[open] hydaelyn's house for wayward souls

[exarchal]

Who: Anyone!
When: All of November.
Where: The Haven, at the "classy" grade house maintained by some people from the FFXIV cast.
What: It's mingle time. Drop by for a visit, make your own toplevel, maybe ask who that weird old guy sleeping in the yard is. (It's probably crystal grandpa.)
Warnings: Mind FFXIV spoiler warnings in threads!

[ Located past the fanciest manor houses is something a little more modest. The most prominent thing one would notice about it is the front yard, which someone obviously spends some time in, though the cutting of certain bushes is a little close to amateur. More importantly, it looks a little messy but very inviting, and there's almost always the smell of something warm and delicious coming from inside the house. The lush and flowering garden in the back has a recently-scrubbed fountain and running water, as well as a near-permanent host of small birds. Is it magic? Probably. Most of the flowers are roses, though, which are a bit hardier than your usual flowers.

The interior is just as cozy, with a fire in the hearth that's almost always going, and plenty of books loaned or purchased from shops. Furnishings are occasionally sparse but the kitchen is fully-stocked, as is the family room where most people spend their time. The dining table exists and it's nothing fancy, but there's almost always a smorgasbord of fruit and other snacks left out for visitors.

New this month are tiny sigils drawn in faintly glowing paint along the windows and doors. Teleportation wards are in place, as well as soundproofing for each bedroom (ahem), so anyone teleporting directly inside the house will find themselves repelled.

There is a spare housekey under the mat, though, if someone gets locked out. ]

Comments

Rose | OTA

[poisontippedcure]

[Tending to the Garden]

[Rose has spent the majority of her time in her new home tending to the garden. Even if she doesn’t possess a green thumb, there’s something refreshing in tending to the flowers. She does what she can around the outside garden, but spends most of her time tending to the roses.]

[Anyone passing will likely find her with clippers or a gardening can with her, and a hat to block out any sun. She seems immersed in her work, but may welcome the conversation. Or may not, depending on her mood.]

[Early Mornings]

[Rose has begun to develop a ritual, of sorts, and that ritual involves copious amounts of coffee in the morning. She hasn’t slept well for the past few years, and so anyone in the kitchen in the early mornings will likely see her with a cup of coffee in hand, nearly nodding off at the table.]

[To anyone she knows, she’ll mumble a greeting before turning back to her cup. To any strangers who might be in the kitchen, she’ll glare, before asking what business they have here so early in the morning.]

[Do Not Disturb]

[When Rose is not in the kitchen or the garden, she has a habit of sequestering herself away in her room. The room is very clearly hers, bearing a nameplate with her name adorned with flowers on the side. There’s a light fragrance that wafts through, and anyone walking by as the door opens or closes will see a hint of pastel.]

[The door is locked, although anyone is welcome to knock. Whether or not Rose answers is another story entirely.]

[Wildcard]

[Want a prompt not listed here? Just let me know!]

Tending to the Garden

[fordola]

The Warrior of Light, liberator of nations, reduced to gardening.

[ Fordola seemed amused, from her perch. ]

Early Mornings

[krihnnges]

[If there's one person in the household who intimidates K'rihnn, it's Rose. She's grumpy, blunt, and carries herself with the confidence of a veteran. A very bitter veteran. One that the tia doesn't want to disturb if he can at all help it. It's like poking a grumpy lioness.

And yet, he finds himself in the kitchen with her this morning. When she mumbles a greeting to him, he stutters out one of his own.]

Ah... g-good morning, Rose.

[K'rihnn hesitates. She looks exhausted, and his healer instincts want to help alleviate whatever is causing her trouble with sleep, but he's not sure how well that will go over with her. At this point, the best compromise he can make with himself is to offer her food.]

Would... you like anything to eat?

garden-ish

[omnicrafter]

[Recently, there has been a string of back-and-forths between Rose's house and Irhya's with the various members leaving food at each other's doorstep. It's not surprising, given that she knows at least one or two people in each house can and do cook for others frequently, but it's become a pleasant little routine for her to use whatever nice ingredients she can get her hands on to create something for the other residence.

The catch is, she never leaves her name on them, only the address it came from, usually with a nice little comment and a few hearts and flowers adorning the tag. Whether they're aware of who's leaving the packages or not, she isn't sure, but she's keeping it up whether they're well-received or not.

Her problem today in particular is that Rose is working in the front yard, and Irhya ducks behind one of the hedges with a small basket under her arm, wondering if she ought to continue the secrecy. That, or just come out with it...

...Then again, she remembers their last encounter, and realizes it would look too much like she was trying to curry favor with her or her housemates. She can't be sure what the other woman took away from that... but is it worth finding out?

She waits for Rose's back to be turned, then scurries straight towards the front steps as quietly as she can.]

garden

[thejoyrider]

[The garden is naturally the first place in the house Marie is drawn to. She loves beauty, she loves beautiful places and that is where she feels at ease. The scent of flowers, the sound of water from the fountain... This place was a feast for all senses.

At first Marie is so taken in by the garden, she barely notices Rose by the plants whose name she shares, but she eventually finds herself watching the woman's work in silence. She was so focused, it was easy to tell that this flower garden meant a lot to her. She looked like she belonged there, as much a part of the beautiful garden as the flowers and the fountain.

Marie eventually betrays her presence by stepping on a dry tree branch which snaps with a loud crack.]

Ah- I am so sorry!

Emet-Selch | OTA

[unsundered]

i

[If there's one thing Ascians do even more than Calamities, it's teleport.

Having to walk everywhere had been just the capstone of insults that this city seemed determined to lay upon him. So once he'd learned that teleportation magic existed, it was one of the first things the Ascian focused on. Practiced. Studied. Gradually built up the distance he could travel at once- from within a room, to within a house, to the grounds outside, and so on.

But finally, finally, Emet-Selch was reasonably confident in his ability to safely traverse a respectable distance. Or at least, far enough that he could visit the Exarch's chosen manor in a single jump. Finally, he could haunt the place on a whim, steal inside without having to use the door like some kind of mortal/person with manners. Not that he hadn't anticipated that the Exarch would look for a means to prevent him- but he didn't expect those means to be completed so soon.

Nor did he expect the result.

Outside the manor, there's a sudden crash- the snap-crack in the air of magic backfiring, and the sound of a large object being propelled along what was previously a relatively-tidy hedge. Flowers are torn and trampled, scraps of shrubs litter the area, ripped unceremoniously from their beds. It's absolute carnage. At the epicenter is one extremely stunned Ascian.

And Emet-Selch just remains where he is for the time being, awkwardly splayed, half-covered in foliage, half-conscious.

Please rescue and/or laugh at the Ascian in the hedge.]



ii

[This time Emet-Selch has actually used the door like a normal person, and thusly avoided any unfortunate mishaps involving wards.

For someone who doesn't live there, he seems entirely at ease going through the cabinetry of the kitchen, pulling things out, frowning at them, before putting them back. There's plenty of food around, but he doesn't want any of it. Not that he's sure what he's looking for, but he's certainly not finding it.

It's probably not hard to find him in any of the common areas of the house, poking through things that don't belong to him, and generally being irritable.]

omg ascian catte down!

[inlikethebrume]

[Mira simply wanted to go see the Exarch and the others for a simple visit. Just to say hello and catch up and maybe get some information on what is the deal with this place. What she doesn't expect is one of her roommates looking like he got into a fight with a pack of chocobos and lost. And stuck in a bush. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she inhales sharply because what the everloving hells Emet as she goes into the shrubbery and taps him on the shoulder.]

Are you still with us?

[At least she's not laughing at his stupidity...yet.]

i!!

[poisontippedcure]

[As it happens, Rose is tending to the flowers when Emet has his...accident. She’s out of the way enough that she avoids a direct collision, but isn’t so far away that she misses the carnage. Her flowers!]

[Ascian or no, this is unacceptable. When Emet opens his eyes, he’ll be greeted to the sight of Rose standing over him. There’s a frown on her face, and her hands are on her hips. She has a small shovel with her, too, that she is strongly considering using for murder.]

I suppose you have an explanation for this?

i

[wordsinthesoul]

[That noise certainly caught his attention, and the result gets a few claps from Thancred before he drops his hands.]

Well. What a mess that is.

[He's not replanting all of that (unless he's asked; and hopefully not where Emet will see.]

ii - spoilers for Shadowbringers will be in this thread

[krihnnges]

[K'rihnn's heard of Emet-Selch's run-in with the teleportation wards, though he wasn't around to witness it himself. He has a feeling Rose might've torn him a new one for ruining the flowers. Granted, he could be wrong about that.

Imagine his total lack of surprise to see the Ascian rummaging through their cabinets. K'rihnn has just come home after finishing his morning duties when he walks into the kitchen. He's currently wearing two layers of sweaters, even indoors, but he treats Emet-Selch being here as a common occurrence. Because it is.]

Good afternoon. Found anything you wanted?

ii

[exarchal]

[There's definitely someone in his kitchen and the cadence of the footsteps doesn't sound familiar to his ears. It can only be Emet-Selch, he thinks. He hasn't... banned the Ascian from the house, exactly. How does one even do that? Instead he tolerates him, villain that he is, because the Warriors of Light would probably be upset if he didn't.

He makes sure his cowl is in place before he steps out of his room and steps over the threshold into the kitchen.]

Ah. I see you have found your way in once again.

[His tone is relatively mild, though not something that could be construed as overly friendly. He's just being polite.]

Are you looking for the eggs?

wildcard (◕ᴗ◕✿)

[omnicrafter]

[Back at their house, Irhya is already home, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed. She's listening intently to the front door, waiting for the last member of their household to cross the threshold.

Once he does, she looks up at him and casts him a look that screams cat-that-ate-the-canary, even leaning forward just a little so she can smirk at him at a coy angle.]

Someone got in trouble today, I heard.

[To illustrate her point, she strides up to him, stands on her tiptoes, reaches up and plucks a small piece of greenery from his shoulder.]

Aymeric de Borel | ota

[endsought]

i

[Back in the garden, Aymeric is tending to it. Pulling out weeds that are trying to sprout, and doing the daily watering. Whether they be Warrior of Light or Lord Commander, chores are chores and must be done. There’s something calming about doing this, granted it’s more that he doesn’t know how to deal with all the free time that’s now on his hands.

Servants are nice, but mainly because there’s not enough time for him to get things done.

Once he’s done tending to the garden, he snips off a few fully bloomed roses to place in a vase and bring back into the house. ‘Twould do no good to have a dreary place, after all. Even the smallest of decorations does well to liven things up.]

ii

[Probably everyone living with the Lord Commander has noticed that he has a routine by now. Wake up, go train somewhere, come back and either make breakfast or eat breakfast that was made, probably go read some books he found, train some more, food again, probably patrol town out of habit, return, dinner, sleep.

Rinse and repeat.

They’ll see that every waking moment of his day is spent doing something. Granted he’d probably consider sitting on the patio and reading a time he’s resting. Also probably using it to just be the literal neighborhood watch.

While he’s reading.

A knight’s habits don’t just disappear.]

iii.

[The wildcard option.

Come in and join him for a drink that will end up actually being dinner and a drink... We can wildcard it from there. Don't worry, it's not a date. He's not that smooth right now...

Whether it be dinner he's made for the housemates or just a random gesture. It's Aymeric. lbr.]

ii

[poisontippedcure]

[While this is the first time Rose has lived with Aymeric, she knows him well enough to know his habits. Mostly, that he keeps himself working every moment of every day. There isn’t a time that Rose can think of where Aymeric hasn’t been buried by work.]

[Which is probably why she’s so surprised when she sees him on the patio. She walks up from the garden, a genuine smile on her face. A genuine smile coupled with teasing, of course.]

Color me surprised, the Lord Commander is taking a moment for himself. I never thought I’d see the day.

[She’s going to take the seat next to him, asking be damned.]

2

[inlikethebrume]

[It's one of those times where exploring the house was a good idea. She's at least someone who doesn't go where she shouldn't be like some gremlins and during one of these treks, Mira spots Aymeric with what appears to be a...book of some kind.

Call her curiosity piqued as she clears her throat, like announcing herself.]

Hello again, Ser Aymeric. It is not often someone sees you rather relaxed.

[To the most that he can. It's weird not seeing him at a desk ok.]

iii

[wordsinthesoul]

[He'll still find some way to tease Aymeric, given time.

For now, Thancred simply offers the other man a smile.]

It's good to see you again. How have you been settling in?

ii - aaand spoilers

[exarchal]

[This is one of those rare moments where their schedules overlap. Without invitation, he drags a chair over to sit besides Aymeric on the patio. He has his own book-- one on magical herbology lent from the library-- and has it open to a chapter on healing roots, but it's clear he's more interested in polite conversation.]

