Video

[distantfuture]

From: Hecate
Date: Jan 23rd

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[The camera turns on to show what appears to be a rather large home (the upper half it) on top of a not at all matching yard. Hope's voice is heard from behind the camera.]

Is this normal for a temple? It's my yard from when I lived on Palumpolom, before Cocoon's fall. The house is not mine, but Lightning's. A friend of mine. However, even stranger still is this.

[He walks up the steps and opens the door, showing a matching hallway that leads into a kitchen and living space not at all the same architecture as what was on the outside. It was cleaner and more pristine than he remembered it.]

This is from Vanille and Fang's home, down in Gran Pulse. But back down the hallway behind me, is my room from my Palumpolom home once more. [He's back down the hallway to show the room that doesn't match the architecture on what was outside.]

I understand this place is to be my home as well as my temple. But for it to be some sort of mixture of my old home and my friends' home from the past... it doesn't sit well with me.

[It feels like trespassing. He almost wanted this to be some elaborate joke. But it clearly was not. He sighed heavily and turned the camera back around to show his conflicted face. He doesn't want to live there, he's not sure he can. It was a reminder of what he didn't have, of what was supposed to have happened when they reached the New World. He bites his lip and shuts off the camera.]

Comments

Text from Inti

[letteropener]

As I understand it, our temples take cues from our minds. In my case, these are a place that feels homelike. It seems in yours, too, your mind has impressed on your temple that it should be your home.

Is there no joy in living in a place that reminds you of home and friends?

[distantfuture]

It's hard to move forward when I am constantly reminded of the past.

[letteropener]

Shinki have no past, and would be envious of such a memory, I think.

But shinki or god, the past is the foundation on which we build the present to reach for the future. Your friends and family cared for you and wished for your happiness, did they not?

[distantfuture]

There's more to it than that. I'm not questioning whether they would be happy or not.

Merely if I'm trespassing on their, and my, memories of a time long ago. Cocoon fell a thousand years ago, Oerba, the place that Vanille and Fang lived, even longer. It's reminiscent of a time that I made new friends and family... but we were also at our most vulnerable. I would not be who I am today without that experience, yes, but it is a time I don't care to reminisce about either.

Our journey was supposed to have ended with the the new world, but I was sent here instead. Being reminded of what I am without is not easy nor so I find particular joy in it.

[letteropener]

You are not without them. They may not be physically present, but they are here and with you in your heart. What you remember may be painful for you, but it is as I said -- it is the foundation of your present, painful or joyous.

I understand how you feel. I was apart from my sister for a very long time, and I was reminded of that every twilight and every dawn. But that also kept me moving forward, for the day that we would be reunited. I do not believe we are trapped here forever. I believe we will return where we came from, sooner or later. So for now, your journey continues, I'm afraid... but you are not without a reminder of those who care for you, and times far harder than this one that you overcame. You have the strength of heart and mind to continue on.

[distantfuture]

[He'd told himself he could do this when he spoke with Ren. But it was easy for him to fall into despair when reminded of the past in such a stark way. It was going to take more than words to help him continue on but.]

Thank you. I suppose I needed that reminder. Again.

What's your name? I'm Hope.

[letteropener]

[She doesn't expect she can solve his problems with words alone, but she hopes that she can help.]

My name is Princess Celestia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hope.

If it would help, you and your shinki are welcome to stay in my temple until you've had time to adjust. I know how chaotic and overwhelming the first days in the Far Shore can be.

<text>

[ittenbari]

It looks pretty awesome, though! I'd live there!

I mean, if I wasn't already living somewhere else.

[distantfuture]

Thanks, I guess. Like I said, it's a mixture of three different homes. Homes from the past. I'll just have to live with it.

[And hope Lightning and Vanille aren't mad, should they ever arrive.]

[ittenbari]

I guess it's kinda tough when you remember everything. I think I might kinda like having things around to remind me of my friends, but shinki don't remember a thing, you know?

[distantfuture]

Yes, I can see how one would over having no memory at all. It isn't just my friends that it reminds me of, but of a time that I'd really like to not recall.

[ittenbari]

Do you have a shinki with you? Or friends here? Maybe if you make some new memories there, it'll kinda balance out? I'm not really good at this kind of advice, I don't think, but that seems like something that could work.

[distantfuture]

Just the shink I was assigned.

But thank you for the advice, it's better than nothing to be honest.

From Leo (Odin) | Voice

[brynwieldr]

That's fairly normal, yes. Neither of my temples have looked like anything specifically from home, but they look nothing like what a Norse temple should look like.

[distantfuture]

Norse?

[Oh. He probably means the culture of the god he was taking over for. Hope had read that his was "Greek" but he had no idea what that meant.]

I suppose some research is in order.

[brynwieldr]

Odin's pantheon. If you need research materials, I have an extensive library that doesn't have goblins or whatever it is that comes and takes the books after a day like the one in Heaven does.

[distantfuture]

That would actually be very helpful, they told me Hecate is a Greek goddess, but I don't know what Greek is.

[brynwieldr]

Originating from Greece, which is a country in a collection of countries called "Europe", which probably isn't especially helpful but gives you a starting point.

[Nerd.]

Just come by Odin's temple, and if a man with one eye harasses you just ignore him. That's my shinki.

[distantfuture]

[Hope's a nerd too, don't worry. This is all right up his alley.]

I see. I would definitely like to learn about the culture and society. I'll be sure to come by when I'm more situated.

video

[twin_star]

[This video posting thing is very different. (Different from what, though? Cell phones are nothing new, but these are quite fancier than the ones she knows. She didn't get a chance to play around with it much the last time she was here. Hokuto fiddles with it for a few minutes and replies back in kind.]

I'm sorry it doesn't sit well for you. It's beautiful, though. Maybe you could think of it as a part of your friends' well wishes for you.

[As a shinki with no memories of the people in her life, she thinks any piece of them might be nice to have, even if she didn't know she had it.]

[distantfuture]

[To be honest, it was different for Hope. Not that he was unfamiliar with the concept, since people did it back home but he was just not one of them.]

I... yes, their homes are beautiful. As were my parents' home. I can't say I don't miss them.

[twin_star]

It's okay to miss them. I'm sure I would miss my friends and family too, if I remembered them.

[She's not sure which is worse, to miss someone, or to have no one to miss. She would think the latter, but pondering on that makes her uncomfortable, so she doesn't linger on it much.]

Did you only just arrive?

[distantfuture]

[He really needed to get over the fact that shinki were those who died, but it seemed Hope would likely feel bad no matter what. But after a moment, he nodded.]

Yes, I did. It's a lot to take in, all of this.

[twin_star]

Isn't it though? [She grins at him sympathetically.]

Where do the new gods come from? Did you know you were going to be appointed, or did you just get summoned?

[distantfuture]

I was just summoned.

[He gives her a somewhat helpless shrug.]

I just woke up here and was told I was to be Hecate. Who she was and other details like that. Prior I wasn't going anywhere but a new home.