introductory mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and River Festival
when: The month of August; the bulk of celebration will be in week 1, but there is a party and fireworks display on August 14th.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

river festival

In the days leading up to August 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The River Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the river and the life that it gives to the city, as well as the heat of summer and forming bonds with friends, family, and romantic partners. The celebrations are marked by a community-wide cleanup of the docks and beaches along the river - particularly important considering the recent acid rain - as well as beachfront cookouts and parties (both private and city sponsored) and beach sports tournaments happening on either open stretches of beach or in special clothing-optional beaches, all capped off with fireworks displays on the evenings of August 7th and 14th.

a celebration of the river and togetherness

Following the hedonism of Carnivale, it's time for something a little more low-key and relaxing. The River Festival happens every year in August, and is geared toward community building through cleaning up the beaches and docks along the river and then using all that freshly cleaned beach to gather on. During the first week of August, there are various lightly-themed government-sponsored beach cookouts and parties geared toward family, romantic dates, or casual all-ages get-togethers for meeting new friends; there are also a few more racy parties at clothing-optional beaches around the city. Many private residents also take this time to gather together friends and family, and have cookouts on the beach with all the typical trappings of the beach barbecue. There are also various casual sports tournaments sponsored by community centers, gyms, and sports teams in the city, featuring prizes ranging from notoriety to sports equipment to big bucks. Finally, there are two fireworks displays, one on August 7th and one on August 14th, with free food, and various live performers beforehand.

i. cleaning up

The holiday starts off on a note that is just a bit more sombre than the rest of the season, with the cleanup efforts following late July's strange fog and acid rain blending into the usual tradition of cleaning up beaches and docks along the river. The cleanup is a group effort, with every citizen who is physically able pitching in to comb the beaches, where they pick up fallen tree limbs, garbage, and anything else that's accumulated during the winter and spring, and then raking the beaches to make them clean and ready to use. The cleanup of the docks is similar, with residents sweeping and hosing them down where necessary. This year, there are a lot of repairs to be made to beachfront structures that might've been damaged by the acid rain, so if anyone has some carpentry or building skills, those would definitely come in handy.

This is meant to be a community building effort, so many businesses in the area, more well-to-do private citizens, and the government have pitched in funding to provide lunches, cold drinks, coffee or tea, and snacks to anyone who's helping out with the cleanup efforts. All in all, the cleanup has a very friendly, welcoming vibe.

ii. cookouts and parties

The main traditions of the River Festival involve cookouts and beach parties. On August 7th and August 14th, the government as well as various corporations and businesses in the city, will be providing funds for large beach gatherings. On these days, there will be booths set up offering wares and freebies from various businesses around the city that have helped fund the party, large swaths of cleared beach where residents can don a swimsuit and catch some rays or swim in the river, massive barbecue setups to provide partygoers with all the standard barbecue fare, beach sports tournaments, dancing and musical performances, and fireworks displays (see prompts below).

The holiday isn't just about these big parties, though - many residents arrange their own barbecues, cookouts, beach camping trips, beach bonfires, and other riverside gatherings and outings. Many riverfront businesses offer discounts on services such as canoe or kayak rentals to go out paddling on the river, jetski or motorboat rentals for tubing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing, or mounts to take romantic rides in the surf. Additionally, there is an adults-only section of the beach where any of these activities can be done in the nude in a clothing-optional setting, including the big city-sponsored parties.

iii. sportsball tournaments

Is your character good at playing a particular sport that could, conceivably, be played on a beach? Chances are that during the month of August, a tournament will be set up for them to participate in. The tournaments are pretty standard, generally sponsored by community centers, sports clubs and teams, gyms, and other organizations and businesses in the city, with various levels of specialization, and levels of skill or competitiveness. The prizes also vary, with everything from plain old bragging rights to sports equipment or passes to gyms and community centers, to large lump sums of cash money. Definitely worth it, for characters with a love for sport.

