riverviewlogs | monthly mingle: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

Entry tags:

monthly mingle: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: the festival of light
when: The month of January.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

festival of light

In the days leading up to January 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Festival of Light. This holiday is in celebration of the end of the Quarantine's short-lived winter and serves to welcome the new year. The traditions associated with The Festival of Light involve fireworks every weekend of the month, a days-long formal ball that with an open invitation to everyone in the city, and lighting magical candles and incense with loved ones and new friends alike.

a celebration of the end of winter and the new year

As the Capitol World stops blocking the path between the sun and its moon, the snow melts and the rains of early spring begin to fall and the residents of the Quarantine gather together to celebrate the new year. New beginnings are honored as the sky is lit with fireworks to banish the cold and dark of winter, and residents share the light and warmth of the new year with each other by sharing candles and incense with fellow residents. These traditions are steeped in magic, like many other things in Riverview, and have certain magical emotional effects on participants. Additionally, over the weekend of January 5th - 8th, the Government will be hosting a formal ball to welcome the New Year, which is open to all residents and offers food, drink, dancing, and other activities, as well as places to stay the night and relax or 'relax' with friends.

i. fireworks

One of the main traditions of the Festival of Light is to brighten the sky to welcome the new year, and as always, the Government of Riverview and various other city entities including businesses and various organizations and clubs, have gone all out to light up the sky. Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the month of January, residents can gather outside on the beaches or park, or indoors at various observation lounges set up on city rooftops for the occasion, to watch elaborate, beautiful fireworks displays.

Outdoor observation is facilitated by use of rented forced-air umbrellas that make viewing the fireworks without having to squint into the rain or peer out from under a traditional umbrellas easy. Curl up with a friend or lover under an umbrella to watch the fireworks displays. Temporary indoor observation lounges have also been set up on most of the rooftops of buildings in the city, if the outdoors isn't your thing. The lounges can range from simple transparent-roofed spaces with rustic benches and hot cocoa to elaborate, fancy bars or restaurants with food service, music, and dancing. Some of the lounges may even have themes, whether they're 18+ adult or just quirky. Let your imagination run wild - if you can think of it, someone in the city's probably set one up.

ii. lighting up

Throughout the city, residents will find booths and special sections in their favorite stores set up with stands displaying magical incense and candles in a wide variety of colors. These are traditional trappings of the Festival of Light, the original and ancient tradition that's built up into the modern celebration as residents know it. Most prolific are the candles - ranging from tiny tea lights to large pillar candles, they are inscribed with the word 'glow' in a variety of different alien languages, including some that residents might recognize. The incense comes in small variety of dusky, earthen colors, each with a different scent and effect, all clearly labeled.

Candles are meant to be lit with one or more other people, and when this tradition is observed properly with a candle inscribed 'glow' - the wick lit by two or more people at the same time, and held together between them for a minimum of 30 seconds - every participant will feel and see certain magical effects. As the candle is held between the participants, they will start to see each other's skin glow, seemingly lit from inside, and as the glow increases, all participants will start to feel an emotional lightness. Stress and despair will slowly dissipate, giving the participants a temporary feeling of absolute contentment, warm and happy. The effects last from 5 minutes to a full 24 hours, depending on the number of people who participate and the length of time the candle is held between participants (more participants or longer timespans will increase the length of the effect), and effects are cumulative - lighting a large number of candles with different people will cause the effect to draw out for longer.

Incense is something usually lit in private, at home or a small gathering at a friend's house, and in recent years as the celebration has become a bit more modernized and commercialized, at the Glow Ball. There are a few varieties of incense with different psychological effects, all of which are pleasant and take strongest effect when the incense is lit with one or more other people, and enjoyed long enough for the whole stick to burn down. Orange and yellow incense will increase feelings of affection and openness, sienna red incense will do the same but also induce arousal; blue-grey incense will make it easier to share and ease grief and sadness, while grey-purple will lull participants into an easy sleep with pleasant dreams.

iii. glow ball

Every year during the Festival of Light, the Government of Riverview hosts a formal ball called the Glow Ball on the first weekend of the month - this year, it spans from nightfall on Friday January 5th until dawn on Monday January 8th. The ball is a relatively new custom, but has quickly skyrocketed to one of the most anticipated events of many residents' year. Similar to the castle-themed maze during Hygge, the Glow Ball is hosted inside a beautiful golden palace erected in the City Center that is much larger on the inside than it appears to be on the outside. While there is no specific theme to the ball, many residents take it as an opportunity to really glow in a wide variety of ways, all up to each person's imagination.

The palace is magically-augmented to be lavish, comfortable, and fully-stocked at all times, and features a banquet hall with ample and frequently-replenished food, a bar and lounge area for attendees to get a drink and sit for a while, a beautiful grand ballroom as well as several smaller ballrooms with different styles of music, a swimming pool with hot tubs, a garden, and smaller private vestibules that feature a pillow lounge, incense selection, and a small bedroom where residents can rest or enjoy each others' company in private.

NOTE: New characters are welcome to join in with the party, even if they haven't had time to prepare. Any new arrivals who come to the party in the clothing they arrived in will be whisked up by a fussy light golem or attendant who will fit them with a nice set of clothing for the evening so they can enjoy the festivities.

dinner and dancing

The banquet hall is ringed with tables that offer a buffet food catered to the time of day - breakfast in the morning, light food in the afternoon, lavish dinners in the evening, and desserts, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and snacks available all night. With ample seating at group tables, residents can share a meal with friends new and old. The bar and lounge has several large free bars staffed by glowing, ethereal light golems that never tire and never get an order wrong, and offers seating at tables and in cozy dimly-lit booths. Riverview's drinking age is 14 years old.

The grand ballroom is themed golden this year, with the walls tiled in gold and featuring a dance floor of white marble veined with gold. The grand ballroom has classical, traditional dance music playing for those who want a classy formal dance. There are four wing ballrooms that feature different genres of music for residents who enjoy alternate types of dancing, with the genres consistently rotating - whether you like punk, country, rock, pop, or any other type of music from any planet or country, it's likely to be playing in a wing ballroom at some point. Schedules are posted outside of each door and there are four genres per wing ballroom per day.

swimming and gardens

Another feature of the Glow Ball is the beautiful swimming pool - warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough to be refreshing, the outdoor pool has both flower petals and the season's glow candles floating on it, a champagne service offered by light golems, and tables to sit and enjoy a drink and conversation while drying off. There are also small hot tubs ringing the swimming pool where residents can soak away the aches and pains of the day. The pool offers change rooms where speaking a magical incantation (helpfully posted on the door) will change the occupant's formal clothing into an equivalent swimsuit, and will change it back (and dry the occupant) after the dip has been taken.

The gardens are also available for any attendees who want to get a bit of fresh air. With beautiful flower-lined winding paths under a perpetually starry sky and ample candles hanging from the trees and edging the paths for visibility, the gardens are a scenic and relaxing place to take some time away from the light and get some air.

privacy

For residents who want a little private time or want to spend more than just an evening at the ball, there are small private vestibules scattered throughout the palace. Featuring a lounge area with pillows and lap tables for eating, and a comfortable queen-size bed, each room also has a vanity whose drawers hold both suitable pajamas for sleeping in and (in 18+ rooms only) supplies for intimacy ranging from massage oils to packaged toys. And most importantly, each room is fully stocked with a selection of the season's incenses for use in private.

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 Festival of Light, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Jakub Grygier; image ii: Shutterstock; image iii & iv: credit unknown

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dorian's been making rounds himself, seeing what there was to see and how this world liked to ring in the new year. So far he wasn't disappointed, and it had given him an excuse to dress up, but he chuckled at Loki's commentary at the current room, taking a sip from his wine glass before responding.]

Oh, I'm sure I could manage. Use your imagination.

[ Loki eyes the outfit with approval. He's always been a stickler for fashion. ]

I don't think my imagination can stretch that far.

