MARCH TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

After tumbling through shadow you find yourself in a shrouded, ruined garage. It’s full of shattered windows and broken mechanical equipment, with all sorts of sharp edges to watch out for. Between that are strange symbols scrawled into the ground. Outside is cloudy weather and the beginnings of a storm flickering and rumbling.

Beyond the rundown garage is a rundown gas station surrounded by rolling, grassy hills. Close by is a Convoy of vehicles, either parked or driving up to station.

01: SUMMONING CIRCLE

This time the summoning circle and car garage is attached to retro diner, and an old wind turbine, barely still spinning and providing fading power. There’s also a broken radio playing a message about Nirvana and imploring people to head north. In fact, there’s a large amount of broken electric equipment in here and spitting sparks.

A fan circles overhead, stirring those sparks and creating a breeze. Trails of paper are attached to the fan, spinning lazily about. If Drifters choose, they can easily retrieve those paper talismans with little more than a slight static shock. While the paper is tattered and smeared with ink and blood, the following can be made out: “Broken in two […] Nothing to lose-“ “Moon mourns, call her down, ease her pain-“ “Need […] Better vessels from afar. Stronger souls-“ “Imbue with moon sigils, Give blessings of moon, share her pain. Put the ritual right.”

Hard to say what that all means, but it seems to have something to do with the summoning circle here. And there’s lingering power crackling through the building. The sort that makes the lights flash and flicker… And line up eerily with flashes of thunder on the horizon.

02: START UP

New arrivals will have a similar experience to before; a Convoy waiting outside for them, and a collection of vehicles, one of which feels like it belongs to them. The key to the vehicle may already be in the ignition, on the dashboard… It may have even been on their person, ever since they woke up in that garage. Either way, Drifters have the keys to the vehicle now.

…But there’s a few rough edges on these vehicles. Flat tires, cracked windows and mirrors, maybe some stuck doors and locks; all of them requires two pairs of hands and supplies. The garage can take care of the supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

03: STORM WARNING

There’s something odd in the sky; it shifts between a dark cloud, and a collection of birds. As the thing draws closer, it clearly becomes a mix of both. Car-sized, dark feathered birds and skeletal avians fly in a thundering flock, and turn the sky stormy in their wake. That alone is bad… But what’s worse is how the shiny chrome of the Convoy and vehicles draws the birds. As they dive towards the ground to snatch at the shiny metal, they pull the storm and bring a tornado with them. The Convoy does its best to anchor to the ground, but lighter vehicles and Drifters might not be so lucky.

The garage and diner takes it worst of all: the electric devices start spitting sparks and can even act as homing beacons for lightning strikes if a Drifter with electric abilities gets too close to them. Any remaining, intact windows shatter as the storm winds pick up, pelting Drifters with razor shards. And water starts pouring in, further shorting electric equipment and soaking anyone to the bone. There’s even a strange droning, siren like noise to warn about the storm and cut into one’s hearing. It’s difficult conditions for anyone caught up in the blow-out.

04: WEATHERING

Once the main force of the storm hits, the following happens:
Diversion: Those with Fast cars can drive away from the station and divert the birds. They’ll want a second Drifter to come along; either to snipe at the pursuing birds, or keep eyes on the terrain! Eventually the birds will tire or get culled enough that the storm disperses.
Updraft: There is the risk of getting swept up in the tornado winds. Damage, injuries… And a particular quirk this storm has. Drifters who spend more than a minute in the storm winds will find that they begin to take on traits from the Harpy monster. These traits increase in potency if the Drifter experiences hunger or violence. As the weather clears and days become calmer, the traits fade.
Downburst: If Drifters get slammed into the ground by the storm, or the dark birds flying about. They may also find themselves drenched with rain. Any injury they take mends quickly, but is replaced with scales, as the Drifters begin to resemble a Naga monster. These changes grow worse if they tell lies, but disperse with the storm.
BIRDS: The birds themselves are vicious: those afflicted with Naga traits are seen as prey, while Harpies are seen as rivals. The birds are deadly, but also clumsy if forced to the ground. The screens on the Convoy recommend crippling the wings before finishing the bird off on the ground.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, NAGA

