TTS Alchemize the stars: Lissie's new dream
bonus chapter that takes place between chapter 5 & 6! @caelantorena
The kingdom of Corona was very busy, for in a few days the lost princess would be celebrating her first birthday back in her real home!
Lissie was very excited, because she hoped maybe this year she'd finally fulfill her dream of seeing the lanterns up close. Back in her old home on the outskirts of the kingdom, the lanterns were just distant lights far away, like stars that only appeared one night a year. But now... maybe she'd really get to see them in person! And maybe she'd get to see Rapunzel too!
That day at the orphanage, one of the caretakers informed Lissie there was a letter for her. The girl was surprised, she never got mail... She had a moment of dread, worrying it was from her parents to say they'd disowned her or something. But when she took the envelope in her hands, her worry shifted to excitement.
Lissie's name was written on the front in a familiar handwriting, and playful doodles decorated the corners of the paper. It was from Rapunzel!
Eagerly, Lissie hurried to her room, Creampuff of course at her heels. They sat down on the bed together as Lissie opened up the letter.
Hi Lissie! I hope you and Creampuff are doing well! So, you know how my birthday is coming up? Well, apparently since I'm the princess there's going to be a big fancy ball for me... You'd think I'd be used to it now, huh? But I'd really love if you and Creampuff could be there! I know it's a bit of a long walk so I understand if you can't, but I'm sure everyone would love to see you! Oh, and don't worry about clothes, I don't mind if you're not wearing something fancy. But if it's like a rule, I'm sure we can find somthing at the castle for you!
Every empty space on the paper was filled with the princess's pretty drawings that always made Lissie smile.
But of course, she was already smiling. In fact, she hugged the paper to her chest and kicked her feet, glancing at the paper every few moments to make sure she read it right.
"Creampuff! Rapunzel's invited us to go to... a-a ball?!" she squeaked. Creampuff squawked and flapped her wings in excitement.
Lissie's first instinct was to go find Varian and tell him the news, but what if he didn't also get an invitation? Would he feel left out or sad? But it's not like she could keep it a secret either...
It seemed like Creampuff had the same idea. She was already at the door, looking at Lissie and clucking.
Lissie giggled and hopped off the bed. "Okay... let's go find Varian! H-hopefully he won't feel bad..."
She kept glancing at the letter as she and Creampuff were walking down the road to Varian's house, her mind filling with wonders about what the ball would be like. She never ever dreamed she'd be invited to—
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, and Lissie looked up to see her friend hurrying towards her. She broke into a bright smile, so excited to see him she almost didn't notice the paper in his gloved hand.
Grinning, Varian ran up to Lissie. "Hey! I wanted to talk to you," he said, slightly out of breath.
"I-I wanted to talk to you too," Lissie replied with a chuckle, shyness overtaking some of her excitement now that Varian was right in front of her.
Varian gave her a curious grin, before he saw the paper in her hand and his eyes widened. "Wait... is it about this?" He held up his own letter.
Lissie blinked in surprise, her heart doing a little excited flutter. "Is that... from Rapunzel?"
The two teens broke into excited smiles and started to laugh.
"I-I didn't expect her to invite us... it's nice of her," Varian mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with a bashful look.
"Me neither... I-I'm happy she invited you too," Lissie added with a smile. "Um, have you... ever been to something like this?"
Varian shook his head with a nervous laugh. "Never. I'll have no idea what to do..."
Lissie chuckled shyly, looking down at the ground. "Me either... But, y-you're still gonna go, right? I mean, we could do it together..."
Varian's nervous smile shifted into something softer. "Heh, yeah, if you're going I'm going!" he said cheerfully.
Lissie chuckled again, worried she looked as smitten as she felt. Creampuff clucked along, making Lissie smile wider. "And Creampuff's invited too!"
Varian looked down at Creampuff, grinning. "I think she'll fit in well at the party," he said, bending down to pat her feathers. "She seems like a refined lady."
Lissie giggled, and Creampuff chirped in agreement and gave her tail feathers a shake.
When Varian stood up, he rubbed the back of his neck again. "So, uh, what do you think you're gonna wear?" he asked Lissie sheepishly.
"Well... I don't really have something to wear to a ball," Lissie answered, returning the shy smile and shrugging. "S-so I guess i'll just wear... one of my regular dresses?" Her face fell into an uncertain frown. Rapunzel had said she could wear whatever, but Lissie had a feeling the rest of the guests might not feel the same.
