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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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no subject
[ Jack is incredibly gullible too so he has a track record of letting people talk him into very stupid things rather than seeing more clearly what was going on. It's better when he just knows what to do, and he's slightly concerned without his family to focus him for that, he might end up being fooled again. He'll just have to try to be better this time and not trust everyone right away.
Not that he's following that because he already is looking at his new friend with some amount of trust and warmth. He's always glad when he saves a life, in his experience he's lost more than he's saved, or that's how it feels to him. ]
No, they wouldn't, would they? [ His eyebrows furrow. He knows that people aren't all good, but that makes them sound very selfish. ] It's okay, I'm happy to. It's my job, the family job, technically. We help protect people, often from monsters like that thing.
no subject
[ Less gullible on Benny's part, but he'd certainly read his 'family' wrong all those years ago, hadn't he. Benny really thought the old man wasn't gonna care, and next thing you know, heads are rolling (badumchhh).
He huffs a small laugh, tipping his head in Jack's general direction. His boots are still squelching with every step, but he's alive and not a drowned vampirate, so he figures he's got that going for him. It's really the little things in life. The fresh air’s doing him a lot of good, too; it gets the scent of death and monster out of his nose, instead inhaling gasoline and the smell of 'city', cleansing the scent of blood that was lingering.
Jack’s words land softer than they ought to, earnest in a way Benny doesn’t hear much. That kind of trust? That kind of hope? It makes something ache. Maybe not his heart exactly, but something close by. ]
That so? Well, guess I oughta count myself lucky the family business wandered by. [ He pauses, then adds with a flicker of something quieter; maybe fondness, maybe...something else -- ] Know a guy like that from home, actually. We got real good at pulling each other outta the fire.
no subject
You do? [ Jack smiles, pleased. ] I'm glad to hear there are hunters in other worlds too. I feel very out of place here.
[ Jack is fairly sure there are all kinds of creatures in this city. He keeps getting little taps against his instincts, either warnings or just a general alert, but nothing serious until the shadow monster. He sees no reason to make trouble though, and the only people who have actually been aggressive toward him have been normal humans. That didn't turn out so well for them. ]
My fathers raised me to be one. I don't actually know what to do that isn't hunting. I should probably kill that shadow monster, but I wonder if we just accidentally walked into its territory.
[ He pauses. ]
That's silly. Dean would tell me it doesn't matter.
no subject
[ but Dean - Benny hears that name and stops walking, just for a second. It's caught him off guard a little, hasn't heard it since he got here. He rolls the name over in his mind like a stone in his palm, smooth and familiar and heavier than it looks. ]
Dean, huh. [ He glances sideways at Jack, voice casual, playing it chill on purpose. ] I know a Dean.
[ The smile that follows is slow, thoughtful as he tries not to get swept up in Purgatory flashbacks. ]
Not really a name you forget, especially tied to the kind of man that drags you outta hell.
[ Or was gonna, anyway. Still working on getting to the portal, but currently an irrelevant segue. He’s watching Jack now; under normal circumstances the likelihood it's the same Dean is slim, but the way the kids speaking, damn sure could be, couldn't it. Places like this, well. Strange things do happen.
So, he tests the waters. ]
Dean, he a little older, talks like he's been chewin' gravel most his life? Wears flannel like it’s armor?
no subject
He doesn't think it's a common name but there are different universes so who knows, but Benny mentions being dragged out of Hell which is very specific to what they're capable of. And then he describes Dean and Jack visibly brightens, smiling quickly. ]
Dean Winchester. That sounds like him. They do like to wear flannel.
[ Jack only occasionally takes after them when he was using their clothes, but he's so much shorter than Sam in particular. Jack has his own style although the jeans go with everything. He's thought about taking on a long trenchcoat like his father to mimic him, but it really wouldn't suit him. He would look like a child playing dress-up, which would be the truth. ]
I'm a Winchester, they adopted and raised me. They're my parents.
