riverviewlogs | exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

Entry tags:

exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: exploration mingle: rescue mission!
when: June 15 - August 15
where: The River Structure
warnings: violence and/or torture; please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

captivity

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 ● The Guardians of the Deep ● What Lies Beneath ● Plotting & Questions

After some serious flooding at the banks of the river, the cause was discovered to be the Guardians of the Deep, creatures protecting a circular labyrinthine structure underneath the river. Residents of the city explored and mapped the structure, and dealt with a good portion of the traps and other dangers, until they found a little piece of history in the Central Chamber of the structure, revealing that it was inhabited by the first people to live on the moon.

While this news has been exciting scholars and historians in the city, something a little more pressing has been bothering the average citizen - an ever-increasing number of missing persons. People have simply been disappearing all over the city, and only now are residents starting to realize why...

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. Characters may participate in as many phases as they wish.

● 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.

● Entry Reward: The reward for completion of this month's exploration objective will be...well, the safe return of everyone who was kidnapped. And some sweet hurt/comfort.

● IMPORTANT NOTE: Having observed how the pacing of exploration mingles has been going and how they are tagged, I have noticed that posting one exploration mingle each month has been a little hectic, both plotwise and for me as a mod (writing three mingles a month has been tough!). I have decided to space them out a bit further, and post an exploration mingle once every two months, starting with this one - the next exploration mingle will be posted in August!

phase i: the abducted

People don't simply go missing, they don't disappear into thin air, they have to be somewhere. And while those who are missing people keep frantically searching, those who have been kidnapped are the only ones besides the kidnappers who do know where they are.

Abducted by a group who have taken up residence in the structure under the city after last month's exploration died down, the missing are trapped in the Central Chamber, in fear of the kidnappers. Their abductors are a group of people that is starting to slowly take on cultist tendencies, believing that the remaining spirits of the First People still live in the structure, that it is a temple, and that those First People need offerings of host bodies to inhabit so they can return and bring their wisdom and magic back to the moon. Things are getting a little hairy - there's no agreement among the kidnappers as to how 'intact' the host bodies have to be and whether or not the sacrifice is in the form of alive or dead captives. Even worse, some of the kidnappers are only with the group to enjoy having power over others and using it to hurt them.

Captives are held in the Central Chamber of the structure, with next to no amenities. Blankets, food, water, and other necessities are in short supply, and they are kept huddled together, constantly guarded and either restrained, wearing or in the presence of a power suppressor to keep them subdued. But the captives haven't lost hope - they are working on getting a message out, finding a way to contact the outside world so their loved ones can rescue them...

This prompt is to play out interactions among the captives before they are rescued, and may include violence or other character suffering. It is also to enact plotted plans for the abductees to find connections with the outside world to summon help.

phase ii: distraction and infiltration

Once would-be rescuers become aware of where the captives are being held, they start making plans to rescue them - whether someone they love has been taken, they're just a good person, or they just want to feel like a big damn hero, there are lots of people willing to take the plunge and jump into the rescue. But the cult group has been in control of the structure for a while now, they definitely have the home team advantage. They know the lay of the land and where the traps are, and have used some of them to their own advantage.

It's not going to be as easy as storming the castle.

There are two parts to this phase of the rescue: a distraction and an infiltration. Distractions are planned to draw as many of the kidnappers away from the hostages being held in the Central Chamber as possible, while those who are stealthily infiltrating will try to find another entrance into the chamber so they can surprise and surround the remaining kidnappers.

This prompt is to play out any plans for distraction and infiltration. If you have plotted something out on the plotting post, feel free to post up a header for specific groups for threading rather than an individual character top-level.

phase iii: the brawl and after

Distractions only last so long, unfortunately, and so eventually the whole thing is going to break down into a big fight. Rescuers versus kidnappers, on the kidnappers' home turf, and surrounded by traps left over from the First People, while pieces of stationary tech throw out auras and waves of power suppression. It's going to be a doozy of a fight, so prepare for an epic throwdown!

And once the dust settles, there's going to be a lot of injuries to tend to, a lot of people traumatized and hurt and frightened. A lot of hungry, suffering people will need to be transported out, given medical care, and brought supplies.

This prompt is to play out the final fight between the kidnapping cult and the rescuers, as well as anything in the aftermath of the fight.

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
[Asterion - Environment Art: Ariadne's Forest by Nicolas Mendoza]

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It was a strange thing, to be on this kind of mission without Alec. Though Magnus had spent centuries both getting into and out of trouble on his own, he'd gotten used to having Alec around to watch his back as they supported each other. Magnus had never been much of a fighter to begin with, preferring to offer what assistance he could but otherwise staying out of conflicts; such a course of action was obviously impossible when his husband had been kidnapped.

