riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and River Festival
when: The month of August; the bulk of celebration will be in week 1, but there is a party and fireworks display on August 14th.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

river festival

In the days leading up to August 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The River Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the river and the life that it gives to the city, as well as the heat of summer and forming bonds with friends, family, and romantic partners. The celebrations are marked by a community-wide cleanup of the docks and beaches along the river - particularly important considering the recent acid rain - as well as beachfront cookouts and parties (both private and city sponsored) and beach sports tournaments happening on either open stretches of beach or in special clothing-optional beaches, all capped off with fireworks displays on the evenings of August 7th and 14th.

a celebration of the river and togetherness

Following the hedonism of Carnivale, it's time for something a little more low-key and relaxing. The River Festival happens every year in August, and is geared toward community building through cleaning up the beaches and docks along the river and then using all that freshly cleaned beach to gather on. During the first week of August, there are various lightly-themed government-sponsored beach cookouts and parties geared toward family, romantic dates, or casual all-ages get-togethers for meeting new friends; there are also a few more racy parties at clothing-optional beaches around the city. Many private residents also take this time to gather together friends and family, and have cookouts on the beach with all the typical trappings of the beach barbecue. There are also various casual sports tournaments sponsored by community centers, gyms, and sports teams in the city, featuring prizes ranging from notoriety to sports equipment to big bucks. Finally, there are two fireworks displays, one on August 7th and one on August 14th, with free food, and various live performers beforehand.

i. cleaning up

The holiday starts off on a note that is just a bit more sombre than the rest of the season, with the cleanup efforts following late July's strange fog and acid rain blending into the usual tradition of cleaning up beaches and docks along the river. The cleanup is a group effort, with every citizen who is physically able pitching in to comb the beaches, where they pick up fallen tree limbs, garbage, and anything else that's accumulated during the winter and spring, and then raking the beaches to make them clean and ready to use. The cleanup of the docks is similar, with residents sweeping and hosing them down where necessary. This year, there are a lot of repairs to be made to beachfront structures that might've been damaged by the acid rain, so if anyone has some carpentry or building skills, those would definitely come in handy.

This is meant to be a community building effort, so many businesses in the area, more well-to-do private citizens, and the government have pitched in funding to provide lunches, cold drinks, coffee or tea, and snacks to anyone who's helping out with the cleanup efforts. All in all, the cleanup has a very friendly, welcoming vibe.

ii. cookouts and parties

The main traditions of the River Festival involve cookouts and beach parties. On August 7th and August 14th, the government as well as various corporations and businesses in the city, will be providing funds for large beach gatherings. On these days, there will be booths set up offering wares and freebies from various businesses around the city that have helped fund the party, large swaths of cleared beach where residents can don a swimsuit and catch some rays or swim in the river, massive barbecue setups to provide partygoers with all the standard barbecue fare, beach sports tournaments, dancing and musical performances, and fireworks displays (see prompts below).

The holiday isn't just about these big parties, though - many residents arrange their own barbecues, cookouts, beach camping trips, beach bonfires, and other riverside gatherings and outings. Many riverfront businesses offer discounts on services such as canoe or kayak rentals to go out paddling on the river, jetski or motorboat rentals for tubing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing, or mounts to take romantic rides in the surf. Additionally, there is an adults-only section of the beach where any of these activities can be done in the nude in a clothing-optional setting, including the big city-sponsored parties.

iii. sportsball tournaments

Is your character good at playing a particular sport that could, conceivably, be played on a beach? Chances are that during the month of August, a tournament will be set up for them to participate in. The tournaments are pretty standard, generally sponsored by community centers, sports clubs and teams, gyms, and other organizations and businesses in the city, with various levels of specialization, and levels of skill or competitiveness. The prizes also vary, with everything from plain old bragging rights to sports equipment or passes to gyms and community centers, to large lump sums of cash money. Definitely worth it, for characters with a love for sport.