This month, Drifters will have access to the serpentine Naga. On top of all Naga species traits being available, the following occurs:
+Cold Blooded: the rain and storms can potentially make Naga slow and sluggish, or inclined to sleep or seek out other heat sources to gain energy; this includes basking in body heat from others!
+Water Divert: With their water shaping, Naga can divert falling rain and even ground saturation to make the area or other Drifters more dry. They can also concentrate water into different areas, and can also change water into mist or ice.
+Blue shift: the scales of Naga become more vibrantly blue, or a strange mottled combination of blue and stormy gray, the more intense the rains become. These scale colors can also reflect their moods.
+Extra arms that are painful and disorienting to grow, and can result in coordination issues.
+Scale Pains: Pain and discomfort when scales grow in, as well as fangs or talons!
+Water glide: during floods from the rains, Naga find they can easily traverse deep water as though they were simply walking (or slithering) across it.
+Thermal vision, making it easy to track others in the middle of storms. Vision may also become disorienting, and eyes become slitted.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, HARPY

The storm will bring a second monster this month, in the form of Harpy. On top of all Harpy species traits being active, the following occurs:
+Storm Rider: high agility and capable of flying through the storm winds without hindrance. Even tornadoes can be mastered!
+Feather pains: itching, or full pain when growing feathers or wings. Talons may also be painful when growing from fingers or from feet.
+Wind Affinity: able to shape wind, including diverting the worst of the storm winds, or summon and focus wind into razors.
+Warbling Voice: words may waver and slip into something more songlike, or even a damaging sonic scream if emotions are heightened.
+Height Call: a need to get higher into the air, whether through perching on buildings or the convoy, or through flight. A sense of euphoria as they go higher.
+Nest Building: a compulsion to create a nest out of spare and soft objects, and feeling more safe inside that space.
+Heightened vision like a bird of prey, able to pick out details even at great distance. This may be disorienting at first, as vision becomes telescopic.

05: RAIN, SHINE, OR SALVAGE

Upon culling enough birds, the storm disperses. The monster avians dissolve as they drop into streams of energy, feeding into Drifter Sigils and providing limited healing. And handful remain intact when they hit the ground and can be harvested for meat, feathers, and possibly even talons.

There is one extra problem, in the form of falling debris. After being pulled up into the sky, wreckage (and possibly stray Drifters) are going to drop back down. It’s advised to look out for falling objects and people. It might be possible to salvage something in the form of scrap metal for any vehicle repairs, but such a task requires two.

06: STORM SHOT

The storm can be dispersed in one of two ways. One is waiting the storm out. The second is a battered collection of machines melted into the roof of the garage and gas station. When touched they burn the hands of Drifters, but also fire a jolt of lightning into the storm. One shot lessens the effects of the storm, repeated shots completely disperses the weather.

In the aftermath of the storm, something different rains from the sky in the form of glowing, quicksilver feathers. These feathers can suppress one avian or serpentine trait for a month, and can also drain away any Naga or Harpy changes from the event completely.

Alternately, the feathers will allow Drifters to temporarily access flight for one day. Doing so completely robs the feather of its magic: only one effect can be chosen from a feather.

MICRO ENCOUNTERS:

PLEASE NOTE! These are small bits of set dressing for players to include in threads if they wish, rather than full fledged prompts or events. You may handwave your exploration of these areas, or thread them out.

Windy Days: Preceding the storm are gales of strong winds, enough to stagger Drifters or send them staggering into other people or other vehicles.

Diner Is Served: While the retro diner attached to the garage has only limited food stores, curiously there is a respectable amount of cooking equipment that can be plundered. Portable stoves, pots and pans, spoons, and the like are all available for the taking.

Fading Storm: In the aftermath of the storm, the garage and diner look like they’re on their last legs, barely held up by their shelving. Anyone who wants to try salvaging had better move fast and carefully, before the entire thing comes crashing down.


NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Comments

[undyingcrow]

Ren's reactions... aren't surprising.

