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route666rp2025-06-07 04:39 pm
monstertruckers) wrote in route666rp2025-06-07 04:39 pm
JUNE EVENT LOG
Eventually, gravity behaves normally as the Convoy reaches a new region. Rivers crisscross this area, carving paths through hills and valleys alike. The vegetation has come back in earnest, after being thinned out by the thorn scrub and ragged brush. Now green grass and flowers are thick on the hills, along with scattered trees. The weather begins to cloud over, with dour skies and rain being a constant. The moon and sun alike are often smothered by clouds, making for gloomy and moody scenery in turns.
01: GAS STATION GALLOWS
Surprisingly, there’s another gas station so soon, right where the river bends. With sheets of rain coming down and the sky growing dark, it looks like the safest spot… At least until the Convoy comes in close. Bodies hang from the roof of the gas station, like macabre puppets on strings and nooses. They have long since turned to Husks with hints of transformations poking through. A message has been spray painted on the ground: “PURGE.” Under the message is a symbol of a sword piercing the moon, and a name: “Steel Wardens.”
The Convoy tries start the speakers, like in the grasslands… But something is wrong. Last month’s attacks took a heavy toll on the Convoy. Instead, the phones of various Drifters start playing the melody. A crackling transmission comes in:
“Sorry… Gotta ask this of you. Only way to help these poor bastards on their way. In return… Try to answer your questions-”
The radio cuts out after that. But if Drifters choose, they can send out a message after sending a Husk on their way. The radio will try to answer, though reception is still patchy and responses are short.
The Convoy tries start the speakers, like in the grasslands… But something is wrong. Last month’s attacks took a heavy toll on the Convoy. Instead, the phones of various Drifters start playing the melody. A crackling transmission comes in:
“Sorry… Gotta ask this of you. Only way to help these poor bastards on their way. In return… Try to answer your questions-”
The radio cuts out after that. But if Drifters choose, they can send out a message after sending a Husk on their way. The radio will try to answer, though reception is still patchy and responses are short.
02: BROKEN SHIELD
As the Convoy tries to settle down for an evening, something goes wrong. The shield flickers in and out, before popping like a soap bubble. While most of the local Husks have been exorcised thanks to fellow Drifters, it’s still a tense couple of nights.
And without the shield, the effects of the moon becomes more vivid. Some nights the storm clouds help mask the moon and dampen the call… But other nights it can break through the gloom and shine harshly on the Convoy. Drifters may find themselves spending sleepless nights wandering the Convoy perimeter… Or maybe wandering out into the wilds. Where there’s still no shortage of other monsters prowling around, and waiting to pounce on any fresh meat. A few of them may even try raiding the Convoy now that the shield is down. Some Drifters may opt to form watches during the night, or try to find some form of fitful sleep. After several nights of this, the Convoy itself seems to have had enough, with how the screens flare up one morning to show a map and repeat a message:
“Scan complete. Field Generator components found nearby. Request immediate retrieval and installation.”
And without the shield, the effects of the moon becomes more vivid. Some nights the storm clouds help mask the moon and dampen the call… But other nights it can break through the gloom and shine harshly on the Convoy. Drifters may find themselves spending sleepless nights wandering the Convoy perimeter… Or maybe wandering out into the wilds. Where there’s still no shortage of other monsters prowling around, and waiting to pounce on any fresh meat. A few of them may even try raiding the Convoy now that the shield is down. Some Drifters may opt to form watches during the night, or try to find some form of fitful sleep. After several nights of this, the Convoy itself seems to have had enough, with how the screens flare up one morning to show a map and repeat a message:
“Scan complete. Field Generator components found nearby. Request immediate retrieval and installation.”
03: POWER PLANT APPROACH
The structure in question lays in the middle of a lake, fed by several rivers. It looks like some form of old water-fed power plant, with broken wheels still turning. Approaching the power plant is possible through either precarious and half rusted bridges (travel on foot is advised!) or through fording the water. Though that carries its own risk. (See Prompt 4: Don’t Drown.)
Approach on the bridges is a risky matter. The metal looks ready to fall apart if too much weight is placed on it. Hopefully Drifters approaching this way are light footed, or have some means of rescue if the floor breaks underneath them.
The power plant also has its own defenses in the form of floating puffer fish flying above the lake, and strange elongated diving monsters swimming the depths. The Blugu attack with needles and sleep bubbles, trying to knock any Drifters of bridges into the waters below for the Divers.
Approach on the bridges is a risky matter. The metal looks ready to fall apart if too much weight is placed on it. Hopefully Drifters approaching this way are light footed, or have some means of rescue if the floor breaks underneath them.
The power plant also has its own defenses in the form of floating puffer fish flying above the lake, and strange elongated diving monsters swimming the depths. The Blugu attack with needles and sleep bubbles, trying to knock any Drifters of bridges into the waters below for the Divers.
03-A: POWER PLANT EXPLORATION
The Convoy reports say that the generator is in several components that different groups of Drifters need to find in the old building. Be warned that there’s flooding in parts of the hallways, the deeper one goes. And the water might still very well have some weird, transformative properties! If it doesn’t, there are still partially submerged hallways that reflect Drifters anxieties, regrets, and insecurities back on them. But with searching, Drifters can find generator components in the following rooms:
Boiler Room, where an old machine still shoots out super hot steam that can easily burn and scald.
Bone Room, which clearly isn’t part of the old workings, but something has co-opted this room and turned it into a collection of bones. Bones from monsters, metal bones from husks… All of them carrying sharp edges.
Cold Room, where repeated Moon Warps have turned this room into a freezer. At least the component isn’t damaged, and just needs to be chipped out of the ice?
Electric Room, which has gone a bit haywire, with stray bolts of electricity criss-crossing the room. The component lays in the center, but to reach it the electricity must be dodged or redirected.
03-B: POWER PLANT INSTALLATION
Jars:There is one more room taking up a chunk of the ruins. It is filled with jars that reach from floor to ceiling… And those jars have people in them. Or the remains of people. They’re overgrown by vines and plantlife, turned to Husks, and their heads are broken and cut open. Drifters likely have a good guess on where those brain monsters from last month came from.
Next to the jars is a monitor with a brief message: “Contact lost with----. Engaging emergency sleep procedures. We may never wake, but we need to try.” There’s a handful of people still intact in their jars… But getting too close to them trips an alarm system. Chromehounds, lasers, the works all turn on to try and drive Drifters away from the room!
Installation:Thankfully, returning to the Convoy and installing the generator pieces is easy enough. They fit together easily, almost magnetically. Anyone with a degree of tech savviness can aid in the effort, and a compartment in the Convoy opens up to help install the generator.
After this, the shield finally hums to life, and nights become a lot more peaceful.
