Chapter 89: Compromised

Louis was scrolling through and navigating from one social media app to the other as he sat in the stands.

Considering he still had a couple other scenes to film today, he had no choice but to hang around before they could move to the next site of filming.

He wasn’t also the only one hanging around, as a couple extras dotted the stands alongside some of the crew who weren’t needed in the office for the current scene that was being filmed.

Even then, no one seemed to approach him. Given how experienced several of the extras here and the crew were, they could intuitively feel when an artist wasn’t exactly the most approachable.

Louis seemed to be in that party, and they’d been burned enough to know that they’d best avoid those kinds of actors.

Though his curated celebrity image told a different story, one of a nice man whom was just trying to keep his successful career relevant like most renowned actors in Hollywood, it didn’t do anything to suppress the condescendingly, almost dismissive air that seemed to float around him.

Quite the stark contrast to Niall whom was more reserved and generally respectful to everyone even when a lot of them had wrongly assumed that he was being favored by Murray.

Reclining into his seat a bit more, seemingly of the belief that it would take over two hours like his scene had with Murray constantly stepping on his neck, Louis’ befuddlement couldn’t have been more apparent when the director alongside the rest of his colleagues involved in the scene filed out literally thirty minutes after they had gone to the office.

’The hell...?’ the words seemed to echo on his mind.

At the same time, he knew that for them to be out so fast, the scene had to have been taken in one shot.

Watching Murray pat Niall and Matthew on the back though, an overly satisfied smile on his lips as Colonel followed closely behind, Louis’ gaze narrowed.

Matthew and Howard, he could understand.

These were veterans in the industry, both of whom had delivered some great movies over the years even if the former’s career had been in a bit of a rut in recent memory.

Made perfect sense why he was also so hell-bent on bagging that Emmie award as it would go a long way in reigniting the relevance he was losing.

Niall though... he decided to be heavily scrutinous towards.

Given he’d gone through his filmography after all the ’hullabaloo’ regarding him last year, his disdain had only solidified when he saw the paltry thing that it was.

Blindly, he’d assumed himself to be superior in an effort to placate his overblown ego.

Now though, despite never having actually sat to watch any of Niall’s movies, he didn’t have to think too far before he was forced to come to a natural conclusion.

A natural conclusion that only seemed to fuel his already festering emotions towards the young actor.

Speaking of Niall though...

"Well, I guess I’ll see you in Paris in a month’s time." Matthew offered him a handshake, his smile cordial and his ice-blue irises amiable.

"As will I." Niall reciprocated in kind as he received the handshake.

Soon enough, the young actor said his goodbyes to Murray and Colonel.

Laughing as they reminded him that they had golfing plans later next month, Niall assured them he would make time for it.

Equally greeting a couple of the crew members here and there, he soon made his way out.

Given he was only one of three major supporting actors in the movie, his time on set was to be in rather short spans when compared to his other colleagues like Colonel and Louis whom were more involved.

Even then, he was going to have to practice the exact routine Noah was set to perform at the special exhibition championships at the Grand Palais in Paris from time to time before then.

One he had learnt and from the professional figure skating choreographer Murray had privately introduced him to and mastered, weeks ahead of their first day on set.

Initially, Murray hadn’t had any plans to have Niall do the final performance... or any major routines for that matter because he’d assumed it would be too taxing and too dangerous for him.

For as much as the man was a perfectionist, he was never one at the detriment of his actor’s health or any risky scene that would be of danger to them or their careers.

In his beliefs, actors were actors, not stuntmen or pros.

Their job was to pretend they were good at something, and trick the audience into believing that they were, not actually do the thing itself if they could help it.

And though he was aware that Niall was skilled--what with his audition being a clear indicator--he wasn’t fully aware of the extent of just how skilled the young actor really was.

He was also not the type to take unnecessary risks... especially when Niall wasn’t a professional figure skater.

Unfortunately for him, the young actor had had none of it. Upon hearing that he wouldn’t be allowed to do the final performance, he hadn’t even tried arguing with the man to reconsider.

That sort of approach would’ve never worked with someone like Murray. Instead, he simply made a private bet with him.

One that essentially gave him a couple days to master said routine, and if he did, Murray would have to allow him perform it on his own.

To that effect, when Niall did in fact master the routine without fail, the director had no other choice but to accept that he lost the bet.

It was also why he was allowed to even do the very first scene that introduced Noah’s character despite how objectively dangerous it was.

At the same time, it was why Murray had equally informed the crew later than usual that Niall wouldn’t be needing a stunt double, hence why the news hadn’t reached the actor’s and extras’ ears in time before the first day of filming.

In any case,

Niall had already stepped out of the establishment and settled into his car, its engine humming to life as he drove out the curb.

About an hour and thirty minutes later, he arrived... not at the hotel he’d previously been staying at for the past couple weeks in Santa Monica, but at his home in San Fernando.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Niall closed the doors properly, a gym bag slung over one of his shoulders.

However, just before he proceeded to make his way in, he stopped for a while to take in the view of the old, one-storey building.

In a literal sense, this had been Niall’s home in LA for roughly five years. His safe space... away from all the glitz and glam Hollywood was known for.

But in a technical sense, he’d spent longer here. Far, far longer...

Unfortunately, his safe space had now being compromised. With everything that had happened late last year, it hadn’t really taken long before the Paparazzi found out where he was staying.

Even now, he could spot a couple suspiciously parked vans in the neighborhood from his peripheral vision yet again... a neighborhood that was mostly desolate half the time save for whenever the occasional vehicles passed by.

It also didn’t help that Niall could easily see through their tinted windows thanks to his Gift of Vitality to see the idiots fumbling with their high-end cameras in an effort to quickly take a shot.

Clearly, the Paparazzi had been camping in wait for his arrival. In fact, Niall was certain they probably already knew he was in a new movie and were just looking for ways to verify it.

Nudging at his bag a bit, Niall proceeded to walk in as a resigned sigh escaped his lips. As much as he was glad to see his careers progressing, these were one of the downsides that came with it.

In fact, given the kind of feats he’d achieved in a single year, this was a rather mild reaction. One he himself had facilitated by staying away from it all through the peak of it in the past year.

Unfortunately, some Paparazzi just wouldn’t give up and that was to be expected.

It was also why Niall had decided it was high time he moved to a new home in an estate that was more secure.

Besides, with Camille and his parents already making plans to come around sometime this year, he had even more reasons to move away from the public’s eye.

Taking in the sight of his homely apartment for a couple minutes though, a wistful smile on his lips, Niall soon placed his bag onto the couch as he stepped into his living room.

Equally, he lowered into it, as he remarked;

"I’m really gonna miss this place..."

Letting out another resigned sigh, he then pulled out his phone to begin hunting for a new home... only for a call from a familiar number to come in.

Casually picking it up, Niall greeted;

"Hey, Mark. What’s up?"

"Not much," came the relaxed response from the other end of the line, to which he then said;

"Just rounded up film school two days ago, actually. We had a pretty lit afterparty, too."

To that, Niall smiled. Genuinely.

Just as he was about to congratulate the young man on his win--

"Oh, and also, I just rounded up the script for [A Maddened Wonderland]." Mark threw in proudly, an interjection that immediately prompted Niall’s pupils to dilate in genuine excitement.

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/Caer07