monstertruckers: (Default)
monstertruckers ([personal profile] monstertruckers) wrote in [community profile] memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
Entry tags:

MAY TDM




Things are a little stranger than usual at the gas station and garage. Namely that gravity just isn't working as it should. Objects float, pieces of the floor float... Even unlucky new arrivals can also find themselves floating! It's going to be a challenge to get around without any scrapes or scratches... Though at least there's what looks like a hospital nearby? Granted, it's an upside down hospital, but it's better than nothing.

















01: SUMMONING CIRCLE


Drifters come to with an odd floating sensation hooked into their stomachs, and instead of laying on the concrete find themselves drifting a foot or two above the floor. An unfortunate few may be stuck on the ceiling. Whether they crash down hard into the floor (and the various vials, daggers, and broken glass scattered about) or remain floating in the air is a coin toss.

Still, it might be best to lend a hand with pulling them back to the ground, and hoping gravity will work as normal in another breath or two.

Once they make their way out, they can see a gas station and garage located in the midst of strange, floating rocks… And an upside down hospital close by, for those who had a rougher landing.

02: START UP
New arrivals will have a similar experience to before; a Convoy waiting 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 the sort of thing that requires two pairs of hands and supplies. The garage can take care of the (sometimes floating) supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

And hopefully no one's vehicle has decided to float. But one can never be sure in a place like this.

03: HUSKS AND HAUNTS
The inverted hospital seems to have trouble deciding the exact formation of its hallways, whether the new arrivals should be walking on the ceiling, floors, or walls. But one thing that is certain: this place isn’t entirely deserted. Warnings of “Beware the Husks” have been spray painted on the walls. Metallic bodies line those same halls, some of them broken open. A wet trail leads from the broken Husks to the rafters… Where several odd monsters wait to drop down. Some look like they’ve merged with the hospital equipment, while others look like they’ve been cobbled together from different body parts. And all of them look ready to turn the newcomers into a corpse, or part of a specimen collection.

Strange, malformed chimeric creatures that are Unknown stalk the hallways. Unknowns come in three different colors, red aligned with fire, green with poison, and purple with lightning.

Adding to that are the various screens flickering on, and diagnose new arrivals as infected. The screens declare the infection seems to be contained, but requires further study… And if the monsters aren't enough to worry about, there’s also the restraint systems trying to activate and tie the new arrivals down.
04: TESTING (CW: Needles)
The deeper someone plunges into the hospital, the more the building reacts to them. More defenses are deployed, treating them as thieves or intruders. Traps and monsters alike wait for them, with syringes melded into the forms of attackers, or lining places where someone might step or reach for. The syringes make a quick bite on skin… But it’s only a few minutes later where the effects become clear. Something in those syringes is now in the blood and forcing monster transformations. There might be an antidote amongst the supplies… Or the newcomers might need to rely on each other, in order to stay anchored.

The needles can also force temporary Swarm traits, along with:
+Group Mind: compelled to link thoughts with other Drifters, to share emotions, memories, and achieve cohesion.
+An increasing reliance on telepathy/empathy/etc in place of speech.
+Increasing collectivist mindset. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few; this becomes more evident during high stress situations.
+Compelled to hunt and share their prey with others.
+Gravity Affinity: If possessing wings or the ability to wall climb, may freely hunt/traverse corrupted gravity areas.
05: LONG WAY DOWN
A portion of the gas station breaks away with groan and a rumble. And it is slowly pulled up and up, taking a portion of new comers with it! They (and anyone watching) will need to act fast, as gravity starts to go weird the further they rise. They’ll need to find a way back down, taking any supplies from the now-floating garage that they can grab.

What’s more, they are drifting closer to the broken moon, and that seems to be having a strange effect on those stranded on the new floating ruin. They may start to feel their control fray, and their forms shift, the higher they rise.

In terms of getting back down, there’s a handful of tow lines in the ruin that might work as ropes. There’s also a few pieces of rock that are floating up more slowly, and could work as stairs back down… Or there’s just jumping and falling fifty feet and hoping for the best.
06: PSYCHIC ECHOES
There's one last quirk to this area; a few scattered bits of odd plantlife, and the odd dead brain monster. While these things aren't a threat on their own (beyond being unnerving) they still pack a psychic punch; mainly in the form of temporary psychic abilities.

It's possible that after coming in contact with either plants or corpses, newcomers will find themselves gifted with either empathy (projecting or receiving emotions) telepathy, OR the ability to share their dreams with others, and having their dreams influenced by others in turn. This effect fades in just a day or so, but is still capable of causing mishaps.

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.

Broadcast: The garage contains a few burnt out monitors. But a handful of them are playing a message over and over again on loop, filled with static. It’s a recording of important looking people in lab coats advising people to remain indoors and avoiding all objects falling from the sky. Especially “moon shards.” They insist that they are working to contain and cure the infection, but the safest action is to remain inside.

Warped Air: As seen in Long Way Down, the air overhead has strange warped pockets in it. There seem to be slightly different shards hanging suspended in the air, looking more silvery than the surrounding rocks. Almost like it could have fallen from the broken moon overhead.

Medical supplies: Most of the medical supplies found in the hospital seem to consist of healing salves and potions, a handful of healing herbs, and a few antidotes for poison or sickness. As for reverting transformations… It’s advised that new comers be careful of taking any experimental medicine. It may revert a change. It may also leave them hallucinating nightmares and fears, and they’ll be wanting someone close by to help administer the drug.

NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS













senateperor: (8)

[personal profile] senateperor 2025-05-17 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
And lands right on Palpatine's face. After it rolls off onto the floor, he gingerly puts a hand to his head.

"Perhaps I'll just get myself up." He suggests wearily.
senateperor: (12)

[personal profile] senateperor 2025-05-17 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"I shall look forward to it." Palpatine replies. "Assuming we survive, of course." Deacon's assessment of his ammo stores don't inspire confidence. It may be necessary to sacrifice him to ensure Palpatine's survival.

Still he nods briskly and makes a show of trying to find any useful medical supplies he can find; his robes have no shortage of pockets, that's true enough.

"A hospital this size would also have record rooms, administrative offices...I had hoped to look around those as well." He adds. "Any surviving records might have pertinent information, though I recognize our current situation may make that untenable."
Edited 2025-05-17 15:11 (UTC)
senateperor: (4)

[personal profile] senateperor 2025-05-17 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes, thanks to you, my boy." Palpatine acknowledges as he is able to show extricate himself from the chair and giving Donnie a grateful smile. "I owe you a debt of gratitude."

He looks around the room. "I fear I overestimated the danger of this place."
propatriamori: (lost)

[personal profile] propatriamori 2025-05-17 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[Edward has no idea what kind of fair rides they have in America, but there's certainly nothing like this in England. This feels like how he imagines it must be to be in an aeroplane, dipping in and out of the clouds and chasing the sun. All fun and games until a German pilot appears out of nowhere and a dogfight begins.]

I've no idea. I woke up, and this is not where I was before.

[He follows the sound of her voice, reaching out towards her through the air. The question about his eyes surprises him--so blunt!--but there's no point in trying to deny it.]

No. It was the war. A gas attack.

[Surely she knows about the war, right? Even the Americans were starting to pitch in towards the end.]

Am I getting any closer?
senateperor: (7)

[personal profile] senateperor 2025-05-17 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Palpatine meets the wink and the quip with an amused chuckle before grabbing the cable to follow. Unlike Faith, who hops confidently backwards, Palpatine is much more cautious, lowering himself to the ground and trying to slowly slide himself over the edge. Once he's fully over the side, he looks down, past Faith to the ground below.

