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Gracie had started having growing pains earlier that week, though they were minimal, and she began to walk upright when Iskra made a comment about her longer legs. It seemed the time had come for her to grow up, and by the looks of it, Vanada was joining her.

She was putting off seeing Keith, if she was honest, and the growing was a good distraction. Gracie didn't want to let Keith down by saying she wasn't going to wear the dress anymore - not that she didn't like it, just that she wouldn't wear it. She made the excuse to herself that she wasn't visiting him because she still wasn't quite used to walking on two legs, or she was experiencing growing pains in her limbs that day. But eventually the growing seemed to stop and Vanada complimented her on how well she'd adjusted to standing on two feet, so she figured it was about time to face Keith.

"Hi, is this... Enya? Yes, this is Gracie," she said, twirling the auribell's phone's cord around with one of her fingers. "Yeah, I was hoping to speak to - hi Keith!" A smile lit up Gracie's face as she heard Keith pick up the other end of the line. "I was hoping we could meet up tomorrow. Maybe at that sandwich place by the park? Lunch could be on me. Yeah, okay! I'll see you then."

After a few more minutes of talking with Keith and checking to make sure it was okay with Enya as well, Gracie hung up the phone and took a deep inhale. Well. Tomorrow would be the day. As she walked back into her room, her eyes were drawn to the dress, hung up on her wardrobe's handle.

Here goes nothing, I suppose.

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"Wow! I'm really happy it still fits, even with the growth!" Keith marveled, absolutely beaming at seeing Gracie in the dress he'd made for her. "You - you look great in it, Gracie. You really do look like a princess!" He smiled a little more bashfully as he gave the compliment, scratching the back of his head. Gracie had been sort of pleased to realize that Keith was growing into a humanoid stance too, or perhaps a runner.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, giving him a gracious little nod at the compliment. "Thank you. For the dress, and the compliment. I'm honored you would take the time to make something so beautiful for me, and I love it."

Keith's face fell immediately. "But...?"

Gracie cursed herself silently, wondering how she could be so transparent about it - she thought she was covering it up pretty well, even. She was going to bring it up later, while they were eating. "... I don't think I want to wear dresses like this anymore, Keith," she sighed. "I don't... I don't want to be a princess anymore at all, and this is a gown fit to attend a ball. The clock has struck midnight for me. That dream is gone." Her gaze moved away from him, looking over his shoulder and beyond the streets of Bellavette.

Her friend was quiet for a long moment, then he finally said, "That's okay."

"What?" Gracie's focus snapped back to him, her brows furrowing. "You're not mad?"

"Not... really?" Keith shook his head, smiling a little forlornly. "I mean, I am sort of disappointed, I guess, but I can't make you wear something that you don't want to. We all like to wear different things, and if this isn't your style, we can find something that is later. You should be able to be comfortable in whatever you're wearing."

A wave of relief washed over Gracie. This was going a lot better than she'd envisioned it, if she was honest. "Thank you for understanding, Keith. I am really grateful and I do love it and appreciate it, it's just... not something I can see myself wearing again. But thank you so much for this."

"Of course," Keith said, tilting his head. "After all, what are friends for?"

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678 words

13 / 520
art and gracie
keith
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Description
Previous
Gracie had started having growing pains earlier that week, though they were minimal, and she began to walk upright when Iskra made a comment about her longer legs. It seemed the time had come for her to grow up, and by the looks of it, Vanada was joining her.

She was putting off seeing Keith, if she was honest, and the growing was a good distraction. Gracie didn't want to let Keith down by saying she wasn't going to wear the dress anymore - not that she didn't like it, just that she wouldn't wear it. She made the excuse to herself that she wasn't visiting him because she still wasn't quite used to walking on two legs, or she was experiencing growing pains in her limbs that day. But eventually the growing seemed to stop and Vanada complimented her on how well she'd adjusted to standing on two feet, so she figured it was about time to face Keith.

"Hi, is this... Enya? Yes, this is Gracie," she said, twirling the auribell's phone's cord around with one of her fingers. "Yeah, I was hoping to speak to - hi Keith!" A smile lit up Gracie's face as she heard Keith pick up the other end of the line. "I was hoping we could meet up tomorrow. Maybe at that sandwich place by the park? Lunch could be on me. Yeah, okay! I'll see you then."

After a few more minutes of talking with Keith and checking to make sure it was okay with Enya as well, Gracie hung up the phone and took a deep inhale. Well. Tomorrow would be the day. As she walked back into her room, her eyes were drawn to the dress, hung up on her wardrobe's handle.

Here goes nothing, I suppose.

________________________________________________

"Wow! I'm really happy it still fits, even with the growth!" Keith marveled, absolutely beaming at seeing Gracie in the dress he'd made for her. "You - you look great in it, Gracie. You really do look like a princess!" He smiled a little more bashfully as he gave the compliment, scratching the back of his head. Gracie had been sort of pleased to realize that Keith was growing into a humanoid stance too, or perhaps a runner.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, giving him a gracious little nod at the compliment. "Thank you. For the dress, and the compliment. I'm honored you would take the time to make something so beautiful for me, and I love it."

Keith's face fell immediately. "But...?"

Gracie cursed herself silently, wondering how she could be so transparent about it - she thought she was covering it up pretty well, even. She was going to bring it up later, while they were eating. "... I don't think I want to wear dresses like this anymore, Keith," she sighed. "I don't... I don't want to be a princess anymore at all, and this is a gown fit to attend a ball. The clock has struck midnight for me. That dream is gone." Her gaze moved away from him, looking over his shoulder and beyond the streets of Bellavette.

Her friend was quiet for a long moment, then he finally said, "That's okay."

"What?" Gracie's focus snapped back to him, her brows furrowing. "You're not mad?"

"Not... really?" Keith shook his head, smiling a little forlornly. "I mean, I am sort of disappointed, I guess, but I can't make you wear something that you don't want to. We all like to wear different things, and if this isn't your style, we can find something that is later. You should be able to be comfortable in whatever you're wearing."

A wave of relief washed over Gracie. This was going a lot better than she'd envisioned it, if she was honest. "Thank you for understanding, Keith. I am really grateful and I do love it and appreciate it, it's just... not something I can see myself wearing again. But thank you so much for this."

"Of course," Keith said, tilting his head. "After all, what are friends for?"

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678 words

13 / 520
art and gracie
keith
species