riverviewlogs | exploration mingle: CITY EXPANSION

Entry tags:

exploration mingle: CITY EXPANSION

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: exploration mingle: city expansion
when: April 15 - May 15
where: Around the power relay station and abandoned amusement park.
warnings: likely violence; please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

riverview: monthly exploration mission

One of the major and most highly-valued cultural concepts in Riverview is that of exploration, expansion. Especially now that, with the recent influx of new arrivals, as the portal kicks into high gear for reasons not entirely known, the Inhabited City, already comfortably full, is rapidly becoming overpopulated. With all the refugees from other worlds pouring in from day to day, the city's safe space and resources are being taxed to their breaking point.

Right now, exploration and expansion is key, and each month, the government has decided to focus on a particular objective, in order to unite citizens in expanding, securing, and supplying the city for everyone's benefit.

the story so far

Exploration & Expansion Progress Report ● Electric Rails ● Amusement Perk ● SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTION

After city resident Ava Orlova accidentally brought an old power relay back online while testing her powers by running energy through an abandoned SkyTram line, a whole new opportunity for expansion presented itself, and the city's residents were more than willing to take that opportunity as far as they could. Together, teams of volunteers from the Quarantine took part in a widespread operation to secure the area surrounding the newly awakened power relay and the tram line that leads to the area in an attempt to make it more accessible and safe to work on.

After the line and area were decently secure, Ava Orlova once again headed into the area with a team to clear out any remaining monsters and restart the generator attached to the relay. Work on this project was carried on by Tony Stark (MCU) and a team, who used arc reactors to effectively and reliably repower the area. While it hasn't been officially opened to the public or entirely secured, several residents have made efforts to develop the abandoned amusement park, including starting up one of the generators to run the Ferris Wheel. Jim Kirk has done surveys to find which structures can and cannot be reclaimed. Another team will be spearheading clean up and securing of the hot springs that are also in the area.

This month's mission is to completely secure the area and start moving the inner wall of the Inhabited City out to encompass the newly-powered area, including the amusement park.

how it works

● Phases: Each prompt is a different phase of the operation. Characters may partake in whichever part of the operation they choose, whether it is a large and prominent part, or a more of a backseat or support role.

● Completion: When next month's exploration mingle goes up, the mission featured on this exploration mingle will be considered complete, and game canon, providing the entry has 200+ comments on it.

● Submissions: If your character and/or your character's team has threaded something out to completion, or if you have added and solved a complication to the mission via player plot either on this log or elsewhere in the game, please use the "submit your solution" link above to submit that information so it can be added to the Progress Report.

● Reward: The reward for completion of this month's exploration mingle is that the amusement park will be open in June, with an amusement park prompt in the Prijata log.

phase i: electric rails

The main method of access to the new area of the city is via the electric rails of the SkyTram, which are currently powered by the generator and arc reactors placed in the area. A previous city-wide operation has provided some security to this line of access by placing temporary laser fences on either side of the rail, but the solution is just that - temporary. This phase is for characters to either help with moving the stronger inner wall to encompass the new area or who want to serve as protection for characters moving the wall.

While the inner wall is very solid and secure, unlike the outer wall it was created to be portable through use of construction equipment and drivers, and there are additional segments of wall in storage that can be added to make it longer. The drawback is that, while the wall is being moved, it is not providing security for the city. This means that, besides people who are willing to contribute their labor and expertise with the moving of the wall, people willing to defend the gap in the wall and the people moving the fence are more than welcome. The more the merrier!

phase ii: amusement perk: cleaning house

Once the inner wall has been moved to encompass the area including the generators, power relay station, and the amusement park and hot springs, it will be time to start reclaiming the area. This means a lot of hard work cleaning and clearing out foliage from the area, as well as fighters to rid the area of monsters in whatever way is necessary. This step will allow for the amusement park to be assessed at a more in-depth level for functionality, and brought back into working order.

phase iii: amusement perk: get this party started

The final phase of the operation is for tech and science teams to get the park and relay station operational and includes both characters able to provide technical or engineering abilities as well as construction crews to get the rides, games, and food stands operational. It also requires characters with electric or energy abilities and electrical engineers or other experts to completely stabilize the power grid and get all of the generators back online to power the area.

