Note: IF YOU MISS FOSTER FARRAND, HE'S MOMENTARILY BACK.
Please click into KellyAnneBlount's profile and check out the Wattpad Block Party. There's a post in there titled "DISCUSSING COLORS WITH FOSTER FARRAND" in which we explore flowery metaphors and Foster's origin story. FamouX Men: Origins.
(I've never seen X Men before in my life, but apparently we both share that train-crossing X sign and they obviously win in the battle of dibs on it. How splendid.)
Either way, I hope you like Foster's innermost thoughts. If you read both today's chapter and that on the Wattpad Block Party, it sort of counts as another double update. I mean, I might also just heavily edit the next chapter and post more today too. I'll try my best for youuuu.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE CLASSIX: Emeray, Chapter, and their Fanatix members just got to the Onward Train set. Chapter suggested they reveal how they're secretly dating, since Emeray and Cartney are trying to make people hate them anyway. Emeray told him she doesn't want to do that. When Lex saw them together, Chapter totally covered for them instead of just revealing everything. Let's see those obvious repercussions.
emeray
As the days on the Onward Train set go by, Chapter's "method acting" practice begins to take on a life of its own.
We didn't notice it at first. After all, Chapter had thought up the concept on the spot only to spare us from the momentary panic of being caught as a couple. It wasn't about to become something we'd actually start using as an excuse to be affectionate in front of people. After a couple days of keeping a relative distance on and off set, I forgot about the whole method acting thing entirely.
But Lex didn't. Always eager to do things the Famoux way, she gradually became more and more reminiscent of her role, Stefanie, in everything she did.
It started with her clothing. Stefanie was, according to the script, the upper-class acquaintance of Chapter's and my character. To achieve this persona, Lex first started out subtly, swapping out her sneakers for loafers. The transition was so gradual that no one thought to point it out at all until she was dressing completely from the racks of her film wardrobeââbutton-up shirts, thin sweaters, plaid skirts.
Even then, it didn't seem too out of the ordinary. I'd initially assumed we would be filming some of her scenes the first day I noticed, but the day came and went without Lex saying a single word on camera. The same followed for the day after that, and the day after that, until it became a regular thing.
And then she started speaking differently.
In real life, Lex's voice is low and sweet. It was one of the first things I noticed and really loved about her when first meeting the Fanatix. Stephanie's voice, however, is much more cut-glass. It sounds like she's constantly turning her nose up at something. The sudden switch to it was far too drastic to go unnoticed.
With the new voice came the new mannerisms. As it turns out, Stefanie not only speaks like everyone is below her, but acts that way too.
The change is most evident at breakfast this morning.
"Are you serious, Gerald?" She frowns derisively at his plate, of which he's just served himself scrambled eggs. Chapter, Elle, and I are behind them at the buffet line, struggling to look occupied with toast and the fruit basket as we listen in.
"About what?" he asks her.
"That awful food."
"What about it is so awful?"
Her voice strains to stay high-pitched. "Those eggs look like they've been sitting under that heat lamp since before we even arrived on set."
"Huh?" He looks at her wryly. "But Lex, it's movie set food! Can you believe these lamps heat food for celebrities?"
But she doesn't budge. "Honestly? I expected more."
With a long, exasperated sigh, Lex stalks out of the dining area with nothing but a green apple.
Left behind slack-jawed, Gerald turns around to us. "Is it just me, or are you guys noticing that something's seriously up with her lately. She's never that irritable. Usually I'm the one who's snapping at her."
"I've noticed her clothes have changed, too," says Elle.
"Yeah, what's up with that?"
I glance at Chapter. He gulps nervously. "I think she might be taking my acting advice a little too seriously."
"Acting advice?" asks Gerald. "Oh, great. What did you tell her?"
Elle cuts in before Chapter can answer. "Of course she's following his advice. She would probably jump off a building without a second's hesitation if he claimed it would make her a better actress."
"That's not true," Chapter insists.
"It's definitely true."
I think back to when Lex and I shared a room in the Metropolixââhow she so quickly found that hat from Chapter's film Key, not even an hour into being in my room. It was like she had it on her radar the moment she walked in. When I gave it to her, she wanted to wear it to her interview with Ansel.
"C'mon," Elle continues. "She's freaking obsessed with you."
He rolls his eyes. "And that's coming from the girl who's literally considered my biggest fan."
"That's a lie, and you know it."
My brow furrows. "What do you mean that's a lie?"
