NOVEMBER TDM

[monstertruckers]

code

A chilling mist and storms cling to the surrounding area. The cold and the wet pierces even the garage, making for a poor welcome. This time around the garage and gas station lurks amidst multiple farms, and a fall colored forest. The seasons have decisively shifted. And the environment is doing its best to shift the new arrivals in turn.

01: SUMMONING CIRCLE

New Drifters arrive to gloomy skies seen through the broken windows of a garage… And a large barn house looming overhead. Rain echoes on the roof, along with the occasional rumble of thunder. When it isn’t raining outside, there’s a damp and chill mist that lingers over the farmlands.

It makes the large Convoy pulling up to stop at that garage seem that much more tall and imposing: though it’s also clear the Convoy has seen some wear and tear, metal scuffed and a few gashes and dents in the cars.

The summoning circle in the garage is lined with candles that can be used to ward off some of the mist and the chill, but it’s advised to find more stable shelter in cars or in the barn. The roof of the garage leaks. And wet, cold concrete isn’t very comfortable for very long.

02: START UP

There are various cars surrounding the garage. Some of them parked directly outside, though a few of them are parked in various farm fields and vegetable patches. Drifters are advised to watch out for hostile farm life and produce (such as exploding pumpkins) if their ride is out in the farm patch.

There’s also a certain connection between different newcomers and cars. Something that suggests a particular vehicle is theirs, backed up by possessing the key to that vehicle. The key 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 supplies… Now it’s just a matter of finding some extra hands.

03: FARM HOSTILITIES

The farm isn’t always the friendliest place; the assorted livestock are all monstrous, and ready to fight any Drifter that looks at them funny. Cockatrices, bull gorgons, bullfango, and bicorns are all present and grumpy.

In addition, Drifters should look out for scarecrows in the farm patches. Their eyes glow with an eerie light, and anyone who meets their gaze will find their fears manifesting. At first the fears last for only a blink, and appear to be hallucinations. The longer any Drifters stay under the scarecrow’s gaze, the more their fears become real and dangerous.

Leaving the gaze of the scarecrows (or destroying them) can end the effect. Though any lingering trauma and bloodshed will need different solutions.

04: MOON WARP

Various glowing moon shards have taken root across different farm fields. Thanks to them, there’s more than just produce and livestock growing on the farm. Magic has sunk into the buildings and the soil, and is ready to work on the Drifters in turn.

The scarecrows take on a more sinister glow some nights, pulsing violently with light before exploding; moon shards lay dormant in many of them, before activating one night and forcing changes in Drifters. Along with activating other monster traits, two event monsters are available:

04: MONSTER SHIFT, KITSUNE

A fox monster possessing multiple tails. They may take the form of Kitsune, Gumiho, or Huli Jin. They may feature a full or partial vulpine transformation, and with all Kitsune traits also have:
+Trickster Curse: Anyone who steals from farms or acts with trickery/deception risks activating traits.
+Liver Eater: Begins to feel a clawing hunger that can only be satisfied by the liver from prey. The fresher, the better. Husk monsters can fulfill this craving!
+Fox Fire: can generate phantasmal fire either at will or while emotional. These fires cannot burn, unless willed to do so… Or if one’s emotions grow out of hand.
+Fox Fright: If fear or anxiety becomes too great, may become a fox (either small or giant!) in an attempt to flee and hide.
+Tails To Tell: Growing extra tails, up to nine. This may interfere with balance, or even reach out to brush against other people like they have a mind of their own.
+Thief Feet: Gains a talent for moving quietly and stealthily, even able to hide from the farm monsters and the scarecrows.
+Favored Prey: gains an appetite and a ferocity for cockatrices.

04: MONSTER SHIFT, TAURUS

Hoofed monsters who can appear as minotaurs, satyrs, and centaurs. In addition to having Taurus traits the following also occurs:
+Red Flag: several of the scarecrows carry red rags on them, which flap in the breeze… And have a way of inflaming Taurus tempers, prompting them to charge. On impact, the red fabric shreds but tries to put off one more pulse of fear.
+Eat Your Veggies: on top of a craving for vegetable, Taurus can also heal their wounds or restore their stamina when eating vegetables from these gardens!
+Horn Sharpening: when horns grow in, they can itch and ache on a Drifter’s head. Rubbing and sharpening them against hard surfaces is the best way to dull the discomfort.
+Safety In Numbers: There is a sudden pressing need for Taurus to stay close to others; being alone causes anxiety and irritability.
+Raging Bull: Threats to a Taurus’ herd invokes anger and aggression from a Taurus, and they will do whatever it takes to crush said threat.
+Digging In: Drifters should take care with their steps. Pressing their feet too hard into the ground can cause a small quake… or even compel them to charge someone, if they make eye contact for too long.
+Stir Crazy: going indoors for longer than a minute causes restlessness and agitation in a Taurus, and a pressing need to get back outside.

