Fortunately, the short film wasn't too long, and with everyone working together, progress was swift.
Otherwise, the small project meant to tide things over while waiting for the new book would've taken longer than the book itself.
Speaking of which, Eula and Amber were also present, specially invited by Lucian.
They bore some resemblance to Arlecchino and Clervie—a savior and the saved, or perhaps mutual saviors?
In any case, the one being saved was always the taller, mature woman, while the "white moonlight" was the smaller one.
"Mr. Lucian, aren't you making an animated film? But why is Shenhe playing Crucabena in the script? Who's this?" Xavier asked.
He had assumed the shoot would be entirely drawn, so he was surprised to learn there was a lead actress and came to inquire.
Lucian glanced around and spotted Shenhe walking by with a water cup. He grabbed her arm.
Pulling Shenhe in front of him, Lucian held her wrist and raised her hand to point at herself.
"This is the woman," Lucian said.
How bold! Which woman? Cloud Retainer looked up, realized he wasn't talking about her, and went back to drawing quietly.
Shenhe blinked, neither resisting nor fully understanding what was happening.
"Hm?" Xavier observed her, then glanced at the "character design" for Crucabena that Lucian had given him.
"The eyes are indeed similar, and the aura has some resemblance, but she seems a bit too cold. Let me think about the makeup and costume…"
"Think it over and let me know," Chiori said calmly, spreading one hand.
Chiori was there to handle Shenhe's costume and styling.
Lucian nodded in satisfaction at the bustling scene before him. Perfect—everyone was busy, which meant he didn't have to do anything.
"Go, whip up a couple of dishes for me," Lucian said to Guoba, who was scampering around.
"Lulu?" Guoba stared at Lucian with wide eyes, confused.
"Don't bully Guoba. I'm already cooking for everyone," Xiangling said with a smile, poking her head out from the kitchen.
As part of the logistics team, the members included Xiangling, Kokomi, Kuki Shinobu, and Noelle.
Xiangling, Kokomi, and Kuki Shinobu were cooking, while Noelle was the all-purpose helper, going wherever she was needed.
A sign was posted in the kitchen: The Shogun and Ei are not allowed to enter.
Think it's to protect Kokomi? Wrong—it's to protect everyone's lives.
Over the next few days, everyone pushed hard to make progress. During filming, Raiden Ei and Clorinde took on the role of lighting technicians, using large lamps to compensate for uneven lighting.
Venti, wearing Navia's sunglasses, started acting as assistant director.
Truthfully, the scenes with live actors were brief, and he was mostly just there to have fun.
"Three, two, one, action!" Xavier called out, and Itto, responsible for the clapperboard, immediately snapped it down.
Charlotte and Lumine took on the role of cinematographers, with Charlotte on the main camera and Lumine on the secondary.
That's right—Lucian had even dragged Lumine back from Seirai Island.
For several days, everyone was immersed in the production. Fortunately, they were all skilled, and since it was just a short film, it didn't take too long.
However, Lucian didn't show the finished product to anyone, believing that keeping some mystery made it more interesting.
The only ones who had seen the final cut were the director and Lucian. No one knew the details, but Xavier had been wearing sunglasses every day lately.
A few days later, the film shot by Lucian and his team was ready to premiere, made possible by Lucian's extensive connections. It was even set for a multi-region release.
However, only Fontaine had a professional venue. Other regions used makeshift locations, where the "theater" lighting might not be as perfect as in Fontaine.
In Fontaine, the ideal viewing spot, the audience had already taken their seats, eagerly awaiting the short film's screening.
This was a film by the Prophet, with even the Hydro Archon acting in it. With that kind of reputation, it was bound to be a hit—tickets were nearly impossible to get.
Naturally, Lucian's friends had access to exclusive tickets. After all, they'd put in so much effort. It'd be absurd if they couldn't get seats to watch.
Arlecchino sat in her seat, legs crossed, waiting for the story to begin.
Her expression was calm, completely unaware of what Lucian and the others had been working on. When Lucian told her not to ask, she didn't.
Otherwise, if she really wanted to know, she could've at least gotten some details in advance.
"I heard it's a story about you," Tartaglia, sitting on the outermost seat, said to Arlecchino with a smile.
He'd heard it from Venti, who had tagged along when Tartaglia treated Zhongli to a meal.
Zhongli was tight-lipped, but Venti wasn't so discreet and casually spilled some minor details.
"Oh," Arlecchino responded coolly, not even glancing at Tartaglia.
This secret is too secret. You'd think I was the one who told you.
Seeing Arlecchino's cold demeanor, Tartaglia shrugged and leaned a bit closer to Rosalyne, who was nearer to him.
Tartaglia tilted his head slightly toward Rosalyne and whispered, "Don't you think the Knave's acting a bit strange?"
Sure, Arlecchino was usually cold, but today she seemed especially so, as if she was deliberately suppressing her emotions.
Rosalyne shifted slightly to create some distance, waving her hand dismissively as if shooing a small animal. "Idiot, get lost."
Your intel? Even without digging, we'd know that much. Lucian didn't exactly hide it.
Tartaglia spread his hands. Such boring colleagues. The movie hasn't even started yet—what's wrong with a little discussion?
On the innermost side sat Columbina, the "Damselette," who had come to discuss potential "collaboration" with Lucian.
Unfortunately, Lucian said they'd talk later, as it wasn't the right time, and he didn't want to discuss work during his downtime. Left with no choice, she decided to watch the movie on the company's dime.
Nowadays, even communicating with Lucian required the top three Harbingers to step in. The Fatui were really stepping up, having hooked up with the Prophet.
The only thing making the Harbingers a bit uncomfortable was that sitting behind them were four Archons, with even Nahida's Void Terminal being worn by an Archon.
They didn't dare look back. It felt like those Archons were staring at them with "JOJO" faces.
They suspected Lucian had done this on purpose, making those who'd been after the Gnoses sit in front of the Archons to watch a movie. It gave them chills down their spines!
The Archons, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. They chatted casually, completely unbothered about the Gnoses.
"Who would've thought that centuries later, our reunion would be at Lucian's place and in a movie theater," Venti said with a laugh.
"Ahem, for me, it's no big deal. Our first meeting was at Lucian's place too, wasn't it?" Furina said, adopting the tone of an Archon, her voice slightly raised.
Truth be told, sitting with the other Archons made her feel fearless, even with Arlecchino right in front of her.
What's Arlecchino? Just Peruere, nothing more.