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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 18, 2017 21:16:12 GMT
He hadn't been trying to hurt himself on set. Like he never outwardly tried to exert himself but when he was acting he could kind of get lost in the role (comedy or otherwise) as it provided him with an escape from his real life. From how unhappy he was with his life as well with the folks who never ceased to bring up his work from when he was a seven year old kid. Somedays he regretted doing those films even though it had been his parents' fault for bringing him to the auditions in the first place and they had really provided him with a nice little nest egg that he was still riding well into adulthood. He shouldn't complain, there were others far worse off than he was, but even so he couldn't help himself. He sure had been complaining before at the front desk of the hospital when he had checked himself in holding a rag over his hand which had a cut across it and was bleeding. He had managed to cut his hand while rolling around on the floor while filming the sitcom he was on. He had knocked over a vase (a piece of set dressing in the apartment) it had shattered but he kept going. Anything to get a shot even if it meant accidentally slicing some flesh. Oh well. The studio would pay for it. They better. As much as it must have been hurting River only looked mildly inconvenienced by it as he sat in the waiting room pouting because he hadn't been able to convince the nurse at the front desk to admit him to a room to avoid anyone recognizing him and incessantly talking his ear off about things he didn't care an ounce about. With a scowl he glanced around the room before glaring down at the grey and white floor tiles. Maybe if he didn't catch anyone's eyes he could go about this wait unnoticed which was really ideal. That is until he couldn't resist and looked up catching someone's eyes with his as they had been staring. "What." He demanded with a scowl. It wasn't even a question - That's how over all of this he truly was. |
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 24, 2017 14:48:43 GMT
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It had been a little over a week since she was diagnosed with a mild concussion, and Ayla was back in order to be cleared for work again. Even the few days that she had been put off caused a seemingly endless amount of difficulty (and not to mention cost a lot) for the studio, so she and everyone else was quite eager for her to return to set. It was just a few more scenes - that’s it - and she would be finished with it all; her unbearable co-star, her rude agent, the creepy director… just one piece of paper stood between her and near-freedom.
She sat stiffly in her chair, visibly uncomfortable. Every time she was at the doctor she hated it, and the last time she was here she was at least distracted by a very attractive man who didn’t seem to mind holding her hand. She wished he was there now, but the truth of the matter was that she had probably screwed that one up too. She was in the business of messing things up, it seemed, and she was the unrivalled champion of it.
Flipping through the same old magazine for what felt like the fifth time, she sighed and slammed it shut, tossing it aside. Looking up, she caught sight of the man sitting directly across from her and stopped, her breath catching in her chest. It was without a shadow of a doubt River Blue Ashford, and immediately she was freaking out inside.
Even though she too was classified as celebrity and grew up with the industry surrounding her, Ayla was always delighted to meet the people she watched on television. She particularly loved River’s show - and his character - and felt more than excited to be sitting across from him in that very moment.
“What.”
“Hm?”
Ayla blinked several times, only now realizing that she was staring rather intensely. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling even though she tried desperately to hide it, because she understood his frustration.
“Oh - sorry,” she apologized, forcing the smile to fall. She reached for another magazine, and even managed to turn a few pages before she couldn’t handle it and closed it again, leaning forward in her chair.
“It's just that I love you,” Ayla explained in a rush, and then immediately knew she should probably correct herself. “I mean, I’m a big fan… is what I mean.” |
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 24, 2017 17:57:31 GMT
 He did his best to hide his face behind a magazine, one he didn't really care to read (it was some pop culture smut that he loathed), but it was the only thing he could use as a makeshift shield against possible prying eyes. Unfortunately for him it didn't work. He could feel her beady eyes on him like they were practically burning a hole through the pages to get to him. Great. Just great. This wasn't what he needed today (or any day). So of course he decided instead of continuing to hide or ignore the young girl that he would be confrontational. That was just his way. After being a child star in the eighties and nineties he had grown out of the whole starry eyed take it all in phase. Now he was just another guy working his a** off (in some ways harder than others because he had a stigma to get out of) trying to make his way and hopefully find some sort of comfort. No luck so far. River was never happy. He was more difficult to please than most as evident in how he was currently glaring at Ayla with narrowed eyes. "'Kay..." He could only managed a grunt in response to her apology before disappearing again behind the safe haven of his own magazine. If there was any way to avoid this conversation, such as a running leap out of an eight story window, he would have taken it. It would have been worth the risk. Her smile, though well meaning, made him feel uneasy. He hated being gaped at like some panda in the zoo. It made him feel less than human. Maybe he was... It was her blurted out confession that had his magazine lowering suddenly and wide, confused eyes staring back at her. "You don't even know me." He corrected her in a flat, unamused voice. This hadn't been the first time a young girl had said those words but he had been a bit younger and they had been screamed at him at a volume that threatened to rupture his ear drums from how piercing they were. Maybe she was sick? They were at a doctor's office/hospital after all. "That's nice." When she said she was a big fan he once again returned to looking at his magazine not even bothering to ask of what or why she looked familiar. |
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 24, 2017 22:37:28 GMT
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 24, 2017 22:50:37 GMT
It was hard to juggle the magazine in one hand while also tending to his bleeding cut and though it may have looked awkward River tried to play it off very much as 'I meant to do that' or 'that's just the way things are get used to it you're the one looking weird'. He always acted that way with seemingly so much ease and disdain.
She went a good long while (heck, a few seconds probably felt like an eternity to her) and for a brief second he foolishly tricked himself into thinking he was home clear and could sit in the waiting room in peace. No such luck. She was like his young female costars in that regard. God, how it rubbed him the wrong way. And then she lost control of the situation and had to speak again. She couldn't just let sleeping dogs lie even if they bore their fangs. Just his luck... He couldn't prevent himself from cringing from behind the magazine, an expression he poorly covered as he lowered the pages again to look at her with dark eyes.
"Everybody's taller in person. You've only ever seen me on the tv or a movie screen." Depending on how old she was. The tone in his voice, or lack thereof, was chilling. Ah! Now he knew where he recognized her from. He had seen her either in the halls of USBC or on tv or something. She was industry and still acted this way? How had she managed to get by for so long? Oh well, she was about to get a crash course. "You're more annoying in person." Poor girl. As young and naive as she was she would never see it coming. And it would never stop. That was just his personality which was years of everyone pestering and using him for something. Never really truly caring about who he was just what kind of money he could earn them since he was a small boy - Whether he wanted to or not.
Her next comment had him cradling his arm and shifting in his seat crossing his legs. "Which?" Did she mean one of the ones he wrote and directed pouring his whole heart and soul into?.. or did she (most likely) mean one of the films he had been in and had loathed.. But like everyone else he needed to make ends meet. "From your inability at the moment to actually productively read that magazine I'm surprised that you can even read aloud.."
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 25, 2017 10:09:54 GMT
"Everybody's taller in person. You've only ever seen me on the tv or a movie screen."
Well, damn. That was definitely true. She would have laughed out loud if she hadn't been so aware of the fact that he seemed to aggressively hate her.
"You're more annoying in person."
Ayla raised her eyebrows at him, surprised by the unprovoked schoolyard insult hurled her way. It didn't even have any warning, it just smacked her plain in the face. Like grade school dodgeball all over again.
She was used to being disliked. It was part of the gig. Watching her father weave his way through the industry with charm and grace her entire life gave her a shielded view from the dark side of show business, but once she broke out on her own she was faced with as much rejection and coldness as most actors. River insulting her didn't exactly hurt her, but it was a major disappointment.
They do say not to meet your heroes.
"Which?"
"You were directing," she answered despite herself. Why would she answer him now? After he just called her annoying? She must have really cracked her head hard. "Maybe three or four years ago. It was a beautiful script."
"From your inability at the moment to actually productively read that magazine I'm surprised that you can even read aloud.."
Ayla narrowed her eyes at him, trying to remember any reason at all that she would have given to make him dislike her so much. She couldn't decide if it was just a really bad day to be River Ashford or if, unfortunately, he was always a grump.
"Ouch. Do you treat everyone like this?" she asked him curiously, tilting her head to the side as she took in the full effect of the man before her. "Or just your fans?"
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 25, 2017 16:43:08 GMT
"I didn't really come to this hospital to talk." He informed her seriously nodding toward his bleeding hand as though that should be the indicator to leave him alone. River wasn't much of one to care if he offended someone, let alone a stranger, with his bluntness. If they couldn't handle the truth or people wagging their jaw they definitely weren't going to last long in the cruel world let alone this business. That much he knew to be true. And he would be damned if the words 'I'm sorry' ever left his mouth again. He apologized to producers when he was a small boy, a child star, more than enough times when he really shouldn't have because he was just a kid being a kid forced to age and mature before his time. Most would have felt bad about the momentary glimpse of a sad expression over Ayla's face as though she was surprised by his own boldness and lack of care. Not River. He couldn't be bothered. He didn't want to be. When you were bothered by it was what left you open to being hurt or taken advantage of in the end.
He began to look over his shoulder at the wall so to avoid her completely that is until she brought up that it was a movie he had been directing. Now she had his attention. "Oh yeah?" Which one? He racked his brain. if it was three or four years ago it must have been... "Chasing Maddie." He remembered it well. "I wrote it too." His little passion project. Low budget but he worked hard on it because he believed in it. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who spotted a woman not in his class and all of the effort gone toward pursuing her but also discovering himself. River was super into works that didn't focus on just.. well.. rich, attractive, white people. There were plenty of those already. The girl was young so it was semi easy to figure out what role she had auditioned for. "For Arianna the younger sister right? I remember your read." He wasn't about to give her more info, like how he felt about it, that was three or four years too late.
"Do you treat everyone like this?"
"I do." He shrugged as if it was no big thing. And why should it be? "I just talk to everyone how I normally talk to anyone. I don't see why you should be any different." He raised his brow at her. Like Savannah or some of the young ladies in his cast this Ayla seemed keen on challenging him. Must be a generation thing. "I don't have any fans." He concluded opening his magazine again. Maybe as a boy but adult River? Nah. Maybe for the stupid sitcom he was in but that wasn't who he really was.
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 26, 2017 13:18:29 GMT
Ayla continued to stare at the man, bewildered by how different he was in real life to what she had built up of him in her head. She narrowed an eye at him as it became quite clear that he would rather stare at the wall behind him then speak to or even look at her.
“Oh yeah?"
She continued watching, her expression barely registering a change as River suddenly reeled his full attention on her. It was incredible to watch; she felt neither upset nor neutral about it all, she was simply interested.
"Chasing Maddie. I wrote it too."
Ayla dared not to even so much as nod, because if she did she was sure that it would startle him back in to hating her with a vengeance. She was confident that he still did - for whatever reason - but somehow mentioning one of his past projects had earned her a blissful moment of seemingly normal conversation between colleagues.
“For Arianna the younger sister right? I remember your read."
For a woman with everything to say and never enough time in the day to say it all, Ayla still sat there, uncharacteristically quiet. The fact that River Ashford remembered her audition at all, whether bad or good, shocked her like static.
"I wanted it," was all she managed, because she knew any further attempt at discussion of the subject would likely just be met with contempt.
She wanted to explain how excited she had been to have the opportunity. To tell him that reading for him had been one of the defining moments in her career where she decided to step away from what was expected of her and to start projects that had heart - that had grit - that meant something. She wanted to explain that she had pulled herself out of consideration only because of the scandal she had found herself in, not because she had lost interest in the project, but again, it would likely be lost on deaf ears.
"I don't have any fans."
Ayla’s sigh turned in to a halfhearted laugh, and she managed a small shrug.
“I’m a fan,” she pointed out. “Well, I was until you decided to lay a verbal beat-down on me, but I guess I was asking for it what with all the compliments.”
