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

[dancingmd]

Undertaker. Beverly raises her eyebrows at Ciel. So this is his mysterious unnamed guardian. He's certainly not what she'd imagine a Victorian mortician to look like. Or any Victorian, for that matter. She certainly never saw anyone quite like him when she went back to 1890s San Francisco.

She nods politely at him. "Hello."

[sweetlies]

"Not quite like old times." There was no offer to measure him for a coffin, after all. "I can't pay you in laughter."

He looked between the two, stepping up to the counter. He couldn't help a faint look of amusement, Undertaker really didn't seem like the type to take over guardianship of a child.

"Doctor Crusher, allow me to introduce Undertaker." He looked to Undertaker, sure the man was wondering. "Undertaker, Doctor Beverly Crusher. We became acquainted at the masquerade some time ago."

[somakemelaugh]

"Not this time, but I can't imagine it's information you're after." Maybe he'd look a little more like his era if he could get out of the work clothes and into his casual garb, but alas, he'll be at work for an hour or so more. The look on his face says he finds something amusing, or at least curious. He tilts his head and moves over to the empty space on the counter beside the register to lean elbows on the surface. "Oh? Introductions? This is unusual."

He nods his head anyway and would have tipped his hat, had he been wearing one. "Pleased, to be sure. What sort of occasion are we sporting after today, milord?"

[dancingmd]

She looks between the two of them, trying to figure out what the Undertaker means. This is unusual. Ciel has always been polite to her, friendly even, under the formalities.

She offers the Undertaker a small smile. "Pleased to finally meet you as well. Ciel wanted to take me to tea."

[sweetlies]

"I'm no lord here." He reminded the man but knew it probably wasn't necessary. Undertaker didn't forget so easily.

"Introductions are only polite. Besides, you knew all of my associates in England, it wasn't necessary." He waved a hand, dismissive, and stepped up to the counter. "You've no doubt heard about this magical soulmate nonsense?" Was his way of explanation, and then he was looking back to Beverly with a smile.

"Anything at all you'd like."

[somakemelaugh]

"Well, that's very nice of him. Very nice, indeed." Had he heard of the soulmate hoopla? Oh, of course he had. In fact, he'd done well to avoid it, given his feelings on the matter. Now here the young Earl comes into the shop with a lovely woman on his arm, offering to buy her tea.

His grin turns more to the teasing, and it's not just about the social status that no longer carries weight in this world. "Oh, have I. I suppose that's why you're here, making nice with this young lady, showing her all proper. You two - " He points a finger, waggles it back and forth between them, then lowers it back to the counter again. " - look like you're one of the fortunate ones. Bit of an age difference, but who am I to judge? Love is where you find it."

[dancingmd]

Beverly's demeanor almost instantly switches from that of mild confusion to outright anger - she looks like she could punch Undertaker, but she restrains herself. For now.

"Excuse me? What the hell is wrong with you? He is a child!"

This is not a joke she appreciates, clearly.

[sweetlies]

Ciel's immediate reaction was to take a step away from Beverly, stiffening.

"I would never be so unfaithful to Elizabeth-!" And then Beverly's reaction reached him, his own shock keeping him from objecting to being called a 'child.' And instead, he can't help it as a faint spark of amusement bubbled up in his chest.

What was wrong with him? A muttered "Everything." slipped out.

[somakemelaugh]

Whatever else his guests are, he himself is on the far end of the spectrum. If anything, their displeasure with his humor - Beverly's more than the young Earl's, who he'd been accustomed to - only seemed to bemuse him more, setting him into a brief fit of giggles. She was a fiery one, for sure.

It was a shame he couldn't push a few more buttons while they were here. "So you say. But anyway, if that's not why you're here, the shop's still open for a little while. If it's tea you want, then tea I shall get you."

[dancingmd]

Beverly crosses her arms. "I don't see what's so funny about this."

[sweetlies]

Ciel leveled a glare at Undertaker for a moment longer and the let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing and letting his frustration fall away. No point in holding onto it. Not right now.

"Undertaker... enjoys getting a reaction." And she gave him a good one. It was amazing to see him successfully get under someones skin like that. He had startled Madam Red, Lau, even he had been scared by him a few times, but he'd never gotten under their skins quite so effectively.

"Black tea for me though, if you would."

