TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

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

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

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

But first, you need to find a ride.

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

∞ Summary ∞

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

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

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

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

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

TDM Questions? Here — Game Questions? FAQ

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

Fluxdrift

Arrival & Introduction

Date: Throughout May

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

Then you open your eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

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Panorama

Explore & Settle In

Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers

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

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

The Pavilion: Free Samples

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

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

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

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

The Blocks: Power Outage

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

What do you do? You have three choices:

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

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

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The Fringes

Quad 3: Lockdown

Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let's hope a friendly face comes along.

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

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

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

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Comments

[yeahmagnets]

[ Jesse doesn’t answer right away. He just stands there in the wet gravel at the side of the road, chest heaving like he ran a marathon he didn’t sign up for. He winces at the bruises still blooming across his ribs and his face from earlier, but his focus is locked on the van (his van) angled awkwardly in the ditch. The front bumper’s crooked, nose-down into the mud, engine still clunking away like it thinks it can get out on its own. He swears under his breath. ]

Yeah, I’m fine. [ He responds to Castiel, but his eyes are still surveying the damage. ] But I dunno about my ride.

[ His voice is gravel-laced, tight with leftover adrenaline and the deep-rooted, ever-simmering frustration of someone who’s constantly one shitty situation away from losing everything. He scrubs a hand over his face, pushing his hoodie back from his forehead, then shoots a glance toward the other car (the one that actually caused this whole shitshow). The door flings open, and a guy steps out already halfway into a tirade: ]

You were the one who cut me off! Learn how to fucking drive!

[ The other driver is younger than Jesse, but he can't tell by how much. He's got a neck tattoo, a mouth full of bad attitude, and the kind of overconfidence that usually ends in sirens. He throws his hands wide in a theatrical gesture, like he’s daring Jesse or Castiel to contradict him. Jesse doesn’t rise to it. Not yet. His jaw tightens, hands flexing at his sides. His eyes flick toward Castiel, then back to the loudmouth, then down again at the van, sunk in muck and bad luck. He lets out a slow breath through his nose, trying to bite back the instinct that wants to start throwing punches before asking questions. Instead, he points down at the van, voice low and tight. ]

Oh yeah? Then explain how I ended up in a ditch while your punk ass is still on the road. [ Jesse’s not looking for a fight, but if this guy keeps pushing, he won’t walk away from one, either. What's another bruise or two? His gaze swings toward Castiel again. ] You saw it, right? [ Yep, he's gonna drag you right into this, Cas. ]

[messenger]

[ his "ride" looks rather worse for wear, but to be honest, they all do. even the man who cut him off isn't driving in a pristine vehicle, but he supposes that's besides the point. it's going to be difficult to get to the city without something to ride in. two miles is a long walk, even when you aren't human.

castiel looks between them, mute until he's dragged into the altercation against his will.

he didn't have to stop.

he did this to himself. ]

... Yes?

[ he offers, truthfully if reluctantly. the other man puffs up, no doubt to regale them with some angry diatribe, but castiel cuts him off. ]

I can get your van out of the ditch.

[yeahmagnets]

[ Jesse blinks. He turns to the stranger, this trench-coated guy who looks like he just walked out of an apocalypse-themed thrift store, calm as hell while Jesse’s practically vibrating with all the leftover adrenaline. He kind of looks like a cop, but not the kind Jesse’s used to; there’s no flex in him, no ego. Just stillness. The kind that makes Jesse want to flinch for no reason at all. Like the guy can see through him without even trying. ]

You can get it out? [ Jesse's voice is flat, skeptical, as he nods toward the van, nose-deep in roadside muck. ] Listen, yo, unless you got a tow cable stashed in that coat, I don’t see how.

[ Jesse lets out a breath, runs a hand over the back of his neck, tension still tight across his shoulders. He mutters a curse under his breath, then looks back at trench coat guy. ]

I dunno, I mean...if you’ve got some way to do it? Hell, I’m not picky. Just don’t expect me to believe you got some miracle tucked in your pocket or whatever.

[ It’s not quite sarcasm. More like guarded hope dressed up in a scowl. Jesse’s not used to anyone offering help without a catch, let alone someone who does it like it's no big deal. He steps back toward the van, gravel crunching underfoot, the driver who caused the fiasco deciding to get back in his car and drive off. Not his problem. Jesse motions towards the van with a half-hearted shrug. ]

Guy was lucky my ribs hurt too much to throw down.

[messenger]

[ any other person might look at jesse and immediately typecast, but castiel doesn't have that kind of experience with humanity. he can't read souls just by looking at a person, the way some angels do in in the stories humans write about them, but people are just people. most of the time, however they act, he finds all they're trying to do is their best. with careful stress on most.

but somehow, the situation deescalates. the angry man leaves and it's just the two of them and their cooling cars. one thing he can tell by looking at jesse, he's just as new to this place as castiel himself is. ]

You were hurt—?

[ castiel's brow furrows in concern, but first thing's first: he walks through the ditch around to the other side of the van, careless of his now mud-caked shoes, and studies it. then, he places both hands on one side and— pushes. it looks ridiculous. anyone seeing this picture would think castiel has lost his mind. but a moment later, the van groans as the metal bends under its own weight bearing down on the force of castiel's pushing. thankfully, it doesn't buckle. the tires drag deep tracks in the mud, but though it's slow going, that's proof that the van is, indeed, moving. ]

[yeahmagnets]

Yeah, I guess. When I got here. I mean, I was hurt before I got here too, but that was just...the face thing. [ He gestures to the not-so-subtle bruise over his cheekbone, his eye swollen half-shut. ] Ribs are new. Woke up with one of those MedBots patching me up.

[ Jesse explains with a shrug, then watches Castiel descend the ditch to the van. His eyes narrow as he sees him press both hands against the rear of it and his mouth falls open when the van actually starts to move. Not slide. Not tip. Move. Inch by slow, grinding inch, like it’s being convinced against its better judgment. And all trench coat guy’s doing is pushing. No winch, no hydraulic lift, no dramatic grunt of effort. Just steady pressure and impossible strength from someone who looks more like a librarian than a bodybuilder. Jesse stares for a second too long. Blinks once. Then lets out a short, incredulous breath that barely qualifies as a laugh. ]

What the hell?

[ It’s not hostile. It's more stunned than anything. Jesse’s shoes sink into the gravel as he steps toward the edge of the ditch, watching the van crawl up through the mud like it’s being coaxed back to life. He doesn’t know how the hell this guy’s doing it, and honestly, at this point, he’s not sure he cares. It’s working, and that’s what matters. Still, there’s a lingering tension in his shoulders, the kind that never really leaves. The kind that says he’s used to people having an angle. People don't do nice shit for him for free, not where he's from. He crosses his arms, one hand rubbing absently over his ribs where the bandage tightens with every breath. ]

Okay, man, I’ll bite. What’s your deal? You some kind of roadside superhero or just freakishly strong for fun?

[messenger]

[ yes, jesse doesn't look... the best, even aside from the injuries he may or may not have sustained in the near-wreck. it's fairly obvious he didn't obtain the bruises on his face from the recent commotion, though that's rather besides the point, isn't it? stupid question, castiel thinks to himself, and then considers his own state waking up, and the state of some of the other people he's met along the way.

they've all had injuries of some kind. they've all been different, but the fact of them is consistent.

his own should have healed up hours ago. it's led him to be a little more cagey about using his powers than is the norm, but this. this, he couldn't resist. it's such a simple thing to do, and it feels good to help fix a problem, when he's so adept at creating them.

castiel climbs up out of the ditch and looks at jesse with an expression that's not quite a smile. you'd have to really look close, or know him quite well, to understand the barely-there upturn at the corners of his mouth counts for one. ]

I'm not human.

[ he's kind of getting the jist, here, that angel is a little more difficult for most people to swallow.

with a blink, he looks back to the van. ]

I don't think there was any damage to your vehicle. Are you going to Panorama, too?

