The "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" auditions wrapped up. Vivienne snagged the role of Yu Shu Lien, and she's over the moon about it.
Shafel's playing Jen Yu, while the antagonist Jade Fox goes to January, a forty-year-old actress. January's thrilled - this could be her big break.
Lee Jun-fan's taking on Li Mu Bai, and Damien Darkflame's set to play the bandit Lo.
We're at this old demon mansion we rented in Dragon Walled City. The crew's busy setting up, and Lee Jun-fan's looking jittery as hell.
"You alright there, Jun-fan?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, not too convincingly. "Just a bit nervous."
"That's normal, especially for a newbie," I said, aiming to calm him down. "Just relax and focus on your role. Don't overthink it."
"Got it, boss Arthur," Jun-fan bowed, all formal-like.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Boss?"
"Is he wrong, boss?" Vivienne chimed in, appearing out of nowhere.
I just shook my head, smiling.
Vivienne turned to Jun-fan. "Look, rookie, I get it. But like boss Arthur said, you gotta relax."
Jun-fan nodded. "Yeah, I'm just... it's a lot. Never thought I'd land a lead in a martial arts film. It's been my dream, you know?"
"Alright, kid," Vivienne said, "save the emotions for the camera. We've got a movie to make, and we can't have you distracting the boss with waterworks."
"Right, sorry," Jun-fan chuckled, looking a bit sheepish.
"Jun-fan, eat this first. It'll get you in shape before filming starts." A woman appeared, holding out some food.
Jun-fan introduced her, "This is Linda. My girlfriend."
"I see..." I nodded, but Vivienne couldn't resist teasing, "Is someone getting jealous here?"
Her words were clearly aimed at me. I rolled my eyes and slapped her butt, "Get to work!"
Vivienne's eyes widened, "Wow, didn't expect you to touch me like that!"
"It's not what you think!" I protested, but noticing Vivienne's mischievous grin, I just waved her off to work.
She shrugged and headed to the makeup artists.
Thirty minutes later, filming began. Jun-fan was really nervous at first. We had to reshoot a few times before he settled in and started acting well.
His performance improved, partly due to my use of {Heartstrings} in some shots, and partly because of Linda silently cheering him on.
Days passed - we filmed scenes in various parts of the Horn Kingdom.
Since we were filming in public and the project wasn't a secret, the Horn media quickly caught wind of it.
I read the newspaper headline: "Arthur's New Twist: Director Leaps into Martial Arts Film"
"Looks like your film's stirring up buzz again," a familiar voice said. I turned to see old Rocky.
"Old Rocky..." I nodded. He'd settled well in the Horn Kingdom, though I'd begun to suspect there was more to him than met the eye.
Since gaining the {Primal Morningstar} bloodline ability, I'd noticed Rocky's knack for appearing undetected. Even with my new powers, this old demon's stealth skills were impressive. He'd pop up like some demon Batman.
As weeks passed, speculation about Arthur's fourth film ran wild in the media. But unlike before, they weren't just slinging mud.
Horn media outlets had learned their lesson after the "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" fiasco. Instead of pre-judging, they speculated on how Arthur might revive or ruin the martial arts genre.
One headline read: "Morningstar's Martial Arts Gamble: Renaissance or Ruins for the Genre?"
Walter Forest, a respected industry expert, wrote in the Powerful Times: "Arthur's track record speaks for itself. But after 'Demonfather' and 'Lord of the Rings', his third film didn't quite hit the same heights. It's hard to predict if he'll deliver a groundbreaking martial arts film or if the pressure's finally caught up with him. Producing three films in under a year is no small feat – some stumbles are inevitable."
Meanwhile in the Morningstar Kingdom, media outlets were also buzzing about Arthur's fourth film. What really caught them off guard was Damien Darkflame taking a side role in the ex-prince's latest project.
A monkey demon, reading the newspaper, shook his head. "Damien Darkflame's career must be tanking if he's settling for a side character in the ex-prince's film."
His friend, a half-elf half-demon, disagreed. "Nah, Damien's always doing fine. Maybe he just wants in on Arthur's film. The guy's made three solid hits. He's a credit to us demons!"
"You've got a point," the monkey demon admitted, then added with a sigh, "Still can't figure out why he'd leave our kingdom though..."
His friend chuckled. "You haven't heard? It's obviously because of Her Highness Lucy's unfair film taxes!"
"Yeah, but isn't he getting incentives for his films?"
The friend shook his head. "From what I've heard, nope. No incentives."
"Sigh. Maybe it's a family thing. Word is the exiled prince isn't exactly chummy with his siblings," the monkey demon mused.
Weeks flew by, and we're finally wrapping up "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with Shafel's big scene as Jen Yu, leaping off the bridge.
Shafel looked a bit green as she prepared to jump, but I wasn't worried. My wizard team had her secured with some heavy-duty magical yet powerful threads.
As she took the plunge, our ghost camera crew swooped after her, capturing every moment of the fall.
I nodded, impressed. "Looks like the ghost team's been practicing their shots."
Jun-fan, still wide-eyed, muttered beside me, "I still can't wrap my head around ghosts helping with the filming."
Vivienne just chuckled, clearly used to the weirdness by now. Google seaʀᴄh ⓝovelFire.net
I kept my eyes on Shafel's descent, noticing Firfel fretting nearby. No need for that - worst case, I'd sprout my wings and play catch. Luckily, it didn't come to that.
"Cut!" I called out, and the wizard team smoothly halted Shafel's fall. She looked mighty relieved as they pulled her back up to the bridge.
I chuckled, feeling the weight of completion. Time to review the footage.
Our ghost cameramen trio - Diddy, Puffy, and Daddy - hovered nervously as I checked their work.
"B-boss, how'd we do?" Diddy asked, his voice quavering.
Puffy puffed up, trying to sound confident. "We nailed it, right? All that practice..."
"Relax, boys. I led the shot, so we're golden," Daddy, the burliest ghost, asserted. But I caught a hint of worry in his ethereal eyes.
I smiled warmly at the spectral crew. "Guys, you've got nothing to fear. You all did great."
The ghosts visibly relaxed - well, as much as ghosts can. They even let out sighs of relief, which was pretty amusing considering their lack of lungs.
"You really gave them those weird names. Are they pets to you?" Firfel suddenly piped up beside me, eyebrow raised.
I grinned. "I think they like my naming skills." I turned to the ghosts. "Right? You guys like your names?"
Puffy, Daddy, and Diddy all nodded enthusiastically, reminding me of bobblehead dolls.
"Yeah, yeah," Puffy chirped.
Daddy's face contorted into what I assumed was meant to be a smile. "I love it! A wonderful name!"
Not to be outdone, Diddy chimed in, "I like the name you've given me, boss! And my brothers' names too!"
I glanced at Diddy's brothers nearby, White and Party, who were nodding just as vigorously.
Firfel shook her head, a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face.
Ignoring her reaction, I clapped my hands, addressing the whole crew. "Alright, boys and girls! Time to celebrate wrapping up our film!"
A cheer went up from the crew, living and dead alike. Even the ghosts who'd been helping with the filming joined in the excitement.
Firfel rolled her eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile on her face. "You and your strange little family," she muttered, but there was no real bite to her words.