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

[hexcurse]

Not like this exactly - [ He frowns at the dipstick before placing it back - dirty oil, just like Viktor said, and pulls out a wrench to start unscrewing some bolts ] - a lot of the tech here is more advanced than where we come from, or... took a different trajectory, I suppose. But -

[ With everything unscrewed, he lifts the cover off the engine, eyeing the inside. ]

- most of the basic principles are similar enough.

[ It's not gunky on the inside, at least. They don't really have the tools to fully clean out the engine if that were the case. A glance over his shoulder. ]

I have some oil leftover from when I was cleaning mine, we can drain some of this out and add the clean stuff in - that should get you back to the city.

[ They can look at the light too. What he doesn't think they want to do is drain all the oil when he doesn't have enough to fully replace it, though - and he glances over at Viktor this time, at the hexclaw over his shoulder. ]

[vestments]

( don't look too deeply into the brief moment of third-person compartmentalisation and separation, stephen. it's just A THING that marc occasionally does. )

Mm. ( short, perfunctory. not quite interest, but consideration. the house of shadows had been indelibly linked to strange for so long, that it strikes marc as strange (ha) that this one's never encountered it. banishment, return, banishment, return, an eldritch horror that ultimately just wanted to be wanted. not so different, when it came down to it. )

Originally— ( interrupted by a slight cough and an inhale of breath. ) I thought it just a case of— ( strange? fuck, no. how had he described it? ah— ) Esotericism. An apartment building with a floor that shouldn't exist, one that trapped its inhabitants, gave them water and air and a maze to navigate. Not to discover anything about them, but to wear them down before it ate them. ( a beat; an oddly dismissive wave of his hand, that rough, working-class chicago accent momentarily more pronounced — and at odds, perhaps, with the water-logged three-piece suit and the deliberate articulation. it's like maybe, just for a second, there's more of a glimpse of marc. ) Or whatever a house does.

The Strange I know kicked it out of our dimension more than once. It kept coming back, and—. ( well, the fact that marc had figured out what it wanted doesn't quite matter, not here and not now. the fact that it'd wanted anything in the first place? slightly more relevant. ) It could — can — manipulate its space. Turn it into anything it wants. Confuse. Disorient.

( he has a point! even if it's taking him a moment to get there. he shifts his weight which is markedly more difficult in water, and he slides one bottle of pills into a pocket, and then another. )

I'm not afraid of the dark, Doctor. ( it's decisive, like he's shifted internal gears in a conversation stephen hasn't quite been invited to — or at the very least, marc's assuming that moon knight exists wherever (this) stephen's from, and he's decided on a way to differentiate between the stephen present, and the one not. ) But you and I both know there's something weird here.

( —or rather, it's an assumption, as close as marc gets to hope. he knows it's not the same, but it could be similar, and the preparedness of stephen — even if it's fire in a room full of water — is nothing but a boon. )

[exoterminator]

Bear. [ Admirable. Impressive. ]

What else do you hunt? [ Questions a hunter is obliged to ask. ]

[tirejacked]

[You know what they say, Eliot. It's not the years, it's the mileage.

Probably for the best that Bruce isn't here to catch strays on the matter of child soldiers. But honestly, he'd been plenty endangered before getting his start. He leans his arms against his knees as his poker face creeps back under control, but he exhales all-sharp through his nose, like Eliot's said something funny.

Nah. Pretty sure he'd rather I was using my knife skills on onions.

[Grow up food insecure and jump right into Robin training...you bet he was sniffing around the kitchen on a pretty regular basis. But it worked out—he liked to make himself useful, and he liked Alfred.

(What would Alfie make of him now? Nothing good, he figures. If he thinks of him at all.)]

[tirejacked]

[Optimism in the capibilities of humanity toward good...whats that like. He leans his elbows against his knees before it becomes too weird that their mannerisms here have gotten a little similar.

And, magnanimously—]

Sounds like you need it more than me.

[He's generous that way. He's at least got a few things worth pawning on him. Unlike his friend here, apparently. But, y'know, he's willing to keep on in this vein. So.]

You come here recruiting?

[The giving out free samples, or the overnight shifts? Neither really play to his skillsets or his availability. (His nights are usually pretty busy, y'know.)]

[tolight]

[ Nothing like a healthy dose of trauma to really kick start a friendship.