It will also require fighters and surveyors to scout the line and make any last minute notations of problem areas in the fence, and escort tech teams out to correct them before the area is safe to open to the public.

phase iv: wildcard

Have an idea for a mission-adjacent plot, or want to make up an unexpected plot twist or problem and solve it with your character? Just write up a starter, and don't forget to give yourself props by submitting it for the Progress Report.

navigation
[Cloud Forest, Singapore by Elaye Sildogan; bonus inspiration artwork: Zombie War in Amusement Park by Jane Lee]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Palaces might.

[ There's a hint of that trouble maker in his smirk. It's namely meant as a joke... ]

If you trust the people who tell the Guard what to do.

[ Read as: he doesn't. ]

Palaces also generally impose themselves over an existing area. I'm pretty sure that's not what's happening here.

[Joke or not, Makoto's still wrapped up in the hows and whys behind a place like this existing. Because if this exists, why not other evidence that there might have been civilisation here long before the colonisation process even began?

She catches that distrust, though, and she can't help but frown a little in response.]

Well when I see evidence that they're a concern, perhaps I'll worry about that then. Until then I'm going to at least trust that not all of the recruits would just blindly follow all orders.

[Perhaps it's a little more personal for her, having seen how her sister changed and without having her Treasure taken. But she's also aware that if she added that to the list of things she overthought about, she'd exhaust herself in no time.]

He seems so grown. Like, I died a dumbass kid and now he's this adult and stuff, and it's weird, Cass.

[ It kind of wigs her out, to be honest. Steph can't put a finger on why. ]

Did - Did anyone talk about me, really...? I mean - I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. I was kinda....

Same age as you. [But it is kind of weird.

Cass frowns, looking at Steph directly now. She rests a hand on her shoulder, brow knitting a bit.]

You were good. I... didn't, really, but. I couldn't. [Wasn't exactly a fun and not emotionally devastating topic.] Think it was the same. For him.

A - entrance

[Keith had brought Red with him this time. He wasn't sure what they'd find and, while Black was larger and more intimidating to some of the wild creatures beyond the wall, Red was faster and could fit into smaller spaces if they needed her to. And, even with not being exclusively bonded with her anymore, he still felt a stronger connection to her than Black. Because of her long range sensor capabilities, Keith volunteered to put the two of them at the entrance to the park to watch for anything approaching from outside. She'd pick it up before anyone would have a visual anyway...]

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B - house of horrors

[Because an abandoned amusement park wasn't bad enough in and of itself, but now there was a House of Horrors in there. Granted, the mechanical aspects of the tricks and jump scares weren't actually functioning, but that didn't make it any easier to think about, really. Especially because if something did trigger by accident, there was a very high chance it was a real danger and not some mannequin designed to stop just before it actually touched you.

Still, taking rotations in watching the front entrance and doing actual cleaning wasn't terrible, and Keith found himself in the crazy attraction helping to clear out some of the overgrowth. He had left Red at the gate for this because she'd be too clunky to get through some of the backstage crawl spaces they needed to navigate, and she could also continue keeping watch for creatures and monsters from the surrounding forest.]

=====

C - rides

[Actually fixing these things wasn't something Keith was really in the know about, but he could help clear away brush and stuff. He had two bladed weapons that could come in handy if someone needed help, so feel free to grab him and pull him along.]

"Cake. The best cakes are made from scratch, not from a box."

Jace isn't searching for any basic cake mix recipe. He wants the most complex and difficult cake recipe he can find because he's running out of ideas and bored with the basics.

You should start with something more basic. Self defense.

[ Jace looks up from his phone, curiously amused. ]

I'm not here to clean.

Yeah, he's got this little corner of the park. He comes by and he just gets swarmed by cats, they just appear, like magic. [Tim keeps the conversation going to help ease Makoto's nerves, but he can sort of tell that she's not really feeling at ease. Which-- well they were technically trapped in a haunted house.]

I get along with most animals but that guy was something else. Do you have any pets? [His voice was quiet but clear as they slowly progressed. The thumps had slowed down- but if anything, it was too quiet. Nothing but the creak of their steps. As though all the other animals were holding their breath. The shadows that scurried between the dillapidated props had stopped being quite so frequent, but Tim could still see them in his periphery, darting about. Stalking. What were they waiting for?]

I can't wait until this place is up and running. I was on a roller coaster once, but I don't remember much- fell asleep. [He smiles, but it fades when he hears deep breathing, almost rumbling. Maybe a snore. Their immediate surroundings were almost eerily quiet, now.

Tim puts a hand out defensively to keep Makoto back and slowly casts the phone's weak beam of light a little further out. The shape is too far and the hall too dark to see much more than one massive reptilian tail. For a second he thought it was just another prop- one of the dozens of grotesqueries that peppers the path. But it's larger than any they've seen so far, filling the narrow pathway. He can smell something rank- like rotting meat. But nothing moves. Is it asleep?]

[Why is he so terrible at talking to girls?? Tim backpedals a bit, dropping his current load.] Wha-- no, no, it's not like that. I just had to go on a couple of soul-searching journeys and I figured out what I want in life won't be any different even if I went to get a degree. School's important- but I guess- the things I have to do, I won't have time for it, you know?

It's not your fault. Absolutely, definitely not. I didn't have to drop out- it was just the best option. I was only keeping up with school because--- people expected it. It was normal. I thought I'd still go back to that. But that's all in the past, now. [Tim's voice quiets a bit.] My dad died, too. He was assassinated for being related to me. Dana went into shock. I don't really have anywhere to go be normal in even if I went back. [Even here, it was...]

Having you and Cass here- it's been great.

Sounds like someone a friend of mine would get along with. He's more of a pet person than I am.

[Granted that was more because Akira had been chosen by Morgana to be his caretaker and she imagines it's a little different when the pet can talk to you and is also classed as part of your team.

Even if she's still on edge, she does appreciate the efforts Tim's making towards conversation. It keeps the tension at a level she can deal with even if she's not about to relax any time soon.

Especially as things grow quieter and she finds she's holding her own breath as though to not do so would bring something down upon them. Conversation holds as she tries to puzzle out what's going on, tries to make sense of the path of the shadows until Tim stops her and she realises there's something much bigger and more alive than a prop in their way.

She lets her own phone shine just above Tim's beam, heart sinking as she notices the faint outline immediately behind the shadowy lump.]

Well. That was our way out.

[Her voice is quiet, almost angry because it means they're closer than she'd thought to freedom and yet there's still something in their path. And the path to anger closes down her fear, enough that when the sounds of snoring stops and one large reptilian eye cracks open, she stands her ground.]

And there's the trap. Smarter than I expected.

[There's a slight waver in her voice, still. But for someone so uncomfortable in the dark, she seems to be taking this a lot better than she might have.]

[ Cisco looks for just a moment like he's about to argue, or at least express annoyance at the slightly condescending order to take a deep breath. But he catches himself before he says anything, gives a grudging nod. Tony's right, of course, and he's making this into a bigger fuss than it needs to be. And the plan itself isn't a bad one. Unless these are somehow magic snakes, there's no way they would be able to even make a scratch on Tony's Iron Man suit. ]

Alright, alright, I'll get a bag. Back in a second.

[ Shaking his head at the whole situation, Cisco heads back into the hall, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like Indy was right. He had stashed his stuff a few rooms away; along with all the other supplies he'd brought along to help with the power station, he'd brought his lunch, which he'd separated from the rest of the tools and equipment in a small nylon bag that could be pulled closed with strings. He empties it and returns, waving it listlessly in the air as he declares. ]

You got any enemies in this place? 'Cause we could leave 'em a special delivery when we're done here.

[ Cisco is just joking (mostly). He tosses the bag to Tony. ]

[Although Ed could make quick work of the weeding part of this job there were plenty of volunteers contributing and not all of them had the skills necessary to protect themselves. Which means that his focus is on defense more than anything else, stopping to help clean up during the lull but always keeping an ear out for anything approaching, and probably already covered in blood thanks to at least one fight.

It is when he's working - a combination of pulling up plants and liberal use of alchemy to clear the area - that he notices Steve moving things out of the way. In his time here Ed's met people with many varying skills, but the overall theme for power of that nature was beyond human. Increasingly, the answer seemed to be mutant. It was a curiosity to him that so many seemed to be around.]

You're pretty strong, being able to move things like that. Or is it some kind of magic boost?

[Tim tries to assess the situaion-- which, by most accounts, is pretty bad. He has no idea what the thing is or what its doing inside a horror house. When its eyes open, however, it's clear they're not getting out of this without some kind of fight or plan. The monster shrieks, turning to face them and revealing a grotesque, horned face. Leathery wings arch behind it, though they didn't seem quite big enough to support its flight. It lumbered towards them, charging on its clawed feet, long neck extending to snap at them with fanged maw.]

It's coming! [Tim attempts to pull Makoto with him as he leaps to the side, narrowly evading the monster. He takes stock of his options. can he fight? In the dark with a twenty foot monster and a potential victim? Did he have a choice?] Run, [He urges Makoto towards the exit, pulling out his collapsible bo staff. He'd have to hope this thing could be electrocuted. There are a couple of bomb pellets in his pocket, still, but he didn't want to bring the roof down-- though with their luck this thing would do it for them.] I'll distract it-- go!

[Those slit pupil eyes-- was it just him or were they starting to glow? Without further warning, the glow erupted, beams lancing out of the monster's face towards them.]

[Considering how she's been so far, Makoto's not surprised that Tim tries to get her out of the way. Once upon a time, running would have been the best and only option available to her because a little aikido wouldn't be enough to take down something like this.

When the glow erupts to a beam, she uses the need to dodge to move past it, at least for the moment seeming to do as Tim suggested in putting herself between the monster and the exit.

But running doesn't feel right. Not now, not after all she's faced until now. She swore never again to be a burden and she meant it, and the thoughts of that swell a feeling she'd thought she'd have to push aside because the Metaverse is gone. Her Persona should be too. But this isn't home. And they'd never known for certain that they'd lose their powers completely. If nothing else, she has to try.

And so she stops, turning to face the monster while quietly hoping Tim could handle it alone for now. His demeanour suggested he could, but that's no guarantee so she'd have to dig deep, her words masked by the shrieks of the monster.]

Johanna...if you can still hear me, our work isn't done. I won't go back to being helpless but I need you with me for this one.

[Her words might not have reached Tim's ears, and the monster may block his view of her surprised expression over this working. But he may still notice the flash of blue about where she was stood, suggesting that she hasn't at least left the haunted house just yet.]

[Tim barely has time to get a glimpse of Makoto slipping past the monster, then he's ducking under the gaze- smelling a tang of ozone and something burnt in its wake. Right. No way he was going to get hit by that in a t-shirt and jeans. He'd really rather not get hit at all, really.

The monster swung its head towards Makoto, growling- was it sensitive to noise? Tim didn't really have the time to do a thesis on this, instead he breathed in the fetid air and shouted.]

Hey, ugly! Over here! [Tim thrust his staff into the ground, using it as a pivot to forefully fling his whole body, feet-first, under the beast's chin. That definitely got its attention. Now he just had to figure out what to do with it. The monster roared and swiped at Tim with massive claws, forcing him to roll away, crashing into the out-of-bounds section of the display. A few of the animatronic mannequins with remaining electicity fritzed out, lunging out of their docks, sparking an idea.

Except, he just noticed--- Makoto was still there. And the flash of light had caught the monster's attention.]

[ He almost forgot how serious Makoto gets when her mind gets working. But, it keeps her fear at bay, so, she he lets her keep going on her theories. They may prove right or useful eventually anyways. He touches his hand to his chin in thought. ]

Then maybe we should be looking for ruins.

