Midday sunlight spilled through the windows of Willowbound like warm honey, catching in the soft string lights draped above the Pit. It was a rare moment of brightness in a Seattle October, and the timing felt almost blessed.

  The launch party setup was well underway, but no one was rushing. The tension from the past few weeks had finally cracked, replaced by something looser. Warmer. Music played through bluetooth speakers tucked between monitor towers. Laughter rolled across the room in waves. Even the coffee machine seemed to hum in celebration.

  Ariel stood near the central table, sleeves pushed up to her elbows, helping Lila sort stacks of launch lanyards and enamel pins. Lila glanced over at her with a mischievous grin.

  "I remember the first time I ever saw you in a cardigan like that" Lila said, nudging Ariel lightly with her elbow.

  Ariel smirked. "Let me guess. You thought I was adorable?"

  "No," Lila said with playful indignation. "Well...yes. But I ALSO got major "I destroy people at Mario Kart" vibes. And you did. Ruthlessly."

  They both laughed, the sound easy and familiar. Ariel reached for a strip of backing paper and started peeling enamel pins free from their packaging.

  "I still think about that night sometimes," Lila added, quieter now. "All of us crammed into that little apartment, eating instant noodles and screaming at the TV."

  Ariel looked up, her smile softening. "Things were definitely simpler then."

  Lila nodded, blinking a little fast. "Things are still pretty simple. Just a little bumpier from time to time."

  Ariel reached over and gently squeezed her hand. "That's true. Luckily, we have people to get us through the worst times."

  Lila took a breath, then bumped her shoulder again, lighter this time. "Now let’s finish lining these up before Marissa comes over and reorganizes them alphabetically."

  Ariel chuckled. "Too late. I saw her eye twitch when she walked by a minute ago."

  Lila, Marissa, Jordan, and Maddy had all taken the day off from their own jobs to come and help setup. None of them had wanted to miss this. They had done the same thing when Wispwood Haven launched six years ago, so now it had unofficially formed into a tradition. They moved around the Pit talking, laughing and high-fiving people like old friends.

  Across the Pit, Holly was in motion, clipboard in hand, directing a pair of interns hanging a giant canvas banner with the Lumio Forest key art. Her voice carried easily across the room, confident and clear, but there was a soft hitch in her breath as she stepped back to take in the final view. For a beat, she said nothing; just stared at the banner, eyes shining. It was the culmination of years of work, of every small gamble and sleepless night. Seeing it up there, real and radiant, was a milestone; A promise fulfilled. She pressed her lips together and blinked fast, then exhaled and turned with renewed energy, her signature glint back in place as she clapped her hands to keep things moving. Her ponytail bounced with each step as she angled her head critically, making sure the corners aligned perfectly.

  “No, no. Tilt it just a little left,” she called out. “Nope, my left. There you go.”

  Ariel stepped back from the table and wandered toward her, catching Holly’s eye.

  “You micromanage like a pro,” she said with a smirk.

  Holly raised an eyebrow. “I prefer the term ‘aesthetic perfectionist.’”

  “Whatever works,” Ariel said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “This place looks incredible.”

  “It really does,” Holly murmured, eyes sweeping across the studio. “I've never seen a livelier bunch of nerds.”

  Ariel’s expression softened. “We're lively when it counts.”

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  The hum of shared screens. The breakroom debates about lore accuracy. The hallway laughter. The gentle chaos. It was a studio that felt like home.

  “Has anyone seen the glitter crown?” Jordan called from the photo booth station. “Lin swore she left it on the table...”

  “I’ve got it!” Lila held it up, laughing as she waved the sparkly thing in the air.

  “Crisis averted,” Marissa quipped from the snack table, where she was carefully labeling bento boxes. “The realm is safe.”

  Ariel turned to see little Lin clambering onto a chair with the determination of someone ten times her size, and for a moment, she just watched her. Lin’s spark, her boundless imagination and tireless energy, struck something tender in Ariel. Watching her grow these past few years had been a quiet privilege; an unexpected joy of godparenthood that never got old. She wasn’t her child, but in so many ways, Lin felt like family, a reminder of why Ariel poured herself into creating worlds filled with light and wonder. In Lin’s laugh, in her fearlessness, Ariel saw echoes of what she used to wish for as a girl—and the proof that dreams, once impossible, could become something real.

  Clutching her pirate unicorn plush in one arm, Lin reached out for the crown, giggling excitedly.

  She squealed as Jordan lifted her up and gently placed it on her head. “I’m Queen Unicorn now!”

  “Your majesty,” Holly said with a dramatic bow. “Shall we prepare your throne?”

  “No thrones,” Lin said, grinning. “We go on quests!”

  Ariel couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. “That’s my kind of royalty.”

  Soon, the scent of fresh dumplings and sushi filled the air as catering arrived. Lila and Marissa ushered everyone toward the buffet in organized waves. Holly handed out commemorative pins and waved everyone toward the drink station, where sparkling cider and non-alcoholic spritzers sat on ice in glass carafes.

  As people settled in with their plates and Lin paraded around the room, Jordan tapped the side of his glass with a fork.

  “Alright,” he said, standing tall in his Willowbound hoodie, “before this party kicks into full gear and Lin recruits you all into her unicorn militia...”

  “I already did!” Lin shouted from under a table.

  Jordan chuckled. "I just wanted to raise a toast. To friendship. To family. And to building something that matters with the people we love.”

  He lifted his glass. “To Willowbound.”

  A chorus of voices echoed back. “To Willowbound!”

  Plates were passed. Stories were shared. Holly nestled close to Ariel as they sat on the edge of a couch with their paper plates balanced on their laps, sharing bites and soft glances.

  The glow of the room felt earned. It was built on late nights and quiet breakdowns, on crash bugs and pitch decks, on belief and bravery and love.

  Ariel found herself crouched on the rug near the photo booth, holding up a pair of paper bunny ears as Lin posed with her unicorn plush. "Okay," Ariel said, grinning, "say, 'Adventure!'”

  "ADVENTURE!" Lin shouted, then collapsed into giggles.

  Ariel laughed and reached out to gently fix the glitter crown on Lin’s head. "You know," she said softly, "when I was your age, I always wanted a pirate unicorn, too. But mine didn’t have a sparkly eye patch. That’s top-tier design."

  Lin beamed. "Holly helped me pick it out. Her name is Captain Twinklehoof."

  "A fearsome name," Ariel said seriously. "I bet she rules the high seas of bedtime."

  Lin nodded. "And snacktime. And bathtime."

  Ariel chuckled and tapped the plush's nose. "Well, if you ever need a first mate, I have a stuffed tanuki named Chonko who's great at cuddles and diplomacy."

  "Deal!" Lin chirped, then leaned in close. "Can we go on a quest later? After cake?"

  Ariel ruffled her hair. As Lin dashed off toward Jordan and Maddy with Captain Twinklehoof raised high like a banner, Ariel sat back on her heels and watched her go, a soft smile curving her lips. The girl’s boundless energy, her joy, her bold declarations of quests and kingdoms—it all stirred something deep in Ariel. A warmth. A wonder. A memory of a younger self who once dreamed of adventures but hadn’t yet found her crew. Now she had. And watching Lin’s tiny form disappear into the buzz of laughter and light, Ariel felt it all—gratitude, pride, and the overwhelming love of a life built fully, joyfully, alongside the woman she adored.

  “The only reason I made it this far…is because of you…”

  An hour passed in a blink. Streamers had been pinned, lights tested, and the last of the signage triple-checked. Ariel and Holly wandered side by side through the transformed Pit, both of them giddy with anticipation. They stopped every few feet to adjust a tabletop trinket, admire a photo collage, or greet a teammate still adding the final touches. With every step, the studio shimmered a little more, not just with décor, but with shared excitement.

  As they rounded the corner back toward their office, Ariel bumped Holly’s shoulder playfully. “Ready to become legends again?”

  Holly smirked. “I was born ready, Red.”

  They slipped into their office, still full of laughter, and grabbed the carefully packed garment bags they’d brought from home; their outfits for the night hanging neatly inside. The air between them crackled with that delicious tension that only came before a moment you knew you’d remember forever.