To say that Gemma was excited to get underway with her latest project would be an absolute understatement. She was at the point in her career where she could be a bit choosier than she had been when she was younger. When the script for Professor Marston had crossed her path, she was an immediate yes, telling her agents to do whatever it took to close the deal as soon as possible. Moved by the story and all the more excited after she'd met with the writer and director, she had been so ready to dive in head-first. Chemistry reads were a must, and once they were all cast and the process was underway, Gemma was practically bouncing off the walls at their first read-thru. She showed up with her script full of post-it notes and tabs, scribbled notes in different colored pens. She took her research very seriously and perhaps got a little over-zealous in the beginning of her process. Next steps would bring production meetings and more rehearsals, costume fittings as they began filming. Gemma was elated to begin to truly step into Elizabeth's shoes, to wear her skin for a time and fully understand this wildly passionate, complicated character. Aside from loving a man as a husband, Gemma found a real kinship with the woman she was going to play. Powerful and wise, ready to take on the world and knock down any societal barrier that stood in her way.

She'd flown in from London about a week prior to get going, settling into Massachusetts which was an altogether new place for her to explore. She'd managed to find a couple of good restaurants in town, and a particularly good mom & pop coffee shop that had perhaps the best scones she'd had this side of the Atlantic. Maybe even so much so to best some of her favorite places back home. Earlier in the day, she'd approached Veruca and Luke to ask if they wanted to gather for coffee after they were finished, in the interest of building more of a bond that would be crucial in the weeks ahead. Luke was otherwise engaged, which was just fine. As far as Gemma was concerned, the relationship between Elizabeth and Olive was even more at the core of this particular telling of the story. She'd seen some of Veruca's work and was impressed with the woman, and felt eager to build their rapport.

Finding the other woman after a short mingling time post-read thru, she smiled on her approach. "Are you still up for coffee? It's just a short walk from here."

Veruca was well suited for her role in more ways than one. A quiet, sensitive but undeniably passionate woman who would surprise people with her strength, she even looked the part. Veruca had never been the sort of person to leave the house with a hair out of place. She liked to look nice, reveling in the confidence boost a red lip or new pair of shoes could give her. Her fashion choices had gotten recognition long before her acting did, tiny photos of her leaving what few parties she'd been invited to because not many starlets looked like they were pulling outfits straight out of Katharine Hepburn's closet.

Her love of structured pieces with a vintage flair was mostly her grandmother's fault. Laura had been the main maternal figure in her life and being raised by an older woman had given Veruca a maturity well beyond her years. Besides, Laura had never been one to leave the house looking like a slouch, either. Though she wasn't really aware of it, Veruca's personal style was an homage, an attempt to capture her grandmother's certain something.

That afternoon she was wearing a fairly feminine gray dress with an eyelet detail. Veruca had found it at the vintage shop her friend owned in Brooklyn. Delia had a bit of trouble when she was starting up the business three years before and Veruca, now a bit more financially secure had given her a bit of money to help things get going. She hadn't exactly considered it an investment, more of a way to help out a friend (and make sure she had yet another place to find authentic pieces to fill her closet) but Delia considered her a business partner. Veruca may have had a hands off approach when it came to running the store, but she did appreciate the main perk that came with it, first dibs on all the best things Delia found.

With her girlfriend off filming her own movie, Veruca had been texting her before the read through. It wasn't her preferred method of communication. She had never been the sort of person who was overly attached to their phone, but it was a necessary evil when she and Haley were apart.

Her girlfriend was filming one of the fluffy rom coms she was known for with a particularly handsome up and coming actor. Haley's films may not have been Shakespeare but people loved them as much as they loved her and her girlfriend seemed pretty fond of them too. She often teased Veruca for seeking out roles she deemed "spooky" or "weird". Martson was a bit of a shift from her usual fare, but even it had gotten her a bit of ribbing from Haley who kept calling it "vintage 50 Shades of Gray" and jokingly offering to tie her up one night before bed.

Haley didn't seem to be answering and she looked up from her phone with a genuine smile when Gemma approached. A little one on one time with her co-star would be a welcome distraction. It was needed, really. Veruca always needed a bit of time to warm up to people and their scenes were definitely going to require intimacy in more ways than one.

