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

[ He brightens, equal parts relief and encouragement. ]

Maybe they have those kinds of flowers in the garden? Or something like them.

We can look for them.

[ The softest of smiles teases at her lips, and she goes back to resting her head on Peter's shoulder. ]

We can go when you're less likely to lose your fingers to the cold.

[ Peter opens his mouth to respond, but then he casts her an unimpressed look – though considering their positioning, it goes lost on her. His voice, at least, conveys the mood for him. ]

That was not two minutes.

[ ... it was probably longer than two minutes, in fact, but still. ]

[ She gives a short hum. ]

You're right.

[ And she tilts her chin up to look at him, smug as can be. ]

It was at least four.

[ His nose wrinkles with distaste, mouth twisting to one side. ]

Where'd you learn to be so annoying?

[ Although he has a pretty good idea on the answer to that, already.

(Peter, of course. If it had to be from anywhere, it was definitely Peter.

He's taught her too well.) ]

[ Gamora sits up properly this time, pulling back – though not terribly far – enough to give him a flat, pointed look. ]

I wonder.

[ His own eyes narrow, as if he were affronted by the implication of her words.

Then, he aims a sharp sigh up at the night sky, his breath puffing out in a white cloud. ]

How many times do I have to say it's fine before you believe me?

I will believe you when it looks less like your nose is going to freeze off.

[ And now she's just messing with him.

But, despite her apparent worry over Peter in the cold, she resettles against his shoulder, tucking herself close again. ]

When should we look for the flowers?

[ Another unimpressed look, cast in her direction, but it’s wasted, considering she’s no longer looking up at him.

He does, however, wrinkle his nose a little, reaching up with a gloved hand to rub at the bridge. ]

Whenever you’re free. I’m easy like Sunday morning.

Maybe whenever the festival winds down?

[ A quiet hum of agreement as she looks back towards the sky. ]

That works for me.

[ She pauses, a little quieter when she adds, ]

... This has been nice.

[ The little comment catches him by surprise, and he blinks, turning slightly to look at her.

Like, okay, she’s not wrong,and in spite of all the teasing about his inability to handle the cold, he was thinking the same thing, too. It sucks that they’re stuck here, sure, and it sucks that they don’t have the rest of the team here, that they have no idea of when they’ll be able to go home (if they can go home), but—

It’s been nice. In general. Not just now, though that’s definitely true, but all the months they’ve spent here. Part of him doubts he’ll be able to handle all this peace and quiet for much longer, that if something exciting doesn’t happen soon he might go stir-crazy, but for now? God, did they need this break. Saving the galaxy twice in as many months definitely warrants at least a year’s worth of vacationing, right?

He smiles a little, warmth curling in his chest at how serene Gamora looks, how all these months have led to them becoming closer and closer. All they need to do is step over that line, and they’re teetering so close. All either of them need is a quick nudge. ]

Yeah. [ Equally quiet and earnest. ] It has been.

[ She likes the way his voice sounds. She likes that softness to it – and isn't that so impossibly strange, too? That they can be soft with each other, that Gamora is even capable of it. Months ago, before the Guardians, before all of this, she never would have thought that a quality of herself, because she'd learned to shut it down. Soft is weakness. Soft is vulnerability. Soft will get her killed.

She doesn't believe that anymore.

Yes, soft is vulnerability. But to be soft with those she cares about? That is not weakness.

She doesn't even seem to realize that a smile has found its way to her lips, and she readjusts against Peter's side, turning her head to press her face against his neck, nosing into his scarf. She can't see the sky anymore, but that doesn't really matter; being close to Peter has become more important in the moment.

It might seem like nuzzling. Maybe. ]

[ He can’t quite feel it, as she cuddles with him (and holy shit, Gamora is cuddling with him, what the fuck this is awesome). All he really gets is the pressure of it, with the scarf acting as a barrier between their bare skin. Then again, it’s probably for the best. Even if Gamora runs a few degrees warmer than him, he’s still not sure he’d appreciate the shocking chill of her skin against his.

As it is now, he grins, feels something warm bloom and burst in his chest, feels something flutter in his stomach, and he wraps his arm around her shoulders, his gloved hand resting against the nape of her neck. Fuck, this is nice, and he’d never expected to have this with Gamora, of all people – even if he hoped. And occasionally dreamed. And occasionally day-dreamed, watching her a little wistfully in their shared apartment – even if she caught him at it, like, a third of the time.

(Of course, she probably noticed every time, but only called him on it as the mood struck. And Peter knows it, deep down in his heart.)

He swallows, licking his lips, and he turns toward her. And slowly, almost timidly, he brushes his lips against her brow.

It might seem like a kiss, barely there as it was. Maybe. ]

[ Where months ago, she would have balked at being so close to someone, now, she melts into him. A hand on her neck should alarm her, should immediately have her on high alert, but it doesn't. She isn't lost in the moment or some music, isn't distracted when she lets him close, and instead, she's allowing herself to enjoy this wholeheartedly.

And then there's that kiss. The thing that might be a kiss. It feels like a kiss, at least, and Gamora smiles with it – really and truly smiles. Because she doesn't doubt Peter's intentions anymore. There's no part of her that thinks Peter is trying to get something out of her or treat her like one of his "waifs" – though she also distantly realizes that she can't think of any such women or men since they've been here. Maybe Peter's been subtle, but... she doesn't believe that.

She believes in this thing. This weird, unspoken-spoken thing between them that makes her heart sing and her stomach dance, and—

And it's good.

She shifts, equally tentative, until her nose brushes against his chin, and then his cheek. Lightly, gently, her lips press to his jaw.

That definitely seems more like a kiss this time. Maybe. ]

[ Oh, shit.

Shit, this is actually happening, isn't it?

Be cool, Quill, he tells himself, trying to calm his hammering heart while it threatens to crack open his ribs. He licks his lips again – a nervous sort of tic – and predictably, a dull sort of chill accompanies the press of her nose against his skin. It's easily ignored, though, considering the soft press of her lips.

When she pulls back, he— sort of just stares at her while the lights above flash green and teal, playing across her face, catching in the silver lines etched into her cheeks and brow, and— man, she's stunning. Drop-dead fucking gorgeous. Hot as hell. For a second, his breath catches in his chest before it drifts out of him in a soft, disbelieving sort of laugh.

Peter leans forward after that, slowly closing the space, giving her time to draw back or put a stop to this.

Hopefully his intentions are clear enough. Because this is 100% going to be a kiss. ]

[ This isn’t Knowhere. This isn’t some dingy bar on a backwater planet or the chaos of a battle or some save-the-galaxy ordeal. This is just them, after months of questions, after dancing (literally and figuratively) around the sparks that catch between them, and instead of drawing a knife, instead of extinguishing that fire before it can ignite—

Gamora leans into him.

What are they doing? What have they been doing? The last time they tried to discuss this, Gamora had grudgingly admitted that she doesn’t know how to articulate what she wants. She doesn’t know what this is supposed to look like, and at the end of the day, she’s terrified of what that might do to their friendship. (And isn’t that ironic? Gamora, terrified. Fearless she may often seem, but this is different.) Peter means so much more to her than she could have ever expected, and she doesn’t want to lose her—

—her best friend.

But that hasn’t changed how comfortable, how easy things have felt between them. She holds his hand without an ounce of hesitation, makes herself at home against his side on their couch, even falls asleep tucked under his arm after particularly long days. She trusts him implicitly, enough to let her guard down.

Because even if she’s worried about how this could affect them, she isn’t worried about what Peter might do. She’s concerned about her own missteps, her own inexperience, her own baggage. That could weigh all of this down beyond the reasonable, and...

She doesn’t want to do that to him.

But she does want this. There’s no point denying it – because to do so would be a blatant lie – and, in reality, how much could things really change if they just... finally cross that last line?

Apparently, she’s about to find out.

Like most things, she appreciates that Peter gives her time to change her mind, leaves that decision wide open, but instead of shutting this down, she closes the scant inches between them to press her lips to Peter’s.

It’s a kiss beyond half a year in the making – and it’s worth every second of the wait. ]

[ There is a handful of seconds where Peter's brain completely and utterly shorts out, and he freezes when her lips meet his. He's wanted to kiss her for so damn long – probably since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but he fully admits that that was purely physical. That, and the balcony on Knowhere, was "oh hell, she's hot," and nothing more.

He's wanted Gamora for— hell, ages now. Almost a year, really. Ever since they stood with the others in the wreckage of the Dark Aster. Ever since they were reacquainting themselves with the newly repaired Milano, and she had smiled at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

Much like it does now. It skips a couple beats, in fact, before it gets back on task. The kiss is gentle, tentative, and admittedly, Peter's nose is practically an ice cube, thanks to the weather. It's completely different from the way Peter usually kissed – when making out with some dude or lady or whatever in a dingy bar would lead to stumbling through streets, would lead to tumbling into a bed, would lead to walks of shame the next morning – but, god, this is so much better. And he wants to do this again, and again, and again, but—

He reluctantly pulls back, searching her face, and his eyes practically sparkle with a frankly uncool surge of giddiness. But he reins it in enough to ask, ]

Is... this okay?