"Well, it's fortunate I have no issue with heights." He notes. Coruscanti skyscrapers really do live up to their name, stretching miles into the sky.
thelastb1: Roger recoils in fright (shocked)

[personal profile] thelastb1 2025-05-17 03:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Palpatine calling out Roger's fear directly amplifies it tenfold, the contempt laced into the word 'droid', at which his mandibles flitter, even more so. His stingers, his lower pair of arms, can almost be seen shivering.

"Fear? Wh-why would I be afraid of you? You're just some old human politician guy. It's not like you're a Jedi or a-" the word Sith stays stuck in his vocabulator, which a second later he decides for the best. "-clone."
phantomshow: (keep myself right on this train)

[personal profile] phantomshow 2025-05-17 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Neither of them deserves what’s been done to them, here or back in Tokyo. Neither world is a just place.

Behind Ren, the scene shifts to something like a shadow puppet show, dark figures against a white background. One figure is smaller than the others - a boy, a teenager, slim frame and messy hair, easily recognizable as Ren himself. The other, larger figures assault him one after another, passing him back and forth with slaps, punches, kicks, shoves, every blow audible and followed by a muffled groan or yelp of pain. Ren flinches, recognizing the sounds of the interrogation room behind him.

“Stop,” he murmurs, frowning, and the shadow scene freezes. Ren returns his attention to Akechi.

“I know what’s going to happen to me. I know it’s going to be hard.” Ren scowls, deep in thought. Why is Akechi hung up on this?

“Do you think I’m going to hurt you, after I’ve changed?”
Edited 2025-05-17 15:52 (UTC)
undyingcrow: (melancholy)

[personal profile] undyingcrow 2025-05-17 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"No. Of course not."

The recreation of the interrogation room, however abstract, makes Akechi wince. He did this to Ren. He subjected him to such brutality. Nearly killed him.

It's just...

"You'll stick to your guiding principles. You always do, but you shouldn't have to endure this. You're Joker."
invisiblefloatinghead: (Woah)

[personal profile] invisiblefloatinghead 2025-05-17 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
The gold eyes and green stripes barely register--he's seen weirder, and she's trying to help him.

Even if he's running for his life, the slingshot attack gave him an idea. "Try to use our surroundings! Maybe aiming at something else would be more effective!" He's good at seeing potential angles in a crisis, even if he's not sure how much longer he can keep running. Knock something over onto the monster, create a diversion...there's got to be something else they can do long enough to get away.
brewedwithspite: shook, just drank 17 coffees and seeing the skull man (Lucanis124)

[personal profile] brewedwithspite 2025-05-17 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
The presence of another person has Spite snapping out of his defeated little pout, sniffing the air until his nose leads him on to the doorway like a bloodhound.

"Smells like. Ink and rose water." he hisses in assessment, his head tilting as he realizes that the source of that smell is looking right at him. This never happens.

Lucanis, on the other hand, is making his own assessments of the man, who looks too out-of-place to be anything but another transport like himself. A mage, clearly, by the way he dresses and the staff he carries, but a seemingly helpful one, so far, although the mild talking-to he's being given renders him a bit speechless for a moment in his panic. If Gale can see that Lucanis is tied up, he can probably also see that the man is dressed-ready for a fight. The leather armor and all shapes and sizes of weaponry strapped to it a dead giveaway.

"You'd better work quickly, then." he answers belatedly, his voice different in accent, tone, timbre, and all other matters of difference than the one Spite had spoken in moments earlier. Given the shade is also glaringly purple, it's probably safe to assume it's an entity of its own.

It isn't until Gale addresses the 'projection' in the room that Lucanis realizes that he can see him. People do not see Spite that way. Not even Emmrich, who has played the listening ear to Spite when within close range. His face falls, a wide-eyed look of shock or amazement, and he stammers for a moment before Spite responds, instead.

"HANDS?!" he bellows, leaping forward like an excited animal, fascinated with the mage and practically circling him like a shark.

"Ha--ignore him," he blurts out, panicking, which only causes Spite to growl. "I have plenty of knives. I just can't reach--" he struggles, his hand testing at its straps, fingers reaching and clasping but failing to grasp the handle of a knife strapped to his thigh.

