10
Title: A Gentle Touch
Rating: Mature
Main Genre: Romance
Pairing: ScottxLisa
Summary: Roughly three years after the close of the comic, Lisa Miller has become an international super star with a surprising string of three hit movies. In the midst of all this change, and new challenges, a face from her past returns.
Notes: My Third Fanfic. An outlet for the lemonade in my head, and an honest attempt at an entertaining story & plot with Lime(s), and eventually Lemon(s). I don't think there will be any major OoC, but this is non-canon and a good deal of you will HATE ME FOR THIS. I apologizes now, so that I may proceed unapologetically. PLEASE Read & Review ! Flamers welcome, trolls as well – but beware of Big Billy Goats.
WARNING: For non-canon characters I will pull names and personalities out of my ass.
Disclaimer: Scott Pilgrim created by Brian Lee O'Malley. I own nothing.
Key:
Word = text
"Word" = speech
'word' = thoughts
word = misc. details
Word = titles, headings, etc.
= narrative break, change in scene, etc.
Lisa Miller's Not-So-Little Life
The Director had just called "QUIET ON SET", and everyone waited with baited breathe as Lisa Miller walked toward the built-up room– her fellow actor waited by a large bed. The crew showed mixed confusion and disappointment on their faces. The Director had his face in his palm, massaging his temples; the man sitting next to him looked quizzically at the actress. The back of his chair read: Agent/Executive Producer.
"Lisa," the Director asked with sarcastically innocent tones, "What are you doing?"
Lisa Miller
27 years old
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
"What? This?" Lisa motioned to her clothes– if you could call it "clothes". Lisa had walked on set wearing a skin tight, skin colored leotard-type cloth that stretched from her ankles to her elbows and neck. Of course, no one on set could tell where the cloth ended and Lisa began. The material blended so seamlessly with her skin that everyone on set thought she had walked out of her trailer naked, till they noticed the complete lack of body hair, skin discoloration, nipples, slit, or ass line.
The Director stopped one step away from Lisa, and leaned in while biting his nails. He whispered, "I thought we talked about this."
Steven Brooks
The Director
Rating: "M" for Mature
"You talked," Lisa said, crossing her arms and whispering furiously. "I told you from the start I wouldn't do THAT!"
Brooks had nodded neurotically and put up his hand to interrupt. "B-bu-but! –We left this scene for last with the understanding that– since it would be just a few intimate members of the crew, Hugo, me and your manager– you, in fact, WOULD–"
"I WOULD," Lisa clarified before Brooks could go on, "do the scene. I would NOT be NAKED." She was speaking in such a carrying whisper that the crew didn't bother pretending that they weren't listening in.
The Director turned around, and looked desperately at the man already approaching.
Nicolas Block
39 years old
Hollywood's Best Agent
Rating: " 'Ari' Gold " Standard
"You talk to her." Nick already had his arms up in a "calm down" sort of gesture. "Explain to her that its in her contract." Brooks stopped a few steps behind him, looking back at Lisa, shaking his head, and pacing back and forth.
"Lisa," the man, who was wearing a too nice suit and too understanding look, began.
But Lisa cut across him. "–Don't 'Lisa', me, Nick." She wasn't bothering to whisper anymore, but she wasn't yelling. "We laid it out in the beginning. Every step of the way I made it clear. It's not my fault HE wasn't listening."
"You're absolutely right," Nick conceded in a convincing tone. "But you gave no prior notice of this little stunt. What? Did you pay the make-up artist to keep quiet? Nice Surprise! (You look fabulous be the way)," the manager added with a dashing smile.
"Shut up," Lisa said with an embarrassed half-frown. Then, worryingly, she asked, "Is he right about the contract?"
Nick raised his eyebrow, but kept silent. He looked back at the Director, who was tapping his foot impatiently, then back to Lisa. "You won't do the scene?"
"I won't be naked. I'll do the scene– and I'll kick its ASS." Lisa's look was fierce– a particular look that Nick knew could only be raised by someone challenging her acting ability.
Steven, hearing the whole conversation, marched over to Lisa, stopped biting his nails, and pointed a finger in her face. "Acting requires BELIEVE-A-BILITY! It has to be REAL! Actresses– BETTER actresses– have had sex on camera! Get off your moral high horse–"
The rest of the Director's lecture wasn't heard over Lisa's shouts of indignation, and Nick's exclamations of "WOAH! WOAH! WOAH!" Eventually, Nick got them both to calm down enough to do his job. "First off, Steven. The contract with the studio supersedes any agreement enter into by Ms. Miller with the production company, etc. AND–" Nick added when it seemed that the Director was going to interrupt, "You'll find that said agreements all guarantee Ms. Miller . . . leeway in– ah– this matter."
Steven's words died in his throat. He turned back to the crew and yelled, "That's a wrap for today! SORRY! Sorry! You'll be paid for your time. Now go home and sleep. We shoot tomorrow at 7 a.m. sharp!" After he made sure that everyone was walking off, no stragglers to eavesdrop, he turned back to Nick and Lisa. "Tell me, Mr. Block. In this "leeway", how does a body double fit in?"
"What'ds that mean, Nick?" Lisa asked earnestly.
Nick held up a hand in a "let me do what you pay me for" way. "Which alternative method is your choice. Lisa!–" Nick cut in once again, as it seemed that his client was going to interrupt. He pulled her off and turned his back to the Director, so the next comment was private, "You got your way. Now, as the great John Wayne said, 'Never mind the particulars.'" Nick turned back and nodded. Steven nodded back and walked off.
"Body double?" Lisa asked again, testily.
"It means that you'll shoot the scene– probably in that suit," Nick gestured to all of her, "and then they'll film the scene again with another actress. She'll be– for lack of a better word– your "body" in the actual movie.
Lisa looked scandalized. She huffed and began to walk away with her arms still crossed. She stopped at the door, turned and said, "It is the best way, right?"
Nick, fixing a stern look on his face, replied, "It's the only way."
Lisa was in such a state of frustration, even after she had taken off her body costume suit– which took hours– that she spent the next hour wandering through warehouses and studio sets in a huff. She was so inattentive to her surroundings that someone had to pull her back from walking on to a shoot in progress. "Hey!" she yelled when the man put his hands on her shoulders and nearly made her fall over as he pulled back.
"Shh! Ms. Miller, what are you doing here?"
"Oh!" She said apologetically, "Sorry, Kyle."
Kyle
Last Name: Unknown
Status: Worried about losing his job
"It's fine! It's fine! But they're just about to start."
"What is this?" Lisa looked around and saw a made-up alley way. In it stood a sinister looking man, who was dressed in rags and leather. He was talking candidly with a woman dressed in a short skirt ordained with accessories, purple tight bottoms, and several layers of tattered shirts, hoodies and a leather jacket.
"One of those quasi sci-fi action movies with a romantic sub-plot," Kyle answered wearily. "That one in the leather is the vaguely-eastern techno-mystic, who also knows martial arts, bad guy. And the girl is the quirky heroine."
"Oh yeah," Lisa said, playing along with mock interest. "And where's the awkward, counter-handsome hero?"
"QUIET ON SET!" The Director yelled. Kyle whispered, "Not sure, the lazy ass won't do any of the major fight scenes himself– but here comes his stunt double. They found this guy on the border– not Mexico, Canada!" Kyle whispered with genuine enthusiasm in response to Lisa's look of intense interest. "They said that he said he was trying to walk from Toronto to Japan. He got into a fight with the Mounties: Special Team 6 Division. Some producer saw the fight, found out he had been doing stunt work for some Canadian productions on-and-off for two years, and now he's here on a work Visa."
"Oh my God," Lisa said, none to softly, as she recognized the stuntman.
Scott Pilgrim
27 Years Old
Status: About to Kick Ass
"And. . .ACTION!"
