monthly mingle: PRIJATA

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: prijata
when: the month of june
where: anywhere around the city
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

prijata

In the days leading up to June 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Prijata. Riverview Quarantine has a strong culture of love, and they celebrate all types - Prijata is a special celebration of platonic love and building community through friendship. Prijata traditions include gift exchanges between friends, sharing meals cooked together by friend groups, and a variety of events and services aimed at making friends.

a celebration of platonic love

Prijata is a relatively relaxed holiday, focused mainly on friendship and platonic love - dedicated to appreciating the friends already in one's life, and opening oneself up to making new friends. Besides the private giving of gifts between friends, there is also a city-wide government-sponsored gift fountain that is open throughout the entire month. Included in the wide variety of events catered to finding new friends, are 'speed friending' and a large open exhibition where all the specialized clubs in Riverview can recruit for new members - and residents new or old can create a club and recruit.

i. gift fountain

While Prijata gift exchanges between friends are generally a quiet affair, done at friend-group dinners or parties, the element of gift giving does extend outward - community-wide, in fact. Throughout the course of the month, anyone living in Riverview Quarantine can drop by the huge fountain in the City Center, in front of the City Hall. They will find that the fountain is chock full of floating gift boxes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and different shapes - though none larger than a shoe box. There are signs put up around the fountain stating that the boxes are magic and will only seek and open for their rightful owners. Characters will find that, upon touching the water, a box will float over to them, and when they pick it up, the top will unfurl like flower petals, displaying the gift inside. Sometimes, the box won't appear on the first try, since there's only so much space in the fountain at any given time, but if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Every person in the city (including new arrivals) will receive one gift by the end of the month.

Gift fountain boxes will contain one small item from each character's home dimension (or, for CRAUs, from their previous game), similar to the "items from home" bonus reward, but without needing to spend points. The item should be small enough to fit in a shoebox, sentimental, and cannot be something intended for another person's character. If you can't think of an item like this that would work for your character, something of similar size and quality to what's described above that would make the character very happy can be substituted.

This prompt can also be used for gift exchanges and for characters to receive the Government-given gifts that were suggested in the Prijata Pregaming post on the meme community. Any newly apped character is welcome to post on the meme entry as soon as they're accepted, and will be linked to it in this month's acceptance notification, so to all you pre-existing players please keep looking at the Prijata Pregame meme throughout app week and afterward to help give new arrivals a warm friendly welcome!

ii. speed-friending

This is pretty much what it says on the tin! Much like speed-dating setups, many bars, coffee shops, and other places that people might gather are holding speed-friending! It's your standard setup - characters enter and fill out a quick questionnaire about themselves, and flit from table to table looking for someone with great friend chemistry. Not all of them are general and open to anyone who walks in, though, with many being specialized to people who are invested in certain hobbies, occupations, or with specific sets of interests. With specialized speed-friending setups ranging from horror movie buffs to members of the Perimeter Guard to fashionistas to sports or martial arts to video games, no matter what your character is into, they're likely to be able to sign up for a special event where they can go looking for a friend who's into the same things they are!

For this prompt, you can put up a list of hobbies or interests your character has, and compatible characters can hit them up for a speed-friending thread, like the IC equivalent of the CR meme!

iii. club exhibition

Speed-friending is all well and good, but not everyone is outgoing or open enough to know if they have friend chemistry in only a few minutes. For anyone looking to find groups of like-minded individuals they can spend more than a few minutes with before committing to something as daunting as a friendship, there is a month-long club exhibition happening in the Town Square in the City Center. Table after table and booth after booth are occupied by existing clubs in the city, with an incredibly broad scope of focus interests and hobbies - enough that any character should be able to find a club with their niche interest represented.

And if it isn't? Characters are welcome to start their own clubs - much like a business, a character-run club can have space set aside in the city for meetings and event mingles that are eligible for Activity Point Bonuses for the organizer.

iv. amusement park & waterfight

Remember the Amusement Park that citizens of the city were working together to clean up and power up a couple of months ago? Well, the endeavor has proven to be a success, and after a lot of hard work and technical expertise, the amusement park is up and running! For the first two weeks of June, admission will be free to honor those who helped make the park usable.

