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TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025
Test Drive ∞ May 2025
The First Collision
The Diadem is an invite-only panfandom game set in a retro-futuristic world where uprooted souls find themselves deep within an eerie wasteland of roads and highways frequently assailed by cosmic storms. Three united strongholds keep the population. Its capital is Panorama, a large metropolis at the planet's center.
Soon, you realize you aren't alone. Calling themselves fluxdrifts, the "locals" have similar stories to you, either for themselves or their ancestry. You speak to an old woman who claims she hailed from another star. You meet a young man who says his great-great-grandfather knew a strange language everybody spoke "back home." As you explore, you stumble across a coin you recognize or your sister's locket. How did it get here? What does this mean? That's for you to discover.
But first, you need to find a ride.
Soon, you realize you aren't alone. Calling themselves fluxdrifts, the "locals" have similar stories to you, either for themselves or their ancestry. You speak to an old woman who claims she hailed from another star. You meet a young man who says his great-great-grandfather knew a strange language everybody spoke "back home." As you explore, you stumble across a coin you recognize or your sister's locket. How did it get here? What does this mean? That's for you to discover.
But first, you need to find a ride.
No invites needed to play on the TDM. Everyone's welcome! Use the Invite Request thread below to request an invite from another player.
∞ Summary ∞
IC-wise, arrivals are scattered throughout the month. Events described on the TDM are also ongoing throughout the month. If you'd rather jump right into the action, you're free to begin in media res with your character having already been on the planet for several days.
Post-impact, characters will wake up in a med tent by the Scrapyard. From there, they must accept a vehicle on loan and make the 2-hour drive to the nearest city, Panorama. If they refuse the car because they don't want the loan, they'll be in debt for medical bills instead...so just take the car. It'll come in handy.
Some things to keep in mind when bringing in your character:
TDM threads can be canon if characters are accepted. Top-levels made to the TDM should be open to all.
Post-impact, characters will wake up in a med tent by the Scrapyard. From there, they must accept a vehicle on loan and make the 2-hour drive to the nearest city, Panorama. If they refuse the car because they don't want the loan, they'll be in debt for medical bills instead...so just take the car. It'll come in handy.
Some things to keep in mind when bringing in your character:
- Pick an injury. At minimum, they got knocked out; at most, whatever they can recover from. Medicine is decently advanced so they'll heal faster if not painlessly.
- Decide items kept. Reasonable items on their person only: photos, keys, clothes, costumes. No pets or animal companions. Wildly out-of-place tech and personal cell phones will be damaged beyond repair.
- Select a weapon. Do this only if eligible. Guidelines about weapons and powers are on the FAQ.
- Choose a vehicle. Decide whether your character gets 2-3 options or if they're stuck with something they hate. Players can pick directly from our collection or source their own images. Anything under a similar aesthetic will work. If your character needs accommodations for driving, they can have them. Ask us for details.
- Get a phone. Characters have to obtain a phone (and a SIM card) themselves. If they've got one from home, it's damaged beyond repair. Phones are cheap. It'll only take a couple of weeks to afford one. You need to know the number before you text or call anyone. Read about phones and the Forum before you hop on it.
TDM threads can be canon if characters are accepted. Top-levels made to the TDM should be open to all.
Fluxdrift
Arrival & Introduction
Date: Throughout May
You've tumbled over a cliff. You were fighting for your life. You're on the cusp of death. You slipped in the shower. Whatever the catalyst, you struggle to cling to consciousness. As darkness overtakes you, a swirling vortex warps light and shadow in a way that defies all physics. A dark wail etches into your very bones. You couldn't describe it if you tried. You can barely comprehend what it is.
Then you open your eyes.
Through the figure's mask ©, you swear the face is grinning down at you. The tent you're in smells of antiseptic, and scratchy blankets line your cot. Injuries you've sustained have been bandaged. In the corner, you spot a MedBot that's fixed you up. Depending on the extent of your injuries, the doctor on duty might give you some painkillers before you go. Thankfully, your belongings are by the exit. Sorry if anything's damaged. Your landing was pretty rough.
You follow the figure outside. They are Yom Crook, here to lend a hand to fellow fluxdrifts like yourself. Their car's parked beside them. Actually, there are lots of cars around, but Yom Crook's stands out with its painted shark mouth. They explain they found you, unconscious, in a diffusion zone and brought you here. The nearest city is a 2-hour drive northeast. Forget about walking. You'll never make it. Also, you owe the doctor a lot of money for patching you up. But you're in luck: they've got some wheels for you and if you accept the vehicle on loan, Yom Crook will cover your medical bills. That's a good deal, right? It's not the shiniest car or motorcycle, but it'll do. If fortune favors, you'll get to choose between two or three options. Plus, if you need accommodations to drive—like adjustments to your seat height or modified controls—you'll receive all that for free.
