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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"Of course," she says, turning back to the table to browse what's there. Unfortunately for Lola, it hasn't entirely occurred to her that she might say something more or do something more than she has. She's shopping, Lola is shopping. opinions asked or given doesn't mean necessarily that a conversation needs to happen.

She reaches forward, through the rings, checking sizes on the ones that interest her, only keeping half an eye on the bubbly young girl next to her. All the while wondering if she'd ever been that happy or excited as Lola seems to be. Perhaps before the shelling? Before she and Pietro were trapped next to that Stark missile for so many days...

Yes, but you see, you're next to Lola. And Lola lives to talk to others, she would go insane if left to herself for any stretch of time. She can't even be alone in her room for an hour without checking her feeds and DMs. Lola's following where Wanda's eyes go, and checking to see what jewelry the other has on, and quickly starts scanning to return the favor. She can't be sure of size, but she spots a few rings with some intricate wirework around a gemstone setting that seem right with the outfit Wanda has on.

"Do you like this one, for you, not me." It's clearly a work of master craft, the designs are utterly meaningless to Lola. She's sure they have some importance, but hardly a concern to her because its pretty, and that's what matters when deciding on jewelry and baubles, pretty things that suit the person in question.

Wanda hadn't asked for help in turn but she can't exactly wave the other girl away when she offers her own suggestion. And upon looking at it, Wanda finds that she doesn't really want to wave her away. She has good taste in jewelry, and the ring she picks out for Wanda is definitely in line with the style she prefers.

"I do, actually," she admits, reaching forward to take the ring from Lola. She slips it onto one of her fingers, curls them into a fist and then extends them once more. "It's comfortable and the size isn't too snug," she muses aloud, repeating the gesture. It does suit her, besides. She likes the wirework and the color of the gem, how it sparkles in the sun.

"What else would you suggest?" she asks, curious enough to not mind turning this solo shopping experience into a group effort.

Asking Lola to suggest jewelry caused her eyes to light up, probably the same way that a fox would get excited being offered a henhouse to guard temporarily. This. This was what Lola knew. No traveling between universes, weird sex festival holidays, people who don't cook. She's grabbed two pendant necklaces, three chokers, a bracelet, and a broach. Because she was trying to show restraint, a concept Lola does not understand.

She holds them up, one at a time, studying them against what she can see of Wanda. Puts back one of the chokers and puts the others out in front. The bracelet was a red and orange chainmail. Nothing practical, but very decorative. The broach had a large red stone, the two pendant necklaces were similarly red. While the chokers were green, matched to Wanda's eyes. Lola felt pretty good, she wasn't as sure about the metalwork, it was very... simple, but the stones were gorgeous, at any rate. "These. Definitely one of these would work for you."

She is definitely looking for praise, but that's how Lola works.

Wanda had no idea what she was in for when asking Lola's opinion. Eyes widening, she watches at the girl sets about her task with an intensity she hadn't anticipated. She's quiet as Lola picks up necklaces, chokers, bracelets, and even a broach, even holds still with a lifted brow as Lola holds them up to her. Puts down some. Another away.

When it becomes clear that it's her turn to offer her opinion, Wanda considers the options with as much care as Lola. The chainmail she touches and pushes a little bit away, shaking her head. Not that one. The broach, however, she finds she actually likes quite well, and one of the pendant necklaces reminds her of one she used to have back in Sokovia. Similar but not exact.

"These two, I think," she says, holding up the pendant necklace as well as the broach. "I don't usually wear things like this but I agree it would suit me." And while she doesn't praise the girl, her acceptance of two and the faint smile on her face will no doubt convey what the girl is hoping for. Won't it?

That little bit of praise is all over Lola's face as she smiles, "They are both so you."

Lola hands over her card for payment and has her own items rung up. A few necklaces, bracelets, and that hairclip. They're very visible items, subtly is not Lola's name. How quickly she bought so many items pretty much shows she's, well, not used to handling her own money. Not this way. Lola's always been taken care of, so taking care of herself financially will be a change she'll need to meet eventually.

"I'm Lola."

Wanda, on the other hand, hands over some of the local currency to pay for her few items. Less than Lola's picked out for herself but there are still a few things she'll be getting from this.

When all is said and done, she turns away from the booth and back to the girl.

"Wanda," she replies, tucking her things into her bag. "Not one of the locals, I assume?" The girl has a certain sort of shininess about her that comes with experiencing something new, Wanda thinks. She could be wrong but...it seems unlikely.

Lola is still inspecting one of her purchases, finally deciding to slip the clip into her hair. Smiling and hoping it works as well as she thinks it will with her outfit.

"Definitely not. I came here through the portal. Which... is not a statement I ever thought I'd be saying. Ever. Unless I was in a play." Lola's definitely playing strong now that she's thinking about home. But thinking about home has definitely made her look a little less energetic about things. A little more worry, a little more fear.

She is just a sixteen year old girl, nothing super human about her. Can't really blame her.

She was never a sixteen year old girl the way that Lola is. Even reminded of her situation here now, she doesn't have the weight on her shoulders that Wanda and Pietro had. Some days it had felt as if it would crush her, worrying about her twin and the state of their country as often as she had. About their survival.

It's hard not to be sympathetic to the girl here, who will no doubt realize that to adapt to these circumstances she'll have to grow up a little bit more and sooner than expected.

"Are you here with family at least? Or friends? People from your world?"

"Just me," Lola's expression doesn't really give away any attachment to the thought. She is lonely, but she isn't bothered by being alone. Her family mostly consisted of friends, and the employees at the cantina. Dad did his best, but there was only so much he could do raising a teenage girl.

"I don't think Dad could handle all this, or he'd get super protective like after mom left." It was what it was. She amused herself thinking about Shay so far out of control of her life, or Frankie without her money and having to share a room with people. And Miles... she shouldn't be thinking about Miles. That way lead to a lot of terrible thoughts. "Why? Did you come through and find people you know here?"

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introductory mingle: SAMPREMI

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