[[Theme music "Medusa" plays]]

 

[[Music fades into sound of Pandora humming]]

 

[[SFX: Knocking on door]]

 

Pandora: It's open! Jeez, Dite, since when have you knocked? Anyway, good timing, I was just getting ready to start the--

 

Hades: ...Hello, Pandora.

 

Pandora: ...sup.

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Hades: I’m Hades.

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Pandora:  Yeah, I know who you are.

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Hades: Ah.

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[silence]

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Pandora:  Wow, this is honestly everything I hoped it would be.

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Hades: What?

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Pandora:  Us, standing here in awkward silence, staring at each other while I wait for some sort of explanation. It’s just as I dreamed.

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Hades: I...don't understand.

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Pandora:  It's sarcasm. Cause this is really weird.

 

Hades: Oh. I--it’s-- I apologize.

 

Pandora:  I don't want you to apologize, I want you to tell me what's going on! You've been following me for weeks now which makes me think it’s important, but, at the same time, you refuse to spit it out so it can't be THAT important, right? ...What? Why are you looking at me like that?

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Hades: You said I have been following you for weeks.

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Pandora:  Haven't you?

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Hades: Yes-- that is, no, not following, but-- you noticed I was around?

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Pandora:  Yeah. Is that weird? A term that's largely relative in this situation?

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Hades: You didn't say anything?

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Pandora:  Umm, why do you think I asked what you were doing when I saw you outside this room last week?

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Hades: ...I see....I have something I need to ask you.

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Pandora:  Ok.

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Hades: Something I...may need assistance with, I suppose.

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Pandora:  Really? You're just gonna open with favors?

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Hades: I know it's unconventional, but I think you are my best option.

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Pandora:  I mean, you have to know that I don't feel super inclined, right?

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Hades: I-- yes, I suppose.

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Pandora:  Because I don't know you and you really haven't clarified anything except that you have been following me just to ask me to do something for you.

 

Hades: I wasn't following you.

 

Pandora: You want to argue about semantics?

 

Hades: I was around because I wanted to approach you, but…

 

Pandora: What? I was too intimidating?

 

Hades: No. Believe it or not, someone of your level does not intimidate me.

 

Pandora: ...what?

 

Hades: No, that's not--

 

Pandora: What the hell, dude?

 

Hades: I didn't mean it-- like--

 

Pandora:  Like what? Like an insult? I get that I'm not tall or strong or anything--

 

Hades: I wasn't referring to your stature.

 

Pandora: So then its what? My brain? Am I not smart enough for you?

 

Hades: Listen, I--

 

Pandora: Rule number one when asking for favors, maybe don't insult the person you want something from.

 

Hades: Will you stop interrupting me and listen?

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[[SFX: Flickering static]]

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[Pandora gasps]

 

Pandora: ...The lights just flickered.

 

Hades: That...that was…

 

Pandora: Why did the lights just flicker? ...Anything? No? Nothing? ...You should go.

 

Hades: What?

 

Pandora: Gonna be real, I don't really feel like helping you right now. I didn't before, either, but...obviously, this is not working so, go find someone else for whatever it is.

 

Hades: Just like that?

 

Pandora: No, not “just like that,” it-- Honestly, it was probably a long shot since the beginning. It's not like your reputation preceded you with flying colors, and now this whole...thing...has been sufficiently weird, so let's just--

 

Hades: I see.

 

Pandora: Come on, don't--

 

Hades: So did I ever stand a chance of getting you to hear me out? Or are you so entrenched in rumors that this was a foregone conclusion?

 

Pandora: I'm just saying, you’re light on fans.

 

Hades: Ahh, and that's what counts to the girl on the radio, isn't it?

 

Pandora: No, that's not-- you're twisting my words!

 

Hades: Then you tell me what you meant.

 

Pandora: ...Ok, fine, I listened to rumors. I didn't pay attention to the after-school specials, slap on my wrist. But no one was racing to sing your praises either and, like it or not, that doesn't say nothing about you.

 

Hades: Because so many would rush to deny any lies they heard about you?

 

Pandora: They-- yeah! Yeah, I'm sure they…I'm sure someone... Why are we even talking about this? I listened to these things because you wouldn't just come and talk to me!

 

Hades: And why didn't you talk to me? You just said you spent weeks knowing I was there. It never occurred to you that I was going to try to do something difficult? That you could have actually spoken to me first?

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Pandora: That wasn't my job.

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Hades: No, but you could have done it anyway! You could have actually done something instead of collecting information from the sidelines, like you always do. Do you realize that? You don't have to sit in here and wait for people to come to you just because you're terrified!

 

Pandora: What?  What are you talking about?

 

Hades: Pandora...

 

Pandora: Don't. We aren't friends. And you sure as hell don't know anything about me.

 

Hades: We have something in common. We both know something about not being what people think, don't we? ...Maybe we have something to talk about after all. 

 

Is the microphone on?

 

Pandora: Yeah. Yeah, it is.

 

Hades: ...You may want to turn it off.

 

Pandora: Uhhhh, not gonna happen.

 

Hades: I'm saying this for your sake.

 

Pandora: I don't think that's true and I definitely don't care. Because I think you want it off so you can say whatever you want and be off the hook. I'm not giving that to you.

 

Hades: And that's your call?

 

Pandora: Damn right.

 

Hades: Because you want people to hear, right? In case someone has tuned in. You want people to be listening at all the right times and you just hope they don't hear the wrong thing.

 

Pandora: What are you talking about?

 

Hades: [sighs] ...is leaving the microphone on your final decision? 

 

...Alright.

 

I heard your first broadcast.

 

Pandora: ...Seriously? What, do you want a medal or something? Long time listener badge? If that's what all this was about, I--

 

Hades: Not your first show. Your first broadcast. When you accidentally stumbled into this room a few weeks into the semester. That first day when you started talking about why you were here at MOU because you knew no one was listening. Well, I was out there. I was listening.

 

“I don't belong here.” That's what you said, right?

 

I know, Pandora. I know what you are. And I know what you're not.  

​

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[[Theme song "Medusa" plays]]

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Raeanna Nicole Larson: Mount Olympus University is an original story conceived and written by Raeanna Nicole Larson. Sound editing done by the intrepid Luuk Van Hoomissen. Our icon was designed by the incomparable Jess Reed. Music by the industrious Teddy McKrell, whose works can be heard on soundcloud under teddymackerel.

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The role of Pandora is played by Raeanna Nicole Larson. Hades is played by Mark Lamont. 

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You can send us an email at mtolympusuniversity@gmail.com, or find us on Twitter @MtOlympusU. You can also check out our website for extras, including transcripts of every episode, at mountolympusuniversity.com.

 

Please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a comment to help more students find us. 

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[["Medusa" fades out]]