un: cantilena

[windsongs]

This might be a weird question but bear with me. I think some of us remember having a life before the one we've supposedly lived in Crane City or beyond. But does anyone remember dying? Literally dying or being led to believe you have.

I won't ask the specifics. You don't even need to tell me your name if you don't want to. Death is a very personal thing and one of the first things they teach you in my profession is to avoid asking direct questions about the event itself. But I've been turning the possibilities in my head and even the reincarnation angle doesn't really fit. If you've got any insights or ideas I'd love to hear them. Or if you know anything about the afterlife/netherworld in general. Either way, let's swap notes.

Comments

[unalign]

[ that makes the two of them. lumine smiles wryly, her eyebrows furrowing. ]

Not a bad reminder, is it?

It's a little difficult to explain, to be honest. You could say that my memories of the Netherworld is sandwiched between my other memories of the world I was previously in.

[windsongs]

let's just say it left its mark mentally and physically

that's interesting. it's not quite my memories are stored
indexed?
idk anyway
the memories of this lifetime feel really distant. there are details I feel like I should remember or faces I should recognize but I don't
but at the same time I knew a "cousin's" name and felt an immediate connection to him

or you
it feels like we're best friends but I know that's fake

[unalign]

Well, who's to say that those memories are fake? Perhaps we've inhabited a body that's already lived a life and we've simply ... taken over.

[ because her own memories are all jumbled together, overlapping but at the same time separated from each other. ]

I remember returning to the previous world I was in before the Netherworld and Stygia.

What do you make of that?

[windsongs]

[ That's... honestly not anything she's considered, but it's entirely plausible. She's going to try to not think about the possibility that she evicted some other soul from this body. ]

I don't know
the last thing that I can vividly remember is seeing Stygia blanketed in snow
if I returned home between then and now I don't have any memories of it

[unalign]

[ well, who knows really. but it's a possibility, isn't it? ]

I also remember Stygia covered in snow.

[ and existential conversations with certain individuals. ]

But I remember returning to Teyvat and being able to continue with my journey.
At least, until I was brought again here.

[windsongs]

do you know how long you were there?
in Teyvat I mean

for all I know I went home too
but for some reason I don't remember it at all
I definitely don't like that thought but right now having an open mind is probably a good idea

[unalign]

A few months, I'd say. I certainly remember meeting new people and learning more about my missing brother.

It's all we can have at the moment.
An open mind.

[windsongs]

that and a whole lot of questions

have you run into any "family" members yet?
if you haven't then be prepared for it to be even more jarring
I legitimately feel bad about my first encounter

[unalign]

No, not really.
My parents are always overseas, it seems. And for some reason, my counterpart in this world doesn't have a brother.

[ only child problems ]

[windsongs]

that's convenient
sounds like whatever brought us here decided to give you completely unrelated npcs for parents
better than having your boss as a step-dad

[ It's exactly as awkward as it sounds ]

making you an only child was honestly good for you
it's a clear "this isn't right" indicator

[unalign]

Your boss is your stepdad?

[ not a curse she'll wish for her enemies, ngl ]

Makes me wonder what happened to the Aether of this world, really.