Chapter 05

Disclaimer – I do not own SVM/TB stories. I just want to play with the Viking!

I hope you like it!

Chapter 5

I woke up a few hours later when I heard my phone ringing. The deep-toned voice of Eric Northman was repeating, ‘We have catching up to do, you and I.’ What a way to start the day! I answered just before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?” I said in a groggy, sleepy voice.

“May I please speak to Chelsea Kerrigan?”

“This is she.”

“Good morning, Ms. Kerrigan. My name is Claudette and I’m calling from the Casting Department for the show ‘Truly Bloody.’  As the Casting Director’s assistant, all considerations regarding extras are made through me, and I understand you attended one of our calls yesterday?  You were recommended by Maggie, and I’m calling to inform you that you’ve been cast as an extra. We’ll need you to report to the office where the casting call was held at one o’clock this afternoon. Have a nice day.”

The line went dead before I could ask any questions. As soon as I hung up my phone, JP’s started ringing. He slept like the dead, no pun intended, so I ran into his room to push his lazy ass out of bed.

He answered with much the same voice as I had. After a few seconds, a big smile spread across his face. I was nodding and pointing to myself, and bouncing. After a minute, he started nodding and bouncing, too.

We’d done it! We were going to be in the show! Thank you, Maggie!

After he hung up, we gave each other a big hug and squealed like teenage girls. I looked at the clock. It was only eight in the morning! After staying up so late last night, I should have felt exhausted, but I didn’t. I was so excited that I skipped my way into the bathroom for my morning routine and found it very difficult to brush my teeth with the enormous smile on my face. JP was right beside me using the other sink in our double vanity to do the same. We kept eyeing one another in the mirror, which only made us smile more.

“Cah yew beweeve ith?” he said while brushing.

“I oh! I doh essiteth!”

That finished, we hugged again and headed downstairs. We couldn’t stop smiling as we scurried around the kitchen. JP was making coffee. I turned around quickly and handed him the decaf before I got the cups. He started to say something, but I interrupted.

“I know we’re not tired right now, but we’re definitely going to need a nap before we go,” I explained.

“I didn’t think of that. We’ll have something with caffeine after we get ready. Now, more importantly, what should we wear?”

“I’m planning to wear my yoga pants and a t-shirt.”

“What? I assumed you would be dressed to the nines.”

“I’m guessing today will be costume fittings, if not actual shooting. There’s no reason to wear anything that you won’t be comfortable in all day long. Besides, we have no idea in what types of scenes they’ve decided to use us for casting. Since they’re calling us in for the afternoon, it’s possible we will shoot something tonight. I hope it’s with the vampires! After a long afternoon and possibly night, you’ll want to be wearing something comfortable.”

“You will definitely need to come home afterward unless you plan on performing in those yoga pants.”

“Damn! I forgot about that! OK, we’ll come home after we’re done, shower, and go to Dan’s. We need to find out what the catering crew is wearing anyway.”

“What about me?”

“Wear sweats, shorts, or your most comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. I’ll grab sweatshirts for both of us and a couple bottles of water.”

We took our coffee upstairs and turned on the TV. I have to say I was so excited; I had no idea what we were watching. My mind wandered to thoughts of what would happen tonight. Would we be victims? Would we be in the same scene? Would we be bitten? Would we get to work with Eric or Sookie? Would they set up the tavern as Fangtasia or possibly Merlotte’s? Would I finally get to meet and talk to my IBF?

While my head was in the clouds, JP put on Season One of ‘Truly Bloody.’ That brought me back to the here and now as I started watching. After the first episode, I reminded JP we needed to get some rest before we left. We agreed to nap only for an hour or so, and headed to our respective rooms. That would leave us plenty of time to shower and get changed.

I knew I really needed to sleep, especially if I was going to sing again after everything else, but I could barely contain myself and kept watching the clock. You know how when you need to work early in the morning, but can’t sleep? You just keep telling yourself: I have six more hours to sleep; I have five more hours to sleep…

When the alarm went off, I think I had only slept a total of fifteen minutes.

As I mentioned, JP is a very heavy sleeper, so after I showered and dressed I went to wake him. His alarm clock had been blaring for 30 minutes. He woke up disoriented and panicked until I assured him it was only 11:15.

While he took his shower, I gathered up the sweatshirts and water putting them in my purple duffle bag. It was a birthday gift from JP a few years ago. Purple is my favorite color and he had my initials embroidered on it. I used it anytime I had the chance.

I tossed in two cans of energy drinks, some granola bars, and a bag of roasted, salted almonds. My stomach was in knots right now, but I knew I would need to eat something later.

JP came downstairs looking refreshed and ready to take on anything. I knew I both looked and felt tired.

“You look like you’ve been up all night,” he smirked.

“It’s your fault, jackass! I wanted to go to bed as soon as we got home, but noooo,” I laughed.

“Well, suck it up and get excited! We’re in the show!”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about me. I’m so excited my stomach is doing flips! Tonight’s the night that I meet him! I can feel it…”

“You aren’t even going to wear makeup? How can you look like the hussy you are if all you’re wearing are bags under your eyes?” he sassed.

“No, if we’re shooting anything tonight, they’ll take care of it,” I ignored his jibe and said seriously.

He rolled his eyes at me and shrugged.

JP made himself a sandwich and I made us some very strong coffee with a little cream to cut the bitterness. I sat and watched him eat. Even though it did look good, I wasn’t hungry at all. I stole one of his chips and he narrowed his eyes at me. I gave him puppy dog eyes. He just laughed and shook his head. By the time he was done, it was time to go. We had just enough time to drive over before one.

~~~

When we arrived, we parked behind the building and saw the rest of the lot was full. I felt a little wave of sadness over the fact that Maggie wouldn’t be there, but I quickly shook that off when we entered the building. Inside there were thirty people, including us. I thought back to how many we had seen last night and counted my blessings that we were cast over so many others. Given the fact that we were the last two people they saw, I felt we were lucky.

We were the last ones to arrive and we signed in.

It looked completely different from last night. The desks were gone as were the filing cabinets. There were racks and racks of clothing and makeshift dressing rooms made from black dividing screens that were about seven feet high.

Hmm, perfect for Eric, I mused. I gave myself a mental smack in the head as I realized he would have his own trailer or some type of space to get into wardrobe. We might be shooting tonight I thought to myself. I wondered if we would be in more than just one scene.

After looking everyone over, the wardrobe crew separated us into three groups. Luckily, JP and I were in the same grouping, which made things even more exciting for us. I put on my professional face and tried to hide my elation at being here. Others were not quite so contained, many were squealing, talking, and laughing. That is, until we were all told to ‘be quiet and listen’ by a very authoritative woman’s voice.

The woman stepped to the front of the crew, which consisted of four people, herself included. She was short with long, black, curly hair and her skin was the color of caramel. She was quite beautiful. She was dressed in blue jeans and a short-sleeved grey scoop neck shirt. She seemed to have an understated strength that said not to mess with her. Yet she seemed approachable at the same time.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Maria-Star.”

My head shot up at the mention of her name and she noticed. She gave me a quick gauged look, and then turned back to the group as I quickly looked away. This is uncanny. Maria-Star was in the books too, I thought.

JP looked at me questioningly. I subtly shook my head. I would tell him later, maybe. He didn’t believe the coincidence about Tray last night, so I wasn’t sure if I would mention anything.

“I’m the Head of Wardrobe and I’ll be making the final decisions for your costuming. We have various sizes and styles and we will be outfitting you in what will work best for your character in the scenes you’ll be shooting. One of my assistants will help each group. We will photograph you wearing each option before you change back into your own clothing. Are there any questions?”

A young girl raised her hand. She wore overalls and her red hair was styled in a short bob, giving her the appearance of a sixteen-year-old. “Yes?”

“How many scenes are we in and when do we start filming?” She asked timidly.

“Shooting begins tomorrow. As for how many scenes, that depends on what the director has decided. I haven’t read the script in its entirety, so I can’t answer that, but let me assure you all that you will find out soon,” Maria-Starr answered clearly.

No one else raised his or her hand so she continued.

“Group one; please step to the right. You are townspeople, and you will find clothing separated by size and gender on the racks. Your shoot begins first thing in the morning. Please arrive by six for costume and makeup. You can go over to the racks and someone will be over to take your sizes and fit you for your wardrobe.”

I looked at all of the townspeople. There were fourteen. They would all fit perfectly. Some of them even looked like they could be related, which I was sure was intentional. I could see why she put them in that category. The girl with the bob was in that group too, and I could picture her wearing her current outfit with a little butterfly clip in her hair.

“Group two; please step to the back of the room. You are Weres and will be outfitted for day clothes as well as your Pack clothing. You will shoot in the early afternoon. Please arrive by noon.”

That only could mean one thing… We would be shooting at night! I didn’t think I could have been more excited than I was until that moment. I tried to keep my face neutral, but inside I was bubbling with joy. There were ten of us left.

I looked at JP out of the corner of my eye. His face was a mixture of disappointment and resolution. It was a strange combination. I didn’t understand why until I followed his eyes and realized he was looking at the six people who had been cast as Weres. They were all very muscular, the men as well as the women. Each looked like they could head into a Mixed Martial Arts ring right now and win.

I knew he wanted to be in that group. I felt bad for him, but he just didn’t have the build to be a Were.

“Group three; you are fangbangers and/or vampires. You will be outfitted for both. The director will make that decision after he sees your photos in costume. If you are put in the vampire category, we will have a large variety of fangs to find the best fit. They will be waiting for you when you arrive tomorrow and you will be taught how to use them. You will shoot at night. Please arrive by five p.m. for costume and makeup. Step to the left and someone will help you find clothing and fit you.

“You’ll be given the locations of your shoots before you leave. You need to arrive there at the times I’ve given you. You’ll be photographed in your various costumes throughout the day. That’s all for now. I will return in a short while to take a look at what has been chosen and make the final decisions to show the director.” With that, she turned and left.

