riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Flower Festival Celebration
when: April 2nd - April 15th
where: In several different locations in the downtown area of the Inhabited City.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

flower festival

In the days leading up to April 2nd, residents new and old may notice advertising around the city, everywhere from digital screens to paper flyers pasted on blank walls, all advertising an upcoming holiday: The Flower Festival. Celebrating springtime, beauty, joy, and togetherness, the festival heavily features floral themes and dancing. The advertising mentions that on April 10th, a paid holiday, there will be a Blossom Picnic, as well as lists of various public dances at clubs or other open venues, and adult raves.

a celebration of spring

The Flower Festival's main event is the Blossom Picnic on April 10th, but it also features traditions of sharing food and drink, and dancing that span over the course of the whole two weeks. There are a large variety of events going on throughout the city, from dancing lessons in any wide variety of traditional dances, to old-fashioned sock hops, to adult raves complete with mild party drugs. Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own event at any point during the festival, and if your character creates an event and hosts it in a top-level, you can submit that thread for extra bonus points.

i. blossom picnic

The main event that kicks off the second week of the Flower Festival is the Blossom Picnic on April 10th. A relaxed and low-key event, it draws several thousand people every year to the spacious Riverview Central Park, where there is a generous lawn lined with various blossoming trees, and families, found families, lovers, and groups of friends are encouraged to lay out a picnic blanket and share food. There will be live bands playing (but not loudly enough to distract from conversation and peacefully watching the petals flutter in the wind), a variety of demonstrations of traditional cultural dances from many different realities and planets, and a ton of ice cream vendors. This is an excellent festival not only for celebrating togetherness with the people who are already important, but for mingling and making new friends.

Characters may either pack their own lunches or they can purchase pre-packed Blossom Festival lunches. Stores and street markets are carrying a wide variety of specialty food that is only available at this time of year - predominantly pastries, an assortment of types of candies, and ice cream treats all in various floral flavors, as well as a sort of ambrosia salad based around a sweet rose-flavored cream and a native fruit that is bright green and tastes like a combination of peach and citrus.

ii. dancing lessons

Starting on April 2nd, there will be dancing lessons offered almost everywhere you look! From partner dances to group dances to line dances; sexy and sensual or innocent and childlike - almost any type of dance you can imagine is represented, from any reality or planet that has people in Riverview Quarantine.

Additionally, the Riverview Central Community Center has multiple rooms blocked off so anyone who knows a dance from home can teach it to others in their community - sharing is caring, after all. Characters are welcome to block off one of these rooms and offer lessons in any dance they happen to know from home (and these sorts of thread starters would be eligible for the mingle AC Point bonus)!

iii. flower festival dancing

This is pretty simply what it says on the tin - in almost every club, community center, or other public space, there will be dancing at almost all hours of the day or night, formal and informal. Musicians bring out their instruments and play in the street for demonstrations of cultural dances and music at the same time as clubs are offering VIP cover charges for exclusive dances, and you can find anything in between.

There are also many low-cover-charge raves that allow under-18s so younger characters can stay up all night and dance like crazy. The legal drinking age in Riverview Quarantine is 14, and so anyone over 14 can enter and indulge in a few drinks, dancing, and playing tag with a non-intoxicating version of the colored powder featured at the adult raves. There is copious amounts of security on site to ensure that everyone is safe, as well as nurses and off-duty police officers to offer advice or care for anyone who overindulges out of lack of experience.

Grab a partner, a group of friends, or just cruise and mingle the various dancing events.

Characters may also notice that most of the street markets and clothing shops are offering clothing that features floral patterns, flowers as accessories, and that show a lot of skin - for men, women, and anyone in between!

iv. adult raves

Advertised on flyers and digital screens around the city, made to pop as if they were under blacklight, is a series of adult raves that are happening in various large empty warehouse spaces around the city, including one that is listed as the danger rave and hosted in an abandoned factory outside the inhabited city walls. With bouncers at the door to ensure that anyone entering is 18+, the raves are comfortably adult in nature. Clothing is optional, showing skin is encouraged, and there are a lot of neatly tucked away spaces for attendees to get some time alone with one or more than one person, as well as spaces intended for orgies. The atmosphere is sex-positive and non-judgemental, open to any orientation or preference, with various forms of protection available for free, however, to ensure that everyone plays safe there are sober security teams out en masse at all premises to oversee the events.

(CW: DRUG USE) In each location, there is one specific room where attendees can enter, and dance or play tag with brightly colored powder that contains small amounts of a legal party drug commonly available in Riverview, which is absorbed through the skin. Not much more intoxicating than having a few beers, the effects of the drug are a pleasant low-key buzzing euphoria, positive sensitivity to touch, a heightening of desires for intimacy, and a mild lowering of inhibitions. Once a character has been hit with the powder, the color lingers on the skin so other attendees can know who has partaken, but once the powder makes contact with a surface it deactivates, meaning that partakers can safely dance with non-partakers without sharing the intoxicating effects.

Please be sure to warn in subject lines for any threads involving drug use. And remember, there is always security to intervene and make sure everyone is safe.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to set up headers for a communal floor, or threads open to roommates for the purpose of getting to know each other. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set at the Flower Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: third image by Steve Goad; other images found on uncredited on Pinterest or Google images - please let the mod know if you find credit!

navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That was enough to cause a worry in Eichi. He'd heard immediately from Yuuri that not everyone here remembered their venture in space, and though Eichi had been fearing that he'd have to break through Reaper's defenses again to reach some point of conversation, he'd stood there smiling the whole time.

However, once Reaper confirms that he remembers, it's clear in Eichi's eyes that he'd been worrying. They warm noticeably, his shoulders relax with them, and then he brings his palms together for a single clap.]

Standing there so silently that whole time, were you trying to give me a heart attack? I was almost readmitted on the spot! [Dropping his hands again, he slides over to Reaper's side, not daring to touch him but still leaning a bit too close. Hello, grumpy old man...]

On the contrary, I think to see someone as serious as you dancing would bring joy to the hearts of many. ♪

Not particularly. I was trying to decide if I wanted to act like I didn't know you, but I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't deter you from talking to me.

[He's as friendly as always, but his tone has some measure of cheek to it--as if he's not entirely serious with the rude response.]

You're not the first person I've met from... that place, but you're the first to remember who I was. [Suigetsu was... oddly ignorant. Not that he'd cared, honestly.]

...

You can't be serious about that. 'Joy'? Kid, you're just as weird as I remember. [A low rumble, nearly a laugh. Good job.] Pass. Again. I don't dance. I have two left feet, anyway. [He's looking away as he speaks, perhaps not being entirely truthful.]

[He got a laugh, sort of! Score. Eichi is honestly just so happy to see someone else here that he recognizes, and have them also recognize him. It's like a relief. This place seems safer right now, and he doesn't want to worry about any future threats that could possibly come up. Right now, it's flower festivals and drinking and trying not to pass out from having too much fun.]

Fufu, is it weird? [Can someone who drinks tea through a straw judge him?? Anyway, Eichi definitely notices how Reaper looks to the side. He's had a little to drink himself, enough to have his cheeks flushed, but he's not going to miss that. Reaching up to adjust his own flower crown, he glances down at Reaper's feet as if to check.]

I find it difficult to believe that someone who holds himself like you do can't manage to move on his feet. I'm an idol, you know? I have an eye for this sort of thing. Is it actually that you don't want anyone to see because you're shy? Well, if that's the case, I can't push you. Besides that, the last time I grabbed your hand you were very unhappy, so I can't even playfully drag you along anyway.

[He might not say it, but honestly--he's relieved to see Eichi as well. He's already had a run-in with a friend from Eluvio who didn't recognise him. So having at least one here who does?

It gives him a small tick of hope for... a certain other person showing herself. Again, nothing he'd share, but...]

It's weird. [He'll just confirm it anyway, even if Eichi didn't need to hear it. Because no, a guy who drinks tea through a straw shouldn't judge someone like a popular Idol, but here we are.

He shifts from one foot to the other with a scoff, tilting his head back to regard him.]

It's not a matter of not managing to move my feet. It's a matter of age, even if you have an all-seeing eye--someone like you would understand that once you breach the age of fifty, you stop wanting to scuffle around on a dance floor like some hedonistic party-goer.