[ Jack considers all three of them his father, albeit different types of them. But they're all necessary to who he's become. He and Dean have the most difficult relationship, but he loves, respects, and admires him despite that. ]
He helped you get out of Hell?
no subject
Maybe they end up gettin' out of that hellhole, after all. ]
That so. [ Not accusatory, not unkind. Just...relieved, maybe. Pleased. ] Well then. Good for him.
[ Hell, though. Different story. He hesitates, dragging a hand down over his face, absently thumbing his chin before dropping his hands, sliding them into wet pockets. He's not sure if he should actually confess what he is, given that the kid knows Dean and he's already contemplating giving that shadow monster a run for its money. Benny’s not in the mood for a fight today. He’s already clawed his way through water rank enough to make the bayou smell like perfume. ]
We were in a rough situation, and he was my soul train out. Was gonna be, anyway. 'Til I ended up here, walkin' and talkin' with you.
no subject
Yes. It's complicated, but it's true. They've been very kind to me.
[ They were supposed to kill him and chose not to. Dean wanted to in the beginning but when he had a gun to his head, he decided not to. Their a messy family but they are at heart, and Jack is so grateful to them and everything they've done for him. He is proud to be a Winchester.
He is very curious about this man though. It doesn't matter that Dean's never mentioned him because his fathers are notoriously bad at telling him anything about the past. They are very focused on the present and the future, and they've sheltered him about their experiences. Not to mention Dean in particular is closed door on his relationships and his feelings, so Jack wouldn't expect to be told about a friend that he helped from Hell. That sounds in line with the sort of adventures they had. ]
Well ... it means you are free then, isn't it? You're here instead of there.
[ This place may be strange and not where they belong, but it's not Hell or anywhere else bad. ]
I'm Jack. I'm always glad to meet a friend of my fathers, are you a hunter as well?
no subject
Complicated sounds about right. [ He smiles faintly. ] But kindness...that counts for somethin'.
[ He glances off, the way someone does when the past tugs at their collar, demanding attention that a guy just doesn't wanna give. ]
Free's a hell of a word, but I'm not runnin' or fightin' just to take a damn breath. So I guess maybe this is better.
[ He glances over, a brow lifted as Jack introduces himself. ]
Jack, huh? Strong name. Suits you. [ a beat. ] As far as hunting goes, well - let's just say I know how to track things down. Sometimes I kill 'em. Sometimes I let 'em go. Kinda like Dean, I guess.
[ He pauses again, glances down at the way his feet take him one step at a time, moving forward. Water is still squishing in his boots, but he's still kicking. Could be worse. ]
Name's Benny.
no subject
The fact he is most likely going back to his death is not a burden on him, outside of being concerned that he isn't there to save the Winchesters. Jack's short life has been a painful one, but if he was born so everyone else could live, there is no greater purpose than that. All he can do in this world is try to continue to be that way. ]
They are good men. Everything I am is thanks to their guidance.
[ He is honest and direct, gentle and kind. He can see that Benny is someone who doesn't mind that. Sometimes he makes people uncomfortable without meaning to because he's strange. Maybe that's why Benny and Dean get along so well, he thinks. He'd maybe prefer a straight talker, Dean definitely does. ]
That sounds terrible. I've never been to Hell. I've been to Heaven and the Empty, but not there. I'm sorry you had to struggle so much. Dean would be happy that you're safe.
[ His eyebrows go up at the idea that Dean would let them go ... but then he considers again and it is true. Dean can be very black and white about this sometimes, but he has a dear friend who is a werewolf, and the brothers were close with Rowena and even with Amara, the Darkness. It's reassurance that he doesn't need to go back and kill the creature. Maybe it can be spared. ]
Hello Benny. I prefer not to kill things. I'm not a very good hunter that way. I help my fathers of course, what we do is important, I just wish that we didn't have to.
