introductory mingle: carnivale

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Carnivale Celebration
when: July 1st - July 9th
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 a large parade (and paid holiday!) capping it off on July 8th.

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 a massive party parade, 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.

At couple of the acts might be familiar faces to some of the residents.

Eichi Tenshouin has signed up himself and his friend Tsumugi Aoba into the music festival as a first-time appearing idol unit called "Higanbana." Dressed in all white with splashes of color (blue, largely, with only their headsets being a red spider lily), they carry a very commanding and angelic image together. They'll have a routine that emphasizes their great harmony with each other, taking turns doing solo lines and joining together to show off each of their talents. Singing and dancing, they interact heavily with the audience and will encourage a lot of involvement with speaking between songs and gestures, winks, and so on. Basically, they intend to make this Riverview's very first prominent "idol performance".

For his performance, Otabek Altin will start with rock remixes of a few popular pop songs. He wants to make sure that it starts off with recognizable pieces for some people, and he certainly thinks it is something that could get people excited even if they don't know it. Then, it shifts into a few original songs. They are upbeat, rock songs that he put together with the intention to make people dance and move, since he is a DJ. He'll end his set with a slower piece he put together that is also an original. Through the entire performance, he's focused and quiet, though he may occasionally try and excite the crowd with a few words.

Any other 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

The other main attraction of Carnivale week comes on July 8th, which is a paid holiday for everyone in the city. The Carnivale Parade will be starting out by City Hall and winding through downtown in a lazy pattern so everyone in the city has a chance to see it. There will be all sorts of floats, dancers, marching bands, with all sorts of clubs, businesses, and other organizations represented. The theme is theatrical, big and showy, bright and colorful, sparkly and shiny, with loud music and lots of glitz and glamour. 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 - some of them fit for kids and teens, others of a more 'adult' nature handed out a bit more discreetly to anyone who looks the part.

And make sure you wear your waterproof mascara - Carnivale 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 and kink exhibition

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).

For the weekend from July 7th-9th, there will be a kink exhibition in one of the large exhibition centers downtown, limited to characters 18+. The exhibition is a sexy adult informational convention featuring various kinks and fetishes. Whether you're into leather, latex, lace, or anything else, you'll be able to find the clothes, toys, guides, books, erotica, fiction, and a wide variety of other interesting stuff to explore. While the atmosphere is sex-positive and there are private and public (for the voyeurs and exhibitionists in the room) venues for having sex, it's definitely focused on exploration and information about different stuff to try.

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 Carnivale, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Roger Patterson Jr.; image ii: Syd Mead; image iii: screencap from the movie Paprika; image iv: siamon89

navigation

Comments

[aeturnus]

[ Cain notices, doesn't mention anything about it. ]

Explore, study, tinker. My job, sometimes.

[smokedout]

A kindred spirit.

[Stop making him like you, Cain.]

I'm a mechanic when I'm not swindling people. Maybe you can get a discount out of me some time.

[aeturnus]

Ya caught me.

[ He drawls it slow and obvious. He doesn't need to con people to stay entertained. Just bother them. ]

When you work on my imaginary car? I'll keep it in mind.

[smokedout]

I build them custom, too. Motorbikes are more my style, but I'll take a crack at cars from time to time.

[One of these days he'll have to make one for himself, but for now he's just hoping he'll get a worthwhile project from someone else.]

Just feel like I should offer you a little more for making me a meal and putting up with my bullshit.

[aeturnus]

Oh man, I haven't had a motorcycle in a long time.

[ By which he means, like... the 60s. They've come a long way since then. Cars, too, but he's had cars. Nice ones and normal ones and whatever ones. Abel's car, on the other hand, is its own masterpiece and trying to have one like his seems weird. ]

We can talk shop if it makes you feel better. Really, you're not the worst thing I've ever dealt with.

[smokedout]

[There's a light that flicks on in his eyes at the thought of building another bike. And, well, if Cain wanted to get his ear talked off, that's what he's getting.

Which means that while they're getting supplies, Cain gets a comprehensive and interactive lecture on how bikes have changed since the 80s (roughly when Dodger was born, a great place to start), important factors in maneuverability, cost versus quality, all sorts of things. It's clear that despite his con game, Dodger cares an awful lot about objective fairness and giving as much as he gets, no more and no less. And that he's under the impression that a homecooked plate of lasagna has equivalent value to a brand-new custom motorcycle.

By the time they're on the way back to the communal hall he finally has the details fully hammered out, blueprints in his head, everything he needs. And he falls into an embarrassed silence, like a kid who's just realized they're being silly. There goes his cool, detached demeanor, right out the window. Cain knows his secrets now.]

[aeturnus]

[ And the entire time Dodger talks, Cain engages him. For all the seedier activities this guy obviously gets into, there's a young man that reminds him of any other kid who needs company and someone to talk to and he doesn't mind whatsoever being that someone. It's a bit more fatherly than anything else but that's about the best way Cain knows how to be when someone shows their soft side and he doesn't want to just poke at it real hard.

He's picked out his ingredients, some traditional and others with a bit more flair to do it his own way, and by the time they get to the sixth floor and Dodger goes silent, he knows way more about modern motorcycles than he anticipated he'd need to catch up on for at least another decade. Definitely informational and not at all embarrassing. Once they're there, he checks to make sure no one else is at the kitchen and sets about getting out everything he'll need and prepping the area.

As if things hadn't just gone quiet, he turns to Dodger and continues on. ] But you don't actually hang out at the job much?

[smokedout]

Nah... I like my job, but I got better things to spend my time on.