Not in the slightest.

Akechi watches him closely, but keeps a safe distance. This is obviously a lot for Ren to take in. He has a right to be upset. Akechi certainly would be, if the tables had turned.

But... there's no sense in lying, is there?

It takes a moment for the words to form, and when they come, his voice is subdued. Oddly uneasy, even. "I awoke on February 4th in a shelter my mother and I used to visit whenever we fell upon hard times. My memories were a mess. I didn't expect to live, and I needed time to untangle everything. Not that it excuses my silence."

If anyone deserved to know, it was Ren. The others... well, that was up in the air.

"I had... intended to contact you, once I was certain my situation was stable. There were many factors to take into consideration, and my first priority was getting my shit together and then using my knowledge to drag down any stragglers from within the conspiracy, regardless of what happened to me in the aftermath."

[phantomshow]

His first priority … of course it would be tying up the loose ends Shido left behind. Akechi had only been planning to take revenge upon his father for his entire life. How could Ren possibly compete with such a goal? Of course he wouldn’t be a priority. Akechi was relentless about pursuing his goals, Ren knew this. And if he was hurt by the revelation that he wasn’t important enough for Akechi to tell him, at any point during those forty-five days, that he’d managed to survive, Ren concludes that was his own fault for having such an expectation when really, he should know better. He knew Akechi well enough for that blood oath, after all.

Ultimately, this was good news - Akechi survived. He was still alive, and that meant Ren hadn’t failed to save him after all. Now he could stop carrying around the weight of that particular regret. The ache in the side of his head doesn’t subside, but Ren decides to ignore it now. Composure regained, he opens his eyes again and nudges his glasses up the bridge of his nose before turning to Akechi with another of those ever-so-slight grins.

“Careful. That almost sounds like an apology.”

Akechi doesn’t apologize - that’s it, that’s the joke. Ren’s hands return to his pockets - he is fine now. A misstep, not a fatal error. The people who hold importance in your life aren’t obligated to return the sentiment. He’d simply grown too comfortable with how in sync he and Akechi were as they worked together last winter, but their partnership was always going to be temporary. It’s fine - Ren’s heart would heal.

Eventually.

He steps forward to the now-opened hood and continues to not have a single clue as to what he’s looking at.

“These are a lot easier to deal with when they can actually tell you what’s wrong.”

[undyingcrow]

"You and I both know that apologies won't erase my mistakes." Still, there's a tinge of regret, however subtle. For a moment, he averts his eyes. Akechi isn't stupid. He knows keeping Ren in the dark undoubtedly hurt him.

What was he supposed to do? Just spontaneously go, "Oh, by the way, I'm alive!" and expect an open embrace? His relationship with the Phantom Thieves was always tenuous at best. Without a shared objective, would associating with him not only bring complications with Ren's real friends?

A part of him wants to say more. It's been months. Months stuck in this godforsaken place, and... he's made connections, astonishingly. He's... adapted. One might even say he's found new convictions and grown as a person.

That desire to be needed entangles with his hatred of vulnerability. If Ren pays close enough attention, he may notice subtle shifts in Akechi's demeanor. Tension and release, searching eyes, a slight pinch in his brow accentuated by the feathers.

They're slightly ruffled. Pay them no mind.

The engine is a bigger priority. "...We could attempt to operate on the engine, but it may be better for us to salvage another engine from one of the other vehicles."

He may have picked up some skills, but a motorcycle is an entirely different beast.

[phantomshow]

“That’s why it was a joke,” Ren deadpans, casting a sideways glance at Akechi. Doesn’t he know a joke isn’t funny if you have to explain it? Granted, it’s not Ren’s best work, but it’s the best he could manage under the circumstances.

He may not be a detective of Akechi’s caliber, but Ren is decently perceptive. It doesn’t escape his notice that the feathers have puffed up again, and that this seems to indicate some kind of distress. He wishes an idle thought, that any of the books he read in the past year had been about the behavior of birds. Maybe he’d be better able to decipher what Akechi was thinking now.