[ Because, he'd rather see it for himself than hear what big wigs have to say. He glances back at her once she speaks up. ]

The people in the Guard. Not the people who give them the orders. [ He's more or less hinting at the idea that information might not be properly given. They've run into that before. ]

We know what happens when people listen without questioning enough, Makoto-chan.

Well. Here goes nothing.

[She's digging deep, wondering just how cognitive pscience factors into this world and whether she's just made a terrible mistake. The fact she can feel Johanna stirring within her is promising, now she just has to hope the rest will follow.

The monster turns her way, and she can feel the shift in cognition as she's suddenly clad in her Queen attire. Better outcome than she expected, all things considered, but then the monster's bearing down on her and she has to dodge to one side, buying herself at least a little space to cast.

And when she does so, it's astride a translucent motorcycle with a female face at the front. In the next moment, the dark tunnels go bright as a strong surge of nuclear-typed energy surges towards the monster. She's not sure how strong that will be against the beast - she can't analyse it as well as she does Shadows - but if it's hurt it at all, it gives them all the more chance of them taking it down together.

Which is why, once she's cast, she's moving to bring herself closer to Tim, all the better to make sure that she isn't too far to ensure her support skills help him too.]

New plan. If we want this place restored then this thing needs to go down.

[And while she doesn't have access to the tier of weapons she had back home, she can still do a fair amount of damage with her Persona alone.]

Maybe. Perhaps something to think about once things are under control here.

[Though she's not sure she'd be happy with an exploration mission with just the two of them and she's not sure yet who she'd consider asking to come with them. Still, a thought to file away for some other time, when there aren't more immediate goals for her to focus on.

The rest gets a further frown from her. She knows he's speaking more of people from other worlds rather than anything personal but she can't say she doesn't resent the notion that she would close her eyes and ears to the truth any more.]

And I'm not saying anyone should do that. But we didn't target without evidence before and there's a reason for that. If something happens to suggest that something's wrong then we can consider looking into it but we can't assume people are corrupt just because of the job they hold.

[And she gets the suspicion, she really does. But it's starting to sound to her like he's looking for targets for the sake of having a target and she hasn't forgotten where that led them before - and that was when there was more than just the two of them to ensure the unanimous decision rule meant something.]

[ He nods. There's no point in rushing into anything just yet. They barely have enough information to even act as Phantom Thieves. Which is precisely why he gives her a strong look. He hasn't been looking for targets; it's the opposite really. He figures there's no need for a phantom thief in this place. There will always be corrupt people -- but if their desires have become so twisted to the point they act? That is when a phantom thief is needed. Corruption that can be uprooted by people within its own system? That doesn't call for their specialties.

No, he's quite convinced there's no need for the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Which makes him just wonder why he's truly even on the moon to begin with. ]

Distrust doesn't lead to targets.

[ He just expects people to not have others best interests in mind. He hopes for it, but, doesn't expect it to be a quality in other people. Too many Confidants were abused by others who could easily get a leg up on another.

He simply doesn't have enough information to make the decision if people in power are moral and just, or if they're not. Past experiences say most of them are not... but that doesn't mean his mind is made up either. ]

There's no need for a phantom thief here.

[ Which ultimately--is a good thing. It just leaves him a little lost when he lacks the resolution Makoto has lived through. ]

[She doesn't flinch at the look he sends her way for her comments. She knows he's not the one most culpable when it came to getting fired up back home (thanks Ryuji) but she's also very aware of where their enthusiasm led them and she doesn't want to be in a position where that can be used against them again.

Which isn't to say she doesn't see where this niggles at him, especially at that last part. It reminds her a little of her conversation with Lauren, about not knowing who she is when who she was doesn't seem to fit here. It's different for Makoto, when she can mirror here what her intentions had been back home but it's only now she truly appreciates that Akira isn't finding that so easy.]

We don't know that for certain. And that's not the only thing that defines you.

