31 Plays in 31 Days, #19 - "Gifted"
Aug. 19th, 2015 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breakinglight11I don't know if there's any point in writing scenes for that "college-age Sherlock Holmes modern day transposition" thing. I don't even know if that's too played out this point to be sellable. But here's another scene for it.
Day #19 - “Gifted”
from Baker Hall
by Phoebe Roberts
MICHAEL HOLMES, a school trustee
CHARLOTTE HOLMES, his exceptional younger sister
~~~
(CHARLOTTE sits on the roof of the dorm. Enter MICHAEL.)
CHARLOTTE: My, my, Michael. Didn’t anyone tell you it’s against the rules to come out on the roof?
MICHAEL: Please, Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE: In fact, somebody recently told me that. Can’t remember who.
MICHAEL: Had to find some way to be in the same place as you.
CHARLOTTE: I like people to call ahead.
MICHAEL: I did. Eleven times.
CHARLOTTE: My phone is on an adventure this week.
MICHAEL: Yes. If the GPS is any indication, I believe it’s exploring the floor of Elgen Pond.
CHARLOTTE: Some of us should be busy with important things.
MICHAEL: You’ve been avoiding me.
CHARLOTTE: A more perceptive person might see meaning in that. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. As you’ve chosen to neglect your gifts in order to play at being a normal person.
MICHAEL: Don’t talk to me about squandering your gifts! You’ve spent the last three years as a perpetual sophomore by the grace of Dad’s pocketbook, just so you can play your stupid— adventure games!
CHARLOTTE: Games? Exposing a meth lab working on campus? Saving that girl from her abusive asshole boyfriend? Those are games? Tell it to those people I helped!
MICHAEL: As if you gave a damn about any of them. Just so far as they presented a challenge to beat yourself against.
CHARLOTTE: Well, it’s not like anybody else did. Even though that’s supposedly why they pay people like you.
MICHAEL: I thought my job was a joke. But here you are, apparently trying to do it.
CHARLOTTE: It is a joke. Because your actual job is coddling rich kids so their mommies and daddies donate enough money to ensure a sufficient level of ass kissing for their precious spoiled brats.
MICHAEL: The same spoiled brats it’s your grand calling to help?
(Pause.)
MICHAEL: If everything’s awful forever, you can’t use it to justify yourself.
CHARLOTTE: What the hell do you want from me? To stop embarrassing you?
MICHAEL: This isn’t about me! I want you to do something with yourself!
CHARLOTTE: So you don’t have to be ashamed of me.
MICHAEL: No! Because you’re a brilliant, exceptional human being, and you’re stunting yourself. Because you’re my sister and I love you, and I want better for you than that.
CHARLOTTE: Well. I guess we shouldn’t all waste ourselves.
MICHAEL: If that’s what I’m doing— if you think that’s so terrible— what does it make you if you turn around and do the exact same thing?
(He stands.)
MICHAEL: Get your shit together, Charlotte.
(He exits.)
Day #19 - “Gifted”
from Baker Hall
by Phoebe Roberts
MICHAEL HOLMES, a school trustee
CHARLOTTE HOLMES, his exceptional younger sister
~~~
(CHARLOTTE sits on the roof of the dorm. Enter MICHAEL.)
CHARLOTTE: My, my, Michael. Didn’t anyone tell you it’s against the rules to come out on the roof?
MICHAEL: Please, Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE: In fact, somebody recently told me that. Can’t remember who.
MICHAEL: Had to find some way to be in the same place as you.
CHARLOTTE: I like people to call ahead.
MICHAEL: I did. Eleven times.
CHARLOTTE: My phone is on an adventure this week.
MICHAEL: Yes. If the GPS is any indication, I believe it’s exploring the floor of Elgen Pond.
CHARLOTTE: Some of us should be busy with important things.
MICHAEL: You’ve been avoiding me.
CHARLOTTE: A more perceptive person might see meaning in that. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. As you’ve chosen to neglect your gifts in order to play at being a normal person.
MICHAEL: Don’t talk to me about squandering your gifts! You’ve spent the last three years as a perpetual sophomore by the grace of Dad’s pocketbook, just so you can play your stupid— adventure games!
CHARLOTTE: Games? Exposing a meth lab working on campus? Saving that girl from her abusive asshole boyfriend? Those are games? Tell it to those people I helped!
MICHAEL: As if you gave a damn about any of them. Just so far as they presented a challenge to beat yourself against.
CHARLOTTE: Well, it’s not like anybody else did. Even though that’s supposedly why they pay people like you.
MICHAEL: I thought my job was a joke. But here you are, apparently trying to do it.
CHARLOTTE: It is a joke. Because your actual job is coddling rich kids so their mommies and daddies donate enough money to ensure a sufficient level of ass kissing for their precious spoiled brats.
MICHAEL: The same spoiled brats it’s your grand calling to help?
(Pause.)
MICHAEL: If everything’s awful forever, you can’t use it to justify yourself.
CHARLOTTE: What the hell do you want from me? To stop embarrassing you?
MICHAEL: This isn’t about me! I want you to do something with yourself!
CHARLOTTE: So you don’t have to be ashamed of me.
MICHAEL: No! Because you’re a brilliant, exceptional human being, and you’re stunting yourself. Because you’re my sister and I love you, and I want better for you than that.
CHARLOTTE: Well. I guess we shouldn’t all waste ourselves.
MICHAEL: If that’s what I’m doing— if you think that’s so terrible— what does it make you if you turn around and do the exact same thing?
(He stands.)
MICHAEL: Get your shit together, Charlotte.
(He exits.)
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