Ren himself isn’t the Phantom Thieves - he’s just their leader. He had spent months getting to know the detective, going on those little outings with him, and none of his other friends had any idea until he’d mentioned that he already had Akechi’s contact info when Makoto needed to invite him to the school festival. Ren loved his friends dearly, but he relished spending time alone with Akechi. Those outings were something he didn’t have to share with anyone else - well, except Ohya, that one time at the aquarium. Regardless, they were special.

Even if Akechi had been planning to kill him most of that time. Some of the time? Who could truly say, other than Akechi himself, and Ren wasn’t fool enough to ask.

And if Ren hadn’t been inclined toward holding a grudge against Akechi for literal attempted murder, he wouldn’t for this injury, either. The ache in his heart would eventually fade. The important thing is that his friend - yes, his real friend - had survived. Ren decides to take a gamble now on speaking his mind:

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

Even if you aren’t. Even if you don’t want me to be. Even if you don’t care about me as much as I care about you.

He should’ve said so back in December, too.

Without waiting for Akechi to respond and call him a sentimental idiot or something of the sort, Ren turns to wander off in the direction of the next comparable sized vehicle to the van. How can you even tell what sort of engine these things need?

[undyingcrow]

"I suppose you would be." There's more uncertainty in his words, followed by a hollow chuckle. "And now you can have your cake and eat it too. You respected my wishes, and it seems fate has rewarded you for it."

How typical for Ren, really. Not that he's especially disappointed by this outcome.

No, his feathers smooth back down after a moment. There's work to do, and they can take their time sorting out what this means as they go along.

Akechi follows along, scanning for any vans of similar style. A match would be the simplest option.

[phantomshow]

Oh, Akechi, you’ve left Ren a terrific setup for another joke. He casually spins on his heel to face toward Akechi again, this time with a much bigger grin stretched across his face.

“Are you comparing yourself to cake and suggesting I should eat you?”

He’s not wrong, though. Ren’s wish was granted in the end, by means other than Maruki’s. Learning of it may not have played out in the most ideal manner, but when is anything in life delivered to match an ideal? Ren will silently celebrate the win for what it is.

And watch with keen interest for Akechi’s reaction to the cake comparison. Ren hopes it’s hilarious.

[undyingcrow]

Akechi's face scrunches up for a moment, because what a visual that is... But soon a smirk slides back into place. "My, how forward of you." There. A swift recovery, he should think. "But for all you know, I'd give you indigestion, or worse..."

This is stupid, but perhaps a little levity is warranted. It's sure to make the tedium of their busywork more bearable, at any rate. The quips and banter are a comfortable push and pull, especially now that they don't have the threat of Maruki's reality looming over them.

[phantomshow]

Ren shakes his head, still grinning widely. This is good, this is what he wants, this is how it should be - like it was before February. Stupid jokes are his preferred way of breaking tension, and he’s thrilled Akechi is bantering back.

“I won the Big Bang Burger Challenge. I could definitely take you on.”

How long is Akechi willing to play along? There’s only one way to find out. Ren stands up straighter than his customary slouch and adopts an exaggerated expression of someone deep in serious contemplation, fingers folded to prop under his chin as he pretends to give Akechi a sharp visual inspection.

“Though now I must wonder … if you are a cake, which flavor are you? Strawberry, perhaps?”

That’s right, he’s even mimicking Akechi’s “detective prince” tone when speaking. This is meant to be a playful impression, not mean-spirited mocking. Ren hopes that’s the way Akechi will see it, and that he’ll verbally volley back.

[undyingcrow]

Wow. Ren is really going there, is he? They're supposed to be fixing his van, but now...

Oh, now, it's on.

A wry smirk takes hold, just a bit toothy. Look how sharp they are, Ren. Are you scared yet?

"I'm surprised your first guess wasn't devil's food cake." It suits him, doesn't it? Dark, like his soul, devilish, like his past atrocities...

[phantomshow]

Excellent.

Fixing the van can wait, if Akechi’s willing to indulge Ren in this ridiculous little game he has decided to play. As far as Ren can tell, there’s no immediate urgency for this group to mobilize, so the van doesn’t need to be in working order at this exact moment. They have time to spare for a little silliness.

