introductory mingle: SAMPREMI

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Sampremi Celebration
when: March 8th - March 15th
where: In several different locations in the downtown area of the Inhabited City.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

sampremi celebration

In the days leading up to March 8th, new residents may notice advertising around the city, everywhere from digital screens to paper flyers pasted on blank walls, featuring the name of the spring holiday in celebration of new beginnings, new love, and lust: Sampremi. The advertising mentions that there will be street festivals set up at various locations throughout the week and lists where the market will be set up on each day.

street market

The main draw of the holiday is a roaming street market that features special treats and street food that can only be found during Sampremi, a bustling bargain market with any kind of goods you can think of, and fair games that allow a person to win a prize for that special someone.

i. street food

One of the major draws of the festival is the special street food that can only be obtained this time of year. Almost everything you can buy at the Sampremi Festival is meant to be shared - whether it's one piece of meat on two sticks or desserts baked with a narrow part in the middle for convenient tearing, everything is built in twos. The stalls sell everything from cups of soup, sandwiches, roasted or fried meat, deep-fried vegetables and cakes, dumplings, donuts, bagels, turnovers, and anything else you can think of.

Many of the savory dishes are based on the meat of a particular fowl native to the moon Riverview is situated on that has a taste and texture halfway between chicken and duck, cooked to be spicy (ranging from very mild to throat-burning). Many of the desserts are based around a fruit native to the moon that is spherical, red-orange, and has a light sweet taste that is similar to a combination of mango, pineapple, and strawberry. Both ingredients are considered to be aphrodisiacs. Of course, the foods aren't actually aphrodisiacs and any effect is purely placebo.

ii. fair games

The festival features an entire row of fair games ranging from very high-tech games featuring virtual reality and neon holograms to extremely old-fashioned games with darts and balloons or balls and glasses. The games all have prizes in various shapes and sizes, with the standard stuffed animals, but also with goods and special items donated by any business in the city; ranging from tiny prizes to huge and expensive ones.

Due to the nature of the holiday, many of the stalls are set up to cater to winning a prize for your partner, and due to the nature of the Quarantine, a lot of them involve aiming or other aspects of pretending to fight.

iii. shopping

Originally, the part of the street festival that involved an actual market, with stalls and booths set up with goods, was aimed primarily at romantic trinkets like flowers or jewelry, gifts intended to be purchased for a loved one. As time has gone by, however, this aspect of the market has increased, with many businesses participating, though the emphasis is still on small businesses and anything relating to local culture rather than booths for any of the larger more corporate businesses.

There is still plenty of jewelry to be found, for sure, mostly handmade and artisan, but the scope of the Market has widened immeasurably. The Sampremi Market is an excellent place to find specialty foods, clothing, jewelry, art, or other goods that were originally native to cultures on other planets in this reality, or other realities altogether. Many residents in the city use the market to share their unique cultural goods and traditional dress with others.

iv. adult

In a side alley of the Sampremi Market on any day, one can find an area roped off with a red silken cord, attended by members of the Perimeter Guard in casual dress who will ID anyone entering to make sure they are 18+. Once characters are permitted entry, they will find all of the adult offerings that the market has to offer.

Since Sampremi is, historically, a celebration of lust and physical love, the adult offerings are all set up to cater to two or more people of any sex or gender configuration. One can find an adult or sexualized version of almost anything that's featured in the main market, from fair games to adult goods to street food laced with actual aphrodisiacs (there are always warnings for food spiked in this way to avoid accidental consumption).

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 Sampremi Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit (left to right): Theo Prins, andreasrocha @ tumblr, hrormir @ deviantart, nkabuto @ deviantart

navigation

Comments

Billy Kaplan | Marvel 616

[noassgardian]

street food;

[Okay, so. Billy is never above trying questionable fair food-- it's sort of the point of these kinds of things, right? To his surprise, the bizarre meat actually tastes good, even if some of it's ridiculously spicy. The sweets are pretty tempting too, although he might roll his eyes in amusement when he's told they're potential aphrodisiacs. He doesn't have a need for that, he just wants something sweet.

He's not entirely sure about trying to-- celebrate or have fun at a fair when he's basically trapped here, but... isolating himself isn't something the people back home would want him to do, and at least he's got a lot of fellow Avengers and heroes he recognizes here, right? Even Loki is here. He's not alone, not entirely.

So he tries. If he doesn't work at least a little bit with others, this probbaly isn't going to work. So in an attempt to start a conversation--]

That one-- it's really spicy, just saying.

fair games & shopping;

[Dart games? Yes. He's definitely there. And the virtual reality stuff is pretty neat too. Billy has always liked games, even stupid fair games. He welcomes any competition, or idle conversation about the games. Although he doesn't really have much use for stuffed animals, so those get passed off to anyone who might be interested.

Shopping has also always been a stress relief, so he definitely checks it out. He's a little sad when he sees all the emphasis on romantic gifts-- he misses Teddy. They've gone without seeing each other before, but they've never been literal worlds a part with no way to contact each other. He tries to shrug that off as best he can though, tries to not let himself fall down that particular hole in public.]

I wonder if they've got comics anywhere around here...

adult;

[Okay, so this is a really, really bad idea, but he's 18 and he's never actually even been to an adult store. Or, you know, been able to do much with his boyfriend back home because they both live with his parents and there's a strict no shut doors policy, especially at night. Which is, yeah, lame. But Billy is curious in a way he knows is probably going to be bad, but that's never stopped him from rushing forward anyway. Billy is hard to embarrass, he's hard to make fidgety--

But okay, some of this stuff definitely makes him look away pretty quick, other stuff, he inspects a bit closer.

The aphrodisiacs he definitely stays away from.]

communal floor/roommates;

[He misses his home. He misses his stupid parents and his stupid little brothers sneaking into his room and into his bed despite all grouchy protests otherwise (Protests that never stuck because he actually does care about them more than he says, and if they've had nightmares, he'll be there). He misses the times when his boyfriend would sneak into his room or vice versa.

Sharing living space with so many other people, with his bed right next to Loki's, it's new... and it's an adjustment. Maybe a bit of an embarrassing one at times-- he still has nightmares of prisons and parasites and hell lords at times that leave him sparking with electricity like a ridiculous bug light, or even floating and glowing faintly blue with magic. He hopes he can keep that to a minimum at least.

At least the bed isn't bad, and he'll gladly sink into it to read for a bit, or go poke around in the kitchen for food. He's a young man and he needs sustenance... if only, you know, he knew how to cook. Maybe he ought to apologize to his roommates in advance for any potential kitchen fires or horrid smells when he inevitably fails.]

adult!

[ikols]

I didn't expect to see you here, Billy.

[ Leaning over his shoulder to trap him against the stall, Loki gets a good look at whatever the mage is handling. ]

I suppose you don't want all the dirty pics I took to scandalise you with, since you're actually surrounded by this stuff.

Cecelia Wynn | ota

[inthemoonlight]

{ i. street food }
Cecelia is easily swayed by the pamphlets to attend the festivities. She has pocket money thanks to her job and has already purchased some new clothes in the style of which she's accustomed. With what little is left until next payday, she heads down to the celebration to try some of this street food. Throughout the days of the celebration, she can be seen with mostly meat (it's the carnivore in her), though sometimes a turnover or doughnut too. Should anyone wish to share, she's more than willing to let them break off a piece. She wanders through the festival in a walking dress and boots, with a pelisse, bonnet, and gloves. It's what she's used to, and she can't fathom giving it all up just yet.


{ ii. fair games }
The holograms delight her, and she watches others play games featuring them. The virtual reality sounds a little too intense for her, so she passes on that. Usually she tries her hand at the old fashioned games, and one day surprises the stall worker by busting all the balloons with the specially blunted dart. So what if she used a little werewolf speed and strength to force the balloon to break?

When asked what prize she wants for her sweetheart, she blushes, but doesn't explain that there is no such person. Instead she points to one of the donated prizes: a set of lotions and perfume samples. That's much better than a giant pink tiger with sunglasses. After that, she walks around with her little gift basket and watches others try their hand at the games, maybe offering a cheer of good luck too.


{ v. roommates/wildcard }
Midway through the festival's run, Cecelia slips out of the communal apartment before sunset and heads straight for the wall. She has a brief conversation with several of the guards before they let her through into the abandoned area. No one will see her until the next morning when she comes up to the wall and asks to be let back through. She's dressed the same as before, though now her hair is down. Quickly, she returns to Floor 2 communal housing and hops into the shower before anyone has a chance to talk to her. But once dressed, she goes to make breakfast, a tired, worn out look to her face.

[ ooc: feel free to talk to Cecelia on her way back to the apartment from the wall, or on floor 2 if you have a roomie character who noticed she was gone all night! my plan is she's not going to be able to hide that she's a werewolf for long. ]

V - Roommates

[threatenwithcuteness]

The annoying thing about a young, energetic, roommate is that there was never a morning Lola didn't look completely ready to take on her day. She woke up early, brushed her hair into its usual state, and was completely awake before she even touched the coffee. So here she bounced into the room, still in her pajamas but otherwise ready to do everything she set her mind to. Except go home.

"Oh!" She wasn't actually expecting anyone else up yet. She didn't remember seeing this roommate at all last night either. Lola was pretty aware of the space given how weird this was. Then again they were in the middle of a festival of love, so she supposed maybe something came up. "Long night?"

Lola Pacini | Two OTA + One Closed to Roommates

[threatenwithcuteness]

I. Street Food (OTA)

There is nothing in the universe, in any universe, that gets Lola's attention like food. She grew up around it, and while she only recently started learning how to cook, it was always a thing her father had almost the same care and attention to as her. She came first, but it was a narrow victory. So naturally Lola is using a little of her tips to try a thing here or there. Taking her time to really experience the foods and not just taste them. ...Unless they're too spicy, because Lola's a bit of a wimp, who promptly hunts down a sweet dessert to take the edge off.

