Riel waited impatiently behind the closed curtains. The previous Hymn had swished through these curtains ages ago, it seemed. She flicked an ear in annoyance. Finally, a purple Hymn made her way through the opening and Riel's name was called.
In a slow, graceful manner that hid her eagerness, Riel rose from a sitting position to stand on her dainty paws. Luxuriously, she shook out her threadlike wings and swished her tail into its rightful place: gently poised in a perfect curve behind her. After making sure that each blue and silver sparke shimmered properly, Riel looked up confidently and stepped onto the catwalk.
Immediately, the stage lights reflected off of the sparkles on her fur as well as the glacial white color behind them. Riel paused for a bit just after emerging from the curtains so the audience could take in the full affect of her entrance. Then, she began her walk. The Hymn padded, catlike, towards the three judges. Her head was held high and proudly, her wings were partially open and flowing, and her tail was undulating gracefully behind her with the movements of her walk. When she reached the end, Riel turned to her side to pose. She turned her face to the sky and spread her wings, letting the blue threads cascade around her. With a swirl of her tail, Riel turned a full 360 degrees around to show off every line of fur, every shimmer, every slow, elegant movement. After the display, Riel returned towards the opening in the curtains, making sure to keep her motions graceful and her tail poised. Just as she reached the folds of heavy fabric, she paused, turned towards the audience with a small smile, and slipped through.
She returned backstage half-blinded by the stage lights, thirsty from the heat, confident that she had made her mark.