[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200220/ffa3af39087a97526859562dbebeccb2.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjU0LmYwMTcwYS5RbkpsWVdzZ1UydHBjQSwsLjIAAAAA/shlop.regular.png[/img][/center]
[center][sub]Dates: Dates: December 7th - December 21st[/sub][/center]

[hider=12/14: Maddie/Aaron]
[center][u][b]A Secret Forged in Life Magic[/b][/u][/center]

The faint buzz of her phone and the soft light of her lock screen proudly displaying whatever notification roused her from the doze she’d just slipped into. She’d just been zoning out and she felt herself grow calmer, heavier, and her eyelids had just shut when her phone yanked her out of it and she blinked against the light. She debated ignoring it but she was up and she didn’t really have a reason to so she flailed in her phone’s general direction until she managed to grab it and yanked it off its charger. Too much effort to roll over. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the light, always keeping the brightness at full because it was easier now that she really was nocturnal.

[i][color=f0d705]> Hey, are you up?
> I’m sorry to bother you, but I could really use your help.[/color][/i]

Well, that was strange. A text message from Aaron during daylight hours? A knot formed in Maddie’s stomach. It must be serious if he felt it couldn’t wait. She should let Ari know but she’d taken to bed a while ago already and she wasn’t sure how the Countess would feel about being distrubed so early in the day. She struggled out of the cocoon of covers and sat up, swinging her feet off the bed before responding.

[i][color=FC8686]> Yeah, sure. 
> What’s up?[/color][/i]

There was a long moment of what looked like indecisive typing before the next message finally sent. 

[color=f0d705][i]> Can you meet me on the edge of the woods behind the dorms?[/i][/color]

Warning bells rang loud and clear in Maddie’s head. Edge of the woods, huh? This had Do Not Get Involved written all over it and Maddie was so tempted to listen. Getting a vague request for help during the day, weird. Getting asked to go into the woods where the vampires wouldn’t be able to tell what they were doing? Shady as fuck. Maddie groaned, already knowing she’d lost this debate as soon as he asked for help because Aaron was not the help needing kind of guy but it didn’t mean she had to like it. This sounded complicated and she really didn’t like complicated.

[i][color=FC8686]> Yeah, give me ten. Gotta get dressed.[/color][/i]

Maddie threw on the first things she found, jeans and a shirt and a jacket because winter sucked, toed on her boots, grabbed her focus and keys, and slipped out back as quietly as possible. Maddie scanned the treeline and found Aaron at the edge. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was skulking around out there. She sighed, shoving her hands in her pocket like him because it was fucking cold, and trudged out across the frozen grounds to meet him. Hopefully, today wouldn’t get any weirder. 

Aaron wasn’t too comfortable with the situation either, looking around nervously for a campus patrol or weird daytime walker or anyone else who might see him out when he wasn’t supposed to be. He hadn’t really thought this through, but at least Maddie agreed to come, so it probably wasn’t the end of the world. Still, he didn’t want to stay out in the open—literally in broad daylight—any longer than he needed to, so when he saw Maddie emerge from around the dorms, he quirked his head for her to follow. 

He brought the two of them into the shade of a large spruce a little bit behind the treeline, close enough to see the dorms but deep enough that anyone looking from the paths probably wouldn’t notice them. Giving Maddie a grateful, if a little pained, look, he cut right to the chase, glancing around one more time before pulling his hands from his pockets, holding them out with palms down for Maddie to see. 

In sharp contrast to Aaron’s usual, put-together style, his hands were a mess: blood, both dried and fresh, was smeared all over them, still seeping slowly from nasty gouges over each of his first three knuckle joints. The skin was torn and ragged, and upon closer examination, little bits of stained tree bark could be seen stuck inside the wounds. 

[color=f0d705]“Thank you for coming on such short notice,”[/color] Aaron said quietly, opting not to linger on the obvious. His hands looked painful, but he seemed more bothered by his request than his injuries. [color=f0d705]“Do you think there’s anything you can do?”[/color]

Maddie didn’t say anything as Aaron led her a little further into the trees. Apparently she didn’t know better; this was definitely skulking shit. She hadn’t thought Aaron capable of it honestly. She looked over her shoulder, making sure no one was watching as the pair stepped out of sight, because they really didn’t need anyone spreading any weird stuff about the two of them considering some of the things she heard that already spread about Aaron. 

Aaron was on edge as he spared her a pained smile and revealed his hands. Maddie gasped quietly and gently too one, ignoring the bite of the morning chill. They were a mess. Gross and dirty and bloody and Maddie realized why he came to her. He’d mentioned how his outlets were all physical on their Titan viewing night and Count Sinnenodel must have taken them all from him and so he turned to punching trees where no one would see. Her heart broke a little.

[color=FC8686]“Fuck, Aaron.”[/color] She muttered, not even bothering to keep up the nice pretense she had while in view of the vampires. She pulled out her knife and held the tip above the wounds. She felt the familiar rush as the green mist floated down the edge of the blade and drifted over the wounds. Life magic for her was a thrill; the same feeling she got when she rode a rollercoaster with a long drop or when a Titan match went down to the last second and you jumped up as the timer buzzed, screaming and yelling. It felt like she was experiencing every positive emotion at once and all heightened to the extreme; overwhelming joy, happiness, exuberance, and it was all she could do not to smile. She’d been told that was poor bedside manner.

Usually, the wounds would start knitting themselves together as her magic settled in but she felt something heavy against her magic. It wasn’t much more than usual but it felt like she was moving in standing water rather than an empty field. She wasn’t sure what that feeling was but she poured more magic into it and watched as the wounds closed, the bits of wood stuck to the newly healed skin. She repeated the process on the other hand and when she was finally done, slid the knife back into its sheath. 

She tucked her hands back into her pockets and let out a long sigh. [color=FC8686]“I don’t know what to say here, Aaron. I can’t say anything about this you don’t already know.”[/color]

Aaron visibly relaxed as Maddie’s magic set in, some of his tension melting away as the familiar warmth of life magic flowed over him. If the procedure took any longer than normal, he didn't notice; it was kinda bad, he'd admit, but he was paying more attention to that little shot of vitality than how long it lasted. 

He sighed as Maddie finished, flexing his newly-healed fingers and peeling off bits of tree bark stuck to his skin. [color=f0d705]“Thank you,”[/color] he said, momentarily ignoring Maddie’s disapproval. 

Crouching down, he scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed his knuckles with it, scrubbing the blood off his hands as best he could before it started itching. [color=f0d705]“I won't make a habit of this, I promise,”[/color] he assured her, kicking some fresh snow over the pink stain at his feet. [color=f0d705]“I would appreciate it if you could keep this under your hat, though.”[/color] 

As the rush of life magic wore off, a bit of worry started creeping back in, Aaron remembering how this must have looked. [color=f0d705]“Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not a violent person,”[/color] he insisted, [color=f0d705]“I just couldn't sleep and the arena is closed during the day and--well, you know.”[/color] He stopped himself from saying anything further, knowing that every extra detail he gave was just another loose thread to be tied up. He liked Maddie, and respected her, but the two of them were more alike than was convenient; especially with her mistress, he couldn't expect her to actively protect him if someone started prying. It wasn't like some big huge scandal—he just didn't need any extra scorn from Varis right now and the infirmary would have put the injury in his records—but among nobles, the gravity of the incident mattered little. Their arrangement for his stress management sessions was strained enough with the Countess [i]without[/i] meeting behind their vampires’ backs. 

[color=f0d705]“Thank you,”[/color] he repeated, giving Maddie a grateful look. [color=f0d705]“Sorry for getting you out of bed. And good job, by the way.”[/color] He held one hand up to show Maddie, the skin as good as new, if a little stained. [color=f0d705]“I'm impressed; the best I can do is some shoddy little illusions.”[/color] 

She appreciated his restraint. They had a mutual understanding; they kept their vampires’ business out of their conversations, regardless of the situation. He was loyal to a fault and she wasn’t willing to cross the person in charge of the rest of her life no matter how kind they were. She nodded when he asked her to keep it quiet; she wasn’t about to go blab to the rest of the mages. That would only make everything more complicated and that, at least, was something she could control. 

[color=FC8686]“Well then you’re lightyears ahead of me; I can’t make any illusions.”[/color] She joked. [color=FC8686]“And you’re welcome. I’m just glad you stopped when you did. Any more damage and I’d have had to turn you away. I’m only going to ask one question and then that’ll be that. Do you feel better?”[/color]

Aaron chuckled along with Maddie, nodding at her admittedly logical warning. Of course, she had a way of getting to the heart of things while staying on the surface; her question was expertly crafted, and it was easy to tell she'd grown up under Sinnenodel influence. She wasn't talking about his hands, she was talking about the underlying issue she didn't want to know about in the first place. It was touching, in a way. 

[color=f0d705]“I do, thank you,”[/color] Aaron answered honestly; even now, a bit of much-welcomed fatigue crept into his voice. He tilted his head toward the dorms. [color=f0d705]“I owe you one.”[/color] 

[color=FC8686]"I only helped my friend out. You don't owe me anything."[/color] Maddie waved it off. She pulled her coat a little tighter around herself. [color=FC8686]"I think I'm ready to head back inside. Get some sleep Aaron. Sweet dreams."[/color] She waved, offered him one last smile, and hurried on her way, thoughts now only of a warm bed and sleep.[/hider]

[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjU0LmYwMTcwYS5VMk5vYjI5c0lGTnJhWEEsLjIAAAAA/shlop.regular.png[/img][/center]
[center][sub]Dates: December 22nd - January 5[/sub][/center]

[hider=12/23: Maddie]
[center][b][u]Coming Home, Going Home[/u][/b][/center]

[i]Crash! Bang! Clang![/i]

Maddie groaned into her pillow before peering irritably at her phone. 7:12pm. Who the fuck on this campus had the balls to make this kind of ruckus in the noble area of the dorms? The guaranteed silence was the greatest perk of living there and now some dumbass woke her up before the sun was away. Hopefully, they would also wake up Count Sinnenodel because the sooner this jackass’ hide was flayed, the fucking better. Ugh, but it was still daylight so even if they did, the snake couldn’t come out to do it. She buried herself deeper into her duvet and slammed the pillow over her head. 

The noise stopped after that, a guard or something probably shooing off whoever was attempting to sabotage the nobles’ sleep schedule, and she dozed off again. She’d never have gotten this kind of sleep at home with her siblings and her parents and her uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents. It was always a noisey mess. Maybe that’s why she took to the Academy so fast. It was quiet and no one there to break down the door when she over―

[color=tomato]“How long are you going to sleep, you lazy daughter?”[/color] The door slammed open and Maria Vasquez came storming in, yanking back the covers and prying Maddie’s pillow out of her hands. Maddie scrambled to get them back, confused, but just sighed as she slumped down onto her bed again. [color=tomato]“I know you’re about to wake up anyways. The whole family is here and we made all your favorites.”[/color] Her mother continued, pushing aside the blackout curtains. Those hadn’t been in her room before and Maddie was grateful they’d given her some. Her mom turned and looked at Maddie, smiling.

[color=tomato]“I’m just so happy to have you home.”[/color] Maria sighed, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. [color=tomato]“It’s like my heart is whole again. Now, come downstairs and help me set the table.”[/color] Her mother swept out of the room just as quickly as she’d entered. Trust her mom to tell her she missed her and then start assigning chores all in one breath. Maddie laughed and pushed herself up. 

Her room changed since she’d left for the Royal Academy. Before her sister shared the room with her but now Adrina’s side sat empty. She could see where poster a and pictures had hung for years, the sections just a bit lighter than the rest of the wall, and while they had discussed the change while she was here last, it didn’t change the fact it was weird. It made sense of course and she appreciated the privacy and personal space but eighteen years of shared room experience screamed at how different this was.

