Planetside Productions: Starscape, is a Fiction Podcast that I've been writing! It has numerous characters within the first series, that has 5 seasons and a complete arc in planning so far.
TAG LIST:
#PP:S ASK -> For any character-directed question asks received!
#PP:S PLOT -> For any plot related questions or loredumps!
And, of course, individual characters will have their own tags, but I'm afraid there's too many to put all in one. I'll put together a masterlist at some point lmao.
i have been told to direct any questions to this tumblr, so i am here with the all questions my little brain could come up with while drunk on happiness (this is your fault. thank you <33)
can i know a tiny bit about my baby perdita
where did you draw inspiration from to come up with the character dynamics (apart from aquarius and iolanthe, we know that one lmao)
inspiration for the main cast! outside of your friends but also if you want include us too <33
when can i do the next script reading i am very excited for it :3
Hello sweetheart!
Perdita is Eristic-born, found as an infant. She had been abandoned by her mother, of whom was a rape victim and gave up her daughter as soon as she was born, out of fear for all her daughter represented. She was then found by Mneme Soter, who quickly took in the infant.
Iolanthe and Alkaios are based on the type of longtime friendship I never had as a kid. None of my friends from my childhood have been retained, for one reason or another, but there's still a part of me that wishes I'd kept some of them. That life-long, devoted friendship is what they're based on!
Edi was based on my question of how disabled people fare in poverty. Perdita was based on you <3. Desdemona is a representation of what happens to prisoners underneath dictatorships. There's probably more, but it's late and my brain isn't working all too well
Unfortunately, that might not be for a while. Perdita's next character appearance is very brief, in the second episode. Though, once I reach the third, you'll get quite a lengthy scene! I'll keep you updated, love.
hi there i don't have a life so after being cast i decided to read up on the character i'm voicing and. wow eris you outdid yourself what the hell this is so cool please let this blow up or something
LMAO THANK YOU DEAR!
In honour of our lovely voice actress, I'll share some facts about the character: Perdita Soter.
Perdita Soter is 12 years old.
She's the adopted daughter of Mneme Soter, and Leto- the adopted sister of Edi Soter.
Her physicality is featured here, with brown hair, nearly-black eyes, and tanned skin.
Overall, Perdita is a bright character, with a lot to say and no fear of saying it. Despite being the youngest of the cast, she's one of the most talented! Her ability with a slingshot has no rivalry, and there's jokes within the group that, if she were to ever be given a gun, there'd be no guard she wouldn't be able to shoot down. She's quite the marksman!
There's so much more about her and her story, but I'll save the spoilers <3
I was wondering which member of the cast has your favourite development story? I don’t mean their character arc or backstory but the story behind how you made them, the meaning of their name, plot points that were later scrapped and given to other characters etc.
Also, since you live asking difficult questions, I dare you to answer this in less words than I answered your ask <3
YOU MOTHER FUCKER. I love you
Please note that everyone mentioned here will, eventually, get full character profile posts!!
Alkaios Duma! You know how much fine-tuning went into his backstory. The initial plan was that he wasn't from Eris, but rather from Ouranos and was born in a prison- which would cause our conflict with King Pluton. That backstory wasn't cut completely, but that idea of a prison instead went to Edi Soter.
After that, I wanted him to be related to some kind of royalty. My initial plan was that he'd be a distant kin of the late King Oura, and with distant relativity to Duke Hèrmes. We ended up realising that the timeline wouldn't allow for such a thing, not to mention that it would make his family tree 10x more complex.
Finally, I settled on a concrete idea. I had to keep his Ouranian lineage, otherwise certain aspects of his later plot wouldn't work whatsoever. So, instead, he was born to an Ouranian Duchess, name unknown, after she fell madly in love with an Eristic citizen named Ursus Duma. Alkaios is the youngest of four brothers- Starren, Zeus & Major, Perseus.
Thanks for the question!! It's actually been a while since I addressed Alkaios' development, but you saw how much I struggled with his backstory and what not </3 either way now he's one of my favourites :)
Iolanthe -> Violet. You can tell
Alkaios -> Red! Specifically crimson
Mneme & Leto -> Gold
Oedipus -> He can't really, y'know... see colour?
Perdita -> White-silver
Pythias -> Green, kind of dark-pale green
Desdemona -> Dark red
So... what exactly are the Slips? As a group I mean. Are they rebels, since they mention working against Guards, orrr?
They are! The Slips, founded by two women, Mneme and Leto, are a rebel group against Mercury, who've had Eris as a colony planet for centuries now. Pluto and Neptune were freed from being one of Jupiter's colonies way back in 2950 (story is set in 3333).
The group used to be way bigger, actually, but since the Guards have begun catching on to rebels and revolutionaries, many of the members have been killed. Though, there's not enough evidence to link it back to the main group
SOUND: MUSIC FADES IN, SIRENS GET DISTANT. FOOTSTEPS FADE INTO AMBIENCE.
ALKAIOS:
"Can't believe we actually pulled that off. I- ugh!- Damn it, think I pulled something in my side, during the chase."
IOLANTHE:
"Don't be a baby, Tolo. We'll get Pythias to look you over in a bit, but just sit down for now, yeah? Catch your breath."
SOUND: ALKAIOS WHEEZING.
IOLANTHE:
The adrenaline spikes never get any less thrilling. I can feel the blood roaring in my veins, the ache in my chest, the flush of my cheeks. Everything hurts in a way that makes me feel alive, which is pretty pricey here, but worth it. My feet throb as I slide down the wall to sit, greedily gulping down the somewhat clean air of the slums.
SOUND: IOLANTHE PANTING.
This is life on Eris, when you live as I do, as we do. Outrunning the Guards, slipping past the Executives, simply living for the thrill of it all, danger and the knowledge that your own life is on the line. But we don't do it just for the thrill. We've all got our vices in this life. But vices cost coins, coins we don’t have without some hard work and elbow grease. Indulgences aren't something we get a lot of here, in the backwater cities that belong to Mercury’s colony. Too busy with the necessities, most people. But we're not most people.
IOLANTHE:
"You still got that jewellery, right? The stuff we just risked our lives to grab? Cuz if you lost it!-"
SOUND: METALLIC TINKLE. IOLANTHE LAUGHS.
ALKAIOS:
"You think I'd actually lose it? Didn't outrun those guys for nothing, Iolanthe."
IOLANTHE:
"Ugh, shut it, Alkaios. Look, full names are for when we're in trouble. And I'd say we're pretty far from trouble! I mean, look at these gems... how many coins d'ya think we could get for them? It's gotta be, like, fifty or so, right? There's gotta be enough to spare to buy you some new strings, trust me, I’ve been doin’ the math."
ALKAIOS:
"There'd better be, Leto's been promising me for weeks that she'll get me new strings as soon as we get a new load of coins. I need to get back to making money, or I won't be eating. You know how dad is."
IOLANTHE:
My name is Iolanthe. Pretty name for a pretty face, Leto's always said, helps with the job. The boy beside me is Alkaios, son of our city's bakery owner. But he's far more than that, he’s a singer, a performer, and most importantly, my best friend. His skills are handy, for our less-than-legal line of work. Gives him the perfect opportunity to pick at pockets when we need to make a quick coin.
We all have vices, like I said. And I'll make sure Alkaios, my best friend Tolo, gets his. I owe him that; it’s a debt I’ll be paying till I die, I think. After everything he’s done for me, to get me here. To get both of us here, actually.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, DOOR SLIDING OPEN. DOOR SLIDING CLOSED. A SCOFF.
PYTHIAS:
"Iolanthe, Alkaios. You two succeeded, right? I know that neither of you are dumb enough to come back if you hadn’t, but I really don’t want you two getting your heads bitten off by Mneme if she finds out."
IOLANTHE:
"We did, we did. Chill it, Snake Doctor. Tolo's got the score, necklace with actual blue diamonds, imported from, what was it Callisto? If the lady's bragging ‘s to be trusted."
SOUND: TINKLING OF METAL AND JEWELS. PYTHIAS LAUGHS.
PYTHIAS:
"By the Stars, just as pretty as I'd heard. I mean, I'd expected it would be stunning with how badly everyone's been wanting to get their hands on it, but..."
ALKAIOS:
"We're getting a cut of the cost, right? Thief's Rights."
PYTHIAS:
"I don’t know, kid. Usually it's eldest-first regarding coin splits."
IOLANTHE:
"That's stupid and you know it, Pythias! Tolo needs new guitar strings, or we can't be making money anymore. Without Tolo's music, I can't dance, and that means no more shows in Strife Square. No more shows, no more coins. Gotta be thinking about this in the long run."
SOUND: PYTHIAS SIGHS. IOLANTHE SCOFFS.
PYTHIAS:
"I'll do my best. But you know how Mneme is when she wants to get her hands on new gears. She and Leto are in charge of it all, it's their say in the end."
ALKAIOS:
"If they know what's good for us all, they'll give me my cut."
SOUND: DOOR SLIDING OPEN.
PYTHIAS:
"Get in, you two. Routine injury checks, yada yada, you two know it all."
IOLANTHE:
"I'm not injured, but Tolo's busted his hip or somethin’."
ALKAIOS:
"Yeah."
SOUND: ALKAIOS GROANS.
ALKAOIS:
"Can I get a hand here?"
SOUND: ALKAIOS AND PYTHIAS GRUNT. FOOTSTEPS. DOOR SLIDES CLOSED. SHUFFLING OF FABRIC.
PYTHIAS:
"You feeling alright, kid?"
ALKAIOS:
"Yeah, yeah. Just a bit,"
SOUND: ALKAIOS WHEEZES, AND COUGHS.
ALKAIOS:
"out of breath. I'll be fine, chill out, just need to sit down."
IOLANTHE:
Alkaios looks, tired. The bags under his eyes are deeper than they usually are, which is saying something, really, because it’s Alkaios. But he gives me a smile, like he can read my thoughts. He's always been good at that.
DESDEMONA:
"Welcome back, you two. Glad you didn’t die on the job, cuz that’d be annoying to explain to the Angel and her girlie."
IOLANTHE:
As always, Desdemona is hunched over in her armchair. Legs tucked to her chest, her one eye lit up by the cigarette clasped between her shaky fingers. Her eye narrows at me, and I hold up my hands in an apology.
SOUND: DESDEMONA SNORTS.
IOLANTHE:
"Glad to see you too, Des. ...Hey, where's Leto?"
DESDEMONA:
"What? Ain't my presence enough for ya, huh?
...
She's with Oedipus, last time I checked."
PYTHIAS:
"You're enough for me, Dessy."
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS. COUCH CREAKING. A KISS. IOLANTHE GAGS.
IOLANTHE:
"You two, are disgusting. Vile. I hate you both, you’re terrible, and I’m disgraced by just living with you."
SOUND: PYTHIAS LAUGHS.
PYTHIAS:
"Let me love my girlfriend, Petal."
IOLANTHE:
"No. Desdemona doesn't deserve love."
SOUND: DESDEMONA SCOFFS. CHAIR SQUEAKS.
DESDEMONA:
"You wanna go, little man? I'll break your jaw again."
IOLANTHE:
"Nah, not really in the mood to fight an old lady.
...
Speaking of old ladies, I'm gonna go bother Mneme."
DESDEMONA:
"Weren't you just talking about Leto and Oedipus? Why aren't you gonna bother them? And isn’t Leto olde-"
IOLANTHE:
"Cuz you said Leto and Mneme are apart. So, for once, I can talk to her without having to watch them dance around each other."
DESDEMONA:
“Can you stop cutting me o-”
PYTHIAS:
"No, no, you're not wrong. Trust me, it's worse on my end, I've been watching them do that for ten damn years!”
SOUND: DESDEMONA GROANS.
“Mneme, Mneme, Mneme... you'll wanna go take a look in the training room? Last I checked, Perdita pulled her off to go do some practice. They've been sparring for the past hour, I think. Or whatever Perdita pulled her off to do, you know that girl. She’s always got some scheme or another."
IOLANTHE:
"Thanks for the heads-up, Snake Doc. So, Tolo, you wanna come with me, or?”
ALKAIOS:
"Nah. Uh, you go ahead, Petal. I'm just gonna... chill out here. Kinda winded from the job."
IOLANTHE:
I give Alkaios a look, and he smiles back at me, more of a smirk. The beauty mark under his eye crinkles in a way I’ve learned is exhaustion, but I won’t point it out — I've seen that expression on his face enough. I know not to fight it anymore. I nod, and watch him settle on the floor by the couch. Before his eyes close, he raises his eyebrow and gestures to the necklace still in his hands. I know what to do, and so I give him a grin. His eyes close near-immediately after that, and I mess up his dreadlocks with a hand as I pass him by.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.
The base we've taken up is an old, hidden safehouse. It used to be some Government base for Mercury's operations, but nobody's touched it for, like, three decades. Mneme hacked all surveillance cameras long before I was even in Discordia, back, when I was… y’know. Uh, we've been in control of the place ever since, really.
The training rooms are five consecutive rooms, in a row, all with doors that connect to one another, and entries on the other side. But our sparring room is the second room along, the one just in front of my dance studio — the third. I pull my key card from my pocket, where it always is unless I misplace it, and swipe it across the scanners, the door sliding open.
SOUND: BEEP. DOOR SLIDES OPEN WITH HISS.
SOUND: GRUNTING, BREATHLESS LAUGHTER, RUNNING.
And there they are. Perdita charges at Mneme with all of her speed, young legs carrying her far. She makes a smart sweep for Mneme’s legs, a tactic I haven’t seen her use before. But Mneme is smarter, stronger, more experienced— as always. With one arm, she scoops under Perdita and drags her backwards. They’re a blur of movement, before Mneme lets go and Perdita gets kicked to the floor with a foot to her chest. Even I have to wince when she falls.
SOUND: PERDITA YELPS AND WHEEZES. THUD AS SHE HITS THE GROUND.
The smell of sweat and oil is pungent in the room, familiar. Mneme's hair shines a rainbow glint in the dim room. It’s pretty, always has been. Her chest heaves, and she brings up a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. She looks like a Goddess in the lighting, powerful and fearless, completely in her own element. I've always admired her strength, even if it's not something I have.
She holds her hand out to Perdita, buck teeth poking into her bottom lip as she smiles.
PERDITA:
"How,”
SOUND: PERDITA GASPS.
“how are you so good at that? It's scary!"
SOUND: SLAP AS PERDITA GRABS MNEME'S HAND.
MNEME:
"I’m a lot older than you, Dita. Seen a whole lot more of the world, and a whole less empathy. I’ve been training a long time. But if you keep it up? Keep trying, keep getting stronger? Maybe you’ll get to where I am someday. …Keep in mind the someday bit, though, you overachiever. Don’t need you taking my title just yet."
IOLANTHE:
"Why is it that every single time I see you, you're giving some inspirational quote like we're in a film? Knock it off, Min."
MNEME:
"Petal! Hey, lil' guy! Didn't even see you there!"