Oh, and a lot of these tournaments are happening on the adults-only clothing-optional beaches, for those grown-up sports fans who like a bit of an extra challenge.

iv. performances and fireworks

On August 7th and August 14th at the end of the large city-sponsored beach parties, there will be evening performances all along the beach. Not as extensive as the musical performances during Carnivale, there are two large-name performers per night, with various lesser-known groups performing at random off and on throughout the day and night. Areas of the beach are cleared for residents to watch and dance to the music, both on the regular and adults-only clothing-optional beaches (acts will switch off between the two areas so both areas get both performances).

Player-characters who are musical artists, DJs, or otherwise perform are free to set up shop around this party and panhandle or put on free performances for publicity.

After the sun goes down, boats will head out into the water carrying a variety of fireworks, and there will be a beautiful display of exploding color in the sky for residents to watch and enjoy. The fireworks are highly advanced, incorporating old-fashioned gunpowder as well as modern technology that result in really beautiful displays that can take the breath away!

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up one of the mod-posted prompts for each Communal Floor. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the River Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: credit unknown; image ii: Albert Ramon Puig; image iii: Claudio Pilia; image iv: Alan Philips

navigation

Comments

tris clark / ota

[saints]

I. CLEAN UP

[ listen, manual labor has never been tristan's forte, and it certainly isn't very appealing after getting spirited off somewhere. despite the acid rain, however, his emotions have been somewhat tempered for now by the people surrounding him. he gets down the beach to assist in the clean up, not only combing the debris from the shoreline but eventually being entrusted with a hose whose pressure ranges from a gentle sprinkle to may just take off your toes. he's been sweeping it along the dock as instructed, but the work itself is boring, mechanical. not that clean up is really supposed to be fun. he gets it.

which is why tris turns to someone nearby who looks like they've been toiling away in the sun pretty hard and calls out: ]

Hey! [ he adjusts the pressure and puts his thumb over the tip of the hose, turning it into a makeshift sprinkler. ] You look kinda hot— [ he holds out the spray of water now, creating a little arc to run in and out of as you please ] —wanna cool off real quick?

II. PARTY TIME

[ unfortunately, tris is a creature who tries to avoid the sun at its highest, prone to freckling quickly and burning even faster, so the nightlife works best for him.

tristan actually hasn't been to a party in years. when you're busy running your own business and dealing with the new flux of your own magic it's kind of hard to hit the club scene and find a place with heady music that makes your blood pulse and a swarm of people you barely know. while the local open beach party isn't exactly the basement nightclub setting he'd grown used to years back, they work well enough.

he can be found weaving his way between the generic and more "adult" portions of the beach, the music thrumming all the same along both sides. tris has gotten a chance to wash his clothing from home, so he's donned a gauzy, black top and a pair of dark jeans, the only bright things about him being his smile and the firefly-type lights that are in his hair. he's tossed his shoes somewhere by a little rocky alcove, choosing instead to meander barefoot in the sand and later on, to dance. the music thrums and beats and hums delightfully in his chest as he stretches out a hand to someone who looks like they might be approaching the sandy dance floor. ]

C'mon stranger, let's dance.

[ later on he can be found walking along the edge of the beach with a drink in his hand, shoes hanging from the others, mostly just taking a little time to be contemplative and quiet, but company won't be turned away. ]

V. ROOMMATES & WILDCARD

nb: tris is rooming on floor 14, bed 4. you're free to respond to the quick and dirty starter below or make your own.

[ tris can be found meandering the communal quarters, lingering around the windows, flopping down on his bed, in general exuding a somewhat nervous energy. sitting near one of the windows, nudging it open and peeking outside at the (yikes) drop below, he blinks as his stomach drops all the way to his toes. ]

It's like witch school all over again... [ a pause ] beds in a row and everything. Nic would get such a kick out of this place...

i

[tutee]

[ Bill has been busying herself with the work effort to distract from the fact that she hasn't heard anything from the Doctor in days. She doesn't want to think something's happened to him, or that he found a way home and just left her here. So she doesn't think at all, instead focusing on the task at hand. That task happens to be carting wheelbarrows full of debris from one side of the docks to the other, and bringing the emptied wheelbarrows back to be refilled.

When Tristan offers to spray her with a hose on her way by, she puts the empty wheelbarrow down and wipes the sweat off her brow.

Why not? ]

Yeah, alright. Just a bit, then.

