Love Isn't A Void

Chapter 3: The Gift

After getting dressed you and Isolda head to the small dining hall for breakfast, you pass Galia on the way down, she smiles at both of you. When you're far enough away Isolda whispers to you "What do you think of Galia she's cute right?" You look back at Galia never really looking at her like that but Isolda whacks you on your head "Are you crazy what if she saw you, then she'd know we were talking about her." You can't help but giggle at this, Isolda has always been the hopeless romantic type and it was comforting to know that some things never changed. "I thought you liked Rinaldo?" You say thinking about her last crush from just a few months ago "Yes, but Rinaldo likes everyone." She says pointing at his table you both look over and see that he's surrounded by the majority of the courtesans and girl staff, you both laugh "Well I like Galia she's cool, and she protects us all. She also seems to take her job seriously even though she obviously finds it boring. And well yeah I guess she's pretty cute, less cocky about it unlike some people." You say using your fork to point at Rinaldo's table again, you both laugh. "Yeah, I think I'll talk to her before I don't get to see her anymore." You were going to reassure Isolda but she's already changed the subject "So what about you any interesting people in your life?" You turn slightly red at this which only causes her to continue "Ooooo tell me who are they? Do I know them? Do they work here? Are they from the town?" Isolda says getting more and more excited, you wanted to act like you didn't know why you were turning red but you knew, whether you liked it or not there was one person in your dreams the last two nights "You don't know him, and he's not from around here." You say looking down at the food on your plate "AH-I'm so excited! Okay so it's a guy, well what does he look like? Is he a sailor? When did you meet?" Isolda is practically bouncing in her seat with excitement "I met him the night I went out and he's just been around a lot, I'm not sure what exactly he does but he's a bit of a know it all." You say watching Isolda look at you practically begging you to continue, you begin recalling what he looks like "He's kind of pale, his hair is average length and it's a nice dark almost black brown, he dresses well mostly in black, and he has these stunning dark eyes." Isolda begins squealing just before you take a drink from your cup you say "He's beautiful, but most of all I really love talking to him and spending time with him, I think I'm starting to like him." When you set your cup down on the other side of the table next to Isolda you see him, he looks surprised and you wanted to gasp but then you start choking on the drink that you didn't get to swallow "(YN) are you okay?" Isolda says rushing to your side to pat your back, Galia and another courtesan get up to check on you too "She looks like she's seen The Outsider, is she okay?" Galia says not realizing how spot on her metaphor is she looks at Isolda but the lights are so bright and everyone sounds like you're underwater and suddenly you don't remember when the lights went away and you can't hear them or anything anymore.

You wake up in the dining room but it's empty and dark 'Did I really faint?' You shake your head and get up from the floor, and you head up to the courtyard, you don't know how much time you have, 'Everyone is probably freaking out trying to get me to wake up' so you call out "Hey!? Can we talk?" He appears in front of you but he's quite this time and his expression is once again unreadable "Let me explain, I know what you heard, and I didn't think you'd hear it, it's not like I didn't want you to eventually hear it or I don't know I just didn't want it to happen like that and then you were there." You begin to feel the heart start beating and you disappearing "Screw it." you teleport in front of him and notice his surprised face but you wrap your arms around him and kiss him, and then the heart begins beating faster than ever before and before anything else could happen you see a bright light and Isolda and Galia crouched down beside you "Oh thank goodness." Madam Steele says approaching you "I thought I was about to have to call a doctor." You smile and everyone begins to laugh earning a glare from Madam Steele.

You worked straight through the morning to late evening, you didn't take your usual nap a part of you was nervous and you wanted to avoid your appointment with the void for as long as possible. When dinner came and Isolda wanted to ask you more questions about the mysterious man in your life you quickly called over Galia to join you and Isolda for dinner. You even made sure to make your bath quick in order to avoid any other cases of accidental flashing. When it finally came time for bed you stared at your mattress wondering just how long a human could go without sleeping but you got under your covers and waited for the darkness and silence to come, when it did you headed for the balcony and called to him.