Crown Of Dreams

# Chapter 2: Finding the Diamond in the Rough

*Disney Animation Studios, Burbank - 1992*

"Let's take it from the top of page thirty-eight," Eric Goldberg's voice crackled through the talkback mic. "The 'street rat' chase sequence. And Jake... let's feel that parkour energy this time."

Jake suppressed a smile. If they only knew he'd seen this scene hundreds of times in his past life, and studied every beat of what would become one of Disney's most iconic chase sequences. He adjusted his headphones, catching his reflection in the booth's glass. The system's "Most Handsome Man Ever" upgrade was no joke – even in the harsh fluorescent light, he looked like a young Brad Pitt crossed with peak Rob Lowe.

"Speed," called the sound engineer.

"Rolling," Goldberg responded.

Jake closed his eyes, channeling his system's World-Class Emotion Control. In his mind's eye, he wasn't standing in a sterile recording booth – he was racing through the sun-baked streets of Agrabah, guards hot on his heels, bread in his hands, freedom in his heart.

"STREET RAT!"

"Riff-raff!"

"Scoundrel!"

Jake's voice danced through the dialogue, adding subtle inflections that perfectly matched the animation he knew was coming. His system-enhanced acting abilities let him nail the timing of every jump, every slide, every near-miss with the guards. When he launched into "One Jump Ahead," the control room fell silent.

"Cut!" Goldberg's voice was thick with emotion. "Jake, that was... how are you doing this? You're matching animation, but we haven't even DRAWN yet!"

Jake tapped his headphones. "Just really feeling the character's energy, you know? Actually, I had a thought about this sequence. What if we added a moment where Aladdin shows kindness during the chase? Maybe sharing the bread with street kids? It'll make his 'diamond in the rough' nature shine through earlier..."

Through the glass, he saw Jeffrey Katzenberg furiously scribbling notes. His father, sitting in the corner like a proud but bewildered spectator at a magic show, looked like he was about to cry.

"That's... that's brilliant," Goldberg said. "It adds layers to his character without a single line of dialogue. Ron, can we storyboard that?"

Ron Clements, the co-director, was already sketching. "What if we have him swing down from a clothesline to hand it to them? Keep the momentum of the chase while adding that character beat?"

Jake grinned. In his original timeline, Aladdin had been a hit. But with these tweaks – changes that would ripple through the entire story – it was going to be a phenomenon.

"Let's try the Cave of Wonders sequence," Katzenberg called out. "Page fifty-two. And Jake... whatever magic you're working in there, keep it coming."

The next few hours were a masterclass in voice acting. Jake used his future knowledge and system abilities to suggest subtle improvements that would strengthen the entire film:

- A moment of genuine fear when the Cave of Wonders first speaks, making Aladdin more relatable

- Extra banter with Abu during the quiet moments, building their friendship

- A softer delivery during "A Whole New World," letting the romance breathe naturally

By lunch, the control room was packed with animators, all watching in awe as Jake essentially directed his own performance. He knew exactly when to pull back, when to push forward, how to leave space for Robin Williams' upcoming Genie scenes while still making Aladdin the heart of the story.

"The way you're timing your reactions to Abu," Ron Musker marveled during a water break. "It's like you can actually see him."

"I just have a really vivid imagination," Jake replied, taking a sip from his Disney-branded water bottle. Through the control room window, he could see Katzenberg in an intense conversation with his father. Crown Studios' fortunes were about to change, one perfectly-delivered line at a time.

The afternoon session focused on Aladdin's scenes with Jasmine. Jake knew Linda Larkin would be recording her parts next week, so he carefully crafted his performance to leave room for their chemistry to develop naturally. When they hit the balcony scene, he drew on his system's Emotion Control to layer Aladdin's confidence as Prince Ali with subtle hints of his street rat insecurity.

"The vulnerability in your voice during that transition," Goldberg said after a particularly moving take. "Like you're pulling off the greatest con of your life but terrified of being discovered... it's exactly what we were hoping for but couldn't quite articulate."

Jake nodded, thinking of his own elaborate deception. "Sometimes the most powerful moments come from being caught between two worlds," he said. "Between who you are and who you're pretending to be."

"That's it!" Katzenberg slapped the control desk. "That's what this whole movie is about! Identity, authenticity, the masks we wear... Jake, you're not just performing this role, you're helping us discover what it's really about!"

The session wrapped at sunset. Jake had recorded enough material for the entire first act, with plans to return tomorrow for Aladdin's transformation into Prince Ali. As he packed up his things, he overheard snippets of conversation from the control room:

"...never seen anything like it..."

"...could revolutionize how we approach voice acting..."

"...Crown Studios might have struck gold..."

His father was waiting by the door, contract amendments in hand. Disney had tripled their initial offer, desperate to lock down both Jake's performance and Crown Studios' involvement in future projects.

"Son," the older man said, voice rough with emotion. "What happened to you? When did you become..." He gestured vaguely at the booth where Jake had just redefined Disney animation history.

Jake squeezed his father's shoulder, remembering the decades of struggle that lay ahead in his original timeline. "Let's just say I finally found my voice," he replied. "And this is just the beginning."

Walking to the parking lot, they passed the conference room where he'd seen Harvey and his mother earlier. It was dark now, empty of their schemes and betrayals. Jake smiled. Let Harvey play his little power games. In a few hours, Variety would break the news of Jake Morris's revolutionary Aladdin performance, and the Hollywood power dynamic would begin its slow, inevitable shift.

His Nokia brick phone buzzed – Disney's PR team, already planning the press strategy. Jake looked up at the California sky, purple with smog and dreams, and thought about tomorrow's session. Time to show them what Prince Ali could really do.