It's that time of the year, folks! Yes, Valentine's Day is almost upon us. And you know what that means! Outrageous prices on flowers and overpriced boxes of chocolates, obnoxious pink hearts in every store window, saccharine greeting cards and Singles Night at your favorite bar. But then, it wasn't always like this, was it? When did a celebration of love and romance turn into this slavering behemoth of commercialism and disgust?

History.com says that St. Valentine's Day has been around since 500 AD. They also report that the first mass-produced valentine cards didn't appear until the 1840s. That's roughly 1300 years of people exchanging handmade notes and gifts with their loved ones. (Unfortunately that's also 1300 years of singles nights at bars and taverns across history.) Think of it: all those people, doing their best to impress someone else with a little paper, a little hope, and maybe some candy to, ahem, sweeten the deal.

In honor of all those prospective relationships, let's make like rabbits and node like crazy. Node about famous lovers, like Mark Antony and Cleopatra or Heloise and Abelard. Node about your first loves, your last loves, your secret loves and your public declarations. Node about the science of love: how pheromones work, or about how prophylactics are made, or what foods are supposed to be aphrodisiacs and how to prepare them. Node about writing about love, like Dante's La Vita Nuova or the story of Tristan and Isolde.

Let's not forget the darker side of the holiday, however. Node about how Singles Night is a despicable institution that doesn't encourage anything but the spread of social diseases and overpriced liquor. Node about how much Hallmark made last year just on Valentine's Cards. Node about how love is just a bunch of chemicals making your brain do irrational things so you spread your DNA around. Node about how much better you are without that jackass who stole your MP3 player and ran off with your best friend.

Whatever you decide to node, make sure it's entertaining. Nothing's more dull than boring writing about love. Inflame passions! Make us want to go drink to drive away the pain of an affair gone awry! Node to me like you noded to that horse!

The Rules

  • The quest shall run from server midnight on February 1, 2011, to server midnight on February 28, 2011.
  • Every submission to LoveQuest that is still alive by the end of the quest shall earn 69 GP, courtesy of Mr. wertperch.
  • To be counted for the quest, you must message me, GhettoAardvark, with the name of your node. Hard- and softlinking your node to this one is encouraged.

Have fun and remember: always node responsibly!


Submissions:

  1. A cat called Manchester by Orangeduck
  2. A contrarian for all seasons by cassparadox
  3. Am I asleep? Have I slept? by cassparadox
  4. The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World by Glowing Fish
  5. Better Loving Through Chemistry by vandewal
  6. burning daylight by tentative
  7. but you had his eyes and that was sort of almost enough by Girldoll
  8. By mourning I will have erased all traces that I was ever here by cassparadox
  9. Cold comfort by DonJaime
  10. Darlinn by tanktop
  11. Death takes a piss by Zephronias
  12. Dissected love by drownzsurf
  13. Down by The Cherry Tree by StuartO)))
  14. Enter perfect couple, he owns all the keys by Zephronias
  15. February 8, 2011 by MonkeyLover
  16. February 14, 2011 by lizardinlaw
  17. Forget women - here's what men want by Intentions
  18. The heartbeat at our fingertips by Intentions
  19. How do I kludge thee? Let me count the ways by Croakery
  20. I am listening to hear where you are by cassparadox
  21. I Make Hamburgers by tentative
  22. I tried polyamory and all I got were these two awesome boyfriends by Egeria
  23. Introducing yourself to the one-breasted woman by wertperch
  24. June 22, 2009 by Intentions
  25. Letters to the Editor as found in a dustbin by cassparadox
  26. Life's a beach (a fish story) by tanktop
  27. Love and Abuse by lizardinlaw
  28. Love and Addiction by lizardinlaw
  29. Love and Jealousy by lizardinlaw
  30. Mandrake by cassparadox
  31. my first kiss by Girldoll
  32. So I'm wrestling with the demoness while the priest is trying not to soil his vestments, and Faust is just sitting there like an idiot by Zephronias
  33. Silphium by cassparadox
  34. Sucre7 by cassparadox
  35. Thieving sociopaths by The Purple Phantom
  36. this is dangerous, you and i by tentative
  37. The world is warm and likes having us in it by Mouq
  38. weather the storm by tentative

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