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

For someone who's never celebrated a birthday, never been a hopefully child with dreams of her own, this whole concept seems superfluous to Rey. Sure, it looks pretty. She won't deny the picturesque scene of lanterns floating away like myriad firebugs in the sky.

"Hope that's not a prerequisite. Would rather just get this thing up in the air with the rest."

Does that count as a wish?

It absolutely is. Rose likes the concept of Tanabata more, personally, but... She's also biased. Perhaps even a little homesick. Not that she'll ever admit as such.

This is pretty nice in its own right. Besides, they have plenty of time until July here. If they even celebrate the same sort of seasons. "I mean, you don't have to make a wish... It's just encouraged, I think. So if you just wanna' get that thing going, that's totally fine too."

The blond turns hers over in her hands, contemplating it briefly. "I wonder if we're allowed to decorate them..."

Wishes are for beggars and dreamers, as the saying goes. Far as Rey is concerned, things are better off here than where she was before, so she's got no complaints.

And, well, the pretty lady did just say that it's not a requirement, so--

Then she speaks again. By then, however, the lantern floats from her hands and into the air.

"Oops, there it goes." Oh well. No use crying over it.

That makes two of them then. For Rose, this is technically borrowed time. It doesn't get much better than that, really.

"Ah," she says, giving hers a little push up into the air to chase after Rey's. She watches it float for a few seconds, smiling as she thinks of her wish. It might be childish or pointless or whatever else anyone else has said here tonight but she makes it anyway.

"There they both go, I guess."

Pointless, sure. But Rey has found a lot of useless rituals all over the world that people partake in, and this is no different. Who is she to judge what others find joy and comfort in?

She watches as Rose's lantern followers Rey's own into the sky.

"What sort of thing would you wish for, anyway?"

It feels absurd to ask such a thing now, after letting hers go with not a thought about it. Whatever.

"Me? I wished for..." Her voice trails off. It's not that she's considering her actual wish. It's actually that she's trying to decide how truthful she should be, if at all. She's told basically everyone tonight something different. Answers ranging from 'a puppy' to someone as broad as 'happiness.' The latter was closer to the truth than anything she'd admitted so far, but-

"... this place to not actually be too good to be true."

Now that was some unexpected level of honesty that Rey didn't think she'd hear anytime soon. She cants her head curiously.

"Mm. Been waiting to hear about that 'catch', too."

Because nothing is without a cost. Right?

Rose has her moments. It helps, maybe, that Rey has been very down to earth and straightforward since the beginning. Rose responds well to that... even if she doesn't necessarily give the whole truth in response.

"Yeah, I'm betting there is one. I just haven't found it yet. Not that I'm really gonna' look a gift horse in the mouth, just." Things like this don't happen to people like her. She doesn't deserve it, not in the slightest.

So why her? Why now?

"Can't hurt to be cautious, I guess."

"Guess so," Rey agrees. Rose isn't the only one who feels that there are others more deserving of this than herself. Her brother, for instance, would have done well in this setting. He'd have enjoyed the festivities, the people, mingling with these new cultures and people and world.

But then, she'd hate to hear what he'd have to say about her thinking this way.

Part of her now regrets not taking a simple off chance on that wish, stupid that it might be...

"Good things like this just never happen to me." So she's been anticipating that fine print.

Ren would have loved it, too. Roxanne would've been stuffing her face already and losing her mind about being on the moon. Charlie would be schmoozing his way to having some kind of influence somewhere. They all would've done well in this setting but instead Riverview chose Rose. It's... not an easy thing to swallow.

"That makes two of us, actually! But, hey, maybe it is finally our turn. That'd be cool. I'm not gonna hold my breath, but... I can't deny it'd be kind of nice for a change."

If anyone was worthy of a place like this, it'd be her brother. But Orion isn't here, so she's just going to have to make a go of it whether she wants to or not.

"Hard to fully enjoy something you don't really deserve," Rey admits. Much as she'd like to go with it being a nice change, she doesn't get to have anything nice. Or, at least, she shouldn't.

Doesn't that hit just a little too close to home. The same thought has crossed Rose's mind any number of ways since she's arrived. Why me? Of all the people that could've had this second chance, she definitely felt the least deserving out of all of them.

"I'd ask why you think you don't deserve it, but- That's probably getting into Too Real territory." Rose knows she wouldn't answer accurately if she was asked why she also didn't believe she should have anything nice in her life.

Mouth tightening into a thin line, Rey glances to the other woman out the corner of her eye. She seems sincere, but...

"Yes, it is," she quips. Talking about her long history of bloodshed and war isn't a very good icebreaker, even if she has no business making nice with people after everything she's done. "It's just how things are. Am not a very good person."

Never mind the fact that most people who insist that they're good usually aren't, either.

She is sincere, actually, but understands the woman's hesitance. If in her position, there's no way Rose would let anything slip either. They're practically strangers.

Still, that doesn't mean she has to like what she hears either. "I don't believe that," she says. "I mean, I just don't believe are totally bad. There's a lot of grey area, y'know? People don't think they're evil when they destroy a spider's web but to the spider someone just destroyed everything they built. It's all subjective."

If only she actually applied that knowledge to herself. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way.

"There's not much room for subjective when you've killed a whole lot of people."

And there it is, just as blunt as anything. At this point Rey suspects that that alone would be off-putting to anyone. She doesn't quite grasp how wrong she is, or that there are others who aren't so squeaky clean, either.

She wants to tell her. It's the first time in a while she's wanted to tell anyone. I'm a killer, too. It's on the tip of her tongue. But she doesn't trust her just yet with that information. She doesn't trust anyone just yet with that kind of knowledge. She's seen what it undoes with her own eyes. Things might be different here but old habits die hard.

"It depends on the circumstances, I think? Like... if it was self-defense or whatever, that's. Different. Well, different enough for most people. Or if you were forced to or had no choice but to save your own life."

When Rey shares such details, trust has nothing to do with it. Sometimes it's one way to gauge a person who tries to get friendly with her. Most tend to get uncomfortable when you answer so plainly that you're a murderer. And, at some points, you were a person who actually liked it.

But that's going a little too far, even for Rey.

"In combat zones, it's self-defense for everyone."

"Well, yeah. War's different." Rose has never personally known the strife of war (not yet though she will, someday), so she can't say she truly understands... But she remembers Charlie talking about war and what it had meant. He had seen it throughout his nine lives; he had fought in a couple and Rose had known the toll it'd taken on him in ways he didn't want to discuss.

"I mean, I'm not gonna' like... get into a big philosophical debate about it or nothin', just. Like I said, don't believe anyone is really truly bad. We all make mistakes, all do shit we regret."

"Not really," Rey retorts flatly. "Killing is still killing. Sometimes you even learn to like it."

And she did, at times. She would be someone who loved the feeling of a life fading at her hand. To torture for the sake of causing pain.

Thinking about that, it's hard to just think of those things as 'mistakes'.

"Did you?" she asks before she can stop herself.

For Rose, there had never been a single shred of enjoyment in taking the lives of other yokai. She had some sense of twisted pride at being good at it that still bothered her but she'd never say she liked it. Being good kept her alive. That's all that mattered.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

monthly mingle: FAJRO & LUNAR NEW YEAR

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject