The Ultimate Taboo (Louis x Male Reader) (Beastars)

Rivalry

The intensity of the blinding lights illuminating my path on the solid wooden stage is already starting to make me sweat. I've only just started my audition monologue mere seconds ago, and yet I could already feel the sweat clinging to my fur. I looked out into the crowd of fellow students who were just as nervous as I was, and it gave me a bit more confidence. I performed just as I had practiced, focusing on my diction, my projection, and most of all, my actions. It was my first audition ever, as I had never been in any sort of play or musical before. My friend had convinced me to join the drama club, and I've been working on this monologue for months. The Cherryton drama club is the most exclusive club in the Academy, and I knew that a complete newbie had very little chance of getting in. Especially a Junior who had no experience in acting, however, I worked my ass off preparing this monologue, and I wasn't about to mess it up.

I continued on, draining myself of all my energy in order to convey all of the emotions necessary to pull off this intense monologue. As I was performing, I noticed one set of eyes that stayed glued to me the whole time. While the other students occasionally would read over their lines or talk with their friends, this deer hardly even blinked. It was unsettling how focused he was on my every movement. The buck seemed to be analyzing every ounce of my performance, his eyes seething with what appeared to be anger. It made me feel scared, but that only added to my monologue, as I had chosen a dramatic death scene from a lesser known but still well written play. The way this deer eyed me up felt like he was stalking his prey, about to devour me as his next meal, which is completely ironic considering I'm the carnivore and he's the herbivore. I finished my scene with a dramatic grasp towards the audience while my body shook all over, and the scene ended. The audience roared with applause, considerably louder than the other students had received. I didn't think I had done that good, but it was at least encouraging to see that the other students thought I had done well. I made my way back to my seat, next to my good friend, Legosi. He smiled at me and complimented my performance, making me blush heavily.

"It wasn't that great, Lego..." I dismiss, looking away to hide my blush.

"I told you you'd be great for the drama club!" Legosi whispered as the applause died down. To this I roll my eyes sarcastically and look back up at the stage. In the time it took Legosi and I to have our small exchange, the deer that had been staring at me had made his way onstage. I tilted my head in curiosity.

"Lego, who's that red deer? He was giving me a death glare while I was onstage."

"Oh, I forgot, you just transferred here so you wouldn't know him. That's Louis, head actor in the drama club and the most popular student at this school. He may seem like an arrogant prick at first, but once you get to know him... he'll only be slightly less of an arrogant prick," Legosi said, half smiling. It was the first time I'd seen Legosi show any emotion on his face, and it made me smile.

"I guess I'll have to get to know him then!" I chuckle, turning my head back to face the stage. Louis began his monologue.

The audience fell silent the moment Louis opened his mouth to begin. All eyes were glued to him, and with good reason. I could see why this buck was head actor, he was overflowing with talent. Watching him made me forget about anything and everything else in the world, my mind was focused on one thing. Him. I immediately noticed how calculated and precise each movement was, from the way he blinked to the way his lips moved when he pronounced every single word. This deer knew what he was doing. I started to feel a bit envious of him, though I tried to subdue that feeling as soon as it came. I had just begun acting, there was no way I'd be able to be as good as Louis no matter how hard I tried. I sat there, infatuated by the way he moved onstage, watching as he told a story with his body. I hardly even realized how intensely I was watching him until the crowd burst into the loudest applause I had ever heard. My jaw dropped as I watched him calmly exit the stage and sit back down, the man was calculating every movement even off the stage, ensuring he kept up the reputation he had built. Despite not knowing who he was mere minutes ago, I felt as though I already knew exactly who he was just from the way he carried himself. Legosi seemed to notice me staring, as he began waving his paws in front of my face.