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

[tanker]

[ He has to laugh, shrugging at her response, and decides to continue straight on with the teasing, the conversation easy-going, flirty. ] What if it happened, though, and I did get pouchy. Would you still like me?

[ He's never, in his life, not been very fit. From a military family to his mutant powers developing, he realizes how lucky he's been. ]

Maybe? Not too sure. But honestly, considering the amount of incredible people I've met and things I've heard since coming here, I wouldn't be surprised if I discovered unicorns are real on another planet.

[viatorius]

Would I still like you. ( She scoffs, like she's offended, turning around so she can look at him. She points at him, jabbing the air. There's a smirk on her face. ) Just because you're all buff and could probably take Captain America in a fight --.

( Actually, he remains seriously attractive. Clarice presses a hand to his chest and leans up to press a kiss to his mouth. It's chaste, but she feels like she could lose herself quite easily. )

If you lost all your hair and grew a beer belly I'd probably still date you. This ( Walking her fingers up his pec. ) Is an added bonus. A very nice added bonus.

[tanker]

[ John grins, raising an eyebrow. ] Funny you should say that, because the Steve Rogers came to one of my training sessions the other day...

[ He's cut off by her kiss, surprising but altogether more than welcome, and he leans into it before she pulls back. He takes her fingers in his when she moves up his chest, his eyes boring into hers. ]

Well, thankfully, my dad kept a full head of hair well into his 60's. [ He smiles again, a little softer, just meant for Clarice, even though they're in the middle of a crowded market. ] But I'm glad you're not here just for my body. [ He winks, teasing. ]

[viatorius]

( Clarice is still taken aback by how easy this is, how well they get along after everything. Part of her is terrified she'll wake up one day and it'll all be just a pleasant dream, another false memory of having something like this. She's not sure how she'd cope, this time.

But he feels so real, so solid. She's still touching him, her smile soft, eyes focused on every little detail. He's warm under the fabric of his shirt, and it occurs to her that it might be why he just wears t-shirts. Maybe he runs hot. Licking her suddenly dry lips, Clarice finally looks away. )

You wanna sit? I think we should sit. ( She tugs his hand, still playful. He won't move unless he wants to. But Clarice doesn't want to go home. She just wants --.

To kiss him. Again. )

[tanker]

[ He does move along with Clarice, following her wherever she wants to go. It's all too easy for him to do that, to follow her lead, to fall into the rhythm she wants to set. He's so worried about going too fast, too far, but letting her decide makes sense.

And yeah, he does run hot; along with his training with the Marines, his metabolism makes it easy for him to shrug off the cold, barely feeling it at the worst of times. ]

You're feeling okay?

[ He doesn't mind going to sit somewhere with her, obviously - anything as long as they're together, at this point - but it's the look in her eyes, the way she bites her lip, the way she hums gently. ]

[viatorius]

I'm feeling great, actually.

( She smiles at him, uncomplicated and completely at ease. Clarice pulls him along until they find one of the little curtained booths, collapsing into it with her usual lack of grace. At the back of her mind she knows that people use these for other reasons, but she doesn't care. She just wants to sit somewhere with him. )

I know I need to keep my eye on the prize and all, it's just --. I like it here. ( It feels safe. She turns a little, when he joins her, her knee pressed against his. ) I like it here with you. ( Her gaze drops to his mouth once more, and Clarice beams a little before leaning in to press her lips against his. ) Like, really like it.

[tanker]

[ Before sitting down, John looks around the booth Clarice spotted - dim lights, plush cushions, the curtains between the room and the rest of the world providing privacy. Perfect for this kind of event, definitely making John's stomach swoop down a little when Clarice sits, motioning for him to follow.

He does, looking into her eyes, nodding. ]

I like it too, here. And you deserve a break - you deserve to live a normal life.

[ He's not surprised by her kiss this time, leaning into it, chasing her press of lips with something firmer, a sound rumbling up his chest. ]

[viatorius]

So do you.

( Clarice presses a hand to his chest, feeling each inhale through the fabric of his shirt. She'll never tire of reminding him that, being allowed to encourage relaxation. He's always been a good leader, but she likes him best in the softer moments. )

It looks good on you, anyway.

( Her eyes are bright, smile impish. But there are more interesting things to do. Clarice hadn't picked the booth for any particular reason, but now she's very aware it's just them. It means when she kisses him this time, she really kisses him, hand moving to his hair to curl in the black locks. He'll have to fix his ponytail later. She can't resist teasing him, pulling his bottom lip between her own, tongue light against the plushness of it. )

[tanker]

[ He doesn't say anything in answer, taken by her kiss, the hand on his chest, the other in his hair, the fast beat of her heart as he licks at her top lip, her hunger feeding his, his focus completely on the kiss now.

They were just talking about deserving this, and while he's still aware that things shouldn't get out of hand, this is exactly what they need. What they deserve.

Because all John wants, right now, is Clarice. ]

[viatorius]

( With an agreeable noise, Clarice lets the kiss deepen. She explores his mouth with her tongue, pleased with knowing she can make him shiver like that. Her hands stay where they are, fingertips dragging along his scalp and curling there, gripping just enough to keep him close.

They kiss, and it's lingering, indulgent, chasing each other's mouths when one or the other pulls back to breathe. There's something hungry about it, blood rushing through her ears. She sighs, teasing his lips with her teeth, hand dropping to his waist. Her thumb presses up and under his shirt, rubbing small circles there. She can't help the desire to touch, to keep touching, to forget every bad thing in life with kissing John.

It's definitely a thing she can imagine doing for the rest of time. )

[tanker]

[ Despite how slow it is, how soft it is, there is an urgency underneath it, a hunger simmering under the skin. He curls a hand around the back of Clarice's neck, the other moving to rest on her waist, fingers clenching into her shirt.

