TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

©

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

©

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

[pse]

[ Face scrunching up into a series of furrows, her shoulders finally come down from their defensive arc. She was wrong, and she feels stupid. MM and Serge would have been talking her down, telling her to stop, to think. To not be a monster. Annie would have been gentle and reasonable, using soft-spoken logic and forgiving her for the mistake.

But they aren't here.

By herself, Kimiko feels like exactly what the Shining Light wanted her to be: a dumb, blunt weapon.

You're not all that great, yourself.

She owes him an apology too, but how? It's too many words for the toothpicks; too many words for Kimiko. Part of her is stewing in petulant annoyance that he had the audacity to show up wearing Soldier Boy's face (an illegitimate grandson?) and shoot her and— and exist. Her day was going really well before she saw him.

Looking around, Kimiko exhales. The hall is a mess, thanks to them. She starts small: picking up the table he upended when this whole thing began. She even picks up the cloth that had been covering it, laying it back across the table and smoothing down any wrinkles or air pockets. ]

fringes

[wwrench]

( Not for the first time in his life, Wrench finds himself on the outside looking in. The rain falls around him in sheets, plastering overgrown curls to the sides of his head and soaking his jacket. If it's at all uncomfortable, he hardly seems to notice. The landscape of Panorama is wholly foreign to him. As a kid, he used to dream of cities like this. Large stretches of metropolis chaotic enough to swallow him up into oblivion. Cities with a pulse, where everything a person could ever want existed within arm's reach.

These days, Wrench knows better than to want. People scramble to accumulate so much stuff, and having begets further want and further need. The little Volkswagen parked halfway up the street is proof positive of that. Yom Crook hasn't just saddled him with one debt, but a never-ending multitude of them. Fuel and maintenance, time and worry, the stress of having something that can now be lost... It's too damn much.

Case in point, Wrench thinks to himself as he watches the office doors slam shut on a would-be pilferer. Serves him right for trying to take more than what he's owed. Then the water starts rising, and Wrench can't help but linger, an ominous shadow of silent observation. He's witnessed death plenty of times before — usually from the driver's seat. How it's done reveals plenty about a place and a people, and this is a lesson worth learning.

At some point in his detached observation, he locks eyes with the man behind the glass. Maybe it's the flash of terror he sees there. Maybe it's the fact there's just nothing fun about this. With a roll of his eyes, Wrench puts his shoulder against the pane and tries to strong-arm his way in. When he finds he can't, he beats his fist against the glass and waves for the stranger's attention. )

It's locked.

( Wrench makes the universal gesture for turning a deadbolt and shakes his head. )

[messenger]

[ the bathrobe, the shampoo-caked hair, doesn't that just add to the gravitas? castiel, of all people, is no stranger to being a little ridiculous. anyway, he's enjoying these particular details for reasons he really ought not to be, even more so when dean reels him in. angels aren't given to being tactile creatures, but castiel has been on earth for long enough to learn his longing. to feel it in the physicality of it, the tug on his gut like an embedded fishhook, the lacuna of his chest shocking in its emptiness. all the things he wants and can't have, wrapped up in a threadbare bathrobe.

so he expects and yet doesn't. it's happened already, once, under different circumstances. he wonders if dean is also surprised when, instead of remaining unmoved, like a carved wooden figurine, castiel returns the embrace. at first with hesitation, and then with the same furiosity. he digs his fingers into the terrycloth and, for a moment, doesn't let go.

it just goes on to make what dean says even funnier. it shouldn't. he feels terrible about all the things he knows he'll go on to do— things that dean seemingly has yet to experience. even if the closest he's ever gotten to trying to "deep-six" him was the awful stint with the purgatory souls.

if only he could do it all again, and do it right. ]

... Is that wrestling terminology?

[ it's mumbled, in a low rumble, with some amount of confusion into dean's ear. he likes the not-unfamiliar scent of hotel shampoo, and doesn't particularly want to pull away, but he supposes he'll have to. ]

[terrorisms]

( He recognizes the guy. They're not on silent nod of greeting levels, but Frank's consistently aware enough of his surroundings to spot the face every day. Familiar enough that it pings as normal, with a first impression somewhere along the lines of not likely to be a pain in my ass. That's about as close to camaraderie as he had any intention of getting with just about anybody in this city, and he's been having a great time not talking to the man, or meeting him, or exchanging words, in what feels like pleasantly mutually agreed upon silence.

