level 4 • text (timestamped 6am)

[necrodentia]

[ Here comes another post from Rainer in the wee hours of the morning! Question is, did she wake up early? Or has she not gone to bed yet? ]

Guess what! It's my birthday today! Don't ask me how old I am (a lady never tells).

Anyway, it got me to thinking... What sort of birthday rituals or traditions are there where you come from? Birthdays back home were always pretty normal, I feel. My dad would bake a cake and the skeletons would perform a little dance for me that they choreographed just for the occasion. Then when I was in school I'd throw a party at the tavern on campus and invite all my friends. You know, normal stuff.

But maybe it's not normal where you come from! And if that's the case, then I want to hear what is! Consider it your present to me. ;)

Comments

Pidgey Mail (will make it text after)

[rollstoseduce]

[Hey, Rainer! There's a little birdy with a package for you! Inside the box there is dress with a Duskull mask pattern, and of course, a postcard. On its back, Jaskier's penmanship has chosen purple ink this time.]

May all bats and ghosts and frights
Bring jolly fun and laughter
And fill your day with such delights
You'll smile forever after~

Happy birthday!
🏵 Jaskier

text, after she opens the package

[necrodentia]

[ Rainer is surprised to see the Pidgey arrive with a package, but she thanks it for its delivery and offers it some yummy berries as a tip.

After opening the present, she immediately tries the dress on and then sends Jaskier a selfie of her wearing it, posing demurely. ]

Jaskier, I can't believe you went and got this for me! It fits perfectly!! This is honestly the best present I've gotten for my birthday in years!

Thank you sooooooooo much!

[rollstoseduce]

Ah, look at you! What a gorgeous sight you make! You're quite welcome, my lady. I'm glad to see you like it. I must admit, however, I am feeling quite judgemental of your friends if this is the best gift you've gotten in years.

[necrodentia]

Well! In my Firbolg friend’s defense, Firbolgs’ culture is anti-materialistic, so he had never given anyone a gift before. He ended up gifting me a story about what melon tastes like, which he wrote for the gargoyles at our school so that they would be able to appreciate melon without being able to eat it. It was a bit of an... unconventional gift, but I thought it was really sweet!

The rest of my friends have no excuse, though. They’re sweet guys, really, but kind of oblivious when it comes to gift-giving.

[nightyorb]

[You're not supposed to be up at 6am??? Sounds fake.]

Okay, I gotta ask. The dancing skeletons.
Is that a you and your dad specific thing or does everybody get performing skeletons on their birthday?

Mom and I always celebrate our birthdays pretty low key.
We get a cake from the grocery store and we'll order whatever take-out sounds good to the birthday person.
(depending on what coupons we got, of course)
Mom tries not to work a double-shift, but it still happens sometimes.
It's cool. The fact that she tries is the most important thing.

[necrodentia]

Oh, yeah, no. That's a me and my dad specific thing for sure. I'm pretty sure dancing skeletons aren't a part of non-Necromancy birthdays.

That sounds really nice, though! Sharing cake and take-out with your mom!

[nightyorb]

Your dad's a necromancer?

Yeah, some of my friends throw huge parties for their birthdays
but I think on the whole I prefer just having some cake with mom.

[text]

[candyapplechild]

aah! happy birthday!

um... i havent had a birthday yet! but im gonna someday!

...why do ladys never tell?

[necrodentia]

Thank you, Eri honey!

Ladies never tell their age because they like to keep something mysterious about them. When you're a little kid, though, you can feel free to tell people your age if you want to. :)

But I have to ask, sweetheart... What do you mean you haven't had a birthday?

[candyapplechild]

mysterious?

[ Mmm... why would anyone wanna be mysterious? Eri doesn't understand... ]

mm... um

i used to be in a place where they i couldnt have a birthday

but that changed! Lemillion-san said i could have a birthday every year!

then i woke up here

but i can still have a birthday here too!

