riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

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introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Harvest Festival celebration
when: The month of November.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

harvest festival

In the days leading up to November 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Harvest Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the harvest season and autumn, as the moon transitions into its winter period, and is characterized by indulging in the plenty that comes with the harvest season with loved ones, cleaning house figuratively and literally, and making sure that those in need don't suffer during the winter. Celebrations tend to focus around food and charity, with citizens enjoying and sharing cultural meals and sharing stories, or participating in any of the wide range of charity projects and events going on during this season.

a celebration of sharing

The biggest traditions of the Harvest Festival are centered around giving and sharing. Charity is central, and the each year the city sets up a large open tent with warm places to rest for anyone who might be homeless and a table capable of sitting over 50 people at any given time, with a round-the-clock catered feast for anyone who wants to sit and have a meal with anyone else who's dropped by. Besides this, there are a wide variety of events benefiting charities in the city, including a karaoke concert, stray animal round up, and the annual "stuff swap" where residents clean their homes and donate anything they don't need to those who might be lacking. There is also a tradition of writing down repressed or bottled up thoughts, feelings, regrets, sins, and other troubles and tossing them into a bonfire to go into winter with a clean soul.

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

For the first few days of November, anyone dropping by the city center will notice a large tent structure being put into place - by November 3rd, as the last of October's ghosts fade into nonexistence, a veritable banquet hall will have been sent up. For a week following the setup, anyone who drops by the hall and steps inside will see a large table laden with food. Bread, stew, fruits and vegetables, soups, roasted meat, and almost anything else one can think of will be on the table, along with plates, silverware, and cups. Anyone is free to take a plate, settle down at the table, and help themselves to a meal.

The Feast is staffed entirely by volunteers, who do the cooking, cleaning, and tidy up the dishes and area afterwards, keeping the constant stream of food coming. Whether your character is heading in to sit beside a stranger and strike up a conversation, or volunteering their time, energy, or cooking skills to the hall, they're more than welcome.

One corner of the hall is entirely dedicated to the yearly "stuff swap." There's a long-standing tradition of fall cleaning in Riverview Quarantine, where residents will thoroughly clean their homes and rid themselves of excess in preparation for the winter. The extra things that aren't needed can be dropped off at the city center where the Feast is set up, and anyone who is in need of a particular item that has been donated can take it free of charge. This is an honor system, so please be kind to others! (Or don't.)

ii. charity karaoke

On the weekend of November 10th and 11th, while the Feast will be cleared away, the tent is being repurposed for a new event - a Karaoke Concert for the needy! Set up as a makeshift bar and lounge area, the space will be fronted by a large stage where singles or groups of people can choose a song and karaoke their hearts out to a crowd of spectators. There's a by-donation cover fee, and guests are encouraged to reward the best (or most hilariously bad) renditions of beloved songs from across the multiverse with digital "tips" that are transferred to the karaoke performer's charity of choice.

Whether you're a spectator tipping a performer, or a performer who's singing their heart out on the stage to benefit a variety of charities from the homeless to the animal shelter to children in need (and almost anything else you can think of), the Karaoke Concert is both hilarious and heartwarming.

iii. stray animal roundup

One of the main charity events that seems to happen every year is the stray roundup. As the seasons turn and it gets colder and colder at night, many residents who have a soft spot for animals band together to round up as many stray animals as possible and take them to shelters where they can be rehabilitated, given a warm bath, fed, and have a safe place to sleep. Volunteers take to the streets with crates and nets or restraining poles as well as generous bags of treats of food to entice the strays with, and capture them safely to be brought back to the various animal shelters around the Quarantine. Any animal who's caught is put up for adoption, and volunteers are encouraged to take home any strays that they bond particularly well with, or are invited to foster animals in their homes.

Whether your character is a die-hard animal lover, looking for a new pet, or just wants some wacky hijinks trying to chase a wily critter around the streets, they'll be suited up with supplies by other volunteers and released into the fray. The most common animals to be found are cats, dogs, and small domesticated foxes, but feel free to assume that your character is rounding up a reptile, rodent, bird, or a domesticated alien critter. Playing a thread with this prompt is a great opportunity to get a cute alien pet for your character without spending AP.

iv. letting go

On the evening of November 15th, a series of large bonfires will be set up all along the beaches of the river, and as the night falls, people begin migrating to the beaches from all over the city carrying slips of paper in a wide variety of colors with words written on them in a wide variety of languages, and throwing them into the fires. This is a way of psychologically and emotionally cleaning house for the residents of the Quarantine, because the papers they bring contain the stories of their pain, poems written about the feelings they bottle up, a venting of their anger and fear and resentment, all to be eaten up by the flames and washed away by the river with the next rain.

No matter where a person comes from, they carry pain and suffering and hurts that they must hide. This is a welcome opportunity for characters to write out their thoughts and feelings and release them. And if the symbolism of burning them isn't enough, there are always other people around the fires who are willing to listen, to hear all those things that people keep locked up inside. Share a story willingly, listen to someone's story, or just get caught holding your deepest darkest secrets on a really vulnerable piece of paper...it's up to you.

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 the Harvest Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i & iii: Bastien Grivet; image ii & iv: unknown (stock/hobbiton)

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[Keith almost started a little at the sound of his name, his eyes widening a little.] Huh? Oh- [He tightened his hand around the papers, pulling back and shoving it in his pocket.] Hey. [He managed to get the surprised look off his face quickly enough.] I was just uh, curious... what they were doing down here. [He looked off over the crowd like he was trying to observe everyone, his eyes narrowing a little.]

[ She.. isn't really certain she buys that explanation. She saw him holding something in his hand after all. And he had been staring at the fire PRETTY intensely. ]

Really..? [ Can't quite keep the doubt from her voice, but she'll try to bring it up a little later. She doesn't want to push him. She glanced down at his pocket briefly, and slipped her hands behind her back. ]

Looked like you were thinking really hard about something.

[ She glanced around the crowd - actually, looked like a lot of people had those torn expressions like Keith had earlier. ]

[Keith sighed as she gave him that tone. Thankfully, she didn't push, so that was okay, but he still couldn't help dropping his gaze from the crowd to the ground.]

Yeah... I guess I was.

[He shook his head, trying to bring himself back to the present.]

Were you going to toss something in?

[He was just going to focus on Mari for now.]

[ Her curiosity was eating her up, to be frank, but she wanted to respect his privacy ... for a little bit longer at least. He -had- seemed troubled so she wanted at least to be able to give him the option of getting what bothered him off his chest. ]

... [ Patience, Mari, patience. She glanced around. ]

Seems to be the case for a lot of people here. I guess.. it kind of makes sense though.

[ She glanced at him in surprise, then down at her empty hands, shaking her head with a faint smile. ]

No, I don't really have anything .. I guess I should feel lucky. [ To not be burdened with heavier thoughts, just yet. ]

But I wanted to be here as a show of... I guess, moral support? Just in case someone needed an impartial person to listen. [ Not offer advice - because not everyone appreciated that, but she always believed it helped to have someone listen, even if it was just to vent at somebody so the burdens weren't as heavy. ]

Sometimes it helps, just getting it off your chest, even if there's nothing they can do - knowing someone else was there to listen helped me, so I wanted to be able to do the same if someone needed that.

[ Though admittedly it's easier to be a sounding board for someone she knows than a total stranger. Friends tend to get priority. Though she's not even looking at him directly, but watching the flames pensively herself. She has a feeling he was struggling with something, and she's not going to bring it up yet, but she'll give him that chance to do so on his own before bringing up The Papers(tm). ]

That's nice of you.

[Keith looked back at the flames again, a pensive expression on his face.]

I guess it would help. It's just not always to talk about things sometimes, you know?

[Who was he kidding? It was never easy for him. He just... pushed it all down inside. That probably was part of the reason he had such a short temper. He was always just on the edge of bursting, regardless of how calm he looked on the outside.

Damn. Sometimes it was worse being aware of one's own faults.

He finally did pull the papers out of his pocket to look at them again. They were pretty crumpled up now with the way he had shoved them in there so quickly, but it didn't really matter if he was just going to burn them up, right? He frowned at them.]

I guess I thought a little harder than I admitted to.

You're not making fun of me are you? [ No he wouldn't be, but she did want to try to lighten the mood a little. Whatever he had been thinking on was serious. And she's never...really had a serious conversation with him - most of their conversations were fairly light. If he was comfortable enough to talk to her about something serious, that was good, wasn't it? ]

I know. I want to be of help to you even if it's just listening, as your friend. I could tell something was bothering you but I didn't really ...want to push the matter if you're not comfortable talking to me about it.

[ She'd just stress and worry about him quietly instead. ] But I hope you would at least talk to someone if something bothers you...?

[ She trailed off almost questioningly when he pulled out the papers out of his pocket, puzzled, then glanced up to him again. ]

... if it wasn't important, you wouldn't have thought so hard about...whatever it is. Um... do... you want to talk about it...?

[Keith just shook his head, getting the idea well enough that she was joking with him as she said that. He appreciated the attempt at keeping things light. He sighed slightly, crossing his arms in a somewhat guarded posture.]

I guess. I've never really been much of a talker, but... I don't know.

What I said was true, though. I really did come down here just to look and see what was going on. I hadn't expected to get caught up in it all and start really thinking about it. [He had a few strips of paper. Nothing big because Keith tended not to be very verbose, but there was enough to get the point across to himself about what it was he'd been thinking of when he wrote them.]

It feels weird. Like, it's just paper, and it's a fire. And burning something you wrote on a piece of paper doesn't seem like it should be a big deal to do, and, honestly, isn't going to actually solve the problem. Life doesn't work that way.

But, I'm still stuck here, not sure if I should even do it... or if I even can. [He moved his hand enough to look down at the papers again.] Why would something so silly sounding end up being so hard to actually do?

[ Her small smile faded to one of a more serious expression, watching him carefully, body his body language and his face. That was going to be her biggest clue on when he was getting really uncomfortable if she accidentally said something wrong. This was pretty much uncharted territory for her. ]

[ For the most part she kept her word, she was silent, watching and listening to him talk, thinking. And he did have a point, burning the paper wasn't really going to do anything, in most cases, but... ]

Even if it does sound silly...well... whatever it is, it's obviously important to you. I guess it's like someone who's attached to something that's been a part of their life for a long time. Suddenly being without it would feel like it's ..empty. Missing.

This whole thing with the fire and burning the papers.. I guess it's more of a symbolic demonstration - sort of like saying that they're ready to let go of that piece of them and move on- kind of like a spiritual cleansing. It's a part of growing and moving on.

[ Maybe it was like someone who grew up attached to their childhood doll that brought them comfort and security for years. Ending up having just as much trouble being able to move on from that feeling of comfort. But she didn't think Keith would appreciate that comparison. Wait - ohgod - ]

Oh! SOrry I .. said I'd just listen, didn't I? [ Eheh. Her bad. ]

[Keith shook his head a little at her apology.]

It's fine. You're just trying to help.

[He understood that much, at least. He wasn't upset. Keith was the quiet type, anyway, especially when it came to stuff like this, so her talking gave him a break. Her words, though, did have an impact.]

And, yeah. You're not wrong. I know it's symbolic and all that. I guess I just don't understand why it's hard to release something that's... I guess, bad...

[ Phew. At least he wasn't bothered by her piping up. If her talking helped him work through his problem, then all the better for it. Although she wondered if she was really helping. She fell silent for a bit longer, a small, uncharacteristic frown working its way across her expression. ]

Well...

