It Isn’t Peculiar At All
#5 of Hockey Hunk Season 4
So what are those boys up to, anyway? Boys are being boys, of course! Hockey Hunk Lurker Challenge extra chapter!
Amusing Haakon fan art by kensukethecat - always a pleasure!
Hehhey, everyone, and welcome to The Hockey Hunk!
An amazing 51 people commented on the latest chapter, making it possibly a new record, though one of the season finales has amassed even greater number of individuals taking part in the fun, but nonetheless, that is obviously more than enough to call my Lurker Challenge a resounding success - yay! Not to mention, your comments were thoughtful and amusing, which makes them ever the more fun! Thank you!
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Have an interesting read!
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What else could a little lion need, I asked myself, as I adjusted the angle of my beret and clapped my paws together, gathering the attention of the furs standing in readiness...for my word.
Oh, my word!
"Are you ready, Hawk-on?" I called out. "All set there?"
Note to self: learn to pronounce Kjeelruuuf so that I won't embarrass myself again any further.
The ever so handsome lynx grinned brightly and winked, seated on the low bar stool as he was, without a shirt to cover his tan chest and with that funny pink bow tie he had come up with, now about his neck. We'd had such a lovely laugh over that one. The creativity of these furs! Sometimes I almost felt like they didn't even need me here to begin with!
But where's the fun in that?
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"Always ready!" the lynx snickered, those tuft-tipped ears flicking back and forth, much to my personal purring amusement.
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I stood up from the bench and smiled. It was time to make some loooooooove happen again, the kind you could only feel at a late hour, in a slightly stuffy studio, with everyone just about ready to call it a day before the last set.
Oh the memories...
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I took a deep breath and concentrated on the flappy-tailed wolf instead, who was standing near the lynx with a frown over his young face.
"Stephens!"
His ears hopped about, and he looked over to me, though his paws remained stuck in his jeans pockets. Hmmm. I wasn't' sure whether to tell him not to do that...but indeed, he forgot about that habit while he was at it, so I suppose I shouldn't need to be bothered with it. Whatever makes them comfortable, artists, that is. They are a flighty sort, and this wolf was no exception
"Yeah?" the wolf questioned, eyes upon me, good old me.
"Ready to take it from the beginning?"
Haakon flicked his cute tail and elbowed the wolf, much to the chuckling amusement of everyone in the room.
"Come on, dude, you're ready!" the lynx beckoned.
Stephens pulled out his paws from his pockets and let them fall to his sides in a more relaxed pose.
"Sure," the wolf said.
"Maybe this time, try out a couple of the dance moves we talked about before as well, while you walk around the chair and woo your intended?" I suggested with a broad smile.
The lynx chuckled, and so did the crowd again, and I was smiling too, while the shy wolf simply nodded and even scratched his side.
"Okay..."
Being so aloof again, silly boy.
We'd get that out of him in a few seconds now, I thought with a certain amount of pleasure in my part. It was always such a great fun to see that happen, and this Mister Stephens knew how to surprise. I wouldn't have singled him out as the type, though, but what did I know? It was different with these young furs, so different from my own years at that same age and same place. Worlds apart, gentlemen, worlds apart.
"Don't forget the paws!" Reilly called out, which prompted me as much as the wolf to look at the vixen sitting down by one of the full-length mirrors next to Mr. Harvey and Mr. Lambert. Reilly was smiling brightly, and Stephens smiled back to her in return, of course. Boys and their smiles, you know, they know when the girls want them. Even I know as much!
Heh.
That silly Lambert was smiling, too, though probably for a different reason than Reilly. What a slinky little thing he was. Obviously enjoying himself even now. Why not? Haakon wasn't doing a bad job posing there on that stool even though he was just supposed to be relaxing before the actual performance, simply relaxed and...available.
Dedication, boys and girls!
That's what art needs. And a lot of suffering, and tearing your heart apart.
And then you have fun.
"She's right, always remember your paws," I added helpfully as I waved mine for emphasis, "and remember, you are singing to us about the virtue of your wonderful, wonderful lynx, so no matter how much you would want to simply loose yourself into his beautiful, beautiful eyes, you should remember to address us with yours words, and not Hawk-on only."
