riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

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)

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I grew accustomed to being believed.

[ It's not sullen or sulky, just a little tired as he sits down and feels Freyja napping around his neck like a gaudy ornament. Billy's thrills are charming to see surface. ]

There's a Stephen here from Earth-199999 too, as well as a bevvy of that universe's Avengers and their own Asgardians. We went to that world for two days while travelling interdimensionally via Chavez's foot, remember, the one with barely any heroes?

You'll have to forgive me for still being stuck on the whole God of Mischief and Lies thing. ( at the very least, he looks mildly less pissed off and angry, and much more interested in. everything else. billy takes the chair across from loki, adjusts the fox in his arms to pull him up closer, fingers moving to scratch under his chin. )

There were quite a few of them without many heroes. ( or any. or full of terrifying, horrendous corpses laying around, overrun by villains and strange robots alike. ) But I'm pretty sure I know which one you're referring to.

Where'd all your furry and slithery friends come from?

[ If anyone else made such a fuss about his designations on the godly circuit, Loki would fire back with a torrent of arguments, but this is Billy; he has every right to hold those aspects against him. More reason than most in modern times, anyway, so Loki holds his tongue until the subject shifts and glances away to the menagerie, cats and foxes hopping over the public square, drinking from the fountain, serpents sunning themselves on benches and curled before open books on the street that someone has left for them. ]

There was a call to round up strays and deliver them into shelters before the harsh weather hits, these are the ones that answered me. I told them I would let them eat and hang out before I took them to their new home, and here they are. They know I won't let anyone hurt them. [ In the blink of an eye his face shapeshifts into that of an anthropomorphic fox and in Billy's lap the mage's furry friend squeals, wagging his tail. Loki's whiskers twitch. ] They're unafraid.

[ And then he looks at Billy to see which reaction he has. ]

( a smile cracks at the edges of his lips when loki changes his face, but billy's quick to press them tight together to keep the laughter at bay. it's not that his shifting is funny. it's cute. fingers move to rub along the fox's cheeks as it gives a louder noise, petting it softly even as his attention remains focused on loki.

where he'd been tense before--angry, upset, more than a little pissed off at loki himself--billy lets himself soften up a bit. lets muscles relax, leans back in the chair to get himself a little more comfortable. it's not that anything has changed. but it's loki, so he doesn't really expect him to change. )

So you brought them to a cafe? What kind of food were you intending to feed them?

I let them order whatever they wanted, obviously. It cost quite a bit ...

[ Freyja stirs around his neck, sniffing his furry ruff. It itches a bit when she does that and he waves her away, the indignant snake sliding down his arm to investigate Billy, scenting the air around him. ]

She's the only one who lives with me. Months ago I called the shelters but they weren't very enthused about taking on a poisonous viper, so I keep her at the Sanctum. [ Scratching behind a tufted ear, Loki shrugs. ] Her name is Freyja.

[ Yeah, he named a deadly lizard after his mom. Irony. ]

You named her after your mother. ( statement rather than a question. he sees the irony, thank you. still, he extends a hand out to the snake, offers it to her with his palm up. snakes and foxes aren't exactly common household pets in new york, but it worked well enough with the fox, right? billy imagines his mother's reaction to him holding a hand out to a poisonous snake would probably not be very pleasant, but she's loki's snake. it's fine. ) Nice to meet you, Freyja.

( while he keeps himself slouched over towards the snake, his gaze shifts up to refocus on loki himself. ) Did you give them all names, or just the one?

I think that's Edgar in your lap. Or Elliot, I'm not a pro at this.

[ Freyja coils around Billy's wrist in approval, hissing at Loki whose concentration slips as he wrinkles his nose. Back to being a man, he hushes her. ]

No, he isn't. [ More hissing begets more frowning. ] That's not his fault.

I thought the rule of thumb was once you name something, you have to keep it. ( this is fine, she can have his wrist. he wasn't using it for anything in particular. )

My parseltongue's a little rusty. ( or nonexistent. ) But from the one-sided conversation I'm getting here, I'm guessing she's mad I'm not the other Billy.

Actually she asked if you were family, then insisted you smelled like me. [ What can you do when magical shenanigans are involved? He chins a hand and enjoys the sight of Billy being piled on, all they need now is a cat. ] You can rename him if you want to adopt the furball on your lap.

I was more thinking of your room, all decorated in Asgardian relics, full of cat trees covered in foxes, snakes, and cats--and the dozens of bowls it'd take to feed them all lining the carpets.

( being suffocated by animals is entirely acceptable. billy slowly pulls his wrist back, pulls the snake in closer. ) I haven't even met my roommates yet. What if they don't like animals? And then I'd have to remember to take him to the vet, buy his food, take him on walks. . Sometimes I barely remember to do that for myself. That's a big commitment I'm not sure I'm ready for.

My room has one tank and that's for her ladyship there, she's my guard-snake.

[ The rest of that description is pretty spot on though, he's been busy pilfering artefacts and relics from all over the moon. ]

Besides, that fox has lived on the streets. I'm sure he'd survive if you forgot to feed him.

Do you really need a guard-snake in the Sanctum? ( now that he thinks about it--does loki even need a guard animal? he probably has layers of layers of protection spells on anything important. )

He'd survive, maybe. But the guilt of having forgotten to feed him would eat me alive. And I don't even have a job yet. Then there's the roommates. .

She's excellent at her job, of course I need her.

[ He doesn't need a guard-anything, but. Reasons. ]

You could live at the Sanctum with me. Us.

