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甲辰 003: 冬至

[video transmission]

Greetings, Crimson Corsairs.

[As usual, the elegant woman appears with a beaming smile amidst the warm steam rising from bowls of... something or other in her kitchen.]

I understand you come from many winter traditions, both in this land and in your homes. If you would allow me a brief intrusion... In Yan, it is customary to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the 'dong zhi.' As it is the longest night of the year, we give thanks that the light will return and the days will soon grow long once more. In the depths of midwinter, it is a reminder that balance and yang will be restored, no matter how dark the nights may seem. For those of us in agrarian communities, we give thanks also to the animals who have brought us through the hard times.

[A mischievous glimmer shines in her eyes.]

Of course, it is also the day that the venerable master of the stove, Zao Jun, reports to Tian on whether or not your house hold has been 'naughty' or 'nice,' which I understand is a part of some other traditions as well.

Please allow me to offer prayers to Tian on your behalf. What is it that you hope for when the sun returns in its full splendor?

[in person, all around]

[Shu appears at your door on this cold, long winter evening, knocking politely and awaiting an answer. Whether she sought you out specifically or whether she's never met you at all, she stands and waits in her warm coat holding an extraordinarily large soup bowl in her hands. Somehow, it does not seem to trouble her.]

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[Donnie plops down with his own bowl, carefully setting the cup on the floor beside him so he can enjoy more of the soup.]

It'd kind of be missing the point if all you were doing was handing out food and telling people about it, right?

I've never been really...that crazy about this season. It gets harder to do things.

[The land sleeps and everything waits, huh? He's never been big on sleep in the first place, but he has to wonder what ...traditional turtlekin actually do during the cold months. If he stays out too long in the cold without being at least somewhat bundled then he starts feeling sluggish, but being unproductive is just unthinkable, especially not when the Corsairs have so much to prepare for.]

What else did you do back home, during this time of the year?

[Besides probably accosting people with food. He grins a bit, pausing to chew.]

What's in these..?

Sesame paste.

[She smiles, for she has been told in the past that the color is off-putting. It is nutty, earthy, and sweet. Faintly gritty in texture, in contrast to the soft, palatable chewiness of the glutinous rice wrapped around.]

It reminds me of home.

The winter harvests wrapped up on the solstice. Barley and brassica, root vegetables. We stockpiled feed for the animals and settled in to ride out the cold nights together. Long long ago, when I was very young, I remember. My -- [here she pauses, for she does not know what to call her] ...teacher.

She said, "Farm, farm, farm. For as long as you farm, there will always be hunger. This is the life of our people. What is the meaning of what we do?"

[She looks at Donnie as if she expects him to answer.]

Mm.

[He's not sure if he likes the added texture but overall, he's pleased with the flavor. Polishing off one, he chases it down with another sip of the rice wine.]

Uh...

To. Survive?

[Laughter as light as a ripple of water through a pond.]

Well. Yes.

But what she was trying to say is that there must be more meaning than simple survival. She very rarely explained herself, so I did not know what she was getting at for many years.

[She takes a spoonful of the sugar broth.]

The pink ones are nicer.

[They are exactly the same. They're just pink.]

[Shu has the gentlest laugh. It's almost musical in a way. And it doesn't make him feel like she's laughing at him, most importantly.]

Oh.

But it's still at the most basic point, for survival, isn't it?

[Donnie looks down at the pink lumps in his bowl before fishing one out with his spoon, popping it into his mouth. ... Yeah, it really doesn't taste any different.]

Of course. You aren't wrong. What Shennong meant --

[She holds the bowl and stares into the depths of the tang yuan as if she could divine a message.]

Well, what I think she meant. Was... we survive for each other. We can spend our whole lives farming and work the land until our fingers bleed to the bone and... one day return to the dust of the earth. And what will the purpose have been?

Or... we can spend our whole lives farming and work the land until our fingers bleed to the bone but... if in that time, we have made each other's lives a little lighter, a little brighter, then --

[She trails off thoughtfully.]

This time when there can be no farming, when there can only be 'togetherness.' I sometimes enjoy it being harder to do things.

Hm.

[He chews on another sesame paste-stuffed ball as he lets Shu's words sink in.]

Using it as a time of...what was it- reflection?

[Donnie sets the bowl down, a bit surprised that it's empty. He rubs his hands together before picking up the cup to sip from.]

I guess in that way it makes sense, in an overall sort of way. But for me...it's more like a weather thing. If it's too cold, it's harder to think and move. Feels all too easy to just want to fall asleep.

[He wrinkles his snout at that.]

[Her solemnity immediately reverts back to its harsher tones.]

That is the absence of yang qi in your body. Doubtless you are going about undernourished and underdressed. You must eat replenishing, bulking foods to ward off the detrimental effects of the chill.

[So saying, she is ladling him more sweet soup in the blink of an eye, which seems to suggest that dessert soup is 'nourishing.']

...Or it is because you are a Petram.

[The reptilian races did not enjoy the cold much. His alcohol is also refilled.]

More likely the first theory, though.

[That eye-roll slips as Donnie supposes he can't be surprised that that's the conclusion Shu jumps to.

-he also did not mean to leave his bowl unguarded, no! He looks down at it as he gauges whether he can finish it all or not. Sweets for dinner isn't really...great.]

I'm pretty sure it's the second and not the first.

[The turtlekin scowls a bit as he insists this, taking another gulp from his cup.]

[Don't worry. She has six younger siblings and they all behave exactly the same way on the rare occasions she sees them, if they choose not to hide from her in a closet somewhere. Eye rolls are a badge of honor.]

No matter. Regardless of the reason, that is why I have brought you warmer clothing, as I said I would months ago.

[Shu will neglect to mention that she said this to herself in her head in September and not to Donnie.

How much is it possible to fit in one coat? If this conversation continues, Donnie might find out as Shu digs around in her pockets and comes out with various packages, including a scarf, hat, gloves, and what can only be described as a Snuggie for Shelled People, which she seems very tempted to pop on him straight away, if her eyes flicking back and forth is any indication.]

I did not know your sizes, so I could not get anything more form-fitting like woolen shirts or pants. But we can rectify that.

[Here comes a tape measure.]

I noticed you liked shades of purple.

I... Wha?

[Did she? Donnie squints at her, blinking as she starts rooting around her coat. Wait, she's carrying everything in...]

What, do you have a magic coat like Link's magic bag?

[No fair, why's everyone have magical space to hold things in? The tang yuan is forgotten for the moment as he can't help but stare while Shu pulls packages of all things, the cup in his hand a convenient distraction as he mindlessly sips. ...funny, he's sure he'd been almost finished with it. Curse those rapid-refills!]

That's... a lot.

[Not the most acute of observations from him, but better words seem a little slippery at the moment. But he feels pleasantly warm and full, and probably shouldn't try finishing that second bowl...]

Ye....s? [Donnie eyes that tape measure.] I'm sure that's all more than enough.

Don’t be ridiculous.

[She responds, without explaining how she stuffed everything into her pockets. (It is remarkable what one can do with efficient folding after a thousand years of thrusting presents on people unasked for.)]

That bag is an absurdity. One day he will fall into it by accident and we’ll have to mount an expedition to rescue him from an incomprehensible interdimensional space, but it will be so filled with mushroom risottos that we will be unable to breathe.

There was a sweater I thought would suit your general pallet perfectly. But I suspect your proportions would require tailoring.

[For as overbearing as Shu is, she at least has good taste (apart from the Snuggie) if Donnie extracts himself from her tape measure and examines the offerings. Her closest brother is the god of weaving, after all. If he does not extract himself, the tape measure slips around his waist and shoulders in the blink of an eye.]

…As I thought.

[This is pronounced as if it were a moral failing.]

[He's often wondered if anyone could actually get stuck in it, and Shu's explanation of the potential mission that would arise from Link's bag has him blurt out a laugh, both so ridiculous but not entirely impossible.

It's unfortunately enough of a distraction that Shu manages to sneak in her measurements. -he'd swear she's a ninja if he knew the term.

Donnie only notices and nearly falls off the cushion he sits on in his delayed evasion right as she pulls away.]

What.

[He arches a brow, wondering what sort of secrets that measuring tape could have possibly told her, pout interrupted as he licks his fingers from where the rice wine had sloshed over his cup.]

Skinny!

[what did he expect]

You need more protein.

[…then, more kindly]

But well within normal expectations for your age. I’ll bring in the waist.

[Shu settles back on her cushion, satisfied with her meddling.]

Try the scarf. It is spun from pure cashmere wool.

Wh-

[Should he be offended? He has no idea what he expected, no one's ever been so judgmental about all of this before! Dad let them roam like feral little animals!

Shu's proclamation is baffling, more so with the tone she uses. Was that bad?? Sure he skipped meals but he otherwise ate pretty healthy things! He stares at her like she's grown another head, her addendum not doing anything to disperse that confusion, taking another distracted sip as he tries to work out what all that had been about in the first place.

His eyes drop down to the scarf, his free hand reaching out to run his fingers over it. Eyes widen at how soft it feels under his touch, and he sets his cup down so he can pick the scarf up for closer inspection, a fascinated smile pulling across his lips. It's not at all like those itchy things he's come across in the markets.

He winds it around his neck, rubbing the end of it against his cheek.]

Wow... This is wool??

[It is unconscionable that Donnie has never been privy to this kind of aggressive familial affection. He wouldn't last a day in Yan. Arguably, it was mentally healthier not to be subject to this kind of... love, but ten thousand years of culture will be somewhat resistant to change.]

It is the downy undercoat of a specific kind of woolbeast. It retains heat well. In Yan, we breed them in the mountains; I was glad to see there was an equivalent here in Estheme.

Here, put it on properly.

[She gets up again so she can take the ends of the scarf and help him if he doesn't bat her away.]

[Their father's method of parenting was very hands-off, and not exactly the best for a growing child desperately seeking attention and approval. Still, Donnie and his brothers loved their father all the same.]

It's soooo soft.

[Probably something Imperial nobles would use. He supposes he's never had a really good look inside their closets to know for sure, but he can still tell the quality difference just pawing at this scarf.

