TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

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Jump ⇅ :: Arrival — Panorama — Fringes — Invite Request

The Diadem is an invite-only panfandom game set in a retro-futuristic world where uprooted souls find themselves deep within an eerie wasteland of roads and highways frequently assailed by cosmic storms. Three united strongholds keep the population. Its capital is Panorama, a large metropolis at the planet's center.

Soon, you realize you aren't alone. Calling themselves fluxdrifts, the "locals" have similar stories to you, either for themselves or their ancestry. You speak to an old woman who claims she hailed from another star. You meet a young man who says his great-great-grandfather knew a strange language everybody spoke "back home." As you explore, you stumble across a coin you recognize or your sister's locket. How did it get here? What does this mean? That's for you to discover.

But first, you need to find a ride.

No invites needed to play on the TDM. Everyone's welcome! Use the Invite Request thread below to request an invite from another player.

∞ Summary ∞

IC-wise, arrivals are scattered throughout the month. Events described on the TDM are also ongoing throughout the month. If you'd rather jump right into the action, you're free to begin in media res with your character having already been on the planet for several days.

Post-impact, characters will wake up in a med tent by the Scrapyard. From there, they must accept a vehicle on loan and make the 2-hour drive to the nearest city, Panorama. If they refuse the car because they don't want the loan, they'll be in debt for medical bills instead...so just take the car. It'll come in handy.

Some things to keep in mind when bringing in your character:

• Pick an injury. At minimum, they got knocked out; at most, whatever they can recover from. Medicine is decently advanced so they'll heal faster if not painlessly.
• Decide items kept. Reasonable items on their person only: photos, keys, clothes, costumes. No pets or animal companions. Wildly out-of-place tech and personal cell phones will be damaged beyond repair.
• Select a weapon. Do this only if eligible. Guidelines about weapons and powers are on the FAQ.
• Choose a vehicle. Decide whether your character gets 2-3 options or if they're stuck with something they hate. Players can pick directly from our collection or source their own images. Anything under a similar aesthetic will work. If your character needs accommodations for driving, they can have them. Ask us for details.
• Get a phone. Characters have to obtain a phone (and a SIM card) themselves. If they've got one from home, it's damaged beyond repair. Phones are cheap. It'll only take a couple of weeks to afford one. You need to know the number before you text or call anyone. Read about phones and the Forum before you hop on it.

TDM threads can be canon if characters are accepted. Top-levels made to the TDM should be open to all.

TDM Questions? Here — Game Questions? FAQ

Setting — Taken — Reserves — Applications ::: ⇅ Top

Fluxdrift

Arrival & Introduction

Date: Throughout May

You've tumbled over a cliff. You were fighting for your life. You're on the cusp of death. You slipped in the shower. Whatever the catalyst, you struggle to cling to consciousness. As darkness overtakes you, a swirling vortex warps light and shadow in a way that defies all physics. A dark wail etches into your very bones. You couldn't describe it if you tried. You can barely comprehend what it is.

Then you open your eyes.

Through the figure's mask ©, you swear the face is grinning down at you. The tent you're in smells of antiseptic, and scratchy blankets line your cot. Injuries you've sustained have been bandaged. In the corner, you spot a MedBot that's fixed you up. Depending on the extent of your injuries, the doctor on duty might give you some painkillers before you go. Thankfully, your belongings are by the exit. Sorry if anything's damaged. Your landing was pretty rough.

You follow the figure outside. They are Yom Crook, here to lend a hand to fellow fluxdrifts like yourself. Their car's parked beside them. Actually, there are lots of cars around, but Yom Crook's stands out with its painted shark mouth. They explain they found you, unconscious, in a diffusion zone and brought you here. The nearest city is a 2-hour drive northeast. Forget about walking. You'll never make it. Also, you owe the doctor a lot of money for patching you up. But you're in luck: they've got some wheels for you and if you accept the vehicle on loan, Yom Crook will cover your medical bills. That's a good deal, right? It's not the shiniest car or motorcycle, but it'll do. If fortune favors, you'll get to choose between two or three options. Plus, if you need accommodations to drive—like adjustments to your seat height or modified controls—you'll receive all that for free.

Take the vehicle. (And the loan.) Yom Crook assures you that you'll have six months before collectors come around. Any time you're ready to pay a part of it down, return here to the Scrapyard. You'll get a receipt and everything. Paying off the loan in six months isn't impossible, but it will take a lot of work. Just don't get too lax. There's a good chance you'll be juggling multiple loans as you try to get by.

