audio | interview with probably not a vampire

[omniavincit]

[ William jumps right in—unless they're brand new, most inmates should know his voice. It belongs to the guy who stays with them in the dorms and is usually out of bed before six in the morning. Maybe you recently heard it raised at Travis outside the commissary! ]

I spoke to the Navarch, and while it's almost unheard of for her to correspond with inmates, she's agreed to take questions on your behalf. I'll be sitting down with her and broadcasting the interview to the network.

For privacy and ease of organization [ and to minimize network arguments ] please message me directly with whatever you'd like asked. It can be anything, but I'd prefer it be interesting. If I have a problem with it I'll let you know.

[ This is not a threat, but it is wry. ]


[ WARDEN FILTER ]

We should pool our tickets.



[ ooc: TO AVOID A MILLION INBOX THREADS, just reply here with "private" in the subject line if you're sending William a question! Or ignore him and discuss shit publicly, I'm not the police. ]

Comments

[counterstep]

we are all adults, yes
but we all come from different worlds
different countries
different governments and social norms
not even getting into how everything we've experienced can change our opinion on one thing or another

take for example a person's reaction to color
some see red and immediately feel favor, others disgust
if the opinion of the others is then aligned to the opposite for yellow, presented with only the two, which is chosen?
red or yellow?
say majority rules in favor of yellow, and we agree to this as the fairest choice we can make
what of someone's past that might have permanently changed their relationship with the color yellow, something they now only feel utter contempt for?

color is a simpler thing than any other decision that we can make together but color even divides nations into warring parties
especially for a more expensive purchase, there is always the possibility it leads to conflict
democracy isn't infallible

[grindset]

OK.
You are definitely overthinking it.

[counterstep]

i'd probably agree were i 70 years younger
the only thing time proves is how nothing is really as simple as it seems

there is always cause and effect

[nineteenfortyfive]

The most I've seen anything cost is ten tickets. Before curiosity got the better of me, I had twelve I'd gotten the past two months. Wardens donating spare tickets shouldn't be too much of an issue even if there is conflict about what to purchase.

I do understand the concern, of course. I have faith we can handle something as simple as this, with the stakes as low as they are.

> private

[counterstep]

all of us barely know each other or our mores
presuming everyone will cooperate under the banner of altruism is dangerous
everyone is still here to gain something

that means personal agendas and ulterior motives

( he was literally in a movie about this, but he doesn't expect to change minds. in the end, it's the loudest voice that wins regardless, and that he will never be. people seeing otherwise already greatly proves his point. a single voice doesn't matter if it's dismissed on the basis of others' experiences. )

> private

[nineteenfortyfive]

It's not presuming. It's having to believe that we're all wardens for a reason. I might not know the fine details, but I also don't know how the hell this ship works. But I have to believe that it's not going to explode at any given moment and kill us all or else I'll only ever be able to focus on that.

And really, what harm could come of this? No one is being forced to hand over tickets. It's a good test to see how we work together.

[counterstep]

jesus you really know how to think of the worst possible situation don't you...
"whatever happens, it'll never be as bad as being sucked into the vacuum of space!"
it'd be a quick death though so
really, it could be much worse

here's the thing
none of that was said to challenge whatever reason we were picked as wardens
even good people don't all agree on the same things
like right now
i know plenty of good people and it took something monumentally fucked up for all of them to all set aside their differences and deal with it
so i'm really not talking out my ass here
harm CAN come out of this and brushing off the possibility is dangerous

[nineteenfortyfive]

I do a lot of thinking.

Tickets are low stakes. I'd much rather we test the waters with this rather than something life or death. It was a good idea from William even if it only amounts to an alarming amount of pillows or something.

[counterstep]

a good idea?
expand on that

( can you feel this shit eating grin, claire? can you??? )

[nineteenfortyfive]

[She absolutely can, you asshole.]

I don't think that I will.

[grindset]

[70 years? Why is there more than one man here claiming to be secretly old?? Whatever, that's not important right now.]

Divergent points of view make a population stronger, and this necessarily involves some amount of conflict. If everyone seems to agree immediately, that would suggest to me that someone in the equation is not being heard.
Our meetings so far have been civil and productive; but I have only attended two of them. Respectfully, you do not know me or my views, and likewise I don't know yours outside of the few discussions we have had so far, including this one.
These things are revealed through conflict, which is a sign of investment. A committee that never argues is stagnant and arguably impedes progress.
I would rather we argue; I am also confident we can come to some kind of agreement.

[counterstep]

all that, i agree with
which is why the lack of conflict concerns me

it's better to have questioned than to never have spoken

[grindset]

Give it time. There is bound to be an instigating issue soon enough.
Failing that: I can start a fist fight at our next meeting if it will make you feel better.

[counterstep]

( he hates the way his chest flutters at the last bit, but he laughs to himself anyway. god, he misses steve. )

lol
get a few good whacks in with the cane too and i'll be elated

[grindset]

[Ha. Bullseye. (nts: ask Alice about 'lol')]

This crutch is a precision instrument.
I will use a chair instead.

Jokes aside: while no one has thrown a punch or raised voices in our meetings, there have been observable disagreements. I think it's an OK start.

1/

[counterstep]

i'll make sure the meeting place is primed with chairs for you to use

yeah
worst case i'll play devil's advocate anyway
stir things up a bit and see where it goes

2/2 > private

[counterstep]

not maliciously
but
like you said
divergent points of view make a population stronger

private;

[grindset]

Feel free, so long as you use this tactic judiciously.
It could easily become annoying.

[After a pause,]

Why was this a private message?

[counterstep]

don't worry, i'll mind the irritability of it

it'd defeat the purpose of stirring up thoughts if everyone knows the intent, no?
sometimes the right challenge isn't what is earnest but what comes from perceived conflict
the best inventions don't always come from what's convenient but also from what's necessary

[grindset]

Sometimes it's both; sometimes neither; sometimes for its own sake, to see if you can.
Regardless, I would hardly call messing with people an innovation.

[counterstep]

not claiming to reinvent the wheel

[helenite]

i get what ur going 4 but feel obligated 2 bring up the existence of orange