riverviewlogs | monthly mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

monthly mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

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

river festival

In the days leading up to August 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The River Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the river and the life that it gives to the city, as well as the heat of summer and forming bonds with friends, family, and romantic partners. The celebrations are marked by a community-wide cleanup of the docks and beaches along the river - particularly important considering the recent flooding that's left the banks of the river littered with debris - as well as beachfront cookouts and parties (both private and city sponsored) and beach sports tournaments happening on either open stretches of beach or in special clothing-optional beaches, all capped off with fireworks displays each weekend in August.

a celebration of the river and togetherness

Following the hedonism of Carnivale, it's time for something a little more low-key and relaxing. The River Festival happens every year in August, and is geared toward community building through cleaning up the beaches and docks along the river and then using all that freshly cleaned beach to gather on. During the month of August, there are various lightly-themed government-sponsored beach cookouts and parties geared toward family, romantic dates, or casual all-ages get-togethers for meeting new friends; there are also a few more racy parties at clothing-optional beaches around the city. Many private residents also take this time to gather together friends and family, and have cookouts on the beach with all the typical trappings of the beach barbecue. There are also various casual sports tournaments sponsored by community centers, gyms, and sports teams in the city, featuring prizes ranging from notoriety to sports equipment to big bucks. Every weekend, there are beautiful fireworks displays and free concerts. This year, the River Festival has been chosen for the unveiling of a new water park in the City, with free or heavily discounted tickets during August!

i. cleaning up

The holiday starts off on a note that is just a bit more sombre than the rest of the season, with the cleanup efforts following the recent flooding blending into the usual tradition of cleaning up beaches and docks along the river. The cleanup is a group effort, with every citizen who is physically able pitching in to comb the beaches, where they pick up fallen tree limbs, garbage, and anything else that's accumulated during the winter and spring, and then raking the beaches to make them clean and ready to use. The cleanup of the docks is similar, with residents sweeping and hosing them down where necessary. This year, there are a lot of repairs to be made to beachfront structures that might've been damaged by flooding and the traffic along the riverbanks from the heroes that participated in the rescue of cult hostages, so if anyone has some carpentry or building skills, those would definitely come in handy.

This is meant to be a community building effort, so many businesses in the area, more well-to-do private citizens, and the government have pitched in funding to provide lunches, cold drinks, coffee or tea, and snacks to anyone who's helping out with the cleanup efforts. All in all, the cleanup has a very friendly, welcoming vibe.

ii. beach activities

The main traditions of the River Festival involve cookouts and beach parties. Each weekend in August, the government as well as various corporations and businesses in the city, will be providing funds for large beach gatherings. On these days, there will be booths set up offering wares and freebies from various businesses around the city that have helped fund the party, large swaths of cleared beach where residents can don a swimsuit and catch some rays or swim in the river, massive barbecue setups to provide partygoers with all the standard barbecue fare, beach sports tournaments, dancing and musical performances, and fireworks displays (see prompts below).

The holiday isn't just about these big parties, though - many residents arrange their own barbecues, cookouts, beach camping trips, beach bonfires, and other riverside gatherings and outings. Many riverfront businesses offer discounts on services such as canoe or kayak rentals to go out paddling on the river, jetski or motorboat rentals for tubing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing, or mounts to take romantic rides in the surf. Additionally, there is an adults-only section of the beach where any of these activities can be done in the nude in a clothing-optional setting, including the big city-sponsored parties.

If your character is good at playing a particular sport that could, conceivably, be played on a beach, chances are that during the month of August, a tournament will be set up for them to participate in. The tournaments are pretty standard, generally sponsored by community centers, sports clubs and teams, gyms, and other organizations and businesses in the city, with various levels of specialization, and levels of skill or competitiveness. The prizes also vary, with everything from plain old bragging rights to sports equipment or passes to gyms and community centers, to large lump sums of cash money. Definitely worth it, for characters with a love for sport. Oh, and a lot of these tournaments are happening on the adults-only clothing-optional beaches, for those grown-up sports fans who like a bit of an extra challenge.

iii. fireworks and music

Each weekend throughout the month of August, there will be evening performances all along the beach. Not as extensive as the musical performances during Carnivale, the performances are geared more toward dancing than true concerts, with areas roped off on both on the regular and adults-only clothing-optional beaches for dancing and mingling (acts will switch off between the two areas so both areas get both performances).

Player-characters who are musical artists, DJs, or otherwise perform are free to set up shop around this party and panhandle or put on free performances for publicity.