Take the vehicle. (And the loan.) Yom Crook assures you that you'll have six months before collectors come around. Any time you're ready to pay a part of it down, return here to the Scrapyard. You'll get a receipt and everything. Paying off the loan in six months isn't impossible, but it will take a lot of work. Just don't get too lax. There's a good chance you'll be juggling multiple loans as you try to get by.
You either know how to drive, or you'll have a bare-bones manual to get you started. Road rules are more a suggestion than enforced, so just hit the pedal and go. The car has some basic features. The built-in compass will help you navigate.
Through the figure's mask ©, you swear the face is grinning down at you. The tent you're in smells of antiseptic, and scratchy blankets line your cot. Injuries you've sustained have been bandaged. In the corner, you spot a MedBot that's fixed you up. Depending on the extent of your injuries, the doctor on duty might give you some painkillers before you go. Thankfully, your belongings are by the exit. Sorry if anything's damaged. Your landing was pretty rough.
You follow the figure outside. They are Yom Crook, here to lend a hand to fellow fluxdrifts like yourself. Their car's parked beside them. Actually, there are lots of cars around, but Yom Crook's stands out with its painted shark mouth. They explain they found you, unconscious, in a diffusion zone and brought you here. The nearest city is a 2-hour drive northeast. Forget about walking. You'll never make it. Also, you owe the doctor a lot of money for patching you up. But you're in luck: they've got some wheels for you and if you accept the vehicle on loan, Yom Crook will cover your medical bills. That's a good deal, right? It's not the shiniest car or motorcycle, but it'll do. If fortune favors, you'll get to choose between two or three options. Plus, if you need accommodations to drive—like adjustments to your seat height or modified controls—you'll receive all that for free.
Take the vehicle. (And the loan.) Yom Crook assures you that you'll have six months before collectors come around. Any time you're ready to pay a part of it down, return here to the Scrapyard. You'll get a receipt and everything. Paying off the loan in six months isn't impossible, but it will take a lot of work. Just don't get too lax. There's a good chance you'll be juggling multiple loans as you try to get by.
You either know how to drive, or you'll have a bare-bones manual to get you started. Road rules are more a suggestion than enforced, so just hit the pedal and go. The car has some basic features. The built-in compass will help you navigate.
OPTIONAL PROMPTS: a flat tire; a body on the road (is it a trap?); a fender bender
Panorama
Explore & Settle In
Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers
After 2 hours on the road, you find civilization. The largest of the strongholds, Panorama is where the economy thrives. Massive power plants glowing red make it visible from a distance. The city is divided into three districts. For now, you can access the Pavilion and the Blocks. Don't worry about the Sanctum; they're not letting you in.
You only need to know two things about Panorama: 1) it's big, the size of a modern metropolis, and you'll need your car to get around; 2) anything goes as long as you don't pick a fight with the wrong person. Street smarts will get you far. Despite its geographical size, the population isn't huge. With roughly a million people in a city designed for over twice that number, Panorama is far from deserted, but nor is it overcrowded. It's a good thing. Resources are limited as it is.
You only need to know two things about Panorama: 1) it's big, the size of a modern metropolis, and you'll need your car to get around; 2) anything goes as long as you don't pick a fight with the wrong person. Street smarts will get you far. Despite its geographical size, the population isn't huge. With roughly a million people in a city designed for over twice that number, Panorama is far from deserted, but nor is it overcrowded. It's a good thing. Resources are limited as it is.
The Pavilion: Free Samples
Like any large city, Panorama features a couple of supermarkets. The stock's not as consistent as a proper supermarket. On occasion, shelves can remain cleaned out for a week or two. Regardless, the long tradition of free samples remains. If you're not already shopping, you'll notice the crowded parking lot and clusters of lines inside.
Try samples, push through the crowds as you shop, or give yourself a five-finger discount. If you're cautious, you can pocket a few small items without consequences. The Pavillion doesn't have the infrastructure for surveillance; unless someone sees you, you won't be caught. Steal from the store or pilfer someone's wallet. Maybe you even make a new friend if you bump into another fluxdrift. Or, start a fight with somebody who cut you off in the cheese line. Don't make too much of a ruckus, or you'll be thrown out.
