riverview: test drive meme

[riverviewmod]

riverview test drive meme

Welcome to Riverview's first 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 March 1st.
● All threads on the test drive meme can count as game canon once the game is up and running.
● TDM threads do not count for Activity Check, but they do count for Activity Bonus Points.

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 ● navigation

prompt i: batten down the hatches

If the sky has seemed a little more yellow-green than usual for the past couple of days, there's a reason for that. Meteorologists have been warning of a particularly nasty storm blowing in from the direction of the Delta in the Southwestern part of the Abandoned City.

The Quarantine is about to be hit by a nasty typhoon, and there's a lot to be done. Whether you're helping sandbag the banks of the river, which is bound to be swollen by the storm and flooding, weatherproofing your building, or just huddling indoors for warmth and helping reassure your friends, family, or partner that everything will be okay, it's time to take action!

prompt ii: monster madness

There's been a lot of talk around the Quarantine about the various predators and monsters outside the fence, and how they've been getting steadily more active, crowding the fences, trying to leap over them, seemingly driven by some kind of mania. There have even been increasing instances of predators that normally mind their own business attacking the fences wholesale, slamming into it over and over as if they're trying to find a weakness.

The good news? The fences have been holding. So far.

The bad news? They won't be holding for much longer.

The Perimeter Guard is in a bad way, and it's all hands on deck. They've also sent out a few of the Perimeter Guard Cadets to post up flyers around the city asking for temporary help in fighting off the beasts. So pick up whatever weapon you're best with, hop onto a truck transport, and head on over to the fences to help drive off the monsters and keep the Quarantine safe.

prompt iii: hold your lover close

With a storm rolling in that's going to keep everyone indoors, that might cause power outages, and is just frankly pretty scary, a lot of the clubs, restaurants, and hotels are doing special events to keep everyone's brains occupied and flooded with endorphins.

There are flyers around the city advertising various couples activities: speed dating, dance classes, overnight pool parties, and all-expenses-paid lovers' nights in.

The catch? The great deals only count if you're a twosome. So if you don't have someone to love, hit up speed dating in the indoor courtyard of Riverview's largest mall, or grab the first person you see and take the opportunity.

prompt iv: solution

After a day or two of storm activity, things are definitely not getting better: the rain is torrential, the monsters are attacking with increased energy and decreased rest times, and the distractions are starting to wear thin. Power outages happen off and on, a very rare situation in Riverview Quarantine.

The government has put out an all-points-bulletin imploring anyone with an exploratory spirit to help.

From what government science techs can tell, the storm isn't natural - after all, even the meteorologists were saying that the pressure systems seemed extremely strange. They've managed to narrow the cause to an area in the delta where the storm seems to be originating from, and are broadcasting the general location so anyone with the guts can head out into the storm and try to find the source of it.

Any characters who decide to penetrate the jungle in search of the source will find a device in the shape of a pyramid, with glowing blue edges about a day's walk into the Abandoned City. The pyramid is a malfunctioning weather control device that is causing wild pressure fluctuations and causing the storm as well as making the animals in the jungle aggressive and erratic. Characters can destroy or deactivate the device to end the storm.

This mission can be threaded out however you would like, in groups however large you would like, and more than one team can accomplish the goal.

prompt v: wildcard/network

Whether you're looking for help with a mission or just want to get to know your fellow new arrivals, your character can make a post to the network.

Or you can choose your own adventure and do something else in the setting!

navigation

Comments

[automobile_enthusiast]

[His palms are pretty slick in the rain, but he helpfully bends his fingers, loosely caging the little human when she lands in his hands. (He tries not to think about how she takes up more space there than full-grown humans he's handled in the past. Not now, Knock Out..)]

Oh, like this--? [He feints like he's about to bounce her out of his hands-- then chuckles (probably not reassuringly) and smoothly adjusts the motion into a kneel, lowering his cupped hands almost to the ground and relaxing his fingers so she can step down.]

What's a fragile little sub-adult like you doing so high off the ground in weather like this, hm?

