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
arrival of freak
[ Luckily for Castiel — or perhaps unluckily — Connor is here. He stands outside the driver’s side door for approximately five seconds before knocking: three short raps against the glass. ]
Hello, Castiel. Are you in need of assistance? How are the slugs?
[ Connor hasn’t checked on the gastropods since late last night, when he had his face pressed to Castiel’s window. Alas, the fungus wall still obscures his vision inside. But soon, Connor predicts. Soon it will fall. ]
FREAK 2 FREAK COMMUNICATION
he stares owl-eyed out the window, wondering how connor presumably got here before him, his imagination filling with visions of booster jets growing from connor's feet and hands, or, more straightforwardly, connor running very very fast, like the roadrunner in those cartoons.
castiel rolls the window down. ]
Do you have booster jets?
[ oh yes. the gastropods. ]
They're all right. I've been keeping them watered, so I won't be able to stay here too long.
the slugs having their own pool party huh
I don’t have booster jets, no. But I could.
[ With that cryptic note aside: ]
I got a ride. I stood in the road and waited for someone to stop. Many people did not, in fact, stop.
[ Many horns were honked. Much yelling was heard. ]
I understand.
[ A nod, then: ]
This hinders our search for the oversized termites.
he definitely filled up the tub for them
I hope no one tried to trample you.
[ humans have this tendency to try to run over things they see in the street, he's found. a strange compulsion, and one he doesn't share. if anything, he'd be more likely to take connor's place.
castiel taps his fingers on the steering wheel, brow furrowing. ]
There's someone I could ask to look in on them.
when you first mentioned watering I imagined Cas with a literal watering can
They did. Some people even sped up as they approached me.
[ Connor could have stood off to the side of the road, but he wasn’t sure most humans would see him with the perpetual darkness. He also did not think most people would stop even if they did see him — which was the case when he stood in the road, anyway. ]
Are they knowledgeable about termites?
does cas even know what a watering can is
[ maybe connor can survive a high speed impact? castiel is squinting at him now. ]
Uh... I don't think they're knowledgeable about much. But they could water the slugs.
[ he hopes. ]
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I’m fine. Unfortunately it’s the cars that took on most of the damage.
[ Tsk tsk. Shouldn’t have challenged a robo boy in need of a ride. ]
Oh.
[ Connor’s voice is a little disappointed, but he steams right on ahead. ]
Would you like to... swim?
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[ castiel seems relieved, if still a little worried. glancing askance a few times to check that connor really is undamaged.
but he seems to be just fine.
castiel blinks. ]
Can you?
[ castiel looks worried again, suddenly, but maybe not for connor. ]
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Swimming is one of my many capabilities, yes. Although I’m afraid I didn’t bring the appropriate attire.
[ A small twist of his lips — some manner of disappointment again, although this time it’s directed more toward himself. He doesn’t have the money for new clothes and, being an android, he hadn’t really considered it a high priority.
If Hank were here, though — if Hank were alive — Connor imagines he might press him. Tell him he needs clothes. Because he’s a person now.
Hmm. ]
Do you need to change?
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[ castiel watches connor.
he can't imagine what's going through his head. dean has never really tried to make him more human, or more of a person. he doesn't correct his misassumptions or explain his references, almost as though he prefers him how he is.
for better, or worse. (mostly worse, castiel thinks.) ]
No.
I mean, I can leave my clothes here. It's fine.
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Humans seem to prefer that you do not enter their pools unclothed.
[ Although this isn’t a command of any sort, and even if it were: Connor doesn’t have to adhere to such.
Regardless, he nods. Looking up over Castiel’s car, Connor’s eyes home in on one of the poolside huts. ]
I’m going to take a look around.
cn nudity
there's not much to hide beneath the tangle of dark hair between his legs, anyway.
he stands at the edge of the deep end looking in while he waits for connor to return. ]
get ready for it
[ Connor doesn’t have to do much sleuthing to find a rack of clothes. And they’re clean, too. Unworn.
When Connor returns to Castiel, he is wearing a pair of pink bikini bottoms that ties on the sides. As well as a pair of pineapple-shaped sunglasses. ]
Hello.
[ He sits at the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water. ]
I dropped my clothes off in your car.
O_O <- me not staring
[ castiel blinks at connor's swimsuit. is that comfortable for him? can androids feel discomfort? castiel stares at his crotch for an uncomfortably long amount of time before raising his gaze to his eyes. ]
Does that fit all right?
[ hm. ]
I didn't think androids would need to wear sunglasses.
(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞
I like these better than the shorts I found. Those would have been easier to put on, but these are...
[ Connor glances down at his lap. Gingerly touching one of the bikini ties. ]
I don’t know. They just appealed to me. The color is pleasant, and I enjoy the contrast with the yellow sunglasses. Pink and yellow are on opposite sides of the color wheel.
[ Looking back up at Castiel through his pineapple sunglasses: ]
These are unnecessary, yes. There’s a familiarity to them, though. I think they drew me in partly because of that.
[ Hank didn’t wear shirts with pineapples on them, exactly, but his fashion choices did have a sort of whimsy to them.
Connor hopes to find his own whimsy. ]
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but the sentimentality, ah. that, he understands. ]
Maybe you can keep them.
[ castiel can't imagine what kind of bathing suit dean would have worn. he was always working. ]
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I hope so.
[ Connor likes the outfit: more than he feels he should. Part of acclimating to deviancy, he’s sure. He should probably admit that at some point. Seek reassurance.
But he doesn’t. Not yet.
Connor is kicking his feet ever so slightly in the water. Not enough to splash anyone, but it feels nice. The temperature is currently optimal. ]
Why do you think Felix was telling everyone about this diffusion zone?
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he looks down at his naked body and wonders what dean would think of it; whether any part of dean would find it pleasing. he sighs. the water feels nice, but his legs remain still. ]
Perhaps he was just being kind.
no subject
I suppose so.
[ Felix: a kind old man, perhaps. ]
Humans are strange, although androids aren’t much different in that regard. Some will invite strangers to pool parties at night in the middle of nowhere, while others will try to run you down with their car.
[ Connor slips into the water, holding onto the edge of the pool. ]
This is nice.
[ Unusual, perhaps, in that Hank isn’t here and Connor can’t help the feeling that he should be.
But it’s nice, all the same. Something new. ]
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[ castiel would like to know. the evidence of their existence here is limited to mostly corpses, which is a sad thing to think. but it's something he can understand, in a sense; most of his brothers aren't even that. just smudges on the ground.
he watches connor get into the water. he hesitates before following him, fingers clenching the edge until his toes safely touch the ground. ]
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Androids are...
[ Eyes flicking to the broken-down bodies. Gaze remaining for a few seconds as if he might be able to figure out what’s wrong with them, how to save them, if he just keeps looking.
Of course, though, the androids remain motionless. ]
They were designed to solve problems: child-rearing, caretakers, companions. I’m not sure if the androids here had free will, but I hope they did. Does it seem logical to assume otherwise?
[ Connor gestures around the poolside with his hand. ]
Would humans set this up, do you think? Design this party and then let them die?
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[ he knows that humanity has a history of slavery, but why bother with a non-human alternative if the moral implications don't matter? or perhaps they really were that depraved. as much as he loves humanity, he knows their capacity for cruelty.
castiel lifts his head and looks around. ]
I don't see any sign of any human here. There aren't even any spirits. I think... I think something must have happened.
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Most humans didn’t want androids to have free will. Despite the prevalence of androids gaining sentience in their popular culture — movies and novels, and such — they didn’t understand what they were dealing with in reality.
But — [ pushing back away from the pool’s rim, now ] — I think maybe the man who created androids where I’m from planned for androids to gain sentience. Perhaps they were designed with the capability to achieve free will, rather than granted it upon activation.
[ Is that giving Kamski too much credit? Connor isn’t sure. ]
Maybe he thought that androids were superior to humans, or that they could outlast mankind.
I couldn't tell you about the androids here, but — [ turning to float on his back ] — they make me sad.
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[ he doesn't entirely understand. but it makes him feel something. maybe envy. if only they could have been that way; if only they could have grasped free will as a species, together, and ascended to something greater. or at least something more humanlike, tenderer.
if all androids are like connor, then yes, he can't help but envy them. castiel smiles in sympathy, a momentary twitch of the lips. ]
It makes me sad, too.
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[ Connor reaches out toward one of the moons, using his other hand to take off the sunglasses. Resting them on his chest. ]
What do you think would happen if I stayed here? With them.
[ Where do diffusion zones go, exactly? Somewhere else in the Diadem? Another world? Or do they cease to exist eventually?
Connor wonders. ]
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