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]

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?”

[undyingcrow]

Ah... Well, it was bound to come up sooner or later.

Akechi gazes off into the distance, one hand on his hip. How to put this...

"I had identified you all, and when I first approached you in the hallway, I already knew you were the Phantom Thieves. However, our conversation the next day genuinely fascinated me. I suppose you could say that I wanted to pick your brain, understand your thought processes and what made you tick..."

Slowly, his focus returns to Ren, and he shakes his head. "But I wouldn't have brought you to Jazz Jin on a whim. I suppose, against my better judgment, I did enjoy our meetings and conversations."

That's a lot of words to express attachment, but in true Akechi fashion, he can't just say he cares. It has to be filtered, implicit.

[phantomshow]

It’s Akechi’s way to be indirect when speaking about certain things, Ren knows this. That way he effortlessly weaves a verbal maze is one of the many things about the other boy that Ren always found intriguing. And … the fact that Akechi answered him as directly as he did is more than Ren guessed might result from his question. He nods with a quiet hum of acknowledgement and flashes Akechi a sideways grin.

“Well, I don’t think anyone can fault you for falling into my conversational clutches. I can be extremely charming.”

That’s funny, right? Playing at being the cartoon villain to Akechi’s shining star detective hero, even though they both know the situation between them is nothing so simple, and it never was. Ren absently reaches up to fiddle with a piece of his hair, silently debating whether to push any farther forward. After a moment’s hesitation, he decides to offer Akechi the same measure of honesty. It’s only fair, after all.

“I liked hanging out with you too, you know. Sometimes I even managed to forget you wanted to put me behind bars.”

Those times he’d spent alone with Akechi were special, little secret pieces of his life that Ren kept all for himself. Their first visit to the jazz club felt like a particularly important milestone in their relationship. It’s a special place for me, Akechi told him at the time, and Ren couldn’t help feeling a little bit special himself that he’d been chosen to share in something so meaningful.

“Muhen-san said to tell you to come by again sometime, by the way.”

[undyingcrow]

"Confident, are we?" Heh. Akechi can't really deny Ren's charms, though. Not after everything they've experienced together.

He's just not going to knowingly inflate his rival's ego or be too forthcoming with the praise. It's more fun this way. A tease here and there, without giving in too heavily.

Then Ren speaks again, and for a fleeting moment, he falters. It's brief. Just a split-second widening of the eyes before nonchalance returns to him, and his left hand returns to his hip.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't entirely succumb to my charms. Your persistence is what's made our rivalry so fascinating."

[phantomshow]

Ren answers with a nod, then an exaggerated shrug. Either he has confidence, or he has skill at pretending to have confidence. Sometimes the line diving the two is blurred and even Ren himself isn’t sure which of those wells he taps into. Either way, he’s pretty sure it doesn’t matter, as long as the result is the same.

“Morgana taught me everything he knows.”

He then goes quiet for a moment, slowly swaying a bit as he idly adjusts his weight from one side to the other. Maybe, he thinks, he just can’t tell the difference between rivalry and friendship, because they look more or less the same to him when they’re not. Ren’s no expert on the subject, after all. And maybe that’s all Akechi wants from him, maybe that’s all he’s ever wanted from him, and maybe Ren simply read the signals wrong all along.

If all Akechi wants from Ren is a rival, Ren decides he will just need to learn to live with that.

Now, the only question is how.

Keeping at the banter seems like a good place to start.

“I’d be a pretty terrible rival if I gave you such an easy win.”

[undyingcrow]

"And you respect me far too much to give me a pity prize, anyway." There's a touch of fondness to his words, even if his smile retains its sharp edge. "But I suppose in lieu of a cat, I'll have to teach you everything I know."

There's something almost comical about this. A nagging feeling, tugging at him...

That night, at Penguin Sniper...

"It's not unlike the offer I gave you before, without the betrayal. Not that I ever expected you to take it in earnest."

A part of him was relieved when Ren didn't. It meant he stuck to his guiding principles, even if it meant "certain doom."

[phantomshow]

Ren smiles softly and shakes his head. “I’ve never once pitied you, Akechi.”

There’s a difference between sympathy and pity. Ren has an almost limitless store of sympathy for people who’ve suffered injustices, and Akechi is a particularly notable instance of someone for whom he allocates that sympathy. They both had their lives upended in catastrophic ways by the same utterly vile man, so there is a sense of solidarity merged with the sad understanding.

But Ren doesn’t consider himself to be better than Akechi. Personas aside, he knows life afforded him a number of privileges the other boy didn’t receive. Ren still has both parents, despite what he may feel about their decision to banish him to Tokyo for his year of probation. Their expectations for him to perform well at school and properly in society were a baseline standard, not a pressure to keep his head above water by proving he was worth more than being thrown away like so much garbage.

Ren holds no sense of judgment against the other boy. He has done awful things, some of which were done to Ren personally - that is fact. Reparations and rehabilitation should be sought, and in some ways, have already been done. But Akechi has lived with such deep, consuming pain for so long, it’s not surprising he would choose to lash out with violence and an elaborately planned revenge. If Ren were in Akechi’s shoes, he can’t claim there’s zero chance he wouldn’t have done the same.

Hm. Maybe he’s skirting a little too close to sincerity now. Time to reel it in and return to the playful banter. Ren rubs a hand over the back of his head.

“Guess I should start scavenging for something to take notes with, if you’re gonna teach me everything you know.”

[undyingcrow]

"That would be wise. Or, perhaps Donatello-san can get your phone connected to the Convoy's network. He seems rather adept with machines and technology."

Though, naturally the name won't mean much to Ren on its own, and this will be an amusing way to gauge his reaction...

And so, rather than let the matter dangle there, he adds, "He's a humanoid turtle, by the way, and not by way of monster transformation."

Yes, Ren. Mutant turtle people are real.

[phantomshow]

A humanoid turtle person, eh? Well, one of Ren’s close friends is a talking cat that’s not really a cat, so he supposes that’s not so strange. Still, his eyebrows lift in interest.

“Land turtle, I’m guessing? Machines and technology would be difficult to work with underwater.”

Moreover, Akechi seems to be on friendly terms with said mutant turtle person. Ren starts building a mental list of names to inquire about at a later time. He’s deeply interested in meeting the people here who are significant for Akechi.

[undyingcrow]

"As far as I know. Though, he and his brother are both mutants, so the exact nature of their biology is up in the air, to say nothing of their own transformations." Akechi shrugs, playing off the mutant thing with complete nonchalance. "Quite the fascinating world they come from. Yokai and mutants exist outside of cognitive spaces... Aliens as well."

[phantomshow]

Yokai and mutants, monsters and aliens … Ren can see there will be quite a lot to learn about this new place and its inhabitants, beyond the perils. It will no doubt be as interesting as it is dangerous.

“Technically, you and I are aliens now, too.”

Which is a funny thing to realize - becoming an alien isn’t the sort of thing he ever imagined happening, even though his metric for weird occurrences isn’t exactly the average. And from what Akechi has explained so far, they are in the company of fellow aliens - all misfit strangers in a strange place against their will, yet still creating a makeshift home amongst each other.

Sounds awfully familiar, even if the landscape couldn’t be more different.

Ren smiles, nodding to himself, and pushes his glasses back up his nose. He can work with that.