introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Harvest Festival celebration
when: The month of November.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

harvest festival

In the days leading up to November 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Harvest Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the harvest season and autumn, as the moon transitions into its winter period, and is characterized by indulging in the plenty that comes with the harvest season with loved ones, cleaning house figuratively and literally, and making sure that those in need don't suffer during the winter. Celebrations tend to focus around food and charity, with citizens enjoying and sharing cultural meals and sharing stories, or participating in any of the wide range of charity projects and events going on during this season.

a celebration of sharing

The biggest traditions of the Harvest Festival are centered around giving and sharing. Charity is central, and the each year the city sets up a large open tent with warm places to rest for anyone who might be homeless and a table capable of sitting over 50 people at any given time, with a round-the-clock catered feast for anyone who wants to sit and have a meal with anyone else who's dropped by. Besides this, there are a wide variety of events benefiting charities in the city, including a karaoke concert, stray animal round up, and the annual "stuff swap" where residents clean their homes and donate anything they don't need to those who might be lacking. There is also a tradition of writing down repressed or bottled up thoughts, feelings, regrets, sins, and other troubles and tossing them into a bonfire to go into winter with a clean soul.

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

For the first few days of November, anyone dropping by the city center will notice a large tent structure being put into place - by November 3rd, as the last of October's ghosts fade into nonexistence, a veritable banquet hall will have been sent up. For a week following the setup, anyone who drops by the hall and steps inside will see a large table laden with food. Bread, stew, fruits and vegetables, soups, roasted meat, and almost anything else one can think of will be on the table, along with plates, silverware, and cups. Anyone is free to take a plate, settle down at the table, and help themselves to a meal.

The Feast is staffed entirely by volunteers, who do the cooking, cleaning, and tidy up the dishes and area afterwards, keeping the constant stream of food coming. Whether your character is heading in to sit beside a stranger and strike up a conversation, or volunteering their time, energy, or cooking skills to the hall, they're more than welcome.

One corner of the hall is entirely dedicated to the yearly "stuff swap." There's a long-standing tradition of fall cleaning in Riverview Quarantine, where residents will thoroughly clean their homes and rid themselves of excess in preparation for the winter. The extra things that aren't needed can be dropped off at the city center where the Feast is set up, and anyone who is in need of a particular item that has been donated can take it free of charge. This is an honor system, so please be kind to others! (Or don't.)

ii. charity karaoke

On the weekend of November 10th and 11th, while the Feast will be cleared away, the tent is being repurposed for a new event - a Karaoke Concert for the needy! Set up as a makeshift bar and lounge area, the space will be fronted by a large stage where singles or groups of people can choose a song and karaoke their hearts out to a crowd of spectators. There's a by-donation cover fee, and guests are encouraged to reward the best (or most hilariously bad) renditions of beloved songs from across the multiverse with digital "tips" that are transferred to the karaoke performer's charity of choice.

Whether you're a spectator tipping a performer, or a performer who's singing their heart out on the stage to benefit a variety of charities from the homeless to the animal shelter to children in need (and almost anything else you can think of), the Karaoke Concert is both hilarious and heartwarming.

iii. stray animal roundup

One of the main charity events that seems to happen every year is the stray roundup. As the seasons turn and it gets colder and colder at night, many residents who have a soft spot for animals band together to round up as many stray animals as possible and take them to shelters where they can be rehabilitated, given a warm bath, fed, and have a safe place to sleep. Volunteers take to the streets with crates and nets or restraining poles as well as generous bags of treats of food to entice the strays with, and capture them safely to be brought back to the various animal shelters around the Quarantine. Any animal who's caught is put up for adoption, and volunteers are encouraged to take home any strays that they bond particularly well with, or are invited to foster animals in their homes.

