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ridetherain · 3 years

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New Year

Omg I wrote fluff. Who even am I.

Rating: T

Words: 2323

Summary: Link and Zelda go to a new year's festival in Link's hometown.

New Year

"Come on, Link! You need to join the archery competition!" Zelda stage-whispered into Link's ear. "I'm sure they'll let you join."

She had her face turned away from Link and was looking directly at the innkeeper, Pagho, who was taking down names for various competitions for the new year.

"We agreed that it was unfair for me to join any combat competitions," Link said shortly.

"We agreed that it was unfair for you to join swordplay competitions," Zelda clarified, "Besides, archery is more of a hunting competition. Come on. You've been a stick in the mud all day long. This is the last competition before the sun goes down."

Zelda's loud whispers and unblinking stare had caught the attention of Stad and Okil. Both men were stringing bows and listening unashamedly. They ambled over with a faux-casual air.

"So, Link," Stad said, "Are you going to join us or not. I know you pulled the Sword, but surely that doesn't make you a better shot."

"Or are you worried about your soldier training?" Okil asked, "I know you were stationed as an archer at Fort Hateno before you got all high and mighty. Maybe we should make this more of a challenge for our resident knight."

Link just gave the two a sour look. Zelda beamed at the backup and rushed over to Pagho to sign him up while he wasn't paying attention.

"You'll want to show off a little," Okil continued in a low voice, "You would hate to have your lady friend's head turned by another man. She's the most beautiful woman ever to visit this village. Every man here is waiting for you to mess up."

Link's frown got deeper.

"Including us," Stad said, "If that's what Castle Town women look like, then I think I'll have to find my way to the capitol as well."

"You're free to go to Castle Town. Hylia is out of your league." Link said.

"I don't see how you have time to meet women while guarding the Princess all day," Stad retorted. "I could find a beautiful woman too!"

Zelda picked that moment to march back to the three men.

"You're all signed up!" She exclaimed, "I worked it all out with Mister Pagho. You'll have an appropriately difficult challenge for your skill level."

She waved her hand in the air to brush off Link's grunted disagreement.

"It's too late to complain now; he's already written your name on the board."

Link just huffed a little and glared once more at the group at large before turning to the small weapon rack full of hunting bows. He chose a bow but left his soldier's issue weapon strapped to his back. He wasn't going to use his advantages in the competition, but he also wasn't going to disarm even partially. Zelda was still the Princess even in disguise, and he was the only guard in attendance at his hometown festival.

While Link turned his back, Zelda winked conspiratorially at Okil and Stad. She shooed the two off towards Pagho with a wave.

"I think you'll do well!" Zelda said to Link, "It will be good practice for the Farore's Day tourny in a few weeks. I know you've signed up for those competitions."

"The Farore's Day tournament is an exposition of skill among Hyrule's soldiers and knights. I will be competing against my peers." He tested the weight of the bow he selected.

"Archery competitors, listen up!" Pagho shouted over the crowd's chatter. "Find your ladies and get a good luck kiss before you line up!"

The crowd laughed and started jeering at the suddenly nervous group of men. A few wives and sweethearts came up for a little kiss, and one man swept his wife into a dip and gave her a lingering kiss to a great cheer from the crowd. Zelda was shoved forward by Pagho. She stumbled and tripped into the group. Link recovered from surprise fast enough to catch her. He helped her back to her feet with red cheeks.

"Ignore them," he whispered in her ear.

Zelda smiled good-naturedly and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, Hero."

She had a bit of mischief in her voice. When Link turned, deeply crimson, to the targets, he realized why.

There was a line of nine round archery targets about thirty yards away. They were good targets for men used to hunting in the forest. On one end, there was a tenth that was covered partially by fabric. Nails pinned the fabric carefully around the edges, leaving a much smaller and much narrower target in the shape of the master sword. Pagho had also placed the mark a good twenty feet further back. Not as far as the typical tournament distance, but easily far enough to provide a challenge when combined with the odd and very narrow shape.

Zelda met Link's look of reproach with an innocent smile.

Link took his place at the sword target in line with the other men and pulled an arrow from the cluster at his feet. Pagho gave the signal for the first shot. Link scuffed the ground with his back foot before settling into his stance. He stood upright and pulled the string back gently. He kept his breathing even and slow while he lined up the shot. He let the arrow fly and watched it shoot in a graceful arc to the Sword. It hit the target just to the right of dead center. The narrow shape meant that the arrow was closer to the mark's edge than the exact center. Link frowned.

Pagho called for the second arrow. Link scuffed the ground again and resettled his stance. He pulled back the arrow and let it fly when he exhaled. It sored to the target and embedded itself into the exact center of the Sword bullseye. Link gave the shot a short nod of approval before picking up his final arrow. The last two arrows didn't have the speed that this arrow did, and it clipped the edge of his second arrow before digging its way deep into the straw.

Link rolled his shoulders back and glanced down the line at his competition. Stad was a terrible shot. His target only had two arrows in it. Okil's was much better with all three arrows sticking out and two near the bullseye. Several of the remaining competitors shot at least one bullseye, and a stocky man at the opposite end got all three clustered in a tight group just north of his bullseye.

"It looks like our clear winner is our local knight and the Hero of Hyrule!" Pagho shouted to the crowd. He yanked Link forward and dropped an antler crown on his head. The rough headpiece was little more than two antlers lashed together with leather; it matched the winners of the other six competitions of the day. Link slouched his way into the lineup of winners to the cheers of the townspeople. They all stood around, clapping each other on the shoulders, peacocking for the crowd, and arguing good-naturedly.

"Let's give our winners a cheer!" Pagho shouted, and the crowd roared in approval. "And let's get this party going!"

The band took Pagho's words as their cue to start playing a rousing jig, and young women of the town pulled the seven men to the makeshift dancefloor next to the cookpots. A pretty redhead pulled Link along behind her and convinced him to swing her around in a familiar country dance. Link could see Zelda following the blacksmith to the floor as well and tripping over the novel peasant steps. She was elegant and sophisticated compared to the villagers. The dark umber of the hair dye they had used for her disguise gave her a dim glow instead of the bright shining light that usually surrounded her. She was still the most beautiful thing Link had ever seen.

Link danced with what felt like every woman in the town. In between dances, his partners offered him food and drinks. He slowly became more relaxed and began to enjoy the party. His head was getting a little fuzzy, and his body warm from all of the drinks while Zelda charmed her way through each unfamiliar dance.

"Your lady friend is charming." Pagho poured two drinks and handed one to Link. "You ought to dance with her. She keeps looking at you. She's going to give up on you soon if you don't go for it."

"She's not my lady friend. She's just an acquaintance from Castle Town. We're just friends."

"Maybe you're just friends, but that girl is sweet on you." Pagho was talking far too loudly. "She's been singing your praises all day to anyone who will listen."

Link did his best to keep his face from turning red again. "She's just kind. Excuse me."

Link downed his drink and walked away from the conversation as quickly as possible. He went over to where Zelda was chatting with Stad to ask her to dance. Not because Pagho told him to. He was just in the mood for another dance, and he wanted to be a good host.

But, Stad took her hand before he got to her and pulled her onto the dance floor. Link found another drink and sipped it while he waited his turn. Then Zelda switched partners to another man. Then another, then Okil, then that first blacksmith again.

