monthly mingle: FAJRO & LUNAR NEW YEAR

[riverviewmod]

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

Comments

All Might / Toshinori Yagi | OTA

[almightiness]

SIDE A: HERO MODE.

i. cleaning house | option a

[All Might is more than happy to help with the cleaning out part!! It's why one can find him emerging from the apartment complex with a huge and comical pile of boxes on his shoulders and a hearty laugh rumbling in his chest.]

Hello!! If you'd like to add to the pile, feel free! I'm quite the juggler, you see!! Hahaha!

[He's seven-foot-three or so, but he's full of good-natured heroism, so don't be alarmed at his large shadow! He may very well just be lingering around, eager to assist in any way possible. After all, that's the benefit to someone with super strength or speed or what have you. At one point he even nobly assists in carrying a piano overhead, to donate to whatever place may need it, be it a cafe or school or music hall.]

i. cleaning house | option b | limited to two taggers

[Strangely enough, though...

Sometime during helping out in the community housing, All Might disappears coughing around a corridor rather quickly at one point— And making a beeline for the private apartments. All Might also appears to be... steaming... Like... literal steam is rolling off him. This isn't a good thing, one imagines. He doesn't make it to the apartment he's aiming for before a big PAAAAH of smoke envelopes him, and eventually fades to reveal —



S-say, that looks like that Toshinori Yagi guy, once the smoke clears.

IT'S A GOOD THING NOBODY SAW HIM HUH.]

SIDE B: INCOGNITO CIVILIAN MODE

ii. cleaning the air / iii. wish lanterns



[Toshinori's had a time of things the last five or six years, he can't really lie. He also can't deny that there are some... festering feelings, with how certain things went. It makes him a bit more dour than his usual self permits — perhaps a bit too self-reflective. Really now, Toshi...!, he thinks. He's usually better at keeping a cap on these underlying weaknesses, or at the very least focusing on something more crucial. But here in Riverview, nothing is quite as crucial as it'd be at home.

He considers the instructions on the wishing lantern with a mild frown, sitting on the beach. Everyone's quite busy enjoying the night, hustling and bustling, but he can't quite get over the nagging feeling that he should... do something with himself. Say something. Admit his grievances to a paper lantern. That's foolish, though; All Might, number one hero, pillar of peace, he doesn't talk about his personal issues. Especially not to inanimate objects. Just what's getting into him lately... Anyway!!

Aaah, what should he wish for? How difficult, to cut it down to a basic wish.

With a deep sigh, he practices the weight of multiple wishes:]

I wish for peace and prosperity! Aah, that's pretty basic...

I wish for the happiness and good health of those around me! That's a little better...

I wish for good funding for education? That's more specific...!

iii

[burntbridges]

Why not wish for all three?

[Enter a young woman in a very flashy dress, wearing a crow skull pin in her hair, who sits down with a flump beside him and flashes him a bright smile.]

I'm sure you could get more lanterns if you wanted... Or, you could ask for the resources to make them all possible.

[She has a lantern in her lap, herself... she hasn't quite decided what to wish for, everything seems a little too selfish. She's almost jealous of the wholesome ideas this man was considering.]

[almightiness]

...Oh!

[It's a response punctuated by revelation, and soon after he rubs his neck with a chagrined smile.]

I feel a little ridiculous for not thinking of that, young lady! Thank you. [He starts writing his in careful Japanese, pausing to glance back at her with a friendly expression that brightens a ghastly thin face.] And you? Have you thought of anything to write, yourself?

iii;

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose had no trouble figuring out her wish. Still, she could understand why it might be something other people struggled with. After all, how many of them know what they truly want? It's not a thing people tend to dwell on until presented with the question: What should you wish for? ]

I don't know, dude. Broad strokes can be good, too!

[ There's a saying about that, isn't there? She's not sure what it is in English, actually... Hm. It's fine. He probably gets the point. ]

The second one is really awesome of you, too. Your friends are totes lucky to have someone like you thinkin' of them.

[almightiness]

[T-totes...? Totes... He's recycling through 'young people jargon' but he's still coming up short. She sounds very pleasant, so it probably isn't something he'd need to worry about, ahaha! More importantly, the gaunt face brightens a bit and a slight smile spreads across it.]

Aaa, that's kind of you, young miss.

I suppose you're right; the broader the wish, the more people it touches, huh?

[hasitsthorns]

[ You know, totes cool. Totes mah goats. It isn't anything he needs to worry about. Yet. He'll have to step up his slang though if he's going to converse with Rose.

Also, "young." Hah. Good to know she still looks young for her age. ]

Heck yeah! That's the way to think of it. I mean, not that more specific wishes are a bad thing either... Mine's pretty selfish, I think.

staggers in 100000 years late

[almightiness]

Is it, now? I don't suppose you could reveal it without ruining your odds...?

