Full Moon Rising

Bethany would have politely plead the fifth amendment if she was ever cross-examined within a judicial courthouse about her specific reasons for serving red wine this festive night. Admittedly there were certain mundane purposes behind her decisions for cracking open her wine bottles. Like how it just so happen to compliment the chicken parmesan perfectly as the delicacy it is, or how it was just what the doctor ordered to ease some of that tension Paige noticed Lucia carrying around with her on set....buuuuut, if their sanguine libations just so happened to have her wolfen co-star consider becoming a wee bit more affable and daresay affectionate throughout the night's merriment's, well who was Bethany to deny the natural progression of their relationship~...alright, alright. So Bethany may have had a few thinly veiled agenda for tonight. But they were mainly romantic ruminations sidelined for her truthful purpose of helping Lucia take the edge off of all these stresses she's been dealing with already. A more confident and chill-axed Lucia was more than capable of knocking this movie out of the park, she just knew it. However she got to that goal was still up in the air though since Bethany was now officially winging it and going with the flow. Her pleasant plan for the evening starting with Hercules' grand introduction and concluding with winding down with post meal banter...but she certainly didn't expect for it to be over a dutiful scrubbing of the dishes.

Although readily apparent to Bethany, she pondered if Lucia hadn't yet realized how she was slowly but surely making herself right at home. None of her other friends ever bothered to help do the dishes when she was dutifully playing houseguest, and despite appearances from her grumpy tabby she thought Hercules was warming right up to the cold-shouldered wolfen. And noncommittal though it was, Lucia's adorably blasé "I guess" was concrete progress in terms of her co-star allowing herself to dream big again. Beth was certain she'd receive one of Lucy's sullen "Whatever"s or eye-rolling sarcasm, as is her way. Tempting though it was to at least rest her head on Lucia's shoulder throughout their tag-team match against Grease and Grime, Bethany could actually really freaking use some time off her feet. The time spent cooking the night's meal alongside being on set for nearly twelve hours meant a desire to rest her legs when she could. Taking her seat once again as she stretched out her back much like her feline roommate while continuing her heartfelt peptalk...but balking with stiffened rigidity when Lucia's hands came to be placed upon her shoulders. Dozen's of other sensual wrestlers failing to bring Beth anywhere close to this shade of flustered blush, and here Lucy does it with nothing but a subtle touch~...her blush luckily unnoticeable thanks to her head being to titled down, but eventually fading somewhat along with all of life's stresses as the massage started.

"Mmm, I could fall asleep right now~..." Bethany purred as she succumbed to Lucia's fingers working their magic, finding several knots and perhaps uncovering that Lucia wasn't the only one working through anxieties when it came to this movie shoot. The back of Beth's head nudged against her friend's stomach as she started melting into the chair with a serene smile. "Oh...it's about one thousand time more expensive but with only half as many actors and stuntmen dressed in suits they can't breathe in..." Beth laughed to herself before continuing, still feeling bad for those poor stuntmen having to do backflips in cumbersome leathered bodysuits. "Mmm, there's honestly no comparison. It was very much guerilla filmmaking, the network giving us shoestring budgets and telling us to make it work. But ya know, those were some of my happier memories on the show. Chipping in together, being creative to help make scenes working, taking on extra jobs. I was the costume designer for a few episodes and helped knit some shirts or whatever. The director let us act out the scene naturally instead of insisting it was his vision or nothing at all. It was the most fun I ever had on set. BUT...once our ratings started rising, that was when the producers started showing their heads. Tacking on reshoots and demanding changes just from one fan screening. Until, they called me up to their office, and said they wanted to go in a new direction with my role."

Bethany sighed dejectedly. "...a younger, curvier, and ultimately cheaper direction to have on the payroll who also happened to be a former idol whose fanbase would follow her anywhere. Guess that's showbiz, huh? Still, sentai schlock actress sewing shirts to driving down Hollywood Boulevard? All just feels like a dream I'd be too afraid to have. Sometimes I wonder if really earned this opportunity of a lifetime, or if it was just a right place/right time sorta thing." Bethany's candid admission revealing more of her own insecurities...