Oh, and a lot of these tournaments are happening on the adults-only clothing-optional beaches, for those grown-up sports fans who like a bit of an extra challenge.

iv. performances and fireworks

On August 7th and August 14th at the end of the large city-sponsored beach parties, there will be evening performances all along the beach. Not as extensive as the musical performances during Carnivale, there are two large-name performers per night, with various lesser-known groups performing at random off and on throughout the day and night. Areas of the beach are cleared for residents to watch and dance to the music, both on the regular and adults-only clothing-optional beaches (acts will switch off between the two areas so both areas get both performances).

Player-characters who are musical artists, DJs, or otherwise perform are free to set up shop around this party and panhandle or put on free performances for publicity.

After the sun goes down, boats will head out into the water carrying a variety of fireworks, and there will be a beautiful display of exploding color in the sky for residents to watch and enjoy. The fireworks are highly advanced, incorporating old-fashioned gunpowder as well as modern technology that result in really beautiful displays that can take the breath away!

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 the River Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: credit unknown; image ii: Albert Ramon Puig; image iii: Claudio Pilia; image iv: Alan Philips

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Vincent's eyes, in contract, had been on Yuffie since she'd entered the room. He'd been listening for any of his roommates to return and he was surprised to see her here. Did she share this space? He'd...need to see about requesting a transfer, if so. Why was Yuffie here? Had she also felt...out of place on Gaia? Why?

The pondering kept him outside for a moment, back turned to the skyline beyond as he watched her rifle through his neighbor's night stand. His eyebrows lowered and he turned to step inside, looming in the doorway.

"Yuffie."

No stealing from my roommates.

Yuffie jumped to her feet when she heard the familiar voice speak her name. She turned towards Vincent and for a moment she wasn't sure how to react. She'd been caught by Vincent which meant that Vincent was here... in quarantine.

"Vinny!" She ran towards him, completely forgetting that she'd just been caught going through Yuuto's things. "You're here! When did you get here?! Why didn't you call me!" She waved at Yuuto's bed. "It's fine. I know him. Are you now on this floor? That's so cool!"

She'd hug him if she didn't think he'd threaten to shoot her.

The only motion Vincent made as Yuffie ran to him was crossing his arm, his expression clearly disapproving. There were very few people in existence who could cause Vincent to make any sort of expression at all, and Yuffie was one of them. Too bad they weren't often complimentary.

"This afternoon." As to why he didn't call? He wouldn't have, but he also hadn't known she was here. He doesn't answer her question about his living arrangements, either, but instead looks between her and Yuuto's belongings. "That doesn't make it fine."

Yuffie placed her hands on her hips and cast him a frown. "Is that anyway to say hello? It's been over a month since I saw you last." Of course, she hadn't even entertained the notion that Vincent is from a different period in time.

"And it's Yuuto. It's just a game we play. I don't take anything for good. I just move around his stuff and see how long it takes him to notice." It's Yuffie's way of flirting in the mot indirect way ever.

"It's been longer." Vincent's only commentary on her response as he realized the implications of her statement as it aligned with what he'd been told in orientation. He hadn't noticed Yuffie's absence. Interesting.

He frowned as she explained. "It's been a month?" No, Yuffie. Moving a man's things around after knowing him a month is no way to say hello.

Moving someone's things around to say hello is the best way to do it!!! "Yeah. So you should be like, 'Yuffie! It's so great to see you!' or something." She slipped up next to him and lightly elbowed his side.

"You can't say you aren't happy to see me. At least you got someone to what your gloomy back."

For a few moment, Vincent did nothing but blink at Yuffie, his expression changing from one of disapproval to one of confusion. When had he ever said anything like that? He lowered his arms to his sides after she made physical contact, shaking his head slightly.

"Fine." And he turned toward her, taking a step back to put some distance between the two of them. "Hello, Yuffie."

That's the best she's going to get.

