Welcome to the Glee Angst Meme again! You know how these things work. You can come here and prompt your most angsty prompts, and write stories filling those angsty prompts to let our characters suffer
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FILL: A king of infinite space 1a/?
anonymous
October 29 2011, 01:50:41 UTC
A/N: I don't know yet how long this is going to be, but I won't be able to finish it this weekend and I wanted to post something for you, since I promised I would. I really hope you like it. And bonus to anyone who gets the reference of the title. ;-)
~ A king of infinite space ~
Kurt looked around at the other people sitting in the auditorium. There were only a handful of people left, dwindled down from the full house that had turned out that morning. The woman on stage belted out a song that was so indistinguishable Kurt couldn’t understand a single word. When she left the stage a few minutes later, he pulled out his phone to check the time.
He ignored the texts from Blaine, pushing down the stirrings of guilt. He loved Blaine, but he couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. Blaine had won Tony and Kurt meant every word of congratulations. And that was why he made the two hour drive from Lima to Columbus to try out for the community theatre.
“Kurt Hummel?” He almost jumped out of his seat when his name was called. Even though the audience was down to only three people, he felt his stomach toss as he walked to center stage.
From his seat in the auditorium, he hadn’t been able to get a good look at the director, Wesley Byres, before he was facing out into the audience. He was a handsome man with a build that reminded Kurt faintly of Jesse St. James. This man, however, was blonde and his hair was long, pulled back in a pony tail. Overall, he looked like he should be on the stage instead of directing.
“I’m Kurt Hummel, auditioning for the role of Jesus Christ.” He took a breath and tried to calm himself. He put the image of people laughing at him to the back of his mind. He put his failures away. He could do this. He was Kurt freaking Hummel, and he was brilliant. “I’ll be singing ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ from Oliver!.”
“Very well.” The director sounded bored, not even looking up from his clipboard. Kurt closed his eyes, channeling the heartbreak of Nancy before opening his mouth and singing. His audition is the complete antithesis of his audition for West Side Story. He’s less focused on theatricality and more on pouring emotion out through his words. He doesn’t have any choreography planned, though he walked slowly along the stage.
When he finished, he let the final note hang for a moment before relaxing and letting his eyes find the director. The man was looking up at him with a calculating expression. The sound of applause could be heard from the few people watching. Kurt waited, expectant, for the praise he knew he deserved. When the man did speak, his tone was no longer bored, but it certainly wasn’t as enthusiastic as Kurt was hoping. “Stick around- Kurt, was it?” Kurt nodded. “Very good. Brian Narin?”
Kurt withdrew from the stage, leaving the auditorium as the next man - Brian - began singing. He was still a little out of breath and the nerves for what the director could possible want were just starting to hit. He pulled out his phone and dialed home.
“Hey Kurt.” Finn answered on the first wring.
“Hello, Finn. Could you let my dad know the auditions are running long and I won’t be home for dinner?”
“Uh…sure, dude.” Kurt gritted his teeth - he hated when Finn called him that, but it was pointless to remind Finn of that. “You want to talk to him?” He heard Puck’s voice in the background.
“No. Just get back to whatever crude and violent video game you and Puck are playing.” Finn said goodbye and the line went dead.
Kurt snuck back in just in time for the last performer to finish up her song and the director to dismiss her. He thought the man had forgotten about him when he turned around. “You asked me to wait?”
“Let’s go to my office.” Kurt followed him down the hall and in to what looked like a supply closet someone had shoved a desk in. The man set his stack of papers in, taking one out that Kurt recognized as his resume. It was pathetically short, and he felt embarrassed.
Re: FILL: A king of infinite space 1b/?mikoponyOctober 29 2011, 01:51:16 UTC
“Mr. Byres…” Kurt began after a moment of silence.
“Call me Wesley, please, Kurt.” He gestured a hand to the empty chair across the desk. Kurt took a seat, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his legs so they wouldn’t shake and betray his nerves.
“I see here you just had a birthday.”
Kurt was confused what that had to do with his audition, but nodded. “Yeah, I just turned eighteen.”
“Congratulations. That’s a big one.” Wesley set his paper down on the desk and leaned forward. “I have to admit, when you told me what you would be singing I had my doubts. ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ was performed by Patty LuPone and Judy Garland, among others. But I think you did it justice.”
“Thank you!” Kurt was shocked. From the immediate reaction he hadn’t expected to be given such high praise.
“And I’d love to give you the part, but Jesus is the lead, and frankly, you’re past experience is…Well - nonexistent.” The man looked genuinely sorry, and at Kurt’s fallen expression he stood up and walked around, placing a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder.
“Please. I need the part for my college application.” He would not cry. He would get the part. “I’d give anything for this chance.”
“I would be sticking my neck out if I gave you the part, Kurt.” His hand withdrew and Kurt felt cut off, somehow. He could feel his last chance slip away. And what was worse was that it was so close. It was like the Wesley was dangling it right in front of him, but he would never catch it.
“I’ll do anything you want,” He said frantically. “Acting classes. Singing classes. I…I’m in my school’s Glee club, but I could miss practice if you wanted me to come to extra practices.” God, he hated how pathetic he sounded, but he couldn’t handle being stuck in Lima for one second longer than he had to.
“Anything is a very big promise to make, Kurt,” Wesley said with a smile that chilled Kurt. He considered leaving, but he couldn’t. All the community theatres in driving distance were done casting for their Winter production except this one and it would be too late if he had to wait for Spring. “But there is something you could do for me.”
“Please,” Kurt pleaded.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Kurt recoiled. Surely he wasn’t suggesting what Kurt thought he was. Kurt could leave right then. He could get up and be out the door before the man had any idea what was going on. Kurt could walk away and go…go where? Back to Lima for eternity?
“Uh…I do,” He admitted.
“Do you have plans this Friday at 8?” Kurt closed his eyes, glad Wesley was still standing behind him and couldn’t see the conflicted emotions pass across his face.
“He’s going out of town this weekend with his parents.” It wasn’t even a lie - one of Blaine’s uncles had passed away a few days ago and the memorial and funeral were next weekend.
“I think we can work out an arrangement. Meet me back here this Friday. If you show up, I’ll know you’re serious about pursuing a career in acting.” He paused, taking the time to walk back to his seat behind the desk. “I’m very connected in the theatre world, Kurt. I can give a call to my friends in New York - I’m assuming that’s your dream -“ Kurt just nodded. “And tell them all about you. But words can be good or bad, sweetheart.”
“I understand.” Kurt stood up, recognizing a dismissal when he heard one.
Re: FILL: A king of infinite space 1b/?
anonymous
October 29 2011, 04:44:31 UTC
Really liking this so far. You captured all of the elements of the subtle manipulation and pressuring without making it over-the-top (and the last bit with the threat about potentially hurting his chances at New York was great). I'm excited to see where you go with this!
And bonus to anyone who gets the reference of the title. ;-)
~ A king of infinite space ~
Kurt looked around at the other people sitting in the auditorium. There were only a handful of people left, dwindled down from the full house that had turned out that morning. The woman on stage belted out a song that was so indistinguishable Kurt couldn’t understand a single word. When she left the stage a few minutes later, he pulled out his phone to check the time.
He ignored the texts from Blaine, pushing down the stirrings of guilt. He loved Blaine, but he couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. Blaine had won Tony and Kurt meant every word of congratulations. And that was why he made the two hour drive from Lima to Columbus to try out for the community theatre.
“Kurt Hummel?” He almost jumped out of his seat when his name was called. Even though the audience was down to only three people, he felt his stomach toss as he walked to center stage.
From his seat in the auditorium, he hadn’t been able to get a good look at the director, Wesley Byres, before he was facing out into the audience. He was a handsome man with a build that reminded Kurt faintly of Jesse St. James. This man, however, was blonde and his hair was long, pulled back in a pony tail. Overall, he looked like he should be on the stage instead of directing.
“I’m Kurt Hummel, auditioning for the role of Jesus Christ.” He took a breath and tried to calm himself. He put the image of people laughing at him to the back of his mind. He put his failures away. He could do this. He was Kurt freaking Hummel, and he was brilliant. “I’ll be singing ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ from Oliver!.”
“Very well.” The director sounded bored, not even looking up from his clipboard. Kurt closed his eyes, channeling the heartbreak of Nancy before opening his mouth and singing. His audition is the complete antithesis of his audition for West Side Story. He’s less focused on theatricality and more on pouring emotion out through his words. He doesn’t have any choreography planned, though he walked slowly along the stage.
