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Save Our Earth Mods ([personal profile] ourearth) wrote in [community profile] saveourearth2018-09-02 08:34 pm

Let's proudly not melt, shall we? [Mingle]

Date: 31.8-9.9.2018

Characters: Open


With the end of the eternal summer heat in sight, the last gasp of summer festivities start in Mossgate. The first signs come when the flag above the town hall showing the town coat of arms is removed and replaced with the bright and beautiful pride flag. Anticipation is high in the LGBT+ areas of town, and the traditional pride pre-parties take place in the LGBT+ venues on Friday and Saturday nights. Bunting starts to go up along the main streets of town, and volunteers are gathered for meetings and rehearsals. Any latecomers who still wish to volunteer are invited to turn up and make themselves known at this point (especially anyone with a valid first aid certificate!)

Pride officially opens on Sunday, with special free walking tours of the notable LGBT+ venues and sights around town twice a day, as well as open lectures at the universities featuring such topics as “Defining ourselves: deconstructing LGBT+ labels” and “Not just Stonewall: a brief history of LGBT+ activism”. Interested parties can sign up online using the local theatre's website, where they will also be able to browse the special LGBT+ program for the week (which, unfortunately, is not free, but those volunteering at any point over the week will be provided with two free tickets as one of their perks – either to be used alone for two events, or with a companion for one). The twice monthly LGBT+ book club is holding a special taster event on Wednesday evening, and the comic store is also holding special events each evening, focusing on a different LGBT+ character or author each night. Some of the religious institutions in the town are holding special LGBT affirmative services, and some are also holding drop in sessions. The RSPCA holds a pride themed dog show. Certain beauty stores, hair salons and barbers are holding trans-friendly sessions and workshops, some outside of normal working hours (although some are only accessible by signing up in advance). During the evening, there will be LGBT+ pub quizzes and special LGBT+ events up and down the high street. And, of course, plenty of other stores will also be taking advantage of the pink pound and the locals will notice the sudden influx of rainbow products, especially in the touristy shops along the beach front.

The main event is the pride parade, held from 11AM on Saturday, starting at the town hall, progressing along the main beach front road and ending up at the Green from around 2PM. It's a massive event, equal to Brighton or Manchester, with plenty of floats and sponsors. All along the parade route, flags, bunting and ribbons float in the sea breeze and barriers have been placed to keep the audience from getting under the feet of the walkers, dancers, prancers and stompers that will make up a part of the parade's diverse make-up. The parade itself is made up of an interesting mix of local businesses and big name sponsors; the local walking society walking behind Absolut vodka, the WI walking ahead of Skittles, and the local scouts being proceeded by Stonewall and followed by the Conservative Party.

There is one unforeseen thing happening this year though that will be throwing everyone into a tizzy for a bit: In between the last security check and the head of the pride parade arriving at the spot outside the town museum, someone has managed to sneak a giant cake in the way of the parade. The parade will come to an abrupt stop for almost half an hour while rumours run wild about the reason for which the parade has stopped, ranging from a terrorist attack to a romantic proposal. Eventually, the cake turns out to be entirely harmless, is removed and the parade continues. But news of it spread soon, and it is moved to a square where people are allowed to take pictures with it. It is, of course, heavily advised against trying to eat from it. Just that it doesn't explode doesn't mean that it meets food safety standards...

The Green has once again been set up with stalls for sponsors and local businesses, including charities like the RSPCA and the Samaritans. Those out for freebies won't be disappointed, with stickers, badges and sweets being handed out left, right and centre, especially by the representations of political parties who are doing their best to build some trust back up with the population. The local reproductive health centre also has a stand, handing out condoms, dental dams, and advice.

A dance area and a DJ have been set up around the bandstand, and with several bars having build temporary extensions, the party will go on well into the night, although the parade officially ends at nightfall, when there is a fireworks display. After the fireworks, the Green is temporary cleared, and after it reopens, only those with ID proving themselves to be 18 are allowed back inside. There is, however, an alternative, alcohol free party held in the town hall for any ages.

Pride officially concludes on Sunday evening with the Kings and Queens ball, an extension by tradition that is held in the Hive. With the bar cleared out to make a second dance floor, there is a flamboyant tie dress code, (as long as it's smart and fabulous, you'll be welcomed), and while tickets generally sell out months in advance, Alexander keeps a few to one side for late comers, and volunteers are (again) provided with two as part of their package. When the bell finally tolls at 2AM, and the last partygoers are sent home, Mossgate will return to it's usual, quiet self (but the glitter will take some time to clean up completely).


[ooc: Eating from the cake will give characters a plot echo. It will also make them high and give them indigestion the next day.]
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

IV

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-09-12 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie spots Sam sitting down and it manages to register through the happy cloud of the cake that, as someone who was a volunteer, she should go and check on him.

Skipping over she beams at him, "Hey, are you feeling okay? Do I need to get the ambulance people?"
scarsolderthanyou: (skeptical)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-09-17 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't need an ambulance," Sam snorts at her. "I just need to sit down for a while."

He pauses, arm moving away from his nose a little, then realizes: "You had some of that damn cake, didn't you. I can smell it." He's at least sure there is something off about that cake. The dizziness may or may not be because of it, but the intense sense of smell certainly is.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-09-18 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"I only had a little bit!" Sadie says defensively with a pout. That was a tone she was very familiar with from her own grandparents and usually signalled a telling-off.

