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

[ Peter takes the observation and runs with it.

His eyes narrow as he studies Gamora, and while he doesn’t smile, there’s a hint of it tugging slightly at his mouth. ]

It didn’t bother you that I danced with her, did it?

[ Now that is not a question she was expecting, and her eyes narrow just a touch as she considers Peter.

Yes, is the immediate answer that comes to mind, but instead: ]

Why would I be bothered?

No reason.

[ Still with that knowing look, and that smirk tries gamely to work its way onto his lips. He keeps it at bay for now, keeping his expression bland. ]

I wasn't flirting with her, if that's what you were wondering.

[ ... not a lot, anyway. ]

[ She sighs at him, something not quite a huff. ]

I didn't say that you were flirting with her.

[ Ugh, that look he's giving her is so oddly irritating, but not enough to make her drop his hand and try to step away from him. She keeps moving with the music, keeps holding onto his shoulder.

That "unspoken thing" is still unspoken in its own right, and she may have acknowledged that it's there, that it's something, but defining that "something" has yet to come to the forefront of their priorities.

It's a thing, even if she has no idea what to do with it.

(But that probably is why the idea of Peter flirting with that woman makes her bristle, just a touch.) ]

Well, good. 'Cause I wasn't.

[ That little edge of smugness in his voice.

There's— still a lot of weirdness between them, him and Gamora. (There's still a whole lot of weirdness with Peter in general, though he's not as keen to think on all that shit.) There's that thing, still. Half-spoken, at this point, with the two of them walking on eggshells around it.

For now, Peter feels like it's enough that there's acknowledgment. That there's been a quiet, knowing nod between them to the elephant in the room. They'll need to deal with it, because it's going to get seriously cramped, soon enough, but—

This is okay. For now. Just this. ]

But sorry if it seemed that way.

[ ... Well. This, and Peter being a little shit about it.

A guy's gotta get his kicks somehow. ]

[ Gamora gives him that Look of hers, all unimpressed and a little exasperated (but not angry; more like that usual roll of her eyes that accompanies Peter's antics more often than not). ]

If you weren't flirting with her, then why do you look so satisfied with yourself?

[ A bland question, at least, and certainly not damning.

She's in a strange little zone of being bothered but also not, but also having no idea what to feel about being bothered – like that moment when Peter had flirted so blatantly with the Sovereign Priestess.

At least her response this time isn't simply, "I don't care." ]

What? No I don’t.

[ he says, smugly, with a smug smile curling his mouth. ]

That’s just my face, Gamora.

[ He raises their joined hands, leading her into a quick twirl, and when she’s facing him again, most of that smugness has been wiped away. ]

Anyway. I figured you wouldn’t want me dancing like I usually do, so I’m not. [ A pause before his eyebrows rise a little. ] Unless you do want me to?

[ She's seen more than enough of that stupidly smug look on his face to know when he's being smug. Fortunately for him, it's not quite as infuriating as it used to be.

She even lets him guide her into the twirl, coming back to rest her hand again on his shoulder and meet his gaze. ]

I have no interest in trying to keep up with that. [ The way Peter dances is definitely not her style. He's pretty ridiculous about it, and Gamora would much rather watch him look like a fool than try to join it.

(Even if there's something endearing about the way he gets into it, how free he is about it and how much he clearly enjoys himself.) ]

You're welcome to do it on your own.

Yeah, see? That’s what I’m trying to avoid.

[ Peter dances – skillfully, according to him – on his own almost all the time, aside from brief forays into clubs and bars, where partners are a little easier to find. It’s a treat when he can get someone to join him, and even better whenever Gamora deigns to humor him.

(He’s pretty sure, though, that it’s a front. That she likes dancing; he’s more than happy to be her excuse, though.) ]

I wanna dance with you, so that means we do things your way. Doesn’t mean I’m bored, though.

[ She actually looks fairly pleased that Peter is willing to make accommodations for the way she wants (likes) to dance. ]

You seem to be handling this just fine.

[ She can hear the music starting to draw to a close, though, winding down and fading out – but she also doesn't try to break contact with him, despite that. ]

How long do you intend to stay here, anyway?

[ At this particular party, she means. ]

[ Peter offers a quick shrug of his shoulders. ]

I'm nothing if not adaptable.

[ But he hears the music winding down, and takes the fact that Gamora hasn't yet stepped away as a good sign. If she doesn't, then he's certainly not going to be the first to do so. Not if he's hoping to get another dance out of her, anyway. ]

'Til it gets boring, I guess? Or until a better party crops up.

[ A pause, then lightly, ]

Or until you wanted to bail. Whichever comes first.

Really? [ With a touch of her usual droll skepticism. ] I thought you were going to stay all night.