What ensued over the next ten minutes was the single greatest line of movie-combat shooting that had ever been seen in Hollywood. It was a one-shot, steady-cam method, so that both of the actors went through the entire sequence without stopping. Lisa thought that Scott was actually in a fight: she had seen him do some crazy stuff. She realized, soon enough, that not only was there obvious (great, but obvious) choreography, but that Scott was actually really good at this!
"Cut!" The Director yelled, as the leather-clad "bad guy" fell to the ground at the end of the fight. "Brilliant! Great– Really, Scott." The Director had walked onto the set toward a panting Scott, and patted him on the back. "Better than I thought! And the timing– it was perfect, just perfect."
Lisa recognized the falsely patronizing tone that Hollywood people sometimes adopted before they dropped the "but."
"Bbuuutt," there it was, "I think we need to scale it back a bit. Ya gotta remember: all the flourishes and flashy moves," the Director had chopped the air and gave a half-hearted kick, "distracts from the STORY we're trying to tell with the camera– kay? You see. . ."
The Director when into a long-winded explanation about why he was right and they needed to do it again, all with a tone of teacher trying to explain to a particularly dim student that day's lesson. The next hour was spent re-shooting the scene, but Lisa didn't leave. She was transfixed on the spot, and couldn't help watching Scott's every movement. His subtle mannerisms and quirks were like little waves from her past, saying "hi" to her from a time that seemed so far away– now that she was "all Hollywood".
"Alright, next scene!" The Director called out. Then, catching Scott on the shoulder as he walked off set, Lisa heard him say, "Good work today, Scott– like always."
Scott was walking away, and Lisa panicked. 'Oh no! What'd I do! He's leaving, just say "hi"! You're friends, you idiot: just call his name!'
"Sc~ott!" Lisa's voice cracked as she yelled. Her legs began moving her over to Scott as he walked in the opposite direction. She was running when she yelled again, "Scott Pilgrim!"
Scott heard her now, and turned around just in time to catch Lisa in his arms. "What the–"
"Aaa!" Lisa yelled as she fell into Scott's arms. She straightened herself, but wrapped her arms around his back and said, "Sorry! I couldn't stop."
"Lisa!" Scott said incredulously. Lisa disengaged and looked him in the face, smiling.
"Haha, you remembered me this time!" Lisa was ecstatic. "You! in Hollywood? I would have never guessed it. And a stuntman! That part makes sense somehow. . ."
"Ah, yeah," Scott managed. He was looking around nervously, as if horrible things would happen if he was caught talking to movie-star Lisa Miller.
"We have to catch up!" Lisa demanded. "Have you eaten? Can you eat? I know the perfect place– It's so good to see you!" Lisa once again gave him a big hug. Scott's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and with Lisa so close she couldn't help but hear it. "That's a yes!"
"I– uh– gotta shower," Scott said helplessly, "and change. Can I meet you there?"
Powder
Serves only white-colored food
Rating: 5 stars
Lisa Miller, wearing a white cocktail dress and white go-go boots, sat waiting at a corner booth. She looked around her, bored now and thinking that she shouldn't have come an hour early. She wanted to make sure she and her guest got good seats, but the restaurant owner had ensured her that not only would she get any seat in the house, but every meal would be complimentary– on the condition that she eat there at Powder again and often. She happily agreed.
She looked at her watch and saw that it was five past seven. 'He's late. . .I gave him the right address, I think? Like there's any other eatery called Powder in L.A.'
"You okay?" Lisa looked away from the entrance, and nearly jumped out her skin.
"Scott! When did you get here?" Lisa was hurriedly smoothing her dress and touching her neck.
"I was in the back," Scott replied as he sat opposite Lisa. "There's a cook back there who used to work at 'The Happy Avocado' in Toronto."
"Isn't that where Stephen Stills worked?" Lisa asked, motioning for the waiter to come over.
"Me too," Scott informed her. "I was a prep. cook there before working as a stuntman for some low-budget films."
"Yeah, I heard the story of the catch at the border. Like Caine in Kung Fu, huh? Oh, one second," Lisa spoke to the waiter. She and Scott looked over the menu, quickly deciding what they wanted, though Scott stopped to ask if Octopus was really white.
"This Octopus lives in Arctic waters," the waiter supplied.
"Being around white stuff makes it white?" Scott asked no one in particular, as the waiter walked away to get their drinks.
"Never mind that," Lisa shooed away his question. "First things first: What happened with Ramona– and the eleven evil-exes?"
"There was only seven," Scott corrected as he took a sip of water.
"That's not so bad," Lisa said, forgetting her urgency. "So, how'd it go? You're alive, so I assume you won, per usual."
"Yeah," Scott admitted. "All of them have responded already– except, Gideon. He's probably in hiding or something – but I haven't heard anything since."
"Your not worried about it?"
"Well, not now," Scott responded evasively. "Let's talk about something else."
"Hey! You're drinking!" Lisa pointed to the drink the waiter had set down.
"I drink, now," Scott said defensively. "–Sometimes. I drink sometimes!"
Lisa had just noticed. "Oh my god, where's Ramona? I thought you might bring her."
"Ah– well," Scott drank the rest of his gin and tonic, "I'm not sure where she is right now."
"Still working for Amazon? Are you two living in L.A.? Married yet? And if so– why wasn't I invited to the wedding!" Scott was sweating, and called for the waiter to bring him some more water and lemon. "What's wrong?" Lisa asked sympathetically.
"We're not together anymore," Scott admitted.
"What!" Lisa's voice had the perfect amount of sympathy and surprise. "I don't believe it! You two were perfect for each other! I mean, I only met her a few times, but I thought for sure that if seven evil dudes couldn't do it then nothing would separate you two!"
Scott looked over at his hand. Lisa had reached over the table, and put her hand on top of his. He looked up at Lisa. "It's for the best, I think. At least, it was the first healthy break up I've ever had– her too, probably."
"Can I hear the story?" Lisa asked sheepishly.
Scott pulled his hand off the table, and clawed at his face. "Couldn't you just read the book sometime?"
"Huh?"
"Ok, ok," Scott said. "Just. . . later. Let's talk about something else right now."
"Sure," Lisa conceded. "How's everyone else? How's Kim?"
"Kim? She's the same," Scott said, happy for the change of topic.
"Still making out with girls," Lisa asked playfully.
"No," Scott replied honestly. "I guess she was my only straight friend there, for a while. I haven't talked to her since I came to L.A. two months ago."
"Wait– straight? I thought it was your roommate who was gay, or something."
"Wallace is still pretty darn gay. But I meant Stephen Stills: he came out sometime in Volume 5, but I missed it– I had 'a lot going on'."
"What about that other kid, the one who was with the chinese girl? Young...something."
"Neil?" Scott looked half-embarrassed. "He's not really a friend– family now, right? He and Stacy–"
"Got Married!" Lisa interjected. "Stacy is your older sister–"
"Younger–"
"And she– wow! They're married and– wow!" Lisa had nearly finished her drink, and was asking the waiter for another. "When?"
"Over a year ago," Scott answered, somewhat nervously. "Haven't you talked to Kim at all?" Lisa suddenly looked really sad. "Woah, what'd I say?"
"Oh, no," Lisa shook her hands in denial. "It's not you– I just feel homesick– or, err, friend sick. We talked for a month or so after I left for California. But her phone was suddenly disconnected, and I hadn't heard from her since. I haven't talked to anyone really," Lisa was actually teary eyed, but her voice wasn't shaking. "And it's so hard to make friends with any of the people I work with. We end up never speaking once shooting ends."
Scott thought quickly, trying to cheer her back up he supplied, "I remember! Kim went to go live back with her a parents for a while. Yeah– and. . .she didn't move back for a like EVER. I mean, she probably lost your number, or forgot it, or something." Scott didn't think any of this was helping, but Lisa wiped her eyes and beamed at Scott again.
"Anyways, I'm so glad you're here, Scott. We have to hang out all the time. Is it ok if we hang out all the time?"
"Of course," Scott grabbed at the answer in a desperate hope to keep Lisa talking and smiling. "So what's new with you? I mean, you've been in like a bunch of movies– super famous actress, eh?"
"Oh, shut up," Lisa blushed. "I've only been in three big movies. And all this hype is just a bunch of luck and the help of some great people. You should meet my agent, Nicholas. I'm not sure if he manages any stunt man, but he could definitely get you a better deal than you're getting now."
Before the conversation could continue, the waiter brought out their food. Lisa tried the occasional question, but Scott gave short, non-committal answers. She remembered how much Scott hated being talk to while eating. She smiled to herself, realizing that he was still the same Scott. However, over the course of the evening, even Lisa could see the change in Scott's character. He was more confident, goal oriented, and well. . .
'He's less of a pussy,' Lisa thought to herself.
"What's up?" Scott asked as the two walked through an industrial park after their meal. He had notice the look of inattentive happiness on Lisa's face. Lisa snapped back to the conversation, deciding to answer Scott with a punch to his arm. "Ow!"
Lisa laughed and answered, "You're still a goof."
"Dammit, Lisa," Scott said, pouting, "I'm a professional."
"So..." Lisa coaxed, "Are you gonna tell me now?"
Scott's face went suddenly stern. He looked down at his feet, then up at the sky. "Do I have to?"
"No," Lisa said honestly. Scott looked back down, then into her eyes. "Not if you don't want to, Scott. I just thought you might want– you might need– to talk about it." Lisa's voice became quieter and more timid with each word. Scott was silent, but she wasn't gonna drop the subject, though she was increasingly afraid that Scot was gonna explode at her. "Have you talked about it with anyone?"
"Staci and Neil. . ."
"What about Kim and Stephen Stills?
"I couldn't talk to Kim," Scott said seriously. "She's dealt with enough of my crap. She was there to make sure I wouldn't forget it or go into denial, though. I don't talk to Stephen much anymore– Wallace either. It happened about a year ago."
Lisa didn't say anything but put her arm in Scott's to walk alongside him, hoping to convey that she would listen if he would just go on. Scott looked over at her, not protesting their walking arm and arm. "I don't want to do anything to make it any more difficult. I'm not good at relationships, and my advice sucks. I just wanna listen: nothing else."
Scott took a breath. As briefly as possible, Scott summarized how he defeated Ramona's evil-exes, including Gideon. "Staci and Neil starting dating about a month after that all ended, we– me and Ramona– became really close with them. . ." Scott didn't speak for a while, and Lisa waited in silence. She noticed that they were getting close to her apartment.
"So about year later Neil proposed to my sister...She said 'yes'. What else? I had started working as a stuntman, and Ramona got promoted in Amazon. It was pretty much the same job, but now she was teaching other people– Canadians, I mean– how to use the sub-space. . .Things were going great, for about six months after that." Before now, Scott had been telling the story with a disinterested gloom, but now color started to flood his cheeks and his voice shook with passion.
"But then we start arguing over stupid things! I think I was sick of her working so much– we hardly spent more than a few hours a day with each other– and she couldn't see why I had to quit my job at the restaurant to do this stuntman-thing. Stephen wasn't working their anymore, the band me and Kim started couldn't last, and the only person I saw other than Ramona was my sister!"
Scott broke off here to tell Lisa in a whisper, "(I really couldn't stand hanging out with her and Neil: they were so publicly 'open'.)" Lisa nodded understandingly.
"So that lasted till my sister's wedding," Scott continued. "We made up at the reception, and things lasted for a little while longer–" Scott's voice was relatively calm again, and he looked up from the pavement at Lisa, who had stopped both of them in front of a large building complex. "This is me, Scott," Lisa said.
"Great, have a good sleep," Scott said shortly, before pulling his arm away and turning away to continue walking.
"Scott, wait!" Lisa called. Scott stopped and turned to face her. He seemed to regret that he had snapped at her.
"You'll tell me the rest later, okay?" Scott nodded. Lisa didn't bother undressing– except for her boots, which she threw by the side of her bed– and fell asleep with a mixture of happiness and confusion in her heart.