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

©

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

[longtooth]

[ It had taken some trial and error learning the basics of handling the motorcycle without it pitching to one side or the other, but Fern's near-collision with Verso (and watching him careen into a ditch) has oddly filled her with some amount of confidence. She's felt that spike of terror at the potential of a crash into another vehicle and there's an strange sense of relief in having gotten it out of the way already.

That, and the more that she rides the easier it comes to her. Going so fast is mildly terrifying, but there's also a bit of a thrill in it.

Kaine may not have been wrong when he insisted that a car was far safer, but Fern can't help but feel that this suits her better. She may not be fond of that Yom Crook, but she'll admit that this had been the right choice for her.

It doesn't make her any happier about the fact that she's in a foreign land (again) and alone on top of it all, but as she drives down the road toward civilization, there's a moment of strange calm that washes over her.

Until she spots two cars pulled to the side of the road, causing her to slow down her vehicle as she senses some trouble. She isn't certain if she should stop; it's just as possible that this is all a setup, a means of manipulating her instinct to help those who might be in trouble.

But then she spots a familiar figure; hears a familiar voice.

And she fully applies the brake, causing the wheels of her tires to squeak against the asphalt, once again generating that terrible burnt smell similar to when Verso crashed. ]

Adrian?!

[ She can't hide the shock in her voice. Not that she should be so surprised to see him here, if she's right and this is Strahd's doing. So there she sits, still sporting the bandages wrapped around her head wound as she balances on her idling bike and stares.

(She's barely even registered the other man, just yet.) ]

[catharses]

No worse than when I arrived at the very least.

[ There's something to be said for that even if Sunday's still frowning - not at all from being asked but rather the obstacle now before them. If asked, he might venture this seems to be in line with his hope of an ascetic journey: why not have an obstacle appear right away? Something to learn from, he tells himself just as he had when boarding the Express, and hopefully more things to follow. It'll be a long journey if he lets frustrations build too easily.

With an inaudible exhale he sets aside those thoughts and looks back to Adrian with a nod. ]

One would have to think being prepared is a good sign, and thus this won't take long to deal with. I'll retrieve what's needed. Do you perhaps have your--

[ Before he can finish that thought about Adrian retrieving his manual and as he's mid-step towards the trunk with his back turned to the road, there's a sudden screech which has him whirling around. If there's a faint glow around his fingertips Sunday lets it fade quickly when rather than it being some sort of ambush, there seems to be a level of familiarity. Or so he hopes, since - ]

Someone you know?

[ The surprise makes that apparent enough since no one who doesn't know someone would sound as such, he's sure. Then again, there's variables to what surprise can be mean - there's a handful of people he can think who might react the same in seeing him with a rather different connotation to it. ]

[faithfall]

[ Adrian nods, prepared to go fetch the tools from his own vehicle when the sudden screech of tires catches his attention. He looks up, staring as if he expects her to disappear if he blinks too soon. It isn't until she says his name that he seems to get his wits about him.

He nods at Sunday's question, already moving toward her. Though Adrian has been as polite and calm as his companion so far, it goes out the window immediately as he moves toward her. ] Lady Fern!? How long have you been— have you seen any of the others— should you be riding that with a head injury?

[ He's fussing, he knows, but until now he's not had any idea of what might have become of the rest of his friends. Adrian stops shy of reaching for her, though his freckles glow just slightly, warm. Relieved.

He clears his throat, turning back to Sunday. ] Apologies, Mr. Sunday — this is Lady Fern. She and I traveled together for some weeks before our arrival here. Lady Fern, this is Mr. Sunday. He's just recently arrived as well.

[longtooth]

[ Hearing Adrian call her that, it seems impossible to imagine that he's anything else but the real thing. All the same, Fern knows that she shouldn't assume that too immediately — that she shouldn't let the hope of finding a familiar face here take hold. It could just as easily be a wolf in sheep's clothing, a well-made illusion meant to draw her in.

