#gor giving me found family that stays together

[sadskeletonscientist]

Me at the castlevania ending:

#castlevania spoilers #castlevania #castlevania season 4 #castlevania ending #trevor belmont #alucard #sypha belnades #yes #i would like to thank the writers #gor giving me found family that stays together #i loved it

[pastelsandpining]

The Greatest Gift (Freebie)

The twelfth and FINAL prompt in 12 Days of Christmas by @zelink-prompts​!! Thank you so much for all the support! Happy Holidays!

Prompt List

Words: 2917

Summary: Very fluffy. Link pops the question. Proposal fic. Can’t get any better than that folks

BotW Post Calamity Zelink

Zelink-mas 2020  l  Masterlist 

There were many words that could describe how it felt to have Zelda back by his side. He could call it wonderful, magical, amazing--just about every word in the book. None could fit better, however, than natural. Natural was how it felt when she’d appeared before him, glowing in a gold far richer than the ores beneath the surface could ever produce. Natural was how it felt when she smiled at him, striking his heart with an arrow of warmth he’d forgotten how to know. Natural was how it felt when he hugged her, holding onto her as if his life depended on it. And natural was how it felt to love her, like he’d done it a thousand times over and would do it a thousand times more. 

It felt natural to celebrate every little thing with her, whether it be her new haircut, or a holiday, or an advancement in the reconstruction of Hyrule. It felt natural to follow her back into the heart of the kingdom, where he would spend the rest of his days as her knight attendant because the thought of not being with her made him feel empty. Everything he did with her, even if it meant to just exist within her presence, felt so incredibly familiar and natural, and perhaps that was why they fell into a rhythm so quickly.

Perhaps that was why most nights, Link only fell asleep after Zelda did. He liked to see her curled up underneath the covers, tucked into his arms, with the peaceful expression of a sleeping goddess visible in the silver moonlight. Perhaps that was why he found every reason to accompany her wherever she went, so that he could see the way she lit up and smiled when things were working out. Perhaps that was why he took his job so seriously, even now, simply because he liked to be around her. 

Admittedly, it’d be problematic if he didn’t like to be around the very princess he was courting. That would never be an issue though, even in times like these, when she was trying to use him as a test subject for her new, trial-and-error elixirs.

“You know I trust you with my life,” he said, holding her wrists as gently as ever. “But I’m not putting that in my body.”

“I promise you’ll be okay,” she replied with a pout that almost swayed him. But Link stood his ground and shook his head, chuckling softly at her antics.

“You’re ridiculous, Zel.”

“I know what I’m doing, Link. I wouldn’t willingly feed you something that could harm you.”

“Uh huh. And what’s the elixir supposed to do?”

“Well, if all goes according to plan--which it should, it would boost the natural defense of a person against any sort of attack or condition.”

“You’re brilliant, but I’ll still have to pass.”

Zelda huffed, then uncapped the vial and brought it to her lips. Link was quick to snatch it from her hands and cap it again, shaking his head.

“Nope,” he said, “We’re not doing that either.”

“Then how are we supposed to know whether or not it’s effective?” she argued, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I’ll find you a volunteer,” he replied, which she knew was code for I’ll be your test subject later, and it was enough to satisfy her into smiling. “Can I make our dinner now?”

“It’s all yours, sir knight,” she answered, handing the slate over and lifting her hands up in defense. 

“Thank you, Princess.”

It was far from the first time he called her that, and it was a proper title anyone could use. But Zelda still smiled with a pink on her cheeks, and Link could do nothing but watch her. Watch the way crinkles formed by her eyes when she smiled, and the way her freckles became more prominent in the sun, and the way her golden hair bounced when she moved, and the way she furrowed her eyebrows whenever she was confused.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. She ducked her head and laughed, and he smiled in return.

“So you’ve said, many times,” Zelda replied, giving his arm a gentle shove.

“And I’ll keep saying it until the end of time. You’re divine, ethereal, gor-“

He was fairly certain the kiss was solely to stop him from talking, but he was happy to return it nevertheless. 

She tasted sweet, like the berries they’d eaten for a snack earlier in the afternoon, and if sunlight had a taste, he imagined it would also taste like her.

“If you don’t get to cooking, I’ll take the Slate back,” Zelda warned with a poke to his chest. 

“Alright, alright,” he replied with a laugh. He truly enjoyed cooking, but not even that could keep his mind off of the girl besides him, who was busy scribbling away in a journal. His thoughts always drifted to her. Her, and his love for her, and just how much they’d survived together. 

And without thinking about it—well, it’d been on his mind, but he didn’t think before speaking:

“Would you ever want to get married?”

“Yes,” Zelda replied, too quickly and too casually for him to think she’d really heard him. He looked over to her with furrowed eyebrows, but she was staring right back with wide eyes, like she couldn’t believe it either. It took Link a minute to find his voice. 

“Are you serious?” he asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.

“Are you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Link said with a nod, reaching for one of her hands. “Of course I am.”

“I— you do mean us, right? You would want to marry me?” 

“Yes. Without hesitation.”

“Is this..?” 

Link shook his head quickly.

“No! I mean, no, I just— I kind of want to.. plan something..? I mean, the princess of Hyrule deserves a grand proposal.”

Zelda’s cheeks were as red as a rose. He could imagine he looked very similar, with the way his heart was racing. 

“You better not,” she said with a smile. 

But he did. He spent the next few weeks planning a perfect proposal. It didn’t have to be a surprise, but he did want it to be special. Zelda was special, in so many different ways. She was so very special to him, and he wanted to convey that, but he was stumped. 

Link didn’t want to put her on the spot in front of their friends or a crowd of any sort. He didn’t want to pressure her with grand gestures or gifts, but what else could he do? 

He’d written and scratched out so many ideas. 

Should he bring her to the Sanctum and make it the place of a happy memory instead of what it had become? Should he take her on vacation to Hateno and ask in the privacy and comfort of his house? Should he be clever about it and slip the ring into a book, or a journal, or on a guardian piece? Should he have a friend help him?

He tried asking said friends on their opinions, but he had pretty limited options. Riju was a child, and she’d take pleasure in sending him straight to a Voe and You class that he did not want to participate in. Yunobo didn’t seem like the type to talk to anyone, much less do something as outgoing as propose. It didn’t feel right to ask Sidon, even if he would give good advice. His best bet was Teba and Kass, or any of the families he’d come to know in Hateno. 

Kass had suggested a song, but Link didn’t think he had a musical bone in his body outside of an appreciation for it. It would be a decent last resort, if anything. 

So the days came and went, and he remained clueless, but the ring, carefully crafted in Gerudo Desert with diamonds and sapphires and emeralds, stayed in his pockets. Just in case.

“Could you pass the sugar?” asked Zelda from beside him. Hylia’s Day had come around again and three years after their first celebration full of friends, they were spending the day in solitude. He was trying, key word, trying to help her bake a fruit cake. The kitchen staff were hesitant to let them, but he managed to convince them.

Link used it as an excuse to hug her from behind and place the sugar in front of her.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said, but turned her head to kiss his cheek anyway. 

“Careful not to use too much,” he warned, giving her a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be too sweet.”

“If I can put up with you, then I think I can handle a little ‘too sweet’.”

“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

Zelda snorted and dumped the measured sugar into the bowl. Link hid his grin in her shoulder. He loved the way she laughed, and the way her nose scrunched up when she did. 

“There. Now I can stir them all together, right?” she asked. 

“Clever girl,” he replied with a kiss into her shoulder. She threw some flour into his hair, and he shook it off all over her shirt.

“Oh, you just wait until this is in the oven.”

“Is that a threat, my princess?”

“Absolutely.”

Though she didn’t need help pouring the cake batter, Link set his hands over hers and did it anyway. It was nothing more than an excuse to touch her, but she clearly didn’t mind. 

“See? You’re a professional,” he said as he took the trays and slid them into the oven. She’d burned herself once, years ago, and he never let her touch it since. 

“I can give up the crown and turn the castle into a bakery instead,” she replied, leaning against the counter with crossed arms. He shut the oven and set his hands on either side of her, trapping her where she stood.

“We could be Hyrule’s most successful sweet shop. Specialty is fruit cake, made by and for the former princess herself.”

“Maybe we’ll just run a side business.”

“Ah, Princess and army general by day, bakers by night.”

“Exactly.”

Link laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Zelda brought her flour covered hands up and stuck them onto his cheeks. 

“Why do you insist on starting a food fight with me?” he asked with a sigh, before sticking his hand in flour and dragging a finger down her nose, leaving her with a flour streak of her own. 

“You’re cute when you’re covered in flour,” she replied before ducking out from under his arms and darting away from him. When he turned to grab her again, she tossed a handful of flour in his face. “See?”

“Princess of Hyrule, Daughter of Hylia, spends her day assaulting her escort with flour,” he said with a huff, then turned back to the counter to scoop up some flour of his own.

“Are you seriously pouting over it?” she asked. Now that she’d moved closer, he spun around and dropped the handful onto her head.

“You know me better than that,” he replied with a grin. Zelda let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a scream, and Link took the opportunity to make a mad dash across the kitchen and out of her reach.

Maybe they should’ve cleaned up the ingredients when they were done, because Zelda grabbed an egg and chucked it in his general direction. He ducked, then darted to one side of the table. She took the other and mirrored every move he made with a grin of her own.

“Your aim is getting better,” he teased, nodding towards the splatter of egg on the wall. “But I will again offer training-“

“If you hadn’t ducked, it would’ve hit you!” she defended.

“A lovely Hylia’s Day gift that would’ve been. Egged by my princess.”

“I think it’s fitting!”

“I got you an empty kitchen and a day to try whatever you want, and you egg me!” 

“Because you’re an egghead!”

“Unbelievable. She’s the Daughter of Wisdom and the best she can come up with is egghead.”

Zelda sputtered a response, then made a break for him. Instead of running in the opposite direction, like any sensible person, Link jumped clean over the table and waved with a smile.

“Ugh! Show off.”

“I could teach you,” he offered.

“I’m perfectly capable of jumping over a table on my own!”

“Prove it.”

Zelda glared at him, but it was filled with a playful love that made it hard to stop smiling. She pulled herself up onto the table with all the grace of a goddess blood princess, then scooted across it to meet him.

“Very impressive,” he teased, grabbing her by the waist to pull her close. She only rolled her eyes and stuck her fingers into his hair, effectively spreading more flour. 

“High praise coming from you,” she said. Link only hummed and tilted his head to meet her in a quick kiss. 

“Come on, let’s clean up a bit,” he replied as he scooped her up off of the table in a bridal hold, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Yeah, we probably should.” But she’d tilted her head up and was pressing kisses along his neck.

“Are you trying to distract me?” he asked, glancing towards her with a lifted eyebrow.

“Now why would I do that?” 

The warmth of her breath tickled his neck and, well, it was certainly working. He almost wanted to forget about cleaning their mess and instead give his full attention to Zelda, but his foot hit a pile of flour on the floor.

The wind was knocked out of him immediately upon impact with the floor, but no harm had come to Zelda, and that’s what mattered. He tried to laugh through the pain.

“Are you okay?!” she asked as she scrambled off of him and helped him sit up. He nodded, but she checked him over anyway. Only when he could breathe again did she relax, then burst into a fit of giggles. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’m being bullied by the love of my life,” Link said with a hint of exasperation as he dropped onto his back. Zelda leaned over him with a smile as soft as a cloud. 

“Am I really?” she asked, running her fingers through his hair again.

“Of course,” he replied with a smile, lifting a hand to rest on her cheek. “You’re my sunshine.”

Zelda scoffed and shook her head, but Link took her free hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. Even covered in flour, she was absolutely divine. And she looked so happy that his heart could burst. He decided there was no moment he loved her more than when she was smiling at him, with a warmth in her eyes and a sweetness in her smile that was reserved only for him. He loved her most when she was happy. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face and the words from his mouth.

“I love you,” he said as he sat up, cupping her face with both hands. “So much. You are everything to me and I want to do all I can to make you happy, for the rest of our lives.”

“Link,” she replied, her voice choked full of emotion. 

“I want to marry you, Zelda.”

Even though they’d had this discussion before, there were tears building in her eyes. She looked like she didn’t know what to say, so Link took the opportunity to dig into his pocket and pull out the velvet box. And right there, on the floor of the castle kitchen, covered in flour, Link opened the lid and revealed the ring. Zelda burst into tears and, goddesses, when she nodded, he let out a watery laugh. She tackled him backwards, burying her face in his shoulder, and he hugged her close.

“I love you,” Zelda said, and repeated it probably a hundred times over. 

“I love you,” he answered, pressing a kiss to her head.

“Can we have fruitcake at our wedding?” she asked in a wobbly voice. Link laughed again and if he could hold her closer, he would’ve. 

“We can have whatever you want.”

And a few hours later, when the future queen and Hyrule’s army general stepped out of the (now clean) kitchen covered in flour, hand in hand and glowing with a happiness that suggested they’d seen Hylia herself, no one questioned it. But their engagement was no secret, because the ring on their princess’s finger had the castle staff whispering excitedly to one another mere minutes after the couple was gone. 

That very night, as Link watched Zelda fall asleep in his arms, he could swear he felt King Rhoam smiling down on them, and he thought he could hear Urbosa’s laughter echoing on the wind. 

They would celebrate tomorrow, he decided. For now, he would be grateful for how their solitary Hylia’s Day had gone. 

He must’ve been the luckiest man in the entire world. 

“I’ll take care of her,” Link whispered into the night air, a quiet promise to all those who cared about her. She didn’t need his protection, but goddesses, she’s all he could’ve ever wanted. 