[ If he could not have to kill God, his grandfather, he would choose that. It just needs to be done, there's no other way around it. ]
no subject
Benny lets out a breath through his nose, glancing sideways, off in the other direction. The truth is hiding somewhere in the shadows, just on the tip of his tongue, reluctant to make itself known. Jack, adopted by Sam and Dean? Benny may just be signing a death warrant for himself. Still, kid might have a way about him, but not cruel. ]
Well. Wasn’t Hell, not exactly. [ He lifts a shoulder in a lazy shrug, like what can you do? ] Purgatory. [ Benny says it quietly, like the word tastes like ash. ] Monster hell, real nasty place. Everything down there wants to kill you just for bein' there, and there's nothing you can do about it except return the favor.
[ He huffs, a snort, like it just isn't worth crying over. It is, but that’s sure as hell not Benny’s style. ]
You seem like you got a good head on your shoulders. Nothing wrong with not wantin' to kill. Damn sight better than a man who doesn't think twice about it.
[ Like the kind of man Benny used to be. ]
no subject
[ Jack can be oblivious but he isn't stupid. He doesn't think people accidentally go there, or he's never heard of it. Hell is different, some people don't entirely belong there, or they're sent there for one reason or another. Purgatory though, he thinks it's supposed to be a way. Still, that doesn't explain how his father ended up there where he met Benny. If Benny had any concerns about Jack's reaction to his confession, he doesn't outwardly. He's the same as he was before, non-judgmental, but mostly confused right then. ]
I don't know how Dean could be in Purgatory, but I know my fathers end up in many places they shouldn't be.
[ They are God's favorites and he's put them through all kinds of terrible things because of it. Dean told him in the car, before he became a bomb, that he was grateful Jack was willing to die to kill God, so he and Sam could finally be free of him. He only wished it worked. ]
It's okay, don't worry. Whatever you are, I'm not going to hurt you unless you try to kill an innocent person.
[ Then he really should, and he'd probably apologize about it before doing it. Jack could make it very fast, at least. He wouldn't do what he did to Nick to someone else, not ever again. ]
If it makes you feel better, I just look human. I'm a Nephilim. I'm a monster too.
no subject
[ The kid's reaction isn’t what Benny expected, though he's not sure what he expected. The lack of judgment knocks something loose in his chest, and something settles, some of the tension in his shoulders easing up just a fraction. ]
That right? [ He tips his head, giving Jack a longer look now. Not guarded, just curious, because Benny isn't particularly sure what a Nephilim actually is. Ain't human.
Neither is he. ]
Well, guess that makes two of us then. Peas in a pod. [ He rolls his shoulders again, shrugging like he’s shaking off old weight. ] I pass easy enough, I look human, sound human. Most folks don’t see what’s under the hood unless they’re really lookin'. [ He pauses, then continues; ] My, uh...people hurtin' days are over. Living by the book, best I can.
[ but he's only so strong, and he's getting hungry. ]
no subject
[ They've reassured him they have done bad things too, they just don't really tell him what those things were. Sam told him that he experienced something similar to him in his past, when he thought he was evil and different, but none of the exact details of what that meant. And Jack just sort of accepted it because he trusted them and assumed if it was important, they'd tell him. But it leaves him vulnerable in some ways, and oblivious in others. He loves his family though. He'd never blame them for anything. Whatever their reasons, they had to be good ones. ]
Yes. That's right.
[ Jack focuses and his eyes turn bright glowing gold with black pupils. They are similar to his father Lucifer's red eyes, more so than the common angel blue. A moment later he lets it go and they are back to human blue. ]
May I ask what you are? [ Very polite! It seems nicer than guessing. ] And I'm relieved you don't do that anymore. I would feel really bad about having to kill you after I just saved you and we've been bonding.
[ He'd probably have to smite or explode him. Turn him into dust. It would be fast, since he's just standing there in front of him. Jack has a lot of power surging through him right then, extra after absorbing all of his father, and he thinks he could accidentally blow up a lot if he wasn't careful. ]
no subject
Suppose that makes sense. [ He huffs a faint sound, not quite a laugh. ] Not always easy, talking about the bad stuff. Sometimes it's easier to keep your head forward and the past back where it belongs.
