monthly mingle: MEMORIA

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: monthly mingle: memoria
when: the month of may
where: anywhere around the city
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

memoria

In the days leading up to May 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Memoria. A more solemn celebration than Sampremi or the Flower Festival, Memoria is a week-long time of remembrance for those lost in the Great War and the epidemic that decimated Riverview Quarantine's population 10 years ago. Memoria traditions include lighting lanterns for the dead, telling stories about lost loved ones or lost homes, eating meals with loved ones, and a special gathering to send floating lanterns down the river in honor of those lost.

a solemn commemoration of those lost

While the main city-wide event associated with Memoria is the floating of lanterns down the river on each Sunday evening of the month, the holiday is generally seen as a time of reflection on and appreciation of things that have been lost - people, homes, cultures, and planets. It is also a celebration of the things that remain. Many locally-owned shops will host displays of culturally-significant food, and will hand out informational flyers sharing the unique customs of their own homeworlds and inviting others to share those customs. There is a heavy emphasis on sharing time with family, friends, and lovers, and anyone who is able to will cook meals or treats for loved ones, or at least purchase them something good to eat.

i. hanging lanterns

Throughout the entire week of Memoria, residents will be hanging lanterns around the city. Lanterns are generally placed in greater number in places of passage - streets, bridges, and all alongside the train lines are particularly well-decorated, as are any trees alongside paths, and most homes and businesses have a profusion of lanterns around their doors and windows. This tradition is twofold; some people believe that the lanterns are hung in these places in order to guide the spirits of the dead back to those who still love them, other people believe that the lanterns are to give light for living loved ones to find their doors in times of darkness...many people believe both.

No matter what your character might believe, you can be sure they will find themselves offered a lantern for free from various businesses or friendly citizens passing by, and invited to hang it before the sun sets, or they may be handed a bundle of lanterns and asked to help share them with others.

ii. sharing life

Throughout the city, characters will find groups of people gathering to share hot drinks and talk about their loved ones lost, their homes and planets, or their experiences during the Great War and the epidemic. Anyone who has lost someone, who has fought to survive, who is feeling cut off and homesick, is welcome to sit and share their story. If your character chooses to sit and to share their story, they will find that people will gather to listen, will generally be respectful of the telling, and may share their own similar experiences in return. This is an excellent time to air grief in an environment where most people understand and respect grief, and a good time to deepen the connections to others around you, to understand them better.

There is also a very large focus on cooking or purchasing meals or treats for loved ones during Memoria, with many people taking meals with everyone they care about during the week of the holiday. Some go the extra mile and will hand out baked goods (usually chocolate or cinnamon), packets of candy, or other little treats to acquaintances, especially if they would like to form a closer bond with them. This is a great time for characters to reach out to someone they would like to get to know better with a surprise treat!

iii. floating of the lanterns

On the evening of May 8th, just before sundown, many of the city's residents will head toward the banks of the river, where they will light lanterns in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, in honor of their dead loved ones. The types of lanterns vary wildly, based on personality (either of the person floating it or the person they are honoring), culture, and many other factors. Some lanterns are very simple, others are incredibly complex, but the one common feature they all have is that people write on the shades of them - they write about their feelings for their loved ones, their wishes for their relationships and friendships, a memory from childhood or home, or even just lines of poetry or lyrics from songs that express something they miss, or something that hurts them.

Once those emotions are written on the lanterns, the lanterns are set free, floating down the river in the darkening evening, in a cathartic gesture shared by most residents of the city. Waves of lantern floating will start around 7 pm and continue until the sun rises on each Sunday evening of May.

iv. down with the sickness

The epidemic that happened 10 years ago was an incredibly traumatic experience for the people living in the Quarantine, on a cultural scale as well as a personal one. While most people who live in the Quarantine are able to leave after 5 years, the trauma lingers in any number of invisible ways in the city. Besides that, there is a small population of people who have chosen to live permanently in the Quarantine, who have made it their home and embraced its melting pot of cultural diversity as their own. Many of these people are survivors of the epidemic, and have a particularly poignant connection to the Memoria celebration.

One of these long-term residents is an engineer specializing in magically-enhanced robotics who lost most of her family in the epidemic, and as each year passes she becomes more and more distraught by how the population turns over and slowly loses track of the importance of Memoria. In her eyes, it's become symbolic, commercialized, a celebration of general grief and not the very specific grief the Quarantine experienced 10 years ago. And she has decided to do something about it, something to make the specific trauma of the epidemic very real and very current to everyone in the city.

