Orchestra 14 [audio/video]

[wewillwewill]

[Elidibus doesn't have much fanfare for his audio and video posts and this isn't any different. It's him, sitting in front of the ICP presumably in his room.]

Good afternoon. I hope everyone has weathered the voidstorm if not well then at least with quick recovery.

I've been a passenger for about three months and I have noticed something curious. Given mortal propensity to celebrate seasonal festivities nearly every moon, I have not heard anyone make particular mention of doing so. I understand it's likely due to our lack of sense to time within the void other than the train's calendar and seasons as well as any differences from our respective stars.

Yet I would like to propose this changes. Establishing festive occasions not for every moon but with regular intervals will serve good purpose. A sense of anticipation for the upcoming festivity and a boon to community spirit during. To that end, I would open the floor to information on celebrations native to your respective worlds. Speak to me or one another.

I suspect we will find more similarities than differences and can create traditions for the train not just for ourselves, but for those who will inevitably succeed us. I am willing to take initiative in assembling the ideas and giving them a form within the limits of this train.

[Elidibus ends his speech here though he remains open to talking.]


[OOC: Talk about your yearly festivities and holidays! The aim is to try and establish some 'holidays and traditions' that help keep spirits up and improve train morale. Feel free to outline months or seasonal time of year for your world and the holidays (some or whatever you can think of)!

INSPIRATION: This Christmas H&M commercial from a few years back that I absolutely adored (also I kinda like Wes Anderson quirkiness). Please watch, it's a gem and also invokes trainlife.]

Comments

[schrodingersghost]

Yeah, I think its mostly the calendar difference. I mean, its tough even guessing when birthdays would be here.

I wouldn't mind celebrating some seasonal holidays every few months. As long as no one expects me to participate if we do Christmas.

[wewillwewill]

I won't ask you to share why you're against that one unless you wish. But what is Christmas?

[Look, he did mention there were world differences, right?]

[schrodingersghost]

Mid-winter holiday back home. Its supposed to be all about being cheery and jolly and giving gifts and stuff. Even the ghosts call a truce for it, which I guess is nice. I mean they go right back to the usual routine the next day.

[wewillwewill]

Ah, it sounds similar to a festival the Eorzean mortals celebrate.

[There is a pause while he pours over nuances of information he's picked up from various observations in his past.]

Q'uila Sunrise or K'zeka Tia may be better at explaining it. Though I believe it had its origins in Ishgard. Currently it is a holiday used to give gifts to children.

[Also Danny Fenton is sounding like EXACTLY the target focus of a quest for a troubled youth that an aspirining Warrior of Light might be directed to aid during the event time period. Just saying.]

No one should be expected to participate, though if it becomes a choice among the festivities perhaps the impression you have on it will be different than what you're used to.

[monkeyinthewrench]

I'm from Earth, we've got a bunch. Mostly to celebrate people who don't really deserve it, and over time they morph into family togetherness stuff.

Halloween's by far the best. You get to wear creepy costumes, and my squad would always have a heist. Basically a competition when we play tricks on each other to steal a treasure. It's way cooler than it sounds. Younger kids fill up on candy, and that's fun too.

Thanksgiving: supposed to be a family feast, has some super bloody origins. Also, you have to deal with your racist uncle and deadbeat dad. Do not recommend.

Christmas is...supposed to be nice, I guess. You bake cookies, sing off key, defuse a hostage situation if you're lucky. But again, it's rough if you have a broken family.

So...I guess the point is to strengthen your bonds here and forget the old drama.

[schrodingersghost]

I guess they're kind of similar? Giving gifts to a kid is a big part of the holiday. [Which was why the Ghostwriter had decided to frame him for destroying all the gifts in town.]

Well, I guess. [He sounded a little doubtful.] But I did make a promise not to let my feelings on the holiday ruin anyone else's fun. So I'll give it a try.

[wewillwewill]

[Elidibus takes a moment to process this.]

Most festivals rarely hold true to their exact origins. Also your description of Christmas seems different from the young Daniel Fenton's. I suppose this could be a case of similar names but different worlds or perhaps your line of work.

A feast day may be interesting. When do 'Halloween' and 'Thanksgiving' happen?

[wewillwewill]

That's a commendable stance to take.

Don't force yourself to try any given celebration that might arise from this discussion. Though I'm sure you'll be welcome if you do.

[That almost sounds like you care Elidibus.]

[monkeyinthewrench]

Mine's the same as his, minus the ghosts. We know what ghosts are where I'm from, but most people haven't seen one and don't believe in them.

Halloween's in the fall around...I guess you'd call it mid-harvest time? Thanksgiving's at the end of the harvest about a month later, and then Christmas is a month after that as the winter starts.

[wewillwewill]

Hm. So two types of harvest celebrations and a winter. Surely there are more during the rest of your star's journey around the sun? I've oft seen celebrations heralding the beginning of the year, of summer. In recent times, a memorial to those who were lost in the latest Calamity.

[This guy clearly had nothing to do with that one. Nope.]

Admittedly there are many more, but I oft mark their passing only by the presence of decorations I saw in my observations of the Source. But it's clear however obscure the reason, there will always be many who flock to these traditions and celebrations.

[thawed_pride]

It is indeed rather difficult to determine when holidays ought to fall when we have no indication of seasons. Beyond that, I am doubtful whether even people such as Santa Claus could reach us in the Void.

[wewillwewill]

Which holiday does this Santa Claus appear on? What does their arrival portend?

It would be unreasonable to expect and world's seasonal entities to extend themselves into the void regardless. But if it is prudent, we may pay homage to the figure of your Star's native patrons.

[thawed_pride]

He is a prominent figure of Christmas celebrations, who travels the worlds which celebrate the holiday to deliver gifts to well-behaved or kind children. It is often considered polite to leave baked goods and milk for him, in return, though he does not demand as such.

[monkeyinthewrench]

...the holidays are kinda stacked like that. I guess there's New Years, yeah. People pop bottles of champagne and dance. Then there's Valentines toward the end of the winter, when couples get all mushy and go on dates. Passover and Easter in the spring, which are mostly about being outside and having food. Then there's the country's independence day in the summer, with a lot of grilling.

[ Jake shrugs. ]

But we can just make up our own days, right? No need to make it too weird.

video

[catti]

Do 'festivities' include battles to the death?

[Nunh challenges aren't festivals, but it's up to Elidibis to call his bluff.]

[wewillwewill]

[Elidibus isn't here to pass judgement on what you think of as a holiday or festival K'zeka. Though it does seem like he's trying to make a link of battles to the death and seasonal events. Those fates against sentient mochi could qualify...]

Ah, perhaps you speak of your native tribe's customs? I'm not one to judge what you consider a festival. Festivals surrounding displays of virility and strength are not outside of what I've born witness to among mortals.

If you wish to speak about it you should do so. Though remember to mind the context so everyone understands it.

[wewillwewill]

An intriguing figure. I believe there exists a similar representative to Eorzea's festival, yet I think it more a symbolic than one that is real as you imply.

[Whether or not he believes Santa Claus is a primal or an aetherial being what with compulsive behavior or the ease of interworld travel is completely irrelevant to this conversation.]

[thawed_pride]

Interesting. I wonder if there was once a similar figure, or if it is simply a coincidence of similar traditions?

[wewillwewill]

In this case I think it's more apt to say the true story behind the tradition gave rise to a patron representative over time. But the details are in the hands of others on this train unless they have not troubled to look too deeply beyond the surface of the event.

[He doesn't appear to be saying that to disparage the resident Eorzeans. It's just a thing mortals do in his experience.]

I know not what your Santa Claus looks like, though it is not as if concepts are not reflected across these differing realities, both in form and deed.

[wewillwewill]

No, though having a recognized theme for these holidays and festivals may ease peoples' minds more effectively than something completely new. Though there's no need to completely discredit new ideas.

I think the best balance lies in being sure they are not too close together, lest it becomes a denial of our reality, rather than a brief respite from it.

[blitzcheer]

[ ...huh. ]

What's special about season celebrations from other ones? Does it have to be seasons? Only one I know for a time of the year is when it's up. People have a big who-do when it's a new year in Zanarkand.

[goingthroughaphase]

Other people have brought up holidays from Earth, but my family celebrates one called Hanukkah. It's a holiday that's celebrated over the course of eight days with the lighting of special ceremonial candles.

[wewillwewill]

How interesting. What do the candles represent, both by themselves and the ritual of lighting them? Is this holiday celebrated near any of the others mentioned from Earth?

[Though given the number that is just a matter of statistical probability at this point, given all the festivities that've been listed thus far.]

[wewillwewill]

There isn't and you're welcome to speak of any festivals you can think of.

Though seasonal festivities in particular seem proven to overlap despite the differences in our worlds. If there is any true benefit over a general festival, I believe it will help mortals, particular those used to the changing of the seasons.

Though we are without seasons or years in this voidspace, it would be good to have some landmarks through the months. Like your clocks, these festivals will offer a concrete way to judge time's passing. Think of it as helping to ease the spirits of those which might be out of sorts by making use of patterns they are used to on a subconscious level.

It'd be better to think of seasonal festivals being more useful for the intended result than they are 'better' than festivals of a less specific time of year.

[blitzcheer]

Hmmm- [ He's trying to think about it, a guy who doesn't have much experience with seasons in the sense that Elidibus is talking about them, but... ]

Soo, uh, how are you imagining all this? We get a bunch of plants for some seasons and put them around the place? Make it hot or cold...?