by ArcticWaterDrake » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:52 pm
Thought I'd put my entry here
since it's pretty long. I hope you enjoy!
"Direct thoughts"
Emphasized word
Dream +Thoughts in the dream or Text
………………… Linebreak
All characters included in this story
are fake kalons made-up for this
story which feature nowhere
else.
by ArcticWaterDrake » Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:00 am
by ArcticWaterDrake » Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:06 am
Prompt wrote: “Wilt thee accept my hum-humblest declaration of l-love?” Delphin winced as his voice echoed throughout the vacant auditorium, while his co-lead, Belladonna, blinked in sympathy, but mercifully said nothing. Dammit. He thought he’d gotten that stutter under control. Of course, the faint sound of snickering which he could hear drifting out from behind the curtain probably didn’t help either, but there was nothing which could be done about that.
With a sigh of resignation, the dark-furred kalon dismounted the cardboard bridge he’d been standing on and padded sullenly backstage, whilst trying to blink back tears. As he walked, he stuck to the shadows—which would have hidden him well if not for the iridescent turquoise markings beside his eyes that so often gave him away—and tried to ignore the many pairs of eyes he could feel boring into his back, tracking his every movement like hawks did their prey. This was their final rehearsal. There would be no more second chances. He had to do perfect.
Belladonna whisked ahead of him without a second glance, no doubt in order to catch her friends before they left. She was nice, at least, compared to the others, but had no real interest in hanging around with him after rehearsal. It was fine, he reasoned. He understood. He wasn’t exactly ‘popular’ and he was okay with that.
Delphin tried not to hang his head too low as he passed by the last of his still giggling classmates and made his way out the door, choosing not to linger. After all, who exactly would he linger with?
Delphin made it all of about three steps down the hallway before a certain smiling visage appeared in his mind, and he suddenly had to suppress an uncharacteristic dopey grin while walking past an upperclassman in the halls. Evidently, he wasn’t even able to do that right, as the taller kalon wrinkled her nose and pointedly looked away from him whilst quickening her pace.
“At least she didn’t ask me what I’m thinking about,” he muttered under his breath.
Then his thoughts immediately jumped back to her, and ok, maybe he should just stop torturing himself by even imagining things. Still, the way she laughed at him as though she wasn’t making fun of him, but actually amused with him, and that cheeky grin she’d flashed after slipping him a note in class with her number and a message that simply read:
Hey, my name’s Prescia. Call me if you ever want to hang out? I’m available until 9.
That had to mean something, right?
He’d only called once though, and they’d had to cut the conversation short due to her mom calling her away to help with something. That had been two days ago. Surely she’d realized by now, after a few days in her new school’s environment, that he wasn’t someone she’d ever want to be seen with. As pretty as she was, she’d probably already been recruited into some clique with the other popular kalons, and that must be why she hadn’t called him back since.
That notion, realistic as it was, for some reason caused a spark of vexation to flare deep in Delphin’s chest. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite able to subdue it before he’d already thrown open the door to outside with such force that it hit the brick wall with a reverberating bang, causing him to flinch. Startled, he quickly swept his gaze across the schoolyard to make sure no one had seen him, and only ceased strangling his breath once he’d ascertained that the only group of kalons in sight—a tight-knit bunch sitting on the curb, laughing over something on one of their phones—hadn’t noticed him. “Best keep it that way.” He thought, then quickened his pace, heading in the direction of that out-of-the-way patch of grass he usually waited for the bus on whilst berating himself internally for the irrational outburst.
As soon as he’d gotten comfortable on the dirt, Delphin whipped out his phone, fearful of where his thoughts might drift if he didn’t have some way to distract himself. He was in the process of pulling up some funny cat videos on Yootoob when a text notification caught his eye. Without even pausing to read the sender, for the range of possibilities was hardly broad enough that he wouldn’t already know, he tapped the pop-up and watched as the message app loaded.
Once the accursed device had finally managed to get its act together and boot, Delphin began to scan the message. His eyes widened as he noted the sender was not in fact, his mom, as he’d originally suspected. Blue eyes bulged even further upon his recognizing the number.
Unknown number (Maybe: Prescia) - Just now
OMG im so so sososososooooooooooooo sorry for not calling you back. That thunderstorm two days ago hit the phone line near my house and they took 4ever to fix it. I meant to ask you at school, but u always seemed like u were in a hurry to go and I didn’t wanna make u late 4 something... Anyways erm, I was gonna ask if u wanted to hang out after school tomorrow? maybe we could go to that cafe on Spring Street so we could get to know each other better?? im not in any clubs yet bcuz it takes like a week to get accepted smh, so im available right after class lets out, but ur probably not, so… what clubs r u in? Maybe I could watch you!!! ;D
Delphin’s heart felt as though it might give out at any moment once he’d read the entire text message. She… wanted to hang out with him? He felt a little pang of guilt at the fact that he’d barely made eye contact with her these past few days. In truth, he’d just been trying to get out before his classmates started making fun of him again. He hadn’t imagined that she’d want anything to do with him, it’d been so long since he had any...friends…at school.
Still, though, even if this was all a covert plan to take some embarrassing photos of him with food smeared across his face and post them on social media, or kidnap him so she could sacrifice him to her gods, or something else which may not have been very likely to happen, but still seemed much more probable than another kalon his age genuinely wanting to hang out with him, he owed it to her to show up, so he began to type a confirmation.
Me - Just now
Oh, don’t worry about it. Srry for not talking to you, I really didn’t mean to ignore you… Delphin hesitated before tacking on, pls forgive me? I’m totally up for going to the cafe tomorrow. I’m in drama club, but we just had our last rehearsal today b4 the play this friday so we’re not rlly doing anything tomorrow. I guess its just to give everyone a rest and a chance to calm their nerves before the big day. I dont have my drivers license yet but I think the one ur talking abt is within walking distance of the school?
Delphin made a mental note to tell his parents he’d be late home from school tomorrow, even though they’d probably still be at work by the time he got home. Knowing his luck, those nosy neighbors would surely notice, then they’d tattle-tale on him and he’d never be able to convince Mom and Dad that he hadn’t been doing something illicit. Then, he closed the messaging app with a wistful sigh, noting that the bus should arrive any minute now.
And there it was, the offensively bright yellow seeming to burn a hole straight through the gloomy atmosphere, only to scorch his eyes with its intensity. Delphin moved to get up, only to notice while gathering his bags that the driver was getting out…?
Carefully edging closer, but not too directly as to draw attention to himself, Delphin tried to determine what was going on. Lucky for him, he didn’t have to eavesdrop for very long, as the tired looking driver proceeded to shout loud enough for the whole crowd of students to hear, “Sorry kids, there’s a problem with the suspension, so I can’t drive ya home until management comes with a separate vehicle and picks this one up.”
A collective groan, along with some mumbled expletives from the more irritable students.
“It should only be about an hour, or maybe forty-five minutes,” The driver said sympathetically, but with a somewhat tremulous voice, as if doubting this statement would ease the tension long enough for him to make his escape before the angry high-schoolers pounced on him. Predictably, his time estimate only served to irritate the students further, and even Delphin couldn’t suppress an audible huff of annoyance at the news.
“Come on. They didn’t seem to have any trouble driving here to tell us that. Why the hell can’t they take us home now and then get the suspension fixed? It’s not as if they’d have to drive very far!” He thought angrily to himself. Growling, he turned around and plopped back down in his customary dirt patch, then stared up at the cloudy sky, half hoping it might offer him some words of sympathy. The sky, of course, did not say anything in reply to his unspoken request.
Almost subconsciously, he found himself turning his phone back on after a short while to see if Prescia had texted back yet. A smile soon spread across his muzzle when he noticed that she had, and this time, he didn’t even think to repress it in case his classmates saw.
Prescia - 2 minutes ago
Great!! And dw ab it!! Ur totally fine. Sometimes im shy with new ppl too. Honestly, I’m not even sure how i worked up the courage to pass you that note on the first day of school!! thats so cool ur in drama club! im more of a painter myself, but I’ve always thought the costumes are so cool! do u make ur own costumes? Omg im so excited 4 tomorrow XD
Delphin giggled slightly at Prescia’s over-enthusiasm, which he could sense even through texts. Then he blinked rapidly as he caught himself. Oh gosh, had he done that out loud? He glanced around furtively, then soon had to avert his eyes to avoid meeting the gaze of a fuschia-turquoise furred kalon who’d been looking vaguely in his direction, as if they’d heard someone laughing but weren’t quite sure where the noise had come from. He gulped, and decided to go back to staring at his phone in the hopes they’d give up the search. Thankfully, after waiting a good minute or two, Delphin risked glancing upwards and noted that the multi-hued kalon had turned their attention back to their friend group. Then, he was drawn back to the device laying innocently in his palms with a cheery ding!, and began eagerly scanning the new text Prescia had sent him.
The two ended up texting for a full hour before the new bus finally arrived, and Delphin reluctantly sent her a message simply stating that he had to go. It wasn’t like he couldn’t text her while on the bus, but he really didn’t want any of his classmates looking over his shoulder and reading the messages, so he stuffed his phone in his backpack and trudged onwards, soon merging with the sea of students.
One of the bodies bumped his shoulder not so subtly, in a way that didn’t seem accidental at all. Nevertheless, Delphin muttered an apology, and received a poke in the eye for his trouble.
“Ow!” He exclaimed, involuntarily, then winced. He shouldn’t have spoken out.
The other kalon’s lips curled up in a sneer. “Watch where you’re going, nitwit!” he spat, then swept ahead of Delphin, thin tail slapping his muzzle in the process. Delphin rubbed his nose and resisted the urge to whimper at the pain.
While he sat in his usual seat—alone at the back of the bus, except for that orange, curly-haired kalon who always sat on the other row, tapping furiously away at some project or another on his high-end PC—Delphin attempted to pass the time by thinking about his plans for tomorrow. For the first time in ages, he felt a spark of hope that his new acquaintance wouldn’t turn out to be another brand-new bully. Still, he tried to rein in the feeling, as there was always a chance. A high one, most likely, judging by his current track record regarding “friends”. (A nice, square zero)
At last the bus had stopped and thrown open its doors to dump him out on the street.
There was a noticeable spring in Delphin’s step as he made his way home. In spite of everything that could (And probably would) go wrong, he was looking forward to tomorrow. He just hoped that the fluttery feeling in his chest was from happiness and not a stomach-ache.Little did he know it was love…
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Delphin sat up with a groan, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the unwelcome light, and fumbled for his phone so he could stop that incessant ringing from the alarm.
Still, he couldn’t fully shake his bleariness even as he stumbled through his morning routine. His parents had already left for work, he noted, as he shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and hurried out the door. If they’d already left by the time he’d made it downstairs, he must be running behind schedule. Delphin picked up the pace and rounded his street corner just in time to be met with the sight of the bus rolling in. He hopped on without stopping to breathe.
As he sat on the bus staring out the window, trying to drown out the other students’ noise by watching familiar scenery fly, Delphin attempted to calm his erratically beating heart by taking deep breaths. Try as he might, though, he couldn’t quite shake that floaty sort of tremor which seized him every time he thought about yesterday, and subsequently thought about today…
He changed strategies as they neared the school, and started asking himself frank questions in order to ease his anxiety.
“Why am I nervous? Prescia’s been nothing but nice to me since I’ve known her, and even if she decides she doesn’t like me today and never wants to hang out with me again, I’ll just be right back where I started…”
Delphin swallowed, and took another long, deep breath. Then his tenuous control was promptly shattered as a cackle reached his ears. Eyes flying back to the interior of the bus, he suddenly noticed that it was almost empty, except for a few stragglers and kalons who’d stayed behind to laugh at him spacing out. The source of the cackle was a lanky kalon he knew he had a few classes with, but who he’d never really spoken to, with a sharp-toothed sneer and hyena-like markings.
Chuckling from behind one tawny paw, he choked out a few words before turning to leave. “You sick, Delphy? Maybe you should have stayed home today. I’m sure no one would have, heh, minded,”
Delphin frowned, more at the unwelcome nickname than the content of his jeer, then scurried silently out of the bus before any of the others could join in.
When he arrived at his first class, though, a flash of pale fur caught his eye from within the classroom, and Delphin felt all his attempts to calm his nerves were in vain as his heart started beating itself against the inside of his chest once more, and his breath caught in his throat. He huffed and shook his mane, only resisting the urge to slap himself because he wasn’t alone. Of course, as was his luck, Prescia took that moment to turn around and meet his eyes before he’d finished composing himself, and a broad grin split her face.
Perhaps if he hadn’t been so flustered, Delphin might have noticed the faint blush on her cheeks as well…
She called out to him from across the room, “Hey Delphy! Oh my gosh, is it okay if I call you that? Sorry I have a habit of making up nicknames for people, ha-ha. What’s up?”
Delphin felt his stomach drop as multiple heads swiveled towards them like owls homing in on a prone rodent. He gulped, but nevertheless shyly waved back. After sitting down at his desk, conveniently located right next to hers, he smiled awkwardly back and said, “H-hey Prescia. I’m good, just a little bit tired, heh, chemistry’s been kicking my a—behind,” He felt his face heat up at the near slip of the tongue, but Prescia only laughed, seemingly immune to the host of judgmental spectators surrounding them. Her easygoing attitude made him relax a little bit, so much so that he added, almost as an afterthought, “And it’s fine if you call me Delphy. I kind of like it, at least, coming from you,”
Then their homeroom teacher sauntered in, and classes commenced.
Later on, during lunch break, Delphin would sincerely wonder whether he was going to die from an acute case of fatal embarrassment.
“...I kind of like it, at least, coming from you,”
He had sworn long ago that he wouldn’t let theater club seep into his regular life like some kalons did, but here he was, being ridiculous and dramatic in front of a girl he’d barely just met and they were just friends and—
Someone slid in the seat next to him, and Delphin froze. Time seemed to slow down as he turned his head to see who was here to torment him today. He had thought maybe he could get away with eating in the actual cafeteria this time if he sat at an out-of-the way table by himself, but it looked like he was wrong…
Prescia flicked him on the nose, not unkindly, but it still made him flinch as he was abruptly yanked back into the real world and made aware of his surroundings.
She frowned. “Are you okay, Delphy? You kinda spaced out there for a second, sorry I flicked you…”
Oh god, his face was on fire. The symptoms were progressing.
“I-i-it’s um, it’s fine,”—He winced as his voice cracked—”Sometimes I just get a little lost in my own thoughts, thinking about what’s next today or tomorrow,”
Prescia’s face lit up, and Delphin had to blink and look away while he tried to fix his face. What was wrong with him today? Why was he so… frazzled?
“That’s right! You have your play tomorrow, right? What time is it, what room is it in? The auditorium, I’m guessing? I need to see it! Oh my gosh are you gonna wear a cute costume, is there gonna be singing, will you guys have snacks—”
Delphin just sat there awkwardly as she shot him rapid-fire questions for a minute or more, until at last he cleared his throat and squeaked out the vital details for her, though he purposefully neglected to answer whether or not he was going to wear a “cute costume”.
Prescia almost seemed embarrassed as she apologized for rambling, then stuffed a big bite of food in her mouth in a show of shutting up. For lack of anything better to do, Delphin began to eat as well.
Sometime about halfway through the hour, Prescia took out her phone, but instead of hopping on social media like Delphin had expected, she opened up the photos app and turned to him, sheepishly rubbing her neck. “Um, since we were talking about your drama club and all, do you… do you want to see some of my art, I mean, I know it’s kind of weird, and it’s okay if not,”
“Sure, I’d love to see some,” Delphin cut her off, faintly surprising himself with his own audacity.
They spent the rest of lunch break looking through her artwork, and ended up scrambling out the door after each dumping half their lunch into the garbage, because they had gotten distracted and now they were late.
Somehow, even after they parted ways and Delphin was harshly scolded by his art history teacher whose irate gaze normally rattled him, he couldn’t manage to wipe that persistent little smile on his face away, nor silence his rapidly beating heart. Mrs. Hexen narrowed her eyes and gave a breathy snort to hide her genuine confusion regarding his behaviour, before turning to the rest of the class and beginning the lecture.
Delphin found it hard to pay attention and take notes as his mind kept drifting back to his conversation with Prescia, or one of the art pieces she’d shown him, or their planned outing to that cafe after school.
By the end of his seemingly eternities long school day, Delphin was practically vibrating, and didn’t even bother trying to hide how he sprinted out of last period without grabbing a copy of the worksheet they were supposed to take home, earning a few curious glares in his wake. WIthin seconds, he had met up with Prescia at the school’s front gate, and they were on their way, walking side-by-side.
If the atmosphere felt a little bit warmer than usual in their vicinity, or if either of the two companions found themselves tripping over their own feet with an uncanny frequency, they simply blamed it on bad luck and kept moving until they reached their destination.
A hand-painted sign which read “Lily Cafe” swung lazily overhead in the slight breeze as the two entered the establishment, and a cheery tinkling could be heard from the door’s bell.
It didn’t take long for Prescia and Delphin to catch a waiter’s attention after they’d seated themselves at a table near the window. Delphin had to turn his menu away from the sun in order to read it, as the powerful rays reflected off its laminated surface in a manner almost blinding. Prescia clicked her tongue absentmindedly as she scanned over her own.
Despite the easy way they’d talked during lunch and yesterday, Delphin found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable as the gap in conversation between them stretched wider and wider. Logically, he knew that Prescia was simply focused on choosing something from the menu, and he’d probably just made a mistake by picking something for himself so quickly, which he’d done because he didn’t want to annoy her with taking too long and now he was the one making it awkward—
Suddenly, a giggle hailing from the real world cut through the haze of his spiral, and soon it had turned into a full fledged laugh. Delphin glanced up startledly to see Prescia half-slumped on the table, and immediately returned to panicking. Was she hurt? What had happened? Was she having a heart attack and oh no he didn’t know any first-aid at all he knew he should’ve taken health as his elective instead of home economics!
It was only when she raised her head that Delphin realized the laughter was coming from Prescia. She pointed at him—or the space above him, he couldn’t really tell with the way her arm was wavering due to the bouts of laughter—and choked out something incoherent.
Still in a state of half-bewilderment, the most Delphin could manage was an eloquent “Huh?”
“Your—” Prescia wheezed, “Your hair! Wait, hold still, don’t move an inch. I have to have a picture of this,”
Instinctively, Delphin reached up to touch his head. What was wrong with his hair? Had he forgotten to brush it this morning? Now that he had been made aware that there was an issue with his hair of all things, he suddenly felt as though something heavy was weighing him down from the head. However, Prescia suddenly stayed his hand at the last moment, before he could sate his burning curiosity, and he’d’ve had half a mind to jerk it out of her grip if it weren’t for the peculiar jitter which seized him and the sudden flush in his cheeks. Pondering the possible reasons for such a reaction only caused his cheeks to heat up further as he began to stammer disjointedly, halfway caught between an exclamation of indignation and a frantic apology. He may not have been very well versed in social interaction, but he’d participated in enough drama productions to have an inkling of what was happening to him. He felt idiotic for not realizing it sooner.
Before he could fully gather his racing thoughts, though, Prescia had shoved her phone into his paws, and his heart seized as he nearly fumbled the device and dropped it on the ground. Just as soon as he’d caught his breath though, the image on the screen sent the offending vital organ of the day into a state of extreme alarm once more.
With a trembling paw he reached up to gently poke what sat on his head, and Prescia did not try to stop him this time, though even if she had wanted to, she probably wouldn’t have been able to seeing as she was currently doubled over cackling.
“There’s a cat. On my head.” Delphin stated blandly. For a theater kalon, this reaction seemed rather underwhelming, but Prescia didn’t seem to think so as she howled in laughter. At this point, several patrons were staring at them, though their disconcerted expressions were soon replaced by smiles as they took account of the situation.
“I hadn’t realized this was a cat cafe.” The contented orange feline’s fluffy seat said dazedly. Said feline mrowed what was probably a mocking reply.
Delphin did not attempt to remove the animal, as he reasonably valued his life. Its claws were uncomfortably close to eyes, he noted, while the cat stretched ostentatiously without losing its balance. Why was he here again?
Prescia smirked at him, a faint blush clouding her cheeks. Ah, right. Yes. Delphin’s right brain then decided to pass an executive order vetoing any and all thoughts pertaining to the concept of having a crush. He was okay with this action on his right brain’s behalf, he decided, as the waiter arrived with their food, and nearly dropped the plates when he saw the predicament which Delphin was in. Luckily he regained his balance quickly and gave them their food before running off to disappear behind the ‘employees only’ door again.
Delphin tried to ignore the fact that his voice sounded several octaves above its normal level as he quipped, “Should I order a third plate for our…friend...or…?”
Prescia snorted, “Sure, and while you’re at it, get me some popcorn. I’d like to see how feeding a cat on your head turns out.”
The type of delirious confidence only brought about by adrenaline was all that was keeping Delphin alive as he continued making jokes throughout their meal, trying to earn a laugh or two from his companion for each one. With as high of a success rate as he was having, he’d figured he’d won the game by the time they got up to leave.
Delphin’s smug, mischievous hat at last decided to end his torture, and pounced off onto the table then to the floor, eliciting a sigh of relief from its rather put-upon wearer.
“Little devil…” He muttered.
Prescia, who’d somehow managed to pay the bill despite his vehement protests, pressed a paw to her chest in mock-offense. “How dare you speak about little Snookies like that? Don’t you have any respect for your own child?”
“My what?”
“Well, we’ve basically adopted him, haven’t we?” She said. Prescia seemed to notice what she was unintentionally implying a moment later, but her choked clarification, or confirmation, or whatever she was going to say (Delphin was not so sure he wanted to find out) was cut off as a third voice interrupted them.
“I hope you enjoyed your date! Thanks for choosing us!” The oblivious host called after them as they passed over the door’s threshold.
Delphin wasn’t the only one who choked on air at that.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The stage creaked ominously each time he set down a paw, but still he continued walking. He tried to ignore the sticky sheen of sweat forming on his forehead and dripping off his nose, but thinking about it only seemed to hasten the perspiration.
His foot hit a knot in the boards, and he stumbled. Laughs that were more akin to wicked cackles than anything light-hearted filled the air as he struggled to rise.
At last, with a wildly beating heart and ears flat against his head in shame, he ascended the cardboard bridge. His co-lead was staring down at him from an impossible height, eyes narrowed in scorn. When had she grown so much taller than him?
Unable to bear the scrutiny, his gaze flickered to the audience. A wild, desperate hope that they might offer him some support—just enough that he might stand and not fall down—fluttered around his pounding head, but when he met their eyes, the only emotion which could be discerned from them was hate.
His parents were noticeably absent from the crowd. It wasn’t like he had expected them to show up anyways, but still his heart sank further.
He saw Prescia among them, wearing the same expression of scorn as the others, and felt a pang of betrayal.
He prepared to say his lines. “Just get it over with, Delphin. I’m the last act, anyways, so if I sprint as soon as it’s over I can get out of here without talking to anyone.” He thought. But for some reason, his mouth wouldn’t open. His jaw was locked, and so were his knees.
Belladonna frowned and bared her teeth. “You’ve ruined it for me! How am I supposed to shine when my own co-star is an incompetent worm?”
Tears gathered in his eyes, but before he could muster a response, another voice cut through the dreadful silence. It was coming from catwalks.
“All that work, all that time spent practicing and learning, and to think my talent is being wasted on this failure of a show!” Ranted a kalon whom he knew to be the technical director. “And it’s all thanks to you!” The jab pierced him like a poniard.
More shouts arose from the crowd, from backstage, and from within his own throbbing head, declaring their complaints and burdening him with the blame. He wanted to argue, to say, to scream, “It’s not my fault!” but once again, his voice was failing him.
All he could do was collapse under the weight of their contempt, and wonder if they were right.
Was he really just a failure?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Delphin woke up with a start, breathing so heavily one would’ve thought he’d just run a marathon, and with one paw clutching his throbbing head. He groaned. This wasn’t the first time he’d had nightmares before a play, but that didn’t make it any easier. Well, at least he knew how to cope, he reasoned, as he shakily pushed himself up into a seated position, before sliding (falling) out of bed.
He hopped up from the floor with a faux burst of energy, trying to reinvigorate himself. Unfortunately, the effect was marginal, so he at last let out the heavy sigh he’d been holding in and checked the clock. 4:53 a.m. it read.
“It could’ve been worse. At least I made it past three this time.”
The first order of business was to tiptoe quietly down the stairs and to the kitchen. After taking a pain pill for his head, he scrambled back to his room with habitual stealth.
He was feeling much better after taking a shower and getting dressed, almost good enough to be considered normal, when his phone dinged from where it sat on the dresser. Hastily grabbing it, he noticed that it was a message from Prescia. A long, scrolling, rambly one at that.
Glancing at the clock, he noted that because he had woken up so early, he still had an hour left before the bus arrived to fill as he pleased.
He cast a hesitant glance to his still-unfinished chemistry homework. Yeah, no. He quickly averted his eyes, instead choosing to open the message.
He smirked as he read through it and began typing a reply. They chatted for some time, but eventually, Prescia said she had to go. She must live farther away from the school than him, he realized, as he still had another twenty minutes before he needed to leave.
Before logging off, though, Prescia sent him one more text.
Prescia - Just Now
And good luck with your play today!! I know you’re gonna do great.
if you’re up for it, we should totally go to that cafe again afterwards.
There was a long pause following the message, but before Delphin could close his phone, suddenly the typing… symbol caught his eye, so he waited just a bit longer.
Prescia - Just Now
If you impress me, mayhaps we could make it a “date” this time. : )
She logged off immediately after sending that, leaving Delphin all alone to deal with an acute case of apoplexy. He seemed to have a fever as well, judging by the way his face felt like it was on fire.
“Maybe I should call a doctor. No, I’m too young to die. I’m not made for this range of emotions, my poor body can’t handle it. Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” He murmured deliriously.
Delphin took several minutes to calm himself and gather his thoughts. He was fine. Maybe Prescia was joking, and he was just being a total idiot.
“But what if she isn’t?” A little voice whispered in the back of his mind.
Delphin huffed, grabbing his school bags and slinging them over his shoulder.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to do amazing,” He grinded out in response to the voice, despite his sweaty neck and trembling knees.
Maybe it sounded a little ridiculous, and probably like something out of a little kits’ show—but he didn’t care.
