jannat al-ma'wa • sub rosa

[candor1]

WHO: the Starhungry Wargames soap opera troupe
WHAT: Ongoing follow-up to this. More correspondence possibly as top comments; other scenarios as top comments encouraged!
WHERE: their respective cabins, wherever else they wanna write or read
WHEN: -ever slips in comfortably with everything else (I defy continuity)
OPEN TO: Jyn, Finnick, Annie, Cassian. If Annie or Finnick actually want to involve anyone else they absolutely can.
WARNINGS: None planned; any comments can have own warning tags
STATUS: open
CREDIT NOTE: don't remember the origin of the story, but I learned it from a retelling by Jane Yolen.

~~~~~~~~~begin~~~~~~~~~

Cassian finished writing before turning to Jyn. He pulled her into his lap, leaned them both into the light, and held up the finished paper for her to read it.

Finnick or Annie would later find it folded and slipped under their door.

The sentence structure and formatting were hardly up to communique/report standard; but it was considered impiety to write it down at all, so he did so minimalistically. It seemed… that construct again… a worthy infraction.

The text:

parable of Naqshban passed by chain of transmission from the elders of Varadan through many generations to d'Djiera al-Terasu to Cassian Andor (tariq muttasila – unbroken) to Jyn Erso + Finnick Odair + Annie Cresta (tariq munqati‘a – approximation)

I was told this on a lifeless planetoid, by a woman with no memory, who somehow knew it anyway.

Azraa'vel shepherd of the angelic tribe went to a great mortal leader who was about to die
Azra. said: "you have served and protected many people with all of your life, you have earned your choice in death: eternal reward or eternal punishment" • Leader said: "can I see both before I choose?" • Azra. took her in his wings and they flew
Azra. landed them and said: "behold punishment"
it was a fertile land with many beautiful plants • hills and streams all the way to the horizon • beside their landing was a long table that stretched as far as they could see • piled with wonderful delicious food and pleasurable nourishing drink • to sit at that table should be to want for nothing but taste enjoyment forever
• all the people at that table were wailing with torment
Leader demanded "Why do they suffer?" • Azra. pointed to their hands • every person was shackled in their place • a person could reach food and drink but could not bring any of it to their own mouth • Leader covered her face in grief • Azra. took her in his wings and they flew
Azra. landed them and said: "behold reward" • it was a fertile land with many beautiful plants • hills and streams all the way to the horizon • beside their landing was a long table that stretched as far as they could see • piled with wonderful delicious food and pleasurable nourishing drink
Leader said "this is the same – we've gone nowhere" • Azra. pointed to the people at the table • they were still shackled down • but these people were talking and laughing in love and joy
Leader said "I don't understand they're still chained" • Azra. pointed to their mouths • these people could also reach the food and drink • they could also not bring it to their own mouths to feed themselves • these people did not try
• they raised their food and drink to either side and gave it to each other
Azra. to Leader: "it's for you to choose"

c.