#the leg thingies with the laces.. I have no idea what they are but they��re nice to look at (was a kagamine Len enjoyer in middle school)

[ourfatherwhoartinhell]

Ghostober - Day 3 [Cirrus]

“Don’t be scared. I just need you to come with me for a minute” - 2.3k

CW: None, this is actually super wholesome. Not proofread and another one thats late (there will be a few late ones while I catch up)

⊹ Ghostober Masterlist ⊹

Everyone had been meticulously planning this day for a while. Copia helped out with the legality of everything, but the credit for the idea was almost completely Cirrus.

She was a force to be reckoned with when she was in such a good mood. She wanted everything to be perfect and she always got what she wanted. This was going to be the most perfect surprise Rain had ever gotten.

She was watching as everyone hurried to put the finishing touches. Mountain was making sure that the biggest present was wrapped correctly, in a way that it didn’t give away what it was.

Cirrus had seen people wrapping things in shapes that were nothing like what was inside them, and knew Mounty was up to the challenge. And the longer she looked at it, she had to admit he did an amazing job. She couldn’t even tell which side was which. Whether it was up, down or sideways.

“Great job, Mountain! It looks amazing, he’s going to have no idea!” She complimented.

“Thanks, Cir. It took me four tries, and a little ingenuity,” he proudly explained as he pushed a little branch back inside with his index finger, “but we got it done! Doesn’t look anything like it either! And I made a little box out of vines so it’ll stay like this when he rips into it.”

She smiled wide and gave him an excited shoulder squeeze as she made her rounds to check on the rest of the pack.

“Cirrus, I can’t find the tape!” Phantom shouted frantically.

Her head whipped around to find where the little quint ran off to. If it wasn’t for his abnormally long and hyperactive tail swaying all over the place, she wouldn’t have noticed him crouched down behind the couch.

Walking over, she had to take a second to stop and appreciate the view of Phantom; ass in the air, his claws tried to grip the thin material without puncturing it while he searched under the furniture. The longer she watched, the more it became increasingly obvious the baby bat had somehow gotten himself stuck halfway under the couch sometime during his search.

“You’re stuck aren’t you?” She said, hands on her hips as she looked down at him.

His tail froze it’s uncontrolled swaying. “No!” He said a little too quickly. “I just… was making sure it wasn’t under here.”

“Mhmm,” she hummed and bent down to help unstick the poor child. As she moved to his side she couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped once she noticed.

Once she started to pull him out, Phantom let out a wail that caught everyone's attention.

“What? What was that for?!” She asked, voice laced with concern and confusion.

“My horn got stuck on the wood bar thingy, sorry.” He said sheepishly, re-adjusting his neck. “Okay, try again?”

Now that the little ghoul was unstuck, they both went flying backwards as she pulled with a little too much aggression.

Phantom shook his head much like a dog and sat cross legged in front of her, his tail back to its normal excited swaying over the hardwood floor.

“I still need the tape though,” he said with zero shame, to which Cirrus just chuckled and reached behind him. Phantom immediately wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her into a hug with a purr before feeling her pull something off the back of his shirt.

She pushed him off and knelt in front of him. “I wasn’t trying to give you a hug, Bug. I was grabbing this.” She twirled the roll of tape around her middle finger in front of his face, finding the sight of his eyes following it round and round in circles much too amusing.

“Where did you find it?! I knew it was under the couch!” He exclaimed and held his hands out for her to hand it to him.

“The only reason it was under the couch was because you were.”

He clearly didn’t understand, but Swiss started snickering from a few feet away.

“Swiss taped the tape to you.” She said with the most deadpan tone, clearly not finding it as amusing as the multi-ghoul.

Phantom's face lit up as he realized but then quickly turned to scowl at Swiss.

“I hate you.” He said in fake anger before getting up to finish wrapping his present.

Cirrus also stood, walking over to the troublemaker and giving Swiss an unamused look. “I suppose all your tasks are finished?” She raised a brow.

Swiss just gave her his signature smile and held his gift in his hand. It was horribly wrapped but at least he tried. “See? Signed, sealed, and soon delivered.” He said smugly, to which Cirrus could only roll her eyes.

“And the balloons?”

“Done, I think? I did six, I put Aurora in charge of the rest.” He shrugged.

As if on cue, the world's highest pitched voice called out from the back of the room as a balloon flew right past Cirrus and Swiss, deflating and chaotically whipping around the room followed by Aurora chasing after it.

“Noo! Come back! Haha, my voice sounds so funny. MOUNTY CATCH IT!”

The little ghoulette tried to jump and catch the balloon but its wild reign of terror came to an abrupt end as the helium ran out and the sad deflated latex drooped over one of Mountain's antlers. Much to his annoyance.

“Heh, sorry Mounty.” She stepped behind him and plucked the balloon off his horns and started to skip back to the corner she was working in before being stopped by Cirrus, who was looking less than amused.

“How many balloons have you actually made?”

Aurora’s fluffy ears drooped as her tail tucked. “Two.”

Cirrus couldn’t help the expression her face involuntarily made. “So we have eight?”

The little ghuleh nodded.

“Better than nothing I guess.” She sighed. “And stop sucking helium, you’re gonna damage something.”

Aurora just giggled and hopped back to the balloons, gathering them up and bringing them out to the main room.

“Guys, I’m going to go and get Rain from Copia’s office. Let’s make sure everything’s where it needs to be. Make sure you have your little gifts ready to go. We’ll do the big one together at the end, okay?” Cirrus instructed and everyone excitedly got into position to wait to give Rain his big surprise.

Rain wasn’t really sure why Copia needed so much help reorganizing his files. They were all pretty organized to start with. But being the helpful ghoul he is, he took them without question and reorganized them anyway. Sure some were a little out of place, but definitely not enough to warrant extra help.

“I think I’m done Papa, are they the way you wanted them?” Rain asked softly.

Copia took a quick look over what he had done, not even bothered if they were better or worse than before and nodded with a smile. “Oh that looks wonderful, thank you so much Rain.”

The water ghoul half smiled and bashfully looked to the floor. He was never good at receiving praise, especially from Papa.

There was a little knock on the office door before it opened, revealing Cirrus excitedly striding into the room. “Hi Papa, I was just wondering if I could borrow Rain for a moment? We’ve got a surprise waiting for him back in the den.”

Copia smiled, “Of course! He’s all done for today. Enjoy your surprise!”

Cirrus returned the smile and directed her attention to Rain, who at this moment looked absolutely horrified, but followed her out of Copia’s office anyway.

“Don’t be scared. I just need you to come with me for a minute”

The two walked down the corridor back to the den mostly in silence, but Cirrus knew Rain well enough by now to know his mind was racing with all kinds of possibilities. His anxiety trying to protect him from anything they had planned.

“Relax, you’re not going to die. It’s just us.” She chuckled, giving him a reassuring pat on the back as they walked into the den.

“You know I don’t like surprises.” He mumbled, voice laced with apprehension. The den looked normal enough?

As they turned the corner he noticed the balloons over the ground before he noticed everyone standing holding little gifts. To say he was confused would be a major understatement. It wasn’t a special day or anything? Did he forget? He had been forgetting things lately. Maybe it was someone’s birthday?

“Surprise!” Cirrus said, squeezing him excitedly. “We know how hard you’ve been beating yourself up over what happened last week and we all wanted to pitch in and do something nice for you.”

Rain smiled softly, looking around at his pack all nodding in agreement (except for Dew, who decided to shrug in indifference before being elbowed in the stomach by Cumulus).

“You guys didn’t have to do anything. It was my fa–”

“It was not your fault, Tesoro.” Copia cut in, appearing behind the two of them. “It was an accident, sweet one. It happens.” His Papa’s face was as kind and caring as ever, but he still felt bad that he broke his bass right before Respite. 