[ Another pause. Heavy topic, Keith! ]

I'm not exactly an expert ...obviously... but I do know that particularly strong memories, like...spending time with friends, or events that are really charged with people being happy are...really powerful. They can stay with you a long time. Like Christmas~! Or... something similar. [ Cough. He ..might not celebrate Christmas. Or have happy Christmas memories. Ggha she might be making it worse. ]

...er... the point I'm trying to make and.. probably failing pretty spectacularly is that unpleasant memories would work the same way. Especially ones that have a strong impact on your life- someone passing away or... a traumatic accident that someone's survived...that kind of thing would hang over your head the same way. Just... more negatively.

So it's.. not that surprising that if you had a bad experience, it'd be hard to let go of it, I guess is what I'm trying to say. ... does that make sense? [ She rubs the back of her neck a little awkwardly. ]

I mean... it isn't always good things that affect you.

[Keith had a lot of heavy things on his mind. But he listened. He wasn't bothered by it at all, really, because he actually preferred to listen in situations like this. Even when she hit on things that he really didn't have, it didn't seem to bother him. He was used to not having them, which was why his birthday had been such a surprise. A big Christmas would be the same way. He did, however, sigh slightly when she finished.]

Yeah... it makes sense.

[Her examples hit oddly close to home for him, and, for a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd seen the same memory Lola had.]

It's more the sense of familiarity that I'm holding on to than what the thing itself makes me feel.

[After all, it had influenced a lot in his life as far as how he interacted with people and handled relationships. To let go it, he supposed, would mean no longer having a reason for being hesitant and distrusting of others. But, he wasn't so sure he could stop that so easily.]

[ People dealt with their problems in different ways - Marinette knew that perfectly well. Though she wasn't privy to the memorys that got leaked over the network a time ago, she was just uncannily perceptive, especially when her friends were concerned.

... not in matters of the heart though. She was a total derp and failure there, who knows how many times she's made Alya facepalm at her. ]

Familiarity, huh...

Well, that still counts. I think.. having that kind of attachment obviously makes it harder to let go of - ..depending on what it is, I mean. [ She pauses, tempted to ask - decides against it and falls into a pensive silence, glancing around at the other people at the fire. ]

I guess.. what it comes down to is if that thing is more of a problem - like a crutch, than helpful, even if it is something more familiar to you? You can lean and lean on it all you want and not have to worry but at the same time, you'd just... be stagnant, never able to move on past it.

[ She.. has no examples she could use to make her point less of a knotted yarn of ...yarn-ness though. ]

I mean, obviously something like this is just a small step in a larger process. I think. It just acknowledges that you want to make that change.

[ Actually changing, that was an uphill battle for some. The most she could do is support her friends, help them out as much as she could when they needed it, but ultimately the decision was on them. ]

Edited (Dang sneaky italicz popping up when they're not wanted) 2017-11-11 03:12 (UTC)

I guess?

[He wasn't sure if he was even describing his feelings right. He was always pretty bad at getting things like that across to others, and just tended to not say anything at all as a result. He frowned a bit in thought, listening.]

Yeah. It's just one of those things that's always been there. Like, I'm used to it. And what other thing would be there if it wasn't? Or would it just... be empty?

[He sighed.]

Maybe.

[He was just glad she didn't think he was being stupid with the whole thing.]

[ Honestly she felt like she was just rambling more than making sense, but at least he was listening. He was the quiet type, and she kind of got the feeling that quiet types like him don't often go looking for help or anything. ]

That's... [ HRM. That's a good question. ] I don't think that it would be empty.. it might feel that way for a while, because you've been so used to it. So not having it "there" anymore - or even just not being so omnipresent as it used to be, would probably feel weird, for a while.

I think that something else would fill it in. I'm .. not entirely sure _WHAT_ but...

Maybe...

[He looked at them again for a moment, shuffling through them. He balled up all of them but one, and then took a deep breath. Visibly straightening up and looking oddly determined, he tossed the tiny ball in the bonfire they were next to.

After a moment, he finally released the breath.

There was just one... he just couldn't get it go, yet. Instead, he crumpled it back into his pocket for now.]