~~~

Over the next couple of hours we were dressed in a plethora of outfits.

JP was put in black leather pants with a jacket that was part leather and part sheer on the sides. It was hooded and zipped up the front. His next outfit was red velvet pants with a black sleeveless muscle shirt worn under the same jacket unzipped. He was given several other outfits to try on, but he wore those two in his photographs.

Finally they dressed him in a beautiful, dark gray tuxedo with a black vest. They gave him a Venetian carnival mask with large black and gold diamond shapes outlined in gold. He looked very handsome and he loved it immediately. I mentioned to him that no Were would ever wear something like that. At my words, I could tell his excitement had returned.

     

 We assumed this would be his outfit if he were to be a vampire. They must be filming a masquerade in the large house near ours. I cannot imagine they would dress a fangbanger like that in any circumstance. I guess I was wrong to assume that wearing gowns to the casting call was a ridiculous idea.

Given that he would be wearing a mask and his face would be hidden, they could also use him as a fangbanger in other scenes. I hoped we would be doing just that.

Finally it was my turn. The first outfit they gave to me was a black corset with gold hooks up the front and gold chains circling to the back and down the sides starting just below my breasts. The material had a Victorian pattern to it. It was paired with very short, tight black shorts and knee high black boots. Next up was a simple, short black velvet dress that laced up the front with gold trim.

The gown I was given was beautiful. It had a black bodice covered in lace with a halter-top neck and a strip of material that came down the center of the back meeting the lace material above the waistline. The skirt was cream chiffon layers with a black chiffon layer over the top. It was gorgeous.

I couldn’t believe they would put an extra in this, but I supposed that if it were a room full of wealthy vampires, they wouldn’t be dressed meagerly. My mask was cream with little chiffon roses between the eyes and on the sides, and beads like flowers stems up the right side. It had a delicate black flower pattern that looked as if it could have been drawn on.

         

 My photographs were taken and we were dismissed to get dressed. They tagged the clothing for each extra and hung all the items on a rack that was moved to the front wall. The remaining clothing was wheeled to the back of the room.

Maria-Star returned, looked at the photographs, chose one of each fangbanger and formal costumes, and marked them with our names. Her assistants handed out cards with addresses to the location sites. She continued to eye me throughout this process before she released us for the night.

~~~

Aurelia Gliwiski as Chelsea ‘Cricket’ Kerrigan

Sean Hayes as JP

Salma Hayek as Maria-Star

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A/N: As always, a huge thank you to MsBuffy for her editing on this chapter. I couldn’t do it without her. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.  🙂  Thanks for reading!