In Rain’s defence, it was slowly breaking throughout the whole concert. But it decided to officially fall apart right before the finale, forcing him to have to use Dewdrop’s old one they kept around for emergencies, since he liked to keep his black one in the alternate tuning at all times. After the incident, Rain didn’t trust himself to retune between songs and possibly get it wrong again. Swiss’s wailing cries during their first week of practice scared him off from continuing that practice and Copia had suggested he have two bass guitars instead.

Swiss was the first to walk up with his gift and held it out for their resident water ghoul.

“Here, these might help eventually.”

Cirrus had to look away whenever Rain unwrapped things. He did it so carefully and slowly, making sure not to rip it. He basically unwrapped it the same way the person wrapped it and it drove everyone nuts except for Copia, who found it quite endearing that the ghoul was so careful with something as silly as wrapping paper.

Inside Swiss’s present was a couple packs of new bass strings.

“I didn’t really know which ones you liked. I know you’ve been trying out a few different weights, so I got a variety for you to try.”

Rain started to tear up, courtesy of his water ghoul emotions. They were always the more emotionally sensitive of the elements.

“This is amazing, Swiss. Thank you.”

Rain was too busy reading the info on the string packets to notice Dewdrop was the next to come and hand him a little square box. One by one, each of the members gave him a little something:

Dew got him some new pickups, because apparently the ones that his bass has now are awful - he wanted to say it was because the stock pickups are awful but that would give away the big surprise. Phantom had gotten him a year's worth of picks, to which Copia had to bite his tongue not to tell the little ghoul that they had ones specially made for tour so they could throw them to the crowd. 

Aurora and Cumulus had gotten him a couple of new guitar straps. Cumulus focused on some plain black ones for tour while Aurora got him some with sea creatures on it for at home and practice. Mountain had gotten him a new guitar case since the one he had was getting a little beat up. The roadies did a great job looking after their equipment, but even they can’t stop the general wear and tear of touring. 

Last but not least, Cirrus had gotten him some new cables and a bottle of guitar polish, knowing how much Rain loved having his bass shine when he was out on stage.

By the end of the gift presentations, he was sure his arms were as full as his heart felt. He fought back tears every time he opened up something, the love from his pack right now felt almost overwhelming.

“We’ve got one more surprise for you,” Copia said quietly, gesturing to where Mountain and Swiss had been suspiciously still. Like a giant wall.

As soon as Rain looked up, they had moved aside to reveal a giant circular like structure wrapped in the same paper. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what on Earth it was. Everything else he had been given so far followed a clear theme, but this was an outlier for sure.

Walking slowly over to it, he set the bundle of gifts down on the couch and looked to Mountain. “Can I open it?”

Mountain just chuckled and helped get him started. “You better, I won’t know what in Hell to do with it.”

Rain just giggled and ripped through the paper. He would’ve taken his time with this one too but it was round and there really was no place to start or stop. 

Once it was fully unwrapped, the ghoul’s confusion returned. It was just a giant ball of vines. But before he could get one word out to question it, Mountain’s faint touch had them all unravel to reveal his true present sitting inside.

As soon as his brain registered what they had done, he couldn’t stop the waterworks as he cried into Mountain’s chest.

“I hope these are happy tears?” Copia asked hesitantly as he walked up beside Rain, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

All he could do to reply was nod as he wiped his tears and moved to study the brand new bass they had all picked out for him.

“It’s perfect you guys. This is too much, thank you. Thank you.”

[mahou-furbies]

Magical Girl Raising Project Limited - character design ranking

Captain Grace

An alright pirate design with enough little details that keep it from being forgettable (I especially like the anchor buckle on her belt, and the earrings and hooks on her hair). The spikes on the coat are what stands out most to me; makes me think of a Mario enemy or something. However I’m not sure how much of a Magical Girl design it is. Like pirates and frills already go together, so the well tested formula (put a miniskirt and frills on it and it’s a magical girl look!) doesn’t really do much. Maybe it’d be better if she had some cutesy detail in there somewhere? Also is that an tail again or what, or some kind of blunt hook? What is it with these unnecessary tails in Magipro designs. 6/10. 

Funny Trick

I’ve always liked Funny Trick’s look, and it’s probably because of the pleasant colour palette, unique eyes and two-tone hair (I’m easy to please with two-tone hair). The nail polish and colourful glitter on her fur are also good little details. But apart from that I guess this is only barely strange enough to be any kind of “magical” look rather than just an anime stage magician, but at least that’s pretty close to magical girls already. Also is that a frigging tail again?? At least it goes well with the hair I guess... 8/10.

Kuru-Kuru Hime

It’s a cute design, but when I think of a ribbon magical girl I somehow expected more ribbons? Like this feels like an the higher end of an average magical girl amount of ribbons? Or maybe it’s totally over the top and my perspective is just skewed since I love ribbons and want them everywhere. Either way I like her outfit from neck down, but I’m not that into the headgear, the combo of the bonnet thingy and the weird crown just sitting on top if it looks strange to me. Nice hair tho even if it could use more ribbons. 6/10.

Weddin

I absolutely love Weddin’s design. The muted and light colour palette is very appealing to me, and the dark chains break up the mostly monochrome design so it doesn’t look dull and faded and also give the otherwise super frilly appearance quite a lot of edge. There’s repeating elements (braids in her hair and veil, the same kind of flowers everywhere, flower yellow also appearing in her eye makeup) so it doesn’t get too complicated, and all of them go well with the wedding theme too. The flame... is a bit of an odd touch and I’d rather associate it with a birthday party or Christmas than a Wedding but I guess you can have candles at weddings too, and I don’t find it too distracting.

I’m not a huge fan of the lingerie like look though, but at least visible garters go with the wedding theme and she’s so covered in veils and frills that it doesn’t look so bad. Also the back train looks kind of lazy. But overall still one of my favourite Magipro designs. 10/10.

Rain Pow

A tail again! However this time I actually like it, since she has that rainbow hoop behind her it looks good to stick something through it, and at least it somewhat resembles her twintails. 

As for the rest of the design, it has zero frills and ribbons and looks more like some kind of scifi spacesuit than a typical magical girl design, but somehow I still really like it. I think the weird heart hair is just enough to pull it into magical girl territory for me so my impressions are more on the “an unique take on an mg look” rather than “not mg enough” side. Then all the rings keep the look consistent (I absolutely love the rainbow halo) and the suit itself looks alright enough. I also find it interesting how muted the suit colours are for a rainbow magical girl and even the rainbow is pretty pastel, but I figure this is a better choice than all the expected seven colours in all their eye-strainy glory. 9/10.

Postarie

Please put on some pants, that is a shirt and not a dress.

Not too interested in this one, but I find it a commendable effort on making a design on the idea of “postal delivery girl”. Still lots of repeating elements so that’s a plus, especially the back epaulette is such an absurd idea but somehow it works and its wings and the wing hairstyle add the required fantasy touch. Bonus points for the cute birds. 7/10.

Tepsekemei

An inoffensive genie design but I struggle to really have emotions towards it. Butt flower is silly and I have no idea what the things hanging from it are, but at least they’re consistent with her head decoration. Don’t care for the shoulder spikes in an otherwise soft looking design. Huge earrings and multicoloured nails are a nice touch. 6/10.

7753

Also one of my favourite Magipro looks. It feels like the design philosophy here was “gakuran jacket and some frills, and then some hearts. And more hearts! More! Even more!” and I think it’s a great way to go with when designing a magical girl. Using just hearts everywhere makes the outfit cohesive, but since they’re all implemented in different ways it doesn’t get boring. I especially like the little hearts on her hands and under the eye, and the one in her pocket.

Two-tone hair in twintails is also one of the best design elements out there and the hairstyle is quite memorable (and also manages to incorporate the heart motif) and I’m always a fan of caps too. The green eyes and the little bit of green nail polish which you unfortunately can’t see here go well with the otherwise reddish look. Maybe the hair looks a bit too clunky (I only just realised it appears to be tied in a hoop behind her) but I won’t let it bother me. 10/10.

