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memestertrucks2025-05-15 04:31 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in 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.
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.
…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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
no subject
That’s part of why it can be so great.
So Akechi isn’t yelling at him, or throwing a punch, or even materializing a gun to shoot Ren again. He’s just doing his classic brand of deflection. Ren will take that as a win. He laughs, and his own fear and anxiety subside, and his love grows bigger, warmer, brighter.
“Good thing I’m not so easy to kill.”
He grins playfully into his coffee cup, taking another sip. He probably shouldn’t be joking about such a personal attempted murder with the person who pulled the trigger, but Ren has a habit of doing things he probably shouldn’t.
Like stepping in between two adults to stop a man from assaulting a woman.
Like becoming a vigilante and a thief to change the hearts of corrupted adults and reform society.
Add “loving a murderer” to the list. Ren’s not even keeping a running tab.
no subject
What does he even do with this knowledge? That searing warmth, that blinding light...
"You're so..."
Stupid? Sentimental? Why is it that now, of all times, words fail him? It's so humiliating.
"...If I wake up, will you actually remain here? You vanished not long after our first encounter."
More deflection, but it's the best way to cope with such an overload of... feelings.
no subject
“I think so. Though I don’t remember vanishing.” He lightly drums fingertips on the surface of the bar, then stills them when an idea forms in his brain.
“Maybe you should wake up and find out,” he says, with a sly grin. “Do you think you can find me before I find you?”
no subject
Once he finishes, he lets the cup rest, quiet for several moments. He should probably say something, to acknowledge Ren's... interesting perspective, if nothing else.
"...Lucky for you, you don't have much in the way of competition."
Ren can make what he will of that. Really, it's a test, to gauge his intentions.
no subject
“Even if I had a coliseum of competition, I’d still fight for you,” he says, still holding that grin. “And I definitely wouldn’t lose.”
Quietly, Ren slides off his chair, picks up his empty cup and saucer in one hand and Akechi’s in the other, and heads for the sink behind the bar. He turns to face Akechi and finishes walking the distance to the sink in reverse, and another strong pulse of loving warmth fills the room.
“See you soon.”
He hopes. He really hopes this hasn’t just been a product of his unconscious imagination.
no subject
It's... a lot, really. A far cry from the shallow adoration he got from his fans. Something more genuine.
Taking a slow, silent breath, he rises from his place at the bar and turns toward the door. "I should hope so."
Once he leaves through that door, he wakes up in his cramped Convoy bunk, made all the more irritating thanks to his newly grown tail.
But no matter. He has work to do, so once he shakes off his sleepiness, he heads out to track Ren's scent.
...
Ren's... scent. Fuck's sake. What is he, a dog?
no subject
He fell asleep in his van, passed right out on one of the bench seats, barely remembered to pull off his glasses and stash them somewhere safe before he lost consciousness. What had he been doing before then? Why hadn’t he found Akechi first? Ren can’t remember. Maybe it’s not important. It’s definitely not as important as finding Akechi now.
He doesn’t bother looking for his glasses before exiting the van - they’ve been his everyday world mask for so long, and he doesn’t need that separation right now. Doesn’t want that separation between himself and Akechi right now, not when he’s just pulled himself so thoroughly apart to show the other boy his heart and his soul. He wants to keep letting Akechi in, not keep him even a little bit out.
So no glasses. Just sliding out of the driver’s side door of the van and leaning back against the dusty metal body. Closing his eyes and sending the tendrils of his mind out to wander, searching for a familiar presence.
I’m here.
no subject
Akechi grunts out a whisper of a laugh, incredulous. "It appears that I'm the victor."
Though perhaps Ren wasn't trying especially hard.
no subject
“Long time no see.”
Is he going to keep making that same joke? Possibly. He nods, acknowledging Akechi’s statement.
“You won. Guess I owe you a prize.”
no subject
It's... good, of course. That Ren's here. He even dares to step closer. "So, I presume you remember that... interesting dream."
no subject
“I do. We both said some things, in that dream.”
His heartbeat skips, but he doesn’t move when Akechi comes closer. This is good; this is what Ren wants. Better that they talk about this now than ignore it or push it around like a chess piece on the board until one of them cracks and explodes.
“Any conclusions, Detective?”
no subject
Akechi averts his eyes, one hand settling on his hip. That damn sagebrush continues projecting his emotions, even outside the dreamscape. That obnoxious, nauseating fluttering of anxiety. Waves of tension...
"I don't know your intentions, but I trust you realize that I'm far from a healthy, affectionate person."
no subject
“I don’t know,” he says, after a quiet moment, and returns his hand to his pocket. “I don’t expect anything from you, if that’s what you mean.”