"Elle's been running a really popular satirical blog about me for a couple of years now," Chapter explains.
"Really?"
"She critiques my movie roles, dissects my outfit choices, makes rumors about me. The usual stuff."
"And she's your member now?" Gerald scratches his chin. "Even though she convinces people to hate you?"
"You could say her audience is really getting a kick out of it."
I consider it. Norax had mentioned that she'd be picking a few Fanatix members who didn't prefer usââI just didn't think they'd be so blatant about it. But I guess that was the whole point of the Fanatix in the first place: Opening up our doors and being honest and candid, so that even those who'd turned against us were given reason to love us again.
Picking a supposed skeptic with a large following of her own was actually quite intelligent thinking on Norax's part. If she can be convinced otherwise, she can most likely convince all of her readers otherwise as well. I can't help but wonder to myself how many more of the Fanatix members have a similar situation.
Elle senses the same thing. "My audience thinks you guys are trying to brainwash me, by the way. So your plan isn't working."
"We're being welcoming and considerate, Elle," says Chapter. "Unlike the contents of your website."
"The fact that your people would actually invite me to become a member to persuade me into thinking that you're a decent guy is, by definition, brainwashing. That's why a blog like mine has to exist. We need to see past your lies."
Her words sound absolutely menacing, but the expression on her face says otherwise. Norax surely wasn't be wrong in assuming that out of all the Famoux members, Chapter would best be able to handle having a Fanatix member who actually hates him. From the looks of it now, they seem to be friends with slight differing views.
"Either way, Lex just wants to be good at her job," Chapter says, bringing the conversation back to its origin. "She's not blindly following my leadââshe genuinely thinks she's doing the best thing."
"What did you tell her?" asks Gerald. "That you have to snap at everyone before you can film a good scene?"
"No, just that I'm a method actor."
Elle bursts into laughter immediately. "Is that true? Because it's about to become common knowledge for the world by the end of today."
His face scrunches up. "Elle, you wouldn't."
"My manager Carstan said we're allowed to leak any information we come across. Just another way to show that, as he said, the Famoux has nothing to hide. So tell me, do you have anything to hide, Chapter?"
He keeps his mouth shut. She smiles triumphantly, turning on her heel.
"Then we're good," she says over her shoulder. "Now, if you don't mind me, I've got a post to make."
As she exits, Chapter, Gerald, and I move to one of the empty tables beside the buffet. We pick at our plates mindlessly, although none of us seem to be too apt for eating this morning.
"You know you could've told Elle it wasn't true," Gerald tells Chapter. "She wouldn't be writing a post about it if she knew that."
"Sure, but then I'd have to explain why Lex thinks I'm a method actor. That would've called for a much worse blog post."
"And why is that?"
"Well, what does my character do in the movie?"
"All I've seen him do so far is go to a train station. I haven't been paying too much attention to the storyline, really."
I tap my fingers on the table. "What about my character?"
"You've been standing at the train station too. There hasn't been anythingââ" Gerald pauses, realizing it. "Oh. So she saw you two together."
Chapter splays his hands out in front of him. "Method acting."
"She couldn't possibly have believed you."
"I thought the same thing, but now she's doing it herself."
Gerald looks off at the wall, thinking about it. "So what happened back there at the buffet is how her role in the movie is supposed to act?"
"Yes."
"And the way she's dressing too?"
"Part of her wardrobe," I say.
"And she's doing that because she believed you two were kissing off set in character." He lets out a laugh. "That's just amazing to me. When do you guys actually start filming her scenes, anyway?"
"A little later today, I believe." Chapter nods to me. "She has a few different ones with both of us."
"What does she do?"
"Some dialogue at a dinner party. It's just a walk-on scene for people to catch when they see the movie."
"Well, it ought to be a show." Gerald leans back in his chair. "Let's hope her acting is as good as it seems."
xxx
It was short and totally lackluster. But it gets the ball rolling. You should know by now that when things seem to be bordering on cliche (i.e. Emeray's member having a fixation on Chapter), that's when things GET MORE OPAQUE THAN EVER. (Not necessarily less cliche though, because honestly, I love a good cliche.)
But anyway. Tell me your thoughts.
Also, we had a new name in this! Lex's character name Stefanie is courtesy of delicatebeginnings. I saw you commenting and felt the need to put you in!!
Also, how do you feel about Elle and her blog? So she's a hater, huh?
I hope you're having a lovely Friday. Remember:
Sticks and Stones may break your bones, but haters make you famoux. Stay classy, stay classix.