It's your chance to shine (June Swear-In)

[heliophilic]

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: CAPES Conservation Center, Heropa
WHEN: Saturday June 15th, evening
WHAT: Swear in!!
WARNINGS: None

To celebrate 5 successful FanPorts, FanPop, organizers of the aforementioned convention wanted to do something special and give back to the community. They've teamed up with the Center for Advancement & Protection of Endangered Species (CAPES) to throw the biggest, craziest gala of them all.




Any imPort who doesn't arrive in the appropriate theme (unleashing your inner hero) will be whisked away to a private area where a team of professional designers, stylists, and make-up artists will get them into whatever that imPort thinks suits that theme best, from all in to barely trying... though imPorts should really think about what will make a statement. As the stylists will insist, the bigger, the better.

Only once imPorts are in the appropriate attire will they be allowed to walk the gala's red carpet, where throngs of reporters are just dying to see what unique look will come along next. Feel free to rush past or play to the cameras.




The center has been completely decked out to fit the gala, with wall hangings of animals dressed as superheroes adorning the walls. The largest room, extinction hall, has been completely transformed into a 5-star dining room full of greenery, with strings of lights mimicking starlight dancing across the massive glass ceiling. Each imPort will find that their table, and even their seat, has been assigned, and a cute stuffed animal of an endangered species is waiting for them to remind them of the purpose of the night.

ImPorts are encouraged to explore the center, with many rooms on the first floor containing interactive, virtual exhibits showcasing the plight of the animals. One large room has been turned into a ballroom with famous musicians performing live, and an open bar in the back (where they will be checking ID). One room has a series of photobooths containing props for hero or animal transformations (or both).




The highlight of the event--and the main fundraising aspect--can be found on the second floor, in the clear stream rooms. These rooms, which are all clearly labelled, have a variety of cameras set up throughout in order to catch the best angles while imPorts engage in various fun activities. In order to access these streams, excited fans at home can donate money to CAPES to help save the animals. These activities include:

A Casino. ImPorts looking to test their luck can head into a room designed to look like a Vegas casino, where there are several tables set up for imPorts to play Poker, Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarrat. It can be a game for fun or a game for money, so be sure to ask which one's which before sitting down, or be in for a nasty (or unexpected) surprise!

Magic and Mayhem. ImPorts looking to have a little nerdy fun can pop in here, where a few local GMs from FanPort have been brought in to run quick, introductory games to the massively popular tabletop RPG.

Scavenger Hunt. The objective seems simple enough. Each imPort who enters the room is handed a piece of paper containing a series of animals, and the number of each animal they need to find. That's when the volunteer opens the inner door, and reveals several kiddie pools, each filled to the brim with tiny animal toys of varying species. Hurry up, there's only 15 minutes to complete the objective... and there's more than on imPort in there with a list.

Werewolf. Each imPort in the room is handed a slip of paper upon entering, denoting them as a human or werewolf, with a GM from FanPort brought in to moderate. Remember the rules; it's up to the humans to defeat the werewolves, and the werewolves to devour the humans. Don't forget to play smart to win.

Baking Competition. Cooking shows are always popular, and so the room host, comedian Natalie Whyer, has handed every imPort entering the room an extravagant animal-themed pastry, cookie, donut, or cake, escorts them to their well-stocked prep station, and gives them an hour to get it Spot On. The audience watching online hopes they don't.

Throughout the night imPorts will be ushered back to extinction hall for the next round of dinner, catered by famous celebrity chef Demeke Waro. Each course is somehow better than the last, and by dessert one might be too full to ever eat again.

For anyone looking to get away from it all for a few minutes, there's a beautiful greenhouse in the rear of the museum for quiet contemplation and mental battery recharging.

So what do you say imPorts? How much money are you going to help raise for a good cause?

Comments

[hordinglife]

When Lonnie finally makes it to the table she finds the scaled mammal at her seat and picks it up, turns it around to get a look at it. ....Is it an armored rat or something? She sees the name on the tag.]