"Looks like you missed your chance." Pagho swung past him with his wife. "Better hurry. There's only one more dance before midnight."

Link was pretty tipsy at this point.

He sat down on a bench and tried to come to terms with the fact that he was jealous of the blacksmith. He did want to dance with Zelda. More than that, he wanted Zelda to want to dance with him. But, she was more interested in literally any other man at this festival. They had barely even spoken after the dancing started.

He was wallowing in self-pity when the object of his thoughts plopped down next to him. The energetic dancing had left a pleasant flush on Zelda's face, and her skin had a light sheen of sweat. Link tried not to imagine her looking like this in his house without prying eyes.

"Would you like to dance?" She asked.

"Yes," he said much too quickly. Then his brain caught up, and he flushed to the tips of his ears. "I mean... yes..."

Zelda took his hand and led him to the dance floor. The musicians took up a slow ballad to end the old year. It was a sweet song that was far too intimate for a dance with a Princess. Link tried to think of Zelda as Hylia, a ladies maid from Castle Town, rather than his future sovereign. She placed his hand on her waist and took up his free hand in hers. Link tried to pull himself together and started the steps to a court dance she would know.

She beamed at him. "I didn't know you could do my court dances! I would have been dancing with you all night instead of making a fool of myself trying to learn new ones."

Link's heart skipped a beat.

"You seemed to be having fun. "

"Yes, I've had a good time. Thank you for letting me stay. I know I shouldn't have just shown up on your time off." Zelda looked down at her feet even though Link knew she had all of the steps by heart.

"I'm always happy to have you around, Zel. You're my friend, and I love spending time with you."

Now it was Zelda that couldn't keep the red from her face. She tried to turn her head to keep him from seeing, but Link took the motion as an invitation to pull her a little closer.

"I love spending time with you too. Getting to know you has been an adventure," Zelda's voice was a little muffled by his tunic. He wished she would look up so he could see her expression. "I hope that it's an adventure that keeps going."

"I don't have any more secrets, Princess. You know more about me than I do."

"Well, you'll have to work to surprise me, then," Zelda said with a smile in her voice. The song was coming to a close, so she began to pull away from him. He wouldn't let her go. They stopped with the music, and she finally turned her face up to his again.

He steeled himself. She looked content and expectant and nervous. He was nervous too, and if he hadn't had three more drinks than necessary, he probably wouldn't even be thinking about what he was about to do. He would almost certainly regret it in the morning when he considered his career trajectory and the effect on their friendship and his plans for not dying of a beheading.

Their lips touched.

Zelda sighed into the kiss, and Link could feel her hands slowly run down from his shoulder to grasp at the front of his tunic. He leaned back and took a ragged breath before capturing her lips again. His hands pressed against her back to keep her body against his own as tightly as possible. Each point of contact was a new shock of electricity to his system. Link thought that the moment couldn't get any better until she let out a small whimper. The sound made him forget everything around them. Her title was gone, their circumstances are gone, the village was gone.

She pulled away.

"Take me back to your house," He couldn't deny her anything when she spoke with that breathy voice full of need.

Link dove in for one last kiss before leading her by the hand through the crowd. They slipped away from the party quickly before running, laughing, up the hill to his house.

#zelink #loz #botw #rain works

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shnuggletea · 4 years

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Omg, omg, omg I LOVE this chapter. I'm so excited that we are finally at this one! I think you guys will love it too. Here's hoping!

Thanks for all the love and support for this fic! Makes me wonder though, do you prefer an AU or cannon based? I used to think cannon was more popular, still kinda do. But then I'll have an AU do crazy well so IDK anymore! If you have the time and interest, I'd be curious to know. My own personal satisfaction.

Also, my keyboard is working! It's magic... or something my hubby did yesterday cause he 'looked' at it, so my own personal form of magic ^_~. I'm afraid it's going to stop again though! And there's seriously not enough time in a day to get everything I need to get written done while it works (sighs). I've been focusing on my originals as of late, almost finished with one and I'm super excited about it. Thinking about taking a small break when I have it out to publishers for consideration to work on fanfics. So if you're waiting for something to update, it may be another week or two. Daddy Issues for example. It has one chapter left. Or rather I'm finishing it and however long it is, I'm posting it all in one chapter! Updating this and Infinity for Narci6 since I don't have an update for Enchanted ready for them.

Fanfiction link HERE!

AO3 link HERE!

Chapter 16

He cupped her face, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. Then he pulled her to him, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers. Warm, pulsing, tingles traveled down her body, the sorrow she felt from her memories steaming and evaporating from it. Not a bit of it was tinged with anger or fear. He was neither angry at her for his deaths nor scared of them. Her plan had failed.

Pulling away, her eyes were sluggish, wanting to stay closed and relish the moment. When she did get them open, she could see nothing but the stormy ocean of his eyes. He watched her, waited for her to pull away or show her dislike of the moment they had shared. But he could find none, as it did not exist. She wanted more.

So she didn't resist, letting him kiss her over and over and over again. Each time he pulled her in closer until she was pressed tightly against his chest, her feet off the floor. Her arms had found their way around his neck, holding his head securely in place against her mouth. Her love for him was alive and well, knowing full well he could feel it as they pressed together. Try as she might, she could do nothing about it. She couldn't pull away from him and she couldn't stop her racing heart that was overflowing with heartbreaking wanting.

And he felt that too.

He pulled away roughly, both of them panting from the will it took to stop, but he didn't release her. "Why? Why won't you let us be together?"

This connection that they shared made it hard to hide anything from him. "I can't stand to see you die again."

"Then let me awaken."

She shook her head, their noses brushing together from still being so close. "No. I can't ...I won't."

He rested his forehead against hers. "Usako ...why? I want you, only you."

She pressed sharply against his shoulders, gaining her release from his arms and the onslaught of emotions he was sending through her. "You don't know what you want Mamoru. The person you want is not me, she is a dream. And you forget, I already belong to someone else."

He tensed, his hands making fists at his sides. "You don't care about him, you feel nothing for him. Not like you feel for me."

"Doesn't matter. He is strong and he will come for me. What do you think he will do to you? If he finds me with someone else?"

"If I was at my full capabilities then it wouldn't be an issue now would it?"

She shook her head. "You don't know that."

"And neither do you! You know nothing about him, your husband, and you don't know me, what I am capable of."

"And you do? You saw, you died at the hands of others, and from what I have heard, they are nothing compared to Endymion."

His face went slack, "What did you say?"

"I said, I have been told he is stronger than…"

"No, not that. His name. Say it again."

"His name is Endymion."

His eyes went wild like they were trying to focus but couldn't find what they needed to focus on. Then he grabbed his head as if it would fall off. "Mamoru?!"

It was like before, during their spar, he was spiraling. She moved towards him, trying to get to him, but he held up a hand, a pulse of energy coming from it and knocking her back. Getting up as quickly as she could, she went for him again. This time she made it, grabbing onto his shoulders. He had her blocked completely again, feeling nothing from their touch.

The ground was starting to quake under their feet and she moved around to put her face before his. His eyes were squeezed shut tight. Pushing his hands away, she took his face in her hands again and called out to him. But it didn't work like it did last time. Cracks were forming in the cement under them and she went for broke, slapping him hard across the face.

Everything stopped. It was eerily silent and she waited for him to fully recover. His face was turned away from hers but she could see that his eyes were now open, staring blankly across the warehouse. Several seconds passed and still he was silent. She could feel him now, when she placed a hand on his shoulder, so that was a little reassuring.

"Mamoru...are you alright?"

He blinked for the first time it seemed and then shook his head, turning it back to her. Confusion, fear, and frustration ran through him, but none of it was placed towards her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I need ...I need to rest. That's all."

"Are you sure?"

He gently removed her hands from him and stood up straight. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, I'll walk you home."

~*O*~

The grass was tall and golden, waving in the cool breeze. Winter was just around the corner, he could feel it in the air.

She sat across from him, her legs pulled up under her while he laid back looking up at her, propping himself up on his elbows. She had the hood of her cloak pulled back, letting her golden hair rival the field they rested in.

A cloth beneath them, she chucked another grape into her mouth, dancing slightly as the sweet juice covered her tongue. He could feel all of it, every sensation, even eating. The only time he couldn't was when she returned to the Moon. Something she did far too often in his book.

She smiled, her face brightening even more from the gesture, and turned her head to the four who loomed too near. "Thank you Zoicite, I love these."

He leaned up slightly, swatting her knee gently. "And just how, pray tell, do you know I did not bring those to you?"

She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Because everyone knows Zoicite is the considerate one."

"You mean the rake!"

She giggled, "I am fairly certain that is all of you."

He sat up, grabbing her thigh and tickling her, earning him a beautiful laugh and a sharp smack to his hand. When he laid back down, she threw a grape at him, which to her shock and dismay, he caught in his mouth and ate.

"Thanks, I have been waiting for you to offer all day."

"To offer what exactly?"

"To feed me grapes. But I prefer them peeled, thank you."

This time, she got him in the eye, but the two of them just laughed. He could feel his joy mirrored in her, doubling on the warmth in his heart just by being around her. It propelled him to his feet, even though he would have stayed there with her forever, he was on a mission that day.

He held out a hand to her, which she took without hesitation. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

Little sparks of pleasure raced up his arm from her touch, but she soon released it, standing to brush the grass of her skirt and fluff her dress. He offered her his arm, which she took again without hesitation, letting him lead her away. His men already knew their role in all of this, but he glanced back at them to make sure they kept their word and their distance. They still stood where he left them, not moving in the slightest, letting him lead his Moon Goddess away on their own.

They had insisted on being with them every time she was near. Even after she managed to win over each of them. Even Kunzite cared for her. So much so, he was certain they insisted for her safety, not his, wanting to make sure he did not make any unchivalrous advances on her.

Once they were a safe distance away, she began to giggle to herself, humor filling her head to toe. "What has the lady so tickled?"

She shook her head, looking off into the distance. "I was just thinking about the first time we met. And the few after where we despised one another. How different things are now."

"Ah, so the lady hated me?"

She turned, facing him with mouth wide open, a smile hiding behind her shock. "I did not hate you, you hated me! And it was because of that that I found you barely tolerable. Even you have to admit you were a brute!"

A laugh bubbled out of him, her cheeks turning red. "Can you truly blame me? You show up and ruin everything we had with the relationship with our people, causing them to distrust us…"

"Your people already felt that way long before I arrived."

She had sobered significantly and so had he. "You are right. We were fools to think of it any other way."

She smirked, holding her head up with an air of haughtiness. "Fortunate, you had me to show you the error of your ways!"

"That I am."

A giggle came from her again, and he could hear the wickedness of it, knowing she had some sort of mockery in mind. "I still cannot believe you tried to strike me with lightning."

"I did no such thing!"

"The ground still bears your mark!"

He stopped, spinning her around to face him. "I would never have hit you. Give me some credit Serenity."

She just laughed, loving getting a rise out of him, and shaking her head. "You Earthans and your powers. Nothing but destruction. This is why I will always be stronger than you."

"Excuse me?"

"Your gift doesn't create! What good does it do? No, it is meant for wars and battles, not love."

He raised a careful brow at her, but she held no fear of him. That had passed long ago. "Doesn't create huh?"

A small white flake fell before her eyes and she just barely caught sight of it. Confusion on her face and in her brain, she looked back at him. But he remained silent as he filled the sky with more. The once sun-filled day was now grey as snow fell heavily from above.

Her face brightened as her eyes grew wide. Spinning away from him, she looked out across the field, watching as the frozen crystals fell. Lifting up a tentative hand, she caught a few, then held both hands out wide beside herself, spinning slowly and dancing in the snow.

His heart swelled at the sight of her, beating painfully. She felt it, stopping and turning to him, concern brimming over. "I am fine Rena."

The mood ruined, she lowered her eyes to the ground, and now her grief washed over him. "There is something I must tell you."

Fear squeezed his heart at her tone, wind picking up from his tension. "What is it?"

She waited a beat, summoning the courage, which only had him struggling to breathe as he waited. "I don't think I can come visit you. Anymore."

"What?"

She turned, forcing herself away from his stare. "The ritual for my marriage will start soon…"

"You are engaged?!"

The wind howled around them, whipping their cheeks. Anger burned through him at an uncontrollable rate, the thought of her with someone else causing rage to spark in an instant. She turned on her heel and took several steps towards him, careful not to touch him. "No! No, I am not. Not yet."

He calmed at her words and at the salve she washed over him through their connection, the blizzard he was about to start calming down. "What do you mean by 'not yet' then? You will be engaged soon?"

She stepped away from him again, moving like a pace, gentle snowflakes catching in her hair. "We Lunars have a tradition. A ritual of sorts in which a husband is selected for the Lunar heir next in line. For me."

"Do you not get a say in all of this? Can you not pick your man?"

She shrugged, picking at a tall weed and pulling it asunder. "Even if I did, he would still have to participate, prove his worth in a sense."

"And what is it one must do? To prove their worth that is?"

She shook her head at him, but still did not look at him. "I cannot tell you. It is law that no one knows what trials the men will face. I only know of legends, what men have had to do in the past."

"Then why not tell me those?"

Now she looked at him, confused. "Why?"

"So that I can go. Compete and win."

She stared at him, completely blank, and his heart raced. Until she frowned, then it stopped, and she turned away to walk as quickly as possible away from him. "You mock me, sir."

He chased after her. "I do not!"

"I understand, we jest, that is what we do. And I enjoy it, I enjoy coming to see you and spending time with you. I treasure our friendship. But today sir, you push me too far."

"Serenity wait! I love you!"

She froze, allowing him to catch her and spin her around. As soon as he did, he took a step back, angry tears raging down her face as she was now filled with rage like never before. She had never been angry with him, not like this.

"You do not love me, sir!"

"Yes I do, and you know this! You feel it just as I feel it from you!"

Tiny fist wiped futilely at her cheeks. "I know what love feels like and I feel nothing of the sort from you!"

Jealous anger sparked in him again, focusing so he did not spend valuable time raging. "Who?! Who do you know that has shown you what love feels like?!"

"Luna! And my Guardians! My mother! All those who work in the palace and my people. Your people as well and the Shitennou! Others within the Silver Alliance. Plenty of people have shown me what love feels like because I feel it for them, just as I feel it for you. But you...I feel nothing like that from you."

