Maki's hands shook as she pasted an emoticon into the message bubble.

M: (x_x)

Insta reply from Rin Hoshizora.

R: (-ω-( _ _ )

M: ε=ε=( _)

R: ( )] ]( )

M: (-_-#)d

Eccentric. Rin knew her bff was eccentric, probably the smartest word Rin used regularly. But sitting outside their favorite coffeeshop in 40 degree weather was crazy.

"Maki! I'm freezing."

"Drink your cocoa."

"Nya. But I'm still freezing." Rin, hands in huge cat face mittens, picked up her cup.

Maki looked a little blue herself, lips drying out with every chilly inhale.

"Give me your scarf." Rin demanded.

"No."

"Why are you making me turn into a catsicle?"

Maki glanced around, slowly, as if her eyes were searching every corner and every car. "We can't be overheard."

Rin snorted. "If anyone's outside, their ears will fall off."

Maki pulled off her earmuffs, slammed them down on Rin's head, and pulled up her own scarf over her head. "Shut up and listen."

Adjusting the muffs, Rin nodded.

"My parents have hired Nico Ni for the Christmas concert."

Rin went flying into the air, cocoa spattering everywhere as she bounced on her seat.

"That's so cool. Kayo-chin's gonna be so happy; I love your parents. I can't wait to tell her. Nico Ni here. Do we get to meet her? Have dinner? Oh, After party. A Nico Ni afterparty wou…

Maki grabbed Rin's shoulders, shoving her roughly back into her seat. "This is why we're outside. Stop shouting Nico Ni."

"Why? We love Nico Ni. It was our first concert together. We all got tattoos." Rin pulled up her pant leg but her boot obscured the ankle ink.

"I know, Rin."

"So what's wrong?"

Maki wanted to tear out her hair. She wanted to keep this a secret. But she needed someone to tell. She needed an ally. Someone who could distract everyone. Keep people, escpecially Nico people, from paying too much attention to Maki. Distraction was Rin's superpower.

Rin leaned forward, recognizing Maki's furtive mood, "What'd you do?"

Maki took a sip of coffee. But it had gone cold. Maybe Nico had gone cold. Nico wouldn't, couldn't know.

"I met Nico."

"Huh?" Rin seemed confused. "Where? She wasn't on campus. Kayo-chin would have known."

Keep it impersonal. "Diamond Princess met Nico."

"Diamond Princess met Nico…" Rin shot up again, "She came to a concert?! That's so cool. She likes your music. Did you talk to her?"

"No." Maki could feel herself flushing. Rin's expression sharpened. This is why Maki was telling her. Rin would have figured something was up the first time she saw Maki near Nico.

"You can't say anything. Not even to Hanayo." Maki leaned forward, eyes hard, pinkie out. "Bestie code."

Rin stared over the pinkie, eyes wide.

"You kissed Nico Ni."

"For a start…"

Rin still on her feet. "You…"

"Sit down. Pinkie swear."

Rin pulled off a mitten. "You better tell me everything."

"You better not tell anyone."

Rin pointed to their joined pinkies. Maki smiled. Rin could be trusted. But could Maki get the details out?

Maki refused to look at Rin. "So we had a…date…"

"That's why you didn't…"

"Shut up and let me talk."

"Please."

"Please, Rin." Eye contact. Maki knew she probably looked desperate. She looked away again before she read pity in RIn's eyes.

"So you had a…date…"

Maki nodded. "And then she tried to get in touch with me and I…well, I didn't…"

"YOU GHOSTED NICO NI! NO MAKI NO," Rin was out of her chair again, reaching to shake Maki, "You have to text her your number and date her and marry her and she can be Kayo-chin's friend in law and we'll have family dates and it'll be amazing…"

"Calm down." Maki hissed, silent until Rin sat again. "I can't tell her. She'll think I'm a groupie."

Rin pointed a finger at Maki, "It was after your concert, that makes her your groupie."

"No one's a groupie."

"Did anyone have sex? Then someone's a groupie."

"Can we not talk about it like this?"

"How would you like to talk about it?"

Saying "I wouldn't" would just make Rin tease more..

"How do I keep Nico from finding out I'm Diamond Princess?"

"Easy." Rin shrugged. "Like you keep everyone else. Your parents don't even know."

"They don't go to my concerts. They don't know my music."

Rin tapped her fingers, making sure of Maki's attention.

"Don't sing, keep your wig on…and don't kiss Nico."

"Right."

"Easy."

"Sure."

Voices.

"This is a cute little town, Nico-chi."