[He's running out of excuses. Stay strong, Gabriel.]

...

When you eventually die and come back as a corpse, you won't take kind to people grabbing you, either. Trust me.

How boring. Unlike you, when I die any day now, I won't be able to come back, you know? Will I have to cross "dance with Death" off of my bucket list for good? The name sounded so cool, I couldn't help but want it to be so.

[He's trying so hard!! DANCE WITH HIM BEFORE HE DIES TOMORROW. But he still won't reach out and grab him, no, he's learned that much.]

At the very least, could you accompany me? I've had enough to drink that my family doctor would lock me up in my room for months and forbid me from leaving. It's not wrong to try new things, is it? This unique experience is something I don't want to miss out on before I die.

[One more look at Reaper.] Just like dancing with friends.

[If this doesn't work, he'll finally give up, but he had to give it the Full Try.]

...'Dance with Death' is seriously on your bucket list? What the hell are you, some sort of main character in some Korean TV Drama... [He can't believe what he's hearing, and he almost immediately assumes Eichi is making ANOTHER off-colour joke. Because this guy talks more about death than he does. And he IS death.]

If you've had that much to drink, then you shouldn't be going around tapping your feet. You should be going to bed, under medical supervision.

[His tone is, as usual, a low and irritated growl. He's persistent and annoying. But finally, Reaper gives one low, frustrated sigh--a hiss of black smoke escaping out from under his mask and mingling with the air.

He stretches out a hand, his hand tilted to the side, away.]

You get three minutes. And then you shut up about it.

A main character? Do you really think so? Fufu, it's true that I've always wanted to be something like a main character...

[He's ignoring the whole Korean TV Drama thing on purpose because it's not like it's wrong. Three minutes is all he needs for a nice dance!! And he's so excited about actually convincing Reaper to do it that he's beaming, reaching forward to take that hand in his excitement.]

Don't worry, my family doctor is always worrying about this and that, so I often break the rules and sneak out to avoid them. That's why they always end up posting guards at the doors to my room and every exit of the house. It's so troublesome, but now that I'm here I don't have to worry about it at all.

[Eichi escapes the hospital and his own room very often. But nevermind that, it's time to dance!! He's tugging Reaper lightly and more onto the dance floor, and either he will go with Reaper leading whatever sort of dance he wants, or if there's a pause of him not leading, then Eichi will take it into his own hands.]

One dance is all I need. ♪

[At least one of them is looking forward to this. Because Reaper certainly isn't. He briefly thinks if he should purposely be bad, stand on the others' feet and make it a terrible experience for him all around.
But that means he'd have to put effort into failing, and with Eichi being so much smaller and let's admit it--fucking frail--he'd just end up hurting the guy or breaking his toes or something.]

You realise the more you talk about your health shit, the more I feel like I should bring you to a hospital to get locked up. [Because this isn't both concerning and delivered in the most sarcastic tone.

Eichi's seriously going to have a heart attack one day and Reaper sincerely hopes he's not around to be blamed for it.

With just another roll of his eyes that Eichi won't see, he allows himself to be tugged out to where everyone is dancing, but once there's a pause, he certainly will lead into something. Moving his hand to hold Eichi's higher than his head, he'll do a turn--his free hand resting on the others' shoulder. (He's taller, he can't put it on the guy's hip. God damn it.) When the other might think he'll wait for Eichi to do something, the opposite happens.

He pulls the other easily in a sweeping motion, far from having to left feet--a ballroom waltz, of all things.

You comment, and you die, or something along those lines.]

[He just laughs at that first comment.]

I hear things like that very often. [He could say a lot more, like how he's missed so much already due to being hospitalized, or that he'll get out again no matter what, or how he thinks Reaper is a lot more kind than he lets on and wouldn't want to do that to him. Instead, he leaves it to that comment and the laugh, focusing on how Reaper moves suddenly to guide them into a sweep—

And well, he won't comment at first, at least, but Reaper will have to deal with the immediate joy that floods Eichi's face. A ballroom waltz? A waltz? After all of that denial, he's capable of something like this? And he does it so well, too. It's a dance Eichi knows well from formal parties and showy things like that, and so he falls into step immediately, his hands making due with their height difference and their form.