To have the pleasure of falling in love with her over and over again, perhaps that was the greatest gift of all.

#zelink #botw zelink #post calamity zelink #zelink prompts #christmas prompts #zelink proposal #proposal fic #link in love is my favorite thing to write #in case you couldn't tell

[unfortunate-arrow]

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

[This is my secret santa gift for @raymondhope-writer for the @hphmsecretsanta2020! Hope you like it and that Daniel isn’t out of character! Have a great holiday!]

“Ninguid,” Daniel Carter said, his nose still buried in the book as the portrait swung open once he had given the password. 

He glanced up at the common room for a moment. It was empty, as was to be expected considering that it was the Christmas holidays. He returned his attention to his book. Unfortunately, the common room seemed to have a different idea. There must have been something in his way because the next thing Daniel knew he was sprawled on the floor. 

He stood up, brushing the legs of his robes instinctively. He bent down and picked up his book, setting it on a nearby table. He turned around and focused on the object he had tripped over. It was a pair of beaten up red converse sneakers. Daniel frowned. 

“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry.” The voice had a thick accent that Daniel couldn’t quite place and belonged to a rather familiar looking boy. Daniel was pretty sure that he had seen the boy on the quidditch team and around Hogwarts, but couldn’t remember his name. 

“Oh, it’s fine,” Daniel said.

“No, really. My brother’s right. Although, don’t tell him that. But, I need to be more careful. I wasn’t aware of anyone else who chose to stay for the holidays,” the boy said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. 

“Oh, really, it’s fine, mate.” He paused for a moment, watching the boy. “By any chance, are you on the quidditch team?” 

“What? Oh, yeah. A chaser,” the boy answered. 

“I thought that’s where I recognized you from.” 

“Well, I’m Ryan. Ryan O’Donnell. The Gryffindor O’Donnell, as half the school calls me.” 

The Gryffindor O’Donnell? Daniel frowned slightly at that. Why does that sound so familiar?

“I’m a quadruplet. That’s why. My brother, Conor’s in Ravenclaw, my sister, Cara’s in Slytherin and my other sister, Sara is in Hufflepuff,” Ryan said, shrugging as he bent down to pick up the sneakers. 

Daniel’s eyes went wide. Oops, I must have said that out loud. But quadruplets? Holy hell! “I’m Daniel Carter, by the way. So, uh, why are you spending the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts?” He hoped it sounded casual enough. 

Ryan’s cheeks flared red, and Daniel winced inwardly. He hadn’t meant to make the other boy uncomfortable. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Daniel said.

“Oh, it’s no problem. Our family’s not spending Christmas at home, so the four of us decided to stay here,” Ryan answered, but it didn’t sound like he was telling the truth. At least, it didn’t to Daniel. 

“My mother went to visit family in the United States.”

“Ah. We’ve been in Donegal since forever. Apparently, a however-many-great grandfather was the only survivor of the An Gorta Mór in our family.”

Daniel frowned. “An Gor… whatever?”

“The Great Hunger or the great famine. The 1840s potato blight in which millions of Irish either starved or emigrated.” 

“Oh. I know what the famine was. I just didn’t know it was called that.” 

“That’s the Irish name for it.” 

“You know Irish?” 

“Yeah. All four of us are fluent in Irish Gaelic. The damn Brits can try and stamp it out but we’ll rise up!” Ryan shook his fist and Daniel blinked. “Sorry. Us Irish don’t have a great relationship with the English.” 

The two boys fell into a lapse of silence and Daniel took the moment to study the other boy. The boy was a few inches shorter than Daniel and had messy dark brown hair. Ryan looked fidgety as he was swinging one of the sneakers around. He wore a black bomber jacket and a pair of jeans. 

“Anyways, since no one else is here, want to sit with me and my siblings at dinner?” Ryan asked, offering Daniel a smile. 

“Sure. There’s four of you, what’s that like? You know being a quadruplet?” Daniel replied.

“What’s it like not being a quadruplet?” 

“Touché.” 

~~~~

Daniel tucked his hands into pockets of his pants as he made his way to the Great Hall. There were only about twenty students that had decided to stay behind for the Christmas holidays, so the professors had pushed the tables together to create one big table. There were also no longer the house restrictions. Although, those restrictions had never really stopped people from sitting with friends from other houses. Of course, Gryffindors were rarely found sitting at the Slytherin table and vice versa. Any other combination was bound to happen, but Slytherins and Gryffindors rarely fraternized in the Great Hall, especially not during dinner. 

Daniel found Ryan easily. His fellow Gryffindor was sitting at a corner of the table, talking animatedly to a red haired girl and two other dark haired students. The boy had lighter hair than the other girl and both wore glasses. 

“Oh, hey, Daniel! Over here!” Ryan called loudly and Daniel got the distinct impression that the Irish boy was rarely quiet. 

“Guys, this is Daniel Carter. He’s in Gryffindor with me. Daniel, these are my siblings,” Ryan announced to the other three. 

“Hi, I’m Cara,” the red haired girl said, smiling. She stuck her hand out to him.

“Hi. You’re in Slytherin, right?” Daniel asked.

“Yep. Slytherin. I’m not a jerk like half of us are, though.” She smirked, slightly at him.

Daniel laughed awkwardly. 

“I’m Sara,” the dark haired girl said. She wore a sweater that was too big for her and Daniel was fairly certain that the sweater didn’t belong to either Ryan or his other two siblings. 

“Hey. You’re in Hufflepuff?” 

“Yeah. It’s nice to meet you, Daniel.” 

“C-C-C… shit. Conor. I’m C-Conor,” the lighter haired boy said, his cheeks reddening. He looked somewhat familiar, like Daniel had seen him around in more than just the hall. 

“Hi. Ravenclaw, right?” 

Conor nodded. Daniel was fairly certain that he’d rumors about Conor O’Donnell. He had to be the student that was known as “that dumbass Ravenclaw who can’t even speak properly.” Of course, there’s no way in hell that Daniel was going to ask him that. He wasn’t going to bring up the stutter. Who’s to judge someone on something so uncontrollable? 

He watched the siblings start talking and could barely follow the conversation. One big issue was how thick their accents were. It had been fairly easy to follow just Ryan in their previous conversation, but with all four of them it felt almost impossible to follow with the accents. 

“That dragon is pretty cool,” Cara said. 

“Thank you. It’s from my mum’s side of the family,” Daniel said. 

“This ring was our mother’s. Our father bought it for her,” Sara said, holding her right hand out. 

The ring was silver and had a braided band with a pair of hands holding a heart. The point of the heart was pointing towards her. 

“What is it?” he asked. 

“It’s a claddagh ring. They’re originally from Galway,” Sara explained. 

“And when the heart’s point is pointed towards its wearer, that means they’re dating someone,” Cara said with a smirk across her face.

“Oh, shut up.” 

The sisters grinned at one another. Daniel’s heart ached for a moment at the sight. He missed when he and Jacob had had moments like that. Jacob may have been a hell-raiser and they might have never been all that close, but Daniel still loved his older brother. 

“Hey, Conor, are you taking Arithmancy?” Daniel asked suddenly, after pausing a moment or two to watch the other O’Donnell boy. 

Conor nodded.

“I thought you looked somewhat familiar,” Daniel said. 

“Ah,” Conor muttered.

~~~~

Dinner came and went. It was loud and cheery. The professors pulled a lot of antics, which was not something Daniel had expected. Then again, this was the first Christmas that Daniel had spent at Hogwarts with so few students. It had been enjoyable and the O’Donnell siblings were quite interesting, but he still enjoyed spending some time alone. 

The halls of Hogwarts were decorated cheerily. There were little twinkling lights around all of the windows and twinkled against the snow. Snow swirled around the windows as a blizzard raged outside. The halls were slightly drafty, but the bite of the cold was perfect to Daniel. It made him slightly cold to temper the warmth of a full stomach and an enjoyable time. 

“Daniel!” a familiar voice called, and as he turned around, a smile spread across his face.

“Penny, hi,” he said, his stomach flipping.

Penny’s blonde hair was not in her usual braids, and it was down. She wore a dark green sweater with bright red stripes that had a badger wearing a Santa hat in the center. Daniel couldn’t stop the smile as it spread even wider across his face. 

“Did I see you eating with the O’Donnell quadruplets?” Penny asked.

“Yeah. I met Ryan O’Donnell earlier today after I tripped over his sneakers,” Daniel admitted. 

“Ah. They’re good guys. Sara’s prefect for our year and she’s dating Barnaby Lee. They’ve been together since November, but rumor has it they started dating after OWLs last year. Conor’s fodder for a lot of gossip. He’s quiet and mysterious, which makes half the girls want to date him. I suppose he’s handsome in a way as well. His stutter also makes him a subject for a lot of nasty gossip as well.”

“Penny…”

“I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

Daniel laughed and grinned. “A little.” 

“Happy Christmas. I wanted to give you this.”

Penny pressed an incredibly elegantly wrapped gift into his hands. He swallowed.

“Penny. You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, his voice soft. 

“Daniel, I wanted to. I wanted to get a gift for someone who’s incredibly important to me,” Penny answered. 

“Thank you. I… I don’t have anything for you.” 

“That’s okay.” She paused, catching the look on his face. “Daniel, I don’t care. If you really want to get me something, I won’t care if it’s late.”

“Jeez, Penny. I’ll get you something later. I promise.”

“Okay. Just open it please!” 

“Okay.”

Daniel grinned and gently opened the ornately wrapped gift. It was an old Defense Against the Dark Arts book, one that he had never seen before. His eyes went wide and he gently ran a finger down the spine and traced the ornately designed cover. He swallowed again and brought his eyes to Penny’s, blue meeting blue. 

“Do you like it?” Penny asked, shyly. It was a look Daniel rarely saw on her. 

Daniel opened his mouth and shut it again. He thought for a moment. 

“Wow. I love it, Penny,” he said.

“Really?”

“Penny, this is amazing. Where’d you find it?”

“I found it at a shop in Hogsmeade. The one for used books.” 

“Oh! I haven’t been in that shop too much. But seriously, Penny, I really like it.”

“You’re welcome. I’m really glad that you like it. I know that you’re working so hard to learn new skills and stuff, so I thought of you when I found the book.” 

“What were you doing in the used book store, though?”

“Oh, I was looking for something for Beatrice. I thought that maybe she’d like a nice book or something. I just really didn’t know what to get her. I stumbled across it and thought of you.” 

“Well, thank you again. I really appreciate it.” 

Penny grinned widely at him and took one of his hands in her own. He swallowed and tucked the book under his arm in order to wipe his sweaty hand on his pants. They walked quietly through the halls of Hogwarts, towards the Hufflepuff common room. Daniel smiled. This was amazing. Penny’s hand felt right in his. 

He glanced at her through his peripheral vision and his smile widened. She was beautiful and kind and grounding. He felt normal around her. He wasn’t the kid with the missing brother and the dead father. He wasn’t Carter or any other nickname he had been given. He was just Daniel, a sixteen-year-old boy, with a girl that he really liked and that was the most important thing about everything he felt around her. He felt normal, like he was more than just a name and a figure. 

“Thank you for walking me back, Daniel. Happy Christmas,” Penny said, standing on her tip-toes and pressed her lips carefully to his cheek. 

“Happy Christmas, Penny,” he whispered, his free hand coming to rest against the spot where her lips had touched as he watched her walk to the barrels that marked the Hufflepuff common room. He smiled to himself and turned away once Penny had entered the Hufflepuff common room. 

Later that night, Daniel carefully laid the book onto his nightstand and smiled to himself as he climbed into bed. He drifted off to sleep with his mind swirling around thoughts of what to get Penny for a belated Christmas.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #hphmsecretsanta2020 #daniel carter #ryan o'donnell #cara o'donnell #sara o'donnell #conor o'donnell #penny haywood #mc x penny haywood #daniel x penny #my writing #sorry if there are any mistakes #combined meeting other mcs (my o'donnell quads) with a canon character (penny) #hppe you like it!!!! #merry christmas #happy holidays #the title is from the carol 'have yourself a merry little christmas' #and i couldn't think of a better one

[is-that-another-soulmate-au]

Zukka Soulmate AU part 6

@mypureessence

@chaoticidiott

@ari-shipping-stuff

@knightedbot

@idkhowbutimgayer

@swampy-beans

@angrylittleintrovert

"I'll see you after the war prince Zuko" Jee said while leaving with Zhao

"Traitor" Zuko snipped at him with an angry stare, how could he just leave? He honestly saw him as a friend at that point, not that he ever had a good Idea of friends.

Jee just gave him a sad look and whispered "I'm sorry."

Once left on the boat with just him and his Uncle Zuko felt panicked. He paced back and forth on the ships deck until Iroh pulled him into a hug "don't panic too much Prince zuko, you'll dry out your scar. Say, why don't we go for a short walk together? Perhaps we could find some native flowers along the way"

"I dont want to go for a walk" Zuko pouted "Im going to sleep, dont be out too late, I hope to leave by dawn"

"Do you remember your sailing training?"

"Of course uncle, I went over it every morning with the captain"

Iroh gave him a nod and was off on his walk. Zuko looked towards the moon, it was getting close to a full moon. Maybe he's watching the same moon right now. He flushed at the thought and shook his head before heading to bed.

So they were at the northpole now? Of course he knew they were traveling to find Katara a wonderbending master. Given that there were none in the south pole. That's weird isn't it? Of course the firenation had done something to get the advantage over them but what happened to all the waterbenders? That village did seem rather... small? Why was Sokka the only warrior there? Perhaps the warriors left with what few benders they probably had?

Thinking back to the day he first saw Sokka he remembered only the glare from the boy with war paint covering half his face. He hated him, clearly he did, of course he did, why wouldn't he? What was Zuko but a traitor to his own nation and an enemy to every other nation. He only had one option right? He had to capture Aang and bring him back to his father. That was the only way he'd ever get his fathers love back and he knew that... didn't he? If he knew that then why was it so tempting to take Katara up on her offer to join them, why was he so tempted to try with Sokka?

A sound outside his room brought him out of his train of thought with a start. "Uncle?" With no response he went on the defense, stalking down the hall outside his room. He held a firebending position, ready to defend himself at any given moment.

When he reached the captains room he looked around at the map. A screech from outside caught his attention and he looked up to see that parrot from the pirates he screwed over. "No" it flew off and he heard explosions go off only managing to encase himself with fire as protection a split second before it reached him.

Screaming he flew out the window, gaining a few cuts and scrapes before falling into the water several feet away from his ship. When he came up for air he stayed low and hid behind another ship. The timing was fairly obvious, those pirates were sent by Zhao to kill him.

Meanwhile at the northpole Sokka was laying down on his cozy fur bed ready for sleep when he felt his whole body heat up and pain on his right eye and cheek. "Sokka?" Katara said from the doorway "oh my gods what did he do now?"

Sokka brought his hand up to his cheek and lifted it away to reveal blood just before he had the breath knocked out of him for a good few seconds. Gasping for air once it was flowing again he looked up at her "I..."

"Look you dont have to admit anything but I think someone just tried to kill Zuko... or maybe they succeeded..."

"What? No, he's indestructible, he probably got away and fell or something" He hopes... wait... why would he hope that? Zuko is a prick, he doesn't care if he dies or not.

"For both of your sakes I hope he survived" Katara said, reaching to her necklace

"You never did tell us how you gor that back... did you?" Sokka narrowed his eyes

Katara gave a shy smile "well, I told Aang... guess I forgot to tell you, my bad... Zuko gave it back actually."

"What?" Sokka's shock was more than clear in his voice

"Oh dont sound so shocked Sokka, when the pirates attacked he gave the necklace to me before tying me up and... he actually was the one to give me back the scroll and cut the string... called it a favor and told me to get lost though" she gave a shrug "here, let me help you with those cuts, maybe it'll help him too"

Sokka smiled at her and closed his eyes when she reached him with that glowing water. The sting of the cut was soothed by the cold water almost instantly. "Thank you Katara"

"No problem, now get to sleep so you can get back to wooing the princess tomorrow" she teased

"I am not wooing her, I'm just... I like her okay? And she doesn't have a soulmate but she likes me... or at least I hope she does... I just want to make her happy while I'm here." He paused "I cant be her forever abviously" he gestured to his scar "but I can at least be there for her now right? I think that would be enough to make her happy for a short while" Katara gave a knowing look and juat nodded before Aang came back

"Pakku trained you longer today huh? Early tomorrow we're doing one on one?"

"Yeah, he wanted to make sure I didn't have any distractions" Aang rolled his eyes "and yeah, one on one's are tomorrow, you're gonna kick their butts"

Back on a firenation ship away from the found family and heading towards Ice and cold Zuko was harboring with Iroh on Zhao's ship "you didn't have to do this" he whispered to his uncle while sliding the front cover of his helmet off

"No son of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some back up" wait... son?

"Son?" Zuko asked in a stuttered whisper

Iroh gave a soft chuckle "sorry, I misspoke dear nephew... anyhow, do you have a plan?"

"Im working on it" Zuko slid his cover back on and averted his eyes "When will we reach the pole?"

"By late evening tomorrow.. hide out in the life boat docks, nobody checks those besides me and Jee"

And thats just what he did, resting between the barrels surrounded by ropes and oars. That night Jee managed to slip in to check on him. "Prince" he heard Jee call out to which he sturred and snapped his fingers to alert him to where he was "ah, prince, I came here to give you this"

Jee held out the hair ribbon that had fallen from his hair when he fell out of the ship. "Thank you Jee, I guess I should wear it somewhere else for now"

"Your neck would be best, though that would be more of a placement for a betrothal necklace in their culture so I suggest you wear it around wither your wrist or ankle"

"Betrothal? Like engagement or marraige?.is that what Katara wore? I thought she was fourteen.."

"Yes, that is what she wore, though I feel it was probably passed down in her family and likely does not symbolize engagement." Jee spoke softly while Zuko lifted his sleeve for Jee to tie the ribbon around his forearm

"They've been through alot, I just hope it doesn't mean something too terribly important since I gave it back to her"

"You what?" Jee said as he finished tying the ribbon and pulled down Zuko's sleeve

"Hah, yeah, I wanted to do something... nice I guess..."

"Are you coming around for him" Jee wiggled his eyebrows at Zuko with a grin

"Oh my Agni, shut uuuup" he shoved Jee who only laughed

"Y'know... you remind me alot of my younger brother... before he well.. yeah, the war isn't nice to anyone" Jee gave a small sigh

"How do I remind you of him?"

"Oh you know, stubborn, dramatic, gloomy," Zuko glared at him but Jee only chuckled "and a heart of gold covered in dust laid there by others"

That statement stayed with him the entire time he was breaking into the northpole. A heart of gold. His mind echoed as he came out of the water to find the seal turtle cove. Covered in dust. Rang out as he leapt into the next tunnel. "Laid there by others" he gasped out once he resurfaced in the icetunnel.

He let out a small breath of fire and looked out over the village he was now in. This village would be attacked come sunrise. He only had a small amount of time to rest and get his bearings before then.

He had to find Sokka... no.. no he had to find Aang, though he hoped Sokka was safe with his sister.

Why was he here, what was he doing here? He was here for the avatar... but he couldnt stop thinking about Sokka and his bright blue eyes and his quick thinking. He couldnt help but think about how this would likely hurt him.

He gave a sigh before standing... there was something warm calling him. Not so much calling, but... pulling. He wasn't about to ignore it so he walked towards the heat, but made sure to keep out of sight.

The cold was bitter but not unwelcome... he could live here if he had to right attire. "Look princess, you don't have to have a soulmate to find love" was that... Sokka? He hid behind the wall and peered around it to look at him

"I know that Sokka, but we both know you're already chosen for someone. I appreciate you helping me feel loved while I was here but he will need you" the princess spoke and Sokka looked out away from her

"I know.. but I doubt he'd ever even choose me over his stupid honor" he looked back to her "is it bad to say that I like him? I mean, Yue, Ive always hated my scar, its just so... terrible, you know? But on him?"

Sokka gave a sigh "its not so bad... I mean his eyes Yue, they're so.... so gold its like they're glowing, he's beautiful Yue... but not only that he's strong... and I... I just rambled didn't I?"

Yue laughed "you did" she placed her hand on his unscarred cheek "but that is alright, perhaps Zuko will be able to listen to you ramble on after the war"

Zuko's face was practically boiling at this point, he had to get out of there and find Aang. That is exactly what he did. He found the oasis and spotted Aang and Katara. Wow, so thats what a calm avatar glow is? Nice to not have it detroying your fucking ship.

How he managed to get Aang tied up and in a cave is between him and a specific waterbender who could and would kill him but he'd never actually kill her. No amount of money could convince him to actually kill someone. But here he was with Aang waking up and giving him not a scared or angry look, just a... disappointed look.

"Really?" The airbender said with irritation.

Zuko sighed and just untied the rope and handed it to Aang "yeah yeah, I know, again right? Just tie me up and leave me here"

Aang certainly tied him up but he also tossed him onto the back of Appa when he landed and flicked Sokka's nose so he'd feel it. "I said leave me" he pouted

"And I didnt agree to it" Aang chirped and landed at the lead for Appa

"You didnt even say anything to it"

"Exactly now shut up and accept the help flippy"

"Flippy? Where did that come from?"

Aang just turned to him and then back to where he was steering Appa "You know where"

"Whatever" he pouted and turned away from them.

Watching the scene with Zhao, his uncle and the trio plus Yue play out Zuko worked on untying himself and luckily Sokka left his machete on the saddle and he was able to utilize that because dang were those knots good.

He ran after where he knew Zhao would flee and gave chase as soon as he spotted him. Throwing a fire blast at him and watching his face turn from defense to confusion to shock was amusing. "You? Impossible!"

"You tried to have me killed!" He screamed out as he landed on the ice beside Zhao

"Of course I did, youre the blue spirit, a traitor to the firenation!" The fight went on

"I had no choice!" Zuko cried out

"You could have chosen to accept your failure! Maybe then you could have lived!"

"Why would I want to live knowing a man who's biggest threat was a fucking fish beat me when I can easily break through his supposedly impenetrable fort and steal a twelve year old right from under his nose!" Zuko taunted with a laugh

"Because then you might have a chance to see your father one last time!" Zhao taunted back while jumping to the bridge

Zuko gave a shout and swept a fire circle under Zhao's feet and sent him to the ground "I dont want to see that bastard again unless he's six feet under when he loses to the avatar"

"So you are joining them?" Zhao growled out.

"No. I'm just accepting what needs to happen." He didnt manage to make his final blow because the water spirit swallowed up Zhao who refused his helping hand when offered.

The trek to Iroh and Jee at the small raft was easier than the journey in. He sat cross legged on the edge, just simply watching the waters "uncle... can you cut my hair?"

Iroh turned to him "of course Zuko... might I ask why?"

"Because I'm not on the side of fire anymore"

Iroh gave a small sigh but nodded "let me cut my hair with you? I've been waiting for you to decide this for some time" And so Zuko and Iro shed their high hairstyles, watching the hair float away.

"Are you planning on reaching out to young Sokka soon?" Jee asked with a small smile

"No, I just want to sleep"

"Then you should rest prince Zuko," a gentle but firm hand was placed on Zuko's shoulder "a man needs his rest" Zuko looked at Iroh who had placed his hand there and then to Jee who jusf nodded

"Okay" was all he said before laying down on the raft and drifting to sleep.

#avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #prince zuko #atla zuko #zuko #atla sokka #sokka #zukka #i will die on my endless soulmate au hill #soulmate alternate universe #soulmates #RayMakesSoulmates

[ryqoshay]

How to Handle a Maki: Maki’s First Adventure

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Words: ~8k Rating: T? Maybe G; I’ve been overcautious as of late it seems AU: RPG Time Frame: ??? Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: And now I’m writing a fourth fic... yay?

As with the first chapter of Heavenly Life, this serves as a proof of concept, this time for an idea I had when writing HL (AU). If I’m going to start writing a fantasy, non-canon compliant AU for YohaRiko, why not do so for NicoMaki as well?

Also, major thanks to noelclover for providing inspiration via amazing RPG NicoMaki fanart - links will be provided in the followup post. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been able to brainstorm ideas with a fellow fanwork creator and pray this work lives up to what was in mind upon creation of the aforementioned art.

Edit: Upon reviewing this chapter for purposes of writing something else, I realized something either didn't copy/past right or didn't save correctly when I originally wrote it in Word. As such, I have added a bit just before Maki's first adventure actually begins. Nothing major, just a bit of in-universe explaining as to why some things ended up as they did.

Maki was happy.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, she was truly, honestly, happy. She had arrived at her destination. And had done so all by herself.

She had not ridden in a fancy carriage owned by her family. Instead, she had walked, despite it taking over a week, not just a few days. Along the way, she had not stopped at the homes of local nobles where she knew she would be showered with gifts and granted the best room and board they could offer. Instead, she had stayed at each town’s tavern, where she had rented a room and had eaten the food provide by said taverns. On the nights she was unable to make it to the next town, she had made do with supplies she had brought with her. The clothes she wore were not ornate in any way and did not sacrifice comfort for style. Instead, they were hearty and durable, would not tear at the slightest of snags, and had no hem that needed to be held up to allow her to move.

And, perhaps most important of all, she had been able to earn money on her own, money not given to her by her wealthy parents simply for being their daughter. She had found many opportunities to sing and perform for coins tossed into her hat to help supplement her finances. Nothing about the journey had been extremely luxurious as far as she was concerned, but it had been enough to get by.

Now she stood in front of an old, but sturdy structure that was smaller than she had been led to believe. Her feet were sore from all of the walking, she had depleted much of her rations, she desperately wanted to bathe and sleep in a bed, and the wonderful aroma wafting through the cracks in the door made her stomach grumble, but she was here. She had finally arrived at the guildhouse of the Yazawa branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.

This particular branch had been suggested to Maki by Rin, the fiancée of her friend Hanayo. The two of them had recently started frequenting this location because they were fond of the manager, one Yazawa Nico. Apparently Hanayo and Nico shared some strange obsession with idols, both ancient and contemporary. Rin didn’t quite understand her fiancée’s fascination with statues but was happy to support her in her research and adventures. Maki definitely didn’t get it either, but she trusted Hanayo and thus had decided her first adventure would be some idol research for this Nico person.

She knocked on the door and awaited a response. Nothing for several minutes. She knocked again, a little harder this time.

“It’s unlocked!” A voice came from within.

Unlocked? Maki glanced from side to side. No guards in sight. Was Nico some sort of mage that warded off intruders via magic? Or perhaps Nico was just that trusting of others in the world? Then again, perhaps in the eyes of a thief, this place didn’t look like it was worth looting?

Memories came to her of all the guards, servants and the like who were ever-present around the noble and royal folk and their property. Though certainly possible, it was difficult to harm or steal from those in higher society, if for no other reason than the sheer number of potential witnesses. Heck even the taverns in which she had stayed often had a handful of people around that could deal with situations. But this place…

“You coming in or not?” The voice called again.

“Right, sorry…” Maki replied, finally opening the door. Immediately, a warm breeze slipped past her, carrying with it a potent burst of the aroma she had smelled earlier, causing her stomach to grumble again. “Hello?” She called into the building

“In the kitchen!”

Maki followed the sounds and smells of cooking. Turning the corner, she stopped in her tracks at the sight before her. Without a doubt, she had found the kitchen and the source of the tantalizing smell. But what struck her was the individual currently preparing what looked like a feast for no less than twenty people. With dark black hair pulled up in youthful twintails that bounced along as she practically danced from pot to spit to chopping board was a girl at least two years younger than her, possibly more.

“Welcome!” The girl said, turning a brilliant smile toward her.

“Uhm… is this the Yazawa Branch Guildhouse?” Maki asked.

“You got the right place. Now what can I do for you?” The girl reached over to stir the pot while she talked.

“I’m supposed to ask for the branch guildmaster, Yazawa Nico?”

“You found her.”

“…” Maki blinked. Surly she was being pranked. There was no way a kid was in charge of a guild, even if just a branch.

“So again, what can I do for you?” The girl repeated her previous question, her smile waning ever so slightly as a bit of impatience seeped into her voice.

“I’d… like to speak with Yazawa Nico.”

The smile dissipated entirely, replaced by a scowl as the girl put a hand on her hip. “That’s me.”

Part of Maki wanted to give her credit for her dedication the act, but she needed to get down to business. “Look, kid…” She cut off as a guttural growl came through the girl’s sneer.

“Onee-chan!” a young voice shouted from the direction of the door.

Immediately, the girl’s smile returned, somehow even brighter than when she had initially greeted Maki. Half a second later, a smaller version of the girl barreled past Maki.

“Cocoa!” Another smaller version appeared. “Don’t run in the kitchen when Onee-sama is cooking!”

“Smell good…” A third voice drawled.

There were four of them? Maki’s gaze shifted among them. They all had vibrant crimson eyes and dark hair, though one’s hair was a bit more on the brown side. And she was pretty sure the shortest one was a boy. Maybe…

“Ah, a guest.” The polite one turned toward Maki and greeted her with a bow. “Are you a new recruit?”

“Maybe?” Maki replied.

“That’s wonderful. Onee-sama may be the No. 1 Guildmaster in the Universe, but it has been difficult for her to get new recruits as of late.”

“Cocoro.” The purported No. 1 Guildmaster said with a disapproving air.

“Sorry, Onee-sama.”

“We’re doing just fine here.”

“My name is Cocoro, by the way.” The girl said, turning back to the guest. “And your name?”

“Maki.”

“It has been nice to meet you, Maki-san.” Cocoro smiled. “I’ll go set the table.” She then told her sister.

“Thanks.” The guildmaster then patted the head of the girl still wrapped around her waist. “Cocoa, go play with Cotaro. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

“Alright.” Cocoa replied, detaching herself. “Hi, Maki-san.” She said, running past the redhead.

“So, Princess,” Nico turned her attention to Maki “you got a surname to go with that gorgeous face and rude attitude?”

“Gor… rude? P-Princess?” Maki couldn’t decide what to react to first. “What the heck?”

“That’s what your name means, right? True Princess? What, did your parents hope you would marry into royalty or something?”

“No, I, uhm…”

“What, you gotta problem with people knowing your family name?” Nico’s eyes widened. “Maybe you have a bounty on your head?”

“Buweeh?!” Maki balked. “Bounty? No, that’s not it.” She shook her head. “That’s not it at all.”

“Hrm, a shame.” Nico shrugged. “Could’ve used the reward…”

Maki deadpanned at the other girl. “Nishikino. My name is Nishikino Maki.” Though as soon as she said it, Maki wondered if she shouldn’t have come up with an alias instead of using her real name. Her given name was probably fine, but…

“Nishikino Maki.” Nico repeated. “Has a bit of a regal sound to it.”

Wait, did that mean Nico didn’t know about the clerical clan headed by the Nishikino family? What kind of adventurers guildmaster hadn’t heard of the Nishikino clerics, even if just a backwater branch manager?

“I guess…” Maki admitted, reaching up unconsciously to twirl a strand of hair around a finger.

Nico shrugged it off. “So, back to my still unanswered question, what can I do for you?”

“Rin and Hanayo recommended I come here to get a contract.”

“Beginner adventurer, eh?”

Maki wanted to deny and claim that she had some experience, but Nico continued.

“Yeah, I have a few things we could do.”

“We?”

“Of course. I’ll go with you on your first contract or two; show you the ropes of adventuring and dungeon crawling. Cocoro can watch the place while we’re away and everything will be fine.”

“I see…”

“So, I’ll get the paperwork and gear together later and we can head out in the morning. But for tonight, you can join us for dinner then we’ll see about getting you a room.”

“Alright.” Maki found herself getting a little excited. Despite the hiccup with introductions, things seemed to be going well and she was one step closer to her new life of adventure.

“Anyway, I’m almost done here, so go hang out for a bit, but don’t go upstairs.”

“Huh?”

“NozoEli are up there.”

“Nozoeli…?”

“Sorry, Nozomi and Eli.” Nico corrected. “They’re two people, but since they’re practically attached at the hip, some of us refer to them as NozoEli. Kinda like RinPana, the ones who sent you here.”

“I… don’t get it…?” Maki had never heard her friends referred to in such a way.

“Anyway, they’re up there ‘celebrating’ Eli’s successful hunt, so unless you want to be scarred for life, don’t go up there. Nozomi has been pretty good lately in remembering to cast a spell to soundproof the room, but still usually forgets to lock the door, so if you go into the wrong one…” Nico shook her head as thought to clear unwanted memories.

Seems like not locking doors is commonplace around here, Maki mused to herself.

“Mmm… that smells delicious, Nicocchi.” A voice came from the direction of the stairs.

“The kids are here, Nozomi,” Nico replied without even looking “so you’d better be wearing pants this time.”

“Is a skirt alright?”

“You know what I mean.”

The girl coming down from the upper floor giggled. Long purple hair fell down to her hips and green eyes held a gaze that gave the feeling she knew more than she would ever let on. A smile matched the knowingness of her aura as she noticed Maki.

“Elicchi will be down in a bit.” Nozomi directed toward Nico despite her approaching Maki. “She’s a bit more tired than I am; wore her out a bit, it seems.”

Nico groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Tojo Nozomi.” The purple-haired girl greeted, holding out a hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Maki-chan.”

Maki blinked but accepted the handshake anyway.

“Don’t let her get to you, Nishikino.” Nico spoke up. “She’s like that with pretty much everyone.” She finally turned her attention away from her meal preparation. “You know you could try being a bit more formal at first from time to time, Nozomi.”

“Says the girl calling her Princess.” Nozomi grinned.

“Yeah, but that’s what her name…”

“Oh, is that ready? I’ll bring it out to the table.” She grabbed serving tray filled with carved meat.

“Thanks, but no sneaking a bi… hey! I saw that!”

The purple-haired girl laughed through a mouthful of meat as she made her escape to the dining room.

Nico sighed and shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I put up with her…”

“Because I’m your best source for rare components and you know it!” Nozomi called from the other room.

“Yeah, yeah…” Nico made a dismissive motion with her hand despite knowing the other girl couldn’t see it. “Anyway, Nishikino, if you would be so kind as to take this and follow Nozomi, we can eat soon.”

“Maki is fine.” Maki stated as she accepted the platter of crudités.

“Right, and I’ll overlook the kid thing if you call me Nico, the No. 1 Guildmaster in the Universe.”

The redhead couldn’t help deadpanning again.

“Or just Nico.” The raven-haired girl conceded with a smile.

As Maki made her way to the dining room, she found herself wondering if the No. 1 thing had been a joke or a test. Either way, she did feel a bit bad about misjudging the guildmaster’s age. She knew how she felt when being patronized by those older than her due to her age or lack of experience.

Although… had she actually misjudged Nico’s age? She had younger siblings, sure, and was the manager of this branch, but that didn’t mean she had to be any particular age, or even an adult for that matter. Maki was pretty sure she remembered reading the account of a girl who had taken command of a small mercenary guild when she was barely eleven. Not that it really mattered either way, but perhaps she should ask that Nozomi girl.

For better or worse, Maki was unable to inquire about Nico as the moment she made it to the table, a blonde shambled down the stairs, looking like she had just run a marathon. Said blonde introduced herself as Eli and took a seat next to Nozomi who immediately clamped a hand on her leg, earning a disparaging remark from Nico. Cocoro called her other two siblings and once everyone was at the table, they began their meal.

Conversation was lighthearted as full introductions were made and several stories were told. Nozomi insisted Eli tell the epic tale of her hunt earlier that day before sharing a story of her own, one seemingly designed specifically to embarrass Nico in front of the guest. The raven-haired girl fired back with what Maki assumed to be an embarrassing anecdote about Nozomi, but the purple-haired girl merely laughed it off.

All in all, the experience had been quite enjoyable for Maki and stood in stark contrast to the extravagant banquets and parties she had regularly been required to attend growing up. The food was surprisingly on par, simple in appearance, but flavorful and filling. And the company was in an entirely different realm. Nobody was approaching her with the intent of talking themselves up in hopes that she would put in a good word for them with her parents or some other noble. Nobody was sucking up to anyone, in fact. Everyone was just happily enjoying the company and were including her like they had known her for years. It was all a bit… strange, but pleasantly so.

And while she was not accustomed to doing so, Maki had been more than happy to join in clearing the table after the meal. The kids were out the door moments later, leaving the four older girls to relax for the evening.

“I’ll make some tea.” Nozomi offered before heading toward the kitchen.

“Thanks, Nozomi.” Nico replied before turning to Maki. “Now, about the bill.”

The bill? For the meal? “Oh, uhm… alright.” Maki began fumbling for her coin pouch.

“Nicocchi.” Nozomi’s tone held a scolding air despite her playful expression as she turned back toward them. “You know Eli and I provided everything for that meal, right?”

“But I cooked it.” Nico insisted. “My labor has to be worth something.”

“So, are you going to charge your siblings as well?”

“Of course not, they’re family.”

“Alright, then what of the leftovers?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we were to take what Maki-chan ate out of what Elicchi and I will be taking with us?”

Nico opened her mouth to argue further but paused to think for a moment. “You know what, fine, we’ll just call it all even.” She turned back to Maki. “But standard room and board fees will apply if you want to stay here for the night and have breakfast in the morning.”

“Alright.” Maki pulled out a handful of gold coins from her pouch. “Will this cover it?”

Nico’s eyes bulged. “Ye…” Her voice cracked so she cleared her throat before continuing. “This much is fine.” She said, taking only one of the offered coins. “We can work out a weekly or monthly fee later if you end up sticking around a while. And of course if you join the guild, there is an even bigger discount, and I can deduct it directly from your pay.”

Maki nodded in agreement before the two made their way to the living room to join Eli.

“Tea is ready.” Nozomi announced a few minutes later, carrying a tray toward the fireplace.

“Almost done here.” Nico stated, stacking a few more logs. “Want to do the honors?” She offered, turning to the purple-haired girl.

“Of course.” The mage replied, and with a quick snap, a crackling fire leaped up from the wood. “So, Maki-chan,” she directed her attention toward the redhead “know any good songs?”

“Quite a few, actually.” Maki retrieved her lute. “Any requests?”

Nozomi shrugged. “Bard’s choice.”

“Alright.” Maki agreed and immediately began to play.

Nozomi took a seat next to Eli and leaned into the blonde who put her arm around her as they settled in to enjoy the show.

For her part, Nico sat back and let the stringed melody envelope her. Then the singing started. And for a moment, she wasn’t sure if her heart had merely skipped a beat or stopped altogether. Maki’s voice… it was heavenly. The redhead matched her tone flawlessly with her instrument, blending their harmonies in ways Nico had never imagined possible. And the song. She’d never heard it before, yet it felt so familiar that she found herself wanting to join in.

And then it was over. Nico suddenly remembered to breathe and leaned back into her chair without knowing when she had sat forward.

“Bravo!” Nozomi cheered, disturbing Eli from her trance similar to Nico’s. “Encore!”

Maki smiled at the request and obliged, filling the guildhouse again with music.

Nico had lost track of how many songs were sung but was happy Maki had gone with a few she knew and had let her sing along. Eli and Nozomi started drifting off to the later songs as though they were lullabies and Maki chose slower, softer songs to accommodate. Eventually, with some reluctance, Nico called an end to the concert, reminding Maki that the two of them had an early morning. However, as the other three girls shuffled upstairs, Nico instead headed to her office. The others would sleep, but she still had work to do.

Maki’s eyes opened slowly at what sounded like a knock on her door.

“Time to wake up!” Nico’s voice called from the hallway. “Your breakfast is already getting cold!”

Wearily, Maki sat up, stretched and yawned. With a deep breath through her nose, she inhaled another amazing aroma, a bit different from last night’s but enough to make her stomach grumble. Though part of her wanted to go back to sleep in the surprisingly comfortable, yet simple and small bed, the rest of her wanted more of the guildmaster’s delicious cooking. Thus, she crawled out of bed, wrapped her cape around her shoulders and shambled downstairs.

“Good morning!” Nico greeted her cheerfully, “Who knows when NozoEli will be down, but you and I have a few things to do before we head out.”

