#Rayman Fanfic

[acarrcreations]

Still really happy with the illustrations I did for my fanfic

Start reading it here

[tiffanyelectricity]

Rayman Meets Ly For The First Time

I've always wanted to share how I imagined how they first met, so I drew this artwork and wrote a story of how they did!

Rayman was headed back after a day of adventuring when he was suddenly ambushed by a zombie chicken, he winds his fist up to punch and lands a massive blow to the monster however, the force of the throw knocks young Rayman down, sending him tumbling backwards into a deep dark cavern. Feeling uneasy, he looks for a way out of the darkness that now surrounds him. An eerie giggling voice can be heard behind him, "That was quite a fall." A startled Rayman replies, "Show yourself! I have fought against Mr. Dark and I can fight you too!" As it approaches in the dimly lit cave, Rayman starts to see faintly glowing eyes and a large tail. It replied, "Do not worry, I will not harm you, my name is Ly." he now slightly sees what resembles to be a face. He felt slightly relieved and said to her, "Um, my name's Rayman, sorry about that, everything seems a little scary when it's dark." "Allow me to illuminate." She then lays her hands one above the other slowly pulling them apart to create a small light within her palms. An excited Rayman says, "Wow, you're a fairy! That's a Silver Lum isn't it?" Ly replies, "Yes it is, I have many powers but I'm still learning how to use them." Rayman gives a huge smile saying,"That's O.K. Ly, I'm still learning how to fight, maybe we can be friends?" She smiles back and says, "I would like that very much, Rayman." With determination in his step Rayman announces, "Yeah! I can't wait to introduce you to Betilla! Let's go!"

They then escape from the cave and spend the rest of the day learning about each other, becoming great friends!

Thank you for looking at my artwork and reading my story, I hope you enjoyed!

[raygirl14]

I'm not very convinced of the result but I don't want to lose the drawing hehe🙂‍↕️

[tessiex17]

MY CHILDREN I HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH ANOTHER RAYMAN FIC

You will be happy to hear that this is a 2 parter (second part is in development) since this is infact already 2,147 words WHICH IS KINDA LONG FOR ONE CHAPTER

This does have a fem reader BTW!!!

Short description: set when rayman is attending collage in America before he became famous and he gets invited to a party where he meets y/n

(Also if there are any mistakes/errors in my spelling PLZ let me know as written helps me improve with my dyslexia so any feedback will be amazing 😋)

Tw: alot of swearing, smoking and alcohol, abusive behaviour

"What am I doing?"

Rayman muttered to himself regretfully as he walked down the cold grid iron streets to the address the party was supposedly located. Rayman has always been a social creature, he loved the idea of meeting new people and going on adventures with them but that mindset had been slowly chipped away during his time in America. Specifically American school. He struggled to make social connections in his classes and was quickly deemed an outcast by his peers which was heart breaking for Rayman because he know it was only because he was alien, the people that liked to make fun of him made that fact pretty clear. It was something he couldn't change and even though he didn't choose to look the way he does or be where he's from he still got hate for it and he never really understood why.

Which is why he was shocked when he was invited to a house party by one of his class mates. He just knew he couldnt miss this opportunity to finally mend his social status and make a friend! Which leads him here. Walking towards the door of a house he's never been at before. He let's out a Sigh before raising his fist and firmly knocking the door. He knew he was at the right place, the sound of music and enthusiastic people could be heard quite clearly through the door (it made him almost feel bad for the neighbours).

Before rayman had the chance to knock once more the door swung open revealing the very drunk but very happy class mate that invited Rayman in the first place

"BROOO! You made it! I thought you where gonna be a no show"

The class mate ushered rayman in shutting the door behind him.

"Hehe what can I say, im a man of my word"

Rayman chuckled slightly nervous but intertained by how friendly his class mate was being. He finally takes a look around the house to see that this party was a lot bigger than he thought. There was at least 10 people in each room. Some where in groups chatting away to eachother, some where playing drinking games and others where dancing. A small smile started to grow on raymans face. Everyone seemed to be having fun so it shouldn't be so hard for him to join in right?

"If you wanting a drink feel free to grab whatever you want in the kitchen!"

The drunk class mate spoke a lil more slurred but still sounding enthusiastic. Rayman just gave him a smile and a small thanks before watching him stumble back to a group of people he must have been previously chatting with. 'Now what?' Rayman asked himself as he looked around anxiety curling in his gut like a snake. Does he just go up and chat to someone? He decides before doing anything he should take his coat off which he then hung up on the pegs by the door. He walks further into the house seeing people having fun. ' they make it look so easy' he thought to himself sullenly but a small creature in the corner of his vision distracts him from his thoughts.

"A cat!"

Rayman says aloud to himself before following the cute Calico cat into the kitchen. He doest pay much mind to the people as they seem to be talking amongst themselves. He crouches down In front of the cat petting it gently

"Arnt you just a sweetheart~"

He cous while scratching behind the cats ear. He spots a purple collar and a little silver name tag around the cats neck reaching for it to find out what the cats called. He flips the little silver tag and reads it

"Well hello kaya, aret you a cutie~"

Kaya looks at him Acknowledging he is speaking to her. She let's out a high pitch soft meow that makes rayman chuckle. He always loved animals.

"Of course your making friends with the animals considering you practically are one"

A voice filled with poison and Sadistic Humor spoke from behind him. He looked away from the cat and up to the owner of the voice. It was a guy in a very generic outfit and a blue hat.

"Excuse me?"

He spoke confuse hoping maybe the guy was meaning it as some sort of distasteful joke? Oh lord how he hoped.

"Who the fuck invited this thing to the party!"

Blue hat guy shouted loudly while pointing at rayman looking around the room as he did so. A few people began to giggle and rayman could feel all hope for having a fun night disappear.

"I'm not a 'thing' dipshit!"

Rayman retorted embarrassment making his face feel hot.

"Well what are you then huh?"

He leaned in close to raymans face. There was a short moment of silence before he continued

"Because all I can see is some sort of alien freak!"

The smell of alcohol was reaking from his breath. Rayman didn't like how close he was. How angry he was getting the more he talked. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I-"

"What the fuck is your problem!"

An angry feminine voice spoke causing both rayman and the drunk guy to turn and face her. She stormed towards the both of them before pushing the drunk guy away from rayman.

"You asshole!, what gives you the right to speak to anyone like that!"

Oh lord was this girl mad. Rayman looked up at her in disbelief as she shouted at the guy who was previously insulting him. Was she defending him? She stood tall in front of rayman making sure she was blocking him out of the drunk guys line of site.

"Hes a fucking freak just look at him!"

The drunk guy slurred his words trying to justify his point but the scowl on the girls face just grew deeper.

"Your fucking disgusting"

She spoke lowly to him

"Thinking you have the right to speak to somone like that, do you think your better than him because he's not from here or something?"

She asked with genuine confusion In her voice

"Is that why? Do you feel more entitled than him because he looks different from you?, because if that's the case then that sound pretty fucking racist if you ask me"

She quirks her brow as if asking a question. He stays silent but his anger is clear on his face

"Men like you disgust me"

She spoke her words laced with anger before she turned around and faced rayman. She jerked her head to the side indicating towards the door

"Let's go"

She said kindly to Rayman who looked up at her like she was some sort of godess that saved him. He nodded quickly before grabbing his jacket and following her outside.

"Well that was a shit show"

He muttered to himself while following after her. She made her way to the sidewalk before taking a seat on the edge of it. She looked over to rayman and patted the place next to her offering him to sit down which he does. The air is chillie enough to see your breath as a moment of silence fell apon them. She pulled a packet of cigarettes out her pocket before offering one to him which he decides to take.

"Thank you..."

Rayman spoke timidly.

"Not just for the cigarette obviously but for everything that went on in there"

That got a little giggle out of her. She brought the cigarette up to her lips taking a long inhale of it.

"It's okay, that guys was being a prick"

She faced rayman with a slightly sullen expression.

" I'm y/n, I don't think I got your name?"

"It's rayman... thank you y/n"

She chuckled again a small smile growing on her face.

"You've already thanked me"

She spoke sweetly

"besides I couldn't just stand and watch. That guy was being cruel for literally no reason"

"People stand and watch all the time"

Rayman spoke sadly but honestly his eyes avoiding hers

"Your the first person who hasn't..."

He looked back up at her to see her intently watching him. There was something behind her eyes he couldn't quite place. Anger?, sadness?, he wasn't sure but he just knew that the feelings weren't directed at him.

"Don't say that man, your gonna make me cry"

She joked half heartdly the sound of her voice wavering was clear.

"Oh nonono!, im so sorry!"

Rayman spoke in a panic

"I wasn't trying to upset you-"

"No no, don't worry!"

She placed a finger over his lips in order to get him to stop talking. He's silent. Pleading eyes staring up to gentle one's as she moves her hand away from his mouth.

"It just makes me upset that nobody was willing to help you before. Don't feel like you need to sensor yourself for my benefit"

She spoke softly to him. Rayman was starting to feel like he didn't have to be so much on edge now that it was just them two alone which was new for him. Usually he had to be more alert if hes gonna be by himself with somone. Even thought he didn't know y/n that much he still felt safer alone with her than back in the house. She took a deep drag from her cigarette and so did he.

They sat there together for a while. Talking and laughing between cigarettes and alcohol. Y/n decided to share a good few bottles of her own alcohol with rayman. It wasn't the nicest of drink but it was good enough and strong too. It didn't take long for the both of them to be intoxicated. They where sitting closer together now the alcohol making them loose the concept of personal space as they chatted.

"Hey this place blows, why don't we go back to my place?"

Y/n suggested as she took another swig out her bottle

"We have been sitting outside getting drunk ourselves, would be warmer at yours too"

Rayman spoke semi to himself as he pondered on the idea

"Kmonnnn~"

Y/n whined as she grabbed one of raymans shoulders and shook him playful chanting "My house! My house!" Over and over while laughing

"Okay okay!"

Rayman laughed placing his hand ontop of the one y/n placed on his shoulder in hopes it would get her to stop shacking him

"It is better than staying outside the party we kinda just walked out on"

He chuckled as he stood up reaching a hand out for y/n to help her up. She takes it as rayman pulls her up onto her feet. Y/n thanks him before giving herself a big stretch followed by a pleased groan

"Ahh~ Alright!, let's go!"

She glanced over the floor making sure she didn't leave anything behind before looking at rayman a smile spreading across her face.

"We're actually not that far from my house probably like a 10-15 minute walk roughly"

She tilts her head a little to see if raymans okay with that. He gives her a smile and a goofy thumbs up.

"All good, lead the way!"

He smiled enthusiastically. Y/n just laughs before turning around and walking down the street. She checks over her shoulder to see if rayman is following and motions with her hand for him to catch up. Rayman jogs up next to her before sticking to a walking pace. He doesn't know if it's the alcohol or not but he's having more fun tonight than he has in a while but whatever it is he doesn't want this good feeling to go away. Then suddenly y/n gasps

"Oh my god! I just released somthing"

Y/n spoke in a shocked voice

"What is it?"

Rayman look up to her worried as they walked.

"I can order McDonald's!"

Rayman playful hits her shoulder while chuckling

"You bitch, I though you where gonna say something serious"

"I am serious!"

They both laughed as they walked

"Somthing to eat does sound good though"

Rayman agreed and nodded with this idea they began cooking up

"I just want food"

Y/n whined as she walked down the street and before they knew it they where at her house.

"Home~ glorious home~"

Y/n sung aloud to herself while approaching the door making rayman chuckled in amusement. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her key sticking it into the door and opening it. She stood to the side of the door before doing a little bow while gesturing rayman to enter

"Ladies first?"

She teased as rayman walked by rolling his eyes but the smirk on his face was hard to hide. She chuckled at his lack of a reaction before closing the door behind them

End of chapter 1

So what did u guys thinkkkkk 😋😋

I gave the reader and rayman a silly lil dynamic bc I love bammy interactions I think it's so funny so I made them bams

If you have any feedback LMK and i wanna hear ur opinions of if it should stay platonic between rayman and the reader or should I make it more romantic 🤭

THANK U FOR READING IF U MADE IT THIS FAR XOXO

[cicicolorao]

HIIIIIIII HELLO I STARTED WRITING A FIC!

It's a Betilla/Ales fic and I had a lot of fun reading it, you can find the first chapter on AO3!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58746850/chapters/149705899

I hope you guys like reading this too :)))

[funkyhedonist]

Uh oh- ItS hAPPENING

[flamigoat]

Lights, Camera, Actions!

Part 2. 💖🎬🧡

Previous Part —> Next Part (Final)

Pairings: Rabbid Peach x Rayman

Characters: Rabbid Peach, Rayman, Beep-O, Rabbid Mario

Themes: Friendship, Romance, Humor, Hurt Comfort, and Angst

Warnings: Harm to characters while fighting, scares of death, cartoon violence, and descriptions of kissing.

Plot Summary: Rayman and his friends take a break after a long day of filming. They have one last scene to film today, the first take of the final battle. A recreation of their battle with the Phantom. So far, Rayman and Rabbid Peach have not found a time to improvise the kiss scene yet. Will they be able to then? The anticipation plagues Rayman’s mind in a way he doesn’t understand, along with a strange fuzzy feeling following him when he’s around her.

Author’s Note: Just a heads up, this is a long one guys! Grab a snack, some water, sit back, relax, and enjoy!! 😉🧡💖

Rayman downed the water bottle in his hand. Taking quick swigs of it as he lays back in the chair outside the set. Polokus, this was a long day. He felt exhausted from all the scenes they filmed. He breathes a deep sigh of relaxation as he closes his eyes and leans more into the chair, letting his posture loosen a bit. His head floats off the back of the chair a bit, his snout facing towards the ceiling.

The lights on the ceiling beamed uncomfortably through his eyelids. His brows scrunched up in annoyance. “One. Last. Scene.” Rayman thought. He runs his hand through his hair delicately. He twirls a strand of it around his pointer finger, enjoying the sensation of it wrapping loosely around his gloved finger. It reminded him of-

His mind drifts to Rabbid Peach. Everything was much more fun when she was around. Filming was easier to manage and improvise with her ideas. Even if most of them were about making her stand out more in scenes. He huffed a puff of air out of his nose in amusement about all the times she deliberately took the cameramen aside to get her best angles.

He ran his hand through his hair unconsciously, brushing it until he got to the top of it before returning it to the base of his hair and repeating. Compared to his, her hair felt more well cared for, that’s for sure! Could it be from the hair products she uses? They did have a nice smell to them, better than the one he and Rabbid Mario shared.

Her faint scent of strawberries clung to his hand after he fixed her hair. It was a shame that it was all gone now after the long day of filming. He reviewed the rest of the day in his mind.

