Chapter 172 - New Years (2)

“So, you didn’t let Luna drink at all growing up?” Mama asked.

“No,” Julia shook her head, “At least not while living with me. If she really wanted to, I told her to wait until she moved out. As long as she was drinking it safely in her own home, then, I won’t reprimand her. But, Luna’s always been a smart child, I know she wouldn’t touch alcohol normally.”

“Wow, that’s completely different than how I raised Stella.” Mama said, “I gave her free range to drink if she wanted. You know how alcohol tastes—not very good—so, she self-regulated quite nicely. Plus, she really only drank with her friends. And I made sure they all knew that if they did something stupid while drunk, they’d have to handle the consequences, plus, they’d also have to deal with eight angry parents. So, I think that scared them enough.”

“Was there really no issues?” Julia asked.

“Oh, heavens no! There were tons!” Mama laughed, “Thankfully, Stella has a super high tolerance, so, she did fine, but the other three? Yeah, no, they definitely made some unforgettable memories. I remember going to pick Stella up from Bryson’s house one time, and one of her friends was sleeping in a potted plant. The kicker is, in that plant was a cactus, so, his face was covered in cactus spines. Another one of them was only in his boxers, he was sleeping on the kitchen floor using a pot as a pillow. The last of them was sleeping in the bathroom, in a puddle of his own urine! I ended up finding Stella quietly sleeping in a bed, but, that was one moment that definitely made me reevaluate the decision to let them drink.”

I think I actually still have photos from that day? It was hilarious, especially when everyone woke up and saw the aftermath of their drunkenness. They all swore to stop drinking there and then.

…I think that was a few days before we played that board game? Where, once again, they ended up making a fool of themselves.

“…Is that true?” Luna whispered to me.

“Mhm,” I nodded, whispering back, “They really drunk a lot that day.”

“Hm…? You let Stella drink alone with three boys?”

“Ah, this was before she awakened. There was no problems there.”

“Oh, okay, thank goodness.” Julia nodded.

Julia and Nathan knew of my unawakened self, as, I felt that was something I should be transparent about. Their reaction only reaffirmed the realization that I really overthought it back then. I mean, I guess it really is nothing crazy considering people literally change races and grow a tail or wings or something.

“But, yeah,” Julia continued, “I know the bad decisions people can make while drunk. That’s why I wanted Luna to stay far away from it. From the sounds of it, it sounds like her friends at least kept it at home, right?”

“Of course,” Mama nodded, “That was a strict rule we gave them. If they were drunk out of the house, they got punished bad.”

I shivered slightly as I remembered the one time Bryson went to the gas station while drunk. He wanted a snack and didn’t cause any problems, but, when his parents found out…Well, he never went out drunk again.

Julia nodded before turning to where Luna and I were. We both flinched as we realized we were caught listening in.

I nudged Luna’s side with my elbow and she stepped into the open first, I followed behind her.

“Did you enjoy the story time?” Mama asked, staring at me, “Any flashbacks?”.

“Haha,” I scratched the back of my head, “Ahem…Hello, Mrs. Britemill, it’s nice to see you again.”

“First names are fine, Stella.” Julia smiled, “It’s wonderful to see you again too. I heard you were the one cooking today?”

“Yes! That’s right,” I nodded, “Mouse has helped me a bit, We’ve made both the dessert and dinner. The turkey’s still cooking in the oven, but, everything else is on the counter.”

“I’m excited to have a full meal cooked by you two.” She said, “The steak last time was delicious.”

“It’ll definitely be delicious, mom.” Luna said, “Do you want something to snack on for now?”

“Oh! We’ve been snacking on strawberries,” Mama said, “They’re nice and easy access now.” She picked a strawberry from the bush that was next to the couch and popped it into her mouth.

“I hope that’s alright, Stella?” Julia said, “Apologies if not, but, they’re nice to snack on.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” Mama chuckled, “She’d have hidden them if she didn’t want them to be eaten.”

…Well, there’s not exactly a place to hide them in Luna’s apartment. All the rooms are full. But, yeah, she’s right. If I didn’t want them to be eaten, I’d have put a note on the planter box or specifically asked them not to. Though, I’m not sure if Luna was happy about it.

“M-My strawberries…” She mumbled pitifully.

I’ve noticed her snacking on them quite a bit more recently. Now that they’re in the open, she’s just full-on shameless about it. At least before, she’d quietly sneak to the garden.

“It’s alright.” I said, “Eat as much as you’d like.”

“Oh! Stella, is that you?” A male voice suddenly said from the side. It was Nathan, “Good to see you again, are you done in the kitchen?”

Papa and Nathan approached the four of us.

“Hello, Nathan,” I greeted him, “Everything except the turkey is done. If you’d like you could start grabbing a plate if you’re hungry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” He said.

“How’re you doing, Stella?” Papa asked.

“I’m good!” I hugged him, “Are you doing well?”

“Yeah,” He nodded, hugging me back, “Elara and I wanted to visit for Christmas, but, unfortunately we had an emergency gate to clear.”

“Mhm, I know.” I said, “How does that even work, by the way? What makes it an emergency gate to clear?”

“When the readings go erratic and the mana destabilizes-” As papa began to explain, mama swiftly cut him off,

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“Stop! Stop!” She said, “No one wants to hear your technical spectacle lexicon bullwhacky.”

“You mean, you don’t want to?” Papa replied.

“Your big words are too confusing,” Mama shrugged, “So, baby, put simply, the mana in a gate is usually stable. When it starts getting unstable, there’s a chance an outbreak might occur. So, we have to clear the gate before that happens. When we clear the gate, one of two things happens depending on the gate type. One, the gate disappears and the mana in the area either gets absorbed into the earth or condenses together. Two, the gate remains but restabilizes at its lowest level. For these types of gates, the mana dissipates or gets captured by awakeners. It’ll gradually regain the mana it lost over time.”

“I get it,” I nodded, “So, gate go crazy, gate needs clear! Understood!”

“Pfft.” Luna chuckled.

“Exactly!” Mama nodded, “Oh, but, there’s something to keep note of. When it’s the first option and the gate disappears, the mana that remains usually becomes stronger.”

“Does stronger mana mean stronger gate?” I asked.

“Not always, but, it’s a higher chance. There’s a bunch of research about it. It’s a bit too complicated for me to understand completely.”

Hm…? So, if I’m understanding it right, that superstition isn’t a superstition at all? Well, okay, good to know.

“Interesting, interesting.” I nodded.

“By the way, Stella,” Nathan started, “Have you worked on that energy potion you were considering?”

“Ah, sorry. I haven’t made any potions recently.”I said, “I’ve just been spending time with Mouse.”

“No worries! Don’t even worry about it at all.” He quickly shook his head, “I’m not trying to urge or rush you or anything.”

“I know, I know.” I gave him a reassuring nod.

The six of us continued chatting for a bit before I headed back to the kitchen. Finally, the turkey was done. All I had to do was slice it and then it was ready to eat!

My mouth watered as I cut the turkey. It was incredibly juicy and I couldn’t help but snack on a few pieces as I sliced it. Call it the chef’s snack, hehe.

It took a bit, but, eventually, everything was done. I set it on the table next to the other foods.

This was a self-serve style meal. Meaning, we individually grab a plate and pick out whatever we’d like. Kind of like a buffet.

When I told everyone the food was done, they all immediately headed to the dining table.

“Wow, it looks and smells great, Stella.” Nathan said, he was filling his plate without hesitation. Mashed potatoes, turkey, corn, gravy, mac and cheese, it was all getting stacked on his pitiful paper plate.

“I concur,” Julia nodded, “It all looks cooked beautifully. Thank you for cooking.”

“Of course,” I smiled brightly, “Please enjoy.”

Everyone filled their plates and sat at the table once we were satisfied.

A few of us actually had two plates. One for the main meal and the other for cake. I noticed that mama had a few more slices of cake than the rest of us.

“Mm!” Luna let out as she happily bit into the turkey, “Delicious!”

“Luna, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Julia said.

“Mm.” Luna nodded, continuing to eat.

I chuckled and enjoyed a spoonful of mashed potatoes myself.

…

After we all had eaten for a bit, mama suddenly asked me a question,

“By the way, how are things going with your house plans?”

“Oh! Right, Mouse and I are actually buying land tomorrow! We’re also meeting with the designer, depending on how fast the construction company gets things done, we could be moving within 1-2 months.”

“What?” Mama let out, “You’re buying land tomorrow?” She asked.

“Luna, why haven’t I heard about this?” Julia asked.

Seeing all four of the parents staring at us, it dawned on me—and likely Luna as well—that we hadn’t given them any updates on this front at all. Whoops.

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, “Yeah, the construction company we’re hiring is Garnet Construction, do you know them?”

“Ah, those guys, they’re pretty reliable. Good choice.” Papa commented.

“Wait, before that, where are you two buying this land?” Mama asked.

“I’m curious too.” Julia chimed in.

Luna and I looked at each other for a moment.

“Ever Springs.” I said.

“What!?”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah, it’s ten acres.” Luna said, “The area is really nice and we’ve already talked to the people who live nearby.”

“Ever Springs…Are you two sure?” Papa asked, “Do you know what happened there?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “We’re aware.”

“I see. If you’re making an informed decision, then it’s fine with me.” Papa said.

“I don’t like it.” Mama said.

“I’m not a fan either.” Julia agreed, “If another outbreak happens, whatever comes out of that gate is going to be more dangerous than winterfowl.”

“Ever Springs is a nice area,” Nathan said, “I don’t know much about the awakeners side of things, but, I trust Luna and Stella. They’re not dumb.”

“Mom,” Luna said, “We’ll be fine. Plus, we’ll eventually have a guild there too, Ever Springs is the best choice for us. People can’t live in fear forever. If an outbreak happens, we’ll be there to at least protect the citizens who live there.”

“That’s very admirable, dear, but, you need to be able to protect yourself and Stella too.” Julia replied.

“Um…” I spoke up, “In my opinion, worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet is how you get trapped. If an outbreak happens, then, we’ll deal with it. If not, then even better.”

“Waiting to worry about something is great and all until it’s too late.” Mama said.

“Stella, Luna, are you two firm in your decision to live there?” Papa asked.

“Yes.” I said.

I understand where they’re coming from. But, as I always say, future me can deal with the problem. And, though I usually say that as a joke, I truly do believe that the best way to progress is to not run. Also, I don’t like worrying about unconfirmed possibilities. If I worried about everything, then, I’d never even get on a plane or a boat.

“Yes, I am as well.” Luna nodded.

A moment of silence sat in the air.

Finally, the silence was broken by mama.

“Fine,” She said, “Although, I don’t like it. You two also have your own thoughts and opinions about the matter, so, just promise me that you’ll both keep safe, okay?”

“Promise!” I said.

“I promise.” Luna nodded.

“Also,” Julia continued, “I’d like for you two to constantly check the mana readings in the air. I’d also like you to get the highest grade outbreak warning device.”

The what-now?

“We will, mom.” Luna said.

“Good, thank you. I’m sorry, we’re just worried.”

“We know.” Luna said.

“Haha,” Nathan suddenly chuckled, “The air there got real sharp for a moment, didn’t it! Now, that that’s cleared up, could you two tell me—or even show me—the house plans?”

“I’m curious as well.” Papa nodded.

“Oh! Of course! Of course!” I said, standing up, “Actually, we have version one of the blueprints. But, they might be a little outdated since when Mouse and I meet with the designer, we plan on telling him the whole plan. One sec, let me go grab them.”

I left the table and then returned a little later with the blueprints in hand. Since we were all pretty much finished eating, everyone gathered around to look.

“Hm…A three bedroom, two bathroom house with a workshop, gym, office, and common room? This is quite big for just the two of you, isn’t it?” Mama asked.

“Hehe, well, since we’re gonna be living here for possibly decades, we’d rather it be too big than too small.” I replied.

