[69]

[silversnowfall]

[It was almost a relief, to hear about so many people going home recently, even as more were due to arrive.

It was too sad to mention, knowing that one of those people was Professor Nebilim. That she wasn't really returning to anything. Just to the completion of a sad tale of a boy who thought he should be able to do everything.

And now Nephry is lonely. She has been, off and on, for a while; she feels it especially strongly today. At first she tried cleaning the kitchen but now she's sitting there, chin against her hands, staring at the table. With almost half of the house away or out of commission...things are quiet.

In the silence, she turns to her journal for a while.]

What do you believe happens...when you die?

Comments

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

[He is silent for a moment before answering.]

...I know what will happen to me when I die.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

You do? ...Has it happened already in your world?

[Voice]

[de_bel_survivor]

[As the King of Bel, Kouki wonders if he's still subjected to the rules of reincarnation for humans.]

That usually depends on what you believe in. Either you join the cycle of reincarnation or get sent to the afterlife.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

So you have some kind of minimal choice in the matter?

[Written]

[eyesofstrength]

[Nephry is getting a written response because of all the days to see that sort of question, just had to be on the 11th anniversary of the death of the woman he loved and he had been thinking of that topic all day himself because when he returns home, that is all he has to return to as well.]

I gather you are asking more of our beliefs in our worlds since any who have died here can confirm what happens. [And sadly, he is among those who can confirm that as well.] In my world a child would be told that a person who died went to a far away place and someday when we were much older we'd see the person again. We believe that when a person dies, they are called to Heaven.

[Written]

[silversnowfall]

[She's found that children have a different understanding of death than adults. Not always a lesser one.]

Yes, I was thinking about what different worlds, or different groups in other worlds, believed. What you tell children - do you think it's true?

[written]

[notquiteheartless]

Sometimes, people mourn.

If not, you just die.

Body is incinerated, buried, frozen, donated to medical or scientific facilities, or other methods of disposal according to your stated wishes, those who handle the body's stated wishes, and/or the wishes of anyone capable of interfering at any point.

[written]

[silversnowfall]

That sounds very...mechanical. You believe people simply stop?

action;

[malkuth]

[ if nephry thinks she's fooled him, she's got another thing coming. she's a tough lady, and as good as any at hiding her discomforts, but peony knows her well and though he may behave casually, he's always hyper-aware of her tone of voice, her body language, every nuance of her movements and moods.

but this? she's not even bothering anymore, is she? which means it's time for a little royal intervention here, because he just can't abide an unhappy lady. especially if she happens to be nephry.

so here he is, padding into the kitchen on bare feet, pulling up a chair and sitting in it backwards like the uncivilized rogue that he is. resting his arms on the back of the chair, he drops his chin onto his forearms and watches her through hooded eyes, smiling like a wolf. ]

Hey, you.

action;

[silversnowfall]

[She doesn't have the energy to bother anymore.

That smile is so dangerous, Your Majesty. Be careful of your health.]

Hello.

[Voice]

[whydidisaverick]

Initially? I didn't believe in anything in particular. I thought when you died, that was just it. But at this point in my life, I'm not sure.

[It'd be a real shame if there wasn't someone up there laughing at him. =|]

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

Is there some sort of general belief in your world about what happens?

[ voice ]

[deceases]

... What kind of question is that? [ The tone in Natsuno's voice is almost bothered, were it not foremost so apathic-sounding, indifferent. ]

Do you just mean to ask if people here believe in an afterlife or not?

[ voice ]

[silversnowfall]

It could be a personal or a general question. ...You don't have to answer.

[ ᴠıᴅᴇᴏ ]

[symp3thy]

You wake up in Luceti, of course.

[ ᴠıᴅᴇᴏ ]

[silversnowfall]

[Oh, she almost laughed. That was sweet of you.]

Surely not everyone goes to a Malnosso enclosure to go on living.

