diademlogs | MINGLE ∞ LOG

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MINGLE ∞ LOG — June 2025

Mingle ∞ Log

No Lifeguard on Duty

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.

⇅ Top

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

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Threaded | Flat

Permissible Actions
Actions you may take without mod pre-approval:

Drink as much liquor as you want (the bar mysteriously replenishes).
Cause a minor accident or incident in the parking lot or around the pool.
Break a structure in the area. It will also mysteriously repair itself after a day.
Collect a part of an android. You can either sell this part or keep it. It will not provide any big revelations, but the screws, bolts, and circuits could be useful to repair or upgrade your car, weapon, or other equipment.
Take one or two mundane items from the cabins such as a hairbrush, lipstick, wallet, a dress, etc. Clothes are stylish, matching the resort's atmosphere.
Bring and grill all types of odd food found in either a diffusion zone or in one of Panorama's stores or supermarkets.

If anything is unclear, please ask!
This includes if you're having trouble gauging appropriate consequences or the limits of certain actions. We'd rather have you check with us first to be sure!

We encourage you to ask about the impact of unique abilities or other theories characters might try, but depending on what it is, we might ask you to wait for the Event Log before we answer.

Felix Bjurstrom
A pioneer among storm chasers, Felix Bjurstrom is uniquely passionate about this planet and is one of the easiest people to strike up a conversation...if you don't mind his rambling. He often sends out notices on the Forum about diffusion zones, eager for others to return with information. Recently, he's posted about losing his phone (again!), and notes that he's using his daughter's number. Those who know him will warn you (fondly) that if you let him talk your ear off, you'll never escape. He loves the world that has become his home over thirty years and finds every person who comes to it fascinating in their own way.

You can bump into Felix while he's:

Putting up his handmade posters around the Pavillion, alerting people about this recent diffusion zones. His posters are colorful and artistic (an attempt was made). Maybe he drops some and you help him pick them up, or you simply decide to give this older gentleman a hand.
By the pool, taking notes. He's dressed in a variety of swim suits depending on the day. Ask about his fashion choices! Or, talk about the diffusion zones, the weather, or what he thinks about those strange androids.
Working the grill! He's pretty good at it, and he'll explain everything you want to know (and maybe a few things you don't) about the variety of food that shows up in the Diadem.

Conversations with Felix might end abruptly as something else catches his attention. Don't take offence if he tells you he'll be right back and doesn't return. He's really sorry! He just got sidetracked.

parking.

[ Hopping out of her bulky, weathered SUV, Kimiko doesn’t pay much attention to the fact that she had peeled into the parking spot like a madwoman and burned friction marks of tire tracks into the tarmac. The small, white car that had been eyeing the spot honks at her, the horn pressed down long and loud. With a little shrug, she keeps moving. The drive was long, she’s thirsty, and if they wanted the spot they would have claimed it instead of lingering in the aisle. To her, the alleged theft is justified and no jury would convict her.

The occupants of the little white car feel otherwise. What appears to be a diminutive, domestic vehicle at first glance quickly turns into a clown car when six large men climb out of it.

One of them calls out. “Hey! Move your car.”

Frowning, Kimiko gestures beyond them to the berth of empty spots a bit further out.

This does not seem to satisfy the men, who are encroaching her rapidly. Hand curled around her keys, she considers the situation, and the Enforcer-marked vehicles littered through-out the parkade.

Sticky, no? Maybe she gave your character a lift and they’re now in this too. Or maybe your character is just passing by and is aghast at Kimiko’s rudeness. ]

icebreaker.

[ Seated at the bar, Kimiko is nursing a brilliantly tinted, neon green drink in a fishbowl glass. The straw is iridescent and very swirly, and more than a little distracting. She’s splitting her attention between tilting it this way and that way to watch the colours change in the light and smiling politely at the bartender’s attempt to engage her in icebreakers.

“What's the worst movie you've ever seen?”

She smiles politely.

What is your theme song?”

She shrugs and smiles politely.

“What story does your family always tell about you?”

Her smile stiffens, and she waves a hand — no.

Having left her coat in the car, Kimiko’s arms are unusually bare; if anyone looks closely, they might see the faded Shining Light brand tattooed on the inside of her wrist. Finally, after several seconds toying with her straw, she takes a sip of her drink.

It is disgusting. A muscle in her jaw twitches violently as she forcibly swallows and pushes the fishbowl away from her.

“Oh, terribly sorry! I’ll remake it, just a tick—” ]

wildcard.

[ Anything else! Kimiko is unlikely to be investigating the androids in detail but she’ll be enjoying the resort atmosphere. ]

Edited 2025-06-08 18:15 (UTC)

( feel free to ping me in chat @ hayyot if you'd like to plot, or pp me at

chayot. info can be found here. )
consider this a blanket warning for suicidal ideation, as cas comes from a canon point in which he's in a rather negative mental state

BARTENDER

[ To some this might seem like the ideal opportunity to relax, but to Erik this is just another source of concern. These diffusion zones are still much a mystery to him, and seeing one in person only brings up more questions than answers. That's why he's here; not because he's looking to have fun, not because he's interested in relaxing. He wants information, and that's the sole purpose of his presence here.

After looking around the entire place, he has moved to the bar. He's not interested in a drink; he's interested in the only working android in this place, as a matter of fact, and he leans against the counter, watching it intently, as it tries and successfully fails to mix him a drink.

Eventually, it ends up pouring ice cubes down his shirt, and Erik lets out a curse, standing up quickly and trying to get the damn things from under his shirt. He lets out a frustrated groan, then just walks around the counter so he can take that bottle himself. ]

Leave it. I can do it myself.

[ At another point, probably when he actually has a drink, he's just sitting there, watching the android, when someone else approaches. The android turns to them immediately and shoots them a random question, staring as if he expects them to actually answer— and Erik glances to the new company he now has. ]

((ooc: feel free to randomize or pick any question you like and I'll roll with it!))

GRILL

[ Erik isn't actually paying much attention to the food being prepared. He seems distracted, lost in his own thoughts, gaze unfocused as the food sizzles on the grill. It doesn't smell horribly, but it's far from the welcoming scent one would expect from a decent barbecue, but he supposes if anyone wants to help themselves, it should be edible.

It's only when the propane sputters and the grill makes a strange sound and goes out that Erik snaps out of it. He lets out an impatient sound, then sets down the tool he's using to crouch beside the grill, trying to see what's wrong this time. He doesn't realize the gas still running, and when a ball of fire bursts out he startles, hands drawing away from the grill just in case it's about to explode. ] What the—

PARKING WOES

[ Whether arriving or leaving, parking seems to be a nightmare. There's no order or reason to how everyone pulls up their vehicles, and it's but a matter of time before less orderly people just start leaving their cars in each other's way. For the most part, Erik can sort himself out— even if his powers seem to be a little more unsteady in these diffusion zones, he can still mostly nudge cars out of the way so he can leave, and he can just avoid unnecessary confrontations.

When he comes upon someone else getting into a fight over the parking situation, though, he watches from the distance— that is, until one of the people pulls out a knife, seemingly a little too keen to escalate things. Erik lifts a hand, summoning the knife to himself; his control is unsteady but it's just enough for him to fling the weapon across the distance, and the knife sinks deep into a car tire (whoops), as he steps closer, probably looking more threatening than he needs to. ]

Walk away, or I'll make you.

((ooc: if you've got ideas for another prompt or a wildcard, poke me about it or just toss me a prompt and I'll roll with it!))

PARKING LOT;

[ If you've met him in the past month, you probably wouldn't be surprised to find that Jayce often travels in the company of an eight foot tall creature. They arrive together in the same truck - the creature riding in the back, although later Jayce can be found on his own returning to the parking lot to grab some tools. ]

Need something?

[ Maybe you're the one checking out the scrap haul in the back of the truck, or maybe you're watching him confront some opportunists. His demeanor is mildly wary - during his first few nights alone here, he learned that not every fluxdrift has good intentions. ]

There's people grilling food down there, if you're hungry?

[ He's not looking for a fight, but he holds his back straight. There's a scar on the inside of his left wrist, a strange kind of fractal webbing in reds, purples and golds - it's visible since he's shrugged his cloak off in the warm weather. The next most immediately noticeable detail about him is that his left leg set in a metal brace. If you met him in those first weeks, this brace seems different than before - where the original was bent and damaged in places, this one seems newly made and better designed, his limp is barely noticeable. He's not carrying any weapons, though his size might deter some folks from starting a fight. ]

POOLSIDE;

[ It takes him some time, but Jayce eventually strips out of his clothes and his brace down to his boxers, lacking any proper swimwear. There's a large, diagonal scar across his back starting near his left shoulder, another between his right shoulder and neck, the one on his left wrist and finally the one on his left calf. There's something off about each one, that same colorful, fractal patterning across the scar tissue.

Feeling oddly exposed, he's quick to slip into the pool once he's undressed, dunking his head under the water and swimming to reemerge some meters away, tossing his head and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Despite living on a river and near the ocean all his life, he can't remember the last time he went swimming. The cool water feels good after days of suffering in the humidity back in Panorama, and it eases some of the ache in his muscles.

When he's done lazily swimming, he'll try to float on his back, staring up at the twin moons above them. This is the most relaxed he's felt in weeks, though he'd be hard pressed to admit it. He can blame the heat for why he hasn't been sleeping well, why he almost constantly has dark circles under his eyes. He works at night at a warehouse trying to tire himself to exhaustion, but finds it difficult to sleep more than a few hours at a time once he gets back to the bed in the motel.

Out of the pool, he drifts in and out of sleep on one of the pool chairs. The noise of someone shuffling nearby or the beep of a cell phone will startle him awake, the plastic and metal of the chair creaking with his shifting weight. It takes him a second or two to catch himself and reorient, gaze landing on whoever stopped nearby. ]

Sorry - I can move. [ How long was he asleep for? His heart is still pounding in his chest, and he starts looking around his chair for his things. ] Shit.

[ His toolbelt is gone. Great. Did it get knocked under a chair - or did someone take it? ]

ANDROID;

[ Whether he finds his tools or borrows new ones - at some point Jayce can be located hunched over one of the deactivated androids. He's opened up a panel in the back of its head and another one in the chest, messing around with wires and parts.

Something he's done seems to work, and all of a sudden life sparks back into the humanoid machine.

Unfortunately, it uses that brief moment of consciousness to sucker punch him or the nearest passerby in the face. ]

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to mix and match prompts, or hit me up here for questions! ]

[ Once upon a time, this happened:

”Hey, Tony. Enforcers need to check your trunk.”

Tony, who had been happily manning the grill, adopted a face like he had sucked on a sour lemon.

“You serious? I thought they were just here to make sure no one died.”

“As a heart attack. It’s okay, I’ll take over here.”

As soon as Tony had handed over his metal spatula and hurried off, his friend informed Nashua, who had been standing there the whole time, ”I took his keys and moved his car. He’ll never find it.” He then burst into immature little giggles, dropped the spatula, and wandered off in search of a drink.

And that is how Nashua ended up responsible for a grill, and how several hand-sized portobello mushrooms ended up burnt beyond recognition.

Legend has it, Tony is still looking for his vehicle. Poor Tony. ]

[ all prompts are ota - info link here - also open to wildcard responses and hot-takes on my listed open prompts depending on what tickles fancy.
also feel free to reach out to me on this account or at

doggos ]

Edited 2025-06-08 18:37 (UTC)

( all prompts are ota unless otherwise stated! pm me or pp me @

skitties for something more specific or to otherwise plot! )

The Grill
--Grab the platter to your right, please? This is ready to come off the fire.

[The grill is the only familiar thing to Alucard right now, and he's happy to take over the actual act of cooking in attempt to find some touch stone. He knows how to cook on a fire. He can skewer things. So long as people keep bringing him ingredients, he can keep going. Sure, the texture and shape of the foods confuse him, but he's managed some decent enough combinations of the pineapple and mushroom squares, and well, the meat patties are quite simple.

The platter in question has a dwindling amount of hotdogs and skewers, so he is on a current pass of hamburgers.]

Or find someone to manage the fire source, I see that the flame is about to run low again.

[Alucard's been sitting at the grill for an hour and a half now. He's figured the warning signs of the propane's repair light easily enough.]

Poolside
[The dhampir lets his feet dangle in the water, aiming to be along the quieter edge of the pool. He can't say he likes the smell, but it is nice to have his boots gone, trousers rolled up, coat placed off to the side, and the sense of something cool against his skin. It gives him time to drink in how strange it is to have two moons overhead and to observe others.

He takes the last part quiet seriously, although there's unfortunately nothing subtle in his stare. More than once, he realizes the side-eye being returned, and if someone is near enough, he'll offer a polite enough murmur of:] My apologies.

[But other than that, he's glad to be away from the city as well. This isn't the world he knows either, but he feels far more comfortable here than anywhere else so far.]

Okay bartender
[The clear dysfunction of the bartender and the chance to learn something new in the culinary landscape originally prompted the dhampir to step behind the bar. However, after being flustered by words like Long Island iced tea and Bloody Mary, Alucard has very much decided to poke around the bar and see if there's any kind of recipe book.

He finds one eventually, dogeared with a cracked spine, and he places it on top of the bar itself while standing over a drink station.]

Who let alcohol become this complicated?

[A piña colada seems to be what has done him in.]

( all prompts ota, but please check out mk's content warnings and opt out.
any questions or anything u want to chat about, hmu @

spandex or phonomancing @ disco! )

☞ 1. PARKING

[ By this point, Jack has had a fair amount of experience in driving, but parking still eludes him. He drives into a spot at an angle, gets out, and stands staring at his car with a disappointed grimace on his face, one hand on his hip. It's halfway crossed over into a second space, and that just won't do.

With a bitter sigh, he gets back into the car and starts it up again, reversing slowly out of the spot. What follows is several intense minutes of backing up, cutting the wheel hard to turn into the spot, leaning out of the window and seeing that he's still not properly lined up, and then repeating the whole ridiculous dance again. Halfway through one of them, with his car sticking out into the thoroughfare, he realises he's blocking someone from passing, and sticks his head out of the window again with an apologetic grimace. ]

Terribly sorry – still getting to grips with all this.

☞ 2. BARTENDER

[ Jack has one sip of the cocktail mixed for him and decides that he's going to have to pour it out, which he does surreptitiously when the strange creature's back is turned. It seems, to his surprise, to be entirely mechanical, but also entirely unaware of that fact. What a tragic life.

It's very chatty, though. It's asked him a few questions so far. "If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?" leads him down a rabbithole of genuine deep thought before he eventually decides on a potato. It's hardy, it can be cooked in various ways, and it thrives underground. Then it asks him, eagerly, "If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?" ]

Well, I wouldn't.

[ "But if you had to." ]

Why would I have to?

[ "Perhaps someone was making you." ]

Making me how?

[ "A threat! It doesn't matter. They're just making you." ]

A threat to my life? [ Jack ponders this for a moment. ] I suppose I'd kill them.

☞ 3. POOLSIDE

[ Jack came with a pair of tinted lenses tucked into his pocket, and although it appears as if there's no daylight in this place, he pops them on all the same. Look, it's warm, the sunglasses are out. He finds a lounger by the pool and, well, lounges in it, his hat tilted at a jaunty angle on his head, sipping a drink he'd made himself, a delightful concoction from home called "straight rum with nothing else in it". He's still workshopping the name.

Squinting up at the sky, he muses aloud: ] It's strange, seeing such an unfamiliar sky.

☞ 4. WILDCARD

[ hmu with anything else you'd like!

crowders for plotting. ]

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 Set up the cones

The heat wave was absolutely awful for a fungi, and An Zhe wanted to be anywhere but the city and the hotel. Somehow he managed the drive in his teeny tiny kei truck the first time, though it took him far more than the reported hour. Some of those barrels in the road are probably a bit farther away from the road now. He tried to park (very diagonally) as faaaar at the edge of the lot as possible so he could avoid some mishaps.

Though if every poor driver was doing that, well. God speed everyone.

At first the wide open space seemed like a great place to practice driving! The worlds' saddest driven circles were on display for anyone to see. His attempts at this quickly petered out once he realized that it was just Night. Forever. Instead that teeny truck just sat on the edge for like... a long time. Several days at least.

There's a chance that if you were coming or going from the city, a noodley lad might have approached if it seemed like your vehicle was spacious enough.

"Um, hello. Would you happen to have any space for someone else?"

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 Pool Time

Well all this was a real marvel in the recreational department. Was this how the humans of the earlier ages spent their leisurely time? Gosh. It felt like the kind of place that would be very nice to be at with friends, if he had had any. Since he did not, An Zhe took to simply watching the moons and stars or people watching a lot of the time.

Sometimes he'd be at the edge of the pool, simply dipping his feet in as he dared not go any farther than that. He did not think that An Ze knew how to swim. He definitely did not. No sense in risking it! He just wanted to feel cool and moisturized. Other times he'd take a seat next to, or on top of, a giant creature. Did you see him get spooked when he saw it the first time? Since then, An Zhe discovered it was even cozy to nap on occasionally!

Very cozy up until the point that SOMEHOW, the giant creature ended up in the pool to leisurely float around. With An Zhe still on it. Waking up with extra bouyancy was very alarming, and discovering he was also stranded in the middle of the water was also. Very alarming. Oh no. Oh No.

aaaaaaaa--

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 Mushroom Time

While he'd heard that staying out in the diffusion zones was a bit dicey, staying in the oven of his hotel room or truck was also a recipe for disaster. He was going to dry out, he was sure of it. As long as he didn't stay too long, An Zhe figured he could at least get a few nice nights of rest out in the resort. And if he did it right, he'd probably be able to let his wallet take a vacation too.

The plants all seemed very happy, even if maybe... maybe a little too happy? But that had to mean that the soil was moist enough for a mushroom to take a spot of refuge in. It would still be warmer than he'd like, but damp and dark was a great two out of three comfort factors. He just needed to find the perfect spot to spend the evenings, tucked under some fabulous ferns and confident that most people had gone home for the night.

