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video; un: adler

[ Louis appears on the screen. He's wearing a sweater in a lot of seasonal colors. ]

Before I get started, I'll get it out of the way:

Yes. I'm a deer. No, it's not magic or anything related to here. It's just who I am. Ten fingers, five toes.

[ And he'll leave that there - ]

Anyway -

I'm asking about your winter holidays. Mine is really just around the corner - it's Rexmas. It celebrates the survival of a dinosaur to evolved into a bird in order to survive when the meteor fell. It's the birthday of the dinosaur. It's mostly just a family holiday that you enjoy with family and friends.

I used to get outrageous gifts from my dad when I was small.

[ It's said pretty fondly. ]

And next month is the Odd Soul Festival, but that's in the odd months of the year. So it happens often. It's how as herbivores we celebrate not getting eaten.

[ He pauses. ]

And when I ask for continued protection.

I know they're pretty different from what other people celebrate, though. That's why I'm curious.

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Just when were you going to tell me dinosaurs were not only a thing as well but that they got a holiday? Ours is called Christmas. Pretty sure someone from the Western side of the world could better explain it though. Pretty sure us Japanese who are not Christian celebrate it a lot more superficially than they do. If I remember right, Jesus Christ was born and he's part of one of the major religions in my world. There's likely a lot more to it than that though. I'm not a Christian, so.

Oh. I never really considered it that important, I guess. I mean, it's the past, which isn't that interesting usually.

We actually celebrate the winter solstice with the Dongzhi festival.

I've also heard of Christmas in the West, but I'm not all that familiar with it.

What is it like? I mean the Dongzhi festival.

Christmas is what I've heard others mention, too. It sounds similar to what I celebrate in some ways. At least as far as the festivities go.

It was typical for a lot of the commoners to have family get togethers.

The festival itself dealt with a lot of harvesting of crops for those who worked in that area. And to pay respect to particular livestock as well.

That all sounds like things worth celebrating.
I'd assume it takes a lot of hard work to get there.

It does. Taking care of farms isn't exactly the easiest job, after all.

[ WELL this was weirder than anticipated. Five toes? How the hell does that work? He makes a note to ask about this sometime when it might be less weird. If it will ever be less weird. ]

I...have no idea what a dinosaur is.

[ Does he know what a meteor is? Unclear. ]

...what exactly would eat you? Like a bear or something?

[ He does understand deer might get eaten by predators. He sees Louis as a person, though obviously he gets that Louis is a deer and not, you know, a human. But he's a little stressed out at the idea of someone he sees as a person being in danger of getting eaten, for obvious reasons considering where he comes from.

Oh, right. This wasn't questions hour, it was winter holidays hour. ]

We didn't really have much to celebrate, so I don't have any holidays to share.

Ah, they're like large, ancient reptiles, and according to stories one evolved into a bird.

[ He pauses. ]

I could show you a picture, probably. That might be the easiest way to go.

[ As for that next part. ]

Any animal that's primarily carnivorous could. Wolves, lions, things like that. A bear classmate ate another classmate of mine.

[ Said casually - as if it was any other day. ]

I'm sorry to hear. I suppose you may have chances to celebrate now.

I can't really picture it at all, so I guess a picture of one might be easier…

[ He's really struggling with this concept, but he hasn't even seen all that many lizards anyway. ]

So…you go to class with other animals — people? — who might eat you? This sounds like a nightmare.

[ He would know all about people getting eaten, after all :'))) ]

Just living this long is a reason enough to celebrate. Or just escaping the hell of our world. It's been over a year but sometimes I'm not used to it.

It probably will be.

[ He tosses Eren a picture of a fairly classic t-rex. ]

I do. And I have for a long time. I was even friendly with many of them. It's - well, we're animals.

[ So that's the way it is. ]

I mean, maybe you will in time...get used to not having a threat lingering over you.

