Undercover Werewolf

Filming

Bailey watched as the makeup artist combed Palmer's hair back away from his forehead. He'd gotten it cut shorter the day before, the strands barely brushing the nape of his neck. She rubbed some gel between her palms, sliding her fingers through his hair to make it lie as flat as possible before she put the bald cap on him, making sure it covered all of his hair.

"Don't you dare laugh." Palmer muttered, looking in the mirror.

"I wouldn't." Bailey replied solemnly, watching him. "Besides, you look good bald."

"No, I don't."

"You don't." The makeup artist agreed. "Your face is too skinny." She picked up a pair of small scissors, using them to trim the edges of the bald cap around his face and forehead, using spirit gum to seal the edges against his skin.

A few minutes later, she added some wisps of grey stuff - she'd said it was crepe wool - to the bald cap, letting it hang long over his shoulders and in his face. To finish it off, she used makeup over his face and along the edges of the cap, giving him a pale, ashy complexion.

Palmer got up, pulling off the sheet that had covered him, showing the long, brown robe he wore. The hem dragged along the floor, the sleeves draping over his hands. He picked up a tall, crooked staff in his hands, rubbing one hand over the pale purple globe sitting on top.

"Wow, you look very handsome. All your fans will be impressed." Bailey told him drily.

"Shut up, Bay." Palmer straightened up when the door to the costume room opened and a beautiful young woman with long black hair walked in. "Oh, it's her!"

"Her?"

"Adalyn Delgado. She plays Sygrid." Palmer walked over to stand beside Bailey, watching as the makeup artist draped a sheet over the loose brown pants and cream colored shirt she wore. The artist braided Adalyn's hair away from her face and down her back. "Braids are her signature. If you watched the show, you'd notice that no other character wears braids, just Sygrid."

"That sounds kind of dumb." Bailey commented. "Sygrid is supposed to be the hero of the show, isn't she?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then wouldn't she be recognizable even if another character wore braids?"

"Stop ruining the show for me." Palmer elbowed him in the side. "It's just how they do it."

Bailey shook his head. "And you wonder why I don't watch TV anymore."

"Who said I wondered?"

"Hey, you're Peter, right? The twink actor?"

Palmer jumped, looking over at Adalyn as brown eyeshadow was brushed over her eyelids. "Uh, actually my name is-"

"Whatever. Don't screw this up." She retorted.

"I wasn't-"

"If you make me look bad, I'll make sure you never work again. I don't care how good your agent is."

Palmer's face flushed red. "Come on." He muttered, grabbing Bailey's hand and pulling him out of the room.

"I can see why she's playing the role of Sygrid." Bailey commented.

"She's a nightmare." Palmer leaned back against the wall with a sigh.

"Maybe she's having a bad day?"

"Or maybe I just made a mistake taking the role."

"I don't think so."

Palmer looked over at him. "You don't?"

"No. You're a talented actor. You deserve the chance to break away from your usual 'twink' roles." Bailey replied solemnly.

Palmer groaned, letting his head fall back against the wall. "You did not just say that."

"Well, the amazing Adalyn cannot be wrong."

"I was never the twink and you know it."

"Stalker's Obsession."

"That's one movie."

"The Groom's Choice."

"I was not the-"

"Flower Boy."

"...I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"How do you know about those anyways?"

"Sylvia, remember? I think she has every one of your movies." Bailey replied.

"Of course she does. Did she make you watch them all with her?"

"Unfortunately."

"Aww, you're making me think you don't like me, Bay."

"I just don't see the point in sitting down to watch people on a tiny screen."

"It's called entertainment."

"Yeah, well, I've got better ways to entertain myself."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

Bailey gave him a sidelong glance. "I told you. I prefer reading or working out."

"Right. Nothing else?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, listening to music? Dancing?"

"I've got two left feet when it comes to dancing."

"Yet not with aikido."

Bailey shrugged, the corners of his mouth tilting up.

"Well.. How about romancing a partner? Or being romanced?"

"Haven't had a partner to romance since Lukas."

"You said there were others after him."

"One-date wonders. Not exactly relationships."

"Right. Well, I'll have to change that." Palmer replied.

"Still think you'll be wining me over then?"

Palmer opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the door opening, Adalyn walking out of the makeup room.

"Let's go, Peter. Time to be on set."

"My name is-"

"I don't care. Move it." She took off walking down the hallway.

Palmer frowned. "I could learn to hate her.." He grumbled as he started walking, pulling his robe up so he wouldn't trip.

"You could learn?" Bailey asked, helping him hold up his robe as they walked. "I'm already starting to hate her."

