riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

Entry tags:

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ she listens intently, pausing for a moment to taste her ice cream again. ]

Did we try any of them after the war?

[ diana can't imagine that they spent too much time away from their main mission, but perhaps after the defeat of ares, they did. ]

[ Her answer catches him by surprise, but he catches himself before it shows on his face. He knows before he opens his mouth that he's going to lie to her, and he already hates himself for it. ]

Yes, I guess... all of them. You're very fond of sweets.

[ He knits his eyebrows a little, then adds. ] You're very fond of trying new things, actually. There should be plenty of that for you, in the world of Men. Here, too.

[ truthfully, it's the one piece of information she's clung onto over the past week. since diana's accepted that she can't open the portal through sheer force of will alone, his promise of a future she's yet to experience is all she has. ]

Yes, but it's not home. [ this is a realm of wonder, but so is his world. ] Do you not miss it?

[ He opens his mouth, closes it again, then shrugs and shakes his head. ]

Not... really? Not the place, anyway. It's like... you miss Themyscira, don't you? You had a place like that. I haven't had a place I'd call home for over ten years.

[ He stares down at his delicious ice cream, and feels like just tossing it angrily into the trash. ] I do miss Etta and the guys, I guess.

[ her expression falls slightly, uncertain of how to respond. she doesn't know who etta or "the guys" are, but she can discern that they're important to him. suddenly, her craving for ice cream has abated as well. coming to an abrupt stop, diana raises one hand to settle on his shoulder. ]

Once I find a way back, you'll see them again.

[ She doesn't realize how much worse her words make it, of course. Steve just wants to cry, wants to yell at her that he has nowhere to go, that he's never going to see anyone again unless they're the ones who come here. He's told her that much during their first meeting, that he didn't want to go anywhere, but at that point she probably didn't even register it.

For the best, really, or else she'd be asking him very different questions right now.

He smiles at her, hoping with all his might that it doesn't come off as hollow. He clears his throat, nodding down the street. ] Anyway— anywhere special you want to go to? Anything you'd like to do?

[ her hand drifts back to her side, and diana takes another lick of her dessert before biting the cone. a pause of contemplation fills the air. ]

Is there a place to train here?

[ He knits his eyebrows a little at her. ] You want to do that now?

[ But well, she asked, so he offers with a sigh. ] Yes, there are a few places. I haven't been to many of them, but we could probably look for directions to one of them if you want.

[ she stares back, mildly amused. well, yes. it is on her mind. while her mission to stop ares has taken an unexpected detour, it's not over for her. and on themyscira, the amazons trained on a daily basis. certainly, it wasn't all they did, but for someone like diana — who was prohibited from fighting for so long — it's still significant.

they continue walking as steve speaks, stopping by a stand before she has a chance to respond. there is a vast collection of various bottles, and all the bright and vibrant potions catch her attention. ]

Steve, look.

[ And really, he knows there's nothing wrong with that, which is why he doesn't try to dissuade her from it. It sort of puts a damper on his sort-of not-plans, but then again, he hadn't truly asked her out on a date, now had he? No, he hadn't had the guts for that. So if she wants to go train? He'll just tag along, he supposes. They'll still be spending that time together, that should count for something.

But she seems easily distracted. Not that he can blame her. His whole first week here was the same, every new shiny thing catching his attention. The bottles with the brightly colored potions seem particularly eye catching, and he can't help looking over with mild interest himself.

As soon as they approach, the vendor smiles and urges them closer still, presenting his collection as the best out there when it comes to finding one's soulmate. Steve, of course, chuckles awkwardly, waving a hand at the man. ] No, I don't think— we're not interested, thank you.

[ it's a word that intrigues her — soulmate. just like marriage. while she's no stranger to romance, as various forms of it existed in themyscira, there are several concepts from the world of men that fascinate her. steve declines the offer, but diana accepts with a bright smile. ]

I'll take one, please.

[ Before he gets to say anything to her decision, the vendor is shoving the same potion as hers in his hand, stating happily that he's selling two for the price of one. Steve opens his mouth to protest, closes it again, biting the inside of his cheek as he pays for Diana's and, apparently, gets his one for free.

He stares at the dark liquid of the bottle in his hand, then looks over at her. ] Are you really going to try it?

Is there a reason I shouldn't?

