Wise choice, the arguing guy.
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Team Shift Happens
Previous Chapters:
Another One Bites The Dust - Stage 2 Run / Stage 2 Campsite
Repairs / A Good Meal - Stage 2 Campsite / The Green Crystal (Written by TheYugo45GV and Madrias)
A Good Night’s Sleep? - Stage 2 Campsite
“Here Comes the Hound of Death” - Stage 2 Campsite Battle - Written by Elizipeazie, TheYugo45GV, and Madrias.
Fright Night Forest Stage - Stage 3 Run / Stage 3 Camp
The Free Day - Stage 3 Camp (written in collaboration with @Elizipeazie) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3)
Safe Arrival - Stage 3 Camp (Written in collaboration with @TheYugo45GV)
The Rescue - Stage 4 Drive and Stage 4 “Camp”
The Rebuild - Stage 4 “Camp” (Written in collab. with @Elizipeazie ) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4)
Raiegarda Campsite, 6 Moon
Kaylie and Jayde were both just about contently asleep when John of Team Slow (@interior) stuck his head into their tent and asked, “Hey! Can you two help us out with the car?”
Jayde gave John a tired look and started to sit up when Kaylie snapped awake, stuffed her right hand into one of the many bags laying around the inside of their large tent, and pulled out a book, the “Dummies’ Guide to Car Repair.”
John had barely enough time to glance at the tell-tale yellow-and-black cover and read the title before Kaylie swung the book at his head. Making a hasty retreat after getting smacked in the face by a soft-cover book, John stood outside the tent and tried to recover. “I was just asking-”
“It’s 6 fucking Moon!” Kaylie snapped, crawling out of the tent with the book in her hand. “Would you call your mechanic at 1:30 in the fucking morning back home!?” She swung the book at John again, prompting him to run back toward the Schnell XL53 and his teammate, Matt. Kaylie, now properly wound up, gave chase, occasionally swinging the soft-bound book at John whenever she thought she was close enough to hit him with it.
“Matt! Help!” John said, dodging around behind the car.
“You couldn’t just wait until the morning?” Matt asked, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of John hiding from an angry mechanic tiger-woman trying to club him with a book.
“You said to ask Jayde!” John said. “Ow! How can that book hurt that much!”
“Be glad I don’t have a rolled up newspaper,” Kaylie said, “and that I respect this book too much to curl it up to hit you harder.” She stopped trying to hit John and set the book down on the car’s hood. “I suggest you consult that book and try it yourself. You might learn something. I am going back to bed.”
(OOC: Hope I at least got the characters close. I got a bit of mild inspiration for this out of the Discord, so I ran with it. At least with that book, they can try to fix the car.)
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Team Mravolinski-Chitco
Team info: 2022 Shitbox Rally - Out of This World! (Stage 4) - #30 by MrdjaNikolen
Reply to last part
Stage 4: Duskwater Village to Itzgarde
Since noone else was interested in hanging out, our stay at Duskwater camp would be uneventful, which kinda included sleeping situation.
Our journey on the other hand would follow the format that is well known from almost any other part of this trip: starting strong, but then experiencing some setback, denting our progress as a result.
We were slowed in fact by two or three things during this stage, which shall be explained.
Im kinda thinking two, but its on you to decide.
We had heard some concerning noises from the back and from above, or atleast i thought i had heard them.
So, we stopped, exited the vehicle and went to back to check said cargo.
I was patiently waiting by riding a bike a little bit.
Not long after, we were reached by your friendly neighborhood Swedes (team organized by equally yours friendly neighborhood Swede @Knugcab ) and they saw what we were struggling with.
Janne had passed the tape to me and i returned back to our car, partially covered in dust from Andreas’s speedy restart
At this point, rest of us determined all cargo was indeed securely fastened to car, but decided that we will keep duct tape, courtesy of Rollers getting far away.
We could give it back to them anyway in camp or keep it if they have enough, its always useful thing to have.
We continued journey, not aware of the fact that we are yet to experience next setback.
(Thoughts of certain local mentioned by Madrias in Stage 4 post)
Hmmm…i never saw these things before, but they surely are fast…wait, maybe i did.
.
.
.
Something doesnt add up tho:
- Where are their lizards?
- If they dont have lizards, how are they moving without lizards?
- Why they sound weird?
- Why they smell weird?
Maybe its because that meal i had eaten, plenty of birdies are now in my stomach.
I dont think it was possible for me to over-eat, no, i had indeed never encountered such situation.
So…its definitely not that.
They are indeed moving rather swiftly and running after them might accomplish nothing.
But im eager to find out whats happening.
Although…
My parents had always taught me that this is dangerous behaviour, that these thoughts could be the end of me.
I…kinda see where they are coming from: something common to all that use these roads is that they are scared of our kind, unlikely to be any different to these ones, despite some difference in transport.
They could react differently: some scream and cry and beg for mercy and others answer with whatever they have in their disposal
I heard plenty of stories of my kind being killed by latter group
But…i just wanna know…
Oh wait, seems that one of them had stopped. I might have opportunity to find out
Do i take it?
.
.
.
As i was saying previously, it almost always happens that we start good, then we get some setback.
This time, setback was caused by Pi deciding she wants to navigate by loudly yelling LEFT CORNER and RIGHT CORNER directly in ear of poor driver, resulting in us hitting some small ditch near right side of road.
Half of us had decided to exit vehicle and were positioned away from road. Chicota, Klimentol and Aydar were examining the car, engine still idling.
Chicota was near tailgate when he noticed some sound of something big approaching.
Maybe some Dyre?
Sledgehammer in his hand, he was ready to fight
Few moments afterwards, mystery had cleared up: this was a Dyre indeed, putting everyone on high alert.
Beast was moving rather casually and it did moved towards our car, not really what we wanted to see.
Something here seemed off tho: this Dyre havent seemed angry by any means.
It just moved towards our car, kinda ignoring Chicota’s warnings…
Soon, intentions of this individual became clear, as it noted that engine is idling and was just traversing around front of the car, as if it was, dare i say…curious to whats in that part of car that makes that foreign noise.
Chicota had joined at front, still equipped with sledgehammer, still being suspicious
But he was able to tell source of curiosity and opened the bonnet.
Sound of idling engine was now clearer to hear, since bonnet (or hood, if you prefer that word) was now opened.
Our exhaust doesnt really extend all the way to the back, but sure enough, Dyre had also heard that and tried to reach.
At this point, rest of us determined everything was fine with car, but decided to not move into car, courtesy of curious Dyre.
He was able to reach exhaust with paw, but visibly jolted when it touched obviously hot exhaust, also shaking the truck in process of removing limb from under vehicle.
-Thats kinda hot, bud, not sure what you expected.
Dyre then smelled oh-so-familiar smell of some forest prey he usually hunts in bed, although stored for few days already.
Bcos yes, he took about 5 birdies, no questions asked and no answers given.
Aydar had rolled his eyes, but he kinda felt this coming, and besides, eh, they can easily catch more.
Pi had incredibly smart idea to feed him Petite Beurre, some other meat we had around, some local fruits…
Considering he usually doesnt encounter such varying diet, especially not that easy, this Dyre noted that this move was actually good idea.
Well, if we exclude burned paw that had visibly troubled him now…
Klimentol now carefully approached the visitor.
Just as carefully, he asked to see the paw.
Paw was seen and happily, no great damage was made, it was just a small burn.
Klimentol washed that up with bottle of water, visibly giving some relief to Dyre.
He had an better idea tho and both have went to river, motioning for Dyre to follow him.
He put equivalent paw in river water and motioned for his patient to do the same.
-Thats likely gonna be enough to kinda help with pain, will heal in couple of days. But try to avoid stepping on that paw.
We must go, tho. Take care i guess.
Dyre had stayed some time with paw in water, but then decided to return back to original position.
Curiosity was largely satisfied, but it was still very interesting to look at all those weird carriages.
At the moment, it shall be noted that @Madrias enjoys his deca mocha and this is important bcos i said that.
He decided to sit back and enjoy the chaos caused by rest, but…dont worry, he also made sure to brew some during this stage, through he-knows-who.
We werent exactly aware what caused this exactly, but again we got into some nearby ditch, deep enough to shake us deeply once again but not so much to have struggle exiting it.
Ok, we know why we partially exited the road and got into that ditch.
On other hand, how and why is Bricksley of Team Shit Happens driven like a death wish in opposite direction?
Beffore you complain about me not including certain letter in that team name, know that they were indeed Shit Happens, by likely causing great ffear in everyone on road who dared to cross their path.
And im pretty sure pants would thicken with more than a ffart.
Also make sure to read this paragraph with great care, maybe i did included all letters that need to be… 
And yes, we made sure Chicota and some host member havent swapped places, so throw no guilt on our android guy.
