thank you alice oseman for calling me out specifically and violently. radio silence changed my life and i will never be the same again

Time Trial Chapter 17-Search

Chapter 16

    Sally's message made me fear for my friends. For her, who had we spoken to then? Had she guessed it just from reading her words? And not only that, the transmitter connection gave an error again. Everything was supposed to be going well, I thought I even managed to get the name of the hacker. But knowing that I could possibly have access to a camera was the only hope for me to get hold of the location.

    I quickly answer Sally. I hope it is a mistake. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth Have you seen anything strange in my capture?

Sally No, it’s not that, your capture is fine It is ‘’she’’ who has blocked me I can’t send her any messages!

Jareth Damnit. This is not good. Have you noticed something strange on your cell phone?

Sally No, nothing

Jareth Do you have the location set on your cell phone?

Sally Yeah I have it for my father since I am in another house Why?

Jareth Take it off and turn off your cell phone. Now!

Sally Okay I trust you ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I lean on my hands, placing my elbows on my legs, thinking. If it was not Alice, then they are possibly the same ones who kidnapped Katherine. And now they have both my friend and Jeremy. And they are possibly looking for a way to go after Sally.      I receive a call. A number I do not know. I look at it doubtfully, thinking it would be a mistake to answer.      I take a cable next to me and connect it to the computer, turning on the work security program in case it is the 'Master' or one of his minions.

   “Who is it?” I ask somewhat carefully.

   “Jacob, I'm Frida Begum,” I take a deep breath, calming down.

   “Where did you get my number?” I raise an eyebrow in doubt.

   “I’m a teacher, I can access students’ documents if I need to review something important.” Well, that is partly right. I guess I should not be so suspicious “I'm in Arnol's office, I have the list of all the clients who have blocked their bank accounts.”

   “Perfect, I need you to send it to the email of—” I smile and when I look at the chat, my smile disappears.

    I have left Sally talking to herself and worried.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally I have already removed the location from my phone And I’ve also been looking to see if I have anything posted on my social media where I’m from I have even closed my forum account in case they try to look for me there. And what’s up with you? Jareth? Are you there? Please tell me you’re okay!

Jareth Sorry Sally, I did not mean to scare you. I am on the phone with Professor Begum.

Sally Moron! I almost called the police out of concern!

Jareth I am sorry. She has the list of clients with blocked accounts.

Sally Is she going to send it to you?

Jareth I am on it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Sorry, I am done,” I apologize to Begum, but instead of her answering, an annoying beep is heard.

    I let out a low cry, annoyed, feeling a pain in my ear that now the only thing I can hear is the ringing.

   “Professor Begum? Do you hear me?” I ask as I place the phone on the other ear.

    The call hangs up, hearing the sound of them hanging up. I mumble under my breath, writing to Sally again. If I tell her now that even Begum has disappeared, it may scare her more. I have to take care of this. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth There are communication problems.

Sally But did she give you the names?

Jareth No. I have not been able to give her the e-mail. Right now I was thinking of going to see Agent Connors.

Sally I think you better go see Detective Connors. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I am surprised that we write the same thing at the same time. Something is thinking that I cannot figure out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Jareth, do you have Bianca's documents still on your computer?

Jareth Yes I have them. What happens to them?

Sally Like I said, I think it’s time you went see Connors This is already serious, we can’t do anything if they are taking our friends

Jareth You have noticed it, right?

Sally I already know that when you write in a certain way it is because you are hiding something… Please put them on a pendrive and delete them from your computer

Jareth I am not going to delete them from the computer. Do you know how important they are?

Sally And that’s why I want you to do it! If you made me delete them because they could search for me for them, I want you to do it too

Jareth I will be fine, do not worry.

Sally No! Please, Jareth… I… Just give them to him on a pendrive, okay? And that you are on behalf of Miss Skellington He will understand

Jareth Alright. I have forgotten because of the call. I also want you to turn off your cell phone.

Sally What if I need to go out? How will I contact you?

Jareth Do not leave home. And if she is not the woman who takes care of you, do not open the door.

Sally Please keep your phone on, okay? I will be connected to the computer so you can send me any message

Jareth Fine. I will be right back.

Sally Remember, Detective Connors and Miss Skellington If he tells you anything about that name, I’ll take care of him

Jareth Yes. Alright.

Sally Good luck, Jareth ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Unlike other times, she does not disconnect, but stays in the chat.      I take the small box of unused flash drives and take one, placing it in the computer, looking for the document with everything Bianca has researched for years.      In the end this is the only thing we can do. There are three people who have disappeared. Three people are too many for us. If Agent Connors is suspicious, then I am going to trust him to help us.

     When the process is finished, I look at the document, a little undecided. Should I delete it too? But I told Sally I would do it so she would not worry and… Knowing that they acces once, they could do it again.      Despite myself, I delete it from my computer, also thinking that it is dangerous to have it in case I can be hacked.      Luckily I have the transmitter protected thanks to the code change, I think I can leave it alone for an hour.      I put the flash drive in my pants pocket and get up from the floor, going to the closet to take out the jacket again. Today is being a busy day, I feel like it is longer than other times I have had.

     I park the motorbike and enter the police station. At the entrance, a bored-looking man takes a call.      I wait a bit for him to finish, but from waiting so long I find out that his mother-in-law is coming to dinner and he is not happy at all. Hence his bored expression.      I take out my cell phone and look at the time. How long has he been talking? I should have sat down and waited.

   “Sorry, it was an urgent call,” he finally says, putting away his cell phone. “Do you need anything?”

   "I have to talk to Mr. Connors, it is urgent." I lean on the counter with both hands, squeezing them tightly.

   "You can come and wait for him, he's not here right now—"

   “And could you call him?” I try not to let it show that I am nervous. Sally told me it was important.

   “And why do you want to see him?” a powerful voice makes me separate slowly.

     Mr. Schneider is a few feet from my side, his hands behind him. It is like seeing a statue of an important person. Well, here at least it is.

   "I have to give him something," I try not to let him intimidate me, the last time I saw him I thought he was really going to arrest me, "it is about Katherine's kidnapping."

   "At this time, Mr. Connors has gone to visit Mr. Fischer in prison for another interrogation and to have him tell us where he is hiding Miss Beinh." He raise his chin to show that I am inferior. The truth is that it still surprises me that he does it even knowing that we are the same height. You can see that he is someone who wants to impose himself “But if what you have to give to Agent Connors is important to the case, then I can personally give it to him when he gets back, how about that?”

     I look at him with doubt. He decided to put Albert in jail. He is the one who filled out those papers for his transfer.      But he is also the chief of police, he is someone you trust, right? I know that Sally told me that I should give it to Connors, but if we are to trust the police, Mr. Schneider also counts. And I can possibly get Albert out of jail if I give him the information I have, it would be his get out of jail letter.      I take the flash drive out of my pocket, handing it to him.

   “I need you to give him this,” I say, looking into his eyes. “It is very important and also that you tell him that it is from Miss Skellington.”

   “And who is she?” I see that he is frowning, looking at me with doubt.

   "I do not know," I lie, I do not think I need to tell him everything, but I do need to help my friend prove his innocence “She simply told me that I must give him this and that it is important to the case.”

    The police chief takes the flash drive, turning it over while looking at it, as if it were something dangerous.

    “Have you seen its content?”

   "No sir," I answer confidently, if I say yes, he may think that everything has been modified, "she simply sent it to me with the notice that only Detective Connors should see it."

   “Detective…”

   “Those were Miss Skellington's words, not mine.”

    He nods and closes his hand into a fist, protecting the flash drive.

   “I will do everything possible so that when Connors returns, he receives this.

    I nod nervously swallowing a little saliva, hoping this is the right option. I know the police will do a good job if they read all this important documentation for the case. And I am sure Bianca would want the best to uncover what is happening.

   “Please do it,” I say before I can say goodbye to him, after making a sound of agreement and walking away.

    I stare at it on the site, hoping it was of some use. That information in the hands of civilians like us is dangerous, with the police it will be safe.

     I try to call Professor Begum after leaving the police station, waiting for her to answer. Since the cell phone outage, I have been worried.      Since she does not answer, I decide to go to the university, hoping that she has returned. At this time she may be in the afternoon classes, I hope to find her.

     As I get off the motorbike, I run into Paul, approaching his car.

    “From the look on your face, there doesn't seem to be any good news,” he tells me while taking out his keys.

   "And there are not any," I approach him and place my hands on my hips, almost as if I were going to give him a talk. “It is Alice, she is blocked Sally from the phone.”

   “That is, the theory that they have taken her is correct.”

   “Her and Jeremy,” I answer quickly, walking to the building and Paul follows me, changing plans. “And now I am worried about Professor Begum, her call was cut off when I wanted to give her my email so she could give me important information.”

   "And you've come to find out if she's here," I nod with a sound. "And have you gotten anything out of the video?"

   “Yes, the guy has a mark on his hand, like a wound or something similar.”

   “Oh, it's perfect, like there are no people with marks on their hands.”

   “I know, but now it makes it easier to identify if I see someone near me with a mark.”

    We enter the building and I look for the journalism classes. Christian and the rest of the students are talking loudly, some are even sitting at the tables.

   “And Professor Begum?” I ask as I approach him.

   "As if you care," Christian answers me in an angry tone while crossing his arms, returning to talking to the girls in a flirtatious tone.

   “Christian, it’s urgent,” Paul tells him, taking his arm, “we’re not asking you to waste your time.”

     He looks at us both, probably wondering why we are collaborating.      He looks at the girls and excuses himself from the conversation they are having, taking us a little further away from all the noise. 

   "I don't know," he answers, shrugging his shoulders, "the truth is that we've been waiting for a long time, but he hasn't returned."

   “Great,” I mutter under my breath, assuming the worst.

   “What do you both know?” Christian narrows his eyes, observing us very carefully.

   “We just wanted to ask you one thing, nothing more,” Paul answers without wanting to give it importance, so as not to raise suspicion.

    I start by walking out of class, I almost ran out of nerves. In one day, it seemed like they were getting ahead of everything we were doing. What would happen if I could not find them in a week? Will they die too?

   “JAKE! Wait, fuck!” I hear Paul shout behind me.

    I bump into a girl carrying books and filing cabinets. Everything falls to the ground.

   “But what's wrong with you, asshole?!” She shouts as she crouches down.

   “I am sorry,” I apologize, helping her.

   “You're going crazy.” Paul also bends down to help us.

    While we are helping, I see a printed sheet about medicine. In it, she showed a hand with a needle on the back of it, it was purple.

   "Excuse me," I ask, standing up with the paper in my hand. "What is that?"

   "It's from a chemotherapy session," she answers, taking the sheet and putting it in the file cabinet, "you know, for cancer patients."

    So that mark... No, it cannot be him, I have never seen him with a mark on his hand, but I also know that he hides that he is sick so as not to worry his daughter.

   “I think I know who it is!” I exclaim, starting to run, first carefully pushing the girl aside.

   “And who the hell is it!?” Paul yells at me again “Jake, damn it! Stop running already! I can't keep up with you!”

     I leave the building approaching my motorbike, taking off my helmet.      Paul positions himself near his car, leaning on it and breathing heavily. That is what happens when you smoke.

   “Do you know Mr. Beinh's address?” I ask, putting the key in the motorbike while I sit on it.

   “Yes, unless he have change his address,” he gets back up and looks at me confused.

   "I need you to guide me."

   "Okay, let's go," he finally gets into the car and I hear him start it.

    I try not to pass Paul as he drives, I know I am nervous about what I am theorizing, which may have been the culprit in Bianca's death. Let it be on that page too. That he is hurting his daughter.

    Paul parks in the most expensive area of ​​the city, in a large building.      I park behind him, putting the helmet away as quickly as possible and follow him to the door.

   "Okay, I'll call your number and you'll come in front," he tells me as quickly as possible, "because if I do it, he's sure he won't open it for me."

   “Alright.”

     I run my tongue over my dry lips. The heat I have on my body makes them dry. The possible revelation makes me unsure about all of this. But I must see him. Because then, all this time he is been talking to me, he lied to me.      Paul dials the apartment number on the intercom and I wait for him to answer, standing in front of me. We waited a long time, but he did not answer.      The door of the building opens, and a man comes out with a Chihuahua, looking at us as if we were criminals.

   “What do you want? What have you lost here, criminals?”

    Paul looks at me with the intention of asking me if he can answer him with his gaze, so I step forward to avoid a confrontation.

   "Good morning and excuse us, sir," I greet politely to prevent him from yelling at us. “We are looking for Mr. Aaron Beinh. Do you know if he is in his apartment?”

   "Aaron?" He shakes his head. “The truth is that no, I usually see him at the same time that I take Princess out for a walk.” He moves the leash as if he were showing it to me and the little animal growls at us. The name princess does not fit her with that humor she has, “last night I didn't see him return.”

   “Do you remember the last time you saw him?”

   "Let's see... I think it was yesterday, yes, it was in the morning, maybe he stayed in the hospital for some emergency."

   "Thank you very much, we will go look."

   "You're welcome young man, say goodbye Princess," the dog begins to bark and growl while the owner walks away petting him.

    We walk away from the building and I run a hand over my chin, trying to think about where I could be right now.

   “Do you think he's behind everything?” Paul crosses his arms, leaning on the car “Do you really think he would hurt his own daughter?”

   “I do not know,” I answer nervously, avoiding walking around the street while I think. “Shit... What if it is him? Last night they saw him on the street very late.”

   “I don’t see anything strange in that.”

   “Of course, because it was not your apartment who attack.”

     I take out my phone and look for him on his phone. His number is supposed to have been saved thanks to him adding me to the chat.      I thought coming here by surprise would be good, because then it would not give him time to think about any lies he might tell us.      I hit the call icon and wait for him to answer. 

    Like Jeremy, he does not answer.

    I have to find Aaron somehow. Will his phone be on?

   “Damn it…” I say through clenched teeth, putting the phone away. “I have to go back home and look for it.”

   “And how are you going to do that?” Paul asks me, frowning “Are you a hacker or something? You could get in trouble for this, Jake.”

   “And you are the one who tells me that?” I counterattack his question “I am not going to tell you what I am going to do” I approach my motorbike and take the helmet and keys out of my pocket.

   "Well, don't get me into your trouble," he raises his hands in surrender. “I pass, I won't go there, good luck in your search, I'll go to his work to see if he's there.”

     He gets into the car and in seconds he leaves.      He will not be at work, he would not be stupid enough to hide there.      I start the motorbike and move away from there. I have to check at least if his cell phone is connected.

    I enter the room, closing the door behind me. Jeremy’s mother is not home, so I have time for him to come back and ask me about her son.      I am looking for the work surveillance program. I should not use it without permission, but I have no choice.      I put in Mr. Beinh’s phone number and let him scan the city for the signal.      I get a message from Sally meanwhile. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Well? Have you given the files to Detective Connors?

Jareth Let me say more… Or less.

Sally Jareth…

Jareth He was not there, so I left it in the hands of the police chief.

Sally Manfred Schneider?

Jareth It seems like you know everyone at the police station. I am beginning to doubt that you really are the teenager you say you are and that you work in the police.

Sally Or as a private detective 😉 But thanks Although that man scares me a little...

Jareth And so?

Sally I don’t know… He gives me a strange feeling… But I guess the fact that the police chief takes care of the information is positive And Mrs. Begum? Has she already given you the names? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well, it is time to tell her. I prove that Professor Begum is not in the university either. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth They have also taken her. Although it is the strange thing.

Sally Strange because?

Jareth What are the chances of being kidnapped easily in a bank? With so many security cameras?

Sally Someone who knows…

Jareth Yes.

Sally They are trying to sabotage us! Whenever we are about to discover something, they beat us to it!

Jareth I would like to discuss this with Agent Connors. But he’s in jail right now.

Sally I… I could give you his phone number…

Jareth What? Do you also have his phone number?

Sally It is in case of emergency He is a police officer after all, right?

Jareth And why have not you given it to me before?

Sally You made me nervous that they could reach me by phone ☹️​ So I didn’t think about giving it to you later And I since you would be at the police station

Jareth Sorry. I would like to notify him of the missing people at least. He have to know what is going on.

Sally Yes, I’m sure he’ll let his co-workers know And that will be positive for Albert

Jareth Yes.

Sally Aren't you happy?

Jareth Of course. It is just…

Sally There's a lot going on, right?

Jareth In one day three people I know have disappeared. I am afraid they will come after you too because of me.

Sally Don't worry, they won't 😊 I'm still mad at you, no matter how much you care about me

Jareth I know. :)

Sally The number is 52159

Jareth Thank you. I am sending him a message right now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I take out my cell phone and add Mr. Connors. In his profile photo, I can see the same woman from this afternoon and a younger girl, both smiling. She must be her daughter. Although... Her face looks familiar, where have I seen it before?      I shake my head, now is not the time to think about this.      I write him a quick message saying that I have to talk to him urgently and I look at the map on the computer that I had left looking for Mr. Beinh. Unfortunately, he has not been able to locate it, which means his phone must be turned off.      I quickly remove the program before Malcolm knows I have logged in with my name and employee number. I would have to explain a lot if he found out.

     I return to fixing the small transmitter failure after having gone for an energy drink. This is being stressful and I am starting to get tired.      Sally has not said anything again, so I am waiting for any information I get.

   &lt;<We could have gotten those names… Damn.>>

     I sigh, stretching a little. My body tells me to run until I am tired, but I cannot. I would like to let off steam and run to the hospital, get up on the roof and rest my brain for a couple of hours. But for now, this is the main thing.      I receive a call. Connors. I swallow nervously before answering, I do not know why I am nervous now.      I hit the answer icon and before speaking, he does it first.

   “How did you get my phone number?” He asks me in an almost authoritarian tone.

   "Someone gave it to me."

   “Someone?”

   “Listen, I can tell you everything you need later, but I need you to listen to me,” I say quickly and he makes a sound of agreement. “Three people have disappeared.”

   “Does it have to do with the kidnapping of Katherine Beinh?”

   “Yes, and with the murder of Bianca Fisher,” I respond with more confidence. I should not get nervous around him, he has already shown me that he is the person to go to if something happens.

   "Okay, wait," I hear something in the background, as if it were a glove compartment of the car. "Who have disappeared?"

   “Alice Hill, Jeremy Sanders and Bianca's mother, Frida Begum.”

   “The victim's mother?” I can imagine him with a curious expression “how do you know?”

   “We were on the cell phone when it was suddenly cut off. I went to the university hours later to find out if she had returned, but her students say she did not show up.”

    “I understand,” he pauses and I wait, not wanting to get nervous. “When did you last see Miss Hill and Mr. Sanders?”

   “This morning we met Alice on the outskirts of the city, at the abandoned hospital.”

    I hear him let out a rather long sigh. He must also know that place because of Sally and the trouble she must have caused by going there. I think I understand how they know each other.

    “I dropped Jeremy off at the university after our meeting, and he did not show up at the time the three of us had decided to meet for lunch.

   “And where were you when they disappeared?”

   &lt;< Are he doubting me?>>

   “At Jeremy's house, Mr. Connors, there was an old woman who was leaning out of the window letting her cat out, in case you question her.”

   "Alright, I think I can trust you, at least your voice doesn't give you away."

   &lt;<I wonder what this man will be like in a poker game, surely I cannot beat him.>>  

    I hear him murmur my words, perhaps he is writing down the information I have given him.

