More Big Questions. Video (cw: mentions of child slavery)

[myblueskies]

From: Romeo
Date: 14th April

[Romeo is sat crossed legged on his bed, his phone propped up against a pile of books. He is in what seems to be his bedroom, on the wall behind him there are pictures stuck to the wall. Many of them childish drawings of people and places in the heavens. Some of much better quality are most likely gifts he has recieved off his friends. He is holding a soft toy and he is playing with it's ears as he waits for the camera to load properly.

Last time he had had big questions filling his head he had asked them on the BBS and got some very good answers, so it seemed like the best thing to do now that he had more.]

Hello everyone! It's Romeo again! So last night I had a dream, 'cept it wasn't a normal dream it was a memory from when I was alive.

[He knows he needs to be careful! That talking about this could be dangerous for him and for other people.] Don't worry! I'm not trying to push my head and remember more things and I spoke to Elfnein about the important bit.

[The important bit being Alfredo. His friend. The brave boy with the kindest smile and the strongest heart who had swore eternal friendship to him.]

But I got... Some questions I guess because I remembered things and I didn't know them or I did but I forgot and it's a bit confusing.

[Like the volcano had been confusing. When everything Romeo thought he knew was slightly off and the world was all a bit more complicated and scarier than he thought. He punched the air, keeping his spirits up.]

Did you know you could buy kids?

Comments

[hypomeneo]

...

[Christ. From the mouths of babes. Waver can't remember his own slavery (and rule at the same time), but then there's this existence and any shinki reading this is going to be cringing, even if the Gods may be thinking no, no, no... I'm good, I can't possibly be participating in that.

The lines between servant and slave are so delicate, and Waver is aware of more than most shinki.]

... yes, Romeo. It's always a bad thing for people to do. You want to talk about that?

[Careful, careful... and for more reasons than the oh no memories - if he ever catches who made this system, he's hanging them by their intestines and feeding them their own liver - this is a delicate topic and Romeo's a kid and doesn't need Waver going rage mode on this.]

[myblueskies]

[Mister Waver was a really kind adult. He had taught Romeo how to play volleyball and it had been really fun. He's good and safe and Romeo nods sadly after a moment.

It was always a bad thing for people to do, it had felt bad. It had sounded bad and looked bad and he's been keeping his spirits up as best he can but cruel laughter still echos in his head.]

Why do people do it though? If it's always bad. I don't understand.

[Just like he hadn't understood why Sotero would make the volcano. But he sort of understood now. He did it because he believed the heavens had hurt his friends.

This. This didn't have any such sense to it.]

[hypomeneo]

It's hard to understand why people do what they do sometimes. Why they want to do that.

[Why us...

Waver breathes in slowly. His first priority is ensuring Romeo's safety, and that means being in a place where he is a safe person to talk to. That means gauging how safe Waver is himself at every point. Gauging the safety of anyone listening in. His hand hovers on making this private.

Their lives are in his hands and some would say that responsibility is a God's burden. Gods care for shinki. That is a falsehood of the highest order. They are all responsible for each other and their choices, whether they are in charge or not. A follower doesn't understand this, a leader does. Romeo may not age, but his mind will, and other realizations are to come and he'll remember this conversation down the line.

So Waver's responsibility is to lead now and guide. Do so from a position of empathy that a God may never comprehend.]

Truth is, every person who does that has their own reason. Some believe they have the right over others. Some are cruel and relish pain. Some do it because they believe they have no choice. Some do it out of love. Some do it to save a life. Some are forced into it. And some do it because they believe the other person is not a person at all.

Their reason doesn't matter much compared to the person going through it. What matters is how you feel about it, Romeo.

Text: Ginia

[unlucky7]

[Murderous rage is a mood that helps no one. It's a hell of a question to ask and combined with Romeo and his memories... dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. She steps away from her computer and takes a brisk walk around the floor of the tourism department to clear her mind.

Kids aren't supposed to be bought and sold, kids aren't supposed to be hurt or used like that. But Romeo's a shinki, isn't he? Amaterasu has plenty of children running around with her name attached to them. This system is no different.

Was she any different in life? Ginia stops by a window and stares out at the magnificent view of the Central District far below. There's a sliver of a memory and she wasn't a child, but she was younger than she was now. There was concrete and guards and eight others around her age. Was she any different? Was she? Was s̶͙̜̉͌͋ḧ̷̗̞́́ȩ̴̂

Ginia's hand slams against the solid glass as she pushes away. One, two, three laps around before Ginia returns to her desk with a clearer mind and a semblance of an answer for Romeo.]

It's not a thing that should happen, but it does because bad people exist.

Are you okay? Do you want to talk?

[myblueskies]

I'm okay miss Ginia. I woke up a bit scared but Elfnein helped me keep my spirits up.

[It had been a lot to remember. A lot of bad all at once.

But good too. Alfredo's promise. That was a good thing.]

I just never thought that you could pay money and get people before.

[unlucky7]

Anything can be brought or sold if someone is willing to buy.

[That was one of Ginia's earliest lessons when dealing with prayers at Ebisu's temple. More strange or unusual than illegal or immoral, but if there's a buyer, there is a seller.]

It doesn't make it right though.

video | from: Carl Adler

[smilingbullet]

[ Yikes, that is...some serious stuff. ]

It's a concept that I'm familiar with, yeah.

[ "Did you remember that happening to you?" ...he wants to ask, but you have to be careful when talking about a shinki's memories. ]

It shouldn't ever happen and yet it does.

[myblueskies]

It's a really bad thing. [It's strange to think about, the memories he has are things that happened to him but they feel so distant from his life here in the heavens that it's hard to make it feel like it really happened.]

And I hadn't thought about it before, I didn't think that something that bad would happen but then I remembered it.

[smilingbullet]

It is. I don't think it would be that easy to predict one might remember it, it's unfortunate that it happened.

[ You can't do anything about remembering, because who knows what triggers it, but things could have been different in the past, and it could have never had to happen in the first place. ]

private

[kokuyoyo]

[Oh. Hey. Chikusa knows about this. Of course he does. When he answers, his phone camera seems to be just... focused on a blank wall, while Chikusa is shuffling around doing something else off screen.]

Yes.

[....He might need to say more than that. He doesn't.]

private

[myblueskies]

Chikusa? [That's him right? That's his name but Romeo can't see him on the video, he can just see a wall.

But it's his voice.] I think everyone knew, but I didn't because I forgot. [Or more he hadn't thought. Because Chikusa, D2, Ginia and Waver were all shinki too, they hadn't forgot about the big bad things of the world. He hadn't thought that something so bad could happen. That people could be so cruel.]

[kokuyoyo]

No... Not everyone knows.

[There are a lot of people who wouldn't think about it... The kind of miserable and dark things that can happen in the world, because they don't think they would ever do it, or have ever experienced it.]

More people should, but they might not do anything even if they did.

Video; from Kairi

[pure_radiantics]

[ She looks very sympathetic. ]

I know how it can feel waking up with new memories... and if it's any consolation, I can't believe that buying children is something you can do everywhere. I've certainly never heard of it! That's so awful...

But if you remembered something like that, I still believe you. I'm just hoping it's not common.

video

[myblueskies]

[At least Romeo's not the only person in the whole heaven who didn't know. Maybe it didn't happen where Kairi was from, or maybe it did and she had forgotten like he had.

He hoped not though, it was so bad that he hoped there was some place where it didn't happen.] Lots of people said they know about it but I hope it doesn't happen everywhere because that would be really really bad and there has to be some places that are good and have lots of nice people in them. It doesn't happen here so that's good!

Re: video

[pure_radiantics]

Exactly. I'm glad it doesn't happen here, at least.

[ It certainly COULD if certain gods allowed it, but she's trying not to think about it that way. ]

How are you feeling after talking to so many people now?

Video; from Ksitigarbha

[royaltyloyalty]

[ He sighs. ]

Yeah... I know a little about that sort of thing. Not saying it's right.

[ He flattens his mouth before continuing. ]

Is Elfnein your god, kid?

Video

[myblueskies]

It's really bad!

[After talking to a couple of people he is firm in that opinion at least.

He nodded.] She is sir! Do you know her?

[cleansingstrike]

Aye, and yet I truly wish it were not so.

[myblueskies]

I wish it wasn't so as well sir, because it's a really bad thing for people to do!

[He's glad people have answered his questions but he's also a bit sad because it seems this is a bad thing that happens in lots of places.]

Audio

[dredefulchilde]

[That sound you just heard is Joscelin punching a wall. Poor wall.]

Come over. Now. My room.

Audio>action

[myblueskies]

Joss? [What was that sound? Is Joss alright? Was he mad at Romeo? He sounded mad...] Okay Joss I'll be there soon.

[He picks up his phone and hurries out of his room slipping on his shoes before he makes his way to mister Hakkai's temple.

It's a little while as they live in different parts of heaven but soon there is a soft knock on Joss' bedroom door.]

video

[phantomtrick]

It's pretty horrible. Do you wanna talk?

[Ren can lend an ear because it sounds pretty serious. He's not going to take this subject lightly at all. His demeanor shifts into a more stern expression.]

We can meet in person if you like.

[myblueskies]

[Romeo's very lucky that there's so many nice people here who will talk with him and help him make sense of all the bad things. It makes the world a lot less scary!]

Yes sir. Where would you like to meet?

Audio

[sing_for_me]

[ooc: if this is far too late I understand! ]

Hi Romeo.

[ Alex settles on one of the benches, trying to find her words. What he had asked struck a little close to home, and Alex also couldn't help but want to check on him. ]

I saw your video. You said you had questions..and I'd like to help if I can. But first I want to ask, how are you?

Audio

[myblueskies]

Oh hello Miss Alex!

[He's at Joss' now but he finds a place to sit so he can talk to her, it's very kind of everyone to reply to him and try and answer his questions.]

I'm okay miss, lots of people have helped me keep my spirits up!