Until today. Until he parks his piece of shit minivan around the side and rolls up, keys in hand, mind already on his cup of coffee and short stack order, only to find himself on the receiving end of a look, and a point.

He looks.

Clocks the sign. Under his breath a slow, annoyed: )

Ah, shit. You kiddin' me?

( It's exactly the level of patience you'd expect from a New Yorker. Namely: almost none at all. Two seconds spent debating, and then he shoots a sideways look at the man waiting by the pole. Further breaks their unspoken agreement of everybody should always leave everybody else alone forever by asking: )

Hey, buddy, you got the time?

( He hasn't dropped cash on a watch yet, and his phone's in the van being a paperweight, seeing as he doesn't have anybody's phone number and there's absolutely no reason to bring it inside. )

yodels back

[messenger]

I'm not sure...

[ castiel glances from one wall to the other, brow furrowing in thought. ]

This one was empty.

[ so he just sort of... took it. they're definitely billing him. ]

the blocks

[heavymetals]

[ It's a recurring situation at this point that the power going out at odd hours of the day and night doesn't even surprise him anymore. Is it ideal? Far from it, but he's started gathering items that aren't dependant on electricity, something of a survival kit for such occasions.

He's also well aware that robbery attempts might happen, but he's also not at all worried since he knows he can handle himself just fine if need be. So when there's a knock on his door, Erik doesn't hesitate to open it, looking over the man standing just outside before he speaks up. ]

Can I help you?

[brandingproblem]

[There's movement by the window, and his eyes snap up to track it. So. Great to know there's someone with a god damn rifle setting his sights on him. The instincts kick in, and Clint ducks, but a shot doesn't come. Guy just starts moving on.

Maybe he's here to raid the place for some money, too. Like everyone else. It'd be cool if he could, y'know, get the door open so maybe they can share the bounty of selling meds, but guy doesn't seem interested.

He huffs.] You find some kinda keypad password or anything, let me know. [Said in a normal tone of voice with no idea that the sound does not travel out of the room.]

[someonetostay]

[The slug has made it approximately two-point-five centimeters away from Connor.]

Do you think they might charge more for a room like this?

[Maybe he shouldn’t let on that he’d prefer a fungi room.]

[pse]

[ Nodding, she leaves the passenger door open for him to climb in as she rounds the other side. There are still little folded pieces of paper she uses when she needs to communicate littered all over the seat; he can brush those off himself.

Once the car is turned over and moving smoothly down the road, she reaches over and flips down the sun visor on his side. Taped over the mirror is another little note:

Where are you headed?

Eventually, she'll run out of forethought notes and then the charades can really begin. ]

Spoilers welcome, successful game

[godjr]

[ Jack wasn't precisely worried about being stuck in the room although he supposed the higher the water got, the more concerned he'd have to be. He didn't like all those mean words on the pages though. That got him upset. He doesn't like being reminded of his biological father, it feels like he should be over that. He broke a table over it and that made him feel better.

He isn't very good at charades either but he's a direct person even while using an attempt at sign language to his new friend who helped open the door. Jack steps out with several boxes of medicine held tightly in his hands since that's the reason he came in the first place. He wanted to help, he heard the hospital could use them. The water did get up to his waist so his pants are completely soaking wet and his hair too, and he would try to wave at Bob, but he can't move his arms. ]

I don't think we should. [ He takes Bob's idea at face value. ] I haven't gotten a second pair of clothing yet.

[ He offers Bob some of the medicine so they can share the load there, they're two people so they have more options, and he frowns when he sees the blood. ]

Would you like me to heal that? Blood is not good.

the pavilion

[sodark]

[It is coincidence the first time Cable lays eyes on Scott. He sees him from far across the store but, inexplicably, feels like he knows who it is. Never one to act completely on gut instinct, it initiates a subtle cat and mouse game between the two men. He just needs a better look-- and he gets it. He analyses the other man from the corner of his eye, pretending to study a can while Scott is distracted further down the aisle.

Nope. Can't do it. Fuck this. Cable sets the can down and walks away, but doesn't immediately leave. That looks too suspicious, he loiters around and takes a free sample of cherry juice. With it in hand, he keeps his head down and strides toward the exit. His flesh arm collides with a man heading in the opposite direction and the juice splatters, prompting him to frown up at the culprit.

Of course.]

