riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: HYGGE

Entry tags:

introductory mingle: HYGGE

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Hygge celebration
when: The month of December.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

hygge

In the days leading up to December 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Hygge. This holiday is one of Riverview Quarantine's four yearly celebrations of love, this one focused on familial love and found family. The traditions associated with Hygge involve coziness and warmth with loved ones, as snow begins to blanket the Quarantine. Meals comprised of family favorites are shared together most nights of the month of December, and families both biological and found gather together by outdoor fires to drink hot cocoa and other warm drinks, roast marshmallows, and enjoy the beauty of the short-lived winter season on the moon, especially at night, when both the stars and almost unreal aurora borealis light the night sky.

a celebration of familial love and found family

Winter comes to the moon very quickly every year, as the orbit of the Capitol World crosses between its moon and the sun - the temperature drops to just below freezing in the span of only a couple of days, and the trees often don't even change from green to orange. During this short winter, the celebration of Hygge keeps all the residents warm. The main traditions involve comfort and warmth with those people you think of as family - platonic or romantic, though preferably mixed between the two - groups of people gather together to share meals and exchange gifts. The city sets up a series of cabins, each fronted with a fire pit, along the banks of the river, which has been lined with floating logs to interrupt the rushing water and allow the surface to freeze solid and form a series of skating rinks for the public to enjoy. Throughout the month, anyone can head down to the riverbank to make taffy candy in troughs of cold snow and share the various flavors with other families, or toboggan along winding, circuitous courses that range from easygoing to high-speed for the adrenaline junkies. The Town Square has a large, intricate ice sculpture set up, this year in the theme of a castle, that once entered proves to be a maze with a prize at the center for anyone who happens to make it through.

i. beach treats

The cabins that are set up all along both banks of the river are small and cozy, big enough to provide a comfortable lounging area with piles of pillows in front of a small fireplace where gift exchanges can happen, a kitchen to cook in, and a table for groups of people to share a meal at. Much like hotel rooms but without a fee, they're intended to be claimed at the start of the day and used for a while before being tidied and reset for the next group. Each cabin has a fire pit out front where a fire can be set up so groups of people can cook marshmallows for their hot chocolate and share stories or play music together.

Another major feature on the beach are the candy making areas, each big enough to accommodate a couple groups of people, featuring a bank of burners that keep various flavors of thick sugary syrup hot and ready. Once the syrup is at the right temperature, it can be drizzled into the snow packed in troughs to chill, and then rolled onto popsicle sticks to be eaten as a sweet chewy treat. Many families have their own particular flavor combos that are the go-to every year, and new families gather every year to start their own tradition.

ii. winter activities

After all that sugar, everyone's sure to be pepped up for a little activity! Every year, just before the big freeze, crews set up a grid of floating logs to calm the surface of the river along the banks, and when the temperature drops, those areas freeze into a thick layer of ice. As soon as they're safe to be skated on, booths pop up to fit residents with skates so they can skate around with loved ones, participate in ice dances, and play the ice skating version of almost any sport you can think of.

But skating isn't the only type of activity available! The sloping banks of the river have been set up with a variety of tobogganing courses, where people can share various types of sleds to slide down various set winding paths ranging from slow sloped ones to steeper, higher-speed ones that almost resemble bobsled courses.

Finally, for the more competitive, there is a less-gender-divided variation on a Lumberjack Competition, with various physical events that residents can compete in like sawing massive logs, logrolling, speed climbs, and boom runs.

iii. skygazing

After all that sugar and activity, lots of groups of family will settle down around fires either at the cabin or along the beach to enjoy a cup of spiked hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, and look up at the sky. Throughout the cold snap season in December, the sky is almost unnaturally clear and both the stars and the Capitol World are easy to see. Besides that, large swaths of the sky are bathed in beautiful aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, that paint large swaths of bright, beautiful color across the night sky. Curl up with a lover, a friend, a family member, or all of the above to keep warm and enjoy nature's fireworks show.

iv: ice maze

In the city center, residents can find a large, beautiful, intricately carved castle-themed ice sculpture. From the outside, it looks only about as big as a small house, but once residents enter they will find that the inside doesn't quite match the outside - courtesy of some of Gramarye Magic Research's top magic-users, the inside is massive, at least the size of a stadium. While cheery music plays, residents can traverse the complicated ice maze, each wall intricately carved and decorated with greenery, lights, and translucent watercolor paints. The walls are almost opaque, and the maze generally takes a couple of hours to get through for most residents.

Once they reach the center, they will find wrapped gifts arranged on a series of beautifully decorated tables, along with treats and warm drinks. The gifts are tailored to each individual in the maze, having been magically selected from a stockpile of items that have come through the portal, and consist of one small item from each character's home dimension (or, for CRAUs, from their previous game), similar to the "items from home" bonus reward, but without needing to spend points. The item should be small enough to fit in a shoebox, sentimental, and cannot be something intended for another person's character. Alternately, if there are no special items from home that a particular character would want or be attached to, an item of similar size and value that would make the character happy will be inside the box.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up the mod-posted prompt to create a Communal Housing floor mingle. Or, if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the Hygge, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Ryan Woodhouse; image ii: Hjalmar Wåhlin; image iii: David Fortin; image iv: Tzuyu Kao

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I ... strangely, I miss Kate. [ She would ruffle his hair and clearly thought him more of an imp than a threat. ] Chavez too, but her in a more self-defeating way.

[ Hm. How to sound less mopey? ]

David's strong jawline, ahh ...

I miss them, too. Kate used to text me all the time, even when she was off hanging around with other superheroes. It feels really weird to days like this without something from her about cute boys. And America's attitude.

( everything feels weird without america standing around being badass. he pushes against loki at the jawline comment though, stumbles a bit before gripping down harder on him. )

As great as his jawline is, you were way too young for that.

Until I wasn't.

[ As legendary as it is that Loki crashed and burned on the New Year, he's still pleased David had a legitimate reason to reject him. Fancying goody-goody types instead can't be helped, he supposes, so no hard feelings. At least Lorelei slept with him after hearing about it, even though she wouldn't stop smirking for hours. ]

It was all for naught, fear not. David said I'm not his type.

[ THERE, have some gossip while you almost fall over. ]

( well that's. that's true, he supposes. he's still not used to an older loki hanging around that crowd though--so. hands still bracing against loki, he moves a few paces forward, towards the far side of the lake. )

Sorry his strong jawline didn't work in your favor. I'm sure you'll find someone else eventually.

Nah, I'm gonna go stag forever. Figure I could make it into a lifestyle choice, like salmon bagels for breakfast.

[ It's the exact same thing, essentially. Ensuring Billy is stable, Loki starts a slightly faster pace toward the emptier half of the lake. ]

You're one of the clingiest people I have ever met. Are you sure you can handle that?

( it's not a complaint but also. going faster is a little easier than going slow on ice; billy's grip loosens a bit as they pick up pace, hands falling away again after a few more moments. )

I'm not clingy.

[ His goodwill dries up as he circles Billy widely once let go, keeping a certain distance as if to prove it. ]

You are so clingy.

( not that there's anything particularly wrong with that, but. loki can move away, billy's just going to keep going forward so he doesn't wobble around again. )

You grab onto me every chance you get. You're really into cuddling. It's not bad.

[ His frown deepens, considering what Billy points out. All the instances in which he touches or reaches for him are because he wants to be closer, to share his space, but is he being worse than he realises? Billy used to sidle up to him before and never minded when Loki drew near. Tony encouraged any sort of intimacy, platonic or not. Jason lets him call him up for sleepovers and nothing else, his best friend on the moon who even said that he likes to be there for him, but is he taking it too far? He used to love how easygoing Verity was around him, like he was normal.

Loki doesn't like the predictability, the transparency of his actions. His skin itches as he skates around Billy. ]

It's not the best description you can give a guy.

( ah. so he hit a nerve. billy slides to a stop on the ice, moves his arms up to wrap them around his stomach and presses his lips together tight. this is one of those famous foot-in-mouth situations, isn't it: where he said things he probably should have worded entirely differently than he had, but opened his mouth too seconds too soon and didn't quite think it through. )

If I didn't like it, I'd tell you to stop. ( that much should be obvious enough; billy knows when to tell others to stop, or when to leave him alone. ) There's nothing wrong with it. You're fine the way you are.

( as far as being loki goes, this loki is quickly becoming his preferred loki. he pauses for a moment, carefully considers his next words before speaking: ) I mean. . honestly, I like it when you reach out to me. ( when he holds onto him, wraps his fingers around billy's own. it's an anchor, something that helps tie billy down to reality. ) I'm not--complaining. Promise.

( after another hesitant moment to get his feet settled on the ice, billy's raising a hand out to loki, palm up. ) I'm not any better.

[ All platitudes and kind words aside, he resolves to put a little distance between himself and people for the foreseeable future for the sake of his own peace of mind. King Loki went insane because he was a social creature that Asgardian society mocked and ostracised, so Loki won't take too many steps away from his friends but he can't see the harm in regaining a little dignity. ]

It remains. Never mind, the new perspective is appreciated. [ He lets his hand slide into Billy's, looser than before. ] How long are you planning on skating for?

Edited 2017-12-04 19:29 (UTC)

( that's fine; it just means billy will have to resolve to hold on even tighter, to hold onto loki a little bit harder. there is nothing wrong with loki's level of intimacy, not really; he feels bad for even making it sound like there might be something wrong with it at all. loki's fingers hold on looser, but billy's grip on tighter. )

I'm about done, I think. This has been enough skating excitement for today. ( fingers move to entangle in loki's own as he takes a step forward, moves to turn his skates around towards the more crowded side of the lake. )

You haven't fallen over, you're doing better than most. [ Some people don't have a surrogate godling looming around their wobbles and go down quite hard. ~~It's pretty funny.~~ ] I have to fetch Freyja. Let's pick her up and get something hot to drink, I think they're spiking the wine.

[ Which they should definitely head for, is the hopeful insinuation. ]

Most of them don't have you keeping them up. ( billy would have been on his ass long before now if loki hadn't been holding onto him. he doesn't lean into him as he heads back, mainly because all billy's got here is his hand, and that's not gonna help him from falling over if he leans into it. )

( spiked drinks aren't quite his thing, but: ) Sounds good.

I ...

[ I don't care if they fall over.

Clearing his throat to cover how his sentence dies on his tongue, reviewed a moment too late, he leads Billy to the edge of the lake where logs are helpfully lying around for skaters to de-razor their feet. Loki's skates vanish from underfoot with a green sparkle when he steps onto land, his boots are the Seven-League pair that were briefly modified. ]

I'll be right back. Wait here, I'll grab the slithery longcat?

Edited 2017-12-04 19:57 (UTC)

I'll get my shoes.

( because unlike some people, he didn't magic his skates on. but billy's books aren't too far off. the ice skates are a little difficult to get off--but the boots are easy to slip on after. and he doesn't wander off from there, just waits for loki to return with freyja before grabbing back onto his hand, if loki will let him. )

Just to warn you ahead of time: I don't drink spiked wine. ( so he's never really gotten drunk before. )

[ Freyja buries herself under the vulpine fur of Loki's collar, his hand taken by Billy without protest or cheer. It seems fair to let him do as he will, since he has allowed Loki to get away with being needy for so long. ]

It's usually tainted with leftover mead from the summer, I have to wonder what they'll use on this moon instead. I'm curious to see if it'll affect me.

[ Midgardian alcohol has no effect but who knows what the heck is brewed beyond the portal. ]

( this is what he gets for opening his mouth, isn't it. there's not really much else billy can do aside from run with it, so he--runs with it. keeps his hand in loki's own, wraps his arm a bit around him and leans into his side. )

Being a god sure can be inconvenient. ( if loki wants to get drunk at least. ) Don't you have some uh--special drink at your club?

( once they reach the warm drinks, billy's getting a decent sized cup of it for himself using his free hand, but still keeps a firm grip on loki's hand with the other. it makes everything a bit more time consuming, but it's worth the hassle. )

[ It doesn't go unnoticed that Billy is quietly holding his hand hostage but Loki is curious to see where he goes with it and orders his own flagon one-handed, sipping cautiously. ]

The Green Mile, yes, but I don't just want to drink that forever. Anyway, I went off it ... a while ago.

[ When Tony left and Loki decided he may as well spend a week drunk off his ass since no one from either Asgard or Midgard cared if he was around. That was a bad time. So, so many Green Miles. ]

This isn't too bad, it tastes fruity. How about yours?

You keep an eye on me and I'll keep an eye on you? ( for any bad life decisions they may regret immensely later. or something of the sort. loki's hesitance catches his attention enough for him to offer it, at least.

and billy raises his cup to his lips, takes a sip of it. pauses for a moment to taste the liquid inside before he's taking a few more, larger drinks from the cup. )

It tastes pretty good. ( loki's hand? it belongs to billy now, thank you. he's not letting go. he's even shifting his weight over to lean in against him as he raises the cup once more. )

Sounds like a deal.

[ He squints down at him, a sigh ruffling Billy's fringe when Loki can keep silent no longer. ]

Is this an extended apology, you're now my own personal limpet? I'm certainly not keeping you warm, so that can't be it.

( both of his hands are full, so billy shakes his head to fix his fringe, since he doesn't have any free fingers to brush through it. the strands weren't too displaced regardless, so it's fine. )

I like holding onto you. Unless you don't want me to?

Yes, but why do you like it? Weeks ago you found it strange, now I feel like this is a pity party.

[ Staring down at Billy steadily. ]

I don't understand you at all.

( he's. going to take a moment to quickly down whatever is left in this cup first before speaking, thank you. it gives him a few moments to brace himself, to think before opening his mouth. )

And you think I do? Loki, I don't understand myself.

( it's not untrue, but he's sure it's like that for most people. billy thinks himself into holes more often than not, and this? this is probably just another one of those. )

Maybe I'm just lonely. Maybe I'm being really selfish.

I don't mind assuaging your loneliness but let's be honest this time because I don't want to kid myself again that you're ever going to cheat on Teddy, something I can't believe I ever thought possible. I like being around you too, Billy. You can be selfish all you want, I'm worse. You have no idea how badly I'd like to kiss the heat of that drink from your mouth right now, but I would never do that. No longer.

So here are my terms: if you'd do it with Kate then it's alright with me too. Yes?

introductory mingle: HYGGE

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