Counterpoint Duet

**Recording**   ( https://youtu.be/OKMtYKly\_Bw )
**Transcript**

Takes place on June 7th, 2020, the day after the Big Team Season 4 Finale.

***Annie:** So I know that we were meeting up at Faith’s apartment.*

***Kasey:** Mhm.*

***Annie:** Well her mom's place, she doesn't actually have a lease because she’s a child. What would the weather be like? Cuz let's set that scene, too. That’d be fun.*

***Kasey:** I think probably it's been like a, like sunny, partly cloudy day, but then as Ernest is approaching it's getting kind of more cloudy and dark. Not– not stormy but just*

***Annie:** Mhm*

***Kasey:** Yeah just cloudy.*

***Annie:** Like overcast.*

***Kasey:** Yeah.*

***Annie:** There's a storm brewin’. Yeah, all right. Uh. So yeah I guess you're outside the apartment door. And like this is one of those like really like fancy apartment buildings, where it's like new development and it's like super high up. Like, like sky rise stuff. What is it called, sky rise? No, high rise. It– it’s like, kind of in the middle of the city and all that.*

***Kasey:** Mhm. Yeah, yeah.*

***Annie:** Yeah.*

***Kasey:** Is it, is it something where Ernest, like, could get to the door of the building? Or would have to be like, buzzed in?*

***Annie:** Uh, like, he probably got buzzed in, he probably got buzzed in because like he was expected?*

***Kasey:** Okay.*

***Annie:** You just needed to give a name.*

***Kasey:** Okay.*

***Annie:** And the doorman would let you get through.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, I think Ernest would make his way up to the, um, to the apartment and knock on, knock on the door and then–*

***Annie:** All right, uh so, inside you actually hear, uh, very faintly, uh, there's like a French horn, like, being played that's like, kind of discordant. And then when you knock it like it goes– it like pitches it a bit, uh, but then it stops and you hear, like, very quiet, like, footfalls. And then the little slot, the what's it called– the peephole, it like. It slides open– slides shut, and then just*
like, a few deadbolts unlocking.

***Kasey:** [laughter] How many? Like a, like an unusually large number, or?*

***Annie:** No, just three, but it's like–*

***Kasey:** Just slightly more.*

***Annie:** Yeah, one of them’s like a key card, one of them's like a traditional house key and the other one is like, you probably don't even, like, have a single clue as to how this kind of lock is made.*

***Kasey:** Mhm.*

***Annie:** Uh, yeah, the door swings open and yeah Faith is just chillin in her, I don't know. Shorts and a t-shirt I guess.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ernest is also in like, casual clothes, not, not hero clothes. Um.*

**Faith:** Oh uh hey, hey, yeah, come in.

***Kasey:** I think Ernest will just sort of hover nervously by the door.*

**Ernest:** Hey, is it, is it okay to talk about like, um–

***Kasey:** and he’ll just sort of like drop his voice to a whisper*

**Ernest:** hero stuff here? I, uh–

**Faith:** Oh yeah, first thing is that my mom's not home right now she's on a, she's on a business trip. And second yes, she knows.

**Ernest:** Okay, cool. Sorry if– I didn't know if I was supposed to pretend I didn't know, but I wanted to talk to you?

**Faith:** Yeah, no, everything, everything's fine. Uh, yeah, come on in.

***Kasey:** Yeah, he’ll, he’ll come in. I think he's also got, um, Cloudy with him but Cloudy’s just kind of being, kinda being quiet for now.*

***Annie:** [laughter] She’ll like, eye it for a second and then like, uh, give like a sharp little whistle then the General will like buzz in from, uh, down one of the halls. And, like, he’ll just hover there for a second with like, the inquisitive, like, :3 cat face.*

***Kasey:** [laughter] I think Cloudy, Cloudy would put up a, the, the like smiling cat emoji.*

***Annie:** [laughter]*

**Ernest:** Oh yeah this is, this is Cloudy, I just got them from, I guess a fan? Yeah, I guess they could hang out with the General while we talk?

**Faith:** That's so cool! Wow, your fans just send you random stuff and like, you’re good with it?

***Kasey:** He just kind of, he kind of, uh, like scratches the back of his neck and is like–*

**Ernest:** I can't stop them because they know where I live. Um. Sometimes it’s weird? I have still, like, 20 of those rainbow lightning plush things I don't super want, but.

***Kasey:** And he just, yeah, he just kind of shrugs.*

***Annie:** [laughter]*

**Faith:** I mean hey, if you ever want to get those like mass-produced or something.

**Ernest:** I- I think there's enough of them already.

**Faith:** Alright.

***Annie:** And she's like leading you down, like– I had an idea for the apartment layout where it's like, the the door itself, like, it's not at the end of the hall, but it's, like, somewhat midway down. And like, as it opened up, you see this like, a little mini foyer entrance with like, a painting and with like generic art deco stuff. Um. And like, there's, there's a hallway on either side that turns, and on the right-side hallway that she leads you down is this like, living room that is like HUGE.*

***Kasey:** What's the, is the apartment interior also like modern designy? Like what's, what's the style?*

***Annie:** Yeah it's like, it's like, it's like modern, uh, like, uh what am I trying to say? It's like one of those like, showcase apartments, uh, that like, uh, is all like, cleaned up prim and proper. Post– not post-modern. Um. It's got a lot of geometric stuff. There's like an L-shaped couch, like a few, like, ottomans.*

***Kasey:** But like, so clean you're like, does someone actually live here, kind of?*

***Annie:** Yeah, for the most part, like, there's the occasional, um. It's like the thing that indicates that someone actually lives here is the fact that they're, like, some of the pillows aren't like, perfect and, uh, there are like, a mixing bowl or two on, on like, the open kitchen area. It's like a few magazines that seem out of place, but like are completely in character to have because it's all like Supers Daily or whatever. Or Super Weekly.*

***Kasey:** Oh yeah, daily magazine, geeze. [laughter]*

***Annie:** Oh no, not daily.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, okay.*

***Annie:** Yeah. And like you can see, uh kind of, uh, quickly like, packed up and strewn off to the side is a case that probably has a French horn in it. Definitely has a French horn in it. And there's like a stand with sheet music on it.*

***Kasey:** Aw, yeah.*

***Annie:** That’s like, very scribbled around, like this is– it's like printed pieces of sheet music that is just the empty bars and it's like being filled in with like, pencil or whatever.*

***Kasey:** Mhm. Yeah is–*

**Faith:** Have a seat.

***Annie:** Yeah?*

**Ernest:** Yeah, yeah. Um. How are you– how are you doing? I– yeah I guess I probably should have come talked to you last night, but I– I'm really sorry, about the lightning and everything. Are you– are you doing okay?

***Annie:** Uh, like, she's, she– Faith had like a, like a overly, like, a host-type expression put on and like, like ‘oh my friend is here,’ but then it kind of like drops to a bit more serious. But she's still like, smiling somewhat.*

**Faith:** Uh yeah, I'm fine. Everything, I guess was, uh– It turned– I wasn't like– It wasn't like life-threatening, or whatever. Like I'm probably going to have to start using my inhaler again, but that's probably just because of the whole, you know, the drowning part. Um. I mean it wasn't you.

***Kasey:** And I think Ernest sort of looks kind of like, like, just kind of winces at that, that's like–*

**Ernest:** I- I'm not, I'm not sure that it wasn't? I mean, with– What did it feel like for you? When you had a few moments there– I don't, I don't know about when you fired at Anaya, but when I– when I hit you with lightning I– I knew exactly what I was doing.

**Fatih:** Hmm, okay.

***Annie:** She looks a bit more downcast now, but like, at the same time there's like a sense of, like a very minor sense of relief that comes off of her.*

***Kasey:** Mhm.*

**Faith:** I mean yeah. Yeah, no, I felt the same way I guess. It's– I guess it felt like when you're doing something and then like– when you're doing a project or something, um. Like you didn't read through all of the, all the tasks that you had to do, but then you realize after you read that like, oh this is required of you. And like, you already did it it's like, oh I feel proud that I'm actually applying myself. You know that whole thing?

**Ernest:** Yeah. It– it, yeah it felt like what I was supposed to be doing and I know that sounds terrible and I feel awful that you ended up getting hurt, but I did– I guess, I wouldn't blame you for being mad at like, me and not– I don't want to blame someone else for, for something I did.

***Annie:** At the part where, uh, he said that, uh, about getting mad, she like, kind of like, like tenses up and like, flushes a little bit.*

***Kasey:** [laughter]*

**Faith:** Um, no, I'm not mad, it's– Like I totally understand where you're coming from.

**Ernest:** How- How are you, um…

***Kasey:** And he’s sort of like, uh, like kind of fidgeting with his, uh, his hands and stuff and I think probably little like, uh, just sort of like eddies of wind happening around his hair and stuff. Nothing, nothing like super intense but just kind of motion.*

**Ernest:** How are– I mean, aside from the getting struck by lightning and nearly drowning and such, um. How are you feeling about like, um...

***Kasey:** And he just, he like pauses for a few more moments fidgeting and–*

**Ernest:** Um. How are you feeling about not being Gestalt anymore?

**Faith:** Like being part of, part of them?

**Ernest:** Yeah.

**Faith:** I mean I was feeling fine at first, like... I guess having that, like a weight taken off of your head. It's like when there's, when there's this background noise, and then it just stops? Like at first it’s kind of relief, but um… I don’t know, I guess as things have been kind of settling down like... I'm noticing the quiet a lot more. And it's, like... I don't know, like when I wake up or something like I'm going to go make breakfast, I catch myself like humming. Humming that like, melody, I guess.

***Kasey:** Yeah, Ernest– Ernest will nod and say–*

**Ernest:** Yeah it, uh. It kinda reminds me of, I– My brother used to live with me, like, in Halcyon, but he left for New York like, months ago and for a while I would still expect him to be there, in the apartment, like when I got back from school and stuff and.. Just that… Yeah, like that, but in my head, now?

**Faith:** Uh-huh. Um. Gosh. Uh, that's. [nervous laughter] Yeah.

***Annie:** She’ll like turn– turn to go like, I don’t know, get– get some glasses to fill with like, water or something.*

***Kasey:** Mhm.*

***Annie:** Uh. Like she's gonna try and like, not face, uh, face Ernest right now, I guess, quickly? Not quickly.*

***Kasey:** Mhm.*

***Annie:** Um, and then she'll like, like sniff kinda. Uh, and like shake her head and then come back with the two glasses and set them down on coasters.*

***Kasey:** Mhm. Yeah, Ernest will just kind of like, yeah take a drink and just be like–*

**Ernest:** Yeah, sorry. It's been weird to think about, I guess. Since, like, yeah I feel really bad about what I did but also kind of miss it?

***Kasey:** And he- he seems like, very conflicted about this.*

***Annie:** Mhm. Uh, she'll step in and say–*

**Faith:** Well I mean, I did kind of try and punch you in the face without any prior idea of what to do.

***Kasey:** He’ll kind of, he’ll kind of, uh... He’ll, he’ll kind of grin at that and just be like–*

**Ernest:** Yeah, I mean I’m too worried about getting– Wouldn’t, wouldn't be the first time I got decked in the face by a teammate. Not, not too worried about that, but... I just– Yeah, I guess. It must have been scary seeing your teammate, like, turn against you like that and I'm– I'm sorry for that too.

**Faith:** I mean if if anything I'd say the scariest part was seeing like, how at peace you were. And it's like, that's not– that wasn't you, I guess. Like you're just, I guess being manipulated. Right?

***Kasey:** Yeah, I think Ernest will, will, sort of, um, like, yeah like tip his head to the side and say–*

**Ernest:** I– Maybe? It– It– It’s hard, I guess, like DNase said Gestalt was being manipulated by HELIX, and maybe some of that got, got through to me, but it just– it just, it did feel peaceful and maybe it was being manipulated, but. In– they were– In a way that they were, they were giving me what I wanted, I guess? And that felt real, not, not like a trick. I actually did feel peaceful.

**Faith:** Yeah. Um. Well, at least, uh. Well maybe, maybe– I– I– I don't know if it's just being like, like recklessly optimistic, but maybe– I mean Gestalt was being manipulated. So maybe if we can find the original? I mean, I assume that they just got people like together via proximity or something, but maybe if we can find the source and find them we’ll, we’ll be able to do something?

**Ernest:** Yeah, yeah, maybe– Maybe we should talk to them.

***Kasey:** And I think… yeah, Ernest goes a little bit like, kind of looks a little absent-minded and starts humming like, the tune of Gestalt’s song.*

***Annie:** Ooh.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, just kind of absentmindedly.*

***Annie:** I think that also in the silence and the humming starting up, she'll like, be a little kind of like swayed to it, but then be like, uh, like grip the cup extra hard and like, try to snap herself out of it and, uh kind of set it down with like, a somewhat large clattering noise, not on the coaster.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, I think that, you know sends– sends a bit of like– like, a flash across Ernest’s synesthesia and sort of snaps him out.*

**Ernest:** Oh, sorry.

**Faith:** Ahhhh.

***Annie:** And she like, she puts her face in her hands.*

**Ernest:** I– I– Yeah. I’m– Maybe I should– I should just go, I'm really, again about the lightning–

***Kasey:** And he's just, yeah, he's kind of like, standing up now and– and, kind of like, stutter-stepping towards the door.*

**Faith:** Um. I've, uh, been trying to make the– recreate what, uh, what you did.

**Ernest:** What?

**Faith:** To, the– like, the counter song that you, that you made?

**Ernest:** Oh, the– the storm?

**Faith:** The storm, yeah.

**Ernest:** Was that what you were playing?

***Kasey:** And he’ll kind of gesture towards the, the case.*

**Faith:** I've been trying, um. It's– I don't exactly have the best experience in recreating the sound of a, you know, super-power-generated storm on a brass instrument.

***Kasey:** [laughter] Yeah, Ernest will kind of uh, uh, chuckle at that. Um.*

**Ernest:** Yeah I could– I mean I don't want to summon a–

***Kasey:** He, yeah, he looks kind of, looks around at like the very neat house like–*

**Ernest:** I don't want to summon a storm in your apartment, but I could, uh, try to remember how that went and– Uh, hey Cloudy!

***Kasey:** And calls him over.*

**Ernest:** We could pretend Cloudy is a, like a storm and they could play music.

***Kasey:** And yeah, Cloudy will just kind of like blast a few bars of a random song.*

***Annie:** [laughter]*

***Kasey:** In demonstration.*

***Annie:** Like a Flex Girls song plays or something?*

***Kasey:** Yeah. Just like three words or something before turning it off.*

***Annie:** I imagine the General like, is close behind like, whirring and like, making a few beeping noises and like, stops short of bumping into Cloudy.*

***Kasey:** [laughter]*

**Ernest:** Yeah, I– I hadn't been, been– I guess I'd been thinking more about Gestalt’s song than, than the one I made, but I– But between the two of us, we might be able to put it back together.

**Faith:** Yeah.

***Annie:** And like she's, she's actively like got– She's like gotten up the same time that you were trying to like skitter away, I guess. Like she starts kind of like, pacing, like one hand like, on her chin.*

**Faith:** Maybe… hm. I have noticed like this, uh, thing that– that– Some kind of like, audio-simulation-type thing where, um, maybe if we catch ourselves in the middle, or like starting to do– just starting to like, hum the stuff, or trying to recreate, uh, Gestalt’s song, uh. We could have like a– like a– like a audio thing trigger, and then it starts playing the counterpoint to, I guess snap out of it?

**Ernest:** Yeah I can– For me I can probably get Cloudy to do that for me, and I don't know you've got, uh–

***Kasey:** Uh, he just sort of gestures to the General.*

**Ernest:** You got like, tech stuff. Maybe you've like–

**Faith:** The General, yeah!

**Ernest:** –a phone app or something?

**Faith:** Yeah, I could sync him up to the phone apps– phone app that I have.

**Ernest:** Yeah and then if we can– if we can, uh, get a recording of the countersong, we can– we can get them to play it for us.

**Faith:** Okay, okay this sounds like a– this sounds uh– this sounds like a plan.

**Ernest:** So what have you got so far?

***Annie:** Uh, she'll run over to the, uh, stand. Uh, and like take, take– It looked at first like it was one sheet that was like, maybe, maybe two– two– two bars in, uh and then like, she'll shuffle, uh, shuffle them neatly, and then you can see that there's like, a whole bunch of other sheets already filled out, but there's a lot of like, red pen, a lot of scratch marks.*

***Kasey:** [laughter]*

**Faith:** Um, so I kind of had an idea and it was like, getting distorted because of the water and like, the chaos and the noise and um, also the singing. But I have a kind of idea– it's like a skeleton.

***Kasey:** Yeah, I think, uh, Ernest will start looking through and start humming bits of it and going like–*

**Ernest:** Oh, no, this part is too– definitely too blue…

***Kasey:** And like–*

**Ernest:** This– this is– this is definitely faster–

***Kasey:** And yeah, and just sort of like, um, like–*

**Ernest:** Oh yeah I didn't– I didn't remember this part, but, uh, hearing it– hearing it again, this, yeah this is– this is definitely it.

***Kasey:** And yeah, and just sort of like, also going through and marking stuff up. Yeah, I think that could be like a bit of a– Yeah, a bit of sort of like a montage of them.*

***Annie:** And I think that also as he's writing stuff down like, she turns back and she turns back to look and like nod, and then she like catches herself like looking for like, a split second too longer, then like shaking her head and getting back to the– back to the papers. And like also bringing a few snacks out like, I don't know cookies? Uh. What would Ernest’s like, favorite food be?*

***Kasey:** Oh, marshmallows are like, his trademark. Or like, things with marshmallows in them.*

***Annie:** It's like a pack of like, rainbow marshmallows.*

***Kasey:** [laughter] Yeah. Um. Did you have any, uh, anything else or did– or we can have it like, fade out on them– on them working on this together.*

***Annie:** Yeah, I think that would work.*

***Kasey:** Yeah.*

***Annie:** Yeah. Alright. Uh. And then like, probably the last scene would be like the overcast turning to another weather pattern?*

***Kasey:** Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I could go– We can go for, for maybe a rainbow, it’s still sunny enough.*

***Annie:** Cute.*

*[laughter]*

***Annie:** The actual weather news people are like “This unpre– These unprecedented weather patterns not predicted–”*

*[laugher]*

***Annie:** Like an uproar against all the weather people in Halcyon.*

***Kasey:** [laughter]*

***Annie:** The weather news people.*

***Kasey:** “Meteorologists HATE him!”*

*[laughter]*

***Annie:** Oh my god, yes. Alright. Uh, that was– okay, yeah, I guess that’s the scene.*

***Kasey:** Yeah, sounds great.*