Sunlight filtered softly through the light cotton curtains of their new home, casting golden streaks across the wooden floorboards. The smell of toast and scrambled eggs filled the air, drifting from the small kitchen where Liora stood in a simple tunic, her long silver hair braided loosely over her shoulder.
The home was quiet in that peaceful way early mornings often were, no rush, no looming danger, just the sounds of a house waking up.
Behind her, quiet steps echoed as Tessa yawned her way into the kitchen, her hair tousled and eyes still half-closed. She rubbed them and gave Liora a sleepy smile.
"Morning..." she mumbled.
Liora smirked. "You're just in time. Grab a plate."
A small giggle came from the side doorway. Aria peeked in, already fully dressed in a little green dress, her hair done up in a lopsided ponytail, clearly her own attempt.
"I helped make the eggs!" Aria declared proudly.
Tessa blinked. "You did?"
Aria puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "I stirred them. A lot."
"Chef Aria, then," Tessa teased as she sat down. "Guess I should be honored."
They shared breakfast together, the kind of simple, joyful moment that felt new and grounding. For Liora, it was surreal to be sitting at her own table in her own home, with people she now called family.
After cleaning up and spending the late morning unpacking a few more boxes and hanging simple decorations, Liora glanced at the sun through the window. "We should head to the guild this afternoon."
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "For a quest?"
"No, administrative stuff," Liora replied as she wiped her hands. "We need to register our new address. It's required for adventurers with a permanent residence. And we'll update our party info while we're there."
"Ugh, paperwork," Tessa groaned, stretching. "Do we get guild points for that?"
Liora chuckled. "Unfortunately, not."
The guild hall was buzzing as usual, voices of adventurers chatting over recent quests, the shuffle of leather boots, the clink of coin exchanges at the counter. Behind the reception desk stood a familiar face: Elra, the older receptionist with reading glasses and a sharp, but kind, gaze.
"Liora, Tessa," she greeted. "Need something processed?"
Liora gave a short nod and handed over a form. "New address registration. And updating our party info."
Elra skimmed the form and glanced up with a smile. "Ah, moved out of the inn, did you?"
"Finally," Liora replied with a small smile.
"About time," Elra said with a wink as she stamped the forms. "You've got a stable family now. It suits you."
Tessa, standing nearby, blushed faintly. "It's not like we're a real family…"
Tessa thinks to herself, "I don't know why I said that. After all, Liora sees me in the same way as Aria.
But Elra looked up at her, her expression warm. "From where I'm standing, it looks pretty real."
As they stepped back out into the village square, the late afternoon sun bathed the rooftops in amber. Aria, who had stayed with Marna just for the hour, came running to greet them.
"Did you finish the boring stuff?" she asked, bouncing on her heels.
"All done," Liora said, bending down to ruffle her hair. "Now everyone at the guild knows where to send mail. Or yell at me if we're late for something."
Tessa laughed. "Let's not be late, then."
They headed home with light spirits, the small house on the quiet lane waiting for them, no longer a temporary stop, but the beginning of something lasting.