Since it was always night though... An Zhe did not always know if it was actually day or actually night.

Either way, a very soft, almost amorphous pile of white mushroom might catch someone's eye. Or maybe the neatly folded pile of clothes that had been hidden away nearby was more noticeable despite the hiding spot.

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 City Time & Wildcard
Not all of An Zhe's time was at the resort, between needing to check back in on things and grabbing a few shifts where he could at various part time gigs. Maybe he was at the grocery store again, or handing out tissue packets on the street. Maybe he was discovering the symptoms of heat stroke and trying to prevent them at the exact same time. If you want him in the city, he is there for you.

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 Notes
Feel free to put your own spins on anything or go full wildcard, if you'd like! I will match whatever style you feel like tagging in with ♥ If you have questions or anything, feel free to hit me up at

bisasam.

( cr meme comment here — you can also reach me via PM/plurk to chat.
i love writing specific starters! so if none of these speak to you, let me know and i would be more than happy to get us started. )

Edited 2025-06-08 19:20 (UTC)

1. THE BARTENDER

[ Jesse leans against the bar like he belongs there, which he doesn't. He's not dressed for a poolside resort, that's for sure. He left his beanie back in the car, at least, but he's still sporting an oversized hooded sweatshirt (at least the sleeves are shoved up?) and jeans that look like they could fit a second person in. One hand is already curled around a whiskey glass filled way too full. It tastes like dirt and disappointment. He winces, wipes his mouth with the back of his tattooed hand, and mutters under his breath. ]

Fuck it; close enough.

[ If he asks for it to be remade, they might not have such a heavy-handed pour the next go around. Around him, the husks of broken-down robots are stiffly posed, chrome faces smeared with lipstick, wires jutting like snapped veins. Some are seated in chairs. One clutches a comb. Another, a journal. All of them are frozen in the middle of something human they never quite became. It's like a goddamn haunted playhouse. The fuck? The bartender, though, is eager. Too eager. Slurring cheery questions like, If you could swap bodies with anyone for a day, who would it be?, while spilling more ice onto the bartop than into the glass. ]

I dunno, man. Whoever doesn't get pelted with ice cubes and existential questions at happy hour. That'd be pretty chill. [ He turns to whoever happens to be next to him. ] Think he's got lime back there? Or like...a reset button?

2. THE GRILL

[ The grill hisses like it's got a personal vendetta. Jesse squats beside it, hoodie abandoned on a nearby lounge chair. He's fiddling with a screw that won't quite tighten, grease streaked on his fingers. The air smells like propane and sweat, but he doesn't mind. Smoke curls up like incense, rising into the night sky where twin moons hang heavy. It's too warm, too still, too perfect. It feels a little like a stage set waiting for a script to go wrong. The grill sputters again. He swears, grabs a bolt from a deactivated android's elbow joint, unsure why he mutters an apology under his breath, and jams it into place. There's a small flare of fire, and he laughs. ]

This bitch bites, but I think I got it. [ Then, louder, to anyone nearby: ] Ay, it's workin' now if you need it.

[ There's something about fixing the thing, about making it work, even badly, that feels good. Like control. Like building instead of breaking. Yeah, he could get used to that. Jesse stands up and eyes his paper plate, waiting for the grill to get hot enough. It's stacked with dubious food: a suspiciously gray burger patty, a hot dog, and something he thinks might once have been pineapple? Or soap. He's not exactly sure. He'll speak to whoever comes over to share the grill. ]

Yo, you ever seen tofu have an identity crisis?

3. PARKING WOES

[ The parking lot looks like Mad Max with worse manners. Sun-baked cars stacked at angles, jammed in without rhyme or reason. Jesse's post-apocalyptic-looking van is squeezed between a beat-up sedan with broken windows and a dune buggy with no license plate. Someone's yelling. Someone else is already bleeding. ]

Yo, is this seriously over a parking space?

[ Jesse mutters as he steps out of the van, half a joint burning between his fingers. He takes a pull off it, smoke curling out of his mouth before he turns his head to exhale, waving vaguely to fan away the smoke. He watches a scrawny guy get shoved hard. He hits the ground with a crunch that's way too loud, and Jesse stiffens. Something in his chest gives a warning flicker: an old, familiar siren. Too many times getting his ass handed to him. Too much blood on a sidewalk. Bad memories, all of it. He takes another hit off the joint and then steps forward anyway. Adrenaline's a hell of a drug. ]

Hey, back the fuck up. [ His voice is sharp, but not loud. Not yet. He doesn't want to attract any more attention. ] Dude didn't even touch your ride. Let it go.

[ The two hotheads freeze. Jesse's smaller, yeah. Wiry, but quick on his feet and more durable than he looks. Something about his eyes says don't. Maybe it's the buzz of barely-contained anger. Or maybe it's the way he holds himself: like someone who doesn't really care what happens next. Maybe someone will step in and help diffuse things. Maybe they'll make it worse. Or maybe Jesse will get himself pummeled and have to rely on a helpful stranger to come to his aid. ]

4. WILDCARD

[ Throw any prompt you would like at me and I'll roll with it. Alternatively, feel free to comment on my CR Meme Post, PM me, or find me on plurk (rizzoto) if you want to plot anything out. I'm also willing to write up a custom-starter. ]

A. The Bar

[ Can't say he's a fan of the robots. Whiskey, though? He'll take that.

The bar is where you'll find Logan while he's around—which isn't often, never for long, and always at odd times, either real early in the morning or some ungodly hour in the night. Might be he's keeping an eye on someone. Multiple someone's. Who knows? He's content to drink alone. Occasionally takes whatever food's on offer at the grill.

Since the bartender's a lost cause. Instead, the bottle's right next to him on the counter, and despite how much he keeps refilling his glass, the amount of alcohol doesn't seem to bother him none. Or at least, not much. What is bothering him is the android. Somebody else might've tolerated a few icebreaker rounds before their patience runs out. Logan's well of patience has the total depth of a desert rain puddle, however, so he interrupts with a: ]

Save it, pal.