"Perhaps you could do the honors?"
Edited 2025-05-17 17:19 (UTC)
purplexing: (ready to mys-tech your face)

[personal profile] purplexing 2025-05-17 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
The turtle can't help but feel a little pride at that, but gratitude goes a long way with him, all the more so in a stifling place like this.

His own smile fades as he has another look around, nodding. "There seems to be some old system still active around here, and whatever happened to us when we were...transferred into this world, triggers it," he explains, snout wrinkling in distaste. He tucks his wings tightly against his shell again, not wanting to get them tangled up again if he ends up having to make any quick moves.
undyingcrow: (thinking)

[personal profile] undyingcrow 2025-05-17 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
For a character who showed up on the last TDM, would it be best to assume the character was following the route offscreen? We got the okay earlier to treat our thread as game-canon (but no AC points from it for Ren if he gets in this round). Just trying to work out logistics in terms of timing for our thread on this one. xD
brewedwithspite: conversational, devious (Lucanis081)

[personal profile] brewedwithspite 2025-05-17 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hmm," he hums in pleased amusement, nodding in return, then turns his attention down the hall. "Almost certainly."

He hasn't explored too deeply inside the building yet, taking his time and proceeding with caution. Still, the further inside he traveled, the more danger awaited.

"It makes one wonder what is at its core. But finding out may not be worth the risk without a larger team and a strategy."

A dagger is twirled once in his hand before he grips the handle and cracks his neck with his other hand, the sound of more creatures growing louder just around the corner.
facethefacts: bet you never expected me here (workin on the railroad)

[personal profile] facethefacts 2025-05-17 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
He means it as more than a compliment, truly. Deacon may be a liar, but he is never dishonest about his feelings on particulars. In any case, he thinks Danse is way better off without those Brotherhood assholes, and the ex-paladin can probably sense that sentiment, too.

Shameful and humiliating aren't even adjectives he'd use to describe what he saw. Deacon was having his own internal crisis at the time; as he so frequently does when faced with a situation similar to Danse's. It's difficult for him to remain all smiles and snide remarks when he thinks about Barbara; a thought he similarly pushes from his mind. But while trying to distract himself from those thoughts, others sneak in...

"I dunno, seems a bit clunky..." he replies, his voice somewhat distant. He's a bit preoccupied with a memory that keeps trying to sneak it's way in. One he's blocked away by repeatedly reciting every word he can remember of 'War and Peace' in his head.

"Sorry-- What was that? Got a lot on my mind."
phantomshow: (love in technicolor)

[personal profile] phantomshow 2025-05-17 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
The interrogation room gambit is not something for which Ren places fault with Akechi. He could have spared himself the pain if he’d made different choices with Akechi at any prior point. Ren could have refused to spend time with him after they met at the TV studio. He could have chosen not to forge the bond that became a blood oath.

But he wanted Akechi - as a friend, as an ally, even as a rival. Alive, free of the shackles that bound him to his fate. Throughout the entire time leading up to Shido’s palace, some small part of Ren’s heart held hope that the other boy could be swayed to join his side. All of his actions were the result of deliberate, considered choice.

Ren knew what was likely to happen to him during the interrogation, and he allowed himself to be captured and subjected to the brutality. It wasn’t Akechi’s fault the criminal justice system was set up with such stacked odds and utilized such cruel methods. Ren can’t blame the other boy for the danger he willingly launched himself into with the grappling hook at his wrist.

It’s true that the Akechi played a more active part in the attempted murder. Even so, Ren recognizes Akechi’s actions weren’t entirely free at the time. He was under the thumb of his vile father, carrying out orders for assassination as he had so many other times before. He’d been a young teenager with no system of support, no standing in the world, and Shido took advantage of that to mold a broken boy into a more than capable weapon. Akechi never stood a chance.

Joker is just a name.”