That dinosaur thing looks like a dragon. Or a monster, more like. It can turn into a bird?

[ He missed the evolution thing, but what does he even know about that? ]

I…guess I kind of get it. I'm friends with someone who should be my enemy. We would be enemies at home.

[ This is a weird oversimplification and he's understating it. He's definitely way past "friends" with Reiner but he's hesitated to put a label on it. ]

Maybe someday I'll accept it. Peace is…difficult.

[ Hard to get used to it when the threat hanging over everyone was Eren himself, whoops! ]

More like - it's descendants did over a lot of time.

[ Listen, he knows better than to go into deep detail about this. ]

It's similar, yes. We're fairly opposite, but that doesn't mean we can't be friendly.

[ Has no idea how actually similar it is. ]

Peace is a change, at least. I mean, you'll just have to decide when you find it, I think.

[ Well THAT makes even less sense! He decides — incorrectly — that this is one of those weird animal world things that Louis knows about that he can't understand. Evolution whomst? He doesn't know her. ]

Are you worried that one of them will turn on you, though? If you can't fight back easily, it could be scary.

[ While Eren has some shitty opinions on whether people can or should fight back against whatever obstacle, he knows what it's like to be scared, to be weaker than someone, overwhelmed. ]

It's been more than a year since I was home. For awhile I just waited for the other foot to fall.

[ This is the worst expression for Eren of all people to use, whoops. ]

I guess we have no real way of knowing how long we'll be here in a place this good. But that's just like life anywhere. You never know what will happen.

[ Unless you know the future and end the world. Details. ]

Living in the moment is hard, too, but I'm trying.

I'm not really worried. I mean, they're not monsters or out of control or something. I used to spend more time with carnivores than other herbivores.

[ Louis knows his own superpower is gun and the willingness to use it. He definitely doesn't really consider himself weaker than them, either. ]

I think I'm still waiting. I don't think this place is permanent. But I still want to live here comfortably.

Dinosaurs get their own holiday? That's so much cooler than Christmas...

[ And he isn't even saying that because hes a shitty little demon who hates God. ]

Which looks like it's already been explained to you.

Also who would eat you??? Aren't you a person? Deer or not, thats gotta be some form of cannibalism or something.

Yeah. My understanding of Christmas is that it's pretty similar in practice.

I've been given some idea of it.

Well, anyone primarily carnivorous. A lot of felines and canines could. Many reptiles, too. There's a lot of species who would enjoy a taste of a deer or a rabbit or something.

It is a crime, though. We call it predation. Usually you end up imprisoned for it.

My take on Christmas is incredibly skewed because of what I am, so it's probably best to just let the people who are neutral on it or even enjoy it explain it.

And wow. Yikes. They like, don't actually need to eat you though right? There's alternatives? Because if not... Man, what a rough life.

Perhaps. I'm not particular. I don't much celebrate Rexmas, personally. It was always my father's thing.

[ he was spoiled ]

Oh, absolutely. We have plenty of alternatives. I've spent a lot of time around carnivores and it was pretty much fine.

[ The missing lower part of his leg is not considered since that was a whole thing that he's at least a part responsible for. ]

Huh. It's kind of just like murder for us, then? Not that I haven't heard of humans eating other humans, but I think that's way more rare than just straight up murder.

Though I'm sure you have that too.

It probably holds similar weight to a murder would, yes.

But yes, we have murder of the non-eating each other variety, too.

Seems like murder really is just common to every single place.

[Can he blame Naoya for that? He's going to anyway.]

Well, yeah.

Murder is universal.

Mmm, well ... there's Christmas. And then there's New Years. I think someone already told you about Christmas, right?

[Okay! She claps her hands together and takes in a breath. And then gestures with her hands as she talks.]

So! New Year's Eve is the day before the start of the New Year. If you can manage to stay up late a lot of people like to celebrate when the clock strikes midnight!