On May 1st, she will be releasing a small cloud of self-replicating magically-enhanced nanites near City Hall. The nanites are drawn to warm, living bodies, and once they enter, they find their way to the brain and central nervous system (or equivalent, depending on physiology) and start to take effect on the parts of the brain (or equivalent) that control a person's sensory experiences and psychosomatic responses. In effect, the nanites work as an artificial virus that makes residents horribly ill, and which can be passed from person to person like a contagion.

Throughout the month, reports of this mysterious illness will sweep through the Quarantine, with residents uncertain of how to cure it. Symptoms vary widely depending on the person, with each affected person facing a uniquely personal set of symptoms - but each case has the same thing in common: it ends with the victim losing consciousness and lapsing into a coma.

How It Works

● Participation is opt-in, and while the "epidemic" can't be ignored in the city, characters are not required to get ill even if they are exposed.
● The "disease" can be spread from person to person by skin-to-skin contact or exchange of fluids (kissing, coughing, spitting, etc.) There is no set symptoms for the "disease," and how much or little a character is affected or in what ways is up to player discretion. Incubation period (time between exposure and first symptoms appearing) is also up to player discretion.
● Since the nanites are based in both tech and mgaic, they are much harder to defeat than they would be otherwise. However, they can be deactivated and destroyed through a combination of electromagnetic pulses and magical nullification or spell-dispersing abilities. Players are also welcome to come up with other ways to deactivate the nanites, keeping in mind that it should not be too easy.
● Affected characters can be sick for as long or short a time as the player decides, and once they lapse into a coma it can last as long as the player decides. Once the character wakes from the coma, they will no longer be sick and the nanites will no longer be present in their system.
● Once a character has been infected, they will be immune and cannot be reinfected.
● All sick characters will be well again by May 31st and there will be no long-term effects.

● If any players wish to pursue or bring to justice the perpetrator, please send the mod a PM and we can discuss your ideas!

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 Memoria, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: RAW Visual, image ii: by trenchmaker, image iv: Bianca Draghici; image iii: found uncredited on Pinterest - please let the mod know if you find credit!

navigation

Comments

billy kaplan (marvel:616) cw: sick-stuff

[wiccant]

iii;

( back home, there was never much time for mourning periods. still, billy had his chance to--try and cope with some of the losses he’s been through. his own version of coping was far from healthy (closing himself off for months, refusing to so much as speak to anyone) but he. had that time, at least. to try. here there is nothing but time, and the locals seem to think this helps, so he takes advantage of the lanterns.

carries three of them down to the river after the sun has already gone down and most the crowd has dispersed to find his own little secluded corner. they're all duller colors; one in red, yellow, and green. the writing's written inside the lanterns themselves, small and near-ineligible. billy doesn't take the time to look them over, either; he lets them each go individually into the river and sits himself down onto his knees once they're on their way to watch them go. )

iv.

a) ( the illness doesn't hit billy until close to the middle of the month. it--doesn't seem all that bad at first, and he tries not to let it get to him. it still shows on his face: the darker bags under his eyes, how much more pale his skin looks than normal, the slouch to his stance that not even the slightest effort is made to try and mask it. billy keeps to his shift at the perimeter guard still, pulls his (shorter) cloak up over his mouth and nose to keep germs from spreading to anyone else. every few steps alongside the perimeter of the city he--stops in place, rests a hand against the wall, takes a moment to breathe.

the easy cheats billy would usually use magic for, he doesn't. instead of teleporting, billy walks the distance to where he needs to get to. he doesn't fly up to see just that much further, but keeps to the ground. wasting energy when he's already short on it is a bad idea, especially when he already can't keep his feet straight on the ground. and every few missteps hoarse, low grumbles can be heard from under the cloak. a soft i didn't even do anything, this sucks, i can't believe this. )

b) ( if only bitching and moaning would actually help. but it doesn't, and he only gets worse with time. a few days of stubbornly refusing to let it get him down only leaves billy even more exhausted stumbling around inside city walls because staying home isn't going to get him anywhere, either. he keeps close to the sides of buildings, presses a hand against them to help keep his balance and raises the other arm to shove his mouth into an elbow every time he gives gross, wet coughs.

his voice is hoarse, cracked and broken--still audible though, and anyone who (why would you) gets close enough to catch his voice will hear the soft, murmured: ) I want to get better, I want to get better, ( there's an underlying power to his words, each syllable etched with it's own power even if they don't seem to be having any effect on him.

sadly, billy's magic just doesn't quite work that way. )

ivb.

