peridot

[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

[grade3enabler]

...I'm lucky enough to have avoiding 'dying' here.

I wouldn't think it was anything pleasant though.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

Keito-san says that everything dies eventually.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

[lets out a little whine of his own, shoulders hunching]

answer

[dramatispersonae]

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

Re: answer

[grade3enabler]

something warm

something close

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

[grade3enabler]

...We answered that way because we wanted to stay near the people important to us.

I don't think anyone on Peridot would let death get between them and the people they care about.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

Nobody really knows the answer, do they?

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

[grade3enabler]

Neither Lilypad or I ever died so we can't say we know about death...I guess we just answered what we wanted to believe in, so we didn't have to believe people we loved would be in awful places or would just cease to exist but...If you're going to believe in something, may as well believe in the best, right?

round two

[dramatispersonae]

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

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: discussion

[livebait]

[looking at Tetsu, curiously]

What does it mean? . . . everything dies . . .

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

[grade3enabler]

Death means a one-way trip to some place you don't know a lot about. It means you got to be careful if you're going to go on that trip.

Sometimes there's a time to die, or a time to choose to die. If you have to give your life to protect something important to you, then that's a good time for it...but you should make sure you know all the options first. An option that lets you live a bit longer is always better, so don't choose to give up your life without thinking things through first. You don't get to change your mind once you're on the bus to wherever the hell death is supposed to take you.

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]

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

[...oh.]

...It should be a good place.

answer

[dramatispersonae]

Re: answer

[grade3enabler]

We chose a place that was warm and close, somewhere where we could be with the important people we care about. Where we can watch over them when they're hurting after we're gone, and reassure them with a hug...or at least as much of one we can still give them.

But they'll know it's us and that we're still here for them. People have feelings about that sort of thing. They won't know for sure it's us, but they'll feel it.

result

[dramatispersonae]

Re: result

[dramatispersonae]

[ Warmth blooms in the featureless grey space, but almost all of it seems to come through a window: through it you can see the events of your loved ones, very close to you but still removed. Sometimes you can reach through, knowing that they can feel something, even if it's just a fading sensation of a smile...

You can't cross through the window now, though. Here and now, you are alive. ]

((endgame.))