With all that figured out, we rolled into the camp, not exactly happy with being in lower end of pack once again but eh, atleast we werent last…
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i havent drawn in a week i fell off also i have the exact shirt romulo is wearing in this drawing but i'm too lazy to pull it out of my laundry basket so anyway i need to listen to more 70s rock for this shit because waltz music doesn't have lyrics so i'll just describe how they sound like with onomatopeias - tururururunturunturuntun piririri tun tu turn turun tun piriririri tuntunturuntuntururyunutrunrutmnununununinininiiiihuhuhuuueueueueueueueeueueueueueueueueueueueuehiiiiiiiiiiheeeeehihuheehihuetuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntuntunninininininininininininininininipwomftujneeeeeeeeeeeeenneneneeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeenunnununununninihnuhnunununnununeeeeeeeennununneneneeeeeeeeeennununutunninnununuhinunininihinieeeeee
TEAM BLAZERS
A tense night in the Duskriver Village had passed, and the team was rather troubled, as Watson seemed to not be in the best of spirits. His face visibly tired and his movements slurred as though he’d drained his remaining energy supply. Charlotte anxiously wrote down the stage’s pacenotes with Emily, the two of them occassionally striking a glance over to the open tent, where Watson sat alongside a sleeping Ga’araiya with a face clouded by a lack of distinct emotion, his ripped up sleeve rolled up to reveal a heavily bruised arm.
“It was a Dyre bite.” Charlotte blurted out. Emily looked at her for a moment, not knowing what the animal was. She had heard it from Charlotte the night before, but there was no elaboration on what the creature was, just simple haunting words and the orange glows of their predatory eyes as they drove down the treacherous paths. There was too, the tyre which was ripped up by a claw of a fallen one, the image of which was deeply engrained into their minds. Emily paused her work for a moment and spoke up. “What… exactly is a Dyre?”
Across the table, the feline looked deep into the blonde’s blue eyes with a twin-coloured gaze that pierced with a seeming sense of dread, and she began to speak. “Wild beasts… The aggressiveness of an Earth Wolf, and the size of a grizzly bear. They weight about as much as a cannon, and strike as hard as one. One bite will leave you wretched in pain.” She looked back at Watson. “And yet… he… stood up against one of the foul beasts? Without him having turned into skewers?” Charlotte was in disbelief, but relieved as Watson was still there with them. “I have yet to ask him exactly what happened last night, but it couldn’t have been good, considering the state of him right now.”
A shut of the car’s rear door came from the side opposite of the two girls as a disgruntled Romulo emerged with the sheath of his sundang in his hand. He looked around the campsite, first to Watson before finally setting his eyes on the two girls on the table.
“Anything wrong?” Charlotte spoke up.
Romulo paused for a moment and shook his head. “Nothing really, other than my… knife…? Yeah, knife… It’s been missing since last night.” He took one more glance into the car’s window. Charlotte shook her head as well, not really having seen him take it out at all in the time they’ve spent.
“That blade you were holding when we first met?” Emily spoke up, and Romulo’s ears perked, he quickly shifted his gaze towards her with his eyes lit up, but just as quick as they lit up, they went back to disappointment. “I-I haven’t seen it around though! Come to think of it, I don’t believe you utilized it at all in the time that we were here. Could it be that perhaps you left it back in Nevada?”
“No way, it’s been underneath the driver’s seat the entire time. Couldn’t possibly miss it even if i tried.” He looked over towards the pensive Watson, simply staring out into nothingness as he sat motionless inside the tent. “Watson…” He began walking over.
Romulo hadn’t even asked anything, yet Watson retorted. “If you’re looking for that machete of yours, it is stuck in a Dyre’s chest somewhere thither at the last camp.” The blonde looked up at him. “If it meant something to you, I sincerely apologize.”
“That was… quick. I guess there was no choice then, huh? What were you even doing the other night?” He sat down in front of him. Watson sighed and scratched his forehead.
"Truth is, every night I keep watch over you all. It’s my obligation, you provide the transportation so that we may get out of here in one piece, and that will allow me to continue my mission to return the Princess. Things as simple as that fuel my drive. The Queen of Atlantis had entrusted me to fetch her one and only troublemaker, and that I shalt do.
"So there I was, on guard as usual. But this night was unlike the others. In the distance, bright flashes of light shone through the thick jungle around, and the sounds of gnarly creatures announcing their awe-filled roars of pain hadst managed to catch the attention of the organizers, calm thither. Immediately worry had come over me like a curtain of dread, I simply couldn’t just stand there with the Princess at risk.
"Thus, I hadst acted. I hadst well known of the placements of your equipment, and the only battle-ready item you had was that machete of yours. Armed with that and my pistol, what else was I to do? I prepared myself for the oncoming slaughter, and with the bitterness of the pipe now in my mouth I commenced forth as I couldn’t risk the beasts of the forest to come hither where the Queen of Atlantis’ most prized possession lay in jeopardy.
"Out I went into the forest I went nearby the camp, and surrounding me were the ghastly gazes of the beasts, their eyes glowing and hungry, their countenances drooling with desire, and their prey was in sight, a large group of prey for an equally large amount of predators.
"And so with six shots in my right hand, a near-dull blade in my left I rushed with all my might. The only thing in my mind was the protection of Her Majesty’s precious offspring. It was in that battle where I hadst lost your precious machete. I presume I hadst struck one of them in the arm and the blade was caked in their thick blood, and with only the sharp end left, I hadst no need for deadweight, I thrust the weapon into the chest of one of the foul beasts. The howl of torment it sounded as the sharp metal pierced its ribcage I assume was heard throughout the camp. It fell backwards and I hadst lost sight of it as I was reduced to whatever fighting methods I had left, which involved my fists and the handle of my revolver.
"We as a team are not at all prepared for any combat such as that. Unexpected behaviour from unexpected creatures that roam these foreign lands. I was forced to back out of that fight after one of them hadst grabbed ahold of my arm. God! Those beasts hadst a jaw that was simply unyielding to aught. Not only that, but their movements were supple, and their feet nimble. For such a large beast to exist could be described as nothing but subliminal. Truly beyond!
“Once I hadst managed to get out to safety, that was where you found me.” Watson sat himself up straight. “Does that explanation now satisfy thee?”
For a moment, everyone stood still after listening to his story. Charlotte still remained in disbelief upon hearing Watson’s words, but she kept her mouth shut as she set the pen down onto the table. Romulo moved away from the tent, nodding at his story. He was never the type to judge about anything, so he took the man’s words as they were and got up, never allowing the visual images of the Dyres to leave his mind as he pondered about the battle. “With all you said, I wonder if you’re actually a detective, or some kind of knight. Whatever the case, are you alright now?”
“Possibly.” Watson rolled his sleeve down before getting out of the tent. He tensed up slightly from the pain of the cloth touching his arm, but held his composure as he finally got up.
“You fought Dyres and were bitten…?” Charlotte got up and approached him. “Do you feel anything strange? Feel hungrier than usual perhaps? It’s been a long time since I’ve had to tend to something like this, but if you were bitten or had any kind of substance from a Dyre enter your blood, you’d turn into a shapeshifter.”
“I don’t feel anything strange and we just had a meal earlier. Are there any downsides to being one?” He asked, but the girl simply shook her head. "Not much other than turning into one would be extremely painful. She said, grabbing a light from the table and shining it towards him. “Does this annoy you?”
“Anyone would get annoyed by that, you know?” Romulo smirked. Charlotte set the lamp down and began pondering yet again. “The common symptoms of turning into a shapeshifter would usually start showing now… yet here you are, apparently feeling nothing? Are you completely sure you don’t feel anything strange? Usual symptoms are that you’d start getting hungry and preferring meat. Though not just any meat, usually something raw… There’s also a sensitivity to light, feverish feelings, or a heightened sense of smell…”
He let out a small laugh and placed his free hand on her head, giving it a gentle rub. “I’m fine, really. There’s nothing to worry about. My nose is naturally strong, too.” Before he could continue patting her, she pushed his arm off of her so she could return back to the table. “I suppose, and if you do say so…”
“I guess It’s about time we pull it all together? I believe the bell is about to ring any minute now.” He looked around, and the crew of Shift Happens were exactly as he expected, some awaiting the bell, and some tired and battered from the fight and sudden rush towards the next camp.
The team packed things up again, and onwards did they go once the bell rang. Once again, Romulo took the wheel as Watson was out of commission with his little defensive battle of his. Emily was there in the seat next to him, ready to read out the navigation notes. The car left the campsite and were met with a slippery path of dirt. It wasn’t a mud bog by any stretch of the imagination, and some parts of the road were drying up from the heat and the road was caked with decently sizeable rocks, but the moist air managed to keep some deeper puddles wet, enough to trap a small vehicle if they weren’t careful.
Steadily, they navigated through with the windows upwards to prevent any kind of mud from finding its way into the cabin, and after a short while they found the road continually drying more and more until they found a smoother gravel path. Still, Romulo was hesitant to go all the way, the image of the destroyed sidewall and a severed hand sent disturbing mental images through him, and he couldn’t force himself to go even just a bit harder on the throttle. Especially not when after a while, a distinct rattling shook the entire crew after an unseen bump on the road jolted the car about.
