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

[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.

[text]

[candyapplechild]

aah! happy birthday!

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

...why do ladys never tell?

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!

[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!

[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. ]

[necrodentia]

[ No, actually that is QUITE concerning!!! ]

Well, your friend Lemillion-san was right. Everyone can have a birthday every year, no matter where they are or who might tell them they're not allowed to.

Actually... How old are you now? Maybe you should have a whole string of birthdays to make up for the ones you missed!

[candyapplechild]

oh! um... my card says im 10, but im actually 6! i dunno why it says 10

[ Something something, the Pokemon Journey age is 10. Feel free to ask Arceus about it if that chance ever comes up. ]

that means ill be... 7 next!

oh, should I?

[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

[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.]

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]

Yup! He taught me everything I know!

[ Which would, of course, make her a necromancer, too. ]

I like parties, but not huge ones. Just a nice get together of friends is enough for me.

[necrodentia]

[ That's... definitely weird. But, moving on... ]

You definitely should! I mean, why not? If you're turning 7, then you can have a whole week of birthdays, because there are 7 days in a week!

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.

[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!

[nightyorb]

Oh, you're a necromancer too?

[Well, so much for needing to ask what school of magic Rainer was pursuing back in her world.]

That's... unexpected.

[Call it stereotypes, but usually Necromancers were a lot more into the whole dark goth aesthetic and mournful bullshit about life and death and everything in between. Like Zayn had been before becoming a ghost. Rainer wasn't much like that. She was, from what Riz had been able to tell so far, pretty goddamn chipper all the time and didn't wear black leather everything all the time.]

[candyapplechild]

[ It's fiiiiine, very fine, totally super fine. ]

a whole week...

ah! but i dont wanna make things harder for everyone...

[necrodentia]

Hmm, that is a good thing to take into consideration! Sometimes it can be hard enough to get all your friends together for one day, let alone SEVEN!

Oh, I know!
What if it was a sort of "drop in drop out" kind of thing? Where you'll be celebrating for the whole seven days, and then people can come on whichever day is convenient for them!

[necrodentia]

[ Rainer may be sunshiney, but she loves skulls and dead things as much as the next necromancer. She's very much a textbook example of pastel goth. ]

I know, I know... We Necromancers don't exactly have the best reputation. But I promise you, my dad and I don't mean anyone any harm.

[nightyorb]

I'm a goblin. I know a thing or two about having an undeserved bad reputation.

And I guess--
I mean, full disclosure, skeletons and zombies and all are still pretty creepy.
But it's not like only one sort of people or class can be evil.
My friend is *literally* an Archdevil who rules over the Bottomless Pit
and she is not evil at all.
(I was there for the court proceedings when she won a coup. It was dope)
So I am not going to make a big deal out of you being a necromancer.

[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?

[candyapplechild]

oh! that could work!

maybe

ill ask uravity-san!

[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.

[necrodentia]

1. You make a very good point about goblins.
2. Your friend sounds AWESOME.
3. Thank you, I appreciate it.