[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]

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?

[devoutish]

You don't murder anymore, do you?

[ecks]

[This time, rather than a pause that's too long, it's a reply that comes too quickly.]

Correct. I do not murder anymore. I choose not to murder. Anymore.

[devoutish]

Yes. You've chosen to murder, and now you choose not to. You do not murder, present tense; you did murder, past tense. Mm?

[ecks]

Correct. That is correct.

[Is this a trick? She had said that already.]

[devoutish]

Very good. Then you've got no reason to say "I don't want to murder but I do anyway", eh? You've got your free will. You own it.

[ecks]

Oh.

But what if I do not intend to murder but I get angry and I murder? I have free will but I think I am bad at using it.

[devoutish]

You'll have to learn, then, won't you. Your decisions are still yours, even when you're angry.

[ecks]

but it is very difficult
I thought that I made a rational decision and it was a justified murder and then it was not and I was wrong

[She's not talking about Royce. She knew that wasn't justified when she did it.]