灯籠流し TŌRŌ NAGASHI

[tokyodisa]

Who: Everybody!
What: Tokyo Day Seven: lantern floating ceremony
When: Monday, 22/July -- evening
Where: Along the Sumida River
Rating: pretty x2

If you're outside tonight, you may see lights floating along the river that runs through Tokyo.

Upon closer inspection, you'll see that they're thousands of paper lanterns set adrift in small boats. Some of the lanterns are painted in bright, colorful designs, and some have names and messages written on them. Some are plain, but they're just as beautiful. In the wider parts of the river, there are even people rowing boats with oversized lanterns inside of them, mimicking the smaller, floating lanterns.

There are some vendors on the street who can sell you the materials to make your own. Or you can simply watch and enjoy.

[Learn more about the ceremony here and watch videos here. No sections this time, just mingle. :) This is the last Tokyo log -- it'll transform back to the castle grounds at midnight.]

Comments

ota; pretend she has human icons

[shizue]

[This one is attempting to craft her own lantern! It's pretty cute and simple, but she's inspecting it just to make sure that it's going to float.]

_{I hope it doesn't sink...}

the cutest tiny human

[bezazzled]

[Mabel is beside her holding her own lantern, which is splashed with rainbows and sparkles and vibrant colors galore. She leans over and inspects Isabelle's with eyes narrowed.]

It's nice. In a really simple way. Don't you want to give it a little more pizzazz?

[3nterprising]

[Although Faye's never particularly done something like this before, the locals have filled her in, and she seems on board, so to speak. She's got herself a set of materials to make her own lantern and has found a spot to settle near the river while she assembles it.

She might as well have some sort of closure for all of the things that had happened in her old life. Or rather, old lives. This seems like as good a way as any to lay her past to rest; the past she could never return to.]

[ofthursday]

[Castiel has observed this ceremony once from afar, when he had been watching humanity, and had opportunity to turn his attention to the right place and the right time. He understands the basics of it, and the entire this is quiet and serene by nature, so Castiel has decided to wander out of his room and down to the river to watch it all close up.

It's been a hard two days of adjusting to being human, to having no voice, and dealing mentally and emotionally with everything that had happened. Having Meg here has made it easier, and the people he's met have been helpful and kind--that's something Castiel isn't used to--so it could all be worse, but it's still not easy.

That all might be why he decides, once he's down by the river, to take part in the ceremony. It's on a sudden whim and he doesn't entirely understand it, but he buys what he needs to make his own lantern, and begins to write carefully on it in his native language of Enochian.

He knows the idea is to guide departed human souls, but it isn't too much of a stretch to extend it to angels.

After he lets his lantern go he finds a quiet place to watch the others, and all the people milling around as well. He's still not too good at the 'not staring creepily' thing, so anyone wandering by might find themselves being studied very intently.]

[schrodingersghost]

Okay, I admit it. This is kind of cool. I have no idea what's going on, but its still kind of awesome.

[Danny is sitting on the riverbank and watches boats float by.]

[lightbranded]

[Will was of the Light.

He did not merely serve the Light, but in a very real way he was a part of the Light. He didn't speak about it much, if only because it was a part of his nature he barely had to think about.

Now these little lights were not the Light, but something in this ceremony resonated with him. A smile comes to his lips as he constructs his own lantern. A simple white lantern, with a circle quartered by a cross marked on the side.

It seemed appropriate.

He carefully carries the lantern to the water and lights it.]

[indirectcause]

[Ben's just sitting here, watching the lanterns float along. He's even finally managing to relax a little, and enjoy the peace and quiet. He's not sure what all this is about, but it's pretty and doesn't involve running, screaming or bleeding, so he's more than okay to stay here a while]

[wolfchild]

You didn't make one?

[ s'up, bro. arya stands a little behind him. she holds the end of a leash in her hands. nymeria may be smaller, much smaller, now the size of a big dog, but she's still wild. she almost caused an accident when she ran out into a busy street. ]

[indirectcause]

[Oh hey there Arya, nice to see your direwolf isn't a terrifying size right now. He gives a soft shrug]

I didn't want to intrude. It looks like it's something important, and heck if I know what it's all about.

[wolfchild]

So? It's just lanterns. Anyone can make one.

[indirectcause]

Trust me, when I'm involved, I'll probably set fire to half the city trying to make one.

[wolfchild]

Are you really that useless? [ tact. ]

[indirectcause]

[Most tactful child ever. But she's right, hell, even Ben is well aware he's nothing but a massive liability for the group]

I've been trying to get better, but nothing ever seems to go my way. I mess up more than I help.

[wolfchild]

Did someone die last time you folded paper?

[indirectcause]

[It says a lot that he has to pause to actually think if he was folding any paper when anyone died. Or rather...the deaths he caused]

No, but there's always time.

[fantasies]

[Henry has used the last of his cash to buy the materials for a lantern. It only took a few minutes of watching to decide on it, and even less to get to work.

He's perched by the riverside now with the fragile paper of his lantern braced against a book he'd bought earlier in the day. He writes carefully, all his attention taken by the project, in the wobbly handwriting of a ten year old boy.

From above, it looks to be a long list of words, wrapping around the whole length of the paper.]

[unvarnished]

[August knows about this ceremony. He made a lantern for himself, decorating it with little pictures that hail back to the Enchanted Forest. There is a name written on the lantern. He sets it down tenderly before pushing it out onto the water]

[wolfchild]

What'd you put on it?

[ did you order one overly-curious kid? no? sorry. ]

[unvarnished]

Some pictures from the Enchanted Forest, and Neal's name.

[she already knows, so there's no point in lying about it]

[wolfchild]

What's the forest like?

[unvarnished]

It can be a dangerous place. You could get lost for a long time without anyone finding you. There are witches and trolls, and of course with Regina around you weren't ever really safe.

I didn't get to see all of the Forest when I was there as a child, but I probably saw more than most kids. Parts of the forest, the sea, and of course Snow White and Prince Charming's castle.

[wolfchild]

[ at the mention of snow white and prince charming her lip curls. ]

No grumpkins and snarks?

[unvarnished]

No, nothing like that. I'm guessing those are creatures from your world.

[wolfchild]

A made-up story to scare children and the craven.

[unvarnished]

All stories come from somewhere, Arya. It might have changed by the time you heard it, but there could very well be a grain of truth in your stories.

Either way, I'd love to hear about it if you're willing to tell me.