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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Yes, I've heard of it. It's a very unique place in the Mid Rim.

[In that, it holds a lot of history within her world--which is to say, this woman could be from that world. And if this is the same Padme, this she would be from the past and Rey is from the future--the same as Kylo Ren. A few dozen things start to run through her mind, including telling Cassian, Jyn, Finn, and Poe. Because THIS is big news.

But again, that's assuming this is the same woman who Rey thinks she is.

Even as those thoughts rushed through her head, Rey managed to keep a calm expression. A hint of a smile is on her lips.]

It's not often you get to meet someone who is from your world--in a way. Not the same planet, but knows there's a Mid Rim and Outer Rim, and so on. I will admit, your name does sound a bit familiar.

[Arriving here, Padmé thought that there possibly might be have been others who would known something of her galaxy, although more likely Coruscant given it's roll in the Republic. Naboo, while her home world, doesn't necessarily draw the same attention. Yet it is a pleasant surprise (even given the circumstances) to see that there is likely another that is from the same small spot in space as she.]

Yes. Temperate and lush, plenty of grass and water, and Gungans beneath in their own cities.

[As the chances of there being another planet with those specific traits is rather far-fetched, right?

That wayward curl of her lips though. Padmé doesn't have a desire to seek out any type of notoriety, but she does know that her name is known in certain circles. She doesn't turn to her tenure as queen, although it could be how her name is familiar.]

I have been working as a Senator for Naboo at the Galactic Republic for the past few years? Perhaps by that?

Sounds lovely. I've heard it's very nice--very green and beautiful. I've never been, but I've heard stories.

[More so about the history behind it. More tied to the relationship between Padme and Anakin. Though, it would've been a place for Rey to visit if she were back in their world--if they weren't on the run from the First Order.

Galactic Republic.

It sounds so weird for Rey to hear. There was a New Republic, but the young woman before her spoke of thee Old Republic--but it was current to Padme. Everything in her life was current, not the past--not part of a history that would wreck the galaxy. Still, Rey was doing her best to stay calm and not go racing after Poe, Finn, and the rest of them.]

I think that's where I've heard it. [A sheepish smile then. It was a bittersweet moment for Rey, meeting someone who would otherwise be dead if they all didn't arrive here.] It's not often you get to meet Senators, especially on Jakku. It's not a place people would want to really go.

[Much of what she knows isn't what Padmé knows, and it would surprise the Senator to learn about it. She might admit to herself that she found Anakin charming, and that there certainly is an attraction there, but her words had been true. They each had their duties and obligations, responsibilities to the Republic that they served, and Padmé was mindful of that as it outweighed other aspects in her life.

There is a soft laugh at the meeting Senators comment.]

Most people don't particularly desire to meet Senators.

[Not all have a good reputation, selling their planet or committee out for their own personal gains. Padmé is lucky to be surrounded by those of a like mind, who she respects and looks up to. They aren't one to be bought.]

I'm not familiar with Jakku though. What is it like?

No, I'd imagine not.

[Which is to say, who would really want to meet a politician? Not that Rey knew much about their livelihood considering the New Republic didn't interfere in what went on in Jakku. They were powerful people and could their power to influence and bring about change. Assuming they wanted to.]

Jakku is a desert. It was under Hut control for a while, but that was long before I was there. [Best to stick to basics, and not divulge that she was from the future. No need to spring that on someone so quickly.]

It's also a place that has many ships from various battles littering the sands. It doesn't attract a lot of people. That's more or less it.

[Padmé would like to say that it was easy to make change, but the truth of the matter was that the checks and balances that kept any one individual from doing anything drastic also hindered at times. It kept change from happening. At times it seemed insurmountable, the number of wrongs to be righted, although Padmé always tries to think about it as taking one step at a time.

It does sound a bit like another planet that she knows.]

A little like Tatooine then. One sun and moon, or more, like Tatooine?

[Padmé would be the first to admit that Tatooine had not been a place that she had enjoyed. It was too hot to start with, too dry as well. She contemplates for a moment, before settling on the fact that she knows little of the history of other planets that fall outside of her scope. Still, how many ships lay scattered around Jakku?]

[There's a pause as Rey thinks over the similarities between Jakku and Tatooine.]

Similar, only one sun and two moons, but a lot of sand and it's hot.

[Neither Jakku nor Tatooine are places that would be described as 'fun' or worth visiting. There wasn't much in either planet. Not that Rey would know too much about Tatooine in that it has sun and the laws there aren't the best, just like Jakku.]

How long have you been a senator?

[Sand and sun are some of what Padmé recalls about Tatooine. Hardship as well, yet Anakin had still offered to help them despite having to little in return for himself and his mother. It is one of the first things that she learned about him, the generosity of his soul to help strangers. It hadn't been the most hospitable of planets, and without his help, they all likely would have remained for sometime, or worse, been sold out.]

Yes. The sun and the sand do tend to remain with you, and the dryness of it.

[Having grown up on Naboo, it had been so strange. Of course she knew that other planets have different atmospheres, but to actually be on a place where the very moisture from your body seemed to be sapped from you...

Pausing for a moment, she ticked off the years. In a way, it was surprising how long she had been working as a Senator, and yet it also seems quite short.]

Three, going on four years now. I've been lucky to have good mentors though. People I can turn to and talk with.

[There's a faint chuckle.]

Yes, there is that. You learn to ignore it after a while.

[How sand would get everywhere, no matter how hard one tried to brush it off their body or cleaned themselves. It was always there. Tiny particles of sand that would always show up, no matter what. A single constant in her life.

There's a nod of her head, listening to the former Queen of Naboo. The one who was Ben's grandmother and how young she was. Rey had heard only a handful of stories about her and her connection to Darth Vader, but to see her in person was something else. Just like it had been with meeting Cassian and Jyn.]

That's very lucky. I've...[How to go about this without revealing too much?] I've learned how important it is to surround yourself with good company--people you can trust. Others would try to push their agenda onto your own.

Edited 2018-06-11 18:09 (UTC)

[Her comment earns a soft noise from Padmé in return. The sand at their lake house or any of the beaches had been nothing like it. Perhaps it had been gentler, less harsh, knowing that it could be left behind with a good wash.]

I wasn't there long enough to do so.

[Not that it is a regret. She can see the positives to having visited, such as seeing how others lived, and getting to meet Anakin's mother. They'd been too late the second time, and for that, Padmé is sorry.

She has always been someone who has known her own mind though, who would form her own opinions. It doesn't mean that Padmé would disregard others, but if her convictions were strong, she would trust in them. It is why it earns a solemn nod from her, as she does agree wholeheartedly.]

Yes. It might not always be the easiest route to take, but sometimes it is about standing for what you believe in. And having those of a like mind to support you.

Lucky. Even now, I still think I have some of it on me.

[Spoken as a bit of a joke, but with a hint of truth to it. Rey couldn't shake the feeling of sand on her skin. Something she would check for once she was done bathing, and even after putting on her clothes. Old habits die hard.

Another nod of her head. She bowed her head for a moment, thinking about her friends and how they came to blows over a decision she wanted to make. But things changed--plans became complicated and her plan never came to light. It changed things between them, but she was trying to heal the strain she caused.]

No, standing for what you believe is never easy. Especially when your friends--your close council don't think its wise, but you learn and do better next time.

[That soft wry expression, light on her face. It likely is an answer that is both a mixture of truth and jest. It is easy enough for Padmé to bring up her own experiences on Tatooine, and she hadn't even been there that long. The dry heat, the grit of the sand, the layers in an attempt to protect oneself.

With a nod, she makes a small gesture with her head.]

And here? What is the atmosphere of this place like? Is it always so, even on days without any festival or event?

[It is a front that is put on, or is it actually a decent enough place. Padmé knows that there is no such thing as perfection, even if she always strives to do better.]

This place?

[Much better than Jakku, like a thousand times better.]

It's interesting, not like any other planet I've been on. The people here are mostly kind, though there are some I don't feel comfortable around. They don't give a positive presence...[Like Hux, or anyone who answers to the First Order.] But, it's nicer than Jakku--and the work I do doesn't equate to however portions I get.

[Yeah...in some ways, Jakku exhibited a lot of the negative things on Tatooine. No slavery, but the scavengers were paid with very little portions. so if she came back empty handed, she would starve.]

[Padmé gives a little nod, waiting as she continued. She does wonder how many planets that she has been on, or if it is the manner of arrival that distinguishes it from the other planets. She can't say that she personally is aware of any planet that has such a means of bringing people in.

She likes to think that she has always been good at judging people, in knowing who to trust and who she might want to give a wider berth to. It's not always a first impression, she knows, but over time her first instincts have usually been pretty good. She does wonder after these individuals, but Padmé knows that the world is varied.]

Sorry. You were paid in portions - of food?

[Or something else? Water?]

[Now it's Rey's turn to look a bit confused. They were some the same Galaxy. hadn't...Padme heard of such things before?]

Yes...portions of food. Or, rations. They're one in the same.

[And water as well, because that was essential to living in the desert.]

[She nods, that understanding. It is something that people didn't need to worry about on Naboo. Padmé can easily recall both her own reaction to Tatooine and Anakin's reaction to Naboo.]

It takes strength to live on planets like those. It seems to bring out the worst in people, but I've also seen it bring out the best in people.

Strength...or stubbornness. The two are interchangeable at times.

[A weak attempt at a joke, but that's how she viewed her life there. It wasn't that she was thriving or anything of the like. She had to learn how to survive. How to go on with so little in her stomach, and how to ration out her portions, what she needed to do to keep herself going.]

There's nothing wrong with either.

[A warm richness to her voice, as Padmé knows well enough that she can be stubborn. Of course they can be both positive and negative traits depending on the situation, and it certainly doesn't make life easier. Yet sometimes it isn't about that but about what is right.

There is an understanding in her eyes though. There are many wrongs to be righted in their galaxy. Sometimes it is a pity that they cannot just happen overnight.]

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monthly mingle: PRIJATA

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