"That would be great," she said, plopping her phone into her purse and sliding it's strap over her shoulder. "I only got in last night so I haven't really had a chance to explore." She'd stayed on location with Haley for as long as she could but was secretly grateful to leave. There was something about her girlfriend's new co-star that she didn't like and Haley hadn't exactly seemed present while she was there.

A rapport was important amongst cast members, that much was true (lest tabloid fodder get hold of reports of diva-like behavior or feuds going on), but Gemma always liked to start off on a better foot than most. Perhaps it was because early on in her career, an older legend by Britain's standards had hosted a cast dinner at her home, inviting top to bottom along the cast list. She had talked about a lack of separation, and fostering a camaraderie that felt far more like a theatre troupe than a film set. It was a vibe that Gemma wanted to carry through her career, which was easier on some sets than others, to be fair. One couldn't have a perfectly harmonious set all the time, and she was not naive enough to think so.

Still, for this particular role, chemistry was important, and knowing Veruca better would indeed help with a lot of the upcoming weeks. From their interactions thus far, Gemma enjoyed the woman's company, no matter that they'd had very little one on one time together. Often times Luke or their director or any myriad of production members were in the space, asking questions or tugging them off for hair meetings or costume fittings or any other dozen vitally important tasks that had to be dealt with. The air was alive with anticipation and preparation, but it could also get quite overwhelming, particularly when just settling into a new place.

For Gemma's personal life, not all that much was publicly out there for all to scrutinize. Most likely living in London made her less of tabloid fodder, and she had the tendency to have long relationships that were (usually, mostly ... sometimes) void of a ton of drama. She had been openly out for quite some time, and the most she'd ever gotten much press over her personal life was a short-lived engagement that ended rather spectacularly and, well, that was a year of her life she'd rather not dwell on. Lessons learned and all that. These days, Gemma was far more focused on work and currently doing her best work on this film.

"Just last night, really? You must be tired. Where have you come from?" She didn't know all that much about Veruca's personal life, but she hadn't actively sought out much information, either. It was such an odd business, theirs, being in the public eye, that she much rather got to know someone personally, rather than through gossip or rumors.

Pulling on her black (faux) leather jacket, she tossed her script and notebook into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She wasn't much of one to wear many dresses in her day-to-day, preferring an outfit like today with black slacks and a bit of a flowy white blouse - add to it her trusty black boots and it was an eclectic outfit that pretty much summed up her usual aesthetic.

Gemma waited until Veruca was all settled before leading them outside, taking the direction towards the coffee shop. "So this will be home for a while, we better find all the hidden gems to sneak off to when we need a break."

Veruca sort of hoped Gemma wouldn't press her more about where she had been. Georgia was hardly an exotic location, but producers on Haley's latest film had gone for the cheapest possible location.

She figured it was best to leave her girlfriend out of the explanation all together and not just because far too many people wanted too much about her relationship these days. She'd simply never been fond of talking about herself and had very little patience for people who found a way of shoehorning their significant other into every conversation.

Veruca was an individual which her own thoughts and interests (many of which didn't line up with her girlfriend's in the slightest).

And she was getting really tired of not being regarded as one.

"Should you really be telling me all your hiding spots?" she joked. "What if you go alone and someone starts grilling me about where you've run off to. It's a film set, there are plenty of hot lights to shine in my face during interrogation. I might crack."

They walked a few more steps in silence, Veruca's teeth sinking into her lower lip for a moment as she wondered whether she should say what she said next. "Speaking of travel, and I know this is very sudden and you may have already gone for all I know, I was thinking of visiting Connecticut before we get started?"

Veruca was sure Wonder Woman museum in Connecticut would be invaluable to her in more ways than one. It didn't just house information on the Marstons and their creations, it was located in their family home and run by their children and grandchildren. She couldn't think of anywhere better to do her research, though she usually didn't do hers so close to filming. Her little trip to follow Haley had really thrown things off in more ways than one.

"I was thinking of asking Luke too," she clarified, in case Gemma thought it was a bit strange that Veruca was inviting her on a trip when they barely knew each other. "I just haven't managed to grab a minute with him yet."