You either know how to drive, or you'll have a bare-bones manual to get you started. Road rules are more a suggestion than enforced, so just hit the pedal and go. The car has some basic features. The built-in compass will help you navigate.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS: a flat tire; a body on the road (is it a trap?); a fender bender

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Panorama

Explore & Settle In

Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers

After 2 hours on the road, you find civilization. The largest of the strongholds, Panorama is where the economy thrives. Massive power plants glowing red make it visible from a distance. The city is divided into three districts. For now, you can access the Pavilion and the Blocks. Don't worry about the Sanctum; they're not letting you in.

You only need to know two things about Panorama: 1) it's big, the size of a modern metropolis, and you'll need your car to get around; 2) anything goes as long as you don't pick a fight with the wrong person. Street smarts will get you far. Despite its geographical size, the population isn't huge. With roughly a million people in a city designed for over twice that number, Panorama is far from deserted, but nor is it overcrowded. It's a good thing. Resources are limited as it is.

The Pavilion: Free Samples

©

Like any large city, Panorama features a couple of supermarkets. The stock's not as consistent as a proper supermarket. On occasion, shelves can remain cleaned out for a week or two. Regardless, the long tradition of free samples remains. If you're not already shopping, you'll notice the crowded parking lot and clusters of lines inside.

Try samples, push through the crowds as you shop, or give yourself a five-finger discount. If you're cautious, you can pocket a few small items without consequences. The Pavillion doesn't have the infrastructure for surveillance; unless someone sees you, you won't be caught. Steal from the store or pilfer someone's wallet. Maybe you even make a new friend if you bump into another fluxdrift. Or, start a fight with somebody who cut you off in the cheese line. Don't make too much of a ruckus, or you'll be thrown out.

As you look around, you'll see posters advertising temporary positions for the cash register or graveyard shifts in the warehouse. Seems they might've lost several employees recently (how'd that happen?), which is good for you! It's just a 6-week position, but it'll get you on your feet. The city has temporary positions like this all over. Permanent ones are harder to come by when you're new.

Samples include: steamed cabbage dumplings, synthetic cherry juice, cheddar cheese, and chocolate-covered alien eggs (it's crunchy and weirdly tasty). They're served in the usual throwaway paper cups with little toothpicks.

The Blocks: Power Outage

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Power's finicky in Panorama, especially in the Blocks. Saint Margery's Hospital, located in the same area, has priority for power so the first to go are the motels. Maybe you've been in your room for a couple of weeks, maybe you just got here—and by the way, every motel desk is happy to put the fee on your tab if you don't have the money upfront—but all the motels on the east side are in a blackout, leaving only the west side motels up and running.

What do you do? You have three choices:

• Risk leaving your room and head to the other side where there's power. Knock on some doors and negotiate with another to share the room. They might shut the door in your face, ask for a favor in return, or be nice enough to help you with no strings attached. There's no guarantee your unattended room will be untouched, though, and you'll be on the hook for any damages an intruder causes.
• Sit in the dark and deal. It's not the worst idea, but the TV's down, the vending machines are powered down, and with the entire place plunged into darkness, you risk getting robbed. If you struggle with defending yourself, you might want to find some trustworthy company. You can also sneak out of there and let them take your leftover pizza. It's not like you've got a ton of valuables, right? Plus, clobbering someone in the face with a frying pan sounds great until you realize you've gotta do something with the body. And what if this person's got a friend waiting?
• Get in your car and drive (or grab a friend for a road trip). If you scroll the Forum, you might notice reports on diffusion zones southward. Besides, these motels are hardly your forever home. The city can only provide so much. Why not go for a ride and see what you can find out there?

OPTIONAL PROMPTS: clean up on aisle 3 (what is that goo?); a knock at your door but no one's there; you hear screaming or a commotion down the hall

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©

The Fringes

Quad 3: Lockdown

Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads

Felix Bjurstrom
> Date: 125-05-17
> Time: 02:15:57

> Emergency road lights have been reported in Quadrant 3! Please, can someone go see what's there? When last we chasers investigated emergency lights, a whole truck filled with sour candy had tipped over. Our stores were stocked for weeks! Oh, be careful - reception looks bad in that zone.

Whether you end up here on your own or you were following a tip on the Forum, the outcome is the same: you come to a stop in front of a 2-story office building that's flooded several inches deep. Emergency lights from a roadblock flicker through the stormy night. Stepping out of your car, you're soaked within seconds. When you check your phone, you don't have any bars. No calls in or out.

Through the open windows, a computer awakens and displays a cheerful smile. The lights inside switch on.

Pick your scenario role below. Your thread partner doesn't need to take the opposite role! They can join you in the same scenario (i.e. trapped together). Players are also free to create a generic NPC for the other side to facilitate the thread.

After characters escape, they'll find one bottle of antibiotics in their pocket or car, whether they remember taking it or not.

A: Sealed In
As you peer through the windows, you see crates of medicine floating around. Antibiotics in the diadem are valuable. Hospitals and doctors are always buying. You can keep it for yourself or make a quick buck. Or maybe you're compelled to help somebody back in the city who's in need. Whatever the reason, you decide to take the risk and step inside.

Water splashes around your ankles. The lock buzzes behind you. If you try to break the windows, you discover they're unnaturally resistant to shattering. With the whole place locked tight, the water begins to churn. Then the computer lights up again.

Warning, it flashes in large, bold text. Quarantine in progress. Release code required for exit.

• To find the code, you'll have to search. Duck under the water, go through sopping envelopes and sticky notes or pick the locks on the filing cabinets and desk drawers. You can also try hacking the computers. Use your computer knowledge or fall back on the age-old trick of seeing who wrote down their password.
• The files, notepads, and emails start innocuous, but as you look through them, disturbing phrases jump out at you—a dark thought you've had or a cruel taunt from someone in your past. The longer you're fixed on the terrible words, the higher the water begins to rise. Only another can break you out of your trance.
• With the rising water comes fear. And the more you're afraid, the more the water also rises. You begin to see faces in the water, bobbing like balloon heads. Do you recognize them? If you move to take a closer look, they will sink back beneath the surface as if never there.
• If you manage to swallow your panic, you can eventually find a triple-laminated binder with the release code and instructions. Bad news: you need someone on the outside to punch in the 6 strange symbols in order. The instructions explain that the code panel is located at the back of the building.

Let's hope a friendly face comes along.

B: Set Free
As you peer through the windows, you see not just the crates of medicine but someone trapped inside. They look like they might be in trouble, and from your vantage point, you notice that the water is bubbling strangely. It's definitely not normal rainwater. As you watch, the water rises unnaturally, stopping and starting. It's as if the water level is responding to an external stimulus.

• The glass is soundproof. You can't hear what the person inside is saying, so you'll have to communicate with each other another way. Try charades, typing on your phone, or whatever you think of. Eventually, you determine that they're stuck and that you need to enter some sort of code onto a pad located—according to your trapped partner—at the back of the building.
• Around the back, shadows swallow your surroundings. The panel must be pried open, but a slippery substance makes it hard to get a good grip. Each time the substance touches you, you grow uneasy. You swear you see eyes watching you, though when you turn around, nothing's there.
• You can't seem to keep the instructions in your mind. And those symbols...they burn into your retinas. Through them, you glimpse an incomprehensibly massive figure unfurling in the darkness, pulsing as if in a deep sleep. When you snap back to reality, you realize you've injured yourself, slicing your hand on a sharp edge or a bruise you can't remember getting.
• Once you manage to release the doors, the water inside the office drains upward into the sky as though sucked out by a giant hose. The darkness spreads. Get out of there fast before the shadows drag you or your partner into the void.

Of course, you don't have to help anyone. You can leave the individual there, make a deal, or outright extort them. But remember, you're not the only person on these roads. You might want to play your cards carefully, even if altruism isn't your first instinct.

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Comments

[heavymetals]

[ Charles was always the naive of the two, certainly. Erik had always been honest about his goal with Shaw, but to the last second Charles had tried to stop him. When he couldn't, he at least stopped Shaw from moving. Just another way that he has hurt Charles, even if not physically. Stopping himself from looking back and thinking through all the things he could have done differently isn't going to change anything.

Because in truth, he doesn't know if he would have done anything differently. Maybe he would have drawn that gun from Moira's hands, rather than just deflect the bullets. Maybe he would have prevented the injury to Charles's spine. But he would have still left, in the end. He would have still abandoned him. Charles was not wrong to put it in exactly those words.

Feeling Charles slip into his mind again feels less jarring now, both because the first time at the motel was far more intense, and because they had been in actual physical contact then. But it is still overwhelming, like high tide washing over him. He needs a moment to pause, slow down a little, just to be able to get used to that presence while functioning in a public space. ]

Infamous, to be more accurate.

[ He's no telepath, but in his mind, he tries to focus on the picture of the cabin, an old place clearly in need of repairs. But it has a roof, walls, and (most) windows. A flicker of a memory so Charles knows Erik isn't lying.

A few disjointed thoughts run through his mind at that question, but when he conjures an answer, it's a shorter, quieter: ] I don't know.

[ He wanted to. That much is clear in his thoughts, which lie just beneath the surface of those words. The longer time passed, the more he wanted to reach out to him. Being as alone as he was only made that yearing the more unbearable. ]

It would have put you at risk, and anyone else who was with you. I didn't think that anything I wanted to say would be worth that chance.

[ And it would have been selfish, ultimately. He would have done it solely for himself and his own peace of mind, and he would have put everything Charles was working towards in jeopardy. Because Erik knows with absolute certainty that there will be people watching Charles. His house, his school, whenever it becomes that. They would be waiting patiently for Erik to reemerge. ]

[motiontocompel]

The noise Foggy makes upon being plucked is quite unhappy and he scowls, rubbing at the spot for a second. "You didn't even give me a chance!" he complains and then, upon seeing that John is beginning to do something weird, he reaches out and grasps onto the dangling twine, stopping it pendulous movement.

"Hey, come on, what is this? Don't do— voodoo with me, pal," he warns, although it sounds awfully ineffectual and even a little bit guilty. "I'm not interested in curses or wishes, especially if they're going to come with some kind of weird monkey paw situation attached. I thought you were going to— I don't know, investigate until you found it."

[faithfall]

[ Adrian looks to all the world as if he would very much like to become the plant he's dressed as, perhaps beneath the notice of that entirely too intense stare. He blinks, resisting the urge to inch backwards. ] The... green... kind? Are there other sorts of cabbage?

[ This particular fussy noble has never cooked a meal for himself in his life. Food comes in three varieties: elaborate six course meal, tavern gruel, and/or whatever dried rations are in his travel pack. (And the secret fourth option, which doesn't really count as food exactly.) The point is: if there's cabbage on his plate, he has only a rudimentary understanding of how it got there. ]

[reverso]

[Well.

That's not ideal.

Verso hadn't been watching the road, either, too busy taking stock of her miming and rationalizing what it could mean. And then it simply happens, so quick that that he cannot understand what is happening, merely the fact that it should not be happening.

The SUV careens off the road, and the newfound terrain is so jostling that it's a wonder he doesn't bruise for how tossed about they are. No time to even parse the fact that they're about to slam into a tree, much less exclaim a harried warning. A disturbing crunch of metal and a sudden stop, whip-like. Such violent forward movement halting, at the mercy of a stubborn tree, and all that leftover velocity ricochets within the vehicle itself... and the passengers within.

Had Verso even buckled his seat belt? How irresponsible of Yom Crook to not explain that much to him—never mind that he chose a motorcycle instead—and how lucky(?) that Kimiko's arm does the job well enough, or at least well enough to keep him from flying out of the windshield and onto the road.

But.

The poor fool had still lurched forward, that much unavoidable, slamming his head very hard against the dashboard. Another loud crack had ensued, the sound lost in the overall chaos. The, ah, consequences are clear, though. It's impossible not to note how he's slumped over, face still planted above the glove compartment, face trickling blood, and unresponsive.

Dead? Unconscious? Merely dazed and confused? Who knows!]

[godjr]

[ The dubious 'not' is curious to Jack because he hears the tone but doesn't know if he understands the why. Maybe Martin is right and it is suspicious or strange, and that means Jack should be paying closer attention. Sometimes hunter cases do involve people disappearing off jobs or vacancies. Hm. His new friend makes a good point, he'll have to keep an eye on it. ]

Out of ... uni. University? Yes, I am that age.

[ He believes twenty-two is the right age and that is what he pretends to be so it fits. Jack has never had any formal teaching. He does know a great deal of information that his mother taught him in the womb, enough to get by on subjects he should have otherwise been taught over the years, but he would never know enough for a real college. If he survives his fight with his grandfather, he has centuries ahead of him to someday get to major in something. ]

I think the bowling alley. My family would like it there, so if they arrive, it would make them happy.

[ It is exactly the place that Dean would want, at least half of it, he doesn't think he would bowl. Jack rarely makes a decision that doesn't include him thinking first about what the Winchesters would want or their opinion would be. He is guided by them in all things, even as a voice in his mind now. ]

I see, then something fresh and new would be better, right?

[ He doesn't know what a power-hungry academic type is but it sounds bad. ]

Do you like movies? There is a movie theater.

[positivelyroomy]

[ Then there’d been the coffin. The idea of anchors had largely been misinterpreted by them both. John believed he’d needed a piece of himself on the outside, which hadn’t been a terrible idea – just... grim? When John hadn’t returned, though, Martin had gotten the bright idea to leave dozens of recorders around the wooden box that had swallowed Daisy months ago. It was such an integral part of John those days that it had just made sense...

He’d privately listened to statements that followed John’s return – because he... he needed to know how to help, what to push his way to quell the frustration John clearly felt regarding what direction to go next. For the sake of Peter’s plan, he couldn’t do much more. (Not even hope when it started to sound like John was feeling a certain sort of way about him, because why?)

That feels like a lifetime ago.

He’s fine with accepting what they are to one another. And for now, he will simply let it be when John says that they’re even (even though later, he knows he’ll be just as guilty of getting in his head as John is on the daily). ]

Pure unadulterated masochism. [ He is being a menace, delivering it in the flat, unamused tone John would often take back in those earlier days. Oh, the feats of projection that man had been capable of was impressive. He’s smiling as well, though it’s in that stupid...besotted way he gets whenever John looks at him. Kissing his hand? Strike him down (only don’t). ] No, no... You— I just like taking care of people, and you were cute. Shut up.

[ Emotionally constipated is his type. He lets out a breathy laugh, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder. Then he returns his attention to John, and from the flicker of uncertainty, it could be assumed that he doesn’t want to put it out into the open, where anyone else can overhear. Those weeks in the safe house in Scotland belonged to them – a stolen, glowing patch of sunlight after years of doing the Institute’s bidding. Plucked from the Lonely, to be very much not alone. He doesn’t want to sully it, knowing what they know now. He settles on a quiet smile. A shrug. ]

Now. Well... soon, if we’re lucky. [ a pause, and he sounds less wistful and more, ironically amused? ] It’s weird. They didn’t act all that surprised to see us? Maybe we aren’t all that special for once.

[ Wouldn’t that be a novel concept? ]

cn: guns ! violence !

[someonetostay]

[Connor admittedly isn’t intimidated when bootleg Gavin the man pulls out a gun. A handgun: small, held shakily.

How desperate might he be? How dangerous? It’s that shakiness that pings Connor, especially.]

I was giving you an opportunity to explain yourself before you leave. [The man reminds Connor of someone back home — almost fondly. It’s strange: being away from Detroit. Feeling all of these emotions, inspired by the horrors and loves and aches from home...

In a way, they are amplified here: his loneliness. His mercy.

Connor raises his hand to his side, as if to keep Castiel back. Not that he feels the man is about to spring forth, but still.]

I believe it’s you who is the “asshole” in this situation. This is Castiel’s, and — [glancing toward the floor, he sees that their friend has made it to the edge of the bed] — the slugs’ home.

[As the man mutters “phckin’ slugs?” Connor is on the move. Rushing up onto the bed, towering over the intruder. He doesn’t want to kill him, if at all possible, but it was the man who initiated violence. So as Connor gazes down at him — triumphant, almost; he really does remind him of that prickly detective back home — he slaps the gun out of his hand. It skitters across the floor, the arc calculated so that it would fly in the opposite direction of their slug friend.]

[opticular]

You and me both. I did some odd jobs when I arrived. Scavenged and thrifted basic stuff whenever I can.

[ Which is honestly why most of what he's wearing is worn-out and has some holes in them. He can't possibly wear his X-uniform here, especially when that too is also in tatters upon his arrival. Also explains why he has food and a room, too, even if aforementioned unit has no power right now. ]

What was your job before you came here?

[ It doesn't hurt to get to know the kind man who let him stay. ]

[opticular]

[ Scott is rolling his eyes so hard right now, too bad Wade can't see it behind his ruby-tinted visor. And here he thought Logan is the human embodiment of a headache. Who would've thought he'd actually meet someone worse than him, here? It's easier to just blast him, admittedly, because nothing he ever says even makes sense.

So, you know what, that's exactly what he's going to do. This clown is asking for it? Well, he'll give it to him. Too bad Scott can't crank his optic blast's power to 11 because his visor was hit hard when he first arrived here (he's still fixing it) but any blast to send this motherfucker flying would be enough. ]

You asked for it.

[ Wade's wish is Scott's command because without further ado, he blasts Wade, aiming straight to his chest to send him colliding to his wall, breaking it in the process, and flying meters away from the apartment building. ]

[opticular]

[ A trustworthy leader. Scott has heard similar from Charles when he had doubts during his first days of actually leading a team. To hear those same words now from a younger Charles while they're both ripped out of their worlds feels a little full circle. Almost serendipitous, in a way.

His proud smile makes way for something softer, fonder, as if he's remembering all the times Charles has uplifted him when he was struggling. When he had to make hard choices in the field. When he didn't feel good enough to be the leader of the Professor's elite team of mutants.

He's in this state of mind when he hears Charles' question, which just instantly brings him back to that time he feels he'll never see again without blasting someone to kingdom come. ]

You did, and you also kind of didn't. I didn't want to join at first but you've convinced me. [ Then, with a small, teasing quirk of his lips. ] I don't know if you've noticed, Professor, but you have a way with words.

