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

[naz]

Another very tricky question, it would seem. Caitlin wrinkles her nose a little in thought. "Uhhh, well..." she pauses then, brow creased. For her, it's just normal plus metahumans, but what's normal in her mind doesn't necessarily equate to what's normal in his. Or anyone else's, for that matter. "I don't know how to describe it. I'm from Central City so it's like...just a normal, boring city except that a few years ago, my boss was making a Particle Accelerator and it exploded, killing several people and forever changing others," she explains. Like me, she thinks, except that it kind of wasn't, was it? It was sort of Barry changing the timeline that gave Caitlin her powers, technically; she just doesn't remember it that way, obviously. It's complicated.

"A metahuman is just...a human with abilities that came from that explosion. There was one we called Weather Wizard; he could manipulate the weather. Make it do whatever he wanted," she explains, her voice also low to match his, because he's right. Discreet is much better in this instance. They don't know the other people in the group very well and they don't know how this kind of information might be taken if overheard. "I know someone who can run at a speed close to Mach 3," she adds. "People who can look through different timelines and see into the future. Make everything they touch decay into dust...instantly freeze something or turn rain into snow...those are metahumans." She slips in her own abilities at the end casually, testing the waters there. If he doesn't know that it's her that can do it, maybe she can get an honest reaction, if she gets a reaction at all.

curtis holt • arrow •

[mrterrific]

i. BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Living in Star City has prepared Curtis to deal with a lot of bullshit and a lot of crises, but he's never had to deal with meterological shit on this level, before. Usually, when shit got real where he was from, it took the form of assassin cults, or nukes, or supersoldiers, or even aliens. Compared to all that, a storm sounds pretty tame. But there are sandbags to be carried, and he might as well pitch in. So Curtis rolls up his sleeves and volunteers to help storm-proof the river.

iii. SPEED DATING

To say that Curtis is not exactly in a romantic place right now in his life would be putting it mildly. It was his romantic troubles that had gotten him kidnapped and brought to this weird world in the first place. So when he first sees those flyers go up for a dozen different activities for couples, he scoffs. It's like the universe is going out of its way to pour salt in the wound. He tries to occupy his time in other ways, to ignore the events and all the paired-off people participating in them.

But eventually, out of boredom, anger, and quasi-masochism, he finds his steps leading him to the mall courtyard, where the speed dating fiasco appears to be taking place. Can't hurt to try, right? There's probably someone else there like him - someone who has no interest in any sort of actual romance but who is desperate to kill time. He'll be open about his situation, find someone in a similarly pragmatic mood, and they'll figure things out from there. Not like Paul's going to find out. (Not like Paul would give a shit, even if he did).

v. NETWORK

so on a scale of one to ten how certain are we this place isn't some kind of:

a) drug-induced mass hallucination
b) underground bunker set up by a supervillain
c) computer-simulated dream reality like in the matrix

[prisonking]

No, it's not.

[ Michael rolls up the sleeves of his shirt to his elblows. His arms are covered in tattoos. His decision to turn against the law, society, and the world at large marks his skin, heart and soul for life.

He's a fugitive now. A criminal. A pariah, even among his own kind. A liar, thief and murderer too. Everyone he's ever loved has left him, or died trying. There was something inside of Michael that was fundamentally broken. He'd been born wrong.

His eyes slice over the other man's face as sharp as razors. Michael wants to cut him. Skin him. Peel back all the layers, and know him.

Of all the things he's done, the lies he's told, and the people he's hurt, dancing with another man would be the least of them. ]

Do I look like I care?

[prisonking]

It's seen better days. The storms damaged the force-field around the perimeter. Someone's going to have to go out there and fix it.

Good on you for lending a helping hand.

[causational]

I'm a cop. I guess it's just in my blood.

Are you thinking of going out there?

[prisonking]

Which precinct?

Thinking about it.

[causational]

I'm with the department here, low on the totem pole though. Back home I was a detective with the Central City Police Department.

I'm guessing you're a tech guy, not a bruiser, right?

[prisonking]

I'm not familiar with Central City. Which state is that in?

Let's just say I was never voted MVP.

[causational]

Missouri! Where are you from?

Something about the way you knew exactly what was wrong with the fence clued me in. :)

Do you need an escort?

[prisonking]

Illinois.

I'd appreciate some back-up, but I'm sure an officer of the law has more important things to do than babysit a nerd.

[causational]

Honestly, babysitting nerds is most of what I do back home. It wouldn't be out of my way too much, and I've got the time.

[prisonking]

Missouri's a nerd mecca? The more you know.

I'll gather the equipment, log the repair and shoot you a message when I'm ready.

[causational]

I wouldn't say it's a mecca, but I definitely hang out with most of them. I still don't know how that happened.

Sounds perfect. Looking forward to meeting you.

I'm Eddie Thawne, by the way. You?

[staystrong]

Yeah, kinda. But people aren't used to foraging and stuff anymore the way they used to be a long time ago. Everything was raised on farms or made in factories. If farms weren't tended they didn't just keep growing stuff and the fresh food was gone through real quick.

[Some people had to travel a ways before they could even get to a location where they could live off the land, and that still involved getting through zombies and knowing what you were looking for to begin with.]

Even now I only sort of know about some plants that are alright to eat in the woods.

