monthly mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: flower festival
when: The month of April.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

flower festival

In the days leading up to April 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Flower Festival. Celebrating springtime, beauty, joy, and togetherness, the festival heavily features floral themes and dancing. The advertising mentions that on April 9th, a paid holiday, there will be a Blossom Picnic, as well as lists of various public dances at clubs or other open venues, the River Spirit Procession, and Flower Exchange.

a celebration of spring

The Flower Festival's main event is the Blossom Picnic on April 9th, 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 9th. 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 and dances

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)!

As for the Flower Festival dances, they're pretty straightforward - 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.

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!

iii. flower exchange

During this year, there's been an influx of people from a dying reality consisting mostly of living plant people, and they've really taken the Flower Festival as a great opportunity to introduce one of their most honored traditions to the people of their new adopted world. The tradition involves sharing various types of flowers with strangers, with each type of flower having a different meaning and effect on both the giver and receiver - the bond of the exchange can spark emotion as well as physical responses that function in a unique way that affects almost everyone that participates, whether animal, plant, or even android.

Any characters exchanging the flowers with other characters, whether friends or strangers, will experience emotional/psychological effects, physical effects, or both once the exchange is complete. Effects can last for as short or long a time as the players involved want, and are as follows:

● Baby Blue Eyes - Trust/Healing the Inner Child
Emotional Effect: Either an inexplicable trust in the person the flower was exchanged with, or a generalized paranoia.
Physical Effect: De-aging. Characters can become a younger version of themselves, physically, mentally, or both. Whether or not their normal selves are of age, de-aged characters may not participate in adult prompts unless they're de-aged to something above 18.

● Chamomile - Peace & Harmony/Animal Support
Emotional Effect: A desire to make peace with one's enemies, or an inexplicable urge to push away loved ones.
Physical Effect: Both participants in the exchange will wake up the next morning with an animal companion that represents their soul/personality. Whether the companion can speak is up to player discretion.
NOTE: Animal companions from this event can be kept for a total of 300 Points. If you wish to keep them, just submit a request under your name on the Activity Bonus Rewards Page. For new players ONLY (players apping/reapping their first character in April) who wish to keep the animal companion but do not yet have points, feel free to submit and I will credit 300 points to be submitted once you have them.

● Rose - Friendship/Beauty
Emotional Effect: Openness and a desire to make new friends, or excessive competitiveness.
Physical Effect: A temporary glamor that makes both participants in the exchange appear as the most beautiful possible version of themselves, and improves their charisma.

● Crepe Myrtle: - Inspiration/Enduring Partnerships
Emotional Effect: New and creative ideas to solve life issues, or finding oneself averse to change.
Physical Effect: As soon as the exchange is complete, the two characters involved will be bound by an invisible tether that keeps them within three feet of each other. The tether won't affect anyone but the characters involved (no, you can't clothesline your enemies with it).

● Valerian: - Relaxation/Heart-Opening
Emotional Effect: A near-complete erasure of anxiety and stress, or a dramatic inexplicable increase in it.
Physical Effect: Forced honesty. Both affected characters become incapable of lying. Whether they're compelled to blurt the truth or if they can keep their mouths shut or talk around the truth is up to player discretion.

[Flower meanings used in this prompt come from this site.]

iv. river spirit procession

The River Spirit Procession is a yearly tradition in the Quarantine where a (usually small) contingent of people walk along the edges of the river carrying candles and dressed as river spirits, and offer sweets and blossoms or petals by tossing them into the river. The offerings are intended to appease the river spirits and guarantee safety from flooding, storms, and to ensure a good growing season. With the flooding that's still affecting the river, the turn out this year is much greater than usual, with a large number of residents entering the processions that happen throughout the month, usually on weekends.

During the processions, residents dress as river spirits, which is a relatively broad description and can be taken in a wide variety of ways and leaves a lot up to interpretation. They enter the procession at the place where the river enters the walls and follow the banks of it carrying candles, and often whispering or quietly speaking their gratitude for the river's plenty and their wishes for the year to come. Many residents also bring baskets of young blossoms or petals from flowers, and small sweets such as candy or tiny pastries and throw them into the river to appease the spirits. They carry along the river for as long as they wish to.

ACTION PROMPT: This year, with the flooding, the monsters, and the heavy turnout, the river spirit procession is a little more dangerous an undertaking than usual. After the first procession on April 1st resulted in several residents being swept away in the rising flood waters, and several others being attacked by a loose crocodile, the trouble becomes painfully evident. The Perimeter Guard will be sending out extra detachments and calling in reserve members to help keep the processions safe, and any extra hands to protect those who choose to participate will be more than welcome.

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 Flower Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: unknown, found on pinterest; image ii: Steven Kent Lomtong; iii: Ryan Talbot; iv: Toru Nishimura

navigation

Comments

jessica jones | marvel tv

[hardedged]

i. blossom picnic

[ look at all this flower power everywhere. fucking great. as far as she's concerned, the blossoming trees are more of a nuisance than a sight to behold — somehow, those annoying petals keep falling into her glass of hard liquor.

in fact, as jessica takes a seat on a park bench, hoping to relax for a change ... two more end up inside her booze. her shoulders slump down. with a deep exhale, she presses her lips together in frustration. ]

Shit.

ii. dancing lessons and dances

[ while everyone around her is dressed to impress, wearing floral fabric or jewelry that match the lovely decorations of the festival, she's in one of her typical, unflattering outfits — plain jeans, combat boots, and a shapeless shirt, hidden beneath a leather jacket. it's safe to say she doesn't blend in with the crowd.

are you interested in dancing with her? perhaps something spontaneous with a group of friends, or even one that's more intimate and personal?

yeah, good luck with that.

regardless of whether jess catches someone's eye or finds herself the sudden recipient of conversation, her response is the same. her brow furrows into an annoyed glare. along the edge of a sharp scoff, she retorts: ]

No.

iii. flower exchange

[ it may require a bit of time to convince her to exchange flowers, but she's open to any and all of the options! ]

ii

[buildingcastles]

[ He's not actually dancing much, but Christian isn't about to leave any places uninvestigated just because he doesn't feel like dancing. There's a lot to see and learn in a room full of strange people. He notices, for instance, the way Jessica is very determined not to participate, dressed more like she's ready to go trash a bar than learn some dance steps. He approaches with caution, but he's not going to be scared off just yet. ]

So are you here just to make everyone else feel bad? You're like the cat judging them from the bathroom counter while they're sitting on the toilet.

[hardedged]

[ her head turns, and jess greets him with a sharp scoff. ]

Thanks for that crapass visual.

[ she didn't need to imagine watching him on a toilet. jesus. ]

[buildingcastles]

Just trying to make everyone feel bad. Got it.

[ He doesn't seem particularly bothered by that. ]

Why aren't you dancing?

[hardedged]

[ pressing her lips together, she narrows her gaze. his nonchalance only seems to piss her off more. ]

Why aren't you backing off?

[buildingcastles]

It's just an innocent question.

[She's all bristles, like an angry cat. He's used to it, though, and worse.]

Do you hate people that much?

[hardedged]

Nope. Just morons like you.

[ the retort is effortless and automatic. after a pause, jessica takes a closer look to scrutinize the stranger. well, that's not the best word to use, is it? they've met in the past, months ago. he's just as annoying as before. ]

Didn't get enough the first time around?

i - hey gurl i got u some flowers

[potentialed]

[ From behind her, she'll hear a familiar voice, ]

Is booze a necessity for every social gathering with you?

[ And, walking around the other side of the bench, there's the strange doctor himself. ]

[hardedged]

[ her gaze widens, as she turns her head sharply. look who it is. ]

Yep.

[ she responds dryly, taking another sip to emphasize her point. shit, how long has it been since they've crossed paths? after she literally carried him home that one night, jess has made every effort to avoid him. no way in hell was she going to speak about what happened, as well as what he nearly confessed. strange was too wasted to know any better. ]

[potentialed]

[ He gives her a once-over before rolling his eyes at that. His tone is dry, ]

After almost a year, you'd think I would just accept it...

[ He walks around the bench completely and holds out some Valerian for her. ]

For you.

