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Ante Up: The Losers Big Bang 2012
Stats:
Published:
2012-07-31
Completed:
2012-09-04
Words:
38,079
Chapters:
17/17
Comments:
11
Kudos:
29
Bookmarks:
12
Hits:
2,117

Anybody Else

Chapter 3: Setup

Chapter Text

Aisha chose her spot among the gawkers and planted herself on it like a tree, sipping casually at a travel mug full of strong mint tea while she waited. She couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face when Zoë appeared, sailing over the top of the frame of the portable greenscreen marking the perimeter of the film set with her limbs flailing like someone who wanted desperately not to be flying through the air. Her smile grew wider when Zoë spotted her, her panicked expression turning to one of surprise and her flailing limbs redirecting into a more coordinated and successful attempt to arrest her flight as she turned to stare at Aisha.

“Cut!” somebody yelled from the opposite side of the frame, and Zoë dropped out of sight.

“Everything all right, Zoë?” Aisha heard another voice ask, somewhat muffled by the screen.

“Yeah, great.” Zoë answered. “Let's set it up again.”

There was a brief pause, punctuated by mechanical whirs and shouted confirmations, while the film crew reset the stunt and shooting rigs to their start positions, then a call for “Quiet on the set.”

Aisha sipped her tea.

“Roll sound . . . Action!”

Somebody screamed and something else went thump, and Zoë went flying through the air again, this time turning a graceful barrel roll, beaming and waving frantically to Aisha as she passed.

“Cut!”

“Zoë, what the hell?”

“Sorry! That was my fault. Can we do one more?”

“No shit that was your fault. Quit goofing off.”

Another pause, “Action!”, scream, and this time when Zoë flew by she wore a look of exaggerated puzzlement and mouthed 'Why are you here?' while pointing from Aisha to the ground. Aisha held up a hand—patience!—and pointed back over the frame, politely suggesting that Zoë concentrate on her work.

“Cut!”

She barely caught the beginning of Zoë's nod before the screen once again blocked her view.

“Sorry!” Zoë called out before her feet even touched the ground. “I'm really sorry everyone. I'm done now, I promise.”

“You'd better be. Let's load one more!”

A couple of the assembled Hollywood rubberneckers had begun looking at Aisha curiously. She smiled sweetly and told them, “We went to school together,” with just enough 'you wanna make something of it, punk?' in the accompanying prolonged eye contact to discourage further close attention.

Fourth try was the charm: Zoë launched, flailed, came to an abrupt, frozen halt in midair, and then dropped smoothly out of sight.

“Cut!” came the cry again. “Check it!”

“Clear!”

“All right, let's print and move on. Thank you for your work, Ms. Bell; now get the hell off my set.”

Zoë emerged a couple of minutes later through a gap between screens, still half-covered in joint pads and bits of costume, scanned the crowd until she located Aisha and waved her over. She held the screen aside for Aisha and followed her back onto the set. “Come on, let's get this stuff back to wardrobe so I can hug you without getting yelled at.” She grinned over her shoulder. “Haven't seen you in forever, mate. You got business in the Bay Area?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Aisha returned Zoë's conspiratorial raised eyebrow. “Is Kim around?”

“Should be in the makeup trailer with Abby; they're both done for the day, just waiting for me to finish up before we get out of here. Aisha,” Zoë stopped, suddenly, using the excuse of pulling Aisha out of the way of a trundling golf cart to step in close and look her right in the eyes. “Do you need our help with something?”

Aisha nodded.

“Dangerous?”

“Probably.”

Zoë nodded. “Figured. You never were one for dropping in 'just because'.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't worry about it. And don't worry about Kim and Abs, either; they might bitch a little when you tell them what it is you want, but you know they don't really mean it. We're here for you, Eesh. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks, Zoë.”

Zoë smiled and clapped her hard on the shoulder. “Hey, you know what they say about real friends.”

Aisha chuckled. “Yeah, well. Let's hope it doesn't get that far, this time.”