“Mmmph…” Was all Maki managed in response before collapsing into a chair at the table.

“Not a morning person, eh?” Nico chuckled. “Well if you’re gonna be an adventurer, we’re going to have to work on that.” She set a steaming cup in front of the redhead. “Here, I’ve found this stuff to be more effective than tea. Not sure where Nozomi gets the beans though.”

“Beans?” Maki lifted the mug to inspect the dark liquid within.

“Yeah, instead of leaves I guess. Strange, I know.” The raven-haired girl shrugged. “But it does the trick and helps me stay awake to concentrate on my duties.”

“Mmm…” Maki hummed after taking her first sip. The brew was definitely different than the tea to which she was accustomed, but not in a bad way. If it was truly more effective than tea, she figured she wouldn’t have a problem getting used to it.

“And here’s your breakfast.” A plate appeared in font of her as well. “I reused some stuff from last night, but the eggs are fresh.” Nico explained before taking a seat herself.

Breakfast proceeded mainly in silence, as Maki’s mind stumbled in getting through her morning fog. However, she did notice Nico seeming to pay particular attention to her with each bite she took, as if evaluating her reactions. Had she done that last night? Maki couldn’t remember. Perhaps the general hubbub of NozoE… Nozomi and Eli, she found it odd to refer to them together, and Nico’s siblings had distracted her?

In any case, Maki was familiar with the behavior as she had watched many chefs, as well as other servants, await the approval of the nobles they served. So, did that mean Nico wanted Maki’s approval?

“That was delicious.” Maki said after her final bite.

“I know, right?” A brilliant smile turned up the guildmaster’s lips. “Nico is the No. 1 Chef in the Universe after all.”

Maki raised an eyebrow. She wouldn’t have gone that far, but she would certainly admit that Nico’s skill exceeded those of at least some chefs she had encountered over the years. And what the heck was with the No. 1 thing? Didn’t she refer to herself as the No. 1 Guildmaster as well? Or did her sister say that? It didn’t matter, either way it quite the strange way to refer to oneself. And presumptuous. There was no way Nico had been able to meet and compare herself to every other guildmaster or chef in the realm, much less the universe.

However, as prideful as the proclamation had been, Maki couldn’t deny that seeing the other girl happy managed to make her happy as well. Nico was quite cute when smiling that brightly.

And on the topic of cuteness, gone were the girlish twintails of the prior night, replaced instead with low, twin buns that managed to increase her visual maturity without diminishing her cuteness. In fact, Nico’s entire outfit was more professional, yet no less adorable. She definitely looked more like a guildmaster today than when they had first met. And the pink pouch on her belt was a fitting highlight, if Maki were to assume the other girl’s color preference.

“So, you’re done?” Nico’s question brought Maki back to reality.

“Uhm, yeah…”

“Very well,” Nico stood and collected the plates “Let me bring these back to the kitchen. Wait here and I’ll get your contract and supplies. Feel free to top off your mug if you want.” She motioned to the carafe of the curious concoction.

Maki was more than happy to partake as she realized she was indeed waking up faster than normal. She sipped at her fresh cup while awaiting Nico’s return.

“Here we go; your Standard Issue Beginner Adventurer’s Pack.” A backpack was set on the table. “And, here is an itemized receipt of everything in it.” Nico held a slip of paper out for Maki to take. “If you feel you don’t need a particular item, or already have one, return it now for a full refund. However, once you leave here, it will be considered used and you’ll only get half price.”

“Half?”

“Standard operating procedure.” Nico explained. “You’ll find the other shopkeeps will all offer the same.”

“Hrm…” Maki began to study the list. “Torches?”

“We’ll be going into a cave, can you see in the dark?”

“No…”

“Do you know any spells the cast light?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then you’ll need a light source. Otherwise you are likely to be eaten by a grue.”

“Eaten? Grue?” Maki blanched. “What the heck?”

“Kidding. Kidding.” Nico laughed. “There have been no reports of grue attacks in this area for at least a few weeks. But do be wary of the occasional gazebo.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Anyway, all adventurers need light eventually, so I include torches in the standard pack. However, due to your apparent finances, I would personally recommend an Everburning Torch. You’ll never need to replace it, unless you lose it, of course. Which reminds me,” She produced another slip “here are a few other upgrades I would recommend.”

“Rope? Why would I need rope?” Maki was still looking at the original list.

Nico sighed. “I could literally spend all day explaining the various uses for rope. Suffice to say every adventurer needs it at some point.”

“What’s a crowbar?”

Nico balked a bit before opening the backpack and retrieving said item. “You can use it to pry things open; doors, chests, and whatnot.” She made a couple motions to demonstrate. “Technically you can use it as a weapon in a pinch, but I’d recommend you use the daggers in here instead.”

“Daggers?”

“Everyone needs a backup weapon or two. We’ll get to your primary weapon in a moment.”

“Alright… Oh, I already have a mirror, soap and these as well.”

“Of course you do.” Nico reached into the backpack to remove the named items.

“What’s a handy haversack?”

Nico’s eyes lit up. “Only one of the best utility items an adventurer can have!”

“It’s a backpack…”

“Not just any backpack! It’s bigger on the inside!”

Maki raised an eyebrow.

“Magic. Extra-dimensional space and all that. In any case, it can hold far more than a regular backpack. And it will magically sort your inventory so whatever you’re looking for will always appear on top for easy retrieval. Keep that lute of yours safe and sound but retrieve it with ease. Feet sore from lugging around a hundred pounds of stuff? The haversack only weighs five, even with everything in it.”

“Alright, I’ll try one.”

“Excellent.” Nico grinned. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and took two steps but paused. “Actually, follow me and bring that pack. We’ll get you a weapon while we’re at it.”

Maki did as instructed and followed the guildmaster into a room full of supplies.

“You’re in luck. This is my last one.” Nico said, taking a backpack off a hook on the wall. “A bargain at twice the price.” She set it down on a counter. “Go ahead and start moving stuff while we talk weapons.”

Maki nodded.

“I noticed you didn’t appear to have a weapon of your own when you arrived, so I’m assuming you stuck to main roads on your way here.” Nico move to a display rack. “But you never know what you’re going to encounter out there in the wild, so you best be prepared. Do you prefer ranged or melee?”

“I’m not sure…?”

“Have you had any archery practice?”

Maki shook her head.

“Melee it is. Now, anyone can swing a blunt object around and cause some damage, but have you had any training with a blade?”

“I had some fencing lessons growing up.”

“Ah, then perhaps you’d be interested in a rapier.” Nico selected a blade and moved over to the other girl.

“Yes, that looks familiar.” Maki nodded, accepting the sword. “It’s quite lovely.”

“I know, right?” The guildmaster puffed out her chest with pride. “Nico is the No 1 Blacksmith in the Universe.”

There it was again. By the gods this girl had one hell of an ego. But while it was starting to get on Maki’s nerves, she couldn’t deny the rapier she now held was indeed of masterwork quality.

“Also, here is you contract for this adventure.” Nico produced a sizable scroll. “Here is your base pay, and a statement about the commission you will earn based on the price of the artifact you retrieve. Please initial here to acknowledge it.” Her finger moved about the page to point things out. “And here we have a section about revival. Check Yes if you wish to be revived upon death, but be aware that the price of materials for the spell as well as all expenses incurred in locating and retrieving your body will be deducted from your pay. Or check No if you do not desire this service. Then initial here to acknowledge your decision.”

“You’re kidding again, right?”

“Not in the slightest. This is just standard contract stuff. But don’t worry too much about it. Where we’re going, even an amateur like you should be fine.”

“Hrm…”

“Anyway, if you check Yes, you will be charged a nominal deposit for the tracking device, which will be refunded upon its return in good and working order. Additional fees may apply for damage to or loss of the device.”

“Tracking device?”

“Something of my own creation.” Nico said, retrieving a small, metallic object from a nearby shelf. “Once it’s registered to you, it will monitor your vitals. If it detects that vitals have ceased, it will start transmitting a signal I can use to locate and revive you.”

“But you’re coming with me right?’

“I am.”

“So, why would I need this?”

“You never know what might happen out there. Maybe we get separated.” Nico explained. “Also, once you’ve registered a device, you can just keep it with you for however long you’re in the area. Heck, NozoEli still have theirs even though it’s been over a year since they last contracted with me.”

“Have either of them needed to use it?”

“That’s privileged information. But while I won’t reveal which clients have made use of this service, I will say that some have. Better safe than sorry.”

Maki thought for a moment before reaching over, checking Yes and initialing next to it.

“Excellent decision.” Nico said with a grin before doing something with the device in her hand. “Alright, place your finger here until it flashes.”

Maki did as asked.

“Perfect. Now just keep this in a pouch or pocket or whatever.” Nico explained handing over the tracker. “Just not in the haversack. I haven’t figured out how to make its sensors work through the extra-dimensional space yet. But I am still working on it. Anyway, please initial here, here and here as well. Then sign all the way down at the bottom.”

“Nico-chan!” a voice called from the entryway.

“Coming!” Nico raised her voice in response. “Finish up with this.” She instructed Maki. “And double check those lists to make sure you have everything you need. We’ll be back by dinner, so you won’t need stuff for overnight, but you’ll still want to be prepared. And of course let me know if you see anything else you want.”

“Alright.” Maki nodded.

And with that, Nico headed to the front door.

“Kotori!” Nico greeted her guest warmly. “It’s been a while. And I know that look. What kind of creature did you bring this time?”

Kotori smiled apologetically and lead the way back outside.

Nico immediately facepalmed. “A lion? Really? Where did you even find…” She glanced up to see the other girl’s eyes brimming with tears. “Fine.” She conceded, despite knowing it was an act. “But carnivores are going to cost extra.”

“Thanks Nico-chan!” The ash-haired girl practically jumped with joy.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nico dismissed. “Maybe you can convince Eli to hunt down some food so I don’t have to buy it.”

“Hunt down what now?” A voice came from behind them.

“Ah, Eli-chan!” Kotori’s attention was drawn to the blonde descending the stairs. “Just who I wanted to see!”

“What’s up, Kotori?” Eli smiled in greeting.

“I received word that a Corrupted boar was recently terrorizing the town of Arcton.” The ash-haired girl explained. “I tracked it to this area and believe it’s heading toward Lerwick.”

“Arcton is fairly well guarded, I can see why it would have moved on.” Eli grimaced. “But Lerwick... If it’s Corrupted enough, it could wipe them out.”

Kotori nodded somberly. “And from the reports, it may be beyond the point where I can save it.”

“Alright, I’ll get my gear and be ready in a bit.” Eli turned halfway to go back upstairs. “Say, do you mind if Nozomi joins us?”

“Of course not. You know I always welcome her company. And her magic might prove useful.”

“I figured you two would be leaving today.” Nico spoke up. “There are bentos in the kitchen for you. Take what you want, and I’ll add them to your bill.”

“Thanks Nico.” Eli tossed over her shoulder.

“I made plenty if you want to buy a few.” Nico offered to Kotori.

“Wonderful.” The other girl clapped her hands together with a smile. “I most certainly will partake.”

“Everything is signed.” Maki said, coming outside. “W-wait, wha?” She stumbled in retreating and found herself leaning awkwardly against the doorframe.

Kotori giggled. “Oh, he won’t bite.” She stroked the mane of the lion laying beside her.

“You’re not going to react that way the first time you encounter a wolf or whatnot, are you, Maki?” Nico asked, taking the paperwork from the redhead.

“Maki?” Kotori tilted her head. “Nishikino Maki?”

Maki blinked. “Uhm… yes…”

“You know her, Kotori?” Nico asked what was on both her and Maki’s minds.

“She’s a friend of Umi-chan.”

“Umi?”

Kotori giggled. “We should work on your knowledge of nobility and royalty, Nico-chan.”

“Hmph.” Nico scoffed. “As if I care about those high class muckety mucks.”

Maki wasn’t sure if she should interject, but she often felt similar, despite, or perhaps because of the fact that she had been raised in said high society. Instead she asked, “Sonoda Umi?”

“That’s right.” Kotori confirmed. “We’ve been friends since childhood, but I haven’t seen her in a few years, unfortunately. Not since…” She trailed off and she diverted her gaze down. “Never mind.” She cleared her throat and looked back up, her smile seeming a bit off. “I wouldn’t’ve expected to find you here, Maki-chan.”

“I’m, uhm… trying my hand as an adventuring bard.” Maki decided to explain.

“I see. That sounds wonderful.” Kotori’s smile softened and become more genuine. “Let me know if you ever want a beastmaster in your party.”

“I will.” Maki agreed.

“Oh yeah, Maki,” Nico spoke up, “change of plans.”

“Hm?”

“Looks like you’ll be going alone today. I have a new pen to build.”

“But…”

“You’ll be fine.” The guildmaster assured. “It’s a simple fetch quest. You’ll be back before dinner. And on the plus side, you’ll earn more because you won’t be charged for my assistance.”

“…” The bard seemed hesitant to agree for a moment before relenting. “Alright.”

Over the next half hour, the girls finished preparing for the day. Eli and Nozomi followed Kotori’s lead to hunt down the boar. Maki began following her map to find the hidden idol. And Nico began gathering materials to build a pen for Kotori’s new beast.

Maki squinted at the map in her hands. After some scrutiny, she looked up at the cliffside. This was the place, right? It had to be. She traced the landmark on the map with her finger as though the action would somehow make things clearer. Well, in any case, if this was indeed the right place, there would have to be a cave entrance somewhere at the base of the cliff.

