middaeg | [open] hydaelyn's house for wayward souls

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.]

[Rose hasn’t forgotten their previous encounter, but she also hasn’t paid it much mind. There are plenty of people she disagrees with, and Irhya isn’t nearly as irritating as say, Lyse.]

[What does bother her, however, is Irhya’s skulking around. Rose is used enough to monitoring her surroundings that she recognizes there’s someone watching her, and it doesn’t take it long to figure out who it is. It’s clear the packages have been coming from an acquaintance, and Irhya is naively kind enough to fit the bill.]

[When she darts behind her, Rose can only sigh. This is exhasperating.]

If you’re trying to hide from me, you’re doing a poor job.

[Oh. Right. There's a reason she doesn't ever practice stealth, and it's because she sucks at it. Irhya freezes, then wilts, making an indeterminate noise in the back of her throat.]

...Sod it.

[She runs a hand over her hair and ears. The latter bounce right back into place afterward.]

I'm just... gonna leave this over on the steps, okay?

[Rose shrugs, continuing to focus on her work. Irhya is irritating her right now, but likely not for the reason the other girl thinks. Rose may be crass, but she doesn't bite, and it's ridiculous to treat her like she does.]

You may leave it wherever you wish.

[A perfectly neutral response that probably comes off as very harsh. Just as Rose intends.]

I'm not going to chase you away, you know, so there's no need to be so skittish.

[The blunt instruction doesn't trouble Irhya so much as the latter statement. After setting the basket on the highest front step, she approaches Rose again, a little closer this time.]

Does that mean you're in the mood to talk?

[Rose shrugs again. The expression on her face is pretty neutral; she doesn’t really care one way or the other. Then again, Rose does also have a tendency to have resting bitch face.]

No more or less than usual. I’m not sure what there is to talk about.

Well, I did put something additional in there for you, if you'll have it. I... thought about what happened.

[A heavy pause, in which she's clearly a little reluctant to bite the bullet.]

Though I acknowledge you're not necessarily the one I owe the apology to, it's there nonetheless. I did go back afterward and... well, I don't know what good it did, but I suppose it's not on the owner to know the identities of everyone who ransacked his store.

...That, I suppose, is all I can do for now. I'd rather not be on rocky ground with any of the other Warriors of Light if I can help it.

[‘What happened?’ Whatever is this other girl blabbering on about? Rose had stopped her from ransacking a store, sure, but it’s not as if they’d actually fought. Rose was just expressing her opinion. Stubbornly, like usual.]

If you’ve thought again about your actions, then my words served their purpose.

[And Rose goes back to pulling up weeds, rather aggressively. It’s not that she doesn’t know how she comes off, she does. She just doesn’t care.]

If I refused to talk to everyone I had a difference of opinion with, I would have no one to talk to at all.

[Especially since Rose has such very strong opinions. About nearly everything. Like what Irhya just said.]

But if you try to please everybody, you’re going to regret it. It’s fine to seek common ground, but doing things just because you think others will approve is going to hurt you.

Oh, for... Just take the nice thing already, won't you?

[This is becoming more of a trial than she expected it to be. Irhya drags a hand up her face.]

It was supposed to be a one-time gesture; I'm not typically in the habit of buttering people up through gifts. It's just a little routine we seem to be getting into, so...

[Rose sighs. Making her acquaintances’ lives harder by being needlessly difficult is pretty much how she lives her life, or at least lived it before becoming the Warrior of Light. That changed some things.]

The gifts aren’t what I was referring to. But I will take it, thank you.

[She shrugs.]

Is there a reason you’re leaving these in secret?

[Irhya actually has to stop and think about that one, as if it wasn't a conscious decision on her part to begin with.]

At first, I guess I just didn't want it to seem like I was trying to win you all over with shallow gifts and such. So I just sort of went with it. After a while, I figured it wouldn't be too hard to discern where it came from, between the remaining handful of us who are familiar with Eorzean cuisine.

[And when it comes to those not in their house, Emet-Selch is obviously ruled out of that, leaving only her and Mira, who share a space anyway.]

...So a combination of caution and laziness, I suppose. As long as it's no big deal, though, I think I'll keep doing it.

I certainly haven’t heard anybody in the house complain about the free food, if that’s what you’re wondering. And I certainly won’t say no to food from home.

[Rose is a rather poor culinarian, and cannot replicate it herself, sadly. No one in the house wants the kitchen on fire.]

By chance, are you free now?

Well, I've nothing else pressing to attend to. Why do you ask?

[She looks genuinely taken aback by the request, if not a little hopeful. Positive attention is positive attention, after all.]

I was simply wondering if you would like to be an extra pair of hands.

[Is it a peace offering or is Rose simply needing help? Who knows.]

[open] hydaelyn's house for wayward souls

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