This is the best day of his life?? He's really happy, and it's smeared across his face in the grossest way. Finally, after he's had a moment to take it in, he asks:]

Why would you hide talent like this?

[He should have expected it--the wide, carefree smile, the look of absolute glee and how Eichi falls into step easily. The other was excited about the weirdest things, and he was some sort of stage idol--of course he'd be familiar with this style of dance. Part of him had hoped he didn't, but the other part of him already knew.

He just knew.

When Eichi airs out that gleeful question, Reaper merely responds with an irritated sigh, continuing for another moment before he comes to a complete stop. Three minutes are up, Eichi. They sure do go fast don't they. His hands drop what they're occupied with, and they cross against his chest.]

Take a good look at me and then answer that question for yourself.

Even an idiot could figure out why I would hide a talent like that.

[Why would anyone think that a man who claims to be the embodiment of Death show off that he knows ballroom dance?]

You're more focused on your appearance than even I am, Reaper. I'm not so naive to think that the only thing people can possibly care about is here [he taps over his heart now that his hands are free] but there are a fair number of people who will look past your appearances to find the type of person that you are.

But it's that you want to express this sort of image, isn't it? It reminds me a little of a unit from my school, UNDEAD. Sakuma Rei of the three oddballs would have a fondness for that sort of image, you know? But he's the type of strange person who sleeps in a coffin and refuses to go out in the daylight.

[In other words, he knows some weirdos. But more importantly, he's still so hype that he got to dance with Reaper that he does a little spin in place now, and a couple of fast paced steps. See, look at him dance, dancing is great!! Even if he's getting noticeably tired and should stop.]

Is it really so harming to that image to do this once in a while? Fufu, at least in private, you should relax from time to time. ♪

[He really has no idea how to address Eichi's comment on these... UNDEAD people. He bears a moment in thinking they're some sort of idol group, and then he shakes his head. He doesn't care, it doesn't matter.

There's more important things to address, like how Eichi just gave him a really movie-actor speech on the heart or something. Good god, he's almost second-hand embarrassed.]

...You say those sort of things without any thought to how they sound, don't you. [A hand draws over the front of his mask, and he lets out a low, rumbling sigh.] I don't care if people 'look past' it or not. The last thing I want is sympathy or for people to start thinking that I'm looking to be accepted or something. [Because he's not. He doesn't care.]

...

And I wouldn't exactly call this 'private'. Take a look around.

Fufu, I don't know what you mean. Plenty of thought goes into my words, as the scion to a huge financial conglomerate and an idol, as well.

[Everything he says matters! This is just the image he wants. Admire it. Ah, but his exhaustion is catching up to him, and it's clear that even just a little bit of pushing himself has him less stable on his feet. He's careful not to wobble into Reaper, but he does still and place a hand over his chest.]

But I understand well that sympathy isn't something to be desired. I meant more that you're simply you, and that I appreciate it. On top of that, you could always visit for tea and dance if you'd like. [He says it with an air of humor because he doubts Reaper will take him up on it, but. It's there.]

But all of this aside, can you help me find a seat somewhere? I feel like I might fall over at any moment, all of a sudden.

...

Of course you're a rich kid on top of being an idol. I already knew that, why the hell didn't I think as much before.

[It explains a bit of the others' nature, how he'd rush into things without thinking. And the appreciation for things like class and style.]

Tea is one thing. Dancing another. The latter will never happen again. [And he gestures a hand at the other, to direct him the hell off the mess of the dance floor that would, by all measures, last until sunrise.]

So long as you don't pitch over and have a heart attack, fine. I'm not a medic and I doubt anyone else here could deal with that. [Come on, there are some chairs over there...]

So that's an acceptance to my invite for more tea. Fufu, I'm on floor 7 and room 4, so you can stop by whenever you'd like. ♪

[He decides not to comment on how likely it is he might have a heart attack, and just moves after the gesture to find some chairs, instead. He really just wants to have a good time, but he's been pushing himself since the moment he got here. The first day, being stuck in a hospital, had been frustrating, so the moment he was freed of course he'd be all over this hospital.

