Work Text:
Everyone in New Babyl loved music in some way. It was inevitable, a shared expression of harmony and unity. The Exemplar was the most celebrated event each year for good reason, and every citizen had a story of the impact of an Exemplar performance on their life or perspective.
Even with this focus and understanding, however, few people worked primarily in art and performance once they obtained adulthood. Many of those who were not selected for The Exemplar (the vast majority of the population) moved on from the dream and turned their attention to other ways of living that benefited their society and brought them joy. The sectors all had different priorities, and each Exemplar candidate grew up surrounded by peers who dreamed of types of labor apart from expression, of lives spent in other sectors and without the widespread glory of such public attention.
For everyone whose passions for The Exemplar soared unrelentingly, there were dozens of their circle who cheered them on without full comprehension of its personal importance. Many in their later years forgot the grip it had had on them in their youth, before they had found their niche and developed new dreams. For all the children who idolized the recognition and empowerment that came with the competition, there were as many who followed the tradition more casually.
This was true in each sector, in each family, for all Exemplar candidates, past and present.
-
Within Apollo’s family, his devotion to music was singular. He came from a classic, all-Industry family. No one had moved out of the sector in generations; their brains were just wired for it, his parent always said, their hands working swiftly on an intricate piece of machinery. Sure, they enjoyed watching the Exemplar performances each year, but it was nothing more to them than a welcome source of entertainment at the end of a long day of inspiring innovation. They were fulfilled and secure in their home and role.
He was an oddball from the start. Whereas his older siblings had enjoyed tactile games and toys, Apollo had always been predisposed to noise-making, however he could find it. He preferred not to talk; they had to coax language out of him. He was prone to repetitive motions, rhythms from his mind that helped him fall in step with the world around him. He turned away from complex building and inventing activities with small parts, instead content to sit and rock in one place while drumming on a pot with a spoon for hours. It baffled his family, but they took it well in stride. It quickly became clear that Apollo was going to march to the beat of his own drum and that he wasn’t suffering in any way for his lack of, well, industry. Besides, once he was old enough to express his affinity for music they could point him in the direction of the Exemplar. Even without the expected natural talent in more mechanical creation, he quickly became inspired and motivated towards his own goals. He was easily glued to any past performance he could get his hands on, and only the librarians got even a taste of his passionate infodumps.
Even in short supply as artistic knowledge was in Industry, school trips allowed him more chances to see the impact performance had on other areas of life in New Babyl. He made a few friends close enough to listen when all he would talk about was music and composition, and one or two of them even harbored Exemplar dreams of their own. Tempo and Apollo had constant playdates and sleepovers, and Apollo watched his friend’s interest in dance grow into full-blown dedication. Apollo had never been one for moving his body in the traditional ways; he toe-walked until he was a teenager, and casual but persistent nicknames about the way he was always bobbing his head cued in any outsiders to the constant rhythm running through his mind. They made a mismatched pair, but they brought out the best in each other, and their households were more joyful for the dreams they were bursting with.
When his peers became interested in dating and relationships, he threw himself even more resolutely into honing his craft. He listened politely to Tempo’s pining after Aliyah despite not understanding why he felt it was more important than what he had been devoted to for years. When asked if he liked anyone, Apollo would rattle off past Exemplar candidates and their mastery of technique. When his friends prompted that that wasn’t what they had meant, Apollo shook his head in frustration and left them to their own devices. Eventually his peers realized that his physical affection was not indicative of attraction and contented themselves to his excellent hugs and cuddles at lowkey parties, where he would sometimes demonstrate his latest experimentations with them. With realization came acceptance, and those important to him knew that Apollo would always only be himself. The mismatched alignment of priorities didn’t lose him any social standing; Apollo was deservedly beloved for his constant positivity and commitment to himself. He was unflappable as long as he could maintain a balanced sensory environment (and though one teacher tried, you can’t take away the music in someone’s brain that they use to regulate). He learned to flow between his internal world and the society around him, bringing as much of his interior to everyday activities in Industry as possible.
His family knew his profession wouldn’t be like theirs, and they feared him leaving home and their close-knit community, but it was obvious from his demeanor that music brought him peace, happiness, and freedom. They knew they needed to give him every opportunity to succeed, so they pooled resources into lessons and mentors that would help him hone his passion.
It all paid off when he was selected for the Exemplar, his community overjoyed at their not insignificant part in helping him achieve his ultimate dream. When his family sent him off to the academy, they showered him in broad smiles and the tight hugs he preferred; he had grown up well, and it was beyond time for him to truly shine.
It was surreal to be there, surrounded by people his age who at least partially understood the thrill he felt when composing and playing. That Tempo was there too was only an added bonus, a port in a storm of newness. The first night, Apollo dragged his blankets into Tempo’s room and they had a sleepover like they used to, arms flung around each other on the unfamiliar mattress. It helped a lot, waking up the next morning and knowing Tempo was in the same boat. Everything was amazing, of course, but it took getting used to. Despite his sunny exterior, it tended to take Apollo a bit longer to warm up to others than it took them to fall in love with him. Once he got a feel for the routine, it was mostly smooth sailing, but he hadn’t expected to develop such closeness with his competitors. They provided him new perspectives, forms of success and enjoyment that were worthy in their own ways. He learned more about the other sectors, and it was beyond inspiring to learn directly from a previous Exemplar winner.
-
There was electricity in his bones when he found the videos in the Archive. To see a community of people who seemed to emphasize the importance of the very thing that made him feel like he could fly was indescribably. It seemed sacred, centering and empowering even more to them than the Exemplar was to New Babyl.
-
He got used to knocking shoulders with Bohdi, and once he told Sage how gentle touches made his skin feel like it was on fire, she adjusted to firmer pats and hugs. He fell in with all of them, and even despite the constant revelations for good and for bad, the constant changes and trials, he felt at home. He wanted to make a difference, and it felt like he was truly on the right path. Wherever it led, he wanted to see it through