Fatima Merali | Vampire: The Masquerade

[dust_of_life]

Monster Madness

Merali girls were fighters. Fatima's mother used to tell her that, any time she needed some kind of reassurance. Whether it was scraping her knee on the pavement or dealing with the bullies in her all-white middle school who called her a 'terrorist,' her mother would say the same thing. Merali girls were fighters.

Sometimes it wasn't a soothing affirmation, though. Sometimes, it was a battle cry. Fatima Merali was a fighter. And regardless of her feelings for the place, when the city was under threat of monster attack, she was at the front lines, ready to volunteer to fight back.

Fatima Merali would fight.

There was actually something refreshing and reassuring in the idea of fighting monsters who didn't pretend to be human. As she knelt down to fit a hunting knife into her boot, she thought about the thirteen vampires she'd killed, without Order permission. They'd deserved it, of course. At least, she was pretty sure of it. But from what she'd been hearing, whatever was outside the fence left no ambiguity, no shades of gray.

It would be good, feeling justified and intentional again.

Wildcard

(Throw anything at Tima. Seriously.)

[companero]

The statement surprises Stiles a little given the throwaway comment before, but that's super easy to chalk up to the fact that they don't know each other and, honestly, he's on board with that. "Yeah, no...I'm cool with that, too," he assures her, because he can see that weakening in her smile and automatically assumes that it's his fault. Stiles, like Lola, likes people and genuinely wants to make friends, but he's been associating pretty exclusively with the pack for the past few years and outsiders tended to be enemies. So this is new territory for him and he's trying to navigate it...probably poorly. But A for effort?

"Yeah, I haven't really been here long enough to know what's good, so I feel like unless you have a preference, that seems like as good a way as any to pick, right?"

Stiles is a smart guy, mostly, and he's good at problem solving, but a leader he is not. He tends to follow more often than he doesn't, so maybe randomizing their decision is the easiest way to proceed. There's his problem-solving at work, he supposes. "Okay, so...here, close your eyes," he says and he moves beside her to guide her closer to the bulletin board with the fliers pinned all over it, if she lets him. "Point your finger and we'll start wherever you land and take it from there. Sound like a plan?"

[staystrong]

["Sub-adult" is new. Clementine isn't sure if she likes it more or less than "kid".

She slides out of his fingers quickly, making a motion of brushing herself off despite the ridiculousness of the gesture given that it's still pouring down rain. It's all she can do to not look like a drowned rat in a poncho. Not the best way to get across how self-sufficient she is.]

I was keeping my top floor from flooding.

[She points straight up and behind her to where the tarps are secured over the hole by multitudes of bricks.]

My house repairs weren't done before the storm hit.

steve rogers | mcu

[starspangled]

i. batten down the hatches

[some people might dismiss it, but mother nature can still be a force to be reckoned with. steve's willing to bet that that's just as true here. a lot of people are out, trying to get ahead of the storm, and of course he's one of them.]

Need a hand?

[that's the question of the day, whether he's moving heavy bags of sand from point a to point b or boarding up windows. steve lends his strength and stamina to anyone he comes across, finally stopping just long enough to catch his breath and turn wary eyes to the sky.]

We might not have much longer. Do you know where the nearest shelter is?

[he's not asking for himself. steve will probably be out there until the last thing is done or the wind carries him away, whichever comes first.]

ii: monster madness

[he's empty-handed when he jumps onto the transport. maybe, maybe he should've brought a different weapon, but his shield was the only thing he was used to using consistently. without it he's falling back to his old standbys - his fists.

and if that doesn't work, he can just throw himself bodily at the nearest monster.

so far there seems to be no shortage of things that need done here, and steve's actually kind of glad for that. maybe that's just the part of him that's a magnet for trouble talking, but at least he can feel useful. he hops off the truck before it's barely stopped, eyes scanning the fences for signs of anything on the other side.]

So when they say there's monsters...got any ideas what that might mean, exactly?

