Yup. itâs on the 2.3 m one and has had the wheelbase stretched to 2.7 m. Most of that was to get the right hood proportions.
Less is More, Right?
Cunning Stunts returns
Hopefully for more cunning and stunting.
Last Year some refuse truck and an AWD Ute both with engine swaps and all sorts of adhock mods
This year a Motorbike thatâs basically stock, aside from a wiring job because it needed a radio mount and to be dried off from the 2023 Sydney Christmas floods, which is how they even got a litre-bike for less than 3000 AUD.
The Motorbike is a 1996 Shuriken KRG1100. A formerly slightly more green and lighter Sports Naked bike with a tendency to 1 wheel, almost guaranteed to be one of the highest Power to Weight vehicles in the event. Lana White will be riding it the whole event
If the rulebook change allows for 'major spare parts' to not need to mounted on the vehicle, well...
Who said the support vehicle needed to be the train for a bike, or needed to be 2000 USD, or needed to be exclusive to your team. Meet Murray Harrisonâs K78 Masakari Troopcarrier, his long suffering work van thatâs been on a few too many adventures, but is more than happy to help out competition in need.
Other fun facts, Support vehicles donât need to abide by the race route and thus would theoretically be able to take considerably more direct routes to broken down or impeded competitors.
6 Likes
POSTING THIS ON BEHALF OF NOCTURNE WHO IS NO FORUM MEMBER (Discord only)
in agreement with the hosts, I am the postman and only copy-pasting NocturneÂŽs texts. Nothing here is written by me and the team is not linked to the Rhino squad (just saying it extra âloudâ to aviod confusion)
Company background:
Maxwell-Temple Company, founded in 1931, in Perth, Australia by Harold Maxwell and George Temple, has long been a frontrunner in four wheel drive vehicle technology. They got off to a successful start by procuring contracts for military trucks as well as 4x4 chassis for towing light weaponry. After playing an influential role in manufacturing military trucks the Australian armed forces would use once the Second World War broke out, MTC were left with a surplus of vehicles which it would quickly use to its advantage, becoming one of the largest worldwide manufacturers of off road four wheel drive light trucks designed for commercial, agricultural, and recreational uses.
In the 1960s, MTC would undergo a two pronged venture into the passenger car world. In 1963, they pioneered the dune buggy segment with the introduction of the Koala 1.3. More importantly, in 1967, they acquired a 50% stake in struggling South African conglomerate Vanguard Industries, with the other 50% being bought out a year later. Vanguard had long been known as a maker of utilitarian and economical but rather primitive family cars. The top brass at MTC, however, saw the unrealized potential for a market that would combine the go-anywhere nature of MTCâs Quadra four wheel drive system with the practical and economical nature of Vanguardâs existing automotive platforms.
The end result of this research and development was displayed at the 1971 Paris Auto Show as the 1971 MTC K-Type. Using the monocoque chassis of the Vanguard Capricorn compact sedan/liftback, the car featured the first generation of MTCâs all-new Quadra on-demand four wheel drive system. The success of the K Type line allowed MTC to expand its lineup in the late 70s to 3 separate all-terrain cars using Vanguardâs existing Capricorn, Scorpio, and Andromeda as bases. MTC was influential in helping Vanguard phase out its tried and true overhead valve engines in favor of the New Age series of overhead cam inline fours and sixes. Rising tensions in South Africa along with Vanguardâs continued plummet into irrelevancy lead MTC to controversially end production of vehicles under the long storied Vanguard nameplate after 1987. By the time MTC itself was bought out by Alliance Autotopia, the worldâs largest automaker consisting of 9 brands with each their own storied past, in 1993, they were a blossoming manufacturer of offroad trucks/SUVs and all terrain focus passenger cars alike.
Car background
The 1999 MTC K Series was not a ground-up vehicle, but a holistic rework using the 1988-1998 K Seriesâs platform and chassis as a base, but more notably swapping the rear semi trailing arm layout for a double wishbone setup all around. This allowed for more precise handling compared to the previous generation. More importantly, the New Age Four got a second generation, now coming 16 valve double overhead cam layout. Variable valve timing was added in two different configurations, a first for an MTC vehicle.
The base model was the K18 Sport, starting from $14990, offering a 1.8L version of the New Age Gen II block with multi point fuel injection producing 120 hp at 5700 rpm and 127 lb ft of torque at 4200 rpm. Fuel economy was rated at 33/39/35 EPA rated city/highway/combined. Standard features included hydraulic rack and pinon power assisted steering, a four speaker sound system with a stereo AM/FM radio, driverâs side airbag system, and a cassette tape player, a five speed manual transmission with a four speed with overdrive button electronically controlled automatic being available as a $1200 option. Brakes are 250mm discs in the front and 290mm drums in the back, tires are P185/60R16 spec.
The next step up is the K22 X-Sport, at $17500, which added a more powerful 2.2L version of the New Age Four making 150 hp at 5500 rpm and 157 lb ft of torque at 4000 rpm. The variable valve timing on this engine is on all cams rather than just the intake. Along with the engine upgrades comes a Torsen based limited slip differential and Traction Aids I package which includes an anti lock braking system. Brakes are now 270mm discs all around, vented in front and solid at the back. Fuel economy for this model is 30/36/33 city/highway/combined.
At the top of the range sits the K22 Carbon hot hatchback, at $22500. The 2.2 is given a variable geometry turbocharger providing 10 psi of boost as well as individual throttle bodies. This allows the powerplant to make 230 hp at 5600 rpm and 270 lb ft of torque at 3800 rpm. Forged internals are used on this engine to accommodate for the higher torque it produces. Tires are summer compound P215/50R16 with alloy rims. Upgraded brakes and a Sony CD player are now standard.
A common rail diesel version with a 2.0 turbo making 105 hp at 3700 rpm and 172 lb ft of torque at 2600 rpm is available in selected markets in Europe and Asia.
Body styles offered include sedan, 3 door hatchback, 5 door hatchback, and 5 door estate.
Our Example
A 1999 K22 X-Sport with broken cassette player, needs new spark plugs, some rust on the underbody. Sold to Jacob for $2000 flat.
Our Team
Peak Performance
Jacob Kim, age 26, human, Korean-American, 5â7, 130 lbs, brown eyes, black hair
Amelia Ridgewell, 24, human, British, 5â4, 110 lbs, green eyes, blonde hair
3 Likes
A Tribute to my Grandpa who passed away earlier this week
I was originally going to enter the usual BetterDeals, but I've decided to enter a clone of my grandpa's car. He was a good man, I had a very special bond with him, and he was a car enthusiast.
Itâs been a difficult week, but life goes on, and he was not in the best condition. Iâm sure heâs in a better place now.
He had the nickname Fuist, so for this reason here is my teamâs name.
Team Fuist
Of course, these are difficult times but that doesn't mean that we can have some fun.
The Drivers
- Louis Abingdon
36 Years Old
British
Notorious driver from the GTC, Louis Abingdon tries out something new. Rallying is new to the man, but heâs up for anything. He has enough experience going into the grass and gravel, after all. Heâs used to it.
In the GTC he was seen as the next big guy, but severely underperformed. He kept getting seats with teams hoping that he would do better, but it only ever got worse. Even with the best teams he simply could not compete, besides a few podiums.
He is a paydriver, so he funded the car. Donât ask him where he got the money, he wonât say anything.
âPeople call me Abingoat, must mean Iâm a good driver! I remember when I was in the driving academy, everyone was talking about me, till I got signed. After a lot of sabotage from my team and bouncing around many teams, I eventually had no seat left. So I thought, maybe I can test my luck on Holsia.â
- Marceline Bond
39 Years Old
French
Another notorious driver from the GTC. The first female driver to ever compete in the series, she left many disappointed. A fan favorite, but she never picked up a win. A few podiums were there though.