[saints]

[ tris grins and lifts up the hose, thumb pressed over the spray and stepping a bit further forward, away from the edges of the dock. he's spotted her from a ways working hard--it'll be a good break for the both of them. the water itself is still surprisingly cold even after coming from a sun-warmed hose. ]

Head's up!

[ literally because it's going right on top of her head. he's not a bad shot, aiming the hose so that the spray arcs a little, first at the edge of where she is and then right over her head in a light spray. ]

[tutee]

[ Bill squints her eyes closed and holds her arms out to her sides at an angle, flinching when the cold water begins to hit her. But really, in this heat, it feels refreshing and cool, and she turns around so the spray can hit her back as well. ]

ii

[tevinteraltus]

[He'd left his leathers back in his dismal little dresser in his room and was instead wearing loose light green pants and a loose-fitting shirt, open to the middle of his chest, and a few bits of jewelry that seemed at least vaguely Indian in design, except for all the snake motifs.

Dorian loves a good party, and this is no exception. In fact, the sand, the warm weather, why, it was a damn sight better than most of the "parties" he'd had the pleasure of attending recently, and this one had better music.

Well, it had music at all, and plenty of wine and other things to occupy a tongue for an evening. He'd be lying if he said Tris' hand stretched toward him didn't take him by surprise, but he smiled his usual charming smile and took the man's hand regardless.]

Oh, if you insist...

[saints]

[ the smile was charming. incredibly charming. tristan would be lying if he didn’t admit it himself. once his hand is taken, he guides him in further among the groups of people. it wasn’t too crowded, which was nice on a night like tonight (a touch breezy, but still balmy.) the only dancing tris has ever known is packed in the basements of neon and bass, but this would definitely do. ]

I mean you look like the kind of guy who knows how to dance.

[ swaying in closer, to the time of the music he tilted his head playfully. ]

Seriously, though, your moustache is the most magical thing I’ve seen all night.

[tevinteraltus]

[A playful chuckle from Dorian as he allows himself to be guided toward the makeshift dance floor, enjoying the feel of moist sand between his toes, and the fire lit profile of this stranger who's taken his hand.]

Oh, I most certainly do, though the music is a bit strange to me. I'm sure I can follow your lead, though. I'm a quick study.

[At the always welcome compliment, Dorian rocks his head back with a laugh, throaty but not too loud.] Oh, my dear fellow, the night is young.

v

[burnination]

More Harry Potter witch school than actual witch school. I always got my own room.

[ which was maybe because no one wanted to room with him more than the normal set up. for varied reasons, not only the late night possession dreaming screams, but also the fact he kept all the windows and doors open when he slept. speaking of - ]

Move, I get window. [ the edge of a bed frame bumps against tristan's thigh, max having immediately taken to rearranging furniture, so that his and tris' bed could be pushed up together, and his side, against the window he'll likely still have open every night. ]

[saints]

Yeah well, we can't always be the spoiled little shits like we were. No one's looking out for us here anymore.

[ bcr, in truth, was good to them. very good for all the hard work they were put through. the staff, the old stone buildings, they took care of them all, final graduation exam or no. tris turns in max's direction, feeling the bump from the bed as they're both shuffled close together and he grins, reaching out for the neatly made sheets and beginning to spread them out across both mattresses. he smooths his hand over the sheets affectionately, glancing up at him with a faintly cheeky smile. ]

Anything for you, Princess Maxine.

v

[metalmenace]

[Don't mind the guy who just appears on a nearby bed and looking very focused on the laptop he's working on. He just likes to appear places via teleportation because doors are for peasants.]

You'll get used to living this high up. Or you'll move once you've made enough to pay rent or buy a home.

[Aaaand he hasn't looked up this entire time. Real friendly guy, your new roommate is.]

[saints]

[ well. you know. that's fine like. apparently lots of people think doors are for peasants. except tris.

but having old friends who like to just appear in the middle of your living room in a cloud of sulfur and brimstone prepare you for this kind of thing. hell. the stranger is pretty polite considering he doesn't appear out of some cloud that smells like rotten eggs and the dogs that fart them.

tris turns from the window with a curious little smile. the guy seems pretty engrossed with his work. ]

Hopefully. For now, I'm not sure what scares me more, the impending cardio if something happens to the lifts or the view. Neat trick you've got there, though.

ii - moonlit party time

[sanator]

[By the time night had settled in over the beach Thom himself had become quite a relaxed young man. It helped that once the work was over there was a lot of time dedicated to enjoyment.