Sporting just about any amusement park ride you can think of, from kiddie rides, merry-go-rounds, and ferris wheels to high-speed roller coasters and more extreme rides for the thrill-seekers, the park takes it a step further by adding in a lot of different high-tech attractions not available at conventional amusement parks. It has banks and banks of VR simulators that allow park-goers to enjoy a variety of adventures and scenarios, or join shared mutual worlds with other users to explore or take out their aggression with a VR first-person shooter. There are also rows and rows of typical carnival games, some heavily rigged and some not, with prizes ranging from dollar store trinkets to stuffed animals to bits of advanced tech.

For the month of grand opening, though, the amusement park is offering a couple interesting events - a naming contest for the park, and a park-wide water fight.

The water fight is opt-in, with participants signing up and being given a purple or orange flag, tank top, or cap to wear marking them as to which team they're part of. There are buckets of water balloons around the park that are constantly being refilled by staff, and water fighters can participate in special target practice games to win the use of a watergun for the duration of the day - how big your watergun is depends on how well you do in the game! Ultimately, there aren't any real winners or losers, because the point is to get wet in the brand new summer heat, but it's always more fun to cool off with a bit of competition involved, right?

The naming contest is another story. Anyone who visits the park is welcome to think up a name for the park, and all entries will be listed on a large LED board. Every customer who enters the park is invited to vote for their favorite name, and the name with the most votes wins! To submit either an in-character suggestion or a suggestion from yourself as a player, hit up the thread below with a new top-level; whether or not you have a neat idea, place a vote for your favorite! Votes are one per player; suggestions are one per character.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to set up headers for a communal floor, or threads open to roommates for the purpose of getting to know each other. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during Prijata, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Odysseas Stamoglou; image ii: Dave Arredondo; image iii: spainforpleasure.com; image iv: mit19237

navigation

Comments

[democratically]

[It does draw her for a pause in turn, if only because at first appearance she does seem to be a younger individual. Padmé hasn't exactly questioned too deeply who actually arrives here, and unless she is far older than she looks (which Padmé acknowledges might be the case), does she not have someone? Although she also has to admit that her own galaxy has far too many orphans, but still...

There is no judgment in her expression as she looks her over, simply trying to build together the pieces of the puzzle, and wondering if perhaps she had gotten the room wrong (or been taken to the wrong place). Yet the girl does get up, and after a moment, Padmé treks a few steps behind, until her gaze follows the direction.]

Ah.

[And while she might know quite a few languages, this one is completely and utterly foreign to her.]

Thank you. That one is yours then?

[A little motion back towards the one that does bear items more to the liking of someone younger.]

I suppose we are room mates.

[It might be a question of whether she understands, although she seems to understand enough to comprehend what Padmé had been asking. She can say that there are some languages that she understands better than she speaks or writes, and she carries on, seeing of that is the case.]

I'm Padmé.

[shoplifter]

[She gives a nod — both to the mention of her bed area, and of them being roommates. Padmé already seems instantly better than many of the other people who've come through Riverview (as much as she loves some of them, they can be... something else). With that in mind, she's as polite as she can be — starting with a name.]

... I'm Laura.

[She certainly has an accent; the other had been her first language.]

If anyone on the floor is unkind to you, let me know. I will straighten them out.

[By beating them up. Maybe. She fears no man.

(It might have to do with having claws in her hands and feet.)]

[democratically]

[There is a pleasant lilt to her voice as she responds with her own name, and Padmé gives a little nod of acknowledgment at it. She does wonder after it, if she were to speak in one of the other languages that she knows, would it too come out alien and strange? No doubt she could drive herself insane trying to work through all the quirks of this place, which is why for now she dismisses it, focusing instead on the girl.]

It's nice to meet you, Laura, and thank you for the help.