“That does… not sound good…” Romulo said as he slowed down a bit, turning the hazards on to allow other vehicles to pass them calmly. He pulled the car over into a flatter part just off to the side of the road, leaving a lot of space for them to work on the vehicle. “Charlotte, Emily, I’ll need your help here since… Watson needs some rest.”
Upon hearing that, Watson immediately tried to respond, but Charlotte quickly stopped him. “Go get some rest. We’ll be able to manage this.” She winked at him before getting out of the car to assist Romulo. They pulled out some stands from the storage compartment and lifted the car up from the somewhat dry ground, they got to work.
“I believe the sound started from the rear, so it’s best we take a look at that section first.” Emily commented. Charlotte was pensive, not having a lot of prior experience with any of this. Still, she wasn’t going to let the team down, and began clunking around the vehicle’s suspension bits.
“I don’t think you’re going to find anything going at it like a monkey.” Said Romulo as he instead opted to pull out a flashlight from his toolbox and shining it around the opposite side of where Charlotte was, checking carefully and pedantically for anything loose that could make a sound. He handed the flashlight over to Emily, instructing her to shine it wherever his hands went. On the other hand, Charlotte continued thumping the rear links with the tool she was using, with small clouds of dust appearing out from where the spanner made contact with the suspension part. Having found nothing, she got up from where she sat and took matters into her own hands. She got a large wrench from Romulo’s toolbox and one by one she cranked all the lugs from the wheels loose, and with a thunk the wheel was off the hub, the landing of it on the muddy gravel surface alerting Romulo and Emily.
“Oh, didn’t think of that…” Romulo said getting up from the ground. Charlotte tossed him the wrench and now both rear wheels were off the vehicles. Charlotte continued tapping the spanner around, and jolting the suspension every now in the hopes that her methods would eventually lead to success. Whilst that happened, Romulo and Emily slowly checked each and every individual part, the links all seemed intact, and the dampers weren’t out of alignment, compression and extension were all right. They were about to place the tyre on, when out of nowhere the exact clunking noise they heard inside the cabin sounded from the other side, and when Emily got up and walked over, Charlotte was pushing the suspension up and down, tapping a bolt that rest atop the damper. Her eyes lit up when she tapped it again and it made the noise, and at last it seemed she had found it even with the most unsophisticated of methods. “Hah hah! I knew that would work!”
She grabbed a spanner from the toolbox that fit the loose bolt, and slowly tightened it down until it no longer made a noise when she jolted it. She finally got up once the noise had stopped, and with Emily’s help the two of them had put the tyre back onto the vehicle and with a bit of packing up later, they were on the road again with no disturbing noise to interrupt them. Romulo got back on the throttle, and they continued towards the next campsite with no issue.
Their arrival to the camp was largely uneventful, with six other teams having made it first to the camp and another coming right before them. The weather seemed fairly gloomy, however, with dark clouds rolling over from the horizon and light droplets beginning to form on the car’s windshield. The campsite seemed a bit better than the previous ones as they drove through the city, as this time there were small little cabins for people to spend the night in if they so chose. With the impending weather, Romulo parked the Yamada over towards an empty one and at last they came to a rest.
“Looks like it’ll rain tonight, I presume those cabins are free to use considering the weather, but we’ll need to check up on it later.” He looked into the rear view mirror, and his eyes quickly met with Watson’s as they greeted one another with eyebrow raises. “Still not feeling any of those symptoms, Watson?”
“Not at all.” He shook his head before looking outside. “It’s been a few days since we’ve seen the rain, hasn’t it?”
“Uh huh. Climate here’s really similar to the Philippines. If I brought a sketchbook along I probably could do a Crugandr version of Fernando Amorsolo’s works.” He chuckled before getting out of the car. He inspected the cabin nearby, it was a simple cabin constructed of wood from nearby trees, and the inside was decently warm. Whilst not a high-class hotel, it was certainly liveable, and when their eyes are closed it’s not like they’d be able to see their sleeping area.
At last, everyone had gotten out of the car to make camp and rest. Romulo looked around the vehicle, it was covered in all sorts of god-knows-what, and new scratches and dents had formed up where there weren’t. Yet still, the fifteen-year-old car was running, decently well. Quietly, he let out a small thanks as he rested his hand on the vehicle’s hood.
“Who’re ya thanking?” A voice suddenly called out from behind, and of course it was none other than Charlotte.
“No one in particular…” His voice trailed off as he glanced back at the vehicle. "Well, my father I guess. After all, in all this car’s fifteen years of service, thirteen of those were spent in his hands. He loved this car, and that was something that I only really understood when I got older.
"I spent the vast majority of my childhood fawning over sportscars, and other such low-slung streamlined performance machines. My family was decently well off, we could certainly buy something better than this old piece of junk, was what I told myself. Maybe a higher end Seikatsu sedan, or a Quezon, or even another Yamada, just as long as it wasn’t a crossover.
"I couldn’t understand why my dad would go for something like this, but when I finally owned it, it just clicked. Capable on and off the road, comfortable, able to give you a decent sports experience. Just like the term went, sports utility vehicle.
"It’s impressive, this car. I’m sure you must’ve heard of the Paris-Dakar Rally, seeing as you knew of Mille Miglia. But that year, I remember my father watching from the television screen and seeing a car very much similar to this one race across those vast desert plains. I didn’t understand the words of my father then when he cheered for the Yamada team, a complete underdog in the discipline of rallying, as it just barely clenched its way through. The drivers of that team, in that car which they were unsure of, they just… drove…
“Maybe it was my prejudice against the manufacturers that made SUVs into this thing that wasn’t at all like its roots. Maybe I was ungrateful, or I just didn’t know much at all. Either way, when you get older, some things just click into place, don’t they?” He finished his short speech as he moved his arm atop the faded red hood of the Yamada.
Charlotte walked over towards him. “It’s more than just monetary value. I get it. This car means something to you that just can’t be replaced with money or another one like it.” She too placed her hand atop the vehicle’s hood. “I’m sorry my selfishness dragged you into this.”
“Don’t be, if anything I should be blaming myself for not anticipating what lay ahead. I was overconfident without even realizing it.” He sighed. “But still, we’re still here. It’s still running, which means we are too. Let’s finish this race. The car is doing its purpose, getting from point A to point B. Might as well let it, yeah?”
Charlotte nodded and chuckled. “It’s a fate better than being garage-queened, don’t you think?”
“Certainly.”
With the Yamada’s hot engine components ticking and crinkling as they came to a cool, the team at last began their preparations for the next stage, with more confidence now than ever.
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Duskriver Village, Crugandr.
Local time: 7:15 Sun, (The next day)
Weather: Raining, Thankfully
Greetings from Itzgarde
The rain continued hammering down on the campsite as the heat was washed out of the atmosphere making it much more pleasant to be in the camp. Pavel had made himself in charge of supervising the animals, Gunther had laid down on porch of their cabin and had fallen asleep while Whiskers was grooming herself. The two Dyres were sniffing about around the cabin familiarizing themselves with their new surroundings. Aedan was helping Malcolm to unstick the Magistrate from mud Orlan parked it in.
“Did he really have to park it here?” Aedan asked, exasperatedly.
Malcolm jammed one of the wood planks under the front right wheel of the Magistrate. “I don’t know, why don’t you ask him. You let him drive.”
“Why am I not surprised.”
“Aedan, He’s absolutely sucks at driving. It’s not wise to have him as a co driver.”
“I know, But I can’t. It would upset him.”
Pavel then manifested behind Malcolm seemingly out of nowhere. “Hey there!” He exclaimed, startling Malcolm.
“Gah! Where in the hell did you come from?”
“Just wanted to ask if you’ve seen our small wolves anywhere.”
“Wolves? What wol–. Oh for fuck sake, Pavel! You were supposed to be watching them!”
The giant’s eyes filled with surprise. “I was tracking them both and I looked away for not even a split second and boom. Gone.”
“If they have–.”
“Wait a second, I think I know where they’ve gone.”
“Where?” Aedan snapped.
Pavel pointed behind him, the turnaround revealing a pink van with the smaller of the two pups sniffing about around the front of the van.
“Oh, thank the stars. Sorry for shouting at you, but please be more careful next time.”
“Don’t worry, I fully understand.”
The smaller of the two pups looked up from sniffing about and looked at Aedan and Pavel as they approached before going back to surveying the area around the van.
Marie, was sitting on the driver’s doorsill with the larger of the two Dyres and was stroking her hand through its fur. The wolf on the other hand was very unhappy about this and was squirming in feeble attempts to free itself from Marie’s iron grip.
To Be Continued (Like Always)
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TEAM HILLBILLY ROLLERS
Earlier parts
PART 0.1 - A prologue to the prologue
PART 0.2 - Another piece of the prologue puzzle
PART 0.3 - Viva la IP 4Z!
PART 0.4 - Robotman
PART 0.5 - Interference problems
PART 0.6 - Can I play Tetris?
PART 0.7 - Tangerine and familiar
PART 1.0 - Now things got serious!