[She pantomimes blowing a horn here and then throws a handful of confetti in the air. It mostly goes all over the top of her head and sparkles off of her little horns.]

Now we don't have the Odd Soul Festival but it sounds pretty important! I don't think there's anything in the Neighborhood that would eat us though ...

[A chill sweeps over her. Sally had told a pretty scary story that one Halloween about the thing skulking in the shadows.]

Yes. Christmas is similar to what I've known, based on how it's been explained.

[ He thinks. ]

Well, we do some New Years things, too. Welcome in the New Year with friends and things like that. Some people throw parties.

[ She is a lot of energy. He considers her for a moment. ]

It's mostly superstition, to be honest. I mean, not getting eaten is pretty bare minimum.

Oooh, I see. Like it being bad luck to walk under a ladder ... or for a black cat to cross your path! Or the number thirteen being unlucky!

[She pauses there, looking thoughtful.]

Actually there's an awful lot of superstitions when it comes to luck.

Yeah, there's a lot. I've heard the ladder one before, and opening an umbrella indoors, too. But the other ones are new to me.

Greetings.

My world celebrates a holiday called the Starlight Celebration. As I understand it, it is similar to the one being celebrated here, called Christmas. The decorated trees, the mistletoe - though it is not meant to bind people as it has been doing here. [He laughs a bit] Admittedly, it is my favourite holiday. My beloved and I will be wed this coming Starlight Celebration, on the 25th. ~~[Because he's definitely leaving this comment on the 23, when the post was made, and not like a week later]~~

[Concern comes to his features] If I may, are your people so regularly at risk of being eaten? I would think that eating someone of a spoken race would be most reprehensible.

That sounds similar to what I celebrate, too. Or at least Rexmas. I'm starting to see it's similar across the board.

[ Interesting. ]

It's not exactly a thing you do if you want to stay out of trouble. But like, I know lions, bears, and wolves. Some of their most basic instincts suggest they should feed on deer.

So it would seem. [His smile widens] I would consider that a good thing, as most of these similar holidays heavily revolve around kindness, generosity, and merriment. How wonderful to know that those traits are all held in high enough value across the many universes to have celebrations dedicated to them.

If I understand you correctly, the people of your world are as as animals, but those of meat-eating beasts retained their predatory instincts?

That's optimistic, but it's also correct. I can't fault you for thinking the best of things.

And yes, you are understanding correct. At least mostly. They're not savages, but their predator instincts are as present as my prey instincts.

Optimism is not always easy, but things such as this...this holiday collective are what I fall back on when I need inspiration. One can hardly envision a better future to work towards without it.

I see. And sentience does not deter that at all. That would typically be the deciding factor among the many peoples of my world. I myself have eaten venison before, but I've no desire to eat you whatsoever due to that very reason.

Well, I suppose to other people, I wouldn't be so much like eating a deer as I would be to like eating a person.

I can't obviously understand fully, since I'm what people call a vegetarian, but I do know what you mean.

[He cringes some] Is wanting to eat a person not worse? Ah, I fear I may be opening a door to rather dark subjects. Perhaps it might be best not to dwell on it.

That would make sense. If I may, what are the views on consuming, say, eggs or milk in your world?

It is.

I've eaten cake and bread with either or both. They're given voluntarily as a job.

[Huh, interesting. Though the idea of eating eggs laid by a person is a little weird to Aymeric, more than anything, he's glad it's entirely voluntary.]

That is well. Besides curiosity, I ask because I thought perhaps we might exchange recipes? I know several vegetarian dishes that I can offer, though my repertoire is always open to expanding. If nothing else, let this be in the spirit of the season - an act of generosity and kindness.

Well...I don't cook, so I wouldn't have any to offer in return. I mean. I sometimes jus cut some vegetables, toss them in oil, then roast them. I'm usually pretty good with just eating some raw vegetables, though. I eat a lot of salads.

[ He does have people who cook for him, but...they aren't himself. ]

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