MINGLE ∞ LOG — June 2025

[thediadem]

Mingle ∞ Log

No Lifeguard on Duty

©

Jump ⇅ :: Intro — Prompts — NPC Interaction

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 ∞

Travel — Map — Setting

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.

©

©

©

⇅ Top

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.

Questions? Ask here

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Comments

[opticular]

[ Scott's brows furrowed when Logan told him to ask Henryk about what other name he goes by, and for a moment, he was about to reply with something sarcastic or snarky to defend his newfound friend Henryk. Logan can be such a jerk to people he doesn't know, and for a brief second, he thought he was just being an asshole to someone Scott befriended.

But then, Henryk tells him who he actually is that all of that drops from Scott's mind, immediately replaced by shock. Every little kindness Henryk showed him for the past nights he stayed came rushing to him, before memories of the Magneto he knows terrorizing both mutantkind and humanity also came flooding in.

Shock gives way to anger, and it shows by how Scott lifts a hand to his temple, near his visor. ]

You're who?! [ Scott bellows, adjusting his visor. ] You- [ He grits his teeth. ] You manipulated me into thinking you're kind, didn't you? Thought you'd gain my trust by pretending to be my friend. Like I'd believe you don't know who I am.

[ To be fair, in hindsight, that's probably the most believable thing. Erik, at this age, most likely doesn't know him. Charles, who's probably as young as this Erik, only knows him through Logan's mind (it makes sense now - young Charles so of course a young Erik too.) But, as it is, Scott's not operating on logic right now as his anger gets the best of him. ]

Stay back or I'll shoot. [ His visor begins to faintly glow red. ]

[carcajous]

[ In retrospect, he should've seen this coming. Truth is, the term loose cannon just doesn't cross his mind when it comes to Scott. That's his role, thanks, something Scott's never failed to remind him of. Frankly, Logan's not bothered by it. One of them needs to be the predictable good boy, and it sure as hell ain't him.

Obviously, he doesn't know Scott as well as he thinks. Guess he should've realized that, too, seeing as how little time he got with the man. Either way, Logan's just watching at first, figures Scott will bitch his heart out as usual and walk it off. Then that visor starts heating up, and it strikes him that the first of them to start a scene is about to be Scott fucking Summers.

Goddamn it.

Logan grabs Scott's arm. ] Whoa, hey, hey— [ Chrissake, what's he doing playing mediator? ] Sit down. How's he gonna know it was you, you were still colouring outside the lines in '73.

[ Listen, far be it for him to defend Erik of all people, but also? As much as this planet doesn't seem to look twice at folks who are a bit (a lot) different, he learned a long time ago how fast the wind shifts direction, especially when one of their own can blow holes in the pool by blinking. They don't need that kind of attention. ]

[heavymetals]

[ Erik, on the other hand, has no expectation on what might happen, but he is absolutely prepared for the worst. He doesn't even blink when Scott reaches for his visor (though now he has the answer as to why he had that on indoors), only lifting an eyebrow in mild surprise. He knows he was a fucking asshole in this (supposedly potential) future, but he didn't expect an X-Man to outright attack him without any provocation whatsoever.

He is even more surprised that Logan even steps up for his sake. Maybe Logan's smarter than he gave him credit for, and realises the complications that would come from an incident like this— or maybe he made a promise to Charles, too. Either way, he's relieved for it. The last thing he wants is a fight but he worries that he would be pushed in that direction if Logan wasn't here right now. ]

Do you see me getting closer? [ He lifts both his hands, but it's a placating gesture, almost a surrender. Granted, it could turn into self-defense in a heartbeat. ] Believe it or not, I don't really want to fight you.

[opticular]

[ Logan trying to stop him with that grab on his arm and those words receives only a passing glance from Scott. The guy's right, and he's slowly beginning to realize that while his judgment is currently clouded by both anger and the instant reaction to protect himself and others from Magneto. His visor is still glowing red, though, not exactly lowering his guard down anytime soon. Not that he'll shoot Logan of course, or Erik if he stays where he is, but it's a good warning in place.

It does disappear when Erik raises both his hands in a gesture to appease him. But his hand is still on his visor, just in case. Scott's anger is also easing down, as his role as a boy scout leader helps soothe the immediate anger he has for Magneto, and the way he was tricked by him (unintentionally, the other mutant says, but he doesn't buy it.) ]

Big talk for someone who has a history of using and hurting fellow mutants to get what he wants. Remember when you dropped a whole stadium on the Professor? [ He spits out with venom, definitely referencing the future this Erik has yet to live. He remembers what Henryk told him - he's a factory worker in Poland. Scott almost scoffs. He's sure that's also a lie, even if he should've clocked it at metalwork. Mentioning he dropped a whole stadium on Charles is probably just one of the many atrocious things this Erik did in his past. Maybe that's why he felt the need to befriend him. Maybe that's why he had to conceal his identity. Who knows, but that's typical Magneto. ]

Do anything like that again and it's a fight you're gonna get. [ Scott doesn't give him an opportunity to answer, though, because before he loses his temper again, he storms off. So much for that drink, Henryk. ]

[carcajous]

[ Sorry, what? Did he just say Erik dropped a stadium on Charles? During—?

Logan snaps his gaze between Scott, then Erik. When he lets go of Scott, there's a strong implication that if Scott hadn't walked off right then—if he'd gone for the throat—Logan wasn't gonna stop him a second time. But Scott does stomp off, and it leaves just him and Erik across the bar. His fingers twitch.

Jesus. Some things never change, huh? Except they do. He's seen it. A long time from where Erik and Scott are, he's seen it. And he knows Charles believes in it. The truth is, he wants to believe, too. Just isn't always sure he can. Moments like these make it real hard.

Their little commotion's drawn eyes, though. Logan huffs—can't believe he's letting things be with this jackass—but if Erik's not throwing shit, it's. Fine.

Also, he can feel Charles buzzing in his head. Yeah, yeah. He's leaving. Not before he snags a bottle, though. ]

[heavymetals]

[ It's enough to render Erik speechless. Not the kind of information that he'd expect Scott to have, or to drop into the argument out of nowhere— but he can't really counter it, because it is the truth. It hasn't even been that long since it happened, and he's certainly in no position to defend himself against it. Because while all of the other things that Scott might remember about him are things he himself hasn't done yet (and might not ever), that one he definitely can't deny.

His lips press to a thin line instead, shoulders drawn tensely. He hopes it doesn't lead to a fight, not with Scott or with Logan, but at this point, he doesn't know what to expect from either of them. It seems entirely plausible that Logan would come at him after hearing that— from the look on his face, it's evident that Charles hadn't told him about it. But obviously he thought it safe to tell Scott. Well.

He lets his hands fall as Scott walks away, holding Logan's stare with a heavy one of his own. He doesn't glance around but he can feel that people are staring, not that he's ever cared about having an audience, but there is some amount of relief that Logan simply leaves. This won't be the last they speak about it, he imagines— but at least he doesn't have to do it now, and he can retreat to a quiet corner of his own, and handle his own emotions in a way that doesn't translate into complete chaos. ]