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A Nighttime Interruption

After breakfast Venetia wanders into the living area of their production accommodation that's fit for Hollywood royalty.

Their apartment has become a sanctuary, a cocoon from the outside world. The cream walls were adorned with a collage of posters and photographs, snapshots of life on and off the set. A vintage velvet armchair sat in the corner, a perfect spot for Venetia to sit and read her script. She could feel the texture of the velvet under her fingers, the softness of the worn fabric.

Tom emerged from the bedroom, dressed in gym clothes and a beanie.

"Right, I'm off to the gym," he announced. Venetia smiled, knowing how much he enjoyed his morning workouts.

"Have a good one," she replied, before settling back into her script.

She was lost in her lines, the words flowing from her lips in a soft whisper. She rehearsed the scenes, each word a mantra, a prayer to the acting gods.

*

After a gruelling hour at the gym, Tom walks to the sound stage feeling a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.

His arms and legs ache, and his clothes are soaked with sweat, but he feels a sense of accomplishment. It's been a while since he's been this dedicated to his workout routine, but he knows it will help him get into character for the upcoming scene.

"Tom, over here!" Akiva waves him over to where he's standing with the rest of the crew. "How are you feeling?"

Tom approaches him, still feeling a bit jittery.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit nervous."

Akiva nods understandingly.

"For sure. I'll let Mona know. We all believe in you, Tom. Just remember to stay in character and let yourself go."

Tom nods, taking a deep breath.

"Got it. Let's do this."

Once he's in his dressing room, Tom takes a quick shower and changes into a fresh set of clothes and sits down at the small table in the corner of the room.

As he looks over the screenplay, reading the paragraph where it's revealed to the audience that Ariana has been Danny the entire time, Tom starts to feel a sense of excitement. He knows this scene will be challenging, but he's ready for it. He's confident in his abilities as an actor, and he trusts everybody involved. He finishes going over his lines and steps out of the dressing room.

He walks over to the set that's been created within the past couple of days, and Tom sees the red and white barn which is his character's trigger. The set designers have done an incredible job of making it look authentic. Tom can't help but feel a sense of foreboding.

"Okay, everyone, we're ready to roll!" Mona, the director, calls out to the crew. "Tom, take your position."

Tom walks over to where he needs to be, feeling the weight of the scene on his shoulders. He looks around at the actors playing the other drug users, taking in their ragged appearances and vacant expressions.

"Action!" Mona shouts, and the scene begins.

Tom starts to speak his lines, feeling his heart rate increase as Elijah Virdee-Jones, who plays Jerome, Ariana's lover, leans into his body from behind. He takes a deep breath and focuses on his character, letting himself go. He can hear his own voice slurring slightly.

It feels silly, and maybe it is, but this side of acting is what Tom's more accustomed too - which unfortunately is the type of acting Sony and Marvel dislike. He reckons any day now Amy Pascal will turn up at his apartment demanding him to take on another kid's franchise. Then again, he plans on telling the world next year about his sobriety. Maybe it will help promo for the show... Or it'll ruin his career. Either way, he reckons Marvel will fire him for being a liability and drunk. He doesn't care though.