“That would make for an awkward script read,” Lucia remarked softly, her efforts more focused now as she felt for stiffness and worked her fingers to coax it out. It was a subtle blend of firm impressions with her thumb or knuckles and rolling the ball of her palm over areas for a general soothing touch. Bethany’s response had been a reassuring one, cluing her in that she hadn't let this old skill get too rusty. While she was no professional, her technique was far from clumsy and she probably could have made good use of her technique in other more creative ways had it ever occurred to her. As she listened to Bethany she couldn't help feeling they had similar experiences in their early days of filming as much of what she described was eerily similar to her own experience… Well, save for some overt sexism. Back then though Lucia wore it like a badge of honor and didn't think to question it. These days that sort of thing would never fly.

“Curvier huh?” The wolfen actress snickered out loud, finding the prospect rather amusing. Bethany was already quite curvaceous herself despite her current attire hiding the fact. That awful set of attire they had her prancing around the set was proof enough of that and there wasn’t a single staffer on set that would argue that point with her. While she knew the feeling of being passed up for an endless stream of young pretty blonds, she had never lost her role. As much as she disliked that being typecast had ruined her acting prospects, she had put so much into her identity as this one character. If they had replaced her with someone else… it would be crippling.

“Bunch of assholes. Bet they as kicking themselves now though. You ever thought of stopping back by the studio now that you are a Hollywood bigshot?” She had grumbled at first, content to leave it at that but the sudden thought of gloating a bit crossed her mind. While Bethany could be rather humble, she had seen just how braggadocious she could be as well. If anything, it might make for a fun little day trip for the former sentai actress to retread old ground with newfound importance. With that though, her hands stilled, giving one last squeeze before they stilled away. She’d done pretty much all she figured she could with Bethany sitting at the kitchen table.

“I don’t know if the business really lets anyone work for it anymore. It used to be if you had the talent and the attitude you could make wheels turn but these days it feels like everything is bloated and oversaturated to the point it's all luck. Something goes viral online and that's the new big thing or big star. It all gets knocked down just as easy and boy do people line up to kick dirt in your face when you fall from grace these days.” While not the biggest online presence, she occasionally made her rounds and regretted it. Lots of people saying she died of an overdose, or talking about how overrated she was in the role, or her personal favorite, asking why she was replaced for the Full Moon Rising tv show… when she was in the damn thing, as the damn lead.

"Hmm~...I can't say a small portion of me wouldn't mind sashaying through the hallways of my old haunt. Multi-million dollar blockbuster underneath my belt just to see the forlorn buyer's remorse on those strait-laced stiffs...but I dunno. They were still the company who gave me my big break in the first place, plus Japanese corporate culture decrees you take it on the chin, bow and be respectful." Bethany wistfully remarking as she slouched into placid compliance thanks to the knots in her shoulder muscles becoming undone, crossing her legs as goosebumps trailed from being relieved of all tangible stresses in her fatigued body. There was a time she would have absolutely relished the chance to superkick down the doors to her old Sentai show as a big shot Hollywood celebrity and make them grovel for a chance at a return cameo, but rock bottom was practically a college education that tested her resolve in ways that she's grateful for in hindsight...

...But she still wouldn't mind punching her doe-eyed replacement right in the nose one day. "Come on Lucy, you're the veteran action movie star here. You know more than anyone how social media is, and allowing trolls to get inside your head is exactly what they want...*giggle*...Anyone ever tell you that you have quite the introspective mind for the film business? I daresay I can see you in the Director's chair one day. Ohhh~...you'd look so adorable in that weird hat, clacking the film slate with that giant horn they use. I'd love to see you kick our current director out of his chair and show him how it's done." Bethany's joyful teasing being a sign that her own melancholic anxiety had been alleviated substantially by Lucia, the dominatrix's lighthearted banter was her method of making the Wolfen stop mulling over how the world was right even if she was absolutely right. Primarily since there was little she could do in cleansing the world of toxicity.

