introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

[riverviewmod]

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

dragosta

In the days leading up to September 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Dragosta. This holiday is in celebration of romantic love, and seen as a time of the year for Quarantine residents to try to find someone special to cuddle up with in preparation for the cold winter months. Romantic love is highly valued in Riverview Quarantine, as it can foster an incredible sense of wellness and belonging, and is often the cornerstone of found families as well as biological ones. While there are no official city-sponsored parties, there are various holiday traditions and a paid day off on September 8th so anyone who wants to indulge in them with their loved one can do so.

a celebration of romantic love

Rather than anything structured and organized by the city, Dragosta is a celebration usually left up to the citizens of the city to organize for themselves - there are a few traditions that many businesses (obviously) capitalize on, mainly the tradition of special date nights with small gifts exchanged for people who've already matched up or want to. There are also various singles dances intended to help people without partners find someone to share the special holiday with, and a tradition among the various magic users in the city of preparing soul mate potions and spells intended to help people find the person they're meant to be with.

i. soulmates

Almost as soon as it hits midnight on August 31st, booths and street corner vendors are popping up all around the city offering various magical potions and spells in little rows of bottles. The number of types are overwhelming, with a different concoction available for every type of magic that exists across thousands of different worlds. But the purpose of every single bottle and its contents is exactly the same: to help you find love. Specifically, these are the traditional magics that promise to give anyone who uses them the ability to find or identify their soulmate.

These little bits of magic can have various effects on the person using them (reminiscent of the soulmate trope in fiction), depending on the type of magic and the person who prepared them, and the options are almost endless. There are a few comfortable standbys, though, that pop up pretty much every year:

● Rainbow Potion: Tiny bottles of a soft rainbow-colored potion that affects the vision. Once drunk, the potion will remove the partaker's ability to see in color until the first time they meet their soulmate after ingestion, then all the colors will come flooding back.
● Time Spell: Purchasing a time spell will get you a little vial of liquid with a tiny hourglass inside. Pouring out the liquid and turning the tiny hourglass will result in the appearance of a timer counting down on the partaker's skin somewhere - like a moving tattoo, it will count down the days, hours, minutes, and even seconds until the person will meet their soulmate for the first time after the spell is initiated.
● Red Thread: Some residents might've heard of the legend of the red thread of fate, a red thread that is tied between the ankles or little fingers of two people destined to fall in love. Tiny jars with a delicate red thread attached to a note (the contents of which are unreadable) are sold to invoke this legend. Once opened, the user should tie the red thread around their smallest finger on the left side and a red thread only that person and their soulmate can see will appear, tying them together. It may stretch or tangle, but will never break.
● Ink Potion: Small vials of a mysterious black liquid are one of the more common offerings - this liquid, once carefully spread on a portion of the partaker's skin, will result in a tattoo-like marking in a particular shape, that matches the marking that magically appeared on their soulmate!

While these are the most common types, there are almost infinite numbers of other types of potions, spells, and magics intended to help people find their soulmates, of varying type and quality.

A Few OOC Guidelines:
● Soulmate potions/spells can be used multiple times with different partners, and the effect can last as long (or as briefly) as you want it to.
● Since there is a wide variation of different types of potions/spells, they can vary in effectiveness. Feel free to use this prompt for either serious shipping or silly pairings for comedic effect.
● There is no compulsion involved in this prompt. The potions/spells will only show the character who their supposed soulmate is, not compel them to fall in love with the other character.
● Because there is no compulsion or alteration of behavior involved, and all effects are temporary and mildly annoying at most, characters ARE allowed to use them on other characters without asking. If your character wouldn't take one of the potions/spells, one of their friends can definitely spike their drink with a potion or use a spell on their behalf. Also, only one party has to use the potion/spell in order for it to work, both parties do not have to partake, though it is up to player discretion how heavily affected the person who did not partake is.
● A long list of trope ideas and variations can be found here. I've only included specific potions/spells for the most common ones I've seen, but please go as wild as you'd like with the types of potions and effects they have, so long as everyone involved is on the same page.
● Mod questions and plotting regarding this prompt can be found here.

ii. singles dances

All around the city, various businesses are hosting and sponsoring singles dances. These dances are an ancient tradition of Dragosta, originating from the reality of a very early group of displaced arrivals. Observed since the founding of Riverview Quarantine, the events have grown and changed with the times, still serving the interests of the modern citizen. The dances will be advertised throughout the city and range in quality, size, and tone, but they will always have the same objective and methodology: to match people up based on chemistry on the dance floor.

All singles or polyamorous pairings/groups looking to add additional members will sign in at the dance of their choice, and attach nametags or stickers to their clothing - pink, blue, or purple to indicate their preferences in partner (female, male, or any), and a "P" or "D" for "poly" or "duo" to indicate their preference for a polyamorous match-up or only one partner. Once they've indicated these preferences, they head out onto the dance floor, where they can either seek out someone they're interested in or wait for someone to come to them. As the dance goes on, and one person approaches another (or a group or pair), the person (or people) approached can either accept or reject the advances, and after finding someone with chemistry, the happy couple (or triad, etc.) can leave the floor together.

Every person who attends and participates will receive vouchers for free dinners and discounts or gift cards for various places in the city to have a nice dinner and get a present for a new paramour, or two or three...!

iii. date nights

This one is pretty simple: restaurants, clubs, hotels, movie theatres, and anything else in the city that might even vaguely be construed as a date location will be offering romantic date night packages, discounts, and other promotions to the lovebirds of the city. There are a few highly-anticipated special events that crop up every year, though.

One of the most popular are the movies in the park, hosted on almost every night of the month, these are romantic comedies and other good date movies from dozens of realities featuring romantic stories in a multitude of different configurations. Lovers are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and settle on the grass for a nice relaxed show, or tickets can be bought for special experiences such as the mini-deck, with romantic table settings, wine, and catering with a waiter, or the cuddlebug, where a comfortable couch is set up with popcorn and blankets for the lucky lovebirds to curl up on together. The variations are endless!

Another popular option is a retro-futuristic drive-in experience, where any type of vehicle can be driven up to a temporary drive-in diner for a meal, and then pull up to a temporary outdoor theatre. Once parked, the lovebirds can "park" - that is, cuddle and neck in the car to their hearts' content, probably instead of actually watching the movie.

For this prompt, any type of date night discount is cool to assume, or make a mingle top-level with a special event of your own imagining and earn bonus activity points!

iv. kiss and tell

Something a little different is happening during Dragosta this year - one of the magic researchers at Gramarye, who was recently married and only just returned from her honeymoon, got hit with a confusion spell by accident. A little muddled and love-drunk, she acted on her intense desire to make everyone in the city feel just as happy as her, and shared the love by whipping up a potent spell to do so. As a result, residents will see bright little glowing 'fairy lights' floating around the city throughout the entire month of September. What do the fairy lights do, though?

Two or more characters walking under one of these glowing, floating lights will get stuck for one hour, trapped inside an invisible enclosure with an approximate three foot radius. The only options are to either wait out the hour, or to kiss! Characters will know they're meant to kiss, because part of the magic spell is the sudden and intense knowledge that they should kiss in order to break free. There is no compulsion to kiss, just the knowledge that that's how to get free. What the characters won't immediately know is that any kind of kiss will work - a hand, forehead, cheek, or butterfly kiss will work just as well as a kiss on the mouth, but that will require some experimentation to find out.

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 Dragosta, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Anya Goo; image ii & iv: unknown; image iii: Raphael Grimm

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Comments

QUESTIONS & SOULMATE PLOTTING

[riverviewmod]

I know there were quite a few questions about the soulmate event. If you have any questions about any of the prompts or if you would like to do a bit of pre-plotting for the soulmate prompt, please use this header.

[hevenly]

Is it possible to have the red thread of soulmate-y-ness lead straight to the portal, just for kicks?

COMMUNAL HOUSING APARTMENT MINGLES

[riverviewmod]

Feel free to post up a top-level for residents of any floor in the apartment building to mingle and meet each other.

Floor Six+ Mingle Log

[alchemyfreak]

Al's birthday party is up for everyone this applies to.

