riverviewlogs | monthly mingle: FAJRO & LUNAR NEW YEAR

monthly mingle: FAJRO & LUNAR NEW YEAR

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: fajro & lunar new year
when: The month of February.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

fajro & lunar new year

In the days leading up to February 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Fajro and the Lunar New Year. This is a combination of various traditions from several different universes, all of which involve cleaning house, physically and metaphorically, in preparation for the upcoming spring and summer months. The traditions associated with these celebrations involve getting rid of clutter and unnecessary junk that is then burned in large bonfires along the beaches, clearing the air of lingering resentments and old wounds with magical penalties for those who choose not to share, and a broad sampling of Lunar New Year traditions from a variety of cultures.

an opportunity to shed negative energy

There's nothing that's more detrimental to the forming of a good, solid community than lingering resentment and anger - this is something that most residents of the Quarantine tend to agree on. In recognition of that fact, Fajro is geared toward cleaning out the negativity, getting rid of clutter and trash in the home, body, and mind. Residents do spring cleaning in their homes and businesses and either give away or burn the things that they don't need and that are only serving to add an extra burden. Likewise, residents are encouraged to clear the air with friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else interacted with on a frequent basis. The second half of the month is taken up with the Lunar New Year, which is an almost universal tradition in this reality, and focuses on letting go of negative energy and welcoming positive energy into life going into the new year.

i.cleaning house

The first thing that most residents do during the month of Fajro is cleaning house. This means going through all the junk in the house, all the little things that clutter up a place, and clearing them out. A commonly-heard saying in the Quarantine during Fajro cleanup is "does this bring me joy?", a proverb that encapsulates the meaning of the tradition - to shed the parts of the past that bring pain or add to a person's burden, and keep only what brings joy into each person's life. The rest is either thrown away and burned, or donated to bring joy to someone else's life.

After the cleaning is complete, residents carry what they no longer want or need to the beaches of the river, where bonfires are set up each night for two weeks, in order to burn the excess and let the ash float down the river, a symbolic city-wide purging of bad memories, pain, and burdens.

ii. clearing the air

Another tradition in the Quarantine during Fajro is to clear the air with friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, teammates, or anyone else that takes up space in a person's life. Every relationship comes with some amount of resentment, and the residents of the Quarantine take pride in being able to shed that resentment every year, to start fresh on relationships, building them into something newer and healthier. However, with every wave of new people that arrive during a year, there's a common pattern - those who haven't yet fully come to accept this particular tradition may avoid airing their grievances. Whether it's because they don't care to understand what they're feeling, don't acknowledge the resentment, want to appear strong and unaffected, or just because they don't like confrontation, there are any number of reasons people might choose to keep their hurts and resentments to themselves.

Of course, that doesn't really lend itself to clearing the air, so several of the higher-ups at Gramarye Magic Research came to a quick and easy solution in the form of a magically-infused mist that falls over the city on the morning of February 1st, which will burn off by the evening of February 3rd. Anyone who inhales the mist or absorbs it through their skin by going outdoors or being close to doors, windows, or air vents, during the first few days of February will find themselves thinking more often of the things that have hurt them, the resentments they've built up, and the desire to talk about them, to excise them. Starting on February 15th, any character who has been exposed to the mist and who has still kept their grievances bottled up will find themselves...afflicted with something very uncomfortable to remind them of how unhealthy it is to keep things to oneself and let them fester.

Afflictions can vary in scope depending on how thoroughly the character was exposed to the mist, how intense their feelings of resentment lie, and most of all, player preference. They are primarily physical effects that can range from mildly embarrassing to extremely uncomfortable. Whether it's the addition of a tail or horns, skin that changes color depending on the character's mood, loss of a sense, or any other physical effect, the sky's the limit. Afflictions should be something the character finds uncomfortable, and will last until February 28th or until the character clears the air, whichever comes first. Talking to a third party about their feelings of resentment will provide a temporary relief from the symptoms of the affliction, but the only way to permanently remove it is to talk directly to the source of the problems. If a character carries feelings of resentment toward someone who is not in the game, having a deep conversation with someone in the Quarantine will permanently clear or preempt the affliction.

iii. lunar new year

Originally, Fajro was celebrated all on its own in the Quarantine, but over the years, the traditions have evolved - the major change that's happened in the past decade or so is the addition of an entire other set of traditions surrounding the Lunar New Year, the celebration of which has proved to be a pretty universal constant across many different planets and in many different universes. Lunar New Year is celebrated with special food, activities, and street markets that pop up across the Quarantine throughout the month of February.