05: HUNTERS

Time passes, and a fog rolls into the farm lands. It obscures much of the surroundings, but one thing does shine through the gloom; red, electric lights that look suspiciously like eyes. A metallic growl echoes through the farm fields, before robot canine shapes step out of the fog. A few of them carry speakers mounted to their shoulders, and a voice echoes out from them:

“All chromehounds, set commands to seek and destroy. Any infected you find, you eliminate. Keep Nirvana safe from their taint at all costs. Now hunt.”

At those orders, the chromehounds spring out and begin to course through the farmlands, hunting for prey. A single chromehound can be handled by a Drifter on their own, but the danger is how often they hunt in pairs or in packs; in that case, a Drifter will need help to either fight or flee from them.

Those in the midst of Kitsune or Taurus changes will also need to deal with a howl the hounds send out; it is pitched at a fight or flight frequency designed to distress monsters. Either by causing intense bouts of fear, or near blinding rage. The intent is to flush any Kitsune and Taurus out of hiding and into the jaws of waiting chomehounds… Though hounds don’t account for monsters also having pack.

06: CUCCO WARNING

There's one more oddity at the farm; one that isn't immediately hostile to newcomers, though it does regard them with curiosity. It takes the form of a rather innocent (and slightly vapid looking) chicken. Many of them roam the farmstead, trying to avoid any conflict.

A few of them even gather around an abandoned pie eating booth and peck at the remarkably well preserved pies. They might even be willing to share. (And the pies themselves are still edible and tasty, somehow.)

But this good will and tolerance can swiftly come to an end if they are attacked. If agitated, the cuccos can summon more of themselves to swarm the threat, causing plenty of pecks, scratches, and assorted injuries. There's even a ruined scarecrow laying nearby, torn to death by little beaks to show how dangerous they can be.

They also don't take kindly to threats from other denizens of the farm; the robot dogs, scarecrows, and some of the angrier farm life can quickly learn that the hard way!

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.

Snow Warning: Mountains rise above both farmlands and forest, and it seems clear that the road leads on towards them. It might be wise to plunder the nearby garage and farmhouses for any winter wear, before going further.

Food Forage: The local fields hold supplies… Some of them unconventional thanks to the Moon Warps. It’s probably best not to ask why corndogs are growing on corn stalks, but they’re still edible enough.

Misty Step: Sometimes the gloom and mist can do strange things to one’s perception, and stride. Walking into the mist can easily tun a Drifter around and place them in a spot they weren’t intending to go: whether that’s back in the garage, in the middle of the approaching Convoy, the middle of a field, or maybe somewhere else entirely!

Holy Cow-Car, Batman: One last quirk of the region, is that occasionally the vehicles here (including Drifter vehicles) seem to have a mind of their own. And that mind is similar to a cow. The vehicles can be found wandering in fenced off grassy areas, flattening grass to a degree where it appears to be eaten.

The vehicles are at least fairly docile, and once they are removed from the fencing revert to being normal cars/motorcycles/etc. But until then, they retain that odd quirk.

NAVIGATION || RESERVES || APPLICATIONS

Comments

Joseph Kavinsky | The Raven Cycle

[burnyoudown]

[ooc: I'll also match prose if you prefer! Either format is a-okay with me <3]

I. Summoning Circle

[Kavinsky had woken up in some strange places before, but this was a new one. Being shirtless wasn't going to do him any favors considering the temperature he noticed even before his eyes were open. The sweat from the heat of a Virginia summer had turned to a cold chill on his skin--pale, no scars, no tattoos--and combined with the wet, cold concrete underneath him.

Sitting up, he pushed his white rimmed sunglasses up to perch on top his head, against his dark hair. His exposed skin was flecked with small bits of black rubber, though shredded pieces of tires was the least of his concerns right now. He pushed himself to his feet, taking stock of his surroundings, and then his eyes dropped to the ground around where he was standing.]

