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

[pacte]

[ 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.

[aeturnus]

[ Somehow he gets the feeling even having some of his own product wouldn't help that for Tom...

Anyway, he takes a small drink and is silent for a moment. ]

It's not bad. Not quite sweet enough for me.

[pacte]

[ It sure wouldn't.

Tom watches with anticipation, trying to be subtle about it and failing, until he gets an answer at which he nods and (shakily) smiles. ]

O-okay, thank you.

[ He turns away briefly to write something down on a notepad that's on the table before looking back. ]

Are you one of the new arrivals too?

[aeturnus]

[ This guy wears his heart on his sleeve, apparently, and Cain can't help but be amused. He sets the drink down and kind of gets comfortable against the table instead. ]

Yeah. You just get here too?

[pacte]

[ Tom shifts in his seat a little to better face his presumed roommate. ]

Yeah, I'm pretty new too. Crazy place, huh?

[ It's ... one way to describe a world so vastly different from his own. ]

I'm Tom Collins.

[aeturnus]

Completely out of my depth.

[ Cain smiles while he says it which probably doesn't add a whole lot of sincerity, but it's the honest truth. He has no idea what to do with himself here but roll with the punches. ]

Jacob Kane. Nice to meet you, Tom.

[pacte]

I doubt you're the only one.

[ He sure is, too. As much as his life had already been turned upside down when he'd been chosen to become the leader of a thieves guild turned revolutionary group, being pulled into a different world is another ballpark entirely. But he gets smiling and just rolling with it, there's not a whole lot else they can do. ]

Nice to meet you too, Jacob. I'm guessing you were assigned this room too?

[ It's the most logical conclusion to make, but it's not like the room doesn't get visitors so you never know. ]

[aeturnus]

Yep. Looks like we're roomies up until one of us gets sick of dorm life long enough to do something about it.

[ Cain's not particularly bothered about it for now. There's other stuff to do or focus on. ]

Seems pretty peaceful to me so far, though.

[pacte]

[ Tom nods in agreement. All things considered, it could be worse and at least they're provided with housing and not left to fend for themselves right off the bat. ]

I don't think it's too bad. The people here seem nice enough and we're all in this together.

[ And now that he knows he's dealing with a roomie: ]

But sorry about the mess, I'll be done soon.

[aeturnus]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Hey, if it gets me free drinks, feel free to make as many messes as you want.

You're right, though, this whole situation is being handled pretty well. By the people in charge and the people dealing with it.