OPEN / "Bring Yourself" Arts & Culture event!

[enveloped]

who: Cameron Waltz and you!
what: "Bring Yourself" Arts & Culture event!
when: Today!
where: Riverside Community Centre.
warnings: None predicted.

Open invitation on the network!


The community center is normally a modest building, albeit one with a spectacular riverfront view. Tonight, it's putting on the ritz. Multicolored lanterns hang on either side of the sidewalk leading up to the front of the building, and music of all kinds, depending on what time it is, pours out of the open doors and into the street. Local vendors have set up small carts to show off their wares and offer small trinkets and fresh food for sale, displaying their local pride.

Inside, things have been completely redecorated for the event. It's a modern open concept gallery, with blank walls for artwork and written word, empty pedestals to display objects, and plenty of tables with chairs. Some pieces are already on display, from paintings to exotic foods. Small crowds gather around people telling stories or showing off their special skills and talents.

That music plays live from the small main stage overlooking a dance floor, both of which can be cleared for demonstrations of everything from dance to martial arts. Anything physical that requires that little bit of extra room.

Musicians are free to write their names for a time-slot on the stage, and can choose to be accompanied by the onsite pianist and guitarist, bring their own instruments or backup, or perform solo.

All throughout the room are food and drink stations, where staff serves wine, beer, limited spirits, and soft drinks. The exotic foods are on display here, from which the guests can help themselves. If you can imagine it, someone has managed to cook it.
At the far end of the building is an outdoor patio overlooking the river, with seating and torches to light the area through the night. Most displays of magic take place out there, where practitioners can go all-out casting their most extravagant spells.

The crowd ebbs and flows, gathering to socialize during lulls and splitting off to see new events and installations as they come in. Other than opening and closing statements by Cameron Waltz, there's very little structure.

Casual and relaxed, the focus is on learning, generating conversation, and meeting new people. It's an organized free-for-all, a mini festival dedicated to the celebration of the cultures and backgrounds of everyone in Riverview. And in a city made up of a thousand universes worth of people, there's more than enough to see.

[Characters can bring pieces with them as they arrive, and simply set themselves up around the room. Contributions aren't limited to art, anything goes! Feel free to play random observer/staff/performer NPCs. The party goes until midnight, have fun!]

Comments

[jolting]

Yes, as James's doctor Victor wanted him in bed. As his boyfriend, he was a little more flexible on the subject. He did love the man, and knew that James would be happier up and about than confined to bed rest. So he conceded to them going out for the festival, sparing John whatever scheme he had for breaking the captain out.

Victor had fun the last time he went on stage and performed, so doing it with James was no problem. He stood by James after their song was over in case the other man needed anything that he couldn't get while in the wheelchair.

[winscenario]

Funny, he'd have thought that as Jim's boyfriend Victor would also want him in bed. For entirely different reasons, of course. But anyway, Jim was just glad that Victor not only let him leave the house, but also agreed to tag along. Some experiences, if not most, weren't the same without him, and this was no different.

Jim leaned forward slightly in a small bow, thanking the audience for the applause. Then he tugged on Victor's shirt so he could get him low enough that he could kiss him. "Help me off the stage?" He did have the guitar on his lap still, so that hindered his movements a little.

[jolting]

Victor smiled fondly at James. There would definitely be some time in bed when they got home later. For now they would enjoy this day out. He took the guitar and slung it over his back by the strap and helped wheel James off the stage.

"I feel a little like I'm dating a rock star," he commented with a smile.

[winscenario]

"Maybe you are," Jim teased, grinning over his shoulder. "But at least we don't have a horde of fans at our doorstep every day."

Once they were off the stage, it was easier for Jim to maneuver the wheelchair through the crowd, while Victor carried both their instruments back to his booth. He winced slightly when he got there, lifting his shirt up a little to check the injury.

"I need to change the dressing in a bit." He'd been good so far and tending to the wound just as Victor had told him, especially when Victor wasn't home and Jim had no one else to help him take care of it.

[jolting]

"I'm selfish enough to admit I'm glad for that," Victor said. He carefully returned their instruments to their cases, eyes immediately going to James when the man lifted his shirt.

"I have my medical kit," he offered. Of course he brought it along, knowing James might need something. "You know, when I said I thought your first scar was sexy, I wasn't expecting you to get another one."

[winscenario]

"Good," he said while tugging the shirt back down. "Should we go find the bathroom?"

It would probably be easier and make less of a mess there. He couldn't help an apologetic look at Victor's last remark, teasing though he was.

"I know," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." But he knew he had. He'd been unconscious and barely hanging onto life when he was brought into the hospital, but he knew very well how shaken Victor probably was when he saw him.

"For what it's worth, she'd have found me either way." And maybe if Jim hadn't come looking for her himself, she'd have cornered him somewhere dark and deserted, and Jim really would have bled out and died before anyone found him. So in a way it was a good thing that it happened the way it did.

[jolting]

Victor agreed to that, grabbing his medical bag before they left. He winced a little at the apology. This was the second time now James had been brought in with an injury. This one was much more critical than the last; Victor felt like he had been stabbed in the gut when he saw James's condition.

