Nate Danger (![]() ![]() @ 2015-09-16 22:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | # interview, # username: 5k181232, # username: slapinthefarce |
Interview
![]() ![]() Off Camera: Can you state your full name? [Olivia is dressed in her UT Austin track jersey, all orange and white, with black shorts. She's got her favorite pair of athletic sunglasses on over her eyes. It's partially due to the sun and partially because she isn't sure if she's ready to look directly into the camera without them to guard her. But if Nate asks her to take them off, she will.] My name's Olivia Eleanor Jensen. [She looks dubiously at the chair before she reluctantly takes a seat.] ![]() [Nate continues to stand, so that he can work the camera and so that they will continue to be of the same height as he bends to tend to it. He’ll go from standing to hunching for most of their interview.] You’re familiar with this place? You didn’t hesitate to name the track as the place you wanted to come. You are a runner. Can you tell me about that? What brought you to this place? Why is this the place you wanted to tell your story? ![]() [Olivia tilts her head up, her eyes meeting his through her sunglasses as she looks past the camera lens for a moment, leans up on the chair he'd brought her.] This is my story. [She jabs a thumb over her shoulder, towards the numbers that are painted onto the lanes, a wry smile on her face.] Running is kind of. It's what I do, you know? It's what I am. I've never done anything else but run and I don't think I ever will. Even now -- I mean, not lately, but I. [She presses her lips together, catches herself before she says anything else but:] I run. There's never been anything else but that. [Nate tightens the frame, zooming in on what Olivia is pointing at with her thumb, then he brings the focus back over to her.] Tell me about the first time you ran and you knew that was what you were made to do. [There's absolutely no hesitation before her answer.] I was six. The Olympics were on and my whole family was watching them together, and I guess I just thought - I wonder how fast I could go? So I went outside and tried it out. [She shakes her head, smiling.] I had these jeans on, I think, and my shoes weren't meant for it at all. But I loved it. [Nate adjusts the camera but looks up from the camera. He gestures for her to take her glasses off if she would. It’s up to her whether she will or not.] What brought you to Texas? Can you tell me where you started out? [Of course he doesn’t think she is from Texas. There’s no quick drawl in the way she talks. He’s trying to draw out more information from her. She seems nervous.] [Olivia stares at him for a moment before she reaches up to push the sunglasses up and into her hair. It takes effort for her to maintain steady eye contact with the camera.] I'm from Minnesota. Minneapolis. [She purses her lips, remembering why she's here, before speaking again.] Mora, actually. It's a small town; not a lot of people know it, so I usually just say Minneapolis. Although I did live there for four years, so. It's not a lie. I moved here for college, to go here. [She gestures at the track again, then makes a broader sweep with her hand to point towards the rest of the campus.] I had a full scholarship for cross country and track. ![]() [Nate sees her discomfort and silently he curses himself for forgetting to tell her something before the interview has begun. You’d think he’s have learned by now. He waits for her to give her answer and then presses pause on the camera] Olivia, you can look at me. You don’t have to look at the camera. We’re having a conversation. This is just a machine. Okay? I want you to feel comfortable. With everything. You look at me. You answer what you want. This is about you, about leaving a little part of you to history. That’s all. [She visibly relaxes when he hits that button on the camera.] Okay. I'll keep that in mind. I just need practice, I think. [ He smiles at her, gives her a wink and then nods. The Camera is turned back on and when Olivia's eyes move up to meet his,he continues with the interview.] Mora, Minnesota. I’ve actually been there. [He tells her. Hoping it will ease some of her jitters, get her to open up more.] Big Red Horse? Right? [Right. Yeah. Next to a Swedish flag. You've been there? Really? [The coincidence makes her smile. It's exactly what she needs to relax.] Why would you possibly want to go there? Kismet really. [He tells her. It hadn’t been something he had planned. It had just happened on his way to someplace else but it wasn’t forgettable. He remembered. Nate has an awfully good memory for cozy little