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

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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.

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Comments

[foretells]

How bad can it be?

[ Sciel very obviously rolls her eyes to all of that - to the comment about Maelle and otherwise. It's purposely dramatic to give him every indication that 1) he is being quite silly and 2) that he has nothing to worry about, not with her. So what if the room is a mess? Hers is no different.

And beneath the smile, too many thoughts. Her eyes scan the hallway discreetly, considering things. Finding the same discoloration in the walls, the poor structure. Her heart twists to look at it, to look at the families crammed in here like they are. While Sciel would love to return home as quick as possible--

It doesn't feel right. Her voice is quiet, like she's imparting a secret. ]

I don't know what we're supposed to do, you know. Dropped here like this.

[hexcurse]

[ It's hard to listen to, from both of them. Vi led the defense of the ground, she would have been watching people cut down around her while they bought him time to disable the Hexgates. Viktor, who had only ever wanted to help people, had his dreams warped into something almost unrecognizable - and Jayce had been part of that.

His hand hasn't left Viktor's forearm.

(there's no version of this where he doesn't forgive him, where he doesn't love him unconditionally)

Quietly: ]

We can't undo what happened to them, Vi. [ You can't punish him more than he's punishing himself ]

We can't go back. [ He gives her that imploring look again. ]

But you shouldn't be here. [ There's a flicker of confusion now. They had thought the rune and the anomaly had blasted them to this desolate part of the universe. Were there others caught up in it? ]

Is Cait - ? [ His gaze slips up the road behind her. ]

extremely sorry for the wait it was a Week

[tirejacked]

[Look, they might as well get something useful for all their trouble. Because it's been a lot of trouble. And honestly—there are worlds where he wouldn't bother. Worlds where the cargo was something else. He's got a mercenary enough attitude of certain things, he knows when to cut his losses. But in the grand scheme of survival, under food, and shelter...medicine ranks. He'd learned that early. Back before Bruce, when his mother—(when Catherine)—had been too sick from her illness and too poor and too alone to keep up the chemo and had turned to the cheaper, easier stuff to take the edge off while she died. Easier to get heroin in Crime Alley than healthcare.

This place isn't the same, necessarily. But it has enough familiar rhythms for him to recognize it. So. Back to basics. Worth sticking around at least until the water decides to make itself a problem again.

This time, he notices the flare of red under her hands when she grabs for the crate. Clocks the way the screws twist themselves out of the way under her grip. He blinks, his focus narrowing. But once he gets the gist, he seems—

...Mostly unfazed, apparently. Perks of growing up as a child vigilante. B didn't like metas in Gotham, but Jason's met Superman. He did his short stint in the Teen Titans. He can hang.

So, first things first. He ducks in beside her to frown at the bags, picks one up to tear it open and inspect the goods.]

It'll have to be. For now, anyway. We'll see how much is left if we get room for round two.

[Odds are either the elements or the (metaphorical) vultures will get there first. He'd initially planned on scoping the place out, bringing his bike along from where he'd stashed it (high and dry, out of sight and out of the floodwater) once he'd had the lay of the land and loading up with enough product to make it worth his while. Kind of went out the window, given the circumstances.

Though— He twists the cap from the first bottle he can find to check that it's all still dry inside and worth the trouble. His eyes are down on the bottle, but his attention hasn't left her. While he does, and conversationally—]

Nice trick.

[He means it. He's not not impressed. And definitely not not interested.]

[tataille]

[ Benny watches the shift - those golden eyes, dark-pupiled and burning bright, and doesn't flinch. Not out of bravado, just... well. He’s seen some shit. Damn if the kid doesn’t wear the power like a threat, though. Like armor. ]

Suppose that makes sense. [ He huffs a faint sound, not quite a laugh. ] Not always easy, talking about the bad stuff. Sometimes it's easier to keep your head forward and the past back where it belongs.