Still rechecking the map, she took a step forward and…

“Kyaaa!” She shrieked as her boot clipped an exposed root and she stumbled down to her knees. “Ow ow ow oooowww~!” She cried, rolling back into a sitting position.

That was stupid. She chastised herself, inspecting the scrape marks on both knees that were just starting to bleed. Hissing, she quickly brushed away some of the larger chunks of debris. Then, holding a hand over each knee, she began to sing.

A soft red glow appeared between hand and wound and after a few seconds, both were mended. However, despite having fully healed her injury, Maki did not stop singing, mostly because the song was not over. As the melody continued, she fetched a handkerchief and waterskin from her bag. Then, after dampening the cloth, she cleared away the last of the dirt. Finally, she stood back up.

“Ssssing…” A voice like leaves in the wind rasped from behind her.

Startled, Maki spun to face whoever had spoken. “Who…?” She asked, not seeing anybody. “Where…?”

“Ssssing…” The voice repeated.

Up. Maki looked toward the branches above her to see a woman, body half covered in feathers, perched in a nearby tree.

“Who are you?” Maki inquired.

With a flap of wings, the woman descended to hover in front of the redhead. Maki froze as she noticed the bow nocked with a wickedly tipped arrow pointing at her. She doubted she could draw her rapier and close the distance before being hit with one, possibly two arrows.

“Sing!” The bird woman demanded, drawing the bow.

“A-alright…” Maki held out both hands defensively, revealing them to be empty. “I’ll sing…”

And with that, Maki began a new song. One that was different than her healing song, one she hoped would calm and placate.

Sure enough, halfway through the first chorus, the feathered woman lowered her bow. By the second, she had moved to a nearby rock to perch.

“Another.” The winged woman stated as soon as Maki finished.

“Uhm… do you mind if I fetch my instrument from my bag?” Maki inquired.

The bird woman cocked her head to the side with curiosity, but Maki noticed her grip tightening on her bow.

“It’s just a lute.” Maki explained, slowly removing her bag from her shoulders and setting it on the ground in front of her anything she did would be in clear view. “It will make my songs even better.” She assured. Then, careful to avoid sudden movements, she found her lute and pulled just the end out to show that it was not a weapon. Once the bird woman seemed satisfied with the lack of threat from the instrument, she removed it completely and slid its strap over her shoulder.

Maki plucked a few strings to reassure herself the lute was still in tune before strumming a full chord. Satisfied with the results, she began a second song. She watched the feathered woman’s features relax as the melodies washed over her. And while she did not release her bow completely, Maki was pleased to see her grip loosen.

“Another.” The bird woman stated again as the second song concluded.

Maki nodded and started her third song. This time, however, the feathered woman straightened her posture, opened her mouth, and began to sing along. Though initially startled, Maki did not let the unexpected accompaniment detract from her performance. And after a few moments, she allowed herself to be in awe as an almost perfect countermelody was provided to her song. Maki doubted the bird woman knew the song, as it was one she had written herself and had never performed for any non-human individuals; at least not knowingly. This meant the bird woman’s musical intuition was on par, if not exceed her own.

A fourth song. A fifth. A sixth.

Maki honestly felt like she could continue for hours.

A seventh song. An eighth. A ninth.

Maki began to lose count but didn’t care.

And then the feathered woman stood. As though coming out of a trance, Maki slowly focused on her vocal partner of the last… however long it had been.

“Thank you.” The bird woman said with a slight bow. “That was…” She seemed hesitant for a moment “fun” she concluded.

“Yes, it was.” Maki agreed with a smile.

With one more nod of acknowledgment, the woman flapped her wings and took to the trees. Within seconds, she was gone.

Strange. But enjoyable. Maki found herself thinking before continuing her search for the cave.

Nico wiped the sweat off her brow and glared up at the accursed yellow thing above her. In all honesty, it wasn’t a particularly warm day, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky to block the sun’s rays, nor even a whisper of wind to help cool things off. For a moment she found herself envious of her friends and potential new recruit who were all trekking through shaded forest at this time.

Yellow movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned her gaze toward the lion sleeping nearby. The beast had rolled onto its back and pawed a few times at the air. Nico scoffed. Even the large cat was enjoying the shade of the tree to which it was tethered while she toiled away building its new pen.

Perhaps that should be her next creation; a portable shade device, or perhaps an automated fan. Or maybe even a combination there of? Nico made a mental note to draw up some designs later as she fed another log through her custom milling device.

This was the idol, right? Maki studied the sketch in her hands. It had to be. She held up the parchment near the small statue for a better comparison. Maybe if you ignored this part and added that… She turned the page sideways. Close enough. She grabbed the idol and shoved it in one of the pouches on her belt.

Nico had been mostly right, at least insofar as the ease of locating the idol. Travel to the cave had taken a bit longer, and the monsters had been a bit tougher than indicated, but Maki had made it through. She felt a swell of pride as she made her way back toward the entrance; she had completed her first adventure. On her own. Without any help.

Well, mostly complete. She did still have to make it back to the guildhouse, but that should be easy, right? She flipped the map upside down and headed out of the cave.

Where the heck was Maki? She should have been back by now. Nico checked the distress tracker again. At least the new adventurer was still alive, so that was good. But what was taking her so long?

Did she get lost? No, that couldn’t be the case. Even her younger siblings could figure out how to get to that cave and retrieve the idol within.

Maybe Maki was so much of a beginner that just the hike to the cave wore her out and she was taking extended breaks? Nico tried to remember if the redhead had purchased proper sleeping gear in case she needed to camp out for the night. And rations. Had she brought enough food for an extra day?

Well, whatever the case, her siblings would be arriving for dinner at any moment, so she took one last taste from the pot to make sure it was ready before moving to the dining room to set the table.

A knock on the door made Nico look up from her desk.

“It’s open!” She called.

“I’m back.” Maki’s voice came from the entryway.

About time. Nico thought. “I’m in the office.”

A moment later, the redhead came in the room and immediately stopped to stare at Nico.

“What?” Nico questioned as Maki slowly walked toward her with a strange expression.

“Nico-chan!” Maki threw herself on the guildmaster, knocking her out of her chair.

Nico grunted as she landed on the floor and arms wrapped tightly around her.

Nico-chan? What the heck is going on? Nico’s mind raced through ideas attempting to discern the most likely possibility. However, her thoughts were completely derailed when the redhead nuzzled against her cheek.

“What are you doing?” Nico cried. “Hey, let go of me.” She started to attempt to remove herself from the embrace.

“Noo~~!” Maki whined, hugging tighter.

“Maki, seriously, what are you doing?”

The redhead pulled away just enough to make eye contact. Nico internally cursed her heart for skipping a beat at the sheer adorableness of Maki’s pout.

“Does Nico-chan hate me?” Moisture gathered at the edges of the bard’s eyes.

“No, I just…” The guildmaster struggled to put her words together. “I just want to know what’s going on and why you’re hugging me.”

“I’m hugging Nico-chan because I love Nico-chan.”

“L-love?!”

“Yup!” Maki began snuggling against her again. “I lo~ve Nico-chan so~ much!” She practically sang.

“But, I…” Nico’s head lulled. Wait, what the heck? No. She wasn’t tired. She still had work to do!

“Nico-chan…” Maki sighed with contentment.

Maki was pretty warm… And despite its unexpected nature, her embrace was… pretty comf… No! She wasn’t… ti… No… She refused to… fall…

Nico opened her eyes. Had she fallen asleep? Damn! What time was it? Her mind ticked off all of her remaining duties of the day. Gods, she would be so far behind now. She attempted to sit up, only to find she was being hindered by an arm across her stomach. What the hell?!

The movement caused the arm’s owner to stir and murmur something quietly that sounded not too dissimilar to Nico’s name. She glanced over and immediately recognized tangles of red hair on a head currently trying to close the distance she had just created between them. Why was Maki in her bed with her? And why, by all that was holy, was she so adorable?

“Ah, you’re awake.” The door opened and a purple-haired girl stepped in.

“Nozomi?”

“Good morning.”

“Morning?”

“Afternoon, actually.”

Nico’s eyes widened and she tensed up until a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.

“You slept through the night, and most of the day.” Nozomi smiled at her friend. “But don’t worry. Everything is fine. You obviously needed it. And we all pitched in to take care of things; Elicchi, Kotori-chan, your sisters, even little Cotaro-kun helped a bit.”

Nico stared the other girl for a moment while she processed the information. “How did I get here?” She finally asked. She was pretty sure that when she had collapsed, she had been downstairs.

“Maki-chan insisted on carrying you.”

Maki-chan carried…? “Did she also change my clothes?”

“No, I did that.” Nozomi chuckled at the memory. “Despite her protests.”

“What the heck is going on with her?”

“I think she was cursed by the idol you sent her to retrieve.”

“That can’t be right.” Nico furrowed her brow. “That thing is harmless, certainly not cursed. It’s the same one I’ve used for all beginner adventurers; just keep putting it back for them.”

Nozomi produced a small statue and held it out to the other girl.

“That’s… not the right idol. Where she get that?”

“I’ve no idea.” Nozomi admitted. “You’re the idol expert.”

“Yeah, and I’ve never even seen that in any of my books…”

“Well the only thing I’ve been able to determine is that the curse only seems to be able to affect one person at a time, thus why I’m able to safely hold it.”

“That or the curse is contingent on who actually removes it from its dungeon.” Nico suggested.

“Either way, it certainly seems to bring out some… interesting behavior from your cute new recruit.”

Nico glared at the other girl. “I haven’t recruited her… yet.”

“Oh c’mon, Nicocchi, you and I both know she’s your type.” Nozomi said with a laugh. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you checking her out at dinner the other night. I’ve a feeling you’re enjoying this more than you want to admit, even to yourself.”

Nico sighed and gave another glance toward the still sleeping Maki. Before remembering who was watching, she brushed a stray strand of red out of the girl’s face.

“It would be cuter if the curse didn’t make her so clingy…” Nico decided to try for a balance between conceding Nozomi’s point while retaining some of her initial cantankerousness. The situation did still bother her after all.

“Perhaps.” Nozomi seemed willing to let that stand. “Anyway, I sent word to RinPana, so they’ll be dropping by any day now. I figure Hanayo-chan is the best choice to help you figure out how to ameliorate the curse.” She turned to leave. “Oh, and lunch is ready when you two decide to get out of bed.” She paused and looked over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “But don’t take too long…” She laughed and easily dodged the pillow Nico threw at her.

Once the purple-haired menace had departed, Nico turned her attention to the sleeping redhead still snuggled against her. While part of her wanted to hop out of bed and get back to her duties, she couldn’t deny that another part wanted to stay where she was. Perhaps… just maybe, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt… While staring at the ceiling, Nico’s mind started wandering through thoughts on how to handle a cursed Maki.

Author’s Notes continued in Followup Post

#NicoMaki #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #How to Handle a Maki #Love Live #fanfic

[trippz2ill2ace8itout]

🌙🌙🔥🌙🌙||HOPE #4; ||You Know My Name, Not My Story||🌙🌙🔥🌙🌙

🌙🌙🔥🔥facebook, this is part of my life story, this is in the past. Im in no way a harm to myself and others. Thank u. PART FOUR!!!🌟🌟🥀🥀 *SatanslashGod; im gonna pray, i think God is calling me to fufill His duties. I was homeless for the 13th time. I walked the streets for days. I got possessed by God. And i acted out bizarrely insanely dangerously, abnormally, like an animal. I stayed up for 3 days straight. And taking extra of my medication. I had a full blown physcotic break. I didnt kniw my name. I was talking like a baby, waving my arms in the air. I lost all my senses. I forgot how to function. I got admitted to Loma Linda ER, and they took me in right away. I was like nonresponsive. I was an animal, a vegetable. I was dysfunctional. And then they transferred me to Loma Linda BMC. Mental hospital. While i was there i acted out. They put me on concervertaship, i had a hearing, and i saw the judge. It was my over 200th mental hospital. And the judge almost sent me to an institution but i lied, and i got off. Ive been concervered over 5 times. I gor diagnosed with ovee 10+ mental illnesses. Critically/Clinically Insane && The Most High Maitnence Case In The System. When i was 12 i sold my soul to the devil. And i became a bully. And multiple places and people told me that i had a serial killers personality, that she looked into my eyes and said "theres nothing in there" "your untreatable" "your too high maintenance for us to treat" my therapist Thea said ahe waz one step away from conserving me and taken to a state institution. And she said they probably couldn't treat me. Ive been to 215 mental hospitals. And ive been thru it all. I cant tell the difference between God and satan, when i get commands i cant tell the difference. *Richard Enxxellia/Puppoi/Three 7s/SeventyThree6's/UglyBitterSky; Richard gives me paranormal activities. Qualities, which he possesses me to act out dangerously. One example is when i get homoscidal. He decodes the devil into me. He moves certain objects and living things to make me use my 10 senses. As i dissociate to many alternate universes. The darkness takes over me. He decodes demons into me. Decoding me, i have codes, we all do. In NXSP. Rascal/Raskal is my therapy dog. Whos dying of cancer. I hallucinate him everywhere. But i see him as if he was real. And people tell me itz all in my head. Like i have a full blown convo or im playing with him. But my mom and bro tells me hes not in here. Three 7s is where my mania gets out of control. Like i feel like im famous, for the right or wrong reasons. Its all a delusional world. I go out of reality now 100% of the day. And thats not normal. *Bad Mommy-Good Mommy/Duplicates Of People/TwentyStepsForward; __::::TSF was a demon that Johnny hated, but somehow was connected too. So after Me/I, Izzy "Ace 8/Spizey/MsSweetInsanityyx" (Me/I/M3/iii) killed him. The reason why Lily "Dancing Fire" was so mad at Izzy was because TSF turned to ashes after Johnny died, (was killed by Izzy) and that made Lily wanna send Izzy to The Ends more, as she tried to follow thru with that plan, but failed. Ever since i killed Johnny, Dancing Fire has become a bigger and more dangerous demon in my head, becoming worse and telling Alvaro to possess me more. So Alvaro && Dancing Fire have gotten worse. After i killed Johnny. __::::Bad Mommy/Good Mommy take toll of my mind. When i was in my drug and alcohol addiction, Bad Mommy got worse, she wears a scar on her face. She abuses me, (in real life she did abuse me mentally and very rarely physically, but this was before i got back into my addiction) after i tried to come home after she kicked me out *again* (while i was homeless for the 13th time) i was on cocaine, meth. Acid, pills, heroin etc etc. I came home and she slammed me against a wall, and called me a whore. Then she "switched" and forgot about it later, it scared me, and she won my trust and forgiveness back by giving me brownies. This went on for awhile. In reality tho. She did call me really offensive names. But she didn't slam me against the wall. I was scared of her and on multiple occasions didn't wanna come home from school. Anyways i dont wanna elaborate on that. __::::Duplicates of people really fucked me up. This waz after me coming home in 2018. I saw duplicates of people i do and don't know. And it scares me. Now it only happens with my therapy dog, Rascal *Cones/Wesley "Presley" Garcia/Mr.OutOfDate; |__::::????::::__| XX_XX __::::????::::__ | | Cones;____Guide me in the right direction. Master Cone. Controlling your slaves and servants. Your fucking with my head, your make me follow your path, as u soar strangely thru the air. Trying to show me a new reality, the Cones are ahead of the other flying objects. Its like your all dancing around me and my reality of a dreamland, a dreamland like reality. You opened my eyes, but also made me more insane. Therez all sorts of shapes, dancing strangly. You made me dissociate more than usual. As i traveled all the universes and galaxies. You did both harm and good for me. Thank u, for opening up my eyes, as im developing my 11th sense, i already have 10 senses. You traumatized me and u saved me. Thank u. Cones and Objects. For becoming a part of me. Cones are non living transitioning to living. But only i can see them. I appreciate you all. All the different breeds and kinds of objects. Theres millions of them. And im glad we crossed paths. I love u my Cone Family🖤🥀🌙🔥 Wesley "Presley" Garcia;____ Dear, Wesley/Presley, Did u Wanna get away, why did u make Johnny so bad, i know u were his master. And i know after u died, Johnny took your place, but i had to kill him, he tortured me and all of NXSP, i just wanna ask, why are u so fucked up? We did nothing to deserve this torture. Thank u for trying ur best with Johnny, but i just wanna let u know, even if u tortured us (made Johnny do it) im still here for u, cus i jyst found out that you didn't torture Johnny. Lily lied. And i should have known. Johnny tortured u, and no one knew, so i apologize for blaming u. Johnny also made up stories about you, that u tortured him. And i just put the pieces together and i realized Johnny started all this. NOT ERIN! Lily is just as bad as Johnny and Alvaro. All 3 of them fucked and traumatized all of us. If there is anything i can do to help. Plz let me know. I wanna save NXSP. Not destroy it. I know ur dead, but i miss u. And i realized you tried to pull/put NXSP back together, now its just pure darkness. Do u mind (&& u dont have to if ur not comfortable with it) send us angels to protect us from harm. Like what Constance used to do. I love u hun, keep fighting, soldier, Sincerely, Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez/Ace 8/Spizey/Ms_SweetInsanityyx && im also speaking for my family at NXSP. I love u. Hope u get this message.🖤🥀🌙🔥 Mr.OutOfDate;____ You give me reoccurring dreams and visions of my mom dying. && u made me live thru hell itself. Literally, and u bring me closer and more content with death. I feel like im dying everyday, like literally. I feel my body being tortured by my demons and Satan. Who ive met thru traveling the galaxies and universes. Why? I wanna live, not die. Heres a lil thing i wrote about this. "I wanna become content with living But i feel closer that death My mom is the only thing i have Without her i would already be dead I check her breathing while shes asleep on her bed I just wanna be dead No words left unsaid I feel closer to death everyday And i feel myself fading away Still happens to this day Losing levels of sanity more each day Losing my mind and i cant stay awake Ive been thru hell and torture Trauma, pain and darkness Do we know all the answers? Do we all get possessed by the devil Do we all lose control by the hour Dont die Mom Plz dont go Your my sun Plz dont go Your my reason I sold my soul to the darkness But i cant let my mom go Its hard to explain the love i have for her Its easy to explain why i love her Im becoming closer to death Got this fire in my heart Got this fire in my soul Im not whole, im not ok Maybe ill be ok one day I love u mom, Mr.OutOfDate, Youve come way to date You brought me and made me live thru hell Ive lived thru hell itself. Goodnight my beautiful sunshine Aint nobody dying tonight."-written by me, Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez Were all strangers to ourselves. Its hard to say i love myself, cuz im broken and damaged. I love u mom, ur my everything. Your my sunshine my sunrise and my nighttime. If u die i die. Goodnight. 🖤🥀🌙🔥 *Visions&Hallucinations of Past&Future/ObjectsHavingAForceOnMe; Dancing Fire cordinates it. All 100% of my past flashes in my head at random times. And i cant control it. Id be in a completely different reality. And i use all my 10 intensitied senses for every part of my past. Like i was there again. CODE 203 J REPEAT CODE 203 THIS IS SYSTEM SHUTDOWN X FOLLOW ALL GIVEN PROCATIONS. Lily you need to get the fuck outta here with that shit. SHUT UP CHARLOTTE! Homie, you better back up. Im talking to u, Lily. Well Charlotte imma show Izzy her past right now. OHHHH IS THAT IT LILY THATS WHY UR SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN! I miss u Lily, the old u.. Im not feeling to good Lily. Im sorry Lily. IM DONE! When objects look at me, its like im looking in a mirror, and there using codes to take over me && they scare me, for example i can look at a door knob, a window. A sky, a cieling, and i feel like it has a force on me. Like there trying to get inside me. Like i see a chair and i scream cuz its looking right thru me. Heres a lil poem i wrote: "Dont talk to the ceiling It might talk back Taking over me Can u see me Can u hear me Do u get that peculiar feeling Of all the hell im dealing Leave me alone I dont have a stable home I look into ur eyes The pretty silver sky Its looking right thru me Its posessing oh its controlling me Got that strange feeling Are these the Aces that im dealing Your looking right thru me Dont listen to the walls They dont think when they talk Dont run away from fear Dont draw the devil nearer There decoding you my darling There breathing how non living objects should Cuz non living things are just as important As living things, your being cornered Breathe my friend In and out Breathe and shout Theres no way out There surrounding me Im inside my TV This is all a game And i declare you insane Smiles on everybody Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors Smiles on my little baby Nobody needs to ser what goes on behind closed doors. Take control dont let it control you Why are u so blue? Are u in the flumes Ace 8 Break It Down Theres No Way Out Im In The Dark Now Im Just Hellbound The more u try to fight it The stronger it gets I would take my life to save yours Trauma occurring 24/7 From 2001-2018 Over 10+ mental illnesses They say your insane Well they did diagnose me critically/clinically insane So play your game, Satan Torture me, im waiting So play your Ace, Aint nobody dying tonight Not in this place Your known as the girl with no face Your pointing me towards my dog days Who am i, good question Fuck me torture me, my new obsession Im used to hell and trauma I know rock bottom Im used to pain and darkness Were all in it for the torture There controlling me There possessing me They arnt living Sonetimes non living things Are more alive than the living Smiles on, everybody Shut them system down Smiles on, everyone Were not going down without a fight."-written by me. Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez Sometimes non living are more living than the living. I deal with this everyday. Stay strong yo. *Flying Objects/DemonsPosssesingMe; **||||** Flying Objects: objects that are non living but act like there living. All non living objects float around and talk and act like the living. Like the taxis, or the furniture or anything thats an object. Starts using there senses, they have more senses than us. Heres a lil thing i wrote about that.;;;; "You take control Sweet little ceiling A dangerous feeling Are we really dreaming Your magic head got me screaming You are demons inside of objects As the tables fly As the staircase sighs Its like a labrynth Were all sentenced Were in a fantasy This isnt reality Wake up. Wake up Torture me plz dont stop Wake up wake up All non living things are living All non living things are living Dont be drifting Dont be living Cuz ur not living No not at all They all have faces They all have bodies They all have senses Dont be scared my love Dont runaway my love Im an animal in a cage I got blinding rage I got bad and good days The chairs are all wrong Smiley is coming back Am i wrong? Am i right? Police on the search for me There not gonna catch me These flying objects are very living They will protect me They will seduce me. Flying objects flying round They dont make a single sound Take me far away"-written by me, Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez **||||** Demons Possessing Me; ??????Different Species if demons come and literallt possess me. I start raising hell ans becoming the demon thats controlling my body. I literally "snap into DeZanity" which is 100% worse than Insanity. I become dangerous, act out strangely unsafely dangerously etc etc. I become worse than satan himself. I walk thru and live thru hell itself. Ive seen hell. Ive literally lived in hell. I become darkness itself. Heres a lil thing i wrote about this; "Falling down to rock bottom Lived inside hell, oh pardon? Did u possess me last night the devil fucked me in the dark light I dont kno what to do Why u feelin blue, My darling my darling They say im acting strange Out of character as u say They say i went completely insane Out of character as they say The darkness controlling me Demons possessing me Im dangerous, im dangerous This aint fun Im always on the run I snapped into DeZanity I lost all my senses Ive died many times Im just fucking senseless As all the species of demons Come inside of me Im a dysfunctional animal Im a dysfunctional animal Who am i, my mind is worse than hell itself The devil puts himself up on the shelf Hes not powerful enough to enter Tryna make these dreams centered Tryna make reality my bitch Dont try. Do, win lose Dont do. Try, lose win Either way. There out to get me Lets change the codes Weve already killed ourselves. So far away from home Im feeling so alone. Im feeling cold Flying around the universes There aint no reverses Imma tell u a secret I am more powerful than the devil Are u gonna run and hide Were committing suicide My name is Izzy, Ace 8 My name is Tyler, Ms_SweetInsanityyx Lets fuck this place up Im here to save and help all non living And living things, im here to save the world I help, care. Love support be there Im by there side no matter what When u fall ill lift u up I help everyone and everything obsessivly Im on the battlefield fighting by yo side Im not in the sidelines Lets get ready to snap back Izzys out for the attack. Goodnight, Drearyyx"-written by me, Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez _____________||||____________ *Dancing Rooms/Past In Vivid Movie-LikeForm; ||||_||||Dancing Rooms; dont talk to the ceiling it might talk back. Im in a dreamscape, traveling thru the galaxies, doors all over the walls, all the stair cases are going in many directions, they keep moving. They dont stop. Each room is something new. Im walking over the stars 🌟 , i see all of these different galaxies. Were midnight racing. Its like im in a Lo-Fi setting. All my dreams turned reality. Im in a wild place. Im soaring thru space. U ever seen the movie Labrynth with David Bowie its like that. I feel so free, racing cars over the stars. Im not in reality. Im escaping. Its like im flying, always flying. Im traveling everywhere. You saved me. Dancing Room. Its like a good trip. Like were in a movie, many kinds of movies. Its a new reality. Im escaping earth. So many colors. So much to see. Im sitting on the sunrise. I turn on Lo-Fi radio (the app is purple) and i do meditation to it. I go to extraordinary places. Thank u Dancing Rooms. ||||_|||| Past In Vivid Like Movie Form; so u kno ive had brutal trauma. Hell, pain, torture, bad experiences occurring 24/7 since 2001-2018, and u read part of my life story. Well theres sone parts u dont kknow, Dancing Fire flashes my past in more than just flashbacksx its in vivid movie form frok beginning to end. But its everyday. And even when im happy i get reminded that it constantly, Dancing Fire aka Lileth "Lily" Ramos-Garcia. Tortures me with it. The more i try to escape it or "put my past in the past" i get reminded of it everyday, from beginning to end. Its not ok. And i also get nightmares everynight that makes me not wanna sleep. Like i could be doing my thing, and out of fucking nowhere here comes the show (vivid movie like form of my past from beginning to end) and i cant escape. People say "leave ur past in the past" uh how am i supposed to do that if i get constantly reminded of it every day. ?? But yet i help care love support fix save be there for everyone and everything obsessivly. And i dont stop. I love helping others, i wanna save and fix all non living and living things. That's what keeps me alive. Someone asks me "what's wrong Izzy. U havent been yourself lately?" i tell them an excuse like "im fine" so imagine this: _Having over 10+ Mental illnesses _Having trauma occurred 24/7 from 2001-2018 _being constantly reminded of ur past daily _having 22+ mental breakdowns a day, every day _trying to remain sane _dealing with the present. _never escaping the past _everything combined together times 10+ working all at once _and trying to describe what ur feeling/whats going on/what's wrong, cus u don't know how to explain it _Constantly having demons fuck with ur head _hating myself _having an eating disorder/autism _not kniwing what ur feeling _feeling unwanted and unloved _being tortured, abused, raped most of ur life _not knowing who u are _having no home from 2011-2018 _having no hope _having severe brain damage _being critically/clinically insane _Been thru/experienced mostly every traumatic thing _not wanting pity sympathy or attention _after 2018, the hell never ending, getting worse mentally physically and emotionally _being insecure _dealing and drug addiction/alcoholism (im over 1 year sober _being the blacksheep _being LBGTQ _not wanting to date ever again/hating sex _cant go in public without breaking down _dissociating 99% of the day _explaining yourself to people _my mom being sick. My dogs having cancer _my mom and bro not wanting me home _thinking ur worth nothing _being a prisoner to ur mind _not knowing who u are _Alvaro possessing me _not feeling like ur in ur body/being possessed _paranioa/objects having a force on u _being confused/delusional _everything youve read/heard in all of this story applied to u everyday _acting like ur okay _trying to save. Fix. Love. Care, support, help, be there for everyone and everything obsessivly but not feeling like its good enough _missing my unbio son, Anthony everyday. _not wanting to cry or show emotions _avoiding feeling feelings/being so used to the bad that u cant process the good _not processing things _wanting to end ur life on a daily basis _wanting to self harm/act out on a daily basis _just hating yourself/having trust and anger issues _the rest i cant explain 🌟🔥🌙Hey this is Izzy here, thank u for breathing, for being alive. Im proud of u. Thank u for coming to my TED TALK.🌙🔥 **Another One Of My Suicide Attempts (i was on the online news); My brother and i got into a huge fight. Cuz we were playing pranks on eachother, but around that time i got raped *again* my mom still isnt aware that it. My whole past flashed by in my head vividly. My mom and brother told me they didnt want me home. And i felt like a failure. I was walking on the side of the street and the highway. I self harmed really bad. But i got home and everything else was a blackout. I had 33 breakdowns that day. We were at Farmer Boys. And my mom kept asking if i was "okay" i told her "yes" but i was lying. I had dreams of my granpa dying (hes deceas3d now) and my monmm dying. My mental health got 10 times worse. Leading up to my attempt i got raped again* by 10 people one by one torture, abusing and raping me for about 2 hours. I still havnt told my mom. I came home and i tried to have a "silent suicide attempt" i took 2 bottles of Gabapentin (one of my medications, this ones for anxiety) and they were big bottles, and i took every pill in there. I started fading out and u heard a voice in my head, trying to stop me from dying. I called 911 and told them that i overdosed, they got all my info and told me to stay where i was. There were fire trucks. Ambulances, police cars. They made me drink Charcoal, instead of pumping my stomach. My mom came out && was talking to the officers/AMRs etc. They did there normal procedures and transported me to Corona Regional Medical Center (aka CRC). I had a sitter, or a 1:1, they did their hospital procedures and i got transferred to "The Willows Mental Hospital" (Still CRC but not emergency, just psychiatric) my brother told me i was on the Corona Newspage, descibing my attempt. But not using any names of people. But it showed my house. I stayed on a 52/50 hold. I cant remember clearly exactly how the whole thing happened but im doing the best i can. ________________________________________ 🌙🔥🌟🥀hey its izzy, if anyone needs a prayer lemme know ok. This is something i just wrote, its from my heart. Stay True!!! Keep sharing your story, cuz it matters you matter your life matters YOU MATTER. , thank u for breathing, for continuing and being alive. Ur all Angels, you are a work of art, you just gotta put the peices together. U gotta creaate your art, your story. It doesnt end here tho. Id give my life if it meant all of u become painless, im not a saint. I just wanna be the person to save care love be there for living and non living things. Yea ive had trauma occurring 24/7 from 2001-2018, but its 2020 in a month. All i want for Christmas is for all yall to be safe and happy. If any of yall need anything, ill be here. Ill be fighting by ur side on the battlegrounds. Im sitting here crying cuz idk how to fix this world. Im proud of u. Even if u didnt wanna be alive today, youve made it another day and youve made it this far. Your doing the best u can. You all make me wanna cry cuz of how amazing u are and how beautiful ur soul is. If ur thinking about taking ur life tonight trust me ive been there. Put ur hand on ur heart, feel that? That's purpose. Your life is a mess right now. Keep looking up. Your someones reason. I wanna save ur life tonight/today. Thank u for ecsisting. I know its dark out, you grow stronger every second. Take ur time. Slow down, take a moment or a few moments. Relax ur whole body, ur gonna be ok. Ur gonna keep fighting. For everyone but mainly for yourself. Im proud of u. Trust me im far from ok. But id do anything if it means everyone else can ok. U are a broken soul. But we will fight, we will win. We will stick together x im here for all yall. Dont go. Its not ur time. I kno it may seem cliche. Bit ur voice matters ur story matters your message matters. YOU MATTER YOUR IMPORTANT YOU HAVE A PURPOSE YOUR ENOUGH YOUR WORTH IT. ! Thank u for being u. This is Izzy here. Keep fighting, soldier. Keep going. Your destiny is inside of u. I love u all. Message me if anything. Stay true stay u. Live u my warriors my angels xx----Izzy Magdalinoz-Martinez (me)🖤🥀🖤🥀

