riverviewlogs | monthly mingle: CARNIVALE

Entry tags:

monthly mingle: CARNIVALE

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

carnivale

In the days leading up to July 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Carnivale. This holiday is in celebration of music, and the onset of summer and warmer weather. The celebrations are marked by street parties, an extensive program of live musical performances, with two large parades on July 8th and July 9th.

celebrating music, and summer

After a couple of months of low-key or even solemn celebrations, it's time for Riverview Quarantine to throw a good, old-fashioned party. Carnivale is a city-wide festival that pretty much everyone gets into, and many residents take the entire week off so they can enjoy all the festivities. With events ranging from impromptu street parties, free live musical performances, food stands, themed club nights, adult lounges with kink shows, and topped off with two massive party parades, the holiday has a lot to offer for anyone who likes to sing, dance, and show some skin!

i. street parties and food

One of the staples of the Carnivale festival is the spontaneous street parties and food trucks and carts. It's not unusual during the holiday to turn a corner and run into a group of people dressed in bright colors and sequins having an impromptu party with a few drinks, and then be invited to join right in! Carnivale is a celebration of music as well as summer, so most shops and stalls will be blasting danceable music into the streets to facilitate these little street parties - it's considered a sign of good luck for the owner of a business if an impromptu Carnivale celebration starts up in front of their door.

Considering the proliferation of street parties and people out and about to celebrate the warmer weather, local business owners also take to the streets. Food carts, stands, and trucks pop up on almost every street corner offering a wide variety of food from savory treats to sweet desserts. Many of the carts are offering one free item to anyone dressed up for Carnivale - anything shimmery, shiny, or brightly colored will do!

ii. live musical performances

One of the major roads in the city center has been completely roped off for the entire week, and all along this street, various temporary stages have been set up, each with a nice hefty sound system. Volunteers hand out printed flyers, and digital boards are set up here and there with schedules of various performances that are all free to attend, ranging from well-known popular music artists to new up-and-comers or independent artists who are looking to make a name for themselves. This event is very widely advertised around the city, and is accepting entries until the very last minute.

So jump in and stomp around in a mosh pit or just dance around in the streets, let yourself get lost in the music and the summer heat!

Any player-characters who are musically inclined are more than welcome to assume their character was fit in for a performance, and can post up a top-level with a rundown of their performance to get bonus Activity Points for posting a mingle!

iii. carnivale parade and children's parade

The other main attraction of Carnivale week comes on the weekend of July 8th and 9th, which are paid holiday days for everyone in the city. There are two parades, the Carnivale Parade on July 8th, and the Children's Parade on July 9th.

Both parades will start out by City Hall and wind through downtown in a lazy pattern so everyone in the city has a chance to see them. There will be all sorts of floats, dancers, marching bands, with all sorts of clubs, businesses, and other organizations represented. Observers can expect great music, excellent dancing and marching shows, neat vehicles provided by classic car clubs, the fire, police, and Perimeter Guard. They can also expect a lot of party favors, whether it's a sparkly plastic beaded necklace, a fan to take the edge off the heat, candy, popsicles, a temporary tattoo, or any number of other little treats or toys to be tossed into the crowd.

The Carnivale Parade on Saturday has a more adult tone to it, and party favors thrown may be toys or gag gifts of a more adult nature suitable for older teens and grown-ups. The floats are more risqué and the people in the parade show more skin, dance more provocatively, and there are wet T-shirts, occasional flashing, and other things that might not be suitable for children. The theme is theatrical, big and showy, bright and colorful, sparkly and shiny, with loud music and lots of glitz and glamour.

Geared toward children and younger teens, the Children's Parade is on Sunday and generally more low-key, with more of a cartoony than glitzy theme. The Children's Parade will have more conservative floats, with bright colors, juggling and dancing, and mascot costumes. Party favors will lean more toward candy and temporary tattoos, rainbow pinwheels, and small toys. Keep an eye out for floats with pop performers and for popular cartoons in the city!

And make sure you wear your waterproof mascara - Carnivale and Children's Parade floats have a tendency of spraying or spritzing water, both in an unspoken competition to see who can make the biggest water-refraction rainbow in the air, and to keep observers cool in the new summer heat.

iv. adult: lounges

Thanks to the Carnivale tradition of showing as much skin as possible, some event organizers' minds have turned to topics of a more adult nature. In the evenings, residents may see clubs doing "lounge nights"; these adults-only events have bouncers IDing everyone at the door to ensure they're 18+. The themes may vary, from very specific niche themes like 'golden age superheroes' to broad themes like 'rainbows,' and each event is clearly marked as what it is - all-nude or clothing-optional, and can host events ranging from amateur to professional exotic dancing, food served off of nude bodies, anonymous masked hookups, or just provide a comfortable space where casual sex is encouraged with whoever happens to be around. Various legal substances can be found at these lounges, but nothing that would cause violation of consent, and every substance would be clearly labeled and have warnings to ensure that no one partakes unless they choose to. Please be sure to warn in the subject line for sexual content or drug use (since some mild party drugs are legal in Riverview).

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 Carnivale, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Roger Patterson Jr.; image ii: Jie He; image iii: Aaron Walker; image iv: Lewis Monson

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

['Servers.' It's not too surprising to consider that the man with a still-functioning set of armor here in Riverview would have access to enough technology to create another such system for himself, rather than using the city's materials. She wonders if it's time, work in Riverview, or some tranferred wealth from his own world that gave him access, and thinks about the lockbox of funds she didn't have with her on the shuttle before she was drawn through the portal to Riverview.

It doesn't matter much. She has her gun, here, and now her icon. She doesn't need much else.]

I would enjoy it. I'm a collector, when it comes to music.

[ Tony's eyebrows lift just a little. He would not have guessed that about her. Go figure.

Then again he's only ever run into her as a solider, hasn't he. And Tony of all people should know just how different people can be when they're off duty. And maybe they're not friends, exactly, but they've been running off a certain amount of understanding so far. He can't say he doesn't want to see what's going on under the armor, so to speak. ]

Well, I've got a good amount hanging around. Just let me know when you want to swing by some time and we'll have a party.

Not even a dinner invitation to start?

[The expression she adopts is artfully skeptical, edging toward offense without crossing over into genuine. Not that she finds it rude to get down to business without the extended pleasantries that seem so common in her home, even if the 'business' in this case is simply enjoying a music collection.]

I would offer an exchange, but I'm afraid I don't have much by way of recordings.

Did you want a dinner invitation?

[ There's obvious amusement in his tone, but the question is genuine. He hadn't thought of it as anything but inviting someone over for a purpose, but hey. Tony can roll with it. ]

Nah, don't worry about it. Though actually. [ He pauses to throw her a considering look. ] I don't suppose you'd be willing to let me peek at that armor of yours?

[Breq waves the suggestion off, continuing to emote, this time with a hint of amusement of her own.] I'll simply accept an offer of tea.

[Her hesitation at the second part is much more noticable-- she spends an entire three seconds processing it, weighing the potential outcomes. Right now, her armor is an apparent rarity in the quarantine, something unique. It gives her an edge against any adversaries she might encounter. On the other hand, she doesn't have outright enemies here, and if the internal unit she has breaks or malfunctions, she only has the most rudimentary knowledge of how the device could be dealt with properly, even if she could access it herself.

In the end, she turns her attention completely on Tony with penetrating stare.]

Define 'a peek.'

[ Tea. Okay, he can probably do that.

Though he's slightly more distracted by the look she's giving him. It's something Tony recognizes instantly, and makes him hold a hand up almost defensively, though there's a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. ]

Just want to see how it works. I promise not to touch, mess with, or take apart anything.

[ Yeah, he knows exactly what she's worried about. Tony doesn't even bother to feel offended. He'd probably be just as suspicious if someone was asking to poke at his armor. ]

You'd have to take me apart to do it. The shielding unit is installed subdermally.

