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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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no subject
Amos Burton doesn't naturally care about the welfare of others, unless those others are people he happens to like, happens to consider part of his tribe, or simply just — in need of protecting. He knows this well and intimately about himself, he knows it's different than most, and he knows that's not where he wants to stay, where he wants to be. He looks to others for guidance, to supplement the conscience he doesn't really have.
What happens to them from here, who knows. He figures they'll find this person or they won't, and they'll part ways. But while he exists with her in this moment and the next, the logic is easy to follow: she seems willing to have his back, and he'll have hers in turn.
Simple as that.
He keeps moving with her as she asks the question, and he doesn't have the air of arrogance, not a trace of it. There's no scoffing, no 'you really need to ask?' or any other shade of posturing. He knows what he can do, knows he can handle himself without question, but he doesn't have an ego about it, doesn't have anything to flaunt. So his response is decisive, straight to the point. ]
Shit goes down, there won't be a problem.
[ There isn't a sense of tension about him; what he's feeling right now is anticipation. There may even be a thrill at the thought of taking down someone who's decided to cause trouble. His face — what can be seen — is mostly impassive, but curious as he assesses the path up ahead. There's the sound of scuffling, but it's hard to make out much, and he lowers his voice. ]
I'll go ahead.
[ This feels like the logical thing, not knowing how many there are, what direction they could come from, and she's got a weapon to use. He can almost carve a path of sorts. But he's not tied to the idea if she has a better suggestion. ]
picked something random for the end bit, happy to edit if you had something else in mind!
( She misses them though. There's a quiet confidence to this man that reminds her of the moments before battle, the anticipation that used to buzz among them as they drew their weapons. Their work was always grueling, their wins were never guaranteed — a little like now, in some ways. It's probably a little strange to miss that. But in this moment, the familiarity is a pang in her chest that she has to consciously shake off. )
For now, Lucina's head tilts as she picks up on a sound up ahead. He offers to walk ahead, and her steps slow just enough to let him pass her — takes the second to unsheathe her sword, the tip of the blade pointing at the ground. ]
I'm right behind you. [ Just as a second scream pierces the air. Her entire frame freezes. No more time to discuss anything, apparently. ] Quickly. [ Before the darkness swallows them whole.
( Despite all that, the alley way is completely empty. No helpless victim to save or opportunists looking for an easy target. Just the two of them and a source-less wail. ) ]
it's perfect!!
It's like an itch he needs to scratch, this thing that he has every certainty they'll walk away from having done what they set out to do. The anticipation of that already feels like when you take a really good, deep breath that settles in your lungs. Re-centers everything.
He doesn't have time to think much about her sword, but the sound of it being unsheathed is interesting, unfamiliar. A weapon long past its prime in his world. They use guns and fists where he's from. But in the way that he knows what he's capable of, she's got her sword, and they'll handle it.
— except, there's...nothing to handle.
His eyes have acclimated to the dark well enough, and he goes down that long alley until he hits a dead end, he takes in the shape of every shadow, taps the palm of his hand on the wall to his left, then his right. He wasn't just hearing things, because she heard it, too. And yet, it would seem like nothing at all. A trick of the air around them. A scream is unmistakable, though. Twice. Helpfully, perhaps, he offers — ]
— the hell? [ He looks away from her, looks up now, turns his head left, then right, glancing up towards the roof line. Something was there, now it's not, but it doesn't mean it's gone. ]
That's it? At least come out and say hello. We came all this way.
[ For a stretch of at least a few seconds, there's just dead silence, but then there's a scraping sound from somewhere. To Amos, it sounds like it's just behind them for a moment, and the sound starts to get closer almost, the kind of closeness that sounds like it might pounce from any direction, but as he turns around swiftly to face it, there's...nothing again. ]
no subject
Not this time apparently.
That's the thing, though — she heard it too. They're definitely not hallucinating. Can't be. The sound was real, visceral, convincing without it being convenient ( it works her up, for Naga's sake ). But the hard part is getting an eye on whatever is in here with them. She's keeping an eye at the entrance to the alley, brightly lit in comparison to where they're standing, just in case they've been given some kind of run-around; except that side is clear, too.
She inhales. Exhales. A part of her is wondering if this was a ruse that they fell right into in an attempt to distract whatever was really going on. Has half a mind to bring it up, just to see what he thinks. Just as she looks to the sky for one last look— ]
Above you! [ A shape ( a body? Alive? Or— ) drops from above them. ]
cw: blood, injury | also thinking they're just barely alive if you're good with that?
— until it's right there, an actual fucking body, and Amos stumbles back against the wall, semi cushioning the fall with his own body, while at the same time nearly losing complete footing himself. He didn't have much time to react, some kind of instinct he wouldn't understand or even accept as his own, reflexively drawing his arm out to get a grip on something, anything, if he even could. It would've been worse if they'd been higher up, fell a little faster. As it is, the impact is mostly taken by Amos' already injured ribs, and — yeah, that'll feel great for the next few weeks.
There's the sound of Amos grunting, a whoosh as it all happens, and the total absence of any sound from the person that's fallen. Not a single sound. But Amos is quick to mutter — ]
Shit.
