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TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025
Test Drive ∞ May 2025
The First Collision
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.
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:
TDM threads can be canon if characters are accepted. Top-levels made to the TDM should be open to all.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
> 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.
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.
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.
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.
Main Navigation ::: ⇅
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daisy johnson | agents of shield (mcu)
diffusion zones
the pavilion: the dome
wildcard
the dome
it's incredibly loud here, and not just because of the noise. she has to make an extra effort to block everyone's high-octane feelings and thoughts out of her own, and it's wearing her out. who is to tell how much of this place she can take, especially with the sleazy men eyeing her as they go by, and is grateful that it's a woman instead who starts conversation with her. )
Not sure.
( she says a little loudly, over a roar of cheers, her eyes focused on the fighters. )
First time.
no subject
With each additional familiar face she encounters in this place, she finds herself feeling more alone than ever. She knows these people, but they don't know her. So far, there's been no sign of anyone from SHIELD, let alone a member of her team, and Daisy has to wonder if it's by some sort of design. The universe has rarely been kind to her, so why should it start now? ]
What brought you here?
[ She isn't going to fangirl. If Wanda had instead been one of the original members of the Avengers, the first team who'd saved New York, maybe she wouldn't have been able to resist, but the woman standing next to her is just another person who got pulled into the world of weirdness, even if it had been on a pretty epic scale. ]
no subject
( her answer comes easy, and while she doesn't agree about clint fighting, he's his own man and she isn't in the business of trying to change his mind about this. wanda isn't sure that he's fighting tonight, as she didn't tell him she would come in, but this gives her an idea of what it's like.
plus, she was bored back at her room and couldn't sleep. right now, she's starting to regret this; this place is too loud—thoughts, emotions.
there's a pause in the event on the stage, and wanda glances at the woman. she picks at something, but she isn't trying to wheedle it out of her the way she could, with her mind; the woman stared a while. wanda frowns, trying to figure it out. )
What about you?
no subject
[ Daisy doesn't know the exact details or extent of Wanda's abilities beyond where they originated and their general scope, which may not even matter if the woman beside her isn't from her own time. Hell, they might not even be from the same universe — this wouldn't be the first multiversal superhero she's met here. But even so, she tries not to think about what she knows of the fate of the Wanda from her universe, just in case.
If she's paying attention, Wanda might pick up on a burst of guilt, quickly tamped down and then sparked back into life because even thinking about not thinking about it brings up a whole spiral of guilt. She should think about what happened, every damn day, because if she'd been there, she might have been able to stop it. To stop him.
But she knows there's no point in beating herself up about it, not when there are more pressing matters. Forcing her attention back to the stage so she doesn't start staring again, she tries her best to be casual, though her joke of a performance would have most people questioning just how she could possibly be considered an effective spy. ]
I'm Daisy.
no subject
there's an ounce of something else, though, a burst of a feeling coming from the woman.
still, with all the high emotions around them, it all gets tapered down, and by the time wanda tries to follow that thread again, it's already gone. )
Is this a normal place for you to meet people? ( she tries to jest, but it might not come off so easily. ) Will you use that name when you fight?
( maybe that's it...?
there's a loud cheer as movement starts happening on the stage again. wanda waits, but ends up having to raise her voice to say her name. it's only polite! )
Wanda.
no subject
Nice to meet you.
[ Now it's her turn to be awkward, raising her voice to reply with the traditional nicety. Not that it isn't nice to meet her, but... well. The aforementioned everything. But Wanda had asked a different question, one with an answer that leaves her feeling a bit steadier. ]
I also go by Quake.
[ Would Wanda have heard of her? Did the Avengers even pay attention to other heroes who pop up on the news? ]
no subject
Quake?
( she isn't sure she's heard right, which is why she repeats the name with a heavy enunciation on the question. wanda glances back at daisy. )
Like an earthquake? ( hey she's esl ) —are you good? Should I put my joolies on you?
