The Daily Diviner - Special Edition: Pride on the Bay

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Making a Return to Portovenere​
Cooking With Pride​
A Walk Through Portovenere​
Like the Shifting Tide​
Fun Beach Date​

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Hello, and welcome to Portovenere! It looks like you just stepped off the boat. I am so happy that Hogsworth students have returned to our quiet port once again. I know it has been a year, so I would be happy to give you another tour to re-introduce (or simply introduce) you to our home. Follow me off the docks so we can get started.

As a resident here, I spend most of my time in the main square. There is no place I would rather be than here, with the ocean breeze blowing on my face and the view of the boats all across the bay. I trust this is also where you will be spending your time, so let me show you around. Just to the very left here is Mimì, a flower shop run by Caterina Bonetti. I love the vines hanging from the walls and the flowers decorating the shelves; it immediately calms the mind. I recommend speaking with Caterina when you have the chance!

Outside are all of our fantastic booths, set up just for Pride Month. The flags bring such joy and brightness to the buildings, and across this, next to the Portside Restaurant, is my favorite artshop: La Mostra di Sogni.

But there is more to Portovenere than just our shops. If you circle around past the docks, up the stairs, a left, and more stairs, you will arrive at Portovenere Market. I simply adore this market on a warm afternoon, and it is always pleasant to say good afternoon to Vixen Van Gogh. It seems he has an activity for visiting students; I recommend seeing him later!

If you go north, take a left, and go straight down, you will pass by our quaint garden. If you are in need of a place to rest your feet, I find that this is the best spot. Swing on the swing set or dip your feet in the water; you could not go wrong!

Taking the next left from here and following the sloping streets upwards is how you will find our Town Hall. Important business takes place here, and I am sure you will need to visit here a few times during your stay. If you need to see our mayor, Guilia Rossi, you will find her here.

You may be wondering where to go next now that I have shown you much of the town. Well, I recommend speaking to Kevin down in the main square if you have not already. From there, you should seek out the places on this tour I have mentioned and speak to the people all around. There are many activities and new things to explore.

I suppose that is all I have to share with you, and it seems I must help with last-minute decorations. I truly hope you enjoy your Pride Month here at Portovenere and beyond. Make the most of everything we have to offer; I am sure you will not regret it! Have a wonderful Pride Month!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Hello, lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! Time sure flies as it is Pride Month already, and if you are like me, you will want to celebrate! One of the best ways that I know how to celebrate is with food. Therefore, I invite you to plan a meal with me that is rainbow-inspired to celebrate Pride Month.

When planning a meal, you must always start with appetizers. It is what gets the taste buds going and inspires those eating it to have more. When planning for a particularly inspiring appetizer for Pride, what first comes to mind are Celestial Conchas. These conchas are a type of sweet bread roll that are pressed with a bread stamp to look like a seashell and are given food coloring to make it look like the bread has a rainbow effect. Celestial Conchas, in particular, are baked during the full moon cycle to give them special properties. If baked during the new moon, the consumer can experience heightened emotions, the waxing or waning crescent moon increases abilities to grow plants, and the full moon heightens animalistic emotions. As a plant guru myself, I would certainly love to have a few Celestial Conchas!

Next, we are onto the main course! I personally love utilizing foods that have different colors, especially as these colors generally mean different food groups, which often means healthier choices. Therefore, as an entrée, I would suggest the Hogsend Hoagie. The Hogsend Hoagie is a staple food that I remember learning how to make in Magical Cuisine class. If you have not had this class yet, let me teach you the recipe!

First, preheat the oven, then fill a bowl with hot water. Set the bowl down and add yeast. Once done, pour in some flour, sprinkle in salt, add melted butter, and stir it all together. Secondly, place a pan on the counter and carefully move the mixed dough into the pan. Knead the dough and let it rise before turning it into rolls. Lastly, pick up the uncooked rolls and place them in the oven. Once they are done cooking, take the buttery rolls out of the oven!

Next, place a clean bowl on top of the counter. Then, set the lettuce down and carefully chop it up with a knife. Once done, pick up the chopped lettuce and place it into the bowl. Follow up by placing the tomato on the counter, and again, carefully chop it up. Season the lettuce and tomato with black pepper and mix it together with a spoon!

Thirdly, we will prepare a salad dressing. Add some salt into a fresh bowl, followed by black pepper, paprika, oil, and garlic. Proceed by crushing the garlic and mixing the ingredients together. Once done mixing, bottle the spicy dressing into an empty vial.

Then, turn the stove on and place the pan on top of the stove. Add the butter to the pan, followed by placing the uncooked steak inside. Remember to flip the steak so both sides are cooked! Once flipped, add the black pepper and salt, turn off the stove, and remove the steak.

