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

[phantomshow]

“Saving your best duels for me? I’m honored,” he says, only part jest, and briefly bows his head.

The thing about rivalry is that it’s not purely about the competition - it’s also about mutual inspiration toward betterment. There’s an element of respect involved, and opportunity to learn from the other party. Rivalry isn’t a required condition for a winning outcome, but it does make victory sweeter, more satisfying.

As long as the rivalry doesn’t get out of control, of course. Ren appreciated the other aspects of his rivalry with Akechi, exaggerated as it may’ve been from his side, until it all went almost too far.

“And I promise not to embarrass you,” Ren adds, just in case that’s a concern.

[undyingcrow]

"You are my rival. That puts you in a class of your own. Of course, I wouldn't say we're on a level playing field at the moment." The claws, the wings, and his teeth speak for themselves...

To say nothing of the abilities he's gained since he started changing.

That second comment warrants a soft snort. "But I'm glad to hear you have some restraint. If you did do anything nefarious, I'd naturally have to retaliate in kind."

[phantomshow]

A class of your own is … oddly soothing to hear. Yes, Ren has uncommon abilities even for a Persona-user, being a Wild Card, but outside of the Metaverse, he isn’t the smartest or strongest. He may be overflowing with compassion and possess excellent time-management skills, but those aren’t entirely unique abilities. If not for entering the Metaverse and experiencing his awakening, Ren would have considered himself fairly average. In fact, some of that was by design - he’d been sent to Tokyo on probation, with the intention of keeping his head down and slipping under the radar until his sentence was served. Drawing attention to himself by standing out in any meaningful way would’ve defeated that purpose.

But fate chose to intervene, so here he was, on an un-level playing field with his friend and rival. Who is admitting he doesn’t have any other rivals. And that … feels a little bit special. Enough to override the earlier slight of Akechi not telling Ren he was alive, at least for now.

Stop obsessing about it.

Intrusive thoughts were so annoying.

“Not possible,” Ren states with an air of authority and a shake of his head. “You have no way to embarrass me.”

Is that a challenge to Akechi? It just might be.

suggestive cw because mara exists

[undyingcrow]

That...

Is actually a fair point.

Akechi quiets, touching his chin once more. What does he actually have?

Well, there's one thing for sure.

"One of your Personas was a penis chariot. I believe that speaks for itself."

Even the Russian takoyaki has nothing on that.

mara is the WORST 😩

[phantomshow]

Oh yeah … Mara. Ren kinda sorta did his best to forget about that one. Ick. He ducks his gaze, cheeks slightly flushed, and nudges his glasses up his nose. He’s totally not hiding behind his hand. Nope.

“OK,” he mumbles, sheepish, “I concede.”

[undyingcrow]

"I thought you would." Oh, can't you hear the smugness radiating from him, Ren? A victory over Ren is always welcome, in his eyes. "But it's all right. Your secret is safe with me."

[phantomshow]

The smugness is earned, fair and square. Akechi got him good.

“Yours are safe with me too, of course.”

Which means Ren will not be spilling any tea about Akechi’s past to his new friends. That would be extremely rude. And despite the dangers of this world, it has provided Akechi a fresh start of sorts. He’s forged new bonds, after all. Ren would never want to impede that progress.

“For the record,” he says, shyly rubbing a hand over the back of his head, “I only tested out Mara that one time.”

[undyingcrow]

"And I take it the results weren't keeping that unsightly thing around?" He gives Ren a questioning look. It's true that he only saw Mara the one time, but...

Ren's a teenage boy. It's not like it's impossible that he'd find it funny.

[phantomshow]

… OK, maybe Ren got a chuckle over Mara once or twice, but his team’s discomfort and disgust wasn’t worth a repeat performance from that particular Persona. Broken focus in battle can spell disaster, and not all risks are equally worth taking. Ren shakes his head and shrugs.

“It’s pretty powerful, but nothing too special. I had others just as good or better.”

And not … that. Ren was quite content to hand Mara over to the twins.

“I’m surprised you remembered that.”

And gosh, Ren’s face sure is taking its time returning to normal coloring.

[undyingcrow]

"I remember a great deal. As a detective, it's a vital skill." Granted, he wasn't the most legitimate detective before, but... well. A new world brings new opportunities.

Glancing around, he ponders the next step. "We should probably continue searching for an engine. Nonetheless, I've found many clues that may interest you as well as... certain mementos from our world."

[phantomshow]

“Mm, naturally.”

It’s not a question of Akechi’s overall abilities, but why he would choose to remember a (very gross) Persona Ren used one time, an incident Ren himself had put out of his mind until Akechi brought it up. Maybe he’d been more offended about that happening than he let on?

Whatever the case, Ren is grateful to move on and stop talking about Mara. He nods to the suggestion of scouring for an engine again, but the tidbit about clues and mementos elicits a quizzical frown.

“Not Mementos mementos, though?”

