33 replies to this topic

[Nora Darcy]

[Hazel Lawson]

 

Nate Blakelee - Closed Scene with Hazel Lawson/ Allison Devereaux

The irony of his life - Daniel wanted to fucking laugh as he re-read the script for the third time. He was doing this to support his best friend who is the writer. It was summer and the class is supposed to put them in a different role and make them temporarily forget. The role Daniel got was different from him as a person. Surprisingly, he found out it wasn’t an effort to play the preppy, intelligent Nate Blakelee who puts himself out there. With his improved relationship with his parents, Daniel is slowly coming out of his sulky teenage phase to a mature one and taking advantage of the perks his life has to offer him. The irony here is the love situation of the character that made him laugh darkly. Nate got the girl, alright - not the one he is dating. But the best friend who is in love with the character and the character who falls in love with her later. The irony is the co-stars cast opposite to him; Ana and Nora. Nate is dating Allison, Ana’s character who he doesn’t get due to their differences. In short, Daniel fucking doesn’t get Ana even in the movie. He felt pissed at Anton for writing this but he doesn’t blame the boy. Who knew Daniel of all people will be cast as Nate. He sighed gritting his teeth trying not to feel annoyed and read the script once more. He doesn’t have particular lines and the scene is memorized so all he has to do is the act - good enough.
 

Nate pushed the door open of his room, the other hand occupied holding the cellphone as he argued with Allison over the third time she canceled on him. The entire week he’s been trying to get them to go out but there is a new excuse each time. If there is one thing he hates, it’s being made to wait or delay but for her, he will do it too. The line on the other end cut as he groaned in exasperation and ran a hand over his face, sitting down on the bed facing the window, noticing his best friend, Hazel bent over a book. She looked up at that moment and he gave her a wry smile.

 

 

Is it wrong for Nora - that she got a bit nervous whenever she came across Daniel? No, it wasn't because she was secretly harbouring a crush on him or anything - but because whenever she came across him she was taken back to all those evenings ago when she had encountered him in the stables in that state, his voice all flared up and that feral look in his eyes as if he would rip her to pieces. It was surprising, that someone like him was capable of that - because she had mostly seen Daniel as a mild mannered person. They both had brushed past that night as if nothing had happened, she hadn't had the courage to approach him about it and he had ignored it it seemed. But she couldn't ignore him if they had a scene together right? That didn't stop that nervousness from creeping in though, and she used the hell out of it to channel her inner Hazel. Hazel would be nervous to meet Nate right? She had a crush on him. 

 

Hazel found herself repeatedly peeking over at Nate's window, before quickly turning her eyes away so that she seemed to be simply studying. She didn't want to come off as overtly anxious to see him, or that she was waiting for him. She didn't want him to think that she was sitting here by design at this particular time just because he would be here - and she knew it. She knew most of Nate's schedule, or would remember random snippets about him that he would mention in passing and she hated herself for that. She hated that she could remember him so easily, while she was so forgettable to him. Her eyes was still on that window, just as Nate walked in - and she quickly averted them back to her book, reading diligently until she glanced back - acting as if on accident - and caught him looking at her. A smile broke through her lips, quickly turning dim as she saw him give her that wry smile while he was on phone. Allison. Hazel sighed - clearly put off, giving him a shake of her head and a shrug. As if it was a ritual, something that had been done so many times, she turned to her notebook - and wrote from a thick marker - before holding up her notebook towards the window. 

 

"You okay?"

[Mathias Lundstrom]

[Chad Ripley]

7

 

Ange seemed freaked by the idea of popping his jaw back and if he had been in her position he probably wouldn't trust himself to do something like that. Especially to someone he cared so much about. But the idea of Ange trying was better than going to the first aid cabin even though it could go horribly wrong. "I don't know... I think you'd just..." He reached up and felt his jaw but trailed off since he was realizing Matty didn't even know how to do that. But could it really be so hard to figure out? He sighed and tried to focus on something else for a little bit and that was the bottle on his cheek and his beautiful girlfriend who despite it all still put up with Matty's teasing. He chuckled and replied, "I'd pay any price." Even though she had literally just slapped him their flirting he swore was never ending which definitely helped to distract from the pain he was feeling. Angela sounded even more against the idea of her doing it herself the second time he brought it up and he said with a half smile, "You could slap me with you other hand?" Okay, he was teasing... Sort of. But logically that did make sense because if hitting him one way knocked it out, then going the opposite would put it back? Matty groaned and threw his head back when she pushed the idea further of going to the first aid cabin. "Ughhh..." Though, the idea of having jr healers was actually more appealing since he knew them and it wasn't some random old lady obsessing over him. So... Maybe it wouldn't be the worst idea. But he felt her hands on his face and he looked at Ange as she had him look at her and then kissed him. He smiled and leaned into the kiss as he kissed her back but the second he moved too much his jaw made that loud popping noise again. He stopped as he felt the bit of pain shoot up his jaw again and he pulled back, drawing in a sharp breath. He looked at Ange with little puppy eyes and asked, "Do we have to go to the first aid cabin?" Feeling like he already knew the answer and rested his head on her shoulder for a second, not wanting to go but knowing it would get worse if he ignored it. Also, well aware of the fact he was being a total baby right now but hey, it was just Angela and he felt entitled to it. 

[Angela Marlowe]

Phoebe Levan {8}

 

If Matty could direct her in how to pop his jaw back into place, with exact instructions and all, then maybe she'd try, but it looked like he was just as lost as she was. Well, that meant she wouldn't change her mind because what if she caused serious damage? Up until now, she didn't even know that a jaw could get dislocated just like that, and of course wasn't thinking of it being an old, unattended injury that the slap had managed to worsen. Her worry wouldn't let her think straight, but at least his teasing was a good sign and she was able to relax a little and clear her thoughts. Matty was being extra flirty and Angela could melt in his lap, but whenever he spoke or moved his jaw, the popping sound made shiver and reminded her that he was in pain, even if he didn't act like that.  The second slap idea made her give him an unamused look, but ended up laughing as she'd be lying if she said that silly idea hadn't crossed her mind. "I'm not slapping you again, not now, not ever," she lifted her pinky to promise it to him, chuckling under her breath at the sounds he made, like a little kid being dragged to the doctor or something. Matty kissed her back and she tried to be as gentle as possible and not get too excited — which was a bit hard, to be honest, but the popping sound wouldn't stop and Angela's eyes snapped open, the guilt taking over once more. Now he was using her tactic, but she was proud to say that it didn't work like he'd want it to, though the head-resting did melt her heart. She started to caress the back of his hair, and then she finally remembered about her wand. She pulled her head slightly backwards to meet his eyes. "Okay, I want to try something... It might work," while she wasn't sure if a discolated jaw was the same as a broken bone or a broken whatever, she did know that Episkey healed minor injuries, right? Why wouldn't it be able to pop a jawbone back into place? If it didn't, she didn't think she'd hurt him and it would only render the spell useless. "This could feel really weird, but I don't think it should be painful," he had used a stronger version given the size of her cut, but for what she had read, this other healing spell only caused a change of temperature in the part of the body being healed. Angela reached out for her wand, which she had left forgotten on her seat, tossed the bottle over there instead and motioned for Matty to sit up straight. Taking a deep breath out of anxiousness as she really, really hoped this worked, she pointed her wand at his jaw. "Episkey."

[Mathias Lundstrom]

[Chad Ripley]

8

 

Matty raised his brows in surprise as she said she was not going to slap him again ever and obviously he had to tease her about that so his look turned into a grin as he hooked his pinky with hers and said, "Oh? Not ever? Are you sure? I can be pretty annoying, Ange. But if you promise I'm going to hold you to it." He wiggled his brows but in all seriousness Matty never wanted to hurt Angela to the point she felt like she needed to slap him. Not that he thought she would especially considering how bad she felt just now but he didn't ever want to give her a reason to. Matty could be an asshole and he knew that especially looking back on the fights they had previously but he was trying to do better especially because he knew his words could hurt and Angela never deserved that regardless of how mad he was. Resting his head he was just enjoying the proximity and could seriously stay like this all day. But he felt Ange shift and sitting up he looked at her curiously. She seemed to have an idea and and he shrugged, "Painful or not, as long as it keeps me away from the first aid cabin." He watched her grab her wand and didn't seem sure if it would work but it seemed like anything was worth a try at this point. He sat fully up and moved his head slightly to give her a better view. She cast a spell and almost immediately he could feel a heat throughout his jaw and cheek, he reached up to feel it with his hands and could also kind of feel his jaw shifting which caused him to look at Ange with a happy/surprised look. "I think it's working!" He waited a little longer before the heat started to die off and Matty opened his jaw a few times and ha! No popping! He grinned at Ange and grabbed her face, "You're brilliant!" he kissed her lips and then proceeded to kiss around her face like her cheek, forehead, and nose as he said, "I love you, I love you, I love you, Dr. Ange." He really was so happy he didn't have to go to the first aid cabin. Stopping, he just held her face for a moment and looked into her eyes, "Now you owe me cupcakes... Like the ones you made a few Christmases ago? Because I was such a good patient." He smiled and looked at her remembering how good those were and how they had barley known each other then so it was a nostalgic thing too. 

[Angela Marlowe]

Phoebe Levan {9}

 

Matty seemed amused by her promise and she chuckled, half rolling her eyes. "You're really tempting me, but I'll try my best," she teased back. It didn't matter how upset she could get if they ever happen to have a nasty argument, Angela just didn't want to resort to violence, no matter what. She had done so in the past and knew it was very wrong, even when it had been during moments of absolute anger and despair, but she liked to think she was better than that now. It would never cross her mind to slap him and this had only happened because of the scene and how stressed out she was by it. It didn't matter because he trusted she hadn't meant it and that was important to her. He was willing to try anything as long as he could stay away from the first aid cabin and she chuckled, not because she found it funny but because... Actually, she did find it funny. Angela hated the Hospital Wing and any other hospital as well, because they were scary, anxiety-ridden, kind of gloomy places those ones. Matty seemed so unafraid that yes, she thought it was amusing as she was assuming he was just as scared as she was, not that it was him not liking to accept he needed help, or accept he had been injured. 

 

It was kind of a miracle that Angela hadn't used healing spells often, or that she didn't really know how to cast most of them given that she spent most of her time on her own, at least prior to meeting Matty. She had had luck not getting injured, her worst ailments being her panic attacks and those moments when she was rendered speechless, nothing worse than a sprained ankle. While her wandwork wasn't the best, she did try to study or at least have some knowledge about spells and incantations, just in case. It had come in handy when she had cut herself with a shard of glass, and now it could also help relieve Matty's pain. Hopefully it would work. Her heart was pounding as if she had attempted the most complicated and dangerous spell on earth, but with no wand movement and no light, she had no way of knowing if it was working until Matty told her so. Angela stared as he touched his jaw, and didn't flinch when he exclaimed until they both were sure there was no more pain nor popping sound. He moved his jaw a couple times and her nervousness was replaced with relief and a smile that grew as soon as he cupped her face. Okay, not bad for the first time she casted that spell. Angela kissed him back and chuckled as he showered her with kisses, finding it to be the cutest thing ever, along with his many I love you's. She was so happy it had worked, scrunching her nose up as he called her Dr. Ange. "Girlfriend, personal cheerleader, and personal doctor. All that and more", she stated with a smile, looking into his eyes as he asked for cupcakes as if it was a serious matter. She laughed. "...And personal baker," she had baked him those mermaid cupcakes and the key lime pies the night they finally became one. It was her turn to protest, though. "Oh yeah? And what do I get for fixing that nasty injury and sound? You owe me, too," Angela pouted, readjusting herself on his lap and cupping his face. "We can make sure your jaw it entirely healed..." she had lowered her voice, giving him a skimo kiss and a coy smile.

[Mathias Lundstrom]

[Chad Ripley]

9

 

"Nope, no try, only do. You pinky promised and there is no going back on that." He smirked and probably was temping her even more to just slap him out of pure annoyance. He was finding it all rather funny though and knew even though this turned more into a joke that she was pretty serious about it. Which was sweet and even though Matty knew she loved him it was nice to know she cared about him that much that she felt bad administering a scripted slap to him and wouldn't want to do a real one. Though, it did get him wondering if she had ever slapped someone before because it was clear she knew what she was doing when she did. And you know Matty would just love to hear that she had slapped Santi but he decided to just leave that up to the imagination and not ask since that was in her past and he didn't want to drudge up that past again for her to re-live. So unless she just told him out of the blue one day, he'd leave that in the past. 

 

He was so grateful her spell had worked and would have to remember that one for other small injuries and now he knew who'd he'd be going to when quidditch season came around thanks to his brilliant girlfriend. "And don't forget personal essay writer." He grinned and then added, "Now I remember why I fell in love with you." He teased thinking of all the perks. Okay, but seriously those were not the reasons he fell in love with her but he definitely was grateful she baked him goods and cheered for him at matches but there was so much more and he wished he could list all the reasons but they'd be here all day. He laughed as Angela requesting some form of reciprocity for her healing skills. Her little pout and touch just killed him and he was immediately at her service, "Oh, I owe you now?" He grinned and rolled his eyes but knew he'd give her whatever she wanted regardless. Though, it seemed like it was going in a direction where they'd both benefit. He tilted his head at her suggestion and then moved his hand to her thigh like he had done as Chad earlier in the scene but this time he wouldn't be met with a slap, he was sure, "Well, if the doctor insists...." He smiled and kissed her a little bit but then pulled back a few inches bit since they were still in a pretty public place, "I think Chad's room is empty." He smiled thinking no one was using the bedroom set to do scenes right now so they might be able to hang out their for a while before one of them had their next scene. 

[Ariadne Gladstone]

The scene continues from the last one. The only difference is the lighting.

From light and hopeful, the stage is now flooded with dim and gloomy lighting.

The light is focused on Maria, still praying at the altar while Tony stands a little off center, watching her with a defeated look on his face.

Edited by Ariadne Gladstone, 25 January 2022 - 05:34 PM.

[Aina Keller]

[1] Aina Keller / Maria

 

For this scene, she was made to wear a light blue dress, with Maria’s trademark hair style. She’s been walking back and forth at the backstage while waiting for her cue. One look and anyone will notice just how nervous Aina is, not because of the scene but because she needed to cry, she needs to do it and fast! It wasn’t easy, even in practice she’s having a hard time bringing her tears out. Even Raph, who plays Tony, her partner, knows how hard it was for her to cry at times like this. She wanted to believe that she lost her emotions but it’s not true, she can still feel, she knows her pain and she’s familiar with Maria’s lost, of knowing her brother was gone. In desperation, she leaned her forehead on the wall, with her eyes tightly closed. I can do this..I can do this..I can do this.. She stayed there for a long time, glad it’s not their time yet. She concentrated on her pain but all she ever felt is her emptiness. It’s right there on her chest, yet she’s not sure which one caused her to feel like this? Was it her dad’s death, her breakup with Ryan? Or the fact that both hurt her tremendously? Was it really sadness? Melancholy? Or a little bit of everything? Whatever it is, it’s overwhelming. When she heard her cue, Aina looked up from where she’s leaning on. Her pain is palpable in that moment, her vulnerability was the most compelling. Her eyes welled up to as she came running to her room as Maria.

 

-----

 

Maria’s terror after learning her brother was killed mounted with every step she took while running to her bedroom. She tried to fight the rising panic as her heart hammered in her chest. This is not happening.. This is not happening. Reaching her bedroom, she looked around until her eyes landed on the Virgin Mary. Maria knelt before it, her hands clasped in front of her, tears coming out of her eyes. “It’s not true…it’s not true….it’s not true…” she repeated like a mantra, willing not to make it true, that it was all a lie. Her body trembled inside but she suppressed a shiver. Maria was in a complete state of panic, all she could feel is nothing but blind terror, her hands were cold and clammy. “Please..please…please….” She was weighed down by dread.

 

Just then, she heard a sound something from her window, when she looked up through the mirror, she saw Tony. Anger flared across her face, “Asesino…Asesino!” She got up while repeatedly saying, “Asesino…Asesino… Asesino… Asesino.” Tears continued to fall on her cheeks, a fiery exclamation of wrath and disdain is visible on her face just as she reached Tony, her voice breaking seeing his current state. “You promised to stop this!!!” She spat out her thundering rage freely, her expression darkened.

[Ralph Jaxon Smith]

[1 – Ralph Jaxon Smith/Tony]

 

Raph was pretty nervous for the next scene. It was going to be one of the heavier scenes that he had to do emotion-wise. Raph his a pretty chill guy and he is usually the one who makes people laugh with his silly antics or even when he’s only being himself. Now, he will have to dig deep and he needed his partner for that. He knew that Aina has been having a lot of troubles trying to cry on cue and she opened up to him while they were in practice. They tried to work on it but so far, they were unsuccessful. He could see the nervousness radiating from Aina as she paced backstage while the next scene was being prepared. He felt bad for her, but if they were to deliver a convincing scene, they have to lean on each other’s emotions. He took a deep breath and went on his mark, waiting for the cue as Aina’s screams as Maria filled the silent theatre.

 

-------

 

He tried. Tony tried. He tried his hardest to stop the rumble. He honestly tried to de-escalate the situation and he tried to stop it. But everything happed so quickly that he didn’t know how it came to that. Riff… His best friend Riff was gone. Just yesterday, he was so excited about the rumble and what’s going to happen and now he was gone. He didn’t know what got into him when he held that knife and plunged it into Bernardo.

 

Oh my God. Maria. He could see her hopeful face while they talked earlier that night. How he promised her that he would stop the rumble and make sure that nobody was hurt.

 

Maria… He thought of her name and her smile and her beautiful soul… and the heartbreak that he will cause he once she finds out about what happened. About what he had done.

 

Tony made his way to her home, dreading each second that passes yet, he was yearning to hold her in his arms. He knew that after what he did, he surrendered his rights to Maria, but he can’t keep himself away. He needs to see her. He needs to explain his side and apologize for what he had done.

 

When he came to her window, she was kneeling in front of the altar, hands together and head bowed in prayer. He slid the window open and he slips inside, alerting her of his presence. Asesino…Asesino! He did not need to understand Spanish to know the accusing tone that she was using on him. She was crying and Tony felt a magnetic pull wanting to get to her, to hold her, to kiss her… But he was the one who is causing her this much pain. He reached out to her, despite her reluctance. He takes her into his arms, his eyes tearing up too. He kisses her on the head while holding her as tightly as he could. Like this was the very last time that he will get to hold her forever.

 

­"I tried to stop it," he began. "I don’t know how it went wrong. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I didn’t know I had!" He was grasping for words, all the while, holding Maria desperately. Desperately wishing that the last couple of hours were just a dream and that soon, they will both wake up from this nightmare. ­"But Riff…Riff was like my brother. So when Bernardo killed him—" He stopped for a second to look at Maria’s tear-streaked fake and his heart broke all over again. He hated that he was causing her this much pain. ­"’Nardo didn’t mean to, either. I know he didn’t! Nobody did! Just forgive me so I can go to the police…" he said in a defeated manner. ­"It’ll make it easier…"

[Aina Keller]

[2] Aina Keller / Maria

 

Aina knew, from the moment she had seen the script, that there will be heavy drama scenes they have to tackle along the way. Having lead roles, they come with the responsibility of bringing your best to every scene given to you, including the ones with heavy emotional requirements. She’s done a lot of roles in her life ever since she joined Thespian, some supporting characters, others were important ones. But today, it’s different, this is a love story with conflicts and deaths. And with death comes grief, loss, tears and emotions, something she’s very familiar with and is scared to deal with again. Yes, she knows exactly how it feels like to lose a loved one, her dad, the death bed, the goodbye, it was heartbreaking. She hopes no one will experience the same because it was really painful for her. It’s a surprise she’s able to live her life the way it was now. But Maria… she lost her brother due to conflict with another group. Just reading the script and Aina knew exactly her reaction is going to be, she would be in disbelief, feeling lost, scared and added to that, it was the one she loves who took her brother’s life. How horrible Maria must have felt. How can you maintain the loss and anger at the same time while dealing with grief and dealing with the fact that it was the one you love who killed your brother?

