exploration mingle: CITY EXPANSION

[riverviewmod]

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]

Comments

open for anyone and everyone!!!

[notreallyrobin]

a. Entrance Area

[ Stephanie shows up only five minutes late, clutching an iced coffee and looking nervous. She hasn't really talked to new people here in person, only on the network. She's ready to work, though - her thick blonde hair is tied back, and she's wearing overalls. Of course she is. She waves to the nearest person, offering a grin that's as sunny as humanly possible before absolutely downing her coffee and starting to clear plants away.

It's kinda nice, to do physical labor without having to think about the easiest way to land a punch on the nearest baddie. This is almost as therapeutic. She glances at the nearest person, offering a grin. ]

This isn't so bad, huh? At least we'll have an amusement park. You know, for the youth.

b. House of Horrors

[ It might be day, but this is undeniably creepy. Steph has dealt with way worse - chasing a serial killer with a ridiculously unpronounceable name through the sewers, for one. But she feels just a little bit more on-edge here in the dark - especially when she can't help but remember-

(a dark, laughing skull and the whir of a drill, the useless weight of a gun in her hand)

-and god, Steph, you need to stop being so melodramatic. It's a freakin' haunted house, and she's literal universes away from Gotham. Everything is Fine.

That doesn't mean that she won't freak the fuck out if you startle her, though. Best be careful. ]

[ Anything else you wanna play with? Message me on Plurk at gloomychan or Discord at gloomychan#3932 ]

b

[angelic_archer]

[Why do Mundanes think that haunted houses are fun? It probably has something to do with the fact that they don't know that the things that go bump in the night is real. Since Alec has spent evenings in creepy, haunted places, the attraction mostly has him scowling, checking the shadows for animal life instead of ghosts.

Holding up his witchlight, the glow spills into the room before he steps inside.]

Why do people think places like this are fun?

[notreallyrobin]

[ She starts, glancing back at the source of the light - and relaxing when she sees it's just another person. One she doesn't exactly recognize, but it's possible that she's spoken to him before - she's been pretty active on the network. It's not like she's been showing her face, either.

Steph offers a smile, shrugging and clearing away a bit more overgrowth.]

Yo. I dunno, it isn't really my thing! The real world is scary enough, dontcha think?

[angelic_archer]

[Giving her a faint smile, Alec turns around, angling the witchlight so that the corners are fully illuminated. He might not be afraid of the dark but that isn't going to keep him from being cautious. There could still be something in the shadows, even if he no longer has to worry about demons.

Juggling the light so that it won't fade, Alec begins helping her by dragging the overgrowth toward the center of the room so they can haul it away later.]

It is. [But maybe not in the ways that she meant.] We have real ghosts in my reality. Maybe since those people don't have to deal with the scary things every day, places like this appeal to them.

[notreallyrobin]

You have real ghosts?

[ Steph hasn't thought about ghosts and whether they're real or not. It seems like it would make sense for Gotham, though - pretty much everything is real, there. Hell, she's heard people talking about vampires. ]

Yeah. I mean, people are super into scary movies and shit, too. It's weird.

[ She begins gathering things again, picking up a few stray branches and then gathering more overgrowth in her arms. ]

I'm Steph!

[angelic_archer]

Ghosts and other things. Werewolves. Vampires. Most of the things people think are just in horror novels. [Novels are an easier reference for him since he never has been interested in horror movies. Why watch them when they're similar to missions except Shadowhunters are trained to deal with the 'monsters'.] You don't have ghosts in your world?

I don't understand the movies. They're the same plot.

[Trading the witchlight for a flashlight he'd shoved into his pocket, he clicks it on and sets it where it won't be in the way but still lets them see where they're clearing debris.]

I'm Alec.

a.

[timmers]

You say that like you aren't one of them. Feeling old and wise today, Ms.Brown? [Tim's in old clothes that he won't mind getting dirty, piling the larger debris- mostly rotten wood- into a wheelbarrow. Maybe Jason's alchemist friend could do something with it.]

But yeah, it'll be great when this place is back up and running. Lights and music and games.

[notreallyrobin]

Something like that! Waking up in a different universe really makes you age, like, twenty years, I'm pretty sure.

[ She'll join him, humming something under her breath. Steph certainly isn't afraid to dive into the work and get dirty. Gathering up trash is pretty easy stuff, especially after everything she's done in Gotham. ]

Are there people here who can really fix up the roller coaster and everything? I mean, I'm sure you've got some of the science stuff down, but this is a lot.

[timmers]

Careful, think you're about to get a wrinkle.

[He hums along. It's nice, falling back into a rhythm with family and friends, even if it is cleaning up and not beating up bad guys.] Sure. There's a whole R&D department-- Tony's team-- so we've got engineers, gods, and reality-bending wish wizards. We don't have to all do it at once or anything, but there's definitely people.

[He dumps his next load and starts picking up the branches.] Once it opens, they'll need people to man the booths, too. Groundkeepers, shopkeepers, mascots and entertainers. Maybe a circus. Lots of job openings for part-time or full-time work. I mean not every drop out wants to work at the government like I ended up doing.

[notreallyrobin]

Watch out, whippersnapper. Or I'll force you off of my lawn.

[ She sticks her tongue out, before resuming her humming. It's easy to listen to Tim - he was always good at talking, and it's nice to get information on the place. She does, however, stop cold once she catches the last part of that, glancing over at him. She looks concerned. Her arms are full of branches. ]

You dropped out? Tim? You? That feels - not like you. What happened?

