[Lesson Segment: Listening and Reaction]
[Objective 3: Practice active listening and reaction, even without dialogue.]
["Most actors think performance starts when they speak. Wrong. The scene begins the moment you enter the room."]
A clip played of an actor sitting quietly while someone else delivered emotional lines. The silent actor said nothing, but their reactions were magnetic.
Erisia leaned in unconsciously.
["You must learn to listen—not just to words, but to tone, pause, breath, silence. Reaction is where real acting lives."]
["Without truthful reaction, lines are just noise."]
⸻
[Lesson Segment: Shedding Self-Consciousness]
[Objective 4: Begin to shed self-consciousness through low-stakes immersion.]
["You are being watched. Always."]
["Your job is to stop caring."]
Erisia snorted. "That's incredibly comforting, thanks."
["The world will watch. The audience will judge. But on camera—and in life—truth cannot survive if it is shackled to approval."]
The final message faded.
Then a soft chime rang.
[Theory module complete. You will now engage in active review.]
⸻
[Skill Reinforcement: Repetition Drill]
Erisia now stood opposite another AI actor, a slightly older woman with kind but unreadable eyes.
[This is a Meisner Repetition Drill.]
[You will repeat what your partner says, exactly, until one of you instinctively changes it. Do not force emotion. Do not analyze. Just react.]
The woman said, "You're nervous."
Erisia repeated, "I'm nervous."
"You're nervous," the AI said again, slightly firmer.
"I'm nervous," Erisia echoed, her voice quieter.
"You're nervous."
Erisia looked up, irritation flashing across her face. "I'm not nervous."
The AI smiled faintly. "Now you're not."
"I'm not."
"You're not."
"I'm not," Erisia said again—this time almost with pride.
[Correct. Emotional shift detected. Instinctive response recorded. You dropped into truth without performance.]
Erisia didn't respond. She just breathed out.
⸻
[Simulation Task: Short Acting Scene]
[You will now perform a short monologue.]
A translucent script loaded in the air before her. Only four lines.
"I waited.
You didn't come.
I told myself you had a reason.
But now I think… maybe I wasn't reason enough."
[Context: You are a young woman speaking to a friend who has deeply disappointed you. There is no audience. Just the moment.]
Erisia read the lines once. Then again.
Then she stood in silence, the words sinking in.
She began.
"I waited."
—The words echoed around her.
"You didn't come."
—Her voice trembled, barely.
"I told myself you had a reason."
—Her gaze shifted to the left. Her throat worked.
"But now I think… maybe I wasn't reasonable enough."
—Quiet. Devastating.
The room held still.
[Performance registered. Emotional authenticity: 83%. Vocal control: 75%. Physical tension: minimal.]
[You are beginning to understand.]
Erisia exhaled softly. "That was… weirdly real."
[Correct. Truth feels strange at first.]
⸻
[End of Session Two – Acting Simulation Complete]
[Congratulations. You have completed the Introduction to Acting simulation class.]
[Reward: Core Acting Instinct unlocked – Your reactions will now become more grounded in reality during future tasks.]
[New Pathway: Scene Study and Character Embodiment – Unlocked.]
Erisia looked at her hands again. Still the same.
(P.S.: Emotional congruence, in a general sense, means an alignment or agreement between a person's internal feelings and their outward expression or behavior. It's about being genuine and authentic, where your actions and words match what you're truly feeling.)
•
When afternoon arrived, the attending doctor came to discharge her, and after everything was completed, she walked out of the hospital accompanied by Nurse Rita.
They made small talk on their way out of the hospital premises, and when they reached the cab, Rita waved her phone with a mock glare.
"Call me when you get home, alright? I swear if you don't and I end up calling you myself, I'll curse you to the moon and back."
Erisia laughed. "Wow, very nurturing of you, Nurse Rita."
Rita rolled her eyes but smiled. "Don't make me regret helping you sneak in candy that one time."
"I would never," Erisia grinned. "You've got my eternal loyalty."
"You better."
They hugged briefly, then Rita stepped back as Erisia got into the cab.
——
On her way home, Erisia asked the cab driver to make a detour.
She had promised to get a cat when she remembered that the past Erisia had owned one—one that had been cruelly locked in a storage room and left to die after Sierra lied and claimed it attacked her.
So she'd decided: one, she was going to fulfill past Erisia's wish of owning and taking care of a cat for a long time; two, she liked cats anyway but never got the chance in her previous life; and three, yes—she was absolutely doing this to spite that psychotic mother-daughter duo.
The cab pulled up to a modest building with a hand-painted sign that read: WILLOW RIDGE ANIMAL SHELTER.
There was no commercial flashiness—just soft lighting and the faint smell of disinfectant mixed with pet shampoo. As she stepped through the glass door, a soft chime rang overhead. A middle-aged woman at the reception desk looked up, smiling warmly.
"Hi there. Welcome to Willow Ridge," she said. "Looking to adopt?"
"I am," Erisia replied.
"Wonderful. Do you have a specific type of cat in mind?"
"No. Just one that wants me as much as I want it."
The receptionist chuckled, clearly charmed. "Well, that's the right attitude. We believe animals choose their people here. I'll get one of our volunteers to guide you."
