Pagans and Dwarfs don't do Christmas

[preachyrose]

Who: Rose and Ardent
What: Doing Rose and Ardent things. Plus the barge being...the barge. With its Christmas barge things.
When: Evening
Where: Library
Warnings: Holiday hating?

Comments

[deepdowndark]

Ardent was busy working, as usual, trying to get the glitter off his robes from previous forced decorating. For now, he'd given up on that, and was carefully climbing up a ladder to put some books carefully on a high shelf. He'd made a careful, almost reverential pile, and was going up and down the steps, putting the books on the right shelf. He wasn't expecting to see anyone, but from his slightly higher vantage point, he spotted Rose.

"Rose!" He gave her a smile, and carefully pushed his hood back - the electric lights in the library were much dimmer than those in the corridors.

[preachyrose]

Hearing her name, the woman looked around for the source and spotted Ardent, pushing his hood back. Well, what a surprise. She also hadn't been expecting to see anyone, but Ardent was a welcome change from that.

She started towards him, pleased to see that he was still in a fine mood, despite the way that their last conversation had gone.

"How long have you been working at this today?" She reached over and touched the pile gently. She knew that words and books were important to him...so she was careful about what she said and did.

[deepdowndark]

If Ardent was bothered about anything, he certainly wasn't going to let it show, except to the people who deserved it. He had a quick look at the time, and replied, picking up another book, but not going to put it away just yet, "Since breakfast. It's what I do most days."

[preachyrose]

Well, she could understand that. She worked in the gardens as much as she could, so at least there was some connection there. Working there was really the only solace she could find anymore.

"Have you even eaten yet?" Not that she was terribly concerned. He was, after all, older than her. But it seemed the polite thing to ask.

[deepdowndark]

He stepped down off the ladder and placed the book back on his pile, "Not yet, no. Why, is that where you were going? I don't want to get stuck with that tree again. It made me late this morning."

He frowned and placed a hand against the bookcase, not too happy with that.

[preachyrose]

"That tree is terrible and I want nothing to do with it." Her lips curved into a smirk as she leaned back against a shelf, still watching him work.

"I wasn't going anywhere, truthfully. It was just a passing whim, I suppose. Something to do other than avoid the common rooms." Pushing off the shelf, se paced the aisle once.

"Do you want any help?"

[deepdowndark]

"If you want to help. At least in here, we can avoid the absurd human dec..."

He trailed off, thinking about what she was and why she didn't like this, "So... do your people not have any traditions this month, either? Most humans do, I thought, but am I wrong?"

He handed her a couple of books, "If you want to help."

[preachyrose]

"The Winter Solstice. It comes with decorations, too, but nothing like that. This Christianity business with Christmas? Like their 'Halloween,' it was stolen from us, twisted, and turned into something completely unnatural."

She took the books when they were offered and tried to keep her mind off of the holidays by finding their rightful place.

[deepdowndark]

"I thought it had to do with... actually, I don't think anyone really explained the point of it." He shrugged and frowned, "So I imagine you're as angry as I am at being forced to join in. I don't think Narvin's remotely happy either."

He climbed back up the ladder and started slotting a few books away as he spoke, "This place has such an implicit cultural hegemony, and nobody notices it unless they're at the bottom of it. And I imagine people'll just think we're ruining their fun again."

[preachyrose]

Rose gave a little shrug at that. "I plan on keeping quiet about it this time around. Any fuss I make will likely be misconstrued by the general population." The woman raised one shoulder in a shrug and handed him the next book in the pile.

"And I'm not too angry about it. As long as I keep my traditions in my own way, then they can continue on...doing what they wish."

[deepdowndark]

He took the book off her with a slight sympathetic smile, "Except we tend to get dragged into doing things their way by being... compelled. That's not exactly my idea of tolerable, you know."

He sighed and shoved the book on the shelf, "You're right in saying they'd just misconstrue it, though."

[preachyrose]

She couldn't argue that first point. Though she doubted that any would want to be a part of her celebration, especially after Samhain. But if she was going to be here, she should at least try to have her own festivities.

So far, though, aside from the compulsion to string tinsel and the snow, she hadn't noticed any other changes around. The mistletoe had certainly escaped her attention, at least. She had passed a few kissing couples already, but it just seemed like home to her, so she ignored it.

And she certainly wasn't expecting any here.

"As long as I see it come, then I can better face it. They are allowed to believe as they wish. Even if it does corrupt what I've believed my whole life."

[deepdowndark]

He had noticed the mistletoe, but hadn't thought a thing of it, except that you shouldn't put plants that close to books - he'd been on his own most of the day, working, anyway, so it had no effect.

"Why don't you try and show them the uncorrupted version?"

He paused, as he realised this might severely depend, "Well, what does the uncorrupted version involve?"

[preachyrose]

She laughed, as he was quite right to ask. "Nothing involving sacrifice. There is a great battle between the current year and the coming one. Feasting. Dancing. Decorations- though not at all like the ones we've been forced to do." She kept the smile and handed him another book.

"Perhaps if I make a wreath, the Barge will consider that sufficient decoration."

[deepdowndark]

Ardent smiled a little wryly, because it seemed humans had similarities everywhere, "Sounds like what I've been reading about Hogswatch. Humans on the Disc are... interesting." He'd been researching this morning because Data had asked him, and it not only struck him that he was the only representative of his planet, but also that he ought to know a lot more about the Humans he'd liaised with back on the Disc - it had been his job to keep up-to-date with the city, but there were still several things he was behind on.

"I think you should do something like that. It's probably the best you can do."

[preachyrose]

"I could use some help if you're willing to do that, rather than hang reindeer," she remarked casually, handing over another book. The pile, at least, seemed to finally be getting smaller.

"But what is Hogswatch?"