"For me as well," Nahida's voice came through the Void Terminal.
It was her first time "meeting" the other Archons, and one could say it was at Lucian's place.
"Oh, I almost forgot to greet you. Senior Focalors, Senior Beelzebul, hello."
"Senior… hehe," Furina giggled quietly.
"Hm," Ei responded faintly, her gaze primarily fixed on Rosalyne.
Rosalyne felt uneasy under Ei's stare, wondering if the Electro Archon was about to draw her blade. Did the duel before the throne in the story count for real?
Wow, am I destined to die?
But Ei was only staring because she was thinking, So this is the Rosalyne Lucian mentioned? Weak.
With that thought, Ei withdrew her gaze, no longer fixating on Rosalyne. Rosalyne, feeling the stare lift, finally let out a sigh of relief.
Rosalyne disliked being stared at by Ei, because if Ei had an issue, she'd actually strike! Even Pantalone couldn't handle her blade.
Furina also disliked being stared at by Arlecchino, fearing that Arlecchino might strike her.
As they chatted, the venue suddenly darkened, signaling to everyone that the "movie" was about to start.
The first thing to appear on the screen was a logo: "12+".
This was the team logo Lucian had come up with. Say what you will, but doesn't it imply more than twelve people?
The opening scene featured bubbles—blue bubbles gradually transforming into budding blue flowers, which then bloomed. Inside the flowers were various "animal" plush toys.
This opening left the audience bewildered. What was this abstract style?
A female voice spoke: "You are children born from loneliness."
This segment was entirely composed of painstakingly hand-drawn scenes by the team.
Several plush toy animals fell from the flowers to the ground, walking together, searching for companions.
The background shifted from day to night, and the plush toys in the scene seemed to be learning etiquette and swordsmanship.
"The House of the Hearth will ensure you grow strong and healthy."
"Your goal is to learn and compete."
"Defeat all your brothers and sisters to become the king of this place!"
At those words, the scene abruptly changed, revealing a white rabbit seated on a throne. The rabbit's "hair" covered one eye, the other eye a button marked with a red X.
Its ears were accented with black, much like Arlecchino's hair color.
Though the imagery was somewhat "abstract," those familiar with Arlecchino immediately recognized the rabbit.
"It looks much friendlier than the real thing…" Tartaglia muttered under his breath.
The throne broke through the ground, and beneath the rabbit's throne was a mountain of plush toys, lifting it high as they proclaimed, "We crown you king."
Arlecchino's expression remained impassive, but her body, which had been sitting upright, subtly leaned back—an unconscious movement even she didn't notice, as if she wanted to distance herself from the scene.
Lucian, oh Lucian, is this the "new work" you were talking about?
She was already in a bad mood, which was why she had sought out Furina. Now her mood was even worse.
Furina, on the other hand, perked up. This rabbit plush version of the Knave was far cuter than the real Arlecchino.
Most importantly, it didn't seem dangerous!
The contents of these drawings were kept under the tightest secrecy. Only those who drew them knew what they were, and even then, Lucian had them work on separate parts, so they didn't know how the scenes connected. It was confidentiality to the extreme.
The film transitioned, the animation turning into a storybook that closed, then shifted to live-action footage.
The transition was so seamless it was flawless.
The scene cut to Klee, Paimon, and others playing children, who let out a "wow" after hearing the story—hard to tell how much was genuine emotion.
Upon closer inspection, in the corner of the frame, a child had fallen asleep: Sayu, without her hood.
The camera panned to Shenhe, wearing a wig styled in a "married woman" fashion. Her eyes, already similar to Crucabena's, were enhanced with colored contacts, and she even wore lipstick and makeup—a rare sight.
With all the styling, her makeup slightly toned down her ethereal aura, making her resemble Crucabena more closely.
Seeing this, Arlecchino's crossed leg couldn't help but tap, and perhaps even her toes inside her shoes curled unconsciously.
Did it have to be this accurate?
If Crucabena had been drawn, she wouldn't have been so shocked. But the "real" feeling of this footage sent a jolt through her heart.
Shenhe, playing Crucabena, had a blank expression and asked in confusion:
"Where's Peruere? Didn't she come to listen to the story?"
Shenhe wasn't skilled at acting, but her naturally blank expression made her performance nuanced and strikingly lifelike.
Paimon, wearing a wig, raised her hand and said, "Reporting to Mother, she's holding a funeral for her little spider!"
Paimon "acted" excellently, conveying the character's excitement, enthusiasm, and desire for praise.
After filming that scene, Paimon had indeed sought praise. It could only be said that their acting was so authentic it shone through, making their performances exceptional.
Crucabena: "That child, perhaps her 'curse' is acting up again."
"Clervie, go check on her."
Little Clervie: "Oh, okay."
The scene transitioned again, shifting back to animation. The frame focused on little Peruere, holding a small box, her fingers stained black.
Compared to the current Arlecchino, little Peruere lacked the queenly aura and seemed to have less "warmth."
Her expression was cold and blank, like an innocent, natural airhead.
Her eyes showed little emotion, as if she were sad but didn't understand what sadness was or how to express it.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't comprehend this emotion. Do I not have a "heart"?
A close-up zoomed in on her eyes, her prominent red X pupils shifting as she looked to the side.
Little Clervie stood beside her, munching on a cake, glancing at little Peruere as if casually. "I brought some cake…"
After swallowing the cake, she said, "Want some?"
"Okay."
Little Peruere placed the cake in front of the spider's grave, as if offering it in tribute.
Little Peruere: "You know spiders don't eat cake, right?"
She assumed Clervie brought the cake to offer to the spider, not for her to eat.
Furina shivered. At that moment, she seemed to understand why Arlecchino always brought her cake—was it for a tribute!?
But that wasn't the case. Back then, Peruere didn't understand, but how could the current Arlecchino not?
She just wasn't good at making friends. All she knew was that her only friend back then had come to her this way.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Furina: About Little Peruere
"She looks completely harmless. Maybe even I could beat her?"