IOLANTHE:
She wrangles me into her arms, and I can’t help but laugh.
SOUND: IOLANTHE LAUGHS.
IOLANTHE:
“Alright, alright, cut it out, Minnie!”
I shove her off of me, and she gives me a look. Up and down, once, twice, before she frowns. Mneme’s always been so good at that, knowing exactly when someone’s come to her with a purpose.
MNEME:
“Spit it out, Petal. What’re you wanting to tell me?”
IOLANTHE:
“We got the new score. The necklace from the woman who owns that fancy restaurant downtown, on the outskirts of Mercury’s Military Base.”
MNEME:
“You did? Hah! Knew I could trust you two. It’ll be enough to get me at least a month-”
IOLANTHE:
“No.”
I’m not usually the one who stands up to Mneme. That’s Pythias, usually, who’ll stand up and face her without fear in their eyes. But… this isn’t something I can just give up. Tolo needs this. So I’ll get him it.
MNEME:
“...No? Oh? You’ve got a different idea for what we’ll do with the coins, do you?”
IOLANTHE:
It takes a moment. But I swallow, and I straighten my back, and I look her dead in the eyes.
“Yeah. First priority, we pay for Alkaios’ guitar strings, and a repair for his guitar. It’ll cost about a quarter of the coins we get from the score, I already did the math the other day with a rough estimate. We split the rest for food, and whatever’s left over you can get more equipment with.”
Mneme is silent. Then she laughs.
SOUND: MNEME LAUGHS.
It’s mocking. Not cruel, but near disbelieving. I think. It’s always been hard to place her tone, between her accent’s thickness and her odd mannerisms.
MNEME:
“Alright, little boy.”
SOUND: IOLANTHE GROWLS. MUSIC CHANGE. AMBIENCE FADES IN.
“Down, down. Let’s say I agree. We get Alky-boy his strings and a fix for that old instrument. What do I get out of it? Prove to me that it’s worth my time.”
PERDITA:
“Why don’t we do a trial?”
SOUND: MNEME TAKES A SHARP BREATH. IOLANTHE HUFFS.
IOLANTHE:
I’d forgotten she was there. Perdita is quieter than she should be.
PERDITA:
“Sorry. But, a trial makes the most sense, right? Whoever sides with Io agrees that Alkaios gets new guitar strings and a fix. Whoever sides with you agrees that we spend it on equipment.”
MNEME:
“A good idea, Dita! If you think you can convince the others to agree, Iolanthe?”
IOLANTHE:
She cocks her head to the side. Her oilslicked hair shines in the light, her eyes look like a predator’s in the shadow of her bangs. She looks terrifying. I don’t back down, either way. Backing down now would be giving up my pride, and, well, if my pride is my fatal flaw, then so be it.
“A trial it’ll be!”
I look her straight in the eyes till she smiles, not menacing this time, but gentle. For some reason, her kindness comes out as far more terrifying than her malice.
SOUND: MNEME LAUGHS.
MNEME:
“Good on you, kiddo. Standing up for yourself. I’ll see you and the others in the main room, in, an hour? Yeah, an hour. See ya then, Petal!”
Once again, still subject to change, so alterations may be made!
Under the cut:
( SCENE 2: THE MAIN ROOM OF THE SLIPS’ BASE. )
SOUND: MUSIC FADES IN. AMBIENCE STARTS.
IOLANTHE:
“Do we have to go over the rules?”
MNEME:
“It’s custom, Petal. Now! We're gathered here for a Slip Trial. A meeting of sorts, to come to a decision, when two sides of our group are at odds. We have two arguments, regarding the coins we’ll be able to get from our latest score. Iolanthe would like this to go towards fixing a guitar. I would like this to go towards making new improvements for the Slips.”
IOLANTHE:
(SCOFFING)
We all know what that means. She’s gonna take the coins and spend it on new gears for her inventions, building new tech, bettering her weapons. Which, sure, she always says will better the Slips. But none of us have ever seen the results of it!
We took Perdita up on her suggestion, obviously. The room is split in half, a line across the synth-wood table. One for my side, another for Mneme’s. Alkaios is staring at me; I can feel his eyes. Boring into the side of my head, enough to make even me self-conscious. But I’m a performer at heart, so I just smile and wave. …The wave part is just a joke. I do smile, though.
MNEME:
“Do you have something to say, Iolanthe?”
IOLANTHE:
“Yeah. I do. My statement. As we all know, each side gives a statement to prove their point. Either they disparage the other team, boost themselves, or both. But we’re on borrowed time for the last one. We need to keep our statements condensed, across all three”
MNEME:
“Look at you, using big words.”
IOLANTHE:
She’s trying to get under my skin. I see it in her eyes, the way the skin above her lip flexes as she runs her tongue across her teeth. She isn’t smiling, but it’s enough that the dimple in her left cheek is visible. I hate that I can read her so well. It’d be easier if I was dumb.
“Alkaios needs new guitar strings, and a fix. It got busted in that heist we did to get Perdita new hearing aids three months back. If we don’t get back to work soon, we won’t be pulling in coins, which cuts off more than half of the money we’re getting. That being from our performances.”