After the sun goes down, boats will head out into the water carrying a variety of fireworks, and there will be a beautiful display of exploding color in the sky for residents to watch and enjoy. The fireworks are highly advanced, incorporating old-fashioned gunpowder as well as modern technology that result in really beautiful displays that can take the breath away!

iv. waterpark

This year, there's an extra little bit of fun being thrown into the River Festival - the grand opening of a new waterpark! It's quite the park, set near the river with a scenic view, and featuring all sorts of amazing rides, from waterslides that are catered to all ages and levels of thrill seeking, tube rides that are almost like a rollercoaster on water, a pool where customers can faux-surf, funnel rides, side-by-side racing slides, a lazy river, and almost anything else you can imagine. Besides the rides, there are also a wide variety of swimming pools for kids and adults - wave pools, lap pools, splash pools - and an equally wide variety of hot tubs featuring various minerals (and some aromatherapy) for relaxing, invigoration, and other effects.

Some of the hot tubs are in a clothing-optional adult area, where there are some normal pools and some clearly-labelled pools contain elements that increase arousal or desire, or simply affection to encourage some closer bonding!

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 one of the mod-posted prompts for each Communal Floor. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the River Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: credit unknown; image ii: Albert Ramon Puig; image iii: Claudio Pilia; image iv: Alan Philips

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It is clear that it isn't the answer that Padmé is expecting, not that she exactly had one in mind. Perhaps some jest in turn, which is why she does regard him a little closer. She is well aware that looks can be deceiving, as Jedi themselves come from all different species across the galaxy, but his answer is peculiar enough to warrant another look.

Human? Something other? She has heard a little of witches and wizards, of elves, and even humans that have different technology than the kind that she is familiar with herself. Even enhancements to humans. That is something that exists in her own galaxy, to some extent anyway. Whatever it is, it isn't exactly evident, and in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that important to her. She's never been the type to judge people on their race or species, on their appearance either. Rather, she prefers to measure others by their actions.]

A little break, perhaps, but you really don't need to do anything. I just wanted to get the rest of this section done today.

I want to. That's all.

And I'm sure it will be.

[ He says that with confidence that isn't prideful but sort of filled with a sense of gratefulness and feeling for the people around him. As if he's honestly touched. ]

[In the grand scheme of things, Padmé isn't one to turn away a helping hand, especially when it goes beyond something that just has to do with her. Everyone here could benefit from having a clean landscape, both the residence who are brought here and the local wildlife that no doubt uses the river and surrounding area for themselves. If everyone were to put an effort in all across the galaxy, even just five minutes each, she knew that it could lead to great changes over time. Unfortunately, most like to see immediate responses to their actions.

Stretching her back a little, she stands up straight, feeling the strain of her actions this day, and the previous days as well. That smile comes as she lets a soft breath out.]

I certainly can't argue with that. Thank you.

[Genuine in return. One thing that Padmé can say about this place is that all the people that she has met so far have been kind. It's not like she has come across someone who is rude or aggressive, who takes pleasure in harming others. The world has enough of those sorts of individuals already, but perhaps she is just lucky in with who she has met.]

But I will expect you to leave some for me...

I doubt I'll finish it off.

[ Dorian may not get tired but his strength is only slightly higher than the average person. Save, of course, during moments of crisis, like the time he flipped a van. ]

Are you used to work like this?

[ She seemed to have taken to it like a duck to water. ]

[That light smile curls at the corner of her mouth as she moves to take a break, resting against a post. She is used to some physical activity, trying to remain fit. It isn't on a daily basis that Padmé needs to run around and avoid assassination attempts, but it has come up before. She had been trained quite extensively with her handmaidens.

As for work like that? That is a yes and a no to that question. It isn't what she does for a living, having gone from being princess to queen and on to be a Senator, but growing up she had provided various types of relief work for other planets. Some had had more success than others but to her dismay.]

When I was younger, yes. I was involved with programs on my planet, and later worked with the Refugee Relief Movement. Of course that dealt more with helping others adjust or give them aid, but sometimes it was little things like helping them after a disaster.

[ Planets. Even though Dorian has been in Riverview for six months ago, it's hard to comprehend existences like aliens and magic still takes him time to process on an emotional scale. ]

You must really like to keep yourself busy.

[That is a bit of an understatement from Padmé. It is a bit of a catch 22 anyway, as her work does tend to keep her fairly occupied, even if she did desire to take a rest. On the other hand, she has no qualms or regrets about the life that she has chosen, and being busy does allow her to tackle the issues that arise. Her sister might tease her about not having an off switch, and it is pretty close to home.]

There are days when it does get a little hectic. I don't mind though.

[And that is the cusp of it. She isn't vain enough to think that it has to be her that does all the things that she does, but she is the one doing them, and she does them well. One day, perhaps, she might settle back down on Naboo and start a family, but that day hasn't come yet.]

I suppose you need look no further than my parents. We come from a very bountiful planet, so they always taught us to help others who didn't have the same opportunities.

What is your planet called?

