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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[If she's honest, Makoto's had ulterior motives for keeping Akira this close. It's not like she's insisting that he help her with her work, specifically, but the darker areas still make her nervous and it helps to have someone with her who knows that and won't be unduly surprised when something startles her more than it actually should.

On the other hand, his alertness over the movements further within is doing little to settle her concerns over what might be further within. As though she's not already worried about what she might disturb while clearing away debris - and all the more so because she's not even sure she can summon her Persona any more.

But hey. Focus on the positives and maybe things will go more smoothly. She hopes.]

Thanks for coming out here with me. I figured if people are so keen to get this up and running, we need all the hands we can get.

[And it also gives her an excuse to check up on him without them being too busy with everything else that distracts them here.]

[ He's not someone who is a stranger to ulterior motives. All of the Phantom Thieves had their own reasons for doing things. That was probably why he never gave a second thought to helping them with their personal matters. He rubs the side of his neck after a moment. ]

Yeah. [ Akira nods and looks over at her. ] I'm not sure there's a place like this in Riverview...

Makes you wonder what happened that it all just got left out here.

[At least, it does for Makoto. Amusement parks didn't tend to just spring up out of nowhere, after all, so it stands to reason there would have once been far more travel between areas than there is now.]

I mean...did the monsters drive everyone away? Or are they just filling a void that was left for them?

[Probably not the time for talking about monsters. But at least thinking about the bigger picture distracts her from where she is.]

Failed colonization?

[ It is a guess, but the best one he has. If they've colonized the moon, there is no telling how long it took. How many attempts it took. Everything is fairly subjective.

Maybe he should ask for more information on the network. ]

Depends if they control the monsters or not.

Could be. That, or successful colonisation that went wrong somehow. I mean, something like this doesn't just spring up overnight.

[There's another possibility, too, but she wonders if she's not better off keeping that to herself for now.]

Isn't that part of the Guard's job, to make sure they're not a direct threat? At least it seems like they're not just letting them do whatever they want.

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 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.

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.]

...

[ He shifts slightly at her statement. She isn't wrong in that regard. There's more to him--a mask and persona for every side of him. But... even then? Arsene is still who he is. The devilish thief that has poise and manners and can seemingly inspire the good in others.

It's just... explaining that feels more awkward than sharing his past ever did. ]

It was the only time I ever felt like me.

[ 'Was.' Past tense. Because while he can summon his Personas? He doesn't feel there is a need to be a Phantom Thief. What hearts are there to change? If anything, people seem to need a friend more than anything. Which is a form of changing a heart, but, it's not the same. Although, he'll befriend anyone who needs it. ]

[That one statement is enough to see Makoto pause in her work, turning to face him properly. It's not often he shows vulnerability like this, even to the other Phantom Thieves, and it occurs to her that perhaps she should have been keeping a closer eye on him than she has been.

He's always seemed so capable, so adaptable. She's never truly realised just how much of that came from what they did.]

You're still you. Maybe you just need to figure out the best way to transfer what we did back home to something that works here. If not the Guard then maybe something independent would suit you better.

[She knows he's not as favourably disposed towards the establishment as she is, but she can still try to offer what comes to mind.]

[ Akira simply shakes his head, as if trying to dismiss the comment he's made out loud. There is nothing really stopping him from being free here in Riverview -- except the nagging feeling he still feels chained inside. There is something that makes him feel oppressed and held back, even in a world that isn't his own. Maybe if Igor or the twins were there, they could explain it to him. But, he hasn't even been able to find a door to the Velvet Room.

He reaches up and tugs on his bangs slightly. Now he feels uncomfortable. ]

Independent, huh.

[ It would honestly be best for him that way. He doesn't do well taking orders from others. Not anymore, anyways. ]

Would anything less do?

[Her tone is warm, slightly teasing because independence is what the Phantom Thieves were about - she doesn't say it, in case someone else working in the vicinity hears them, but she trusts in Akira enough to know he'll understand what's going unsaid.]

After all, you can do pretty much whatever you want, here. Whether that's the path you wanted back home or something completely different. I guess that's the one nice thing about being here.

[Not that she's deviated from her original plans but then she knows he's always been a little less rigid about things than she is.]

Hmm. I guess not.

[ He just hasn't seen a reason to really change hearts. At least, not the way they're used to. It might even be harder if they have to, considering they've lost access to the Metaverse.

He'll act if he finds someone in need. For now, he supposes making a network might be a good idea. Just in case. ]

...a path. [ It is something he mumbles to himself. He hadn't really thought much of the future. There wasn't one if he couldn't change his record and couldn't change what is inside of Mementos. But, Makoto is someone who has always had goals and a vision in mind.

Akira raises his gaze back to her, obviously debating if he should delve into his feelings here and now, or, just let the topic rest.

Maybe she can help that nagging feeling as she knows what is at the depths of Mementos? Or, maybe, he should just figure it out on his own. ]

[For just a moment, Makoto makes a start on returning to work clearing out the area - she's taken his words as a musing to himself and assumes he's just thinking to himself.

It doesn't take her long to notice that he isn't moving and hasn't said anything. She pauses in what she's doing, looking up with a slight frown tugging at her features.]

Is...everything okay?

[She can sense there's something possibly going unspoken right now. But she doesn't want to assume anything, even with what she knows.]

[ Akira quite obviously back tracks then. Whatever he was going to say gets filed back into his mind and he shakes his head. ]

As okay as they are going to be.

[ Now isn't the time. They have a task at hand to focus on and... he isn't sure it is good to speak of any of it. Maybe another time.

Although, he knows, that now she'll quietly wait for him to talk about it. She's aware something is amiss in the Phantom Thief leader. He knows she won't let it rest for too long. ]

Well, that's somewhere to start.

[That, she figures, is open enough. Either he'll see fit to explain himself or he won't, but this isn't an interrogation and she's not about to corner him over something he doesn't want to divulge.

At least, not yet. Not to say she won't be keeping an eye on how he continues to adjust and perhaps revisit this if she feels she needs to. But short of being able to send him back to finish unfinished business, which is far beyond what she can do, there's really not much she can do save to leave the space for him to talk if he wants and to listen if and when he does.]

[ Akira nods simply to her statement and decides to keep it at that. Maybe they can talk about it somewhere else later. When its just the two of them and they don't need to worry about being overheard. Even if it's Akira worrying about the overhearing.

He turns his attention towards the buildings. His eyes narrow slightly. ]

Should we go exploring?

[ Maybe acting like a thief will help. ]

Now? There's still a lot to do here.

[And she definitely doesn't want to do too much exploration of the building they're in now. She won't even when it's up and running again, really.

On the other hand, maybe it'll help her feel a bit better to get out of the haunted house surroundings, and it wouldn't hurt, maybe, to start on a new section as well.]

But I guess a break wouldn't hurt. Where were you thinking of checking out?

Scouting the area out can't hurt.

[ There is a general direction he nods in. Which isn't entirely helpful, but, its better than nothing. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

exploration mingle: CITY EXPANSION

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