[02] Video; Backdated to Friday May 1st

[kingpawn]

[ Hey, everyone. It's Walt. You may remember this guy from such videos as drunk posting in his underwear. But in case you don't (and hopefully you don't), Walt is fully clothed this time. He still looks every bit as weary as his video debut, but at least he isn't drunk. That's a plus. ]

I apologize in advance for any inconvenience. It seems as though the Heropa pharmacy was caught up in whatever chaos erupted in the city and suffered some damages. We will be closed until further notice, but I will be doing my best to ensure prescriptions still get out to everyone who used my pharmacy to have them filled. We have a sister pharmacy that has temporarily taken on accounts here in Heropa. Though if it's more convenient for imPorts, I can have things forwarded to the other imPort cities.

Repairs have already begun, so I don't anticipate us being closed for over a couple weeks. If anyone wants to offer their assistance in helping rebuild the damaged sections, it would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I hope everyone has been well and continues to be well now that the worst of this is all behind us.

Comments

[kingpawn]

Never any problem. I spent a good majority of my life as a school teacher. I have patience and understanding on my side, at least.

[illuminescent]

Did you like teaching, sir?

[kingpawn]

[ There's a telling pause here. ]

It has its moments. It can be rewarding, yes. Though younger kids these days tend not to find value in the sort of lessons I would be teaching. It's an unfortunate truth with society as a whole. There are exceptions, of course. But the vast majority tend to not see the value in chemistry, and view it only as a requirement to finish their schooling.

[illuminescent]

Where I hail from, you would not have a school, but an apprentice, to be a physick with you.

[A pause.]

Apologies. A chemist.

[kingpawn]

[ Walt smiles somewhat. ]

There are...times when your tradition is still upheld.

[ He thinks of Jesse and he thinks of teaching him to cook meth. No formal schooling required there. ]

But for the most part, everything you do in the world today requires an education from a school -- and sometimes many years of continuous education.

[illuminescent]

My royal brother should like to open a school, of the kind open to all citizens, paid for by the treasury.

I think he may, yet.

[kingpawn]

Schools and education are important. I wish your brother all the best.

[ A pause. ]

If you don't mind my asking -- are you royalty where you come from?

[illuminescent]

I do hope he should manage.

[An equal pause.]

Yes, I am. I am the youngest queen of Narnia, although I should hope it would not change the tone of our small friendship.

[kingpawn]

I don't see why it should.

[ Walt is a kingpin, after all. ]

We're all in this together. Former statuses aside, I believe we're all equals here in this strange, new world.

[illuminescent]

Do you? I think you are not so alone.

[kingpawn]

I would like to hope so. But for some, it's very difficult to separate yourself from your former identity.

[illuminescent]

I do not think it former.

[kingpawn]

No. Not entirely. It is what makes you the person you are -- your identity, what you built in your life back home.

But in this world, you're given a blank slate -- a new job and identity as a hero. So while that identity from your prior world is still part of who you are, who you are here is also a very different person from the one back home. If that makes sense?

[illuminescent]

I do not know if I agree.

But I do respect your belief.

[kingpawn]

How do you see things, then?

[illuminescent]

I think I am a queen, and a sister, and a loyal subject of my brother the High King, and a kind woman.

And so I think that must be true for many people. If you are a parent, you will always be so. If you are an angry man, or a kind man, or a perceptive man, then those things cannot change. Who are we if not the content of our character and the nature of how we treat one another?

We are not so molded by immediate surroundings unless we are easily changed, and that is a constant by itself.

[kingpawn]

Well yes. Of course you're right. And I'm not trying to say you're not still any of those things. Backgrounds are important in defining a person.

But more what I mean is that you're not a queen of anything in this world. Just as I'm no chemistry teacher here. We're just people, coming together from different backgrounds. But no one is necessarily higher ranked than anyone else. Does that make a little more sense?

[illuminescent]

Yes, perhaps.