[ The fact that he kissed her. The fact that they haven't really talked about what the hell is going on with them, but that this particular step makes them a Them. A couple. And maybe that's not what Gamora really wanted? Maybe she just got caught up in the moment, so— ]

Are you sure about this?

[ He wants to be certain. He wants her to be certain.

And he's offering her one last out. ]

[ It's another opportunity to step back, to turn away from the moment, from this and him if she wanted to – but she doesn't. No part of her wants to erase that kiss, and, in fact, she wants to do it again and again and again. It was exactly what she'd hoped it would be and more, and she doesn't regret it.

Shifting her arm from around his waist, she moves to cup his jaw – even though the chill has definitely set in – as she swipes her thumb along his cheek. ]

Completely.

[ And to not only reassure him, but also seal the realness of this, she leans in to kiss him again. ]

[ He hisses a little, her fingers cold against his skin, but— you know what? It’s fine. He can take it. It’s worth it, he thinks, and he grins at the certainty imbued into that single word.

Thank god, he thinks, because if she had stepped back from this, if she had wanted to rewind he last, like, minute of their lives, Peter wasn’t sure what he would have done, aside from feel devastated.

When she leans forward for round two, he closes the rest of the space, pressing his lips to hers without hesitation – still careful, of course, still gentle, because that’s how they’ve been progressing so far, and it’s working. His fingers tangle into her curls, his other hand reaching up to press hers more firmly against his cheek – a bid to keep her in place and to chafe a little more warmth into her.

He pulls back (even if he’s pretty sure he could stay like that all night, just kissing her), and, okay, there’s a really stupid smile curling his lips, crooked and bright and, these days, solely reserved for Gamora. ]

You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.

[ ... which probably isn’t true. She probably knows exactly how long, because even if he isn’t aware of it, his crush on Gamora was probably the worst kept secret in the galaxy. ]

[ It's slow, easy, and even without the need to rush, it's perfect – because there is no rush, is there? It's just them, feeling their way through this and finding their footing together. That's how they've been muddling through something they both have no experience with, and other than their failure to discuss this, they've still been... making it work. ]

I think I could guess.

[ A tease, accompanied by the crook of her lips as she basks in the brightness of his smile.

She leans in, resting her forehead against Peter's with a deep, content sigh. ]

But I'm glad we're doing it now.

[ And that's honest, affectionate and meaningful in a way that Gamora often struggles with – because she's so much more show-not-tell. ]

[ He breathes out a quiet laugh, a few shades brighter than usual from relief, from that surge of giddiness.

But they still need to figure this thing out, and they still need to decide what they are and what they aren’t, and Peter sobers a little, smile dimming but not disappearing. ]

So, are we...

[ He pauses, then switches gears. ]

Does this mean we’re...

[ He trails off a little uncertainly, chewing on his lip, before he pulls back to search her face. ]

We’re— doing this, right? [ Even if “this” is a terribly imprecise way of expressing it. Peter’s vocabulary has always left quite a bit to be desired. ] This isn’t a one-off?

[ She meets his eyes with that same level of conviction she usually has, that determination and reassurance. ]

Not a one-off. [ It's not a fluke, not a whim, not some passing urge. ]

I want this with you.

[ Whatever "this" really is. Them. A thing. A real, spoken, guaranteed thing. ]

[ Aaaaand that grin is returning in full force, comforted by that conviction in her voice. He nods, probably a little too much, a little too quickly – a mix of nerves and a burst of adrenaline. ]

Okay. Okay. Cool. We’re—

[ Peter laughs a little, disbelieving and bright. ]

Good. Rad. Awesome. I’m— glad we cleared that up.

[ Finally. ]

[ He's definitely babbling, and as much as it's endearing, she's half-worried his nerves and excitement might actually make him explode.

To shut him up – and because she just wants to – Gamora closes the gap between their lips to kiss him all over again. Because she can now, because this is a thing – and she didn't really realize how much she would enjoy all of it she got the chance to experience it.

It's perfect. Better than perfect.

... Of course, she's not going to say that, because she's already said a good deal. She hopes the kiss conveys it instead. ]

[ he is 100% babbling, and he is, in fact, still rambling about how, like, cool this is when Gamora claims his lips again, muffling his noise of surprise.

It’s a ploy to shut him up, and he knows it perfectly well. But then again, he’s not going to put a stop to it – not right away, anyway – and instead, he melts into it, exhaling a quick chuckle and smiling against her.

Whenever she pulls away again, he tries for a flat, annoyed look, but the effect of it is ruined by the way he still smiles, eyes bright with it. ]

Don’t expect that to work every time.

[ ... even if it might. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject