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

iv let's make this awkward

[worldsaway]

[Thor hasn't been avoiding Steve intentionally, but he hasn't actively sought him out either. He holds nothing against him, no grudges and only a mild sense of protectiveness as far as Loki is concerned. Truthfully, he's just been trying to keep himself un-involved.

Yet, here he is, alone with Steve with a strange but powerful urge to kiss him. Perhaps it can be likened to childhood quarrels with Loki, most of which ended with Thor taking his little brother's toys out of spite. Thor doubts it very much, given the fact that he hasn't had such an interest until this very moment.

Maybe it's just one of the bizarre things that happens here all too often. Either way, for the first time in a long time, Thor genuinely feels awkward.]

They can't be blamed. [He retorts, with a shrug.] I suppose we can't punch our way out of this.

lovely awkwardness

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve hasn't been actively seeking out the others for the most part. Outside of Bucky and Tony, he doesn't know the others that well and they have their own lives to keep up with. It isn't like there's an urgent need for Avengers in Riverview. Nevertheless, he does respect Thor and isn't against his company. When he runs into him in the street, he stops to talk -- and then finds that they are both trapped under the barrier cast by the halo of light above them. Trapped, and yet he doesn't really mind. ]

We could try. [ It's only partly a joke. Steve would almost be willing to try punching through it if he weren't struggling with other feelings. He shakes his head, dismissing the idea. ]

Then again, we'd better not. Maybe it'll wear out.

[worldsaway]

I've nowhere pressing to be, I can only hope that you've nowhere to be either.

[It's a pity they don't have beer or a nice sandwich to enjoy. Thor has nothing but his mind to entertain them, so they're positively doomed.]

It's been some time since we last spoke. How has the quarantine been treating you?

[livingsymbol]

Not urgently.

[ This isn't the best way to wait out the situation, but it also could be much worse. He can take the time to talk things over with this man. He probably should, everything considered. ]

I'm surprised we haven't done it sooner.

[ Especially since he had that talk with Loki on the roof. ]

It's been good. I didn't think I'd be staying this long in a place that doesn't seem to need any of us, but- I'm kind of glad we got held over.

[worldsaway]

Yes, I do surprisingly little and yet I always manage to be preoccupied. [Perhaps not by the most constructive things. He's mostly staving off his concern for the world he left behind by filling his life with ridiculousness.]

You do? [It's not accusatory, though he's a little surprised. He's curious, more than anything.] Then you feel fulfilled here?

[livingsymbol]

This place is good for that if nothing else. There's always something.

[ Thor isn't judging him, but at his question, Steve diverts his gaze to the side uncomfortably. Is being away from the home and people that need him really fulfilling? He shifts under the weight of the question. ]

I don't know if I'd say that, but- I've learned some things since coming here. Maybe it needed to happen.

[worldsaway]

[Thor doesn't mean to make Steve uncomfortable, he doesn't consider that it might be an uncomfortable question for him. He's been struggling with the concept of settling here, the concept of leading a relaxing, comfortable life and abandoning everything back home.

He feels if anyone would understand, it's Steve. Regardless of the universe he hails from, he's sure their struggles are not so different.]

Mm. [It's a contemplative sound, and Thor is raising a brow as he approaches the conversational elephant in the bubble.] I'm sure I've no need to give you a threatening, protective speech, but I am curious. Has my brother taught you something?

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve has been uncomfortable since his return from the grave. And maybe before that, since once he woke up and realized how much he'd contributed to everything falling apart in his life he's felt like he hasn't deserved to hold the shield, which makes him question who he is. Where he really belongs. He's getting back on his feet, but he does struggle, and Thor's question, honest and straightforward, demands an honest response from him that he hasn't yet sorted out. He wants to go home, wants to be worthy of helping people again, but he's learning to let go.

The second question, the one broaching the more personal subject, makes the blond cough slightly. He has to clear his throat. ]

He has. You know I didn't expect things to go the way they have, Thor, but I'm glad they did.

[worldsaway]

[Thor is not sure how to approach this subject at all, so it's natural that he should just dive in and hope for the best. He trusts Steve, he trusts any Steve. He knows his character, he knows his values. He also knows Loki, he knows his vulnerability and his weakness. He's never been so protective of him as he is now, it's as if they're boys again, and Thor is chasing the monsters out from under the bed.

He needs to re-evaluate how healthy that is, but his self-awareness where Loki is concerned lends to his casual approach to this situation. Let him live his life, let him be happy.]

As am I, on both counts. [His smile is wry.] I could not have anticipated it, but I am.. glad for him. I had hoped that being here would be an opportunity for better things.

But I do worry. [He wasn't meant to say that, but it followed naturally.]

