Chapter 12: Let’s Go!
Rising Sun Theater.
The place always looked rather deserted in between performances.
During regular times, only a couple of people would walk around the huge theater; sometimes it could be completely empty.
With the current group leader, gentleman, and fraudster no longer staying here permanently but going out to do street performances, honing their skills and integrating into new lives, the scene has changed.
After all, Star Eclipses are almost indistinguishable from humans nowadays.
Obsession eventually turned into a hobby, no longer the main factor driving Star Eclipses’ consciousness.
The group leader, gentleman, and fraudster blended well with human society without any hindrance.
Songstress, playwright, and puppet master also returned to their daily routines.
Kong Yu Bai, the former world songstress, naturally paid close attention to other songstresses’ situations as well.
When there were no performances, she would frequently visit The Songstress Association to see promising candidates and offer advice, making the industry more vibrant.
Book Yao could be often found at the library, even completing scripts for the Rising Sun Theater within its walls; her love for reading remained unchanged.
Lianhua was much the same.
She often went to Night Watcher Base in Cloud Long City to meet Zero Meow and others.
The Night Watchers warmly welcomed Lianhua, no longer seeing her as a bringer of sorrow and disaster due to being a Star Eclipse.
The Rising Sun Theater and the Night Watchers got along extremely well.
Sometimes Lianhua would put on a puppet show for the Night Watchers, providing them with entertainment during their downtime.
As a result, her popularity surged at the Night Watcher Base.
There wasn’t much to say about Mo Rabbit either.
That mysterious being would appear and disappear, never letting anyone know where she hung out.
If Night Star didn’t summon her, she could easily spend a whole day undetected.
It seemed deliberate.
Thus, the usual Rising Sun Theater would be quite quiet.
They’d only return to prepare for the weekend’s show towards the end of the week.
Night Star walked inside the Rising Sun Theater, muttering to herself.
“It’s so quiet, without theater members or audience, such a stark contrast to weekends.”
“Speaking of which, in the future timeline, the Rising Sun Theater seems to adopt an on-demand improv performance model, randomly placing the Theater Door somewhere, allowing interested souls to witness practice performances. Sounds nice.”
“Hmm… Should I gather everyone and mention this? ”
Night Star planned to talk about it when the time was right.
Group leader, fraudster, and gentleman, being frequent visitors, could fit into the on-the-go format.
Once news spreads, even if the Theater Door appears randomly, many idlers would likely show up.
Thinking this over, Night Star walked backstage to a wall covered with portraits—the first generation members of the Rising Sun Theater.
One of the makeup artist’s portraits flickered and transformed into a humanoid form.
“Good morning, Audience Performer.”
“Good morning, Makeup Artist.”
Night Star greeted the Makeup Artist with a smile.
In the entire theater, the Makeup Artist was one of the few permanent theatre members.
Her actions were restricted to her portrait, making it hard for her to go out much.
Night Star once intended to help her with this limitation but was politely declined.
“Surely, being alone in this theater must get lonely?”
The Makeup Artist shook her head.
“Not lonely at all since we’ve got the company of the first-generation members.”
She glanced back at the portraits on the wall, which vividly depicted characters, a masterpiece by Night Star Lan.
Night Star breathed a sigh of relief.
“Great then.”
With low presence, the Makeup Artist would hide within her portrait when there were no shows, using it as her sanctuary.
During performances, she’d emerge to do makeup, and even act sometimes, not being surplus.
But compared to other members, the Makeup Artist felt a bit dull.
Whereas other theater members integrate smoothly into society, she stays behind in her portrait, unsettling Night Star a little.
Checking on her now, Night Star saw no cause for concern.
“The souls of the seniors are in the portraits, able to communicate with you. But looking at them, they’re so serene, they seem unreachable.”
“Considering they are departed souls, it’s impossible to converse like living beings. Eypar’s unusual ghost-like existence is more unique.”
“Huh~”
An idea popped in Night Star’s head.
“Perhaps moving the senior portraits outside for weekend performances could be good? This way, the seniors can watch too, and audiences can see them, keeping memories alive. Good, right?”
The Makeup Artist turned to look at the portraits, as if seeking their opinion.
“They agree, you can proceed however you want.”
“Woo-hoo! Let’s get started!”
“Alright.”
Night Star and the Makeup Artist began removing the portraits and placing them outside on another wall.
Visitors would see them instantly upon entering, not bad.
Satisfied with her work, Night Star admired the new arrangement, a cute smile on her face.
“Makeup Artist, should I revive the seniors if they want a second chance at life again?”
Night Star had pondered this before.
Everything’s settled now.
She wished for the first-generation members to have a fulfilling end.
The Makeup Artist gently shook her head.
“This topic came up before. They’ve said their era is over, trying to live in a new age with old memories feels strange. So as long as the theater keeps performing, bringing joy to audiences, that’s enough for them.”
The Makeup Artist stared blankly at the row of portraits above.
“As long as the Rising Sun Theater performs, their spirits will persist invisibly, supporting the theater. That’s what they consider their best ending.”
“Huh.”
Night Star let go of the idea of reviving them out of respect for the seniors’ wishes.
Not everyone is meant to come back to life, especially those from distant eras.
If reincarnation exists, maybe that’s the best way for them to start afresh.
Night Star bowed slightly before the portraits, expressing her reverence.
“If the seniors agree to walk with us, please guide me on how to lead us to a glorious future. I won’t let you down, enjoy this journey.”
The portraits stayed silent, yet Night Star imagined hearing laughter and replies.
“Good luck.”
