[Dictated]

[lightbranded]

 Rather a lot of children in the castle now, aren't there? [Will pauses, and then continues with a small laugh.]

Not even my family ever had quite this many.  Even from what I remember of my older brother's stories. Of course I was the youngest, so I've never been around kids much.  But I guess I could still offer my help.

[Another pause, as Will thinks over his words.]

There is one other thing, I suppose.  I've been thinking a lot recently over some questions. Has anyone ever wondered what happens to a story what it finishes?  What the people in a story do in the after?

Comments

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

I see your point. [Will grins.] Don't know if I could pick either, really.

dictated

[unvarnished]

All you can do is listen to them, and share them when you can.

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

Aaah, but there's nothing sad about that.

dictated

[unvarnished]

It can be, sometimes. If those stories are all you have of a person.... [not that he has experience in this area or anything]

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

I think... that as long as you have important memories of something that it can never truly die. All the things that truly matter, all the things that are loved, I think that they exist in a space outside of time. And because time has no ending they can never end themselves.

dictated

[unvarnished]

And that's essentially what a story is: a thing that can exist outside time. So as long as you keep telling those stories, you're keeping the people in them alive. And maybe they weren't even real to start with, but they can become real just by you believing.

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

[And that makes Will's lips twist up in a cheerful grin.]

I think I rather like that way of thinking about it.

dictated

[unvarnished]

Most people find it a little strange. But I guess those people just haven't felt the power of a good story.

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

It is sad, I think. When that happens. Good stories have a power to them.

dictated

[unvarnished]

We'll just have to make sure people are exposed to good stories for as long as we're here.

Re: dictated

[lightbranded]

That would be marvelous, I think.