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

sylvie lushton, marvel-616

[lushton]

i. batten down the hatches!

[ She's useful and it's ... nice. Sobering up in the hospital post-arrival (not to mention post-tentacle monster, courtesy of Amora) has left Sylvie quieter than usual despite donning the only other outfit in her magical wardrobe that seems fitting for lending a heroic hand; also, Amora isn't around to cast her off into a sucker-themed Hel again, which has a lot to do with the spiteful donning of green and gold.

Here, in this realm a universe apart, she can be the Enchantress. Five years to go and this is Sylvie putting her best (uncertain) foot forward by assisting in the mundane tasks that have everyone else rallying together, yearning to forget the Red Hood's bullshit plans that made her a joke in Asgard. Here and now, she watches as strangers lift sandbags together, new friends being made in real-time before her eyes. (I can do this too, I'll impress them.) Sylvie levitates thirty bags and blockades the windows and doors of a whole street in a green lightshow that dazzles for a block ... and then various residents start banging on their own doors from the wrong side, annoyed they can't get out. ]

... Oh, shit. Sorry! [ Running to the nearest door her first instinct is to start yanking down the sandbags by hand, yelling to her irritated homeowners. ] It's okay, I'm going to get everybody out!

[ If someone helps her stop fretting about screwing up on her first try, maybe that will go faster. ]

ii. monster madness.

When do we break for lunch? Are we attacking in, like, waves?

[ Easy for the magical girl flying overhead to be blase about driving off monsters when she keeps turning them into frogs, but perhaps she's forgetting to sympathise with her fellow perimeter guards. As a ravening beast launches itself forward, she catches it in midair in a simmering glow of eldritch power (does it smell like ozone around here?) and transforms it into a kitten. It mews indignantly, falling at the feet of someone nearby (congrats, it's your new pet!). ]

I could really go for a cronut, you know?

iii. hold ur luvver close.

[ Far more confident after days spent healthily alive and not blown up post an unscheduled visit from Amora, Sylvie wears her nametag (ENCHANTRESS) with pride and nurses a glass of wine at the bar before setting off into the wild unknown of speed-dating. She doesn't want to fall off the wagon again like she did with the Illuminati, but a little alcohol can't hurt. ]

Hey, [ if this is your table she's commandeering, then hi, ] so, are you hoping to scam a free dinner-date or something fancier out of this?

[ Because she's down for suggestions. ]

ii monster madness

[somnioergosum]

[Full disclosure- I played Cassie and Coat once upon a time and seeing your Sylvie has made me happy.]

Cronuts?

[Oh no. No kittens for Ronan, thanks. He doesn't need another magical creature. Especially not one made from God only knew what magic. Ronan nudges the kitten out of the way.

His own beast is roaring around in the skies somewhere, a mimic of his previous albino beast. There are glimpses of it in the night, white scales flashing as it tears into creatures. But it's beyond his control. It operates under one idea: protect.

So Ronan Lynch is standing there trying to find something to rip apart by himself. Instead, his lip isn't split and he has not a speck of blood o him all because of this girl. She's just... flinging around magic like he's never seen outside of a dream. He hates to admit it, but he's kind of impressed. And there's no way in hell that he'll admit he's a little scared, too.]

Why the fuck would you want a cronut even if we weren't--

[He pauses as this creature that looks like it might have come out of a nightmare, just not his own, lunges at him. Fortunately, he's dealt things that have a lot more beaks, claws, and relentless intent to kill him. So he just grabs it by the neck. This is what he's been waiting for.]

Fighting for our lives!

[The thing throws Ronan off its neck quite literally. He rolls from the momentum and almost hits the foolish cat.

Now he can own up to the fact that he's scared. It's alright. He just won't tell anyone else and he can forget it after a drink or five.]

[lushton]

Because they're delicious, obviously. [ When the kitten almost gets splatted by Ronan's tumble, Sylvie officially has enough and raises her hands. ] Stop!

