"You know, for someone who does what you do, you really are the least romantic person I've ever met."

Astrid Hofferson, up and coming star and the film industry's new golden girl, clasps a coffee cup in one hand and her phone in the other, resting her bag on her hip. Though her hands are full, she still manages to be somehow together – her posture perfect and her hair braid falling down her shoulder in neat twists. She's picture-perfect perfection, and the cameras have always known it.

She snorts, her eyes flickering up from her phone to glance at her companion. "What do I need romance for?" she says, looking back down to finish her text.

"Well, you'd think that the girl who's starred in so many romantic comedies would have plenty of experience with that. When are you gonna get a boyfriend, dude?" her cousin, Cami, says.

Astrid slips her phone into her bag and quirks an eyebrow at her cousin. "Never thought I see the day that Cami Hofferson was bugging me to get a boyfriend."

"Or a girlfriend then, I don't care, I don't know what you're into. Anything that I can tell the thirsty reporters who keep asking me about it," Cami says. "As if that's the most interesting thing they can get from me."

Astrid gives a hollow laugh. "So that's what this is about."

Cami's walk becomes more of a stomp as they turn a corner and enter a big, grey building. "I did press work for a film I was in this summer and all they could talk about was what I thought about you."

Astrid stops for a moment to talk to the receptionist at the desk, and listen to the directions for the room they want. Once they are alone again, she sucks in a breath in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she says. "You'll get your big break sometime soon, and then all the reporters will be prying into your love life instead of mine."

Cami grins. "Here's to hoping. I love you Astrid, but I'm damn tired of hearing about you all the time."

They head up a set of stairs. Astrid leans over Cami's ear and whispers "shall we fake a fight?" conspiratorially.

"The press would love that!"

"Girls! I'm so glad you finally made it!"

Finn Hofferson, Cami's father and Astrid's uncle, opens his arms up wide as the two of them enter his office. In recent years, Finn had become a hugely successful film director, one of the most popular in mainstream film. He was known for being unafraid to delve into controversial topics, and as such had earned the nickname 'Fearless Finn.'

The two slip themselves into chairs in front of Finn's desk. Cami adopts a casual pose, slumping in her seat, because it's her father, for goodness sake. If you can't act casual around family, when can you?

"Well, I'll just get right into it," Finn says, a bright smile across his face. "As you both know, my film company's next project is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I'm thrilled to let you know that Astrid has won the part of Juliet."

Astrid shoots a glance at Cami and watches her expression shift ever so slightly into one of disappointment. The look is gone as soon as it was there, but Astrid saw it.

"I presume Cami has a role too?" she says, glancing back up at her uncle.

"Of course!" Finn says, clapping his hands together. "We'll let her read in for some of the parts and then we'll pick the one she excels at. Now, I'm sure you're dying to know who your Romeo is!"

Astrid nods, chewing on her lips as casting another glance over at Cami, guilt eating away at her stomach.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to be very excited about this, Astrid, because we're giving you the chance to work with possibly the most wanted star this year," he says, sliding a picture over the desk towards them. "Hiccup Haddock."

The chair Hiccup Haddock sits in is profoundly uncomfortable. It reminds him of the nasty plastic chairs they used to have at school, and he idly thinks to himself that he'd thought he'd got past the stage of nasty uncomfortable chairs when he finished full-time education. Heck, he'd thought he'd got past that stage when he got famous.

He twiddles his thumbs while he waits for his agent to finish talking on the phone.

"Well, Hiccup," the man says, when he's finally finished his conversation. "I've just spoken to the casting director and you've got the part of Romeo."

Hiccup's never really sure what the professional way to respond is when he's told he's won a role, so he just says "wow, that's great," and hopes that he doesn't sound sarcastic. "Who's my Juliet?" he tacks on afterwards, just in case he did sound sarcastic.

His agent smiles. "She's gotten pretty popular over the years. Astrid Hofferson."

All at once Hiccup feels like he's just got an ice-cold bucket of water dumped over his head. "No. Not her."

He grips the handles of his chair and frowns.

"Something wrong, Mr. Haddock?"

"Not her," he says again, glowering at the floor. "I can't work with her."

His agent takes his glasses off and rubs them with a cleaning wipe, something Hiccup's always found to be a threatening gesture.

"Mr. Haddock, may I remind you that refusing this role will reflect badly over your entire career?"

"Yes, but-"

"And refusing a role simply because of your dislike of another actress would be even worse?"

"Yes, but she-"

His agents sends him a firm look. "I suggest you settle whatever quarrel you have with Miss Hofferson and take the role, or you'll find yourself with fewer parts in the future. Do remember this is your job, Mr. Haddock, no matter how famous or privileged you get."

Hiccup sinks back into his seat and holds back a petulant sigh. "Yes, sir," is all he says.

Cami splutters when she hears the name, and then lets back a full-on laugh. "Oh, this is priceless," she says, unable to keep a grin from her face.

Astrid is still staring at the picture, her mouth open. "No," she says, when her mouth finally remembers how speech works. "Not him."

"Something wrong?" Finn asks, slightly perturbed by the situation.

"They have history," Cami says in a sing-song voice, pressing a hand over her face to stop the giggles.

Astrid elbows her cousin in the ribs to shut her up, and then looks back towards Finn. "I can't work with him," she pleads. "I can't."

"You've met before? But surely I would have known if you two had worked together before?" Finn says.

"He went to our college," Cami chips in.

Astrid slumps in the chair, forgetting all she's ever been taught about professionalism, folding her arms and pouting.

Finn looks between the two of them and shakes his head. "He's a good actor."

"He's an asshat," Astrid says, refusing to look at Finn.

Finn frowns and pulls himself forward, glaring at Astrid across the desk. "Don't think that because we're family, that you get to talk like that in here. You're a professional actress, Astrid, act like one."

Astrid lets out a huff, but sits up properly.

"Now, I don't know what happened between you and Hiccup Haddock, but you better bury the hatchet for this. This is a big deal, Astrid, this could send your career flying. You'd stop being cast in romantic comedies and get better parts," Finn says.

Astrid glances up and sits up straighter, letting out a sigh. "Okay," she says. "I'll try my best to work with Hiccup."

But when she sees Cami smirking in the corner of her eye, and when she thinks about having to work with Hiccup Haddock, of all people, she wonders whether this whole gig is worth her career at all.