TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

©

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

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

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

But first, you need to find a ride.

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

∞ Summary ∞

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

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

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

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

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

TDM Questions? Here — Game Questions? FAQ

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

Fluxdrift

Arrival & Introduction

Date: Throughout May

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

Then you open your eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

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Panorama

Explore & Settle In

Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers

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

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

The Pavilion: Free Samples

©

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

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

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

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

The Blocks: Power Outage

©

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

What do you do? You have three choices:

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

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

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©

The Fringes

Quad 3: Lockdown

Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's hope a friendly face comes along.

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

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

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

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Comments

𝐆ᴜꜱᴛᴀᴠᴇ ❧ ᴄʟᴀɪʀ ᴏʙꜱᴄᴜʀ: ᴇxᴘᴇᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ 33

[stonethrow]

OPEN TO ALL ✴︎ EMP COMMENT FOR INFO & CONTACT ✴︎ BE WARY OF THREADS MARKED FOR SPOILERS
no spoilers for co:e33 will be mentioned in tags with non-canon mates

❧ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʜɪᴄʟᴇ

[stonethrow]

( one moment gustave was fighting a nevron in the caverns of stone wave cliffs, and the next—here he was, a migraine blossoming on the back of his head (did he get hit by the nevron, fall unconscious?), none of his fellow expeditioners nearby. disorienting is one way to put it, and his panic almost gives way to a stream of bile out of his empty stomach. some medicine they give him, and although he feels the electric tingles of anxiety under his skin, he's... better.

whatever 'better' can be defined as.

a solution is given to him, though: the idea that those he is looking for might very well be found at the end of the road, in panorama. it's not a certainty, but there's not much he can do, as yom crook (what an unpleasant name, he thinks) basically tosses him off to find his way, he's got other things to do.

after picking out a car that supplies his endless engineering curiosity with questions, he trails off to the side of the scrapyard, manual in hand, hesitantly handling the keys and passing the pages with a cinched brow. does the author of this manual accept feedback?

stepping to the side, he sits down (tumbling back a little, this cinder block was lower than he anticipated), checks his backpack to make sure he still has all his items with him—his journal, the lumina converter—before he starts poring over the pages of the manual. )

Automobiles — place the key onto the ignition...

( his words trail off as he glances up, realizing something that seems pretty important. this is a standard manual for every vehicle here. so— his arms droop between his knees, helplessly, speaking his grievances out to nobody in particular. )

Aren't these all different types of vehicles? How does one manual fit all?

fyi I'm good with spoilers up to act 2!

[frighteningly]

I believe, although the shell is unique, the inner workings are all quite similar.

[ With grease on her hands (and a streak or two on her face), and her hair shoved messily out of her face, Nadiya looks far less like a queen than she did a few weeks ago. Aside from food, her main purchase of significance has been a tool belt and a slow gathering of old, cheap tools; she wears it the way others might wear their most beloved jewelry—consistently and with great care.

Assuming by his uniform that this man is a soldier, she speaks crisp Arnesian and not High Royal. It'll be a minute before she figures out it doesn't make a difference.

Wearing a small smile, she asks— ]

Do you require some assistance?

ty for heads up! will mark if anything comes up <3

[stonethrow]

( emotion often overrules his critical thinking, the logical side of his brain, and all the while he hadn't necessarily expected someone to listen and give him room for a genuine conversation.

he takes a deep breath, glancing up at the woman. )

That'd make sense.

( he figures, closing the manual and rolling it up in his hands. there's a shakiness that he can't quite control just yet, but flexing his knuckles helps. it helps enough for him to notice the tool belt she carries, the tools toted from it.

with a breath of a laugh, his shoulders relax a touch. )

Sorry — I am usually more on my toes. Perhaps I do need some.

( the smile offered, it's friendly; he mirrors it, then motions at the car he's chosen as his own. )

Are you familiar with these vehicles?

[catharses]

You're asking the very question I was thinking earlier.

[ Because Sunday's also here studying this manual very carefully just a car over as he's seated inside the one he's now responsible for with the windows rolled down since the weather's rather nice. It'd seemed prudent to figure out if the paperwork he was provided - and the same this man's also received from the sound of it - held anything he should know before working on remembering how to drive. Parts of it are familiar, but the lack of technology he sees before him... is not.

That lament avoid aloud got his attention from looking for the switch to turn the car's lights on (safety first, after all) to look over to where the man's seated. ]

You've driven others before, then? I'm used to self driving cars myself though it doesn't seem we'll be fortunate enough to be provided those.

[ But it'd sure solve some problems (or just Sunday's) if they were! ]

[stonethrow]

( safety first and all, sure, but the switching on of the headlights onto gustave has him covering his eyes with his right hand, squinting between his fingers to put a face to the voice.

figures this kind of situation was likely to happen.

so, he inches himself up to stand up fully, reaching over to the open window of the automobile, where the gray-haired man sits. he looks young... despite the hair color. )

I have never seen or used any of these before. ( his home, in lumiere, has need of no such things. ) What do you mean there are 'self-driving' ones?

( suddenly, his interest is piqued. )

[godjr]

( Jack is still deciding between a car and a motorcycle. He wants the motorcycle, they are cool, and he thinks Dean and Sam would be impressed, but he doesn't know how to drive one, and he does know how to drive a car. But none of them are cool. It's a hard decision. He is puzzled as he looks back and forth between them, and he turns his head when he hears someone talking to themselves. The man is sitting on the ground looking through a manual.)

It's smart. Jack didn't see anything in the manual that would make more sense of the motorcycle so it's not helping him. He nods his head in reply to the question. It doesn't make sense, does it?

I don't think it does, they're not very safety worried here. I was thinking of a motorcycle, but it doesn't explain that at all.

(Jack points to the one he's considering.)

I don't know how to use a bicycle, I think it's important that you do.

( But he wants it. It's illogical and unsafe but Jack's never gotten to be cool a single day in his (albeit short) life. He wants to be like the Matrix where they zoomed around impressively. Maybe he can even get a long coat. He decides to just sit down next to the man.)

Cars are easy though. You put the key in the ignition and then you aim the wheel at where you want to go, and you put your foot on the gas. Then you just move forward. I've driven twice, it's really nice.

[stonethrow]

( oh.

he's not exactly expecting his woes to be answered so earnestly, figuring that he's just complaining into the air until he wraps his head around leaving his more emotional instincts and focus, instead, on learning how the damn contraption actually works. it's not not appreciated, though, and gustave considers the young man for a moment.

a bicycle? well, that he knows. )

Really? I suppose bicycles are mostly about confidence and keeping your balance.

( not overly complicated, though, if asked, gustave would say, after gazing upon the motorcycle being considered, that it looks rather impressive... 'cool', as the young ones might say. )

I think I'm trying too hard to understand how it works, rather than just working out the basics of it.

( hmm... this actually is useful, to realize that he was overcomplicating things for himself. )

—would you mind a quick demonstration? This is the first time I've encountered these 'cars'. We can sort you out on your motorcycle, to return you the favor.

[yeahmagnets]

[ Jesse's just finishing his third slow lap around the busted-up van Yom handed him, he's not sure how many days ago. It's some Frankenstein’d piece of shit, but it has charm. It needs an alignment, though, hence his return to the 'yard. He hears a voice cut through the scrapyard din. Jesse turns, clocking the other guy hunched on a cinderblock and flipping through one of those useless-ass “universal” manuals they handed out like candy. The frustration’s written all over him. Jesse recognizes it. Hell, he’s lived it.

He crosses the gap between them. There's a hitch in his walk that he doesn't bother hiding. Too many nights sleeping in a car, too many mornings waking up somewhere strange, still healing from injuries from his arrival and from...before. He stops just a couple of feet away and squints down at the book in Gustave’s hands. ]

Yeah, good luck with that. Thing's like tryna learn brain surgery from a damn cereal box, man. Might s'well be written in Klingon.

[ He offers up a lopsided grin, one that’s half sympathy, half amusement. This guy’s clearly out of his depth, but Jesse’s not mocking him. If anything, he kind of gets it. Lost, overwhelmed, looking for something solid to stand on. ]

I can probably walk you through it. If you want. Got the keys?

