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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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Well, at least the person paid to push them was familiar enough with the product to vouch for them. "Hmm." He leaned in a little bit to get a better look at that tiny cup and the treat(?) it held. Was he fully convinced just yet...?
"You've tried them?"
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An Zhe nodded, holding it a bit more prominently. "They are strange at first... but satisfying?"
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Lu Feng plucked the cup out of An Zhe's offering hand. "Strange." But satisfying. "You don't feel weird since you've had one, have you?" He looked fine, but he still wanted to check.
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At least he could confidently shake his head. "I have felt fine." Even after having them over a course of a few days. He frowned a bit, a bit miffed at the unintended implications here. "I wouldn't give it to you if I thought it'd make you sick."
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But. Also. "Are you sure?" He asked, yet he still extracted the sample from the cup. Oh... oh, it was a little goopy, wasn't it?
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Have you never had a chocolate covered strawberry, Lu Feng? It was just like that. Don't sweat it. (Neither of them knew what this meant.)
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But, okay. He would brave that oozy sample. In to his mouth the treat went. He took a moment to let the taste linger on his tongue - sweet and bitter, a sort of earthy and complex flavor? Biting down was met with a crunch that, despite having been warned of it, felt surprising nonetheless.
"Mm-!" Oh! This was! Not too bad, actually. The richness of the eggy center was a strangely compelling companion to the chocolate coating. Hm... Hm! Fascinating.
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A little smile crossed his face as he watched Lu Feng's reaction. See! Oddly satisfying. An egg to enjoy. "Interesting, isn't it?"
Don't mind him turning a bit of his attention to the smattering of people dropping by for their own share of eggs. He was actually working, after all. Here is an egg for you, and an egg for you...
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Interesting was definitely the word for it. Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Oh, he would not mind the other customers, but it also did not seem that Lu Feng was interested in making himself scarce so others could be helped. No, he'd be right here, off to the side, not getting in the way of this flow of samples being distributed but perhaps. He would. Discreetly. See if he could get away with filching another cup. Did he really want another one? Or is he just amusing himself?
A mystery.
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An Zhe had no complaints about him lingering to the side. There was the worry that the man would be rather bored just hanging out during An Zhe's shift, but he couldn't deny that he felt more at ease for it. Even if that intimidating presence was 100% causing a fair number of customers to give An Zhe's booth a bit of a wide berth.
Well. He'd just have to smile a bit more at the ones that did come up. Hello. An egg for you. And for you.
And a gentle tap here on Lu Feng's wandering hand.
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Fine, Lu Feng would retract his hand (for now) and stand by on his best (debatable) behavior. He'd just be doing his best to fulfill his role of An Zhe's bodyguard while the mushroom did his best to earn an actual paycheck.
It wasn't like he didn't realize him being here was causing some kind of problem with the actual clientele, but it wasn't such a bad thing to be overly cautious in such an unknown environment, he thought. Don't worry about it. He'd let himself melt into the background a bit, milling around nearby and perusing what the shelves had stocked, never too far away that An Zhe nor himself should be worried.
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Looking at a handsome guy was good for morale.
Having some other guy leaning on his sample table was not good for morale. An Zhe frowned slightly at the eggs that tipped over as his cart jostled. Hey.
"So when's your day job over, bunny?"
An Zhe carefully put the eggs back into their cups.
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How could you, other guy? Disrupting this hard-working little mushroom's shift by jostling his sample table around. The clatter of cups was followed by Lu Feng moving fluidly up behind the unfortunate person bringing the morale down, almost as though he were simply getting in line for another sample. No, though, what he actually wanted was to get a
good look
at the one who would so brazenly try and hit on An Zhe in front of him.
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"You know you'll say yes sometime," he was going on, leaning in ever further towards An Zhe who in turn leaned slightly farther away with his mouth in a straight line. "Might as well make it tonight, bunny."
An Zhe's line-faced expression stayed the same as he pushed an egg towards the stranger. "Here is an egg, sir. Have... a day."
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He reached past the stranger, hand catching the back of An Zhe's before he could pull it away from that sample cup. "An Zhe," he said, voice soft in spite of the icy reception he was giving the back of the other fellow's head just moments ago. He leaned in a little over the person between them, as though he were extremely unconcerned about his mere presence, before continuing, "Is there anything you want me to find for us tonight?"
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The sputtering of that fellow went unacknowledged. "Whatever you think looks good," An Zhe replied appreciatively. "You know what I like." Way more than anyone else present did, at least. "We can have it tomorrow too."
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His attention flicked back to An Zhe then. "Of course," he answered, running his thumb slowly over the back of the mushroom's hand. An intimate gesture, something that should really drive home how out of his depth this interloper was. "I'll see what I can find for us to share."
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Briefly, An Zhe glanced back at the guy who had been shooting his shot. "Oh. I have plans for the foreseeable future."
The man's expression soured even more, and An Zhe simply looked at him. There was nothing else to be said here. After a few more moments of silence, it seemed to dawn on him that this was the case. An Zhe wasn't sure how it happened, but the puckering seemed to intensify and he finally made a move to angrily slither past Lu Feng.
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Mercifully, Lu Feng wouldn't let his attention linger after his back for long. The hand in his own was far more important, and the careful attention he'd been offering it hadn't only been for show.
"Does that happen often?"
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Had it been an earlier day, seeing that sour face slink off would have whisked away the mushroom's tension. Today, however, he was as relaxed now as he had been before. Nothing could have happened to him under Lu Feng's watchful gaze.
An Zhe quietly pushed a few of the other cups towards the man's hand. A treat, for you.
"They usually go away eventually, when they're bored."
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Who could blame anyone for being drawn to such a cute mushroom? Lu Feng was glad to hear that none of those anyones had made any sort of move beyond bugging him, but man. The audacity of some people to do even that much. It's like they had no idea what was waiting for them when Lu Feng found his way back to An Zhe's side.
"Hmm." He raised his hand to place a gentle pat on An Zhe's cheek, a careful gesture that fell just short of the forbidding 'flirting at work', before scooping up that sample cup. "I'll be here if any more of them show up."
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The little pat earned him an equally little smile, but the affection was warm all the same. "Thank you," An Zhe said softly. "You don't have to, but... it is nice to know you are here."
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Of course, he didn't want anyone else trying to scoop up this mushroom, of course he had to be here to help protect him, until An Zhe could absorb a reputation as someone not to be hassled. But more than that... he simply felt soothed, being able to be near this person who was so dear to him. Even if it ate in to his time to rest before his evening warehouse shift, that was fine.
"I like being here." With... An Zhe, that is. Not. like. specifically extraplanetary costco. "I like knowing you're safe."
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The simplest being making sure there was something tasty ready when Lu Feng returned from work, and that their bed was extra cozy for him. Don't think he didn't know what being here with him meant. An Zhe would just have to make sure Lu Feng got plenty of rest afterwards. He was working so hard.
"Mmm. I like being safe." He moved to discreetly hold on to a bit of Lu Feng's coat. Being safe himself wasn't the only reason it was nice to see him there. There were no secret troubles to be encountering if he was loitering right here, after all. " ...and I like knowing you're safe, too."
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Of course, any bystanders would have a much tougher time seeing the subtleties in his expression for anything particularly intense. Restrained and understated as always, Lu Feng brought his hand to gently cup An Zhe's. His answer to that thoughtful concern was a, "Thank you," light and soft as fresh snowfall. "I'll make sure to keep you safe, and I'll make sure you don't have to worry too much about me."
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