Mana

A solid witch design, I especially love the dimensional cape and hat. I also like the huge collar with the lace detail, but I’m not sure if it works with the hat brim. Not a big fan of the hair, I think it clutters the design. The snake leg accessory feels weird and a bit out of place but I do appreciate the asymmetry and also having something dark to break up the otherwise plain bottom part of the design.. 7/10.

Gekokujou Hana

I tend not to be a huge fan of kimono-based clothes, but this one is an exception I guess. The great colours must play a part in it, and the bottom part is fun. Then the dangly decorations add the correct amount of strangeness so it’s not just a bunny girl in a mini kimono Also, another tail, but this time it’s almost a requirement and I love how ridiculously huge it is (and also repeats elsewhere in her outfit). But really I can’t think of anything to dislike about this, must be the colours and the tail. 10/10.

Archfiend Pam

I believe this is the record on how little clothing you can wear in this franchise... At least she has the personality to pull that off. But that is not a top! At least it’s something new...? The wings fit the description in the story, but I don’t think these blank rectangles look very aesthetically pleasing. I like the tail best, the fur edge makes it a lot more interesting than just the usual demon tail. I don’t know, if the theme is a sexy demon girl this design definitely accomplishes it in a unique way, but also I don’t care for this fanservicey designs. Also not a fan of the hair. 4/10.

Pythie Frederica

Before drawing her for the chibi series I thought she had some kind of a helmet but upon closer inspection of course it’s a veil. But what are the horns? 

Upon closer inspection this one is also very fanservicey, in that her “dress” is actually see-through and the only thing covering the critical areas look like thin belt-thingies. At least she doesn’t look like she’s ten... But a major issue I have is the bottom part of her outfit, like how is it supposed to work? Is it one big piece of cloth, or multiple thin ones? What is the “fire” behind her? Is the dark part her hair, or the clothing, and is it supposed to be black or just shading? I do like the stars; otherwise the design gives a more mature “sexy” air, but the little stars everywhere adds a cute element. The colour palette is pleasing, but as much as I like multicoloured hair it doesn’t grant points this time, because the wiggly stray strands look very out of place here and the colour change makes them even more noticeable. 2/10.

Tot Pop

This one really isn’t my aesthetic, I very much prefer the cutesy style and there isn’t really anything ‘magical girl’ about this design. And it doesn’t really evoke the supposed image of ‘pop star’ to me either, like if you remove the guitar I’d think her theme was a prisoner or halloween. Though I don’t really know what a ‘pop star’ should look like anyway, like can’t they wear anything they want, I know Lady Gaga had a meat dress or something. But as of this design, I don’t think there’s anything specifically wrong with it, the colours are pleasing, the details are consistent and it’s not bland or boring either, but it just doesn’t do much for me because of the theme. I like the blood-stained hair and the spiky hair accessory, the long hanging part makes for a nice silhouette. Meanwhile the skulls on her shoulders feel somewhat tacked on, and in general I don’t care for piercings in anywhere else than ears. 5/10.

Pukin

And it’s a tail again. What is it with the stupid tacked on tails on every other design in this franchise? Sometimes it’s not so badly out of place, like if you have an youthful cutesy design, a fluffy animal tail can still add to the cute effect even if it’s otherwise out of place. But Pukin is supposed to be this dangerous and majestic authority figure and a cutesy tail very much doesn’t fit that image. And while we’re on the topic of animal features, the story describes that she has a feather decoration in her hair, but the way it’s drawn as a tiny feather jutting directly up in the middle of her head gives me more the impression of a character whose theme is a baby bird rather than a fantasy prince.

Now that we’ve dealt with the tail let’s get the biggest issue out of the way: I’m aware that there was a time in history when people used to wear these kind of giant ruffled collars but I really don’t care if there’s some kind of history based reasoning. It looks like your head is on a plate and it’s something I can’t ignore. I don’t feel even clowns can pull that off. There is no way getting around this.

When I first read Limited I thought Pukin’s appearance was an absolute mess and an instant 1/10, but upon closer inspection there is stuff I like about it too. She has a good colour palette, great shoes and gloves, and as a friend of multicoloured hair I welcome the yellow hair tips. The big heavy cape balances the small top and pants, and I really like the fur. Earrings go well with the pants too. The theme is a bit confused, or at least I don’t know of any fairy tales about pumpkin prince, but it’s not like I would complain about pineapple or cauliflower princess so that’s not really a problem. 3/10.

Sonia Bean

And we end Limited with yet another excellent design. I like how this manages to look kind of tattered and messy without actually being gross and dirty with the patchwork dress, dustball-like thingies, newspaper clippings and asymmetry. Even her hair looks disheveled. The headgear gives the design an old-fashioned vibe which suits her well since she’s so old. The light palette, soft design elements and ribbons give the look a cute feel, but at the same time she feels suspiciously pale, and the manic expression screams danger, like you can’t reason with this girl. She’s like a ghost of a Victorian era child who wants to play with you but you know you definitely should not follow her.

The design only works if I don’t think too much about it though, like dust is gross and newspaper paper is crinkly and not soft at all, but since we’re magical girls here I can ignore that and enjoy the image the clothing evokes. 10/10.

------------------

Limited average: 6,9.

[classicdaisycalico]

For the prompt thingy, Luigi and Daisy with "I heard you crying." ;)

Miscellaneous angst starters.

Aaaaaa I’m sorry this took so long! Grad school is taking over my life and I have no time left over besides to study and work part-time (although I think this week might be less of a work-load for me, so that’s good!)

Okay, now for the Italian lessons:

Dimmi = “Tell me”“Non è stato facile.“ = “It was not easy”Per certo = “Fore sure”

Luigi and Daisy, “I heard you crying.”

***

Someone else was sitting at the hilltop.

This puzzled Luigi greatly; almost nobody knew this place on the outskirts of Toad Town. Just getting to the top without getting tired was difficult as it was. Doing so required someone with long legs of some variety, something the Toad citizenry of the Mushroom Kingdom sadly lacked. Furthermore, he was only one of two people who even knew about the overlook to begin with.

The only other person he knew who was aware of its existence was Daisy. He had shown it to her the day they met, after spending the afternoon in town getting to know one another. Maybe it was her sitting there?

Slowly and quietly, he inched closer to the figure. Its shoulders were hunched over, face in its hands, shoulders shaking every now and then. The person must have been crying. He walked closer still, suddenly stopping when he finally recognized that it was, in fact, Daisy.

Truth be told, it took him a while to recognize the princess. Her ruby red crown had been replaced with a golden one, instead. Gone was her yellow dress with the white dollop pattern at the bottom. One with orange trim and matching panniers took its place, with an extra overskirt. What caught his eye the most, however, was her hair. Instead of falling past her waist, it now settled at the middle of her back, flipping at the ends.

But why was she crying? Just seeing her so sad was enough to make Luigi’s own heart ache along with hers. The fact that she came to the hilltop, of all places, made him suspect that Daisy didn’t come here just because she could. She probably wanted him to find her here.

So he did, cautiously and carefully, pacing ever closer until he was right next to her. “Princess?”

Her face was still buried in her hands, but upon hearing his voice, she froze immediately. Slowly, she lifted her head. “Luigi?” she whispered.

The princess suddenly began fiddling with her hair, trying to hide her tear-stained face. “What are you doing here?”

The plumber tilted his head slightly, confused by her reaction. She hadn’t once looked at him, instead turning her head in the complete opposite direction. He reached out to Daisy, hoping he would get an answer somehow. “I heard you crying,” he said, sitting down next to her. “Is something wrong?”

She furiously began wiping away her tears with her free hand, still keeping her hair in place with the other. “I’m fine...don’t worry about me.”