Next to the jars is a monitor with a brief message: “Contact lost with----. Engaging emergency sleep procedures. We may never wake, but we need to try.” There’s a handful of people still intact in their jars… But getting too close to them trips an alarm system. Chromehounds, lasers, the works all turn on to try and drive Drifters away from the room!
Installation:Thankfully, returning to the Convoy and installing the generator pieces is easy enough. They fit together easily, almost magnetically. Anyone with a degree of tech savviness can aid in the effort, and a compartment in the Convoy opens up to help install the generator.
After this, the shield finally hums to life, and nights become a lot more peaceful.
04: DON'T DROWN
There’s a river that snakes through the landscape. It turns blood red during sunsets, glows with starlight at night, and is an almost hypnotic blue during the day. Once or twice, the Convoy crosses over it on long bridges. And it eventually empties into a massive lake with the abandoned powerplant in the center.
If someone chooses to ford the river or take a dip in it, something more unnerving happens. The waters go still and reflect the Drifter, no matter how much splashing is done. The deeper anyone goes, the more the reflection grows; most of the time, the reflection is some aspect a Drifter would sooner keep hidden. The river might even replay an image of something they regret.
If a Drifter gets up to their chest in the water, their reflection snaps into a monstrous form, and something pulls them underwater. When they emerge they are completely changed. This effect lasts the entire month before wearing off in dryer climates: the only way to cut it short is to take Salve from the thorn scrub, or gamble with the hospital medicines.
If someone chooses to ford the river or take a dip in it, something more unnerving happens. The waters go still and reflect the Drifter, no matter how much splashing is done. The deeper anyone goes, the more the reflection grows; most of the time, the reflection is some aspect a Drifter would sooner keep hidden. The river might even replay an image of something they regret.
If a Drifter gets up to their chest in the water, their reflection snaps into a monstrous form, and something pulls them underwater. When they emerge they are completely changed. This effect lasts the entire month before wearing off in dryer climates: the only way to cut it short is to take Salve from the thorn scrub, or gamble with the hospital medicines.
05: MONSTER SHIFT, MERFOLK
The waters of this area have one last twist; submerging imparts Merfolk traits. On top of all Merfolk traits the following is also available this month:
+Double Drowning: Merfolk with the compulsion to drown other creatures can find some very tempting targets along the river banks; horse-like creatures lingering near the waters. But upon contact with the creatures, it becomes clear that not only are they life-like machines, they rapidly disassemble into weighted nets. Or they just explode into shrapnel; either option can spell trouble for the Merfolk!
+Current Thrall: whenever the sun sets, the river currents change to something more chaotic and twisted, uncertain which way to flow. This lasts until moonrise, when they settle on flowing the opposite way. But it will be up to Merfolk to shape water or survive the twisting currents until then.
+Illuminating Light: Bioluminescence can light up the bottom of lakes and rivers, revealing the remains of Husks and almost prophetic writing carved into stone.
+Not So Dry Land: Merfolk pulled onto dry land can shape water into containers and spheres to keep them hydrated… And with some focus and practice, even give themselves a way to surf across land!
+Bigger Fish: The lakes and rivers hold their share of monsters besides the Merfolk. Some, like Mizutsune and packs of Forneus and Divers, see Merfolk as viable prey, and appetizing to boot.
+Double Drowning: Merfolk with the compulsion to drown other creatures can find some very tempting targets along the river banks; horse-like creatures lingering near the waters. But upon contact with the creatures, it becomes clear that not only are they life-like machines, they rapidly disassemble into weighted nets. Or they just explode into shrapnel; either option can spell trouble for the Merfolk!
+Current Thrall: whenever the sun sets, the river currents change to something more chaotic and twisted, uncertain which way to flow. This lasts until moonrise, when they settle on flowing the opposite way. But it will be up to Merfolk to shape water or survive the twisting currents until then.
+Illuminating Light: Bioluminescence can light up the bottom of lakes and rivers, revealing the remains of Husks and almost prophetic writing carved into stone.
+Not So Dry Land: Merfolk pulled onto dry land can shape water into containers and spheres to keep them hydrated… And with some focus and practice, even give themselves a way to surf across land!
+Bigger Fish: The lakes and rivers hold their share of monsters besides the Merfolk. Some, like Mizutsune and packs of Forneus and Divers, see Merfolk as viable prey, and appetizing to boot.
06: DROWNED SONG
The power plant shifts the further it sinks into the depths. Waters flood the lower levels, and transform the structure; industrial concrete and tunnels are replaced by ornate columns and a spacious ball room, along with an opulent stage.
And almost all of it is submerged in transforming waters. Only merfolk (or those sharing a Merfolk’s kiss) have a chance of surviving this area. Flood waters can easily sweep Drifters down into the depths. There’s even stray rivers that feed into the underwater opera from the outside.
A silent leviathan traces through the ruins, serpentine and whale like. It has no interest in the Drifters unless they float too close to its mouth and appear as snacks… But its wake generates strange whirlpools that can bash and bruise, and keeps everyone trapped in the opera house. Bubbles rise up from the floor or swirl in the whirlpools, and provide flashes of vision: a finned priestess meditating on the moon and then sinking into the depths. Said bubbles also release soft melodies of song; beware of potentially singing along, which can draw attention from the drowned machines.
And almost all of it is submerged in transforming waters. Only merfolk (or those sharing a Merfolk’s kiss) have a chance of surviving this area. Flood waters can easily sweep Drifters down into the depths. There’s even stray rivers that feed into the underwater opera from the outside.
A silent leviathan traces through the ruins, serpentine and whale like. It has no interest in the Drifters unless they float too close to its mouth and appear as snacks… But its wake generates strange whirlpools that can bash and bruise, and keeps everyone trapped in the opera house. Bubbles rise up from the floor or swirl in the whirlpools, and provide flashes of vision: a finned priestess meditating on the moon and then sinking into the depths. Said bubbles also release soft melodies of song; beware of potentially singing along, which can draw attention from the drowned machines.
06-A: SONIC CRY
An array of ornate dish shaped machines catch all sound and magnify it… And track the leviathan as it moves through the opera house, always angled on the monster. As the machines collect more sound, they echo it back in damaging soundwaves that sound like a requiem or a dirge.
The sound in turn is distorted into words that match the bubble visions:
“Offer your songs and voice to the moon… She can transform them into power, greater than anything the Wardens could ever give. Even as the old audience fears you, the moon will always listen… Such monsters are a poison. To the water. The land. The very air. They are a blight upon our world that pollute everything. We will always find new and better ways to cull, as long as they come back.”
Anything caught up in those sound waves can feel pressure and pain in their bodies, but that’s just a side effect of the crossfire. The machines are focused on the leviathan, and bringing it down now that they have ammunition. It’s all enough to seriously damage or outright kill the leviathan depending on how much noise Drifters make, or how much song is pulled out of them by the currents and the bubbles.
The sound in turn is distorted into words that match the bubble visions:
“Offer your songs and voice to the moon… She can transform them into power, greater than anything the Wardens could ever give. Even as the old audience fears you, the moon will always listen… Such monsters are a poison. To the water. The land. The very air. They are a blight upon our world that pollute everything. We will always find new and better ways to cull, as long as they come back.”
Anything caught up in those sound waves can feel pressure and pain in their bodies, but that’s just a side effect of the crossfire. The machines are focused on the leviathan, and bringing it down now that they have ammunition. It’s all enough to seriously damage or outright kill the leviathan depending on how much noise Drifters make, or how much song is pulled out of them by the currents and the bubbles.
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.
Boat Salvage: There’s a large amount of abandoned boats on the river, some beached and some drifting free in the rivers. It’s possible to salvage equipment or supplies from them… Just make sure you know how to swim, in case you fall overboard.
Gone Fishing Part 2: Much like the marshes in the forests, there’s spots for fishing here as well! Please remain careful with submerging in the water, as the transformed fish are still willing to bite back.
Flooding: One aspect of the river lands, especially with the waters and rains, is the roads flooding over. Some can be crossed with risk, others require routing around. Or a bit of creative bridge building.
Rain: Storms are a constant in the river lands, ranging between fog and mist, to complete downpours, and thunderstorms! It can make for somber moods, with occasional breaks of sunlight or moonlight.
GAS STATION GALLOWS: REPLIES
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Re: GAS STATION GALLOWS: REPLIES
[ If a direction is given, he'll make note of it in relation to the path the Convoy is taking. ]
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SecUnit/Murderbot | The Murderbot Diaries | Swarm
Shit.
[So much for another gas station so soon. SecUnit jumps down from its ATV, reaching for the radio there and clipping it off to send out a broadcast.]
Husks at the station. Non-combatants avoid. Past evidence of Steel Wardens in the area.
[It stares at those forms as it sends the message, then clicks the radio off as it observes the forms, circling the space to look at the ropes, to take images of the warnings there, the macabre sight of those bodies. Documenting evidence like this is a crime scene, even though 'what happened' seems pretty fucking obvious, at this point.
It's about halfway done with that effort when it hears/feels the rumble of an approaching vehicle and lifts its head to scowl in that direction. For fuck's sake. That radio call was supposed to be a warning, not an invitation.]
2: Broken Shield
[When the shields go down, the SecUnit doesn't argue over what needs to be done, or start taking charge of a watch roster, or any of the humans or other organic beings who inevitably volunteer themselves for watch duty around the evenings. It just makes its own quiet resolution, and so it's there, most nights, walking the edges of the collection of vehicles. It's walking lightly, quietly, so as not to disturb anyone there as it makes its way to each defensive point on the Convoy.
There's a rumble in the distance, thunder and a distant thrum as the rain starts slowly to sweep in towards their stopping place for the night. SecUnit stops in place, head turning to watch the horizon, before it steps around the nearby vehicle, some brief movement or scrape of a foot on the ground alerting it to the closest nearby presence of another drifter.]
Hey. [More startling than it means to be, but its mind and attention are clearly focused out over the nearby riverbanks and their surroundings.] Weather incoming. Visibility's going to be shit.
4: Don't Drown
[And the river swells overnight, to make matters worse. The overflowing banks come up nearly to the edge of the vehicles, and SecUnit is once again pacing the edges of it, warily testing the now-muddy ground and scanning the edges for any way past the next section, sometime after breakfast.
It manages to make it a few feathering branches of the ford away from the main Convoy before the lacework of the rivers finally stymies it, leaving it on a little near-island of sand and scowling at the water.
It's been in blue-black pants and a casual jacket this entire time, but as SecUnit tests the depths of the water, the flicker following it against the clear blue of the sky is a pale scuffed grey-white armored shape, its movements stiff and economical as it follows along behind SecUnit, step for step.]
5/6: Drowned Halls and Merfolk
[A shape darts through the dark depths of the water, especially at night, arrow-like. SecUnit makes a return to the Convoy now and then, but ever since it got dunked in the water it's been hard to find, ducking into the shadows as the long, narrow almost eel-like body with its dark edge scales and line of bioluminescent patches along the length of its body, the only sign of its face the occasional lambent reflection of light off of its eyes.
When it comes into the open space of the opera hall it starts diving deep, some monster instinct sending it away from the crystal lanterns towards the dark shadows, but the bubbles rising to the surface prove an obstacle - each time it starts to get close it finds itself forced to twist to the side, avoiding those and the sheer size of the leviathan as it drifts through, until one of its darting motions carries it around and past another shape in the water, the familiar-unfamiliar form of another Drifter, as its bioluminescence flared and died down, leaving it a dark shape in the water nearby.]
[ooc: SecUnit will be a dragonfish mer for the end of the month! Until then, you can catch it with any of these prompts, or ask me to write up a custom for any of the others. It can also, as always, be caught watching shows in the common room now and then.]
Broken Shield
Hey. [ Low visibility is an old friend of Deacon's, but it's a bit different when you're on the lookout end of it. ]
Weather will be weather. [ Says the guy fully wearing sunglasses. ] Rain's not so bad, you know. It's the mud that does you in. Clings to you no matter what. Makes a guy real easy to track.
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don't drown
But he's not the one the river seems intent on tormenting today, and he doesn't recognize the armor he can see in the water now. Not that he's all that familiar with SecUnit yet to know the sort of other things that are normal for it--and he's heard only vague rumors about the whole Husk Situation™, as little time as he usually spends inside the convoy trailers--but he'd remember if he'd ever seen it in something like this, and armor design is a particular interest of his, the sort of thing he likes to memorize incredibly arcane details about for fun and finds himself disappointed when nobody else wants to hear about it.
He's just around for backup, really, surveying in the opposite direction with tire iron in hand, but he keeps glancing back at the reflection as if to study it. ]
Shame you don't have that around here. What's the ballistic resistance on it?
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Deacon | Fallout 4 | Fae
---Broken Shield // Night Shift
Deacon has always been practically nocturnal, but with the loss of the convoy's shield system, he's doing his part to keep watch. The sunroof of his vehicle is propped open and Deacon sits with his feet dangling through it, his gun resting in his lap as he watches out over the perimeter. He's incredibly quiet up there, and there's no telling how he manages to see anything at night with a pair of sunglasses on, but he's used to it, and somehow still at his observational best.
If anyone from the convoy approaches from behind, he'll hear them coming, spinning with his gun ready just in case a husk has managed to slip by, but never pointing his weapon until he's confirmed what's made the sound. Otherwise, he faces out across the landscape. Anything within range of his sight is used for target-practice, taken down before it's given the chance to test it's mettle. He's a great shot at long-range.
"Oooh," he mutters after taking another stray monster down, "Three more points and I think I've earned myself a smoke."
---Power Plant Approach // Don't Fall
Back home, water like this, specifically one boasting to be the home of a power plant, generally meant radiation and mirelurks (mutated crabs the size of humans that simply chew through ammo). Deacon is on high alert, chewing his own lower lip as he steps onto the bridge with a light foot. This is way more exposed than he's comfortable being... and his weapon will get absolutely waterlogged the moment it gets wet, so he's doing his absolute damndest not to.
The floating creatures are not exactly what he expected to see, but it's clear that they're a threat the moment he's forced to dodge a barb shot in his and his comrades' direction as well as a ray of bubbles. He's not certain what those do, but he's not risking it.
"Aw, come on-- I didn't bring my fishing gear!" he shouts, lining up a shot, "Think they sound like a popping balloon when they get hit?!?"
---Power Plant Exploration // Regrets? A Few.
The halls of the power plant bring way more comfort to Deacon than they should by any means, but given his distaste for wide-open spaces and his preference for shadowy corners, he's way more in his element. At least, so much can be said before something strange seems to ripple in the reflections of the water at his feet.
For some, one might find reflections of the man above, just sporting an utterly insane haircut (everything from mullets to mohawks and in-between, in just about every color). For others, the reflection of what seems to be a different person entirely (always wearing sunglasses). Each time, he'll attempt to kick it with his foot to wash it away, laughing it off before moving past it along the corridor.
"Sheesh, I really should've checked my reflection before heading out this morning."
---Power Plant Exploration // Bone-Zone
"Love what you've done with the place." He quips as he takes in the collection of bones piled throughout the room. "It's missing something, though. Maybe a cross stitch for the wall that says 'Bone Sweet Bone'..." he pauses, "Bome?? I'll workshop it."
Hopefully whatever is responsible for this pile doesn't come to defend it, but for now, Deacon is just using those observational skills of his to spot whatever piece it is they're looking for.
don't fall
As fast as the tail and fins allow Danse to swim, dodging the other hostile things in the water slows him down to the point where he's terrified he won't make it over in time. Deacon might be a deeply suspect individual, and Danse might still have a whole brahmin's worth of personal and professional beef with him, but damn it, he's--
Well, he's not someone Danse wants to see drowned in a lake, that's for sure, even when that wolflike pack-bonding instinct has been washed away by the aquatic changes overwriting it. He hauls himself up onto the nearest part of the walkway that hasn't collapsed and drags Deacon out of the water, laying him unceremoniously out on the approach and trying to manually pump some of the fluid out of his lungs.
"Damn you. Come on."
It isn't enough. Despairing, and shoving away any thoughts of the unsuccessful times he's had to do this out in the field, he repositions himself--far harder to do with the slippery fishtail, not ideally made for trying to gain purchase on a narrow metal walkway--and bends over to breathe air into Deacon's mouth while he keeps up the compressions.
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blake belladonna | rwby
[ If Blake had been in something approaching a good mood as they'd driven into a new area, that cheer is dashed when she pulls up next to the abandoned gas station. They've seen a few like it on this trip so far, but-- the bodies strung from ropes are new.
She's been talking with other drifters about their theories a lot, and the biggest theory about the Husks is that they were once people. Like them, turned into monsters, and then into Husks. They may not be some mindless beast. They might have once had dreams and hopes and loves.
Blake can't bear to leave them there.
She shoots down a few, bullets snapping the ropes, and catches them as they fall. Before the monsters can burst out from within their casing, Blake puts them out of their misery, a blade through the heart or head. And then she starts digging the graves. She finds a patch of grass and soil next to the road, a shovel in a backroom, and grimly sets about her task. For a long while, there's nothing but silence and the wind, until she hears footsteps approach. ]
There's another shovel, if you'd like to help.
[ Where Blake had once killed Husks without thinking about it, now she finds herself mourning them. Like the raiders from a couple of months ago, so human in their construction. Are all the monsters they encounter things that were once human? ]
[ Blake's no expert engineer. She knows enough to have designed her own gun-katana-grapple weapon, and she knows the basics of vehicles, but that's about it. So, why is she venturing into the broken down power plant? Because Yang is a genius at anything mechanical, so Blake's hoping she can find something useful, and together they'll be able to help patch up the convoy.
It's an awful, claustrophobic place. It reminds her of the tunnels underneath the farming community she'd been in not long before she'd gotten dragged to this world; half-submerged, stagnant and dim. Just about everything metal seems to be covered in brown rust, and the waters reflect bizarre shapes back at her, flashes of red and white, silhouettes familiar enough that she has to look away, swallowing hard.
She has passed a bunch of rooms so far; rooms heated from steam, rooms crackling with electricity. And as she peers into the doorway of one, she notes a hole in the roof of the room, the barest glimpse of a cloudy sky. Blake cautiously heads in--
Only to scatter backwards when the clouds part briefly to allow a wan sun, her hand hits that weak light, and it burns.
Retreating to the doorway, Blake clutches her hand to her chest, feline ears flat. It doesn't take two guesses to figure out what just happened. Damn it. She's a vampire, and apparently the weakness to sunlight just kicked in. How is she even going to get out of here? Will the cloud cover hold?
Blake waves down someone nearby. ]
Can I ask for your help? There's some parts in this room-- it looks safe enough, but, um. I can't go in.
[ Blake likes to think she's getting smarter about the traps in this landscape, but something about the lake had drawn her in. She'd just gone to sit next to it and read by its glowing light at night, but she'd seen-- a shadow. A hypnotizing phantom. An absence. It had drawn her in, and further in, until she'd fallen beneath the waters.
Now, once the power plant has sunk and revealed a bizarre ballroom, she finds that at least one of her problems has been solved: there's no sunlight in here, so she can't get burned. It's a small mercy.
On the other hand, she's... kind of trapped.
There's a platform high up that isn't consumed by the waters-- maybe someone got trapped there as it sank, maybe they're exploring. Either way, Blake seeks them out. She emerges from the water, cat ears first, bat wings pulled tightly against her back so they don't drag in the water. Beneath the surface, a long mermaid tail is visible, black-purple scales shining in the illuminated depths. ]
Please, no catfish jokes.
[ Well, at least she's taking this whole thing well enough. ]
Don't come in the water. You'll have to find another way out, or you'll transform and get stuck.
Drowned Song
That was definitely a big shift right there.
Ruby can't help but snort.]
Look- I knew you liked tuna, but this is ridiculous.
[Ba-dum tish.]
Really? Did just getting in there do that to you?
