The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining right. But not in the Joylingers corporation or Funtakers Institute anymore, for this Joyling laid asleep on a bed of her long lost home, followed by her friend above. The beautiful pearl to have ever shone slumber a night without a glimpse of a spotlight.
"Starglaze...mimimi....the best....mimimi....star..." He snores.
"Staglaze...mimimi...number one...mimimi..."
Pearl starts her day with a stretching. The clock beside her shows at 6 AM as she passes through.
"One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one—"
*Crack* "Umph, there it is. Stretched already..."
It is too silent, unlike the dorm she once inhabited. The dawn is a dim light that shimmers in a purplish-orange hue, which means not everyone has yet awakened. Yet Pearl has always been an early bird, reaching for a worm. Now rested and vigorous, Pearl sought her next activity without making a sound.
She leaves her room quietly, wearing the pyjamas from her family's wardrobe and heading downstairs. The pink colour matches her, but the pale-ish contrast is not favourable. Yet she loves the colour on her skin. And there was nothing more satisfying than to show out how lovely it was with her family.
But she sees her family busy, most standing outside the door this early for a leave. Yet those leaving her home were packing way many suitcases and wearing fine clothes like Pearl—glimmering and noble. The cousins had already gone to the car while the adults were still in the doorway, finishing what they had last.
A car is waiting by the outside.
"Cain, don't forget to bring all your costumes to the trunk. Don't want to have your school stage ruined again?"
"Pfft, as if..." He left to the outside.
"Kids these days..."
"Take care of yourself, Fred. You won't ever have a meeting like this in your lifetime." Barbara smirked at him.
"I admit, this is probably the only good reason you'll ever invite me here. Although I expect to see a ghost,"
"Have some respect for my daughter, Barbara. Her presence here is still hard for us to process..."
"Yeah, but who's fault was that to leave her alone that day? Maybe God gave you a second chance because he knows what kind of man you are. Mom wouldn't even have that chance if dad wasn't too stubborn before he hit golden age."
"*Sigh* Don't let dad hear you saying that."
The two hugs in a family bonding.
It was no surprise for her that they were about to leave this house. The Starstuhm was a busy family in their talented lives, after all. She waits by the stairway, watching the car left shortly, as the home belonged to Pearl's family again. The wind howls slightly a breeze, marking the mansion at peace.
"Are they really leaving?" Pearl breaks the silence behind her father's back.
"P-Pearl! Well, they're not going far, Christy sweety..." The father jitters.
"I know you'll miss them, but wow...can we talk about how an early bird you are? It's six in the morning, Christy..." The father consoles her with a joke.
"But I always wake up early...at six...every day..."
*Faint*"Ehem, kids!! Rise and shine! Don't let the worm slip out!" The mother calls
From upstairs, Pearl could hear her sisters grunting as they struggled to get out of bed early in the morning. One by one, their doors opened, followed by footsteps heading toward the stairway. The five sisters appeared with tired eyes and messy hair, still in their sleeping clothes, answering their father's call.
"Why so early, dear? It's your first day here...wouldn't you let loose a little knot?"
"I want to know more about the girl you called Christine..." She mumbled nervously.
"Was she...really that different than me...?"
The father's eyes had never been too closed with such words. After contemplating through the words of her daughter, the father calmly gestures for a story with a kneel. They have a little cup of tea in the living room, with Pearl sitting elegantly in her pyjamas.
"Well, you look...way different than her...but you had a voice like her..."
"You had her voice...her skirt...and her soul..."
"Christine used to love your clothes. She thinks the pink bow is neat, and she always dreams of having clothes like you..."
"And she's...uh...a bright girl...like you..."
Yet every word that comes out of his mouth is blurry and jittering for Pearl to trust. She knows her father tried his best, but that only makes her past sound suspicious. Seems like time passes between the two, and that reunion is somewhat of a spark that ignites a loose rope.
"It's been half a decade...I didn't think about this...I'm so sorry, Christine..." The father nods down with an apologetic tone.
"I see..." Pearl smiles.
"I was hoping...maybe we can...well...spend some time like a family?"
"Oh, why didn't you say so?
"T-theater? Are we...performing...?" Her eyes expand, and her arms tighten. Had she grown fur, she would've raised them like a cat.
"Not we. Vicky. She's about to finally get her license to be a greatest magician. Well, for a magic trick performance, obviously."
"Oh...wait, magic trick?" She was relieved, but she was confused again.
"Well, Vicky hasn't yet to reach her place on the stage yet. So, she spent years sharpening her magic and now she's old and ready to become the new generation of Starstuhm's face."
*Thought* "How lucky...and how bold."
The family has a full breakfast with bread, bacon and eggs on the plate. Everyone is eating well, especially Pearl. But Starglaze was the last to descend the stairs, only to find the family leaving him no seat. He is tired, and now he's hungry with a grunt under his throat for the lack of hospitality.
"Hey, where's my breakfast?" Starglaze checks the plate.
"Well, you should've waking up early! Like Pearl over here who just got her third plate of eggs in the morning..." Vicky reprimand.
"Don't think you've got the privilege because your our sister's friend." Terri mumbled.
As vigorous as she is, Pearl is also quick to empty her stomach in the morning. She ate up nearly 1/3 of what the mother had served for the entire family. And she is still ready for another, had she not stopped by her sisters.
"Sorry..." Pearl cleans her mouth with a napkin with a guilty look.
"You must've been eating less in that Institute, are you?" The mother looks with pity.
"N-no...I'm just hungry...that's all..."
"Pfft! Whatever..." Starglaze slides off.
The words about Vicky's talent were spread onto the table. A performance said to be her best today, with a more unique and original method than one had known. Even Pearl couldn't bring herself to ignore it despite the 'stage' calls.
"So, Vicky...words on the street said you have a trick up your sleeve for the town?" Tina teases.
"Definitely. Had an idea that would shook Mr. Waldo with my sawing trick...this time, we don't use double people...we just used...one people."
"You're going to cut someone for a show?" Pearl stares with horror.
"Oh, no, no, Pearl...you never cut a person like that in real talent. They're just a prop made to confuse everyone into thinking you were going to..." Vicky calms.
"It's a trick that had fooled children for decades. Now, I'm about to fool the adult as well..."
"Aww, I fell for that too often..." Pearl taps the table.
———————————————————————————————————————————
[2nd floor]
Right after everyone finishes their table, she goes upstairs to change her pajamas into something more welcoming—something pink. It's time for her to start the day as a human with a pink bow and a skirt. But on her way to the bottom, one of her sisters peeked through the door with a curious mind.
"Alright, mother! I'm ready for the...audience's show!" Pearl walks out, passing Vicky's room.
"Hey, Pearl! Do you have time?" Vicky peeked through the door.
"Oh, Vicky? What's the...matter?" She nervously heads in.
The magician's sister wanted her to help with her masterpiece. She finds Vicky's room a whole backstage. A magician's creative mind can sometimes be defined by their space of curiosity and wonder. It brings a nostalgic memory for someone who has lived in the red curtains, watching the same table mirror and props lying on the floor.
"Woah..." Pearl awes.
"Why do you have a backstage in your bedroom? Do you sleep waiting for your performance, too?" Her eyes turn to pity. But instead of being answered, her sister drifted the topic to her.
"Listen, sis. I really need your help with this matter. Can you help your big sister with this one?" Vicky dims the light in her room, giving the red lamp a spot for a serious background tone.
"S-sure...what is it?"
After Pearl fills her belly, she heads upstairs to change her pyjamas into something more welcoming—something pink. It's time for her to start the day as a human with a pink bow and a skirt. But on her way to the bottom, one of her sisters peeked through the door with a curious mind.
"Alright, mother! I'm ready for the...audience's show!" Pearl walks out, passing Vicky's room.
"Hey, Pearl! Do you have time?" Vicky peeked through the door.
"Oh, Vicky? What's the...matter?" She nervously heads in.
The magician's sister wants Pearl to help with her masterpiece, so she drags her into her bedroom. She finds Vicky's room a whole backstage. A magician's creative mind can sometimes be defined by their space of curiosity and wonder. It brings a nostalgic memory for someone who has lived in the red curtains, watching the same table mirror and props lying on the floor.
"Woah..." Pearl awes.