"She's not the first to be like this though." Palmer replied. "Remember that movie I did where I played a matchmaker? The actor playing my love interest was a complete jerk. He never even acknowledged me off the set, just pretended I didn't exist."

"Well, that's cruel."

"Unfortunately, it's part of being an actor. Many of them can be incredibly nice but there's a lot who are just plain mean."

Bailey leaned against a wall, watching as Adalyn stopped on set, bending down to coax a small brown rabbit out of the grass. "Oh, you poor thing. Something took a bite out of you." She cooed, smoothing her hand over the rabbit's side, her fingers covering a patch of fake blood.

"Alright, cut!" The director called. "Get the other rabbit out here."

A woman rushed onto the stage, holding an identical rabbit, though this one had no blood on it. She took the rabbit Adalyn was holding and replaced it with the clean rabbit, leaving the stage.

"Camera rolling!" The director called out.

Adalyn ran her fingers slowly over the side of the rabbit before setting it down. "There you go, all better."

The rabbit's nose twitched before it slowly hopped into the grass.

"You must be Sygrid." A dry, rasping voice croaked.

Adalyn whirled around, her braids flying over her shoulder. "Who's there? How do you know my name?" She raised one hand, cupping her fingers around an invisible object.

"Oh, just a poor traveler, lass. Calm down." Palmer walked into view, walking hunched over as he clutched his staff with both hands.

Adalyn's eyes widened. "Karnas!" She hissed. "Why are you here?"

"So, you've heard of me. I'm flattered." Palmer smiled, one corner of his lips stretching upward.

"Of course I've heard of you." Adalyn spat. "Mideia won't shut up about you and Rhovius. Oh, Karnas is the evil wizard who does Rhovius's bidding. She's so annoying."

"Then why don't you do something about her? Send her back to her forest."

"I can't." Adalyn snorted, looking behind her at a small tree sticking from the pack she carried. "She bonded with me while I was sleeping. Know any spells to get rid of a dryad bond?"

"Rhovius does. Join us and he can teach you all sorts of spells that you'd never learn. Not from Mideia, not from Suwyn."

"How do you know I'm going to see her?"

"Rhovius knows all. He told me."

"Yeah? Does he tell you when you can jump as well?"

"You're rash, girl. You should mind your tongue; that'll be your undoing."

"You don't get to tell me what to do!" Adalyn pulled a dagger out of her pocket and threw it.

Palmer clapped a hand to his shoulder, staggering back as blood seeped between his fingers. "Was she... was she supposed to hit me with that?" He asked, surprise in his voice.

"Cut! We need a healer!" the director called. "Adalyn, what have I told you about injuring the actors you work with?"

"He was supposed to duck," Adalyn replied coldly. "It's not my fault."

A man in the pale grey robe of a healer hurried on set, pale gold magic glowing around his fingers as he pulled the dagger out of Palmer's shoulder, healing the wound.

"What?" Palmer's eyes widened. "There was nothing about me dodging a bloody dagger in the script!"

The director groaned. "Everyone, take a break. We'll resume filming in five minutes."

Palmer walked over to Bailey, leaning against the wall behind them. "Am I crazy or does she hate me?"

"You're crazy." Bailey replied.

"Gee, thanks."

"But that doesn't mean you're wrong. I think you're right; she hates you."

"Great. But why? I've never met her, never even worked with her until now."

Bailey shrugged his shoulders. "Has she done any work before this?"

"Well, yeah. She's been a stuntwoman for ten years and a couple years ago she started acting. Everyone went crazy for her and her looks."

"But has she had a starring role before now?"

"Yeah. As I said, everyone fell for her looks so she was cast in either starring or main roles in the tv shows she's done. And it doesn't hurt that she's actually good at acting."

"Then I'm afraid that I've got no answers for you, Palmer. Maybe she just doesn't like you."

"Hey, pretty boy! When you're done flirting with your boyfriend, get over here and do your job!" Adalyn yelled at them.

"And now I hate her." Palmer muttered, pushing away from the wall to walk back to the stage.

"I've decided."

"Decided what?"

"She's a monster and a nightmare wrapped up in a pretty face." Palmer replied, watching as his stunt double fought with Adalyn as they both soared over the set, suspended by wires.

"At least you don't have to fight her. She looks like she's pretty good." Bailey replied, his gaze locked on the two.

"How can you tell?"

"Your stunt double is a supernatural and she's holding her own. But, then again, this is a scripted fight."

"How can you tell that from all the way over here?"

Bailey glanced over at him, raising one eyebrow. "...How can I tell that the fight is scripted?"