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 26, 2017 15:53:02 GMT
He thought for a good long while, or at least it probably felt like it even though it was only a couple of seconds, before speaking once more. "Sorry that it didn't work out." What else could he say? Was he really even sorry? Probably not. That was just the nature of the business. But if he wasn't then why had he felt the need to say it? Deep down, in this moment, that very little statement bugged him. Must be the loss of blood from the cut in his hand making him all loopy and causing him to not think clearly. For the very same reason that when she declared once again that she was a fan that he didn't scream right in her face about how stupid that was.
"You're a fan of the films I'm in, like the ones I was in as a kid, not of me." He shrugged again pretending to be unaffected. He had been through this whole song and dance before with many others though not in a hospital of course. "You don't even know anything about me." Of this much he was certain. Maybe as an innocent, foolish kid he gave up personal information about himself, such as likes and dislikes, but now he was older and wiser. He held back. And it wasn't like anyone remembered what his favorite color or hobby was and the chances of those things being the same as they were now were relatively slim to none.
"You're not a fan. You're another industry hopeful and that's just fine but the least you can do is own that." He said coldly applying more pressure with the cloth around his hand his dark eyes shooting around the waiting room toward the front desk. "Where is the f***ing doctor?.." It wasn't that he hated waiting. He hated being hung out to dry where folks could pester him. He felt cornered, at risk, and vulnerable. Nobody wanted to feel like that.
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 26, 2017 21:04:58 GMT
"You're not a fan. You're another industry hopeful and that's just fine but the least you can do is own that."
Ayla liked to think of herself as a good sport - able to handle criticism and rudeness with a shrug of the shoulder and a laugh. She knew who she was, or at least who she wanted to be and what she wanted to represent in the industry, so insults rarely brought her down - but there was certainly a line that could be crossed, and he had just barrelled over it.
"But you don't even know me," she reminded him calmly, copying his earlier statement and bringing the short conversation full circle.
Understanding now that her attempt at conversation had failed and all but exploded into a proverbial inferno, Ayla reached for her discarded magazine once again.
"Where is the f***ing doctor?.."
"Dios mío," she muttered impatiently, her eyes flicking from the scandalized looking woman across from her and back to River. She always started speaking Spanish when she felt strongly about something - it was one of her tells that she was finding it difficult to handle something in her head.
Ayla adjusted herself in her chair, uncomfortable now because someone was trying desperately to crawl under her skin whether he knew it or not.
"Everybody has to wait, it's not just a special punishment for you," she said flatly, regretting ever opening her mouth in the first place. How was she supposed to know things would head south so fast? "Take my spot in line if it hurts that bad, bebé grande."
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 26, 2017 21:34:14 GMT
"I know the type." He countered shrugging again with a bit of a sigh. No. She didn't seem to be letting up any time soon. Hypocritical maybe but at the same tame this girl didn't have the years on her that he did. She hadn't been through what he had for as long as he had. It was the utterance of Spanish that had his eyes suddenly darting up from beyond the magazine pages. "Hablas español ?" Slightly narrowed she studied her awaiting her response while also treading carefully. "Usted o no le?" He repeated firmly not really allowing her time to think about it just wanting an answer. After all, if she was an actress this could be some sad, poor attempt to try and win him over like others had. Unfortunately if that was the case he actually spoke Spanish and they would figure it out soon enough.
So she was calling him a big baby? "Bebe grande." Cute. "Bebe grande." He couldn't help but snort in sarcastic laughter and stretch back in his chair still applying pressure to his wounded hand. "Eres realmente la princesa de la ignorancia no es?" He concluded shaking his head at her. "You have got to be kidding me." River had grown up in the heights and a Spanish speaking household so he always felt it easy if not refreshing to go back and forth between English and Spanish. It felt like home somehow even if they were arguing.
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 27, 2017 10:26:06 GMT
"Hablas español? Usted o no le?"
Ayla heard the anger behind his words but all she could do was raise her eyebrows at him. She wasn't sure why anyone would pretend to speak Spanish or why he would assume that she didn't, but she didn't feel she had to prove anything to him. Not now.
