thanks to the puyo pals discord for hosting this event again this year!

Theme 1: Favorite Orientation Headcanon

Summary: Raffina only asked Sig about the demon in Klug's tome, but when she mentions wanting a prince, Sig's astute comments have her questioning where her heart lies.

Do You Really Want a Prince?

"Wait. You like boys?"

The genuine perplexity in Sig's voice struck a nerve in Raffina. She furrowed her brow, gasping at her classmate, who was kneeling by a family of ladybugs. He gathered them on his scarlet claw, offering them a quick smile before standing up, staring at Raffina with his lips pursed.

Raffina crossed her arms and gripped her elbows. She sniffed and raised her head, leering down at Sig, who waited for her answer. She drew in a breath through the spaces of her teeth, drumming her fingers on her forearms and replying, "Well, perhaps you should clean the wax out of your ears because when I said I was on a journey to find a prince, that's what I implied."

Sig raised an eyebrow and made a show of looking at his ladybugs. He raised his hand to his chin, slowly lowering his eyes at them before lifting them back to Raffina. Outstretching his fingers, he smiled as the ladybugs took flight, leaving behind bits of pollen sprinkled onto his palm.

She watched them as well. They soared to the tall pine trees, vanishing behind the branches, but the pleasant sight did not lessen her agitation. She narrowed her eyes on Sig, her chest burning as he continued his line of questioning.

"I mean, do you?" Sig asked, scratching his head.

"Yes!"

"You sure?"

"Positive!"

Sig paused. He tilted his head as deliberately slow as possible. "Really?"

Raffina grunted and threw her arms up. Speaking with Sig was like communicating with a brick wall. She had informed him about her quest to find a prince due to their mutual encounters with the spirit in Klug's book, but Sig had focused solely on the prince aspect. Instead of providing her with what she wanted to know, Sig questioned her motivations. She dug her nails across her lightly calloused palm, wrinkling her nose as Sig stared at her, their roundabout conversation becoming more vexatious by the second.

"Sig, forget I asked you anything. In fact, empty your head and forget this entire conversation," Raffina ordered, flicking her hand at him.

"Well, lemme ask you this," Sig countered, itching his neck, "Do you really want a prince? Like, would you want to live forever with some rich guy who wears fancy pants?"

She hesitated. Raffina wanted to agree. She would have been able to live in luxury without needing to lift a finger. And with the massive walls and long corridors of the mansion, she wouldn't have to see him unless she required something from him while he had the honor of basking in the presence of his stunning queen.

But as that thought came into her head, she frowned. Her fantasy, which she had imagined for years, was veiled in loneliness. If she had to live in a mansion with a prince, what would they discuss? What would they have in common? Would she have to force herself to enjoy his traits, quirks, and pastimes?

"I think," Sig interjected as trepidation crossed her expression, "that you don't want a prince. You don't want to live with a guy."

"A-and what would you know? How would you define who I like?" Raffina snapped, her bite more like a nibble.

"You like girls over boys."

Confidence filled his statement. His words carried the weight that made Raffina stumble. She drew back, blinking, her cheeks taking on a hue similar to her hair color. Her hand found itself cupping her mouth, the gesture entirely reflexively, and her eyes fell to the grass where ladybugs continued crawling over her shoes.

Something caused her heart to stir. It thudded, then thundered with enough force to rattle her body. When she thought about the girls in her life, she found them more respectable than the boys. Her rival Amitie, although airheaded and gullible, was as sweet as a peach. Lidelle needed to work on her assertiveness, but her generosity and strive to empower herself earned Raffina's admiration. The smiles on their faces sent her way made her heart skip a beat, just like it was doing now as she pondered them.

Even the girls from other worlds caught her eye. Ringo was brilliant, Arle was strong, Witch was crafty, Draco was beautiful, they all made her want to swoon. They had all won her heart, and she hadn't even noticed until Sig opened up her eyes.

"I…" She cleared her throat. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I know so." Sig shrugged. "But you know, if you're not ready, then it's okay."

She made a noncommittal sound and glanced at the magic school behind them. Younger children played in the yard, popping Puyos, casting short bursts of spells at each other. Amitie and Lidelle were among them, shooting off fireballs and lightning bolts into the air, their laughter like bubbly music to her ears.

Sig rested his claw on her shoulder, a small smile on his face. "Wanna join them?"

She flushed and flipped her hair up, her curls bouncing. With a smirk, she clipped a lock of hair behind her ear and sneered, "Well, only if you're up to the challenge."

Sig caught on to her meaning and stepped back. He pointed at her, calling out, "Puyo Puyo time?"

"Puyo Puyo time!" she exclaimed, her signature laugh belting out of her as she accepted a warm truth into her heart.