Huh.

[Well, if someone had wanted to summon a monster...he couldn't say they hadn't gotten what they wanted. Because this sure as hell looked like something he'd seen in some horror movie or other that Skov would pick out for movie nights.

He patted the pockets of his jeans next, making sure everything that'd been there before still was. Satisfied with his discovery, he stepped out of the ring of candles--and immediately ended up under a leaky spot of the roof. Ice cold water hit his face, rolling down his neck, then his skinny chest, a few drops catching in the links of his gold chain necklace.]

Fuck.

[Kavinsky might not have been a huge fan of the sweltering summers in Henrietta, but he was admittedly better suited for them then being shirtless in this weather. He wiped the water from his face, warily eyeing the ceiling for a moment before making his way to the nearest door so he could have a look outside.]

The fuck is all this?

II. Start Up

[It hadn't been difficult at all for Kavinsky to locate his car; the white Mitsubishi Evo would be recognizable anywhere, especially with the large knife decal splashed across one side. When he circled around the back of it, the familiar license plate--thief--sealed it. Except when it made it around to the other side, he saw the front wheel on the passenger side had been slashed open. Honestly? That was the last thing he needed to see right now.

Crouching down, he touched his fingers to the edges of the long slash in the tire. It was ragged, and he didn't immediately have any ideas of what could have caused the damage. He also didn't immediately have any idea how he was going to get the tire swapped out. It wasn't like he had the equipment for it, or a new tire. There was a reason he paid actual mechanics good money to do whatever needed to be done with his car.

Straightening back up, still shirtless, he looked around, hoping someone, anyone, would be close enough for him to catch their attention.]

Hey, could I get a hand? Got a fucked up flat here.

III. Moon Warp

[At the very least, he'd finally managed to get his hands on a shirt, a plain t-shirt that was baggy on him, but it was better than having nothing at all. The rain had stopped for now, and he'd decided to take advantage of that to take a better look around outside.

The scarecrows very obviously seemed suspicious to him, but that didn't stop him entirely from wandering along relatively close to them. He just made sure to keep an eye on them as he went. So he ended up being far too close to one when it suddenly pulsed with light and then exploded. Kavinsky might have been a fan of fire and explosions, but exploding scarecrows weren't on that list.

Yelping, he staggered back from the remains of the scarecrow, tripping and landing on his ass. Right about the same time, coincidentally, that flames burst around his hands, licking up his wrists. He expected it to hurt, but it didn't, and probably the only reason he didn't set the grass on fire around him was because it was all so damp from rain and mist.

He lifted his hands, staring at them, then turned them over to look at the backs while the flames continued to dance over his skin. As he watched, they started to dwindle, dying down, but he felt...different in a way he couldn't put his finger on, exactly.]

Sure. Yeah. This is happening.

IV. Cucco Warning

[Anyone who knew him probably wouldn't consider Kavinsky someone who was good with animals. Or people. But here he was, settled in comfortably at the abandoned pie eating booth, leaning against one side of it while he ate one of the pies with a fork he'd acquired from somewhere.

The cuccos? Well, they didn't seem bothered by his presence at the moment. In fact, a few of them lingered close to him, one by his feet, another on the booth's counter, happily accepting little bits of pie crust that he'd pull off and offer to them. Maybe a chill attitude and some generosity were all they needed to be chill themselves. That said, Kavinsky was taking care not to make any sudden movements or anything that might be considered threatening--he wasn't a fool. Mostly.

And when someone approached, he gestured in their direction with his fork.]

Don't spook the chickens. Think they had a part in that.

[He waved his fork in the direction of the pecked apart scarecrow.]

You know how they say something like, a whole bunch of chickens can get together and kill a predator that's trying to pick 'em off? Yeah.

II mmm my favorite car

[purplexing]

[It's been taking more time for Donnie to shake off his creature-instincts than it used to. Staying on the ground helps, as much as the harpy part of him screams for otherwise, but the vehicles here are enough to keep his attention, helping him to remember himself and the things he can do.

He's looking for salvage, although these days he's been more prone to just be drawn to the shinier things. He's perched on the edge of the open hood of a car, claws working at the inside of the headlights to try getting the bulb loose when he hears someone call out.]

Hm?

