ϡ - Chapter FortyEight; Day of Remembrance [action|voice]

[folklorist]

Do you have a tradition that celebrates or honors the dead back home? In Romania back in the old days people always used to celebrate with a carnival. Merry Cemetery of Sapanţa is what it’s called now. It’s a very large and colorful cemetery also a museum as well. It’s quite well known to locals but sometimes you get people from around the world to go visit it. It’s not mourning in the obvious and usual sense, but it does help when you go about it a certain way. Amazing how cultures and people vary in their depictions of it, it’s very…interesting to say the least. The fact that death doesn’t have to be solemn but a celebration towards moving forward into a better life is a strange concept to conceive. Even when I was younger it was hard to be happy at such an affair, but perhaps my parents were right. Perhaps the person has gone on to some better, happier, place and thinking about it always made me smile just a little bit. [ There’s a soft sigh on his end as he continues. ]

But, goodness that is a bit morbid. I apologize for such things, it's just one of those days. [ He sounds a bit sad as he says those words. One of those days indeed and few handful of people who he's spoken to about this knew exactly what he meant by that. ]

What are...somethings you do to keep your mind from wandering? Making new sigils, spells, and reading helps me a bit but well perhaps I need some new busy work to sink my attentions into.

[ There’s a pause before he speaks once again. ]

But for something less dreary; I have an idea I’d like to discuss, if anyone is willing to lend an ear. I realize that Cloud Nine hasn’t been in use for quite some time. I was wondering if anyone would be opposed towards me opening up an ethnic sort of café. It would only be open for breakfast and lunch, but the food there would be cuisine from all around the world and not just Earth either. If anyone would be interested in helping I would appreciate it. You can speak to me about it over the journals or even stop by house 44 if you like. I’ll also be around the library too for most of the day.

[ He’ll leave the journal open as he makes his way off to the memory garden to give Elise a new batch of flowers then. He’ll stop by the flower shop before heading over too. It was irrational to be sad having grown up with that sort of mindset. But he was always sad on this day because despite it all he still missed Elise a great deal. One thing that prior shift had him thinking about was her. In that world she was alive and well despite not having stayed with Helios for too long a period. He was happy even without Elise but somehow that thought seemed wrong to even acknowledge now. But there was Max and he was happy, incredibly so, and yet here he was in the memory garden with a fresh batch of late blooming flowers in his hands. He would go about his business throughout the day shortly after visiting Elise’s plot in the memory garden. The tea shop, Grocery store and then finally the Library to check up on things. He has a distinct distance look on his face as his thoughts churn within the confines of his head. He would have to tell Max about it, and he’s been thinking on how to approach the subject for a long time, so this seemed like as good a time as any. ]

[ Locked: Filtered to Max ]

Max? I-I’d like to talk with you if you’re not busy? I know it’s a bit sudden but…it’s somewhat important. I-I’m at the library so if you wouldn’t mind stopping by?

[ It’s quieter and less intrusive than anywhere else really. He’ll be home later in the evening where he’ll take Luminair and Maggir out for some play time in the front of the house before starting on dinner in the evening. ]

Comments

[Action]

[windandrain]

[It's a kind of cruel irony that on the day Helios is celebrating the anniversary of his soulmate's death, Saori's legs are finally back to relative normalcy. They're still weak, but that will fade with use, and even if they weren't back to normal, today of all days Saori is not sitting idle. It was hard to forget last time, and it would've been inconceivable of her not to do something for Helios. Personally, not over the journals.

While he's out, she prepares a veritable mountain of sweets. Dango, donuts, mochi, taiyaki, and every single kind of thing she can think of that has sugar in it. It's exhausting, but she makes it all, puts it into boxes, bags it up, and heads out to find Helios. It's not hard to find him, she just follows the Ban and it leads her right to the memory garden.

With a knowing look in her eye she floats up to him while his back is turned and throws her arms around him from behind, the bags jostling against him]

Helios. I saw your broadcast. I came as quickly as I could.

voice;

[ura_no_ura]

Where I'm from, we celebrate the dead during a festival known as Obon. It's a three day festival that generally involves doing things like visiting the graves of your loved ones to clean them and give them offerings, visiting temples, and going to loud festivals that have a lot of food, games, and live performances. At some point, paper lanterns are usually floated down a river or stream. There's usually also some sort of fireworks display.

I guess it's a bit similar in some ways to the way your people honor the dead.

[wise_maiden]

[Perhaps in an almost eerily similar way, Raine is present at the flower shop when Helios arrives, restocking a few things, such as the tissue paper and ribbons for the bouquets - she needs more practice for the coming weddings, after all.

She glances up toward him when she hears him puttering around.] Ah, hello Helios.

[Voice] Locked 75%

[voiceinthedark]

[It's something he's been thinking of recently. After the attack and all. It's just been too busy to do anything.]

It's kind of a new tradition I guess, but back home some of the people from the Township, the Runners and me, every so often we head out into the forest a few miles away. Light torches. The new Runners take over their numbers from the torches we lit for the fallen ones. Kind of... passing on the torch I guess. Not had time to do it recently though.

[Voice/Action]

[abjurer]

I've always got time for you. Especially if it's important. I'll come straight over.

[He does indeed head right over there, finding Helios easily in the town's small library.]

Hey. You wanted to talk to me?

[He can't help but feel a little apprehensive. He's had bad conversations that start with some variation of 'we need to talk'.]

[Voice]

[tailasoldastime]

[Beast surprises himself over how the subject affects him. It takes him many moments to stop and actually think about what they all thought of death back home...]

W-we, did not... think much about death. I mean, it could happen, and w-we... cared, wh-when it... happened... but after they... th-they would be buried, and, uh, given a... a-a... graves-stone...

[His eyes widen. He knows that's not the right word, but he can't remember the real one. And he realises now that it's because he's never had to see one. He's killed many animals before and that was, to his servants, honoured because of the meal they gave him... but humans... people... he'd never... yet he...

They passed away. But he never saw it. He never saw their burial sites.

He suddenly finds his eyes watering. Why? He'd never felt for them before.

Yet they are... they were his...]

action; sorry I'm so late >>

[funnygirl]

[Belle is stationed at the counter when Helios comes into the library. There are a few people seated in the corner, but otherwise the place is mostly empty. She has a book spread out in front of her and is quite unaware of his presence until he gets close. She glances up and smiles.]

Oh, Helios. Hello. Are you suppose to be working today?

[skysung]

Before coming in to see Helios, Kitten writes out an answer on a piece of paper, a start to the conversation so he does not have to wait while she gathers her thoughts. Slate, chalk, and paper in hand, Kitten trots into the other room to find her friend. She gets his attention with a quiet chirp and approaches to nudge him lightly with her snout before passing over the paper. It reads, "Dragons die so seldom that I have no idea what their traditions are. I can try to honor my mother, but I do not know what she would wish me to do besides live my life as happily as possible with the guardian she chose for me.

Mortals, in my homeland at least, bury the dead. They speak words of farewell, and usually they sing. The singing is my favorite part, if any part of such a thing can be favored."