The second woman to ever compete immediately outshined her by winning on her debut, proving that Bond simply was not fast.
After retiring, she struck a deal with BetterDeals to start up her own racing team, which has seen major success with a driverâs championship and a few results very close to one.
âWhen I was a kid I always had the dream to race, and eventually I got that dream. Unfortunately I simply didnât have enough talent to compete with my competitors, I was always having fun. Eventually I noticed that my performances were simply not improving after many years, so I retired. Never regretted that decision. Thought it would be fun to get back behind the wheel though!â
They claim to not be in a relationship but rumors have been going around for a while nowâŠ
They will be driving at aggression 1.
The Car
Abingdon has dug up a car that may or may not be considered a sports car, but he hopes for it to work well enough.
The 1996 Mars Fuist is a car from Mars in quite a weird place. Itâs not exactly fast since itâs the V6 version and is a convertible, but for some reason it was quite popular and sold well. Weird. Theyâre very common so theyâre easy to find for very cheap.
This one isnât in the greatest condition, but the body is in great condition. The previous owner reported some weird stuff going on with the suspension, but Bond and Abingdon have done their best to fix some problems. Some limiters have been removed and it produces about 30 more horsepower than it did before, so it can move. Hopefully.
Besides the previously mentioned engine modifications and a fire extinguisher, the car is essentially stock with some questionable quality fixes to the suspension.
Is that it? I think thatâs it.
Ride on Opa, we miss you. Rest in peace.
8 Likes
GECA - Interstellar
Simply put, GECA (Gothenburg Express Cycling Association, pronounced âGeeSahâ) is a loosely coordinated group of road cyclist based in Gothenburg, Sweden, in turn split into various sub-groups.
GECA - Interstellar is one of these sub-groups (the others being GECA - Speed and GECA - Social) coined by Valentin Schrant as a justification for the support train being used in such magnitude.
They plan to ride some stages on their bicycles in a group of 13, while others are spent resting aboard the train.
The Crew:
Valentin âValâ Schrant
- Age: 25
- Height: 7â3" (221cm)
- Weight: 292 lbs (132kg)
- Notable Features:
- qualifies as being Albino (though with light grey-ish blue eyes)
- hairdo that reaches all the way to his lower back
- generally slender, well-defined physique, in turn covered in a dense âmapâ of veins
- a metallic-looking strip of grey runs up from between the clavicles, up his neck to behind his left ear
His personality depends on how much trust he has in someone.
To unknown people, he generally is polite and friendly, though distant and rather defensive, possibly even stiff, having a hard time at casual banter until a level of trust is achieved.
Once trust is present, he loosens up considerably.
Still, he remains of the calmer type with seemingly infinite patience.
Vehemently refuses to do any drugs, including alcohol and cigarettes.
Njordal âNorseâ Eikeland
- Age: 29
- Height: 6â1" (185cm)
- Weight: 183 lbs (83kg)
- Notable Features:
- Brown, short hair
- physically appears healthy, though not extraordinarily well built
Substantially more open to engagement with others socially, sometimes to the detriment of Valentin, with whom he has an intense bond formed over the years.
Lars Andersson
- Age: 43
- Height: 5â11" (180cm)
- Weight: 185 lbs (84kg)
- Notable Features:
- Thick, full beard
- more broad in physique, as he has some âdead weightâ to lug around
The resident dickhead of the group with very little in the way of a filter.
Has ZERO issues blaring out his opinion on things and frequently gathers counter-fire as a result of it, making him generally unpopular.
Him being part of the group at all is a legal thing, since he did pay the entry fees to GECA - Interstellar on time and in full.
Hugh Jass
- Age: debatable. his ID claims 19 and he legally is of age and looks the part, but his âactivity historyâ only really goes back about three months or soâŠ
- Height: 6â3" (190cm)
- Weight: 144 lbs (65kg)
- Notable features:
- bright green, shoulder-length hair
- equally green eyes
- physically very much the âskin-and-bonesâ type
His demeanor is a mixed bag.
Socially, he generally is open to interaction and seen as friendly, but to others, it seems like he is stuck in his own little way of thinking as he constantly keeps talking using video-game related words, reinforced further by the occasional action of equally video-game-y looking awkwardness.
Bill Kerman
- Age: classified, appears mid 40s
- Height: 5â10" (178cm)
- Weight: 139lbs (73kg)
- Notable features:
- short, brown hair with receding hairline
- light blue eyes
- perpetually wearing some sort of sunglasses
- identical twin to Bob Kerman (below)
His outward impression can be summed up as âstay away from usâ, which has multiple GECA members be suspicious of him. Stern look, talks only when needed and when he does, he uses as few words as possible to get out of the social engagement. Generally tries to avoid being drawn into one as well.
Bob Kerman
- Age: classified, appears mid 40s
- Height: 5â10" (178cm)
- Weight: 139lbs (73kg)
- Notable features:
- short, brown hair with receding hairline
- light blue eyes
- perpetually wearing some sort of sunglasses
- identical twin to Bill Kerman (above)
His outward impression can be summed up as âstay away from usâ, which has multiple GECA members be suspicious of him. Stern look, talks only when needed and when he does, he uses as few words as possible to get out of the social engagement. Generally tries to avoid being drawn into one as well.
note: Below Characters largely act as filler and thus might not be as thoroughly established.
Sven Johansson
- Age: 23
- Height: 5â8" (173cm)
- Weight: 140 lbs (63kg)
- Notable Features:
- heavily crooked nose
In a sense a mix of Norse and Lars.
Outgoing and unfiltered, though not enough of an outright asshole to not apologize for any missteps.
Astrid Nilsson
- Age: 31
- Height: 6â0" (183cm)
- Weight: 132 lbs (60kg)
- Notable Features:
- bald (base color is black)
Recent breast cancer survivor with no intent of hiding the past. Generally calm, but daring when it comes to it. Joined GECA (especially GECA - Speed) for the thrill of speed with very little protection as it makes her feel alive as ever.
Ingrid âBag of Holdingâ Ericsson
- Age: 38
- Height: 5â6" (167cm)
- Weight: unknown (she does not care)
- Notable Features
- the notable bit is the lack of notable features.
- about as generic of a woman you can find
Dragged into this by Astrid, she has issues opening up to people, instead retaining her defensive âbetter not tell anyoneâ stance for possibly longer than is reasonable. Generally seen upon favorably by others due to her somehow being prepared for every eventuality there could ever be.
Björn Olsen
- Age: 35
- Height: 5â10" (178cm)
- Weight: 174 lbs (79kg)
- Notable Features
- by far the most muscular-looking of the group, actually having upper-body strength
- reddish-brown army-buzzcut hair
- left eye somewhat squinted
The âall show and little goâ person, relatively speaking. By far the richest person in the group (second only to Val), but has little idea as to what his fancy equipment even is capable of at times. Still, he vehemently refuses to accept guidance on any matter, claiming to be âabove the othersâ in terms of skill and expertise. Got a face full of fist from Astrid for downplaying the severity of cancer.
Hiroshi Tanaka
- Age: 28
- Height: 6â0" (183cm)
- Weight: ~140 lbs (65kg)
- Notable Features
- google âRyosuke Takahasiâ from Initial D. I may or may not have plucked him out of his FC lol
The smart one. If there is a book-smarts thing to contribute to a given thing, he can provide. The only one to rival Val in performance because of a massive tactics advantage to him. Does not think fondly of his parents due to their authoritarian views regarding his future.
Apart from that, he generally is rather stoic and well-articulated.
Erik Jansen
- Age: 20
- Height: 5â11" (180cm)
- Weight: 170lbs (77kg)
- Notable Features:
- ginger
- dreadlocks
- obviously left-wing politically due to outfit styling (patches and such)
If thereâs a topic, he is talking. Non-stop. Even if a given topic is not relevant to him or not in his field of âexpertiseâ, chances are that he is adding his two cents to it.