[ — and he may be less than gentle with the injured — or dead (? are they dead?) party, immediately trying to maneuver them to the ground to take a closer look. He feels something wet, like blood somewhere. It'd be surprising if they weren't bleeding. That's a lot of blood. A bullet hole, at the very least. Might have broken their fucking neck coming down and impacting with Amos.
They gotta be gone. He looks to his temporary partner on this weird journey, taking a breath. ]
YES sounds perfect!
Until she realizes what it was that fell on him. ] Gods. [ On an exhale. Lucina's hands stutter forward before she drops to her knees and tries to reach out to where she thinks the worst of the bleeding is, putting pressure on the wound. As if something would follow and magically fix itself once she did that. She can feel the barely-there rise and fall of their chest. The second hand joins the first.
( She remembers Brady mentioning it once, the first time she stumbled into the medical tents when they were desperate for an extra set of hands. Slow the bleeding until the magic can do its work. Earn them the few seconds they need before they're able to get to them.
There's no magic here. The few seconds here doesn't matter. )
She looks up to Amos, eyes wide in the dark. If they were to call for help now, who would even respond? Would they even get here in time? Quietly— ] We— I don't— [ They were expecting a fight. ]
no subject
Either they're the most unlucky bystander that seemed like an easy mark, or they pissed off some people around here and this is some revenge shit. Amos can't see the point in wasting time trying to figure that out when two things are very clear to him: this dude ain't long for this world, and whoever did this has a good chance of coming back to make sure the job is finished.
Maybe, maybe, for just a second he'd thought they could work on trying to haul this person to the hospital he remembers seeing not far from here, but at this rate, it feels not just unnecessary but risky for him and his temporary partner in all of this. Self-preservation and all that.
He's knelt down beside the dying man, at least initially attempting to staunch the bleeding, but at the moment he decides this isn't the best use of their time, he pulls his hands away. In the distance, listens for the sounds of anyone coming back, and he moves to stand up, look around, check for anything coming at them. There's nothing. At least, not now, not yet. Not above them, behind them, in front of them. That won't last long, it can't, unless they're dealing with some kind of fucking ghost.
So he looks back to Lucina. ]
He's gone. We shouldn't stick around here.
[ He's not talking about running away, no, Amos isn't the type. He'll always take the fight to someone. But lingering here does nothing. At this point, for Amos, the dude in front of them is already a lost cause and they gotta focus on themselves and finding whoever did this before they do it again. ]
no subject
She looks up in time to catch his head turn from one end of the alley to the other. Then up. Then back to her. There's no remorse in his expression, no horror at what they've just witnessed. She probably looks the same, she figures — a blank expression for the most part, save for the little tension in her jaw and a little furrow in her brows. Becoming numb to death is nothing to be proud of; but it is an inevitable after a certain point. Perhaps it's not surprising that it's come for him as well.
Lucina breathes, then nods once. ]
Right. Of course. [ They shouldn't. Staying for too long presents dangers of its own, and while she's all for helping she's not completely devoid of self-preservation. She lays the man down as neatly as she can, before she wipes the worst of the blood on her pants and picks up her sword to sheathe again. Stands back up. ]
Did you want to follow them? [ She knows the look — sort of. She at least knows the desire to follow through, even if it's not something she had the luxury to act on. The price of recklessly charging into the enemy lines was rarely worth the price; but gods, did they want to. Time and time again. ] They couldn't have gone far.
no subject
[ Maybe he's wrong, but years of a life among varied gangs and criminal activities in Baltimore just gets his hackles up. Whatever the fuck happened to this guy choking out his last breath in front of them, it's just as likely to be a random mugging gone wrong as it is to be more. A guy falling from above them — it just makes him think they were up on the roof, maybe threatening him, maybe he was bargaining for his life.
There's not a lot Amos thinks or feels one way or another about this guy himself. He doesn't know him, and he can't conjure much in the way of emotion about him. But the things that happened to lead to this, and what could happen if they just walk away now, that's what occupies his mind more than anything. ]
And if they do, then it's on their terms and I don't like waitin' around.
[ He would prefer not to be involved in this at all, but the time for that passed the minute they started down this road. He's not motivated by the concept of saving anyone at this point, it's more the idea that there's more trouble and it's just waiting out there. He's more used to Holden or Naomi deciding these things, and he just goes along with them, so some part of him has to wonder what the right thing really is right now. So he looks to Lucina again. ]
Check the roof first?
no subject
The line between naivete and pragmatism is strange, at least for her — she knows better than to empathize with a man she knows nothing about. He is not one of her soldiers. Whatever she chooses to do from this point will be for her own safety, as opposed to any form of vengeance. Amos is right; if they've been spotted, and if the assailants are keen on leaving no witnesses, their lives are now in jeopardy.
But a man has died in front of her tonight, after a series of screams that spoke of fear rather than anger. Without knowing the whole story, there's nothing that says they would not do this again, to someone who may or may not be helpless.
