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

navigation

Comments

[ikols]

Good, right. Did you want a job, in the meantime? I have some going at my club if you want to get paid for hanging out there.

[ An apology for teasing him so much, last time. ]

[rightly]

Really? What sort of club? And I get paid for just... being there?

[ That sounds strange. Do people really get paid for doing nothing at all? ]

[ikols]

Trixie. The underground is the club and ground-level we have a lounge whose bar serves breakfast twenty-four-seven. There's a VIP area upstairs but we don't usually open that until it gets dark. [ He spreads his hands in invitation. ] You can do whatever you're best at. Bartending? Security? A way to pass the time, really, and get paid for it.

[rightly]

Oh. That sort of club.

[ Forgive him for thinking of a golf club or something equally ridiculous. This does fit the idea he has of Loki better. ]

Security, then. Sounds like something I could manage. I can come by sometime, to talk about the details.

[ikols]

You may want to speak to Nico, he's the resident necromancer in charge of security. My, um, manager Tim went home recently so I guess hitting Nico up is your best way of sorting out how you want to work together. Schedules, etcetera.

Sometimes we don't need a full-blown skeleton to kick people out, you know? Just a big brawny chin like you.

[rightly]

[ Necromancer. So another magic sort. That'll likely take a while for Steve to get used to. At least this Nico probably can't turn into a woman at will, so there's that. ]

I'll talk to him, then. [ He knits his eyebrows together curiously. ] Do you mean a real skeleton, or is this another of those, uh... strange modern expressions?

[ikols]

Aha, yes, a real skeleton. People don't cause much trouble under my roof but when they do it gets around fast that the dead escorted them off the premises sharpish.

[ Pretty sweet deal. ]

Nico raises them when needs be.

[rightly]

You've got some odd friends. [ Steve chuckles, mostly at his own words. He's not sure what else he'd expect from a god, honestly, but he should've been prepared for 'weird' at the very least. ]

My coworkers, then. I'll have to get used to that. [ Or just stare. Staring works too. ]

[ikols]

Your pay will be very fair, money is awfully important to other people and I like to ensure my staff are well taken care of. Show up whenever you like and eat as you please.

[ Is Loki not the best boss around?? ]

[rightly]

You're very generous as a boss, you know that?

[ He tips his head a little. ] Thank you, Loki. This is nice of you.

[ikols]

I'll try not to wear anything too low-cut around you.

[ Chuckling, his attention veers off their peripheral surroundings and centres more on Steve as he teases him. If the fairy-lights slowly start to creep near, he doesn't notice yet. ]

[rightly]

[ He huffs slightly, though smiling. His head ducks thoughtlessly, an instinctive reaction to avoid Loki's gaze for just a moment. ]

Appreciated. Particularly when you're in the mood to be a woman. [ He looks back up, back-pedalling a hint. ] I mean, not that I can't handle a woman in something more... you know. Just— I'm not used to it. So much, uh. Skin... showing.

[ikols]

You're going to have a nosebleed so strong when you meet my sister, she wears a belt and floating ribbons.

[ Thoroughly delighting in this infodump. ]

[rightly]

Nothing says I have to meet your sister.

[ He squints a little at Loki, as if trying to figure out if he's just pulling his leg. ]

Alright, but... she wears more than just that. Right?

[ikols]

[ Hmmm ... ]

She owns a massive sword.

[rightly]

[ For a moment he actually wonders if that's some sort of euphemism. ]

That doesn't count as part of her outfit. [ But it's also the least weird thing about all of it. ]

[ikols]

It does when held strategically.

[rightly]

[ He's trying to picture that. And then he's mentally kicking himself for trying to picture that. He shakes his head. ]

Just— never mind. I'm sure I could handle meeting your sister just fine. [ A beat, ] Not that I'm asking you to introduce her to me or anything.

[ Foot, mouth. Just let him die in a corner. ]

[ikols]

[ Wryly, ] Just working your way through the family, aren't you?

[rightly]

[ If he could choke on air itself, he would. He does turn an embarrassing shade of pink, though. ]

No! And don't say it like— like that. I just woke up in your bed, but it was an accident. As you very well know.

[ikols]

[ The most Innocent Expression to have ever been made graces his features and yet insinuations keep wheedling through the cracks. ]

I don't know anything about that. I was drunk, remember?

[rightly]

[ Steve lets out a sound somewhere between a whine and a groan, hiding his face in his hands. ]

Nothing happened! Absolutely nothing. I just got— confused! [ Loki don't you dare go there. ]

[ikols]

You look like your ears are about to start bleeding.

[ From unnecessary STRESSSSS. ]

Relax, you're not the first man to turn up in my bed unexpectedly.

[rightly]

[ If they had keysmashing in 1918 that would be what he was doing in his head. ]

Oh, my God, spare me the details. [ He drops his hands but keeps his eyes closed for a moment longer. ] I think I have to... uh. Go. Do things.

[ikols]

Oh, you go. I'll wait here.

[ Sure is a fairy-light hovering quietly above them (those things are totally getting wise to the world). ]