PART 1.1 - Hello, Thibault and friends!
PART 1.2 - Poor kitty
PART 1.3 - Curse you, Team Oil Crisis!
PART 1.4 - Interlude
PART 2.0 - Bird bird bird, bird is the word!
PART 2.1 - D. Head
PART 2.2 - Good night!
PART 3.0 - Freeway Rockstar
PART 3.1 - DISCO TJO DISCO HEJ
PART 3.2 - Van-Werewolf 1-0
PART 4.0 - Calm after the storm
PART 5.0 - Mirror mirror on the…oh, crap!
PART 5.1 - HELLO LITTLE PUPPIES
(OOC info: On the discord we came to the conclusion that the dyre puppies would be quite close in appearance (and size) to a “Jämthund”, a swedish breed of moose hunting dog, and one of the absolutely most common dog breeds in northern Sweden. To a drunken Marie they probably look the same, which causes some misunderstanding.
Also, @TheYugo45GV, you got a little bit further than I had counted with, but it somehow managed to stick quite well to how I had planned the story, so it works.)
The team parked the van a bit off from the other teams, close to the border to the forest. Since there was no major mechanical issues after this run, Janne decided that a small checkup (to avoid any trouble at stage 5) and a change of the fuse would be enough. He opened the (now somewhat stiff) sliding door to search through his toolbox for the package of fuses.
MARIE: Throw me a beer.
JANNE: Sure!
He grabbed a can, threw it to Marie that managed to catch it.
MARIE: Well, I have two hands, throw me another one too while you’re at it.
JANNE: OK, here it comes. Catch!
Marie took the beercans with her, placed her somewhat wide butt on the doorsill and popped the first one open, then after emptying it rather quickly also popped the second one.
MARIE: Oh, look at the cute little doggies! Where did they come from.
ANDREAS: Which cute little d… OH FOR FUCKS SAKE MARIE, I DON’T THINK THEY ARE DOGS!
MARIE: So what are they then? Rabbits?
ANDREAS: For fucks sake, they are probably dyre! Where did they come from?
MARIE: Nah. Dyre was big. They are small, of course they are dogs.
ANDREAS: Probably puppies.
MARIE: Not that small.
Meanwhile, Janne entered the inside of the cabin from the passengers side door, not really taking notice of what was happening. He flipped up the lower part of the bench seat to reach the engine compartment, unscrewed the lid to the fuse box and came to the conclusion that he had been right. Fuse # 8 was absolutely blown. Meanwhile, on the other side, the puppies was approaching Marie, curious but also a bit reserved, which she already was too drunk to take notice of, since a can or two might have disappeared into her during the numerous tyre repair sessions. The smaller of them was reluctant to come closer, but the larger of them was a bit more brave and approached her.
MARIE: Oh come here, yeah! Good boi! What’s your name, little fella?
The puppy was indeed a little bit less enthusiastic about her…somewhat forced petting. It didn’t get better when she fell out of the van (drunk as she was) when the larger puppy jumped on her, growling. Now the smaller puppy also got closer again.
MARIE: Oh, you want to play…yeah…
Janne finished changing the fuse, so now Eddie Meduzas raspy voice came alive again on the stereo, which he rapidly shut off. Meanwhile, Andreas had taken notice of what happened.
ANDREAS: Marie…for fucks sake…NO!
Janne walked around to the other side of the van, taking notice of what happened. He rapidly put the lower portion of the seat back down again and helped Andreas to lift Marie up (a somewhat back-breaking exercise) and throw her back into the van. They shut the drivers door, and quickly ran away to the other side of the van, hurrying to close the door, since the puppies now seemed to be a bit upset. They were circling around the van, growling and showing their teeth. Meanwhile, Pavel and Aedan was walking towards the van. The puppies sniffed a patch of the dyre blood that still was left on the van and… got dead scared. With their tails between their legs, they ran howling towards the forest, and disappeared. Aedan and Pavel was standing outside the drivers door, looking into the van. Marie cranked down the window.
MARIE: Are you guys looking for something?
4 Likes
(Just saying, the two pups won’t be gone for long, they simply return to the Magistrate and hang out there for the remainder of the stage…)
2 Likes
Well, I thought the decision what happens later is up to you, I just saw the opportunity to create a bit of chaos 
3 Likes
Marie and her behavior are the reason i don’t drink.
Still a good (albeit unnerving, given the “puppy” context) read.
3 Likes
Team Shift Happens
Previous Chapters:
Another One Bites The Dust - Stage 2 Run / Stage 2 Campsite
Repairs / A Good Meal - Stage 2 Campsite / The Green Crystal (Written by TheYugo45GV and Madrias)
A Good Night’s Sleep? - Stage 2 Campsite
“Here Comes the Hound of Death” - Stage 2 Campsite Battle - Written by Elizipeazie, TheYugo45GV, and Madrias.
Fright Night Forest Stage - Stage 3 Run / Stage 3 Camp
The Free Day - Stage 3 Camp (written in collaboration with @Elizipeazie) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3)
Safe Arrival - Stage 3 Camp (Written in collaboration with @TheYugo45GV)
The Rescue - Stage 4 Drive and Stage 4 “Camp”
The Rebuild - Stage 4 “Camp” (Written in collab. with @Elizipeazie ) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4)
“It’s 6-Fucking-Moon!” - Stage 4 Camp
(Written in collaboration with @Elizipeazie. Thank you for helping me finish this stage’s campsite.)
10-and-40 Moon, Itzgarde Campsite
While it had been a short sleep compared to many other nights, most of the team woke up feeling refreshed, if a bit tired. Rukari opened the door on the Bricksley, being extra careful not to hit the tents or to slam the door as he got out of the truck in case anyone else wasn’t yet ready to wake up. It turned out to be unnecessary, as Kaylie and Jayde soon got out of their shared tent, sitting down on one of the logs and letting themselves wake up the rest of the way. Likewise, Kayden got out of his tent, only to trip over a large branch mid-yawn, and ended up hitting the ground with a thump and a groan.
“Belly-flops are bad enough in a pool, Kayden,” Kivenaal teased, getting out of his tent and starting a small fire to cook by. “They’re really bad when you do them in dirt.”
Kayden got up slowly and dusted himself off with a grimace, just in time for Malavera to scowl at him as he got a faceful of dirt crawling out of his tent. “Really? You roll around in the dirt and then decide to dust off by the damn tents?” Malavera said, shaking both heads.
Jayde set his cooking pan over the fire and rummaged through his bag until he found some bacon, sausages, eggs, and cheese, setting each down on a clean plate as the rest of Team RK Series Racing arrived.
Since the team had spent half the night fiercely working on converting the Anhultz DIone to be steam-powered, it was no surprise that they were sleeping very soundly, up until the first slithers of sunlight started to break through to the team members. They woke up surprisingly well-rested and went about packing up their supplies to return to camp and collect the resident giant in the process.
Though as soon as they took seat, a problem arose: Neither Constantin nor Tim truly knew how to operate the modified vehicle. They figured asking Connor wouldn’t help either, as he’d start at the very basics of how it works, killing way more time than necessary.
“Might as well push the thing, right?”, Constantin suggested. “It’s not all that far and some morning work gets your blood pumping.”
“It’s not like we have a better plan now, do we?”, Tim replied, while both of them took position behind the car with Connor at the wheel once again.
Both Constantin and Tim pushed from either rear corner of the car and managed to get it up to a decent speed initially.
As it rolls up to the camp and the Bricksley within, Tim’s left foot gets caught up in a root, followed by him being dragged the next six feet along the dirt road. Constantin immediately lets go and goes to help Tim up: “U Okay?”, he goes, getting a disgruntled nod in reply as Tim maneuvers his way right-side up and spends the better part of the next five minutes dusting himself off and cleaning off minor road-rash as best he can.
Rukari looked over at Constantin and Tim as they pushed the Dione into the camp. “Better than a 10 mile run to help wake up in the morning,” he said, looking to Constantin as he said it.
Jayde looked over and saw Constantin and Tim as they arrived, witnessing Tim getting dragged along behind the car for a few feet. “You might as well come over and join us for breakfast. We’ve already put an extra plate on for your sleeping friend, it’s no trouble at all for us to add a couple more,” Jayde said. As they approached, he scooped out the bacon from his pan, placing strips on plates as he then prepared the scrambled eggs.
Kayden saw the road rash and grimaced. “Looks like we both got to kiss the dirt this morning,” Kayden said, before grabbing a bottle and a cloth from the truck. “I’m sure you’re aware of using alcohol to clean cuts, right? This stuff’s about as strong as you can get, so it’s going to sting like hell when you use it.”
It didn’t take long for Jayde to have breakfast ready, with scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and fresh bread ready for everyone, and cheese in the event anyone wanted it. “If anyone has a container, I’d like to set some aside for Valentin,” Jayde mentioned.
“Well thanks, i guess.”, Tim replies and grabs the bottle and cloth piece, using the two to generously clean out the scratches and bruises.