As he fought his way through the temple, Magnus tried not to think of the terror that had gripped him upon hearing that Alec had gone missing. Even with the issues that had been a result of the memories they had shared, there was nothing in any dimension that would keep Magnus from Alec. It was with this determination that he found his way through several adversaries and towards the captives, swinging his guandao as often as he would cast offensive spells. When he saw Alec, kneeling in front of a group of prisoners to protect them from the brawl, his control snapped. Magnus felt his arms crackle with energy called for almost unconsciously before bursting from him and knocking down anyone attempting to attack him, and possibly other rescuers caught in the crossfire.

"Alec!" Running towards him, Magnus slid to his knees at Alec's side, dropping his weapon to the floor and wrapping his arms around Alec both to embrace him and steady him.

Even as one day blurred into another, Alec knew that someone would find him. Between Magnus and Jace's abilities, they'd track him down eventually. All he had to do was wait, no matter how frustrating that might be. He wanted to fight, knowing that some of the others were planning methods of escape but he couldn't desert the children that were among the prisoners.

Then, eventually the damage inflicted from the regular beatings took their toll. He couldn't really help anyone with a knee that threatened to collapse under him if he didn't move carefully. Better to keep out of the way and protect the youngest prisoners than get in the way of the fighters that were capable of dealing with the Cultists. As the fighting raged around them. Alec shielded the children as best he could, fighting only when it was absolutely necessary. Usually he caught their captors by surprise since they thought he was too injured to attack.

As their captors turned toward one of the fighters, Alec felt something strange. It was probably his imagination, but the air changed subtly. A spark of almost electric energy combined with a familiar scent that Alec always associated with magic. Magnus' magic.

Even before he saw his husband, Alec called out his name. He began to struggle to his feet, but Magnus was already beside him. Holding Magnus close, he continued watching the room, afraid someone would sneak up behind them. "I knew you'd find me." He wanted to say more, but knew that they had to stay focused. After whispering an "I love you" to his husband, he began quickly describing the situation. "The collar suppresses powers. I have a mild concussion. My bad knee can't take my weight. My shoulder was recently dislocated. Not sure if there's internal injuries. I lost my stele when the grabbed me." Give Magnus the details needed so they could get out - get all of them out - then ramble about how much he loved Magnus.

Edited 2018-06-20 16:09 (UTC)

The sound of his name was as heartbreaking as it was relieving, and he was quick to press a kiss to Alec's lips as well as his forehead where it was uninjured. "I'm here, Alexander. We're going to get you and everyone else out." There would be time for professions of love when they were all safe, and Magnus planned to remind Alec that he would always come for him as long as there was life in his body. Squeezing him with one arm, the other hovering close to his weapon in case it was needed, he echoed the three words Alec had whispered to him.

Reality settled over him with a chill as Alec outlined all of the information necessary to know, both as a warrior and a survivor. "Right," he said with a nod to confirm that he understood. Lifting his guandao, he carefully placed it into Alec's hand before setting to work on removing the collar. "I brought your stele," he explained, knowing that Alec would understand the purpose behind removing the collar first. "I can heal your concussion if you can do the knee. If I push your shoulder back into place, can you take the pain?"

As Magnus kissed him, Alec's hands tightened in his husband's shirt. For a brief moment, he wanted to forget about the fighting that surrounded him and just hold Magnus and not let go. He knew that he couldn't, not yet, but as soon as they were safe, he wasn't letting Magnus out of his sight. Letting go of his husband's shirt, he took a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't know how many children they took, but we have to make sure they get out safe."

Taking the guando, it was obvious he was favoring the shoulder that had been dislocated. He could fight if he needed to. Every Shadowhunter knew how to compensate for injuries. Now that they were going to be rescued, he knew he could push himself beyond what he'd allowed himself earlier. Watching for any sign of attack, he lowered his head so that Magnus would have better access to the collar. "If you need your magic to fight, the concussion can wait. Sage put my shoulder back in place, but the collar slowed down my healing." It still felt like it could easily be dislocated again if he wasn't careful. "An iratze will keep the knee stable." He'd probably need to have it checked later. "Runes can keep me going 'till we're out."

His heart broke a little more at the way Alec gripped his shirt, and he rested his hand over Alec's to rub his thumb over his knuckles and the wedding band on his ring finger. "We're not leaving until everyone is safe," he assured Alec, knowing that it would be pointless to fight him on the subject even if he had wanted to. He was proud of his husband for protecting those who couldn't protect themselves, and it was his turn to help in that mission.

