02. (video)

[believesbeyond]

[The video is being recorded from what appears to be the floor of a small room, looking up at a girl who looks entirely too energetic for this hour of the very early morning. She’s sitting cross legged and bright-eyed on the edge of her bed, leaning down over her NV, some sort of prop-in-progress sitting in her lap.]The masquerade ball at the Lux

Comments

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

Control. That's why they get scared.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

But no-one should ever expect full control of anything.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

You knowing that is why you're not scared. Most people just keep looking for the steering.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

Do they ever find it?

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

They think they do.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

But they never actually have it, do they?

[A slight pause.]

Where I'm from, there's a war going on. There's a lot of prejudice and pain and people who just don't understand each other, or won't even try. ... I don't like it very much.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

No.

Prejudice. [A little bit of dry amusement in his tone.] People always like pointing fingers. Make it easier to sleep at night, if they think there's something real out there taking the blame.

Who do you think's gonna win?

voice;

[believesbeyond]

I have faith in my friends. So long as they never give up hope, then they cannot lose. It's quite simple, really, although it's very saddening that so many horrible things must happen in the meantime.

People are being targeted simply for the circumstances of their birth, or even supporting these people. I don't think they can really be blamed for anything, apart from making the world a more interesting place to live in.

I'm aware that others think differently, even though I definitely don't agree with them.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

And which are you? Birth, or choice?

Don't know much about hope winning wars.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

As long as they don't give up hope, then the war is never lost. That's how I'd like to think of it, really.

I guess I'm half and half. They wouldn't accept me, but nor would they want to target me simply because of it... no, I fight with my friends because they are the ones who want to put a stop to the pain. They're also the ones who have shown me the most kindness.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

So you could've stayed out of it entirely.

[It all sounds a little too bright for Riddick, hope and faith and kindness, but there's something in her thought process and certainty that he does admire.]

Unless they're not alive to be hoping anymore.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

There's a lot of them, you know. And that's the thing about people, I find... sometimes they change their minds.

[A thoughtful pause.]

Yes, I suppose I could've avoided it. Maybe not forever, but I don't really like the people on the side that we're fighting. Even if they weren't torturing or murdering people at all, I still don't think very much of their ideals.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

Doesn't sound like you were stupid about it, at least.

[He'd say she was too young to be talking about murder or torture, or even ideals, but that was what war did, he knew that.]

Change their minds all the time, but usually come circling back to the same things.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

I think it's more about the process than the conclusion, but if the conclusion they come to is one that brings suffering to people and closes their minds to the wonders of the world, then it's the saddest one they could've come to.

voice;

[20_mentholkools]

More people end up like that than anything else. Usually.

voice;

[believesbeyond]

I guess that's just the way life is. It doesn't mean that I ought to end up the same way as them.