John only forces himself to pull back to breathe for a second, taking a harsh breath before moving closer still, nose pressed to Clarice's cheekbone. ]

Clarice -

[viatorius]

Yeah.

( She looks at him, eyes wide and so green, pupils huge. She can't remember the last time she wanted someone like this. She slings a leg over his, just to be closer. )

I know.

( She kisses him again, more urgently this time. Her palm pushes up further beneath the fabric of his shirt, presses against warm skin. )

[tanker]

[ John shivers, hands finding her body when she straddles him, holding on to Clarice like his life depends on it, and somehow, it feels like it might do. Like he might die if he lets go right now, if they stop kissing. It’s intense and a little maddening, the feel of her tongue against his, raising goosebumps all over his skin. His hand slides under her shirt, chest pushed up against hers, hands holding her firm.

It feels like there’s a line, coming close, that line he doesn’t really want to cross just yet, because he wants Clarice to know she is more to him than just this. ]

[viatorius]

( She wants him. That's all she can think about. Clarice wants John with a kind of hunger that surprises her. They've talked about going slow, she knows that, but there's just something every time she's close to him. An urge, an impulse, her body desperate to be close to him. Usually she can tame it, but apparently not today.

She shivers when he slides his hands under her shirt, a helpless sound breaking free between their lips. Clarice can feel the shape of him against her, delicious heat building between them. It's been on her mind for so long, it's almost like she's delirious with the want of it.

Her hands are restless, palm against his stomach, trapped between them. She curls her fingers, nails light, breaks apart only to pull in a breath, to gasp his name. )

[tanker]

[ John doesn’t know when he starts thinking that this is spiralling further than he can deal with, right now, but one second, it’s not even a thought, and the next, it’s a slow rise of worry that starts in the pit of his stomach as he feels her hands against it, his muscles contracting against her touch. He doesn’t want to stop - God does he not want to stop, but he does anyway, breaking the kiss with a groan and a frown. ]

Clar - Clarice, we can’t.

[ They could, and here’s the thing: he wants to. He desperately wants to peel her clothes off of her, to touch her everywhere, make her come until she shakes. But there’s something about the situation that feels strange, engineered. ]

We can’t.

[viatorius]

Hey, it's okay. We want to, right?

( It shouldn't matter here. Everything that's happened to them in the past, it comes from a different place. They're here and they're together and they're clearly into each other, so why should they deny themselves?

Her hands stay on him, but she's watching him now. Clarice licks her lips, still tasting sweetness, and looks at him through her eyelashes. )

C'mon. It's okay.

[tanker]

[ There’s something in her eyes. Something that blows him away and worries him all at the same time, and John licks his lips, tries to force himself to think things through while he still can, while his brain still can cooperate with him. ]

Of course I want to, it’s not - [ If only he didn’t have all of these feelings for her, maybe it’d be easier. Maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to resist, to tell himself not to ruin everything right now by rushing, by going into it now, when everything is telling them to because it’s the festival.

It’s the festival. John frowns. ]

Hey, do you remember seeing or reading anything about these sweets you had earlier?

[viatorius]

I had to show them my ID.

( She frowns, but doesn't pull away from him. ) I think they were alcoholic? Except they didn't really taste like any liquor I've had before.

( She's not sure why they're talking about candy right now. ) What is it? Because you want to, I want to. Is it here? Because no one can see us.

[tanker]

I just - something feels off.

[ He’s pretty sure that isn’t the right thing to say, but John has a history with saying the wrong thing, and it’s not because they’re here that this is in any way different. He winces at his words anyway, looking down between the two of them. ]

I think maybe you’re not completely yourself, right now. Everything out here is made for us to do exactly this, but it’s not... It’s not really you. And I don’t want to take advantage.

[viatorius]

( She can't help the bitter burst of disappointment that floods her stomach. It's like suddenly having a bucket of water poured on your head, if instead of water it was more like acid rain. Clarice pulls her hand from beneath his shirt, heat flooding her face. )

Something's off.

( Blowing out a breath, she scoots back, trying to ignore the way she wants to reach right back out again. )

You're right, that's totally fair. Because why would I suddenly be an exhibitionist. ( Jesus Christ. )

[tanker]

[ John frowns, knowing that here it is - he’s put his foot in it and he’s ruined it. The mood has definitely dissolved, now, and it reminds him all too well how she ran off, before, when he fucked up. And he knows he has. ]

Clarice -

[ It’s exactly like last time only it’s not, because this time he’s gone too far. Last time, there was plausible deniability, but not here and now, when he’s had his hands up her shirt a moment ago and she was grinding down on him. John swallows hard, painful. ]

I just want everything to be perfect. I’m - I’m sorry, it’s not.

[ His mouth clamps shut. There’s nothing he could say right now that wouldn’t hurt her. Goddamnit, he’s ruined everything. ]

I’m sorry, Clarice.

[viatorius]

No. It's me. It's not you.

( Because he's right, is the thing. Now he's pointed it out it's obvious. She's used to wanting him, but being this ridiculously horny? That's new. )

I'm --.

( Sorry. She is. She doesn't know what to do with the awkward shame. )

I think I need to go. Take a shower. A very cold shower. And learn to read.

( She's standing, hair falling into her face. She literally wants to portal out of there right now, but she can't. She at least has to do this properly. )

I'll talk to you later. ( Blowing out a breath. ) Okay?

[tanker]

[ Every part of him wants to keep Clarice here with him, but he knows better. He knows she’s right. And so he nods, looking down at his hands, feeling like he’s made a mess of everything, once again. ]

Okay.