{SE} In remembrance

A panther in the night, a fire burning bright. Ray felt a bit uncomfortable with his staring but figured he was trying to decide if she was being truthful or not. She listened intently as he recalled those whom he wanted to include in his lantern. Ray did notice the slight slip about not including himself as a humanoid but decided not to pry. It was his business. Ray took in his drawings and the explanations behind them with open curiosity. It was incredible to hear about another world. Her eyes widened when Neos off hand mentioned having beings close to him across multiple worlds and realms. A traveler? Incredible. "You're right that many would think they were bizarre creatures, but you could still put them in your lantern. Mistress Mew and the others sound incredibly important to you.  You could claim that your lantern was just depicting a story that someone important to you once told you. That's actually not a completely uncommon practice. We all remember and represent our loved ones differently. I've seen lanterns depicting all kinds of stories about far away lands or alternate realities over the years. Many of their creators claimed that they were about a story. Of course some folks suspected them of being Outlanders, it's not enough proof to act on . And many of the more traditional people consider it taboo to pry or disrespect someone else's lanterns. They'd likely step in if someone gave you trouble about yours." Ray explained. She hoped that Neos would represent who he wanted with his lantern and not let other's judgement stand in his way. r a y The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. —Albert Camus