He couldn't help it, even though he knew it would cost him, but he laughed. Her grimace only grew and she turned on her heel again, making good time away from him. "So you love everyone in the Galaxy?"

She didn't even turn, yelling at him over her shoulder. "Yes, I do. Not that I would expect you to understand such a notion!"

"But you have never loved anyone the way I love you or the way you love me."

Yet to stop, he began to follow after her, his words causing her to slow at least. "And how is that? The way that you love me?"

"Romantically." She froze and he slowed, making his way to her one step at a time. "The kind of love that is all-consuming. It is forever and binding. Serenity I want you to be my wife. To rule together, to have a family, to always have you. You are the first thing on my mind every morning and the last thought I have before bed. I could fill a room with my thoughts of you. Hell, my entire kingdom!"

He grabbed her gently and turned her to face him again, finding her with tears on her face again. But the way her heart pounded in her chest, he knew they were not the same tears as before.

"I love you, more than anything. And so, I am going to go to the Moon and win your hand if I have to. I refuse to let you go to anyone else."

His hand shook as he raised it, wiping away a few of her tears for her. She was silent, silent for too long and he began to fear he had misunderstood the feelings she had for him.

A smile broke on her face and she leapt on him, her arms wrapping around his neck. Surprised, she almost knocked them over, but he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist in return. Her lips pressed to his, warmth spreading all over him like a night of too much ale. He drank her in, a giddiness filling him as he tasted her for the first, and hopefully not the last, time. Having ached for her for so long, he found it impossible to get enough of her, caressing her lips over and over again with his own.

She pulled away but he continued along her jaw, wanting to get his fill of her. Something he was sure he would never complete in this lifetime. She leaned her head back, giving him access to the skin he craved, traveling down her neck.

"I love you, Endymion."

~*O*~

He sprang up, the smell and taste of her skin lingering, but most importantly her voice as well. His brain was on fire, grabbing it hard, he tried to keep it from splitting in two. Trying to get up, he fell to the floor, his vision blurry and his body weak. He couldn't tell, but he was pretty sure his building was shaking, that he was shaking it.

Taking a deep breath, he did his best to steady himself, trying to calm down and focus. After several deep breaths, the pain slowly subsided and the burning turned into something else entirely. Flashes, images, his memories all flooding back to him at once. He took one more deep breath and forced them to slow down, to look at them one at a time.

It all came back, his first and second life, leaping through the night sky in search of a Princess and the silver crystal. Finding her again only to lose her, and himself to darkness. He remembered his deaths, both of them from his last life, and how Usagi had saved him the first time, giving him a part of her crystal to do so. Essentially a part of her own heart. He remembered the parts she so skillfully left out, like how she killed herself after he died the first time and how each time, she wept bitterly over him. But most importantly, he remembered his first life and exactly who he was.

He was Endymion.

Don't hate me, don't hate me, don't hate me... I mean...come on how could I NOT leave it there?

#sailormoon #sailor moon fandom #sailor moon fanfiction #usagi tsukino #mamoru chiba #usagi x mamoru #endymion #serenity #endymion x serenity #sil mil flash backs #doom tree arch #faulkner writing #fluffy #angsty #a nice combo of both #i am endymion #past lives revealed

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sky-writes-daydreams · 6 years

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How They Met Chapter 20

A/n: twenty. Chapter. omg..... I never thought I would ever get to post it this much. It’s only thanks to all my readers that I find the ability and courage to keep posting this story. This is a longer chapter for sure. :) Sorry about the long wait between updates. Life is getting to me and it’s causing a bit of a writer’s block lmao but I’m here!!!

Also, A while back I had my big sister/ best art friend Draw something for me that is relevant to this chapter. i’m posting a link to it here :) Please go support my big sis she’s an amazing artist and I love her to bits!!! XD

Next Chapter Masterpost

@valkyrieofardyn @shigekihizashi @blindedstarlight @the-altissian-authors @lola-mcevil13

The next day I saw the mark fully. It wasn’t as big as I thought and easily covered by some concealer he had for apparently the same reason. We spent it mostly in our room. I was too sore to go out walking and wanted to finish the scrapbooks. He had paperwork to do and wanted to do it with me close. I didn’t mind. It was a rainy day here anyway so being outside wouldn’t have been much fun. The next day was the one I had been waiting for. That night was the party. I was really nervous honestly. I had no idea how to act at things like this. I didn’t really get a lot of time to worry about that though. Around noon, Ardyn got a call. We were in the middle of talking about who all was going to be there over lunch when his phone went insane. He glance at it and quickly answered.

“Chancellor….. Yes.” He beamed then.

“Perfect!!! And everything…? Yes we have shoes…. Perfect! Oh I do owe you my dear.” He chuckled then.

“I’ve got a fitting at three. The party starts at five. I’d like to pick her up here at the hotel if that is… oh good. Yes I will make sure of it. Thank you.” He hung up then and I gave him an odd look. He smiled then.

“I know you were worried about tonight… So I made arrangements. Thanks to my habit of buying suits, I’ve made friends with some of the dress shops here. One has a full salon and such with it. I’ve made arrangements for them to help you find a dress from any of the shops in a color to match mine… and for them to help you with hair and such.” I almost choked then and he froze. I got the bite down then and looked at him.

“Ardyn… how…. ? Oh my gods…. “ He smiled then.

“Skylar… You’re my lover… I want you to look like a princess tonight. If this is the only dance you come to in your life…. I want to make sure it’s the best one.” I sighed then letting my shoulders drop then.

“You’re insane…. But I’m grateful… Thank you Ardyn….” He smiled then and gently kissed my hand.

“Anything for my princess.” I felt myself blush then and we finished lunch. He had me grab my new silver heels then and we took off. He had a suit fitting to get to and I was going to get pampered like a princess.

“Guys…. I’m not sure….”

“Oh shush! Come on!” I sighed then and slowly stepped out from the bathroom. This was the last dress they had for me to try on. I had only been here for about thirty minutes and I had already tired on over ten dresses. Going off their faces on this one though, I think we were done with dresses.

“Oh my….”

“Honey… Yes.” I laughed a bit then looking down. Slightly puffy with a slit on the left side where you could see the silver heels underneath and my freshly shaven legs. It was held up by one strap on my right side with the clasp hidden underneath a fabric rose. It was glitter and silks and a dress fit for a princess with deep reds and blacks. One of the fitters came up and finished zipping it up on me. It was honestly still loose.

“And the perfect size… No Alterations needed….” I nodded and looked in the mirrors at the end. I couldn’t believe it. This was really me in this dress and we hadn’t even done my hair or makeup yet. I saw him peek around me and he was smiling.

“You’re going to wow them….”

“Hell she’s going to wow anyone who sees her….” I laughed then and the other came up.

“I’m thinking…. Lace gloves up to your elbows… A silver Bracelet with matching Ruby earrings….” I nodded then and smiled.

“Check my bag… A friend gave me some.”

“Oh?” She rushed over and soon laughed.

“Dino!” I turned then.

“You know him?”