[Which is the truth. Playing guess the bed isn't exactly something that she wanted to do today, although she does cast an eye towards it. It has been a while since she has shared a space with others, not that she's going to throw a tantrum over it, but it is a little unsettling, the whole situation in general.

Whatever Padmé might expect from Laura, that isn't it, and while there is a soft light in her eyes, it is also clear that she takes her words at face value and gives a serious nod of her head. She can't exactly say that she would take her up on it but her expression does hold a questioning look to it.]

I will keep that in mind. Are there many unkind people here?

[As Padmé herself might have something to say about that in turn...]

[shoplifter]

[Laura considers the question with utmost thoughtfulness, as she tends to with any question.]

... Not so far, no. Just at home.

[Which is a relief — but because of home, she also is well-aware that there are always terrible people hiding in wait. That's just how they get you, by blending in, by being seemingly normal. Lab coats are a particularly unpleasant thought to the child.]

But if anyone is unkind... I want to make sure they are stopped.

[By poTENTIAL STABBING. But don't worry about that bit.]

[democratically]

[If she is stuck here, Padmé does hope that those individuals from her home don't show up. She would like to say that her galaxy has no hurt, no fear, no danger, but that would be a lie. It is something that she works towards bettering, one step at a time. Even here, it wouldn't be something that Padmé stood idly by for.

She does ponder just what Laura means by stopping them, although she doesn't press for that answer either. Rather, she shifts slightly, voice soft. There is no desire to bring up anything bad, but she also wants to know just what sort of place this is. Does whatever is behind this actually think about consequences, or is it truly something that is desired, possibly deep down within each individual, as Padmé can't say she recalls wishing to arrive here.]

And you're here, alone?

[shoplifter]

I have friends.

[It was a newer revelation, one she was happy to realize.]

... But I also have a social worker. She makes sure I'm not up to anything bad.

[Linda, she really looks out for her - makes her feel better when things are ugly. She can't say she regrets having her, even if she's pretty sure she's made her grow a few gray hairs. Which is bad, because Linda's definitely in her twenties.]

[democratically]

[Ah. Well. There is at least a point in the favour of who ever oversees this place, whether a particular person or a body that governs. So far Padmé hasn't started to dig too much in to the political structure of this place, other than being offered a job in the government.

She knows well enough that appearance doesn't mean whether or not someone can handle themselves, but at the same time, it is nice to have someone looking out for you.]

How long have you been here?

[shoplifter]

Almost a year, soon.

[It's strange to think about that, that she'll certainly be twelve years old by then.]

Most people here have to wait until the portal works for them, to leave. I don't know if I will, though.

[She's torn on it, anyway; she has friends at home she should not abandon, friends she would do anything to bring here. But on the other hand... this place is so much better than home. And she has people here she cares about deeply.]

[democratically]

[A year... She hasn't been planet bound for that long in years. Even in her youth she had traveled off planet, involved in the Refuge Relief Movement. The option has always been there to return home from Coruscant, the trip only a ship away.

Her admission does have Padmé focusing back on Laura though. To remain... While her instinct is to leave, Padmé does ponder it. She can admit that for some, this place might indeed be better and she could understand why someone might choose to stay.]

If you choose to remain, can you later change your mind?

[shoplifter]

[It's an interesting thought, one she takes earnest consideration in.]

... You have to make a choice when they are able to send you back.

If you say no, it does not mean you'll never be able to leave again... but it is hard to say when the next opportunity is.

[democratically]

But there is hope, in case you do change your mind.

[It is both a broad you to encompass all, and a specific one for her case as well.]

[shoplifter]

[She nods, though there's a knowing gleam to her eye that suggests she may know the importance of the question to more than just the broad stroke of people here.]

There is.

[democratically]

[In time, Padmé might change her mind. She isn't going to deny that possibility. Yet she can only base her opinion on where she stands on that day. At the moment, there is still much work to be done, work that she is adamant about.]

Thank you for the answers, Laura. It's been very helpful.