[ This teasing smile, though, returns to his fonder one. ] To hear you can tell I'll be a good leader in your future just by observing me now means a lot. You don't know how much you've inspired me. [ A beat. ] A lot of us, actually.

[carmesi]

I learned when I was little.

( she has no reason to think he is lying to her, and even if she gets an inkling of that, wanda doesn't bother to fight about it; choose your battles, and all that. pushing the bike back a touch, wanda finds the side stand and reaches for it, just so she can keep it upright. )

I know about keeping balance and how to use the handlebars. It's just heavier than what I'm used to.

( this is an old model bike, after all. and just when it seems she won't, she stands to the side and crosses her arms. )

I'm Wanda.

[carmesi]

( and perhaps red is fitting, for the both of them, who feel their grievances so deeply it runs warm with ire. as wanda studies him, fingers minutely controlling the the scarlet that circles them, she realizes that he is one thing that he wishes others were more of: honest about his flaws.

honest about something others would want to keep hidden.

and if it's something that he wishes to keep under the surface, he seems otherwise not upset that she's dug that out of him. )

I've never met someone who can do this before.

( wanda also has plenty of reasons to be angry, though her grief is far more overwhelming than any anger she could conjure for herself. )

[carmesi]

( she barely manages to hear the apology being said her way before there's is a whirr and a mechanical little thing that forces (whom she assumes is her assailant) towards her. wanda straightens, hands moving about comically, blood from her nose dripping down to her lips and chin, coating her hands partially, and all she can do to stop the dark figure from walking right into her is press her hands to his chest, onto his shirt—

her feet tangle unto one another, so without hesitation she grabs onto his shirt to avoid falling backwards.

the poor shirt really going through it. )

[retrievalist]

Are there different kinds of— You're the one selling the damn things.

[ He forcefully stops himself from raising his voice even further, because he's never wanted to be the person losing their rag at some poor kid stocking the aisles in a supermarket, but he is being tested today. ]

Look. You've got your basic, green cabbage. Mildly sweet flavour. Crisp texture. Used in everything from slaws to stir fries. Probably the type of cabbage you eat with your dinner. [ Every word sounds like Eliot is gearing up for war, punctuated by a sharp jab of his finger into the palm of his hand. ]

But if we're talking slaws and stir fries then you've also got your drumhead cabbage and your cannonball cabbage. Flavours still nice and mild but your drumhead cabbage leaves have a smooth, slightly waxy texture and the cannonball leaves are softer, more tender.

Then you've got your red cabbage. Flavour's a lot more earthier than your standard green cabbage, and when it's cooked? Beautiful rich, flavour. Perfect in a beef or lamb stew.

[ Eliot pauses for a second to push his hair back from his face. You might be tempted to think that he's done and that you can make your escape. Do not make this mistake. ]

Then— [ see ] —you've got your bok choy—crunchy stem, tender leaves, every bite a perfect one—which you can cook in any damn way you can think of, and then you've got your Napa cabbage, which you can cook into a soup or a hot pot but most common use is fermented. There's Tuscan cabbage, which don't look much like cabbage with its long, dark leaves. Flavour's completely different to all the others too, lot more bitter. Doesn't do all too well raw unless you treat it a bit first. Same with kale. Good for you, but you gotta cook it first, gotta soften it up, smooth out some of that bitterness.

[ He takes a breath and pushes his hair back again. ] And that ain't even all of them.

[thetruefocus]

[ Charles would not have done much differently either. The bullet obviously he would, but letting go of Shaw would have meant Erik's death. He had to accept that he assisted in killing a man, something up until then he did not think he was capable of. It was shocking. But the other option simply wasn't one. He wouldn't trade Erik. But he did not think Erik would leave him. It seemed impossible up until the moment he did.

And then after, while he was healing, when he settled back at the house, he thought any day now, Erik and Raven would return. They left for the moment, but surely not forever. He was angry, of course, and he would have told them so, but it took him months before he accepted the finality of what happened. It grew his bitterness into what it became. It wasn't about the abandonment of that moment. It was every day and week and month afterward.

The line is going very slowly so they wait in it for now. Charles plays with the fabric of Erik's shirt underneath his fingertips, he has a tendency to do that with objects with his hands while his mind is wandering. It's another grounding technique with the world around them shifting. ]

I wouldn't have let you visit, but we could have talked.

[ Charles most certainly would not be so foolish as to invite Erik to the mansion. Absolutely not. Too dangerous, as they both have acknowledged! But that is what makes Charles and Erik's situation different, because he can reach across the globe to touch him, as he is now. ]

I know it's as much my fault. I'm the one who can reach out, not you.