Maddie rolled out of bed and stretched, meandering around and shrugging herself into the first things she found. A pair of jeans and an old faded out t-shirt, perfect. Her mom could gripe at her all she wanted but Maddie was tired and it was just the family. Usually now, she’d secure her focus but she wasn’t going to class, she wasn’t practicing, and she wasn’t around Ari if she needed her magic for some reason or another. Should she bother? The other mages in the family did but they had normal foci; just wands they’d grown attached to. Hers was a knife and her family sometimes forgot the difference between everyone’s stuff, especially the little ones. She didn’t want one of them trying to grab it and play with it but at the same time, leaving the key to her magic laying around, out of arm’s reach, made her feel uneasy. She had magic now and the idea of not being able to call on it when she needed to was unsettling beyond belief. It was hard to imagine she’d lived an entire life without it. 

She strapped the knife in place on her side. Maybe she’d get something that she could hide it in; Amaris might have someone at her home that she could talk to about it because now that she thought about it, carrying a chef’s knife around on her hip was kind of weird. Great, now she felt self conscious. She shoved her phone in her pocket and left those thoughts stewing in the room while she headed out. Her room was the last one upstairs, directly across from her mom’s crafts room and next to her oldest sister’s room. Well, her second oldest since the other one moved when she got married. That’s probably where Andrina stayed now. Family photos still lined the walls, in between the garish wall decorations her parents loved, and she ran her hand along the worn railing of the stairs as she went down. 

Maddie couldn’t help but stifle the giggle at the discolored carpet on the fifth stair, when her and her sister decided running with paint was a great idea. Or at the slight bend in the banister where she’d gotten her knee stuck between the railings and her abuelo used butter after she’d nearly dislocated it trying to struggle out. She didn’t know how she’d survived her childhood without more injuries but they really did get into a lot of shenanigans. 

[color=yellow]“Aunty Maddie!”[/color] A screaming child slammed into her as she stepped off the stairs, nearly knocking her back onto them as they wrapped their arms and legs around her. Her nephew beamed up at her and she laughed as she picked him up, situating him on her other hip. Natallie, her eldest sister, followed behind him, wrapping them both in a hug and giving her a peck on the cheek.

[color=Thistle]“He’s been talking nonstop about how excited he is to see his favorite aunt again.”[/color] Natalie laughed, gently taking him from her. [color=Thistle]“Aunt Maddie’s tired, Alex. Don’t go bothering her so quickly!”[/color]

[color=FC8686]“He isn’t a problem, Nat. He is so big now though. I can’t believe he’s only six.”[/color] Maddie gave her sister a look that Nat clearly ignored and continued talking. Something about how Josue’s promotion and how they purchased a house. But Maddie was just so confused why Nat took Alex from her. Nat had dumped him on her at every opportunity for two years but Maddie was fine with that. She loved playing with her nephew, even if he was an energetic little monster, but before she had a chance to say anything, Nat was off to talk with Uncle Hector, taking Alex with her. 

Maddie shrugged it off as one of those maternal instinct things magazines were always spouting. Getting her own space, wanting family time and all that. She caught a flash of red and black in the living room and followed it out to the back patio. Andrina dropped into a patio chair, clearly still stuck in the goth phase mom hated if the black and red band t-shirt was anything to go by, and picked up a can of beer out of the several scattered across the table. Their Aunt Veronica was across from Andrina and waved as Maddie stepped out into the night air. 

[color=fuchsia]“I see the princess finally decided to wake up.”[/color] Andrina giggled, waving Maddie to sit down. Veronica swatted at Andrina’s shoulder despite her own laughter. [color=fuchsia]“Come on, pull up a chair, grab a beer, we won’t tell!”[/color]

[color=FC8686]“No, I’d rather not.”[/color] Maddie snorted as she sat in a chair, kicking the one next to her out and propping her feet up on it. [color=FC8686]“What’s going on?”[/color]

[color=hotpink]“Andrina was just telling me about your pa--”[/color]

[color=fuchsia]“So sis, sister, Maddie, Mads!”[/color] Andrina interrupted loudly, slapping her hands on the table. [color=fuchsia]“How’ve you been and all that? It’s been great here, with my own room and everything! Only took Nat gettin’ preggers and hitched but hey, improvements all around!”[/color] Maddie stared at her sister. What the fuck was that? She exchanged a confused look with Veronica and decided it wasn't worth it. She must be drunker than Maddie thought.

