closed starter for kaya aizawa ( @kayaaizawa )
location: outside of the hair trailer
grace was only in the hair trailer because they needed something stronger than her hidden cigarette breaks to get through the night. even if they knew it was a bad idea, mixing alcohol with the place that led her to substance abuse in the first place, she felt like she didn't have another choice. what was she gonna do? get through this whole thing sober? but the people in there were so fucking insufferable. having a good time, the nerve. they walked out with her drink, rolling her eyes. she thought she was free of the people that irked her until she walked directly into kaya. a little bit of her drink spilled on the head writer. back when grace was younger, they might've apologized and even offered to get some club soda. but what did she care now? what reputation was she saving? and they were reminded there was no reputation to save every time they read the damn script changes kaya made. all these jabs from someone who didn't even know her. she didn't want to turn her scandals into a joke or a brand. they weren't funny to grace. so no, grace was not sorry about a little alcohol on the writer's clothes. "are you just gonna stand there like you've never had a drink spilled on you or are you gonna get out of my way?"
closed starter for lark young ( @singlikethelark )
location: the props trailer
it's obvious that grace is conflicted about being back on a set. by the look on her face. by the way she won't look anyone in the eyes. every corner she turns is a memory of some sort. even if it's not the same set, it feels the same and she's remembering all of the good memories, all of the bad ones, all of the times she felt the pressure coming down on her with a smile on her face. she doesn't know why she still kind of feels the need to wear one right now. at a party, not even when the cameras are rolling. she needed a break to get away from it all, from who she used to be. she slinks into the props trailer, only to find lark is there too. "is there anywhere on this set where someone isn't fucking here?!" she mutters in exasperation. not at lark in particular. just at...everything.
"I was actually just keeping it warm for you," Naveed joked, as though Atlanta heat wasn't doing a good enough job of that in the middle of summer.
There was some sort of snafu once, with this kid and a line in an awards show - at the time it was everything to him. Royce had pulled some strings, got him in the writers' room under a pseudonym and how did he get to continue his legacy? Some bratty Whizzy kid who didn't want to just read their lines like they're supposed to.
With years separated from it and a lot less booze in his system at present, he had long forgotten about the that " misstep ". Beef with a teenager. In his 30s.
He nodded them over, inviting her toward the shadow of the trailer. "There's room for two miserable bastards in the shade," he said, an olive branch for someone like him.
Grace didn't want to really engage with anyone on the set but certainly not the fucker who wrote that joke. It might seem trivial now because it was just a joke but it was of the dominoes that had to fall for her ultimate downfall. And maybe they had some blame for that because it was on a much larger stage than their previous controversies, but it felt like it was the straw that broke the camel's back for her. And the scandals she had before were mostly normal Whizzy Channel stuff, love triangles, crying on Instagram Live, whatever. Not what happened at the awards show.
But right now, everyone else was somehow annoying her more than the guy who wrote the fucking joke. How about that? So she shrugged and moved over to where he was, taking out a cigarette. "I remember when I thought these were the worst thing I could be seen with." A mirthless chuckle escapes their lips.
val couldn't wait to get a little vice into her system after the table read. they wanted to celebrate, but more so, they needed to quiet the mental noise of wondering what assumptions the room had already tied to her name. from the looks of grace's clenched jaw as she entered the hair trailer, she needed to let loose too. they turn to face grace in time to catch the mystery alcohol fighting its way down, watching amusedly with scrunched brows. she grabs the bottle from grace, turning it to read the label. some bottom shelf herbal concoction that probably tastes vile, but it would get the job done. she pours a shot for herself and sends it back. "yeah that's ass. whatever you do, don't breathe through your nose." they set the shot glass back down with an audible exhale through pursed lips, eyes lingering on the rigidity of grace's posture. "unfortunately we're gonna need more than that to get through the night. you look tense." val picks the bottle back up, tilting it toward her with a faint smirk. "you wanna debrief or finish this bottle? pick your poison."
when grace was growing up, alcohol was also seen as a no-no, even when her peers were obviously all doing it. she had to be a good role model, their father's words constantly ringing in their ears during those days. but as she started to shed that mentality and image, she thankfully started to care less and less. but drinking whatever the fuck was at this cast party? they think maybe their father was right because that shit was nasty. "glad i'm not the only one." grace is a little taken aback when val says they look tense. is it that obvious that grace wants to crawl out of their skin? but they don't want to talk about it, even if they thought val might be able to understand. "god, if those are the two options then..." grace takes the bottle from val and reluctantly starts sipping and grimacing.
Nisha had known Grace was going to be on the show with her prior to arriving for the reading of the pilot, but nothing could've prepared her for the tension that came with it. They were professional, mind you, very nose down and reading along at tones that were accurate to their characters in those moments. She was trying to be hopeful to some degree that Grace wouldn't hold too much resentment towards the lack of her presence over the years... but, that was truly hopeful thinking. It had never been intentional or anything against Grace, but she knew it didn't make that better or easier. She'd failed to step in, step up, and just... be a friend. She was so wrapped up in her own existence of proving she was more than who me? that it made her forget those that mattered. Like, well, Grace. Someone she'd once called a good and close friend.
She wasn't necessarily, in this moment, trying to seek Grace out when she came upon her. No. She'd been walking away from the hair trailer after a shot (or two) that made her stomach feel a little funky. She was going to try to find something to snack on in order to fix that, but instead came to a stop at the sight of the burnout her ex-friend. She paused in thought then stepped closer, braving the idea of speaking rather than succumbing to her anxieties of not. Grace spotted her and spoke with a bitterness that burned worse than the tequila going down earlier. She frowned a little herself, standing just a few feet off and shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her eyes dipped then lifted back up choosing to ignore the spat words in favor of a compliment and sentiment, "You did really great today, Grace. It... it was good seeing you." Even if you hate me.
Grace wants to think they would've turned this role down if they knew they would have to see Nisha every day. But she knows that was a lie because as much as she tried to act like she didn't care anymore and lambasted the entire industry, she still missed acting. It was really one of the only things she had been told she was good at, partly because it was one of the only things she was doing for a good chunk of their life. And besides, if they were willing to work with Lillard again, why would Nisha be any different? But for some reason, to Grace, it was different. Maybe because they were both women and knew how the industry was or they were in the same age bracket.
The fact they were playing two characters that were a part of the same friend group and in some iterations of the show were romantically involved didn't help. They tried to be as detached as possible during everything, Grace had always been pretty good at that. Compartmentalizing came with the gig and she learned that at a young age. "What are you doing?" Grace asks, her arms crossed. She doesn't want to engage with whatever this rekindling of friendship Nisha seemed to want to do with her. Maybe down the line, but right now, they felt like it was too little too late. "Great to see me again? You could've seen me, you chose not to. Because god forbid America's former sweetheart is spotted even liking an Instagram post of the biggest bitch in Hollywood." They were getting angrier by the second, remembering everyone who acted nice to her face and then never even reached out publicly or privately to check on them or defend them. "You can save the fake nice bullyshit for someone else, Nisha. You want to fix our friendship? Why don't you ask your daddy to go fix it?" The last one was a low blow but at this point she was channeling all of her anger towards Nisha, which wasn't exactly fair because Grace was angry at a lot of people and things, not solely Nisha.
who: farrah & grace ( @bvrntouts )
where: outside of the hair trailer
when: the cast party, early evening / night
The door to the hair trailer had opened with the chatter of some of the female cast within it, Farrah calling out a reminder for them to check with her if they needed anything. It was her job, after all, wasn't it? Make sure everyone's ducks were in a row so that Lillard could have the smoothest production possible. And Farrah's Type A overt perfectionism efficiency was cut out for the job. She was even spending more of the cast party checking on others than allowing herself to party. When you're forty... she'd joke to herself. She couldn't quite knock back shots like she used to when she was these actresses' ages.
As she stepped down from the trailer, she spotted a missing figure, and her eyes widened. "Grace!" she called out with a bright grin, instantly recognizing the girl from the headshot amongst her grid of who was what in this show. Grace Hsu (bolded), Shaggy Rogers (italicized). So unique!
"Sorry, I should introduce myself properly," she was quick to apologize, a laugh escaping her lips as she walked over and extended her hand to shake. "I'm Farrah Mendoza. I'm going to be the floor manager. I've just been studying who everyone is, and I recognized you from my notes. I'm so excited to be working with you! The other ladies are in the hair trailer if you're looking to join them!"
Grace was stuck between feeling grateful for this role and trapped by it. Sure, it was nice to be working after being sidelined because of the controversies for so long but they couldn't help but feel bitter that everyone was seeing her as either who she was before or all her "scandals." They had spent so much time pretending to be someone else when she was younger that she felt like everyone expected her to either be a complete bitch or a complete pushover. And right now, they were leaning more towards bitch.
It didn't help that Farrah approached her with all the enthusiasm of a newcomer to the industry, the kind that didn't know how Hollywood would chew her and spit her out just to make a good headline. And the whole eager attitude reminded Grace of who they used to pretend to be. It wasn't a good thing.
Grace nods when Farrah introduces herself. They think Farrah is being nice by saying they recognized her from the notes and not from the front page of Page Six or the New York Post. Grace was not interested in joining the other ladies. All they could think about was how they just wanted to go home but when they were home, they were going stir crazy and itching to be on a set again. "Do I look like I'm looking to join them?" Grace asks, motioning to the fact that she was outside of the hair trailer.
closed starter for nisha parmer ( @jinkiestar )
location: a few feet outside of the costume trailer
when grace heard that nisha was going to be in this show with them, she felt a twist in her stomach. sure, they were friendly before, friends even, but where the fuck was nisha when everything was going to shit? there were plenty of people that didn't come to grace's defense when scandal after scandal piled up and that didn't bother or surprise them that much. but of all people, she thought that someone like nisha would understand. what it was like to grow up in the spotlight and have your life under a microscope. they thought the other would understand what it was like having so many expectations and responsibilities before you even reached puberty or had your first off screen kiss. but nisha had been silent the entire time.
standing outside the costume trailer, grace was rolling her eyes at every couple that came out giggling about their hookup. she was only there because everyone who wanted a break was already in the props trailer and the hair trailer had too many drunk annoying people. she thought she was safe just silently scowling and judging the people coming out of the costume trailer. until she saw nisha pull up beside her. she crossed her arms, giving the other a glare. "do you mind? some of us are busy silently hoping these people get chlamydia."
closed starter for val montero ( @queercodcd )
location: the hair trailer
grace felt like she couldn't relax. she didn't even know why but her jaw was clenched and her fists were balled up. they didn't even realize they were doing that until someone told her to lighten up. of course, she gave whoever said that the dirtiest look they could muster but it did make her realize that she was too tense right now. maybe it was being back on a set or seeing the director but they just couldn't bring themselves to take a deep breath. traveling into the hair trailer, grace hoped that she would find some sort of alcohol that would make her more relaxed. searching through the perfect poison, she finally settles on something before taking a shot and their face turns to a grimace. "oh god, that tastes like...i don't even know." looking towards val, she offers the bottle and asks, "does this taste like expired black licorice and something like...i don't know, cough syrup to you too? ugh."
location: the side of the props trailer, not where the props crew is sitting together smoking - like kinda tucked away
time: early in the party
characters: naveed & open (0/4)
There was much to be said about a post-pre-pro pre-pilot party, but whenever Naveed had been involved in one he ended up getting into trouble. On the set of The Workplace, he'd hooked up with someone who ended up being married to one of his costars which made it even easier to recast the "cute delivery guy" who shows up once every few episodes. It's why he tried to play it cool in the corner, there was only so much he could get away with right now. Best for him to behave and not get too " social ".
But, of course, it was only a few minutes before he thought he saw someone maybe look in his direction and easily he stepped out of the shadow of the props trailer. "Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "You caught me in my hiding spot."
Grace had learned to loathe parties at this point in her career, if you could even call what they had a career anymore. She always dreaded them but put up with them and the fake smiles and laughing at stories that weren't funny but now? She didn't feel like she had to do that if the industry was gonna cast them as an unhinged mean girl no matter what she did.
She was looking for a way out, to be alone because it was already getting exhausting. They thought they had finally found the perfect place to take out her cigarette for a much needed smoke alone. But then they saw Naveed and they rolled their eyes. "I think you meant to say, Sure I'll leave you alone." She still held a bit, okay maybe more, of resentment towards the comedian for the last minute joke put in at the awards show and she didn't have a problem making it known. Although, she would talk to many people like this now that she has given up on caring. "This is my hiding spot."