[ikols]

[ This is why he prefers Strange over Sinister; the sense of goodwill humour that doesn't try to murder him. No other reason. ]

Ah, the Sweetheart Sanctum, that was it! You clever thing. Isn't he clever? [ Before the bouncer can answer, Loki weaves his arms around Stephen's waist and chins his shoulder, doe-eyed with batting lashes. He may sway a little, such is the force of their Truest Love. ] After all these years, you still remember the day we first smooched.

[ Dreamily, he informs the now uncomfortable doorman, ]

He bought the largest pizza they had and spelled out, 'BE MY BAE' in pepperoni. What a catch, right? I'm the luckiest boy in the world!

[ikols]

Thanos can suck my booty. And no, they didn't have candy horns, that's just stupid.

[amelioraate]

[ That was a whole kink thing he didn't need to know about, thanks.]

You say that like unicorns in general make sense.

[ikols]

If an Asgardian complained that hippos don't make sense, you'd sound about the same.

[amelioraate]

....that actually makes sense. Okay. Fine. You win that one.

[ He goes back to studying the light thing. He still wants to know how that works okay. ]

Can things get out of the shield? Is it like a one way kinda deal or no?

[suckstobestrange]

[By all the Hoary Hosts what had he just inserted himself into?

If he wasn’t sure that it would just guarantee later mischief from Loki, Stephen would have been right on his way at that. Anyone that knew him could certainly see it, even if to any stranger he still just looked more indulgently amused than anything.]

Oh you flatterer. [Praying the damn doorman would move aside finally because he was so ready for this line of conversation to be done.

You fucking owe him Loki.]

iii because why not

[deathkid]

[ having an arm slung around him by a stranger is never what nico would like to experience. he's not fond of being touched in general and the stranger is not only encroaching on his personal space bubble, but he's rudely popping it by declaring them lovers. understandably, nico's face turns a brilliant shade of red as he looks up at the stranger's features.

vibrant green hair and dark eyes. the flicker of mischief. well, styx, if that doesn't remind him of someone, making this entire thing all the more awkward. it's not like he wants to go to a pool party. parties are most certainly not his thing. but it seems like he has no chance now that he's being dragged along. the look he gives the guy is dark and dangerous on its own, but what would normally be a frightening affect is somewhat dampened (heh) by the way his ears begin to heat up.

he should steal into the shadows and slip away, but not wanting to draw attention to himself, he hunches his shoulders and slides his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket. ]

Gee, it's funny. I can't seem to remember it either.

[ in the flattest tone of voice possible. ]

[ikols]

[ Racking up debt has never been so much fun. When the exasperated doorman waves them in, Loki's grip briefly tightens on Stephen until they're out of sight down the corridor. It's a spa! Look at all the romantic arrows pointing them toward the pool party, how appropriate for two such twittering lovebirds!

Leaning over, he mutters through a smile, ] Doctor Wotsit, I didn't know you had it in you.

[ikols]

[ Did he catch a black forest gateau? Because the young man is dark, red as a cherry, and sweet to see shuffle through a response. ]

We were too enamoured of each other, [ he reassures him with a warm, suggestive purr, ] which we'll have to keep under wraps at the party, of course, hm?

[ Making sure the doorman can see those waggling eyebrows. ]

[diagenesis]

[They don't date him as much as ink of Flint's era might in retrospect, but he can tell they were done with tools and skills well beyond someone hammering Indian ink or laundry bluing into skin. He spares them but a moment's attention. Details committed to memory. Then he arches an eyebrow and, certainly, meets the man's eyes without anything approaching warmth or even the mildest cessation of his distaste.

He can't help himself: he's incredulous. Tattoos, certainly, even in his time were a mark of the lower class or of some criminality. So, there is an assumption of kindred spirits. Something in his own nature that's given him away, known quantities. A look, perhaps, or the scars on his hands. The hard set to his jaw and brow, the utter lack of fear or wonderment. Flint does not hide that he's a dangerous man, but most consider it cause for intrigue or avoidance, rarely a consideration of like minds.

But the presentation is markedly juvenile. Would that apathy were the cure for consequence, he'd have stood outside all the laws of men now for a decade, unmired in the frivolity of it all. The ground is even more uncertain here, in this untenable place, where nothing is yet known by rote. Recklessness without obvious gain is something he does not care to abide.

And the implication: that such things are still illegal, still shameful, still looked down upon is itself unspeakably infuriating. He is not a hopeful man, but God more than once he'd thought that in another time or place the three of them could have had an honest life together--

He scoffs in seeming, almost sympathetic amusement, shakes his head and then reaches out to pat the man on the shoulder, left-handed. His touch is measured: not light, not bruising. It also puts him in an incredibly good position to pull him forward into the blade of a knife, should he feel it necessary.]

I applaud your [a sharp, calculated pause.] audacity. But you'll not find me an appropriate partner.

[suckstobestrange]

[At least the over-the-top sap seemed to work, the doorman wanted even less to do with the situation than Stephen did. Annoying as hell but effective, he had to give Loki that.

And at least he seemed willing to settle some with the ridiculousness once they were away from the doorman's attention.]

You say like it's any surprise. [Yep don't mind them, just a couple muttering sweet nothings to each other right?] At least half of my job at any given time is lying as outrageously as I can.