introductory mingle: FLOWER FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

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!

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Comments

[signifies]

[ They're both polite, friendly people. Clark takes his hand. ]

What're you teaching?

[bloodycrown]

Ballroom dancing. Still interested?

[ Clark doesn't really look like the type, but Marcel's down to teaching if he's interested. ]

[signifies]

[ He's right. Clark's not the type. He raises his eyebrows in surprise. ]

Oh. Uhm. I've never done this before. What's easiest?

[bloodycrown]

The Waltz. But we can do something else, I box and know self-defense too.

[ Look he's giving Clark potentially less awkward options than partnered dancing because he's nice. ]

[signifies]

[ He wouldn't feel uncomfortable because of Marcel. Clark was always too self-conscious around other people to really give it a shot.

That and nobody asked him if he'd want to try it. ]

You box?

[ He's not sure if Marcel's strength and speed is on par with his own. Even if not, he'd learn something immediately applicable. ]

Would you mind teaching me?

[bloodycrown]

Not at all. I ran a gym back home for a couple of years.

[ He's curious about how strong Clark is. He also figures it's a good time to come clean, not that he's keeping it a secret, but things work better when it comes directly from him. ]

[signifies]

[ Clark himself isn't sure how strong. It's better to find out in a safe environment instead of crashing through buildings. He's been testing himself against the monsters, but they aren't Zod. He probably won't do well against someone who can actually fight. ]

When would you like to start?

[bloodycrown]

[ Marcel gestures at the room. ]

We can start now if you don't mind the lack of equipment. If you like it, I'll see about finding a proper gym.

[signifies]

[ He wouldn't want to impose. Clark looks around to make sure he's not accidentally blocking anyone who does genuinely want to learn ballroom dancing from Marcel. ]

Sure. Let me put my bag down.

[bloodycrown]

[ Frankly, Marcel finds boxing way more fun than dancing. He grins, he always seems to be at ease but now it seems more genuine than he was just a minute ago. ]

I'm guessing you're looking for technique?

[ Sometimes people want to box to get in shape but Clark doesn't look like he could be more in shape than he is already. He still has no idea of what Clark can do, he's kind of hoping he'll come clean after Marcel does so they can have some proper fun. ]

[signifies]

Yeah. Believe it or not, until a few weeks ago I'd never been in a fight.

[ He'll show you his if you show him yours, Marcel. ]

[bloodycrown]

Okay.

[ He leans against the far wall. It's weird to have to come out, it's been years since the last time he met anyone who didn't already know. Even with new vampires, nowadays Josh is the one who handles Supernatural 101. ]

Before we get started you should know I'm a vampire.

[signifies]

[ Clark blinks in surprise.

It makes sense. Vampires are supposed to be stronger and faster, in mythology. It's also not a stretch that they're an alien race which needs blood for nourishment. ]

What does that entail?

[bloodycrown]

[ Marcel wasn't expecting Clark to freak out or anything but he's still relieved the reaction is not at all dramatic. ]

It's magical in origin. Immortal, strength, speed, and all the expected perks. I need blood to live and generally stay sane but I'm good there, got it worked out.

[signifies]

[ Marcel's around during the day. Clark expected a lot of the stories about vampires to be embellishments, with very few facts.

He's still getting used to magic. ]

All right.

[ If Marcel says he's got it under control, then Clark has no reason to doubt him. He can hear it's sincere.

It's fair to put his own cards on the table, too. ]

I'm Kryptonian. I'm a lot stronger and faster than humans. You probably don't need to hold back on your own strength.

[bloodycrown]

[ Just because he's full of good-will, it doesn't mean he's gonna come clean with every vampire weakness to a new acquaintance.

He wears a noticeable ring, though, and instead of taking it off and putting it in his pocket or something, he takes off a leather necklace and slides it in there before hanging the necklace back around his neck. ]

Kryptonian. Alien?

[ He's never met an alien before, it explains why Clark doesn't smell right for a human— which is probably a creepy thing to say, so he's not gonna. ]

It's not very responsible to tell someone not to hold back when you don't have a framework. [ He's smiling though, it's also the kind of thing someone inexperienced would say. 'hit me, I can take it' ] You probably can't kill me and pain is a lot more bearable for vampires, but breaking bones still isn't pleasant so I'm all for finding out how we match up before we start throwing each other through walls.

[signifies]

[ Clark nods. ]

It's a secret.

[ He didn't expect Marcel to make a big deal out of it either, and it's similarly a relief to see that confirmed. Clark thinks he'll understand the why of it better than most, but he's not used to being so forthright. He shifts uncomfortably. ]

I'll follow your lead.

[ 10/10 times he has been able to take it. ]

How do I stand?

[bloodycrown]

Spread your weight evenly— if you're strong you're used to people just not being able to move you.

[ He smiles like he just figured something out. ]

Newly turned guys go a little crazy sometimes, it's a shock when they realize they're not unbeatable.

[ Granted, he probably can't teach Clark the same way. Especially if Clark is stronger than he is, but the basics are the same. ]

[signifies]

I know the type.

[ He smiles tightly. Zod had brought down a building with his heat vision alone, determined to be as destructive as possible. The other Kryptonians used their power in ways Clark never would with his own. He was lucky they hadn't had the same amount of time on Earth to adapt like he had.

Clark stands with his feet slightly apart, clenching his fists, and raising them. ]

Is this good?

[bloodycrown]

Hands up higher unless you think you might get kicked.

[ He's really curious about how strong Clark is. It's eating at him a little. ]

... maybe we should find a park or something. I kinda want you to hit me.

[signifies]

[ Clark smiles wryly. He's curious too, and wouldn't mind if Marcel hit him with all his strength. He's never met anyone besides other Kryptonians who'd be able to take it. ]

I have a campsite I use in the forest. Nobody can stumble on it accidentally. We could go there if you like.

[bloodycrown]

You're on.

[ Instead of going to the door like a reasonable person, he just jumps out of the nearest window. ]

[signifies]

[ Should have seen that coming.

Clark uses the door like a normal person. He catches up with Marcel not long before they reach the perimeter. They can speed up as soon as they're out of sight of ordinary people.

Clark's not a guy for small-talk but he'd be happy to engage if Marcel wants to say anything as Clark leads him to the campsite. ]

[bloodycrown]

You're too tense, you gotta learn to relax.

[ That seems like Clark's main problem, the guy holds himself so tightly he looks like he might blow up. ]

[signifies]

I'm not sure about that.

[ He can't relax. A misstep from him could mean someone snapped in two.

Here, he might be able to. Clark hasn't because it's not his habit to. ]

Are people in your world used to vampires?