"Ohmygod, you have to try this! It is the best," Yes, yes she is saying that to anyone that happens to be nearby. She's just like that.

III. Shopping (OTA)

Lola had bought herself the essentials as quickly as she had the cash for it. Most of her stipend from the government went to clothes, make-up, and personal care. Maintaining her hair until she could find a stylist, so little was under her control. But she could still look and feel like herself. Now? Now she was exploring just to see what the local color was like. Looking for bits and bobs she could wear in her hair, or on her person to really make her look pop.

Plus a lot of the things were shiny. Sure, they were meant for lovers to buy their significant others, but she loved herself way more than any boy or girl she'd ever known. So it counts right? "Hey, do you think this is me?"

V. Housing - Floor Two (Closed)

One morning the collected members of Floor 2 can wake up either to the sound of someone in the kitchen, or the smell of freshly made breakfast. This is as much a test as it is a present, you see finding ingredients was easy enough. Just... she was fairly sure the eggs didn't come from a chicken. Some of the breads and batters were a little strangely colored, and generally everything had that thin layer of alien to them.

So she needed to test them and figure out what was different. And who else to test on but her roommates! She couldn't eat all of this. The fruits were easiest to test, little samples as she cut them up to put in pancakes and waffles. There was some french toast, bacon (no idea what animal it was), eggs in a few different cooking methods. Lola hummed to herself, something upbeat and pop, as she listened to her earbuds and moved around. This would be a great way to really get to know everyone. And... maybe stop being freaked out sharing a room with more guys than she was used to.

It freaked her out, okay!? You'd be freaked out too.

Street foooooood

[toolatetochangethename]

Scott is totally an adult. A grown ass man, in fact. But hey, he remembers the old rule of college: never, EVER, turn down free food. Especially if offered by a cute girl.

"Hey, this is really good!" Yes, he's talking with his mouth full. "What's it called?"

Chandra Nalaar | OTA

[firelogic]

I. Street Food (OTA)

It wasn't mango. That was pretty much her take away, and you'd think 'well, close enough, right?' But no, no not right. It wasn't mango, it was like a cheap tease of 'you wish I was mango.' Still, it was the best tasting thing she'd found, and she bought it, but it just wasn't the same. The street fair itself had that same impact, it wasn't Kaladesh. It was close, so very close, but it didn't smell right. There were no aether eddies running through the air, nobody unloading their wares with an army of servos.

She thought the fun of a fair would get her mind off being trapped on a single plane, but it just made her sadder to be here without anyone else... poor sad pyromancer sitting alone.

III. Street Games (OTA)

What Chandra could do was beat some rigged games! Her parents taught her all the tricks a fair game could have to be 'impossible' and Chandra was a quick study (if she didn't have to build anything). And so many planes had fairs like this, and the games were always rigged. She stuck to the games she was more familiar with. And she kept winning, and getting excited and her hair would start to spark. Nobody said anything... I imagine it had to do with her hair sparking.

But she was sitting thinking about what game to try next. She had a dozen cute stuffed animals. Well... for a given definition of 'cute.' Almost all of them were a fuzzy stuffed animal version of a bug, lizard, or monstrous dangerous thing. None were quite gremlins, but they'd do for now. Her roommate won't mind, right?

?? Wildcard (OTA)

Chandra had found several youths who took over a street corner to dance. Most of them were dancing with a partner, probably in part to do with the lovey dovey nature of this holiday thing. Chandra sat on a short wall and watched for a while, then got closer, standing at the back of the crowd, cheering and clapping with the rest as the dancers moved. Some of the onlookers played instruments. They seemed to take their cues from the dancers.

"Newcomer, your turn?"

Chandra froze up at the words, she wasn't nearly as good as they were. She was a clumsy awkward thing if she was on the spot, but... she could totally make this work? Right? There was one dance they wouldn't know the importance of. Chandra put her goggles on, and motioned everyone to take a few steps back. She started tapping her foot to a simple rhythm, the musicians picking it up and giving her something to work with.

And she started doing one of the ceremonial dances from Regatha, one she didn't suck at as much as the others. Now, the reason she needed the space became apparent shortly, the watching crowds didn't freak out too much at the flames Chandra lashed into the sky as she moved. Look, if you are doing a ceremonial fire monk dance, the flames are important, they mean something. But to her audience it was just a neat trick from an outsider.

...Hopefully nothing catches fire. She is doing her best to control herself, but she's really bad at that.

iii

[toolatetochangethename]

Scott likes to think of himself as a certified bad ass/hero. He's saved the world! Right?

But that doesn't mean that he's any damn good at carnival games. Like, at all. Still, Scott Lang is not a man for giving up, so he's going to keep trying this one. You know the one--where you try to toss ping pong balls into little goldfish bowls? Except instead of goldfish, uh, what even ARE those? It doesn't matter, because Scott sucks at this game. So badly, that his most recent toss spoings (that's a technical term!) off the edge of the bowl, aiming right at the redheaded girl's face. "...duck?"

[greatcleavage]

i.

[Truth is, Roy is barely paying attention to the 'couples' theme of the food. He's six feet tall and pretty much solid muscle, his caloric intake is definitely flirting with regions of the bell curve that run closer to straight lines.]

[...But even keeping that in mind, Roy is carrying a lot of to-go boxes balanced on one arm as he makes another purchase -- a few loaves of bread, in fact, and never mind how they're supposed to be easily twisted apart. Whatever his intention, Roy looks pleased with himself as he steps back. Though that doesn't last, since juggling this bag into the mix with all the others is no easy feat with him almost entirely unable to move his left arm without spilling all his purchases.]

Note to self, find a purchase a Bag of Holding. Or a Handy Haversack if available. [Grumble, grumble.]

ii.

[If you ask Roy, he'll say he isn't good with a bow. Outside of that one incident with the sand golem, he's barely touched one since college, and he's put no effort into improving his ability to fire one.]

[And so, objectively speaking, he is not good with a bow for the intents and purpose for which he would normally use one, i.e. shooting a monster that represented an effective challenge for his average party level. But Roy is still a mid-high-level fighter, with a Base Attack Bonus that advances in lockstep with his level.]

[So a fairly confident Roy turns the bow back in as a surprised stall employee sets an extremely large stuffed rabbit on the counter in front of him.]

So, I think we can agree that I can, in fact, hit the broad side of a barn?

[The employee reluctantly agrees that this is so, and, quite pleased that he'd dismissed the taunts with a show of competence, Roy scoops up his rabbit and walks away.]

[He gets about half a dozen paces before he slows to a stop, then shifts the big ol' stuffed bunny to hold it out from himself at arm's length, the better to realize what the heck he'd just done.]

Belatedly, I realize I did not think this one through.

iii.

[So here's Roy Greenhilt, standing in the middle of a bunch of trinket stalls and wondering exactly where he'd gone wrong.]

Yes, they're very lovely -- no, I do not have a date here -- no, I am not trying to get a date here -- no, I do not think they will set off my own eyes, personally, in a radiant fashion --

[By the time he wades, almost literally, out of their midst, Roy is gripping his face with one hand so hard he's left marks. Time to swallow his pride...]

Excuse me, but has anyone seen weapons or magical items available for purchase?

i

[burntbridges]

[There's a smile on Letha's face as she spots Roy in the crowd. Without missing a beat, she weaves among the crowd to pop up beside him grin up at him. In person, he's a lot taller than she expected... but she's a few inches over five feet, and very used to looking up at people.]

Do you need a hand with that? I wouldn't mind helping in return for a loaf of bread.

Sera | Dragon Age |OTA

[arsebiscuit]

Food

"Bet I can eat more of it."

Sera's not talking to anyone in particular, just making a statement to those nearest to her as she looks at the Moon Bird (as she's taken to calling it) pieces, particularly the super spicy ones. Hope you don't mind an elf in a ragged dress, bow and arrows slung over one shoulder challenging you to an eat-off.

"Loser pays, yeah?"

All is Fair in Games and Love (kid-friendly or adult-themed area)

"And boom!"

There is cackling as she, once again, hits a target dead center. She'd moved from using her own bow and arrow (something about 'cheating' and 'rigged' and blah, blah, blah) to throwing knives provided to her. Unbalanced shitty things compared to dwarf-craft, if she did say, but she'd used worse in her life. Like sharp rocks tied to a wood spoon worse. So she only smirks and spins.

"What's next?"

This whole 'win prizes' thing wasn't sinking in. Anything they hand to her is just handed off to the nearest person (maybe you). Sera's in it for the fun.

Roomates/anyone: Floor 1, Bed 1+2

Seeing how the occupant of bed 1 never got around to showing up, Sera's decided to claim it as her own. Meaning the slight elf spends more time than should be needed (she's dex based, okay) shoving the two beds together so she has more room to sprawl. After a fun day of shooting things and eating, she can be found lounging on the bed making more arrows, sharpening daggers, or giggling to herself as she hunches over something she is stitching together, but keeping mostly hidden just under the bed sheets she's wrapped in.

Find it unfair she's got double bed? Want/worried about arrows laying all over the room? Interested in arts and crafts? Come and chat. She'll cheerfully greet anyone that comes into the area. And only almost hit a couple of them with an arrow practice shot at the top of the door frame.

fair games;

[usandthedead]

There's so many people and of course Rick is wary of that. He's been walking through and around the periphery of the throngs for some time; watching people, assessing what kind of threat they are, if any, learning about them as much as a person can without actually speaking to them, just by watching. He's learned a lot, believe it or not. But then Rick has always been good at that, at reading people. It's a technique and skill that's kept him alive far past his expiration date back home. Talking has never been his strong suit anyway, not unless he actually has something important to say.

