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deleons2021-02-11 01:11 pm
pantheraliam) wrote in deleons2021-02-11 01:11 pm
Entry tags:
The Limbo Meme
You’re not sure how it happened, or maybe you are. Was it a hero’s death, or the desperate last moments of a coward? Maybe you died to protect someone, maybe you fell on your own sword, maybe you passed away peacefully in your bed one night, or maybe you were taken out by force. Whatever the reason, you are now neither here nor there, no pearly gates or brimstone in sight. This is what they call “limbo”, a liminal space made not to exist in, but to pass through on your way to a more finite destination. Even so, there’s no telling how long you might be stuck here, nor who you might encounter.
Directions:
-create a top level, either blank or with a prompt or preferences
-select a number, letter, or combination of the two from the lists below if you wish
-tag others and enjoy being dead
(OTA all canon characters and OCs)
How long have you been here?
1. Newly dead; You haven’t been here long. Maybe you don’t remember how you got here, or maybe you do. You might be scared, confused, disheartened, or even relieved. You’re not the only one drifting through this strange place, so maybe you should ask a familiar - or unfamiliar - face what’s going on.
2. Getting your footing; You’re not exactly a seasoned death veteran, but you’ve been here a while, and whether you like it or not, you’re almost starting to get used to this place - but when will it be time to move on? And who’s that new person who just arrived? That person in the corner has been here as long as you have, if not longer. Maybe you should talk to them.
3. A seasoned spirit; You’ve been here for years, or decades, or centuries. Perhaps you’ve learned how to drift in and out with how long you’ve been dwelling in this strange place. You could give a newbie some advice, or maybe ease the frustration of someone who has been here not quite long enough to accept what their existence has become - that they’ll become you. Then again, maybe you’re just angry you’re still stuck here at all.
What are you doing?
A. Asking questions; How did you get here? How did you die? Will you ever see your family or friends again? Is that one of them? When will you move on to the next stage? Who’s that weird guy standing in the corner over there? You’ve got questions and you want answers.
B. Facing your killer; You know how you got here, you know who’s responsible, but do you know exactly what you’d have to say to them if you saw them? Well, you better figure it out - they’re standing right in front of you.
C. Facing your victim; Well, this is awkward. At some point in the past, you made a decision, and now that decision has quite literally come back to haunt you. The person for whom’s death you are responsible is standing right in front of you, and they are probably going to want some answers
D. A familiar face; Maybe you’re new here, or maybe you’ve been here for years; either way, you’ve just seen a familiar face, whether it be a long lost loved one, or someone you never expected to follow you so soon in death. What will you say to them?
E. Wildcard; Go crazy! Any number of things can happen when your soul is trapped between dimensions. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, explore any strange new powers you might discover as a ghost, haunt one of the living, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Barrington Whelk | The Raven Cycle (OTA)
2C, let's dance barry
He never thought he'd miss his father's gun.]
Shouldn't you be in Hell?
he doesn’t feel like dancing
[He turns to face Adam with a glare that can really only be described as half-hearted. If he weren’t feeling so exasperated, he might feel some satisfaction at the little bastard being dead, but as it stands, he does not.]
Do we really need to be doing this right now? I think you’re fully capable of leaving me alone.
no subject
He could live (ha) with that.]
I'm disappointed that you're one of the first faces I see. [And the only familiar one...]
no subject
[Hey, guess what. He’s not your teacher anymore and he doesn’t have to be nice to you. Also, he’s been here long enough to know that you can’t do shit to him other than get on his nerves (though, he doesn’t exactly relish that though). Death has been very freeing in some ways.
[Also, he’s learned nothing.]
Go find another one then. I’m sure if you’re here it probably means your little friends managed to off themselves as well. Pity the thought.
no subject
Keep your mouth shut. [At his side, his fists clench. Ronan had never taught him to fight, but his father had beat him enough that he knew the theory.] Don’t ever mention them again.
no subject
Right, because they’re all invincible, but you’re not. [Could have fooled him, what with his apparent aversion to perfectly adequately-aimed bullets. Asshole.]
Settle down, kid. You can’t touch me here.
no subject
He scoffs. Because, God, this guy. Of all the guys.]
