02 ♥ Voice (posted in the morning)

[matadorable]

[After his epic fail from the other week, Manolo isn't in a hurry to try using the video function. Instead, he sticks to the audio (and triple-checks that it's really just the audio), although it seems to take him a moment to realize his device is actually on, and people are treated to the sound of his communicator shifting in his hands.]

Um, hi there. Hahah…

[Okay, not the best start. Let’s try that again…]

So! For anyone who doesn’t know, today is the Day of the Dead. Back home, it's a time to remember those who’ve passed on before us, to make sure the dead aren’t forgotten.

I may not be in my village anymore, but today is still important to me, and it’s probably important for some of you too.

That’s why, if anyone wants to talk about dead friends or family, I’d love to hear about them. You know…what kind of person were they? What are your favorite memories of them? That kind of thing.

...Oh, and if some of you have died back home, you’re welcome to share stories about your life here too. Not the traditional way of doing things, but that only seems fair.

[There’s an awkward pause here, since he’s unsure how he ought to end this message. It’s not like a letter, but it’s not like talking with someone face-to-face either.]

Ah, right! Maybe I should properly introduce myself this time. My name is Manolo Sanchez, and I'm…looking forward to hearing from you?

[Then there's an awkward pause before the feed finally shuts off.]

Comments

audio

[boobwindow]

[ Another pause.

When she responds, confusion colours her tone: ] You met her? So she's...?

audio

[matadorable]

She's still dead, yes. Her spirit lives on, though, as long as she is remembered.

audio

[boobwindow]

But you met her? How did that happen?

[ Maybe a medium of some kind? ]

audio

[matadorable]

I went to the Land of the Remembered. It's where the deceased go, as long as they're remembered by someone in the Land of the Living. My mother was no exception.

audio

[boobwindow]

I'm... still a little lost.

audio

[matadorable]

I died.

That was just me trying to find a more polite way of saying it, hahah, sorry.

audio

[boobwindow]

Oh. I'm...

[ Well, this is a bit awkward. What does she say? ]

audio

[matadorable]

[He's quick to reassure her.]

Please, don't worry about it. It's fine. I'm okay!

audio

[boobwindow]

[ Is this guy from her world by any chance? ]

You got better?

audio

[matadorable]

Yes and no. I made a wager, got my life back, but then I lost it again the same day.

audio

[boobwindow]

Are you alive back home or deceased now?

audio

[matadorable]

Pretty sure it's the latter. Death doesn't seem to matter much around here, though. I'm probably gonna lose track if I stay here long enough, hah.

audio

[boobwindow]

You're... surprisingly relaxed about that prospect.

audio

[matadorable]

[Sometimes when he lies awake at night, he feels like there's a bag of bricks sitting on his chest, and he can barely get a deep breath if he thinks too hard about the life he gave up, and the horrifying prospect of never seeing her again now that he's in this world.

He has no right to complain or wallow in his own misery, though.

It was my choice almost leaves his lips, but he remembers how Jaime reacted and thinks twice. There's no point in opening that can of worms. Now that he's starting to consider the full scope of what he did on that hill, delving too deeply into it makes him uncomfortable.

Death itself, though...that he can deal with just fine, and he responds easily enough.]

Well, I figure there are worse things than dying. Besides, the Land of the Remembered isn't such a bad place! That's where I saw my mother again.

audio

[boobwindow]

It's not like heaven, I'm presuming?

audio

[matadorable]

That would depend on your version of heaven. For me, though, I can't think of a better place to go. It's like a never-ending fiesta with your family and friends!

audio

[boobwindow]

That sounds like an ideal sort of heaven to me.

[ Well, as long as there was some downtime in between. Still, whenever she passes, if she gets to be with Kal, Lois and Helena from her world again? She isn't going to turn it down. ]

So, this Land of the Remembered is only for those who passed and are remembered on this day?

audio

[matadorable]

[It would to most people, Manolo thinks, but he can't presume to know what everyone wants.]

That's right. As long as you are remembered by someone in the Land of the Living, part of you still lives on.

audio

[boobwindow]

[ She pauses again. ]

What if you aren't remembered by anyone?

audio

[matadorable]

[This time, it's Manolo's turn to pause. When he answers, his tone is much more subdued.]

...You go to the Land of the Forgotten.

audio

[boobwindow]

That's pretty apt.

[ A beat. ]

Do you know what that one is like?

audio

[matadorable]

It is a silent, desolate place. Ashes, everywhere. The forgotten souls themselves eventually just...crumble to dust.

audio

[boobwindow]

That sounds like a lonely existence.

audio

[matadorable]

It's barely an existence at all. Souls who crumble away are gone forever. Those people cease to exist.

audio

[boobwindow]

All because they're not remembered?