[ Mari watched him look through his papers, curious to no end, but these things were pretty personal for him. She knew the boundary lines. So as much as she wanted to know what was written on the papers - in particular the one he had opted to tuck back into his pocket - she only watched that little ball be tossed to its death into the crackling bonfire. Such a small thing he debated on for who knows how long, gone in seconds.

She debated a moment, then reached out to pat him gently on the back. ]

Good job. [ For a while there she thought he might just have backed out of the idea entirely. Which he would have been welcome to do so, though Marinette felt it was better for him to face the issue now. Or at least, part of the issue. ]

[Keith crossed his arms, almost pulling in on himself as he did. He sighed.]

Yeah...

[It didn't feel very good. And part of him was pretty sure he didn't actually "let go" of anything. But, whatever. He suddenly felt a very urgent desire to get out of there. He took a step back from the flames.]

I uh- I should go.

[ Well it wasn't like it was something that would happen immediately -- as far as she understood it anyway. It was just a fire, not magic. In any case, she gave him a curious, slightly concerned glance when he backed away. Ugh boys were so complicated, this is one of those 'we don't deal with FEEEELINgs well' thing wasn't it? ]

Oh --sure, yeah. [ She rubbed behind her neck a little awkwardly. She didn't -THINK- she said anything out of bounds, but you never know with men. ]

... you going to be okay..?

[Feelings were hard, okay? And considering that Keith's default reaction to stress was anger, he didn't want his stupidly short temper to lash out at Mari. It wouldn't be fair to her. She'd just been trying to help.

He took a deep breath, almost shrugging a little.]

Yeah...

I think... with everything that happened last month with the memories and stuff... and then this... it's just a lot to deal with.

[It had been a while since he'd really thought about certain things from his past. He'd spent a lot of time just trying to be normal and sort of denying how things from his past had made him feel. Having it all shoved in his face like this was... well, it was a lot to sort out.

But she looked so worried.]

It's okay. Really. Thanks.

[ To tell the truth, she was tempted to hug him - but hugs don't make everything better. Well, not for everyone, and being that Keith looked like he wanted to leave, she felt like being pulled into a hug would probably not be that welcome. SHe could be wrong, though, but she wasn't taking that chance, and she didn't want him to get all stiff and defensive because of her tendency to want to hug her friends who were having a hard time. ]

... yeah, I can see why it would. [ Well, maybe not to the extent he did, but she could certainly get the gist and empathize enough. In any case, though he SAID it was okay and he'd be fine, she doesn't stop looking worried. More so if anything, and she carefully folds her arms behind her back to reel herself in. ]

.. you don't have to thank me, Keith. It's the least I can do. [ And it probably didn't even really help, so.. ]

But um... [ She shifted her weight awkwardly. ]

I care about you, so if you need anything at all, even if it's just to vent at an impartial person, I'd listen. Or even if you don't want to talk, and just want to use the balcony to watch the stars or something. You know...whatever.

[ Whatever he needed. Even though he had Shiro, who she was certain he'd go to first - expected it even, being that SHiro was like his brother, but she wanted to put that offer out there. ]

[Well, Keith would likely get all stiff and weird, but he wouldn't be defensive... not with her. She was a friend, after all.

He actually managed a small smile... it was a little strained, but it was still a smile.]

I appreciate that. It's not really easy to talk about... but... the balcony idea sounds good.

[He might come around eventually, but this friendship was still new for him. He didn't want to scare her off. People had a habit of leaving him.]

[ Him getting all stiff and weird was reason enough not to do it! Marinette smiled a little, nodding. ]

Yeah, I can guess as much. It's okay, I won't ask. Only if you want to. [ And chances are he wouldn't, because whatever it was, it was major. But sorry Keith, she was fond of him and Marinette was fiercely loyal to her friends, so he wouldn't be getting rid of her anytime soon~! But he'll see that for himself eventually. ]

I'll see you around, okay?

[He nodded.]

Thanks.

[It might not really look like it right now because of how ready he was to bolt, but it did help to have her listen.]

Night.

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introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

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