[ she replies, a mischievous glint in her gaze as her brow lifts to challenge him. following the instructions of the vendor, diana twists open the bottle. she doesn't wait for steve to do the same, already pouring the liquid on her left hand. ]

No, I... I guess not.

[ He's not even sure what he's so afraid of. He's fairly sure it's not going to kill him, but he knows he doesn't want her looking at his hand. He's also not entirely sure he wants her looking at her own hand. Provided it's his name that shows up, otherwise he doesn't want to look at her hand either.

He shakes his head and forces away thoughts of names and hands and soulmates. It's probably just a trick, in any case. Before he thinks twice of it, he opens the bottle and pours the liquid onto the palm of his hand. He'll have to admit at the very least the way the liquid doesn't drip off and slowly seeps into his skin is pretty amazing. ]

[ diana handles this situation as she does with any other; she charges right on in. the magical potion covers her palm, materializing into a distinct shape. a name, to be exact. after a few seconds, she blinks in recognition. it's a name she would know, in any language. ]

It's you.

[ she glances up at him, revealing the tattoo on her hand — "steve" in cursive script. bold and unmistakable. ]

[ There's a curious mix of feelings clashing inside of him, but most of all it's relief and nervousness that stand out the most. He can practically feel his heart beat at the back of his throat when she shows him her palm, but he simply shrugs at her. ]

It's... probably just a trick. Maybe— I don't know. Shows you the name of the person you're standing closer to.

[ That was quite the save, he thinks. Granted, he just feels like a coward running away from his own feelings, but anyway.

He looks down at his own palm with very little surprise, and shows it to her too. It's her name, scribbled across his skin. ] See?

[ she arches an eyebrow, finding this steve trevor to be the man she knows, all too well. the one who pulled her into a warm embrace when she first arrived was a stranger, but his behavior now? it's much more familiar. ]

Is that what "soulmate" means?

[ her pointed question is coupled with an inquisitive smile, as she waits for an explanation. ]

[ His mouth hangs open for a moment at the question, then he looks down, curling his fingers in and pulling his hand back. ]

No. That's not what a soulmate means.

[ He pockets the now empty bottle, a silly memento that he wants to keep nonetheless. ]

I'm just saying, the potion can do this for a number of different reasons. It... it doesn't have to mean anything.

[ he seems fairly defensive about the topic, so diana decides not to push. well, not too much, at least. her vision flickers down to his hand, then her own, as she places the empty bottle back on the stand. the vendor is busy with another couple, trying to secure another sale. ]

Do you want it to mean nothing?

[ Alright, there are lies and then there are lies, and Steve knows very well he can't lie to her about that. Not with a question like that. If he lies now then he knows for a fact he'll just be pushing her even farther away, regardless of her believing him or not. ]

No. [ He breathes out, eyes flickering up to meet hers. ] It doesn't mean nothing. Not to me.

[ diana stares at him, caught between surprise and fascination. she's no fool. of course, she sensed a shift in their connection from the beginning. however, it appears that this development is far deeper than she initially thought. ]

Something happened. [ as if it will help her to comprehend the situation further, she lifts a hand to his face, brushing her thumb across his skin. ] Between us.

[ It may help her understand, but it doesn't help him think any clearer. He breathes slowly, eyelids falling slightly, his hand moving up to settle on her forearm near her wrist. ]

Yes.[ Saying it out loud takes a weight off of him, while somehow weighing down on his chest and making it hard to breathe. ] But it's alright, Diana. I won't expect or demand anything from you now.

[ He wouldn't have back then, either. Not that he even got the chance, mind. ]

[ even as steve moves to touch her, she doesn't drop her hand, allowing her thumb to linger near his jawline instead. diana furrows her brow, her own expression caught between concern and curiosity. ]

Tell me.

[ she wants to learn more, to discover exactly what occurred between them. ]

[ Of course she asks, Steve should have expected that much. His first reaction is to tell her nothing, to simply say she doesn't need to know, but he knows how well that would have gone down. But he also doesn't want to say too much and overwhelm her. So, he finds a compromise. ]

We... kissed. I've grown to care about you a great deal.

[ they kissed. the revelation is both anticipated and unexpected, all at once. while diana can't claim that she would jump to that conclusion, it's not a stretch of the imagination either. she stares at him, her gaze softening. ]

You did not have to hide this from me.

[ it all makes sense. why he held onto her when she first arrived, why he's refused to leave her even now. ]

introductory mingle: DRAGOSTA

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