[voice]

[notabluesbro]

What that last girl said. [Yup. He rolls his eyes at the thought.] You wind up in some magical barrier-sealed world with crazy shifts and weird wings. Not such a bad deal, I guess, right?

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

Not always. But not everyone here is dead.

[Voice]

[4starsavior]

Oh, this one's easy! First, you gotta wait in a really long line. Then, once you get to the end, Enma looks over all the stuff you did and decides if you go to heaven or hell! Or you can go train with King Kai if you wanna - that's what I did, anyways.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

A long line? ...Of other...people who have died?

[Action]

[distressedude]

[Ever since that strange incident on what was supposed to be his birthday, Ion's been pretty under the weather. He came home and proceeded to sleep for the whole day. Even now, he still feels a little out of it. But not so much that he can't manage a few conversations over the journal--]

[At least, until he sees this entry. Along with the few that came up before it.]

[In minutes, he's put on his robe and headed out into the hallway, shooting a glance back at Nephry's room only for a moment before going into the kitchen-- there she is. With a smile, he takes a seat across from her at the table before she can say anything about him being up right now.]

Good morning, Nephry.


[...it is very clearly not morning, but his bed-head says it all.]

[Action]

[silversnowfall]

Good afternoon, Ion.

[With the shadow of a smile. Correcting him, or telling him to go back to bed, won't do much to dissuade him from sitting there.]

Are you feeling better?

[voice]

[folklorist]

I suppose it depends on your beliefs. Th-there's many variations of the after life in my own world. I-I'm not sure which one is true or not.

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

And I imagine you aren't...quite ready to find out the hard way?

[voice]

[redjacketthief]

I'm not sure--not one to think about that kind of stuff. I only hope that I leave a pretty corpse and that peope have fun stories to tell.

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

A pretty...

I must say that is a unique answer.

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

[There's some silence on Asbel's end before he gives his answer.]

...I guess I'd never really given it a lot of thought.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

It's all right, if you haven't. It isn't something I...try to dwell on, either.

[magentarific]

You get reincarnated. Or you get stuck in an afterlife boarding school for people who lived unfair lives where everyone's either dead or an NPC until you become satisfied and allow yourself to disappear and your soul to be reincarnated.

This may be my favorite tag here.

[silversnowfall]

You're not the first to mention returning. ...I'm not sure what you mean by "NPC" though. Is that something in your world?

[Voice]

[of_sablier]

I'm afraid it's not really as dramatic as all of those stories and books make it seem.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

I wasn't asking about stories. I wanted to know what individuals think. ...Or, I suppose, what different cultures believe.

[voice]

[neverplaysfair]

In my world, you get to play a Game.

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

What sort of game?

[Voice | Private]

[wise_maiden]

... Has asking this helped you?

[Voice | Private]

[silversnowfall]

I'm not sure if help is what I wanted.

...No, not really.

[Voice]

[broji]

Well...

[Ginji's quiet for a moment as he tries to sort his thoughts on the matter into words. He's no stranger to death. Not after the massacre in Sheridan.]

I guess there isn't anyone who knows for sure, but I've always liked to think that when people die, they're set free.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

[A silent moment.

This is, perhaps, the most interesting answer of them all.]

Free?

[voice] shh not late

[presumablyalone]

In my world you turn into a ghost after you die.

[TOTES NORMAL FOR HIM TO JUST WALK AROUND AND SEE THEM]

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

All the time, no matter what?

[Voice]

[hisdarkmark]

How is that even a question? When you die, that's it. There are no second chances, not unless you turn into a ghost.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

[Way to insensitive, Draco.]

That doesn't necessarily refer to second chances. If your world or your culture believes that, however. thank you for answering.

[Voice]

[so_shik]

Well...[Huh, this is kind of a touchy subject, but she can't just ignore it.] In my world, a few things can happen. It really all depends on your circumstances.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

A few things? You know this for certain?