[ He angles a look at Jack, watching as the glow fades, still not spooked but certainly a little on edge. He has absolutely no doubt this kid could turn him into ash and he's so not in the mood for that. He's been fighting like a demon to get outta Purgatory for years and now that he's here, he's not about to go back. If that's even where he'd go, dyin' in a place like this.
Jack's question lands soft, but there's still hesitation, the weight back in Benny's chest. He's not thrilled about saying it, about coming out of the monster closet, but if this kid isn't lying and he's really a Winchester, he's gonna find out at some point. He scratches at his jaw, then finally shrugs like it doesn't much matter, cause it doesn't. ]
Vampire. Don’t feed like usual anymore, haven’t in a long time. Don’t plan to start, either. I drink blood, but I don't eat people.
[ A slow smile creeps in, wry and tired. ]
I appreciate the mercy, though. Would've hated to make you feel guilty for atomizin' me.
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[ They might not have wanted him to see the bad parts, but for Jack, there's simply no such thing. Castiel could have told him about the Leviathans and everything he did, and Jack would still love him blindly and absolutely. He wishes they could have shared more together that way, before Castiel went back to the Empty, and before Jack was going to die. But he doesn't get what he wants most of the time. That's not what he was made for.
Jack can tell that Benny isn't afraid per se but anyone with a head on their shoulders sensitive to danger would see that the glow in him is stronger than the average. His holy energy isn't God level yet, but it's cut from the same cloth. Archangels come with an underlining power that many people can sense without understanding.
He sees the hesitation and his expression softens, and he tries to smile reassuringly at him. ]
That's okay. I'm surprised Dean let you live, but he let me live, so he has mercy in him somewhere.
[ Dean had every reason to shoot him in the head and didn't. His father is much kinder than he knows. ]
I'd offer you blood, you must be hungry if you don't eat people, but it would definitely kill you. It's divine, I think it'd burn you up. Maybe we can go to the hospital?
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[ It took a while to get there. You can't trust anyone in Purgatory, first lesson you learn. ]
He sure was charmin', just knew how to sweet talk me. [ He huffs a breath, a ghost of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. ] Never met a man who could scowl and flirt at the same time, but Dean managed it.
[ A beat, the smile falters just a little. ]
We saved each other, more times than I can count. 'Course, I'm technically dead already, so I guess he had the harder job.
[ The offer of blood earns Jack a look - surprised, maybe even a little touched, though he covers it with a crooked smile. ]
You’re a real sweetheart, but you're right, I like my meals without a side of divine immolation. Hospital’s a better bet. Bagged blood’s not gourmet, but it keeps me upright. [ He's just not sure if you can...walk into a hospital and snatch a blood bag, here. He'd paid good black market scratch for it back when he'd been alive, and it hadn't been easy to find. This place is even more of a cluster than home had been. ]
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I'm glad that he had that. That both of you did. It must have meant a great deal to him. He ended up making other friends of people who he'd ordinarily kill. Maybe he learned from you.
[ He wonders what happened to Benny though, that Jack's never heard of him. He thinks he knows most of the Winchester's friends by now, even if only spoken of in passing. He knows of Jodi and Garth and Charlie obviously he met in Apocalypse world, but he's heard of their version too. But not Benny. With Dean it could mean a lot of things, but Jack has been closely observing him for the three years he's been alive, and he wonders if the silence comes from pain.
Not that he's going to come right out and guess that Benny is dead in some timeline, but Jack has a feeling. They all die eventually, the lives they live. He knows that better than most. ]
I have some money. Maybe we can buy a blood bag? I'd make them do it but ... I'm not supposed to do that again.
[ Jack's reality-altering is a power that caused some serious trouble for the entire world, and part of why his father turned on him, understanding that Jack was more powerful than him. He can make a lot of things happen if he wants it to, but it wouldn't be right. They can do this the mercenary way. ]
We can try at least, right? I'm not going to let my father's friend starve.
