Kaleido Star Week 2020

For all that she may be reserved, hiding much of her own feelings, even from herself, let it not be said that Layla Hamilton was not decisive. Nor let it be said that she shied away from risk, even though this was a dangerous endeavour.

The afternoon had been pleasant; sat at the table of an open-air cafe with Sora. They had talked about everything and nothing, enjoying the hot sun and cooling sea breeze. It may have been greedy, but Layla wished that they could just do this forever. As the time came for them to leave, that wish came to its inevitable conclusion.

For all that she had made grandiose declarations of love on stage, that was not who she was.

“Sora,” Layla said, making sure that she was paying attention, “will you go on a date with me?”

There was a pause. Layla remembered Sora mentioning that the term didn’t necessarily hold the same connotations in Japan, so she clarified.

“Romantically.”

There was another pause, although watching her going from surprise and nervous laugh to consideration was a little terrifying. When Sora stood up, the thought that she’d ruined everything hit Layla. But she held hope, and it was rewarded.

Sora walked over to her and cupped her cheek, turning Layla to look her in the eye. Her heart hammered as Sora leaned down.

The kiss was almost chaste, though Layla would swear there was the faintest hint of the honey and lemon tea that Sora had been drinking. It was the sweetest thing she’d ever tasted.

Aʟʟ I'ᴍ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ɪs ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ. Is ɪᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ sᴇᴇ ᴍʏ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ sᴇʟғ? Is ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ғᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ? Wʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʀᴏᴀᴅ, ɢᴏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ.

Kaleido Star Week 2020 . Day 5: Memories

What should have been his greatest achievement tasted like ashes in Leon’s mouth. It should have been Sophie standing next to him, not May. For all of her talent, May lacked Sophie’s purity, and replaced it with, if one wanted to be charitable, vivacity. Leon was not feeling charitable.

It stung all the more that Sora had arrived with Yuri, performing a half-baked version of the Angel’s Act. That act belonged to Sophie, and the pair of them had sullied it with their hands. Even if he’d felt his memory of Sophie stir when he saw Sora begin, they weren’t the same. Couldn’t be. Could she?

Either way, his victory here was as hollow as he felt.

majorikas

Kaleido Star Week Day 4: Spring

Keep reading

Yuri’s heart clenched as he saw Layla and Sora climbing up to those oh so high trapezes. It was as if someone had wound a watch too tight, and soon the spring would escape its confines and ruin the mechanism.

It was never supposed to get this far. He wanted, needed the pair to capitulate, so he’d gone all out, making promises and challenges and impossible deadlines that they shouldn’t be able to meet. Those two were so bright, so brilliant that he’d wanted to scare them away, so their talent wouldn’t be snuffed out as his father’s had.

He’d played the villain in the hope that they would falter, that they would be saved. Instead, the pair chose to play the heroes and their deaths would be by his hand.

It hurt, and hurt, and hurt. Still, he could not look away. He owed them this.

Yet, there was the tiniest thread of hope that these two women would succeed. Succeed and live and reduce him to a failure.

There was no victory for Yuri here, but that didn’t matter, what mattered was what would happen next.

moved-to-prancingpixie

I love (1) girl

majorikas

home is where your heart is…

Kaleido Star Week Day 3: Home.

Fᴏʀᴄɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ᴠᴇɪɴs Kᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅs Oɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʟɪғᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ [x]

Kaleido Star Week 2020 - Day 3: Home

Home was always a difficult concept for Layla. It should imply safety and family and a space to call her own. Instead the Hamilton family house had drifted away from that ideal.

Where once it had been luxurious it now felt increasingly empty, even after hiring on Charlotte and Julie. Her apartment was a bit better, if only because it was on a smaller scale.

No, Layla’s real home was the stage. The camaraderie of her fellow performers was her family. Safety came from her own talents and the trust she placed in others, enough so that she’d even been willing to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver. And now, even away from Kaleido Stage, she commanded the position of the top star, the stage was her own.

Layla and Yuri rested back against the wall of the old church they called their home. They, along with the other haibane of Chapel House, didn’t know who or what it had been originally designed to worship. That hadn’t stopped them from coming up with ridiculous stories based on the stained glass images of the central building.

Together they watched their newest arrival playing with some of the younger haibane. It had only been a couple of days since Sora had broken free from her cocoon, and already she was in much better spirits and health than most newly hatched haibane, it was a sort of miracle.

She had acclimated well, despite the difficulties that come with hatching. Her halo still wobbled a bit, but at least it didn’t draw her hair up like static. Layla smiled at the memory of Leon’s hair nearly wrapped around his halo in his first weeks as a haibane. Sora’s wings were the beautiful ashen colour that one would expect of a haibane.

Layla hoped that Sora would keep that joyful smile going forward. Her first real test would be today; a member of the Haibane Renmei would be visiting to speak with her.

Oᴜʀ Dʀᴇᴀᴍs Aʀᴇ Oᴜʀ Wɪɴɢs Wʜɪᴄʜ Cᴀʀʀʏ Us Tᴏ Tʜᴇ Sᴋʏ.

Kaleido Star Week 2020 . Day 2: Wings

majorikas

Under a trillion stars We danced on top of cars Took pictures of the stage So far from where we are They made me think of you…(x)

Kaleido Star Week Day 2: Wings.

moved-to-prancingpixie

KS Week - Day 1 Blue

I love this girl more than life and she isn’t even alive during the show

Kaleido Star Week - Day 1: Blue

Mia was annoyed at herself. She’d been banging her head against the blocking for Kaleido Stage’s next performance. Going to Yuri or Kalos for assistance would feel like giving up, and she wanted to do this, but it just wasn’t coming together. Worse she was getting annoyed at herself for getting annoyed at herself, a spiral that would just leave her miserable.

If she was being honest, she could feel tears pricking at the edges of her eyes.

“Hey Mia,” came Anna’s gentle voice, with an arm wrapping around her shoulders, “why didn’t anyone go see the North Wind’s performance.”

There was the necessary couple of beats for Mia to process what was being said, but not enough to get to the punchline.

“All the critics said it blew,” finished Anna, pulling her friend into a tighter half-hug. It wasn’t even one of her best gags, but Mia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Thanks Anna, I really needed that.”

kaleidodreams

This was written for Day 1: Blue (I went for the “sad, depressed” interpretation of the word, rather than the color!) of @kaleidostarweek2020. I actually had this story planned out years ago but just never got around to writing it beyond screenwriting a few scenes. I’m glad this event gave me the encouragement to finally finish it!

Summary: Ken has never had the courage to confess his feelings for Sora, but when he experiences a medical setback, he realizes life is too short to live in fear of a broken heart. (AO3)