[ Erik did have the number for the school but it could be traced, yes. So if Charles never did, that was his choice. They both expect the worst from each other, that they shut one another out on purpose, rather than consider there was any ground that could be remade. ]

But it comes back to the same thing, doesn't it? I never wanted to be apart from you.

[heavymetals]

[ Erik's eyes are on the person ahead, but not really focused on them. He doesn't know what he expected of a trip to the store but somehow it's just turning into a continuation of their talk, and he's not entirely sure that he can handle it. Out here, with others around. Not that they much matter to him, to be honest, he just dislikes anyone being privy to what should be private. Their thoughts might be, but Erik can only hide the emotion from his face for so long. ]

It was not your fault. I'm the one who left.

[ But at the time, it was what he had to do. Or what he thought he had to do. Still on the heels of his ultimate goal taking up so much of his life that he hadn't even stopped to realise what he was giving up. How much it would hurt to lose it.

He cannot keep going back. But he does, again, to that beach, holding Charles in his arms and hearing him say that no, we don't want the same thing. Charles wanted peace; Erik didn't even consider that an option. It was all or nothing, and he somehow got both.

The last words have him turning his head away, his eyes closed. Thoughts scatter, incoherent, and it's a while before he knows what to say, or if he should even say it. His hand shifts just enough that he can brush his fingertips against Charles's sleeve, but it's barely a touch because Charles is the one holding onto him; Erik doesn't think he even has that right. ]

I never wanted to leave you.

[pagings]

[ the way he blinks at her has karen frowning - did she do something wrong? or- maybe her whole detour was a lot more off-base than she thought. in a way that worries her, but at the same time... she can't really be all that surprised. with how poorly the whole thing went, it's almost reassuring it's because she went somewhere wrong. maybe that's a good thing.

probably not.

logan glances from her to the city, and she gets the feeling he's considering something. maybe whether or not to tell her the best places to stay, maybe there's some glaring difference in neighborhoods. maybe he's going to turn back to her and tell her that her best chance is back on the road, in which case karen will really need to evaluate her chances here. on what's ahead. there's something comforting about the city lights and the distance, the distant echo of voices. people. and while people also bring in other complicates, other dangers, it's also...

she'll take whatever the city holds over what they saw out in that diner any day. ]

Don't know as in haven't checked? Or there's something going on? [ even now, as exhausted and unsteady she feels, there's something in the way he says that that piques her curiosity. but no- now is time to focus, cheap motels, shopping. it feels a little strange for those to be the things he points out in a city this large, but she supposes there's a reason.

she doesn't expect an answer, but it does have her attention - if only for a few moments. enough that by the time he says c'mon she has to blink herself back to the conversation, to the fact he's pushing up off the bike and heading towards the store, and- ]

I don't have- [ money, she wants to say. but then she cuts herself off, glancing at the car she has on loan and the street around them, on the reminder that she probably shouldn't just be saying this aloud. so instead she bites her lip and follows him to the door, waiting for him to figure out the push, and can't stop herself from the quirk of her lips it brings as they step inside.

they head down an aisle, and Karen takes in everything she can - the bare shelves, the dirt, the selection of items for sale. it's no fancy manhattan grocer, but she supposes it's better than nothing at all. she stops somewhere midway down an aisle, trying to read the packaging on something that looks like...cereal? before she notices him reaching into the back of a shelf to pull something out. ]

You really don't have to do this. [ she mutters, watching him pull out a semi-squished tube of toothpaste. her eyes go from the toothpaste, to him, before she takes it from him with a small smile. ] Thanks.

[primepool]

[Look, he's gonna be real. He can only be actually saved so many times (among the times he was straight up abandoned, thanks, wow, really good teamwork there.) Yes, he did come back just to lock the door and pretend to drown again. Unfortunately, there isn't more meds he can consensually take without permission, but there are more funky Post-It notes waiting to be nicked.

However, Wade is still dedicated to the jape.

It's still entertaining. And he still doesn't have much to do until the rain lets up a little and he can drive without filling his car with water. And fucking fish again. Did anyone mention fish sometimes fall out of the sky? No. There should be more signs about that.

So he's pretending to drown, stopping only to watch the newest victim try beating the door with -- is that a sword? Oh, yeah, that is distinctly the sound of someone trying to break shatterproof glass with the pommel of a sword.

Ask him how he knows.]

You're doing great, honey! Just, maybe -- you know, keep beating it, I'm sure it's gonna break sometime. [Man, what the fuck do they build the windows out here with? He mouths at the window, but also with a hand around his throat, so it sends a confusing message:] Do you wanna just come in? We love company around here!