So looks back to Amos, and she nods. Then looks up. ] The stairs, then. [ Her head tilts towards the fire escape, before she makes a — frankly inhuman — jump to the railings on the second floor with ease. It's easy to undo the latches to drop the ladder back down to the ground. Once she sees him follow, she'll start walking up towards to the rooftop. ]
no subject
The other scenario would just be like an ordinary day in Baltimore. Who the fuck knows. But it's not a thing to just call done and walk away from, and it sets him at ease to know that they both seem to be lock step with each other so far. Helps, at least. They don't know each other much yet, but if they can find a rhythm in this, that's...something. And they get to stay a step ahead of what could quickly become a worsening situation.
Amos watches her move, wipes some of the dead guy's blood off on his shirt, but ultimately puts the memory of him behind him with relative ease. His attention now is on Lucina, and he lifts an eyebrow at her jump. Shit, well, ain't that something. Amos steps closer and then he's quick to latch on to the ladder once she's dropped it, following her up silently. The air is mostly still up here, but then he feels a slight shifting of it, almost a breeze, less stale than it was just a few feet down below. Like he can catch his breath. From what, he doesn't know. It's obvious right away where the fight — if it can be called that — happened. There's a small pool of blood a bit back from the edge of the roof. In the dark, it's a little hard to see at first, but there's a white edge of...crumpled paper, too? It just barely stands out, and Amos kneels, grabbing what seems to be a blood-soaked note, showing it to Lucina. Scribbled on it is, simply: ]
Guessin' it ain't that simple.
[ Did the dead guy write the note? Did someone give it to him? He'd almost wonder why the fuck they were sloppy enough to just leave it here, except people do all kinds of shit like that when they're sure enough of themselves. He's not about walking into a trap, but at the same time, it's an idea of where to go even if whatever's in that room — if anything — has to be long gone now. ]
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Before she can really look at what he's found, though, her gaze flits to a random part of the roof, catching sight of an upturned book. ] Ah, a moment— [ She jogs over to pick it up. It's a small notebook, well-worn but not exactly well-organized — there are smatterings of blank pages between filled ones in some random order, most of it hastily written. Another clue to add to the first — she brings it back to him so that they could be studied side by side. ]
What do you make of this? These appear to be dates, but... [ There's a quiet, vexed hum at the end of it. The left side of the page seems to follow a very standard format of ##/##/##, but the accompanying words are all gibberish. Either illegible, or purposely written as a cipher. She looks between the two. The notebook first, then the note.
( The whole thing could be a trap, an elaborate series of bait for them to end up just like the man that's been dropped on them. There's no real way to know unless the two of them get to the end — but could she ask a man she has just met to follow her to danger like this? ) ]
There's a room 417 at the motel across the way, I believe. Perhaps the man at the front will allow us to investigate, should we present this as evidence...? [ There's caution in her words, this time. Just in case Amos thinks this is enough reason to stop. ]
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Here, he doesn't have people. But he does have himself. And, in a sense, he has Lucina. At least as long as they follow the trail of this. He hasn't strayed from his earlier thoughts; as long as they're side by side, he'll stay committed to having her back.
So does that make all of this a bad idea, to keep going? He glances at what she shows him, he thinks about the note, the room in the motel, the way this could all end badly. ]
Dates, or — a code? [ He's really not sure, either, but now he's thinking about it. And to her point about room 417 — ] Yeah — yeah, that's a start. [ He's gotta say this, though. ] Listen — maybe that guy they took out was a bad guy and they did everyone a favor. But this kinda thing — it feels like somethin' else.
[ Thing is, he's stuck on her instinct earlier, when all this started, when she said they should go because someone might need help. He wouldn't have really cared on his own, but she'd said it and it reminded him of his crew, and the kind of person he generally tries to align himself with. So at the moment, he knows two things are true: that some bad guys could be out there and this whole thing could get worse before it gets better so if they walk away now, then when the shit does hit the fan, it's too late. The other truth is that he trusts her instincts on the right thing to do a little more than his own. ]
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So — it leaves them here. They meet eyes, and Lucina sees an expression on Amos' face that she's seen countless times: grim, but determined. If he's frightened, he doesn't show it, and she's not sure what to do with the sudden spike of relief that follows ( she'll have his back, and he'll have her's ). He's not her soldier, and it would be a stretch to call him a comrade. An ally, perhaps, until they can get to the bottom of it. It's gotten far more complicated than just a scream in the night, but at least she's not alone.
She exhales, and gives a faint smile back. Lucina can only hope it's reassuring. There's another beat before she looks back down at the note. ]
I'm inclined to agree, though it's hard to say exactly what ... all of this is. [ Quietly. If all of this ends and they end up worse than they started, in over their heads — she'd feel guilty about dragging him into it. But for now— ] I suppose we won't know by standing here. Shall we?
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He doesn't feel fear, or much at all in the way of emotions the way most do. He was capable of that once, but that was all a long time ago, when he was just a kid. He trusts she's making the right choice for herself, the choice she can live with. There's a thought — a little distant, but there — the thought that she should get to stay safe. Person like her — yeah, need more like her. So, he'll hold onto that. For himself, he'll be fine or he won't be, like anything, but it's still his choice.
He gives her a brief nod, a momentary softening of his expression in response to her smile. ]
Alright, then. Room 417 it is.