[She understands that it means more to him, with the wrongs he'd faced before. But they were all Phantom Thieves. There's more to Akira than that, even if he's having trouble seeing it right now.]

phase i: electric rails

[Since her arrival, Shuri has been uncertain of what to do. After speaking with her Earth's Tony, and a handful of other people, she decides to see what's outside of the wall. She's looking for new materials, if not vibrainum than something like it, as well as a place where she can do the most good. These interest pull her towards the electric rails that are in desperate need of repair. They remind her of the system that runs within the crater in Wakanda, safely transporting concentrated amounts of vibrainum around the facility. It gives her a good idea of how to fix them but also how to make them better.

She starts by scouting down the railings to find structural weak points and locations that need to be completely reworked before she can proceed to then make the system safer and more efficient.

Shuri has one of her panther shotguns tied to her hip for protection however her focus is on the screen in her hand. She has one of the spheres from her bracelet connected to a handheld tablet. It isn't an ideal set up but it gives her enough power to work and lets her project her designs for a more accurate comparison.

She has a backpack that's filled with food but she leaves it at one of the track points as she slowly makes her way down the line.]

[ooc: feel free to come work with shuri, share lunch with her or safe her from something while she's not paying attention! I am up for whatever but she'll be working on the rails for a few days.]

Edited 2018-04-29 15:14 (UTC)

[Providing advance warning definitely seems to be the mission Toothless is on. He stalks around the perimeter of the work-area, prowling through overgrown patches of weeds and sidestepping equipment and tools. Occasionally, he hops up onto a structure, sitting up, ear fins twitching, ever watchful. It's reassuring to Hiccup, at least, who still occasionally glances up to make sure his dragon's demeanor hasn't changed to something more aggressive that would signal potential danger.

Hiccup laughs quietly at the tutting, obediently moving over to sit on an overgrown bench, wiping sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. He leaves space - an invitation to join him if she can spare the time.]

No, I know. I guess it's just nice to be able to help with something. I'm good at construction, even if I don't know what half of this stuff is for. People are excited about it, though, there's been decent turn-out for the clean-up.

You don't have amusement parks back home?

[She takes the offer to sit with him, if only because she's found it's a good way to make sure people actually take their breaks, and once she's sat she holds open the small bag she's carrying with snacks for those who forgot theirs - mostly a variety of protein bars - in offer for him to take one.]

Well I imagine there'll definitely be a lot of work for you once the place is cleaned up. I'm not sure exactly how long this place has been abandoned for but it must have been a while for it to have ended up like this.

[And even more so for wildlife to have moved in and to have settled without being disturbed.]

You never know when you might need a few snakes.

[Tony's been standing off to the side near the doorway, casually trying to keep away from anywhere snakes might be. Look, he's not going to lie, the things are creepy. And the idea that there might be tons of them is not one he's terribly happy with.

But he smiles at Cisco, accepting the bag as he waits for the armor to arrive.]

We're gonna have to figure out how to reptile-proof this place once we get everything turned on. They may not get back into the wiring, but still. Snakes.

[Accompanied by an overdramatic shudder.

It probably helps that there's a sound like a jet approaching, and a moment later the Iron Man flies in to land lightly at Tony's side. He pulls the gauntlet off his belt and slides it on as the armor opens and he steps into it.]

Right. Where do you want to start?

[Normally, Alec's assigned to search and rescue, but today he's been told to scout around and make sure none of the scientists get into too much trouble. That seems to be a normal occurrence, but he hasn't really interacted enough with the scientists in the city to know if that's true or the kind of assumption that Simon would make while describing the possible plot of some sci-fi movie.

Noticing the pack, he assumes that whoever left it is probably following the rails. The area should be relatively safe from predators, so the only real danger would be startling whoever left their gear. Making sure to make enough noise that the being would hear him coming, Alec continues along the tracks to find whoever is walking along the rails.]

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Page 4 of 11

exploration mingle: CITY EXPANSION

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open to the rest of the group

Re: phase i

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phase ii;

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Shuri [OPEN]

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