That would just be impossibly weird.

[undyingcrow]

"No. Calling cards." He digs into his blazer pocket, withdrawing a stack of three. "Sae-san's, Okumura's, and Maruki's, to be precise."

The irony isn't lost on him. Each of those cards holds some significance to Akechi.

It's almost insulting...

[phantomshow]

Ren finds the longer he’s here, the more he quickly needs to keep recalibrating his definition for impossibly weird. The all too familiar sight of his group’s calling cards raises his eyebrows for a moment, but the implication of their existence here shifts his expression to a pensive frown.

“That can’t be coincidence.”

Which means it’s likely intentional. Ren’s gaze jumps from the cards to Akechi, searching for agreement.

“You think we were targeted?”

[undyingcrow]

"It wasn't just us. Others had writing from their respective worlds here, though we've yet to find out why." There's the subtlest sliver of uncertainty to his words. "They're certainly... out of place. At least with our arrivals, we have the summoning circles and other small clues to inform our circumstances."

After a few moments, he tucks the cards away, if only to free up his hands.

"While we're not certain who summoned us, there are two known factions here. One seeks to slaughter those of us who transform, viewing us as a blight. The other worships the moon and considers our changes a blessing."

[phantomshow]

Two factions with opposing views on people brought here from a failed ritual … that’s unsettling, as is the intended slaughter by one side. Moreover, it’s a little too sharp a reminder of the game between Yaldabaoth and Igor that drew in Ren and Akechi without their knowledge or consent.

And Ren? He doesn’t like that at all. He folds his arms tightly across himself as a burst of furious defiance branches through his chest like lightning. He’d come to terms with Igor’s part in the events of the past year, but if Ren could fight the so-called God of Control just for the satisfaction of shooting him in the head all over again, he’d do so in an instant. The audacity!

“Sounds like they’re using us as pawns.”

His words are quiet and even, but there’s a steely edge to his voice, sharp as any dagger he ever wielded in battle. It’s one thing to rage against an oppressor on your own behalf, or on behalf of a friend. But this situation is bigger than just him and Akechi. This involves who knows how many others, all unjustly thrust into a deadly contest by some unknown entity’s design.

“That’s unforgivable.”

Ren’s mind races, already pulling at possible steps toward taking revenge. He’ll fight this new “game” with everything he has, regardless of the reason for it.

[undyingcrow]

Despite Ren's sharp tone, the determination brings a smile back to Akechi's face. It's just like Ren, like Joker to take a stand in the face of injustice. And after so long, it's so refreshing to behold again.

He's made connections, fought side by side with others. Despite everything, he's adjusted to this world and made the most of their sordid circumstances...

But he always felt incomplete. It's funny, really.

He spent so much time alone, but that one connection carved itself deep within him. Removing that bond was like removing a part of him, not that he'd ever dare to admit it out loud.

No. He may have lowered some of his walls, but he's not that sentimental yet.

So his eyes meet Ren's, eager to meet him on his level. "Well, you may be lacking in your teammates, but I suppose I could lend my aid again."

[phantomshow]

That’s the thing about being a Wild Card, even one who never reached full potential - those bonds go deep. That’s why Ren hasn’t been able to shake off the hurt welling up in his heart by Akechi’s revelation of not being dead as easily as he does with other things.

Their bond meant so much to Ren - still does, and this story he’s spun for himself about Akechi not placing the same importance on their bond is a betrayal stemming from his own heart and mind. As much as he is mentally shaking himself to let it go already, he’s angry with himself for being so - how did Akechi like to phrase it? Brainlessly sentimental - just as much as with Akechi for withholding the truth from him. Maybe even more so; Akechi is who he is, and Ren knows that. A crow doesn’t change his feathers, after all. Akechi’s hatred for his father was a core facet of himself - of course nothing else would be more important than seeing his revenge completed. He could no more divorce that rage and pain from himself than Ren could separate himself from his sense of justice.

Ren shakes himself from his thoughts and returns to the present, meeting Akechi’s gaze with a razor-sharp grin. Joker’s grin.

“Kinda hoped you might.”

Behind the glasses, his dark eyes sparkle with mischief. Almost teasingly, he adds:

“Maybe I could even join your team for a change. Let you boss me around.”

Akechi’s more familiar with the situation, after all. Ren’s ego isn’t so invested in being The Leader as to insist on taking over.

[undyingcrow]

Akechi's eyes blink wide open, and he stares. It's as if a record scratched in his mind.

"You want me to lead you."

Ren. Ren, what the hell?

He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of this. "...You do realize that I'm hardly leadership material."

[phantomshow]

Ren does try not to laugh at Akechi’s reaction - tries, but fails. The most he’s able to do is restrain a quiet chuckle behind his fist.

“You should’ve seen your face just now.”

