riverviewmod: (Default)
Riverview Moderator ([personal profile] riverviewmod) wrote in [community profile] riverviewlogs2017-05-01 07:22 pm
Entry tags:

introductory mingle: MEMORIA

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Memoria Commemoration
when: May 1st - May 8th
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 the evening of May 8th, 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. 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 the morning of May 9th.


iv. roommates or wildcard


Feel free to use this prompt to set up headers for a communal floor, or threads open to roommates for the purpose of getting to know each other. 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: glowconcepts, image ii: by trenchmaker, image iv: cherryorange; image iii: found uncredited on Pinterest - please let the mod know if you find credit!

navigation

[personal profile] ex_clobbers559 2017-05-11 10:04 am (UTC)(link)
How many of these have there been, exactly? I was thinking this was some sort of anniversary of a battle, or something like that.

( A day where many had been lost, or maybe the locals believe spirits walk the world of the living with them for some reason this of all days. Now, she's a little confused.

Her smile falters, fading as she lowers her head. )


Words can seem cheap, I know. But I'm sorry for your loss. My parents, my aunt—don't really need them, either.

They're in Rao's light already.
signifies: (clark ( 030 ))

[personal profile] signifies 2017-05-11 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
Then I'll spoil you.

[ He hasn't had the opportunity to.

Clark just doesn't want Kara to feel like she's smothered. She's her own person. ]


I was thinking... since you liked it so much, I could cook again. How about something you miss from Krypton? I'm sure we could find similar ingredients here.

[personal profile] ex_clobbers559 2017-05-11 10:17 am (UTC)(link)
I'll have to find a way to spoil you back, then. That's how it works, right?

( Or it does most of the time with Alex, anyway.

She grins up at him, clearly delighted by the prospect. And not feeling at all smothered thus far. )


That'd be great. I'll help you pick out ingredients for a dish my mother used to make. My dad, uhh... well he tried.

( And she takes after him that way. ) Just so you know, your cooking beats takeout any day.
signifies: (kal ( 019 ))

[personal profile] signifies 2017-05-11 10:21 am (UTC)(link)
Are you sure?

[ He's smiling mischievously. It's so wonderful to have a sibling he can spoil.

He takes her hand and starts walking towards the shops. Flying would be okay too. ]
leatherdaddy: (pic#11180027)

[personal profile] leatherdaddy 2017-05-11 10:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ Certain someone is being a real pain in Gladio's ass right now. Still... it's better than no Noctis at all. ]

He's still chief among them, if he'll buckle down and do it. I think he's content to leave it alone for now and play at being a civilian for now.

[ Gladio frowns, but can't quite leave the hypocrisy alone and given their unique status as life-long servants to royal line, he admits to Iggy what he can't to just anyone. Least of all Noct. ]

Can't shake the feeling that I'm more guilty of this than anyone else.
leatherdaddy: (glad024)

[personal profile] leatherdaddy 2017-05-11 11:06 am (UTC)(link)
Screwed up? [ Gladiolus repeats the words in a low tone, his only objection. That's not something he agrees with. ]

Just a minute ago you were tellin' me not to keep Ignis in the dark - and now you don't want to hear it?

[ Gladiolus tosses his hands up in frustration and turns away, only to look at Noct from over his shoulder a moment later.

To ask someone to put pen to paper and transcribe such a statement as proof that he believes every word he's said and set it adrift in memory of his father, that's unfair enough that even Gladio feels a pang of regret for saying it. But tempers are high and he doesn't think he's wrong either. Gladio thinks those are some ugly statements Noct is making about Regis. He suspects they're just words of passion, not reason and likely won't hold when he has to write them down. ]


...Sounds like you've found something to write on that lantern after all.
pacte: (SHOOTER)

aw thanks, he's a delight

[personal profile] pacte 2017-05-11 11:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ Frankly Tom isn't sure what Chaser was thinking, singling out this intimidating figure of a woman, but he still feels the need to defend his familiar a little bit. That, and she doesn't seem too pleased regardless of her words so he probably owes her an attempt at some further explanation. ]

I'm looking for my friends and one of them— well, she has a similar height as you so ...

[ Hence the mix-up? Or something like that.

He'll just ... sheepishly hold up a hand for Chaser to land on so he stops circling the air above them and keep him from potentially inciting more annoyance. ]
dothelokimotion: (There are no trees in the library)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2017-05-11 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
Is it so hard to find peace when you're alive then?

[ He clicks his tongue. ]

But it seems you're helping yourself here.
dothelokimotion: (Words are vibrations)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2017-05-11 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
All. My family had a lot of time on their hands.
supersweet: (He is a minority of one)

[personal profile] supersweet 2017-05-11 11:23 am (UTC)(link)
You're welcome.

[ The reply is automatic before the rest of her words catch up to him. ]

Am I awful at something . . . ?
pacte: (SCOTCH)

[personal profile] pacte 2017-05-11 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sorry man, nervous is pretty much his default state of being.

He brightens at the acceptance of his offer though, setting down the bottle and picking up the cocktail glass to hand it over. ]


L-let me know what you think! We don't have this brand of rum where I'm from so it's a new one for me.
supersweet: (They will race behind you)

[personal profile] supersweet 2017-05-11 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
Aww.

[ But he's careful about how many pieces he takes. ]

Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around.
worldsaway: (Default)

[personal profile] worldsaway 2017-05-11 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I could.

[Thor can't help but smile when Cain readily agrees. He crouches downward, so that he can climb his shoulders more easily.

He sees absolutely nothing weird about this, either.]


Does this suit?
dust_of_life: (Confused)

[personal profile] dust_of_life 2017-05-11 12:14 pm (UTC)(link)
All.

[Forgive her incredulity, but that's a lot to take in.]

