Mingle ∞ Log
No Lifeguard on Duty
Summary
What's going on?
An
unexpected heat wave in mid-June, coupled with the cycling shutdown of all air conditioning units in motels across the Blocks, has made the summer unbearable. Meanwhile, the ever-eager
storm chaser,
Felix Bjurstrom, has uncovered a
fancy resort with a pool in a diffusion zone only 1 hour out from Panorama. Lucky, right? Well...kind of. It's got some quirks.
When is this happening?
June 10 - 30
What should I know?
- This area is one of many diffusion zones that appear throughout the planet.
- A storm chaser is someone dedicated to studying the cosmic phenomenon in the Diadem. Felix is a pioneer in his field.
- A winding highway filled with old empty barrels will take you to the zone.
- Characters can travel with a friend to save on gas! Parking's limited, so it might not be a bad idea.
- At any given time, there's max several dozen visitors. Most work long hours, some are traveling through the diffusion zones, and others prefer not to risk the drive or waste precious gas, so it won't draw a huge crowd (but there's still a crowd!).
- This is a mingle rather than an event. Plot-heavy elements will be minor. The game's first proper event will be posted in July!
What does my character know?
- Having lost his phone, Felix will spread the word using good old-fashioned printed posters that he's put up around Panorama. A young woman is seen helping him. They appear to be close. Some say that's his daughter.
- Though the timing is impossible to predict accurately, Felix believes that due to this zone's unusual proximity to an anchor point, it has a high chance of persisting for 2-3 weeks.
- Directions are printed on the posters, though characters are also free to stumble across the zone by accident.
∞ Links ∞
Introduction
The resort looks like your typical upscale vacation spot: a beautiful pool, lovely cabins, and plenty of pool chairs. The sky is
perpetually nighttime and there are
two moons. One moon is smaller than its sister and glows purple. The other looks like the Earth's moon. The weather is
pleasantly warm. In fact, conditions are almost
too perfect.
Other
fluxdrifts are here, too, and you might come across them, all of whom are taking advantage of the pool. They'll converse superficially with you and will come and go randomly. You'll want to keep a close eye on your belongings. Other than cooling off, this isn't a bad place to start making connections. Life in the Diadem is better when you've got allies if not friends.
Just outside the resort is a
spacious parking lot, designed for visitors. Nobody's following parking rules so put your car anywhere it fits. If you get blocked in, well, that's a problem for when you leave.
At the end of June, the diffusion zone will flicker and morph into an unremarkable overgrown park, long abandoned to the decades.
Prompts
As you wander around, you discover deactivated androids in many of the poolside huts. These androids cannot be mistaken for any organic species: their chassis is metal, and their heads are shiny. Circuits and wires are visible. But each is dressed distinctly human in a way that borders on disturbing. You spot lipstick drawn on some of the metal faces, as though they're playing dress up...or as if they don't realize they aren't human. One android is frozen in place with a diary clutched in its hands. Another has a hairbrush for its nonexistent hair.
Something seems to have destroyed them—perhaps a powerful EMP wave that knocked them all out. All except one.
The Bartender
The poolside bar is at the eastern end of the resort. There are plenty of seats. A few are occupied by deactivated androids. The bartender is also an android and appears to be the only functional one in this place. He speaks with a modulated voice and has a neutral accent. He exhibits the following behaviors if you sit at his bar:
- Icebreaker. Whether you're alone or with a companion, he'll try to get you all to be friends, asking random self-generated icebreaker questions. He'll be visibly disappointed if you don't play along.
- Bartending. While cheerful, he can't make the correct drink: it's always too strong, incredibly weak, added salt instead of sugar, messed up the ice. He's obviously doing his best, but it's just not working. The harder he tries, the worse he performs until it becomes a comedy of errors with stuff falling over, ice dumped in your lap, champagne corks flying, and any number of slapstick mishaps. You can help him out by mixing the drink yourself.