"No! How can you tell that my stunt double is a supernatural?"

"Oh. Well, watch him, only him. His movements are too smooth, too fluid. It's an aerial fight and he's not having any issues with the harness or wires, not like Adalyn."

It was true. As Palmer watched, he realized he could see that Adalyn's hair and clothes were getting caught up in the wires. He knew that the scene would be edited in post-production though, which meant they'd smooth out the movements of her hair and clothes. His double, however, was not having that issue. At one point, he was certain he could see his costume pass through one of the wires.

"Vampire, perhaps." Bailey told him. "Intangibility is one of their specialties. Though I'm not sure it would apply to their clothes."

"He could be a ghost." Palmer offered.

"Well, yeah. But he'd need an amulet from a witch so he could control his intangibility."

"Think the director knows?"

"I'm inclined to say yes. Humans are starting to realize just how useful we can be. Supernatural bodyguards and supernatural stunt people are something that's prized. Plus, we can use our abilities without being looked down on." Bailey replied.

Palmer frowned, looking over at him. "I can't imagine anyone would look down on you for being supernatural."

Bailey sighed, running one hand through his hair. "The law only protects supernaturals from being discriminated against or killed. It doesn't protect us from hatred or dislike. Mom and Dad had to move three times because no one would talk with them in any of the previous places they lived. They had to homeschool Sylvia and Sofia because they were being bullied and the teachers wouldn't protect them. They almost had to do the same with me but..."

"But?"

"The bullying never got as bad as it did with Sylvia and Sofia. Probably because I'm male, which is a laugh. Female werewolves tend to be stronger than males. We're just more easily provoked."

"You're a werewolf then."

Bailey groaned, covering his face. "I didn't mean to let that slip."

"Obviously. Why didn't you want me to know though? No one's going to try and shoot you with a silver bullet or anything."

"Yeah, well, besides the whole business with Lukas, I also found it to be pretty beneficial for humans to think I was also human. They - you - have a tendency to underestimate those you assume are human." He replied.

"So you used it to your advantage."

"Yeah. It worked pretty well when Maci was kidnapped."

"Right." Palmer nodded. "Strong sense of smell, even in human form."

"Yeah."

"Were you ever going to tell me that you're a werewolf?"

"Eventually. If Lewys had ever gotten stupid enough to try something."

"So, if he doesn't, I'd never know." Palmer sighed.

"No, I'd have told you."

"Yeah. Eventually." Palmer pushed away from the wall. "The fight scene is over. I think I'm supposed to be back on set."

"Wait, Palmer." Bailey reached out to grab his arm. "I would have told you."

"Okay." He pulled away from him, walking back to the set as the stunt double and Adalyn were helped out of their harnesses.

Bailey followed him over, staying close enough to hear what the director was saying.

"There's one more scene involving Karnas and then you're done for the day."

Palmer nodded, waiting until they were ready before walking back on stage, picking up the staff which had been dropped during the fight.

"Alright, start!"

Palmer leaned heavily on the staff, his hands clenched on the wood as he smiled crookedly at Adalyn. "You're good, girl. You might even have a chance at defeating Rhovius. If you ever make it to Adrakius, that is."

"Who says I want to make it there?" She spat at him. "All I want is to be left alone!"

"You can't!" A young woman with long blond hair - leaves and vines woven throughout - appeared, her form wispy at the edges. "You are the only one who can defeat Rhovius, Sygrid!"

"Go away, Mideia. I don't want to fight him. I don't want any of this!" Adalyn spun, throwing a dagger at her. "And you! Leave me alone as well!" Without looking, she threw a second dagger at Palmer.

The young woman disappeared, the dagger passing though her harmlessly. The other dagger hit the tree behind Palmer as he dropped out of sight, a trapdoor opening underneath him.

Bailey had been warned beforehand about it but it still made him lurch forward, wanting to make sure that Palmer was safe. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from moving further.

"And... cut!" The director let go of Bailey, nodding towards the set. "There's a set of stairs on the left side. They'll take you under the set to find him. He'll be alright."

"Thank you." Bailey nodded, walking to the stairs to go down. He found Palmer waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, trying to disentangle the robe from around his legs.

"It got tangled when I fell." He complained.

"Good thing you can go change out of it then." Bailey replied, helping to untangle him.

"Yeah, that's the one good thing." He replied. "Unfortunately, I get to put it back on the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow? Thought you were supposed to be here tomorrow."

"No, there's another few episodes until Karnas returns. They want to have the episodes filmed and edited before the episodes get aired."

"I see."