exploration mingle: CAPTIVITY

[riverviewmod]

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]

Comments

[winscenario]

[ If Billy really wants to go that route, then he needs to prepare himself, because when it comes to Jim Kirk, Loki has a pretty big list of things he can brag about. They've been friends for a while, now. Loki even owns one of his old sweaters. (Still smells like him, probably.) ]

No one can really match Loki's finesse, [ He says with an amused huff and a grin. ]

[wiccant]

Yeah. ( at least this is easier to talk about. they're not talking about what's happening around them, what happened, the amount of people who still need a ride out down below. after the nonsense that happened with loki, it's--weird he's the safe topic. )

Especially his finesse with bending reality around his fingers. I'm a little jealous, really.

[winscenario]

Don't tell him that. He will preen. [ Jim snorts, his tone teasing, clearly all too familiar with how Loki works. ] You're not so bad, either. Don't you let it get to your head. Besides, he's got thousands of years and several lifetimes of practice. Bit unfair to compare yourself to that.

[ The tunnel starts to open up, some light filtering through from up ahead. Jim can feel the cool breeze of the night air, and he sighs in relief. ] We're almost there. [ He just hopes there are no cultists guarding the entrance. ]

[wiccant]

And I've got--what, four imprisonments now on my record? ( four times he's been caught, this makes thrice he's been depowered. four times? maybe his count's off. it's--not looking good for him regardless. billy hasn't been able to keep himself up and--sure, loki's got a few of those under is belt, but nonesomuch as billy has in his two years of being out on the hero stage.

none of that's important right now. ) Thanks. For this. For--getting me out of here.

[winscenario]

You're keeping count? [ There's a trace of amusement and surprise in his tone. Jim doesn't even keep track. Some situations can't quite be called 'imprisonment' either, but point is, he's no stranger to them. Happens sometimes, in his line of work. What can you do. ]

Don't mention it. [ A pause, ] Or buy me a drink later. Whichever.

[ Right now he just wants to make it through the door. Figurative door. He stops near the last corner, taking a peek around it. There are three cultists there, chatting and fairly distracted while they keep guard. He motions for Billy to be quiet, and he sets him down so he can grab his phaser and knock them out without hopefully raising any alarms. ]

[wiccant]

Not actively. ( mostly in hindsight. no, this isn't unusual for people in their line of work. heroism comes with a lot of risks, and a lot more rewards. billy--realizes that at least a little. that the amount of people they've saved and protected far outnumbers the many lost. that the few months he's spent in various states of imprisonment may feel like absolute garbage to him, but the good accomplished outweighs the bad experienced.

even if he still feels like absolute garbage. )

I'll get you so man-- ( voice cut off by the three cultists but that's--fine, this is fine. billy rests his weight back against the nearby wall as kirk moves to--what, hit them? whatever, he knows what he's doing. he can't do anything useful with the collar on, no matter how much billy wishes he could. a scrawny eighteen year old with barely any combat training isn't much use here, and getting in kirk's way is the last thing he wants to do. )

[winscenario]

[ That's the way Jim sees it. Different lines of work, of course, but Jim's no stranger to risking his own safety in order to save lives. He hasn't saved as many as he would've liked... he hasn't saved a lot that mattered the most to him. Pike, Syl— even his father, in a weird sort of way. Not that he could've done a whole lot, there.

But he did save a lot of people. His crew's saved a lot of people. That matters.

Jim turns his attention away from Billy for a short while, so he can focus on the cultists. He needs a clear shot, so they won't have any time to run away and hide, much less so call for backup. If he manages to knock them out, it means it's a clear entrance for anyone else trying to come in and get out.

Once he's sure he's in a prime position, he aims carefully, takes a deep breath, then fires. One, two— the last cultist runs off, but Jim manages to shoot him just as he's reaching for his comm device. He mumbles a triumphant 'yes' as he falls over on his side, then rushes to the cultists so he can drag their unconscious bodies out of the way. Groups standing by outside will soon move in to take the cultists into custody, but Jim's priority is getting Billy to safety. So he rushes back to where he left him. ]

Come on, pretty boy. [ He crouches, picking Billy up again. ] Time to get you out of here.

[wiccant]

( on the plus side: he gets to watch jim kirk take down some cultist ruffians and drag them off to clear a nice open path. on the other: he's standing here, barely keeping himself on his feet thanks to the wall behind him and not able to do anything to help. the faucet to his own magic has been completely cut off by the collar itself, ruining any chance at billy calling on his own magic.

he can't do anything useful, so billy does the one thing he can do: presses up tight against the wall and keeps himself out of sight, lets jim do his thing. and when he comes back over, places his arm back around his neck to hold on tight. easily lets himself get lifted up again. )

Once I'm in one piece again, ( he speaks quietly, voice as even as he can manage, ) I'll take you out for drinks. Promise.

[winscenario]

[ But also on the plus side: they're both alive and in one piece, and Jim didn't have to worry about Billy trying to push himself into playing hero. He had it under control, really. ]

I'll hold you to that, just so you know. [ He nudges Billy closer, smiling briefly at him as he carries him out of the caves. There's a team of medics hiding just beyond the tree lines, and that's where he's taking Billy. If he wants to go back in there after he gets looked over and that collar's taken care of, that's up to him. Jim sure as hell won't stop him. ]

[wiccant]

( he'll go back. that's--what heroes do. they protect those they care about and everyone else in between. as soon as his collar's off, once he's gotten the power to react, billy sure as hell is going to tear his way right back into the tunnels. find tommy, at least.

for now, his attention keeps to jim himself, shifts to try and get his feet back onto the ground. )

That's fine by me. ( murmured soft before billy takes in a deep, steadying breath. ) Next time I'll vie for honorary crew.

[winscenario]

[ Without opposition or having to worry about more cultists popping up in their way, Jim manages to get Billy to the tent fairly quickly. The doctors can easily tell that Billy was a prisoner, what with the collar still around his neck, and approach to guide him to one of the mattresses serving as makeshift gurneys. ]

We'll see about that. [ He smiles, placing a hand on Billy's shoulder. ] They'll look you over, get that thing off of you. I'm heading back inside now— if you go back in too, be careful. Alright? You look beat up enough as it is.

[wiccant]

( he's on his feet for all of four seconds before someone's directing him to lay down on a mattress. billy waves them off for a moment, murmurs a quiet "hold on a sec" so he can turn his attention back to kirk himself, offers him a smile. )

Thank you, for everything. I'll come find you later, promise.

[winscenario]

[ Jim will make sure Billy's all settled on the mattress before leaving. He also pauses when Billy turns to him one last time, smiling. ]

Better keep that promise, Billy. I'll be waiting.

[ Patting his shoulder, he gets to his feet, saluting him once before turning around and heading back into the compound. ]