Soon after, the two join breakfast, with Constantin heading back to the car a few feet behind them to retrieve his mess kit for storage.
“It won’t keep anything warm, but at least it seals.”, Constantin comments as he returns, carrying a german-style mess kit, complete with cutlery, which is handed to Jayde as he arrives.
Valentin, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to what was happening outside due to the sound-deading spell that Jayde applied to the tent.
The two dig into their meals, not questioning as to how they procured fresh food in record-time, but they sure seemed to take a liking to what they had.
Kaylie and Kayden were both pleasantly surprised by how good the simple breakfast was, not realizing that half of the flavor was caused by Jayde cooking the bacon first and the eggs second.
Malavera had his plate empty in a matter of a couple of minutes, while Kivenaal was only a few seconds slower, being rather hungry after spending many nights not sleeping well.
Rukari ate with military efficiency, being the first one done with his meal despite being one of the last to get his plate.
Jayde, on the other hand, took his time to enjoy his food. Even then, he was done quickly, as the simple breakfast was rather easy to eat.
“Right,” Kaylie said, “we’ve gotta get our tents packed up, otherwise we’re going to be here a while.”
Both Tim and Constantin emptied their plates at a decent pace as well, though Constantin was substantially quicker, finishing just a few moments behind Rukari, while Tim took his sweet time enjoying the meal in comparison.
The two hand back their plates.
“Hot damn that was really good!”, Tim commented, while Constantin awaited the transfer of food into the container.
“Beats MRE’s by a long shot, i have to say…”, Constantin added.
Tim looked about, in search for a tent that Valentin might be sleeping in, but with the mass of tents strewn about the vicinity, he couldn’t exactly pinpoint which one it was.
Jayde realized Tim was looking for which tent Valentin was in, then prodded that particular tent lightly with his staff, simultaneously pointing out the tent and dispelling the magic he’d put over it. He then helped Constantin pack the meal into the mess kit, while Kaylie, Kayden, and Malavera got started with packing up tents and while Rukari and Kivenaal started preparing the truck.
Rukari moved things around in the truck bed to make space for their tents, as while the bed was relatively cleaned up now, it still had a tendency for things to end up where they shouldn’t go.
Kivenaal, likewise, did all the preparations he could in the cab of the truck without cranking the engine over, as he didn’t want to shower anyone with soot or wake the rest of the sleepers with their loud-ass V8.
Jayde cleaned up his cooking supplies and put them back away, extinguished his cooking fire, and grabbed a water can from the roof rack, taking a long drink from his labeled can.
With breakfast finished and Valentin’s portion safely stored, albeit cold already, they gather around Valentin’s borrowed tent and and try to figure out how to get him out of there without getting scolded at in return.
That problem solves itself, as Valentin himself opens up said tent, now staring at Tim and Constantin.
“Good morning. We need to prepare our vehicle for departure.”, Connor says from behind the other two.
“Oh… yeah i guess Robert needs greasing up.”, Valentin replies, somehow much more awake than on a usual morning, climbing out of the tent and stretching quite a bit before motioning readiness.
After that, they thank the others for their offer, not specifying what exactly was offered, and head back to the Tangerine Tank Engine.
2 Likes
Team Slow
Chapter 2, Part 5.1- The chickening
Whilst John went out of his way to ask Jayde, Kaylie went awake and getting whacked with a book, he didn’t realise it was 6 Moon, Matt was sitting in the car tired, waiting for John to get back before he considered leaving him behind, He sits there and tries to hide the laughter as John gets chased by a Tiger-woman trying to get clubbed with a book.
John: Matt! I Got fucking clubbed with a book! You told me to ask Jayde!
Matt: You moronic! Matt sits there trying to hide the laughter as John pulls out an excuse, I didn’t imply “go there at 6 in the god-damn morning!” You could’ve waited later!
John: But, you dont understand!
Matt: I was watching it all through the window, i am tired right now and to watch you get clubbed, to a woman is humilliating enough, just get in the fucking car before i leave you behind.
John: Atleast i got the fuckin’ car fixed!
Matt: That is a lie and a half, i had to fix it while you sat there doddling about in their tent.
John: I wasn’t doddling about!
Matt: We’ll see about that
John gets into the XL53 after the carnage, and Matt drives to our tent. “You had to do that at 6, didn’t you.”
TO BE CONTINUED
3 Likes
Machinas Con Passione’s Shitbox Adventures Episode 5: "GEE, IT SURE IT BORING AROUND HERE!"
While normally MCP would have some wacky and uncharacteristic shenanigans going on, unfortunately the most exciting thing to happen to them in between stages 2 and 4 were Chad punching a few dyre wolves and their feline companion, now named Bill, being given a name. Maria and Thibault are possibly discussing getting as far away from Giacomo as possible after the rally’s said and done. Mayhaps something more interesting will happen during the next few stages, eh?
Part 5 - Fin
(They are going to do something wacky and uncharacteristic during stages 5 and 6)
4 Likes
Good, I have been missing them.
1 Like
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22/7/3251 /// 7 Sun LJT
After a well-deserved day and night of rest, Black Rabbit Corp. embarked on the fourth stage of the shitbox rally. The spotless blue sky above their heads slowly faded away from sight as grand sweeping curtains of white and gray cumulonimbus monoliths rolled in, bringing with them yet another warm wind that grew stronger as the hours fell away. It was nearly twice as long as the previous stage, but the two girls were more than willing to accept this tradeoff if it meant having a peaceful, hassle-free stage to ease their nerves. As it came to pass, any preconceived notions of old, unreliable German luxury cars spontaneously combusting after their warranties expired were quickly dispelled. The Dauer flew extravagantly through most of the course without breaking a sweat or flagging the check engine light, rewarding well timed heel-toe downshifts with symphonic boxer-6 sopranos. Perhaps ‘slid’ is a finer choice of words as the dirt roads quickly became muddy when the rain started to fall, significantly hampering their pace in some areas due to having only two driven wheels and hard compound tires ill-suited for loose, wet surfaces. 4WD vehicles, Team Gearknob’s Carica included, flew by the Dauer despite having half as much power or weighing three times as much, or sometimes even both.
Deep grooves of tires were bordered on either side by unsettled chunks of mud churned by the cyclone action of the other vehicles’ all-terrain tires. They too, however, would soon fade as the roads they precariously skated along saw gradually increasing amounts of gravel. With this new granular road surface, the Dauer tightly hugged the corners without misstep and Mel pushed the liveried coupe to its limits. The hard compound tires, although not the most effective compared to the all-terrain tires some other teams were running, excelled in durability and still provided excellent lateral grip reserves even with Mel’s highly aggressive braking and cornering. Their durability would later be exploited when Mel found out that handbrake turns around tighter hairpin corners allowed them to navigate such turns faster, thus occasionally breaking her calculated, precise racing lines with flamboyant slides and drifts across the entire width of the road.
Now at the campsite, Tanuki elected to take refuge in an abandoned log cabin for the night situated as far from the treeline as possible, this time on the cusp of the riverbank. It was sparsely furnished with only two empty bed frames, a table made from a log bisected lengthwise flanked by two stools, and a cast iron fireplace in the corner. Far from luxurious, but a substantial upgrade over the cramped, confined hatch area that was ill-suited for sleeping in. Outside, the Dauer’s fenders and wheel wells were caked with mud that slowly dripped off in the gently falling moisture.
Tanuki sat beside a cracked-open window through which the warm and howling wind whistled, using the gray overcast skies as a source of natural light while she cleaned her Mossberg. Her unwilling partner-in-crime was lying face down on her sleeping bag placed over one of the bed frames, either getting a quick rest or trying to smother herself.
“Not quite the vacation you were hoping for, I assume?” She quipped, stretching her arms over her head as she rolled onto her back and sat up. The wooden support beams creaked loudly under her.
“AHA HA HA HA HA! Are you kidding me?” Tanuki picked up the shotgun barrel and peeked through it to inspect for any fouling, the receiving end pointed away from her. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had!”
Melanie frowned in confusion. “This… this is fun for you? Is this just some sort of game you’re playing?!”
“Put yourself in my shoes, Meru-chan. Running a company like Black Rabbit isn’t just your typical office job! Have you ever woken up with one of your closest CO’s pointing a gun to your head or holding a knife to your throat? Or tried moving a shipment of 50 T-73B3s, trying to stay under the navy’s radar while fending off Malaysian pirates?” She leaned in. “1 Darling Park, Sydney. CommBank vault. Surely that rings a bell, doesn’t it?”
“That was you?!” Mel was astonished. A dizzying revelation, to say the least. Her ‘boss’ was full of secrets and surprises that reared their ugly heads one after another, each one with a greater capacity to leave Mel speechless or completely subvert her expectations.
Tanuki grinned devilishly underneath her facemask. “AHA HA HA HA HA HA! Turns out it’s easy to set up a front company and even easier to get idiots like Seikatsu to give you business discounts for their military trucks! They never see it coming! Ba~ka!”