He shakes his head again. “Too obvious.” Devil’s food would be playing to type, and - at least in Ren’s eyes - Akechi is anything but typical. “Something unexpected would suit you better.”

Unexpected like that flash of teeth. Ren’s heartbeat skips when he sees them, mentally calculating just how much more lethal Akechi must be now, talons and teeth and all. He should be scared, but he is instead utterly enthralled. It’s been too long since he has found the opportunity to do anything this reckless, and it’s fun. He can’t stop now.

[undyingcrow]

Well played, Ren. A short grunt of laughter escapes Akechi, and he brings a hand beneath his chin. "But isn't strawberry fairly typical as well? It's one of the most common forms of cake, both for birthdays and Christmas, and the coloration overlaps with my other costume."

It's a facade, of course. It's less real, but surely that would invalidate it as an Akechi flavor, too.

[phantomshow]

He doesn’t wear the other costume anymore - hadn’t, as far as Ren knew, since Shido’s Palace. And remembering everything that happened there, the fight in the engine room, threatens to drag Ren’s mind back down the murky path of Akechi died, but not really, and he didn’t care enough to let me know.

And that will not do. Ren’s expression holds the lopsided grin but behind his glasses, the playful sparkle in his eyes dims, just for a moment.

Enough. It’s stupid to keep thinking about this. Get over it.

“Devil’s food cake … with strawberry frosting,” Ren finally offers as a counter. “No one would expect that.”

Finally, the perfect Akechi cake - bright, sweet outer layer concealing the darkness within. He was good at pulling off that trick, when it suited his purpose.

[undyingcrow]

"One has to wonder how well the flavors would compliment one another. Chocolate-coated strawberries are one thing, but icing is an entirely different beast."

But while the banter is amusing, he noticed that subtle shift in Ren's expression. Reading people is beneficial, after all. It's a practiced habit of his.

It'd be easy to keep the game going, but right now...

"You seem... troubled."

[phantomshow]

And Ren had such a good quip ready to serve next, something about volunteering as a taste tester. Sadly, the game appears to now be over. Ren sighs lightly and leans back into a nearby vehicle, arms folded across his chest.

“Do I?” He shrugs. “I didn’t notice.”

He’s not an ace detective, though. And he’s out of practice when it comes to deceiving Akechi. Or maybe Ren was never that good to begin with. Maybe he’d only been able to pull it off before because he had a team working with him.

“You haven’t seen Morgana around, have you?”

[undyingcrow]

"You know, for a Phantom Thief, you could stand to work on your deception." That is to say, Ren, he's not going to forget this.

Still, it is a fair question, and he heaves a small sigh.

"Regardless, I regret to inform you that none of the other Phantom Thieves are here, to my knowledge. There is another Persona user, but he originates from the year 2009, long before either of us obtained access to the Metaverse."

[phantomshow]

“The Phantom Thieves are officially disbanded,” he replies, dryly. Didn’t you know that? Weren’t you paying attention? No, of course he wasn’t. Akechi had other priorities, after all.

You need to stop. If Ren said that to anyone else, they’d listen. Why couldn’t he make himself listen to the same advice?

Maybe it was because Ren didn’t know anyone like himself in the same way other people saw him. Maybe he just needed to be on the other side of a Confidant link for once.

Right. As if that would ever happen.

Moving on, since the mention of another Persona-user immediately seizes his interest.

“How does that work? Was the Metaverse even around in 2009?”

[undyingcrow]

"I know you disbanded, but surely that bond remains regardless of whether or not you're acting as Phantom Thieves." The added edge, the sarcasm isn't lost on Akechi either. Clearly Ren is more upset than he's letting on. "If you're upset with me, I don't need you dancing around the issue."

One hand falls to his hip, and he watches. "...But no, this was before the Metaverse. Evidently, Personas are not unique to it."

