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Feliz Día de Muertos!! I know im a day late, but i still wanted to finish this as soon as possible. So as i was prepping the offrenda with my family for Day of the Dead, i got curious and wondered how each of the horsemen would react to the celebration!
Especially Death since this celebration circles around well- death.
[Note: These are just based on my experience since i know different places celebrate it differently. If i missed anything or i got smth wrong about DOTD, please let me know.]
DEATH
- He finds it intriguing that humans have a holiday where mourning the dead is exchanged for celebration.
- He's quick to understand the importance of remembering one as they lived rather than how they died. He can respect that.
- With all the colorful skulls decorated around town, some kids would offer to paint his mask, which he kindly refuses.
- He mostly watches and learns as you and your family prepare for the celebration, talking in all the colors and the smells of the flowers and sweet pastries.
- As he watches you set up the offrenda, you talk to him about all the fun memories of your loved ones who are now passed and seeing how you talk about them with happiness instead of grief, he's even more curious about this holiday.
- It would take some convincing to even get him to try some of the pastries. But he takes a silent liking to the Pan de Muerto. You can tell by how he takes bits of yours when you're not looking. He smiles under the mask when you call him out on it.
- Death may not be quite fond to the smiling skeletons' decorations sometimes as a way to 'mock' death but understands that humor is a part of the cultural holiday.
- If Death has the ability to see souls here, he'd see the true meaning of DOTD as both living and dead relatives sit together, enjoying the meals that were brough to them on the offrendas, and listening to the joyous stories told about them from their living relatives. He'd see that despite them not being alive, family always finds their way back to one another. Whether he'd tell you he sees your relatives smiling at you and your family is up to him.
- Death wouldn't care much to watch the Catrina contests, tho he agrees with the message La Catrina brings, that no matter how rich or poor you are, no matter what color or background you're from, in the end we all end up as skeletons.
- Hearing that message, he tries not to think about how little time he has with you. He has been there since the beginning of humanity, and he was there when they were wiped out and when they were brought back by his hand. He knows at some point you won't be around anymore. This holiday gives him a reminder to cherish the time he has with you now.
WAR
- War might be interested in the holiday from the idea that it's about "honoring the dead." He gets more invested when you tell him it connects to Aztec mythology and how the Aztecs used to bring offerings that would be useful for their relatives in their journey through the Mictlán/underworld. And you had to tell War that weapons weren't necessary anymore when he tried to bring a big sword to the offrenda for your relatives. But it's sat carefully next to it instead. "Just in case." He tells you.
- War quite enjoys the vibrant colors and scent of the Marigold flowers. You tell him it brings out his eyes, and you get a kick out of how quickly he hides his flustered expression. Frankly its only fitting since Marigold are considered as 'bright as the sun' for the spirits to find their way back to their families. And for you, he reminds you much like the sun.
- He also likes the gladiolus flowers since their name comes from Latin times meaning honor or victory.
- As you show War around in the cemetery and all the traditions of how DOTD is celebrated, he finds himself more fascinated with how rich and diverse the culture is. Its nothing like he's seen before. He wonders if Death would like this holiday.
- Not a chance are you getting him to get his face painted, no matter how much you beg him to do it. He'll settle on you getting your face painted instead.
- The parades are a new addition to the holiday, and he's not all that impressed by the creative floats and costumes humans made for the occasion. He'll enjoy you watching the contest for La Catrinas, but if you ever decided to compete for next year he would cross through entire realms to find the most magnificent outfit for you to make sure you'd win.
- He questions why humans choose to celebrate the dead on this day rather than mourning. You tell him that Day of the Dead is the time of the year that families come together and remember the ones who aren't with us anymore. It's also the time to reflect and appreciate life while we're still part of it. Hearing this makes him realize he does not have much time with you. Human lives are short compared to his. But he tries not to show his sadness, especially on a holiday of celebration of life and death. So he vows to protect you, keep you safe and happy for as long as you live. And he'll honor your memory both in life and in death..
