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

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That... sort of thing is the opposite of what my doctor usually recommends.

[Ah, but his face is still red, and he's still naked and pressed up against Gladio. Is this fine? It feels fine, and everything that had been said the night before was... nice. He thinks? He can't remember every detail.

But he watches his own finger draw a curious line down Gladio's chest before turning it into a star.]

I can't make anything like that, you know. Even if I could, I feel as though it would be difficult to move, let alone try that.

[ Gladio probably shouldn't try to joke about this, but it slips out before he can help it. That implication, unintended of course, that he's bad for him. It's not untrue, not when he can't afford romance of a long term sort in his position, or what he thinks is his position... and also what Eichi can handle given his condition. ]

You saying this is bad for your heart?

[ That's reason for concern, considering their activities last night were of the heart-pounding kind. ]

...Does that mean what we did last night was dangerous?

...No, I don't think so.

[He decides to slide that hand more around Gladio, like a hug, ignoring the way his heart seizes up at the action.] I never feel truly in danger as long as Gladio is there. It's true that I never thought it would be possible for someone like me... but I was happy.

[He pauses, not wanting to look at Gladio's face.] Is that strange?

[ Gladio's brows lift. ]

Uh, considering I'm a bodyguard back home? No, that's... normal.

[ Him being that guy people feel safe around is the kind of thing he actively tries to be. Still, he has a feeling this means something slightly different to Eichi, so he pulls his arm from behind his head and strokes his forearm with a calloused thumb. ]

It was fun but not worth it if it puts you in danger.

[Hm, that answer is a little frustrating, somehow, and Eichi's eyebrows furrow. His eyes close again, because it's starting to get bright from what little light there is.]

I wasn't put in danger. Now that I've tried it, the next time will certainly be easier... [He pauses, fingers twitching lightly against Gladio as he keeps his arm around him.] Not that I am trying to say anything one way or the other about there being a next time... Um, weren't you saying something about food?

Mm? Yeah. Guess it's the least I could do since --

[ It takes Gladio a while to catch up, he's just amused because for a moment there... haha, that phrasing, it's almost like he just said he was a...

Virgin. ]

...

[ Gladio sits up and stares at Eichi with growing alarm. Last night, he'd just assumed that all this time, all the flirting, the suggestive looks and touches, the godsdamn thirst. Was it all just an act? ]

HAAH?!

[Gladio sits up, but as he yells like that, Eichi only turns to bury his face in a pillow. Ow... Ow??? His head.]

I'm sorry, but could you not be so loud? [Save him]

Sorry, I just...

... [ Gladio lowers his voice as he recalls the events of last night, or what he can remember. Everything they did... Six, Eichi's first sexual experience and he took it... like a champ.

Gladio can't help but feel a little impressed. He grins. ]

Look at you, Casanova. You really went all in, didn't you? [ He ruffles Eichi's hair even while he hides his face in the pillows. He ain't even mad. ]

[Ahh, what, what? The hair ruffles are a little bothersome right now, but he'll let them pass, but those words get him to sit upright in embarrassed surprise.]

Was I over the top somehow? [Was he... too thirsty?! Ah, but before he can even shy away from his own nudity, he has to place a hand to his own back and hunch forward a bit.] Ow...

[ Gladio's shoulders twitch as he stifles another laugh. Eichi is full of surprises, and no shortage of aches either. When he twinges and clutches at his own back, he laughs outright. ]

I'll say, I can't think of anyone else who's had a first time that adventurous.

...Hey, roll over a sec.

It's just that Gladio pushed me very hard, you know...

[He says, like he wasn't the one who started it and then egged it all on. He waits a couple of seconds to hope that the red of his cheeks dies down, but there's only so much he can do about that before he rolls over like instructed.]

Hm?

[ He laughs again, not unkindly. But that response is just too funny. He seems to recall that going very differently. In fact, thinking back at how it all went down is embarrassing and hilarious. ]

Haha, I pushed you? I guess if it's true, I owe you one hell of an apology.

[ Gladio moves to his side, covers that spot on his back with a warm hand and rubs his thumb into the muscles slowly. He leans in, close enough so he knows that when he speaks in a low voice, it's like he's taunting him. ]

...Right here?

[He opens his mouth to say something in response to that, since he can tell by that tone that he's being doubted, and for good reason. But as that warm hand works into that spot of tension on his back, it's very nice, but a little painful, and has him sighing out a noise that he's worried sounds suggestive. Or maybe it's just that his mind is wandering now? It's definitely wandering.]

...Yes. [The more he has to think about his words, the quieter he gets, it seems. He's trying not to shiver at Gladio's voice, clutching at sheets and pillows instead and keeping his face pressed down to hide it. He's going to try his best to stay composed, here...!]

How is it that you can stay so warm, even without any clothing on?

