voice;

[faceguy]

[The voice coming over the radio is pretty upbeat, despite the nature of the topic he’s about to discuss. And also on the young side - for people who don’t know him, it’s an easy guess that Leo is a teenager or very young adult.]

Sooooo… I’ve been thinking, since we picked up new people. Last time, when our group got here, the convoy was totally empty, right? But this time we were already here. So, were we the first stop? Or did everyone before us get… uh, well, you know.

[He makes an uncertain noise through his teeth.]

But personally, I think we were the first stop. But not the first convoy! Maybe there’s multiple, or maybe the train goes in a loop. I dunno, but it’s probably something like that.

But what about those weird summoning circles? Does someone activate them when the convoy is coming? Or do you think it’s something about the convoy that activates them?

[There’s another option, that they activate regularly and some people who are summoned here get unlucky, but… yeah, he doesn’t feel like suggesting that.]

I guess I’m just spitballing theories here. There’s, like, nothing to look at right now. Just bush after bush. Seemed like a good time for some… thorny topics. Heh.

Comments

[faceguy]

Tiger legs and a beak? Man. That sure is a mix!

[And since he's part turtle, part human, he feels like he can say that.]

Too bad. I kinda wanted to see the chicken legs.

[faceguy]

Oh. That sucks.

[He gets how family events are. He doesn't want to think about how many he's missed now...]

Who knows? Maybe we can find some way to time travel you back to when you got brought here!

[undyingcrow]

Who knows? Perhaps someone here will turn into a cockatrice. At this point, it wouldn't even surprise me.

[Does Leonardo even know what a cockatrice is? Well, he'll find out soon enough.]

[discolouredwings]

[When Natsuhi had been in bed the morning of the conference, she'd had to force herself out of bed but... She'd wanted to be there to support her husband. Even if she hated this time of year.]

I wonder... I'm really not sure how I'd explain my absence. Let alone what I look like now.

[The tail she could probably hide, the ears? Not so much.]

[faceguy]

A whoa-whatta?

[Nope.]

[faceguy]

There’s been ways to reverse some of the stuff that happens to us. That means there has to be a way to reverse it all.

[Nothing is hopeless! …Maybe!]

[undyingcrow]

An unholy fusion of a snake and a rooster, sometimes known as a basilisk. Their abilities vary between depictions, but petrification is a common feature in their skillset.

[Picture it, Leo. Embrace it...]

[discolouredwings]

I hope so... [She sighed, Natsuhi was tried already.]

The scales I grew the other week have faded away

[faceguy]

...Yeah, I don't know if I want to see it that bad.

[He's not sure he wants to!]

[faceguy]

See? Perfect example! My brother’s snake tail went away, too.

[undyingcrow]

Not even a little curious? My, my...

[Sorry, Leo. You opened yourself up to this.]

[faceguy]

I think I got enough of that when my brother spontaneously grew a snake tail.

[undyingcrow]

Ah. Was that during the recent storm?

[That would align with the harpy and naga traits other Drifters developed, at any rate...]

[faceguy]

Yeah, when he first showed up.

[Leo kinda dropped the ball at the time. He still feels bad about it.]

I didn't get hit with it... managed to stay dry! Somehow...

[undyingcrow]

I think most of my changes were subtle. A desire to perch and soar to high places, the ability to manipulate the wind... My avian traits were unrelated, but perhaps their presence is to blame.

[Still, to lose one's legs...]

How did your brother adapt to the change?

[faceguy]

Oh, he hated it. Not that I blame him.

[Leo would hate to lose his legs, too. Especially if he just found himself somewhere other than home.]

But he has his legs back now, so he's up and kickin'!

[discolouredwings]

Oh, your brother is here as well? That must be a relief for you in some ways.

[Maybe not completely. Natsuhi wouldn't have been happy to see her daughter here but it was a little comfort for him. He sounded young.]

[undyingcrow]

Well, it would be rather inconvenient to have to learn an entirely new form of movement, when legs are so deeply intertwined with your everyday actions. For a snake, legs are hardly a concern, but for a bipedal turtle... well, that's an entirely different matter.

[Akechi would also hate to lose his legs, of course. Fortunately, he's in the clear for now.]

On the other hand, growing new limbs is also fairly disorienting. Suddenly, I take up significantly more space than I did before.

[faceguy]

...Well, it's sure... something.

[Not that he wasn't happy to see Donnie again, especially after thinking he never would, but it's not a relief to see his brother put through horrors when he was supposed to be safe at home. That's what Leo did all he did for.

But he doesn't want to say too much over the radio, where Donnie can hear.]

Maybe you'll see him around. His name's Donnie and... he's pretty hard to miss. [As is Leo, actually.]

[faceguy]

Oh yeah, I bet that's pretty weird... Hey, is it hard to like, fit in beds and stuff now?

[Leo already has a hard enough time sleeping so that sounds terrible.]

audio

[hexrot]

[ thorny topics.......... after a short stretch of silence, something on this end gives a gruff "heh". he'd definitely be more inclined to jokes if he were a) more comfortable and b) not dead. anyway— ]

The summoning runes weren't fresh, independent from which garage they were in. It's highly likely to have a catalyst connected to the convoy somehow.

[undyingcrow]

Regrettably, yes.

[You can just hear the growl in his voice.]

The quarters within the Convoy aren't exactly what I'd call spacious, and just a single pair of wings is cumbersome enough.

[And then there's Serph, with multiple sets... He can't say he envies him, really.]

[faceguy]

[Leo is living (well...) proof that you don't have to be alive to appreciate a good joke! Either way, he's pleased as punch he got a laugh out of someone, small as it was.]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Otherwise they'd have to move pretty fast to get out of sight before we rolled up.

[faceguy]

Too bad. A lot of beds don't have any support for my shell, so, I kinda get it.

[He sighs.]

Wish I had my sleep mask, too... [Bummer.]

[undyingcrow]

Frankly, I could do with some earplugs myself. With so many people living in shared quarters, it's hard to escape the noise...

[It's not unfamiliar, per se. He'd spent some time in crowded orphanages, but now they're in a Convoy full of monsters.]