A Train Ride Home with Owen
What game I'm playing: A Train Ride Home
In this game, you place down five train car cards between cards depicting the front and back of a train. When you flip over each card, a prompt will be written on the other side. Answer the prompt, and then move on to the next card.
Which character I'm playing: Owen (he/him) the athlete. He's obnoxious and competitive. He has a lot to learn about being a good friend and community member, but he'll get there eventually. He has short light brown hair, brown eyes, and often wears a brown jacket. He's physically fit because he plays volleyball.
(Author's note: I first played this game with this character a year ago and intended to start a project like this, but I didn't feel satisfied with what I was coming up with. I had a lot of fun this time, though! I feel like I finally made a breakthrough with how to write this challenging character.)
And so the story begins...
Owen, the athlete, is on a journey back home to join a community volunteer project. He of course feels like returning home to help his hometown volleyball team is a perfect fit for him. But his real motivations for going home might be a little more self-absorbed...
Card number one prompt: A community working together. Think of a project that you (Owen) poured your heart into and worked incredibly hard for. Did you achieve your goal? Why or why not? Did it matter in the end?
Owen looked down at the copy of his application and tapped his pen against his temple. He was sitting on the train, on the way to his hometown where he would be volunteering soon. He had submitted his application already, but had printed out a copy for himself. Something about it was bothering him, but he couldn't place what it was. It didn't really matter, because he had been accepted anyway. Even so, he read his answer to the question about a project he poured his heart into again:
“In high school, I led my volleyball team to win the State National Championship. I wasn't the captain of the team, but I was our best attacker. I worked very hard for every point I scored, which caused us to sweep the other team in three sets. I achieved my goal of scoring 80% of the points. Because we won Nationals in my senior year, I inspired more freshmen to join the team.”
He hummed to himself. No, the problem couldn't be his answer here. It was perfect.
Card number two prompt: A clock. What was an important moment you (Owen) were late for and why? How did you feel? Was there anything you could have done differently?
He moved on to the question about something he was late for. When he first read this question, he had scoffed at it. He was never late... at least to volleyball practice. He had been late to school a few times, but none of those times seemed important enough to mention. He had ended up writing some bogus answer about how important it was to not be late. But deep in his heart he knew something very important he had been late for. He hadn't fully realized his bisexuality until after high school, and he couldn't help but wonder from time to time how different his life would have been if he had known sooner. Maybe his high school rival could have been more than just a rival. Maybe he would feel a lot more confident in himself now, instead of like an awkward outcast in the community. He had seemed like a typical straight guy for so long, he wasn't really sure how to express himself now. There was no way he could have written all that into his application, though. He sighed.
Card number three prompt: A flock of birds. Think of a moment where you (Owen) felt you stepped up to take the lead. How did you persuade others to follow your lead?
He had struggled with the question about taking the lead. He wasn't the captain of his team, so he wasn't actually a leader. He didn't have to persuade the coach to let him play as a starter, because he was a good enough player. He ended up writing about his very short time in the Boy Scouts, but they didn't have to know how short it had been. One time he had lead his troop on a hike during a camping trip. He had been at the front of the line and everything. He had almost gotten them all lost, but realized it soon enough and steered them back onto the right trail. That showed good leadership, right? His fingers twitched at admitting he had been wrong, though. He grumbled at his answer and scribbled it out.
Card number four prompt: Graffiti on a wall. Think of a moment that you (Owen) engaged in an act of protest or resistance. Did you feel fear? How did you find the courage to speak up or take action?
This question had been the hardest of all, and he had to just be honest in his answer:
“In honor of honesty, I have never protested or resisted in my life. But I suppose this community project is the first opportunity I've come across, in a way. It's not exactly a protest, but it is an opportunity to stand up for something I care about. As I stated earlier, when I was in high school I brought my volleyball team to Nationals. I remember how incredible it felt just to be there, even before we won. We felt our confidence soar. I would hate to see generations younger than me not be able to make it to Nationals just because the program wasn't getting enough funding, the uniforms were getting too expensive, and students were losing interest in something that could be amazing for them. I would give anything to go back to those days, but I can't, so the next best thing is to make sure the students after me can have it.”
It was a good answer after all, he thought. But a thought kept nagging in the back of his mind. Is this the real reason why you're going home? He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. The truth was, he was desperate to return back to the high of Nationals, of scoring more points than his rival. This rival was actually a member of his own team. The ugly truth was, Owen wasn't a very good team player. He thrived on scoring more points than anyone, and he was looking forward to fundraising more money than his old teammates. He wanted that rivalry to exist again. Of course, the students getting to go to Nationals again thanks to his fundraising was an amazing outcome, but not the one he really thought the most about. He chose to ignore his slightly guilty feeling and move on.
Card number five prompt: A humble and bustling restaurant. What's a food dish that is of particular significance to you (Owen)? Why? Is it linked to a special moment or a special someone?
He finally reached his stop at the train station in town. He gathered his bag, which he stuffed his application in, his phone, and his jacket. He was decked out in his old volleyball jersey which luckily still fit, but barely. He was so excited to see his old teammates again, who were also volunteering, that he almost skipped his way to the volunteer meeting spot when he wasn't on a bus. When he arrived, though, he discovered that the volunteering project was very different than he was expecting. Instead of finding himself surrounded by his old team, he was put into a small group of strangers. They introduced themselves one by one:
“Hi, I'm Roan!” one of them, a boy, said. He then elbowed the dark-haired boy next to him. This boy sighed and didn't look particularly friendly.
“I'm Finnley.”
The person next to him, a feminine person with chin-length blonde hair, waved awkwardly and pointed to their name tag which read, “Gwyn. They/He.”
“Um,” Owen said, feeling very confused and disappointed. “I'm Owen. I'm sorry, I thought...”
Roan cut him off with a strange question. “What is a food dish that is of particular significance to you?”
“What?”
Roan anxiously picked at his fingers. “We're trying to get to know each other with ice breaker questions... I thought of one about food... So that maybe we can go out to lunch together?”
The other two didn't seem like they had eagerly answered this question either. Roan spoke again.
“I know so many great restaurants around here.”
Owen snorted. “Who doesn't? I mean, we all grew up here, right?”
Roan looked surprised. “Actually, we're all new here.”
Owen looked aghast. “What? I'm not new here. Why am I with a group of new people?”
Roan looked more anxious than ever. “Oh, um, did you not read the acceptance packet we received?”
Owen's shoulders slumped. He had been so obsessed with his application that he had forgotten to read the packet. He quickly dug it out of his bag and scanned the pages. He found the information on the first page: “Each volunteer group will have one person who grew up here, and three people who are new in town.”
Owen suddenly felt like crying. His hopes and dreams of reuniting with his old team for the project had been crushed. There was no way he was going to show his feelings in front of these strangers, though. Instead, he stood tall and answered the first boy's question.
“I really love the brunch at Oliver's. Talk about a hometown classic!” He tried to put on a smile that didn't look fake.
Roan looked even worse now, and Owen was about to take personally before Roan explained, “Oliver's is closed. I mean, for good.”
Owen collapsed onto the ground in a frustrated fit. He didn't even have Oliver's to count on? This was going to be tougher than he thought.
Thanks for reading! More to come!