 

Maria didn’t see how her brother died but Aina did…from the backstage, and it got stuck in her mind. With her heart in her throat, she watched as Lars fell on the stage floor with bloodstained shirts…Her breath caught as she witnessed it, it’s enough to make her shiver and get teary-eyed. She shouldn’t be affected this much by a mere scene, a fake death, but a death nonetheless, but it’s something she was sensitive about. And seeing someone she knew, personally, it felt real for her. Her mind was suddenly flooded with memories which she cut right away as she swallowed the lump in her throat. It feels wrong for her and difficult to relive, let alone seeing someone’s death in a play. It’s too much that she decided to turn her back from the stage. It’s what she’s been thinking while she’s praying in front of the Virgin Mary as Maria. Even if she didn’t want to, that scene kept replaying in her mind like a recorder, over and over…triggering her tears and forcing her emotions from surfacing. She didn’t want to lose someone important to her, ever again.

 

 

------

 

Maria was distraught, her nerves were vibrating in anger and pain. Death is emptiness. There is neither a grand entrance nor a hole to hell. Losing a loved one is everything but emptiness, suffocating emptiness. Maria gasped as Tony took her in his arms, leaving her breathless. Seeing him in his current state, her heart goes out to him and yet, the overwhelming anger kept her from doing anything other than burying her face in his chest. He kissed her on the head and held her so tightly, Maria bit her lip from the mind-numbing pain it brought her.

 

She loves him but how could he do this to her brother? Her hand automatically reached for his arm, squeezing it for support and at the same time, wanting to give him a piece of her mind. He tried to explain what happened, but all Maria could feel was confusion and anger and love for this man mixing together. He killed her brother to get his revenge for killing Riff whom he said he considered as his brother. “And then you murdered him! You murdered me!!!”

 

Maria closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them, her anger was pretty evident now, “You’re a killer! KILLER! KILLER! KILLER!” And hits him repeatedly on the chest until she ran out of energy and slid down on the floor, her heart breaking over and over just thinking of her brother. She was so tired now, didn’t know what to do and just sobbed there helplessly.

[Lars Svensson]

TWELFTH NIGHT PLAY

 

At the other side of the stage, Viola as Cesario appeared to fulfill her promise toward the duke as to convey his love for Olivia.

[Charlotte Montclaire]

(1) ALMOST, MAINE - HOPE

 

Charlie was paired with Kai on the second act. Soon as she realized it the very first question that popped in her mind is: was there a kissing scene? To her relief there was none, and her role even came with a rather nice wardrobe. It was, however, a little crushing… which is quite in contrast with her other role. Nonetheless she welcomed the challenge of it. She and Kai were friends so, even though she found him royally annoying there was some genuine affection there and she won't have to fake it… much.

 

Anyways so their scene was up next so she hurried to the stage, pulling on the stylish fur coat that was part of her 'costume.' It was actually quite pretty but it was hard to appreciate with the rather hot lights onstage which is why she put off wearing it for as long as she could. Charlie peeked at her reflection on the mirror near the stage, making sure her makeup was perfect. One of the stagehands came to give her the wheelie suitcase and purse that completes her ensemble and then she waited for her cue. As the music faded, she hurriedly stepped onto the stage…

 

~

 

Hope was distracted, lost in thought as she walked. Wheelie suitcase in tow with snow crunching beneath her snake-skin boots as she walked towards a familiar old house in Almost, Maine. She reached the front porch then abandoned her suitcase on the side as she quickly knocked on the door and took a little step back. She was looking super anxious you would think that she was in distress when suddenly, a light was lit. It was visible through the windows of the modest house… and the porch light above her also followed. There's a creaking sound as the door swung open and before she even knew it she's speaking rapidly.