The first few scenes they filmed went well, but she and Rayman could never find a time that felt right to improvise the kiss scene. It was either the mood wasn’t right or it just didn’t fit in with the romantic plot Beep-O had set out for the film. He worked so hard to create it, that it only felt right to do it at the best time!

They felt it was best to save the kiss for the battle scene, the last scene they needed to film today. Surely they could improve it in that way! The atmosphere would be dramatic, tense, and unbelievably romantic.

The thingamajig could picture it so clearly in his mind. He and Peaches fending off a horde of enemies. Once they were dealt with, the dark sparkle particles of their bodies would swirl around the pair of heroes as they glanced at each other. Locking eyes only for a moment, but it would be clear what they were thinking. They’d pull each other in and share a kiss. The music production crew would edit in some pretty music to emphasize it.

He imagined Beep-O’s excitement at the potential of it. The robot did have great taste when it came to these things.

Rayman frowned when he thought of the fact that he hadn’t kissed anyone before. Anxiety panged at his mind. What if he missed? Or what if she didn’t like it? What if it makes things awkward between them? Egads! That would be the worst!

What if she didn’t like him anymore after this?

His negative spiral was stopped by what Peaches said back in the dressing room. “Don’t you ever say that Rayman.” she said. He had never seen her look so hurt before. She seemed so upset at the comments he made towards himself. She held his hands ever so gently in her paws.

Did she care for him that much?

The things she said to him came flooding into his mind. His heart fluttered a bit at all the compliments she gave him. It felt really nice. Especially coming from her. She said them with such conviction too! That means- wow. She really must think all those things about me.

He felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach. His body relaxed from its tension.

Rayman smacked his face lightly with his hands. “No! It won’t change anything between us. We care too much about each other to let that happen!” he thinks.

The light beaming through his eyelids was overcast by a sudden shadow above him.

“Could- could it be Peaches?!?”, he thought, feeling embarrassed from all the sappy thoughts he had about her seconds before. His face flushed red at the thought of Rabbid Peach being so close to his face. Standing over him, with her beautiful blonde hair cascading downward onto him.

His theory was disproved when he heard the gruff voice of his other rabbid friend over him. Oh. So that’s why he didn’t feel her hair.

Rabbid Mario: “Rayyyy~! You’re not asleep, are you? I brought us some food!”

Mari shook the greasy bag of fast food playfully, hoping to rouse his friend out of his contemplative mood. His friend Rayman tended to overthink, much to his and his teammates' dismay. Maybe he just needed a boost of energy before the last filming? As much as he hides it, Mari needs it too.

The thingamajig opened his eyes, picking his head up and straightening his posture. He does a stretch, feeling his back pop a bit at the movement. He turns to Mari with a soft smile on his face, his eye bags looking even worse than they usually did.

“Aw thanks, Mari! Man, I needed this right now!”

“Nooo problemo!” Rabbid Mario said in a sing-song tone.

He plops down on the floor, opens up the bag, and takes out his cheeseburger. Rayman joins him, getting up from his comfy chair to sit with him on the ground. He sifted through the bag inquisitively now that his friend got his food out of it. He decides to save the best-looking fries for Rabbid Peach, only picking out the soggy ones for himself. He knows she hates those. Wait. Speaking of Rabbid Peach-

“I thought Peaches was with you?” Rayman questioned.

Bad timing, because Rabbid Mario was halfway through a ginormous bite of his burger. He chews it, talking with his mouth full.

“Oh. She went to pick up something for us. She said I couldn’t come with her. It’s a surprise! I think.”

“Hmm.” Rayman softly hummed with delight. She was so sweet, even if she couldn’t admit it. An endeared smile spreads across his face. Her actions spoke louder than her words he supposed.

The pair of friends continued to eat. Rayman picked some fried chicken out of the bag, hoping to save some for Peaches. He folded up the bag tightly afterward, not wanting the food inside to get cold while they waited on her.

Eventually, the two went to stop their friend Beep-O from working. Rayman practically dragged him over to their little hang-out spot on the floor, with the stubborn robot trying desperately to fly away from them. Together they passed the time talking and eating their food. Beep-O abstained from it, saying the food was too greasy for his system.

Rayman was laughing at one of Rabbid Mario’s funny stories when he recognized a familiar smell. Light footsteps he knew far too well. The click of her phone charm against her hips as she walked. It’s-!

“Boys~!!! I got you guys a little something!”

Rabbid Peach strutted towards them, her heart sunglasses resting on her head. In her arms, she held various colorful paper bags. Rayman recognized the logos on them from the fancy bakery around the corner of the Space Opera Network.

Rayman was about to get up to greet her or help her with the bags, but Beep-O rushed ahead of him! Seems like the robot was very excited about the sweets.

“Peachy! Oh, this is too much! These are so expensive- how did you?”, Beep-O said, concerned, but trying to hide the joy in his voice.

“Bwahhh! Don’t worry about it! It’s all my money. Besides, you guys deserve something nice. It’s been a crazy day.”, Peaches waved her hand around playfully at his comments as she responded. “Plus! I got your favorite~!”

“No way.”

“Oh yes I did~”

Peaches opened up the bag slowly, with Beep-O waiting impatiently on what it could be. She goes even slower, a big smug grin on her face as she looks up at her friend.

“YOU DID NOT!”

“YEAH I DID! BAM!”

She takes out a delicious-looking, giant, lava cake. Every time the four roommates passed that bakery, Beep-O always stared at that particular cake in the display with awe as he floated past the store window.

Beep-O squealed with delight at the dessert. Afterward, his face went blank for a moment of contemplation. Maybe he attempted to grab it? His gears whirring loudly. It then stops a bashful expression on his face.

“OH! Let me get my body! Oh, I forgot! Hold on I’ll be right back!! PUT IT BACK IN THE BAG PLEASE! Oh, I wouldn’t want it to get cold….” Beep-O fretted.

The robot rushed away as his friends politely giggled at his embarrassment over forgetting his body that day. It’s not like they’d mind either way! No need to be embarrassed. To be fair, he only got it recently, so it’s natural he’d forget. Especially on such a busy day. He’d loved his new eating function so far. In particular, so he could gorge on all the sweets he desired for so long.

Rayman directed his attention back to the bags Peaches brought in. “I wonder what she got for me?”, he thought. Rabbid Mario must’ve thought that too, he was practically hovering over her in anticipation.

“Annddd- hehehehe, for Mari~!”

Out she pulled a protein caramel cheesecake. Rabbid Mario beamed with delight. He eagerly snatched the dessert from her grasp and chowed down on it with his bare hands—the whipped cream covering the sides of his lips. He gives Rabbid Peach a thumbs up, causing her to scoff in amusement.

Rayman chuckled at how messily his friend was eating. “It must be good then!”, he thought. He hoped it wouldn’t be bad with how much effort Peaches went into getting them. He wouldn’t want her to be disappointed after all!

His rabbid friend approached him, a warm smile on her face. Her pretty, wild blue eyes stared into his own. It felt like lums were buzzing around in his stomach. His eyes panned to the last bag hanging off her arm, waiting in anticipation.

“For you Ramon~”, Peaches said in an exaggerated fancy voice. Her hair swayed delicately as she took a dramatic bow to present his dessert. It was vanilla waffles with strawberry slices in between whipped cream. Surrounding the delicacy was a variety of syrups to try. It looked very pretty! And delicious.

Rayman could cry. He could bawl his eyes out right now. He was so touched. This was just what he needed! Something nice, simple, and comforting to stave off such a stressful day. Heh! She… really gets me.

“Awwww Peachy!!! Thank you!”, Rayman responded. He took the container for the waffles and sat back down on the ground. He enthusiastically patted the floor to the side of him, waiting for Peaches to sit beside him. She sits down in the spot he chose for her. He was happy she sat so close to him.

Just as he was about to indulge in his dessert, he heard a loud grumble from his friend’s stomach. ….Oh! She hadn’t eaten yet! Rayman hastily hands her the food he saved for her, shoving the bag into her lap.

Peaches giggled at his urgency. “Pffft! Ray! What’s with the rush? I’m okay!”, she said in between her laughter. The marvelous sound of it made his heart flutter. It wasn’t that serious, but it felt important to him. She was important to him.

“Well, you need to eat! Here I saved some of it for you.”. He drops the bag carefully into her paws.

“Heh! Awwww, thanks Ray. You’re so sweet. Y’know that?”, she said teasingly to him, a smug grin on her face. She nudges him lightly with her elbow. He rolled his eyes and gently batted her side with his hand. He could feel her hair brush against his hand for a moment. It felt nice.

“Hm. Well, I could say the same for you.”, the thingamajig thought, giving her a soft look.

Peaches ate the chicken and fries her friend saved for her. Eventually, Beep-O returned with his robot body, apologizing profusely that he had forgotten it. Rabbid Peach waved his worries away and passed his chocolate lava cake to him. After taking the first bite, the robot looked like he could die of happiness. Rayman waited until Rabbid Peach was done with eating first before starting on his dessert.

Rabbid Peach took out some sliced candied apples and started eating them delicately. Rayman could feel his mouth salivating looking at them. Should he ask if he can have some? No, that would be too much. Right? I mean she did such a nice gesture for them. It’d be ungrateful if he asks.

Unfortunately, his friend noticed his staring, locking eyes with him as she was about to take a bite of one. He could feel his face heat up at being caught staring at her. Wait. Why was it doing that?

“You want one?”, Peaches asked, muffled by the half bite she took out one of the apple slices. She waved it in front of him, smiling. He thought she looked cute with her cheeks all full like that.

The thingamajig tensed, feeling flustered, “N-no! I’m okay. You don’t have to-”

“I want to Rayman. I’ve got plenty!”

A slight frown of guilt spread across Rayman’s face. His friend seemed to notice, she took an interested glance at his waffles before saying:

“But in return…I want to try one of your waffles.”

He brightened at her proposal. That would be much more fair! He liked that idea way better.

“Heh! Deal.”

Together the pair of friends shared their desserts. Eventually, they drifted to laying on their stomachs, hands crossing over each other to pick at the other’s dessert. They tried different combinations using the variety of sauces Peaches brought with the waffles. Even dipping the apples into them to see which combo could be the best. It was messy, but fun.

Rabbid Peach then focused her attention on her other friends, striking up a conversation with Rabbid Mario and Beep-O about the next scene. Despite his attempts at tuning into their conversation, his attention always drew back to his blonde rabbid friend next to him. Even with all the sweet smells around him, the scent of her strawberry hair products was all he could focus on. Or, when he took notice of her quirks of the way her lips moved when she spoke.

Her lips. His gaze fell onto them. He noticed a bit of chocolate on the side of her mouth that had gone unnoticed by the rabbid.

His body reacted before his mind, Rayman reached his hand over and gently cupped her cheek. Turning her head towards him, he tenderly rubbed the chocolate off the corner of her mouth with his thumb, brushing the digit for a moment over her lips. He felt lightheaded, touching her face like this. It was almost like he was under her spell. Transfixing his gaze to the rabbid’s lips.

“R-Ray?”, Peaches said to him shakily. He could feel the heat on her cheeks. Her beautiful shimmering blue eyes stared up at him.

Gulp. He snapped out of his trace onto her, his thoughts starting to run wild in panic. Was she disgusted?!? Grossed out?!?! Did he scare her? Make her uncomfortable?!?! That was too far Rayman!! You’ll make things weird and-

They stopped when her hand drifted over his, pressing his hand tenderly into her cheek. She still stared at him, eyes wide, as if he was in the same trace he was in. Once again, it felt like it was just them. As if the world was drowned out around them. Until-

“Sigh~.”

The sound came from their friend Beep-O, his head resting dreamily in his hands staring at the pair. Rabbid Mario stared at the pair in awkward shock, the bite of the lava cake he was sharing with the robot falling off the fork and onto the ground.

“Ooooo! Very romantic you two! But, please save that energy for the set, okay?”

The friends pulled away from each other, blushing profusely. Raman’s hands swiftly retreated into his hoodie pocket. He swore he could still feel the warmth of her face on them. Or was that just him? He felt dizzy.

The mood was tense and quiet between them for a moment. She put her hand on the spot on her cheek Rayman rubbed. A look of contemplation on her face. Her ears were beet red. Wait. What if she thought?…OH NO. I’ve gotta say something!!

“I-I’m sorry! I just saw that there was something on your face so I wanted to take it off for you!! I hope you don’t mind! Egads I should’ve just told you!!”, Rayman squawked out. His voice cracked, worsening his embarrassment.

“O-oh! That was it! Um. It’s all good Ray. You just surprised me is all heh.”

“My bad…sorry heh.”

The rabbid patted his back playfully, saying, “Bwahhh! You’re alright! Don’t worry about it, m’kay?”

He nodded. Oh, thank Polokus! Everything is fine. He didn’t mess up anything. Rayman breathes a sigh of comfort, taking a swig of his water. Her hand felt comforting pressed against his back. Pressing down the fabric of his hoodie a bit. His body relaxed into it.

“Y’know, for a second there I thought you were gonna kiss me or something! Ha!”

Rayman chokes on his water, coughing violently. Peaches returned casually to eating, as if she didn’t make his heart burst out of his chest just now. The thingamagjig punched his chest with his hands, tears wetting his eyes as he choked. His face felt hot. It was probably red by now with a mix of him choking and his embarrassment. Any more of these moments and he’d think he had some sort of heart condition.

Beep-O was about to speak. Rayman quickly gives him a pleading look to not ellude to anything else between them. He couldn’t take any more of his observations. Not now. He was struggling enough! It’ll make things weird between them! Luckily, a set worker walked up to the robot, tapping his shoulder and announcing the next set was ready.

Beep-O perked up, swiftly getting up from his spot on the ground. “Oh! We’ll be down there in just a second! You ready guys?”

His friends were less enthused than the robot was, slowly getting up and throwing out their food wrappers and bins. Rabbid Mario stretched, one Rayman assumed was part of his daily work out routine. Rabbid Peach sighed, annoyed, and got up from the ground, Rayman followed her. She did a little stretch with her arms, making a cute “mmph!” sound as she tried to wake up her muscles after lazing around for so long.

He tried to mimic her movement, but realizing he didn’t have any arms, decided just to crack his back instead. Interlacing his fingers together, he stretched them out far into the air, letting out a big yawn. It was contagious, causing the other blonde to yawn as well, closing her eyes as she did so. He thought the way her teeth peeked out of her mouth was really cute.

Onto the final scene for the day. The infamous battle scene against Phantom.

Together, the group walked towards the…”set”. To be fair, it wasn’t really a set the film crew made, they just used an old Darkmess puddle they found behind some equipment. It was risky to try it, but it would save them a lot of money in the long run too. No stunt actors to worry about or teach or cgi budget they could save on. This was the better option, and he knew his friends agreed too. Especially Rabbid Peach.

