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[dhil]

It is too cold.

[That is the warning. What is it a warning to? Amalu is in someone's house. Somewhere, someone has a part of their house that is obviously a lot darker than the others.

It may be a whole room, or just a corner, or maybe your closet or under your bed just will not illuminate no matter how much light you shine on it.

You can't blame them! They're not used to cold! And shoes are passe.]

[[ooc: No really, feel free to assume they are anywhere in your character's house or business. They don't like being chilly and chances are, they've probably already taken some food. Gomen]]

Comments

[dhil]

I never met a saint before. None of them ever ended up in any place they went. They certainly never traveled any further West than they had to. They didn't like the air there.

Perhaps. But there is still something to be said about the darker things. There is nothing wrong with bitterness, doesn't that make it also perfect? If it brings out the flavor, like a good bit of food. If it is just sour enough, or just bitter enough. Hey, they like food, they can roll with this.

Perhaps you are right. That perfection is like light in a prism. But where does that leave me?

[youfool]

"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could show you one, but I don't quite know any myself. That or they're hiding; the saints can be so subtle. Suppose that's natural; humility has a way of avoiding attention. Well, if all goes well, perhaps I'll be the first obvious saint Genessia's ever had. Goodness, wouldn't that be wonderful?" A man can dream.

"Oh, maybe. I'd still like to make fun and fence; perhaps there's still roughhousing in heaven? Well, I'm out of my depth there."

Ah, that's the kind of question that troubled him. He had similar thoughts about Gengar; some of his features seemed downright sinister. He's half poison, after all. What would be the purpose of that when all's well? A troubling mystery. Ted gave it his best shot.

"I don't know; you're unlike any I've ever known, Amalu. Heh, not a meaningful commentary; suppose that's true of everyone I meet here, when you work it out. Well, I know that God makes nothing in vain. If you cleave to him as you ought, I'm certain there's a place for you there too."

[dhil]

It does not seem so humble to call yourself a saint. It didn't seem admonishing, just a note of reference. Keep it humble, Ted.

I would not know, I suppose. I would never be in Heaven. It is too Bright for me. I would not live long in there, I do not think. But then, dead shadows simply are not anymore. We do not know what becomes of us when we are killed. Killed, not die. Just killed. How pleasant.

They listened, thoughtful, but they couldn't really let it continue without adding to it.

I do not know if there is a heaven for shadows, Ted.

[youfool]

"Heh, well it's usually something other people call you. Still, false modesty is false just the same." Ted looked a little saddened at Amalu's insistence that he'd be annihilated by goodness itself. He's no church doctor, but on a gut level, it didn't feel right.

"Well...man's in a similar predicament. We can't really tolerate seeing God face-to-face, just yet. Too glorious; we'd die on the spot. But heaven so changes a man that he may, and enter into that full splendor without reservation. 'For now we see in a mirror dimly...'". Yet it's not a...subtraction. Man becomes more man than he was before." Ted leaned in, eyes averse in thought.

"It's true that in God 'there is no darkness at all'. It's also true that 'those who cometh to him he shall in no wise cast out.' Paraphrasing, of course. Given that, what follows?"

[dhil]

Then you must be modest and patient. Seemed about right to them! Gotta earn that title, Ted!

Humans are Lighter than I. They had to think of this for a moment. It is not that Light is good, and that Dark is evil. Like good and evil, they are opposite, but Dark can be good, and light can be bad. Too much of both is terrible, would you not agree? Like too much sun may kill a man, a cave might save him. But too long in a cave will wither him as well. You must have both, to be happy. Day and Night. Yes?

Perhaps then there was a place for them in this odd world of light God had seen fit to craft.

[youfool]

"Oh, for now, I suppose. But in Heaven? Goodness, I might be a little disappointed if we ever slept there. Or even blinked! There'd be so much to see, I wonder if one could ever get tired of seeing. Or...well, they say in Heaven there is both music and silence, and no noise. Would there be something analogous for sight? All or nothing, keeping both extremes extremely lovely? But then again, 'no darkness at all' doesn't leave much wiggle room. And while light might be overbearing, at times--a desert-shadow would know all about that--, why, without it we'd never have seen each other, much less these texts of yours. 'Tis the only thing that made good possible, I'm tempted to think."

This was clearly a topic Ted would break curfew to go on and on about. More than usual, anyway. Somewhere along the discursive dialect Ted would make a mild request. "It's really too bad shadows don't take to religion, Amalu; I just know you'd take well to Christianity. Not an easy one, mind; 'count the cost' and all that. But even so..." he trailed off into a yawn, surprised at the time.

"Goodness, not much point getting a room if you don't sleep there, eh? Er, do you sleep, Amalu? You seem like one who might not. Well, anyway, keep your eyes peeled for any job opportunities; I'll do the same. The paper is a good place to start, and it can't fail to find you either. Uncannily present, really..."