Once that is done, you can finally make your Hogsend Hoagie by putting the buttery rolls, salad, spicy dressing, and steak all together!

The Hogsend Hoagie makes for quite a delicious meal - one that is healthy and nutritious!

After such a hearty meal, you may want to have some dessert. I personally would suggest some donuts. Not just any donuts, mind you, but specifically the Peaceful Tekton donuts! The Peaceful Tekton donuts are pink-iced rainbow confetti donuts. Not only are they rainbow-decorated, but they possess unique magical properties of being able to bring inner peace, happiness, and relaxation to their consumer. Who wouldn’t want that? For those that want to give it a try in making it at home, here are the ingredients:

500g white bread flour
60g golden caster sugar
15f fresh yeast, crumbled
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of sea salt
125g soften unsalted butter
2L of sunflower oil (for deep-frying)

I hope you enjoyed meal planning with me for Pride! These are just a handful of suggestions. There are thousands of recipes out there that might work better for you. All you have to do is try. As the saying goes, “Anyone can cook!” Happy Pride Month! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Welcome, readers of the Daily Diviner, to another special, colorful edition. To celebrate Pride Month on Potterworld, we’re making sure that all players feel accepted and welcome on the server. This includes hosting our own celebrations in the wonderful haven of Portovenere. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the wonderful attractions that you can find throughout the town, including a lovely restaurant, flower shop, and market area. Let’s make sure that you have the best time celebrating acceptance and adventuring in this place.

If you’re looking to interact with other players and spend some of your hard-earned Pride Tokens, the marketplace is the right place for you. In the center of Portovenere, you’ll find a bustling area full of vendors and players alike. Each stall offers different merchandise available for purchase, including specialty heads, banners, and more. Some of these items may not be available for purchase again, so make sure you get all of the Pride items you want while they’re available. Additionally, you’ll find lots of other players to interact with and make long-lasting friends. It truly is the perfect town center for a great celebration.

Looking to grab a bite to eat with friends, that special someone, or simply by yourself? Make sure to stop by Osteria d’Orgoglio, the best restaurant in Portovenere. This charming dining spot offers open seating and great food options that will allow you to fill your social meter along with your stomach. Right outside the town center, you’ll find this beauty looking out towards the port. Head straight in and grab a bite of their authentic, home-cooked meals.

Perhaps you’re in the mood for plant shopping or simply looking at florals? Head over to Mimí, the local flower shop of Portovenere. This gem is full of a variety of plants and flowers that will delight your eyes and nose, along with friendly staff ready to take care of all your plant needs. It’s the perfect destination to purchase plants for yourself or a bouquet of flowers for that special person in your life. There’s no shortage of Pride here, as this shop is full of colors that will make your heart sing.

As someone who loves flowers and a proud plant dad, Mimí, the local flower shop, holds a special place in my heart during this event. The large variety of plants and flowers, coupled with my fellow plant lovers, makes it my favorite spot in Portovenere. Whether you’re enjoying a delightful meal at Osteria d’Orgoglio with friends or on your own, exploring the bustling marketplace for unique items and new friendships, or taking in the colorful and vibrant plant life, Portovenere offers something for everyone. Thank you for reading, and I hope that you have a wonderful time celebrating Pride Month on Potterworld. I look forward to seeing you next time!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

It happened on a Tuesday. Although in hindsight, Luca knew it had been happening for several months now. But this Tuesday, Luca decided, was the first incident.

It was a Tuesday in June like any other. Portovenere was always warm this time of year, but the sea breeze made the humidity bearable. There was something about that day that felt off to Luca as soon as he woke up. His clothes rubbed his skin the wrong way, the breeze was a bit too strong even for Portovenere, and the sky was too bright— the bright that seemed to be making up for future rain.

Regardless, it was difficult to be too upset during a day in Portovenere Pride. The Pride flags decorating the town reminded Luca of the year prior when his friend Leo took his hand and brought him down to the Pride celebrations, pointing out a blue, pink, and white banner hanging outside a shop, saying ‘I think that’s me’.

Luca had been so proud of Leo then, but since that day, something had been nagging at him. Something he never fully realized until he was walking along the docks that Tuesday morning, admiring the Pride decorations and the sleepy faces just waking to a bright dawn.

Something he didn’t notice until he caught his reflection in the water lapping softly at the stone. His face didn’t seem to be his own, his clothes unnatural on his body. He looked wrong.

Luca looked away quickly, heart thumping in his chest. Now that he had seen it, it couldn’t be unseen.

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After the incident, Luca couldn’t help but stare at the banners strung across the buildings, wondering. Walking down to the port felt like they were being assaulted by possibilities, the blue and white and pink flag that never meant anything personal now making their heart flutter with possibility and a hint of fear disguised as doubt.

