Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.
Just when you thought the story was complete…
:}
Jade wasn't thrilled about this new set of auditions, even if her new investors insisted. 'I don't need to personally audition every extra.' She grumbled to herself. 'I mean, sure, I know how the deal works. I give this person their fifteen minutes, and they do something for someone heavy in my investors company, and then the boss of the company makes sure I get the cash I need to pay for everything, including the extra's I don't need to audition.'
But the blue eyed girl wasn't fooling anyone. The auditions weren't for the small, unimportant part. It was a chance for these people, family and friends and lovers of powerful people, to get critiqued by a growing power player in the field. Jade was lucky in that she'd built just enough of a reputation, fairly quickly, that she was able to skip the part where she HAD to find a roll for this whomever. "Next." She barked.
Two figures entered, and while Jade certainly knew them both, one was someone she hadn't spoken to in a few years, despite her deep connection. "Cat….?" Jade heard herself say.
"Hi Jadey, I heard you were looking for an office?" Cat opened. "Not my normal area of work, cause I help spoiled celebrities find their next dream home, then convince them that this or that particular house is the home they were looking for." The former faux redhead shook her head. "It's hard."
"I can imagine." Jade agreed. "Cat, while it's obvious I do need an office, it's too early. I…"
"I told her a story, so she'd agree to come." Trina said, reminding them both she was present. "I needed to be sure you didn't just yell 'NEXT' and cast me off, which is what you're probably planning anyways."
"No, I've been wondering when you'd show up." The filmmaker said. "Okay, I have to hear you read, cause while it's a bit part, it's still, it's part of the deal…"
"Um, whats part of the deal?" Cat wondered.
"My boss said he could get me a face to face with miss thang there, if in return I get an interview about her current project." Trina informed Cat. "Or about cornflakes. Just, Jade is notorious about her interviews, controlling when she breaks down and gives one, and even those are few and far between. Her stars are gonna carry the heavy lifting of pushing this movie."
"An interview, huh?" Jade mused. "I heard you went into Radio, so…" Her eyes scanned the small room she was using, part of the offices of the producer who was helping out, in return for her giving his favorite a shot at a part. Jade found that there were worse then Trina out there. "So, you're a journalist now?"
"Working on it." Trina smirked. "Went back to school, gaining the skills. Only, while a good journalist learns how, the degree isn't always needed. Me, I'm just enjoying that aspect of my job."
"So we record this, and I get to talk to Cat?" Jade clarified.
"No, we do the interview to justify you and me having this talk we're about to have." Trina was straight this time. "Cat, she's here because she's my friend, and I needed to be sure you'd at least listen to me. If the interview happens, it'll be live, on the air, during the evening drive. My show…"
"Which you share with a misogynist." Jade said. "What? I do my research."
"So do I." The older girl replied. "I wanna know your intentions."
"To make babies with Tori." Cat said, puffing with pride as if she'd done a good thing. Jade gave a surprised look. "What? I know you've had a thing for her, from like senior year. Before that even. Not sure, but it may even have been from before you and Beck got back together. However, I knew that despite everything, you're a good person, so you refused to break Beck's heart, or cheat, or wear pink. Never understood the last one. I mean, you'd look darling in pink…" She smiled, ignoring the glare that threatened to melt the wall behind her.
"What the hell…..?!" Jade tried to focus on the words, and not the odd innocence that Cat always projected.
"Please, we both know what you want." Cat challenged.
"Actually, I'm kinda flattened." Trina admitted. Cat looked at her chest. "Okay, floored, cause I have bosoms. Happy now?"
"Not as happy as Tori is gonna be." Cat said. "That is, once we finish retraining Jadey here."
"Retraining?" The goth growled.
"Not the way I wanted to approach this." Trina noted. "I wanted to just, I don't know, I was thinking of maybe of talking to her, finding out if she was plotting some kind of revenge, or had figured out the nature of their relationship…"
"STOP!" Jade roared. "Wait, stop, let me get this straight…"
"Not sure that word fits in this case." Cat said with a giggle. "You sure I can't interest you in an office? How about a nice home? I have a nice selection of potential love nests…"
"We're talking about how you knew I had a thing for Vega when I wasn't even close…" Jade faded, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.
"I doubt any of the others saw it." Trina noted. "I just, I figured, the way you singled my sister out, it was more then just the threat. You were hot and cold on her, to the point where I was worried you might be borderline. Only, when it all came clean, I realized it was just you're bi, and so dedicated to the one you have, you couldn't even let yourself imagine the possibilities of the one you want." Trina explained, as the petite girl nodded along. "Plus, Tori, so in the closet, I doubt anyone saw her coming out. Hell, she even fooled me."
"True that." Cat concurred. "Tori isn't so much gay and, er, whats the word?" Brown eyes scanned the room, only to give up with a shrug of her shoulders. "She just, she can love the one she's with, or the hot guy, but she doesn't get that both are options. But given how much chiz she put up with from you, and still wanted to call you friend, she's either a masochist, or will be willing to play ball, once we get you retrained."
"Whats with this retrained shit?" Jade demanded.
"You know, not being such a meany." Cat responded.
"Oh, that's the purpose of this film." Jade relaxed. "Wasn't expecting Tori to want a part, so I wrote it with just Melinda Murray in mind. Then things started to happen, and before I knew it, I was caught with Tori demanding a roll, to make sure I'm not being duplicitous, and Melinda in a roll, and me in the lead, hoping to grow into less of a bitch and more of a lovable person."
"Not a great idea." Cat said. "Not saying you shouldn't try to be less mean, just, the bitch, what people think is a bitch, um…" She looked to the older girl. "Help."
"Just be sure what you're giving up is the part that lashes out, and not the strength you have." Trina clarified. "Jade, do you have a clue about what your trying to do?"
"I've been studying." Jade admitted. "Consciousness, and meditation, and growth, and spirituality. Learning to take responsibility for my choices and my actions. Planning on growing into the kind of person Vega deserves."
"Great idea, bad execution." Trina said.
"I think that's because…" Cat looked confused. "Um, is it because she might remember she's a girl, and Tori needs a man?"
"CAT!" Jade yelled.
"Not like that." Cat waved her friend off. "Even a girly man, or manly girl, just, has to have the Man part, but not the man parts… I mean, you have to be tough and willing to fight for her, that's all she needs, even if it comes with boobies."
Jade stared at the petite girl, again trying to decipher her intend. "I get it." The director deflated. "Tori needs her bad boy, someone who can protect her."
"No, she needs someone to contain her, more so then you did." Trina again clarified. "My sister is prone to going out of her way to help people, and that leads to getting used. As bad as you were, you hardly ever tried to use her."
"And you did help protect her from guys who did try and use her." Cat added. "Not in a nice way, cause that just wasn't you, but you'd warn her, then when we acted to help, you were a part of that. Plus, you violated ice cream for her."
"That has nothing to do with any of this." Trina told the petite girl.
"Sure it does." Cat insisted. "Jadey may have enjoyed the concert, but really, she was helping Tori get free of you using her, which you were."
"One fricking week." Trina groaned.
"Yea, one intolerable week." Jade nodded. "So, we done here, or do I have to give blood just to do an interview I don't wanna do, so I can date your sister?"
"No, we're almost done." Trina nodded. "Just as soon as you understand just what I need from you."
"You want me to take care of your sister." Jade snapped. "Sorry, I have anger…."
"Yep, you do." The older girl giggled. "But that's a good thing. The way your handling yourself, changing, becoming, it's good. Just don't do it the wrong way. Find and keep that strength that the anger and defiance helped build, cause that was what made you a success. Hell, Tori needs a hefty dose of that. You know Mason is the force that keep pushing my sister to the top of the charts, right?"
"That's cause Mason's always hungry." Cat said. "Deprives himself that bibble, eating his emotions with his lunch. Those are high calorie, you know. Not good for you, cause the emotions taste horrible, so you sugar them down so they are palatable, and the next thing you know, they go and punch a hole in your stomach to get out."
"She's in rare form today." Trina nodded, watching the shorter girl.
"Yea, but I think I get it." Jade sighed. "Catarina, I get it, Tori needs a man. A metaphorical man, who can hold her when things get bad, and push her when she's hesitant. Tori was always so good at going for what she wanted, it's hard to remember that she's a bit standoffish sometimes."
"You pushed her, dummy." Cat clarified.
"Cat, careful." Trina smirked. "She's only working on her anger. Still the dangerous psychopath we know and love."
"She won't hurt me." Cat insisted. "She needs me, to help her find the perfect love nest. The home that'll be where she and Tori rise their brood… Um, Jadey? You don't have a penis, right? You gonna borrow one, or buy it?" Her eyes opened wide. "Did you use your scissors to snag one of your own?"
"Not sure how much more of this I can handle." Jade groaned.
"Then lets make this easy." Trina announced. "I'm gonna be interviewing you about life, and tangentially, this project. You, you're gonna be gracious, do the interview, then work with me as I do what I can to make sure Tori gets the best person for her."
"That's you." Cat added. "Once you have the right love nest. Let me use your computer, cause I think I know the perfect listing, and if we act now, we can snag it at a few points above listing."
"Aren't you supposed to help her get a good deal?" Trina wondered.
"This is real estate, not bulk purchases." Cat informed the older girl. "And Jade, this isn't just me trying to help my bottom line, cause I do fine. I make way more then you'd think, over a million per year, as long as I know how to work the system, celebrities and such. No, I'm trying to sell you a damned home cause it's a long term investment. You buy a home, it's roots, something you will be going back to, over and over and over. Plus, you can let Tori decorate most of it, save only a few choice rooms, like an office, and maybe a dungeon…" Her eyes took in every movement of the taller girl. "Okay, maybe not a dungeon. Man, lost that bet. Now Robbie's gonna have to buy me something."
"Wait, you lost the bet, and Rob has to buy you something?" Jade tried to take it in.
"Yea, I feel so guilty betting with Rob, cause he makes the worst bets." Cat informed her. "Rex eggs him on, and next thing you know, I have to lose, or Robbie will be spending ever more then if he wins."
"Continuing." Trina cut off the conversation. "After the interview, I have access to the set. You know, to visit my sister, or maybe see who wants to do interviews. Plus, you'll need me to keep a leash on Cat, cause she's gonna be trying to sell everyone homes. Plus, we may, if we feel like it, do background characters, just because we'll be around, you know you can trust us, and it'll justify us hanging around the sets. That sound reasonable?"
"And what am I getting for this deal?" Jade asked, but she knew she'd already lost.
"We'll make sure you get to keep the best of you, while becoming the kind of person Tori needs, as well as wants."
"Fine." Jade lay her head down. "Please tell me there isn't a room full of people hoping for a shot at a roll out there?"
Trina glanced out. "No, you're good." She smirked. "Jade, I like this you, but we need that fight you used to have. I wanna see you ready to throw down to protect my sister, and to do that, we'll be provoking parts of you. No fighting, just stirring the pot, making sure the best of you is still there."
The two were on their way towards the door, on the way out, when Cat added one last thing. "I know this lesbian, and I'm betting she can draw you a pillow book. Think that'll help?"
:}
Actually misplaced this one in the wrong drive. Hope it was what you expected.
Thoughts.