[ikols]

[ Loki watches as everyone around him contracts some space-virus and starts to get sick but it doesn't stop being something he makes fun of until Billy begins to wilt with them. Mild concern turns into minor arguments and he is reduced to stalking Billy on his way to the guard, the morning he considers magically knocking him out and physically putting him in bed, as stealthily as possible. Loki is exceptional at sneaking around, it being his forte, but it's all for nothing when Billy hacks out a cough and stumbles: Loki is at his side moments later, invisibility coat deactivating as he wraps an arm around a waist and presses a supporting hand to Billy's chest.

Through a sigh, he anxiously complains, ]

I told you not to go in today.

[wiccant]

( loki's great at hiding and snooping around, yes. but billy would have been more surprised if he hadn't been stalking him around, given how loud his protests have the tendency to get. a familiar arm wraps around him and billy's instantly deflating into it, letting his weight fall into loki's hands rather than going through the needless effort of keeping himself upright.

instead he fists a hand into loki's stupid shirt, grips weakly onto him. coughs once more before mumbling soft under his breath: ) I can't just--do nothing.

[ikols]

[ Supporting Billy is easy, what's harder is resisting scooping him up in his arms like he wants to. Worriedly, Loki runs his fingers through sweaty locks of hair to keep them off a sticky face, concern knitting his brows. ]

Come to the hospital, they must have tons of medicines to cure this ailment by now. That would count as doing something productive.

[wiccant]

( he's so tired, temperature running rampant and every muscle feels like it's about to fucking collapse in on itself, unable to support and keep him upright. loki's fingers run through his hair and billy closes glazed eyes, slumping forward to press in close.

and shakes his head, a hand raising to shove fabric away from his mouth and press a palm to his lips. ) They. . uh, don't. I ch-checked.

[ikols]

[ He strives to sound light about the situation but deliberately cools his hand as it lays over Billy's roasting forehead. ]

Hush, I'm sure they have more than we do. I'll take you there now, we'll take the scenic route. [ Uncertain about teleporting with Billy in such a state. ] I'm going to carry you, okay?

[wiccant]

( the summer benefits of having loki around have come early; cool hands are amazing and billy's raising one of his own to press it over the one to his forehead, soaking up the cooler temperature for a few moments before that becomes--uncomfortable.

he's already given up on standing, re-trying to walk sounds like too much effort when billy doesn't necessarily have to. another gross cough forces itself up, and billy grips tight to keep from falling forward, nodding after he's finished heaving.

deep breaths; it's fine, he's totally one hundred percent okay. )

[ikols]

Dearest ...

[ It's a light chide as Loki has to watch Billy suffering and as soon as possible sweeps him gently into his arms. He keeps his temperature lower than usual to combat the heat radiating off his boyfriend who, though shorter than him, now seems so small that he could be a breakable bird in Loki's arms.

A kiss brushes Billy's forehead as they set off. ]

I have you, no fear. Rest awhile, I'll wake you when we arrive.

[wiccant]

( on a normal day, billy'd respond by bitching and fussing if loki decided to pick him up and go gallivanting off into the sunrise in the middle of the day in town. this--isn't one of those days, he feels like shit, and billy doesn't want to go through the effort of walking himself if he doesn't have to.

one arm raises to wrap around loki's neck, holding onto the back of his shirt. will loki drop him? probably not. but that doesn't keep billy from getting a good grip on him. an eye cracks open, tip of his tongue sticking out as he looks up to loki. and furrows his brows. )

Don't--kiss me, gross. 'm covered in sick germs.

(closed) text @SPEED

[wiccant]

up for another jailbreak?

[expeditiousness]

what did u do this time

[wiccant]

Booked in the hospital
just need a lift out

[expeditiousness]

omw

[which arrives at the same time tommy does, with a gust of whooshing air.]

What happened to you?

[wiccant]

( yes thank you for the very timely messages. he's got his phone in hand, messaging system open and thumb pressed on the screen as billy tilts his head back to look up to tommy. he looks like absolute shit: bags under his eyes, lips chapped and red where they've broken, skin paler than usual but sweaty as hell too.

but he's still reaching a hand up to him, palm out. )

Sick. Some jerk--( hold on he's gotta. cough into that elbow instead. )--told hospital staff 'm delirious.

[expeditiousness]

[this whole thing is extremely suspicious, and tommy gives his twin a hard side-eye through those stupid orange goggles. however, billy did ask tommy for his help, so.]

You look terrible. Are you delirious?

[he’s still taking billy’s hand to help him up, though.]

[wiccant]

( it's good secret ids don't mean shit here, considering he's wearing more casual clothes. not that they meant much back home anymore, either. using tommy to pull his weight up, billy shifts up onto his feet, takes a deep breath. )

You're my twin brother born to an entirely different family than mine. Of course I'm delirious.

( he's still leaving?? what does it matter. )

[expeditiousness]

[... what does that have to do with anything, billy.]