[One final twist and he wrests the bulb from its place. He gives it a quick inspection before tucking it into the sling bag he's got, hopping off the car to make his way over to the human.]

Hmm...

[He studies the tires and the car make, and then Kavinsky himself before he turns to fly up onto one of the taller vehicles, looking around for a suitable spare.]

K's Evo legit sparked my love for them

[burnyoudown]

[Okay. Okay sure. A turtle with wings. Like something right out of Wonderland. Kavinsky didn't spook when Donnie approached, just looked him up and down, curious, appraising, potentially in a similar way to how Donnie looked him over.

A different situation, and Kavinsky probably would have prodded, asked what the guy was thinking, but right now he managed to be as patient as he could be, considering his lack of shirt and the chill.]

Might need some tools, too.

[He didn't know if the interior of his car had been tampered with yet, but he was leaning towards the assumption of yes, all things considered. Which probably meant everything he'd had in his trunk might not be there anymore. But maybe he'd be wrong, maybe he'd be pleasantly surprised.]

They're so nice. Lancers themselves are pretty solid cars +_+

[purplexing]

[Wings and bird feet with some wicked talons. And a long tail, but it's reptilian enough that one could be forgiven to think it had come with the default package.

Having a more specific task gives him more to focus on. It stokes his mind, oiling the gears of his more technical thought processes, pulling more of himself to the forefront. Fixing things, that's what he does. A flat tire or two is hardly a challenge, but it's still a necessity, and what's more, something he knows he can do.]

I'll manage.

[Words, words are good. He sticks to jumping and climbing rather than flying as he searches the other vehicles, looking for a good match. Probably nothing quite as exact, but tires are tires, and so long as they fit and are sturdy, that should suffice.]

Just one?

I've never had one but I Yearn

[burnyoudown]

Aight.

[From the short responses, he was glad he hadn't been pushing so far. Not that Kavinsky was generally adverse to pushing someone's buttons, but he needed assistance in this situation. He also wasn't a fool; there was something to be said about safety in numbers in unfamiliar or dangerous situations. Pissing people off right off the bat wouldn't be in his own best interests.]

Just the one, yeah.

[He confirmed. The other three tires had seemed perfectly intact and without issue. Theoretically, he could have handled this problem on his own, but there would have been a lot of hoops involved and he wasn't so keen on jumping right now. Besides that, it felt dangerous to trust he'd be safe here for long enough to be dead to the world for the time it took him to dream a tire. And there was no guarantee stress wouldn't cause him to fuck up.]

I could try the engine while you're looking. Make sure we don't have any other problems.

[He should have tried that in the first place, he was sure, but he knew this car. He knew it would start, unless something had gone catastrophically wrong--on top of everything else.]

I've got a 2008 (not evo) and it's never given me problems

[purplexing]

[Donnie's just trying to talk himself down from those more creature instincts that plague him, so he's not particularly offended. In fact, he likes being able to help, and while he was cautious of strangers, he's more lenient of newcomers, particularly when knowing they're in the same boat. And he'd long established that they were all in this mess together, whether they wanted to be or not.]

Yeah, go for it. Check the doors too, sometimes they get stuck. Maybe the windows, but at least your ride looks better kept than a lot of the other stuff around.

[He vanishes from view as he drops down from another vehicle top, poking his head into the window of the car that's caught his eye before he starts inspecting the wheels.]

Oooh, noice

[burnyoudown]

[Kavinsky nodded, going around to the driver's side of his car. He could see the keys on the dash, so he really hoped the door was going to open--because if it did, he probably wasn't going to have the patience right now to check every door.

The driver's side door opened as easy as ever, and that was really the important part at the moment. So he slid in, snagging the keys off the dash and replacing them with the sunglasses from his pocket, so he wouldn't sit on them. The engine started, too, which replaced the door opening on the 'important parts' mental list he had going. There might have been other actual issues besides the tire, but he'd deal with them when and if he discovered them.

Turning the engine back off, he leaned out the still open door.]

So, what? Is it the people who've brought us here fucking with our shit or is it just collateral?

[purplexing]

[There's the sound of a power tool of all things, and eventually Donnie emerges, rolling a tire around from the car he'd borrowed it from.]

Not entirely sure there, haven't worked out the vehicle link. I'm thinking...it might be a little of both. There's been instances where objects from home would appear at times.

