monthly mingle: SAMPREMI

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: sampremi
when: The month of March.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: there will likely be nsfw content; please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

sampremi

In the days leading up to March 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Sampremi. This is one of Riverview's four yearly celebrations of love, this one focused on sexual love and lust, and sexual relationships that might bloom into more (or not). Traditions associated with Sampremi are a roving street market, raves where residents can seek out some free love and get a little crazy, a massive week-long kink convention, and a tech expo with all-ages and adult options.

a celebration of sexual love and lust

Riverview has always been a place focused on love and building connections in order to foster community, and for a lot of people, sex is part of that, which makes it something worth celebrating! For people who use sex as a way to connect with others, even if only for a short time, or those who use it as a way to connect on a deeper level with the ones they already love, Sampremi is the perfect holiday to get their freak on in a host of new and exciting or comfortable and familiar ways. The holiday features a large kink convention, where various entities in the city can show off their toys, explain their niche kinks, and share their insights with anyone who might be interested, a series of raves that are both all-ages and adult where residents can find someone(s) to share a night (or a week, a few months, or even a life) with. This year, there is a large tech expo where cutting edge tech companies in the city are sharing their newest toys, like improved virtual reality, robotics advances, and many other types of toys - all for work, play, or, in the spirit of the holiday, pleasure. And for those who don't want to connect through sex or who aren't old enough to, there are dances, games, and an entire market full of street food that's meant for sharing, so they can connect in other ways.

● OOC NOTE: Please be sure to warn in subject lines for any threads involving sexual content, drug use or other content that fellow players may wish to avoid, and do not use the prompt mechanics to circumvent consent in your threads, as non-consensual sex is not permitted on the game communities. Items such as aphrodisiacs, VR, or party drugs mentioned in the prompts are intended to facilitate consensual sex, not to encourage sexual assault, or to 'trick' characters into having sex that they would not normally have. ICly, please remember that there is always security to intervene and make sure everyone is safe.

i. color raves

Advertised on flyers and digital screens around the city, made to pop as if they were under blacklight, is a series of what's called "color raves" that are happening in various large empty warehouse spaces around the city. They are called color raves for the bright colorful lights, the preponderance of glowsticks that attendees wave around, and for the brightly colored powder for attendees to play with, some of which is spiked with a mild party drug and some of which is just for fun (with the difference clearly marked, of course). There are three types of color rave - adult, all-ages, and youth raves.

(CW: DRUG USE) At each adult rave and all-ages rave there is one specific room where attendees can enter (after proving themselves 18+), 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 (whether it is skin, clothing, or structural) it deactivates, meaning that partakers can safely dance with non-partakers without sharing the intoxicating effects.

Adult raves will have bouncers at the door to ensure that anyone entering is 18+, and there is no limit to when and where the debauchery happens. 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.

All-ages raves are open to anyone who wishes to attend, regardless of age. There are bouncers at the door who will check ID and stamp the hand of anyone who is 18+ with a special ink that shows up under blacklight for easy identification. At all-ages raves, 18+ and underage characters can mingle, but there are specific areas set aside for only 18+ characters where they can get down and dirty either in private or the open.

Adult and all-ages raves will have only spiked powder to avoid confusion.

Youth raves are intended only for younger characters under 18, so they can stay up all night and dance like crazy, and meet other young people in the city. 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 version of the colored powder featured at the adult raves that won't give you anything but a sugar high. 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. Youth raves will have only sugar powder, brightly colored and sweet to the taste, meant for fun and to play tag with rather than to cause intoxication.

ii. kink convention

For the week of March 4-10 there will be a massive kink convention on the top floor of one of the large exhibition centers downtown, limited to characters 18+. The exhibition is a sexy adult informational convention featuring various kinks and fetishes. Whether you're into leather, latex, lace, or anything else, you'll be able to find the clothes, toys, guides, books, erotica, fiction, and a wide variety of other interesting stuff to explore. While the atmosphere is sex-positive and there are private and public (for the voyeurs and exhibitionists in the room) venues for having sex, it's definitely focused on exploration and information about different stuff to try.