It’s not easy to just “settle down.” [And then, to match the “kid”:] Sir.
no subject
[But it looks like that’s not the case. There is some minuscule crumb of Whelk’s psyche that starts to feel just a bit uneasy at the thought that there is quite literally a dead child standing in front of him - one that had gotten the only 100% in the class on his last quiz no less - but that crumb is quickly devoured by a much larger impulse to hate Adam for letting him be trampled, and to hate him for waking the ley line when he couldn’t, and to hate him for somehow knowing Czerny when Czerny was supposed to be long dead, and to hate him for being smarter than he is, and to hate him for bothering him now in the afterlife when he is honestly just trying to vibe.
[Yeah. On second thought, fuck this kid. He rolls his eyes again.]
Yeah, well if you try to hit me, all you’re going to do is make yourself look like an idiot.
But go ahead. Throw your little tantrum and get it out of your system so I can have some peace.
[As if that was ever an option. He wonders if Adam would take petty comfort in knowing his death has been nearly as miserable as his life.]
Or, you know, you could just do us both a favor and fuck off now.
no subject
But Adam walks the difficult path, whichever path can hurt him more. The easy road is his road less travelled.
And he’s been lonely. The thought of having someone to talk to is a comfort, even if it is Barrington Whelk. He longs for conversation, and he longs for home, and this is someone who has walked the same halls as him, driven the same roads.
He doesn’t fuck off. He sits cross legged and changes the subject.]
So we’re just supposed to wander here for eternity?
no subject
[But a common wavelength seems to settle between them as Adam takes a seat. This is a place that is lonely in nature - endless, ever-reaching, sometimes empty, sometimes full, but thus far, devoid of many a familiar face.
[So Whelk - somewhat tentatively - takes a seat a few feet away. His knees are up, his arms draped over them. It’s an odd change in atmosphere, remembering again that this was a student of his - one of the best at that.
[With that thought, he shifts into a version of himself that he always found tedious, but much easier to live with.]
“Limbus infantum”. Do you remember what that means? Translate it for me.
no subject
A band of children. Like a gang, or a group. [Noah, smudgey and gentle and funny as hell. Blue, whose personality was bigger than her body and who fit in instantly. Gansey, their king and their glue. And Ronan...
He missed them fiercely. Impossibly. A family he had chosen.] Are you really quizzing me?
no subject
“Children’s limbo”. Your translation isn’t wrong, but you’re missing the context. [He says this while gesturing to the air around them, as if it should be obvious.]
You learn a lot of Catholic terms in college courses. Catholics love Latin.
The Old Testament used “limbus patrum” - “father’s limbo”. Saints only.
[He raises his eyebrows.] Clearly not meant for us.
But the New Testament uses “limbus infantum”. A place between Heaven and Hell for those who haven’t committed sins great enough for Hell, but who were never baptized.
But that doesn’t seem right either, does it?
[He gestures to himself then. Adam won’t need to point anything out that Whelk doesn’t already know. Look. He gets it.]
So it’s something else. “Limbus suspensus” I’ve been calling it.
Some say it’s a space meant for passing through onto the next, but. [His lips read a lopsided frown, vaguely irritated.] Most of them have been here so long they can’t remember when they got here. Do with that what you will.
no subject
Fuck. This.]
I’m not religious. [God doesn’t exist where he’s from. He casts a blind eye to the poor.] And I’m not old enough for college. [Adam’s the ripe age of seventeen— not even an adult before he kicked the bucket.]
I always thought death would just be... nothingness. That I wouldn’t have to exist anymore. [Or hate myself anymore. Bullshit. What a bad deal.]
damn they really do be parallels
[Perhaps then this is Hell, he thinks, and it’s a disappointing thought. At least he’d figured that in Hell there would be something to do.]
Yeah, well. [He gestures again at the space around them, though with less energy this time.] This is what we’ve got. And it’s about as shitty as it seems.
Honestly, I’m pretty sure everyone who was religious got lied to. People believe what they want to believe, but I’ve never heard of someone leaving once they get here.
[He hasn’t been here all that long though, and then...of course, there is the matter of those who can muster up the energy to haunt the world of the living, but. Adam should know well enough about that one.
[That does remind him though.]
You might run into someone you know at least. [He frowns a little, looking a bit irritated suddenly, maybe because he can just imagine what Adam might have to say in response about who he’s already ran into.]
Someone else. Someone you want to see.
It’s possible. That’s all.