[ He angles a look at Jack, watching as the glow fades, still not spooked but certainly a little on edge. He has absolutely no doubt this kid could turn him into ash and he's so not in the mood for that. He's been fighting like a demon to get outta Purgatory for years and now that he's here, he's not about to go back. If that's even where he'd go, dyin' in a place like this.

Jack's question lands soft, but there's still hesitation, the weight back in Benny's chest. He's not thrilled about saying it, about coming out of the monster closet, but if this kid isn't lying and he's really a Winchester, he's gonna find out at some point. He scratches at his jaw, then finally shrugs like it doesn't much matter, cause it doesn't. ]

Vampire. Don’t feed like usual anymore, haven’t in a long time. Don’t plan to start, either. I drink blood, but I don't eat people.

[ A slow smile creeps in, wry and tired. ]

I appreciate the mercy, though. Would've hated to make you feel guilty for atomizin' me.

she's fine she deserves it

[heritors]

[ Now that there's a clear course of action (read: she has learned that tires can be replaced with new ones), she seems a little less lost. There's something to be said about having something to focus on, even if that's watching Arlecchino take the lugs off a tire; it's getting them somewhere, slowly but surely. The car she's received feels less like a contraption and more like a resource.

All this to say — she's shuffled out of the way to make sure there's enough room, but otherwise she's pretty quiet. Really taking the art of "how to replace a tire", at least until she's asked a question. ]

I was a ... soldier. [ Saddling someone she's just met for the first time with everything feels like a bit much, all of a sudden. It's no secret that there are people from all walks of life — and worlds — here. She's met someone who didn't know what a pegasus was, then saw plenty of others who seemed to know exactly what to do with a car. None of what she has done is a secret, it hasn't been for some time, but ...

It's a lot, is all. ] My country had been at war for many years against forces who wanted to destroy the world, and I wished to help. We emerged victorious a few weeks prior. [ It's not remorse or regret in her voice when she says that; no resentment in her circumstances pulling her away from victory. Just pride. ]

How about yourself?

[thetruefocus]

[ The opposite ends of the spectrum with being furious with Erik and being vulnerable with Erik are just part of the way they are after the schism. Charles can hold multiple complex emotions about someone and have all of them equally expressed within him at the same time. He isn't sorry that they've reunited though. It has helped him focus his mind and truthfully, Charles hates being alone. That is why he didn't try to chase Hank off while in the midst of his misery, he always leaned on his friend instead. In his worst drunken moments he begged him to never leave him the way the others did, and Hank obviously took that to heart.

He would have too much pride to do that with Erik now, but tolerating him being aorund, that he can do. It is a bit funny to be on such a casual and normal adventure like this, going to a grocery store like the two of them aren't giants in the superpowered community. Like they couldn't take everything they wanted if they weren't the people they were.

He follows down the aisle and does get curious to look closer at some of the items there. Perhaps he is starting to perk up a little because he's genuinely intrigued by the alien words and boxes. He knows basically every human language there is, so finding something from another world is intriguing. ]

I know, none of the listings worked.

[ Charles did look, he isn't unreasonable, he does understand the situation he's in. He was ready to find a way to survive, and probably given another few days, he would have gone out looking for whatever work would be possible. Instead of looking for something that actually suited him. At a point, he has to be pragmatic. ]

You may help.

[ He says with a sigh. Fine. Erik can be useful, if he's trying to make up for everything. And his friend does know enough about him to guess well. ]

I suppose the reality that my applicable skills aren't useful in this situation is something I had to accept eventually.

[lufeng]

Oh? Surely your boss would not want you foisting off all of your samples on to one person. Lu Feng would accept one (1) extra egg as payment for his services, thank you very much.

Who could blame anyone for being drawn to such a cute mushroom? Lu Feng was glad to hear that none of those anyones had made any sort of move beyond bugging him, but man. The audacity of some people to do even that much. It's like they had no idea what was waiting for them when Lu Feng found his way back to An Zhe's side.

"Hmm." He raised his hand to place a gentle pat on An Zhe's cheek, a careful gesture that fell just short of the forbidding 'flirting at work', before scooping up that sample cup. "I'll be here if any more of them show up."