[But admitting as much is an allowance for his curiosity, and she knows it. So she breathes out a quick breath, and continues, gesturing toward her chest.]

However, the unit isn't invisible to scanners. Neither is the shielding, to the right detection arrays. The shield is best viewed with certain visual modifications, but that shouldn't be a hindrace.

[ Tony's eyebrows lift a little at that, before he almost visibly begins rearranging things in his head slightly. ]

Oh, scanning I can do. And if you have more info on those modifications, me and JARVIS can probably work it out between us.

[ Okay, so now he was even more curious. But if this was something that was actually part of her, Tony could at least play it cool. He could understand if she didn't want some rando poking at her with a screwdriver. ]

The basics. Some of us don't make our devices from scratch.

[She shrugs. She knows the schematics, in the vague way a memory can tell them. She saw them installed in enough bodies, too, to know exactly where they sit within her, and what they do. But she was never the one doing it. She can envy Tony a little, in that regard. His suit, worn outside of him, must be easier to maintain than her mix of modifications and installations. It's no one but his. That's a stark benefit.

Something tenses around her eyes, though, as she processes the rest of that.]

JARVIS?

[No one else had been brought up as working with Tony, before.]

Ah. My AI. He and another one of my bots found their way here, who knows how.

[ He shakes his head, but there's a genuine fondness to his expression as he thinks about them. Though it doesn't stop him from catching the sudden tension in her, and he throws her a curious look but manages to keep himself from asking. ]

He helps me out with my work. Well both of them do, but JARVIS is much better at it.

[The tension doesn't exactly go away, but it shifts, a little. Her focus turns on Tony, with a hint of something behind her eyes. The fingers of one hand curl around the edge of the chair a little, as she takes in that expression.

Only a moment longer and she adopts a more casual pose again, even smiling politely.]

I wasn't aware. Very well, then. If he's amenable, I'd be willing to let you and him do some scans, after I've met him.

Sure.

[ It's an easy, casual agreement, but Tony is still giving her a slightly searching look, trying to puzzle out exactly what that reaction is about. Something about JARVIS, but he can't figure out exactly what. She doesn't seem to be the type to be weirded out by AIs, not from what Tony has seen, but there's definitely something there. ]

Any time. We could go now, if you want.

[This time, there's another half-second of hesitation, but the reason for it is more obvious, as Breq spares a glance toward the stage and the rockers still screaming and shouting and shredding their way through their set.]

Once this song is done.

[After that, her casual gesture says, she's willing to go wherever.]

Fair enough. There's no rush.

[ And Tony stretches out a little to make himself comfortable, fingers absently tapping out a little rhythm on his leg in time to the music. It's not half-bad for a live set, and Tony can appreciate it for a bit. He might still be more than a little curious about what's going on in Breq's head, but even he can tell that she's not the type to be rushed.

Besides, he came out here for a reason. Might as well enjoy it for a bit. ]

[As soon as he confirms, Breq nods, and her attention is turned completely back toward the music, and the stage. Her arms are crossed loosely against her chest, as she watches the performers up on stage work their way through the song, throwing their energy into the piece, and jumping and running around the stage to interact with the cheering crowd.

For all of her intense focus, though, she doesn't appear to be tapping to the beat, or even moving at all.

When the song finishes, she uncrosses her arms, and turns to Tony, expression inscrutable.]

Where to?

[ Tony's eyes slide over towards her as she shifts, but he just smiles slightly. And might groan just a little as he pushes himself to his feet. ]

Come on.

[ And for all his curiosity, he's in no particular hurry as he leads her out of the festival, over towards the scattered warehouses that dot the side of the city. The one he stops in front of looks no different from the rest, aside from maybe being a bit smaller than some, but the door swings itself open as he approaches.

The inside, however, is a different story. The entire first floor is taken up with worktables and projects in various states of completion, with a desk covered in monitors tucked against one side, and a corner with a sofa in the other. And, standing against the back wall, a familiar red-and-gold suit of armor. ]

[Breq isn't overly wary as she follows Tony through the streets to his place. Which is to say, she's a bit less wary and alert than she was when they were in actively hostile territory together. She's still definitely taking note of the route and their surroundings.

As for when they finally reach the warehouse... She doesn't mean to linger at the edge the way she does, but there's so much to take in that she wastes almost three seconds standing there cataloguing the contents of the tables. She finally steps inside when her attention reaches the suit.]

I see you keep busy.

Generally.

[ It's an easy agreement, considering that Tony is in his element. He gestures over towards the couch with a faint smile, like he knows what she's doing. She wouldn't be the first to try to case the joint, he's worked with too many soldiers. But if she wants to get a little more comfortable, the offer is there.

Something moves behind him before he can give a warning, and Dum-E scoots by between a couple of the tables with what looks like a cleaning cloth clutched in his claw. He's not actually cleaning anything, but the intent is clearly there. ]

[She does actually start toward the couch with a little nod of thanks-- she may be intense and noticably wary, but she's also not going to be rude when it's not warranted. She's a few feet from it when Dum-E makes a sudden appearance.

She looks over the robot, then glances back to Tony.]

'Generally.' Are introductions in order?

[It feels awkward, to not be able to recognize the artificial intelligences immediately, but that's the nature of a melting pot like the quarantine. Everyone here is and has something someone else has never even considered before.]

[ Tony glances briefly at her with a look of vague confusion, before he follows her gaze over towards the bot he'd tuned out. And then with an amused snort, he turns and gestures towards it. ]

Hey, c'mere.

[ Dum-E's claw rotates all the way around his base to look over, like he's trying to make sure he's being addressed, before the bot rolls his way back over to Tony, cloth still clutched victoriously. He lifts it even higher as he rolls to a stop in front of Tony, showing off a little. ]

Yeah, yeah. You're not entirely useless for once, good job. Dum-E, this is Breq, [ he gestures over to her as the robot's arm swivels in her direction ] Breq meet Dum-E.

[What a way to talk to a robot. Breq is prepared to bristle-- slightly less so at the revelation that this isn't the JARVIS Tony had indicated before-- but does at least manage a polite almost-a-bow nod, rather than offering a handshake.]

Is Dum-E key to this process?

[Skepticism, what skepticism.]

Nah, he's supposed to be cleaning.

[ The tone in Tony's voice is clearly aiming for resigned, but it comes out sounding a lot more like fond. He absently pets the bot's main strut as the claw rotates towards him again. ]

Go on. And don't break anything!

[ This last called after him as Dum-E trundles off again, cleaning cloth held aloft with something almost like determination. Tony watches him go for a moment, then shakes his head. ]

Don't mind him.

[That reaction eases some of the tension in her, for some reason or another. Not entirely, but enough that she isn't quite so hawk-eyed about Tony's interactions with the robot. She also finally makes it over to the couch to sit properly on it, then fixes Tony with a clearly expectant look.]

How do you plan to go about this?

[ He flicks a glance towards her that manages to be both amused and thoughtful -- he hasn't missed that tension returning, though he's still not sure what it's all about. But they are here for a reason, so hey. ]

JARVIS?

Sir? [ The new voice is smooth, posh, and seems to come from nowhere in particular. ]

First off, meet Breq. Breq, JARVIS. [ He waves a hand vaguely around like that's supposed to help anything. ] Also, can you give me a list of all the music we currently have available?

[ There's no response this time, but a glowing holographic window pops up near Tony's side, with an increasingly long list scrolling down. ]

So. Rock, right?

[Right. She'd nearly forgotten that particular goal of this meeting, when faced with the specter of scans and prying questions about the Radchaai technology installed in her body. At least she can be comfortable in the fact that Tony and Jarvis likely won't recognize the significance of her ancillary implants, though they'll probably find out something.

Trepidation is no reason to be rude to a potential cousin, though. She tilts her head, taking in the professionally cultured voice without hunting for a source.]

I'm pleased to meet you, JARVIS. I hope I'm not a disruption.

[To Tony, she adds:]

Yes. Feel free to start with any favorites you might have.

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