Briefly he looks like he might fuss, but he kind of likes the attention and might be just a touch giddy about getting such a nice scarf that he allows Shu to fix it for him.]

[Shu scootches behind him to affix the scarf and tie it in a neat, fashionable knot around his neck. Then she backs away and makes gestures for him to pose.]

You look very handsome.

[She claps in childish pleasure, the way one might after they have dressed up their favorite doll.]

And it will keep your yang qi from depleting.

[Is this how qi works? If you wrap it up tight enough, you can keep it inside? Given there is no one from Yan to question her, she has the absolute power to say whatever she wants, which is quite freeing.]

[Donnie looks so pleased. He doesn't seem to need much urging to indulge Shu, puffing out his chest a bit as he puts on the best impression of an Imperial-higher-than-thou expression as he can muster, spoiled only by the grin that twists at his mouth in failure to contain a snicker.]

What is that anyway?

[She'd mentioned the absence of it was what was making him cold, but that really hadn't explained much of anything.]

Edited 2024-12-27 04:27 (UTC)

Yang qi?

[Of course, she had known these weren't familiar concepts in this world, given how much trouble she had translating them. In the end, she had stuck to simply using Yanese. Still, it was such commonplace information that she find it challenging to put into words. It was exactly like if one had to define 'air.']

Mm...

[She takes advantage of this moment of reflection to try to fit the hat on Donnie's head (it has a large pompom, of course.)]

'Yang' means... light. Broadly speaking. Although -- hrm. Well, it means many things, all at once. When I say it's important to protect it in the winter, it's because your internal 'yang' is being depleted by the cold. Yang is energy, heat, warmth, and vigor. You feel sluggish because it is lost.

Its opposing force is 'yin,' which means shadow. Yin is darkness, coolness, calmness, and rejuvenation. In the summer, the absence of yin leads to overexertion and irritability.

These are the elements of qi, which are the forces that flow through all living things. To be imbalanced is to invite disorder upon the body and the soul. In olden days, we would even say that all disease was caused by qi imbalance. Modern medicine is much more advanced nowadays, naturally.

[He nods, waiting expectantly. Of course he'd ask. Donnie likes learning about things, and there's so much more beyond the things of the world he's lived in to find out about.

He makes the slightest face as the hat is applied, the pompom still being decided upon as to whether he likes it or not, but it is warm...]

Light?

[That alone doesn't really clarify anything, but he waits, listening. In that sort of weird, abstract way, he supposes it kind of makes sense? Light and...shadow.]

Soooo.... in summer when you sweat, is that your "yin" depleting?

Yes, exactly.

[Shu beams at how clever her pupil is and gives the pompom a few pats.]

Many foods have the essence of yin and yang as well. In the summer, melons, mint, and high-water content vegetables have a cooling essence that nourish the yin. In winter, red meats, fatty foods, and of course, hot boiling foods like soup replenish the yang. Respectively, we say they have 'han qi' or 'huo qi,' cold energy and fire energy.

Thus, it is important to adjust our body's activities and nutrients according to the season, the weather, and the flow of qi energy. Especially for farmers, who spend their lives outdoors and are most susceptible to the elements.

Hands, please.

[Time for the gloves.]

[His snout wrinkles a little at the headpats, clearly thinking he's too old for such treatment, but overall tempered by what he figures is part of Shu's way of telling him 'well done.'

Thinking in terms of energy makes a lot more sense to him.]

But... It's different from Ether? Or is "qi" similar? I don't think there's an opposite to Ether aside from there just...not being Ether, but I've read that it's everywhere, absorbed in everything.

[Well, he's this far in now, and usually gloves are tricky for him given his fingers. Donnie holds his hands out to resume the fitting.]

I do not know what ether is.

[She shakes her head slightly with a bemused smile as she slips the gloves onto Donnie's hands. They are a dark leather exterior lined with wool on the inside.]

In the same way that qi is foreign to you, the concept of ether is one that I only grasp as an academic exercise. There are similarities, but it is not possible to store 'qi' and use it in the way that ether is used here. Qi has nothing to do with magic or the production of supernatural effects.

Ether, to me, is much more like our Originium.

[The new foreign word is preceded by the faintest of pauses, and the emphasis placed upon it is harsher than her normal tones. But she distracts by maneuvering Donnie back a few steps and eyeing the overall effect critically. The general color scheme is dark, accented by the byzantium purple scarf and geometric patterns on the pompom beanie hat.]

Ether is...Ether.

[Donnie's actually not sure what more to say about it. It's always seemed like as natural a substance as air or water, something that permeates their world to the point it's integral to everything's existence.]

Originium..?

[He frowns a little. Is that...a bad thing?]

Ether seeps into everything, is a part of everything here. I've heard it's what made some of us what we are. It's why when the Empire uses its suppression bands, it has such a drastic effect depending on the levels they set them too.

[He says this part quietly, shuddering a little at some distant memory, not nearly distant enough.

Absently he flexes his fingers, testing his new gloves. None of the gloves he's procured have been lined, and the things Shu had adorned him with have to be the nicest things he's ever owned. He's still not completely sold on the hat, but it's warm at least!]

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