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

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco doesn't begrudge Taako that eyebrow waggle. He earned that, and he knows it. Good thing Barry will never, ever, ever, ever find out about this. He tilts his chin up with deliberate dignity and says: ]

Let's say... moderately. I mean some of this stuff is taking it way too far. Like, all the whips and stuff, not really my cup of tea. But for an outfit...

[ He trails off, figuring that Taako can figure out the rest. And then, rather conveniently, just a few meters away, Cisco sees a booth that has a rather elaborate array of leather goods. Some of them are paddles and the like but there is also a rack of clothes. He steers them both over and, with a quick glance around to see that no one is paying inordinate attention, starts to look through. ]

Hey, found one for you.

[ That was addressed to Taako as he pulls a leather miniskirt off the rack and hands it over to Taako. Most of the options that he sees are a bit too risqué, but there is one pair of relatively nice-looking leather pants that might just fit. Cisco holds them against his legs, murmuring as he does: ]

I can always hem them...

[spellslots]

[He almost asks about bondage, since that sometimes falls into the leather category, depending on people's opinions and preferences, but thinks that Cisco might actually explode from blushing too much, if he was to ask that.

So he'll save it for later.

He's pretty easily distracted anyway, grinning when Cisco tugs him towards the booth, already eyeing what's on the racks by the time Cisco hands him a skirt.]

Oh, nice.

[How many miniskirts can one person own??? Never enough tbh.]

I mean, my solution would be heels, but each to their own. [Cisco seems like the sort of person who'd fall on their ass in heels.] Still pretty sexy, though.

[He adds a little eyebrow waggle for effect, but his tone is genuine.]

[franciscoramon]

Yeeeaaah, no. Don't get me wrong, it's not a macho thing. I'm pretty sure if I tried to walk in heels I'd fall and break a bone within the first hour. We ain't all got natural elvish grace or whatever.

[ Besides, there's only so much that heels can do, and Cisco has a feeling that these pants were made with someone a little bit taller in mind. Still, he's pretty used to doing small little alterations on his clothes, and it wouldn't be a big deal.

When Taako says they are pretty sexy, Cisco laughs softly. He agrees. The question isn't so much whether the actual garment itself looks good, but... ]

Think I can pull 'em off?

[ He glances over at a small curtained-off area that is for trying on clothes (which has an amusingly adamant sign that, no, it's not for sex, it really is just for changing clothes). He holds up a finger beckoning Taako to wait, and ducks within. It's a pretty awkward affair, because he can still hear the sounds of the expo all around, and he's going to feel pretty stupid if he walks out and Taako says 'nevermind' or something like that. But Cisco manages to squelch the doubts in his head long enough to put the damn things on and walk out.

He's rolled them carefully at the bottom around his ankles, but apart from that, they fit remarkably well, and do more than the jeans had at showing off his, well, assets. Cisco takes a few steps away from the curtain, tucking his hair back and chewing on his lip, visibly nervous. ]

What d'you think?

[spellslots]

[He decides not to point out that Taako traded away his natural elvish grace in a fucked up game of wheel of fortune, and just sort of waves a hand to dismiss Cisco's excuses, since he's not exactly surprised to hear "I don't want to wear heels". He's noticed most men from Earth are very picky about their clothes. The women will happily wear trousers or skirts or dresses, but dudes only stick to pants.

Their loss, though.

More importantly, Cisco is ducking off to try on those pants, and Taako waits patiently (reluctantly putting the skirt back because he was one really similar and needs to exercise some self control). When Cisco comes back out of the change room, he grins.]

Would it be rude to wolf whistle?

[Taako pls, give a compliment like a normal person.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco beams; a joking and exaggerated compliment is easier to accept than an earnest and heartfelt one would be, right now. Then someone does wolf whistle - not Taako, but a woman who is passing by, who clearly overheard him and had no such qualms about making her appreciation known. And then Cisco really is shifting his weight from foot to foot, halfway between embarrassed and happy. Even the guy who is manning the booth with the leather goods gives him a thumbs up that seems genuine rather than just a sales plot, and Cisco makes a snap decision. ]

Okay. I'm getting 'em.

[ Easier to just bundle up his jeans and shove them into his bag than to change back again. And after all, if there's anywhere where he ought to be wearing leather pants, it's the kink expo. Cisco pays quickly and returns to Taako's side, flushed and flustered and a bit giddy. ]

Where to next? You've been here longer, see anything good? Or horrifying but like in a funny way?

[spellslots]

[Thank you, random lady, for being more inappropriate than Taako was willing to be with a friend who has a crush on his boyfriend. It gets the result that Taako was after, anyway, which is Cisco buying something a tiny bit more risque than a pair of jeans, and his smile is fond when Cisco returns all flustered.

It's cute.]

I've seen a good thing or two, but I dunno how many kinks we share, my dude.

[Taako wonders if the people here just slowly end up getting more open, as time goes on, because even if he's pretty willing to talk about sex, and has made more than his fair share of jokes, actually genuinely opening up about this stuff with someone he's not sleeping with still seems a bit odd.]

You wanna keep heading towards Bryn, I think we're like, a lane over?

[Since that's where they had been heading before the leather sidequest happened.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco pretty much walked right into that one; he hadn't quite thought through the fact that asking what Taako found interesting in this place is a much more personal question than if he were asking the same of a friend he ran into at some kind of fan convention. He shakes his head a little, says: ]

Yeah, uh. Probably better we keep it that way, actually.

[ He is happy he ran into Taako, and enjoying his company immensely, but it is still a little but awkward considering the perverse nature of the event. There must be some way to enjoy it together without actually getting too confessional about their private sexual interests.., ]

Yeah, sounds good.

[ As they are heading in the direction that Taako said Bryn was in, Cisco spots a booth dedicated to some pretty strange and (to him) incomprehensible shit. The very fact that it looks pretty tame from the outside only tells Cisco that whatever is going on there is probably a whole lot weirder than some fuzzy handcuffs and hot wax. Nudging Taako with his elbow, he says in an eager, lowered voice: ]

Hey, Taako. Taako. I've got an idea. How about we have a little contest. We both pick, like, the booth with the weirdest fetish we find and the other person's gotta go up and talk to whoever is manning it like they're interested and they wanna know more, and we see who can last the longest.

[spellslots]

[Oh no.

He immediately loves this idea.]

Are you sure you're up to this, my man? I'm pretty hard to fluster.

[He's also terrible at acting, which this kind of requires, so that maybe makes it even, but he's willing to take the risk because the thought of watching Cisco fumble his way through pretending to be super into some weird kink is just. great. It sounds great.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco just smirks, eyebrows raising in skepticism and cockiness. It's nice, to have someone he can goad a bit like this, who he knows can take it. ]

I grew up with very little supervision in a world with the internet. Your ass is grass, Legolas.

[ And he points over at the nearby booth, but before Taako can go over and give it a shot, he holds up a hand and asks: ]

What's the prize for the winner? I mean, I feel like we should establish that before we get started, shouldn't we?

[spellslots]

You leave my ass outta this.

[That's probably unlikely to happen, depending on what booth Cisco is pointing out.

(Fingerguns).]

I mean, satisfaction? Loser has to buy drinks? [Oh, wait, he grins suddenly.] Loser has to go back and actually buy something from the booth.

[franciscoramon]

[ When Taako comes up with his idea, Cisco laughs, clapping his hands together in delight. It's perfect. ]

Both. Drinks and something from the booth. You're a mad genius and I love it. Now go.

[ And Cisco fishes his phone from his bag (the leather pants didn't come with pockets) and starts the stopwatch. He makes a little shooing gesture at Taako, gesturing for him to go over to the booth and do his worst. Cisco approaches, too, keeping enough distance not to be obvious, but coming close enough that he can hear and see everything that is going on. He knows Taako, and knows that he absolutely is going to cheat if Cisco lets him get away with it. So he's just gonna have to stay vigilant. ]

[spellslots]

[Taako blows a kiss as he half-skips over to the booth, returning to a normal pace once he's closer so that he doesn't seem too eager. Cisco's decision to stick nearby was a smart one, Taako absolutely would've cheated, but now he's aware he's being observed and realizes that he has to actually have a real life conversation with another person.

And this is a dude that has a zero charisma modifier, even if he can be kind of charming.

But this is A Challenge, there are teddy bears with holes in appropriate places and he's trying his best to act like he's definitely for sure super into this and he... can't do it. He makes it just past a minute before the dude at the stall says something about outfits for the bears and Taako has to tap out. He mumbles some kind of excuse, quickly turns on his heel and walks back over to Cisco.]

If you ever tell Lup about this I'll murder you.

[Someone's a bit pink, which is kind of his natural undertone, but it's a bit more pronounced right now.]

perfect use of that icon

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco is already shaking with silent laughter before Taako bails and makes his way back to him. After all his big talk about being hard to fluster, there Taako is, absolutely and undeniable in a fluster. In a tizzy. His proverbial feathers all ruffled.

He walks with Taako a few more paces away from the booth, because as weird and gross as Cisco might find the teddy bear thing, he's not about to laugh openly about somebody's fetish at the whole sex-positive, let-your-freak-flag-fly sex expo. He doesn't want to hurt any feelings, and he doesn't want to get kicked out.

Taako, though. Taako he will absolutely laugh at. ]

Your face!

[ He pauses, leaning against a big bookcase full of heavy tomes of erotica, because his legs are actually a little bit weak right now and he doesn't want to go crashing over. He sees the tiny hint of a blush on Taako's face and that just cements the whole thing. ]

I wouldn't dream of it, but y'know what? I don't have to tell her.

[ Cisco's eyes are bright, and he has to wipe away the unshed tears of laughter. It's hard, keeping his voice from cracking, stopping himself from breaking into giggles as he says: ]

'Cause whenever you look at a teddy bear after this, it's gonna be a little bit different for you. You know that, and I know that.

its like the artist knew

[spellslots]

[The fact that Taako doesn't shove Cisco into that bookcase shows a whole lot of restraint, but he does pout like, a ridiculous amount, trying and failing to look annoyed.]

Why would you stick a fleshlight in a bear? Why would anyone want that?

[Cisco is right, he's never going to look at a teddy bear the same way again, and it's terrible. He's going to have to burn every single soft toy.]

[franciscoramon]

I feel like "why would anyone want that" is the unofficial mantra for so much of this lovely lovely event.

[ Cisco is absolutely radiant with smug delight right now, and Taako's pouting is fuel to the fire. A part of him knows that he won't be nearly so happy when it's his turn to feign interest in whatever horrors Taako fixes upon, but just for now he's going to absolutely enjoy this. ]

I'm sure that guy would be willing to tell you more, if you're really curious, I mean we can turn around and go back, he's still right there!

[ And Cisco tugs at Taako's arm, very lightly, as if to pull him back towards the Bear Booth. ]

[spellslots]

[Here's the thing.

Taako's way of dealing with situations that he doesn't want to be in is avoidance, which for most people would involve walking away, maybe even running, but what happens instead is that Taako sticks his tongue at Cisco and disappears.

Bye Felicia.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco has seen Taako do this before, but that doesn't mean it isn't abrupt and a little startling. He was just opening his mouth for another sick, well-delivered burn, and then Taako simply isn't there. Pwoof, and gone.

Cisco stays standing where he is, pivoting and looking around to see if Taako is anywhere within eyesight. He can't imagine that he would give up entirely, without making Cisco go through with his end of the game.

So when Taako reappears a few moments later, it startles Cisco, but he's not surprised. He jumps, laughs at his own jumpiness, and shakes his head, rolling his eyes fondly. ]

You feel better now?

[spellslots]

I dunno, do you feel like getting your ass banished?

[He's so fucking petty, even if he hasn't actually lost yet, which might spell trouble for how this is going to go. For now, though, he waves a hand at one of the stalls, doing his best feign being chill.]

Your turn, sweetcheeks.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco's not entirely sure he knows what getting his ass banished would actually entail, but he has a strong suspicion that no matter what the particulars, he would not actually enjoy it. So, for the time being, he is going to let Taako off the hook. But that doesn't mean he isn't going to remember this little adventure, for future days.

He looks over in the direction that Taako indicated, and all that smugness immediately shrivels up into regret. ]

That one?

[ He asks it with a twinge of hope in his voice, pointing to the booth adjacent to the one that he's absolutely sure Taako actually means. The neighboring display is nothing more bizarre than a bunch of cock rings and nipple clamps and the like. Honestly, tame shit by comparison to the Wicker Man nonsense going on in the next booth over. ]

[spellslots]

You don't gotta actually do it, just ask a couple questions.

[He figures they're two kinks with variations of weirdness, but Taako's own criteria was "not violent" and "no unnecessary bodily fluids" so this seems like a pretty fair match to what he had to deal with.]

I mean, unless you wanna admit defeat?

