Chapter Text
Did he regret what he did?
Maybe.
Regret for Celeste, for what she went through? Or just regret for how everything crashed down around him afterward? Even now, he couldn’t tell. Maybe it was both. Maybe that’s what he told himself to sleep at night. Or maybe he didn’t want to dig deep enough to know the truth.
Engarde had been working painstakingly to find a new gig. Lead role, bit part, background extra—anything.
He just needed a job.
And damn it, if he wasn’t going to get one in acting, then he might as well rot away under the weight of future loans just to make ends meet.
It was yet another day spent chasing producers and directors who didn’t want to see his face. There he was—drowning in a sea of audition applications. Warber Sisters, Dalt Wisney, Galaxy Studios… even no-name studios he hadn’t heard of were piling up on his desk. Rejections, delays, ghostings. The whole stack stank of desperation, and he was starting to lose track of which roles he’d already begged for.
He was just about to hit send on another email about his job application when he hesitated.
What am I doing? This is useless.
He groaned, slumping forward and letting his forehead thud against the desk. A soft meow broke the silence. Something warm and fuzzy nudged his leg—Shoe, his cat, padding over with a concerned little pur.
“Well... least someone’s stupid enough to stick around.” Engarde muttered, scooping Shoe up and settling him gently on his lap.
Shoe had been with him since the early days—back when he first put on the mask and became the Nickel Samurai. Sure the small tabby had his sweet moments here and there. But the damn animal could be ferocious when he wanted to be, evident by the scratches on Engarde's "perfect, pretty, camera ready" face. He still told people it was from a bar fight. Shoe begged to differ.
As they say: like owner, like pet.
“Hey, Shoe… think this gig’s gonna work out?” he asked, scratching gently behind the tabby’s ears.
Shoe blinked up at him, gave a quiet mrrp, then, without warning, stepped right onto the keyboard.
Click.
Engarde blinked.
The screen lit up with a confirmation: Your message has been sent.
“…You little traitor.”
Shoe merely purred, tail flicking smugly as he curled back into Engarde’s lap like nothing happened.
“...I should’ve kicked you out onto the streets when you scratched my face.” Engarde muttered. “Now I gotta actually show up if they respond. Ugh. Big emphasis on the if part.”
The studio was nowhere near a household name. It was a small business started only a few years ago by a guy not much older than him… but a job’s a job. And it just so happens they’re in need of a main role—which Engarde was more than happy to do.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Maybe this’ll be my comeback. ‘From tabloid trash to TV treasure.’”
Shoe sneezed.
“…Yeah, I wouldn’t buy it either.”
Engarde ultimately decided to spend a bit more time scrounging for jobs.
Quantity over quality—that was his philosophy these days, apparently.
Ping!
His ears perked up immediately. A notification could only mean two things: a bill notice... or something better.
“Shoe… you don’t think?” The actor looked down at his cat, who was fast asleep in his lap.
“...Yeah I figured. Well no harm in reading it.”
He opened his inbox.
Subject: [TAKE-2 TV] Interview Invitation for Lead Role Applicant
From: Roger Retinz ([email protected])
To: Matthew Engarde ([email protected])
Dear Applicant,
Congratulations! Your recent submission for our upcoming dramatic series has passed the preliminary review process, and we would like to invite you to an in-person interview and screen test.
As part of our commitment to finding fresh, daring, and unpredictable talent, Take-2 TV is currently casting for a lead role in a brand-new production helmed by none other than yours truly, Roger Retinz—producer, auteur, and master of televised transformation.
Your profile caught our eye, and we’re eager to see if you have the it-factor needed to carry a role that demands complexity, magnetism, and at least one (1) emotionally devastating monologue.
Interview Details:
Place : Studio 3B, Take-2 TV
Date : Thursday, March 20th, 2018
Time : 9:00 a.m. sharp
Dress: Whatever makes you feel like a tragic protagonist
Please bring:
A printed headshot (dramatic lighting encouraged)
Any recent reel or footage (optional)
Your burning desire for a second act
This is your moment. The camera is waiting. Will you say your line… or miss your cue?
Yours in anticipation,
Roger Retinz
Executive Producer, Take-2 TV
P.S. Coffee not provided. Dreams, however, are free.
“...Holy shit.”
Engarde couldn’t believe his eyes.
He stared at the email, rereading the word “lead” like it might vanish if he blinked too fast. No scam links, no typos. Real letterhead, too. Take-2 TV. A real studio. A real interview.
He turned to Shoe, still curled up in his lap like he hadn’t just changed the trajectory of his entire career. “Okay, maybe you do have your moments… I’ll spare you for now.” Engarde huffed, resting a hand on the tabby’s head and giving him a few absentminded pets.
“Okay then… tomorrow morning. But for now…”
He scooped up Shoe and flopped onto the bed, pulling the tabby close like a plushie.
“Nap time,” he mumbled, half to himself, half to the furball.
A job. A lead role. Maybe things were finally turning around.
...Probably.