Johan Liebert (
uglyinside) wrote in
asgardeventide2012-02-10 03:44 pm
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02 [ Video ]
[ The feed opens on the main network, its colours seemingly in higher contrast than usual as the setting comes to view.
At the corner of the screen, is Johan. He is sitting down on a bench in the Loki District, with a pile of books beside him. However, his presence is devoid of any command -- there is nothing about it, right now, that would make anybody truly want to focus on his image. Instead, the main focus of the video seemsto be the eleven faceless children sitting in front of him. They are resting their chins against their palms, and every now and then, tiling their heads thoughtfully. One can even hear the sounds of whispers or laughter come out of them, though they seem to not possess clear mouths. ]
This one might be more familiar to you all. It's called, "The Girl with the Green Ribbon."
[ His voice lifts gently in inquiry around them. ] Are you all ready? Are you ready for the story?
[ The children nod! Johan opens the book, while one of the children -- perhaps it is a girl, it is hard to tell, scoots in closer beside him. ]
A long, long ... [ He pauses, smiling over at the girl. ] Long time ago, there was a little girl, who wore a green ribbon around her neck.
[ The child puts a hand to their neck in response. ]
One day, she went to school, and met a boy. The boy sat behind her in class, and the ribbon had caught his attention.
"Why?" The boy asked, curiously. "Why do you always seem to wear that... ribbon, that green ribbon... around your neck?"
She promised that someday she'd tell him.
When they grew a bit older, as teenagers, the boy asked the girl on a date. She was very happy to accept this date, but that night, on their date, he asked again: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"
"It's not important," She insisted. But he persisted. He asked once again, and so she told him that if they married one day, she would tell him.
And so the boy and the girl fell in love. [ Some of the kids make a few "eww" sounds, though the child beside Johan scoots in even closer, trying to get a glimpse of the picture book. ]
On the night of their wedding, the boy who had grown into a man asked once again. She replied that she would tell him if they were to have kids. So they had children, and again he asked: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"
She said: "Please, if you love me...you will stop asking me, for now. It is not important. I will tell you one day."
The man unhappily accepted this. The two grew old together, and one day, the wife was told by a Doctor that she had grown sick, and was about to die. While laying in bed, near death, her old husband asked once again: "Please, please. Please tell me, wife. Please tell me why you wear that ribbon around your neck?"
In a weak voice, she whispered: "I will tell you. Take the bow off."
When he pulled the bow loose, her head fell off.
[ A couple of the children laugh, while some remain expressionless, seemingly emotionless in response, but taking it in nonetheless. Johan glances directly at the video feed, then back at the children. ]
Now. I want you to tell me. What did that story mean?
At the corner of the screen, is Johan. He is sitting down on a bench in the Loki District, with a pile of books beside him. However, his presence is devoid of any command -- there is nothing about it, right now, that would make anybody truly want to focus on his image. Instead, the main focus of the video seemsto be the eleven faceless children sitting in front of him. They are resting their chins against their palms, and every now and then, tiling their heads thoughtfully. One can even hear the sounds of whispers or laughter come out of them, though they seem to not possess clear mouths. ]
This one might be more familiar to you all. It's called, "The Girl with the Green Ribbon."
[ His voice lifts gently in inquiry around them. ] Are you all ready? Are you ready for the story?
[ The children nod! Johan opens the book, while one of the children -- perhaps it is a girl, it is hard to tell, scoots in closer beside him. ]
A long, long ... [ He pauses, smiling over at the girl. ] Long time ago, there was a little girl, who wore a green ribbon around her neck.
[ The child puts a hand to their neck in response. ]
One day, she went to school, and met a boy. The boy sat behind her in class, and the ribbon had caught his attention.
"Why?" The boy asked, curiously. "Why do you always seem to wear that... ribbon, that green ribbon... around your neck?"
She promised that someday she'd tell him.
When they grew a bit older, as teenagers, the boy asked the girl on a date. She was very happy to accept this date, but that night, on their date, he asked again: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"
"It's not important," She insisted. But he persisted. He asked once again, and so she told him that if they married one day, she would tell him.
And so the boy and the girl fell in love. [ Some of the kids make a few "eww" sounds, though the child beside Johan scoots in even closer, trying to get a glimpse of the picture book. ]
On the night of their wedding, the boy who had grown into a man asked once again. She replied that she would tell him if they were to have kids. So they had children, and again he asked: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"
She said: "Please, if you love me...you will stop asking me, for now. It is not important. I will tell you one day."
The man unhappily accepted this. The two grew old together, and one day, the wife was told by a Doctor that she had grown sick, and was about to die. While laying in bed, near death, her old husband asked once again: "Please, please. Please tell me, wife. Please tell me why you wear that ribbon around your neck?"
In a weak voice, she whispered: "I will tell you. Take the bow off."
When he pulled the bow loose, her head fell off.
[ A couple of the children laugh, while some remain expressionless, seemingly emotionless in response, but taking it in nonetheless. Johan glances directly at the video feed, then back at the children. ]
Now. I want you to tell me. What did that story mean?
Video
Are you alone here?
Video
Video
Video
Video
Video
But just before I came here, I was with Alice. She isn't here now, though.
Video
Video
Video; filtered
Video; filtered
...Alice never thought about that. But people around Alice have disappeared an awful lot, even before coming here. Didn't notice it before now.
But the friends Alice has here--they won't leave without saying something first! Alice doesn't want them to go away.
Video; filtered
I know you don't want them to go away. No one wants the people they care about to go away, right?
But people leave all of the time, without saying goodbye. What makes you so sure your friends will say goodbye?
Video; filtered
[She's starting to tear up a little, thinking of that.]
Because...friends have to say goodbye! That's what makes them friends! If they don't say anything to Alice, then...they weren't my friends.
Alice doesn't want it to be like back then, when no one said anything and left Alice all alone, like Alice wasn't there at all.
Video; filtered ( /heart shattered already)
[ He forces a sad look, that would win an oscar, okay. ]
Video; filtered
Video; filtered
Why do you think nobody cared?
Video; filtered
[She gives a slight shrug, frowning.]
Maybe they just didn't like Alice. Maybe Alice wasn't a person to them. Maybe Alice wasn't Alice anymore so nobody recognized me.
Video; filtered
What do you mean.
Not a person?
[ His expression is deadly calm. ]
That no one recognized you. Did you lose who you were, somehow?
Video; filtered
Alice wasn't Alice anymore, back then. I don't remember much, but there were lots of guns and fire and bad things--those were what made me have to go to the hospital, where no one noticed me. When no one payed any attention to me...That's when I stopped being me. Alice lost Alice because no one cared about Alice. Then something happened and I left that place for good. No one noticed. No one stopped me.
[She stops, and a small smile rises to her face as she looks back to the bracelet's camera.]
But it's been a long, long time since then, mister. Alice's gone through the looking glass twice since then. Even if I wanted to know what Alice used to be like before I lost who I was, it's not real easy to remember anymore.
Video; filtered
No one paid attention.
No one called her name.
She was the only one who knew her name.
She was the only one that was aware of her existence.
He returns the smile to Alice, though it is slight in its own way. ]
No one cared. No one noticed. No one stopped you.
[ He allows the words to sit there, soaking up her story. ]
The memories seem so far away, don't they? But they hurt a lot less that way.
[ His voice quiets. ]
When people care about Alice.
Is that when Alice becomes a person?
Video; filtered
She nods.]
Alice buries what's left of those bad, lonely memories with all the good memories Alice gets here.
Alice's met lotsa nice people here--bunches of friends. When they care about me, I'm a person again. Alice is a person right now.