riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: MEMORIA

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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!

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[Iris is going to be in for a surprise. But either way Zacharie keeps going.]

Perhaps so! I am a new arrival so I am not yet accustomed to the leveling up system in this world. As for my own items...

[He has to shift around a few lanterns before pulling a piece of paper out from his right sleeve. On it are the items Zacharie sells - just the stuff under the General and Equipment section anyways.

...yes, some of those things are exactly how they sound.]

Feel free to give this a look over and I will be happy to help you with anything you need.

[And enjoy even more video game lingo while you're at it.]

[All it takes is a moment studying that paper that see how dedicated he is. To what, she isn't quite sure, but it's admirable in its own way. To her, it looks like a variation of potions, phoenix downs, lottery tickets and meat? No, that sounds like meat.]

Wow, you've got all kinds of stuff here. It's-

[Questionable? Weird?]

-a good variety. Didn't know you could put a price on inspiration.

[Sketchy. Very sketchy. He doesn't mind metaphorically setting up one of those free sample booths if Iris wants to take a closer look at anything. But for now answering her comments is easier.]

I suppose so! But at the same time it is rather inspiring to be able to do seventy-five damage to an opponent's HP without the need to spend CP or run the risk of damaging your hands if you are one who fights with their fists. And...

[He pulls one out from a pocket. It's a small ball that softly glows blue and green.]

Rather pretty to look at, in my opinion. What do you think?

[If Iris believed for even a second that any of this was real, then she likely would have agreed that a piece of inspiration is a pretty good deal. It's not like it could be true though.

Except, he pulls out something and it's shining right in front of her, like a weird glowing marble. It makes her eyes light up and she leans in to get a closer look.]

Woah, can't argue with that. It's really pretty. I think I'm inspired just looking at it.

[Inspires her to ask more questions about it, at least.]

So how do you use it?

Simply throw it at your enemy to inflict non-elemental damage. I would offer a demonstration but the current location is likely less than optimal to attempt it, ahaha.

[This event was a fairly somber affair and Zacharie doubts that sudden explosions, although small, would be welcome. He does have some level of tact, 4th wall shenanigans aside.]

But if you wish to see it and have another place to test it out metaphorically on hand then I do not mind heading there. Or answering any other questions you may have too.

[Although this started off playful, she's beginning to realize this guy might be similar to an arms vendor. Inspiration must be the name of the weapon itself and she feels silly for not making the connection sooner. It would be interesting to see, but he's right to say this isn't the place for it.]

I don't know the area well yet.

[Maybe near the perimeter? She has no idea and will ask her brother, but one day she'll find a place to see inspiration explode.]

Maybe I could take you up another time. Is that okay? I'd still like to see it.

[Fairly close to an arms vendor, yes. You protagonists need to be armed to the teeth after all.]

Ah ah ah, of course! It is your choice after all and it seems I will be in this world for quite awhile. So whenever you come to a decision, feel free to let me know.

[Zacharie's not one of those merchants who get surly when you don't buy things from him. Whenever it happens, it happens.

Slipping the Inspiration back into his pocket, Zacharie offers a hand.]

I do not believe I have gone over the obligatory introductions yet. I'm Zacharie, the necessary items merchant found in every video game. Yourself?

[It's not going to be too long before she heads back to him for a demonstration. Riverview seems peaceful for the moment, but experience has shown her it doesn't always last and it's a small comfort to have a semi-arms dealer about. Even if he's a little weird.

With a smile, she grabs his hand back and gives it a shake.]

It's nice to meet you, Zacharie. I'm Iris-

[Might as well play along to the finish line. What would she be in a game? Definitely not a main character. Or a merchant or a hunter or anything, really.]

A supporting character.

[Things never stay peaceful in Zacharie's own experiences as well, but that's mostly due to video game logic and so on. Battles happen and there's generally only one victor.

He draws his hand back once the handshake is over, laughing quietly. He doesn't know if Iris genuinely saw things the way he did or was simply rolling with it for the heck of it, but it's nice either way.]

It is nice to meet you as well, dear Iris. And I hope my items will help you carry on your role of supporting character until the end. Ah ah ah.

[Whatever that may be.]

Bet you'll be supporting more than me. People will be coming to Zacharie the merchant from across the city.

[If anything to look at his assortment of items just once.
Not too many places you can buy inspiration and eyes, all in the same afternoon. He should fill a weird niche in some part of this world.]

You planning to set up a shop somewhere?

Ehehehe. One should not underestimate the need for different support characters. I am a merchant and quite useless in combat, for example, while one with healing magic would be far more useful than I in that situation. But I thank you for the compliment none the less.

[Perhaps being a merchant and a living video game character gave Zacharie a...unique prospective on these things. Putting together a party for battle was easy, even if the one in OFF boiled down to one man and three strange rings.]

That I am! Naturally some requirements will likely need to be met as I am new, but one day I hope to have a shop here. It will be fun I think.

[This guy definitely has a unique train of thought. He really takes this video game stuff seriously. It's going to make for an interesting shop when he does finally open his doors to the public.]

You bet it will be! You gotta let me know when you open up. I'll be first in line.

['Unique train of thought' is one way of putting it.]

Excellent! I look forward to your future patronage, my friend.

[Things will get very interesting indeed, in this world. The people here are far different than the ones in Zacharie's game.]

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introductory mingle: MEMORIA

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