He sees someone walking in the distance with what looked like strange lights floating over his head, which would've been weird if he wasn't already familiar with the firefly-type magic that Tris had at work.

He kicks up sand running to catch up with the other boy, jogging around him and turning completely so he was walking backwards, his expression earnest if a touch awkward.] Tris, hey! What's up?

[saints]

[ tris' head snaps up lightly and turns as thom comes over towards him, proceeding to casually walk in front of him. wow. that's cute. stop being cute. his smile widens. ]

Hey there, hero. Just taking a breather from the festivities. The people around here really know how to party and it's been a while since I tore up the dance floor.

Getting up to any trouble?

[sanator]

[Thom keeps walking backwards, not quite jogging. It was just like in basketball when you were working defence after all. He beams at the hero nickname.]

They do, don't they! I've never been to a party before but this is great. [He has such unreserved joy at it so its hard for it to be pitiable.] Trouble? Nah... I mean I think I almost had a fit thanks to all the hard work but I'm good now. [In reality it was his own power working against him from healing himself during the acid rain attack but Thom didn't know that.]

ii. adult section. cw: nudity ish

[willinglychanged]

[Drew had found out there was a party going on and more importantly that certain aspects of the party were being held in more adult areas. In this case, beaches that ranged from fully clothed to the more Drew-esque nude beach. Drew himself was wearing a particularly vibrant eye catching garment which exposed a lot of hair and muscle that was synonymous with Drew himself: colourful, vibrant and potentially inappropriate.

He was enjoying soaking up the rays and the partying, getting himself a little buzzed thanks to his stash in order to really feel the essence of the music and partying as he made his way to the dance floor. Only stopping when a stranger's arm was extended his way, which may or may not have been directed at someone else entirely.

He looks the other man up and down before grinning, showing off teeth that were a shade short of wolfish, the grin itself more amicable than predatory.] Well hell darlin', ain't like I say no too often. [And he's grabbing Tris' arm and pulling him onto the dancefloor with gusto.]

[saints]

[ tris feels the fingers sliding around his arm and lets himself be pulled away into the group of dancing bodies. he grins because, hell, he likes that kind of enthusiasm and with this much of a buzz going on, he's even more pleased than usual to indulge, letting the motion sweep him forward with a delighted little laughter.

the teeth catch the sweep of his glance over the stranger, a smile of curiosity playing over his mouth. ]

Well aren't you just the perfect gentleman.

[ he's already into this music, the beat of the next song fading in something that he can really start moving to. ]

[willinglychanged]

[Drew dances in time to the music, moving his body in a way that says dancing to him is habitual and he knew exactly what he should be doing with his body to keep in time with the beat while looking good.

His grin is a little cocky at the compliment though.] Well shit, sugar... ain't ever been called perfect either. Or a gentleman, but that's another story. [He was just loud enough to be heard over the music without forcing it; after all, he had a werewolf's ears and didn't always think about other people's perceptions.] Somethin' tells me you're new 'round here.

ii. because duh

[appetitive]

[Even if he's becoming something of a family man—much to his own surprise, never having guessed he could have a family—Magnus has never been able to resist a good party. Luckily for him, it seemed like his new home had plenty of them to offer, finding whatever reason to host celebrations or parades or just an excuse to meet new people. It was welcoming and familiar in the middle of so much else that was new, especially all of the foreign magic he was being introduced to. It made him more comfortable about showing off his own, at least, and as he walks along the beach handing out drinks off the menu at his bar, he's accompanied by a small school of glowing rainbow fish to light the way.

When he spots someone, lights in his hair and an aura of energy surrounding him, Magnus swerves closer and offers him a martini glass that appears to be full of mist. When tilted, the drink solidifies enough to be sipped, chilling the tongue without risk of brain freeze.] Refreshment? I'd make an excuse about staying hydrated in the summer, but there's too much alcohol in this for that to work.

