video | un: SecondWind

[crosspear]

Have any of you tried a fruit called the 'doreh'?

[It’s a brief question. Gaius addresses the network early in the morning, hopefully after people have eaten breakfast. There have been a few things on his mind for a while, so he might as well ask now before the network turns to death talk again.]

I spoke with one of the workers on Thesa before coming here, and he shared some with me. It’s a green fruit with several leaves, and it has a bumpy texture...you might have seen it before. When you slice into it, the juice is purple. It's delicious and tastes like honey and plum, but...if someone offers you the same fruit in a different color, you might want to be careful. I’ve heard the other colors of doreh have side effects that are...less than desirable.

[How ominous? He seems to know what’s going on, at least.]

With all the conversation topics we've had, I'd also like to ask...were you religious where you're from, or was your world religious? I've visited the temples here, and they're...unique. [It's so hard to pick just one word.] I've been thinking about my own faith...a lot changes when you end up on a different world, doesn't it?

[He pauses for a moment, and then shakes his head slightly.]

Haha...it sounds a little heavy when I phrase it like that, but I'm still interested in hearing about your worlds if I haven't lost you all yet.

Comments

text; un: theEND

[winddaughter]

There was a group called the Vodarac. Some of their thoughts differed but overall I guess they were right in their beliefs.

text;

[crosspear]

I take it you weren't part of their group, then? What were their beliefs, if you don't mind me asking?

[winddaughter]

I didn't get out much. [sure we'll go with that] They believed that the land was sentient and that true peace could only be found if humans became one with it.

voice;

[fakers]

Doreh, hm? I'll remember that.

[ something tells him he probably shouldn't ask, but he can't deny he's a little curious: ] Do you know more about these side effects? [ ...he's already been acquainted with how odd this world's flora and fauna can be, so the more he knows the better. ]

voice;

[crosspear]

It might come in handy. The purple doreh will turn your skin purple, I've been told. I'm not eager to try it out for myself.

[Ahaha. But then there's the other one. Gaius, in a rare show of discomfort, rubs the back of his neck.]

The effects are only temporary, but the other kind I was told about...I'm not sure how to phrase it.

text | blackwind

[laveers]

Where I am from, the Storm God is our sworn enemy. It is fitting a storm sent us here.

text;

[crosspear]

[Talk about a cruel twist of fate. Gaius isn't quite sure how to respond, but...]

Fitting and cruelly incidental, I imagine. I've had similar thoughts myself. We have no god of storms ourselves, but my people revere the wind. I can't say it's unrelated to storms.

video | un: real_life_actual_king

[tummyflowers]

Really? Talking about religion? Maybe things are dandy where you're from, but where I'm from we had a little something called the Crusades. It wasn't a good time. It's why I have a blanket policy - no talking about religion.

But Catholic.

ah, finally a masa tag in my inbox 💋

[crosspear]

Do you think now's a bad time for it? I think it's interesting myself, but you may be right.

[He looks a little apologetic. Maybe he'd spoken too soon about this? Crusades are a type of holy war, if he remembers his studies correctly, but he can't be certain there's been many in the history of his world.]

We can talk about something else if you'd like, though...I'm not sure anything I have to say would be of much interest to anyone from a royal family.

[He's being a little modest, but...heck, how is he supposed to talk to a king? That still deserves some respect.]

text, un: Yousoro★

[ayes]

that sounds amazing!! do you know where you can get it? can you cook with it? also there are religious people where I come from I guess my friend lives in a temple

text;

[crosspear]

I'm sure I've seen some in the marketplace. If you ask around, someone should point you in the right direction.

I take it religion isn't very important to you?

[But. He does find the 'I guess' a little amusing.]

un: pgoldstein

[goldsteins]

The way you view it doesn't have to change. Concept of what your divinity is might come into question, but my understanding of religion is it expands beyond that to the people. It's a collection of moral guidelines and laws, that doesn't have to change.

[crosspear]

You're absolutely right about. There are plenty of things about my religious views that I won't or can't change, and I'm thankful for that. I'm more interested how the context of it all changes myself. I have no intention of stopping my prayers to the goddess just because I've changed worlds.

audio | un:edmund

[exonerated]

Many things change, but your faith does not have to. It could still remain a part of you.

[ Edmund had come a long way, believing in Aslan the way he had. It saved his life. No apocalypse or storm or any other disaster could possibly change that. ]

And of those fruits, have you encountered any that were less desirable?

audio;

[crosspear]

Haha...I feel the same way, actually. And there's a presence here that's still divine to me.

[It's something he's missed dearly; it's not something he felt on the space station.]

I haven't had any myself, no, but I don't think I was being lied to when I was told they exist. There's a variety that turns skin purple for starters.

text ( un: EUSFORD )

[eusford]

Take my advice and give up on religion, it makes life a lot easier.

That being said, "unique" is putting it lightly but I'm assuming you're trying to be nice.

text;

[crosspear]

Oh? Are you speaking from experience?

I don't know if I'm trying to be nice, exactly. It's more that I'm not sure how to...color what I've seen in the temples.

[He's trying not to be crass. He's a polite young man.]

video; un: RedMage

[adelphoi]

I've heard of no such fruit.

But aye, belief in the Gods is indisputable, where I am from.

[ it's often, you know, problematic. ]

video;

[crosspear]

I suppose it's possible it's only native to Olympia. ...Looking back on it, he might have said as much, which is all the more reason to warn people.

Where I'm from, most people worship only the Goddess. How many different gods do you believe in?

[Ah, but before he can forget.]

And I hope you've been settling in comfortably, Alisaie. It's good to hear from you again.

video | un: zevran

[agradecido]

Less than desirable how? Rashes, swelling of the throat? [Of course, he's thinking in terms of toxicity, that's just a normal assumption. Although if one of them is an aphrodisiac, I'm gonna laugh.

He's the one who laughs at the temple comment, tho.]

But yes, the temple here is a very far cry from the Chantry! I have a friend or two who will be mightily scandalized when they awake.

video

[crosspear]

One can turn your skin purple, and I've been informed that another is an aphrodisiac.

[Laugh away.]

Haha...I wonder if my friends would consider myself scandalized. It was definitely a shock to me.

text! un: romanée-conti

[vacuum]

I believe only what I see with my own eyes. So, back in my world, I didn't believe there was a god.

Here -- well, I suppose we've already seen those people up there in that station. [ And that means that the 'god' that the Nysan believe in actually seems to be real?? Even if it's not in the way they probably expect. ]

Sorry for the late reply, I took a break because of the heat.

[crosspear]

It's a difficult relationship to view from the outside. We know the truth, but they're happy not knowing the truth. I think leaving them be myself is the right thing to do.

[Especially since that's what they've been told to do.]

I don't think that's a bad view to have. Placing your faith in what you can see and feel is something I practice as well.

text; un: Nocturne

[melodiouspacifist]

That doesn't sound like something I'd eat. Things with weird colours are just sketchy.

Religion? My original world had that. I was the opposite of whatever 'religious' is. It's okay,
they didn't like us either.

There definitely aren't any gods in our world.

Sorry for the late reply, I took a break because of the heat.

[crosspear]

You're not wrong. Flora and fauna that are brightly colored usually have a secret or two, don't they?

[Sometimes, that secret is poison.]

I think the word you'd use is 'irreverent'. But what makes you so certain there aren't gods? If you're sure, I believe you, but what makes you that sure?