"Look, I don't know what to tell you," the instructor said. The mink shook her head sadly at Xodiac as he stood before her, ears drooping despondently. "You already agreed you'd participate in the recital. And this is what everyone else is wearing. Well, except Sana, but she's the lead, and you're not. I can't have you drawing attention away from her by allowing you to wear something unique."

The dragote's wings fell limply behind him. "I know... but..." He held up the pink and white tutu, all satin, lace, and gauze. "Really? I mean... really?"

"Yes, really," Miss Terzina said, allowing a hint of tartness into her voice. "Now, go change. Dress rehearsal starts in fifteen minutes, and you still need to stretch."

Xodiac sighed and headed for the dressing room. There were definitely times he wished he'd never won that raffle prize. "Free dance lessons for a year!" the listing had said, but he'd overlooked that he'd have to bring – or pay for – a leotard and tights to wear during the classes. And the listing had somehow failed to mention that they were ballet lessons, or that, since most ballet dancers were girls, the school had no lesson plan or clothing suited to men. Miss Terzina had sniffed, then coolly measured him and doled out some sheer white tights and a leotard in black and pink.

He'd sighed then, too, but he'd taken them. And worn them in class, even, with small girls of various ages surrounding him. Embarrassing, to be sure, but the dragote wasn't about to abandon a prize. Ballet class be damned, even catering only to girls be damned, even wearing something that felt like pantyhose and a women's swimsuit be damned; he won things far too rarely to ever seriously consider that. And at least he'd managed to keep his sister from knowing about it. She'd never let him live it down.

This was worse, though, he thought as he stripped down. He'd been taking the lessons for almost six months, now, and the little mink had decided it was time to show her class off to the world. "But we simply must have you as well," she'd cooed at him. "You are my student, and you've made such wonderful progress, and your wings lend you a perfect air of grace! I have already written your part, the entire piece would be ruined without you there!" So, feeling somehow guilty for ever daring to consider sitting out, he'd agreed. Which meant he'd had to put out yet more money for a tutu and matching ballet shoes.

And now he had to wear them. He looked down at the "special" underwear Miss Terzina had gotten him to keep him tucked away. They looked suspiciously like panties. With another sigh he stepped into the bodice and pulled the straps over his shoulders. At least it was elastic, rather than needing to be tied shut. The tutu stuck out almost perfectly horizontally from his waist, making him feel oddly like the centerpiece of a walking table.

Then the shoes. Before this class, he'd rarely even worn shoes, but Miss Terzina had come through again with a set designed to accommodate talons like his. Hooray. He wound the silky ribbons up his calves and tied them around his thighs, like he'd been taught. It was tricky doing it with the tutu in the way, but he'd done it enough times now that he could wrap his legs by feel. A few knee and ankle flexes showed they were secure without inhibiting his movements.

When he emerged, Miss Terzina rewarded him with a series of sharp little claps, her hands practically vibrating together. "Excellent, excellent!" she said. "Now join the other girls. We'll begin in a few minutes." Xodiac blushed a little at "other girls," but said nothing as he walked over to them and began stretching. There were no smirks from his fellow students, thankfully, no mocking smiles. Most, in fact, nodded a polite greeting; the rest afforded him barely a glance. They were all used to his presence by now.

Lost in his thoughts and intent on the stretching exercises, Xodiac paid little attention to the soft chime of the front door opening. But he could hardly ignore the familiar voice behind him exclaiming, "My goodness! You look just exquisite in that tutu!"

The hybrid froze halfway to touching his toes. Oh, no. He looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. Sure enough, it was Rille. "Uh. Hi, sis."

"Woah. Wow. Ballet sure does agree with you. I would kill for a butt and legs like yours!"

Xodiac closed his eyes, resigned to the indignation, and resumed stretching. "Thanks. I guess. Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to know where you've been disappearing to each week," Rille said. "Ballet! Who would have guessed? Will there be a recital?"

This was the worst. Or so he thought, until Miss Terzina actually told her the date.

"Oh, wonderful. I'll just have to tell everyone!"

Someday, Xodiac thought, I'm going learn not to tempt fate with thoughts like those.

---

849 words.

This is filed under my Stories folder, but that's really a bit of a stretch. There's no plot, no conflict; I've been calling it a scene. Mostly I wrote it to explain exactly how the heck Xodiac found himself in drag yet again. Why is he wearing a tutu? Well, now you know. And at least he looks cute, don't you think?

This was a YCH from  Ko1chan. You can see her posting here.