Jake Jensen | The Losers | OTA

[fingergunning]

Soulmates:
[Magic. That's something that isn't real in his world. Or, if it is, he sure as shit doesn't have any access to the reality of it. Sure, there's magicians and illusionists, but they're all sleight of hand and fake wands and things like that. Nothing to the degree he's seen since he's arrived here.

So the notion of there being a festival that promotes love and affection and you have to take potions for it? Oh, he's so game for that.

(Jake can and likely will be found in town trying at least one of everything offered. If it's not something listed, please feel free to PM to work out any specifics. Jake can either be the one taking something, the one being spiked to take something, or on the receiving end of someone else's soulmate potion.)]


Singles Dance:
[He had a moment of wondering if he should be 'that guy', but in the spirit of living on a moon in another reality, he thought he should at least give it the old college try. Besides, if he felt uncomfortable or couldn't go through, he could always say no, right? Right. He was a big boy. He could take care of himself. Probably.

So he attached a purple tag to himself, then hemmed and hawed between a P and a D. Then just put down both. Why limit himself, right? Right. God, he knew he was coming off desperate, but he had no idea what to expect in a place where there were literally people here who weren't human. So he just stood there, with a drink, looking like a dumbass in something close to a suit, smiling at everyone that walked by.]


Kiss and Tell:
[It's likely he'll get trapped with someone, and it's also likely that he'll make the offer for a quick, casual smooch, but he'll also respect any form of no and wait it ouf instead. Jake Jensen is not pushy when it comes to affection, but he won't mind getting stuck with anyone -- unless they're underage, in which case he'll be the one opting for a big fat nope.]

kiss and tell

[buildsomething]

[Even knowing about the weird bubble things, Tony can't quite manage to avoid them all. There are too many for one, and Tony occasionally has the attention span of a dragonfly for another. He's got a lot on his mind.

None of which helps when he catches sight of someone that makes him stop abruptly.]

Ste--

[He cuts himself off before even finishes the name. That is very obviously not Steve, as much as it looks like him. And whatever else Tony had been intending to do gets cut off as he gets that strange shivery sensation that apparently accompanies the bubbles taking affect. Great.

Tony sighs, but finds himself eying the guy he's now stuck with. There's a familiarity there, beyond jus the similarities to someone he knows too well.]

Do I know you?

Spike | Buffy: The Vampire Slayer | OTA

[idolpire]

Soulmates:
[He may have taken a potion by accident, but it's likely someone would have to slip one to him. The idea of soulmates implies that he has to have a soul, and as he knows he doesn't, he's not keen on having everything fall flat with him. Of course, he doesn't think about the fact that different realities had different ideas of what souls were, so maybe the fact he was alive and walking around made him a viable target. Still, he'd eye people taking them and snort a huff, then go off to find something to get drunk with, already going through a hefty dose of annoyance at his current state of existence.

(Spike can either be on the receiving end of someone else's potion, or have something slipped to him. Or take it expecting it to fall flat. Preference to skip the hourglass one.)]


Kiss and Tell:
[Depending on what time of night (or day) it is and where they are, Spike might be varying degrees of pissed off to be stuck in an invisible bubble, particularly if it's with someone he doesn't know or doesn't like. If it's someone he dislikes, there will be no kissing. There may be hissing and vamp-fanging. If it's someone he doesn't know, he might be more amenable to a kiss, but only if it's a female someone. If it's someone he knows and likes, well, that depends on the gender. Women will get a happy, gleeful kiss. Men will get a sour-faced pucker with much gagging and mouth wiping afterwards.

Spike might be happy to just sit and wait it out, having a smoke, but if it's getting close to daylight or he's in an area where he'll be hit with sun soon, there is a very real possibility that he might force a kiss from whoever he's trapped with if he can't convince them to do it on their own. (Please PM for details on this or to work out specifics if this is the option chosen so the right warnings can be put up.)]


Wildcard:
[He may be found around the festival at night, or hiding out in bars during the week in the day if any other options or scenarios are something anyone feels up to playing. PM if needed.]

Wildcard a/k/a Fear the Substitute Dawn!

[de_evilise]

[ She may have dressed up for it, but Marinette was almost going out of her way to not get involved with the more romantic lovely-dovey couples. Well that was easier said than done, actually, it seems like she was literally almost bumping into a couple everytime she turned around. So was she lucky or unlucky when she accidentally bumps into someone who is not a couple? No, she -literally- was watching someone walk off with their partner when she smacked face first into Spike's back. ]

Ouch!


[ She took a step back, wrinkling her nose, and promptly turned her head and sneezed. ]


Ugh, excuse me, sorry! -- Oh it's you! [ Mr. Fangy Von Fangerface! ]

Osomatsu Matsuno | Osomatsu-san | ota

[relieable]

I) Love Potion #9
[even though Osomatsu is new to the city, he has been told by his boss and coworkers about Dragosta, and, by golly, he is ready for it! normally, Osomatsu is not the romantic sort. but he's heard there are potions that can show people their soulmates. and while he doesn't necessarily believe in soulmates, he's thinking this might be a good time to try and get laid.

after work, he goes to several of the stalls and buys about five different kinds of potions. he plans on drinking every one and seeing if he can't find a match. perhaps you see him looking over all his potions, or maybe you approach him while he's ingesting one. either way, he's grinning stupidly, feeling like this may be the best idea he's ever had. bottoms up!]

II) All the Single Ladies
[another thing Osomatsu learned at his cafe was about the singles dances. he was told it was a great way to get yourself out there (much better than, say, trying to sell yourself as an escort, ahem), and you didn't have to do much, just talk to people. maybe he could make friends this way, too! he finds the nearest venue, grabs a purple card, then marks it with a D, after much deliberation, then heads out onto the floor to wait.

or if you catch his eye, maybe he'll come up to you first! he wishes he had a drink right about now, gotta have some liquid courage!]

III) Kissing a Fool
[the fairy lights are gorgeous! even Osomatsu thinks so as he wanders around at night, watching them. they really set the mood. he really really wishes he had someone to share this night with, he thinks, which is stupid, because shit like that doesn't happen to a loser virgin NEET.

ah, if only Totoko were here! maybe she would take pity on him and...

ah. what's this? he... runs into some sort of barrier, and he rears back, holding his nose] What the--? [okay, he's not bleeding. but he puts his hands up and it feels like there is an invisible wall around him. and you. huh?]

IV) Wildcard
[got a better idea? let's have it here! if you want to plot beforehand, please ping lovebakery! LET'S MAKE SOME SILLY ROMANCE]

alright lets start their CR off with embarrassment

[leatherdaddy]

[ The fairie lights can be a nuisance for anyone, it was like getting locked inside a phone booth. Only it's a little worse when you're crammed into one who probably can't even fit inside one to begin with.

Osomatsu is going to quickly find himself crowded in on as a massive mountain of a man gets caught within the light barrier. ]

Nngh! This again?

[ Gladio grunts as he braces his forearm and fist against the barrier, higher up and above Osomatsu's head, and growls his disapproval.

Come on. He's already been stuck inside one of things with one or more people more times than he can count. He looks down at him. ]

Hey. You okay?

Lola Pacini | OTA (Will match formats.)

[threatenwithcuteness]

II. All the Single Ladies (Outfits in Starter)

Lola had some... issues, in her personal life. That was kinda directing where she was going and what she was doing for the foreseeable future. More than her powers, more than anything, one thing had her deciding she had to do things. Run, jump, play, anything she could to avoid her own feelings. She didn't want to be the person she would be if she thought about this.

So she was desperate to have fun, and for her that meant take advantage of the many singles dances in the area. She picked through and found two that just felt fabulous in her mind. Both were friendly to the under eighteen crowd, both were themed so that meant new outfits. And neither was about true love.

The Young Love Sock Hop was all about those in the under 25 crowd looking for someone to spend time with, get to know, and just have fun. It had clearly stolen more than a few details from the 1950s (but not all of them accurate due to how many 1950s there have been in the multiverse), it was upbeat and energetic. The drinks were plentiful and mostly non-alcoholic. Lola's dress was one she hoped would make her stand out. Although she matched her hair to her orange belt and scarf. Since this dance wasn't really aimed for anything serious, there were no markers for poly or duo, instead you wore an age range. Lola's listed 15-22.