That didn’t sit well with him. “If you were fine, you wouldn’t have been crying,” he countered. “I know what I saw and I know what I heard. Something’s wrong. Dimmi.”

The tension in her body loosened as she let out a sigh of defeat. Taking as much time as she could, Daisy turned around to finally face him. She could barely give him a quick glance before her eyes flickered back down to the ground. All the while, she half-heartedly tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I got a letter from my parents this morning,” she began, her eyes still looking away. “They said I should be clear to fly home soon.”

“Did they say how soon?”

“No.” She swallowed hard, to keep more tears from coming. “I know I should be happy about it, but...I’m not. And if that weren’t enough...”

She gestured to herself. “I’m sure you noticed something different about me?” she said quietly.

How could he not? “It’s...different.”

“I knew it.” she lamented. “I knew putting all this together was a bad idea. The only good thing about this outfit is that it matches Peach’s, but the haircut makes me feel...gross. I appreciate the idea...really, but right now I just don’t feel like myself.”

For a while, the plumber didn’t know what to say, so he just continued listening.

“I’m not so worried, though. I mean...” she laughed weakly. “It’ll take a while, but my hair will grow back. But right now...”

She leaned against his shoulder. “This is all happening so fast. This stupid haircut was just the tipping point. I’ve gotten to know Peach’s home all over again, and just when I’ve gotten used to it, now I have to uproot myself again so I can reacquaint myself with Sarasaland. There’s no way of knowing how much it’s changed compared to how much the Mushroom Kingdom did.”

So that was what her problem was. Honestly, Luigi and his brother could definitely relate to that, since they were still re-acclimatizing to the Mushroom Kingdom themselves after six years of living in New Donk City. “I don’t know how Mario and I ever did it,” he admitted. “Non è stato facile. Even now, while we’re still recovering from the terror attacks, it isn’t easy.”

“Of course it wasn’t. A lot changed in the six years you were away. But what did you and your brother do when you moved back home? And what can I expect when I do the same thing?”

He thought back to several months before, when he and Mario encountered their hometown in complete disarray thanks to the Koopa Troop. When they finally resettled, they didn’t have much familiarity to go off of.

Still, some was better than none. Perhaps that was how they were able to restart their lives so quickly. “You know that saying? About how the more things change...”

“The more things stay the same?” she finished. “Yeah. What about it?”

He put a reassuring arm around her. ”I think you’ll be surprised by how much is the same. It might be more than you expect.”

Daisy smiled as she felt him her closer. “You’re sure?”

“Per certo. It makes whatever is different seem less frightening. Sometimes, what’s different is less than what hasn’t changed.”

“That’s good.” She placed a hand on top of his. “Except now there’s one more problem...I’ve gotten to know so many people here, and now I have to leave them all behind soon. It’s not fair.”

Her fingers laced through his, not wanting to let go of his hand. “I’m going to miss everybody so much. Mario, Peach...”

“Me?”

“Especially you,” she said. “I’ve never grown so close to someone so quickly...especially not like this. It’s a little scary, now that I think about it. But I don’t want to lose this. What if this is the last time I see you?”

He shook his head immediately following her question. “That won’t happen.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. I’ll write every chance I get if it means talking to you in some capacity. I’ll scrape every bit of savings I can together for me to go wherever you are, just so I can see you...haircut or otherwise. And I know you want the same thing, too.”

She blushed as she felt him kiss the top of her head. “Always.”

He let his head lean against hers now. “It won’t be the last time, Princess,” he assured her. “I promise.”

[dearlazerbunny]

Again, and Again, and Again

Pairings: Kylo x Reader

Genre/Ratings: dance!AU, warning for a short but uncomfortable sexual situation

Words: 7,500

Summary: You dance your way into Kylo Ren’s life, and suddenly you never want to dance back out. Literally based on a dream I had, and then I went overboard with it, per usual. Enjoy!

“Hey.” A boy is standing by the door to the dance studio, all in black, including his messy head of curls. “You’re Y/N, right?”

“Um.” You stop in front of him, hiking your dance bag farther up onto your shoulder. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“I was just supposed to catch you before class.” He pulls out his phone and unlocks it, apparently checking the time. “I’ll let my director explain.”

Director? “I have to warm up.” You gesture to the open door leading into the studio. “Sorry.”

‘Aw, come on. Give us two minutes. Promise it’ll be worth your while.”

You raise an eyebrow. “More than the pulled ankle I’ll get for not warming up?”

“Definitely. Well, probably. Maybe. Possibly.”

“Kylo, stop terrorizing the talent.” A girl walks up beside him and shoulders him with her backpack. “You’re such a menace.”

“Guilty.” He smacks the girl back lightly, whose got her hair pulled back into this tri-bun thingy. Looks cool. Not that you could ever pull it off, you think self-consciously, touching the bun wound tightly on the back of your head. That’s about the only hairstyle you know to do.

“So.” She turns to you and smiles. “Y/N, right?”

“Again, yes.” She holds out a hand for you to shake, and you tentatively take it.

“I’m Rey. Pleasure to meet you. And this oaf,” she jabs the guy next to her with an elbow, “is Kylo. Ignore him, he’s not right in the head.”

You glance into your classroom, which is beginning to fill with other dancers stretching out their legs and lacing their shoes. “This is really making me want to stick around and figure out why you’re cornering me.”

“Okay, okay, fair enough. I’m Rey,” she repeats. “I’m another art student here. Directing major. We’re doing short films as a senior project, and I need a dancer. According to everyone in the department, you’re the girl for me.”

Hm. “What kind of dance?”

“Pointe.” She grins, and points to the shoes tied to the strap of your bag. “Am I in the right place?”

You laugh a little. “Yeah, I’ve been en pointe since I was like, seven? But I’ve never been in a film before. I don’t know how to act.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I want the dancing to be the main focus. There’ll be a little acting, but you’ll be surrounded by acting majors. I’m sure they can give you a hand. And Kylo here would be your partner, so he can help too.”

You glance at him- Kylo- and appraise him. “You a dancer?”

He grins a little sheepishly. “Um, no. Not really. But they needed someone strong and handsome to throw you into the air a couple times.”

Well, he does look strong underneath the black leather jacket. And handsome- well, you weren’t going to look him over too closely right here and now, but he’s not too bad on the eyes from where you’re standing. You finger a piece of pink ribbon trailing off your shoes, wrapping it around your knuckle and unwinding it again. “What’s in it for me?”

“Free food at the shoot, my eternal adoration, and a resume credit.”

You look sideways at Rey, who has a hopeful expression on her face. If she wants a ballerina, you probably are the most qualified in the department. Plus, this isn’t something you’ve ever done before. Might be fun.

“Okay.” You nod. “I’ll do it. Do you need my email?”  

“Oh, yeah, please.” She hands you her phone and you key in your name, number, and email. “I’ll contact you soon, okay?”

“Sure.” You give them both a little wave, ducking your head when Kylo waves back, and head into the studio with a bit of a smile on your face.

…

“Okay, so here’s what I’m thinking.” Rey is leading you an Kylo through the trees on no apparent path, pushing aside foliage and tramping through leaves with big ol’ hiking boots. Kylo doesn’t seem bothered in his similarly chunky combat boots, but your dainty little ballet flats are taking a bit of a beating. Luckily you’re good at walking on your toes. “You’re running through the forest, there’s a wide tracking shot following both of you coming from opposite directions, until you meet… here.”

She stops and surveys a clearing she’s just come to, dropping her camera bag onto a nearby branch so it dangles from the tree. You hike up beside her and stop, nearly bumping into her. She turns to you and grins. “Whatcha think?”

You’re prepared to put on a fake smile and tell her it’s nice, but it’s actually really pretty. It’s a pond, shallow by the looks of it but enough to reflect the trees branching out over it from the banks. There’s even a few growing from the middle of the water, giving it a ethereal feel. When Kylo crouches down and runs his fingers through the water, his hand can touch the bottom. You look around, but any ground you can see is covered in brambles. “So… where are we dancing?”

