the wings that you burn turn to ashes, my dear

So this was my first attempt at my Press Start pinch hit this year. (It took me three tries until I got to the final fic, which is Into the Night.) Basically, I wanted Celes to return to the opera without the pretense of roping in a gambler so they could use their airship, and maybe she had to fill in for Maria again? I didn't get that far before I decided to try a different version of Celes singing, lol.

Here's a snippet! Still not sure I'll return to this one any time soon.

Even still, it wasn’t like Celes had particularly fond memories of the Opera House. The Impresario was a piece of work and though she had an appreciation for fine art, a prima donna she was not. To return as a guest, without another purpose in mind, seemed foreign to her.

Yet, Edgar asked her to come. “It’s a royal Figaro thing,” he’d said, waving a hand. “I can’t very well appear without a date. And you, Celes, would look stunning on my arm.”

She nudged him in the shoulder, slightly harder than necessary. “I am your advisor, Edgar. Not your date.”

“But of course!” Edgar gave her a bow, grinning up at her. “We’re going to be meeting dignitaries from Jidoor. I need you there to charm your way into their hearts.”

“Charm?”

Edgar shrugged. “Or to twist their arm into agreeing with me, whichever works best for us. They’ll never see you coming, Celes, my dear, which is the best part!” Standing to his full height, he winked at her. “Besides, when was the last time you went out for a night, hmm? Allow me to show you a good time.”