player-suggested mini-event: A STRANGER'S BED

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Player-Suggested Mini-Event
when: August 26th - August 31st
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

a stranger's bed

As a lead in to September, Riverview's ♥ Month of Romance, this is a completely optional mingle that will cause affected characters to end up in each other's beds. There are various options for both established and new CR. While it's easiest for characters still living in Communal Housing, anyone who has moved to their own homes can be affected and end up finding their way to Communal Housing, or within their own housing.

Residents of the Quarantine may notice that various businesses selling food and drink - cafés, diners, bakeries, restaurants, and other such establishments - are heavily advertising a new flavor that's supposed to be the biggest thing since pumpkin spice. A flavor additive that's said to subtly change the flavor of whatever the diner is eating or drinking to optimize the dish, drink, dessert, or any other food item it is added to for each person's individual taste, it's been selling like wildfire and is the latest trend.

After the cause of the rash of amnesia was revealed to be plant-related, sellers are keeping the origin of the secret ingredient very close to their chests, since it is a derivative of a recently-discovered plant dubbed chameleonis. Depending on the method of ingestion, this additive can have a variety of unexpected side effects, but only once the person who has ingested it becomes sleepy. Methods of ingestion include:

● Ingestion: Beverage: When ingested as a flavor shot to drinks ranging from sodas to coffee to alcoholic beverages, it can cause a desire for closeness to a particular other person. Affected characters end up crawling into bed with that specific other character when they become sleepy.

● Ingestion: Food: When ingested as a flavoring added to a baked good or other meal, it can cause an intense desire for body heat when the character becomes drowsy. It won't matter to an affected character who is providing the body heat, so long as it's someone, and they will end up sleepily crawling into someone else's bed for warmth.

● Inhalation: When inhaled ether from a steaming hot beverage or soup, or as an essential oil or aroma from a bakery, it can cause disorientation when a character becomes sleepy. Affected characters either aren't sure which bed is theirs and simply crawl into the closest one, occupied or not, or become convinced that another character's bed is their own.

Feel free to post up a top-level for your own character either affected and invading a random bed or unaffected but open to having their bed invaded by affected characters, or tag around to other people's top-levels.

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Comments

[eusebeia]

[ it's all a fib, a deception to pacify her, yet it works. diana revels in the warmth of his touch, for just a moment. his skin against hers, as he covers her hand. in silence, she stares at him and contemplates his response. he missed her, even though for her, it's been less than a day since they were together. ]

How long have you been here?

[rightly]

[ He realizes the moment she asks him that, that the answer will likely give him away, at least partly. He can't very well lie about how long he's been here, because she would find out the truth eventually, but he also knows it's not long enough for him to be missing someone he's supposedly not even that close to. ]

Two weeks, give or take. [ He tries not to linger on the answer too long. ] You just got here, didn't you?

[eusebeia]

[ two weeks. perhaps not as long as she expected, but still a considerable period of time. diana nods in the affirmative, her face brightening at the sudden shift in their conversation. finally, her hand falls back to her side, and the physical distance grows, just a bit, between them. ]

It's amazing.

[ this place is, she means. while diana hasn't explored as much as she'd like, the technology alone is quite impressive. ]

[rightly]

[ It's for the best, really. He tells himself that, as he breathes slowly, and sketches a smile at her remark. ]

It is. Nothing like London, either. Not the London I remember, at least.

[ He takes the chance and resumes his way back to where his clothes are, putting them back on while keeping his back to her. ]

I haven't seen much myself, but I can show you around, if you'd like.

[eusebeia]

[ diana trains her eyes on him, and the moment is abruptly reminiscent of another one they've shared. the quiet that surrounds them this time is more awkward than their earlier silence in this room. she doesn't let it stop her for long, however. ]

I would.

[ (also steve, you can keep your back to her. all you're doing is giving her a nice view of your butt, okay. 👀) ]

[rightly]

[ (Well at least he's wearing boxers, also stop looking at his backside when he's getting dressed. Or don't.) ]

Great. [ He does like the thought of spending time with Diana, even if there's so much he can't say, so much he can't do. Simply being with her is enough. ] You'll, uh... you're gonna need some clothes too. I had to buy some myself.

[eusebeia]

[ her vision falls, and she glances down briefly at her attire. her dark cloak is on the floor, along with her sword and shield, and there's nothing else in her possession besides what she's currently wearing. ]

Why do I need new armor?

[ diana doesn't see the point, truthfully. she has no reason to hide or blend in, but if it is a custom here, she won't disrespect it either. ]

[rightly]

[ Steve sighs, which really is impressive when he feels the urge to groan out loud. My God, not this again. ]

Not armor, Diana. Clothes. Regular clothes. Do Amazons have that, or do you just walk around naked when you're not fighting?

[ He just gave himself that mental image, he has no one to blame but himself. ]

[eusebeia]

[ good job, man. ]

No.

[ they don't walk around naked. his question may have been rhetorical, but he'll still receive an answer. steve seems almost exasperated by this, as if they've discussed the topic before (perhaps they have, she reasons), and it both confuses and amuses her. ]

Are you upset?

[rightly]

What? [ He turns around, trousers still undone and shirt still unbuttoned. Oops. ] No, I— no. We just, we had this talk before. You can't walk around in armor all the time, Diana. And there's no war in this place, so... you're not likely to need your armor while out and about. Or your shield and sword, for that matter.

[ He quickly buttons up his shirt and tucks it into his trousers, doing them up properly too. ] Alright? We can find you... I don't know, whatever you see that you like. Dresses, skirts, or trousers. Anything you want.

[ Women wear just about anything in this place (or practically nothing at all), and Steve's not about to tell Diana what she should or shouldn't wear. She's free to do as she pleases. ]

[eusebeia]

[ she doesn't glance away or even notice his state of undress, honestly. it's not important right now. shaking her head, her expression changes. a flash of obstinacy lights her eyes. ]

Yes, I do.

[ to emphasize her point, diana bends down to pick up both items, appearing every inch of the warrior that she is. ]

The war may be over for you, but it is not for me. I must return.

[rightly]

[ He rests his hands on his hips, head dropping with a quiet sigh. Great, how didn't he know this is how it'd go down? He should have known. Shrugging, he holds his hands up, then lets them drop to his sides in defeat. ]

Fine, then. Go to the portal, see for yourself how you can't find a way back. You can't just will it to work. I'm sure there are other people here who want to go back, or will want to go back eventually, but it's not so easy. Otherwise I doubt there would be so many people stranded here.

[eusebeia]

[ as headstrong as she always is, diana furrows her brow. she won't surrender or listen to him. "impossible" is simply not a word she can accept. ]

I will find a way out. For all of them.

[ she needs to return home, but now equipped with the knowledge that other people in this place are depending on her as well, she's more stubborn than ever. with that said, she turns around, heading outside of her bedroom and towards the front door of her apartment. ]

[rightly]

[ Steve honestly debates on just letting her go right then and there. It's not like it should matter to him either way, should it? He has nothing to go back to, so he can't simply go back with her, even if by some miracle she found a way back.

Before he thinks it through, he steps up to her, catching her arm and stopping her before she actually walks out the door. ]

Diana, I'm serious. You can't just fight your way through every problem. This isn't something you can fix. There are other strong people here, and brilliant people too. You can't exactly— I don't know, stab the portal until it yields and works for you.

[eusebeia]

[ he succeeds for the moment, and diana halts. her posture shifts, as she turns to address him. despite his attempts to rationalize with her, she remains undeterred. ]

Let go, Steve.

[rightly]

[ The curt response serves as a reminder of the distance between them. He drops his hand almost immediately, a trace of defeat in his expression. ]

Fine.

[ He's not about to let her go on her own, though. Not going to let her leave now, after all these days quietly wishing she'd show up here too. ]

I'm coming with you, then.

[eusebeia]

[ she can't stand by and do nothing. no matter the situation, diana of themyscira will never succumb. nor will she allow anyone else to sway her decision. while she doesn't appreciate being told what to do, regardless of his good intentions, he redeems herself with his offer to accompany her. diana's expression softens again, and she nods. ]

[rightly]

[ Letting out a quiet breath, he rushes to put on his shoes and shrug on his coat before she storms off again. He's not exactly dressed for a trek in the woods, but it'll have to do. He has nothing better to wear, and he has a feeling she won't wait for him. ]

Right, then. Lead the way.

[eusebeia]

[ he's right. she's not willing to wait. steve arrives just in time, and she marches past the threshold. instead of using the elevator or stairs, however, she opts for an alternate method — a window in the hallway, which is already open. it's how she entered the apartment complex, and it's how she plans to escape now. ]

[rightly]

What... Diana! [ But by the time he's calling out her name, she's already out the window. Steve just groans, rolling his eyes. ] Oh, of course.

[ Should've probably expected something extreme and theatrical like that. Nothing to be done about it now, though. He can't exactly follow her lead and leap out the window, but he does rush out the door, running his way down the building and out towards the wall as fast as he can manage. He likely won't be able to catch up to her, and he has a feeling she won't wait for him either, but at worst he'll eventually get to the portal. Hopefully while she's still there. ]

[eusebeia]

[ she does leap out, front and center, and land effortlessly on the ground below. without a word, diana rushes forward to her destination. once steve ultimately arrives, he'll find her attacking the portal with the eminent god killer in hand. the sharp sound of metal clashing against metal resonates in the air, and while her best efforts are proving to be futile, she won't yield. ]

[rightly]

[ She'll probably have about fifteen or twenty minutes to stab and shove stubbornly at the portal before Steve manages to get there. When he does, he's panting heavily, his shirt sticking to his back with the sweat. He also has a cut going across his cheek and a few scrapes and cuts on his palms and knuckles, but— well, making his way across the forest in plain trousers and shirt and a simple pair of shoes rather than proper clothes and boots doesn't exactly help. ]

Diana... [ He breathes deeply, taking a seat on a rock nearby and closing his eyes to try and will the dizziness away. ] Please. You're not going to achieve anything.

[eusebeia]

[ while she hears him, diana persists — refusing to acknowledge the truth. she won't give up, not when there are so many lives on the line, both in their world and here. although diana's unyielding determination serves as a strength, she's often obstinate to a fault.

her arm thrusts forward, striking against the portal at a steady rate. even if she's tiring, she continues to deliver blow after blow. ]

[rightly]

[ Well, he's not about to step too close and risk getting shoved halfway across the forest, and he's not getting between her sword and the portal. Besides, he's still a bit woozy and tired after that run. It's not that he's not used to it, but it's something else entirely to go that stretch on an empty stomach, with no proper attire and while running in an attempt to catch up before she disappears.

Not that he thought she'd vanish through the portal again so easily, but... frankly, in this place, Steve's not so sure she'd have reason to stick to his side. ]

If you destroy it, it'll never take anyone in here back home. And then you really will be trapped. [ He gets up slowly, wiping the blood from his cut on the sleeve of his shirt. ] Please... I don't want you getting hurt.

[eusebeia]

[ she doesn't intend to destroy it, not exactly. more like uncover a method of unlocking the portal, though steve does raise a fair point. his response causes her to halt in place, momentarily distracted as she turns to glance at him.

her brow furrows once she notices the wound on his cheek, still damp with his blood. while she doesn't drop her weapon, she lowers the sword. her shoulders heave gently in concern, as her heartbeat accelerates. ]

Steve. Your face.