[franciscoramon]

[ That last question is what decides it for him. Cisco folds his arms across his chest, huffy and uncertain, but in the end, he doesn't want to admit defeat. This game was his own damn idea, and Taako just happened to be either very intuitive or very lucky in his choice of weird kinks. Before walking off, Cisco turns to Taako, eyes narrowed and voice snippy: ]

This is just rude. D'you know a bee killed me once? A robot bee.

[ It's clear, though, from the way he tosses it out that it's not something he's actually deathly afraid of. Clearly, he's willing to move from Taako's side towards the booth. The guy manning it is young and looks jarringly like someone transplanted a stereotypical hipster right into the quarantine. Except, of course, for one key detail: the guy has got bees on his arms. Dozens of them. They're not flying anywhere, but Cisco's eyes dart to them a few times as he approaches. He meant to keep track of how long he was talking and stay just as long as he needed to, to beat Taako, but he completely forgets because he's too busy keeping a watch on those bees.

Surprisingly, the bluffing isn't really the hard part. Apparently, the fact that he can't seem to stop looking at the little fuzzy insects comes across to the booth guy as interest rather than poorly hidden loathing. Cisco laughs nervously a few times and says some shit about having had 'memorable interactions' with bees, forces himself to ask the booth guy how he got into such an unusual niche. Cisco is just starting to feel like he's doing it, like he can keep going, when one of the bees on the guys arm launches off. It is only flying from one spot to another on his wrist, but Cisco doesn't stick around long enough to see that. His exit is also decidedly less subtle than Taako's. He throws both arms into the air and says (okay, shouts): ]

Nnnnnope! Nope, that's it, fuck it, I'm OUT!

[ He doesn't walk away so much as... run with as much dignity as he can. Past Taako, and a significant ways away from that booth. He doesn't even glance back once. ]

[spellslots]

You do not wanna play that game with me, pumpkin.

[But just like Cisco isn't deathly afraid of bees, Taako isn't being entirely serious with that little challenge, since he's more than happy to let Cisco head over to the booth. He follows at a slower pace and finds a spot against another booth to lean on, appearing to check his phone while he eavesdrops.

Luckily he's mastered the art of the phone stopwatch, so he's keeping time.

Which is a shame, really, because even though Cisco's reaction is way more hilarious, he technically manages to pull it off for longer, not that Taako is about to tell him that anytime soon. Mostly because he's too busy losing his shit. He barely manages to keep up as Cisco runs away, cackling the whole time.

When they finally stop, he's practically doubled over with laughter.]

You shoulda seen the dude's face! You should'a seen your face! Holy shit that was good.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco isn't thinking about the game, or how long he lasted for. Every atom in his body is too busy being filled with mingled revulsion and outrage. He sees Taako losing his shit, and many many other people who have stopped walking and turned to stare, and he doesn't care one bit. He feels entirely justified in his reaction.

Taako is still bent over laughing his head off, but Cisco isn't done. He's got more to say. ]

I mean, who sits down and says to themselves, "Y'know, sex is great and all, but you know what would make it better?! If I had just dozens of tiny, crawly, stinging, horrifying death insects all over my body! That's a totally logical next step! Boy oh boy, that'd really spice things up!"

[ His rant is not exactly quiet, and they are definitely getting some stares. Cisco gives an exaggerated full body shudder. None of the bees had followed them but his skin is still crawling at the mere thought of it. Yuck. So very very yuck. ]

[spellslots]

[He loves this, he's never been happier.]

See, that's what I fucking said to Loki and he gave me shit! Like, sure, people die from insects but lets stick my dick in a swarm of them, what the fuck.

[He's not even that mad anymore but he's kind of swept up in laughter and how mad Cisco is and he's a very excitable elf, really. He likes ranting.]

[franciscoramon]

Okay, so assuming Loki is not the guy at that booth just now, what you're telling me is there are potentially two whole people who are into that shit?!

[ If it was just that one hipster guy, maybe once he calmed down Cisco could pass it off as a stunt. Trying to be ironic in the most over the top way possible. But the idea that this is a sufficiently established fetish that Taako has already had a conversation about it with someone else, someone who may or may not be into it? Horrifying. Unthinkable. ]

Also, just- please never use the words 'dick' and 'insects' in the same sentence around me ever again. I'm scarred for life.

[ Cisco runs his hands over his face, lets out a very long and very heavy sigh. If he was at all worried about anything at this expo striking his interest a little too much and getting him inconveniently interested, all he's going to have to do is remember there is a goddamn bee man somewhere in the building and the problem will be solved, immediately. ]

What's my time?