riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: SAMPREMI

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introductory mingle: SAMPREMI

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

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's not much room for a menacing, tattooed youth here, let alone one with a raven on his shoulder. But the adult area holds no appeal for someone not into casual sex and indulging in lust without love. So what the hell. Ronan's going to warp time back ten years and go to a fair. As soon as he sees the dart game, Ronan heads for it. He isn't in it for the cheap toys. He isn't even "in it to win it." He just wants to throw something. But there's only one thing better than that. Doing it with someone else.]

Hey.

[He holds up a dart and waves it in front of Billy before tossing it to him. He's seen him before, handing out his winnings to spectators.]

Show me what you got.

[He looks over his shoulders-- and what was a casual look becomes something of a double take. Billy is used to all manner of weird, but-- this guy has a presence. This guy has a raven on his shoulder, actually, and he can't decide yet if it's weird or cool.]

Really? Sure you're up for it?

[Okay, so a little friendly challenge can't hurt, right?]

I'm up for worse than this.

[Yeah, that presence is not doing him any favors. The way Ronan talks sounds like he'd be game for turning an innocuous dart game into something illegal.

He turns fast enough that his raven ruffles her feathers, then takes flight when he throws the dart without preamble. Ronan favors strength over speed, both to his aim's detriment and the board's. It embeds deeper than it should, barely within the outer ring.

Ronan snorts at his own performance. It's easier to deal with losing when it doesn't involve adrenaline and heavy machinery.]

Beat that.

Wow. You're-- strong. Really strong.

[He almost wants to ask if they have mutants or something where he's from, or people with abilities, but... probably shouldn't.

Instead, he takes a dart, focusing his attention.]

Don't mind if I do.

[He's been at this all day. He manages to land not too far out of the range of Ronan's.]

Best two out of three or something?

[Ronan shrugs in response to Billy's amazement. It's less that he's strong (though he is) and more that he's pissed off. Restraint isn't in his vocabulary.]

Sure.

[Part of him wants to stay silent for a while longer. Simmering, a rippling mass of muscle and nerves, but he gets the sense that Billy isn't impressed by that sort of intimidation.

Actually, he just... doesn't want to this once. His friends are gone. Talking to a bird isn't the same. So he opens his mouth as he throws his dart in the air.

You're from New York, right? You do this shit in the big city?

[Virginians can pinpoint one of those "northern" accents pretty easily, even if they have little distinction between all of them.]

[Billy spends so much time around heroes, in the company of actual Norse gods...

As intimidating as he can recognize this guy is, Billy is used to holding his own against guys bigger than him, angrier than him. And either you avoid them, or you run your mouth enough that they hopefully forget if they had any intention of throwing punches or starting fights.

Not that he thinks this is going that way though, hopefully not.]

Wow, is my accent that obvious?

[It probably totally is, actually. He gives a big of a grin, shrugging his shoulders.] I've done some traveling... to a lot of places. Do people usually keep ravens where you're from?

I'm from Virginia, man. It's not hard to tell for us.

[Ronan's accent isn't so straightforward. A mix of old money Virginia and Appalachia and the Carolinas, by virtue of birth, or rather, association rather and geography.

He glances at his raven, who has decided to stay well away from her creator until he's done throwing darts. Ronan smirks.]

No, she's the only one I know of, except my former classmates.

[Ronan says the word 'former' with relish. There's no sigh of satisfaction but only because the sentence doesn't allow for one. Especially once he realizes that comment must make no sense to Billy. It also provides an ample opportunity to deflect any questions of the ravens origin.]

Aglionby students are "raven boys." I forgot my audience.

Huh. So-- I've never heard of a school where the students get ravens. Or ravens that wouldn't like, fly off the first chance they go or something.

[That seems-- pretty weird, actually, but different worlds, different customs...

Besides, who is Billy even kidding? There are so many weird things in his own dimension, it's probably bordering on ridiculous by now.]

You said former-- does that mean you graduated or did you just leave?

[Ronan makes a silent note that outside of Virginia (and/or the elite circles which funnel children into the school)?Aglionby means jackshit. The thought comforts him in a bizarre way despite the realization that his joke has not fallen flat so much as had a mechanical failure during a bungee jump.]

Man, no. The students are called ravens they don't have them. That would have been pretty damn awesome. I might have stayed. ...Yeah, I dropped out. You ever been to one of those schools?

[Ronan holds his throat in his hand like he's strangling himself. He makes a gurgling sound.]

They choke the life out of you.

[He huffs out a laugh. Well-- alright, that's kind of different. He shrugs his shoulders.]

No, but-- I mean. Isn't that every school? I'm not sure I'd bother finishing if my parents and my boyfriend didn't give me those looks that say I'll never live it down.

[And hopefully, this guy doesn't have a problem with the boyfriend thing, but Billy's never been one to watch his mouth or hide it about himself-- most people figure it out eventually anyway]

What do you do now that you're out? Besides going around trying to look all-- badass with a raven, I mean? And work on some killer dart skills, I guess.

[Point to Billy there. Ronan shrugs as well in acknowledgement. His hand falls back to his side.]

All schools don't have ties to do the choking but you're right. My friends tried too.

[There's no mention of parents there. If they'd been around, maybe it would be different. But life doesn't always work out. Ronan doesn't have the time to indulge in the pain of that loss here.

Also he's (not so) secretly quite pleased with being called badass, plus learning he's not the only guy with a boyfriend here. They're not that easy to come by where he's from.]

I dream.

[He laughs.]

And I hang out with my boyfriend. What do you do?

Mm, true. You've got me beat there... uniforms would be the worse.

[Talk about restrictive and all that.

Billy's turned to look pleased though. Hang out with his boyfriend, huh?]

That, too. I study magic too, which may or may not be a thing where you're from.

[The shift in Ronan's expression and posture is immediate. He turns to face Billy completely but maintains their distance. A brief look of suspicion crosses his face before he remembers that all his damn friends studied magic too, in their own way. It doesn't mean he's going to kill him. Ronan's smile is more hesitant than any of the snake like ones he had before.]

Yeah, it is. My friends and I were obsessed with ley lines and dead Welsh kings.

[It's partially true and close enough not to lying for Ronan. He just really hopes that Chainsaw stays away right now. Because if Billy has psychometry or whatever it is his friend's family member can do, he doesn't know what he'll feel when he touches that bird. Or, for that matter, if he touches Ronan himself.

Or he could just tell the guy about his dreams.

Ronan channels his nervous energy into a light kick, directed away from Billy. His foot drags along the ground.]

Tell me you study something more interesting.

[Well, he guesses that answers that question. He's just not entirely sure if magic is a good thing where he is, or a bad thing.

Probably bad if the guarded expression is anything to go by.

Billy is used to it though and he keeps his own expression carefully neutral, casual.]

Most of the rest of the time, I'm-- [he pauses, making a face.] Do you know who the Avengers are? Superheroes?

I don't watch--

[He's about to say those movies followed by saying he doesn't read comics either because in his world, that would be the reasonable response. Then he realizes that is not what Billy is getting at...]

You're shitting me. You're saying you wear a cape?

[Or whatever it is superheroes wear. He's pretty sure it involves capes.

If nothing else, his wariness has faded. He might not be a nerd, excepting latin, but even he can think it's cool. Of course, first...]

If you do, prove it.

I'm saying I wear a cape.

[And Billy isn't above showing off his costumes -- no phone booth needed or anything. He gives a grin, forgetting the darts for now.]

Alright, I can do that. Just-- don't freak out, okay?

[Maybe it's not particularly wise to use his magic out in the open, but-- from what he's seen? He's not really the only super powered person running around, so it can't be that shocking. Hopefully. Besides, it only takes a little bit of his power for his clothes to shift and change under blue light to his costume. Skin tight spandex, cape and all.]

Believe me now?

Holy shit.

[The way Ronan swears is near musical. He grins and checks out the suit. Slowly walking around as he looks Billy up and down. There's no interest in Billy on a sexual level. Ronan's too single mindedly monogamous for that. He's just getting a kick out of seeing a caped superhero come to life before his eyes.]

You look like such a fucking nerd. Amazing.

[He stops circling Billy but doesn't stop moving. He tugs at the leather bands on one of his wrists.]

So you don't have a problem with everyone knowing you can do your hocus pocus shit? Cause if you have a secret identity, you've blown it.

Wow.

[Okay, he can't even argue. He's a nerd and kinda proud of it. He also doesn't really mind Ronan taking a closer look-- he's pretty proud of the suit. The stars lining his arms and his sides actually move and shift like an actual galaxy-- which might be extravagant, but this suit is entirely his.

He shrugs at the question.]

Keeping a secret identity doesn't seem all that useful here, really. If my abilities can help, then I don't mind people knowing about them.

[Ronan regularly calls his friends "losers" among other names (plus he played the bagpipes) so it doesn't register that he's said something rude. Or he just doesn't care.]

I hope you're right.

[It then occurs to him that he is talking to someone who is, undeniably, braver than he is. Ronan has never tried to save anyone, which if Billy surely has, and he's told a handful of people the truth about himself.

Ronan resents Billy for a moment before his frustration turns on a more familiar and appropriate target-- himself. He frowns. And then he shifts, hands going into his pockets.]

Hey... What made you do this?

Me too.

[Hey, he's not offended, and really, he's been called worse and much more maliciously in the past. He idly crosses his arms after a moment, thinking that over.]

I guess after spending most of my time in school getting punched in the face repeatedly, it felt good to actually have the power to punch back when these abilities finally kicked in.

[He gives a wry smile, shrugging his shoulders. Although when these abilities kicked in, he nearly killed the guy because he couldn't control it. That was definitely not entirely something he was proud of, but it wasn't worth getting into.]

... And, at the risk of sounding like some stupid after school special or something, I think if I have it in me, then I should use this power to help other people. The people who can't fight back. Besides, I grew up adoring the Avengers, so getting the chance to be one? I couldn't pass that up.

[Plus, you know, the costumes.]

No one taught you how to throw a punch before you got the cape? Can't they make afters chool specials about that?

[Of course that's what Ronan fixates on. It just doesn't make sense to him. Not that he'd ever gotten into a fistfight with his own bully, just retaliated in street races.

Maybe he'll fixate on the rest later. He just really wants to put it out of his mind even though it's there in the forefront. What good are his dreams and nightmares going to do anyway?

Oh, Ronan's too creative not to know the answer to that.]

But it makes sense. I guess.

[He shrugs and kicks the ground once more.]

There's a lot out there to avenge.

Well-- I didn't have powers and to be honest, I didn't want to fight. Running was less... you know, punch-y. Plus, the guy was a jerk. He wasn't going to stop because I was a gay nerd who was easy to pick on.

[Which-- okay, those are all probably excuses. He'd been told a lot of times to stand up for himself, to not let himself be pushed around, but he didn't. He ran away because it was easy.

Something he still has a tendency to do, just in other ways.]

I guess so. Though right now, it's less about avenging and more about getting back, I guess.

[He shrugs his shoulders absently after a moment.]

How about you-- got any secret powers or abilities? If you want to share, anyway.

[Ronan tenses at the question but only in his shoulders. He casts a meaningful glance at the crowd, presumably most of them enjoying the festival. Chainsaw stops preening her feathers to squawk "Kerah" at them before taking her rightful place on his shoulder.]

Time and place, man.

[That's a yes.]

Right, sure.

[He gives a nod-- and lets his costume fade back to his normal jeans and t-shirt. No need to be all suited up here. He does give a curious look to the bird as she makes her landing on his shoulder, but--]

We can always get into that some other time. I'm Billy, by the way.

[Ronan nods. Some other time when, presumably, he'll have come to terms with spillings his secrets all over again. Some of them.]

Ronan Lynch.

[He gestures to his raven.]

This is Chainsaw.

[Yes, Chainsaw.]

fair games

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