Chapter Text
When the rooflights flickered to life, it illuminated a vast set. While it was built specifically for testing purposes and to give the actors enough space to practice their skills at the sport of Roarball, it was nonetheless impressive. A sports court surrounded by a chained fence, with bits of flora hanging off it to give it a jungle aesthetic. Flat terrain with pockets of loose sand that were easy to kick up. And the basketball hoops had their paint job slightly eroded, showing signs of overuse and friction.
In the middle of the court was an aquamarine sofa designed for one. Its design stuck out against the rough design of the Roarball court; pristine, new, spotless. A few seconds later, a door is heard opening, followed by the sounds of footsteps growing louder. Then, a goat steps into frame, looking at the sofa with intrigue.
This is Will Harris. A Boer goat that is 5 feet 7 inches, sports a curly mullet, wearing a forest green short-sleeve T-shirt, washed blue jeans, and white sneakers. A kid who is full of heart, determination, and a daring personality. And today was a special day for him.
Interviewer: "Please take a seat. Make yourself comfortable."
Will: "Right here?" (*pointing at the sofa*)
Interviewer: "Yeah, that's perfect. *ahem* So, Will, welcome to Sony Pictures Animation. We're really excited to have you here today. We understand that this is only your first day after touching down in Los Angeles. Still, we wanted to ask you some questions about what your first impressions are here at SPA, especially since this is your first time being involved in movie production as an actor."
Will looks nervous, twiddling his hooves. A few seconds later, he recomposes slightly and looks at the interviewer with renewed confidence.
Will: "Well, that's kinda the thing about trying something new. It looks—erm, scary at first, but once you take it all in, you'll be thinking 'What was I so nervous about?'."
The interviewer smiles as Will becomes more comfortable on the sofa, demonstrating a relaxed attitude.
Interviewer: "Aren't you just full of optimism?"
Will (*smiling back*): "Hm."
Interviewer: "Now, go back to the beginning. What inspired you to join GOAT, and how did your journey start, leading to here in the studio?"
The talk of the town was becoming increasingly commonplace. Something about a sport called "Roarball". In a small toon town like North Grove, British Columbia, word of mouth spreads fast. And eventually, it reached Will.
Having recently graduated from high school, he found it odd to return to the old P.E. gym, but the offer was tempting since one of his friends had highly recommended it. As he approached the entrance, he looked down at the pamphlet to make sure he didn't miss any crucial detail:
"COME ONE, COME ALL, SMALL TO BIG, WE WELCOME YOU TO A TRIAL RUN OF A NEW SPORT, ROARBALL! IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, VISIT US AT THE NORTH GROVE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL FOR A DRY RUN! 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m."
One quick check of his watch, 11:55 a.m. He exhaled and went inside, the double doors leading to the gym being the only barrier left.
"Hey," a voice called out behind Will. He turned around and found a cheetah with a considerable build, but an infectious smile. "You excited?" he asked. Will mustered the courage to nod with a smile. The cheetah gave him a pat on the back and walked into the gymnasium, with Will following not long behind.
The gym itself had been greatly modified for this new "game", with a large banner stating that this sport has all the nooks and crannies of a ball going in the hoop, ala basketball, while also allowing for physical contact, ala rugby. One of the judges, a tiger, took one look at Will and wordlessly pointed at the start of the line, guiding the goat. "Thank you." Will thanked as he took his place in line, taking a seat to ensure some form of comfort. The whining feedback of a microphone diverted his attention to a lion judge.
"Good afternoon, everyone. We'd like to thank you for taking some time out of your day to participate in this dry run of a new type of sport, Roarball. The rules are similar to basketball, get the ball in the hoop, score a point for your team, but what makes this unique from basketball is its inclusion of rugby elements of physical contact," the lion judge began. He continued to talk about the rules and expectations, to which Will listened intently. Basketball was his favourite sport, and the one he favoured over the others in P.E. A few minutes later, the first kid got his turn.
...
About 15 minutes later, it was Will's turn. He'd been watching everyone's movements, tricks, the like, and keeping his ears sharp to hear any advice. The judges, the cheetah, tiger, lion, and bison, all warmly greeted him. Respectively, they had the nametags: Isadore, Roy, Leo, and Charlie. "Welcome to the dry run, no need to worry about all the professional stuff, just have fun, and listen to our feedback," Charlie noted as he presented the court to Will.
Will entered with eagerness and took note of the court: the ball resting on the free throw line on his side, the cardboard dummies that are the 'opposing team', and the only hoop on the opposite end. "We'll do the first test, we'll play some regular basketball, and we'll start the clock when you pick it up," Roy instructed. Will gave a quick nod as he approached the ball. And the second he picked it up, the timer on the scoreboard began.
Will's movement was swift, dodging the cardboard dummies with sudden movements and darting his eyes everywhere he could. Upon reaching the net, he launched the ball, which flew into the air and finally, through the hoop. He pumped his fist in the air and jumped victoriously. "Not too bad, kid!" Leo congratulated.
"When it came to the timing, you could be slightly faster, but what you've done was pretty good, but we'll have about, *tch*, three more sessions to see incredible improvement." Isadore beamed. "For our second test, we'll do it again, but they're going to have different patterns. We want to see your adaptability and try to be slightly faster than your previous time." Isadore proposed. Will smiled and gave a thumbs up, to the best ability with his hooves. The ball was there, and Will picked it up, the scoreboard starting the timer.
The dummies indeed had much different movement, but with sheer determination, Will managed to find some decent openings that allowed him to get to the hoop faster than his previous run. He shoots, and the ball goes through the hoop again. "Hey, improvement already!" Isadore praised. Will dusted off his hooves and did a pose like he was ready for a photoshoot.
"Was basketball your first sport? You got a lot of this nailed down!" Charlie beamed. "No need to worry about a stopwatch for our third test, which will test your endurance and reaction time. You'll have bean bags thrown at you, and your goal is to dodge as many as you can." Leo revealed as numerous launchers were wheeled in, with bean bags in their containers. Will did look slightly nervous, but he was doing so well, he couldn't afford to buckle now. "And, go!" Roy shouted out as the machines whirred to life.
...
2 minutes later, the machines powered down, and Will panted in exhaustion. He rubbed his left arm at the upper portion and his right knee while slightly wincing in pain. He managed to dodge a majority of the bean bags, except for two, one that hit him on the upper left arm and one on the right knee. Despite all that, he thought he did a good job with the dodging
"Your reaction time is pretty spot on, kid." Roy chimed. "And now, the final test," Isadore announced as he stood up from the judge's desk, walking towards the court. "No dummies, no bean bags, let's do the whole thing, whole cloth," the cheetah stated as he walked over to the opposite side of Will. "You ready?"
The session started well with Will managing to avoid Isadore's maneuvers, but a mistimed step allowed the goat to be elbowed, dropping the ball. Isadore picks it up and holds it up triumphantly, before turning to Will. "Sadly, in a sport like this, all it takes is one mistake or misstep, and the opposing team has the opportunity. Try again." Isadore stated, before tossing the ball back to Will.
The second session was the same, but it all changed when Will reached a pivotal moment between him and Isadore. Will had two options, but both carried a level of uncertainty to guarantee his shot; either trick the cheetah into thinking he'll go a certain way, or perform a maneuver that can blindside his opponent. He decided to go for the latter and made his move when Isadore was about to snatch the ball out of his hooves. Performing a slide to the right, Isadore's window of opportunity passed, and Will ran towards the hoop.
He shoots...
...and the ball went in the hoop.
"Well done, Will. You've played the game perfectly!" Isadore cheered as he gave Will a high five. As the crowd cheered, Will felt like he was on cloud nine while the other judges gave their final scores, unanimous positive results. In the midst of all the commotion, Isadore exited the gymnasium and pulled out his phone, dialling a number. "Hello? I think we got our GOAT." he said with pride in his voice. He lowered the phone and glanced back at the gym, his mouth curling into a small smile.
Will: "So, that's how that turned out. Just had some fun, listened to their comments, adapted, I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted it to be a real sport!"
Interviewer: "Mm. So, what happened after that?"
Will: "Eh, nothin' special. But it was—what was it? Oh yeah, about one week after that session that I got the invitation."
Interviewer: "Ah, jumping to the meat of the topic. What was your reaction? Your family's?"
On an overcast evening, Will was out in the little makeshift courtyard on the front lawn, with his younger brother as a spectator. Eyeing the hoop above the garage door, he got into a basketball-ready stance. "Will Harris readies his shot, five seconds on the clock..." he whispered under his breath as he did some maneuvers, before getting into position to make the grand slam. "He shoots..!" he shouts out as he launches the ball.
The ball flies in the air, dips upon reaching peak height, and goes into the hoop.
"And he scores!" Will cheered as he pumped his fist in the air. "And the crowd goes wild!" Will's brother cheered as he played a stadium's cheering sound on his phone. "Hey, Billy, you got that?" Will asked. "I did!" Billy confirmed as he gave his brother a high five.
Ever since graduation, Will has always had aspirations to be part of the sports world, but basketball was the one sport that was his forte. A mixture of his analytical skill, agility, and quick thinking were the perfect assets for the sport. And while his younger brother can size him up a little bit too much, it was harmless since it was a sibling wanting to be encouraging. However, Will's life was about to change that very instant, with the growing sounds of footsteps approaching the Harris household.
"Excuse me, are you Will Harris?" that voice made Will turn to the source, an antelope mailman. Will nodded, and the antelope handed the goat a letter with bright neon blue colouring. "They wanted me to send you congratulations on their behalf," he wished with a smile as he continued his routine. "They?" Will asked out loud as he looked at the envelope.
"What is it?" Billy questioned as he hovered close to Will, the envelope being opened with careful precision. Upon taking the letter out, Will reads it out loud:
"To whom it may concern:
We represent the animation recruitment team for Sony Pictures Animation, and your actions during the North Grove District High School dry runs of a new sport for toons called 'Roarball' have caught our attention. Our informant was present, and they have expressed interest in personally recruiting you to a new project that is currently in the works in our studio.
Your Roarball experience, especially with listening to feedback for improvement, agility, and making decisions on the dime, could contribute to our project as our lead in GOAT. If you're interested in accepting our offer, call the number listed below. Thank you for your time."
Will and Billy looked at the letter for a few seconds, taken aback at the possibility that this was, in fact, real. "I-Is this, is this real?" Will stammered, staring at the note in disbelief. Nothing on it suggested it was a fake. All the appropriate stamps and logos were there, and the signatures looked official.
...
By the time dinner came, Will and Billy agreed to keep this a secret until everyone in the family was present. Their father, Robert, returned home with a pizza box, looking exhausted. "Sorry for being late, the agency needed an extra hand, and there were a lot of productions to sort through..." he groaned, but smiled when he reached his arms out, showing off the pizza box. "But I got us some pizza!"
"Pizza pizza!" Billy called out as he rushed over to the dinner table. The pizza box opened, and it was the classic pepperoni with cheese on one half, and vegetarian on the other. Then Maddie, Robert's wife, emerged from the living room, only to be greeted with the sight of her family seated at the dinner table and the smell of fresh pizza. "The agency was overloaded again?" she quipped playfully at her husband.
"*snrk* Don't remind me, I'd like to be reminded of the one thing that I truly cherish, family," Robert replied, handing them plates. Slices were taken, Billy nabbed the biggest pepperoni slice in the box, Will got a slice of each, while Robert talked about his day at the agency, and Maddie talked about a new novel she was reading. It was a standard family dinner, but Will kept the acceptance letter in his room, waiting for the right moment to tell his parents. While he was super excited, he was also a little bit nervous at the same time.
"So, sport, how was your day?" Robert asked Will. "Oh, I got a surprise for you all!" Will sang in a sing-songy tone as he got up from the seat and headed over to his room. A few seconds later, Will reemerged holding a bright neon blue letter. "I got something in the mail, and I think you're gonna find it awesome!" he cheered as he handed them the letter.
Robert and Maddie looked at the letter, their faces growing in surprise gradually as their eyes moved down the words. Billy looked at his brother with anticipation and support, while Will smiled, but his eyes conveyed nervousness. When they finished reading, they looked at their oldest son, then back at the letter. "I-Is this, what I think it is?" Robert stammered, being absolutely floored.
Will: "Heh, yeah, my parents acted like they won the lottery! Well, after my dad confirmed it was real."
Interviewer: "Your father works at a talent agency in Vancouver. Was he especially ecstatic that you scored an acting gig?"
Will: "I think along the lines of 'My boy is in a movie!' or somethin' like that. He's an excitable guy."
Interviewer: "Gotcha. So, what happened after the dinner reveal?"
Will: "We threw an impromptu party, celebrated for a while, Billy was way past his bedtime that day, heh. I called the number, and they accepted it. And I had three days to prepare my stuff. Had to catch the train first, then make my way to the airport. But uh—"
Will looked to the side, his face one of slight discomfort. The interviewer takes note of this and prepares to ask Will if he was alright, but the goat recomposed himself and resumed the interview.