“Of course! I’m one of his buyers for the jewelry.” I laughed then and soon I got to sit down while they helped with the rest. We were in my hotel room now. We had only gone to the store long enough to pick up all the dresses once ardyn confirmed the color with them. I could feel them playing with my hair while we talked about everything going on. They had worked with vivian when she was making Luna’s dress. They were worried about her like everyone but they trusted in the oracle. It was amazing to hear honestly. Finally though They told me to open my eyes and stand up. I stood up and let them lead me to the mirror.

“Honey…. You’re going to kill him.”

“I can only hope so.” I muttered before I opened my eyes.

It was twenty minutes till five. Ravus had come back to the hotel with me to escort Skylar. He was worried about us being attacked on the way to the party it seemed. I saw the stylish coming down as we walked in and he smiled.

“She’s coming. Just having to calm her down. She’s nervous.”

“I can understand… Thank you again for this.”

“Oh hon, once you told me… I couldn’t say no.” He beamed then like a child receiving a gift..

“She was well worth it. Oh and she can keep the dress…. I don’t think anyone else can wear it like her after this.” I stopped then but he took off. His partner was next and just waved smiling. I was completely confused until I heard someone on the steps. I looked up and instantly froze. Dark red gown moved with her perfectly, black lace gloves covering those perfect hands, nails a deep red to match the dress and my own color. Those gorgeous brown eyes brought out by expert makeup. Her silky hair done in a loose braided crown leading to a curled tail on one side being held by a ruby butterfly clip. I could barely breathe. I knew those lips though and those eyes. She looked up once she hit the bottom step and I couldn’t help but smile as the blush hit me.

“Skylar…”

“Ardyn… Um….” she walked forward and you could just barely see her heels under the dress.

“I hope it’s the right color….” I nodded then and gently reached out to touch her. She let me and I could feel us shaking.

“You look divine…. Fire made flesh….” She blushed then.

“Like you don’t….” I smiled then. A black suit with embroidered roses at the end of the jacket and vest. Done in a deep red color to match her. Crisp dress pants with shined black boots underneath. We were truly a match. Ravus was even star struck and gently walked forward. She saw him and I saw a bit of surprise in those loving eyes.

“Commander… I wasn’t aware you were going to be here.” skylar smiled then and bowed to him gently.

“It’s good to see you.”

“The same to you, My lady.” He stole her hand then and kissed it gently.

“I almost could not believe it was you descending those stairs…. This is a far jump from the huntress ready to threaten him.” We laughed then and she smiled.

“It’s me… I can threaten him if you wish though.” Ravus chuckled then and shook his head.

“No… this is your night, My lady.” I nodded then and offered her my arm. She took it gently and we left the hotel.

I wasn’t prepared. That starstruck look on his face… I can never forget it. Then we left the Hotel and everyone we passed stared at the three of us. I stuck close to ardyn, trying not to focus on the lingering eyes. I wasn’t used to such attention and he knew it. Ravus being on my other side was helping. I could trick myself into thinking they were looking at him. It wasn’t a hard one. He did look absolutely sinful in a white suit with dark purple accents to blend in his arm. Gods help me when it comes to ardyn. Hair had been trimmed and pulled back into a small tail. He looked absolutely regal and here I was on his arm. I had to remind myself to keep breathing as we walked to the first secretary's house. It was all lit up and I could see many dancing figures inside. The guards let us pass with no questions and Ravus went ahead. Ardyn spoke then.

“He doesn’t have a date…. But everyone is used to that….” I nodded then.

“I’m kind of shocked… He is rather good looking… Must be the attitude.”

“I think so as well.” I laughed then and he looked over.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m scared…. But yes.” He smiled then and I felt him get my hand tightly then.

“Skylar…. You look amazing…. If people are staring it is because they are envious…. They wish they could look as good as you and be as lucky as you and I….” I nodded then looking forward.

“Promise to catch me…?”

“Always…. Just follow my lead… I’m here for you.” We walked forward then into the doors of the party.

As we entered, young Men and women were waiting to greet and take bags and coats. Ardyn gave his coat to a young man waiting and another came forward with a smile. They were all wearing black and white suits with a sylleblossom pinned to the front.

“Would you like to be announced, Sir?”

“Yes please.”

“Names?”

“Lady Skylar Annaliese and Chancellor Izunia. In that order please.” The young man nodded and Ardyn got my hand again gently. I shifted closer then trying to smile and not show how nervous I was.

“Really?”

“I’m a familiar Face… I want to let them see you.. But I’ll be damned if they’re going to touch.” I laughed then as we walked forward. The main door opened and those not dancing looked up.

“Lady Skylar Annalise and her Escort, Chancellor Izunia!” He led me down then and I saw people whispering to each other. I was so close to panicking. We reached the bottom and an older woman came forward giving him a small smile. Ardyn turned on the charm then.

“Secretary Claustra! A pleasure to see you, My lady.”

“Chancellor. A pleasure as always sir… Might I ask who you’re escorting here tonight?” I smiled then and bowed.

“Skylar Annaliese Ma’am.” She seemed shocked then.

“You’re…”

“A huntress from Lucis…. I was lucky enough to fall for this man at my side back home… he asked me to accompany him this evening.” She nodded slightly then.

“Interesting…. You do look the part well my dear… I hope your stay here in our city is comfortable… Maybe you could help with our demon issues.” I smiled then.

“Ma’am I already have.” She stopped then.

“No… You’re…? One night?” I nodded then.

“I’m efficient when I wish to be.” She was impressed. Ardyn smiled then.

“You see now why I fell for this rose…”

“Indeed… you’re a lucky Man Chancellor. Please… Enjoy the party.” I nodded and she walked on. I breathed then and he smiled.

“You’re a natural…”

“I just copied you.” He laughed then and I let him lead me around and tell me names of certain people. I tired to keep up but it was rather hard. I stole a drink on the way and was sipping on it when the next dance came up. He smiled then and soon got in front of me and stole my glass. I knew then and soon he bowed to me offering me a hand.

“Care to join me for a dance my dear?” I took his hand then.

“I would be delighted to.” He led me forward then and I saw everyone clear a space in the middle. I could feel my heart pounding as we stopped.

“Skylar…”

“Yes?”

“Just watch me…. Ok?” I nodded then as I took his hand. As his arm slipped around me, It felt like we were the only ones out of the floor. I let him lead on instinct following his moves with my own. I trusted him. I trusted he wouldn’t let me fall or hurt him or me. I couldn’t look away from those gorgeous eyes either. The suit only brought them out more to me. It came to the spin and I did it perfectly. I could see it in those eyes of him. He was beaming through them. I smiled back at him and slowly we fell back into our natural stance and he kept us dancing around the room. At one point he even lifted me with one arm around me and I couldn’t help but laugh gently. We hadn’t practiced this. I came back down and our lips just barely met before we went back to normal and kept going around. I was so dizzy but it wasn’t from the dancing. I was so in love with this man it was insane. I knew so much about him now. His fears and weaknesses, his troubled past and his nightmares for the future. All these people in this room though… All they saw was the chancellor, a self absorbed egotistical man ruling the empire under the emperor. He was the enemy… but not to me. I saw someone I’m pretty sure even ardyn forgot existed inside… I saw the healer in those eyes. I saw the true Ardyn…. And I loved him.

I hardly realized I was about to cry until he reached up.

“Skylar…?” I smiled then.

“I love you…” He smiled then and I felt him wipe a tear away.

