Prompt Post #7
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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CONGRATULATIONS,
You have been chosen by The Dominion to compete for The Chosen One’s affections. This is a huge honour given only to a select number of people each year. Below is the information you will require. Congratulations and good luck,
THE DOMINION
The Chosen likes: music(rock, pop, country), sports(football), being active, family, waffles, movies(horror, action)
The Chosen dislikes: math, liars, movies(romance), music(disco, rap)
Time of arrival: 8 o’clock p.m. on Monday the 16th of August
Attire: formal
Please bring: one formal suit, one business suit, three casual outfits, one bathing suit, one family photograph, iPod of music full of songs with personal meanings, favourite book or movie.
Kurt was making mental notes as he read, trying to determine what Finn owned and what they would need to buy before Monday. He flipped to the second page, the page that would reveal the name and a picture of The Chosen One, along with a handwritten note from the girl saying how she couldn’t wait to meet Finn and she wished him the best of luck.
Name: Noah Puckerman
Age: 18
Kurt, I can’t wait to meet you in person. Looking forward to Monday. Good luck, Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman
Kurt stared at the picture and the message scribbled to the side of The Chosen One’s head. The Chosen One wasn’t a girl, it was a guy. And the envelope wasn’t for Finn, it was for him. Kurt had been selected to compete for a male Chosen One. He almost thought the had to be a mistake, that for some strange reason his name had been placed in the same file as the girls’ names. Every Chosen One had been straight and Kurt couldn’t see The Dominion picking someone who was gay or bisexual; they didn’t recognize sexuality when it came to choosing the contestants. Male Chosen Ones were given female contestants and female Chosen Ones were given male contestants. But The Dominion also didn’t make mistakes, at least not ones so simple. He’d been chosen purposely by The Dominion to compete for the affections of a guy against, he assumed, twenty-nine beautiful girls. And the only reason Kurt could think of, the only reason why The Dominion would do such a thing, was to put him in his place, for him to be utterly humiliated when he was the first person Noah Puckerman cut from the competition. On Monday, Kurt would be forever labelled as 2012’s Unwanted.
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To say the reactions of his family were unexpected would be an understatement. His parents were furious, both thinking along the same lines as Kurt, that he’d been selected to be made a fool. There was nothing they could do, not without punishment from The Dominion, and Kurt couldn’t allow them to risk their safety or Finn’s. Finn’s reaction was the hardest. They hadn’t spent a night apart since the wedding five years ago and Finn had become very attached, maybe too attached, to his older brother in those years. Even though there was barely a year’s difference in their ages, Kurt at times felt years older than his younger brother. He knew Finn would hate the idea of him leaving home, even if it was just long enough to be the first person cut. He was just happy that his little brother hadn’t caught on to the truth: that Kurt was being set up to be humiliated. If he had, Finn’s protectiveness would be in full force and Kurt suspected he’d do something to anger The Dominion. It was definitely best if Finn stayed in the dark.
He could hear his parents talking in hushed, angry tones in the kitchen. About him, it always seemed to be about him or money, but at least this time it wasn’t because he’d done something. Last year they’d argued about his punishment for two hours before they’d come to the agreement that he was grounded for a month for sneaking out of the house to attend a meeting run by an anti-Dominion group. Luckily for him the meeting had been raided before he’d gotten there but the commotion had waken his parents and they’d caught him trying to sneak back into the house. Anyone caught at that meeting had been imprisoned, some executed for treason, and his parents had been terrified of the guards showing up to take Kurt away from them. All it would have taken was for someone to snitch to The Dominion that they’d seen Kurt in the area of the secret meeting and Kurt would have been hauled in for an interrogation. And with Kurt’s mouth, he would have eventually said something to lead the guards to believe he was anti-Dominion.
He was supposed to be going through his massive library of music to pick the songs with the most meaning to him, as directed by that damn envelope’s instructions, and picking his favourite book and movie. The instructions said book or movie but Kurt had so many favourites in both that it would be hard often to choose just one book and one movie, choosing just one book or movie would be impossible. And it was one very small act of rebellion right under The Dominion’s nose, defying clearly written instructions, even if no one but him would really care.
“Kurt,” he turned to find Finn standing in his doorway, all six foot plus of his little brother somehow managing to look like a small child woken from a nightmare.
“What’s wrong Finn?” he asked but he was sure he already knew. Finn hated when their parents fought and he usually sought out Kurt for comfort. “Come here,” he held his arm out to his brother and Finn plastered himself to his side. “You really are too big for this.”
“Nope,” Finn’s voice was muffled by Kurt’s shoulder. When their parents had first started dating, Finn had been so tiny that Kurt could carry him easily, then right after the wedding Finn had hit a growth spurt and everyone was hoping it would stop soon. Finding clothes in his size was beginning to get impossible. “Are you gonna be okay?”
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“I’ll be fine,” Kurt replied. And he would, physically. But he’d seen the emotional toll that being an Unwanted came with, no one would want to hire him, no one would want to be friends with him, no one would fall in love with him. The first night of the competition, after meeting each girl and Kurt for no more than five minutes, Puck would choose one of them to eliminate: 2012’s Unwanted. It was the biggest humiliation that could happen to a person and Kurt didn’t know of one person who’d been able to overcome the label to have a decent life. Just as any person chosen by The Dominion to be their face for a year was held in high regard by the people, the person The Chosen deemed not worthy to even enter the palace for the competition was shunned for the rest of their life.
It had happened, a few years ago, to a boy who lived down the road from them. Kurt hadn’t known him well but he remembered the boy’s bright smile and how he was always singing to himself. Before he’d been selected, Hank had been on track to be an entertainer, singing at all the major events hosted in their area, but now, Kurt hadn’t seen Hank in over a year. He heard he lived in the attic of his parents’ house and refused to be seen by anyone who wasn’t family. Kurt supposed if the outside world forgot about Hank, the better it was for his family and that was the reason Hank stayed hidden. Kurt planned to do the same when he was picked as the Unwanted.
“I don’t want you to go,” Finn mumbled into his shoulder.
“I know,” Kurt smoothed back his brother’s hair. “If I could refuse and stay here with you and Mom and Dad, I would. But I have to go, you know that.”
“This sucks,” Finn’s voice was still quiet but Kurt could hear the underlying anger.
“Yes, it does,” Kurt agreed. He steered them over to the bed and sat them down without jarring Finn from his side. “But if I make it past the first four days then you get to come visit me at the palace and I bet they’ll have lots of good food for us.”
Finn burrowed his head deeper against Kurt’s body, something Kurt hadn’t thought possible. “I don’t want their food. They’re stealing you.”
“I’m coming back,” Kurt assured him. He wondered where all these thoughts were coming from. Finn had watched the other competitions with them every year and had never been so upset about the rejected contestants. He knew they returned home; he’d seen other kids from their area who’d been selected return to their normal lives.
“It doesn’t sound like Mom and Dad think you are,” Finn told him.
Kurt’s eyes drifted toward his open door. He could still hear their parents’ voices downstairs but it didn’t sound like they were shouting anymore, more like talking a little too loud and over each other. He knew they were worried. The family relied on all four of their incomes, not that he or Finn brought in much, but even losing his small income would mean they would probably lose the house.
“They know I’m coming back,” Kurt sighed. He hated making everyone so unhappy. “They’re just worried. They’re our parents; it’s their job to worry.”
“Yeah,” he felt Finn nod against his chest.
He held his brother until Finn fell asleep in his arms. He just couldn’t bring himself to order Finn to go to his own room, into his own bed, after the news today. His brother, bless his optimism, actually thought this male Chosen one was gay, or at least bisexual, since they’d selected Kurt to compete. Kurt wasn’t that naïve.
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“Isn’t this so much fun?” a girl his age asked as she sat on the couch next to him. He was busy trying to fix his hair, trying to feel more like himself, and he really didn’t feel like pretending he was enjoying being there. He’d be gone in a few hours when he was cut anyway so why bother enjoying it. “I’m Brittany.”
“Kurt,” he introduced himself.
“Why are you here?” she asked. “You’re a boy.”
“I am,” Kurt was surprised at her bluntness. “I’ve been trying to figure that out myself,” he lied. No sense telling her the truth: that he was about to be humiliated to be taught a lesson.
Brittany just smiled at him and shrugged her bare shoulders. “You’re nice. I like you. If I can’t win, I hope you do.”
With that announcement, Brittany hopped off the couch and skipped over to another girl, her loud but happy voice greeting the girl as Tina. Kurt just shook his head. Brittany was exactly the type of girl The Dominion would be looking for, very pretty but easily manipulated and willing to do what they say. It wouldn’t surprise him if she ended up being crowned the winner.
“She won’t win,” a new voice said from somewhere to his right. He glanced over to find a tiny girl dressed in a short skit, knee high socks, and a sweater emblazoned with a picture of a unicorn. He assumed she had yet to go for her makeover. “I have a sixth sense about these kinds of things and Noah won’t enjoy her company. He wants someone who’s his equal and who’ll challenge him, not an airhead who’ll agree with everything he says.”