“Alright, come on then. What’s next? False flag assassination op? Send us all to the Middle East for the fifth or sixth time this century? Incite thermonuclear war?” Accusatory would not sufficiently describe the posture of Mel’s question. There was almost a disbelief, even morbid curiosity motivating her interrogation.
“Nice try, Meru-chan! You think I’d just spoil my own plans?!” Tanuki’s high-pitched cackling naturally followed, as constant as the eastern rising sun. After sliding the bolt back into the receiver and the forend over the tube magazine, she reinserted the trigger assembly and twisted the barrel into place, racking the reassembled Mossberg loudly before setting it aside. “Where’s the fun in that? In my line of work, you quickly learn to never let anyone know what your next move is. That, and there’s no time to dwell over the past! You don’t get any days off or vacations! Compared to all that crap I have to deal with day after day, I’m having the time of my life!”
“What’s your end goal, Tanuki? After Black Rabbit shuts its doors down… if it ever does, heh. What then? When are you going to call it quits?” Mel asked, staring absentmindedly at the dusty ceiling of the log cabin.
“Never! Black Rabbit will remain high and mighty as a business and an institution for change!” Tanuki shot back almost immediately. “Don’t you see? It is greater than you, me, or anyone! I created it, and it is my vision, but the Black Rabbit will survive long after my time has come! It is my legacy!”
Was it her greed, her love of chaos and its ability to seemingly follow her wherever she went, or was she just batshit insane? Her very presence was a catalyst that spurred lasting, violent conflict, yet seeing her among the other teams and their equally as odd misfit members made someone of her nature blend in quite well. However, Tanuki’s confident declaration and pose would not remain so for long, and she pensively turned towards Mel, staring at her blankly.
“What?”
“… I don’t know.” The realization came to Tanuki as hesitantly and slowly as she spoke it.
“So are you telling me that one of the most infamous terrorists and war criminals doesn’t have a backup plan if everything falls through?” Mel scoffed and cocked her head back with a smirk. ”How about as a kid? Surely you had dreams back then! Did you wake up one day and just choose violence?”
“Don’t mess with me! Of course not!” Tanuki snapped, quickly returning to a state of self-rumination and unease.
“So what is it?”
“…”
“Okay, I’ll tell you my story first,” Mel offered. “My father’s a racing driver. Growing up, I helped him wrench on cars a lot. That was what got my interest! The smell of the petrol, the sound of the V8s, the colors of their liveries… my mother didn’t take it seriously at first. ‘Oh Melanie, girls shouldn’t be interested in race cars!’ If I wasn’t on the stands of the Bathurst 1000, I was watching his race live on the telly. How I wanted to follow in his footsteps and stand atop that podium, just like him! But after my father was paralyzed during an accident in qualis, that was it for me. He was only in the hospital for a few months, but all of the burns on his body… I couldn’t stand it.”
Recalling memories she left ingrained as wary, precautionary tales also resurfaced grisly images that had been suppressed for many years. She stared blankly at the ceiling as the room was enveloped in stillness, inexplicably reliving those dreaded few months that seized her with anguish and fear as she waited for her father’s recovery.
Tanuki suddenly spoke up. “…maybe we have more in common than I thought.” It wasn’t that Mel wasn’t expecting a response at all, but rather the kind of response was something that caught her off guard. What was this? A shred of sympathy from Tanuki? That couldn’t be possible, right?
“Okay, before you tell me, at least let me have a guess! Hmmmm…” Mel sat up in her bed, then squinted and intensely narrowed her focus onto Tanuki, inspecting not only the patterns in her body language and expressive mannerisms but also the way she carried her confidence, her bravado, the momentum behind every word she spoke and the shocking efficiency of her actions. Their eyes met each other for only a moment before the pair belonging to the subject of interest averted their gaze in embarrassment.
“Is there something on my face?” The usual snarkiness in Tanuki’s voice was gone. “Why are you staring at me?”
“I think you could be a great actress. No… an idol!”
The only response she got was the incessant, soft, brittle percussion of raindrops falling on the sheetmetal of the Dauer and the glass window a silent Tanuki sat beside.
“Wait. You can’t be serious?” A bewildered smirk broke the facade of her apparent seriousness.
Her silence was a wordless affirmation. Tanuki let out a deep breath and her gaze wandered outside to the river’s surface rippling with thousands of raindrops. “…my mom… she hardly talked about it when I was growing up. If ever. But I heard the stories. I saw the posters and the album covers with her name, her face. I wanted to follow in her footsteps… I wanted to be an idol.” She hopped off the window sill and sat down on the foot of Mel’s bed, still looking outside longingly. “But it’s like you said. My parents never took it seriously.”
Mel’s hands flew to her mouth and failed at holding a stifled laugh back. Tanuki swiftly slapped her across the back of the head.
“Urusai! Is this how you react when a girl pours out her feelings towards you?” Tanuki bemoaned. She glared at Mel, who pried further with a teasing grin of her own. Perhaps it was more sinister, very unusually so. “How’d you even guess that, anyways?!”
“Idols are supposed to be cute, aren’t they?”
“S- shut up! What the hell are you saying?!” Tanuki folded her arms, turning away as a rosy complexion broke out across her cheeks. As she found out, however, Mel wasn’t done yet. She tightly wrapped her arms around Tanuki’s waist, swiftly pulling the war criminal down into her bed.
“Why don’t I take that mask and find out for myself?”
As the fervor of the rain only increased, the long hours of the waning sun gave rise to the moon that creeped over the horizon from which hot winds continued to blow. After their brief squabble, Mel and Tanuki promptly finished their meals, bathed as well as the facilities available to them would allow them to, and prepared to go to sleep. All of their loose supplies were boxed if they weren’t already prepped in the Dauer in the event of another man-eating Dyre attack.
The Australian detective yawned softly and stretched, arching her back as she sat on the creaky wooden bed. A dim orange glow from the cast iron fireplace filled the cozy cabin with warm light tones that soothed her eyes. Before she would be allowed to fall asleep, however, an evolving crisis that she had experienced many times before would soon make itself known.
“Meru-chan!” Tanuki whispered with some urgency in her voice. She was digging through her luggage, searching frantically for something.
“Yes?”
“…do you have a spare bra?”
“W- what?”
“Please!” Tanuki hopped out of her bed and shuffled over to Mel’s. Although she couldn’t see behind her obscured visage, the desperation in Tanuki’s voice was more than obvious, and Mel attempted to picture her panicked face in amusement. “I’m all out and I can’t do the next stage without one! They’re really sensitive!”
“Oh for god’s- ugh! Okay, yeah, sure.” Mel reached into her luggage, fishing between neatly folded stacks of clothes and various undergarments, producing a white half-lace brassiere that dangled in front of Tanuki’s sparkling eyes. “But aren’t these a bit… big for you?”
“HUUUUUUH? What the hell are you trying to say?!” Tanuki growled, her gaze falling towards Mel’s breasts. She reached back and slapped the two voluptuous mounds on Mel’s chest with a splayed hand, through which she felt their soft, fleshy consistency deform under her fingers. They jiggled violently but abruptly in their fabric restraints.
“OW!” Mel yelped in pain, her arms instinctively crossing over her breasts to protect them from further damage motivated by Tanuki’s envy. “What in god’s name was that for?! That hurt!”
“Fuzaken~na!” Tanuki spat, crawling back into her bed with the white lace bra in hand. “Is this how you treat the less fortunate? Mockery? Shameless!”
Her anger usually struck fear into Mel, but on this unlikely occasion, it instead brought her on the verge of uncontrollable laughter through some unknown, inexplicable force. Whether this was merely a rare outburst of a side to Tanuki that seldom revealed itself or a sign of changing circumstances between them was still a mystery, and like the detective she was, the cogs in her head started to turn and grand formulations started to assemble.
3 Likes
Shitbox Rally
Stage 5: Itzgarde to Raiegarda
Stage Start: 1 Sun, 23/7/3251, Itzgarde Campsite
Weather at Stage Start: Hot, unpleasantly humid, but breezy.
Weather at mid-stage: Still hot, slightly less humid, still breezy.
Weather at Stage End (First Car): Hot, humid, and breezy.
Weather at Stage End (Last Car): Warm, humid, and breezy.
Stage End (First Car): A little after 3 Sun, 23/7/3251, Raiegarda Campsite
Stage End (Last Car): A little before 7 Sun, 23/7/3251, Raiegarda Campsite
Starting off in the old Itzgarde abandoned logging camp, everyone quickly heads down the twisty gravel road. Immediately obvious to all of the drivers, however, are the rather nasty bumps and dips and slight jumps in the gravel, chucking cars sideways and unsettling everyone. Worse still is when the road transitions to cobblestone, or more appropriately, what probably used to be cobblestone, considering how rough it is. It’s almost worse to drive on the cobblestone road than it is to drive in the dirt, but with the river so close by to one side and trees whipping by on the other, going off-roading is a big risk. However, as everyone closes in on the campsite, morale improves greatly. First, while Itzgarde was a proper good-size town, so too is Raiegarda. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is the crystal clear lake that connects to the Duskwater River. Several of the locals can be seen swimming in the far side of the lake, occasionally pointing at our strange cars, strange outfits, and strange people, though never in a hostile way.