My theory is that it's resulting from residual energy and using us as a frequency... But the car angle's harder to explain unless that influence was added in due to our need for a mode of transportation.

[burnyoudown]

[The sound of a power tool was one unexpected thing, but the explanation he got was even more unexpected.

He slid out of the car again, leaving the door ajar as he went around to where the ruined tire was.]

You've had a lot of time to think about this, huh?

[Some of it might have been a little beyond him, residual energy and people being used as a frequency, but he thought he generally understood.]

Sounds kind of like that one thing, about entanglement.

[Though also-]

Kinda weird of them to kidnap us and then be like 'hey, here's a car, have fun', if that's what's going on.

[He wasn't necessarily complaining about having his car here, but the whole thing did seem weird.]

What kind of objects've showed up?

[purplexing]

A little. [An understatement, really.]

I'm not really an expert in mystical things, but looking at it in terms of an energy makes it a little digestible. At least in my case.

[He shrugs, wheeling the tire on over beside the Evo.]

Entanglement? Well...I guess technically we are entangled in something. It's been suggested that we were intended to be summoned by one party but a neutral one intervened. And from what we've learned about the two main factions so far, that's probably for the better- even if this whole situation quite frankly sucks.

[He looks around before pointing in the general direction of where the rest of the Convoy's parked itself.]

Not so much a "have fun" as a "ride or die." We're on the move. Trying to find some place we know only as Nirvana. Oh, and try not to forget who and what we are on the way. [His snout wrinkles as he scowls at his own addendum.]

The only objects I'm aware of is a recipe that my little brother copied down, and some calling cards from someone else's specific world.

[burnyoudown]

[On the flip side, Kavinsky would accept explanations for things a lot easier if they were mystical. He dealt with magic every single day of his life. Him. It was him; he was the magic thing.]

Soooo, like, someone sniped the summoning out from under someone else?

[He couldn't imagine intervening like that would be easy, and in turn that piqued his curiosity.]

What're the factions like?

[He had a load of questions and he didn't particularly care if he wouldn't like the answers; whether he liked them or not, the answers would still be there. He'd rather know as much as he could, if it was or wasn't pleasant. Especially if it wasn't pleasant.

He glanced in the direction Donnie pointed, craning his neck a bit.]

I mean-

[Actually, no, he wasn't going to tempt fate by finishing that sentence. Especially when he heard that addendum. Focusing on other things was probably better.]

Staying on the move might be better, over all.

[At least in theory, they could always leave a dangerous area behind.]

Those are some weird ass choices in objects. Unless that was one hell of a recipe.

[purplexing]

I guess? I'd talk with Akechi about it, he's found some interesting information. I'm assuming those creepy ritual circles and things we wake up surrounded by are part of it, but we've never found who's actually setting those up.

[Which is a bit creepier, really.

Donnie closes the car door to avoid any damage before he steps over to the side the damaged tire is. He lets out a breath as he focuses.

Beneath the car, purple lines of light begin to trace out, forming the undeniable shape of a jack, and provided Kavinsky doesn't panic about the sudden light, the turtle starts levering the car up with it.]

The two you'll hear most about are the Steel Wardens and the Silver Tears. Diametrically opposed. The former thinks everyone who isn't visibly human is tainted by the influence of the moon and must be destroyed.

The Silver Tears revere the moon and its so-called blessings- the transformations that come with it.

[He holds a clawed hand up, more neon purple lines tracing out tiny parts, the inner workings of what eventually becomes an impact wrench. He grasps the thing as easily as anything physical despite it seeming to be made of nothing more than some kind of energy, applying it to the tire to start removing lug nuts.]

Nah, the recipe was for lasagna. ...man, I miss lasagna.

[burnyoudown]

[That was creepier, actually, not knowing who was setting up the summoning circles.]

Yeah, those circles are super sketch. They look like what people use to summon demons in horror flicks.

[Kavinsky didn't know what he'd expected to happen now that Donnie had the tire, but it definitely wasn't what he was witnessing. He took a step or two back, sure, but it was just so he could one- be out of the way, and two- get a better view.]

Dude, that's super fucking cool.

[Diametrically sounded like it should be an SAT word--and he wasn't entirely sure it wasn't, but that was also not the important part.]

So absolutely fuck those Warden guys.

[Unsure where his immediate opinion fell on the Silver Tears.

