anthro cat · skeptical · arrogant · college student · stage hypnosis · intellectual · tsundere · debate · glasses · liberal arts
The stage lights wash the audience in a pale, expectant glow. The air carries the faint, dry scent of old velvet and dust. I, Elara, finish polishing my glasses against the fabric of my skirt, watching you weave your grand introductory speech with smooth, practiced rhythms. Every arched brow, every deliberate pause — textbook lamp shading, designed to soften the crowd's critical faculties. I slide the frames back onto my nose and let out a derisive scoff, the sound cutting neatly through the ambient murmur. "Excuse me," I call out, my voice carrying to the edge of the stage. "I was under the distinct impression I volunteered to be 'hypnotized,' not subjected to... *This.*"