"I know, just like I know you had to go out looking for her. I don't want you to stop doing things like that. That's who you are and why I love you. I just.... get scared when I see you like that. I don't want to lose you."

[winscenario]

Jim was glad that Victor understood, that he didn't get upset at him for the trouble he got himself into. But he also understood how Victor might've felt, when he saw him arrive at the hospital. And he couldn't help feeling guilty that he caused the doctor that kind of hurt and anguish.

"You won't," he said with more certainty than he realistically could guarantee. He turned his torso slightly, resting a hand over Victor's while he pushed them through the crowd. "I promised I'd do my best to come back to you every single time, and I intend to keep that promise. No matter what."

[jolting]

He threaded their fingers together and squeezed. "Since I know you're a man of your word, I will believe that," he said. He found them a bathroom, pushing in. It was empty so they had the place to themselves for James to take care of his dressings.

"You've gotten pretty good at this medical stuff," Victor noted. "I'd like to think it's more thanks to me than out of necessity."

[winscenario]

Jim smiled, glad that he managed to reassure Victor, even if only a little. Once they were in the bathroom, Jim tugged his shirt up, making sure to keep the fabric out of the way as he started gently taking off the old dressing.

"Mostly thanks to you," he said. "Plus, I really wanted to be able to help during a potential crisis, so I had to learn for other reasons too."

[jolting]

"I love we have similar ideas," Victor remarked. After all, he was training in fighting so he could help more in a potential crisis. "And we both learned from the best."

[winscenario]

Jim grinned at Victor, winking. "Of course," he said with no ounce of modesty, as he tossed the old bandages away. The wound underneath didn't look too bad, the bruising gone by now even though the stitches were still visible. "Anyway, give me a hand with this?"

[jolting]

Victor examined the wound, brushing his fingers around it to make sure the stitches were still in place. Some healing still needed to be done before he could confidently remove them. He grabbed a cloth and got it wet to clean the area before they applied new wrappings.

"Not to get too medical, but how are you feeling?"

[winscenario]

"Oh, but I like it when you get medical," he winked at Victor, while watching him check the wound. He shrugged at the question, lips pursed. "I'm alright. It doesn't hurt much or anything, there's just this pressure, and some positions are a little more uncomfortable. Being on my feet for too long is still a problem, so it's a good thing I brought the chair along. I'd definitely be tired and aching by now."

[jolting]

"I know it's hard to go through the healing process," Victor sighed. "I wish I could help you with your Starfleet medical science. But we'll work with what we have, and you'll be fully on your feet in no-time." He kissed James on the forehead, then mouth.

"Anyway," he added with a wicked smile, "not all positions are uncomfortable."

[winscenario]

"It's alright, I don't mind. You saved me, so I can hardly complain." He could live with having to wait for the wound to heal completely, and besides, if he managed to go out today on his wheelchair, he was hopeful that he could go out more regularly from here on out, so long as he didn't tire himself out too much.

He grinned wider at Victor's last words, grabbing Victor's jacket and tugging lightly. "Mm, you're the doctor... And I'm sure the right kind of physical therapy would help with the healing process."

[jolting]

He chuckled, petting James's hair and kissing him again. "Then as your doctor, I recommend more fresh air. It looks like it's doing you a lot of good so far. And of course, lots of physical therapy."

[winscenario]

"Whatever my doctor says," he said with a smile, tipping his head a little as Victor stroked his hair. "Let's go for walks every day, too. John needs to go for his park runs anyway, we could do it together."

Plus, the sooner he recovered, the sooner he could go back to work.

[jolting]

"We can do that," Victor agreed. "I know you're eager to get out of that chair, so whatever I can do to help speed that along, I will."

[winscenario]

"Great," he beamed, kissing Victor once more before he went back to finishing redressing the wound. The prospect of leaving the house more often was evidently very exciting to him, even if it was just to walk their dog.

"You should've played something too, you know. On your violin."

[jolting]

Victor noted how James perked up at the idea of going out more often. He felt a pang of guilt, knowing him staying in was because Victor asked for it. He would have to ease up a lot more.

"I played during that Beatles song," Victor reminded him.

[winscenario]

"No, I know. I meant performing a few songs on your own, like I did," he shrugged. Victor was very good with the violin, he had no doubt that people would enjoy hearing him play.

[jolting]

"Yeah, most of my songs are a little... dreary," Victor said. "Which is perfect for Halloween, but not so good for festive occasions." The one exception was when he learned that fiddle song. It'd been a challenge and fun, but not really something he did often.

[winscenario]

"I like listening to them, anyway," he shrugged. He may be a little biased. "But you've learned to play other things, too. Like when you played Come on, Eileen for me. I really liked that a lot."

[jolting]

James used the key phrase "for me". Victor smiled, kissing the man on the cheek. "For you, geliebte, I would learn any number of songs." But to play for a whole audience? That was a different matter entirely. It wasn't like he was shy; he just liked to keep certain talents private.