EXALTED: Behind the scenes -- Junkie's Visit (repost)

[JanetT]

This was originally posted on JunkySpot, back when we had "Junkie" -- a traveling Obitsu -- making the rounds. As it happened, her visit to the Tabletop Theater Group came at JUST the right time for her to get involved in the ongoing EXALTED storyline!

(First a close-up of Junkie herself because she is SO freakin' GORGEOUS!)



Traveling around the country, Junkie has been having all kinds of adventures and meeting great new friends. It's just amazing who you can get into conversations with...


... like this guy! His name was Leon, and he and Junkie sat next to each other on the flight from Kansas to DC.


The flight got in a little ahead of schedule, so they had to wait for the people who were coming to meet them. So they sat and talked some more....


And then Leon mentioned he was coming to the DC area to work for a group called the Tabletop Theater...

Junkie: "Oh, really!!! That is just such a cool coincidence! I came to visit them too! A friend of mine from high school works there -- her name is Kim Cassidy, do you know her?"

Leon: "Wow, small world! I've never met her, but I loved her in Lady in Alabaster... This is great, that means I get to see you again--er, that we don't have to say goodbye quite so soon, I hope!"


Caitlyn: (rushing up to give Leon a big hug) "Big BROTHER!"

Leon: (]hugging back) "Aw, come on, we're only supposed to be what, fifteen minutes apart? So good to see you again, Cait!"

Jordan: "And you must be Junkie! Welcome to Washington--well, and Maryland, which is where we're really going to be. Kim says she's really sorry she couldn't come to meet you, but she had to pick up Angie from daycare early today...Oh, I'm Jordan, by the way..."

Junkie: "So pleased to meet you--thank you so much!"



Junkie: "Oh, I am such a big fan of yours... Citan is one of my favorite characters!" (Thinking) Okay, that sounded really dumb and fangirlish! He's so much cuter in person, I can' t think straight...

Jordan: "Thanks... I'm just glad someone is watching it! Come on, let's get your luggage. Kim will be so glad to see you again!"



So Junkie got to meet some of the gang -- and they all sat down for some refreshments and a good gabfest.


One of the cats, Mr. Sylvester, jumped right up into her lap, and soon she was feeling right at home.


And Kim hadn't changed a bit -- well, other than the divorce and having a little girl in nursery school, and becoming a TV actress instead of a dental hygenist like she had wanted to be in high school.... It was just so great to see an old friend again.



Being the assistant director is a busy job. Kelsey had to take an important phone call in the middle of everything. It wasn't welcome news either.

Kelsey: "No, you're KIDDING! How long will she be out? THREE WEEKS! Look, this is a BIG problem, Zack. We've delayed this production as long as we can, if we lose any more time, the sponsors will start pulling out. We have to find another actress, okay? Get me some names and resumes, ASAP. We need to start shooting in THREE DAYS, or there will be hell to pay, and I don't want it coming out of my salary...."



"What's the problem now?" Jordan asks.

Kelsey sighs. "Well, you know that Madelaine was supposed to arrive tomorrow to play Suvari, right? Well, she's not coming. She broke her leg SKIING yesterday, and she's in TRACTION. She can't travel at all for three weeks! And we have to start shooting in THREE DAYS! Where are we going to find another Suvari!??"



Leon: "Well, Suvari isn't a continuing character, right? She only appears in this one scene. I bet Junkie could do it!"

Kim: "Oh, that's a great idea! Junkie, what do you think?"



Junkie: "..... ME? You want ME to be in it..!!??"



Melanie: "Oh, that would be perfect! I'm sure you could do it! Kelsey, what do you think?"



Kelsey: "Well, you know the rules, she'd have to audition... but, man, that would really save our bacon if she could do it! I'll call the Director and see if it's okay. We could do an audition tomorrow, I'll get Hajime and Alex to come in to read opposite her, that will give her someone to play off of..."



Leon: "You said you liked to try new things, right? Think of it as an adventure!"

Kim: "You can do it, Junkie!"

Bryan: "And lucky for you -- no martial arts or stunts are required... well, unless they've rewritten the scene a lot since we've seen it last..."

Melanie: "BRYAN! Stop SCARING HER!"

Mr. Sylvester: (thinking) Why did she stop petting me all of a sudden?

Junkie: "Well, I could at least give it a try, right? I'd love to help you all out... "



Junkie: "I hope I do okay.... Auditions make me nervous! It's like taking a test..."

Leon: "Don't worry! Wait until you meet Alexander and Hajime.... trust me, this will be easy for you..."

TO BE CONTINUED.... next post: Junkie's AUDITION!

[JanetT]

Kelsey: "Here, you'll want to study this before your screen test tomorrow!"

Junkie: "Thanks! What's this name on the cover--Suvari?"

Kelsey: "That's the character you're auditioning for. There's a paragraph or two about her in the back, so you can get an idea of what she's like. Not a lot of detail, because she's not worked out as fully as Genshaku or Citan. But you can ask if there's something else you want to know."






Kim helps by reading the other parts, so Junkie can practice. Even if it's only three pages, it's hard to remember all the lines...



But soon she thinks she's getting the hang of it.


CONTINUED...

[JanetT]

Junkie's Audition ....


Junkie and Kim arrive at the studio... everyone is busy doing things, reviewing scripts, checking out camera equipment....


Junkie is nervous. Kim keeps assuring her she'll do fine...




Kim introduces Junkie to Hajime Morimoto, who plays Genshaku. Hajime is more than happy to try to put the new arrival at ease.


Junkie: "I hope I do alright...."

Hajime: "Oh, you'll be fine. Just remember high school. No, seriously! That's Dragon-blooded court dynamics in a nutshell -- high school cliques and sniping at each other, to see who will back down first, who will lose face. "


Hajime: (Continuing.) "Tsukasa is the son of a city councilman, he's got tons of money and a cool car, but everyone knows he does whatever his dad tells him...."

Alexander: "Would you get that thing out of my face? Please? I'm trying to get into character!"

Jordan: (Thinking) Sounds to me like you're in character already....



Hajime: "Genshaku is the bright kid from the wrong side of the tracks, who gets invited to parties because he's a smart ass, so it's entertaining to see who he'll piss off. And Suvari-- why don't you tell me about Suvari...

Junkie: "Oh! Suvari is the prom queen, she gets to say who's cool and who's not.. because... her father works for the mayor... maybe he IS the mayor... but secretly she wants to be more of a rebel, which is why she finds Genshaku so entertaining..."

Hajime: "Exactly. See? As long as you can keep that in mind, youll do just fine!"


Kelsey: "No, let's see.. Devlin is still in New York, so who can I get to read Tori's lines...?"


Kelsey: "Thanks for helping out, Akio!"


The screen test: Lady Suvari gossips with Genshaku, who is SO BORED....


Genshaku and Tsukasa exchange a few barbed insults while Suvari and Tori egg them on.


Tsukasa comtemplates his next move with the invisible Gateway set, while Genshaku explains to him why he's going to lose.


Junkie is having such a good time getting into her role, she forgets to be nervous.



Junkie got the part! (Naturally....)

More on Junkie's adventures later... she just went down to the costume dept. with Hajime, so we'll see what happens next......

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Geektopian]

Wow, talk about bringing back memories! I'd almost forgotten that we had a traveling doll over at JSF.

I don't remember many of the details now but did Essie Lim do her face up?

[JanetT]

Yes, Essie did the face-up, and Emory originally donated the doll. Everyone who hosted her added something -- the red streaks in her hair, outfits, accessories... she also had a collection of post cards and a journal (in both human size and 1/6 scale!). (She got to keep her costume from her Exalted guest appearance, too). She ended up with Brownie, eventually. She was really a beautiful doll!

More of Junkie's visit to come....

[JanetT]

Kim had to take Angie shopping to get a present for one of her little friends at day care, so she left Junkie in the care of Hajime. Now that Junkie has the part, she needs a COSTUME, so Hajime took her over to the costuming dept. He promised Kim he would take very good care of Junkie.


Hajime introduced Junkie to Peggy, one of the costume designers.



Hajime did promise Kim he wouldn't be "too outrageous..." He sat in a corner and listened and watched while Peggy showed Junkie the costume that had been intended for the other actress who was originally going to play Suvari....



But at last he couldn't stand being quiet any longer.

HAJIME: "No, no, no.... and definitely not. Not right for her at all, Pegs."



HAJIME: "I'd lose my membership in the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fan club if I let you even THINK about dressing her in Earth colors when she's so obviously a Fire girl!"



HAJIME: "No, browns and tans are all wrong for you, darling. You need something more dramatic... you are just SO not an Earth aspect. Something brighter--yes, definitely Fire, I think."



JUNKIE: "Oh? You really think so...?"

HAJIME: "Oh, absolutely. Let me see... there has to be something better over here. Something in bright red, perhaps...."

PEGGY: "Let me check the script here.... Suvari's a Mnemon, that's an Earth-aspected House... "



HAJIME: "Ta-da! Now THIS is the color you should be wearing, Junkie. Take a look, Pegs, you know I'm right about this...."



PEGGY: "Yes, that's a fantastic color on you, Junkie. But Hajime, the script says she's an Earth aspect. And we already have Taran in that scene as a Fire..."

HAJIME: "Aw, c'mon, Peggy. I'm sure we can change Suvari's aspect, it's not like she's going to use any charms or powers in this scene. Let Tori be the Earth Aspect if we need one. Devlin looks stunning in browns. "

JUNKIE: "But if Taran's already a Fire Aspect.. won't that be too much... red?"


HAJIME: "Oh, trust me, we're not putting Leon in RED, see? Fire does have more colors than that!"

JUNKIE: "That's what Leon is going to be wearing! That's so beautiful!"

PEGGY: "I think I've got just the thing, let's try it out.... I'll talk to the Director about it later..."



PEGGY: "I was going to have one of the extras wear this... but it's just the right color for Junkie. The sleeves would have to be replaced, they're awful, but we have fabric to do that...."

HAJIME: "See, now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"



HAJIME: "Yes, that's going to be just PERFECT for you... looks like it won't need too much adjusting, either. She's right about the sleeves, but that can be fixed..."

PEGGY: "It's too much red for the camera by itself, though. And all the characters are wearing layers, so let me see.... something to go with that, to bring out the color but not too much..."



PEGGY: "THIS is perfect. An over-robe like Genshaku is wearing, or Ayame... with red accents, I think."

HAJIME: "Perfect. Absolutely fab, as Erik would say..."

JUNKIE: "Oh, wow... I'm going to get to wear THAT...??"



JUNKIE: "I'm going to feel like a princess in a fairy tale...."


TO BE CONTINUED.....

[JanetT]

The costume department did work very fast. Peggy called Junkie and asked if she could come in for a fitting the very next day! And Junkie wasn't the only one who seemed impressed by the fast turn-around...


LEON: "Wow -- You look fantastic in that! Fire really IS your element..."



JUNKIE: "Oh, hi, Leon! Thank you so much -- but I'm just standing here holding up the costume. It's really Peggy here who's doing all the work!"

PEGGY: (muffled through a mouthfull of pins) "Thanks... It's about time SOMEONE noticed...."



LEON: "Oh, I noticed all right..."



JUNKIE: "So, uh... what are you doing here this afternoon? I thought your costume was done..."



LEON: "Oh, it is. No, they added two more scenes, did you hear? Akio finished the script draft last night. So Caitlyn, Richard and I were doing a read-through. It really takes place before the party where your scene is, but we probably won't film it until late next week. It's kind of introducing our characters and their history, so the audience will understand just why Taran reacts like he does to Genshaku's insults.."



PEGGY: "Okay, I've got the seam marked, let's slide that carefully off you... don't go away, I need to check the back hem of that undergown.."

LEON: "Here, you don't want to trip on your hem..."

JUNKIE: "Oh, thank you...."



LEON: "Uh... by the way, do you like Indian food?"

JUNKIE: "Indian food? Oh, yes, I like just about everything..."



LEON: "I know this really nice Tandoori place, not too far from here... if you'd like to go get some dinner once Peggy's done with you... it's getting to be about that time...."

JUNKIE: "Yes it is--Leon, are you asking me out on a DATE?!!"



LEON: "Well... yeah, that's the idea...."