[godjr]

They're my heroes, all three of them. I would've understood if they told me the bad times. But they can do no wrong in my eyes. [ Jack shrugs. ] So I get it.

[ They might not have wanted him to see the bad parts, but for Jack, there's simply no such thing. Castiel could have told him about the Leviathans and everything he did, and Jack would still love him blindly and absolutely. He wishes they could have shared more together that way, before Castiel went back to the Empty, and before Jack was going to die. But he doesn't get what he wants most of the time. That's not what he was made for.

Jack can tell that Benny isn't afraid per se but anyone with a head on their shoulders sensitive to danger would see that the glow in him is stronger than the average. His holy energy isn't God level yet, but it's cut from the same cloth. Archangels come with an underlining power that many people can sense without understanding.

He sees the hesitation and his expression softens, and he tries to smile reassuringly at him. ]

That's okay. I'm surprised Dean let you live, but he let me live, so he has mercy in him somewhere.

[ Dean had every reason to shoot him in the head and didn't. His father is much kinder than he knows. ]

I'd offer you blood, you must be hungry if you don't eat people, but it would definitely kill you. It's divine, I think it'd burn you up. Maybe we can go to the hospital?

[messenger]

Why assume we're weak? We're all from off-world, aren't we?

[ castiel quirks a brow, but there's no real force behind the words, even as he crosses his arm with some disapproval. he is weak, but at least one thing he still has is the fact that curtis couldn't lift a finger against him.

his voice softens again a moment later. ]

What about him reminds you of your...

[ not friend. that wasn't the word connor had used. ]

also I don't know what I'm doing, idk if those cards are fully tarot /wobbly hands

[foretells]

Or my scythe.

[ And she winks. (Astro-Reaper would go so hard though...)

She gives a little shrug of her own, taking the card back and toying with it, and then it's gone in a quick flicker of golden light. They're just a means to an end, really; you flip the right card, take advantage of the dark or the light, and use it to your advantage. If she can twist some cards and stars to be on her side so she can keep her loved ones safe? She'll take it.

But the fortune telling? Fate's never so clear-cut. If it was, it'd have told her everything up until now, and there'd be so much more she could've prevented. Hope feels distant, even now.

Another smile shows up, a bit more wry this time. ]

See? You've got enough hope for the both of us right now. That's going to be important in a place like this, I think.

[ The hardened and drawn faces of the others in this little motel have told her enough. This place isn't kind to those who show up. The long stretches of dusty roads, lacking true greenery, feel lifeless and ashen. ]

It feels like hope's in short supply around here.

[tataille]

There's somethin' about Purgatory. It's got a way of changin' a man. Dean and I, we were-- [ He pauses, thinking on it, looking for the word, before finally settling on-- ] brothers. Had a real special bond, you know?

[ It took a while to get there. You can't trust anyone in Purgatory, first lesson you learn. ]

He sure was charmin', just knew how to sweet talk me. [ He huffs a breath, a ghost of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. ] Never met a man who could scowl and flirt at the same time, but Dean managed it.

[ A beat, the smile falters just a little. ]

We saved each other, more times than I can count. 'Course, I'm technically dead already, so I guess he had the harder job.

[ The offer of blood earns Jack a look - surprised, maybe even a little touched, though he covers it with a crooked smile. ]

You’re a real sweetheart, but you're right, I like my meals without a side of divine immolation. Hospital’s a better bet. Bagged blood’s not gourmet, but it keeps me upright. [ He's just not sure if you can...walk into a hospital and snatch a blood bag, here. He'd paid good black market scratch for it back when he'd been alive, and it hadn't been easy to find. This place is even more of a cluster than home had been. ]

[tataille]

[ The way he hadn't moved, hadn't breathed. No biggie, right? Totally not creepy.

Benny chuckles under his breath, low and easy, and stays leaning against the doorframe, posture softening a fraction. ]

Yeah. Fresh off the bus. Wouldn't call this the Ritz-Carlton, but it's better than sticks and twigs for a pillow. Was sorta hopin’ for a softer landing, but I guess that’s on me for wishin’. Still, beats the place I crawled out of.

