Chapter 169: 169
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"Okay. Helena, have you memorized the line just now?" Tayaw asks Helena suddenly.
"W-what?" Helena is caught off-guard that she is suddenly involved.
"I've written it. I didn't memorize it, but I'm familiar enough." Helena answers after recovering.
"Alright. May I invite you outside for a moment?" Tayaw asks Helena.
"We'll come back in say… 20 minutes. I know you can spare the time." Tayaw says to the other three.
"You're not kidding…" Helena says in realization.
"I'm not. Do this for the film, yeah?" Tayaw says, his benevolent smile disarming Helena's apprehension.
"O-kay." Helena can only follow, her curiosity intensifying at the proceedings. The other three can only watch as Helena and Tayaw walk out of the shop.
"Okay… What do you want?" Helena asks as her and Tayaw arrive at the parking lot.
"I want to show you how Claire is supposed to act. Hell, if you're a natural in acting, you might even replace Claire. Hehe." Tayaw says. "
Alright…" Helena says, skeptical.
"Okay. You've written her character well, judging from the dialogue alone. So, I want you to remember, as clearly as you can, what you felt while you were writing it." Tayaw starts…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Salisbury, Connecticut - 7 PM Local
"Hey Nathan. Good evening." Bryan enters Nathan's living room, in the small bungalow that Nathan recently bought and moved in to.
"Hey. What's up?" Nathan greets his manager while half his attention is on his television.
"Nothing. Why are you in here anyways?" Bryan says, referring to the town where Nathan is spending his time recently.
"What? It's not a bad place. It's a small town, but it's just as quiet as Calabasas." Nathan says.
"Hm. I'm guessing they don't know you, then? That's good." Bryan says as he joins Nathan on the couch.
"Oh, they know me, alright. But they respect my privacy." Nathan explains.
"Hmm. Cool... I'm actually glad you moved out of LA." Bryan nods.
"I didn't realize how toxic that place really is." Nathan shakes his head.
"Your therapist's recommendation?" Bryan asks.
"Yeah. He's honest enough to want me out of there, unlike the other therapists that want to squeeze me dry." Nathan nods.
"Well why didn't you just move back in with your parents?" Bryan suggests.
"Nah. I need some time alone. I didn't realize how my family changed." Nathan shakes his head. Bryan understands and he figures it is not his place to ask more.
"So, you're still on that?" Bryan asks, changing the subject, pointing out what Nathan is watching.
"Yeah. Okay. I can't focus that you're talking." Nathan says suddenly.
"Well, I'm sorry man." Bryan brushes the rude comment aside.
"Nah. I need a break anyways." Nathan says, exaggeratingly stretching his body on his couch before standing up. .
"Want a drink?" Nathan asks as he heads to his kitchen.
"Sparkling water. Do you have it?" Bryan asks.
"That's so LA. I'll just give you a Sprite." Nathan says.
"Hm. I guess you're learning stuff? You've been watching this since its DVD was released." Bryan asks as Nathan rejoins him.
"Yeah. I hope I'm more suited to this type of acting. And, it's even more fun." Nathan says as he skillfully rewinds the DVD like he's done many times before.
"That's good. Well, I heard that your acting coach quit on you?" Bryan asks.
"Yeah. He was in panic when he did. He's doing the same as what I'm doing right now." Nathan chuckles.
"Hmm. Same thing I've heard from the others agents' actors." Bryan says.
"What do you mean?" Nathan asks.
"Well, some of the acting coaches have recently closed their studios. I even spotted a few of them together one time. You know how they're like classic martial artists who have their own 'styles'. Hanging out together is un-f.u.c.kin-thinkable." Bryan explains.
"Hmm. That explains it." Nathan nods.
"Oh, right. I heard from other managers and agents… You're not the only actor trying to learn this. In fact, I think that many of them are already way ahead of you as they saw it first in Sorrento." Bryan reports.
"That's… concerning. Well, I'm more marketable than most of them at least." Nathan shrugs.
"Hnh. True…" Bryan scoffs at Nathan's advantage.
"By the way. I think I can learn this too. Hehe." Bryan comments.
"I thought it was easy too. But…" Nathan shakes his head as he sips his drink.
"But?" Bryan says.
"Well, my coach said it's not as simple as it looks. He says that non-actors can be great extras, but the leading roles need to have more skill. I'm starting to see it too..." Nathan says.
"Really." Bryan tilts his head, interested.
"Yeah. Alright, take a look at this …" Nathan fast forwards the film to a scene before playing it.
/"WHYYY??!! I JUST WANT TO LEAVE!! *Sob* I just… want to f*ckin leave..." Steven collapses on his knees right at the edge of a cliff."/
"Can you do that? The pain seems real. The voice cracking... Damn." Nathan asks.
"Hah. F*ck no." Bryan realizes immediately what Nathan is saying.
"Heh. I tried copying it, taping myself, but something's off." Nathan says.
"Oh. This one too." Nathan rewinds the dvd once again.
"/*riiingggg* *SMASH* Steven smashes his keyboard on his boss' head./"
"Well, he's just angry." Bryan found the scene less impressive than the crying scene.
"Look again… Here. The build up of anger in his face. That's hard to make it believable. I don't even know what the actor is thinking on this scene." Nathan comments.
"Let me see that again… Oh. Yeah. It feels real." Bryan says.
"Yeah… If the boss stopped ranting, then Steven might not have erupted like that." Nathan agrees.
"Well. That's what the director wanted us to see, but you know, how about the takes? How many times did this actor need to get it right?" Bryan brings up a good point.
"Hmm. Actors can only have so many takes. But you're right. I'm curious though how many takes this guy needed." Nathan says.
With that, the two became silent as they continue to re-watch the scenes in the film again. Bryan though, gets quickly bored and many thoughts are now plaguing his mind, including Nathan's recent change.
"Man… You're really taking this acting stuff seriously now, huh." Bryan looks at Nathan in a new light.
"It's fckin interesting, is all." Nathan feels embarrassed at the comment.
Before his emotional breakdown, Nathan was never concerned to perform and work more than what he was asked. Now, Bryan sees in Nathan an obsessive and focused drive that he only saw in a few men.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Las Vegas – a coffee shop
"Oh. Here they are." Xiao Song says as he sees Helena and Tayaw enter the coffee shop once again.
Him and the other two have been waiting patiently and in anticipation. The three then sees Tayaw whisper something to Helena to which Helena nods at. Tayaw then proceeds to the table beside the group's and sits, wearing a sad expression. They then see Helena approach their table, her appearance looking a bit different to what she looked like prior. They get to have a closer look once Helena returns to her seat. Helena's shoulders are downcast, looking as if she has no energy to even smile.
"/I'm Sorry!/" Helena suddenly says loudly as she stands up, surprising Gary, Claire, and Xiao Song.
"/This… This mess has been all my own fault./" Helena's energy returns back down and she looks down on the floor, showing a convincing degree of guilt.
"/I was bringing to Ronny to somewhere that I shouldn't have. I brought him to that cave thinking: he must be feeling the same?/" Helena looks at the three as if she is explaining to them.
"/ I've bared all! Tenderness, affection, personal intercourse. I admit, it was entitlement on my part to expect what I wanted.../" Helena then looks at Tayaw, the three also looks at him.
"/None of this was your fault, Ronny. I'm sorry./" Helena concludes her line, her voice even breaking.
Gary, Xiao Song, and Claire processes Helena's portrayal and immediately saw the difference. They are feeling as if what they just seen is not from a novel, or a portrayal of an actress, but is something that occurred in front of their eyes real-time, in real life.
"And… scene!" Tayaw takes the four's attention back. Helena on the other hand, sighs in relief and is back to herself, but still affected by the emotions of her character that Tayaw forced her to display.
"Feels a bit lacking, but that's the gist of it." Tayaw tells the group as he joins them again at their table.
"Good Lord. Thank goodness, it's over." Helena says, grabbing a napkin on the table before wiping her sweat with it. Gary and Xiao Song are now looking at Helena as if they are meeting her again for the first time.
"Hey! Not fair! You helped her!" Claire exclaims, her pride hurt, feeling jealous at Helena's display, feeling threatened that her role is to be usurped.
"Hey. Come on. She's not an actress." Tayaw raises his palms to Claire in defense.
"And, it's not easy for her either. Sorry about that, by the way, Helena." Tayaw apologizes. After all, he said some words that might have affected Helena, just to play the character better.
"Uhuh. I don't want to go through that again. That was just one scene. Good luck playing the role, Claire." Helena says, unknowingly erasing Claire's concern.
"How'd you make her do that, by the way?" Xiao Song asks.
"Mostly her. She had a very close attachment to her character. She treats her character like a real person, so I tried making her, her character. Claire, if you can achieve that attachment to the character, your portrayal will be more convincing." Tayaw says.
"How do I even do that?" Claire asks, frustrated.
"Don't think of acting. You shouldn't be an actress playing the part of Mia. Instead, become Mia. Helena already wrote a good part of her identity in her novel. Imagine growing up like Mia, imagine experiencing what she experienced and why she just had to go to Australia." Tayaw says.
Claire can only try hard to interpret Tayaw's words.
"Hmmm. Become Mia. Write that down, honey." Gary tells Claire.
"Thank you." Claire tells Tayaw.
"Damn. The screenplay is already a problem. I can't even think how we will cast the other characters." Xiao Song sighs.
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"Okay. Helena, have you memorized the line just now?" Tayaw asks Helena suddenly.
"W-what?" Helena is caught off-guard that she is suddenly involved.
"I've written it. I didn't memorize it, but I'm familiar enough." Helena answers after recovering.
"Alright. May I invite you outside for a moment?" Tayaw asks Helena.
"We'll come back in say… 20 minutes. I know you can spare the time." Tayaw says to the other three.
"You're not kidding…" Helena says in realization.
"I'm not. Do this for the film, yeah?" Tayaw says, his benevolent smile disarming Helena's apprehension.
"O-kay." Helena can only follow, her curiosity intensifying at the proceedings. The other three can only watch as Helena and Tayaw walk out of the shop.
"Okay… What do you want?" Helena asks as her and Tayaw arrive at the parking lot.
"I want to show you how Claire is supposed to act. Hell, if you're a natural in acting, you might even replace Claire. Hehe." Tayaw says. "
Alright…" Helena says, skeptical.
"Okay. You've written her character well, judging from the dialogue alone. So, I want you to remember, as clearly as you can, what you felt while you were writing it." Tayaw starts…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Salisbury, Connecticut - 7 PM Local
"Hey Nathan. Good evening." Bryan enters Nathan's living room, in the small bungalow that Nathan recently bought and moved in to.
"Hey. What's up?" Nathan greets his manager while half his attention is on his television.
"Nothing. Why are you in here anyways?" Bryan says, referring to the town where Nathan is spending his time recently.
"What? It's not a bad place. It's a small town, but it's just as quiet as Calabasas." Nathan says.
"Hm. I'm guessing they don't know you, then? That's good." Bryan says as he joins Nathan on the couch.
"Oh, they know me, alright. But they respect my privacy." Nathan explains.
"Hmm. Cool... I'm actually glad you moved out of LA." Bryan nods.
"I didn't realize how toxic that place really is." Nathan shakes his head.
"Your therapist's recommendation?" Bryan asks.
"Yeah. He's honest enough to want me out of there, unlike the other therapists that want to squeeze me dry." Nathan nods.
"Well why didn't you just move back in with your parents?" Bryan suggests.
"Nah. I need some time alone. I didn't realize how my family changed." Nathan shakes his head. Bryan understands and he figures it is not his place to ask more.
"So, you're still on that?" Bryan asks, changing the subject, pointing out what Nathan is watching.
"Yeah. Okay. I can't focus that you're talking." Nathan says suddenly.
"Well, I'm sorry man." Bryan brushes the rude comment aside.
