asgardeventide | [Video;] 01

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[Video;] 01

[The Ψiioniic had figured out how to work his bracelet long ago, but had yet to actually make a post to the network himself. He'll admit, he's more of an observer than someone who would take action, but his curiosity isn't going to take the backseat any longer.

…Sheesh, this is going to be awkward. He's not used to speaking to a crowd of people.]

Hello, ah… people of Athgard.

Thince losing my abilitiesth… I'd like thome athithtance in practicing with the new abilities we've been given. Any voulenteersth would be appreciated.

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...

Thank you.

[She blinks in surprise.]

You're welcome. Do people bug you about it, or something? Like, tease you?

I've nearly had my teeth pulled out for it on Alternia.

Th - that's terrible! You can't help how your teeth grew in! It sounds like trolls can be just as nasty as people.

[Although she knew that, didn't she? She's experienced Vriska, after all.]

Not to mention pointlessth. They would grow back within a thweep. But that wath before I wath my own.

And heh. I'm thure trollsth are worthe than humansth.

I've met some really mean trolls here, but I've met some really kind ones, too. It's not right to judge anyone by what they are. There's good people in every group. [Firmly.]

I dithagree on thome degree, but your hope ith rethpectable.

Why? What group have you found that are all bad? [There's a hint of defensiveness in her tone.]

Theadwellersth. The Highbloodsth. Thothe who thrive on the opprethion of lowbloodsth.

Highbloods and lowbloods? Is that like royalty and commoners?

We are equal. They jutht have the imprethion they are better. They are wrong.

Of course you are. [Despite still not understanding this whole Lowblood/Highblood business, she sounds completely sure of herself.] But some people get... addicted to power, any power they can have over anyone, and they - they just decide that something makes them better than someone else. It can be anything, and you can't let -

[Then she lowers her head, catching herself in a lecture for once. Everything she's heard about Alternia has been horrible, so this is likely just a bit worse than a town's bullying for being a whore's daughter. This could be life-threatening, and probably is.]

- I don't understand what you've been through, I'm sorry. I don't understand anything. I shouldn't act like I do.

[It's not often the Psiioniic gives such a cold look to someone that isn't a Highblood, but he finds himself doing that right now. He takes a moment to calm down, and take a deep breath. Peace...]

You don't, but it'th not your fault. You thimply don't know, but your wordsth aren't falthe. It can be anything, and it can be anyone. But there ith a difference between thimple abuthe of power, and the oppressthion of lowbloodsth for thouthandsth of thweepsth.

[...]

I will tell you, if you want to hear it. But only if you really want to.

I do. I want to understand as much as I can about everyone here. You can't work with someone you can't understand.

[Earnestly.]

Please.

Alright. I... wish I could pronounce thith all more clearly for you.

Blood color ith the thythtem in which trollsth are judged. Lowbloodsth, thothe of maroon, brown, yellow, are conthidered nothing more than dirt. Midbloodsth, greensth and blues, are middle classth. They don't have much to worry about in termsth of being enthlaved like lowbloods do, but there ith no opportunity for them to exceed their "thtandard" living. Highbloodsth, purplesth and pinksth, are at the top. They have lavish casthtlesth, and force lowbloodsth from a young age into thlavery until their deathsth.

I would thtill be enthlaved if I hadn't ethcaped.

Not that...

It even mattersth, in the end.

Blood colour... [She gets over the fact that trolls have different blood colours in about a split-second, because the rest of it is so horrifying.] ... that's so - arbitrary. It's out of your control. It's not even - it doesn't - how -

[She sounds a bit like she's short-circuited. It's the most unfair, arbitrary, disgusting system she's ever heard of for judging people. She looks stunned, revolted and furious all at once.]

[He doesn't say anything. There's nothing really to say.]

[After the long pause, she feels her natural sense of fairness tugging at her. She wants to tell him about the game. Not to one-up him, not to commiserate - just a difficult story for a difficult story.]

Can I tell you a story from my world?

Yeth. Pleathe.

There's this... game. It takes fifteen people, chosen at random - we were just exploring a cave at a Nature School when we found a guy surrounded by computer equipment and he asked us if we wanted to beta-test a video game. We had to put our hands on a metal plate and say our names to sign the contract. He said we'd be pretending to pilot giant robots, fighting other robots to save the world.

But when we left the cave, the robot appeared. He fought the first battle, to teach us, then disappeared. Someone was left with us to guide us through the "game", but he was rude and terrible, and didn't tell us anything until too late.

Like after the first fight, when the pilot died. And then the second, when the same thing happened. Finally he told us that the giant robot that had come from nowhere ran on our life force, so we'd die after we used it. And if we refused to fight once we were chosen and the robot appeared, a time limit would eventually run out, and our world would be destroyed anyway.

Edited 2012-01-30 19:03 (UTC)

[There's a pause here, while she gathers herself. Despite the methodical, calm way she's been speaking, this has been just as emotional to share as it always is. She sees their faces, Waku and Kodama and Daichi. She sees them alive, she sees them dead. She sees the others still waiting.]

I was the fourth, if you count the contractees - fifth, if you count Kokopelli, who signed us up. I don't know if any of the others will win, or if they'll even agree to fight. As soon as I died, I was brought here, and... now this is my life. But there's still all those people, my friends, who either have to die or let the world die. Because we wanted to be the first to play a video game.

...

I'm thorry you went through that.

[ Just another example of the young being taken advantage of...]

Thank you, but that's not why I told you. I just thought I should share, since you shared with me.

I'm uthed to sharing my patht. It'th part of how I support the Thignleth. But I thtill thank you for sharing.

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