Somehow still is able to listen to others, though him stepping onto them trying to talk is a strain to the way people think of him.
Jan Wagner
- Age: 23
- Height: 6â0" (184cm)
- Weight: 170lbs (73kg)
- Notable Features:
- dense, unkempt full beard
- hair to mid-back
Jan is a mixed bag. Sometimes, he absolutely refuses to engage in conversation, preferring the sidelines. Other times, he rivals Erik in the amount of talking he does.
The vehicles
HSR B15.01 #001 âRobert IIIâ
(locomotive only)
Continuing with the tradition of using the (arguably superior 
) rails instead of roads, Valentin has organized a full train through his line of work as the chief mechanical engineer at the Holsian State Railways.
The train in question will serve as accommodation for GECA as well as some degree of support for other participants in case cars are irreparably damaged or otherwise in need of aid.
2004 MHI/AMCW City Shuttle
Rented off of Team Shift Happens, this example is identical in both technical specifications and backstory to the one in use there. The only difference: This one has NOT been fiddled with to make 10 feet tall people fit. It is a regular city bus.
13 bicycles
[no image]
This is the whole point of GECA being here to begin with.
They want to do some of the stages on their bikes as a group, others remain aboard the train for recovery, simple as that.
6 Likes
Anya Essinger
Arthur "Reggie "Reymond
Entries are now Closed!
To those who have a submitted car, please, do get your team posts in as quickly as possible. It helps the other teams who will be roleplaying.
Iâll be busy cooking up the starting area camp.
Pity, I designed a car, but didnât have time to write. Good luck teams!
4 Likes
GECA - Pre-Race
March 29th 2024
Gothenburg Landvetter Airport; Landvetter; Sweden
Meetup of Valentin and the GECA - Interstellar participants only had minor disturbances. Jan Wagner, a member who flew out from Germany to partake reported having difficulties finding the remaining group, citing âlack of familiar environmentâ as the reason.
Outside of that, multiple questions were asked:Sven: âWhen is our plane going. And WHERE?â
Valentin: âOur aircraft is ready whenever we are. I⊠chartered one outside of typical commercial flights.âLars: âCare to explain the reasoning behind FIVE pieces of luggage?â
Njordal: âDid you not bring whatever you need for the stage battle against Val?â
Valentin: âBicycle, Guitar, Amplifier, Typical travel baggage there and cycling or music related ancillaries in this one.âHis answer effectively silenced Lars and his latent aggression, himself having brought along three pieces of luggage compared to most others having brought two.
Within Valentinâs Aircraft; somewhere near the north pole
The passengers seem highly impressed at how Valentin âsomehowâ procured a futuristic-looking business jet capable of cruising at Mach 3.3. Other than that, the flight was uneventful.
LA Int. Airport; Los Angeles; California; United States
The stopover at KLAX was necessary for legal reasons, as the actual destination does not have a suitable customs office for a direct flight. The âapparently unnecessaryâ deboarding was met with remarkably little resistance.
At the security checks, 11 out of 13 people were processed without any holdups.
Hugh Jass displayed unusual behavior in trying to effectively interact with the local staff members, leading to quite the amusement for the remaining participants and mild annoyance to local staff.
Example being the apparent inability to accurately place relevant items in the scanning tray, either dropping it straight to the floor on the first attempt and violently throwing them into the tray on the second. How items such as his phone survived remains a mystery to everyone involved, including me.
The other person with difficulties was Valentin:
Even before he was fully underneath the metal detector, it registered the highest possible value to them. An attempt at resolving the issue via taking off minor articles of clothing such as rings, shoes and a non-existing belt yielded no change.TSA: âHow the fuck do you peg the detector while being next to it?â
Valentin: âMay I ask as to how detailed you want the answer to be?â
At this point, Valentin was already at work fishing out necessary documentation.
TSA: âExcuse me?â
Valentin: âIn summary, I am part of a medical trial involving implants which as of now make up roughly 4% of my body weight.â
TSA: âRiiight⊠Letâs see what you have for alledged proofâŠâThis proof was sufficiently convincing, though required Valentin to undergo more extensive manual searches, linked in part to his guitar case being mistaken for a poorly secured rifle case.
After security was dealt with, the group reboarded the plane for a short, subsonic flight to their final destination.
Twin Suns Aerodrome, Nevada, United States
Upon landing at Twin Suns Aerodrome, Valentin led the crew over to where they would be staying until departure to Holsia.
Initial reactions, especially after having seen the aircraft, were rather modest as they did not expect to be housed in a small âtrailer parkâ full of RVs.
Regardless, as far as I can tell, crew morale was decent.
4 Likes
Team Shift Happens
Shitbox Rally Starting Area, Nevada
- March 31, 2024, 4 AM local time.
Kivenaal sighs as the bus crawls past the fences, beyond the Aerodrome, and into the outskirts of the Twin Suns Towing property, the primitive self-driving AI carefully weaving down the paved pathway and out into the dirt. The screens showed nothing out of the usual, with one showing :) and the other simply containing a bunch of âdebug spew.â
Heâd been up half the night making the rings for all of the teams. Language with an emergency teleport both to the start, and back to home, and a different ring marked with âSOSâ designed to be used to call for help. He was tired, but at least the rings were done.
Behind him, he had the rest of the crew. Malavera hadnât really helped when it came to why he was still tired - in fact, he might indeed be the reason Kivenaal hadnât slept at all - but he was the reason Kivenaal was nervous right now. Or, at least, half the reason. The other half of the AI project came from Takaraya, who helped Malavera with the Self-Driving project. Also back there were Kaylie, Jayde, Kayden, Sariya, Manikihali, and Lauren, casually having an argument about who was the one responsible for squirting dish soap into the dishwasher, leading to a kitchen full of soap suds. Near them, Inaelus and Kasiya were just casually chatting about magic.
The bus parked itself at the waypoint, and Kivenaal shut it off.
âRight⊠Letâs get started,â Kaylie said, breaking the argument. âWeâve got a lot of mild renovations to do before people start showinâ up.â
The doors swing open, and the eleven aliens leave the bus, quickly swarming the campsite and getting it prepared for new arrivals.
Many hours later, the campsite was cleaned up, the grills were ready for cooking, the picnic tables had a fresh coating of paint, and the firing range now had a new set of targets to shoot at. More importantly, there were a line of cleaned-up RVs parked off to one side, intended for use by a friend and his group to rest the night, as well as the now-infamous sound-deadened portable toilets, and a bit of very basic camp lighting that was being powered by a cheap generator that Rukari had tinkered with so itâd run on used motor oil, something they had in relatively abundant supply.
âAnd now the waiting game begins,â Kayden quips.
Sariya shrugs. âMani, donât you go burning any of those steaks.â
Manikihali pauses in cooking only long enough to flip off Sariya with all four hands, then flips the steaks over.
Malavera, meanwhile, sets up his laptop and starts up his usual routine of ignoring everyone and playing an old arcade racing game, this time joined by Kivenaal on a near-identical machine, the two computers linked by a serial cable.
Kasiya and Inaelus both settle at one of the picnic tables, just enjoying the day. Soon, theyâd be spending the night here in Jaydeâs almost-infamous magic tent, and then the next day would be the driversâ meeting and departure.
Takaraya, on the other hand, takes the time to unpack his new digital camera, putting a lens on it and taking a picture of the chaotic little group, catching a little moment as Lauren opens up a box labeled âsnacksâ and realizes it belonged to Kivenaal, as there was only one person who had a taste for honey-glazed, oven-roasted scorpions.