BREAKING NEWS ! SCANDAL RIDDEN GRACE HSU cast in SCOOBY DOO REBOOT as SHAGGY ROGERS
basics.
full name: grace bethany hsu. nicknames: gray, g, formerly gracie. age: 25. date of birth: june 5, 2001. zodiac: gemini ( sagittarius rising, scorpio moon. ) gender: cis woman but questioning. pronouns: she/they. orientation: bisexual.
appearance.
faceclaim: lukita maxwell. hair color: brown. eye color: brown. height: 5'5. piercings: ears, nose, more possibly tbd. tattoos: semi-colon on her pink, also more possibly tbd.
background.
father: kevin hsu ( dental hygienist ). mother: molly hsu ( school teacher, nee allan ). ethnicity: chinese-malaysian, white. hometown: suburb of los angeles. siblings: one older sister, one younger brother. languages spoken: english, some conversational mandarin and cantonese. religion: raised christian, now atheist.
personality.
positive traits: adaptable, intelligent, perceptive. negative traits: rancorous, sarcastic, cantankerous. myers briggs: infp — the mediator. enneagram: 4w5 — the individualist. temperament: melancholic. moral alignment: neutral good. tropes: beware the nice ones, broken pedestal, grew a spine.
aesthetics.
clenched fists that used to be open hands, secret cigarettes, worn leather jackets, rolling your eyes during interviews, trading your mary janes for combat boots, an anger that can't quite be quenched, declining calls from your parents, a newly all black wardrobe.
favorites.
season: autumn. music genre: pop punk, alternative. musicians: paramore, scene queen, halsey, mitski. tv shows: succession, kevin can fuck himself, hacks, we are lady parts, bojack horseman. films: gone girl, coraline, black swan. drink: bellini ( she will tell you it's a gin and tonic but she is lying. ) food: mooncakes.
biography (abridged).
discovered as a model when she was a few months old and steadily did modeling and commercials and then transitioning to more acting like tv episodes or small parts in movies.
her parents, especially her father, put a lot of pressure on as her career started to grow, emphasizing the importance of little girls and boys who looked like her having a role model.
this led grace to try to do everything right, becoming the ultimate people pleaser. always smiling, going through every media training she could think of, they tried to let weird comments roll of their back, tried to always say the right thing to never upset anyone, and she tried to never let anyone see them slip up.
but behind closed doors, grace struggled with the amount of pressure put on them and she didn't know who to talk to about it, because a lot of it was coming from her own family.
when they were twelve, they were cast on a whizzy channel sitcom where the experience of the sitcom wasn't too bad but the increased media attention was a lot, especially when the pr execs pressured them into a fake relationship with the channel's preteen heartthrob.
the media and the fans that were obsessed with the heartthrob took whatever grace was saying and twisted it into something far more nefarious than even the most media trained expert could think of.
after their sitcom ended and they left the network and broke up with their "boyfriend", grace thought she was finally free but then she was unintentionally caught in a "love triangle" between her "ex" and his new love interest.
the scandals just added up in the following years. grace really tried to, pardon the pun, handle everything with grace but at some point, they realized that they could not do it anymore and it was literally impossible to win.
at an awards show, at the last second one of the writers added a joke about how "messy" she was and she went off script, chastising the industry and almost going on a rant about everything they had been through before they were forcibly removed from the stage.
after that particular scandal, grace realized that they were going to make a scandal out of anything and everything they did. and if they wanted a scandal, she was going to give them one.
[fake scandal turned real tbd] sorry i literally am still coming up blank!!!!
after that scandal, getting booked was next to impossible. and grace was a lot different. they had almost completely transformed their wardrobe. traded the feminine dresses and bows for leather jackets and combat boots.
and they stopped trying to please everyone, or even anyone, because they thought it was an impossible task and it wasn't like these people were helping her when she was struggling.
she became bitter, sarcastic, resentful. everything she was told to never be. she was always told be grateful for the pedestal built for her that everyone so gleefully watched as they were constantly pushed off.
instead of smiling now, she rolls her eyes. still media trained, she knows when to rein it in but she doesn't feel the compulsion to do it all the time anymore.
she is still the subject of many a tiktok and instagram reel about how she's so unlikeable and unhinged but she is not going on instagram live defending herself anymore because they would twist that too.
full biography / pinterest / playlist
when the truth comes out it's quiet @bvrntouts - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
