riverviewooc | riverview: may test drive meme

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riverview: may test drive meme

riverview test drive meme

Welcome to Riverview's test drive meme! Feel free to dip your toes in on the test drive meme to try out your character in the setting, play out a mission, and get samples for your application at the same time!

● Reserves are currently OPEN.
● Applications open on June 1st.
● Providing all parties are amenable, threads on the test drive meme can count as game canon, as the plot in the prompts presented is game canon.
● TDM threads do not count for Activity Check, but they do count for Activity Bonus Points, so long as all characters involved are accepted into the game.
● Threading on the TDM is intended for prospective new characters, so top-levels should only be posted by players of these characters. Since the events in the TDM are considered game canon, characters currently in the game are free to use the TDM prompts for logs and posts on the regular communities.

Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own scenario. The setting is built to be flexible, so feel free to make things up as you go.

information resources
premise ● arrival ● setting ● ask a question ● calendar ● navigation

prompt i: search & rescue

Following rumors about a magical healing spring deep in the jungle, a group of intrepid explorers ventured out to verify whether it existed or not. After finding the spring inside an ancient temple overrun with tree roots and flora, they brought samples back and discovered that the spring did, in fact, have healing properties. Just like the rumors said.

Until the authorities decided what to do with this information, no actions were to be taken, nor information revealed to the public at large. Unfortunately, the news leaked and spread to the alternative science communities as well as the top minds at Gramarye Magic Research. With interest piqued, several more unauthorized expeditions set out beyond the fence in search of the spring. And once the information leaked beyond these scientists and scholars? Everyday citizens also launched their own excursions into the jungle, many bringing ailing family members or friends along for the ride.

This month the mission is to deploy teams of skilled citizens into the jungle to rescue some of the less fortunate, unsuccessful parties. Some of these people will be trapped or set upon by monsters, unable to move forward to the spring or back to the safety of the city. Others have simply run out of supplies and need the teams to restock them so they can continue their trek. And some groups have managed to reach the spring and collect their own samples of the spring water, only to find themselves struggling to return to the city before the samples lose efficacy. Feel free to create your own party to rescue, and get a team together to do so!

prompt ii: death from above

Normally, living inside the Inhabited City is a pretty safe bet. You can go day to day without running into a monster or risking any kind of danger requiring a fight. Generally, the tall, laser-fenced walls keep out anything particularly dangerous.

The problem with walls? They only go so high.

While usually assault from airborne monsters isn't a problem that's on the map, there's a few weeks during late spring where a swarm of flying monsters not unlike feathery pterodactyls are migrating back to another part of the moon. They're only in the area for a couple of weeks, but during that time, residents can expect occasional attacks by swooping monsters if they should see easy prey. Usually, a good sturdy dark-colored umbrella is enough to keep them from seeing a potential victim or meal, but sometimes the attacks still happen. So the Perimeter Guard sends extra details, calling in all the reserves, to patrol the city and keep an eye out for citizens in distress. There's also a general call for anyone who's experienced at fighting to help protect their fellow citizens. Whether your character is being attacked or protecting someone else, be prepared - these monsters are quick and have very sharp teeth.

prompt iii: homesick bazaar

Over the past couple of weeks, the portal has seemed really fixated on food. Almost every time the portal changes location, new bundles of food are near the entrance, ripe for the Perimeter Guard Orientation Team to pick up and drag through. As a result, the Orientation Team has set up a free bazaar outside City Hall. The Bazaar lasts from the 20th until the 31st of May, and is completely free, featuring tables and booths laden with food taken from the other side of the portal. Many of these foods will be familiar to characters in the City, whether it's that special brand they're totally addicted to or a plate of grandma's family recipe.

Everything at the Bazaar is totally free, and anyone joining in on the feast is encouraged to share (read: gently not allowed to leave until they do) and to tell stories about the origin of the foods from their own home. It's a multidimensional foodie's paradise!

prompt iv: prijata pregaming

Prijata is a holiday in Riverview celebrating platonic love - essentially, it's a celebration of friendship, geared at showing appreciation for existing friends and finding new ones. While I won't spoil the rest of the prompts for the introductory mingle, one of the main staples of Prijata is gift giving, and the Government of Riverview gets into the spirit of it by giving small gifts to everyone who's arrived since the last Prijata.

This prompt can be used to give a quick idea of what your character is into so other characters or players can suggest gifts to be given them (or to give them) if they are accepted! More information can be found in the Prijata Pregaming modpost.

prompt v: friendr/network

Whether your character is posting up a silly word game to distract people from the dangerous mission going on, trying to get hold of a friend, or putting out feelers for people to go out into the fray with, the network is going strong.

Alternately, an offer for a free app is popping up on new arrivals' devices - Friendr is a friend-finder and/or dating app. If characters choose to install it, they will fill out a short bio and parameters for what they're looking for, upload a snap of themselves, and then proceed to browse for matches. This is a typical swipe-left-or-right type app.

Code to post your character's bio is in the textbox below, or you can just do a text version of the information in the app. An example of how it looks can be found here.