[automobile_enthusiast]

[He straightens back up to his full height and peers through the rain at the roof, throwing on his headlights for some extra illumination. Yep, that is definitely a hole in the roof, covered by tarps.]

Well. Resourceful as that is, are the tarps really worth the tumble you almost took? That would have been a long fall for a skinjob like you.

[He's aware of how absurd it is to be chiding an alien about her life choices, but a lot of things have been absurd in his life lately. He's kind of just rolling with it for the time being.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

Lola worried her lip, did she have a preference. Her only preference was to have fun, and sometimes you got there by trying things you didn't like, or thought you would like and ended up going wrong. She liked a boy, that blew up, and she found a different boy. That also blew up, but she was better for it, at least she thought she was, "I want to try everything. Except anything that's a weird fusion with Mexican. I feel like Dad will just... know, and come find me even here."

Lola smiled up at him before closing her eyes, "Don't cheat. Just make sure I'm aimed at the food fliers. Unless you change your mind about the pool party." She didn't honestly mind if he did help her hand find a mark. She seemed rather at home moving with her eyes closed. While the idea of cheating crossed her mind, she didn't know what Stiles liked enough to pick something he'd appreciate. So she'd let the fates decide.

The fates liked her, usually. She pressed forward until her finger touched the board, "I can't look, what did I hit!?"

[staystrong]

[She shrugs lightly at the question.] I've done worse.

[Let her make you a list. Or don't. She'd rather not. And is "skinjob" a... racist comment? Technically he is a giant robot, and she's covered in skin. It doesn't really sound like anything to take personally.]

Is it worth it to even be out in the rain? I don't know how much a metalhead like you might rust.

[Even if she isn't taking it personally, that doesn't mean she can't say something stupid right back. Though teasing something that could easily crush her in one hand probably isn't the best decision - especially after he'd just saved her life.]

I've spent a lot of time on this piece of crap. It's nothing professional, but I still don't want some of it to be undone by one freak storm.

Jason Todd | Red Hood and the Outlaws | Will Match

[batbullets]

I. Batten Down the Hatches

Yellow-green skies, Jason Todd is completely fine dealing with; it’s when the skies are burning a deep, angry red that he tends to worry. That’s when shit’s really hit the fan, he knows.

He can’t just sit and wait this storm out, though, and not do anything. It’s never really been the way Jason was built. Not during his earliest days, living on the streets in Gotham City, and certainly not now, after having been a Robin and the Red Hood.

Though he's been helping to weatherproof the buildings, he’s seen enough of storms and hurricanes to know that there’s only so much that humans can do in situations like this. Honestly, at this moment, he’d give anything for one of the many gadgets that WayneTech would be experimenting on - anything that could help the people around him. They’d already seen enough loss and suffering.

“Hey,” he says to the nearest person. “We need a plan B here.” Did they even have tornado cellars here?

II. Monster Madness.

Monsters. Predators. Fighting. Violence. These are things that Jason Todd is more than familiar with, more than comfortable with. For all of his life, it’s always felt as though he’s been fighting one monster or another, one predator or another. So when this opportunity comes along, Jason can’t help but jump right into it. At least he's in his element.

Thankfully, between Bruce, Ducra, and all of the other teachers he’s ever had, Jason’s fairly good with a small variety of weaponry. He’s chosen a couple of guns for this, though, guns having been his chosen weapon ever since he’d returned to Gotham City as the Red Hood. Still, he’s secreted away a couple of knives too, just in case he runs out of bullets or something.

“It strikes me now,” he says, “monsters. Did they mean human-sized monsters, or are we about to face off against like Godzilla and no one has warned us about that yet.” He holds up his two guns. “Because these might not be enough against Godzilla.”

[keepitup]

For a man who built his empire on technology, Ray is an abnormally social person. Sure, he can get lost in his work and go days without seeing a soul and not realize it, but truth be told, it's because he hasn't found someone who could really keep up. Felicity had come the closest — she was definitely a better programmer than he was — but if tinkering with atomic reduction was something more people did, Ray wouldn't mind doing it with others instead of alone.