He doesn’t really understand why Akechi is hung up on his impending transformation. None of the people here should be forced to endure this injustice. Ren isn’t any more or less worthy of the waiting horrors than anyone else.
facethefacts: ass out in the wasteland (thinking about tear-off pants)

[personal profile] facethefacts 2025-05-17 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Deacon smirks, folding his arms in front of him as he shakes his head. "Wouldn't you know it... mine's in the shop."

So that's that, then. But because he can't help himself, his head nods toward Nora with a raised eyebrow.

"So if you're done crawling all over my wife, maybe we can go looking for the right equipment to flip her back on her feet?"
turnedforher: (hayden_christensen_in_star_wars_iii_323)

Dear Sidious: DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON

[personal profile] turnedforher 2025-05-17 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Vader does not take his focus off Plagueis. Not once that name is mentioned - if anything, his attention, his focus, sharpens like a nexus teeth. Sidious had made him sound like a legend, not someone he personally knew.

Fine.

"My apologies Darth Plagueis," Kneeling, he bent his head in a bow, "I-" he what, didn't recognize him? "I've only been told of you."
warneverchanged: (Default)

[personal profile] warneverchanged 2025-05-17 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
She should have checked earlier, but, ah well. Things are established at this point.

"But what if she likes me crawling all over her?" She replies, even as she climbs over the side and jumping down. "What's on the list, I'm sure there's plenty of things to tear apart."
bespotted: (028)

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Lancer) | Fate/Zero

[personal profile] bespotted 2025-05-17 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
For the canon unfamiliar: characters able to detect magic or spirits may notice that Diarmuid is, as it so happens, exactly that. His face is extra magic (and I'd appreciate anyone playing female characters giving that link a quick look because it could be relevant).

Additionally, I have to offer a general warning for the topic of compelled suicide; if you don't want this subject being touched upon in your thread, please let me know!

Notes:
Summoning Circle (cw: bloody angry ghost sighting)
Diarmuid will not be lingering long enough to be interactable, here, but characters who might have witnessed the state of his arrival are welcome to refer back to it should they encounter him at a later point. He came to visibly injured, with blood spilling from his face and chest and coating the blade of the spear accompanying him; characters close enough to read his expression could note intense pain, anger, and an unnatural glow in his eyes (think burning embers). He will have been radiating a wild, hostile energy in the brief moment before he gained clarity and discorporated, bodily vanishing like ash scattering on the wind. Don't worry about it! This is probably fine.
 

Psychic Echoes
Encounters in the hospital and afterward may include Diarmuid projecting a lot of bitter feelings in the vein of grief, shame, and anger; please let me know if you'd rather opt out of this coming up in your thread!
 


Husks and Haunts: Hunting Party
[ Drifters fighting through the halls of the hospital may find themselves with a sudden ally: dropping down onto a monster or perhaps seeming to spring from nowhere, a crimson spear is thrust through the body of its target and then carved outward. The man on the other end of it is uncommonly clean and composed for all the grime and horror of their surroundings, with only a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and the weight of each deliberately steadied breath to suggest he's already been here a while.

Perhaps the body of the felled monster begins to dissolve, and for a moment the curling brand of the sigil on his chest glows strongly enough to be visible through the dark teal armour of his body suit.

Perhaps it doesn't, and he clicks his tongue in frustrated disappointment.

Either way, he takes a step back from it as he lifts his gaze to assess the state of his fellow Drifter. Friend or foe? ]

 


Testing: Bonfire Checkpoint

[ The horrors may be increasingly persistent deeper into the hospital, but at least one small space for respite has been stubbornly carved out. It's hard to say what the room originally would have been used for, between the building's uncertain layout and the insistence with which it's been emptied by its newfound guardian; for the moment, however, it's relatively clear of danger and contains a helpful(?) stash of whatever potentially-healing supplies he might have found while hunting.

Other Drifters might encounter the space of their own accord. Those worse for wear might be led to it if he happens upon them in the halls nearby, or perhaps a shift in the gravitational anomaly causes someone to more or less literally fall into his arms.

