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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[Thor has kept his mourning reserved for the larger part of the festival, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't float at least one lantern for his mother. His lantern is also simple, though that's largely because he has absolutely no creative ability and would sooner crush the lantern than decorate it finely.

It has runes inked on it and a few flowers he found stuck to it, and that's about as much as he can manage before he gets frustrated.

He had thought he'd found a private section of the river to drop his lantern into, but there's someone else here. He approaches the waters edge quietly, sparing her a nod as he comes up beside her to place his lantern in the water.

He steps back to watch it float away, then turns to get a better look at the stranger. Her appearance is striking, and the tone of her skin reminds him somewhat of frost giants of Jotunheim. She also looks sad, though not as overtly as everyone else here, it's enough to make Thor curious.]

It is not an easy thing, to re-open old wounds. [He observes, but he offers her a small smile.] It is not an easy way to make acquaintances either, I might add.

[ Though she doesn't so much as glance at Thor, she is perfectly aware of him. She'd sized him up the moment she was first conscious of him, some part of her mind evaluating what the strength of a man of this build must have, estimating what levels of training he may have undergone, seeking weapons ...

But that is not the part of her mind that reigns today, and she does nothing with the conclusions she draws.

Her eyes follow the gentle bob of his lantern for a few seconds before, finding even that too invasive, she draws her gaze out toward the sea of glittering, swaying lights at mid-river. ]

A curious holiday, to ask it of its patrons. [ She finally slides a glance over toward Thor himself with a cock of her head, cool and distant. ] And yet, it seems many acquiesce.

[ Herself included in at least one of those things, maybe. ]

[Thor is quite accustomed to being sized up, but he doesn't notice it for the small glance she gives him.

While she keeps her eyes off him, he's watching her curiously. He's keeping his distance, but for all she displays a cool distance, he's smiling warmly with an easy posture.]

I suppose it's one thing we've all got in common. Loss. [He dwells on that for a moment, but he continues.] I am disappointed to have missed The Rave. [He says it as if it is one singular and grand event and not a big, drunken mess.]

[ Easy nonchalance like her new companion carries has become foreign to her, almost alien. She isn't sure just what to make of it, and can't quite relax in its presence. Not that she ever truly relaxes. She opts to keep a careful eye on this man, if a sidelong one. Just in case.

Loss, though, is one thing she's certain she has no wish to talk about. He has fortunately provided them another avenue, which she gladly takes. ]

The Rave. [ She repeats it as carefully as she does skeptically. She knows what a rave is, but his tone makes her suddenly doubt the knowledge. ] What is this? Perhaps I am sorry, too. [ (But it's not likely.) ]

[Luckily, Thor is an alien, so she's well within reason to find him strange. He's more than accustomed to people who don't have the same nature as himself, but her distance makes him no less interested in speaking with her.

~~And it's really only partly because he thinks she's beautiful.~~]

I am told it was a dance, accompanied by a large festival that was considerably more.. festive than this one. [He folds his arms over his chest and shrugs.] Perhaps drinking and merriment would be just as difficult to enjoy, when confronted with the fact that we are stuck here.

[ As suspected, this is probably nothing she'd want anything to do with. ]

I see. Maybe next time.

[ At least she's been forewarned, should it ever make a comeback. The distaste doesn't show in her face behind a slight upward tilt of one brow, though, and she's quick to close in on that more interesting tidbit. ]

You would rather be elsewhere? [ Her gaze finally shifts to settle more directly onto Thor, no more lively than when it had rested on the water.] Have you left something important?

From what I've heard, festivities are as prevalent as monsters. It makes for a muddled concept of our future here.

[But he'll enjoy the good parts while he can. When she finally looks directly at him, he returns her gaze with a smile.]

I've nothing against travelling, but I much prefer it on my own terms. As for something important, yes. I had matters to attend to, as we all do, I'm sure.

Do you not wish to return home?

I do not.

[ The words are out before she's even had time to consider them, and surprise her somewhat. She doesn't want anything, except maybe the joy of a perfect kill, it's ridiculous to think she could have a want regarding her return home. And yet, she doesn't take the words back.

Moving on, then. ]

Perhaps you should make these terms yours, no? It seems we are here now, either way.

Wise words. [And he ponders them for a moment. He supposes there truly is nothing to be belligerent about, for now. He'll do no good being stubborn and digging his heels in when he could gain something from being here.

He's still pretty salty, though.]

I suppose there is no sense in fighting it. [He raises a brow at her.] How do you intend to set your terms?

[ It's a really good question. Her eyes are on the river again, more thoughtful than the question really deserves. Many people would have a simple answer to that — she would have had a simple answer to that, before she was Widowmaker. But as she watches the bobbing lights, nothing comes to mind. Except, of course, for the glaring absence that she can't forget.

So, finally, and a little more honestly than she's strictly comfortable with: ] I am here without orders. Maybe that is enough for me.

[Thor isn't the sort to pry, but he notes the way she breaks eye contact and takes a moment is telling.

It's good to know he's not the only one who feels misplaced and who feels like they will need to learn to adapt. He's sure the feeling is quite universal, but there's comfort even in momentary commiseration.]

That is true. There are very few limits in place, all things considered. They are generous here, from what I can tell, with food and freedom. [He rifles around the satchel he's carrying with him, before he brings forward a pastry wrapped in tissue paper, offering it freely.]

Do you like sweets?

[ The shift his question brings catches her off guard, and she's even too surprised to scoff at it in some dramatic way. Besides, she's spoken to this man for only a few moments, but he's done nothing to earn her scorn. He's even a little pleasant. ]

I would not say no, mon loulou. [ She takes it, unwrapping it with a slow curiosity. ] Merci. What is it?

[It is sudden, but Thor has been feeling the weight from the subjects of their conversation for some time. It is not a pleasant festival, if he's honest, but Amélie has been deemed worthy of partaking in some of his earnings. She looks like she could use it.]

Pastry and apple. I'm not sure what they call it. [Which reminds him.] I don't recall if I asked your name.

[ Her answer is delayed by first having a bite of this thing, and she has to admit, it's not bad. She really doesn't care much one way or the other for sweets these days, but if she did, it'd be on the list.

As she's able to speak again: ] Widowmaker. [ Something tells her he's probably less likely to find it a strange name than others here. He doesn't feel very mundane. ] And yours?

[It isn't strange for Thor to be introduced with titles in exchange for names, but this one in particular makes him a little nostalgic for the Avengers.

He wonders if she would get along with Natasha, but he saves that thought for later.]

Thor. [He smiles and offers a hand. If she takes it, he'll bring it to his lips for a good, old fashioned kiss on the hand. It's just good manners.]

[ She sees the intent of that hand, and while she might once have considered that silly, she can't bring herself to care enough to dissuade it now. She permits it. ]

Thor — how very archaic. [ A brief ghost of a smile brushes across her face, then fades again. ] Nice to meet you, somber circumstances excepting.

So I've been told. [Thor says with a scoff. He's not sure how he feels at essentially being called old.

Regardless, he isn't deterred. He thinks he might be starting to get her to open up, even if it's just a little.

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introductory mingle: MEMORIA

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