This year, the patron animal of the Lunar New Year is the dog, so residents are encouraged to bring their canines out with them to be spoiled, dressed up, and primped.

Thank you to Mari and Anna for suggesting the celebration and submitting the activities and images for this prompt!

hound town

Anyone wandering the city will find it beautifully decorated with beautiful red lanterns, and paper or cloth dog effigies. There are lots of stalls selling adorable themed dog clothing. At night, the red lanterns light up the streets, bathing them in a warm orange-red glow each night.

The entire city looks festive, and residents can be seen wearing red and gold or dog-themed clothing, strolling through the night markets with their pet dogs, sharing drinks of warm alcohol or other warm beverages. Booths selling a small toy called a jegi can be found very commonly, along with instructions on how to play the traditional Lunar New Year game, jegichagi (video), which involves kicking the jegi to keep it from falling to the ground, with the winner being the one to keep it up for the longest number of kicks.

Other booths are selling a wide variety of dog-themed items, red lanterns for residents to carry around on sticks, and giving away some very special red lanterns that the sellers will advise residents to hang onto for later in the season...

wish lanterns

Toward the end of the festival, the special red lanterns that residents received will start to glow, displaying a set of instructions outlined in magical light on the shade - residents are encouraged to take the lanterns down to the beaches by the Fajro bonfires on the last night of the celebration, and whisper to them a wish. Once the wish has been whispered to the lantern, it will lift into the air, hanging there for a few moments with all the other lanterns. For a few moments, the night sky will be alight with bobbing lanterns.

And then they will all pop into an explosion of colorful confetti, showering the crowd below. Anyone standing in the crowd who gets showered with confetti will feel a glowing wave of positive energy sweep through them.

street food and games

Street food is very popular in Riverview, and special food for the Lunar New Year is no exception, and considering how many different cultures and alternate realities have some version of a celebration for the Lunar New Year, there are a ton of seasonal snacks that are being sold from carts and featured in restaurants throughout the city. While you can find just about anything that's ever been associated with the Lunar New Year, some of the most popular dishes are sliced rice cake soup, savory pancakes, a cooked vegetarian salad, stuffed sticky rice cakes, and beautiful candy boxes that are usually given as gifts or brought to Lunar New Year parties. Besides these treats, tiny citrus fruits ranging from mandarin oranges to tangerines to any alien variety of small citrus.

And for people who bring their dogs along, many stalls are giving away complimentary biscuits for them, with the option to buy boxes or gift packs of the biscuits to take home.

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Roman Ignatowski; image ii: Jan Vavrusa; image iii: Federico Belingheri; image iv: Yuechi Lee

navigation

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

a. clearing the air (ota; on communal floor 2)

[ If there was something John didn't do, it was wasting time. As soon as he was settled in, gone through orientation and offered a job, he dove straight into research, to understand and make sense of the place he'd landed in and what his role here could be, what the customs were.

The Fajro celebrations held his interest, and not just because they were happening right now, but because of the idea of clearing out resentment, of voicing out all the things that had been clawing at him since - since Lorna -

He closes the book he's been reading, sitting up on his bunk - the second floor of the communal building is not empty by any means, but John's eyes don't meet anyone's else as he thinks on the meaning of it all, clearing the air, clearing his thoughts and the pain and the anger churning in his gut. Maybe talking about it wouldn't hurt. ]

Guess I've got to make friends, [ he says under his breath, more to himself than anything else. ]

b. lunar new year; market (ota)

[ John is still getting used to the fact that he has set shifts, now, the opportunity to settle down, to live a normal life. It makes him feel strange, like he doesn't quite fit in his own skin, all too used to running.

Maybe he's paranoid. Maybe he just needs to relax. He's really trying to enjoy the atmosphere of the festival, the kind that should transport just about anyone, even the most down-to-earth, work-focused ex-soldier. So far, it only makes him miss Zingo, and his people, and he feels ridiculously, stupidly lonely, all of a sudden. Which he can shrug off. He can get over this.

Only he can't. The weirdness latches onto him until he has to duck away from the market, walking down to the water instead. He's not alone here either, but it's less crowded, it's less suffocating, and he takes his time to breathe, closing his eyes as he tilts his head back to the night sky, and focuses inwards.

Meditation is always his go-to when he feels about to crawl out of his skin. ]

c. lunar new year; wishes (ota)

[ Making a wish is easy. It's the easiest thing he's had to do so far since arriving to the Quarantine. Making a wish is simple. ]

Save me and mine.