Tearing the collar off and tossing it away, he gently kissed either side of Alec's neck. He reached out with his magic, quickly assessing Alec's injuries and checking that nothing more serious was happening beneath the surface. Before he could reply to the comment on fighting with magic, Magnus' attention snapped back to Alec's face. "Sage is here?" he asked, feeling the weight of dread creeping back into the pit of his stomach where it had been living before he'd seen Alec again. "I need to make sure he's safe, too," he mumbled, more to himself than to Alec. With Jace fighting elsewhere, Magnus knew that his husband would be taken care of in case he had to help others.

Reaching again for Alec's hand, Magnus pushed his magic and strength into him to help speed up the healing and recover him from the long period of mistreatment. "You can have more if you need it, Alexander," he said, eyes losing their glamor as he focused on several more important things. "We can share, too," he added, glancing at their joined hands to add to the implication.

His shoulders sagged in relief when Magnus promised they wouldn't leave the children behind. He'd known that his husband wouldn't ignore their plight, but having the reassurance eased the ache in his chest that had been present since he'd realized that their captors hadn't limited themselves to adults.

Making a quiet sound when he felt lips against his neck, Alec reminded himself that it wasn't time to relax. They weren't safe yet. He couldn't focus on having his husband near after being separated by distance and fear. "Yes. He helped me. We both kept them away from the kids. He's injured worse than me." Which meant that they needed to find the witch and make sure someone treated the injuries Sage had told him about.

He began to stand up, then remembered he was still a liability in a fight. Squeezing Magnus' hand, he gave him a grateful look when he felt his husband's magic began to warm his skin. Within a few moments, the aching in his head began to subside and he knew his shoulder would be stable until they were home. The knee would require a rune and so would Magnus' suggestion.

His gaze sharpened and his expression became more intent, mentally shaking off the pain and fatigue. By the Angel, he wanted to share that bond with Magnus. Have that connection to his husband after everything he'd been through. But first he had to make sure that Magnus wouldn't disapprove. "I want to but I may not hold back with your magic." If Magnus wasn't okay with that, then Alec wouldn't use the Alliance rune.

Even though Magnus knew that he shouldn't be allowing himself to relax so much, he couldn't stop himself from little touches and reassurances to calm them both. His concern for Sage snapped him back into the right state of mind for the situation, however, as did his focus on what it was that Alec was trying to communicate to him. If he saw Sage, he would have to help him to keep his magic from going too far out of his control, both for the witch's safety as well as possibly others. It was still such an unknown to Magnus, but as the unofficial High Warlock of the Quarantine, and as Sage's friend, he felt both responsible and protective.

"We'll make sure that he gets out as well," he said for Alec's benefit to clue him in on the thoughts racing through Magnus' mind. His attention refocused sharply on Alec as his grip tightened, and for a split second, he panicked that something was happening or his suggestion had been taken negatively. But when he looked into Alec's eyes, all he saw was a fierce love as well as deep trust. Smiling, he leaned in to kiss him quickly but firmly. "And I won't hold back with your strength," he echoed as if to promise that they would fight as equally hard.

"You have to be sure you can heal him. He thought he had internal bleeding." Alec wasn't sure how much magic Magnus had used to find him or make his way through the prison and he couldn't offer his own strength to offset that loss. If Jace was here - Jace had to be here. It would have been impossible for Magnus to leave to rescue him without Jace following. - then he could help Magnus.

The kiss caused his worries to disappear. Magnus wouldn't be hurt if he used magic to cause damage, or do more than damage their captors. Alec didn't want to kill, but if he had to, he wouldn't hold back except for Magnus. Now that he had his husband's permission, he wouldn't have to worry about crossing certain lines. "In case we ever have to do this again, you never have to hold back when we share powers." Holding out his free hand so Magnus could give him his stele, he went over what runes he'd need. "First iratze. Then Alliance." He probably would need more than that, but Magnus had enough to worry about that. "Then we find Sage."

Stomach clenching at the thought, Magnus nodded without saying anything more. He always kept some of his magic in reserve for desperate situations, but it appeared he'd have to conserve more than usual in order to have the strength to heal Sage until they were able to get him somewhere for treatment. "I'll have to find him quickly so he doesn't do something stupid," he replied, the comment half teasing and half serious since he knew some of the things of which Sage was capable.

As much as he was worried about the young witch, Magnus' full attention shifted to Alec once again as they found some relief in the kiss. After the kidnappers had taken Alec, they had lost the right to mercy in Magnus' opinion; as much as he tried to be understanding of others, he wouldn't go easy on anyone to hurt his husband. There was also the fact that they had captured children, and instant condemnation in Magnus' eyes.

Handing over Alec's stele, he turned to watch out for would-be attackers as Alec healed himself and prepared for the Alliance rune. Though he knew through memory that the rune worked, and he trusted Alec completely, he couldn't help feeling a shiver of nerves at the thought of using it for the first time. "We should find Jace, too," he said as he held his hand out to Alec, his other taking up the guandao in case a quick defense was necessary. "And then we can get the children out of here."

