Mansion. Huge. Manicured. Cultivated. Antiseptic. Flawless. Unless you liked lively, changing scenes. Nico found her eyes drawn to the swells of the lake. She parked next to the swervy silver car she'd seen Nozomi drive off in. Bag over her shoulder, Nico headed toward the door. Always be prepared. Nico wondered what the Christmas decorating inside would be like. Very minimal was her guess; the pine swags, garland, and lights hung from windows and roofs were almost charmingly simplistic for a mansion that screamed modern sophisticate.
Nico pressed the door buzzer, bouncing on her toes to keep warmth moving. The door opened almost immediately, of course, there must have been an alert at the gate, and Maki stood there, hair a little disheveled where it was sneaking out from under a Santa hat, turtleneck and trousers soft shades of storm and heather gray. Maki stood, staring, eyelashes blinking madly. Nico sighed, no rest for her celebrity persona this afternoon. With a bounce, Nico hopped into her signature entrance move.
"Nico Ni is here to start the party."
Maki's blink rate slowed, as she actually stepped back, her face flashing through expressions Nico couldn't decipher.
"Oh. Come in." A shy smile, "Hi. Sorry, I froze for a second."
"Long day. Or dazzled by Nico?"
Chuckling as she led Nico down the hall, Maki's response surprised Nico, "Honestly? Both."
Maybe Nico could put the celebrity persona in nap mode. Maki seemed respectful of Nico's personal space, unlike her grabby superfan friend.
"Nico's ready to get out of this coat and curl up with a warm drink. Do you have a fireplace? Nico doesn't get to look winter fireplace cozy much."
Maki glanced over her shoulder, "Fireplace, blankets, hot chocolate, mulled cider, every kind of cookie Honoka could think to make…"
"Nico could move in for the winter."
"At least for the night." Maki stopped abruptly, Nico nearly running into her.
"I didn't mean…"
"Neither did Nico."
"Right." And Maki continued down the hall, Nico puzzled by odd waves of melancholy in what should be a holiday merrymaking mood. "You can just stash your coat and your bag in here if you want." Maki pointed to a small room with a loveseat and several chairs, one of which already had a leaning coat pile.
"Thank you."
"Of course. Just let me know if you need anything."
Maki slid open a pocket door and Nico felt a rush of warmth. And walked into a blizzard of Christmas red and green. No minimalism here. Santa and reindeer themed pillows, snow person snow globes, cartoony decorative candles, mini pine trees with blinking lights, bowls of brightly wrapped candies and candy canes. A fireplace, with a mostly sedate blaze, brought back the mansion mood, helped by a huge bay window with a towering Christmas tree, ladder in front, a sectional sofa that wrapped half the room in a hug, and rugs with intricately woven patterns. Nozomi was perched on the sofa, nearest the tree, the blonde she'd left with on one side, Hanayo on the other, Rin was at the top of the ladder, accepting ornaments from another ginger haired woman, stationed next to the ladder, and a pair of women Nico didn't recognize were handing out drinks and cookies.
"Nico was promised hot chocolate." Nico shivered for effect. "Who has the hot chocolate?"
"Umi does." The ginger at the base of the ladder pointed to the unknown woman with blue highlights in her ebony hair.
"Ms. Yazawa." Umi stepped forward with a slight bow, holding a tray steady. Nico picked a Nutcracker themed mug, mini marshmallows floating invitingly in the dark chocolate warmth. Very well planned party.
"Call her Nico. Her ego's already big enough." Nozomi was never silent for long.
"Not as big as your mouth."
Nozomi waved a cookie, "Try the gingerbread, Nico-chi. It's got spice AND snap."
The blonde giggled.
Nico stomped close enough to steal Nozomi's cookie, immediately chomping, spices exploding on her tongue. "Ooohh, tasty.
"Yeah. we've been using crystallized ginger. We keep selling out." Ladder assistant ginger beamed proudly. "I had to hide those in the freezer."
"Honoka's family runs Homura, a beloved local bakery. This year, she's been in charge of the product mix." Umi handed Maki a mug of cider.
"Honoka's worked so hard. Up early every morning. We're really proud of her." The ash blonde woman stopped to kiss Honoka's cheek.
"Aw, thanks, Kotori." Honoka managed not to drop the ornament box while pulling Kotori in for a hug, "Yukhio's even stopped trying to change the specials menu every morning."
Maki leaned in over Nico's shoulder, "Her younger sister."
"Grab Nico that plate of cookies and follow me." Nico curled up in the corner of the sectional the farthest away from Nozomi, the blonde, and the super fan. Maki placed the plate next to her.
"Thanks." Nico smiled, "This is already one of Nico's favorite parties."
Maki's ears went red. Cute. Guess she did take her hosting duties seriously, Nico decided.