If someone has thought of it and figured it sounded sexy, it can be found here, and with Riverview's high level of tech advancement and widespread acceptance of magic, things can get pretty kinky. Whatever your kink is, there's probably a VR program, sex toy, potion, or spell that can make it happen, and someone who's got the downlow on how to make it great.

iii. tech expo

Riverview prides itself on its technological advancement, and so, running concurrently with the Kink Convention on March 4-10 and on the bottom floor of the same convention center, various cutting-edge tech companies in the city will be sponsoring a Tech Expo. The expo features demonstrations of all of the most advanced technology that's coming into use in the city, ranging from advancements in VR and holotech to robotics and gadgets, you can find the latest and greatest in almost any area of modern technology. Attendees will be able to come with a friend or a date or anything in between to play VR games, enjoy holoprojected escape rooms and puzzles, meet robot pets, try out the most recent music player or that new cell phone that can bend without breaking, and a wide variety of other gadgets.

While most of the tech expo is all-ages and non-sexual, there is a decently-sized adult area where characters must show ID proving they are 18+ in order to enter, where the technology is mostly related to sexual use. This area features advanced sex toys, VR systems intended to explore sex with other people in a virtual environment with no strings attached, sexy video games and holoprograms, and many other sensual technological.

iv. street market

One of the major draws of the festival is the special street food that can only be obtained this time of year. Almost everything you can buy at the Sampremi Festival is meant to be shared - whether it's one piece of meat on two or more sticks or desserts baked with a narrow part in the middle for convenient tearing, everything is built to be shared. The stalls sell everything from cups of soup, sandwiches, roasted or fried meat, deep-fried vegetables and cakes, dumplings, donuts, bagels, turnovers, and anything else you can think of.

Many of the savory dishes are based on the meat of a particular fowl native to the moon Riverview is situated on that has a taste and texture halfway between chicken and duck, cooked to be spicy (ranging from very mild to throat-burning). Many of the desserts are based around a fruit native to the moon that is spherical, red-orange, and has a light sweet taste that is similar to a combination of mango, pineapple, and strawberry. Both ingredients are considered to be aphrodisiacs. Of course, the foods aren't actually aphrodisiacs and any effect is purely placebo, though there are some booths (clearly marked and with someone to check ID) that sell actual aphrodisiac-laced foods and drinks to people who are 18+.

The festival features an entire row of fair games ranging from very high-tech games featuring virtual reality and neon holograms to extremely old-fashioned games with darts and balloons or balls and glasses. The games all have prizes in various shapes and sizes, with the standard stuffed animals, but also with goods and special items donated by any business in the city; ranging from tiny prizes to huge and expensive ones. Due to the nature of the holiday, many of the stalls are set up to cater to winning a prize for your partner(s), and due to the nature of the Quarantine, a lot of them involve aiming or other aspects of pretending to fight.

Originally, the part of the street festival that involved an actual market, with stalls and booths set up with goods, was aimed primarily at romantic trinkets like flowers or jewelry, gifts intended to be purchased for a loved one. As time has gone by, however, this aspect of the market has increased, with many businesses participating, though the emphasis is still on small businesses and anything relating to local culture rather than booths for any of the larger more corporate businesses. There is still plenty of jewelry to be found, for sure, mostly handmade and artisan, but the scope of the Market has widened immeasurably. The Sampremi Market is an excellent place to find specialty foods, clothing, jewelry, art, or other goods that were originally native to cultures on other planets in this reality, or other realities altogether. Many residents in the city use the market to share their unique cultural goods and traditional dress with others.

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 Sampremi, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: saber XU; image ii: Jose Borges; image iii: Nicolas Sitbon; image iv: Andreas Rocha

navigation

Comments

Tony Stark (MCU) | Open

[buildsomething]

iii. tech expo

[So Tony Stark is in his element. After the mess that's been the past month or so, it's genuinely a relief to be surrounded by things he understands backwards and forwards, with people who clearly appreciate it. He might be a little overenthusiastic, but hey. It beats the alternative.

He's pretty easy to find, wandering around inspecting everything. Any of the tech he doesn't quite recognize gets a lot more interest, but he's managed to restrain himself from taking anything apart to see how it works on the sly. So far. But he'll mess around with anything that can be touched and stare at anything he can't and generally enjoy himself thoroughly.

And if he hears a question being asked, he might launch into an impromptu explanation or two. Or he might do it if anyone stands still long enough. Look, he likes talking about tech.]

iv. street market

[Okay, so he can't spend all his time inside. Even if he might try.

