep the area closed off for the safety of the majority, there’s no way to keep out the most dedicated troublemakers. Some of the rides have some residual charge in their engines and can be ridden.. maybe test drive them for a spin? Nobody has to know you're doing it, right?
Furthermore, LILITH is interested in what remains of the secret labs. Most of the computer hardware and records have already been confiscated but considering how they’ve had almost a whole month to rest, they should be fit and ready to do some heavy lifting, surely. Most notably, LILITH will task the Outsiders with moving and transporting heavy machinery such as the electric generators, refrigerators, freezers, incubators, water distillers, and all sorts of fancy equipment. They will have to find a way to drag all of this out of the tunnels, up to the surface, and to the transport vehicles waiting to take them back to LILITH. If they look around, they may find a few golf carts in the tunnels but whether or not they have keys or even work is to be determined.
Observant Outsiders will spot some men in suits appraising the park and nodding their heads. Could there be plans for a revival of Tokyo Disneyland?
When they return, they will find the park is still left in ruin from the battle and the air smells horrible. They will have to sift through the rubble for the remains of Yamadenki, rift mutated corpses, hybrids, and fallen scientists and mercenaries. It’s dirty work but someone has to do it. Luckily, LILITH has provided a sanitation suit that some Outsiders may remember. There are only a few in various colors, and those who reject the sanitation suit will be provided with gloves and encouraged to activate their plugsuit instead. After they’ve removed the bodies, they will be told to help clean up the park. The park has always been a popular place for teenagers to sneak off to and while they can keep the area closed off for the safety of the majority, there’s no way to keep out the most dedicated troublemakers. Some of the rides have some residual charge in their engines and can be ridden.. maybe test drive them for a spin? Nobody has to know you're doing it, right?
Furthermore, LILITH is interested in what remains of the secret labs. Most of the computer hardware and records have already been confiscated but considering how they’ve had almost a whole month to rest, they should be fit and ready to do some heavy lifting, surely. Most notably, LILITH will task the Outsiders with moving and transporting heavy machinery such as the electric generators, refrigerators, freezers, incubators, water distillers, and all sorts of fancy equipment. They will have to find a way to drag all of this out of the tunnels, up to the surface, and to the transport vehicles waiting to take them back to LILITH. If they look around, they may find a few golf carts in the tunnels but whether or not they have keys or even work is to be determined.
Observant Outsiders will spot some men in suits appraising the park and nodding their heads. Could there be plans for a revival of Tokyo Disneyland?
▶ 003. DATAPORTAL TESTING.
Following the clean up efforts at Disney, things begin to happen at LILITH. The engineering department gets to work and it isn’t long until they announce they’ve finally managed to get some of the dataportals running. It seems the Yamadenki remains had some special properties that they could use to stabilize and power the right technology. This is excellent news or LILITH and the administrators get to work communicating with other organizations around the world.
In the meantime, these dataportals need to be tested and Outsiders will be asked to volunteer. Should they agree, the engineers and technicians will explain that they’re going to try a short-distance test first. They still have access to their old base in Kyoto. It was abandoned years ago after a particularly devastating kaiju attack. While they were able to secure most items of importance in their evacuation, it wouldn’t hurt to go back and do another sweep for things that may have been left behind like medical supplies, tools, technology, and food/drink supplies.
Characters will be able to travel back and forth between Kyoto and Tokyo while they test the portals. There are some known effects of portal jumping but whether they start to take effect on the first jump or after a certain amount depends on the person. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and a loss of spatial awareness so they may get into people’s spaces, bump into things, miss targets, or get lost easily.
In the meantime, these dataportals need to be tested and Outsiders will be asked to volunteer. Should they agree, the engineers and technicians will explain that they’re going to try a short-distance test first. They still have access to their old base in Kyoto. It was abandoned years ago after a particularly devastating kaiju attack. While they were able to secure most items of importance in their evacuation, it wouldn’t hurt to go back and do another sweep for things that may have been left behind like medical supplies, tools, technology, and food/drink supplies.
