255 To the Stage?

It would appear that the direction Irina was leading us was towards the main stage. The stage's location was at the heart of the large plaza, and all the seats before the stage were filled us. On the stage, it would appear that Henvle was nearing the end of his Q and A session as the host seemed to be hinting towards a closure of the session. A temporary break period will probably ensue this session, and it will be a bit longer until it was Irina's turn to go on stage.

With Irina as our guide, we were granted a pseudo backstage insight into this event. As we walked, we were always watched by security guards who would stop by and push the crowd back if they ever venture a bit too close. Even though we have been walking while surrounded by a crowd for some time now, I have yet to be used to this feeling.

"Do you..." I whispered to Irina, "ever get frighten by them?"

"The fans?" Irina muttered in response, nodding her head as she smiled. "Sometimes. Whenever I'm out in public, I'm always afraid of them."

"I guess that's the harsh reality," Muria whispered to us in a voice inaudible by the loud crowd. "No real celebrity really likes their fans."

"I can see why," Alvelyn nodded in agreement. "They're...ferocious."

"I wouldn't say I dislike my fans," Irina chuckled weakly. "I just...wish that they would scale it back a bit. But my final answer to your question, Alevian, I'm used to it."

After listening to her comments, although they sounded rather cliche and like anything a celebrity is trained to say, they appeared rather genuine when it came from her.

We soon made our way across the plaza and to the back entrance to the stage. It would appear that it was nearing the time for Irina's panel on the stage so she needed to be close by and on standby. Therefore, Alvelyn, Muria, and I accompanied her to the backstage area and waited with her. It's not like we have anything else planned to do here. I cannot say for Muria, but I am fairly confident that Alvelyn and I aren't familiar with movies with the title Grandpa Try Harder or Daddy Try Harder or Uncle Please Touch Me. Like damn...I wouldn't even be surprised if they come up with another film called Brother Give Me More.

The four of us was allowed access to the backstage entrance to the stage by the security guard who allowed us to pass after conversing with Irina. Because of Irina's words and her influence, we were allowed past without any other questioning. Once in the backstage area, which was concealed from the public area by a temporary and yet sturdy wall, we followed Irina as we made our way to the temporary dressing room, where I suppose Irina has to have her makeup retouched before walking on stage.

The dressing room was similar to the other one at the Palisia Broadcasting Station main building, with the many mirrors and lights. Hair dressers and makeup artists were on site and ready to prepare whomever was necessary for the onstage performance. Judging off of how tense the backstage employees were, this event is probably really important to the movie. In fact, after catching glimpses of the other celebrities that will be starring in Daddy Please Don't Stop, I can see why. They were all top notch actors mixed with the hottest stars in the modern generation. I don't even want to imagine how much it cost to hire every single one of these celebrities to come star in this film.

"Hey Irina," a blonde haired young man said to us as he saw Irina approach. "These are...Sorry, I only recognize Alevian..." Henvle smiled and apologized.

My eyes widened slightly as I discovered that he actually remembered my name from the last time I've met him, which was the same time in this timeline as the previous. Before this encounter, I would think that celebrities wouldn't remember the names of ordinary people, especially people they've only met for a few hours for a day. However, he remembered my name...

"This is Alevian's sister, Alvelyn," Irina introduced. "And this is Muria."

"Nice to meet you," Henvle smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry. I would shake your hands but..." he smiled and wiped his palms on the fabric of his pants. "my hands are rather sweaty right now."

"You still get pretty nervous, huh?" Irina chuckled.

"Yeah," Henvle nodded. "It's just...I can't really help it."

"Irina," a man in his mid forties called over, presumably the director for this event and the movie. "Get ready. You're up in fifteen."

"Got it!" Irina smiled and responded. Then, she turned towards Henvle. "Excuse me."

"Of course," Henvle stepped to the side and allowed Irina to pass by and walk towards her stylist. "Good luck up there. I'll be watching in the resting area."

"Thank you," Irina smiled and nodded as she sat down in the chair before the mirror to permit her stylist access to fix her makeup and hair.

"So that's Henvle Westfalan," Muria muttered to herself as Henvle disappeared from the dressing room.

"Yeah," Irina said as she stayed still and gazed into the mirror as her stylist, a woman in her mid twenties, reapplied a light layer of powder on her face.

"So what're you going to be doing on stage?" Alvelyn asked.

"I'm going to be mostly just taking about my role in the film and answer some questions and stuff like that," Irina answered. "If I recalled correctly, there's an interactive game of some kind where the host will randomly choose someone from the audience to come on stage. But it's not really random. It's an employee who will be playing the role of the randomly selected audience member."

"So it's fake?" Muria tilted her head slightly to the right.

"Yeah," Irina awkwardly smiled. "But that's kinda necessary to make sure everything flow smoothly. A lot of money was spent on filming the movie and a lot of money was spent on advertising it."

"Isn't this what we expect though?" I sighed. "We all know that things like these are the fake. So fake that they can't be even more fake."

"Where's the extras?" the director of the event stormed into the dressing room once again, looking around the area.

His sudden and angered appearance caught me off guard, surprising me. It would appear that he also caught Muria and Alvelyn by surprise as they simply stood in place motionlessly, almost as if they were dazed or some sort.

"I don't know," a man in his late twenties responded in a worried and panicking manner. "One said they need to use the restroom and never came back. The other just fucking vanished!"

"God damn it," the director cursed. "We will need them for Irina's stage panel..."

"Is something the matter?" Irina frowned as she looked in the mirror and said to the director.

"Irina," the director sighed. "The two extras needed for your panel...they're gone. Two of the most important pieces, gone... just like—wait a minute."

The director quickly walked over towards us as he kept his bloodshot eyes fixed on Muria and Alvelyn. He looked each girl over, studying their appearance and surveying each girl's figure.

"These two will work." A ray of hope shined onto the director's face. "Please, we need two teenage girls to help out during the interactive game for Irina's panel."

"Um..." Muria took a small step back, obviously frightened by what the director is implying.

"I'll pay the two of you," the director said again. "Five thousand Vils. All you have to do is go on stage when the host calls you up and follow the instructions."

"What instructions?" Alvelyn asked, stepping in protectively to slowly ease the situation back into control.

"It's got to be a secret," the director shook his head. "Otherwise the effect wouldn't be desirable."

"..." Muria frowned. On her face was a look of reluctance as she glanced over in my direction as if seeking for my help. However, I was caught by surprise as well, so I was unable to formulate anything to help her out. So, I shrugged and shook my head, notifying her that I got nothing.

"Please," the director begged once again, bowing and lowering his head. "Do it not for me, but for Irina. She needs this event to succeed, and we need it to. If this movie works as intended, it'll win plenty of awards and Irina's fame will be boosted even further. We might even end up leaving our mark in the history of films."

Damn, I thought to myself. How special is this movie?

When the director raised his head and I caught a good glimpse of his face, I recognized this face. He's a well known director in Vilheim, someone that even someone like me who doesn't pay much attention to movies would know despite the fact that I do not know the names of his films.

Muria peered over her shoulder at Irina, frowning as she contemplated something. When she turned her gaze from Irina and redirected it back to the director, she let out a sigh. That frown on her face still remained, but from the look in her eyes, I could sense that she has changed her mind.

"Fine," Muria sighed. "I'll do it for Irina."

"That's great!" the director smiled and exclaimed. "What about you?"

He turned and looked at Alvelyn.

"I'll do it as well," Alvelyn answered. I could sense that she initially wanted to decline as well, but after hearing how it might help Irina and the fact that Muria has agreed to help, Alvelyn changed her mind as well. I suppose she wanted to protect Muria if anything comes down to it.

"Great," the director smiled in a pleased manner and nodded. "Go to that woman over there," the director pointed towards a woman in her early thirties that barked orders into her radio. "She'll tell you two exactly what to do. Go talk to her, get your makeup and hair touched up by our stylists, and prepare. Got it?"

