[[Theme music "Medusa" plays]]

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Hades:  I heard your first broadcast.

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

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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?

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

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[Slowly, we hear Pandora's breathing grow heavy. She is clearly beginning to panic.]

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[[SFX: Microphone switching off]]

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Pandora: What-- how-- I don't--

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Hades: Pandora, I need you to breathe.

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Pandora: You know! You've known. This whole time?

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Hades: ...yes.

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Pandora: And you're telling me because-- because you want something? What? Money? I-I don't have any, I am here on scholarship.

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Hades: What? No!

 

Pandora: I don't have anything at all, I-- please, please don't tell anyone. I can't leave, I-- I don't want to go!

 

Hades: Pandora, I'm not trying to blackmail you! This is a disaster…Please sit down before you pass out.

 

Pandora: O-ok, ok, I...I'm really confused…

 

Hades: Yes, well...it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

 

Pandora: It wasn't?

 

Hades: Do you want me to get you some water?

 

Pandora: What?

 

Hades: It might help calm your nerves.

 

Pandora: What...what is happening? Why are you being nice to me?

 

Hades: I am trying to...to fix this. This was not how it was supposed to go. I wasn't supposed to threaten you with what I knew, I just got so worked up and it came out like that, and...it wasn't supposed to be like this.

 

Pandora: How was it supposed to be?

 

Hades: I thought I could tell you what I knew and you would see that I had kept your secret, and then...then maybe you would feel like you could help me? That I was worth helping?

 

Pandora: [breathes deeply] Ok, let me...I have a lot of questions.

 

Hades: Yes, I imagine.

 

Pandora: But...let's just clear this first. This whole time, you haven't told anyone about me? And you aren't trying to expose me or anything?

 

Hades: No.

 

Pandora: ...ok, then...then I can breathe a little. Let me work on that a moment.

 

Hades: Take your time.

 

Pandora: [Inhales] Ok. Ok. [Exhales] Ok, first, I just... How? How could this possibly happen? How could you have heard me?

 

Hades: Often, when I'm working, I leave the radio on tuned into static. The white noise helps me focus.

 

Pandora: ...what? That's-- you realize that's insane, right?

 

Hades: Well, it proved serendipitous because, one day, I heard someone faintly talking in the static. I tuned the radio and...there you were. I didn’t know who you were, but the things you were saying...if you hadn't have been so earnest, I wouldn't have thought it was true.

 

Pandora: You didn't feel like you were eavesdropping?

 

Hades: It was on the radio. My first thought was hardly that I was hearing something private. It wasn't until the end I realized I had stumbled on something I was never intended to hear.

 

Pandora: So...so why didn't you tell anyone?

 

Hades: Because I'm not a snitch?

 

[Pandora laughs]

 

Pandora: ...really.

 

Hades: [small laugh] ...because believe it or not, I know something about trying to carve a place for oneself where one does not necessarily belong. I also suspected you would be caught relatively easy on your own.

 

Pandora: ...that's fair.

 

Hades: And then you weren't. Suddenly this girl I had heard rambling had a show and no one questioning her position at the school. That was when I started thinking that you might be able to help me.

 

Pandora: Yeah. That. What is it that you so badly need help with?

 

Hades: It's going to sound ridiculous. Don't laugh.

 

Pandora: Dude, as far as I'm concerned, you are balancing my fate on your pinkie nail. I'm not really in a place to laugh.

 

Hades: I need help talking to someone.

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[pause]

 

Pandora:  ….hmm.

 

Hades: I don't know what that noise was.

 

Pandora: I, um...huh. Let me...uh...you want me to help you socially?

 

Hades: I suppose.

 

Pandora: Like...teach you to talk?

 

Hades: Something like that.

 

Pandora: Ok, cool that's cool really cool, just, um...were you here these last ten minutes? Cause I feel like that should have changed your mind real quick.

 

Hades: It very nearly did.

 

Pandora: Then why are you still here?

 

Hades: You don't see it, do you? Listen, frankly, you shouldn't be here right now, sitting in this room. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But you are. Why do you think that is?

 

Pandora: I don't know, dumb luck? I try not to think about it cause I'm afraid if I do it will break whatever spell is keeping me here.

 

Hades: Pandora, you talked your way into Mount Olympus University. You made a decision and presented yourself and that's why you are here. Yes, the one-on-one is...unrefined at times, but while surrounded by people with magic and powers beyond comprehension you got here just by talking. That's remarkable.

 

Pandora: I...I don't really know if it's like that.

 

Hades: I'm not here to convince you on that, I just thought...you were my best shot. Plus, everyone else here knows me, or, well, thinks they do. And I'm hardly on good terms with most of then, so I couldn't dare trust them with this. I thought since we were relative strangers, then maybe…

 

Pandora: Oh.

 

Hades: Yeah.

 

Pandora: And then I...huh. [Pause] So, who is this person?

 

Hades: Someone...special.

 

Pandora: Oh. Oh! Is this like...a flirting thing you need help with? Um, I don't know, that's sort of more Aphrodite’s thing.

 

Hades: No, no, I'm not trying to seduce someone, I just...look at what we've just been through. I am barely able to communicate the things in my head to the people around me. You should know that the power I represent is something people fear. I'm not trying to change that; I know my fate. But, because of that, my curse is that there is an entire world between me and everyone else here and...I want to breech that. If only once. If only for one person.

 

Pandora: ...you’re a good guy, aren't you Hades?

 

Hades: I think “good” is, uh, fairly relative.

 

Pandora: ...ok, um, I'll help. I’m not really convinced that I can in any capacity, but...I will try to help you feel confident talking to this person.

 

Hades: Really?

 

Pandora: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I probably owe you one.

 

Hades: You don't.

 

Pandora: Well, maybe I want to owe you one in this regard. [pause] Hey, I'm...I'm sorry.

 

Hades: About what?

 

Pandora: I don't know. Everything. I think I, um...I think I got kind of ugly today and I don't really like it.

 

Hades: ...I accept your apology.

 

Pandora: Cool. [pause] So are we hashing this out now, or...?

 

Hades: Ah, perhaps we should...take a break. We have had quite the event just now.

 

Pandora: Yeah, and I mean, my show is sort of late now.  

 

Hades: Of course.

 

Pandora: So...tomorrow?

 

Hades: Tomorrow.

 

Pandora: Cool. [pause, then calls out after him] Hey, the person you're trying to connect with isn't me, is it?

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Hades: [distantly from across the room] Really?

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Pandora: [laughing] I dunno, I'm just covering my bases!

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Hades: No, Pandora.

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Pandora: OK...but am I cute?

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Hades: Goodbye, Pandora.

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Pandora: [laughing] Ok, ok, sorry, Hades, sorry! I don't know why I'm like this! Ok, bye!

 

[[SFX: Door closing]]

 

[deep breath]

 

Let's get this show on the road.

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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]]