pocket change your mind | [penny&nickel]

[dars]

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"We just don't think it's the right move for the band," Erin Raymond's annoyingly executive-sounding voice droned on the other end of the line, "Megaheart is all about- you know! Summertime! First love-" Nic gagged into the receiver- "It is not about scary death movies," She carried on, determined to prove her point, "Besides, with the new tour coming up, we really don't think you should be focusing so much time on-" he dropped the phone into his pocket, standing there on set outside his trailer. Though it belonged to him, his character name- Justice Fray was printed onto the door. But he only went there between scenes and stuff, like when he needed to take calls from asshole higher-ups who wanted to keep him firmly rooted in his candy-coated pop contract. Which he was grateful for because of everything it had gotten him: mainly the boys in the band and his new penthouse.

It was all nice, but not nice enough to make him want to stay in One for any longer than he absolutely had to. Like Paris had said last summer: You're gonna be huge when you're ready to do your own thing.

He wanted to be ready now. He was ready. And he could feel the moment- his moment- passing by overhead. Some of the opportunities he was allowed to grab, but more and more he was finding himself feeling... restrained. No one in One knew the ins-and-outs of the entertainment industry yet, not like in the Capitol. They should've known any contracts drafted up by the execs would be for the execs, but when a guy has barely started going through puberty and someone tells him they can make him a star, he signs on the dotted line. Or at least Nic did.

"Bluh!" he grunted, punching out at the open air, kicking at it as if fighting an invisible foe, hissing with discontent the whole time. After several seconds of this, he spun on his heels and came face to face with a girl who'd rounded the corner. "Heeya- oh." He dropped the raised fist and cleared his throat.

"My bad, I didn't-" hands shoved into pockets, "There's not usually a lot of normal people out here. I mean- not normal, sorry. I meant: there's not usually many non...industry people. This is a private lot. For a movie? Closed set?" He sighed. "Do you work here?"

[d7f amber bosch 🌿 tris]

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Maybe it's a bad judgment call, or maybe it's the bravest thing she's ever done. Penny has learned at this point that life is all about perspective. You win a few, you lose a lot. She's used to not being particularly good at anything, so she never really worries over who's the best. She auditioned for Young Love in Panem because it seemed fun, not because she thought it was actually gonna help her find someone to start a romance with.

Newsflash, she's still as single as she's ever been. Just the tiniest bit more sure of herself, more confident being in front of a camera. She only just met her agent two weeks ago, but as soon as she hears about the Justice Fray movie in the works, she begs for an audition. "I'll try out for any part! Really!" Of course, she knows making the jump from reality TV to feature film isn't going to be easy, but she's nothing if not tenacious.

Call her a dreamer. She'll answer.

Maybe that's what convinces the casting agent to tell her she's been invited for a chemistry reading with the lead, or maybe it really is just sheer dumb luck. She caught them on a nice day. But nope, they're giving her directions on where to meet them next and mentioning names she hasn't been introduced to yet. "Let's make sure Nickelo is all set up, have we restocked his mini fridge with lemon water yet?"

Her heat skips a bit when she realizes just how familiar that name actually is, and how surely it's not just a coincidence. She's been listening to 'What Makes You Pretty' by Megaheart on repeat for the last month, and she knows who sings that chorus because he's her biggest crush in the whole band. She shakes her head in shock, trying to snap out of her daze, as she strolls down the set pathway. Nickelo LaFauci might be in the very same space as—

"Ah!" she shrieks, as rounding a corner appears the heartthrob in question, his hand raised in a mock fist. His expression twists with shock, his battle cry fading into a meek little, "oh." His voice is timid, but still low and warm and smooth. The same crooner's voice capable of singing one of the best songs since a Paris Vanburen single. And she's not just saying that because the megastar is her cousin! Case in point: she's a megastar.

Her script papers flutter out of her hands, and that's already making her blush even before he starts to speak normally. He stares down at her with a sweet face, apologizing and then kind of stumbling over his words. It humanizes him in a way that helps her relax, remembering to breathe and treat him like the normal person he'd probably really like to be treated as. Or at least she hoped, it would absolutely break her heart if her celebrity crush turned out to be an asshole.

"I don't work here yet," she answers, rising to her feet and running a hand through her tousled curls. "I'm, uh, actually supposed to be on my way to a chemistry reading. For the Justice Fray movie?" She wonders for a minute just revealing what she already knows, hey I know you're a super popular pop idol and also you're starring in this movie I'm talking about, but her anxiety gets the best of her. Maybe it'll go better if she pretends like this is a genuine first meeting. In a sense, it is.

"Do you think you could point me in the right direction?"

[dars]

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"Ah!" The girl exclaimed, dropping the stack of papers in her hand onto the ground. She scrambled, tucking strands of her blonde hair behind her ear. He leaned down to help, embarrassed that he scared her.

"I don't work here yet," she explained. He glanced at a couple of the pages he swept into a vague pile for her: sides. Lines from a script, like a small little excerpt that doesn't really tell much about the character. But more than that, he recognized the writing.

His eyes flicked up from the pages to her again and it clicked before she even confirmed: she was one of the three girls he was reading with today.

"I'm, uh, actually supposed to be on my way to a chemistry reading. For the Justice Fray movie? Do you think you could point me in the right direction?" He smiled awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, the Chemistry Read! That'll be with me, actually..." There was a slight pause, both of them still crouched onto the ground, before he realized she was waiting for him to make the next move. He handed her papers over again: "Sorry," and then after standing, "I'm Nickelo. I play Justice Fray." Or Nickel if you were a fan. Only his friends got to call him Nic. He glanced at the clock on his phone and whistled.

"Twenty minutes early. Already doing better than the girl I read with this morning! Rolled in three minutes late and one of the producers hit her with the ole 'We'll let you know' before we could even finish the scene. Brutal. Come on, I'll walk you over."

The lot was in various stages of construction at the moment, each little more than masses of wooden and metallic structures distinguishable only by the paper labels taped above the entryways with words like 'CORNUCOPIA' and 'POOL OF MOLTEN GOLD.' It'd be weeks before any of it was film-ready, but Nic already felt so married to this project that it felt like he'd been waiting for eons.

"So, you got a name?"

[d7f amber bosch 🌿 tris]

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He smiles awkwardly, running a hand through his dark hair. She blushes again, and hopes that the flush of pink in her cheeks will be easily written off as nerves. She literally has a poster of his boyband in her room, she knows he goes by Nickel and he's the group's mom friend. And now she's learning that he's genuinely nice and humble, too? Her mind spins, whirls, unable to process that she's actually about to do a chemistry read with this guy. But she's giddy with excitement.

"Oh, the Chemistry Read! That'll be with me actually," he states what he isn't aware she already knows, even taking the time to help her gather her papers. She takes them from him graciously, careful to calm her breathing and not let this go to her head. She remembers being hounded a couple times after coming home from filming Young Love in Panem, and it never made her feel nice to be treated that way. Like a thing to be gawked at. It's not his fault that his voice is like honey and his face is undoubtedly handsome. He's just a guy. Clarification: he's just a guy playing the lead in the movie she's auditioning for. "I'm Nickelo. I play Justice Fray."

It's no time at all before he's already treating her like a friend, speaking to her warmly and encouraging her punctuality. Telling her about her competition. "Really?" she asks in surprise. She had heard the "we'll let you know" line before, and she didn't realize just how bad it was. Maybe that's why the casting agent never called her back for that particular project... "Well, here's hoping I dodge that bullet." They move across the set, her eyes honing in on various boxes full of props and scenery pieces, and she finds herself wanting so badly to land the part of Iris. She knows it's only a supporting role at best, but she has no qualms starting at the bottom of the ladder and working her way up.

When he turns to her again with a warm question, asking for her name, she scolds herself for being rude and taking so long to introduce herself. "Oh, sorry! Can't believe I forgot." She reaches out a hand to him before she can stop herself, staring up with big blue eyes. "I'm Penny Vanburen."

After a moment, they part, and she places her hands in her pockets and glances back to the set. It seems so large and grand, a little overwhelming. "Is this, um, your first movie project? Or are you a regular in the studio?"

[dars]

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"I'm Penny Vanburen," she said, smiling sheepishly, and then, "Is this, um, your first movie project? Or are you a regular in the studio?"

Nic tucked his hands into his back pockets as they walked through the filming lot, nodded at the lighting guy who briskly walked past like he was behind on something. "Yeah! Uh, first movie, I mean. I've done some smaller stuff. Couple commercials, some background roles, loads of music videos..." He allowed his voice to trail off without mentioning the fact that he'd gotten a lot of other work booked and that the band's agent was a vulture about letting him do anything alone which might impact the group's 'image'.

"Wait did you say your last name is 'Vanburen' before? Like, Paris Vanbruen?" He would've believed it if she confirmed the relation: they looked alike, with similar features and blonde hair. Both looked like they'd be taller than they were. But they didn't really seem to act very similar. Not that he'd gotten a ton of downtime with Paris in between sold-out stadium performances, but she carried herself with a sort of unshakable confidence everywhere she went: chin up and at 'em. She didn't afford any bad days. This girl, Penny, seemed much more easy going and down to earth. "She gave me my big break! Well, the band I'm in's big break. Megaheart?"

He held the door to the reading room's office open for her.

Inside was dark and cool, with a fan oscillating in the corner and blue track lighting lining the whole narrow hallway all the way to its end, where overhead lighting poured from beneath a closed doorway. Inside, one of the producers and several casting agents all sat around a table having their lunch. And in roughly fifteen minutes, they'd be expecting Penny Vanburen to walk in and absolutely crush this. And she would have to, to be clear. Nickelo didn't mention it because he didn't want to freak Penny out, but the girl he was supposed to be reading with later tonight seemed to be their favorite pick so far. They hadn't said that, but he picked up on little minute things.

Like, when scheduling the chemistry reads for today, they said, 'We want you to come in to read with Kerrigan and the other finalists for the Iris role'. Why say her name specifically if they weren't going to say the names of the others as well? He hadn't thought much beyond noting that he'd try to be particularly on during their read if its what they seemed to want for the movie. Now that he was standing next to her, he realized how unfair the industry really could be. There was a chance she could go in and completely crush this audition and still not get the part because they'd already secretly made up their minds.

He hoped not, though. Word on the street was that Kerrigan could be a real asshole.

"Nervous?"

[d7f amber bosch 🌿 tris]

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Nickelo already seems so engaged in the community of workers rushing around the set, holding sound pieces and spotlights and various props. She realizes then and there that there's so much more that goes into making movies than she ever knew about. Sure, she got to experience a bit of the process while filming Young Love in Panem, but this is an entirely new ball game. She ducks out of the way of a painting being carried from one lot to another.

Watching the way her dashing escort smiles warmly and waves at all the strangers passing by, it just makes her feel even better about him. He's clearly charming, and more than that, there's no shadow of a doubt that he's kind. She listens to him speak, drawing in his words and the information about himself that he provides. "Yeah! Uh, first movie, I mean. I've done some smaller stuff. Couple commercials, some background roles, loads of music videos..." and then he trails off, a brief pause before he stops to glance at her with a furrowed brow, as if trying to inspect her face more closely.

"Wait, did you say your last name is 'Vanburen' before? Like Paris Vanburen?" She laughs shyly at this, already more than used to this reaction to her surname. If she's not gonna let the fact that he's an accomplished individual on his own right, she's not gonna let it be a big deal that she's simply related to a pop sensation. That has nothing to do with her, really. She just lucked into the name. "Heh, yeah, guilty as charged."

He talks about the connecting thread, surprising even her to learn that Paris played a hand in his success with his band. She decides to lean a little closer to the truth of the situation. "I've heard of your band, actually! I can't believe I didn't connect Nickelo and Nickel. Your voice is a dead ringer for the lead's." She laughs again, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, I guess it literally is your voice. Wow. 'What Makes You Pretty' is all any of the girls at my gym are listening to right now." It's all she's listening to.

She's grateful for the cool air of the reading room as he directs her inside. "And, yeah, Paris is pretty cool. I'm not all that close with her these days, but that makes sense to me." She offers him another warm smile before glancing at her new surroundings, taking in the professional and still somehow chic space. "This is so fancy," she remarks, running her finger up the side of a marbled vase and then squeaking when it starts to tilt, quickly catching it and keeping it held in place. "Okay! Lesson learned not to touch things!"

For his credit, he does have a very calming aura. He makes her want to be honest with herself, for the better. "Nervous?" She exhales a breath she's been holding, shaking her head and feeling her blonde curls bounce around her face. Maybe she's in out of her league, and maybe all of this feels strange and new to her, but she's ready. She has to be.

"Nope," she answers earnestly, playfully punching his shoulder. "Not after meeting the cool guy I'm reading with."

[dars]

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Nic smiled politely at the girl's response. She was a fan of his music, which ultimately meant she probably wouldn't be much of a fan of what he really wanted for himself and for his own career. At least, that's what Erin was always saying- "The fans of Megaheart's music want to hear music that they've come to expect from Megaheart, Sweetie. The stuff you're writing is beautiful, but..."

He was doomed to forever sing hyper-pop songs about nonexistent girls who loved him more than they loved themselves. Surface-level stuff he didn't believe a word of when he sang it. It was soul-crushing, but also, it opened a lot of doors and kept his seat at the table nice and warm. He wasn't stupid enough to bite the hand that fed him; he'd take a life of moderate success in exchange for giving up a little creative control.

'A little' was certainly minimizing it, but it's what he told himself to feel better.

He stepped into the room and held the door open for Penny to follow. He turned to regard the other people in the room, none of whom seemed too surprised to see his return.

"Back from break! And look who I found wandering around on set!" All eyes turned to the blonde girl walking in behind him. "Ah," the casting agent named Barnaby said, regarding her from head to toe, "Miss Vanburen." He then quickly turned to the others: "Is lunchtime passed already?"

Before anyone could read into it too deeply, Nickelo stepped in.

"I figured I'd walk her over since I was headed this way anyway." Barnaby smiled over at him, clearly accepting his words as answer enough without bothering to check the time.

"Lovely. Alright then, shall we get started?"

Everyone took their seats behind the table except for Penny and Nickelo, who stood next to each other holding their carefully highlighted sides.

"As you know, I am Barnaby Juvair, lead casting agent for this project. To my left is Marigold Simmons, to my right is Coleman Harney and Esmerelda Fine. They have each seen your previous audition tapes and have already been caught up to speed on your previous work in, ah, reality television." He said the word reality like it was an insult. Nic kept a painted smile on his face in hopes that she wouldn't be offended or say anything out of turn.

After introductions were finished, Barnaby cleared his throat.

"As of now, I think we are good to begin! Nickelo, would you mind taking it from the top?"

He nodded, flashing Penny a you've got this look before taking his stance.

Silence fell over the room.

"Looking about as shabby as Yaa. You remember what happened the last time a girl from Seven got between a career from One and their crown, yeah?"

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One thing about Penny, she knows how to put on a brave face.

She remembers the first time she tried out archery at the training academy, watching as two arrows misfired right up into the rafters where they stayed for two weeks straight. Her trainer had an aghast expression, as shocked and in despair as her throwing knife mentor had looked when she almost sliced his ear off. The fact of the matter is this: Penny knows how to handle life when it doesn't go her way. That, and being around her for too long might be unlucky.

A strong might, though. No one has died around her quite yet. She stares at Nickelo with wonder, like she's been doing the whole duration of their conversation, but it's not because he's gorgeous or kind or any of those other materialistic things. It's the way he seems so in love with what he does, a moving part of a bigger machine. He knows this place like the back of his hand, smiling at perfect strangers and knowing their names at the drop of a hat.

Even as they enter the space where the producers are chatting amongst themselves, he has a calm and casual confidence. Her heart is racing inside her chest, horrified by the idea that she might take one step forward only to hear that supposedly dreaded "we'll let you know." She inhales a big breath as Nickelo holds open the door and encourages her to come inside, no sense of nervousness coming from the boy. Penny gets the idea that they could go anywhere in this whole lot, and he'd still feel comfortable.

She makes a silent prayer that she might just absorb a bit of his confidence into herself. He has plenty to spare, he probably won't even notice! "Back from break!" he calls out cheerfully, like a golden boy son arriving home after a long Exy practice. "And look who I found wandering around on set!" Instantly, as if being notified of her presence suddenly makes her flicker into existence, all the eyes in the room turn to her. She offers a large grin and a polite wave, but none of her cheery attitude is reflected back to her.

"Ah. Miss Vanburen." Yikes. He's talking to her like the school principal would, a stern and flat voice. All business, no pleasure. She folds her hands in front of her, shrinking her grin down into a cordial smile, hesitant to overcharge the room with too much unneeded optimism. She has Nickelo at her side, and that means she's already at a huge advantage. Being able to become acquainted with the boy she's reading alongside before the audition is a blessing she won't take for granted.

Whatever happens, regardless of what these big shots have to say, Penny is grateful for this experience. And for Nickelo.

There's a short debate over finishing their lunch break versus starting the audition, but Nickelo's charm convinces them to choose determining the trajectory of Penny's future over filling their stomachs. And at the very least, the man at the center of the table takes the time to introduce himself and the people sitting around him. She meets each of their eyes as he does so, maintaining her smile and nodding along. His mild jab at her reality TV experience is lost on her, honestly she perceives it as a good thing. She knows how to handle being in front of a camera.

Following a script? Well, she's about to find out.

They instruct Nickelo to begin, who swivels on his feet to meet Penny's gaze with a look that is warm and encouraging. He doesn't need to tell her that she's got this to know that she does, he just has to look into her eyes and she feels ready for the challenge. But as quickly as the warmth fills his stare, suddenly a cold, hard intensity takes their place, his expression easily shifting to one of determination and mild disgust. It comes so naturally to him that for a moment she fights back the urge to glance at their feet, worried maybe she stepped on one of his toes. It finally clicks to her that they are truly playing these characters now, and the boy in front of her isn't Nickelo.

He's Justice Fray, and she's Iris Flower-Oak. And he wants her dead.

"Looking about as shabby as Yaa. You remember what happened the last time a girl from Seven got between a career from One and their crown, yeah?" He hits the words cleanly, his tone dripping with a mix of debonair charm and arrogance. Honestly, he sounds very similar to Justice from what she remembers from the reruns of the 73rd Games. She doesn't come into it as naturally as him, but reminding herself that there's a friend inside of this enemy in front of her, and that she really wants this part, she follows his lead and allows her expression to also turn into one of quiet rage and grit. She rolls her shoulders back, holding her chin up proudly to stare daggers at him. Regardless of the height or size difference, just like Iris had, she views this as an equal playing field.

Only, in this timeline, she has the good grace of knowing exactly how this girl's story is going to end. "Vaguely," Penny responds to him and adds a light tone of disinterest to her voice, as if fighting for her life isn't the top priority on her list right now. She takes a hand and tucks a stray strand of blonde out of her eyes, wanting their audience to see the emotions she displays, and also trying to play up the light undertone of sultriness to her upcoming lines. As much as she'd like to be cast just for simply being the best for the part, she's aware that she also needs to look the part.

So, she thinks, let's give them a show.

She smirks up at Nickelo, at Justice, and all at once she is a girl on the warpath and a girl pouring on the sugar. "But this time, I promise you," she draws out the words slow and crisply, her tone soft and inviting. As if urging the enemy to step into the ranger of her weapon. "Positions will be switched." She adds a coy smile, a tilt of her head and blonde curls spilling over her shoulder. And she continues staring right into Nickelo's eyes.

Auditioning for a movie, being a finalist in the Games, none of it terrifies her as long as she's looking at him.