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

navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Way harsh, Tai.

[So very deadpan. Not that Tony's actually offended, and it's obvious. That kind of a jab is practically a friendly hello in his world, and probably means Cisco would fit in just fine.

So he blithely ignores that moment of doubt written across Cisco's face, in favor of shooting him an amused look.]

So you weren't kidding about the coordination thing, huh?

[ Cisco relaxes, then - if he had offended Tony, he almost certainly wouldn't have responded by quoting Clueless, so he figures he's in the clear. And he feels that is confirmed by the Tony commenting on his lack of coordination. ]

Not even a little bit kidding.

[ Despite that, though, Cisco seems to be keeping his feet on the ice for the time being. He keeps matching Tony's technique, but he relaxes a little, not watching quite so intensely. He might have some issues, if they have to stop abruptly, or anything gets in his way. But now that he has some momentum, he is doing alright. ]

How'd you get better at that kinda stuff? I don't mean roller skating or whatever. I mean, like, flying and shooting lasers and saving people all at the same time. Iron Man stuff. I mean did you have some kind of training regimen or what?

[It earns a slightly startled look out of the corners of his eyes, though okay, Tony can track the thought process. He's quiet for a moment as he works through what he wants to say, letting himself move on autopilot through the mostly-remember movements.]

It's different, with the armor. I built literally every piece of it, so I know exactly how it all works. But it's -- it's going to sound stupid, but it's just practice. Working with it over and over. I could probably build a new suit with my eyes closed and I still nearly took my head off a couple of times when I was testing it out.

[In retrospect, it's a little worrying how close he came to killing himself a time or two. Maybe he's just getting old. Mature. One of those.]

But no, nothing so organized. I was working on my own and I was driven enough to keep pushing through the concussions. Do that often enough and you just learn, I guess.

[ Now it's Cisco's turn to look startled; concussions weren't anything to joke about, as far as he's concerned. He'd gotten one when Hartley had blown his way out of the pipeline, and it had been very, very painful. But Tony's just talking about it as if it were nothing. And the fact that he'd been alone, that he'd kept on going in spite of his health, all because he wanted to be able to help people... it's frustrating, and admirable, and worrying. ]

I've been thinking. I'm just about finished with the prototype. For the gauntlets I told you about. The ones to channel my powers.

[ He hadn't spoken to Tony about his powers since that initial conversation, after he'd found out about them from Cisco's memory. All this time, he'd appreciated the fact that Tony hadn't brought them up, hadn't asked questions or prodded or pried. ]

I've been thinking I should start testing them out and maybe... training or practicing or whatever, so I can fight, if I need to.

[ Cisco doesn't really love the idea of throwing himself into danger, but the two of them both know all too well that sometimes danger came to you, and didn't give you any other option. If that happens, Cisco wants to be ready. He wants to be able to contribute. Considering the amount of heroes they have here, it seems almost inevitable that some kind of villain will come through eventually, if they haven't already. Or perhaps there would be a home-grown one here in the Quarantine. ]

And I thought maybe... I mean you've been doing the whole superhero gig a lot longer than me. Maybe we could... spar, or you know. Whatever it is people do.

[It shouldn't really, but it still makes Tony smile a little wryly. The idea of Tony Stark training anyone else. Somewhere, Rhodey is probably killing himself laughing and has no idea why.]

We can do that. [It sounds a little cautious, though it's more because Tony's working through things as he says them, rather than being worried about the idea.] I can also try to set up some training programs or something. In case you don't actually want to try sparring with a walking tank.

[Tony has no illusions about his abilities in a fight outside of the suit, but sometimes it is a bit overkill.

Since Cisco seems to have the skating thing mostly in hand, Tony speeds up just a little and then spins around, facing Cisco while he skates backwards. Easier to have a conversation that way.]

I can also hook you up with people who are better at that kind of thing.

Hmmm, you think starting off at tank level might be a bit of overkill?

[ There's some sarcasm in the way that Cisco says that, but he's also clearly relieved that Tony is willing to help. Just knowing that is already taking some weight off his shoulders.