 

"I know this isn’t going to be very easy but I was just out there all alone in the world," she started to say. Eyes cast down on the ground, trepidation in her voice fueled by the need to say all that she had to say. "And I got so scared because all I could think about was how I had no place in this world. But then, I just—outta nowhere—realized that there was one place in this world that I did have, and that was with you. So I flew, and I took a taxi to get to you. I just had to come see you." There was almost a desperation in the way she talked. "Thank God you’re—" Hope was cut-off as she finally glanced up at the person standing by the door, and backpedaled. "Oh… wait, I’m sorry! You’re not— I’m—" she stammered. Frantically she double-checked the number of the house and stepped back, looking a little confused. "This is the house… I’m so sorry. Does Daniel Harding live here?" she asked. "I’m looking for Daniel Harding."

 

"Looking for Daniel Harding, yeah," she repeated. "He lives here, I thought. But…" she trailed off, realization dawning on her. "Ohhh he doesn’t anymore, does he? Ohh I am so sorry!" Hope backed away some more and grabbed the metal handle of her suitcase again. "I am so embarrassed! Who is this woman and what is she doing here?" she mocked herself, laughing. "I just honestly thought he’d be here. I always thought he’d be here… always." Hope was looking so baffled. Quiet for a moment in her disappointment. Then another realization reached her and she quickly turned back toward the person. "Do you know him?" she eagerly asked. "Big guy, big strong guy. He played soccer—All-Eastern Maine! He wrestled, uhm… lotsa hair and a fun guy! All-Eastern Maine? Strong? Do you know him? Ohh he played hockey too," she described, her smile a little dreamy as she did. Then she gave the man an expectant look.

[Kairav Joseph]

Kairav was a natural when it came to acting and the awareness of his talent was what pushed him to sign up for a role in the Thespian Society play. Kai was alotted two roles — Daniel and Lendall, the latter is a gentle, empathetic human, extremely introspective while the former is a man content with his life but no stranger to the emotional turmoils of a broken heart. Both the roles were quite challenging as the Gryffindor has never experienced a broken heart, neither was he gentle to begin with but he did possess emotional depth, a side not many were familiar with - a side he can push to surface when getting into character(s).

With the first scene done and dusted, it was time for his second scene as Daniel - a part of Act II that was due for performance on stage in a few minutes. Studying his look in the mirror, he fixed his beanie and straightened the black sweatshirt worn over the pj’s of his nightshirt - Daniel’s wardrobe wasn’t up to par but it will do. Confident over his skills, the Gryffindor nodded at the stage manager, who signaled him to cue by the stage for his act and arrived ready for the scene to go on the floor. Kai’s gaze landed on Charlie, she was paired opposite to him for the play and sent her a mock salute. Like her, when the pairs were announced and the first thing he did as well was skin through the script to make sure there weren’t any kissing scenes - there weren’t, much to his relief. While he enjoys the art of making out, he hasn’t ever pictured himself kissing any of the girls from his inner circle and thinking about it alone made it very awkward for him - not that he has explicitly thought about it. Actually, let’s not go to topics he has thought about.

The transition happened, music faded and lights dimmed, signaling it is time for their scene.

—————————

Daniel was about to call if a night when the bell rang. He paused, a look of uncertainty spreading across his features as he eyed the clock at the far end of the living room close to striking nine - it was a rather odd time for someone to coming by at this hour by the town, let alone his door. However, after several moments of quick thinking, the man switched on the lights of the living room, corridor and porch and walked to the door. He was struggling to decide on whether he wanted to answer the door or leave it be but the opening of the lights have given him away so there was no point. Exhaling a deep breath, Danny turned the knob and stepped out on the porch, rubbing his hands together. It was mid winters, the cold was seething and even the beanie wasn’t helping with it. He wanted to head back inside as soon as possible but the appearance of the woman in front of him made him forget everything.