Muria and Alvelyn simply nodded their head as they were unable to match the director's fervor and energy. This man, with bags underneath his bloodshot eyes, was the epitome of sleep deprivation. However, he still moved with great vigor and spoke with much enthusiasm. It was easy to tell that he is passionate about his film. Even when he walked away, he walked at a fast pace and communicated with the different departments.

"I guess we'll go now," Muria sighed and said.

"Yeah," Alvelyn nodded. "We should hurry."

"See you two in a bit," Irina waved after them as she got up and watched as the two girls made their way towards the doorway of the dressing room to make contact with the woman that the movie director had instructed them to speak with.

"So what do I do?" I asked as I watched Irina walk over to the other door in the dressing room that I suppose lead up to the stage.

"Hey you!" a familiar and yet alien voice of enthusiasm and vigor called on me. Looking over, I saw that it was the director once again. "You want to be part of this as well? We need a teenage boy for the interactive game. You want in?"

"I—"

"Stylist!" the director commanded a stylist that was on standby. "Fix him up."

"Wait!" I cried out as my heart vacillated in my chest by this sudden turn of events in this frenzy of a backstage. "I haven't agreed yet—"

"We don't have time for you to change outfits," the director said, ignoring my complaints. "You'll have to just improvise. Just do as the host says and you'll be fine. We're all counting on you."

The director then walked away, finally leaving the dressing room. I remained standing still, recovering from this frenzy shock that I had just endured as the stylist sat me down on a seat facing a mirror and began styling my hair while a makeup artist applied light makeup onto my face.

"Sorry," Irina apologized to me.

"It's not your fault. But just exactly do I do?"

"I don't know," Irina shook her head. "All I know is that there's an interactive game, and when I asked what the game will be, the director board told me that it would ruin the effect if I knew beforehand. I'm hoping it won't be something bad like having me feel a snake or a frog of some sorts while blindfolded."

"Hopefully it's not like that," I chuckled.

The stylist and makeup artist freed me from the seat as the light layer of makeup was applied and my hair was fixed and tidied into a more stylish and fashionable style.

"It's almost time!" someone called in the dressing room, and following that prompt, Irina started making her way over to the other door in the dressing room and exited.

The road from the dressing room to the stage were blocked on either side with the temporary walls that had been erected in the plaza, and as Irina walked from the dressing room towards the stage, I decided to walk her there and see her off. Besides, I don't really know where I am supposed to be so I was deciding to stay on standby.

"Alevian," she stopped just a few steps before the stairs leading up the stage and turned around to face. "How do I look?"

"How do I look?"

She was blushing somewhat, maybe from nervousness. However, I suppose a part of it was that...this is the first time that we are alone together, and...it's not everyday that she would wear such an outfit. She probably just want my honest opinion about it, like a girl trying to appeal to her crush. But...why would anyone ever have those genuine feelings towards me, I do not know. What I do know is that in this situation, there is only one right answer.

"Pretty good," I said calmly in response. "Cute and pretty..."

"..."

Her face turned even more red as she gazed at me with widened eyes. She seemed to be rather flustered right now by my response, but...I suppose this will simply become her fuel and lead to her performing even better while on stage.

"Thank you," she smiled, turned around, and continued towards the stairs and up onto the stage.

Author's Note:

(Too long to be put in Author's Thought)

I just want to point out, some of you do not know what a First Person Perspective is. This story is told in Alevian's perspective, so it is told through what Alevian sees and what he knows unless otherwise specified.

One of you are just fucking complaining and continuing on with shit that the character relationships aren't developing at all. I just want to say, you take shit way to literally and don't even stop to think about the diction used, syntax, and the more subtle stuff in the story. You just skim through the book and don't miss all the fucking hints I've put in the book to show the subtle changes in the way Alevian perceives the other characters and the way other characters act when around Alevian and you fucking blame me for all this? Fuck out of here with that bullshit. If you can only take what is written literally and just fucking miss everything about the first person perspective and the concealed messages in the arrangement of character behaviors, I suggest you stop reading this book. I don't need you to keep complaining bout shit that you fucking missed and then trying to justify that you're right.