What a piece of work is man

[Crystal]

Shit. Crystal forgot that Kaze was too nice to enable his tardiness - even the slightest hint of having other plans would send the Obrimos running. "Nonono, it's okay. Really, I like having someone around I can actually talk to." Everything's easier without feelings or sex involved.

The way Kaze started explaining himself Crystal expected something big. Like, proposal-advice level big. The thought made him smile, and the detour about Skye widened the smile even more. He could get behind that line of reasoning. "So you're saying we don't have a 'work relationship'?" He couldn't help teasing a bit. Aside from that, is was also true: there has been no Mage-related event since Crystal had moved here, so there was not really a work to speak of. "Sure, I'll have a look."

He took the papers and read through them. "Hm. Hmm." The Warlock's face was deep in thought and unreadable as he went back and forth between the casting calls. "So how exactly can I help you? If you're asking if you should do it: absolutely. You never can tell what comes out of shots like this. I'm guessing you're looking at.." shuffling the papers again "'Jase'?" As if he only got it now, Crystal pointed at the piece of paper, then at Kaze. "Huh, yeah that's a sign all right. Do you want me to teach you how to be a lady's man?" Hopefully the teasing would ease Kaze's tension instead of driving him away. But hey, a tiger can't change its stripes.

[Kaze]

Kaze puts his hand to his forehead in an exaggerated gesture of exasperation and sounds aghast, "Not you too!" He says, laughing but also looking like this wasn't what he wanted to hear.

He does look disturbed when he says, quickly, "I applied, and sent in the stuff, asking to audition for 'Bhang'!"

He points out the character description on the sheets, "See? Older? Nice guy? Family man? Martial Arts? Supporting character?" Kaze says, exasperated.

"They had me do a reading and do a martial arts demo, and I thought it went pretty well, but they kept looking at me like, basically a piece of meat. Then they said thanks, you know, don't call us, we'll call you, and I was cool with that."

"Anyway, about a week later, they had me go back down there and try out for Jase! The teenager who is violent and arrogant and hits on women constantly! And they said I had the 'look' they wanted!"

Kaze shakes his head. "I mean, sorry, I know it's a jerk move to complain about something people would kill for, but...I just don't know if I trust them to know what they're doing. I mean, you saw me, I can't really act yet. And I can fake holding a bow, but archery totally isn't my thing!"

He looks at Crystal. "Basically, I'm afraid if I do it, I will stink big time, and ruin any chance of getting something I can really do well."

[Crystal]

Crystal listened to Kaze, his face showing understanding to his plight. He held up his hand and counted down his counter-arguments and his voice became a bit calmer - softening the harsh truths, if only a little. "You know, being an actor means playing something you're not exactly representing in real life. I mean, unfortunately that'd be the pool of sharks you're swimming in: being a piece of meat, being type-cast for stuff you don't want to be. You'll have to decide if you're comfortable with that, but that doesn't mean you'll become a worse person."

A second finger went up. "As for the archery: I bet Skye could show you a thing or two - hell, I bet there is a spell do be good enough at it to fake it."

A third. "And even though you're a bit rough around the edges: you've got some talent. If the casting directors aren't complete idiots they're good enough to see if someone can deliver what they want and apparently you've delivered." He made a throw-away gesture with his hand, not to dismiss Kaze's worries but to show him those concerns could be dealt with.

"I get that you're afraid to blow your one big chance - but it won't be your only chance, it won't be your last one. What's the worst that could happen?" The pedagogic hand was at it again, this time showing three fingers that get put down one after the other. "They could see that you suck and fire you? Well, you miss a 100% of the shots you don't take and no directer is connected well enough to put you out of work forever. That you become this womanizing asshole in real life? Call me stupid, but you're way too reflected for that. That you suck at it and doom the whole production? Again, you're too diligent for that and fuck, if you want I'll go through your script and rehearse with you until you're comfortable."

"I didn't mean to get all Hallmark-movie on you but if this is your dream and you're presented a chance like that I'd hate to see you not take it."

[Kaze]

"Thanks..." Kaze says, sheepishly. "Especially the part about me having talent. I need to hear that."

"I already said, 'yes' when they offered; I mean, I'm not an idiot." Kaze confesses. "I just feel like...I'm just afraid. I mean...I figured I had more time, if I ever even got anywhere!"

He ponders. Then says, "It's a really big deal. I mean, 'Chase' is just a name I made up; I never even bothered to make up a last name. It felt to much like lying. Now tho...I need to get all my ducks in a row. Before I sign all the paperwork. I did some searches, and the name I'm down to is 'Christopher Truelove'...basically everything else I could think of has already been done by some other actor!"

Kaze shakes his head. "I mean, if people see me on a screen...I have to have a solid identity that I can use all the time." It goes without saying, that can't be his True Name.

[Crystal]

Crystal gave Kaze a reassuring smile. Jesus, he was just awesome!

"Hey, I think you'd also be an idiot if you weren't afraid. But fear is also a nice motivation to give it your best, isn't it?"

Now on the topic of names Crystal had to really force himself not to say what was on his mind. "No offense, but Truelove kinda sounds like a name for a porn-star." Oops, lost that battle. He held up his hands in a reconciling way and quickly added "I mean that's true for a lot of names so don't worry about that. Plus, it could add to your typecast-image - just a thing to consider. But you make good points. I'm not big on any of that legal shit - you know, you probably need some documents to show around and I don't know who could help you with that."

He shrugged, hoping that this would be enough to smooth over his first reaction. "Besides, lots of actors have stage-names," mostly people doing porn, but still "so you'd have plausible deniability on taking up one for yourself."

[Kaze]

Kaze sighs and shrugs, smiling. "Yeah, fear and adrenaline work together." He admits.

He laughs out loud and long when Crystal says he's choosing porn star names! "Hey! At least it's not, 'Magic Mike'!" Kaze says.

"Seriously though, I don't want to mess with weird spellings, and 'Truelove' is a legit name, goes back to the twelve hundreds in England, at least that's what the Internet says."

"Anyway, I guess that's what I am struggling with, embracing what I got to work with instead of holding out for what I want to be instead. I mean, I actually want to do action more than 'real' dramatic stuff, so it's not far off, and if looks are working for me, I can accept that, and I can still turn down totally obnoxious stuff. So...'Christopher Truelove' is at least...memorable?" Kaze asks, possibly rhetorically.

"I think it has a nice rhythm to it...I mean, I think I can remember to answer to it!"

Kaze ponders. "There really can't be a legal paper trail back to my True Name, so yeah, I think I can get it done. I had an uber hacker mage friend with some connections, that I kind of worked out the details with before. It will take some time to get it all set up, but they aren't shooting right away anyway."

He looks gratefully at Crystal, "Hey...thanks! I mean...I got a copy of the book it's based on; they haven't got a script yet, or at least they didn't give it to me, but the book...well, I honestly am not a fan of the writing."

He fishes out a modest-sized paperback book with a garish cover and hands it over.

[Crystal]

"Hey, you do you. The last thing on my mind is talk you out of your name." It was all in good humour. Truth is, Crystal felt a bit honored that Kaze confined in him with this. "Definitely memorable though - it'll be the last thing on my lips when I go to sleep and the first thing on my mind when I wake up." He gave the Obrimos a shit-eating grin and mimed a heart with his hands.

"Maybe you'll be surprised how much you enjoy this part. Maybe it'll show you that you're really not into this kind of material - you'll grow from it either way." Damn, he was getting outright sage-y here. "But good to hear you came prepared with a plan. This really seems to be what you want to do, so for the time being I'll be your number one supporter!" That's kind of what the Iron Gauntlet is all about, after all.

When Kaze handed him the book, Crystal was at a loss for words. "Uh, do you want me to go through some scene with you or..?" The cover really was.. something. Crystal really wished the TV-adaption was able to overdeliver this particular promise.

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles, "Thanks." He says when Crystal encourages him.

Then when Crystal offers to do more scenes, he sighs. "Honestly, I'm kind of wiped still. Is there anything you want? Like, do you want to do something or like, need to move some furniture or want to learn to fight or something?" He asks, hopefully.

[Crystal]

Crystal looks confused for a second. "Wait, so this book is a gift? Or did you just want to show me this..." there really was no adjective for it. "Cover art? And don't worry, you don't have to do anything for me in return - my furniture is just fine the way it is."

[Kaze]

Kaze laughs and then sighs when Crystal asks if the book is a gift! He shrugs, "If you're offering to read it and help me, you really are going above and beyond!" He says with a smile. "Seriously, I have it on e-book, so if you want it, please. If you are willing to look at it, I am interested in your thoughts. I already noticed that the casting call didn't have a female character, just four guys, so that's different from the book, the cover anyway. It's not a difference that makes me feel better about it, though."

"Okay. Just, you know, I have a truck. If you ever need help moving anything." Kaze offers when Crystal says his furniture is fine where it is.