[phantomshow]

Ren has done a lot of unquestionably courageous things during the past year. He has a deep enough reserve of Guts to stare down Shadows and yakuza and literal gods without flinching, but the idea of making a simple confession that he’s angry and hurt because even after everything he and Akechi have been through together, Ren apparently isn’t very important to him - this is the thing that leaves him silently wishing to be swallowed up by quicksand.

Akechi was easier to navigate when Ren believed he only wanted to see him dead.

“Dancing’s more Sumire’s thing than mine.”

There’s much less bite in his tone this time, but it’s still not a straightforward answer. It’s still a joke wielded as a distraction from discomfort, though half-hearted. Ren absently rubs a hand against the back of his head. If he doesn’t choose his words carefully right now, he thinks a fight is likely to start between them.

“Look, I promised you a duel, and I intend to keep that promise. But I’d rather not do it right now. I did just get here.”

He needs time to sort through his feelings, time to mourn the previous perception of his standing with Akechi. Time to finish falling apart so he can finally put himself back together again. This was something Ren would need to do alone, but once it was done, he would be fine again.

Probably.

[undyingcrow]

Those feathers fluff up again. His jaw clenches. Still avoiding the issue, are we? Well, there's one way to rectify that.

"Perhaps I should amend my request. Be honest with me, Ren. I'm well aware that I kept you in the dark when you deserved better."

Is that guilt? Perhaps, but in true Akechi fashion, he can't just be direct about it.

[phantomshow]

At least they’re both not being direct right now. But it’s a strange turn that Akechi is the one being more honest at the moment. Ren recognizes he can’t keep dodging forever, but if he’s truly going to give Akechi a real answer, he needs to be absolutely certain that he’s doing the right thing.

“Are you sure? Is that really what you want from me?”

Somehow, this feels like February 2nd all over again, in the worst way.

[undyingcrow]

"Do you really think I can't handle it, after everything I've endured?" Go on, Ren. Get to the point. "There's little sense in keeping secrets."

So go on. He's waiting.

[phantomshow]

Ren nods, conceding that Akechi has made a solid argument. He can’t stall any longer, and Akechi is clearly not letting this go without a fight. And Ren would rather not fight him, if it’s all the same.

“I’m not happy you didn’t contact me … I thought by now you would’ve trusted me enough to help you with something that important.”

He shrugs. This is … not technically a lie, but it’s not the main truth, either.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it.”

Ren pushes his glasses back up and shrugs again.

“Satisfied now?”

[undyingcrow]

"You think a lack of trust is the reason?" Really? There's an oddly indignant air of disbelief in his voice. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have awakened Hereward."

But... damn it.

The annoying thing about transparency is that if he expects it from Ren, he has to reciprocate, doesn't he? In the interest of... ugh, fairness.

This is so aggravating.

"I weighed my options. If there was a chance I'd end up in prison, or worse, then what would be the point? I needed to ensure I was in a stable position before I shattered your status quo again and brought more complications."

Because what is Akechi, if not complicated?

[phantomshow]

There are a number of ways Ren could choose to respond to Akechi’s answer. He could point out the hypocrisy of Akechi deciding for Ren that he wouldn’t want to choose to take risks on Akechi’s behalf. He could reassure the other boy that he wanted whatever complications might arise from returning to his orbit. Ren might even remind Akechi that he’d already survived a stint in prison, albeit brief. (Juvenile detention, technically, but hey, details.)

Any of those choices would only escalate into further argument, Ren thinks. What he decides, then, is to hone in on a different part of Akechi’s response while his mouth curves into a devious grin.

“So you do trust me.”

How about that. Ren just got Goro Akechi to admit that he trusts him, and that feels like a better prize than any lottery ticket could ever pay out.

For now, he’ll just ignore that twinge of guilt worming its way into the pit of his stomach. Ren may have told Akechi something true, but it’s not the same as telling him the truth. The truth will stay locked away in his own heart until he’s able to reconcile it with himself. He just needs time.

[undyingcrow]

"Rather hard not to, at this point..." He grumbles the words, posture slightly slumped. It's an awkward admission, but a necessary one. "I don't trust easily, either, so consider yourself lucky."

One day, he will learn how to give genuine compliments without being prickly about it. Today is not that day.