02 ♥ Voice (posted in the morning)

[matadorable]

[After his epic fail from the other week, Manolo isn't in a hurry to try using the video function. Instead, he sticks to the audio (and triple-checks that it's really just the audio), although it seems to take him a moment to realize his device is actually on, and people are treated to the sound of his communicator shifting in his hands.]

Um, hi there. Hahah…

[Okay, not the best start. Let’s try that again…]

So! For anyone who doesn’t know, today is the Day of the Dead. Back home, it's a time to remember those who’ve passed on before us, to make sure the dead aren’t forgotten.

I may not be in my village anymore, but today is still important to me, and it’s probably important for some of you too.

That’s why, if anyone wants to talk about dead friends or family, I’d love to hear about them. You know…what kind of person were they? What are your favorite memories of them? That kind of thing.

...Oh, and if some of you have died back home, you’re welcome to share stories about your life here too. Not the traditional way of doing things, but that only seems fair.

[There’s an awkward pause here, since he’s unsure how he ought to end this message. It’s not like a letter, but it’s not like talking with someone face-to-face either.]

Ah, right! Maybe I should properly introduce myself this time. My name is Manolo Sanchez, and I'm…looking forward to hearing from you?

[Then there's an awkward pause before the feed finally shuts off.]

Comments

voice; comm tag 'Silk'

[lunaraneae]

What if... we're not sure where they are?

voice;

[matadorable]

...Like if someone went missing?

[lunaraneae]

Exactly like that. It's been ten years since I last saw them.

voice; comm tag 'Kaneda'

[rassera]

The Day of the Dead...

You know, it sounds a hell of a lot more morbid than it is, from what you're saying.

voice;

[matadorable]

[He laughs a little.] No no, it's actually a lot of fun! I mean, I guess it does revolve around death, but it's just as much about honoring the people who've gone before you and keeping their memory alive, you know?

[akito]

[ there are so many friends and allies - and even enemies-turned-friend - that have died, he wouldn't even know where to start... Eventually he ]

I know a lot of people who were killed, and all of them were very brave; Spitfire, Yoshitsune, Sano, Kilik - all of them were killed doing their best to keep everyone safe. Yoshitsune even died protecting his city! He was outnumbered, but faced his death bravely.

Arthur and Shalott were good people too despite trying to kill us... They were only our enemies because otherwise they would have been killed themselves. That's not something I can be mad about since I would have done the same, ne?

Even if everybody else forgets them, I won't ever.

[ ...that's the first time he's ever really had a chance to talk about all of the deaths he knew. it's kind of... nice, he supposes. by speaking about them here it's like he brought a piece of them to this new world with him. ]

That's a nice tradition. Are there any others? The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico, ne?

[matadorable]

[That's...a lot of killing going on, but Manolo doesn't bat an eye. His formative years were marked by the tumultuous times of the Revolution, when many families across the country were torn apart by bloodshed, illness, and starvation.

The promise to remember his fallen comrades and enemies alike brings a smile to Manolo's face.]

Wow, your friends really left behind an important legacy. I hope you get the chance to pass it along to future generations. Your enemies, too, sound like people who ought to be remembered. Thank you very much for sharing that.

[His eyes light up when Akito asks about more traditions. Though no one can see it, Manolo's enthusiasm still carries into his voice.]

Yes, it's a Mexican holiday. We make beautiful altars dedicated to our loved ones, clean and decorate their graves, and leave offerings for them. It's the one night a year when their spirits come to visit us, so we take the time to feel their presence while letting them know we still remember them.

[Voice]

[kingofthetvworld]

[You know, this sounds a lot like "the cake guy," but cake and death are two totally different things. Maybe he has a super depressing brother...

Either way, this calls for investigation.]

Now, I may not be some kinda expert guy, but if this day is so important with storytelling and whatnot, I do bearlieve that means you owe me one story. You can't just say stuff like that and not do it yourself! That's cheating!

[Voice]

[matadorable]

[Manolo would be the first to remind Teddie that cake and death aren't mutually exclusive! YOU CAN HAVE BOTH.]

Oh no, you caught me! [He gives a good-natured laugh.] Okay, okay. Well, I come from a long line of bullfighters, and every Sanchez man was expected to follow the family tradition. The reason why Sanchez women didn't do the same is because people frowned at the idea of ladies going into such a profession. My great-grandmother, though...she disguised herself as a man so she could become a bullfighter herself.

audio | id reads "karen starr"

[boobwindow]

[ There's a lot she could say, but that would mean dredging up a lot of painful memories. ]

Shouldn't you go first?

audio

[matadorable]

Oh, should I? [It seemed rude to launch into a story about his family first, so he'd held off in case people really needed to talk about their own loved ones.]