Despite the cake she does manage to recognise the voice and she plops herself opposite him with a grin.

" You're Sam! The one with Walter and the plane!" She states proudly, you should be impressed that she recognised you Sam.
scarsolderthanyou: (patience)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-09-19 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, that's me. You know more than I do, don't have a name to go with the face," Sam comments. "Or the scent." Because he doesn't think he's ever going to forget what she smells like, now. Or anyone else, for that matter. It's seared into his poor old brain.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-09-19 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh! Right!" She holds out her hand grinning, "'M Sadie. Nice to meet you. I'm apparently going to turn into a cat person." The cake has ruined her mental filter and the pulls down her sunglasses so that Sam is confronted by a pair of Amber cat eyes.

"See?!"
scarsolderthanyou: (surprised)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-09-20 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Turning... into?" It takes his befuddled brain a moment to grasp that, blinking at her changed eyes in bafflement and growing alarm, putting his arm back up to block his nose again, for what little good it does. He doesn't, however, take her hand, he's too busy focusing on what that suggests. "What do you mean, you think there's going to be more?"
Edited 2018-09-20 22:20 (UTC)
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-09-21 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
Sadie nods vigorously and then pushes her glasses back up, thankfully maintaining enough common sense to remember that keeping her new eyes uncovered isn't the best idea.

"For me yep. Tail and ears at least. Maybe claws I dunno." Her drug-loosened lips still going. "Might get a smell thing like you. Us and Walter're trying to science this stuff but there's too many variables." She pouts at that, stupid variables being all...variable.
Edited 2018-09-21 11:40 (UTC)
scarsolderthanyou: (nope)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-09-25 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Walter does like his science." Says the man who suggested the first test of this phenomenon. "I don't like any of this. How do you know about the ears and tail? The memories?"
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-09-28 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Science is great!" Sadie cheers, "I want to science at uni, don't know where yet though. Maybe here 'cause of the memory thingy."

His questions get another happy nod from Sadie. "I keep seeing people with eyes and ears and tails. Saw a tiny person to, like a hobbit but more potato shaped. Don't think I'll be like that though."
scarsolderthanyou: (surprised)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-03 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hell." Sam doesn't like the sound of that. "I have wings in both of mine. Scales and claws, too. I'm pretty sure."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-06 09:02 am (UTC)(link)
The expression on Sadie's face turns to awe, "Like a dragon?! That would be amazing, you might be able to fly!"

Sadie then frowns, "Texting might be hard."
Edited 2018-10-06 09:02 (UTC)
scarsolderthanyou: (amused)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-08 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"A lot of things might be hard," Sam agrees dryly. "I'm pretty sure normal human beings would want to shoot down a dragon, and would scream seeing someone walking around with scales and claws."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-13 01:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"But dragons are cool! Wouldn't people be excited instead?!"
scarsolderthanyou: (skeptical)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-16 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not if they think they're going to be eaten or carried off or breathed fire at," Sam says grumpily. He really hopes he's not going to turn into a dragon, that's just... a big mess. A very big mess. Dragons aren't small, he's pretty sure.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-21 12:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie frowns, deep in thought. "So you're gonna end up like that one chef guy? You know who turns people into a Marks & Spencers Food Advert?" Hannibal. She's thinking of Hannibal.

"And not all dragons breathe fire! Some breathe ice instead. And some are really small." She counters. "Besides, you're still going to be a person even if you don't look like one, do you want to carry people away and eat them now?" If he says yes she is leaving.
Edited (html muckup) 2018-10-21 12:18 (UTC)
scarsolderthanyou: (thinking)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-22 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course not. I've got standards," Sam snorts, only about half-joking. He's not joking at all when he adds, more candidly than he normally would thanks to that dumb cake, " ... but if I'm turning into a dragon like you're turning into a cat, what if that changes?"
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-24 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie goes very, very quiet at that, shuffling her legs so that she ends up hugging her knees to her chest.

"I think it already has." Comes the sullen admittance from the teenager. "I have memories of how to hunt, rabbits, sheep, birds. And how to gut and eat them. It makes volunteering at the RSPCA difficult sometimes 'cause it becomes really loud in my head."
scarsolderthanyou: (patience)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-25 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do you want to gut and eat them, or do you just remember doing it, somehow?" Sam asks. "Because those are two very different things."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-26 12:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"No? But it becomes all I can think about, lots and lots of memories of hunting, and then knowing how I could do it in that situation."

"...Don't like it..." She sulks.
scarsolderthanyou: (smile)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-29 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Sam reaches over to pat her shoulder. "I don't think we're going to like most of this mess, kid. I just wish we knew more about why and how it's happening so maybe we could figure out a way out of it."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-10-30 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie nods as he pats her shoulder, "It's not fair. It's making people unhappy and who knows what's going to happen when people stop being able to hide their changes!"
scarsolderthanyou: (thinking)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-10-30 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly what Sam is worried about, hearing about the changes. "There's got to be a reason," he says grimly. "Something causing all this, that we can stop or work with. We just need to find it."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-11-01 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
"I guess...It just seems so big..."

"I just wanted to finish Sixth Form and go to university."
scarsolderthanyou: (amused)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-11-02 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"I just want to stay retired in peace and watch my grandchildren grow up," Sam agrees, not without sympathy. "Sometimes that just doesn't happen. Sorry, kiddo."
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2018-11-04 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
Sadie sighs, well this conversation had continued to take a depressing turn. "This sucks."

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