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Power Plant Exploration
[Sure, he's uncomfortable with tight spaces, water filling up the hallways, and those... Things he keeps seeing flit through the spaces. But it's hard not to turn his attention to Blake when she gives that pained noise.
Akihiko gives a cautious glance inside the room, but he doesn't see anything that immediately raises alarms. Just some ruins, and some sunlight, which he frowns at. Nothing that looks like it would cause damage.]
"I can check in there, if you want. It looks better than that cold room, at least."
[His ears give a violent twitch at that. Whatever else has changed about him, cold temperatures and him still don't mix.]
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gas station
Or it would, if Blake hadn't beaten it to its self-appointed task.
It crosses its arms, staring at the shovel, and the start of the pit that Blake has managed. The remnants of the husks, lined neatly along the road, waiting for their places. The helmet is long gone, torn to shreds by a monster, and it's having to make do with a simple facemask instead that does nothing to hide the way it's not looking in Blake's direction at all.]
I guess.
[It probably sounds callous, putting it like that. But it does reach for the shovel.]
zack fair | final fantasy vii
002 - raincheck
003 - don't drown
004 - wildcard
001
And then there's this place.
A gas station is always a promising place for scavenging, but he's had second thoughts once he's made out the forms hanging there, suddenly not as eager to go. And yet here he is, miserable, wet and growing ever anxious. But at least there's cover from the rain. He shakes out his feathers, eyes lingering on the graffiti'd ground as his expression darkens, but upon Zack's touch, he nearly jumps two feet, eyes literally brightening in the dim light with his surprise.]
Oh my muffins why did you-
[The winged turtle cuts himself off as he looks at the phone before glancing back at Zack after the message.]
...wait. Akechi told me about this.
[He casts a grim look towards the hanging husks.]
Touching them does...weird things, breaking them might loose a monster on us. But playing whatever music comes up on the phone will release the dormant spirits within.
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wild card 4 wild card.
Raincheck
arcade gannon | fallout: new vegas
ii - broken shield + monster shift (major)
iii - boat salvage
iv - wildcard
Maggie Rhee | The Walking Dead: Dead City
[It's dark, the rain coming down in sheets as Maggie stands outside her truck, staring at the gas station and the bodies hanging from the roof. It feels like a familiar story by now. One group kills another group, and were they right to do it or wrong, who knows, but in this case, with bodies left on display, her inclination is to believe that those she's looking at are the victims; especially in a world where bodies left behind means more monsters loose to prey on everyone else.
The grisly display feels too much like theatrics, and she hates it more than she will ever care to talk about.
Maggie sighs, and pushes her rain soaked hair back from her face. She can't leave them like that. There's the potential danger of monsters erupting from the husks, and some of them already look close to that point as far as she can tell with the limited experience she's had so far. Besides, god knows she wouldn't want to be left like that either if it was her.
She moves through them methodically, one by one, cutting down a husk, stabbing it in the head and moving onto the next one.
She certainly won't complain if someone chooses to help.]
2 - Power Plant Part 1 - Regrets
[The plant looks old and ill-maintained, but it's hardly a shock under the circumstances as Maggie creeps quietly through the seemingly abandoned corridors. While between the flying puffer fish, and the creatures swimming in the water beneath the unstable bridges certainly serves as a pretty effective deterrent, inside so far seems fairly quiet. It doesn't stop her from keeping her proceeding with caution through the partially flooded corridors in an attempt to draw as little attention to her presence as possible.
Maggie doesn't notice the change in her own reflection at first; she's not paying that much attention to it, and instead focused on what lies ahead and any potential danger that might be lurking nearby.
She freezes immediately when she glances down at the water. The dark, angry eyes of a boy who looks like he is probably no more than fifteen glares up at her from under a mop of unruly dark hair. He is clutching a brick in one hand, shovel in the other, looking like he's about ready to try to take on the entire world, Maggie herself included, if need be. She can practically hear him snapping at her to get off his damn back for once.
It's a trick of the light, she tells herself. Or her imagination playing tricks on her. It's fine, she's fine, and she's certainly going to ignore the pang of grief the sight of the boy brings bubbling up to the forefront of her mind.
It's not like Hershel is here. She would have found him by now if he was somewhere in the convoy already. No, her only child is safely home in The Bricks where he belongs, that much she is certain of. Probably just as furious with her as ever.
What she wouldn't do to be right back there with him right now, trying to figure out how to fix their fractured relationship.]
3 - Power Plant Part 2 - Cold Room
[Even the handle on the door is cold compared to the partially flooded corridor, and it takes a couple attempts to force it to turn properly and pop the door open.
Especially with being soaked from trudging through the power plant, the cold goes bone deep and Maggie can see her breath in the air as she exhales with a shiver.
She can see the component on the other side of the room, partially imbedded in a frozen sheet of ice.
Of course she should have expected retrieving wasn't going to be that easy, between the risk of slipping and falling on the ice, and the need to chip the component free.]
Damnit... All right... Watch your step, I guess.
4 - Don't Drown
[Sometimes the only way forward is through. The reflections on the water look like something out of painting, from deep blue, to red to the starlight that reflects off its surface at night. It's not lost on Maggie that there's good odds that also means it is incredibly dangerous.
It's with an abundance of caution that she wades into the water, trying to make her way to a spot on the shore of the river a bit further upstream where a boat lies washed up against the rocks. She holds her arms out to the sides to keep her balance, she's careful about where she puts her feet, and she's careful to keep an eye on the water for any sign of movement that might indicate that there is a threat lurking beneath the peaceful surface.
It's the movement that catches her eye this time. The knife that she's not actually holding shimmers into view in her hand, pressed against the throat of an older man staring up at her from the water with a look of understanding and resignation in his eyes.
Her reaction is immediate, she startles backwards, and when the movement isn't enough to break the reflection, she swipes at it with her hand, splashing water off to the side, but he just keeps staring up at her as his hand reaches up to grasp her wrist to slowly lower the knife.
She swipes at the water again, infuriated that the reflection doesn't dissipate with the first attempt.]
Fuck off!
5 - Monster Shift
[It's probably a bad idea. Maggie knows returning to the power plant to try to help retrieve more of the components to repair the shield is a bad idea, but towards the end of the month, she's willing to make a second attempt to help get the generator fixed so the Convoy can get moving again.
The rickety walkway to the power plant she is traversing feels even more rickety than the last time, and she grips the rusted railing on either side of her tightly with both hands as the metal groans threateningly under her feet.
She doesn't dare look down at the water as she feels her heart pounding in her chest.
One of the Blugu floating lazily above spots her and dives, and instinctively she dives herself to avoid the quills it launches at her.
The walkway shrieks in protest and the metal twists and gives way under her weight as she lets out a cry of alarm. She manages to barely grab onto the railing, kicking at the empty air as she tries to pull herself back up. The Blugu dives again and she loses her grip completely, plunging into the water with a splash.