Rin was washing her hands. Pine sap. Somehow Honoka had tilted the tree and Rin and Umi had had to shift it back to an angle that wouldn't eventually crush the party guests. Now that the tree was done, pretty soon, the Christmas karaoke would start. Rin hummed "Jingle Bell Rock" as she dried her hands.
"aaaarrrrgggghhhhh"
A quiet scream, followed by an almost slam of a kitchen cabinet.
"Maki?" Rin turned.
Maki was sitting at the kitchen island, muttering.
"She's so cute. And when she talks, she's leaning in and being so nice. And she keeps just being so Nico. And I want everybody to go home. But not her. And she smells so…enticing, like I can't get close enough, mixed with ginger and molasses and pine and…"
Maki raised her head, her amethyst eyes wide and panicked and staring at Rin.
"I can't tell her. What do I do?"
"Tell her."
"No."
"Don't you want to…"
"NO." Maki dropped her head back down. "Yes. I can't think about anything else. Is this what being a non asexual is like? Cause it bites."
"So you like…"
"I like Nico. A lot. And I blew it by having no impulse control. She's probably not even thinking about me."
Maki was her very loved, very platonic bff and Rin was deeply deeply in love with Hanayo, the cutest person ever, and happily happily married and thoroughly thoroughly monogamous. But even Rin could guess that there was no way someone Maki had chosen to get close to would be forgetting about her.
"You can kick everyone out."
"Including Nico's manager?"
"Eli might help you out there."
"Really?" Maki raised her head.
"Oh yeah. It's so obvious. Eli keeps telling these horrible jokes and jumping up to be helpful whenever Nozomi moves. I bet we get some good songs out of her tonight."
A pause. Then panic.
"Oh my god, Rin. I can't sing."
"Why not."
"Nico will know."
"You can disg…"
"Nico will know…" Maki dragged out the words, a blues riff.
Rin had a daring idea. "Maybe let it happen."
Wide eyes, then narrowed and thinking.
"And see what she does."
"And see what she does."
With Nozomi's encouragement, Hanayo had started talking to Nico again. But from a distance.
"Are you working on a new album…people have been speculating and your last TWIG live was amazing, that new song, it sounded so different. Is your new album going to be like that? Not pop. More…"
"Punk?" Nico asked.
"Punk?" Nozomi was surprised by the word.
"It did sound raw." Hanayo stated slowly.
"Exactly." Nico bounced up, "Nico's got some new inspirations, new sounds and moods to listen to."
"So not just A-Rise?"
"Oh still A-Rise." Nozomi made a gesture at Nico, "We've been negotiating a joint…."
Hanayo screamed.
"Her fiancee's going to come running," Nico muttered.
"I should have paid more attention to that live." Nozomi pulled out her phone, "You didn't save it?"
Nico shook her head, "Nah. It wasn't a studio level recording, just a Nico and friends jam. Nico'd been listening to a lot of Diamond Princess…"
Rin and Maki froze in the frame of the pocket doors.
"Maki's got some Diamond Princess bootleg videos. We should watch them." Rin shoved Maki, but instead of moving forward, Maki made them step back.
"I thought we were going with the singing and karoake thing." Maki hissed.
"No, this is better." Rin nodded.
"No, it's not." Maki shoved Rin sideways.
Everyone was watching the two of them, arguing in whispers and subdued violence, enter the room.
"They do this all the time." Eli informed Nozomi. "Eventually, there'll be a headlock. Or a pillow fight. Or they'll agree."
"We do not do that." Maki glared.
Rin froze guiltily, mid pillow grab.
"How did I miss you starting to listen to Diamond Princess?" Nozomi turned her full attention to Nico.
"Nico likes to mix it up. There's a lot going on in the world right now. And Nico's searching for music that has a bold tone, that engages with current events without losing the attraction of a pretty melody. Diamond Princess is aggressive but in a…" Nico tapped something into her phone, then everyone was listening to Diamond Princess's "Beast Heart"
Beast Heart
Best heart
Breaking
World shaking
Hold On
Dig In
Drift
Waiting for a harbor
to root
Waiting For a riptide
of Truth
Beast Heart
Best heart
Saving
Rage unchecked
Wild and Wrecked
Beast heart
Best heart
Breaking
Waves and wild
Storms and fires
Waiting for a riptide
of truth
Waiting for a harbor
to Root
Screaming from a beast heart
Searching for a dream heart
rage unchecked
wild and wrecked
Waiting for a wonder
Like you
"There's all the aggro but then you get that sweet invitation. 's a great mix. Soft and sharp."
"Exactly." Maki perched on the back of the sectional, waving hands as if in clouds before her. "The danger's mixed into hope for a solution but the hope's only below the surface, like La Niña or above the clouds, like the Jet Stream. And you can't predict where it will go because the music won't let you."