He's paused at what looks to be a gaming range set up where people are using various weapons to shoot at targets across the way. He leans a shoulder against a post and crosses his arms over his chest, watching as various people take part. He's a picture of a cowboy, minus the hat - boots and jeans, western shirt beneath a wool lined coat. The holster buckled at his hip has his colt and a hatchet holstered at each hip.

After having watched and witnessed the talent for awhile, Rick pushes away from the post and is starting to move away when one of the women turns and shoves a peach colored stuffed teddy bear at him. e does what anyone would do when handed something, and takes it, looks down to it, looks back up to her and holds it out. "It's yours. You won it." He says.

Augustine Sycamore | Pokemon XY/XYZ

[megabond]

I. Street Food
[He was only here in Riverview for a while and yet, he can't miss this street festival he recently heard of. As he wanders around the market, Sycamore is surprised to see the food displayed in the booths, which are not unlike the ones he is used to seeing back in his world. If you noticed, he let his Garchomp out of his Poke Ball so she can also enjoy the festival.

As he wonders if he try some of their delicacies, he noticed another one of the residents and decides to break the ice.]

Hello there? Enjoying the festival so far?

II. Fair Games

[One thing he's drawn to the fair games of Sampremi is the technology used in the games. From virtual reality to holograms, he can agree that this is a technological marvel for Riverview. However, he prefers to look at the technology of the games rather than playing them, but if you want, you can try to offer him if he wants to play or just drag him away without his permission.]

V. Communal Floor Roommates (Closed to Communal Roommates for Floor 1)

[Before the festival, Sycamore spent the whole morning organizing the files about the differences between Pokemon and the monsters in Riverview he is currently writing right now on his desk. If you didn't try to talk to him while he's busy, he might try to approach you after organizing his belongings with just a tap of your shoulder.]

Hello! It seems I didn't have the chance of meeting you.

Street Food

[firelogic]

*Someone wasn't paying attention to the professor as he asked the question. You see, giant walking landsharks are just... neat. And even for all the things she's run into in her travels it was entirely different from the creatures and automatons she's met in her life. So Chandra might be trying to start a staring contest with his Garchomp.*

Huh- oh, yeah, it's great.

*She's still staring at the Garchomp.*

taako taaco ☂ the adventure zone ☂ ota

[spellslots]

⚵ Street food

[It's almost Candlenights, back home, which is an odd thought, sitting uncomfortably like a weight in Taako's chest that he'd rather banish for now (or forever) because he's not sure if there's ever going to be another Candlenights, if Magnus and Merle can't finish destroying the Relics without him. He'd much rather focus on anything other than that, so a festival is announced, he's happy to throw himself into it with as much gusto as an enthusiastic elf can muster, which is, admittedly, a lot.

Especially when there's food that he's never tried before, which of course means that he spends half his time trying to lure the secrets out of the stallholders, asking for recipes or ingredients, figuring that he can replicate it back in the communal kitchen. Or even improve it, probably. The results of his questions are mixed, some are happy to tell him what spices or herbs they used, others are guarding family recipes passed down for generations.

At some point, one of the pastries catches his attention, the only issue being it's one too big for him to eat on his own, which is why he gives a little wave to the nearest person, hoping to catch their attention.]

Hey, pumpkin, wanna split one of these? I'm watching my figure.

[He could just throw out what he doesn't eat, but that seems wasteful.]

⚵ Shopping

[Taako is one of those people who walks the line between 'fashionable' and 'horribly gaudy', when it comes to clothing and accessories. For the festival, he's dressed fairly simply, aside from the dark purple wizard hat, but that doesn't mean he can't shop for more interesting things.

Almost all of the stalls get his attention as he peruses clothes and jewelry and shoes (nice), and he makes no distinction between what are likely stalls aimed at woman, and the ones aimed at men. It could maybe be attributed to "fantasy elf doesn't know what mini skirts are" but really, he just doesn't give a shit. He can be seen eagerly haggling over a dress or slacks or a ridiculously tacky necklace that he absolutely adores.

What he really needs is another hat, because his current one doesn't go with everything, but no one seems inclined towards similar styles. It's pretty rude, if you ask him.]

⚵ Roomates! Closed to floor 6

[Living dorm-style isn't exactly new for him, so Taako adjust to the circumstances easily enough, claiming his bed and the chest at the end of it, protecting the latter with a spell in case anyone thinks to go snooping through his shit.

He's not exactly the neatest person in the world, but he keeps his mess fairly contained to his own space, a few magical items tossed haphazardly on the nightstand, or clothes left unfolded on the bed. The most mess he makes is in the kitchen, where he can be found most of the time he isn't out exploring, including at odd hours of the night. Elves only need four hours of meditation to rest each day, which leaves Taako with a fair bit of spare time to practice new recipes.

It's the first time he's really had a chance to just relax and cook, without the accident looming over him, or without the threat of the relics around the corner. He knows he didn't kill those people, it wasn't his fault, so he forces himself into the kitchen until he fucking realizes that and doesn't freak out every time someone eats his food. He still won't use magic, but really, he doesn't need it.

A lot of what he makes is designed to be shared, since he could hardly eat it all himself; there are roasts, soups, ragout, pasta dishes and all manner of baked desserts. Despite being vegetarian, he happily cooks meat, just won't partake in it himself.

Which is why he occasionally needs a volunteer from his roommates to try something, so whenever someone is in the communal area, they can expect to roped in to the process.]

Yo, come try this and tell me if there's too much salt.

shopping!

[burntbridges]

[Letha has been perusing the clothing herself, trying to get a feel for the local dress code. She's seen plenty of women wearing pants, and even tried a pair on.. before deciding they definitely aren't her style. Taako passes by her as she's tugging at the elastic waistband of a dress, entranced by the malleability of the fabric. But not so much that she can't notice a purple elf walking past her.

She glances up as he walks near, and lightly touches his arm to call attention to herself.]

Excuse me, I'm not sure if you're the person to ask, but you seem a fashionable sort - could you spare some time to give a second opinion on this dress?

[It's a bright green sundress... sort of an unflattering color, but she's only ever worn black and doesn't have a good sense of what colors work as clothing.]

steve rogers | ota

[starspangled]

roommates (floor 2):

[steve likes to think that he's modernized, but it's still a little awkward to be sharing a room and a bathroom with ladies. (don't even get him started on that communal shower.) what he worries about the most is that it might be awkward for them, so he actually hasn't slept in his bed yet.

he is using the kitchen though, fixing coffee the old fashioned way and pushing the button down on the toaster. when he hears someone else come in, he offers over his shoulder.]

Can I get you something?

street food:

[someone missed the memo on the food being meant to be shared. but a serving meant for two of just about anyone else is a single serving for a super-soldier. he was going for a run, forgetting that the market was being set up along his route today. steve slows to a walk, and it's not long before he has one of the skewers in his hand.]

Is this chicken? It's good.

[apparently, since he orders four more. but maybe he does have it in mind to share after all.]

fair games:

[steve's standing back, arms crossed as he watches people playing the games. there's something far-off about the smile on his lips. he's thinking of coney island, of bucky and a redhead and a stuffed bear. steve never played any of them. for one thing, there was no redhead on his arm - or blonde or brunette. but he probably wouldn't have been able to throw the ball very far anyway.]

Mind if I try?

[he steps forward, giving the ball a little spin as he tosses it up and catches it, eyes narrowing on the pyramid of glass bottles that is his target. damn right someone's getting a stuffed animal today.]

Roommates

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Lola tried to keep track of everyone, sharing a room with guys was... weird. As was the communal shower. She'd taken to asking someone to mind the door for her to keep it from being a problem given her, well, age. Still, not staying in their bed was a bit far, couldn't be comfortable.*

I'm good.

*Lola was gathering up materials, milk, eggs, and butter first. Then... she was glaring at the top shelf of the kitchen cupboards. Her flour, baking powder, and salt were up there. On the top shelf. Lola is not even five feet tall. Yes it looks as if she's staring at them in the hopes they will move down on their own.*

Sam Wilson | MCU

[wingedman]

i; street food

Sam's discovered that he really, really likes the spicy bird meat, whatever it is. While he prefers the more mildly spiced variants - the dishes that have different flavors other than simply 'hot' - at one point, he gets dared into trying some of the hottest dishes available. Although he only eats morsels of these, it's enough to have him sweating and trying to find the nearest glass of milk. In the process of stretching for a pitcher, he knocks it off the stand and to the ground.

"Sorry!" he apologizes, though it's just a single quick word before he starts gulping the liquid down. Maybe this is a little too hot for him. Once he's finished his glass, he's quick to offer napkins to help clean up, in case some milk splashed on you. "Man, that's the last time I take a dare from these guys." He laughs and shakes his head ruefully. A second glass goes down a little slower. "Do not eat that stuff."


ii; fair games

While he might not be a match for his superhuman teammates, Sam's always been a damn good shot, and he likes all the goofy fair games. He winds up competing against anyone and everyone - definitely lets more than a few kids beat him, of course, but adults will find a decent competitive streak in the man. The only problem? It means he ends up winning some prizes that he doesn't have anything to do with. So eventually he just starts shoving prizes at people. He tries to give most of them to kids, but later in the night, it's harder to find children. Guess what? Your character is now being bestowed with the bounty of Sam's winnings...whatever it might be.


iv; adult

And much later in the night, Sam can be found in the adult section of the festival. He's had a few drinks - just enough to enhance his natural friendliness, not enough to impair his judgment - and he's got a frozen treat that's suggestively shaped. Not that he really cares much about the shape at the moment; it's just something he'd picked up to eat while browsing. But while he's looking at a stall with some intricately made dildos on display, he glances over and idly remarks, "Not much you can do with any of these in communal housing, huh?"

