CHARACTER STUDY - SCENARIO WRITING EXERCISE #1
CHARACTER: Teletalks (Reference Image)
WRITING EXERCISE SCENARIO: Sitting next to a crying stranger on a bus.
Teletalks usually has his own limo, his own crew and team of people guarding him everywhere.
The paparazzi was pretty wild. But this time, he was in a new realm. A realm that didn't necessarily know who he was.
His team was all hanging out at a virtua-burger place.
Tele had to go back to his place to grab something. Or, at least, that's what he told everyone. No one wanted to go with.
It looked like his crew was having a better time without him anyways. Laughing it up at the restaurant tables.
He'd try to pop in with a "good one" to get in on the conversation, but only ever made people wince and cringe.
They were all his employees, anyways. Who wants to hang out with their mean boss?
"I'm not mean.." he mumbled to himself.
He squinted out the window, as he sat alone. He ended up leaving by himself.
Mike was the only guy who seemed to offer going, but Tele refused this time. Mike had done enough work for today.
Dragging Mike away from the other guys just to tag along with him as some sort of pity partner felt more pathetic than just going on his own.
Alone.
It was quiet besides the slight pitter patter of rain on the glass next to him. The music playing on the bus played the latest music hits.
He winced at the music in distaste. But there was another noise on the bus as well..
Tele heard someone sobbing next to him, and looked over. A cloaked figure, in blue. Was it some kind of setup?
He raised a brow and looked at them for a bit.
"Sheesh" he said, under his breath.
"Save it for the shower.."
He continued looking out the window, his hand on the rim of the 'cil, his palm up against his chin.
It was sprinkling rain. The reflection of the water only mirrored what was across the seat of him, to the left side of the bus.
He couldn't ignore it. He could see the sobbing figure in the reflection.
He sighed. And looked back over.
The figure looked at him.
"I.. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be making all this noise"
He was caught off guard at being noticed.
"Oh- It's.. no problem"
Having a normal conversation like this was rather abnormal for him.
Being treated like another civillian in this realm was strange. Someone that didn't know who he was? It really WAS a different realm here.
He hesitated, but decided maybe it would be interesting to take this opportunity to talk to someone who didn't recognize him.
Like he used to be able to, decades ago.
Plus.. the music on the dastardly radio up front was unbearable.
He looked back over.
"Uh.."
"What's uh.. what's wrong?"
The hooded figure wiped their face.
"I just.. lost someone. My husband, he went missing months ago.."
He handed him a flyer of his missing poster.
"I.. don't know what I'm going to do. I'm broke..."
Teletalks' brows raised. His attention was suddenly disinterested in the flyer.
"Broke? Like, no moolah? No dosh? Nothin'?"
She nodded.
"Oh no!" This was somehow more dire than the news about her husband to him.
"Yes.." She said. "I'm going to get kicked out this month. I don't know what to do. I can't afford rent."
She continued to cry.
"Geesh, I'm sorry, lady. Sounds like you're in deep water."
The person nodded.
"Y'know.. you ever try, uh... the lottery?"
She looked up at him. "Lottery..?"
He smirked. "Yeah! Throw a couple bones in that."
"Hell, we announce the winning numbers on LIVE television daily!"
"Maybe a trip to the casino would help. Who knows."
"I've won it big a few times. A LOT of times, actually."
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Gambling..?"
The absurdity of his suggestion didn't hit him.
"Yeah!"
The lady sobbed again.
"No I.. I can't.. I don't even have the money to gamble.."
Someone without any money at all? What a concept. Well, it's not like he hadn't been broke before..
But it had been so long since he had ever been that low.
He could probably give her some, but...
...No, it was his hard earned cash.
He looked back up and thought for a moment.
And he smirked. He had another idea.
This could be an opportunity!
"You ever been on a game show?"
The girl looked up "A game show?"
"Yes! You could win it BIG time. Make BIG money, and I'm talking STACKS!"
"You could be a star. A real big shot I tell ya!"
"I'm talking gilded mansions, limousines, PLENTY of men just WAITING to marry you! Uh- or.. women??"
He snickered. "Sparkly dresses on the red carpet while people shower you in roses.."
"Haha! That's SHOWBIZ baby!"
"I could sign you up for a show RIGHT now. You could win it big. You ever heard of Teletalks?"
He smiled a big devious grin as he handed out the flashiest, biggest business card ever.
The girl gabbed the card "No I haven't.."
"HAH! You're missing out! All the greatest hits on TV. I'll make you a star."
"And you could get all the dosh you'd need in this.. uhh.."
He waved his hand. "Realm, or, whatever"
She looked confusingly at him. "I.. I don't know.."
He replied back. "C'mon! Look around ya.."
He slithered over to the other seat, his arm snuck around her neck like a serpent.
"You see all that?"
He pointed to a billboard outside, as the bus drove by it. Clusters of ads on the buildings.
"That could be YOU! Don't you wanna be a star?"
"That crying of yours.. it's phenomenal. Haha! Now THAT is what I call ACTING my friend..."
"No one and I tell you NO ONE could do it better than someone crying REAL tears of SADNESS.."
"None of my A-list actors, NONE OF THEM. Why, I haven't seen a better display of despair since..!"
"...Myself after the divorce!"
A rimshot and canned audience laughter played out of nowhere as he stared at an invisible camera.
She looked confused "Huh..?"
Tele turned back towards her.
"So what's it to ya, toots? Eh?"
She gazed at him, his face smiling large, eyebrows raised.
He was hunched over on his knees on the seat, his hand reached out like he was expecting her to shake on some imaginary deal.
His left hand was behind his back.
She stared at him.
Teletalks suddenly got a phone call. But without moving any other part of his body, his left hand reached into his back pocket, opened up the flip phone, and pressed mute, before closing it again and putting it back in his back pocket, almost in the matter of a second.
She finally responded
"U-umm.. I think I'll.. pass for now.. I'm sorry.."
His smile broke.
"Oh"
He thought for sure she'd take this deal. No one EVER denied an offer from him before.
"You sure?!?"
"Yeah..." She replied.
Teletalks awkwardly looked down, dropped his hand, and shifted out of the seat backwards after pausing for a moment.
He stood up.
"Well, uh.."
"If you change your mind... I'm a call away! Y'Got that??" He pointed to the card he gave her.
She nodded solumnly and then looked outside her window.
He want back to the other seat he was in before.
Teletalks sat there a little lost. What'd he do wrong? Maybe he needed to discuss payment upfront next time??
Provide a contract??
Who would ever deny the opportunity to be CELEBRITY?
Pfft.. your loss, lady.
...
...
Here it was, his stop. He had to get off.
Teletalks stood up and looked over at the lady in blue, a little bratty that he didn't get his way. But he did feel a tang of.. something.
Maybe he felt a little bad, deep down.
Did she say she lost someone?
He pulled the flyer out of his pocket and uncrinkled it. The missing poster stared back at him.
...
"Hey, uh, miss."
The girl glanced over.
"I'll.. make sure this makes the big screen tonight."
The girl responded "Oh.. thank you thank you.. I'd appreciate it so much!"
"Yeah.." he replied.
"...No problem.."
He stepped off the bus.
He put the flyer back in his pocket. No, he decided to take it out again.
He pulled out his wallet, folded the flyer up and put it into the one fold that didn't have a credit card or a wad of cash in it.
He stared at his money in the wallet and sighed.