[Action/Video]

[othersdie]

[Justin, unaffected by the cold induced by sitting near the fountain that the City had seen fit to drop him into during winter, finally tires of waiting for what he’s convinced what must be a trick of the mind to dissipate and resolve itself into the nothingness of death. For a lack of any other distractions, he fumbles with the device he had found in his pocket earlier.

He doesn’t fully understand why he would bother hallucinating what resembles a camcorder. The brain is truly a strange and unfathomable thing.]

Am I dead yet?

[It’s a ridiculous question. He still exists enough to imagine things; the answer is clearly no.]

If not--if not, I hope this doesn't last long.

Comments

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

Not allowed?

[beifongbandit]

That's what I said. People who die here just come back a while later.

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

That's imposs--

[No, maybe not impossible. Not from what Justin has heard.]

How? Why doesn't anyone stay dead?

[beifongbandit]

I don't know. I guess it would be boring?

This is the City, by the way, if no one's told you. Be prepared for a long stay.

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

Boring for whom? Not the deceased, surely.

Thank you. I'll give up all hope of leaving now so I won't be disappointed later.

[beifongbandit]

The watchers. The deity-people. At least, that's my guess.

Good idea. There's nothing more annoying than listening to someone whine about it all the time. [ Unless it's her. Then she's totally justified. ] So, you okay? Didn't fall into the fountain, did you?

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

"Deity-people"? You're the first to mention any... higher powers. Prison guards.

Other than possibly being deceased--yes, thank you. And yes, I fell into the fountain. Judging by the number of towels I've been offered, I assume that happens a lot.

[beifongbandit]

The deities claim to run things. I don't know if they do, but that's what they say, anyway. You can thank them for being here.

It's like the fountain is a magnet for newbies. There's a Welcome Center around nearby that usually hands out the towels, I think.

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

You can talk to them?

These deities must have a perverse sense of humor.

[beifongbandit]

Sometimes. They have a building in the City.

Now you've figured it out. Smart boy! I'm pretty sure that we're just here to amuse them.

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

A building. That seems... unusually pedestrian for deities, even if they're only looking for entertainment.

May I ask for your name?

[beifongbandit]

Well, like I said, I don't think they're deities. They probably just have weird powers.

I'm Toph. What's yours?

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

That's comforting. [In the way that it isn't.]

Justin. Nice to meet you.

[beifongbandit]

It could be worse.

Justin, okay. Good luck.

[othersdie.livejournal.com]

Things can always be worse.

Thank you, Toph. The same to you.