Dance in the Dark
This story was written as a raffle prize for Lupus on Furry Amino. Enjoy!
Another day gone, another night out on the town. Lupus looked away from the window of his fourth-story apartment and glanced back at his reflection in the full length mirror leaning against his dresser. The clock on his wall read 7:30. He smoothed his long, pointed ears back and rubbed his paws down his soft lime-green chest. Alright, gotta find an outfit.
He frantically rummaged through the dresser next to the mirror in an effort to find the perfect style for his favorite nightclub. His paw grabbed a shirt from the back of the drawer and pulled it out. Holding it up to his body in the mirror, Lupus smiled when he recognized it was the Marshmello shirt from his last concert. Perfect! He spun around quickly to look at the back, but knocked a pair of jeans to the floor with his fluffy tail in the process. These would do just fine...
Lupus fell back onto his messy bed and slipped the jeans first over his yellow furred paw, then his black furred paw. He pulled them up his legs and fastened the button closed over his small hips. He glanced again to the mirror and nodded to himself in approval. _Time to go. _
Lupus left his bedroom and walked into the kitchen, scanning it for leftovers. As he pulled open the fridge, a small box of pizza fell out from the night before. Dinner on the run! He snatched the last slice from the box and loosely threw the cardboard onto a pile of other recyclables by the window. Throwing a light jacket over his shoulder, he made his way to the door and fastened his old pair of Nike's onto his paws.
As he tied the last lace, his phone buzzed. It was a text from a friend. Lupus opened the message eagerly. "Sorry, can't make it to the club tonight. See you tomorrow?" He shrugged and responded quickly, "Don't worry about it man! See you then." Lupus never doubted his ability to make new friends, and it looked like that night was just as good as any to meet new people. He grabbed his apartment key and left.
Lupus walked down the stairs of his apartment and out into the night. Lights illuminated the sidewalk in front of him, causing his fur to glow a bright green as he passed beneath each street lamp. The neon signs of the shops and nightclubs made him feel as if the city was more alive in the night than in the day. The downtown district was not far from his apartment, and it made his daily outings even more convenient. Friday nights were always busy, but the sheer amount of people covering the streets and pouring out of clubs, theaters, and restaurants made things that much more interesting.
Lupus looked up as he stood beneath the large glowing sign of his favorite dance club, The Tiger's Paw. This was the place. He gave a friendly nod to the bouncer guarding the front door, who immediately recognized him.
"Evening, Lupus. Here to show everyone up in the Friday Frisk like last week?" The large tiger pushed his shoulder, sending Lupus stumbling back. Lupus pretended to look tough.
"What can I say? Sometimes I just cant help myself..." The two glared at each other for several moments. Suddenly, the canine and the tiger burst out laughing.
"Don't worry about me tonight, I'm here to make a few friends!" Lupus smiled through his playful laughter and began to walk into the nightclub. The tiger smiled back.
"Take it easy, Lupus! Have a good night and I'll be rooting for you!"
"Will do, and you can count on it!" Lupus entered the sea of lights and loud music, disappearing from the outside and into his world of bliss.
...
Lupus scanned the room. He knew every inch of the place, from the door to the bathroom stalls. The dance floor was covered in guests, and the bar was filled with laughing patrons too tipsy to have a care left in the world. He eventually made his way to the edge of the dance floor, leaning up against a short railing that allowed him to take in most of the atmosphere. Before long, a young female Lynx began to approach Lupus and lean beside him against the railing. He noticed her immediately and turned to make her acquaintance.
"Hey there, my name's Lupus. Nice to meet you!" He stuck out his paw.
She looked at him for a moment, flicking her long beige tail in thought. "My name's Kari! Nice to meet you." She took his paw in hers and shook it up and down.
"Do you come here often? I can't say I've ever seen you here before." He cocked his head to the side in interest, shouting his question as the music steadily grew louder.
Kari's bright green eyes lit up amidst the flashing strobe lights. "I'm from out of town, visiting a friend. She said this was the place to be on a Friday night, and I promised to meet her here. I thought I would show up early and have a drink or two, then maybe enter--"
A loud voice came over the microphone at the DJ's table. The voice belonged to a small fox expertly moving the buttons on his turntable while pressing the side of a headset to his fuzzy bright-orange ear. "The Friday Frisk is about to begin, all contestants ready to GET LOOWWW are called to the dance floor. Everyone make some room!"
Both Kari and Lupus spoke at once. "Well if you'll excuse me, I have to--" They paused and stared at each other with renewed interest. Again, they spoke simultaneously. "Are you going to...enter...the contest?" Their interested smiles turned into playful glares and competitive smirks. The casual dancers began to clear the floor.
The fox held the microphone close to his snout as he approached a table of three judges. "There are ten competitors tonight, and I'm happy to see both old and new muzzles alike! As the regulars already know, the judges will be watching all of you throughout the song, and I wish the best of luck to you all! May the most talented competitor win!
The ten contestants made their way to the center of the floor as the audience looked on with suspenseful eyes. The music started slowly at first, then began to escalate in preparation for the drop. Lupus recognized the song immediately and got ready to wow the crowd. He moved his body to the rhythm, using his tail to balance his weight as he shifted from paw to paw, jumping and dancing on the beat. From the opposite corner, he could make out Kari dancing with even more aptitude than the rest of the competitors. She moved her head from side to side, using her long, dark tipped ears as a visual spectacle that caught the judges attention immediately. Her nimble body turned in unison with her hips, swaying from side to side accompanied by her tail.
Those who knew the song realized that the drop was upon them. Lupus and Kari inched closer together, pressing their shoulders against one another and moving back and forth. When the song reached its highest point, the music stopped in suspense. No one moved.
Suddenly, the speakers exploded with sound. Kari and Lupus dropped their back to the floor, then instantly pulled themselves up with their paws crossed around each other's shoulders. other dancers began to slow to a stop, giving the two of them space as the judges looked on in awe. The song had ended, and the fox approached the platform.
"Well, it seems the team of Lupus and..." Lupus called out her name to the fox.
"Yes, Kari, have stolen the judge's hearts. We look forward to seeing you two soon."
Kari breathed heavily, letting out words as they came to her. "It looks like my ride is here." She pulled away slowly from his paw and stepped down from the stage.
"Hey! Will I see you again?" Their eyes met and she smiled, disappearing from sight.