She doesn't see the form her reflection takes this time, but she still feels something pull her under deeper, and she's sure she is about to drown when suddenly she feels a change wash over her. Her body shifts and changes in ways that shouldn't be possible, bubbles of air rising in front of her as she tries to fight the sensation. There isn't time for her to make sense of it, though, or worry about lasting effects just yet.
The seal propels herself from the depths of the lake to breach the surface with a splash, sucking in a deep breath of air. The movement is enough to catch the attention of a Diver, swimming lazily just under the surface nearby. She quickly dives back under the water to flee, the monster in hot pursuit of what its hoping will be its next meal.]
6 - Wildcard!
[Bring your own adventure, or plot with me via DM or over at
Gas Station
She shifts and quickly moves to help out.
Taking out her large scythe and using it to more quickly reach up to some of the husks and cut them down.
Eventually she'll shift her gaze over to Maggie.]
You uh- look like you've done this once or twice before.
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Donnie // Harpy
Donnie's been anxious once the shields had gone out. His legs and feet have been aching and after what had happened the last time, he doesn't look forward to what that likely will herald.
He's never kept the greatest of sleep schedules to begin with, so being up at night is hardly anything new, but he's far too restless to be working on projects, the usual reason he neglects to sleep normal hours. The usual comfort of the Turtle Tank's familiar surroundings isn't doing it for him either, making him feel oddly claustrophobic. So outside he goes.
It feels...so much better out here, and he takes wing, the first chance he gets. The air smells of rain, the moon, or what's left of it anyway, peeks through the clouds. It's invigorating up here, deceptively peaceful that one could almost forget the entire situation they've been thrown into. Here in the skies is like another world...
-but he can't go too far. Donnie shakes his head, coming to himself as his eyes fall upon the Convoy, distant and tiny below. How high has he flown? He should probably head to lower altitudes, but while he's awake and up, he supposes he may as well make the best of it by making sure nothing else takes advantage of their vulnerability.
Patrolling. Yes. That had been his plan all along.
II. On Approach
The sleepless nights have led to him more or less conking out in the daytime as they head out to find the equipment they need to repair the generator. He's still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when they do arrive at the old power plant, but curiosity and interest chase away whatever remnants of it there may be.
"Oh, cool..." Old-fashioned, but fairly reliable. He's built backup generators for their home that are powered by similarly, so he's excited to see one in use for something bigger.
The bridge looks less than stable, and while the Turtle Tank had an aqueous mode, he's not sure if it functions, given that a lot of his other special installations have been absent. Not that they need the Tank anyway for something like this. Right?
In any case, it's an excuse to fly, and fly, Donnie does, easily catching a breeze and circling to keep an eye out on whomever else is actually taking the rusty walkway. He's also keeping an eye on a few strange spiky, floating fish that are making their approach. "I'm not sure that's a good thing," he murmurs, his musing interrupted by the unmistakable groan of protesting metal, which effectively has him looking back towards the bridge at the Drifter below. "-careful!"
III. Exploration a. Water Water Everywhere
"Well, at least it looks relatively cleaner than the sewers," Donnie can't help but comment to the Drifter he's tagged along with. Wandering around such dank, flooded places isn't really anything new for a mutant turtle. "Smells better, at least." At least he won't have to worry about trying to get unpleasant scents out of his feathers, but he still dislikes it when they get wet.
He frowns as the water down this particular corridor is notably deeper, nearly to his knees. "That's...reassuring. Think we'll have to start swimming soon?" That's meant to be a joke but he can't help but wonder as he pushes forward. "There's a doorway further down," he points towards the dark end of the hall, not noticing as his reflection in the waters starts to change.
It doesn't...seem like anything unusual, or it wouldn't if it weren't for the fact that the turtle's reflection is missing his wings. Instead he has some kind of armor over his soft shell, but something's raked its claws into the metal leaving deep furrows.
III. Exploration b. Electricity
It's not surprising that there's still power running through the place, and Donnie's just amazed that they haven't gotten electrocuted. ...not that that isn't still a possibility. On the up-side, at least it isn't a lake in here?
"Okay, I think that's what we're looking for," he says, goggles lowered over his eyes as he points towards the middle of the room. "Don't suppose anyone's got a lightning rod on them?"
Hey, you never know!
Paladin Danse | Fallout 4 | Zoanthrope
II. Monster Shift | This Isn't the Navy, You Know
III. Sonic Cry | I'm More of a Country-Western and Bluegrass Fan Myself
IV. Wildcard
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Normally, Leo doesn't mind rain. And he's excited to see a gas station again, because it's a chance to replenish his snack stash; something that's become especially important to him ever since his most terrible at taking care of himself brother landed here.
But of course this place had to be creepy and covered with husks. Eugh.
Currently he's standing just outside the canopy, not concerned about how wet he's getting. He has his arms folded, looking at the building.
"Well, I was gonna see if they have Takis, but..."
Seeing this many dead bodies is probably not great for his brain development.
B: Shields Down (convoy)
Patrolling at night is something Leo has become accustomed to, given that he has such a hard time sleeping and... well, lately, being out in the sun hasn't felt the best. Like it makes him sleepy, sapping him of energy.
So it doesn't even register to him that anything is unusual as he grows restless at night, driven to prowl the edges of the convoy, on the lookout for monsters or any other threats.
But as the moonlight passes over him... well, even with his cloak covering the worst parts of his broken shell, it's still clear Leo has changed. Exposed bone peeks through the ends of his fingertips, and his face is gaunt, skin clinging to him like it's been left in the dryer too long.
Man... he could really go for some kind of snack... but why does he feel drawn to those around him when he thinks that...
C: Power Plant A
Well, at least this is familiar! Half-submerged tunnels, dank and dark and echo-y... It feels just like home!
"Man, you know," he says conversationally to whoever he's walking with, bare feet sloshing through the water, "I never thought I would miss tunnels, but now that I'm back, it feels right."
Maybe it helps that they're shielded from any sun here.
D: Power Plant B
The room is frozen over. Normally that would be a bad thing for Leo, especially dressed as sparsely as he is, but right now he feels strangely comfortable. He's not sure if that means the hypothermia has already set in, or something undead-related.
Probably the latter.
He tries to push that from his thoughts as he looks around, surveying the icy room.
"Alright, sooo..." He blows air between his lips in a raspberry. "Anyone bring an ice pick?"
[[OOC: I'll match format so feel free to switch to brackets if you want.
Leo's Grave Touch is starting to come in for prompt B, so be aware of that if your character gets touched by him haha. He won't suck out enough to kill anyone, though... probably.]]