[ There’s an ease in the way he talks, the way he moves. Being useful? That's a drug all of its own to Jesse. For a moment, he’s not a fugitive or a burnout or someone one bad decision away from an overdose. He’s just a guy who knows cars. And maybe that’s enough for now. ]

[stonethrow]

( he looks up at the young man speaking to him, uninvited but certainly not unwelcome. the fact that this kind of frustration and sympathy for how very useless the information they've been given seems to be a not-just-a-gustave-problem puts him at ease, truly.

(brain surgery? cereal box? klingon???) )

Ah—

( the offer comes forth without prompting, catching gustave by surprise. he recovers easily enough to fetch them from his pants' pocket, presenting the keyring. )

I do have the keys. ( but, ) You aren't busy, are you?

( to be fair, to gustave, he seems a little jittery, like he's got things to get to. perception might be wrong, though. )

[sawel]

[Rune doesn’t imagine that this guy was taking to him specifically, but he looks just about as tired and shaken as he feels, and he could really use a moment or two of not being in his own head right now, and so he answers.]

Who the hell even knows. Technically, they really aren’t supposed to, but I guess if you get down to the basics, on some level it’s all the same.

[He straightens from where he’s been poking at one of said vehicles in question. It’s a little hard to do, all things considered, with one of his arms strapped to his chest in a sling the way the doctors had left it, and honestly, he probably looks like shit. He feels like shit, and he’s questioning whether he should honestly be driving with the drugs they’ve given him, but that’s neither here nor there.]

I take it you’ve never driven a car before.

((ooc: just as a note for my own purposes, i only really know the game up into the beginning of act 1 so i'm a beginner haha but always fun to learn canons through cr!))

noted on your game point! no spoilers here :)

[stonethrow]

( something about the approaching man worries gustave, and it's just the thing, really, for him to get out of his own head. here is an injured man, speaking a little more slurred than perhaps he realizes, and it spurs gustave into action, picking himself up from where he's sitting. )

I haven't, no. I was hoping the manual ( —which he has by now left on the ground with his other belongings— ) could offer some more technical advice than the very basics of it.

( but... more importantly... )

Are you alright? You are — stumbling a little.

( he reaches with his hands, hesitantly, just in case. )

❧ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋꜱ

[stonethrow]

Maelle!

( it's been a few hours, and gustave's general sense of being at peace in this place is nowhere to be found. he's constantly found in and around the blocks, calling out a couple of names, in intervals—maelle, lune, sciel—as if expecting to find someone. in fact, he needs to find them, and this 'maelle' with more insistence still. he knocks on doors of the different motels, annoyingly so, his left arm a dull metal echo against the furnishings of the place, until he's forcibly asked to please leave, he's disturbing others.

can one really be too mean to this desperate, sad-looking man? )

Merde...

( he grunts, as a sudden electric-sounding boom gives way to a power outage.

tiredly, he walks down the rest of the outer stairs down as tenants of the motel poke their heads out of their rooms and complain about the current state of affairs. the bile threatening to expel out of him upon his arrival feels like a constant in the pit of his stomach now, and he's sweating plenty under his expeditioner's coat. )

—hey, man. Nice arm.

( raising his gaze as he reaches the landing, a trio of hooligans approach him, eyeing his prosthetic arm. no such issues in lumiere, but here — well, it's not the first time someone has made a comment about his arm; some impressed, others interested in a way that he does not appreciate.

he grumbles, )

I don't have the time for this.

( or the emotional energy to respond accordingly. some help might be welcome, as gustave tries to assess the threat level of the trio. )

[unsunder]

Really? Are we going to do this here?

[ He just wanted to get out of the building for a bit, since it seems to be plunged into darkness for the foreseeable future. And now there’s a fight brewing, and it’s in his way, and he just absolutely does not want to deal with this.

At first glance, Emet-Selch does not look like he’ll be of much help, dressed in robes like he just stepped out of a theater performance… or a cult meeting. Or both. But he is here, and two against three is better than the alternative. ]

If you three have even an iota of care for your continued existence, I would suggest you leave.

[stonethrow]

( gustave can't help but squint at the man, a not-so-vague threat delivered with ease and without any seeming remorse. since arriving here, gustave may also be doing a little bit of gawking at anyone who seems any bit older than their 30s. it is certainly a new world. )

...isn't that a bit too much?

