The Featherweight - An Intro
#7 of Writing Prompts
This Week's Writing Challenge: Write a piece of dialogue between two characters, but provide dialogue from only one of them.
If you would like to join the writing group I'm in (It's good fun! We talk about food a lot.)
Please send me a DM and I will get you added to the group. :D
Here's a little bit of a character thing. He's gonna be in a larger project I will get to.. At some point.
I do have a bit queued up before that really gets started.
This is really just a calm little slice of life thing.
It was kind of a challenge as I don't really know the rules for a one sided conversation
so I reached way back and went at it from an acting or play-writing ruleset for monologues and kept Alex busy.
Hopefully that translates.
Alex is a fighter who is swiftly rising through the ranks.
But he has some concerns and worries.
Thankfully his boyfriend is a bit more level headed than he is.
The Fighter - An Intro
New York June 13th, 2185.
2:30 PM
Alex Wei entered the apartment he shared with his boyfriend. The corsac fox had his phone pinched between his ear and shoulder as he entered the room, tossing the bag he kept his gi beside the couch he would throw himself onto. The apartment was clean, spacious and had every modern convenience. It made him feel like some kind of gold-digger whenever he stepped into it. Even after a few years of dating the man. He was put on hold by a secretary. A young squirrel he'd met a few times. One of the few people who knew of the fox's relationship with her boss. Too many people knowing would harm Alex's boyfriend's career.
"Oh, hey, hon!" Alex said when the pleasant muzak abruptly cut off.
Alex sat up, fishing for the remote as the other on the line spoke.
"So you weren't too busy to watch, huh?" He grinned, turning onto sports, where there was a large half naked horned lizard standing next to an equally clothed horse.
"I have one more fight tomorrow morning." Alex said, lowering the volume.
Alex nodded, "It's a little intense with all the cameras around."
He pointed at the T.V., "It's pretty weird watching myself fight on the news."
He saw himself dodging attacks thrown at him.
"The other guy was real pissed, but like." He paused and nodded, "Yeah, I know!" He threw his arms up, excited.
"If he'd watch more of my fights he might have landed a hit!" He exclaimed as a news reporter mentioned something about an embarrassing defeat.
He stood up, walking towards their balcony, "Some monkey named Benjamin, he's actually from here. Just down the street."
"I'm worried." He stated, staring aimlessly outside their window.
He shifted towards their bedroom, "No, not about that as much."
"It's just." He sighed, walking towards their bathroom, "I'm a featherweight, and the Hawaii Invitational is.." He stared at himself in the mirror, above a collection of containers for his pills.
"I could be fighting anybody." He looked back towards the window, where a large bulletin blimp wafted by, the thorny lizard and horse from the T.V. Standing in a fighting pose as their fight was advertised. Both of the men on the poster were invited.
Alex sighed, "I don't know, maybe I'm not ready to take on heavier guys."
"Oh, yeah, like it's just that easy." He laughed, walking towards his duffle bag.
He turned to the T.V. Seeing himself being handed a gold medal. The same medal was swimming in his gym clothes in the bag he picked up.
"Well, I'm happy you have faith in me, but one wrong move and I'll spend most of the trip in bed." He hoisted the bag over to their bedroom.
"Hey, how's work? Gonna be home late?" He said, opening his bag to retrieve the medal along with the small case with his headphones.
"Oh, I see." He tossed the medal into a shoe box with his other medals, frowning.
He slipped his shirt off, tossing it onto the duffle bag, "Can't sneak out a little early?"
"Yeah, you're right." He kicked his sandals off, letting the sweats slide off with them.
He yanked his boxers down last, "I was thinking of taking a nice long bath." He added a sultry flair, temping his boyfriend as he walked into their large bathroom.
"Well, you are welcome to join me." He grinned, "Butler, start the water." He said as he pulled the phone away from his face, communicating to the apartment AI.
He began to stretch, "I guess we can do dinner, yes." The nude corsac fox continued his movements.
"I would love to go out somewhere nice, sometime." He said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
With a sigh, he replied, "No, I understand, it just sucks."
"I don't really know." He stood up straight, looking at himself.
He gave a halfhearted shrug, "I guess I wouldn't really hide it."
"That trans guy still gets fights, though, I think.." He thought about it. He didn't actually remember the last fight he saw with that rabbit. He wondered what that man was up to now.
He sighed, "I guess he didn't really get too far after that."
"I guess that's part of why I'm worried." He sighed, getting into the filling tub.
He rested his head on the tile, "What if I do make it. I don't know if I can handle the limelight."
"And what if it's too much? What if people dig into my past?"
He closed his eyes, "I know I never murdered anyone or anything like that but."
"I'm just saying it can make things awkward for both of us."
"..."
"Should I drop out?"
He listened to the long winded words of encouragement.
"I'm overthinking it again, I know. Sorry."
"Right, sorry-er, I mean. Yeah." He leaned over to turn the water off.
He sighed, "Maybe we'll just see how things go. It would be nice to go on a trip. Even if it is kind of a working trip."
"Oh." He paused, "Yeah, I should let you go, huh?"
"I will, and good luck with work. Didn't mean to get all existential for a minute there."
"Love you, too."
The phone went silent. He pushed a few icons on the device before setting it down. Soon the sounds of rock music filled the bathroom. He slipped further into the water, dunking himself in it completely.