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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Pleased that Ronan's charm finally managed to prevent an argument instead of start one, his step was a little lighter and he moved faster. The former he could blame on their emotional feedback loop, the latter was purely his own desire to get home fast.

"That I didn't get? Something about a countdown clock 'til you meet and black and white vision until you see each other. A lot of other crap like that." As if he hadn't just made a fuss over how much he liked that sort of crap.

Adam hummed in consideration. It seemed like Ronan had chosen the best ones. He wondered whether Ronan had thought about what Adam would like or if they just had similar tastes. Then he wondered if he should get revenge.

He fell into Ronan's pace easily, laughing when they reached the communal housing after practically racing there. His free hand went to Ronan's bicep, running down his arm fondly.

"What would you have done if it didn't lead to me? Would it matter?"

What would he have done? Not much that Adam would like.

"Get drunk, say fuck fate..." As they stepped inside their floor, Ronan reached for Adam's arm. He pulled him closer, spinning him just enough so that Ronan could lean in. "Do this anyway."

He kissed Adam before he could do more than think about cleaning up after work. Adam still smelled of broken cars, gasoline, and sweat, and while Ronan would enjoy this regardless, that extra kick made his heart race faster.

Or that could be the magic. He didn't care enough to think about it.

Adam paused when Ronan said the word fate. He'd had this thought in this mind that neither of them would care, but wasn't fate something important? Ronan seemed like the type to take fate to heart, and hadn't Blue decided that he wasn't worth her time because he wasn't her true love?

Luckily, Ronan cut him off from thinking too much. He knew very well that their relationship wasn't based off fate. It was trust and love and Ronan knowing when to act and Adam knowing when to think, and kissing was a terrible time for thinking.

He kissed back fervently, willing Ronan to read his mind that fate wasn't the only thing keeping them together. He grasped at Ronan's shirt and pulled him toward a couch, completely unmindful of the fact that this was a shared living space.

The string limited the movement of Ronan's hand. It stretched but it could also tangle. He kept that hand linked with Adam's. It was easy enough to balance without it. Falling back onto the couch with Adam, he leaned into him.

Before kissing Adam, the thought of doing this in public made him recoil, now Ronan came closer to not caring at all. He vacillated between the two views, either a victim of his own self-consciousness or his lust. He chose the latter now.

He pushed Adam back against the couch. Any time the kiss broke, he leaned back in to claim his lips again, as many times as he needed. Adam's feelings were melding with his. It wasn't only lust they wanted. They meant more to each other than that. The word "love" went unspoken but Ronan didn't need it. He needed Adam's fingers curled against his own and his body against his own.

He said only one thing between a kiss, "Adam." I'm glad it's you.

In moments like this, sharing each other's feeling was the best thing for them. Neither of them were good with words. I love you was nice to hear and say, but it frustrated him how little it expressed.

Now it was automatic, Ronan could feel everything. All of his love and eagerness and gratitude and devotion, that he would do anything for Ronan, that he couldn't understand how this had happened but he was glad for it anyway.

His free hand stroked along the tattoo of his name on Ronan's arm. He wanted to see Ronan's other tattoo, but just as he formed the intention to take Ronan's shirt off he remembered that they were in a living room where other people lived. He nibbled on Ronan's lip in playful annoyance and leaned back.

"I'm getting us a house soon."

Ronan began to follow Adam, not ready to stop, when he realized that the action was deliberate. The he remembered why. This was not a private room.

"Soon better be tomorrow." He'd waited enough. Any longer and he'd be consumed.

He was used to having these feelings directed at Adam, not himself. It was The Barns and his hand on the stick shift, the moment the light turned from red to green, and more. Then, for a moment, he allowed himself to think that he could get used to this happiness.

Ronan closed his eyes. Adam's fingers slid over his new soulmate tattoo. By now, Adam's hands had been on virtually all of Ronan at this point, but there was something new about this. Perhaps he wasn't used to that sort of reverence when his scars were touched-- but then they were only under part of the tattoo-- or perhaps it was the meaning of the act.

Adam could keep touching him. Ronan still had his other hand and he brought it to his lips. There were a thousand things he wanted to do to him that were probably inadvisable with that string, but kissing the back of his hand was safe. Ronan found himself shifting closer.

"This is gonna drive me crazy."

He wondered how much of that wild undercurrent Adam felt. Ronan, ever on edge, was trapped in that one moment of slipping, when you weren't sure if you would fall or catch yourself. It could be terrifying. Now it was exhilarating.

Adam was beginning to get used to the differences in their emotions. Ronan's feelings were everywhere, high-powered, they could drown him. Adam was used to quiet emotions, the most intense ones bubbling up slowly and spilling out bit by bit. Ronan calmed him, his stable and constant loyalty negating all of Adam's anxieties.

He didn't have the same effect on Ronan, apparently. He wondered if that was good or bad, or just different.

"It's your fault." He watched his hand meet Ronan's lips and the reaction his boyfriend had to that. It was so strange, but this was a perfect opportunity for an experiment. He shifted his hand, dragging it along Ronan's lips until he pressed his fingers against them. He was careful not to tangle the string too much, thumbing along his bottom lip.

"Do you know which ones are mine and which are yours?"

Adam Parrish had the singular ability to dance Ronan along the edge of madness and also pull him back into the comforting arms of reason, frequently in the same conversation. Right now, if he got any more sexually frustrated, he was going to be so deep into the depths of insanity that Adam would need climbing gear to pull him out.

Once Adam pressed his fingers to Ronan's lips, Ronan rapidly approached that point.

"I like it when I can't tell." His lips brushed against Adam's as he talked. Once he finished, he wrapped his hand around Adam's and pressed his index finger into his mouth. The fact that Adam had just been working only made it better and his surge of arousal attested to that fact.

Having, he hoped, sated Adam's curiosity, he pulled away.

"Yours are-- you." An entirely unhelpful description, but Ronan wasn't sure how else to put it. Steady might be the best word, but even then he had Ronan's habit of holding things in until they exploded. The difference was Adam had a higher threshold and his ability to bottle everything back in again.

Ah, now he had the word.

"Controlled." The kind of control that once you lost it, everything unraveled beautifully and terribly. Which happened to be Ronan's constant state of being. He just never bothered to restrain it in the first place.

He grinned. "I bet mine are a minefield."

Adam's arousal mixed smoothly with Ronan's, eyes glazing over in lust momentarily. It would be so easy to let himself sink into that feeling, but Ronan was pulling away and Adam regained control over himself.

So it was confirmed: his hands were Ronan's favorite part of him.

He tilted his head thoughtfully, eyeing Ronan to try to see if 'controlled' was good or bad. It didn't seem as though he disliked it or thought it was a strange way of feeling. It was true, he kept everything about himself under careful control. What would happen if he let everything out like Ronan did? He didn't want to know.

"No," he said and took a moment to find the words for it. "They're just there. I don't have to dig or try to figure out what they mean, it's all on the surface." Really the opposite of a minefield, but he acknowledged that he hadn't yet felt Ronan's emotions on a bad day. And Ronan hadn't felt his.

"I've always liked that. I don't have time to guess people's intentions." And when he did, he usually assumed the worst.

"I'm glad I'm convenient for you." The words came out sarcastic, but there was no mistaking that Ronan was amused. It wasn't the only the soulmate bond but the softer expression on his face, almost smiling, almost relaxed. He was still tense and moody from any objective glance, but there was only so much you could do with his appearance.

Ronan brushed his finger over the inside of Adam's wrist. He lapsed into silence, allowing Adam to fill it with words as he did or didn't please. He just wanted to savor this moment.

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introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

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