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Leo's heart was pounding.
He could barely contain his excitement or his nerves. His palms were sweaty and his throat was bone-dry. He kept gulping in an attempt to hydrate it with his saliva but it didn't really seem to have any effect. His legs were trembling to the point that he had to sit down because he was terrified that he would just topple over.
This was his dream come true!
He had landed himself a role in the newest season of Neo Feathermen! And not just a background character or a supporting role… He was part of the main group!
Words couldn't even begin to describe how ecstatic and excited he was to bring this new character to life with his acting and his stunt work, however… the closer it got to filming, the more his excitement morphed into anxiety. With each day that passed, more and more questions began circling around his head.
What if he messed up?
What if his co-stars didn't like him?
What if his acting was bad?
What if they decided he wasn't good enough and recast the role?
What if he or another actor got injured?
It made him so nervous that he could barely bring himself to eat. Luckily for him though, his aunt and uncle practically forced him to at least get some food into his system every day so he had enough energy to keep practicing. Not to mention the constant support from them, Nagisa and all of his friends lifted his spirits and gave him that push he needed to continue trying his best.
And today his excitement and nerves were locked into a fierce battle, as today was the dress rehearsal. Everyone was going to be present to run through the scenes and they'd be wearing their costumes as they did so!
While Leo was overjoyed that he would finally be able to wear his character's suit, he still couldn't shake his nerves. He tried to take deep breaths to calm himself but every breath was shaky. He never thought achieving his childhood dream would end up being such a nerve-wracking experience. Especially since he was usually so confident! But still… Actually booking a role instead of just training for it was a whole new experience…
"Ah, Kamiyama-san?" A soft, friendly voice called out to him.
The green haired boy flinched and looked over to find a member of the costume department peeking around the doorframe.
"Y-Yes?!"
"You're up! It's time to try on your costume. We're just gonna get you to try it on first and see if we need to make any adjustments before the actual rehearsal starts, okay?" She explained with a comforting smile, beckoning Leo to follow her.
The boy stiffly stood up and walked after her. "O-Okay!"
The lady giggled at his behaviour. "No need to be nervous! Just through here please!"
Saying that, she opened the door to one of shared changing rooms and gestured for Leo to enter first. He'd already seen multiple actors coming and going from this room. His best guess was that they were calling everyone up in staggered intervals to make sure everyone got changed in a timely manner but they wasn't much chance of them walking in while they were actually getting changed. Leo took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway.
"Boss! Kamiyama-san is here for his costume fitting!" The lady called out from behind him.
A very tall, stylish man turned to look at the two entering with a bright smile. "Thanks so much for bringing him here, Shinkai-san!"
"No problem! I'll leave him to you, then! I'll go check if the others need a hand with anything." The woman apparently named Shinkai politely excused herself and walked behind the partition separating the room into two sections.
The tall man pulled out a clipboard and began scrolling his eyes through the information listed on the pages. "Alright, let's see… Kamiyama… Kamiyama… Ah! One of the newcomers! So, this is our Feather Conure! The brand new Teal ranger!"
"U-Um, yes, that's me…!" Leo was growing frustrated by his nerves at this point. He had always been taught to greet any co-stars and crew cheerfully and politely, but thanks to how anxious he felt, his mouth and voice just weren't working the way they were supposed to. He discreetly pinched his thigh in an attempt to make his brain work properly again. "I look forward to working with you!"
"Oh sweetie, don't mention it! We've heard nothing but lovely things about you!" The man bashfully waved his hand before turning around to fetch the costume.
"You have?" Leo tilted his head curiously.
"Oh yeah, there's been tales swirling around about a troupe with a student putting in a lot more effort than all of his peers. Hell, even the director said that he was blown away by your audition and decided to cast you on the spot!"
"H-He did…?" Leo quietly gasped. He really couldn't tell when he took that audition; if that were true then the director's poker face was very impressive. But still… Somehow hearing all of that praise made Leo's stomach start to tie itself into knots.
"Oh dear, I hope I didn't put too pressure on you by saying that…" The head of the costume department gasped as he suddenly realised how that could come across.
"N-No, not at all…!" Leo lied, trying to convince himself more than anyone.
The tall man just flashed him a smile and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Try not to worry too much, honey. Today's just a rehearsal so just try to get a feel for things and ease into the atmosphere, yeah? You'll be just fine."
Leo sighed and gave him a thankful grin. "Okay… I'll try my best."
The man patted him on the back before displaying the costume in front of its chosen wearer. "Attaboy… Now! How about you try this on already?"
Leo's nerves finally morphed back into pure excitement now that he saw his costume right in front of him. "Okay!"
Leo stared at his reflection with a completely awestruck expression.
This… was actually real, right?
What he was looking at… was him, right?
"So, what do you think? Not too tight or anything? Can you move around alright?"
The sound of the costume's designer entering his ears let him know that this definitely wasn't a dream. With the new confidence that this was in fact real, Leo took in every last detail all over again.
The base bodysuit was a deep, dark shade of teal that leaned more towards becoming a shade of green. His chest plate and belt were made of a metallic looking material that was a lighter shade of teal that leaned more towards becoming a shade of blue. On his collarbone was his character's badge, signaling which bird he represented.
His gloves were white and reached halfway up his forearm with the cuffs adorned with the usual gold design. On his right wrist was the transformation watch that made his inner child feel all giddy. His boots had a matching design: white and knee length with a golden perimeter at the top.
On his back was a small, light teal cape held in place by two metallic golden shoulder pads. The way the cape split in the middle made it look like a pair of wings.
"It looks incredible…" was all Leo could manage to whisper as he felt his eyes prickling.
"Haha, I'm glad to hear it! But how does it feel? Too tight? Anything loose?" The man laughed, giving Leo another pat on the back.
Leo began moving each limb one at a time. Twisting them around, stretching them, bending them, turning his body as far as he could, bouncing up and down, everything he could think of.
"It feels pretty good to me. It stretches with me pretty well so I don't think I'll have any issues but I'll get back to you on that after the rehearsal." Leo answered, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach as he mentioned the rehearsal again.
"Very good! Now, we don't have your helmet just yet… The prop team are still adding the finishing touches to that and your weapon but I've seen them and they're coming along very nicely!"
"Okay, I'll look forward to those, then."
As the tall man opened his mouth to reply, another member of staff rushed into the room.
"Ah! Takamine-san! There you are! We need your help! The Demon Witch's dress got caught on some props and ripped pretty badly!"
"Oh god… Alright, I'll be right there!" Takamine assured them before turning to Leo. "One of my co-workers should be here soon and they'll discuss the plans for your character's casual attire and the like so just wait here, okay? Help yourself to snacks or read the magazines or whatever. Ciao, darling!"
With that, the man grabbed a fairly hefty sewing kit and bolted out of the room leaving Leo awkwardly stood by himself.
"O-Oh, uh, okay…?"
The green haired boy took another look at his reflection, his lips twitching uncontrollably as he tried his hardest to hold back the giddy grin trying to claw it's way onto his face. His eyes glimmered with pure joy. Part of him really wanted to take a picture and send it to Nagisa but he couldn't help but worry if that was somehow a breach of NDA so he resisted the temptation.
Still though, what exactly was he supposed to do while waiting for this other member of the costume department? He figured it would probably be best to do something productive, so he rummaged around in his bag and pulled out his script. It was probably a smart idea to re-familiarize himself with his lines and directions before actually rehearsing them alongside the rest of the cast.
He flicked through the notebook until he found his first big scene. Placing it on the table, he cleared his throat and backed away a few paces. Taking one final deep breath, he began his practice.
Leo was so relieved that he thought to rehearse by himself one last time. Just going over his lines and making absolutely sure that he could recite them from memory gave him that sense of security that he was previously lacking.
Stepping back to the desk, he flicked through the script a little more.
"Okay, now the final scene… Accepting his role as a Featherman and agreeing to protect the earth… How should I go about this? Scared? Determined? Confused…? He does seem a little confused but he wants to help too so what if I play him as kind of hesitant but willing to give it a try? That could work…" He muttered to himself as he tread through his character's lines. This was the pivotal scene of the first episode after all! The one where the new members swear to join the group and protect the world! The interaction every kid dreamed of having! He couldn't screw this up!