As the crew member stepped back, afraid of the mass in front of them, Peaches stepped into the shallows of the Darkmess Puddle, feeling the familiar waves of cold wrapping around her legs. She was used to these sensations, as she’d fought in many battles like this before. The familiarity looked strangely comforting. She hadn’t done a fight like this in a long time, the thrill of battle coursing through her veins within her expression. Her eyes contained that familiar fire to them, she always enjoyed a good fight. Rayman smirked in excitement at the thought of fighting alongside her again.

But for the scene she had to act like she didn’t. For the camera of course! The script didn’t call for her to act excited about it, they wanted her to stay calm and elegantly dive into its waves. Just like she did all those battles ago.

She turned back towards her friends, signaling them to follow her before she sloshed further into the deep end. Rabbid Mario followed trudging through the pool of Darkmess. He stood beside Rabbid Peach, breathing out a satisfied huff of effort as he reached her. He bumped her side with his Dukes weapon, a confident motion, shaking out a hearty laugh and saying his oneliner in the script.

The two felt right together. It was odd that Beep-O chose him and Peaches for the romance instead of them. They trusted eachother so much, and the way his mustachioed friend looked at her sometimes made him feel upset. Maybe even jealous. The rabbid’s eyes were filled with such admiration for her. Did he like her?

Did she like him back?

A pang of unfamiliar hurt jabbed into his heart.

Beep-O flew past Rayman to meet with his friends, causing his hair to swish from the wind it picked up. The robot left his body behind, sticking to his classic look for the movie. They all turned to look at him. Right. They had a scene to film. He needed to shake these thoughts out of his head now.

“You ready Ray?”, Peaches asked, a smugness in her tone. She cocked her Triple Troll weapon eagarly. Rabbid Mario bashed his fists together, a battle hungry grin forming on his face. Beep-O changed his exression on his face screen to his angry one, his regular blue flashing red.

He had a line in 3…2…1!

Rayman fixed his gaze on the camera following him. He steps forward confidently, brushing his hair back, expressing a look of determination.

Rayman said huskily, “Yeah! Lets take this Phantom down!!!”

From there he rushed to the pool of Darkmess, the tentacles within it trying desperately to grab at his shoes and suck him in. He dove in, splashes of darkmess sprayed upward from the impact. Once out of the camera’s sight, he closes his eyes tightly, feeling the dark thick liquid of the Darkmess’s materials quickly pulling him into its current. The atmosphere of it felt suffocating, like always. As if it was trying to squeeze the life out of any creatures that entered it. It stopped when he popped out the other side, landing on his feet.

His friends soon followed, breaking through the Darkmess and appearing in the pocket dimension alongside him. The other side of the portal revealed a battlefield similar to the room where they fought the Phantom. The lighting consisted of a sickly yellow coming from floating lightbulbs and a mysterious light in the sky. There were floating cameras and various props were sprinkled throughout the air, floating aimlessly. Flickering white stage lights were on the sides of the walls instead of above them and carpets on the floor drifted and wrapped around walls and barricades around them.

It definitely wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d seen in Darkmess Puddles, but it was still creepy nonetheless. Yeesh.

He heard the filmmakers had been preparing his set for weeks, throwing in props and trying to adapt the Darkmess to become similar to the real thing. He supposes with the time they had, they did more than enough. It would definitely look awesome to film the battle scene against Phantom in here! Plus, it did save Beep-O a ton of money on the effects budget for his film. Polokus knows they needed that!

Beep-O accessed the battlefield, floating above the area. When he returned, he relayed, “Okay, looks like there’s quite a bit of small enemies on the left, and one massive one on the right. They seem weaker than us, but stay on your guard! This isn’t scripted, so please do the bare minimum for your lines and focus on the battle. We can edit in more in post production. We’ll have to cgi in the Phantom anyways.”

Beep-O muttered that last sentence under his breath. He could see his robot friend’s eyes crinkle with stress at the thought. Poor Beep-O. Good thing he didn’t have to handle all that. It sounds like a nightmare!

Rabbid Mario wiped his brow at what Beep-O said, he muttered to Rayman, “Phew! I’m a fantastic actor, but I don’t think even I could remember all those lines and fight at the same time! I haven’t seen mine in a while.”

Rayman paused, confused, he whispers “Wait. Haven’t you been practicing those lines for months? We got the scripts ages ago!”

Mari turned away bashfully, “Well when you’re as great as an actor as me, you don’t need a script to tell you what to do!”. He struck a confident pose. “I lost that thing ages ago.”.

The thingamajig’s eyebrows raised in shock. Rayman was both impressed and concerned at how Rabbid Mario improvised his lines for the whole movie. And no-one noticed?!?! His friend was truly an enigma.

“What?!?” Rayman whispered, astonished.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Rabbid Peach’s voice as she discussed strategies with Beep-O.

“-so me and Rayman will take the right side and you and Rabbid Mario can take the left. Once you’re done, you two can circle back to me and Ray to help defeat that boss. We’ll try to pick at its health while you take out the smaller enemies. Does that sound good, boys?”

She turned back to the pair of friends, expecting that they were paying attention to what Beep-O and her were talking about.

“Yep!”, they said in unison. Sounds easy enough! With Peaches by his side, it’ll go smoothly. He was sure of it. He was about to walk away with Peaches before Beep-O stopped them.

“Wait! Before you go, take this with you.”

Rayman squinted at him, “Take wha- AAAAA?!?”

A smaller, haphazardly thrown together robot materialized next to his head, the buzzing sound it made startling him. Peaches was also freaked out by its presence, standing in front of him protectively, glaring at it.

Peaches questioned, “Blech! Beep-O. What the heck is this thing?”

“It’s a floating camera drone silly! It’ll capture footage of you guys while I’m gone! Y’know, in case you guys do anything interesting in the fight.”

Rayman nodded, “Ah, okay.”. He poked the weird camera a few times, watching it teeter in the air.

Peaches turned away, signaling Rayman and the drone to follow. “Bye guys! Stay safe, m’kay? Promise to let us know if you need anything!”.

“We will!”, Rabbid Mario chimed in as he waved goodbye to his friends. Rayman waved back to them. Rushing off to join Peaches as she walked away. The excitement of the battle ahead of him filled them both with delightful adrenaline.

======================================

Enemies were scattered throughout the battlefield, trying to ambush the duo from all sides. Too bad for them. Looks like they’ll just have to come to them!!

“Now Ray!!!”, Rabbid Peach shouted out.

Rayman equipped his Vortex Costume Ability, summoning tornadoes to carry the enemies towards them. The turrets the thingamajig set up blasted brutally at them as they were trapped in the air.

The foes landed roughly on the ground as he dropped them. They looked weaker, angry, but not down yet. Peaches would be there to take them out!

He smiled when he heard her footsteps approaching him. She dashed into one, causing it to burst into dust. The blonde Rabbid stood protectively in front of her friend, summoning her spark, Zephyrquake. A battle hungry expression on her face in anticipation of what she had in store for these guys.

In an instant, windy shockwaves bashed at the enemies, exploding into dark sparkles at its very contact. Rayman’s hair blew back, unharmed by the gusts of wind. All he could do was stay fixated on his friend, admiration for her bloomed within his chest.

Once the wind died down, Rayman’s Vortex Costume faded away, leaving him back to his regular abilities. Peaches combed her hair back with her paws, giggling at how Zephyrquake floated proudly around her. Happy that they were able to defeat that many people at once. He chuckled lightly as he stared at her.

She moved to pat Rayman on the back, smiling up at him. “Great job Ray! The turrets were a smart move. I didn’t even have to shoot em this time!”.

He blushed at her compliment. “Heh! Thanks Peachy!”, he said softly.

He paused, he wanted to compliment her this time. “Y’know, you did really great too. We make a great team!”

The thingamajig reaches out his fist for a fist bump, she stares at it before giving him one. A touched expression on her face, before it turned coy.

She grabs Rayman’s cheek in a quick motion, pinching it playfully as she pulls his floating head into her chest. “Dawwww! Look at you getting all soft on me Ray!! So cute!”.

“Cute?!?!”, Rayman thought. She ruffled his hair as she held his head in her arms. He squeaked and blushed, feeling his face press against her chest. He pulled his head out of her grasp with his hands, adjusting it back to the top of his torso.

He huffed out a snort of fake annoyance, “Whatever! I was always soft on you Peaches~.”.

She gave him a disbelieving look, Rayman snorted at the goofy expression she had.

She chuckled, eyes squinting at him challengingly, “Pfft! Oh, you are such a liar! Bwahahaha!”.

Okay, he’ll let her have this. He gives up, just enjoying the sound of her laughter.

She wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye, “Heh! Thank you Ray. That was really nice to hear!”. She looked into his eyes, saying softly, “We really do make a good team, hm?”.

Rayman wanted to reply, but noticed the strange shake of the ground beneath them. A shiver of fear crept up his spine. Loud thuds of footsteps could be heard approaching them.

He could hear Peaches stepping back, loading her weapon once again. He turned around, and looked up.

Rayman’s blood ran cold.

It was a Wildclaw. A gargantuan Wildclaw. They weren’t in a safe spot to attack this thing!! Their only choice was to run and look for higher ground to lower its health.

The pair shared a knowing glance and ran together to the nearest pipe they could find. The beast charged towards them on all fours, skirting around each obstacle they tried to slow it down with. Even with all the turrets Rayman placed to put distance between them, it crunched them all under its paws while they shot at it. As if they didn’t even lay a scratch on its tough skin.

Adrenaline pumped throughout the thingamajig’s body. Making a beeline to the pipe, their only chance of making it out of this unharmed. Peaches made it, desperately waiting for her friend to join her. He could hear the rapid thumping of the monster’s paws against the ground behind him. Scratching against the dusty wooden floors.

Suddenly, he felt the world slip under him, falling to the ground. He scrambled as fast as he could to his feet, but it was too late it caught up to him. Standing tall over him, it’s horridly fearsome eyes staring him down.

He froze in shock. As much as he wanted to move, he was unable to. He couldn’t breathe. The beast swung downwards at Rayman.

Just then, he heard the panicked voice of Peaches, “Ray!! Watch out!!”.

He felt the rabbid push him away, taking his place. The thingamajig’s eyes widened. It felt like time slowed down, fear setting in at what would happen to her.

The giant Wildclaw swiped at his friend, sending her flying across the battlefield and-

CRACK

-Peaches smashed into the wall. The body of his beloved friend slumped onto the ground. It showed no sign of movement. No sounds of pain afterwards.

Nothing.

Oh, Polokus no…

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!

“PEACHES!!”, Rayman screamed out in terror. He sprung into action, attacking the beast with fervor. Blast after blast hit the monster. He was beyond angry at it. He was outraged. As if he was going to go mad with the fire he felt in his body.

Fear, pain, anger, sorrow hit him all at once. His mind whirled. His snout creased. Sharp teeth peeked out of his mouth as he grinded them together. His eyes wild with a feeling of hatred he hadn’t felt in a long time.

How dare he?!?!? HOW DARE HE HURT HER?!?!

As much as he ripped away at the enemy, it wasn’t enough. Rabbid Mario and Beep-O were nowhere near them. He was alone in this fight. With each hit the thingamajig landed the Wildclaw struck back harder.

It was weak, but he was weaker.

One blow in particular broke through his costume ability, slamming him into a barrier, knocking the wind out of him. His weapon sliding across the wooden floor. He was cornered, trapped. The beast towered over him.

He stared up at it. Its claw extended, revealing renewed sharp talons. He breathed out panicked breaths. This couldn’t be the end. It couldn’t!!! He needed to help Peaches!! He needed to save her!!!

The beast’s claws swiped down at him. The thingamajig flinched, preparing for the painful strike to reach him.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!!

The Wildclaw suddenly burst into black sparks, scattering in the air with vigor. On the other side of the sparks stood Rabbid Peach. Roughed up, but still alive.

Her wild blue eyes made contact with his own. She hauled her Triple Troll weapon over her shoulder, smoke emitting from the muzzle. Her ruffled hair swished out of her face, showing her shaky confident grin. She reached out her free hand to him.

“Hah… you- huff didn’t think I’d be beaten that easily, huh Ray?”

Relief pulled harshly at Rayman’s heart. More than he could take. He took her hand and collapsed into her arms. He wrapped his hands around her back, sobbing. He could hear brief the rattle of her weapon as she set it onto the ground.

The thingamajig felt around her, checking for any injuries. There weren’t any serious ones. Oh thank Polokus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

He felt the Rabbid hugging him back tenderly, rubbing small circles into his back. His breathing steadied. She worked her magic to heal them both from their wounds. A soft, pink light illuminated them.

She asked him gently, whispering, “Are you okay? Did it hurt you?”.

He held her tighter, his hands drifting to her hair. Searching for something soft and comfortable to touch.

Rayman whispered shakily, “No, it’s that, I- hic- thought you were gone….”

It felt painful to speak, but he kept going through choked out sobs, “I heard that cracking noise and I thought you were in serious danger! I was so scared. I can’t imagine losing you Peaches…”

He sobbed, “I just can’t…”

Peaches hugged him closer. He nuzzled his face into her neck, trying to keep himself as close to her as he could. Tears dampened the Rabbid’s puffy sleeves. It was quiet for a while. All that could be heard was crying and ragged breaths.

Eventually, his cries softened, however, he still clung to her neck. He could feel his breath blowing back at him, bouncing off her skin. The Rabbid broke the silence, “Hey, you’ll never guess what that cracking noise was.”

Rayman sniffled, “What?”

“It was my phone.”

His face crinkled in dumbfounded amusement. A small grin forming on his face. The thingamajig snorted, before letting out tired laughter. “Oh there’s no way Peachy.”

“Yes there is Ray!”, her whispering broke the volume a little higher than she expected, immediately toning it down. “I’m sooooo mad about it Ray. This is the WORST.”, she whispered in sharp lighthearted annoyance.

Rayman let out more exhausted giggles, most of them muffling into her neck. His grip on her relaxed, hands drifting down her back. His feet flopped down to the side as he sat on the ground. Peaches’s paw traveled into his hair, smoothing out a strand that loosened during the battle. It felt really nice.

He sighed, his voice moved into a honeyed tone, “Oh this is the worst? How about that time I made you sing karaoke with me?”

Peaches chortled out laughing at the mention of the memory. He could feel her body bouncing with the action while lying on her shoulder. She covered her mouth with her paw to stifle them. He didn’t know why. Her laughter was the most wonderful melody he’d ever heard.

She leaned into him, embracing his body deeper, patting his back as she laughed. “Oh stop it Ray! It was funnnn~. You had a good time! Don’t try to deny it.”

“Hmmn. I sure did.” he sighed into her neck, enjoying the flow of her hair when he puffed out air onto it. It was so beautiful. She…was so beautiful.

The adrenaline of battle was gone now, but he noticed his heart still raced. He could hear his friend’s heartbeat, loud and quick. Just like his. A strange, unfamiliar feeling hit him at that revelation, but he couldn’t figure out what.

All he knew was that he was about to do something reckless.

He picked up his head from her shoulder, staring behind Rabbid Peach momentarily, catching a glimpse of the camera robot floating around them. She seemed to take notice too, sharing a look of acknowledgment at her friend.

They still had a scene to film, even if an accident had occurred during it. And after going through all that, the two were determined to nail it. They felt closer to each other now than ever before. Held each other more intimately than they’d ever had. He wanted this, but-

First, he needed to check if she was up for it.

He taps his friend’s side, Peaches’s breath hitched at the realization of what it meant. His heart raced at the sound. Was she nervous? He’s never really seen her like that before. It made him feel prickles of anxiety too.

All that was shaken away when Peaches cupped her paw to Rayman’s cheek. Eyes lidded with confident desire. He shuddered at the contact. She twitched her ears, confirming she was comfortable. She gave him a look, silently signaling him to let her take the lead. He was more than happy to let her.

Her face inched carefully towards his. He wondered if she was trying to figure out how to get around his snout. He closed his eyes, trusting her guide him.

And then he felt her lips press against his.

He melted into the kiss. Her lips were so very soft, like he imagined. The strawberry scent of her shampoo made him feel oh so dizzy with warmth. Once again he felt as if lums were flying about in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the rapid thud of his heartbeat against hers. An almost synchronized rhythm.

His mind felt hazy after he tasted their shared breath within the kiss. Her lips still had the taste of chocolate from earlier, and he couldn’t get enough of it. It was like they had both secretly wanted this for a long time, but never thought about it before.

Or found a moment to act on it, at least.

Her paw pulled his head in, deepening the kiss, and he was more than eager to lean into it. He took it a step further, sliding his hands up her back, to her neck, to cradling the back of her head, weaving his fingers through her silky golden hair. He kissed her back passionately, trying to match her movements to the best of his ability.

Peaches fought him back on this, almost like she was competing with him. To them, this was another competition, and they were both in it to win.

It was incredible how she drew him in. That fire in her. Her drive, her strength, her compassion, her humor, her smugness, her warmth! He couldn’t get enough of it. He was enchanted with her. Under her spell- and glad to be! Hopelessly devoted to her kisses. To the way she made him feel.

Eventually, she pulled away, a faint strand of saliva connecting their lips before it dissipated. They shared heavy breaths, feeling the warmth of them on each other's faces. Rabbid Peach pressed her forehead against Rayman’s. Her hair tickling him. They stared into eachother’s eyes, both hazy with desire. It was over.

Rayman cuddled his face into the Rabbid’s neck once more, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. His first kiss…and it was with his best friend. How funny was that? How lovely it was. He was so lucky. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside at the thought.

He twirled her hair with his fingers, wrapping strands around each digit with ease. Like he did with his own earlier that day. This felt much better. His friend returned the gesture, playing with his hair, a small giggle slipping out of her mouth. She hummed as she played with his hair, the pretty noise making his heart ache once again.

He wanted more. Was that so bad? They could always use another take right? Surely it would help Beep-O to have a variety of takes. The thingamajig certainly wouldn’t mind filming another. Maybe a few more after that. It was the least they could do. Right?

His hand moved to tap her side again but was interrupted by footsteps approaching them.

Rabbid Mario broke through the barrier separating the group from one another. A look of pure relief cast onto his face. His eyes watering with joy at seeing his friends okay. Beep-O flew past him, making a beeline towards Peaches. Distress was clear on his face, she let go of Rayman to catch him in her arms. The thingamajig, still leaning on her, moved to the side to make room for his robot friend.

He could hear the unmuffled cries of his friend Beep-O as he nuzzled into Rabbid Peach’s chest. He blubbered, “I heard your life detection monitors reaching critical levels! Oh Rosalina, thank goodness you two are okay!! Hic! Peachy, you- you scared me!!”.

Peaches sniffled, distraught at seeing her friend this worried for her, “I’m alright Beep-O! We protected each other pretty well! Looks like you’ll have some good scenes for your movie, huh?”. She attempted the remark to lighten the mood, but Rayman was unsure if it worked or made Beep-O feel worse. He hoped it wasn’t the latter. Their robot friend pushed himself further into Rabbid Peach’s grasp, continuing to sob. The three stayed quiet for a bit, only trying to comfort each other.

Rabbid Mario joined the group, he collapsed into his friends, trying to hug them all as tightly as he could. As if he was worried that if he let go, they’d vanish. He sobbed loudly, his tears wetting Rayman’s hoodie. He rubbed small circles into the mustachioed Rabbid’s back just like Peaches did to him. They all stayed there for a moment.

Rayman was glad to have such great friends in his life. He hadn’t felt connections like this in a long time, ever since he left the Glade. He pulled them all close, his head drifted to lay on top of Rabbid Peach’s. His chin nuzzled comfortably into her hair.

The battle was over, and yet the group stayed. Grounding themselves with their company. They needed this. Battles had always gone smoothly for them, never like this. It was scary. Today was a close call, and they’d never let it happen again. No matter what.

Darkmess dripped from the void of the sky above them. It was time to leave. They gathered themselves and watched as the pocket dimension they were in fell and crumbled around them. Rayman’s hand moved to wrap around Rabbid Peach’s paw. Holding it securely. He could never get used to this feeling like his friends were. He closed his eyes, and the unpleasant vertigo hit him.

In an instant, they were transported back to the soft, familiar carpet of the studio once more, the harsh ceiling lights beaming down on them. The filming crew congratulated them and checked them over for any injuries left unhealed. As much as they tried to appreciate their enthusiasm, they were all exhausted. All Rayman needed right now was just to go home, watch a movie, and fall into his bed.

Just as the group was about to leave the studio, Peaches stopped in her tracks. Rayman noticed, stopping his stride as his friends walked ahead.

He gestures toward her, beckoning her to come with him, concern on his face. “Peachy? You coming with? It’s going to get all rainy outside any moment now.”

She looks away from him, causing Rayman’s heart to ache with worry. Did he mess things up?

The Rabbid fakes a smile, trying to put on a quick cheery mask. She points a thumb back to the studio, her posture taking a shy expression.

She stammers out, “I just forgot something in the dressing room. You guys can go ahead! I wouldn’t want you guys to get soaked waiting on me, y’know?”

The thingamajig raises an eyebrow, saying, “I can wait for you! I wouldn’t want you walking home by yourself. It’s dark out and your phone is broken. What if something happens?”

Peaches paused, unsure of what to say, “Okay. Just stay right here. I’ll be back in a bit!”

“M’kay!”, he responded, waiting by the entrance. He watched as his pretty Rabbid friend walked down the hallway until she was out of sight.

Once she left, he leaned against the doorway. Egads! He hopes he didn’t mess things up between them. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing their friendship.

He pinched in between his eyebrows with his fingers. He shook away the thought. No. That’s impossible Ray. Don’t think about that. It wouldn’t happen. Plus, she wouldn’t want him feeling like this. She cares about him too much to let it happen, and so does he.

He sighed dreamily, thinking about the moment he and Rabbid Peach shared in the dressing room earlier today. She is so kind. Strong. Gentle. Just a few hours ago, even though she was the one who got injured by the Wildclaw, her priority was to save and comfort him. She was his hero, today as well as all other days. Every day she inspired him to improve himself.

And he loved that about her.

…

He felt his heart race at the stray thought that invaded his mind, his face flushing a hot red.

Wait. Egads!!! Love?!?! Don’t be ridiculous Rayman.! He meant it in a friendly way!! A best friend way! Yes, that. Nothing more!!

His self conscious prodded at him further, “You have plenty of other friendships. So why is this one different? Why do you feel such strange feelings when she’s around?”

He had no answer, so he decided to take his mind off it. He turned to watch the rain pour outside the window of the door. The raindrops tapped loudly on the glass, and he tried to focus on the sound, to drown out his thoughts.

…

But his mind always drifted back to Rabbid Peach, setting his heart aflame once again.

=====================================

Author’s Afterword:

Thank you all for reading! This fanfic was so incredible to work on, and I’m blessed to have people out there that enjoy my content. It means the world to me, so thank you!

I’ll be releasing an epilogue in Rabbid Peach’s POV for her reaction to the events of this day on set. Look forward to it!! I also plan on making little notes of how I interpret and write these characters for fun! Let me know if you guys would be interested in that, or more.

…and maybe a sequel project in mind that involves input from you guys!

AKA you guys interviewing the characters by asking them questions about the film, their experiences on set, and so on. Fun stuff ahead!!

Welp! That’s it for now. I need to take a break, this was way too long BAHAHAHA! Have a great day everyone!! And please take care!! 💖🧡:D

[levy120]

Dream Catcher Part 6: Reverb

Rating: T Genre: Horror, Angst Lore: Dream Catcher (Part 6), Extended Lore

Characters: Jano, Rayman, Mr. Dark, The Muse of Poets, Raymesis, Ly, Globox, Murfy

Summary: Rayman promised Jano to help if ever he were in need of it. What if push comes to shove?

Warnings: Depression, Self-Harm, Grief/Mourning, Not-Really-Character-Death

Annotation: Even though this one is part of a series, I believe this one can be read on its own. The only thing you need to know in advance is the established friendship between the protagonists. The Series: [Dream Catcher Masterpost]

Read on: [AO3]

Happy 2 Year Anniversary to my heart-blood passion project Dream Catcher! :D

I can't believe it's been so long. I can believe even less that my Muse is still bugging me about it. But what do you know?

I am so thankful for everyone who's been on the journey with me thus far, for all the lovely feedback and warm reception this fanfic has received!

As of the release of the first chapter everything until until 5 is ready. Depending on chapter sizes, there's going to something between 12 or 15 chapters waiting. I'm standing at the verge of 30,000 words, with 2 parallely running plots - both being a first for this series. :D

That being said - I am still in the middle of frenzied editing. There's holes to patch up, retcons to edit and chapters to polish, but I am at a point where the direction is clear and I should (hopefully) not run into any bigger complications. I still want this to be the best it can be though, so I cannot predict at this time how fast or steady the update schedule is going to be.

I am super excited to share the start of this tale with you today and looking forward to your thoughts 💌

[nobleclover]

Ray of Joy

Betilla had gathered all of the things she needed for the ritual: a living organism (she chose an eggplant), a vial of blood, strands of hair, a handful of lums and not to mention some beams of light that she had gathered in a small orb. Looking down at the assortment of items she had gathered, she sucked in her breath as anxiety began to wash over her. Sure, she was very well-known for being a resourceful and creative nymph, especially since she created magical prosthetic hands and feet for herself to make up for her lack of limbs. However, she couldn’t help but feel a flurry of worry buzz restlessly inside her, like a black lum.

This ritual was one of many tests that she had to pass in order to advance to the fourth level of magic. For this particular exam, she had to create life from a living organism. Everyone, especially her sisters and their father, the Magician, assured her as best they could yet she was hyper-focused and anxious about the whole thing. If she were to pass this practical ritualistic exam, she would be a few steps closer to becoming Steward of the Great Protoon. It was something she aspired for a couple centuries and she’d come so far, so succeeding this ritual was a top priority. Gathering the items proved an immense challenge for her, especially since she didn’t have enough energy for limbs. Regardless, she settled on making a living limbless being with hands and feet like hers.

“Okay, now where is that book?” she muttered, rummaging through her rucksack. She stopped and pulled out a light spell book and opened it, quietly muttering the instructions before moving onto the first step.

She grabbed the orb and cracked it open like an egg. The light from within began whizzing around her left hand as she began conducting their energy using her magic.

Next, she opened the sack of lums, all of which began fluttering around excitedly her illuminated hand before they all completely became lost in the flurry of light that she was generating. Her eyes widened as she watched the light grow brighter and stronger in her grasp.               She then chopped up the eggplant and ground it vigorously using a mortar and pestle. She set the mixture in a large bowl which was sitting in the middle of the room on top of a large purple placemat.

Upon reading the next step, she opened the vial of blood and took out a large syringe from her rucksack. While still psychically channelling the assortment of light beams and lums in her left hand, she used both hands to draw up the blood into the syringe. Next she pressed the plunger down over the mushy eggplant remains until every last drop of blood was gone. Some people would normally use a person or an animal for this type of ritual, but she wanted to use a different kind of organism instead as a more humane approach.

Finally, she carefully snipped off the roots of the hair samples and dropped them into the large bowl, like she was sprinkling cinnamon into a large tin of bread batter. Afterwards, she used her right hand and gently stirred everything together before lightly boiling the concoction over a hob.

              Peering into her spellbook, she began manipulating the light beams and lums across her hands carefully, as if she was playing Cat’s Cradle. Soon enough, she found herself telepathically balancing a large luminescent orb above her hand. She pursed her lip in anticipation as she directed this orb to break apart and disperse into the bowl. Instantly, the bowl began to give off a brilliant glow as the mixture began to bubble and pop excitedly.

Betilla couldn’t help but smile excitedly as everything seemed to be going according to plan. However, that smile quickly disappeared when she noticed that the mixture was reacting too quickly, so she took it off the hob immediately and onto the middle of the floor.

“Okay, let’s see if we can stabilise it,” she grumbled, holding her hands out. Using her magic, she finally got the substance to settle down much to her relief. She then focused on forming the basic shapes for the creature, her brow pursed in determination as light began to fill the room.

Without warning, a sudden surge of energy surged through the room and knocked her back against the bookcase, causing several books and jars to fall, and causing various objects to disperse everywhere. Betilla struggled to get her bearings, however she was too disoriented and collapsed in a heap on the floor, passing out almost instantly.

A small, muffled high-pitched sound managed to stir her, which eventually grew louder as she came to. Looking up, she noticed the purple placemat was now in a heap in the corner of the room with something stirring beneath it. In fact the noise was coming from underneath it. As she stood up, she walked over to see what was under there and cautiously lifted up the now-frayed fabric.

She couldn’t believe what she had seen.

Underneath the tatty piece of material, was a small male humanoid creature, with a large nose, fluffy blonde hair, no neck, no limbs and its hands and feet just a few centimetres from his body. He was crying very loudly and snuffling, with his little hands balled up in terror. Stunned, Betilla gently touched the creature’s left hand, causing him to instinctively grab hold of her finger. Her heart melted when the baby looked up at her with his large wet eyes, driving her to gently pick it up and cradle him. Surprisingly, despite having no neck, this little boy’s head easily floated in sync with his body when Betilla picked him up. Once she gently rocked him a few times, his cries died down at long last and he started falling asleep, leading to her gently wrapping him in the scuffed remains of the placemat.

All the while, Betilla was still processing what had just happened. She looked down at this peculiar looking baby…thing, wondering how the hell this could happen. She wasn’t even concerned about the exam anymore, what on earth was she gonna do with him?

