In the Abandoned District, the air is filled with the scents of wheat and detergent. A tale of harvest, warmth, regret, and mystery has come to a close.
But... in Another Time, Another Place (take note!), the filming of "Nikki's Case File: The Golden Secret" has officially wrapped! The talented Pieceys of the cast have shed their "roles" and are stepping in front of the camera for a very special behind-the-scenes interview. Hosted by Nikki and Momo, this event will share the cast's thoughts, experiences, and even a few playful Easter eggs!
Stylists, don't miss your chance to join us for a heartwarming, laughter-filled experience brimming with memories—and plenty of charm!
(Friendly reminder: this story takes place in an "alternate" reality—meaning the actors aren't actually their characters; they're just playing them. Keep that in mind!)
Wait... a behind-the-scenes interview?
The characters are actually "actors"?
And... are they poking fun at the writers?
Let's hear what the cast has to say about this Fall Mystery in this "alternate" reality!
[In Another Time]
Julie (dramatically): It's alright, my friend. Tomorrow will be a brand new day! (camera pans out)
Nikki: CUT!
Nikki: That was perfect, Madame Julie! And with that, I officially declare "Nikki's Case File: The Golden Secret" a wrap!
Everyone: Yay!!!
Nikki: Momo, how about we make the most of our time and interview some of the cast members?
Momo: Great idea! I'll set up the interview tent!
[Performance Highlights]
△ Snapshot Tommy suddenly bursts in and rips off the "Do Not Talk" sticker the writers placed over his mouth for being too loud on set!
Tommy: Me first! I'll go first!
Nikki: Filming's wrapped, so the Do Not Talk sticker can officially come off. How about we have our "first to arrive, last to leave" star, Snapshot Tommy, share with us the biggest takeaway from the shoot?
Tommy: *Ahem* This is the first time I've played such a complex role. It really helped me grow as an actor.
Momo: Really? How so?
Tommy: Well, between you and me, I was originally supposed to be the main villain of the story! But the writers decided to give me a growth arc instead... turning me from a sunny, cheerful boy who lived for gossip into a reporter carrying forth the dreams of my mentor. Anyway, they ended up making somebody else the villain.
Still: Snapshot Tommy
△Leon quietly approaches from behind, and Tommy instinctively covers his head.
Leon: Ha! Wasn't that idea scrapped because you weren't serious enough on set?
Tommy: [○･｀Д´･ ○] Not serious enough?! Me?! You're the one who can't be serious! No... scratch that... you're the worst co-star... ever! Miss Nikki, I demand justice! It was Leon who came up with the whole "let me walk in front, then he whacks the back of my head" gag, which is why I had to do so many re-takes and got whacked on the head more time than I could count. I still can't believe the writers agreed to your ridiculous idea!
Leon: Ha! Anyone who appreciates real art would be able to appreciate that scene. It's called a dramatic climax! Come on, before the main villain shows up, you have to roll out the red carpet!
Nikki: Tommy really did a wonderful job in that scene! Plus, the final shot turned out great. I heard people got quite the scare when they saw you.
Gordon: Are you talking to me? (looks around and realizes nobody is talking to him) Oh, never mind then... I'll just be on my way.
Nikki: By the way, Leon, this was your first time playing a villain, right? Is there anything you'd like to share?
Leon: Actually, this role mirrors my own story in some ways. Back when I was a struggling actor, I always hoped for that one lucky break that would catapult me to the top. If I hadn't landed this role, I might still be struggling. Who knows... in some parallel universe, I could still be a struggling actor, growing darker and more obsessed with each failure. (Nikki whispers: Thankfully, you got the part.) Also, during the audition, I was paired with Tommy. The writers said my reaction to his noisy antics—just totally losing it—resembled a mad Leon, which totally sealed the deal for me!
Tommy: What? What noisy antics?! ╰(°▽°)╯?!
Nikki (watching the scene): Ohhh, so that's where you found the motivation for the scene where you whacked him!
Leon (smirking): Yes! I really poured my heart and soul into that scene. I even asked the director to let me do it a few extra times, just to be sure we got it. You know... for the sake of the art!
Tommy: Why you...
Still: Ambushed!
△ Caught in a whirlwind somewhere between scuffle and dance, the two Pieceys topple from their seats and tumble out of the interview room...
[Character Regrets...]
Momo (wiping sweat): Whew! Good thing those two didn't have too many scenes together. I can't even imagine how the director would've kept them under control. Nikki, let's check in with the other cast members.
Nikki (wiping sweat): Yeah (*￣︶￣). For our next question, we've invited the story's dream team... Miss Liora and Mr. Benny. Here's a good one for you two: do you think your characters had any regrets?
Benny: Well... while getting into character, the writers didn't clearly explain the customs of the Abandoned District to me. So when I wrote my Wish Card, I poured all of my character's thoughts and feelings into it... only for it to be burned later in the story! I suppose that's just like my character... always a little out of sync with the times, always drifting in and out. I wonder how many friends could truly keep someone like that in their hearts.
Liora: Actually, everyone, cast and crew, read the Wish Cards before they were burned. So in a way, he lives on in all our hearts.
Benny (blushing and flustered): I... I thought only the actors got to read them...
Nikki: When the writers read it, they were really moved! They said everyone should take note of how deeply Benny understood his character. They even incorporated parts of your Wish Card into the script itself!
Momo: Ha! Why else did you think "Benny's Grave" was just a few stones? "I would rather be a stone, buried beneath a tree in some quiet wheat field."
Benny: Erm... ///_ゝ///
(Liora taps Benny on the shoulder)
Liora: Erm... I think my character has quite a few regrets. But since she's moved on to a new chapter in her life, there's really nothing left to dwell on (laughs). Still... if she could, she'd probably want to say thank you to Benny.
Nikki: Oh! I remember your character's profession was specially chosen by you, Miss Liora. The writers said it was connected to Benny, right?
Liora: Yes! Because Benny's professionalism prevented Cersei from a stage accident, I thought that once Liora the Piecey "awakened," she'd naturally choose a backstage job... to help actors just like him. The writers loved the idea and officially gave her the "backstage crew member" role. It let them plant some early misdirection while tying into her back story.
Nikki: I see! So for the "not perfect, but not bad either" Benny... the good in him is like seeds carried by the wind. Even before anyone notices, they've already started to grow. That reminds me... I need to buy some seeds and grow some beautiful flowers of my own!
Still: Liora
[Easter Eggs ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ]
Nikki: And now for our grand finale... the most popular stars of this shoot: Madame Julie, Miss Coolyn, and Ms. Scarlet! For our last question, let's go with something a bit more fun: do you have any Easter eggs about your character you'd like to share?
Scarlet: I'll go first. Actually, my pocket watch broke on set.
Momo: Oh! I remember that! You accidentally tripped one day while getting into character, right? The writers were so worried they even considered removing the watch from the script entirely.
Scarlet: I know, but I insisted on keeping it. In that moment, I felt like I truly understood my character's feelings. If my watch had stopped at the moment I lost my daughter again, I would never let it go. From that moment on, every second of my life would be dedicated to keeping my vow.
Nikki: o(╥﹏╥)o The writers were really moved too. They even turned the broken pocket watch into a major clue in the story. What Threadstar underestimated was the resilience of a former member of the Kingdom Guard!
Julie (wiping away a tear): That's right, Nikki! Honestly, during this time I always thought of myself as more of a supporting character. Sure, the Threadstar conspiracy and the whole mystery revolve around my character's fabric and her return, but the real heroes are the ones behind the scenes... and of course, your clever detective work, Nikki!
Nikki: Madame Julie, you were incredible! Even as a retired actress, the moment you appeared on screen, all eyes were on you.
Julie: Ha! That just proves it... the real showstoppers weren't the Threadstar outfits. What truly captivates an audience is the confidence and presence of the performer!
△ In the distance, Leon's voice is heard over Tommy's shouts.
Leon: I... also think Threadstar is just plain horrible! I've already dragged Tommy along to donate to anti-trafficking and anti-fur organizations...
Nikki: That's... Erm... nice! However, we still haven't heard from Miss Coolyn...
Coolyn: ...
(Nikki taps Coolyn on the shoulder)
Nikki: Coolyn? Miss Coolyn? Are you sleeping?
Coolyn: Oh! I'm sorry...
Scarlet (smiling): The youngest Piecey on the cast needs her rest... she's still growing! That amazing scene where she discovers the truth? She gave it everything she had!
Momo: Napping is part of Coolyn's "too cool for school" act, isn't it? Every time she gives someone that icy look, she's probably just tired.
Coolyn: *Ahem* No, of course not. I heard your question. Actually... I designed the outfit my character wears in her human form.
△ Julie enthusiastically leans in to look at Coolyn's photos.
Julie: A beret, a satchel, and... a camera! Ha, that's a perfect look, darling! So in your imagination, Coolyn was a reporter?
Coolyn: Exactly! I thought that if my character hadn't been weak as a child, and instead had accompanied her brother in search of the truth... she would have understood the burdens others carry and grown into someone more responsible. I think she would have been a pretty good reporter.
Nikki: (*￣︶￣) I agree! Maybe in some parallel universe, everyone is happily living together... joyful and free!
Julie: How wonderful that would be! Oh, I just had an idea! I want to bring the story of "As Rain Falls, As Flowers Bloom" to the stage!
Nikki: I heard you and Miss Liora have become very good friends offstage. Are you going to ask her to perform with you?
Still: Liora and Madame Julie
Julie (smiling at Nikki): Of course! I was also thinking of giving you a special role too, Nikki! Our scenes together were so powerful, I'd love to act with you again!
Scarlet: That's a wonderful idea. Though if you do, the writers will probably have to lock themselves away again, pulling consecutive all-nighters just trying to figure out how to make it all work.
△ Suddenly, Tommy bursts in.
Tommy: Don't worry, Ms. Scarlet! In Cicia, nobody sleeps at this hour anyway! Those office drones never shy away from a deadline! They live for the overtime! Bring on the 10-10-6 lifestyle! They'll work till their keyboards give out if they have to! Personal lives? Those are so overrated!
[The End...?]
[Post-credits scene]
Tommy: Huh? Why didn't our leader come for the interview?
Raggy (hurrying past): The Forgotten and some of the extras are all chatting away! Madame Julie's mixer is such a hit that no one wants to leave! I need to bring a fresh batch of detergent for everyone...
Tommy: *Ahem* Then I, as the sole official member of the press here, will speak on his behalf! During the scene where our leader was chasing Coolyn, he had to guard the entrance of the Ripple Wine Cellar, rush back to Prosperville after receiving the signal, and then run all the way back to deliver news of Julie's ambush to Detective Nikki and the others. He was so exhausted, he nearly collapsed! But the kicker? The entire sequence got cut! Cut! The writers just threw up their hands and went on about paying tribute to "the great Agatha Crustie," "the legendary Sir Arthur Conan Draper," "the unparalleled Higashinose Cloak," and "the one and only Margaret Mitten"… then something about sprinkling in some "Don Quixcotton" and "Stichard III" for good measure…
When our leader heard this, he was furious! He kept threatening to whack each of the writers on the head! Nikki: No wonder they've been avoiding him all week...
Momo: Wait a second... doesn't that mean he got cut from this behind-the-scenes interview too? Nikki, maybe we should go!
[The End]
