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

navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Pretending huh? That's an interesting concept. What would pretense feel like? Dorian smiles, the corners of his lips tugging into a soft smile. ]

As a machine, I lack different physical limits, though I do possess them all the same.

[his interest is immediately piqued.]

You are a machine? [he definitely doesn't look like one.] Like - a droid of some kind?

[cassian associates intelligent technology with droids, lbr. it's the go-to word.] We had many droids back home, though none ever looked so much like the human species, or any species really.

[ It clicks and Dorian beams. ]

Like that. I've heard a little about droids. They seem to be prominent on some worlds.

They are very common where I am from. I have seen them in all shapes, sizes. Many speak multiple languages, but all of them know what we call binary as their first.

[cassian does not. he knows a few words, but he always relied on k2 for translating. it's a hard language!]

I do not suppose you are from a galaxy with space travel.

[ Dorian remembers this. Rey had spoken to him about binary and other droids long ago. ]

I'm afraid not. We're still very much grounded. But I've heard of your space and it sounds amazing. Especially your droids.

What have you heard of them? [cassian has always had a favorable view of droids, given they helped protect his planet as a child, but he knows not everyone cares as much or feels the same. war opposition and all that!]

[he's probably doubly biased, thanks to his own droid.] I assume it is not the word you would use to describe yourself though.

Just there are many of them, all unusual in many ways. And that they use binary. I don't get to meet many like myself. With feelings or emotions.

[ He's the only one left, in a way. Max is no longer like Dorian, after all. ]

But I don't think droids, robots and androids like myself are all that different.

Some people would say droids do not have emotions. [k2 included, about himself. but cassian knows that's wrong. he suddenly wishes k2 could meet this android and join the conversation too.] I do not agree.

Android has a more humanoid association than simply droid in my universe. Droids are usually created with a purpose in mind, but said purpose varies more than I can describe.

[ Wait. Dorian parses that, his eyes widening. ]

So they can deviate from their programming? On their own?

[he pauses a bit, considering the best way to answer this? he just keeps thinking about k2so.]

I have found that to be the case, on occasion. If they are allowed the room to do so. They are designed with specific purposes - like security, or repairs, or cleaning - but they can be reprogrammed or develop personalities. It is not quite so easy to say on their own, I think it depends more on their circumstance and how malleable their programming.

[there's another bit of hesitation. he doesn't want it anything about k2 to come across badly, but it is the truth.] I had a droid, for example. He was a security droid. I tampered with his programming when I found him, and he deviated very far from the standard of his line.

[ Dorian watches him before the corner of his lips curve slightly. ]

He must have been very fond of you. It's not easy to deviate without good reason.

[cassian doesn't quite smile back, but his expression does go a little lighter. he finds that likes being able to talk about his droid, to make sure others do know he was important, even if they're from entirely different universes.]

His name was K-2SO. He may have been a special case, but I think it was still proof that droids are quite capable of being more than simply what they are programmed for.

[former separatist and pro-droid, cassian andor.]

I certainly believe that.

[ He inclines his head politely. ]

But I'm glad to hear you do as well.

[he huffs the faintest trace of a laugh.] Yes, of course you would.

What do you like to be called? I should have asked much sooner before diving in to any of this.

[back home, droids are always given names, but sometimes they might like nicknames. especially ones that look so human.]

My name is Dorian. My designation is DRN-0167.

Can I get your name as well?

I take it you prefer Dorian. [it sounds very k2 like. not that his droid preferred being shortened to just 'k,' but nicknames just Happen. he always liked it better than a number.]

Cassian Andor. It's good to meet you.

I do.

And thank you. It's always fascinating to hear and meet other robots from different worlds. I hope I can carry back those experiences.

Of course. Droids are so common back home, but it's rare to find another universe where it's the same. I do not mind talking about them in the slightest. I can only wish K2 was here to join the discussion.

[and wish his droid were here for a bunch of reasons, obviously.]

[ His eyes brighten, a sharp blue. ]

I heard! It's fascinating to think of seeing robots everywhere. While our technological advancements have been rapid, they haven't been on the level of other galaxies and realities.

I would say they are still rapid in their own ways, if I mistook you for a human at first glance.

How common are androids where you are from?

[ Dorian takes a second to deliver a concrete answer. ]

Not that many. Only government agencies are allowed to have machines of this caliber.

Naturally, when the government makes the laws.

[cassian is not a fan of governments as a Whole. especially big imposing ones. of course they would keep an android this impressive off limits to everyone else.]

What do they use you and your programming for?

[ Dorian picks up on that, but refrains from commenting right now. ]

I'm a police officer. I work with a detective.

[he wouldn't mind talking about it. sometimes he just has to remember that not everywhere is suffering under an autocratic oppressive regime.]

Is that common? Android use in law enforcement?

Yes, very common. Officers aren't allowed to work without having one android with them.

[ They make excellent bullet catchers, as Dorian once heard them say. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject