[Alluvion Academy]A Design of a Holiday

by **Moritz Craven** on July 12th, 2020, 1:59 pm

10 Summer 520

Heading into class, Moritz saw that today the desks were bunched into small groups. As he entered his instructor Priya waved at him with a smile on her face.

"Moritz, take your seat, find a group. We will be doing a group project today."

The young kelvic nodded and looked about, finding a grouping of tables with an empty chair. Taking his seat he found himself with two other children, a boy and a girl. The two of them were talking, the girl in a loud tone that almost seemed to be a yell while the boy was slouched and speaking in a low timid tone.

"...I don't know, she'll probably tell us after everyone sits. Oh, hello, your Moritz aren't you? The kelvic boy? I'm Sady, this is Phillip. Oh, you do have those weird eyes don't you?! So cool... Whats it like being a kelvic? How old are you? I hear kelvics age...."

Moritz listened to the stream of words coming from the girl, not having a chance to get in a word of response between the many questions. He felt she would have kept going if not for the last student taking his seat and the instructor quieting the class.

"Now students, today we will be working on our composition. I want you to work together and write and design a holiday. Something seasonal. So pick a season, work out a holiday, and fill out the details of what you do on it and such. Then together we will read them over and compare and vote on which is best. Alright? We will touch base again in an hour."

With that instructor Priya headed to the front of the class, and then slowly began to make rounds from one table to another to assist.

Sady immediately turned to the Moritz and Phillip and began speaking.

"Oh! So exciting! What do you all think! What should we have! Maybe something with colors! Or food, or..."

Phillip speaking up quietly raised his hand to get their attention, before quietly speaking.

"How about... Fall... Fall has colors, and... Things... We could make it fall themed."

Sady hopped in her chair, clearly excited, as she responded.

"Ooh, yes! Fall! Fall is so good! Not so cold like winter, but not so hot like summer. Fall. You know, with the leaves and things. I visited Syliras with my parents once, we took a boat, and they had all these colored leaves everywhere on trees. The Fall in Fall, I think thats why its called that. What about you Moritz, any ideas for Fall?"

Moritz, a bit overwhelmed by all of the girls talking, took a moment to respond.

"Uh.... Yeah... Fall is when things change you said? Leaves fall away. How about... Something on the theme of change, and things falling away. Like... Well something I always think, people aren't truthful enough all that often. So how about a holiday of making a change of what you do, of letting the lies fall away Of a day all about being truthful to everyone and letting the lies and half truths and deceit fall away."

Sady clapped, still hopping in her chair in excitement.

"Yes, yes, I love it. What about you Phillip? The Fall of Lies! Thats the name! We should call it that. Will you take notes Moritz, my writing isn't clear."

Moritz nodded and took the quill and paper, pulling the inkwell closer to him. With a scratch he wrote out the letters carefully, ones he had learned but a season prior and now was reading and writing. He seemed to skip several age groups each season, so far it was uncommon for him to be with the same classmates more than half a season.

It made it harder for him to make friends with the other children, but he seemed to age in tandem with his learning and grasped the knowledge much quicker than the other children. But then, he was also a rather serious and dedicated child.

Scratching out the words in a calm and even hand Moritz wrote the title. The Fall of Lies.

W: 687

by **Moritz Craven** on July 12th, 2020, 2:51 pm

Seeing that they had got some work done on the basics of their holiday, instructor Priya stopped by.

"So you have picked season, fall, and a subject... The fall of lies? Ah, as in fall, and also the lies... Falling away? Not bad. Oh you picked the name did you Sady? I should have known. Well that is a good start, but now you need to flesh it out. Pick how the holiday works. How is it different from any other day? Are there any holiday foods? Customs? The like."

With a smile Priya headed off, working with the next group of children.

As usual Sady began speaking right away.

"Ooh, food, lets pick some food! Cake! Lets do cakes, those are so good! The little ones, where you can eat them in one bite. Or chocolate! My father brought some home once from a trip, its so good to. Or chocolate on a cake! Mini chocolate cakes!"

Phillip once more raised his hand to get Sady's attention, needed since the girl seemed to talk at high volume and speed without end until someone cut in.

"Shouldn't... Well those are... Not really on a theme are they? How about something... On the holiday. What would be... Food that doesn't lie?"

Both turned to Moritz, which made him pull back in recoil in its suddenness. Apparently his earlier good idea had left them to think he was... In charge? Or at least, good at coming up with ideas.

"Ah... Well, if we want food on a theme, and the theme is no lies or letting the lies fall away... Well we want honest food. So... It can't be hiding anything. So how about simple food made of one item. Like... Skewers, where you can clearly see each item on its own. Or items that consist all of one thing. Like whole fruit, and things. No lies, no deception or hidden further things. So... I guess no spice or other things which might not be obvious."

Sady pouted for a moment, before beginning to speak again.

"Well, its not as exciting as chocolate, or cake. But I guess it makes sense. And skewers of food can still be fun! Ooh, maybe I can talk to mother, and she can have some made. We could try it the food, see if its any good!"

Interjecting, Phillip once more raised his hand to get the others attention,

"Uh, but teacher said we would go over the holidays in a bell... I don't think we have time to make and eat food... And to bring it back here."

Taking notes, Moritz continued to scratch away with the quill, noting down what had been decided and noting them out loud.

"Honest food without any deception. Singular visible items made of one ingredient like fruit, or with each ingredient clearly visible like skewers with each item separate. No spices or things not clearly visible."

Turning to the other two Moritz scanned his writing so far, and added another entry. Customs.

WC: 503

by **Moritz Craven** on July 12th, 2020, 3:23 pm

Reading over his work Moritz turned to the other two.

"So, we have a name. A basic idea. And food. What about the specific customs?"

There continued a confusing mishmash of speech from all three.

"So no lies. Yeah but more specific than that. How about actively working to tell the truth? How about seeking out people you've kept things from, and telling them. Ooh, that could be romantic, like professing your love? Sure, why not. Telling the truth, it shouldn't just be revealing bad stuff, its about being open and honest. Yeah, but it also has bad things. But on this, maybe focus on the good. So its about being open, honest, and truthful, no deceptions in ones words. Yeah I don't think my mother would be good at that. Yeah mine as well, she always seems to lie... Maybe its an adult thing. Yeah, this might be more of an adult holiday, if your already telling the truth all the time then there is nothing to reveal. Yeah, true, but it'd be a good excuse to get others to do it."

As they kept at it slowly Moritz began to take notes, finding the relevant bits they all agreed on and noting them out loud as he wrote them down.

"Being open and honest in actions and speech. Actively going out and telling people the truth who you previously have kept things hidden from. Revealing true feelings and thoughts. Professing ones truth. Acting without deception in ones dealings with others."

Looking over the list, the customs seemed simple enough but also clear. Hopefully enough so that they could be acted upon.

By then most of the class was finishing up, and one by one the groups had to head to the front of the class to explain the holiday they had designed. Once they were up front Phillip hid behind Moritz, and Sady handed him the paper with their notes.

"I talk too fast, your better at speaking. You explain it."

With a shrug Moritz took the paper and looked it over before speaking to the class.

"Our holiday is for Fall, and we call it The Fall of Lies. It is a day in which lies are supposed to fall away, leaving only the truth in your words and actions."

"The customary food is honest food without any deception. Singular visible items made of one ingredient like fruit, or with each ingredient clearly visible like skewers with each item separate. No spices or things not clearly visible."

"The customs for the day are..."

Not quite just reading off the paper, but more or less repeating what they had discussed, Moritz continued till he had gone through all of the details.

Once he was done the class politely clapped, and the next group made their way to the front.

Moritz quietly listened, but his mind kept falling back to their own holiday and the scratched words on their paper. All three had written their names on it, so that it could be handed in to the teacher.

Once everyone was done instructor Priya went to the front, and took out some slips of paper.

"Now, each of you individually vote, not as a team. However there is a rule. You cannot vote for your own team. You have t vote for another. That way, we don't get everyone just voting for their own team. So, write down your holiday you wish to vote for, turn it into me, and we'll count them all up."

Moritz scratched his choice on his bit of paper, a holiday involving fruit and uncooked foods which he thought was interesting, and then turned it in. Once all the votes were in he was surprised to find his own team and holiday had won, being the favorite of the class.

Which made Phillip and Moritz smile, and Sady to jabber on for a good half a bell after the class was over.

WC: 658