“It’s huge!” Nathan commented.

“It’s definitely well-designed, I can see that.” Papa said.

“You two said that these are outdated?” Julia asked, “What would be changed?”

“Well…Haha,” I scratched the back of my head, “Might be everything?”

“Huh? Explain.” Mama said.

And so, we did. Luna and I told them about the future plans we had. From the multiple buildings, to the custom streets and the farm behind the house. It may have been a little ambitious, but, the goal was to practically take over Ever Springs—Claim it as Raccoon territory, ya know?

After we finished telling them everything, mama was the first to react.

“…You two do know, that’s going to be extremely expensive, right?” She said, “Just the land alone would cost an outrageous amount. Plus, if you go bit-by-bit like you said you are, there’s a high chance that the land will be purchased by someone else.”

“Yeah, even if you’re keeping your identities hidden, someone will see that someone is purchasing land in Ever Springs and get some for themselves.” Julia added.

I chewed my lips for a bit. Yeah…They were probably right. Even just this ten acre land purchase would draw in attention.

It just sucks that Luna and I don’t have enough money. If we had been working for at least just one more year, I was confident in my ability to afford all of it.

“Alright, fine,” Mama suddenly said, “If you’re gonna live there anyways, you have to go all out.”

I looked at her with a tilted head as she continued speaking,

“I’ll loan you the money to just purchase all the land you need. But, that’s all. This way, no one will snipe the land from under you.”

My jaw dropped. As did Luna’s. We stared at her, unable to formulate a reply as Julia started to speak,

“I’ll also chip in whatever I can.”

Finally, after blinking a few times, I was able to spit out a coherent sentence,

“Um…Mama…Are you rich?”

“Well, high-tier awakeners do make a lot of money.” She said, “Add that with a couple good investments, I’d say, I’m doing fine.”

“…But, what about the times I was broke?”

“Every time I tried to give you money, you rejected it, you stubborn fool.”

“That is true.” Papa commented.

Well, they’re not wrong…Even now, everything in my account is something I’ve earned myself. And honestly, that’d probably have stayed to case if I didn’t really want this land.

“Um…Thank you.” I said, I didn’t know what else to say.

If I wasn’t getting a loan from our parents, then, I’m at least 80% positive, I could’ve gotten a loan from the bank. Once they knew Raccoon was creating a guild and trying to develop Ever Springs, I’m sure investment companies would’ve jumped at the opportunity.

But, that’s also come with a lot more hassle. So, I guess this just saves a step or two?

Either way, looks like Ashley might have a bit more work to do tomorrow.

We continued discussing it for a bit before eventually moving on to a more casual conversation as we all sat in the living room.

Hours later, the sun had set and midnight drew nearer. On the TV the program that shows the time ticking down and the bell ringing in Times Square played.

Luna and I held hands as we stood next to each other. To the left of me were my parents and to the right of Luna were her parents.

As the countdown ticked down, we all spoke out loud,

“Ten! Nine! Eight!”

This year, might have been the happiest year of my life. From when I graduated school, to awakening as an alchemist, to meeting the alchemy misters…

“Seven! Six! Five!”

To meeting and dating Luna, to reconnecting with my friends and parents, to meeting my future in-laws and everyone else…I don’t think there’s been a single time where I felt truly miserable.

“Four! Three! Two!”

My hand tightened around Luna’s as we looked at each other and smiled.

I pray that next year will be even better than this one. And…I’m confident it will. Because…

“One!”

Being with Luna, makes every day better than the last.

“Happy New Year!”

With my free hand, I pulled out the bouncy ball from my pocket. Just a little before the countdown, I had poured the potion on it.

Luna looked at me her eyes widening as she went to speak,

“Wait, Bin!”

I smiled, tossing the ball into the air.

Everyone turned to me and then they looked at the bouncy ball.

Mama had an amused smile. Papa had an expression that accepted what was about to happen. Julia had a surprised expression, and Nathan’s mouth was in an ‘o’ shape.

“Bin!!!” Luna exclaimed as the ball struck the floor.