Completed Every Night is Another Story

[Ricky Maze]

Every Night is Another Story
Winter 40th 514 AV, 7th Bell
Location: The Maze Residence

Warmth. He felt nothing but that underneath the blankets while his face remained buried in hair, sweet sweet hair that belonged to the gorgeous woman that laid in bed next to him. He didn't even wish to wake, not if it meant breaking up the endless amount of cuddling that kept the two bodies bound together. She felt so warm against him and he loved it, and when he felt his face finally become expose to the air, the chill in the room gave cause to hide it away once more between her and the pillow her head rested on. He couldn't help but give a short groan in the process, his want to sleep in for a little bit enough to stir the beloved next to him as she grinned. Telion turned over to face him even though he still had his eyes closed, he only knew this because her hair no longer tickled his cheeks and nose. Dammit... He cursed for a tick as he cracked an eye open, Telion had already done the same before him and once she saw him, she giggled as she brought a hand up to his face.

So warm and soft. He didn't even want to move at this point, to do so would ruin the dream he obviously felt himself a part of. Ricky's eyes were open but not completely, his fingers free as they slowly trailed from her jaw to her neck, the dream he had fallen into proven real enough for him to finally smile. It was true, he'd woken up to his own Syna this day. Petch gettin' up outta bed, Oi dun wanna ever leave dis.

"What's on your mind?"

"Yew obviously." He smirked when he watched the grin grow on her face. "T'inkin 'bout how beautiful ya look, an' how amazin' it feels t' touch ya." To think like this made him wonder if it were possible to fall in love over and over again, if it were possible then everyday would surely feel the same for him.

"Kiss arse!"

"Its true!" He argued after she gently slapped him in a playful manner, his other hand brought up to meet hers as fingers entwined. "Oi t'ink 'bout 'ow Oi'm de luckiest man in de world, 'avin' me a beautiful wife t' bear me beautiful children."

"That so?" She crooked her head a little to the side against the pillow, and caused him to laugh a bit before he added more.

"Not just beautiful, but smart an' wonderful."

"Ah, see now that's more appropriate." She teased before she pecked a kiss to his lips, her feet rubbed against his legs below the knees as she moved around a bit. Finally as if right on Que the sound of Martin's wails started to come from the other room, to signal that he needed his parent's to take care of his needs for the day. "Looks like its time." She sighed for a tick as Ricky groaned, a prayer to Tanroa to make the moment last just a little longer. Forever preferably. Alas the good wife stirred to rise out of bed, but first decided to playfully nip at Ricky's neck and suckle the skin for raw torture. It worked. She rose with a giddy chuckle finally as she watched Ricky cringe and groan further, the torture even worse when he realized what she'd done to him. She didn't take long to get dressed since the house felt so chilly, but when she did finished she watched him in her approach to the door.

After he gave a low tormented growl he looked to her and watched as she headed out the room, an "Oi love yew too" to follow as he laid out on his back and covered his face. Damn it all. He thought with a sigh as he looked down for a tick, he then ignored what transpired there by thinking about what they were to do today. What did they need to accomplish, since digging at ice wasn't going to help them any. They needed food somehow after all, and the best idea Ricky had in mind?... not a clue. Still it something had to be figured out, therefore he finally gave in and followed along with the call of the day. He rose out of bed and proceeded to get dressed proper, and tailed Telion's path to meet with her and the son that waited to be greeted by his father.

[Ricky Maze]

Before he made it out the door however Telion reentered the room with Martin in one arm, a thick package that could've only been the same one Gale had brought the other night, which she held out to him with a stern look. "Oi already told ya Oi dun wanna read it." Ricky shook his head even when she insisted, at this point she didn't plan to take no for an answer.

"Gale is not responsible for this letter, he was only the courier. Besides y' need t' open it, it might be important after all!"

"What could possibly be more important d'an makin' sure we've got food fer t'day, or fer tomorrow if dat's even at all possible? Oi'd much rather worry 'bout d'at d'an some stupid letter."

"Y' just puttin' it off now Rick, and it's not gonna do y' any good." She argued with persistence. "I know y' still feel upset about it, but deep down I think y' need t' read this."

"'ave yew?" He challenged defensively with arms crossed.

"Only the note that came with it, and I think y' need t' read it. Don't worry about food as I'll have that covered, right now I just want y' t' take an easy day and maybe spend some more time with our son." She reasoned with the package held out to him, Ricky just sighed before he finally gave in and accepted the letter. "Thank you. Meanwhile I'll be gettin' Martin ready for the day, I'll bring him to you in a bit."

"Yeah, okay." He agreed while he unfolded the torn slip and dipped a finger and thumb within, he then pulled out a parchment and a small worn book with a note attached to it. A book...and a note? He took the slip of parchment and read it first, this being what he assumed was the note Telion actually read.

Dear Ricky,

I've spent a while hoping that I might find a time where you were ready to receive this, it's been in my possession for as long as it's been handed over to me, granted I made a promise that I would hold onto it until you seemed ready to handle such an object. This book was something that belonged to your father before he died, he had asked me to do quite a lot for him really; lettering delivering and safe keeping. I honestly hated the fact I had to keep these things all secret from you, but he made me promise you wouldn't know until you were ready. Even when I asked him about that, he merely suggested it was up to me. So I did all I could and I waited, wondering what he meant for the longest time. I don't honestly know what it is he found in me, to trust me with such secrecy when it would've been so much easier to talk with you from the start.