Like Gemma, Veruca was honestly more concerned about building up a rapport and more importantly, chemistry with her female co-star. William may have brought them together, but as far as she was concerned, the connection between Elizabeth and Olive was the true love story of the film and not just because it was the one that had endured until they turned old and gray. Veruca sensed that Olive's bond with Elizabeth was much stronger than her bond with William. She may have cared for them both, but she was almost positive Elizabeth had her heart.

"I like to steal away between projects myself. Sometimes off the grid ... sometimes just find a beach to travel to and lie on for a bit." She said with a smile, figuring that travel could mean any number of things to any given person. Perhaps it was business or pleasure, but it was none of her business, really.

No friendship got off on a good foot with any one person being over eager or overly familiar. She'd been put off a number of times by relative strangers pushing for information or details about her life, far beyond the normal getting-to-know-you type conversation. Needless to say, those relationships didn't last. Particularly, she'd admit, the ones of a sexual nature. She didn't do well with a forced nature there.

"Oh I think I can trust you ... or maybe we'll just really have to work on your withstanding interrogation skills." Gemma winked at the other woman as they walked, though her friendly nature did tip into flirtation more often than not, she wasn't actively trying at present. Chemistry was one thing, but it was important to build a foundation of trust within professionalism. No matter how attractive her co-star might be.

Gemma raised a brow at the other woman at the mention of Connecticut, about to make some joke about such a brazen way of kickstarting their friendship before she thought better of it. "Luke is very busy and important, isn't he?" She exaggerated a roll of her eyes, but an amused look on her face otherwise. She adored the man, and already considered him a fast friend. "What are we after in Connecticut? I'll assume not country clubs and farmer's markets."

Truthfully, Gemma hadn't spent all that much time in New England, when most of her experience of the East Coast was centered around New York. She liked the idea of getting around a bit more than their immediate vicinity, but also wasn't adverse to the idea of spending more time together outside of the actual work. For the sake of the film, of course.

"I thought it'd be nice to go down and see the Marston house. One of Elizabeth's sons runs a museum out of it."

Veruca had been planning on going alone, but the fact that she hadn't been able to make the trip seemed like a blessing in disguise. Going with Luke and Gemma could definitely be a bonding experience and it would be the perfect place to open up discussions about their characters. Her agent had even managed to get in contact with the Marston family for her and they seemed nothing if not accommodating and eager to help. They loved talking about their family to visitors and she could only assume they were especially eager to talk to the people about to bring them to life to make sure they did it right.

"Pete's kind of up there, though," she explained with a sympathetic wince. "His daughter said his health's not the best, but she also said he loves to talk about his mom and all things Wondy, so it should be great." She paused for a moment, hoping the knowledge that it was one of Elizabeth's children at the helm would make Gemma more eager to come along and check things out. "You know, like a little Marston field trip."

Veruca had very little experience playing real people and never had the luxury of being able to seek out information from people who actually knew her characters before. It was exciting, but also incredibly intimidating which is why she kind of didn't want to go alone. She felt a huge responsibility toward the Marstons and could only imagine how strange their family felt. She could hardly wrap her head around some stranger coming around to ask all sorts of personal questions about how to be her father or grandmother.

"Even if the both of you are way too important for me, I'm going to try and squeeze at least a day trip in, so you'll have to tell me your size if you want a tee shirt," she teased.

She figured it sort of went without saying that she'd share any interesting or important tidbits she found out, but Veruca hoped that Luke and Gemma would be hearing everything firsthand with her.

"Connecticut's not so bad though," she said after a beat. "My dad took me up there a few times when I was a kid."

Veruca had come from a fairly privileged background. Her father, a stickler for education had given her the best private school education money could buy, but none of it had been co-ed. Being surrounded by girls and only girls was a blessing and a curse for a young Veruca, who had always known she was a lesbian. She'd been so paranoid about being branded a pariah thanks to the gossip that circulated in her tiny, isolated circle that she hadn't dared to so much as hold hands with another woman until college.

"I'd tell you to bring lots of sweaters but you Brits usually have that covered." Her lips twitched into a half smirk, blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oops, sorry, jumpers."

"Oh, I love that idea." Gemma exclaimed excitedly, completely having missed adding the idea of going to the museum to her calendar of things to do.

As excited as Gemma was about this project and playing Elizabeth to begin with, she would admit (perhaps after a pint or two), that the pressure to play Elizabeth truthfully and in a way that honored the woman properly could weigh on her some. Not so much so that she was crippled by it, but just wanting to make sure she was prepared. She knew that they were taking some creative and story liberties with what was perpetuated about the Marstons, but it came from a place of genuine admiration and love - so surely there was nothing to actually fear about it.

Oddly enough, the idea of going to the house settled some of those nerves just from the idea of it. They could enjoy time spent picking up the energy of these formidable people. "I would absolutely love it. I'd love to hear anything he has to say about her, his daughter as well. It's such an exciting thing really, to be able to discuss with someone who actually knew them?" She smiled a little at her own excitement, but couldn't entirely contain it, either. "A Marston field trip. Let's do it."

Most of the time, particularly in Britain, playing any type of historical characters meant playing someone who had been long-dead. There was still such fascination particularly with the royal families and wars - the older the better. It was a rare opportunity to play someone who had living relatives, which got her all the more excited... even with the added pressure. She hoped if they could show how seriously they were taking this story, and their parts in it, it would ease any doubt in Pete or anyone else's minds.

"Oh wait there are tee-shirts? Then I am definitely going to squeeze you in." She grinned, her gaze lingering a moment on the other woman as they walked. Already she felt a certain kind of comfort or at least ease with the woman, which she knew would bode well going forward.

"Oh yeah? Where are you from, originally? I don't think I actually know any of that." She chuckled to herself a bit, realizing that sounded (accurately) that she really hadn't done much digging on her co-stars at all. She hoped that would prove a good thing.

A slow grin spread across her face, as Gemma nudged Veruca's elbow with her own. "Oh yes. I'll have you in my ways and saying all the proper words for things by the end of this, just you wait."

Veruca smiled, glad Gemma seemed as excited (and dedicated) as she was. "Isn't it?! I don't think there are actual tee shirts, but if anyone's earned them..."

Or they would. Hopefully.

"I didn't even leave for college. I'm a New Yorker through and through," she said even though she hadn't spent as much time there lately as she would have liked. Veruca loved the city and all but refused to move to Los Angeles no matter how many times friends and trusted advisers, including her beloved mentor Marion told her it would be easier and probably be better for her career. There was an authenticity to New York that simply couldn't be found on the west coast, but Los Angeles' was Haley's home and she seemed to love it as much as Veruca hated it.

She often complained that she didn't "get" New York which meant that the couple spent most of their time at her home base because nobody met Haley Bishop halfway, not even her girlfriend. An overnight sensation from the moment her first film was released a year before high school graduation, Haley didn't have to compromise. She was used to getting what she wanted because she always had.

It annoyed Veruca. In fact, the inequalities in their relationship were starting to creep under her skin more and more, but part of her was still flattered, in a sort of awe that Haley wanted her.

"You?" she asked curiously, head tilted as she regarded the other woman. Gemma was obviously British, but while Veruca was pretty confident in her ability to suss out accents, she wasn't about to embarrass herself by making a guess as to exactly where her co-star was from. "I mean, you can try but I'm not about to start using the metric system. I'm all for milky tea though, you'll see," she shot Gemma another playful smile as she slipped into the coffee shop, giving an elderly man who held the door for them a soft nod of thanks.

There was no line to speak of, but the nearly bare pastry case told Veruca that the place had been packed earlier. Slightly disappointed that she couldn't have a little something because flying in caused her to prioritize sleep over breakfast that morning, she ordered a larger size than she usually did in hopes the drink would fill her up and hold her over until she could order something at the hotel.

"Large chai latte, please," she said, her eye contact faltering with the girl at the register as she she reached into her wallet for her purse. "And hers, too, please," she added, gesturing to Gemma as she pulled out her credit card. "No arguments." That playful smile resurfaced. "I got in line first."

