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"One minute to curtain!"
The familiar sound of the orchestra tuning up filled Alex's ears as the last seconds ticked down. Warm applause greeted the conductor, followed a moment later by the first notes. The dancers in the initial scene made their way onto the stage. Alex nearly followed, but stopped herself with a jerk. Her cue had not come yet.
"You've done all the rehearsals in both roles, you can do this," the snow leopard muttered to herself.
It was the classic story. The star was sick, and it was down to the understudy to save the day. Alex was doing her best not to worry - not about forgetting the steps, but lapsing back into her steps as a member of the ensemble. Even a junior role in the ensemble would be beyond her reach if she messed this up.
After an eternity, her cue finally came. Swallowing, she strode out onto the stage, following the steps she had practiced time and again. All went as it should have gone. No motions out of place, no tripping over co-stars.
And then came the big test: her variation towards the end of Act One. The other members of the company pulled back, giving her the stage. The snow leopard's anxiety spiked, plateauing through the first few steps. Soon, however, she relaxed, letting the music guide her through the steps. One note after the next, not a step out of place. She could do this. She would do this.
The music built into a frenzy as it reached the climax of the routine. She held her pose on the last note, chest heaving for breath. The beat of her heart almost drowned out the rapturous applause of the audience, their warmth washing over her...
Eight-year-old Alex stirred in her bed. The room was stuffy, and she shoved her duvet down to the footboard.
'Mom must have turned the heat on,' she thought.
She cast a glance at her alarm clock, revealing it was a little after four in the morning. Still plenty of time before she had to get up again. Slipping out of bed, she tiptoed over to the window, opening it a crack and admitting some late autumn air into her room. Her tail swept along her desk chair on her way back to bed, brushing against the ballet shoes hanging off the back.
Climbing back into bed, she grabbed her new favourite plushie close: a white mouse in a pink dance outfit, a present from her uncle for her birthday the day before. Holding the mouse close, she soon drifted back to sleep, dreaming of the spotlight once again.
Been wanting to write a suitable story for this pic for a while, and inspiration finally arrived in time to upload this on Alex's birthday.
Art by J.L. Briere. No original upload.
The familiar sound of the orchestra tuning up filled Alex's ears as the last seconds ticked down. Warm applause greeted the conductor, followed a moment later by the first notes. The dancers in the initial scene made their way onto the stage. Alex nearly followed, but stopped herself with a jerk. Her cue had not come yet.
"You've done all the rehearsals in both roles, you can do this," the snow leopard muttered to herself.
It was the classic story. The star was sick, and it was down to the understudy to save the day. Alex was doing her best not to worry - not about forgetting the steps, but lapsing back into her steps as a member of the ensemble. Even a junior role in the ensemble would be beyond her reach if she messed this up.
After an eternity, her cue finally came. Swallowing, she strode out onto the stage, following the steps she had practiced time and again. All went as it should have gone. No motions out of place, no tripping over co-stars.
And then came the big test: her variation towards the end of Act One. The other members of the company pulled back, giving her the stage. The snow leopard's anxiety spiked, plateauing through the first few steps. Soon, however, she relaxed, letting the music guide her through the steps. One note after the next, not a step out of place. She could do this. She would do this.
The music built into a frenzy as it reached the climax of the routine. She held her pose on the last note, chest heaving for breath. The beat of her heart almost drowned out the rapturous applause of the audience, their warmth washing over her...
* * *Eight-year-old Alex stirred in her bed. The room was stuffy, and she shoved her duvet down to the footboard.
'Mom must have turned the heat on,' she thought.
She cast a glance at her alarm clock, revealing it was a little after four in the morning. Still plenty of time before she had to get up again. Slipping out of bed, she tiptoed over to the window, opening it a crack and admitting some late autumn air into her room. Her tail swept along her desk chair on her way back to bed, brushing against the ballet shoes hanging off the back.
Climbing back into bed, she grabbed her new favourite plushie close: a white mouse in a pink dance outfit, a present from her uncle for her birthday the day before. Holding the mouse close, she soon drifted back to sleep, dreaming of the spotlight once again.
Been wanting to write a suitable story for this pic for a while, and inspiration finally arrived in time to upload this on Alex's birthday.
Art by J.L. Briere. No original upload.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Portraits
Species Snow Leopard
Size 950 x 1213px
File Size 1.01 MB
Listed in Folders
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