The question makes her blink, as if it's not something she thought she'd be asked ( she's didn't ). It's also something not she's actually thought about herself. There's not a ton of time to go through self-reflection when you're too busy learning about centuries worth of advancement in technology. How is she doing? ]

It's ... strange, but manageable. [ She answers, eventually. It's a lot truer than she thought it would be before she said it out loud. To say it's fine would be a lie, but she is managing. She's discovered and learned far more than she ever thought she'd have to contend with, and she knows she's only scratched the surface.

But— ] For all the differences, many of the people seem to want similar things. [ To survive, to be happy, to live. How it manifests is still something she's working on, but having the baseline helps. ] And the sunrises and sunsets are beautiful. [ This is important! ]

... When it's not raining, of course. [ One last glance back — the street they've come from is at least a block or two away now, and things seem less... less. Another block, and her car is probably there. ] Ah — do you have the means to return to the city?

figured we could skip the driving to the hospital haha

[godjr]

I've never had debt before. My family paid for everything. I was lucky like that.

[ Jack has led a sheltered existence. The bunker was both a great and an isolating place to grow up. He's never had to be responsible for anything outside of himself before now, so it's a burden. But also kind of exciting? He feels more like a grown up, like he's off on his own and as long as he doesn't do anything bad, he can roleplay as a full adult. ]

But I've made money since getting here. I got regular jobs. I don't need to sleep or eat much so I've taken many shifts.

[ Honestly Jack has done very little other than work since arriving so he's accumulated a decent amount of cash. He got a second set of clothes for work and a place to stay, but everything else he's storing safely away for his debt. And now he can use it to hopefully help Benny, although he's not sure if he has enough yet. ]

Let's meet at the hospital. I know that we can figure it out together.

[ Jack imprints on people quickly, especially anyone who is respected by the Winchesters. He longs to attach and connect with someone else and Benny's already an approved person given Dean's connection to him. He probably should doubt him or at least wonder if he's telling the full truth, but he doesn't. That's something he still has to learn, and was what Billie was taking full advantage of only a short time ago.

He zips ahead on his motorcycle which he's much better at driving now, he hasn't gotten in an accident in three days. That's a record for him. It's a bright blue motorcycle and he wears the same color helmet, never going anywhere without it. He parks at the hospital and waits for Benny, frowning as he considers. ]

Maybe I should go in. If there's a lot of people bleeding in there, that could upset you, right?

[godjr]

[ Jack is also excited about the idea of an office friendship. He's never had one in the strictest sense, hunters don't act like a stereotypical place like in the movies he loves. He especially likes sitcoms even if he doesn't understand the humor, but he enjoys the normal life that it presents. And office humor is popular for a reason.

Jack does have that stink on him and a sort of glow about him, but to the naked eye he seems like an average young man with a warm smile and pleasant demeanor. Gotta watch out for the normal ones though. They might be secretly capable of smiting people. ]

Yes I do! I'm from the United States, do you know what that is? We don't have a lot of exciting accents.

[ Jack has a non-descript one, it's not southern like someone from Kansas should have, but he's only been alive a few years. ]

What is Al Qolnidar like?

[tolight]

[ Narrator voice: she will find a bed, then find the fact that she has a bed extremely strange and disconcerting, and end up sleeping in her tiny car.

But for now, finding lodging sounds like a good enough plan. It's something to start with once she figures out how to repay him. Which she has to do soon, because it looks like he's going to leave and who knows how she's going to find him again— ]

Sorry? [ Give her a second. ] — Yes. I — of course. [ One last pause when she stutters between steps to look over and see if he's really waiting for her. The kindness of strangers knows no bounds, apparently; the realization's heartening enough to have her recenter herself with an exhale, and she jogs over to unlock the door.

Wait. ] Oh — my name is Lucina. [ Just before she climbs into her car. It's not the smoothest introduction she's made ( Maribelle would be so ashamed... ), but it feels stranger to travel with him until she's introduced herself. ] Thank you, again.

[tolight]

[ Bear! It was usually a group effort — they'd organize into different parties while they set up camp, rotating their duties so that everyone did a little bit of everything. Lessons from their predecessors ( their parents ) before it become a rhythm of their own.

Frederick's stew was the best, though. It's a privilege to be able to say that with certainty. ] Whatever we could find in the wilderness. Deer were the most common, given the number of individuals we were hunting for... but they became rarer as we traveled up north. Fish, at times, for when we were by bodies of water.