Everyone's getting stuff, it's a store. [Hi dad.]

[godjr]

[ Jack is not observant enough, at least not off the cuff, to recognize any of that. Dean is Dean, and he hasn't even considered the idea that one of his family members wouldn't recognize him. His faith is contingent on the acceptance he's found, sometimes reluctant on the part of Dean, which he has come to maturely accept and respect. So he doesn't expect an emotional reunion with him like he might have with Castiel and Sam, but the response is still confusing. ]

Selling. [ He echoes, confused. ] You don't think Chuck brought us here? I can't think of another option. Although I guess he wouldn't send only one of you. Is Sam here?

[ Jack didn't open a portal so it isn't him, he knows that much. Dean sounds like he's speaking logic to his oblivious self so he considers other options. Chuck would keep the brothers together because he likes to torture them together. Or maybe separating them is the move. But he was supposed to have destroyed all the universes, even this one. ]

I don't like these rooms, I miss the bunker.

[terrorisms]

( Good news! There is not so much as a flicker of recognition from mister rifle man. No fleeting glance back over, no tip of the head, not a single indication that he heard a word the guy said. Not even a break in his stride as he stalks carefully across the expanse toward the far hall, and a length of corridor that leads to other offices.

And thus, Clint is left alone in a room of slowly-rising water for fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. It climbs higher, inch by inch, up his calves and knees and thighs. It seems, for all intents and purposes, that he's been abandoned and is completely on his own in the wake of the rising tide.

At least, until that soundproof glass proves it's not completely infallible by letting the crack of a gunshot just barely penetrate the barrier — something Clint might still miss if he's splashing around in the water, or if his hearing's starting to take that downhill slope with a little too much velocity.

Either way, Rifle Guy comes striding back across the expanse again around the time the water's up to Clint's waist, and he gets only the length of an absent glance to communicate some kind of message again. )

[messenger]

[ that's a good question. humans don't really thrive well in cold, damp places. he and connor (who he fully believes now is an android, not least because his very sharp hearing tells him he doesn't have normal internal organs) don't need to care about their habitat quite so much, if he had to guess.

but the lychen and wood ear are very pretty. ]

It's possible. I think you should complain about the mess, but, um... Not enough that they would try to clean it up. Then they won't increase the price.

[ getting most of your human education from television: good or bad? who can say. ]

Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad

[yeahmagnets]

[ Threads are open to anyone! Here's my EMP Comment. You can PM this journal, or hit me up on plurk (rizzoto). Feel free to tweak prompts as needed and I'll follow your lead. Will match style - brackets and prose are both fine! ]

[godjr]

"Oh. That's nice. I've never met an Octoling. You're not going to eat people, right? I'm not supposed to let anyone eat people." He doesn't look like a typical monster and Jack himself is a monster so he wouldn't use such a loaded question. But if his new friend is one then he'll have to be a hunter at him, and he really hopes not. He also expects Eight to tell the truth about whether he's a bad guy, rather than jumping to conclusions.

"Oh, I hope not. That would be discrimination and that's bad." Jack knows that much. In that situation, he wonders if being half human would be good enough, because he does need a job and money. He needs to get rid of his debt and set up somewhere in case his family comes here.

"I'm only half human," he admits, giving his secret right away. "But I thought maybe it would be smart to pretend otherwise, in case there are people who don't like that." But if Eight isn't pretending to be human, it should be okay.

[betenoir]

[Renoir is investigating the state of what remains, bleeding across the joint, multiple fragments of cartilege and bone, when he becomes aware a stranger has painted himself into this little drama.

He pulls away his cane - but not before wiping it clean against the man's remaining leg. The action is designed to intimidate. Because when someone attacks your family, it is not enough to subdue them. So perhaps it is fortunate he remains unaware whether his family are here.

His attention returns to the one cradling his knee.]

You haven't answered the man.

[Have you learned your lesson? Those unspoken words hang on the air, and the subject offers excuse after excuse. None of them shake the cold and calculating expression etched onto his face. But when he apologises there is a shift in his demeanour. And suddenly the room feels a little cold.]

Then leave. Stand on your own two feet and go home.

[He gestures towards the door and steps aside. Is he making this man climb to his feet and walk after smashing his knee? Yes.]

[righteously]

( And it's the most bizarre god damn thing he's seen in a minute — the way she's daintily tidying up her mess like she didn't almost rip his throat out with her bare hands. Righting the table, putting the shitty plastic table cloth back, smoothing it down. It's so utterly baffling to witness, he can't help but lower the gun finally.

