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
Wait, what? You stabbed Logan? Why? You alright?
[ At this point, Scott only knows she's strong so he's more concerned for her well-being. Logan heals quick. He'll be fine. ]
no subject
On yet another trusty napkin, she scribbles down — ]
Misunderstanding
[ Yes, she's fine. She's solid. But Kimiko isn't sure how well her gesture for healing got the message across. If everyone here knew the language she and Kenji had created, things would be so much easier. Far from the first time, she wishes she could flip a switch and make words come back. She wishes talking didn't scare the hell out of her, leave her rooted to the floor and voiceless with panic and disgust. She doesn't have to tell Scott anything else, she knows, but she wants to. ]
He can't hurt me [ Punctuated with another little smiley face. ]
no subject
You mean you're invulnerable or do you also heal fast?
[ He didn't particularly get that she can heal fast from her earlier message, but he's starting to realize the answer to his question might just be the latter. There are far too many similarities for Scott to think it must be.
Got experimented on, too. Just like Logan. He wonders if the terrorist group she's referencing might be Stryker's. Because they sure as hell is to him. ]
no subject
No, she suspects he means impervious to damage. And Kimiko definitely isn't that.
With a quick glance around the immediate area to make sure Thomas isn't hovering, she grabs a glass and smashes it against the bar top. It fragments neatly, if loudly, into loose shards of glass. There's no hesitation as she plucks up a shard and draws the sharp, shear edge along the outside of her forearm. Blood from a three- or four-inch gash wells up immediately, a vivid line of fresh red against her pale skin.
In seconds, the skin around the gash has closed back up. There isn't even a seam of scar tissue.
Grabbing the he can't hurt me napkin, she uses it to wipe up the blood. Leaving bits of shattered glass all over the bar is one thing, but blood is unhygienic where people eat and drink! ]
no subject
When one's a teacher in a school filled with mutants, there are far stranger stuff.
After a bit of a pause, he puts a hand on his chin, as if in contemplation. ]
So, you heal fast. Like Logan. When you met him, did you see it for yourself? That he healed?
[ He has an array of follow-up questions, but he doesn't want to bombard her with them. Scott's going to approach this similar to how he approaches potential recruits. ]
no subject
Somehow, she had pulled herself back. She hadn't even needed Serge's voice in her ear.
For Scott, she makes an open handed gesture of uncertainty. The sort that may accompany the words I don't remember from a speaking person. Kimiko pairs it with a wide-eyed and slightly sheepish expression, like she's a teenager that got caught trying to sneak out. ]
no subject
For now, though, Scott will put a pin on it. ] Well, I'm glad you've shared all these to me so far, Kimiko. Really appreciate how open you are.
[ He punctuates that with a smile. ] I'd like to get to know you more, if that's okay? [ Is he actively recruiting right now? Maybe. ] Do you have your phone with you?
no subject
It's different now. But she can't shake the queer sense of discomfort that's washed over her.
Leaning over yet another napkin, she scribbles another message in a juvenile, unpracticed scrawl that could be accurately attributed to a fourteen year-old. The letters are correct, they're just sloppy. ]
I have a boyfriend back home.
Sorry.
[ It's... kind of true? Maybe? Even if it isn't, it's a lie she's comfortable with. Serge wouldn't be mad at her for it.
Anyway, she is hilariously misreading the vibe now. ]
no subject
No, that's not it. I also have a girlfriend back home. I'm not hitting on you.
[ He almost facepalms, admittedly. But it's also a little amusing how his intentions were misunderstood. He should've been clearer. ]
What I'm trying to say is, there are a few of us here who also have powers like you. Like I said earlier, I teach them back home. We formed a community, a safe haven if you will. I want to get to know you more in that context.
no subject
It's nice, what he's offering. Kimiko can't quite put an explanation to her discomfort. It's her fault that she's not ready, that she still drives out to the diffusion zones every four days to check for faces she recognises. Hopefully he won't be angry or take it as dismissal. It might be dismissal, but it might be something else. Kimiko's throat feels even more clogged than usual.
She does wave goodbye, though, ducking her head sheepishly before disappearing into the crowd. ]