Mneme sets her hand on the table. Her brow is raised, and she is smiling now.
MNEME:
(TAUNTINGLY)
“Oh? No mocking my image? Calling me a fraud? Being as cruel to me as I know you want to be? Oh, you’re such a bleeding heart, aren’t you, Petal.”
IOLANTHE:
“I don’t think mocking you would prove my point, but I can if you want me to?”
SOUND: MNEME LAUGHS.
IOLANTHE:
Her laugh sounds more like a growl. It’s another bright reminder that I’m the prey here. She’s the fox, I’m the rabbit.
MNEME:
“My statement is, as I said. Those coins will go towards the betterment of the Slips, another step forwards in the fight for our freedom from Mercury!”
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.
MNEME:
“With every coin that we get, every day that goes by, we get one step closer to destroying the Winged Guards. To taking down the false Angels!”
IOLANTHE:
I forget, sometimes, how Mneme knows how to work a crowd. I do, too, but… my heart rate always spikes when it comes to public speeches. I can do them on my own, can do them if I’m dancing and keeping count of my steps. But never like this. Mneme walks, making eye contact, expression shifting with each member she looks at. Kindness for Perdita, courage for Desdemona, and so on. Mneme knows everyone here better than I do, she’s the founder of the group for Stars sake! She has the upper-hand here, and everyone knows it, and I’m screwed.
Probably.
PYTHIAS:
(TIREDLY)
“And what even is this, Min? You say, every day, that we’re ‘one step closer’. How many steps is it? How long is it gonna take until we get this freedom you’ve been promising us? I’ve been here my entire life. I’ve been with you the longest out of anyone in this room! And I’ve never seen it.”
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS
IOLANTHE:
They round the table to stand beside me. A hand claps on my shoulder. Pythias looks at me, dead in the eyes, and mouths something. ‘I’m with you’. And- this is the first time someone has ever opposed Mneme besides the leading party.
I can see the anger in her eyes, when I look at her, too. It’s brief, but her jaw tenses, her eyes widen, her brows twitch, and her hands clench into fists that she barely manages to untense.
But if Pythias is with me…
DESDEMONA:
“Yeah, where Pyth is, I am. Look, I trust ya, Angel. You saved us. But, I mean… kid’s got a point. You can’t fight the numbers, can ya? Your own words.”
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS. TWO SETS.
IOLANTHE:
She tucks an arm around Alkaios, pulling him with her. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. I can’t tell if his expression is pride, panic, or something worse. Probably all three. Oh, he’s so gonna kill me after this. But I had to. He’d given me an order, and I decided to take all measures possible to execute it.
The group split is easy after that. Perdita takes Mneme’s side, and so does Oedipus.
It’s impossible. But here I stand.
“So. I win?”
OEDIPUS:
“If myself, Perdita and Mneme are here, then… well, yes. The rules state it clearly. Whoever has the most people on their side wins the Trial. The coins go towards your cause to aid Alkaios.”
IOLANTHE:
I did it.
I did it!
I turn to look at Alkaios, and we have about five seconds. Five seconds that I get to see his eyes light up, his lips readying to curve into a smile. He looks as breathless as I feel. But it’s only five seconds.
Five seconds before my hopes and dreams are brutally crushed by the reminder that, no, we have another member of the group.
For the Stars sake, Leto!
Let a guy be happy for a minute, at least?
SOUND: DOOR SLIDING OPEN. DOOR SLIDING CLOSED. FOOTSTEPS.
Maybe, if fate were on my side, Leto would’ve asked what was going on. Would’ve taken an actual decision in the Trial. But she doesn’t. She’s in a nightgown, a sleep mask pushed up and mussing up her hair, but she manages to look like royalty with every movement. As always. It’s sickening, how Leto can make the simplest of movements, the most mundane of moments, look like they’re done through a camera. And it really does make me sick. I wanna wrap my hands around her scrawny throat and just-
She walks right up to Mneme, wraps her long arms around her shoulders, and speaks in that graceful, dulcet tone. I know what the words are before they even come from her mouth.
LETO:
“Whatever Mneme has decided on, it’s her side I take. She most likely has the best reasoning here. As always. A tie means that the win goes to the older party in the debate.”
IOLANTHE:
Damn her!
Damn her, damn her, damn her!
Damn the fact that Leto always listens to Mneme, damn this stupid group, damn these rules, and damn the fact that I had ever hoped I’d get to win this. And, because of my own stupidity, I have to watch, in real time, as something in Alkaios breaks.
SOUND: ALKAIOS SIGHS, THEN COUGHS.
He tries taking a deep breath, but it rattles in his chest, and I hear it. He coughs into his elbow, once, twice, a few times in a row. Then he nods, and smiles at Mneme. His voice is so soft, not angry, not spiteful, just peaceful. Tired.
ALKAIOS:
“Dunno why I, uh, expected anything else. This was a waste of time.”
IOLANTHE:
Then he leaves.
SOUND: DOOR SLIDING OPEN. DOOR SLIDING SHUT.
SOUND: MUSIC FADES OUT. STATIC FADES IN. MUFFLED SPEAKING FROM OTHER SCENE MEMBERS.
And all I can think about, is that I got his hopes up, and I brought them crashing right back down. My fingers twitch, and I reach out for him, but he’s gone by the time my hand gets the memo.
I turn back to Mneme, again, and I see exactly what Alkaios saw. There isn’t empathy in her eyes. She isn’t remorseful. She’d watched exactly what I just did, but she doesn’t seem… upset. She’s. That dimple is there again. In her left cheek. She’s nearly smiling.
I think, that’s when it hits me. A fact I’d somehow forgotten. Too swept up in, finally, proving myself to Mneme. Getting the score, giving Alkaios something, anything, as a thank you for everything he’s done for me.
SOUND: MUSIC FADES IN, SIRENS GET DISTANT. FOOTSTEPS FADE INTO AMBIENCE.
ALKAIOS:
"Can't believe we actually pulled that off. I- ugh!- Damn it, think I pulled something in my side, during the chase."
IOLANTHE:
"Don't be a baby, Tolo. We'll get Pythias to look you over in a bit, but just sit down for now, yeah? Catch your breath."
SOUND: ALKAIOS WHEEZING.
IOLANTHE:
(OUT OF BREATH)
The adrenaline spikes never get any less thrilling. I can feel the blood roaring in my veins, the ache in my chest, the flush of my cheeks. Everything hurts in a way that makes me feel alive, which is pretty pricey here, but worth it. My feet throb as I slide down the wall to sit, greedily gulping down the somewhat clean air of the slums.
(SIGHING)
This is life on Eris, when you live as I do, as we do. Outrunning the Guards, slipping past the Executives, simply living for the thrill of it all, danger and the knowledge that your own life is on the line. But we don't do it just for the thrill. We've all got our vices in this life. But vices cost coins, coins we don’t have without some hard work and elbow grease. Indulgences aren't something we get a lot of here, in the backwater cities that belong to Mercury’s colony. Too busy with the necessities, most people. But we're not most people.
IOLANTHE:
"You still got that jewellery, right? The stuff we just risked our lives to grab? Cuz if you lost it!-"
SOUND: METALLIC TINKLE. IOLANTHE LAUGHS.
ALKAIOS:
"You think I'd actually lose it? Didn't outrun those guys for nothing, Iolanthe."
IOLANTHE:
"Ugh, shut it, Alkaios. Look, full names are for when we're in trouble. And I'd say we're pretty far from trouble! I mean, look at these gems... how many coins d'ya think we could get for them? It's gotta be, like, fifty or so, right? There's gotta be enough to spare to buy you some new strings, trust me, I’ve been doin’ the math."
ALKAIOS:
"There'd better be, Leto's been promising me for weeks that she'll get me new strings as soon as we get a new load of coins. I need to get back to making money, or I won't be eating. You know how dad is."
IOLANTHE:
My name is Iolanthe. Pretty name for a pretty face, Leto's always said, helps with the job. The boy beside me is Alkaios, son of our city's bakery owner. But he's far more than that, he’s a singer, a performer, and most importantly, my best friend. His skills are handy, for our less-than-legal line of work. Gives him the perfect opportunity to pick at pockets when we need to make a quick coin.
We all have vices, like I said. And I'll make sure Alkaios, my best friend Tolo, gets his. I owe him that; it’s a debt I’ll be paying till I die, I think. After everything he’s done for me, to get me here. To get both of us here, actually.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, DOOR SLIDING OPEN. DOOR SLIDING CLOSED. A SCOFF.
PYTHIAS:
"Iolanthe, Alkaios. You two succeeded, right? I know that neither of you are dumb enough to come back if you hadn’t, but I really don’t want you two getting your heads bitten off by Mneme if she finds out."
IOLANTHE:
"We did, we did. Chill it, Snake Doctor. Tolo's got the score, necklace with actual blue diamonds, imported from, what was it Callisto? If the lady's bragging ‘s to be trusted."
SOUND: TINKLING OF METAL AND JEWELS.
PYTHIAS:
(LAUGHING)
"By the Stars, just as pretty as I'd heard. I mean, I'd expected it would be stunning with how badly everyone's been wanting to get their hands on it, but..."
ALKAIOS:
"We're getting a cut of the cost, right? Thief's Rights."
PYTHIAS:
"I don’t know, kid. Usually it's eldest-first regarding coin splits."
IOLANTHE:
(HUFFILY, SCOFFING)
"That's stupid and you know it, Pythias! Tolo needs new guitar strings, or we can't be making money anymore. Without Tolo's music, I can't dance, and that means no more shows in Strife Square. No more shows, no more coins. Gotta be thinking about this in the long run."
SOUND: PYTHIAS SIGHS.
PYTHIAS:
"I'll do my best. But you know how Mneme is when she wants to get her hands on new gears. She and Leto are in charge of it all, it's their say in the end."
ALKAIOS:
"If they know what's good for us all, they'll give me my cut."
SOUND: DOOR SLIDING OPEN.
PYTHIAS:
"Get in, you two. Routine injury checks, yada yada, you two know it all."
IOLANTHE:
"I'm not injured, but Tolo's busted his hip or somethin’."
ALKAIOS:
"Yeah."
(GROANING)
"Can I get a hand here?"
SOUND: ALKAIOS AND PYTHIAS GRUNT. FOOTSTEPS. DOOR SLIDES CLOSED. SHUFFLING OF FABRIC.
PYTHIAS:
"You feeling alright, kid?"
ALKAIOS:
"Yeah, yeah. Just a bit,"
(COUGHING AND WHEEZING)
"out of breath. I'll be fine, chill out, just need to sit down."
IOLANTHE:
Alkaios looks, tired. The bags under his eyes are deeper than they usually are, which is saying something, really, because it’s Alkaios. But he gives me a smile, like he can read my thoughts. He's always been good at that.
DESDEMONA:
"Welcome back, you two. Glad you didn’t die on the job, cuz that’d be annoying to explain to the Angel and her girlie."
IOLANTHE:
As always, Desdemona is hunched over in her armchair. Legs tucked to her chest, her one eye lit up by the cigarette clasped between her shaky fingers. Her eye narrows at me, and I hold up my hands in an apology.
SOUND: DESDEMONA SNORTS.
IOLANTHE:
"Glad to see you too, Des. ...Hey, where's Leto?"
DESDEMONA:
"What? Ain't my presence enough for ya, huh?
...
She's with Oedipus, last time I checked."
PYTHIAS:
"You're enough for me, Dessy."
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS. COUCH CREAKING. A KISS.
IOLANTHE:
(GAGGING, PLAYFULLY DISGUSTED)
"You two, are disgusting. Vile. I hate you both, you’re terrible, and I’m disgraced by just living with you."
PYTHIAS:
(LAUGHING, FOND)
"Let me love my girlfriend, Petal."
IOLANTHE:
"No. Desdemona doesn't deserve love."
SOUND: DESDEMONA SCOFFS. CHAIR SQUEAKS.
DESDEMONA:
"You wanna go, little man? I'll break your jaw again."
IOLANTHE:
"Nah, not really in the mood to fight an old lady.
...
Speaking of old ladies, I'm gonna go bother Mneme."
DESDEMONA:
"Weren't you just talking about Leto and Oedipus? Why aren't you gonna bother them? And isn’t Leto olde-"
IOLANTHE:
"Cuz you said Leto and Mneme are apart. So, for once, I can talk to her without having to watch them dance around each other."
DESDEMONA:
“Can you stop cutting me o-”
PYTHIAS:
"No, no, you're not wrong. Trust me, it's worse on my end, I've been watching them do that for ten damn years!”
SOUND: DESDEMONA GROANS.
“Mneme, Mneme, Mneme... you'll wanna go take a look in the training room? Last I checked, Perdita pulled her off to go do some practice. They've been sparring for the past hour, I think. Or whatever Perdita pulled her off to do, you know that girl. She’s always got some scheme or another."
IOLANTHE:
"Thanks for the heads-up, Snake Doc. So, Tolo, you wanna come with me, or?”
ALKAIOS:
"Nah. Uh, you go ahead, Petal. I'm just gonna... chill out here. Kinda winded from the job."
IOLANTHE:
I give Alkaios a look, and he smiles back at me, more of a smirk. The beauty mark under his eye crinkles in a way I’ve learned is exhaustion, but I won’t point it out — I've seen that expression on his face enough. I know not to fight it anymore. I nod, and watch him settle on the floor by the couch. Before his eyes close, he raises his eyebrow and gestures to the necklace still in his hands. I know what to do, and so I give him a grin. His eyes close near-immediately after that, and I mess up his dreadlocks with a hand as I pass him by.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.
The base we've taken up is an old, hidden safehouse. It used to be some Government base for Mercury's operations, but nobody's touched it for, like, three decades. Mneme hacked all surveillance cameras long before I was even in Discordia, back, when I was… y’know. Uh, we've been in control of the place ever since, really.
The training rooms are five consecutive rooms, in a row, all with doors that connect to one another, and entries on the other side. But our sparring room is the second room along, the one just in front of my dance studio — the third. I pull my key card from my pocket, where it always is unless I misplace it, and swipe it across the scanners, the door sliding open.
SOUND: BEEP. DOOR SLIDES OPEN WITH HISS.
SOUND: GRUNTING, BREATHLESS LAUGHTER, RUNNING.
And there they are. Perdita charges at Mneme with all of her speed, young legs carrying her far. She makes a smart sweep for Mneme’s legs, a tactic I haven’t seen her use before. But Mneme is smarter, stronger, more experienced— as always. With one arm, she scoops under Perdita and drags her backwards. They’re a blur of movement, before Mneme lets go and Perdita gets kicked to the floor with a foot to her chest. Even I have to wince when she falls.
SOUND: PERDITA YELPS AND WHEEZES. THUD AS SHE HITS THE GROUND.
The smell of sweat and oil is pungent in the room, familiar. Mneme's hair shines a rainbow glint in the dim room. It’s pretty, always has been. Her chest heaves, and she brings up a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. She looks like a Goddess in the lighting, powerful and fearless, completely in her own element. I've always admired her strength, even if it's not something I have.
