TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

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

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

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

But first, you need to find a ride.

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

∞ Summary ∞

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

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

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

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

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

TDM Questions? Here — Game Questions? FAQ

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

Fluxdrift

Arrival & Introduction

Date: Throughout May

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

Then you open your eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

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Panorama

Explore & Settle In

Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers

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

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

The Pavilion: Free Samples

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

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

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

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

The Blocks: Power Outage

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

What do you do? You have three choices:

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

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

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The Fringes

Quad 3: Lockdown

Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's hope a friendly face comes along.

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

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

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

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Comments

[stonethrow]

( maelle certainly likes to put him on the spot, and gustave can't help but wonder if it has to do with her finding fondness in teasing him or trying to get him to do things she reckons he wants to do; he's the adult here, isn't he?

though it warms his heart seeing that maelle listens to his instructions. she didn't need to, never really has to, but this alone proves to him of the strong bond they have, this unending trust in one another.

he waves his left hand at them them, as if abashed. )

Nothing special about this arm.

( because the last thing he wants to do is making his arm seem more valuable to people like his current assailants. it's not like he has been able to get any charge in his arm, anyway, and it's not for lack of trying...

but, anyway, he wants less to do with these strangers and more with rushing to maelle to hold her, to make sure she's really there, which is why he swings his sword in his hand and steps closer, one-two steps, and rushes the remaining men, a hard hit with the blunt side of his blade on one back, and the other on the shoulder. that'll smart for a while, and even if they don't fall into a heap on the floor, they're already scrambling.

gustave just watches this, and as a responsible adult, says, )

Allez! Don't forget your friend!

vague spoilers start here

[virtuose]

[It's almost pitiful watching the remaining men defend themselves, both uncoordinated and practically stepping over one another as Gustave closes in to attack and eventually dispatch them. Maelle's gaze moves from them to the straggler on the ground, shrugging lightly.]

I didn't even hit him that hard. [Okay, maybe she did. But even if she knew her own strength, she was more than a little distracted.

Dismissing her rapier, the chroma dissipating around her, Maelle moves slowly, almost hesitantly, as she turns to look at Gustave. One hand reaches towards her other arm, gripping it tightly, not sure what to do with herself. She struggles to find the words when her mind is noisy and a growing lump begins to form in her throat.

What does she even say after everything?

She wants to ask him if he is real, echoing the same question when he had found her at The Manor. Instead, her blue eyes study him from head to toe, searching for some indication, any indication that this wasn't a dream, or a nightmare, or some sick joke.

Finally, she blurts out:] Is it really you?

don't look

[stonethrow]

( gustave lets his sword disappear into wisps of chroma, the amusement he finds in the scrambling assailants running off with their tails between their legs turning into something a little gentler, softer, as he turns towards maelle. she stands there, uncertain, and he finds a smile growing on his face; it parallels when they had found her in the manor.

right now, in the darkness of the blackout, it's not difficult to make out her face, the scattering of lights above the roofs from a different (luckier) district making it clear to him that it is her.

just like then, he broaches the distance between them, wraps his arms tightly around her. )

Of course it is.

( he definitely will feel real enough, unawares of what fate awaits him, of what last she has witnessed of him. )

I was looking everywhere for you.

( because of course he was. )

big spoilers start here :'c

[virtuose]

[It all happens quickly, and Maelle finds herself scooped up in Gustave's arms, held against him in a tight hug, the wind knocked out of her in surprise.

She finds herself barely holding it together, hand clenching against his chest, grabbing onto a fistful of his expedition uniform. Despite her bravado just moments ago, it's suddenly hard to keep up a brave face when it's just the two of them, now that he can actually feel his warmth against her. Any doubts she might've had are washed away, and she can only accept this, accept him as real.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Gustave. But the words don't come out, the immense weight of her guilt crushing her as it plays repeatedly in her head, a broken record, eating her up from the inside. If only she hadn't teased him, if only she hadn't urged him to take an extra moment on that cliffs that day. It hurts even more, knowing that he wouldn't fault her for what happened to him, in spite of anything she says.

Because this is Gustave. Gustave, who took her in with his sister when she had lost all hope of ever finding people she would every consider family. Gustave, who wants to help people wherever he can, to leave the world better than he found it. Gustave, who is kind and good... and miraculously alive.

Maelle's eyes well up with tears, threatening to spill and stain her cheeks. She buries her face into his chest, slowly reaching around him to return his embrace. A choked sob escapes her, voice muffled.]
 
You're really here.

[stonethrow]

( since his arrival here, gustave had kept it to himself, the memories of a victorious moment turned cold and bloody. the piercing of chroma through his chest, the quiet but slow crawl of death through him even as he pushed through his instinct of flight, to give maelle a fighting chance of escape.

you run had echoed through his mind; i'll do the same no longer true. for one frightful moment, his courage had shone through. it remained a scar on his chest when he had first arrived, the medbot saying something along the lines of him being lucky to be alive.

perhaps he was. now, with maelle in his arms, real, warm, a mess of tears—for a girl who has worked up the reputation that keeps cool and collected—he knows he is lucky.

gustave squeezes her tighter still, presses a kiss to the side of her head on that beautiful auburn hair of hers. tears stream down his face, too, but he's quieter about it, her words gentle against his quickening heartbeat, a balm for all his questions and worries. if he regrets one thing, it is leaving her behind. )

I'm here.

( he repeats, quietly, )

I'm here.

( gustave doesn't let go, wanting her to remain here for as long as she needs. he does manage to say, )

I'm sorry — it must have been scary.

[virtuose]

[His comment makes her laugh, quietly and softly, practically a gurgle mixed in with the tears. It's embarrassing, but Maelle's not one to care about something like that. Not right now.]

Scary's definitely one way to put it.

[Her voice a notch louder than a whisper, only wanting him and no one else ro hear. She doesn't know for how long she holds onto him, but her sobbing slowly subsides, turning to audible deep breaths before stopping completely, her thrumming nerves, finally calming. Taking a hesitant step backwards, she brings her the heel of her palm against her eyes, brushing away as much evidence of her tears as she is able.

Looking back at Gustave, she smiles, small but sincere.]

You look like a mess.

[It's not as if she's one to talk, and she knows it. But it's that familiar banter that she needs right now as she slowly takes all of this in.]

[stonethrow]

( and gustave grants this to her, to hold maelle until it's enough. she's always been so strong, so coolheaded about anything pertaining death, and even at the time it had struck her the most, she had not shed a tear. not because there is anything inherently wrong with her, but because she got used to it—losing people.

he is devastated to think that, knowing her, this reaction comes from that singular moment that he, too, remembers so vividly; makes his heart clench uncomfortably.

yet it certainly is like maelle to gather herself, to put on a brave face. gustave, for his part, doesn't mind it: letting her have her autonomy. her small smile encourages him that it'll be alright. he does allow himself one selfish act, which is to thumb away the remnant of tears where she's been unable to brush away herself.

he smiles, that usual quiet, playful smile of his. )

Really? And here I thought I did half a decent job.

( letting his hand linger against her cheek, he pulls it back, but does keep a hold of her hand. )

Don't tell me they gave you one of these automobiles? I hope you didn't tell anyone I'm your guardian. I don't know that I'll be able to take in all that debt.

( of her having a car of her own, but also of all the potential "destruction" she's left in her wake, being what he implies.

—it's easy, normal banter, because even if they are used to so much death, one of the reasons they are is because they can move around it in conversation, never quite letting their hearts settle on the horrors. whatever — happened, gustave is sure it will come up soon enough. )

[virtuose]

[Feeling his hand brush up against her cheeks, she doesn't pull away, not immediately, still relishing in his presence, processing it and taking it all in. But still, she scoffs slightly at the display of affection and worry that suddenly overcomes him.]

I haven't run over anyone, if that's what you're asking.

[It's not, she knows. There were some near misses, sure, but she was able to stop before anything happened to them, her, or her car. But that wasn't something Gustave needed to know outright. There were enough things to worry about here, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him. And her.]

Don't think that I can handle paying it off on my own?

[The teasing comes effortlessly as Maelle slips into a pattern that she is used to with Gustave, unsure how to broach the topic of what happened the last time she saw him. It's not something that she was willing to ask just yet as she planned out how to navigate her next steps regarding it. For now, some semblance of normalcy between them was all she could muster.

And in a place that was both new and different for the both of them, it was enough for now.]

[stonethrow]

( he laughs softly, a huff of a sound, tilting his chin downward. maelle had always been quick to do something new, embracing change with ease, but the arrival onto the continent had shaken her up more than he had ever seen her; her arrival here—he's sorry that he didn't get to be around just as she's arrived, to be at her side. )

I think you'd be unwilling to do so.

( and that much is his own earnest teasing thrown back at her.

her fingers feel so small in his hand, so gustave deliberately holds tighter onto her hand, brow cinching a touch. )

...I've rented a room nearby. ( well, put it down for more of his debt. ) I'd like you to stay with me for now, Maelle. Until we figure this place out.

( he adds, in case she finds reason to refute him— )

I won't keep you from going out. Just — I want to talk to you about something. It's important, I promise.

[virtuose]

[This time, it's her turn to laugh, both by the teasing and how well she knew her. Gustave was right. She hadn't been thinking much about how to pay off the debt that was thrust onto her upon her arrival, too preoccupied in trying to find her footing here.

And now with this revelation, there is much more for her to consider now. Things that seemed to be top of mind for him as well, or so she thinks. She wasn't sure how to broach the subject, still not quite over the shock.]

Seems a bit much to ask me to stay with you just for a talk.

[But she wasn't against the idea. In fact, it would probably feel similar to their living situation back in Lumiere. And, right now, though she wouldn't admit easily admit it aloud, just being around him is a comfort, her hand in his a reminder of that.]

So, are you going to show me where this place is?

[It was as much an invitation for him to lead the way, as it was her way of saying yes.]