Nico glanced up from her phone. "You're a fan."
Red ears again. And this adorable ducking away back into shyness, "Yeah, some."
Eli and Rin exchanged a glance, then Eli scooted closer to Nozomi and jumped in, saving Maki from any awkward verbal stumbles. "Music for an unpredictable, potentially collapsing world. Diamond Princess is another artist engaging with darker themes, reflecting the time. Like Martha Graham's Visions of the Apocalypse."
"Ballet dancer, right?" Suddenly Nico was not the center of Nozomi's attention.
"Choreographer. American legend. Debuted her new concert ensemble in 1929 with the Apocalypse piece, with a dancer on a platform representing a monk observing the miseries of humanity."
Umi had been drawn into the conversation, hovering behind Eli, her tray put aside. "The year of the Stock Market Crash."
"Yes. Not one of America's brightest times. But Graham embraced the moment, reacted, made her art an expression of them, and used dance as a witness."
"Know any of the choreography?" Nozomi asked.
Eli shook her head.
Nico played a classical piece. "Can't find the music. Some composer riffed on Bach."
"Hey, wait!" Rin shouted, sliding down the ladder. "I know that. Not ballet. Anime. Big robots. Evangelion."
"Angels." Hanayo said.
"And robots."
Hanayo started to tear up, "So sad."
Rin stilled to hug her wife from behind, "We don't watch big robot anime anymore."
"Not until there's a Godzilla/Pacific Rim crossover." Maki chuckled.
"Me and Umi would be so drift compatible, stomping around in a Jaeger." Honoka grabbed Umi by the waist, attempting to start a two person three legged race.
"Drift compatible is a nice thought." Hanayo leaned back into Rin, smiling softly.
"Yeah." Maki stared into the fire, voice dreamy. "Just being in synch, moving together."
"And raw punching through kaiju." Honoka swung an imaginary chainsaw arm.
"Diamond Princess to Martha Graham to Godzilla and Guillermo del Toro. Not only have we met the hottest women in Wisconsin, Nico-chi, we've also met the weirdest."
"Nico wouldn't mind Godzilla's rizz." Nico put her phone away. "The Minus One score hit every emotional beat."
"I haven't seen it." Nozomi confessed.
Eight pairs of shocked eyes stared.
"I told you after I took Cocoa and Cotoro it was THE movie of the year."
Nozomi shrugged. ""I like sexy movies. Sure, Mothra's kinda sexy in a mothy, motherly…"
"Mothra's not in it."
Nozomi fingergunned in Honoka's direction. "See, you're not keeping my interest."
"But this really human story is threaded through the whole movie, about guilt and survival and when you've done enough." Eli leaned forward, hand almost touching Nozomi's. "One of the most human stories of the year."
"You haven't seen it but you can't miss it. Forget karaoke, we're watching Godzilla!" Rin started searching behind couch cushions. "Where's your remote, Maki? And order the pizzas."
"We're going to watch Godzilla?" Nozomi raised an eyebrow at Nico.
Nico glanced to where Maki and Rin where making a fort out of half the cushions in the room. "And eat pizzas."
"The weird is contagious." Nozomi turned to Eli. "So do you do deep dish out here?"
Eli laughed, whispering to Nozomi. "Listen to this: Maki, do we do deep dish out here?"
Maki paused, knee deep in a loveseat. "For deep dish, there's Gio's, for New York Style, there's MidCoast, for Detroit there's South of Trouble, get the peppers and pepperoni, for the best basily sauce there's Antonio and Daughters, if you prefer oregano, I can call Roman Holiday, for pesto infused garlic wonder there's Carmens, for Pizza Margherita, call Mama Dees, for toppings, we go to Cullhaly's."
"Cullhaly's?" Nozomi was too curious about the Irish name.
"Their sausage menu has a dozen options, all from local farms, they won't do pineapple, and they grow their own herbs."
"So many choices,"
"Maki loves pizza." Hanayo offered, "You know everyone has a favorite food."
"So we get a couple from each." Nozomi giggled at the craziness of the thought, a tower of two dozen pizzas.
"Sure." Unfazed, Maki went back to searching for the remote.
"Really?" Nozomi had forgotten her host's economic bracket. And not given enough weight to the "favorite food" hint.
"Um, Maki." Umi approached cautiously, ready to dodge quick, cushion tossing movements, "Perhaps, we should limit the choices to two or three of those restaurants."
Maki still wasn't paying much attention to words. "Sure. Why don't you and Kotori decide?"
"We will do that."
Kotori stirred from the seat she'd been curled up in, knitting. "Just let me know any allergies."
"Found it!" Rin waved the remote over her head.
"Action." Nico hugged a Santa pillow.
A/N: Pretty sure if there was a lonelypond/blinkkittylove fanfic bingo card, this chapter would get you most of the spots.