The Grey Zone (Black Noir / The Boys Fan Fic)

Ch 27 A Familiar Face

"Ta dah! What do you think?"

Chrissy stared at herself in the studio mirror with awe. She was genuinely taken aback by how good she looked.

Her face was framed by sleek blonde curls and her eyelids fluttered with a subtle shimmer.

"Oh my god, thank you! I never thought I could ever look this good."

Whilst awaiting the rest of the crew to show up for work, a member of the MUA team had asked if she could practice some looks on Chrissy to kill time. Being a people-pleaser she was never one to say no, but at least this time, there was a mutual benefit for both parties.

"Chrissy, don't tell me you've never tried a red lip before." The MUA looked down on her like a disappointed mother.

The two of them giggled. Chrissy was no stranger to makeup but she certainly wasn't a professional. A quick Youtube tutorial before a night out usually got her by.

A sudden arrival interrupted their laughter.

"You're wanted on Lot 6 for an advertorial." A runner announced without looking up from his clipboard, as he barged into the room for the MUA who had just finished working on Chrissy.

"Absolutely not, I can't bail on Mr.Madison." She waved a can of hairspray at him, as if to shoo him away.

"He's not here today. Family emergency. The shoot is postponed for 3 days."

Chrissy zoned out to the conversation that the pair were having. After a fleeting moment of joy, she was once again feeling deflated. How was she supposed to get industry experience at this rate?

Adding insult to injury, no other team members had notified her personally that shoot had been postponed. Not only was she nothing in Phil's eyes, but the other crew members had forgotten her too. She desperately didn't want to cry after getting her makeup done, but she knew tears were likely once the room was empty.

Unbeknown to her, Phil Madison was practically barricading himself in a hotel room after his eventful evening with Jess. So spooked by the stalker at his window, he planned to stay there until further notice. It wasn't personal. The disappointment that Chrissy felt was shared by the whole team.

"Yeah, more like he partied too hard at his event last night. I'm bringing her with me and you'll be adding us both to the timesheet." The MUA negotiated with the runner as she prodded Chrissy on the arm with the can of hairspray.

Finally, someone was on her side.

It wasn't exactly in line with what she wanted to do, but helping out on an advertorial shoot would definitely be insightful. Chrissy gleefully accepted her new responsibility and assisted the MUA by carrying her equipment across the lot.

It wasn't until the two of them reached the new jobsite that they discovered what alternate project they'd be working on - promotional material for VoughtCon. 

This was Chrissy's moment. So many guest speakers, actors and writers for Vought would need to be made up. She would essentially have access to a conveyor belt of potential contacts.

Low and behold, the very first person to sit down for hair and makeup was none other than Nathan A Lawson.

"Where have I seen you before?" He squinted into the mirror at Chrissy's reflection,  trying to place her.

"Um..." Chrissy froze, wondering if it was safe to say she'd sent him her CV in front of the MUA.

"Mr.Lawson, if you could face forward for us to get started, please." The lead MUA politely directed Nathan's attention to the mirror opposite him, keen to start making her way through the seemingly endless row of people. "Chrissy is here to assist temporarily today, Sir."