"Actually though, maybe one day we can stop by my old television studio. Meet my friends, I'm sure certain ones would love your autograph. I actually owe those executives my profound thanks, you know. If I wasn't given my walking papers, I'd still be cracking my whip at Sentai Rangers today. And I'd never have strapped on some wrestling boots. And I'd never have stolen a certain cantankerous celebrity's spotlight in the lobby of AFW one rainy Autumn day~..." Bethany softly clasped Lucia's hand before it could be taken off her shoulder, swiveling around and situating her knees on the chair. Azure iris' bathed in blue locked onto Lucy's own as Beth's arms stretched over her co-star's shoulders, a swelled bloom between them as they shared eachother's breaths with the temperature in the room certainly rising. "Thank you for coming tonight. I just have one final question...What is it exactly, that Lucia Lynch wants out of life?~..."

Had anyone ever said that about her? No. When Lucia Lynch came up in most conversations her mind was perhaps the least relevant thing to their interests. She had never thought of herself as being a particularly insightful woman, she just knew how things were back when she devoted everything she had to acting. She cracked a small smirk thinking back to landing the role she would come to be known as and how excited she was to have it. She was fresh-faced and naive, she made a fanservice schlock role into the face of a brand… for a while anyway. That was something to be proud of but it was a bittersweet thing with how the rejections that came after it fell into place.

What would it be like to play another role, in front of or behind the camera? She didn’t know. “You're the only one who sees it. It's normally someone on the camera crew who snaps the clapperboard… the director calls for action. Also, why am I dressed like some old-timey director stereotype in this imaginary scenario?” Her fingers clenched slightly harder in mock threat as if Bethany had done something to offend her, but the grip relaxed after a moment with a light squeeze. Lucia snorted softly, dismissing the thought. She instead gravitated towards the more likely outcome of the proposal, enacting physical violence on their current director. “ I could toss him around like a ragdoll… it wouldn’t even be sporting.”

“Sure, why not.” She paused, surprised at how quickly and easily she responded to the offer without having given it any thought. Bethany’s words helped her snap out of the small moment of thought before she had time to unpack it. “Tried to steal.” The wolven actress corrected, regardless of whether any truth was inherent to the claim or not. She may have made a good impression in front of the press crowd but Bethany… no, Mistress Paige, had thoroughly taken the win from her when they stepped into the ring. She thought about it often enough, though these days it was more of a lingering itch than a vivid fantasy. She sometimes felt that getting to know Bethany had dulled that dark little desire within her, but it crept up on her any time the woman flexed her little dominatrix muscle her way.

Lucia was slow to react to the sudden change of position, looking almost dumbfounded by Bethany’s smooth transition to place herself face-to-face with her fellow co-star. The close intimacy of the moment coupled with thoughts of their past dalliance caused a faint bit of color to rise on her cheeks. She straightened herself up though, putting on a tough face as if their proximity didn’t make her heart rate notably rise. She cast her gaze off to the side, feeling uncomfortable returning the look she was receiving.

“Christ… done with the softball questions I guess?” Lucia grumbled, glancing back to Bethany for a brief moment before catching her still watching her expectantly and feeling uncharacteristically coy all of a sudden. “Honestly… I don’t have a damn clue anymore. Seems every time I get to what I think I want the goalpost moves.”

Bethany's lack of experience working on American moviesets occasionally comes back to bite her on the rear end, such as mistakenly assuming the director is the one who clicks that weird clapperboard thing. She honestly had no idea who even used that thing having never seen one used on her old Sentai show. It was just one of those cliché Hollywood tropes thoroughly ingrained into entertainment culture that it even permeated into Japanese society, but being corrected on its usage did somewhat prove Bethany's point that Lucia may have been eyeing the Director's chair all this time without even realizing it. But in all likelihood, it wouldn't be a topic earnestly considered until Lucia was ready to journey down that pathway. Oddly enough Lucy seems more enthusiastic about flinging our current director into a plate glass window more than anything else, which Paige wouldn't have necessarily minded either to be honest. There were several other coworkers and members of the production crew who would probably pay top dollar for a front row seat to that action.

"...*sigh*...yeah...I can relate." Bethany sighed somberly but with a wholesome smile nevertheless as she tilted her head to the side, content to accept that her beloved wolfen still wasn't willing to appreciate what was right in front of her and find the happiness she's yearning for in the success she's already achieved. For all those movie roles she adores, Lucia seems prone to playing the wolf lost in the woods more than anything else. Bethany raising a soothing hand to Lucia's cheek, comforting her in spite of the barriers she keeps raising when anyone starts getting close. "Or maybe...you've already reached the goalpost but you've sprinted past it miles back. And that's why you can't find it anymore~..." Beth warmly chuckled to herself and now knowing exactly what the Doctor ordered. A clearing of her throat before perking up to break the tender embrace and stand upright before Lucia. "Oh, would you mind staying put for a few minutes? I have a special gift in the back that's gonna take me some time to get prepared. Shouldn't take more than a bit~..." Bethany than walking down an adjacent hallway with a melodic hum to her stride...


Outside the terrace door one could notice the streetlights being illuminated as the sun started setting in the west. Hercules napping peacefully within his named and cushioned bedding beside the living room couch. A soothing calm enveloping the apartment building where once there were cordial conversations over delicious delicacies. That is until Lucia's back would be tenderly pounced upon by Mistress Paige in a calculating and clenched embrace. One hand assigned to a massaging fondle of her wolfie's breasts being kneaded masterfully with affectionate words whispered into Lucy's earlobe, the other hand slinking down her wolfen's abdomen past her waist, and further down. "AraAra...Welcome Home, my dearest Wolfie. Have you missed me?~...I wonder what you were craving more, that meal or what I have planned for you tonight? Ah, so stressed after a long day at work. I must confess, my favorite part of playing hostess...is finding out ways to work off that meal all night loooong~..." Whispered words into Lucy's ear would come with the faintest suckling nibble by luscious lips eager to do so.

M.P.:

She could feel Bethany's eyes on her. She fought meeting it for a long time, not sure why she was so tense and defensive all of a sudden. When the other woman caressed her face, her eyes continued to try to occupy themself by looking to the ceiling, choosing now of all times to look for imperfections. Her cheek was warm and rosy with a fresh blush.

“I don't know.” Was all she could muster, mostly out of frustration. She hated looking inward, reflecting on herself as a person always leaving her someplace she didn't want to be. It was always easier to just keep moving and tear things down in front of her, so the cynicism came naturally to her. She didn't want to think about having reached her peak… mostly due to the fact she had been clawing to get back to this point for so long and it didn't feel like she was any happier now. There had to be more to life, more to her than what she had now. She just couldn't see how to find it.

“Huh?” When Bethany finally pried herself away, the request to stay put only half registered with the actress, prompting confusion. “Sure, whatever.” Lucia raised a brow as she watched the other woman slip out of sight beyond the kitchen's arched frame. Left awkwardly alone with the low ambiance of smooth jazz music left playing from their dinner together. She loitered for a bit, pacing for a bit as seconds felt like minutes.

She made he way to the table and nudged the chairs underneath it, where they should sit while idle then moved to where the dishes had been stacked in lieu of being put away. She considered for a moment attempting to search out the homes of the pans and silverware but after a moment she thought better of rooting through Beth's drawers, even if it was for a good cause. She instead settled on looking out the window as she leaned against the countertop, watching the vibrant hues wash the sky with the setting sun.

She hadn't heard the other woman slink up behind her, attention drawn to the skyline rather than listening for creeping villainesses. When Mistress Paige embraced her, Lucia immediately tensed. Pressed up against the sink, she moved to try and push back until Paige's whispers danced past her ears. Her eyes drifted back to the counter as she felt hands slip around her, swallowing hard as Paige's fingers groped at her chest through her hoodie. Even with the separation the touch felt good… how long had it been since she had been with anyone?

“What else were you planning exactly?” Lucia asked softly, fidgeting as she tried to stand herself upright, playing the part of stoic heroine despite the woman behind her sliding her hand down past her abdomen, making her shudder. She grit her teeth as lips teased at her ear, trying her damnedest not to let a pleased sigh escape.

“What makes you think I'll be here all night?” She inquired with a faint quiver in her lips, almost daring Mistress Paige to make her comply.