for Life After Death11/9/2015 c1 Guest
PLEASE UPDATE SOON!
PLEASE UPDATE SOON!
9/29/2015 c2 
4Gideoncrawle
As you probably know by now, I like this story well enough to Follow it.
Despite the mention of Courtney possibly being reincarnated as something nonhuman, that seems unlikely for three reasons: first, it would make for a rather abrupt end to the story if she came back as something mindless like the aforementioned flower; second, you list the story type in part as “romance” and list Duncan/Courtney as a pairing, and reincarnation into something nonhuman would tend to interfere with that; and third, “transmigration” (the formal term for reincarnation into another species) raises some interesting cosmological questions. When she dies again, which would likely happen sooner or later given the relatively short lifespans of most species, would she face judgment again? On what criteria would she be judged if she had been say, a slug? Would Duncan and Bridgette appear to her as members of her own species? Would they or equivalents appear to her at all? In sum, I think it’s safe to say that if Courtney gets reincarnated, she would come back as another human—possibly even as her canon counterpart.
Bridgette’s description of Afterlife (which somehow sounds more like a fraternity or a secret society than a place of residence) is susceptible to a bit of fridge horror. Being a student for all eternity doesn’t sound so bad, since she’d be constantly learning new things, but having the same job for all eternity sounds like it could be positively soul-crushing if she (or whoever assigns her job) doesn’t choose wisely. Imagine being a convenience store clerk forever. I'm reminded of a Star Trek (original series) episode where a man who has been made immortal confesses, in pertinent part, "Immortality consists largely of boredom."
Since Courtney gets judged in the next chapter, here’s fitting bit of verse which I used in LTDI for that story’s first elimination. It comes from the 13th Century Latin poem, “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”, i.e. Judgment Day). Translation by William Josiah Irons:
Worthless are my prayers and sighing,/ Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,/ Rescue me from fires undying!
With thy favored sheep O place me;/ Nor among the goats abase me;/ But to thy right hand upraise me.
While the wicked are confounded,/ Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,/ Call me with thy saints surrounded.
Low I kneel, with heart submission,/ See, like ashes, my contrition;/ Help me in my last condition.
.
Reviewed for the Read and Swap
4GideoncrawleAs you probably know by now, I like this story well enough to Follow it.
Despite the mention of Courtney possibly being reincarnated as something nonhuman, that seems unlikely for three reasons: first, it would make for a rather abrupt end to the story if she came back as something mindless like the aforementioned flower; second, you list the story type in part as “romance” and list Duncan/Courtney as a pairing, and reincarnation into something nonhuman would tend to interfere with that; and third, “transmigration” (the formal term for reincarnation into another species) raises some interesting cosmological questions. When she dies again, which would likely happen sooner or later given the relatively short lifespans of most species, would she face judgment again? On what criteria would she be judged if she had been say, a slug? Would Duncan and Bridgette appear to her as members of her own species? Would they or equivalents appear to her at all? In sum, I think it’s safe to say that if Courtney gets reincarnated, she would come back as another human—possibly even as her canon counterpart.
Bridgette’s description of Afterlife (which somehow sounds more like a fraternity or a secret society than a place of residence) is susceptible to a bit of fridge horror. Being a student for all eternity doesn’t sound so bad, since she’d be constantly learning new things, but having the same job for all eternity sounds like it could be positively soul-crushing if she (or whoever assigns her job) doesn’t choose wisely. Imagine being a convenience store clerk forever. I'm reminded of a Star Trek (original series) episode where a man who has been made immortal confesses, in pertinent part, "Immortality consists largely of boredom."
Since Courtney gets judged in the next chapter, here’s fitting bit of verse which I used in LTDI for that story’s first elimination. It comes from the 13th Century Latin poem, “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”, i.e. Judgment Day). Translation by William Josiah Irons:
Worthless are my prayers and sighing,/ Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,/ Rescue me from fires undying!
With thy favored sheep O place me;/ Nor among the goats abase me;/ But to thy right hand upraise me.
While the wicked are confounded,/ Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,/ Call me with thy saints surrounded.
Low I kneel, with heart submission,/ See, like ashes, my contrition;/ Help me in my last condition.
.
Reviewed for the Read and Swap
9/28/2015 c1 Gideoncrawle
Interesting premise. Although I don’t generally have much interest in AU romances, I’ll admit I’m looking forward to seeing where you go with this. You have a nicely descriptive writing style, although there were some mechanical glitches that I’ll describe under separate cover.
For the more jaded, "Vale of Tears" mindset, an alternate explanation for why babies are always screaming is because they have a fair idea of what they're in for. For the more technically minded, perhaps the fact that said babies have just been smacked on the ass might have something to do with why they’re screaming.
I’m not a fan of gratuitious profanity in stories, mainly because it tends to become filler—some writers use the f-bomb the way a Valley Girl uses the word, “like”—but Courtney’s (unbowdlerized) TDI audition tape suggests that she might have a foul mouth, so I’m not prepared to argue that it doesn’t fit her character. Just be aware that overuse will quickly drain strong words of their impact.
Duncan’s appearance as Courtney’s afterlife guide reminds me of an episode from Star Trek: the Next Generation, where Captain Picard has a similar experience after being critically wounded. As he stands in a featureless white expanse, he is greeted by recurring nemesis Q (a nigh-omnipotent energy being) and the following exchange ensues.
Q: Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You’re dead. [end teaser, cut to opening credits]
Picard: What’s going on? [or words to that effect]
Q: I told you. You’re dead, this is the afterlife… and I’m God.
Picard (seemingly on the verge of laughter): You are not God!
