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
CAPTAIN JACK KLEIN WINCHESTER
The final r on Winchester tails off into a piratical little flourish of a skull and crossbones. ]
Sign? — Yeah, sure.
[ Even though she doesn't consider herself an artist, it is nice to hear. Art has always been an outlet, a hobby, something that's part of her family and culture and upbringing; the fact that she was raised to be practical isn't really a contradiction. Her grandfather worked as an electrician for forty years. The skills he taught her never earned him a dime. She signs it at the bottom corner, a small swirl of cursive — Nash G.W. — and feels, weirdly, like an artist.
The picture is torn neatly from the sketchbook and held out for Jack to take. ]
Here you go, Captain.
no subject
I can't wait to show my father, thank you.
[ He'll have to show Sam later, for now he is fully invested in the new artist friend he just made. He brushes his fingers gently over where she signed. When his eyes move back up to look at her, there's something intense and focused about his gaze. He doesn't blink much. He doesn't mean to be so forward but there is a genuine smile involved, he doesn't know the meaning of too much eye contact. ]
Your name is Nash?
no subject
[ Despite the words themselves, there's a clear smile in her tone. Closing the sketchbook, she folds her arms over it and gives Jack her undivided attention. The eye contact is a little intense; she gently focuses her gaze just to the left of his face as a party trick. It helps diminish some of the pressure.
Conversationally, as she juggles her mechanical pencil between her fingers — ]
Is your dad here with you? Lucky.
no subject
Yes, my father Sam is here. My other father Castiel is here too, but he doesn't know me. It's very strange, he is from a time before I was born.
[ And that is pure agony for Jack who loves his father deeply. He has been looking at Castiel with sad puppy eyes whenever they meet but also trying not to overwhelm him. Unsuccessfully, given how bluntly he talks about a future Castiel cannot fully fathom. He did find out that Castiel's actions directly led to Jack being alive, which means they do have something closely connecting them. It just doesn't mean anything to Castiel. ]
I think I upset him so I try not to hover.
no subject
Sorry, Cap. That sucks.
[ Fortunately, there are aspects of this that she can hold up to her own life and find similar shapes. ]
You know, my dad didn't know I existed until I was around ten. It probably took him a bit to get used to the idea too. But my mom always told me that none of that was my fault and if he ended up not wanting to meet me, it was his loss. It helped, knowing she was on my side.
[ A considering look sidelong at Jack as she continues to toy with her pencil. ]
Have you talked to your Sam-Dad about this?
no subject
[ So this goes deep for him. Castiel has been a constant presence, Jack bonded with him when he was still in the womb. That connection was unbreakable, and then Jack brought Castiel out of the Empty using his unnatural power. They've been inseparable since, outside of recently when Castiel died again, but everyone has died. Jack is not in a place where he can fully fathom the level of loss they just had so he lets it go.
He listens to her intently. ]
My mother died giving birth to me. My fathers are all I've had.
[ Kelly Kline was an exceptional person and she did everything she could for him. She is a huge presence in Jack's life and in his heart despite him never truly being with her. He wishes he could have known her, he's envious when people get to have their mothers. He killed both of his mothers, both by accident. ]
Yes, I told Sam Castiel doesn't remember. Castiel is very unwell, I am hoping Sam can help him. He's from a painful time in their history.
no subject
Of course, she knows none of Jack's background. She's applying mundane assumptions to what he's telling her. ]
Maybe Castiel just needs time. It can't have helped to be brought here, none of us asked for this.
[ She continues to toy with the pencil between a couple of fingers. Having something to do with her hands is oddly helpful in this conversation. ]
I'm sure, eventually, he'll be really glad you're here with him.
no subject
[ Jack looks glum, glancing back down at the portrait she did. He loves it still, it's not about that. He did think right away he wanted to show Castiel, but this Castiel would have no interest in it. It hurts to think he may never see his true father again. It was true because Castiel was dead, but it's almost torturous to have him there yet never the same. ]
I think he's caught up in all the reasons he shouldn't like me. I'm the son of his greatest enemy. I shouldn't exist. I'm dangerous and a burden to him.
[ Jack sighs. This has always been true, these are facts, but the other Castiel said it didn't matter because he loved Jack. ]
no subject
That's a lot. Nash, having no context for Jack's unique world and all its little secrets, might find this above her paygrade. There's nothing she can do but espouse reassurance; it's entirely within his rights to not want to accept that reassurance. Dangerous, though? That hardly seems likely. He's just a kid. A talkative, excitable kid who wants to be a pirate.
Right now, Nashua finds herself at a very significant crossroads. She could distract this sad kid with a game of paper football or she could pry more details out of him and make this whole scenario he's describing less cloudy.
She's quiet for a second... and then comes to a decision. An empty piece of paper is torn from her sketchpad. ]
You any good at paper football, Cap'n?
no subject
What he said before is serious and sad, but he immediately brightens when Nashua brings up paper football. That's how easy it is to distract him, given that he has a light spirit at heart. The burdens never lift but he can do something fun when given a chance. ]
I'm okay at it! [ Jack has a lot of time by himself to learn little games. ] I don't often get to play it with someone else.