He knew her.

Frozen on the porch, his heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the woman in front of him, stunned at seeing her after all the years. She was too observed in delivering her speech that his rigid body language and face must not have registered to her as she rambles off. He doesn’t blame her - Daniel has changed over the years since she saw him. He was different back then, full of light, hope, a burning fire inside him that kept him alive. It died out long back, taking away all the motivation from him which cause a major change in not only his life but how he looked. As she spoke with rapid intensity, her words pouring out like a rushing river, Daniel's mind raced to comprehend the situation. He took in her stylish attire, the wheelie suitcase, and the fancy purse, assuming that she must have traveled a long way to find him.

It wasn’t until she looked at him, really looked at him did she realise the man she was speaking too wasn’t the one she set out to meet. Hope's expression changed abruptly from anticipation to confusion, her enthusiasm faltered and she stumbled over her words, trying to make sense of the situation. Daniel almost felt bad for her as she double-checked the address, making sure she had arrived at the right one and tried to confirm it with him.

”Does Daniel Harding live here?, I’m looking for Daniel Harding.”

Caught off guard, Daniel struggled to find the right words to respond to Hope's apology but ended up repeating what she said. “You’re looking for —” he did not get a chance to continue - Hope cut him off, rambling away again. Daniel was a calm person and aware that she was embarrassed let her complete, his face expressionless although mixed emotions swirled inside him.

“Well —” he started after she repeated the question of Daniel, mentally preparing the answer that he did know the guy but once again, the man did not get the chance to form it in words as Hope cut him off again.

(1)

Edited by Kairav Joseph, 18 May 2023 - 04:51 PM.

[Charlotte Montclaire]

(2) ALMOST, MAINE – HOPE

 

Charlie was almost breathless as she delivered line after line rapidly. It's exhausting but it was a part of her character and her character's mindset. Her mouth was barely getting any rest and she can recall how she rehearsed this scene. Kai probably found it laughable at that time, since she herself did. But she couldn't laugh right now… not in the middle of an emotionally-charged scene.

 

~

 

Hope was anxious… a total ball of nerves right now. She was eager and excited to see her old love of course, but also afraid somehow. It was all she could do to keep herself in check and not totally spazz out. That's why she never saw the signs even though it was literally right in front of her.

 

"Oh, don’t even answer that," Hope unwittingly cut the man off again. "That was—I know that’s a horrible question to ask a person who lives in a small town, as if everybody in small towns knows everybody else. Argh! I can’t believe I asked that." She raked a hand through her dark hair and tightly clutched it. Launching in yet another explanation of herself. "I don’t live here anymore, but when I did, I hated it when people assumed I knew everybody in town just because it was small. It was worse than when they’d ask if we had "...plumbing way up there?"" Hope made air-quotes at that, "'cause, you know, people in small towns really don’t know each other any better than they do in big towns, you know that? I mean, you know who you know, and you don’t know who you don’t know, just like anywhere else." She paused then, and shrugged. "I'm so sorry to have bothered you. I was just so sure—when his parents passed away, he kept the house, I heard. He lived here. He stayed here, I thought. He was one of the ones who stayed." Hope's eyebrows furrowed as she paused for a beat again. "I didn’t stay. I went away."

 

"And I guess he did too. I never thought he would. I guess I lost track." Her smile and tone were sad as she said that. "You gotta hold on to people or you lose 'em. Wish there was something you could keep 'em in for when you need 'em…" she was saying then made a show of opening her purse, acting as though she found 'Daniel Harding' in there, eyes growing wide in surprise. "Oh, there he is, perfect!" Hope laughed… but she quickly realized that the man didn't find it funny so she stopped.

 

Then she started backing away, shifting focus on something else. "Boy, it’s cold. I forgot," she blurted out, putting her arms around herself and shivering. Then Hope stopped in her tracks and started talking again. "I can’t believe I took a taxi here. From Bangor. To see him." She gazed out at the stretch of empty road in Almost, Maine. "This place is a little farther away from things than I remember."