As you look around, you'll see posters advertising temporary positions for the cash register or graveyard shifts in the warehouse. Seems they might've lost several employees recently (how'd that happen?), which is good for you! It's just a 6-week position, but it'll get you on your feet. The city has temporary positions like this all over. Permanent ones are harder to come by when you're new.
Try samples, push through the crowds as you shop, or give yourself a five-finger discount. If you're cautious, you can pocket a few small items without consequences. The Pavillion doesn't have the infrastructure for surveillance; unless someone sees you, you won't be caught. Steal from the store or pilfer someone's wallet. Maybe you even make a new friend if you bump into another fluxdrift. Or, start a fight with somebody who cut you off in the cheese line. Don't make too much of a ruckus, or you'll be thrown out.
As you look around, you'll see posters advertising temporary positions for the cash register or graveyard shifts in the warehouse. Seems they might've lost several employees recently (how'd that happen?), which is good for you! It's just a 6-week position, but it'll get you on your feet. The city has temporary positions like this all over. Permanent ones are harder to come by when you're new.
Samples include: steamed cabbage dumplings, synthetic cherry juice, cheddar cheese, and chocolate-covered alien eggs (it's crunchy and weirdly tasty). They're served in the usual throwaway paper cups with little toothpicks.
The Blocks: Power Outage
Power's finicky in Panorama, especially in the Blocks. Saint Margery's Hospital, located in the same area, has priority for power so the first to go are the motels. Maybe you've been in your room for a couple of weeks, maybe you just got here—and by the way, every motel desk is happy to put the fee on your tab if you don't have the money upfront—but all the motels on the east side are in a blackout, leaving only the west side motels up and running.
What do you do? You have three choices:
What do you do? You have three choices:
- Risk leaving your room and head to the other side where there's power. Knock on some doors and negotiate with another to share the room. They might shut the door in your face, ask for a favor in return, or be nice enough to help you with no strings attached. There's no guarantee your unattended room will be untouched, though, and you'll be on the hook for any damages an intruder causes.
- Sit in the dark and deal. It's not the worst idea, but the TV's down, the vending machines are powered down, and with the entire place plunged into darkness, you risk getting robbed. If you struggle with defending yourself, you might want to find some trustworthy company. You can also sneak out of there and let them take your leftover pizza. It's not like you've got a ton of valuables, right? Plus, clobbering someone in the face with a frying pan sounds great until you realize you've gotta do something with the body. And what if this person's got a friend waiting?
- Get in your car and drive (or grab a friend for a road trip). If you scroll the Forum, you might notice reports on diffusion zones southward. Besides, these motels are hardly your forever home. The city can only provide so much. Why not go for a ride and see what you can find out there?
OPTIONAL PROMPTS: clean up on aisle 3 (what is that goo?); a knock at your door but no one's there; you hear screaming or a commotion down the hall
The Fringes
Quad 3: Lockdown
Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads
Felix Bjurstrom
> Date: 125-05-17
> Time: 02:15:57
> Emergency road lights have been reported in Quadrant 3! Please, can someone go see what's there? When last we chasers investigated emergency lights, a whole truck filled with sour candy had tipped over. Our stores were stocked for weeks! Oh, be careful - reception looks bad in that zone.
> Date: 125-05-17
> Time: 02:15:57
> Emergency road lights have been reported in Quadrant 3! Please, can someone go see what's there? When last we chasers investigated emergency lights, a whole truck filled with sour candy had tipped over. Our stores were stocked for weeks! Oh, be careful - reception looks bad in that zone.
Through the open windows, a computer awakens and displays a cheerful smile. The lights inside switch on.
Pick your scenario role below. Your thread partner doesn't need to take the opposite role! They can join you in the same scenario (i.e. trapped together). Players are also free to create a generic NPC for the other side to facilitate the thread.
After characters escape, they'll find one bottle of antibiotics in their pocket or car, whether they remember taking it or not.
After characters escape, they'll find one bottle of antibiotics in their pocket or car, whether they remember taking it or not.
A: Sealed In
As you peer through the windows, you see crates of medicine floating around. Antibiotics in the diadem are valuable. Hospitals and doctors are always buying. You can keep it for yourself or make a quick buck. Or maybe you're compelled to help somebody back in the city who's in need. Whatever the reason, you decide to take the risk and step inside.
Water splashes around your ankles. The lock buzzes behind you. If you try to break the windows, you discover they're unnaturally resistant to shattering. With the whole place locked tight, the water begins to churn. Then the computer lights up again.
Warning, it flashes in large, bold text. Quarantine in progress. Release code required for exit.
