MINGLE ∞ LOG — June 2025

[thediadem]

Mingle ∞ Log

No Lifeguard on Duty

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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.

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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

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Comments

[tolight]

[ She mouths the word under her breath; she's heard both of them floating around between the patrons here, all of which seem far more comfortable with the concept than she is. It's not exactly a surprise she doesn't know — she learned what a car is barely a few weeks ago. There isn't a lot of shame as she learns, or when he asks the question. Just a nod. ]

No. I admit, I hadn't fathomed such a ... thing could exist. [ She returns to watching Thomas salt the bottom of a margarita glass, perfectly serious. It's not like she's ever had a margarita before — as far as she knows, this is something he's actually doing correctly. ] But watching him now...

Have you seen the photographs he carries?

[opticular]

I have. Hard to believe them, to be honest.

[ That an android can be formally human. It's probably a soul transfer of some sort, transferring the consciousness of an actual human being to a robot. He can shoot concussive blasts through his eyes, it's not far from the realm of possibility. And yet, it's still very bewildering, and Scott's not sure if it's worth believing. He puts a pin on that chunk of information for now, jot it down on his notebook when he gets a chance. Analyze it some other time.

He glances at Thomas for a bit while he creates the drink and then back to her. ] What's your world like if you haven't imagined something like an android could exist?

[tolight]

[ There's a hum at the answer — thoughtful, if a little wary. She's still watching the man — robot — behind the bar while Scott takes his notes, stamping down the curiosity in favor of propriety. Maybe if the conversation comes back around that way, she'll ask.

For now, the question has her turn back around. There's a brief beat, a flit of her gaze wandering elsewhere, before she finds her words. ]

Based on conversations with others, it seems that the world I hail from is far more primitive than what is found here. I've only learned what a car is upon my arrival here — our main forms of transportation were carriages on land, ships for the sea, and pegasi and wyverns for the air.

[ A beat. ] Though I have been informed that for other Fluxdrifts, my home sounds ... fantastical. [ Mostly the pegasi and wyverns. The dragons too, but she hasn't really told anyone about that yet. ] Is that the case for you, as well?

[opticular]

Pretty much.

[ Scott replies with a shrug and a small smile. Pegasi and wyverns. Sounds like something straight of a fantasy novel. Not to mention carriages and ships as modes of transportation. This person probably lived in a castle or a hut somewhere. Sometimes, Scott forgets just how diverse the fluxdrifts are in this planet... or realm (he hasn't really concluded on anything concrete regarding this yet.)

His smile broadening and shifting into a more sympathetic one, he continues their conversation. ]

Must be very confusing when you arrived here, then. How have you been faring so far? [ For someone who just learned what a car is upon arrival, he figures she'd have no knowledge how to repair or maintain it. Scott wouldn't mind extending a helping hand if necessary. ]

[tolight]

[ A castle until that was destroyed. Then wherever she could sleep, really. Army tents for the most part. Just outside, for a few years. The occasional stronghold or fortress whenever the opportunity presented itself. She's never been all that picky about her living arrangements ( couldn't be ). Right now, she's settled for sleeping in her car on most nights. It's no canvas walls and tiny cots, but it's familiar enough.

She clocks the sympathy, and hums in response. ] It still is, I'm afraid. [ Confusing, she means; there's no shame in admitting that, she thinks. Sympathy will always remain difficult to receive, but she knows better than to let her pride lead here. She's started on a backfoot. Her car broke down in the middle of the road, and there was nothing she could do until help arrived.

Speaking of— ]

Still. Many of those that I have met have been very kind, and I've been learning what I could. And moments like this [ with the food, the idle chatter around them, ] remind me that there are still plenty of similarities despite everything. [ You know, the camaraderie. Banding together despite the strange, unforgiving circumstances. ( Just uh, ignore the fiasco that's happening in the parking lot. ) ]

[opticular]

I agree.

[ That there are still plenty of similarities despite everything. That their greatest strength has always been building community despite their differences. All of them Fluxdrifts here have been dragged from their worlds during different points in time and that commonality is what really binds them together. All of them figuring stuff out as they go along.

Scott smiles at her words, putting him at ease that he's not the only one here who values teamwork and community. It's a good realization whenever he gets it. ]

If you happen to have some problems with your car or anything technology-related, you can call me. I'm skilled at fixing and repairing things. [ He feels it's only fair to offer this to her, someone who's currently adjusting as well as seeing the benefits of unity. ]

[tolight]

[ She's seen what community can do, the odds that the determined few can beat. The people here aren't so different compared to those back at home — they want comfort, happiness, and health. While the circumstances and the minutiae of it all may change, and that will take getting used to... but well, she's managed to not completely total her car yet.

In other words— it's nice to find a kindred spirit. Two words don't sound like much, but the fact that he's understood the intent behind her words means something. Lucina finds herself returning the smile with one of her own. ]

That would be... nice. Thank you. [ A breath, a furrow between her brows. ] Though I'm not sure if there's anything I can do in return.

[opticular]

No need to pay me back for it. We help each other.

[ That's what community is about, isn't it? Helping without asking anything in return. And Scott, while having this conversation, realizes that's what they need. The world here likes saddling them with debts and things on their tab. Sometimes, it's nice to get a helping hand just because one needs it, eases the load this realm has placed upon their shoulders, even just a little. ]

I do this a lot back home. I even teach a class about it, so if you want to learn, I can also teach you while I fix your car, if ever it comes down to it. [ His smile widens. ] This way, you'd be able to do it yourself and you won't feel as if you need me next time. [ It's a good way for her not to feel like she's indebted to him. ]

[tolight]

[ That's the thing, though — she's been the provider for so long, the role being reversed isn't easy to stomach. His alternative is better in some ways, but worse in others; it's still time out of his day, after all, to repair a car and to teach her. Even if she will have to learn somewhere, even if she doesn't have the funds to give. It's easier to shoulder others' burdens than it is to ease her own.

For a moment, it looks as though she's going to insist otherwise ( surely there has to be something— ). But there's a beat, and she manages a nod. She'll let the matter lie for now; but it's not something she plans to keep this way. She'll find a way to repay him. ]

I would be happy to learn. [ Lucina pauses. Blinks. Her eyes widen briefly, before— ]

Ah, now that you mention it... there's a friend, [ surely it's okay to call him that? ] who recently mentioned having trouble starting up his motorcycle. Would it be alright if he contacted you as well?

[opticular]

[ The mention of a friend needing motorcycle repairs piques Scott's interest and makes him smile a bit broader. It's not as if he doesn't get anything out of teaching and repairing for free. Knowing he's making people's lives a bit easier when they're all struggling to survive in this harsh planet is already something for him. This, and it keeps him from thinking of home, of the people he left behind. Keeps him busy. ]

Sure, no problem. He could give me a call. I own a motorcycle back home so I know it more intimately than a car, to be honest.

[ But he can repair any mode of transportation, even the X-Jet. Realizing, though, that he hasn't really introduced himself yet, Scott extends a friendly hand. ]

Scott, by the way. [ A beat. ] Scott Summers.

[tolight]

[ Ah, where are her manners. Terrible showing on her part on all fronts, honestly, considering all she's gotten out of this is help for her and Wriothesley without anything to give. At least she has the propriety to keep enough of a poker face, the tiniest bit of solace over the fact that the man — Scott — looks genuinely happy to help. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Scott. [ She takes his hand and gives it a firm shake before letting go. ] My name is Lucina. [ And politeness or otherwise — it is a pleasure. It's written on her face, the lines of her body. It doesn't take much for her to know that he's a good, kind man.

— But really. One more time, for good measure, after an inhale: ] I really will have to find a way to repay you somehow. I still have much to learn, but ... if there's anything I could help with at all— [ You know. Just say the word. ]