A pangolin. [She looks at the girl next to her at the table.]

Here, you can have this one, too.

[girlybruiser]

[ Haru is utterly surprised someone would give away their plush animal without a second thought, so she naturally attempts to decline politely at first. She doesn't want to come across as a hoarder of some sort. ]

That is quite alright, I have my own. [ Looking at the pangolin toy. ] Is it not the animal you were hoping to get?

[hordinglife]

Didn't care, really. [She gives a shrug.] I don't need it, so someone has to take it. Otherwise it'll get kicked around on the ground.

[Which Lonnie doesn't care about either, but she'd rather avoid whatever spectacle might come from her dropping it on the ground and leaving it there. It's taking up her space at the table so she'd rather someone take it off her hands.]

[girlybruiser]

That would be quite terrible!

[ She doesn't want to imagine such an adorable toy being kicked about, getting dirtied and having its stuffing torn out. She doesn't make a move for the pangolin, but she suddenly has her eye on it, concerned for its well-being. ]

Especially as someone put an effort into making this toy. All their hard work would be undone so quickly.

[hordinglife]

[Terrible? It's...some kind of child's toy right? It's not a big deal. They didn't even have "toys" when she was little. They didn't have much of a point when you could use the simulator or a training field instead.]

Does it take a lot of work to make one of these? [She looks the animal over again.]

Doesn't look like much more than fabric and something fluffy inside.

[girlybruiser]

[ Haru had plenty growing up, but much of that was taken from her when she became of age, too. She still has a few she's been able to hold onto, but her father was always insistent on her "maturing into a fine, young woman". ]

Well, I don't know too much about the production of a stuffed toy, but it still took time and effort to make.

[ She pokes at her own bumblebee, amused by how soft it is. ]

I think whoever they are should be proud to have made such fine toys.

[hordinglife]

[Not as much time as it probably took to build a new weapon or new, more effective armor, Lonnie thinks.]

Does it make noise or talk and give facts?

[She saw some "toys" like that while she was in a store for general items she needed.]

[girlybruiser]

Um...

[ Does it? She has to reach over and place the bumblebee in her lap for a moment, giving it a gentle squeeze. There aren't any mechanisms that cause it to react to the physical sensation, so Haru looks over at Lonnie and shakes her head. ]

Not this one, it seems. That's okay! It's adorable on its own.

[hordinglife]

What does being "adorable" matter?

[Is that a genuine question? Yes, yes it is. The idea that something should exist purely to be "adorable" is just plain illogical to her. It sounds like something Scorpia would say.]

It would have been more useful to have real animals. They at least do things.

[girlybruiser]

[ Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today... but no, Haru isn't sure what to make of this girl. She's a bit... on the gruff side, almost like Cass when she thinks about it. ]

Perhaps, but to parade them around when we are supposed to be helping them would push for a mixed message, would it not?

[hordinglife]

Maybe, but do people care about these animals when they don't get to see them? [Since that does make sense, but the whole idea of "protecting" animals like this? She doesn't understand the point. What are they getting out of it?]

[girlybruiser]

Many people do.

[ This other girl has a lot of questions, but they seem to generally not understand the Swear-In's themes. Haru has to wonder if it's her first then.

She taps her chin thoughtfully, eyeing Lonnie with renewed interest. She doesn't recognize the face from the Network, but to be fair, it's not as if she knows everyone. ]

Is this your first time attending a Swear-In?

[hordinglife]

[She doesn't feel defensive like she did earlier about that question, having accepted she just has the look of a rookie.]

Yeah, I only arrived a few days ago. I guess being new is really obvious around here.

[girlybruiser]

Just a little bit.

[ She hopes the other girl doesn't feel strange about it. Haru offers her an amiable smile, gesturing to herself then. ]

I'm Haru. What's your name?