"Thankfully, I think there are a plethora of Wonder Woman shirts we can choose from, even if they aren't Marston family specific." That was actually something pretty spectacular to think about; how this family they were about to portray really inspired so much throughout the years. With the much-anticipated Wonder Woman set to arrive just a couple of months (likely) before their film, it felt like this cosmic shift coming all together at the right time.

"Leaving home can be over rated. Especially if home is New York." She agreed. New York had been her favorite place once she came to the States, and was the only place she felt she could settle in. It made her feel more at home in some weird way, more like London than anywhere else people in their business settled. Certainly more than Los Angeles. She similarly felt like she could only spend so much time in LA when she had to go for meetings or filming or awards shows. She wasn't one of those who felt like everything about the town was vapid or obnoxious, but the vibe just wasn't her scene.

"Manchester, though the Northern accent isn't as thick anymore." Gemma laughed a little, wrinkling her nose. "My family gives me shit for having a more posh Londoner accent these days but, it can't really be helped." Gemma often preferred being home in London, which had been the destination of her big foray away from home to attend drama school many many years ago. "Oh, a woman after my own heart. I'll have to take you for a proper high tea one of these days." It was completely overdone in most places, but a good one couldn't be beat. She'd kill for some actual scones but good luck finding the good stuff here.

Gemma was a bit relieved when they entered the mostly empty shop. She wasn't the kind of person who had to hide from the masses or anything like that, but she appreciated a place where they could sit and talk without a bunch of other people around. "I --" She opened her mouth to protest, narrowing her eyes playfully as she tapered off to a sigh. "Alright, but next time is on me." Her own grin returned as her gaze left Veruca long enough to order a cold brew. She greeted the cashier familiarly, thanking them once her order was placed.

"Thank you," She said a moment later, nodding towards a table tucked over in a corner. "I am going to have to eventually cut the cord with this place, I'm sure. I've been coming in twice a day for the past week or so." Putting her bag down by her chair, she took a seat and waited for Veruca to be the same. "Everyone's going to start to know about my caffeine addiction, it'll hit the gossip rags ... just chaos. It'll completely overshadow all of our hard work."

"Do you think we'll get free stuff?" she teased. "I've always wanted a pair of gold bracelets." Veruca had never been into comic books growing up, but Wonder Woman was iconic, a source of admiration for nearly every little girl, even if they only knew about her awesome red, blue and gold suit.

Though Veruca had a feeling hardly anyone knew about it's true, more adult origins.

"My grandma used to take me to high tea!" Veruca beamed, clearly charmed by the idea because she had hardly even thought of entering a tea room in years. "I loved dressing up so I was all for it."

It was clear that fashion played a large part in Veruca's life. The tall blonde clearly took pride in her appearance. The hand that wrapped around her coffee cup sported freshly applied red nail polish, her Chanel purse almost exactly the same shade as her kitten heels. Looks weren't everything, but there was no denying that a person's appearance could be an extension of themselves and reflect that self to others.

Veruca's gave off the impression of a woman who was thoughtful and carefully put together, if a little traditional.

And now that she and Gemma were finally getting a little one on one time, Veruca allowed herself her first real long look at the woman she'd be working with, trying to suss out any clues her appearance gave away.

Conversation would help, too of course and Veruca was eager to finally have a proper one.

"You're welcome," she said, smoothing an invisible wrinkle out of the bottom of her skirt as she sat down. "It's only fair since you showed me the place to begin with." She brought her cup to her lips, her eyes widening mid sip. "Twice a day?!" she repeated somewhat incredulously wondering why she seemed to be surrounded by caffeine addicts. Her girlfriend seemed to survive solely on Starbucks and diet Coke but Veruca had never developed a real taste for coffee, hence her chai.

Gemma's comment about the press caused Veruca's nose to wrinkle and her thoughts to drift back to her girlfriend once more. "I wish they'd talk about my coffee habits," she muttered before she could stop herself.

She was surprised she'd said so out loud. She was usually better at keeping things closer to the vest, especially around people she barely knew, but Gemma had steered their current conversation. She was simply contributing and boy did she have a lot to contribute on the tabloid front, namely how much it sucked when your girlfriend overshadowed all your hard work.

But the last thing she wanted to sound like was a whiner, or even like someone who had a ton of experience with the press sticking their nose in where it didn't belong. The attention (or at least this level of it) she was getting was a relatively new phenomenon and something she supposed she would have to learn to deal with as long as she was dating Haley.

Gemma, who was older, in the business longer and much, much more well established in it had probably been putting up with it for years.


"But all I'm really getting here is that if I want to get on your good side I just need to keep the cold brews coming," she teased, changing the subject easily enough. "Now what we really need to do is join forces and get Luke off his phone."

"I'll bet you we can get you some gold bracelets...Or we can nick them from costumes. I won't tell." Gemma had her fair share of costumes and memorabilia from various film and tv sets over her years. Most things were paid for, or taken with permission ... most. She couldn't wait to see how their costumes came together, and the subtle nods to what would become Wonder Woman as the masses fell in love with her.

Gemma delighted at how Veruca responded to her idea for tea, her head tilting in amusement at the other woman. "Did she really? Then it's a must! We'll get dressed up and everything." Tea was stereotypically a daily thing for Gemma, but the high tea novelty was not lost on her. She had some favorite spots back in London, so she'd need to do a bit of research for a good one out here.

Veruca was a bit of an enigma to Gemma, but that mystery was something she really enjoyed. She liked the thrill of getting to know someone, of discovering the different layers of a person. She had no idea really what made Veruca tick, but was looking forward to knowing her better through the process. She was obviously a gorgeous woman, add to that talented and charming. Every other myriad of things she also was would be fun to discover.

"I know, it's terrible!" She exclaimed, bowing her head into her hands to hide her "shame" -- which was really just a dumb big smile. "But they have good teas as well, see." Gemma threw in with a gesture to Veruca's chai. Gemma probably should have calmed down with her caffeine in the afternoons, but she had become dependent on a cup of coffee in the mornings to really get going properly. Otherwise she was strictly water and tea in the evenings. She was a creature of habit, always ending her day with a good cup of tea - sometimes after a glass of wine or a stronger drink -- depending on the day.

Gemma wasn't so far into the public eye that she felt an overarching scrutiny to her personal life. She felt her heart pull for Veruca at just that one muttered comment, though. Rumblings that she didn't listen to were one thing, but she knew how hard it was to have people feel as though they had any say in your personal life. She had come out probably midway through her career thus far, eventually just too tired to try and hide the way that she was. That, and she had gotten fed up with her management team telling her she just needed to publicly date a man. For what? Credibility that didn't mean a single thing? She had simply decided that life was too short. Sure, people asked about it during interviews, or fans of hers became hyper-obsessive with who she might be dating at any given time, but she felt sure of herself no matter what was said. Marvel fans were no joke, at that.

With the luxury of being older and more established in her career when she had made her decision to be open about her sexuality, Gemma did wonder how it was for Veruca to be coming through it in a much more twitter-friendly (or unfriendly, as it could be) world where things just seemed more difficult inherently. Gemma wasn't immune to it, but she did wonder all the same.

"That's exactly true. You'll have a direct line to my best side at all times." She winked, laughing as she shook her head. "Good lord. It's like an extra limb on him, isn't it? Maybe we'll just have to hide it, and hope that begins a rapid detox for him."

"I don't know, I might have to borrow things more carefully this time around," she said with a cheeky grin. "They're bound to catch on if I take everything." And from what Veruca had seen so far of their wardrobe, she really did want most of it, a certain white coat with a gorgeous red geometric pattern in particular. She already knew she had the perfect pair of loose linen slacks to go with it in her every day life.

"I mean, there's the old one of us kicks him in the shin while the other grabs it, right? We could do it, I have a good three inches on him, easy."

At 6'3, Veruca had rarely come across a co-star, male or otherwise, that she didn't tower over. She'd been self conscious about her height growing up, but slowly but surely become more comfortable, or at least comfortable enough to make some jokes at her own expense about it over the years. But she did feel occasionally awkward about it on set, when angles (and her own posture) had to be adjusted for shots, especially kisses which were hardly the sort of scenes a person wanted to go over more than necessary.

Her teeth grazed her lip for a moment as she thought about the scenes she and Gemma (and Luke) would have to eventually shoot. An actor never really got used to shooting love scenes, but after a while they became more routine. But there was nothing routine about what Veruca would be doing this time around. She'd never kissed a woman on screen before. She'd never had a love scene with more than one person or navigated the logistics of a threesome in real life. And then there were the more unorthodox aspects of the Marstons sex life to consider. Veruca had done a little reading on BDSM before her arrival, causing Haley to burst into laughter and make the occasional whipping sound every time she saw her with her book in hand. It was bound to be a new experience for all of them, which is why she kept coming back to the idea that they needed to get some sort of camaraderie going.

But it was hard enough to build up chemistry with one person. How on Earth was she going to manage it with two?

"I hope he comes," she said wistfully, her fingers idly tracing her cup as her thoughts drifted back to visiting the Marston home once more. She looked up at Gemma after a moment, her look now a one of resolve. "Well, even if he doesn't, we'll make it a girl's trip. Elizabeth and Olive probably would have liked that better anyway. Time away from that dork and his stupid invisible planes."

"Exactly, if you just accidentally happen to go home on the last day wearing a couple of things..." She grinned right back, like they were co-conspirators hatching some grand plot. "Or just start squirreling away one thing at a time." Not that she would condone outright theft ... of course not.

"Oh yes, I like your style. The old run and gun technique." Gemma laughed, nodding along with it. There was a fun energy to Veruca, something that she hadn't necessarily anticipated but that felt good to be around, natural.

The vibe they were beginning to soak up between them really felt like it would bode well going forward. Gemma had a myriad of on-screen romances, mostly with men, but the occasional woman as well. While obviously women were who she romantically went for in her own life, it really mattered to her how her co-stars approached it. The absolute worst thing was when someone was creepy about an on-screen romance (especially if that carried over into off screen as well), or just wildly uncomfortable. Gemma tried to uphold a standard of comfort and communication. She would say all of that to Veruca of course, but she felt like they wouldn't have many problems in either area.

In reading the script, Gemma was relieved at how clear it was that a woman had written the piece. The love scenes were exactly that - born out of genuine affection for each other, with Elizabeth and Olive at the center of it. Nothing felt like it was for the benefit of a predominantly male audience, or explicit in a way that took away from the beauty of it. The fact alone that the physicality came out of Elizabeth and Olive initiating felt authentic to her. Gemma was quite positive she wouldn't have a problem with that. The mechanics might get a bit technical, but it was a bridge they could cross later. So long as they did their best job, and made it feel as though the devotion poured out of it, she thought they'd be great.

There were those other parts, too. Gemma had actually blushed in reading the scene where she'd wind rope around Veruca, the importance of consent in the moment of it done so beautifully and for lack of better term, sexy. It was going to be a test not to blush her way through it, but clearly not from embarrassment at all.

Gemma hadn't even realized that her gaze had been somewhat blurred but fixed on the way Veruca's fingers moved along her cup, only when she spoke again snapping her out of her reverie. "Honestly they probably did." She laughed, running her fingers through her hair as she bit at the straw in her drink. "I feel like the pair of them had their own secret language based entirely on looks given behind William's back as he went off on his tangents."

Leaning back to regard the other woman, she smiled and then leaned back in as though she couldn't sit still. "I have to confess how elated I was when you signed on. We're going to have a lot of fun."

"They do!" Veruca agreed eagerly, her tone softening as she reflected on one of her favorite scenes. "When Olive's first pregnant and they're struggling and Elizabeth storms off all upset and Olive tries to comfort her, but she keeps shrugging pushing her away but then they just..." Her eyes met Gemma's, her hand relaxing a little because Veruca was so passionate about it she'd begun to lightly grip hold her chest.

"Amazing," she said simply ducking her head somewhat sheepishly at her enthusiasm as she took a sip of her drink. "I've never actually been pregnant before. On screen," she clarified. "Or in real life, really." She let out a little snort. "God, that would be some sort of miracle. I've always wanted to see what I look like with one of those fake bellies. Should be fun."

A genuine smile slowly spread across Veruca's face. "Really?"