[loveyou-maybe-blog]

Lessons Learned

I LOVE…love.

It’s a four letter word that holds so much meaning. It’s a small and simple enough word that can be used in so many different formats. Love has a universal meaning, yet it means many different things for many different people. Love isn’t simple…not always, at least. Love is complicated…and messy…aaand confusing. Which makes it so darn aggravating. But no matter how difficult it is, no matter how many times it ends and leaves us broken…we always go back for more.

Why is love SO easy in the beginning? It’s almost effortless. It flows fluidly. But with the more time that passes, why does love fade? Why does it take work or more effort after so long? Why do some of us give up and check out at the point where it becomes ‘work’? Why do some of us stay and persevere, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse? It’s interesting, right?

But, when love is good?? Damn, it. is. GOOD. The sun shines brighter. The sky is bluer. The trees and grass are greener. Flowers are more vibrant in color. Life is good. Your man (or woman) can do no wrong. And even when they do, you tell yourself that you love them and that it’s not a big deal. So you “don’t sweat the small stuff”. And over time you continue to sweep that small stuff under the rug. But you’ve swept it under so many times that now it’s a nice little pile that’s built up and created a heap that you can see and feel when you walk over it. And then you snap and unload on your significant other and sweep it all up and throw it away and move on. And then, before long the cycle repeats itself. At what point do we cut ourselves off? How many of us cut ourselves off or are cut off by our boyfriend/girlfriend? When is enough, ENOUGH?

Growing up, my siblings and I spent some time in a foster home. When I was 5, we were adopted. Things were good for a while. My parents ended up getting divorced when I was in middle school. My mother was a stay at home mom and my dad traveled for a living so he was gone frequently. I can’t say that I remember my parents being very affectionate. My dad would kiss my mom as he headed out the door for work, but outside of that I don’t remember them hugging or kissing each other just because. Whenever one was leaving was the only time I recall either of them saying, I love you…at least in front of us kids. I can only remember one instance when they held hands with each other one year at the state fair and it seemed a bit odd then. They sat next to each other at church on Sunday mornings but never sat next to each other on the couch. In general, we weren’t a very affectionate family. Even less so after their divorce. So in high school, during my sophomore year, when I had my first serious long term boyfriend (who happened to attend a different school than I did) would hold hands with me or put his arm around me I always felt awkward. Senior year I still wasn’t used to it.

I never told him I loved him. He told me he loved me for the first time about 3 months after we had started dating but it was at a party and he had been drinking so I told myself he didn’t really mean it and it was just the liquor talking. He professed his love for me several times after that, but it always happened to be when he’d been drinking. So I told my sister and she’d said if he really did love me then he would tell me when he was sober. I thought and felt it, plenty of times. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him. Senior year during spring break we went to a party together and once again, he told me he loved me. So I confronted him and asked why he’d never tell me when he was sober. And he’d said that’s when he felt most comfortable to do it and if I didn’t feel the same way his feelings were less likely to be hurt because he was already drunk. I left the party that night and he broke up with me via text a few days later. It broke me to my core. I cried and cried and cried and swore my life was over and that the world was ending. It was too late to tell him that I did, in fact, love him. He would think I was only telling him to get back together. At least that’s the excuse I gave myself as to why not to pursue him or our relationship any more. High school ended and I moved forward with my life and went on to college. I dated here and there in college but whenever the going got tough I ditched so as not to be hurt again. Consequently, none of my college relationships lasted longer than two-three months.

When I was 21 I met a 25 year old and he was so mesmerizing to me. He seemed to have it all figured out. And he was GOR-GEOUS. But he had been engaged and had two kids at this point and let me know from the beginning that we could be casual but he wasn’t looking for a relationship. So three months in, when he’d introduce me to his friends and family regularly as his girl, I assumed he had changed his mind and that made us official. After 6 months he told me he loved me first, and learning my lesson from high school I was happy to reciprocate my feelings toward him. I was ecstatic so I dropped all my guy friends (who I’d friend-zoned). Like just stopped texting and hanging out with them cold turkey. I wasn’t casual with any of them so to me it was an easy decision. He was definitely more affectionate, and while I wasn’t totally comfortable with it all the time, I had gotten somewhat used to and accepting of it. But after a year, after we’d practically been living at each others apartments, he tells me he’s reconnected with someone and is moving back home to be with her. Utterly speechless and dumbfounded I wanted closure so I asked what went wrong. He told me I didn’t do anything wrong but that he had told me in the beginning that he wasn’t ready for a relationship. This one broke me even more because I had actually told him I loved him. I had allowed myself to feel those feelings and it still didn’t work out. I swore I was done with relationships and that I would just be single and focus on myself for a while.

A year after that I had been working with a company for about 6 months when a coworker who I was partnered with for projects broke up with his girlfriend. We had hung out a few times with other coworkers so we already had each other’s numbers. He would text/call me often to talk about her and get a girl’s perspective of their situation and I didn’t mind being a listening ear. By then, my “ex” had moved back home and wanted to rekindle things so I had my own drama to focus on. So after 5 years, my coworker decided things were really over for him and his ex. He was going through a very rough time. After all, he thought this is the woman he would marry. So we would hang out, and drink, and swap stories. After a while we became intimate. After about three months of the shift in our friendship I started developing feelings. And he called me out on it one day. He wanted to know how I felt about him. So I was honest and told him that I liked him and that my feelings were growing for him. He told me he liked me too, but that we should probably stop because things would get complicated and someone would get hurt. Well, he did say ‘probably’ so I wasn’t about to initiate the break. I was determined to make him do it. Three months after that…the only thing that had changed was that we were hanging out almost every day and I was getting to see how amazing of a person he was. There was no way I was stopping anything at that point. All my apples were in one basket. So I wrote this long heartfelt note that I planned to give him at New Year’s. I took the leap and sent it. His response was basically a drawn out “thanks” but nowhere near the response I was looking for. So I took another leap and asked how he felt about me. He told me he had love for me but wasn’t in love with me. My feelings were hurt of course because, well, nowhere in my note did I say that I was in love, or even falling in love with him so I let him know exactly that. All the same, it was all I needed to hear so I withdrew myself. I started telling him I wasn’t available to hang out as often anymore. I started going on dates to distract myself. And then he pulled me back in within a month by saying that he wasn’t in love with me but that it could get there. All it took was that little sliver of hope. Before long things were back to normal, maybe even better than they were before. At Thanksgiving he invited me to come to his family’s dinner so I gladly went but he introduced me as his friend so it kept me in my place. It’s coming up on the end of year two and it’s starting to really really bug me that I don’t have that title but I’m assuming all girlfriend duties. So I took off. I distanced myself again but not as far as I should have. He managed to pull me back in. As the months went on we continued to get closer and closer and when he asked me if I loved him, I told him yes. I should I high tailed it out of there then because he kissed me but didn’t say it back. A few months after that he did tell me he loved me and I could have burst with happiness. The next couple months went by without a hitch. He had only said he loved me one more time after that but I didn’t want to push it so I left it alone. A few more months go by and while I wasn’t entertaining anyone else I found out that he was. I confronted him about it and swore up and down that I was done this time around. We sat down and had a heart to heart and he said he was unsure of his feelings. That he cared about me deeply. That he saw potential in ‘us’, but wasn’t sure who he was without me. He said he had been in that 5 year relationship and hadn’t spent much time being single and didn’t know who he was without a girlfriend. All I heard was he wanted to have a “hoe year”. I wasn’t about to wait around for it to happen. I didn’t force an ultimatum on him as much as I would have liked but we did both agree that when/if we wanted to see other people that we would let each other know.

This last year, however, has been the most testing. He has started to introduce me as his girlfriend and I’ve graduated from girlfriend to wife duties. But still, he has not said I love you. When I’ve asked if he loves me the answer is always yes. But, he is not IN love with me. Which breaks my heart a little whenever I think of it. And because of that added strain, the little things that were so minute in the beginning aren’t quite so little anymore. Those pebbles have become boulders. And while I love him dearly….I’ve come to learn that no matter how much I love him, my love does not and CANNOT brush away the things that he does that make me feel minute and unimportant. The fact that it’s been 4 years and I’ve so patiently and STUPIDLY given my love so freely to him. How I’ve devoted and committed these last 4 years of my life to someone who didn’t deserve it. When I could have been with someone who is willing to take that RISK of being hurt again. Sometimes it doesn’t work out….and sometimes it does. But when it does…? You’re thankful that you gave it another shot.

There’s a saying that women will love time and time and time and time again no matter how many times her heart is broken, but a man’s heart will get broken once and he will vow ‘never again’. That’s where he’s at. But this woman? This woman has realized her value. She’s realized how rare she is. And while this one didn’t work out for her, she’s remained open to the next possibility.

#love