"Nah. I need a break anyways." Nathan says, exaggeratingly stretching his body on his couch before standing up. .
"Want a drink?" Nathan asks as he heads to his kitchen.
"Sparkling water. Do you have it?" Bryan asks.
"That's so LA. I'll just give you a Sprite." Nathan says.
"Hm. I guess you're learning stuff? You've been watching this since its DVD was released." Bryan asks as Nathan rejoins him.
"Yeah. I hope I'm more suited to this type of acting. And, it's even more fun." Nathan says as he skillfully rewinds the DVD like he's done many times before.
"That's good. Well, I heard that your acting coach quit on you?" Bryan asks.
"Yeah. He was in panic when he did. He's doing the same as what I'm doing right now." Nathan chuckles.
"Hmm. Same thing I've heard from the others agents' actors." Bryan says.
"What do you mean?" Nathan asks.
"Well, some of the acting coaches have recently closed their studios. I even spotted a few of them together one time. You know how they're like classic martial artists who have their own 'styles'. Hanging out together is un-f.u.c.kin-thinkable." Bryan explains.
"Hmm. That explains it." Nathan nods.
"Oh, right. I heard from other managers and agents… You're not the only actor trying to learn this. In fact, I think that many of them are already way ahead of you as they saw it first in Sorrento." Bryan reports.
"That's… concerning. Well, I'm more marketable than most of them at least." Nathan shrugs.
"Hnh. True…" Bryan scoffs at Nathan's advantage.
"By the way. I think I can learn this too. Hehe." Bryan comments.
"I thought it was easy too. But…" Nathan shakes his head as he sips his drink.
"But?" Bryan says.
"Well, my coach said it's not as simple as it looks. He says that non-actors can be great extras, but the leading roles need to have more skill. I'm starting to see it too..." Nathan says.
"Really." Bryan tilts his head, interested.
"Yeah. Alright, take a look at this …" Nathan fast forwards the film to a scene before playing it.
/"WHYYY??!! I JUST WANT TO LEAVE!! *Sob* I just… want to f*ckin leave..." Steven collapses on his knees right at the edge of a cliff."/
"Can you do that? The pain seems real. The voice cracking... Damn." Nathan asks.
"Hah. F*ck no." Bryan realizes immediately what Nathan is saying.
"Heh. I tried copying it, taping myself, but something's off." Nathan says.
"Oh. This one too." Nathan rewinds the dvd once again.
"/*riiingggg* *SMASH* Steven smashes his keyboard on his boss' head./"
"Well, he's just angry." Bryan found the scene less impressive than the crying scene.
"Look again… Here. The build up of anger in his face. That's hard to make it believable. I don't even know what the actor is thinking on this scene." Nathan comments.
"Let me see that again… Oh. Yeah. It feels real." Bryan says.
"Yeah… If the boss stopped ranting, then Steven might not have erupted like that." Nathan agrees.
"Well. That's what the director wanted us to see, but you know, how about the takes? How many times did this actor need to get it right?" Bryan brings up a good point.
"Hmm. Actors can only have so many takes. But you're right. I'm curious though how many takes this guy needed." Nathan says.
With that, the two became silent as they continue to re-watch the scenes in the film again. Bryan though, gets quickly bored and many thoughts are now plaguing his mind, including Nathan's recent change.
"Man… You're really taking this acting stuff seriously now, huh." Bryan looks at Nathan in a new light.
"It's fckin interesting, is all." Nathan feels embarrassed at the comment.
Before his emotional breakdown, Nathan was never concerned to perform and work more than what he was asked. Now, Bryan sees in Nathan an obsessive and focused drive that he only saw in a few men.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Las Vegas – a coffee shop
"Oh. Here they are." Xiao Song says as he sees Helena and Tayaw enter the coffee shop once again.
Him and the other two have been waiting patiently and in anticipation. The three then sees Tayaw whisper something to Helena to which Helena nods at. Tayaw then proceeds to the table beside the group's and sits, wearing a sad expression. They then see Helena approach their table, her appearance looking a bit different to what she looked like prior. They get to have a closer look once Helena returns to her seat. Helena's shoulders are downcast, looking as if she has no energy to even smile.
"/I'm Sorry!/" Helena suddenly says loudly as she stands up, surprising Gary, Claire, and Xiao Song.
"/This… This mess has been all my own fault./" Helena's energy returns back down and she looks down on the floor, showing a convincing degree of guilt.
"/I was bringing to Ronny to somewhere that I shouldn't have. I brought him to that cave thinking: he must be feeling the same?/" Helena looks at the three as if she is explaining to them.
"/ I've bared all! Tenderness, affection, personal intercourse. I admit, it was entitlement on my part to expect what I wanted.../" Helena then looks at Tayaw, the three also looks at him.
"/None of this was your fault, Ronny. I'm sorry./" Helena concludes her line, her voice even breaking.
Gary, Xiao Song, and Claire processes Helena's portrayal and immediately saw the difference. They are feeling as if what they just seen is not from a novel, or a portrayal of an actress, but is something that occurred in front of their eyes real-time, in real life.
"And… scene!" Tayaw takes the four's attention back. Helena on the other hand, sighs in relief and is back to herself, but still affected by the emotions of her character that Tayaw forced her to display.
"Feels a bit lacking, but that's the gist of it." Tayaw tells the group as he joins them again at their table.
"Good Lord. Thank goodness, it's over." Helena says, grabbing a napkin on the table before wiping her sweat with it. Gary and Xiao Song are now looking at Helena as if they are meeting her again for the first time.
"Hey! Not fair! You helped her!" Claire exclaims, her pride hurt, feeling jealous at Helena's display, feeling threatened that her role is to be usurped.
"Hey. Come on. She's not an actress." Tayaw raises his palms to Claire in defense.
"And, it's not easy for her either. Sorry about that, by the way, Helena." Tayaw apologizes. After all, he said some words that might have affected Helena, just to play the character better.
"Uhuh. I don't want to go through that again. That was just one scene. Good luck playing the role, Claire." Helena says, unknowingly erasing Claire's concern.
"How'd you make her do that, by the way?" Xiao Song asks.
"Mostly her. She had a very close attachment to her character. She treats her character like a real person, so I tried making her, her character. Claire, if you can achieve that attachment to the character, your portrayal will be more convincing." Tayaw says.
"How do I even do that?" Claire asks, frustrated.
"Don't think of acting. You shouldn't be an actress playing the part of Mia. Instead, become Mia. Helena already wrote a good part of her identity in her novel. Imagine growing up like Mia, imagine experiencing what she experienced and why she just had to go to Australia." Tayaw says.
Claire can only try hard to interpret Tayaw's words.
"Hmmm. Become Mia. Write that down, honey." Gary tells Claire.
"Thank you." Claire tells Tayaw.
"Damn. The screenplay is already a problem. I can't even think how we will cast the other characters." Xiao Song sighs.
"Okay. Helena, have you memorized the line just now?" Tayaw asks Helena suddenly. "W-what?" Helena is caught off-guard that she is suddenly involved. "I've written it. I didn't memorize it, but I'm familiar enough." Helena answers after recovering. "Alright. May I invite you outside for a moment?" Tayaw asks Helena. "We'll come back in say 20 minutes. I know you can spare the time." Tayaw says to the other three. "You're not kidding" Helena says in realization. "I'm not. Do this for the film, yeah?" Tayaw says, his benevolent smile disarming Helena's apprehension. "O-kay." Helena can only follow, her curiosity intensifying at the proceedings. The other three can only watch as Helena and Tayaw walk out of the shop. "Okay What do you want?" Helena asks as her and Tayaw arrive at the parking lot. "I want to show you how Claire is supposed to act. Hell, if you're a natural in acting, you might even replace Claire. Hehe." Tayaw says. " Alright" Helena says, skeptical. "Okay. You've written her character well, judging from the dialogue alone. So, I want you to remember, as clearly as you can, what you felt while you were writing it." Tayaw starts o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Salisbury, Connecticut - 7 PM Local "Hey Nathan. Good evening." Bryan enters Nathan's living room, in the small bungalow that Nathan recently bought and moved in to. "Hey. What's up?" Nathan greets his manager while half his attention is on his television. "Nothing. Why are you in here anyways?" Bryan says, referring to the town where Nathan is spending his time recently. "What? It's not a bad place. It's a small town, but it's just as quiet as Calabasas." Nathan says. "Hm. I'm guessing they don't know you, then? That's good." Bryan says as he joins Nathan on the couch. "Oh, they know me, alright. But they respect my privacy." Nathan explains. "Hmm. Cool... I'm actually glad you moved out of LA." Bryan nods. "I didn't realize how toxic that place really is." Nathan shakes his head. "Your therapist's recommendation?" Bryan asks. "Yeah. He's honest enough to want me out of there, unlike the other therapists that want to squeeze me dry." Nathan nods. "Well why didn't you just move back in with your parents?" Bryan suggests. "Nah. I need some time alone. I didn't realize how my family changed." Nathan shakes his head. Bryan understands and he figures it is not his place to ask more. "So, you're still on that?" Bryan asks, changing the subject, pointing out what Nathan is watching. "Yeah. Okay. I can't focus that you're talking." Nathan says suddenly. "Well, I'm sorry man." Bryan brushes the rude comment aside. "Nah. I need a break anyways." Nathan says, exaggeratingly stretching his body on his couch before standing up. . "Want a drink?" Nathan asks as he heads to his kitchen. "Sparkling water. Do you have it?" Bryan asks. "That's so LA. I'll just give you a Sprite." Nathan says. "Hm. I guess you're learning stuff? You've been watching this since its DVD was released." Bryan asks as Nathan rejoins him. "Yeah. I hope I'm more suited to this type of acting. And, it's even more fun." Nathan says as he skillfully rewinds the DVD like he's done many times before. "That's good. Well, I heard that your acting coach quit on you?" Bryan asks. "Yeah. He was in panic when he did. He's doing the same as what I'm doing right now." Nathan chuckles. "Hmm. Same thing I've heard from the others agents' actors." Bryan says. "What do you mean?" Nathan asks. "Well, some of the acting coaches have recently closed their studios. I even spotted a few of them together one time. You know how they're like classic martial artists who have their own 'styles'. Hanging out together is un-f.u.c.kin-thinkable." Bryan explains. "Hmm. That explains it." Nathan nods. "Oh, right. I heard from other managers and agents You're not the only actor trying to learn this. In fact, I think that many of them are already way ahead of you as they saw it first in Sorrento." Bryan reports. "That's concerning. Well, I'm more marketable than most of them at least." Nathan shrugs. "Hnh. True" Bryan scoffs at Nathan's advantage. "By the way. I think I can learn this too. Hehe." Bryan comments. "I thought it was easy too. But" Nathan shakes his head as he sips his drink. "But?" Bryan says. "Well, my coach said it's not as simple as it looks. He says that non-actors can be great extras, but the leading roles need to have more skill. I'm starting to see it too..." Nathan says. "Really." Bryan tilts his head, interested. "Yeah. Alright, take a look at this " Nathan fast forwards the film to a scene before playing it. /"WHYYY??!! I JUST WANT TO LEAVE!! *Sob* I just want to f*ckin leave..." Steven collapses on his knees right at the edge of a cliff."/ "Can you do that? The pain seems real. The voice cracking... Damn." Nathan asks. "Hah. F*ck no." Bryan realizes immediately what Nathan is saying. "Heh. I tried copying it, taping myself, but something's off." Nathan says. "Oh. This one too." Nathan rewinds the dvd once again. "/*riiingggg* *SMASH* Steven smashes his keyboard on his boss' head./" "Well, he's just angry." Bryan found the scene less impressive than the crying scene. "Look again Here. The build up of anger in his face. That's hard to make it believable. I don't even know what the actor is thinking on this scene." Nathan comments. "Let me see that again Oh. Yeah. It feels real." Bryan says. "Yeah If the boss stopped ranting, then Steven might not have erupted like that." Nathan agrees. "Well. That's what the director wanted us to see, but you know, how about the takes? How many times did this actor need to get it right?" Bryan brings up a good point. "Hmm. Actors can only have so many takes. But you're right. I'm curious though how many takes this guy needed." Nathan says. With that, the two became silent as they continue to re-watch the scenes in the film again. Bryan though, gets quickly bored and many thoughts are now plaguing his mind, including Nathan's recent change. "Man You're really taking this acting stuff seriously now, huh." Bryan looks at Nathan in a new light. "It's fckin interesting, is all." Nathan feels embarrassed at the comment. Before his emotional breakdown, Nathan was never concerned to perform and work more than what he was asked. Now, Bryan sees in Nathan an obsessive and focused drive that he only saw in a few men. o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Las Vegas a coffee shop "Oh. Here they are." Xiao Song says as he sees Helena and Tayaw enter the coffee shop once again. Him and the other two have been waiting patiently and in anticipation. The three then sees Tayaw whisper something to Helena to which Helena nods at. Tayaw then proceeds to the table beside the group's and sits, wearing a sad expression. They then see Helena approach their table, her appearance looking a bit different to what she looked like prior. They get to have a closer look once Helena returns to her seat. Helena's shoulders are downcast, looking as if she has no energy to even smile. "/I'm Sorry!/" Helena suddenly says loudly as she stands up, surprising Gary, Claire, and Xiao Song. "/This This mess has been all my own fault./" Helena's energy returns back down and she looks down on the floor, showing a convincing degree of guilt. "/I was bringing to Ronny to somewhere that I shouldn't have. I brought him to that cave thinking: he must be feeling the same?/" Helena looks at the three as if she is explaining to them. "/ I've bared all! Tenderness, affection, personal intercourse. I admit, it was entitlement on my part to expect what I wanted.../" Helena then looks at Tayaw, the three also looks at him. "/None of this was your fault, Ronny. I'm sorry./" Helena concludes her line, her voice even breaking. Gary, Xiao Song, and Claire processes Helena's portrayal and immediately saw the difference. They are feeling as if what they just seen is not from a novel, or a portrayal of an actress, but is something that occurred in front of their eyes real-time, in real life. "And scene!" Tayaw takes the four's attention back. Helena on the other hand, sighs in relief and is back to herself, but still affected by the emotions of her character that Tayaw forced her to display. "Feels a bit lacking, but that's the gist of it." Tayaw tells the group as he joins them again at their table. "Good Lord. Thank goodness, it's over." Helena says, grabbing a napkin on the table before wiping her sweat with it. Gary and Xiao Song are now looking at Helena as if they are meeting her again for the first time. "Hey! Not fair! You helped her!" Claire exclaims, her pride hurt, feeling jealous at Helena's display, feeling threatened that her role is to be usurped. "Hey. Come on. She's not an actress." Tayaw raises his palms to Claire in defense. "And, it's not easy for her either. Sorry about that, by the way, Helena." Tayaw apologizes. After all, he said some words that might have affected Helena, just to play the character better. "Uhuh. I don't want to go through that again. That was just one scene. Good luck playing the role, Claire." Helena says, unknowingly erasing Claire's concern. "How'd you make her do that, by the way?" Xiao Song asks. "Mostly her. She had a very close attachment to her character. She treats her character like a real person, so I tried making her, her character. Claire, if you can achieve that attachment to the character, your portrayal will be more convincing." Tayaw says. "How do I even do that?" Claire asks, frustrated. "Don't think of acting. You shouldn't be an actress playing the part of Mia. Instead, become Mia. Helena already wrote a good part of her identity in her novel. Imagine growing up like Mia, imagine experiencing what she experienced and why she just had to go to Australia." Tayaw says. Claire can only try hard to interpret Tayaw's words. "Hmmm. Become Mia. Write that down, honey." Gary tells Claire. "Thank you." Claire tells Tayaw. "Damn. The screenplay is already a problem. I can't even think how we will cast the other characters." Xiao Song sighs.