In all cases, he extends the same offer to anyone in need: ]


You will find rest and safety here if you seek them. [ Gentle words that carry the solemnity of a knight's oath. ] I won't allow even one of those unsightly beasts to cross the threshold in the meantime.
 


Wildcard: 30-foot Vertical Leap?
[ It's only some time later that anyone avoiding the inverted hospital ruins will have a chance to encounter Diarmuid. He can be found in any of the public areas of the Convoy, or the stop, though for a man as decidedly unchanged as he appears he's somewhat difficult to pin down: he has a tricky habit of seeming to vanish into thin air when he's not occupied.

Still, other Drifters might be able to catch him with a request for help. Or come across him hunting down ingredients and utensils for a hearty soup to put on the fire while he's figuring out the necessary repairs for his new motorcycle. Will he be unnecessarily shirtless at some point during this? Probably. At least that'll be a chance for anyone curious to get a good look at the sigil branded conspicuously over his heart. ]

 
senateperor: (4)

[personal profile] senateperor 2025-05-18 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Palpatine's eyes narrow at the word "clone". What had he been about to say?

"Consider your situation carefully, droid. If someone were to walk in right now, what would they see? You, pointing a gun at an unarmed, harmless old man, demanding my surrender. Whose side do you believe they would be inclined to take?"
phantomshow: (love in technicolor)

feel free to have her pick up on any of those thoughts btw!

[personal profile] phantomshow 2025-05-18 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Ren wonders, idly, if this is what Akechi meant about feeling like he could see through him. He likes being in the spotlight sometimes, cocky and dramatic and showing off as Joker, but this two-way emotional broadcast is just. Not it. It’s too much, like being flayed alive and put on display.

So he jumps to his feet and backs away when Buffy finds him, ready to break into a run if he needs to. He hopes he won’t. She doesn’t seem threatening at all, but - the pain is worse. And he doesn’t want to hurt her, either.]


Sorry … [He shakes his head. It’s too much. But he can’t say something like that. He’s the leader, he has to be strong, he is strong, and there can never be too much for him to handle. People count on him. He can’t let them down.]

I’m fine.

[He’s not. Not at all. But good luck getting him to admit it outside of an unspoken mental connection.]
Edited 2025-05-18 02:01 (UTC)
facethefacts: and this trick is called the eviscerated by a hoard of mirelurks (im johnny knoxville & welcome to jackass)

[personal profile] facethefacts 2025-05-18 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
"We don't have that kind of relationship," he laughs, moving to spot her on her jump down. Safety first.

"Well. Something chain-like and sturdy. Best if it has a hook or can be fitted with one. And then we'll need one of these tough guys with the big boy vehicles to tow it."
phantomshow: (keep myself riding on this train)

he does! they had a whole long very emotional reunion on the last tdm 😁

[personal profile] phantomshow 2025-05-18 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Five by five? Ren’s face scrunches a bit as he tries to work out what that’s supposed to mean.

“You’re … twenty-five?” Yeah, he’s still got nothing. She seems to be unharmed though, which is a relief.

Arsène, in the meantime, seems to appreciate the acknowledgment. His jagged grin widens and his wings stretch out to their full length, then he gives Faith a dramatic bow, spins, and dissipates into fading wisps of blue flame. Ren grins fondly at the theatrical display. What a showoff.

“Arsène? He’s my - we call them Personas. I heard there were a few others here with the same power.”
undyingcrow: (distant)

[personal profile] undyingcrow 2025-05-18 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
"But you're everything I never was. For this world to drag you here, brand you like the rest of us, inevitably force you through such anguish..."

It's stupid, isn't it? He's placing Ren on a pedestal. Even Akechi can see that, deep down.

But it's different with him. He deserves such a punishment. Really, he deserves every bit of hell along this uncertain road.

"I realize I'm being irrational, but I suppose that's the nature of dreams."

Page 5 of 25