Characters will be able to travel back and forth between Kyoto and Tokyo while they test the portals. There are some known effects of portal jumping but whether they start to take effect on the first jump or after a certain amount depends on the person. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and a loss of spatial awareness so they may get into people’s spaces, bump into things, miss targets, or get lost easily.
▶ 004. KYOTO & KAIJU.
Outsiders will be transported to the Old Kyoto Base with a small team of operatives. In terms of structure, the Kyoto Base looks similar to that of Neo Tokyo, with the remnants of a training ground, research labs and dormitories free to explore. Once upon a time, this base was filled with LILITH personnel. What had happened to them, along with all the other residents of Kyoto, is anyone’s guess.
With some work, they’ll be able to kickstart the emergency generators which will be enough to provide the power needed to search parts of the base. Characters can also leave the base and explore what remains of Kyoto. The streets are empty and the city has been abandoned since the attack. The Imperial Palace is still standing, albeit in decrepit conditions from years of neglect, and the once picturesque, historical streets now sit in ruin. Keep searching, and you will see the scars left behind from the attack - monstrous claw marks against a building wall, and forgotten human remains.
With the lack of human interference, Kyoto has become overrun with wild animals such as macaques, deer, foxes and tanuki. A herd of boar-like Kaiju have also taken their place at the top of the ecosystem. This Kaiju, the Yama-Kujira, is of special interest to LILITH.
█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Yama-Kujira
HEIGHT: 10 meters (adult), 2 meters (infant)
WEIGHT: 200 kg (adult), 60kg (infant)
CLASS: Piglets are harmless, Adults are a moderate threat
LOCATION: Kyoto, Japan
ABILITIES: The adult Yama-Kujira compensate for their terrible eyesight with a vicious attitude. They will charge at everything and everyone at the slightest disturbance, be it the sound of footsteps or even a bird flapping its wings. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing, and sharp tusks that they use to maul their prey. Fiercely territorial, especially near to their nests. Hates loud noises and the colour red. In groups, they have the ability to cause a minor earthquake by stomping into the ground. The Yama-Kujira piglets, on the other hand, are blind, harmless, docile and do not have tusks. May charge ineffectively to practice their skills and are strong enough to knock a person over. They enjoy fruit, nuts and milk.
WEAKNESS: They are virtually blind and rely on their smell/hearing, so taking those senses out will disorientate them. Otherwise weak to being flipped over and has a soft underbelly. Getting their tusks trapped in something will temporarily immobilize them as well.
EXTRA NOTES: Eats primarily vegetation and local wildlife but the adults will kill anything that moves.
█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Eliminate all adult Yama-Kujira within the area.
✖ Lure in and capture infants to surrender to LILITH.
✖ Bring back Yama-Kujira specimens, alive or dead.
✖ Scavenge for useful technology or supplies from around Kyoto and the Kyoto base.
█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:
With some work, they’ll be able to kickstart the emergency generators which will be enough to provide the power needed to search parts of the base. Characters can also leave the base and explore what remains of Kyoto. The streets are empty and the city has been abandoned since the attack. The Imperial Palace is still standing, albeit in decrepit conditions from years of neglect, and the once picturesque, historical streets now sit in ruin. Keep searching, and you will see the scars left behind from the attack - monstrous claw marks against a building wall, and forgotten human remains.
With the lack of human interference, Kyoto has become overrun with wild animals such as macaques, deer, foxes and tanuki. A herd of boar-like Kaiju have also taken their place at the top of the ecosystem. This Kaiju, the Yama-Kujira, is of special interest to LILITH.