“There’s no way I can raise something this tiny,” she said to herself, or rather to the baby, “I mean, I don’t know anything about babies, I’ve never looked after something small like this let alone a –”

She stopped mid – sentence as she heard the tiny creature let out a small yawn and watched him nuzzle his head into the crook of her arm. As she smiled at this little fellow, who was only a few minutes old, she realised that her adoptive father probably had the same doubts and worries when he adopted her and the rest of her sisters. If he can manage raising five young nymphs and make them what they were now, then she would surely raise this baby thingamajig in her arms through thick and thin.

“Well, I guess if I’m stuck with you, I’m gonna have to think of a name for you, little fella,” Betilla said, “I don’t really have any ideas for names at the moment but…I guess given how you were made, I could call you Ray.”

The baby opened his eyes and blinked at her upon hearing his new name.

“Yeah?” she chuckled, “you like that name, little man? Rayman? My little Rayman?”

Ray’s eyes widened in response followed by a small coo, as if he was giving his mother a verbal approval to his new name. Betilla smiled affectionately and sighed in astonishment. She started her day worrying over becoming Steward of the Great Protoon and now ended up becoming a mother. Regardless, even if it wasn’t going to be easy, she was gonna give it her best shot.

The end

[just-a-gamer-daydeamer-girl]

Yeah!

So I’m rewriting an old fanfic of mine that I did around high school, where I tried to bridge the gap between Rayman 1 and Rayman 2 (Orgins didn’t happen yet.) it was weird cringe looking back at it. But I loved the concept. So I am Reimagining it. (Kinda deleted it off the internet, but I still have the original story)

It’s definitely going to be a lot longer than the original (only one page). Mixing in things from legends and origins as well!

It’s probably gonna be slow to update cuz I keep working on multiple projects at once, but I really hope I can complete it and make something really banger! I’ve got some good ideas I want to put into words.

Cross posted on Ao3 and fanfiction.net(a few of old stories I wrote on this one)

Yes I’ve use different usernames for both accounts.

Hope you like the cover I made for it!

[generalfoxy21]

Watching some speed runs of Rayman 2 that beats the game in under an hour and it’s hilarious if you imagine it from the villains pov.

Like this little guy just escaped and you pay it no mind cause there’s no way he can take on your army.

Then he starts doing some wacky tricks you’ve never seen before like swimming in the air and teleport and next thing you know he has freed all his friends, completely toppled your plans and destroyed your army after only 53 minutes after he escaped.

hahahahaha, this has been very hilarious, just think about razorbeard being totally terrified, that in just one hour Rayman managed to defeat him.

razorbeard was sitting in a metal room, where there were many screens, looking at them with horror, he couldn't believe what his eyes saw, his entire crew of space ruffians was destroyed in a fast and monstrous way, all the pirates were trying to communicate with his captain through transmissions, showing the horror that was happening, his crew's transmissions were turned on and off in seconds, he could only hear a few words of horror from his people, before his transmissions were turned off and another turned on, crying for help.

The cause of everything, a small beast, with golden hair and a funny appearance, could see how this creature broke the laws of physics, ran extremely fast and with the same speed, destroyed everything, even moments where it teleported and reached another point. of nothing.

razorbeard: NO, NO, NO, HOW THE HELL DOES HE DO THAT? CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN IT TO ME?????

He can only watch in horror as his entire army of robots disappears out of nowhere and all the creatures he had imprisoned are released. In a matter of minutes, this situation became increasingly stressful for the tyrant.

razorbeard: BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Usually he did not feel things, such as fear or other emotions, other than the hatred and greed of his metallic heart, but in this situation, he really felt more and more afraid, he tried to communicate with his crew, but this was impossible, because the Transmissions cut off quickly thanks to the little beast, Rayman.

This was until there were no more transmissions, there was no longer chaos or screams, the room remained silent and razorbeard, the stress and fear was great…

razorbeard: crew….can you hear me?…..STINKING RUFFINS CAN YOU HEAR ME WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE? ANSWER ME…..this, this can't be real, it must be a fucking nightmare, right?

The tyrant thought, he was afraid, until he heard a sound behind him, Razorbeard was very afraid, he turned slowly after him, just to witness the creature, Rayman, he saw it directly with a smile on his face, it seemed like he had a singular glow in his eyes, as if they were flames, at that moment razorbeard felt very horrified knowing that it would be his end…

razorbeard: NO, NO, GO AWAY YOU DISGUSTING CREATURE, I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU, GO AWAY

rayman:……

Rayman began to approach him, slowly.

razorbeard:NO,NO,NOOOOOOO

ok I hope you enjoy what I just wrote, randomly :]

[raygirl14]

I love The Nightmare before Christmas, I'm looking forward to Halloween 🎃 Although I still need this drawing haha!

[tessiex17]

Me when I'm writting chapter 2 of my rayman fic and realise I can make them do whatever I want. Raymans 100% getting stoned with y/n this chapter :3

[cicicolorao]

MAGICAL FUTURE FUNK CHAPTER 2!!!!!

HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Never writing shit in just one week that was HELL

I hope you enjoy!

[wolpertinger-prince]

Of Eileen and Zippley: Part Two of a Raytas Continuation

After his encounter with the Beast Fairy, Rayman finds himself struggling to find his friends. But one encounter with a familiar face, as well as a new one, might lead him in the right direction.

Part One

Rayman hoped to never cross paths with Wolpenauct again.

Sure, he felt sorry for them, but something about them unnerved him, almost like Jano did all those years ago. Not to mention how harsh they were. And what was that about calling him the Glade's plaything? Yup, they definitely weren't as warm as, say, Ly or Betilla. Not everyone was going to appreciate him showing them kindness, he supposed.

It'd been a few days since he found his friends missing, presumably captured by Grub and taken back to the circus. Rayman had been traveling by foot nonstop since. He'd yet to see hint nor hair of the traveling circus, or even hear of Rigatoni for that matter. It was possible that they'd left Aeropolis, but did Rigatoni really rebuild his tent so quickly that he could travel that far that fast? Had he been stuck in Aeropolis all this time just as Rayman and friends had been? No, Rigatoni had some of Razorbeard's former henchmen at his side. They knew how to build flying ships from the ground up. Rigatoni and the others could be miles ahead by now.

Gods, this was frustrating! Rayman had no idea where to start or what he was even chasing. And this was assuming Lac-Mac and the others even were with Rigatoni at the circus and not in jail. In that case, maybe he'd gone too far. What if he could've just broken them out of jail earlier? Maybe they'd already been picked up by Rigatoni by now!

Rayman stopped and leaned against a wall to catch his breath. It was times like this Betina would tease him and tell him he sounded like Cookie. Just when he was thinking of the two of his friends was when he saw the short silhouette of a figure that reminded him of Lac-Mac, but smaller. The figure was limping, as far as Rayman could tell in the darkness of the night. Suddenly, a bright light shone on the figure, revealing its orange color, floppy ears, and stripes. The light came from a speeding car that the striped creature was too busy struggling to cross the road to notice.

"Hey, look out!"

As Rayman called to the creature, he rushed to his side. The creature noticed the car speeding towards him too late, letting out a shriek as he was about to be hit. However, just before the car could make contact did Rayman jump in front and push the creature out of the way. The impact of the car sent parts of Rayman flying, his head landing on and rolling off of the car's hood. The car screeched to a halt, the driver quickly stepping out of the vehicle with wide, horrified eyes as she assessed the damage she'd done. Her gloved hand over her heart, she breathed quickly and heavily while noting Rayman's hands, feet, and body dispersed all over the road.

"Oh, gods," she exclaimed, suddenly feeling very faint.

"Hey, it's okay," came a voice.

The driver snapped her gaze towards the hood of her car.

"Over here," uttered the voice again.

The driver stepped over to the other side of her car where Rayman's head lay. Rayman blinked up at her, definitely still alive. Suddenly, one of his hands hovered over and picked Rayman's head up by one of the tufts of his hair. Rayman recognized this now very confused and startled woman as being Grub's date from a few weeks ago.

"Fancy seeing you again," he remarked. "Excuse my appearance."

Rayman whistled and his other hand started to scoop up his shoes. As the hand brought his feet closer, Rayman nodded towards his limp purple body that laid limply several feet away.

"Uh, would you mind getting that for me?" he asked the woman awkwardly.

"Oh, uh… Sure."

The woman walked over to the body and hesitantly picked it up. She couldn't believe she was doing this; first she hit a pedestrian and now here she was putting him back together like some kind of toy! She brought the body back to where Rayman held his head up, once again shocked when the body just seemed to float back into place. Rayman let out a sigh of relief as his hand let go of his head and he "stretched" his feet just to test them out.

"Thanks! That could've been really ugly," Rayman mused. "What's your name?"

"Eileen," the woman answered. "Hey, aren't you that sweet kid that delivered that singing telegram?"

"Yup! Name's Rayman. Hope you liked it."

"Your pitch needs work," Eileen remarked. "But your dance was adorable."

"Thanks! Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Rayman glanced behind himself, in the direction he shoved that creature. The creature was gone, probably having disappeared into the forested area on the other side of the road.

"I gotta find that little guy," Rayman explained as he began to walk away. "He looked hurt."

"Let me come with you," Eileen replied as she followed. "I almost hit him!"

"He couldn't have gone far."

Rayman and Eileen made their way into the woods, quickly spotting the striped creature. He was hobbling his way through, gulping when he noticed the two. He turned around and hissed, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Get back!" the creature exclaimed. "I… I bite!"

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy," Rayman stated as he slowed his walking and put his hands up. "We don't wanna hurt you. We just wanna see if you're okay."

"Okay?" The creature cocked a brow and laughed. "I'm not okay, thanks for checking. You can go away now."

"You could've just said no thank you," Eileen remarked.

"Come on, let us at least look at your leg," Rayman urged, pointing at the creature's limp right leg. "You're not gonna get very far on it."

"I don't need your help," the creature hissed as he turned away. "I've been doing fine all by myself ever since I was dumped out here."

Rayman reached one of his hands up into the trees where he carefully traced the branches until he found one just big enough, then snapped it off. He then handed the branch to the striped creature, who observed it, puzzled, before snatching it.

"Who dumped you?" Rayman asked.

"Henry Antipasti," the creature replied. "I was working for him at the theater… Well, I was more like a slave."

"Hey, that's exactly what happened to me and my friends," Rayman gasped. "Then you must be one of those vuni vuni Wolpenauct told me about!"

"Who?" The creature cocked a brow. "Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you guys my tragic backstory, but if you know Henry, I'd appreciate you pointing me in his direction so I can have a little… chat with him about how he treated me."

"Wait. Hold on a second," Eileen interrupted. "What's going on? Slaves?"

Rayman turned to Eileen, taking in a deep breath. Boy, this was going to be one heck of an explanation. Who knew if she'd even believe him? Well, it was worth a shot…

"Well, you know that guy you're dating, Grub? Well, he's been trying to arrest my friends and I and return us to this circus," Rayman began. "This Rigatoni guy put him up to it. You see, Rigatoni locked us up, in cages, and forced us to perform at his circus. Now he's got my friends and I have to get them outta there!"

Eileen couldn't believe what she was hearing. They did that? Kidnapped people and made them into entertainment for the masses? That couldn't be legal, surely. Could it? No, something else was wrong here.

"You, too?" she asked, looking at the striped creature.

"Uh-huh," the creature answered with a nod, leaning on the branch Rayman gave him. "All my life, until I got this."

The creature gestured to his bad leg. Eileen lifted her hands over her mouth.

"I don't believe it," she gasped. "I believe you, I just don't believe that someone would do that!"

"I just learned it happens all over," Rayman began. "A Beast Fairy told me creatures from forests get poached all the time. But they're gonna put a stop to it."

"Yeah, they're doing a great job so far," the striped creature remarked sarcastically.

"...But it's up to me to save my friends," Rayman continued, ignoring the creature's remark.

"I've heard enough. I'll help you," Eileen stated, earning surprised stares from both Rayman and the striped creature. "What? I will! Grub will know where this Rigatoni guy is and I can get it out of him. You two can stay at my place until we get to the bottom of this. You must be exhausted, and starving."

"That's really kind of you," Rayman replied, not helping but to think of how great it would be to eat after how long he's been traveling. "What do you think, kid? Coming with us?"

The creature looked hesitant. He didn't want to depend on anyone, but… food did sound good right about now. And he had been sleeping on leaves and discarded cushions for some time now. So, he nodded with a hum.

"And what's your name, sweetie?" Eileen asked, kneeling to his height.

"My name's Zippley," he answered. "I guess I can tag along for now. I've got nothing better to do."

"Then we're a team," Rayman practically announced.

"Alright, Rayman. Zippley," Eileen urged. "Get in my car. It's getting late."

So, the trio made their way back to the car, where they drove back into the city. After the panic he's been through for the last few days, Rayman was just happy not to be alone.

[flamigoat]

Lights, Camera, Actions!

Part 3 - Final 💖🎬🧡

First Part —> Second Part

Pairings: Rayman x Rabbid Peach

Characters: Rayman, Rabbid Peach, Beep-O, Rabbid Mario, and various unnamed Rabbid Characters.

Themes: Friendship, Romance, Humor, Hurt Comfort, and Angst

Warnings: Themes of Racism (Discriminatory and Racist Comments (Rabbid commenting at Rayman for being a thinjamajig) and characters talking about their experiences with racism), Creepy Fans, Alcohol use mentions, Descriptions of kissing, Tense situations.

Plot summary: Rabbid Peach relays the events of her day and comes to a shocking realization. Rayman invites her to hang out after the day of filming.

Heads up! Things are going to get pretty heavy in this fanfic. Please grab a drink, a snack, and relax before reading. Take care you guys!! 💖🧡

Rabbid Peach could feel the frantic beating of her heart as she walked away from her friend. Trying her best to keep a smooth, cool appearance. As soon as she rounded the corner, away from the handsome limbless's gaze, she breathed a sigh of relief. Great excuse Peachy! Now what? You have nothing to get from the dressing room! Oh well, maybe she could just say she couldn’t find it? Ugh, no, then Ray would try to help her find the mysterious item she made up leaving behind!

Her forehead clenched with stress, accessing all the possibilities in her mind. Rosalina! She was beginning to act just like Rayman! Maybe her friend was just rubbing off on her. “Whatever! I’m sure I can think of something on the walk there. Take your advice girl. Calm down, a negative spiral will get me nowhere!”, Peaches thought.

She tried diverting her attention to her phone like she usually did. She pulled out her phone, noticing the cracked screen of her beloved phone. Right. It was broken. Ugh, could this day get any worse?!?! First her weird feelings with Rayman, then getting embarrassed in front of the head directors, then those strange feelings came back, AGAIN, except way worse! When…

She kissed him.

