The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

EARLY next morning, the twins arrived at the set of the movie [The Sleeping God]. The scene that Astrid was going to film today was the scene of his audition. The director was still not there when they arrived. But the casting director – Mr. Rogers – was there and enthusiastically welcomed them.

The other probably felt that since he was the one who technically offered him this role, it's his responsibility to take care of him at the set. Which Astrid didn't really mind. As long as the other wouldn't be too enthusiastic to the point that people around them would suspect that he and Mr. Rogers had some kind of indecent relationship.

Astrid was immediately taken to one of the dressing rooms. It's the one that was shared amongst other casts in the movie with one of two scenes just like him. He didn't mind this. He actually preferred it this way. Because if he was given too much preference, that would just be detrimental for him. 

Although the number of days he had to film here would not even last week, he didn't want to spend that short time fending off harassment from people who thought that he, a newcomer with no background whatsoever, had better treatment than them. So, it's better if he's treated the same as everyone else.

Inside the dressing room, aside from the twins, there was only a female make-up artist there. Astrid wasn't really surprised with that. Because just like what he heard from the director, they had already filmed most of the movie. Not to mention that it was too early, so it's only natural that he didn't have anyone to share the dressing room with.

Reas stood on the side while Astrid greeted the make-up artist.

"Good morning."

The make-up artist tried her best not to show her excitement. "Good morning," she greeted back.

But inside, she was already screaming in delight. She was there when the teenager auditioned yesterday. The moment she saw him, she couldn't wait to put make-up on that pretty face and just completely transform him into the image of the god 'Aether'. She fought hard with the other make-up artists of the crew so she could be the one in-charged of the teenager's make-up.

"Please, sit here," she added, gesturing for the teenager to sit on the chair beside her.

Astrid sat down and the make-up artists began her work.

The make-up artist stared at the teenager's face. It was so clear that she couldn't even see any pores. She suddenly felt entangled. Because it felt like she was tainting an already beautiful painting. No, she had to do it. So this painting would be even more beautiful. That's her job as a make-up artist.

Astrid was waiting for the make-up artist to chat with him. Because in his past experience, that's how it usually went. But when he raised his head and looked at the make-up artist, she looked like she was thinking of a very serious problem. So, he chose to be quiet and not to disturb her.

His mind wandered on the plot of the movie. 

Last night, she finished reading the whole script. It was quite an interesting plot. Just like what Mr. Rogers said before, it was a story of a group of heroes going on an adventure to save the world. 

The setting of the movie was a continent filled with magic. This continent was suddenly thrown into chaos when the god protecting them suddenly disappeared and demons started to roam the world. The beginning of the movie was a hundred years after that happened. 

The male lead was a farm boy whose parents were killed by demons. He swore to take vengeance and kill every demon he encountered. He made good with that promise. Years passed by and his escapades started to become a legend. That was until the princess of a small kingdom sought his help. This prince, of course, was the female lead. 

The princess was someone who could predict the future through her dreams. She dreamt that she and three others would search and find their missing god. They would succeed and would then save the continent.

Convincing the male lead to go with her was very difficult. But once she succeeded, that's the real beginning of the adventure. They searched for the two others who appeared in the princess' dream. 

They traveled across the continent, searching for the sleeping god. They fought a lot of demons and met different kinds of people. In their journey, they not only grew stronger, they also experienced a lot of pain and sadness.

It was a simple plot that had the perfect balance of action, drama, and romance. And that reversal near the end was quite a good twist. If it was handled well, then the final product would definitely not be bad. With Director Trevane's ability, it would definitely be another box-office hit. 

After 20 minutes, the make-up artist was finally done with the teenager's hair and make-up. Seeing her final work, even she couldn't help but be proud. 

She didn't put too much make-up on his face. She just did enough to make his skin not appear pale under the camera. She also put three small jeweled crystals beneath his eyes to make their color popped up more. His cheeks and lips already had that natural red tint. So, she didn't mess too much with that. She styled his hair in a slightly messy way. But not in a manner that would make him appear untidy.

"There, perfect," she said proudly. "Your costume is just behind that divider. Do you need help changing?"

"No, thanks," Astrid said. 

He stood up and walked behind the divider screen. He saw his costume which was really just a simple white robe. He guessed that a luxurious one would not really fit the image of the god who had been asleep for a hundred years. 

The robe was easy to wear. So, he was able to finish dressing in no moment's time. Once he's done, he just only noticed that the neckline of the robe was pretty loose. A white expanse of his chest could easily be seen. He didn't really care that much and just shrugged it off. It's not as if his whole upper body was naked anyway.

When he walked out of the divider screen, the make-up artist' eyes brightened. While Reas, on the other hand, imperceptibly frowned.