If you're nice to him, he'll introduce himself as Thomas Lustras. He's happy to
tell you about his son. Strange, you think, but who says androids can't have paternal instincts? Yet, when the android takes out his wallet to show you a photo of his son—named Edward Lustras—the picture is that of a
human child, roughly 5 years old, in the arms of his
human father.
The driver's license in the same wallet confirms that Thomas is (was?) a real person. The picture on the license matches the human male in the photo. A half-scorched business card states that Thomas was a consultant at Outer Rim Resettlements. Thomas believes he's on a company retreat and wistfully declares he's eager to return home to his son.
Maybe don't look too closely. After all, this place will soon disappear. And so will he.
The Grill
It's not a vacation without a grill! Not a grillable item is in sight, though, so you'll have to rely on what you can bring out of Panorama. Some of the visiting drifters will pitch in to share, unloading hotdogs (some synthetic, others authentic, and some far past expiry), burger patties (same) and buns, and "kebabs" made of blocky frozen vegetable squares. The squares vaguely resemble corn, mushrooms, and pineapple. The texture is passable, like a flavor-infused block of tofu.
Fire up the grill and take turns grilling. You'll also have to manage the propane. The grill's also prone to sputtering out, requiring regular minor repairs to get it back up and going. Any loose bolts or screws can be taken out of the dead androids to replace the rusty ones in the grill. You're unsure if you should feel uncomfortable doing that or what, but it is a solution.
Parking Woes
Like any crowded event, the parking lot can get chaotic, and the lawlessness of the diffusion zones doesn't help. While some are happy to help barbecue, others are more interested in picking fights over who got to the parking space first. It won't take much for a fistfight to break out, and a knife fight isn't out of the question, either, though nobody'll be killed (this time).
You can let the troublemakers beat each other, or you can try to intervene if somebody who doesn't deserve it is getting harassed. Just avoid causing too much of a scene. Breaking noses is acceptable; gutting someone head to toe is not. There are Enforcers visiting the zone, and if you interfere with their nice pool time, they won't hesitate to haul away everybody involved and make you sit in jail for a few days.
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thediadem) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
diademlogs2025-06-08 10:11 am
no subject
[ He could not possibly imagine Charles ever choosing that look, but it's still amusing to Erik. In terms of size and accessibility it still is the better option for him, and function should trump asthetic. Maybe the paint job is something that can be fixed in the future. ]
And since when does colour equal style? Please.
[ Well, Erik does care about style. Used to care more, to be fair. Right now he's more focused on comfort than anything else, and the way he dresses now already isn't too different from how he'd been dressing for his past three months in Poland. But they both know how well Erik can pull off a certain look if he wants to. ]
Yes, I've met her, too. Here. [ He nods to the resort at large. ] She was rather quick to link the two of us, as soon as I told her what year I came from. Otherwise, I've met a young woman named Wanda, and a witch named Rowena.
[ That's a total of three people, it's great progress. ]
no subject
[ They are certainly not in a position to afford luxuries like that, small as they may be. It might be a future project if there is a time when he's flushed with cash or someone else has paint to play with. Charles is just again realizing how lucky he was to have access to being able to completely redo anything he wanted including his wardrobe. Alas.
He laughs. ]
Oh you really think you can challenge me on that front? Although I did always like your turtlenecks.
[ It's not as if Charles was extremely aware of everything that Erik wore when they used to live together, not at all. He's observant, that's all. Truthfully he does notice what people wears because of his fondness for fashion but they used to both dress quite sharply. Not that it's important here. This outfit is not his usual style but he thinks he still pulls it off. Charles is teasing. It's easy to do that now they're attempting to lean back into their former ways. ]
I met Wanda and Rowena too. Wanda is remarkable for having very strong telepathic shields. I could probably get through them if I tried, but I didn't even knock. I figured it was best to wait and see.
[ Charles does knock when it comes to these things out of respect, but he could tell that Wanda had it that way for a reason. Not quick to trust. He respects that. ]
I met another man on the astral plane, his name is Viktor. Some scientific experiment changed his body, he looked like a man there, but he said he was something else now in person.
no subject
[ He's not going to point out how that might not work out so well if Scott's there too. Funnily enough, he doesn't think Logan would be as much of a problem. But to be fair, at this point Erik would probably agree to anything Charles asked of him, and he imagines the same must be true for Scott. (The van does have two sides, at least.) ]
Think I've moved a little past that particular style.