"That sounds pretty good to me. Maybe you could make him sound a little scared too, since his little sister got caught up in the Minionling attack from the earlier scenes." A sudden voice added to his musings, giving their own opinion.
Leo flinched and whipped his head around. He though he was the only one in this room! Someone heard him practicing all of his lines?! Just the thought of that made his cheeks feel red hot… but then he saw who had replied to him… and his cheeks went from rosy to crimson as his heart began pounding.
Standing in front of him, leaning casually against the partition wall… was Yukari Takeba.
Pink Argus herself had heard him practicing his lines…
Leo wasn't sure if he wanted the earth to swallow him or if he wanted to spontaneously combust.
His legs went weak at the knees, causing him to have to grip tightly onto the desk he was standing in front of. His chest was pounding from either excitement or fear, he honestly couldn't tell which. His face was so flushed you'd think he'd been out in the sun for three days straight. He supposed this was what people meant when they said they were starstruck by someone. This was one of his idols, after all…
After realising that she had been staring at him for a while now, Leo finally snapped out of his stupor.
"I-I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you!" He bowed down at a 90° angle as he apologised with a flustered shriek.
"Hey, it's fine, you didn't disturb me at all. Actually, hearing you say all your words out loud helped me memorize the timing of my lines, so thanks for that." The actress gently reassured him with that dazzling smile of hers.
Words couldn't begin to convey how relieved Leo felt hearing her say that. Thank god, he hadn't irritated a well-known actor on his first day on the job.
Yukari looked Leo up and down before speaking again. "So you're the one playing Hajime Aotsuki, huh? Feather Conure? It feels a little strange saying that I'll be in a mentor role this season but I look forward to helping your character grow!"
Her supportive greeting sent warmth radiating through Leo's chest.
"Th-That's me! I look forward to working with you, Ma'am!" He shouted nervously.
Yukari recoiled slightly. "'M-Ma'am'…? Uh, you don't have to call me that… Actually, please don't call me that. Just the usual Takeba is fine."
She really wasn't ready to be getting called 'ma'am' just yet… She knew the kid just trying to be polite but still… She'd probably whine about this to Mitsuru and Fuuka later… but not Junpei. Under no circumstances was she going to let Junpei know about this. He'd never let her live it down…
"O-Oh, okay, I'm sorry… Then… Takeba-senpai?"
"There you go, that's perfect."
"O-Okay…"
Yukari tilted her head to the side and flashing an understanding smile. "First day jitters, huh?"
"Y-Yesh… I-I mean!" Leo's face once again turned tomato red upon misspeaking.
Yukari laughed before stopping abruptly, her eyes shooting wide open. "Oh, wait! You're that complete newcomer, aren't you?!"
She'd heard from the casting director and some of the staff that most of the new cast members were newcomers with only a handful of minor roles under their belt, but there was one new cast member who this was his first role ever.
The green haired boy forced a cheery smile onto his face as he itched his cheek. "Ahaha… Yeah, that's me! Complete newbie…!"
Yukari could see right through him. He was thrilled about this opportunity, but he was clearly terrified too. Understandably so.
She smiled softly and walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. "It's scary, right? Having a major role as your debut. I know how you feel; the same thing happened to me in college."
Leo's stared at her with sparkling eyes. Now that she mentioned it, that was right! He could remember people panicking over this new unknown actress being cast as Pink Argus but then being blown away by her performance and archery skills. Knowing that she actually did understand how he felt right now and wasn't just giving him false sympathy really helped to soothe his nerves.
Yukari continued, speaking confidently with her usual brilliant smile. "It's a lot of pressure but just remember that you don't have to deal with it alone. You've got all of your new co-stars and you've got us veterans that have been with the show for quite a while so feel free to come ask us if there's anything you're having trouble with."
"A-Are you sure? I wouldn't want to trouble you or any of the other senpai…"
"It wouldn't be any trouble at all! Our predecessors helped us learn the ropes when we were starting out so it's only fair that we help the next generation!" Yukari giggled remembering how lovely the former pink ranger's actress was.
