4 ● VIDEO

[23wishes]

[The video feed opens on... something that looks suspiciously like a commercial. Aerith is standing in the middle of her "garden" - or what anyone else would call a giant field of flowers. Strangely, though many flowers and plants are dying in the fall cold, Aerith's flowers look healthy as ever.

(The video is unmistakably taken with her phone on a selfie stick.)]

It's finally October! We all know it's an important month! We think about Halloween first, of course, but did you know October has a second holiday? One even sweeter than Halloween.

Sweetest Day!

A very important day for those of us with sweethearts~ Sweetest Day is the time to remind the people you're sweet on just how much you care. In fact, why not say it in flowers? I grow just about every kind you can think of, and no one else has fresher flowers than me. That's a guarantee!

[WINK~]

So come visit me right here in Nonah 06, or catch me in Maurtia Falls on weekends, Heropa on Mondays and Thursdays, and De Chima on Wednesdays.

But, you know~ Halloween lovers shouldn't worry! Because guess what~

[The video cuts off for half a second and is spliced together with what's clearly a shot from later in the day. Aerith, still in her backyard, is standing in front of a pumpkin patch. It's not big by any means, but she's got about two dozen pumpkins ready for the picking.]

I've got pumpkins, too! Whether you want to carve them or make them into a pie, stop right here at Nonah 06 and you'll be set for fall in no time!

See you all soon~

Comments

video

[monge]

Boy, you sure do move around a lot, zura.

[That's hecka impressive.]

How come you never get tired, zura?

[23wishes]

[A reply--!

... And it's not a sale. Oh.]

Riku helps me out sometimes with his portals. Otherwise, I find ways to get around. I'd get bored staying in one place all of the time.

voice

[curada]

You have a remarkable collection of flowers.

Are you in possession of any white aster at the moment? I would welcome some of the pompom sort.

[23wishes]

Pompom white aster...

[That's one she needs to look up first.]

I'm afraid I've never seen one of those before. I do have some regular white aster, though, if that would do?

permatext

[deadtective]

Nice job making up fucking bullshit fake holidays to freak out couples into coughing up more money.

[she says with a google search open in another tab to check if it's actually a real holiday or not. god help her if she has to sneak more gifts into Josuke's room and pretend they aren't from her she's going to break someone's jaw.]

Anyway, how much are the pumpkins running?

[yes, good, just hard switch over to another topic entirely to divert any possible suspicion that she's personally invested in Aerith's holiday scam.]

[23wishes]

it's a real holiday!

just not celebrated in every part of the country. what's wrong with giving couples reasons to show each other how much they care?

[And if the money from that COINCIDENTALLY winds up in her pocket, well, that's just how it goes.]

big pumpkins will be set at $6 and smaller ones will be $2 or $3 depending on how little they are.

will i be seeing you again soon?

permavid

[helpline]

No.

[ THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A REPEAT OF LAST YEAR, HAZEL. ]

Video; Private

[unbreaker]

Alright, I got two questions! First...

[He holds up one finger.]

...how much for the pumpkins? I'm thinking of getting two large ones if you got 'em.

And second!

[There's finger number two shooting up beside number one.]

What kinda flowers would you suggest for a one year anniversary that may or may not be just a few days away?

[That's not mild panic you hear in his voice at all!]

[23wishes]

Pumpkins are, uh, under some unexpectedly high demand. They're gonna be on backorder, but I'll do my best to make sure you get yours before Halloween.

[As for that second one, well, Aerith makes a face. It's a face of "you fucked up."]

You waited this long? You're gonna need to make it something really extravagant so they don't catch on. What's their favorite flower?

Video

[protects_the_small]

You know, it's useful to actually have someone mention one of this world's holidays BEFORE it happens.

[This way the internal panic is only mild]

What sort of arrangement would you recommend for a just starting relationship?

[BE A PAL]

[23wishes]

Hmm. I'm sure this has nothing to do with Miss Lucy.

[Her smile is all too wide.]

Keep it soft. Light pinks for romance, with baby blue or peach... nothing too fancy. Pink roses with peonies, maybe little white flowers to set it off.

video;

[psychofailed]

And if the saleswoman is our sweetheart...?

[Just remember you literally asked for this, Aerith. No takebacks.]

[23wishes]

Then you're in a bit of a predicament, aren't you. You can't buy from her, after all, because then she'll know her gift ahead of time. And you can't fund her competition, can you?

Something tells me you should get her candy instead.

video

[redigere]

Is Sweetest Day a holiday in just this world? I've never heard of it before.

Oh! And do you have some smaller pumpkins, Aerith? I'd like to buy some for an art project.

[23wishes]

It's only celebrated in certain parts of this country, I found out, but I don't see anything wrong with expanding it.

[Even if it coincidentally lines her pockets.]

I'll keep a few small pumpkins aside for you. Hazel probably won't need small ones...

text;

[historiology]

Halloween? What's that? And....Sweetest Day? That sounds kind of like that one holiday Mikleo and I came here on. Um, Valentines?

[But as if Sorey would ignore a chance to be the sappy romantic he is and spoil Mikleo.]

[23wishes]

halloween is a holiday celebrated on this world at the end of the month. it's not on my world either. from what people have told me, it's a day for celebrating spooky and scary things. it's traditional to carve faces into pumpkins and put candles in them to scare away ghosts and go out trick or treating

which i think is kind of like walking around in costume and asking your neighbors for candy. it sounds like a lot of fun.

sweetest day is a holiday celebrated only in certain parts of this country, where you spoil your partner silly with flowers and candy and maybe stuffed animals if they're into those

do you have someone special you're thinking of?

Video;

[dualismum]

Sweetest Day? Isn't it like Valentine's and White day?

[23wishes]

From what I've read about those holidays in Japan, they're a lot alike. Do you have someone you want to say something special to?

[ audio ]

[okamichild]

I never heard of the Sweetest Day. Is it a real holiday?

[23wishes]

Sort of. I looked it up and found out it's only celebrated in some parts of the United States and pretty much nowhere else.

video;

[valuemeal]

Isn't it a little weird to have something like Halloween and a day called Sweetest Day in the same month?

[ Besides, it sounds an awful lot like Valentine's Day to him. ]

[23wishes]

It does, doesn't it? But I kind of like it because of that. It's getting colder out and the trees and flowers are all starting to die because winter is coming. I think it's a wonderful time to remind people that they're loved. After all, it's cuddle weather, isn't it?

[resipiscent]

So is there a November holiday aside from Thanksgiving?

[23wishes]

I'd have to google it.

[How do you think she found out about this one?]

video;

[helpline]

There aren't any sort of bff flowers, are there? I'm not sweet on anybody, but I do have a few good friends.

[23wishes]

Actually, there are plenty! Though the yellow rose is probably the most well known. But I think you could get someone just about anything, as long as there weren't romantic flowers in the bouquet like red or white roses, and it would come off as friendly.

[video]

[timecapture]

I'd like a pumpkin!

... And maybe a bouquet. I'm not sure what kind of flowers to get, though.

[Psst, they're TOTALLY for Chloe.]

[23wishes]

Well, what kind of flowers does your partner like? We can build on it from there.

video

[scrap_metal]

That sweetest day sounds a lot like Valentine's or White Day. But this world having different traditions is to be expected.

What is Halloween? Holiday of pumpkins?

[ Since confusing naming conventions. If sweetest day isn't about sweets, halloween could not be about hallowing ]

[23wishes]

Well, I don't have Halloween where I'm from, either, but a lot of people have explained it to me. It's a holiday celebrated on the 31st of October and it's all about scary things! Like ghosts and witches and goblins and zombies. Carving scary faces into pumpkins is traditional. You put one on your porch or in your window with a candle inside so that the ghosts get scared off.

[Video]

[renamaer]

[Even though she stops by to help out most days at least for a little bit on her way home, she still feels the need to comment since Aerith was making a post.]

The flowers are all doing so well, I'm sure they'll keep everyone's spirits up as it gets colder.

[Also a vague niggling suspicion in the back of her mind...]

[23wishes]

I hope so too! I'm going to do my best to keep them happy and healthy and growing for as long as I can this year.

[She pauses for a moment and hums. She knows Estellise, after all...]

It was a lot easier where I was from. Snow never fell. There usually wasn't a frost. The Plate above us protected my flowers from that.

[mathemagier]

[What's this- another holiday to inspire a romantic gesture he may not have otherwise made?]

What date does that fall on precisely? ..And what sort of exotic sorts of flowers do you have in stock? My fiance is rather partial to strange-looking things.

[23wishes]

October 15th! You have plenty of time to find something for your partner.

[And from the sound of it, she'll need plenty of time to find something appropriate.]

What do you mean by exotic? Rare? Weird looking?

[Carnivorous???]

voice.

[glowsferatu]

Do us a favor and don't sell any to Julian Day. He'll be off of probation by then, but I'd hate to let him be tempted so quickly after.

If he tries to buy any, let me know. [ Will she be scolding him over it? Absolutely. ]

[23wishes]

Isn't that the guy who crashed the gala? I wouldn't sell to him anyway.

[He ruined her date.]