[ before the android's even finished speaking. Whatever. It's a machine, it's not real. It hasn't got feelings. And he sure as hell doesn't feel bad about the way the android hangs its head and slinks off.

Anyway, if he's drawn your attention, he'll notice. Stop looking at him like that. ] What?

B. Semi-Wildcard

Other things you can find Logan doing:
Reaching through somebody's open window (maybe it's yours?) to lay on the borrowed horn when he's blocked in (his bike's horn doesn't do shit).

Alternatively, clearly contemplating some maneuvering over a bunch of hedges to get the fuck outta there.

Somehow getting roped into fixing the damn grill.

Sniffing a blocky-looking kebab with suspicion. (He'll eat it, anyhow.)

Rifling through the tents for stuff.

Having zero interest in the pool itself.

I. too retro for the term 'robot'
Jonathan Strange has absolutely no idea what the hell an android is. So, as he finds one of the deactivated androids sitting in a poolsite hut, his first instinct is to poke around. Obviously this thing isn't human. Look at it, there's no skin. But as for what it is and what it was doing before coming here...that is interesting.

Strange doesn't have the tools to disassemble this thing. So he'll try magic instead. The android is subjected to heat, cold, water, plant growth, anything to try and pry part of it apart or just to see how it will react to this. Any spell, no matter how silly, is going to be tried simply in the interest of curiosity.

Needless to say, it's not very subtle. Anybody magically sensitive can tell that something odd is happening in the tent. But just about anybody can notice the smell of burning electronics. Poke your head in and you'll see Jonathan Strange, little frown on his face as he looks at the android. Anybody arriving will get a little nod before he asks, "Have you heard the story of the Mechanical Turk?"

II. ice ice breaker
"What's the story behind one of your scars?"

Strange is sitting at the bar, frown on his face, as he repeats the question asked. The only concession to the poolside atmosphere he's made is that he's rolled up his shirtsleeves, though some neon green thing that's in theory an appletini is sitting on the bar next to him. At the question, Strange looks over his arms, frowning still as he muses,

"I don't really have many noticeable scars. Oh, there are nicks and scrapes here and there—one obtains those simply by living life. But even with my time in the peninsula, I never obtained anything important enough for a story."

He looks over to the person next to them and gives them a cavalier little shrug. "Is that it? Or do I ask for another question until there's something worth answering?"

III. quiet time.
Jonathan Strange is a respectable gentleman. So considering there are ladies here, he's not going to swim in the pool. You can take the man out of the Regency Era, but you can't take the Regency Era out of the man, and this is a time when there are clearly defined beaches. This means that if there's a lady (or more generally a female-presenting person) going for a little dip in the pool, he'll unintentionally avert his eyes without really thinking about it.

One night, however, at about midnight, when he thinks there's nobody awake, he'll make his way to the pool itself. Of course, there is somebody awake because that's just how these things go. There's a nod, a pause, and a frown before Strange just gives in to ask,

"You wouldn't mind if I soaked my feet in the pool, would you? That wouldn't be a breach of propriety or anything of that like?"

Even now, even in this strange new world, he still hears the voice of Gilbert Norrell in the back of his head, urging him to be respectable, to put a good face to English magic.

IV. wildcard.
( hmu!! I'm fine with anything. )

parking woes.

[ the truth is: karen had only planned on checking out the diffusion zone for the day, hoping to see if there was anything helpful, anything useful she might be able to either sell to help work off her debt, or something that is needed back in the city. she knows enough about how these things work by now, how they can be as dangerous as they are interesting - so she heads out with a purpose and a timeline, thinking that if she can maybe get a drink and something she can sell, the whole trip will be worth it.

and here she is, those few hours later, a little panicked as she looks all around the parking lot. when she arrived, it had been relatively full, but nothing too unimaginable. she’d parked her truck thinking that there was plenty of room on either side of her to get out, just in case.

what she finds when he makes it back is a complete gridlock, cars fully ignoring any and all parking organization. They are stacked in every direction, effectively locking her in three or four cars deep, with no sign of the owners. you might find her moving, a bit frantically, between the cars - calling out to anyone who can hear her, or might be close by, if they know whose cars these are. you don’t understand, she has work in like two and a half hours, and if she’s not back, they’re going to fire her.

karen ends up trying desperately (and failing) to track down the owners of the many cars that have her gridlocked in, but she also happens to be in the parking lot for long enough to catch sight of an argument that is quickly escalating. at first she looks like she’s going to ignore it - it’s not her problem, it’s not her fight - but then someone says something, or maybe it just moves a little too close, but before she knows it punches are flying, and she is now invested in trying to break it up. ]

Hey! C’mon now- knock it off! [ you could be the person whose shoulder she grabs, trying to get you to come to your senses, or maybe you’re another bystander who sees a woman about to dive into something that she should very much not be involving herself in. either way- you planning on helping? ]

the bartender.

[ when it becomes obvious that she’s not going anywhere, karen makes her way directly to the bar, settling in to one of the stools and trying desperately not to look uncomfortable at the bartender-robot. she orders a drink (maybe two, maybe three) and ends up drinking it even when it comes out way too strong. girl can put them down, so don’t feel the need to keep up if you see her drinking quite a few in one go - she may or may not be trying to relax, now that she’s not going anywhere for the night. it’ll be a little bit later that she finally gives in to the recorded voice’s attempts at ice breakers, turning to you with a somewhat tired, but friendly enough smile. ] I’m Karen, by the way. Just to get that out of the way. [ will you play along and answer whatever weird, uncomfortably corporate ice breaker ‘Thomas’ has tossed your way?

or, if it’s later in the night, or a couple days in, you might see karen behind the bar. she’s no mixologist, but she at least knows what is sugar and what is salt, and if she sees anyone struggling with the concoction Thomas has cooked up for them, she’ll lean in and try to help. that, or maybe you just watch as she leans across the bar and helps herself to a bottle (or two) of whatever is within reach - no need to wait in line when she knows what she wants, right? ] Don’t ask for a Long Island. [ she’ll offer you, shaking her head hauntingly and knowingly. ] It’s not worth the risk, I promise you.

chilling by the pool.

[ it has been at least a few days since the diffusion zone popped up, and karen has been here for just as long. after her parking fiasco, no matter how long she’s sat out by the car, she’s had no luck freeing herself from the gridlock, so once she missed her shift and was (she assumes) effectively fired, she decides what the hell and makes herself comfortable.

when you catch sight of her now, she looks comfortable, familiar, like she’s been here for at least a couple of days, if not more. she’s wearing a stylish bathing suit, cover-up, and robe she absolutely found in one of the cabins (though you have no idea if she searched through a few to find one that fit, or if she happened to just be that lucky. you might catch her tanning by the side of the pool or even on her way from one of the grills to one of the poolside huts. it appears she’s made herself comfortable in one particular one, using the android as a kind of towel rack as she leaves her things settled in (though nothing of value - she isn’t so naive to think someone won’t try and steal her stuff). or, maybe, you catch her coming back from the bar with a bottle of expensive champagne (or bourbon) in hand.

either way, she has fully accepted her fate in being a local resort goer, even if you might see her looking uncomfortably at some of the androids she passes by, wondering to herself if maybe making herself too comfortable might be a mistake. ]

wildcard.

[ throw something at me and I’ll roll with what you’ve got! additionally, grab me at disarmingly and we can plot something out! ]

Edited 2025-06-08 21:49 (UTC)

I. 🌙 RESORT(ING TO THEFT)

[ All Emet-Selch has to his name at this juncture is his threadbare and impractical Amourotine robe, and a coat that is much too heavy for the warm weather. Once he finally finds someplace to park in that godsforsaken lot, the next thing he does is start snooping around through the cabins for a change of clothes.

There are a few things to be found, but the real challenge here is finding something for his rather tall and long-limbed frame, so he turns just about every cabin upside-down before finding a suitcase stashed away in one that seems like it might work. Feel free to stumble just in time to watch him pull a very orange shirt from the suitcase. He eyes the tropical pattern on it with a raised eyebrow. ]

Beggars cannot be choosers, I suppose.

[ Said more to himself than anything else, though he does notice he has company a second later. ]

If you are in need of a fashion statement, I’m afraid you’re going to have to find your own.

[ This is his stupid ugly shirt, thank you! ]

II. 🌙 ICEBROKEN

[ Now dressed in a much more appropriate outfit (yes, shades and all), Emet-Selch can be found at the far end of the bar, sipping something tropical and fruity looking out of a glass adorned with one of those little paper umbrellas. He definitely made it himself.

The poor bartender is currently trying his best to make a drink for someone else and the process is not going well. There’s a clatter as the android stumbles into a mop bucket, knocking a slew of glasses from the countertop. He tries to put a bit of ice into a shaker and slips, the ice going flying to rain down on Emet-Selch and whoever happens to be sitting nearby in an impromptu hailstorm.

As if this has happened a lot since he’s been sitting here (it has), he lifts his free arm to shield his face. A sigh. ]

‘Tis so hard to find good help these days.

[ It’s only a matter of time before the stupid robot comes back around for icebreaker questions, too. Be prepared. ]

III. 🌙 WILDCARD

[ Down for whatever! If you want to plot something specific, drop me a PM, hit me up in the game discord, or drop a line at my CR meme comment.

Please also check out Emet’s soul sight permissions if you like! ]

Wandering the Resort

Jack finds this place utterly fascinating from the moment he arrives with his family. He's never seen anything like a fancy resort. They're used to backroads and cheap motels, not that different from the main city itself. He's exploring everything he can see. He looks at even the perfectly designed plants with the wide-eyed wonder of someone experiencing everything for the first time.

The androids in particular catch his fascination and he can be spotted taking time at each one of them, looking closely in their face and down how they're made. He doesn't put a hand on them or take any parts off them, he's just genuinely curious about what they are. He does gently pull the diary out of the hands of one, flipping through the pages.

Jack doesn't have a swimsuit the first time he visits so he sits at the pool side with his legs draped over into the water, soaking his jeans up to their knees, but that doesn't bother him. He otherwise is wearing a simple white t-shirt and he is peacefully enjoying the quiet. He might look at anyone else sitting there with a shy smile and wave.

The Bartender

Jack spends more time than he probably should sitting at the bar with the android, but it's because he is being peppered with questions, and he politely answers each one of them. He has taken a drink from the android, made a face when he tried it, but kept it in his hand instead of sending it back to be remade. That seems impolite when his new friend was trying to be nice. He drinks it a second time to appear supportive, also making a face afterward.

"What's one of your comfort foods?"

"Sugary cereal. My father says it rots your teeth but I think it's so tasty."

"When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?"

"Usually to fight or kill something. It would be nice if they came to me for another reason. I really don't like doing either."

"Pirates or ninjas?"

"Pirates!" Jack's eyes light up. "They're so cool. I wish I could be a pirate and go on a ship on the ocean. I don't know how to sail but I'm a quick learner."

Jack will continue to go back and forth with the bartender probably forever if someone allows him to. Jump in to change the conversation, respond to anything he's said, or try to get a word in edgewise between their pestering.

The Grill and Serving

Jack is no help at all with the grill since it's outside of his natural experience, but he will hold any and all tools if someone else wants to work on it with him standing nearby as support. He will also hold onto trays of food for anyone working the grill because he loves to be helpful. After a time, he decides to just start serving people around the place, offering them cooked food as if he's a waiter at this fancy resort. They can ask him to get a drink too. It seems even while not at work, Jack's always quick to help others.

Wildcard

[Hit me with any other ideas! Message me on plurk @ theskyisnew or on the CR meme. Happy to swap to brackets instead of prose, just throw whatever at me.]

Edited 2025-06-08 22:53 (UTC)

The Bar

[ Scott's probably more patient than most when it comes to Thomas, even answering one or two icebreaker questions just because he seems to be trying, at least. He's also not drinking anything heavy, just a very mild beer with very low alcohol content, just so he'll be alert enough if something ever happens. He usually doesn't stick to diffusion zones, opting to scavenge and then leave before anything happens. But with the state of everything in Panorama regarding AC bogging down in the middle of this sweltering heat, he'd rather stay here. It's also an opportunity to scavenge spare parts and clothes.

When Thomas tries to prepare Scott's third order of beer, the poor android slips and tosses a huge amount of liquor onto Scott's (newly scavenged floral) shirt, causing him to back away from the counter to examine the mess. Which is all over his shirt right now. Instead of getting pissed, though, Scott just sighs, shakes his head, and glances at whoever's next to him at the bar. ]

Quite the character, isn't he?

Wildcard

Scott's also out and about the resort doing the following:

He'll be by the pool reading. Go ahead and ask how he can still read anything wearing his glasses at night. That'll go well.
After a good swim, Scott will try and relax (foreign word to him, he knows) by the pool wearing only his swim shorts (something he thrifted). With the sun high up in the sky, his glasses sure come in handy!
Scott will also be seen scavenging for spare parts. Bolts, screws, anything that might come in handy if ever his bike bogs down.
He'll also be trying to mediate a fight in the parking lot so feel free to have your character be stopped by him.
Scott will also try and repair the grill if it ever sputters out. Thank you, scavenged screws and bolts. Either he's already repairing the grill with your character or you catch him repairing it.

I 💠 Androids

[ The posters had advertised a resort. And while G'raha Tia is not someone who really ever understood the word "vacation" or "holiday", the opportunity to spend time in one of these famous "diffusion zones" is not one he can pass up. And while the parking lot is a disaster (and G'raha is far too polite about it), he eventually makes his way into the resort, dressed appropriately...if only because he was convinced it was necessary.

Not long after arrival, G'raha spends a not insignificant amount of time inspecting the various androids around the property. And surely he isn't the only one, right? Were they strewn about like discarded rubbish it might be one thing, but that they are inside the poolside huts makes several questions come to mind. ]

Were these all placed in storage? It would seem this place would typically need a formidable staff. Yet...

[ He squats down next to one of them, carefully tilting the head over to inspect the painted face. ]

They do not appear to be in any sort of recognizable uniform.

II💠 Icebreaking the Bartender

[ Drinks? Yes. Investigating can work up a bit of an appetite or thirst and G'raha would be lying if he wasn't innately curious about the local cuisine. Well, "local" may be a bit of a misnomer in one of these "diffusion zones". But doesn't that make the chance to sample something in this specific area that much more unique? Ephemeral?

Android or not, G'raha is determined to be polite to their apparent host, though the android part does make him more interesting. G'raha watches with open fascination as Thomas shakes a metal shaker. His own experiences with robots, androids, and the like have not been like this at all. More magitech amalgamations to something far more complicated at the ends of the univserse. He thinks of the Allagan Nodes and their simplistic appearance. To make something like this must come from a desire to connect, mustn't it? To see something human. To see something familiar.

His tail swishes behind him excitedly. This one talks, this one moves. That makes it the perfect one to ask. ]

Is this something you might have been programmed to d--

[ When Thomas practically (albeit likely unintentionally) cuts G'raha off and poses a question to his guests--G'raha and the person next to him: ]

Pizza or tacos?

[ Or... ]

What incredibly strong opinion do you have that is completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things?

III 💠 Poolside

[ Given the heat, even despite the perpetual state of night, the poolside seems to be the most sensible place to spend some time. To cool off, naturally! Except...G'raha might be by the pool, but he is definitely not in pool. ~~And he is not afraid of water, thank you.~~

No, in fact, he has found a comfortable lounge chair at a prime location, but instead of lounging with a (questionable) cocktail, he is sitting cross-legged and hunched over himself. Upon closer inspection, it's clear that he's writing furiously in a notebook. Every once in a while he glances, looking thoughtful for a moment, then flips a page and continues his task.

If he accidentally catches your gaze when he looks up, he will refocus and offer a friendly, if somewhat distracted smile. But he is approachable! (Unless you're Emet-Selch.) ]

Having a pleasant evening?

[ Alternatively, the other lounge chairs might fill up quick with the light crowds of the evening. And since he's not lounging, maybe he will be willing to give up his? ]

Ah, my apologies. Did you need somewhere to sit?

??? 💠 Wildcard

[ ooc; COME AT ME! His cr meme comment is here if you want to plot specifics. I default to brackets but am happy to match style! ]

electric sheep
[He parks a bit out from the actual parking lot. Because he can see a situation as he approaches, and the situation is: people fucking suck at parking, same as it ever was. And if there's gonna be a rush on whatever goods might be here, he doesn't want to get trapped in the chaos. Or get his doors dinged.

The doors getting dinged isn't a big deal for these postapocalyptic road warrior cars, but like. It's the principle of the thing.

It does mean a longer walk, but he's fit as a fiddle, and he'll do it in the heat if it kills him. Hopefully it doesn't kill him. At least it's night here, for some reason. In theory, might make it cooler. Still, he's definitely going around sleeveless, one whole arm covered shoulder to wrist in tattoos.

He's not here for the pool. The fact that anyone's in the pool at all boggles his mind. This isn't a place to linger; it's a place to pick up whatever might be worth literally anything and make it back to the city alive.

The robots make him pause. They're so...oddly posed. And very dead? Very offline? Very not coming back online as far as he can tell. It's an android graveyard, it seems like, and they were all trying very hard to look normal and have a good time before their own personal apocalypse happened.

Anyone gonna claim these? No? Don't mind if he do, then. Catch him dragging or carrying one of these bad boys (or girls?) out to the car, setting one up in the passenger seat. He even poses the arm like it's resting on the door. This one has sunglasses and a swanky kind of Hawaiian-esque shirt. Looks like he's chilling. All of this is fine. Everything's fine, folks, don't worry about it.]

android dreams
[Except worry about it, because it only takes a couple of hours for the thing to just...dissolve. Dissipate. Discombobulate. Become as goo in the back of his car, with only a few odd screws and bolts left in the mess to speak of. And it is a mess. He's going to have to clean that out.

Was he worried about dented doors before? Clearly not with the way he lets out a frustrated short yell and kicks said door.

He pulls the tarp off the roof and spreads it over the seat. It won't look any better, but if anything else melts, it might not get on everywhere and everything.

So he's not in a great mood when he comes back in. If he takes anything else, is it all going to be for naught? What about the boozes? He ignores the 'bartender' completely and reaches for some whiskey. Makes a point to take a sip. Tastes real enough. And then he grabs a vodka, because he doesn't know what the deal is. Was it the mechanical nature? Was it the size? Is there a god damn weight limit here?

Maybe stop and try to chat with him before he attempts to steal the whole bar. Or share in a bottle he's pulled off the shelf. Encourage him to be nice to the android, maybe!]

chill & grill
[He's been eyeballing the grill, too. Or at the very least, the propane. But it's always in use. Everyone's out here trying to have a good time and using a grill to cook up whatever in god's name they've scrounged up.

It's going to be a hell of an attempt if he can manage it. So. Instead. He'll look around elsewhere. Grab a couple shirts, a nice pair of pants, a tube of lipstick, squirrel those away. It's not much, but maybe it's going to be something. Which is more than nothing.

If he's offered something, he will give an awkward smile and take it gladly. What happens from there is out of sight, out of mind.]

wildcard
[go nuts]

Edited 2025-06-09 13:14 (UTC)

The Bar

[Well, this is weird.

Nadine expected weirdness. This is one of those diffusion areas that she's so far avoided. But the lure of relief from the heat is stronger than her better judgement. It's miserable, working in it is miserable, and working in what can politely be called 'janitorial services' in the heat is a special sort of living hell.

So she'd donned a black T-shirt bearing large white text that reads 'The Midnight Burrito' - she assumes it's some band or maybe brand from some world she's never heard of - and a pair of shorts and driven to the resort. Possibly a bad idea, but she's not too sure what is and isn't a good idea at this point.

She hadn't anticipated the robots. The ones just lying around are unnerving enough, but the bartender...

Her drink is wrong, it has an entirely different alcohol than it should and it's much too strong, and it keeps trying to get conversations going with inane, party game style questions. When it asks 'What's something you wish you'd figured out sooner?', she can't help her reply.]

That I'd have to play twenty questions to enjoy a drink. Look, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just not a chit-chatty kind of person.

[Why is she trying to make the robot feel better?]

Poolside

[She sits with her legs in the pool, her sneakers neatly set beside her. As bizarre as this place is, the cold water is worth it. Between the heat and how much her feet ache at the end of a work shift, this is the nicest thing Nadine's felt since arriving. If she closes her eyes, she can almost pretend it's a community pool back in New Hampshire, long before the world ended. All she needed was a boombox and a disgustingly sweet frozen drink from a gas station.

She has neither of those things. But she does have a bag of mysterious candy. The graphics on the bag mean nothing, and she has no idea what a 'tiva berry' is, but berries that end up in candy generally taste good. And it looks neat. Like little balls of wound cotton candy, only the candy filaments have the texture and shine of glass and shattered apart into nothing rather than melting. There's a burst of strange, sweet liquid flavor in the center.]

Oh wow, that's good.

[Realizing she is in public, and someone is right by her, she turns and offers the bag. She'd had a drink at the bar, she's feeling looser than usual.]

Want to try one?

Wildcard

[OOC: Have an idea? Throw it at me, or hit me up! I'm down for all kinds of stuff.]

∞Parking // Walking on my own path, got no stencil∞

[The downsides of owning a vehicle are stacking up. Gas being one, parking being another.

Eight's friend Marina always made owning a motorcycle look so effortlessly cool. Maybe it was because she was effortlessly cool, but to him it seems more trouble than it's worth. Maybe if it had ink jets like the equipment trucks he'd seen setting up for the Splatfests back home, but alas. If he could only figure out a way to rig those up...

Parking on the roof would be so much better than this. He's at least gotten enough of a grip on riding that he can weave his way through the chaos to park horizontally up against the wall.

But he's also carrying his Octobrush. There's just nowhere to keep it except on his person and nobody recognizes it as a weapon anyway. He's holding it upright, steering the bike with one hand and his feet. It's rough going, but he manages.

Thing is, if the brush is here, the ink tank is too, and while he has control over his ink-producing gland when it's not plugged in, when it is, the ink drain uncontrollably into the tank. And from the tank, it flows into the bristles of the brush and...

To Eight, dripping ink barely registers. He does worse to expensive highrise apartments in a normal Turf War match.

But to anyone else it absolutely looks like someone dripped pink paint all over your car.]

∞Robots // (Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto) For helping me escape just when I needed to∞

[Eight is examining the robot like you might examine a toaster that isn't heating, or a blender that won't spin. Hating all of...uh, robotkind for the events of his past doesn't make much sense, but there's no tenderness in the way he pulls on their arms and turns their heads.

These androids would have had to have some place they store memory if they were autonomous, right?

Thankfully he doesn't need tools to get into them.

He pulls an android out of the little cabana it was in, dragging it into an open space away from the pool by its arm. He then backs up, breaking into a backwards half jog until he's quite a distance away.

His humanoid form vanishes underneath a blob of ink and is reabsorbed into a large pink octopus. The octopus seems to swell for just a moment...

And then he is launched into the air on a jet of ink. In the air, his form twists back into a young teen, and he comes down, hard on the android with both feet and the butt of his brush handle with a loud metal crunch.

His goal accomplished,he begins to dig through the robot guts looking for anything that looks useful. A circuit board? A camera with recordings on it? Whatever he can guess has information on it.]

∞Around the City/WILDCARD - I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily∞

[There's not much else do at the pool for him. He can't swim (and in fact keeps a wide berth from the pool, the same way someone else might do for a lake full of acid), he doesn't drink, and he's spent enough time in abandoned spaces for a lifetime, thanks. That said, if someone wants to chat or share a snack from the grill, he'll hang around.

The rest of his time is spent in the city of Panorama, earning some money (the giant inkbrush gets him a lot of painting jobs) and spending time in places where people congregate, like resturaunts and cafes, keeping his ear open for new info and jumping in whenever a blob of ink would deter a mugging.

And sometimes he lingers in front of shoe and clothing stores, window shopping. It's how he relaxes.]

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