VIDEO

[khajidont]

[ When the communicator turns on, Jaime's settled in one looks like a computer chair, a large black snake slung over the back of his neck and still dressed in slightly oil-stained coveralls, having clearly just come home from work. ]

Hey everyone. Jaime here. I've just got a couple of questions for you guys. Or... one big one, I guess I should say. We all come from different worlds, but even if we didn't, everyone's got different customs and religions and all that junk. What I was wondering is what you guys do to remember someone - d'you have any rituals, or anything like that? And do you still practice them here?

[ He pauses for a moment, thinking, then pushes on. ]

This isn't actually one of those philosophical questions people ask the network all the time. See, I, um... I came into some money recently - which is at the bank, so don't rob me, 'cause then you won't get any money and we'll both be upset about it - and I want to put it towards something good. Every month, we have people announcing who left on the network, but besides figuring out how to divy out their stuff, that's it. I'd like to figure out how to make a place where people can actually remember the people who've left. Somewhere you could gather everyone who knew them - and maybe give people a place to talk, if they need it.

But I wanna hear from you guys first, 'cause I don't want this to be for just people like me. It's something that'd be for everyone. So if you've got any ideas, let me know.

Comments

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[fauxmarth]

[hey...................what. didn't she punch this guy into oblivion a few weeks back. what's with the snake, ew. he's a mess. IS THE ORIGINAL BOY A GREASEBALL LIKE THE CLONE WAS. that'd be tragic.]

...Greetings. [.,...,] I'd...like to address your questions, but may I ask one of my own first?

[khajidont]

[ Oh! Lucina! Has he ever talked to her out of uniform before...? He doesn't think he has. ]

Greetings right back atcha! Go for it. I'll do my best to answer.

[baphlement]

I don't practice much of what I was here, no.

[khajidont]

Yeah, I have a feeling that that's pretty standard. Would you want to? If you had the means to do it?

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[snarkbot]

Not everyone has objects or trinkets left behind to commemorate them with, but most have at least one video from the Network, footage in the media, or other recordings. You could set up a wall of screens, celebrate people as they lived.

I've found that people appreciate seeing their face again, sir.

[khajidont]

Huh. I was thinking photos, but you're right - that might be kinda low tech compared to what a lot of imPorts here are used to. Some kind of slideshow or... digital picture album or something might be a good idea.

I'll probably be asking for your help to set it up, though. [ There's a buzz of his spine; he jumps a little. ] Well, you and you-know-who.

[ Stop getting jealous, Khaji, you insufferable creature. ]

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[areou]

( under normal circumstances, she'd hate to admit this, but none of her loser friends seem to be around or on this post, so it's probably fine to be honest for once, even if she seems strangely begrudging in answering. )

I still make offerings to the gods, if that's what you mean. ( she shrugs nonchalantly. ) Force of habit.

( she's only been offering a portion of her dinner meals to the gods since she was, like, ten. it's not something she's liable to quit doing anytime soon, no matter how she feels toward the gods (her dad most of all) at any given moment. besides, now that she lives in the woods again (and one of the gods is actually here), there's really no excuse not to. )

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[khajidont]

That's part of what I mean, yeah. I'm glad you got something you can do on your own. [ It means she doesn't have to go find a house of worship for... whoever it is she worships, really. That can be tricky. ]

Is that, um, part of remembering people who're gone or wishing them well wherever they went, or is that a whole different deal?

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[icecution]

This sounds like an excellent idea. Please let me know if I can assist in any manner.

As to your question, I'm afraid I cannot offer anything solid. Those lost who I would wish to remember back home are too recent memories to have considered too deeply. I can't say I won't be thinking of them even here, however.

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[khajidont]

Thanks. All I'm looking for right now are ideas. I figure I'll figure the rest out later.

But if there's a way you'd like to remember them here, even if it's not right now, let me know. The more I know the better.

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[cannotrest]

[stupid camera won't quite focus because of her glowing circuitry :c]

We probably have pretty much the same religious thing. [yeeeeah church buddy] But back home, once the war broke out, we had a wall on the ship with name plaques for our fallen. And on the Citadel [she assumes the boys explained this to him], there's a wall where people put up photos of their loved ones, or leave digital frames or letters. Or, like you said, just talk. That's what my sister liked to do.

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[khajidont]

Yeah, we got lucky there, didn't we? Whenever I want to think about people, I can just go and pray - but I was thinking that not everyone's got that luxury.

[ He nods along with the rest of it - pictures and names sound like the best path to go with, and to keep it going from there. ]

So your sister stayed by the wall so people who needed someone to talk to had a place to go?

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[loyal_soldier]

There was Monument Plaza in the Imperial Center. I've only seen it in holos, but it's where heroes were commemorated.

Apart from that, We mostly just acknowledged the sacrifice of the people we saw fall, and fought harder to match what they'd already given up.

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[khajidont]

Yeah - I think everyone here's got that part pretty much down pat, y'know? We're all trying our best for the people who can't be here anymore. It's just remembering them that's the hard part.

So you don't have any other rituals you'd wanna do? Um, assuming you've been here long enough to need to.

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[extremeteenbible]

This is a good idea. I don't have many 'remembrance' rituals, other than telling stories about the people you've lost, remembering the things they did by sharing them with others... But if you get this off the ground, I'd love to get my new multifaith temple involved!

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[khajidont]

[ Jaime perks up. ]

Yeah, that'd be great! I wanted this to be, like, less religious, more open for everyone? Which means people who are religious oughtta have a place where they can do everything else they need to do. Mostly I just don't want people who aren't religious to feel alienated by everything else going on.

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[pummelgranite]

Did i ever show you the dumbarsed memorial my "fans" put up back home?

