memestertrucks | NOVEMBER TDM

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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

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The emotions Leo feels as Mikey throws his arms around him are all over the place, and it takes Leo a second to sort them all out. There's fear, because the last person he wanted to experience this terrible place is his precious little brother, who out of all of them kept his shine no matter what their family went through. There's trepidation, because he isn't the person he was the last time he saw Mikey, physically or mentally, and he's always nervous letting new people see it. There's shame, about the things he's put his family through, that he might put them through here. But above it all, there's a rising joy in his chest, because he's missed Mikey so much, and finally he's here, and Leo can hug him and not let go.

Which is what he does. Because no matter what, he's Mikey's big brother first and foremost, and he'll always do everything he can to keep him safe and happy.

(Unless he's doing the teasing, of course.)

"Hey, Miguel," he says, with so much fondness, and no he's definitely not choked up! He's so cool and suave and awesome all the time! "'Course I'm okay. How about you?"

Mikey clings to Leonardo, his own emotions a swelling tangle of so many things he's gonna need a while to sort it out. Before he can help it, he's sniffled, loudly, cause it's just been so much in such a short time.

"I'm not okay!" he practically wails, muffled against Leo's plastron where he's got his face pressed as he just holds on. "I don't know where I am and I don't know what happened and I woke up in a soul-sucking circle and there's a Raph who's not Raph and Donnie's a bird and I think I soul-bonded with a van, okaythatwaskindofcool, and somebody said you've been here for a long time and there's weird stuff outside and I don't know what's going onnnnn!"

Ending in a long, distressed wail. He doesn't even care if he's too old for this stuff right now. He's cold and confused and scared!

Ough boy. Well, this isn't going well.

"Phew, okay. Sounds like you've had a big day, little bro."

Leo rubs Mikey on his shell, trying to calm him down a bit. There were a lot of things on that list that they'll have to talk out, but he doesn't think doing so while Mikey is crying is going to get them anywhere.

"How about you come with me and we'll sit down in the bunkhouse and talk this out. Think you can do that for me?"

He would take Mikey to the tank, but no doubt Donnie will be there, and he thinks they should talk some of this out without Donnie. Mainly the "Donnie is a bird" part.

He sniffles again, loudly, as he straightens up. He rubs the back of his hand across his eyes a couple of times.

"O-Okay, yeah." he says, nodding. He looks up at Leo, his eyes still teary but it's better now that he knows Leo's here and he's okay!

Or maybe mostly okay..?

He blinks and he immediately looks worried.

"Leo, are you feeling okay?! You look like a ghost! Have you been sleeping?!" he asks, the worry spiking up hard. If Leo's really been in this weird place for a long time, it probably made his insomnia worse!

Mikey saying that he looks like a ghost almost makes Leo laugh; he doesn't know the half of it! But he manages to keep himself in check, so he doesn't sound insane.

"Thanks for the concern, Miguelito, but I'm fine." Which doesn't actually answer the question about whether he's been sleeping... "Everybody changes when they come here, and these are just mine."

And that's all there is to it! No reason to discuss it further!

Leo pulls back a bit, though he still has an arm thrown around Mikey, which he uses to steer him toward the bunkhouse on the convoy. "Here, let's go this way."

Having Leo brush things off that easily isn't new for Mikey. On the contrary, he's used to that being Leonardo's first response to just about anything serious. His brows furrow and he looks his brother over again before he gets steered off. He goes along with it, already relieved to have Leo here and okay... he thinks?! But also...

"Changes? Is... is that why Donnie's a bird?" he asks, voice small and quiet.

“Hit the nail on the head,” Leo agrees with a nod, pushing the door to the bunk car open. “But, uh, maybe say it with a little more chill. He gets self-conscious about it. Like his forehead but worse.”

And given how Leo likes to poke fun at Donnie’s forehead, you know it’s bad when Leo declines to do the same here.

“When he’s not trying to hide them I think he actually likes the wings. Even if he doesn’t admit it.”

Mikey takes that in, his face crinkling with worry.

"I don't really care if he's a bird, what I care about is if he wanted to be one!" he protests, though he keeps his voice down. "It's not cool if there's stuff here that's making people change in ways they don't like! I'd think it was pretty rad to have bird wings, too, but I'd kinda like to get asked first!"

“Yeah, well, the curse isn’t really into consent for body modification. Musta learned that from Barry.”

He finds an open bunk and steers Mikey onto it, before climbing in himself. He’s still getting used to his battleshell, and it clanks off the top of the overhead bunk as he moves around.

“Okay!” he says, like nothing weird just happened. “Hit me with all your questions! Just, maybe not all at once.”

That just makes Mikey frown even more, clearly upset at the idea that his brothers have been changed this way without wanting to be. If they picked cool new things, okay great! But if it's just happening to them?

The clank startles him and he blinks over at Leo in surprise for a second before he realizes what it is he just heard and saw. He leans over, staring at the slider more closely.

"Wait... Leo! You're wearing Donnie's shell?! How come?!"

"Uh, this is my shell." Leo huffs, folding his arms. "Like I would steal Donnie's dumb purple shell."

Thinking about it like that makes it feel more like his, anyway.

"He made me this one because, uh... Well, my shell's kinda... damaged."

That's a light way of putting "mostly missing".

"Oh... b-but..! Oh..."

He was about to protest that it's gotta be Donnie's, cause Leo doesn't need one, except apparently he does?! The worry rises sharply in him and he he starts paying very close attention to how Leonardo looks. He's super pale and his eyes are totally different. There's a big patch of something that kinda looks maybe like fabric but not really on his chest? And...

"Leo... if Donnie's a bird... what have you been changing into..?" he asks, voice small and worried.

Leo’s smile falters, his eyes darting away from Mikey. Of course they’re jumping straight into that question.

He’s quiet for only a moment longer, but then he looks back at Mikey, his expression turning into a very performative pout.

“Man, you’re going to give me so much crap for this, though,” he whines, folding his arms over his chest and acting like this is all just annoying to him. “I’m turning into a ghost.”

Which means Mikey was right about ghosts being real.

Mike knows that pout. He's seen it before. It's what Leo says, though, that gets him. He just blinks, rapidly, his brows lifted.

"A ghost..?" he echoes, quietly. There's a long moment where that seems to be parsing into Mikey's brain. As it does, his eyes go wider and there's the slow crawl of fear that slides over his face.

"But... you gotta be d-dead to be a g-ghost..?!" he whispers.

Oh. Oh no, that is not the response he was hoping for.

The fear on Mikey’s face makes Leo shrink back a bit into the bunk, his shoulders hunching. His eyes turn an even icier shade of blue, almost glowing in the shadows.

Maybe he should have lied and said something else. But he can’t really deny what Mikey is saying, even if everyone else would.

“…Well, Dee insists I’m not,” he says finally, “so don’t say that to him, either.”

The way Leo shrinks back like that and the way his eyes get so eerie in the dim of the bunk sends a shot of fear through Mikey that's harsh. He can feel his heart absolutely racing and he's looking his brother over with blue eyes that are filled with about a million pounds of worry.

When he meets Leo's icy blue eyes again, though, something in the younger turtle twists. Harshly. The way he's shrunk back and the pause before his answer almost screams back at him and Michelangelo forces himself to swallow, hard, against his own rolling fear.

"It's... it's gotta be some different kind of ghost than back home." he says, his voice a little shaky, but then he nods and takes a deep breath before he nods again, resolutely. "Cause ghosts back home are all vengeful spirit stuff and you're way too solid and alive to be that. So... so it's gotta be a new alive-style one! I mean... Donnie's a kind of bird-tle now and those don't exist back home either!"

His voice is steadier and stronger as he says it.

"And if Donnie says you're not, then you're not. He knows that stuff way better than both of us!"

So much as Donnie might be smarter than both of them, Leo isn't ready to concede that he's some kind of expert on ghosts. But at least Mikey isn't running. He still sounds scared, though, and Leo's eyes stay icy as he listens to Mikey's little speech.

"...An alive-style ghost, huh?" Leo huffs, though it's not quite a laugh. "I guess there's a first for everything."

Mutant turtles didn't exist before them, either, so it wouldn't be the first time he broke a boundary.

He's also not sure if now is the time to point out he's actually not always that solid.

Mikey fidgets with his hands, tugging on the fabric of his gloves in a clearly nervous tick. He's definitely more than a little overwhelmed but he's trying his best at the same time. It's been a lot! He's trying to catch up!

"It's the only thing that makes sense." he says, softly, "Cause... cause if you were... were totally un-alive, Donnie would know that. His science-y stuff would be able to tell!"

Said with more confidence and the box turtle takes a deep breath, trying to pull himself more together again. Okay. Okay, he can do this. This isn't even the scariest thing you've ever done, Michael! You faced off against world conquering brain eating aliens! This is small potatoes!

"So... this stuff happens to everybody here, right?" he says, his voice a little less shaky. "I... don't feel any different than I did last night. Does it happen fast?"

Though Mikey is clearly trying to pull himself back together, Leo still scoots a little further into the bunk, trying to look nonchalant as he does it, like this is a natural shift to get more comfortable. If he puts more space between them, then Mikey can't notice more of the "un-alive" parts; the cold, clammy skin, the still heart, the bony fingertips.

"It's different for everybody," he says in response to Mikey's question, dropping the topic of himself. "Sometimes there's temporary stuff that happens randomly - like, when Donnie first got here, he had a snake tail where his legs should be." Leo shrugs at this. "But it went away after about a day or so. The permanent changes, the ones that are harder to get rid of, those usually take awhile. My big changes only started showing after... I guess a couple months?"

That's when his shell cracked open.

"So you probably won't see yours right away. And if we can help it, we'll try to keep you from changing too much."

Mikey can tell he's made Leo uncomfortable. Is it because he said you gotta be dead to be a ghost? Probably, yeah. But he also doesn't know how to go about smoothing that one over. That's not something he's run into before, that's for sure! He tries to mull over how he can help fix that again while he sits there, trying not to fidget with his own fingers.

"Donnie was half a snake?! But then it went away?!" he says, looking startled. "That... that sounds weird..."

He shakes his head a bit like he's trying to banish the disbelief. Leo wouldn't make this stuff up and, even if it sounds crazy, he's been through crazy things before!

"Okay, so... so it just kind of happens. Do you know what makes it start? Or is it just kind of..." he makes a little explosion noise while he pops his fingers like a firework shape.

"Surprise! You're turning into a bird! Or a ghost! Or whatever!"

He looks at his hands and flexes them a little bit.

"... I wonder what I'm gonna turn into..."

Unfortunately, this is a long drama that Mikey has stepped into. Convincing Leo that he didn't actually die in the Prison Dimension has been an ongoing process.

"Oh, it was weird." Leo huffs a bit of a laugh. "But it was kind of funny. His tail was more touchy feely than he ever is. He couldn't be much of an emotionally unavailable bad boy that way."

Not that he really claims that particular trait anymore.

"It's usually more like the second one. You'll just wake up and have something new. Or you'll be exploring around and boom, you've changed." Leo watches Mikey look at his hands, though they don't seem much different. "Some people even like their changes, so... it's not all bad."

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NOVEMBER TDM

HELLO ALIVE BRO!!

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