It stays in hand, but it's not pointing at her — one step at a time, one inch at a time, things begin to deescalate. Now that his heart's no longer pounding its way out of his chest, all he can manage is deep, profoundly irritable confusion. )

Wait-wait- wait a second. That's it? You go from trying to John Wick me with a toothpick to- what- Mary Poppins? Are you freakin' kidding me? Lady, I think you owe me at least a couple of answers— and, like, a solid five of those weird awesome gross chocolate alien egg things because you totally smashed the last ones to bits.

( Incorrect; Dean smashed them to bits at some point during his table vaulting. But he's blaming her, because she deserves it. Not even remotely the point, and also moving on before she can correct him on it- )

Who was that? Why don't you talk? What does that mean, Bad Man, do I need to worry about that son of a bitch popping up wearing my skin?! And- most importantly, what the hell are you?

[godjr]

[ That's a bleak response but an honest and genuine one, and he's used to that from Castiel. He can try to be nice for Jack but he also doesn't lie to him. Lies for him, maybe, but not to him, unless there's a protective reason why. Except this Castiel has no reason. He grimly looks at him and picks up a cleaning agent bottle. He has no bunker to clean now. ]

You didn't tell me a lot about what happened before. We had so much to focus on in the present.

[ Jack in general, in the start, his existence and keeping him away from angels, and then the alternate universe and killing Michael and everything that spiraled from there. He realizes now how blank his awareness is of the past. Maybe he was too ignorant, not to ask more questions. ]

I knew Amara was imprisoned before, but I think it was years ago. Was she mad at Chuck and that's why? Everyone's mad at him now.

cn: licking slug slime

[someonetostay]

I understand. Complain enough to express inconvenience, but not enough to warrant immediate action.

[Connor nods.

Raising his hand, seeing the slug’s mucus gleam ever so slightly in the darkness, Connor presses his hand to his mouth. Tongue sliding across the white shell of his body before covering it once more with artificial skin.

The mucus understandably is mostly made up of water.]

[mississippis]

You know Logan?

[ Well, that should answer that, at least. She knows a Logan. But she's still not aware Logan came to the past from any future because no one's had the chance to explain it to her yet. As it is, she'd only gotten two minutes of thinking she was being rescued before it all started to go to hell.

Rogue's not even sure how to answer if she's from whatever future the Professor's talking about, but she tries. ]

World I'm from? The school's been taken over by Trask. He's using it as a lab to... experiment on mutants. That's where I was when...

[ When she'd woken up here, disoriented and uncertain about what had happened to Bobby and Erik.

There's more: the Sentinels, her sinking suspicion from what she's heard from new arrivals about what the robots can do that the tests that had been run on her had helped that along in some way, the never-ending revolving door of mutants who'd gotten dragged off and never returned. But, even if he's Xavier, she can't dump that on him. It's too much. She can barely think about it herself. ]

I'm from 2023. [ She finally shakes herself and starts moving to wheel the bike back to the ramp, mostly because she needs something to do to distract herself. ]

clint and pietro in an alternate universe be like

[kidproof]

[ Siri, play Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction.

Joel's had to live on leftovers for long enough, and a former "smuggler," he's never been tongue in cheek about things with a price tag. Game recognizes game, though, and after a long hard look at the ki,d he drops his gaze down to the gooey residue and steps back with disdain.

The fact that he hadn't noticed it means that all this trouble with the car, the driving, and the new environment has him off kilter. He's supposed to be the one that covers his bases and his ass. ]

What is that?

vi ― arcane

[assaultcharge]

a. on the road.

(shit. to say that she has a migraine from this business is an understatement. it's one thing to wake up in some random ass place that she didn't recognize, it's another in being given the keys to what looks to be....a motorcycle. rugged and looking perfect for a woman like her. they told her that she'd learn to drive. whatever, she can make it work. vi doesn't take long to read the manual, she doesn't even take long to get seated on the bike and kick up the kickstand as instructed when she gets the keys in the ignition.

the engine roars, it purrs loudly, and her eyes light up like a kid in a candy store. that's step one. the rest might be easy, or hard, she isn't so sure yet. both of her hands hold tight on the grips of the handlebars. one rev's it, the other keeps it turned forward, right when vi soon lifts her boot off the ground and just goes. hits the gas hard, she looks almost surprised by the power in the engine. right out of the scrapyard, almost until she hits the brakes, causing the tires to screech loudly in the air. fuck, that's going to take her some getting used to.

but she doesn't seem to mind it by how excited she is. if you're watching her mess around with driving and braking to get a feel for it, she'll even glance over in your direction. brow raised and questionable in her expression and then:)

This one's mine, I'm not in the mood for sharing unless you got a good reason.

b. city life.