Whether your character is a die-hard animal lover, looking for a new pet, or just wants some wacky hijinks trying to chase a wily critter around the streets, they'll be suited up with supplies by other volunteers and released into the fray. The most common animals to be found are cats, dogs, and small domesticated foxes, but feel free to assume that your character is rounding up a reptile, rodent, bird, or a domesticated alien critter. Playing a thread with this prompt is a great opportunity to get a cute alien pet for your character without spending AP.

iv. letting go

On the evening of November 15th, a series of large bonfires will be set up all along the beaches of the river, and as the night falls, people begin migrating to the beaches from all over the city carrying slips of paper in a wide variety of colors with words written on them in a wide variety of languages, and throwing them into the fires. This is a way of psychologically and emotionally cleaning house for the residents of the Quarantine, because the papers they bring contain the stories of their pain, poems written about the feelings they bottle up, a venting of their anger and fear and resentment, all to be eaten up by the flames and washed away by the river with the next rain.

No matter where a person comes from, they carry pain and suffering and hurts that they must hide. This is a welcome opportunity for characters to write out their thoughts and feelings and release them. And if the symbolism of burning them isn't enough, there are always other people around the fires who are willing to listen, to hear all those things that people keep locked up inside. Share a story willingly, listen to someone's story, or just get caught holding your deepest darkest secrets on a really vulnerable piece of paper...it's up to you.

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 the mod-posted prompt to create a Communal Housing floor mingle. Or, if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the Harvest Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i & iii: Bastien Grivet; image ii & iv: unknown (stock/hobbiton)

navigation

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Clumsily, he switches the beer bottle to his other hand in an effort to keep it away from her.

Not that it'll help, if Gamora really had a mind to take it from him. But, hey, it's worth a try. ]

I just got this one, man.

[godslay]

[ For the moment, Gamora lets him keep the beer away from her – but that's probably temporary. ]

And you still think you need more?

[ She's already anticipating carrying him home for the night; one more might be one too many. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

I think I should at least get to finish this one.

[ And he lifts the bottle to his lips, taking a swig. ]

You're the one who got it for me.

[godslay]

[ She looks like she's weighing the reasons why she might continue to insist that he leave it, but... ]

Fine, finish that one. Then we should head home.

[ It's gotten late, after all, and they've already been here for a while; Gamora's ready to call it a night. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He takes another pull from the bottle. ]

And when we get back to the ship— [ A slip of the tongue, thanks to the booze. ] —you're gonna sing for me, right?

[godslay]

The "ship," Peter?

[ Which is carefully neither a "yes" nor a "no" to his question. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah.

[ But he frowns, because that's a weird thing for her to ask. Eventually the gears in his head grind to life, and he says, ]

Wait, no.

[ A lengthier pause. ]

... wait, what'd I say?

[godslay]

You said, "when we get back to the ship."

[ He must be that drunk by this point. ]

That isn't where we live.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He lets out a dismissive sort of snort. ]

Y'know what I meant.

[ Obviously. ]

You're changin' the subject, and it ain't gonna work. I got laser-guided focus, 'Mora.

[godslay]

Changing the subject from what?

[ Can she confuse drunk-Peter enough to forget about singing? Probably not, but it's worth a try. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

The singin'.

[ sorry not sorry, Gamora. ]

You pinky swore.

[godslay]

Yes, I did.

[ And, apparently, that's not going to slip his mind, no matter how drunk he gets. ]

So, yes, when we get back, I'll sing for you.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He pulls back just far enough to flash her a hundred-watt grin, then—

He slams back the beer bottle with all the aplomb one might expect of a former Ravager.

He sighs loudly, satisfied, as he finishes the last of his beer, swaying a little as he deposits the empty bottle onto the counter. ]

Okay. 'M good. Let's go.

[godslay]

[ C h a r m i n g.

Gamora puts enough distance between them that he has all the room he needs to pound his beer, but once he's finished and swaying, her hand is back at his waist to make sure he doesn't topple to the floor. ]

Can you even walk?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He scoffs out, affronted, a hand pressing to his chest. ]

What kinda question is that?

[ And the words run together, thick and clumsy. ]

I could dance, if I wanted to.

[ (He could even leave his friends behind.

'Cause his friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well— they're no friends of mine.)

Peter isn't entirely sure why he has "Safety Dance" running through his head, but there it is. He'll have to puzzle it over some other time, because right now, he's busying himself with standing on a ground that just refuses to stay still for him. ]

[godslay]

[ Peter is very clearly the opposite of steady right now, and Gamora is quick to insert herself against his side before he can collapse. ]

If you try dancing right now, you are going to end up on the floor, Peter.

