Flipside

LA, baby!

The next morning I finish packing my bags and then pack up my car. I spend a little time with my boyfriend before kissing him goodbye and leaving around 10am. I stop and top off my gas then hit the road. Many hours and several stops later, I arrive at my hotel late in the night, just before midnight. I check into my room and text my boyfriend who I know has long since been asleep, to let him know I’m safe. I lay down in the bed and fall asleep almost immediately.

I wake up Sunday morning to a call from my boyfriend, I think to myself, bless him, he tried not to wake me. Although California is an hour behind home, he waited until after 8 am to call. Once we finish our phone call, I head down to the restaurant and have breakfast and coffee. I finish up there and charge it to my room, then head over to the front desk. I ask the woman at the front desk if the on-site spa is open today, and if she can see if they would take a walk in or reservation for later that day. She tells me it is open, and types into her system. She then says that walk ins are allowed as long as they are hotel guests. I smile and thank her for her time.

I head straight up to the spa and inquire about their packages. I decide to take the half-day package, which includes pre-treatment sauna, a facial, a one hour massage, manicure/pedicure, and then post-treatment soak and sauna. The lady smiles and checks me all in, charging the package to my room. She then takes me to their lounge, where there are changing rooms and bathrooms. She provides me with a plush robe and slippers and shows me to the sauna area, telling me to change and then make myself comfortable, and then they will come and get me. I nod and thank her, then head to change. Once I’m in my robe, I head to the sauna area, letting myself relax.

After some time, a different woman comes and says they’re ready for my mani-pedi. I follow her and get that treatment done, which is by far the best I’ve had. As soon as they finish, another woman takes me for my facial. It’s so relaxing I almost fall asleep. When she finishes she tells me to go into this waiting area, as my massage therapist will be ready momentarily. I nod and thank her, then go into the waiting area, sinking into the soft arms chair. I sigh, man, this was a really good idea.

Before long, another woman appears and takes me for my massage. I do end up falling asleep this time as I relax. She wakes me when she needs me to turn over and after a little while she finishes. She leads me to the soak/sauna area, which is a private soaking tub and sauna. She shows me the different bath salts and soaks they have and then gets the tub started for me. I thank her as she leaves, then de-robe and settle into the tub. After a while, I get out and let myself enjoy a nice quiet steam. Once I’m sure I’m more relaxed than I’ve ever been in my life, I put my robe back on and head out. The lady in the lobby tells me that hotel guests are allowed to take their robe to their room. I thank her profusely. My time at the spa ends and I change and then head to my room.

After a quick nap, I do a little research on Robin, reading and saving some lines, taking notes. Occasionally, I step out onto my balcony for smoke breaks. I call my boyfriend before I head down for dinner and tell him about my spa experience. I tell him I miss him so much but I’m really glad I had this day to relax and enjoy myself. He tells me he’s glad, and he hopes I’m having a good time. I tell him I am, and then after a bit more talking, we hang up and I get dressed and head down for dinner.

After dinner I return to my room and go over my previous research, acting out some of the parts I saved and memorizing some dialogue. Several hours and cigarettes later, and thanks to my relaxed state, I get to bed early, with a handful of alarms set to make sure I’m up with plenty of time to get dressed and get to the Netflix HQ.

I wake up early the next morning and dress in a nice, but not overly elegant dress. I curl my hair and put on tasteful makeup- not too much, but enough to spice up normal me. I head downstairs and have a protein filled breakfast and a latte, then head to my car and begin the drive over to Netflix. I park in the designated lot in my instructions and head inside at just before 8.30 am. The nice lady at the front desk greets me and gets me checked in. She tells me the man set as my “contact”, Nick, will be down shortly. I smile and nod, thanking her and taking a seat in the lobby.

Before too long, a handsome man who looks to be around 30 years old appears. He wears his brown hair in a neat fade, and has quite defined facial features. He’s decently tall, probably around six foot. He smiles at the woman at the front desk and says hello to her before turning and walking over to me. “Ah, you must be Harmony. I’m Nick, and it’s lovely to meet you.” He extends his hand for me to shake.

I stand quickly and take his hand, shaking it firmly, “likewise! I’m excited to be here!”

“Yeah, for sure. Thanks for coming so fast!” He grins, “You see, the project is moving pretty fast and your email was brought to our attention just as we were about to open auditions for season two. But, we were intrigued by you and I actually sent your portfolio over to One Piece’s creator, Oda, and he was really interested.”

My eyes go wide to prevent my jaw dropping to the floor, “wait so, you’re telling me that Oda himself liked me?”

He laughs, and motions for me to follow him, “yep! He’s a great guy actually, but I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that. You seem like a pretty big fan of the anime, huh?”

I nod as we walk down a bright hall, “big time! And season one of the live action was absolutely incredible.”

“Well, thank you!” He adjusts his tie and laughs, opening the door to an office where several other people await our arrival. As we sit down, he explains, “This is a bit different from usual, although you made it seem like you’re never been to an audition before. So, let me explain the process. First, we’re just gonna sit and talk, kind of interview you a bit.” He pauses and points to the cameras, “these cameras are going to record all of this so we can review your interactions and readings. Then when we’re done here, you and I will head upstairs and we’re gonna have a little photoshoot. After that, we’ll break for lunch and assess everything. If we want to proceed the audition process with you as Robin, we’re gonna have you do a compatibility reading with a couple people. Sound good?”

I process everything and nod, grinning, “yes sir, sounds great!”

“Wonderful.” He smiles and rests his hands on the table. We all talk for a while and I surprise myself with how comfortable I am. Then we move into reading some lines, most of which I had memorized the day previously, breezing through them, without needing to do much on the spot reading. He has me say some lines a few different ways. After a little over an hour of this, he says, “you’re a natural! You’re doing so good. Well, we’re all done here, let’s go upstairs and get some pictures.”

I smile and stand with him, following him to an elevator and then to a room a little down the hall. The room is darkened, except for a set of lights in front of a screen, with a few racks of clothes and a small team of hair and makeup artists waiting, as well as a photographer. He has me sit down and they touch me up a bit before having me go stand in front of the perfect white screen. The photographer has me make all sorts of facial expressions, standing in a multitude of poses, and takes what feels like a million pictures of me. After a while, Nick takes me from there and leads me down to a calm cafeteria. We get through quickly and he pays for my meal, then turns to me. “Okay, Harmony. I have a few calls to make, but I’ll meet you right here in about an hour, okay? If you need anything,” he hands me a business card, “give me a call, okay? I’ll be back soon as possible!” And with that, he leaves.

I sit down and eat my food quietly. Once I finish, I ask an employee if there’s a smoking area. He points to the outside patio. I smile and thank him, then step out to smoke my vape and calm my nerves. I finish and head to the restroom to brush my teeth and straighten myself up. I return to the calm cafeteria and wait for Nick.

After a few short moments, Nick returns with a big smile on his face. I smile back up at him, standing as he approaches me. “Harmony! Great news. I sent all of your videos and photos to our production team and to Mr. Oda and they love you! The production team still wants to meet with another girl, but Oda is basically refusing, saying that he believes you’re perfect.”

“Are you kidding me? No way!” I smile and put my hands to my face.

“Yeah, it’s amazing news. So, how long are you going to be in LA? Will you be here for a bit longer?”

“I booked a hotel through Wednesday, but if needed I can extend it?”

He holds up a hand, “that should be fine. Like I said, Oda is basically saying he won’t see another actress for Nico Robin but the production team already has another woman in line. She’s scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning, so you should be fine staying until Wednesday.”

I nod my head, still smiling. “I so didn’t expect any of this. I mean, I’m so incredibly ecstatic. Uhm, will you be meeting this other girl?” He nods his head. “Okay, if you think she’s a better actress, will you please push for her? I want to be a part of this show so bad, I could die. But I also love the show with all my heart, so if I’m not a part of it for the sake of a better actress, that’s what I want.”

His smile turns to a grin. He nods slowly, “I respect that. You have my word. But don’t think that you’re not good, because you’ve got everyone really impressed.”

I smile and look down, “thanks. I really appreciate that.”

A young woman walks up to him quickly and whispers in his ear. His smile fades slightly and he nods. She walks away and he meets my eyes. “So, I guess the other woman has arrived early and is, uhm, kind of demanding to be seen now.” He clears his throat, “Harmony, did you have any plans today? Or would you be willing to wait here?”

“Oh! Well, no I didn’t have any plans. I can absolutely wait here.” I smile softly.

He nods quickly. “Okay, great. Alright, well you have my card, please call me if you need anything at all, okay?” He points at me and smiles warmly, before turning and walking away.

I wait for a while before heading back outside to enjoy some fresh air and smoke my vape a bit more. I wipe my sweaty hands on my dress and tell myself to hold it together. The problem is, now that I’m here, I don’t want to lose this chance. The silence breaks when I hear the door behind me open. I turn, expecting to see Nick, but instead I see Taz Skylar, the actor playing Sanji. My heart pounds in my chest but I smile at him. He smiles back and lights up a cigarette. I look away and think chill the f**k out, Harmony. You probably look insane right now.

“First time audition?” He leans against the railing next to me and blows out a puff of smoke, still smiling. I nod, words choking me. He laughs softly, “it’s okay. It can be nerve wracking. But I’m sure you’ll do great. Who’s your production contact?”