Her brain screamed at her to stop thinking about it. Though, she couldn’t get rid of the sensations she felt in her mind. They were still fresh. Memorable. And- she, kind of liked that.

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. “Bwahhhh! I’ve kissed plenty of people before. Nothing new! Let’s just get to the dressing room and then we can go home. Hopefully, me and Ray can just forget this weird day even happened!!”, she rationalized.

The rabbid made quick strides to get to the dressing room, slamming the door behind her in annoyance upon entering. Her eyes scanned the room carefully, wondering what item she could take with her. Did they leave any clothes behind? No, it doesn’t look like it. Make-up? No, she’d already grabbed that.

Her gaze panned towards the vanity, noticing a device lying on its mat. Her hair iron! Of course! She rushed to grab it, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. Her heart dropped.

She looked like a mess. Her hair was thoroughly tussled through, especially the back where Rayman gripped it earlier. The rabbid was reminded of the thingamajig’s strong grip on her as he pulled her in. His lacy gloved fingers traced through strands of her hair, deepening their kiss. Her once nicely done lipgloss was smeared across her face, staining a light pink section of her pure white fur—a very noticeable difference.

Embarrassment hit her hard. This felt even worse than the Wildclaw hitting her that very same day. Sure! She didn’t expect to look great. Especially after the fight they went through. But- something felt different about the fact that Rayman was the one to rough her up like this. The realization made Rabbid Peach’s heart thump wildly within her chest.

She put her head face down on the table in front of her, embracing her head tightly in her arms. Not wanting to look at herself any longer. To look at what her friend did to her. To be reminded of the way he made her feel.

Wait. Why should she feel embarrassed? She made Ray look much worse!

She thought back to how he looked in the moment. His ruffled hair from her touch. His deliciously ragged breaths against her lips. His handsome face flushed in unbelievable warmth. His beautiful blue eyes were hazy, staring longingly at her. As if he was devoted to her kisses. She felt lightheaded as she thought about it.

For his first kiss, he did a wonderful job! She couldn’t even tell. Heh! And she thought she would need to carry the scene. No. He would be the star. With how stunning he looked, she was sure of it! She giggled softly at the irony. Her breath hit her back as she laid her face against the cold surface of the table.

A tinge of hurt hit her at the thought of other people seeing him like that. Jealousy. Oh no. She knew the feeling all too well. …But why? It was for a movie after all. Nothing more. Just another scene they needed to film. It didn’t mean anything.

The thought made her heart ache. Would the kiss not mean anything to her friend? That touching moment they shared. None of that was part of the script. Or, was he just improvising? Was any of it even real?

She felt sick. Tears unexpectedly welled up in her eyes. She caged her head into her grasp tighter, running her paws through her hair in a pathetic attempt to comfort herself. She was frustrated at herself for feeling this way.

It reminded her of the painful memory of Mario rejecting her. How awful she felt when Princess Peach was the one to comfort her. Rubbing her back gently in circles as her rabbid counterpart sobbed miserably. Imagine being comforted by the person your crush admired. At the time, she lashed out at the princess, smacking her hand rudely away from her as she stormed out of the room she hid in.

It was painful at the time. However, she was thankful to Princess Peach for comforting her in the moment, apologizing later after thinking it over. She still remembers the Princess’s warm, accepting smile at her. Despite what Rabbid Peach had done. That day started their wonderful friendship, and she couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

This time, she had no one to comfort her but herself. It felt terrible. She prayed that no one from the stage crew would walk in on her crying. Cringing at the thought of them seeing her like this.

It didn’t take long for her to become frustrated with herself. Her attempts to calm herself down were not working. She just wished one of her friends would walk in to check on her. Maybe Rayman? Then she could ask him if the kiss meant anything to him.

But he wouldn’t walk in. She said she’d be going in alone, so this is something she’d just have to deal with herself.

She let go of her tight grip on her head, resting her head on the table, letting her arms go slack on her sides. She could feel her hair drift over her face, tickling her. The rabbid blew it out of her face with an annoyed huff. The moment calmed her down a bit by focusing her attention on something else.

Ugh. Why was she even feeling this way?! If the kiss didn’t matter then who cares?! She did.

Unless…if it was because…

Oh.

OH NO.

It couldn’t be that she had a crush on Rayman?!?! Oh, Rosalina NO! He was her friend! Her best friend!! There’s no way! Ew no!! Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it!! That’d be so weird!

With that thought, a warm flush hit her face. Her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies. For a second, realizing her feelings made her happy. Excited, even. What if he liked her back? Maybe for longer than she did. Wouldn’t that be a nice thought? To wake up next to him every day. To kiss him without needing to do it just for a scene. To be able to cuddle with him in his warm embrace, not just as friends, but as lovers.

It wouldn’t be weird. It’d be nice.

It made her stop crying, thinking of his soft touch around her. The feeling of his heart beating against hers. His goofy smile as he laid with her, while she played with his pretty strawberry blonde hair. It felt nice. Comforting. She felt all fuzzy on the inside.

She smiled at the thought before she snapped out of her daydreams. She made eye contact with herself in the mirror again, her face and ears red hot. Her face fell from her goofy grin, looking bewildered at herself. For the first time in a long time, shame hit her, and she immediately chucked those feelings from her brain.

“Y’know what. Maybe I’m just tired! After all, it’s been such a long day!! The exhaustion must be just getting to me! Messing with my head. Yeah! That’s it. I’ll walk out that door, and everything will be fine—all completely platonic feelings towards her handsome- ahem- NORMAL friend. Nothing more!!” Peaches thought.

“Because if not, you’ll ruin everything you’ve built up with him.”, the sudden thought stung her heart.

She couldn’t let that happen. She cares about him too much. She really- really cared about him. If she was the reason their friendship ended, she couldn’t bear it.

With new vigor of her delusions, she hurriedly picked up her iron from the vanity, touched up her appearance, wiped away the pink smudge from her fur, and left the dressing room. She puts on a smile as she happily strides out of the room.

“Just get out there- and everything will return to normal. Everything will be fine. YOU will be fine!”, Peaches thought, frantically.

She stomped through the hallway, brushing past any Rabbids in her path, feeling embarrassed that they probably saw her look so messy earlier. The blonde rabbid reached the end of the hallway to turn the corner to meet up with her thingamajig friend.

Rayman stood there, next to the window, the rain pattering against it. She was once again reminded about how messy she made him. His hair was all ruffled, unfixed. She could even see a bit of her lipgloss on his lip shimmering in the light. He moved to tap his foot in a familiar rhythm Rabbid Peach recognized, scrolling on his phone. It was like he didn’t notice her presence yet.

A faint, endeared smile crept onto his face, stopping his scrolling as he stared at his phone. A sigh of amusement passed through his lips and she swore she could see a faint blush stain his skin. Though maybe that was just her being delusional. Curiosity nagged her at what he was staring at, so she went to look, creeping up to him.

Her heart fluttered at what she saw.

His lock screen was now a picture of Rabbid Peach and him, singing karaoke together, holding each other as they laughed, one of her favorite pictures of them together. That…wasn’t his lockscreen before. Not until today.

She felt all warm and fuzzy inside again upon the realization.

“Hey, Ray! Sorry about that. You ready to leave?”, Peaches said.

Rayman turned around quickly to look at her, giving her the biggest, goofiest smile at the mere sound of her voice. However, upon realizing her presence, he immediately turned off his phone and shoved it into his hoodie pocket. A hint of embarrassment washed over his face.

“Yep! Just be careful. It’s pouring out! Did you bring a jacket?”, Rayman questioned.

Crap. She didn’t have anything to cover her hair!! No umbrella, hoodie, or anything. Ugh! She should’ve checked the weather today, or taken some clothes hanging on the rack of the dressing room. She sighed in annoyance, picturing herself getting drenched by the cold rain.

“No…I forgot. I’m sure we can power through it though! Maybe I can just like run home or something?”, she replied.

Her friend's face fell, then switched into a look of deep thought before picking back up again. He looked down at his hoodie, pulling on the fabric as if he were trying to test the size of it, his face brightening with a seemingly great idea.

“How about you just get in my hoodie? Then we’d both be dry! It should be big enough for us to both fit!!”, Rayman said with clear excitement and pride in his voice.

Her face flushed a hot red at the thought of being so close to him. That wouldn’t make her situation any better!! Could they both fit in there? Auugh…but he seems so happy about the idea! She’d feel bad about bumming him out.

Then she imagined it…and changed her mind almost immediately.

“Ehhhh, I’m not really comfortable with that idea Rayman. Plus, I don’t really know if I’d be able to like, fit in there.”, Peaches said, trying to save herself from that scenario. She doesn’t know if she could even handle being that close to him right now! Especially after this weird day they're having.

“Hm. Okay! Oh! What if we just wait out the rain instead? I saw a good place we could eat up the road from here. How about that?”, he proposed.

“I wanna treat you, as a thanks for today! If you’re cool with it..”, he continues, mumbling a bit as he shied away from her gaze. A small blush crept onto his face. He seemed nervous about her reaction to that.

To be honest, she was a bit nervous too. Was he asking her on a date? Well, it’s not like he explicitly said that, so no. It's just a hang-out to wind down for the day. That sounded pretty fun!! She’d be down for that!

“Sounds great! I could go for something to eat. Where are we headed?”, Peaches responded.

Her thingamajig’s face lit up at that response, giddy with joy. Heh! Awww! How adorable! Hm, maybe this little crush wouldn’t be so bad after all?

Maybe… it would even be possible. Only time would tell, right? A girl can dream!

“You’ll see!! It’s a surprise!”, Rayman said in excitement, prancing around playfully in front of her.

He turned to leave, with Peaches catching a glace of her lipgloss smear on his face. She couldn’t let him leave looking like that! Rabbid Peach caught his hand gently as he tried to turn away, he looked surprised at the contact, his eyes widened, staring at her.

“Wait! Ramon, you have, um, my lipgloss smeared on your face. Can I fix it up for you before we leave?”

“Um, yeah! Sure, Peachy.”

She rubbed at the stain with her paw, trying to get the slick of the lipgloss off of him. It was a faint, but noticeable pink against his skin. She couldn’t afford him walking around like that! Not if she could help it, at least. As she touched his face, she felt a bit of guilt for how intense she made the kiss. Well, he kissed back just as passionately but still, it was his first kiss! Maybe she should apologize.

“Sorry, I went a little crazy with the whole, kissing thing heh! I hope you didn’t mind. Ugh, I should’ve asked first! It was your first kiss after all! I shouldn’t have been so rough.”

“It’s okay! I liked it.”

Rabbid Peach could not stop the blush threatening to spread on her face and ears. Oh. So he liked it? Bwahhh, of course, he did! She was just that good, heh. Probably no feelings attached to it…but it made her heart feel all giddy in excitement. Embarrassingly so.

“Oh! That’s great then! I’m glad.”

“Hmm. I’m sorry I grabbed your face earlier without asking. I hope it didn’t scare you…”

“Pfft! You already apologized for that silly! You’re not scary Ray. You just startled me is all.”

He seemed relieved when she said it didn’t scare him. Was he that worried about it? Awww… he’s so sweet. She smiled up at him warmly. Ugh! Man, this stain was stubborn! Was she just smearing it? It started to bother her, but then she could hear Rayman sigh in satisfaction, calming her down. Maybe he didn’t mind?

“Mn.”, he nodded, leaning into her touch.

She carried on, hoping to continue the conversation about what happened earlier that day. “Y’know just give a girl a warning next time! Try that on anyone else and you’d be sweeping them off their feet, heh!”, Peaches said softly, a hint of teasing in her voice.

“Haha! You think so?”, Rayman replied playfully, touching the arm connected to the paw that rubbed on his face. His touch was soft, mostly due to the silkiness of his gloves. She could feel it brush against her fur. The sensation was nice.

“I know so.”, she said confidently, sticking her tongue out playfully at him. That earned a snort of laughter from him. His eyebrows tensed, crinkling downwards, and his pretty brown eyes stared directly at hers. It was a sweet moment. The rabbid could feel her heart flutter at his unrelenting eye contact. Pfft, if only he knew the effect he had on her.

She finally got the stain off of his face, yeesh that lipgloss was tough to get out!! She needs to try a different brand next time they kiss. Y’know, if they need to do another take for the film! Yeah! Nothing more.

“M’kay! You’re all good to go now! Looking a lot better, bwahaha! So handsome!”, Peaches cooed at him. She pinched his cheeks lovingly between her paws before letting go of him. He closed his eyes, sighing in fake annoyance, lifting his head on top of his body once more.

It may be her delusions getting to her, but she swore she could feel his face heat up at her compliments. “Hehe! Thanks, Peaches!”, a shy smile spread across his face. He turned his face away from her, beginning to tap his foot again in the same, upbeat rhythm as before.

How cute! Getting all flustered over some praise. Maybe he just needs to hear it more often. Heh! She wouldn’t mind giving him all the compliments he deserved. It seems like they make him happy.

Peaches walked out the door cautiously, feeling outside of the roof’s protection to tell the level of rain she’d be dealing with. From what she could tell…not bad, but still her hair would most definitely get drenched. Ruined after all her and Rayman’s hard work to make it look nice. She sighed in disappointment, accepting her fate and stepping out into her doom. Bracing herself for the impact and for her blouse to get soggy. She could already imagine the uncomfortable feeling of it sticking to her fur.

To her surprise, when she stepped out rain did not hit her. No wetness, no cold. Confused, she looked up only to see Rayman hovering his hands over her in a makeshift umbrella-like shape. He smiled at her, an awkwardly cute smile. “I hope this helps…at least until we get there, haha!”, he said.

She would’ve never thought to do that, but he did. All because he knew she hated getting herself messed up. She felt warm and fuzzy on the inside, she was just so grateful. He was so caring and creative. He was amazing. He was just so lovable. Heh! How could she not expect to fall for this goofball?

Together they walked side by side, Rayman doing his best to keep up the same pace to not get her wet by the rain. Except, when they turned into a specific corned, her friend pushed her under the roof, swiftly covering her eyes as he led her to the surprise place they were going to eat at.

Rabbid Peach thought it was a little silly for him to cover her eyes, but she didn’t want to spoil his excitement. As he guided her, she thought about all the nearby places they could eat, accessing all the possibilities. Suddenly they stopped.

“Aaand we’re here! Open your eyes Peachy!”.

She opened them, light pooling in from the restaurant’s bright neon sign. Her jaw dropped, it was Paula’s Place, the fanciest restaurant on the street. Was he serious?!? This was way too expensive! They’ve never eaten at someplace like this before! Especially just the two of them.

Rabbid Peach was about to protest, but Rayman’s face was full of pride and delight at showing her. Oh well. It was his treat right? They’d just get something small. No big deal!

It looked like she made her friend nervous by not responding, “Um. What do you think?” he stuttered out, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice though confidence.