The point being, I don't want to have anymore secrets any longer. Now I know things are bad in Zeltiva right now but they'll lighten up, and granted you've done a lot over the past year since he's gone, I've decided that maybe now is that time to give to you what should've been rightfully yours from the start. I'm sorry that I held onto this for so long, and I'm sorry that I've had to disappear on you all again so suddenly. It might be a while before I return, a long while this time as I can't say where I'm going or what I'm doing. Just remember to keep your friends close and your family closer, and know that Martin's Godmother will always send her love when she finds the occasion. Thank you by the way, you yourself have been a sort of inspiration, one that won't be easy to forget.

Hannah

He'd sunk onto the bed while he read the letter with a troubled look at the parchment, his eyes transitioned from the scribbled note to the very book he held in his other hand. This book... belonged to his own father. A journal? Secretly kept hidden no less, but what did it mean when she wrote "when he was ready"? If anything he already regretted reading the letter, because deep down he felt bitter already with the whole secrecy thing. If that was one thing his father had been good at, it had been keeping secrets from his own son for what seems like his entire life. Now he got the whole story in one book? Somehow he doubted that to be the case, he practically called bull shyke about it as he stared at the damned thing. Not more family secrets...

He already still felt bad about the other day with Gale coming in and visiting, which only somehow turned into an argument where Ricky sent him away. Because Gale was a murderer, he tried to kill himself a while back but that wasn't the only thing. No... Gale wasn't who he made himself to be apparently, he'd hid himself behind a wall of secrecy that only tore their relationship to pieces, and now this book which only brought up more secrets. Did Gale even know what this was? Or was he really just the courier doing his job? Ricky supposed that didn't matter anymore, seeing as how the Godfather was gone and only the package remained. For a moment Ricky hesitated as he started to open the book, and he slightly dreaded what he might find written in the first few pages.

[Ricky Maze]

He hesitated with long hard thoughts before he finally gave in, the arguments in his head never rested until finally, the front cover of the book became open by his left hand. On the first page resided a sketch that had become quite faded from time, and the parchment it rested on felt drier than a sun soaked sponge. Yet the image on the paper still resided there in great detail in fact, it was mostly only the outer edges of the parchment that looked to have lost detail. It depicted a man dressed in a sailor's uniform as he held onto a child, an young toddler no less, that stood on the pier with the bay at his back. Strong jaws and deep eyes that bore the same resemblance as his, only the faint traces of a smile on the corner of his lips made it hard to believe, that what Ricky found had been in fact a drawing of his father.

The child? Had to be Ricky. Gods he looked chubby back then, with the signature of the artist faded it took a chime to read, with a bit of eye squinting to help he at least found the year this had been drawn. Four hundred and ninety-seven AV, practically a year after he'd been born. Did Burten actually look happy? The smile looked genuine even though it had to have taken a bit to draw this, Ricky guessed a couple bells maybe? He didn't know who the contributing artist was, but he had to admit he did a wonderful job with it nonetheless. Does... he look sad in 'is eyes? The fisherman wondered as he looked closer at them, he couldn't honestly say for sure but he wanted to think so. Maybe he started to read too much into the drawing now, it was after all Burten holding him at a young age. Damn... Martin looks a lot like me. He chuckled finally as he compared the baby version of him to Martin now, a soft grin lifted his dark expression as he placed the sketch back inside the book.

Telion had reentered the room by then, Martin in her arms as the child squirmed eagerly to be free. "Y're gonna have y' hands full today, he's a rambunctious one after all." She giggled a little after saying that, wonder soon present as she noticed a change in Ricky's attitude. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'. Just de fact Oi've got d'is keepsake o' his now." He answered as he placed the book onto the bedside table, he then stood up with a stretch before he finally took the toddler from Telion, a few coos at the boy occurred as he teased the child about wiggling so much. "We'll be okay t'ough, so yew dun worry 'bout a t'ing."

"Y' sure?" Telion raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes," He assured her with a faint smile, "now go t' work an' bring home some dinner when yer done." She giggled a little more at the order, a quick kiss pecked on his lips as she twirled around and headed out the door. She waved bye to the two males as she exited, and left them both alone to fend for themselves for the remainder of the day. "Well son, now its time fer papa t' eat. Let's go see what kind o' shyke we can git into." He cheered playfully as he bounced the boy in his arms, Martin just laughed at him in the process when he started to move along. He then went to the kitchen to see if there might be anything stored in the pantry, since he was practically the only one of the two that had to be hungry.

[Redd]

Hello, your friendly wolf grader has arrived!

As you can see, your grades have now been awarded, because I'm just freakin' awesome. Just a small reminder though, please either delete your request or type in 'graded.' If you feel that I have missed something or if you have a few comments/questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. The wolf doesn’t bite... Much.

 

Ricky Maze

XP

• Flirting: +1
• Persuasion: +1

Lores

• Telion: So warm and tortuous
• Persuasion: Food is more important
• Burten: Good at keeping secrets
• Gale: A murderer

Miscellaneous

• +1 Journal full of written family history by Burten Maze.

A Small Message for You

• Sorry, there wasn’t much in the way of skills that I could award. Most of it was observation and socialization which you’re maxed out on.
• I apologize with the delay for the grade, I had to get a second opinion about the journal.

Yours Truly,