Orlando Gardiner (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
scanningutterly) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dramadramaduck2012-07-18 08:13 pm
scanningutterly) wrote in dramadramaduck2012-07-18 08:13 pm
Entry tags:
[accidental video]
[Some members of the community may be used to the look of Orlando's videos by now- a little flat, some edges a bit too sharply defined, the shadows not lying quite right, a little lag. Usually with a bland but nice background of a wood-paneled room. Simulated, though using very high-quality technology.
This video isn't like that. It looks completely real.
It shows a room, white, but dim, probably on account of the heavy blue curtains drawn across the one visible window. The room isn't entirely featureless. What looks to be a high-quality photograph of the Martian landscape (or maybe it's just the American southwest) is hung up next to the window. There are a few black shelves on one wall containing pictures, some odds and ends, and even a few very old-looking paper books. The wall opposite the shelves has a large space the deep dull grey of a monitor waiting to turn on. On the floor beneath that, there's a small round metal thing with glowing red lights, looking out of place on the thick light blue carpet. But the most notable thing in the room (certainly more notable than the bedside table which seems to have little but a digital clock and what look to be discarded band-aid wrappers on top of it) is the bed. It's a bed that belongs in a hospital- not a bedroom. That impression is made glaringly obvious by the iv drip standing beside it and running down to the person in it.
The figure in the bed is covered by blankets up to his chest, only his arms, neck, and head truly visible. He's almost the right size to be the age Orlando has seemed in his other videos, but that's the only thing about him that could be thought of as resembling youth. His arms (which bear a few square patches of the band-aid not-really-skin-tone color) and neck are thin and frail- you might use the word brittle. His head is bald, seeming unnaturally large given the rest of him, and while the skin on his face doesn't sag much, it is heavily lined. He seems to be asleep, but his breath sounds labored.
After some moments, he wakes up with a gasp that turns into a series of coughs. He remains still for a few moments after the fit passes, then turns to plump up his pillows, arranging them so that he'll be almost sitting up when he lies back. A woman's voice calls from somewhere outside the room.]
Orlando? Are you alright?
[The figure takes a deep breath. His voice, when he calls back, is clearly Orlando's] I'm fine, Vivien. I just didn't settle in right.
If you're sure. [The woman sounds doubtful, and Orlando makes a very teenage face of annoyance. But that does appear to be the end of the conversation.
He settles back and, lying still, seems to focus on going back to sleep.]
((OOC: regular text is Orlando, italic is his mother. Orlando will not be replying ic-ly until about two days later, once the community has made it clear he can't ignore it.))
This video isn't like that. It looks completely real.
It shows a room, white, but dim, probably on account of the heavy blue curtains drawn across the one visible window. The room isn't entirely featureless. What looks to be a high-quality photograph of the Martian landscape (or maybe it's just the American southwest) is hung up next to the window. There are a few black shelves on one wall containing pictures, some odds and ends, and even a few very old-looking paper books. The wall opposite the shelves has a large space the deep dull grey of a monitor waiting to turn on. On the floor beneath that, there's a small round metal thing with glowing red lights, looking out of place on the thick light blue carpet. But the most notable thing in the room (certainly more notable than the bedside table which seems to have little but a digital clock and what look to be discarded band-aid wrappers on top of it) is the bed. It's a bed that belongs in a hospital- not a bedroom. That impression is made glaringly obvious by the iv drip standing beside it and running down to the person in it.
The figure in the bed is covered by blankets up to his chest, only his arms, neck, and head truly visible. He's almost the right size to be the age Orlando has seemed in his other videos, but that's the only thing about him that could be thought of as resembling youth. His arms (which bear a few square patches of the band-aid not-really-skin-tone color) and neck are thin and frail- you might use the word brittle. His head is bald, seeming unnaturally large given the rest of him, and while the skin on his face doesn't sag much, it is heavily lined. He seems to be asleep, but his breath sounds labored.
After some moments, he wakes up with a gasp that turns into a series of coughs. He remains still for a few moments after the fit passes, then turns to plump up his pillows, arranging them so that he'll be almost sitting up when he lies back. A woman's voice calls from somewhere outside the room.]
Orlando? Are you alright?
[The figure takes a deep breath. His voice, when he calls back, is clearly Orlando's] I'm fine, Vivien. I just didn't settle in right.
If you're sure. [The woman sounds doubtful, and Orlando makes a very teenage face of annoyance. But that does appear to be the end of the conversation.
He settles back and, lying still, seems to focus on going back to sleep.]
((OOC: regular text is Orlando, italic is his mother. Orlando will not be replying ic-ly until about two days later, once the community has made it clear he can't ignore it.))
[video]
[video]
Yeah.
[video]
Was that real?
[voice]
It was.
[video][locked]
[voice][locked]
Yeah. I am.
[video][locked]
[voice][locked]
It's called progeria.
[video][locked]
[voice][locked]
It makes you old when you're young, basically.
[video][locked]
Is there any way to fix it? Make you better?
[video][locked]
It's genetic.
[video][locked]
...there's nothing?
[voice][locked]
They can treat me when I get sick. Sick the way old people get sick, I mean.
[His voice turns bitter through an almost joking facade.] I could live a whole four or five years longer. [A snort- as if he'd almost laughed, in spite of the fact there's nothing funny.]
[video][locked]
W-what about here? There must be someone in some world who could find a cure. There are so many worlds and all...
[voice][locked]
I- I've looked around. [Not asked, that would give away too much. But looked.] I haven't seen anyone mention a cure for something like it. Other than magic, I guess, but I'm not even sure...
And what would happen if I ended up off the community?
[video][locked]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice][locked]
[I don't know.]
I'll try.
[voice][locked]
Is there anything I can do?
[voice][locked]
I-
No. But thanks.
[voice][locked]
[voice][locked]
I...I will. Thanks.
[voice]
[voice][locked]
You probably didn't want us to know about this, right?
[voice][locked]
I...don't usually talk about it. On the 'net.
[voice]
Um, you're welcome.
[voice][locked]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice][locked]
...Yeah.
[voice][locked]
[voice]
[voice]
Is it colonized where you're from? [He can't help but sound a bit excited at that.]
[voice][locked]
Thanks.
[voice]
[voice]
I hope people can get back.
[voice]
[voice][locked]
[voice]
[voice]
I helped colonize it with my family and many others. It was a harsh environment, but we managed alright.
[voice]
[voice]