The Greatest Showman #1107 - Expand the Universe

Rooney suddenly remembered the first time she and Renly met, back at Telluride. It was a great afternoon, and an even better night. It wasn't a date, just a shared exchange between two movie fanatics. They talked endlessly about films, about acting, about the passage of time, until before they knew it, time itself lost all meaning.

Now, Renly had become one of the best actors in the industry—not because he won the best actor at Berlin or the Academy Awards, but because he brought something different to each role, breathing life into every character. Even Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, or Sean Penn—actors with decades of experience—might not achieve the same level of depth he brought to each performance.

Rooney had always known this, but today, as she stood reflecting on their conversation, she felt it in a new way. The insights Renly had shared about character analysis, the way he built connections between a role and a script—these were all things she could learn from. He had a unique approach, one that bridged seemingly random moments into powerful, focused performances.

She'd been researching her role as Alex Kowalski for quite some time, but after today, fresh inspiration began to flow. Not just for Alex, but for her understanding of the relationship between Alex and Ryan.

Rooney was already immersed in her first day on the set of Gravity. She felt at home in the atmosphere—fully absorbed.

"Rooney? Why are you still here? The clearing has been completed; we can leave now." Alfonso called from the door, preparing to leave when he noticed her still standing there.

Rooney didn't move. She simply shrugged. "I want to stay here."

Alfonso blinked, sure he must have misheard her. "What?"

"I want to stay here and spend the twelve hours with Renly." Rooney smiled, explaining.

"Rooney, you don't have to do this," Alfonso said, spreading his arms, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Rooney's smile brightened. "I know, but I want to experience what it's really like to be a serious actor. Twelve hours, just like Alex and Ryan. Maybe I'll find some new inspiration."

"You can go back and rest in your room…" Alfonso suggested.

"But there's no Renly there, and there's no Ryan," Rooney answered, her tone more thoughtful.

Alfonso was left speechless, looking back at the studio. The lights were dimming, leaving just a soft glow from the lightbox, casting the studio in shadows. The silence was overwhelming, almost as if the space was swallowing them whole.

"Do you need me to stay and keep you company?" Alfonso asked, his concern still evident.

"No," Rooney shook her head, her smile reassuring. "In space, Alex and Ryan are the only ones who rely on each other. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Renly... he'll be fine too."

Alfonso stood there for a moment, weighing her words. On one hand, he should be glad to see such dedication from two exceptional actors, but he couldn't shake the growing sense of worry. Their commitment to their craft was admirable, yet, in this moment, it felt more like a heavy burden than a simple role.

He patted Rooney on the arm lightly before turning to leave. "Alright then," he said, "Do your thing, but be careful." With that, he walked out, leaving the space to its two stars.

Once the last staff member had left, Rooney remained in the studio, her thoughts still lingering on their conversation. Alone now, she sat cross-legged, gazing up at the ceiling, allowing her mind to clear as she thought about the universe above.

Renly enjoyed moments like this—the quiet after all the chaos. Sitting alone in his corner, he relished the calm as the last of the noise and distractions faded away. The song played, people left, and the lights dimmed, leaving only the soft hum of the lightbox in the silence. It felt as though the world was slowly falling into a peaceful, suspended slumber. The beauty of it was strangely thrilling.

Someone once said that every city, every building, every piece of land has a life of its own. Renly had never fully understood that concept until now. But as he sat in the lightbox, it became clear to him. The pulse of the building, the history within its walls—everything came alive in the stillness.

He thought about Paris in the 19th century. Napoleon III had proposed transforming the city, radically changing its structure. The project faced backlash from locals, who felt that the city's historical heartbeat was being lost in the name of progress. Eventually, only the central areas of the city were transformed, leaving the outer areas to remain in their chaotic, historical state.

The city of Paris today thrives as a world-renowned tourist hub, but its true cultural richness still lives in its older districts, untouched by modern development.

In contrast, cities in the U.S. like San Francisco, Seattle, and Detroit often lose their unique characteristics over time, leaving only the sleek skyline behind. Meanwhile, in Europe, every city tells its own story, with history embedded in every stone.

Just like cities, objects, too, carry memories. Toys, for instance, as seen in Toy Story 3, are imbued with the wealth of childhood—sentimental treasures that can't be replaced.

In the lightbox, Renly could feel that same weight of history and memory.

He closed his eyes, listening to the building's breath, to the heartbeat of the lightbox. Thoughts began to seep into every corner of the space—images of the props, the people, the work being done behind the scenes. He could feel everything come together, piece by piece, like a story unfolding. The history of the place, too, seemed to come alive in his mind.

The space around him grew, expanded, and stretched. His thoughts pushed outward, and it felt as though he could explore forever, expanding beyond the confines of the room.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the world seemed to open before him—its boundaries fading into nothingness, and the vastness of the universe stretched outward. He could feel the immense scale of it, the sheer vastness of existence itself.

Then, with a deafening "boom," a great surge of energy seemed to explode within him, and everything shifted. A new world was born, stars flickering into being, and the dark expanse of space filled with soft, glowing light. It was grand, limitless, and awe-inspiring. Renly felt both infinitesimally small and infinitely powerful.

As he opened his eyes, the soft gray light grew brighter. The darkness receded, revealing the universe in all its glorious beauty—a world so vast that words failed to capture it. He didn't need language to understand it; he could only admire, breathe it in, and let himself get lost within it.