[livingsymbol]

So do I.

[ That is Steve's honest answer. He doesn't know how the two of them are going to work. Not just because they are from different worlds, but because they both have their own baggage and weaknesses. He's well-aware that it could all come crumbling down with a wrong move. But that's what relationships are. And maybe Steve needed to approach something seemingly impossible, reach out to someone whom he never expected to care about to really put that in perspective. ]

I don't know if this place is going to offer him peace of mind, but we can always hope for the best. Right now, what I can say is that he isn't the man I expected him to be when he first arrived. He's made his own changes. I'm proud of him.

[ Steve smiles at Thor with a slight nod. ]

I think his older brother can be too.

[worldsaway]

[That Steve is honest and forthcoming is a relief to Thor. Of course, he hadn't expected Steve to scramble for his approval of their relationship, but he's glad he isn't being placated with assurances that Loki is perfectly fine.

When Steve tells him he can be proud, Thor's smile is soft, but it's completely sincere.]

I must admit, I was taken aback when he first told me you were.. [He falters, because he's trying to find the word.] lovers, but perhaps I should put myself at ease.

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve might not know exactly how to define his relationships (It's something that has been an ongoing struggle for him.) but he does speak his mind. And Thor deserves the truth. As Loki's family, Steve wants him to share in his brother's life, which means he can't do him the disservice of lying or avoiding questions when they are posed. But more than anything, Steve says what he says because he knows how he has felt toward Loki in his own world. Thor has to be used to Avengers only giving him bad news. Now that he has the chance, Steve is happy to change that. ]

He said that?

[ He purses his lips as he tries to imagine Loki using the word lovers to describe them. There hasn't really been a lot of physical love as far as he's concerned, but what they are is certainly more than casual. ]

I think it caught us all by surprise. But... I guess when you really talk to him, he's full of surprises. A lot of good ones if he decides to show them.

He came to me. It was his choice. Not sure I would have guessed I'm his type, to be honest...

[ A slight frown makes it to his lips as Steve suddenly has to consider Loki's past dating history and what it might have or have not entailed. If he had potential past loves before his rise to notoriety. He shifts his weight, adjusting to the thoughts that spring on him. ]

[worldsaway]

That.. may not have been the word he used. [Thor scratches his beard in contemplation, trying to recall his prior conversation with Loki. He mostly remembers them not going particularly well, so he leaves it be.]

I'm a little envious that he comes to you so willingly. I've taken to leaving trails of sweets in the hopes he will do the same. [He scoffs.]

I'd not have guessed it myself. I wouldn't have thought tall, blond, heroic sorts were his type, but perhaps that's where our similarities end.

[livingsymbol]

[ It's hard to say if Steve is relieved or disappointed that Loki didn't call them lovers. He doesn't want to be just a lover to the god, but he also gets a small flutter in his chest since Loki must have suggested something. He hasn't really told Steve what he thinks of them, but Steve believes there is something there. Something stable. He gives Thor a soft smile, understanding the sentiment behind his jokes. ]

I don't think that's true at all. We both worry about him. We probably understand him less than we'd like, and less than he'd like us to understand. And we both try.

[ He gives the thunder god a knowing look, smiling slightly as he offers a quiet reassurance beneath those words. ]

Like catching stars in a bucket. It's in the timing and doesn't always look like it sticks. We'll work on it.

[worldsaway]

Mm, true enough. I'd avoid making parallels between us in front of him, it tends to disgust him. [His tone is completely irreverent, it's not a serious warning.]

Well put. [Thor smiles in turn.] I must admit, this has been more reassuring than I imagined it would.

[livingsymbol]

Well, I doubt he wants to have too many romantic thoughts about his brother.

[ Teasing back gently, Steve's expression is warm and open as he tries to offer the other Avenger some kind of comfort. ]

Gets hard, you know, when you're close to someone and there's a big fight. You always care, you just don't always know exactly how to show it. Sometimes it gets too easy to take offense and too hard to compromise. Even when you aren't fighting, you want to.

But I think the truth is it just takes figuring out those first steps.

[ He puts his hand on Thor's shoulder. ]

We should talk more often. Not just when the magic light traps pin us down and you're worried that I'm not sincere about your brother. Although if you still have concerns about that, you're always welcome to come by.

[worldsaway]

I think you're right about that.

[Thor raises a brow at the hand on his shoulder, but he isn't perturbed by it. The gesture is comforting.]

I'm sure I'll take you up on that soon, for both counts. You're a good man. [He assures, then he leans in unannounced to give Steve a quick peck on the cheek. It's just enough to make the bubble drop.]

It won't be long until we meet again. You have my word.