Alec nodded in agreement, relieved that his head didn't throb in response to the action. After living with the pain for days it seemed strange not to have force himself to tune it out to be able to function. It wasn't as bad as some of his injuries in the past, but it had been distracting and kept him worrying that their captors had done something worse than concussed him.

Taking his stele, he let go of Magnus' hand, half expecting his husband to disappear once the contact had been broken. Alec had known Magnus would find him, but it still felt almost like a dream.

Maybe he was in worse shape than he thought.

Shoving the leg of his jeans up, he drew an iratze as close to his knee as possible, not waiting for it to take effect before drawing another on his arm to stabilize his shoulder. Once the runes began to work, he drew a stamina rune to help counteract the effects of hunger and sleep deprivation.

As the injuries began to heal and he became more aware of his surroundings, Alec took Magnus' free hand. Despite the aches that the iratze hadn't caused to fade, he smiled as he began tracing the Alliance rune. "The first time I did this, I kissed you after I finished the rune."

Magnus remained silent as Alec worked, allowing him to focus on the healing runes that would bring him relief without the need to deplete Magnus' magic. Though he'd been around Shadowhunters and their runes for centuries, there was something different about watching the marks sink into Alec's skin, symbols of both suffering and of power. Each one was a brand meant for a warrior, and yet the black lines and faded scars were as beautiful as the rest of Alec.

Breath hitching slightly as Alec once again took his hand, Magnus mirrored the smile on his face. His eyes followed the lines of Alec's stele as they first spread over his pale skin and then neared Magnus' hand. Wincing on instinct as the rune began to trace over him, he fought the instinct to resist pulling away from the angelic language to mark his skin. He laughed nervously and looked up at Alec, grateful for his anchoring presence and the weight of his hand. "Are you going to kiss me again this time?" he asked, unknowingly leaning closer.

Letting out a relieved sigh when the runes began to work, he watched Magnus through his lashes as he gently drew the curving lines of the Alliance rune. Belatedly, he realized that Magnus didn't remember the first time Alec had used the rune. It had been with a different Magnus, one that he still loved, but not the one who he had so easily given his heart.

Holding Magnus' hand, he could feel the tension holding his husband still. To Magnus, runes were forbidden. Something that would cause agony and madness. Yet Magnus still trusted him that this would work. He wanted to look up and reassure Magnus that the rune wouldn't harm him, but he wanted to be sure that it was perfect. "Karissima, aku cinta kamu." The mix of two languages sounded strange, but they were important to both of them.

When he finished both parts of the Alliance, he smiled, noticing that Magnus had shifted closer. Instead of answering, he pressed his lips to Magnus', pouring his love and gratitude into the kiss, promising more when they were both safe. "I plan to spend hours kissing you after we're out of here."

Inhaling suddenly at first, he smiled at Alec's soothing voice speak words that brought with them a wave of calm. They were familiar and held layers of meaning for both of them, both from their lives before and after coming together. "Aku cinta kamu, sayang," he replied, fighting the urge to squeeze Alec's hand or otherwise move in ways that might break his concentration on the rune. As soon as it was completed, though, he easily melted into the kiss.

Though the rune seared his skin, it wasn't in an obviously dangerous way that he expected from a normal rune. As the final lines came together, he felt Alec's strength begin to flow through him, completely different from when it was borrowed. It felt as though its source was inside him, sharpening his senses and filling him with a fresh wave of energy. "Don't get me overexcited, darling, or I might not be able to wait," he said with a grin as he stood first and reached a hand down to Alec so he could pull him to his feet.

Alec knew that the rune wouldn't harm Magnus, but he still waited for his husband to react. Even Shadowhunters worried over their first few runes, afraid of what might happen if they weren't drawn correctly or if they weren't strong enough to bear them. But Clary's rune hadn't injured any being who it had been drawn upon and Alec had the feeling that Magnus was safer from angelic forces than most beings who weren't Nephilim.

Breaking the kiss, he slipped the stele into his pocket, brushing his fingers over the completed rune on Magnus' hand. Despite his exhaustion, he grinned at Magnus' comment. "I don't want to put on a show for these crazies." Taking Magnus' hand he slowly stood, giving his body time to find its equilibrium from the different energies flowing through him. The runes were working, taking the edge off the weariness that had been pressing down on him. He'd have to rest later but for now he wasn't a liability.

Lifting a hand, he focused on the familiar warmth that flowed through him. It was similar to when Magnus used magic on him, but now it felt like it truly was part of him, not just connecting with him. Blue sparks shimmered from his fingertips. "Fire's the easiest?"

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exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

wildcard: phase iii

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