She drew a slow, calming breath as River reacted to what she had called him. Honestly, 'big baby' was the kindest of what she wanted to hurl at him now.
"Eres realmente la princesa de la ignorancia no es? You have got to be kidding me."
"De veras?" she challenged back, shaking her head is disbelief. She never expected this to come of the evening, that much was for certain. "No - me estás tomando el pelo? You can dish it out but you can't take it. Yo no le debo nada, nene."
Ayla desperately wanted to leave now. To get up and go so she didn't have to deal with River anymore, so she didn't have to feel attacked for trying to start a conversation - but alas, she needed that little piece of paper with the doctor's signature on it. She needed to be cleared for work or she'd face the wrath of many, so she had the endure the wrath of the... one.
In truth, it felt nice to speak the language again. She wasn't sure she had since moving to New York; only muttered it to herself in her condo like a crazy person. Even though she was now in a stupid argument, it was still nice to have that connection with someone.
"Whatever," she dismissed. He was turning her back into a fiery teenager, and she had worked really hard to break away from that. "I'm done arguing with you." |
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 27, 2017 17:00:52 GMT
"Si." He quipped back with an unafraid smirk. It was funny. Now that she was uncomfortable and not being her bubbly self, and was probably mad, he was pretty content. Not happy but certainly not as miserable as before even with a bleeding hand! "I can take it just fine." He cut her short in English. He wasn't about to let her get away with that one Spanish or not. "You implying that I can't take it is like saying you're giving anything worth taking." Leaning forward he gave her a slight glare. "No es." And that was that. Relaxing back in his chair he once again applied pressure to the cloth wrapped around his hand.
"Good. I've wanted you to be done since I got here." In some ways her jabbering reminded him of Savannah. Well, how she used to be. Now she kept secrets from him and she was a different person. One he still liked but more so because of what they once had as friends. Now with that pesky, idiotic late night host in the mix he wasn't sure he wanted to be in the same room as the young woman unless they were shooting a scene and even then it was because of pay. His eyes moved quickly over the hospital ceiling before landing back on Ayla pointedly. "You're still looking." He pointed out negatively with a frown giving his hand another squeeze if only just to feel the stinging pain again. Perhaps a subconscious way of telling himself not to be an a** no matter how badly he wanted to be. Needed to be. Just to protect himself.
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Post by AYLA RIVERA on Jan 27, 2017 22:05:20 GMT
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Post by River Blue Ashford on Jan 27, 2017 22:21:28 GMT
"Are you?" Wow. She really was getting worked up wasn't she? "You really think so?" He couldn't help but choke down a laugh (poorly) scoffing at her attitude which she had provoked. "Your boyfriend must have the patience of Saint Maria with you popping off like that all of the time in between chattering incessantly." He remarked in observation guessing that those remarks, no matter if they were true or not, would bug her even further. "You realize there's this thing called silence, si?" He quirked his right brow at her expectantly as if anticipating a response though he knew he wasn't going to get the one that his playful question warranted.
"So you're an actress. How on earth do you expect to handle interview questions if you can't handle those hurled at you in a waiting room?" Though he was really one to talk her. He stuck his foot in his own mouth many times during interviews. He hated them and he wasn't about to censor himself for folks who didn't even know him. "Come on get it together." He sighed. "Deep breath. Focus. Straighten your posture at least." Perhaps imparting some wisdom on her from his many years in the industry would help. "Always process what someone is saying before you run at the mouth. Gives you time to second guess your response which people are going to perceive a thousand different negative ways so you might as well be careful about it." The words of agents past. She could use them now if she wanted. He had no use for them anymore.
"Now you listen.." His brow furrowed and eyes narrowed at her. He leaned forward in his chair still holding his hurt hand his back arched as he looked at her seriously. "They're casting a role on the show I am in. A babysitter. Don't ask me why. I didn't read the whole script I just heard them jabbering on but it'll fit your age range at least from what I can tell looking at you. I'll put in a good word." Now why the heck had he agreed to do that? Sometimes he baffled himself. Leaning back he began to thumb through the magazine again in silence.
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