[network] Night 378 | @Ecks | I am two and what is this | video [open]

[ecks]

[Many people here will recognize the inside of the sports shed on the campus of the elementary school. Newer people may not have seen Ecks's face before; she's a patchwork woman with a perpetually blank expression, and when she speaks (turning the tablet around as she does so, so that she's only visible for a moment at the start of the video) her voice is flat and inexpressive.

The new subject for viewing is a conical hat with the word 'DUNCE' written on it in big, red letters, which she has set on the floor of the building.]

What is this? What is a dunce? This hat is not comfortable or warm. What is its purpose?

Comments

@Ecks | permavideo

[ecks]

[Look, Alfie, she's on video!]

There was not a dunce cap where I learned. Did it work? Did the children do the things they were told to do?

[devoutish]

[He's so proud of her.]

No. But they tried much harder not to get caught, after.

[ecks]

But if there were rules why did they not simply follow the rules?

[devoutish]

Kids don't always follow the rules. They're kids.

[ecks]

I do not understand.

[devoutish]

Kids, they test boundaries. They push on 'em a bit. They hear a rule and they want to see if they can get away with it, just because they can.

[ecks]

I did not do that. I do not do that.

[Actually, she does. All the time.]

If they do not follow rules how do they know what to do?

[devoutish]

[Instead of answering her question--]

Ecks, you certainly do.

[And he doesn't sound like he thinks that's a bad thing.]

Do you remember when you fooled me into thinking you didn't know how to lie?

[ecks]

Yes. It was a good lie.

[Ah, the memories.]

[devoutish]

Yeah, it was; it worked. And it was testing to see if you could get away with things, wasn't it.

[ecks]

...I do not have a rule about lying. Is it a boundary if there is not a rule?

[devoutish]

Well, that wasn't about boundaries, so much. But you were seeing if you could get away with something just because you could, yeah?

[ecks]

I could get away with it. I did get away with it.

[devoutish]

And you didn't know that until you tried, did you. That's why the kids do it, too.

[ecks]

What if they get away with something very bad?

[devoutish]

Like what?

[ecks]

Like murder.

[devoutish]

Are you talking about something you did before Norfinbury, Ecks?

[ecks]

No. Those murders were murders other people wanted me to do.

[devoutish]

Are you talking about Royce, then?

[ecks]

[There is too long of a pause.]

Yes.

[devoutish]

Yeah. Thought you might.

Your case is a special one, Ecks; kids don't often try to get away with murder.

[ecks]

Why not? If they can get away with other things and the rules do not matter, why do they not murder?

[devoutish]

They don't wanna murder; they're too innocent.

[ecks]

I don't want to murder but I do murder. Am I not innocent?