ONE. be curteous and present yourself well

[quiteagooddonor]

[The audio turns on and there's a short pause before a moderately young, eager British voice speaks.]

Hello! My name.. Well, it's Tommy D. I'm-- I'm a new warden here.

[His words become more careful.]

I don't-- I don't know if you know about The Cottages or White Castle or anything, but it really doesn't matter that I'm a student of Hailsham. It really made... it makes no difference in the end. [A beat.] I know I'm not the best out there, but if you give me a chance, I'll work hard and I expect I can surprise you.

[A pause and then he's back to his original chipper tone again.]

I heard that the inmates are assigned to us. Is that right? Do I.. Do I talk to the Admiral about it or is it automatic or... ? Sorry. I'm rubbish at this sort of thing. I promise I'll be better once I've gotten to know how it all works.

Comments

ohgodnoooooo

[quiteagooddonor]

Oh. Um. Am I meant to ask the Admiral for one or is it something he chooses for us?

I'll find my way around, of course, but.. Is there a Guardian here? Or some other kind of teacher, to explain how things work a bit better than the initial offer?

Re: ohgodnoooooo

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

No, he gives you one. There's an announcement. Although, there's nothing to stop you asking. I'm just not sure anything'll happen.

[frowny face]

Unfortunately, no. There's... not really any authority here at all. No teachers, no Guardians, no Prefects. We have to answer each other's questions, basically.

[quiteagooddonor]

Right. I may give it a go, if there's anyone I fancy redeeming in particular.

That's.. yeah, alright. Who do we go to with those sorts of things then? I mean, there must be some veterans or something. Perhaps a particularly wise person.

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's been tried, at any rate.

...Well, I had taken to asking the other wardens in general, but some people have been here a long time. [pause] It doesn't make them wise or even sensible, to be honest.

[Private]

Miss Persson's a good choice. She's the lady you were talking to before.

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

I don't expect them to know everything, of course. I was rather hoping they would have more insight than I do, at least.

She's.. uh. Well. I might know her. [...] It's a bit odd, speaking to her.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

And most of them do, and are very useful and helpful. Some of them are still idiots. I imagine that's true of everywhere, though.

... you might know her? Where from?

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

A bit, yeah. That's why I was, uh.. That's kind of why I wanted names. If you could give any.

Home, in England. She says she's from a different time, but.. well, it's kind of a hard thing to explain and I'm not very good at it and, if it's true, it'll all kind of personal so I'm not really sure she would want me to be telling you. That makes sense, right?

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

George is a good guy too.

Ah. Well... sometimes, here, people have similar faces? What name do you know her by? It's a strange thing that happens here, and she might not be who you think. You don't have to explain anything else, it's okay.

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

What about you?

That's what she said too-- about the similar faces. But it's not that simple where I'm from.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes... well, I haven't been here as long as Una, but I know quite a bit of what's going on.

Right. Well... is it good that you think she's like someone you know, or not?

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

Would you count yourself as an idiot? Or do you fit in with those people you're consider wiser about these things?

What do you mean?

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm... not sure where I stand. I haven't been here nearly long enough to know a lot of things, but I put a lot of time into finding them out. So... not an idiot.

The person she looks like: is she your friend, or someone you don't like, or someone you know in passing?

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

That's good then... Not being an idiot, I mean. That's.. It puts you ahead of the others, I suppose. [He's trying to sound like it's a bigger deal than it is.]

None of those.-- Does it matter? I mean, if they look alike, that doesn't make them the same. She has her own soul.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

...Some of the others. It's... most people's answers will be pretty honest.

No, I didn't think it did. You just... mentioned it, so I thought it was important to you.

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

I would expect that, yeah. [He chuckles with this 'how else would it be' kind of hesitation.]

Oh. It is. But if she's who I think she might be, then it's bad for her. It wouldn't bother me any.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

...A lot of people here do lie too. [Now Eddie worries.]

I think she's an entirely different person? Well, put it this way, she wouldn't lie to you about who she was.

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

..The inmates. Yes. I was warned about them.

Oh, I know she wouldn't. But.. thanks, Eddie. I'll tell you more if she doesn't mind it.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

Don't assume all inmates are lying. Or that all wardens are telling the truth.

Thanks.

So, anyway... anything you want to know?

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

Right. Thanks. I forget sometimes, what it's like in a place like this.

How long do people normally live around here?

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

Where do you normally live? This place isn't much like my home either.

Well... people don't really age? It's like we're stuck in time. So when you die, you get something called the 'death toll'. I've heard it's pretty nasty.

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

Well, it depended on when in my life you mean, of course. Most recently, I lived in a Care Center.

[Now he thinks this is the other side of the organ donation. :|]

Oh. Well that's.. that's good then. I'm glad you're all living well.

[...]

No, that's-- how can you do that to people? You realize it's people, don't you? That keep you alive?

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

What... is a care centre?

[Oh God now you're really feeding his paranoia.]

It's... people? But... what do you mean?

[Ack. Maybe Victor was right.]

PRIVATE

[quiteagooddonor]

I was in recovery for my second donation. When you're in recovery, you're assigned a carer, who comes to visit you, and you stay in whichever care center you like that's close to your area. My center wasn't very nice, but we had this boat nearby, on the beach. And there was a field I rather liked.

Those organs you get to stay healthy and alive forever? People donate those. I know you like not to think about it, but.. someone has to say something. We're people too. We draw and we have souls and we love, same as you. Well, maybe not the same. But we do.

Re: PRIVATE

[needshumility.livejournal.com]

Wait... what organs? I've never even heard of this.

Of course you're people too.

Is this what the Previous do? What the taupe? We don't even do this

I never knew that was what they did to bring people back.

PRIVATE.. this is a disaster.

[quiteagooddonor]

Miss Emily told us it's how they live as long as they do and how they never suffer diseases. They replace their organs with organs from us Donors and think nothing of it.

..We're not, though. I mean, we are. We should be. But they don't see us that way. 'Creatures,' Madame called us. 'You poor creatures.'

I don't know who the Previous are. It's the Originals that use the organs.