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

[buildsomething]

You'd be surprised.

[It's dry, as Tony reclaims his hand, but it's a friendly kind of dry. As much as he'd like to think of them as something purely theoretical, he's had a little too much experience with them lately.

Though at least he's not melting down just at the mention anymore. Christ, wouldn't that be fun.]

R&D, huh? What do you do?

[fingergunning]

Not much yet. They have me on Comms, which isn't far off from what I did back home, but this is a little less jungle and bullets and a little more sitting around on my butt. Which, you know, isn't a bad thing...

[But there was a note in his voice that hinted that maybe it was a bit of a boring thing, and Jensen wasn't used to boring.]

[buildsomething]

[Both of Tony's eyebrows lift a little.]

Military?

[Now that he's looking closer, the guy does have the bearing for it. Either that or mercenary, but Tony's going to go out on a limb and guess that isn't the kind of thing you just announce to a relative stranger. Or maybe you do. What does he know.]

I mean, there's always the, you know, monsters. Unless you've got those where you come from.

[fingergunning]

Yep. Or, I was, until I wound up here.

[Jensen's trying to figure out the guy who he sort of semi-lived with, but barely saw. He was busy, he knew that much. The guy was in and out, mostly only using the room to grab clothes or sleep before heading off to do god knows what. But he hadn't had the time to talk to him. Didn't know what he was up to outside of not snoring much.]

Ah, no. Not unless you count the human ones who are just general shit stains. What about you? You don't come off as military.

[buildsomething]

I am very much not.

[He can't help but snort a little. If there's anything Tony definitely isn't, it's a soldier. Or cut out for anything like it.

He's spent enough time around them, though, which is why he gives the guy a mildly considering look before adding:]

Used to be a defense contractor, though.

[fingergunning]

Yeah? What'd you specialize in? Tech? Comms? Weapons?

[Jensen had been involved in all of them, but his specialty had always lay in the little intricacies of technology. Computers. Comms. Digging up information. That was where he shone like a furry little star.]

[buildsomething]

Weapons, mostly. Some tech.

[SI had always had it's fingers in multiple pies, but the weapons division had been the big one. Had been. At least they'd had the other tech sectors to fall back on while Tony was still trying to figure out what the hell he was doing.

And it's weird to be talking about it without the other person immediately making judgey eyes at him. He's not exactly thrilled about that portion of his life anymore either, but it is kind of nice to just be chill about it.]

Now it's mostly tech and green energy.

[fingergunning]

Not like... green bombs, right?

[Because he'd already run into that and he would like to avoid any kind of green terrorist or their snooks or whatever else someone like Max might be interested in.

But the tech talk... well. That was candy to him.]

You doing that here too? The tech, I mean.

[buildsomething]

[One of Tony's eyebrows lifts, but he just folds his arms across his chest.]

No. Missiles, mostly. Some small arms. Guidance systems, body armor. That kind of thing.

[Everything that could be so easily misused. But that's really not a place he wants to go right now. Or ever.]

And yeah. Officially, even, once I figure out exactly what I'm doing with all of that.

[fingergunning]

Body armor? What kind?

[Now he had his interest. It wasn't every day Jake got to talk shop with someone that had a clue what he did and whose interests ran at least parallel to his own.]

I mean, if you plan on doing that here. For stuff. Might come in handy if someone were to go into the jungly unknown.

[buildsomething]

[Tony huffs out a quiet laugh and shifts slightly. As willing as he's been to make and remake gear for his team, doing it on a larger scale feels like backsliding in a way that's hard for him to define even in his own head. Or maybe his Merchant of Death days are still too close to the forefront thanks to that whole amnesia business. It is something to consider, but. Well. He'll think about it.]

Technically I'm supposed to be doing work for the Abandoned City. Figuring out how to reclaim it, I guess. I'm still trying to work out exactly what kind of supplies I have to work with around here.

[fingergunning]

Yeah?

[Maybe, just maybe, Jensen wasn't used to civilian life yet. It was so... boring.]

You, ah, maybe looking for a little help there? I mean, I'd be good for recon or clearing. That was kind of what we did before.

[buildsomething]

[Military recon. It's interesting and certainly something Tony is going to have to keep in mind. He can't help giving the guy a slightly questioning look, though.]

'We?'

[It may be a weird thing to get caught on, but sue him, he's curious.]

[fingergunning]

Old squad. We were kind of a specialized unit. Small. Precise.

[And prone to being a last-ditch group to go to due to their unpredictability. But hey, they got the job done.]

[buildsomething]

I get that.

[Tony flicks him a smile. Oh, does he get that.]

So you're the tech guy?

[fingergunning]

[It was nice to have someone around that seemed to understand him. Between tiny little girls that had no families and large hammer-wielding ass-guards, he'd been feeling a little out of his depth.]

Yeah, I guess. Comms, tech, info, hacking. Anything with computers or buttons was more my style. You get out much? I mean, field-wise?

[buildsomething]

[Tony's expression shifts to something slightly wry.]

More than you'd think. I've got my own team.

[Sort of. It's more complicated than he's ready to explain to a dude he's currently trapped in a bubble with.]

[fingergunning]

Yeah? They, ah, here?

[Because his wasn't. He was all alone, Tony. Sad, sad hacker boy, all alone in his cot.]

[buildsomething]

A few.

[He smiles faintly. The situation is still complicated, but it's good to have them around. Usually.]

We haven't done anything so organized, though.

[fingergunning]

Well, if you're looking for a guy... I've got some time on my hands. And really, I need something to do.

[He leaned into Tony a bit, looking around as if he expected someone to be listening in.]

It's a little boring here, man.

[buildsomething]

[Both of Tony's eyebrows lift into an incredibly sardonic look.]

Boring. Being on a monster-infested moon next to an entire abandoned city is boring. Jesus, and I thought I had issues with being an adrenaline junkie.

[Of course he dose still fly what's essentially a tank around, so maybe that's all relative.]

[fingergunning]

No, that part's kind of cool, but they have me stuck in an R&D room, so I'm spending most of my work time not really able to get out and, you know, do anything. Maybe I got a little used to the jungle over an office.

[That's what happened when you were part of a specialized strike team.]

[buildsomething]

[And that just sounds like heaven to Tony, but it's been made abundantly clear that he is not and never will be a soldier. So he shrugs a little.]

There's nothing stopping you from going out there if you want to. I mean, I'd take backup, but there's no reason you need to feel stuck.

[fingergunning]

That's the ish right there, man. I got no backup. New here. Haven't really made any bros, if you get my drift. I'm all for hieing off into the great unknown, but I'm not suicidal.

[buildsomething]

[A wry smile flickers across Tony's face, but it's not like he doesn't understand it. Most people aren't him. And he wouldn't go out there on his own either.]

Makes sense. I'd stick with the Guard folks, though. From what I know of people in there, seems like the kind of place to find someone to watch your back.