⛪

[crittersheep]

WHO: you
WHERE: lily
WHEN: later day 51

[remember the temporary confessional booth from Tanabaata? it's reappeared in the generally accessible part of Lily's meadow! the sign on it says:

ANONYMOUS CONFESSIONS
Want some advice, or just to get something off your chest?
Want to do it without the pressure of people knowing who you are?
Come in and have a chat!

(We're trying to see if rites work on the fence.)

if you wanna drop in and talk for a few minutes between mushrooms and other nonsense at any point through the day, you can! Lily is using illusions to disguise themselves and whoever comes in as nondescript little sheep in sunglasses.

as a bonus, when you wander outside afterwards, a little ghost sheep will float up to you with a basket of cookies. feel free to take one!]

((the anon journal is 'herdtestimony'! the password has been posted in Discord for anyone who didn't have it saved from last time. Lilies will also be replying anon with the 'whitecollarcrime' journal.

don't forget to pin your threads since you won't get any notifs otherwise!))

Comments

COOKIES

[whitecollarcrime]

[these kinda look like...fortune cookies? they're probably made of cattail flour or something, but the shape is right. they taste mild and sweet. the sign on the basket says PLEASE TAKE ONE! BREAK BEFORE EATING!

you can comment here (anon or not) if your character does, to see what Friendly Cookie Advice(TM!) they get on the paper inside! or you can assume they got something commonsensical about self-care, like 'please remember to drink some water today' and 'if you feel stressed, take five minutes to just breathe somewhere quiet.'

characters can also actually take more than one, but if they try to get too many or snag the whole basket, the ghost is gonna retreat into the secure part of the meadow and they'll be yote across the pasture away from Lily if they chase it. leave some for others!]

[herdtestimony]

I wish it felt easier to rely on other people right now.

[herdtestimony]

... Why does Lady Death torture people if they die when the Eye is open?

[whitecollarcrime]

She didn't at the start. The Snake exploited that, tortured her, and stole her power, so she put up measures to keep people from reaching her again.

On the other hand, we also just had no option of returning from death at the start. I'm not sure how one rates that tradeoff.

[whitecollarcrime]

Why doesn't it feel easy? Your word choice makes it sound like you recognize that you can rely on other people but something is holding you back.

[herdtestimony]

Without going into too much detail...everyone around me seems very stressed. I'd rather not add to that.

[herdtestimony]

So it's... a "don't try to meet me or else" thing?

[whitecollarcrime]

I get it. There's never a moment when this place feels like it's actually calm. But that's not the right attitude to take. —Ah, sorry, that sounds harsh, but let me explain!

The people around you seem stressed, but it doesn't sound like you've talked to them to confirm if they are stressed. I don't doubt your powers of observation! Like I said, things are crazy around here. The point is that you should confirm it yourself by talking to them and asking if they're stressed and why. And you should share your own struggles too. Communication can't be one-sided.

[whitecollarcrime]

More or less.

Did you want to meet her?

[herdtestimony]

[the sheep shakes its head no nope NOPE]

[herdtestimony]

[a pause]

What if I know that talking about it is just going to increase the stress all around, in this case?

[whitecollarcrime]

That's probably a good choice. Just curiosity, then?

[whitecollarcrime]

That's trickier. Since I don't know your exact circumstances I want to say, "Use your best judgement here," but then I'm not giving you any advice at all.

[sighs]

I think it's worth trying to talk it out even if it creates more stress. If it was me, I'd rather be more stressed but informed than oblivious, you know? Your friends probably feel the same. But I understand if you don't want to go that route. Sharing burdens isn't easy.

[herdtestimony]

That's a really optimistic outlook.

[whitecollarcrime]

[the sheep shrugs]

It's not really as optimistic as it sounds. I've just had enough people yell at me in my life for trying to take struggles on alone. It doesn't come naturally to me...I just have to work at it because don't like seeing them cry.

[herdtestimony]

Sorry to hear that.

I'm not sure if it's great advice for the situation, but just saying it aloud to somone -- anyone -- does help.

[herdtestimony]

Who do the confessors confess to?

[herdtestimony]

Yeah, it's... I'm glad we can come back, but I don't get it. I don't like it.

[whitecollarcrime]

My sympathies. I do not think anyone here finds even temporarily dying pleasant, whether it results in torment or oblivion.

[whitecollarcrime]

Typically: Each other in the hours preceding dawn.

[herdtestimony]

...why preceding dawn...?

[whitecollarcrime]

Lower risk of unwanted observation.

[whitecollarcrime]

It's okay. It was meant to be an example. It sounds like it doesn't apply to your problem at all...

If talking about it to someone helps then you're half proving my point about communication, though. Maybe writing it all down would help?

[herdtestimony]

Your own version of anonymity, then.

[whitecollarcrime]

It is highly valued among many people. Source: This very event.