Ah... yes... the premier premiere.
A premiere is mostly the first performance of a musical or theatrical work or the first showing of a movie. Considering that this was his first try on such an occasion, Alexander felt it was apt to call it as such.
Him, being here was to get a feel for things as he was likely to take part in many of these in the future.
Before this re-life, Alexander never really thought that he would have any motivation or even a close interaction with these kinds of events.
All he knew was that this film premiere stuff meant that a hyped movie was finally releasing and could be considered as a signal to buy tickets when he thought that said premiering film is marginally interesting for him.
Although he knew some of the many things that happen here, he never really got an in-depth look into why these premiere things were so.
Well, the first-hand experience was enough to change all that shallowness of knowledge.
It would allow knowing what's what but now that he was truly here... he was not liking many bits of it at all!
-------
As soon as he got out of the car and tried to get a bearing of things, noisy clicking noises and blinding lights were flashing.
He had heard that paparazzi and camera flashing people burn through their film roll like crazy, however, that is only when they see some super celebrity though.
Alexander was pretty sure that his grandfather and him were not.
This was supposed to just be his surveying retreat and experiential tour, how come it became an environment that ticked his introverted nature in all the wrong ways?
The focus of this premiere should have nothing to do much with Alexander but circumstances just didn't allow him to be at ease.
He can't just turn around, enter the car, and bolt out though as it just draws attention even more.
Alexander had no better choice but to continue and just be supremely steel-faced through all of it.
Only Old Sullivan beside him was having the time of his long life.
-----
Of course, with such obviousness once again, how could Alexander not notice what had ensued?
By the time they got into a less mob-y part of the red carpet, the crowd-hating little Creed was more relaxed into having a discussion.
"Grandpa, what did you do this time around?" Alexander could only ask. "This flocked flashing is way too abnormal and the trace of your machinations shouldn't be too far from it."
"I did nothing at all." Old Sullivan denyingly grinned and "acted" he was just happy from the unexpectedness of things. "It's just fun to see you be put in the spot like that and have your glare overpower your calm facade."
The old man didn't want to say that he paid a select few of those camera people to photograph them incessantly as if they were very important people. The rest would be like sheep to the herd and the flashy situation fell into place.
"Let's get serious, grandpa." Alexander sighed with bits of exasperation. "You know I dislike unnecessary attention and strange, rowdy crowds."
"Right, right!" The Old Creed still has not much to contribute though and "explained". "Maybe we just look too conspicuous! You look quite dashing in that formal suit and your littleness just stands out against all the other suited guys here."
"Tsk." Alexander was now thinking that he shouldn't have come to this premiere at all.
Now that he thought about it more, he was truly out of place and stood out. It also didn't help his low-key case that they had a prime entrance directly through the red carpet that was easily mis-understandable.
There was no doubt that these edge people must be thinking that he was some child actor that played a special role in the film.
Was there no one else in this premiere that brought their tuxedo-d little boy? Alexander took pride in his looks but there surely must be some celebrity boy who could share this suited-boy spotlight.
They were already far from the mess and that was good enough but Alexander's thoughts were still spiraling, so he could only grumble. "I don't like these paparazzi flashes at all and this is why I told you we should have taken the super-secret VIP entrance."
"Unfortunately, our premiere theater doesn't have that." Old Sullivan shook his head but was still amused by things.
"Tsk." Alexander tsked again. In any case, he can still try to be low-key, so he had to be Shadow-y Kuroko and have the old man be Light-y Kagami.
"Grandpa, can you be the one in front as we walk, so you can draw people's attention? You deliberately trailing behind and beside me is not good at all."
"Oh... wouldn't that spoil the fun and the chance for many people to admire your current look?" Old Sullivan was not on board at all. "Some people here may have some influence in the modeling world and I want to show off while also having them meet you.."
Ugh... Alexander just somehow got rid of the potential acting gig... how come the old man had to talk about modeling now.
"Of course, the other reason why I'm doing this trailing behind is that I kind of feel like you're Bruce Wayne now... the young Bruce Wayne, I mean." Old Sullivan still had an interesting reasoning to add.
"Think about it. Red carpets, the paparazzi spotlight at public and social gatherings; orphan in a rich suit; set to inherit a somewhat super-rich company and then..."
Old Sullivan pointed to himself. "...there's me: the caring old butler type!"
"Always behind and beside the talented orphan... I'm DC's Butler Alfred." Old Sullivan was getting caught between fantasy and reality now.
Things were derailing off the low-key-ing strategy and Alexander could only butt in. "Grandpa, I get that you have a tendency for parallels and mirroring but you should probably stick to the theme. Why use DC comic people?"
"I get that we don't have many rich orphans in Creed Comics but I'm sure I'll come up with something." Alexander just ended it at that.
"Why not?" Old Sullivan didn't mind. "I'm just preparing for the future where we buy them."
"Sure..." Alexander could only relent. The buying of DC was an interesting topic to dive into but it was straying too far from his request to switch traversing positions.
Fortunately, the Old Creed already had his fair share of fun and became the one who lead them through the super social event.
-------
Eventually, the red carpet became a cesspool of 'how do you dos' and 'congratulations'.
The vanity flashes on the premiere carpet went on but Old Sullivan's current parallel and mirroring mention rang into his thoughts. At least, it distracted him from all the socializing things and a way too un-introvert environment.
Him, being a Bruce Wayne type, was quite accurate in a sense.
Of course, Alfred being likened to old Sullivan was a bit off at some parts.
Alfred was just a loyal butler but Old Sullivan was truly his grandfather, this was probably where the coincidence ended.
As much as the fictional one and the real one took good care and were quite spoiling to the orphans in their care, Bruce and Alfred can't be compared to him and his grandfather's blood-kinship.
Now that Alexander got to think further on it, shouldn't it be high on the probabilities that Alfred is most likely Bruce's true grandfather?
Alfred's age varies a lot from one version to another but he was the old guy that takes care of Wayne Manor and Batman.
Being a super loyal guy that serves the Waynes for many generations is a possibility but it is also a possibility that old Alfred stayed long enough because he was Thomas Wayne's secret dad and Batman's true grandfather.
Perhaps grandpa Patrick Wayne had no idea that he was wearing a green hat as his butler was shagging his wife. Consequently, due to age fluctuations and shifting generations just a bit, Alfred could also be Batman's true dad and whatnot.
Anyways, it all was just fictional speculations. Though, given DC's track of being too fanfiction-like, a comic writer might come up with this at some point.
Maybe it was published already but Alexander hadn't gotten wind of it due to the absurdity of it and its low chance of being greenlit by DC editors.
Of course, the Alfred and Sullivan parallel aside Milla and Miss Galina had some Bat-sy connection as well.
Going with Christopher Nolan's acclaimed trilogy, 'Rachel Dawson' was Bruce's childhood friend while Mother Dawson worked something on the Wayne grounds.
Wasn't that Dawson scenario oddly too similar... albeit was tweaked at some parts when it came to the Jovovich-Creed relationship.
Whatever the case this Bruce Wayne parallel rumination was, Alexander quickly got over it. He already has his fair share of coincidences after all.
However, he can't deny that being likened to Batman wasn't too bad and he could take some inspiration from it as well.
Since he was kind of Batman-y, why not just follow Bruce Wayne's example at social gatherings?
At least, Alexander with that way of thinking, he had gotten over his jitters at this premiere that was way-too-lively for him.