He doesn’t even know if Akechi feels anywhere near the same way about him. He’d admitting to viewing Ren as better, but that doesn’t translate to reciprocating his feelings. Ren reaches out to Akechi’s anxiety with a wave of calm, an attempt to soothe and reassure that he is safe with him.
“I know who you are - at least, I like to think I do. I don’t expect you to change who you are just because you know that I -”
He halts, tongue tripping over the words. A trickle of fear and anxiety creeps into the cloud of love and hope pulsating from Ren. Even with all his confidence and his collected demeanor, he’s still a little bit afraid this won’t go over well. But that’s what it means to be brave, right? Facing fear directly, in spite of it. Ren pushes off the side of the van and closes the distance between the two of them.
“I love you,” he says, gaze upturned so he can observe Akechi’s expression. “That doesn’t have to mean anything more than you want it to. But it’s the truth, and you should know it.”
no subject
Akechi once insisted he hated Ren. It was so close to the inevitable betrayal. He had to, because if he hated his rival, then he could do what had to be done. He could revel in defeating the one who represented everything Akechi wished he could have had...
But it was a damn lie. Even Morgana saw through him.
But what does that mean for Akechi? It's not as though he's had time to truly unpack his own feelings and they might mean. Even here, he's been much too preoccupied...
Funny. He can hear that damned cognition mocking him with that sickening smile...
"I'd much rather you be frank with me." That much is true. It'd be stupid for Ren to lie for his sake. If anything, it'd be insulting. "But if that is how you feel, I trust you're willing to face the consequences?"
Between Akechi's own instability and how others may respond... Is Ren truly prepared to balance this with his friends and comrades? Akechi, selfish though he may be, knows better than to ask Ren to choose him over the Thieves. He doubts that's Ren's intention, anyway.
He'd be disappointed if it was.
no subject
Any choice has consequences. Ren knows that choosing to love another man, to say nothing of loving this man in particular, is not as commonly accepted as it should be. He doesn’t yet know the social norms of this place, but if they were back home in Tokyo? Well, likely it would be more accepted than in his rural hometown, but still not universally accepted. His friends may or may not approve, but Ren believes they’d understand and accept the two of them being together regardless. His parents … probably wouldn’t, but they’ve barely acknowledged Ren’s existence over the past year, so their opinion of him and his choices only holds so much weight in his mind. None of those people are here, though, and it wouldn’t matter if they were. Ren’s choice has been made, whatever the consequences may be, and no one else will sway him from it.
“I want you in my life,” he says, plainly, with a one-shouldered shrug. “However you’ll have me. If that’s just as your rival, or just as your friend, I’m OK with that. But … if you wanted to try being more than friends … I’d really like that.”
He smiles gently, heartbeat fluttering in his throat. “But I need you to be honest with me, too. If it’s not what you want, if you don’t feel the same way - tell me. Whatever we decide on needs to be unanimous.”
That’s how Phantom Thieves do things, after all.
no subject
Ren's right that it's better to be honest and direct. The trouble comes from his own repression.
Really, he still can't fathom it. Friendship is one thing, likewise with rivalry, but what Ren's proposing... It's so open, so vulnerable. Akechi has hurt him before. Is Ren truly willing to take chances?
...
That's a stupid question. Of course he is. Akechi was his wish, and all Akechi wanted...
Ugh. It's so stupid. So laughably sentimental. Simple things, like chess games after school, without any of those godforsaken complications.
"You really are unusual." He's said as much many times before. "Surely you know I'm not one to back down from a challenge."
Whatever that means. It's not as though anyone else could even compare to whatever it is they have.
no subject
So what if he’s a bit weird? He’s already accepted that he doesn’t entirely fit into the mold dictated by Japanese society. If he did, he would’ve kept his head down and turned a blind eye to that woman who needed help. Ren may not bleach his hair like Ryuji, but that doesn’t make him any less of a misfit.
“I know you like a challenge,” he continues, “but that can’t be the only reason for any of this. I meant what I said - whatever we agree to from here on needs to be because we both honestly want it.”
It’s a big decision, and even though Ren is certain, it’s not fair to demand Akechi make up his mind so quickly.
“You don’t have to give me an answer right this second. Just think it over, OK?”
no subject
Not that he could ever make that too apparent, given his celebrity status. He had to at least give people the fantasy of the charming, charismatic detective prince to latch onto.
It helps, though. He relaxes, both physically and mentally, though waves of confusion and fear still linger.
"I'll... consider it, but if this is the path we take in the end, I can't promise you a simple outcome. I am who I am, and all the ugliness inside me cannot be so simply scrubbed away."
Not that he expects Ren to want that, after he rejected Maruki's deal. Still, it bears repeating.
no subject
Ren bats the feeling away, hoping against hope that he didn’t just broadcast it out into the open.