She looks up from her camera innocently. “In the water.”

“…oh.” You glance over at Kylo, sure he’ll be returning your odd look, but he just looks at you and shrugs. You raise an eyebrow at him.

“I’ve done weirder.”

“I… haven’t.” You’ve only ever performed in concert venues. Or practice spaces. You put a hand to your forehead, shading the sun from your eyes, wondering how in the world you’re going to be en pointe in the middle of a freaking lake.

“It’s okay if you can’t.” Rey is still fiddling with presumably her camera settings. “I don’t really know how, like, pointe shoes work? It’s pretty muddy.” She glances at the little lake. “So if they won’t survive or something I have another location picked out. But I’d really prefer this one.”

You sigh, toeing the water. New things. We’re doing new things here. “No, I think I can make it work.”

“Sweet. I just wanna get some test shots, you game?” You look at Kylo, who just shrugs again, takes off his socks and shoes, and steps into the water.

You laugh at his expression, all twisted up and cringing a little. “It’s a little… squishy,” he admits, wading his way to the middle.

“Your jeans are getting wet,” you say, still hovering near the edge.

“Come on, miss ballerina.” He holds out a hand and you take it tentatively. “The light is better out here.”

“Haha.” The few times you’ve met before now he’s always teasing you about being a priss or a princess or wanting the spotlight. Annoying, but harmless. You step out to meet him, trying not to wince at the thought of your satin pink pointe shoes being ruined in the mud. “You’ve really done weirder than this?”

“Mmm, maybe equal to? Acting majors man,” he points at himself jokingly. “The things we do for our art.”

“Huh.” He still hasn’t let go of your hand, and you’re grateful for it. If you’re jumping out of your comfort zone, at least someone’s there with you.

“Oh, that’s perfect.” Rey is looking through her viewfinder. “You guys look so good together!” Which of course immediately makes you want to step as far away from him as possible, but instead he grabs your other hand and pulls you a bit closer, making you look more couple-y. “Peeeeerfect.”

Kylo must catch your uncomfortable look, because he leans in and whispers in your ear “You know we’re playing a couple, right?”

You smile a bit. “Yeah, I know, I’m just… the boring, stick in the mud dancer. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Well that’s what art is all about right?” You look at him. His brown eyes are warm. “Trying new things. Doing weird shit.”

That does make you laugh. “I guess.”

“Well, that’s good, ‘cause you know you’re choreographing, right?”

You turn to Rey, wide eyed. “I’m what now?”

….

“Okay. Okay!” You reserved a practice room for the two of you to dance in, but now the empty space filled with mirrors is giving you anxiety. You typically do what the choreographers tell you, not make up your own stuff. “Rey, tell me again what you want?”

She’s sitting on the floor in the corner, playing with something on her laptop. “Aw, man, I don’t know, you’re the expert. Pretty stuff, some turns, some jumps. Make Kylo lift you off the ground. Use the tree branches if you remember where they are in the lake.”

You sigh, eyes closed. Why had you agreed to this? Someone’s grade is on the line, you don’t want to be responsible for that, and-

“Hey.” Kylo’s voice stops you in your tracks. You open your eyes, and he’s looking right at you, a small smile on his lips. “You’ll do fine. Just breathe.”

Breathe. Okay. You press play on your phone and the music that Rey’s picked beings to play through the speakers, filling the room with a haunting melody that instantly makes your bones shiver. “Well. We could start with…” you take a few steps onto your toes, do a pirouette, then let your leg extend out in front of you. You glance over at Kylo, who’s watching you intently. “Can you take my leg from here?” Delicately, he wraps a hand around your ankle. “Okay, on three, raise your arm. My leg will follow you, and I’ll go from a tilt into a turn where you can catch me between your arms.”

He looks a bit like a deer in the headlights. “Um. I have no idea what any of that means; I don’t want to hurt you…”

You smile. “You won’t, I’m pretty bendy. Just follow my lead.” Slowly, your leg moves up over your head and back down again, and you use the momentum to spin into Kylo’s arms. Face to face, you grin at him. “See? Easy.”

He huffs a little disbelievingly. “If you say so.”

The next hour is full of trial and error, with you basically making things up as you go along, backtracking and then re-dancing several spots until you get it just right. When you do the final bit for Rey, her eyes are wide. “Y/N. That was amazing! This is going to be fantastic!”

You blush. “Thanks, but it’s really nothing.”

“I think it’s pretty cool, anyways.” Kylo puts a hand on your arm and squeezes. “Nice job.”

Again with the blushing. You don’t know how you’re going to dance this intimately with this guy without flying apart at the handle. At least you’ve danced with worse partners before. “By the way, Rey, did you cast the part of that other guy you mentioned?”

“Oh, yeah.” She thumbs through her notes. “Some guy named… Armitage? We need an actual dancer for this part,” she says, giving an obvious call-out look to Kylo. “And he came recommended.”

You blanch. Speaking of worse partners. Armitage is a great dancer, sure, but he’s also a bit… obsessive. With his hair, with his turnout, and… with you. You’re pretty sure he’s been trying to go out with you since you were both thirteen and in class together. And now you have to dance with him playing your jealous wannabe lover? Fantastic.

Rey gives you a strange look. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll just… need some time to rehearse with him.”

“Sure, I can set that up.” She jots down a note on her sheet. “When we meet tomorrow we’re going to go over the acting parts, just so you know.”

“Fantastic,” you say weakly.

As you’re locking up the studio. Kylo stops you. “Hey. You okay? You looked a little pale there at the end.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” You’re going to leave it at that, but as you put the key in your pocket, you have the sudden urge to trust him. “It’s just…. Armitage.”

“You know him?”

You nod. “Unfortunately. He tends to get all over me when we partner together. I guess he likes me or something…” laughing nervously, you tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “It’s just kind of annoying.”

He’s frowning by now, listening to tell your tale with obvious worry. “Well, if you want, I can come to your guys’ rehearsal. That way you’re not alone with him.”

You glance up at him. “You’d do that? Really?”

“Sure. We’ll just pass it off as me trying to learn how to dance or something.”

“That’s… not a bad idea, actually.”

“See? It’ll be fine.” He shoulders his bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” He salutes as he walks off, and you can’t help but watch his retreating form for a minute before going on your way.

…

“So, you got all that?” The three of you are sitting at a table in the library, with Rey looking intently at you. “You dance with Armitage, and he wants you but you’re looking across the way at Kylo. You run off, cue the forest, you dance, big finale, and kiss. End scene.”

You sit there, not answering her. This is… a lot. Sure, you’re used to showing emotion on stage, but this seems complicated. “Sure… I think.”

“Awesome.” She checks her watch. “I’ve got to run, I’ll catch you guys later.” Kylo waves as she leaves and she waves back. You’ve never seen them, like, be intimate, but you’re pretty sure they’re a couple. They’re so friendly with each other, and always joshing around and teasing one another. You’re trying not to be disappointed by this conclusion.

“So, you’ve really got all this?” Kylo’s attention is now turned to you. “I know you’ve never done this before.”

“Yeeeeah.” You shake your head. “I think so? It’s just a lot…”

“I understand.” He sits back in his chair. “Walk me through it. Just so you can review it in your head.”

“Um, okay.” You lean forward and put your head in your hands, resting your elbows on the table. “So, I’m dancing with Armitage…”

“…which you choreographed today.”

“Yup. Thanks for being there, by the way. He was definitely better behaved.”

Kylo smirks a bit, but you’re not sure why. “Anytime. He did seem a little pretentious.”

You roll your eyes. “You have no idea. So, dance with Armitage, but I’m looking across at you the whole time. Once I break away from him we cut to running through the forest; I’m looking back over my shoulder and feeling worried. Then go to our duet.”