[yeahmagnets]

[ Not human. It's up there, but not the weirdest thing he’s heard in the last twenty-four hours. After waking up in some kind of alternate dimension, there isn't a whole lot that could shock him. His eyes drift toward the van, now back on semi-solid ground, smeared in mud but intact, and he exhales like he’s letting go of a held breath he didn’t know he was holding. The tension in his jaw starts to loosen just a little. ]

Woke up in a med tent in a world I’ve never seen before with busted ribs I don’t remember earning and now I got trench coat Jesus draggin’ my van out of a ditch with his bare hands. Totally normal day.

[ He scoffs out a laugh at the absurdity of it all, then rubs his face again, half in disbelief and half in exhaustion. The adrenaline’s fading now, leaving behind a hollow kind of ache in his ribs and a sharp reminder that he hasn’t eaten since he got here. His stomach turns, but he ignores it. He watches Castiel watching the van, calm and still like this is just a Tuesday for him. Jesse doesn’t know what to do with that kind of peace, so he defaults to sarcasm, the closest thing he has to armor. But the humor fades fast. Jesse scratches the back of his neck and shifts on his feet. ]

Seriously, though...I uh, I owe you one... [ He furrows his brows when he realizes he doesn't know the guy's name. ] What's your name, man? I'm Jesse. [ He offers a tattooed hand in greeting, which Castiel can shake or not, glancing down the road as the other guy asks about the city. ]

Yeah. Heard about it from some dude back at the scrapyard. Panorama. Look, I know you got your own wheels you probably don't wanna leave behind, but maybe we could like...caravan it? Y'know...follow? I mean. Safety in numbers, right?

[messenger]

[ castiel opens his mouth to correct the young man— he isn't jesus— but it becomes clear as he speaks that he doesn't mean it literally, and castiel saves himself the embarrassment for once when jesse offers his name and makes obvious what he had suspected. ]

Castiel,

[ he answers, taking jesse's offered hand to shake, though castiel's handshakes are really more of a prolonged hold. he gives jesse's clasped hand a quick pat with his own free hand before letting go.

for a moment, he looks confused, but he's saved again by jesse's clarification. ]

Yes, I think that would be a good idea. [ his eyes drift from jesse's face to his bruised side. ] I'm sorry I can't do more to help.

[ but if he's ready to go, so is castiel. he'll return to his car to follow. ]

we can probably start to wrap this unless you would like to write out a pit-stop :)

[yeahmagnets]

[ Jesse watches Castiel shake his hand, or...hold it, without hesitation or judgment. Just calm. Doesn't seem like the kind of calm that people fake when they're trying to seem tough or above it all, either. Just the stillness of a guy who physically moved a damn van and didn't even ask for a thank-you. A guy who looked at a stranger half-swallowed by roadside gravel and said, I can help. Not because he wanted something. Just because he could. It doesn't really compute for Jesse. He narrows his eyes a little, trying to figure out the other guy's angle, but nothing comes to mind.

He turns his head to look down the road. It stretches ahead of them, cracked and unfamiliar. Panorama's supposed to be a city, but it might as well be a rumor at this point. All Jesse knows is he's driving toward something. A maybe. A fuck-it-let's-find-out. He glances at the van again, coated in muck but somehow still running. Like him, kind of. Bent up, but not down for good. He nods toward the direction they're supposed to be headed in, taking a few steps towards the driver's side of the van. ]

Cool if we stop somewhere on the way? Like...I dunno...gas station, maybe? I could use some snacks. And, uh, ice, if they got it. [ He gestures to the swelling around his eye with a grimace. ] Shit's startin' to throb like it's got its own pulse.

[ He shrugs it off, though. This isn't the first time he's been a little worse-for-the-wear physically, and God knows it won't be the last. His ribs protest with every step, an arm curling protectively across his middle and around his side, but his posture is looser now - less coiled. He doesn’t look back to see if Castiel's following. Just trusts that he is. Jesse slides into the driver's seat, gives the steering wheel a couple encouraging taps, then sticks his arm out the window, palm up in a wave or a thank you as he fires up the engine. The van coughs to life, groaning but alive, and Jesse pulls back onto the road slow, waiting for Castiel's car to fall in behind him. Dust rises behind the tires like smoke trailing off the past, and ahead? Just open road, and maybe a little hope if you squint. ]