A few minutes later, a young man in a volunteer vest appeared, holding a clipboard and flashing a friendly grin.
"Hey, I'm Noah. I'll walk you through the process. Come on—we've got some characters in today."
He led her down a hallway lined with softly meowing cats, most lounging in sunlit enclosures with cushy beds and toys. Some stretched lazily, while others sat wide-eyed, suspicious or curious.
"Just a heads-up," Noah said. "We've got kittens, adults, and a couple of seniors. The kittens go fast—but sometimes it's the quiet ones that end up being the fiercest cuddle bugs."
They stopped in front of a spacious pen lined with soft blankets. Several small kittens played and tumbled inside. One of them—pure white, with startling blue eyes—sat off to the side, not pouncing like the rest. It just… stared.
Erisia crouched down, slowly extended a finger through the wire gate.
The kitten blinked once, then waddled over and pressed her tiny face against the tip of Erisia's finger, rubbing her cheek against it.
A soft purr followed.
"Oh," she murmured. Something in her chest cracked wide open.
Wow, it was so fucking adorable. Erisia thought with a soft smile on her face.
Noah blinked. "That's… surprising. That one's usually not the first to approach people."
"Why?" Erisia asked, her brows furrowed as she glanced at him.
"Well, just like in humans," Noah began, crouching beside her, "some kittens are naturally social, others need time. That one"—he nodded toward the white kitten—"has always been more reserved. She watches before she acts. She doesn't usually approach first."
He scratched the back of his neck, thoughtful. "We think she might've had a rougher start. A bit of separation anxiety when we first brought her in—she stayed curled up alone for days. It took her longer to adjust compared to the rest."
Erisia's gaze softened, flicking back down to the tiny creature still purring against her finger.
"Oh, I see."
"Yeah, so that's it. But don't you worry," Noah added quickly, standing up and stretching a little. "It's normal for first-timers not to know a lot about pets' behavior and all that, but I'm sure that having hands-on experience is the best way to learn quickly."
"I hope I don't do anything wrong," Erisia muttered, frowning as her mind involuntarily flashed back to the circus of brainless freaks she was about to return to. God forbid they so much as looked at this kitten the wrong way.
"I told you, it's all good." Noah offered her a reassuring smile. "Now, it seems she doesn't want to let your caress go."
"She picked me," Erisia said simply, like it was a fact.
"Well, there you go." He smiled wider. "Let's sit down and go through the adoption form."
They moved to a side office where Noah handed her a simple form—asking about things like living conditions, other pets, allergies, and long-term intentions. Erisia filled it all in smoothly. No, she didn't have other pets. Yes, she'd live in a large house. Yes, she was fully responsible for the cat's welfare. No, she wasn't adopting on a whim.
While she signed the final part, Noah said, "She's about eleven weeks old. Vaccinated, dewormed, not spayed yet—that'll need to be done in a couple of months. But otherwise, healthy as can be."
"Perfect."
"We have basic starter kits available if you want—food bowls, litter box, toys, brush, some wet and dry food, and a carrier."
"I'll take all of it."
"Great. I'll go pack her up. We'll let you say goodbye before she goes into the carrier."
-:-:-
Noah brought the kitten back wrapped in a soft towel. The moment Erisia opened her arms, the kitten curled into her chest like they'd known each other their whole lives. She nestled her head into the crook of Erisia's arm, paws pressing into her blouse like gentle little punches.
Erisia's throat went tight.
The kitten purred as she nestled into the crook of her new owner's arm, little paws pressing into her shirt. "I'll only put you in the carrier for a bit, sweetheart," Erisia murmured. "You're coming home."
She reluctantly let Noah tuck the kitten gently into a padded, gray pet carrier. The little white fluff looked up through the mesh window—calm, purring, patient.
Erisia paid the adoption fee, accepted the starter supplies, and walked out of the shelter, her arm wrapped tightly around the carrier.
She strolled over to the waiting cab, the cool afternoon breeze rustling through her hair. With a gentle motion, she placed the soft-sided carrier inside, alongside the other belongings she'd bought. Taking a seat in the backseat, she closed the door with a soft click.
Without requiring any directions, the driver started the engine, smoothly pulling away from the shelter. As the cityscape began to blur past the window, she occasionally cast a glance at the carrier. Each time, a tender smile graced her lips, her heart warming at the sight of her cat's curious eyes peering out, reflecting both apprehension and a glimmer of excitement.
[It seems you like this kitten a lot, Erisia,] the Echo System said in her mind.
'Who wouldn't? Just look at that cute little bundle of fur… and those eyes…'
The kitten gave a soft mewl, as if agreeing.
About ten minutes into the ride, Erisia's expression shifted slightly.
"Shit," she muttered. "I wanted to call that guy—the one who helped me and got me to the hospital."
'Echo, why the hell didn't you remind me?'
[You didn't tell me to remind you. And it wasn't classified as a high-priority task. If it had been, I would've reminded you.]
She narrowed her eyes at the air.
'You little…'
~•~
{Important Author's Note in the next chapter. Read the author's thoughts below!}