[ Which is something she is completely convinced of. ]

Just lean on me, and we’ll leave.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ It's instinct that makes Peter throw an arm around Gamora's shoulders, but when he glances down, he looks startled, like he's not entirely sure when, exactly, she got there. ]

Man, you're fast. How d'you do that?

[godslay]

Just because you're too intoxicated to pay attention doesn't mean I've lost any of my ability.

[ Gamora's skills: now being used to keep idiots from faceplanting into the floor.

With her arm around his waist, she starts herding him towards the exit. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Please. I pay plenty of attention to you.

[ Though as she ushers him toward the exit, he lets out a mournful sigh. Obviously he was having fun, and obviously he still wants Gamora to uphold her end of the bargain, but that doesn't mean he can't be sad they're leaving. ]

We should do this again, huh?

[ There are bound to be other karaoke joints in the Quarantine. ]

[godslay]

Which part – the singing or the drinking?

[ Since there are other places they can drink, and the karaoke aspect is different.

Once they’re out into the night air, a cool breeze greets them. It’s actually nice, compared to the tent they left behind, and she pauses to adjust her hold on Peter. ]

Do not knock us over.

[ And then she’s leading Peter towards the tram. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Yep.

[ And he says the word brightly, popping the "p."

He does not, in fact, knock them over, but he does shift the arm he's thrown over her shoulders. He's more or less draped over her, grinning and spluttering with laughter whenever Gamora catches him after a stumble.

(At the very least, Peter's a happy drunk.)

The ride on the tram is a little precarious, though, with the ground already proving mutinous – add a rocking tram to the equation, and you have Peter with one hand loosely wrapped around the grab handle hanging from the tram's ceiling, depending less on that than he is on Gamora holding him upright. (Sorry, Gamora.)

On the bright side, the trek back is set to the colorful soundtrack of Peter singing loudly and marginally on key – a medley of half-remembered songs, including such hits as, "Isn't She Lovely," "Burning Love," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

The current track as they enter the housing building? ]

I've got sooooooo much heartache, the bees envy meee—

[ He's obviously talkin' 'bout "My Girl."

(My girl!)

He also totally hit that high note. Praise him. ]

[godslay]

[ There have been enough occasions where Gamora has hauled Peter home when he can't stand entirely by his own power, so this isn't exactly a new experience. However, the addition of musical numbers is more unusual.

Peter is lucky she doesn't leave him in a ditch somewhere, honestly.

(At this point, she wouldn't, but months ago? She might have considered it more seriously.)

She keeps him from collapsing or turning into a Peter Quill-shaped puddle on the tram, and by some miracle, they make it back to housing. ]

Keep your voice down in here; people are probably trying to sleep.

[ She shakes her head at him with a half-hidden smile as she leads him to the elevators. ]

You're in a mood.

[ A musical one, apparently.

(And the song choices also haven't skipped her notice.) ]

[nostalgiabomb]

'M in a good mood.

[ Half agreement, half correction, and he grins at her as the elevator doors slide open. They step in, and Peter presses against Gamora's side more heavily, nosing at her hair. ]

I get to hang out with my favorite person. 'Course I'm in a good mood.

[godslay]

Your "favorite person?"

[ That doesn't make her smile (yes, it does), but she has to change the way she's holding him again as he presses up against her. ]

Peter, you're going to knock us over.

[ She has excellent balance and strength, sure, but if he goes down, he might just take her with him.

Or at least run them into the wall. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

My favorite person.

[ This time, it's full agreement, hardly noticing when Gamora shifts to accommodate his weight. Her warning, though, catches his attention, and he lets out a soft, annoyed huff as he pulls back a little.

Petulantly, ] Am not.

[ Then again, he's hardly making Gamora's job easy on her, as the elevator helpfully announces their floor. The door slides open, and when the two of them stagger out— ]

Darlin', youuuu send me—

[ Apparently he's done with "My Girl" and has moved on to the musical styling of Sam Cooke. ]