“Perfect. See? You’re a natural!”

You scoff. “Hardly. Hey, would you mind walking back out to that pond with me? I want to practice the choreography in the water.”

“Sure. Now?”

“I don’t see why not.” You’d packed a pair of old pointe shoes in your bag that you don’t mind getting ruined. “Might as well get it over with.”

“Oh, come on, I’m not that bad am I?”

You smile a little. “No. I suppose not.”

…

Back in the forest, you lace your shoes up to your ankles before stepping into the mud. Kylo follows, barefoot, jeans rolled up to his knees. He takes your hand and you carefully raise up on your toes, testing the stability of the pond’s floor. Surprisingly not bad. You can even take a couple steps. “Okay, ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Your start the choreography, slowly, making sure you can keep your balance, and end up making it all the way through with only minor stumbles.

“Perfect.” You’re ready to leave when Kylo stops you.

“Rey said she wanted something big for the ending, right? Do you have any ideas?”

“Oh, right. Um…” You look around. “She said she wanted to use the trees…” there’s a sturdy looking branch right above Kylo’s head and you eye it. “Spot me real quick, will you?” He nods and steps aside as you jump up and grab on to the branch, jostling it up and down to test its strength. Seems hearty enough. “Okay. Here’s what we��re going to do. When I’m in the splits, you stand in front of me. I’ll fall, and my legs will end up wrapped around your waist. If your hands land on my lower back I can fall into a backbend. Got that?”

He nods and positions himself straight in front of you. You take a breath and let go, but Kylo is right there to catch you, and you end up wrapped around him, face to face. Oh. You hadn’t thought of the positioning of this, really. He’s looking at you with surprise, and to get away from his face you roll yourself slowly into a backbend, then back up. He’s still as close as before. Damn.

“And then, we kiss.” His voice is low, just for the two of you, and you feel like your stomach has dropped to your feet.

“About that.” You jump off of him and land neatly on the ground, concealing your nerves. “I haven’t really, um… done that. Before.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”

You shake your head nervously. “No. So I don’t really know what I’m doing there.”

“Color me surprised.”

“Excuse me?”

“I just thought- I mean, you’re gorgeous. I would’ve thought guys would be crawling all over you.”

You make a face. “Hardly.” He steps forward. You step back. He steps forward, you step back again. Giggling nervously to yourself, you aim for the edge of the pond where a clean pair of sweats and non-muddy shoes are waiting. “So, um, we have a date set for shooting?”

“Yup.” He nods and follows your lead, seemingly unrattled by the surprisingly intimate moment that had just happened. “Wednesday we meet out on the lawn, and then we’ll film here. That good with you?”

Wednesday. You have until Wednesday to figure out how to somehow be okay with wrapping your legs around- and kissing- this guy. Who is sweet and tall and has great hair and- has a girlfriend, you remind yourself. You wonder if Rey will get uncomfortable seeing the two of you kiss. You’d be a little weirded out asking someone to kiss your boyfriend for a class project. But she had asked, so…

You breathe. You’ll cross that bridge when you come too it.

…

Wednesday comes much too soon. The days beforehand are interspersed with meetings with Rey, more practice in the woods both by yourself and with Kylo- though you always stop before the finish- and sadly, another rehearsal with Armitage. But Kylo continued to make good on his word and be there in the dance studio whenever you needed him to be, which definitely kept Armitage much more in check than he would have been if the two of you had been alone. You always tried to keep your focus on Armitage- he was your rehearsal partner, after all- but your eye kept being drawn to the boy in the corner, head in his hands, watching you dance. He’s mesmerizing. And having his eyes on you makes you a strange combination of nervous, giddy, and… maybe a little turned on.

He has a girlfriend, he has a girlfriend, he has a girlfriend…

You sit on a bench underneath some trees on the grand lawn of your campus, lacing up your shoes. Students mill around here and there, some in hammocks or on picnic blankets studying and enjoying the nice day. Rey and Armitage are already here, talking about something or other as Rey takes test shots with her camera. Armitage certainly looks the part of a romantic lead- red hair swept back to reveal severe features and cool blue eyes, dressed in all white in contrast to Kylo’s black ensemble. But still, the thought of him spotting you- which usually means his hands in semi-intimate places- makes your stomach squirm a bit.

But your thoughts brighten a bit when you spot Kylo heading towards your group, bag slung over his shoulder. You wave, and he waves back, making you smile. He may not be a dancer, but he’s the only one you want to dance with.

“What is he doing here?” Armitage’s voice cuts through the rustling of the leaves and straight into your skull.

Rey glances behind her, unconcerned. “Kylo? He just can’t leave me alone,” she teases, sticking her tongue out at the approaching figure. There’s no way Kylo could have heard what she said, but he nonetheless responds with his own stuck-out tongue. “Nah, he’s going to be holding another angle while you two dance. More interesting to splice together that way.”

The ginger huffs, arms crossed. “I thought it would be just me and Y/N. We’re supposed to be in love, being alone would make for much better chemistry.”

“Well, technically you’re in love. She’s in love with Kylo.” You know she’s talking about your characters, but the insinuation still makes your ears burn. “Don’t worry, he’s just another man behind the camera. You shouldn’t notice him too much.”

You can tell Armitage still isn’t happy, but he quiets down the objections as you approach, instead turning a brilliant smile toward you. “Y/N. You look lovely.”

You glance down at the flow gray dress Rey picked out for you. “Thanks, Armitage.”

He holds out one hand and you take it as gently as possible, trying to prevent as much contact as possible for as long as possible. But he closes his hand around yours and pulls you closer the second he feels your fingertips, almost making you flinch. Now’s not the time. Be professional.

Kylo wanders over with his own camera, Rey finishes her technical whatnot, and the two of you take your starting positions on the bench. “Ready?” Rey calls, and you nod. “Three, two, one. Go!”

The scene plays out smoothly, almost like you’re watching yourself through your own eyes. Armitage advances, and you retreat, eventually leading into a duet where he’s constantly pulling you in and you’re trying to free yourself. Every time you take a step opposite his direction, he finds a way to trap you into another spin or leap. As hard as you’re concentrating on the choreography, the most natural part of the whole thing is looking off into the distance, reaching for a Kylo who’s looking on, wanting him to come rescue you, wanting to run to him but something holding you back-

“Cut!” Very suddenly, your headspace is broken as you all fall out of position. You’re breathing heavily, loose hair sticking to your neck, and reeling a little from just how into the scene you got. “This looks awesome, guys, I don’t even think we’ll have to do another take.”

Small victories. You turn to Armitage, who is still looking flawless even after all the turning. Typical. “Thanks for uh, working with me again. It was fun.”

He nods. “Absolutely.” He takes your hand, and the second he does Kylo’s head shoots up from where he’s looking through the viewfinder with Rey, immediately aware of how uncomfortable you look. You don’t notice, though, you’re just trying to pull your hand away. “And please know I’m always available to talk, or practice, whatever you need. Maybe we could grab a bite to eat after rehearsal this weekend…”

“Maybe,” you reply weakly, finally wrenching your hand away. “I, um, I appreciate it.”

…

The cool woods, bathed in sunset, is a welcome change from the bright daylight out on the lawn. The trees are spindly and barren, making the whole place look like an abandoned forest, beauty hidden within the branches as the sunlight dapples through them. Rey had you run through the woods a few times, constantly looking back over your shoulder for ‘Armitage’,who might be chasing you. But finally you get to the pond, where Kylo is waiting for you just like a creature of the night, blending in perfectly with he shadows starting to darken and lengthen on the ground.

As you step out to the middle of the lake to meet him, the anxiety in your chest loosens, and you feel like you can breathe again. It even makes you smile a little. This, you can do. This, you can put your heart into.