Varian sucked in a breath through his teeth as he saw Lissie's doubt. "Yeah, I don't think I've really got anything fancy enough to wear either," he said with a slight chuckle.
Lissie's face relaxed back into a smile. "Well... Rapunzel said maybe she could help us find something at the castle, so..." She looked down at Creampuff, who seemed excited by the idea.
Varian's blushed slightly, but Lissie almost didn't notice. "Y-yeah, right..." There was an awkward pause before he cleared his throat. "So I guess I'll... see you tomorrow night? I can meet you in front of the orphanage if you want."
"O-oh, sure! If you want... or I could meet you at your house?"
Varian chuckles at her offer. "Nah that's okay, I'll be your escort for the evening," he said, bowing playfully just a bit.
Oh God not again. Lissie laughed softly and fought the urge to push him away in a flustered panic. "S-sounds good," she croaked out, her fingers finding her hair in an instant. "Um, o-okay see you then, bye!" She babbled, stepping forward to give him a split-second hug around the shoulders before she hurried back up the path.
Varian just stood in silence, blinking as she left. His arm lifted instinctively to hug her back, but her body wasn't there anymore. He felt worried he upset her somehow, until he saw Creampuff smiling at him. The chicken nodded in approval before she toddled off after her girl.
Varian huffed, smiling down at the ground and running a hand through his hair. Lissie.... Always running off and leaving him wanting for more. Wait, was that weird to say about a friend?
“Um, you sure this looks okay?”
Lissie looked shyly in the mirror in the princess’s bedroom. Rapunzel was helping her pick out something to wear to the ball. They found a pink satin gown that the redhaired girl really liked, but Cassandra was helping make some adjustments so it would fit Lissie’s curvy frame.
“Of course, it looks perfect!” Rapunzel nodded with a bright smile. “And thanks for helping with the adjustments, Cass.”
Cassandra, hunched over focused on her sewing, grunted in reply, but there was a slight smile on her lips.
Creampuff, who was standing next to her girl, admired her with an excited cluck. Lissie smiled at her before looking back in the mirror. Studying her reflection, her cheeks started to heat up imagining Varian seeing her in this dress… She’d never worn something so elegant in her life. It was strange, seeing herself wearing this, it almost made her body feel unfamiliar.
As Rapunzel put a delicate flower crown on her head, the unfamiliar feeling grew even more. But still, Lissie smiled at the mirror. The tiny flowers on the circlet matched the painted ones on her cane.
“I… I’m nervous about tonight,” Lissie whispered, not really realizing she said it out loud.
Rapunzel’s face softened. “I get it. I mean, I’m still not used to all these big ceremonies.” She gave Lissie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “And, you’ve never been to something like this, right?”
Rapunzel gave her a little hug, causing both of them to chuckle. “It’ll be okay, you’ll do great! I’ll be there, and Varian and Cass and— we’ll all be there for you!”
Creampuff clucked in agreement.
Lissie let out a little sigh, glancing around at the faces in the room with a soft smile. It definitely helped her friends would be there… though the fact Varian would be there made her feel a different kind of nervous.
She wondered what he was doing now…
"Are you sure this is... a good idea?"
In the room across Rapunzel's, Varian looked at himself in the grand fancy mirror, grimacing slightly as he barely recognized the young boy looking back at him. Gone were the comfortable, oversized scrapped clothes and messy but practical appearance, the reflection he was staring at now was uncharateristically polished. A three piece suit, with a teal colored vest that fit his shoulders, shiny leather shoes that he struggled to walk in, and his hair, styled and slicked back, not a single strand out of place.
It's not that he did not look good, Varian was sure that objectively, he had never looked better, but it felt just... uncomfortable. He was not used to wear such fancy and expensive clothes, and he kind of felt like a kid playing pretend.
"Don't worry kid, I know it feels weird at first trust me, but you get used to it."
Varian looked up, watching at Eugene brushed his hair for the fourth time. He was also dressed up nicely, a frilly white shirt and a very good looking dark blue suit jacket with gold ornements. At least he did look good, but Varian was pretty sure it was because he was a decade older and more confident after living in the castle for a while.
"Right," the young boy sighed, nervously running a hand through his hair out of habit. Even the sensation of his bare hands felt weird, he was so used to wearing gloves, feeling fabric on his skin kind of made him cringe, "it just don't really feel like me, that's all."
He suddenly heard a deep, warm chuckle behind him before a man even taller and broader than Eugene stepped into the mirror frame.
