(Untitled)

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden hasn't lost track of the specific spot where she first appeared on the island; she never knew where it was. At the time, reeling from her arrival, blood in her hair and, sometimes, eyes, head pounding and heart racing, the exact location was of approximately zero importance to her. She doesn't, for that matter, remember the stretch of beach

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[notfaking_it]

"I do," Lily said, approaching Eden from down the beach, barefoot and wearing a loose summer dress over a bathing suit. More and more often, she found herself on the beach if she wasn't in the dance studio, finding the smell of the ocean similar enough to that of California that it actually stirred some kind of homesickness in her.

"Or one of the others," she continued, stopping beside Eden to look down at the books that are open around her. "Any of them, really."

[wishesandsmoke]

Origami mewed loudly at Lily, padding over to curl around her legs. "Or all of them," Eden said wryly, glancing up. "I think I have to actually choose one before I begin. What do you think, eeny meeny minie mo?" She patted the sand beside her, smiling a little. It was nice, actually, to have some support. She'd been on her own a lot over the years, but where some people grew accustomed to that, she'd only ever craved company more for it.

[notfaking_it]

Reaching down, Lily stroked the cat's ears, then sat in the sand beside Eden and began to look through the titles. "If you don't already have a favourite, then eeny meeny minie mo seems like your best course of action," she said seriously, then broke into a smile, giving the cat another rub. She'd always liked animals -- the indoor kind, anyway, she didn't have much interest in farm animals. "Or maybe we can each pick one and play rock, paper, scissors for it."

[wishesandsmoke]

Pleased with the attention, Origami butted her head against Lily's hand. Eden had always loved that about her, that she was of an especially affectionate breed. If anything, her cat was far sweeter than her dog. "Well, I know which one Origami picks," she said lightly. "The trouble is trying to decide what we can make work around here. I mean, something like, say, Angels in America would be far too grand a scale." Even if one of the characters didn't live in this place. "But Proof, maybe. Only four characters, a couple sets. Could film it just as easily as put it on stage."

[notfaking_it]

Curling one hand into a fist and leaning her chin against it, Lily watched Eden, listening to her talk about the plays and then nodded. "Maybe something smaller to start. Who knows what you'll be able to do in a year or so." For whatever reason, she was just glad to hear that Eden was going to try something.

"Do I get a starring role?" she asked, mostly teasing, giving Eden a grin.

[wishesandsmoke]

Though it would be a small scale production, it was a wonderful piece of theater, and Eden thought maybe that settled it, maybe. It would be best to do something little and not have to manage too many people. "You might," she said, grinning right back. "I'll have to see you audition first. I'd better see you trying out." Come to that, she wasn't even sure if she would hold auditions so much as look around and ask people she knew. If it were a film and if it only had a handful of roles, it might be better that way; she wasn't equipped to tell so many people no, if anyone were even interested.

[notfaking_it]

"Can I dance in my audition?" Lily asked dryly, as she might have thought that dancing was a form of acting, but she doubted she'd do very well with a monologue or something else that was generally expected in an audition.

An even better idea would be trying to convince Nina to try out. Maybe it wouldn't be such a stretch for her. "I think it's a good idea," she said. "You doing this."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Thanks," Eden said. "Really. I hope you're right about that." It would be just her luck if hers was the first island production to be a real flop. But then, everyone turned out for everything, if only because there was nothing better to do and somehow that was, potentially, even worse - a way to be terrible at it in front of everyone. At least, she told herself, she would have tried. "We really do need a real ballet or something. Sadly for you, choreography is beyond me."

[notfaking_it]

"I think I'll be okay," Lily assured her with a grin. "If things get really desperate, Thomas is here. I could probably talk him into doing something."

And there were other dancers. Not many, but enough that a smaller cast might be possible. It was something she'd have to look into when the time came. "You'd have to come see it if we ever got that far."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it," Eden said. She made a point of supporting her friends, for one; for another, it would be nice to see something happening here, some kind of art being made. There were so many talented people and so few things for them to do, and she knew how frustrating that could be even for an amateur like herself. "I can tell you already my schedule's clear for that night. For almost all nights. And it'd be a shame for you guys not to have something to do."

[notfaking_it]

Lily laughed again, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You're easy to get out and about," she said, teasing. It was nice, actually, being able to simply ask someone to do something and have them say yes. "I know there isn't much in the way of clubs or anything here, but we should just go out and do some kind of girl's night. Especially if you know more girls. I'm sort of limited to the few I've met so far and Nina."

Nina would go, too, she was sure of it.

[wishesandsmoke]

"It's nice you have Nina, though," Eden said. She hadn't really had any friends back home to wish here, and the few people she would have wanted from back then, she wouldn't have taken out on an occasion like that. "I know a few that might be interested. I'll ask them. We should totally do that. It'd be nice to do something for a change - like things used to be, you know? Put on something cute, go out and dance."

[notfaking_it]

There was a part of Lily that agreed; having Nina around was great and familiar, but another part of her still questioned what the other woman was really like. There was so much she kept to herself, hidden behind that very solid wall of tension.

"Exactly," she said. "I would kill to just go out for dinner and get a few drinks and then just dance." It wasn't the same as dancing ballet at all, and she missed it.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Well, then we should do it," Eden said, grinning. She debated, briefly, whether or not this was the right time to mention she didn't drink, but there was no reason that had to get in the way of their having fun. It would come up when it came up. "Pick a day, I'll... see who I can gather up, you do the same, we can take the Winchester by storm and then hit up the Catscratch."

[notfaking_it]

"This island won't know what hit it," Lily said, then nodded at one of the plays. "I think it'll be the same sort of feeling as when you reveal your directorial debut. I mean, when I think of an island in the middle of nowhere, I definitely don't think of any kind of film industry. You'll probably surprise a few people who weren't around for the last time something like that happened."

If she hadn't known Eden and she'd one day seen audition notices for a film, it would have thrown her off for a moment or two.

[wishesandsmoke]

"I hope that'll be a good thing," laughed Eden. "I think there've only ever been two here and they were both years ago now. Maybe by now everyone's forgotten what it's like to see a film that didn't come off the shelf and they'll applaud it no matter what." A girl could dream, at least. Besides, as long as she had talented, dedicated actors and someone else's script, maybe it wouldn't matter if her camera skills were minimal.