[ooc: the last is open to anyone in the adult section, but characters physically over 25 are preferred. Drop me a PM if you have any questions!]

ii

[toolatetochangethename]

It's not every day someone walks up to you and shoves a giant plush spider (seriously?!) in your face, but hey, this is his life now?

"Hey!" Around a mouthful of fabric tarantula leg. "Spiders are not cool with ants, man."

wanda maximoff | open

[divulsion]

→ shopping

[The first day of Sampremi has Wanda visiting the stalls full of goods for sale. They remind her so much of home, of walking down aisles with Pietro and admiring what their fellow Sokovians had for sale. More often than not, they simple looked at what was available. Food. Jewelry. Clothing and art. on a few occasions Wanda would save up money and buy herself a new ring or a new necklace, sometimes even a bracelet. Always with Pietro by her side, however, never alone as she is now.

It makes for something of a bittersweet experience, but Wanda tries to leave her memories behind for a while as she browses through trays of rings, all in styles that seem fresh and new to her. She'd rather be home, rather be on Earth than in this place, but she can't deny that it's a small silver lining to have new and unique things here for her to admire. Perhaps, if she can haggle a seller down enough, she'll even buy something. Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she picks up a silver ring with a silver blue colored gemstone set into the band.]

I'll give you five for this. [It's probably worth ten, maybe even fifteen, but the vendor sees her offer for what it is: an opening bargain. In a short amount of time Wanda finds herself walking away with the ring for eight, a faint smile on her face.]

→ adult

[Wanda doesn't go into the adult area. Not right away anyway. It's a curious thing that it's all out in the open there, and a reminder that this festival appears to be about new love and lust. She's heard stories about certain street fairs like this in America, but she's never attended one before. Such things always seemed private to her, nothing she was comfortable parading around for everyone to see. It's possible she might feel different in a relationship, but her focus has always been on survival, on Pietro and the fate of their country, and when those were gone on the Avengers and their mission. Love and romance, lust has never been a high priority for Wanda.

She can't quite stop herself from peering at the bustling crowds on the other side of the ropes, however, and after several minutes of indecision finally offers up her ID to gain entrance.

Of course, after a few steps into the area, Wanda ends up stopping again, not entirely certain where she wants to start.]

→ feast of saint nikolina

[It hadn't taken all that much planning for Wanda to set up a proper celebration for Saint Nikolina. Such things are generally a community effort and with so many people already celebrating Sampremi she doesn't feel pressure on her to compete. Just to contribute, which is in the spirit of the holiday. By the time all of her preparations are done, she feels she's made a decent showing at the festival. There are two tables full of offerings for her fellow displaced, and any interested locals. The main dish available is a savory beef stew, a recipe of her mothers that's hearty and flavorful. It's best eaten with the soft rolls that sop up the broth or taste delicious with butter. In addition to the stew she's managed to prepare a dish for vegans, as well as a vegetarian side dish of grilled vegetables, an fruit tarts for dessert. With the assistance of vendors, she's also managed to provide pitches of water, lemonade, and wine. It's also thanks to a local florist that she's been able to cover the second table in flowers. Half of them are woven into wreaths, similar to the one that Wanda wears on her head, but there are several still that remain loose and organized inboxes, to be distributed or woven together as anyone sees fit.

With Sampremi lasting several days and the Feast of Saint Nikolina only lasting one, Wanda sees no reason not to spend most of the day at the feast, ensuring that the food is always hot, the drinks cold, and that there's enough of everything to go around. While she doesn't manage to meet everyone, she does to at least offer greetings where she can, especially to any that she's met before.]

Bowls and plates are on the right, utensils at the end. If you need any wire or tape for the flowers, let me know.

feast!

[trustinthedevil]

[Matt can't appreciate the fine set up, or the wreaths, or any of the aesthetics. He can, however, appreciate the soft aroma of the flowers and the hearty scent of the stew, and the sound of Wanda's voice as she speaks to passersby.

He doesn't know her, not really. They share a floor and he came across her introduction on the network. She's from Sokovia, a place he's heard of in passing, but he has no idea of Sokovia's destruction. Fortunately, that's a bit after his time. But he figures if they're all in this together, and if he's being pushed into being social due to the nature of their housing, then the least he can do is come out and let her bring this piece of her old home to her new one.]

I normally don't eat soup in public, but I think I can make an exception this time around.

bryn zethir | open

[inlaid]

→ street food

[Bryn never passes up an opportunity to try new things. She doesn't do it without caution, of course, but she's open to new experiences all the same. Trusting that the food given to the public is safe, trusting that there are no ulterior motives from the people who sell it other than to make a profit, Bryn decides to sample it all. Liberally.

Of course, wandering on her own means either make a pig of herself and scarf it all down, or use it as a tool to make new friends while she's exploring the festival. As such, everyone is fair game when it comes to her generosity. With little finesse, she holds out the other half of her snacks, from meat on a stick to sticky buns to sweets, and jerks her chin up toward it.] Here, have you tried this yet? It's good.

→ fair games

[Throughout the festival, she can be found often enough wandering around the game stalls. More often than not she just watches, having no particular desire for most of the prizes. It's more fun to watch other people most the time, seeing their skill level, seeing who goes alone and who approaches the stall in pairs or groups. Seeing who has fun and who gets frustrated with all of it. And if someone seems particularly determined, but struggling all the same, she can be counted on to wander by, to offer her help.

Of course, the people managing the game booths know what they're about. They know that not everyone wants stuffed animals, novelty shirts and gold fish. And despite herself Bryn ends up picking up one of the water pistols at a booth and trying her damnedest to win a particularly eye-catching glass pendant.

Unfortunately, the pistols aren't nearly as accurate as her own, and before long a string of muttered curses escaping her lips.]

Blighting piece of spawncursed trash--work, damn you--

→ adult

[Bryn notices the adult area of the festival on the first day. Her nose practically itches at seeing a roped off area, wondering what might be on the other side. The first day she'd approached it from the side, trying to casually sneak a peek in case it was some sort of members-only area. Of course, upon learning that it was separated from the general population because of it's more adult nature, well, she hadn't wasted more than a minute to fish out her ID.

While not quite as hedonistic as the rest of her people back home, Bryn still has a healthy attitude toward sex and love. Her work occupies much of her time, making it difficult to maintain a relationship, but most of the time there are a few close friends she has who are usually up to engage in something friendly and casual when she's in town. It doesn't fulfill her the way she'd like--she knows from her mother and fathers that there could be so much more for her out there--but it keeps her from getting lonely or feeling too disconnected from others. Keeps her from forgetting that there's more to her life than protecting the people.

She avoids most of the food and drink in this area, expecting it would be nothing but an exercise in frustration to take a true aphrodisiac without any outlet, but the rest of the booths and stalls have more than enough to hold her attention. Without shame, she examines the wares available. There are all manner of sex toys, gimmicky edibles and lingerie. A few booths seem to have items and clothing made of soft leather with even softer lining where necessary. There's literature and paintings, crudely drawn comics, and even one innovative booth full of furniture meant for bedroom use. Too interested by far in everything on offer, especially without the demands of her job, she can't help but indulge herself in looking it all over at least once. Twice. Sometimes even asking questions about this set of restraints or if that robe there comes in her size.]

fair games

[spellslots]

[Taako doesn't particularly care for fair games, his aim is fine when magic is involved, but anything requiring like, physical skill is not in his wheelhouse.

But it's kind of funny watching other people struggle.]

You know those things are rigged, right?

Bucky Barnes (616) | open and closed prompts

[anotheroldsoldier]

[A] Fair Games, OPEN
[Bucky's been to the fair a few times. A long time ago, granted, when he was young first, with his father and sister, and a little later, undercover with Steve tracking German spies. He's always kind of liked the games. At this fair, he stays far away from the high tech and virtual reality style games, sticks to the simple ones like tossing darts at balloons or balls at stacks of milk jars. Things closer to what he vaguely, on a good day, remembers from his childhood.

After a little while wandering, alone, he stops at a booth, a dart game. It almost seems unfair to play, considering, but he's smiling slightly as he pays for ten darts. The worker insists he'll need that many to hit enough targets for even a small prize. Boy howdy, does he have no idea.] Alright. We'll see about that.

[He pretends to take his time aiming, that he doesn't know what he's doing, but the dart flicks from his right hand and hits a balloon dead center with a loud pop. Nine more meet the same fate, in a neat little grouping. Bucky gloats a bit, after that, when the worker shoos him away from the booth after giving him a large, and cumbersome prize.

After a moment, he pauses, then holds it out to the next passing person.] Uh, here, you can have this.

[B] Shopping, OPEN
[He seems a little more melancholy when he browses the markets. They seem to mostly sell things you'd give to a romantic partner - and Bucky left his romantic partner back on Earth. Natasha's absence is an ache that settles in his chest, and it feels like there's an empty space at his side where she should be. He waves off the people who try to hawk their bouquets and necklaces with an increasingly gloomy look, but eventually he does stop at a leather goods stall.

He's currently admiring a jacket made out of soft, supple black leather, decorated with a bit of fringe and occasionally talking with the merchant.] Price is a bit outrageous, don't you think? [Maybe someone could help him haggle.]

[C] Dinner, OPEN to residents of Floor 5
[Bucky is a decent housemate. He rises early but quietly, he cleans up after himself, he does all his own chores without complaint, he leaves the coffee pot full instead of empty after he's had a cup. He's not loud or messy or even terribly unpleasant, not that he spends much time on their communal floor. He prefers to be out anyway, at the gym or with the Perimeter Guard.