Grandeur of Love was open to anyone who didn't want to go home alone. The party was about style and, well, fun. Set in one of the ritzier hotel ballrooms the party offered fine dining, fine music, and fine looking people. With more than a few rooms for the party goers to... avail themselves of. While nothing about the party suggested 1920s, Lola decided a flapper dress was the way to go. Hair a dark metallic purple to offset the silver bangles she wore in it for the party. Which wasn't a bad call, anything that could be gilded was in this place. The bubbly was more than available and everyone was alive and having fun. Lola's name tag was marked with purple for her zero cares about who she spent time with, and both a P and a D because anyone willing to give her some time and attention she'd take it.

IV. Kiss Kiss

You would think, after the first few times, Lola would learn to stop getting distracted by sparkly faerie lights. You'd be wrong. What? They're just so pretty! Anyone she knows and isn't into she'll just offer a quick kiss to get them out of here. Strangers get the same unless they creep her out.

People she has actual feelings for... well... that's another matter.

I, III, and Wildcard

Lola's kinda in an overall bad mood, but she's distracting herself with anything she can. If you would like to plot out anything, soulmates shenanigans or a date prompt, contact me on plurk, Discord, or via PM.

@alchemyfreak @thegreatninja

[threatenwithcuteness]

Lola had spent the better part of her day wandering the city following this stupid soulmate spell. See... it was a little compass tattoo that appeared on her left wrist. It pointed toward her soulmate. That was the advertisement. That's how this should be. Super easy, even an idiot like her could do that!

Every few seconds it'd jerk in the opposite direction, then a few seconds later it'd jerk back to where it was originally point. Or near it. The thing was, like, not getting a GPS signal or something! This was the worst. Eventually after a day of wandering she went back to Communal Tower.

...and now it's pointing in the same-ish direction. The variation wasn't the pronounced thing it was before? Whatever it was one of the two targets seemed pretty still to her and close based on how it was acting. Just... up. She took the elevator floor by floor until the arrow had flattened out to say she was on the right floor. (Nobody appreciated this, by the way.)

Floor 6? She'll just tentative knock on the door she's very used to entering wondering who it's pointing to. Suddenly she's a lot more nervous than she was five seconds ago.

Dave Strider | Homestuck | OTA

[chumpelstiltskin]

i. soulmates
[ooc: this prompt is mostly wildcard. totally up for unplanned soulmates to tag in as well. i'm interested in pretty much every prompt with the added bonus of being really interested in having soulmates appear in each others dreams. feel free to pp or pm me or just go nuts.]

[Dave is discreet as he possibly can be about buying potions. He debates it for a few days, he comes back to the same stalls and wanders off and finally decides to go for it. He's genuinely curious about who he might be drawn to and he's lonely enough to indulge his curiosity.

Dave can be found most commonly in coffee shops when he's not at work. He spends a lot of time perusing stalls trying to find weird, kitschy stuff to decorate his house with. He takes himself on walks quite frequently and, when the mood strikes him, Dave likes to fly around instead of walking.]

ii. dance
[Although it feels lame to openly attend a singles dance, the mood and vibe Dave is getting from Riverview is making him at least a little open to the idea of putting himself out there. He never really got to explore dating in a scenario where he hasn't known everyone around him for years. However, he tells himself from the get-go that he's going for the vouchers, whether he needs to spend them alone or not.

It feels like a blank slate, an opportunity and a chance to step outside of himself and make positive changes in his life. It also feels like a chance to feel absolutely frozen in place, right up against the wall with a drink in his hand. He has a purple sticker with a d on it, with the name steve buscemi scrawled onto it. The way he's dressed indicates that he put at least a little effort in.

Dave attends several dances over the course of a few evenings. From raving to waltzing to salsa, Dave manages to look like limp spaghetti consistently. He decides to take his chances and strike up conversation instead, since using his body rhythmically will never get him anywhere.] Did we all get gift cards for the same places? Because I would like to trade my Court with Candles voucher for literally anything else.

[He flicks the voucher around in his fingers temptingly.]

iv. kiss and tell
[A man on a mission is passing through the town. That man is Dave, his mission is to escape to the safety of his home. This week so far has been awkward, he's been vulnerable and overall he mostly feels like a big, lonely nerd. He forgot most of what Valentines is and what it has come to be, but now he's remembering it vividly. And this? Well. This is like Christmas and Valentines Day had a baby. This is a Hallmark orgy of a festival, and he's not thinking that because he's alone in these festivities.

He thinks this, while giving a fairy light a menacing look. When he notices someone walking past, he becomes sheepish and nods at them casually, passing by as if he wasn't looking bitterly at some twinkly lights. He makes it a few steps away before he finds that he just can't walk any further. He pushes forward to no avail, eventually just letting himself lean forward into the barrier, suspended by absolutely nothing and looking like he's completely given up.

He hasn't even noticed the person behind him is still there.]

iv.

[brightline]

[The blond dude has a serious problem with the fairy lights - it's not like Marco can blame him, he's managed to side-step a few of them after keenly observing someone get caught in one and fumble around incredibly awkwardly before managing what looked like the worst kiss ever to get out of it. So he deeply feels the glare, and he actually feels the sheepish expression afterward, answers it with a quick little smile.

It's only after walking a couple steps further and smacking his nose off some invisible force field, complete with a yelp and his hand jerking up to clap over his nose, that he realizes that the fairy light won. That he is trapped with the glaring-turned-sheepish blond with the sunglasses. Turning on his heel, he raises his brows, hand still over his nose, and offers the guy a thumbs-up.]

Ten bucks for a kiss on the lips, five for any other part of the body. Nothing under the clothes.

[Marco's voice is muffled from behind his hand, his smirk only partly visible.]

Draco Malfoy | Harry Potter | OTA

[dracolucmalfoy]

Option 1
[This will be one-sided catch all for people to seek him out, he generally would not be someone to willfully indulge in this. If you want him to have been dosed please contact me and we can discuss things.]

Of course Draco had to arrive just before such a ridiculous holiday. He wasn't a big fan of this, even if a part of his was curious. Were soulmates actually real? Did Draco have one, and here no less? The idea of a soulmate was an intruiging one. There was one thing that kept his curiosity at bay, though. He nor Severus Snape had brewed these. Therefor he could not trust them, no matter what others said.

So he went about his days watching as those around him partook in the potions and the randomness and chaos of it all. People finding their suposed soulamtes... It was enough to make him want to shake his head, not that he did. He was all smiles and encouraging about it if asked, and gve the excuse of wanting to settle into his new life here before indulging in locating a soulmate.

Option 2

These singles dances were intruiging. And despite himself... he found himself attending one. He told himself it would be a good chance to network and get to know those in this city by talking to them in such a setting and watching. People would be,typically, more open about themselves in such settings.

As for the dancing? Well, Draco hadn't been dancing in a good while, as every time he had there were either stares or some commotion would start because of his presence. So he arrived, dressed as nicely as he could manage given the situation he was in, with a 'D' on his little badge, because as intruiging as this 'polyamorous' idea was, he wasn't sure he could handle such potential... attention.

Option 4

This holiday was a nuisance. One he could tolerate until these little... faerie lights came about. Now he had to dodge them, hopefully, lest he be caught up in one. So as he walked about he eyed each one with great suspicion. However, he wasn't always lucky in avoiding them...

[Option 3 is possible, but please message me and we can discuss things. This is an option that will definitely have to make sense to the character.]

Closed to Kate (1-1)

Draco had gone out for a drink. Intending to enjoy himself for a bit of time. He, however, did not expect the populace to be quite so into this ridiculous holiday. He wasn't indulging much himself. No buying of potions, no dates planned. It was only logical to settle in before thinking of any serious romance.

He had not planned, however, on overzealous people and their antics. When he lifted his whiskey ont he rocks - not as good as back home, but acceptable - he had the unpleasant happenstance to suddenly loose all color. Everything went back and white.He was startled for a moment. But then he remembered reading about some of the more popular soulmate potions, and this had been an effect of one of them.

"Bloody hell..." he grumbled. He downed the rest of his whiskey and paid his tab, looking quite sour as he stalked out of the place. Intent on making it home, because he was not going to be a willing party to this.

"I swear by Salazar, if this has any bad effects on me later I'm going to make the creator pay."

XD

[littlemisskate]

Kate didn't think of soulmates or finding her true love somewhere in Quarantine. Her thoughts were often times occupied by her brother, her friends or her work. In the past there hadn't been time for love, now she had time, but she wasn't so sure about it. Kate had talked to Cisco about romance and they both had agreed to abandon it but maybe...

'No.'

She pushed the thought firmly from her mind. If she was going to find someone it shouldn't be using potions or tricks. Kate had been walking around when the world suddenly shifted to black and white. She paused, feeling her skin prickle at the uncomfortable change. She didn't know how these potions worked but she didn't remember ingesting one.

Her teeth chewed softly at her lower lip as she continued down the street. Kate was a little tense, it was hard not to be, but as her eyes met Draco's the illusion was lifted. "What?" She asked as she paused in front of him. Kate had no idea if she was the only one feeling affected or not. "Did you notice something odd?"

genji shimada | overwatch | ota + closed

[flowlikewater]

i — soul mates OR dear ao3 i never thought it would happen to me

[ Genji can't deny he's a little bit curious about this. He isn't really sure he even believes in the concept but, at this point, he has learned that stranger things can definitely happen. One of the vendors gives him a little potion with a smile; he wonders if it's because he's covered head to toe in cybernetics but it didn't feel like it was done out of pity. He uses it when he gets the chance and sees what happens.

And if anybody approaches him, Genji will be a little surprised and befuddled but willing to talk. ]

ii — kiss kiss fall in love

[ If anyone happens to be near a certain cyborg ninja dude when the fairy lights appear, you might get stuck with him! But have no fear, Genji is a gentleman and will not be kissing anybody who doesn't want to. You're free to wait out the hour with a chat, or maybe try to see about getting out of this predicament sooner... ]

[ Feel free to PM me or hit me up at bonethief if you'd like to do something specific! I'd prefer characters that are 20+ for the soul mate/kiss stuff, consdering Genji's 35. ♥ ]

closed to gladio;;

[flowlikewater]

[ Deciding to move into this apartment with Hana had definitely been the right choice. And having Gladio staying with them temporarily as he looked for a place had made it quite fun, actually. (Also his height was very useful for putting things away...)

But in an effort to decorate and spruce up the place (and get that cleaning supplies and pain smell out of it) Genji had purchased some plants. Which had turned into... more plants. Because Genji was no longer nomadic by nature nor lived up in the snowy mountains and could have plants. There were mostly succulents, but a few flowers as well.

So he's currently watering some of his newfound plant brood on the balcony as he 'makes' Gladio hang up a plant on a hook on the ceiling. ] I think I'm finally having a mid life crisis? Is that what this is? I thought it was usually an expensive car. [ He's clearly making a joke at his own expensive, chuckling a little. He doesn't notice the floating little fairy light until it's right above them. ]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Miraculous Ladybug | OTA

[de_evilise]

II. All the single dances, all the single dances o/~

Marinette had ..quite a few reservations about attending the event this time, primarily because she wasn't really looking for someone. Also the person she was crushing on wasn't on this world. However, there was always a chance one of her friends would show up around this time, and she'd kick herself if she missed it. Besides, it was only a dance. It wouldn't kill her to get to know a friend, new or old, right?

So she had changed into a dress that she of course, made herself, though she still felt and looked terribly out of place as she fiddled with a blue nametag before sticking it onto her dress awkwardly, stepping out onto the dance floor and ... sort of hanging back a little around the edge, scanning faces.

IV. Kiss and Tell - Because awkwardness XD

Fairy lights floating around the city? That was definitely something to get Marinette's attention, because she was forever curious. She'd slipped away from the dance after she figured out that no one she knew -- well none of the people she was looking for specifically -- had been there. There was something mysterious and fascinating about those fairy lights though, and she had to follow them, not really paying attention to where she was going or that she might accidentally get caught under one of them with someone. W h o o p s..!

V. Roommates / Wildcard!

There is a baking machine on Floor 10, and its name is Marinette! She was busy trying to perfect a certain recipe - sopapilla. Some of the results weren't ... really that good and she'd like to pretend those never existed. There was a plate of fried pastries that was actually good though, and anyone on the floor, roommates or otherwise, was more than welcome to follow their nose to tasty treats! Come, come have snacks and chats! Or come visit for other reasons.

IV

[bluechampion]

Link hadn't bothered to look into the dances or the potions being sold to find his soulmate. He legitimately had no interest, and even if he had, he had more pressing things on his mind.

He did have an interest in the little lights floating around the city. They looked an awful lot like fairies, and such creatures were very helpful. He had spotted one, ignorant as to what they did or what their real purpose was, so he slowly snuck up on one and tried to catch it...

Link had been so focused on his goal of catching one of these things that he hadn't noticed Marinette nearby. As he jumped up to grab it, it floated higher above his head and he missed, landing close to where Marinette had been walking.

Obi-Wan Kenobi | Star Wars | OTA

[jedies]

[ i. soulmates ]

[ It is fascinating to see soul-bonds distilled into bottles of colourful drinks. Potions, apparently. It reminds him a little of the magic the Nightsisters would weave. He does not doubt that they have similar vials in their arsenal, albeit with more sinister motivations. This seemed more like parlor tricks to earn a quick few credits. Though now he wonders if it can actually imitate a force-bond. He plucks one from the table, eyeing it before taking a sip.

Sometimes the best way to study something is to take the leap. Obi-Wan glances at his arm, watching numbers appear with a faint air of bemusement. ]

[ ii. single dances (duo) ]

[ Obi-Wan is one of the few Jedi who knew how to dance. Not that other Jedi can't or aren't capable. But it is not one of their requisite classes. They may be peace-keepers but they rarely grace the halls and parties unless they were on business. No, Obi-Wan knowing how to dance came from a personal reason. In the early days of Mandalore, when Satine was setting up her government. She had dragged him along for a few lessons and they had bickered all the way through.

It brings a quiet bittersweet smile to his face as Obi-Wan fetches another drink. He'll indulge any partner who asks. It's the least he can do for her. ]

[ iv. kiss and tell. ]

[ The lights had fascinated him. Even more so since he had trouble moving them with the Force. He tries again, his attention focused on the lights and not necessarily what's in front of him until the Force nudges at him, bringing his attention back to the present and he finds himself in front of another person. And they can no longer move very far part.

At least he looks apologetic. ]

My apologies. I should have been more careful.

[ wildcard. ]

[ you can hit me up via PM for specific plotting. ]

iv

[advanced]

[You know who the last person anyone would want to get trapped in a kiss bubble with for an hour is? It's Bucky Barnes, that's who.

He'd been too intent on avoiding a different bright light to notice the one right above him, until all of a sudden he's in very close proximity to a stranger and he can't actually move away. His own expression is an irritated scowl.]

Damn.

[Also hello.]

Ivar "The Boneless" Ragnarsson | Vikings | OTA + some closed prompts

[ragnarsson]

I. Soulmates

So let's say you're a teenage Viking whose girlfriend ran off to your world after you finally slept together and managed to finally confess your love to, leaving your daughter behind to raise by yourself. What would you do? A) Use healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the pain. B) Talk it out with friends. Or C) Toss yourself into some business involving soulmates in hopes that this will magically help you get over how terrible you're feeling.

If you're Ivar, the answer is clearly C. He's not good at dealing with feelings at the best of times, and with Letha gone, he's looking for a way to distract himself. So when this opportunity presents itself, he'll take it, even if the one he wants the most to be his soulmate is gone.

Anyone want a volatile Viking with anger issues and lots of sharp objects as their soulmate? Well, good luck with that.

III. Date Nights

Alright, so while Ivar is hurting, he might as well get some use out of the discounts being presented around the city. Besides, he does love movies an awful lot after being exposed to them these many months. So he's going to be approaching people he's comfortable with already and presenting the idea of going to the movies together.

"They said they're showing something called Casablanca. Sounds interesting, right?" That's going to be as much convincing as he's willing to do to get someone to go with him. C'mon, he'll even spring for actual food.

IV. Kiss and Tell

Ivar is not happy. He has an expression on his face that suggests he's thinking of how best to stab someone without getting blood on the carpet. He hopes that whoever he's stuck with is fine just standing there for an hour, 'cause the Viking sure as hell isn't initiating any kissing.

Ivar has never been one to be bold with any sort of affectionate advances. Much as the Viking puts on a tough, angry front, he's rather withdrawn when it comes to anything romance-related. Really, at his core, it tends to petrify him. He's just that bad.

So he'll just sit there, sharpening a knife as he waits. "So...what do we do now?"

V. Wildcard

[Want a specific prompt with Ivar? Want to meet his new daughter Winter? Or just get some CR going? Hit me up through either PM or at Light_shade!]

A. Closed to Dodger

Curious as to how to soulmate thing was supposed to work, Ivar decided to get the red string one first. That one seemed straight forward enough. Besides, it played into that part of Ivar's mind that was constantly curious about things. He tied it around his finger and off he went, following it around the city. Around and around he went, across streets, and down alleys, the string never breaking or tangling.

Finally, he ends up outside a seedy-looking bar. Now, he's feeling a little less confident then when he initially started out on this venture. This looks like no place to find a person he's destined to be with. Oh well. Might as well go in and get it over with. He enters and immediately notice the string attached to someone who is apparently pickling themselves into oblivion. Someone that Ivar is all too familiar with. How the hell is it he got Jamie fucking Dodger of all people as his soulmate?

"Well, shit." Somewhere, there was a god laughing their ass off at the pair of them.

B. Closed to Marco

Ivar usually thought things through before taking any course of action. However, once in a while, he screwed up like any other sixteen year old. When this spell said his soulmate's name would appear on his wrist, he hadn't taken into account the fact that it was going to show up in English, leaving him unable to read it. Oops. It made him wonder if his had shown up on the other person's in runes. There's no way anyone short of a history professor specializing in Futhark was going to be able to read ᛁᚢᛅᚱ.

He squints at the five letters on his wrist. The only one he can definitively make out is the O. The others leave him feeling clueless. He traces the spikes of the first letter. Normally, he'd just ask someone for help in reading them, but this is a bit more personal. He's just going to have to scour the city and try to unobtrusively read the wrists of everyone he sees.

His own is being covered by a black handkerchief. If anyone asks why it's covered, he's just going to make an excuse about accidentally cutting himself with one of his weapons. Not that Ivar has done that since he was about six years old.

C. Closed to Yuri

Third time's the try, right? He took the potion this time, waited, and...nothing seemed to happen. Huh. Maybe he got a defective one? He asked the vendor, but the kindly-faced lady working the shop assured him it was working. This one just had a more passive effect than most of the others. The potion allowed a person's soulmate to take away any pain that they were experiencing. Ivar snorted at the sound of that. How was he going to find someone in a city in this size with just that vague description to go off of?

Besides, he wasn't getting his hopes up. A pain-free day for someone who'd had constant pain in his legs from the day he was born sounded nice, but the reality was even if he found his supposed soulmate, the potion probably still wouldn't work right. Too bad. He might be a little less angry and abrasive if he wasn't hurting all the time. And people wondered why he was so difficult to be around.

He decided to give up on this soulmate nonsense. He and Yuri had planned to get together to watch another movie. Ivar had recently become fascinated by the genre known as Westerns, so the two of them planned to sit down, and watch a bunch of men on horses shoot at each other for the next two hours. As soon as Ivar wheeled himself through the door, he announced to his friend, "This soulmate junk is a bunch of bullshit."

b.

[brightline]

Marco had not ingested one of the potions. There is no way in hell he'd have drank one of those down or put it on his body before getting it technically analyzed and making sure it wasn't going to hurt him or mess with him or make him spill his secrets or trigger a morphing allergy or whatever.

So honestly he figures he should be safe from any of the weird stuff that's been going on with people, at least until he wakes up a couple mornings after the spells start going on sale and realizes he's been tattooed against his will on the inside of his arm.

ᛁᚢᛅᚱ

It's right there, clear as day. Or not clear, as the case may be, because Marco has only the vaguest idea of who it might refer to and a decent amount of denial about what it might mean that it's there. And of course none of the translation apps on the phone can tell him.

Unlike Ivar, though, he doesn't bother hiding it, so when he's out and about with his sleeves pushed up, wandering through some of the stalls at the market, the tattoo is visible. Honestly, Marco just doesn't have the time or energy to be embarrassed about much, anymore, let alone a weird unreadable tattoo on his arm.

Yuffie Kisaragi [OTA] Final Fantasy 7

[thegreatninja]

Soul Mates

[ooc: Open post for Soul Mates. Pick one and run into her at any point! If you can't pick her default is Time Spell.]

[Yuffie finds the events and holidays in Quarantine tedious. Another legend, another holiday, another party and more to do. She watches from the roof of a building, her dark purple eyes scanning over the heads of the people beneath her. She has a hood pulled up over her face though it doesn't do a good job of hiding who she is.

There is a small vial in Yuffie's palm. She wants to find love, she doesn't want to be alone anymore, but can she trust it? It'll be a secret that she took this drink, between her and… She holds the potion between her thumb and pointer as she stares at it. Yuffie is a little annoyed at herself. This is stupid. Even so, she uses the contents of the bottle and waits to feel the effects wash over her.

Her eyes look down at the city below her.] So tell me, [She says to no one in particular.] Who will you take me too? [With her question hanging in the air in front of her she jumps from the roof top and into the crowd.

Time to get this party started.

Singles Dances/Date Nights/Kissing Booth

[Yuffie dresses up for the dances. Her nametag is adorned with the color blue and a D initialed on the bottom right hand corner. She's determined to have fun and not think of anything else. She wonders who she'll meet or what might happen. Perhaps if she is lucky she'll get a kiss at the end of the dance and if she's luckier she'll get something else at the end of the night.

The dates are interesting. Yuffie isn't dating anyone at the moment so she invites friends and super cute strangers to the movies; be them in the park or at this strange retro-futuristic places. It's pretty cool to to be sitting in a car, even if Yuffie is only half paying attention to the movie on the screen.

During the day, Yuffie sets up a kissing booth, anyone is welcome to work at the booth or pay for a kiss though the money is all going towards Yuffie and her business adventures. Surely someone out there would be willing to help a thriving entrepreneur?]

Wild Card

[ooc: If you want to run into Yuffie and none of these do it for you, she'll be all over the place and you can run into her wherever, doing whatever, getting into trouble, the usual. Hit me up here with something or on plurk. mizuyoko]

soul mates/kissing booth, lmk is this is ok

[tutee]

[ Bill will admit, she was curious whether these "love potions" were for real. But really, who doesn't want to find their soulmate? So she buys one, and pours it out. She feels an odd, warm itching sensation on her left wrist where a watch band would be if she were wearing one. Pulling back her sleeve, she sees a countdown, with a little more than twenty four hours left.

Throughout the day, she keeps looking at her wrist to see how much time has gone down. But to be honest, by the time she wakes up the next morning, she's largely forgotten about it.

She goes back to the festival, intrigued to find someone has set up a kissing booth. And bonus, there's a cute girl manning the booth! She gets in line, not noticing that her timer is nearing zero. ]

Kate Fuller [OTA] From Dusk Till Dawn

[littlemisskate]

Soul Mates

[ooc: Open post for Soul Mates. Pick one and run into her at any point! If you can't pick her default is Red Thread.]

[Kate pauses to take a look at the bottles that had begun popping up all over the city. They were colorful and bright and while she knew their purpose, she wonders how well they worked. She picks up one of the bottles, eyes it's contents curiously.]

To love is to love the unlovable. [Her voice is soft but audible to those around her.] Love is unconditional. There is always love. God loves us and we love each other. [She remembers someone from home, a smile and a worried twist to his brow. How is he doing? Her chest aches and she finds herself paying for the potion.

As she walks away she pulls off the cork and uses the bottle. 'If he's here…' She thought desperately to herself. Wondering if this might help her find the people that she loves. Does it have to be romantic love?

For the rest of the day, Kate can be found around the city or at work. She doesn't know who her soulmate is or what the potion will do; not yet.]

Kiss & Tell

[Kate loves fireflies. They light up the sky in a storm of color, dotting and shining in the night like a beacon of hope. These fairy lights remind her of fireflies and she feels herself drawn to them.

