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[lienhearts]

WHO: Theo (aka ~*star actor*~ Kestrel Blade) and you!
WHERE: The Towers, Recollé University
WHEN: November 10th (filming), throughout the month otherwise
WHAT: "Sky of Birds" is filming a complicated shot at the famous Towers, and they're in need of paid extras! It's the perfect time to get your chance on screen - and mingle with the actors, if you're bold enough. Or, for you university students - come laugh at the late and totally unrelated guy who just got locked out of his classroom.
WARNINGS: Kestrel is sparkly. Theo is a jerk.

[Towers]

[The call for extras went out at the last minute, all things considered. Given the shot is simply a scene in the Towers, they weren't too picky about who showed up, so long as they looked convincingly like someone spending their weekend at the mall.

It's shot during the day, early in the morning so as to impede on actual business as little as possible. Kestrel himself can be found squinting at the building with eyes a little too sharp to be entirely sleep-deprived alone, already made up with a dark wig concealing his currently bleached-white hair as per his character.

It's really, seriously not just him, right? The Towers themselves seem to be placed slightly differently. And there was all that talk of the waffle house, too...

Ugh, no use dwelling on it. He's here to perform a job - part of a duo spying on a couple's date to make sure it's successful, the usual tripe. The coffee he'd fetched beforehand is probably lukewarm by now, but he raises it to his lips anyway, only to catch sight of the others as they approach.

PR time. He offers a friendly enough smile, managing to look far more awake than he feels.]

Hey. It's funny - they go through the trouble of dragging us all out here just so they can make us wait around a few hours between shots.

[He gives a mild shrug. Film crews, amirite?]

[School]

[So naturally it's his work schedule that has him running late, hair unkempt and dirty blond in color, clothes consisting of a ratty hoodie and wrinkled jeans.

He makes it to the classroom just in time to see the door shut right before his eyes, words from his professor echoing in his head - attendance will be counted, and only if the students are in their seats before he closes the door. It's enough to have him sulkily slamming a fist against his messenger back.]

Like we're in fucking high school...

[The halls have seating, at least, and it's with a sullen look that Theo moves to flop into one of the seats, taking out a heavy finance textbook. Break's at the halfway point, so if nothing else, he could get in for the last half of class, but damned if this doesn't make him feel like a toddler.]

Comments

towers

[wantnotneed]

[ Manon had been that the crew had been needing extras, so she definitely showed up to get an experience at the shooting scene. It's not like she would ever pursue a career in acting or such, but just gathering information and learning about things is enough for her. And, of course, she wants to be paid too. ]

Even though we're just extras, we showed up to fill in, you know! Time is a valuable resource, so we better be paid for waiting so long.

[ It doesn't look like she's aware of Kestral being Theo just yet, but her attitude is pretty much the same. ]

[lienhearts]

[...You know, it wouldn't really surprise him to find out that she's really just this casual with everyone. The smile doesn't even so much as falter.]

Haha, well... acting isn't as glamorous as it looks on camera. Waiting around like this is actually pretty normal.

[He takes a drink and... ick, yeah, that's way colder than he'd like. He'll refrain from making a face, at least.]

[wantnotneed]

If it's this normal, do your fellow actors just stand around and bring something with them to occupy their time? Like handheld games and phone apps... Though it looks like you're doing fine without either of those things.

[ She looks a little intrigued. ]

I suppose socializing also helps pass the time, but only when the other person isn't such a bore... Did you ever go to acting school? Or is it just innate talent? I've always watched all of your things!

[lienhearts]

Sure. A lot of the others are on their phones, and some of them even bring laptops.

[But no, he does not appear to have them on him at the moment.]

As for me... I attended acting school as a kid, yeah! That's how I worked my way up into my my very first filmed roles. I've always been a good actor, though - it drove my parents crazy!

[wantnotneed]

Then your parents just decided that being an actor was a steady job for you, huh... Ahh, that sounds nice. But, wouldn't you save these kinds of answers for your interviews?

[ Looking at him curiously... she wonders if this would deter him from talking to her even further. ]

[lienhearts]

[Tilting his head curiously himself.]

Hm? But I've totally said stuff like that before.

[Probably buried somewhere on his twitter or instagram, but it exists - he's certainly cheerfully 'open' online.]

[wantnotneed]

So you only say things in person that you admitted somewhere else?

[ Well, it certainly wouldn't be surprising, but it does interest her a little. ]

Ah, but this seems like a small makeshift interview by how many questions I'm asking you anyway!

[lienhearts]

If I say too much, my agent gets mad. It's a huuuge pain.

[He says it so flippantly, it's hard to tell if he actually understand why his agent would take issue with such a thing.]

Yeah, I guess so- or wait.

[Something seems to occur to him, and there's one of those smiles, still cheerful, but with a hint of playfulness.]

I'm always the one taking a gazillion interviews. What about you, miss? What's your name? And what brought you here as an extra?

[wantnotneed]

[ She looks surprised. Could be fake, considering it's her, but. You know. ]

The great Kestral Blade is interested in me?!

[lienhearts]

Of course I am! All my fans are important, y'know?

[Which has to be bullshit, but he sounds so genuine and cheerful.]

I don't always get to chat in person, either.

[wantnotneed]

Ah, yes. Since you're such a busy person and all.

[ She grins. ]

I'm Manon. I wanted to have the experience of being on the set! Not many have that opportunity, after all. Even as an extra, it's a valuable life experience for those that want to do all kinds of things!

[lienhearts]

It's nice to meet you, Miss Manon!

[He scratches at his cheek a bit at that second part, as though embarrassed.]

Sorry, it probably hasn't been too fun so far, huh? [Considering they're still waiting to do the shoot.] Once we get started, it goes by pretty quickly, at least.

Are you thinking of doing more acting, or is this it?

[wantnotneed]

Just Manon is fine! [ Since adding "Miss" makes it sound like she's a teacher or something... ]

It's fine though, honestly. If it's all a part of what actors experience, then I'll get to know. It's no big deal, unless it extends to an entire day of doing nothing. Then we'll have a problem.

I think acting would be fun on the side, but it's not something that can just be put off to the side. I'll just focus on what I do now.

school

[anguinous]

[ October was tiring for Laurent.

Where he's usually a bright, talkative, opinionated presence -- always neatly turned out, shadowed by a bodyguard -- he'd been increasingly tired looking and withdrawn over the month. His usually perfectly tamed curls a little more ruffled, his languid French accent heard less often in argument.

Whatever had been wrong, though, it seems to ease as November gets going. He's not quite back to the bright, sharp-tongued person he was before but he at least doesn't look so worn down.

Theo isn't in all of Laurent's classes, but his more managerial business degree does overlap with finance so he isn't a stranger to him. He's not the sort to watch TV dramas unless they're some particularly ostentatious period mini-series he can pick historical holes in, but he has noticed people appearing to recognise the man so he has an inkling he might be involved in some sort of media thing.

Considering Laurent's line of work he supposes he should look him up, but that feels like invasion of privacy.

The class stops for a break and people begin to shuffle around to get up, take a comfort break, get a drink and so on. Laurent, who has realised he is desperately hungry after being unable to think about anything for the past ten minutes apart from food, makes it to the door first and blinks out at the man on he seat. His lips twitch as if something amuses him, then he realises he's blocking the doorway and stands aside as more people begin filing out. ]

Busy morning?

[lienhearts]

[Oh, it's... this guy. Theo recognizes him by sight if not quiet yet by name yet, in one of those awkward cases of chatting enough times to be acquaintances but totally neglecting to memorize his name when introductions first occurred.

...Ehhhh it's been fine so far, he hardly sees why that would change now.]

You could say that.

[It's nice to be in one place long enough to attend classes, but filming running late is presenting its own set of problems...]

Looks like you've been busier than me, though. [On. Accounts of actually making it in.]

[anguinous]

Well I assume you were busy doing something.

[ Even if that was just sleeping in accidentally. There's a reason Theo wasn't here, whatever it was. ]

I was going to get some tea and a something to eat. There's a seat free by me if you want to look through what we did in the first half.

[lienhearts]

I was busy being late. You know how the teacher is.

[Grumble grumble!!]

...But sure, I'll take you up on that.

[Better to catch up now than on his own time. He'll pack up his book to follow.]

[anguinous]

[ He does know how the teacher is, but with how grumbly Theo is Laurent can't help but be amused regardless. ]

You might want to get yourself a drink too.

[ Tea or coffee, whichever he prefers. Laurent moves to begin heading down the hallway, digging out his wallet and trying to decide if he wants to queue for something or just use a vending machine.

A glance at the clock has him stop by the vending machines instead, trying to decide on what is both edible and not overpriced. ]

It was mostly going through the exercises he set. Did you get time to finish them?

[ He picks something and begins slotting in the coins, glancing sideways at Theo. If he was busy he might have also not have time to do them, after all. ]

[lienhearts]

I got through most of them, but there's a couple I'm stuck on...

[The exact reason why he bothered with a class at all; he's sharp enough to pick up on things with self-study, but sometimes the only way to avoid banging his head against a figurative wall is to ask someone for help.

He eyes the vending machine, though it looks like he's forgoing any snacks for now.]

[anguinous]

[ He vends a packet of nuts and stows them in a pocket, moving out of the way to let someone else get to the machine. ]

You can check against mine. Did you want something before we head back?

[ From the vending machine, or otherwise. ]

[lienhearts]

Thanks.

[At the mention of the snacks, he simply shakes his head.]

Nah. I'll just eat at home later.

[It's hard to say if it's health or stinginess...

(Both. It's both.)]

[anguinous]

Suit yourself.

[ He paces back along the hall and through the door into the classroom, where people are still stretching and mingling. Laurent's macbook is sat closed on his desk, the textbook beside it and exercise book close with a pencil laid on top. There's an empty seat beside him, and away at the edge of the room a man who is always present but never appears to take part in the class watches the two of them.

Laurent drops into his chair and digs his snack from his pocket, flips open both his books and finds the right page. ]

You still haven't said why you were late. Traffic, overslept?

[lienhearts]

[He follows, settling down in the free seat and beginning to unload his bookbag. The books come first, but it's quickly followed by a lightweight tablet PC and keyboard. Way easier to deal with transporting, in his opinion.

...But then Laurent keeps asking questions and Theo shoots him a dry look.]

Since when were you so curious? [Geeze.] I've got a part time job to help pay for all this. My shift ran late, that's all.

[anguinous]

Is curiousity a crime? I can tell when people are avoiding questions. I do it myself too often. You were avoiding it, it made me curious why.

[ Still, Laurent flips open his exercise book to the beginning of the questions and hands it over. His answers were all right, because he's a painfully nerdy perfectionist who cannot abide being wrong and thus spends excessive time making sure he understands things. ]

You didn't need to answer if it bothers you.

[lienhearts]

[He gives a lazy roll of his shoulders.]

University isn't as tight-knit as high school. It's not like you really need to know everyone's life story here.

[Especially with classes as large as they are. He accepts the book, opening up his own to compare answers and work. A few of the problems from Laurent's booklet are noted down as he does so, working out how Laurent actually got to the solution he did.]

In exchange, are you ever gonna explain him? [He nods vaguely in the direction of the man who he knows must still be watching them, as always, not even bothering to look up from his work.]