He's a much better housemate than certain godlings, at least. One night, he even brings home dinner from a takeout place, large white paper bags containing enough food to feed a small army that he piles on the counter island. It's an eclectic mix of items, from noodles to burgers to Korean barbecue, and some things that are native to the area, because why not. Leaning up into the cabinet to get down a stack of plates, he calls out,] Dinner's here! Come and get it!

[He got nothing for Loki, though. Loki can eat when he washes his own dishes.]

[D] Checking In, CLOSED to Yuri Plisetsky
[After Bucky had mostly gotten settled (he's not settling, he's not going to stay here for any longer than he actually has to), it hadn't taken too much to track down where the kid he had fought at the fence with was living. A two-bedroom, two floors down from Bucky's own (creezus, if there are two-bedroom apartments, why is he living in a dorm situation with everybody he knows?).

It's around noon, and Bucky is fresh out of the gym, his hair damp and his post-workout clothes comfortable. His sleeves are long, but rolled up to the elbows today, casual. When he knocks on the door, he's carrying a takeout bag from a restaurant down the road, from which drifts a warm, doughy aroma. It's the closest thing to Russian food he's found in the city, and while it's not a childhood taste of home for him, he thinks the kid might appreciate it.]

Yuri? It's James.

[bespredel]

[ His stitches itched, and he was still too sore from his collision with the bookshelf to do too much. It hadn't stopped him from going out anyway, from going to scope out the skating rink that Riverview Quarantine offered, to make sure that he could keep up. They had skate rentals, the rink wasn't a total hovel... Yuri would make do.

Today, though, he had decided to take it easy. Curl up on the couch, watch a movie from within the confines of a pile of blankets, and indulge in a little junk food. Do his best not to think of how he was already missing home. From Yakov's demanding shouts to- no. Nope. He definitely still didn't miss Viktor and his ugly piggy.

He's engrossed in the middle of some god awful horror film when someone knocks on the door. His eyes narrow, and he reaches over to pause the movie, before grumbling and getting to his feet. James. Well, there are worse faces to see. Opening the door, Yuri eyes him critically. Frowning, almost scowling. ]

What do you want? [ He asks, his voice gruff even as he glances to the bag of something tasty smelling, back up to the other's face again, an eyebrow risen. He's wearing an oversized t-shirt; black, hanging loose over his skinny frame, and a pair of baggy leopard print sweats. There's bruising along his expose shoulder, the backs of his arms from where he'd hit the bookcase. And then too there was his arm, still wrapped in fresh, white bandages. He was at least, being diligent about keeping his stitches clean. ]

Ivar "The Boneless" Ragnarsson | Vikings

[ragnarsson]

Will match whatever format!

I Street Food

[Food. Glorious food. He's never seen this much variety in his entire life. He just lets the smells wash over him for a few minutes as he works his way through the crowds. Then he goes more than just a little crazy sampling the fair. First up is the deep-fried foods both savory and sweet. Then he has to try the turnovers, familiar far that reminds him of home amidst all the strangeness.

His fatal mistake is going for the spicy moon bird. He thinks he can handle it. Stubborn as always, he does manages to get it down bite by bite. But as soon as he's done, he's making a beeline for the nearest drink stand. Out of the way, people, a Viking with his throat on fire coming through! As he sits there drinking something he can't even taste, he bemoans his idiocy.]

That would be a good way to poison someone.

II Fair Games

[Fun fact: Ivar is an excellent shot with just about anything put into his hands. Lots of upper body strength plus good eyes make for the best combination when it comes to the games like tossing darts or knocking over bottles with a ball. Looks like he's found his niche at this festival.

He's amassed a small collection of rather gaudy stuffed animals and a few other assorted sundries. There's even a few pieces of cheap jewelry mixed in there. But he can't possibly drag all this stuff around with him, so he's doling it out piece by piece as he takes a break from the latest game.]

Want one? [He'll ask of whoever he finds himself next to.]

III Shopping

This is actually his first stop. He's got to find a better way of getting around than just crawling. Fortunately for Ivar, one of the stalls is rather niche in catering towards those who might have disabilities at the festival. There's wheelchairs available and he figures that's good enough for him. The streets here are a lot smoother than the ones at home, so at least he doesn't have to worry about getting the device stuck in a rut.

Alas, the Viking's tastes run more towards practical and sensible, but the least garish of these still seem to be a colorful monstrosity. After much deliberation, he decides to get the leopard print one. Because if he's stuck using one of these devices, he's going to make sure at least it looks like he killed something to stick their hide on it. Once he manages to get himself settled into it, he finds it much easier to get around. Just watch out for your toes. Nope, he's not apologizing if he runs over them.

V Roommates - Floor 5

It seems that he's been stuck on a floor where most of the people already seem to know each other. That's alright by Ivar. He's used to being the outsider even among his own people. While at home, he tends to forego the wheelchair, unused to maneuvering it around indoor spaces yet. Crawling is fine by him, it's how he's gotten around his entire life.

He's currently perched on the edge of his bed in a sitting position, sharpening the various weapons next to him. There's a throwing ax, a sword, and a knife. He looks like he's preparing to go into a battle tomorrow. Who knows? Ragnarok could come tomorrow and Ivar plans to be prepared. Anyone who comes in is given a courteous dip of the head as an acknowledgement. Every so often, he stops to occasionally take a drink out of a can. Yep, somehow the Viking has been introduced to soda. He finds that he rather enjoys it. Careful or he'll end up hoarding it all.

Roomates. WHOOPS. SORRY IVAR

[amelioraate]

The fact that Tony has to share a space with so many other people really doesn't bother him all that much, I mean, it should because personal spac and all, but-- Whatever. The only negative side to it will be that it is going to be so much harder to go on work binges for the defence perimeter with Steve and Bucky in the same space as him. Maybe he can shift their attention to Strange, that might work. Whatever, the point is that it works for him, as long as no one gets annoyed about his weird hours and apparent battle with sleep.

So maybe he times his comings and goings to when he things people inclined to stare disappointedly at him aren't around, which is why when he comes into the room, wrapped in the red and gold of his armour, he is a little surprised to see that there is someone in the room. He thought they were all out at the festival. Or searching the wilds. Or-- well not here, basically.

The faceplate vanishes as he crosses into the room, nodding back at the Viking, as he heads towards his bed, as he does, the armour seems to disintegrate off of him, before reforming, solid, in the corner next to his bed. Tony's attention isn't on that though, he is staring at the weapons with a small smile, flashing a look at Ivar.

"Which one's your favourite? Is it the ax? Please tell me it's the ax, that looks like something forged by dwarves. " Tony doesn't think twice about moving closer. It's like he is the foolish idiot you think he is.

Yuri Plisetsky | Yuri!!! On Ice

[bespredel]

I. Street Food

[ Yuri has never been afraid of trying new things when it came to food. Some of the most disgusting sounding things had ended up being some of the most delicious. So even though he knows he ought to be more mindful, he goes around and tries just a little bit of everything. He'll work it off, he knows. He isn't like Katsudon, who gains weight by just getting a whiff of something fatty. It's one of the few times when Yuri is just glad to be a teenager; to need to shovel his face full of food so that he can keep growing.

Or at least, that's the excuse he's going with.

And oh, shovel he does.

Yuri's table manners are appalling. He chews with his mouth open, he stuffs as much as he can into his mouth. If he uses a utensil, he uses it like a shovel, and tears into meats with his teeth like an unapologetic animal. It's a disgusting sight to behold, and he isn't even in the least bit sorry.

He's sitting at one of the little tables that a stall has set up, shovelling deep-fried vegetables and spicy chicken-esque kabobs into his mouth like a neanderthal. He doesn't even pause in his chewing before he glances up, brow furrowing in your direction as he spits out- ] Th'hell are you looking at?

[ And yes, his mouth absolutely is still full. ]

II. Fair Games

[ He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever been to any sort of carnival, let alone one like this. Where the games vary from things that he's seen before, to crazy futuristic mumbo jumbo that both blows his mind and is absolutely awesome. He wanders the games for awhile, paying a little money here and there to try a few things out. Darts, a water gun game, some basketball shots-

But it's at the stacked milk bottles that he spots it. And it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. The massive stuffed tiger makes his eyes water with joy, his heart swelling, a gasp echoing out his lips. Oh, god, it's almost as big as he is, and he absolutely, unapologetically, needs it.

He's never done baseball before, but god damn, he's going to be the best ever at it by the end of Sampremi, even if it kills him.

The first few rounds don't go well.

Maybe it's the swearing that draws you, the strings of sharp and vicious Russian and English mixing as Yurio throws ball after ball, knocking over one or two milk bottles, but not enough to land the giant prize that he wants. ]

GIVE ME ANOTHER. [ The demanding roar in his tone is obvious, as he slams another fistful of dollars onto the green velvet-esque counter, and the vendor shrugs, smiles slyly, and slides another three balls towards the cursing youth. ]

V. Roommates - Closed to Eddie

(takes place after this)

[ He had barely settled into his apartment, and then this had happened. He'd only gone shopping the day before, and now some asshole hobo with too much mascara had broken in, stolen his shit, and thrown him into a bookcase. His one saving grace, was that no one would see him like this. As far as he knew, he was one of the lucky few who had managed to end up living alone, and not one of those awful communal floors with one bathroom for five people and less privacy than the rink locker rooms.

Fuck that, honestly.