“I love you too…. So damn much skylar…” I laughed a bit as I came back to reality. The song was over. He smiled then and slowly walked with me out of there. We went down the hall to a balcony and I heard him close the door. I just tired to breathe and not let any tears fall. I didn’t want to mess up the makeup.

“It’s waterproof you know.” I laughed then and looked back. He was smiling. He walked forward then and I went right into his arms. I couldn’t help it. He hugged me tightly then.

“Skylar… What’s wrong…?”

“Nothing… I’m just…..” I choked then and He sank down with me onto a bench. I couldn’t do it. This was too much at once and I was scared to follow where this would lead me.

“I’m just a hunter…. And now…. I look like a freaking queen! And I love you so damn much but…. I’m terrified….! I want this….. But….”

“You’re scared…. You're scared of heartbreak… of losing everything.” I nodded then and he hugged me tighter.

“I promised you…. I would never let that happen to you. I will always protect my queen…. Now and forever….. After everything you’ve done for me thus far….” he made me look up then and I saw.

“You’ve made me more human than I’ve felt in years skylar….. My past is slowly slipping behind me when you’re around…. I don’t want all these titles or the job… I just want you! The empire can fall like the one before it and I wouldn’t care… so long as you stood by my side safe and sound.” I gazed at him then as the tears fell.

“Ardyn…. You’re such a fool….. Falling for someone like me….” He chuckled then.

“I’ve been told that before…. A long time ago by a woman…. And yet I did not ever stop loving her… Even when she turned her back on me… My last words were ones of love…. So what in Ifrit’s name makes you think I will do anything less for you?” I shrugged then and he smiled.

“You’re the only woman I have ever loved since my downfall…. And you will be the only one I want to share the future with, whatever it may be…. So if there is anything I can do… to help you realize that it’s ok…. That you can be with me… to come home with me….” I looked up then and he smiled.

“I’ve got a wing in the palace…. It’s lonely…. And needs your touch…. You can even still hunt… I had it all worked out…” I smiled then and gently touched his face.

“You truly love me don’t you….? All of me….? Even the messed up parts? The depressed terrified parts?”

“Especially those… Because that is the real you…. This is Lady skylar…. But she is not the one I met in lucis…. I met that smiling kind Cafe girl that really knows how to brew a shot of espresso.” I laughed then as he made a face.

“I was flying off that for well over twelve hours…. Damn.” I couldn’t help it. I laughed as the tears fell into my lap. He smiled then.

“So no matter what version of you there is… I will love it… Because I know the real one… and by the gods I am blessed to.” I looked up then and smiled.

“I want to say goodbye to Noctis and them….” He nodded then.

“Seeking the king’s blessing…?”

“Sort of…. More like a family blessing… They’re my brothers…” he smiled then.

“Hopefully yours will take it better than mine.” I gasped then and he smiled.

“Mess up once and whoops. There went my life.”

“Ardyn!”

“What?” He smirked then.

“Got you to stop crying.” I sighed then and he smiled.

“Go on…. I will await out front for you.” I nodded then and hugged him tightly.

“I love you…. I’ll be back.” He nodded then and I soon left. I ran down the halls bypassing the ballroom and soon I got outside and out into the streets. I had a secret in this dress as well. On my right side there was a pocket. I got into it and pulled out my phone and quickly called Noctis. He answered on the second ring.

“Skylar?”

“Noct…” I was looking around trying to think. Finally I saw and smiled a bit.

“Do you know the cafe near Weskham’s?”

“Yeah. We’re close by. Why?”

“I need all of you to meet me there… Something’s happened.”

“Ok. do you want to stay on the phone with me?”

“Can’t. I’m running in heels.” I hung up then and took off holding my dress up off the cobbled street. I got down the stairs and past the way to the haunted painting and soon took another flight down. They were right in front of me.

“Noctis!” He turned then and I saw the shock. I didn’t give him time to register at all before I hugged him tightly.

“S-Skylar!?” I nodded then trying to hold the tears back.

“You… wow. I know who they were talking about now. We heard about a fire lady with some imperials…. It was you?”

“Yes…” I mumbled. He hugged me back then.

“What’s wrong…?”

“I’m scared…. I don’t know what to do….” I couldn’t stop them then. I heard prompto gasp then and soon Noctis made me let go. I tried to hide them but it was hard.

“Ok… We need to sit… Come on… don’t mess up that makeup hon… you look too good for that.”

“It’s waterproof…” They nodded and soon I sat with them at a table. Gladio was next to me and gently hugged me.

“What’s going you so scared hon?”

“Did Ardyn hurt you?” Prompto asked and I looked up.

“No! Gods No….. He….. He can’t…..” I looked back down then. I had been too quick to defend him.

“..... He’s not a bad man…. There’s someone in there that I get to see and I love him…. I know a lot about him…. He’s damaged…. He’s scarred and Damaged and careful… but I got past those walls and he got past mine…. Now we’re at the last one and…. I want to let him in. He asked me to go to Niflheim with him… to live with him…. Possibly even marry him….!” I choked then crumpling in half as I sobbed. I could see it now. We would say I do and things wouldn’t change…. It would still be like it is now and I’d see that smile every morning when I woke up without fearing he’ll leave me. He’d be mine.

I couldn’t take that. I couldn’t take how scared I was of happiness that I was ready to run again. That was until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked and Noctis was there next to me in an extra chair.. He was gently smiling and soon hugged me tightly.

“Skylar…. I’m risking everything for what you’ve got… so if one of us can have it… It’ll make all of this worth it.” I gasped then and he made me look him in the eyes.

“I’m not ever going to get to marry luna… let alone see her again…. But you’ve got love right here staring you in the face and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you run from it again.” He pulled me up then and the other nodded. Ignis came up then and smiled.

“I know at some point I thought I could be the one you’d be saying yes to…. But fate is odd. So keep our numbers…. Stay in contact if you can… If you ever come home… Find us.” I nodded then and prompto smiled.

“He better have gotten a photo before you started crying.” I shook my head then and he shrugged before getting one.

“This works too…. Don’t forget us sis ok? I’ll have lots of photos for you to see next time.”

“Promise?” He nodded then and hugged me tightly.

“I’ll send you this one tonight…. Ok?” I nodded then before gladio came up. He hugged me tightly and soon made me look at him.

“You keep training. Never stop… He tries to hurt you… Use it. Stay safe skylar…. I’m not going to be there to pull you out from under dead monsters….” I nodded and it reminded me.

“Prom!” he looked up and I smiled.

“Take care of damien for me ok…?” He beamed then.

“No problem!!!” I smiled then.

“You guys are the best friends I could have ever been stranded with….” They laughed then and Noctis got my shoulder.

“Come on Fire queen…. We’ll walk you back.” I nodded then and gently got his hand.

“I won’t forget you boys….”

“Don’t…. And this isn’t goodbye… you’ll see us again.” I nodded then and slowly we headed back.

As Promised, Ardyn was waiting outside. He stopped when he saw all of us and I knew he was worried. Noctis walked forward with Gladio at his side and my hand in his. Slowly though I let him go and got Ardyn’s. Noctis nodded and looked at him.

“Hurt her and you better pray we don’t find out…. She’s someone special to us all…. So treat her right Ardyn….” Gladio nodded then.

“Makes the smackdown we gave titan seem like child’s play for sure.” Ardyn smiled then and nodded.

