Ceremonial curiosity

[heirtothearcane]

In the past few years the Nexus has become more of a home for Viatorus than his own world, despite its strange and changeable nature. So then perhaps it is not so odd that he finds himself feeling more comfortable here than there, able to talk to strangers with nary a stutter. Mostly. Though whatever nerves remain they're still a far cry from how he was when he first came here. Now he can sit and think, his head clear and undisturbed by the passers by.

He sits and watches the crowd flow through the streets, shuffling the ring on his ring finger in slow circles. For once he's without a book in hand, not even with a tea nearby. In fact, he looks quite composed for someone so easy to fluster. Perhaps it's the distraction of speculation, for he certainly sounds like he's been mulling over this a while.

"Do you think that ceremonies hold power? Do they influence anything or do you think they're purely symbolic? Are they an expression of hope, or a way of channelling power?"

Comments

[neonboogeyqueen]

"It all depends on your world's magic, and how ceremonies are performed," Éclipse answered, her Skitty on her shoulder and her Alolan Vulpix in her arms. "In my world's case, ceremonies are more symbolic than anything, but some can channel power if you know the right rites. Unfortunately, most of those rites has been lost to time."

[mudblood_andproud]

"There are many ceremonies that hold power, and others that are only completed because of tradition." Hermione takes her time to answer this question.

"It depends on what power that ceremony has for others, in a fashion."

[to_the_wolves]

Marie has been sitting at a table nearby for the past hour, not really noticing Viatorus or anyone else who's walking by. There's a laptop out and she's been quietly huddled over it, silently typing away on the keyboard, occasionally pausing to read over her screen. There's something relaxing about hearing the different visitors of the Nexus talking, instead of being locked in a quiet office all day.

When she pauses to give her eyes a break from the glaring computer screen, she manages to overhear Viatorus speaking, silently pondering his question. Without looking suspicious, Marie turns and sees him meddling with the rind on his finger. Oh. She can take some logical guesses, but it would be rude to assume. With one hand, she closes the laptop, putting it away in a nearby messenger bag, then stands up eagerly. Walking over to where Viatorus is sitting, Marie has a friendly smile on her face, one hand grabbing the handle of her bag tightly. Despite her serious appearance, she's very friendly when addressing him.

"I think ceremonies have a great deal of emotions instead of power. My former home-world wasn't anything special, just another Earth, but often we enjoyed holidays and birthdays with friends and family. Peaceful and happy times." The Nexus, however... "I've experienced the opposite as well, mainly with business partners. The celebration is most always about power and money."

[coldsong]

This is the type of question most likely to get Loki's attention, given his current course of study. What is magic? What is the divine? You know, light, easy questions like that.

He appears rather abruptly, not exactly within the other man's personal space, but only few feet off to his left. "An interesting query. In my experience, a ceremony is, at its simplest, a method by which to connect events through time. We celebrate our child's birth because our parents celebrated ours."

"...well. Some of us had parents who celebrated our birth, anyway. My point is, it makes for a chain of tradition connecting us to our ancestors and to our children's children yet to come."

"But if you are speaking of something more along the lines of a magical ritual, that, I would say, is normally a focus for energy and will, much like a magic wand or a stone of power."

[brother_alone]

"There's a method to repetition. Chanting, doing the same thing over and over."

Viatorus has seen a good number of familiar faces recently thanks to some happy events, but this is one that hasn't been seen by much of anyone for quite some time. Joshua's thinner than he used to be, his hair a curly mess that makes the Scholar's seem neat and orderly by comparison. The shadows under his eyes are immense and his cheeks are sunken.

But he's aware. Tired, but aware.

"Isn't that kind of a ceremony? Saying things, doing things over and over again? Sometimes it helps you remember something. Important or otherwise. Indigenous people....back in my world...had all kinds of ceremonies and rituals."

[jarheadclan]

"Y'know, if somebody asked me that a couple years ago, I'd say ceremonies were all bullshit made up to make people feel important."

To someone living in the tropics, it's pretty chilly out this time of year, so Jake's already broken out his fluffy coat and boots to keep him warm. There's no hiding his height, of course, his nine-foot frame towering over a good deal of the foot traffic in this part of the Nexus. His pointed ears are perked forward at attention, looking down curiously at the man.

"It's probably still bullshit for some of 'em," he admits after a moment's thought. "But not all. Some rituals are the real deal; I've seen it myself."

[grantuseyes]

Oh! A familiar face! A narrow category to begin with when you're as terminally scatterbrained as Micolash. But doesn't that make it all the better when he does spot someone he knows?

Micolash makes his way across the Plaza, having first heard the question before realizing who was asking it. He waves one hand up high up, over the usual crowds, and calls, "Viatorus! Yoo hoo! Hallo! Hallo, Viatorus, it's me, Micolash!" You know, in case you forgot what the guy with a cage on looked or sounded like. By the time he's reached the other man, he's all smiles and wrings his hands with eagerness.

"Oh, it's been terribly long, hasn't it? I scarcely know where to begin! Oh, perhaps with answering your question? Ceremonies hold all manner and matter of powers. Conducting them with certain materials or...parts, or simply a ritual carried out as sacrament. Communion, baptism, penance, ordination, anointing..." He drones the examples, ticking them off on one finger at a time. "Religious ceremonies in particular are part expression, officiating and imbuement of power.

"It was known that Vacuous Rom held knowledge of all rituals, but kept them to Herself. This engendered a dreadful amount of resentment against Her by both the scientific and religious communities. Though there is...a great deal of overlap of the two in Yharnam. Myself being an example!"

[fictionings]

If nothing else, ceremonies, theatre and spectacle, do have power over hearts and minds. The topic was covered rather extensively at the Kinderheim.

But Viatorus could ask about any subject and Johan, liking familiar faces, would approach him all the same. “I would say they fulfill a need.” Social or psychological. Some sort of desire. He shows a faint smile but glances down at the ground, aware he risks coming across as cold. “In exchange, people do what they otherwise would not. They endure discomfort; they make allowances.”

It’s not that he’s judgmental, merely detached. If he needs to, he can pretend to feel something about birthdays, weddings, the prospect of graduation, or whatever else. He knows he is supposed to.