He was too sore to move. Needed a moment to collect himself, to gather up the energy to move his limbs again, and crawl out from underneath the broken bookcase. He just, needed a little more time. Everything hurt; his back and shoulders where he'd exchanged most of his force into the book case felt the worst. His injured arm with stitches from his efforts on the perimeter were throbbing terribly. His head was killing him. Yeah, laying there for a moment or two longer sounded like a far better idea than moving. ]

I

[greatcleavage]

[In times of social awkwardness, Roy has a reasonably simple rule: tell the truth.]

[Because he has no ranks in Bluff.]

Sorry, I was just wondering if you were a barbarian.

[Also he's still working on realizing that people would not hear that question and recognize it as he intends it, which is, "have you taken levels in the barbarian class?". In his defense, he's never before been in a place where that sort of clarification is necessary.]

Derek Hale | Teen Wolf

[duelo]

street food

It's surprisingly taken Derek a short while to regain a proper appetite. Apparently three weeks straight of nothing but Soylent and an occasional apple will take its toll on one's palate. Or maybe it's having regained his abilities in the absence of Friend Computer; smell has an awful lot to do with taste, as it turns out. It's something Derek always knew, but never really thought about until he'd gotten to Riverview. Now, he's back to his normal self and while he isn't typically terribly interested in "citizen improvement" type gatherings, the smell of the food alone is enough to draw Derek out and toward the Sampremi Celebration.

He doesn't even know what half of this stuff is, but if it smells good, Derek wants it. The problem is that he still has pretty limited funds, so he has to pick and choose. At least he's allowed to choose now, though, so Derek isn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

There are people everywhere, but he's sunken down onto a curb, paying little attention to any of them at the moment, because he's entirely engrossed in stuffing his face. At the moment, with pizza. He never thought he'd reach a point in his life where he'd missed pizza enough to practically inhale it, but here he is, doing exactly that.

fair games

Games like these used to be Derek's favorite challenge. When the county fair would come to the next town over when he was a kid, he and his sisters used to spend hours and hundreds of dollars playing these stupid things and trying to prove to one another that they were the best. Sometimes the werewolf abilities helped, but most of the time, they didn't. Their family's wealth afforded them the opportunity for such frivolity and seeing these types of things again, Derek can't help the pang of pleasant nostalgia.

Laura would've loved this. Cora had always been a little less interested than he and his older sibling, but then they'd always been closer with the age gap between Cora and themselves. He thinks of the way that Allison had shown up as a clone in the Complex and wonders if this place can do things like that; whether maybe it'll be his turn for a lost loved one to come back. Maybe when they do, they'll stay. Cora hadn't.

He's mostly lost in his thoughts and doesn't realize he's actually gotten into a line until he's at the front of it and he rebukes the offer to step right up!, instead looking to the person in line behind him and offering to let them go first. "Sorry, I didn't actually realize I'd gotten in line, go ahead."

roommates/wildcard

There's an ache that's settled between the games and the walk back to the housing and Derek wonders why it is that he can't ever seem to hang onto a pack? His born pack was killed. The one he created...half had died and half were smart enough to abandon him. He'd built up a small, but incredibly tight knit pack in the Complex, but now it's just him again. He wishes that they were here. He'd do anything to get them here, where it might not necessarily be safer, but least there hasn't been a daily terrorist attack specifically pointed at them for being different.

At some point, he wanders back to the room he shares with entirely too many people. He'd thought it was bad enough when he'd had to share with four people; he'd been down to one and now he's up to nine. Privacy? What privacy? Derek's lost his right to that almost a month ago. Now, it's just a matter of getting used to it, he tells himself as he drops heavily down onto his bed and lays back to stare up at the ceiling. He's surprisingly tired after having been at the celebration; maybe because he hasn't had a chance to do anything fun in so long that it took the wind right out of him. He's not really sure.

wildcard;

[rouxgaroux]

There are no words for how good it feels to have his wolf back. There had been a time when Alcide had loathed the wolf parts of him. Over time he'd grown to accept it back home. But having it stripped from him without his consent as it had been in that other place? That had really fucked with him and not in a good way. The price paid for getting his wolf back is almost too much though. Sure, he knows that he has no real home to go back to. But losing Zee, Derek and Buffy? That's left him with another gaping hole inside. It sucks, truthfully.

He's walking the halls heading back to his fifth floor communal room that he shares with a bunch of strangers, when he catches the scent of something familiar. No, he hadn't had his wolf scent back in Alpha. But he still used his scent out of pure habit. Now that he has that ability back, he catches just... it feels like familiarity even if he isn't sure what exactly it is.

Alcide starts down the hallway and ends up following a guy, realizing that that's the scent. It looks like Derek from the back. His throat tightens with emotion, because yes, that was a part of his makeshift pack in the place he was before. What if it isn't Derek though? What if he doesn't remember him? You don't know if you don't try... right?

"Derek?" He says, stopping in the hallway and waiting, hoping, to see some kind of recognition.

benjamin holt | original character

[snarkbark]

i. street food

[Like almost everyone else, Ben takes to the street food like flies on rotten fruit. He moves from stall to stall, trying everything from the very sweet to the very spicy. Sometimes, he visits one three or four times, loading his little plastic plates up impossibly high and devouring everything with concerning speed.

He's a growing boy with a stomach of steel; truthfully, he's just overexcited to taste new things. New meats, new flavours -- it's all amazing. So amazing, in fact, should you pass by looking a little lost, he will be there to help you. ] Hey, try this one, [with his plate being extended forward, his free hand plucks a little wooden fork from the counter so that he can pass that over too. ] It's kinda, uhm, chewy? Just at first though. [It's all possibly going to burn your entire throat and mouth or taste like pure sugar. Whoops. ]

ii. fair games

[When he's tried almost everything in the market, he moves on to more important ventures: fun. A lot of the stuff seems tailored towards people of a less single and less walking around alone persuasion. That's totally fine, really. He's in the market for new friends and, presumably, William will find him eventually if his friend finding tactics fail. It's cool, he's got this.

First, is the normal games. The one's he's used to, from home. If he catches you eyeing a particularly large and obnoxious prize, then, looking a little sheepish:] I can give it a shot, if you want it. I mean, I was gonna do it anyway, for the cool hat over there, but I'll feel bad if I don't offer for the teddy bear.

[And later, while eyeing up the virtual reality:] Hey, [likely as you pass by, or, even more appropriately, also check the entire set up out.] I need a second person. Do, uhm, do you mind coming in with me?

iii. housemates

[The strangest and most exciting part of all of this is the shared housing. Ben's been assigned floor 6, bed 6, which, unfortunately for everyone they're sharing a floor with, is right next to his twin brother.

The trepidation he feels about being around so many strangers all the time, is only countered by the safety he feels by having Will right next to him. It's kind of confusing and unsettling when he's trying to sleep, but less so as the days go on. If you happen to be there, while he's getting changed, he'll be making an effort to make his bed. Tidy up.

This isn't going to last for more than a few days though. Floor 6 will be lucky if it lasts a week. ]

iv. wildcard

[choose your own!!]

housemates, what else

[barksnark]

[ Paf!, goes the pillow right to Ben's temple. Will's hand is still hanging in the air while he chews on extra-dimensional gum, lying down on his bed, lids lazy, brows arched. ]

Sellout.

william holt | original character

[barksnark]

i. street food

[ Not unlike his brother, William's got himself a hoard of all different kinds of good. Whatever fits on both the plates he's carrying around, he's determined to eat one right after the other. Vegetables followed by cake? No problem. Donuts and beef? No problem. Dumplings with a Turkish (or the equivalent) delights! Delicious.

It's a fascinating sight, if not disgusting to those with sensible sensibilities. (See what I did there.) Should you make yourself apparent, William will gladly engage and show you just how little he cares about what you think of his enjoyment. Literally, he's glad to do it. ]

Mm-! Y'one dry sum?

[ Translation: You wanna try some? Chew chew chew. ]

S' gray.

iv. adult

[ So there's this thing about teenagers (and not just teenagers, let's be real here): they think that getting themselves into an adult area of anything is the greatest, funniest accomplishment ever - if they can manage to do it. William's not used to being denied things, and he's used to getting away with many more, so the smallest amount of effort implies walking up and acting Totally Cool.

That's code for Looking Foolish For Trying to Act Totally Cool. ]

Hey. What's up. You look good today. Thanks --

[ Nope, denied. This is not your day to look behind the 18+ curtain, William Holt. The ID makes him a no go and he walks off with a sullen look and with sullen hands sullenly shoved in his pockets. ]

i

[staystrong]

Yeah... but what is it?

[Clementine stops when the food is offered, as she's not the type to turn any of this down. Compared to the way she had to survive in her own world, this festival is practically like a fairy tale.

She's not at all put off by the mix he's collected. She's done the same. Still, she'd like to know what she's being offered.]

Caitlin Snow | The Flash

[naz]

street food

This place really goes all out, Caitlin finds herself thinking. There is food everywhere, not to mention games and other activities. It honestly puts Flash Day to complete and total shame — a secret she will take to her grave, probably, to spare her friend's feelings — and it's almost a little overwhelming. Unsure of where exactly to start, Caitlin decides to check out some of the local food. That's the best way, in her opinion, to soak up a new culture, after all. And maybe some of this isn't necessarily local — or healthy, by any stretch — and in fact, some of it appears fairly familiar, but all the same, there's a ton of things Caitlin's never even heard of, so why not go into it open minded and see if there's anything she likes?

She's standing in line and appreciating the moment she's got to look over the perhaps limited menu and she worries at her bottom lip with her teeth, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Gosh, I don't even know what sounds good..." she murmurs to herself, because really, she's never heard of any of these things. Maybe the vendor or someone in line with a little more experience in this arena can guide her a little by offering some suggestions. Here's hoping.

fair games

While she'd always seen games like these at carnivals in the movies, she's never actually played one. She can remember going to a carnival-esque sort of event exactly twice in her life: once when she was maybe six or seven and her mother insisted that all the games were rigged and it was a waste of money, so she couldn't play. And once when she was in high school and the seniors put together a carnival out on the track field on graduation night. She hadn't played, instead watching as her classmates won their girlfriends giant teddy bears or cussed out workers when they lost, like it was the poor volunteer's fault.

It's tempting, she thinks, to try it now. They probably really are rigged, she supposes, because her mother sort of drilled the idea into her head that afternoon as a child, but so what? What's wrong with playing anyway? They're games, after all. They're just for fun.

Caitlin smiles and thanks the worker when they hand her three darts to throw at a board full of small balloons. Just for the sake of knowing, she presses her finger to the tip of one of the darts, and sure enough, it's sharp. Not super sharp, but sharp enough that it should easily pop a balloon. And yet, she has seen darts bouncing off the balloons, anyway. It's sort of like a little puzzle she has to figure out before she can succeed and maybe that's sort of a rite of passage she missed. Sure enough, when she tries, her first dart hits a balloon, but the stupid thing doesn't pop. "Oh come on...I hit it, though!" she complains, frowning slightly.

shopping

Easily, Caitlin's favorite thing so far about Sampremi that she's found is the shopping. All the little trinkets and jewelry, never mind the art at all the different vendors reminds her of local crafts shows that used to stop in town for a weekend in the summer. She wonders if they stopped doing those or if she just stopped remembering to go to them, but she remembers that, once upon a time, she used to love to window shop.

She stops at a jewelry counter and is looking at the bracelets thoughtfully, trying to decide if she'd like to buy one. After spending all that time in the power-dampening cuffs, she'd sort of grown accustomed to the sensation of something around her wrists and now that she's got the power-dampening necklace to replace them, she almost kind of misses the weight there.

adult

It's mostly curiosity that has Caitlin's feet carrying her into the sectioned off area. She isn't a prude or anything, but it's been...a while for Caitlin — since before Ronnie died, really — and she's inquisitive by nature. She likes to know things. While she's undecided about whether she actually wants to participate, it can't hurt to see what the adult culture is like in this place, can it? It's probably at least a little different here than home, after all.

It doesn't look too terribly unlike the rest of the celebration, if one doesn't know what they're actually looking at, she thinks. There's still food and games, they're just...more mature. It doesn't actually occur to her that this probably isn't exactly a spectator sport and she doesn't exactly mean to treat it like one, but how can she not just look around and see when it's right there?

[whattingawhat]

Buffy's funds are definitely limited, and after her time in the Complex, food had been her first priority. However, she is still quite girly and she likes pretty things. It's fun to look at things, to try on bracelets and rings even if she can't really afford them. She's slipped on a bracelet, something silver and delicate with tiny bells on it. It's pretty, but Buffy isn't sure it's really her. This calls for another opinion.

And conveniently, there happens to be another woman next to her looking at bracelets as well. Buffy holds her arm out, displaying her wrist. "What do you think? I'm afraid it's too jangley."

carl grimes | the walking dead

[carltoaction]

On "Easy" Street - fair games, food stalls, anywhere in between.

[The festival didn't seem like a bad idea to begin with. There was more food than he ever saw in years, festivities like his mom and dad used to bring him to when he was a kid, even regular shopping to experience. All of it felt like firsts again. But of course Carl wouldn't be acting like himself if he didn't seem wary of things. The food was strange, the way this was supposed to be welcoming didn't sit right with him at all, but most of all he couldn't see why things were so geared to towards couples.

At a stall or other, he would stop and look at the things set out for couples to buy or win each other - heart shaped necklaces, his and hers teddy bears holding one half of a heart, to strange sort of meats twisted like pretzels in the shape of hearts to describe a few things. And there he would sigh to himself and anyone listening.]

I don't get how this is supposed to help us feel better. [Not only because they were somehow expected to celebrate love when he was feeling homesick, but because every little thing kind of makes him think the girl back home. None of it was helping him feel any happier like most the people walking around. Yeah. This was definitely a bad idea.]

The Wildcard

[Create your own adventure! Carl is going to be on the slow side of getting into the festivities because everything is sort of going to be approach with caution and let other people do it first with him. But once he's sure the foods are safe and edible, the games can be beat, etc, he might try his luck with them with a bit of encouragement. Or bump into him. Everything is fair in rp and games.]

easy street

[naz]

[ Caitlin is sitting down, fiddling around with the bracelet she's bought herself at one of the vendors with all the cute stuff when she overhears the comment. At first, she assumes he's talking to someone specifically, but when she doesn't immediately see anyone else necessarily paying attention, Caitlin smiles a little bit and wonders if maybe he's talking more to himself than to anyone in particular. It doesn't stop her from responding, though, momentarily giving up on the bracelet and putting it back into the little box in which it had come. ]

I don't think that is supposed to...

[ She clears her throat and wrinkles her nose. That sounded...well, it didn't sound the way she had meant it to, which was to be clarifying, perhaps playing devil's advocate and instead it just sounded...defeatist? Whatever, it hadn't come out the way she intended, so she tries again. ]

I mean, I don't think that this celebration is necessarily specifically for us — assuming you're like me and you're not...from here. It's just that I got the impression that this whole thing was just a local tradition. I haven't been here terribly long, though; I could be wrong about that. [ A small pause. ]

You don't like carnivals?

[ She might not necessarily blame him; maybe he's the kind of person who doesn't like to be in loud, crowded places. There's nothing wrong with or strange about that, as far as she's concerned. ]

Clementine | The Walking Dead (Telltale)

[staystrong]

i.

[While Clementine has already been enjoying the easy access to food this new world provides (she has so much stored away now it's ridiculous), this festival is something else completely. She hovers over stalls wide-eyed, wanting to sample it all but also not wanting to empty her pocketbook or make herself sick.

She ends up with a sandwich in one hand and two meat skewers in the other, wandering around looking for a place to sit. Only once she's found one does she recognize her biggest mistake.]

Ugh... I need a third hand.

[She really should have gotten something to drink.]

ii.

[She mine not have a partner, but you know what? She wants one of those ridiculously big plush animals for herself. She hasn't been able to hold onto frivolous things for a long time and even though she always believes this situation might not be permanent it would be a shame to miss out on fun opportunities like this while she can. Her new house could use a couple cute things in it anyway, no matter how useless they are.

(And who says she can't hide tools or other goods in the middle of all that stuffing?)

She considers her aim to be pretty good, but she's more used to guns than baseballs. She stands in front of a stall now with several pins lined up in the back, expression thoughtful. If you think you can do better than this girl feel free to step up and show your skill.]

ii

[duelo]

[ After filling his stomach a second time, Derek makes his way back to the games again. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised to see a child at this thing, but because he's mostly seen other adults so far, it takes him a little off guard anyway. He mostly notices her because she's at the stall beside the one he's walked up to, deciding to give it a go of his own, just for old time's sake.

Beyond the fact that he knows the trick behind the game and he can throw a ball an awful lot harder than most humans, he always intentionally wastes the first throw to make sure that it doesn't look like he's cheating. And so he does just that. He can't help noticing as he rolls the second ball around in his hand that the young girl hasn't gone yet. ]

Trying to figure out the best place to aim?

loki laufeyson, marvel-616

[ikols]

iia.

[ Flashy as he gives it his best Errol Flynn-in-Asgardia impression, Loki smacks the wooden sword of his opponent out of their hand, dancing out of reach into a jaunty circling stroll. Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens, couldn't strut as smugly around a slice of bread. ]

Let's make it three rounds, shall we, and then I'll claim my prize. [ Shouldering his would-be weapon he shrugs, throwing a hand into the air. ] Anyone else feel like putting me in my place?

[ Not the best idea, says the smirk cutting widely across his lips. Swordplay would be one area of expertise he isn't shy to play around in. ]

iib.

[ At another time you might see a small crowd complaining as Loki stands there looking (almost convincingly) offended as they bark, Cheater! I saw him move his hand when my dart hit the wall! and Same here, he's a dirty con artist! As he starts to walk away, seemingly conceding to their ire, the stall's roof crumples inward as the sticks holding the canopy up break with an audible snap, muffling the bitching-turned-alarm.

A sparkly ball (one of the prizes he sought, conveniently) bounces free and rolls along the gravel. It bumps his boot where he plucks it up, thumbs the smooth glass with a self-satisfied smile sliding into place, and strolls away tossing it into the air. ]

iia.

[greatcleavage]

Sure, I'll give it a try.

[It's all in fun, right? Shrugging to himself, Roy steps into the makeshift arena for this little dueling extravaganza, scooping up a large wooden weapon a little shorter than the greatsword slung over his back. A brief heft tells him it ought to be good enough that he can put his training with his own weapon to use here.]

[He smirks briefly at a memory.] Just so long as you continue to use first-person pronouns correctly, this can't go worse than the last duel for spectator enjoyment that I got into.

Steve Rogers | Marvel 616

[livingsymbol]

i. street food

[The food stalls lining the streets are too tempting to pass up. Steve is drawn to the festival atmosphere. It's exciting and mysterious in a way that reminds him of a time when he was younger and seeing stalls like this was a special event for him. He can't help but try some of the strange food offered by the local vendors. He's got his mouth stuffed with some brightly colored dessert while the man that sold him the food is telling him wild stories of the fruit's enhancing qualities, regaling Steve of how the dessert can give him a great night with his partner. Steve, mouth full, makes a muffled humming noise in question until he can swallow.]

It tastes like normal cake to me. Maybe a little sweet.