"Just wait until we get to the party," the man said, putting a hand the size of Varian's head on the boy's shoulder, "you'll fit right in with all the other good lookin' folks."
"Yeah... that doesn't really make me feel better."
"Lance," Eugene sighed, swatting his hand off Varian, "just give the kid some time. Besides, you just got here too, you shouldn't be so comfortable."
Varian relaxed slightly at having his shoulder released. He had just met Lance today, an old and good friend of Eugene that apparently recently got out of a decade long prison sentence and was now mostly living within Corona's castle. So nothing out of the ordinary.
He was very friendly, despite his intimidating stature, and didn't hesitate to join Eugene into helping Varian buy an outfit and getting ready for tonight's party.
"Hey now," Lance rose his hands in surrender, his easy smile always on his face, "I'm just naturally adaptable-"
"More like you're enjoying the luxury life a bit too much," Eugene spoke back.
Varian sighed as the two friends bantered, his gaze refocusing on his reflection in the mirror. He bit his lip, nervously tugging on his jacket's sleeves. It was only for one night after all, he could muster a bit of confidence. He was genuinely happy to be there, and grateful that Rapunzel had personally invited him and Lissie to her birthday ball, it was just... a lot. He had never gone to a ball before after all.
His gaze trailed to the door, and he found himself wondering about Lissie. She was a room away, supposedly getting ready with Rapunzel and Cassandra. He wondered if she was nervous as him, if she felt comfortable in whatever outfit she'd chosen. What outfit was she going to wear? Rapunzel mentioned something about a dress, but there was so many possibilities.
She would look pretty in anything, he thought before shaking his head, refocusing on his own appearance, and took a breath. He could do it.
This was going to be a nice night, and they were all going to have fun, even him in his tight fancy suit.
He really should get used to that.
After Lissie was all dressed, she waited behind in Rapunzel's room for a bit as the others went to the ballroom. She was nervous... and also she and Varian had agreed to meet in the hall so they could walk together.
Creampuff, who was wearing an adorable pink tutu the princess had made, stepped towards the door and clucked at Lissie. She looked excited to get going.
Lissie smiled and let out a sigh, standing up from her seat on the princess's bed. She didn't wanna keep Creampuff or Varian waiting. She turned the doorknob with a trembling hand and peeked out.
Seeing Varian standing in the hall waiting for her, Lissie's breath caught in her throat. She gulped, certain she'd never seen anything more handsome in her life. But at the same time, it was strange, seeing him dressed up.
She felt sick for a moment, like she wanted to run away, but she knew she couldn't. She had to be brave.
It's just Varian, he's your friend...
But, he was so much more than that.
Lissie took a shaky breath, just as Creampuff clucked excitedly and toddled over to the boy, alerting him.
Varian blinked out of his thought when he heard the familiar pitter patter of Creampuff, and he smiled at the sight of the chicken.
He paused, because his breath just caught in his throat as he glanced up. There was Lissie.
If he had spent minutes earlier trying to imagine what dress she would wear, he was pretty sure he hadn't even came close to reality.
She was wearing a light pink dress, soft and frilly that hugged her waist with a big bow resting on her back. The gown was short sleeved, but Lissie's forearms were covered by a pair of long gloves that matched the color of her dress. A beautiful necklace was wrapped around her neck and... was that a flower crown on her head?
Varian couldn't really speak or move for a good second, because all thoughts but one literally flew out of his head.
Varian felt his face suddenly lit with a wave of heat as he realized his quickly derailing train of thoughts and the fact that he had been staring like a moron for a bit too long. He quickly straightened up and cleared his throat, reflexively running a hand trough his slicked back hair (though that one blue strand could not stay in place and kept falling on his forehead).
Lissie broke into a wide, nervous smile, trying her hardest not to bite her lip. "H-hi..." She looked at the floor, trying to form a sentence over the screaming of her brain. "You..." she broke into a shy chuckle before she could finish. "l-look really nice!"
Her senses felt overwhelmed in a wonderful but terrifying way. His blue strand of hair hanging down over the forehead she never got to see, the skin of his hands which always hid under gloves, his big blue eyes looking at her in a way she'd never seen before...
And then he spoke up again, with his voice that made her insides feel runny.
"Thanks," Varian managed to answer without sounding too breathy, "you look uh, very good too."