towns and of course there was the regrettable lutefisk incident.] Besides lutefisk, what about your hometown do you miss? What don’t you? Don't even joke about that. No one actually likes lutefisk. [Her smile's still there; she drops eye contact as she shakes her head, almost as though she's embarrassed to be caught enjoying this moment on-camera.] I -- [And then the levity is gone, replaced by clear discomfort. She settles herself, looks back up at Nate.] There wasn't anything good about my hometown. Not for me, at least. Plenty of people were happy to stay there, but I wasn't. That's why I moved away. Can you expand on that? What happened there that made you want to...run away? [He’s trying to be delicate about it. He wants the complete story. It’s scary to put yourself out there, he knows that but her story won’t be complete if she doesn’t divulge.] ![]() [She bristles, visibly, at what she perceives to be a judgment. Maybe it was a good tactic on Nate's part, though: she's talking more, faster.] I didn't run away. My parents didn't want me, no one there did, and there was no reason for me to stay. If I had, I would've just grown up into nothing, just like they were. Running was my ticket out of that. [[There is no judgment on his side...at least he tries to keep his expression neutral.] Do you want to talk about your parents at all? [He tries. It’s a hard topic for her, he can see but maybe it would make things easier, better for her if she unleashed all of everything that is pushing at the dam.] What were their names? [She purses her lips, debating, as she tries to push away the self-consciousness. Olivia's aware she has control of this, but she's already come this far. There isn't a point in changing the subject.] It's fine. Their names were Christian and Chelsea. ![]() OFF CAMERA:[Nate needs to press gently. Just to see, to test the waters and make sure there is nothing more she would like to talk about.] What do you mean by they didn’t want you? They weren’t good parents I take it. You have no one back there you miss or consider now? They didn't hit me or anything. [She can make this much clear, at least.] My mom was pregnant with me, I think, so that's why they got married. I don't know if they ever actually liked each other. [Her hands tap out a nervous rhythm against her hips as her words slow down.] They fought a lot. They didn't really talk to me. [Her gaze is almost defiant now.] After I left, I never heard from them again. I don't know if my aunt is still alive. I lived with her when I moved. [It’s not an uncommon story but that doesn’t make it any less painful. His look is reined in but he can’t help what his eyes do. They are sympathetic.His eyebrows slide crooked and his brow crumples somewhere in the middle] So, you came here to do something. You were on the track team? Was long distance your main event or were you part of other…[He struggles to find the correct word. He’s not sure of the lingo of the track world] What were you hoping to make yourself into? [She grabs the new conversation topic gratefully, relief clear on her face. Running, as always, is what she does when she doesn't want to think.] Long distance, yes. [She even smiles again.] I did the mile and the two mile in track, and all the cross country events too. My Freenet username, 5K181232, it's my PR - personal record - in the 5K. 18 minutes, 12 seconds, 32 milliseconds. [There's a look of pride that flashes over her face.] I was going to train for the Olympics once I graduated, see if I could make it onto the US team. I wasn't the fastest one at school, but I was fast. ![]() [Nate enjoys seeing the smile. The topic lights her up and that is the type of answer he prefers. Still, he wants to get a complete history and the bad is just as important as the good things when it comes to the make-up of a person.] How old are you Olivia? How long were you at the school before civilization the way we knew it, ended? What was it like to come to Austin, to this University and leave that misery behind you? I'm 20. I mean, 21. Sorry, I just had a birthday. [She likes his phrasing a lot better this time around; she smiles again at the word 'misery,' agreeing.] I had one year done before it happened. [Her eyes look past Nate then, searching for the campus she'd learned to love, and stay there for a moment.] Being here was great. There were people on the team who were -- I mean, they got me, you know? They didn't think it was stupid how much I love running. [Her gaze drifts back to Nate, then.] But like, I got out of there before I came down to Austin. I moved out for high school, got legally emancipated and everything. OFF CAMERA:[This