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

[anotheroldsoldier]

"Tony's here," he confirms. "Two of them. One from my universe who was the Director of SHIELD for a little while, and another one." Actually, there's a third Tony, but he hasn't met the newest one just yet. "No, SHIELD was never HYDRA." At least for him. He remembers the other Bucky, though, whose handlers had been HYDRA. He lets out a low breath, taking a moment to think while he chews. "Introductions will get complicated pretty quickly. There are at least three different timelines represented here. Maybe four, I'm not sure where yours fits in just yet."

But that whole web can be untangled later. For now, he's alright settling back, enjoying his pancakes. They're good at this diner, perfectly fluffy and golden, with just the right amount of add-ins and flavors. Ava seems to enjoy them too, he notices from the corner of his eye, and he wonders again what her life has been like post-Red Room.

"No, but living well is its own revenge." He says, with a slight smile, spearing another bite of pancake on his fork with a ripe blueberry. "If you're still living, you've won."

[krasnaya_vdova]

That gets a touch of warmth from her, although she blinks for a minute at the fact that there are two here. And yet, it really just doesn't seem like the weirdest thing that she's heard. Certainly not after everything she's been through. A code written in ballet hidden in her memory that only Natasha could find and decode based on her genetic code, to take down a psychic-linked quantum army. Two Tonys seemed way less weird. "I'm glad he's here, though. He was one of the only people I'd call a friend back home," she admitted a little sheepishly. Even if he's not the same Tony, it's still something good. Close enough; she'll figure it out, she supposes.

She processes the rest of it. The fact of different timelines, the idea that he was from a world where Hydra hadn't been a cancer inside of SHIELD. She also tries for some modicum of manners, but the pancakes are amazing. Diners were always a bit too costly, and even swiping some money here and there, there were always more important things to spend it on than going out to eat. She took Sana out for milkshakes on her sixteenth birthday, but she wasn't accustomed to even the most basic sort of luxuries. The SHIELD Academy hadn't been bad, but it was a military academy first and foremost.

This was different. Better, she had to admit.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." A shrug of her shoulders a shake of her head. Okay, but what even is living well. Surviving, though.. that she's good at. It's wired deep into her. Battle math, play the odds, those pieces of Natasha that were still part of her.

"What's she like? In your world?" She's not sure how different she expects her to be, but she can't help being curious. And she's pretty sure she's answered more questions than he has, so it's only fair.

[anotheroldsoldier]

"You and me both. Tony helped me out a lot back then." They had had a rocky start, but Bucky counts Tony among the people he trusts the most in the world, just under Natasha and Steve. He and SHIELD gave him that peace of mind that he needed. Gave him the shield, helped make his uniform after Steve 'died'. "He lives on the same floor as me in communal housing. Steve, too. Floor 5, if you ever need anything." It's a blanket offer to come to Bucky if she ever finds herself in need, put out there but not pushed. On the table.

Honestly, it warms his smile a touch to see her enjoying the food so much. Must not have been a lot of good diner meals in her past, and it... makes him feel good, in a way, to give her this. He's had to ask some hard questions and bring up some uncomfortable subjects but at least he's smoothed it over in the best way he knows how.

The question gives him pause, and he draws lines through the syrup on his plate with his fork, looking down for a moment. Something in his expression changes. Thaws, in gentle increments. "She is... hard to describe. She's strong, and intense, and the best there is at what she does. But she is her own person as well. Everything that happened, she hasn't let it kill her inside." It's hard to put to words, the warmth and support she gives him. The way she loves him for who he is, and not who he used to be. The way she supported him, saved him. "She's the only reason I'm still here."

[krasnaya_vdova]

"After everything that happened, I ended up in SHIELD Academy, and Tony would call me every week. I couldn't tell my best friend what was going on, and Natasha had Avengers business. Things were getting better, but things were still..." She trails off, shrugs her shoulders. She figures he can probably work out exactly how contentious that was. She kind of thinks the world of Tony, since he was the only person that was there for her. And she knows it wasn't easy for him, but they talked and he made her laugh and he tried and that was good enough.

"Thanks. I'm on Floor 11 Room 7, for now." She understands the offer, and she nods slightly. Usually these sort of offers don't seem to end well, but Ava can't help holding onto them anyway. She's always wanted people in her life, and that softness never frays no matter how hard her life has been.

She watches him as he answers her question, watching how his expression changes as he talks about her, and it makes her smile, seeing it in him. "She sounds amazing," she remarks softly, a little bit wistful despite herself. She's quiet for a moment, and her smile thins a little. "Natasha was a lot of that. Strong, the best in the world, intense, but she was... hard and sharp. Lonely.." It's a quiet admittance, a shake of her head as she sighs. "She got me a motorcycle for my 19th birthday, though. With a card and everything." It's progress.

