riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: carnivale

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: carnivale

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She rolls her eyes, but it's affectionate rather than irritated as one of her fingers traces up over his chest, not quite through the sugary mess.]

I would. Prefer it in private, I mean. But you're buying two of everything. One for this, one for directly in mouth.

[She's not usually one to indulge in sweets, but c'mon.]

Whatever you'd like.

[Yes, Chloe, he now had a very prominent erection as she teased her finger over him, his smile dark and amused, hands propping himself up as he levied himself to eye level -- if she wanted.]

[She's going to steadfastly ignore said erection because otherwise this would be too weird. Not that it's not already weird. She indeed does take him up on that silent offer, though, leaning forward to press a kiss to those smiling lips.]

That mean you'll put your pants back on?

Is that what you'd really like right now...?

[His lips ghosted over hers, tongue coming out to taste that lingering hint of chocolate, his hand moving to the back of her neck all on its own.]

[A snort falls out of her despite herself, leaning into his beckoning grip and the feel of his lips against hers. Though she hovers right above them just before she kisses them again.]

Yep.

[Said with a soft pop on the p sound, an easy smile rising to her slightly reddened lips.] I kind of prefer having you to myself. I'm selfish that way.

I'm all yours, love.

[There were a few grumbles from some of the listening crowd, but they were quickly hushed as the others who were enjoying the little lovebird show shooed them away.]

Would you mind staying to watch? Not me, of course. We can sit in the corner over there and I can tell you all the things I'd love to do to you later. In private. But it seems a shame to miss out on all this enthusiasm.

[There were some nods and sounds of assent, a few voices asking what type of body Chloe liked to watch, the ones who were tall, dark, and lean shuffling up to the forefront.]

[She ignores all the voices speaking to her, choosing to only focus on him right then. With a sigh, she looks at him a moment, a thoughtful hum in her throat as she purses her lips. And then,]

Fine. For a little while.

[He looked down at the mess on his chest, then back up at her.]

Would you like to take care of that, or shall I get a cloth?

Mmm...

[Another thoughtful hum before she reaches forward, trailing her finger through the mess before bringing the sugary treat to her mouth, closing her lips around it and licking it clean.]

I think I've satisfied my sweet tooth for now. Though I might be willing to help you a little, if we take it over there.

[And up she gets, moving through the throng of people to find said corner for them to curl up in.]

[A shiver runs through him, one that's echoed by the crowd, and he holds out his hands for his trousers, which are quickly given to him. Standing, cream still spread over his chest, he steps into the expensive suit pants, doing them up, carefully tucking himself in because yes, that's not going away, and then eagerly, almost gleefully, following after her.]

Teasing little minx.

[Said teasing little minx has found herself a nice little booth for them to hole up in, an amused smile quirking the corners of her lips up as she watches him walk over with his typical glee. With an extra show of dishevelment and a prominent bulge in his pants.

When he's close enough, she smiles up at him, voice dropping a bit as she greets him.]

Hi.

Edited 2017-07-07 00:49 (UTC)

[Was there anything more arousing in this world or any other than Chloe Decker talking to him in that tone of voice? Probably not. He moved to slide in beside her, an arm going over her shoulders as he sat and smiled at her. A few of the dancers had followed them over, bringing his clothes to drape where he could grab them, and depositing a tray with a variety of tasty treats to drizzle, along with one with cloths and wipes, and yet another with an assortment of drinks and a few other things that were labeled with their properties. One being an aphrodisiac in both a rolled joint form and in the small little brownie bites that they made sure to point out -- both to hope they'd try and to inform them of what it was and that it was laced with something. Lucifer appreciated that as the idea of drugs was good, but unintentionally ingesting them, for her, would not be.]

Hello. I like this look on you. Teasing and confident. It's incredibly sexy.

[She appreciates the warnings, at the very least; she certainly will not be partaking of those particularly treats, especially now that she knows that. Though she does nibble on one of the strawberries, being cheeky enough to swipe it through the mess on his chest once or twice.]

I like the whole mussed up look on you.

[She relaxes into his touch as he drapes his arm over her. But there is just the one thing she decides to bring up, for the sake of their new relationship and all...] Honestly, though? I'd prefer if we discussed sex and things we'd want to do together a little more in the future. I get it's not really a big thing for you, and I am having fun, don't get me wrong. But I'd be more comfortable without it being... sprung up on me like that again.

[He leaned into that swipe, watching her nibble on the berry with an almost predatory gleam in his eye. He'd been about to lean in to kiss her when she started to talk again, making him draw back and eye her more fully.]

... It wasn't my intent to... spring anything on you, love. It's the festival. I-- well, I thought maybe you might like to enjoy a little fun here and there. I'll admit, I think you could do with a little stepping outside those high walls you put up, but I'd never want to make you truly uncomfortable. I just... well. I suppose I don't want you to miss out on what we have here. We're going home, eventually. I don't know what exactly that means, or what it will, so... I want this. I want all of it. As much as I can have with you. But only as much as you're okay with.

I know. But... us, our whole thing. It's special to me. You're special to me, and... well, it's still new. I get you want me to let my hair down and have fun, which is fine. I'm not against trying new things. Really. And while this all turned out fun enough, it... was a bit overwhelming at first. In front of a bunch of people. It just-- there was some pressure there that I wasn't prepared for. I'd just like to move at a pace that's a little more comfortable for me so I can enjoy these types of festivals a bit more openly when the time comes. With you. Not with you and Alexandra and Diego the strippers breathing down my neck.

[She smiles a bit at that last part to let him know she's not upset and to inject some humor into this little talk of theirs. She even takes another swipe of the whipped cream before taking another bite of her strawberry.]

And, you know. You're my partner. It's important I let you know these things. That's all.

...

[He was quiet. Solemn, even, as he thought over what she said. It made sense, he supposed. Not just because she was human, but because she was who she was. She was a private person. Hot Tub High School didn't define her. She'd had that sort of limelight and had opted to step out of it. He realized that, realized his misstep, and he met her eyes with an almost severe intensity to his gaze.]

I apologize, Detective. If I made you uncomfortable in anyway. That was most assuredly not my intent, but... well. This is new to me. You aren't, but you like this? I'm finding myself having to tread new ground. I'm not against it, mind you. I quite look forward to it. But putting you in a place you don't want to be... that's the last thing I'd ever want to do to you. I hope you know that.

I do know that. It's okay. Really. I'm not upset, and I wouldn't say anything if you and us weren't important to me. But it is. And I can't expect you to know things if I don't tell you.

[She reaches forward to take his hand in hers, squeezing it gently before bringing it up to kiss.]

I could tell you were a little hurt earlier. When I was getting up to leave. But that wasn't at all because I don't want to do these things with you or don't enjoy being with you. That was just me needing to... get my bearings again. But I'm good now, and I'm enjoying myself. I promise.

I enjoy being with you. I enjoy... well, I like you wanting to be with me. Considering you spent so long calling me repulsive, I'll admit I take a small bit of pleasure in having you admit the opposite in public. And maybe... I like to be yours. I love sex, Chloe. I love the intimacy, the pleasure of it. But I love it with you much more than I've enjoyed it with anyone else. It's... it's more. It's another layer, another level of intensity I couldn't have imagined. I like being yours -- and maybe I like others knowing you're mine.

[A moment again as she kissed his hand, as he drew it towards him to kiss hers back.]

If you're comfortable with that.

[If only he knew how hard he's making her heart pound from all he's telling her; how much he makes her feel and how it affects her so. And not just here, but even before that. When they were on that beach and he told her how special she was to him and how he didn't deserve her. How he looked at her on their first date and touched her in that hotel room. And it occurs to her that maybe she could be a little more forthcoming, too. Could be a bit more open about letting him know how good she feels when she's around him.]

Yeah. I am. I'm more than comfortable with that. I want it. And I didn't realize that whole part about when we met was still in your mind in that way. I think... well. To be honest, I think sometimes I get stuck on the fact that you've had all these partners in the past and experience in certain things that I don't have and never will, and I forget that you might need that encouragement too. So I'll make sure to be more open in the future about it. About what we have. Because I do want people to know what you mean to me. And I want you to know, too. I love being with you and how incredible I feel when I'm with you. I feel like I can completely be myself with you. I've never had that with anyone else.

Chloe...

[Her name is said fondly, and it's echoed in the way he kisses gently over the back of her hand.]

I wouldn't ever want you to be anything other than what you are. That's the wonder of you, love. You're fierce and independent, strong and yet so fragile. You're a conundrum of things that make me feel so fortunate to be witness to. How you think of me matters. Of course I remember what you say, old and new. I'm pleased beyond belief that your feelings have changed, but I still remember what they were. That's what makes it more precious to me. You changed how you felt in spite of me. I can't even begin to tell you what that means to me.

[She watches him kiss her hand with a gentle, almost tender look on her face.]

Mm, no, Lucifer. They didn't change in spite of anything. They changed because I came to know you. The actual you; not just the part of you that loves to party and hook up with whoever. You're good, and funny, and you're one of the most loyal people I know. You care about the cases we work together; even if you get bored at times, you always, always want to see bad people brought to justice. That's not just the punisher in you. That's something truly good and real.

And I know the whole thing with my birth and how your Dad might've been involved is something that weighs on you, but to me? I'm grateful that whatever it is that makes me not affected by you exists. Because otherwise I might not've gotten that chance.

You, my dear, are making it very difficult for me to behave myself at the moment.

[No, that erection hadn't flagged and neither had the heat in his eyes, but he was still looking at her like she was something precious. Something wonderful.]

I'm still not sure what it was Dad was up to, or why He got involved in your life, or your mum's, but... As peeved at Him as I am, I can't hate Him for you. You're the one good thing I've ever had. The one thing that I never thought I could imagine having, or could ever imagine wanting, to be honest.

He does work in mysterious ways. So I'm told.

[A flash of a smile at that, that soft look still there. Though something a little more easygoing and lighthearted shines in her eyes this time.]

You deserve a lot of good things, Lucifer. I want you to have more of them. Enough that they won't be a surprise when they happen.

He's a sod who doesn't have a bloody clue what He's doing.

[Huffed out, but barely, as he was currently drawn in by that smile, that look in her eye. He was still shirtless, still had a sticky bit of cream and a smear of chocolate on his chest, but all of that seemed so very unimportant in the light glinting off those stunning blue eyes.]

What, you plan on spoiling me with naked time? I'm quite all right with that idea.

Mm, as a matter of fact...

[That smile turns into something more knowing, a bit more inclined towards the more fun side of things.]

You did say you'd return the favor later on. And that we'd get two of everything.

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