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It was a lovely gift, all things considered. The craftmanship wasn't the best in the world, but it held together and fit just fine - if there was a loose thread here and there it could probably be blamed on lack of experience. Gracie was, quite frankly, honored to receive such a gift.

So why did wearing it feel so wrong?

"Dear Gracie,
I sent you this gift to show you how thankful I am of having you as my friend. I appreciate the time we spent and that you are there for me, even though you may not understand my situation. As with that...please, do not worry too much about me. I know it sound like a harsh situation...and I do not argue it isn't one. What I want to say is, it is thanks to you and my family that I am feeling better than ever before. I'm looking forward for all the adventures that lays ahead of us. Until now I am looking forward of your answer of you liking the gift.
See you soon, Your friend Keith"

That was it. That was all the note said, and there was nothing wrong with the note that came with it. It was a very sweet gesture, and to have something hand-made especially for her was touching. But she could tell, or thought she could tell, that the dress was made with her long-standing desire to be a princess in mind. It made something unsettling stir in her stomach, making it lurch. She was uneasy, but didn't know why.

"What's wrong?" Vanada lifted their head from where they were settled on Gracie's bed, watching her try on the dress.

Gracie cut her eyes away, blinking away tears she didn't realize were in the corners of her eyes. "I don't... I don't know what's wrong," she said, brows furrowing. "I'm just... I feel so sad and I don't know why."

"Is it the dress?" they asked, sliding off the bed to walk over to her, standing in front of the mirrow. They made a point not to look at themself, and she sighed as she leaned into their touch when they offered it.

"I don't think it's the dress. Not exactly. I like it! But I just... I don't know. I feel like...." She shook her head as she trailed off, trying to shed some of the fog that clouded her mind. "I think it's... I don't know, Vanada. I don't know anymore. What I want to do, to be...."

"Well... you can still be someone's princess," Vanada said gently, glancing into the mirror. Side by side, they felt like it was so plain to see how marred they were next to someone so beautiful. They directed their eyes back to her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder while the other brushed back her hair. "Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't think it is, Vanada," Gracie confessed, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her paw. "I don't know if I ever even really wanted it, or if I was just trying to live a fantasy because I have no idea what to expect from the future, and I thought being swept off my feet and carried into the sunset would fix that. And it feels like that's all I'm known for. The girl that wants to be a princess. I don't want to be that forever. I don't want to be at a standstill in my life while I wait around for someone to rescue me."

A million thoughts ran through Vanada's head, and they were glad that their skin color hid their blush fairly well. They shouldn't be thinking about how I don't think I want to be a princess meant that they didn't have to be a prince to win Gracie over. That wasn't the point and it was selfish of them to be thinking about it. "I can't help you find what you want to do with your life," they finally said, breaking the silence that had begun to fill the room. "I can't tell you what to do. But I want you to know that whatever you find to do with your life, you're going to be amazing at it, Gracie, and I'll be there to support you all the way."

"Thank you," Gracie laughed, beginning to pull the dress up over her head. "I guess.... I guess seeing Keith had made this for me reminded me that... that's all I've had so far. But I want to be more. A lot more. Don't get me wrong, it's still beautiful, and I'm so very grateful to him for thinking of me, but - I don't want this."

She stared fondly at the dress she now held in her paws. She would treasure it, but she thought she would probably only wear it once again, just to show Keith that she appreciated it. This was a dress made for a princess.

And she knew now that princesses were best left in fairy tales.

_______________________________________________________________________

718 words

This is a huge moment for Gracie. I'm super excited to continue her plot from here!

Thanks to Blizz-chan for giving me Keith's note so I could know what he wrote :0

13 / 513
art and character
species

Description
Previous:

It was a lovely gift, all things considered. The craftmanship wasn't the best in the world, but it held together and fit just fine - if there was a loose thread here and there it could probably be blamed on lack of experience. Gracie was, quite frankly, honored to receive such a gift.

So why did wearing it feel so wrong?

"Dear Gracie,
I sent you this gift to show you how thankful I am of having you as my friend. I appreciate the time we spent and that you are there for me, even though you may not understand my situation. As with that...please, do not worry too much about me. I know it sound like a harsh situation...and I do not argue it isn't one. What I want to say is, it is thanks to you and my family that I am feeling better than ever before. I'm looking forward for all the adventures that lays ahead of us. Until now I am looking forward of your answer of you liking the gift.
See you soon, Your friend Keith"

That was it. That was all the note said, and there was nothing wrong with the note that came with it. It was a very sweet gesture, and to have something hand-made especially for her was touching. But she could tell, or thought she could tell, that the dress was made with her long-standing desire to be a princess in mind. It made something unsettling stir in her stomach, making it lurch. She was uneasy, but didn't know why.

"What's wrong?" Vanada lifted their head from where they were settled on Gracie's bed, watching her try on the dress.

Gracie cut her eyes away, blinking away tears she didn't realize were in the corners of her eyes. "I don't... I don't know what's wrong," she said, brows furrowing. "I'm just... I feel so sad and I don't know why."

"Is it the dress?" they asked, sliding off the bed to walk over to her, standing in front of the mirrow. They made a point not to look at themself, and she sighed as she leaned into their touch when they offered it.

"I don't think it's the dress. Not exactly. I like it! But I just... I don't know. I feel like...." She shook her head as she trailed off, trying to shed some of the fog that clouded her mind. "I think it's... I don't know, Vanada. I don't know anymore. What I want to do, to be...."

"Well... you can still be someone's princess," Vanada said gently, glancing into the mirror. Side by side, they felt like it was so plain to see how marred they were next to someone so beautiful. They directed their eyes back to her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder while the other brushed back her hair. "Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't think it is, Vanada," Gracie confessed, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her paw. "I don't know if I ever even really wanted it, or if I was just trying to live a fantasy because I have no idea what to expect from the future, and I thought being swept off my feet and carried into the sunset would fix that. And it feels like that's all I'm known for. The girl that wants to be a princess. I don't want to be that forever. I don't want to be at a standstill in my life while I wait around for someone to rescue me."

A million thoughts ran through Vanada's head, and they were glad that their skin color hid their blush fairly well. They shouldn't be thinking about how I don't think I want to be a princess meant that they didn't have to be a prince to win Gracie over. That wasn't the point and it was selfish of them to be thinking about it. "I can't help you find what you want to do with your life," they finally said, breaking the silence that had begun to fill the room. "I can't tell you what to do. But I want you to know that whatever you find to do with your life, you're going to be amazing at it, Gracie, and I'll be there to support you all the way."

"Thank you," Gracie laughed, beginning to pull the dress up over her head. "I guess.... I guess seeing Keith had made this for me reminded me that... that's all I've had so far. But I want to be more. A lot more. Don't get me wrong, it's still beautiful, and I'm so very grateful to him for thinking of me, but - I don't want this."

She stared fondly at the dress she now held in her paws. She would treasure it, but she thought she would probably only wear it once again, just to show Keith that she appreciated it. This was a dress made for a princess.

And she knew now that princesses were best left in fairy tales.

_______________________________________________________________________

718 words

This is a huge moment for Gracie. I'm super excited to continue her plot from here!

Thanks to Blizz-chan for giving me Keith's note so I could know what he wrote :0

13 / 513
art and character
species