If Yusuke were here, he likely would’ve said something about wishing to “capture such a priceless moment in the experience of the human heart,” or another such Yusuke-ism. Ren isn’t Yusuke though, and he doesn’t wish to poke at any of Akechi’s potential sore spots, so he quickly changes the subject back to his suggestion.

“Hm. Could be fun to try out anyway.” Ren shrugs. “And you know this place better than me.”

[undyingcrow]

"I do have experience and knowledge on my side." He won't deny that.

It's been months. Months of travel, investigation, fighting... Changes, both physically and internally.

For Ren, it's only been a little over a month. For Akechi, it's been so much more.

"But that's a significant exercise in trust." Which means that Ren trusts him to take leadership seriously, when he could so very easily abuse such authority.

He won't, but he could. He's already blackmailed Ren and his friends before, to say nothing of the betrayal.

[phantomshow]

Ren hums thoughtfully, as if considering Akechi’s observation for the first time. As if that wasn’t the entire point of making the suggestion in the first place.

“I guess it is.”

Ren has heard more than once that he is too trusting, especially when it comes to Akechi. Just because they had shared goals in taking down Maruki doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be at odds again outside of those circumstances.

But Ren is willing to bet on Akechi doing better things without the shackles of his past to hold him back. He’s willing to bet that he understands Akechi well enough to find the other boy worth trusting and worth the risk that entails.

No risk, no reward, after all. Ren flashes a cheeky grin.

“Up to the challenge?”

[undyingcrow]

A challenge. Ah, now that is an apt way of putting it. Now he has to play along. He has to accept.

Well played, Ren. A soft grunt of a laugh slips out of him.

"Oh, I'm more than up for it."

Hopefully Ren understands what he's doing here. While he has no desire to betray that trust, it's still... quite surprising, really. Few leaders would surrender their authority so willingly.

[phantomshow]

Ren isn’t like most leaders, at least in this respect, maybe because he didn’t seek out the position for personal glory or an inherent need to accept the responsibility. He was nominated, it made sense, he accepted, and he’s done his best to perform adequately since then.

But part of being a leader is knowing when to delegate to members of the team, and another part is developing the teammates’ own growth and strengths. Ren has faith that Akechi could have been just as strong and effective as he was in a leadership position, if he’d been given the same resources and encouragement. (And not working in opposition to the Phantom Thieves until January, of course.) Akechi may claim he was never officially part of Ren’s team, and he may’ve claimed he didn’t want or need teammates, but Ren disagrees.

So. Ren may not be able to give Akechi the same resources the Velvet Room provided, but he can give Akechi the opportunity and the encouragement to reach his full potential.

Framing it as a challenge is just more effective than being direct about his intentions. Maybe it’s a bit sneaky, but Ren did spend most of the past year operating as a Phantom Thief. And he’s well acquainted with Akechi’s stubborn sense of pride.

“Good,” he says with a nod, doing his best not to beam outright at Akechi’s answer. He then casts a glance around the garage. They’re not making a ton of progress on the engine swapping, and Ren would honestly rather just talk with Akechi anyway. He’s in a comfortable enough place to not feel as much of a need to cloak that desire behind the auto repair task. And it’s not like the van’s going anywhere.

“Wanna take a break? Maybe you could show me around and point out the best places to not get jumped by the wildlife.”

Ren doesn’t think too hard on what the sudden flutter in his pulse means. Adrenaline, probably, from pulling off a successful gambit in convincing Akechi to try being leader.

[undyingcrow]

"Well, I suppose I could give you a tour." He gives one more look at the surrounding vehicles before turning to exit the garage. He'll beckon Ren along before leaving, though.

After all, it's best for him to remain in Ren's line of sight, until Ren can fully accept that, yes, this is real, yes, Akechi is alive, and no, he isn't going anywhere.

Once they step outside, Akechi gestures to the nearby Convoy.

"This Convoy is our mobile home base. It provides basic essentials. Shelter, bland food and a kitchen, and showers. Anything more elaborate than porridge and..." His nose wrinkles. "Pancakes must be prepared ourselves, with whatever ingredients we've scavenged from stops along the way."

[phantomshow]

It will take Ren time to adjust to his new reality, including the fact that Akechi is alive, just as it took time to adjust to his absence when he was presumed dead. Luckily, Ren adapts quickly in most situations. This should be no different.

He detours briefly to retrieve his blazer from the van lack-of-window and jogs to catch up with Akechi, falling into step at his side, ready to studiously absorb the information he receives. That mention of a certain food, however …

“Pancakes, huh?” He nods, mustering all available willpower to suppress the laugh bubbling in his throat and the grin threatening to crack across his face. He remembers that word being a bit of a sore point for the other boy. “Good to know.”

Ren firmly decides against teasing about the pancake incident, though the impulse is there. Jokes aren’t funny when they punch down. He lightly clears his throat.

“You know,” he starts, treading gently, “I’ve always been curious … did you start talking to me just because you knew who I was right from the start?”