... Though I suppose it will become less of a necessity here. [ A glance at the empty shelves; presumably, someone's built these many shelves because they have this much supplies and food to stock. It's probably the smarter choice, given she knows nothing about what's out there for when she eventually ventures out — but she manages to sound a little resigned about it anyway. ]

[diametrically]

[ That she's seen them isn't an issue. Nor is it the cause of this strange wash of self-awareness and urge to be on guard that suddenly tugs at him. After all the concept of a spoiler is common enough in pod racing though he's never necessarily heard them called that - different world, didn't jargon.

What does prompt whatever he wants to label this feeling, is the fact that he hears that lilt again in her voice. This feels like he's being set up for some joke. ]

Fast?

[ It's both an answer and a question because he can tell something is up. He just doesn't know where this is going. ]

[tolight]

[ Under normal circumstances, she's used to getting picked up and jostled around. Cynthia and Gerome have both swooped down from the sky to pick her up away and towards the front lines, depending on what's needed. Heat of the moment, with little to no discussion when she's unceremoniously picked up and dropped on the back of a flying creature; it comes with the territory, and everything.

So while she may not have expected the joys of whatever-this-is, the sudden shift as her feet leave the ground and she's pulled upwards — that's familiar. Years of training and reflexes kicking in after the split-second hesitation it takes her for to put the two and two together ( though honestly, it's a bit of a stretch; way to talk about communication after pulling this, jerk ). Rough around the edges, but she's got the physicality to follow his lead, at least to start.

But the feeling of flying through the air is entirely different when it's just mechanical force pulling her forward. It'd be fine if she wasn't feeling the after effects of everything prior, disorientation and all. His fingers are digging into a part of her torso she hadn't even realized was aching, and —

It's only a few seconds, but she really only manages to land on her feet because Jason's made sure of it ( or he didn't, and she'll just tumble off the roof or something, it'd nbd ). Lucina stumble forward a little when he lets go, before she doubles over and her hands drop to her knees in an attempt to keep herself upright. Coughs when her breath catches in her throat, expelling whatever bit of blood was pooled in her mouth from earlier.

Not her most graceful moment, or the best introduction. ] Gods. [ She croaks out, eventually, before she gives up on the idea of standing entirely and drops to sit, where things feel steadier. Then— ] Is it following us? [ Because if she has to stand back up again, she will. But if she doesn't have to ... ]

[diametrically]

[ As Alphinaud begins to familiarize himself with the seat and the mirrors Cassian quietly watches on. There's not much for him to instruct on; after all this is purely up to Alphinaud and his own comfort and preferences. ]

Turning the key starts the ignition.

[ But before he does that he gives him a quick run through the other important bits of the car that he'll probably need to know like which levers will trigger the windshield wipers, the headlights, the indicators. ]

We'll take it slow through the parking lot. There's enough space out there. Just don't hit anything.

[diametrically]

I haven't been here much longer. Couple of weeks, maybe.

[ Being 'new' here really is relative. He'd been doing his best to track the arrival times, as if that would somehow glean any kind of information on how to get out, but to be honest, any information he'd pulled together was haphazard at best.

He hasn't forgotten about the kiss either, but he does seem far less bothered by it then she is (not that he's aware of that). With most of the blood cleared away he can take a better look at it not in the moonlight streaming through the window. ]

Might have to set it back into place unless you want a crooked nose. [ His eyes flit back towards her, no trace of any teasing from before. ] Do you want me to? It'll hurt.

[tataille]

[ A laugh, then he leans against the doorframe properly, folding both his arms over his chest, cajun drawl lazy, drawn out. ]

Purgatory. A real treat.

[ He lets that hang in the air for a beat, like it's some kind of joke with no punchline. Not that it needs one, anyone who’s been there gets it. And here, in this place, he's starting to think that everyone came from their own personal hell. He hasn't met one happy fucker since setting he got here.

He lets his eyes trail up, glancing at the ceiling, then down the hall, then back to Zoro. ]

You figure there's a real reason we’re here?

[lufeng]

[Well. While Vash was busy scrambling to answer, Lu Feng was busy giving him a very sharp look-over. This guy... there was something definitely odd about him. It could be nothing truly important, it could even just be a matter of this guy's upbringing being purely unfamiliar to Lu Feng, like the women in the Garden of Eden - it wouldn't be the first unusual person he'd run across since waking up here, after all.