[He kind of feels bad. She's really trying.]

[magike]

Scotland.

( though considering that the scotland that rowena had grown up in was not the same scotland of the modern day, she imagined that it was very different in his time. if it existed.

she drinks a little more again, a slow sip of her drink. it still wasn't too terrible )

If you spend most of your time on a ship how often are you on a planet?

[carcajous]

[ A week, huh? About the same as him, give or take. ]

Logan. [ He picks up her portable tape player, half-amused. She find a RadioShack out there or what? ] Haven't seen these things in over three decades.

[ Not a bad score, though.

He cracks open a bottle. One warm beer, as promised, sliding Nadine's way across the scratched-up table. In exchange, he takes one of the chips that smell more of synthetic flavoured plastic than anything. He pops one in his mouth. Not like it'll kill him.

Really, deep down, maybe he was just looking for some company. Which, yeah, he's fine being alone. He's been alone often, mostly prefers his solitude, but it's also been a while since he was by himself. Ever since the Sentinels came, he's been with the X-Men. Hasn't taken off like he sometimes would before. There was always somebody around, even if they were losing people to the war by the day.

Anyway, he can't sleep, either, and he's already finished the book he snagged off a park bench two days ago. TV's down. Not a hell of a lot to do except sit alone with his thoughts. And right now, that's the last thing he wants to do. ]

[primepool]

[Worry not, fair cyberfriend. He's gonna spring it on Cable when he least suspects it. Now that he's settled that his ol' pal isn't mad about the threequel. God bless that kind of media ignorance. It's gonna geet him so far in life.]

Oh, that little thing? Haha, no, that's totally unreleated, and besides, it wasn't all bad, I left baby Hitler alive. [That's a bonus, right? He didn't fuck up history! (It was way harder than he thought it'd be.)] You'd think I would be blaming this on the TVA again, right? It's like the Void all over again, except there's more electricity and ramen. You know, you weren't there, but it's like you were there. Spiritually. [Mostly when he was being stabbed, over and over, with knives.] But me and the TVA, we're like this. [He curls both of his index fingers tightly together. Him and B-15, they're like besties, almost. In the way that she's totally dating Peter and Peter's his bestie, which makes him a bestie-by-proxy.]

So, uh, what I'm saying is... is we can blame this on a completely different cosmic entity that has noooothing to do with your time traveling thingie.

[Nailed it. This explanation made perfect sense.] That I don't have anyway.

[Anymore.]

! excitement !

[messenger]

[ their new friend looks absolutely phcking baffled. this carries on into the moment that connor slaps the gun out of his hand. a moment later, it appears in castiel's, despite that castiel hasn't moved an inch from where he's standing, gripped awkwardly by the barrel in his fingers. he takes connor's meaning when he holds his arm out, but he doesn't necessarily have to move to make himself useful.

the man gapes at them both, before bouncing back, liberated by his indignity. he gestures toward castiel, jabbing the air with an angry finger. ]

Hey, give that back!

[ castiel looks at the gun for long enough that connor might imagine he's actually thinking of it.

and, well, he wouldn't be wrong. but before castiel tosses it over, he tightens his grip around the barrel until the metal bends with a sad squeal. only then does he cast the gun at the feet of the intruder. ]

[magike]

She walks again down the hall, keeping the conversation going as she looks again at the different rooms. Considering that Rowena had been trying to get a mental map of the hospital rather than look for anything specific she turns that to now finding an empty room.

"Are you in the hospital?"

She doesn't specify whether she's thinking of him as a patient of just here. Rowena supposes that it doesn't really matter, to her.

But she isn't done, still thinking on what he'd said, curious about why he might not have been in a city much but not yet curious enough to ask why.

"What had you been trying to do?"

[summonbeasts]

[Maria answers that last question straight off the bat when she finally comes out of the passenger side of her car with book in hand. Mostly so she can walk around that car of hers to take a look at the front.

She pauses there, brows raised, looking just as surprised as poor G'raha.]

To be honest I didn't notice. I simply took what was offered.

[She looks back to G'raha now with only one brow cocked upward in evident curiosity.]

Did you get a choice in machines?

fluxdrift i, sorry i couldn't help it

[tricorn]

Some sort of horseless carriage, if the explanation I've had is to be believed.

[ There he is, that motherfucker. (What a tool.) Jack's stood a few feet away from her, looking approximately as out of place as Anne, but now they've found each other at least they're back to balancing one another out, as they always do. He'd heard her swear and abruptly ended the conversation he was in the middle of, drifting towards her like he'd been pulled in by siren song. ]

Darling, as always I appreciate your thirst for knowledge, but let's not flick any switches we don't understand just yet.