(it didn't take her too long to start adjusting, city's like this are always something that doesn't necessarily change. as for vi? she can't say that she hasn't wrapped her head around everything just yet. by this point she's found herself around the pavillion, the people weren't giving her too much attention. if anything, that seemed better for her than being given a neon target on her back the size of the topside bastards egos.

well. not all of their egos, some were okay. not that she'd admit it out loud, but vi's got her eyes on the shelves. she doesn't have much and she isn't fit for five-finger discounts like some do by pickpocketing. so, what was her best choice? that's easy, she's keeping an eye on the crowd and leaning into a nearby wall. she's got a brain, and enough of one to know she ought to be subtle when it comes to stealing her meals.

which is why she eventually does a more quiet stride, picking up from one shelf what looked to be some convenient store instant ramen. she has no idea what it is, but she saw beef flavored noodles and decided that works whenever she pockets that in her jacket. didn't seem like anyone noticed, or that's what she thought before she locks eyes with someone. not even fazed or anything, just staring with a nod in their direction and turning to leave before she could get caught.

hope you weren't expecting to have an easy time with her.)

c. gimme danger.

(as if swiping food wasn't enough, seems like she's made a choice to go raiding places for supplies. she earned some money from odd jobs to afford herself a backpack without breaking her bank and got her ass going. salvaging isn't too hard. she's done this often. she's outside of the fringes, the building seemed like a good tip. maybe not the part where she can sure as hell tell that it's seen better days. who can blame her for wanting to at least get a good stock of supplies she can't find in the city?

with her pack slung over her shoulder, vi reaches to check her flashlight that she also bought for the job. seems to be working. good. she's there alone or so she thought whenever she starts making her way inside, the light clicking on and then her making note of the ankle deep water. doesn't seem like she's going to have much time whenever the sound of an engine stopping fills the air. powder blues widen and then she bends down behind a knocked over desk, shit. here vi was hoping that she was the only one crazy enough to take the lead.

either way, she's waiting and the second they get closer she's right behind them with an arm around their neck. nothing personal, but she needs to be sure she's not about to get jumped by a crowd.) Who the hell are you and what's your reason for being here? (don't make her tighten up her grip, those arms of hers aren't for show. she might not look it, but she's a fast sonuva bitch and vi isn't easy to catch, either, if she has to get into something bigger.)

d. wildcard

( i'm gonna be real here, i'm rusty and hadn't finished up s2 yet, though i know the details. wildcard me, drag her into anything, or hit me up over pms or at entropist for something plotted out. )

[godjr]

[ Jack is used to one of his family members being there to take care of uncomfortable situations for him because they know he's not good at it. Being without them is confusing. He doesn't know what to do if someone doesn't listen, he can't exactly hurt them for wanting to talk to him. And he can't leave the line if he wants his samples. Luckily his new friend does it for him and Jack breathes a sigh of relief when the man swears under his breath and listens, leaving Jack alone. ]

I think he was being a liar. He can't be from my world, I only know a few people there.

[ Jack's been sheltered for all of his life. Strangers were not allowed to be near him, out of concern for their safety, and the hunter life is supposed to be a secret one. If this man was one of the hunters he would have said so, and then Jack would have let him stand with him. But he glances at the long line behind them and then back to Amos. ]

Oh. He was skipping.

[ It takes him a few moments to catch up to these things. Deception is easy to use on him and he doesn't understand other people's attempt at it well. He scowls now, very disappointed in this stranger for upsetting the balance of this respectful line. ]

That's not very nice.

[kidproof]

Yeah, don't mention it.

[ Joel clears the rest of the greasy residue off on his flannel shirt with a screwed-up face. He's not interested in any of the handouts, not unless his hunger gets worse, and only after he does the light recon work of watching other people for any strange side effects. ]

Oh, do I? Saying thank you and then insulting the guy forking over the free meal in the same breath ain't cordial.