[He might be intentionally missing the point.]

ii. fair games

[Steve likes the games. He watches everyone playing various forms of target practice and games of skill at the festival, but he keeps his distance and politely remains an observer. Everyone else is having fun, but he doesn't think the challenge is quite the right pace for him. The last thing he wants to do is ruin the fun for everyone else.

He happens to pass a particular booth that is just an open tent with a table and chairs, and two very burly men standing at the edge of their area, hailing people who pass by and challenging them to test their strength. It's a simple competition, arm-wrestling, and of course Steve makes the mistake of meeting one man's gaze and getting called out.]

Mm, no... better not. Sprain.

[He makes a half attempt at faking a stiff arm to support his excuse. Maybe he can find a less conspicuous game? He looks around while the men continue to encourage him to at least try, searching for a quick escape.]

iv. adult

[If anyone happens to travel beyond the silk cord, they will find Steve exploring the restricted alley... and being a lot less engaged than some people might expect from a man who chose to take a look down this particular road. It's almost like Steve is just strolling down any other street in the Market, idly browsing with a cocked eyebrow at the various choices the vendors have to offer. Some of the choices are more creative than others, that's for sure.]

Does this really count as being festive?

v. roommates (Floor 5)

[Steve hasn't lived in communal housing for years. Even in the Mansion he had his own room, and he's been alone for a while. So the amount of people takes some getting used to, but he's actually enjoying the company. There's something comforting in the activity that he can't really explain. Even if he doesn't necessarily go out of his way to engage his new roommates at every opportunity, just know that he can is nice. He's a quiet guy, mostly staying out of the way since he's out on regular runs and exploring trips or helping the Perimeter Guard. But in a new place he's also a man of restless nights. Tossing and turning, or sneaking off in the dead hours, only to actually get up far too early to start his day again. Anyone who likes their sleep and is easily disturbed might find him annoying after the first few days.

Steve is on the move again. He's up far too early, either waking up from a difficult night or simply waking up before the sun is fully risen, heading to the kitchen for coffee and to go out again. He doesn't mean to wake people up, but he's bound to make some noise while shuffling around in his attempt to sneak out.]

street food!

[burntbridges]

[She's just... sort of hoping this is the Steve she thinks it is. She just learned there are two of them, and she's still working on picking out the differences between them.]

I'm sure not all of that could be true... one might hurt themselves growing so quickly.

[She lets out a little giggle as she takes a sample herself, glancing up at Steve. Oh wow, that is a lot sweeter than she expected.. but she's just committing and pretending it doesn't hurt her throat.]

Let me make sure - are you the Steve Rogers I met during the storm or the one I met earlier today?

Morrigan | Dragon Age: Inquisition

[courtintrigue]

(As always, prose is my default but I won't mind matching brackets!)

[street food]

Watching others get their own food, many tearing their purchases in half to share with a companion, keeps her from being surprised when the seller hands her a hunk of seared meat on two sticks. As she walks away, she carefully rips her meal in two and then takes a generous bite.

The signs promised spice and she thought little of it at the time, but once she begins to chew, fierce heat rolls through her mouth. The intensity makes her eyes sting, puts an uncharacteristic pink in her cheeks, and she looks around for something to wash it down. Seeing someone making a purchase at the nearest stand, she quickly joins them. "And water," she adds, as authoritatively as possible with a fiery throat. Holding both sticks in one hand, she reaches into her pocket to find her tap card and smacks it onto the table.


[adult] (just ftr, even if there's attraction she's not likely to act on anything right now)

Simple curiosity is what sends her into the roped-off adult section, only pausing long enough to show the ID provided to her when asked. No festival she has ever been to has seemed so bold in its displays. One booth offers suggestive toys, another an astonishing array of lubricants, a third offers sheathes used to prevent pregnancy. In recent years she has heard of such methods, mostly among gossiping nobles, but she is largely unfamiliar with prevention that is not herbal or magical. She examines flavored condoms with skepticism in her eyes and a hint of amusement at the corners of her mouth.

Eventually she makes her way toward the stalls that claim to sell genuine aphrodisiacs. She may be skeptical about these as well, but the smells do entice. After browsing for a while, she finally buys a pair of ripe purple-skinned fruits the size of her palm. She bites into one as she turns away from the booth, her thumb catching a drop of juice that threatens to spill down her chin, and she quickly side-steps to avoid a collision with the person behind her. "Watch your step," she advises.


[floor 6]

Upon finding so many beds in her room, Morrigan knows this will not work. Perhaps living in a palace for the past few years has spoiled her more than she cares to believe, but this reminds her more of guard barracks than anything else. There is far too little privacy and there have not been many in her life with whom she would willingly share so much of her day-to-day activity.

When few people are around, she goes into the kitchen and starts exploring. Though she considers herself a quick study, the devices here are beyond her personal experience. From the oven to the microwave to the refrigerator, there is scarcely a button she fails to press in her effort to see what everything does. A button on the outside of the refrigerator door startles her by making chunks of ice spill out of a small window. As they scatter onto the floor, she crouches to pick them up.

↪ street food

[mrterrific]

(ooc: I default to brackets but you can do prose or brackets I don't mind either way!)

[ Curtis had been waiting for some time for this particular cart - they're serving up skewers of roasted vegetables, apparently a very popular dish based on the length of the line. The smell of the spices had lured him in, and he'd been patient waiting for his turn. But as soon as he gives his order, someone barges in next to him and he opens his mouth, ready to tell them to wait their turn-

Except all she does is ask for some water. Sounds pretty urgent about it, too, and it only takes Curtis a moment to guess why. Judging by the red flush on her face and the look of discomfort, plus the sticks of meat with one bite out of them... well, it doesn't take a detective to put two and two together. So instead of getting angry, Curtis shifts to the side to make a little more room for her, asks with a trace of amusement but also concern: ]

You alright there?

Natasha Romanoff | MCU | OTA

[unmakeme]

Natasha is angry. No, angry doesn't even begin to cover it.

Natasha is... incandescent with rage. Overflowing with it, practically radiating it. The thing is, it's not doing her any good. She doesn't know who to direct that anger to. She can't be mad at the Perimeter Guard members who met her on her arrival. If anything, the beating she gave them all before someone managed to get enough distance and a clear shot to stun her has her feeling bad for them. Just doing their jobs, even if she refuses to straight up apologize because she was just doing hers. She still can't direct her anger there.

She's also still not entirely sure she believes that there's no consequences coming. She did not hold back, no punches pulled, and a big part of her is expecting a much larger and better prepared group to come take her away. Which is the main reason she hasn't spent any time in the room they assigned her.

-------

The festival provides a way to hide out in the open, lost in a crowd. The first thing Natasha does is check out the market stalls, skipping the silly romantic sentimentality and focusing instead on the clothes. She asks for advice, even though she doesn't want it, because it's what people do here, trying on hats and scarves and glasses, eying herself in the mirrors, asking other shoppers: "What do you think? Too much?"

She buys a bag, a lightweight shawl, a short jacket, a pair of sunglasses, all with a tap card. As soon as she does, she finds people to trade with. Her pink shawl turns into a blue one, dove grey jacket becomes black, even the sunglasses. After that, she rearranges what she's wearing, tying the shawl around her waist, covering her eyes. It's an old habit, and probably an unnecessary one here, but there's that cliche saying about them dying hard.

-------

She needs to eat. The halo headache from the stun gun is annoyingly persistent. So she hits the food stalls next, because it's all free. Everything is free if you have the right look, if someone thinks they can sell you on a sample. So she moves through that section of the festival, trying bits of roasted meats, sweet desserts, quite a few drinks. Occasionally she finds something she actually likes, and gets someone else at the stall to buy it for her. She flirts, or plays up the headache, or just asks to share, depending on the person, depending on what she can tell will work best.

It takes a long time to get enough to feel satisfied, but it has the side benefit of letting her spend time viewing a large portion of the population, as it filters through the celebration.

-------

In between rounds through the food stalls, Natasha takes a crack at the carnival games - the ones with interesting prizes, anyway. Most of it is crap. Not bad quality, just useless. Some, but not all. She doesn't use her tap card here, either. If money can only be spent in trackable ways, she's going to have to figure out a new way to handle it. Later. Right now, she employs the same basic principles she uses at the food stalls. She takes a while to size up one of the players, then figures out the best way to get them invested. For some, it's still flirting. For others, she looks confused, asking how to play, letting them feel smart and helpful for showing her. The easiest one to read, though, is the competitive nature. It's also the easiest one to manipulate. A little chuckle. "Is that really the best you can do?" Which is predictably followed, call and response style, with asking if she thinks she can do better. When she's not willing to pay to play a game, they are, to prove that they're better at it than she is.

-------

There are still sections of the celebrations she really isn't interested in. The roped off adult section, for one. Not only because she can recognize the uniforms of the members of the Perimeter Guard checking ID cards. She's pretty sure no one in that getup is going to be pleased to see her. So her interest level is low there.

That doesn't mean her mind can't be changed, of course. If someone interesting or conspicuous enough heads in there, she may follow.

-------

[[OOC: WIld card! Which is exactly what it sounds like. If you want something else, you can let me know, or just run with it and we'll see where it takes us.]]

Market Stalls?

[toolatetochangethename]

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

Okay, there's that awkwardness you have running into people from your past, like your ex wife's jerk cop boyfriend in his jail, or an ex girlfriend, but this is a totally new kind of awkward--the kind where you run into someone that, you know, the last time you met, you were trying to beat the living snot out of each other.

So, yeah, he may go 'EEP!' when she turns and asks how the sunglasses look on her, and then he'll try to recover, pitching his voice down an octave to sound different, and, you know, MANLY. "Fetching." That's the kind of word Scott Lang would never use, and therefore, his disguise is complete! ...right?