The flat-screen TVs flickered, illuminating the recording booth as Taylor and Lucas took their seats.
Before the recording began, the voice director, who had spoken with Lucas and Taylor earlier, re-entered the booth. They went over the characters' interpretations, emotional delivery, and ensuring the lines were read correctly. The director knew it might take time for the two to get it right. Lucas, with his acting experience, might catch on more quickly, but Taylor, while a talented singer, would need to adapt to the unique demands of voice acting.
After their pep talk, the director wished them both luck and exited the booth, leaving the rising stars alone with their microphones.
On the other side of the transparent glass, the production staff observed with keen interest. The two rising stars, although inexperienced in voice acting, had potential.
On the screen, Ted fumbled with the remote control, sending the toy plane careening into a neighbor's backyard. Instead of getting upset, the animated character flashed a mischievous grin. Taylor and the staff watched, intrigued, as Lucas's lips moved in sync with Ted's.
"Yes!" Lucas's voice crackled through the headsets, surprising everyone with its youthfulness. It was as if they were hearing a voice on the brink of puberty.
The staff members who had helped Lucas practice earlier was taken aback. Sure, Lucas had improved leaps and bounds in the hour he practiced, but this? This performance was on a whole other level.
The other staff members exchanged glances, marveling at the sudden transformation in the young actor's voice.
The voice director, who hadn't witnessed Lucas's earlier struggles, was simply blown away by his talent.
Taylor's mouth widened slightly as she listened to Lucas's youthful voice. How could someone their age, both 22 years old, sound so authentic to the character's younger age? She couldn't help but be impressed. Her eyes widened, and she shot him a look that clearly said, "Impressive! You're good!"
Lucas flashed Taylor a smile, gesturing towards the TV. Taylor took a deep breath, ready to bring her character, Audrey, to life. As the beautiful teenage girl opened the door on-screen, facing Ted, Taylor cleared her throat off mic and began.
"Oh, hi, Ted," she said, trying her best to sound like a teenager. However, her voice still carried the same depth and maturity as always. Blushing, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious, but she forced herself to exude confidence anyway.
Taylor couldn't help but be impressed by Lucas's seemingly effortless transition into his character's voice. He managed to sound both young and trying a bit too hard to impress, just like Ted would in front of his crush. Unfortunately, her admiration got the better of her, and she let out a stifled giggle. The staff immediately stopped the recording, as her laughter had ruined the take.
The staff stopped the animated scene, and the two rising stars were told they could skip the parts they had already done well on. They only needed to re-record from the point where Taylor's giggle was heard.
The staff went to work on the editing bay.
Once they were ready to resume, Taylor continued where they left off. "Did your ball land in my backyard again?"
Lucas, still in character, acted nervous and tried to explain away the situation. "What?! No. Model airplane. This time."
This time around, Taylor decided to take a cue from Lucas and put more emotion into her performance. While the voice director's guidance was helpful, it was a different story to actually apply it. She watched Lucas closely, learning from his natural talent.
"Hey—do you wanna see something cool?" Taylor read her line, trying her best to match the expression on Audrey's animated face.
The voice director and the staff felt that while Taylor wasn't bad, she still had a ways to go compared to Lucas. But they couldn't say anything out loud; after all, Taylor was a rising music artist, and Illumination Entertainment had spent a significant sum to bring her on board. Besides, her voice already suited Audrey's character well, so she didn't need to exert herself as much as Lucas, who had the challenge of making his deeper, more mature voice sound youthful. Yet, Lucas seemed to pull it off effortlessly, which was truly impressive.
The two stars voiced their characters, pausing now and then as they watched the replayed scenes with their voice acting. Taylor requested several retakes, feeling unsatisfied with her performance in some scenes, while Lucas was content with most of his, only agreeing to redo a few before taking a break with her.
The staff handed them both bottles of water, understanding how taxing voice acting could be on their voices.
"Honestly, bro," Taylor said after a sip of water, "how do you do that? Are you an alien or something?"
Lucas chuckled. "Alien? Maybe," he teased. Technically, his soul was from a parallel world, but it was still a different world. So, in a way, he was an alien.
Taylor raised her eyebrows, but she knew Lucas was joking. "I'm so jealous," she admitted, nudging him playfully. "You sounded so natural back there. I felt the staff's eyes on me the whole time. I was so pressured!"
Lucas chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe it was just your imagination."
Taylor shook her head, "No, don't underestimate a woman's intuition. I could feel it. They're probably comparing me to you in their minds."