“It’s perfect, Ray! Now, let’s find a nice booth, m’kay? Maybe we can get a spot where we can see them cook!”, she responded. Peaches moved to hold her friend’s hand, leading him into the restaurant. He followed eagerly, the biggest smile on his face.

“Yeah! That’d be great!”, he said joyfully.

The two spent what felt like forever giggling and talking over the dinner table. They shared a delicious candle-lit dinner. It was super nice. Once, she made a joke that sent him cackling, he leaned back against the chair, his beautiful, goofy laughter escaping his lips. He was stunning. Gorgeous.

She’s positive she made the most embarrassing lovey face at him as he laughed, but she didn’t care. She really, really liked him. It just felt so natural with him. Not like with Mario. Just maybe, things will be different this time. She felt like butterflies were fluttering about in her stomach at the thought, a warm, yet welcome feeling.

As the time of the restaurant closing became closer they set up to leave, tidying up the table to help out the waiting staff, and grabbing their leftovers. They prepared the bill payment, with Rabbid Peach offering to cover the tip since her friend paid for the meal. After some hesitation, he obliged, they didn’t have the money for a place as nice as this, but it was great to share a moment like this. Rayman eventually got up from his seat.

“I’m just gonna run to the restroom real quick before we leave! Be right back.”, her friend said, giving her a warm smile. She waved at him as he shuffled off, smiling back at him. Once again, Rabbid Peach was alone with her thoughts, having no phone to distract her while she waited at the table. This time, however, she didn’t mind. The date, ahem, hang out went well and they had fun!

Hm. Maybe this day wasn’t so bad after all. She got to kiss her new crush, and fight some enemies! Okay sure, she got injured, but it was still fun! Especially the kiss part. Heh! Hope he wouldn’t mind doing extra takes if they needed them. She wouldn’t!

The rabbid giggled to herself, fiddling with a fork on the table to satiate her boredom. She focused on it, the gleam of the fancy silver in the light, her distorted reflection, and- from out the corner of her eye, the figure of a Rabbid that took Rayman’s spot across from her.

“Eugh!!!”, Peaches squeaked out. She jumped, strengthening her posture. How long was he sitting there?!?!? How did she not notice?

When she got a better look at him, she noticed it was a guy she didn’t know. A shiver crawled up her spine. Hopefully, it was just someone from the set crew she didn’t know. When she made eye contact with him, his face brightened in excitement. The stink of alcohol hit her nose.

“Hic! Hi! You’re Rabbid Peach, right? I’m a huge fan! Can you give a guy an autograph for me? Possibly your number too?”, he mumbled out, a bit too eagerly for her tastes. A look of annoyance spread across her face. She didn’t know him! And he was taking up her friend’s spot!

“No. I don’t do autographs. I don’t know you. Now, can you get out of my friend’s seat? He’s going to be back any moment now.”, Peaches said dismissively. She’s had weird fans before and does not want one to ruin her night.

“Friend? Oh, what a relief! I was worried you had…those kinds of tastes. Good to know I’ve still got a chance.”

Eugh…she did not like the implications of that. Her face scrunched up in disgust at the comment. She chose to not respond, hoping this guy would get the hint. She glared at him, hoping to scare him off. Her fur was starting to stand on end in discomfort.

He still didn’t get out of Ray’s seat, instead choosing to make himself comfortable, putting his feet onto the fine table. Did he just disregard what she said? It made her blood boil. Rolling her eyes, she went to get up from the table, trying to flag down a staff member to remove this guy. She didn’t want to make a scene and ruin her night with Rayman.

The Rabbid grabbed her arm roughly, turning her around to face him. She stared at the man with a glare that could kill him. Apparently, he was too drunk to acknowledge it.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going? I’m trying to talk to you!”, he said, the stink of his breath in her face. It took everything in her power to keep her composure without absolutely pummeling this guy. Her eyes twitched with a mix of anger and sheer annoyance.

She pulled away from him, turning away calmly to talk to an employee. Their conversation was starting to turn the heads of the people dining toward them. At least they’re witnessing what’s happening.

He slammed on the table, causing the silverware to make a clattering noise. “C’mon give me a chance! I’m sure I’d be a lot better than that freak you were talking to!!”, he yelled, spit leaving his mouth in anger.

That was it. That stupid insult broke any composure she had with this guy. She spun around livid about what he said. That ridiculous comment infuriated her, and that was all it took for their argument to erupt throughout the diner.

=====================================

The thingamajig’s heart thumped delightfully in his chest as he thought about the night he and Peaches shared. She was so smart, funny, strong, and pretty! How lucky was he to have a friend like her!

There was just something about her. She was different. Sure, it felt selfish to only take her to this restaurant and not his other friends, but he wanted to spend more time with her. He could afford to be a little greedy for her time. They loved spending time together, after all! It looked like she was having a lot of fun tonight. Hopefully, just as much as he was.

Wait. He took her, and only her to this fancy restaurant. Was this…did he just…invite her on a date?!?! And she accepted?!?

He shook the thoughts from his mind. No way! She wouldn’t go for someone like him…right? Right? They were just friends and this was just a hang-out. Yes. Nothing more.

Still, he could feel insecurity prick at him. Hmmm well, fixing himself up a bit here wouldn’t be bad. He had to look his best for her after all! She was so lovely tonight, her beautiful, soft fur shined in the candlelight of their table. He couldn’t help but notice she was packing a bit of muscle on her arms while she ate. Her hair was all fixed up, even after the battle they’d been through earlier that day. She was always so put together. Egads! He hoped he wasn’t staring too hard.

Rayman peered at himself through the bathroom mirror, trying to fix up his hair. Should he slick it back? Hmmm, would Peaches like that? Maybe!

He licked his hand once more, pressing down his hair, for a moment it held, his long hair spiking towards the back of his head. Heh! Looking good! Real mature and fancy-like. Until it bounced up goofily again, making a boing sound. He huffed in annoyance.

Oh well, she already said he looked handsome like this too. He blushed, relishing in the memories of her compliments from earlier. She really got him. The rabbid knew how to flatter him. It was like he was wrapped around her paw. Those soft, wonderful paws combined with her smug, warm smile were enough to set his heart aflame in an instant.

The goofiest grin spread onto his face. Oh, he was hopeless. He was absolutely, devoted to these weird feelings he’s been having for his best friend. They weren’t bad…or at least they didn’t feel bad. Not in the slightest! They felt really, really good. They made him feel all giddy and warm on the inside.

Rayman was ready to feel those feelings all over again. Sure, their dinner was over, but he still had the rest of the walk home with Peaches, and he was going to cherish every second of it.

The thingamajig exited the bathroom with fervor, beginning to make quick strides to their table. He didn’t want to keep her waiting! Also, the restaurant was closing soon, better to leave when it wasn’t inconvenient for the staff.

As he got closer to it, he heard arguing and a cacophony of shrill cries from the restaurant’s patron and staff. He saw a crowd surrounding the spot he and Peaches sat at. What was going on? Where was his friend?

“Hey! Leave her alone, man!”

“Stop it!”

“What’s going on, mom? I’m scared…”

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

“Just shut up dude!”

“You were supposed to ask for her number and that’s it! That’s enough!”

He pushed past the crowd of Rabbids, hoping to find her and put a stop to whatever conflict was going on. Worry pulled at his heart when he heard the shouting of his friend as he got closer to the center of the circle. There he saw the scene at hand. Peaches stood alone, facing off against a disheveled-looking Rabbid guy. He was hit with the sharp scent of alcohol coming off of him.

Presumably, the guy's friends were holding him back, trying to prevent him from lunging towards Rabbid Peach.

Rayman could see the fur on his friend bristling with anger. She was quaking with rage and adrenaline, yelling out, “Excuse me!?! Don’t you dare talk about my friend like that!! You don’t even know him you jerk!”.

At those words, the rabbid guy shook away from his friends’ grasp, falling towards the floor messily. He scrambled to his feet, glaring at Peaches. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I offend you? It just seems like you have a type for freaks! First Mario, then, ugh Rayman? Oh please! You can do better than those monsters!!”, he spat hatefully.

“Bah! Are you even listening to yourself right now? You don’t know a thing about me! You’re drunk! So run along home already and back off! Ugh, I don’t have time for this right now!”

She huffed, turning around, trying to step away. Suddenly, he lurched towards Rabbid Peach, trying to get up in her face and grab her arm. She flinched, trying to move out of the range of his arms. Rayman rushed to step toward them.

“You deserve a Rabbid like m-!”

He reached his hand out, it floating in between the guy and Rabbid Peach to prevent him from getting any closer to her. It took a moment for her to recognize whose hand it was until she looked up. Her brilliant blue eyes made contact with his.

The guy turned around to see what shadow was casting over him, his ears drooped downward in fear at the sight he faced. The thingamajig loomed threateningly over the drunken Rabbid, floating himself up to the tallest height he could. His snout was crinkled, like a predator about to snap at its prey. Sharp teeth peeked out of his mouth.

He moved to position himself between the Rabbid and Peaches. “Leave. Her. Alone.”, he growled out. Rayman’s height compared to him seemed to break him out of his drunken rage. At least for a moment, until it came back.

“Oh? What are you going to do about it?! Bite my head off? Suiting for a monster like you!”, the Rabbid remarked quickly. It was met with silence. Hmph. How clever. This guy can only come up with two insults to say to him.

Rayman’s eyes twitched at the comment. Whatever, it wasn’t worth it to waste his breath on this guy. His gaze panned back to Peaches, she seemed upset. Just what did this jerk say to her?! Nothing good from what he heard. He made his decision.

“Let’s just go, Peaches.”, Rayman muttered to his friend, turning to leave. Peaches followed him, shooting a glare back at the guy.

“Fine! Walk away you coward! Probably everyone in here agrees with me! Right?”, he spat out cockily. To his surprise, it was met with mutters of disagreement from the crowd mixed with loud booing at the drunken Rabbid. He looked nervous after that, shutting up as the crowd worked to block him off from the pair of friends leaving. Rayman was thankful for that. It was nice that they stepped in.

Before Rayman and Rabbid Peach left, the manager came up to them, saying that they’d deal with the situation. They offered to give the meal for free, but Rayman refused. It wasn’t thier fault. She promised to give them a call with any updates on the situation. The Rabbid Guy would for sure be banned from Paula’s Place, so that much was good. Right?

The two walked away from the restaurant, hearing the ring of the bell on the door as they left. An anticlimactic end to the conflict they just had. They trudged through the puddles on the sidewalk in silence. His friend seemed horribly dejected. Their walk was quiet, the dreadful kind, thick with tension.

He felt like he needed to say something. Apologize. He felt guilty that the guy yelled at her, and he wasn’t there in time to stop it. Was it because she went out with him that day? Maybe, the guy wouldn’t have said anything to her if he wasn’t with her. Was it his fault, even partially?

He stopped at a familiar spot, the bridge they liked to hang out at on the walk home every day. The thingamajig walked towards the railing, motioning for his friend to join him, pulling at her shirt with a hand. After the tug on her shirt, she noticed he stopped walking, and followed him as she leaned against the railing of the bridge. The soft lighting of the lampposts illuminated the two. The puddles around them glistened beautifully in their glow. It was a shame their night was ruined by the scene from earlier. On such a lovely night like this, their thoughts had to be plagued by that bad memory.

Sorrow pulled at his heart when he saw his friend’s face, now fully illuminated by the lights around him. She looked pained and angry. The rabbid tapped irritably on the railing, rolling a pebble with her foot. Rayman broke the silence, bashfully, he spoke out the words, “I’m sorry you had to witness something like that because of me.”.

She squeezed the railing with her paw, a deep frown forming on her face. “Don’t be sorry! It wasn’t your fault. That guy was such a jerk!”, Peaches sharply replied. She kicked the pebble over the bridge in anger, making a quiet plip sound as it hit the water below. She leaned on the railing, looking upset. He guessed that comment didn’t help as much as he thought it would.

“Yeah…he really was.”, he replied, a bit flatly. He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? She was right. It wasn’t his fault. It never was. He never did anything to the people he encountered who would say these things. Except, whenever he stood up for himself, he couldn’t handle the frightened looks they gave him back. No matter how politely he tried, they always looked at him like he was a monster. Some sort of terrifying creature. Nothing more.

His friend looked at him, confusion spreading across her face, her frown fading. She still seemed upset, but her expression softened at him. “Why aren’t you more upset about this? This…doesn’t happen to you, often does it?”, she said, shakily. She turned to look at him, face turned pained as she realized he hadn’t responded yet.

He shied away from her gaze, foot tapping. He’s never really talked about these things before. He didn’t know what to do. Was she upset with him? For not reacting enough? The thingamajig trembled a bit, his friend noticing.

“Oh…Rosalina. No, Ray.”, she said, her voice breaking a bit. He glanced at her to check if she was okay. Stutter out a reply maybe, but when he turned to look at her…she was crying. He bit back his words. It hurt so badly seeing his friend’s heartbreak for him.

He could feel tears wetting his eyes. Rabbid Peach was always so strong, and put together. Seeing her cry for him was just…too much for him to bear. Rayman went to find comfort in grasping at his hoodie, the fabric felt worn in his hands. He steeled his courage to respond to her. He wanted to be honest. His opportunity to vent a bit. He needed to get this off his chest. No more bottling it up. It wasn’t healthy and he knew it.

Rayman breathed a shaky breath in and out, trying to calm himself down. It’s okay. She would listen. They’re friends, and she cares about him! So just spit it out! You can do this!

He steeled his courage to open up. Polokus, he wasn’t used to this. Especially two times in one day! “Um. It’s happened a few times before. Quite a bit, ever since I got here, though it was worse back on the planet I came from. Heh. I guess not everybody has healed from our conflict. Y’know, like I mentioned before?”, he said softly, trying to hide the stress in his voice.

He fiddled with his fingers, muttering, “Or maybe it’s just the way I look? Being limbless and all might not help. I do look a bit… outside their norm, I guess. It could be that I just look intimidating to people. I scare them. Kind of like earlier with that Rabbid guy.”. He waved his hands around, trying to both distract himself and emphasize his points.

His friend looked like she was hanging on his every word, listening intently. She kept staring at him, compassion in her eyes. Rabbid Peach’s ears twitched when he mentioned the fear aspect of it. Did it bother her? Once he finished, her face scrunched up, like she was pondering something. Something clicked in her mind, and her face fell.

“Is this what you were afraid of back in the dressing room? All this time?”

That was it. She found out. He was terrified that people would treat her badly too just by hanging around him. Rayman thought he was safe, after their conversation in the dressing room that day. Filled with stupid hope. The situation they had just been through today confirmed it. His worst fears.