█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Yama-Kujira
HEIGHT: 10 meters (adult), 2 meters (infant)
WEIGHT: 200 kg (adult), 60kg (infant)
CLASS: Piglets are harmless, Adults are a moderate threat
LOCATION: Kyoto, Japan
ABILITIES: The adult Yama-Kujira compensate for their terrible eyesight with a vicious attitude. They will charge at everything and everyone at the slightest disturbance, be it the sound of footsteps or even a bird flapping its wings. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing, and sharp tusks that they use to maul their prey. Fiercely territorial, especially near to their nests. Hates loud noises and the colour red. In groups, they have the ability to cause a minor earthquake by stomping into the ground. The Yama-Kujira piglets, on the other hand, are blind, harmless, docile and do not have tusks. May charge ineffectively to practice their skills and are strong enough to knock a person over. They enjoy fruit, nuts and milk.
WEAKNESS: They are virtually blind and rely on their smell/hearing, so taking those senses out will disorientate them. Otherwise weak to being flipped over and has a soft underbelly. Getting their tusks trapped in something will temporarily immobilize them as well.
EXTRA NOTES: Eats primarily vegetation and local wildlife but the adults will kill anything that moves.
█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Eliminate all adult Yama-Kujira within the area.
✖ Lure in and capture infants to surrender to LILITH.
✖ Bring back Yama-Kujira specimens, alive or dead.
✖ Scavenge for useful technology or supplies from around Kyoto and the Kyoto base.
█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:
▶ 005. MAID DAY.
While Outsiders test out the portal technology and the engineers make adjustments to make traveling more stable, the administrators will announce they’ve touched base with other organizations around the world and have begun to process travel documents for everyone.
In the meantime, they will have to help do paperwork which includes repeatedly confirming details like their birthdays, hair color, age, blood types, and so on. They will have to fill out multiple forms again and again for administration, insurance, and passport reasons, as well as reasons that just don’t make sense. The paperwork is endless and it’s a lot to keep track of but everything is due on May 10th. To make matters worse, there is the longest line at the immigration office that does not seem to be moving at all. For some reason, paperwork submission needs to be done in person, even with all the advances in technology.
On the day of the deadline, something bizarre happens. Those with style upgrades should be familiar with LILITH’s state-of-the-art clothing-changing technology. On May 10th, nanobots will engulf some Outsiders and overwrite their clothing, forcing them into a maid outfit (or butler outfit, depending on player preference). Seok Dang’s back from his suspension (is that why he’s been so quiet and nobody has seen him around base?), and he was given the task to encourage all the Outsiders to finish their paperwork.
Outsiders will find themselves dressed in maid costumes until everyone has completed their paperwork, so LILITH is heavily encouraging you to persuade your friends! Once everyone has submitted their paperwork, they’ll be able to uninstall the maid upgrade… but they can keep it as a gift! Those who would like to opt-out can simply have their clothing not be effected, and this prank works with those who have a style upgrade or are in their LILITH given attire (plugsuit or loungewear.)
In the meantime, they will have to help do paperwork which includes repeatedly confirming details like their birthdays, hair color, age, blood types, and so on. They will have to fill out multiple forms again and again for administration, insurance, and passport reasons, as well as reasons that just don’t make sense. The paperwork is endless and it’s a lot to keep track of but everything is due on May 10th. To make matters worse, there is the longest line at the immigration office that does not seem to be moving at all. For some reason, paperwork submission needs to be done in person, even with all the advances in technology.
On the day of the deadline, something bizarre happens. Those with style upgrades should be familiar with LILITH’s state-of-the-art clothing-changing technology. On May 10th, nanobots will engulf some Outsiders and overwrite their clothing, forcing them into a maid outfit (or butler outfit, depending on player preference). Seok Dang’s back from his suspension (is that why he’s been so quiet and nobody has seen him around base?), and he was given the task to encourage all the Outsiders to finish their paperwork.
“I’m back, baby! Daddy’s hoooome!! Did you like the frills? Enjoying them? Everyone say ‘thank you Seokdang-oppaaaaa!’. The Captain says you gotta do your paperwork, and some lazy bastards haven’t turned theirs in yet. Unless you wanna be in that cute lacy skirt forever, let’s encourage everyone to do their homework, okay? Well, if you guys decide to just stay like this forever, I ain’t complaining. It’s pretty easy on the eyes. Next time, maybe I'll put you hot kittens in some tight leather. Who knows!”
Outsiders will find themselves dressed in maid costumes until everyone has completed their paperwork, so LILITH is heavily encouraging you to persuade your friends! Once everyone has submitted their paperwork, they’ll be able to uninstall the maid upgrade… but they can keep it as a gift! Those who would like to opt-out can simply have their clothing not be effected, and this prank works with those who have a style upgrade or are in their LILITH given attire (plugsuit or loungewear.)
▶ 006. AFTERWORD.
Welcome to our fourth TDM! All TDM threads are game canon; characters who don't app will be glitched out of this world. As TDM will act as the event, existing characters are heavily encouraged to participate. We encourage this format for top levels: CHARACTER | CANON | CURRENT / NEW CHARACTER. '
There are currently 16 available player slots. New players are welcome to use this TDM to get samples for when APPLICATIONS open.
None of the prompts suit your fancy? Feel free to check out our main base and locations page and make up your own prompts!
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 May AC.
There are currently 16 available player slots. New players are welcome to use this TDM to get samples for when APPLICATIONS open.
None of the prompts suit your fancy? Feel free to check out our main base and locations page and make up your own prompts!
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 May AC.
TDM #4 BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1. ARRIVAL PROMPT: Newcomers arrive with ocular and brain implants and told a breakdown of the premise with an icebreaker orientation to fill out. Their first cafeteria meal is crab onigiri & ginger salad. Newcomers are placed in gray loungewear while they are being sorted into teams.
2. TOKYO DISNEYLAND CLEAN UP: Outsiders are sent back to Tokyo Disney to gather resources from the Yamadenki attack. Outsiders may wear a sanitation suit or use gloves. Some rides have residual energy should anyone want to try and take them for a spin.
3. DATAPORTAL TESTING: Resources gained from the Yamadenki creature have supplied LILITH with enough energy to use the dataportal to teleport outsiders to a former base location in Kyoto. Using the dataportal may give Outsiders limited side effects.
4. KYOTO & KAIJU: In lieu of a Simulation in Seok Dang's absence, Outsiders who teleport to Kyoto will be given the task to fight and clear out the Yama-Kujira, a boar like creature.
5. MAID DAY: Outsiders must fill out repetitive paperwork, which foreshadows travel in the future, and threatening not to will result in a forced maid outfit, courtesy of Seok Dang and his return.
@gorb. hope they become coparents to a robot.
I guess.
( just a curious thing to her to notice. it's not as if she thinks they deserve to live in poverty and listlessness, but some of the technological marvels seem oddly disproportionate. sure, there are machines that can simulate and alter reality, but they haven't bothered to try to adapt that technology to make up for a lack of anesthesia?
with hands in her pockets, she stops as well to examine (squint at) the signage, readjusting her glasses to sit a little higher on the bridge of her nose as she quirks a brow. )
Thinking of getting one?
( do you even like, feed it? she has no idea, so she's watching a demonstration of the various kinds. birds with lifelike wings, cats stretching lazily, eager pups hopping up to greet any and all - wonder if they had to resort to these little things now that their ecosystem has been mostly demolished by kaiju? )
pls that would be wildly funny
( A huff of breath, partly amused, thoughts elsewhere. ) Focusing on keeping myself alive seems a better use of my time, though they just remind me of something. One of my girls - Mimiko - wanted a robot dog once. She'd probably go wild if she could see all of these. Or, maybe not, maybe fifteen's too old for them now.
( Guess he'll never know, having thoroughly shuffled off the mortal coil but. He is Not Thinking About That. He looks away from the glass, gaze skimming over Tao and then to the crowd. )
But I do agree with you. It's strange. Maybe it's capitalism. ( He pushes away from the storefront to keep walking, glancing behind to see if she's following. ) Not that I'll complain if we find a combini.
no subject
Is that not something you would've gotten at fifteen?
( he hasn't explained what a tamagotchi is..... she'll keep an eye out for something that looks remotely like a corner store. shouldn't be long for one of those, at least.
but so far: a few food stands here and there, a couple of cafes and entertainment centers. lots of shops, certainly, and a couple of dodgy alleys she thinks to take a peek at later. )
no subject
( Throwaway, thoughtless. He pauses in front of another window, the bright neon lights hurting his eyes. It looks like a piercing place from the outside, artistically grungy and dark beyond the glowing advertisements. He reaches a hand, unconscious, fiddles with his lobes, then swiftly moves on down the street. ) And I thought I was much older than I was. I wouldn't have minded buying her the thing anyway, but then she moved on to some sort of doll whose hair she could brush.
( He hadn't had much money for them in the beginning anyway. )
Has yours ever asked you for something strange?
no subject
what does catch her attention is the drift, the sudden picked up pace, and she has to look up for a second to make note of where they are. see something he didn't like, maybe? eager to get a move on?
the question earns a chuckle, a low rumble against the din of the crowd, hands heavy in her pocket. )
He'll see advertisements on the TV and sometimes ask for whatever weird new gadget they're trying to sell because they look useful, but beyond that, he's happy with food.
( he's a sweet boy like that. )
Seems like you spoil yours pretty well.
no subject
( He means for it to come out even and careful. It almost succeeds. But there's a slight edge to the words that even time cannot control. He doesn't think about the day he saved them often, it always makes the bile burn too bitter. It does not help that he is surrounded by humans now, their arrogance, their stench. Geto's fingers clench at his side. What he wouldn't give to have the strength to burn even this world down to the ground? But, no -. He needs to breathe, he needs to remember himself. Caution has usually been his modus operandi ( attack on the school aside ) and he can do the same here. )
I took them under my wing when I was seventeen. We've all had a pretty steep learning curve. Maybe I did spoil them, once I was able to. I think they've still turned into good girls.
( It bothers him that he does not know what happened to them in Tokyo, but Satoru said his family were safe. He has to assume the girls were included. )
Speaking of food. ( Abrupt, but cheerful now. He nods to the corner of the street where there is what looks like a convenience store there. ) You think you'd get your smokes there?
no subject
memories of a counted cash, a gun that barely fit into her hands, a tattoo marking her as another's -
a beat passes in solemn silence. the fraction of a moment - a piece of vulnerability - returned more quietly than she means. )
They're lucky to have met you.
( her mind drifts to a time when she was scrawnier, smaller; clutching onto one even smaller than her. not alma, no. another. the one she doesn't dare talk about. the one she's searched for all this time.
all for it to turn out the way it did.
a hum, thoughtful, her eyes flicking towards the spot he's pointed out. only one way to find out, huh? )
Doesn't hurt to check it out.
( letting themselves in chimes a soft bell to announce their arrival, and the first thing she does is - ... is that a robot manning the point of sale? )
...
...
Do I like, talk to it or something?
no subject
There's only one way to find out, right?
( An investigation he'll let her take the lead on, though he does stick close by. He tells himself it's about gathering evidence. He certainly doesn't have anything else to care about.
Still, casually. ) It looks harmless? Don't the bad ones have lasers? ( A lifetime of movie watching has to tell him something, right? ) And guns. I think they'd have warned us about the threat were it to be a problem.
no subject
Do they?
( are guns and lasers exclusive features of the bad ones? )
But, who knows with them. Maybe some of them find it funny to let us loose without teaching us shit.
( to which, she immediately demonstrates by trying to instead just reach over the counter to try to just grab it herself rather than ask - only to be swatted by a metallic hand to dissuade her from inching any closer.
- ow??
offended and a little miffed, she makes a gesture with her hand again as if to ask for it, only to be handed the pack after her wrist was scanned against.. something.
what a dubious success. but she's still missing a pretty vital item so she's just going to try to talk to it? )
I need a lighter, too.