That was pretty much what Yuffie was expecting. She grinned brightly at him before waving a hand over head. It didn't matter that she'd already said hello or that he was only standing a yard or so away from her.

"Hiya! Enjoying your time in quarantine so far?"

She can't help but snicker a little bit.

"Mmm." He rolled a shoulder in a slight shrug before moving to the, for all appearances, empty bed next to Yuuto's. His, it turned out. "I haven't decided."

He took a seat, moving to recline on the bed, resting an arm on his knee and looking over to her. "What about you? How much trouble have you caused?"

Yuffie decided to take Yuuto's bed, sprawling across the covers like she had many times before. He was fun to mess with and out of all the boys on the floor he smelled the best.

"Not a lot of trouble. I'm trying not to take shit that isn't mine." It's a constant battle against, I want this, and I don't need this.

"Mmm." It was Vincent's only verbal reply for a while as he looked off. They'd come here, separately it seemed, and yet...that would mean that Yuffie, too, had felt as though she hadn't belonged, but why? He could never say he liked the little ninja, but they had saved the world together, more than once actually, and she had a tendency of showing up whenever he needed it, though he'd never admit that aloud. "What do you think of the Quarantine?"

Yuffie's life had always been one of displacement. She hadn't felt like she belonged in Wutai, despite her love for her country, because of her different ideals with her father. Even after saving the world that hadn't changed and she had ended up joining Reeve's efforts. The worst feeling in the world was knowing that the people you loved didn't trust you. Yuffie was slowly becoming comfortable with never being trusted. It was fine.

"It isn't awful. There are a lot of strange people here with strange magic. I've been snooping but I haven't found anything so far." She was in the information gathering phase and while she had some stuff, it wasn't a lot and it was all very specific to people she has spoken to while being in Quarantine.

"Lots of hero types."

"Hero types?" Vincent didn't know exactly how he'd define a 'hero type', but their group wasn't really it. Everyone involved with AVALANCHE and their efforts had their own investment in seeing Sephiroth brought down. Even when he resurfaced, it was simply finishing up, nothing selfless. He wondered what exactly sparked a "hero type" to play.

"And...what sorts of magic? Like the Ancients?"

"Some of it."

Yuffie's shoulders rolled in a shrug. "That information is still pending. I should have something juciey soon. We'll have to wait and see." She may or may not have a plan.

"I can give you a heads up. After all, what do friends do besides stick together!"

They're are friends. Tifa's voice drifted through his mind at Yuffie's words and a vague sort of warmth crept into his chest, as it often did when he thought of the others. Until they'd so rudely opened his coffin and brought the crushing weight of reality back to his mind, Vincent hadn't realized he could still feel anything but the loss, regret, and guilt. They were all still there, threatening to choke him if he drifted in the sea of his mind for too long, but there was something else there, too, that the other members of their motley crew had introduced: friendship, comradery...home?

"Where are you getting this information?"

"Places, mostly by asking people. Everyone here is pretty chill since we're all kinda stuck for a bit."

This was Yuffie's experience, whether it was accurate or not has yet to be seen. She also gets information using less pleasant means but she mostly asks and people mostly offer it to her.

"Oh and I helped with a mission last month that had to do with keeping a Deity asleep or something. It was fun. A lot of camping. Reminded me of home." She really didn't want to admit how much she missed Vincent and everyone else at home but for those who knew Yuffie, it was obvious. She survived on her own well enough but she didn't thrive without people are her.

"They speak that readily?" He hadn't met many of the others who'd come to the Quarantine. It was interesting to know they'd be that open to talking. It was a fact he filed away with the others he was compiling. Or maybe, he could just have Yuffie be his eyes and ears. She was exeptionally good at it, and much less...intimidating than he could be.

He looked over to her with the mention of her mission, brow lowering in interest. "A deity? What kind?"