Lucas flashed her a reassuring smile, trying to make her feel better, albeit jokingly. "Well, you don't need to feel bad being compared to me. After all, it is me we're talking about. I'm destined to excel in everything acting-related."
Taylor chuckled. "I didn't know aliens like you were so full of themselves."
Lucas grinned.
Taylor then changed the subject. "By the way, I heard the song you performed on Ellen's show. It was such a beautiful song."
"Thanks," Lucas said, nodding humbly.
Taylor and Lucas chatted about the song for a while before Taylor suddenly asked, "By the way, are you really dating that actress Jennifer?"
Lucas paused briefly, caught off guard by the personal question. "Why do you ask?"
Taylor noticed the brief hesitation in his response. "Oh, nothing. Just curious."
Lucas nodded, but the atmosphere had shifted. He excused himself, saying he needed to use the restroom.
Taylor watched him leave, her eyes revealing a hint of worry. Had she overstepped by asking such a personal question?
After Lucas returned, Taylor apologized, "Hey, Lucas. I'm sorry for asking that sudden question earlier."
Lucas looked genuinely surprised. "No worries. I'm not offended or anything."
Taylor sighed in relief, but her cheeks turned a shade of rose as she continued, "Actually, I wanted to know if you were dating Jennifer because... well, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me sometime—"
Lucas looked at her with a hint of disbelief. "You actually want to go on a date with me?"
"What's wrong with that?" Taylor said, meeting his gaze. "I've met many guys before, but you really stood out, Lucas. I mean, you seem so passionate and happy with what you're doing, and that's just my type."
Lucas hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, I think I'm kind of... taken. I already have someone."
"Oh, so the rumors about you and Jennifer are true?" Taylor couldn't hide her disappointment.
Lucas nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Don't worry, I won't spill the beans. But why the secrecy? Afraid of a little attention?"
Lucas shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's not that big of a deal for me, but Jennifer... she's not quite ready for that kind of attention just yet."
"I get it," Taylor said, nodding in understanding. "I see. I've seen Jennifer before, and she's gorgeous. But now that I know she's your girlfriend, I'm even more curious about her." She couldn't help but feel a bit intrigued by the woman who had managed to capture Lucas's heart. He was such a talented guy, and she'd always thought he was single.
Lucas leaned in, changing the subject. "So, Taylor, since we're on the topic of personal lives, do you have a boyfriend?"
Taylor chuckled, "Are you serious? Would I be asking you out to dinner if I did?"
Lucas laughed awkwardly, "Oh, my bad."
"Actually," Taylor sighed, "I just got out of a relationship a few months ago."
Lucas nodded, "I see..."
"Yeah, I'm planning to write a song about it, though." Taylor said, trying to sound more upbeat than she felt.
"Really? Mind sharing some of it?" Lucas asked, genuinely interested.
Taylor shook her head, "Sorry, haven't written it yet. I'm still trying to process everything, and... well, every time I try to put my feelings into words, it just doesn't come out right."
Lucas nodded in understanding, "I get it. Breakups can be tough. Just take your time, the right words will come when they're ready."
Taylor nodded, and the silence between them stretched out for a moment before she spoke up again. "So, your songs are about heartbreak, right? I'm curious, who's the girl that inspired those songs? Is she an actress or something?"
Lucas chuckled dryly, "Actually, my first real relationship was with Jennifer."
"No way!" Taylor exclaimed, surprised. "You mean you've never experienced heartbreak before?"
Lucas laughed, "Well, I had some casual stuff in high school, but it was nothing serious. Just holding hands, no kissing or anything."
Taylor couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, you wrote those heartbreaking, sad songs based on just that? Puppy love?"
Lucas nodded, a bit embarrassed. "I know, I know. It felt like the end of the world back then. And yeah, my first real relationship was with Jennifer. I had some girlfriends in high school, but nothing serious. I can't even remember their faces that well now. I guess I just remember the feelings I had back then, but I know it wasn't really love."
Taylor couldn't believe it. She had always thought that Lucas, with his heart-wrenching songs, must have experienced more heartache than she had. But it turned out that she might have more relationship experience than him.
As Taylor looked at Lucas, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of songs he'd write if he ever experienced a heartbreak with Jennifer. If his high school puppy love could inspire such moving music, she shuddered to think what a real breakup would do to his creativity.
Little did she know that the stories Lucas shared were from his previous life, and he had only used them as an excuse.