dramatispersonae | turquoise

turquoise

[ 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. ]

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[ 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.

I'm not the guy to ask this.

I can't say I plan on ever dying, myself.

I've died. Hundreds of times over.

That many? You seem to still be in one piece, though.

[we wooooon't talk about spoilers she doesn't knoww]

I'm in the same boat as the Dog. Kill me and I come back.

Ah, I see. Well, then...

I dunno what happens when you die for good.

...but give the Dog "something." Souls got a way of coming back, so they're not disappearing.

... Right. That sounds best to me, too.

Something warm? Warm far something.

Is that the answer we're going with? If so, I'll turn it in.

Have at it.

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

something warm, something far, something.

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.

Cause it sounds best and it's closest to what we know.

Exactly.

[ 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. ]

It sounds the nicest, and it's closest to what we know about after-death.

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

Uhhh...

What kind of question is this supposed to be?

It's just what it is. When you think about dying, what do you think of?

I'd like to hope that it doesn't mean the end.

Something like a pause? Get your breath back, figure out if you want to stay quiet or go back and live again somewhere else.

Right. I think I prefer that answer over anything else.

[ 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. ]

Death's not an end. It can be the end, but that's if you don't wanna keep going. When you die, that's your rest after living. Stop, catch your breath, figure out if you wanna stay there or try living again in some other life.

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.

[put a hand on his head, like he has a headache or he's thinking hard]

Somewhere light. Like a field.

Somewhere nice. And peaceful, too.

Yeah. Big peaceful meadow with a bench or something.

- And all the parfaits you can eat, too!

Yes. And hotdogs! Endless hotdogs.

Exactly! It's a perfectly pleasant place free of any conflicts or whatnot.

I'll put that in.

It's a nice big meadow where you can run around or sleep or do whatever. It's warm, weather's pretty much perfect.

There's a bench where you can eat unlimited parfait and hotdogs. Or hotdog parfaits, whatever you want.

[ The gray space goes warm and vibrant, green grass and a bench sprouting up as if by magic: hotdogs and parfaits and every combination, all for your hungry mouth. It's a restful place, a good place, healing to the soul for the short time you stay there.

Something seems very remote about it, though. You are far away from that place: here and now, you are alive. ]

((endgame.))

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turquoise

round one part one

discussion

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round one part two

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round two

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round three

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