[khajidont]

No

Memorial for what?

[ YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET, LAURA ]

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[ghoulking]

I'm a bit old fashioned, so I've a small family altar where I leave incense and a bit of rice there once a week, for those who have left me.

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[khajidont]

That's nice. I'm glad that you can keep that much up here on your own without having to look anywhere else. An altar for that kind of thing would be good... but is there anything more that you wish you could do?

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[am_i_a_monster]

I just kept the people I lost back home, in my memory. If my mom had a grave, I would have visited it though. So I understand wanting a place for remembering them.

[She touches her scarf for a moment.]

There could be a wall with missing import names on it. Pictures if there's room. Or a garden where a flower or a tree could be planted each time someone leaves. Or a quilt with a patch for each person.

[She pauses for a moment.]

What would we do when they came back though? Take the names down?

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[khajidont]

If you'd like to remember your mom, I'd like this to be a place to remember the people who were never here in the first place too. Even just a place to leave flowers could help, if that's something that would make you feel better. [ Would he do the same? Jaime's not sure. He can't decide whether leaving tributes to those dead at home would make things more or less painful. ]

But... thank you. Those are all good ideas. Making it commemorative is a good idea.

[ She's got another good point though: what happens when they come back? ]

I guess we'd take them down, or figure out how to specify which version of the person we're talking about. It'd have to be up to them. It'd only be fair.

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[fridgeflower]

I default to books, naturally. I mean, an imPort scrapbook sounds really cheesy and not very sacred, but... [ Shrug. ] If one of the libraries held onto it, it'd last. It'd be reference.

The idea of a dedicated archive... Maybe that stacks up better than other forms of monument.

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[khajidont]

I mean... I have a scrapbook. [ Jaime grins at her, a little sheepishly. ] That's just for me, though. I think having an actual record's a really good idea - even better if it's it can be from the mouths of the people who were actually there. I could definitely make a space where people can record or write 'em down, but the actual compiling part might have to be up to someone else. Just the idea of buying a place seems like a big enough leap.

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[shesalittle]

[She hasn't really been here long enough to know anyone who's left, but the idea intrigues her.] I think a picture wall is definitely a good idea. But you might want to think about splitting it? The wall itself over or in front of some place where people could leave more personal remembrances.

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[khajidont]

I'm gonna need to start drawing up some plans at this rate. So you mean, like... for lack of a better word, an altar up front, then the more permanent photo wall in the back? I'm sure a lot of the personal remembrances would be a little more temporary than the big one anyway.

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[sanguinespell]

Candles, incense, invoking the Goddess. Same shit I did back home. Sometimes I kinda think about some more traditional stuff, but... [she shakes her head.] It's not like my family's been pushing out lanterns for Obon.

Anyway, this sounds like a good idea.

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[khajidont]

All that's definitely doable. I'm pretty sure that there are more people than just you who'd want to leave candles or incense.

Except for maybe the invoking the Goddess bit - what does that mean, exactly?

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[deformer]

Uhhh. Well, to remember my home, I just kinda. Hold on to this. [He holds up a deck of cards.] I think about the stuff I went through with this and my friends and that sorta...keeps me connected, I guess?

But if you're gonna like. Do somethin' to remember people that've ported out, that's kinda. Different. [He grimaces, not entirely sure how to put this into words -- the person he wants remembered isn't from his world.]

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[khajidont]

Yeah. That makes sense. I think those of us who've been lucky enough to be ported in with some of our stuff from home, we can hold onto it that way. But when it comes to the people we get to know here...

[ Jaime pauses, then shrugs. ]

I thought it'd be nice to have something a little more permanent than things. And maybe a place a little less sad than where they used to live.

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[uzumaniac]

[It's a rather sad topic wrapped up in a light heartedtone, the way this Jaime person presents it seems genuine enough too. It- really hasn't been long enough for Shuichi to answer questions like this though, about his own personal beliefs and rituals. Still, the way this video is done is persuasive enough. He wants to reply to it.]

You mean like a graveyard or crypt? ...Do they not have those here for people who have 'ported out'? [He says that last bit with some difficulty, like he's still not exactly sure how to feel about the concept. People... leaving but not dying? He's still isn't even sure this place ISN'T some sort of after life, where people port out to be 'reincarnated' or something...]

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[khajidont]

Oh, um... maybe a little less macabre than that. Not all of the people who are gone are dead, after all - we might just never see them again.

[ Or they'll be dead very, very soon. Usually that one. Nobody here has a safe life back home. ]

But no, there are no graves for even dead imPorts who get ported out. There's never any body, and they might come back at anytime, so...

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[imaphantomthief]

Wait do you know who gets our stuff when we’re not here?

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[khajidont]

The government does. I'm not sure what they do with it. Recycle it probably.

But that's only if we don't get to it first. We tend to have a little wiggle room so the people left behind get a chance to take everything. Usually we divy out anything their friends wanted and donate the rest. I was actually thinking a donation box might be a good thing to set up in this space so nothing goes to waste.

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[selfconducts]

No rituals for me. It's more of a way of thinking. Like "WWJD," except insert your person of choice.

[ His tone is a bit wry, but he still sounds sincere enough. It's just a weird thing to put into words, and he's not even getting started on religion right now.

Baal's quiet for a brief moment, before continuing: ]

What exactly are you picturing here? Some sort of monument?

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[khajidont]

Heh. [ Jaime grins, the expression a little bit rueful. WWTKD still has its perch atop his bulletin board. ] I know exactly what you mean.

I'm picturing... less of a monument, more of a, um, remembrance-based community centre? I want somewhere for people to go for a little bit of peace, not just to hang things up. Does that make sense?