crittersheep

Lily

[You're in your barn! That doesn't seem so bad--oh, oh wait, you're in the air.

Your barn, and honestly some of your stuff, is just floating on clouds. You can walk on the clouds too if you want, no one's stopping you. You will not, however, be able to return to the ground, far, far below you, no matter what you do.

At least not til the Ritual is complete.

Floating among everything else is your priest, who seems to have fallen into a deep sleep, and the barn's crystal flower.

After a moment, you hear voices resonating from the crystal flower--the holy beasts, their voices and minds melded as one, call out to you.

It asks your Flock 3 simple questions.]

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[Talk amongst yourselves here!!]

[You instinctively know you should give one collective answer after discussing this]

To be loved is to be ruined--would you rather die unloved but never have known the pain of being ripped away from your lover, friends, and family, or have a love one die, and carry the burden of grief?

[You instinctively know you should give one collective answer after discussing this]

Lily has the blessing to take life and give life. . .and have used this power freely. Is there any life you regret taking in this realm?

[You know instinctively only the Shepherd is meant to answer this]

If you were given the chance to solve all the problems, all the suffering, in this realm and your own, at the mere cost of sacrificing one of your Flock. . .would you, and who?

[sighs and tugs the Lady over so one of them is holding her; he’s slightly discomfited at the thought of all them and their stuff just dropping back out of the air post-ritual]

Was that really smart of him to do…? Well, better that than continued passivity, I suppose…

[peering....down]

We could have just fought them all. But he was probably looking to avoid that scenario. Maybe this will lead to a better outcome?

Maybe. The questions are rather pointed, though.

So I can see.

[not sure he likes what he sees]

...We can get everyone's opinion first. Thoughts on the first two questions?

Having faced both sides of the first question, either as possibility or as fact, I’d rather the first one. That said, with all the forces of this world listening, I do wonder if it’s not worth presenting a third option again instead of assuming we must face the binary; we must shape our answers for the result we desire, after all.

For the second, I do regret the lives we’ve taken in the wolf city, even Bea; a death from conflict that could so easily have been avoided is a waste. And I will regret Stormy’s passing, if he passes as a result of this ritual. Our own killings within the flocks, though…certainly any by accident, but in truth I’m not sure I regret the few done by design.

[listens with an attentive ear as he gets comfortable on a cloud]

Hmm...my situation is a little unique, so it's hard to have an unbiased opinion on the first question. Even if we wanted to pick the first option available I don't think it's one that's even possible. Unless you're a truly horrible person, it's impossible to go through life without touching people's hearts in some way. That doesn't mean carrying grief is an easier option, either.

As for the second, well. We've always done our best to avoid killing when we didn't need to, so even if I feel some regret, I don't know if it's as much as the question warrants.

Mm. It is…complicated.

I suppose the real crux of both answers is, what do we wish to do here? Bind the demon; convince Blossom not to run to her death; convince Prince Stormia not to do the same? There are many truths we can apply, and all of them are truths.

[since presumably all their stuff is up here he’ll also pick the golden flower that grew as the Wolf King shrank out of the air as it floats by, spinning the stem between his fingers]

There's a world where we all get out of this alive, and we get to go back home safe and sound. A world where Blossom and Stormy can find happiness and her mom never bothers anyone again. That's the truth I'd prefer to reach for.

[hums]

I wonder how one matches the sacrifice Stormia has made here without involving demons…? I suppose we could emulate him in what he’s staked upon it.

If that would be something we’re willing to do, it would also answer that third question nicely.

So, what, you want us to stake our souls on this?

One soul, or the equivalent.

If we could all share the burden of hosting the Lady’s, could we not share the burden here?

I don't know if I can stake my soul. As a purely legal issue, that is.

But we've always done things together and I don't think we should change that now. All of us or none of us.

Technically it is illegal for me as well, but it doesn’t seem to have stopped the demons here from trying to lay claims.

[exhales]

Let’s see what we can do. I suppose we can make use of these powers of ours freely one more time, if nothing else.

Death is a little busy at the moment, so maybe we can get away with bending the rules as we please and keeping anyone out of her domain for the time being. I'm just as happy with that option.

The first two are easy.

For the first one, I think the statement is totally wrong. Being loved doesn't ruin people. You don't become ruined when you lose someone—you just change. And you're changed by being loved too. If I actually chose to be unloved and to never know the pain of losing someone, I wouldn't be me. I'm the person I am because my family and friends love me. Scarab is able to be who he is because I've been loved. I don't know if I could've fought off his host subjugation junk in the beginning if I didn't have people who I wanted to stay myself for.

It's...hard to lose someone. And I know it can feel easy to wish that you never have to know pain, but that's not realistic. Part of living is learning how to deal with death, and learning how to hold onto the memories of your loved ones so you can share them with everyone else you love and will love.

And for the second one—it's a lot simpler. I regret every single life that's been taken. I'd take it all back if I could.

Yes.

It’s funny. I told Styx once I’d sacrifice you all to ensure that very hypothetical that last question poses, if I could bring you back afterwards. It feels like a long time ago, now.

It sounds like the kind of thing you'd say just to piss him off. Well, has your answer changed? Would you still do the same if you could bring us back? It's different if it's not permanent.

You mean each of us giving up a little piece of our soul? Do we know what that would do to us, like, long term?

You have a kinder heart than mine.

I do agree with the point about ruination, though, and both you and Lethe make a point that it is impossible to truly go through life in a vacuum, for most of us.

It is an interesting point that though there are four Holy Beasts involved, and the demon’s origin, none of them govern love.

Edited 2024-10-25 18:39 (UTC)

No, I don’t.

But it seems like…if there was ever a time to bet high, it’s now. And I am willing to put a gamble of life against Blossom’s gamble of death.

Oh, I meant it. I still mean it. You are all mine, after all. Killing has never been difficult for me, but a happy resolution could not ever be achieved by permanently founding it upon your bones, or mine.

That said, the act would hurt far more now, I think.

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Lily

[Gen]

[QUESTION ONE]

[QUESTION TWO]

[QUESTION THREE]

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