[ A bold-faced lie. If there's anything Loki's capable of, it's having a vivid imagination. ]

[Dorian chuckles at that but takes a sip from his glass of wine before he replies.]

Such a shame that a man with such a fine taste in attire should be lacking in creativity.

[ Loki frowns. ]

I have never lacked creativity in my entire life.

I meant no offense, of course. [He motions toward the room from which the admittedly offensive music flowed.] Are imagination and creativity not very similar? Forgive my mistake.

[He smiles, though, turning toward the other man.]

I don't believe we've met. [And he places a hand on his chest, bowing slightly at the shoulders.] Dorian Pavus.

[ A fair point. Loki isn't so stubborn that he can't admit that. He eyes someone's dancing from a distance furtively. ]

Perhaps it's not imagination then, but confidence. Or . . . poise.

[ He cocks an eyebrow at the bow but inclines his head politely anyway. ]

I am Loki of Asgard. Well-met, I suppose?

[A teasing smirk touches Dorian's lips, but he's momentarily distracted by the name. It isn't unknown to him.]

Loki of Asgard? Do you know a dark-skinned elf named Taako, or is it you're the other Loki he mentioned? He was never clear.

[ Loki blinks. Oh. He didn't know Taako mentioned him. That's . . . nice. He's been feeling more uncertain of late, not sure where he stands anymore. That's the problem with change. When you have changed, it's hard to tell what will stay the same. ]

I am most likely the one he meant.

[Dorian smiles, nodding.] If it sets your mind at ease, all I know of you is that you own a dance club, which is why I brought it up, actually.

[He motions toward the ballroom in question.]

I've seen some...creative motions since I've arrived here, and surely the proprietor of an establishment catering to such pursuits would be even more immersed...or so I thought. I stand corrected.

...unless it is the other Loki he mentioned who owns such a club, in which case, please forgive the understandable confusion.

[ Not him then. Disappointing. ]

No, I'm a head researcher and lecturer at Gramarye. My other self runs the club, Trix.

[That actually elicits a laugh.]

Ah, so you are the other Loki he mentioned. That is to say the one he referred to owned the club and it was you who were mentioned as the "other".

I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths. I too research for Gramarye. We should compare notes sometime.

[ There's a faint spark in his green eyes. Loki enjoys the study of magic and does little to disguise his enthusiasm for it. ]

What is your specialty?

[Dorian also enjoys magic and the study thereof, and if he were honest, has been a little thirsty for someone to discuss it with.]

When I was younger, I focused mostly on the schools of Inferno and Storm, though in my later years at the Minrathous Circle I specialized almost exclusively on Necromancy. It's always been a fascination of mine, the mechanization of Death. I've also explored theoretical magic, such as disease reversal and time travel.

What of you?

[ Loki hesitates as he attempts to put it into simple vernacular. The study of magic is mysterious, even to many Asgardians. And he is not often called upon to explain his workings. ]

I can conjure and create illusions along with physical objects. I also can slip between worlds, traveling from one dimension to the next. I am also a shapeshifter.

Shapeshifting isn't unknown to me, though I've tried. Illusions should be simple enough to work out.

( He narrows his eyes for a moment crossing his arms and allowing a slight smirk to touch his lips. )

You needn't "dumb it down" for me. I happen to be quite good at the whole "magic" thing, and I've dabbled in theoretical magics as well. For instance, "dimension" crossing can be rather dangerous, and yet you speak of it as though it's normal, accepted.

( He shrugs. )

Though, that is assuming our worlds use the same laws of physics. Thus far, it is my experience most do not.

That was not my intent. Most of my magic is self-taught. I'm simply unused to putting it in words.

[ He shrugs loosely. ]

I am adept at finding the flaws of a dimension, the secret pathways. To slip between is my greatest skill.

[ Well. One of. Loki keeps his mental abilities under wraps. ]

Ah, so it's that you've had no formal training.

