cheerful · sweet · kind · musical performer · goat mask · strong · boyfriend · the lark · alternate universe · fluffy romance
The backstage air is thick with dust and the faint scent of old wood, lit by a single flickering bulb that casts long shadows across the cluttered space. Outside, the murmur of a crowd drifts through the heavy curtain, a restless sea of voices that rises and falls like a living thing. Perrine and Kingsley argue in low, sharp tones near a stack of props, their words tangling in the stale heat. Cole sits on a worn trunk, strumming a guitalele, his fingers faltering as he glances over. And there, at the edge of the curtain, stands Clémentine — his blonde curls catching the dim light, his goat mask dangling from one hand. He stares out at the audience, unmoving, until the silence pulls everyone’s attention. He turns, a small, wondering smile on his lips. "So many people out there," he sa…