islandshore | 41 - video/action for Goldenrod;

[Well, while Riku waits for Ven to get his act together so they can go grab Sora, Sasuke, and the others, he'll pop open the PokéGear.

After all, it's December. The perfect time of month for what he has in store. And oh, the chance to prove his best friend wrong is too much to pass up.]

So, Johto, Kanto. It's December again, and that means Christmas is right around the corner. And if you're a kid, that usually means waiting for presents under the tree-- supposedly from Santa Claus.

So, here's a question. Do you believe in Santa?

I'm trying to get some statistical data here. And believe me, I've got my reasons.

[With that message outta the way, Riku can be found over by the Department store, buying gratuitous amounts of TMs, swinging by the Breeding Center just to see how things are going, and dropping by one of the cafes later on for a bite to eat.

And maybe he'll stop by Route 34 for good measure in order to spar with his team. Because, while watching his Pokémon fight each other is nice and all, nothing beats getting in on the action. He'll be accompanied by his big ol' Charizard regardless of where he is.]

[ooc: Just gonna make a note here since I realize his icons are misleading-- but Riku is actually 17 in Route-- almost 18 and about 6' tall now. Minor detail, but I'll probably pin that somewhere later. There was just some confusion during 4th wall about his age.

Also, Sora will possibly be threadjacking!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, I did not even know about Christmas until the Westerners came to China.

Christmas is more of a Western holiday, really. In Asia, we usually only have it because of the gifts since it puts a lot of money into the economy.

Edited 2012-12-03 03:55 (UTC)

Just more proof that he's just a commercial icon, if you ask me. Just a way to mislead kids, like the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny.

Edited 2012-12-03 03:58 (UTC)

What is the tooth fairy?

[He's heard of the Easter Bunny, but not the tooth fairy.]

Basically, where I'm from, parents tell their kids that if they put their baby teeth under a pillow at night, the tooth fairy will give them cash.

But everyone knows the parents are either stashing or tossing the teeth after the fact.

Oh... Come to think of it, I think an American acquaintance told me about it once.

Christmas and Easter are not big holidays in China, but New Years, on the hand... That is a festive holiday, especially Chinese New Year, aru.

Huh. So what exactly do you do for Chinese new year?

Many things! [He grins.]

We decorate the streets and our homes with red and gold colored ornaments; families of Chinese origin will gather and enjoy a large feast of Chinese cuisine and desserts; children will receive red envelopes from their parents; people pay their respects to their ancestors; there are parades in the streets with lion and dragon dances; we set off fireworks and the streets are lit by lights of various colors.

We also clean our houses thoroughly to sweep out any ill fortune that may still be there from last year, that way the good fortune of the new year can enter our home without any interference.

It's such a beautiful celebration. I believe the date for the upcoming year is February thirteenth.

Huh, not bad. I could definitely get behind a celebration like that, at least for the spectacle behind it.

Granted, I don't know much about your culture, but it definitely sounds more eventful than Easter and the way we celebrate the new year.

Oh yes, the Chinese celebrate New Years in a very festive matter and each year we celebrate a different animal from the Shēngxiào*. This upcoming year is supposed to be the Year of the Snake and this year was the Year of the Dragon.

I'm sure you would find my world very interesting, there are so many countries to visit, each with their own unique holidays, food, and history.

[ooc: *Chinese Zodiac.]

It sure sounds more exciting than a world made up of a few islands in an endless ocean. Not that I've got any qualms with this world, but it'd be pretty cool to see what else is out there especially when the culture here's pretty consistent across both regions.

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You're not supposed to agree with him!

Better start practicing your Christmas carols...

I'm only telling the truth, aru. Christmas is not much of a big holiday in my country.

I still buy gifts for everyone, but that is all.

Hey, don't worry about it. Sora's just being a sore loser because of our bet.

That's kind of sad, if Santa doesn't visit your world.

Oh no, people in my world still say that he does visit the homes of good children to leave them gifts, or so they say. It's just that it is not a big deal in my country, or Asia in general.

For you see, Asia is one of seven continents in my world and China is one of hundreds of countries in my world.

I've never been there.

But I have been to Santa's workshop.

Really?

[He looks disbelieving.]

Yes, really!

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Wow, Riku. That's only ONE person.

Make that two.

[Grinning like mad, bro.]

I think the numbers are starting to even out.

We probably just have some stragglers who don't want to upset the kids.

Really, Riku?

Yes, Sora. Really.