Maki heard the name, leapt out of her seat, and hid behind Rin. Two women were hustling toward the coffeeshop.

"I think you scared the natives, Nozy."

Maki recognized the voice. She twisted Rin's arm to keep her seated.

"Too bad, they're kinda cute." The other voice had a drawl.

The door opened and the voices disappeared inside.

"Why is Nico here?" Maki hissed.

"Stalking you?"

Maki fell back on her heels, "She can't know. How could she know?"

"It's a joke. Don't be a dummy, Maki. Your parents hired her. She's probably making concert plans." Rin pulled out her phone, "I'm gonna text Kayo-chin."

Maki grabbed Rin's phone, "No, you're not."

"You can go home."

"I am. And I'm taking your phone." Maki bolted for her car.

"MAKI!"

"Cute coffee shop." Nico slid into the back booth, lowering her mask, smiling at the cutesy Christmas decorations. Lots of lights, elves, hearts, reindeer, some yeti. Cute. "Nico approved."

"I'll give them the sticker on our way out." Nozomi broke off a piece of gingerbread cookie. "Wherever they get their cookies is good."

"Oh, let Nico try." Nico bit the head off a snow cutie sugar confection. "We'll have to take some back for the kids."

"They'll love them. Do you want me to get them tickets for the concert?"

Nico licked whipped cream from her double chocolate salted caramel mocha, "Need to meet these people first. They have a daughter who's a Nico Ni fan, right? What age?"

"College, I think. We can search…"

Nico shook her head, "Nah."

"Don't you want to know if she's single and hot."

"Nico is performing a concert, Nico is a professional…"

"Nico is holding out for someone else?"

Nico sipped, ignoring Nozomi.

Nozomi took off her coat, pulling her worn Tarot deck out of its inner pocket. She put them down off to the side, took three quick sips from her herbal tea, and began shuffling. After three minutes of that, she offered the deck to Nico.

"Take three cards, place them in a row."

"This again."

"This or you tell me who she is."

Nico put the top three cards in a haphazard line.

"Turn them over."

Nico took a closer look at them, "None of those are…major cardinals?"

Nozomi glanced, "You mean Major Arcana. No, these are all Minor Arcana. Two cups and a pentacle."

"Is that bad? No majors?"

"No. It just means less dramatic things, more day to day, immediate emotional dynamics. So it's about what you're feeling now, Nico-chi."

"Bored."

Nozomi frowned, "Don't disrespect the cards. They're being nice to you."

Nico tapped the center card, "Nico's having a New Year's Toast."

"Good guess, Nico-chi. But let's start with the past. This Three of Cups…"

"Nico loses a cup?"

"No. They're separate. Three of cups is sudden and intense, falling in love, irresistible energy, intense, blind to any danger. And in the Past slot." Nozomi's turquoise eyes glinted, "What did you do on your vacation?"

"So what's the two in the center?"

"Start of a relationship."

Nico leaned forward, "This one looks grim."

Two people struggling in the snow outside a church window. "Oh, it's the Five of Pentacles. Things may seem rough, it's a new reality, not a sure thing, but if you keep going, you'll find warmth."

"Warmth?"

"Help."

"Help." Nico stared at the cards.

"Going to tell me what's going on now?"

Nico shook her head.

Nozomi pulled out another card.

"What's that?"

"For me. Since you won't talk. Seven of swords."

"You gonna cut me?"

"The Truth is."

"Nico would like some truth."

"About what?"

A long pause. Then Nico zoomed into her current crisis.

"Fine. There's a girl. Nico was cute and charming and Nico."

"Of course you were."

"So Nico was cute and charming and Nico. And the girl really liked Nico, really really really liked Nico. So why hasn't the girl called Nico."

Nozomi almost laughed but Nico's face was twisted up like this was torturing her.

"It was a great night. Nico was sexy, she was sexy, Nico was happy, she was happy, Nico was hot, she was hotter, nobody's better than Nico at…" Nico stopped. "So where is she?"

"Nico lost a girl hotter than Nico."

"Nico didn't lose her. Nico…" Nico flailed into a gesture.

"Who is she?"

"If I knew I wouldn't have a problem." Nico slammed her face into the table.

Nozomi could tell Nico hadn't revealed everything. But Nozomi was surprised at how much Nico had shared. So she went to get a second round of drinks to soothe and smooth over the mood. Nico pulled out her phone.

A/N:

Nico's Tarot draw is an actual random Tarot draw. I lean heavily on The Kitchen Table Tarot for Nozomi's card insights.