riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: MEMORIA

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!

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[ He's ready to nod and move on, since he's not going to question whatever personal reasons the stranger might have for not wanting to talk about his life. The bright cape reminds him a bit of Bob Reynolds, although not as yellow.

And then he raises an eyebrow. Of course this isn't the first person that said he looks like someone else, and he won't be the only one to draw connections to the other Steve Rogers, but Steve braces himself anyway. Apparently a few of the people in town aren't used to multiple dimensions and the shared name makes it easy for them to confuse one for the other. He ruefully thinks that he's been having more difficulty here than when he dealt with his actual copycat, and that man had gotten plastic surgery to look like him. ]

There's another guy around. We share a few traits.

[ After this, he'll come back as Kal, in appropriate colors. This isn't a place for Superman.

Clark isn't at risk of mixing them up. From the voice and heartbeat, he knows them to be two separate people. This one seems older... he sees it in the eyes. ]

All right. [ He accepts it as one more thing about Riverview. ] My name is Kal. Pleased to meet you.

[ There's a pause as Steve waits for the response he's becoming braced against, someone else asking him how to tell them apart, because they look the same. When that doesn't come, he relaxes, easing into the introduction with a better attitude, even if he's slow to warm up completely. He's more friendly when he speaks this time. ]

Steve Rogers. I guess I probably don't need to say that, but this is our first introduction.

[ And Steve actually smiles, letting go of the tension and raising his arm, holding out a hand to Clark. He's judgmental and stubborn, particularly about his independence, but a simple introduction is enough to calm him down. ]

Can I ask where you're from?

[ Clark is careful of his strength; he has a firm but friendly grip. ]

Earth. What about you?

[ Steve's grip is firm and deliberate, but still friendly as he shakes Clark's hand. Once the instinctive tension is alleviated, he's actually more open to meeting people. Clearly the blond is just critical in some ways. But he is a soldier. ]

Earth. Although with the number of people being brought here, I'm not sure how helpful that is for you. Seems like we have a few different universes in play and I'm not really a scientist.

[ The smarter visitors are probably better at dealing with all of this. ]

Hard to tell who might be from the same place.

I'm not, either. This is new to me. [ He's not had any trouble adjusting although Jon being here gave him a shock. Clark wasn't expecting a kid in his future. ] I've found it helps to ask what year people are from, and the historical events they're familiar with.

[ Steve smiles a bit dryly at Clark's suggestion, amused by the number of possibilities that could lead to. ]

Somehow I think even then people will manage to surprise us. But I'm assuming your world doesn't have a version of the Avengers?

Not that I know of. [ His world doesn't have any heroes out in the open besides him. It's the anomaly. ] I am behind a lot of others here... it could be in the future. Would you mind naming a few?

Maybe, although if you were from one of our worlds, chances are you would have recognized my name.

There are other groups. The X-Men and the Fantastic Four are both well known by the public. And S.H.I.E.L.D. The community has expanded a lot over the years.

[ Clark nods. ]

How does that work? Is everyone out in the open?

Not everyone, no. And we're not out in the open... Some of us just end up more public than others. With the number of us out there, it was inevitable.

[ His expression grows dark. ]

I chose to let them see my face. That way people couldn't use the name for their own causes. Some of them wanted to.

[ He doesn't know yet if there'll be others, but Steve is right. It doesn't get more public than wearing a red cape and no mask. ]

There's always that risk. I thought about wearing a mask... My mother said not to.

It sounds like she was proud of you. Not everyone needs a mask.

Do you regret it?

[ Either not hiding his identity, which Steve assumes the lack of a mask means for Kal, or dressing up and becoming a hero at all. The pressure and politics can get overwhelming at times. Especially for heroes that are on their own. ]

[ He smiles sheepishly. ]

I don't know. I've only just started.

[ Steve actually smiles at that. It's a warm expression, one he's been holding back because he wasn't quite sure what to make of Kal. But now he realizes that the man is just learning. ]

How long have you been active?

[ He must be like the other world's Avengers. ]

[ Steve's warmth makes Clark smile back at him in turn. He's felt a little unsure and outclassed, but that's been the case since he got here and learnt of other worlds. Steve's not overbearing or critical. ]

Uh, a few months? There was an alien invasion. I stepped forward to help.

That was just before I got here. Beyond that, I tried to stay low-key. [ No costume or theatrics. ]

[ Alien invasion sounds just like home. And Steve can remember how out of his depth he felt when the Avengers first faced the Kree and the Skrulls. Finding out that such vast armies were trying to conquer the Earth and that they existed so close to his home had been a little overwhelming. He had responded with hard anger. ]

You're a hero on your own then. [ Because he doesn't look like a soldier. ]

What can you do? I'm curious.

[ He asks out of curiosity. Clark regrets not being able to give him a complete answer. He's the only Kryptonian left, and he also only recently discovered his ice breath. ]

What I know so far is I'm a lot stronger and faster than humans. My senses are also sharper.

I can fly, too.

So then you aren't human?

[ He doesn't push further than that. Steve is only curious and he isn't about to invade the man's privacy. He just likes knowing what people in the area are like. ]

And you can fly. That would be convenient. I could use an ability like that.

I'm Kryptonian. My planet is very far away from Earth.

And you're welcome to come flying with me anytime you like. It's a great view from up there.

[ Steve looks curious, although not surprised by the news. ]

Do all Kryptonians like humans? I've never met one.

[ He smiles at the offer. ]

I might take you up on that. It would be helpful if I needed to get somewhere fast. As long as it wouldn't take up your time.

Not all of us are friendly.

[ He wants to speak highly of his people, but he can't. He doesn't know any of them beyond the Sword of Rao. ]

It wouldn't. Just shout whenever you need me. I have very good hearing.

[ He thinks about the Kree and about how little he knows of alien cultures in general. His experiences have mostly been during conflicts, with the strangers coming in after their own objectives and Steve as an Avenger, responding to a threat or a potential problem.

How little he really knows about who is friendly and who isn't, in the greater scheme of things. He makes a decision then that he will make more of an effort. With this man at least. ]

Anywhere? Really? I'll... do that.

[ He's both surprised and encouraged by the gesture. This is a good start. ]

Anywhere. I'll look forward to it.

[ Clark smiles back at him, then ducks his head to smile a little more to himself. ]

[ Okay, he's officially impressed. Finally, he's making friends and things are working out. ]

You can call me too. I can't fly, but if you need anything, I'll be glad to help.

Better use the phone, though.

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introductory mingle: MEMORIA

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