That love of people though, it's what drives him to do what he does. Phones, smart wearables, his nanotech. Everything Ray makes he does to try to make the world a better place, an easier place, a safer place. Wasn't that why he'd poured so much of himself into Star City? Because he refused to believe that it wasn't a city worth saving?

In the day-to-day though, that fondness translates into his expressiveness. Ray doesn't hide a lot. He likes being honest with people and he likes to wear his heart on his sleeve. Which can also make him a little easy to read — unlike a certain moody individual.

"Hold on, killed? You're gonna have to tell me that story during dinner." That's all Ray interjects, as Caitlin starts answering his questions one by one. But he can't help but smile when she mentions the burger chain.

"You know ... I think you should keep Big Belly Burger. Now hear me out. I know Thai is classier, I agree. But. There's just something so ... authentic about someone's favorite food being a fast food chain. Because why would anyone even say that unless it was true?"

And ha, right, he'd said years and then offered months. He's getting ahead of himself, or was it behind himself in this case?

"Three months," he says again. "That way, if we don't know something about each other, we can blame it on the fact that the romance is so new." As Ray talks, he's always gesturing with his other hand — pointing or waving or using it to emphasize points. "Which ... I guess means we're still living in separate apartments. But-" He raises a finger. "There's always a toothbrush for you at my place."

Ray knew going into this that making up their story would be fun, but not this fun.

"And my favorite food? Wow, um. Anything Asian. Sushi, Korean BBQ, god, a greasy egg roll on a Saturday night?" He rolls his eyes like that thought is the best thing to have ever graced his mind.

[keepitup]

When Ray saw the posters asking for more help around the perimeter, his fingers slipped into his pocket, touching the miniaturized version of his suit as he read the details of the monster attacks.

He knew immediately that he'd heed the call, and as he looked around him at the other people being drawn to the posters, he knew that he wouldn't be the only one.

By the time he arrives to the fences, he's hovering over the ground, suited up and protected by the dwarf star alloy painted in black and red. There are other volunteers here too, and he's in the middle of introducing himself, when a monster arrives and slams its body against the fence.

"Hi there! I'm Ray Pal-" Whoa. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back." Ray steers himself back a few feet before he flies straight up and over the fence. He doesn't want this city's physical perimeter to be between him and the monsters when he shoots.

[dust_of_life]

After everything she'd been through, Fatima would have thought that a flying man wouldn't faze her. But she had to admit--at least privately, to herself--that she hadn't exactly expected that.

There wasn't much time to marvel--both at the fact of a flying man and the fact that something could still amaze her. Just as the guy started making the rounds, like a politician meeting his constituents, the first of the attacks began.

This. This was something more in Fatima's wheelhouse. Always had been, always would be.

She took a few moments to analyze the field, watching the way the creatures moved. They reminded her more of animals than of Cainites. Which was fine. But also meant she had to anticipate instinct more than intention.

Flying guy seemed to have a pretty decent weapon, but it was only as fast as his own reflexes.

Fatima bit down on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. The least she could do was help him out. Her eyes scanned the monsters before picking out one that seemed to be in his range. And then she used her blood to activate a little spell. People usually thought of telekinesis as moving things with your mind. But it could also be used to hold something still.

"That one!" she shouted to the guy, pointing to a monster which she manages to freeze in its tracks.

[smoak]

[ When a rather large and sturdy-looking blonde man offers her a hand, Felicity doesn't think twice about it. The people she's met here have been incredibly helpful since she's arrived. ]

Oh my god yes, please, thank you, really. That board right there, I just can't seem to reach high enough to put the last two nails in.

[ Sometimes she feels rather useless in moments like this. Where no amount of technology can help people, other than what she can do to make sure the networks are hooked up and backup generators know when to go online. Which is why she's trying to do what she can physically today, even if it isn't a lot.

Like boarding up at least a few windows.