[ Even when he's pretty sure she'll just throw it over her shoulder is she takes it at all. ]

[hardedged]

[ he knows her so well. jessica catches a glimpse of the flowers before glancing back up to him, her expression perplexed. ]

Why?

[potentialed]

[ He raises a brow at her, ]

Pretty sure you're the one that carried me home when I was wasted off my ass.

[ Guess who has a photographic memory, Jess? This asshole. ]

[hardedged]

[ fuck her life. ]

You're full of shit, Strange.

[ to emphasize her point, jess reaches out, grabbing the valerian before crushing it within her fist. the broken pieces crumble, falling out of her grasp to decorate the ground. ]

And so am I.

[ wait — what the hell did she just say? ]

i

[anotheroldsoldier]

[Never say that Bucky Barnes is not an innovator. On a somewhat forced day off from the Guard, he's walking around, having a drink, trying to relax a little. He's basically taken a plastic water tumbler with one of those reusable lids and straws and filled it with his booze of choice, to enjoy on a day when a bunch of shit is falling from the sky.

Passing by the woman on the park bench, petals in her glass, he quirks a brow for a moment, and then holds out his lidded cup.] If you don't mind whiskey. Not a great day to drink outside.

[hardedged]

[ if she doesn't mind whiskey ... c'mon, bucky, have you met her? well, technically he hasn't, but still. there is no universe, alternate or otherwise, where jessica jones doesn't want hard liquor.

turning her head, she greets him with a skeptical look. ]

What's the catch?

[anotheroldsoldier]

[He hasn't met this Jessica Jones, doesn't even make the connection honestly, because she doesn't look much like the one he knows. Not to mention the one he knows, his New Avengers teammate, is currently married with a small baby and paints a vastly different picture, even if she's still a foul-mouthed badass.

So, it's really just offering his whiskey to a stranger out of the goodness of his heart. The plastic cup and lid are decorated with printed flowers and the outside says "Aloha!" It's the best he could find at the time.]

The catch is my liver gets to live another day? I'm tryin' to cut back. Been told I have a 'problem'.

[hardedged]

[ she scoffs dryly, staring in contemplation for another moment before ultimately accepting the plastic cup. ]

Join the goddamn club.

[anotheroldsoldier]

Do you drink alone often? [He quirks a brow slightly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans and then glancing back out to the quaint sight of the flowers blooming all over the park.] Not that I don't get it. There are plenty of festivals here that make me want to drink.

[hardedged]

[ jess licks her chapped lips, before tilting the cup into her mouth. damn, that whiskey is strong. she approves. ]

Look, man. If you don't want the rest of your booze, it's your loss. But I'm not here for the company.

[ bye, bucky. that's your cue to leave. ]

option one

[shoplifter]

That smells awful.

[Oh, where did this deadpan small child in glasses come from?

Clearly, whatever the case she's hear for judgement and to get a hair full of blossoms.]

[hardedged]

[ jess glances down, blinking once in mild confusion before she scoffs. it's been a while, but she remembers this kid. ]

Tastes awful too.

[ despite her dry confession, jess takes another sip. it's not the best quality of booze, but she'll still drink it. ]

[shoplifter]

My father drank it often. It's not very good medicine.

[It doesn't seem like something that she should hide, really. But then again, she doesn't have the social know-how, isn't aware of what sort of topics are more awkward than others. Logan is a source of great pain for her, but how he treated his body, that's its own beast. She sits down, as casual as someone waiting for their bus.]

I spent most of my life not knowing what it is, and I'm still not sure what it's for.

[hardedged]

[ her expression softens, as jessica listens carefully. staring down at her glass, she huffs a breath before pushing it aside. ]

Nothing good.

[ "to forget" would be the more accurate answer, but there's no way in hell she's confessing that. not in front of laura. ]

Stay away from it, alright?

[shoplifter]

[She nods slightly, thoughtful.]

It would hurt my coordination and ability to think quickly.

If there's a fight and I have to defend myself or my friends, I want to always be ready.

[hardedged]

[ well, that sounds ominous. her brow lifts. ]

Fight who?