Then again, Adrian is taking none of the same precautions. He even reaches for her before thinking better of it, and that utter recklessness is yet another hint that this is in fact the man he seems to be.

Before Fern can formulate any sort of response to his barrage of questions, however, Adrian turns to the stranger it seems he's already befriended and started to travel with. (Is there a small hint of betrayal, seeing that? No, that much she knows to be unreasonable, so she shoves it down.)

She stares at the man, almost without blinking, and looks him over. His golden eyes and those wings make it seem all too possible that he is another assimar, or perhaps even a celestial. Given how their last encounter with a celestial went, she can't help but be suspicious. Especially with how he's latched onto Adrian of all people. ]

Just Fern is fine. [ She lifts a leg up and pivots to dismount her motorcycle, then walks it over to the side of the road so she doesn't risk being hit by someone driving far too fast. She comes up at Adrian's side, but also keeps a safe distance from him — both out of habit, and necessity. ] I haven't seen any of the others, no. [ Here, she sends Sunday a glare, as if daring him to listen in as she pitches her voice low to address Adrian and Adrian alone. ] What do you make of this place? Don't you think he might be behind it? We should take care with who we befriend.

[catharses]

[ It seems he need not have asked his confirmation; it's plain to see they do know each other from Adrian's reaction alone. That excitement can only be from a reunion after some unspecified amount of time apart. The sort of thing he remembers before decorum took over even though he'd been no less glad each time Robin returned home.

By the time he blinks out of that thought from the staring in observation he was doing without intending to, he realizes she's staring back at him intently. There's a moment where Sunday starts to wonder if he was misguided in believing his fugitive status was not known. The reach of the IPC is far, but Lady Bonajade being responsible for releasing him surely wasn't a popular move amongst the rest of The Family. Turns out it's only a moment adjacent to paranoia since it seems any suspicion was well justified over meeting someone new. Sunday can hardly fault her that, he thinks. It's not like he doesn't have plenty of experience in giving an appearance of goodness with something else lurking beneath even if he'd like to believe he's that person no longer.

Still. He absolutely heaves a sigh to himself at that glare sent his direction to make it all the more pointed. ]

A pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Fern.

[ Maybe it's the title of 'lady' she objects to so clearly this (equally formal) adjustment to how she's addressed will be satisfactory. Whatever is said between the two companions - once he would've attempted to listen anyway with all the audacity of someone used to controlling any given situation, Sunday opts to look back at the flattened tire on his car. ]

We were on the way towards the city if you were interested in looking for the others to see if they might be there.

[ Maybe he can't entirely stop himself from offering a suggestion anyway. ]

[faithfall]

[ That's a bit disappointing, but at least he does have Fern here now. Adrian had asked after the whole adventuring party soon after waking, but Yom Crook had seen so many come and go, he couldn't be certain even if Taulok's impressive stature could leave an impression.

It hadn't occurred to him to be suspicious of Fern's sudden appearance, though perhaps it ought to. Her attitude toward strangers certainly hasn't changed at all... not that he can blame her. Adrian's mouth presses into a line, but he shakes his head. ] That was my first thought as well... but I can't make sense of why he would. He wants us at the wedding. It delights him to taunt us with Ireena's suffering, and he imagines that we are powerless to stop it.

[ Adrian's gaze his downcast. The words are tinged with bitterness and regret, but he's fairly sure of them. He'd known Strahd's intentions when that invitation was presented to them, and he has no reason to think that they've changed.

He meets her eyes again, his expression imploring even as he sees hers harden. ] Fern, Mr. Sunday isn't like the abbot. He's as lost as we are. He's shown no signs of ill will towards me or anyone else. I was the one who suggested that we travel together until we reach the city. To hear Mr. Yom Crook tell it, the roads are as unsafe here as they are in Barovia... I won't simply leave him to monsters and bandits because we've been fortunate enough to find each other.

[ He turns back to Sunday, offering an apologetic smile over his shoulder. He knows what this must look like, and he can only hope the man will understand. ] Please excuse our manners, Mr. Sunday. It was... a difficult journey, even before arriving here.

[ He doesn't necessarily want to make the decision for both of them... but he knows that she'll likely stay because of him. ]

[longtooth]

[ Fern can't help but note the sigh this "Sunday" lets out in response to the look she gives him. Surely anyone in this situation can understand a need to be cautious and not trust anyone, so if she makes too much of a huff over it, that will only count against him.

But then she fully focuses on Adrian. Despite the tension that's existed between them ever since the Amber Temple (and to some degree even before it), she does respect his insight into the situation, especially when it comes to Strahd. And it seems that they've been thinking along the same lines. Why would Strahd do this? Hadn't he wanted to rub it in their faces that he was going to have Ireena as his, once and for all? And he had enough of an ego to believe they stood no chance at stopping him.

Frankly, he might be right. Fern finds it hard to believe that they'll win, even with all the preparation they've done. But still, they had all been willing to try. And now... this. ]

I just don't understand how this could have happened to us again.

[ Without her saying a word about it, Adrian also picks up on where her suspicion comes from — their clash with the abbot is in recent memory. He should know that even those who seem kind and well-meaning at first could easily turn on them after so many examples of that in Barovia. It's not a bad idea to find traveling companions when in dangerous territory, true, but Fern finds it hard to believe that Adrian properly interrogated this man before inviting him along. ]

I'm not saying we have to leave him behind, but you're too—

[ Before she can finish her thought, Adrian turns back to Sunday to apologize and welcome him back into the conversation.

She heaves out a sigh and shakes her head, frustrated but relenting. Yes, she's going to stay with Adrian. All their issues aside, she still trusts him more than anyone else here, and they have plenty more to discuss. ]

We shouldn't stay out here longer than we have to. [ She shoots a glance between them. ] We can talk more once we reach the city. [ Then she steps toward Sunday and his vehicle to get a proper look, brow furrowing as she eyes the flat tire. ] What happened to your wheel?

[catharses]

[ Whatever it is they speak of - Sunday does his best to not listen as he politely tunes out the conversation. An ability honed almost as much as his one to deliberately listen in, but such a reunion isn't meant for his ears. It's the same grace Gallagher extended after he was reunited with Robin, and it feels only fitting to do the same if they've been separated by some circumstances out of their control.

The wheel is still a perplexing problem enough that it holds his attention. Surely what look like bolts can't be too difficult to remove... if he ignores the thin layer of rust around the hubcaps themselves. Right as he's about to crouch down to investigate further, which would consist of just looking at it even closer than he is right now and not much else, the sound of his name has him glancing up. And he does listen now, though no signs of ill will has Sunday focusing his gaze on a scratch on the side of his car as he thinks of Mr. Yang's suspicion upon finding him and March 7th's skeptical acceptance of him boarding the Express. A puzzle to him still, and a thought to consider even if it (probably) doesn't apply here, but it just might once they reach the city.

Adrian turning pulls his attention back to the present once more, though at what the other man says Sunday merely shakes his head. ]

I could hardly fault anyone for that. Arriving here has been a shock to us all from what it sounds we've each been through, even if we have yet to reach our destination.

[ And who knows what that will bring? Something else out of his control he tells himself to not dwell on when there's a more pressing problem and Fern is right they shouldn't linger. ]

As for the vehicle... I'm not sure, truthfully. We were just driving along and it abruptly seemed to deflate, and I don't think - [ as he pauses to look back down the road while using one wing to shade the sun from his eyes for better visibility - ] there was anything in the road or else Mr. Adrian would have had the same happen. The driving manual mentioned such things may happen from time to time and something about a spare tire.

[faithfall]

[ His lips press into a thin line, but he shakes his head. Adrian has no more clues to offer than what Fern already knows. Perhaps they're more hurt than they know and are hallucinating all of this, or have long since died — all things that could happen, but they seem somehow less likely than happenstance. Poor Ireena had been depending on their aid, and now they've left the party at least two heads short. Not that there's anything they can do about it right at the moment.

He can practically feel Fern's irritation, but she doesn't register further protest and Adrian takes that as a win. She could just as easily knock him out and strap him to the back of her... whatever she has there, if she was so inclined. He ought not to tempt fate too much.

Sunday seems to take it all in stride as well, though Adrian is beginning to suspect that he manages everything with the same passive composure. He nods, grateful, and moves back to the matter at hand. (Granted, he does spare a moment to envy the use of that small wing near Sunday's face. It would be nice if he could keep his wings all of the time...) ]

I didn't notice anything on the road, no... my wheels all seem fine. [ At least, none of them have deflated in the time they've been idle. It's very odd, but he shakes his head. They should just get this sorted and move on as soon as possible. ] Let me fetch the tools and perhaps Lady Fern can help you retrieve the spare tire, Mr. Sunday?

[ Even if Adrian had both hands to spare, Fern is definitely the stronger of the two of them. Hopefully she won't mind him volunteering her. ]

[longtooth]

[ What we've all been through, this "Sunday" says. If that's even your real name. It does give Fern cause to wonder and what he went through before arriving here. Is there some rhyme or reason behind it? Were they all on some important business before suddenly detouring into this strange place?

She doesn't know how the pieces all fit together, and sorting through that kind of thing feels more like a job for someone like Alden. Is he here? Will they find the others in the city? She'd oddly feel better if all of them were here, if they could tackle this together like they have for weeks now, and yet everything feels like it's been thrown into disarray. If any of this is even real in the first place. Anyone they speak to could just be Strahd in disguise, Sunday included.

A "flat tire" feels like a mundane problem in contrast to all of that, but sometimes the only thing you can do is focus on the immediate, the here and now. Fern's good at that, and so while she's still mildly annoyed for being roped into this situation to help a person she still finds highly suspicious, she'll have to play along for now. ]

... Fine. [ The manual said they were in the back of the vehicle, right? She starts moving in that direction, but she suspects that Sunday will have to open it up for them. ] It can't be normal for the wheels to fail like this. [ In what way would that be practical? She shakes her head, then casts a glance back the way they came, though the scrapyard is far behind them by now. ] I might ask for them to reduce whatever you owe them.

[catharses]

Is that something we could ask for?

[ A genuine question if the sliver of surprise in his voice is anything to go by since Sunday hadn't considered that as an option. He's heard of as much from members of the Alfalfa Family at meetings in the past though for things on a far grander scale that The Family would deal with. They weren't the Oak Family's area of expertise, though his own strengths in rules and regulations feel rather hollow now. A flat tire is far more practical and immediate issues than what a guest might theoretically do if not given boundaries.

Sunday casts his own glance back in the direction they'd traveled once more now that it's not to search for any unknown debris before remembering the keys in his hand. A brief flipping through them brings him to what looks like the one for the trunk - only for him to discover it's unlocked anyway when he pulls on the handle. ]

I suppose that is a matter of concern since it seems they provide vehicles for many arrivals, so they'll want to know of any issues. Before we depart it would best to check both of your vehicles as well so that we don't run into any further problems.

[ Surely Yom Crook will want to know of this, too. Right? Maybe once they know how long the drive into the city is it'll be easier to get back and forth for such a discussion. He'll have to remember to mark this on the map if there was one - or find a map if there wasn't. For now he moves both of the folded seats out of the way to reveal the tire hidden beneath. ]

Hopefully this wheel will have better luck than the other one.

[ And hopefully there's no gods with senses of humor overhearing that statement since with a nod to Fern, Sunday grasps one side of the tire from where she is with the intent to pull it out from where it's wedged in. ]

fighting for my LIFE with this captcha

[faithfall]

[ moving here ]