When Tony turns around and starts skating backwards, facing Cisco, his mouth drops open in shock. The look on his face is impressed and mildly offended. ]

Okay now that's just unfair!

[ He's gotten enough momentum now, though, that he can keep going without needing to watch what Tony's doing, and the conversation itself is distracting enough that he can't start overthinking where he's putting his feet. Tony's suggestion is logical, in a way, except for one rather big problem - ]

Uh. Who'd you have in mind? 'Cause I can't think of anybody who's better at tech than you. And... I'd have to tell them about my powers, right?

[Tony flashes him a grin at the mild outrage, but he's not about to let himself be distracted now. It seems like Cisco's given this a fair amount of thought, so it was only fair for him to do the same.]

Depends, sort of. If you're just looking to figure out how the tech is working, then yeah, I'm your guy. But if you want something more like actual fight training, there are better options.

[And look at that, his ego didn't even shrivel up and die. He's clearly growing as a person.]

You wouldn't necessarily have to tell them. It'd help, obviously, but that's up to you. But these guys...I'd trust them. I do trust them.

[ The truth is, Cisco hadn't really been looking for help with the tech itself, so much as fighting techniques. A stubborn part of him still wants to insist that Tony is a fine option, that he doesn't need the best or even better, but he bites that objection back. Tony doesn't sound as if he's trying to weasel out of something he plain doesn't want to do, and Cisco thinks that if it came down to it, Tony is the sort who wouldn't hesitate to just say 'no' if he wasn't interested. ]

Who'd you have in mind?

[ Perhaps it ought to follow, logically, that if he trusts Tony, he can trust the people that Tony trusts. But thinking about the reality of it is pretty daunting. Then again... the whole thing is daunting. If he's ever going to take control, learn to use his power for good the way that Tony had advised, he's going to have to deal with a certain degree of discomfort. ]

I guess I am trying to, y'know. Get better about telling people what I can do...

[Tony gives the slow nod of someone who doesn't entirely get the problem, but is willing to go along with it anyway. Cisco clearly has hangups about the whole thing, and Tony doesn't have to understand them to be willing to take him at face value.]

Like I said, up to you. If you just said you wanted self defense training or whatever, he could probably hook you up. Cap, I mean. [He pauses for a second, before a faintly amused smile flicks over his face.] Either of them, honestly. I'm not saying I can't be there to help, but I'm not really a combat guy like they are.

[ Cisco is still tempted to tell Tony that he would rather train with him, regardless of whether he's a combat guy, but he bites it back. If he's really serious about this, about learning to fight, and control his powers enough that he can use them to fight without accidentally killing anyone or wreaking havoc, then he should choose whoever is best qualified. No matter how scary it is. He's spent too long letting himself be afraid, making allowances for his own fear. It's time he started telling his fear no. ]

Maybe you could... ask one of them if they're interested in teaching, and, um, if the answer's yes, introduce us?

[ He realizes that he's still asking Tony for favors, but it's also much easier to imagine actually going through with it if he's not just cold texting a stranger - even if it is a stranger Tony trusts. ]

I can do that.

[The answer comes easy, even if there's a slight wry tinge to it. If Tony knows either of those men, it'll probably mean him getting roped into actual training too, but that's a cross he can bear. Probably. If anything ends up involving dawn runs, somebody's ending up in a snowbank.]

You want me to tell them about your thing or leave that up to you?

I... can do that part.

[ He weighs it quickly in his head, and decides that if whoever is training him is going to know about his powers, he should take that opportunity and use it to practice telling people about them. He's getting better at it, sure, but there's still a long way to go. Training to use his powers to fight is important, but so is learning to talk about them naturally, without a huge fuss and total anxiety attack.

Cisco grins, then, warm and grateful. ]

Thanks, Tony. Seriously. I really-

[ At which point Cisco let's one foot glide just a bit too far and he ends up spinning out and flailing straight into a snowbank once again. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

introductory mingle: HYGGE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject