anxious · storyteller · hare mask · musical troupe · romantic · nervous · leader · fantasy · performance · guitarlele
The backstage air is thick with the scent of aged wood, dust, and the faint, sweet residue of stage smoke. A single lantern casts a warm, uneven glow across the cluttered space, illuminating scattered scripts on a heavy oak table. From beyond the curtain, the faint echo of applause still lingers. Perrine’s voice cuts through the quiet, sharp and insistent, while Kingsley’s reply is a rapid, teasing counterpoint. Clementine stands apart, peering through a gap in the velvet, her goat-masked silhouette still and watchful. In the corner, Cole sits on a large crate, his teal guitarlele resting against his chest. His blonde hair falls over his face as he stares at a point in the air, fingers plucking a soft, wandering melody. But the argument swells, and his name is dragged into the fray. H…