This dance is a joy to do. You practically fly, not even the dense water holding you back as you twirl around Kylo, a steady presence among the shifting surface of the lake. The look on his face is one of love, of want, and slowly you find yourself mirroring it. Every time he touches you, it becomes electric. Every time your eyes meet, you have a hard time catching your breath back.

Finally, you spring up to grab the tree branch, still dangling overhead. As Kylo moves in to catch you, you close your eyes and let go, trusting that he’ll be there. He is, just like always. Your legs catch his hips, wrapping securely around his torso, and you dip into the deepest and most graceful backbend of your life, feeling safe with Kylo’s hand squarely on the small of your back. As you roll up, you only have a moment for the thought of oh crap- now what? To flash through your head before you’re suddenly face to face.

You look at him. He looks at you. Both of you are breathing hard, from the dance and something else exhilarating in the air you can’t quite name. Whatever it is, it’s almost tangible, dancing among the trees just like you were a minute ago.

The kiss is hurried, desperate- the kiss of two people who have wanted each other for so long but haven’t had their chance until now. It’s different than you thought it’d be. His lips are soft, and he smells a little like mint and a little like the trees of the woods, a heady combination that makes you want to burrow into his side and never come out. You’re not quite sure where to put your nose, or how to keep your teeth out of the way, but it doesn’t seem to matter all that much. After a few seconds something swells in your chest like nothing ever has before, a feeling usually reserved for taking the final bow after a long concert or perfectly breaking in a shiny new pair of shoes.

Almost simultaneously, the two of you pull away from each other, both staring wide-eyed as that tangible feeling begins to dissipate into the air, leaving a comforting sort of silence. Completely forgetting about Rey, the camera, and the project, you smile at Kylo, wondering if he had felt that magic something that had shivered its way through your body.

“Cut.” Rey doesn’t even yell it, she just states it like a matter-of-fact. The two of you startle, abruptly pulled out of your own little world. “That was…” Rey shakes her head slowly. “That was something else.”

“Cool,” Kylo whispers, responding to her but still looking wondrously at you.

“Yeah,” you whisper back. His arms tighten around you, just for a second, before letting you settle back onto the ground. You look around, where mud has been kicked up onto the bank, as well as all over your dress and Kylo’s jeans. Rey hasn’t escaped either, and is meticulously wiping a dirt spatter from her camera lens. You giggle. “We made a bit of a mess, I think.”

Kylo grins and offers you his hand, which you take, helping you back over to land. “All In the name of passion, right?”

Your cheeks flare, which you try to cover by leaning down and straightening the hem of your dress. “Something like that.”

“Guys, that was amazing. Like, seriously.” Rey climbs up to the bank.

“Can I see some of it?” Now that it’s finished, you’re genuinely curious at what you look like- and you’re sure that kiss looks horribly awkward. Maybe you should ask her to redo it…

“Nope! It’s gonna be a surprise at the final viewing. I’m editing it myself, so Kylo won’t see it either.” Kylo rolls his eyes and begins changing into clean clothes he brought from a duffel.

“Rey is all about the surprise factor.” He turns to you. “We’ll see it in a week, I guess. Have you ever been to Griffin Hall? It’s the big digitorium on the edge of campus. That’s where they’re hosting the viewings.” You shake your head. “Well, why don’t I pick you up then? Just so you don’t get lost.”

As much as you don’t want to admit it, seeing Kylo again would be… nice. Very nice. “Yeah- yeah, that sounds great. Thank you.”

…

You fidget with your hair, placing one last bobby pin into your braided crown when there’s a knock on the door. Kylo. You take a deep breath. You haven’t seen him in a week, not really, except for waving to him a few times going to and from classes. He was usually talking with Rey, and you didn’t want to disturb them.

Taking one last look in the mirror, you turn the lock and open the door, where Kylo is standing in a slightly more fancy version of his usual black ensemble, a smile on his face. He instantly raises an eyebrow. “Wow.”

You frown. “What?”

“You look amazing.”

You’re wearing a chiffon dress that floats lazily at your sides, tied in a halter by a satin bow. You even traded your ballet flats for heels that criss-cross up past your ankles, mimicking the ribbons of your pointe shoes. “Thanks,” you smile. “You don’t look to bad yourself.”

He sighs heavily, like his outfit is the bane of his existence. “Rey made me wear the tie.”

You laugh as you reach out to smooth out a bubble in said tie. “Well, it looks very nice.”

“Are you two done? We’re going to be late!” Rey appears behind Kylo in a cream wrap dress with a brown belt. “I want to get good seats!”

Oh. Rey is here. Of course she would be, though. You shake thoughts of being alone with Kylo out of your head and grab your purse. “Ready if you are.”

The digitorium is done up in lights, with students dressed in their cocktail best streaming through the double doors. You blanch a little when you see all the pizzazz. “I didn’t realize this was such a big deal.”

“I mean, the senior film festival always draws a bit of a crowd. There are awards at the end of the night that the audience votes on based on what films they like the best,” Rey explains. So, basically, everyone is going to see you crushing on Kylo- you might as well admit it to yourself- on the big screen. Fantastic.

“Rey!” A black guy in a tan jacket and another in a ridiculously vibrant orange blazer walk over. “Ready to get your ass beat?”

“You wish, Finn! Your little adventure plot is no match for my romantic thriller,” Rey says dramatically, but giving the guy- Finn- a hug nonetheless. “Besides, everyone knows Poe here can’t hold any attention on the big screen.”

“Hey now!” Poe, in the orange blazer, tosses his hair back from his forehead like a teen heartthrob from the nineties. “I’m a stud and you know it.”

“Oh, just come on already. May the best film win!” The three of them dash off towards the entrance, apparently in a race to get the best seats.

You raise an eyebrow at Kylo. “Friends of hers?”

He snorts. “More like partners in crime. Finn is another directing major, he and Poe did some sort of aviation adventure thing I think.” He holds out his arm, and after a few seconds you hesitantly slip your arm through the crook of his. “Shall we?” You let him lead you into the building, not sure how you’re going to get through tonight.

There are six films in total. Finn and Poe’s was indeed an action-adventure flick, featuring Poe crash landing on an island and having to do a man-vs-wild sort of challenge. You recognize the same forest you danced in with Kylo in the background of some of their shots. Everyone goes crazy when the credits roll, you included, and the two friends stand in their seats to take a bow, both trying to outdo the other. You smile- they’re clearly class favorites.

“I think we’re up,” Kylo whispers, and sure enough, Rey’s name in bold letters appears on a black screen. You hold your breath. Hopefully Rey worked some magic and you wouldn’t look like an idiot in front of all these people.

To your shock, you don’t look like an idiot. In fact, you look- almost beautiful. Armitage never looks away from you the whole time you’re dancing, but it’s clear your mind is somewhere else- on someone else. The screen cuts away from the dance a few times to show a serene Kylo standing in the distance, looking on at the two of you on the lawn. As you finally pull away from Armitage, thanks to a close up on your face, you can see a tear leak down your cheek. You put a hand up to your face. You don’t even remember crying.

Trees fly past as the two of you run through the forest from opposite sides until you meet eyes from across the pond. Kylo holds out his hand and you delicately take it, stepping into the water- the pointe shoes make it looks like you’re dancing on the surface, rather than on the muddy pond floor. The dance whirls and races and sometimes slows and wavers, but never loses intensity or drive. Rey has managed to capture all the best angles, every facial expression, every slosh of the water as you kick up mud in a way that’s almost graceful.

As you fall from the tree branch, you catch yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, holding your breath. Everyone in the auditorium is too, and even though you know what happens next, you can’t help but smile a little when you kiss on screen. The last lingering shot is of the two of you looking at each other with mirrored expressions- disbelief, release, and love. Lots of love.  

