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[ The feed turns on to see a little, small room. There's a candle lit, and a girl's face complexly looking into the feed. A Sunkern in her hand chirps. It's obvious whoever is operating this thing doesn't really have much of an idea on good angles, or how to actually use the video camera. She turns the PCD to the ceiling, where a Woobat and a Shiny Zubat are both sleeping. It then turns again to see an Ekans wrapping itself tight around a sleeping Torchic before it turns back to Momo.

Once she has the feed pointing back at her, Momo blinks twice before beginning. ]

Is this... Is this on? Hello guys! Hmm, let's see! I'm Momo Hinamori! I've been mostly just trying to adjust and learn how to get settled in so I wouldn't ask any questions you guys probably heard a hundred times before! So, now, that I'm settled in, I kinda have a question. It's about Team Rocket...

[ She pauses. ]

They're charitable freelance dentists, right? [ ...Yeah. Leave it to Momo to be so off subject... ]

And, uh, have any of you ever got people from home come here but they're like younger than what they used to be? One of my close friends arrived here, except he was from a time where we were both in school. And then one of my friends showed up here as a little kid and then they both went home really quickly. Why do people show up here and just leave anyways?!

Also! If someone sees Princess Gorgeous - I think that's her name - please let me know I'm looking for her! She looks a lot like Hayate, except she's an impostor. [ She's very timid with this whole network thing. How many things does she talk about? When is it appropriate to end? ]

Ahh! Sorry for all of the questions, I guess I just have a lot on my mind! I'll talk to you guys all later! Thank you for listening! [ She kinda lingers on the feed for half a minute before realizing she needs to turn it off. So she'll fumble around with her pokegear until it actually turns off. ]

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[France's expression is both amused and a little sad.]

Team Rocket is less dentistry and more inept criminality. A lot of their members do tend to be more freelance than anything else, so you did have a bit of that right.

[France's expression doesn't quite hold onto the good humor as he continues, though.]

I, too, wonder why people come and go here in such a fashion. If I may ask, who were your friends, mademoiselle?

I don't think they're inept. Some of what they do is very successful [ Now that she knows what they're all about, a lot of the other people's actions make sense! ], but, it's not very visible. I think with bigger things they fumble... [ She recognized that, at least. ]

Their names were Izuru Kira and Nanao Ise! Do you know either of them? We're all lieutenants from my world!

Edited 2013-01-22 03:17 (UTC)

[France's lips quirk, somewhat derisive.]

For each of their successes, there's a least three failures.

[He sighs lightly.]

Then again, that does seem to be the nature of this place.

[He sobers again at those two names.]

I didn't know Izuru Kira personally, but I did know Nanao Ise both when she was here in an adult form and briefly as a child.

[He pauses momentarily, debating whether or not he should broach the subject before plowing on. His voice remains somewhat apprehensive.]

So, the two of you were colleagues in a sort of afterlife?

I'll be sure to keep that in mind then! That makes me at rest, you know? That they have a lot of failures!

[ She might just be ignoring the nature of this place comment, mostly for her own good. ]

Really? She was here as an adult too?! Hmm, I wish I was here for that so she could have explained to me what was going on from the get go... [ Nanao always has her shit sorted, tbh. ] I was here for her when she was a child and I went to go pick her up but the time I was there she ....wasn't. [ her chain got yank'd ): ]

However, we're both lieutenants in the afterlife, so we're the same rank! We also go to the library and read together, and, we're in the Female Shinigami Association! So, we're kinda close. [ They also get into brag offs about their captain as they get their swords polished! ]

Very true. If they were competent, then even I would worry. There's quite a number of members.

[France nods minutely, expression thoughtful.]

She was here for about a year or so as an adult altogether, I believe. She left and returned as an adult, and then the third time she returned as a child.

[He pauses, a bit of apprehension crossing his face before he inquires to something he's been wondering about extensively off and on since coming here but more so recently. That description of Nanao and Momo's activities doesn't sound entirely unpleasant.]

What is the afterlife like?

I've noticed. A lot of them look extremely alike. [ She's just going to assume Arianna was really busy with all of these children. ]

Hm... You know! I could have sworn she mentioned something about pokémon once but I think everyone just turned a blind eye to it. [ She's not sure on the details, but she just remembers Shunsui talking about bad dreams. She might have ran into one in the world of the living anyways, right? ] But she must be really well known around here if she was here for that long.