[ He tilts his head toward the hallway, his voice more conversational now. ]

Name’s Benny.

[heritors]

[ Jokes on you Fern she spends the first third of her game lying out of her ass, she contains multitudes.

Which has, obviously, backfired terribly. The self-flagellation's happening on both ends — which means this isn't actually very yakety sax at all, i lied — where there's a healthy dose of guilt for leading someone astray like this. The sheepish look on her face is genuine, almost painfully so. Whatever poker face she was wearing earlier is long gone.

Lucina's halfway between being grateful the stranger seems to recover from it quickly, and feeling worse when it's shrugged off. But either way— ]

Yes, it appears so. [ She recovers too. Nowhere to go from here but up, she figures; and if it really is a necessity like the man said it was (it did seem useful...), then it may as well be done now. ] I believe I saw a stand around the corner, I just ... never spoke to them. Perhaps we can use the price we received to barter with them instead?

[positivelyroomy]

Good. I don’t think I’m ready to venture out quite yet. [ His relief could easily be explained away by the fact that there are looters and who knows what else that may be taking advantage of the dark – but he’s not necessarily worried about that. It’s the wide, unknown spaces and empty streets. The quiet.

Of course, John had to go wandering out in it – because why not? He needs a leash. ]

It’s not as if... [ There’s an abrupt pause, and he sighs (™). Starts over. ] I know that I am mostly human. [ Heavy emphasis, finger quotes and all, around mostly. ] I started working for spooky archive that was actually mildly... evil? [ Martin “Apple Pie Aura” Blackwood, gesticulates like he’s offering Adrian a choice between two different restaurants to eat at. ]

We’d get these ... reeeeally unpleasant statements that needed to be processed. John did the most, but I probably recorded the most after him. [ A very brief Ted Talk on the Magnus Institute ensues. Yes, he was in a custody battle between The Lonely and The Eye (with The Web sending him love letters because he is a Problematic Bitch). Didn't quite die, so he's the Zero Calories version of Peter Lukas. ]

Wha—t?! [ Completely dumbfounded. Flabbers. Ghasted. ] That’s very...pragmatic of you. John might be a bit confused, though. [ He’s not flustered at all. He’s very grateful for the completely unrelated follow-through. ]

Unless you consider the stuff tied to the fears magic? No. Like we can’t heal people with glowing light. [ Believe be, he’s jealous of that. ] Oh I don’t know... I guess I can sneak away to be quietly sad? [ Literally fading into the background like a depressed misty step ] They’re safe, I promise you.

Do you usually have bad taste in friends? [ He’s laughing with you, not at you. ]

[churnback]

Nah, don't have astronauts. Don't need 'em. Think I'm past you — [ He pauses a moment on the right phrasing. ] — in the timeline. Guessin'. Twenty-fourth century, so — Earth and Mars and the Belt, we're out there all kinda together.

[ And not getting along. And he fully realizes he's glossing over a lot here, just sticking to the basics. ]

I've been a mechanic on a few different ships most of my life.

[ On an ice hauler just before all of that went to shit and his small crew was all that was left after their home ship got blown to dust. Now they have their own ship. ]

all good! (and spoilers all the way down just in case)

[foretells]

[ So she's already seen him. Maelle's demeanor softens, quiets, and Sciel can see the grief that still simmers beneath the surface. It had taken her years - what felt like lifetimes - to feel some semblance of normalcy after Pierre. Even now, the ache remains. She can imagine it's much the same, when Maelle has only had so many days and weeks to try to come to terms with it.

And still, they continue. Sometimes, in her darkest moments, those words sting like an old wound. ]

Neither did I. Got himself in trouble because of course he did, so I didn't have time to really think about it. But he's very real.

[ Warm, smiling, soft, as he'd been for every day he'd comforted Sciel through her own loss. ]

I don't know what this place is or how it managed to bring him back to us, but I'm grateful for it, for as long as we have.