RUNS HEADFIRST INTO YOUR ARMS HOLD ME

[saints]

[ it's the fish that catch tris' eye at first, they're too bright to miss completely and for a moment he stops in his tracks, eyeing them with wonder for the stranger who is clearly in charge of them comes into view. he smiles a bit at the gesture, taking the glass between his fingers and giving the drink a curious look.

now that's some magic. there's an energy that suffuses the air about him, brilliant and wild, but a controlled kind of wild. tris' own magic basks in it for a moment before he gently tips the drink in the glass, admiring the hue of it. ]

Yeah, we don't have to pretend this is actually doing me any kind of favors except for the alcoholic kind. [ he chuckles ] Really is all about the presentation isn't it?

RUNS DOWN THE BEACH IN SLOW MOTION

[appetitive]

[Magnus doesn't have to put much thought into the fish, letting them swim through the air in a natural ebb and flow of invisible currents. But he'd cast them for a reason, as he does with all magic, and he's loving the attention they bring. Even if he's dressed surprisingly simply in tight black jeans and a loose chiffon tunic with silver threads that catch the rainbow lights, Magnus likes to turn heads.

Feeling the edges of unfamiliar magic, he shivers slightly at the strange quality of energy. It's rude to ask before he even knows the man's name, though, so maybe it'll be something for later, or a mystery for the ages. Instead he smiles as he inspects the cocktail with the air of someone who isn't all that surprised by it. At least he's likely to be aware of his own magic, then, if his hair accessories weren't proof enough.]

They say not to judge books by their covers, but is there honestly anyone in the world who would drink unidentified brown liquid? [Chuckling, he leaves the tray of drinks to hover in the air so he can take one from himself and delicately clink it against the stranger's glass.] I call this one Cloud Nine, I'm testing it out for my bar and would love an honest opinion.

ii

[followhim]

[likewise, poe hasn't done much partying — what with fighting in all the star wars — but he's slowly acclimating. he went to the masquerade recently and it wasn't half bad, so he decided to check out the beach parties, wandering around the beach parties, similarly dressed in dark jeans and a dark t-shirt. ]

Me? [he takes the hand extended towards him and grins, but not without quipping] Be careful what you wish for, I'm way out of practice. [but he's heckin beautiful and he knows it, so he has that going for him...]

ALL the star wars.

[saints]

[ ya at least poe is gorgeous so like, it's totally fine if he actually can't dance. tris grins playfully and gives the hand in his a little tug forward, leading him towards where the crowd isn't as dense just in case he's a really bad dancer. ]

It's like riding a bike unless the only bike riding you did was the Macarena or the Hokey Pokey. Then we'd have some issues.

i.

[imperceptus]

[ Rin's put in a token effort to assist with the clean-up--just enough so that he's visible, so that others can see he's being helpful and generous--but it quickly takes a toll on him. Even if he wanted to be out here playing janitor, his people were not built to withstand the sun and the heat. His obsidian skin crisps after just an hour or so of work, and he's soon all but wilting on the sand. ]

Drench me, if you please.

[ He groans, digging his palm against one eye. He's fully clothed, too, which probably doesn't help. ]

Don't mind the tunic. I have others.

nyooms

[saints]

[ it is hot, and the fact that he's fully clothed up and down makes tris wonder just what kind of circle of hell this guy wants to suffer in (or however it goes.) He trots down the steps to get in just a bit closer, part of him curious, the rest of him just trying to make sure he thoroughly douses the guy instead of just giving him a sprinkle. ]

Drenched it is, dude.

[ enjoy your water, you look like you could use it. ]

Are you alright, though? [ tristan doesn't miss the little press of his palm to his face. ]

[imperceptus]

[ Rin doesn't respond until he's well and truly soaked, until there's water dripping from the ends of his long bangs, from the now unkempt braid hanging limp over his shoulder. He's sure it's less than the picture of elegance, but he's so deep-fried that he doesn't even care. ]

Let us simply say that I'm not a morning person. Or an afternoon person. Or a person who, in any way, enjoys the sunlight.