   “Anything else, son?”

   “Yes,” I moisten my lips, dry from talking so much, “I have left important information for you in the hands of Manfred Schneider about the case.”

    A dead silence appears on the line. Well, actually I can hear the cars, but for our conversation it is like it is stopped. No sound. No words. I do not even hear him breathing.

   “Mr. Connors?”

   “Excuse me Jake,” he says after a small sigh this time. “Very good, thanks for telling me.”

   "I thought it was important to tell you."

   "When I'm at the police station, I'll ask you for the information." I hear movements again and the glove compartment of the car again. “Keep your phone connected for any questions you need to ask.”

   “Of course,” I nod as if I were in front. “And another thing more.”

   “Yes? What is it?”

   "I think..." I swallow hard, I hope I am doing the right thing. "I think it is Mr. Aaron Beinh who is behind all this."

   “Are you sure? Any clue as to what he is?”

   “I have a video in which it is most likely him, from the day they punctured my motorbike tire.”

   "I understand..." he makes a sound in his throat, out of curiosity. "I’ll let you know if we find any clues about them, have a good afternoon."

     A notification sound makes me react. The transmitter program had been fixed.      I start tracking it again, hoping that this time I can find the cameras and a view of them.      Sally asks me if I have called Connors yet. I have ignored her for the call. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Well? Have you told him where you got the number from?

Jareth No. But I already understand what your relationship is

Sally UH?!

Jareth It is all because of that hospital, right? When I told him I was there with Jeremy and Alice, he seemed tense.

Sally Well… I am not saying that I have received any anger from him for going to such a “dangerous” place…

Jareth You must have given him a lot of headaches.

Sally Hmm… Not so many, really. And now that?

Jareth I am waiting for the transmitter to let me access the cameras near the place where they are possibly hiding. Even if it is not the 'Master', perhaps someone who participates in that web page. If we at least get people to collaborate with him, the sooner the police can catch him.

Sally Have you ever done this before? Jareth Illegally? No. I usually do everything at the request of work. They ask me to look at some security on behalf of a client, I fix it and the next client.

Sally That is, like a cybernetic Batman

Jareth Hahaha. What a way to call it. And I am supposed to be the nerd.

Sally HEY! I’m not a nerd! I only know him from movies and stuff. I’m not one to read comics

Jareth You do not know what you are missing.

Sally A literature student reading comics? Where is the ethics?

Jareth Well, I have the right to take breaks between work and studying, do not you think? :)

Sally And computers don't work for you?

Jareth You are assigning everything to my computers I can understand it, but sometimes a break from a screen is nice.

Sally Mhm, that’s true, I don’t deny it Hehehe…

Jareth What are you laughing at?

Sally That at the beginning you didn’t even talk much about yourself And now we’re talking about hobbies only because we’re waiting for a sign. I don’t know I feel like I’m back in the world of research with someone special to me

Jareth Well, I am glad it is entertaining for you :) Because for me it is being stressful.

Sally You're going to deserve a good rest when this is all over

Jareth You do not need to mention it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Then the computer goes crazy.     The screen goes dark like the other time when the transmitter tracking was interrupted. Luckily this time they will not be able to do anything to it.     I stay focused by watching the screen. Some words come out of them. In the background I heard the location program go crazy with the sound, it had started to work. Ha, they were giving themselves away and they did not know it.     A message appears on the screen:

   ‘We warned you, Jake, how many people do you want us to take?’

    They then show not only Katherine —this time silent, as if she had already had to get used to the situation—, but also Jeremy, Alice, Professor Begum and… Finally, Paul, who was struggling. Of all of them, he was the only one who put up resistance, Alice, Jeremy and Begum seemed to be collapsing between tears.

   ‘Stop investigating us. Worry about Katherine and her fate.’

     The streaming screen turns off, leaving the Facebook web page open as before.      I remain frozen, without blinking.      A couple of beeps make me react.      I access the program screen, looking at where they were broadcasting from.      My heart races when I see that there were hidden cameras around the abandoned hospital. And not only that. I have also managed to access the camera where they are hidden. It appears to be the morgue. It is a security camera, not the broadcast. I have managed to access it.

    I do not waste time taking screenshots, meanwhile, I write to Sally. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth I have it! I have the location!

Sally THAT'S GREAT! 😄 You have to tell Detective Connors!

Jareth Right now.

Sally I also have news

Jareth ? What have you done?

Sally Don’t be angry, but it was necessary I have accessed the adult section of the forum

Jareth Sally… How did you do that? And because?

Sally I asked one of the administrators of that section to let me access for an important investigation So he gave me the code that they give to those who register as adults or that comes to you as an email when you reach the age of majority Of course it is optional if you want to use it or not

Jareth Sally… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I put my hand to my face, denying what I am reading. It is incredible that she does that... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally I can’t sit idly by Plus I did it in exchange for something

Jareth Please tell me it is nothing serious.

Sally I have resigned my position as moderators on the forum, giving it to someone else 

Jareth What? But you do love that forum, right?

Sally Yes, but this is much more important

Jareth You should not have done it...

Sally It's okay, it doesn't bother me

Jareth Somehow I am going to have to compensate you for everything you do. Anything you need?

Sally Hmm… There are some DVDs that I would like to have of the Vampire Chronicles series, that will serve as payment 😝

Jareth Fine :) Well, what have you found? And quickly, please.

Sally In that section they talk a lot more about that website, more about the non-adult version The worst thing is… they talk about how they have ever participated… And… Jareth… Jeremy commented on one of those posts… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I can not believe what I am reading. Jeremy would never participate in something like that. She has to be lying, not my friend...      I look at the security cameras, watching him cry. I do not want to believe it is true... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth No, it must be a mistake. He would not participate in something like that.

Sally I’m really sorry I wish it weren’t true…

Jareth Do you have anything that will help us regarding him?

Sally No Only she felt bad But it’s still a crime So I will notify the authorities of this, you take care of the location

Jareth Yes. I will get going.

Sally Jareth?

Jareth Yes Sally?

Sally … Careful please

Jareth I will have it

Sally Detective Connors' email: [email protected] It's his work email

Jareth Thank you.

Sally Good luck ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I quickly enter the email to write to him, and I even use the program to access my cell phone and send him the photos by both methods, so that nothing is lost in case he hacks me. Better to be safe than to lose everything.      I do not want to sit here either and besides, I know where it is.      I quickly get up from the floor, running out of the room. This is an opportunity I cannot waste.

Chapter 18

Exordium

It Started With a Kiss

[Author’s Note: The next three posts will be a continuation of a single event. They take place over the course of one night. It’s been broken up into three smaller parts.]

This is Alice and The Joker’s very first encounter. She had devised an intricate plan to sneak into The Grin & Bare It and come face to face with the man she’d been obsessed with for most of her adult life. After entering the club and making her way to a back storage room, she quietly snuck up to the area she knew J’s office resided. Everything almost ended before it began when a guard came upon her near the stairs. Alice played the “lost little girl” card and managed to get away from the guard with just a stern warning. When she finally found the correct door she was shocked to find it partially open. Peaking inside she found him. The Joker, sitting at the private bar, with his back to her. Summoning all her courage, she quietly stepped inside and laid a soft kiss to his pale cheek. Time seemed to stop as she waited for him to react. This was the moment that would ultimately seal her fate. She just didn’t know yet which direction it would lead her.

🃏 Joker

👑 Alice

------------

💋

🃏 *Turns to see where the kiss came from with a stern face* To whom do I owe the pleasure of this… little peck?

👑 *Jumps back a bit and extends a hand tentatively.* That would be me Sir.. it’s a pleasure to meet you, sorry for invading your personal space so boldly. I.. well I just couldn’t help myself. *Turns a deep shade of red at being so bold.*

🃏 *Looks around to see if you came with any goons or companions.* So… *snarky tone* is it just you? Or do you have some friends waiting in the wings. *I clutch my cane as I look you up and down curiously*

👑 No.. no Sir. Just me.. is that alright? I hope I’m not getting anyone in trouble by being here? *Turns around to the door.* Well it was open and I knew you’d be in here, I just couldn't resist getting a glimpse of you.

🃏 *I smirk. I love having my ego stroked* And how did you just know I’d be in here? Why are you such a fan of the Clown Prince? I don’t exactly have a traditional fan club. One might think you’re a little… mad. *Walks around you slowly taking you in.*

👑 *I turn my head to follow as you move around me.* Well people talk. I just happen to pay attention to what they say, or sometimes more importantly what they choose not to say. *I stand a little taller.* And I wouldn’t call myself a traditional person. I like to seek out the strange and different. You Mr. J, have both those qualities in abundance. It’s very… appealing. *I give you a wink as you pass infront of me agian.*

🃏 Well aren’t you a brave little chatter box. *Cackles* Flattery will get you everyhere *Pins you to the bar but then reaches behind you for a glass and starts pouring a drink* How rude of me! Can I get you something?

👑 My apologies.. I tend to ramble on when I’m nervous. *My heart rate spikes as you pin me. You’re so very close.* Umm.. a drink? *My brain goes a bit fuzzy.* Something sweet? You pick Sir, dealers choice.

🃏 *So many dangerous concoctions come to mind but I contain my eagerness.* Do you like cherries? *We only have scotch at this bar. I’m the only one who drinks back here. It’s a private space so I decide that if you like cherries I’ll have to throw something sweet together for you using it.*

👑 Oh I love cherry! But please nothing too strong. I’m not much of a drinker.

🃏 How about a “blood and sand”? *I start mixing it in front of you licking my metal teeth* I’ll go easy on the scotch… what was your name?

👑 Hmm interesting, that sounds delicious! *I try to concentrate on watching you mix the drink but my eyes are glued to your mouth, your tongue sneaking out makes my knees go a little weak* Oh goodness! That is so rude of me! *I extended a hand.* Malice, well.. Alice really. But Malice just sounds so much more, I don’t know? Intriguing.

🃏 Well which is it doll face? *Chuckles* Or do you have split personalities? *Licks liquor off fingers and hands you the drink.*

👑 Well it’s really up to you I guess. But Alice is just fine. *I’m staring at your mouth again as I take the glass from your hand, my fingers barely grazing yours.* Looks delicious! *I take a small sip.* And tastes even better. Thank you!

🃏 Up to me? *Chuckles* We just met and I’m already making decisions for you? You want to know what I think? I think you have very, very good manners. And that part is Alice I don’t think I’ve met Malice just yet. *Cackles*

👑 *I raise my glass to you.* That Mr. J, is a very wise observation.

🃏 So… maybe I should call you Miss Manners instead. *Picks up your hand and kisses it.*

👑 That’s sweet, but really Alice is just fine. *A giggle escapes my mouth as you kiss my hand. I hold my breath, not wanting you to let go.*

🃏 Ok Alice it is. You can call me Mr. J if you like. *Snarls as I notice a henchmen walking by.* Excuse me. It’s hard to find good help these days. *Walks over to the henchmen laughing. As he laughs back I stab him in the neck with a pen and watch as he wriggles around spurting blood onto my shirt and pants. I walk back in removing my shirt.* Sorry about that little… interruption. Now where we’re we?

👑 *I nod, mouth hanging open.* Mr. J it is then. *I swallow hard as you growl at the passing henchman. Hoping he’s not the one to blame for me wandering into your private room.* I’m not actually interrupting anything am I?? *I back up til the bar hits my back.*

🃏 Ohhhhhhhh no no no not at all! *I start wringing my shirt out over the sink.* This is going to stain! *Growls* So… Miss Alice. *Removes pants and shoes and walks to a skinny closet removing another shirt and pants.* Tell me a little bit about yourself.

👑 Oh Mr. J you need to get those clothes into cold water if you want any chance of getting those stains out! Me? Hmm what’s there to really say? *Tries desperately not to stare as you undress infront of me.* There isn’t much of any interest about me, especially compared to someone like yourself.

🃏 I find that hard to believe. *Stares at you.* Do you happen to be good with getting stains out? I must say that I try to be careful but sometimes…

👑 Well I’m honestly a bit of a home body. I love to read. I’m good with my hands. *I step up to the sink next to you.* And yeah, you need to soak those is cold water and wash them immediately or they’ll be ruined!

🃏 *Watches you as you approach the sink. My hands start to tremble as the water turns on and you submerge the clothes underneath.* Good with your hands? Please…elaborate.

👑 *I let out an honest laugh.* Well I like to make things. I enjoying cooking, fixing things. I have an eye for detail. Ofcourse there is a whole other list of things I enjoy doing with my hands, but I don’t know if I should be so bold? Atleast not just yet. *I smile up at you.* Have any kind of soap back here?? You need to treat these stains fast or they’ll set.

🃏 *My mind is spinning, you may prove useful if I can trust you. I have been needing a woman’s touch around here although I will never admit it. I have been eating take out every day for the past month. I have been throwing clothing away and holding houses of couture hostage for replacements. Now if you could do laundry that would save me having to hold designers at gunpoint* I think we have something. *Sets dish soap in front of you.* How’s that? *Leans in to watch you work.*

👑 Hmm it’ll have to work.. *I squeeze the soap onto as many of the stains as I can, working it into a good lather.* Alright, you need to let this sit for a little while then it must be washed right away. I still can’t promise the stains will come all the way out. *I can feel you leaning over my shoulder, it makes me break out in goosebumps having you so very close.*

🃏 Are you cold? *I lean in closer* You have goosebumps. *I trail my finger over your arm and smile.*

👑 No.. not at all. I’m actually rather warm. *I can feel the blush creep up my neck. Just feeling your fingers trail over my skin is burning me up.*

🃏 *I turn my head into you slightly as I notice you flush. I can see that I’m having an affect on you and it makes me snarl. I’m like a tiger with prey in my sight.*

👑 *Hearing you snarl behind me is almost more than I can handle. I feel my knees buckle and I push away from the sink to give myself a moment to breathe. I’m practically panting as I try to avoid your piercing gaze.*

🃏 Say! Since you waltzed in here like a curious kitten. How would you like to stay a while? I need someone who can prove useful to me and I don’t know why, but I like you. *Points a finger shaking it like mad and laughing. My laugh becomes a devious cackle.*

👑 *The shock must be written on my face.* You want me? To stay? Mr. J, I don’t know what to say!! *A huge grin spreads across my face, my eyes alight.*

🃏 Well… don’t just stand there woman. *Growls* Make yourself useful. *Turns back and grins.*

👑 *I jump at your command* Umm what would you like me to do sir? I’m afraid I don’t really know my way around here too well. Would you give me a tour? *I put on the puppy eyes for you, hoping it will illicit another touch from you. I’m hopeful but I don’t want to press my luck.*

🃏 *Looks at watch and then back at you.* I’m a bit short on time doll. This will have to be quick. *Grabs your wrist and pulls you into the club.* This is The Grin & Bare It, pretty self explanatory no? *Squeezes your hand a little.*

👑 *Nods, taking in all the lights and sounds. I squeeze your hand back on reflex.*

🃏 *Pulls you roughly into the back office.* This is my office. *I lean on a large heavy wooden desk.* I come here to get a full view of the club. *Points to surveillance cameras.*

👑 *You practically drag me back through the door. I step around the desk to stand next to you, the cameras are all busy with movement.* Wow, that’s a lot of people… how do you manage this whole thing? You don’t do it alone, do you?? *I lean into one of the monitors, transfixed by the dancers swaying to the music.*

🃏 *I decide I’ve got a little more time when you show interest in the operations. My ego is swelling again as you mention the management of the club and the implication that it’s difficult.* You know it’s something I just take pride in. *Leans in to look with you making an insane face.* It’s quite the operation, but I believe that good employees should be rewarded, and I get rid of my bottom 10% monthly. I make sure they get a nice… “severance package” Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!

👑 So, was Mr. Bloodstain in the bottom 10% this month??

🃏 Precisely - you catch on quick Alice! *Grins and points to dancer in a cage* See that? They are a handful, always getting greedy, always developing…. problematic inclinations. But they are a necessary element. They entertain the sort of characters this club attracts. Thoughts?

👑 *I eye the dancers up, I feel a pang of something in my gut. Not jealous, but envy maybe that they are able to catch your eye. Even if it’s fleeting and problematic.* They seem very popular. Definetly a nessacary evil I suppose. So Mr. J when you asked me to stay, did you mean here exclusively? And how much time do you spend on the premises?

🃏 *Stares at you intensely.* Well I don’t want to… hold you against your will. I’d like it if you became key staff, with me. Of course I understand if that doesn’t work for you.

👑 Oh no! You misunderstand me! I want to stay! I was just curious.. *I turn away, knowing I’m turning red again.* I guess I was just wondering how much time I might get to spend well, with you?

🃏 You want to spend time with me? *Grins* Well. That. Is. A. First!

👑 Well silly, you are whole reason I snuck myself back to your private bar. *I catch myself from rolling my eyes at you.*

🃏 Did you just call me… silly??

👑 Just with all those pretty girls out there, I didn’t think you’d want to spend any time with me.

🃏 *Smiles* Well… No one out there has taken blood stains out of my shirt before.

👑 *I blink a few times* Ye-yes Sir I did..

🃏 You are lucky you are so beautiful… you should see that last guy who called me silly. *Cackles and pulls out a switchblade.*

👑 I hope I’m not overstepping any lines with you Mr. J.. *I lean up onto my tiptoes.* But I find you to be incredibly beautiful.. *I give you a small kiss on the cheek.* ..in a very powerful, masculine, dangerous way of course! *I give you a wink.*

🃏 *A fire burns inside me when you kiss my cheek. It’s so hot that I roll my neck back and purr. I grab your hand and pull you to the stairs and down to the garage.*

👑 *As you drag me behind you I blurt out.* Oh god.. I’m so so sorry.. I shouldn’t have done that…

🃏 *Drags you without saying anything, walking with purpose.*

👑 *I almost try to pull away, but you turn and the look in your eyes makes me have to catch my breath, it’s feral and dangerous.*

🃏 This is my car. *Points to purple lamborghi.* Get in. *Still staring at you with my chest heaving.* Don’t make me say it twice.

👑 *I hastily climb into the passenger side and sit. I nervously buckle myself in, still so unsure of your intentions.*

🃏 *I lean over your body and check to make sure you buckled yourself in correctly and then stop to hover over you with my lips inches from yours.*

👑 *I can’t even think straight with your mouth so very close to mine, the urge to lean forward and really kiss you is so strong.*

🃏 *I pull the lap belt tight and grin.* Can’t have you falling out. *And with that I peel out.* We are headed to my humble abode so I can complete the tour you so graciously asked for.

👑 *I giggle* Well aren’t you the full service type! I like that in a man.

🃏 I think we are going to get along Alice…*Looks you up and down as I park then opens your door.*

👑 Oh I sure hope so Mr. J. *I met your hungry stare, positive that you’re seeing the same look on my face.*

🃏 *Takes your hand.*

👑 Such a gentleman..

🃏 *Smirks* Welcome to the hideout!! *Massive mansion.* I trust you have discretion?

👑 Oh of course Sir. For my eyes and ears only!

🃏 Mmmm…. indeed *I pull you up the stairs, walk in and drop my blazer onto a chaise lounge.* Are you hungry? Thirsty?

👑 You seem so very eager to get me alone Mr J. *I follow behind you as quickly as I can, trying not to trip up the large staircase.*

🃏 *Snaps at you.* What are you saying? That I’m a common pervert?

👑 Oh never! *I step very close, looking up at you.* There is nothing common about you.. *I reach out and put a shaking hand on your chest.* And I don’t believe you want me to answer that question sir. What I hunger for may shock you.

🃏 You are quite the flirt my sweet. *Clutches your hand.*

👑 Oh you have no idea my dear.. *I raise our clasped hands and place a kiss on your ring.* So you going to show me more of this extravagant home of yours??

🃏 *Hands shaking as you kiss my ring. I want to devour you.* What would you like to see first doll?

👑 You alright Mr J?? You’re shaking a bit..

🃏 How about the living room?

👑 *I think for a moment.* Honestly? The kitchen! I live for those huge old fashion kitchens. I bet yours has every bell and whistle available!

🃏 *Thinks ‘holy shit I hit the jackpot’ and gets excited. I practically carry you into the kitchen.* I haven’t spent any time in here but I think you might like it? *It has every appliance you can think of. I open the fridge and pull out a pie.*

👑 *I’m practically drooling.. it’s honestly embarrassing.* Do you have a butler’s pantry?? *I’m way to excited.*

🃏 Want a piece? Sure - it’s over there. *Points*

👑 Mm what kind is it??

🃏 Blueberry.

👑 *I’m barely paying you any mind as I enter the pantry.* I could do so much with a kitchen like this. I swear it’s bigger than my first apartment!

🃏 *Has a bit of blueberry on my lip.* Great - consider this part of your domain. Don’t burn anything, I hate the smell of burnt anything. *Makes a sour face.*

👑 *I peek my head back out of the doorway* Blueberry? That sounds delicious! Oh.. Sir you seem to have a bit on your lip. *I run my thumb over your bottom lip before licking it clean.* Yup. Definetly delicious.

🃏 *Flinches at first when you touch my lip.* Let me have another taste. *Grabs your thumb and sucks on it.* That is quite good. Think you might like to bake in here?

👑 *I can barely surpress the moan that threatens to escape my throat* What..? *My brain went foggy feeling your lips on my thumb.* Oh yes baking! Absolutely! I could do so much with this kitchen!

🃏 Here… *Hands you a frilly apron.* You should wear this when you are in here. It’s for show. I don’t cook! *Laughs* Except barbecue, that I can do. *Winks*

👑 Heh! For you? Sure I’ll wear it! *I mumble.* ..and I’d very much like to kiss the cook…

🃏 What was that doll?

👑 Huh? Oh nothing.. *I shake my head* How about the slice of pie? I am pretty hungry.

🃏 *Cuts you a slice and passes it to you, then watches as you eat it.*

👑 Hmm Mr. J… Where do you keep your forks? Hah I don’t want to make a mess, you know blueberries stain just as bad as blood!

🃏 You can make a mess if you want. *Grins* They are over there. *Points to drawer.* Wait don’t open that one. The other one.

👑 Oh really? *I drag my finger through the dark purple filling.*Whose gonna clean up that mess? Huh? *I lick my finger clean, then grab two forks from the drawer* You gonna help me eat this?

🃏 *Grabs a fork and eats right out of the middle. I grab you suddenly and then put you up on the counter. I grab pie and smear it on your shirt.* You should take that off before it stains. *Stares at you.*

👑 *I stare at you, dumbfounded.* Well fair is fair.. I’d hate to see you ruin two shirts tonight. But oh well! *Grabs a handful of pie and swears it across your jaw and down your chest.* Looks like you have to take off yours too! *Pulls my top off revealing a dark purple lace bra.* Your move clown..

🃏 Careful Alice. *Looks down at your bra.* That is my absolute favorite color.

👑 Careful what sir? *I use my discarded shirt to wipe a bit of pie off your nose.*

🃏 Careful calling me names. You can call me Mr. J or something more comfortable once I get to know you better. *Takes off shirt letting it drop to the floor.*

👑 I’m sorry Mr. J. It won’t happen again. *I stare unashamedly at your exposed chest.*

🃏 See something of interest?

👑 Hmm yes sir. You. You look good enough to eat. *I bite my bottom lip as I look down your pale muscular body.*

🃏 *I pull your hand to my body and exhale.* So eat if you’re hungry. *Smirks and starts biting the pad of flesh between your wrist and thumb.*

👑 *I use my other hand to pull you closer to me, your body is flush with the counter between my open thighs.* Sir!! That tickles!! *I try to pull my wrist away, but you’ve got me in a death grip.*

🃏 *I dip down and start nibbling your neck.*

👑 Oh god.. *I wrap my hand in your hair and pull you back til we are face to face agian. Panting, I whisper* Mr. J… please, please kiss me…

🃏 *I chuckle.* So very eager Alice, yet so very very polite.

👑 Oh you have no idea…

🃏 *Grabs you by the back of the neck and kisses you.*

👑 *I melt into your kiss, my body feels like jello as your lips move against mine.*

🃏 *I pull back and put my finger under your chin. I kiss the side of your face and your chin.*

👑 *I’m gasping for air as your lips gently brush my skin.* Oh.. oh Mr. J…

🃏 Take a deep breath Alice. *Chuckles*

👑 *I let out a slow exhale and laugh.* Sorry.. I just can’t help it. You do something to me, I can’t think straight when you’re this close to me.

🃏 *Pours you a glass of water.* Drink.

👑 *Takes a small sip.* Thank you. Again, I’m sorry. I just got a little over excited.

🃏 So…. Tell me, did you put that bra on just for me? *Snaps your bra strap.*

👑 That is a very likely possibility. *I jump as you snap my strap.* And you know Mr. J.. this bra is part of a matching set.

🃏 Show me, I want to see those pretty little purple panties.

👑 Oh my Sir.. that is a bold request. *I push you back slightly and hop down from the counter.* You want me to put on a little show for you?

🃏 *Pulls a chair up sitting in it backwards.* Do it *Heavy breathing*

👑 *I take a deep breath.* What have I gotten myself into.. *I mutter mostly to myself. I run my hands down my chest, pausing to brush my finger tips over my hard nipples, the purple lace not leaving much to the imagination. I slowly pop the button on my tight black jeans, with shaky hands I lower the zipper.* Tell me what you want to see Mr. J.. I need to hear you say it.

🃏 *I growl as I watch you touch yourself.* Put on a show for Daddy J. Let’s see those panties.

👑 *I lean forward, resting my arms on the top of the chair your sitting on, I’m almost nose to nose with you.* You wanna be my Daddy, Mr. J?? *I kiss the tip of your nose.*

🃏 *I use my cane to hold you in place* Little fucking tease… *I’m hard now as you hover over me.* I think you need a daddy, don’t you?

👑 *I pull away and stand back up.* Only if you promise to be my Daddy. I wouldn’t want anyone else. *With very calculated moves I inch the tight jeans down my hips, once they are to about my knees I turn away from you and bend over at the waist. I make sure to give you a nice view of my lace clad behind. I wiggle my hips as I stand back up, kicking the jeans off my feet.* Well now what Mr. J?? You seem to have me at a disadvantage in the clothing department.

🃏 *I stand up and make an effort to look at every single inch of you.* Since you asked so nicely. *Removes pants, socks and shoes throwing them over my shoulder as I stare at you. I’m standing in my emerald green silk Gucci boxers.* Miss Malice… it’s so nice to finally meet you.

👑 Mmm well aren’t we quite the matching set? I’d have guessed that was your favorite color.

🃏 *I’m all over you in an instant inhaling the scent of your hair and skin.*

👑 *I wrap my arms around your slender waist.* Oh god.. you feel so good against my body…

🃏 *I start sucking on your neck softly.*

👑 *My nails dig into the flesh on your hips.* Oh fuck Mr. J.. please.. I need you. *I moan openly as your mouth goes to work at my neck.*

🃏 *I suddenly pull back away from you.* I want to know how many times you have thought about this very moment. With my mouth on you, my body pressed up against you, in your pretty bra and panties *I snarl and grab my erection.* How many times did you touch yourself thinking about it?

👑 I’m almost embarrassed to answer that.. *I giggle at the thought.* I’ve thought about your body on mine for so very long. I’ve even dreamt about it. *I run my fingertips along the edge of my panties.* You like the idea of me touching myself while I think about you??

🃏 *I grab a pair of kitchen sheers and walk toward you. I press my cock onto you looking down as it touches the crotch of your panties and then I look up at you and snip both sides of the panties salivating as they fall away from you.* It’s my favorite idea right now.

👑 *I reach forward and run my hand ever so slightly over the obvious bulge in your boxers.* May I touch you sir?

🃏 *I purr and push forward.* Yes you may. Yes you fucking may.

👑 *I run my palm over your hard cock.* I’ve thought about touching you like this so many times Mr. J But it’s so much better than I could have ever imagined. *With my free hand I run a finger along my wet needy pussy, when I pull my hand up between us it glistens in the light with my juices.* If you would care for a taste sir, *I lean in so very close to your ear.* ..then I suggest you show me some more of this beautiful home of yours. Preferably a room with a bed.

🃏 Teasing me again Alice? *I pull your hand towards my mouth and pop your fingers into my mouth* Mmmmm…. My little baker dangling the icing in front of me? *Scoops you up over my shoulder abruptly and carries you up a long spiral staircase up to the master bedroom.*

👑 Oh Mr. J.. I live to tease you. *As you carry me up the stairs I take the opportunity to get an eye full of your tight muscled ass as I hang upside-down over your shoulder.*

{||~1080p-HD~ ]] Regarder C'est la vie  film complet [[2020]] en Franacais

29 avril 2020  / 1h 43min / Comédie De Julien Rambaldi Avec Josiane Balasko, Léa Drucker, Alice Pol Nationalités Français, Belge 29 avril 2020  / 1h 43min / Comédie De Julien Rambaldi Avec Josiane Balasko, Léa Drucker, Alice Pol Nationalités Français, Belge

PLAY==> http://ver.yess-movie.com/movie/tt9162090/c-est-la-vie.html

Its somewhat ironic that a movie about time travel can’t be reviewed properly until your future self rewatches the movie. It’s bold of Nolan to make such a thoroughly dense blockbuster. He assumes people will actually want to see C’est la vie more than once so they can understand it properly, which some may not. This movie makes the chronology of Inception look as simplistic as tic-tac-toe. Ergo, it’s hard for me to give an accurate rating, without having seen it twice, as I’m still trying to figure out whether everything does indeed make sense. If it does, this movie is easily a 9 or 10. If it doesn’t, it’s a 6. It’s further not helped by the fact that the dialogue in the first 15 minutes of the movie is painfully hard to understand / hear. Either they were behind masks; they were practically mumbling; the sound effects were too loud; or all of the above. The exposition scenes are also waayyy too brief for something this complex — a problem also shared with Interstellar actually. (Interstellar had this minimalist exposition problem explaining Blight, where if you weren’t careful, you’d miss this one sentence / scene in the entire movie explaining that Blight was a viral bacteria: “Earth’s atmosphere is 80% nitrogen, we don’t even breathe nitrogen. Blight does, and as it thrives, our air gets less and less oxygen”). I guess it’s a Nolan quirk. Hopefully, a revision of the film audio sorts the sound mixing out. I do like the soundtrack, but it’s too loud initially. I liked all the actors. You think John Washington can’t act at first, but he can, and he grows on you as the film progresses. And Pattinson is his usual charming self. Elizabeth is a surprise treat. And so on. Its worth a watch either way. See it with subtitles if you can. And definitely don’t expect to fully understand whats going on the first time around. Its one hell of a complicated film. It will be very hard for an average viewer to gather all the information provided by this movie at the first watch. But the more you watch it, more hidden elements will come to light. And when you are able to put these hidden elements together. You will realize that this movie is just a “masterpiece” which takes the legacy of Christopher Nolan Forward If I talk about acting, Then I have to say that Robert Pattinson has really proved himself as a very good actor in these recent years. And I am sure his acting skills will increase with time. His performance is charming and very smooth. Whenever he is on the camera, he steals the focus John David Washington is also fantastic in this movie. His performance is electrifying, I hope to see more from him in the future. Other characters such as Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth, Himesh Patel, Dimple Kapadia, Clémence Poésy have also done quite well. And I dont think there is a need to talk about Michael Caine Talking about Music, its awesome. I dont think you will miss Hans Zimmer’s score. Ludwig has done a sufficient job. There is no lack of good score in the movie Gotta love the editing and post production which has been put into this movie. I think its fair to say this Nolan film has focused more in its post production. The main problem in the movie is the sound mixing. Plot is already complex and some dialogues are very soft due to the high music score. It makes it harder to realize what is going on in the movie. Other Nolan movies had loud BGM too. But Audio and dialogues weren’t a problem My humble request to everyone is to please let the movie sink in your thoughts. Let your mind grasp all the elements of this movie. I am sure more people will find it better. Even those who think they got the plot. I can bet they are wrong. C’est la vie is the long awaited new movie from Christopher Nolan. The movie that’s set to reboot the multiplexes post-Covid. It’s a manic, extremely loud, extremely baffling sci-fi cum spy rollercoaster that will please a lot of Nolan fan-boys but which left me with very mixed views. John David Washington (Denzel’s lad) plays “The Protagonist” — a crack-CIA field operative who is an unstoppable one-man army in the style of Hobbs or Shaw. Recruited into an even more shadowy organisation, he’s on the trail of an international arms dealer, Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh in full villain mode). Sator is bullying his estranged wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki) over custody of their son (and the film unusually has a BBFC warning about “Domestic Abuse”). Our hero jets the world to try to prevent a very particular kind of Armageddon while also keeping the vulnerable and attractive Kat alive. This is cinema at its biggest and boldest. Nolan has taken a cinema ‘splurge’ gun, filled it with money, set it on rapid fire, removed the safety and let rip at the screen. Given that Nolan is famous for doing all of his ‘effects’ for real and ‘in camera’, some of what you see performed is almost unbelievable. You thought crashing a train through rush-hour traffic in “Inception” was crazy? You ain’t seen nothing yet with the airport scene! And for lovers of Chinooks (I must admit I am one and rush out of the house to see one if I hear it coming!) there is positively Chinook-p*rn on offer in the film’s ridiculously huge finale. The ‘inversion’ aspects of the story also lends itself to some fight scenes — one in particular in an airport ‘freeport’ — which are both bizarre to watch and, I imagine, technically extremely challenging to pull off. In this regard John David Washington is an acrobatic and talented stunt performer in his own right, and must have trained for months for this role. Nolan’s crew also certainly racked up their air miles pre-lockdown, since the locations range far and wide across the world. The locations encompassed Denmark, Estonia, India, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and United States. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is lush in introducing these, especially the beautiful Italian coast scenes. Although I did miss the David Arnold strings that would typically introduce these in a Bond movie: it felt like that was missing. The ‘timey-wimey’ aspects of the plot are also intriguing and very cleverly done. There are numerous points at which you think “Oh, that’s a sloppy continuity error” or “Shame the production design team missed that cracked wing mirror”. Then later in the movie, you get at least a dozen “Aha!” moments. Some of them (no spoilers) are jaw-droppingly spectacular. Perhaps the best twist is hidden in the final line of the movie. I only processed it on the way home. And so to the first of my significant gripes with C’est la vie. The sound mix in the movie is all over the place. I’d go stronger than that… it’s truly awful (expletive deleted)! Nolan often implements Shakespeare’s trick of having characters in the play provide exposition of the plot to aid comprehension. But unfortunately, all of this exposition dialogue was largely incomprehensible. This was due to: the ear-splitting volume of the sound: 2020 movie audiences are going to be suffering from ‘C’est la vieis’! (LOL); the dialogue is poorly mixed with the thumping music by Ludwig Göransson (Wot? No Hans Zimmer?); a large proportion of the dialogue was through masks of varying description (#covid-appropriate). Aaron Taylor-Johnson was particularly unintelligible to my ears. Overall, watching this with subtitles at a special showing might be advisable! OK, so I only have a PhD in Physics… but at times I was completely lost as to the intricacies of the plot. It made “Inception” look like “The Tiger Who Came to Tea”. There was an obvious ‘McGuffin’ in “Inception” — — (“These ‘dream levels’… how exactly are they architected??”…. “Don’t worry… they’ll never notice”. And we didn’t!) In “C’est la vie” there are McGuffins nested in McGuffins. So much of this is casually waved C’est la vie as “future stuff… you’re not qualified” that it feels vaguely condescending to the audience. At one point Sator says to Kat “You don’t know what’s going on, do you?” and she shakes her head blankly. We’re right with you there luv! There are also gaps in the storyline that jar. The word “C’est la vie”? What does it mean. Is it just a password? I’m none the wiser. The manic pace of C’est la vie and the constant din means that the movie gallops along like a series of disconnected (albeit brilliant) action set pieces. For me, it has none of the emotional heart of the Cobb’s marriage problems from “Inception” or the father/daughter separation of “Interstellar”. In fact, you barely care for anyone in the movie, perhaps with the exception of Kat. It’s a talented cast. As mentioned above, John David Washington is muscular and athletic in the role. It’s a big load for the actor to carry in such a tent-pole movie, given his only significant starring role before was in the excellent BlacKkKlansman. But he carries it off well. A worthy successor to Gerard Butler and Jason Statham for action roles in the next 10 years. This is also a great performance by Robert Pattinson, in his most high-profile film in a long time, playing the vaguely alcoholic and Carré-esque support guy. Pattinson’s Potter co-star Clemence Poésy also pops up — rather more un-glam that usual — as the scientist plot-expositor early in the movie. Nolan’s regular Michael Caine also pops up. although the 87-year old legend is starting to show his age: His speech was obviously affected at the time of filming (though nice try Mr Nolan in trying to disguise that with a mouth full of food!). But in my book, any amount of Caine in a movie is a plus. He also gets to deliver the best killer line in the film about snobbery! However, it’s Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki that really stand out. They were both fabulous, especially when they were bouncing off each other in their marital battle royale. So, given this was my most anticipated movie of the year, it’s a bit of a curate’s egg for me. A mixture of being awe-struck at times and slightly disappointed at others. It’s a movie which needs a second watch, so I’m heading back today to give my ear drums another bashing! And this is one where I reserve the right to revisit my rating after that second watch… it’s not likely to go down… but it might go up. (For the full graphical review, check out One Mann’s Movies on t’interweb and Facebook. Thanks.) As this will be non-spoiler, I can’t say too much about the story. However, what I can is this: C’est la vie’s story is quite dynamic in the sense that you won’t understand it till it wants you to. So, for the first half, your brain is fighting for hints and pieces to puzzle together the story. It isn’t until halfway through the movie that C’est la vie invites you to the fantastic storytelling by Christopher Nolan. Acting is beyond phenomenal, and I’d be genuinely surprised if neither Robert Pattinson nor John David Washington doesn’t receive an Oscar nomination for best actor. It’s also hard not to mention how good Elizabeth Debicki and Aaron Johnson both are. All around, great acting, and the dialogue amps up the quality of the movie. The idea of this movie is damn fascinating, and while there are films that explore time-travelling, there’s never been anything quite like this. It has such a beautiful charm and for the most part, explains everything thoroughly. It feels so much more complex than any form of time-travelling we’ve seen, and no less could’ve been expected from Nolan. Oh my lord, the score for this film fits so perfectly. Every scene that’s meant to feel intense was amped by a hundred because of how good the score was. Let me just say though, none of them will be found iconic, but they fit the story and scenes so well. In the end, I walked out, feeling very satisfied. Nevertheless, I do have issues with the film that I cannot really express without spoiling bits of the story. There are definitely little inconsistencies that I found myself uncovering as the story progressed. However, I only had one issue that I found impacted my enjoyment. That issue was understanding some of the dialogue. No, not in the sense that the movie is too complicated, but more that it was hard to make out was being said at times. It felt like the movie required subtitles, but that probably was because, at a time in the film, there was far too much exposition. Nevertheless, I loved this film, I’ll be watching it at least two more times, and I think most of you in this group will enjoy it. I definitely suggest watching it in theatres if possible, just so you can get that excitement. (4/5) & (8.5/10) for those that care about number scores. At first, I want to ask Christopher Nolan one question, HOW THE HELL YOU DID THIS? Seriously I want to have an answer, How did he write such as this masterpiece! How did he get this complicated, fabulous and creative idea? What is going on in his mind? The story is written and directed perfectly, the narration style was absolutely unique. I have no idea how can anyone direct such as this story, that was a huge challenge, and as usual Nolan gave us a masterpiece that we’ll put beside (Memento), (Inception) and (Interstellar) The movie is so fast-paced in a good way, there was no boring moment. The chemistry between John David Washington and Robert Pattinson was great and funny and both of their performance was really good. Elizabeth Debicki performance was the best in the movie because she had the chance to show her acting abilities and she cached up that chance and showed us an A level acting. The music wasn’t unique and distinct as the music of Interstellar for example and I think this movie needed the touch of Hans Zimmer, I’m not saying that Ludwig Göransson failed but Hans Zimmer in another level. If there was something I’d say that I didn’t like it in the movie would it be that Nolan discarded any set up or characters backgrounds except Elizabeth Debicki dramatic story but it wasn’t that bad for me, I didn’t care about that, the exciting story didn’t give me the chance to focus on it. But the actual problem was the third act, it was really complicated and I got lost and I convinced myself to discard the questions that were in my head and enjoy the well-made action sequences and Elizabeth Debicki performance. I think this kind of movie that gets better with a second and third watch. I honestly don’t quite know where to begin with C’est la vie. I love Christopher Nolan’s work but I have never seen a more complicated film (and I understood Memento). After nearly three hours, I came C’est la vie from C’est la vie not knowing myself, my mind reduced to nothing more than piles of ash. Was there time travel involved? Hmm, there was definitely something about time inversion. I mean, does Nolan even understand what he wrote? Look, I give credit to the director because he’s one of the few directors left who knows how to create a compelling and intelligent blockbuster. C’est la vie is full of Nolan trademarks — the gratuitous Michael Caine cameo, a loud, really loud score, complete with stunning cinematography and slickly inventive action set-pieces. This time around however, Nolan has finally managed to ‘out-Nolan’ himself: the palindromic plot, whilst creatively ambitious, is simply far too complicated for its own good. C’est la vie is overlong, overstuffed, pretentious and too exhausting to comprehend in its entirety — it makes Inception and Interstellar look like Peppa Pig by comparison. I’m aware of the technical wizardry and creative mastery in this film and lord knows I’ll have to watch this again. For those who want a puzzle, C’est la vie at least provides a unique cinematic experience. But to actually enjoy solving it Nolan wants you to work

Edward Honaker

The series of black and white images illustrates the photographer’s experience with depression and anxiety. I identify with the majority of these photographs and really understand the metaphor behind them. The use of black and white emphasises the emotional relationship between the photograph and the viewer and inspires me to create similar images. The use of shutter speed is something I find particularly interesting, in the way that he uses his body as a still image and shows his head in a ‘blurred’ motion, metaphorically standing for the feeling of your mind feeling like a ‘blur’ due to the illness.

“ Mental health disorders are such a taboo topic. If you ever bring it up in conversation, people awkwardly get silent, or try to tell you why it’s not a real problem. When I was in the worst parts of depression, the most helpful thing anyone could have done was to just listen to me – not judging, not trying to find a solution, just listen. I’m hoping that these images will help open up conversation about mental health issues. Everyone is or will be affected by them one way or another, and ignoring them doesn’t make things better.”  - Edward Honaker

Janelia Mould

These images again use metaphor perfectly, showing the “never complete” feeling that mental illnesses can give; this allows the viewer to identify that there is something missing from the picture, knowing that this is the same was the person in the photograph feels about them self. The use of unusual environments is something I find interesting, almost making the subject seem as if they ‘fade into the background’, again relating to the illness.

“I have purposefully left out the head and some limbs,” she tells us, “I wanted to give a glimpse on how a person with depression might experience life, through creating a character that never feels fully complete.” - Janelia Mould

Gabriel Isak

Photographer Gabriel Isak uses his depression as the catalyst for his project called The Blue Journey. Gabriel Isak uses a mixture of forces perspective as well as including the ‘decisive moment’ aspect with the use of the birds. The photographs explain feelings of being lost, as well as having a lack of control. In addition to this the main colour within the photo is blue, relating to the blue feeling. This was possibly done by using colour temperature within the camera functions, which proved to be effective.

“My subconscious mind inspired most of the images in the series,” he told us, “as they all feel like small memories of what I went through during my depression.” - Gabriel Isak

Katie Joy Crawford

Through a powerful series of self portraits, Katie Joy Crawford depicts her inner struggles with general anxiety disorder. Once again Katie uses metaphor to represent her experience with mental illness. The photographs show feelings of claustrophobia, being trapped within ones self, and a clouded mind, unfocused judgement and general unhappiness. The photos are wonderfully composed and allow the viewer to place themselves into the position of the person in the photographs as the subject never shows their full face, leaving the identity unknown.

John William Keedy

In photographer John William Keedy’s series ‘It’s Hardly Noticeable’, he juxtaposes normal behaviors—like flossing your teeth—with abnormal behaviors like obsessively arranging them on the sink. These messages aim to emphasise the struggles people with mental health find with every day activities, and how hard it can be for them to complete something a ‘normal’ person would have no trouble with. This use of photography I believe is both informative and effective and allows people who may not usually understand mental health, a glimpse into the lives of people who experience it every day.

Michal Macku

Michal Macku developed his own artistic technique to best tell stories through his photography. Michal starts by taking seemingly normal photos of the human body, and then develops them by adding tears to the piece. These make it seem as if he is tearing himself apart, as that it what the illness is making him want to do. Once again this photographer uses b&w photography to emphasise emotion as well as removes facial features so that the viewer can identify with the subject.

Christian Hopkins

For Christian Hopkins, photography was a way to cope with his depression. Of that time, he explained, “I’ve been suffering from Major Depression for the past 4 years and it has manifested itself throughout that period in many ways, photography included.” Christian creates photos which go beyond the obvious, by using external images to interact with those previously taken. The ‘wings’ give the appearance of the subject being broken, and withered, and the hands give the impression that the subject is not in charge of himself, or is under somebody elses control.

Tyler Rayburn

Photography helped pull Tyler Rayburn out of the darkest period in his life. “I was pretty depressed to the point where I wanted to kill myself,” he tells us, “and I like to think photography played a big part in getting me out of that. I don't want anyone to have to feel even close to how I felt.” I personally believe these photos are truely beautiful. Tyler creates these breathtaking images by allowing nature to tell the story of his illness. Surrounding a ‘broken’ mind besides the beauty of nature shows the path of recovery, how he was surrounded by things to make him better and pull him out of the ‘dark’.

Patrycja Marciniak

Similar to the first artists photographs, I like the way in which Patrycja uses shutter speed to create a distorted photograph. This represents the distress within her head accompanied by an uncomfortable positioning of the hands. In her other photos she sends a message that part of herself is missing, or is being torn away. The last photograph tries to show beauty behind the idea of taking medication to control a mental illness. This is one thing that I dislike about Patrycja’s work as I don’t think the experience should be show in any kind of positive light, as that photograph suggests. Although medication’s purpose is to improve ones mental state, the act of taking it should not be something which is appealing.

“It feels really good to be able to transform negative feelings into something of artistic value. The most therapeutic stage, however, is not creating – for me it’s getting feedback, especially from people facing similar problems. It’s very reassuring to feel supported and understood, and to show the support and understanding to others. I feel very pleased when I hear that people identify with my art – maybe it will give them the sense of comfort and feeling that they’re not alone. “ - Patrtcja Marciniak

Claire White

“If I could describe it I’d say it was like a really slow car on a motor way and everyone whizzing past you at 100mph when you’re only going 30. Or just a simple cut, you cut yourself and its sore at the time, it bleeds. You can see the scabbing and the scarring after, I think that’s what depression is like. It doesn’t just stop, it takes time.” — Craig (Scarred)

These photographs are some of my personal favourites from those that I have looked at. I feel that the messages within these photos are potentially the strongest. The use of shutter speed within one of the images helps separate the subject from the rest of the people in the shot, making them seem singled out (relating to their emotions). The composition of the other photographs also help to portray the emotions of the subjects.

“I’ve always heard of depression described as a black dog – but I’ve never identified with that. For me, a better analogy is a parasite; vines engulfing a house. At first, you barely notice it. You think you can just shake it off. It saps your energy, just making everything a little harder, until its too hard to do anything at all.” — Sophie (Parasite)

Alice Guardado

“The series Gone developed from a need in documenting my emotions towards my parents recent separation. After my father left, I realized his absence was not the cause of my unstable emotions, it was the realization of our distant relationship throughout my childhood.” - Alice Guardado

Alice uses double exposure to create an appearance with a ‘neither here nor there’ feeling. This relates to the way in which a mental illness can make you feel. Based upon the troubled relationship with her father, Alice struggled to find her place within the family home, and therefore didn’t see a complete picture of herself within the environment. These pictures perfectly portray this.

