riverview: test drive meme

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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!

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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.)

[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.

[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.

[keepitup]

Wow, he thinks at the beginning, this person is really great at spotting monsters when they stumble, or get caught on something. And he appreciates it a lot, because while Ray knows he's smart, he's never been the kind of person who was too proud to know when he needs the help.

"Thank you!" he shouts from inside his helmet, and the suit projects the sound outward using its built-in speakers.

After awhile though, it gets a little uncanny. She must have something up her sleeve. "You're really good at this!" Another blast to another monster before Ray scans the horizon. When he speaks again, it's soft enough that it's no longer audible on the ground. "Note to self. Ask her how she's so good at this."

Somewhere to their left, maybe a footfall field away, he can see other volunteers arriving by jeep from up here. The wave of monsters looks just as bad.

"They're all over the perimeter!" He shouts again, as he blasts unconscious the next monster that freezes in its tracks.

[dust_of_life]

Did people actually use words like 'perimeter?' Fatima suppressed a smile. In part to avoid embarrassing her new friend.

And in part because it kind of hurt, considering how cut up the inside of her mouth was right now.

She was wasting time, anyway. Standing up straight, she pulled the hunting knife out of her boot, hurling it at one of the monsters she'd managed to let slip through. The knife embedded itself to the handle in the creature's skull and the critter dropped like a stone.

Sloppy. Arty would not approve.

"Hey, Flying Guy!" she shouted up to her new friend, "Give me a rough head count of what's coming this way."

[keepitup]

Good at spotting things and good at throwing things. Maybe he should see if she'll teach him something about aim.

"It's Ray!" he shouts back first. "And ummm, HOLD ON."

He turns, dipping a little before he smoothes out as he turns himself a full three sixty degrees to look around.

"There's more of them that way!" He's pointing north along the fence. "Maybe two dozen that I can see from here until the horizon!" Ray turns back though, towards their little spot. "We've got three more incoming!"

[dust_of_life]

Ray. Like a Ray of sunshine. She'd remember that, because it amused her for some bizarre reason. And because it was such a...normal name. Somehow, she'd expected a flying guy to be named Sebastian. Or Antonio. Or Zephyr. Ray could be the guy who ran the coffee shop down the street from her community college.

"Not for long, Ray," she said, spinning around to spot the trio rushing at the fence.

...did people actually use words like 'incoming' too?

Dismissing the thought, she grabbed hold of her necklace, squeezing it until the jagged spokes of the sunburst dug into her skin and blood started to ooze out between her fingers. "In about five seconds, Ray," she said, "they're going to go flying to the right. Hit them when the first one comes to a stop."

She considered using more para-military slang, but couldn't be bothered.

With a sharp twist of her wrist, she sent a force blast at the critter on the left, sending him flying into his companion who, in turn, flew into the one on the right. All three went sprawling.

[keepitup]

Listen, even if Ray doesn't admit it, he's spent a lot of time imagining what it would be like to be a real superhero. Not like Oliver, who came back to Starling with a dark reckoning to be carried out — but more like ... more like ... Superman. And yeah, he's read the comics, and yeah, Ray kinda wishes he was real, but the practical side of him knows that what's fiction is fiction.

Not that one day in his future, Ray would ever meet Supergirl or someone like that.

Still, it means that in situations like this, he's got the right lingo, okay?

"Wait, did you just say that in five seconds, they're gonna go-" And then those five seconds are up, and the woman is clearly doing something, and just like she said, the monsters go flying and Ray changes his propulsion and gets into position. This time, instead of throwing out blasts, he just keeps his energy weapon on, like one continuous beam, and Ray uses his arm to guide it from one monster to the next.

He can't do that all the time. It would drain his power source faster than it could regenerate, but for this three-in-a-row setup? Yeah that was worth it. And for the first time since he got here, they get a breather.

[dust_of_life]

Wow, that outfit clearly came with a lot of toys. Fatima wondered, for the first time, where, exactly, it came from. Was it native to this world? Or had he brought it on his own? And if the latter...had he, like, made it or something?

That was bordering on impressive.

