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

[winscenario]

Won't say a word. Although... it's an idea. It'd be fun, with the warm weather coming up and all.

[ Jim's arm curls a little tighter around Victor, holding him upright, not the least bit bothered by having the doctor leaning on him the rest of the way.

By the time they reach the front door, he's all but carrying Victor, but at least he hasn't lost consciousness. Jim opens the front door, then carries Victor towards the bedroom, getting him to sit down on the bed so he can fetch his pyjamas. ]

[jolting]

[He'd think about it more when he could dedicate functions to something other than putting one foot in front of the other.

He sits obediently, staring at the floor. He rubs his hands over his face, taking in slow breaths]

It's the virus. It's not real.

[He meant to say that just in his head]

[winscenario]

[ Fetching the pyjamas becomes of secondary importance when Victor speaks up. Jim discards them across the mattress and rounds the bed again, so he can take a seat by Victor's side, an arm wrapping around his shoulders. ]

What's not real? Talk to me, baby. What is it?

[jolting]

[He knows that it's in his mind, but he scoots back farther onto the bed anyway, and tries to pull James along with him]

I told you, the virus is making me see and hear things. I really hate having my mind messed with, James. I hate that to me, it looks like there is no floor, that it's just an endless void. And if I let go of you, you'll fall in.

[He breathes] And I hate that it feels like my skin is on fire. I hate that there are patients in the hospital feeling this or worse, and I hate not knowing what this is or how to treat it.

[With a frustrated huff, he starts fumbling with his tie] I can't breathe.

[winscenario]

[ Jim follows Victor to the middle of the bed with little prompting, because he really wasn't thinking of going anywhere, and if it helps calm Victor down, then it's what he'll do.

His hand move to Victor's arms, holding onto him tightly. ]

Victor, hey. I'm here, okay? I'm right here, and I'm safe. We're both perfectly safe.

[ He smooths his hands up and down Victor's arms, then he reaches for the doctor's hands, gently tugging them away from his own tie so Jim can take it off himself. ]

Want you to do something for me. Take a deep, slow breath. Keep looking at me, just listen to my voice. Can you do that?

[jolting]

[Focus on James. He can do that. He takes a deep breath as ordered and centers James in his vision. He doesn't break the contact until he feels the tie loose, and then to check and see that the floor has become the floor again. He turns his attention back to James and smiles, though it's a little strained]

I wish there was a better reason for you to be helping me undress right now.

[winscenario]

[ He smiles back faintly, tugging the tie off of Victor, then moving on to unbutton his shirt and take that off of him too. ]

So do I. We'll have time for that, though. Once you're feeling better.

[ But right now, he just wants Victor to feel better. ]

Tell me... of a memory that soothes you. Something nice and peaceful. I want you to close your eyes and picture it, alright?

[jolting]

[He helps, toeing off his shoes and socks. He pauses when he unbuckles his belt. The request amuses him]

But you know them all, geliebte. You're there. You and Lucy. I guess if I had to choose just one out of the thousands, I'd go with... the waterfall.

[He closes his eyes as requested to better picture it]

The way the water felt thundering down on my body, how it stole my breath but I never felt like I was suffocating. Playing with you in the water and drying off next to you after. It was so quiet there and private. Hmmmm.

[He trailed off into a tired but content sigh, now definitely slumping on James. He's used James as a pillow many times, but they're usually lying down first]

[winscenario]

[ Jim smiles a little at the answer, getting the belt from Victor and tugging it off, then working on getting the doctor's pants off. ]

Mm, that was a really nice day. We should visit it again, sometime.

[ He smooths his hands up and down Victor's back, letting him slump against him for a while. He presses a gentle kiss to Victor's temple, then calmly reaches for the shirt of Victor's pyjamas, trying to put them on slowly. ]

I want you to focus on that. Imagine we're there. Better than imagining bad things, yeah?

[jolting]

[He makes a noise of agreement. The feel of James's body and the sound of his voice is relaxing Victor and he's about half asleep. Then he feels clothes trying to get back on and makes a noise of protest, groggily opening his eyes]

Don't, it's too hot. I'll just sweat through it.

[But if James insists, he'll put it on. Victor closes his eyes again]

Mmm, at night we're surrounded by stars. You turn on zero-G so we can float. And I play the Blue Danube on the stereo because I'm a nerd.

[winscenario]

[ Jim hesitates for a while. He's not entirely sure whether it's safe or not for Victor to stay shirtless, but since he'll be in bed, it should be fine. Plus if it wasn't, Victor probably would tell him that. ]

Okay.

[ So the shirt is discarded. The pants are happening, though. Gently he gets Victor to lie back on the bed, so Jim can put the sweatpants on him, one foot then the other, slowly tugging the waistband all the way up. ]

We're both nerds. That sounds perfect. Let's do that when we go out into space, alright? [ He cups Victor's cheek and smooths his thumb across the skin. ] Come on. Under the covers.

[jolting]

[He sort of halfheartedly tries swatting James away again to try undressing himself but gives up. He does take James's hands and inspects them once he's done]

You're not burned. That's good.

[The words confuse him and he frowns, glancing around the room and settling back on James's face]

We're not in space? [He closes his eyes, taking in slow breaths, and opens again] No. We're in the house. Our room.

[His smile flicks a bit] You have a good bedside manner.

[winscenario]

[ With a raised eyebrow, ] You're not that hot, don't flatter yourself.

[ A bit of light teasing won't hurt, he figures. Even if he's not entirely sure Victor will get it in his current state. His smile wanes at Victor's next words, though. ]

Yeah, we're home. Not in space.

[ Slowly he starts tugging the covers down, lifting Victor's hips and gently coaxing him into bed. ]

I've been told. I don't know why that's such a surprise to everyone.

[jolting]

[He has a look like he wants to keep up this teasing conversation, but he just crawls into bed instead. He'll think of a good remark later. Usually he would need James beside him before he felt relaxed enough for sleep, but the virus and him pushing himself farther than he should've have worn him out.

If anything, he looks frustrated and annoyed. This is not how he likes being exhausted or losing his words]

[winscenario]

[ He helps Victor into a comfortable position, especially since it seems the doctor is too tired to settle down properly. Once his limbs aren't all sticking out in weird different directions, and his head is resting comfortably on the pillow, Jim tugs the covers back up to his shoulders, then he leans in to press a quick kiss to Victor's forehead. ]

Sleep well, honey. Promise I'll be here when you wake up.

[ He'll also stick around until Victor actually falls asleep. Once he does he'll leave the room, making sure to wash himself up properly before ordering takeout, while waiting for Lucy to come home. ]