She holds her hand out to Perdita, buck teeth poking into her bottom lip as she smiles.
PERDITA:
"How,"
(GASPING)
“how are you so good at that? It's scary!"
SOUND: SLAP OF HANDS.
MNEME:
"I’m a lot older than you, Dita. Seen a whole lot more of the world, and a whole less empathy. I’ve been training a long time. But if you keep it up? Keep trying, keep getting stronger? Maybe you’ll get to where I am someday. …Keep in mind the someday bit, though, you overachiever. Don’t need you taking my title just yet."
IOLANTHE:
"Why is it that every single time I see you, you're giving some inspirational quote like we're in a film? Knock it off, Min."
MNEME:
"Petal! Hey, lil' guy! Didn't even see you there!"
IOLANTHE:
And then I'm getting wrangled into her arms.
(LAUGHING)
“Alright, alright, cut it out, Minnie!”
I shove her off of me, and she gives me a look. Up and down, once, twice, before she frowns. Mneme’s always been so good at that, knowing exactly when someone’s come to her with a purpose.
MNEME:
“Spit it out, Petal. What’re you wanting to tell me?”
IOLANTHE:
“We got the new score. The necklace from the woman who owns that fancy restaurant downtown, on the outskirts of Mercury’s Military Base.”
MNEME:
(DELIGHTED)
“You did? Hah! Knew I could trust you two. It’ll be enough to get me at least a month-”
IOLANTHE:
“No.”
I’m not usually the one who stands up to Mneme. That’s Pythias, usually, who’ll stand up and face her without fear in their eyes. But… this isn’t something I can just give up. Tolo needs this. So I’ll get him it.
MNEME:
“...No? Oh? You’ve got a different idea for what we’ll do with the coins, do you?”
IOLANTHE:
It takes a moment. But I swallow, and I straighten my back, and I look her dead in the eyes.
“Yeah. First priority, we pay for Alkaios’ guitar strings, and a repair for his guitar. It’ll cost about a quarter of the coins we get from the score, I already did the math the other day with a rough estimate. We split the rest for food, and whatever’s left over you can get more equipment with.”
Mneme is silent. Then she laughs.
SOUND: MNEME LAUGHS.
It’s mocking. Not cruel, but near disbelieving. I think. It’s always been hard to place her tone, between her accent’s thickness and her odd mannerisms.
MNEME:
“Alright, little boy.”
SOUND: IOLANTHE GROWLS. MUSIC CHANGE. AMBIENCE FADES IN.
“Down, down. Let’s say I agree. We get Alky-boy his strings and a fix for that old instrument. What do I get out of it? Prove to me that it’s worth my time.”
PERDITA:
“Why don’t we do a trial?”
SOUND: MNEME TAKES A SHARP BREATH. IOLANTHE HUFFS.
IOLANTHE:
I’d forgotten she was there. Perdita is quieter than she should be.
PERDITA:
“Sorry. But, a trial makes the most sense, right? Whoever sides with Io agrees that Alkaios gets new guitar strings and a fix. Whoever sides with you agrees that we spend it on equipment.”
MNEME:
“A good idea, Dita! If you think you can convince the others to agree, Iolanthe?”
IOLANTHE:
She cocks her head to the side. Her oilslicked hair shines in the light, her eyes look like a predator’s in the shadow of her bangs. She looks terrifying. I don’t back down, either way. Backing down now would be giving up my pride, and, well, if my pride is my fatal flaw, then so be it.
“A trial it’ll be!”
I look her straight in the eyes till she smiles, not menacing this time, but gentle. For some reason, her kindness comes out as far more terrifying than her malice.
MNEME:
(LAUGHING)
“Good on you, kiddo. Standing up for yourself. I’ll see you and the others in the main room, in, an hour? Yeah, an hour. See ya then, Petal!”
Season 1 features a variety of characters. I'll list the ones who I actually care about have relevant storylines in S1!
Plus a bonus character because I can't not mention him.
IOLANTHE -> She/They Masc -> Her main skill is dancing!
ALKAIOS -> He/Him AMAB -> His main skills are playing guitar and occasionally cooking/baking!
PYTHIAS -> They/Them Intersex -> Their main skills are drug-making and healing!
DESDEMONA -> She/It Femme -> Its main skill is in fighting/combat!
MNEME -> She/Her AFAB -> Her main skill is engineering!
PERDITA -> She/Her AFAB -> Her main skill is stealth!
LETO -> She/Her AFAB -> Her main skill is, well, being charming!
OEDIPUS -> He/Him AFAB -> His main skill is his senses, despite being blind!
THE MADAME/PRINCESS JUNO -> She/Her AFAB -> Princess of Mars, future Queen of Jupiter!
AQUARIUS THALASSA -> She/Her AFAB -> Madame's Advisor & the greatest hacker this side of the galaxy!
KING JUPITER -> HE/HIM AMAB -> The King of Jupiter, triplet of Queen Neptune and King Pluton! Fiance of The Madame
OUTIS -> HE/HIM AMAB -> His best skill is his physical strength!