He had a kalon to impress.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Delphin would have found it onerous to attempt to work on a group project with his two “partners” any day of the week, but today it seemed more of an ordeal than ever.
In addition to the obvious nervousness on his part, partner #1 was slumped over in their chair hiding their phone under the table, and the other hated his guts and was refusing to speak to him because he’d apparently looked at them wrong this morning. Delphin knew it was no use asking the teachers to reassign partners. They’d just admonish him for being ‘whiny’ and tell him that he needs to learn to get along with all kinds of different kalons.
Delphin sighed, indulging himself with a moment to rest his face in his paws, then tried to get back to work. He really did try to push the upcoming play out of his mind, but it was extremely difficult not to think about it, especially considering the text he’d received this morning and left on read. Honestly, right now he just wanted to curl up into a ball and not move for the rest of the day.
No, he wouldn’t let himself panic and mess up. He couldn’t. He had to do his very best, just like always.
Still, he cringed as he thought about the costume he’d be wearing. Were the sleeves always that puffy? Were the pants always that obnoxiously bright color?
Prescia winked at him in lunch that day, then sat down across from him at his usually lonely table just like yesterday. However, the conversation didn’t seem to flow as easily between them as they both avoided direct eye contact and stammered through mundane topics. Delphin hated to admit it, but he almost felt relieved when the bell rang and it was back to classes.
How was he going to survive today?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Delphin straightened his costume for the umpteenth time, wishing he’d left class early so he could’ve ironed it again. There were wrinkles everywhere, he must look utterly ridiculous.
Something clapped down on his shoulder, and Delphin flinched, but when he whipped around to see who it was, it turned out it was only Belladonna. She smiled kindly at him. “Hey, don’t worry about today. You’ll do great.” She snorted, before adding, “Anyways, it’s only a high school play. Not like you’re on broadway.”
Delphin smiled back half-heartedly and thanked her, before turning away to face the right entrance. The sounds of audience members shuffling, and then at last, the piercing scream of a horn as the signal for the play to begin filled his ears. He shifted back and forth on his toes, ears flicking in apprehension. It wasn’t long before he’d have to make his first appearance.
Suddenly a thought hit him which filled him with dread. What if Prescia had gotten lost and wasn’t in the audience? He should’ve led her here, but he was in such a hurry after his last class ran late and—
Face it, fool. You were purposefully avoiding her because you’re scared. And now it’s all your fault she won’t be here!
His shoulders slumped as he tried to hold back tears. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast looked on with troubled gazes.
“I hope he’s okay…” One said.
“He better be. If he blows this now, I won’t be able to show my face in public for a week!”
Delphin sniffed, trying to think of things that would boost his confidence.
“Supportive parents might help,” The cynical part of his brain supplied.
“Not helping!” He thought back as loudly as he could. Could thoughts be loud, or was volume in one’s own mind just an illusion? The dilemma inadvertently alleviated some of his fear as he couldn’t help but snort at the thought of someone thinking so loud that other kalons could hear them.
Then the onstage actor uttered his que, and Delphin took a deep breath. He could do this. This wasn’t the first time.
He stepped out on stage.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The play was a simple one, written by the students themselves, but undoubtedly took inspiration from many common fairy tales. A Prince wishes to meet a princess again after once seeing her at a ball, but the kingdom from which she hails is distant, and the journey to reach it fraught with danger. The Prince’s father, the King, forbids him from going, but despite this, the prince sneaks out of his castle under the cover of darkness that night.
The route is perilous, just as the King stated it would be, but the Prince presses onward even as its numerous tribulations test his strength, willpower, and determination. At last he reaches the distant kingdom, though by now his clothes are torn and his fur so caked with mud that he looks more like a vagabond than any prince. He may as well be now, seeing as he has abandoned his throne.
Eventually, whilst wandering the capital, trying to think up a plan for how he could find the princess again, and convince her to speak with him, the Prince runs into her by chance on a bridge overlooking a small stream. Not pausing to determine whether or not she recognizes him, he immediately kneels before her and says,
“Through most grandiose trials and tribulations hath I persevered, all with respect to my sole object of meeting thee here, my princess. Self-flatterings cast aside though, most high one, wilt thee accept my humblest declaration of love?”
…
Delphin knew that according to the script, he was supposed to look into Belladonna’s eyes—or at least in her general direction—as he said his final line, so that to the audience, it would seem romantic. However, although he was usually perfect at following the script, today something, or more accurately, someone else drew his eyes away from his co-lead and towards the crowd.