STRIFE
- Strife is mostly there for the food and drinks sold around. He'll eat and try almost anything. But he likes the elotes con chamoy along with other spicy foods.
- As for pastries, he very much enjoys churros (possibly with a lot of toppings). But what you did not expect was for him to eat an entire sugar skull after you guys decorated them.
- This guy would so be on board on getting his face painted as a colorful skeleton if it means playfully mocking his brother Death 'for the occasion.'
- Strife would enjoy watching the folklorico dancers dance to the rythm of the music, the way the dancers swing and move their dresses to the flow he finds very memerizing to look at. (If you know a bit about folklorico, he might ask you to teach you some dance lessons, and also because he thinks he would look cool in those fancy suits. )
- Strife wants to be involved in the festivities as much as he possibly can. He'll help you carry things to the cemetery to prep the tombstones and offrendas for DOTD. And his eyes catch a glimpse not on the brightly orange Marigolds that illuminate the cemetery in its colors and aroma, but on the particular plum-colored flowers you set up in front of the stone of a relative. When he asks, you tell him they're called "mano de pantera," which means "panther's paw." And instead of explaining why, you gently place him fingers on the flowers to feel its soft texture. And immediately, he's found his new favorite flower.
- When you and him sit next to the offrenda, you talk about all the fun memories you had with each person whose pictures are on it. At one point he asks why you guys choose to celebrate death on this day, so you tell him it's to remind us about our loved ones who passed by how they lived rather than how they died. Its the time of the year when they can cross to the living realm and visit us for the celebration. It's also a time to appreciate the life we've got while it lasts. When he hears those words, he reminisces on the time he's spent with you since the apocalypse. He's happy he got the chance to meet you and celebrate this holiday of life and death, and he wants to make sure the time he spends with you is the best time of your life before you leave this realm.
- Without you or any of the horsemen knowing, he keeps a photograph of you somewhere safe at his place or on his person. So that when the time of year comes and you're not longer in the living realm, he sets up an offrenda just for you, to remind him that you're not as far apart as he thinks.
FURY
- Fury was very confused as to why humans would celebrate the death of their family members. But once you explain it a bit further and invite her to see for herself, she agrees if it means understanding a bit more about your culture.
- Fury doesn't get entirely involved with the games and festivities as much as Strife but she would enjoy a face painting session with you, she would make sure your skull makeup looks fantastic.
- But if you do get her into one of the games, she'll go all out just to win a prize for you (hopefully without breaking anything.)
- Fury is the only horseman who seems to dislike the marigold flowers. She says the smell is intoxicating, but she takes a liking to the red and white gladiolas. To you, they remind you of her not only by their colors but also by how they stand tall and proud, much like Fury.
- She most enjoys the sweet pastries compared to her brothers. Her favorite pastry being the Flan con chocolate.
- Once you tell Fury about the connection of DOTD the Aztecs and how they believed Mictlancíhuatl or the "Lady of the Dead" helped in aiding their loved one to the afterlife, she casually tells you "Ive met her once, she was nice." And she walks away smirking before you begin to chase her down with so many questions.
- At first she wasn't very excited to seeing the contestants for las Catrinas, but once she saw the very creative costumes that peaked her interest, she vowed that next year you and her will compete and will win.
- With Fury, she's always seen the death of humankind as a tragedy, tho she did not pity them about it at first. But the way that she sees the humans here celebrating death and even welcoming it as part of life. It very much contrasts the fear that she's seen in the faces of those she's saved when it all went down. Which makes her even more curious about the holiday.
- The more she opens herself to the celebration, the more she realizes that time here is short. And there will come a time when you won't be around for her to torment and mess with. She remembers the first time she met you in the ruin of your own home and seeing you now, alive and happily talking with family members and honoring your deceased ones. She wonders if she didn't save you, would she have seen your picture on the offrenda. Fury brushes those thoughts aside, for all that matters to her is that you're still here, and she knows how grateful you are for her saving you that day. If only she could express how grateful she is to have met you and to celebrate with your family on this special occasion.