But for all his grumbling, Tony doesn't actually mind checking out the market much. The food especially, even if he does offer half of whatever he gets to anyone passing by. It just means he can try more things.

He brushes through the market, glancing idly around, but really what draws Tony's attention is the games, because why not. He's decent at anything that requires aim, way better at the VR and holographic systems, and has absolutely no problem making an idiot of himself. Before long, he's got a small pile of prizes and a slightly smug grin. He might offer to share those too, if anyone seems interested.]

v. wildcard

[Hit me up! Or poke me at talkincodes for something specific.]

III

[deploy]

[John's a soldier, not a scientist. He understands and appreciates the practical applications of technology, and at this point in his career, can fly or shoot just about anything, no matter who made it, or where it's from, but he still calls Atlantis Geek-Squad when his laptop lags. He has no idea how all those viruses get in there, but it definitely isn't from downloading music, movies and porn.]

Oh, c'mon. That can't be real.

[He's standing with his face pressed to the glass of an exhibit containing a sword with a vibrating energy blade, which looks a lot like the iconic weapon from one of his favourite movies back home about wars and stars.

The best part is it can be equipped to the top of a rifle, like a laser bayonette. How useful would that be? Run out of bullets and you can hack your way out of trouble with a lot less effort than the standard blade or machete.

John, not the largest or buffest of men, is sold.]

Excuse me, what's the price-tag on that? Do PG get a discount?

[He's talking to Tony, who's been seemingly explaining everything in the surrounding area to people for as long as John's been standing there, and must be some kind of sales associate.]

[buildsomething]

[It takes Tony a moment to realize he's being addressed, and a moment longer to register the actual question. It's pretty obvious when everything clicks, as one of his eyebrows arches straight up.]

Probably more than that thing is worth. Do you know the kind of power requirements a steady laser like that must have? You'd be paying for it all over again in double-ds.

[It has not actually occurred to Tony to think it weird that he's the one being asked the question. He knows about this stuff and he's more than happy to share, so what's the problem?]

[deploy]

[This guy must be the most honest sales associate John's ever met.]

Ballpark? I'm curious.

[Even if it's out of John's price range, which given the average PG salary, it probably is, he can always bug Rodney to make a knock-off.

Does he need a laser bayonet? No. Does he want one as badly as he wanted a remote controlled helicopter when he was twelve? Yes.]

Any way you could take it out of there so I can have a look?

[He looks at Tony about the same way he looked at the toy salesman twenty years ago, excited, a little impatient, and with a boyish smile. As a kid, John usually got what he wanted. As an adult? It's always nice when people hand things over, but he carries a rifle for a reason.

John just wants to play. He won't take anyone's head off with it. He's a professional. Really.]

iv.

[latrodectus]

[ A part of Natasha is uncomfortable in the crowd— so many people, so many sounds, it's impossible to keep track of it all. And part of Natasha wants to keep track of everything.

Still, when she sees Tony offering part of his popcorn to, well, anyone, seems like. She takes a handful, and eyes his handful of prizes. ]

I'll play you.

[ She nods toward a nearby game— something with shooting— and tosses another piece of popcorn into her mouth. ]

[buildsomething]

[There's something familiar about her that Tony can't quite put his finger one, more than just the flash of red hair. Maybe that's what makes him grin easily at her.]

Shark me, you mean. But sure, I'm game.

[He knows how someone who can handle a gun holds themselves, if nothing else. But his ego can probably stand losing a few times.]

[latrodectus]

[ Something about him is familiar to her too— maybe that's what drove her to bug him. It isn't what she normally does, absent an objective or a mission.]

I don't know what you mean.

[ A small smile, and something that was almost a shrug. She turns to look back at the booth.. ]

I never play these things.

[ And in fact, when she made the offer, she was prepared to lose on purpose. (Most guys would give her the prize, anyway.) But things are more interesting, now. Maybe she wouldn't. ]

Tech Expo

[drunken_tactics]

[Sumeragi was enjoying herself quite a bit. She was beginning to adjust to the moon and the simple fact that someone that she knew was back from the dead. At least she didn't have to worry about keeping secrets too much in this place.

She was slowly wandering from thing to thing with an amused look. Of course none of the devices looked anything like what she was used to, but she enjoyed it anyway.

