Audience - Neverah

[holyspirits]

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week 1, tuesday

[holyspirits]

[ ramiel is out in the market in whoville. the time is up to you, because either way they're just idly poking around at stalls.

when they see neverah they straighten up and put their hands behind their back. ]

Hello.

[darkholder]

Hello.

[giving them a nod in greeting.]

I had a question for you, again.

[holyspirits]

Of course. How can I help?

[darkholder]

[pulling out her pocket watch! nifty.]

Someone offered this to me, earlier... I was wondering if it was another - glitch.

[there's just a half second pause as she tries to remember the word]

[holyspirits]

[ they squint. wait they're glowy. you don't know that they squint... ]

That... is a possibility.

Who offered it to you?

[darkholder]

I didn't ask for their name. They looked - strange. Some kind of creature I don't recognize. It came with a variety of other options, though. A pen, a letter, a bandage...

[she does not know what a zine or a teddy bear is]

[holyspirits]

[ sorry she doesn't know what a teddy bear is? this is devastating information. ]

Everyone's appearances have been shifting this week... Are you sure it wasn't someone you know?

[darkholder]

[the world is dark......... but she shakes her head.]

Nobody's has shifted that much. Speaking of which, though, do you know why that's happening?

[holyspirits]

There are side effects as you adapt to Heaven. Especially when your souls aren't fully integrated yet—since they need to retain some tether to your lives in order for us to offer you a second chance.

[ hmm. ]

I suppose it might be another glitch. Or a ripple effect from the core flaw... But it does seem relatively harmless.

[darkholder]

[sighs a bit.]

Yes, this seems harmless enough. But has anyone asked you about the garden yet?

[holyspirits]

Yes.

That is... not ideal. Though it does make enough sense for there to be temptations as part of your trial.

[darkholder]

... Does that mean it was put there by design?

[holyspirits]

I don't want to believe so, because again—there's no precedent for interference in Heaven. And similar to the way that foods and drinks and just being here can affect you as you adapt, not all things are done by design, necessarily.

[ but like. they aren't stupid, so. they let out a low exhale. ]

It's a possibility? I don't know.

[darkholder]

...Has your god considered putting a pause on this program until the glitch can be eliminated?

[holyspirits]

... The idea has been discussed, but for the time being we are continuing as planned.

[darkholder]

Why?

[holyspirits]

[ because it would be wild to do a 2 week mg in spring and send everyone home immediately ]

This isn't to minimize the tragedy that occurred here, but the unexpected is a part of existence. While we would obviously have preferred that your judgment come after a period of peace and relaxation—how you behave in these circumstances is still the truth. And your judgment is an assessment of your truth.

[darkholder]

[the joy of getting icly mad at necessary mg mechanics ilu mods i'm sorry]

Yes, that's fair enough. [and she sounds sincere about that! shit happens.] I don't even disagree that the idea of temptation is a good test, either. If someone is stupid enough to fall for that, they deserve consequences.

But what happens to the people who end up like Charlie because you decided to continue?

[holyspirits]

[ i love her and she's perfect and she's reasonable!!! :yell:

however ramiel doesn't have a great answer to that so their shoulders just slump a bit. ]

We don't intend for the same thing to happen again. And we are still searching for her soul. So... I suppose that's something I can't answer until we find it.

[darkholder]

And how do you intend to stop it, now that there's a garden offering people rewards in exchange for murdering each other?

[holyspirits]

Do you expect those offerings to work on anyone?

I think that they aren't even very good compared to an eternity in paradise.

[darkholder]

...You have more faith in people than I do, I think.

[holyspirits]

We wouldn't be running this program if we didn't.

Do you find the apples tempting at all?

[darkholder]

No. I'd like to think I'm not that idiotic; I know a trick when I see it.

But I wonder - if that faith ends up leading to someone else here being killed, who would take responsibility for that?

[holyspirits]

The one who killed them.

[ not a hesitation out of denial, just. somber. ]

... As well as us.