His instinct, though, was telling him that this guy wasn't an immediate threat to him, and not any of his business to do something about. Especially not with that sad, sad sound coming from his car's engine. Oh, how truly unfortunate.

Icy green eyes moved past Vash, to see if he could possibly get a look at the dashboard of his car.]

Sounds like you've got some trouble, there.

[kitetsu]

Yeah. Think I woke up there once.

[ it was the last time he drank anything imported from fishman island; he didn't regain feeling in his tongue for a day and a half.

well, it'd been worth a shot. either benny was bullshitting him, or it was some hole in the wall he wasn't familiar with - either way, it was nothing helpful. this was exactly why he stuck to the parts where he got to hit people, rather than talking. ]

Could be.

[ the hands resting on his sword shifted slightly to the side, some small outlet for the tense energy that pulled taut across his shoulders. still no sign of the power coming back up, and still no real answers.

... still no snack. fucking vending machine. ]

Too much effort to not have some kind of plan.

lol works for me :>

[tataille]

I'll see you there, friend.

[ Benny really isn't used to this kind of pure-hearted generosity. Not without strings, anyway - there's gotta be a catch coming, somewhere. Otherwise, he doesn't know what to do with it. He thinks about it the whole drive over, the rumble of his banged up Chevelle helping to alleviate all of the thoughts rattling around his increasingly blood-hungry brain.

It gives him a lot to think about, and he's gonna be thinking about it all long into the night and into the following day.

The door bangs shut when he gets out after pulling up next to Jack, squinting at the hospital doors as he slips his keys into his pocket. Jack's got a point. ]

Might not be a bad idea, chief.

[ He can smell the scent of antiseptic from here. He’s not twitchy yet, but there's a stiffness to him that wasn't there when they first met. Benny's damn good at keeping himself under control, learned that a long time ago - had to, after he met Andrea.

Still, he's aware. He's aware of every heartbeat in that building, the copper hum in the air, of how thin his patience is starting to wear under his skin. ]

Add it to the list of favors I'm rackin' up.

[hexcurse]

[ Jayce has no arcane talents on his own, he can't sense what's happening between Wanda and Viktor as he helps the former to her feet, letting her lean on him as needed. ]

We can take a look at your motorcycle, if you want. You can sit - [ he nods to the bed of the truck ] and clean yourself up while you wait.

[ He has a canteen of water in the front, and a packet of some kind of sticky rice crackers.

Another glance at Viktor because - it didn't look like a mechanical failure, more like she just sort of fell over trying to stop. There were also those strange sparks... ]

[godjr]

[ Most people don't know what to make of Jack's consistent sincerity. It can make people uncomfortable, kind of like Benny, in the 'when's the shoe going to drop' sense. He doesn't know if he'll be able to persuade anyone to help him, but the truth is, Jack is very persuasive when he wants to be. He doesn't even need powers to do that. There is something powerful solely in his sad eyes and genuine hope that gets to people and it often leads to people like Rowena to soften despite themselves. ]

I'll get it, I promise.

[ If he has to do it the wrong way, he might very well do that. It has to be weighed against what he's allowed to but what he'd do for Dean and his friend. But it doesn't turn out to be as difficult as either of them fear. Between his big sad eyes and the money he digs out, a sizable chunk, all he has to do is plead that my friend will die! for the other nurse to seem to get it. Benny isn't the only vampire in the city, there are others, including newer fluxdrifts that need the same help.

Jack is relieved when the money and flat out begging seems to do the trick because he was getting worried. His earnest gratitude only seems to make the nurse feel uncomfortable for no doubt the same reason, but it gets him out, hiding the blood bag under his jacket since they're not supposed to be selling those.

He flashes Benny a bright smile and a thumbs up when he walks out to give him the sign it worked. It cost a chunk of his money, but it was worth it. He hands it over to Benny, pleased that it worked out.]

I got her name for the next time you need it. I didn't need to use my powers, they're very capitalistic here.

[ He likes to think that Dean would be pleased with him. ]

[lufeng]

[Do not worry, young man, Lu Feng was not interested in opening fire on someone who wasn't actually a threat - in the darkness it could be hard to tell, certainly, but having it in sight would be an effective deterrent for troublemakers, he hoped.

