ataraxion | 002; rude questions [video/action]

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002; rude questions [video/action]

Ladies and gentlemen of the Tranquility, good evening.

[From the video, you can see Albert is seated somewhere in the oxygen gardens, on a wide-open patch of grass. He looks somewhat contemplative.]

I have a-- a somewhat personal question to ask of you all, so don't feel compelled to answer if you don't wish to. [He seems to hesitate, and then he plunges ahead quickly, as if he must ask it before he loses courage.]

How many of you here believed yourselves to have passed away before you woke up in this place?

And-- for those of you who don't want to talk about something quite so morbid, maybe you could tell me what year, or what country, or planet you come from. I'd... really like to hear about other people's homes. As for me-- I'm from Paris, France, the year 5053.

I've also got some tea and plenty of cups to go around here in the garden, if you'd prefer to speak in person. I'd welcome the company, and the chance to meet all of you.

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There isn't a lot I know for certain, actually.

[She has to think about the year...

Depending on the planet, the way time is calculated must be different, so...

She has no idea.]

I'm not sure about the date, either.

I thought I had died...and it was confirmed, by someone who saw my body buried.

[He shrugs.]

It can not be changed now.

It's a story about some rich guy on an island who tries to hunt people, says he sees it as a "challenge" and that makes it better than normal huntin'.

[Firo's parallel between that and the Tranquility isn't quite perfect, but it's been a while since he read the story and he only remembers the basics.]

It was pretty sick. I forget if the main character made it out at the end or not.

Really?! Wow... that's amazing! That must have been something of a shock for you then, to suddenly find yourself here...

... Oh. I'm-- sorry to hear that.

[He genuinely does look sorry, and not as all like he's saying it just to be polite.]

This place is so strange...

Oh... don't you find any of that-- distressing?

That's sick...

But I can't imagine anything like that would ever happen in real life. That's why it's a story, right?

Well, so long as you do not wish to discuss the merits of Buonaparte-ruled France... I do not think they should mind very much.

[A soft, brief grin there, shaking his head at the memory. Poor Marius. He meant well... he was just a bit... misinformed. Even if Jehan took less pain at his viewpoint than the others.]

You would be very welcome, yes. I promise we will not quiz you upon philosophy; just so long as you do not quiz us on technology. Do we have a treaty?

Ah, but technology is so fascinating, Jehan! It's a shame you and your comrades lived only just before the invention of cars and bikes! Nobody needs to rely upon a poor horse for travel anymore, and they go fast enough that journeying between cities and countries is easy!

Then there's computers, and telephones...! Devices like these communicators that make it possible to speak with someone very far away in only an instant! Or to look up the answer to whatever question you might have, if it's in the realm of human knowledge!

[Realising he's gotten slightly carried away, he tones it down a bit.] But-- I shall agree to your treaty.

[He sort of brushes it off.] It would've been a shock, no matter what. Probably worse for the ones who think they're dead.

[Albert's expression turns uneasy...]

Yes. A friend suggested that this might be the afterlife, but I don't think that's quite right either. For some reason or another, it's clear to me that everyone here is very much alive, no matter what their circumstances might have been before. I don't know how, but ... that's the truth we've been presented with.

[...OH ALBERT. Also, wat.

He really isn't sure how Albert always manages it, but he'd pressing the back of his hand against his mouth to keep from laughing too hard at that outpouring of excitement. He didn't want to be rude, especially not when Albert was right and it was interesting, but...

He lierally had no idea what half of these inventions were.]

You speak in a language I do not know! But yes, I assume if we have ships that might transport us to worlds, man must have found ways to travel between nations with more ease. Though I do wonder at the lost art of letter-writing, if you can communicate within seconds over screens...

Perhaps it's why you have no attention for poetry. [He teased lightly.]

Yeah, I don't buy the afterlife thing. I know there are people here who think they're dead - who probably were dead, back home, but if this was some kind of afterlife -

Well, I wouldn't think we'd be able to die here, for one thing. And people have definitely died.

Died? From-- what, exactly?

Oh, haha, I see what you did there! But I suppose you're probably right, actually. Franz always says--

Lots of things. We're in space, a bunch of people in a confined area. There have been accidents, suicides, even a murder or two.