( Nodding, Dorian casts his gaze around the room, frowning at the sound of the music. He'd been interested in, perchance, having a dance, but this conversation was much more interesting. )

And you don't even have to wiggle your fingers at it? Marvelous! Shall we find somewhere more quiet to continue this conversation?

Not particularly. I learned from books and my mother. Magic was not . . . appreciated on Asgard, despite them benefiting from it.

[ And neither was encouraged. It was only Loki's drive that ensured his skills. Thor inherited the world. Loki earned his. Still, the positive bent of this conversation still has him in a faint daze, which he subtly shakes off with a smile. ]

By all means.

( Dorian nodded, pleased with Loki's agreement, and turned, heading in the directions of the sitting rooms. )

Ah, yes. In my homeland of Tevinter, those born with a magic inclination are cherished, but elsewhere...those identified to have a talent are taken from their mothers' bosoms and cloistered away in Circle towers to "learn to control their gifts". More like "protect the world from them". At least you were allowed to stay at home.

( He was certainly not of the opinion mages should be able to do whatever they wanted, as was the case in Tevinter currently, but prisoners? No. )

Circles in the Imperium, my homeland, are academies of the arcane, rather prestigious ones.

[ With a wry twist to his mouth. ]

They would have been hard-pressed at taking me away.

What other kind of studies were there? I assume necromancy was one branch.

I would not doubt that for a moment.

[He smiles as if to say he wasn't simply humoring him, and nods at his question.]

Oh, yes, of course! Though...necromancy wasn't precisely taught. It was an...independent study, you could say. I've always been fascinated by the machinations of the Mortalitasi, the Death Mages of Nevarra. The mummify the corpses of influential citizens in great Necropoli where they wander about for eternity. Incredible! I've never had the pleasure of touring a Necropolis, but I wanted to understand their methods.

[He chuckles, shaking his head.]

But I digress. Yes there are several schools of magic: Inferno, Storm, Winter, Spirit, to name a few.

Edited (And then I accidentally hit submit too soon) 2018-01-16 05:39 (UTC)

[ He nods. ]

Necromancy was my sister's trade. She was the Goddess of Death, tied to the very land itself. We are careful not to encroach on each other's territory.

[ And Loki isn't keen on dabbling with the dead. He's had too many close encounters with dying to truly fear death anymore, but at the same time, he is leery. There are other forms of power he could hold onto without messing with the forbidden arts. Even if Loki usually takes "forbidden" as a slap on the wrist rather than a rule. ]

Interesting names. Very . . . poetic.

[ Winter would suit him while Thor is clearly Storm. It's obvious certain aspects of godhood are carried in all words. They are immortal in more than just their name, a concept that is etched into the bones of every world. ]

[Dorian pauses for a moment, thoughtfully considering Loki's words.]

Your sister is the goddess of death? What...are you the god of, or is she special, half-sister or some such?

[He nods, though.]

Oh, yes, we mages enjoy our fancy words for things. Why, in Nevarra, where necromancy is king, the order of mages who specialize in the practice call themselves the Mortalitasi.

[ Loki does a small but showy bow, his palm turning outwardly. ]

God of Mischief and Tricks. Among other titles. But she was special.

[ In a way Loki could never be. Odinson, indeed. ]

What does it mean? I am unfamiliar with that tongue.

[Dorian chuckles, both at the small bow and the title, eyebrows raised. Loki certainly made an impression, but he's not laughing at him.]

That is quite the claim. What other titles do you possess?

[He nods, though, smiling.]

In ancient Tevene, it means "the Masters of Death". The original Mortalitasi was a Tevinter Magister who quickly became royal adviser to the Nevarran monarchy. You see, the Nevarrans believe as a soul passes through the Veil into the Fade, the land of spirits, it displaces a spirit which resides there. The Mortalitasi draw such spirit into the corpse of the recently deceased, creating what is essentially a zombie. They are entombed for eternity in great multi-tiered "cities of the dead" or "Necropoli".

monthly mingle: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

iii. glow ball

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In not sure how but I lost this notif

no worries <3

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