[somakemelaugh]

She didn't, did she? The horror. Still, his grin never faltered. She may as well have enjoyed it just as much as he had. "Ah, that's too bad." Rather than carry it on, he went back to business, pressing buttons on the machine - a cash register, they'd called it - where he'd much earlier memorized what added the price to what item on the tab. "Black tea for you. And for you, milady? No rush on your whims. Take your time."

[dancingmd]

It's not something she'll ever find funny and she's still mad but Ciel is trying to help her. Besides, she wants to take this opportunity to learn more about the Undertaker. "Earl Grey." Not actually her favorite, but it's the sentiment behind it, the familiarity that she seeks.

[sweetlies]

Ciel had to press his hand to his mouth briefly and suppress a chuckle at the order. Nothing against the tea, of course.

"I wonder how Earl Grey would feel to have a tea named for him. Probably rub it in Phipps' face." Really, he didn't care. Grey was a nuisance in even the best times, he was only tolerated because he was the queen's butler.

"Join us? The three of us can talk."

[somakemelaugh]

"Good choice." He rang up the order and made no comment on the other Earl. Nothing about the Queen really interested him in their home world, short of what he needed to know to keep up with the news of the day, and now that she wasn't in this world he cared for her even less.

What did interest him, other than his customers of course, was the invitation. Here was another golden opportunity to push the jest he'd started earlier, but he opted to keep it quiet for now. It was dead and done anyway. "Oh? You'd like me in the conversation, would you? Are you so sure about that?" He grinned again, directing a look at Beverly.

[dancingmd]

She barely stops herself from rolling her eyes. No, she's not sure about it, but she gives a stiff nod of acquiescence anyway. "I didn't know Earl Grey was a real person." Let's focus on something other than how bad of a first impression Undertaker has made, shall we.

Besides, there's still the problem of her vision to worry about.

[sweetlies]

"Mm, he's one of the Queen's butlers and a private secretarial officer." He leveled a look at Undertaker, glancing between him and Beverly. This could be difficult. At least when he'd first come home, Undertaker had been cordial with Sebastian.

"Please do behave. I like when those I consider myself at least somewhat close to try not to aggravate one another." He sounded more exasperated than annoyed though. It was telling how used to this he was.

[somakemelaugh]

Now that he has his curiosity piqued, and with business as slow as it is, if or not he'll join them has already been decided in his mind. "I think I will, if you insist. Please, make yourselves at home and I'll have your orders right out."

While they choose a table, he makes a good employee of himself and sets about handling pots and cups to make the tea they've requested. "Not to worry. I'm not out to ruffle feathers, milord. Just having myself a laugh, as you know I'm so fond of, I'm sure. Work here has been quite slow all day today and it's terribly boring."

[dancingmd]

Beverly's jaw sets as she takes a stiff seat at one of the tables near the windows. Oh he's bored. Well then, that explains everything, terrible joke forgiven. That's not what she says, however. She'll keep the sarcasm to herself.

"I suspect everyone is busy with the festival."

[sweetlies]

Ciel formed his best smile, one he would have used at the circus or while attending Weston. He had been hoping this would be a perfectly pleasant visit but he'd forgotten how some of Undertakers humor struck other people outside of their circles.

"I imagine so. Everyone wants love, after all, don't they? They can hardly resist such a chance, even if they are, more or less, ridiculous parlor tricks."

[somakemelaugh]

The shop's machines fascinated him to no end when he had first arrived and trained for his new job, especially the ones that kept water at just the right temperature for tea. It certainly made things so much easier - he had their tea ready in short time and brought the cups out to their table. One was set before each of his guests, just what they had ordered.

"There we are. One earl grey and one black tea, as promised." A third chair sat empty at the table and he took it to join them, sweeping the thick braid of his hair over his shoulder as he did to keep it from being pinned against his back and the chair, uncomfortably so. "Some of them do. The ultimate happiness, I've heard it called. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?"

[dancingmd]

Beverly moves to take a sip of her tea, but looks over the brim at Undertaker in some surprise. "I take it you've never been in love then, Mr. Undertaker?"

[sweetlies]

"It certainly does."

Oh. That was an interesting question actually. Ciel knew Undertaker cared for people, his family and whoever else had been on that mourning chain. Love though? He'd never even thought about that, his good eye going wide and gaze curious.

[somakemelaugh]

"A person like me? Been in love?" He grinned all the more, tapping his fingernails against one another. Such a personal question right off, but he supposed he owed her a little leniency for offending her so earlier. "Might surprise you, but I've been in and out of it in my time."

[dancingmd]

"Yet so cynical!" There! Is that a little twitch of a smile? Couldn't be...