<center><blockquote style="width: 220px; margin: 0; padding: 0px; background-image: url('http://i42.tinypic.com/2uf53s4.jpg'); font-size: 12px; font-family: verdana; border-radius: 20px; text-align: center;"><div style="padding: 10px 0 0 0; text-align: center;font-size: 25px; font-weight: 900; font-style: italic; color: #528887; text-shadow: -2px 2px 2px rgba(150, 150, 150, 1);">F<span style="font-size: 16px;">RIENDR</span></div>
<center><img src="ICON URL HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; width: 70px; height: 70px; box-shadow:-3px 3px 2px 0px rgba(82, 136, 135, .75);"></center>
<center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 14px;">Name of Character</div></center>
<center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><b><small>AGE:</small></b> ##
<b><small>INTERESTED IN:</small></b> Male/Female/Any
<b><small>SEEKING:</small></b> Type(s) of Relationship(s)
<b><small>ABOUT ME:</small></b> Blurb goes here, can be as long or short as you wish.</div></center><br>
</blockquote></center>

Many thanks to

mistojen for coding this especially for Riverview!

prompt vi: wildcard

Choose your own adventure and do something else in the setting!

navigation
[river market image is by Tyler Edlin]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From what I've observed, I'd never pass the firearms requirement for the guard.

[ Text won't convey it, but he's amused -in a wry manner- when he types that. ]

Behavioral science, with the FBI.

[ That last comment might have benefited from the words 'formally of' rather that 'with', but that wasn't a distinction he was going to get into over a text conversation. ]

Not a fan of guns?

[ That's deeply weird to her, but it's hardly the weirdest thing that's happened since coming here. Just one more in a series of little culture shocks. People who can work with law enforcement and not pass firearms requirements...

And she knows how small talk works, so she returns with, ] I'm a Judge. Just not the kind you're probably thinking of.

I have no problem with guns, carry one in the field. I'm just not what could be termed a reliable shot.

[ Ten to drop Hobbs. ]

Perhaps you could explain what kind I'm thinking of and how you're not it?

[ His own small talk skills were nothing to write home about. ]

Persistent problem or not enough practice?

[ Ha, she can appreciate that kind of directness. It feels like home. ]

I'm just assuming you don't use judge as shorthand for judge, jury and executioner.

Depends upon who you ask.

[ Wry tone does not translate through text. ]

You would be correct. I usually shorthand those 'serial killer'.

[ After he hits send on that, he realizes that might have come across better in an 'in person' conversation.

Whoops. ]

Edited 2017-05-21 16:04 (UTC)

I'm asking you.

[ She doesn't get to do it much, but she doesn't mind pithy banter.

But really, he's not saying anything she hasn't thought herself in her darker moments. Anderson just isn't entirely ready to split from the company line. ] Serial killers operate outside the law. We don't. If their crimes don't result in a death sentence, we take them in.

It's complicated. I don't have the same issues I did in the past, but it still isn't my preferred method.

[ That probably didn't answer her question, but it was more truthful than anything else he might have said.

Her response to his term 'serial killer' is surprisingly direct and lacks any hint of the possible offense he may have just offered. He can appreciate this. ]

That would be a marked distinction. The role of 'judge', is it your world's manner of law enforcement?

Well, if you want a partner on the firing range, I should get acclimated to the local weapons.

[ This is probably as close to a friend overture as Anderson is capable of making at this point. She's far too off-balance, too new to have found her feet, and no one here looks at her and thinks Judge and all that comes with it. It's an entirely different social dynamic. She doesn't dislike the change, but it's disorienting.

Guns, though. She can handle guns with her eyes closed. Literally.

And given his response, she's willing to open up a little. Talking about Mega-City One is something she already realizes will be difficult, because it seems like no one else has the right frame of reference for it. But she can offer a little. ]

Yes. We operate as part of the Hall of Justice. The crime rate is too high to maintain court proceedings, so Judges were militarized. We go in, pass judgement, and leave. In a lot of places, we are the only law there is.

I'm trying to figure out how I fit in here.

[ Huh. Even across the relatively sanitized communication method of text, Will can recognize an offer when he reads one and ... it would be in his best interest to take it. On a number of levels. ]

I think I'll take you up on that.

[ He takes a couple of minutes to read the second text a couple of times, giving himself time to envision what a world like that must be like. Even without the support of a 'scene' to build the images in his head, he can picture a society pushed to that brink. How those choices could be made, people put into those positions and the weight of that responsibility. ]

Sounds exhausting. [ He offered. Perhaps two pithy words, in response to what she'd just offered, but they were well intended. ] I think that describes many of us, but is it very different from trying to find ourselves back home?

I'll let you know when I find a place.

[ Anderson, for all that she's an empath, might as well live an ascetic lifestyle in terms of empathy offered to her. Two words is more than she can remember getting since her parents were alive. Judges weren't known for wasting time on this, or on philosophy; she's an outlier in a lot of ways, someone who should have failed out if not for how badly valuable her skills are. ]

A Judge is all I've wanted to be for a long time. There wasn't much to find. But you're right that everyone else here is in the same boat. I guess what I really want to know is where I'd do the most good. Is this police more like yours?

[ That seems to shelve the discussion of guns and shooting for the time being, so Will focuses on her latter text. ]

I can't answer that. I don't know enough about the police force in this world, which is what prompted my initial question. To be perfectly honest, I don't know about the guard either; perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it for myself.

[ Probably not. ]

For that matter, I might be better off seeking employment with the local university. Teaching is what I do back home.

If you aren't sure you want to use a gun every day, I would stay out of the guard.

[ That's her form of teasing, however hard it is to tell over text. ]

Teaching is admirable. You could ask about being a consultant to the force, if you want to make a difference without being subject to regs.

You shouldn't have to use a gun every day to help protect people.

[ He may be a little naive about the extent of the physical dangers in this world. It's a steep learning curve. ]

Honestly, I'd be thrilled to learn that law enforcement in this world has no need for consultations in the area of my expertise. In which case my teaching experience wouldn't be necessary either.

Perhaps I could work with the local animal control. I'm good with dogs.

There's other ways to protect people, but I'm pretty sure the guard is about that one.

What's your area of expertise? [ That does beg the question. ]

[ Yeah, he had kinda left the door cracked on that question. For a moment, Will wonders in his own head if he'd done so deliberately. ]

Behavioral science. Which, I suppose, is a sanitized way of saying I hunt serial killers.

[ Maybe not the best thing to admit to having an expertise in, but if he tried to cover for it ...

That would be it's own kettle of disturbing psychological fish. ]

[ Anderson's background is so rough she doesn't see what the problem would be in studying serial killers with the explicit purpose of aiding justice. She's more puzzled at the idea of behavioral science as an area of the law, but she's not one to criticize.

It would be hypocritical, after all. That's essentially what she does for the force. Just a lot more directly. ]

It's hard for me to believe there's somewhere completely absent of them, [ she types factually. ] People have dark impulses no matter how comfortable their lives are.

[ Here, he slips into teacher mode. ]

You're correct. However, what allows a serial killer to become one is environment. He or she is successful because they are able to blend into their environment, they make it part of their design. If they cannot successful blend, they are usually caught within their first or second kill, if not before then.

We're a small population within these walls. Serial killer behavior patterns would be more likely to stand out, even if the hunter were successful back home, he or she would have to either subsume their impulses here or risk immediately standing out.

The threats to survival in this world -the monsters- would serve as a suitable outlet for most of those dark impulses. The smart predators would bide their time and channel their design into those appropriate kills. Those with less self control would be caught quickly.

So. No real need for my expertise.

[ Seeing as she's still by and large considered a rookie, fully instated or not, Anderson doesn't mind being taught at. She's been primarily a student until very recently. ]

Interesting. And you don't think your abilities would translate to other kinds of criminals? Interpreting crime scenes to determine motive is a significant part of the job.

[ It's a good question and one he has to think about for a moment. ]

My particular library of psychosis has always been better at tracking the monsters, than sussing out a B&E.

What about standard murders? Or drug rings? I don't know how well the local police is equipped to handle all of us that came through the portal. It's a big variable.

It is an interesting thought to consider. Though, as you say, there is a big variable in the very fact that we seem to be coming from a wide range of ... worlds.

[ That still is taking some time for him to settle in his own mind. The idea of all these different realities, not just the one he's known all his life. ]

How do you interpret peoples' actions, if the moral compass of their worlds points to a different north than your own?

[ She's not exactly sanguine with a multitude of worlds either, but the steady press of reality from other minds around her, even if she's not reading them, is reassurance enough for her to be going on with. It grounds her. ]

So, there could be room for a behavioral specialist after all. If you wanted there to be.

Ah. That's the real question, isn't it?

[ Did he want there to be a need for his expertise? Will wasn't entirely sure. There was always that part of himself that wanted to put the monsters on someone else's desk, and walk away. Live a normal life, like what he managed with Molly for three years.

Then, there was that part of himself that kept opening the door and staring at the landscape, while the likes of Hannibal whispered sweet encouragement in his ear. ]

It might be best for all involved, if I teach poetry.

[ Poetry? Just the first subject that came to mind. ]

If you like poetry, sure. Poetry about dogs.

[ Oh look, she does have a sense of humor. But she understands his conundrum here more than she lets on. If she weren't so wholly dedicated to helping people, Anderson would take a hard look at how much violence she endures and perpetrates and second guess it herself. ]

I get it. There's nothing wrong with wanting a quieter life. It's less ugly.

Poetry about dogs holds a definite appeal.

[ There is some humor in return!

It was a conundrum. Jack had always been able to draw him back into the fight because Will knew he was good at catching the monsters. That there were lives saved through his work. It was part of what made it too addicting to set down entirely.

Even when every other instinct was screaming at him to get out; get out before he lost himself and became one of the monsters. ]

Ugly. That's a good word for it. But there is also a horrible beauty to the cycle. What do you think, could you set it down and walk away to a quieter life?

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