[Like stealing from people, apparently. Mainly, it's that the mundane environment makes Dodger antsy, but he's given up on people understanding exactly how much trouble he has with non-lethal settings.

Dodger takes a seat close to Cain's workspace, where he can watch everything he does. Even he's not sure if it's to check for poison or just know exactly when this lasagna will be ready.]

You don't spend all your time worrying about the job they gave you here, do you?

[aeturnus]

No, but I threw the interview so I wouldn't have to.

[ It's easy money he can keep himself in well enough without having to keep all his time tied up. Maybe he shouldn't admit that so readily, but... well, he still does the work and does it well. Whatever. ]

This is gonna take some time to make it right. You thirsty?

[smokedout]

Wouldn't object to some booze.

[And while he's speaking, he's pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with a snap of his fingers. He'd been so distracted by the excitement of BIKES that he'd nearly forgotten the itch of his nicotine addiction.

And while he's smoking, he's also casually glancing through Cain's bag to see what kind of books he's been picking up. What are your kinks, Cain?]

[aeturnus]

There's some beer in the fridge. Just leave an IOU note and I'll sign it later.

[ There's one of those magnetized grocery lists stuck on front of the door and a pen nestled on top of it for just that task. If he notices Dodger finally starting to comb through his things or cares about the smoking, he doesn't comment.

Really, everything he's got is the really exotic stuff. Nothing that could have originated on his own earth, and anything that might mention magic even if it's mixed up in earth-like stuff. What? It actually is research. ]

[smokedout]

[He nods quietly, getting up to help himself to a beer and actually having the courtesy to write on the list before returning to his seat.

He settles down with his beer and a book on heatplay, which he flips through lazily.]

Some of this shit's pretty common in my world. You from a place without powers?

[aeturnus]

Yeah, magic's just for the dead where I'm from.

[ As always, Deathsight doesn't count as magic or a power so much as simply something that is. It's completely based in genetics and none of them have control over it, ergo. Natural. Much as seeing ghosts and peoples' time they have left to live is natural. ]

Can everyone do it where you're from?

[smokedout]

Sounds like a shitty deal...

[He shrugs.]

Yeah, most people can do it in my world. Whole lot of hate for the people with powers, but you shove enough superhumans into crime and soon the human police force can't control them.

[In his part of town, crime is just normal. He never really even questioned it until he came to the quarantine, where everything's nice and people take issue with him feeling up strangers.]

[aeturnus]

Really? Sounds more like a consolation prize to me. It's whatever.

What, no one with powers goes into the police force?

[ Not that he's naive enough to think morals would win out in choices like that. Overall, give people power and they'll use it for themselves, not for others. ]

[smokedout]

Too dangerous. No one trusts 'em. Probably a lot of other reasons but fuck, I'm no politician.

[He pauses to blow smoke out, tipping his head back with a huff.]

Soon as someone finds out you're mutant, you're fucked for life. You can lose your job for showing powers, and instead of assault, humans call it 'knowingly aggressing a mutant'. No one gives a shit if the mutant got hurt, just that the human got hurt when they fought back. [It's obviously a topic he cares a lot about, but no wonder... being young and mutant himself.]

More importantly, though, mutant hookers are fuckin' fantastic. All sorts of creativity with how to spice shit up with their powers. [That smug grin is back.] I like to think I'm pretty creative myself.

[aeturnus]

[ Cain is quiet for the explanation, absorbing it with due amount of respect. At the end, though... he scoffs in amusement and glances over from where he's elbow-deep in some of this making-from-scratch stuff. ]

Does everyone have the same powers if they have any at all?

[smokedout]

[He shakes his head in response.]

Everyone's different. There's not even types... we just all sort of do shit. [As an example he holds his hand with the palm up, and shows off a fist-sized fire that forms spontaneously in it.] Know a guy back in the city who could control 50 people's minds at once. And a few others who just turn slimey when they're upset, but that's enough to get called a mutant.

[aeturnus]

So, the sparks earlier...

[ Just a Dodger thing. Got it. ]

Not bad. Fire's pretty multiuse, but I doubt you haven't figured that out by now.

[smokedout]

Had it for 25 years so yeah, I've figured it out pretty well.

[And all of his other expansive list of powers, but the fight with Taako cemented his knowledge that keeping those powers secretive until they're relevant is in his best interest.]

What about your world, you just got humans that turn magic when they die?

[aeturnus]

Guess you'd have to.

[ He shrugs. ]

If they stick around at all after death. Most of them pass on pretty quick... Suffice to say, my world seems more death-oriented than most, so it's normal to me but a little weird to have to explain it.

[smokedout]

[He makes a small grunt of acknowledgement, finishing his beer off and going to get another one.]

So what sort of magic do they get, anyway? They just turn into ghosts?

[aeturnus]

Death magic. Pretty destructive stuff, although I'm not really the one to ask about that. It's mostly just used by the Enforcers to stop people who are messing the balance up.

[smokedout]

You're bringing up more questions than answers.

[Dodger's head tips to the side as he watches him. Their worlds definitely have no common ground... he's starting to wonder if it's worth pursuing this line of questioning.]

What exactly are 'Enforcers?' Like, the grim reaper?

[aeturnus]

No, but they work for the Reapers.

[ Cain certainly doesn't mind answering the questions where he actually can. Unfortunately, the nature of death magic is forever beyond him so it's the one thing he can't talk about with much certainty. ]

They're ghosts hired on after they pass to help the Reapers who escort people to the afterlife, because Reapers can't kill humans. They just have to wait until they're dead. If you could see ghosts when you were alive, then you're gonna be offered the job when you're dead.