When she finally looks at her new helper though, a flicker of recognition flashes over her eyes. What an uncanny resemblance to ... couldn't be. And then he's asking her a question, and Felicity needs an extra-split second to process what he's just said, because his voice ... also sounds just like ... ]

I think there's one a few blocks over. But I'm not sure. Are you- [ She nearly asks. Just nearly, but she stops herself and pivots to a different question instead. ] Are you from here?

[keepitup]

She's right about his weapons. They aren't automated, or auto-targeting, so Ray has to do all the aiming himself. And at this point in his life, he hasn't had the practice that he would've gotten in the future, if the portal hadn't pulled him here first. So yeah ... he's got a pretty fantastic flying suit, but he's still a rookie.

Which is why, when one of the other volunteers grabs his attention and points to a monster that wasn't moving, he leans in closer and takes his shot. An energy blast hits it square in the torso — because Ray isn't good enough at this yet to aim for any smaller, but more deadly parts of the body.

He doesn't know that she's the direct reason for it not moving though. There's no magic, much less blood magic where he comes from (or really, he just hasn't been exposed to it yet), but even if he knew about blood magic, there aren't enough clues for him to put this together.

Another blast from him as the monster struggles to get up, and it's down for the count. Too bad there's still a bunch more left, and they're all large, but they're all also fast. And yeah, okay, he probably hits one out of three times. If you're being generous.

[dust_of_life]

Yeah, Fatima had never had a lot of experience with guns. But she knew enough to know that this guy was pretty awful. He had all the talent of one of the ten-year-old dhampirs playing Duck Hunt. Still, at least he wasn't training that gun on other people. He was trying to be constructive.

That earned him mad points.

Squeezing more blood out of the inside of her cheek, Fatima started to pick out other monsters in his range, halting them dead in their tracks. This was not the way she'd trained to use this Path, but hey, any port in a storm.

"That one, that one, then that one!" she instructed him, pointing to each one in turn.

The real nice part of it was not having to pretend it was something other than it was. The Masquerade was great. Back home. Here? Eh, not so much.

i

[advanced]

[He's still out in the storm for two reasons. He wants to help, it feels good to be doing something that's constructive, that might actually save lives instead of destroy them; but he's also wary of boxing himself into any of the secure buildings with other people. He's safer on his own, and they're safer without him there too.

Steve's one of the people that he's been skirting around since they arrived, always making sure that the other man is safe without really interacting with him. It's too awkward, he doesn't have all his memories back yet, it doesn't feel right.

Still, he's not about to just run off when he comes face to face with Steve, though his expression and voice are carefully neutral.]

It's a block back that way. I can load the last few sandbags, you head on.

iii

[advanced]

[This is an unintended consequence of coming to the mall today.

All he wanted was some supplies, some food to last out the storm and maybe some tools in case he needs to help fix up a roof or something, but he appears to have wandered into some meeting. That'll teach him to pay more attention to the receipt for the clothes he just bought instead of where he's going, before he finds himself in a sea of nametags and milling people.]

What?

[Is she talking to him? Couples' activities? Wait, he does remember seeing something about that now.]

I think there's been a mistake.

[starspangled]

[little does she know that it's actually people like her who inspire steve to do more. everyone seems to be doing their best to stay ahead of the storm. he'd noticed her too, on her tiptoes, trying to get that board into place.]

Tell me if I've got it straight.

[he nudges the board up, glancing at her to check before he hammers the nails in. he gives her a little smile when he's done.]

I'm not. I guess I'm just here to help out. [the second part quieter, almost to himself before he looks at her again.] I'm Steve.

[naz]

Caitlin's eyebrows lift a little and she nods solemnly. "Will do. It's kind of a long story, so..." her voice trails off. It isn't actually that long of a story except that it doesn't make sense as a stand alone; she'll have to explain about Killer Frost and Reverb and Earth 2 and all of that, as well.

