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

[nikolaievich]

Illya glances down, giving Damen a nod of acknowledgement when he recognizes the prince with another prince as his fiance. Damen is more or less the same size as Illya, maybe even an inch taller so he figures he’s been asked to hang lanterns around as well.

“It could be worse.” He admits, shrugging one shoulder once he’s done with the lantern. “It makes the city glow and I like the meaning the locals give it to it. I’ve never seen a festival like this, though.”

i am so slow forgive me

[goldcuffed]

"Nor have I. It's very nice, isn't it? The lanterns are lovely, and it's nice to have a time to mourn and to celebrate those who still live." Damen is a bit of a sentimental man. He finishes hanging the lantern for the children and sees them off, then casually moves to join Illya. "Have you hung any for yourself? I'm tempted to keep the ones Laurent and I have hung outside our window, even after the festival."

never any rush!

[nikolaievich]

Illya hesitates, glancing at one of the lanterns. It’s obviously hand-made, the decorations definitely not perfect. But it’s personal, and it was obviously made with someone in mind.

“... I haven’t yet.” He admits, shrugging one shoulder as he looks back at the taller man. “I do not usually mourn. It doesn’t bring people back. But I’m considering it. This festival… it has helped people, I see it.”

[goldcuffed]

"It doesn't bring people back, no, but," he starts, then pauses, as if he's trying to get his thoughts in order. His feelings on mourning are complicated right now, and he's still unconsciously shoving down his own sadness and grief for his murdered father and his dead brother. "It's a reminder of those lost, I think. To remember loved ones. Mourning is for the living."

[nikolaievich]

Illya nods, because ‘mourning is for the living’ is a pretty succinct way to put it. It’s why he’s never allowed himself to go through that, it always felt a little selfish. Like it would serve no other purpose other than allowing him to wallow in self pity.

“You seem to speak from experience.” But he doesn’t actually ask, giving him the chance to sidestep and ignore the question if he so chooses. Illya of all people wouldn’t judge for wanting to keep some things to himself.

[goldcuffed]

Damen is an open book in his facial expressions and body language, thoughtful more than trying to hide anything. Trying to figure things out for himself before he can say them. The statement is almost a question, and Damen exhales a heavy breath. "My brother died, just moments before I was brought here. Our father just a few months before that." It isn't the whole story, but these are facts, hardly secrets, not things to keep hidden. Just things that are difficult to talk about.

[nikolaievich]

Illya hasn’t had that many conversations with him, but he can already tell he is indeed a bit of an open book. Every time they have had a conversation it’s been pretty easy to gather information from him- so easy it makes Illya even feel a little bad because it’s pretty obvious he’s not actively guarding himself at all.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Because that’s what you’re supposed to say in these kind of situations even if Illya thinks it doesn’t help much to say that kind of thing. It’s not going to bring either of them back. “Do you think this festival is going to help you come to terms with that?”

[goldcuffed]

"I don't know if it's something that can be come to terms with. But... I didn't get a chance to see my brother's body interred with our father. I suppose this will be a good substitute for now." Floating a lantern for his brother will at least be doing something, even if it isn't making the long walk at dawn, even if it isn't seeing his brother laid to rest.

"I think it will feel... good, in a way, to honor them."

[nikolaievich]

Illya opens his mouth, then closes it. He does it again, actually, every time trying to find a way to word what he’s thinking. He can’t share much about his father and he will not share how he was sent to the gulag, ever if he can help it. And yes, he’s aware the man in front of him would probably have no idea of why that’s such a source of shame for Illya but others might so he keeps it to himself.

But that doesn’t mean he has to keep everything to himself either.

“My father was sent.., away, when I was young. He died before I ever got to see him again, there was no funeral for him. I suppose… I suppose this is also a way for me to say goodbye to him.”