[ He's more of a small town in the woods man now, apparently. Closer to a lumberjack than anything else. But he is going to keep that in mind. Charles liked the turtlenecks, good to know. ]
She was afraid to reveal her abilities to me. I think... something must have happened to her, to cause that fear. She seemed to ease and open up once I assured her I had no issues with her particular ability.
[ Hardly the first (or second) telepath he's met, and while Charles is the only one he'll welcome in his mind without explicit invitation, he's confident that he doesn't have to worry about that with her. Besides, the shiels Charles put up in his mind will at least allow him to sense it if anyone were to try. ]
Something else. [ He shoots Charles a look. ] That could mean anything. But if you met him that way, then he's yet another telepath, you think? You're becoming rather popular around here, it seems.
no subject
[ Perhaps painting can be therapeutic for him and Scott. It will be quite some time before he has any funds at all that could afford a paint job, so by then he is hoping that things will be better for them. That is Charles and his way, always thinking perhaps tomorrow could be better. At least he's found that again. Besides, he is bossy, and he will boss Erik around to paint. He likes to flex that muscle from time to time. ]
That's a shame. Not that you don't look good as a lumberjack, but it lacks a touch of drama.
[ Erik's first Magneto look, now that was dramatic. So was his second one. The X-Men uniform might be colorful but that was really its own level. Charles doesn't wear the uniform himself, he's no longer in the field. He may be flirting a little bit with his commentary. Just a touch. He's in a fancy resort with a drink, what's wrong with a tiny compliment?
But talking about the others is far more important than massaging their combined egos. So Wanda gave away more of her powers to Erik than him, that's a good thing, the two of them combined was a good team for a reason. Some people respond to Erik better. ]
She said she was from a city I've never heard of. She commented on knowing bad scientists before, so perhaps she's been on the receiving end of experimentation.
[ He could tell that was a point of pain for her when she brought it up. Charles knows tension when he sees it. He was treating her very gently out of suspicion, but now it is starting to make sense. Rogue was experimented on as well. It seems not even other worlds are better about people doing that to mutants. ]
Perhaps. I met Rowena there and she is a witch, so it seems there are other versions of telepaths than myself and Emma.
[ He smiles back at Erik with that look. ]
Oh you know me. Belle of the ball.
no subject
[ Not that Erik seems especially bothered by it, if anything he seems perhaps a little too eager about it all. Well, aside from the potential animosity he's likely to face, but having Charles there will likely offer a buffer of sorts. Erik at least will be content to stay in his own corner and not even engage in needless conversation, though he suspects Charles won't be content with just that.
Maybe, with time, things won't be quite so uncomfortable. It's not as if they'll get their hands on paint tomorrow. And Charles can be endlessly stubborn when he wants to be. ]
And I always thought you looked rather good in a dress shirt and vest. Very scholarly. But the purple's doing you no disservice, believe me.
[ A little more laidback and resort style than he would expect from Charles, but— well, he has a hard time picturing Charles dressed in anything that he wouldn't appreciate. And indeed, it's just a harmless little compliment, surely there's nothing wrong with Erik returning it. ]
She didn't go into specifics with me, either. But I think she might have volunteered for those experiments.
[ She did say something along those lines. How she and her brother were desperate, with her people being at war for so long. He can't fault her for it, not in the least.
His lips curl at the last words, head canting a little to the side. ]
No one can quite compare to you, so I wouldn't worry so much about it.
[ Not that Charles is worried. He's probably delighted to meet others like him. ]
no subject
[ Charles is very stubborn and he will get a promise out of everyone to play nice. He thinks that considering they're not in their world, a lot of what kept them apart is taken away. There is no mutant-human war to be worried about, no open prejudice threatening to hunt them or tearing them apart. No reason to be enemies, there are only reasons to be allies, to bond together because they are still their own kind. That's where he's at.