Heat | Digital Devil Saga
Free Barbecue, Mid Repairs: cw dead monsters, eating dead monsters
[Every night, every time the Convoy parks for the night, Heat goes hunting. Agni's appetite is voracious, and he saw no reason to not indulge when the opportunity arose. Hungry predators outside the perimeter simply find hungry predators within, and the resultant fights have been nearly nightly. He's not the only one prowling around, either. With the shield mid-repairs, and Heat no real skilled hand at mechanics of this sort, he's decided to do something else with this rare, rainless evening.And he's returned about an hour after sunset this time, drenched in blood that's probably not his, scoured the Convoy for rope, stole a tow strap, and disappeared into the darkness again. This time when he comes back, it's in Agni's shape for the needed leverage and strength, dragging by the stolen tow strap a mostly intact blue-skinned dead monster some might recognize as an elphadunk. Conspicuously quite a bit of the inside bits are missing, and probably not left out in the brush and watercourses for scavengers to pick off. But it's the man and not the two-headed form of Agni that sets to finish what he'd started.
There's definitely a goal in mind when he sets to scrounging downed wood from the environment to make a fire - a thing he's not used to doing MANUALLY these days but still recalls how - and then begins setting up an array of sticks, stolen grills, clean sheet metal and the like around said fire. Hacking off bits of the dead monster is a messy affair, but it's not like he can get bloodier.
The smell of cooking meat is a deliberate but unspoken invitation. Those working on repairing the convoy aren't going to have time to go do their own hunting.
Heat's forgotten about - or doesn't even think about things that could improve this .. such as spices, or vegetables. But it's a start. Hungry?]
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She has to admit; she's impressed this guy managed to take down one of those elephant things. They'd looked pretty tanky.
For a moment, lingers at the perimeter of firelight, uncertain. She thinks she might be intruding. But he's roasting a lot of meat. Surely he's intending to share and not eat all of that himself, so, strangers must be okay to approach. The second problem is that the scent of blood is so thick-- it's everywhere, overwhelming, threatening to drive her into rabid hunger.
Blake takes a deep breath, and shoves her hunger down. It's a constant battle, but she just fed yesterday on a monster. She'll be fine. ]
I can help you prepare the rest of that. [ She nods at the rest of the elephant thing, the parts still with skin on, untreated. ] Looks like a pretty big job just for one person.
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Ruby Rose | RWBY
[Sleepless nights? Vulnerable Convoy? Possible chance of monsters around every corner? Look. This was the kind of stuff Ruby lived for, trained for, and had dedicated her life to. She was quick to volunteer to do patrols throughout the night.
So if anyone is wandering around there's a girl with silver eyes, dragon horns, and a very large scythe/rifle walking around whistling to herself.
Every once in awhile she'll point a finger gun at some one coming by. (Using an actual gun would be dangerous.]
Halt, State your business!
Power Plant: Exploration (Bone Room)
[Look. On a normal day. Ruby would be incredibly weirded out by the room filled with sharp bones. And to tell the truth, she still was! But she had managed to look on the bright side and hand collected a bunch of the metal husk bones to see what she could fashion them into at a later date.
She's still holding too as she and has decided to start drumming them against the walls, and anything else she can see to try and see how they sound.]
Oh man~! Do you think if I practiced enough? I could start a band?
Don't Drown
[Look. Like with the oasis Ruby was going to take any safe opportunity to take a breather and relax. When they came across the river she figured it would be a great time to do that.
This time however isn't quite as fun as the last time around. She eventually catches on to that fact that her reflection paints a very different picture than the one she presents. Her reflection looks tired, battered, with sunken tear stained eyes. She doesn't look like she's slept in days. Ruby frowns and gives it a splash, but it remains.]
Oh. Gross. Worst reflection ever.
Wildcard
[Feel free to choose your own adventure of hit me at jjabarrett on plurk or discord to plot something out.]
Jack Russell | Werewolf By Night | Yokai
Of course Jack brings his radio up to the gallows to free those poor souls. Of course he does. Even if it's dangerous, it's worth it. He approaches with caution, but maybe not enough caution, depending on who you're asking.
He mostly doesn't disturb them into turning into monsters. But maybe he does disturb one, and needs rescuing as he scampers around the gas station in an attempt to avoid being hit by the former husk he'd failed to free in time.
II. Boast Salvage/Gone Fishing
Jack is fairly nimble when it comes to balancing on unsteady and unstable boats, and jumping to safety when it seems like something might shift away or crumble under him, so whenever there's a boat in decent enough condition drifting close enough to the shoreline, he pulls over and leaps across to investigate.
He also pulls over now and then when he smells or hears something in the water, and tosses out a fishing line he's scraped together from the shore. He'll catch up with the convoy after he's caught something. There will be fried fish a couple nights for anyone coming by his van.
There are reflections in the water, both from the boats and from the shore. He doesn't shy away from the werewolf glowering back at him, or the silver-haired girl who stares at him with huge brown eyes and a betrayed expression. He will, actually, talk to them, as if he could maybe make them understand. He can't, but they're still company, sort of. Anyone coming by might hear, "I'm sorry, mija." Or maybe, "Growl all you want to, you are just an illusion."
III. Rainstorm Changes
During one particularly heavy rainstorm, Jack is trying to get back to the convoy from his van, the half-finished coat he'd been working on held over his head, when suddenly he is not actually Jack the mostly-human anymore. He disappears under his coat, which
pools around him on the wet ground.
A fox nose pokes out from under it, and he cries, exasperated, "Oh, not again!" At least he doesn't feel like vibrating out of his skin or running in circles, perhaps that's only windstorms?
He'll try to drag his poor coat through the rain back in the direction of the convoy, and paw at a door until someone lets him in.
IV. Power Plant Exploration
Jack sticks to rooms and hallways that are unflooded. He's seen what happens to people who get submerged, and he is very uninterested in turning into any kind of fish person. He is also more wary than he probably even needs to be, because he doesn't want a repeat of last month's hospital, where he almost got caged for not being human enough.
Find him staring at a pool of water in his way, considering how best to get across or go around it without getting too wet, or watching the flickers of electricity in the electric room to gauge when and where it's most likely to strike, aiming to make good use of his supernatural dodging skills to get across it to where the part they need is.
Jolie Harmony | Odd Thomas | Fae
Jolie stops well back from the gas station, climbing out of her Oldsmobile to look at the grisly scene with a slightly horrified expression. It slowly starts to turn angry. "That's barbaric," she says out loud. "You don't hang people. You don't-- it's awful."
She'll do what she can to help them, with the music, without disturbing them enough to break the husks.
II. Don't Drown
Jolie doesn't need to be pulled down into the river. It's a river, and she's missed swimming since the oases, and she's already parked and wriggling into her swimsuit in the back seat as soon as the convoy settles down for the night. The plants around the water sound happy, so she doubts it's poisonous or anything.