She stood quietly, listening to him explain a few things to random people and just smiled. He reminded her of an old friend of hers.]

[buildsomething]

[Considering all the rambling he's been doing, it takes Tony a moment or so to register that there's someone just standing there. He still takes the time to wrap up whatever he's been saying, he's practically been on autopilot for the last bit, before he turns a little to glance over at her.]

Hey, need something?

[Maybe she had a question. Or maybe she was just enjoying the show, who knew.]

[drunken_tactics]

I'm just enjoying your explanation.

[As the others move away she moves a few steps closer.]

It reminds me of an old friend. He loved researching technology.

[Of course said friend had also been trying to develop technology that would stop her own group and kill or capture her without realizing it.]

iii

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco should've realized this whole thing was too good to be true. That sooner or later, there was going to be another shoe dropping.

And that shoe, in this case, comes in the form of some very familiar designs. Oh, sure, there were superficial changes. When Cisco had first done his double-take and circled back around, he hadn't been sure, at first. But after a little closer inspection, there was no question: those were definitely his designs. His tech. Pieces he hadn't finished yet. Pieces no one was supposed to know about.

Furthermore, there is some other stuff that is giving him a kind of deja vu. He thinks, though he isn't 100% sure, that he's seen some of it in Tony's workshop. And, since he doesn't know how to handle this situation, he makes a decision. He is going to find Tony, bring him here, and ask if he recognizes his stuff. If he does... well, then, it can't be a coincidence. And Cisco will have backup.

Fortunately, he is sure that Tony will be around here somewhere. So he goes running around, dodging and weaving between slow-walking perusers, bumping into people and muttering sorries over his shoulder. When he spots Tony, just near the door, as if he'd only arrived, Cisco is a little out of breath, and looking very serious indeed. ]

Tony. There you are. We need to talk.

[buildsomething]

[Tony turns a bright smile Cisco's way as he comes up, though the expression fades slowly as he gets a good look at the look the man is wearing. Well, that and we need to talk almost never means anything good.]

Sure. [He says it slowly as he heads in Cisco's direction. There's a wariness to his stance, and it's not directed at Cisco himself. Considering the amount of technology around them, Tony's brain is instantly spinning off to worst case scenarios. He's got a very good imagination when it comes to this kind of stuff.]

You wanna find somewhere private?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco knows a bit about Tony's past - enough to know that, as distressing as this is to him, it is potentially a lot moreso, to Tony. But the right call isn't trying to shield him from that. It isn't easing into this slowly, with empty words, and probably just making him more worried than he already is.

No, the best way is to make sure what he suspects is true is, in fact, true. Once they confirm that... we'll, they'll figure it out from there. So when Tony asks if they should go somewhere private to talk, Cisco gives a curt shake of his head. ]

No. I need you to come with me, right now. And- don't say anything yet but. I'm gonna show you something, and... I just want to make sure. Before we decide what to do.

[ And, without further ado, Cisco jerks his head, indicating Tony should follow, and starts back in the direction of the stall. ]

iii

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar's come to the tech fair with one very specific reason in mind. That might be pretty obvious as to what he's considering he's using a pair of probably the most antiquated leg braces created on this side of 818 and a crutch to get around. His piercing gaze looks upon a display of much more high-tech gear to get around with, but even after a full year of living here, Ivar still gets lost when it comes to anything more than his cell phone.

That's when he spots Tony. He limps over to him.]

You. You're some sort of insane genius when it comes to this stuff. What would be the best process about getting a pair of leg braces?

[Beneath the fierce exterior, there's something in Ivar's posture which suggests he's anxious about this sort of thing. He's always wanted to be able to walk and thought it one of those dreams he was better off setting aside as an impossibility.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony's mouth opens as he considers whether or not he wants to be insulted by the address, but whatever he'd been going to say dies off pretty quickly at the rest of the question. His eyes track down to the braces currently in use, and it's all he can do not to wince. Is that iron? Yikes.]

Well that sort of depends.

[He makes himself tear his eyes away to look back up to the man himself.]

What kind of a thing are you looking for? What kind of range of motion, I mean.

[ragnarsson]

[Hey, he's making do with what they had in the Iron Age to get a cripple around. Which basically means he's running on about fifty percent sheer willpower right now. These things are not comfortable to wear for any length of time.]