Leo tapped his finger against his chest plate, listening to the tip-tip-tap as he stared down at the floor with an anxious smile. "I'm just worried that I'll screw up…"
"Oh, screw ups happen all the time, that's what rehearsals are for. Don't worry about it too much." Yukari dismissed that concern, having already learned that mistakes aren't a very big deal ages ago.
Leo looked back up at Yukari with cautious eyes. "… Are you sure?"
"100% positive. If you're still worried, here's something another actor taught me: instead of worrying about what could go wrong, look forward to what's to come once things go right. This is a long running series, you're bound to have some pretty great storylines to act out."
Leo glanced over at his heroic reflection in the mirror. "That's true, I suppose… This has always been a dream of mine…"
"Right? And just think of all the possible ways your character could develop! After all this time with her, I honestly adore Suzuko! I guarantee you're only gonna love Hajime more and more the longer you portray him!"
Right… Right, yeah, that was the whole point of Featherman! The process of watching the new casts grow in heroes! This was just the beginning of both Leo and Hajime's journey! He wouldn't be much of a hero if he gave up just because he was scared!
"Real heroes face their fears and give others the courage to do the same." He muttered to himself as he psyched himself up.
"Yep! That's the spirit!" Yukari nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Leo turned a little pink once he realised he had said that out loud but this pep talk really had given him the confidence boost he needed. He grinned excitedly back at Yukari.
A knock on the door distracted the two from their conversation.
"Come in!" Yukari called out.
The door opened and two staff members walked in, one focusing their attention on Leo while the other's gaze locked onto Yukari.
"Ah, Takeba-san! So you were in here. The props department wanted you to give your new bow a test run to see if it's comfortable and easy to use." The man announced.
"Okay, I'll be right there." Yukari assured him before wandering back over to the other side of the partition to fetch her script and her phone.
"And I take it that you're Kamiyama-san?" The woman asked with a friendly smile.
"Yes, that's me. I look forward to working with you." Leo responded, politely bowing to her.
The lady giggled sweetly. "Likewise! I'm Nagumo and I'll be the one in charge of your make-up. Now, I wanted to discuss ideas for your character's casual style and hair with you because I have a few ideas but, since you're the one who will be wearing them, I wanted to get your opinion first."
"Okay, I'd love to hear your ideas, Nagumo-san." Leo held out his hands, gesturing for Nagumo to go ahead.
"Thank you! Well, the first thought that came to mind was hair… Y'see I saw your headshot and thought this hairstyle you have now would be perfect for Hajime, however… I can imagine it would be quite irritating under the helmet. So I thought: what if we brush your hair back whenever you're in Featherman mode? I feel like that would be pretty efficient."
Leo nodded as he thoughtfully placed a hand on his chin. "Yeah, that sounds pretty good to me… Actually, maybe I could incorporate that into the character? Maybe he always has his hair down and kinda covering his face, but whenever he gets serious, he pushes it back? That could be kinda good!"
Nagumo excitedly clapped her hands together. "Oh, that sounds amazing! I'm sure the audience would love that! Just seeing Hajime push his hair out of his face and knowing that it's about to go down! That'd surely make people get hyped up!"
"See? I told you that you'd get attached to your character." Yukari chuckled as she walked back past the two again towards the open door.
Leo shyly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess you did, haha… Um, Takeba-senpai?"
Yukari stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for encouraging me. I really needed that." Leo stated with a sincere smile.
Yukari just smiled back and turned to leave. "It was nothing. Don't worry about the rehearsals too much. You're gonna knock 'em dead, I just know it. I look forward to working with you, Kamiyama-kun!"
Leo beamed from ear to ear. "I look forward to working with you too, Takeba-senpai! It's a dream come true!"
Yukari smiled and waved goodbye as she rounded the corner, her ears a little pink from how heart felt that response was.
Nagumo couldn't help but giggle at the sheer enthusiasm on Leo's face and in his voice. The boy practically radiated earnestness. "Well then! I suppose we should start fleshing out your character's civilian style!"
Leo nodded, eager to get started with bringing the character he had been entrusted with to life.
"Yes! Let's!"