New Year's

[historiology]

Type: Text
Sender ID: historiology (Sorey)
To: Public
Subject: New Year
Warnings: no warnings.

It's a new year. I guess this does make me wonder. Depending on how long we are here. What this means for birthdays. If I'm here long enough and have a birthday here does that count still or? Cause I'm not sure how that might work here. Being somewhere else and all. Plus, if I had my birthday and Mikleo didn't back home that'd be weird. Being older than him like that, We've always been the same age, both seventeen at the moment. I mean I know seraphim live way longer than humans but still.

And this is when people sometimes have goals or wishes for the year right? Stuff they want to do? I haven't really thought of anything for mine besides seeing new places, exploring this place. Learning more about this place, sailing and helping people.

Comments

[yuezun]

[He had also heard it mentioned, but assumed people were just preparing early. Some did so, particularly among the more common people of the Moon Tribe and greater Cangyanhai. So it hadn't seemed strange to him at the time. Though, now that he had it pointed out to him, it did seem odd. Why would this world celebrate the same new year that Daqiang was familiar with? How did they mark the new year? What events precipitated the specific day that was chosen and for what purpose?]

This venerable one was not paying much attention to such talk. If it has passed, it comes at a different time of the year than it does in this venerable one's world.

[historiology]

So I guess depending on where one is from New Year's might have just been or might still be coming up. Huh. I guess that might make sense. Time might be different, for you and for the others here that celebrate it around this time. What do you do to celebrate? When it comes up for you?

[yuezun]

Nothing. It is simply a reminder that another year has passed.

[historiology]

So you don't celebrate it with anything? I guess it is a reminder that it is another year. Another chance to progress with the things you want to work towards.

[yuezun]

This venerable one does not.

Others in the Three Realms treat it with some importance. Mortals especially, as their lives are so short that every year is probably something like a victory to them.

[historiology]

Yeah, I guess we might have shorter lives compared to seraphim. Mortals I guess each year means more when we don't have so many to live. I take it that you are not human then?

[yuezun]

No. This venerable one is an immortal. Is 'saraphim' what you call immortals and gods in your world?

[historiology]

immortal? wow. Seraphim are like elemental spirits. My best friend, Mikleo, he's a water seraph for example so he can control and create water.

[yuezun]

Elemental spirits are often limited in ability, but vastly stronger than those of the same age and power in what they are capable of. They are also very rare in the world this venerable one comes from.

[historiology]

Limited? I don't know, I guess they might be if you mean like, they only control one element sort of thing? They aren't as rare back home but I think there's definitely more humans.

[yuezun]

Yes. Controlling only one element is a limitation. They make up for it by being extremely strong.

Mortals are also common in this venerable one's world, but he does not make a habit of visiting their realm the way other immortals do.

[historiology]

I guess being stronger in that one element compared to not being as strong in multiple elements or something? Something like that?

Wait, the mortals, the humans live in a whole other realm?

[yuezun]

Unless they manage to cultivate to immortality, yes.

[historiology]

Cultivate to immortality?

[yuezun]

Some mortals have been known to cultivate their wisdom and reach immortality. When they do, they are able to enter the immortal realms.

[historiology]

So they could become immortals?

[There's always been part of him that was well aware of the situation with Mikleo and the rest of his seraphim group he lived with would well outlive him. That eventually Mikleo would end up needing to figure dealing with losing him. He doesn't like to think about it but it is a fact that as a human, as a mortal he would end up dying well before most everyone else he knows.]

[yuezun]

Yes. Some can. It takes a lifetime of dedication to the task for most. And the majority of those that try often fail, managing only to extend their life for a couple hundred years at most. They are still considered immortals, however. Simply lesser ones.

[historiology]

Even that is longer than we would have otherwise. So I guess that still beats being very lucky to be maybe like a hundred. I just figure that is something. Something more. I'm not sure on if there's something like that back home. That I could do for more time with Mikleo.

[yuezun]

This venerable one confesses, the short lives of mortals confuses him. An immortal child, one who is born to an immortal race, is only just leaving behind the need for diapers at fifty. At a hundred they are still too short to reach their mother's knees, though they are quite able to run circles around their skirts.

[historiology]

I guess the different aging would make sense, if one had longer lifespans. Aging slower. Mikleo's the same age as me and we're both the same. I mean, he's shorter but even in humans height can differ even if someone is the same age.

[yuezun]

This venerable one only spoke of size so you could understand that they are still children at an age most mortals cannot live to reach. Those that cultivate to immortality age as they would normally until they reach the point of cultivation that they can stop or slow the aging process.

[historiology]

I got that. I guess it isn't so strange to me given how long some seraphim can live. It's just. That long to be that small is all. That's the part that is new to me, I guess. Mikleo seems to still be aging the same as me at least so far. But I guess that makes sense that the sooner humans would figure this immortality the better for their aging.

[yuezun]

Have you ever watched a tree grow from a seed to a towering hulk? They age faster than an immortal, but slower than a mortal. Mortals see only their own kind and others like them as worth noticing, but every plant and stone has as much opportunity as a mortal to grow their wisdom. Given their lifespan, they may have even more opportunities.

[historiology]

I think most all the trees were probably already around Elysia or at least as far as I remember. But that is a good point. They have their lifespans too. The same with animals, some of them live longer than others.