Her sneakers echo softly on the ground as she pauses beneath one. She doesn't notice the other person with her nor has she been warned of the fairies effects. Her eyes widen as the knowledge pulses through her. It's like a dream. She knows that she has to kiss or wait but she can't explain how she knows. It's just... a feeling.

She turns towards her partner, her lips pulling into a delicate frown.] What do you want to do? [Will a kiss on the cheek do? Or does it have to be the lips. It's only a kiss but Kate hasn't kissed that many people.]

Wild Card

[ooc: If you want to run into Kate around the potion stands, at the dances or date night I am open for whatever. Hit me up here with something or on plurk. mizuyoko]

iv

[franciscoramon]

[ This just so happens to be the first time Cisco has wandered into this situation, too. He had been drawn to the lights, as well, but less because they remind him of fireflies and more because there's something odd about the way they're glowing that he's never seen before. He'd wanted to investigate them, see what kind of tech would produce that particular twinkling glow.

And then that knowledge rushed into his head, and left him blinking, coming to grips with it. Such an odd feeling of certainty, that kissing is the only way out apart from waiting, but he doesn't trust that certainty. Any process that involved beaming information directly into his brain was shady as hell, and he's not fond of being a puppet.

All of which are thoughts that distract him from noticing who he is trapped with - at least, until she speaks, and he turns his head quickly: ]

Kate?

Ronan Lynch | The Raven Cycle

[somnioergosum]

iv - Kiss and Tell

[Ronan will refuse to kiss anyone so now’s the opportunity to either get punched or talk to him for an hour. If brackets are your thing, I can switch.]

Ronan should have known to avoid the lights. There was no good reason for this sudden certainty. Even in hindsight, the only sign had been his raven flying off before they came close. But he never passed up an opportunity to berate anyone, himself included.

He glared at whoever he’d been stuck with. With his height, shaved head, tattoo, piercing eyes, and general air of “don’t fuck with me,” he could be pretty intimidating. But as for now? His scowl was too petulant.

“Don’t even think about it.”


i - Soulmates - Closed to Adam

Ronan went a little overboard.

It wasn’t that he needed to find love, as all the advertisements proclaimed. He didn’t need any real convincing that Adam was his soulmate. He didn’t need a prophecy, potion, or sign from the universe to know. Neither did Adam, right?

But these looked like fun. What was the harm in trying out one or two or… more? Just to be sure they worked.

Once he’d finished giving into his insecurities curiosity, he tied the red thread around his finger. He followed its trail with his eyes, and then his feet.

[antietam]

Adam didn't think much of the new booths around town. He already had love and had no desire to mess with it as he was sure this place would try to do. It was great that he and Ronan were surely on the same page with this idea and could just make fun of desperate people for the duration of the festival.

That was why he was at work as usual, tinkering under the hood of a car. Then he got caught on a piece of machinery, which was weird because he was wearing a t-shirt. He pulled his hand up and found a string now attached to his little finger.

His first instinct was panic. Was this some kind of trap? He took a breath and attempted to untie it, but the string was so thin that he couldn't manage it. It was stronger than it looked, though, because no amount of pulling would break it.

All he could do was untangle it from the car and eye how far it spread out of the garage. This was definitely a trap. And yet he was feeling far more anxious than he thought was really warranted.

In order to not seem like an idiot, he stayed where he was to examine the string, finding some tools to attempt to cut it. Nothing was working, and his chest felt like it was going to explode. Maybe he was going to die?

That was when he heard someone arriving. His defenses only fell when he realized it was Ronan, who... was holding the same red string. He had it on his hand too.

"What the hell? Do you know what this is?"

Seiji Date | Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | OTA

[heartofasamurai]

iv. kiss and tell
[It felt as if things were occurring quickly, with awakening in the hospital of this new world and being giving all the things to support himself and his presence here. But it allows Seiji to distract himself and focus on what truly matters. Where he has found himself and the needs of the people here. If it is real, then he is here for a reason and will not believe otherwise.

Walking through the streets, he repeatedly looks down at the device he was given, the small computer and phone within one that gives him maps and reviews of various locations within the city. He arrived at the time of a holiday, he had been told, and the air felt full of the anticipation and enthusiasm.

It was soothing in a way, despite the nature of the holiday itself, to be somewhere so at ease. The fairy lights were also very beautiful, even though he wasn't sure how they came to be. He'd seen two float by not too long ego, but it was not until he had walked by someone and found the two of them trapped beneath one that he knew their true purpose.

It was not as if he could completely avoid them considering that moving about the city and delivering packages to clients was his new occupation. He'd have to make do as best he could.]

v. roommates (open to roommates on Floor 1)
[Living with his brothers-in-arms at Nasutei's had been unique for him at the time, having always had his own room within his family home, but this was of a different beast altogether. A large room with so many other people with far less measure of privacy would take time in which to accustom himself, particularly after the last few weeks. Still, new surroundings were no excuse to be impolite or unnecessarily intrusive. So he did what he felt was proper by seeking to introduce himself to the other four people sharing the room with him, and to find out what he could so as to allow them to live together smoothly.]

Pardon me, if I could have but a moment of your time?

vi. wildcard - ORANGE LEAF DELIVERY
[Seiji is finding the usefulness of the smart phones GPS to be very convenient indeed with his new occupation. He travels in his company-sponsored vehicle from pick-up to delivery as quickly as he can learn the routes, especially with the various areas of town that he has to visit. So far he has not had any complaints about his prompt services, but he knew that this was the easy period. Once they felt him settled, he did not doubt gaining harder orders to complete within their forty-five minute time limit. He would enjoy it while he could.]

{OOC: Feel free to have him come deliver to you or for you to be someone he's picking up an order from! You can also throw in other prompts from the event, just remember Seiji's only 16.}

[tempredmental]

[What were these lights? Keith wasn't sure. They were pretty, though, and kind of fascinating. He was watching them, peripherally aware of other people around him. And then they got mischievous. They caught Keith with a new blond stranger. There was a sudden compelling knowledge that the only way to make the invisible barrier they were now trapped inside release them.

Keith widened his eyes a little, staring at the other teen.]

Uhh...

Bucky Barnes (616) | OTA

[anotheroldsoldier]

ii. Singles Dance
[Being single during a festival of love kind of blows. The first holiday he'd been through when he showed up here had been all for couples too, but it had been better somehow, because he could say, I've got a girl at home, and people understood. Now, though... Now, he knows he doesn't have that. Or won't have it for much longer when he returns.

Bucky Barnes could mope forever, given half a chance, but luckily (or unluckily), he has people who care about him enough to encourage him to get out. He could mope forever, but he shouldn't. Someone talks him into attending one of the singles dances, and Yuri gets him dressed up for it, in a collared shirt under a leather jacket, with biker pants and combat boots. It's a little young and a little punk and obviously not his normal style.

At the front, he hesitates over his name tag, eyes flickering between the pink and the purple, before he finally accepts purple. There is less hesitation when he marks down a D for duo. Call him traditional. With that done and pinned to his shirt, he heads out into the dance itself.]

iv. Kiss and Tell
[Bucky doesn't pay much attention to the little fairy lights drifting around the city. At least, he doesn't pay attention to them until he ends up beneath one of them with another person, and he feels the magic hit him like a sack of bricks. It's highly inconvenient. It happens a few times, despite him trying to take care where he walks. Maybe he's in his Perimeter Guard uniform on his way to work, or he's heading back home with a paper grocery bag in his arm.

Either way, when he's stuck with you, he scowls a little bit, banging at the invisible edge of the enclosure with a metal fist.] Sometimes I hate this city.

v. wildcard
[Hit me up with something else!]

i. soulmates?? - closed to thor
[The street vendors are adamant that their spells and potions will help the lonely and the single find love. Bucky isn't entirely sure why he buys a small bottle with a thin red thread that professes to tie him to the one he's meant to be with. Maybe there's a small part of him hoping he knows where that thread will lead, a part looking for confirmation of something he used to be so sure about. He ties it to his little finger and he waits.

Unfortunately, going about his business in the city a little later on, the string slowly untangles and goes more taut as he gets closer. Just down the street, it's not Natasha he's tied to by a thread, it's Thor.