[ Because she certainly didn't think Peter's participation in the evening would be determined by whether or not she wanted to stay. She also doesn't necessarily want to impose on his fun, just because she may find herself tired or bored of the party a lot sooner than he might.

For now, however, she hasn't made a single move to step away from him, even as the next song kicks into gear.

So much for "one dance." ]

[ The next song starts, and Peter tries to smother his grin. He's only a little successful doing so, as he moves them in time with this new music. ]

Oh, I still might, but if you get bored, then that means we should at least try to see if another party reignites the spark, right? Before you quit completely.

[ It's probably better Peter doesn't mention anything about her staying for another song, because then she might just have to end the dance on principle – but, without a word, she starts to move with him again. ]

You overestimate how much I like parties, Peter. I came because you seemed so interested for some reason.

"For some reason"?

[ He repeats it back, almost incredulous. ]

Gamora, it's a city-wide party. How can you not find that at least a little interesting?

[ She glances around them briefly, then looks back to Peter. ]

It's interesting for the first hour, but it's all the same eventually.

[ Loud and crowded with too much going on at once. ]

Do you really expect I would be here otherwise?

[ Another one of those telling pauses, then a small, pleased smile curls the corner of his mouth. ]

You're really only here 'cause of me?

[ A lot less smug than before, at least, and, quite possibly, genuinely touched. ]

[ Maybe she's shown too much of her hand, which is why she simply shrugs, trying to smooth away a smile that nearly makes it into her expression. ]

Someone has to keep you out of trouble.

[ Trouble does seem to have a habit of just finding the Guardians anyway. ]

You could have started a fight and ended up with someone following you back to our apartment, and then it would have suddenly become my problem.

[ ... Except her concern for Peter ending up in fights is fairly low on the list of reasons that she came with him.

The dancing is, in fact, shockingly high on that list.

(Seeing him smile like that is also way up there.) ]

... Oh.

[ And the smile loses some of its luster, though it doesn't fall away. ]

Right.

[ And he almost sounds disappointed. ]

Yeah. Figured it was more like that.

[ he really didn't. ]

You do realize I can handle myself, right? I'm not really the magnet for trouble you seem to think I am.

[ Gamora isn't dense enough to miss the way his smile falters and his voice loses some of that warmth. She realizes she probably said the wrong thing, but she can't bring herself to clarify or qualify what she's said.

(Part of her assumes that her actions will speak for themselves, too. She's still dancing with him, still here with him, and if she was only around to babysit, she probably would have contented herself with doing it from afar – but she's participating because somewhere, under that defensive edge, she's having fun with him.

She just happens to be terrible at expressing it.) ]

Just because you can handle yourself doesn't mean you don't attract trouble, Peter.

[ She looks a bit exasperated – though it's not necessarily directed at him. ]

We all do.

[ Even if the other parts of the team that happen to cause trouble more often than not aren't currently present. ]

Yeah, but that was mostly because we got recognized, or someone heard something about us from a friend of a friend. Or someone had the shitty idea of, "Hey, wouldn't it be badass if we took down the Guardians of the Galaxy?"

We're in a brand new place. Blank rap sheets. Barely anyone knows who we are, or what we've done.

[ A pause. Then, carefully, ]

I mean... it's a little nice, right? Being able to start fresh?

[ Tentative as the question is, she can't deny that she hasn't thought about it herself. ]

Yes. It is.

[ There isn't humor in the dryness of her tone when she adds: ]

I've yet to be called a murderer in public, so I would say that's already an improvement.

[ That kind of reception had improved after everything on Xandar and the good the Guardians had been doing in the months since, but no one has necessarily forgotten what she'd been responsible for or who she'd spent almost her entire life serving.

Those who had been hurt by her, either directly or peripherally, aren't exactly inclined to turn a blind eye just because she happens to be a Guardian of the Galaxy now. A newly-clean record doesn't wipe away history.

But here? Nobody knows who she is beyond those she's made contact with already, along with Peter. She's effectively a nonentity for the first time in her life, since the death of her people, and she— kind of likes it. ]

[ He winces at that, squeezing her hand almost in apology. ]

So it's not all bad, huh?

[ He says it at length, almost thoughtful. ]

Getting brought here. Getting stuck here. It's not such a bad place, really. All things considered.

It could be far worse. The environment could be more hostile, we could be without food or shelter, and we could be facing any number of other dangers.

But we have been given somewhere to stay, the amenities are acceptable, and— [ She pauses, like she was going to reevaluate what she intended to say, but— ]

You're here.

[ That makes this easier. ]

[ Oh.

Uh.

Jesus, he's getting some mixed signals tonight, but that does little to stop that pleased little smile from returning to his face. ]

Yeah?

Even though all I do is attract trouble, according to you?

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