He felt like that was kind of an understatement, but it was all he could manage for now. Should he have said 'pretty' instead? Maybe he should have, but then again it would have probably felt weird. Well, he really shouldn't think too much about it, otherwise he was going to keep staring in silent like an idiot. He cleared his throat again, doing his best impression at a confident smile.
"Anyway, ready for the party?"
"W-well... I am kinda nervous," Lissie admitted, brushing a lock of hair from her face and looking at the floor.
Varian's expression softened slightly, and he found himself relaxing at the thought that Lissie was just as nervous as him. At least he was not alone in this, they could be 'new to fancy royal parties' together.
"Yeah, I get it," he chuckled, "it's a bit... strange. But! I'm sure we can have a good time, we'll stick with each others, right?"
Lissie lifted her head and gave him a grateful smile. "Mhm." She nodded. Even though she felt terrified from being so flustered, it was still comforting Varian was here with her.
Varian smiled and nodded, before he took a breath, regaining some of his confidence.
"Great! Well in that case..."
He playfully made a little bow in front of Lissie, not entirely sure he was doing it right but it was the thought that counted.
"My lady," he said, before offering the girl his arm, "may I have the honor?"
Lissie's gaze slipped back to the floor as a bashful grin stretched between her ears. She didn't trust herself to say anything, but a giggle snuck out. Gingerly, she took his arm, her heart hammering so hard she was scared she'd faint. But Varian's arm felt nice and sturdy to hold onto.
Creampuff let out an excited squawk and started to run down the hall to the ballroom, her tutu bouncing with each step.
Lissie and Varian looked at each other before starting to laugh. "Creampuff wait for us!" Lissie called.
The two of them made their way through the castle's corridors, both of their spirits uplifted.
Varian was smiling, thinking of of how lucky he was, instead of his nervous thoughts. Lucky to be invited to such a fancy party, by the princess herself, with all his friends and especially Lissie at his arm.
They progressively began to merge with more people as they approached the throne room where most of the festivities would be held.
Varian couldn't help but observe all of these people in their beautiful clothes, the women with tailored dresses and the men with extravagant suits. He walked close to Lissie, trying to not loose sight of Creampuff in the crowd, when they finally stepped inside of the throne room.
Varian paused in his steps, eyes and mouth wide open as he took it all in. The room, already beautiful on its own, was decorated with dozen of purple garlands, baloons floating near the grand chandelier. Long tables were dressed, enough for everyone to have a seat, and were already filled with so much food and drinks that Varian struggled to see the decoration underneath. Purple table runners and elegant silverware, flower shaped fold napkins in the middle of each plates. Near the end of the room, a smaller table stood with only five seats, and Varian guessed it was probably for the royals and Rapunzel, along with Eugene and Cassandra. The wall behind it held a big 'happy birthday Rapunzel' banner, and even with all of this, there were still a huge empty space in the middle of the room for people to dance.
"Woah..." Lissie echoed, glancing at Varian with a chuckle before looking around the room again, her eyes wide. "It's... so pretty... I can't believe we're really here!!" She rocked from the balls of her feet to her heels in excitement, forgetting her nervousness for a second.
Among the crowd of people suddenly appeared the very familiar, cheerful face of Corona's princess. Rapunzel was dressed in a very pretty pink and purple dress, her hair tied up in its usual thick braid, though decorated with more flowers, pearls and other accessories than usual. Varian grinned and waved.
"Hey Rapunzel! Happy birthday!"
Rapunzel smiled, putting one hand on Varian's shoulder and cupping Lissie's face with the others.
"Thank you—aw you two look so good together," she beamed, "you look very nice with your hair like that Varian!"
"Hah, thanks," the boy chuckled, awkwardly rubbing his neck, "not used to show so much forehead."
Lissie's smile widened as the princess cupped her face. Rapunzel's hand felt cool on her flushed cheek.
Creampuff clucked at the princess, taking a step to the side to show off her tutu.
This got a laugh out of Rapunzel, who after a few minutes of catching up, led them both further into the room. Varian watched her, a bit impressed, as the princess navigated through the crowd with unwavering optimism, greeting every folk they ran into with a bright smile, without forgetting a 'thank you so much!' everytime someone would wish her a happy birthday. For most royals, one would think such pleasenteries would come off as polite or even forced, but somehow with Rapunzel it never stopped being genuine. For someone who claimed was still awkward about her title of princess, Rapunzel sure seemed to handle it perfectly. Or maybe she was just naturally a people person, Varian couldn't help but admire her for that.