- To find the code, you'll have to search. Duck under the water, go through sopping envelopes and sticky notes or pick the locks on the filing cabinets and desk drawers. You can also try hacking the computers. Use your computer knowledge or fall back on the age-old trick of seeing who wrote down their password.
- The files, notepads, and emails start innocuous, but as you look through them, disturbing phrases jump out at you—a dark thought you've had or a cruel taunt from someone in your past. The longer you're fixed on the terrible words, the higher the water begins to rise. Only another can break you out of your trance.
- With the rising water comes fear. And the more you're afraid, the more the water also rises. You begin to see faces in the water, bobbing like balloon heads. Do you recognize them? If you move to take a closer look, they will sink back beneath the surface as if never there.
- If you manage to swallow your panic, you can eventually find a triple-laminated binder with the release code and instructions. Bad news: you need someone on the outside to punch in the 6 strange symbols in order. The instructions explain that the code panel is located at the back of the building.
B: Set Free
As you peer through the windows, you see not just the crates of medicine but someone trapped inside. They look like they might be in trouble, and from your vantage point, you notice that the water is bubbling strangely. It's definitely not normal rainwater. As you watch, the water rises unnaturally, stopping and starting. It's as if the water level is responding to an external stimulus.
- The glass is soundproof. You can't hear what the person inside is saying, so you'll have to communicate with each other another way. Try charades, typing on your phone, or whatever you think of. Eventually, you determine that they're stuck and that you need to enter some sort of code onto a pad located—according to your trapped partner—at the back of the building.
- Around the back, shadows swallow your surroundings. The panel must be pried open, but a slippery substance makes it hard to get a good grip. Each time the substance touches you, you grow uneasy. You swear you see eyes watching you, though when you turn around, nothing's there.
- You can't seem to keep the instructions in your mind. And those symbols...they burn into your retinas. Through them, you glimpse an incomprehensibly massive figure unfurling in the darkness, pulsing as if in a deep sleep. When you snap back to reality, you realize you've injured yourself, slicing your hand on a sharp edge or a bruise you can't remember getting.
- Once you manage to release the doors, the water inside the office drains upward into the sky as though sucked out by a giant hose. The darkness spreads. Get out of there fast before the shadows drag you or your partner into the void.
Main Navigation ::: ⇅
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Rune Saint John | The Tarot Sequence (will match style!)
The pain is unreal. Rune loses track of what is happening. Shouts, orders, the sound of chairs being flung out of the way. He sees Addam appear and go for Anna, his hands already simmering with Healing spells. He hears Brand's panicked voice, "Hold on, he's coming for you next, oh fuck Rune, oh fuck." He tries to turn to look at his shoulder but his body screams in protest, the flesh feeling like it's being fried from the bone. No, it is, he can smell it.
"It's rainfire!" Corinne's voice now, as she grabs him, kicking the back of his knees and throwing him to the ground. "It sinks with gravity-- turn him around, turn him around, before it burrows to his heart!"
He feels himself being manhandled facedown, Brand's strong and capable hands fastened tight on his uninjured shoulder. Catches the sight of orange droplets, falling to the stone below.
His eyes close --
-- and open, to find himself face-to-face with an unfamiliar mask.
Panic spills to the forefront of Rune’s thoughts, before he realizes he does not recognize this face. This mask. (Why are there always masks?) Searing pain through the arm strapped to his chest brings him back into the here and now, and a doctor hovers into view, who fusses over what appears to be a burn on his arm before offering him a further dose of painkillers and, after a moment’s hesitation, the bottle. Rune doesn’t bother arguing — he has no idea what spells he has stored in his sigils, or whether… No, a quick pat-down tells him no one’s taken anything, which is at least something of a relief.
After a few more rounds, the doctor is satisfied enough with Rune’s status to release him — and Rune is too tired and drugged to argue otherwise. He just needs to get out of here and figure out where Brand and Addam have gone, what the hell happened with that girl, and. Gods, Anna, is Anna alright?
Stumbling out the door, he has every intention of doing just that. But then he comes face to face with a man — a man apparently named Yom Crook. A man who explains that he has been found here in this place. In the diffusion zone. Something about ‘fluxdrifts’, although by this point Rune’s brain has started to check out as his mind races to make sense of what he’s hearing. That is, right up until the moment when the man tells him that the car parked beside him is for him, offering to wave his medical bill if he’ll take it on a loan.