"Why do you have a backstage in your bedroom? Do you sleep waiting for your performance, too?" Her eyes turn to pity. But instead of being answered, her sister drifted the topic to her.
"Listen, sis. I really need your help with this matter. Can you help your big sister with this one?" Vicky dims the light in her room, giving the red lamp a spot for a serious background tone.
"S-sure...what is it?"
Vicky pulls out her closet door, revealing numerous boxes, props and even more stuff, which only Vicky knows what their purpose is. But Pearl adores its mystery and bright colours, especially to some bearing a toy-like presence.
"That's a lot of boxes for you, sister." Pearl commented.
"I need your help to become my assistant...in my talent..."
"Y-your assistant?" Pearl pauses.
But her smile quickly diminishes when she hears the plea from Vicky. She is asking her to be someone to be involved in her performance—someone who can be her assistant.
"W-why me? I mean, won't you already have someone else in your talent before?" Pearl taps her hands rapidly.
"Yeah, I wish I could. But my assistant just had a sick leave because she eat a raw chicken yesterday and now I don't have anyone to prepare for my magic show!"
"Belle can't come because she has a class. Tina is having an exhibit visit to Easthorn gallery. Terri is helping her class making a script for her show, and Chica is too young to understand anything..."
"I just can't do this on my own. But now I have you..."
The smile on Vicky's relief was not comforting enough to Pearl. That memory is calling her back like a beast lure, but to rather dream it here is not her choice now. All she could give to her was a dismissive nod in the hope she couldn't get her to the stage.
"But...I don't want to perform! I mean, I don't know how to do this 'sawing' thingy..." Pearl taps her foot nervously.
"Aww, you had to! I couldn't do this alone!" She fell to her knees, pleading for Pearl.
"This is my only chance to prove to Mr. Waldo that I am worthy for a stage! I have been waiting many years for this!"
"If I fail, I would've waited for who knows? I couldn't be a failure here!"
"Not when you are already a skillful ballet first..."
She could've denied the plea, walked away, and acted like it never happened—but that would've taken the strength of a lion, not the cunning of a snake.
"Mhm...alright. But only if I can stay on the backstage during the performance."
"Sweet! Thank you sister! I know I can rely on you!"
"Now bring your star friend over here—This would be so much fun with him..."
"Are we really carrying all of this?"
"What? No. Just need you to help me find that sawing box. I had a cleaning yesterday and I couldn't organize them well with the other props..."
———————————————————————————————————————————
[Wiltham Public Theatre]
The two reached the place with Vicky's particular props at the entrance. One set of sawing boxes is on the way, with her assistants helping from behind. It was only Vicky, Pearl and Starglaze in the human world now, with Pearl having to accommodate for a less eye-catching attire.
"Wow, who told you to wear that, girl?" Starglaze sneered at her blue dress. Its colour opposes what she has worn for years.
"Keep it down, Starsy. We can't have a floating star catching people's attention here." Pearl carried the props through the backstage.
"My bad...sheesh..."
The theatre is enormous. To say that Pearl had never seen one is a bluff, but to see one as large as the old Joylingers studio is a statement. There are even more floors on the side of the wall for someone who wants to watch from a higher angle. But the stage is flat out the largest, with a curtain as tall as the ceiling. It's like Pearl was shrunk in her own studio.
"Woah, what a theatre she has..." She peeked through the curtains. Memory swung just like her dream before.
*Thought* "Oh, what a memory. But luckily it's not mine..."
*Thought* "Just don't think about it. Just don't think about it. Just don't think about it."
"Isn't this just like the old stage? Just you and I, shimmering in the stars together once, friend?" Starglaze teases.
"Ugh...don't remind me of that. It's much bigger to imagine. Our stage is not that wide, and our curtains are not that tall..."
"Yeah, but all the seats are red. I feel like we were going back to that place."
"Makes me a little bit ill just to imagine what happened if I was on that spot now..." She mumbled faintly as she watched the red seats and its audiences waiting.
In her mind, the thought is too hard to cease. Having to watch the same stage over again nearly broke her apart. But as long as she didn't have to stand over the spotlight, she would be happy and enough with it.
"I'm scared..." She shivers.
"I can't do this again..."