"I'll promise not to be jealous," Hawk-on winked.
Stephens scratched his neck behind his ear, a motion that made my own ear flick in sympathy. I almost had to readjust my beret for it!
"Was that...uh...a problem on the first run?" Stephens asked tentatively.
Our resident leopard snickered.
"It was really good, Mason, don't worry!" Lambert purred, crouched like us cats do and with his tail flicking close to Harvey's legs and that bushy canine tail. "You look great!"
"Thanks, Aiden!" Hawk-on winked.
Lambert smacked his lips.
"Always," the leopard replied.
"We'll see about that," Hawk-on replied.
I trained my eyes at the wolf boy and smiled.
"Just like Mister Lambert was saying, the first run was already quite good, but you can still do more, and what Miss Reilly was saying, using your paws is a good idea! It is a very physical role, especially with gestures, so you should just free yourself to use your paws as much as you like. We can see what you get up to with them, and we can talk about it afterwards. But now you should simply relax and enjoy yourself, Stephens! This is art! This is music! This is love!"
I waved my own paws appropriately, and let my purr and the swing of my tail to speak as much as the conviction of my words. I hoped that my confidence for them was evident in my voice. I sure felt breathless once I was done. I took a deep gulp of air and inhaled slowly through my nostrils. It felt nice in my throat, that purr, almost like a little tickle.
"Are we all ready now?" I exclaimed again. "Juliet?"
The beaver hit a sharp C on her keys behind the piano, and my ears reacted accordingly.
"Splendid!" I smiled. "Hawk-on? Stephens?"
"Yeah," the lynx replied.
"Yep," the wolf said.
"First places, then, and everyone, please, enjoy! This is what this is all about!" I beamed.
Our small group arranged itself as comfortably as possible in the dance studio, and I, too, settled back onto the bench, next to the pile of scripts and props from the previous scene. I folded my legs, my tail and my paws comfortably, rolled my shoulders, and rumbled contently. Might as well settle properly.
Art.
Uuh.
Haakon poised himself onto the stool so that his back was facing towards us, a most becoming pose for the boy, I had to admit, while Stephens took a step over to the left and stood there, minding his own business once again.
Let's make love happen.
"And three, two, one, Juliet, please!"
The beaver launched very gently into the intro, taking her time through the first bars. Haakon rolled his beautiful shoulders, as if he was joining into the tune, while Stephens still stood where he was before, simply staring ahead of him. Haakon swung his tail.
Oh, do me proud, Stephens, do it again...oh yes...
Snap!
There went the paw, rolling in a most graceful manner and with a finger pointed out to gesture at the seated and mysterious lynx on his stool.
"I know vat you're dinkin! You vonder vy I chose him!"
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More gestures, more waving, and eyes that were so far away from the ones that looked over to me before the music filled his soul and gave him the power to be someone else for the fleeing minutes of art and wonder.
"Out of all ze furries in zeeeee voooooorlt!"
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Keep that tail going...yes...yes, good...raise your chin...shout it out...declaring your beautiful love for this beautiful boy...I'm definitely not wondering!
"Dat's just ze first impression...vat gut is ze first impression..."
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There, now...he put his paws together over his heart...pleading with us...telling us...
"If you knew him like I dooooooo..."
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He kept up the note, held it long and proud, as he stepped over to the seated lynx and put his paws onto his shoulders, just like we had talked about before, as he still faced the audience of us.
"...it voult change your point of viiiiiiiiew..."
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With a gentle kick from the lynx, in unison, they rotated him around, so that the lynx, who was smiling like the proverbial Cheshire cat, was fully revealed to us in his shirtless, beautiful self. His pink bow tie artfully crooked around his neck now while his head was tilted into a coy angle for the look they could exchange between them. The little pause that followed his long, high note was enough for them to rub nosepads together before Stephens stood up once more and launched into the chorus.
"If you coult zee him through mein eyes...you vouldn't vonder at all..."
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Good...good...beautiful...walk around him while he watches you and plays with that cute bow tie...
"...If you coult zee him through mein eyes...I guarantee you woult fall like I did..."
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Yes...approaching again, he took Haakon's paw and pulled the lynx up to his footpaws, taller than the wolf, but a nice contrast, and a beautiful harmony of colors, standing there, paw in paw, looking at one another.