I look at him, and clear my throat, “It’s Nicholas Parker.”

His eyes go wide and he grins, “no way! Nick? So you’re auditioning for One Piece? Who are you auditioning for?”

I laugh softly and smile, “Nico Robin.”

“Aw, hell yeah!” He grins, “I’m actually here to read with you!”

I grin back at him, “no way, that’s amazing!”

Just as he blows out another big puff of smoke, the door opens and Nick walks out.

“Oh, hey, Taz! Good, you two have met.” He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and lights one up, then looks to me and smiles, “well, good news! You’re our Robin!” He takes a drag and grins at me.

“What, seriously?” I smile and put my hands to my face.

Taz pats my shoulder and hugs me with one arm, “hey, that’s awesome! Welcome aboard, Robin!”

I let my hand wrap around his waist and smile, “thanks, Sanji.” I look back over at Nick, “but wait, what about the other lady?”

He grunts and shakes his head, blowing out smoke angrily, “well, somehow she heard about you. That’s why she came early. Came in here talking about how this was her role and she wasn’t gonna let someone else take it. Then, when we got her talking a bit more, she knew absolutely nothing about the show.” He shakes his head and laughs a bit. “Not the anime or the live action. Only that it was about pirates.”

Taz and I scoff at the same time and he shakes his head, “I hate people like that.”

I frown and say, “I know! Especially because One Piece is like, the greatest show ever made. One of the longest running anime’s for sure.” Taz smiles at me.

Nick nods and smiles, “I know. Well, anyway, the production team said they couldn’t possibly send her info to Oda so they have carefully selected you, Harmony. They still want you to read with Taz though.”

I nod and smile. Taz rubs my shoulder and says, “yeah, man for sure!”

Nick nods and finishes his cigarette, “alright, well Taz you know where to go. You two come on up when you’re ready.” And with that he turns and walks away.

I look at Taz, who finally releases his hold on me. “That’s so amazing!! I’m really happy for you.”

I grin, “thank you. This is seriously such a dream!” I pull out my vape and take a long drag as he finishes the rest of his cigarette. He looks over and laughs.

“Hey, I have the same vape!” He reaches in his pocket and pulls out an exact twin of mine.

I laugh loud, “how funny! Hey, how many times do you think we’re gonna accidentally switch vapes?”

“Well, we better find a juice we both like and keep that on hand, I can say that for sure.” He laughs and puts his back in his pocket and I put mine in my purse. “Come on, let’s get going.”

We head up stairs, talking the whole way. Surprisingly, talking to him feels like hanging out with an old friend. We’re similar in so many ways and get along really well. We enter the office and start reading. A few odd lines, simple passing conversation between Sanji and Robin, and then they have us read a more intense scene, which isn’t even set to be in the season. The team applauds our performance and several people congratulate me as they shuffle out. Finally, all that remains is Taz, Nick, and I.

“Hey, Nick? Can I ask you a silly question.” I say.

“No such thing.” He sits on his desk in front of me.

“So, where do we go from here? I mean, what are the next steps?”

“Oh, right! Okay,” he folds his hands together and places them on his lap, “so we’ll finish casting the rest of the new cast for season two and then we’ll start filming. We’re already in the early stages of set building, so hopefully we can start filming in about a month.” Taz nods, looking between us.

“Okay, awesome! So, do I just go home from here and wait for a call or is there things to do?”

“Right! I’m so sorry, I keep forgetting you’re brand new to the business.” Nick smiles warmly, “yes, so you’ll go home from here and we’ll call you to schedule upcoming things. The first thing we’ll do is have you film a video announcing your role as Nico Robin, which you’re welcome to do from home. Then we might have some cast promotional videos we’ll film in between now and filming, but those will be relatively rare. Once we’re ready to begin filming, we’ll fly you to the location and begin from there.”

I nod and smile, “awesome, sounds great!”

“And one more thing, save my number in your phone. We’ll be speaking frequently.”

“Okay, cool! Will do.” I nod my head.

“Well, Taz, what are you doing after this? Any plans?” Nick says, looking over to Taz.

“Uh, I don’t think I have any plans. Why?” He says with a sideways smile.

“You two wanna go grab dinner and some drinks on me?” Nick says with a grin.

“Hell yeah!” Taz says excitedly.

I grin, “yeah, for sure!” And with that, Nick slides off his desk and we take off. I drive myself back to my hotel, and Nick and Taz pick me up there. We head to this really nice place where Nick gets us a private table. We have a few drinks and dinner and then spend hours talking and laughing. Finally Nick pays for everything and stands up.

“Well, I actually have to work tomorrow so we better get going.” We follow him out and he drives us back to my hotel. As I get out of the car and start walking to the door, Taz jumps out and tells Nick to hold on.

“Hey, Harmony! Let’s exchange numbers.” He hands his phone to me and smiles.

“Oh yeah, sure!” I hand him my own phone and then create a contact, naming myself ‘Nico Robin ;)’, then hand it back to him. He laughs hard when he sees it and then I notice why. He’s named himself ‘Sanji Robin-channnn! I miss you already my love!! Hehe :) I’m so excited to work with you. Thanks for such a fun day.” I giggle and reply, “Aww, Sanji-kun! I had the most amazing day too! So happy to have met you:) can’t wait to hang out again soon.”

Before I set my phone down, I text my boyfriend, “Hey baby, just got back to the room! I had the most amazing day. Call me tomorrow. I love you.” And with that, I set my phone down and lay my head on the pillow, falling asleep instantly.

I wake up the next morning and check my phone to see two missed calls and a text from my boyfriend and then a text from Taz. My boyfriend says, “I’m glad you had a great time, babe. Call me when you wake up. I love you.” I smile and call him, telling him everything and making him vow not to tell a soul about my role until they decide to announce the casting. He’s ecstatic for me and then tells me he misses me and can’t wait for me to be home. We talk a bit longer and then hang up. I check the message from Taz, “Hey, call me when you get this! I have a surprise for you.” My interest is piqued. I call him and he says he’s gonna send me an address. He tells me to head there and he’ll be there waiting for me with my surprise. I laugh and tell him I’ll head out soon, then hang up and get dressed in a nice pair of jeans and my favorite one piece t-shirt. I touch up the curls in my hair and then wash my face and put on new makeup. I grab my keys and things and head out.

I text him when I’m on my way and then drive to the address, which leads me to a really nice house on the outskirts of LA, close to the beach. I text him that I’m there and then walk up. Just as I go to knock on the front door, I’m greeted by Iñaki Godoy, with Taz standing behind him. Iñaki jumps out and wraps me in a tight hug.

“My archeologist!” He pulls me inside, smiling wide.

“Wow!! Hi!” I hug him and look over to Taz, “I assume he’s my surprise?”

“And me!” Emily Rudd comes out from behind him, “I’m so glad to have another girly around!” She pulls Iñaki off me and hugs me herself.

“Oh, my god!” I hug her back, “this is insane! It’s so good to meet you guys!”

Taz grins and as Emily pulls away, he sneaks in a hug himself. “I thought since we were all in the same place, we should take this opportunity.” He looks down at me, “hey, nice shirt!”

Emily looks at it and laughs, “you must really be a fan of One Piece!”

I laugh with her and nod, “I would guess probably not, but have you guys ever heard of the podcast ‘One Piece in a Pod’? Well, that’s me. It’s a One Piece recap podcast.”

“Oh, yeah actually I have listened to that!” Iñaki chimes in, pulling out his phone, “yeah, I’m subscribed! It’s really good!”

“No freaking way! So cool!” I let myself geek out for a minute, smiling ear to ear.

Taz laughs and walks to the kitchen. We all follow him, and I see he’s cooking breakfast. He finishes cooking and we all talk and get to know each other. They’re all so amazing. At one point, I look up and see Taz watching me and smiling. I think to myself, he’s so sweet, to do this for me. Hours go by, and I tell everyone I have to get going so I can pack and prepare myself for the 12-hour drive back home. They all protest a bit before giving in.

“Wait! Before you go, let’s exchange numbers!” Emily says, as I go to stand.

“Oh yeah, for sure!” I open up my phone and slide it to her, while she and Iñaki give me theirs. I put my number in their phones and decide to just name my contact ‘Harmony - Robin’. I get my phone back from them and see Iñaki named himself ‘King Iñaki’ and Emily’s is just Emily Rudd. I grin and thank them, then stand to leave. To my surprise, Taz stands with me.

“Here, let me walk you out.” He smiles and walks with me, giving me a big hug at the door. “Hey drive safe getting home, okay?”

I nod and then take off. A few miles away I get a text from Taz. I laugh and play it out on my CarPlay. He says, “Guess what I have?” I reply, “Whatcha got, Taz?” - he sends a picture of his vape. I say quietly to myself “no way.” I take a hit off mine, and realize. That’s definitely not mine. I laugh hard and text him back, “Seriously? Already! I’m headed back!” I u-turn and head back. He tells me to just come in. I come walking back into the kitchen and switch vapes with him. I hang out a little longer before saying goodbye again, and checking my vape this time.

I laugh and drive back to the hotel. I spend the day quietly taking a bath, and checking on some business things before going down for an early dinner. I return to my room and wind down, calling my boyfriend before going to sleep.

_________________________________________

A long drive after my successful trip gets me home. I can’t wait to see all the adventures in store.