( this time, with far less inclinations for swatting her away, the transaction is completed. a lighter for some kryptos.
well. finally, glancing back over to geto. )
Grabbing anything? Think I've appeased it.
no subject
A beat, and then something thunks under the counter, a hatch opening to bring up a can of cola. Geto allows his arm to be scanned, taking his goods with care. The cigarettes he tucks in a pocket with the lighter, the can he holds up to his eyeline. )
Huh.
( He opens it as he makes his way to the door again, sniffing the contents. )
They better not have taken the caffeine out of these in the future.
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the crack of a seal being opened is what breaks her silence as they continue on down the way, sipping at it once before humming. for now, her pack and lighter gets tucked away in favor of finding a good spot to people watch. higher ground, maybe. )
I'd almost be surprised if they didn't double what's in 'em.
( it just seems like that'd be the case. efficiency in the consumption of things, and all that. )
Food next?
( street food better still exist, she swears. )
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( Or more likely, he can't be as discerning when it comes to food. Soda from a robot is different ( as long as he doesn't think too hard about the chain of production ) but food stalls are another thing. Even when he takes the girls out he chooses to abstain. ) But I'll come with you.
( It's a little funny, he knows, and a little hypocritical. As far as Geto's aware she's a monkey the same as the rest. He's being as polite as can be still, the parody of the good boy he used to be. He doesn't think there's much harm in it, company to do a little recon. And contrary to popular belief he doesn't avoid all non-shamans. He actually does talk to them, the blind idiots that come to the temple for one, and the pizza delivery driver whenever his family convince him to unclench. )
Should we ask for directions?
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( she doesn't know what he's thinking, of course. but she's been an investigator for a good bit of time. even if alma is the one with the nose for deceit, she can at least tell he's somewhat.. on edge. the details of it elude her, but something's off and that's about all she can glean. a tenseness that he does well in hiding beneath the veil of easygoing calm, one she won't draw attention to as a courtesy.
uncomfortable around crowds, maybe. or overwhelmed with the new. who knows. )
I rather they don't ask any questions if we're meant to have been here all this time.
( since they were given civilian cover and all. she's really not sure what that's about? )
Besides, maybe we'll find something we didn't expect to see.
( ... )
I can't shake the feeling that they ( LILITH. ) are hiding more than we think. A different perspective might be nice.
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( Another point in her favour. He might have outed himself through sheer stubborn-mindedness. ) Wandering it is, then.
( He shoves one hand in the pocket not full of his contraband, keeps sipping at his cola while his gaze drags from corner to corner, every street carefully examined. Nobody here seems to be giving them more than a passing glance, which is lucky. Still, the tension remains in his shoulders. There's nothing much he can do about that at this point. At her last comment though, Geto hums. )
Undoubtedly. Though I haven't found anyone willing to talk about it yet. Have you?
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I haven't.
( most her interactions have been with other outsiders after she was released from the medbay. she's also working off of the assumption that anyone working on the field with them wouldn't know very much. )
But isn't it strange that they outsourced so much of the people they're putting on the front lines? From what I've seen, barely anyone is actually from here. Which means they either tried to recruit people and none of them want to be under this organization - or they'd rather play with lives that aren't their own.
( both are telling in their own ways. )
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( He'd gotten a little better about his posture as an adult but apparently today is all about returning to teenage melodrama so along with the cigarettes in his pockets, Geto's shoulders round a little, slouching through the crowds like he'd rather not be there. ) Think about it. If they're trying to stop the complete eradication of their people they wouldn't want to risk any further losses. All but kidnapping your soldiers probably goes against several conventions but this is the future, they might not even exist any more.
( Not that they'd ever really had much sway to Geto, who genuinely considers genocide at breakfast every day. )
I certainly didn't consent to being here. Did you?
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( it's a huge risk though, to bring in people with no stake in the game even if it means saving them the numbers. to rely solely on the fact that they might choose to do the right thing and helping. while she isn't entirely heartless - she knows when she's being taken advantage of.
the world is most certainly in dire straits though, so her thoughts on the matter are complicated at best. for now, she gets paid and she gets housed and fed, so she's doing what she's told like a perfectly good (lmao) toy soldier. )
But it is similar to what I was already doing at home anyway, so I could see why they figure I was an alright fit.