But, easy now, he could tell there was something desperate to the knocking. He moved forward just enough to look out past Sunny, to see if there was anything obviously wrong going on.]

What's happening?

[tataille]

[ Well, kid sure is resourceful, Benny will give him that.

It's a tense wait, though. Being outside of this building, being able to smell everything, everyone that's inside is starting to grate on his nerves, like sand under his skin. The hunger's really gnawing now that the scent is in his nose, sharp and hollow, and even with decades of control, it’s getting harder to ignore. He's about one wrong look away from being a problem.

He starts pacing, just to move his body, give his mind something to focus on - left, right, left, right, circle the car, turn around, left, right. Repeat.

Then the doors slide open, and there’s Jack - bright smile, thumbs up, jacket lumpy in a way that only means one thing. Benny straightens up, eyes narrowing, zeroing in on him, and relief hits like a gut punch, dragging a breath from him he didn’t need to take in the first place.

He hates that he needs this, hates that blood is what his body craves. Like, it's gross, man. Let's just be real. ]

You're a miracle worker, you know that? Reckon I owe you two life debts at this point. [ Add it to the pile, he guesses. ] Thanks.

[thetruefocus]

"It's difficult to stay hidden from me." It's not him being arrogant, it's the truth, especially with Cerebro. It's possible that a creature might not be someone he can read the mind of, but he would've heard through other people's minds if there were true bumps in the night. It would be comforting in a way if there were others, if it wasn't basically mutants against the rest, even if his dreams for peace are something he still strives for.

"Yes, our powers begin during puberty. Our genetic makeup is different from humanity, something I studied in laboratories and then in person." Charles has his doctorate in genetics and he's quite the nerd at heart, he loves science and discovery so deeply. Education just became the stronger passion in him once he found his fellow mutants.

"It's become part of evolution, growing in size and variation over the years. I'm told in our future there is a large population of mutants from what I know." It is humbling to know and also incredible. He didn't know of any of his kind until Cerebro, and he already did know it grew by the day, by the year, but the level he's heard of is more than he imagined.

[godjr]

Of course, Benny. Even if you weren't my father's friend, you needed help. That's what we do.

[ Especially saving him in the building, that was what anyone would have done, in his opinion. He has a higher opinion of most people than he probably should, but he still has a naive belief in others. It's led him down bad pathways, but here he feels certain that he's done the right thing. Benny could have attacked people to feed on them but he chose not to, he chose to starve over killing people. That means he is a good man, despite his situation.

He hands over the blood and after a moment decides that him just staring, curious as he is, might be discomforting for Benny. He might not enjoy drinking blood and being watched so Jack turns his head out of respect. He must be hungry and there shouldn't be any reason to hesitate. ]

When you're finished eating, may I ask how you became a vampire? I've only ever killed them, I haven't gotten a chance to speak to them.

[ If Dean and Sam are taking him on a hunt, it's so he can use his powers to help them kill, and he does so without question. Including vampires. But Benny is already not like the ones he's seen, he's different, unique. That must be why Dean cared for him and changed his mind for at least one monster. ]

[fuckinabucket]

[ Vi's bare sympathy might not seem like much to her, but it's much more than Sally could have possibly received back home. It's a damn near normal reaction, so far removed from the insanity that Sally had been existing within that it shakes her to the core, making her realize how far she must have come and how hopeless this it truly is if Gwen is back where she left her.

Fuck in a bucket. She refuses to cry in front of an absolute stranger. That would be stupid, pointless, god-damn humiliating-- and worst of all, useless. ]

Well. That is something, believe it or not. A kinder response than I could have expected.

[ The distraught woman shakes her head, unable to repress the needless impulse to glance down and check her bag. Sally has just about exhausted the hope that sustains asking if anyone around here has seen Gwen, but she sure as fuck had not woken up that way. ]

I'd consider foul play, but... who kidnaps a baby? She's such a small thing, all she does is eat and poop

[ The sound she makes it supposed to be a very well practiced synthetic laugh, but it sounds so very sad, almost like she might cry. Her shoulders tense in defiant defense like her instincts are priming her for attack, and she swerves away from Vi whilst clasping a gloved hand across her own mouth.

Lock it down girl. ]

Thank you. Anyway. [ after a beat she speaks very tightly, straining to keep a level expression. ]