[ it's fascinating, even after being in Riverview for months, to hear about other worlds. Dorian's world isn't particularly interesting or unusual. It's just a city like most others. Very little has changed beyond their level of technology. Dorian himself — the DRN model — is nothing more than a footnote in history. ]

Naboo.

[It is clear from the tone in her voice that she is very fond of the planet that she was born and grew up on. While there are areas that could certainly use improvement, it is a planet that Padmé wishes more people would have known. She has seen the hardships of others, of a lack of water and places where slavery still exists. The galaxy might have a variety of different atmospheres, but if beings were to help each other instead of hinder each other, they might gain more.]

It's a planet that falls in the Mid Rim section of space. Temperate in nature, it has plenty of flowing pastures, rivers and lakes.

It sounds beautiful.

[ He wonders what it would be like to travel. See other places. It's never been a possibility before. Which begs the next question. ]

Have you traveled a lot?

A handful of planets.

[It's not as if her currently job tends to take her to places other than Coruscant and Naboo. Currently, it is a bit of a fluke that she has not only returned to Naboo, but has also gone to Tatooine. She's not overly impressed with the reasoning behind it, given that it is because of an attempt on her life, but if she is being truthful with herself, she has enjoyed spending time with Anakin, for all its ups and downs.]

There are others who have seen far more. Senators don't typically travel too far off planet. Maybe visiting someone, or if there is some crisis that calls for us to attend somewhere.

[ Dorian's eyes light up as he tries to envision it for himself. Difficult, since imagination isn't something he's nurtured much. ]

But you seem like someone who would travel far to help.

[There is a pause in her as she ponders over his words. He is not wrong in that statement, as it is true that she would go to great lengths for anything that she believed in. It didn't just apply to a friend either, but to any cause that her heart and soul was in.]

There are those who do make a living traveling the stars, mapping out new planets and entities. I'm certainly not one of those. I don't mind space travel, but I do like to be planet-side. I would though, yes, travel far to help, if it is in my capabilities.

[ He nods, absorbing that. ]

This is the furthest I've ever been. Without orders, without a tether. It's supposed to be freedom.

Freedom can be what you make it.

[Not that she will deny that there are those who have had their freedoms denied to them. Yet, even then, she recalls how helpful a young Anakin was. How little he had had, and yet how he had sought to help strangers who meant nothing to him.]

So I've been told.

[ It's harder to conceptualize. To make sense of. Dorian has to untangle his own feelings and his sense of belonging. ]

It's not so easy to believe.

[His words do garner another look from Padmé, as if trying to piece him together. He's polite enough, that much she can tell, seemingly friendly as well. Yet, Padmé also knows that you can't judge someone based solely on what they present to the world. She has been a perfect example of that herself during her tenure as queen, and even more recently. A dear friend had lost her life to keep her safe.

That contemplative hum.]

No, it isn't, is it. There are some things that one can just understand, and yet there are others that are harder to picture, to comprehend, like explaining colour to a blind person, or sound to the deaf.

It doesn't bother me all that much.

[ Freedom or the lack of it. Certainly, losing some liberties would prove grating, especially since Dorian has gotten used to having some agency. But it all pales to the job. The job is what matters. What he is made for.

What else could he want? ]

What exactly is it like where you're from?

[Because yes, curiosity has gotten the better of her. It is something that she finds interesting anyway. Knowing the places that people are from and what it is like there. Some are similar to her own, while others are completely foreign to her.]

I'm a machine so I don't have certain liberties.

[ And on his part, Dorian can't say he feels strongly about it. People keep saying he should but he's not sure they grasp the nature of his life. If it can be called that. ]

A droid?

[Which is where Padmé's vocabulary goes. The mechanical beings of her galaxy come in a variety of different shapes and forms, but they tend not to be overly humanistic.

She doesn't mean to stare, but Padmé does take another look.

No, she wouldn't have guessed him to be a machine at all. Although she realizes that he might not be familiar with the vocabulary that she has chosen. When it comes to droids and their rights, Naboo is far more forward than other places.]

Sorry. They're mechanical beings that possess artificial intelligence, yet it's clear they are automatons.

[ Dorian nods with a smile. ]

Yes, I'm familiar. I'm a different kind of machine, as you can tell. I was made to feel.

[Her nose scrunches a little as she tries to rectify what he has said.]

You can feel... everything? All emotions?

I can. That is what I was designed for.

[ To feel, to connect, to bond. To make the right calls. ]

[Happiness? Sorrow? Regret...?

She would be the first to say that R2 was his own unique droid. Padmé couldn't understand him, but the beeps and whistles gave that impression of a personality. Whether it was all in her head... Even Threepio had seemed fussy, which one doesn't usually expect from a droid.]

You... have set parameters, or are you able to learn and grow- if you don't mind me asking that.

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