Rune blinks at the man. At the car. He turns to glance back at the medical bay he’s just come out of, then back at Yom.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me—“
THE ROAD
Rune sets off on the road almost as soon as the keys are in his hand. He’s not about to give that Yom guy a reason to doubt his choice of giving him this car, sight unseen. Even if the SUV is a bit outdated, the sad thing is that it’s nicer than his beat-up old Saturn back home, and a little voice in the back of his head that sounds a lot like Brand tells him it’ll handle way better off-road, should things come to that.
What he doesn’t consider until about half an hour into the drive is that he’s down an arm and he’s got some serious painkillers on board and no Healing spells stored to fix this problem quickly. About the third time he blinks and finds himself a few more feet down the road than he anticipated being instead, Rune pulls the car off to the shoulder of the road and slows to a stop. Leaning forward, he rests his forehead on the steering wheel with a groan, as much because the movement pulls at his injured arm in a way that does not feel good as because he has no idea what the hell he is doing, or what he is doing here, or what he’s going to do, and he is well and truly fucked.
He’s still leaning against the steering wheel, wondering whether he should just try sleeping it off before starting the drive again, when a knock on the window nearly gives him a heart attack. Slipping off the edge of the wheel, he hits the horn, swearing as he wrenches his bad shoulder, clutching his arm in its sling as he spins to face the window, heart racing…
PANORAMA
Rune has finally made his way to the city, and finally found himself a place to stay. He’s managed to rustle himself up something for dinner that appears edible, and the hotel bed doesn’t seem like it’s about to give him any immediate diseases. With the TV on some random show and down to a low hum, it’s almost cozy? As he gingerly settles down with his takeaway carton in his lap — the motion still awkward given the fact that he is down one arm — he takes stock of the situation. Maybe, with a little food in his system and a little more sleep, he can spend some time recharging his sigils. He really needs to stock up on at least a few Healing spells, all things considered. It’s going to be hard here without a Sanctum, but maybe if he can just maintain his meditation for long enough…
He raises his fork to his mouth, trying to convince himself that this isn’t so bad. He’s been through worse, right? Technically, he’s been through a lot worse. He certainly didn’t have a sanctum of his own back then. He definitely didn’t have sigils of his own until he foraged them from the wreckage of the life he had known. This isn’t so bad, this is—
The room around him is plunged in darkness, the television going dead, as if Fate has heard his thoughts and chosen to laugh in his face.
“Motherfucker,” Rune murmurs under his breath, before whispering a cantrip, a soft golden ball of light appearing above his head. Counting to ten, Rune’s hopes and dreams that the electricity might return sooner rather than later are dashed, and he lets out a soft sigh of resignation. He’s just about to continue about his business when he hears what decidedly sounds like a scream, not far beyond the closed door of his room.
Because of course. Setting his takeout to the side for now, Rune heads to the door and pokes his head out into the hallway, sending his light cantrip to hover just beyond the open door.
“Hello? Is everyone alright?”
The Road
"Hello!" He says through the window. "I saw you were pulled over and wanted to see if you were okay." The road he thinks is mostly safe but people don't pull over very often. He's been driving slower than everyone else so stayed to the side, but he's not super sure that stopping is a good idea. He might get in trouble if he's in someone's way or they could accidentally hit him.
"I wouldn't be much help if you weren't because I don't know how cars work, but I thought I could ask." Jack has driven twice in his life so he has no engineering experience but he would at the very least attempt. He does have electrical powers so he could give the car a jump if that's what he needed.
no subject
Well. Usually he had Brand. No. He’s always had Brand. Waking up here without him?
He recognizes that he’s probably in shock. That there are probably a number of other words that adequately describe the emotions Rune is feeling right now as well. But he also recognizes that if he doesn’t at least minimally get his shit together then he’s going to get himself killed, or worse.
“Uh, hi,” he manages. Through the glass of the window, which in retrospect is not terribly friendly of him, considering this kid did pull over to check that he was alright.
He blinks.
“Shit, sorry, here.” Reaching out, he tugs the door open, which is at least somewhat more polite (in his mind) than rolling down the window. His bad arm, currently strapped to his chest in the sling the doctors made for him, is probably easier to see this way too. “I, uh. Have been better, but that’s not really the car’s fault.”
no subject
It seems like the right thing to do. He was supposed to technically not try to tell everyone what he is, he's been hiding his powers since he was born (a few years ago), but he really can't help it when there are reasons for him to use them for others. All he's ever wanted was to do good, and when it's in front of him, he grasps it.