[ A bubble-shield flares up around them (and the cat!) for the monsters to start trying to smash open to no avail, leaving Sylvie with her glowing eyes to glance at her would-be peer and frown in concern. ]

You think you're fighting for your life against animals? They're not even waging a vendetta against you because you might support the fur trade, they're mindless monsters. Haven't you ever fought properly, like, against a person? Who wants you dead?

[ He may be a liability if he's already battling at his hardest and getting tossed around, if that's the case. Definitely not allowed out of her shield, not yet. ]

[somnioergosum]

[Ronan realizes two things in short order. One, he's trapped. Two, he's trapped by the sort of girl his older brother would either date or cheat with his girlfriend on. He's not sure which part of this he minds the most but both piss him off.]

You know shit about me, bi--

[While Ronan yells and slams his hand against the bubble prison, another problem rises. Protect. The idea his Night Horror was created for. Coming out of the flight, the beast dives straight for Sylvie.]

WRONG TARGET!

[The Night Horror changes course before it gets close to Sylvie. It tears into the magic bubble with beaks and claws. The strange magic of its own form is a better match than Ronan expects.

Shit, he's glad it doesn't want to kill him. He's also glad, to a lesser extent, it's following instructions.

Ronan looks at Sylvie and raps on the side of the bubble closest to her.]

So you going to wait for it to burst your shitty bubble or pop it yourself?

[lushton]

Tell your beast to attack our enemies, you idiot, it's going to draw the attention of every other monster around!

[ For almost getting called bitch, Sylvie isn't inclined to acquiesce to any of Ronan's demands. ]

[somnioergosum]

[Alright Ms. Bubblegum, nee Cronut, Ronan has reached the end of his nonexistent patience. He slams his hand against the bubble over and over.]

It doesn't care about that! It cares about me!

[Is that a claw cracking through to his side? Whatever it is, Ronan doesn't take his eyes off Sylvie. He'll find out later. He doesn't have to look to hear the night horror screaming with both beaks. For himself, he settles for only a snarl.]

You're so scared now?

[He smashes his hand against the bubble to punctuate the next few words.]

Let. Me. Out.

[lushton]

So you're both as stupid as each other, okay.

[ A roll of her eyes, folding her arms, and the shield vanishes as Sylvie teleports into the sky above. There she levitates, vaguely hoping the dumb beast (and the clawed animal, hah) accidentally flatten each other with the suddenness of her absence. ]

i

[livingsymbol]

[Steve is helping with the weatherproofing as well, although he's focused on he buildings, putting plywood over the windows and checking the foundations. He looks up when sandbags suddenly start blocking up buildings along his street. He stops what he's doing and leaves his board next to a house, walking toward Sylvie as locals start yelling and she rushes to a nearby door, trying to get the sandbags away from it. As she lifts one, he reaches out and stops her, putting a hand on her arm.]

We could use these along the bank. Can you move these bags to the river?

[Also hi, but his first priority is the yelling of the locals.]

[lushton]

[ The Illuminati used to call themselves C-listers, well aware of where they stood. Titania always looked miserably defiant of that, strong as she was, and it became clear quickly to Sylvie that her teammates were too bitter to understand why none of them made it big. Sylvie? She always wanted to be a hero. Wiccan had yanked back her only chance, it felt, a few years ago after initially offering her a spot on the Young Avengers, yet at length she hadn't hated him. He was a good person, at heart.

As Steve Rogers (Captain freaking America) asks her to help, here and now, her eyes widen and she nods after a moment of dumbstruck surprise, the same desperate urge to prove she can be a positive influence returning with all the force of a brick wall. She's suddenly eighteen again. ]

Y-Yeah. Right now?

[ Just to make sure no one is lingering there and will get a bad headache from thirty sandbags getting dumped on top of them. ]

[livingsymbol]

[It doesn't matter who she is any other day. Right now, they've got a job to do and Steve can see that Sylvie is trying to help. The pressure is on, and it isn't surprising that some people are going to falter. just a bit. It's temporary.]

