route666radio | voice;

[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.

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I'm still of the mind that this is a cyclical voyage, and we're guinea pigs meant to reenact the failed ritual.

[The recent notes he covered in his post make that rather clear, at any rate.]

But it does beg the question of why we're here now. If the ones who summoned us are long gone, why the delay?

That’s why I don’t think we’re the first. Whoever set this all up made it so the summoning - or the ritual, or whatever - could happen without them.

Seems weird if they were all gonna die, though. Unless they didn’t think they would be dead, I guess. Or if they even are dead…

Heh. Thorny.

I'd agree that we're probably the first ones on this particular convoy-

Unless they had a clean up crew come by after the first group.

You know...

[She had experience showing up to places that had been massacred before. She knew how messy that could be.]

As for the summoning circles- No idea. It could be either of those- But we need to learn more before we can really figure that out I think.

That does align with what we've discovered so far. If they have to run the summoning circles in person, they have a very quick method of leaving - and if they did, why make everyone on the Convoy travel by vehicle instead? Some kind of remote sensor, or something tied to a geological-

[Well, more likely stellar or lunar-]

-cycle, makes more sense overall.

[Dang girl, that's dark.]

I'm just gonna hope that didn't happen.

[Because Yikes.]

I know, I know. I'm just thinking out loud here. Maybe we can find some more clues next stop. Because there will probably be a next one.

Unless us traveling around is part of the ritual, or whatever...

[He hasn't truly kept up, but it could be what Akechi was talking about. Or...]

But I think it's more likely they wanted it to work even if they weren't here to do it. Whoever "they" are.

Remote summoning... They'd have to set some form of catalyst, I'm sure. A trigger to activate the circles in their absence.

[He hums, quiet for a moment.]

I can't imagine they were here recently. The vehicles are far too worn down, the notes utterly fragmented. Everything may have been intended for us, but it's not new.

And we don't yet know enough as to decide whether their plan is even worth completing.

[It's all very 'hurry up and wait', minus the parts where the Drifters are learning about each other.]

Well, that's why I think we aren't the first. Someone's been sent on this road trip before, and didn't accomplish... whatever it is they want to accomplish.

[Who knows if it's even a good thing?]

Maybe we should look for the catalyst next time. It might help us learn how we got here... and maybe how to, I dunno, reverse it.

Yeah, I guess we could be playing right into a villainous plan here...

But we can't really know until we have more clues. And who knows if we can even get enough, following the convoy...

[Not that he thinks leaving it is smart, either.]

Then we're on the same page, more or less.

[Good. It goes to show Leonardo's intuitive skills, to say nothing of deductions.]

The way I see it, the messages, the route... all of them have been tried before. The abandoned vehicles, laden with traps... they were likely from a previous voyage. The monsters that emerge from Husks may be what remains of our predecessors.

But I agree. We found more clues in this stop than the initial garage. Perhaps as we continue, we'll be able to collect more clues and draw clearer conclusions.

As we gain more people, and find more resources, we could consider a breakaway team that defend itself, backtracking and reporting back... But we're not there yet.

Maybe. We'll have to be sure we look closely...

Aaand maybe have a few people ready to greet any newbies, so they don't totally freak out. Probably some of the newer guys who haven't started sprouting any new limbs...

[It would be unfortunate if any newcomers tried to attack members of the convoy.]

We'd have to be really careful with that, though, even with more people. Much as I feel pretty confident in a fight, it's dangerous out there.

Well, that rules me out. Between the feathers, wings, and my talons, I'm looking less human by the day.

[He pauses, scratching his neck with his talons, though it goes unseen.]

Though, frankly, I'd almost welcome a change to my legs at this point. At least then, I wouldn't have the misfortune of monster traits from my waste up and completely ordinary human legs beneath.

[It just feels more mismatched than if he were more of a beast, okay?]

Are you saying this is like... A bus route? Where it goes around picking people up.

[Thinking about it for a moment. That did make sense, as much as anything could make sense here.]

I wonder how the circles choose people.

That is a given.

[But never let it be said that they have to only think within the box...

Anything else they could add feels insubstantial, so for the moment V falls silent.]

Heh. You're turning into one of those, uh... what do they call them...

Like the bird version of a reverse mermaid!

[Truly cursed.]

...Reverse mermaid. Really now?

[Leonardo... Why must you implant such horrifying images in his mind?]

Yeah, actually! That's a good way to think about it. [She can't see it, but Leo looks around with a grimace.] It's even got the same amount of grime and weirdos.

[As for the other question, though, Leo has no idea. At first he thought he was chosen because he was dead, but plenty of other people here are still alive.]

And that... I dunno. Maybe it's random.

[Sorry buddy.]

Hey, it's fitting!

Reverse siren, perhaps. They were originally depicted as avian in nature, despite modern interpretations conflating them with mermaids.

[...]

Regardless, I'd still sooner have my lower body changed and be done with it.

Whoa, really? [Huh. Learn something new every day... not that whether a siren is a mermaid or a bird really matters that much to Leo.]

Well good luck. Hope you get your chicken legs soon.

Chicken legs... Well, I regret to reform you that if the Moon Warp is any indication, I'm far more likely to develop tiger legs, with a matching set of ears.

[What a strange combination of traits, really, and yet...]

It was almost as if I became an off-brand griffin. I'd even developed a hooked snout, reminiscent of a beak.

Is that so... [She's never been on a public bus in her life. The closest was a tour bus while on her honeymoon.]

The timing was... inconvenient. I was preparing for a family event. That would have already passed by now.

[By about 3 weeks if her math was right.]

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