sapphire

[dramatispersonae]

[ The hill in the Ring dissolves, leaving you alone with your team in a soft, featureless grey space. The Dog's genderless, gentle "voice" speaks into all of your minds, less anxious and more confident now; confiding. ]

My name is The Dog Who Dies At The End Of The Story. I don't remember the name I had before that, and I didn't know what this one was either, not till I chose a new Master. I don't think I was supposed to do that, but I did, so here we are.

I understand being a dog, and sometimes dogs die. But I don't understand dying, even when I know what it is. . . and in order to make a choice about it, I need to catch answers. I've died over and over and not understood yet. Maybe some of you have, too. I wanted . . . to ask what you thought. . . ?

Thank you. . . I won't be able to answer for a little while, so if you would. . . please answer for me.

[ You know instinctively that while the Dog will not answer your words for a while, once it asks you its questions you will be able to speak your answers when you've reached a consensus and be heard. ]

Comments

round one part one

[dramatispersonae]

[ The questions click into your mind like pieces into a puzzle. You know that you must answer them together as a group. ]

In your story, you've just died. They're mourning you back where your body is, or they're not; I don't know how much they loved you in this story.

The rest of you is following a trail away. What's at the end of it?

something warm or something cold.

something close or something far.


something or nothing.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[appleofhiseye]

I don't think I care for this story much.

Re: discussion

[glorious]

What's at the end of the trail...?

[spectralhealing]

[ Looks visibly distressed - considering he is a spirit and knows he must have... died at some point to be one. Maybe? Something like that. He's just uncomfortable. It hits too close to home. ]

He died holding my hand. It was all I could do. I'd want... I'd want warm, closeness, something. Something, not nothing. Don't let it be nothing.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: one answer each for the three "or" choices. ]

Re: answer

[appleofhiseye]

Warm, far, and something.

round one part two

[dramatispersonae]

Why did you answer that way? Is that how you think it is, or know it is? How are you sure? Or is it just what you want to be true... has someone you loved died, and now you hope they're there?

Please help me understand.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[telepathetically]

[i'm still a useless curled up ball in the corner, flinching guiltily]

Re: discussion

[glorious]

...I think we at least covered some of that in the last round.

[spectralhealing]

I don't know if it's for sure because I can't remember, but I'm a spirit -- well, something like one? And I... had to come from somewhere, so it can't just be nothing. I know there's something beyond. Peace.

I held someone's hand as he died. I was there. He was suffering and he wanted it to end and that's all I could do.

[ Sounds like he's going to cry. ]

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: you can go into detail or not, but the thoughtfulness of your answer will affect your score and game results. ]

Re: answer

[appleofhiseye]

We answered that way because we believe it, more or less. Not everyone here does, but it was the closest we could come to a decision. Everyone here is from a different world, so we all have different understandings of how things are after life. For some people, it's how they know things are. For others, it's just what we believe, or we'd like to believe. I couldn't say if there's surety...it's just a feeling, something you'd like to be true, something you feel is true because of the experiences you've had and the experiences others have shared. We've all had someone that we care about die, or have died ourselves. We can either say that we know what we believe to be true, or that we hope our loved ones are there.

We couldn't all say the exact same thing in the end, because we've all had different experiences dealing with death and what we think or know comes after. We're still learning too, so I hope you'll pardon us if we don't fully understand either.

round two

[dramatispersonae]

What does death mean to you? Is there ever a time to die?

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[telepathetically]

—there's not! Not for good!

Re: discussion

[kayochin]

[This was totally the wrong game for the school idol??? She doesn't know how to answer.]

Re: discussion

[appleofhiseye]

[I'm not qualified to answer this]

Re: discussion

[glorious]

...Yes.

And also no.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

[ Please answer as a group if you choose to answer this question: you can go into detail or not, but the thoughtfulness of your answer will affect your score and game results. ]

round three

[dramatispersonae]

Tell me about. . . the place you talked about in the first question, even if your answer was that it wasn't a place. What it looks like and feels like around you. Just so I can. . .

Thank you.

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

answer

[dramatispersonae]

result

[dramatispersonae]