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.

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.

round two

[dramatispersonae]

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

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]

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

discussion

[dramatispersonae]

answer

[dramatispersonae]

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

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. ]

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. ]

answer

[dramatispersonae]

result

[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]

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

Re: discussion

[livebait]

Keito-san says that everything dies eventually.

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

[...moving closer to him]

...Yeah. It's not a good thing, but it's inevitable.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

. . . can you explain? . . . I don't know. I've lived for a long time.

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

...Explain what death means, or why it's inevitable?

Re: discussion

[livebait]

I don't know. I don't get it.

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

Well um...

When Death happens...You know how everyone has their own personality and way they act -- all those things that makes them unique, right? A lot of people call that a soul.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

Does it stop?

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

...I don't think it stops.

I think what happens is that the body just gets weaker over time, or sometimes something happens and it takes a lot of damage, but it means that the body can't hold a soul anymore and the soul has to go elsewhere.

A lot of people have different ideas of where it goes. No-one really knows because when a soul goes away, it usually doesn't come back. And if it stays as a ghost, it usually can't talk or explain what's going on.

Re: discussion

[livebait]

A ghost??

Re: discussion

[grade3enabler]

Yeah...A ghost is when a soul kind of stays behind because they got stuck, but they usually end up repeating whatever it was they were doing when they're alive. Most people say it's because they had some unfinished business and died before they were ready, so people try to help them get unstuck.

That might be what the Dog means by 'something close'. That path probably means we'll be staying near where we were.