[Survey] ARC Survey 007: Yule’s Longest Night

It was his favorite night of the year.

The Longest Night.

It was cold outside as the wind howled, but he remained warm inside his small apartment. A piece of parchment on the desk in front of him, pen in his hand, gazing outside a window at the stars that twinkled lightyears away.

He considered his wishes for the new year, pondering as he stuck the end of the pen into his mouth. What did he truly want? One would often consider that of material wants… things like furniture or decorations, perhaps new equipment. That wasn't what he wanted, not what he was interested in. He was more of a Xero who enjoyed things in the more hygge sense. He enjoyed experiences, thoughts, and philosophies. He enjoyed sharing time with others, comfortable silences, and feeling like he belonged amongst others.

He craves not what the common Xero wants, but something special. Something that gave him that feeling of warmth in his heart that so few could offer. The one thing that could not be simply achieved by purchasing it, or receiving it, but rather through giving.

And with that thought, he began to write

—

My dear friends,

On this longest night, I request that you look up to the sky… and see beyond it.

See beyond the midnight darkness, beyond the pinpricks of light, beyond the planets that may obscure your view, and discover what you truly want in your heart of hearts. Think of those around you, of those you have yet to meet, those you will cross paths with every single day yet never say hello.

I want to remind you all of the times in which our ancestors had to gather around a bonfire, simply hoping that the Longest Night would soon pass, for they did not understand the science behind rotations and revolutions. The early days of Aluriza were ruthless, and required the combined hope of the community to bring those together that would suffer otherwise. Without energy, without heat, without warmth… but those that reached out felt that warmth in their hearts instead. We called that warmth hope, and it is a hope that I wish continues on for every Longest Night to come.

Hope is transformative. It can either bring you to your knees, or pull you up to face whatever adversary you are up against. It is an emotion that can be channeled, or lost in an instant. I'm happy to say that within the entire planet of Owai-6, that hope burns bright within all of us.

Harbor has been especially festive, as I have witnessed the celebrations, drinks, and fires lit in honor of that first ember. If you haven't come to see Harbor in this time, I would highly recommend it. It's a wonderful vacation spot, and the skies… I cannot do them justice.

Even the skies appear as if they were set ablaze with the hopes of many, as meteors come cascading past the atmosphere. Just close enough to be witnessed by the naked eye. It's an amazing sight, one that cannot be missed for it is rumored that should you count a thousand shooting stars your wish may be granted.

Do I believe this rumor?

Well, only time will tell. For as I sit beyond my own hearth, writing to you in the darkness of the Longest Night, I have counted a thousand shooting stars and I await my wish to come true.

I wish to see the smiles upon the faces of those I care about, and to hear their laughter as they enjoy life. For our time is limited, as is exemplified by our history. So why not spend the time aiming to be as happy as we can, to enjoy every moment given to us?  

After all, in the darkest dark is when the bonfires of hope were lit and let our way to a new future.

Wishing you all a happy new year,

Yule

—

Placing down his pen, he considered his words. Read them over a few times, and wondered if the advice column he normally wrote for would accept his answer. He really did try to spill his thoughts as clear as he could, and attempted his best to refrain from repeating himself. He thought he did a good job, but he wasn't sure if fell under the "advice" label he often wrote for.

In the end he decided it was good enough. It was a message of hope that he wished to share with others, so why would they deny it? Sure, he didn't actually count a thousand meteorites as he sat there, focused on his assignment… but who would check?

With a yawn and a grin, he folded up the piece of paper with every intent to mail it in an envelope to his workplace before he realized he would have to copy down all of his words digitally.  For all the advancement the future has brought, he still couldn't figure out how to project his words onto his computer screen and email it to his boss. It just wasn't the same as taking a writing utensil to the rough paper underneath his fingers.

Maybe that should be his wish, his wish was for technology to be more paper-and-pen friendly.

With that, Yule turned on this computer and began the arduous task of typing… one key at a time.