[timmers]

[Oh. Right. Tim looks a bit sheepish.] To be fair, it's more like I had to go... AWOL for a long time after all the stuff happened-- you died, Kon died. Bart disappeared. Bruce got lost in time and left us Damian. So much happened and it was... hard for a while. I figured it wouldn't really do me much good to redo two years at this point. I was thinking of getting a GED but-- well I wasn't sure I'd uh, live that long.

Especially with what happened... [Darla Acquista and the kids who lost their lives in war games. They had never been perfect people, but they'd been good kids. They'd been learning.] It felt like I could do more good out of school than in it. I was powerless when they came. No suit. No comms. All I could do was get them to hide.

[But this was getting pretty heavy for a fun community activity.] I definitely don't miss the homework.

B.

[sonofab]

[ Stacking them out or fighting villains on roller coasters, those were usually his experiences at carnivals. So for his first civilian introduction to one, well, instead of dodging hits from bad guys, he's dodging stings from giant hornets or bites from various wildlife hiding in the park.

So more bitey but not too different.

He comes upon the ruined haunted house and spots a familiar face. Luckily Damian has excellent reflexes because suddenly from behind you there is a stern yet flat voice saying: ]

Boo.

[ When you look you'll find a small teen behind you with a look as flat as his "Boo" staring up at you. ]

When you asked for something to do, I didn't think you'd still find a way to do nothing.

[notreallyrobin]

[ She isn't frightened by the 'boo,' necessarily. But she is frightened by the sound of someone suddenly behind her, particularly when she's already thinking about some things that she'd rather not be thinking about.

Steph swings at the figure behind her, who is not only blessed with good reflexes, but is thankfully short. ]

What the fu - ?!

[ And, of course, behind her is a kid. One of the ones that was talking to her on the network. Batman's son? Or Superboy? He definitely doesn't look happy enough to be Superboy. ]

You can't just sneak up on people like that, kid.

[sonofab]

[ He will not take offense to that hit completely missing the mark and swiping over the top of his head, even if he's about 65% sure you meant it to be... Your day will come Brown.

He continues giving her the flattest of looks and tilts his head. ]

Of course, I can. I just did it. [ Pay attention Brown! ] Perhaps you should start showing more awareness of your surroundings.

[notreallyrobin]

Or maybe you shouldn't be so rude.

[ She leans down for emphasis, because Stephanie Brown is nothing if not combative. Emphasizing how small people are generally pisses them off, and she kind of wants to tease him. ]

So, you're the fifth Robin?

[ Okay, she knows she barely qualifies. But it had seemed like a little bit of a sore point. ]

[sonofab]

I've been told that. [ He says matter of factly, then shrugs because let's face it... that's not happening anytime soon. ]

Tt, the 4th Robin and the best. [ Damian's frown deepens, eyes narrowing as the girl attempts to loom over him. Oh, that is very rude, Brown! He holds his ground though. He will not let the looming threat of you possibly smothering him with your overly curvy form intimidate him. ]

Whatever you were attempting in that picture was a Halloween costume at best. [ but... ] How did you become a Robin anyway?

a.

[cassassin]

[Yeah she totally arrived here at the same time.]

Yeah. [Nodding in agreement, finishing off her own iced coffee before she starts working alongside her.] Have another scrunchy?

[notreallyrobin]

[ They seem to have iced coffee from the same place, too. Wild. ]

Yeah. Hold on.

[ Steph rummages around in one of her massive overall pockets, before pulling out another scrunchy and reaching over to tie Cass's hair back. ]

That good?

[cassassin]

[Oh. She hadn't expected that. Cass hadn't really been watching her while she went through her pockets, she had been about to turn to take it when she felt Steph's hands on her hair. Her cheeks color a bit, and she huffs out a tiny laugh as she finally turns to look at her once she's done.]

Mhm. [Damn this mess. She tugs a hefty tree limb, dragging it out of the pile.] You... sleep okay? Last night.

[notreallyrobin]

[ Steph shrugs, turning her back to Cass as she investigates a Belgian Waffle stand that appears to have been partway crushed by an errant tree branch. She makes a soft, mournful sound, before turning back to Cass. ]

Better than I've been. You?

[cassassin]

Same. [She nods, glad for that, before tugging out another branch. Cass grunts, before setting it aside.] No nightmares.

[Passing out on the couch with Steph is probably a coincidence.]

I'm... surprised. About Tim's part of this. It's weird. [She's not used to Tim being such a project-focused guy.]

a. Entrance Area

[wayfaring_stranger]

[ Jace isn't here to clean. He's here to beat up the monsters if they decide to get a little too close. He doesn't have coffee. He has a stamina rune. And several blades sheathed and strapped to various parts of his body.

Mostly he's reading up on recipes on his phone and waiting for the fun to begin. ]

Sure. For the kids.

[ Personally, Jace prefers fighting baddies over thrill rides. ]

[notreallyrobin]

Cool knives. Wanna show a local youth how to use 'em?

[ Honestly, Steph doesn't know why she doesn't know how to knife-fight. It seems like a useful skill to have, even if it seems to be...well, pretty un-superhero-ly. But she's seen superheroes use swords, before. So, what's the difference? ]

You don't look too keen on cleaning up, huh?

[wayfaring_stranger]

You should start with something more basic. Self defense.

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

I'm not here to clean.

[notreallyrobin]

I know self-defense!

[ Jeez! Don't treat her like a kid! She knows how to fight villains! She's tracked down a serial killer! Of course, Steph hasn't said any of this, but she's indignant regardless. ]

You're just here to condescend to teens that want to learn how to knife-fight.