He was hardly even blinking while he watched Donnie work, never looking away from the purple light he was making tools out of.]

Hey man, lasagna can be one hell of a recipe. Shit takes a lot of work, especially when it's worth it.

[Not that he'd ever personally made a lasagna, but. He was going to tuck that information away, in case he could utilize it in the future.]

4 - Cucco Warning

[saisdoesmatter]

*scouting the area since the convoy came to rest in this neck of the woods is one thing, but considering that there's pretty much this tended flock of chickens that are roaming around the place and what looks like a newcomer snacking at a booth? He's curious enough to approach, giving the cuccos some space and just stepping around them*

*the downed scarecrow would have made him question it but he's seen some pretty weird stuff from ending up here before he takes a knee and offers a hand to a cucco to sniff and peck at. It lets him give it a little scritch before he leaves it alone*

I wouldn't be surprised. They might actually be the most dangerous things around here.

[burnyoudown]

That seemed like a good way to greet the chickens, like approaching an unfamiliar cat or dog. Giving them a chance to gauge someone's scent and intentions and all that. And the little scritch didn't hurt either, he was sure.

Kavinsky snorted softly. It was nice, refreshing, for someone to not know him or his reputation, to not say he was a dangerous thing. He hadn't quite realized how that'd make him feel until this moment. It was one thing, being around his boys and all of them knowing what he was and wasn't, but this was different.

"Might be," he agreed. "But they're also pretty chill." He didn't think that would last though if the chickens, or whatever they were, perceived something or someone as a threat. He didn't even know what the scarecrow had done to deserve getting pecked apart, but he'd rather not end up like it.

"Pie's still good, by the way," he added. "And they don't seem to mind sharing."

[saisdoesmatter]

Lucky for him, he likes animals a lot, so approaching the chickens like they were a possible threat and letting them make their own decisions was the best course of action that Raphael takes. One lets him scritch it, which he smiles at, before letting it do what it wants. He's not stupid enough to pick one up if it might have deadly thoughts.

"People like to think that birds are dumb," he says, watching the chickens peck away at the ground, letting his gaze go back toward the downed scarecrow. "They're smarter than they look."

He chuckles. "Is it? Not doused from the earlier rain?"

[burnyoudown]

"Most animals aren't dumb. Some of them are a hell of a lot smarter than some people I've met." And even when an animal was sort of dumb, he didn't consider it in the way that most people did. Sometimes, people judged animals by unfair criteria, and Kavinsky tended not to do the same.

The idea of the pies getting doused by the rain led him to the combination of words wet pie, and in turn that had him doing his absolute best not to immediately reply with a filthy innuendo. Even as he struggled to at least try and behave himself, he couldn't help but grin. "Wouldn't be the first time," was all he managed before shoving a forkful of pie into his mouth so he wouldn't be able to elaborate. So long as he didn't choke from trying to smother his laughter.

When he'd gotten himself under control and had managed to swallow without choking, he added, "There's plenty of 'em that stayed dry. I've been letting the chickens have the wet ones."

[saisdoesmatter]

"Ha! You could say that again," he replies, because it's very much true. Sure, he's the sort to get into trouble himself from time to time, but he swears half the people he's met in his lifetime don't have common sense. It apparently wasn't actually common at all.

Raph quirks a brow at the clear stifling of laughter from Kavinsky but doesn't press. He could imagine what the other guy might have been snickering about.

"Yeah? At least they don't mind the wet pies left behind. If the dry ones are still viable that's some decent food around here..."

[burnyoudown]

"When someone's clearly got two brain cells that have never been introduced to each other." Alright, maybe that was a little harsh, but it was still more kind than the majority of things that had ever been said about Kavinsky. Those were the kinds of people he meant with that dig, anyway.

Oh no, the mention of wet pies, out loud, had him snickering. He was a teenager; he could absolutely not be expected to keep a straight face with innuendos and things like this. "Gonna be honest. I let one of the chickens have some of a dry pie at first, just to be sure."

Sorry little chicken dudes, but it'd been a necessary precaution, to see what happened. And then a whole new innuendo occurred to him, even though none of these chickens appeared to be roosters. So he was going to tuck that one aside for now.

"Cause pies out in the middle of nowhere felt like some 'trap laid by a witch' shit." Not Baba Yaga, but one of the American witch stories. And even if they were perfectly mundane pies, there had still been a chance they were going to cause food poisoning. But they seemed fine, and Kavinsky hadn't been ill yet.