Ava does understand it; of course she does. So she tries to not push too hard. There's so much of Natasha in her head, but she tries to not lose herself in it.

[anotheroldsoldier]

"I'm glad you at least had him to talk to. It helps, not to have to keep it all to yourself." It settles something in him a little, to know that Tony was at least good to this kid who went through hell. They've had one conversation and he can't help but feel responsible - no surprise there, though, considering the Red Room's involvement. He and Natasha have always felt responsible for righting those wrongs.

"She is amazing. Even my Natalia can be hard and sharp, but we all have our edges." That next part makes him smile a little, though. "A motorcycle, huh? Did it come through the portal with you? My Indian showed up at one point."

[krasnaya_vdova]

She considers for a long moment, whether she wants to tell him or not. She could leave it there. It's not like she's telling him everything to begin with. But the fact is (and maybe it's sad) but her relationship with Natasha has defined so much of her it feels fundamental, like it's only a half-answer to anything he's asked her if he doesn't understand that part, as tempting as it is to leave him with his Natasha that sounds like caring wasn't always losing.

"Yeah, but she... When I was nine, she literally saved my life. She called me little sister, gave me half of a five euro with her hourglass on it, and told me if I needed her, I could take it to any Embassy in the world and she'd come for me. I must have taken it to most of Embassy Row in DC. And they all laughed at me and threw it back in my face, pushed me back on the street. And when I was seventeen and I finally saw her again she told me it was because she told them to. And that I should thank her for the lesson."

There's a pause, because it still hurts to talk about, the words feel heavy in her throat as she admits to those eight years of hurt. She hadn't known why it had hurt, not with so much of her memory gone, but now? It was so close to one of those old lessons-- trust no one, no one will care for you, weapons don't deserve it. She lets it hang in the air long enough to process, but not long enough to talk about. Not tonight.

"So the bike. The card. It's good. I'd have been really pissed if they hadn't brought it through." She finishes the last of her pancakes, down to every last blueberry and looks like she might have considered eating the syrup with a spoon for a second. Look, those were amazing. "You wanna see?"

[anotheroldsoldier]

And then they hit the sticking point. Bucky had half-wondered if this was coming. He's met the other Natasha, the one that is (was?) here, the one from another timeline. His expression grows a little more stony as he listens to her talk, drawing the tines of his fork around his empty plate. It makes him angry, honestly. The bait and switch her Natasha pulled on her. There's a cold knot in the pit of his stomach, uncomfortable and wrong.

"I'm sorry for what she did," he says, voice a little lower. "That wasn't right. I-" It's hard to wrap his head around, and yet it isn't at the same time. He met the other Natasha and she was nothing like his Natalia. (It's hard to remember sometimes that he also sees a side of her, back home, that other people rarely do. He romanticizes their relationship a bit in his head, when they've been apart.) There is more he wants to say. A desire to make up for it now that he knows, because he can't imagine being so heartless. Did they take that much of that Natasha's humanity in the Red Room? Did they really win in the end?

But then Ava changes the subject, and he deflates slightly, releasing a breath. "Sure do. We should go for a ride sometime. Long stretches of road in the Abandoned City."

[krasnaya_vdova]

There's something odd in her eyes that shine a little too bright as she looks at him. No one's ever said that sort of thing to her, as shitty as her life has been. I'm sorry. That wasn't right. She doesn't want pity, not from anyone, but she gives James the benefit of the doubt that it's more than just that. She cuts him off, but it still means something. She's always been told it's just how things were, that some people didn't get a choice, even at the Academy the rhetoric was that all that mattered was moving forward.

So hearing someone actually act like her story is as fucked up as it's always felt touches her. She understands it better these days, knows Natasha better than she had before, but it still makes her warm a bit, so she actually smiles when he agrees with her suggestion about taking a look at her bike. "What's it like out there?" She asks quietly. She hasn't actually been yet, but she's considered looking around. Especially for a place to go, someplace she can not have to worry about hurting people because she had a bad dream, remembered the wrong thing.

"Thank you," she says softly, maybe a little too earnest, but she means it. Not just for the pancakes, but for listening and almost- it almost seemed like he understood in ways most people didn't.

[anotheroldsoldier]

It's not exactly pity, coming from him, but it is sympathy, an acknowledgement that her Natasha's thinking was wrong. There's something broken about thinking that other people need to learn the harsh lessons that Bucky and Natasha learned during their time in Russia. He can't condone it. She should try to be better. He wants to be better.

When the waitress brings her payment device over, he taps his card to pay for the entire meal and leave a tip, returning the slight smile when Ava asks what it's like out there. "It's... overgrown. Alien. Even wilder out beyond the Abandoned City, past the second fence. I can show you some interesting spots one of these days."

He only nods once in response to the thanks. What he's done today hardly makes up for all the shit she's been through, for some of the shit her Natasha put her through. "Walk you back to the housing building?"