Will: "I wish they gave me more time, but that's the thing with the movie biz. And it was a long journey."
6:45 a.m. That was the time when Will cleared the train station, he and his family standing at the main platform, awaiting its arrival. "Well, we did it." Will chipped in. "No sport, you did it," Robert assured.
It felt weird; the week before, he was just a graduate awaiting to see what life would be like afterwards, but today, he was now picked to be a lead star in an animated project. "Promise me one thing, sweetheart, call us or message the first chance you get." Maddie requested. "And it'd be cool to see your friends!" Billy chirped in, his voice full of energy and excitement. "I will. I love you guys." Will whispered as he hugged them all one last time before he got on the train.
"All aboard, passengers of Train #14, en route from North Grove to Vancouver International Airport!" the announcement rang out. With urgency, Will headed towards the entrance, but looked at his family one last time before he embarked on this new adventure. His father gave him a thumbs up, his mother blew a kiss and put her hoof on her heart, and Billy was waving his arms around like a sports fan cheering their favourite team. He mimicked throwing a ball to them and gave them one last wave before going inside the train.
Five minutes later, the engines engaged, and the train disembarked. Looking into his luggage, Will pulled out a laptop and headphones, tuning it to the latest in sports recaps. It was the usual, nothing extravagant, but at least it provided something to do, and the movie playing on the TV screens wasn't a favourite of his. And he took comfort that it was only one hour until they got to the airport. And when he wanted to take a look outside, he was greeted with lush forests, the edges of the ocean, and the magnificent beauty of British Columbia's forests and nature. It provided a nice reprieve and allowed him to get a nice look at rural landscapes before the only thing he sees is a pure urban jungle.
...
When the train arrived at the airport at 7:50 a.m., navigating throughout the airport was easy, but finding his guide was another story. The rules on the letter looked simple, 'When you enter Vancouver International Airport, look for a chameleon who is wearing a dark blue suit.', but so far, no sign of the chameleon, although that could also be due to the abundance of people and toons trying to navigate their way through a busy airport. A few minutes later, a chameleon that fit the description was found, and Will flagged them down. "Hello!" Will shouted out, trying to get their attention.
"Ah, Will! You're here! My name is Geck, and I'll be your assigned guide today to get you to Sony Pictures Animation safely." Geck introduced while he shook Will's hoof. Will certainly noted Geck's firm grip. "The plane will be departing at 10:00 a.m., and we want to clear security before 8:30 a.m., which gives us enough time to get ready to board, and I'll contact SPA when we've boarded," Geck instructed as he guided Will down the halls of the airport. Hopefully, all would be well on the way there.
...
Security didn't take long to get through; the timing was spot on, and Geck was supportive all the way through, knowing that Will might be slightly overwhelmed. Eventually, they made it to the main gate, but Will slightly hid himself in his hoodie, which Geck took note of. "Hey, I know it's a bit overwhelming, but you're going to have lots of fun. The folks at SPA are unbelievably kind, and the actors in the project are incredible." Geck encouraged. "You have my word."
Eventually, the time came for boarding. Now this was happening. Will and Geck boarded the plane and sat alongside each other, with Will being seated by the window. "It'll just be 3 hours. It won't take long, then I'll chauffeur you to the studio, and just a heads up, you might be interviewed later. Just a friendly heads up." Geck warned. Will nodded in understanding.
Will: "The plane ride was kinda uneventful. But Geck's drive to Sony provided a lot of chances for me to see the city, and it's really, something else."
Interviewer: "I'm glad you got here safe, and seeing the studio for the first time, what was your first impression of that?"
Will: "Ha! You think the pictures make it look big? It's much bigger on the inside!"
*beep beep*
Interviewer: "Actually, good timing. That was all the questions I had for you, Will. I have to get going, but thank you very much for your time."
Will: "Hey, anytime."
Will got up from the sofa and stretched. But the interviewer stopped him before he could leave the court.
Interviewer: "I'd suggest spending the rest of your day hanging out with the others. They arrived as well, your team."
Will: "Really?"
Interviewer: "The Vineland Thorns, that's as much as I know. Hang out with them, get to know them, have fun, and do some activities. You take it easy, alright?"
Will: "Will do. Thank you."