001 [video] console café

[shifu_sifu]

[The backdrop? One of the console cafés private rooms, with the door open to show a hall crowded with locals, but this particular room seems empty save a pair of large, rounded ears that are twitching minutely to catch the many sounds going around him. Seconds later, half a head peers into the video and a furry brow furrows.]

This is not anything like what I expected once my time came. There is much and everything is complex and-- No one can see me, can they. [A mutter as one elderly red panda holds onto the edge of the console and tries to look at the camera.

This? Is not working. He abandons that technique and kicks back the chair, performing a perfect flip to land balanced on the crux of his staff, the base of which is resting on the floor. Now centered in the video, he smoothes out his robes and clears his throat.]

I understand this is a realm for those who have completed their journeys. [A pause, a steady breath, and a nod.] I am at peace with this.

[The murmur of crowd in the background surges briefly and an ear flicks in irritation. Shifu decides it is better to finish his message before more people arrive.]

If you can just direct me to Master Oogway, I... [A pause as he glances around, borderline frazzled by all the people here.] -ah, I will confer with him and resume my meditations.

[A marginally graceful nod to the camera, then he descends the staff onto the console, searching for the command to kill the feed.]

There are many, many more people than I expected to have achieved the inner peace necessary to attain this state.

[It's one more perplexed mutter before he finds the command and ends it.]

Comments

[imlikeabird]

Last time I checked, I wasn't dead.

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[Ascension? Shifu can buy that, but he expected a little less disagreement on their state. He hears it and an ear twitches as he gathers himself and some sage knowledge together.]

Death is not the only end to one's journey. [A steady breath and a serene nod of his head.] Those who have obtained inner peace can ascend long before their bodies reach their end.

[audio]

[imlikeabird]

[This is by far one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to Hawke. He thought being caught 'in between' would entail being stuck in some kind of Fade limbo.]

I didn't have that to worry about. I like keeping my soul in its original packing.

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[A beat. Another ear twitch. One more breath.]

Then you had nothing to worry about? [Yes. Good.] This means you had nothing attaching you to your world. Those with earthly concerns are burdened by them and those that have released them are freed.

[video]

[repelled]

[the response comes a short time after from chase, slightly damp and sitting in his suite, one eyebrow raised in a half-question. he's seen red pandas before, and at this point in his life, talking animals should not - and usually do not - surprise him.

he will not point out the obvious. world-turtles and part-humans and an entirely new city - a talking red panda is hardly going to be the strangest thing he probably encounters.]

You're absolutely sure about that? My journey is far from over.

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[Shifu is unused to seeing such hairless gorillas wandering around, but the kedan have been a slow introduction to them and he is no longer shocked by the appearance.

He raises one eyebrow up in question to the, well, question and that serves to break him from the muttering commentary.]

This is the place which exists beyond life and consciousnesses. It is possible that you have achieved a temporary connection with the universe and are enlightened, but I have been informed by the many ascended here that there is no simple way to return to one's body. By that, I would say I am very sure that our earthly journeys are over.

[video]

[repelled]

I would say they had better not be.

[for the mostly-casual tone to his voice, there's a razor edge to it, too.]

I have no recollection of dying, and I haven't aimed for pure enlightenment in some time. If this is some sort of ascension, it was unintentional, unwanted, and an interruption.

video

[sophos]

[...a normal looking red panda. The talking doesn't surprise her as much as it should. She'll roll with it for now]

A realm between life and death doesn't mean someone there is automatically dead.

video

[shifu_sifu]

[Why is everyone so against having achieved oneness with the energy of the universe? An ear twitches.]

Death is not the only way for one's journey to end. It is the only one that does not allow for another path to open.

video

[sophos]

That's what a 'completed journey' implies, to most people. And mine's not complete, so it's not ending. Certainly not here.

[audio]

[stickshift]

[Well this has been an interesting -- let's just say 'past few weeks'. Save Republic City? Watch the Avatar restore everyone's bending? End up on a giant turtle? It's all in a day's work for our intrepid heroine!

Who is currently staring - yes, staring at this panda.

Okay, so she knew that theoretically, 'moving pictures' weren't as impossible as some people believed. It was just an application of science, like her father's satomobiles. But this is still a little weird.

And that is still a talking panda.

At least the feed is audio only, so it's not like she's being rude. Instead, she's biting her lip, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should she type something? He doesn't look anything like the kedan, and he's talking as if he's new here, not native to this place.

Well. Nothing for it. She taps the console's 'reply' function.]

Um. Hi.

[Her tone isn't necessarily shy, but it is a little... uncertain. Because tiny small animal that's not an amalgamation of another animal oh god what is life.]

I'm not so sure about inner peace, but are you a... koalapanda...?

[audio]

[shifu_sifu]

[The audio comes up, but there is a long pause as Shifu processes what she just asked. Bonus points: It's not her arguing the point about being dead or ascended! Negative points: Did she actually ask that?]

No, I am not a koala, nor am I a panda.

[A dry statement.]

I am a red panda.

[Another pause, but much shorter this time.]

Which do you happen to be?

[audio]

[stickshift]

[... definitely a talking... thing.

Maybe she is dead. I mean. Talking animals, right? She clears her throat a little.]

I'm human. Just-- you know, a normal human.

[she is processing this so well.]

[video]

[dadissues]

[Everything is on fire behind him. Actually it's a gargoyle spitting fire, but it makes it look like his room is on fire.]

Hey, wait just a second, squirrel dude. I don't care what they say, there's no way I'm dead, you hear me? So don't lump everyone together and say that we're all dead or something!

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[Between the fire and the argument, Shifu's peaceful mojo's at risk here and, yup, he's staring a moment. It takes him a bit to calm himself and his mouth opens a few times as though he might say something, but then he closes it.]

I am not a squirrel.

[Breathe. Innerpeaceinnerpeaceinnerpeace.]

I am a red panda and I indeed heard you. [He refrains, like a good grand master, from pointing out that it's hard to not hear with these strange consoles.]

It was made quite clear to me that this is a state beyond consciousness, but I did not say that we are dead. There are many different ways to complete one's journey.

[video]

[dadissues]

Well, whatever you are, I can guarantee that my journey's not over. I've got way too much I still need to do!

[video]

[mistyoldworld]

[Someone is having similar problems with appearing in the camera, not that she knows it. She has a cursory knowledge of how these consoles work, but she's not entirely sure where the camera lens is. So have a great view of the top of her head.]

Hm? Do you think this is the otherworld?

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[High five, strange creature. Shifu has been having issues with his too!]

That is what I believe, yes.

[video]

[mistyoldworld]

If this were the proper otherworld, I would definitely know. I don't think that's what it is.

[video]

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki's in her (extremely) empty suite, elbows braced against the edge of her console, chin cupped in her hands, and looking somewhat dejected. Which is kind of hard to do when talking to a... talking red panda who is totally adorable, but one should never underestimate the power of teenage misery. ]

I don't think inner peace has anything to do with it.

[video]

[shifu_sifu]

[His ears both perk up and focus on the video -- another strange, hairless ape. It's her mood that catches his attention and he pauses. There's a weakness in him, long suppressed, to help the young and unfortunate, but he has learned to be careful.]

Then what is it that you think this is?

[A careful and confident challenge of her statement.]

[video]

[withoutaworld]

[ She shrugs without lifting her head from her hands. ]

Just... dead? I figure this can't be where we're supposed to go, but maybe something went wrong when we died. Maybe we got lost and that's how we ended up here.

[ IDK IT MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS ANYTHING ELSE IN HER WORLD. Rikki just knows she doesn't want to be dead. :c ]

video;

[demon_brat]

[This one comes a bit later. For one thing, Damian was out and about. For another... he wasn't sure how to respond immediately.

But, eventually, he does.]


I strongly suspect that not all here are dead. As others seem to have pointed out already.


[Here, have a locally-clothed, not-quite-eleven-yet-year-old boy. Make what you want of that.]


Did you ask the kedan about Oogway?

video;

[shifu_sifu]

No, but then death is not the only end to one journey. [A faint, almost gone chuckle.] It is merely the start of another.

[The hairless apes -- these hoo-mans -- quite obviously breed, for here is a small version of one. Shifu is familiar with children, though more frequently he works with rabbits and swine.

He is also more familiar with children having a less sophisticated grasp of things. A prodigy, perhaps? Shifu takes it in stride -- he has seen (and trained) many prodigies in his time.]

They were not free with their answers. [A pause.] I had not, by their standards, earned them and so I have been meditating on it.

video;

[demon_brat]

[This? Is an eyeroll. Of a ten year old who just WILL NOT ADMIT TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE'S DEAD. Also somebody who's heard that before.

... okay, so he has a complicated relationship with death. Thank you, Grandfather. And Great-Grandfather.]


Very profound. Like a fortune cookie.


[A bit of prodigy, a bit of extensive training, and a lot of arrogance, still, though it's coming down, compared to nearly a year ago. So he takes a measured breath, eyes squinting slightly.]


And has meditation led to enlightening any aspect of... this, yet?