Charles's smile is blinding for a moment at that returned compliment and he demures, waving a hand as if to brush it off, but he's radiating pleasure over it. He hasn't lost his weakness for flattery and bolstering of his ego, his only real vice at the end of the day. He would pretend to be more modest with anyone else, but he'll take it like a flower takes the sun in Erik's case. ]
Well you'll see it again, given I have three shirts now.
[ He doesn't have an entire wardrobe to get in and out of. Charles will use any opportunity in the future to scavenge more clothes for himself. Maybe the next time he'll get a suit out of it (he will).
He is surprised to hear Wanda may have volunteered for experiments. In his mind they seem like a terrible idea, but he has spent enough time with her, a handful of minutes it may have been, to think she had her reasons. ]
Perhaps given that she has abilities, she may not be a mutant, but she could still be one of us, if we wanted to frame it that way.
[ If Erik wanted to. If he already started bonding with this girl with psychic abilities, who was experimented on as he was, perhaps there's good reason to see if she wants to come closer. They've recruited before, and they may not have a team here to do the same for, but there's something to be said for strength in numbers. It's Charles, to always find a way to bring people to come together rather than apart. ]
Oh, I wasn't worried about that. [ Erik was right. He's delighted!] Emma and I didn't exactly get on, I love the idea of connecting with other psychics.
no subject
Three shirts, impressive. Please tell me at least one of them has a palm tree print.
[ He doesn't count on it, he's just teasing Charles there. Though to be fair, they shouldn't be too picky in a place like this. That won't stop him from making fun if Charles just happens to show up one day in a genuine aloha shirt.
He's more thoughtful as Charles mentions including Wanda as if she were one of them. Not a mutant, not really, and it doesn't matter if Erik likes her or even might grow to care about her more, he could not imagine calling her that either. But saying that she could be one of them might not be too far off the mark. ]
It seemed to me like she was seeking some form of support from others. I don't know if she's alone from her world here, but even if she isn't, I feel like we would all benefit from having more people to rely on.
[ Said as if Erik himself hasn't actively avoided other people so far, and the only reason he hasn't isolated himself entirely is because of Charles. ]
Emma hardly got on with anyone, [ He points out with a faint smile, fond and amused, and regretful of everything that happened. She still did not deserve the fate she got. Erik is never going to forgive himself for not being there to protect them all. ] I'm glad for you, then. So long as they remember to stay out of my head.
We can probably wrap on this one!
[ Charles laughs because he did, in fact, find one of those in the cabin. He's keeping all of it. He's in a beggers not choosers situation and he'll take what he can get. Then again, it's not as if he and Logan have a closet designed for a lot of options right now either. ]
We would benefit from having more people to rely on, hmmm? Careful, you're beginning to sound like me.
[ The corner of his eyes crinkle as he smiles at Erik, pleased by that fact, because he feels the same way. He thinks Wanda would be a natural fit if she wanted to, and there is something about her that drew them both in apparently. Kimiko is the same way. Perhaps it's more about misfits than mutants when it comes to this place. People who could benefit from a group. ]
I can't speak for them, my friend, but those shields should keep you protected from whatever they can throw at you.
Sounds good to me!
[ Beggars can't be choosers, indeed. Erik might just have to look around and see if there's anything here he could tolerate, fashion-wise. Print isn't really his thing but maybe there's a piece or two around that wouldn't be too offensive on the eye. He's stuck mostly to old, worn clothes back in Panorama, but he has precious few items and he knows he's going to need more eventually. ]
I meant us, in general. The people recently arrived.
[ It's not as if the city's kind on any of them. They've all been in debt from the moment they arrived, hardly a single thing to help them. He wouldn't count those meager samples as help. But yes, he supposes he's borrowing a little from Charles, there. Hard not to when the telepath lives rent free in his head (sometimes literally). ]
I know. I'm not concerned for now.
[ He hasn't been given reason to worry about them, and besides, he trusts that the shields Charles put up will be effective to some degree. If something happens to prove otherwise, well... they'll deal with it when it happens. ]