“And you are?” he asked.
“Rachel Barbara Berry,” she introduced. “My Dads named me after a famous singer/actress who was one of the first ever Chosen ones. It’s an obvious sign that I’m meant to be with Noah.”
Kurt just barely resisted rolling his eyes. The only bright side to knowing he was going to be cut in a few hours was not having to deal with girls like her for weeks.
She was still chattering on and he pretended to listen. “My Dads have been helping me trained for the day I was picked since I was born. Of course we all assumed that I’d be a Chosen one just like Barbara. I do have all the skills they’re looking for after all.”
“Attention everyone,” a man with curly hair appeared in the doorway and right then, he was Kurt’s favourite person in the world. “If you could all follow me, it’s time to gather on the stairs for your first meeting.”
Kurt hung back so a few girls got in between him and Rachel. He knew that if he was next to her when he was cut, his name would be on her lips for the rest of her time at the castle. He’d be at home with his family watching her insult him on the television screen, her conviction that he tainted her broadcast to millions. At least by standing away from her, he could save himself that humiliation. It was very little but it was what he hung on to as the curly-haired man who introduced himself as Mr Schuester, their handler for the duration of their stay, positioned them to his liking. Kurt glared at the man when he tried to touch him.
There were television crews setting up at the top and bottom of the staircase and the girls standing in the middle of the stairs didn’t look happy. Schuester was quick to assure everyone a mobile camera would be following The Chosen One as he descended and spoke to each of them. They would all get their time in front of the camera; they would all be remembered.
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Finally, with a clap of Schuester’s hands, everyone was ordered to stand up straight and turn their heads toward the top of the staircase. The Chosen One would be appearing any minute.
When Puck did appear, Kurt had to admit he was handsome. And, if there had been any chance for them, their looks would compliment each other. Puck was dressed surprising similar to him, with black pants and a silk shirt, except Puck’s shirt was a deep brown. Probably another way to humiliate him. Everyone would remember the only boy without help but one dressed similarly to The Chosen One? The nerve of anyone who would try to put themselves as an equal to such a person.
Puck stopped in front of the first girl and took her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing it. Kurt could see their lips moving but they were too far away for him to hear. Puck repeated the process with each girl until he was only a few away from Kurt. He was at Rachel.
“And you are?” Puck asked as he took her small hand.
“Rachel Barbara Berry,” Rachel gave him a full-blown smile. “It’s an honour to meet you Noah.”
“Call me Puck,” The Chosen One insisted before he bent down to kiss her fingers.
“Oh I couldn’t,” Rachel giggled.
Puck just smiled at her and moved to the next girl. Finally he was standing right in front of Kurt.
“Your name?” he asked. He didn’t seem thrown by the presence of a boy in the line up and he took Kurt’s hand just as he had all the girls’.
“Kurt Hummel,” Kurt replied. “It’s nice to meet you. Puck.”
He saw a flash of something in Puck’s eyes before The Chosen One bent down to kiss his hand. He hoped he hadn’t done something that would end up with him visiting the dungeon. Puck moved away, finishing the last of the greetings, and they were all ordered to return to the holding room. Puck would have a few minutes to watch the footage that was shot, watch everyone’s reactions that he might have missed, then they would all gather at the bottom of the stairs and one by one, Puck would name the ones who would be continuing on in the competition. Kurt was a little surprised he was taking so long.
It seemed as though more than the usual ten minutes had passed before Mr Schuester appeared to usher them off toward the staircase. The girls all crowded around, trying to push their way to the front so they’d be in full view of the cameras. Kurt hung back. He’d end up being the last one left in the group as each girl made their way up the stairs so why push his way to the front?
Schuester was babbling on about the rules of the ceremony. If a person’s name was called, they would quickly and quietly make their way up the stairs, thank Puck, then stand behind him and the others joined them. There would be no fighting or complaining about whose name was called first but everyone knew the ones announced first were The Chosen One’s favourites. It was rare the winner came from outside the first ten names called.
“And now, we begin,” Schuester said dramatically, almost bowing to the camera and sweeping his arm toward Puck.
Puck looked down at the group of them, a small smile playing on his lips. Who wouldn’t be happy at thirty girls, or in this case twenty-nine girls and one boy, were all vying for his affections? Kurt watched as Puck’s lips parted and the first name fell from his lips.
“Kurt Hummel.”
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