"Well I don't know if Big Belly Burger is my favorite..." she objects gently and thoughtfully, considering. It's definitely up there, she'll give it that. "How about if we settle for 'it depends on my mood' but it's one of the two," she suggests. Truthfully, she supposes she's never really put that much thought into it. These days, eating is just a thing she does to sustain life. It's hard to enjoy the simple things when you feel like you're drowning in the complicated ones. But with that in mind, Caitlin tells herself she needs to make sure that she's not doing that tonight. She'll make for pretty awful company if she loses herself in the depths of her own mind, after all, and he's being nice enough to escort her to these couple-y things even though most of them don't seem very couple-y just looking at them on a flier.

She grins a little to herself as they walk arm in arm and Ray goes on explaining his take on their fictional backstory. He's gesturing with his hands and being animated again and okay...that's adorable. "Awww. Thanks, Ray," she coos playfully when he makes mention that there is, of course, a toothbrush for her at his place. "You have a toothbrush at my place, too. And, you don't know it yet because I'm worried it'll scare you away, but I've also cleared a drawer in my dresser for you. But I'll mention it eventually. I'm working up to it," she elaborates with a smirk.

Making up a fake dating history with this man should not be as amusing as it is. Honestly, a part of her kind of doesn't care what they do tonight, because this playful exchange is enough fun to distract her without anything else.

"Oh, okay you want me to keep Big Belly Burger but you get to be classy with Sushi," she teases. "That's fair," she adds with a playful sarcasm as they start to approach the venue. Caitlin notices a couple giving one another a kiss at the door just before the doorman lets them in and her amusement drops. That's a coincidence, right? Because they're a real couple and they just happened to show one another affection before the doorman could actually get the door open, right?

Looking back up at Ray and convincing herself of that because...making up stories is fun but actual physical affection could make this awkward and messy, potentially, and she decides to push forward the conversation, ignoring what she's just seen because it probably doesn't matter, right? "What's our favorite date night? Go out or stay in, for a start?"

[starspangled]

[it feels a little bit like being haunted. sometimes steve senses him, sees him out of the corner of his eye. but when he turns his head, he's gone. he tells himself that it's enough to know that bucky's there, safe and unhunted, but steve still has to hold himself back sometimes.

maybe they can't do this dance forever. whatever bucky's dealing with, he doesn't have to go through it alone. the wall between them isn't physical, he can't just go crashing through it.]

These ones here?

[the last sandbags in question. which steve starts loading too. doesn't look like he's going anywhere.]

iv

[naz]

Caitlin has seen unnatural weather before, so when she learns that that's what's happening here with the storm, it kind of feels like her responsibility to try to find a way to stop it. It's not the same without Cisco to help her and Barry to do the heavy lifting, but she can't just sit back and do nothing; it's not Caitlin's style. Her necklace is still around her neck, though the pendant is tucked beneath her shirt to make sure that nothing happens to it. She needs it there to keep Killer Frost at bay. Maybe the only thing worse than the downpour would be turning it into snow because then it would build up a lot faster on the ground, hindering progress. The last thing she wants is to accidentally do just that.

Shaking because she feels cold right down to her bones, Caitlin does her best to keep up. She's not usually out in the field for these kinds of things. She's the one behind a computer screen researching while Cisco is spitting out information and orders into Barry's ear via the comm. This is a whole different animal and maybe she would've done better to try to set up something like they do at home so that she could stick with her strengths. A little late for that now.

When Adam stops suddenly, Caitlin stops, too. It takes a second for her brain to catch up with what her eyes are seeing and her breath hitches looking back at the mountain lion. A hand moves to her chest, not the reflexive movement to clutch at her heart, no. She's clutching at the pendant of her necklace. If she takes it off, she can freeze the ground between them and that'll slow the mountain lion down. ...but, she could also lose the battle to Killer Frost and then this situation becomes ten times more dangerous for the group than any mountain lion can make it.