“Understood, your majesty…. I will treat her with all the respect a queen deserves…. Thank you.” The boys nodded then and I smiled.

“See you…”

“See you Skylar. And don’t worry about home. We’ve got it. You take care of you.” I nodded then and smiled.

“I trust you idiots… now you better go! Ravus is here!”

“Whoa what!?” They seemed a bit panicked and quickly ran. Ardyn laughed then and soon got both of my hands.

“So I take it….”

“I’m coming home with you…. I’m still scared to leave home behind but…. I’ve got you… and home is where your heart is…. So I guess I’m not really leaving it… Maybe I just found a new… more permanent home.” He smiled then and nodded.

“I promise…. I will be by your side Forevermore skylar.” I smiled back then and gripped his hands tightly.

“I like the sound of that Ardyn…” He gave me such a gentle look then as he got into his pocket.

“Then let’s make it official…. I was going to ask you later tonight but… Now seems like the right time.” He pulled out a box then and I felt my heart do a flip. He opened it carefully and pulled out a silver chain. In the middle was a ring. Silver with a black opal in the center surrounded by small diamonds. I gently examined it as he got a wistful smile.

“I’ve had this ring for a long time… it was to be given to my original queen…. But she wasn't the one it was truly meant for.” He opened the chain then and I felt him slide it around my neck.

“As you wear this, remember this promise. I will be there for you always… you are the one I love and I will never leave you….” I felt him lock it on me and I gently kissed him.

“I trust you…. I love you too ardyn…. More than you will ever know.” He looked into my eyes then and it was all there. He didn’t have to say a word more. He kissed me back and I felt everything fall into place at last. We had a lot of road bumps ahead for sure but I knew we could deal with them together. After all… isn't that what a king and queen did?

#writing #sky writes #ardyn izunia #ardyn x oc #ffxv #ffxv fanfiction

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endlessarchite · 6 years

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My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

I take pride in some very strange things. Being able to cartwheel into a pool for example. Or knowing every single word to old commercial jingles and 90’s rap songs. Or the fact that John and I, two righties, somehow made two lefties, which clearly means they’re brilliant (not sure how I can even take credit for this phenomenon, but I do, as well as the fact that our kids are super tall, which is amazing to me as a 5’2″ lady).

But one thing I don’t really think about much is my secondhand furniture hunting mojo. I don’t think I have any magic luck or special searching skills. I would generally describe the key to my process as frequency. In other words: looking often. I regularly look at thrift stores and on Craigslist and on Facebook Marketplace. Most of the time I don’t find anything good at all, but every once in a while I find something awesome. Like this insanely beautiful inlay dresser that’s made by Restoration Hardware and sells for $1800 that I found on Craigslist for $400 (you can read the full story of that here).

So instead of demonstrating that I know every last word to the Left Eye rap in TLC’s Waterfalls, I figured I’d round up my best tips for secondhand shopping success, all of which have nothing to do with dumb luck, and everything to do with actionable things that you can implement to hopefully score some great finds of your own.

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

If I stop an analyze how that inlay dresser coup came to be, there’s just one simple thing that made it all happen: I was determined with a capital D. I saw this listing go up months before I bought it. And I loved it. But it was $600 and that was still over my beach house dresser budget – no matter how gorgeous and expensive the dresser originally was. So I waited. And the listing sat there. And it sat there.

Knowing she might be having trouble selling it, I decided to let the seller know that an interested party existed. Even though I wasn’t ready to shell out the $600, I wanted to make myself an option and discourage her from just deleting the listing out of frustration (I know as a seller I’ve definitely done that before). I emailed her saying “I am SO INTERESTED in your dresser but the top of my budget is $400. If that works for you, I’ll gladly come right over with $400 cash and grab it.” And she very kindly emailed me back and said “Thanks, I’m not planning to lower the price just yet but I’ll let you know if I do later.”

Now here’s where the whole determined thing really came into play. The listing sat there for a few more weeks (and I continued to watch it), but then one day it disappeared. And I noticed. And I gasped. It could’ve sold or just expired, but since I already had an email chain started, I decided to reach out to her one last time, just to say “hi, it’s me again! I noticed the listing is gone so I’m sure my dream dresser sold, but if it hasn’t and you’re interested in that $400 cash I can come right over! Just say the word!” And you know what? She said “You’ve got a deal.”

And that’s how this amazing dresser ended up at the beach house. It didn’t fall into my lap. It didn’t happen in a day or even a week – but over the course of months as I kept an eye on it. And if I hadn’t pinged her that first time I never could have followed up that second time because I wouldn’t have had her contact info – and I’m pretty sure this dresser wouldn’t be ours today. So let that be Lesson #1. Have patience and go out on a limb (maybe even multiple times) for something you love.

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Ok, now let’s move on to the next one. I really really love this marble topped dresser that I bought on Facebook Marketplace from the sweetest local lady whose entire house was so amazing I wanted to buy everything in there. The entire top is a gorgeous slab of marble and the drawers have little key latches and it’s perfect for storing board games in the foyer of the beach house. I forget how much this was but I think it was around $100 which is an awesome deal since it would be hard to find a slab of marble as big as the one on top of this dresser for $100 alone.

Let’s talk about my hunting routine. I like to sit on the couch at the end of a long day and just scroll through Facebook Marketplace. It takes less than five minutes, and I’d say I do it maybe five times a week if I remember. And thanks to my habit of checking pretty frequently, I happened to see the listing for this dresser within an hour of it being posted. So I was first in line when I pinged her, I got cash FAST, and I got to her house within about an hour, meaning nobody could snatch it out from under me. So upon reflecting how I scored this dresser, it really comes down to being SO READY to make this thing mine (and not wavering, waffling, or taking too much time to get the cash and get to her house).

The thing is, you never know when something is going to be listed, and you certainly can’t be on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace every hour. But I realized that back before I checked Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist with any regularity that I was greatly lowering my chances of finding good stuff. Of course I couldn’t expect to pop on every few months and immediately find something I wanted! I had to up my frequency – even if it just means devoting five minutes a night to it a few times a week. This obviously gives me better chances of seeing more items, and catching them earlier.

Also, get cash and get thee to the person’s house fast! Sellers often observe a “first come, first served” rule and I can’t tell you how many times as a seller that the second or third person who contacted me actually got the item because the first person took too long to come pick it up & pay. So there you go. Lesson #2 is spend a little more time looking for something cool if you actually want to find something cool, and then descend like Cheetah with the cash. Fast, fast, fast.

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Ok, let’s move on to the rug in our bedroom. Whenever I see it my brain sings: “I’ve. Had. The rug of my li-i-ife. And I never felt this way before.” Yes it’s the song from Dirty Dancing with a rug worked into it, and yes, weirdly altering song lyrics is also something I take great pride in. The story of this guy is that I bought it locally from a consignment shop. YES! I know! It feels like an extremely lucky find. And it was… but it also clearly has a lesson attached when I look in the ol’ rearview mirror of life.

See, my friend actually texted me a picture of this rug along with some others that she had seen at a local consignment shop. So the first lesson is: befriend an army of people who will text you all the pretty things they find. Ha. Kidding. But really, if you have an interest or a need for something, it never hurts to let your design-loving friends know! They might see whatever it is you’re looking for (secondhand or beyond!) and be able to tell you where it is. Heck they might even text you a picture or send you a link.

