First it comes on quiet, creeping slow
Curtis woke with a yawn as he stretched. It took him a moment to remember that he wasn't in his own bed despite Ollie being gone. He barely remembered the sheep kissing him goodbye before heading to work. Barton still hadn't made an appearance so they'd opted for some privacy, not that Shro minded either way. His roommate was actually pretty cool.
Ollie seemed to feel better after talking to Felix, who checked out his leg and explained a bit more about his experience with the changes they were undergoing. Aside from the soreness, Ollie was still able to move his leg and nothing seemed broken so they'd agreed to re-examine things the next day. The raccoon RA didn't recommend any more running for the time being however, at least until the sheep's other foot changed. He also provided a couple of contacts for Ollie to speak with, just in case--a student counselor Felix assured was empathetic and very understanding, and a professor that apparently studied the phenomenon of the Valley and its related changes. Ollie reluctantly promised he'd contact both after work while Curtis was in class.
Still, the dog worried for his sheep. Once he'd finally opened up a bit, the extent of his struggles had been concerning to say the least. While Curtis was fretting over a family he barely had any regard for, Ollie was quite close with his brothers and especially his parents. And the thought of forgetting someone so close, let alone several? Woof. And his mental battles were only further exacerbated by his declining self-confidence and performance in class. His poor sheep! He wished there was something he could do, aside from just being there for him. Though Ollie assured him that was enough.
I remain so lost and buried
Under everything that I need
When all I want is you
Curtis rolled out of bed and grabbed a towel. He wanted a shower before class and he'd have to hurry if he wanted to make sure the fur on his back was dry. His face, chest, and stomach remained furless. He was a little envious of Todd and Sam, who had seemed to change much more quickly than anyone else in the dorm. He was a dog now, wasn't he? How much longer would it take? He padded towards the restroom as he yawned again. If he hurried maybe he could stop by the coffee shop and check in on Ollie on his way to class.
-
"Heya Pup!" Ollie grinned at him as he walked into Bushytail Coffee. He looked adorable in the blue hat and apron they made him wear. Curtis waved and got in line, though by the time he got to the register the sheep had his strawberry Chai and breakfast sandwich already waiting for him as he pushed it forward with a wink. "It's on the house. But if you really wanna pay me back I have a few ideas..."
Curtis chuckled and felt his ears blush at such public affection, but he felt his tail wagging. "How's work going? How's your foot?"
"Not bad, for both. It's been a bit busy but the mornin rush just ended so there's that. Oh! And I heard back from Oakton already. Apparently he's been real busy this week but he has some time today so I'mma go talk to him after work, just like I promised." Ollie grinned and sounded excited, which helped to calm Curtis' nerves a bit. He hoped the visit would help. "Oop! Gotta get back to work, c'mere." He leaned over the counter for a quick kiss. "Good luck in Drama, Mr. Actor Dog!" He waved and headed over to the customer that had just walked in.
-
Students milled around the classroom as Curtis entered. From the looks of it, most of the class consisted of Freshmen as he noted human features mixed with fur as they sat in small groups either working on homework, chatting, or lost in their phones. He checked the time, amazed that he'd apparently managed to arrive early, but class should have started already. Where was the teacher?
Curtis figured he'd use the time to poke some more at his song so he pulled out his laptop and sat on the floor against the wall. He still couldn't figure out what he wanted to do and inspiration felt frustratingly just out of reach. Maybe he was just distracted? Things seemed to come so easily earlier in the week, but now nothing felt right. Had he been fooling himself? Why couldn't anything ever just be easy?
My masterpiece will fall apart
It was over before the start
He resorted to ask Bergling for some advice in his afternoon class. Or he could ask his dad? No, that still felt a little weird. Curtis wasn't sure if he was ready to speak with his new parents over the phone, despite his mom's repeated texts about missing hearing his voice. GIFs and texts were comfortably separated. Maybe he'd shoot his dad a text.
Before he could pull out his phone, both doors to the room flew open with a bang as a tall caribou strolled in. He wore cobalt blue slacks that ended just above his hocks and white spats that secured around his hooves, and it looked like he was wearing a leather harness of some sort under his stylish black vest. His thick greyish-brown fur looked immaculately cared for as it bounced with his gait. The darker fur around his chin resembled a beard as it bushed out, and the large rack of antlers on his head gave him a regal look as he spun and grinned at the class. He sure knew how to make an entrance and based on the glint in his eye, Curtis figured that had been exactly his intention.
"Welcome to Drama 101! My name is Professor Einar. Now I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why you're in this class. 'I'm not trying to be an actor. What does this have anything to do with my major?' Over the course of the semester, I intend to show you. Or more importantly--you will show yourself." He spoke in a booming voice as he looked around. "Gather around, please. Bring your chairs and make a circle around me. There's no hiding in the back in my classroom."
Curtis closed his laptop and looked around, unsure of how to feel about this boisterous deer, but got up as students began dragging chairs towards the center of the room. He put his stuff in his backpack and pulled a chair over, trying not to add to the cacophonous scraping sounds that were bothering his sensitive ears. Soon everyone sat in a lopsided oval as Einar cocked an eye.
"God knows this isn't a Geometry class but I think we can do a bit better than that, no? Circle up people. This class is in the round!" He clomped over and started directing the students, who looked a mix between baffled and amused by Einar's antics. Finally, the caribou seemed satisfied as he clapped his hooves together. "Much better. For a second there I was worried I had walked into an Elementary School." He winked and continued over the scattered laughter, "Now. Why Drama? Why acting? Hmm? You!" He pointed to a girl who looked to be turning into a mouse, based on the large ears sticking through her thinning hair.
The girl squeaked and looked mortified, "Um..." She looked around, her eyes wide but no one came to her rescue. "Self-expression?"
Einar nodded, "Yes. Very good. Anyone else? You!" Curtis froze for a second then realized the deer had pointed to the marmot next to him.
"Imagination?"
"Sure, though as a group of humans turning into anthropomorphic animals I'd hope you'd at least develop a tiny bit of that on your own." He chuckled to himself and must've noticed Curtis' relief as he pointed directly at the dog. "What do you think?"
Fuck.
"Uh. Confidence?" Curtis winced.
The professor nodded. "All good answers. But it's even more simple than that. Self-Expression, Imagination, Confidence. Communication. Much like Anthro 101, Drama 101 is a vital class to assist as you learn about yourself and your new bodies. The wag of a tail, the bearing of the teeth." He slammed his foot against the ground. "The stomping of a hoof. They all mean different things to different species. I want to explore what that means together. This class will push you out of your comfort zones. Be prepared to fail hard and fast. It's the only way to succeed. And who knows? Talent may yet be hiding among you." He grinned and walked out of the circle to pull a small stack of papers from his bag.
Careful, follow my instruction
And I will show you self-destruction
Curtis looked around at his classmates and was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one looking overwhelmed. How were they going to make it through four hours of this? This guy was a lot, even if he was kind of attractive for a teacher. The dog had no gauge for guesstimating the ages of Anthros, but by the way he moved and acted, he guessed him to be somewhere between 30 and 40?
"Now! Your first assignment. I have everyone's name written on a piece of paper. But how to choose Scene Partners?" He made a show of tapping a hooved finger against an antler, as though pretending to think. "Ah. I know just the thing." He then walked to the window and opened it to a late-summer breeze. "This is always my favorite part." Without a second thought, the caribou tossed the stack of papers into the wind as they fluttered through the air.
-
"You're Curtis, right?" Curtis looked up to see a classmate who looked to be turning into a ferret or some sort of mustelid. They wore a pink cardigan and beige capris over light brown furred legs that ended in paws and the voice was deeper than the dog would have expected.
"Yes. Hi. Are you my scene partner then?" After the papers had landed in their various piles on the floor, Curtis had decided to let everyone else scramble to find their names rather than immediately join the fray himself.
"I thought I recognized your ears." The mink sat next to Curtis and smiled.
"Really? Have we met?" The dog tilted his head, trying to recall this student, but nothing came to mind. "Sorry, with the changes it's hard to know for sure."
"Just in passing, really. You're friends with Ollie, right? He's my roommate."
Curtis' eyes bulged out of his head. "Barton?!"
The mink made a face but nodded, "I actually go by Bethany now, but yeah."
"Oh! Uh, sorry! Wow. Bethany. It's nice to meet you." Curtis winced as he bumbled the introduction and hoped he hadn't been too offensive. What was even the etiquette here?
All these practiced poses
Bethany giggled lightly, "You're fine. It's kind of a recent development."
He had a million questions but didn't want to stick his foot in his mouth. "So that's why you haven't been around as much? We were wondering if something happened to you."
She shrugged, "Yeah. I've been dealing with some, well, stuff." She gestured to herself and Curtis tried not to look at her chest. He felt guilty to feel relieved that he wasn't changing genders--he hadn't even realized that was a possibility! Compared to that, turning into a dog was probably nothing.
"No, totally. Yeah...I get why you might not want to be around a bunch of dudes right now..." Oh my god, what? Shut up, Curtis.
Bethany laughed and rolled her eyes. She was being far too nice about it all. "I've been staying with a friend. I'm actually trying to decide if I want to ask to be transferred to the Coed or Women's dorms. I don't know yet."
If she moved out, maybe Curtis could move in with Ollie? He spent enough time there anyway, and Shro would probably like the extra room. Or would he get assigned a new roommate? Curtis hoped he didn't look too excited at the revelation, if only he could control his damn tail.
I just can't let it, let it out
Oh, I just can't let it out
"Well, I'm across the hall. So if and when you need help moving just let me know OK? We should probably trade phone numbers anyway. Do you have any ideas on what to do for our scene?" Hopefully the change in subjects sounded natural.
"Not really. I just read through it once. Of course Einar would make us do a kissing scene for our first one." She rolled her eyes as Curtis did a double take.
"What?!"
What would Ollie think? Honestly, he'd probably think the whole thing was hilarious. But Curtis felt guilty. He'd have to run it by his boyfriend. This class and the hot reindeer were going to kill him.
If this is just a part I portray
If this is just a part I portray
I don't know how it got this way