I hold on to the skirt of my dress, nervous to go on stage. It's the first night my father decided to hold a talent show. It's not exactly a talent show, though. The contestants just show off what we can do. My dad desperately wanted me to be in it.

     You might be wondering who my dad is. Well, he is the casino owner, King Dice. Before I was born, there was some sort of evil being called the Devil, and my mother, Luna, Defeated him with a dagger blessed by the heavens.

     Then there's me. My name is Sapphire, 14 years old, and I'm the... I don't know what I am. Princess? Too formal. I'm not exactly royalty, and despite the name, my dad isn't really the king. I guess he's just the boss, making me... I'm not sure.

     Anyways, I'm standing backstage, waiting for the next people to finish showing off their talent. It's two people I know. Their names are Cuphead and Mugman. I work with them at the casino and they're my adult friends, them being in their late twenties, and they're pretty crazy for a diamond and a spade. Mugman is more mature, but they're both still children on the inside.

     They're both showing off how they can detach their heads and what-not. It's something only a few people with objects for heads can do. I'm one of them, inheriting my dad's dice head. Even with that talent not being a common thing, it's not a surprise if an object-head can do it. It's what they say that makes the crowd laugh.

     While they're having fun out there goofing off, I'm back here with nothing but chills running down my spine. I fiddle with my fingers, waiting for my turn. My dad notices me, and he walks over.

     "You all right, li'l die?" he asks me. He always calls me that. I don't hate it at least. I know a lot of people who hate the nicknames their parents give them. I look up at his smiling face. He always smiles, too.

     "I'm kinda nervous," I tell him, hiding none of the truth.

     He takes my hands and holds them in his. "There's nothing to be nervous about. You are one of the most confident people I know. Trust me, people are going to love your song." He lets go of my hands and stands straight. "Why, just look at me! I wrote myself a theme song and everyone loved it!"

     "But I'm not you, dad. Sure I have a die for a head, and I'm going to be the next casino owner, but I don't have the same talents as you do," I say, looking at his eyes. He seems to only understand when I do that.

     "You don't know unless you try, darlin'." He says, hugging me. I smile, hugging him back. He lets go after a few seconds and walks on stage, then even though I feel better, the butterflies in my stomach started fluttering again.

     "And that's Cuphead and Mugman!" my dad says as he walks on stage. Cuphead and Mugman bow, careful to not spill the liquids in their heads. They walk off stage and I give each of them a fist bump. Mugman gives me a thumbs up, and I smile.

     "Next up we have..." someone does a drumroll behind the curtain," Sapphire Dice with her song, 'Singin' through my blues'!" I slowly walk up the steps towards the stage. I look out at the crowd. Despite how bright the lights are, I can still make out a few dark figures.

     There's Castor Carnation, son of Mrs. Hilda and Mr. Cagney. He's also my boyfriend and partner in crime. He's pretty cringy sometimes, but it's cute when he is. His little sister, Caelum is next to him, only around seven years old.

     There's also Melissa Matchstick. I really don't like her. She's stuck up and thinks she always has to get her way. The worst thing though: She can fly. Makes her think she's above everyone else. Sometimes she literally is, but that's not the point here.

     Then there's my mother, sitting at the closest table to the stage. I can see her face clearly, her bright skin reflecting the lights, like a moon. Her eyes sparkle like the stars. I wish mine sparked like that. They only glow when I feel intense emotion, like anger or determination.

     I walk up to my piano on the stage, a dark blue grand piano. I'm dressed in all blue to compliment my name. To be honest, I do like blue anyways. If my name was Ruby or Spinel, I would still like blue, rather than red or pink.

     I sit down on the piano bench and look ahead, noticing my sheet music on the piano already. I take a few deep breaths before adjusting the microphone next to me. I tap it to make sure it's on, which it is.

     "Um, hi," I say. "I'm playing a song I wrote myself. The thing is, it's unfinished because my story is unfinished. So, bear with me, please." I take one more deep breath before I start playing.

"Sometimes I wonder If there could be

Something out there waiting for me to see

Instead, I'm waiting for hope to come find me

And finally set me free

The only thing that can still keep me tame

Music I play not the fame

I'm singin' through my blues

Waiting to make an escape

But I know that nobody can fit in my shoes

I cannot clean my slate

I'm singin' through my blues

Praying it isn't too late

Hoping whatever fate is I don't lose"

     I play the outro on the piano, then there's nothing but the reverb of the piano filling the casino. I hear the clapping of some people, then it becomes greater and louder until the whole casino is clapping, even the people backstage. I stand up from the piano bench, bow, then make my way backstage. As I walk down the steps, Dad walks up them. He pats me on the head before we part.

     Mugman walks over to me and hugs me, Cuphead following behind him. "That was a great song, Sapphire! It had a lot of feels and everything!" Mugman says before letting go.

     "Meh. Not really my taste." Cuphead says with crossed arms. Mugman elbows him in the side, and they look at each other for a few seconds, exchanging silent words. "But, even then, it is a pretty good song. When is ya gonna finish it?" Cuphead asks.

     "I'll finish it when you can touch your paycheck for the first time," I say, smirking. Mugman laughs, but the humour doesn't get to Cuphead. He stands there with a look on his face that says 'not funny'.

     "But really, I'm not sure when that's gonna happen. Me finishing the song. My story hasn't started yet. Yall's started and ended already. I mean, you guys gambled with the Devil guy, then you saved everyone's souls! My mom and dad did their spiel, too, killing the Devil and such, but I hadn't done anything yet. So, I'm going to wait for my story to happen, only then will I finish the song," I tell them. The nod in response.

     "Well, our shift is about to start, so we might as well get ready," Mugman says. Cuphead groans, but follows Mugman out of the room, anyways. I grab my bag from one of the tables backstage and I head towards the staff changing rooms. I may only be 14, but my dad decided to let me work here anyways.

     I open my bag and I take out my work outfit, a white button-down with a blue bowtie, a light blue waistcoat with a small Joker symbol on it. I never questioned the card suit. I guess it's because of how crazy my parents' lives were just for me to exist. I put the shirt, vest, and tie on, then I grab a long blue skirt and put that on, along with white stockings and dark blue flats

     I look into the mirror in the dressing room as I grab my pastel blue lipstick and recolor the dots on my cube. It's a trick my dad taught me. The dots hadn't started fading yet, but I still want to make sure that they look nice.

     I smile at myself, liking the way I look. I sure can't wait till my story starts.

((1425 words