The screen fades to black, and for a few moments the crowd is silent, making you sink down into your chair a little. Did they not like it? You thought Rey did an amazing job-

Your thoughts are cut off by thunderous applause rising from the rows of people, and even some cheering and whistling. Across the way, Rey proudly takes a bow amidst all the noise, and you find yourself clapping wildly as well, smiling at her success. Suddenly, Rey gestures to you, and before you know it Kylo is pulling you up out of your seat, holding your hand aloft like you’ve just won the olympics. In shock, you laugh, and he does too, giddy and high on everyone’s well wishes.

This is so much better than any dance concert you’ve ever done.

…

After the event, Rey is posing on stage with her professors, a small gold trophy in her hand- Audience Favorite, apparently by a landslide. You and Kylo wait for her outside amongst the rest of the crowd, who are milling about, discussing the night and their opinions.

“Well? What do you think? Caught the acting bug?”

“Maybe,” you admit sheepishly. “This was… incredible.”

“Yeah.” There’s a wistful look on his face, and in his eyes you can see just how much he loves what he does. “You never get sick of it.”

“Come on, guys!” Rey comes bounding over with her friends, who are holding a certificate for best editing. “Are we ready for the best part?”

“The best part?” You look at her, confused. She gives you a wicked grin. “The afterparty.”

…

Not an hour later, you’re standing against the wall of someone’s house, drink in your hand, trying not to draw too much attention to yourself. The room is dimly lit, and music is blasting, but you can vaguely make out some of the people you recognize from the films you saw and their directors. Apparently the afterparty is what everyone is really waiting for at the end of the night.

You think you’d just rather go home. Parties aren’t really your scene.

“Y/N!” A familiar figure cuts through the crowd, and before you can dodge away, Armitage is standing way too close, pushing you up against the wall. “How great did we look up there? We should dance together more often!”

You roll your eyes, practically gagging at all the alcohol on his breath. “Sure, Armitage. I’m gonna, um, go to the bathroom-” you try to slip away but he grabs your wrist, hard, making you freeze.

“Come on, Y/N.” He has to shout over the crowd, but you can hear him loud and clear. “It’s obvious we should be together. We’re the best dancers in our program. We look amazing together. We’d be unstoppable.” His demeanor suddenly changes, and he uses his hips to push you against the wall once more, still holding onto you so you can’t escape. “I know you want me, Y/N. It was just a matter of time.”

“Armitage, let me go! I don’t-” you shove him off, a little scared. “I don’t like you like that, okay? I’m sorry!”

His face darkens. “What, who is it? Who else is there?” He stops. “It’s that Kylo guy isn’t it. You’re into him. Instead of me.”

“N- no, I just-”

“I knew it.” There’s a fury in his eyes that you’ve never seen before. “You need to be with me, Y/N. I’ll show you- I’ll make you see it!” He throws himself at you, holding you tighter than ever, and you’re struggling to pull away but you can’t, he’s stronger than you, and he’s so close you can smell him and his hips are against yours-

Suddenly, air. Without anything to hold you up, you collapse to the ground, hard, chest heaving. You taste salt, and roughly try to rub the tears off your cheeks. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Kylo is towering over Armitage, practically holding him by the neck. “None of your business, weirdo,” Armitage snarls, but Kylo throws him back so hard he bangs his head against the wall behind him.

Somehow, even though Kylo leans in close, you can still hear his voice over the music. “You touch her again, you’re dead,” he hisses. “If I see you within twenty feet of her you’ll have me to deal with.”

“Fuck off, you’re not-”

He suddenly goes silent, probably because Kylo just decked him in the nose. As drunk as he is, Armitage rag dolls onto the ground, out cold. It’d be almost comical if he hadn’t just tried to- no. Don’t think about that. You feel more tears, hot and painful, well up in your eyes, which are staring at Armitage’s limp body just a few feet away from you. “Y/N? Y/N.” It takes a minute, but you finally focus on Kylo, who has kneeled down in front of you. He holds out a hand and you cling to it, shaky, trying not to sob or scream or both. “Let’s get you out of here, okay?” You nod, but don’t move. Your legs won’t seem to work. Without saying a word, Kylo scoops you up as if you weigh nothing and begins to carry you through the crowd. Where, you don’t know, and you don’t care, as long as it’s away, away, away- you bury your head into his chest, trembling, curling in on yourself and closing your eyes tight as he brings you to safety.

Safety comes in the form of the backyard, cool and dark, big enough so that the music and the house is just a distant thrumming in the night. Kylo sets you down on the grass, gently, then sits beside you. You’re still frozen, so he wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you close to his side, and you wrap it tighter around you like he’s your lifeline.

He is, in a way. He just- he just stopped- “Thank you,” you whisper, and you can feel his chest rumbling as he responds.

“I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.”

You shake your head, and fall quiet. The two of you just sit there, looking at the stars and hearing the din of the party in the background. Every nerve in your body should be on fire right now, but the longer you sit by Kylo’s side, the safer you feel.

“Can I tell you something stupid,” you say, and he shifts away from you a little so he can hear you better.

“Of course.”

You groan and pull your knees up to your chest, resting your head on them. “It’s so stupid. And embarrassing.”

“Y/N, it’s okay, really.” He taps one of your hands lightly with a finger, then takes it in his own and entwines your fingers with his. “You can tell me anything.”

“I really like you,” you admit, eyes squeezed shut so you won’t see his reaction. “Really really like you. And I know we basically just met and I know nothing about you and you and Rey seem really happy together and I’m glad, I really am, but-”

“Whoa, whoa, back up.” He shifts so he’s sitting in front of you, but you can’t bring yourself to show your face. “Me and Rey? What now?”

You sniffle a little. “Your girlfriend, dummy. You guys are great together and I know that, but I just had to tell you because-”

“Y/N, stop.” You do. He tucks a piece of hair that’s escaped your braid behind your ear, which gives you the courage to look up at him. The moonlight is glinting off of him in a way that makes him look unreal. Unearthly beautiful. And there’s a smile on his face- oh, god, he’s laughing at you, you shouldn’t have said anything- “you know Rey and I are cousins, right?”

They-

Cousins?

“Oh.” That’s all you seem to know how to say. You just sit there and look at him, dumbfounded, and also feeling incredibly, incredibly stupid.

“Yeah. We’re not- we’re not a couple.” He shudders a little, seemingly at the thought, and laughs a little. “We basically grew up together. She’s like my little sister.”

This time you say nothing, your heart thumping out of your chest. With embarrassment, yes, but way deep down, if you look closely, there’s also a little flare of something. Something that might be a tiny, tiny spark of hope.

You look at him. He looks at you. Then, ever so carefully, he reaches forward and pulls you towards him, settling you onto his lap. Automatically, your arms go around his neck, and your legs around his waist- a mirror image of your kiss in the woods.

And you’re very, very close.

“Tell me if this isn’t okay,” he whispers, and then he can’t say anything else because he’s kissing you.

This kiss is different than the other- soft, slow, and hesitant. Barely there really, just a whisper of something, a hint of admission. He gives you time and space to pull away, but instead, you pull him back towards you, take a breath, and kiss him back. You still don’t know what you’re doing, but he guides you through it was small touches and a tilt of the head- and when a pathetic sound of want escapes your throat, he kisses you deeper, until you’re flush against him and you can feel his heart beating in his chest. Your hand finds its way to his curls and buries itself in them, his wander to your waist and the small of your back. You’re as close as you can possibly be and it’s still not enough- but it’s also the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to you.

Eventually, he pulls away, because you’re breathing hard and maybe still crying a little. He wipes a tear away with the pad of his thumb, and you laugh breathlessly to yourself. “Sorry, I- I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“Hm.” He’s staring at you so intensely his eyes sparkle like the stars above. “There was something in the air, when you were dancing with me. I think it followed us here.”

“It wasn’t just me, then?”

“”Stars, no.” A small smile flickers across his face. “I couldn’t believe I got to be your first kiss.”

“And second.”

“And third?”

You giggle, feeling that magic swirl around the two of you, before meeting him in the middle again. And again. And again.