All for two.

It’s amusing to think of the two characters in Bientôt l’été as unique individuals that are inhabited by different players once in a while. These two creatures live in this strange land brought about by networked computers when nobody is watching. It’s not life as we know it. But it’s not death either. And it’s not purely imagination. These creatures really exist. The virtual world they inhabit exists. They are simply powerless without our attention.

We, the players, collectively breathe life into these two virtual creatures. One after the other we pass by and manipulate their astral bodies. Sometimes even with several at once, pulling their polygons in different directions. Some of us play one way, others another way. It does keep the avatars on their toes. Luckily they have the ability to multiply their appearance endlessly.

They need us for energy. We make them tick. And as a side effect, we also make decisions for them. I imagine his can lead to some surprises between the man and the woman in Bientôt l’été. Unexpected behavior could even lead to misunderstandings. Sometimes one may forget momentarily that one is controlled by others.

But I imagine the strange behaviors are good for quite a few laughs as well. When they secretly look into each other’s eyes, they recognize the contradiction between their feelings and their gestures. And they chuckle silently waiting to be abandoned once again. When they can be just themselves, even if they lose the ability to move or speak.