( maybe it's some insider info. and no, wanda hasn't heard of her. )
the blocks: power outage
She's heavy on protecting her piece, in this case, the car, so Joel doesn't protest very much about riding shotgun even though it's not what he's used to. He's got the seat pushed back for legroom and his head tipped toward a seatbelt he didn't bother to wear. ]
Wake me up when you've got a plan of action or you need me to drive.
no subject
She glances over at her companion, taking her eyes off the road just long enough to take stock of how he's made himself comfortable, and half smiles at the sight. ]
Sure, you got it.
[ The van remains silent even though she's accumulated a small stack of CDs. None of the music is really to her taste, so she'd rather just enjoy the steady thrum of the engine for as long as it holds out. Which, thankfully, is the roughly hour and a half it takes for them to come across something that looks worth checking out. ]
Hey, Joel. Wake up.
[ She doesn't nudge him as she pulls off the side of the road a safe distance from the building, not knowing how he'd react to that. Her own frequent nightmares tend to dictate how she approaches people in this hellhole. ]
no subject
This is followed by a deep exhale. ]
My turn?
no subject
She points out the window to indicate the building just a little further down the road. From this angle, it might be little more than a shack, but she can't tell if it's a normal shack or if they've passed into a diffusion zone and it'll be one of those magically disappearing shacks that she'll never be able to find again. (There's only been one of those so far, but even though she'd been warned, she still felt a bit like she was going crazy.) ]
What do you think? Should we check it out?
no subject
Might as well. Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained.
dome!
She rarely bets at all. It seems like a poor use of her money. On rare occasion, she can imagine Serge — in all his cocaine-fueled, effervescent glory — deciding with surety that So-And-So is the new undisputed champion of the cage and that they should throw down all their money on So-And-So's inevitable victory. When that happens, she'll ante up a coin or two. In tribute; in fondness. But never anything that could make or break her next meal.
Besides, the better money comes from fighting. And Kimiko has a few minutes until her match, so— Kindly, she tries to explain a few things to Daisy. Her muteness might make it difficult, but she's going to try.
First: pointing out an elegant, broad shouldered woman above their heads. In her box, Juniper Rune watches the proceedings with an enigmatic smile. Kimiko tries to draw a crown in the air above Juniper's head. Queen. Not really a queen, but closer to the queen of the dome than anything else (and it's an easy enough thing to mime out compared to president or even boss). It's followed by a smiley face. Nice.
The second thing — once the explanation of Juniper is handled, or mishandled — is a finger across her own throat and then an X in the air. Killing, no.
How much of this is actually getting across? ]
coming in extremely late w starbucks, diffusion zone!
[ Fitz is trying to decide if he likes it out here or if he wants nothing to do with it.
Scientific curiosity dictates that he should at least be a little interested; and he is. Of course he is. The diffusion zones and the traveling across the (not-so) hypothetical multiverse is honestly, at this point, right up against his alley. It's the only reason he's trying to stay out here instead of in there (or sticking around common drop points for new residents, just in case—).
It still sucks though. The here-and-gone nature of these places means that whatever research he even considers starting needs to run on a timer he's not aware of. There's no wealth of funds or a whole playground of lab space at his disposal. He's — making do, as he does, as some part of him has always dreamed of when he was younger. Bits of metal and wire scavenged from frankly horrific toys, and a busted laptop from what looks to be the early 2000s and whatever he can find to jury-rig some kind of satellite.
Which is what Daisy finds — a satellite in the parking lot of a multiversal-equivalent of a Denny's, set beside a busted pick up truck that looks nothing like what Fitz would drive. The owner is nowhere to be seen, at first — or the next little while, should she decide to approach. But as timing would have it, whenever she does decide to investigate, it isn't long before he's stumbling around the corner. ]
Hey, hey! Get your grubby hands off of that, that's delicate equipment—
Oh. [ In one exhale, quieter than the rest. ] Oh. [ A little complicated than the last one. His brows furrow and slowly, slowly straightens out. ] ... Yeah. Don't touch it. [ Smooth. ]