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[ Course, the way Jack's talking, Benny's thinking maybe he didn't make it. He doesn't know this kid, Dean never mentioned him, but if Jack isn't even aware of his existence, it doesn't exactly bode well for this bayou cajun.
Nothing good happened, it seems. Or maybe he and Dean just parted ways after his return. Maybe he gets his revenge like he always wanted, and goes on to live a quiet life somewhere in bumfuck nowhere Louisiana, relying on 'donated' blood and living that good life.
Something tells him no, but a vampire can dream, now can't he? ]
Got a little cash too, not loving this debt situation, don't like owing people.
[ He's already gonna owe the hell out of Dean, and now here comes the kid with that open face and big heart, offering help like it doesn’t cost a damn thing. Benny’s not used to that, doesn't trust it one damn bit. Not 'cause he thinks Jack's lying, but because he's lived too long knowing nothing good comes without a catch.
But he's hungry. He hasn't eaten since he got here. Human food is fine and all, likes the taste, body just burns it off at some point. But that isn't what he needs right now. ]
But I think I'm runnin' outta options, here. Let’s go find me somethin’ red and plastic-sealed before I go and ruin my one chance at making a good impression.
figured we could skip the driving to the hospital haha
[ Jack has led a sheltered existence. The bunker was both a great and an isolating place to grow up. He's never had to be responsible for anything outside of himself before now, so it's a burden. But also kind of exciting? He feels more like a grown up, like he's off on his own and as long as he doesn't do anything bad, he can roleplay as a full adult. ]
But I've made money since getting here. I got regular jobs. I don't need to sleep or eat much so I've taken many shifts.
[ Honestly Jack has done very little other than work since arriving so he's accumulated a decent amount of cash. He got a second set of clothes for work and a place to stay, but everything else he's storing safely away for his debt. And now he can use it to hopefully help Benny, although he's not sure if he has enough yet. ]
Let's meet at the hospital. I know that we can figure it out together.
[ Jack imprints on people quickly, especially anyone who is respected by the Winchesters. He longs to attach and connect with someone else and Benny's already an approved person given Dean's connection to him. He probably should doubt him or at least wonder if he's telling the full truth, but he doesn't. That's something he still has to learn, and was what Billie was taking full advantage of only a short time ago.
He zips ahead on his motorcycle which he's much better at driving now, he hasn't gotten in an accident in three days. That's a record for him. It's a bright blue motorcycle and he wears the same color helmet, never going anywhere without it. He parks at the hospital and waits for Benny, frowning as he considers. ]
Maybe I should go in. If there's a lot of people bleeding in there, that could upset you, right?
lol works for me :>
[ Benny really isn't used to this kind of pure-hearted generosity. Not without strings, anyway - there's gotta be a catch coming, somewhere. Otherwise, he doesn't know what to do with it. He thinks about it the whole drive over, the rumble of his banged up Chevelle helping to alleviate all of the thoughts rattling around his increasingly blood-hungry brain.
It gives him a lot to think about, and he's gonna be thinking about it all long into the night and into the following day.
The door bangs shut when he gets out after pulling up next to Jack, squinting at the hospital doors as he slips his keys into his pocket. Jack's got a point. ]
Might not be a bad idea, chief.
[ He can smell the scent of antiseptic from here. He’s not twitchy yet, but there's a stiffness to him that wasn't there when they first met. Benny's damn good at keeping himself under control, learned that a long time ago - had to, after he met Andrea.
Still, he's aware. He's aware of every heartbeat in that building, the copper hum in the air, of how thin his patience is starting to wear under his skin. ]
Add it to the list of favors I'm rackin' up.
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I'll get it, I promise.
[ If he has to do it the wrong way, he might very well do that. It has to be weighed against what he's allowed to but what he'd do for Dean and his friend. But it doesn't turn out to be as difficult as either of them fear. Between his big sad eyes and the money he digs out, a sizable chunk, all he has to do is plead that my friend will die! for the other nurse to seem to get it. Benny isn't the only vampire in the city, there are others, including newer fluxdrifts that need the same help.
