riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

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introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

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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I have an advantage many do not. And my enemies . . . well, they've never been subtle.

[ More akin to a wrecking ball. How many people has Obi-Wan loved and died? How many more will? Yoda's words continue to ring through his mind. A bad feeling has persisted all through the war. ]

Have you ever fought before?

[His eyes narrow a little. An advantage? What sort of advantage? Something that could prove a detriment to him?

The question takes him out of left field while he's wondering about that and he answers without thinking, too honest, sort of weary.]

It's all I've done.

[It's what he is, a weapon, whether he wants it or not.]

My padawan — my student has an arm like yours. Which is why I asked.

[ A pause as Obi-Wan looks truly regretful. ]

I'm sorry.

[There's instant hostility on his face. Someone else with excellent hearing like Clark? Some other ability? This advantage he was talking about?]

How the hell did you know?

[ Obi-Wan blinks, surprised by that reaction. ]

Because I heard it. And I'm familiar with the sound of a metal arm, as I said. My student lost his during the war.

Edited 2017-09-02 11:31 (UTC)

[That doesn't make him any more comfortable and the gloved fingers of that hand ball into a loose fist.]

How about you keep your observations to yourself.

[ Obi-Wan nods, contrite. ]

My apologies for overstepping. It was not my intent to upset you.

[What is with this guy? He doesn't seem to have any sort of temper at all, and Bucky is being pretty damn rude, he knows it.]

I keep it hidden for a reason.

So does he.

[ Again, Obi-Wan can't help the quiet tone of regret. If he had been faster, a better master to Anakin, perhaps Anakin wouldn't have lost his arm. Wouldn't have lost so much. As always, Obi-Wan moves far too slow with the Force. ]

[He shifts uncomfortably, not quite knowing what to say to that, especially because of the expression on Obi-Wan's face.]

War takes things from everyone, better an arm than a life.

[ His lips twitch, recognizing it as a form of comfort. ]

Yes. But I feel responsible for it, all the same. I doubt I'll ever stop, no matter how old he gets.

Unless you cut it off yourself, not your responsibility.

[As if it's ever that cut and dry, when he knows Steve feels that responsibility for all that happened to him after he fell.]

You're right, of course. But it rarely feels that way.

[ It's also attachment. By rights, Obi-Wan should not feel guilty. He should move on from it. But Obi-Wan has never been able to look past this flaw. Especially when it came to Anakin. ]

At least I can try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

[This conversation is getting ever more uncomfortable, and Bucky takes two paces back only to find his back hitting the edge of this invisible enclosure. It's not good, this being trapped out in the open, and his heartrate is slowly picking up towards a panic he's trying to keep a lid on.]

If he's an adult, you can't stop his choices or protect him from the consequences.

[ Hm. Obi-Wan reaches out into the Force, hoping to reach a calm that doesn't seem invasive. ]

No, and that wasn't what I meant. He is his own person now. I only meant that I would like to be at his side if the worst comes around.

Are you all right?

[It wouldn't be invasive to anyone else, but Bucky is highly attuned to anything messing with him and calm is the last thing he feels right now. He has no idea what's being done, or even if it's Obi-Wan, but it pushes him over the edge into a very abrupt panic.]

The hell are you trying to do?

[There's a gun in his hand as if from nowhere, drawn from a concealed pocket of his hoodie.]

[ Obi-Wan doesn't flinch. After all, he still has his lightsaber, but he knows better than to attack a panicked creature. He remains solid and firm, without a flicker of wariness. ]

You were panicking. I was hoping to find some calm in the Force. If I have acted out of line, I apologize. I wasn't sure how to help.

[It was him, trying to manipulate Bucky to his will, regardless of if it was with good intentions or not. The gun is levelled immediately at Obi-Wan's face, and all of his emotions become somehow muted.]

What's the Force? How did you get inside my head?

[ Obi-Wan looks vaguely affronted. ]

I was not in your head. Nor do I have that power.

[ Well. Not entirely. Obi-Wan can perform mind tricks, but even though Obi-Wan is practiced at them, he cannot do them with non-verbal ease. ]

The only person in your head is still you. I have not touched what is yours. The Force is an energy field. Like nature. Life. Motion. I was looking into the currents of our environment, hoping to make our . . . current location seem less threatening.

[ He sobers up mildly. ]

Again, you were panicking. I was afraid you might hurt yourself. If pulling a weapon makes it easier, I have no qualm with it.

[He has no idea whether he's being told the truth or not, but he sure as hell doesn't trust this stranger at all. He had done something to influence him, at least, and that's enough to make him a threat.

He hates how understanding he's still being, it makes him both want to apologise and slam his fist into that bearded face.]

I'm not panicking.

[He definitely is.]

I just don't like people trying to manipulate my head.

[ Obi-Wan nods. ]

Of course. No one does, but that is not what I was trying to do. Would it be easier if I sat down with my hands in my lap? That way, you can spot any sudden movements quickly enough.

I told you, I'm not panicking.

[Says the guy with the loaded gun pointed at a stranger.]

Just-- shut up, help me find a way out of this thing.

I will not. Because you are not comfortable with the idea and I will not force it on you. That is not a choice I am willing to make at your expense.

[ After a beat, Obi-Wan steps closer and lets the barrel rest on his forehead. ]

You are still in control. But you need to calm down. Don't let your fears dictate what you must do. Let yourself be the judge. Breathe and listen. What does your heart tell you?

[This isn't right.

This isn't who he wants to be any more, the murderer with the gun pressed against someone's head. He's not the Soldier, but it's so easy to slip into this habits and fighting is all he knows sometimes. He's afraid, so deeply afraid, and he tries to flinch further back when Obi-Wan comes in close, but he's already at the edge of their little enclosure.]

Don't test me, I will kill you. I don't want to do that, but I will, so back off.

Do or do not, it is still your choice. And I do not believe it is a choice you wish to make out of fear. But you don't get to put that choice on me.

[ He doesn't move further. Obi-Wan is patient, after all. You can't raise Anakin without mastering that virtue. He merely folds his arms. ]

You're testing yourself.

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advanced - 2017-09-02 12:38 (UTC) - Expand

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