Jayde and Kaylie, in the middle of this chaos, were busy preparing more burgers and steaks for their group, just waiting for the first teams to arrive.
(OOC: Feel free to get team posts in if you havenât already. This is just pre-race stuff in case people are interested in some interaction before the start.)
2 Likes
Team Highway Hooligans
SR Starting Area, Nevada
- March 31, 2024, 8 AM local time.
Jake slides into the driverâs seat of their heavily modified Ishu Astrion, watching as Trevor drops into the passenger seat, and then Cody settles into the back seat with a groan and a door slam. The keys jingle as Jake plugs them into the ignition switch, makes sure the gearbox is in neutral, puts his feet on the brake pedal and the clutch pedal, then turns the key.
The engine rasps to life, the snarling V6 waking up and settling into a rough idle, before Jake stuffs the Astrion into reverse and backs out of the hangar.
âGod damn, I canât see shit with this giant fucking box behind us,â Jake grumbles.
âThat âgiant fucking boxâ contains food, camping supplies, tools, and a couple spare parts,â Trevor replies. âAnd itâs a fuckload better than a trailer.â
âDo we really have to be up this early? I mean, I fucking get it, we missed the rally last year, but-â
Codyâs complaint gets cut off by a savage charlie horse from Trevor, and a pitiful yell of pain from Cody.
âJesus fucking Christ, Trev!â
âYour idea of early,â Jake quips, âis 4:30 in the afternoon.â
Trevor chuckles, watching as Jake slowly cruises into the campsite. âDamn! They really do go all out, donât they?â Trevor says, seeing the lights on, RVs parked up, grill smoking away, and the little fiberglass shit-houses all lined up ready for the undoubtedly dozens of dumps to be done in their brief stay in camp.
After the car is parked, Jake shuts down the engine, and everyone bails out.
âThat thing still fuckinâ stinks,â Cody grumbles.
âTwelve air fresheners can mask a lot, but all itâs doing is covering up whatever got spilled in the carpet,â Jake replies.
Trevor shrugs. âIt ainât that bad. Seriously, Ma once left a package of burgers in the trunk and then went on vacation with the family for two weeks. By the time she got back, that poor Sinistra Traville stank so bad that we were wondering if some mob boss hid a body in her trunk.â
As Jake notices the steaks being cooked, he smiles. âYou guys reckon theyâll give us any?â
Kaylie looks over at them and laughs. âOf course we will. Kinda camp tradition at this point.â
With that, the Hooligans take their places at a table, each chowing down on steaks and burgers, while watching for new arrivals.
3 Likes
Timeloss
Part Zero: Moving to Camp.
A couple goodbyes, a walk from one house to another, a hop through some mirrors, out the door, and over the road. Take the keys a bunch of them had, open the hangar door, find the Azreia, considerations.
âThis thingâs loud. Should we really start it in here?â
âWell, Leo and Max have started their Wagon in here a few times.â
âYeah, but Max is a pilot and Leoâs Leo.â
âAnd what does that mean?â
âYou know what that means.â Selena shrugs at Ruukaâs comment, opening the driver-side door and slotting in. Technically, these three didnât even need to do the overnight stay, but you might as well get into the mood of the event by not fucking around at home for the few hours before you really have to go. Ignoring Ruukaâs suggestion of not starting the V8 Monstrosity indoors, the Azreia bursts into life, they navigate around the tools as Ruuka opens the hangarâs door.
Now, the trio havenât driven the new Azreia. They only brought it here from Vegas when it was a normal car. Itâs a different beast, very much unlike anything either Selena or Ruuka own. Rather than a direct drive over the runway and down the trail to Camp, the vampire decided she didnât want to be normal. No, no, no. She was going to see what this abomination could do, much to the dislike of Ruuka and the abject outrage of Mirage.
Bumping and Bursting around the nearby desert of Twin Suns, probably clearly to anyone around (sand and dust likes to hang around on a not-so-windy day after all), the Vampire, the Starpilot, and the Mage eventually roll their way into the Camp. The V8âs loud, and the suspension squeeks. Itâs annoying to be around, but these three really do not care. The monster pulls up around 9am, pulling up near their friends of Shift Happens, as Mirage drags herself past Ruuka and out the passenger door. There, the mage pulls a book from her hip, drawing patterns in the air, as a door appears just behind the Azreia. She nods in approval, as she climbs onto the Sedanâs roof.
Selena and Ruuka, with not much else to do, grab a couple chairs from their storage, and set them up in front of the Azreia, watching with hats and sunglasses on for the other arrivals.
6 Likes
Somewhere in Wisconsin, United States of America
March 14th 2024. 11:00PM
The lamp toppled over limply. Brutally domed by a beach sandal flying across the room. It was collateral damage, because the intended target was the 6â 3â hyceian, who ducked out of the way barely in time. The reason why such an attack was justified?
Choice of team name.
âCan we be less destructive, please?â It was Kate who spoke up. âI know youâre having a disagreement but can we cut back on the flying objects? But we donât need someone breaking multi-thousand dollar equipment.â
Of course, also in the room was Landon. Deeply unhappy, and vocal about the choices made. His gruff voice, southern drawl with the sight hint of something eastern Euro hammered home the point. It was Alex to whom he spoke to. âWhat in the hell were you thinking?! Itâs gonna make people think weâre crazy or something!â
Alex stood from his cover. A stark contrast in sound between the two, especially the accent that sounded faintly Brazilian for some reason. âIt isnât supposed to! Thereâs eight of us going on this trip, so I thought why not?â
âStill doesnât justify you not going and talking to us.â Landon, still unamused.
âI didnât? Not listening to anything Iâve said about CSX 8888, the incident, the way they stopped it and that the name the incident was given?â
The towering fox raised his brows. âI thought that was you blathering on about trains like you always are. I wouldnât know, I always tune you out.â
Alex would have said something. But, it wasnât a hill worth dying on, so the response was an exasperated sigh and a roll of the eyes.
âCrazy Eights?â Kate again, now sitting down on the sofa on the right side of the basement. âItâs the runaway train, isnât it?â
âI thought we were not supposed to keep things from each other.â The voice came from Via. The female hyceian, and Alexâs significant other. The person walking over and picking up the slipper that had taken out the lamp. âYou promised to talk this through with the input of other people.â
Alex tensed and his ears twitched when Via picked up the slipper again, although this tension was short lived. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced down at the ground, avoiding eye contact. A multitude of thoughts running through his mind.
There was a moment before he said anything. âI⊠uh⊠Iâm sorry.â
âWhy donât we talk it through then?â A distinct South African sounding accent cut through the air. It was Karl, entering the room. âI have many ideas that are probably better than what you chose.â
âI couldnât care less about the name.â This voice was the coldest in the room. Commanding, sharp and clear. Neil didnât move from his spot on the couch that had been used as cover and he didnât look up from the device he was sending messages on. âAnd itâs not worth the effort to talk it through either.â
Karl sighed. âShould we tell Hans about our decision? Might as well keep him in the loop.â
âLike he would get the reference.â It started to become more apparent that Landon was a lot more displeased with this than heâd let on. âLike, why would we choose a name thatâs some sort of obscure reference? Why not try to come up with something mostly original?â
âIt is original!â The protest came from Alex. âItâs just⊠I thought it was fun.â
âIâm not after you because of the name, Lex. Iâm after you because you didnât come to us first.â Via let her irritation fade. âThe name is fine. But, next time just talk to us.â
Alex sighed. âWas the shoe attack really necessary?â
Landon scoffed and simply turned away. âIâm going home. Yâall can figure this out on your own.â
Karl agreed with the decision. âYeah. Iâm tired, and Alettaâs waiting for me.â
âSo that means weâre The Crazy Eight now?â Neil looked at the three remaining people in the room.
Alex shrugged. âI guess so.â
âI have no objections.â Via sighed.
Neil stood and moved to leave the room. âItâs settled then.â
After he was gone, the three remaining people in the basement common area all exchanged glances. As chaotic as it was, they had managed to settle on a name that was somewhat witty. Of course, not everyone had to be happy about it. But since the name had more or less been already chosen, the vehicle sorted, and their journey to Nevada covered by private jet, all they had to worry about now was the gear and supplies they would bring and if the GPV would have the room with all eight seats occupied.
Preferably without incident.
5 Likes
Team Firulais
A Rather Heated Discussion, and a Rather Rushed Flight PlanLate Night of March 25th, Ăngelâs Apartment, Vladivostok, Russian Federation
Someone knocked right on Ăngelâs Door⊠Guess what? The neighbor who owned the car Ana crashed into a few days ago is not exactly happy.
Sergey (Ăngelâs neighbor):âĐĐŸŃĐŒĐŸŃŃĐžĐŒ, ŃŃâŠâ
Ăngel:âĐŃДжЎД ŃĐ”ĐŒ ĐČŃ ĐœĐ°ŃĐœĐ”ŃĐ”, ĐœĐ”Ń, ŃŃĐŸ ĐœĐ” Ń ĐżĐŸĐČŃДЎОл ĐČĐ°ŃŃ ĐŒĐ°ŃĐžĐœŃ.â
Sergey:âĐąĐŸĐłĐŽĐ° ĐșŃĐŸ? Đ ĐșĐŸĐœŃĐ” ĐșĐŸĐœŃĐŸĐČ, ŃŃĐŸ ŃŃ ĐČŃДгЎа ŃĐŸĐ·ĐŽĐ°Đ”ŃŃ Đ·ĐŽĐ”ŃŃ ĐżŃĐŸĐ±Đ»Đ”ĐŒŃâŠâ
Ăngel (nervous):âĐĐ° Đ»Đ°ĐŽĐœĐŸ, ĐłĐŸŃĐżĐŸĐŽĐžĐœ ĐĄĐ”ŃгДĐč, Ń ĐœĐžŃĐ”ĐłĐŸ ĐœĐ” ЎДлалâŠâ
Sergey (clearly angry⊠besides, heâs 35cm taller than ĂngelâŠ):ââŠâ
Ăngel (this is when he admits the truth):âĐĐč, ŃŃĐżĐŸĐșĐŸĐčŃŃ⊠ĐĐŸĐŸĐ±ŃĐ”, Đ”ŃлО Ń
ĐŸŃĐ”ŃŃ, Ń Đ±Đ”ŃплаŃĐœĐŸ ŃŃŃŃĐ°ĐœŃ ĐżĐŸĐ»ĐŸĐŒĐșŃâŠâ
This is what I can get of the conversation⊠Clearly, Ăngel got rocked. But, to translate, Sergey asks Ăngel if he damaged his car⊠Initially he says ânoâ, but later Sergey pressures Ăngel, as heâs the troublemaker of the building. Later Ăngel admits the truth, and offers to fix the damages for free⊠and, wellâŠ
Sometime later, Ăngel has 25.000 Rubles less in his pocket, as well as having recieved a punch in the gut, which is agonizing for him (ouch).
So, in order to take revenge, and also, make it to the Starting Point in Nevada, he secretly got Anaâs Credit Card⊠Ăngel was evil at times, but, for now, heâd use it only for the flights needed to take both the Team and the Aurora to Nevada.
After booking some flights on Japan Airlines, and paying roughly 3 times the carâs worth for it to be flown to L.A., he slept until 5 AM, when he got ready to wake everyone up with his Frying Pan.
Early morning of March 26th, Vladivostok International Airport, Vladivostok, Russia
To everyoneâs displeasure, the Flight, or, should we say, the Flight Routes would be quite strange. Or, should we say, messy, as Ăngel is not great at planning stuff. But they would have to take several planes⊠One which would take them to Beijing, as there were no flights which could get them to Tokyo (let alone L.A.), then another flight to Tokyo-Haneda, and then the flight across the Pacific to Los Angeles⊠Yeah, it was quite the air trip. Although, Ăngel had programmed something well. See, he somehow managed to find a cargo flight from Vladivostok to L.A. straight ! The only problem was that it would take off a day after the Firulais would take off⊠But, seeing things in another way, that was actually good, as it would mean the Team and the car would arrive simultanously-ish to L.AâŠ
âŠand so, the voyage began.
Noon of March 28th, Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, United States
Ana:âWho knew the flight from Tokyo to here would delay due to the weather?â
TomĂĄs:âYeah, I know⊠At least weâve arrived. I hope Emiliano will take care of my dog.â
AndrĂ©s:âIâm pretty sure he will.â
JosuĂ©:âItâs so good to be back⊠Wasnât here where we met?â
Ana:âYeah, we met here⊠but⊠anyone has seen my credit card? I havenât found it yetâŠâ
Before Ana could search further, Ăngel arrived with the Aurora⊠while the car had a few problems passing thru customs, it got thru. For the team that was a win.
Ăngel:âOK, Crew, are we ready?â
JosuĂ©:âWhy arenât we flying to Nevada?â
Ăngel:âI wanted to test the car a little for a short trip. After all, we donât want it to be the worst thing possible for the long journey in Aetherii, right?â
Ana:âI just hope Iâve left my credit card here⊠and that the Aircon worksâŠâ
It didnât, but at least the car didnât break down on the way to Nevada.
Past Midnight, March 29th, SR Starting Area, Nevada, United States
Team Firulais arrives with itâs morale thru the roof⊠That is, until they realize the need for somewhere to sleep other than the tents. So many questions and so few answers. But I guess those would eventually be solved across the rally.
4 Likes
never done something like this before so here goes
Part 0: Pre-Rally-Post-Email-Prep
March 11th, 2024
alecâs laptop gets an email notification
Alec: âHm? Oh, email.â
alec opens the notification and reads through the email
A: ââŠShitbox Rally? The hell is this?â
he reads the last line
A: âHolsia? Thatâs not- thatâs not a real place, is it? Hang onâŠâ
he opens discord on his laptop and goes to the friend group chat
A (typing on discord): âHey, can you two get on call rq? Iâve just gotten a weird email from someoneâ
Kiara (on discord): âYeah sure ive got a minuteâ
Sienna (on discord): âalright will doâ
alec starts a call, sienna and kiara join it
S: âHey, so whatâs up?â
A: âYeah, Iâve just gotten this email from an address I donât recognise, it says something about the âthird annual Shitbox Rallyâ, whatever that is.â
K: âOh, ok. Uhh- can you send it here?â
A: âYeah, give me a sec.â
alec copy pastes the email into the group chat, sienna and kiara read through it
S: âMmm⊠It says theyâre going on April Foolsâ Day. Could just be some kind of elaborate April Foolsâ prank.â
A: âYeah, entirely possible. Actually, hang onâŠâ
he goes to google, searches up google maps and types âHolsiaâ in the search bar
A: âThatâs the name of a makeup artist in New York. I- okay. Are they planning to drive from Nevada to this specific shop in New York or something?â
K: âMight be? Considering the weirdness of some race events nowadays, I wouldnât be surprised.â
the group is silent for a couple seconds
K: ââŠActually, when was the last time we did something together? Like, in real life?â
sienna and alec are silent
(both at the same time):
A: âI⊠I donât remember.â
S: âYeah, I donât-⊠I- I canât remember.â
K: âExactly. We havenât done anything for god knows how long, so why shouldnât we do this?â
S: ââŠFair point. Weâre- hold onâŠâ
she looks through the email quickly
S: âUhhhh- âShow up at our starting area in a vehicle costing $2000 or lessâ. I doubt any of our cars fall in that margin.â
A: âYeah. Even if they did, I wouldnât want to end up wrecking any of them.â
K: âSo does that mean weâre gonna have to buy a new car?â
A: âCertainly seems like it.â
K: âRight⊠Give me a minute.â
she opens ebay
K: âUhhhhmmmmmmm⊠Ah! Found something.â
S: âYeah? What is it?â
K: â2003 Paladin Mace, on sale foooor⊠$900. This- ooh. Oh, no, thatâs not good.â
A: âWhatâs not good?â
K: âUh- Several things. One of the wheels just isnât there, the bootâs rusted, says here one of the back doors is jammed⊠and probably a lot more they didnât list.â
S: âDoubt you and Alec couldnât fix it, though.â
K: âFair enough. Are we buying it?â
S: âYeah, better than nothing.â
A: âYep, sure, go ahead.â
K: âAlrightyâŠâ
March 13th 2024
the trio are all at alecâs house, currently in his garage. theyâve had the car delivered from the seller and are currently working on it
A: ââŠAaaaaaaaand that is the hood⊠done. God, that took way longer than it shouldâve. Howâre you doing, Kiara?â
K (inside the car): âAll good, just trying to get the steering wheel on.â
A: âNice. Might as well start with the wheels. Sienna, can you help me with this?â
S (on her tablet, researching): âUhh- Oh, sure.â
she walks over to alec and helps him fasten the wheels on the car
S: âStill canât believe we got these for so cheap.â
A: âYeah⊠probably gonna raise some questions when we get there, though.â
S: âMmm⊠How many other people do you think are gonna be there?â
A: âNot many, probably only like 3 or 4 teams? Doubt that many people would willingly drive all the way out into the middle of Nevada to participate in a possibly not real rally.â
S: âFair point.â
the two are silent for a couple seconds and then sienna hesitates
S: ââŠWait, this is a team event, right?â
A: ââŠYeah?â
S: âDâyou think we- do we need a team name?â
A: âOh. Oh, we probably do, donât we?â
S: âGod, uhh⊠hang on.â
she goes to her tablet, opens google, looks up name-generator.org and goes to âTeam Nameâ
S: âUhhhm⊠colour⊠animal⊠three random adjectives, whatever⊠right. None of these are good.â
A: âHold on, let me seeâŠâ
he goes over to her tablet and looks at the generated names
A: âYeah, these are all too generic. UhmâŠâ
he sits down on the floor next to the car and thinks for a while, only to be interrupted by kiara opening the door which hits him in the head
K: âWell, thatâs the door unjammed- Oh.â
A: âOwww. Watch where y- Oh.â
K: âOh god, sorry. Whatâre⊠Whatâre you doing?â
A: âTrying to come up with a name for our team.â
K: âOh. Uh, do you have anything so far?â
S (still at her tablet): âNope. Nothing.â
K: âRrrright. Euhmmm⊠Give me⊠I donât know, give me a chemical element.â
A: âUhm- Argon?â
K: âOkay⊠Weâll call ourselves The Argonites then.â
A: ââŠYeah, I like that. Got a nice ring to it.â
S: âMmm, yeah, that sounds good.â
K: âWell, thatâs settled then.â
March 14th 2024
the finishing touches are being applied to the car. sienna is currently applying a decal to the side of the car that says âthe argonitesâ in black text
S: âAnd thatâs the car done, I think.â
S (shouting into the house): âCome look at this, guys. Decals are done.â
alec and kiara walk into the garage
A: âWow. Thatâs⊠certainly something.â
K: âOoh, very nice. Letâs just hope it starts, then.â
the three of them get into the car, sienna in the driver seat, alec in shotgun and kiara behind sienna
S: âRight, then.â
she presses the ignition button on the dashboard. the engine sputters slightly, but it runs. the three of them sigh with relief
A: âWell. Carâs working. Have we got the stuff?â
K (gesturing behind her): âYep, already packed it.â
A: âAlright. Should we go, then?â
he gets out of the car and walks into the house, making sure everything is locked and then opens the garage door. sienna drives the car out of the garage, alec closes the door, gets back in, and they head off down the road
End of Part 0
4 Likes
Team Name: Honey I Bought a S#!tbox
Crew:
Clara Danver - Human - (21, F, Driver and Engineer)
Vivian Speed - Human - (22, NB, Navigator)
Yes im aware submissions closed already, but I had to enter via proxy because I had a new account, so this is just information for the public on my team. Unfortunately I can only upload one image at a time, so for now, you will just get the front of the car, and some team photos below (more info & pictures on the discord)
Car and lore:
The T4 Pablato was made as a low cost city car and commuter for Astralâs new range of affordable cars in the 70âs. Millions were produced, but being an astral, it wasnât the most reliable car in the universe. Resultingly, they are incredibly cheap in todays market. The example modified for the teams rally was a first generation Pablato. Being a gen 1 comes with all the problems a T4 of this age would usually experience. Slipping belts, faulty alternators, and a horrible case of understeer. This vehicle particularly shows obvious signs of shoddy repair work to the rear left wheelcover, with plastic panels bolted on, and the boot catch being replaced with a door handle from some other make of car. The rear right light has also cracked, but is still road legal as it is functioning. All this damage and the problems that come with a 50 year old car means the car was priced at only $885.
Despite these shortcomings, due to itâs aluminium construction, the body panels are only suffering from some moderate surface rust, and the 80.7hp engine gives it enough oomph per kg to push it up most moderate inclines, as well as being spectacularly efficient at cruising speed (automation does not reflect this accurately, testing in Beam showed an MPG of 71)
The team have used the remaining budget of $1115 to fit off-road tires, attach a winch to the subframe, and add some general traversal equipment such as 2 jerry cans, some sand plates, 2 shovels and some spare tires that have been placed in the back seat. They were also given a spare belt from the pervious owner, who bought it in case the common issue did arise.
As a weight reduction measure, the backs of the rear seats have been removed, as has the
A CB radio kit has also been installed in the car, and is hooked up directly to the cars battery.
The team lore:
Clara has loved cars since she was a kid. Her dad was a delivery driver and would sometimes take her out with him to deliver parcels for his clients. When her dad got sick she had to step up and take over the business to keep the household afloat, and the better paying gigs were always to far and remote locations outside town, and the faster they were delivered the better. Her dad also drove an astral, and although this was a T5 van and not a T4, it still had the same basic design philosophy of âmake it faster, make it cheaperâ. Her father eventually recovered, and she moved on to Uni, but there was a part of her that always yearned to return to those long trips at speeds that definitely were not safe on the roads she was covering.
Vivian is much the opposite of Clara. They were always good at geography and cartography, and graduated with a bachelors degree in the latter. They never really had an interest in cars, but when word spread of a well funded rally thousands of km long, across a variety of terrains, with navigation hurdles and obstacles, they had to get in. Unfortunately they didnât have the resources or connections to join a professional team, and the dream seemed dead in the water. However, not all was lost. Vivianâs friend Clara (whom they ha met in at Uni) had found out about another rally. A rally on the cheap. A rally, for s#!t boxes.
Soon, the pair began conspiring to ditch their studies, their responsibilities, for a trip like no other. They got a car, they got the paperwork, they got⊠married?
Yes, as it turns out the pair had fallen in love with the project, and eachother. But donât think that they were giving up on the project, far from it. This was now their honeymoon, and what better way to relax, then a gruelling, thousand mile journey, across every kind of terrain imaginable, in a car literaly falling to peices.
3 Likes
Team Chitco
Part 0a: Getting to the start
Amanda, greatest annoyance of this team, arrives to start
Amanda and her house were travelling rather comfortably on the road at speed and dont ask what the speed is: apart from being decently fast ofc, you aint getting more info
Anyway, our favourite person (not) has descended upon yet another supermarket and parts store, this time not encountering any potential robbers
She that for some unknown reason to any logic had encountered mix of problems right when she decided to take from parking lot
-WTF was reaction of some guy that was loading the groceries.
Amanda exited the car and saw two small issues on pavement
-They likely wouldnt give a flying fuck about noiseâŠbut this might be tad bit of problem
-Who?
-Not your business
With that she got back into car promptly drove it off parking lot and realised its tad bit more sluggish than she is used to
-OhâŠthat would be last thing i need to deal with
And with that she deactivated parking brake and continued onward
-This seems straightâŠ
Song seems appropriate
There was healthy amount of passing she did on said straight and quite some distance was eaten up but eventually she finds that in distance lurks biggest enemy of big American landbarges
CORNER
Due to the fact her car would happen to be big (5.65m long and scaling tad bit above 2351* kg) American AND landbarge, she started slowing down
*-this figure would only partially account for stuff Amanda may happen to carry that isnt part of the vehicle; mass of vehicle ready to drive with her in driving seat is mere 2318kg ( about 66 pounds off figure in picture, in case you prefer imperial)
Whenever she finds the space to do so (basically any straight patch of road that is not occupied by other cars) she puts her foot down and lets the engine do the rest of the work
-Sir, I need you to halt right there. Iâm Officer Gaspedal. Weâve received reports of disturbing the peace involving a vehicle matching the description of the one youâre driving. I need you to step out of the vehicle slowly and keep your hands visible at all times.
-What seems to be the matter, Officer? How did i disturbed the peace?
She had asked the question but it seemed she was well-aware of what was reason for this stop
-Maâam, we received reports of a disturbance involving a vehicle matching the description of yours. Witnesses reported loud noises and disruptive behavior in the vicinity. Can you please provide me with your driverâs license and vehicle registration?
Amanda complied: she has driving licence that originates from Araga
and had registered car in US for time being
-Was this complaint mayhaps related to something known as doing a burnout?
-Thank you, Amanda. Iâll need to verify some information, so please bear with me.
He takes the documents and returns to his patrol car to run a check on the vehicle and Amandaâs license. After confirming the information she provided, he returns to her side.
-Your vehicle does appear to have a history, but everything checks out legally. As for the complaint, yes, it seems there were reports of excessive noise and what may have been a burnout. Can you provide any additional information about what happened?
-To put it simply: i step on gas and burnout happens
-Understood, Amanda. I appreciate your honesty. I will need to remind you to refrain from such actions in the future.
-Am i free to go?
He thought about it
Given that everything checks out legally and youâve been cooperative, yes, youâre free to go, Amanda. Just remember to drive safely and responsibly. Have a good day
Documents are given back and she has continued. Few patches of tire marks still remain as she didnt want to join on absolutely glacial pace
-I really need to work on thatâŠmight need to replace tires less if i figure out feasible strategy
Due to the fact some asshole also did a burnout ahead, but unlike Amanda, was not able to keep it on the roadâŠshe was now in traffic jam.
Thankfully asshole was fine but same couldnt be said about his carâŠor utility pole he hit
As she neared the starting line she started to grow worried as she saw that there werent many options if she wants to keep her movement off the tarmac.
She had an idea howeverâŠwhich will promptly be presented on Discord conversation below
-PerfectâŠand strangely peculiarâŠ
At around 1:30pm she was there and deciding to get in parking area dedicated to event as smoothly as possibleâŠuntil one of front wheels found some small rock.
Revs had risen and tires chirped
-I guess its fine: they might blame that rubber on road on one of their drivers being over-enthusiastic with throttle
Amanda had also relocated her stuff to rear bench and utilised couple of towels she brought for this special occassion to hide said rear bench from view in this manner:
With that, she gets out and gets ready to interact with rest of present people.
Meanwhile in Kontir...
-Who tf⊠upon seeing some black sedan passing them as if they were standing still
-Thats fast
-It woke me up that shit
-Such a shame.
Unfortunately road they intended to go on would soon end up being closed and, seeing that roadworks are underway for quite some time already, detour was decided on.
-If Google Maps are accurate here, we will arrive there at roughly 2pm
-Sounds good.
-Im hungry
Apart from driver, other two looked at Bong
-You know what, we could grab something to eatâŠ
-Excelent.
What was not deemed excelent was fact that just couple of minutes later, group was again in truck and Andrea was doing her best to bring down the estimate back to 2pm.
Pace had dropped down when such estimate was achieved.
-Seems we will be roughly on time.
-They said that this whole day is fine to arrive; tommorow is troubling
-Yeah but getting to know others is big part of fun.
There was silence as they thought about proper reason to speed up.
-Where is that asshole anyway?
Rest could do nothing but shrug over the question
-If she does something that might kick us from rallyâŠi may forgive her but that wouldnt be quick forgiving
-Im pretty sure hosts will keep her in check.
-Wouldnt like to depend on them for that: they can do so and could pick-and-choose who will handle her misbehaviour, but would really not want to give them more job than they already have
There was silence before someone who isnt Andrea spoke
-We will not doubt that she knows how to behave like that. She is an asshole but knows time and place to be as such.
They had arrived and decided to anounce their presence to hosts
Andrea decided she will take the initiative
-I will clear that with them
And with that, she has went in rough direction of hosts
Current situation with members: where they are and what they do atm
-
Amanda is avaiable and currently looking around. Due to her entrance to parking producing tire squeal and engine has revved, first ones to be interested in her presence might do so due to noise she caused.
Rest of group arent actively aware she is already here, which is not helped by the fact they dont know what her car looks like. They do suspect she might had arrived before them.
She arrived at 1:30pm -
Andrea is going towards Shift Happens to announce team Chitco is now present. She arrived at 2pm.
-
Bong, Pi and Jakasxandra are all at Kontir. Like Andrea, they are also present since 2pm.
All are avaiable for roleplay
5 Likes
Snork's Tuners - prologue
How A Trio Of Finns & A Brit Cross An Ocean, A Continent, And The Stream Of Time.
Test Drive, And The Discovery Of A Discrepancy
March 26th, 3pm, local time
Snork stood at the entrance of the garage, tapping his wrist in time with the stopwatch he clutched in his paw, waiting in his boilersuit for the carâs growling V6 befitting for a truck to come into earshot, as all the ears atop his head detected was the sports car being built to order behind him, which unlike the Trisky currently on a test drive through a few back roads was an actual self-respecting car worthy of the Snorkâs name. Before Snork had the opportunity to fear the worst, he finally heard the distant groaning of the rally car, and not long after its plastic bumper poked its way into view behind a house at the far end of the street. With a click Snork looked at what the timer stopped at. An 11 kilometer route, in that much time⊠He told Eddie to go easy, but this time was not promising. Snork wiped the concern off his face as he led the Trisky into the garage where he could ask the test driver about the car they spent the past few weeks designing.
âItâs garbage,â Eddie proclaimed as he was pulling off his helmet, answering Snork before he even said a word.
Snork responded, forcing out a chortle, âHah, well, isnât that what this rally is about? Seeing how far one can go with how little?â
Noticing Snorkâs anxiety, the fillyjonk who stood over two feet above him recoursed, âItâs vexing, really,â Eddie strolled to the back of the garage as Snork followed, âIt understeers on throttle like youâd expect, but above 100 kilometers an hour it has off throttle oversteer like itâs MR, but snaps back in line when I hit the brakes or gas.â
âOh,â Snork eventually added a follow-up question as they entered the hallway behind the workshop, âwas that while the diff was opened or locked?â
âOpenâ
âDoes it drive any better with the diff locked?â
Eddie cracked a grin to Snork while knocking on the door to Maddsâ office, âYup, drove like an ordinary FF.â
âWe could keep the diff locked the whole timeâŠtires wonât like that though.â
âWouldnât be the only thing- Ah, Madds! Just the guy I want to see.â
Madds had opened his office door, revealing behind him a desk covered in a mess of papers, as if nature was using its processed matter to smother and reclaim the Earth from industrialization, starting with this office space. Madds made a quick attempt to neaten his desk as he invited in his furred business partners, the fillyjonk among them set his paw on the cubic computer console sat on the corner of the desk, leaning his weight upon it as he asked in his naturally cool tone.
âQuick question, I know you already sent an electronic letter to our mysterious rally liaison all about the specs of our car, but can we do some tuning? Thereâs some kinks that have to be worked out.â
Madds used one of the several short stacks of paper on his desk as a mousepad, but after a minute of waiting for the window to load, he huffed and thumbed over one choice stack to produce a printed copy of the rules, âUhh, sorry, no. Says only one entry allowed per team, plus entries closed a few days ago.â
Eddieâs paw curled into a fist as he let out a disappointed tsk, followed by a groan, âWell thems the breaks. Thatâs all I have to ask.â
As Eddie turned to leave, Snork perked up and asked Madds, âRemind me, where and when does the rally start?â
âUmâŠâ Madds rummaged through his mess of paper, âThe liaison gave us coordinates down to an arc second. They said itâs in Nevada, United States of America, and we have to be there 1st of AprilâŠâ
âGosh, thatâs less than a week. But wasnât this rally inâŠHolisa? Holsia? Is that a neighboring state? âŠMadds?â
Madds was utterly confounded, even checking his emails as a realization dawned on him, âYou know how we collectively dismissed that 2024 as some code naming convention? Iâm starting to think thatâs the year.â
Snork suddenly matched Madds astonishment, âBut thatâs-â he pulled out his pocket watch, â32 years from now!â
A Comical Solution
While they were both at a loss for words, Snorkâs mind was racing, soon coming up with an utterly mad idea that pulled him to the upstairs lounge, scouring in a box of old news papers tucked beside a sorely underused bookshelf until he found exactly what he was looking for, a portion of one very specific comic serial across a week worth of daily papers. His memory refreshed, Snork left the workshop in a hurry, stating he was going out for a quick errand, though not without first sharing a brief word to one of his mechanics, âKristina, is that the same Khorosho from Monday? That car needs to be out of the garage by the time I get back.â That tuned compact would indeed be gone when Snork returned, haphazardly dropping a clock, an antique sewing machine, and a cheap radio onto the garageâs cement floor for Madds to see, who was awaiting his return.
âSnork! What the hell are you doing!?â
âRecreating something brilliantly stupid. Whereâs Eddie?â
âHe clocked out- and that doesnât really answer my question.â
âDamn, couldâve used his help. Anyway, I know I donât talk much about my early life in Moominvalley, but for a rural countryside hidden on the coast itâs real a hotspot for misadventures, mostly in relation to The Moomin family.â
âAgain, what the hell are you talking about?â
Snork returned to his car to show the news papers he brought out, âFrom the mid 50s to around 1975, the more exciting of The Moominsâ happenings were catalogued in - among other things - Londonâs Evening News. A few comic serials in particular focused on a time machine accidentally built from this stuff here.â
Madds held his head in a loss for words, âMy god you old troll, you really have lost your mind! Your idea of attending this stupid rally is building a time machine based off some old comics?â
Snork furrowed his brow, offended, âJust because itâs a comic doesnât automatically mean itâs fiction! I know this pushes the envelope on plausibility, but these comics are based on true stories. I know the Moomins personally.â
Clearly still unconvinced, Snork placed a paw on Maddsâ shoulder as he glared into his eyes, âIâve seen the comet with my own two eyes.â
With a heavy gulp, Madds went silent for a while, until Snork convinced the mechanical apprentice and computer wiz to help disassemble the random appliances with occasional corrections based on their comic directions. âSave the radio for the final stepâŠDonât worry about sortingâŠSure, put it there. The point is to not second guess anythingâŠCan you bring me a magnet? Itâs crucial.â The two worked into the evening, using their minimal knowledge on electric appliances to rebuild the sewing machine while also including every little gear and spring from the clock. Unfortunately, even after plugging the radio into the disaster of a contraption and hanging a horseshoe magnet on a random corner, the thing just sat there, motionless. Frustrated, Snork stomped and kicked the machine, and that concussive maintenance caused a cloud of mist to rush out from the machine. The house troll and the human just looked at each other, the former ecstatic and the latter flabbergasted, but both certain that the rally would not be nearly as far away as they feared.
Arriving At The Starting Area
March 30th, 1992, 8am local time
Snork set down a landline phone, having concluded a call to the manager of Snorkâs Helsinki workshop, leaning back in his office chair to recollect himself, knowing what was to come. The time machine had been thoroughly tested and still worked with the addition of more precise gears, and today it will send four people and a car into the future. The rumble of an arriving motor brought Snork out of his anxious mind, and he stepped into the garage to see Anton pulling luggage out of the back of a station wagon, with Eddie assisting whilst listing advice about the Trisky.
ââŠAnd thereâs some wheelspin in second too, so it almost feels like two gears in one if youâre pushing it. And unless we need to pick up the pace, always double clutch; I donât trust the old stock gearbox will handle the extra torque from the turbo.â
Eddie raised his voice to ask Snork from the opposite side of the garage, âThereâs a spare gearbox in the trunk, right?â
The house troll nodded, âYeah, plus spare shocks and springs, a battery, fluids; anything that is likely to break down, thereâs a spare of in the tool box.â
Anton, the last to be privy to the time machine, naturally pointed to the weird ticking machine set on the bonnet of their rally car as he questioned its existence, to which Madds - who started helping pack luggage behind the bucket seats - answered matter of factly, âItâs how weâre going to Nevada in 2024- Donât. Just donât question it.â
Anton however did question it as he got into the driverâs seat, âWaitâŠshouldnât we have to go to Nevada first?â
Snork corrected him as he climbed onto the bonnet, paws on knobs screwed onto gears which were fitted to the main driving wheel of the time machine, a wheel originally meant to spin thread, âHush, all they had to do to go to the wild west or ancient egypt was think about it. Madds! Coordinates, please.â
Madds, who was in the passengerâs seat, read out the coordinates of the rallyâs Earthly starting location, and with those numbers in his mind Snork waited for Eddie to get ready, sat atop the spare wheels on the roof before rotating the annual gear 31 times. Immediately, sparkly fog surrounded the car, and once Snork stopped they found themselves in the middle of a desert, all alone. This was to be expected as Snork then engaged the daily gear to finely adjust their place in time, rotating 7 times until the misty aberration of the team and their purple car solidified right when and where they needed to beâŠ
March 30th, 2024, 7pm local time
Snork turned around to see his team and his car had joined him safely on their trip, but as the mist faded he saw that their car was surrounded by RVs and other glitzed beaters, many teams consisting primarily of humans. From the campsite that they found themselves in, it dawned on him and his team that this was not the sort of rally they prepared for, as they hadnât brought much beyond clothes and hygienics. Theyâd focused so much on the carâs performance, reliability, and weight that they hadnât considered the necessity of caring for themselves, an issue that went so far as lacking space for the whole team to fit in their ride, so all Snork could do was step away from the time machine and tuck his tail between his legs, holding the tufted tip hoping their ill-fitting preparation would not prove too disastrous for Snorkâs Tuners.
(PS OoC: This is the first time Iâve done roleplay in a forum. Itâs a much different form than writing a book, I try to remind myself. Iâve done plenty of edits to trim the scenes down to be less like slow paced story chapters and more like play scripts while not sacrificing non-verbal communication and characterization. Iâm also aware that my own decisions of one character who is not an OC, plus adherence to my own pre-existing lore has bloated the complexity of the introduction of Snorkâs Tuners, for worse or better.)
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