( he half mutters to himself, even as the trio turn towards emet-selch.

not that he isn't grateful for the unexpected aid! he just doesn't want to be caught into an unexpected fight, spurred into a bigger conflict because of incendiary words. genuinely, he's not picking sides, except his own. )

Iota? Whazzat?

( ah, alright. genuine idiots looking for an easy target. the trio, or at least two of them, feel a little uncertain now that there's a second person who stands straighter and with more confidence than the one they initially targeted. )

Just ignore them. They're already thinking of leaving.

( he hopes... )

MY BOY (I am being so vague in this tag okok bc canon points)

[foretells]

[ She's almost certain she was hearing someone calling her name. But that can't be right, because it sounds like...

No. Got to be imagining it. She's come this far with her little car and hasn't run into a single one of her friends - no flags, no recording logs, nothing. As much as Sciel holds on, holds on so tightly for tomorrow, the absence is something she's also all-too-familiar with, and while she doesn't choose to embrace it, she shoulders it like an old bag and keeps moving. Has to, really.

Sciel is no stranger to the dark and, frankly, doesn't fear it - and doesn't fear what may lurk within it. Not anymore. That's not true of anyone else, though, and she ducks down the hall, calling out, Hey, you okay?, to anyone close by, checking rooms. Some people respond; others don't. It is what it is. She's heading back out and onto the (rickety) fire escape through her window just to see if she can get a better vantage point of what's what...and wouldn't you know it, something's happening below.

Something's happening to someone very familiar.

She doesn't know what overtakes her first, even as she's clomping down the fire escape to the beat of her thundering heart, eyes wide. And on the last set of steps? ]

Yoohoo, bonjour, mon ami. [ Not to Gustave but to the three closing in. Her smile is a crooked, funny thing. ] It's a bit rude to bother my friend.

MON AMIE

[stonethrow]

( gustave's heart thunders, too, upon hearing a most familiar and welcome voice, but for exactly the opposite reason to sciel's own. relief floods his veins, shoulders relax, and there's a visible shift in how he carries himself, feeling lighter. )

I would say it is very rude and not just a bit.

( he grins up at her as she makes a truly sciel-like entrance.

one would never imagine what she's been through, and that's something that gustave earnestly respects, earnestly admires. how proud he is of his dear friend, of someone so close to his heart.

his bravado is back now, at least, and his relaxed stance eases into just seconds away from summoning his sword of choice. the trio seems a little more reticent now to do as planned, glancing between the two, like they're involved in an inside joke that they want nothing to do with.

very importantly, gustave adds, almost laughing, )

Bonjour, mon amie. You're a sight for sore eyes.

🚨🚨🚨clair obscur spoilers🚨🚨🚨

[reverso]

[There's never a good time for a blackout, is there? And yet the fortune of good timing is on Verso's side in one way since he's heard the voice of a man calling out for rather familiar names. It's made his stomach clench, the thoughts of the impossibility of this world and his existence in it once more dredged up in his mind. Feeling as though they might choke him.

He moves his feet. Through the darkened halls into the part of the building that remains at least dimly lit for now, pushed by a strange tension coiling inside of him, only to find the source of what he's looking for. A man dressed in an Expeditioner's uniform. A man he's seen before.

Gustave.]

...What?

[It would be more helpful to do more than gawk, and of course Verso might shake himself out of this surreal and jarring revelation in a moment or two, but surely these hooligans will be kind enough to give him that much before he decides to properly step in?

Probably not.]

[stonethrow]

( verso just about makes it outside enough to fall into the line of sight of one of the trio, who elbows the leader of the group, pointing at him. their attention shifts from gustave, in front of them, to verso, to their right. they grin and snicker to themselves, a plan forming in their minds.

maybe verso looks like an easier target, or one they can take on? it should be insulting.

—or at least that's what gustave figures. )

No, no, ( he says in a tiny burst of air, stepping closer; oh, verso will hate this, how gustave steps in for his sake— ) leave him out of this. You want my arm, don't you?

[vilebled]

[ The explosion was...sudden. This place has been full of surprises since her timely arrival and she's still getting used to the stark differences in available technology. But the aura of the world--something about it is hauntingly familiar in ways she does not want to explore. (No, she's been there already...down that dark road of discovery.)

