Mercuria had managed to escape her Stylist for a moment, finding some back hallway to duck down and away. She had seen glimpses of the other Tributes, decked out in elaborate costumes and fancy finery. She wasn't jealous of them; she vastly preferred the working overalls and headlamp of home. But something about it felt off. Targeted. Everyone else was representative of their work. She was just wearing her coal mining work clothes.
It was a touch overwhelming, and it wasn't like the Stylist would help talk her down. She could feel it in the air as she worked on the outfit - the disdain, the anger. And for what? As if it wasn't Mercuria who was facing death. But fine. So be it.
Mercuria found this back hallway and leaned her arm against the wall, trying to steady her racing heart. Short breaths weren't helping, but it was all she could manage. But then she heard the tell-tale click, click of approaching footsteps. Damn these Capitol tiles and their echoes.
the bedrooms in the poseidon house are very much blank slates when one of the sea god’s children arrive : very bright and airy, very blank with pale hardwoods and walls, meant to be a canvas for whatever the demigod wants this little space of their own to be.
when jason first arrived at campus, the last thing on his mind was decorating his bedroom, merely pulling in the essentials to make it a livable space : a pallet bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a nightstand. the walls remained untouched, and soon enough jason became accustomed to their blankness, almost enjoying it much as he enjoyed a good untarnished expanse of ice. he didn’t own much, still doesn’t own much, his clothes more than comfortably fitting in his closet and negating the need for a wardrobe, meaning clutterness never was going to be a problem. blues and greys predominate the room, with his sheets, blankets, and sheer gray curtains that still let in light when drawn — rarely does he not start the day with the sun. some of his furniture is wood, others black metal — not all of it really matches perfectly and jason is alright with that. boring, dull, blank, sterile : that’s the way his bedroom remained for all of his first year at eonia and probably the way it might have stayed if not for lyra ( @lyraeu ).
lyra found jason’s bedroom to be horrifying to say the least, making it her mission to add personalized touches. it might as well have been her right considering how much TIME she ended up spending there. up until then, a photo of him with his mother was the only sign of a personalized touch — well, that and kraken who spent many hours of the day sleeping on jason’s bed. but soon they were accompanied by two strings of photographs above his bed, almost EXCLUSIVELY photos of jason and lyra ( more than fair, considering it was all her doing ), and a couple of lyra’s selfies carefully handpicked. yes, it’s made for some... interesting conversations if jason ever brings someone back to the poseidon house unfamiliar with their dynamic but he still hasn’t taken them down. over the months, though, jason has swapped out a couple of photos. her other order of business was to string up fairy lights over both of his windows. jason feels like he’s always turning them off, but again, they have remained up.
he has added a few other framed pictures to the one with his mother : one with the eonia hockey team, another just him and sebastian ( @sebastianeu ), and one more with his mother and stepfather — all of them are now on his still-mostly empty bookcase that sometimes doubles as a table to set things on when he comes in. the picture frames share the bookcase with a purple orchid that was a gift from sebastian to brighten up his room, behind it still lies a sticky note that reads ‘ water every monday :)) ’ that sebastian left along with the flower. sticky notes from lyra and sebastian aren’t uncommon around his room. jason’s gym bag almost always sits ready to go next to the bookcase, the one or two pairs of shoes he wears most often on the mat. there remains plenty of wide open space in his room, which turns out is perfect for doing yoga in.
› 01. do they have a room to themselves, or do they have a sibling for a roommate?
as a child of the big three, jason has his own room, though with the frequency that lyra drops by to nap he might as well share it with her.
› 02. where do they land on the messy vs. organized spectrum?
jason is very organized. granted, he doesn’t have a ton of things in the first place, but he’s almost meticulous where everything goes and always neatly makes his bed every morning. lyra often leaves sticky notes if she misses him, but he always knows when she’s been around because the covers are rumpled.
› 03. what does their room say about their personality?
well...
jason often isn’t forthcoming with his inner thoughts, and his room lacking many personal touches does sort of reflect that. the cleanness and lack of clutter is also something he often seeks in his own mind where the opposite is often true.
› 04. how does their college room compare to their room back home?
jason’s room back in saguenay is a bit more cluttered, just from things from his childhood and such, but the walls are almost just as blank and it is still very neat. after the accident, jason stripped his room of any memory of the past, taking down posters and throwing out photos ( though his mom secretly took them out of the trash and has them in a box ).
› 05. how much time do they spend in their room?
it’s a modest amount of time jason spends in his room : often outside, at the rink, hanging out with someone, or studying somewhere else in the poseidon house. only when he needs to be alone or sleep does he retreat to his room.
› 06. how do they feel about others entering their space?
in spite of the fact that jason’s room does very little to reflect his inner thoughts, he doesn’t like people entering his room. there are a few that get passes to this, namely his two best friends —lyra and sebastian. his sisters usually mind their own business... for the most part.
› 07. do they often keep the door open or closed?
though jason doesn’t like people in his room, he doesn’t lock it when he’s not there and it is often left ajar. this is mostly to afford kraken the ability to wander around the house as she wishes. when jason is present in his room, his door is almost always closed.
› 08. have they kept anything from their childhood rooms as adults?
jason has kept precious little from his past, and certainly didn’t bring it with him when he came to greece. the only thing that might count is the photo of him and his mom.
Timmy said as he collected his things. Summer break had just begun but that didn’t mean Victoria had off as well. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Eufloria Cafe was scheduled to have its grand opening next week, which meant Vic was busier than she had ever been. She needed to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. The task was easier said than done when she also had her two youngest to worry about. Summer camp didn’t start for another two weeks and David’s schedule didn’t have much wiggle room, not that Savvy would leave her mom willingly. She made it very clear that she did not want to spend her summer break in California. She wanted to stay in Limbo and help with the cafe. She wanted to stay where the bulk of her family was. Limbo was (and forever would be) home.
“Savvyyyy!” Timmy called again. She could tell he was irritated. She could hear it in his tone. Rightfully so... They were always waiting on Savanna. “I’m comin’, okay? I needed ta get somethin’ from my room for…” She paused. Victoria was looking at her with the keys in her hand. “Nevermind. I’m ready.” She secured her book bag (filled with all the arts and craft supplies she could fit into it) on her back and followed her mom and brother out the door.
Today they would be spending the day with Dottie. Savvy was so excited. She didn’t get to see her big sister often anymore. Life had been so chaotic that every time they made plans, something came up and Dot had to cancel. Savanna and Timmy understood. Or at least they claimed they did. Dorothea and Ransom were adults and that meant sometimes grown up things came up. “Mommy...Are ya sure we can’t come help you?” Savvy asked from the back seat as she buckled herself in. Timothy was already buckled. His full attention was on the new book he got from the library. He was getting a jumpstart on his summer reading for school next year. “I won’t get in the way. I promise.” Savanna added, but Victoria knew the little girl would have a better time with Dottie.”
It only took ten minutes to get to Oasis Apartments from their house, and both kids were extremely excited to see their big sister. “Are we gonna go swimmin’ later?” Timmy asked. He knew the apartment complex had a pool and some of his friends from school were going to be there. The water would be freezing, no doubt, but that wouldn’t stop him or Savvy from swimming anyway. They never complained about it being too cold, even when their lips were blue and their teeth were chattering. The only time complaints were made was when it was time to dry off and go home. “Did you bring your bathing suit?” Dottie raised a brow and got eager nods from both of her younger siblings in return.
Victoria didn’t have long to chat. She gave Dottie the rundown like she always did, then hugged and kissed everyone before she got back in her car. Savanna waved until Victoria’s car was out of sight and then she turned back to her big sister to head inside. “I wanted mommy ta let me help with her new cafe. I wanna see how much she fixed it up.” The six year old frowned. “She said I could go when it was all done…” The little one sighed. “It’s got’a be done now, otherwise how’s she gonna have a grand openin’?”Savanna made a valid point, Dottie didn’t know how to respond. She knew that she had to change the subject or coming up with a distraction or her sister would never drop it.
It was only 9:30am. Too early to suggest going to the pool. Timmy seemed content with his book. He already made himself comfortable on the couch after kicking his shoes off into the middle of the room. Dorothea racked her brain for something she and Savanna could do to pass the time.
Dottie looked around the small apartment as she thought… That’s when a box on her bookshelf jumped out at her and she grinned as she went to get it. “I have an idea.” She told Savanna. “You said you want to help mommy, right?” Dottie took the lid off the box and inside were hundreds of pictures. They were candids she took of her whole family over the years. She almost forgot they existed until now. “Why don’t you pick out some photos for mommy to hang up in her new cafe? We can make a collage out of them. She can hang it like she hangs your drawings.” Dorothea smiled and Savanna grinned from ear to ear. This task was right up her alley and she had all the supplies they would need for it in her book bag. “That’s a good idea, Polka dot. This way, when mommy is workin’ she can see the pictures of us and ‘member why she opened up the cafe in the first place.”
Savanna got to work right away. This task even peaked Timmy’s interest and he set his book aside to help dig through photos. Each one held a story and Dottie was willing to tell most of them to her younger siblings. “Ya think mommy will buy me a camera for my birthday so I can take pictures like you do, Dottie?” The six year old asked. If Victoria didn’t get Savvy a camera, Dot would give her an old point and shoot she didn’t use anymore. Her little sister definitely inherited their mother’s artistic talent. She took pictures with an iPhone that were very impressive. Most of the time it was hard to believe they came from a first grader.
The pictures Savvy wanted to use were lined up all along the edge of the table. She had one of almost every family member, even David. The only person missing was Ransom, and her eyes went wide as she spotted a photograph of her brother that looked almost exactly like the one she found of DC earlier. “Is this Rannie?”She asked. For a second, it almost didn’t look like him. “Is he DC’s kid too? Like you?” Savanna looked up at her sister with big blue eyes. Dottie nodded with a smile. “I can tell…” Savvy giggled. “He looks just like DC…” She held up both pictures side by side. “See?” She grinned. “I duno why Rannie always says he doesn’t got’a daddy… He must not’a seen these. Mommy has ta put them up in her cafe, but after we show Rannie them first.”
It was a new year, and Hera was finally starting to feel like a woman again. That might seem odd to an outsider, but after the loss of her husband, Hera hadn’t gone out much, she hadn’t dressed as well as she had for him. She hadn’t even realized how little she had done for herself until he was gone. It had given her more than enough time to see just how much of an influence Zeus had had on her life. It was....too much. There had been so little she had let herself enjoy for herself. Hera had looked to him and his needs. It had taken so long for her to even accept that she had needs.
But it truly was a new year. A new way to look at the world. And Hera found herself smiling more as the days passed. The weight of her husband’s murder was lifting off her chest. She could see a beauty in the world. And Hera was determined to make sure that beauty stayed. Now that she was a member of the board, Hera was sure she could work with the Great Prince, with Jiji Takayama to make sure the forest, the natural environments were all as preserved as possible. And here it was again. Hera could think of all the good things that could be done for others before she could even consider what she needed.
After all, how long had it been since she had last been held by someone? There had been Fairy’s wonderful consideration, when she had held Hera as she sobbed in the middle of the street. It had been the warmest feeling she had felt post-storm. There weren’t enough words in the world that she could use to thank Fairy. She would certainly try though. That was something that wouldn’t be negotiable. Hera would thank Fairy in every way that she could. She was going through it in her mind as she pulled out her first aid kit for the guest that she had drawn into her home.
While she had been out on main street, she had caught sight of him just as he had fallen (she hadn’t seen how he had managed that one), and heard the cry of pain that had followed shortly after. It hadn’t even been a question. Hera had raced over to the man, checked to see that no major injury had befallen him. Had that been the case, she certainly would have called for an ambulance, or to bring him personally to the hospital. She was no medical expert, but it appeared to be a sprain, and before she really knew it, she was offering for him to come home with her and be treated with some painkillers and ice. It had taken a little convincing, but in the end, here they were.
Hera turned from where she had pulled out the kit, reaching out for the fridge to also grab the ice. Once she was sure she had that, she made her way over to the man, Maui she thought he had said. “Here. I didn’t have enough hands to grab the painkillers just now, but if you’d like them, I can get them for you as well. Just be sure you don’t move your wrist too much.”
The story is unique in its exploration of themes including religion and mental illness, and aims to captivate audiences with dialogue driven scenes in one fixed setting.
Premise:
The initial premise focuses on a young woman who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a psychotic man.
Target Audience:
Our target audience is adults aged 18 and upwards who are interested in psychological horror.
Narrative:
The narrative focuses on themes of religion and mental illness and how these can be mistreated and the consequences of it. We researched into the symptoms, causes and treatment for schizophrenia to inform our narrative. The character of Peter’s mental illness and religious beliefs plays an important role in driving the narrative forwards and conflicts with the character of Bethany.
Message:
Our message is to explore the idea of a worst possible outcome out of the special set of circumstances we are presenting, shown through the character of peter and his mental state.
Peter (young adult male)
Bethany (young female aged around 18)
Character Biographies:
Peter:
Peter is mentally ill young adult male who is socially isolated and driven by extreme religious beliefs. In his own eyes he is a hero and is doing Bethany a favour. He isn’t evil, he’s just the victim of his own mental state who seeks identity through religious beliefs rather than medical assistance.
Bethany:
Bethany is a young innocent girl raised by a loving religious family, and has never wronged anyone in her life. She is the audiences window into the madness, as she becomes the victim of Peters religious sacrifice. She gives the audience someone to sympathise with.
Although some of you prefer to write I'd much rather you to recite!! Below there is a link to a scene from a cinema adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice". It is the scene depicting the famous soliloquy by Shylock. The task to do is to record yourselves reciting one or two verses from the speech (any verses included in the subtitles of one frameshot). Go and begin performing Shakespeare yourselves!! To be fair with you I'll post some a recording of the whole soliloquy made by me.
The room was tense, to say the least. Or, perhaps, Lee could feel tension in the air. He felt rather relaxed, to be honest. Confused, but relaxed. The small committee, led by a captain he had never met before, shuffled some papers on the table where they sat opposite.
"So, Mr. Hatchett," Captain Valorant started. He took a moment to reference the file in front of him, leaving Lee out to dry.
"Uh, Captain." Lee returned the greeting.
"Yes?" The other man looked up at him.
"Hm?" Lee raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm sorry. No. What's... what's the question?"
"Yes. Hm." Valorant shuffled another paper behind the file. Lee decided the best course forward was silence, though several choice comments leapt to his mind. That's not a question, he thought. Those papers are getting more action than I have in the last several months. What's going on?
"We're here for some routine questions," Valorant finally began. "Thank you for your time."
"Of course," Lee said, wondering if a question would ever come. "Is this... what is this about?"
"We're not at liberty to say."
"Of course." Lee nodded sagely. Idiots.
"Can you account for your location between the end of the 134th Biannual Hunger Games and your arrival at the Tower?"
Lee nodded. "Yes."
There was a moment of silence as Valorant looked expectantly at Lee. He cleared his throat. "Go on, then."
Lee blinked. "Oh! Sorry. Yeah. I was in Seven."
"What were you doing in Seven?"
"I live there."
"I mean, what activities were you doing."
"Oh." Lee shook his head. Shouldn't they know all this already? "My father died about a year ago. I was staying with my mother, helping her with. Everything. But then I got the President's letter saying I was to report back for Mentorship in January, and so. Here I am."
Valorant nodded, jotting something in an illegible script on a pad. "And in the months before you received the letter?"
Lee blinked again. "Uh. I was helping my mother. You know, with the funeral, keeping up with the house. That kind of thing."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"An older sister and a younger brother."
"And what do they do?"
Their best. "Sister is a nurse, and brother drives logging trucks."
Valorant's eyes rose slowly, though Lee could feel an intensity there. It offput and concerned him.
"What is your brother's name?"
"Bluejay."
"Does Bluejay drive to Eleven, ever?"
Lee furrowed his brow. It had been a while since his last geography class, but he was more or less certain. "I don't think so. He drives from Seven to the Captiol and back, mostly. So he goes through One, but never as far south as Eleven. Or as east."
Valorant nodded and made another note on his pad. "I see. These next questions are all just customary."
Lee nodded, shifting in his seat.
"Have you heard any conversations around the Tower related to rebel activity?"
Lee's eyes bulged a bit. "No!" he exclaimed. He took a breath to compose himself. "I also haven't been here. For like a year and a half."
Valorant continued his questions, his eyes down on his files. "Do you suspect anyone in the Tower of being aligned with the rebels?"
Lee pushed a breath through his teeth. "Once again, haven't been here. So, no."
"Is there anyone in the Tower you believe to have partaken in seditious activities?"
Lee's jaw fell open a tiny amount. "Uh. No. Sorry. I. I haven't been here. I hardly know some of these people."
Valorant once again shuffled some papers into a file and slid his pen over it to clasp it shut before raising his eyes to meet Lee's. "Thank you, Mr. Hatchett. That's all the questions we have for you."
Lee fought with his face to avoid his brow from furrowing. He squeezed his lips shut to stop the flow of something stupid, knowing the price that some Victors had paid in the past for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Instead, he forced his neck to bend in a small nod. "Uh. Sure thing. Have a good day."
And with that, he stood up and left. Valorant remained in the room, shaking his head. "Waste of time," the captain muttered. "We keep such good tabs on the Victors who aren't in the Capitol - it's the ones who are here who are dangerous."