"...ven ve're in ze public together...I hear ze society mooooooan..."
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Good, Haakon, do that...a paw on your forehead and a dramatic head tilt...great eyes on Mason again...how does he do this? Where does he keep this hidden when he's not singing?
"But if zey could zee him through mein eyes..."
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Now Stephens took the lynx's paws into his own and squeezed them, gazing into his beautiful, bright eyes...now with emotion...remember...
"...maybe zey leave us aloooooone..."
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Beautiful work from Haakon...beautiful...oh beautiful...especially now that he pushed his shoulders back and flexed his arms to really show what he was packing there. It would have been criminal for me not to notice that, either, as much as it would have been a shame for him to wear a shirt for this scene.
"How kan I speak of his virtues...I don't know vere to begin...."
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Oh yes...smug-smirking Haakon...keep that up, boy, and you're going to be getting some wolf attention tonight...
"...he's clever, he's smart, he reads music..."
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Here we go...the boys' own contribution to the lyrics...
"...he doesn't smoke pot or trink Jagerbombs like I do!"
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The dramatic pause offered enough time for the laughter from our little audience, and I couldn't help but clap my own paws together as well, joyful over this beautiful release of energy. Stephens walked behind the lynx while Haakon kept eye contact all the time, and then wolf appeared by his right side, and took his paw again. This is where they would need more room.
"Yet ven ve're ze valking together..."
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And they did, tramping in one place while putting a jaunty swing to their tails and knees.
"...zey sneer if I'm holding his haaaaant!"
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I lifted my own paw, instinctually, as I mimed what they were doing, holding their paws high up, as they should be.
"...but if zey coult see him through my eyes...maybe zey'll all understaaaant..."
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And now, the lingering, gentle...
"...vy kan't zey leave us alone..."
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And very gently from the piano, as they still held paws, and Mason poised himself to address the crowd, one paw gesticulating for our attention as he made his plea.
"Meine Damen und Herren, Mesdames and Messieurs...Ladies unt Gentlemen...is it ze crime to fall in love? Kan ve ever tell vere ze heart truly leads us? All ve are asking is eine bisschen Verstandnis...vy kan't ze vorlt leben und leben lassen?"
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Oh, once we get the makeup on, these eyes are going to break hearts...I already had to hold my paws really close togehter to stop myself from smiling too much.
"Live...unt let...live..."
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Haakon spoke the words with him, because we agreed, altogether, that it would make for a nice little effect. Bring him out as a character and not as a caricature of just a pretty boy sitting there being all pretty and gussied up. This was his darling he was singing about, not some...creature...creative license, here! And these boys do have some!
And some things couldn't just be acted.
Juliet brought out everything the piano got while Mason got to exercise those lungs of his, as the final bars came through.
"I understant your objection...I grant you ze problem's not small...but if you coult zee him through mein eyes..."
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Wait for it...wait for it...
"It...vouln't...look queer at all..."
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And there we were, the piano going mad, the wolf's laughter going mad, the lynx picking him easily off the floor, swung over his shoulder and pirouetted around while we all laughed, smiled, and watched Stephens' tail flail in the air while Haakon ran them across our imaginary stage and only stopped when he was in the danger of colliding with the wall. Everyone was busy clapping and laughing still, myself included. I was so glad to see Stephens and Haakon join in, too, walking back over to our little group while Lambert hurried forward with towels.
"Heheheheh, you're awesome!" the leopard declared as he tossed a towel to Stephens and handed one for Haakon most personally.
"Thanks!" the shirtless wonder replied as he received the towel and rubbed it over his face playfully. I wasn't sure he needed it as much as his companion, who was positively glistening after belting out for four minutes.
Oh, how good he must've been feeling now, I even felt a twinge of envy, watching his rapid breaths and how he surely was still having that great, breathless sensation stage could give to you. You were alive, and you were...in a somewhat altered state of mind and body, for the duration of the act, and this fleeing moment that followed, when you simply got to enjoy yourself.
"Ohhhh Mason!" Reilly had joined in the group by now, her fluid body easily wedged between Haakon and Stephens, with paws on both of the boys' shoulders. "You keep getting better every time!"
Hahah, poor Stephens, face half-covered with the towel, barely able to hear and see a thing, while the vixen bestowed her thanks on him.
"You're so cute!" Reilly murmured.
"Oh be careful there, Haakon, or you have to be jealous soon!" Lambert snickered.
"Not a chance!" the lynx yelped and put an arm about the wolf, a move that caused the vixen to shuffle to the side a little.
Everyone was still laughing.
"Is it supposed to be so cute?" the more gruff voice of Harvey cut in.
I turned to look at the German Shepherd, whom was leaning against the mirror where he stood next to Kimber, Lauren and Sara, and had a thoughtful expression on his muzzle. He had a copy of the book on his paw, too, as was his habit. Still memorizing his lines, that silly dog. Nothing wrong with his acting or singing, but the lines...work in progress.
"Were you not happy, Harvey?" I asked, still seated and most comfortable.
The canine shrugged and gave me a look.
"I'm just wondering whether the Emcee ought to be quite so lovey-dovey," the German Shepherd rumbled. "Because how they're playing it, it's getting pretty mushy."
Lambert chuckled in a most ringing tone that made my ears seek the solace of my beret.
"Mushy?" the leopard declared. "Rob, it's Cabaret, it's meant to be camp!"
"Faaaaabulous!" Haakon joined in, having extracted his muzzle from his towel which now hung over his shoulders.
"That's my man!" Lambert high-fived the eagerly responding lynx.
"I think they're adorable!" Reilly added, nestled into a somewhat more serious Stephens' arm.
Harvey cleared his throat.
"I just am not sure that the darker subtext of the Gorilla Suit Song is coming through, because they're making it look so cute," he opinioned.
Well, well, wouldn't this put a smile to my face!
Artistic differences!
Oh, yes...I stood up from my bench and clapped my paws together to raise attention to myself as the director and the possible mediator in this situation. Eyes and ears turned towards me with pleasant speed, and I let my tail uncoil itself, as I relaxed myself into this moment. Curious, bright eyes, hungry for life, and for...hahah...wisdom. I wondered whether I was ready to dispense.
"Well, we all know that the Kit Kat Club is meant to be very subversive," I started in an appropriate tone, "the performances reflect the feelings of the nation in turmoil, and the growing menace of the National Socialism and the threat it poses for one's personal freedom. And we agreed to play upon the more sexualized interpretation of the Emcee of the modern productions, and I think that for our current audiences, in this ideological climate, to portray their relationship conundrum as an issue of gender politics rather than as an issue of religion and culture would be something that furs could easily relate to and reflect upon."
I drew a deep breath once I was done and let them ruminate on it, and surprise me, I hoped.
"I don't see any problem with cute," Kimber noted, her lapine brow knit in a thoughtful frown. "It's meant to be a funny performance for the audience."
"And it is!" Reilly added, still cornered to young Stephens. "Mason and Haakon rock in this!"
"Thanks, Megan!" Haakon said, grinning handsome once more, as I would expect him to.
Shouldn't get this easily distracted by him. I wasn't being much better than Lambert in that regard, so eagerly hovering near the handsomely shirtless boy.
One further look at Mr. Harvey told me that he wasn't quite convinced yet.
"Sure, but if we want this to be a serious commentary on homophobia, shouldn't it be a bit darker, like the original is?" the German Shepherd postulated. "It's pretty fucking dark, and it's meant to be so. These furs are meant to be reflecting on the horribly things that are going out on the streets."
Lambert snorted, from his cozy place by Haakon.
"I think everyone knows what goes on there if you wander to the wrong street," the leopard stated. "This is just about suggesting it, and reminding you of it."
"I'm just not sure if it's dark enough, considering everything it's meant to represent."
I tapped my paws together.
"Harvey, do you think that it should be more burlesque, rather?" I offered.
My sometimes difficult Cliff rubbed his chin and flicked his ears back and forth.
"I just kinda feel like it's missing some of the impact of the original anti-Semitic theme. It's not quite as strong now."
"We all wanted to make it about homophobia, Rob," Reilly spoke up again, head held high, as she should, being of strong words and mind, I smiled to myself, as we all turned to listen to her, "We all agreed to bring that aspect out and make it relevant to the modern fur."