She doesn't even immediately notice the reflection of a younger boy in the water before she just dives right in.
And comes up with a little shriek at the sharp pains the sudden changes cause in her. She tugs her hair free from the fins now protruding from her shoulders, the gills in the side of her neck, and starts gasping now, as well, as her body tries to work out which set of breathing systems it should be using. "What the hell, what the hell, oh my god what-- why are my fingers webbed!!"
She doesn't wind up with a mermaid tail, at least, so she can drive, but for the rest of the month, there are claws and webbing on her hands and feet, a sheen of green scales over much of her body, gills in her neck, and a ridge of flexible fins down her back. She hates it, thanks. Walking is uncomfortable, she can't wear a shirt and has to keep her swimsuit on instead, and she definitely can't wear her shoes.
III. Power Station Exploration
Jolie is used to the fish form now, at least, so she doesn't bother with the unsteady walkways to get to the power station. She just swims it, keeping an eye out for other people who might fall through, and then heaves herself up and into whatever doors are open above lake level.
The she finds the most underwater passages and swims through those, too, winding up first in the bone room, where she starts picking through the sharpened implements in search of something she likes, figuring she's not going to turn down free weapons. Picking her way across is going to be harder, in search of the components the convoy needs, and in the end she might just wind up frustratedly summoning water from the corridor outside to wash as much of it away as possible.
Vincent Valentine | Final Fantasy VII OG | Vampire
I. Shields Down, Monsters Out
Vincent does laugh internally at it all. Another day, another monster. And this one seems a fitting addition; he'd all but possessed its appearance out of legends and tales anyway and pretty much expected it once the sun had become something of a bane.
Well, he wouldn't complain too much about the sun. Didn't really like it but at least it doesn't burn. Once the fangs grew in and the blood hunger started, the man wasn't sure if how natural it felt was a side effect of this world's monster instinct or because he was just used to it by now. Another sliver of his humanity, gone.
Vincent had learned to move forward again, but his body was still...
Yet he still hadn't become a monster that would tear into his allies. Thus he took his hunt to the quiet shadows of the night, to 'patrols' which were patrols but would take down monsters and let him feast on their blood. Which thankfully they had enough of the right sort. Blugu and Forneus were the best for now. Elphadunks were... not exactly impossible to kill, but knocking one out long enough to drink was the opposite of quick and silent.
Which means most of his meals were necessary kills for one reason or another. Convenient, these monsters. Not wanting to leave a drained corpse to worry people- or is it that he doesn't want to have to answer questions?- means hiding the bodies. Sometimes, he just discards the corpse in the nearest body of water. Yes, as long as there had been nothing else around, it was easy enough to let the local monsters take care of the evidence. They often did so with gusto.
Other times he might bring it home after after cutting up the meat- a process which would largely call for exsanguination anyway- and discarding the parts with evidence. The Blugu anyway. People... probably wouldn't like the Forneus as meat. And someone already brought back an elphadunk.
But for all his care- and Vincent is definitely good at hiding bodies and being careful not to be found with the evidence- that doesn't mean he won't be discovered or caught one way or another. Maybe it's the increasing nocturnal pattern - even if he's seen awake during the day. Maybe a glimpse of the fangs when the moon's thrall didn't have him so clever at hiding the signs with the high collar of his ever-present cloak.
II. Don't Drown
One evening, Vincent will be caught off guard. ...Maybe off guard. Who's to say how much he's aware?
It's a shallow part of the river. Some out of the way bend or... doesn't matter. The former Turk seems to have resisted the temptation of plunging deeper or maybe he didn't dare presume to move closer in hopes of a clearer view of something he know had to be an illusion. It couldn't be here. Wouldn't be here no matter what this world was.
Yet as if perfectly reflecting something that actually doesn't exist on the far bank or above the water's surface, there is the image of some crystaline formation. A cavern ceiling. Periodically it's interrupted by drops of rain. To some it might just be odd crystal formation. Others may recognize it as a formation born of mako.
But no one here (yet) would probably recognize the actual location but for the dark haired gunman.
Well glowing rocks or maybe some portal to somewhere else. It's hard to say anything other than it means something and enough to Vincent Valentine, the usually aloof and indifferent Drifter, that he's sat on edge of the water, arm draped over raised knee and simply stares into the water as if entranced or lost in such deep and distant thought as though to be thoroughly unaware of his surroundings.
Someone who tries to approach quietly may find he doesn't reaction and they have an advantage.
One who lingers too long may well find that he is probably a bit more aware (eventually) than he's letting on; they'll be called out to.
"Whatever you're waiting for, ask. Or leave me be."
III. Boats
Balance is something the man rarely loses. Anyone that saw him moving around the gravity zone last month will be familiar enough with his antics that there shouldn't be too much worry seeing him move from boat to boat. Usually during the early evening; the lack of light doesn't seem to particularly trouble him one way or another.
But rather than loot and leave, he seems to be moving with a similar methodical practice that he'd used to clear the raiders from the thornscrub or the hospital that following month. With one addition; when it's possible, he brings the boat to secure firmly to the banks so that it doesn't drift beyond the capacity to return to it. Others are welcome to help or take advantage; at least this time he doesn't feel territorial.
He might have grabbed many personal things; the usual firearms and bullets that are his favorites for instance, but there's also other useful items that have been stacked on the banks to be taken back to the Convoy in general or sorted through by others. Vincent might be keeping his distance but there's evidence that his efforts are not for himself alone.
IV. Wildcard
Vincent will also help with fetching parts for the Convoy's shield generator or staying behind to protect home base. Is it because guns and underwater don't mix? Well... no. Not really; the gun he prefers to use is from his world and it's a bit more weird and robust in places it shouldn't be. But there are a lot of Drifters who might have already fallen prey to the mermaid effect of these waters and he'd prefer to avoid that himself.
Maybe. Let's see how the month goes.
He will also bring back various roots, aquatic edible plants and 'fish' and will be doing a lot of avoidance of people while he's trying to understand the limits of his new hunger; though during the day he'll be found at regular hours in his 'gun shop'. HMU if you're interested in something here or have your own prompts to tag into!
III
It seems he's more in the market for more standard items than machine parts at the moment, stacking a few seat cushions that don't seem moldy or torn up. There's some canvas and a few clothing items he figures he can piece together into something more serviceable. He uses some canvas for a makeshift sack.
If he's noticed Vincent's loner tendencies, Donnie doesn't seem to take it into consideration, although it's most likely he just really doesn't catch the social cues. He comes to set his things down on the bank beside Vincent's collection, pausing to rub at his lower legs with a wince.
"Hey, you see any paper of any sort?" he calls out to the other as he flexes his feet.