CHARACTERS

SILVIA
MAXSON

the protagonist

Armed with combat boots and spiky silver earrings, Silvia joins the class as an outsider American international student from Seattle, Washington. When she discovers that the school wants to teach her telepathy instead of how to become a posh ambassador, she is hooked and easily persuaded by her new capacity for connection. Her habit of escaping into fantasy through surrealist painting escalates into mental illusion. Eventually, overindulgence in her imagination and the minds of others lead to both addiction and revelation. 

MISHA
DRozdov

the ETHICIST

From Laastmäe, Estonia, Misha holds a grey passport, stuck in limbo between his Russian and Estonian identity. His ambition to be an ambassador is fueled by his detest of injustice and his wish to not feel like a second-class citizen. He desires to think freely and more than anything, for his thoughts to be his own. Rumor has it he may be responsible for the anti-Putin and anti-EKRE graffiti on the Linnahall tagged under the pseudonym Cat Buddha. If you’re looking for him, he’s as likely to be found at a library or an underground Russian club in an abandoned building.

LUULE
PAALMAA

the MOOD RING

Luule’s actions are always direct reflexes of her emotions, her temperament programming her limbs in a continuous dance. She’s both the traditional Estonian who picks mushrooms, folk dances, loves ‘the nature’, and acts cold on the surface, while also desiring to leave home for adventure and letting passions consume her. She’s crafty at making and thrifting clothes which become an expression of herself and the patchwork of her mental state. When she first meets the rest of the class, she plays tour guide, eager to get to know her classmates and show them her city.

VOLODYA
LEBEDEV

the LOCAL

A class clown with a hint of mystery, one day you think Volodya is an open book and the next day you can’t figure out what he’s thinking or how he makes the leap from one absurd idea to another. Still, Volodya is a magnet, you can’t help but be drawn to him and his antics. He’s a street-smart chameleon who can blend into any situation he finds himself in, playing the part of both an average Estonian high-schooler and an eclectic ambassador. He loves hanging out with Luule, his best friend, but he’s most content when he’s wandering the streets of Old Town with his corgi Riim while playing music from his speaker.

YUME
KUMAGAI

the DETECTIVE

Daughter of the Japanese ambassador to Estonia, Yume never wanted to follow in her ambassador parents’ footsteps, the role she is expected to take on. While she may appear compliant and play the part when she needs to, she creates games for herself to stay entertained, taking in every detail of the scene around her to catch glimpses of the quirks and secrets of others. When Yume joins the class, she knows something is going on, but she doesn’t know what, unaware of telepathy. She devotes her spare time to trying to unravel the mystery.

JOSEPHINE
Sørensen

the VALEDICTORIAN

Daughter of the Danish ambassador to Estonia, Josephine always wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps. There was never a question in her mind that this was what she wanted to commit her life to since she was little. Josephine plays the piano, attends the parties her parents hold as if she’s already a politician, diplomatically negotiates situations to fall in her favor, and doesn’t get less than perfect grades. She is so consumed by her studies and the prestige of being an ambassador that she doesn’t want to interact with her classmates, except for her fellow ambassadors.

DAPHNE
BRINCAT

thE UNDERDOG

Daughter of the Maltese ambassador to Estonia, Daphne is excited to take on the role one day to give Malta more of a voice and help restore the island to her dream of a corrupt-free paradise. Unlike Josephine or Yume, she doesn’t know the etiquette of being an ambassador and her family isn’t connected to their social circles. Despite the fact that she appears more like a casual beach club girl than a politician, Josephine takes her under her wing, possibly out of a desire for friendship, possibly out of a desire for a follower.

KERLI
KRISTAL

the HEAD TEACHER

Kerli gives Silvia the task to flip the rest of her classmates and is the class’s only adult confidant. Something seems off about her, like she is part ghost or half there, something about her in a state of decay. She is a strict overseer and strikes fear into her students, as her mood can change from sweet to venomous in an instant. Her room is peculiar, a time capsule of 70s to 90s Estonia under Soviet occupation with some questionable KGB memorabilia.