Hmm... It depends where you end up, I guess. If you're a Shinigami, you live in a wonderful palace that's really large! It takes three days to cover by foot and that's just by going across it. The bunkers are large, and tidy and everyone seems really friendly to each other. I was in the first district in the afterlife before I became a Shinigami. The districts are numbered one through eighty, and, the higher the number, the worse the conditions are. Savage criminals, bloodshed, poverty and things like that ravage some of the higher numbers, like slums. These conditions get noticeable from the fortieth district onwards but those districts are relatively peaceful and just kinda down on their luck. The really bad parts go from the fiftieth district onwards [ She looks a bit unsure and sad when she mentions this. ] There's nothing presenting you from traveling to one place or another, but you might be looked down upon if you don't look the part. Destination, and what district you end up in, is all by luck. Even family members get sent to different places, so I'm very grateful to end up in the first district.

[France's expression is still apprehensive, but there is clear curiosity and focus in his eyes as Momo gives her explanation. He greatly appreciates her honesty on the subject, and it goes quite a way towards keeping France calm around this subject. When she finishes speaking, he's quiet for a long moment, carefully turning the information he's received over in his head and trying to understand it as best he can.]

I've never heard the afterlife described quite like that. It's -

[He smiles, a little lopsided and strangely pleased.]

It sounds so nicely organized.

[Despite France's modern tendency towards the surreal and the absurd, he does still rather enjoy the comfort of organization and the idea that everything has its place.]

Do you know if a person's placement in a particular district is directly related to who they were and what they did in life?

[ Pleased? She's never met anyone that was pleased about the afterlife, especially since they usually end up in a not very well to do area. Or, at least everyone with a more gruff temperament. ]

It's very organized. Or, at least, in the back districts, the number is organized and everything else isn't. It's very unified in what it does, and there hasn't been a significant rebellion yet so it's at least a stable place to be if you're seeking for it and happen to end up in a bad place. [ Still very curious with France's reaction. ]

And no. A person's placement in a particular district seems to be by chance. Even twins and best friends have been noted to get placed in entirely separate districts, and the chances of finding anyone you remember in a previous life is very low because of its massive size. People are kind enough to make families of sorts of all different types of people.

[France twists his fingers through his hair, absently tucking half of the front part behind one ear. He hums thoughtfully at the last part.]

So it's not entirely dissimilar to here.

[He pauses, the light in his eyes seeming to flicker as he thinks the information she's given him over.]

I suppose that isn't too bad. It's no worse than what I've always believed the afterlife would be like.

[His lips quirk slightly, and, while his gaze isn't exactly welcoming, it's far from discouraging either.]

In my case, it might be better, really.

Kinda, yeah. You either somehow end up as a Rocket or a trainer and there's a lot of walking! Sometimes barefoot! [ She giggles a bit nervously. ] We don't get snow often, I think, so that's a difference.

[ But now, France, she's curious. ]

What did you think the afterlife would be like? [ She does notice the lip quirking, but figures it's just a cultural thing she doesn't quite understand. Or maybe he's holding back a laugh. ]

[France is silent for a long moment before answering, clearly thinking over how he should explain what his expectations have been for the afterlife. They've changed a lot over the course of his existence and more rapidly of late. When he speaks, his tone is careful and thoughtful, like he's trying to articulate something he personally finds rather complex.]

I generally believe that there are two places that a person may go when he or she dies. Between the two places, the deeds of your life are judged by a singular God, who is both hard and merciful.

The first place, the preferable place, is the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is a peaceful place that is free of the suffering a person endures in life. A person's soul gains entrance to Heaven by leading a generous and kindly existence, willingly devoting yourself to charitable work and working to keep your soul void of vice and sin through humility and self-sacrifice.

The second place is called Hell, and it is a place where a sinful and vice-ridden soul is condemned to suffer for eternity in ways unimaginable to the human mind. A person who has led a life that benefits from the pain of others or one who has betrayed the trust of others will be made to pay for their cruelty many more times for all of time.

[ Momo pauses for almost an equal length, unsure on how to really explain the next few couple of concepts. ]

You are judged by a God. He's the Soul King. He lives in his own dimension, sealed by something called a King's Key, which requires hundreds of thousands of live sacrifices so he would never be seen. Even the Shinigami have no idea what he looks like.

Heaven doesn't exist. In its place is what I covered previously. Some people refer to it as heaven but it has a much broader term, and, as a result, less than deserving people end up there. This is mostly because it accepts you if you were good in your current life and whatever you do in your afterlife is your business.

Hell, however, does exist. If you're bad in your lifetime, like a murder or child killer or something, you go to the gates of hell and never come back. I'm not sure what it's like, but I don't imagine it being pleasant. After that punishment, your soul is purified and you come back to live life as an entirely different person, you're ready to start the life and death cycle again.

[Ah.]

[It's not so different from what France has believed for centuries after all. It appears that the afterlife has a different form and shape than what France believes, but it doesn't affect so much how it works overall. The main difference is that Heaven doesn't exist.]

[Finding this out is... Well, it's rather crushing to France, and Momo can clearly see the way his face falls when she gets to that part. It's not so much a disappointment on a personal level because France has always somewhat questioned whether or not a Nation could or could not go to Heaven or to Hell because there was no real understanding of how God judged such a being. The uncertainty has always been something that France kept to himself. To learn that there is definitely, at least in one version of the world, no Heaven, though, only the certainty of Hell...]

[France doesn't speak for a long time, his expression completely and utterly downcast. When he does speak, his words sound like they've been ripped out of him by a very blunt blade.]

So there is no reward for the faithful? No guarantee that life's suffering ends once a good person passes on?

[ At first, Momo stares at him a bit blankly. But, the sadder France looks and the longer the silence goes, the more her eyes widen into a depressing revelation. She answered the questions truthfully and she had no intention of lying, but, still, she feels at fault for like, totally breaking his heart. ]

Not really. There's no hunger in the afterlife, and some people are unpleasant as you would expect, but, there's no real suffering. Everyone is usually content with their conditions, and, if not, they can go to lengths to change them but it requires a little effort. It's easier, a lot easier than in the real world because there's no mass scale war, no hunger, and the like but, it's not total paradise where everything is good.

[France is quiet and subdued after she speaks, although it's very apparent that he hangs onto every word she says. When she finishes, there's another long silence, although not as long as the last one.]

I guess -

[France stops, lips still slightly parted as he obviously reorders whatever he was about to say as well as his own thoughts. When he continues, his tone is still sad, but it's also thoughtful.]

That's more realistic than what I have been brought to expect, but I suppose that isn't bad. It is -

[He swallows, voice a little unsteady.]

If things aren't good for them, I'm glad it can be changed.

Edited 2013-02-10 06:07 (UTC)

Why wouldn't the afterlife be realistic? It's meant to be a reflection of life. If it wasn't, it'd be alienating and people wouldn't know what to do. [ And that would be very stressful for the Shinigami! She does take note of the long pauses and still tries to make her tone sound warm and approachable, but, at the same time, distant to show that she's trying to empathize with his distraught thoughts. ]

[France nods. He's not yet warming up to the whole idea, and he probably won't completely; there's too many centuries of believing and conceptualizing life and death behind him for France to change after just one conversation. Still, it's obvious that he's trying hard to understand that this is, at least, a possibility and her and Nanao's reality.]

[His voice is steadier when he responds, and his words are chosen carefully and with conscious consideration.]

All of my life as a Nation, I've watched and let humans come and go, expecting and hoping for Heaven, and I have been...

[He pauses, jaw working briefly.]

I suppose I found it to be acceptable because, no matter how their lives ended, they would go somewhere infinitely better than anything I could ever hope to offer them.

[Anything, really, than he could ever hope for. He grimaces.]

This is... jarring for me.

[ She still remains light and fragile. She's not sure what is so damaging about this but she's rather desensitized to death. ]

Well, I think life is better in the afterlife than it is anywhere else. There's no hunger, but money is kinda scarce depending on where you are. Still, you're able to make the most of your life and you can usually get admitted to the Soul Society academy where, if you perform well enough, you'll be admitted to a life where things aren't really scarce. It's really what you make of it. People are able to find enjoyment in living in a lawless place. [ Which is probably the beauty of how they're able to keep super duper lawless people away. ]

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