[color=FC8686]“Uh, yeah. I mean, I’m glad I don’t have to see your shitty posters anymore. As much as I love seeing bone thin, half naked guys screaming into a mic with more eyeliner than I’ve ever owned on, I’ll pass. I have better taste.”[/color] Maddie said dryly above Andrina’s outraged shrieking. Why had she missed this again. [color=FC8686]“What have you been up to? Finally dump that jackass or are you still on and off again?”[/color]

[color=fuchsia]“We’re taking a break.”[/color] Adrina shrugged. [color=fuchsia]“Whatever, he’ll come crawling back again soon enough. It’s all good.”[/color]

[color=hotpink]“And what about you? Any special someone in your life?”[/color] Veronica asked as she took a swig. [color=hotpink]“Remember, you can get with someone with lots of money now.”[/color]

[color=FC8686]“No, no one like that.”[/color] Maddie laughed. She had so many other things to deal with right now, romance was at the bottom of the list. [color=FC8686]“And besides, the Countess is technically supposed to take care of most of my financial needs. She’s been understanding so far; I doubt I’ll get into a situation where I’m leaning on a significant other desperately.”[/color] 

[color=hotpink]“You never know. Those vampires are sneaky creatures. We’ve all heard the horror stories.”[/color] Veronica shrugged and Maddie frowned. Marivaldi aside, Ari had been nothing but kind and understanding this whole time. She was a stark contrast to their neighbor, the literally the heir of the snakes himself, and she was warning her against Ari? Maddie was going to reply but Andrina stood suddenly, knocking the chair back (Maddie found the source of the noises earlier apparently, drunk ass bitch).

[color=fuchsia]“Oh look, we probably need to help mom set the table! Let’s go!”[/color] Andrina gave a fake laugh and grabbed Maddie before pulling her inside away from Veronica. Maddie yanked her arm away from her sister as soon as they got inside and gaped at Andrina.

[color=FC8686]“What the fuck?”[/color] was all she got out, gesturing to the entirety of outside. 

[color=fuchsia]“Look, we all know how your kind gets about your vamps.”[/color] Andrina whispered, eyeing Alex playing on the other side of the room. He’d stopped, his Lord Pieron action figure frozen in midswing, and turned a curious look to the sisters. [color=fuchsia]“And that’s fine. It’s totally fine, we get it. You serve them, you are loyal to them, but your kind can get a little… defensive about it. I’m just trying to keep you from getting upset about it, that’s all.”[/color]

Maddie stared at her sister. Defensive? Sure, she was going to dispute her Aunt’s concerns but she wouldn’t have gotten upset about it. First Nat and now Andrina acting weird as shit. Maddie didn’t even know how to respond to that but the opportunity was taken away when she felt a tug at her focus. Her hand snatched around the offender and she looked down to see Alex with his hand wrapped around the hilt, his wrist in her grip. She laughed at the guilty look.

[color=yellow]“Why do you have a knife? Mommy says you can't carry knives.”[/color] He pointed out. But before Maddie could respond, Andrina had him in her arms. 

[color=fuchsia]“You can’t touch that, Alex! Never touch your Aunt’s knife, understood?”[/color] Andrina snapped at him. [color=fuchsia]“Now go find, mommy okay? Dinner is probably going to be done soon so Aunt Maddie and I are going to go help grandma okay?”[/color] Alex nodded and rushed off, excited to finally eat. Andrina didn’t meet Maddie’s gaze as she too hurried off, bounding up the stairs instead of into the kitchen. 

