For Queen of Hearts

[mother_of_god]

1) [Oh hey look it's one of those unsigned scroll messages the Vine occasionally barfs out. Though this one is distinctive in that instead of being written out, the letters seem to have been singed into the parchment. That's kind of weird.]

Can God come here?

2) [How long has this kid been there? She must've been hidden by one of the bookshelves before. She walks silently through the library, looking at the shelves with intense seriousness. She is, it seems, on a Book Mission. The only time she looks away from the spines lining the shelves is to glance over at the Adults Only area to make sure the bear guard is still over there and not trying to eat her.]

3) [It's a lovely day for a walk. Or, in this particular case, a sit. Goodness only knows how that wheelchair got all the way out to this quiet corner of the Gardens, but its user seems very content. Well, as content as someone that heavily scarred can look. Either way, she has sun on her face and a cat in her lap; life is, apparently, good. She gingerly strokes the cats back, the maneuver apparently requiring a good deal of concentration.]

Comments

[undefines]

I mean like other worlds.

Is that so, huh...? But isn't "paradise" usually a good thing?

[mother_of_god]

Like Wonderland, then?

Paradise is only good for the faithful. A lot of people have to get hurt for it to come.

[undefines]

Wonderland? I guess that's one way to put it.

I guess that makes sense. To tell you the truth, I never paid much attention to religion.

[mother_of_god]

Weren't you afraid of being punished?

[undefines]

Why would I be punished?

[They're pretty obviously working on a very different set of assumptions here.]

[mother_of_god]

Because if you aren't faithful then everyone will be angry. Especially God.

[undefines]

No one was ever angry at me for that. I guess a god might be disappointed if you're not giving them faith, but it'd be pretty petulant of them to get angry at you for that, don't you think?

[mother_of_god]

What does petulant mean?

[undefines]

Well, you know— Bratty.

[mother_of_god]

[Holy shit you just called a hypothetical deity bratty. And LIVED. You are some sort of amazing badass, mystery voice.]

I think your gods are nicer than the Order's gods are.

[undefines]

[FUCK YEAH she is the most badass ever.]

That might be. I haven't met many of Gensokyo's, but Suwako-sama is pretty nice, and from what Sanae has said I imagine Kanako-sama is too.

[mother_of_god]

God is nice but only to people the worship Her. And you have to do a lot of mean things to worship Her.

[undefines]

Maybe you should give your faith to a different god, then.

[mother_of_god]

I want to. Mommy isn't here, so maybe I can.

[undefines]

I say you should. What good does worshiping a god do you if you're not happy with the arrangement?

[mother_of_god]

I stopped worshiping God a long time ago. I didn't want people to be hurt. A lot of people did, but Daddy stopped God so everything is OK now.

[undefines]

That's...good?

[She sounds pretty puzzled by that reply, but it sounds like a happy enough end, so.]

[mother_of_god]

Yes. I hope he's OK, too. I gave him a new Cheryl.

[undefines]

"A new Cheryl"?

[mother_of_god]

[OH SHIT SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT. There's radio silence for a while, then, hesitantly:]

I was Cheryl and she was his daughter. He lost her when we came to Silent Hill again. But I gave her back because he loved her. But I couldn't give her back all the way. She was a baby.

[Hopefully this explains everything clearly and in a way that does not lead to punishment.]

[undefines]

...I don't think I get it.

[mother_of_god]

It's hard to explain. It's just important that Daddy got Cheryl again.

[undefines]

Yeah? Well, if that's how it is.

[mother_of_god]

That's how it is. They will be happy again.