[He has to admit, he's a little curious, himself.]

returns just as late w/starbucks

[hasitsthorns]

[ She wishes that her life could turn differently here; she wishes that maybe everything won't turn to ash in her hands and sift through her fingers. She wishes that maybe, for once in her life, everything will turn out alright and she won't have to hide or feel so alone. ]

I wished for a puppy.

[ ... Right. ]

I've never had a pet, really, and I love dogs! I hope my wish comes true.

1/2

[almightiness]

Oh!! Well, in that case.

[almightiness]

[HE FLEXES A SKINNY ARM, VOICE LOUDER AND MORE MIGHTY!!]

Let's go adopt you a dog!

[hasitsthorns]

[ ... Oh. She, uh. She wasn't actually expecting him to, like, try and make her wish come true?

Not that she's actually opposed either. Once the initial surprise is over, she's grinning big and bright. ]

Heck yeah! Where's the nearest shelter?

1/2

[almightiness]

[Lucky you, he's very familiar with the shelter. He gets up to his feet with a bounce, looking more than eager to fufill any kind of wish this day. After all, he's a hero, even if he's incognito right now!]

I'll lead the way! It'll take a skytram, but it's not horribly far.

[LET'S GO LET'S GO-]

[almightiness]

... Ah. Sorry...!

[He turns to her, on a heel.

Always leaping into things too quickly. Silly him.]

I'm Toshinori Yagi; it's nice to meet you.

[hasitsthorns]

[ Oh, well- Admittedly, she'd been so excited about the potential puppy that she had also completely forgotten she was following a practical stranger. ]

Oh, right- My name's Rose! Nice to meet you too, dude. And thanks for helping me make my wish come true!

[almightiness]

Rose-san, the pleasure is all mine.

Now! Let's head out!

[He starts walking, his strides long and eager; that's the fun of being over seven feet tall, you've got those pacing legs. Still, he won't leave her in the dust, so. Small things. He does cough into the crease of his arm wetly as he goes.]

Do you have a particular kind of dog in mind?

[hasitsthorns]

The biggest one they got.

[ She means it, too. Someone has already asked her if she'd really meant that. And she does! Rose wants to ]

I love big dogs. The more to cuddle with, y'know?

[almightiness]

Ahh, I can't argue that...! People are usually comforted by a larger protector, than the idea of a smaller and less capable one... [Ah.] For a dog, that is! And they're so much warmer. In that case, we'll need to find the largest kennel they've got!

[A pause.]

... Though, maybe a dog the size of an apartment wouldn't be a wise choice, if that's offered.

[hasitsthorns]

[ ... This guy is, uh. Interesting. She's not about to say anything though considering he's helping her out with getting a dog. ]

Says who? Why not get a dog the size of an apartment? I might have to move, but- Worth it, in my opinion.

(( ooc: heyo! i'm on hiatus until probably mid-april due to life stuff so i will still be painfully slow if you'd rather drop/handwave this and start something new when I get back lmk!!! ))

[almightiness]

... I guess you're right about that. Everyone needs a home, even something bigger than one.

Then we'll find the biggest dog there is, in that case...!! And maybe help you relocate somewhere with more room.

[hasitsthorns]

Yeah, right? I'm happy to provide if I can! And if I can't, I'll find a way to!

[ Rose would do just about anything for dogs, she's pretty sure. ]

Sounds like a plan, dude. Thanks for this, by the way. Most people wouldn't make someone's wish come true so easily, I'm pretty sure.

a

[mystearious]

[ ... oh my god???

Where has she seen a guy this built before? Largo? In any case, watching him juggle like it was nothing absolutely stunned her speechless. ]

I-- I don't have anything to juggle, I'm brand new here.

[ Does she need to think about furniture now? Yulia above, help her. ]

1/2

[almightiness]

[AH, A NEW PERSON! OF COURSE!

Silly him, he's been trying to keep up with new residence and all...!]

[almightiness]

Worry not, dear girl, I'm more than happy to help you out if you're a bit lost!

Have you heard of the local festivities and traditions so far?

[yeah he's having a full convo will all this stuff on his back]

[mystearious]

I've heard of a few, but I'd rather get settled in...?

[ She has the marks of being in the hospital as a newbie-- slightly dreary eyes, a little tired sounding voice. ]

[almightiness]

Oh, you're too right! If you'd like, I can drop this all off quickly and help you however you may need, young miss! Or if you'd like, there's a few things to pick up, if you wouldn't mind carrying a few things out with me. [The next room up has its own little pile of things that need throwing out, anyway. He's been making his rounds, but even he can only juggle so many boxes before it becomes a mess.]