Laura Hospes

Laura Hospes was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The 21-year-old had also attempted to commit suicide. While there, the student, from the Netherlands, created an intimate series of self portraits titled UCP-UMCG, named after the hospital.

These photographs make you realise the severity behind mental illness. The fact that these photographs were taken while someone was in extreme distress at a mental hospital emphasises the size of the problem. It also shines a light onto a more “real” experience which isn’t staged by a photographer or model. The entire shoot is based upon emotion and how the audience react to the feelings shown. In particular I like the photograph which creates a snapshot of the girl rising up from bed, her hair stuck in time, allowing the photograph to represent the motion.

Week Four

15th May Whilst we were not timetabled to be in on this day we decided that we would come in to record footage for the trailer we were creating for the show. We booked a room at the institute and booked cameras out and filmed from 1pm until 5pm.

The filming was successful as Megan had planned the day and both her and Angela had created several storyboards which meant that we utilised our time. The only problem of the day was the withdrawal of the camera. Megan had asked to use the more advanced cameras which require an introductory meeting, which she had arranged, however these plans fell through meaning that she could only withdraw the standard camera. We tested the camera that we had however and the footage was coming out well which meant that the day could continue without any disruptions. We got some good shots and Megan and Angela are now taking the footage away to edit.

The finalised videos are as follows (please see the link); Teaser Video:

https://www.facebook.com/1481929428523095/videos/1542697872446250/

Trailer Video;

https://www.facebook.com/1481929428523095/videos/1558953787487325/

16th May We started the day off with a warm up led by Tom as usual, this is really beneficial as it allows me to wake up, we usually follow the warm up with a game which aims to focus and energise us. The games always seem to help with morale in the class which again is particularly beneficial in creating a productive environment.

We had all prepared work for this lesson, looking at party games and ways in which we could interactive with the audience within our piece. Seen as we were looking at the technology aspect I decided to get a game from the App Store. It was one I had used previously and it acts as a pre-drinking game. The app is called Piccolo and it sets challenges for the players, all challenges result in one of the players drinking. I suggested that we could make our own version of this game and set tasks for the audience, we could also encourage them to buy more drinks this way which is an aim of ours because we want to create a gig-like environment and a bonus being that if we do manage to achieve around £400 on the bar then we will get our money back from the venue meaning that the budget is up by £90. Others bought in games such as musical chairs/statues etc. We played a few rounds of these games. I didn't see how musical chairs could work well, only because we are not planning on having a huge amount of seating- perhaps an option for this could be ‘musical sofa’s’ as I know we have a couple of those in the performing space.

Whilst trying hard to understand where these games could link to the performance, I seemed to struggle. At this stage I however am prepared to trust in my peers if they see potential in these ideas.

When having a discussion about the performance I expressed my concerns and wanted to see how others felt such games would benefit the performance, however I was shut down and told to get on with the process. There have been times that this conversation has been discussed yet disregarded due to people voicing their opinions rather than involving themselves in the tasks, however we were about to break for lunch and we were discussing the performance, therefore I felt it was of use to voice my opinion. I think that people were getting frustrated with the project and letting their anger out on others. I say this because after hearing feedback from Alice on Friday, I feel it has left everybody questioning what the performance is and what we are trying to do. I definitely feel this way because the feedback confirmed all of my doubts.

I came back after lunch with a positive attitude, despite feeling angered about being shut down in the previous discussion. We did a range of tasks, including a writing task from Beth and a Complicite exercise Tom led. I liked Toms task, however I struggled to see a way in which the exercise could apply to an audience. I think that with all exercises we are now committing to we need to try and gear them towards the performance more. For example we should have perhaps used props from the show in order to create a ‘game’ as the task requires you to do; instruments would have been a good place to start. Going forward this is something I shall suggest and apply to other exercises.

At the end of the day we all spent time to talk about the show and I voiced my concerns again, it seemed that others felt similarly to myself and it became apparent that several of us thought the show was based on differing things. The session ended and I went home and didn't think about the day as it was affecting my mood. I wanted to leave my thoughts within the rehearsal room and then come back to it with a fresh outlook the following day. 17th May Today's rehearsal started off with a warm-up and game as usual and then we broke into groups of two and discussed a direction for the show. Myself and Tom looked at ideas that may not appear too cliché perhaps looking at an animal dying or somebody hurting a pet. I then went on to discuss the use of symbolism so perhaps using the idea of an animal but as a metaphor, this led me to look at a dog. I googled what a dog symbolised and found that it was loyalty. This could be interesting and it could perhaps relate to friendship. As I’m sure most people have, I have experienced friendships coming to an end or suffering due to living away from home and simply growing apart from people and I think that these relatable situations could tie in well with our performance as they would fit into the current structure of a house party and it could make sense as to why we are all at the party.

Beth also voiced the idea of having a group of friends who have a secret; they watched one of their friends drown when they were children, and then the secret would be revealed at the end of the performance. Whilst this is a great idea, it wasn’t one that I was particularly keen on initially, however I would have happily gone along with it.

Once we had shared idea with each other we came to a conclusion that we would go with my dog metaphor idea. Through discussion came the question; what happened in previous parties that our characters have had. We explored a number of ideas and we then coupled off and created poems and songs about previous parties. Megan and Tom came up with a song which repeats the line ‘do you remember when’. I really liked this song as it was funny, simple and repetitive and I could see an audience getting involved with the song which is something I think we want from this performance. Gabi and Angela had also worked upon a song which was about drinking numerous shots of alcohol, again I liked the song.

Myself and Beth paired together to create a piece of writing around the idea of somebody getting dared to drink a goldfish. We decided to write it from several perspectives; the owner of the goldfish, the person drinking it and the fish. I started by writing a piece from the owners perspective, illustrating their love for the fish and the way in which the fish had changed the life of the owner. I really threw myself into this task and I liked what I had written which was helping me to generate more text. Beth was struggling to get into the writing and therefore working herself into a bad mood. I could relate to how Beth was feeling however I was struggling to concentrate around her so I decided to take myself away and sit alone so that I could continue to write. I managed to write another piece of text from the perspective of the fish and as I wrote it I decided that it might work well as a rap. Both piece of text that I have written need working on outside of rehearsal, however I am very content with the progress I have made. We also looked at characterisation with this rehearsal and Alice led an animal based character exercise which followed on from a task Beth had prepared. I found the exercise of use as I started to think about how my character may walk, talk and think, however whilst I engaged in the task I feel that I may have selected the wrong animal to work on for my character. At the end of the exercise we engaged with Alice as the animal/character and I found that the character I had created seemed very far removed from the character I had started to create for the performance. Going away from this I am going to think of other animals that my character is comparable to in order to try and unlock more characteristics and grasp a better sense of character.

We had a production meeting after the rehearsal. I had decided we would go to The Castle Pub which is across the street from our rehearsal venue. By doing this I found that the focus of the group was much better and the change of venue definitely increased our productivity within the meeting, therefore all production meetings will be outside of the rehearsal venue going forward. Gabi was secretary for this meeting (see minutes).

I have yet to contact the Curve Bar to arrange a meeting for us all to visit and confirm final questions, however this will be something I do as soon as possible as its crucial that we know as much about the venue as possible so that we can bare this in mind when creating our performance.

The poster had not be created, the reason for this being that the piece is potentially changing in name. Whilst I can appreciate this, I also believe that the poster can be created around this factor and therefore I am disappointed that it has not been done. Another date has been set, Beth has also offered to mock-up some ideas.

18th May Today we were unable to rehearse as we went to Brighton Fringe Festival for the day. Whilst there we did decide upon a new name for our performance however. The title was ‘Notification’ as we had planned on looking at everybody having a secret revealed throughout the performance and the character discovering that somebody knew their secret via something such as a text or a Facebook message. However, due to changing the plot for the story slightly at the start of the week, some felt that this name didn’t work, personally I felt that it was still appropriate yet we took a vote and ended up with the name ‘Too Far’.

I also made a call to the Curve Bar and discussed having a meeting with the owner in order to finalise several things and to answer any questions we had. The meeting is on Monday and I have arranged for Tom to attend due to liaising with the venue being something he expressed interest in at the start of the project. 19th May I arrived at this rehearsal to realise that I had forgotten my iPad which annoyed me a great deal not only because I had left it out and ready to collect before leaving my house but also because all of my work was upon it. I found that not having my iPad was disruptive to my rehearsal process but also to everybody else’s rehearsal as we worked upon the fish text Beth and I had written. Not having the text was an inconvenience. In order to rectify my mistake, I went home at lunch time to get my iPad, meaning that I could continue with the rest of the rehearsal.

Overnight we had been set the task of writing about a dare that our character had to do. Beth gave all of us a different dare/scenario. My scenario was that my character projectile vomited on one of my friend’s mums. With this in mind, I wrote the text and during this rehearsal Megan and I broke away from the group with Beth who looked at our speeches. I found this to be a good use of time and Beth also go us to think about how our character would deliver the speech as well as the writing of it. We also brain stormed ideas that could work with the text with regards to the use of a chorus. We later shared our work with the whole class and we ended up working on Megan’s and Tom’s text.

Megan’s dare was about getting a tattoo on her bum and we found several moments within the text where a chorus could work and we reacted to her dare throughout. Similarly with Tom’s, it was decided that his dare could be turned into a ritual-like scenario, so as a chorus we created this by surrounding him and humming with our hands in a prayer gesture.

Whilst I read my text to the group, we didn’t work upon it in this lesson. I feel that I often get trapped in my head and instead of showing the class what to do, I explain it verbally instead. I need to start getting my idea’s up into the space rather than shying away from them by just explaining myself. It is upon reflect that I realise this is the reason my text was not explored more so and because of this I will be making sure I push to work on my idea in coming rehearsals, not only so that my ideas are worked upon but also because it will aid the creative process and keep energy and engagement in the rehearsal room.