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
Well, not entirely. "I was just afraid someone else was going to take my clothes again." Which was true, even if that was actually the more minor thing at this point. "I did not realize so many people would still be awake."
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"I have no need for sleep," he confesses, though it might be an obvious statement, given his lack of eyelids. "I was exploring to pass the time."
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"Have you found anything interesting?"
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Viktor looks back towards the block of hotel rooms.
"My partner does need to sleep, so I have taken it upon myself to patrol the area for any potential dangers."
no subject
An Zhe's gaze followed Viktor's to the hotel rooms, and some suspicions were promptly confirmed. He had assumed that the search for non-perishable supplies had been for someone else, and it was nice to know that there was no reason to be lonely during someone's waking hours.
"I see. I am glad it hasn't been too interesting then."
The only deeply interesting things that An Zhe had picked up on was how empty the dirt was, and that a very tall bugman had known his name. That was incredibly important, actually, and things seemed amicable enough to simply speak up. "... Can I ask how you knew me?"
no subject
And it is good, that there are no immediate dangers. He still puzzles over the androids, but the diffusion zone itself seems to be entirely benign.
The next question is somewhat unexpected, though he supposes it's fair. Explaining it, however, is difficult.
"I felt it."
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Somehow, that had been the most logical answer while being one that should have been confusing. Lu Feng had always known that there was something off about An Zhe even from the very beginning. Even if it made him wonder if the Arbiter would have known him if he'd ever seen the mushroom as it was, An Zhe knew this was different. Perhaps it was even similar to himself.
So he only seemed mildly surprised by that answer. "All of it?"
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Viktor is doing his best not to be too intrusive. An Zhe had projected no memories, from their brief touch, and he hadn't gone looking, knowing how poorly it might end. Still, there is no real disguising the essence of one's self from his powers, which is how he was able to know as soon as An Zhe stepped into his hand.
"Enough to know that it was you."
no subject
Well, An Zhe supposed that was fine either way. Knowing he could become a mushroom was almost the same thing as knowing he was a mushroom. The nuance did not matter in the world he'd come from. As far as An Zhe was concerned, Viktor already knew the main secret An Zhe had been keeping.
The mushroom idly hooked his fingers together in his lap, feeling a bit unsure if anything was supposed to change now.
"I... hope that is not a problem."
no subject
"Why would it be a problem?"
He's clearly not in a position to judge who or what anyone is, small mushrooms included.
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The answer that he thought was obvious fell completely short, dying in his throat before he even had a chance to say it. Why did he think Eight was brave for simply being himself? How many people had he wondered about being a xenogenic were simply living their lives without a fuss from anyone else?
Why would it be a problem?
"Because... I kept it a secret?" The secrets had been what had hurt his person the most, he knew. Though even if that was true, it did not sound especially compelling in front of Viktor.
"People usually think that is dangerous." For lots of reasons.
no subject
"It doesn't bother me. You were only trying to protect yourself."
Well, that's what he assumes, anyway. That's sort of what Viktor has been doing, not that he'll says as much.
"I won't tell anyone."
no subject
That was... a lot more relieving than An Zhe had expected. The world he'd left was in a much more positive place for him now, but An Zhe had no concrete way of knowing if the Diadem was closer to that or the blood-soaked cities he had hid himself in before. Things had already been going well with Viktor, so it shouldn't have been so much of a surprise, but having it go so well felt like an encouragement he hadn't been expecting.
"Thank you," An Zhe said softly, and mustered up a hint of a smile. "Though if I meet more people like you, maybe I can be braver someday." People. Bugs. He didn't know a good word to encompass everyone.
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Viktor is just being decent, he thinks. Besides, it's not like he's one to talk--he's hiding his own appearance, and also his misdeeds. He can be as outwardly kind as he likes, but it doesn't make up for the things he's done. The atrocities he's hiding.
He nods, reassuringly, but there's a sadness in it, even with his lack of facial expression.
"Can I assist you in your search?"
It will help pass the time.
no subject
What he was sure of was that the rest of what happened here was good.
So An Zhe got up to his feet, holding his hand out to Viktor. Was this something that bugs did too...? He hoped the human motion came across all the same. "That would be nice."
no subject
He'll follow, though, seemingly eager to do so.
"I'll require your instruction."
On what kind of dirt is best.
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"We'll need to look for..." An Zhe paused, trying to search his thoughts for the right words here. He was sure there was a better turn of phrase for this, but it was not one he'd ever needed to know.
"We are looking for poop."
Another pause. "From insects." Wait no that was maybe a worse qualifier wait--
"Um. I have not looked in this direction yet."
no subject
Viktor's voice is impassive, and he is apparently not offended by either the phrasing nor the fact that this is what An Zhe is looking for. He's a mushroom, after all. The best dirt is probably just fertilizer.
"Let's go together. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."
In case he wants to be a mushroom again, or something.
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"Mm! Thank you."
It was easiest to test things as a mushroom since it made more sense for one to be found in the dirt than it was for a boy's hand to become a pool of white threads. That was easier to overlook with a very tall friend at his side though, so An Zhe did not see a reason why they could not venture off just like this. It was better that way, if Viktor wanted to ask questions while they went searching for the frass-touched soil that just did not exist in this particular zone.
At least it was not a lonesome way to spend part of the night.