[ Because if they can be brought here under no pretense, they can just as easily be ripped back home. And they have to go, she knows, but now there's...Gustave, and now it's messier than when she first arrived. ]

[heritors]

[ Bar cookies, hard candies... what a world this is. She does note the two he recommended, studying the packaging once it's in her hand; the packaging is colorful in a way that almost feels wondrous, if she were to be honest. Bright, saturated reds and yellows and oranges, with hits of purples and blues.

She smiles when she looks up. ] Perhaps I'll start with the candies then, if they keep well... though now that you mention it, I can't remember the last time I've had ice cream. [ By which she means like... before the war. When she was a child. ]

... Though they're likely expensive, are they not? [ She's going to need so much money before she can start affording all these sweets. ]

[foretells]

I've got a friend who likes his journal. He took notes during our expedition.

[ Well, and then there's Lune doing voice logs, but that's more of a researcher tactic. Journals were favored by other expeditioners; they were favored by people back in Lumière, too, and it helped those who came after to track what it was like before the Fracture. But it's always felt...a bit cumbersome to her, to carry around a large notebook like Gustave's.

Besides, hard to beat a constant companion in the night sky. When others move on, when you're alone, it's easier to turn to what's comfortable. ]

You should try it, if you'd like. And you can't lose the stars like you can with a book.

[ And those are easier things to think about, because this Dreamscape comment... That sounds odd. ]

Can you tell me about the Dreamscape? I've never heard of such a thing. How does it work, exactly?

[churnback]

[ There's a lot of time out in the black when it's just him and his thoughts, working on the fusion reactor, checking the air recyclers, fuel levels, torpedo launchers, PDC — all that goes into keeping them floating, and safe. The whole crew has their parts to play. And a lot of his work is solitary, but the minute he's around anyone, there's chatter, and it's not bad. In fact, he even kinda likes it; more than he did. And the absence of it now is — yeah.

But it's interesting with Wanda, the way they can talk a little and it's like they're speaking a language they both know, but if they stop talking, it doesn't feel weird or awkward the way it can get with some people, the way they feel like they gotta fill up the dead air. It can sort of just be with her, so far. It's an observation, that's all, but it's a thing he likes, too, maybe. Maybe.

When she gets quiet, he doesn't look over, just figures she might've drifted off. Hell, she looked like she needed it. Least he can do is keep his eyes ahead, keep it all steady for her. But then she speaks up again and what he hears from her is the kind of thing he hasn't thought about, at least, purpose. But the same mistakes — yeah, he gets that. He didn't think that way before, but he's been trying real hard to make choices on his own, choices that are good ones, the right ones.

If there's any part of him that has anything left in him to fear something, it's that — the feeling that he could make a choice that's the wrong one and hurt someone innocent. But she's got a whole world and a whole life behind her words. ]

You're probably gonna make them again. At first. It just happens. I mean, if you made 'em before, it came from somewhere in you and it doesn't just shut off right away, but ain't a reason to stop trying. Think you learn a little more each time you fuck up.

[ He shrugs a little, feeling like he's well aware his advice isn't the most helpful. ] You never really leave anything behind, but what you were and what you did, it can be different now.

[ It can be, is the thing. In his mind, he believes less in starting over, but more in just adapting. And he thinks that's what they can do here. ]

Purpose, like you said. [ The word sticks with him. Will stick with him. ] Haven't thought of it much.

[hexcurse]

[ That answer seems to set him at ease again for now and he lowers his hand again. A question lingers when Viktor says he can still access that space, his curiosity tempered by slight unease again, though he sets his remaining questions aside for now as he hears movement in the near distance. Likely someone digging around for useable parts amongst the scrap, but it reminds him that they aren't really alone out here.

Jayce gently tugs on Viktor's hand, nodding in the direction he walked here from. ]

I took one of the vehicles they offered us.

[ He's been sleeping in it, having not yet gained enough coin to use on a room yet - and reluctant to add to his debt. ]

I landed in my armor - [ a wan smile ] I thought I might find someone here to buy or trade for it.

[ He has no use for it any more. This is the start of a plan, though. ]

[tricorn]

[ His eyebrows shoot up quite abruptly, almost disappearing under the hat's brim. ]

That's rather a large leap to make based on a bit of headwear. Accusing me of being a sailor is one thing but a pirate is quite another.

[mississippis]

Well, I'm sorry. I left my cache of weapons back home. [ She can't help but look annoyed, despite the fact that she has no business being out here swinging around a fucking lamp for self defense.

Still, she does fall in line, mostly because her "weapon" is bent and likely not going to be much use against anyone.

With the door looking like it's seen better days, she peeks around him, scanning the room -- open windows, flimsy curtains billowing in the night air, screaming suddenly silent. She hadn't really considered that this might be a trap, that if she'd rushed in swinging her lamp around alone, she might have been ambushed. But the thought crosses her mind now. It had been reckless and foolhardy...

And she would have done it all over again if she thought someone was in real danger. ]

You normally go waving a gun around?

panorama!

[tricorn]

[ Jack's listening. Of course he's listening – it'd be hard not to. The boy's voice carries, the tale drifting high over the malaise of crowd noise. And what a tale it is: gripping and heroic from start to rather abrupt finish. Before he ever came here he would've dismissed it as a flight of pure fancy, but maybe not. After all, if he can travel from the world he knows to this one, so very unfamiliar, then maybe there are sea kings with gaping maws in some other far-flung world.

But he can't ponder it for too much longer; it looks like trouble's brewing. ]

Now, there's no need to start a fight, hm? [ he asks the food stand owner as he pushes away from the wall he'd been leaning against. ] Especially when the Great Captain Usopp has been regaling us all with such a fantastic tale. No doubt the yarn he's been spinning has brought a fair few customers hither.

[ He'd not expected the vendor to be persuaded by that, but of course he has another plan. He's been in the crowd for a reason; people are less aware of their surroundings when everything is so loud and bustling, so far he's managed to pilfer a few wallets just squeezing between groups. He's not exactly flush with cash – when you've successfully looted the largest Spanish treasure galleon the world has ever seen, everything else is meagre in comparison – but he has enough to wave it in the food stand vendor's face. ]

I'll cover the food.

[mississippis]

[ Oh.

Rogue doesn't actually know what to say to that. She's certainly not going to tell him what had happened next. That's too much, too weighted, and though she'd never been particularly close to Scott, she's always respected him. Looked up to him. He'd been a leader and a teacher, both in and out of the classroom. He deserves better than her haphazardly blurting out what happens to Jean. 

Or what happens to them both later. 

So she stays silent, alternating between glancing at what he's doing and keeping an eye out on the road. While he'd been a friendly face, she knows better than to think that everyone who comes driving past will be helpful. Finally, when he speaks again, her eyes swing back to him. ]

Yeah. Seen them both actually. Or... well. The Professor's a little different than I remember. But this hunk of junk's broken down a few times already. [ A lot different, but that's only because he'd been the kind of man who she'd never even thought about as having been young once. ] I've got water in one of my saddlebags if you want it.

[carmesi]

( the look on wanda's face should be seen as confusion, rather than anything within the real of judgement or fascination. it is interesting, to see someone with her features, but wanda doesn't figure it's something to be admired for its exotic qualities.

she can very well understand being looked at as a freak, as someone different from those around oneself. )

Is Faerûn the name of where you're from, then, before coming here??

( wanda looks down at her remaining dumpling and offers it to the other woman, in case she wants it, even though it might be a little cold by now. )

My country is called Sokovia. For many years, the world tried to ignore us. It put them in a bad light to admit that they failed us. ( obviously there's more context to be given here, but wanda understands what she means when she says that she's grown used to the looks. ) I know what it's like to be looked at differently.

( even if she looks very much like all those others around this place.

still, an olive branch, literally and metaphorically. )

I'm Wanda.