I don't know. Something that can let me walk unaided and without the possibility of my legs snapping in two? Because that has happened before.

[He'll spare Tony the 'woe is me' tales of breaking many, many bones as a child. He could rival a Dickens character in pitifulness if he wanted to.]

It's not like I need to be running or anything. Just basic movement.

iv

[livingsymbol]

Are you starting a collection?

[Of course Steve is going to be there. Regardless which festival it is, he likes to eat, and he likes to watch the celebrations around him, so eventually Steve comes across Tony while he's playing games and amassing prizes. Since there is a whole exhibition dedicated to tech, he's not surprised to find the man out on the streets either. But Steve has to make his comments.]

You look like you're having fun.

[buildsomething]

I might be.

[It's an easy answer to a familiar voice, and Tony's already smiling slightly before he turns to look at him. Actually, he's mostly still looking incredibly pleased with himself.]

Everybody likes a prize or two. Want a bear?

[livingsymbol]

[It's nice to see Tony in a good mood. Maybe Steve doesn't see it enough, considering how he's usually causing trouble by breaking things and doesn't really hang out with him, but seeing the man in this positive moment is encouraging.]

Thanks, but shouldn't you save the prizes for your date? I'm guessing you're not out here alone.

iii. mutual geek-out time

[spideys]

[ It's the robotics and gadgets portion of the expo that Peter Parker is particularly interested in, mostly on account of his own attempts at tinkering, and because he can always learn a new thing or two. You know, make some upgrades on his own suit and gear.

Everything here makes his webshooters and spidercams look ... well. Really primitive. Sure, he prides himself in making something from practically nothing, but man. If he had money, imagine the cool things he could do.

He's listening intently to one of the booth speakers begin to explain the details involved in making an entirely robotic suit - very Iron-Man-ish - come to life. It involves a lot of stuff he's never even heard of. ]

Oh, man. Seriously?

[ Ooh - and speaking of which. That guy walking past? He looks familiar. Like, really familiar.

Momentarily distracted from nerding out over robotic suits, Peter waves a hand and calls out: ]

Hey -! Mr Stark!

[buildsomething]

[The sound of his name makes him pull to a stop, but honestly Tony hasn't head Mr Stark in long enough that it makes him glance around curiously. Not hard to figure that it came from the waving guy and...huh. It's the other Parker, isn't it? The new one.]

Hey.

[There's a kind of forced casualness to it, the same thing that always happens when he runs into someone he does-but-doesn't know. Though considering where he is and the lingering glow of genuine interest, Tony's willing to bet that this one isn't so different from the kid back home.

It might be why his smile goes a little more genuine as he draws closer.]

Tony's fine. What can I do for you?

[spideys]

Have you checked this place out? It's - amazing.

[ Peter honestly looks like a kid in a candy store, eyes wide, hands waving enthusiastically.

He's been here for about an hour but it feels like he could spend the rest of his days just roaming the aisles and popping into the booths. ]

Probably old news for you though. Look at this thing. [ He means the cool person-less robot. ] Kinda reminded me a bit of your suit.

iv.

[anotheroldsoldier]

And here I thought carnival games were all rigged. [Bucky isn't a huge fan of Sampremi - this is the first holiday on Riverview he experienced last year, and the festival of sex and attraction had done nothing but make him miss the girl he left back home. This year is worse, somehow, knowing that he's single and likely to stay that way, but... he's managing. The street market, at least, is always worth a good look; he enjoys the food, spicy and doubly portioned. Fuck sharing, apparently.

Unless it's with someone he knows and likes. When he spots Tony in the crowd, he makes his way over, wordlessly offering half of the meat pastry he's eating and looking wryly at the little pile of carnival prizes Tony has amassed.] Giving those to someone special, or just stocking up on cheap stuffed animals and plastic knick-knacks?

[buildsomething]

Maybe I just like stuffed animals.

[He says it with dignity, but doesn't hesitate to snag the piece of pasty he's being offered. Tony munches on it contemplatively, then nudges one of his pile over with a foot.]

Why, you want one? I'll make you a good deal.

[anotheroldsoldier]

[Bucky snorts, managing not to spit out any of his last mouthful of pastry.] What's that thing supposed to be? An otter? [He can never tell with cheap carnival prizes. He doesn't even want the thing, but he'll play along.] Tempting offer. Those run about, what, five moon bucks?