She was a fan of Gemma's work and the opportunity to work with her had certainly been the icing on the cake for such a great part, but Veruca was surprised the other woman was aware of her. She hadn't been without work since landing her first film role, but her career could probably best be described as slow, but steady and some of the parts she'd chosen were undeniably niche.

"I think so too," she said, taken aback by how much she meant it when she heard the sentiment out loud. Being an actress meant that Veruca loved and was fascinated by people, but it often took her a long time to relax around them. It was one of the many reasons why a life spent, temporarily at least, becoming people who were different and often bolder in different, much less neurotic head spaces than her own had been so appealing.

But there was no denying she already felt comfortable around Gemma. Comfortable enough to joke and tease when even her girlfriend could see her as something of a wet blanket. The press certainly did, often wondering what a woman as outgoing and charismatic as Haley Bishop was doing with one as self possessed and in their opinion, stuck up as Veruca Fawley.

Olive Byrne wasn't the only person with hidden depths, tired of people writing her off as one thing or another. She'd certainly been written off as just another pretty face and more recently, as someone who was fucking someone with a pretty, more famous one. Veruca was a keen observer too and just as bright. She simply liked to sit back and observe, further proof that her current profession really was the one for her. She just liked to take time to formulate and analyze those thoughts to make sure they were worth saying.

"Soul crushing fun," she quipped, thinking of just how emotionally charged their script was. "Crying and kissing. That's what we're in for." Her teeth met her lower lip for a moment, her eyes twinkling somewhat mischievously. "Kissing and kink."

Gemma couldn’t help but utterly beam at Veruca getting so excited over the scenes they had ahead of them, a thrill of her own alighting her mind in a way that was, oddly relieving. She often felt like she would dive in so entirely to a project and the headspace of the woman she was playing, that she’d bore everyone around her with how much she wanted to talk about it. She got the distinct sense that Veruca wasn’t someone she would tire of. “God, that’s going to be an incredible scene.” She said almost wistfully. “She’s a complicated bird, that Elizabeth.” And Gemma was so honored to get to play the whole gamut of emotions with her.

She was still smiling as Veruca continued, seeming as though her cheeks would be sore by the end of their coffee excursion. “I’ve done it a small handful of times. I thought it might spark in me an immediate need to run out and get myself pregnant.” She chuckled, widening her eyes at the idea. Gemma did have grand ideas of having a family at some point, but had been through her own fair share of heartaches in relationships that it didn’t seem quite in the cards for her for a while yet. Not that she had a plethora of time to decide. No need to think about that though. “You’ll look darling with a giant belly. I can already tell.” Elizabeth would certainly need to be enamored with it. She wondered just then, how Elizabeth might have felt that Olive had been the first one to have a child amongst them. Something to ponder for later.

“Absolutely so.” Gemma wasn’t one to compliment far and wide unjustly, but had seen a few of Veruca’s films and was impressed with her talent. She was excited all the more to get to work with her, and being as passionate about the film they were diving into felt even better. Made things all the smoother to get into, honestly.

There were some actors, mostly those who went deeply method who, it seemed to Gemma, didn’t recognize the fun of their work. How silly it was to be playing actual make-believe for a career, and not see the joy of that? Some days were always going to be hard, and tapping into deep emotions was always draining, but they weren’t curing cancer or solving world hunger. She liked to walk the line between taking things very seriously, but also knowing that the career she’d chosen was an inherently fun one.

This role would test her in plenty of ways. She’d have days when Elizabeth’s mood would inherently mingle with her own, and she’d need some time to come out of those more intense moments. Gemma was more and more excited every day that it got closer. She felt prepared and ready to step into Elizabeth Marston’s shoes. The complicated powerhouse of a woman that she was. It was no real wonder that it took just as formidable of a woman like Olive Byrne to fall deeply in love with. And William, of course.

“You know, I think the working title was actually Kissing and Kink.” She grinned, though her pointed gaze leveled at Veruca in that moment. She really as wildly attractive, which was definitely not something Gemma needed to be focusing on in the slightest. Easier said than done likely, when she’d spend the next several months leaning into that feeling for the part. “I’m really glad we’ve taken time to do this, you and I. It’s a good thing to set the tone going in.”