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

⇅ Top

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

⇅ Top

©

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

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.

I pull up the english to french part of google lmao

[foretells]

And you as well.

[ She's finally down on the ground now, striding up towards Gustave. Her heart hitches in her chest as she goes, fluttering terribly with relief. It's almost enough to distract her from the moment and from the real threat of danger, but her gaze flicks from Gustave to their new acquaintances with something edging into intrigue. And worry. ]

Ooh, but maybe they were just trying to help. It might be a simple misunderstanding.

[ Sciel hadn't been a teacher for overly long but that tone is there, like a parent trying to offer a child an out. The three of them could walk away now and there won't be repercussions. But if they want to press a bit further, there will be trouble.

They're not going to touch him if she has any say about it.

One of them looks like maybe he wants to back off. But the first one just gives her an incredulous look. 'What is wrong with you?' he asks, and he's pulling out what looks to be a long blade, made from scrap and sharpened to a deadly point.

Sciel smiles. ]

Maybe not, then. That's okay.

[ She's up for a beatdown. ]

all of us fr lmao

[stonethrow]

( the thing about sciel is her charm. even in the worst of situations, she will always bear a smile and humor, others first, and then her own well-being. it's probably because of that why—for as long as he's known her—gustave has always kept close to her, as best as he could, especially after what had happened.

so, given this, he lets her lead, and finds the expected response.

amused, he meets her green eyes. )

I don't think they like you or I very much.

( a familiar swathe of chroma broils on his right hand, his sword appearing; a long blade for a long blade, but gustave is personally quite fond of the reach of sciel's scythe. )

Ne les tuons pas, ( let's not kill them ) we don't want this to be an unnecessary problem for us later.

( he will follow her lead, as it were, for the appearance of gustave's sword and a different language spoken has made the trio a little more alarmed and frantic, so it's best to catch their intentions first than go in blind. )

[foretells]

It's not particularly nice, is it? S'not like I've done anything. You might've, but--

[ All right, that's a bit too much teasing. Gustave doesn't upset people intentionally, after all. And if he says not to kill them...well, then that's all there is to it. (Until they've done real harm, then all bets are off.)

If Gustave is hoping for Sciel's scythe, however, he will be...gravely disappointed. While she shifts her right leg back as if to slide into stance, it's her cards that appear in her hand. The sight of a materializing sword actually gives Gustave's bullies quite a bit of pause. The cards, though? One of them looks like he's rethinking whatever he's had for dinner tonight, because surely he's seeing things? ]

Sure. Won't leave any problems if everyone behaves.

[ 'Behaving' isn't in anyone's vocabulary tonight, though. All three start to advance. And in warning, she throws two of her cards, which 'shatter' on impact like a shot. One of them staggers back, more startled than harmed; the other yelps on impact.

The third is going for Gustave. ]

[stonethrow]

( he certainly expected her scythe, but her cards are just as good, especially when she manages to imbue them with her own spellcasting. gustave worries not for her actions, knowing sciel won't miss, and instead focuses on the third man who charges at him.

with an easy swing of his sword, gustave manages to stun the man with a heavy blow from the flat side of his blade. it hurts so much more than sciel's shattering cards, and the man, the leader, falls onto his back, stunned. when he doesn't respond, the other two glance up at gustave, then sciel, then back at gustave and his sword.

all gustave does is offer a crooked smile, raising his arms in a shrug.

it takes no time at all for the three to abscond, the two on their feet dragging their 'boss' away, shouting insult to both expeditioners. gustave dismisses his sword, turning towards sciel. )

...you know, I had it all under control.

( (he is barely able to keep under control the urge to rush to her and embrace her.) )

I'm doing it you can't stop me (also spoils start here even if they're just implied)

[foretells]

[ Her foot's slid back already, like she's ready to jump right into the fray despite missing her scythe. Doesn't matter what she's lacking, frankly; if she needs to, she'll go in with her fists, whatever it takes. Her fingers are holding another handful of cards, waiting for their assailants to make their decisions.

But they're already grabbing up their friend and making a beeline out, and the relief is palpable. The cards are banished from her fingers as she turns towards Gustave. And for a moment, she just...needs to look at him.