How fare you, Ser Aymeric?

[He hasn't exactly made a point to come out and admit who he is-- not that his identity would mean much to an Ishgardian-- but certainly he's caught the glimpse of a tail or something else by now.]

iii

[omnicrafter]

[Once more, Irhya is dropping off a little care package to the house of miqo'te-and-Aymeric filled with a few wrapped portions of food, figuring she ought to keep the exchange going. This time, though, the front window is open just enough to let the crisp fall air in, and she thinks to perhaps set it down on the sill and flee without a word, but there is also a delicious smell coming from inside, one unrelated to her own offering...

For a moment, she stops and stares into her own reflection, trying to identify what it is she's smelling out of pure, idle curiosity. It reminds her that she's yet to eat, either, having mostly neglected her own stomach in favor of getting the share for her gift done and packed...]

i! finally slides in here

[joies]

[As Aymeric is busy in the garden, he'll find himself a visitor - one certain brightly colored, and very vocal, bird. One that tweets and chirps from his perch on the bench, before hopping onto his shoulder, clearly taking an interest in his work.

When one is the familiar of a walking flower, one takes an interest in garden work. And Iago likes to think he knows his way around a garden! ... Or at least knows when to weed some plants.

And said walking flower soon appears, expression faintly curious about what her familiar is up to - before she notices Aymeric busy at work, and Iago there to act as "support".]

I didn't realize you had a green thumb, Aymeric.

crystal exarch | open, but mind spoilers!

[exarchal]

[I. naps are dangerous]

[Somehow he manages to get so much done. First the wards, which he had to test over and over until he was sure they would do what he wanted them to do, and then the additional purchase of some furniture that he had, undoubtedly, hauled in himself. Living with him is having the nicest housemate you never see, because he's always gone but he leaves food for whoever might be home. They need extra hands at the botanist's, he'll say, and then not show up until after sunset.

It's very, very frustrating for people who want a conversation with him.

But at some point he has to hit his limit. It happens on an afternoon when he isn't scheduled to work. Like Rose, he enjoys being out in the garden-- but this time, he's curled up beneath one of the trees in the backyard. It's cold enough that he has his arms folded close and his knees pulled up tight, the robes providing some warmth.

Mind the shears nearby, though. He was trimming things before he dozed off.]

[II. a frosty time]

[He's taken over the kitchen again, and this time for the divine purpose of making cookies. It smells like sugar and vanilla heaven on the whole first floor. Cookies cut into various shapes (stars and crescents, and some plain round ones) lay in neat rows cooling, waiting to be decorated or devoured, while the Exarch wrestles with lemon icing in a pastry bag.]

Just a little more...

[There, that's better. He squeezes a little frosting onto his finger so he can taste it. It seems passable, so he bends slightly to begin icing the cookies, humming a little song as he concentrates.]

[III. wildcard]
[Just leave me whatever idc]

((ooc: This is mainly for non castmates, but please head on over to the spoiler opt in post if you'd like spoilers in threads!))

I

[clickclickbang]

[He was only here to deliver something! Someone had requested fast-growing shrubbery be delivered here (and wow can Prompto see why, seriously who set a bomb off in the garden here?)!

But of course the second he dismounted Prim, she decided she was Bored and wandered off. Prompto chases her down, grumbling about how she's spoiled, and spots her just as he bends down to peck at the crystal arm of this poor...cat person?

Note to self: ask K'rhinn just what he is, since he's pretty sure this guy isn't a monster.]

Prim, don't--

because it feels like a running joke that they see each other when he naps

[inlikethebrume]

...I swear we shall be meeting like this for the foreseen future.

[Come for a visit, find the guy sleeping under a tree. Mira puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head at the sight. But alas, she cannot find herself to flick him as a wake up call. Instead, she sets the shears further away in a safe position and sits down right next to him.]

I did not realize you enjoyed sleeping when there is a chill. Would you not prefer somewhere warmer?

[Could he hear her? Maybe he really is fast asleep...]

fordola | ota

[fordola]

i

[ It wasn't that Fordola was avoiding those from Eorzea. (Well, maybe she was.) But her, in her mostly-griffon form, had spent a lot more time away from people.

After all, what use was she to them? Except to her Emperor Solus, of course. But she had moved to land in their garden, to their roses.

...it was nice. She began to doze off, curled up, almost looking like a wild untamed beast... ]

ii

[ Later, though, she'd come to the door. With a gift... of hunted meat. She knocked, her expression a little dull. She had to become a friend, or at least an ally. Thancred thought it'd be good for her. ]

...listen, I hunted some extra meat, don't have a place for it. Ya want it? It's free of that damned infection.

iii

[ wildcard! ]

i

[inlikethebrume]

Are roses a comfortable sleeping place?

[Hi Fordola, have a dark knight kneeling down and looking at her curiously. Everyone is sleeping in weird places now.]

K'rihnn Tia | OTA

[krihnnges]

A: A Chocobo by Any Other Name

[There are a few points during the day in which one can find K'rihnn, in two layers of sweaters, tending to his chocobo, Iris. She doesn't seem bothered by his black horns, at least. In the mornings and afternoons, he can be seen grooming her purple feathers. There's a soft smile on his face as the Miqo'te talks quietly to her like an old friend.]

I hope you haven't been getting too spoiled, darling. Otherwise, I'll have to increase your workouts.

[She whistles out a "kweh!" at him in response to that.

Alternatively, one can find K'rihnn helping Iris train in combat. She doesn't have access to her magic, but she can still kick and peck. He's made a few, sturdy training dummies for her to practice on.]

B: Cooking Tia

[Fortunately for this household, pretty much everyone in it can cook. K'rihnn can be found replenishing the snacks and other foods that are low. He also makes sandwiches of varying kinds, and is currently arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Plating has ever been important in the Bismarck, and he's not about to shirk that while in another world.

Alternatively, one can find the normally put-together tia looking a bit frazzled. His face and shirt have flour smears on them. There's a mess of flour on the counter that looks like there's been an explosion of the powder. The strangest sight, though, is that K'rihnn is holding a broomstick parallel to the floor, and a squirrel is sitting right on top of it. The two of them seem to be in a staring contest, neither willing to move or blink.]

C: Wildcard

[K'rihnn can be found all over the house and the grounds, and could be found asleep in one of those places, to. There's also a good chance of finding him in the form of an actual dragon, though about the size of a housecat. Try bothering him!]

B

[wordsinthesoul]

[…what in the world has he stepped into. Thancred glances between K'rihnn and the squirrel.]

…what's happened here?

Marie Antoinette | OTA

[thejoyrider]

[knock-knock-knocking on cat house's door]

[The Crystal Exarch turned out to be a really nice person and Marie was so glad to have talked to him. The time they spent together might have been short, but Marie really enjoyed the makeshift city tour they went on during her first days in Aefenglom - as bubbly and extroverted as she was, it was nice to be in the company of someone who was also new in this place.

It was not until a few days later that she noticed his handkerchief still in her pocket. He was so kind to let Marie borrow it and she forgot to give it back! However, this meant that she would have the chance to see the nice hooded man again, so here she was, on the doorstep of his house.]

Excuse me! Is Sir Exarch home?

[Will it be Exarch who opens the door for her? Will it be someone else who lives here? Or maybe one of their guests happens to be there at that moment?]

[gopher tuna bring more tuna]

[That morning, Marie was taking a stroll through the shopping district as she liked to do once in a while. There was always something interesting to see and today she ended up witnessing the seafood merchant's stall collapsing. She watched as the poor man's wares slipped out of the magicked nevermelting ice which was keeping the fish cold. Of course she rushed in to help and together with the merchant, she managed to pick up and return most of the seafood to ice before it was too late.

Not everything could be saved though. Some of the fish already started to thaw out and could not be refrozen again. So Marie decided to help out by buying all of the thawed out seafood! Zelda, Scathach and her could eat some of it but there would still be a lot of fish left so to prevent it from going to waste...]

Is anyone home? I have brought you something!

[Why was this house the place Marie thought of first? No particular reason, really. Absolutely no correlation with anything regarding this house's residents. If you must look for a reason, it was because they all could cook and would probably make good use of all these fish!]

[wildcard]
[let's do anything! hit me up!]

[inlikethebrume]

[Coming by for another visit, this time with some sample potions taken from her alchemy learning book, Mira takes notice of the girl at the front door.]

Well met, are you a friend of the Exarch?

[She sounds friendly enough at least.]