His body was still exhausted from switching universes again or whatever this was, he's sure, but was he supposed to just sit in his room alone? No way.

He takes a seat in one of the chairs, letting out a heavy sigh as a faintly trembling hand gestures to the chair beside him. Keep him company...]

Sorry, but I'll be fine in just a little while.

...Honestly, I'd take any excuse to get out of my current living situation.

[He's far from saying he wants anything like more stupid tea parties in an atrium, but good god, he hates sharing space with people who weren't with him on the Eluvio.

He hated to even think it, but he missed Sombra. McCree and the two Shimada brothers were a cruel replacement.]

Yeah, take your time.

It's not like I have anywhere else to be.

Is it that bad? [Enough that Reaper isn't even tsunning about tea parties... Goodness, he can only imagine.] A bad roommate, perhaps? Fufu, I happen to have no one else, currently, so you're welcome to stop by and have some tea whenever you need a break.

Roommates.

Turns out, instead of ending up far from home with an ally, I've ended up here with some unsavory folk from back home.

[He's quiet for a moment, and then he waves his hand at Eichi.]

I don't want to discuss it.

[Conversation ended.]

We don't have to discuss their relation to you, but I've dealt with enemies and rivals alike before, so I think there must be a solution.

[He has to pause to cough, but it's brief, and he's leaning back in his chair.] Depending on the type of people they are, you can leave surprises around the rooms for them so they get annoyed. The solution to irritating roommates may be to become the irritating roommate, I think. But that's just one path.

...Ha. Any pranks I pull on those three would be viewed as attacks, and they'd likely all take up arms to defeat the monster.

[His head tips back and he lets out a low scoff.

Heroes, after all, are bound together by shit like 'taking out the bad guy', aren't they.]

Is that how they view it? How close-minded. To point and call someone else a monster without recognizing the monsters in themselves is so hypocritical. I wonder what type of self-important roommates you must have.

[Eichi is such mean girl level sometimes. But he seems to be breathing better, only coughing quietly the next time.] But for me, there are those who I must sometimes become a "monster" towards. I would relentlessly battle with underhanded tactics until they were forced to forfeit. ♪

[Eichi, high school idol, talking about drama like it's war]

[He finds himself snorting a bit of a laugh. Yeah, what kind of self-important roommates are they? One word escapes him, as if it's a perfect explanation:]

Overwatch.

[He raises a hand, waving it.]

For an idol, you talk big. Guessing your idea of battling is different than mine, by a long shot.

Fufu, I suppose that depends on how you think of it. It's true that I have a weak body and could never truly battle with guns or swords or anything in between, but through my words and actions I've successfully trampled everyone who was greater than me. I created distractions overseas, slowly gained power until funding was in my grasp and covered my hands in the blood of my fellow classmates just so that I could secure this seat on the throne.

[He's so extra, he's still talking about idol high school.] I lost friendships and crushed dreams all to achieve my own ephemeral dream. Using the corpses of my friends and enemies alike, I climbed this impossible tower and reached the top. Me, who has to try three times as hard as anyone else thanks to this weak body of mine. I had to use whatever dirty tricks that I could.

It's known as a war, and I'm known as Emperor, but in the end you're right to call it a longshot from anything like real battle.

....

[He's really not sure what to think of this. Half on the side of 'holy shit this child is far edgier than I imagined' and half on the side of 'this sounds far too much like politics'.]

Either you've got delusions of grandeur along with your heart problems, or you're in the wrong industry.

[You'd be a brilliant strategist if all of that is true.]

[That earns a laugh. He'd actually be a very brilliant strategist, honestly... He actually did lead and win idol war to ridiculous levels that involved multiple countries and caused many other idols to have to change their lives to deal with it... This seems fine and normal to him.]

Do you think so? Well, I'm completely satisfied to keep climbing and climbing in this exact industry. I'll raise the importance of idols in everyone's eyes.

That being said, if you do grow tired of your predicament, you can always ask me for ideas.

introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

covers face with hands

eichi why are you like this

bc he was raised by weirdos probably

well welcome too the weirdo family eichi

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)