"It's not like we're forgetting what it is originally about, dude," Stephens rumbled. "We all know that."
"I wasn't claiming that we were doing something wrong here, I 'm just saying that I'm not sure it has the same impact as the original," Harvey stated.
"What do you want us to do with it then?" Haakon questioned. "Mister Faye?"
Aha...time to dispense! How kind of Haakon-lynx!
"Well, the lyrics are all about the disapproval by the society at the relationship existing between these two," I waved my paw to indicate the lynx and the wolf, of course, "and how they wished they would be left alone to do as they please..."
"And that's what we do," Haakon grinned. "Or at least try to..."
"I think they're doing great," Reilly said, nosepad wrinkling a little now. "And I think it's going to look even greater once we really set it up. It's gonna be so much stronger with the lights and the set and the costumes and everything. It's gonna look like a whole different act."
"Hopefully an X-rated one," Lambert snickered.
Everyone laughed.
"And we can do much more with the choreography too," Haakon added. "Mason and I've been looking at some ideas."
"Yeah," Stephens nodded too. "Make it look more like we're kinda making fun of all the mannerisms too...exaggerate a bit..."
"That's right!" Haakon yelped. "Camp it up a bit if we need to, right?"
He elbowed the wolf, and got lots of giggles from Reilly and Lambert, who hadn't moved away from their preferred furs of the performing pair.
"Well, even if it is meant to be a burlesque performance, we can still give it nuances, of course," I added my own part, as the director, heheh, "it can be playful, but also, it is theater, it is meant to amuse you and also to point out the various social clues that indicate a certain persuasion, and the Emcee wants to highlight this, and the point is to make you wonder whether he really means it as a positive thing or not...slightly ambiguous as the final remark should be on whether you really believe that it can ever be accepted or not."
"I'm buying it," Lambert purred.
"Heheh," Haakon giggled and looked jus the part, I had to admit.
My, my, wasn't that wolf a lucky one.
"Well, that's why it's still so much a work in process, ladies and gentlemen," I smiled broadly. "And I'm sure it's time now...anyone got the time?"
"Three-fifty!" Lauren called out.
Stephens' ears jumped.
"Damn, I'm gonna be late for work!" his tail flapped sharply.
"Oooooh man!" Haakon concerted. "There goes your raise!"
I chuckled.
"Very well then, everyone, that's more than clear enough a cue that we should call it day," it's such a nice day outside, too!" I proposed. "Anyone else in a hurry to work?"
A few murmurs rose among our little group, and my ears soon flicked with the thump of Juliet closing her piano up for the night.
"Alright!" I called out. "See you all on Friday at twelve sharp, we'll go through "Maybe This Time" and the reprise of Willkommen for the end act...I hope you have been memorizing your lines, Harvey!" I grinned.
The German Shepherd rumbled and shrugged.
"Sure."
"Can I bring out a couple of dresses in, too, Faye?" Reilly asked cheerfully. "I want to hear your opinion on what I had in mind for Money."
"Sure!"
"Ohh, can I try them out too?" Lambert grinned, his tail all too mobile, and ending up smacking Haakon's comely abdomen. The lynx simply chuckled while the vixen snuffled.
"Thought you had yours already done, Aiden!"
The leopard rolled his shoulders coyly.
"Helga's a really vain girl and changes her outfits for every number," he purred. "But I can bring my nightie for "Two Ladies" if you want to see it..."
The happy chatter that caught my younglings soon threatened to go out of paw, it seemed, and I even had to raise my voice to tell all of us to leave the room so that we could lock up for the day. It was good to see so many happy faces.
"Hurry up now!" I called out as I saw that they all filed out among choruses of 'Goodbye, Mr. Faye!' , "Tooddleloo!"
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Extra author's note: If you're unfamiliar with Cabaret and want to have an idea on what this song number ought to look like "officially", you can have a choice here and either see Michael "Dexter" C. Hall have a go - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlJ9bj6_4rs or see the original interpretation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEhHeILa3HE - I wonder which one Faye is following in his direction... *snicker*
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Sooo, thank you for reading my extra chapter, folks, and don't forget t comment, vote and fave! All the feedback is always appreciated.
See you on Friday!
Cheerio!