Jack is relieved when the money and flat out begging seems to do the trick because he was getting worried. His earnest gratitude only seems to make the nurse feel uncomfortable for no doubt the same reason, but it gets him out, hiding the blood bag under his jacket since they're not supposed to be selling those.
He flashes Benny a bright smile and a thumbs up when he walks out to give him the sign it worked. It cost a chunk of his money, but it was worth it. He hands it over to Benny, pleased that it worked out.]
I got her name for the next time you need it. I didn't need to use my powers, they're very capitalistic here.
[ He likes to think that Dean would be pleased with him. ]
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It's a tense wait, though. Being outside of this building, being able to smell everything, everyone that's inside is starting to grate on his nerves, like sand under his skin. The hunger's really gnawing now that the scent is in his nose, sharp and hollow, and even with decades of control, it’s getting harder to ignore. He's about one wrong look away from being a problem.
He starts pacing, just to move his body, give his mind something to focus on - left, right, left, right, circle the car, turn around, left, right. Repeat.
Then the doors slide open, and there’s Jack - bright smile, thumbs up, jacket lumpy in a way that only means one thing. Benny straightens up, eyes narrowing, zeroing in on him, and relief hits like a gut punch, dragging a breath from him he didn’t need to take in the first place.
He hates that he needs this, hates that blood is what his body craves. Like, it's gross, man. Let's just be real. ]
You're a miracle worker, you know that? Reckon I owe you two life debts at this point. [ Add it to the pile, he guesses. ] Thanks.
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[ Especially saving him in the building, that was what anyone would have done, in his opinion. He has a higher opinion of most people than he probably should, but he still has a naive belief in others. It's led him down bad pathways, but here he feels certain that he's done the right thing. Benny could have attacked people to feed on them but he chose not to, he chose to starve over killing people. That means he is a good man, despite his situation.
He hands over the blood and after a moment decides that him just staring, curious as he is, might be discomforting for Benny. He might not enjoy drinking blood and being watched so Jack turns his head out of respect. He must be hungry and there shouldn't be any reason to hesitate. ]
When you're finished eating, may I ask how you became a vampire? I've only ever killed them, I haven't gotten a chance to speak to them.
[ If Dean and Sam are taking him on a hunt, it's so he can use his powers to help them kill, and he does so without question. Including vampires. But Benny is already not like the ones he's seen, he's different, unique. That must be why Dean cared for him and changed his mind for at least one monster. ]
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He doesn’t tear it open or make a scene, ust bites the corner, slow and careful, and lets the contents pour into his mouth like he’s been parched for weeks, like it's his own personal blood flavored Capri-Sun.
When Jack turns his head, Benny’s grateful - the kid gets it without needing to be told. It gives Benny some space and his dignity without making it weird. It also makes Benny like him more than he already does, and that’s saying something. ]
Well. [ Another swallow, and he pulls a little bit of a face. His voice is low, gravelly; drawing out the words. ] Was a long time ago. Hundred forty, fifty years? Details are a little blurry, but it was a vampire they called the Old Man. [ The irony of the nickname isn't lost on Benny, but that prick had been alive a long, long time. As young as he looked, the name was entirely appropriate. ] Ancient thing, older than dirt. Walked like a man but smelled like the grave. Still not sure why he didn't kill me instead of turnin' me. Guess he liked my pretty face.
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Do you like being a vampire? I don't like being a Nephilim, but I was born this way.
[ Benny at least got to be a human first. Jack's brief time as a human was just that, brief, and then he died. He's always lived with too much power and the appropriate amount of fear surrounding that. More than once he's thought about what it would be like if he was born without any of them. If he could be a human like his mother or the Winchesters. It was hard being powerless, but then he could have trained as a normal hunter. ]
That sounds like it was a long time ago. My father Castiel told me living forever when humans live such short times can be difficult. Have you experienced that?
[ Meaning if he cared about humans who inevitably died. ]