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[woodking]

[The hand, as always, is elegant.]

There has been talk recently of an upcoming "Valentine's Day." It is not something I am familiar with; there are no holidays by that name that I know of where I come from. I would appreciate it if one who knows would explain what it is, and how it is celebrated. There have been references in the journals, but little else.

[And he's hoping those references are an exaggeration, or wrong. He has no desire to be forced to kiss anyone again. And what was the connection between love and chocolate, and why should the love be so confined?

Not that "Christmas" had seemed, from what he'd been told, to have any great connection to kissing either. Perhaps the Castle simply enjoyed taking any occasion to force its occupants to kiss, in which case Thranduil would be moving out of the castle again until it was over.]

Comments

Dictated

[deductiongeek]

It is considered a romantic holiday. People go on dates, and give each other gifts.

[Conan was not looking forward to it at all. Just another day to remind him of how long it had been since he had seen Ran.]

and switching to dictated

[woodking]

People need a holiday as an excuse?

[deductiongeek]

An excuse for the companies that make a profit off of it.

[Conan didn't even care that that was a little cynical for a child.]

But its still important to a lot of people. In my country it is a tradition. On Valentine's Day girls give chocolate to boys they like and to boys who are friends. A month later, on White Day, boys are expected to give girls a gift in return.

[woodking]

Companies who profit off of it?

[It's... a bit of a foreign concept. Admittedly trade is a thing but surely the demand on this day cannot be so much greater than every other day of the year.]

[deductiongeek]

Companies that sell chocolate and cards and flowers and other such things.

dictated

[secondchances]

It's more of an excuse to get flowers and candy and go out on a nice date than anything else.

dictated

[woodking]

Why should an excuse be needed?

[Especially when it comes to flowers. That part's a little weird.]

dictated

[secondchances]

... mostly? Because people are lazy.

foreverrrrr

[woodking]

It seems the date should make little difference.

[secondchances]

Don't worry, a lot of people would agree with you. It's pretty silly.

Dictated

[sugarwaffo]

Oh! Valentine's Day is the beest holiday ever!!

[Ignore the fact that she's said the same about Christmas. And Easter. Really she just likes all the holidays.]

dictated

[woodking]

Is it indeed? How so, little one?

[She sounds cheerful enough, at least.]

Dictated forever

[sugarwaffo]

Well, it's a day where you tell everyone you know how much you love them.

[She might be trying to stretch her arms out wide enough to show how much everyone should love each other. Probably. Most definitely.]

yes, that

[woodking]

Why should one day in particular need to be set aside for that?

[sugarwaffo]

Well obviously you should tell people you love them every day, but some people seem to be shy about sharing their feelings. So having a special day for love helps them say it, I think!

[Not that Sugar has this problem. No, no, she has the opposite of this problem.]

[Dictated]

[therealrisette]

[Hope Thranduil doesn't mind a perky, cheerful voice talking at him through his journal. Because here one is.]

You don't have Valentine's Day where you're from?

... Well, basically, it's this holiday when girls give chocolates to guys! Or, that's what it's like where I'm from. I've heard for some people here it's even more romantic!

[Getting worried about what the castle might do yet? Rise does her best not to show it, but she's a little worried. Given what happened last year.]

Re: [Dictated]

[woodking]

Neither do I have Christmas - it appears there are many holidays celebrated here which are unheard of at my home.

Romantic... how, exactly?

[Given that it had made him think he was married to Galadriel once already... yeah that's slightly worrying.]

[Dictated]

[therealrisette]

[Hm... this guy's probably from one of those other worlds. Or a really long time ago. Hopefully that won't be too much of a communication barrier?]

Y'know, like... going on really special dates. Or spending the night together for the first time?

{She doesn't really know! She's never had an official Valentine's date before! But she's not about to let that on...]

[woodking]

[Kind of both! Congrats you hit the jackpot. A very confused one, now.]

Going where? And is the date not already what is being discussed? Do people travel so infrequently, that spending a night holds such significance?

[Yyyyyeah Thran is just really confused now.]

[therealrisette]

[And now Rise's kind of confused too. But she can at least venture a guess at the part(s) this guy's not getting?]

You know! [Even if he doesn't, she'll still say it.] Like, fancy restaurants... or hotels. And spending the night together for the first time as a couple is huge! Isn't that the same no matter where you're from?

voice;

[wishmadeinfire]

It is a human custom from the Earth worlds. It is celebrated on February 14th, presided over by a small, flying baby with a bow and arrow, and is meant to commemorate the love between two people. It usually involves chocolates and a copious amount of hearts.

Of course, that is how it is celebrated in those worlds. How the Castle chooses to interpret it tends to change from year to year.

dictated

[woodking]

[There is a pause.]

Is it not dangerous to allow a baby weapons? It flies? How? [Even creatures who can fly cannot generally do so as infants.] Why should such a creature preside over a holiday of love?

[Of course children were the eventual result of certain kinds of love but... Eventual result.

And... hearts.]

Copious amounts of hearts? In the metaphoric or literal sense?

[IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SECOND but that would be pretty gruesome and rather worrying for a holiday dedicated to love.]

Re: dictated

[wishmadeinfire]

Well, my understanding is that this "cupid" is a mythical being from Earth, but who is to say he is not real in others? It seems anything one world dreams up is true in another world. I have never personally seen this "cupid", only read of him, but he is generally accepted as child lord of this holiday. When his arrow strikes someone, they fall in love with the next person they see. It is called being "struck by cupid's arrow" if my readings have been correct and I have understood the language properly.

The metaphorical. They all look like this.

_{[ And on the page would appear a little drawing of a heart, the metaphorical one, not the one with four chambers and an aorta. ]}

Usually red, pink, and white in color. Do not try to consume the hard candy ones - they taste like bone meal.

[woodking]

[In Thranduil's experience, so-called myths were rarely quite so straightforward as they were made out to be - he had been present himself at the 'birth' of many of the myths that populated the world, and knew still others who had witnessed yet more. But it would be a strange avatar. And the legend associated...]

It suggests being robbed of choice.

[He does not sound entirely approving. But there's a small noise of acknowledgement at the drawing - better than actual hearts. And mention of candy ones. How odd.]

I wonder, then, that they are made.

[wishmadeinfire]

Perhaps. The stories say it is "destiny", if you believe in that sort of thing.

_{[ Or it was a god playing games with people. It depended on how you looked at it. Ashura was mostly on the fence, if only because no such creature actually existed in his world. They had no legends of him. ]}

As for the hearts - well, that I cannot say. Perhaps some version of Earth rather enjoys them. But I think mostly they are meant to be like small trinkets. They have professions of love written on them.