[ Gladio definitely calling him out on his line of bullshit, but in tone alone. He instead helps to work out that cramp in his back carefully. This can help but really hydration and a good long soak in warm water would do wonders for him. Still... either one of them are wearing so much as a stitch and he has the opportunity to touch him like this?

It's just too good to pass up. ]

Actual human furnace, Gladio. At your service.

[ He strokes up his back, sweeping pressure along the muscles rather than focusing too much attention on any single spot for very long. The sounds that come from Eichi when he hits a good spot is all the reward he needs. ]

So... thoughts?

[It becomes easier and easier to relax, even if his heart is beating a million miles a minute. He practically melts into the bed like this, letting his eyes drift closed as little contented noises and sighs slip out. He's trying to keep them quiet.]

That feels... really nice. [Yep, those are his thoughts, don't look at him or ask anything else.] Like this, I can almost ignore my head aching.

[ Gladio huffs a laugh as he continues to massage him, feeling tension pop and loosen under his hands as he works through the knots. ]

Right? Who wouldn't?

[ His hands switch to his lower back and starts kneading where he's probably the most sore. He's genuinely curious about the elephant in the room, but he's not sure if he should ask. If it's just okay to let it hang out there and pretend it's not there. He did, after all, see that red tint to Eichi's pale skin and feel that shiver that ran through him.

Obviously, last night changes things. It's not something he can take back even if he wanted to, but he watches Eichi now and decides maybe he could present this in a more attractive light. He leans closer and brushes his facial hair against that space between neck and shoulder, speaks against the back of his ear. ]

...Think you'd want to do this again?

[Ah, that really gets to him. Of course it does. He's already on his stomach and trying not to get turned on while he's feeling this miserable, and now Gladio's closeness brings another shiver of excitement. He swallows hard, his throat suddenly tight, and tries to puzzle out what this means.]

Like—... [Like last night, does he mean? Like that? Of course, what else could he be talking about? But then what, like... two people who are together? Or is this... something else? He doesn't think it means any more than doing this again, with Gladio wording it as he is.

He feels dizzier now.]

I would, actually. [He shoves down his nervousness and turns his face to one side where he lays, trying to see Gladio.] You would want to again, as well? [That's more surprising to him.]

Yeah, maybe.

[ But he's probably not in the mood, not with a hangover aching like a canker in his head. And if it was his first time, he's probably sore as hell too. Gladio stops rubbing his back and looks at him for a moment, their faces pretty close to one another and regarding one another in silence. ]

... [ Shit, he's going to get turned on if he keeps touching him and lounging about naked in bed. His hand slides lower on his back, resting above his hip. His thumb drawing circles absently. ]

Truth is, this side of you is fun.

Then, some time when we feel better... maybe we should.

[Fun... His face brightens a little, even if he's not sure what to make of that, or his heart rate, or any of this. His gaze softens into something noticeably fond, though, and he realizes that those little circles are going to drive him crazy if they're left alone too long. He can't... He's too sore and sick, it won't be pleasant at all.

So, he shifts closer just enough to place a hand to Gladio's cheek and steal a sweet and hesitant kiss. It's slow, lingering, and when Eichi pulls back he has to blink a few times before remembering himself, sitting up the rest of the way and slipping off of the opposite side of the bed in a stumble.]

I'll just be taking a quick bath! [Don't leave... but also he's running away sort of. His naked ass just darts straight for the bathroom and shuts the door before he leans against it to catch his breath. Ahhhh. It's fine, he's fine.]

[ Hah, there's that flush again, right on cue. It's incredible just how easily that can happen, although Gladio wonders if it's just his imagination or if Eichi has been blushing a little more often in recent history than he remembers. Just at that moment, Eichi moves and kisses him.

Gladio blinks. He wasn't expecting that, his breath lodges itself in his throat. Apparently Eichi is just as surprised as he is, because they stare at each other for a moment before the idol excuses himself. ]

...O-oi--

[ And he's gone, leaving Gladio laying awkwardly in a bed that isn't his with a puzzled expression. By the time Eichi's done with his bathing ritual-slash-panic attack, Gladio's dressed and begun the process of quietly sneaking back to his own apartment to fetch the essentials for any greasy breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast.

Don't be concerned if you come back out and don't see him there yet. ]

[The bath takes a little longer than usual, since this is more cleanup than he normally has to bother with. But it settles his stomach a bit and relaxes his muscles, and he's able to poke his head out of the bathroom in his towel without going red. Gladio's not here, though.

He takes the time to change, though because walking is still making him sore, he chooses something comfortable. Some sweatpants, a tank top, and a loose hoodie. He peeks out into the rest of the apartment, wondering if maybe Gladio had wandered there... but no sign of him.

He's a little concerned, but he's trying not to think about it as he cleans up his discarded clothes from the night before and goes to stare in horror at his messy kitchen table.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

introductory mingle: carnivale

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