Really needs to look at him. To memorize him.

And then she's closing the distance to throw her arms around him. For a fleeting few seconds, her face is buried in his shoulder, letting the crushed leather stop her eyes from stinging. When she pulls back just enough to look at him, Sciel's grin is wide and broad. ]

I know, I know. But I love to jump in to things, yeah?

[ And all the better to know it was for a good cause: to be by his side and to help. She squeezes him and claps his shoulder. ]

You get here all right? I looked for everyone. Maelle, Lune... [ Verso, Monocco. Even Esquie. ] But when I didn't see anyone, didn't see any flags, I didn't know what to think.

sciel here ruining his cool guy persona !!SPOILERS LOOK AWAY!!

[stonethrow]

( having sciel throw her arms around him is a balm to his soul at a time like this. he had been running on empty, feeling a clawing desperation drag him down again; perhaps the sight of other people, albeit strangers, made him a little more resilient than what he had been upon first landing on the continent. he holds her tightly against him, grateful.

and completely unawares of what turmoil and truth sciel is hiding so well underneath her mask. he's none-the-wiser, as she grins.

a little abashed, he gazes away, though her words do manage to make him smile; his hands still on her, at her sides, as if not wanting to part from this connection just yet. )

Well, truth be told, I'm glad you did. ( jump in, that is. ) Thank you.

( but that's enough of that, and he draws back, letting her have her space. though sciel seems like she wants to keep close, regardless. maybe it's the darkness? he keeps a hand on hers, as to not lose track of one another. )

I think it's fair to say that this isn't the Continent. I've been— ( he laughs softly, because duh ) I've been looking for all of you. Now that you found me ( BECAUSE SHE DID ) I want to believe that Maelle and Lune are here, too.

is the cool guy persona in the room with us... (also cw: implied thoughts of death woops)

[foretells]

[ He's warm. Stars, he's warm and he's real, and that's all she needs for that momentary respite. She isn't alone anymore. Gustave's right here. And while Sciel's always known it would be all right if something might happen to her, the relief is palpable in those moments she's pressed against him, and she can only stuff it away as much as she can when they part. But he's got her by the hand, and that brings another smile to her face, enough to split into a grin. ]

I've got you, you know that. And you've got me.

[ The words cut in her mouth. She swallows the dagger and says nothing. She does have him; Gustave's always been there for her. Things have changed but nothing's changed, like the stars: some nights you see them, some nights you don't, but the love is still there. It doesn't go anywhere even if it's not visible.

He draws her attention back to the others, and she nods. ]

It wouldn't be off the mark. I tried to wait around as long as I could at the, uh-- [ Car depot. ] The loan place. But I didn't want to be too far behind if everyone had gone ahead. And I imagine they've got the same logic as me. I know Lune would.

[ Lune wouldn't wait; she'd go on ahead to the next town, especially if it's a central hub like this. Maelle... Probably would too, if she couldn't find anyone else. She can't say what Verso would do. Probably keep going. ]

They've got to be around here somewhere. And if they aren't...we should try scouting just around the city when it's light. Maybe make a marker for them.

:'(

[stonethrow]

( her words are a balm, and he is fully aware that she certainly knows it. gustave is a man with many flaws, despite his efforts to be better, and given how long he and sciel have known each other, the pains they have gone through over the years and leaned on each other for help, it's truly unsurprising how much her saying that they've got each other means to him.

hand firmly holding onto hers, he hears about what she went through, and how she expects the others to have reacted to being in a new place. it makes him feel better, because it's true: lune would make it here as soon as possible, stubborn as she is, and maelle would find her way into the city, too.

he really hates the thought that they might have missed any of them back at the car depot. )

Maybe I should get myself in more trouble and they might come out of the shadows just like you have.

( he makes this joke at his own expense, then smiles. )

It's not a bad idea. I have this ... phone, they called it. Perhaps we can make use of it. ( but— he glances back towards the motel beside them. ) It's back in my room, though.

[foretells]

[ Sciel...laughs. It's a free sound, short and quiet, but it's no less vocal. She bumps arms with Gustave as they walk. ]

If you want, I can definitely hide somewhere. Make it look really convincing that you're all by your lonesome. I bet if you shout, Maelle will come running.

[ It's a whimsical thought, just a little too silly. She remembers that day on the beach, everyone shouting. The screaming. The sounds of Nevrons. And she remembers when she finally got away, how when she called out, no one heard her. Some part of her body still thinks that'll happen here; that if they aren't cautious, they'll turn the corner and run right into something truly horrific.

But it's...strange. There's not been a single Nevron in sight. And as much as she delights in the reprieve, it feels uncomfortable too. Like she's going to grow complacent the longer they're here. ]

Yeah, phone. Probably a better idea than leaving you out like bait for more robbers. [ She pulls him along, back to the building. ] Which room's yours?

[stonethrow]

Ah, would she really...

( he jests, because gustave knows that the young charge of his would probably roll her eyes at him. there's a secret he keeps, of a distinctive scar on his chest that still aches, from when chroma pierced so horrifically close to his heart, the imminent tick-tock of death.

her hands feel warm on his arm, as he pulls her along, and it's something that he relishes.

gustave nods, going along with her 'plan', taking on to guiding her down the hallway once they make it to a familiar part of the building. )

Just down the hall. It's messy, but I promise it was like that when I got it.

[foretells]

How bad can it be?

[ Sciel very obviously rolls her eyes to all of that - to the comment about Maelle and otherwise. It's purposely dramatic to give him every indication that 1) he is being quite silly and 2) that he has nothing to worry about, not with her. So what if the room is a mess? Hers is no different.

And beneath the smile, too many thoughts. Her eyes scan the hallway discreetly, considering things. Finding the same discoloration in the walls, the poor structure. Her heart twists to look at it, to look at the families crammed in here like they are. While Sciel would love to return home as quick as possible--

It doesn't feel right. Her voice is quiet, like she's imparting a secret. ]

I don't know what we're supposed to do, you know. Dropped here like this.

[stonethrow]

( their lives have always boiled down to certainties. there was the certainty of a looming death, for one, suffocating as it was. but there were other nicer certainties, like having goals, the power in working together, creating for the benefit of all. there were certainly still uncertainties, but they were much less, in his mind.

for where there was certainty, there was a plan—there was a mission.

their mission. )

It puts a wrench on things, doesn't it?

( so far, it's two of them here, from what gustave has been able to find. that makes half of their expedition, and if maelle and lune are not here, they must be having a hard time. can't really expect esquie to stop being lazy and do the hard bits for them.

but gustave certainly understands what sciel is worried for.

down the hallway they go and, procuring a key from his pocket, he unlocks the door, opening it up and motioning sciel inside before him. )

I've been making some notes about this place. ( —he starts anew, once she's in, following her inside, and clicking the lights on, only to remember, right, the power outage. he makes a face and quickly goes to find a candle that the previous occupant had left behind, to light it with a match. ) Nothing too conclusive that I'd say is reliable, but we need to start somewhere.

( to understand their current situation.

the candle, once lit, he brings to the small table, one hand wrapped around the flame so that it doesn't go out. as he lets it settle, gustave asks, )

...what is it you remember last?

hoo boy spoilers againnnn

[foretells]

It sure does.

[ Gustave's presence puts a wrench in things, but she wouldn't change it for the world. It blossoms into something traitorous like hope, like wanting, and she knows how fruitless that might be. What if he vanishes from her hand right now, into a flurry of petals? Will she follow him? Or will she be left without any evidence he'd been beside her in the first place?

Too much darkness exists in those thoughts. Without the certainty of a goal, a path, it's easy to drift along the fringes of what should be.

Sciel makes a little sound in her throat - it's a laugh, actually, but in that tenderly exasperated way she gets with him. Of course he's taking notes. No wonder he and Lune are so close.

And when he settles on his question, her fingers flex instinctively. The warmth of his hand is gone. It's better that way, that he doesn't know just from that alone. And, quietly, she tells him the truth: ]

We made it to the Monolith, Gustave.

[ And she lets that hang in the air for him. ]