The three of them stopped near the royal family's table, where Cassandra was standing there with her arms crossed, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Varian felt a pang of sympathy for her, he knew she probably wasn't much more of a fan of these extravagant parties as he was. Rapunzel however, didn't seem to be bothered by it.
"Cass!" She greeted her with a smile before looking around, "where are the boys?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes before gesturing to the side with her head. A little bit down the right, at another table, Eugene and Lance were bickering, or rather Eugene tried to stop his old friend from scarfing down all the little hors d'oeuvres on display.
"As you'd guess," Cassandra drawled, to which Rapunzel let out her first exasperated groan of the night and walked up to the two troublemakers. The handmaiden glanced back at Varian and Lissie, her gaze softening slightly, "hey you two."
Lissie waved at Cass with a barely audible "hey" and a nervous smile.
"Hey Cassandra!" Varian chuckled, noticing that she, unlike everyone else, was wearing her regular lady-in-waiting dress, "not letting go of the uniform?"
Cassandra tisked, and the boy thought she was going to roll her eyes again.
"Well technically, I'm still on the job," she said, "and I did not had the time to look for anything else anyway."
"Darn," Varian snorted, "and here I thought we'd see you in one fancy dress like those..."
"Say that again and you'll see what happens of your fancy little haircut."
Varian gasped in mock offense, putting one hand protectively on top of his hair, stepping away from any potential ruffle. "Hey—"
Lissie's eyes widened and she held a hand over her mouth as a giggle escaped. She tried to imagine Cass wearing a ball gown... but it was a little hard to picture.
Varian did not have the time to defend himself further, because Rapunzel came back with Eugene and Lance at her sides.
"Well now what do we have here," Eugene spoke first, the usual easy smile on his lips, "you kids finally joined the fun."
"Managed to keep the hair straight so far, huh Varian," Lance chuckled patting the boy's shoulder with a little more force than necessary (or maybe because his hand was twice the size of Varian's shoulder), "and in good company too?"
Varian winced slightly and let out an awkward laugh, but fortunately for him Rapunzel piped up:
"Oh right! Lance, this is Lissie," the princess smiled brightly, putting her hands on the younger girl's shoulders, "she's a good friend of Varian and I! Lissie this is Lance, Eugene's old friend!"
Varian was smiling a bit more genuinely now, though he overheard a sarcastic 'everyone is everyone's friend now, great' from Cassandra, which almost made him snort but he held himself back.
"Um, hello," Lissie said to Lance, giving him a little wave. She decided not to offer a handshake, she was a little intimidated by the man's size, though he seemed friendly.
"Pleasure meeting you, little Lissie," Lance only grinned at her, which prompted an amused eyeroll from Eugene.
They all spent some time talking and Rapunzel always eager, dragged Varian and Lissie to see several things around the room since it was their first royal ball; even though it was technically also the princess' first ball but Varian appreciated the sentiment.
One thing he had no complain over however was the food. It was absolutely delicious.
The tables were fancy, with too many silverware that Varian had no idea were necessary, but still.
There was just so much food: meat, vegetables, local specialties and pastries and even dishes from other kingdoms. Lots to drink too, even though most of it was wine and champagne, so him and Lissie had to settle on apple juice. He didn't think he had eaten so much in his entire life, there was just so many things he wanted to try, and he was starting to understand Lance's enthusiasm now. This was a radical change from eating almost always the same things in Old Corona, royals really had life easy.
Lissie had eaten much more than she usually would, she often had a poor appetite but tonight there were so many special foods that were much better than the food at the orphanage. She wished she could eat things this good more often.
Creampuff was also very pleased, Lissie had slipped her a small cob of corn and some fruit and gulped it down eagerly.
Lissie smiled as she watched her chicken finish her food, before the girl let out a quiet hiccup. Blushing, she pressed her napkin to her mouth, hoping no one noticed.
As Varian was about to dig into another piece of cake, the lights from the room suddenly dimmed until it was almost dark, making people around them whisper excitingly or even clap for some. Varian blinked, confused, looking around.
"Uh what's happening right now?"
Then, music started to echo through the throne room, a little orchestra playing in a corner. Varian watched, bewildred, as some people got uo from their seats, including Rapunzel and Eugene to join the center of the room, and it clicked.
Oh, of course, the waltz. Varian had almost forgot about it.
He looked over at Lissie sat next to him, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
Dancing! Oh, Lissie loved dancing. Before she got sick she would twirl around every chance she got. She missed it terribly.
But maybe she could dance just a little bit tonight.