[ He whispers it into his lantern, watching it take off and fly away from his reach. And the spectacle is beautiful. John feels like a part of his own heart soars into the sky with the hundreds of lanterns floating up, so many wishes and hopes hanging on the balance. It doesn't mean much, but it also means everything.

He doesn't even turn to the person standing next to him as he ponders: ]

Are we allowed to talk about our wishes, or is it like back home - it won't come true if you say it out loud?

d. wildcard

[ Hit me up with anything - if you'd like to plot or chat, find me at ellievolia/ellie#7042! ]

( It happens so fast. Having spent most of the day glued to Clarice's side, Zingo suddenly lets out an almighty woof and takes off galloping away from the market. Clarice swears, a panicked kind of curse that flings itself into the air before she's giving chase, mentally berating herself for letting this happen. She can't lose her, she just can't. Pushing her way through the crowd isn't easy, but she can't portal if she doesn't know where to go, and stopping would only make her lose sight of Zingo - who, by the way, is already going fast enough Clarice can barely keep track. She at least has the presence of mind to apologise to anyone she full on rams, breaking out from the thickly gathered people to start running toward the river. )

Zingo! Come here, girl.

( She tries whistling, but that fails. Her heart is hammering uselessly inside of her chest, panic constricting her throat. And then the dog just stops. The man she's found has his back to Clarice, but she's sure she'd recognise him anywhere. Something pulls inside of her, making her feel lightheaded and almost delirious, but she doesn't stop. It's when he bends down to run his hand through Zingo's fur that she finally comes colliding down the path, boots kicking up little rocks as she does so. )

John?

( Usually, Clarice would be far more cautious. It could be anyone. It could be anything. Mimic, magic, madness. But Zingo wouldn't be tricked and the way she's plastered to his side is proof alone. John barely gets a warning other than her saying his name, because when he turns around to face, she's throwing her arms around his neck in a rush, gripping him like he might vanish if she doesn't hold on. )

[ This night is nothing he expected it to be. There's too much churning in his gut that he can't quite process, can't quite make sense of. He should be able to, calmly go through everything that he knows, logically and rationally - that was why he was tasked to lead in the past, after all. But he can't, not just yet.

But all of that flies right out of his head when he hears the rapid pitter patter of paws on the sand, the unmistakable panting of a dog, and then a whine, a damp nose pressing into his pant leg. John looks down, and is struck numb by the dog in front of him - black and white fur, intensely bright blue eyes. His breath catches in his throat, her name on the exhale. ]

Zingo?

[ But - how? He still bends to give her head a pet, a smile breaking over his face at seeing her, even if he has no idea how, can't quite wrap his head around it.

And then comes his name, spoken out from a little way away, making him spin on his heels immediately, the voice like a siren's call to him. Clarice.

Clarice.

She's running, practically jumping into his arms in a way that is so reminiscent to him to their very first hug that his heart clenches. But everything is different, now. It's completely different, and he huffs out a breath when she makes contact, his arms immediately wrapping around her, holding her close and tight, his eyes closing. ]

Clarice.

( He hugs her back and whatever feelings of unease and panic that had been swirling around inside of her suddenly vanish. She's not here alone, she's not going to have to do this alone.

Clarice makes a soft noise, pressing her face to his shoulder. At their feet, Zingo is wagging her tail as fast as she can, happy enough to stay near the two of them. ) I can't believe you're here. ( It's mumbled and so she pulls back, moving her hands to cup his face between her palms. ) I thought --.

( Well, that she was alone again.

Her smile is helpless and ridiculous, bright eyes scanning his face. She feels overcome with it )

Are you okay?

[ He squeezes her to him for a second later when he feels her start to pull away, worried that if he lets go, she'll disappear. He doesn't have anyone here - or so it feels. But now he's got her. And Clarice has quickly become the most important person in his life, along with Marcos and Lorna.

Lorna. John swallows hard, eyes not meeting Clarice's for a moment as he thinks back on everything that's happened just days ago. But then he looks at her, his whole body relaxes, taking her in as she cradles his face, her hands warm against her face. ]

I'm okay.

[ And he smiles, genuine, his heart picking up speed. ]

Are you?

John Proudstar (ota)

kinda b, kinda d.

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W-W-Wildcard

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c

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c;

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a. clearing the air (on communal floor 2)

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c. lunar new year

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