You just showed up, didn't you?

--said, he always said that the only reason I'm not a good student is because I'm bad at sitting still, and if they could find a way to teach literature through movement, I'd be top of the class. Haha.

[Albert's tone is still light and casual after he corrects himself. It's almost laughing, like he doesn't really believe that statement. But there's a forced quality to it, too.]

Edited 2013-03-25 01:02 (UTC)

[Albert nods at the second question, stunned into silence for a moment.]

A murder... that's terrible! Do-- do you know who did it?

In a place like this? [He gives a faint snort.] We're lucky if we figure out it was a murder at all, it's so easy to make things look like accidents.

I'm only surprised more of them haven't happened.

Really? Surely it's not as dire as all that. Almost everybody I've met so far has been unfailingly helpful and kind to me.

[The drop in mood and the change to past tense was palpable. Perhaps Jehan was a little sensitive lately, as it seemed he could barely flounder his way through a conversation without leaving someone upset... something he wasn't very used to. Being (if he admitted it) still upset himself, it was worse to see faces drop and smiles stall. Keeping up his own mood was becoming strenuously hard. He didn't know how or if to fix it-- not for his friends and certainly not for himself. A somewhat useless feeling.]

...Maybe your Franz was on to something. I wonder if literature could be taught through movement. What an idea.

[Softly, going to fix a cup of tea now just to busy himself.]

Yeah... he was. [Albert draws in a shaky breath to steady himself, but it hardly works. He notices Jehan fixing the tea and realises he's done the very thing he was trying to avoid.]

... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-- ugh, I'm so stupid. I invited you out here to relax and have a cup of tea to take your mind off things, but all I'm doing is making things worse ...

[He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated, surreptitiously wiping at an eye as he goes. Almost furious at his traitorous eye for betraying him.]

I just can't seem to-- control my emotions, these days. They're all over the place. It's nothing you've said or done, I'm just... a mess. I'm sorry.

[Much to his own frustration, he nearly let the teapot clatter back onto its plate when he set it down. He barely registered what Albert was saying, instead noting the way he rubbed at his eyes-- again.

Someone is crying again, and pretending it's silliness and lack of control instead of pain again. Perhaps he isn't doing anything directly, but his indirect effect over the past week or so has been steller enough.

Not knowing quite what to do, or say and starting to truly dislike that he didn't, Jehan settled for staring at the ground and reaffirming lightly,]

You needn't apologize.

...You are allowed to express yourself, even if you're hurting. I'm-- sorry. That I can't do more.

Your friend... passed, I take it. [Very, very lightly.]

[Albert pulls his knees up to his chest and hugs them tightly.]

... I miss him. I miss him so much. Sometimes I'll think that I'm perfectly fine, and then the next minute I'll see something, or hear something, that reminds me of him ...

It wasn't even so long ago that he was right by my side, drinking and laughing. A week ago? No... that can't be right. I've been here longer than that now, haven't I? I keep losing track of the passage of time in this place. But it was less than a week when I woke up here. How can I accept that my best friend is just now ... gone? He was only fifteen--! We were supposed to grow up together ... there are still so many things we had left to do ...

[Oh. Oh, he'd had no idea that Albert was so young, was-- wasn't even fully grown yet. Fifteen? No wonder, those gently incorrect statements he made. He wasn't so terribly immature, not for his age. To lose a loved one so young-- someone equally in the winter of childhood, about to step into an adult spring-- was awful.

Jehan didn't know anything else about Franz aside from his age and his importance to Albert. It still made his heart twist and his jaw clench.

Children shouldn't suffer so. Early death and early loss.]

It is too soon to be 'perfectly fine'... don't ask it of yourself.

I understand now. Why you asked those questions, regarding death. [He hoped to see him, didn't he? Frowning lightly, he reached out to press a hand over Albert's, briefly.] But death cannot ever take your friend away from you... I know it's of no comfort, but you have him with you so clearly, it's impossible for you not to grow up with him.

Albert, I'm so sorry for your loss.

[He meant it, acutely. It was painful to watch him struggle with a burden that should not have to be.]

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