Lissie watched as some of the guests gather in the center of the room, her heart beating quicker. She wanted to join them so badly. But she was too shy to go out there by herself. Were you even allowed to dance by yourself at a ball? She didn't know.
But the sight of the others starting to waltz made her limbs twitch in envy and excitement. The music was pulling at her.
She started subtly shifting in her seat to the rhythm as she looked over at Varian. "Um, do you dance..?" She asked him shyly. She wasn't really expecting him to say yes.
Varian blinked, caught off guard by Lissie's sudden question and immediately chuckled because, well no he had never danced in his life actually, not like that anyway.
"Not really," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "I mean, it's not like they threw those kinds of dance party in Old Corona, I'd probably crush someone's feet a hundred times by step."
Lissie nodded, looking down at her place setting. Her ankles rubbed together nervously under the table.
Varian's eyes widened and he halted. Wait, did Lissie wanted to dance? Crap, he hadn't mean to reject her, but thought of trying to do one of these fancy couple dances with the girl next to him kind of made him panic.
Still though, he didn't want to disappoint her, and who knows it could be fun! As long as he didn't mess up and accidentally trip her. He cleared his throat, looking up at Lissie again.
Lissie lifted her head, eyes wide in surprise. "I, w-well, I'd like to, but..." She glanced at her cane resting beside her. "I don't really know if I could do it good enough for a ball..."
Varian's gaze darted to Lissie's cane as well, and his eyes softened in sympathy. He bit his lip and took a glance at the several couples waltzing all around the room, and absentmindely tapped his fingers on the table.
"Well to be fair, I don't really know how to do... that," he gestured to the people dancing, "either. But... this is Rapunzel's party, right? Surely she wouldn't mind if we don't do all these fancy tricks, right? We could just... try together?"
He sent Lissie a reassuring smile, trying to not let his nerves get the best of him. He could still do this, it was just a dance after all, how hard could it be? If those people managed to do it, surely they could too. Probably.
Lissie's lips curled into a bashful smile, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Y-you really wanna?" She glanced shyly down at the table. "I mean, I-I'd like to, but I'm still nervous..." Her fingers began to fidget with each other.
Varian had a little smile at that, a softer one than before. "Don't worry, I'll be with you anyway! And well, I'll try to not step on your feet too much."
Lissie lifted her head, her smile growing. "A-Alright," she said. Her heartbeat pattered even faster than before.
Varian couldn't help but grin at her acceptance, and quickly cleared his throat. If he had to dance with Lissie, her had to do it correctly, right.
He stood up from his chair, doing an exagerated bow. "M'lady," he said, trying to mimick one of those fancy accents he heard all night, "may I have this- uh, attempt at a dance?"
Lissie ducked her head as a pathetically smitten giggle escaped her lips. She felt a desperate need to squeal into a pillow but she choked it down. "Y-yes, you... may," she said, stumbling over the right way to respond. She shakily rose from her seat, sending Creampuff an excited glance.
Creampuff clucked in reply, and hopped down from the table to waddle closer to the dance floor so she could watch.
It felt strange to walk into the middle of a big room without her cane, but Lissie held on tight to Varian's arm when he offered it.
Once they were on the dance floor, the two teens glanced around at the other dancers to see how to hold onto each other. They were both blushing furiously.
With timid movements, Lissie placed her hand up on Varian's shoulder, and her other one found his hand. She nearly flinched at the contact; she was so used to feeling his gloves instead of his skin.
Varian breathed, trying to not let his nerves get to him. Lissie's hand was so soft and delicate, he was afraid to squeeze it too much. He secretly hope his hands weren't sweaty, he really wasn't used to touching people without the thick, protective fabric of his gloves. But he was already there, in the middle of the room with Lissie, so he wasn't going to chicken out.
He took another look around, seeing the men dancing with women, their hands resting on the low curve of their backs. Should he do that too?Varian rose his free hand, hesitant, and did the same.
Lissie felt her face burn hotter as she felt Varian's hand rest gingerly on her back, just above her sash. She swallowed, unable to meet his eyes.
"Uh... Now what?" Varian spoke, clearing his throat.
Lissie let out an exhale and lifted her head. "W-well, we sort of step in a square," she explained with a shy smile. She took a step to the side, guiding him to follow her. Then she stepped back, Varian stepped forward. Then to the other side.
"Now you step back," Lissie instructed gently, smiling wider when she saw her friend's flustered face.
Varian nodded stiffly, looking at his feet as he tried to follow Lissie's intructions. The steps seemed easy enough, but Varian had never been the best at coordination, he didn't want to step on her foot by accident.
"A-and we just do that on repeat!" Lissie said, a shy chuckle leaving her lips.
Varian tried to stay focused, slowly following Lissie into the waltz. Forward, backward, forward, backward...
It was a little stiff and awkward at first, especially for Varian, but after a few minutes they both started to relax into the waltz.
"You're doing good!" Lissie giggled, beaming at her friend.
Varian let out a breathy chuckle, and for the first time since they began dancing, he felt confident enough to raise his head and look away from his own feet. He gave Lissie a smile, his blue eyes shining happily.
Lissie's smile somehow grew wider, and she let out another happy laugh. Her cheeks still felt flushed, but she didn't care. She had never imagined dancing with Varian before, but now that she was, it felt like she'd been missing it her whole life.
Varian laughed too, happy and for once, one hundred percent relaxed. It felt so nice, just holding hands with Lissie, dancing without any worry. No problem to solve, no dark or confusing or fusing thoughts in his brain. Just this fancy music, his friend and a ballroom dance.
From the edge of the dance floor, Creampuff swayed to the music, watching Lissie and Varian waltz together with her eyes sparkling.
The songs played one after the others, keeping the people dancing for most of the night. Varian and Lissie stayed together for a few more and decided to step out, taking a break. Varian was having so much fun, but he didn't want to tire Lissie too much either. Plus, he was practically sure they'd put some more food on the tables, things he had yet to taste, and there was no way he was missing that.
With her head in the clouds, Lissie started walking back to her seat at the table. She was a little tired and a little dizzy, but she didn't really mind. She was just glad she got to dance. especially with Varian.
But before she made it back to her seat, she fell suddenly to the floor, hearing a crunch underneath her. She cried out in surprise and pain.
Varian jumped, hand half raised to reach for a new pastry he spotted and he whipped his head around. His stomach immediately dropped when he saw Lissie on the ground, and the food was quickly forgotten.
"Lissie!" He exclaimed, rushing over to her side, kneeling down with a worried frown, "are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
"Ah, crud," Lissie moaned with a wince, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Against her will, tears filled her eyes from embarrassment and the pain in her ankle. "I-I twisted it..." She sounded disappointed but not shocked, like she was used to it.
Varian hissed, giving his friend a sympathetic look. And here there were having so much fun just a moment ago, now Lissie was hurt and upset. This really won't do.
He gently took her arm, wrapping it arou d his shoulders while sneaking a hand up her side to keep her steady, making her lean on him.
"C'mon," he said, helping her up, "let's go somewhere quieter where we can rest..."
His gaze lit up as he saw another plate of good looking pastries on a nearby table, snatching one.
"How 'bout we share that too?" He smiled down at Lissie, "it'll cheer you up!"
Lissie could have kissed him right then and there. He was so sweet. He didn't make some comment like "ugh, you're so clumsy" or act like she spoiled the evening, he just wasted no time in helping her & thinking of ways to make her feel better.
She smiled at him warmly. "Thanks Vari..."
Varian grinned and began to lead her away from the throne room, the festivities still going behind them.
There was a side door leading to a secluded little balcony, towering over a part of Corona. Low benches were disposed between bushes and plants, and Varian led Lissie towards one, and they both sat down.
"There we go," the boy sighed, letting go of Lissie's arm, "man you really don't realize how loud it all is 'til you step out, huh?"
Lissie nodded and leaned back against the wall and let out a long breath. It felt nice to be out of that busy, bustling room. Creampuff, who had followed them outside, hopped up beside Lissie on the bench. The girl stroked her feathers and gave Varian another smile.
The music was muffled behind them now, just a background noise among the night. The air was chilly and the moon shining bright, its light soft, but still outshining the hundreds of stars scattered around it. Varian unconsciously smiled as he watched them, gentle and melancholic for a second. He always tried to imagine his sister watching over him everytime he saw them.
He snapped out of his thoughts, feeling the warm pastry still in his hand. He split it in two, handing one half to Lissie.
"Here! Post dance treat."
Lissie's smile widened. "Thank you," she giggled, gently taking the pastry in her hand. It still felt weird to be touching food with gloves on.