“Yes.”, he whispered weakly, practically having to force the words out of his mouth. The limbless trembled even more. He was panicking. His breaths became quick. It wasn’t his fault. He knew that she told him so, but still. He felt like it was! He was so afraid this would happen. He bit his lip, trying to calm himself, becoming frustrated. How stupid was he to think it wouldn’t? All because of those kind words she said to him. Ones that filled him with such hope? What a fool he was! He was so-!

The thoughts bombarding his mind were interrupted by the tender touch of his friend. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a strong, comforting hug. His breath hitched, looking down at his dear friend. The blonde rubbed gentle circles into his back like she did earlier.

Rabbid Peach squeezed him, nuzzling herself into the worn fabric of his hoodie. He relaxed into it. “It’s okay, Ray. You’re okay. I’ve got you. Just breathe.”.

He relaxed into her, melting into her touch. He nodded in response to her, taking a long, deep breath before exhaling. He felt a bit better. The thingamajig pulled his friend closer to him, wrapping his hands around her back.

The two were silent for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence, holding each other close. The city was peaceful around them, they could hear the dripping of leftover rain from the railing, faint, cheesy pop music playing from stores around them, and the stream of water flowing from beneath the bridge. Cars would pass, adding a bit of chaos to the noise, but overall, it was steady, and calming, it felt safe, and pleasant even.

The scenery was beautiful. Magical, even. The bright, neon light signs illuminate the wet pavement around them in a gorgeous flurry of colors. He never thought he’d witness anything that would ever match the beauty of the Glade he once called home. Though, with his friend standing next to him, she could make even the coldest, most damp places seem stunning. Maybe, when he gets back home, he could show her around? Yes. That would be perfect. She would love it. He tried to focus on the atmosphere around him, taking in the view.

She moved to place her hand on top of his, rubbing her thumb into the back of it. Rabbid Peach spoke softly, “I just…want you to know that these things are never your fault. Sometimes, you’ll have to deal with small-minded people. When I first got to the Mushroom Kingdom, I had to deal with plenty.”.

He turned his gaze to look at her, she was looking back directly at him, her blue eyes shimmering beautifully in the moonlight. He was shocked, they never told him about this before! So far, he’d only heard good things about the mysterious kingdom his friends came from.

Rayman replied, “Really? You did? I never really heard about that from you guys before. At least, Rabbid Mario never talked about it.”

The blonde rabbid sighed, “It was…a bit more subtle than what happened today. They seemed afraid of us. You could tell by the way they looked at you. A mix of disgust and horror. That’s why when you looked at me like that when we first met, it kind of set me off.”

Peaches turned to glance at the thingamajig, checking to see if he was listening to her. He was hanging on her every word, staring at her attentively. He flipped his hand over, holding her paw securely.

She continued, “Over time though, things changed. Toads and Koopas alike became accepting of us. Of our new presence. Princess Peach’s support of us helped as well as all the other heroes. Heck, even Bowser stepped in! Now, Rabbids are an integral part of his kingdom too.”

He nodded, validating her to keep going.

“Anyways, I’m trying to say there will be jerks out there that will mistreat us for no reason, but that’s not everybody. People are changing. Most of the people in the diner supported us today! We just need to stand up for ourselves and keep working to promote change around us. Things will get better. I promise.”

She chuckled a bit, maybe trying to break the serious tension, at least for a moment. Like she was being reminded of something.

“That's why this silly romance in Beep-O’s movie means so much to me. Like okay. I’ve always wanted to star in a movie, but also, it’ll show everyone that a relationship like ours can work. A strong bond can develop between anyone, no matter the species we are, Rabbids, Thingamajigs, Toads, Koopas, whoever!”

Rayman was in awe of her. So that’s why she put so much effort into this movie. Why she’d stay such long hours, working with the filmmakers to make sure every scene was perfect? How could he not have realized that until now? She was incredible.

She wiped away a tear from her eyes, “Oh! Sorry, I kinda made that about me. I hope that helped even a little bit though.”.

He bumped his body into Rabbid Peach’s, giving her a warm smile. He replied, admiration in his voice, “No. That was… really beautiful Peaches. You always know what to say, you know that?”.

She hummed in response, leaning into him. She felt warm. The pair enjoyed the view once again in silence. A car passed by once more, adding to the growing, delightful melody of noises around them.

“Um, hey, Peachy?”

“Hmm?”

“I- want to apologize for how I acted when we first met. I was hurt and it wasn’t right. I didn’t even know you, yet I judged your intentions so quickly! You, Beep-O, and Rabbid Mario.”

“Thank you for that. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry too, for messing with your appendages and all.”

“S’okay. It’s all water under the bridge now.”

Peaches snorted at that response, giving him a playfully judgy expression for the pun he dared to assault her ears with. He chuckled quietly, moving a hand to his mouth to cover his goofy grin.

“Wow. Great pun there, Ray.”, she replied, tangible light hearted sarcasm in her voice.

“Awww hush. You know you love them.”. He took the opportunity to pat at her side, pulling her in closer. She was warm. He could feel his face flush at the contact. The night wasn’t cold anymore.

….Another moment of silence. The view was incredible. Her warmth felt nice against his side and his hand. He breathed in and out, the tension in his body fading out with a deep sigh. A thought came to his mind.

He was so happy to have her in his life.

“Thanks for talking to me about this…I really needed to get this off my chest. For a long time now.”

She batted gently at his back, saying, “Bwahhh! What are friends for? You can talk to me any time.”

“Same here.”, Rayman replied. He leaned further into her, nestling against her shoulder comfortably as he enjoyed the view.

Suddenly, it started pouring. The rain came back, even harder than before. He moved to cover Peaches once again with his hands, but to his surprise, she didn’t look mad. She seemed dumbfounded, a goofy smile of delight on her face. She was giggling. Her wonderful laughter making his heart race once more.

“Pfft! Seriously? Did the rain really have to ruin the moment just now?”

“It just wanted to fit the mood, haha!”, Rayman remarked, giggling.

The music from the stores played faintly in the streets, a strange, yet somewhat catchy tune combined together. A lovely, jazzy, upbeat, synth-like tune. In combination with the rain, it was delightful. Unique.

“Heh, you’re right. So dramatic, and possibly…romantic?”

When she said that last word, she playfully bumped her hips into her friend’s side. Giving him a silly, over the top, bewitching look. Her hair flopped over plainly in response to the intense look, making the motion even more hilarious than before. He scoffed in amusement, expecting that to be it…but no.

To his surprise she started dancing, swaying her hips along with the rhythm of the environment around them. Her hair swishing wonderfully in the rain. She made a pulling motion towards him, beckoning him to join her. A mischievous grin spreading onto her face.

“Ohhh no Peachy.”, he managed to say in between his laughter, leaning up against the railing watching her dance like no one was watching.

She reached out a paw to him, striking a goofy pose. She said deeply, as if there was honey caught in her throat, “May I have this dance, Ramon?”. Rabbid Peach made a dramatic bowing motion as she awaited his answer, like a prince would at a fancy ball or something.

He giggled. Was she really being serious about this? Heh! Sure, why not? They deserved to have a bit of fun.

“Of course.”, he said, mimicking her deep voice from earlier. Taking her paw into his hand, he gave her a spin, much like he did when they performed on stage during their karaoke night.

Together, the two danced throughout the night. Swinging each other around clumsily. Oh they were terrible, absolutely uncoordinated. Only relying on their natural chemistry to keep them going. Rayman slipped on the slick concrete beneath him, falling before Peaches caught him in her strong arms. His heart raced, and she pushed him upward, continuing their dance.

It was just them, at least, it felt like it. He’s sure there were plenty of passersby watching them, judging maybe or laughing along with them. Still, he didn’t care. He loved it. Laughing with her after every misstep, every cocky comment Peaches would dish out at him, it was perfect. Until-

KRACKABOOM!!

The sound of thunder rang through their ears. Rain poured onto them even harder than before. Okay. Maybe that was their sign to finally head on home.

For a moment, they stared at each other, before bursting out laughing. They ran home through the heavy rain, taking chances to splash in every little puddle they came across. Once they got back home, they stood in front of the door, soaked.

Rayman chose to shake off the water, like a dog would, trying to clear out his hair of water. He could hear his dear friend’s whine of annoyance when some of it splashed on her, which caused him to smile mischeviously. When finished, he turned to his blonde Rabbid friend, using his helicopter ability to blow dry her. He tried his best, unsuccessfully, to hold in a snort when her fur fluffed up at the wind’s contact.

She rolled her pretty blue eyes at him, a smirk on her face. Rabbid Peach teased him, getting up close and personal to him, asking him just what was wrong with her appearance. By the end of it, she had him cackling out in laughter, to which she broke character to join him.

Once they got inside, unlocking their squeaky apartment door, they launched themselves onto their worn out couch. Rayman remembers they played video games for the rest of the night. Neither of them wanted this to end, fighting back against the enticing, warm blanket of sleep that threatened to overtake them.

The thingamajig could feel his friend was getting tired. Her voice turned much more groggy, honeyed, every time she tried to spit back a competitive remark at him during their game. Eventually, she leaned into him, nestling herself into the soft fabric of his hoodie.

Rayman was surprised, breath hitching at her closeness, especially with all the trash she was talking minutes before. When he realized she fell asleep, he sighed contentedly. I guess our day together had to end at some point, huh?

Gently, he grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around him and Peaches. She started purring at the warm contact. Pieces of her hair blew upward from her breathing as she slept. He giggled, staring at her. She was wonderful. Just so lovely. His heart fluttered.

He doesn’t know when he began to fall asleep. Maybe it was the exhaustion of all the emotions he went through today, or hearing the soft, pleasant snoring of his dear friend next to him.

He would look forward to spending even more time with her in the future. That’s for certain. Then, the heavy, soothing feeling of sleep overwhelmed his senses.

All he knew was that he had the best night’s sleep he had in a long time with her by his side.

=====================================

Rayman awoke to the beam of sunlight from out the living room window boring uncomfroatbly into his eyelids. Peaches was in is grasp still, lying on his torso. The thingamajig could feel her soft hair sprawled out onto him. It felt nice. Lovely, but the sunlight was not doing wonders for him.

He groaned, tossing over himself and Peaches to face the inside of the couch. He turned to bring up the blanket they shared over them, being interrupted by a familiar voice of a particular robot.

“Good morning, Mr. Eggplant!”, Beep-O said enthusiastically, almost too much for how much sleep Rayman had. He opened his eyes, immediately being beamed in the face by his friend’s bright blue lights.

“Urggh…no….leave us alone.”, Rayman groaned at him, annoyance clawing at his mind at being immediately blinded when he just woke up. Choosing to just go back to sleep, he closed his eyes once more, turning over and moving his hand to cover Peaches from the light. He swatted aimlessly in what he assumed to be the robot’s direction, trying desperately to snooze him like an alarm clock. He could hear the robot’s gasp of annoyance at the motion.

Rabbid Mario chimed in loudly from the other room, “I made breakfast~! You guys better get it while it’s hot!”. It smelled delicious, hints of bacon, eggs, a hint of maple syrup, and…was that pancakes he smelled? His stomach growled. It was tempting, but Rabbid Peach seemed to be sleeping so peacefully! Plus, it was really comfortable too.

Fine. He’d spend just a few more minutes to spend holding Peaches. That’s all he needed. C’mon Beeps! You’ll wake her up!

Beep-O mumbled, toning up sass in his voice, “Well, it’s not our fault you two chose to come home late doing Rosalina knows what!”.

“Mmmgh…I’m up. I’m up…”, Rabbid Peach said softly, muffling against Rayman’s chest. He heard a long yawn coming from Rabbid Peach as she stirred awake, he could feel her stretching ontop of his chest. His heart beat fast. Did she not realize how close she was to him?!?

She messily climbed over Rayman, causing him to open his eyes to let her through. Together, they stumbled into the kitchen, blinking sleep away from their eyes. He’s sure they looked awful. He and Peaches were not morning people.

Mari made them a wonderful breakfast, it was amazing. He was always the best cook out of all of them, a fact that surprised Rayman during the first few days living together. Rayman gave his friend a thumbs up, telling him that he did an incredible job, he gave him a happy grin in return. Beep-O sipped his coffee, equipping his body to sit with his friends at the counter.

It was quiet, sounds of eating accompanied by the clattering of silverware. Beep-O managed to speak up, “So…um, I finished reviewing the footage of the kiss scene from yesterday.”.

That line caused Rabbid Peach and Rayman to perk up. How did they do? Did it turn out good? Would it make the cut? Did the directors approve? They were desperate to know!

Rabbid Peach responded to her friend, trying to hide the excitement in her voice, “Okay, how did it turn out?”.

The robot’s face cringed. Oh no. That was a terrible sign! Would it not be in the film?!? Would the head directors cut the scene entirely?!?! That would be awful!! Beep-O set down his coffee cup, intertwining his hands, like he was about to break some serious news. It made Rayman nervous, he could feel sweat pool in his hoodie.

“Well, let’s start with the good news. You two did a great job and your performances convinced the head directors to add the scene to the movie! I’m sure the audience would appreciate the romance arc culminating in a kiss. It fit right in!”, Beep-O said in a professional tone, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

That’s great! Relief overwhelmed Rayman at his robot friend’s words. Whew! They’d keep the romance in. Thank Polokus!! No matter what, he needed it to stay in. It meant so much to Peaches and now him! To show the world that a strong relationship like theirs can develop and work between Rabbids, Thingamajigs, Toads, Koopas, anybody! It was important. It had to happen!

He gave Peaches the biggest smile of excitement and she returned it back. Her blue eyes shined with such joy and hope he’d never seen before. She was adorable. He swore he could feel lums buzzing around in his stomach at the sight. It felt so great. His heart pounded.

Wait…but what was the bad news?

Their robot friend continued on, “Now the bad news is…um… for the next shoot I need you guys to tone it down a bit. It was a little more…intense than what we want. For the final film, that is. So you’ll need to do it again. I hope you guys won’t mind! You don’t have to if-”.

Snort!

He could hear the sound of hushed laughter coming from Rabbid Peach. She tried her best to hold it in subtly, but that was never her strong suit. That’s another thing about her he loved, no shame at showing how she felt.

Then he thought about what his friend said. It felt silly. Did they really go that crazy for the scene? I guess their emotions were running pretty high. Y’know, that thought was funny. Peaches was right. He stared softly at her, trying to conceal his amusement. They gave each other a shared look of acknowledgment and one thing was certain.

Filming another scene? Haha! Of course they could. They’d be more than happy to. As many as it took. And so another day of filming began in the Space Opera Network. The lights shined brightly onto Rayman and Rabbid Peach as they got ready for their next scene.

“Lights!”

They stared at each other. Rayman tapped her side, Rabbid Peach twitched her ears.

“Camera!”

They held each other close. Smiles of delight on their faces. Rayman could feel his heart pounding in excitement. He could feel hers too against him.

They were ready for this. They could do this!

They leaned in closer to each other…

“Action!”