[ Nothing concerning here, no sirree. ]

Text

[heartofalioness]

[So... what do you get for the birthday of an acquaintance... who also saw one of your worst possible mistakes in graphic detail? Especially when you're a princess and view gift giving as a diplomatic art. DO you get anything? The part about... skeletons dancing (along with inducing shivers) implies she'd like something Ghost type themed, but she might already have whatever Allura has in mind. Probably better to just ask. ... If awkwardly.]

Happy birthday, Rainer. I hope the day finds you well so far. May I ask about gift-giving traditions in your world as well?

[Geez, this is awkward, but well... it'd be difficult to make it NOT awkward.]

Re: Text

[necrodentia]

Thank you, Allura! I'm having a pretty nice day so far.

As far as traditions go, it's usually considered polite to get something for someone for their birthday. How much you spend or what you get them sort of depends on your relationship with them. It also depends on what culture you come from. Like, for example one of my friends is a firbolg, and firbolg culture doesn't really believe in material possessions, so he just told me a story for my last birthday. And you know what? That was the best present I got that year from anybody! Because it meant the most, from the heart.

[heartofalioness]

[Okay good, a response is good. And a lengthy, cheery one. She'd been worried, just a bit.]

I see... not so different from Alteans or the other humans here then.

[And the firbolg sound like a nice people as well, that's honestly a sweet.]

Well, I'm not much of a storyteller [and frankly, Rainer's seen and heard enough of her past, at least for a while], but if you have any other requests for a present, I'll do my best.

Text

[shiningkindness]

Oh wow! Happy birthday!

[ Even though she didn't know here too well, Rainer had been nice enough to respond to her post when she first arrived. Besides, everyone deserves a happy greeting on their birthday. ]

The skeletons aren't too normal where I come from. But the rest of it is! Cake, and a party with friends, and decorations, all of that.

[necrodentia]

Thank you, Fluttershy! I hope you're settling in okay?

Oh, of course decorations! How could I forget about decorations? That's the best part!

[shiningkindness]

I am, thank you! I was in Cherrygrove for a few days, but I think Allegra and I are going to start traveling again.

Are you planning on doing something special for your birthday?

[puddlesoverdios]

Happy birthday!

We only recently started to properly celebrate birthdays for adults, but a rum cake with lots of dried fruit is typically served. Sometimes with a jelly of some sort. Or ices!

I was quite touched when my husband and my good friend both gave me gifts this year. I suspect that is more a tradition here than where I am from.

[Ah yes, the "good friend."]

[necrodentia]

Ooh, fruity rum cake sounds delicious! What are 'ices?' I'm assuming they're more than just a block of ice, right?

Aw, that's so sweet of them! It's always nice to receive gifts from your loved ones. Just like it's always fun to GIVE gifts too!

[puddlesoverdios]

They are flavored with things like rosewater or orange water and take the shape of fruits, or animals. They're very nice on a summer's day (especially considering that my own birthday is in August, quite a relief).

They are both very kind men. And you are right! It is much better to give than to receive.

text;

[apshot]

The fucking WHAT now?

[necrodentia]

The birthday traditions of your home plane of existence! I'm curious to know.

[ Because that's what he was questioning, right? ]

[apshot]

That's not what I was asking! What skeletons!

Text - un: Uravity

[floatsaway]

Honestly, Rainer-san, I think your world specifically may be among the only ones where...
Uh...
SKELETONS are a thing that happens. Actual skeletons.
Unless the day falls on or around Halloween MAYBE.

But happy birthday!! I hope it's still enjoyable.

Re: Text - un: Uravity

[necrodentia]

Haha, yeah... I'm getting a sense that might just be a me-and-my-dad thing.
But my birthday's pretty close to Halloween, so it works on both a holiday level and a necromancy level!

Thanks for the well wishes!

[floatsaway]

It definitely does feel like a very YOU thing...

[Ochako, no, that's kind of rude... A-At least she didn't intend it to sound that way? The brunette has just always been bluntly honest to the point of it being misconstrued quite often. Hopefully Rainer just rolls with it, too.]

Of course! Are you doing anything special this year?
I mean...without the skeletons, ehehe.
I guess you might have a lot of your ghosts playing around?

[Which is, also, an absolutely terrifying thought for Ochako, personally.]