Sparks Ignited: A Shoujo Parallels Acting AU

“So this is what’s happening right now,” Chace said as he recorded himself, “Zac and Imogen are currently doing running a scene for a special prequel episode we’re going to release in about two months.”

“Spoilers!” Julia chirped, suddenly appearing next to him. Chace laughed and extended his iPhone a bit more so both of them could be seen by the device’s camera. “We won’t be revealing much aside from this, but it’s got to do with an upcoming thing with this guy,” she bumped Chace’s shoulder, “And a future arc-slash-story.”

“You’re telling too much,” he teased, and looked back at the camera. “So what we’re going to do is snap some behind the scenes pictures and post them on Instagram for all of you to figure out. Hopefully, Imogen won’t kill us when she sees the pictures posted.”

“Knowing her, she might,” Julia mused. Chace shook his head and both of them gave a wave at the camera before he pressed the ‘stop’ button, Julia immediately bursting into a wide grin. “Imogen and Zac are doing the argument scene.”

“Really?” she gave a nod and skipped right to the venue, where they hung back and watched as they filmed the scene. Imogen, who was dressed in a long light-green nightgown, had her hair down as she turned away from Zac.

“I’m not sick,” she whispered. Zac kept his face neutral, and Julia noted that he wasn’t wearing the crown that he usually wore as Nikolai. “How many times do I have to tell you that, Nikolai?”

“You’re worrying your step-sister–” He tried, looking at her with a pleading expression, "She cares for you day and night, busying herself with your condition."

“So let her worry about me! She has a right,” Imogen shot back, “…why do you care all of a sudden, Nikolai?”

At that, Zac’s eyes softened and he moved closer to Imogen, just as the script had instructed. “I’m always worried about you, Eri. Just tell me what’s wrong.” His hand touched her wrist and she jerked away from his touch, a hurt look coming to his blue eyes. “Eri–”

“Please.” She said this slowly and took a deep breath before continuing, “Don’t.”

“Cut!” a younger girl called out, jumping down from her chair. The cameras stopped recording and she went onto the set, grinning and nodding in approval as she embraced Imogen. “That was great! And that was the first take – I can’t wait until all of this gets produced and then released,” she commented, earning a laugh from the two main actors on set. It was at that point when Julia and Chace reentered, the girl beckoning them over as she moved to playfully ruffle Zac’s brown hair.

“It’s Zac’s eyes,” Imogen told her. Zac smirked.

“Always the eyes, they say.”

“What did you think?” the girl, Arianne, asked Julia and Chace excitedly, “I’m getting the vibes already because of this – to think that it was just a file on my laptop, now it’s a show!”

“I think it was perfect,” Julia praised, Imogen curtsying out of fun, “I really want to do our scene together now. But that’s for a later part, isn’t it?” Arianne nodded and looked at Chace, “You’re going to have to step it up if you want to be the main attraction,” she teased, and Chace smiled cockily.

“Versus Zac? I can bring it.”

“Watch your words, Archibald,” Zac joked. “Try busting a move and belting out song lyrics.” While the two men ‘bickered’ at each other, Arianne walked back and sighed happily as she observed the set.

It was just like what she had written – except with a few minor changes. The scene that Zac and Imogen had just filmed was located in Eri’s room, and the set design took long to sketch out before receiving Arianne’s approval. She remembered making final story adjustments with Giselle, the head writer of the show, before submitting the script.

Her phone rang and she checked her inbox, Arianne laughing out loud at what she had just seen.

From: Giselle Rivers
To: Arianne Venura

Feels attack.
[image attachment]

“Is that Giselle and Brad?” Julia asked, popping in beside her. Arianne nodded and showed the picture, Julia laughing after. “RadElle. Hashtagging it.”

* * * * *

When Arianne had first casted Imogen and Zac for the roles of Eri and Nikolai, she was worried that the two wouldn’t be able to bring to life how Eri and Nikolai interacted in the story. After having a talk with the directors and rewatching the audition tapes, she grew into it and eventually found herself joking with the two new actors as well.

Julia herself had grown fond of Imogen, the two frequently being seen together, while Zac and Chace would tweet out selfies of the two together, earning the hashtag “GlacierBoyz” by other fans on social media.

‘Go back to your own world, @CCrawford. Oh, wait… #spoilers #GlacierBoyz’

Now, Zac was readjusting his cloak, waiting for the next take. The cameramen had taken their place, and the lot of them was waiting for shooting to begin. Julia was quietly talking to Maja on her phone while Chace had just tweeted a picture of Zac by the door.

‘What does he want this time? #spoilers’

She felt excited for the event, actually. Whenever Imogen and Zac would film a scene, she could feel the chemistry between them blossom. Granted, they had been partners on another film, but this was different - it was the feeling of having that same chemistry on paper brought to life.

And she loved it.

“Action!” Arianne called. The cameras started rolling.

Zac, dressed in what would be Nikolai’s usual attire, knocked on the white door and waited. “Eri?”

He received no answer and knocked yet again, a little louder. “Eri? Can I come in? I – I just wanted to talk to you,” he tried once more, but received no answer. “I know you’re mad. Just…please, let’s talk about this–”

And Imogen screamed.

Eyes widening, Zac slammed his fists on the door, yelling out Eri’s name – while remaining in character. Finally, he had enough (as Nikolai) and barged inside, the cameras following immediately – Arianne had to squint to see what was going on – and Zac was on his knees, holding an ‘unconscious’ Imogen in his arms while calling for Arthur and Jane’s characters.

One camera had focused on Hunter entering the scene with Jane following suit, both of them in their respective costumes.

“What happened to Eri?!” Jane demanded, receiving no answer as Zac held Imogen close, “Oh, goddamn the stars – Arthur, check around her room for any attackers or unwanted visitors. Nikolai, get yourself together and let’s move!”

The rest of the scene followed. Zac had carried Imogen out, Jane leading them to the medic’s room. Arthur had followed afterwards, and eventually, the cameras stopped recording once Imogen was lain on the white bed, Zac staring blankly as he was pushed out.

“Cut,” the girl said softly. Silence met the scene before Chace started clapping, Julia joining in and eventually the whole room clapping Zac on. Imogen sat up perkily and smirked at Zac, who was blushing a light pink, pleased at the reception he had gotten.

“You just pulled it off!” Imogen told him, getting off the white bed and skipping out to meet him. Jane and Hunter agreed, the cameramen then telling Arianne and the directors that they had gotten good angles on the ending scene of the special episode. “Did it hurt, having to slam open the door like that?”

“I’ve had worse,” Zac told her modestly, Hunter high-fiving him in appreciation.

“That’s one scene where we didn’t have to fight,” the blonde male told him, and Zac nodded while laughing. “And she,” he poked Jane’s shoulder, “Was hissing for me to keep a straight face.”

“You were laughing before we entered!” she complained. Over at the back, Giselle watched as the cameramen relayed the scene to Arianne, who had nodded in approval right after.

“Still having your doubts?”

“Hell no.” she smiled upon seeing Zac and Imogen approaching, “They’re perfect for it.”

“Zac said that he’d order pizza, his treat,” she told Arianne excitedly.

“What – hell I didn’t!” he protested, before Imogen stuck her tongue out and ran off, Zac chasing after her at that.

“And that,” Julia announced as she recorded the whole chasing event on her phone, “Is how ships begin to sail.”