Well...before my mother married, she was a singer and dancer at a cabaret in the city. She had a gorgeous voice. Her singing calmed me down when I was little, and I'm told her songs are what made my father start falling for her.

She died protecting me and my father from bandits during the Revolution. It happened while I was still really young, so...for a long time her skirt was the thing I remembered most about her. Black, gold, and red with a floral print. When I received my bullfighting uniform, I requested for it to have similar colors so I could always keep a part of her with me.

Her name was...is Carmen Sanchez.

text; (ID: Heaven's Arrow)

[laid]

[Well, that sure seems like an awfully heavy question to ask a bunch of strangers. Though he supposes he can't begrudge Manolo's reasoning.]

Got too many to name, to be honest. War'll do that to you.
But if I only ever remember one it'd be the woman who gave her life trying to save mine. She was something else.

text;

[matadorable]

[He assumes anyone who doesn't want to talk about it will just ignore his message, and that's fine. But some people need a place to freely share memories and reflect on the wonderful people who've come and gone, and Manolo is happy to provide it.

These words, though...they strike a chord within Manolo, because war claimed quite a few of his own family members, and his own mother died trying to protect him and his father.]

I'm sorry to hear she's gone. She sounds amazing. Can I ask what her name was?

text; anonymous

[superposition]

[Ouuuuch. There are so many though. Qubit wavers on whether or not to actually respond to this, but eventually compromises - respond in such a way that nobody can prove you did.]

I'm not much of a storyteller, I'm afraid.

[Good job, Qb, A+ opening up, gold star]

text;

[matadorable]

thats okay
the point
isnt to entertain people

[audio]

[malfurion]

The Day of the Dead... it would seem as though we have a holiday that carries over to my world as well. Though it was only introduced to my people recently, I can see the value of such a holiday.

[He was still reticent to speak of some of the deaths he had witnessed in his lifetime. Being as old as he was, that could quickly become a very depressing conversation]

It is nice to meet you Manolo, I am Malfurion.

[audio]

[matadorable]

It is nice to meet you as well...Malfurion.

[So many exotic names here. They're pretty fun to say!]

What world are you from, if it's okay for me to ask?

Voice

[missleadingquestions]

Heyyy, Manny. [You're getting a nickname from her whether you like it or not, apparently.] Your place has a day for the dead?

My home has something like that, too. [More like every day is for the dead in Kurain, but anyway.]

Voice

[matadorable]

Hey, Maya!

[He sounds quite pleased to hear from her. His friends back home called him Manny, so it's actually nice to hear something warm and familiar.]

Really? What's it like for you?

voice

[melavasomniar]

"Day of the Dead"? That's a very different name for it than I'm used to; we call it Funalis. And for me it's always been about remembering my father.

And you? Do you have anyone who's life you're celebrating today?

[And as an after thought:] --I'm Talyn, by the way. Pleased to speak with you, Manolo.

voice

[matadorable]

Talyn, huh? Thank you for talking with me!

[It's interesting how death-centered holidays seem to pop up in all sorts of worlds and cultures. Not that Manolo is surprised, of course. Death comes for everyone sooner or later, and every mortal has lost at least one person.]

Funalis...[Manolo tries the world for himself, taking care to say it as correctly as he can.] And me? Well, I don't have many living relatives at this point, so I'd like to celebrate everyone I possibly can. They all deserve to be remembered.

Voice

[bindsthedead]

My father- my father is still alive. [Sabriel's tone is firm, like she's trying to reassure herself.]

But my mother died shortly after I was born, though I've spoken to her since.

Voice

[matadorable]

[Manolo notices her tone, but decides not to question it for now.]

I'm sorry to hear about your mother. If you've spoken to her, though...does that mean you've gone to the afterlife? Or is talking to the deceased one of your special abilities back home?

[whitequeens]

My brother is dead. His name was Clovis... he was killed by a member of a rebel army.

He had something of a temper, and could be very vengeful, but he was always most angry when someone hurt a person he cared about. He was a beautiful painter.

[matadorable]

I'm sorry to hear that...

[It's not an uncommon story where he's from. His own mother died fending off bandits who wreaked havoc while waving the flag for a rebel cause they weren't disciplined to actually fight for.]

What kinds of things did he like to paint?