“Something happened the other day,” said Luca to Leo, standing at the beach side by side as was their evening custom. It was a way to relax in each other’s presence after a long day.

Leo hummed in response, acknowledging his attention, but he did not turn his gaze away from the boats coming to port. Luca appreciated the lack of eyes or expectations; it helped them clear their thoughts.

“Something was— wrong,” they continued.

“Are you okay?”

Not quite. Luca took a fortifying breath. “I think I’m genderqueer.”

Leo looked over and smiled, brightly at first, then more gently. He stayed silent, giving Luca the space to breathe.

Luca carried on, tangling a hand through their hair and pulling. “It excites me a little. But I don’t know what to do. What if I’m lying to myself? What if there’s no name for what I’m feeling, and I’m all alone?”

Leo stopped Luca there, putting an arm around their shoulder and gently taking their hand away from their hair before they could cause real harm. “It’ll be okay. I promise,” he said gently. “You have all the time in the world to figure this out.”

Luca rested their head on Leo’s shoulder, looking into the push and pull of the waves, and hoped he was right.

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Luca first used ze/zir pronouns on a Thursday, staring into the crowds of the town square nervously. Ze wore zirs most comfortable t-shirt, a cozy worn green, with a brand new skirt from the shop on the edges of town. This was its first day of use.

Just a small cafe date with friends, Luca reminded zirself as ze walked through the winding streets. Everyone in Portovenere was supportive and would hardly bat an eye. True to this, Luca’s friends said nothing when ze greeted them in the square. Leo smiled proudly but said nothing.

Ze caught a glance of zirself in the cafe window as they went inside and smiled. Maybe this would be okay.

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It wasn’t just any other Saturday morning; it was the morning of the Portovenere Pride parade, and Leo and Luca were walking in it. Lined up in the streets, Leo smiled at Luca as he pinned a button to her dress; pinks, white, black, and blue: the colors of the genderfluid flag. There was a name for what Luca felt, after all.

Afterward, as they sat on the stone wall with their legs swinging over water, Luca stood up and spread her arms wide, letting the wind lift her spirits. She laughed, feeling like a gull flying above rolling waters, free at last. Luca finally felt like herself; shifting pronouns, gender, and all.

 

[The Daily Diviner]

The sounds of waves hitting the shore filled the air, causing a smile to grow on Calliope’s face almost immediately. She had loved the beach for as long as she could remember.

Calliope had grown up on the beach, while her girlfriend, Amara, was a city girl. It was a surprise to them both when they agreed to visit a town called Portovenere, located at the shores of a beach.

Amara had mostly agreed since she wanted to visit Italy, and thus the two booked their flights and packed their luggage. Amara had told a friend of hers, Leon, about it, and he had told his boyfriend. It ended up being a four-person trip in the end, which made it even more exciting.

Today was the day they were spending at the beach, since they explored the town yesterday after arriving the day before.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Calliope smiled brightly as her eyes took in the sand and shore around them, a glint in her eyes.

Amara chuckled, carrying a beach bag and a blanket while Giovanni linked his arm with Calliope, sharing the same excitement about the beach as she did.

“We are going to have so much fun, even with those two being grumpy,” Giovanni joked, leading the brunette further down the beach while Leon raised his eyebrows and Amara snickered, knowing he was right.

They were grumpy about being at the beach, but Amara would give in if it made Calliope happy. Leon had the same thoughts when it came to Giovanni, which made the two agree to sit it through for their partners.

Before Leon or Amara could say anything, the two had put the bags and blankets down and started on a sandcastle, causing Leon to raise his eyebrows once more before sitting down on one of the blankets and watching the two build.

Amara smiled, setting up the parasol in the sand. She made sure it was set up steadily in case of heavy wind. It had been forecasted, but neither Amara nor Leon had the heart to tell their significant others that they couldn’t go to the beach because of it.

They had spelled Amara’s bag to be an infinite space either way, just in case they needed it. Leon had offered to do his bag, yet Amara told him it would make sense if she just did her beach bag, to which he agreed in the end.

“The sky is showing signs of rain. Should we tell them?” Leon didn’t tear his eyes from Giovanni as the words slipped from his lips.

Amara’s eyes followed the clouds before looking at the pair building a sandcastle close to the shore.

“No, they will run over if it starts raining.” Right as the words left her mouth the first raindrops started falling from the sky.

Calliope and Giovanni got up from the sand and ran over to the others, who had already packed up everything into Amara’s bag.

“Looks like we were right, huh?” Leon teased Giovanni cockily. Giovanni rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, since he was the one who ignored the weather forecast this morning.

“Whatever, let’s just find a place to shelter until the rain is over. And don’t act so cocky.” Giovanni only got a chuckle in response while Amara took Calliope’s hand and led her to the exit of the beach, an umbrella above both of their heads as the two boys followed them with one of their own.