"Okay...okay, don't panic," Caitlin says quietly. "Don't look away from it. Just...mountain lions are easy to intimidate. Make yourself look bigger; be aggressive," she says, looking around rapidly for a rock or a stick to throw or wave at the animal. That feels cruel, but she's read articles that say that sort of thing will scare one off. Hopefully that's true. It's hard to see through her sodden hair sticking to her face, but she snatches up a broken tree branch — not huge or heavy, but large enough to look threatening, she hopes — and she touches her fingertips gently to Adam's back to get his attention before offering the branch to his right side.

i

[naz]

Weatherproofing is a daunting task and Caitlin knows it well. Living in Tornado Alley will do that. Funny, since the Particle Accelerator explosion that created all the metahumans, it seems like there's been a lot more metahuman fighting than battening down the hatches for a tornado about to sweep through Central City. Oh how times have changed.

She's trying to be helpful because she's got experience with boarding up windows, but the fact of the matter is, usually...well, in her experience, trying to weaterproof for a tornado, anyway, is pretty much a wasted effort. It's either going to hit you or it isn't and there's no in between. Tornados are unpredictable and funny that way. Usually, the better plan is to get into a tornado cellar, if there's one available or, barring that, going to the basement or, barring that just getting away from all the windows and as close to the center of the dwelling as possible and pray to God that it doesn't matter anyway.

Caitlin looks over when a voice beckons attention and then mentions that they need a plan B. Yeah, that's no joke... "I was just thinking that. I only have experience with tornados, I don't know a whole lot about hurricanes and I assume that they're not the same but that we should be doing something to prepare for either," she says, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Um...what about a cellar or, uh, does this building have like a basement? I just got here a couple of days ago, so I don't...you know, know a whole lot more than what we heard in orientation but I think it's maybe time to abandon this effort and start evacuating people to a safe space," she says.

[detia]

He's looking straight on at the mountain lion in front of him when Caitlin comes up to him, listening to her advice and straightening up further, squaring his shoulders, clenching his jaw. He's not a small guy by any means, but he'll make himself even more imposing if needs be. He puts one foot forward, squelching in the sodden ground, making his pose more aggressive.

He feels perfectly calm. Heart beating fast, but solid, hands steady. This is a situation he's dealt with before; he's been trained for this. His whole life, as a matter of fact. He darts his eyes down to Caitlin, and what she's holding up at him. A branch, which make Adam raise his eyebrows, surprised. He holds his gun a little higher just for a second, showing it off.

"What about this?" Maybe she simply doesn't want to kill the beast. Not that Adam is big on killing animals himself, but if it's kill or be killed, he's not going to hesitate. His fingers slip on the rain-soaked gun, his eyes moving from the mountain lion back to Caitlin. "Or are we going the pacifist route, right now?"

[naz]

The gun will be a lot more effective, obviously, if he wants to kill the mountain lion, but Caitlin doesn't really take killing lightly; even an animal. So when he looks back at her and holds up the gun asking about it, Caitlin shakes her head. "Unless you're going to kill it..." she says frowning slightly, her eyes on the mountain lion. It still appears to be poised to pounce, but it hasn't actually attempted an offense just yet.

Her eyes move back to Adam. "Unless you're going to kill it, it doesn't do any good. A mountain lion doesn't know what a gun is; that's not intimidating. But it does know what a branch is and it probably knows that it hurts to be hit with one," she points out.

The creature is frozen staring back at them and Caitlin wishes she'd watched more Discovery Channel in her free time, because she honestly can't tell whether it's preparing to strike or waiting to see if they're preparing to strike. "I can try it...have my back with the gun? If this doesn't work...kill it?" she offers, gripping the branch a little bit tighter. Caitlin Snow, the woman behind the computer, offering to try to intimidate a mountain lion away from them just to spare its life because right now, it isn't doing anything wrong. They're in its territory and it's probably weighing its options because there are more of them than there are of it. Killing it just for behaving standoffish in this situation doesn't seem fair, but Caitlin's a softie like that.

[advanced]

[Damn it, Steve.

A slight furrow appears at his brow when Steve quite clearly moves towards the sandbags rather than away from them, but after a moment he just steps up beside him to start hauling too.]

I told you that I could do it.