“You keep acting like I’ve never met you before,” he says, reaching for a smile and finding something unexpectedly barbed. “I’m not one of your adoring fans who only ever saw you on TV. I’m not some schoolgirl from another class with a crush. I know you.”
Maybe that was … a little more pointed than Ren intended. Maybe he’s just frustrated that Akechi keeps suggesting he isn’t fully aware of what he’s asking for. Whatever the catalyst, the nerve has been struck, and Ren is no longer speaking like a meek high school student or an easygoing funny-guy friend. This is the defiant rebel who awakened Arsène and told a literal god to begone, focused and steady and entirely certain of himself. He searches to find and hold Akechi’s gaze with his own.
“I spent the better part of the past year watching you, studying you, fighting you, and then fighting with you at my side. Do you really think I’m naïve? Or that you’ve charmed me so well that I can’t still see right through you?”
Somewhere in the part of his brain where logic lives, Ren knows Akechi is still deflecting, and he knows it’s because of the distorted view he has of himself. Knowing that doesn’t stop the flickering angry heat from rising in his chest, but it’s enough to dampen his temper and keep it from going wildly out of control.
“If you think there’s some dark secret about you that you’ve been hiding from me, something you think I don’t already know, then tell me now. But don’t keep acting like I don’t know exactly what I’m doing. I love you - the real you, not that fake mask of a person you used to wear. All of you, and that includes whatever parts you think are ugly or not worth loving.”
He sighs out a sharp breath and continues, a little softer: “I don’t want to change you, Akechi - I want you exactly as you are. I’m not looking for a simple outcome. If you’ve ever trusted me, trust me now when I say this - I know you, and I still love you.”
no subject
He should have expected this, yet a strange burst of shock, tension, and nerves radiate from his form, his posture completely stuff, from his stance to his feathers.
That new tail of his twitches. A tiny puff of smoke escapes from his nostrils.
"...I've tried to change. Not entirely, but in ways I can control. I have the luxury to rebuild myself, rather than merely conceal the cracked foundation behind vapid smiles."
He's not sure where he's going with this. Not quite deflection, but... something. Honesty?
no subject
“You can’t erase the past, but you don’t have to be kept prisoner by it here. That’s good.”
Erasing the past is what Maruki wanted to do, and both of them rejected that offer, several times over. This place might be horrible in its own unique ways, but it does offer a second chance for Akechi to establish who he wants to be as a person.
“But if you want to change, do it for yourself. Not for me, not for anyone else, but because it’s what you want.”
And that’s the main variable here, for Ren - what Akechi wants from him. He doesn’t believe he’ll stop loving Akechi if he doesn’t want the same more-than-friendship, and he doesn’t want his reaction to be a deciding factor in Akechi’s eventual choice..
“I want you to be happy. Or as close to it as you can be, in a place like this. Even if it’s not with me. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”
Ren truly believes he can help Akechi find that elusive happiness, but not if he’s being fought the entire time. He knows what he wants, but he’s not willing to pursue it if it’s unwanted from Akechi’s end.
“I think I’ve said everything I can for myself. I’ll leave it to you to decide when you’re ready to talk about this again. Or see me at all, I guess.”
Maybe Akechi will need space to think it all over. Ren imagines he may not want to see him while he’s sorting his own thoughts out, and he understands.
He understands, but he’s not at all satisfied with how unresolved this conversation is leaning. But he can be patient and allow Akechi to set the pace.
no subject
Damn it. Akechi's trying, at least, even if the tension lingers, and his arms fold tightly over his chest.
"You're the only one here who completely understands me. So... there's that, and you had better not disappear on me again."
He does need to think. He needs to figure out what this means, but there's still that yearning feeling, like invisible hands reaching out, just to draw back out of fear.
It's not hopeless, even Akechi would argue that he often feels like he is.
no subject
To his credit, Ren manages to rein in the impulse to explain to the other teen that people knowing you is what happens when you let them in. Instead, he laughs quietly and nods.
“I know, I still owe you a rematch. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
no subject
Well, right now, Ren is probably at a severe disadvantage. They can't exactly give each other a fair duel, now, can they? Even if Ren always had the edge before...
He could leave it at that, but...
Fuck it. He might as well be frank.
"And, for the record, I'm not interested in women, so you have that advantage as well."
...
Does he stick around to savor the look on Ren's face, or does he fly off dramatically, to look cool and suave?
...Perhaps he can hold off just long enough to get a good look. It's a little payback for throwing him off guard, earlier.
🎶 you’ll never see it comiiiiiing 🎶
“So … you’re saying I do have a chance?”
It’s nice to have a little less uncertainty, at least. Though a good percentage of the official Goro Akechi fan club would be crushed to learn this.
That tiniest part of Ren that reared up in jealousy earlier is immensely satisfied at the thought.