"Is food an issue here?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"Sounds like what they claim orange cats have issues with - that wandering single braincell that they all share."

He grins when the other teen starts to starts snickering. At least this one's got a sense of humor!

"Honestly, I don't blame you; I wouldn't exactly trust pies sitting out here either. This place likes to set off traps." Another glance at a random chicken. "But if none of them exploded or turned into monstrosities, you're probably fine."

The question makes him sigh but nod. "Yes and no. We gotta forage a lot - there's general food with the rest of the convoy so people don't starve but it's sometimes a little left to be desired."

[burnyoudown]

"At least the cats are cute enough to get away with it." He knew full well what people said about orange cats, though he'd never known anyone who'd had one, personally.

If none of them exploded. Kavinsky stopped for a moment, lowering his fork and looking at the chicken chilling on the counter. He hadn't been aware explosions were a potential reaction to food here. He liked explosions, but not if it was a living thing. The chicken looked back at him, with the same sort of expression he'd expect from one of those orange cats, clearly unaware there was any risk what-so-ever when it came to eating things.

"Is it common for things to explode after eating something?" Because that would put a bit of a damper on his mood. As if the mention of foraging wasn't doing that already.

"What kind of general food?" He wasn't really picky, so he didn't see it being an issue, but it did feel like important information he should have. "And what's the convoy like?"

[saisdoesmatter]

"True. Even with a missing brain cell, how can you be mad at them when they're adorable." Granted, the one that his brother had back home was not your typical cat, but Mikey loved it and other cats with actual fur WERE cute in Raph's eyes.

Raph shrugs at the question. "Man, I wouldn't be surprised if it DID happen with how many times there's been random traps from that one crazy group that's like, trying to kill anyone different than them. I've only been here for a little bit and I swear I've seen loads of them from travelin' with the group." Though he does look relieved that the chickens do seem to be okay as well, giving another one a little scritch.

"Think camping food. Kind of bland at times but it's food. Sandwiches and the like. We usually gotta raid places for supplies when we're on the move."

The question of the convoy makes him think about it, but he answers it as best as he can.

"It's not so bad - having safety in numbers is better than being alone, so it takes a little getting used to. Mainly just because you gotta get used to being on the road when we're off and about - but there's good people here. We look out for each other."

[burnyoudown]

"Exactly." All cats were good cats, even the naked ones. Especially the naked ones, if they were put into little sweaters to keep them warm. Not that Kavinsky would say either of those things out loud.

He tensed in the middle of stabbing his fork into the pie at the mention of a group that was trying to kill anyone different than them. That hit a little too close to home, and just the idea of people here doing that turned his stomach. The chicken on the counter cocked its head a moment, watching him, then slowly leaned in to peck a bit of the crust on his pie. It was allowed.

"So what the fuck's their problem, that crazy group?" He looked up, but made no move to do anything with his fork. Probably for the best.

"I've never been camping. Had a lot of sandwiches though." He liked cooking, when he could, but he did tend to lean towards take-out back home. He was sure he'd manage just fine with food here. "And I like driving. So being on the road a lot sounds fine."

[saisdoesmatter]

Raph can't help but nod to that, smiling a little bit at the thought of cats. It'd be nice to have a pet again, but with the convoy and the things that were around that liked to try and eat other people...well... not safe enough for that.

He sighs. "There's two of them - one that hates anyone that's monstrous or turning into one - the other being like some fanatical one that things everyone should be monstrous. It's...tiring. The ones that want to kill everything that isn't 'human' are the ones that tend to leave traps around to pick people off."

"Heh, then sounds like you'll fit right in. I'm Raph by the way."

[burnyoudown]

"Fuck 'em both." Why did the other extreme have to be 'everyone should be monsters'? Why not 'and we accept people of all sorts'? He had a lot of feelings on people who were anything other than human--or normal--being targeted, but he sure as hell wasn't going to get into why.

"Especially the ones actively hurting people." With traps, he meant. He was pretty sure he'd consider 'forcibly turning people into monsters' actively hurting them, too. "Sounds like everything's a mess." But he couldn't say he was surprised, unfortunately.

"Maybe." Had he ever fit in anywhere? It was nice to at least think he might. "Kavinsky. It's good to meet you."