Still, she has her composure. Maria descends the short stairs, pausing only part way as she sees some sort of brawl brewing amongst the other rattle residents. Icy eyes flit between a dark-haired man and a group of--what would she call them. Troublemakers? They walk with the sort of intent one has to cause damage--Maria makes her decision quick.

She steps down calmly so that she finds her space on the landing not far from him. She's tall for a woman in most worlds, standing well over six feet, and levels her gaze on the trio. Her voice is surprisingly soft despite her demeanor, quiet but commanding with a Slavic tinge. ]

It would be best for all of us to move on.

[stonethrow]

( gustave would be the first to say he is not expecting any kind of assistance whatsoever, not for himself, and especially not by others. so focused has he been on his very particular mission of finding his friends and companions, that he's barely even given it thought that others, here, would find the time and breath to give him aid.

she definitely stands tall and imposing, and while gustave's response is to just about tense up at the uncertainty (—at some vague familiarities—), the trio of (truth-be-told young) 'troublemakers' glance at the approaching woman with slightly more worry. )

I assure you that I can look after myself—

( he says as much, when one of the trio lunges forward, throwing a stray punch towards him. he blocks it, just in time, with his left arm. gustave feels nothing, but the attacker does, wincing in pain and holding onto his hand.

gustave shakes his head. )

Please, leave now.

( the trio is already mostly cowering, and they haven't done much of anything... suppose an intimidatingly tall woman does wonders to ones street cred. )

[virtuose]

[If hearing her name being called out in the streets wasn't enough to make her stand at attention, the voice behind it certainly does the job.]

It can't be. Gustave?

[Stopping her in her tracks, she twirls as she tries to pinpoint the source. Her heart thunders in her chest, in both surprise and disbelief. There were already so many unanswered questions about this place, but to add something like this? Hearing his voice? Surely she was delusional, brought about by the back-to-back shock of the last couple of hours.

But upon hearing the voice again, this time calling out to Lune and Sciel, Maelle finds herself racing towards it, moving as fast as her legs can carry her. She didn't care if it was some kind of trick. For now, the least she could do was to see him with her own eyes, and, by the sound of it, he can't be that far.

When she finds Gustave, the trio close in on him, reaching for what she can only assume are weapons. Coming up from behind them, she brandishes her rapier, arm and blade extended towards the closest of the three.]

I can't leave you alone for a minute. [She looks towards Gustave, offering the quickest, faintest smile, before shifting her focus to the three.] How about we even the odds a little?

[stonethrow]

( to think that only until a few moments ago he had thought this day a wash, once again with no maelle (or lune or sciel) to be found, and now he sees the familiar fiery head of his most important person. her name comes out of him in a breath, relieved, and her words only serve to turn his frown onto a smile—a genuine one.

even with the possibility of being attacked. )

Don't switch roles now. I'm the adult here.

( gustave says, bemused, as she wields her rapier. without a thought, he summons, too, his sword, and stands ready, shoulder pulled back, sword at his waist.

the trio bunch up together, not having expected swords. )

—just knock them out, Maelle.

( he'll let her call go. )

u know whereabouts i am re: spoilers

[diplomatiste]

[ Upon the joint commotion of the power going out and shouts being heard across the hall outside of the room he shares with his sister, Alphinaud takes it upon himself to do a little light investigating. There's a man a few doors down being harassed by a group of imposing thugs, and while he can't tell if the altercation will lead to violence, he does surmise that it's an unfair fight to begin with — three against one.

He would prefer not to act on impulse the way that Alisaie does, but sometimes a situation really does call for it. It's what the Warrior of Light would do too, and Alphinaud does think the world of them.

Well, here goes nothing.

He steps forward, a book in hand, and looks from the men to Gustave then back again. ]

I'm quite certain there's a better way to solve this problem, gentlemen.

surely this is a fantastic idea

[littlemushroom]

[[This was not where An Zhe had meant to be. His room was in the other blocks, but he'd taken one too many wrong turns. Panorama was much more confusing than the Main City he was somewhat used to, so his grasp on directions was bare bones at best.

So was his grasp on driving, even on the sunniest of days. And at night? An Zhe did not drive at night.

Except for right now, when they were plunged into the darkest the city had been.

So it was actually entirely by accident that the world's smallest truck-kun was suddenly plowing straight into the trio.

haha oops]]