If you puke on me, you’re buying me a new set of everything. And breakfast.

[shrug!! billy’s an adult; if he doesn’t wanna be in the hospital, that’s his choice. tommy slips an arm around billy’s shoulders.]

You ready?

iii

[seeingscarlet]

[Wanda's barely had any time to process what happened in Novi Grad, mostly by design - if she stops, she'll feel the full weight of everything she's lost, and so she's spent the past month running herself into the ground. With the Avengers, it worked.

Here, not so much.

Wanda carries two lanterns: one red, for her people, and one blue, for Pietro. It's obvious she's put a great deal of effort into both, and the blue one is almost black with writing. Once she started, she just couldn't stop.

Also looking for relative solitude, she finds her way to the same part of the river as Billy to release the lanterns. She can let the red one go. But the blue one...after a moment of staring at the river trying to make herself drop it, she sits back on her heels and brings Pietro's lantern with her.]

I thought this was supposed to be easier.

[The locals seemed to think this would help her grief...]

[wiccant]

( it's supposed to help. billy has had time and plenty of opportunity to grieve his own losses, but it doesn't make it any easier. no one likes to lose people. you never truly get over it, even if it gets easier to pretend.

wanda's voice snaps him out of his own thoughts, head turning around to face her and--it's. wanda, even if it isn't his wanda. he's met her, before--knows her face, her voice. )

Letting go isn't easy. ( never is, thanks. he turns to look towards her lamp, eyes the writing on it but he's not quite close enough to make out what it says. billy can't tell if she--remembers meeting him or not, he knows she disappeared, but now isn't really a good time for the whole multiverse spiel, so he settles instead on: ) Who did you lose?

[seeingscarlet]

[She's still staring at the blue lantern, too lost in her own head to notice any signs that Billy recognizes her. Thor had mentioned something about her being here before, but no one else has said anything yet.]

My brother. My twin brother.

[She can...not get over, but come to accept the rest, just not Pietro. She should never have let him out of her sight.]

[wiccant]

( oh.

oh, shit. he hadn't known about pietro's death at all. he knows how badly she had responded when pietro did. . die, back home, even if she revived him after. remembers no more mutants. nobody was happy with any of that. it was a disastrous mess on all sides. his expression falls, brows knitting tight as he keeps eyes down to her lantern. )

I'm--sorry. About Pietro. I can't even imagine how hard losing him was. ( can, a little. tommy got lost though, not dead. billy can imagine how far he'd go for him, and it's a little terrifying to think about. maybe best not to. ) I have a twin brother, too. We weren't--raised together or anything. Hell, he disappears on me more often than not, but losing him like that. . I can't.

[seeingscarlet]

I would tell you not to let him out of your sight, but...

[Apparently that's already a problem, and besides, the odds aren't looking good for twins to end up here together. She'd been completely shocked to see anyone at all from her world.

But there's a bigger issue here: she didn't say Pietro's name. Or her own name. Maybe...maybe there's some shred of hope, and she can't quite keep it out of her voice.]

Did you know Pietro? Was he here, too?

[wiccant]

( except tommy is here, being a huge menage to society as speedsters generally do. billy can't even say he's too surprised: if feeling lost is what helps people fall through the dimensional cracks, he wouldn't be even the least bit surprised if his whole team ended up here at one point or another. that's kind of what the young avengers were: a bunch of misfits trying to help. )

Not here. I uh--knew a version of him back home where I came from. Not the same one you know, but. ( honestly despite how vast the multiverse is, he doubts there's a universe out there where wanda and pietro aren't close. )

You guys were close where I came from, too.

[seeingscarlet]

A version of him?

[Sorry Billy, looks like you're going to have to be the one to break this alternate realities thing to her. The newcomer multiverse talk didn't include different versions of herself and her friends.

And although Wanda's racking her brain, she still doesn't know who this is. Is it worse to admit it, or would a little peek be crossing a line? Maybe...maybe something in the middle will have to do.]

Thor told me I was here before. Did you know me then?

[wiccant]

( alternative versions is easy to explain. well. easy-ish. a lot easier than explaining what his wanda got up to and all of that nonsense. he supposes starting off slow is fine. )

I met you briefly, but we didn't talk much at all. I--do know the you from my world, though. ( even after all the nonsense that's happened after--their first meeting still holds the most meaning to him. the words she said (be yourself, and the keslers of the world can't touch you. stand your ground, see what happens) have stuck with him through the years. defined a lot of who he became. who he is. )

She's--you're--kind of my hero. ( even if everything has changed since then, even their relationship. ) My favorite Avenger, too.