riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Flower Festival Celebration
when: April 2nd - April 15th
where: In several different locations in the downtown area of the Inhabited City.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

flower festival

In the days leading up to April 2nd, residents new and old may notice advertising around the city, everywhere from digital screens to paper flyers pasted on blank walls, all advertising an upcoming holiday: The Flower Festival. Celebrating springtime, beauty, joy, and togetherness, the festival heavily features floral themes and dancing. The advertising mentions that on April 10th, a paid holiday, there will be a Blossom Picnic, as well as lists of various public dances at clubs or other open venues, and adult raves.

a celebration of spring

The Flower Festival's main event is the Blossom Picnic on April 10th, but it also features traditions of sharing food and drink, and dancing that span over the course of the whole two weeks. There are a large variety of events going on throughout the city, from dancing lessons in any wide variety of traditional dances, to old-fashioned sock hops, to adult raves complete with mild party drugs. Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own event at any point during the festival, and if your character creates an event and hosts it in a top-level, you can submit that thread for extra bonus points.

i. blossom picnic

The main event that kicks off the second week of the Flower Festival is the Blossom Picnic on April 10th. A relaxed and low-key event, it draws several thousand people every year to the spacious Riverview Central Park, where there is a generous lawn lined with various blossoming trees, and families, found families, lovers, and groups of friends are encouraged to lay out a picnic blanket and share food. There will be live bands playing (but not loudly enough to distract from conversation and peacefully watching the petals flutter in the wind), a variety of demonstrations of traditional cultural dances from many different realities and planets, and a ton of ice cream vendors. This is an excellent festival not only for celebrating togetherness with the people who are already important, but for mingling and making new friends.

Characters may either pack their own lunches or they can purchase pre-packed Blossom Festival lunches. Stores and street markets are carrying a wide variety of specialty food that is only available at this time of year - predominantly pastries, an assortment of types of candies, and ice cream treats all in various floral flavors, as well as a sort of ambrosia salad based around a sweet rose-flavored cream and a native fruit that is bright green and tastes like a combination of peach and citrus.

ii. dancing lessons

Starting on April 2nd, there will be dancing lessons offered almost everywhere you look! From partner dances to group dances to line dances; sexy and sensual or innocent and childlike - almost any type of dance you can imagine is represented, from any reality or planet that has people in Riverview Quarantine.

Additionally, the Riverview Central Community Center has multiple rooms blocked off so anyone who knows a dance from home can teach it to others in their community - sharing is caring, after all. Characters are welcome to block off one of these rooms and offer lessons in any dance they happen to know from home (and these sorts of thread starters would be eligible for the mingle AC Point bonus)!

iii. flower festival dancing

This is pretty simply what it says on the tin - in almost every club, community center, or other public space, there will be dancing at almost all hours of the day or night, formal and informal. Musicians bring out their instruments and play in the street for demonstrations of cultural dances and music at the same time as clubs are offering VIP cover charges for exclusive dances, and you can find anything in between.

There are also many low-cover-charge raves that allow under-18s so younger characters can stay up all night and dance like crazy. The legal drinking age in Riverview Quarantine is 14, and so anyone over 14 can enter and indulge in a few drinks, dancing, and playing tag with a non-intoxicating version of the colored powder featured at the adult raves. There is copious amounts of security on site to ensure that everyone is safe, as well as nurses and off-duty police officers to offer advice or care for anyone who overindulges out of lack of experience.

Grab a partner, a group of friends, or just cruise and mingle the various dancing events.

Characters may also notice that most of the street markets and clothing shops are offering clothing that features floral patterns, flowers as accessories, and that show a lot of skin - for men, women, and anyone in between!

iv. adult raves

Advertised on flyers and digital screens around the city, made to pop as if they were under blacklight, is a series of adult raves that are happening in various large empty warehouse spaces around the city, including one that is listed as the danger rave and hosted in an abandoned factory outside the inhabited city walls. With bouncers at the door to ensure that anyone entering is 18+, the raves are comfortably adult in nature. Clothing is optional, showing skin is encouraged, and there are a lot of neatly tucked away spaces for attendees to get some time alone with one or more than one person, as well as spaces intended for orgies. The atmosphere is sex-positive and non-judgemental, open to any orientation or preference, with various forms of protection available for free, however, to ensure that everyone plays safe there are sober security teams out en masse at all premises to oversee the events.

(CW: DRUG USE) In each location, there is one specific room where attendees can enter, and dance or play tag with brightly colored powder that contains small amounts of a legal party drug commonly available in Riverview, which is absorbed through the skin. Not much more intoxicating than having a few beers, the effects of the drug are a pleasant low-key buzzing euphoria, positive sensitivity to touch, a heightening of desires for intimacy, and a mild lowering of inhibitions. Once a character has been hit with the powder, the color lingers on the skin so other attendees can know who has partaken, but once the powder makes contact with a surface it deactivates, meaning that partakers can safely dance with non-partakers without sharing the intoxicating effects.

Please be sure to warn in subject lines for any threads involving drug use. And remember, there is always security to intervene and make sure everyone is safe.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to set up headers for a communal floor, or threads open to roommates for the purpose of getting to know each other. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set at the Flower Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: third image by Steve Goad; other images found on uncredited on Pinterest or Google images - please let the mod know if you find credit!

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[It's difficult not to be in a good mood with everyone so happy and having a good time, that Yuuri finds himself replying with a touch of amusement--] What gave it away?

[And then he's choking a little when he sees who he's actually talking to. Jim??]

Sorry! [Yuuri's eyes dart to the side, giving away his sudden nervousness. Should he say something, he wonders? The familiar faces here have been about 50/50 in terms of remembering him, and he's never sure anymore.] You...you just surprised me, that's all.

[ Jim more than welcomes that amusement to the tone, and he doesn't look the least bit offended by it. He does, however, look a hint surprised at the sudden sputtering and nervousness that comes from the guy next to him. Glancing over at him, he raises an eyebrow, lips quirking humorously. ]

Did I? Don't tell me I'm that ugly.

[ Juuuust kidding, he knows he isn't. ]

[Almost immediately, Yuuri waves his hands in denial.]

N-no, that's not the case at all! [A tiny pause as he realizes he's essentially calling Jim good-looking...which isn't a lie, but Yuuri isn't exactly straight forward about these thing normally.] You reminded me of someone.

[Cautiously, he watches Jim, waiting for a reaction of some sort. He thinks he knows what the result's going to be since Jim's expression lacks any familiarity at all, but some part of him doesn't want to drop it without testing it once.]

[ Well, directly or not, Jim appreciates the compliment of sorts, although he spares him the further embarrassment of teasing him about it. Lucky for Yuuri that Jim doesn't remember him, or he definitely would've.

Also luckily for Yuuri, this isn't the first time that someone in this place recognizes him, either by face or by name, so when Yuuri says that, he nods faintly, eyebrows raising. ]

I've been getting that a lot since I got here. [ And he doesn't look especially bothered or shocked, so— ] Does the name Jim Kirk ring any bells?

[Yuuri's eyes narrow slightly as he studies Jim's expression for a second.]

Yes. [He finally admits, shoulders tensing up slightly, though it's a bit of a relief not having to pretend he doesn't know Jim at all. If someone's already talked to him, and he's asking, then there isn't any harm, is there?] We knew each other in this other universe--the one I came from before the portal brought me here.

[Now that it's all out there, Yuuri bites his lip.] You...aren't weirded out by all this?

[ Jim looks neither surprised nor upset by all of it. In fact he takes it all with the ease of someone who's clearly heard it before, and when Yuuri asks him if he's not weirded out, he grins and huffs out a chuckle. ]

Believe me, I've stopped being weirded out by alternate realities and parallel universes a long time ago. [ Eyebrow raised, he tips his head a little, pausing a moment before he asks. ] Was it on the Eluvio, by any chance?

[Even without him saying anything, the stunned look on his face gives Jim the answer right away.]

I--yeah, actually, that's right. [Finally, some of the tension leaves him, and he gives Jim a tiny smile.] I was on the ship called Eluvio before the portal pulled me here, and so were you. Um, you're not the first person I've run into that's forgotten everything, though.

[His expression turns just slightly bashful.] Have you...do you know if Dr. McCoy is here, too? I know the two of you are close. [And he thinks it'd be a shame for them to be separated, even if Jim doesn't remember anything of Eluvio.]

Edited 2017-04-13 22:34 (UTC)

And you're not the first person I've met here who knew me there. Or a version of me, anyway.

[ Which is obvious and didn't need to be said, since Jim already knew about the place and everything.

Jim nods instantly when Yuuri mentions the doctor. Re-L had mentioned him being there too, so this comes as no surprise. ]

Yes, actually. He's here too. Call it a funny coincidence. [ Or a suspicious coincidence. Not that Jim's about to complain. ] I take it you met him back there, so I probably don't need to warn you he doesn't actually bite.

[From the way his eyes fill with amusement, Jim's words definitely don't come as a surprise.]

He was a little intimidating at first. [A grin tugs at his lips as he admits this.] Um, but he offered to teach me some first aid basics when he didn't have to. He's...kind, underneath the prickly exterior, I think.

[Yuuri knows a couple people like that.]

[ Jim's smile is warm and it grows into a hint of a lopsided grin. He nods in quick agreement to everything Yuuri says about the doctor. ]

Sounds just like him. I'm glad you didn't let the mean grumpy scowl get to you. Loses its edge when you know he's all soft on the inside. Kind of like... a fluffy angry owl.

[ But, you know, don't go telling on him to the doctor. ]

[Yuuri chokes on a laugh, then slaps a hand over his mouth, wide-eyed and sheepish at his own reaction.]

A fluffy angry owl?

[...it isn't entirely inaccurate, from what he knows of the doctor, which probably makes the image even more hilarious.]

Yeah! You know— like this.

[ He fills up his cheeks with air and knits his eyebrows together in a deep, intense frown, eyes wide and expression twisted into something completely ridiculous. He manages to hold it for a second or two at best, then blows the air out noisily as he breaks into laughter. ]

Don't tell him about this. He'd have my head for making fun of him.

[It's utterly ridiculous, but it still draws another laugh or two out of Yuuri. There is something of the doctor in the knitted brows, though Jim's right that he wouldn't be too happy about the comparison.]

Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. [When he finally lets his hand drop back to his side, his smile's much more relaxed than it was before.] Um, I know you're okay with all this, but do you think Dr. McCoy will, too?

[He can't deny that it'd be nice to keep in touch with both of them again, memories or not.]

[ If it gets Yuuri to relax a little more, then Jim looking like an idiot serves its purpose. Jim might not remember Yuuri, nor know just how close exactly they were, but he likes people feeling at ease around him, and he knows Bones will appreciate it too. ]

Yeah, he'll be fine, trust me. You don't need to worry about it. I'm assuming you got along with us, right? So no reason not to tell him.

Yeah. [Something like relief flickers in his eyes. Though he'd hoped this would be the case, it's still nice to get confirmation.]

That's...good. I'd like to continue my lessons with him. [Yuuri fidgets with the ring on his right ring finger in a nervous gesture.] I'm still not too familiar with combat situations, and learning first aid makes me feel like I could help if something went wrong.

I'm sure he'll be delighted to. He'll probably grouse and argue he makes for a crappy teacher, but he can get really passionate about the things he cares about.

[ Medicine being one of them. And someone taking an interest in that, even from a more practical angle? He was sure to be glad about it to some degree. it's anyone's guess whether he'd show it or not, though. ]

You expect to be in a lot of combat situations? [ Jim knits his eyebrows slightly. Sure, he heard about the monsters crawling underneath the city a few weeks past, but all in all the colony seems fairly peaceful.

Then again, he probably should know better than to get that comfortable. Who knows what might yet end up happening in this place. ]

I just want to be prepared. [The idea of combat still doesn't sit very well with him, even after his months in the other universe. This isn't the kind of environment he's grown up in, after all.

Yuuri sighs quietly, looking pained as his gaze meets Jim's again.]

I'd like to avoid dangerous situations altogether, but I've learned that I can't assume staying away is going to be enough anymore. The danger's come to us a few times before, and I don't want to be caught off guard if it happens again.

[He cares too much about Viktor and his friends to bury his head in the sand like he wants to.]

[ Jim nods. He can understand that, really. Even though it looks like a relatively peaceful place so far, it's also an unfamiliar one. Nothing is to say that something terrible won't happen and they'll find themselves having to fight for their lives, and it's smart to prepare for that eventuality.

His attention's captured by the last remark, and he turns a little more towards Yuuri, far more interested in the conversation than the music or dancing now. ]

You mean on the Eluvio, right? What happened there?

Yeah, on the Eluvio.

[He exhales, looking for a second like he'd rather not talk about it. But--it's only fair, when he'd basically dropped so much on Jim in the first place.]

Well, the main one was... there was someone on board who was killing other passengers. They still hadn't been caught by the time this new portal brought me here.

[ Jim can tell right away it's not something Yuuri wants to talk about, and he can see why the moment he speaks up. He wouldn't, either. Still, he appreciates that Yuuri shares that, but he doesn't plan on pushing for more. Not like it'll change anything, now. They can't exactly fix an issue happening literally on another universe. ]

Well, at least you're out of there. As am I— in a way. [ Granted, it might've been an alternate version of him, but if he focuses on that he'll only depress himself. ] Is there anyone else here that came from the Eluvio? I've only met you and a girl called Re-L so far. You know her?

It's a relief that you and Dr. McCoy are here, too. [That much he can admit readily. Though he wouldn't wish harm on anyone who had been on board, the more selfish part of him is glad that the people he'd grown to care about are also safe now.]

Re-L's here? [That pulls another smile out of him.] I know her. She's a friend. Oh, um. There's one other person--Viktor's from my world. We...somehow managed to stay together again when this portal pulled us in.

Must've really been some place, for you to say that. [ If only because being glad that someone was pretty much snatched into some alternate universe and is currently more or less stuck on a quarantine city on some moon seems like a weird sentiment. Not enough for Jim to hold it against Yuuri, because he understands where he's coming from. ]

Kinda like me and Bones, then? Except you two remember the Eluvio. [ Then again he might not even be the same version as the Jim Kirk who was on the Eluvio, so there's that. ] These portals must really love you and your friend, huh.

Oh. [It hits Yuuri then, what his words had sounded like, and his eyes widen.] I-I'm sorry, I just meant--I worry about everyone that I met there. We have no idea what's happening to the rest of the passengers still there.

[Then, he sighs.] It does seem that way, with two portals so close together. I hope this is the last one.

[Mostly because he doesn't know when their luck is going to run out when it comes to staying together.]

[ Jim offers Yuuri a smile, shaking his head. ] It's alright. I know what you meant, don't worry.

[ He'd have felt the same, in that position. Between two alternate universes, he'd rather the people he cares about are stuck in one where things are safer and more peaceful, even if they're just as trapped. ]

Except for maybe going home? [ Posed as a question, because who knows if Yuuri's world is even a better option than this. Jim can easily imagine that given the choice, some people might actually prefer staying here. ]

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introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

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