She paused to catch her breath, shaking out her hand. She'd cut herself so many times that it didn't really hurt her as much any more. Which sounded kind of teenage angsty and emo, but it was a fact. She still got anemic though. She'd have to watch it. Maybe a little more stabbing, a little less cutting.

"Thanks, Ray," she said. "If you don't mind, could you possibly bring me my..." She gestured vaguely in the direction of her knife, sticking out of a critter like Excalibur out of the stone.

[keepitup]

He sees the way she shakes out her hand, like it stings or something, but Ray is too far away to see the cuts or any traces of blood.

"Everything okay over there?" he asks, as he flies in the direction she waved in, hovering downwards and then landing, metal boots hitting the ground as Ray reaches over to pull out her knife. "Got it!"

Then it's back up into the air, back over the fence, and then back down again inside the perimeter. He's still got to stick the landing a little better, but it's not ungraceful so Ray is pretty pleased.

"Here you go," he says, smiling through the protective window in his helmet. "Though, you ... might want to clean it off a bit."

[dust_of_life]

She walked over to him, not at all surprised by how tall he was. Somehow, seeing a guy hovering above you just gave that impression. Had to admit, though, he was also kind of good-looking. At least from what she could tell behind that window.

"Thanks," she said, taking the knife like she didn't even notice it was covered in goo. "I'm Fatima, by the way." She decided she didn't need to bother adding the usual, 'and I'm not a terrorist.' This wasn't seventh-grade and they weren't back home in Los Angeles, at her all-white middle school from days of yore.

For a moment, she reached out to offer him a handshake, but then paused, glancing at her hand, all covered in cuts and blood. Probably better not.

Her hand dropped to her side again.

"So what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?"

[usandthedead]

There's another fighter here; well, more of a survivor who's now a professional fighter in his own right. It isn't like fighting was a Grimes birthright or anything so epic as that. Rick's had the talent thrust upon him out of a necessity for survival. Such a human thing, isn't it? Not that Rick has ever been one to lay down and take it, whatever it is, but actual fighting? He'd never call himself, not before, not until the last handful of years where he's refined it into an art form.

So of course he's here at the front lines as well. He's here to fight to keep this place as safe as it can be. He's here because fighting is what he knows now - and without it, he feels just a little bit lost. He's almost thankful for something to attack, sad to say.

He sees the woman fighting as well and they seem to be close enough that they keep tackling the same groups when there are clumps of the creatures attempting to break through the fences. They fight within sight of one another long enough for Rick to know that the woman is friend, not foe, even if just in this. That's why when they get surrounded, Rick is sure to get close to her, put his back to hers as they circle around. Rick counts eight.

"Eight against two. Still doable." He says, head turned back so that she can hear him.

[dust_of_life]

An important aspect of Arty's training regime was always 'awareness.' You had to be aware of everything, from the scent of the room to the color of your opponent's socks. You never knew what would end up coming in handy, later down the line. So it went without saying that Fatima took note of the beardy guy holding his own nearby. He didn't have any particular style. Probably not classically trained. But street fighting could be damn useful sometimes.

The process of the two of them coming together was slow. It only really occurred to her in drips and drabs as she dealt with the seemingly endless hoard as only a Merali girl could.

She was drenched in blood. All of it hers. Flowing from her palms and her arms and the bends of her elbows. The inside of her cheek. Anywhere soft and unimportant. She stabbed herself with her necklace. The tip of her knife. Occasionally her teeth. And with each new little pool of blood on the surface of her skin, another spell. She was favoring telekinesis today. Alternating between sending the critters flying into one another and freezing them in place for others to do away with.

But eight against two. Assuming they could each handle four, she'd still have to resort to some knife work for this.

She glancing back, flashing the beardy guy a devil-may-care grin. "Seems like unfair odds," she replied. "For them."

[usandthedead]

The woman not only fights like she's been formally trained, but there's an edge to it that Rick can appreciate. Rick fights almost erratically for survival. She fights with well practiced ease toward the same end. There's nothing formal about him, training or otherwise. Only a keen strategic mind and a will to live and protect. There had been a time when it was protect and serve. That was several lifetimes ago.

As slow as the process of their working together was, Rick had done it intentionally. There's strength in numbers. Rick isn't above using her to his advantage and letting her use him in return - as long as things remain on an even give and take. If that changes, Rick can change too.

They're both a mess - but Rick is used to that. Some of the mess is his. Some of it isn't. A machete, while efficient and reliable, isn't always the cleanest of weapons. The woman is clearly using some power beyond what he's accustomed to and even beyond his comprehension. Rick doesn't question it. Right now it's working in their favor. He'll take the leg up.

He smirks at her response and gives a half shrug and a nod. He likes an excess of confidence. Rick knows from experience that it can help sway seemingly insurmountable odds in his favor. What was that phrase? Fake it until you make it? Yeah, he's a professional at that. Maybe she is too.

"Yeah..." The word is long and drawn out, and might have two syllables to it with his Georgian accent. One of the beasts leaps at him and Rick kicks it away with his boot and then slams the machete down into its neck. Decapitation works just fine. "They're about to have a real bad day. Ready to do this? I got your back if you got mine."

[dust_of_life]

Beardy had some swagger. Fatima definitely approved. And she had to admit, even if he wasn't trained, that was one hell of a trick with the machete. She would have let out a low whistle of appreciation, but that was anathema to the image she was trying to project.

Maybe later. Because, of course, there was no question in her mind that there would be a later. She hadn't survived thirteen Cainites to fall to what--in her mind--amounted to an overly enthusiastic, but rabid, pack of wolves.

"I was born ready."

She immediately regretted saying it and cringed a little. Being cocky and confident was one thing, but that was just borderline cliche.

"Let's forget I said that," she added with a cringe.

Fortunately, she was saved by a flying leap. The monster arched high and she stabbed upward, catching it in the belly.

[usandthedead]

"Wish I could say the same." He adds, the lighthearted nature of the comment about being born ready in direct contrast to the current predicament. Maybe it's because he knows that this isn't as dire as it could be. Rick's been in many a dire situation and this doesn't even measure up to some of them. It'd be just his luck to have survived the end of civilization, an apocalypse of sorts, to be killed by a pack of wild animals. Cosmic joke of the century.

Rick hadn't been born ready, not really. He was forced into being ready and now ready is just a state of being. The sun comes up in the East and sets in the west. Water is wet. Rick is ready.

"Already forgotten." Not really. Rick is a fan of a good cliche and will probably remember that one until there's a reason not to. It makes him think of watching movies as a kid or reading comic books to his son. Heroic sayings right before a big battle. I was born ready.

The spray of blood as her knife slices into the beast is a crimson rainfall on the both of them. "Nice." He draws his colt from his hip and aims it at the head of another, shot fired as he then turns and the machete comes down on another skull. He's too accustomed to aiming for the head, obviously, with both bullet and blade piercing brain.

[dust_of_life]

Safe to say that this blouse was pretty much a lost cause. But Fatima would get over it. It wasn't like it was one of her precious designer labels, anyway.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Beardy take down the next monster two-handed. She appreciated the artistry of that one. Guns had never made a lot of sense to her. Mostly because they didn't really kill Cainites. But maybe now was the time to start expanding her repertoire a little bit.

"So," she said, kicking aside one of the carcasses at her feet, "what's a nice guy like you doing in a dump like this?"

One of the monsters came at her, like a ninja in a movie, full throttle and screaming at the top of its...whatever it had in the place of lungs. The unsubtle approach gave Fatima plenty of time to get ready. She held her knife tip down and bent her knees, kicking under its belly and sending it up into the blade.

[usandthedead]

Her commentary makes him think of Tara, one of his people, family at this point, with quick wit and dry sarcasm, someone who can lighten most any situation. Those kinds of people are important in his world, given how deadly most days can be. They're important to Rick, because if left to his own devices, he can get incredibly dark and troubled. Needless to say, the general quip is welcome. And it doesn't slow either of them down, obviously.

It's hard not to be impressed by her too, both her general skill and whatever the hell she's doing to send the creatures flying away to give the both of them some space to thin the herd. Impressive, yeah. Also just a little bit disturbing if just for the newness of it. There are a lot of question marks in regard to his fighting companion - not enough to keep him from fighting.