"Yeah." Yuffie found that people were pretty eager to talk if you did the 'show me yours I'll show you mine' thing. So far it's worked out pretty well and she hadn't had to resort to illegal methods. Not saying she didn't steal stuff, but she didn't do it for information.

"I don't know. The sleeping kind." That was not helpful. "Ed said that there was a deity back where he was before he was here and that it woke up and destroyed a bunch of shit so we went to make sure that it stayed asleep."

That's the gist of it and it was all accurate this time.

Vincent nodded, taking careful note of Yuffie's sources of information for one. Vincent wasn't a talker. He spied, he eavesdropped. Getting information through means of conversation was not something he'd ever be good at. He may find himself needing to rely on Yuffie's assistance to follow what's going on around here.

That was both an annoying thought and a comforting one and he wondered what that might mean. He quickly decided there were more important things to focus on and shoved that particular thought to the back of his mind.

"This...Ed. He was concerned some lost god from his own world was here? Was he right?"

That could be...cause for concern, to say the least.

"I don't think it was from his world because his brother didn't know as much about it. For some reason people show up from different worlds but also different times and Ed was in a world before this one. It's just a guess right now but that's how he talks about it." It wasn't super obvious but Yuffie lived on the same floor as Ed and she watched him, slowly gaining bits and pieces of information. Being loud and annoying meant that most people didn't give Yuffie much time or thought, unless they were thinking about her like she was annoying. Very few knew how perceptive she could be.

"Are you worried?" Vincent looked worried, which Yuffie got. When she first arrived, she had been worried too except that she'd been alone. She hadn't told anyone about her worry or her fears. Having Vincent here didn't mean she was about to break open her heart and spill her secrets but she felt better about it.

She wasn't alone.

"We managed to put the god back to sleep. There is a lot of unknown stuff beyond the perimeter. One of my jobs is to check it out." One of two jobs because Yuffie liked to keep busy.

She'd been assigned to the border patrol, just as he had. If he thought about it, it made sense. While he and Yuffie were very different people, they shared similarities in operation that were undeniable. While drastically different in training, they were both perceptive and swift. Whatever monsters were out there, they were unlikely to pose either of them a problem unless they were cornered.

He couldn't speak for Yuffie, but that was never much of a problem for Vincent. Was he worried, though? Perhaps a bit. There were several unknowns in this place he didn't know how to contend with, but he supposed acclimation was in order. Her comment about time caught his attention though, and he looked over to her.

"...different times?" He shifted his gaze to the side thoughtfully, then back to the little ninja. "What is the last thing you remember? From home?"

"Saved your butt a bunch of times." She replied back with a little bit of snark. Then she shook her head. "I honestly don't know compared to you. You kept dropping off the radar when Reeve and I went looking for you." Yuffie hadn't seen Vincent before she arrived here. It'd been another moment working for Reeve where she thought about going home and then wondered if she had a place there.

Yuffie didn't want to admit that to Vincent of all people.

"Mmm." She'd never saved his butt 'a bunch' of times. At least not to his knowledge, but her mention of Reeve caught his attention. He looked over to her, brows lowered slightly as though in thought.

"...for the WRO?"

Maybe Yuffie was exaggerating but that was fine. Her memory of events are slightly different from reality anyway.

"Yeah." She got some information from Reeve but Yuffie had the problem where she only have paid attention to what he was saying. That man had a talent to make even the most interesting things sound really boring. "See, you know what I mean." She flashed him a grin as if that was all the explanation that they needed.

He knew that meant their world probably needed a helping hand again, and against a group that was far too interested in whatever Vincent had become for his taste. Still, if their receivers were to be believed, whenever they did get the chance to return home, it would be to the moment they left. The world would be fine without them. In fact, it would never miss them in the first place.

There was an odd sort of comfort in that. Also, Yuffie and he were from a similar time. Interesting.

That being covered, he looked back out toward what was to become their new city, gaze distant. "Now what?"

introductory mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

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v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

Re: v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

v. floor 10; Balcony

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