[ ... That sure did come out impulsively. ]

N-- ( the denial starts automatically, and a clear rejection's most likely the best route to go; he's lived in the same space ship as loki before, sure, but that was under different circumstances. he has a different room, now. somewhere else to be that doesn't include setting off mother's handiwork. on the other hand, they're taking about doctor strange's sanctum.

doctor strange's. so he's not even sure if loki should be offering in the first place, considering it's not his. at the very least, he stops his mouth from running before saying anything, right? billy adjusts the fox in his arms, lowers him a bit so he can free the hand the snake's not wrapped around and. gently run his fingers over her snout. good snake. )

I don't trust you. Why should I come live with you? ( aand there goes his foot, straight into his mouth. )

[ A fair question. The hesitance to outright refuse the offer is surely a sign of how good Billy is, lenient when he should be harsh. Could be. ]

Out of trust, Billy. There's no reason I can offer up to convince you, all I can say is that [ peering with intent green eyes, ] I've missed having you around.

Out of trust that I don't have for you. ( it's one thing to use him for his power, to tell him if he's gone, the spell's gone and lie about it. to convince billy self-sacrificing is basically the only way to get rid of an inter-dimensional parasite. the doubt he put in teddy is an entirely different story. it's--even worse, because billy can't even say loki's wrong. loki--hasn't lost him entirely, not yet. even if he did severely piss billy off. )

It's not even your house. ( a deep breath in. ) But I'll come by. ( because of course he will. )

[ Trust can be won; Loki is eager to try again if Billy is ... and that seems to be the case, thankfully. ]

Cool. [ Deliberately making light of the situation, he turns his attention to Freyja who perks up in short order. ] Lead the beasts to the shelters, please. I'm stealing Billy for a ... tour.

[ A glances checks with Billy that he can, while Freyja slithers off the table and heads up the street, her hisses somehow gathering up the rabble in her wake. ]

If you want to come back to the Sanctum and check it out, that is.

( things he never thought he would witness: a snake leading a heard of cats, foxes, and other snakes down the road. billy takes a moment to pull his phone out of his pocket, open the camera app, and take a quick few snaps because it's too perfect not to. getting to his feet is hard, because there's still the fox, but--a gentle nudge to get him off is all it takes. )

Yeah, I'm coming. ( who could ever reject getting a tour of the sanctum. )

[ May thieve those pics later and reupload them, oops. Without preamble, he holds out his hands. ]

The wards are a spicy blend of Stephen's and mine, you can't teleport in without getting hexed with nausea ... You'll need to hold onto me as I take us so the Sanctum doesn't figure you're breaking and entering.

( there's just a moment's hesitation, before he's reaching forward and placing his hands in loki's own. )

Okay, but if I end up puking regardless, I'm going to make sure it gets all over your shoes. Just saying.

Nothing bad will happen when you arrive through the means of my magic, I promise. Whyever would I stop myself high-tailing it home?

[ A swell of light surrounds them and in a green flash the world becomes darker, quieter, open air exchanged for panelled walls in an ornate atrium with a grand staircase. The Sanctum is quiet, but never quiet silent. A dozing beast.

Billy's hands are released after a sway and Loki heads down a corridor, ignoring the stairs, an eye on the other's reaction. ]

I'm down this way.

( loki wouldn't. but the amount of effort it takes to make billy nauseated enough to vomit is rather low. if they're surrounded by hexes meant to ward off intruders and he's considered one, that's--bound to be at least a little messy. it doesn't happen, and billy's inside the sanctum.

there are stars in his eyes as he looks around the open space, feels the hum of the building deep in his bones, the magic. it's been several months since they started flying around on noh-varr's ship; the moon was a different environment, sure. not entirely unwelcome either, but not quite as absolutely amazing as being here. loki releases his hands and starts down a corridor, but billy's a little busy taking it all in. the scent, the shape of it, the thrum in his veins.

it's not until loki speaks that his head actually turns towards him, feet padding lightly against the floor as he follows. )

Can we check out upstairs after?

Sure, [ creeping around this place without Stephen knowing about it has become a speciality, ] as long as you stay within eye-sight. There's an acidic bathroom that I wouldn't want you to stumble into, that sort of thing.

[ The mysticism wears off a little as they reach the renovated areas, passing a kitchen who chained-and-locked fridge is screaming, winding their way down corridors that loop and twist without seeming end. ]

You've truly never been here before?

( man these hallways are long, but that's fine; it just gives billy more to stop and stare at, doesn't it? each twist and turn brings them to someplace new, with newer things on the walls, and more things for him to get distracted by. he does, however, manage to keep pace with loki even when his head't turning to check everything out. )

No? I mean I've met Doctor Strange of course. . but there hasn't been a good opportunity to stop and say "hey, Strange, can you take me back to your Sanctum so I can oogle all your things?" ( or if there was, it was during that period of time when billy was busy sightseeing out his window and not moving. )

Sounds a little more like sugar daddy territory when you put it like that.

[ Chuckling to himself, Loki stops at one of the nondescript doors and clutches the knob, turning to face Billy before they enter. ]

Firstly, I don't make a habit of bringing home boys, and secondly, this is the only room in the Sanctum where Stephen can't hear us. Are you comfortable being alone in here with me?

[ He would be remiss if he didn't ask and doesn't want this subject to turn ugly later. Billy deserves the honest truth about every aspect of what he's getting himself into, Loki owes him that. ]

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