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

[ With a surprising amount of patience, Gamora actually lets Taako explain his magic, even if the concept still seems absurd to her.

... Never mind that she has no idea what a wizard is. ]

So then I assume you'll simply draw the moisture out?

[ Which seems fairly practical, if she's being honest. ]

That's the basic premise, yeah.

[Not entirely correct, but it's close enough that he figures it's fine to agree.

Six months ago he would've just cast it without even asking, but people here can be a bit sensitive about magic, so he's gotten better at getting permission.]

You in, or are you enjoying the soaked fabric?

[He's still a lil shit]

[ She just levels him with a look that's basically the equivalent of "what do you think?" But, instead of being unhelpfully nonverbal, she offers a curt nod. ]

Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I will break your wrist.

[ Wrist, arm, jaw – any of the above would probably be acceptable retaliation, as far as she's concerned. ]

Would not be the first time this month.

[He's not even joking, why is his life like this.

But he's going to do his thing, which doesn't require a whole lot of difficulty on Taako's behalf, he just waves a hand through the air in some kind of vague magical gesture, and it's done. There's a little puff of air that comes off Gamora's clothes, as the sudden extra air goes somewhere, but the water is gone.]

Happy?

[ Much to Gamora's surprise, that wave of his hand seems to do the trick: her clothes are dry, and it's almost like they were never wet to begin with.

She pats herself down, brow raised in the vaguest show of approval. ]

Yes, actually.

[ She glances up at him, realizing she should probably offer some sort of gratitude. ]

... Thank you.

[ Okay, so she's not excellent at the gratitude thing. ]

[Honestly thank god because he's running out of healing potions, there's only so many broken bones a dude can take.]

You can repay by answering a super easy question, if ya want.

[He's not crazy invested, so he won't push it if she declines, but he is curious.]

[ And she's back to looking suspicious, but he did do her a favor, so: ]

What is your question?

Where're you from? Cause I'm like, ninety percent sure humans don't come in green.

[Unless they're sick.]

Because I am not human.

[ She feels like it's such a "duh" answer. ]

I'm from the planet Zehoberei.

Sweet! I'm really digging the fact we're getting a little more variety up in here, it's been boring.

[The name Zeheroberei doesn't sound familiar, but they didn't go to every planet, just... a lot. But the fact she said planet, while knowing what a human is, makes him think alien rather than just another race, like dragonborn or orcs.]

My last stop was Toril, before here. But uh, they don't do space travel or anything there so I doubt anyone's heard of it.

I know of some planets that are not capable of space travel, but I'm unfamiliar with Toril.

[ That suspicion of hers is starting to ease ever so slightly, and she looks at him with more open curiosity. ]

I assume you aren't Terran, then?

[ The ears are something of a giveaway, in her experience, but maybe there's some sort of Terran subspecies? ]

If you ever get a chance to go there, don't. It's real shitty.

[Also probably going to be eaten by a cosmic horror-terror so there won't be a lot of it left.]

And I'm an elf, we're one of like, seven races that live alongside humans. Is Terran another word for human, it's not one I've heard before, gotta admit.

[ Now that's already intriguing. ]

"Terran" refers to the human planet, "Terra." It's also called Earth. Was that not your planet?

[ He mentioned traveling, so she isn't sure if his homeworld was originally Earth or otherwise? Maybe she should ask Peter about Earth elves later. ]

Oh, nah, I've never even been to Earth. Unless we went to it before the humans there got their shit together and stopped being monkeys, but we just had our own batch of humans back home.

[Does that make sense?

It probably doesn't make sense.]

[ Aaaaaand that doesn't make sense even a little. But, there are other questions to still be had!

She cocks her head, considering him closely. ]

Then where is your home planet?

[Ah. That's a bit of a tricky question, really, which just earns a shake of Taako's head]

Long gone. About a century gone.

[The name of it doesn't really matter anymore, what's the point?]

[ ... That's unfortunately more familiar than she'd like. Though the destruction of her own home is not nearly so far in the past, it's a loss she can connect to, all the same. ]

How?

[ It's probably a personal question, but she has far more vested interest in whatever happened to his planet... apparently moreso than asking his name, first.

Good job on those social skills, Gamora. ]

[Introductions are for nerds, and as much as losing his world sucked, it's never... really been his home. Wherever Lup is, that's home.]

Uh, you want the long version or the short version? Fair warning, the long version is real fucking confusing.

[ Gamora glances towards the parade still thundering on in the background, and after a moment of consideration: ]

If you're going to tell me this, a better venue might be preferable.

[ Because, shockingly, she wants to listen. ]

[Well:]

Only if you're buying the drinks.

[He's not opposed to missing out on a little bit of the parade, and he's told this story a fair few times now, so he's.. used to it.

They always kept it under wraps as they were travelling, but part of Taako is worried that if they don't ever defeat the Hunger, it'll be left in the hands of others. The more people who knows, the safer existence might be.

He's still going to try to get a drink out of it, though.]

[ Gamora scrutinizes him for a moment, like she's weighing her options (hear the story, buy him a drink; don't hear the story, walk away and disregard all interaction).

Apparently, buying drinks is acceptable enough. ]

Then pick the place and lead the way.

You've got yourself a deal.

[He gives Gamora a little mock salute, then without really checking if she's following, starts weaving his way through the crowd. Taako's well aware that he stands out a little, especially with the white hair, so he doubts he's hard to keep track of.

The place he has in mind is only a couple of minutes away, anyway, and he heads up to the rooftop bar, where they can still watch the parade (or, he can, if Gamora isn't interested).

As he leans up against the bar, ordering something fruity and boozy for himself, and whatever my new friend wants, he finally remembers his manners:]

Name's Taako, by the way.

[ Gamora is much more comfortable following behind Taako, since it means she can keep an eye on him all the way to the bar, and she lets him show her away through the crowds without complaint. The bar itself seems nice enough, not nearly as loud, and she takes the opportunity to get herself a drink.

She ends up with something strong and not nearly as sweet as it could probably stand to be, but she only glances over at Taako again when he offers up his name. ]

Gamora.

[ Still not all that gracious, but at least she gave him her name anyway. ]

So what is the long version of your story?

[ Since the bartender quickly provides their drinks, she's ready to settle in and listen. ]

[Shockingly, once their drinks arrives he finds them a spot near the edge of the rooftop, where he can watch the parade.

He's pretty sure he spots Lup dancing on one of the floats, which is hilarious, but, okay, story time.]

I'm gonna need you to be cool with believing the whole magic thing, cause there's a lot of magic in this.

[Even if its almost an arcane science kind of deal, it's still going to require admitting that magic exists.]

( ooc: ages later like the loser i am. )

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introductory mingle: carnivale

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