Q: Blasphemy! You’re lucky I don’t cast you out or smite you or something.
Picard: I cannot believe that the afterlife is ruled by you. The universe is not so badly designed.
Courtney and Duncan would fit perfectly into this scene.
The final scene as Courtney looked out from her faux bedroom reminded me of something else: the Purgatorio section of The Divine Comedy. Just as Purgatory is the place to rehabilitate souls who don’t qualify for Heaven but don’t deserve condemnation to Hell, so people who die under certain circumstances (people excommunicated from the Church or the “late-repentants” who don’t accept the faith until just before they die) aren’t ready for Purgatory but are still undeserving of Hell. These people go to ante-Purgatory (the prefix “ante” means “before”) which is that portion of Mount Purgatory outside the walls. (The Italians of Dante’s time believed Mount Purgatory to be the only land mass in the Southern Hemisphere, although that’s neither here nor there.) These souls had to remain outside Purgatory’s walls for a limited number of years, daily menaced by demons and protected by angels dressed in green (the color of hope) before they could be admitted and begin their rehab.
It sounds very much like Courtney is in your version of ante-Purgatory. Using Dante’s model, once Courtney was admitted to Purgatory, she would begin a seven-step rehab, with a different Deadly Sin being purged (hence the name) in each. In Courtney’s case (canon Courtney, anyway) there can be no doubt that she would have to spend the longest part of her rehab in the first stage, where the deadly sin of Pride is purged.
Reviewed for the Read and Swap
Interesting premise. Although I don’t generally have much interest in AU romances, I’ll admit I’m looking forward to seeing where you go with this. You have a nicely descriptive writing style, although there were some mechanical glitches that I’ll describe under separate cover.
For the more jaded, "Vale of Tears" mindset, an alternate explanation for why babies are always screaming is because they have a fair idea of what they're in for. For the more technically minded, perhaps the fact that said babies have just been smacked on the ass might have something to do with why they’re screaming.
I’m not a fan of gratuitious profanity in stories, mainly because it tends to become filler—some writers use the f-bomb the way a Valley Girl uses the word, “like”—but Courtney’s (unbowdlerized) TDI audition tape suggests that she might have a foul mouth, so I’m not prepared to argue that it doesn’t fit her character. Just be aware that overuse will quickly drain strong words of their impact.
Duncan’s appearance as Courtney’s afterlife guide reminds me of an episode from Star Trek: the Next Generation, where Captain Picard has a similar experience after being critically wounded. As he stands in a featureless white expanse, he is greeted by recurring nemesis Q (a nigh-omnipotent energy being) and the following exchange ensues.
Q: Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You’re dead. [end teaser, cut to opening credits]
Picard: What’s going on? [or words to that effect]
Q: I told you. You’re dead, this is the afterlife… and I’m God.
Picard (seemingly on the verge of laughter): You are not God!
Q: Blasphemy! You’re lucky I don’t cast you out or smite you or something.
Picard: I cannot believe that the afterlife is ruled by you. The universe is not so badly designed.
Courtney and Duncan would fit perfectly into this scene.
The final scene as Courtney looked out from her faux bedroom reminded me of something else: the Purgatorio section of The Divine Comedy. Just as Purgatory is the place to rehabilitate souls who don’t qualify for Heaven but don’t deserve condemnation to Hell, so people who die under certain circumstances (people excommunicated from the Church or the “late-repentants” who don’t accept the faith until just before they die) aren’t ready for Purgatory but are still undeserving of Hell. These people go to ante-Purgatory (the prefix “ante” means “before”) which is that portion of Mount Purgatory outside the walls. (The Italians of Dante’s time believed Mount Purgatory to be the only land mass in the Southern Hemisphere, although that’s neither here nor there.) These souls had to remain outside Purgatory’s walls for a limited number of years, daily menaced by demons and protected by angels dressed in green (the color of hope) before they could be admitted and begin their rehab.
It sounds very much like Courtney is in your version of ante-Purgatory. Using Dante’s model, once Courtney was admitted to Purgatory, she would begin a seven-step rehab, with a different Deadly Sin being purged (hence the name) in each. In Courtney’s case (canon Courtney, anyway) there can be no doubt that she would have to spend the longest part of her rehab in the first stage, where the deadly sin of Pride is purged.
Reviewed for the Read and Swap
9/17/2015 c1 Guest
I've been waiting forever for a update lol
I've been waiting forever for a update lol
7/28/2015 c2 Guest
Please update! I love this storie so damn much!
Please update! I love this storie so damn much!
7/17/2015 c1 Donny
please update! I love this story so much!
please update! I love this story so much!
7/7/2015 c1 Guest
Can't wait for update!️
Can't wait for update!️
6/21/2015 c1 Guest
Absolutely can't wait for update! ️️
Absolutely can't wait for update! ️️
6/18/2015 c2 Taycba
Hey there! Im liking the story a lot, just like the other ones xD.
This is a really Original idea for a fic, and so far very catching cuz i think we all have curiosity about what happens when we die.
Afterlifetotaldramasuccess!
Hey there! Im liking the story a lot, just like the other ones xD.
This is a really Original idea for a fic, and so far very catching cuz i think we all have curiosity about what happens when we die.
Afterlifetotaldramasuccess!
6/2/2015 c1 Grace13
Loved this story so much. Can't wait for update!
Loved this story so much. Can't wait for update!
5/31/2015 c2 Guest
So good
So good
5/26/2015 c2 Abby
Great story so far! I can't wait to read more!
Great story so far! I can't wait to read more!