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Fighting monsters?
( He might have to do a quick reassessment of Tao Saotome if that's the case. Not that he hasn't met any normal humans with the skill set, but it's surprising to come across it here. )
I wonder if there's a checklist.
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Not like these.
( it's not that it's a secret anyway. she's explained it to civilians before whenever they finally witness one.
.. not that he counts as one. he's an outsider, same as her, so surely they pulled him for a reason. it means he's able to stand his ground pretty well against something meant to eradicate populations. )
Not from what I can tell. These stick around when killed.
( then, a beat. )
And from what we know, mine come from the deceased, both human and animal. If that were true here, we'd have a lot more issue cleaning up the bodies a few days ago.
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( It's fairly significant that she says deceased, but then Geto knows if humans could see curses they'd call them something similar. He's a little surprised she offered it up so easily too, maybe to her it isn't a big deal. He usually keeps his cards close to his chest, but there's something to be said about fostering camaraderie. So, just as easily -. )
In my world we call them curses. They come from humans too. Though living. Negative energy.
( He's very proud of himself. His tone doesn't once dip into disgust. )
So, similar then. ( The two of them, he means. ) Makes sense.
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threats. )
We call them Calamities.
( there are still cards she's holding close to her chest that are tangentially related. about the boy she's a guardian over, about her younger brother,
but those aren't as relevant. her voice dips anyway just in case they have curious ears and they aren't meant to be talking about the threats so casually. )
Like I said, I'm pretty sure they're gathering people who've dealt with similar shit before. Just so they aren't throwing meat into hungry mouths, I assume.
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( In a tight-lipped kind of way that suggests that Geto very much doesn't approve of the whole thing. A part of him knows he should be grateful, he has a second chance here, he's living and breathing and relatively sane. But he doesn't want to be. He wants to snarl at the leash they've slapped around his throat and bite the hand that's brought him here. He wants them to regret it.
He wants, as ever, to lose his tight restraint.
But, no good will come of that, at least not yet. )
Well. I guess we've got time to figure that out.
( Unless they get eaten. )
Though I'm definitely glad we found smokes now. We're going to need them.
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Hah, yeah. Probably.
( a pat to a pocket in her coat. she feels better knowing she has them. in fact, she's draining the rest of the can so she can fish one out, tearing the plastic with her nail and shielding the end with her gloved hand to light it properly.
this was long overdue. )
Mm, and now I know who to go to if I ever run low.
( not that she doesn't keep herself well-stocked, it's more a jest than anything. )
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( It's a habit he probably doesn't have the funds to pick up again, but it's ... comforting, almost, nostalgic. He follows suit, tucking his soda can in the curve of an elbow and lighting up, eyes on the people around them. )
You know, it's really strange. ( Inhaling, the end burning red. ) It feels so real. My brain keeps telling me it can't be. Hallucination, maybe? Dream. But dreams can't come up with this level of detail. And I'm wearing all my clothes. ( A flash of a smile. ) Well, some clothes. Not ones I'd pick. I keep expecting something to be obviously not right so that I can be like, there, see, it's not happening.
( It could be a domain. It doesn't feel like one. He shakes his head, discomfited. )
Eh. Could be worse, right?
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They do have that simulation room, so it's not like we don't know they aren't capable of it.
( she doesn't exactly understand how it works - just that it's surreal in its detail and feel. that this virtual reality thing is a thing they have the capacity to use and makes use of on the daily.
but then the possibility that this was all orchestrated for them to work towards for truly no reason is a bit of an aggravating one. )
Could be. At least the lines to our leashes are long enough for a walk. ( dryly. ) Who knows what kind of trouble we'd stir if we were all stuck together in that building with each other for extended periods of time?
( she's seen some of you interact in the halls. no thank you. )
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