Jack at first glance is an ordinary person. Average height and size, an earnest and kind face, and seemingly human. But underneath is the kind of power that could do a whole lot of damage ... or good. He is the type of person who stops to check people and heals them. And this man looks very damaged. There is something wrong with him, he can see it. He looks unwell, even outside of the arm.
"It's going to be okay," he says, impulsively. "I can help you."
no subject
Rune turns to the boy and takes a closer look at him, intentionally sensing with his Willpower what he had not noticed before. There’s something strong here, behind those seemingly innocent, innocuous blue eyes. Honestly, the flavor of the power is completely different — something bright, like a pure white light, something he’s never seen before — but the vibe he’s reading off the kid strangely reminds him of Quinn, which honestly sets him at ease, whether or not it should. Is this kid a prophet too, he wonders?
Man. Quinn. Addam. Max and the kids. The attack on Sun House — they’re fine right? They have to be alright. It was only one woman, and Brand is there. Diana, his new seneschal. It’ll be okay. It’s going to be okay. Even not-Quinn says so.
Rune takes in a deep breath.
“Uh, actually,” he says, with something of a self-conscious twist of his lips, “if you don’t mind, that would be a big help. I wasn’t expecting — well. Any of this, to be honest, and it’s gonna take me hours to get a Healing spell stored up otherwise.” At least. It’s damned inconvenient that he’s probably going to be operating without a Sanctum for the next River knows how long.
no subject
"Of course. I understand. I didn't expect any of this either." He's brand new on his way to the city, just like Rune. He's not supposed to use his powers frequently around new people but this is a whole other world, he thinks it's important that he does to help others. Jack reaches out and puts a hand on Rune's shoulder very gently. He doesn't want to hurt him. A white glow surrounds the wound and lights up Jack's eyes at the same time, knitting Rune's flesh back together, and it feels like heat is seeping into it. Not painful, just strange.
It's quick too, only a few seconds to make certain that the burn has faded, and Jack pulls his hand back. Angelic healing is powerful. His eyes are still glowing from the use of them but he smiles warmly, trying to appear less like a threat. He's used to people balking when they look at him.
"That should help."
no subject
Besides that, though, he can't help but notice the kid's eyes, which glow with a sort of warmth that Rune's never seen on anyone else before. Well. Not anyone but one of his people. His Court, and well. Himself.
For a moment, Rune does balk, before he shakes himself out of it and reaches out to put his free hand on the younger man's arm.
"Wait -- wait! Your eyes..." He searches his face for a long moment. He doesn't recognize him from anywhere on the island, but the way his eyes had glowed has to mean something, doesn't it? "Who are you?"
no subject
"I'm Jack." It's a simple enough answer but his eyebrows furrow as he considers what else to say. It's clear that he's not human and his new friend can tell that, he saw the healing and the glowing eyes. He doesn't know what universe they're in or his grandfather sent him here on purpose, so he considers what else to say, before deciding.
"I'm half-angel. My eyes glow like that when I use my powers." At least this time it's with healing, which makes him a helper of humanity, not when he accidentally uses his powers to blow up things. Or turn people into dust. That he's hoping he won't be doing any time soon.
no subject
"Oh," he says, stupidly. He blinks for a moment, collecting himself, before he holds his hand out to the younger boy.
"I'm Rune," he says. "I'm... an Atlantean. And I..." He hesitates for a moment, before calling on the power of his Aspect. His own eyes begin to glow, although less with the holy light Jack's had done than with the burning power of the Sun. If Jack looks closely, he can see that Rune's eyes quite literally are on fire. He only lets them burn for a few moments before squeezing them shut tamping his powers down. Honestly, it hurts a little. He's surprised he doesn't burn his eyelashes off every time it happens. "I guess you could say we have something in common."
no subject
Jack looks very closely at Rune's eyes and he smiles, delighted, at the flames that he saw there. Jack's eyes are more light-based than fire, but he can see the similarity all the same and it's pleasing. He always feels so strange and other to the world, there are no other Nephilim like him, and while Rune is not one, it's still nice to meet someone who is different. He's not likely to be afraid of Jack like everyone else if he too has power.
"Can all Atlanteans use fire like that? I can create fire too but I don't use it very often." The last time he used it was to burn a man alive from the inside so he really is trying to avoid doing that again. It was a brutal death and indicative of how much Jack was going down a dark path. But he is considering training to be better at it.
no subject
"Something like that," he says, with the quirk of his lips. "Technically I'm from New Atlantis, though. Since, well. As you said, the old city fell." There was a war, well over a century ago, before Rune's time himself, but it's been ingrained in him for as long as he can remember. Atlantean history. His history.
As for the fire...
"I, uh," he says, a bit hesitant to give too much information away too quickly but then again, what's the worst that can happen in a place like this? "Not everyone, no. I'm a member of the Arcana, the ruling class of New Atlantis, and that fire trick is connected to my Aspect. It's... A physical manifestation of my power, I guess. Most people outside the Arcana don't have one." He hesitates again, before, "They can do cantrips though. Like this." He lifts a hand and calls a small, golden ball of light into existence that floats lazily above his palm.
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"The arcana, I've heard that term, it usually means magic." Arcana tarot cards, obviously, but the arcane itself, he's done magic. He knows a powerful witch who uses the arcane. So it sounds like his new friend might be a wizard or a mage, he doesn't know what term is more appropriate. Witch is the more common term for magic users that he knows.
"The ruling class. Are you a prince?" That would be exciting. He knows Princes of Hell, but that is the worst case in this situation. A royal is interesting to him, Jack loves fantasy novels that always have kings and queens in them.
Jack mirrors him and creates a ball of light in his own hand. It's more like a rippling ball of energy but it doubles as light. He creates fire in the other hand to show off. His eyes go golden again, glowing when he uses his gifts. He puts them both out by closing his fists. He's actually proud that he managed to control them so well when he's a little unstable at the moment.
"It's nice to meet someone who can do what I do. Even if we're different species!"
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“I, uh. Guess you could say that? We do have a mansion but it’s falling apart, like a real dumpster fire. You wouldn’t believe how much it costs for repairs, and that’s not even taking into account all the hauntings.” Most of which are you know. Former staff of his father’s or distant relations, but that’s neither here nor there.
“But I do have a seat on the Arcanum and technically I hold regular open court sessions…” He raises a hand and runs it through his hair. “I don’t know, it’s all kinda new for me.”
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"I think that means you're a prince!" He's met a prince of Atlantis, he hopes that he sees his fathers again soon so he can tell them that. He's willing to give the title and the crown to anyone if it means he's spoken to royalty like he's in Camelot.
"Oh hauntings? We have to deal with those too. My family helps set ghosts to rest and stops violent ones from hurting people." Jack finds ghosts pretty concerning, more so than the other monsters because usually his powers are very easy to use against monsters. He can kill them in a variety of ways. Ghosts though, they require very careful handling, and he's learned about it through experience. "Why are there so many hauntings?"
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ooc
arrival.
Now they're gone. And he's kinda back where he started years ago.
So it's a scant two days since he arrived that he goes riding back to the Scrapyard. Figures he'll scope it out some more, see what's there on the off-chance he needs to know in a pinch. Learn who all the junkers are.
He's turning a spark plug in his hand—not a bad idea to have a spare—when the cursing makes him glance up. He raises an eyebrow. New guy, huh? Logan doesn't say anything yet, but he's pretty clearly watching. ]
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Where the fuck is Brand? Or Addam? Are they alright? Corinne and Anna and the kids? Quinn had said something about a bomb, was there going to be a bomb? Gods -- he needed to calm down and take stock of things.
And moreover this car is way nicer than this "Scrapyard" was giving it credit, all things considered. His own car being a decade plus old Saturn sedan that is held together by duct tape and positive thinking, honestly this is a steal. The fact that they're just giving it out on a loan...
Yom wanders away to talk to some other poor bastard who just arrived and Rune tries to remember how to breathe. Tries to think of what Brand might do if he found himself in this sort of situation. Honestly, he'd probably just start stabbing people first and asking questions later so not really all that helpful.]
Fuck, okay. Okay, okay. ...Fuck!! [Rune takes a step back, glancing around the Scrapyard as if it will give him the answer to his next move -- and awkwardly meeting eyes with the man across the way, who seems to have Opinions about how Rune, a grown-ass man, is effectively losing it in the middle of a scrapyard of cars.
Fucking perfect.]
Uh. Hi. Hello. [He winces at that, and at himself in general.] Sorry, I. Today just really hasn't been my day.
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Hasn't been anyone's day.
[ He gets it. Let's just say he didn't wake up calm, either, but in his defence, nobody got stabbed and the only thing hurt was the robot. Which got back up after he kicked it. He's pretty sure it's fine. Whatever. They haven't chased him down for assaulting a machine so he figures he's off the hook.
He looks down at the man's new ride. Without asking, he pops the hood. Not bad. He's seen them hand out worse.
He closes the hood again. ] They tell you the way into town?
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At the question, he answers with a sort of one-shouldered shrug.]
Uh. Maybe? [To be honest he hadn't really been listening past the whole fluxdrift thing and the pounding of his heart that he can't feel Brand. Rune steels himself to sound like an idiot before he asks anyway:] Listen, have we been... Pulled out of the timeline?
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It's not a stupid question. 'Least, not to him it isn't. Just not one he knows how to answer. ]
Beats the hell outta me, bub. You ask me, we're not in any timeline I know of.
[ Which isn't many, but...alright, listen, he's no expert, okay? But the way the Professor explained it, if the plan worked or didn't work, or if things got better, worse—he was still gonna be on the same damn planet earth. Maybe New York would be under the ocean, maybe the world would've been swallowed by Sentinels and soldiers going mutant hunting through every corner, twice as bad as before, but the point is, there would've been a New York. At some point.
This? He doesn't know what the hell this is. And every time he tries to untangle it, he gets nowhere. This isn't his thing. The quantum physics or whatever. Shit, where's Beast when you need him? ]
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Shit. [He says, succinctly. He's got a bad feeling about this, but he doesn't know frankly if any of this has anything to do with what they've been dealing with, with Lady Jade, or if it's a whole separate and new crisis that's been thrown his way.
Taking in a deep breath, he tries to pull himself back together. It's not this guy's fault that every step seems to contain a new landmine these days. Or that Brand isn't here. That he can't feel Brand at all. Bile rises in his throat and he fights it down. He's not gonna think too hard about that one right now. Better if he focuses on the here and now and he can figure out the logistics of it all later.]
Right. Okay. Well. [He wets his lips, trying to think.] How far away is this town, then? I dunno how well I'll be able to drive, but I'd rather get the hell out of here, if it's all the same to them.
[Let's just say that Rune and medical facilities aren't exactly on speaking terms and haven't been for a long, long time now.]
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Couple hours northeast. [ He eyes the sling. The drive's not too bumpy, but not everybody minds their business on the road. ] You gonna make it?
[ His tone says he's got some doubts. Also? Not technically his problem, but here he is. Guess it's not the first time he's picked up a new kid from this place.
Maybe it just gives him something to do. He hasn't got much to occupy his time while he's sorting shit out, and frankly, getting away from the city's a bonus. ]
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I’d say the odds are about fifty-fifty.
[He’s attempting humor when he says it but the attempt falls flat when the truth is it’s more like sixty-forty and he’s not sure in which favor.]
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Logan's eyes go between the man, the Jeep, and his own bike. He's not doing this for free. But that car's got a full tank of gas and he's running low.
Might as well save himself some cash. ]
I'll drive. Wait there.
[ He's not asking permission. In fact, he's already left. One minute passes, two. By the fifth, he's returned with his motorcycle, scuffed, a little rusty, but functioning. He gestures for the new guy to pop open the back. A few flipped seats later, he's loaded the Harley into the back, lifting it with only a grunt.
Don't worry about it.
Okay, keys. Logan holds out his hand. C'mon, let's go. ]
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Well. Except for this guy, who apparently is gonna help him out. Rune blinks at the command to wait, but he doesn’t argue against it. He’s only a little perplexed as he stands leaning against the open door of his truck while he waits for the other guy to come back — with a bike. In retrospect this makes more sense.
He stands back and watches him maneuver the bike into the car, and yes, he does wonder at the ease in which he does it. But Rune is from New Atlantis and he’s not exactly a stranger to Other types of people, being one himself, so he merely files that bit of information away for later.
It’s once the guy holds his hand out to him (wordlessly, he’s barely said anything edgewise to him in a while now) that Rune comes back to himself.]
Oh. Uh, here. [He fishes the keys out of his pocket, hesitating for a moment as he questions whether he’s about to get duped and this guy is gonna just drive away with his car and leave him here, before forcing himself to hand them over anyway. There are apparently enough drugs in his system that when he opens his mouth, that’s exactly what he says:]
You’re not like. About to carjack me and leave me here, are you? Because I doubt that I could really do anything about it at the moment but man, that would be low.
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Logan turns away, keys jingling. First of all, that's a question to ask before you hand over the keys. Second of all, he wouldn't need the keys if he wanted to steal this thing. Which no, he's not gonna. He's got better things to do than go around carjacking hapless humans.
Or...whatever this guy could be. He's learned not to assume.
He walks to the driver's side and starts the engine. For a split second, it appears as though he might take off and leave this poor bastard behind. Then he leans across the center console to push open the passenger door, expression flat—though underneath is the faintest flicker of amusement. ]
Get in.