VOICE TEST [Canon is Divergent]

[firstjumper]

...You're too Candor to play me. [the minute she says it she tucks her hands behind her. She's still at the beginning of the book, after her choosing day.]

Yes. I see that you're Divergent. I think that everyone here is divergent, but I...I would like to...well...

Switch.

Something like this...charging in to a situation that you don't know a lot about or makes you nervous. That's a dauntless trait.

Comments

[igotaguy]

Kid, are you okay?

[firstjumper]

Yes. [And that's why she could never be Candor. She lies too easily. It's not so easy to ignore her writer's squirming.

She's not okay.]

She's not. She's having a hard time deciding what part of my story I should come from. Hence the...leaping into things without looking. Dauntless do that.

[igotaguy]

First of all, "dauntless do that," is in no way a sentence.

Yeah, well, muns are crazy. You get used to it after a while.

[firstjumper]

Yes it is. That's the name of the faction responsible for our protection and security in the city. [she snorts] The dauntless.

[But she's not dauntless yet which is why she lowers her head] ...I..apologize for being so abrupt in saying that.

[She's not Dauntless yet she's abnegation. She's bred supposedly for a life of service.] You're not from Chicago, you couldn't possibly have known.

[igotaguy]

What, like the cops? I guess it's a cooler name than being a cop, so there's that.

Oh, I've been all over the world. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm just some retired old crone.

[firstjumper]

[Cops.

She stares] Yes. They were police. Now they just guard the fence.

[All over the world. All over the world. Those four words stick in her head and she forgets that asking questions not pertaining to his personal welfare and what she might be able to do to make today better for him and anyone else who might arrive is important]

All over? So my mun's right? There are people here from outside the fence, there are things here from outside the fence? And you're not a monster or some kind of mutant! You're not some kind of...hired killer?

[Someone is talking way too fast] are there factions outside the fence? Which one do you belong to? Because you look like you could be dauntless or Candor but those two switch so often it's hard to discern which is which which makes sense because Candor has always represented people who Dauntless have arrested...

[igotaguy]

There are people from all over the place. Different countries, different universes, it's crazy. You could go on acid and not meet more people than what you'd find here.

And hey, I'm just a regular human being. Particularly handsome and clever, maybe, but you know, we all have god-given talents.

Well, I am pretty dauntless and candid. So, both, I guess.

[firstjumper]

...I don't want to go on acid I don't want to burn myself.

[she's breathless] You're divergent.

I was right. Everyone here is divergent. It's not a bad thing here.

[she sits, abruptly. Not to mention that she can't stop smiling.] The Candor don't lie. Do you lie?

[igotaguy]

No, it's not...

You know what, forget I brought it up.

[He quirks an eyebrow at her.]

That's not a very polite thing to ask someone.

[firstjumper]

[she looks pained] ...I'm so sorry I offended you. I...I got excited.

[She's leaving behind abnegation. She shouldn't care. Should she?

She lowers her head]

[igotaguy]

No, it's not ...

I'm not offended. It was just a strange question, you know?

[What a weird girl. He really does need a beer at this point.]

Besides, everyone lies sometimes. So I guess that puts me in that category too. Sometimes it's for the greater good, you know what I mean?

[firstjumper]

[deep breath] ...That's...yeah. I guess. [see how much she's blushing?]

Everybody here thinks like that?

[igotaguy]

Well, not everyone, I bet. I mean, some people probably think you should never lie. Those people don't even know how much trouble the truth can get you in sometimes.

[He grins, easy.]

But I'm sure some people do.

[firstjumper]

[She's really hesitant to say anything else after a big faux pas like that. Still.]

I've never seen so many people who ... don't know what they want and are okay with that. Who are okay with thinking like that.

[igotaguy]

In my opinion, barely anyone actually knows what they want. And the people who do are usually trouble.

[firstjumper]

...Then you may not be dauntless. [long pause] Sorry. It's...hard to shake the faction aspect of it.

I've never met somebody who doesn't know what they want to do with their lives.

[igotaguy]

Well, I'm done some pretty daunting things, don't get me wrong.

Never? Wow. Sometimes I can't even decide what kind of beer I want.

[firstjumper]

[Her lips purse] Is it hard?

[igotaguy]

Choosing a beer? Oh yeah.

[firstjumper]

[Her eyebrow raises] I've never had one.

That...my faction doesn't believe in alcohol. Desiring to inhibit your mental facilities is selfishness.

[igotaguy]

Well, that's silly. One beer isn't gonna turn you into a raging lunatic. Sometimes you just need to have something to drink. And some actually taste good!

Those are my favorites. And don't get me started on mixed drinks. The girlier, the better, in my opinion. Besides scotch.

You don't look old enough to drink anyway.

[firstjumper]

It's not silly. It's abnegation philosophy. [she just stares]

...I don't? Wow.

[igotaguy]

Well, how old are you?

[firstjumper]

16.

[igotaguy]

Oh, you got plenty of time before you can use booze to help you make a fool of yourself.

[firstjumper]

[She lowers her head] some of the dauntless drink. I've seen them. They're leaders too amid the factions.

I never would. Abnegation doesn't abide by that.

....Can I ask you something? [This is why she's dauntless. Not Abnegation. She plunges ahead heedless] Do you like it? Not having a faction? Being able to choose?