Claude & Marianne A

Marianne
Aw, do you have an itch back there? I guess you can't scratch it on your own, can you?

Claude
Hi, Marianne!

Marianne
Ah! Oh, Claude. It's just you.

Claude
Sorry, I know you're in the middle of an important discussion with Dorte, but could I talk to you?

Marianne
About what?

Claude
It's about this thing you think you're burdened with. I've tried to guess what it is.

Marianne
Please don't... This is making me a little uncomfortable.

Claude
There's no reason to feel uncomfortable. It's not like I plan on saying it aloud.

Claude
But if my guess is correct, there's something I want to tell you.

Claude
Will you hear me out?

Marianne
Fine. I will listen.

Claude
Once upon a time, in a faraway place...

Marianne
What the—are you telling me a story?

Claude
Just listen. Once upon a time, in a faraway place, there was a young boy.

Claude
This boy came from a despised lineage. In short, his mother was a daughter of the enemy.

Claude
So the young boy was treated horribly by everyone around him.

Claude
He hadn't done anything wrong. Everyone hated him simply for existing.

Claude
Yelling, fighting back, explaining himself... Nothing he did could change his situation.

Claude
When he was finally old enough, he ran far away from home. He escaped.

Marianne
It sounds to me like he had no choice. I would have done the same, had it been me...

Claude
Thing is, after he ran away, he still found himself in the very same position. People in the outside world hated him for where he came from.

Marianne
Well, now that's—

Claude
The boy thought he had no place to go. All he could do was destroy the boundary between the inside and the outside worlds.

Marianne
Destroy the boundaries?

Claude
Right. If there was no outside and inside, just one side to share, then the people outside wouldn't have a reason to hate him anymore, right?

Claude
It wouldn't be easy, but if he managed it, he could shrug off that burden.

Marianne
...

Claude
The point is, people are born with burdens to carry. That much is undeniable.

Claude
But whether they bind us or we cast them aside...that's up to us.

Claude
So I think you should try to cast yours aside, Marianne.

Claude
Put that heavy burden down. It's time.

Marianne
But I...I don't know if I can do it...

Claude
It's OK. I'm here for you. We're the same... And I can help you.

Marianne
The same? Claude, we have nothing in common.

Claude
Hey! Did you see that, Dorte? Your friend just smiled at me!

Marianne
Thank you for sharing your story. I suppose I could try casting aside burden, as you say.

Marianne
We can try together.

Claude
Let's do that. And when we're free, we can change the whole world.