riverviewlogs | monthly mingle: PRIJATA

Entry tags:

monthly mingle: PRIJATA

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

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You know that my parents would never take away your room. It's yours, as much as my room is mine. It's your home, too.

( not the point they're coming out here to talk about but one that's important for teddy to understand, he guesses. that he'll always have a place to return to regardless of what the hell's going on here. that billy's parents definitely aren't the kind of people who'd take his space away as long as he still wanted it. )

I'm okay. ( he already had a breakdown, a huge quart of ice cream in hand and rambling, having to comfort weird insecurities while he was busy trying to break down and not deal with anything aside from his own problems, thanks loki. ) Not--great, but I'm here.

( he made it outside and isn't trying to cease to exist. small steps. )

Yeah, I know. Your parents are great, Billy.

[But honestly. He wouldn't stay with Billy's parents if he wasn't with Billy. It'd just be unnecessarily awkward... and he'd just feel out of place.]

Good.

[Good. He means that. Once they're away from crowds, he turns to face Billy a little properly. None of this is-- easy, is it? He wishes it could be, just for a little bit.]

Anyway, uh-- I just don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't know when I'll.. ever be ready to be in your life again. If it'll ever happen.

( yeah. this was the kind of answer he was afraid of hearing even if he was sure that it was going to be the general response: it's been a long time since billy last saw teddy, but the distance in time is. different for the both of them, and even aside from that, this whole thing is messy. he gets it. )

I know. I understand. That's why I wanted to--come out here, tell you face-to-face, I guess. That I'm here, and I'll be here whenever you're ready. Just-- ( tone lowering a little, billy focuses his gaze down. towards teddy's shoes, rather than his face. ) if you're going to go back home, if a portal opens that'll let you through, please text me or something? If you're going somewhere I won't be able to find you.

( the last thing he wants to do is miss an opportunity to say bye, or worse: spend forever fretting over why he can't locate teddy if it's entirely on purpose that he's hiding and it's not because he's dead out in the jungle or something absolutely terrible. )

Ready for what? I don't understand where you think this can go...

[Or what he even wants from Teddy, honestly. He has someone else to take care of him. He has someone else to love him. Teddy never really thought he'd be replaceable to Billy, when Billy was nowhere near replaceable to him, but...

Well, that's not the case. It doesn't feel like it anyway.]

I don't think I can just be your friend, Billy. [He does give a reluctant nod, even if Billy is't quite looking at him.]

Sure. I'll make sure the news gets back to you.

( ready to be around him again. to exist in the same circles. it's easy enough to avoid teddy if he really wants to, billy knows where to not go and what to not do at what times to stay away from him.

maybe they can't be just friends, but--cutting teddy out entirely's not something he thinks he can handle, either. teddy isn't replaceable; he's one of a kind, alien dna aside just--the person he is. there's no one else in the entire multiverse who fits with him like teddy does and fuck, thinking about it is making his heart hurt worse again. )

I don't know. Whatever you want. Thanks, that's--all I wanted.

What I want isn't an option... and I can't be around you if it means seeing you with him. So-- I don't know either, Billy. I don't have any answers and right now, it kind of hurts to even look at you.

[Maybe one day, he'll be happy for Billy. He won't feel his stomach twist at the thought of seeing him with anyone else. But it's not today, and he can't imagine when it'll ever be.]

No problem. Just-- go and be happy, Billy. I'll figure things out on my own one way or another.

He's not here, Teddy.

( billy's not quite dumb enough to bring loki around with him when he's looking for teddy. both arms raise, move to cross low over his stomach with hands pressed to elbows. )

What do you want?

You know I didn't just mean now, Billy. Come on...

[He gives a tired shake of his head at the question.]

I'd like my boyfriend-- no the guy I thought was my fiance back. I'd like to feel like I wasn't replaced-- and don't tell me I'm not. How'd you feel if you showed up somewhere else in my position?

[He figures not good. Or maybe he's entirely wrong.]

But like I said, I don't get any of that that, so it doesn't matter. [And Teddy will learn to deal with it... eventually. Probably.]

Anyway-- if you don't mind, I think I'll head off. I think I've had enough amusement park fun today.

( not now but he'd never purposely veer towards teddy with loki close by. knows how much that must hurt, and he's not out here to cause more pain than is necessary. )

I'd feel awful, like you deserted me. Like we were supposedever, because--what would be the point? I wasn't good enough for you, clearly I shouldn't be. . doing other stuff, I guess.

( he gets it. and lifts his shoulders up before drooping them back down. ) But I don't think you'd be very happy if I went to Loki right now and broke up with him, either. If I told him I couldn't be with him because you're here.

( a beat. a moment. before he's raising his hand and murmuring soft under his breath, opening up a rift just a step to the side. )

I only came here to see you. You don't have to go.

Billy, I mean this as kindly as possible... but please just shut up. You don't get to decide what's good enough for me -- and to me, you were amazing. You were the only thing I had left, and now I don't have that. I don't need to hear you weren't good enough constantly like it'll change my mind, and honestly, it's not my place anymore to tell you how wrong you are about yourself.