Maddie was just so confused so instead of dealing with that mess, she made her way to the kitchen. She took a deep breath and let out a pleased hum. The intoxicating aroma of her mother’s carne asada enveloped her and she never wanted to leave this kitchen again. It was an easy recipe but it was just so good, she couldn’t help but love it. Her mother really did mean all her favorites because this was literally in every single one of them.

[color=Khaki]“My love! Come here!”[/color] Her father bellowed, wrapping her in a hug and lifting. She smacked his back repeatedly as he crushed the air of her and when he put her down, she took a deep breath as he laughed. [color=Khaki]“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to meet you when you came home but business at the restaurants has been good and I couldn’t get away but you are a sight for sore eyes! I have missed you every day!”[/color] 

[color=FC8686]“I missed you too. I’m glad the restaurants are doing well! I was afraid you’d tank without my free labor when I left.”[/color] Maddie joked as she grabbed the silverware. She ducked her dad’s half hearted attempt to swat her and she headed into the dining room and started setting the table. 

The issue didn’t occur to her until she finished setting the table actually. Her mom said the whole family was here and while they did splurge on a large dining room table because of how often they had company, it wasn’t enough for everyone. Normally if it was everyone, they’d just lay everything out buffet style and people could grab what they wanted and wander the house but this meant there were at most twelve of them and four of them were the people who lived here. Nat, Alex, and Josue made seven and Uncle Hector and Veronica made nine. There were way more than that. 

They were probably just coming after dinner, just in time for desert. Maddie shook her head. Typical of them, dip in for the good stuff and dip out just as fast. Her contemplations were cut short as her mom yelled through the house that dinner was ready. She shrugged and headed into the kitchen to help bring out food. 

They settled down and conversation flowed, spanish and english in equal measure, and Maddie relaxed, the earlier tension at her observations easing away. It was nice being somewhere that she didn’t have to consider how her actions would affect another; she could just relax. Dinner was amazing and she almost cried as she shoved all the familiar foods in her face as fast as she could, choking at one point and drawing a laugh out of everyone at the table. Not that she cared, as she laughed along with them, and everything was okay. 

Until Maddie was seeing her uncle and aunt and sister off for the night and Andrina was passed out on the living room couch. She settled in to clean up after dinner with her parents, her dad joining them after she finally got Andrina upstairs. He returned grumbling to Maddie’s laughter and got put on dish drying duty. Late night music played, a mix of slow dance songs and easy listening music, and Maddie felt the concerns of the night collapse over her. She shouldn’t ask; she could already tell she wouldn’t like the answer but she needed to know why everyone was so weird.

[color=FC8686]“It was nice seeing everyone again. Nat is doing great and Alex is so big. Andrina is ‘drina. Glad to know that hasn’t changed.”[/color] Maddie stared, focusing on the plate she was cleaning. Behind her, her parents shared a tense look. [color=FC8686]“But it was weird. Nat took Alex from me really quick and Andrina thought I was going to get into a fight over my vampire and she yelled at Alex for touching my focus. And then it was basically only the immediate family and Uncle Hector and Aunt Veronica? Why didn’t anyone else show up?”[/color]

There were a few beats of silence as they continued working. Her dad sighed and put down the glasses he’d been putting away. The radio was deafening.

[color=Khaki]“My love, you know how the family is. It’ll just take a little bit for them to adjust.”[/color] He spoke softly. [color=Khaki]“You’re involved with some pretty powerful vampires now and you can do incredible things, Maddie, that they just don’t understand. They’re just a little spooked. They just have to remember that beyond all that, you’re still their family. They’ll come around.”[/color]

Maddie felt numb as her dad explained why her family avoided coming to see her. All the aunts and uncles that she’d shared birthdays and holidays with, that had been there for her her whole life, scared of her? Her own sisters all acting like she’d suddenly changed into some new person, ready to defend her vampire at the drop of a hat or freak out at her nephew, the nephew she helped raise and love, because he did something silly? Maddie scrubbed the plate a little harder than necessary, swallowing back the frustration and the hurt at the thoughts. Her parents put down what they were doing, wrapping her in an embrace, and she forced herself to relax into it.

It felt like she was losing her home.
[/hider]