005: Audio

[rianofski]

Do we all posses these ridiculous shirts? First of all, I'd like to make it known that I don't wear t-shirts.

[And admittedly, if you could see him right now, he'd look pretty strange with his t-shirt reading "I built an underwater utopia and turned it into a horrible dystopia and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!" under his suit jacket.]

Now let me inquire as to this... you needn't tell me what your t-shirt says, but I'm curious -- are all of your t-shirts true?

[Because he thinks his is a horrid lie, of course.]

Comments

text;

[aperfectthird]

Yes.

[After all, I ABANDONED MY FAMILY AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT is incomplete, but generally true.]

Re: text;

[rianofski]

I don't think mine is true.

[It is, but he'll never admit it.]

audio;

[wouldnotkindly]

It's true.

[And he's very decidedly not going to show Mr. Ryan what's on his own t-shirt.]

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

[A long-suffering sigh.]

I'm not entirely convinced of that. Mine is inaccurate at best.

audio;

[wouldnotkindly]

No... It's true. [Haven't they had this conversation at least once before?]

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

[He's never showing anyone his shirt ever.]

So you say. At least it will be over with tomorrow, and we can pretend it never happened.

audio;

[wouldnotkindly]

Maybe... At least until the next time the City forces us to confess to something we'd rather not. [Because he has no doubt this won't be the last time.]

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

Oh, I have no doubt whatsoever that the City will continue to be cruel and unreasonable, and force us to spill our deepest secrets to the world.

[Which is unfortunate, for someone with so many secrets.]

audio;

[forhishonor]

Of course mine's not true!

[ he would never murder his own siblings. or, so he thinks. ]

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

In that case, perhaps there is some chance that they're falsified.

text;

[aperfectthird]

I wonder if some people got truthful ones and others got false ones.

audio;

[candothat]

Mine is true, but I think there is an element of subjectivity.

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

I won't ask what yours says. However, I can certainly agree that there is a great deal of subjectivity.

Re: text;

[rianofski]

That would certainly make me far more comfortable.

audio;

[candothat]

Thank you.

I do wonder how the City has determined what will be revealed--whether it is what we consider the worst about our lives, what may seem the worst from the perspective of an outsider, or something entirely different.

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

Mine appears to be what would make me feel the most terrible, if it were at all true.

audio;

[candothat]

Then maybe that is the purpose of the curse.

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

How irritating.

[A slight pause.]

Is your t-shirt particularly upsetting?

audio;

[candothat]

That is, I think, the City's primary purpose: to irritate.

Upsetting, no. I have accepted what happened. I would be upset, however, if others were to see.

text;

[aperfectthird]

Have you heard from others saying their shirts were false?</font?

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

I see. Mine only strikes me as particularly upsetting because there are those here who might... agree with it.

Re: text;

[rianofski]

One other asserting the falsehood of their shirt, and one saying that it is a matter of subjectivity, which is, of course, true.

audio;

[candothat]

And, maybe, some who might not, if yours does not state an unambiguous fact.

text;

[aperfectthird]

Then perhaps it is random chance. That's good to know, I suppose, for those with false shirts.

Re: audio;

[rianofski]

It is phrased as an unambiguous fact. However, I find it... an oversimplification, at best.