When he finished, he let the final note hang for a moment before relaxing and letting his eyes find the director. The man was looking up at him with a calculating expression. The sound of applause could be heard from the few people watching. Kurt waited, expectant, for the praise he knew he deserved. When the man did speak, his tone was no longer bored, but it certainly wasn’t as enthusiastic as Kurt was hoping. “Stick around- Kurt, was it?” Kurt nodded. “Very good. Brian Narin?”
Kurt withdrew from the stage, leaving the auditorium as the next man - Brian - began singing. He was still a little out of breath and the nerves for what the director could possible want were just starting to hit. He pulled out his phone and dialed home.
“Hey Kurt.” Finn answered on the first wring.
“Hello, Finn. Could you let my dad know the auditions are running long and I won’t be home for dinner?”
“Uh…sure, dude.” Kurt gritted his teeth - he hated when Finn called him that, but it was pointless to remind Finn of that. “You want to talk to him?” He heard Puck’s voice in the background.
“No. Just get back to whatever crude and violent video game you and Puck are playing.” Finn said goodbye and the line went dead.
Kurt snuck back in just in time for the last performer to finish up her song and the director to dismiss her. He thought the man had forgotten about him when he turned around. “You asked me to wait?”
“Let’s go to my office.” Kurt followed him down the hall and in to what looked like a supply closet someone had shoved a desk in. The man set his stack of papers in, taking one out that Kurt recognized as his resume. It was pathetically short, and he felt embarrassed.
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“Mr. Byres…” Kurt began after a moment of silence.
“Call me Wesley, please, Kurt.” He gestured a hand to the empty chair across the desk. Kurt took a seat, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his legs so they wouldn’t shake and betray his nerves.
“I see here you just had a birthday.”
Kurt was confused what that had to do with his audition, but nodded. “Yeah, I just turned eighteen.”
“Congratulations. That’s a big one.” Wesley set his paper down on the desk and leaned forward. “I have to admit, when you told me what you would be singing I had my doubts. ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ was performed by Patty LuPone and Judy Garland, among others. But I think you did it justice.”
“Thank you!” Kurt was shocked. From the immediate reaction he hadn’t expected to be given such high praise.
“And I’d love to give you the part, but Jesus is the lead, and frankly, you’re past experience is…Well - nonexistent.” The man looked genuinely sorry, and at Kurt’s fallen expression he stood up and walked around, placing a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder.
“Please. I need the part for my college application.” He would not cry. He would get the part. “I’d give anything for this chance.”
“I would be sticking my neck out if I gave you the part, Kurt.” His hand withdrew and Kurt felt cut off, somehow. He could feel his last chance slip away. And what was worse was that it was so close. It was like the Wesley was dangling it right in front of him, but he would never catch it.
“I’ll do anything you want,” He said frantically. “Acting classes. Singing classes. I…I’m in my school’s Glee club, but I could miss practice if you wanted me to come to extra practices.” God, he hated how pathetic he sounded, but he couldn’t handle being stuck in Lima for one second longer than he had to.
“Anything is a very big promise to make, Kurt,” Wesley said with a smile that chilled Kurt. He considered leaving, but he couldn’t. All the community theatres in driving distance were done casting for their Winter production except this one and it would be too late if he had to wait for Spring. “But there is something you could do for me.”
“Please,” Kurt pleaded.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Kurt recoiled. Surely he wasn’t suggesting what Kurt thought he was. Kurt could leave right then. He could get up and be out the door before the man had any idea what was going on. Kurt could walk away and go…go where? Back to Lima for eternity?
“Uh…I do,” He admitted.
“Do you have plans this Friday at 8?” Kurt closed his eyes, glad Wesley was still standing behind him and couldn’t see the conflicted emotions pass across his face.
“He’s going out of town this weekend with his parents.” It wasn’t even a lie - one of Blaine’s uncles had passed away a few days ago and the memorial and funeral were next weekend.
“I think we can work out an arrangement. Meet me back here this Friday. If you show up, I’ll know you’re serious about pursuing a career in acting.” He paused, taking the time to walk back to his seat behind the desk. “I’m very connected in the theatre world, Kurt. I can give a call to my friends in New York - I’m assuming that’s your dream -“ Kurt just nodded. “And tell them all about you. But words can be good or bad, sweetheart.”
“I understand.” Kurt stood up, recognizing a dismissal when he heard one.
“Goodbye, Kurt.”
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Thank you for reading!
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Yup, Hamlet indeed. And it may or may not be intended to be forshadowing. (:
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