TO BE CONTINUED... WHAT SHOULD JUNKIE SAY??

[maywong]

"WHAT SHOULD JUNKIE SAY??" I'm guessing...... YES!!!!. This is the first time I have read this. When was this story first posted? BTW I loved it. Thanks for reposting it.

[JanetT]

OF COURSE she said yes! (originally posted in May, 2007 - so three years ago...)

Junkie's date with Leon.....



After her costume fitting, Junkie met Leon out in the hall, and they went to this wonderful restaurant called the Bombay Tandoor. The menu was very enticing...



... the company was pretty enticing too.



Leon suggested they drink to her success, but Junkie was a bit embarassed at that, since they hadn't even started filming yet. So they just toasted the show's success overall.



Junkie hadn't noticed before that Leon was left-handed... "That means I'm in my right mind," he says. "It also gave the fight choreographer fits when he realized he had to account for me holding the sword in my left hand...."







They were both too full for dessert, but they did have some coffee (decaf -- as Junkie pointed out, they had to be on the set VERY early and the last thing she needed was anything keeping her awake....)


Junkie and Leon dropped by the studio after having their dinner out (I assume they had a good time, they didn't tell me much about it..).


The set was almost finished -- the crews had been working nonstop. They stopped to watch Hajime and Alexander rehearse the game moves, so they would look like they knew what they were doing when it was filmed..




It was late by the time Leon brought her back to Kim's house.



Junkie: "I had a wonderful time... you're making this visit very special..."

Leon: "You're pretty special yourself..."







Junkie: "I guess they were waiting up for me...."

Leon: "I guess so...."




Junkie: "I had better go in -- thank you so much for this evening!"

Leon: "Thank you for making my evening....Sleep well... don't be too nervous! I'll see you tomorrow..."




Junkie: "Good night!"

(Though Junkie wondered how she'd get any sleep at all after that!)

TO BE CONTINUED....

[JanetT]

Somehow Junkie did manage to get SOME sleep (she declined to say how much, even though Erik asked, with a twinkle in his eye...)....

Early the next morning, she was at the studio. After getting into her full costume, having her hair done, and her makeup applied, she reported to the set. Shooting the episode took three very long days! But Hajime and the other members of the cast and crew (especially Leon) were very supportive and encouraging.....


Though Hajime did whisper to her between takes that he wished they'd put real wine in the goblets instead of sparkling white grape juice.....

She had so much fun, even though it was also hard work. And at the end of her last take, the cast and crew gave her a round of applause!


And Hajime presented her with flowers... well, they were prop flowers, but she was rather touched anyway, as they had been his favorite prop during their scene.



On behalf of the entire company, Hajime and Kelsey also presented her with her own copy of the script for the entire episode, to keep for her own. "Just don't show it to the media before the episode premieres, that's all I ask.." Kelsey told her.



And Leon congratulated her in his own special way....

"No, no, they're KISSING again!" Hajime cried. "Make them stop--Leon, you're breaking my heart, man, cut it out!"

Nobody listened to him.

Then Junkie posed for pictures...


With the cast and crew....


.. and her co-stars Hajime...


...Devlin and Alexander....


and of course, with Leon....


"This one's for the reunion scrapbook," Kim told her. "SMILE!"


"You done GOOD, girlfriend -- whoo-hoooo!!!"


The only person who couldn't make her going-away party was Akio, so Junkie called him on the phone to thank him for all his help and encouragement, and to say goodbye.

It was really hard to pack her bags and say good bye to all her new friends...


They stopped by the studio on their way to the airport, so that Junkie could say goodbye to Leon... he was getting ready to do another scene.



"Good bye, Junkie! Don't forget to write!"


"Don't be a stranger, Junkie--come back again, don't wait for the NEXT high school reunion, okay?"


"Goodbye, everyone -- thank you all so much!"

Junkie is on her way to HAWAII.... to visit Ryll, Tai'an and Si'or. She's looking forward to new adventures and a little Pacific sunshine....


.... and more special memories to keep.

We really enjoyed having her visit us! (Perhaps we should have guest stars more often...?)

COMING SOON: EXALTED: Episode 4: The Games of Court
(The episode in which Junkie appears!)