is an interesting tidbit] You did. You lived with your Aunt? What was her name? What was she like? Yeah, my mom's sister. Her name was Beth. She lived in Minneapolis, and my parents didn't like her because she was a 'God-hating homosexual.' [Olivia rolls her eyes.] She was awesome. ![]() OFF CAMERA:Did she get why you liked running? Was she a force behind you? Yeah. Like, that was the whole point, you know? I moved down so I could get scouted for it, and she was super, like. She really stepped up for me. She didn't have to do that. Like, suddenly you're the legal guardian of a fourteen year old? I owe her a lot. [She bites her lip as she thinks of how she'll never have the chance to repay back those debts.] I definitely wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. [Nate can see the distress on her face but also the good memories and love. Not knowing is always the hardest part.] So tell me what happened after Austin was bombed. How did you escape the blister gas? What were you initial thoughts about the infected and what was happening? [[There's a pause as she thinks through those early chaotic memories.] There was some kind of notice when things started going down and they dropped the gas. I was at the library already when it happened, not outside -- thank God. But like, I mean, honestly? The first zombie I saw, I thought he was just super drunk. College, you know? OFF CAMERA:[This entices laughter.] I can see it. The shuffling, moaning...blood shot eyes.[but the laughter putters out and he’s looking at her. The seriousness is back but none of his warmth has left.] What’s the closest you’ve come to someone who’s infected? Did you know them? Have you seen anyone you’ve known? I guess I've had some pretty close calls. Nothing I want the Head of Resources to know about in great detail. [She smiles wryly, this time finding amusement at her own stupidity before she starts to retell her story.] I think the worst one, I was like, in a store and I was supposed to get something for the First Family. A hair dryer, once our power was up and running. I was being stubborn and dumb because it wouldn't come out of the packaging, and that's like. You ditch the packaging if it's just gonna add bulk to your bag, you know? And then all of a sudden we were swarmed through the front door. My partner found a way out through the back, but I -- I was fixated on getting the damned thing out and into my bag. but the ties wouldn't give and I didn't want to get back empty handed. There were four or five coming at me in the aisle, and I just. I put my head down and ran through them and out the door and somehow I got out. Health checked me over afterwards and somehow I made it with just a torn up shirt to show for it. [Her eyes meet his again as she wonders just how she's coming off during this interview. Naive? Reckless?] And no. I've never seen anyone I know turn. I've been really lucky that way. ![]() [Nate is glad. Everyone has to be a bit reckless nowadays. It’s just par for the course because of their situation.] I want to go back to something you said. The first family? Who are they? Are they important to you? [She can't help the smile that flashes and stays put, inappropriate though it may be given the circumstances now. The fond memories and gratitude still persist.] They are. They're -- It's what we called our founding leader, Grayson Wolfe, his girlfriend Savannah Posey -- our current leader -- and their daughter, Maizie Wolfe. We wouldn't be where we are without them. Maizie's one of my closest friends. [Nate smiles. He’s glad to hear that she has friends here and someone he knows] Maizie Lou? She’s a great girl. How about anyone else? Any other relationships that are worth mentioning? She is great. And there's also North at the hospital, Nadia at the library, who you know too. A couple of guys at the high school, Danny and Jason and Bryant. [Olivia pauses then, before she also adds:] I know one of the Hellhounds from school, too, but I don't know if I should say his name out loud. [Nate nods. He’s an outlaw and he might not want his name out there. He will respect her decision] You don’t have to say…the purpose of these interviews are for posterity, not to out anyone.[He winks at her from behind the camera] It sounds like you have a full life. Friends...and I know you still run. You’re a contributing member of the LBJ.[He wants to praise her] Are you afraid for the future or optimistic. Where do you see yourself in five years? [The question surprises her even more than the ones about her family. The toe of her sneaker draws an imaginary line in front of her as she thinks, then answers.] I worry about what's going to happen when we run out of supplies. But I guess I can't help but feel like we'll find a way, somehow. I mean, we've made it this far, right? [In five years, she'll be 26. It feels like a lifetime away.] I'll probably still be here. Doing whatever I can to help my shelter survive. [Nate is looking at her and this is the wave, good and bad, hard and easy.] What can you do to help your shelter survive? You can run. You scout? That’s what you do? But right now, can you go out? Why can’t you? [Her gaze lifts back up to his, sharply.] You know, don't you? Why I'm not allowed to scout. You're just asking for the interview's sake? ![]() [Nate sighs. Of course he does.] Tell me about it. Are you afraid of him. Did you know the girls? They won’t get to interview with me. What can you tell me Olivia? [Her jaw sets and her lips press together. But as with her parents, Olivia doesn't feel like it'd be worth it trying to change the subject; Nate already has her. But she needs to move, not just sit there in one place.] I knew all of them. Andrea, Joselyn, and Catherine. But the first -- the first -- [She stands up, quickly. Olivia can't bring herself to say 'victim,' so she leaves the word behind:] Andrea, she was one of my good friends. And you're right, none of them are going to get to do anything, because some sick bastard's decided we don't have enough death in Austin. [Nate agrees. He is nodding and the look of concern and sympathy he wears is nothing but sincere] I am so sorry Olivia. [but he has to press on.] That sick bastard isn’t the only one. Who killed Gray? ![]() [Here it is, the question she'd been dreading all day. Her hands move to her hips, balling into fists.] I don't know. [She gives him a defiant look, tears threatening to spill, but she isn't lying. Technically. She believes one thing, but whether it's the truth is beyond her.] Everyone's saying one thing or another, but I don't know who killed him. [It’s tough, not only asking these questions, but hearing the answers too. People think he can be demanding, unfeeling but that isn’t why he asks.] What do they say? What do you believe? [She's not good at lying, but she's been told by her shelter leader to deflect this if it comes up. So Olivia goes with what she and Savannah practiced, dropping her gaze to hide her discomfort as she stares at her running shoes.] The Capitol says it was the Hellhounds. I guess it could make sense, but I wasn't there. I don't know what to believe. I just try to focus on what we still have and to be there for my best friend. What do you take with you scouting? Do you have a weapon? Other than running, what is your training? If you had better training do you think it would have made the difference for those girls, for your protection? [Nate is wondering how these girls could risk their lives every day and not know how to protect themselves. It grates on him] I have a gun. I don't know what kind, I've never been all that interested in guns, but. Handgun, I guess? I know how to use it, though. Gray gave it to me and he taught me how. [She isn't all that sure what he's referring to by 'training.'] You mean like in school? Or how to use weapons? They didn't die out here. I don't know if they carried their weapons around when they were at the med center, but they shouldn't have had to in their shelter. ![]() [Nate nods. He doesn’t press. He understands that there is politics at work here and he just hopes that the whole truth comes out someday.] That’s alright Olivia. That’s the best thing that you can do. It’s smart. [He rubs his hands on his jeans, wanting to leave the interview with something positive.] What are you most looking forward to? [The stress of lying to Nate is starting to get to her. Olivia keeps her head down and turned to the side at first, one hand coming up to hastily wipe at her eyes, before she looks back up at him. She'd like to trust him, but he lives in the Capitol.] Right now, I'm just looking forward to being able to scout again. That's the thing I want the most. It'll mean that everything -- the killer, everything with my shelter -- everything's back to normal and settled again. [She raises her eyebrows at him, retreating to comfortable territory just like she always does.] I'm fast. Do you want to see? OFF CAMERA: Absolutely [Nate is happy to stand and to get footage of her running.] Are you going to run away from this interview as fast as you can? [She can't help but laugh at that. Olivia gives him a grin as she drops down to check her laces.] Hell yeah I am. [And then she lines up along her beloved UT track, choosing the lucky third lane, and takes off in a sprint.] ![]() |