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

street food

[signifies]

[ One wouldn't think it, but Clark is endeared by Taako's brand of amiability. He loves the sound of his own voice, but he was willing to answer without condescension (and with some flair), all the questions Clark had for him. He's an interesting person who's lived an equally interesting life.

Clark smiles back and approaches the stall. ]

You don't think my figure needs watching?

[ He's so offended. ]

[spellslots]

[There's a lot about Clark that reminds Taako of Magnus, which has been equally parts comforting and fucking shitty because he doesn't want to admit he misses the guy. Mostly he focuses on the former, rather than the latter.]

You can watch whatever you want, I'm not your dad. [This is said with a wave of his hand, before he carefully breaks the pastry in half, handing part over to Clark.] Anyway, you look like you work out, you can afford the calories.

[Taako is lazy as shit, despite all the adventuring.]

[signifies]

[ There's a counter with some stools next to the stall, and Clark moves towards it. They have small forks and disposable plates at the side, though Clark just picks up a napkin for the pastry. He draws himself just a little smaller at the comment on his size. Plaid does a lot, just not quite enough.

He waits for Taako to take a bite before he starts on his half. ]

How is it?

[spellslots]

[Forks are for nerds, but Taako will hop up onto one of the stools as he takes a bite of the pastry, brow furrowing as he tries to figure out what the hell it tastes like.

Taro, it tastes like taro, but he's never had that before.]

Kinda sweet, kinda root vegetable-y. [That's the technical term, of course.] But you know what, I'm digging it.

[signifies]

[ Congratulations on your pun, sir. ]

There's something similar at the stall over there. It's spicier. I think they have an offer: if you can eat their hottest wrap, you get free meals for the rest of the day.

[spellslots]

[Thanks for noticing.]

I'm not shoving spicy shit in my mouth from a place I don't even know, that's asking for trouble.

[He likes his tastebuds not being destroyed tyvm.]

[signifies]

It's the same ingredients they use in this.

[ He thought it might be fun to try a different recipe. ]

[spellslots]

[Look most of the shit he cooks is from Fantasy France, he's not equipped to handle spices.]

Here's an idea: you try it first and if you don't die, I'll give it a shot.

[signifies]

[ It might have come flippantly to Taako, but it feels like a challenge said between friends. Clark smiles. ]

Deal.

[ #kryptonians ]

Have you tried any of the other food?

[spellslots]

[If only he knew about the alien thing.]

Sure as shit have, I wanna pick up some of these ingredients later and try 'em out!

[Six months ago he would have been less excited, but cooking isn't shitty anymore.]

I'd be happier if they weren't so keen on their chicken-thing.

[signifies]

They do seem to like meat-flavoured, as well.

[ Clark finishes his pastry. He wipes his fingers with the napkin. ]

You're not allergic to anything that you've found, are you?

[spellslots]

Yeah, noticed that one too.

[Maybe he will, eventually, work his way back to eating meat but it still makes him shudder to think about. He doesn't like anything with too much garlic, which is a goddamn tragedy.]

Nothing I wasn't already allergic to!

[signifies]

You have enough options? I can share some of my recipes if you like.

[ He should have to worry about food far from home. ]

[spellslots]

Oh, of course, I'm very adaptable.

[Also: a transmutation wizard who specializes in food, he can always turn one thing into another, if he isn't fond of it.]

But I won't say no to trading recipes. I'm digging the big kitchens here.

[And also the time to cook, after Refuge there wasn't a lot of free time to mess around in the kitchen.]

[signifies]

Oh? Something you can't find at home, or liking the space?

[spellslots]

Mostly the space.

[They have fantasy ovens and fantasy blenders where he comes from, so there's nothing new technology-wise, but it's nice to have the space.]

There was a mess hall but it was always hella crowded, unless I wanted to cook at ass o'clock in the morning.

[signifies]

[ Clark nods. ]

I'm not sure if they have the same vegetables here, but I'll write a few of my favourite ones down for you. Do you like to bake as well?

[spellslots]

Do I bake?

[He's playing this up just to be dramatic, with a hand on his chest to show just how wounded he is by the mere question.

Of course, this doesn't make as much sense when he isn't famous here, but that's not going to stop him.]

I practically invented baking.

[He's so full of shit, he did not invent baking, he's just very good at it.]

[signifies]

[ Clark raises his eyebrows, amused. ]

Breads, pies, cakes...?

[spellslots]

All of the above, pumpkin.

[He's good at this, talking about himself and playing it up.]

Macarons are kinda my specialty, though.

[signifies]

[ Good for him; Clark's a listener. ]

Did they give you a job as a baker?

[spellslots]

Oh, I don't... do that anymore, like, professionally.

[He grins and waves a hand, like brushing the thought out of the air. It's equal parts guilt and doubt, but mostly June's voice in his head.

You fed them their deaths.]

[signifies]

[ Clark can't say he's very fond of navigating deflection tactics, but he's familiar with it. Taako has a lot he doesn't want other people to see.

He sympathises, and he speaks with genuine curiosity. ]

Not even a friendly pie-making competition?

apparently this notif got eaten, if u wanna wrap it thats cool!

[spellslots]

[It's a good question to ask, if only because it provides a suitable distraction from thinking about Glamorsprings. It's gotten easier to cook for one person, or a couple.

So he hums, thoughtfully, as if he's giving this very serious consideration.]

Are you sure you wanna go up against a famous TV chef?

[signifies]

[ Clark grins. ]

I'll make you a pie, and you'll see that I'm not to be underestimated.

( we can wrap in a few since this leads into our next thread nicely )