introductory mingle: MEMORIA

[riverviewmod]

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

Comments

[idolpire]

[To be fair, it wasn't like his world had gods, all right? Demons, a few sprinkled deities worshiped as gods, but nothing like an actual god.]

Ah, there it is. So, what does a warlock want with a vampire, eh?

[dothelokimotion]

A demonstration. I would like to see your skills in action someday.

[ If he's going to invest, Loki needs to know what he's investing in. ]

[idolpire]

[Well, part of that was easy enough to do. In a blink, his face morphed to his demonic side, eyes yellow instead of blue and fangs peeking out as he spoke.]

Got a lot of skills. Depends on what needs to be done.

[Loki wasn't the only one who could cause strife between people. Spike had torn the Scoobies apart with a few well placed bits of gossip. He was a snake in the garden, just like a certain trickster.]

But, I need to see the uppers about a little... procedure.

[dothelokimotion]

I have no doubt you are . . . [ He drawls it out. ] versatile.

What kind of procedure?

[idolpire]

[A smile at that, all fang. Spike was vain, no matter what he told anyone else. He liked to be noticed, appreciated, even as much as he liked to say he didn't care.]

Once upon a time, I got nabbed by some government wankers who put a chip in his head. Makes it so I can't hurt anyone human. Part human's always a toss up, but... well. Makes feeding a pain in the ass.

[dothelokimotion]

[ That . . . is a dilemma. Loki frowns. ]

Can it be removed?

[idolpire]

That's what I plan on talking to the wankers here about. Could be they can do something. Could be they don't want to because a neutered puppy is better than one who can have a little fun.

[His face bled back to normal, accompanied by a shrug as he took a drag off his smoke.]

Not like I can't still have fun with nonhumans, which there seem to be some of here. But demons never tasted as good. 'Specially the slimy ones.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Hm. Loki considers his options with a thoughtful hum before making a decision. ]

Let me know what the results are. And I shall spare you my glamour.

[idolpire]

Well, isn't that gracious of you. And what do you plan to do during this little... whatever it is?

[dothelokimotion]

[ With an air of carelessness. ]

I haven't decided. Best to keep all my possibilities as open as I can.

[idolpire]

[Well. Wasn't this little peacock above it all?]

Fair enough. Right then. Magic me up and I'll be on my way to go get sloshed without maudlin nonsense. Wait-

[He held up a hand, frowning.]

How long is this going to last. I don't want to pull an invisible man or anything.

[dothelokimotion]

You have until sunrise. That should be enough time.

[ A flicker of green and gold light spills from Loki's hand and covers Spike for a second before vanishing. ]

[idolpire]

Should be, what with having to be inside by then and all.

[He was a little apprehensive about colored light moving around, but he didn't feel any different. His hands moved over himself, making sure everything was where it should be.]

Right. Well then, I'm off to get potted. You're welcome to join me if you get bored of... whatever it is you're doing.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Link blinks, at a loss by the invitation before his expression smooths over. ]

I shall . . . keep it in mind.

[idolpire]

[That's what people do, Loki. Spike's drank with people he's tried to kill before. He can certainly share a drink with someone who's helped him out. Even if he seems like he has a giant stick up his ass.]

Good. I'm off, then.

[A vague pretense of a salute, and Spike turned to head off to the nearest pub, eager to try out his new magic trick and to spend that the city had given him.]