The slight spark of hope in his face falls, but he's quick to hide it.] I figured these things were hoaxes.

iv.

[retro_me]

[Janis is in her flight suit, red and accented in gold. Prefers it when she's not officially on the clock for the Perimeter Guard. Which she isn't tonight. It's just that things like this back home used to be invitations for disaster, and she can't help waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Old habits die hard.

She punches the invisible wall herself when she hits the edge, can feel something locking them in and curses a little under her breath. She heaves a sigh to look over at her companion, the metal arm catches her eyes for a moment, makes her think of Harley.]

You saying this sort of thing happens often?

[She's been here a month now, but this seems like a little bit more than what she'd experienced so far.]

shigeru miyata | ota

[mysophobic]

i. soulmates

[ While most people are happy to try things like those potions Shigeru is just nopeing right out of that. He knows when things are suspicious and he knows that trying some of them might lead to adverse effects on ones body, so he just idly looks and watches the booth with some curiosity, but it's mainly uncertainty and wariness. Granted...not everyone shares his views, of course, so those who happen to be affected will otherwise happen upon him with whatever effect they choose to impart upon themselves. ]

iii. date nights

[ He always wanted to do something like this. Not really mustering up the courage to do it with anyone here has left him obviously alone for the most part. He feels like a fish out of water with the way things are going and he totally would have asked Genji or Dodger to come out with him. But he's super awkward around those two, especially Genji as of late, so he's not really sure what to do?! He's just...going to awkwardly sit beneath a tree with a blanket and some homemade food as he watches silently. At least he seems like he's having a nice time but if you want to keep him company go for it! ]

iv. kiss and tell

[ So whether your character is intrigued or distracted by the fairy lights, one thing is for certain...Shigeru is as well. If your character happens to approach said light while Shigeru is as well, wll you can just have a flustered looking man trapped beneath the orb with you. He might take out his phone and write one simple thing. ]

I'm so sorry! I didn't realize what these were!

[ So much internal screaming from him right now. ]

wildcard

[ ooc; This prompt is more for people who want to play out aftermath or even just regular threads for the month! Shigeru can be found wandering the gardens at the library or just sitting in one of his favorite cafes sipping on some coffee as he reads a book. Feel free to run into him anywhere with or without dragosta effects on your characters! If you wanna plot something I can be reached on plurk over at pathogenic ]

[alchemyfreak]

[Ed's not remotely concerned about the lights, as far as he's concerned they're just some additional decoration for this stupid holiday and he's paying them no attention as he walks through the streets. Naturally, when he sees Shigeru he thinks nothing of walking right past him to continue on his way, content to even offer a greeting as he did know the guy-

Only to find that now they were trapped under the stupid lights he'd been watching. Way to go Shigeru. It takes Ed a minute to realize exactly what's going on because he's reading Shigeru's message, but when the message clicks it does so abruptly and his eyes might widen just the slightest bit.

Right. Well, kissing was not the worst thing in the world. He'd been in much weirder situations. This should be easy. He waves a hand at Shigeru's apology and gets right to the point.]

I don't imagine you want to waste a bunch of time waiting to see how soon until this wears off, right?

[It had to stop eventually, didn't it? Two minutes? Fifteen minutes? He's not about to spend the rest of his life in this bubble, even if Shigeru was one of the more benign people for that to happen with.]

Steve Trevor ▹ open!

[rightly]

IV ▹ KISS AND TELL

[ Steve has been more or less avoiding most aspects of this celebration. The theme isn't new to him, but it's not something he's likely to indulge in. He only really cares about one person, and even if she weren't here, it's still all too fresh in his mind for him to seek company elsewhere, and with a stranger no less. Granted, Diana doesn't even remember most of their time together, but that hardly changes how he feels about her.

The little traps set up all around the city aren't something he can so easily escape, though. At times he spots them in time to avoid them, but more often than not he walks right into their field before he's even aware, only noticing when he's suddenly stuck with someone else, overwhelmed by the knowledge that they have to kiss if they want to be released.

So here, enjoy the mildly flustering captain as he fumbles between trying to apologize for something that isn't his fault, and asking the other person trapped in there what they'd like to do. ]

V ▹ WILDCARD

[ During all the celebrations, Steve's easy to run into, especially as he gets a little more used to life in the Quarantine. He peers around some of the shops, admiring the holiday-themed decorations in coffeeshops and restaurants, or reading through leaflets about dance parties and movie nights out in the park. He pockets one of those latter leaflets too, just in case, even if he's not really sure he'll bring himself to ask Diana properly to go with him. No harm in trying, at least. ]

▹ closed to Diana

[rightly]

[ The Quarantine isn't a particularly big place, but there is so much happening, so much to see and learn, that a few days barely cover anything. Not that Steve needs an excuse to spend time with Diana, and she doesn't demand a particularly strong reason from him. He does hope she enjoys spending time with him just as much, and that she's not doing so simply because he's the only person she knows from before the Quarantine.

Which is probably a silly thought when she only remembers knowing him for a day or two, at most.

The themed decorations make him a little self-aware, but he reminds himself it's not a date, technically. Because technically he didn't ask her, and she probably doesn't even know what a date is anyway. Not like it matters.

They're walking along a quiet street, when a small ice cream stand catches his eye. ] You haven't tried ice cream yet either, have you?

Tony Stark (MCU) | OTA

[buildsomething]

iv. kiss them for me

[Lights in the sky shouldn't catch his attention as much as they do, but Tony can't help but stare every time he catches sight of one. Mostly because there's nothing he can see actually causing the things, and that annoys him. Fireflies, solar flares, even ufos would have been one thing, but random balls of light just hanging in the sky? That makes no sense.

He's staring hard enough that he barely notices when something takes effect, past shuddering a little as something runs up the length of his spine. Nearly running face first into an invisible wall, though, that's pretty hard to miss.]

The hell?

[It's muttered quietly to himself as he runs his hand across something that isn't there. He hasn't even realized someone else is there with him.]

v. wildcard

[Want to do something else? Throw it at me or hit me up at talkincodes and we can plan.]

iv

[wingedman]

...seriously, does the universe keep throwing us together for some reason?

[Sam pokes at the invisible surface. It doesn't move, and he's not really that surprised. Of course he's stuck in here with Tony, and not someone who might actually be useful at spellbreaking, like one of the Lokis or Stephens. And he's pretty sure it's magic, because of course it's goddamn magic.

The latter opinion is only reinforced by the sudden knowledge of how to break the bubble. It's like they're in some kind of fairy tale, although if Tony Stark is the handsome prince, Sam would like a refund on his story.

(Maybe Sam's the handsome prince. That thought makes him feel a little better.)]

Hey, Stark. You getting the same feeling I'm getting?

sam wilson | mcu | ota

[wingedman]

i

[closed; contact me if you want to plan something!]

ii

[Sam's mostly here for the free stuff. That's what he's telling himself, anyway, as he slaps on a purple nametag. While that's mostly true, there's also the fact that he likes dancing - and, well, he's never opposed to a bit of a fling. Maybe it's not quite as romantic as the festival intends, but that's never stopped Sam. He's a good dancer, although all the dances he knows tend to be more modern. When he finds himself lacking a partner, he'll amble over to someone with a blue or purple nametag and tap them on the shoulder.]

Looking for someone to dance with?

[Eventually he makes his way over to the snacks on offer, picking up a drink and smiling wryly at the person next to him.]

I hope these aren't spiked. I've had enough people hopping in and out of my bed this week.

[Well, maybe not quite enough people.]

iv
[It's impossible to not walk near people when you're going down the street. Sam's on his way home from work with a bag full of groceries when one of the lights catches him, and suddenly he finds himself in a bubble with someone else. Which he doesn't quite realize till he nearly walks into the wall of the bubble.

The most annoying part of being trapped?]

...man, I have ice cream in here, and I'm not gonna eat it right now.

v

[Wildcard! Make up something, go wild.]

( iv )

[mannerism]

Come now Wilson, chin up.

[ it's not that peggy carter is happy about this fresh arrangement the city is so proud of. it's impersonal, impractical and it's not professional at all. a waste of time, really but nobody has ever asked her.

currently, her arms are crossed and she is shaking her head at his suffering. ]

I would like my share of ice cream if I am to help you go free.

[ never mind that she needs to go free as well. work to do, things to look into. but of course he's the one who now owes her a favour. ]

Beverly Crusher

[dancingmd]

a. soulmates; part one (ota)

Really, Beverly ought to know better by now. But it just seemed so... implausible. Fighting spells, levitating objects, illusions - they're external. Matter manipulation or some such thing. Love, however, is not something even a Q can control. So when the vendor told her this little rainbow vial would lead her to her soulmate, she took it as more of a superstition than anything - harmless fun, like getting your fortune read at a fair.

She certainly did not expect to go colorblind, like being trapped inside some sort of ancient film. "Please," she begs the vendor, "Reverse... whatever this is!" They shake their heads: only when she finds her soulmate will the spell be lifted. And no refunds!

"I don't want a refund! I want my vision back!" No doubt their arguing can be heard throughout the shop: now the vendor is threatening to throw her out!


b. soulmates; part two (closed to Lucretia)

When other avenues fail her, Beverly decides to seek out a friend's help, someone who knows far more about magic than she does.

She sends a desperate text to Lucretia: Are you home? I need to talk to you.


c. kiss and tell (ota)

It's official. The novel appeal of magic has worn off. Now she's simply exasperated. One of the fairy lights overhead has trapped her in some sort of force field with you and she sighs. "You have got to be kidding me!"

text; @chronicler

[scholiast]

Uh huh.

Is everything okay?

Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist | OTA

[alchemyfreak]

(As usual, willing to match format and here is Ed's info post. He's a CRAU, 21+, full grown and some other physical changes.)

i. soulmate potions.

For the most part, Edward is just amused by all of this. To him, it looks like the shops have taken an opportunity to mass market a holiday and use it to take advantage of the sentimental and easily impressed. He might take a moment to look over the booths and vendors curiously, just to see what all this was about but he certainly didn't buy into it. Ed may drink a potion if someone eggs him on enough, or just for the sake of amusement and getting into the atmosphere of this month's newest holiday. Curiosity over how it works is another possible motivator, considering options like the Time Spell, but he might also wind up with it slipped in his drink when he's not looking if he isn't careful. Ed won't put any weight behind it if it connects him to someone nearby, but he might be a little weirded out if potion proves to later reflect a person that he actually knows and doesn't seem to be selected at random.

One might catch him peering at a bottle suspiciously at one of the various stalls or even overhear him arguing the point of the soul mate potions with someone else.

(I'll probably default to either the black and white to color effect or Time Spell for Ed unless someone wants something else specific or we've previously made other plans.)

iv. kiss & tell.

Depending on how early in the month it is, Ed may very well be obvlivious to the fairy lights and how they function. He could easily find himself under one with someone without intent or realization and no understanding of how to get out. As the month progresses, however, he will observe how these things work even if he hasn't been trapped in one by then already. Once he has an idea of what's going on it then becomes a matter of figuring out of his partner in this little kissing cell is more interested in getting it over with and leaving or waiting out the time limit from sheer stubbornness.

Maybe he doesn't notice the person as they cross paths under one, or maybe he's fully aware of the person approaching but not the lights overhead when it happens. Perhaps he knows they're there but not what they do, and therefore doesn't think to clear the path before it is too late and they're both trapped in close proximity within the kissing bubble. Either way it might be awkward for both parties until it's over.

v. wildcard/floormates

Have other ideas? Post your own or feel free to plan something else out on plurk! I'm also SUPER OPEN to unaffected/regular threads chatting about this holiday with anyone (and how ridiculous he thinks it is) so please feel free to hit him up for that too! You can always add/message me on plurk at TransmutedSelf to discuss!

cw: light incest

[alkahestic]

Al doesn't particularly need an excuse to give his brother a kiss on the cheek or forehead, but as the fairy lights begin to float around his head, he feels the overwhelming urge. He blames it on the effect of being with his brother and wanting to always be in his presence, but as he catches up with his brother, the urge to kiss his brother is stronger.

Catching Ed's arm, he tugs his brother close. There's an alley way nearby and if Ed lets him, he'll pull his brother in that direction. Then, pausing, he presses his forehead to his brother's with a silly grin on his lips.

"Found you," he says, eyes alight. Being near Ed these days always makes him feel a little intoxicated, like his heart is hammering in his chest and everything slows. Which makes sense in Al's mind. His brother has sacrificed so much for him, and he's done the same in return. Sacrificing for each other is such a common thread between them that to be this close ( even if it's only platonic ) makes sense.

loki laufeyson, marvel-616 | kiss & tell; ota

[ikols]

[ He avoids the majority of Dragosta as well as he can but sometimes, even when he does his best to sneak through the more crowded areas, the fairy-lights seem to coalesce with a vengeance over Loki's head and trap him mid-flight. He suspects the critters are attracted to his being a god and thus more susceptible to absorbing magic as a whole, a creature of it, so they aren't really out to get him.

And then it starts to happen with greater frequency, and he has his doubts. ]

[deathkid]

[ having already tried and failed to avoid the fairy lights coalescing over his head, nico is in a bit of a daze. he feels strange and is just beginning to consider going back to the housing and hiding under the covers for a while when he spots a familiar figure. after spending the night in loki's bed and dealing with a drunk and mopey loki, nico finds himself drawn to him. as he gets closer, he feels the strange urge to do something get stronger. it's only when he's standing close enough to loki that it abates a little bit. but there are still fairy lights darting over his head and he has to make a swipe at them to get them to go away. ]

You're having trouble with these things too?

Billy Kaplan | Marvel | ota

[noassgardian]

locked to Teddy (notasaviour);
[Okay, so. Billy can protest about sappy and ridiculous as much as he wants, but the fact remains that he is sappy and ridiculous with at least one person. This is a celebration for romantic love, so of course he's going to jump at it to spoil his boyfriend just a little bit. He might not always be the best at it, but he does try.

The silly, harmless magic popping up draws his attention. Normally, he'd be sketchy about love potions and stuff like that, but these don't seem to have any ill effects, so after a little debate, he picks up the ink potion. After that, it just a matter of getting a few other trinkets he thinks Teddy will like... a book or two, a basketball with a promise to play against him later. Nothing fancy, but hopefully stuff that'll make him smile anyway.

After that, he wraps it up in a package with an attached note:

Want to find out what we've always known? Meet me at the park tonight.
Love,
Billy

He's not really worried about the results of the potion at all. He's not really sure how to feel about soulmates, he's maybe a bit too cynical maybe, but... if anyone falls under soulmate material? It's got to be Teddy. He also hopes he won't be too upset he kind of just magically delivers the gifts hopefully right on to Teddy's bed for him to find later.

Either way, he's waiting in the park as promised, a blanket laid out, some food, the whole works. They can always head somewhere else later, if there's something else Teddy would like to do.

If he's absently checking his hands or wherever else he can see easily for any sort of tattoos... well, he can't be entirely blamed, right?]

kiss and tell;

No, no, no, no--

[Billy has been doing his utmost to avoid getting trapped under the lights. It might be kind of fun to have an excuse to make out with Teddy for an hour, but not so much when it's a complete stranger or a friend. It's embarrassing-- and this is coming from a guy who's not above a little shameless flirting when he sees a guy with a pretty face.

And also from a guy who doesn't even get embarrassed all that often.

Still, depending on who it is and how well he knows them, he might wait out the hour or give a quick kiss on the cheek or hand just to be able to go.

He heaves a heavy sigh when he realizes it's happened again. And really, no offense to whoever he's stuck with, but--]

... Dammit.

wildcard;

[Want roommate or other shenanigans? Give me a poke and let me know. I can write up a starter.]

kiss and tell, bc making two people who each only like their own gender kiss is sweet torture

[tutee]

[ Bill's been spending most of her time at the dances, in fact she still has her pink nametag on. She hasn't seen the lights yet. When at first she does, she says, ] Ooh, that's nice! Is that magic?

[ Except then she's trapped, and not alone, and suddenly she's filled with the knowledge of what she has to do to get free. She looks over at the bloke she's stuck with, and makes a face. ]

Sorry, mate. You're not my type.