Notes: Randomization is active. Breakdowns are active. Time is in Earth Time.
Team Shift Happens
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:32:11
Average MPH: 64.1
Randomizer: 13
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
With Rukari banned from driving, Kaylie not really understanding the manual gearbox yet, Kayden’s crunchy gear changes the day before, Jayde’s dislike of driving, and Kivenaal having the mother of all hangovers, it was up to Malavera to drive today. Apparently, all of his time flinging digital rally cars into the trees has taught him something, because today, he put his foot down and the Bricksley went where he wanted it to go.
Team Wayfarers
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 06:51:30
Average MPH: 51.7
Randomizer: 11
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Steady and strong, the old Bogatir has no issues with bumpy gravel roads or rough cobblestones. It’s nothing compared to the potholes where it was made, after all.
Team Gearknobs
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 07:16:03
Average MPH: 48.8
Randomizer: 9
Refueling Stops: 0
Breakdown: 3 (Tires)
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
The Carica just can’t seem to get a break, as a burst tire a few minutes into the rough cobblestone road leads to some minor delays.
Team Fallen Angels of the Past
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:52:46
Average MPH: 60.4
Randomizer: 13
Refueling Stops: 0
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Somehow, the two girls summoned the spirit of the old Group B heroes once again, put a strong foot down on the gas pedal, and sailed their Claussient to victory.
Team Slow
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 09:19:35
Average MPH: 38.0
Randomizer: 8
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 2 (Chassis)
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Confidence was high going into this round after putting all the fuses and relays back where they belonged. Sadly, they weren’t all put back into the right places, as the team is presented with another flashing Service Engine Soon light and a gauge-light-party. Time to go check the service manual to see where each of them goes this time.
Team Oil Crisis
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:04:05
Average MPH: 70.0
Randomizer: 13
Refueling Stops: 2
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
A small jump in the gravel section causes two howls of joy to burst out as the two Dyre pups experience their first bit of airtime. Making it into the campsite second is a breath of fresh air.
Team Hillbilly Rollers
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:08:20
Average MPH: 69.1
Randomizer: 12
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
It’s a quick pink brick! Gravel wasn’t a problem for the Hillbilly Rollers, and the rough cobblestone road likewise wasn’t an issue, even if it was uncomfortable. Claiming third, after all, was worth it.
Team Witchlight
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 06:24:45
Average MPH: 55.4
Randomizer: 11
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
It seems Elist is getting used to driving on gravel, because they pushed the car hard through it, kicking up rocks the whole way. Unfortunately, they had to slow down on the cobblestone road because everyone was getting shaken up a bit.
Team Mravolinski-Chitco
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 06:19:08
Average MPH: 56.2
Randomizer: 12
Refueling Stops: 0
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Other than being sprayed with gravel from the EAAC Aphrodite of team Witchlight while trying to pass them, the team makes it through with no delays this time.
Team Blazers
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 07:23:50
Average MPH: 48.0
Randomizer: 8
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 1 (Powertrain)
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
When it rains, it pours. After the Yamada threw its serpentine belt twice, the team discovered the culprit in camp to be a loose alternator bracket.
Team Machinas Con Passiones
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 07:12:32
Average MPH: 49.2
Randomizer: 11
Refueling Stops: 4
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Everyone’s feeling pretty good about themselves because they managed to pass the Yamada. No one’s willing to admit to themselves that they saw the hood was open when that pass was made. Likewise, they felt great about passing the Hakaru, conveniently ignoring the tire iron and jack in the mechanic’s hands.
Team Quick Rally 47
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 04:28:23
Average MPH: 79.4
Randomizer: 12
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Pedal to the metal, foot to the floor, and askin’ for more! The Mara Kanyon thunders over the rough stuff like it’s perfectly paved asphalt. Being first to the camp just means more time to observe everyone as they try to rest.
Team Mrezhari
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:39:18
Average MPH: 62.8
Randomizer: 12
Refueling Stops: 0
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Team Mrezhari tried their hardest to hold off the pass, but got outplayed by the two-headed wolf behind the wheel of the Bricksley. On the plus side, that pass happened on the cobblestone road, so no gravel hit the Dunav.
Team Jockey
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 08:43:45
Average MPH: 40.7
Randomizer: 8
Refueling Stops: 2
Breakdown: 3 (Tires)
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
“Damn it, Dave! You did it again!” With four flat tires again, the team equips their cart-wheel spares. On the plus side, no more flat tires. On the minus side, they’re as hard as rocks and everyone gets to experience what it’s like to ride in a paint shaker.
Team RK Series Racing
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 05:58:29
Average MPH: 59.4
Randomizer: 13
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
Sure, the gravel and the rough cobblestone roads weren’t exactly the best proving ground for the Tangerine Tank Engine, but with Connor behind the wheel and Valentin taking the fireman’s controls, the Dione proved to be quite fast. It’s just clear that it’s begging for some nice flat, smooth roads to go full steam ahead on.
Team Black Rabbit
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 10:13:53
Average MPH: 34.7
Randomizer: 9
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 3 (Tires)
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
The rough roads of the previous stages left a few of the tires in somewhat sorry shape going into this stage. The rough cobblestone road simply finished them off one by one, requiring plenty of patches on the side of the road.
Team Spy Kids
Distance Traveled: 355.2
Time (HH:MM:SS): 06:06:32
Average MPH: 58.1
Randomizer: 10
Refueling Stops: 1
Breakdown: 0
Total Distance Traveled: 1598.4
No one seemed to be in too much of a rush today, and it somewhat paid off, as the AST Elbrus manages to stay in one piece a little longer.
Stage Finishing Order:
Team Quick Rally 47 (Xenoanthropology Department)
Team Oil Crisis
Team Hillbilly Rollers
Team Shift Happens
Team Mrezhari
Team Fallen Angels of the Past
Team RK Series Racing
Team Spy Kids
Team Mravolinski-Chitco
Team Witchlight
Team Wayfarers
Team Machinas Con Passiones
Team Gearknobs
Team Blazers
Team Jockey
Team Slow
Team Black Rabbit Corporation
Team Shift Happens
Previous Chapters:
Another One Bites The Dust - Stage 2 Run / Stage 2 Campsite
Repairs / A Good Meal - Stage 2 Campsite / The Green Crystal (Written by TheYugo45GV and Madrias)
A Good Night’s Sleep? - Stage 2 Campsite
“Here Comes the Hound of Death” - Stage 2 Campsite Battle - Written by Elizipeazie, TheYugo45GV, and Madrias.
Fright Night Forest Stage - Stage 3 Run / Stage 3 Camp
The Free Day - Stage 3 Camp (written in collaboration with @Elizipeazie) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3)
Safe Arrival - Stage 3 Camp (Written in collaboration with @TheYugo45GV)
The Rescue - Stage 4 Drive and Stage 4 “Camp”
The Rebuild - Stage 4 “Camp” (Written in collab. with @Elizipeazie ) (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4)
“It’s 6-Fucking-Moon!” - Stage 4 Camp
Breakfast with RK Series Racing - Stage 4 Camp Final (Written in collaboration with Elizipeazie)
Raiegarda Campsite, 1 Sun
Despite getting some sleep after the chaos of the day before, most of the team was tired, even after their good breakfast earlier. While the long days did mean that it was possible to get some extra sleep, spending more than 24 Earth hours awake was rough for all of them. Well, all except for Malavera, who admitted to the team, “I’ve never quite adapted to Earth’s 24 hour days. Where I am from, or at least, before my exile, our day cycle was 46 Earth hours long. Doesn’t take much to adapt to a 48 hour ‘day’ and, well, I’ve been mostly keeping to it.”
“Think you can drive?” Kaylie asked, feeling content after breakfast.
“Sure. I’m probably the one best suited for driving today anyway. Rukari wrecked the truck. Kayden and Jayde are both stick-shift rookies. I don’t think you’ve gotten much practice with manual gearboxes. Kivenaal looks like he hasn’t properly slept in three days. That leaves me,” Malavera replied.
“Right,” Kayden said. “Then we’ve got our driver picked. Everyone, into the truck.”
Malavera took the driver’s seat, Kayden took the mid-bench because Malavera wasn’t trusting that Rukari would keep his feet off of the pedals, and Kivenaal took the shotgun seat, still looking a bit tired. In the rear bench, Rukari was behind Malavera (mostly so he couldn’t interfere with the controls), Jayde sat in the mid-bench, and Kaylie held her usual spot commanding the radios.
As they rolled out of the old logging camp, there was the sharp note of a steam whistle, followed by Tim of Team RK Series Racing yelling out of the open window, “Choo Choo, Motherfuckers!”
Kaylie laughed. “Good to see they’re in such high spirits after what they went through yesterday.”
On the Road
Malavera gripped the wheel in his left hand, his right loosely resting on the gear stick. He knew better than to do that, but in the moment, when he kept having to change gears while on the gravel, he wasn’t going to keep moving his hand back to the wheel. The Bricksley’s big V8 roared menacingly beneath the hood as he mercilessly stepped on the throttle, throwing several tons of over-loaded American “pickup van” around. “Looks like we’re actually running cooler,” Malavera said.
“Willing to bet we lost a lot of coolant. Also, straight water is better than antifreeze for cooling potential. Antifreeze might lower the freezing point, but… Water’s water, it’s a great carrier of heat,” Kaylie said. “How are the brakes?”
“A little softer than I’d like, but,” Malavera said, stepping on the firm pedal and wheeling the truck around another bend, “the pedal is solid, so it’s not a system problem. Just we’ve probably greatly exceeded the weight limits of this poor old truck, and if we try too much to use the brakes, we’re going to fade them into non-existence.”
“So that’s why you’ve been using the gears,” Kayden said, suddenly getting it. “Engine braking. 427 cubic inches of mechanical brake.”
“It’s a smart move,” Kivenaal said. “Kinda have to do that in a lot of my favorite trucks, they just don’t like to stop.”
“That’s because you like those big military fuckers that I can’t get parts for,” Kaylie replied.
As they transitioned from the gravel onto the rough cobblestone road, however, the Bricksley’s cargo started protesting by rattling and clattering, while the truck itself surged onward, gathering speed as the engine roared. Malavera finally got the gearbox up into fifth gear and kept his foot down, the huge truck barreling along. He flashed the high-beams in fair warning of a pass, put his signal on, and sent the big Bricksley sailing around the smaller Dunav of Team Mrezhari, again signaling and finishing the pass. Sooty smoke poured out of both side-pipes as the Bricksley tried to pull a significant lead, though with as much weight as they had onboard, it just wasn’t happening.
When they rolled into the lakeside camp at Raiegarda, Malavera walked the truck down the gears to slow down, prowling around the rim of the camp until he found a good spot, then parked the truck.
Raiegarda Campsite, Just Before 3-and-60 Sun
Kivenaal jumped down out of the Bricksley’s cab, already looking a little tired. Kayden and Malavera were next to leave the truck, and it didn’t take long for Kaylie, Rukari, and Jayde to get out, either. No sooner had they gotten all the doors closed, the clock in the nearby town of Raiegarda struck one high chime, announcing a quarter hour had passed.
“Let’s get our tents up, then we can relax,” Kivenaal said.
Jayde’s response was just to wave his hand, making their five tents unpack themselves, then set themselves up. “Now the tents are up,” Jayde replied. “If anyone wants to go for a swim, by the way, that lake is wonderful. It’s clear, slightly cool, quite refreshing.”
“Huh. Might take a swim, then,” Malavera said, grabbing his supplies from in the cab and storing them in his tent. He disappeared into the tent and switched out of his usual clothes into a pair of light gray swimming trunks, then made his way over to the lake with his white fur gleaming in the sun. He waded in, then settled into the cool water, just casually treading water at that point.
Jayde and Kaylie crawled into their tent and decided to get a little more sleep, even if it was only just a little bit.
Kivenaal grabbed one of his cigars and sat on a tree stump, lighting it with a flame held at the tip of one of his claws, just trying to unwind a bit. “I wonder,” he muttered to himself, “if anyone here happens to have anything with cinnamon in it.”
Rukari stared at his brother, then chuckled. “To think on Earth you avoid that like it is a deadly plague, yet here, you are considering it.”
“It’s hard to be here, you know. Where the End began. I know that there are thousands of years before that will happen, but… I… I keep reliving that night. I just want that to stop,” Kivenaal replied.
Kayden gave a slight look around, making sure no one was watching, then opened up the back door of the Bricksley’s cab, reached into his personal supplies, and pulled out a tube of ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls. “I shouldn’t be enabling this,” he said, looking to Kivenaal as he held out the tube, “but bake those and you’ll have delicious cinnamon rolls.”
Kivenaal stared at Kayden, then said, “I have to ask, why exactly did you bring those?”
“Was tempted to make some for breakfast one of these days. Those have been sitting in a battery-powered micro-fridge for the last few days, the battery is nearly dead, so… They have to be cooked and eaten now,” Kayden replied.
Kivenaal nodded, then grabbed a few supplies out of the toolbox to bake the cinnamon rolls over their campfire. He cracked open the can, placing the rolls out on the pan and placing the pan over the fire, watching as the rolls baked in the open heat of the fire and the hot Crugandr sun. Once they were done, Kivenaal added the sweet icing, then set the pan aside to cool down for a few minutes.
“How badly are those going to affect him?” Kayden asked Rukari.
“A few of them? Not too much. Might take his mind off of things. If he eats all of them? There won’t be anything in this world that could bother him,” Rukari replied.
Kivenaal picked up the first still-quite-hot cinnamon roll and took a bite, enjoying the sweet icing, the decadent cinnamon and brown sugar in the pastry itself, and the feeling of mild satisfaction at having a good snack. It didn’t take him long to go for another one, and while he enjoyed each bite, he could feel a powerful sensation of calm washing over him, washing away the pain of his past for a moment.
There were only a few rolls left on the plate when the two Dyre pups from Team Oil Crisis wandered over, grabbing a still-warm roll each. Kivenaal was aware of their presence, but wasn’t bothered by them, simply grabbing the last roll and finishing it off as well. For the first time in a very, very long time, he felt at peace. He closed his eyes to relax a bit, letting his mind wander as he rested there, having eaten nearly a whole plate of cinnamon rolls by himself.
Raiegarda Campsite, just before 4-and-40 Sun
Kaylie and Jayde got out of the tent, feeling quite refreshed as they both looked for their wayward teammates. Malavera was still near the lake, having found a large enough flat rock to sit on where he could keep both heads above water and just relax. Kayden was wandering around, just relaxing as far as Kaylie could tell, taking in the sights of the new area. Rukari was returning from the town of Raiegarda with supplies for a meal. Then they saw Kivenaal sitting next to an empty tray, near a cooking fire that had long since burned out.
Kaylie got closer, and with one whiff, she sighed. “Really? Who gave him cinnamon rolls?”
“Really? He ate food with cinnamon in it?” Jayde asked. As Kaylie nodded, Jayde shook his head and chuckled. “I suppose that is one way to, as some would put it, ‘Just be.’ Maybe it will be good for him to get a few hours of relief from whatever has been troubling his mind.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this is a good thing,” Kaylie said, staring up at Jayde.
Jayde smiled, before explaining, “When we are in pain, we want something to ease that pain, yes? You and I know this physically, between your arm and my leg. What do you do if your pain is from your mind and memories?”
“So, by getting stoned out of his mind, he gets a bit of peace?” Kaylie asked.
“The stronger effects of cinnamon on his kind wear off quickly. This will fade, and yet he’ll be more at peace for a day or so afterwards. He must have had quite a lot of it to get to this point, but it’s possible he didn’t realize how strong those were,” Jayde replied. “Or if they tasted good, he might have eaten a few too many just because he was enjoying the taste. He’ll be hungry later, though, so it’s good that Rukari is making food. Likely, he’s making extra for Kivenaal because he’s going to need it.”
Kaylie shrugged, then went around the back of the truck to grab a bag of chips out of the toolbox, only to spot something they’d all missed the day before. A smear of atomic-bubblegum-pink paint across the driver’s side of the truck bed, near the tail-light. With a scowl, she stalked over to where Rukari was sitting and grabbed his left ear in a left-handed pinch.
“Ai!” Rukari yelled, suddenly startled by Kaylie’s sudden and aggressive grab, followed by his ear being pulled. He stood up with a grimace, only to realize Kaylie still had a firm grip on his ear.
“Yeah, you’re going to apologize to the Hillbilly Rollers for side-swiping their van,” Kaylie said, switching her grip to her right hand and blocking Rukari’s tail with her left hand, before grabbing it just ahead of the venomous tuft. “Try that again, Rukari, and I swear by the Twin Suns I will tie a knot in it,” she said, before marching Rukari over to the IP Freeway Star.
“Rukari here,” Kaylie said, having since let go of Rukari’s tail, but still having a firm, though natural grip, on his left ear, “has something to say to you. Don’t you?” Kaylie glared at Rukari, and despite all the battles he’d been through, there was a moment of mild fear as he knew what Kaylie could potentially do.
“I apologize for side-swiping the van,” Rukari said, grimacing slightly as Kaylie still had a strong grip on his ear.
4 Likes
Are we allowed to have an new team member post-reg, like, if you picked someone up or got a girlfriend? Like as an additional person, not indirectly a replacement
2 Likes
as long as you have room, you will be alright.
3 Likes
And the XL53 does have 5 seats right?
3 Likes
I see no real issues with it, as long as there’s space in your vehicle for them. It won’t affect stats.
I might not immediately put them into the spreadsheet, but I’ll keep track of them.
The XL53, does, in fact, have 5 seats.
Cool. Been thinking of doing that for this part as a major change
2 Likes