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[break][break]

"Once upon a time..."[break][break]

The story begins as all fairytales do. It's a simple way to begin a performance, but there's something inherently charming about the premise. And it fits the contest theme to a T, or so Luka thinks. After all, to tell a fairytale is to make a promise to their audience— a story, charm, magic, and the most important thing: love.[break][break]

Luka smiles out at the audience, clad in lilac and rose-pink sequins, and continues her introduction.[break][break]

"A good fairy lived in the forest."[break][break]

A soft spotlight shines on Luka's clefable, the aforementioned fairy glittering under the lights in a sparkling swirl of pink tulle. She prances about the stage, the very picture of springtime innocence— though if one were to look very closely they might notice that her shadow seems to stretch a little oddly in places, and that the faintest glimmer of red blinks within.[break][break]

"She spent her days there living happily among all her other friends. Under her protection, the forest was a peaceful place— safe from any harm or monsters that lurked in the dark woods beyond her little home. Until one day..."[break][break]

Luka's narration fades as the scene unfolds onstage. Her Clefable glides across the stage, pantomiming an idyllic pastural scene. She appears to be picking flowers as she begins to hum, and soon her singing joins the soft orchestral melody playing in the background. It's a sweet little melody, until a sudden harsh, discordant note interrupts it.[break][break]

Clefable's shadow continues to move and stretch, rising from the stage like a blob of dark ink. Red eyes blink open, and a toothy smile emerges as this new song clashes with the Clefable's gentle singing. It seems to foretell doom and disaster, a perish song in every sense of the word.[break][break]

"A wicked enchanter from the dark woods arrived, and placed a curse on the fairy's home! Though she begged him to lift the spell, the enchanter's heart was dark and could not be moved..."[break][break]

The rest of the scene is played out between Clefable and Gengar, with the latter cackling and refusing Clefable's plea to lift the curse. When he departs, melting back into shadow, she seems to despair...until a sudden burst of courage overtakes her.[break][break]

"But don't fear! The little fairy was determined to save her friends, and vowed to break the curse! After all, with the power of kindness, patience, and love, nothing is impossible! And so," Luka concludes with another smile, "Our story begins! [break][break]

---

[break]
* clefable uses sing[break]
* gengar uses perish song

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Taffy's initial introduction hadn't made the biggest impact, but the resounding cheers from her fans in the audience more than makes up for it. This kind of contest is a bit outside Luka's wheelhouse, and it's clear she still has a lot to learn when it comes to categories outside of cute and beautiful. But in the end, all that really matters is having fun! And despite the lukewarm response Taffy's confidence is unshaken— which is the most important part anyways, right?[break][break]

After all, what's tougher than beating out much larger competition, against all odds?[break][break]

The pair emerges onstage, more determined than ever to put on a good show. Taffy bounds out in front of her trainer to take center stage again, a single spotlight shining down on her as she poses and lets out her toughest little cry. It's- well, it's a bit on the squeakier side, but the look in her eyes is certainly fierce![break][break]

"A true display of strength," Luka begins, "Is being able to persevere against all odds. To face each challenge head on and come out on top every time!"[break][break]

Taffy stomps his little foot and yips in agreement. Her earth power is utilized again, but this time there are no flashy effects. Instead, what erupts from the earth is nothing but an enormous boulder— easily ten feet wide and just as tall. It completely dwarfs the tiny Mudkip standing beside it— a truly insurmountable obstacle.[break][break]

"The people of Hoenn have always been able to overcome every obstacle they face...and so will we!"[break][break]

Undaunted by the giant lump of earth in front of her, Taffy quickly backs up and lowers her head, staring down the boulder like a bull about to charge. She yips again, and surges forwards— this time with a burst of speed and strength so sudden and powerful that the stage quakes with every running step. Her take down strikes the rock head on, and there's a deafening boom and the sound of crumbling earth before she emerges on the other side.[break][break]

When the dust settles, there's a clear hole going straight through the boulder. And if one squints, they'll be able to make out the shape of a Mudkip's silhouette imbedded in stone before the entire boulder crumbles into dust behind the triumphant tadpole.[break][break]

---

[break][break]

notes: mudkip uses earth power and take down

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The bell chimes— and just like Cinderella, the spell is broken.[break][break]

Whatever magic had been casted upon the pair of them seems to fade, or perhaps the champagne has simply lessened it's hold on her. As though waking from a daydream Luka slowly blinks up at her dance partner, and her hand pulls away from his as she takes a step back.[break][break]

Despite how close they'd just been, the distance between them suddenly seems vaster than ever. But for a fleeting moment, she'd felt that familiar warmth and happiness, the sweet far thing that flutters in her chest and makes itself a home there. It fades fast, like snuffing out a candle— radiant things are never meant to last long.[break][break]

"I—"[break][break]

There are so many things she wants to say to him. Questions to ask, apologies to demand. But to do so would be to tear down the façade that they've built up between them, and despite everything she's been through Luka's still not strong enough to do that.[break][break]

"I should go."[break][break]

If she were to turn and flee now, would he follow after her? If she left her shoe behind on the grand staircase, would her Prince search high and lo to find her again?[break][break]

Her hands fill their sudden emptiness by grasping at her skirts, and she issues a clumsy curtsey before turning to make a quick egress, trying- and failing- to quell the frantic fluttering of her heart.

[break][break]

---

[break]
- bruh[break]
- filling prompt 6- gtfo[break]
- dress & mask

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"...Huh? What?"[break][break]

As Levy Alinsky sifts through the clockwork ruins Luka remains dazedly in place, head swaying ever so slightly in time with the music. Distracted and disoriented, she barely registers when paxton concordas grabs her by the wrist. There are things happening all around them; clicking gears and whirring mechanisms, mechanical leviathans creaking to life as steam erupts from their ancient joints. But all she can think about is the scent of pine and freshly cut lilies, of freshly dug earth and the slow creak of a coffin lid.[break][break]

For a moment, it's as though something else has a hold on her consciousness. Only when the chaos around them starts to amplify does she begin to snap out of it.[break][break]

Luka blinks slowly at Paxton when he releases her hand, as though emerging from a deep sleep. But just as she seems to grasp the situation the music overtakes her once again, and she's lost.[break][break]

"No!" she shouts, wrenching herself away from the group with a sudden and alarming ferocity. "We can't leave!" The clockwork tune plays her like a siren song, pulling drawstrings tight around her fractured heart until it's beating along to the same melody.[break][break]

"It's for me," she continues to insist, glancing around wildly for the source of the music. "Don't you get it? We have to find it!"[break][break]

Why else would the song be calling to her? There must be someone reaching out to her, and she's so desperate to have them back again. Before anyone can stop her she makes a break for it, sprinting towards the Volcanion with wild abandon— certain, based on nothing than misguided instinct, that they must be guarding the one thing she wants most in the world.[break][break]

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This is probably a bad idea.[break][break]

There's a moment of hesitation when the prince offers his hand. Luka stares at him like he's gone mad, though the intricacies of her expression are thankfully lost behind the mask. She shakes off the initial surprise and tries to appear nonchalant, though the stuttering thump behind her ribs threatens to shatter that thin veneer.[break][break]

Why he wants to dance with her is a mystery. They aren't lovers. And given everything that had happened between them, they'll probably never be friends.[break][break]

Perhaps, then, the only way for them to be together is as strangers.[break][break]

But their hands know each other and as soon as they meet, it's almost impossible to play pretend. Luka swallows hard as she stares at their intertwined fingers, the warmth of his palm seeping into her own. Her eyes flit downwards a moment later, unable to even glance at the mask that shields her from him.[break][break]

Despite all the time that's passed, her heart is still broken. When she takes Remiel's hand, she can feel it start to mend. Eventually, she'll leave him and it will break again.[break][break]

It's only one night. What's one more heartbreak?[break][break]

"I can't imagine what might be troubling you, Monsieur," she says softly, watching the folds of her dress as they glimmer under rays of falling starlight, "But I hope a dance can remedy that...at least for a little while."

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---

[break]
- dress & mask

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