Right now. Just breathe and concentrate on me right now. I need you to move those sandbags. Lift them up. You can do that, right? Keep them in the air.

[lushton]

How does concentrating on you help any girl focus on other stuff?

[ Snorting softly, the smile that softly sinks into place illuminates her eyes; literally as they glow, just like the hands she raises. The sandbags all down the street levitate and her expression wavers. ]

Right at the edge of the river?

[livingsymbol]

You're doing fine. I'll tell you where to place them.

[Steve stays calm, directing her like he'd direct any other hero he was with. They're a team for now. He's willing to treat her like he does the rest of his group.]

We need to stack them up along the banks so the river won't flood us out. Use the bags to make a wall. We can help everyone fill in the gaps where they've already started.

[And, meanwhile, the rest of the people can get out of their houses now that they aren't blockaded in. Steve points to one area that is closer to the buildings and more of a danger to them.]

That side is too thin. Make sure it's tight and not just high.

[lushton]

I can't do this individually, um, Captain. It's going in bunches.

[ Only recently having felt the full-scale of her magic returning in this realm, she starts to sweat out of stress and concentration. Gotta keep the sandbags aloft and just slot a dozen here and there, sure, she can do that. When he asks her to form a compact wall, it ends up exactly so but the tension remains. Flashes of green light spring up here and there as she dumps bags wherever they look sparse.

Staying drunk might have been a better option, then she wouldn't have to care about the consequences of her actions so much. ]

iii.

[detia]

I was hoping for scoring something more fun than just free food. [He smiles, finishing his drink in one big gulp. He's not exactly comfortable, but he's definitely not just wanting to snatch some coupon for free tacos. He's had free food all his life, after all, it's not really special to him.]

Maybe there's something more fun, like, I don't know. A kung-fu class or something?

[lushton]

I guess it'd be different to get out and see the sights this place has to offer, sure.

[ Although she wouldn't at all be opposed to free tacos. Squinting at him, she gives the guy a once-over at their table. ]

Do you fight a lot? Kung-fu not included.

[detia]

Yeah, I guess I do.

[Not that much in practical, real-life events until recently, but at least he's trained in a lot of fighting.]

But never taken kung-fu. I'm more proficient in weapon handling. What about you? A kung-fu class sounds appealing?

[lushton]

No, I'm more of a magical girl. [ Turning the breadsticks into flowers with a wave of her hand to prove it. ] A trip to the movies, maybe ... Something less superhero-y.

[detia]

[He stares at the newly created flowers, blinking rapidly. Well, something else to get used to.]

Nice trick.

[He leans back in his chair, smiling at her.]

Okay, so you are into this for the free food, right? A nice, normal date? [Which is something he's never done either.]

[lushton]

[ Chin in hand, she nods and returns the smile. Maybe he'll be a lying asshole like Hood, Jeremy, and Melter, but he's cute enough that she can bear being around him before she has to find out. ]

Exactly. I'm tired of superhero fights and all that drama, I want something more.

(iii)

[signifies]

[ She's more than welcome to commandeer the table. Clark wasn't busy with anything else, and smiles at her warmly. His nametag reads just CLARK in block letters. ]

I was told it's a good way to get to know the people here.

[ They're stuck here indefinitely, and dinner is free. ]

[lushton]

Yeah, but, while you're getting to know them, what would you rather be doing?

[ Before Clark can answer, she hurriedly goes on with a wave of an animated hand. ]

Like, if you ended up hating the date, are least you had fun somehow. What would make it all worthwhile?

[signifies]

[ Curious question. Clark ponders it. ]

Good food.

[lushton]

So, my dinner date suggestion still holds weight.

[ Chinhanding at you, Clark. ]

[signifies]

[ He smiles amiably at her and pushes over the plate. ]

Yes. Would you like... I think they're crackers.

[lushton]

[ The flattest stare, a little pitying because brother, what. ]

... Do you knock all the girls off their feet like this?