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

[ikols]

Yeah, he's a little nuts.

[ His own smile returns with the prompting of Billy's, small though it is. ]

I didn't go far. Manhattan, actually.

[noassgardian]

I kind of like him...

[Okay, he hasn't really gotten to know him super well, but...]

Manhattan... what were you doing in Manhattan?

[ikols]

Working as a tool of the All-Mother, as it turns out. [ But he takes a moment to concede, ] It was fun whenever I wasn't doing her dirty-work.

[noassgardian]

Wow...

[He tilts his head thoughtfully, looking around whatever they're passing, though not really studying it.]

What do you think of this place so far?

[ikols]

[ The only thing he can offer up to that question without sounding angry or miserable is, ]

It's fun to share a living space with you again.

[noassgardian]

Really? I mean, we're practically sharing a room now...

[While they were traveling together, they at least had the privacy of their own rooms...]

But it hasn't been bad. Kind of an adjustment, right? I'm surprised how many people from home are around here...

[ikols]

I'm surprised I'm the only Asgardian here. Why not dump Thor in the same frat house that we've already got going? I'm sure that'd be entertaining.

[noassgardian]

But would you really> want to share a room with your brother? It can get kind of annoying real fast, you know.

[ikols]

Do you miss yours?

[ Gently deflecting the subject. ]

[noassgardian]

My brothers? Yeah... I kind of miss my whole family now that it's sunk in I won't get to see them for a while.

[But-- dwelling on that won't really help things, will it? He lets out a sigh.]

Do you miss yours too?

[ikols]

Not especially.

[ The painful memories are a dull ache that he avoids delving into with a shrugged lie. ]

Thor's unworthy and in a ripe mood, as of late. [ To put it mildly (and totally sidestep the fact Loki gave him just cause to disown him). ] No one would benefit from having that dark cloud around.

[noassgardian]

Sorry...

[He wants to ask more, but now's probably not really the time. Not when it's Thor's brother he'd be prodding for answers on how Thor could possibly be unworthy especially.]

It sounds like a lot changes after that New Years party...

[ikols]

You're from a few years ago by my reckoning in the time-line. Tiny little Billy! So small, knows nothing!

[ Nudging him as they walk arm-in-arm. ]

[noassgardian]

[He rolls his eyes at that, giving Loki a nudge.]

I know enough. I mean, pretty much our lives consist of something big, possibly world ending, happening and people getting caught up in it... and usually with lives being changed irreversibly, right?

[ikols]

You're becoming jaded in your old age, Billy.

[noassgardian]

I'm just used to new and old villains coming up with some potentially world-changing event all the time.

[He gives a wry smile and pushes at Loki gently.]

But come on-- we should look around the festival some more. It's actually-- kind of fun.

[ikols]

Well, I wasn't the one browsing the red light district for tips.

[ Exploring it is! Once he's made Billy turn as red as his mother's magic. ]

[noassgardian]

Oh my god.

[Total success if that's what Loki is going for. He elbows at Loki then, huffing half-heartedly.]

I wasn't looking for tips. I'm eighteen and I can actually go look at that kind of stuff now, legally.

[Although now he feels like he's seen some things, man. Some bizarre things that are going to linger.]

[ikols]

The thing is, Billy, and this has been bothering me ... but in a bedroom brimming with Avengers, where are we supposed to stash our sex toys?

[ Like Loki even has any, but it's a question that does make him rub his chin. ]

We're both virile young men! Questing for mature satisfaction! It's our right.

[noassgardian]

Loki! Those rooms aren't made for sex, not when someone can just see you do it.

[And he can't believe he's actually having this conversation.]

So no sex toys. I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't want Captain America or Iron Man or Doctor Strange to see me like that.

[ikols]

They obviously wouldn't be in the room at the time, we're not talking an Avenge-orgy. Your mind does go some dark places, Billy, honestly.

[ YOU'RE the pervert here, Kaplan!! ]

I've been making do with the showers while they're empty, how about you?

[noassgardian]

It does not! It's just-- they can walk in at anytime. I mean, it's less privacy than living with my parents... at least they'd knock.

[But then again, it wasn't all communal housing there and Billy had his own room...

Also, he totally isn't!]

I'm totally not telling you about my masturbation habits, Loki. But, uh, I'll know you need privacy when you go to the showers.

[ikols]

[ Damn, he was hoping he could wheedle something juicy out of Billy. This is what happens when you live on a spaceship with someone for months at a time, they get to know you. It's terribly inconveniencing.

Speaking of all that time spent in a bad mood around smooching couples and Billy's adorable haircut ... ]

You said it yourself, we're older now ... [ Billy sort of said it, but that's not the important part as Loki leans his weight to the side to introduce Billy to the nearest wall, looming over him. ] Shall we assume that your newfound knowledge counts as an open invitation?

[ Coming onto Billy can't possibly go any worse than it did with David. Unless Billy magic-punches him again, that sucked. ]

[noassgardian]

[Okay-- and now he's against a wall and he's suddenly very aware of the height difference between them. Of all the things to focus on, maybe wondering whether or not Loki managed to grow a little since they last saw each other isn't the right one, or noting that he seems to have filled out--

It's a good thing Billy is pretty-- okay with flirting, with Teddy or other people. He's never minded it.

No magic punches but Billy does crack a bit of a smile as he reaches up to press his palm to Loki's chest, not quite pushing though.]

Wow. I mean, obviously tall, green shapeshifters are my type, but-- I mean, I'm not that kinda guy... You could at least buy me dinner first, or take me to a movie.

[ikols]

[ ... That's totally not a no.

Mild surprise melts into a more relaxed, genuine smile and he pats the hand on his chest lightly, just to play with Billy's fingers as they talk. Flirt. Loki could take down all off the Avengers in this exact moment without breaking a sweat, he's sure of it. ]

I'll root out the movie circuit, see what can't be dredged up. [ Or bribe Stark into building a huge flatscreen, somehow. ] Important question, it could make or break us: hotdogs or popcorn?