The fact that my friend, who is a decorator, knew that I love these big colorful wool rugs definitely worked in my favor in this case (had I not been “linked” to this thing in her mind, she never would have texted it to me). And you can offer to keep an eye out for things for them in return – it really is a nice mutually beneficial thing to do with someone else who loves home stuff.

My accompanying tip for this rug victory harkens back to the second half of my last lesson, which is DO NOT HESITATE. The second she sent it I called the shop, asked the price, got the cash, and John and I rushed over there to smell it (always smell secondhand things guys – it’s a non-negotiable!) and it was in our car about 20 minutes later. There’s way more about this whole rug discovery and our bedroom’s evolution in this post, which also has a ton of sources for things.

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

These chairs are a more recent score that I chatted about a little bit on the podcast (in this episode) and they hail from Facebook Marketplace. One thing I like about Facebook Marketplace over Craigslist (don’t get me wrong, I still like Sir Craig & His List) is that Facebook Marketplace learns what you click. So, much like Pinterest, it can curate a more customized experience every time you browse. Which is also why it’s super fast to check every time I drop in (less than 5 minutes).

Mine has learned that I click on furniture and home stuff, so it shows me all of that stuff first in my feed, even if a weird ceramic babydoll that stares into your soul was uploaded more recently. AND I SO APPRECIATE THAT.

But back to these chairs. I mentioned on that podcast that this listing was funny because it was actually for a large piece of driftwood, but I saw these chairs in the background – yes, BEHIND THE DRIFTWOOD. And I basically messaged her and said “about those chairs – are they for sale?!” And she said yes! The seller even had a large car and offered to drive them to my house since they’re HUGE and it would have been impossible to get both of them into our SUV at the same time.

So the lesson here is: anything in the picture is something you can ask about! The worst they can say is “no, my cute dog in the background is not for sale you psycho” and the best thing they can say is essentially what happened with these chairs, which was: “Sure! I’ll sell them AND DRIVE THEM TO YOUR HOUSE FOR YOU!”

Also, sub tip: whenever something is large we ask if they would accept an extra fee (like $20) to drive it over. It often saves us time/gas/money spent renting a larger vehicle, so it can be very worthwhile in many cases.

This chair story also has sort of an epilogue of sorts. When we posted photos of them in the show notes of that podcast where we mentioned them, a very kind and knowledgeable design enthusiast essentially said “OMG I THINK THOSE ARE RUSSELL WOODARD CHAIRS!” and thanks to the rabbit hole of google I learned he’s an amazing 50’s designer, sort of like Eames (we all know about his chairs! can’t Russell catch a break?!) and THEY SELL FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS on places like 1st Dibs and Chairish. In fact, here’s a set of four currently listed for $3,750 (and here’s another one). HOW INSANE IS THAT?!?!

By comparison, we spent $140 for both chairs (which also included delivery!). So they might be the biggest secondhand score we’ve had yet. Honestly for me it’s way less about what something’s worth or who made it and a lot more about filling your house up with stuff you love. So my advice would just be to sniff around in secondhand spots (in person and online) often if you actually hope to find something amazing – and if you do it regularly enough I’m confident it’ll happen for you! Happy hunting!

P.S. Six years ago we wrote this post about 25 tips for buying on Craigslist, and a ton of them still apply – so check it out for even more ideas for scoring some pretty great stuff. Happy thrifting to one and all!

P.P.S. And if you saw something in the photos above from our beach house or our house here in Richmond that has you saying “where’s that from?” we have source lists for both of those: here’s the one full of beach house info, and here’s one for our Richmond house.

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statusreview · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

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My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds published first on https://ssmattress.tumblr.com/

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lukerhill · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

The post My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds appeared first on Young House Love.

0 notes

billydmacklin · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

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My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds published first on https://carpetgurus.tumblr.com/

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additionallysad · 6 years

Photo

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds https://ift.tt/2vtMElj

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

The post My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds appeared first on Young House Love.

#additionally sad home renovations

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truereviewpage · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

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My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds published first on https://aireloomreview.tumblr.com/

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vincentbnaughton · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

The thing is, you never know when something is going to be listed, and you certainly can’t be on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace every hour. But I realized that back before I checked Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist with any regularity that I was greatly lowering my chances of finding good stuff. Of course I couldn’t expect to pop on every few months and immediately find something I wanted! I had to up my frequency – even if it just means devoting five minutes a night to it a few times a week. Upping my frequency obviously gives me better chances of seeing more items, and catching them earlier.

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

My accompanying tip for this rug victory harkens back to the second half of my last lesson, which is DO NOT HESITATE. The second she sent it I called the shop, asked the price, got the cash, and John and I rushed over there to smell it (always smell secondhand things guys – it’s a non-negotiable!) and it was in our car about 20 minutes later. There’s way more about this whole rug discovery and our bedroom’s evolution here in this post, which also has a ton of sources for things.

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

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statusreview · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

The post My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds appeared first on Young House Love.

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds published first on https://ssmattress.tumblr.com/

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vincentbnaughton · 6 years

Text

My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds

Lesson #1: Show Your Interest & Be Persistent

And that’s how the amazing dresser coup happened. It didn’t fall into my lap. It didn’t happen in a day or even a week – but over the course of months I kept an eye on it. And if I hadn’t pinged her that first time I never could have followed up that second time because I wouldn’t have had her contact info – and I’m pretty sure this dresser wouldn’t be living it up at the beach house today. So let that be Lesson #1. Have patience and go out on a limb (maybe even multiple times) for something you love.

Lesson #2: Be Vigilant & Ready To Pounce

I like to sit on the couch at the end of a long day and just scroll through Facebook Marketplace. It takes less than five minutes, and I’d say I do it maybe five times a week if I remember. And thanks to my habit of checking Facebook Marketplace pretty frequently, I happened to see the listing for this dresser within an hour of it being posted. So I was first in line when I pinged her, I got cash FAST, and I got to her house within about an hour, meaning nobody could snatch it out from under me. So upon reflecting how I scored this dresser, it really comes down to being SO READY to make this thing mine (and not wavering, waffling, or taking too much time to get the cash and get to her house).

The thing is, you never know when something is going to be listed, and you certainly can’t be on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace every hour. But I realized that back before I checked Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist with any regularity that I was greatly lowering my chances of finding good stuff. Of course I couldn’t expect to pop on every few months and immediately find something I wanted! I had to up my frequency – even if it just means devoting five minutes a night to it a few times a week. Upping my frequency obviously gives me better chances of seeing more items, and catching them earlier.

Lesson #3: Recruit Spies

My accompanying tip for this rug victory harkens back to the second half of my last lesson, which is DO NOT HESITATE. The second she sent it I called the shop, asked the price, got the cash, and John and I rushed over there to smell it (always smell secondhand things guys – it’s a non-negotiable!) and it was in our car about 20 minutes later. There’s way more about this whole rug discovery and our bedroom’s evolution here in this post, which also has a ton of sources for things.

Lesson #4: Be Nosy & Remember It Never Hurts To Ask

The post My Top Four Tips For Scoring The Best Secondhand Finds appeared first on Young House Love.

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