[And Billy has family still, a brother and a boyfriend... and Teddy is making new friends, sure, but no one will ever be Billy.

But Billy is a painful reminder right now and he can't just-- do the friendly thing.]

No. I don't want you to be with me because of obligation or because I want you to... and I damn sure don't want to feel like you're with me as a second choice. Like I said, I'm not getting what I want, so-- stop asking me what I'd prefer.

[He idly waves a hand, dismissive.]

Don't worry about it. I said I wanted to.

You asked how I would feel, I was only answering you.

( he doesn't expect teddy to sit here and tell him he's wrong, or any other bullshit like that. billy knows himself, doesn't need teddy's words to comfort him or console his own personal ideas about himself.

the rift's already open, and he's taking a step into it, raising a hand to wave teddy off. )

If there were two of me here, two of me from about the same timeline, the same corner of the universe, and we were both telling you how much we loved you and how much we wanted to be with you but you could only pick one, what would you do? I mean. . it's not the same, you and Loki are both extremely different, but. I love both of you, I can't just--choose.

[The thing is-- it's not just comfort or consoling. They're not empty words. Teddy meant every word he said. The only thing that ever broke Teddy's heart about Billy is his fear of himself...

Or well, that was the one thing, anyway. There's some new things.]

That's not fair or even likely, Billy... but I know I wouldn't turn either of you away either.

[He gives a wry smile, taking a few steps away.] Yeah, but you did choose, and I was the loser, Billy.

[He gives an quick wave of his own before he turns away and quickens his steps a little. If he doesn't turn back, then it'll probably hurt less.

You know, maybe.

But probably not.] See you around sometime, I'm sure.

( okay, no, wait, hold on a second. he had full intentions of high-tailing it out there for teddy's sake, giving him space, you know, whatever. but no, no billy's stepping right out of that rift and letting it close behind him, takes a quick few steps to catch up to teddy and place a hand against his shoulder. )

No. I didn't choose between you. I chose to be with him, yeah. I chose not to break up with him to get back with you, yes. But I didn't sit here and put the two of you together, shoulder-to-shoulder, and picked Loki out of the lineup. If you wanted me to do that, I can't. It'd be like telling you to choose from two mes, and you wouldn't--you you wouldn't want to have to do that, right? If you had to, you couldn't. What would you do? Kiss us both, expect the both of us to just be okay with that?

( they both know how billy can get. that's not the point. the point is he has absolutely no idea what he's doing and is trying his goddamn best here, thanks. )

I was here, Loki was here, you left, I thought this would be--better for both of us. Maybe I was wrong but I can't just fix it. I can't clone myself!

[The touch makes him stiffen for a moment, jaw tightening. He didn't want to argue. He's tired of arguing He wants to go back home and climb into bed for a while, sleep it off.

Or maybe go out somewhere, see if he can find some other way to take aggression out, even if it means going out and finding another damn snake lizard thing to have a fight with.

But Billy is talking and Teddy can't just turn away and leave... when has he ever been able to?]

Oh, so you're not choosing, but you're choosing to be with Loki and not me. So in other words, choosing. Thanks for clarifying that, Billy. You're still choosing one of us... and I wouldn't choose between two of you. I'd make damn sure I didn't hurt either one of you any way that I could though.

[And he can't even believe he's arguing a ridiculous scenario like this anyway.] But I don't know what I would do either! How I'd do it. But do you really think I'm being unreasonable here, being hurt that my boyfriend moved on? It might have been six months for you, but it's barely been any time for me, Billy!

[His jaw tightens and he moves to push Billy's hand off. It comes back to that, right?] I left to get my head on straight... I was in counseling. I wasn't looking for anyone else to fall in love with because there's no one I could love more than you. I spent every day wanting to e-mail you and tell you all of that. But I had this group thing to go to and I thought I'd send it when I got back...

[But it doesn't seem to matter. Billy is still angry over it -- and he has a right to be. But Teddy feels like he has a right to be a little angry at the moment too.] But sure, I left. You decided to run away and stay here, start over. And I'm stuck in this nightmare. I don't know how to just be Teddy Altman. It's been Teddy and Billy for so long-- and I need to figure out how to be really alone. I'm not asking for a clone. No one could replace you, Billy Kaplan.

[He shakes his head. What does Billy want him to say? It's not okay. He's miserable. But--] Then don't fix it. Especially if your solution is cloning yourself. Clones never work out well.

I didn't run away!!

I got stuck here, just like you did! I wanted to leave, just like you did!! I'm so sorry I was happy for the first time since you left! I didn't--

( now he's pissed. he's angry and yelling and wow this is a lot harder to stay quiet for than he really expected, and he wants to scream even louder maybe but where is that really going to get any of them? )

Fine. Fine! I'll break up with everyone! I won't choose, I'll just--I'll go somewhere else!

( fucking bye, because he's teleporting right out of this nonsense. )

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monthly mingle: PRIJATA

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