A comfortable silence washed over them as they ate, Varian's gaze fixated on the stars. He munched absentmindely, the pastry soft and sweet on his tongue, and his mind caught in a distant memory of a hand pointing out towards the sky and a voice naming each little dots of light she saw, teaching him how to pronounce each names. Varian did not remember any of them, astronomy had been her thing. But he remembered the feeling more than he did her face.
Suddenly, something caught his attention, in the corner of his eyes. Something brighter than the stars, moving, floating. A dot of warm light, followed by another, and another, and another.
The young boy gasped softly, and his hand reached for Lissie's shoulder.
"Lissie look!" He exclaimed, pointing excitingly at the cloud of light elevating towards the sky, "the lanterns!"
Lissie gasped, her eyes wide. It was good she had finished her pastry, or else she would have dropped it in excitement.
The lanterns! She'd almost forgot about them! She was so excited she almost didn't think about Varian's hand on her shoulder.
"Oh! I... I been wanting to see these up close my whole life!" Lissie whispered, starting to fidget in her seat.
Varian grinned. He himself hadn't had many occasions to see the lanterns from so close, usually the best he got was a far away view of floating lights, standing on a high enough hill in old Corona. It was watching a cloud of fireflies for far away. But now he could actually see them, each lanterns, glowing softly, and the intricate designs on each of them, sun symbols glowing in the night.
Quickly, more and more lanterns started to fill the sky. It was so beautiful... all warm colors and gently flickering lights, like hundreds of stars came close to earth to dance.
Some of them drifted near the balcony, filling it with warm light. Creampuff toddled around the floor, clucking as she chased the moving lights. Giggling, Lissie hobbled off the bench and over to the railing, so excited she didn't even care about her twisted ankle. But Varian sprang up beside her so she wouldn't hurt herself again.
They approached the edge of the balcony, Varian still keeping a cautious hand near Lissie's back so she won't trip again. The boy leaned his elbows on the railing, a gentle smile on his face as he watched the beautiful spectacle. He hasn't felt so light and happy in a long time.
A small lantern floated closer, right in front of Lissie now. She smiled at it in awe, the warm light shining in her eyes. She reached out to touch it before giving it a lift back up into the sky. "Did you see that?" She giggled, finally looking back at Varian.
The boy chuckled, a bewildred, breathy sound as he grinned back at Lissie excitingly. "That was amazing," he said, "you've been chosen by the lanterns! Could mean something, who knows?"
The excitement in Lissie's eyes turned to something a little softer, and she suddenly felt shy. "Um... thanks so much for everything tonight Vari," she said quietly. "I-I'll remember it forever!"
Varian blinked, his blue eyes wide as he stared at Lissie for a second. He hadn't expected being thanked, if anything he felt like he was the grateful one. But looking into Lissie's soft and genuine eyes right now made an unfamiliar warmth bloom in his chest, and in the next moment he acted completly on impulse.
He wrapped an arm around Lissie's shoulders, a small but sincere hug. Varian wasn't usually the one to initiate physical affection - not that he had anyone to initiate it to begin with - but he had spent such a good night, dancing, having fun. All thanks to Lissie at his side, and a simple "thank you too" didn't feel like enough for him.
"I'Il remember it too," he mumbled against his friend's hair.
Lissie hugged him back, feeling a little choked up as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, lips curved in a smile. Her heart felt full, but also longing... But why? She'd seen the lanterns like she always dreamed, with two of her best friends beside her.
Maybe that was it. Creampuff had been Lissie's only friend for a long time, and now that she had Varian too, she was scared of losing him. She realized now that her biggest dream was keeping him close... that's what she wanted the most.
"Um, Varian?" she spoke his name hesitantly.
The young boy pulled away slightly, just enough so he could look down at Lissie.
Lissie lifted her head and leaned back so she could see his face. She glanced down shyly, feeling nervous to say what she wanted to. But she had to know. "Um, do you think that we can stay friends? Like.... forever?"
Varian froze, just staring at Lissie for a moment. The words hit more than they should have. He never really had any friends his age, growing up glued to his sister's side and on his own afterwards. He had always thought that didn't bother him, that he was content like this with just his dad and his alchemy creations.
But now there was Lissie, looking up at him with hope, hope that they'd remain friends until the end. Because she wanted to stay with him. She actually liked to stay with him. She trusted him.
And that, unconsciously, meant everything to Varian.
His lips stretched up in a smile, fond, gentle, so touched by everything, and he nodded without hesitation.
"Of course Lissie," he chuckled, "friends forever, no matter what."
And he meant it too. Because for the first time in years, Varian finally felt like he was not alone anymore.
