(Karl POV)
Thankfully Alex can drive.
"Text me whenever the shoot is over, 'kay?" he asks.
I nod, smiling. "Okay. Thanks for the ride."
He grins. "Of course. Have fun!"
I give him a look as I close the door. I hear him begin to laugh as it slams shut.
Apparently this MrBeast guy likes to film in large warehouses, which is super sketchy. If I hadn't gotten different emails from three different people confirming everything, I would've noped out by now. But instead, I march up to the nearest door, just like I was instructed to do, and knock. A man who introduces himself as Tareq lets me in and tells me to wait here. Then he rushes off.
And then the anxiety hits me.
What if no one hear understands ASL? Will I have to text-to-speech everything? What if I don't get along with the crew? There's about 50 people in here, plus a very fancy Lamborghini in the middle of it all. But I can't make friends with a car.
I whip out my phone to text Nick.
Me: ok so
Me: im at the job
Me: but im getting anxious
He replies immediately.
Nick: why? whats wrong?
Me: im just nervous
Nick: about what?
I smile to myself. He always knows what to say.
Me: that maybe no one will understand asl
Me: and i'll be confined to fucking text-to-speech
Me: that i wont make friends
Me: and i'll majorly fuck everything up
Me: i literally barely know how to use a camera why tf did i sign up for this
Nick: i know it isnt ideal, but tts wont be the end of everything, ok?
Nick: you will make friends. youre karl jacobs. youre amazing. theyll love you
Nick: and im pretty sure that they'll show you how to work a camera, just saying
Nick: youll be amazing, love
I feel tears prick my eyes, but I blink them away. Not here, not now.
Me: <33333333
Nick: ;)
Tareq comes jogging back over to me, smiling. "Sorry about that," he says. "Karl, right?"
I nod before holding up a finger and opening Google Translate. I hurriedly type into the English box and hit the 'talk' button. The electronic voice spits back out what I want to say: "I'm selectively mute and could use either this method or ASL to communicate. Is there anyone who understands ASL, as it's my preferred method? "
He pauses. "Okay, uh... Yes, actually." He snaps before jogging away again. I open my messages with Nick.
Me: apparently someone might understand asl???
Nick: GOOD
Me: i gtg tho, i think im about to be shown the ropes
Nick: okay, text me later!! GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN
Nick: i love you <3
Me: thankss
Me: i love you too
"Okay!"
Tareq walks back over, his hand around someone's wrist. I recognize her from a few of the videos I've seen. I think her name is-
"This is Kris," Tareq says. "She knows ASL."
"Why do I need to know ASL?" Kris asks. "Also hi." She gives me a wave.
I smile and wave back. I'm mute and use ASL to comminicate, I sign. Selectively mute at least.
She pauses for a moment before nodding. "Oh, okay," she says. Her previously bored demeanour shifts to a more friendly one. "That's no problem. I can show you the ropes. Follow me."
I scurry after her, and Tareq follows.
"You're the new cameraman, right?" Kris asks. I nod. "Okay, you'll probably spend a lot of time with him and the cameras then. He's 'head cameraman', or so he says. It doesn't exist."
Tareq scoffs behind us. "Is too!" he argues.
Kris gives me a look like 'bullshit." I smile. "Jimmy has yet to give him that title," she says. "Jimmy is MrBeast's real name, by the way. Wanna meet him?"
I will at some point, might as well get it over with, I sign.
Kris laughs. Tareq chuckles awkwardly.
"JIMMY," Kris suddenly screams, pausing.
A few seconds of silence.
"WHAT?"
I barely manage to stifle a laugh.
"COME HERE," Kris shouts.
"WHY?"
"PLEASE."
A loud groan.
"He isn't actually this mean," Kris promises me.
Let's hope so, I sign.
She laughs. "I like you," she says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and patting my arm comfortingly.
I guess that's how it works though: introverts wait to be claimed by extroverts. I've been claimed twice before -- by Nick and Alex. Now Kris has claimed me. I'm on a roll.
A man maybe the same height as Dream -- maybe a bit taller -- rounds the corner of a large green screen. He's wearing some kind of straw sunhat even though we're indoors and he has a funny mustache. I like it.
"Beast Man," Kris says, "this is Karl. He's the new cameraman."
"Oh," he says. Then he smiles. "Hi! I'm Jimmy. Nice to meet you."
He holds out a hand, which I take. We shake before I sign nice to meet you too! He hesitates like he isn't sure how to react.
Kris chuckles. "Oh right. He's selectively mute and communicates using ASL."
Jimmy nods. "Oh, okay," he says. "Shouldn't be a problem. Kris is fluent."
Kris looks at me. I'm really not, she signs. He uses it as his own bragging right.
Jimmy doesn't even notice that Kris signs to me, just keeps talking. I should probably be listening.
"Tareq, can you show him how to work the cameras?" he asks. "Kris, you go with him to translate. Karl, we can introduce you to the others later if you want."
Like other camera people? I sign. Kris translates.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," Jimmy says.
Who else would it be?
I don't have time to ask because he turns away, being summoned to some other part of the warehouse. He has enough to time to shout "we start filming in 20 minutes!" over his shoulder.
Guess I'm part of the crew now.
Word Count 956
~A/N~
publishing this now even tho i havent finished the next chapter and i have homework to do
also thanks @starbyMC for the ideas/input for this chapter :D
love you <3
(edit 07/28/23: boutta wreck your notifications because i need to update all the chapters with kris in them because im accidentally misgendering her and we absolutely cannot have that)
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Fanfiction-SEQUEL TO silence speaks in volumes- who remembers Karl, the mute literature and art nerd? or Nick, the best basketball player on the team? well, they're back. but this time, Karl's in North Carolina, alone, facing the last hurdle before life: col...
