Something's telling me that to save myself
I might have to go and sedate myself
And join the reverie
----
Curtis sat nervously at his desk while he waited for class to start. His laptop, studio headphones, and MIDI keyboard were carefully set before him as he considered them, along with the fur that he now felt on his neck and shoulder. A week ago, he would have never been able to predict any of these with the exception of the laptop. Introduction to Music Theory? He was certain he hadn't enrolled in this class. And yet, the female marten working at the book store still passed him the packages. She'd even offered to print out his schedule.
Anthro 101, Introduction to Music Theory, Drama 101? What did any of these have to do with Political Science? Well, Anthro 101 made sense based on his situation, and it had been a LOT to take in--he'd taken so many notes between 'WTF?' side-glances at the guys. He'd have to go talk to his Student Counselor at some point. Maybe he was just fulfilling Liberal Arts Electives or something? Regardless, he didn't want to do anything to negatively impact his grade if he ended up not dropping the courses. At the very least he would keep the headphones--they fit his new ears perfectly.
The fur situation also made sense, though it was an interesting coincidence that it all seemed to be coming in where Ollie had taken to resting his arm as they became increasingly close. After their Chai kiss, they'd been nigh inseparable aside from sleeping. While Milo lost himself in the shoot yesterday, Curtis had been more than content to just watch while leaning into the sheep. It was comfortable and just...made sense? It was strange but welcome, along with the growing affinity he felt towards the other guys.
For now.
In the end he hadn't taken off more than his shirt when it came to be his turn in the hot-seat. He didn't have any relevant changes, anyway, aside from his tail. Though seeing the pictures afterwards encouraged him. Milo had a talent and Ollie was insistent. With the fur sprouting up everywhere, who even knew what he might be missing? It was all so overwhelming, though. Maybe he'd have to take Shro up on his offer. Just to take the edge off. Anxiety is a bitch.
"Alright, let's get started. Welcome, everyone. My name is Professor Bergling." His teacher looked like a cross between a grey-ish brown chipmunk and a squirrel--more of a squirrel. Though his tail wasn't as bushy as Curtis would have expected. What even was the etiquette of asking about species and tail bushiness? He wore thick-rimmed glasses and a cardigan over jeans tailored to fit his legs. Curtis had thought him to be another student when he walked in, he looked so young.
"Today I want to go over some basics, but mostly I want you to start exploring the equipment. This will be a very hands-on curriculum, because I think music should be felt as much as memorized and theorized. We live in technological times, so why not take advantage of it? Who hasn't had a chance to pick up their equipment yet?" Curtis looked around as a couple of hands raised. His classmates appeared to be mostly freshmen in various stages of their changes. There were a few fully anthropomorphic students as well, though it wasn't clear whether they were locals or upper-classmen. "I think I have enough extra keyboards for today, but please make sure to stop by and grab them tonight or you won't be able to finish your homework."
With that Bergling began. He started by explaining the basics of rhythm, even forcing the class to clap along with the various patterns he wrote on the whiteboard. It all felt ridiculous, but Curtis found himself getting into it as he laughed along when the class would fuck up a particularly challenging set. "We're going to stick to whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests for now, until we get more comfortable. But just wait until we add the dots," he winked, "Now let's add some melody to these patterns."
The next portion of class was spent learning the names of the various notes on the treble clef. "The spaces spell face - 'F-A-C-E'. The lines are a bit more difficult but you can remember it with a simple mnemonic device the canines here will appreciate: 'Every Good Boy Does Fine - E-G-B-D-F.' I see that tail, Curtis. I bet you won't forget that one anytime soon." Normally this type of attention would have mortified Curtis, but he was surprised as he laughed in response. He was even further surprised as he pointed obviously to his tail as he wagged it a bit for show. "I recommend using flash-cards to practice these. There will be a quiz tomorrow. But! Now's the fun part. Let's put them together."
Bergling pulled down the white screen and flipped off the lights after plugging in his computer, which projected so they could all see. "This program is called a DAW: a Digital Audio Workstation. We'll be using Ableton, but there are several options depending on your preference. It allows us to control instruments and timing." He pulled up a window and began to click along the bracketed squares, once every four. "So if I add a kick, for instance, in quarter notes..." He pushed play and a drum played the basic pattern. "But I can add on top of that. Let's add a snare. A quarter note every other beat. And let's add some high hats for texture. Eighth notes." He pressed play again and Curtis leaned forward with interest. The resulting beat was basic but incredibly compelling as his tail started to wag again. "Now let's add some chords, yeah?"
-
Curtis was engrossed as he clumsily plotted patterns and played basic chords on his keyboard. The options available were endless, but instead of feeling overwhelmed he felt driven. That he could make something however menial with such immediate feedback? It was an incredible feeling and he was already addicted. There was so much potential here and he couldn't get enough as his oversize tongue hung lazily out of his mouth in a derpy concentrated expression.
A gentle tap on his shoulder made him jump and he took off his headphones. "Hey, class is over, Curtis. Well done today." He looked around to see that he and Professor Bergling were the only two left in the classroom. His ears splayed, but he nodded and started to put his stuff away.
"Thank you, Professor. I honestly can't wait for our next class! This is so cool!" He grinned and his tail wagged in earnest.
The squirrel nodded and smiled back supportively. "You're catching on quickly, Curtis. I expect great things from you already. I'll see you next class."
As he adjusted his backpack and stepped out of the room, Curtis noticed that the skin on his fingers and palms were beginning to thicken and grow dark--the beginnings of his paw-pads. He couldn't wait to tell Ollie about his class.
----
Everything else will work itself out
Everything else will work itself out
Everything else will work its-