"If there's trouble I seem to find it." His blade slices through soft belly and then again pierces the skull of another beast. "Name's Rick." It probably says something about the both of them, how accustomed they are to scenarios similar to this, the added small talk to the brutality.

They seem to work well together too, in spite of their different styles. She sends one his way and he dispatches it. He does the same for her when he feels overrun. It's almost like a dance, and it's not the first time Rick has thought that. Being aware of the surrounding threat as well as the people you want to keep alive. The herd is thinning though. They're making progress and Rick is glad for that.

[dust_of_life]

Deep down, Fatima figured she would still call him 'Beardy' inside of her head. But at the very least, she felt she'd matured enough to the point where she wouldn't say something like that out loud. Most people, she'd come to realize, really hated nicknames. Especially ones that were given to them by total strangers.

She smiled at his quip, kicking one of the monsters in the face, more for the satisfaction of it than the efficiency. Fatima needed to allow herself a little violence. It was a way to get the anger out.

"I know that feeling," she said, wiping a bit of blood off of her forehead with the side of her wrist. "Then again, I guess you gotta feel that way to volunteer for this gig."

[usandthedead]

Rick isn't necessarily most people. He's very recently from a world where there are bigger problems than getting offended by harmless nicknames from strangers. Now, if someone is really trying to talk down to him or get under his skin with them, that might be an issue. Otherwise, there's a bigger picture than to nitpick at things like that. There are worse things.

They might both be surprised at that similarity, the need for action, violent action even. Rick can fully empathize with that need, no matter the reasons. He doesn't do well in a quiet life with the white picket fence anymore. He'll probably never be that guy again. Too much has happened. Too much has changed.

He's quick to notice that she doesn't give her name in return to his own introduction and files that away as a lull in the attacks persists. His shoulders lift in a slight shrug. "Seems the right thing to do. Nice place..." He looks over to the tall fences surrounding the place. "Don't wanna see it destroyed."

Eventually Rick looks back to his fighting partner. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" He pauses. "And what was the...? How'd you...?" What would he even call it. "You threw them without touching them."

[dust_of_life]

Forgetting to introduce herself was an unconscious move on Fatima's part. Rick seemed all right, but she'd learned to be cautious around southern white guys. Sometimes, they had a tendency to decide she was a terrorist.

An issue she'd been dealing with for eight years, since junior high.

She'd get around to proper introductions eventually, given how genuinely affable he seemed. For a man with a machete.

Her eyes gleamed a little bit as she smiled at him. "Would you believe me if I said 'magic?'"

The Masquerade was a great idea in theory. It kept Fatima's world from plunging into the inevitable chaos that followed when some group learned they weren't the top of the food chain. But this wasn't her world. And given the fact that they were under siege by actual monsters, she supposed that it would be easier for some people to take the leap of faith required to believe in magic.

She offered Rick a slight shrug. "Cause that's kinda what it is."

[usandthedead]

Terrorism. Another thing not on Rick's mind. He wouldn't even think of it. Although if Fatima has some bad experiences in that regard he can't really blame her for lumping him in with those who did whatever to her, unfair as it may be. He's made plenty of assumptions about people as well, learned to be careful in what he says or does as he tries to figure out their angle.

And then there's the word 'magic'. Before this place, Rick would have immediately decided that the person claiming any such thing to be a few eggs short of a dozen. Having arrived here though, having seen the portal with his own eyes, yeah... he can believe.

His fingertips tap out a rhythm on the handle of his machete and he nods. "So you're capable of..." Of what? What is she capable of? Magic makes it seem like the possibilities are endless, no restrictions, no limitations. Truth be told, the sheer scope of possibilities makes Rick a little uncomfortable.

He decides to leave it there for now to see if she elaborates.

[dust_of_life]

"Throwing monsters without touching them," she supplied. Which was the tip of the iceberg of her abilities, but that seemed like a safe place to start, since he'd already seen it.

And, you know, hadn't gone screaming for the hills or whatever.

She raised her right shoulder, then dropped it. "I wouldn't say it's common in my world. But not impossible either. And I've been studying since I was a wee, bitty little Fatima."

So much for keeping her name to herself.

Not a big deal, really.