Hindi?
pacte: (SCOTCH)

[personal profile] pacte 2017-05-11 12:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Briefly Tom's hopes soar when he's being approached with a grin, thinking that he's found a fellow Beast of the Ring. It's entirely possible given how new he is to the organization himself, he doesn't know everyone or even how many people are a part of it. It's full of so many different types that the elf coming his way could be as likely a candidate as anyone.

Unfortunately that hope is short-lived when it becomes apparent that the meaning of the signal was lost on this person. But the disappointment is there and gone in a flash again, because hey ... ]


Oh, but you recognize it! [ Hardly anyone seems to recognize thieves' cant for what it is so that alone is exciting enough. ] I'm not really a rogue myself, it's just something from back home for a— specific group, I guess you could say?

[ He's probably not supposed to talk about the secret sign of the Beasts of the Ring or even being a member though. SO UH, quickly moving on before he loses all subtlety in his excitement and blurts things out he's not supposed to again. ]

Where are you from?
livingsymbol: ([S] Oh baby baby it's a wild world)

[personal profile] livingsymbol 2017-05-11 12:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The way Letha reacts to Steve's words gives him pause. She seems uneasy at the thought of sharing her stories rather than just shy. He wonders what memories she has that would cause such a reaction, but he doesn't ask. That seems disrespectful considering how little they know of each other. It's too much like prying. ]

Mm. Maybe some other time, then.

[ Steve knows how painful some memories can be. ]

My world has a lot of people with a lot of different skills in it. Sometimes we're so different that it's difficult to understand everyone else. I was on a mission, deployed in a place I'd never even heard of before, when I got into trouble. Honestly, I was in bad shape, and the first time I met some of the locals, I thought that they were crazy. Or worse, I though that I must be going crazy. The things they did seemed like things I'd seen from a lot of enemies, and that meeting reminded me that when you're on your own, it's easy to think that anything new might be enemy design. But it turns out that those strangers had actually rescued me. They went on to save my life a number of times after that, and for my part of the introduction, I'd tried to take them all out. They accepted me even after that. I've learned a lot from them.
worldsaway: (Default)

[personal profile] worldsaway 2017-05-11 12:23 pm (UTC)(link)
You should know she did not live her life expecting to be compensated. She was kind.

[He steps a little closer, if only so he can watch the little orb float upward. It's so far away, he can barely see it. It's as far out of his reach as she is, and it hurts.]

Perhaps too kind. [He does spare Loki a rather pointed look, though he knows he's only indulging his bitterness by doing so. He fixes his attention back on the sky.]

There is hope yet for her to appear here.
onthehalfshell: (Default)

[personal profile] onthehalfshell 2017-05-11 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
What, really? [Wikus pauses in blowing on his tea to raise his brows at Hanzo.]

You don't do sweeteners in, uh, Japan, hey? Pretty much everyone I know does their tea with milk and sugar.

[He takes a sip from his cup. It's pretty good! His tastebuds have been picky about unexpected things since he arrived, but the tea is pretty solid.]
valkyre: (029)

ii.

[personal profile] valkyre 2017-05-11 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
( it's not exactly comforting, listening to other people air their grief and mourn loved ones lost. but it's relatable, especially to angela who in her thirty-seven years has lost too many people to count - there's certainly a range on how close she is to those people, but each of them weighs on her like a ton of bricks, as much as she tries not to show it.

so she doesn't intend to participate in the story-telling, happy to sit and listen instead, but it's when a curious man with an even more curious mask sits next to her and prompts her that she even spares it a fleeting thought. but she doesn't.

instead, she merely smiles and shakes her head. )


I have lost many people over my time, and I'm not particularly in the mood for sharing, merely listening. ( angela has always been better at giving advice, listening to others, than sharing her own thoughts and feelings. ) So if you have your own story to tell, feel free.
livingsymbol: ([Cap] We're having words now.)

ultimates issues

[personal profile] livingsymbol 2017-05-11 12:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[It hurts Steve to see the man like this. It hurts his pride, knowing he can't necessarily help in the long run, that has to be Tony's choice, and it hurts to watch him fumble with his balance when he's clearly sick already. But worse than that is when Tony talks, falling into a conversation that might actually be familiar to him. The ghost of a time he himself still remembers, but has lost.

Steve reaches out to steady Tony, supporting his weight with an arm around his back, leading him away from the table.]


No armor. Not tonight. We're going to head home and regroup.

[He hopes that Tony won't try to get in his armor while caught up in a drunk memory. Steve silently decides he'd better keep watch just in case.]
worldsaway: (Default)

[personal profile] worldsaway 2017-05-11 12:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[Diet is a foreign word to Thor, beyond all comprehension. He takes an apple strudel and essentially shoves the entire thing into his mouth all at once.

He is correct in his initial assumption, he thinks. She's a very dour person, but that doesn't mean she isn't capable of an interesting conversation.]


It is not my place to say how one should mourn, but I am not at ease to do so around strangers. [He'll look around at all the people, just to make his point clear.]

It makes for an interesting welcome, to be sure.
dothelokimotion: (There are no trees in the library)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2017-05-11 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Rusty, but passable.

[ just like the mun. He clicks his tongue. ]

Obviously, some are easier than most.
dust_of_life: (Uncertain)

[personal profile] dust_of_life 2017-05-11 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[She's having a hard time with it.]

Cherokee?
dothelokimotion: (Fear is a reasonable response to life)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2017-05-11 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Book-learned. My accent is most likely atrocious.
dust_of_life: (Surprised)

[personal profile] dust_of_life 2017-05-11 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Bullshit.

[Okay, that was an inside thought, Fatima. She shakes her head a little bit.]

There's no way you know every language.