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

[primepool]

[Wait, why was anyone mad at this lady? She's so nice!

(He is really proud, thank you. She can also pick up it's mostly because he designed the original himself. Not... not this one, this one was made by an morally grey inter-dimensional DMV, but good luck sorting out those thoughts. But this suit? Based on his. Just a lot more supple, and with more adamantium in the blades.

Wade looks at her, lifts his arms in a shrug.] Yeah.

[Thanks for pointing it out so... succinctly. Wait, free food? No way, she really is nice. Surprisingly, Wade grabs a reasonable amount of crackers, pauses, then decides fuck it and rolls his mask up to cram some in his mouth. It's enough to show his skin's mottled and his lips are permanently desert-dry, but food is food and he hasn't stolen any quite yet.] Hey, I'm not some charity case! [He says, not getting his skin zip-zapped off his body and eating free crackers from a plate like she's the crazy but generous cat lady from next door.] This is a one-time thing. I'm not used to living out of a dead-end empty motel room.

[carmesi]

( catching a hint of what he looks like under the mask, wanda figures this is the reason why he is adamant to keep it on. she isn't one to judge, so he can eat without feeling like she'll be bound to make a comment about it. )

Sure.

( grabbing at a water bottle, wanda walks around him, and then sits herself down on the edge of the bed. )

—you know, Winston, ( she's getting his names confused already ) I don't think any of us is used to living like this. ( she opens up her water bottle, takes a swig. ) I hope you know we aren't having a sleepover.

( as far as meetings go, wade is lucky that he seems mostly harmless to her.

there's another water bottle on the table if he wants that to help swallow the dry crackers. )

You can have the crackers, but I'll expect a water bottle back if you take one of mine. ( anyway, sure, he explained it, but he said a lot of other shit, too. ) You some superhero or something?

[primepool]

-- Wade --

[He says around a mouthful of crackers and lets her continue without further interruption. You know, all you have to do to get Wade's carefully selected respectful silence is lightly threaten him with witch magic. The secret is that simple.

He may still be very disturbed by Cassandra removing Johnny's skin, and when you think real hard about it she's basically a witch, right? Probably even has square feet and no toes.

Now he's almost discretely trying to look at Wanda's feet. Does she have toes...? Surely she has toes. Have Wanda's toes ever been featured on-screen? There's definitely toes.

Wait, he's paying attention.] I mean, hah, I wouldn't say no, if it was. Not that I was thinking it was. That would be, obviously, crazy. [He's not giddy at the thought. An Avengers sleepover??? No one would believe him. In his first mini event? No one works that fast.

He does take the bottle, though. Free is free even if he has to steal procure more water for her later.] Scout's honour, I'll bring you two. And yes, you can dig. I was a Scout. I don't know why no one believes me.

[There's a lot of reasons.] I wouldn't really apply the word "hero". Specifically. Maybe adjacent. Quadrilateral. I was an X-Man* once. Not that you... yeah, you don't know them yet. Don't worry about it. I'm like, medically a freak. It's a genetic condition. Technically. For some reason it keeps getting tied to raised rates of heroic deeds. Also probably a medical condition. I saved the multiverse, too. That probably counts.

[He's explaining all this while he keeps eating crackers, by the way.]

[carmesi]

( amidst everything that wade fires back at her, wanda is getting better at filtering out what is useful to her and what much is something she can leave to the side and let rest, for her own sake. in all that he's saying, and in how he's reacting, there's definitely an earnestness here.

even if he keeps staring at her (socked) feet.

hm. )

So, you were experimented on in some capacity, and now you can heroic things?

( using his terminology, for the most part.

also, she's met stephen strange already, who claimed knowing her and mentioned something about the multiverse, so this isn't her first rodeo. )

Did you meet a version of me? —and sure, you can have all the crackers.

( my guy, )

[primepool]

[It's not a fetish! Witches are scary. It's a thing. A part of him still thinks Cassandra's a witch. Like, what is psychic ability but mysterious magic that no one can explain, not consistently, even a single time?

You zap a skin's man off, you're a witch.]

Oh, so you're rootin' around in -- [He pokes his temple with a cracker. Not that he minds, not that he can do much to stop it.] More like born with it, I guess, just sort of pops out with the right trauma. It's a whole thing. Lots of sad backstories.

[Not just his, but like, every mutant ever. It's their whole thing.] Sick! Thanks! Wow, you're not evil at all, this is great. [Well, yet. And yes, he's taking all the crackers now, piling them into his lap to munch on one at a time. It may now be questionable how long he's already gone without eating.] Mm, nope, couldn't afford any A-listers on our budget. But we probably will sometime in the future! [Well, if they ever bring her back from the realm of direct-to-TV hell.] You're pretty open to this multiverse thing. You know how old it gets to keep explainin' about it?

[carmesi]

( you see now why she's catching on to some of your odd little thoughts, wade? wanda shrugs, at his implying understanding of what she's doing, and settles back a little more comfortably. if he's not fussed about it— well, maybe it makes relaxing a little easier. )

Probably really old. I don't entirely understand it, but I've seen a few Twilight Zone episodes.

( the world is already bizarre, and the idea that they've all been tossed in this place? it's not so crazy to try to just accept it for what it is.

wanda does have one request, )

—would you mind not calling me 'evil'? Or referring to me as that? I don't want to play at any of this superhero stuff anymore. ( since that's what he knows her from, as, (through?). she sighs at the fact that there'll be crumbs all over the floor. ) I'm retiring.

( so she says lol )

cw: self-harm mention

[primepool]

[Wade gives a snort in response. Nope, he doesn't give a single shit. It's not like Wade makes sense of it, either, as long as she keeps her fingers to herself. That thought, at least, can be pretty loud: please do not finger his brain. Quite literally. Once is enough for him for the rest of his life.] A woman of culture, I see.

[See, if they get along about anything, it'll absolutely be an appreciation for American TV. Surely she had a Golden Girls phase --]

Sure, sure. I respect the hustle. [The hustle of having a redemption arc, obviously.] You know, I tried doin' that. Retiring. [He's gonna sweep up the crumbs! Promise. Unfortunately his suit is very skin-tight and there's no baggage to create a little apron. It's all just sliding right off the leather.] It did not go well. Got stuck selling cars to people who can't tell an SUV from a UTE and spent at least 20 minutes every bike ride home thinking about throwing myself in front of a city bus. [Fond memories. Wait, why is he saying that like he's nostalgic for it?] Maybe that was a personal problem. [Like a deep-seated natural inclination towards hurting himself or getting hurt in the heat of battle? Whoa, pump the brakes on the psychoanalyzing, we're moving on.] So if you're hanging up the witch hat, what're you gonna do instead? [He perks up a little.] Maybe a long road trip full of various dangers, giant tourist traps, and near-illegal shenanigans, ending up as a fulfilling journey of self-discovery?

[Yes, this is the same guy who broke into her apartment wearing a full leather bondage outfit, desperate for a whiff of AC, asking what she's gonna do with her life.]

[carmesi]

( wade, without prompting just goes into these monologues of himself, providing wanda with a very clear (almost see-through) understanding of his history, of what he's been through. he clearly doesn't mind being open about it, even if some of what he expresses lingers on genuinely worrisome thoughts and ideas that one might not consider dropping on a relative stranger. )

—sounds like it.

( 'a personal problem'. perhaps something to go to therapy for, if that's something he wanted to do.

shrugging, she leans back, trying to ease her shoulders. )

I'm not thinking that far, but I know what I'm not going to try and do. ( which is try to make a name for herself with this whole 'superhero' shtick. ) Aren't those things supposed to happen organically, anyway?

( the journeys of self-discovery— )

Are you always going to dress with that outfit, by the way? You'll stand out. Someone said it's going to get hotter in the city.

we can work towards wrapping up!

[primepool]

[Haha, therapy. No, he'll leave that to Tobey-era Spider-Men. Wade takes it like a man: by crying uncontrollably in some future thread that hasn't happened yet, but definitely which did happen.

Right, so he might keep that to himself next time.]

Well, technically the best ones are plotted out. [By screenwriters. Or... other writers. Thelma and Louise. Django Unchained. Uh... Wayward? Yeck.]

Oh, this old thing? [He plucks at a bit of leather.] It's a statement piece. A lot better than what's underneath, anyway. [He pulls the rest of his mask off, flicking it so a few lasting crumbs fall off. Sorry for the jumpscare, beautiful.] Believe me, I've heard a lot more "please, put the bag back on!" or "for the love of god, turn off the light!" than "wow, that thing must be hot." It is, thank you. Luckily, this one doesn't chafe.

[And in one of the many, many pouches on his utility belt, he unearths -- yeah, that's a package of wet wipes, which he uses to clean up the cracker crumbs. See, he's not a monster.] Anyway, I'm not planning on being here that long. There's gotta be a way off this spicy planet. Just... might take me a day or two.

salutes!! up to you if this is a good end or one more taggy

[carmesi]

( it's not so much a jumpscare as wanda staring intently at him for a while, curious and oblivious as to whether this would make him uncomfortable. she wonders what kind of thing he went through to end up like that, but perhaps it's not something he'd want to share.

she looks away when he starts cleaning up with the wet wipes.

wanda stands up and goes over to the kitchenette, to rinse her hands, staring out the window and wondering how long until the power comes back. )

When you do, leave me a message. That way I'll know you made it.

( this might be a mostly-successful friendly interaction. and then, as if urging it with her mind, the power comes back on. the ac unit kicks in shortly after, sputtering a little, but then pushing out cold air into the room. it is, thank you. hot, that is, that suit. she glances back at him. )

...feel free to stay until you cool down. Or if you want to shower.

( it seems that his cleaning up put her in team-deadpool. )

here is perf 🎀

[primepool]

[You can always trust a witch to be accepting of an ugly guy's feelings. See, this is why Wanda's his fave. Or is his fave in this moment; Wade can't be trusted to remain consistent about his Avengers preference, but right now? She's Numero Uno.]

Hey, you'll share your number? Wow, you're really knocking it out of the park!

[Considering he definitely broke in, yeah. Crackers, phone numbers, AC... he's happy as a clam for the moment, as long as the blackout's gonna break soon. Which it has to, for narrative purposes. Also so this motel doesn't lose every scrap of money it's ever made. The people staying here aren't exactly the kind who won't try to very inadequately jerry-rig an air conditioner or a swamp cooler --

Hallelujah! He gives a little whoop as cold air hits the back of his head. Now he's real fucking glad he took the mask off.] You're the best, Wanda. Thanks.

[He will actually bring around a pack of water bottles to her doorstep, and -- okay, not crackers, but it's a loaf of bread, and he figures that's close enough, right?]