The Luster of Stars in Moscow
⁇ 23
"Whoa…! Rafael's doll!"
Cheri gasped when he knew Vladimir had glared at him while crossing his arms. The crowd of people had apparently been exposed, and he did not realize it.
Now Vladimir found her and stepped slowly towards her while grinning.
Demian was flabbergasted behind the man.
Cheri inched backwards as Vladimir drew closer.
"Heard you played the role of Beauty with Cyzarine Pedrova?" Vladimir asked and stopped his steps, two steps ahead of Cheri. Then tuck his hands into his pants pocket.
Cheri glared at him with his mouth clenched.
"Say the first day of Cyzarine, and you're the second?" Vladimir added, taking it one step closer.
Cheri stepped back away from him.
"I'm watching no, huh?" Vladimir tapped his chin with his fingertips, pretending to think hard.
Cheri spontaneously chipped past Vladimir then rushed towards Demian. "Come, go!" Cheri grabbed Demian's arm and grabbed him.
"Hei—" Demian screeched in surprise.
Vladimir turned to face them.
"We don't have time for pleasantries" Cheri told Demian. "We are busy making our drama a success" he told Vladimir.
Vladimir chuckles. "Just be free," she lightly. "MoscovArt Theatre will be ruined with that drama!"
Cheri stopped his steps and turned to Vladimir.
"Rapael's story is over" Vladimir said.
Cheri tightened his jaw and lunged towards Vladimir.
Demian ambushed his shoulder.
"Are you threatening me?" Cheri growled at Vladimir.
Vladimir chuckles.
"Why are you laughing?" Cheri shouted while jerking his body. "What's so funny?"
"Diminish your voice!" Demian tightened his embrace on Cheri's shoulder.
Cheri wriggled in Demian's embrace as he glared at Vladimir.
"You're really like a puppet" Vladimir scorned as he approached. Then he ducked, leaning his body towards Cheri. "If this button is pressed, you'll glare." Vladimir placed the tip of his index finger on Cheri's nostril.
Cheri jerked his face to the side.
"If this button is pressed, you'll get angry!" Vladimir pinched Cheri's chin and pulled the girl's face towards his.
Cheri shuffled while pushing Vladimir's chest.
"With your simple way of thinking, plus your character who is like a doll, you are indeed suitable to be a drama player!" Vladimir extended his hand to Cheri's forehead and flicked the girl's bangs with his fingertips.
Cheri. "Don't touch!" ketus hardiknya.
Vladimir was back laughing. "So you won't let another man touch you except Rafael?" goda.
"Be quiet" the girl slapped her glasses and threw them away.
"Hei—" Demian let out a surprised cry as he grabbed Cheri's waist spontaneously. Then pulled him away from Vladimir.
"Would you like to watch our show?" Cheri is still in the roar. "Please! That's even if you can still see without your glasses!"
"Shut your mouth!" Demian growled as he dragged the girl and sped up his pace.
Once they reached the MoscovArt Theatre, Rafael greeted them with a spectacular burst. "You're late!"
"Sorry," hiss almost simultaneously.
"The staging has started tomorrow, and you're still playing around!" Rafael rebukes them. "Do you want to be removed from the lead role?"
Cheri and Demian were now frozen together.
Three children rushed towards them.
One dressed Demian in a robe, while the other two dressed Cheri at the same spot at turbo speed. One wears a dress, the other wears Cheri's face.
"There's no time left to go to the costume room" said the girl who wore the dress.
"You only need to wear a robe" someone instructed Demian. "Starting from round-6."
"Thank God, the two of them seem to have gotten along" Sesha muttered. "Tell it together!"
Rafael raised his eyebrows and turned to Cheri and Demian.
"You're getting ready behind the spot light" the girl wearing Cheri's dress said to Demian. "You too" he told Cheri, twisting the girl's body and pulling a zipper on her back.
"It's over!" said the girl who put on makeup on Cheri while emphasizing the tissue on the girl's lips. "Demian has gone on stage" he said.
Two performers were acting under a spot light, when Cheri was on stage behind them.
Demian bent Cheri's head and sucked the girl's head under his robe.
"So.. The Beautiful is still alive?" Sister Beautiful is having a dialogue.
"True," replied the elder sister of the Beautiful.
"Demian.." Cheri whispered after he lay at Demian's base, while the man sat cross-legged.
Demian lowered his ear to Cheri's mouth.
"Why are you with Vladimir?" ask Cheri. "When you know he stole Rafael's script and cornered our theater. What's your business with Vladimir?"
"There's something I'm asking for" Demian confessed.
"Are you crazy?" Cheri snatched Demian's robe and raised his head from Demian's feet.
Demian gave a short sigh. "Listen, Cheri! Vladimir Vallensky is a kind of monster. He won't forget Rafael's humiliation during his play."
"But—"
"You are too rash, too" Demian said.
"Is he going to ruin our stage tomorrow?" Cheri pulled his body sitting.
"Cheri! Don't just move!" Rafael's screams blared from the bleachers.
Cheri and Demian stammered.
"The one in the spotlight is the player in front of you. If you carelessly move can attract attention!"
"Well, right?" Sesha hisses at Rafael. "They are familiar now. In the middle of the show they were whispering."
"You yourself are also whispering" rafael said.
Sesha immediately smothered her mouth with a palm.
While Rafael clenched his mouth with a pouting look.
Cyzarine growled behind them, biting his nails. "Labour the Demian," his grunts were displeased.
"Demian.." Cheri whispered again after he lay back at Demian's feet. "Our drama must be a success, right?"
Demian did not answer. Not because I didn't hear it. But because I'm not sure of the answer.
"Being here.in a place bathed in purple-blue light, I could feel the tenderness of the Beautiful One. Softer than usual."
Demian smiled faintly. "Right," he chimed. "For the stage is a small universe that has been bewitched."
.
.
.
The next day…
First day of the show.
"An hour and a half away.the stage curtain will open," Rafael said in the middle of the cast.
They all gathered on stage, complete with their own costumes.
Rafael wears a grey denim jacket lined with a long hand high-collared white t-shirt combined with white jeans. Looks friendly and a little soft.
Cheri stood behind her wearing a soft cream sweatshirt, with white tight jeans and black knee-length running shoes. Honey brown hair curls wave length up to the waist, fastened tight to the back resembling a ponytail.
Cyzarine looks stunning with a white dress in the style of European princesses in the middle ages.
The other players are also no less lively.
But somehow Cheri felt there was still less.
"From now on, the stage belongs to you players" Rafael continued. "Make the audience fascinated. Make me proud" he said solemnly.
The players let out long breaths and exhaled almost simultaneously.
Rafael stretched out one hand forward, greeted by the performers and stage stewards.
"Good luck!" Rafael yells.
"Good luck!" the other exclaimed in unison as they swung their arms stacked in chains, then flicked them together.
I knew! Cheri realized.
Demian wasn't there!