Thankfully, it took less than a second for him to find who he was looking for. His breath caught in his throat as he locked eyes with her, and despite the dreadful nervousness which her presence had caused him earlier, this time he felt like he was floating on air, confidence buoyed up by an indescribable lightness. Up until then, Delphin’s smiles had been forced facsimiles—just convincing enough to fool the audience. But in comparison to the expression which lit up his visage now, they appeared nothing less than rictuses.
Out of the corner of his eye, Delphin saw Belladonna lips’ turn down in confusion, eyebrows furrowed as she surreptitiously glanced out amidst the audience to find the source of his distraction. However, he did not heed her pointed glance and head-tilt urging him back to the set. He knew he’d have to explain to her afterwards what that was all ‘bout!, and he was already dreading the thought.
Instead of dwelling on it, though, Delphin took a single step forward, now facing in Prescia’s direction. His face burned as he broke script and noticed a few raised eyebrows amidst the spectators, and his legs felt sweaty and weak. Nevertheless, he kneeled, and raised his voice so that it might carry out to reach her ears.
“Through most grandiose trials and tribulations hath I persevered, all with respect to my sole object of meeting thee here, my princess. Self-flatterings cast aside though, most high one, wilt thee accept my humblest declaration of love?”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Baffled, flustered, and not a mite bit annoyed, Belladonna followed her co-lead’s gaze to hopefully see why the heck he was deviating from the script. She knew he knew by heart all the correct cues and actions, especially for the most important scene. He was honestly obsessive over getting everything perfect. So why was he ignoring her completely?
About three rows back from the front, a pale-furred kalon who’d she’d seen recently in passing and knew as a new student was rubbing her one paw against her eyes with the other held to her mouth. “Is she okay?” Belladonna wondered absentmindedly.
She looked back at Delphin, and this time studied his expression. Casting a quick glance between the two, the sleuth soon had all the evidence she needed to piece together a conclusion.
Her irritated frown disappeared to be replaced by a gentle, genuine smile. Chuckling under breath, she turned her gaze to the ceiling and studied the rafters as she waited for him to finish his final line so she could say hers.
Still, it felt undeniably hollow as she uttered the words of confirmation. Her words echoed throughout the auditorium and were surely heard by all, but seemed out of place to those who’d caught on.
Belladonna smiled fondly as she watched Delphin scurry off the stage, tail-between-legs and with a tomato-red face. He may have been a skilled actor, but offstage, he was about as graceful as a turtle stuck on its back.
She made her way backstage as well to await the curtain call.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Prescia almost spit out her tea while watching the old recording. That last line was so needlessly wordy, not to mention ridiculous. Still, she smiled fondly at the memory of those vivid emotions she had felt while watching him. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
Of course, Delphin took that moment to enter the room, coffee cup in one hand, and textbook tucked under the other arm. She bit her lip as she tracked the movements of his mug, which he held in one paw and was sloshing dangerously close to her computer!
“Delphy, watch where you sling that thing!” She yelped as a stray drop of the ‘brown life-giving liquid’ as he called it, separated from the whole and flew through the air, only to land back in the same cup with a plop as he flashed her a cheeky smile.
“Just keeping you on your toes,” He hummed and at last stood still.
Prescia snorted “You, mister thinks-he’s-hot-stuff, need to get a reality check, because—”
“Hey, what are you watching there?”
Prescia darted to slam her laptop shut, but was just a millisecond too late.
“Hey! Delphy, honey, nooo! Wait! Give that back!” She swiped for the device, but Delphin managed to evade her as he held it up in the air to take a peek. It took him a second, but once he realized what it was, the tips of his ears turned red. She was reasonably sure the rest of his face was similarly colored, but couldn’t see it from her angle.
Prescia smirked wryly. Payback.
“Presciaaa, why are you watching this? It’s old and embarrassing.” He made a high-pitched keening sound as the audio restarted playing aloud, likely due to an accidental keyboard click he’d made while grabbing the device.
She knew this would be his reaction. He always got flustered so easily. Heck, they had been in a relationship for four years now, and he still froze up whenever she introduced him as her boyfriend, or now, fiancé (She’d been the one to pop the question, mind you, and god, she wished she’d gotten that moment on camera. His face!).
Delphin turned to her with a strained expression. Had she been anyone else, she might have mistaken it for pure mortification. But Prescia knew her fiancé better than that. He was embarrassed, no doubt about it, but there was also love in those eyes.
Prescia started laughing, and before long, Delphin had joined in with his own low chuckling. She grabbed his paw and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling the side of his neck. She could feel his heart beating a strong pulse through their joined grip.
She was glad he’d won her over in the end.
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